《Little Tyrant Doesn't Want to Meet with a Bad End》 Chapter 1: What a Darned Sweet Death Flag I Have

Chapter 1: What a Darned Sweet Death g I Have

¡°Her name is Alicia. She¡¯ll be your little sister from now on, Roel.¡± In avishly decorated room stood a handsome yet frail-looking middle-aged man. He held onto the hand of a silver-haired girl as he introduced her to a well-dressed, ck-haired boy standing before him. The middle-aged man was known as Carter Ascart, a marquess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. He served as the Chief Magician of the Holy Knight Order, as well as the patriarch of the Ascart House. He was also the father of Roel Ascart, the stunned 9-year-old boy standing before him at this very instant. Roel Ascart was the sole son of this noble family. He had dignified facial features and a head of slightly long ck hair. Standing at just under 1.5 meters tall, he was considered to be on the shorter end, especially among the nobles of this country. His skinny physique also revealed hisck of physical training. However, the noble education that he had undergone from a young age gave him aposed and quiet disposition, which gave most people a fairly good first impression of him. This, however, was nothing but an empty facade. In truth, Roel was infamous as a little tyrant. Young as he was, he had a long list of misdeeds to his name. Even the servants of the marquess¡¯ house would pale whenever his name was mentioned. And it was such a little tyrant that was currently staring at the little girl who was soon going to be his stepsister. The golden eyes that he had inherited from his mother had narrowed tightly, and hisplexion looked awful. His body was as stiff as the sculpture standing tall above the water fountain in his family¡¯s garden. ¡°Roel, what are you doing? You¡¯re scaring her!¡± Noticing Alicia cowering behind him with a frightened expression under the pressure from Roel¡¯s intense gaze, the middle-aged man howled at this troublemaker of a son of his. Your looks are your only redeeming feature, and even they¡¯re ruined when you act like such an arrogant little viin! Do you have to behave in such a manner? I know that Alicia is beautiful, but you¡¯re the son of a marquess. Where in the Lord¡¯s name have the manners your etiquette teacher taught you gone to? Carter Ascart was clearly embarrassed by his son¡¯s behavior. He raised his hand with an intent to give his son a whopping, but barely after he raised his hand, the image of his deceased wife shed across his mind. After a short moment of hesitation, he eventually put down his hand with a deep sigh. ¡°Cough cough. Alicia, it would appear that your brother Roel is exhausted. I shouldn¡¯t have put him through so much magic training earlier.¡± As Marquess Carter put down his pride to help clear up the situation for his darned son, he discreetly gestured to the maids by the side. The sharp-witted maids immediately stepped forth and brought Roel back to his room to rest. It was then that Roel finally heard the strained voice of a little girl behind him. ¡°I-I¡¯m alright. It¡¯s not father¡¯s fault¡­¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Roel Ascart was really doubting his life at the moment. It was because he had transmigrated to this world. Or to be more exact, he had just remembered the memories of his previous life. Roel, a heterosexual male, had been a twenty-year-old university student from Earth. He was born to an average family, and he didn¡¯t have any extraordinary experiences in romance either. To summarize, he was an ordinary person. If one had to point out something that was different about him, it would be that he was practically a NEET. He liked to spend his time reading novels and ying otaku-esque games. Cough cough, you get it. This perfectly ordinary person was unfortunate enough to have gotten into a traffic ident. Before he knew it, he was already a member of the army of transmigrators from Earth. He found himself transmigrating into a ce known as the Saint Mesit Theocracy, one of the Three Great Powers, bing the sole son of the long-standing noble lineage of the Ascart House. He had be the sessor to a marquess¡¯ house, a real blue blood. Had he not known anything at all, Roel would have been delighted to be born into an aristocratic,nd-owning family in his second life. He would have had endless money to squander, and he would have been able to do whatever he wanted to. But that was if he really knew nothing at all. ¡°The Xeclyde House¡­ exists.¡± ¡°The Sorofyas¡­ they exist too!¡± ¡°Lucas Ackermann ¨C If this man really exists as well¡­¡± Bam! A heavy book fell to the ground, ringing the final death knell in Roel¡¯s heart. ¡°He exists as well¡­ Hahaha¡­ It¡¯s over. My life is over!¡± The ck-haired boy inside the study room grabbed his head in disbelief as his blood pressure rocketed through the roof. He felt light-headed, as if there was a blood clot in his head. ¡°Just what kind of hellish abyss did Ind myself into?¡± Afterparing the information in his memories to the records of this world, Roel was certain that he had entered the world of a gal game he had yed in his previous world¡­ and to make things worse, he was actually the viin here! The name of the game was Eyes of the Chronicler, and it was a rather atypical gal game of epic proportions, with a gigantic and well-detailed world and a grandiose storyline. It also boasted many romantic interests that one could aim for. The illustrations were also lovely. If one really had to point out a problem with the game¡­ it was just not popr. There were many reasons that one could cite for itsck of poprity, but Roel felt that it could all be summarized into two points. First, it was rated as PG. Second, its plot often proceeded in a sketchy manner. The game¡¯s mechanics were extremely bizarre, proceeding in units of ¡®years¡¯. It would still have been fine if that was all, but the storyline kept jumping all around the ce too. Wars literally broke out at the click of a button, and crucial characters could actually die in the midst of these wars, including the female capture targets! Roel¡¯s evaluation of this game was that it was oundishly entric. It was as if the scriptwriter was really just a historical chronicler with extremely limited information. The yer was given just the broad strokes of events, and they were left to fill in all the missing nks. The only reason why Roel was able to bring himself to continue ying this game was because he had an attachment to this incredibly handsome viin that shared his name, making it easier for him to immerse himself into the world. Not to mention, the female characters were absolutely gorgeous! It was for this reason that he recognized the little girl the moment he saw her earlier. Alicia Ascart. The Silverash Child, the possessor of the legendary Silver Bloodline, the Silver Moon of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. Her beauty was oftenpared to both the untouchable crystal ice that formed at the highest peaks of the harshest mountains once a century, as well as the searing de of the legendary sword of the Knight Kingdom Pendor. Her body had a perfect harmony of features, as if it was put together by the hands of a god. Her valiant crimson eyes would not have been out of ce on the faces of the heroes of the grand epics. She was cold and lofty on the outside, but her heart was tender and fragile. Of course, that was all in the future, when she finally matured to be the female capture target in the game. As for now¡­ she was just a little 7-year-old brat. Roel, as her 9-year-old older brother, found himself in a very tempting position. As the sages often said, age is not a problem. A two-year age gap didn¡¯t pose a problem to Roel at all. If he hadn¡¯t known better, he would have rushed straight to the side of the angel who had yet to unfurl her wings and struck up a friendly rtionship with her right away. Unfortunately, he knew better, and that was why he was afraid. He wasn¡¯t rendered speechless earlier on just because he had remembered the memories of his previous life; rather, it was out of fright. Ten yearster, the frail little girl whom his father was protecting earlier, Alicia Ascart, would kill her stepbrother, Roel Ascart. In cold blood, without a hint of mercy. Chapter 2: I Should At Least Die A Knowing Death

Chapter 2: I Should At Least Die A Knowing Death

Eyes of the Chronicler was a strategy-based gal game with a fairlyplicated storyline. There were 4 main capture targets, and just like most gal games, it would start off with amon route before diverging into the independent routes of the chosen capture target in theter stage of the game. The excessive number of events and frequent time skips in the game crammed yers with an overload of information, creating a poor user experience. On top of that, the multitude of routes that led to bad ends, as well as theck of satisfying eroticism within the game, left frustrated yers dying to bang their heads against walls. Putting all of this aside though, there were still some strengths to the game. The illustrations of major characters were amazing, and the background and storyline of characters were also quite detailed. The main character of the game was a fellow named Paul Ackermann. A prince carrying the bloodline of the Austine Empire, he went missing in the streets when he was still a child, and it was only when he was sixteen that the royal intelligencework managed to find him. He was swiftly brought back to the royal pce to be inaugurated as a prince of the empire. As fantastic as being a prince of the empire might have sounded, the reality of it was less enviable due to the two older brothers that Paul had. Having grown up in the streets, hisck of knowledge and etiquette swiftly led to him being ostracized by the factions led by the other two princes. Eventually, Paul was sent off to the Country of Academics Brolne to study. Themon route of the game started off with the main character arriving at the Country of Academics Brolne. He would soon meet numerous gorgeous youngdies here, embarking on an adventurous journey of heart-throbbing romance. Once a female capture target was selected¡ªthis was also the point when the yer finally went down a specific independent route¡ªthe main character, with his knowledge, fighting skills, and the aid of his girlfriend, would return back to his country to participate in the factional wars. In the end, he would ovee his two older brothers to take the crown for himself. To summarize, it was a ¡®from academy to vying for supremacy in the royal court¡¯ plotline. Of the four capture targets that the main character would meet, one of them was Alicia Ascart. Alicia Ascart was a spy that the Theocracy sent to Paul¡¯s side, and her route was known for being hard to clear. Due to her beautiful appearance that appealed to the aesthetics of the yers, she was often ranked amongst the top three in character poprity polls. She could be considered as the billboard of the game, which was also the reason why Roel remembered her clearly. And what he remembered even more clearly was the CG depicting how Alicia slit the neck of the viin Roel Ascart. Indeed, Roel Ascart was no other than the boss of the Middle School Arc in Eyes of the Chronicler ! In that arc, the main character and his harem would unravel the schemes of Roel Ascart before uniting together to lynch him to death. At the end of the battle, the main character would then choose a capture target and embark on the independent route. In the storyline, even though Alicia was the stepsister of Roel, she hated Roel deeply due to having suffered greatly from his oppression. In the final battle, with the creed of ¡®An eye for an eye¡¯, she sliced off his head decisively with a single sh. ¡°...¡± The adorable ck-haired boy sat on a high Robinia wood chair and he stared at the edge of the table in front of him earnestly, contemting a matter seriously... Is it toote for me to change characters if I bash my head on the corner of the table right now? Roel touched his forehead as a slight frown slowly formed on his youthful face. He really felt like bawling out his eyes right now! Isn¡¯t the world just screwing with me over here? It¡¯s one thing for you to not transmigrate me into the position of the main character, but you even made me a viin in themon route? Could things get worse than this? What am I supposed to do? My stepsister has alreadye knocking on my door; it won¡¯t be long before shees chasing after me with a chopper in hand! ¡°C-calm down. It¡¯s especially at times like this that I have to calm down!¡± Roel took in deep breaths as he tried to use his maturity as an adult to suppress his emotions. One shouldn¡¯t panic in the face of trouble because panicking never works. Repeating this quote again and again in his mind to brainwash himself, Roel finally felt himself calming down a little. He rubbed his own cheeks to wake himself up before beginning to rack his mind to find a way out of the quandary he was in. As the saying goes, every effectes with a cause. Love and hatred don¡¯t just appear out of nowhere. Given so, why would Alicia Ascart, the Silverash Child, hate someone whom she had only met once thus far? Roel began searching through his memories for the storyline of the game. He recalled that there were indeed a few conversations that revealed the reason why she hated Roel, even though they were mostly quick mentions. After a long moment of contemtion, Roel summarized it all into three points. First and foremost, Roel had bullied Alicia from a young age. Due to his father doting on him excessively, he had been able to do as he pleased, and he exploited this authority to make Alicia¡¯s life unbearable. Secondly, prior to being adopted into the Ascart House, Alicia was the sole daughter of a baron family. That baron had died in a battle while protecting Roel¡¯s father. Thirdly, when the Ascart House fell from grace, Roel once gave away Alicia as a chip in exchange for certain benefits. While there was no additional details regarding that in the game, judging just by Alicia¡¯s ravishing appearance... ¡°Tsk, this Roel must have something wrong with his head! Did he get his head jammed between the cracks of a door while he was younger? How nice would it be to have such a beautiful little sister to dote on? Why in the world would he bully her and even give her away? Do you know how frightening she bester in the game? She¡¯s the Silverash Child, renowned to be invincible under the moon!¡± Roel grasped his head speechlessly as he was rendered utterly dumbfounded by the suicidal tendencies of the other Roel. He began to rank the three reasons by order of importance. The second reason appeared to be of secondary importance right now. What was most important was the third reason! Looking at these reasons in terms of their difficulty to resolve, the first reason was still rather easy to deal with. All Roel had to do was to not bully her. The second one was impossible to deal with anymore since he couldn¡¯t change what had already happened. The third one, however, appeared to be problematic. ¡°My family will fall from grace? Why?¡± The little boy stared at the third reason he had written on a sheet of paper in a daze. Recalling the storyline, the Ascart House did appear to have declined ten yearster. It was also during that period of time that Roel, despite being the son of a marquess, resorted to bing a believer of a demonic cult, eventually bing one of the major viins. Roel raised his head and took a look around the elegant study room around him. A tuliptree from Gran Fiefdom, leather parchments from the Earssen Hignds, the most popr ss cupboards amongst the nobles of the Holy Capital, and incense that was literally worth gold burning quietly in the background. Taking a whiff of the extravagance surrounding him, he felt his spirits lifting back up. For such a family to fall into decline? You must be kidding me! However, the game wouldn¡¯t lie. The Ascart House had indeed fallen from grace within the game, so Roel had no choice but to believe it no matter how unthinkable it was to him. What he had to do now was find a way to prevent it all from happening. The little boy seated before the study desk crossed his small arms and fell into deep thoughts. The knit on his forehead grew tighter and tighter, and he found himself falling deeper and deeper into despair. Nothing came to mind at all! Roel couldn¡¯t think of anything he could do to prevent the decline of his family. In the first ce, this event wasn¡¯t covered in detail within the game. Without the advantage of foresight that other transmigrators had, what could he possibly do as a 9-year-old brat? He was not like Alicia! Other than his devilishly good looks, he was nothing more than an ordinary brat! What to do? Am I to await my doom just like this? Fear encroached on Roel like a shadow, leaving him feeling utterly frightened. It was then that a crisp bell sounded in his mind. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾System initializing...¡¿ Chapter 3: Something Is Wrong Here

Chapter 3: Something Is Wrong Here

¡°Thank god!¡± A sudden scream of excitement sounded from the study room, causing the maid standing at attention outside to jolt in fright. As if a brave warrior who had found a ray of hope in the midst of despair, the little boy inside the study room stared at the System Interface in front of him with eyes widened expectantly. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾System initialized.¡¿ ¡¾Wee to the House Resurgence System!¡¿ It¡¯s here! It really is what I thought it is! Roel looked at the three words ¡®House Resurgence System¡¯ with his eyes brimming with tears of agitation. As expected of his System, it was tailored right down to his needs! He was still thinking that there was no way to save the Ascart House when his System delivered what he needed right into his hands. With such a System on his side, what did he have to fear? Let me see what there is on the System! ¡¾World scanningpleted. Host scanningpleted. Instation of Affection Point Exchange Shoppleted. Instation of Gold Coin Shoppleted. User Interface created.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Roel Ascart Gender: Male Age: 9 Bloodline: Iron Epithet: ¨C Tier: F- (Magician Apprentice) Fundamental Spells: Minor Heatwave, Phantom Hands (Defective)¡¿ ¡°...¡± I never knew that there¡¯s still a F- beneath F... 1 reply ¨C 4 weeks ago Roel stared at his User Interface back and forth twice. In the end, he could only sigh deeply and admit to the fact that he was indeed a weakling. A Magician Apprentice when he was already 9-year-old? Who in the world would believe that his father was the Chief Magician of the Holy Knight Order?! The little boy clutched his forehead as hemented theckadaisical life he had lived prior to recalling his memories. Shaking his head, he decided to try out his two Fundamental Spells first. Minor Heatwave allowed him to produce a slight gust of warmer wind, creating an effect reminiscent to that of a hairdryer. As for Phantom Hands, it was a spell that granted one the ability of telekinesis. As for why there was the additional tag of (Defective) behind it... ¡°...¡± Roel looked at the invisible hand floating before him, which had nothing but its middle finger, and he suddenly felt like he had been grievously humiliated. 2 replies ¨C 3 weeks ago Forget it, none of this is important. As long as I have the help of the System, I¡¯ll surely be able to rise up against all odds! Let me see what is there in the Exchange Shop first... Roel calmed himself down before turning his attention back onto the System. ¡¾Affection Point Exchange Shop You can collect the affection that sentient beings have toward you in your vicinity and convert them into points. These points can be used to purchase facilities and items that will aid you in the resurgence of your noble house. The types of affection include kinship, friendship, romance, respect, infatuation, and such. The items that have been exchanged cannot be refunded.¡¿ ¡¾Gold Coin Shop You can use the wealth that you have umted in reality to purchase personal goods that includebat-rted items, daily life necessities, upational tools, and such. Gold spent cannot be refunded, so please proceed with caution.¡¿ ¡¾The goods avable in the Affection Point Exchange Shop and Gold Coin Shop will be refreshed once every month, and special discounts will be avable on certain dates. The user is advised to pay careful attention to the two shops.¡¿ ¡°Hm? Special discounts? Wow, it seems quite friendly... but is that all?¡± Roel inspected every nook and cranny of the two shops, but he wasn¡¯t able to find anything else at all. ¡°Hold it for a second, this isn¡¯t right. Isn¡¯t a System supposed to give out quests for the main storyline with rewards on the line? I mean, even a minor quest would do too! Like killing slimes at the vige entrance for a short dagger, or finding a missing cat for potions... Isn¡¯t that the norm for Systems?¡± ¡¾The House Resurgence System is a passive system. The user is advised to live life passionately and strive to be independent. This System strongly objects to the act of holding the user hostage to its whims and orders the user around like a tool. As the saying goes, a man should constantly seek to improve himself on his own ord. ¡¿ 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago ¡°???¡± What just happened? Did I just get taught a life lesson by a system? Moreover, there are actually passive systems nowadays too? Wow, the variety sure has expanded fast! The shocked Roel took a look at his Iron Bloodline and Magician Apprentice tier on his User Interface before retorting, ¡°Boss, my head is on the guillotine. I don¡¯t even know when my house is going to fall from grace, and you¡¯re still in the mood to be educating me here? I¡¯m begging you, just treat me like a tool, alright? It¡¯s at least better than dying!¡± ¡¾Life is precious, even more so is freedom.¡¿ ¡°...¡± The hell. Was this System from France? ¡°Can¡¯t you at least point a way out for me? I¡¯m really desperate right now! ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾The user¡¯s call for help has been epted. Scanning the user¡¯s body. Scanningpleted. The user is advised to check the shops. Redirecting to the Gold Coin Shop.¡¿ ¡¾The user is advised to keep a close eye on the items rting to bloodline and constitution enhancement. The Affection Point Exchange Shop and Gold Coin Shop are being refreshed.¡¿ ¡¾3, 2, 1... Refreshplete.¡¿ As the voice sounded from the System, Roel saw rows of shining shields and two-handed swords disappear right before his eyes, reced with a page filled with dark-colored, bizarre goods that gave off ominous vibes. Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He began looking through the list one by one. Nine-headed Serpent Staff, Raphaen¡¯s Fingernail Book, Bec¡¯s Skull, Primitive Stone of Terror... Holy shit, what the hell are all of these? Wait a moment... Bronze Bloodline! There was one item at the very end of the list that made Roel open his mouth wide in shock. He quickly focused his attention and took a closer look at it. ¡¾Blood Servant of Raphaen (Lower Bronze Bloodline) A bloodline created by Great Warlock Raphaen to prolong his longevity after he descended into lunacy. His cruel experiments have led to the death of thousands of innocent civilians, invoking the rage of the popce on the continent. He eventually lost his life to a crusade against him. However, before his death, he managed to create a nigh indestructible bloodline of the nightmares. Rumors have it that some of the unfortunate civilians who have been experimented on by him still loiter around their graves to this day. Bloodline Effect: Swift Regeneration Side Effect: Sanity Corrosion Price: 10,000 Gold Coins¡¿ ¡°Sanity Corrosion? W-who in the world would dare to use something like this? Besides... this is too expensive!¡± Roel¡¯s handsome face twitched upon seeing the description of the item. ,000 gold coins! What did that mean? ¡°Even as the son of a marquess, I only receive 10 gold coins as pocket money every month! For an ordinary family, as long as they scrimped and saved, 28 gold coins would be roughly enough for them tost a year! How is it that your Lower Bronze Bloodline costs a whopping 10,000 gold coins? Not to mention, it¡¯s still an inferior good that can turn a person into a fool...¡± ¡¾Blloodline enhancement is a highly difficult feat. The System¡¯s price is fair and impartial. With great poweres great cost. May the user think it through carefully and purchase with caution.¡¿ ¡°Why is it that Alicia¡¯s Silverash Child Bloodline has no side effects then?¡± ¡¾The user should be informed that the top bloodlines of each tier suffer from minimal or no side effects.¡¿ ¡°...¡± Fine, I get it. Alicia is all great and mighty. I¡¯ll admit it, alright? ¡°But no matter what, it¡¯s still too expensive. I¡¯m just a nine-year-old! Where am I to find that much money?¡± ¡¾The user is advised to take a look at the Affection Point Exchange Shop to obtain tools that would improve the Ascart House¡¯s revenue before using the money earned to improve himself. The user¡¯s strength will be essential in leading the Ascart House to a bright future. Only through forming such a virtuous cycle will the user be able to ovee his death gs and enjoy a fulfilling life.¡¿ 1 reply ¨C 3 weeks ago ¡°I see. I¡¯ll take a look at the Affection Point Exchange Shop then.¡± Roel was persuaded by the long speech made by the System, so he decided to take a look at the Affection Point Exchange System first. But soon enough, his face turned grim once again. ¡¾Spring of Holy Water (High) Reinvigorating water that heals the injuries of the heart. It will summon our friends. Price: 2,500,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡¾Light of Tuspark Light shines through the darkness, dispelling them from sight. Price: 300,000 Affection Points Per Light¡¿ ... ¡¾Enchantment Workshop of the Shining Armor A snapshot of the lost technology of the Gulbator Empire. It¡¯s a basic production line of the armor of the legendary soldiers, Undying Bators. Used for primary enchantment and reinforcement. Price: 700,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡°Other than thest item, why are the descriptions of the items so vague? I havepletely no idea what they are used for at all. Besides, they are all so expensive!¡± ¡¾The descriptions will be altered in ordance with the circumstances of the user. Affection Points are easier to earn, so the user need not worry too much about it.¡¿ ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Congrattions, you have obtained: Emblem of Glory¡¿ ¡¾Emblem of Glory The charisma of a hero is unstoppable. A person equipped with this item will emanate a slight yet inconspicuous seductive charm. Its effects vary for each person.¡¿ ¡°Hm? Seductive charm? In other words, if I wear it, it¡¯ll be beneficial to me in winning the affection of others?¡± ¡¾Bingo. The item has already been given out. The user is advised to quickly equip it.¡¿ Right after the System said those words, bits of light began gleaming from Roel¡¯s hand. It looked simr to how the fireflies of the Ascart Fiefdom would usually frolic in his hands during the past summer nights. By the time the little boy returned to his senses, the light had already formed a small emblem on his palm. ¡°Is this... the key to change my fate?¡± The adorable ck-haired boy muttered to himself as he grasped the emblem in his hand tightly. He did want to try out the effect of the emblem right away, but whose affection should he try to win over? Regarding this question... ¡°Is this even a question at all?¡± Roel pinned the silver emblem on his chest as a silver-haired silhouette shed across his eyes. A hardy expression reminiscent of a soldier fighting against all odds appeared on his face. ¡°Alicia Ascart, here Ie!¡± Chapter 4: Push and Pull on the Dining Table

Chapter 4: Push and Pull on the Dining Table

Time to go for an all-out fight! In the Marquess Carter¡¯s study room, Roel touched the emblem pinned before his chest with a solemn expression on his face, reminiscent of a Pendor Knight clutching onto his de prior to the start of a battle. Today was the adopted Alicia¡¯s first day in the Ascart House, so it was bound to be an important asion to her. However, due to his recollection of his past memories, Roel had already ruined their first meeting. Ey! What a huge regret! Why did I react so slowly back then? With my looks, even if I can¡¯t charm her over right away, I would have at least been able to leave her with a favorable impression of me! Roel examined the ck-haired, gold-eyed boy reflected in the ss before him before squeezing his slightly chubby but attractive face. Once again, he affirmed himself. Yeap, I¡¯m good-looking. And judging from the game¡¯s character illustrations, my dad and mum¡¯s genes are still quite stable. I¡¯ll continue to grow more and more handsome with time. Maybe it¡¯s my delusion at work, but after wearing this emblem, I feel like I look a little more... pleasing? The little boy poked at the silver emblem on his chest with his finger as he built up his confidence for the battle he was going to fightter on. He might not have left a good first impression on Alicia, but there was still a chance to salvage the situation. With this item aiding him, he would make sure to brush up Alicia¡¯s affection for him and destroy the death g in its cradle! But first and foremost, Roel felt that he should find someone to try his hand first. ¡°Anna, you must have waited a long while for me. Are you tired?¡± The door to the study room opened, and an adorable little boy leaped right into the embrace of the maid standing by the doorway, looking up at her with big, round eyes. ¡°Young master? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The maid that was assigned to take care of Roel¡¯s daily needs stared at the little boy holding onto her leg in shock. She was baffled by her young master¡¯s sudden act of intimacy. Roel Ascart was rather notorious for his spiteful mischief. Due to him having lost her mother at a young age, his father, Marquess Carter, doted on him excessively, not bearing to hit or scold him in the least. He viewed it as a way to make up for Roel¡¯s loss in maternal love. Such an environment proved to be ideal in cultivating the stereotypical arrogant young master, as could be seen from the 9-year-old Roel. He was smart enough to rein himself in before his father and the other nobles, but those who interacted with him on a day-to-day basis knew deep well that there was another side to him?¡ªhow could they not know when they were victims of his malice themselves? None of the servants of the Ascart House dared to speak of this matter aloud, but they were deeply unnerved by the fact that this little tyrant would one day be their master and even the head of this fiefdom. Anna, especially, was nning to retire before this tyrant grows up out of consideration for her own safety. As such, it was imaginable that it would cause bouts of uneasiness when such a notorious tyrant suddenly changed his attitude. Was this just a spontaneous action, or was there a deeper, more nefarious plot behind this? As a professional, Anna maintained a smile on her lips while her heart thumped in wariness. On the other hand, Roel continued carrying out his n. ¡°A-ah, it¡¯s nothing much! I was just reading a storybook, and it says that children like me will be gobbled up by the werewolves in the Charon Forest. I don¡¯t want to be eaten up, uwah¡ª¡ª¡± The ck-haired boy spoke with a lump in his throat. His face was scrunched up in fear, and his tears were falling on the ground like raindrops, unable to be dried no matter how he wiped them with his hands. Such a sight gave Anna the scare of her life. She quickly kneeled down to wipe away little Roel¡¯s tears. ¡°Young master, it¡¯ll be alright. Those are just lies,¡± exined Anna with a helpless tone, as she recalled the ¡®Ruminating Incense¡¯ burning in the study room. ¡°It must be the effects of the magic item that the old master uses to keep himself awake. You don¡¯t need to worry; the werewolves of the Charon Forest would never dare to attack the Ascart House.¡± ¡°I-is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.¡± Anna looked at therge eyes of the little boy before her and instinctively fondled his soft face. An inexplicable thought arose in her mind: This tyrant actually has a cute side to him too. ¡°Anna... I¡¯m sorry for scolding you yesterday.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Before Anna could calm herself from this mystifying turn of events, another bomb was ced right into her hands. The maid widened her eyes in shock, disying her disbelief that this arrogant young master would actually know to apologize. ¡°I was wrong yesterday. The times before too. I¡¯m sorry * hic * for always hitting and scolding you all.¡± ¡°No no, young master, you¡¯re still young! It¡¯s normal for children of your age to be mischievous, we have never med you for it!¡± Anna quickly consoled the little boy, who was wallowing in self-reproach. At the same time, a thought surfaced in her mind: Could it be that our young master has grown up, and he¡¯s going to be a decent person from now on? ¡°Anna, I¡¯ll never act that way anymore. Can you forgive Roel?¡± The little boy looked at the maid with eyes glistening from tears. The silver emblem pinned on his chest gleamed brilliantly under the sunlight. Faced with such a Roel, Anna found her heart melting bit by bit, and before she knew it, she was already nodding her head. ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°That¡¯s great... Ah!¡± Roel, who had been devoting all of his emotions into carrying out the script, suddenly yelped out loud, causing Anna to blink her eyes in confusion. In the moment that Anna agreed to forgive Roel, the little boy saw green light rising from Anna¡¯s head, forming a series of words. (Affection Points +150! ) Holy moly! It¡¯s really possible to earn Affection Points like this, and it¡¯s more than I thought! Roel clenched his fists tightly together from agitation as hope lit up in his eyes. Hehe, I¡¯ll be able to gather Affection Points way faster than gold coin then! Experiment, sess! Alicia, I¡¯m reallying now! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°L-lord Brother, a pleasant afternoon to you.¡± It was afternoon, and Marquess Carter had gone out to deal with other affairs, leaving just Roel and Alicia in the spacious dining room for lunch. The moment the silver-haired girl saw her slightly older stepbrother, she recalled the frightening look thetter had looked at her with. She was terrified of him, but she still tried her best to buck up her courage and greet him politely, to which, Roel replied with a simple nod. Following that, under the assistance of the maids, Alicia was settled right before Roel on this long table that could easily hold twenty people. It was in a slightly awkward silence that the two of them waited for the maids to serve the dishes. The silver-haired girl had her head lowered as she nervously gripped her skirt beneath the table. From time to time, she would nce at Roel before swiftly averting her eyes once more, revealing the trepidation she felt inside. Roel knew that Alicia was waiting for him to speak up and reveal the reason why they were having this luncheon together. In noble families like the Ascart House, whenever the patriarch, Marquess Carter, was not around, children like Roel and Alicia would tend to have their luncheon privately in their rooms. One reason was to cut cost, and the other one was to uphold the solemn dignity of the head of the house. However, as the Ascart House was notcking in money, and Roel, as the sole sessor, was heavily doted on, he had the authority to change the venue where the luncheon should be held at his discretion. The significance of this deed, however, came across in a different manner to Alicia. The very first reason that came to Alicia¡¯s mind as to why Roel would call her out while their father was away was that Roel wanted to flex his authority and give her a warning. The world of the nobles was very different from that of the rest of the world. Oppression wasmon even amongst children, and theck of maturity to conceal the oppression often resulted in things getting ugly. There was a huge gap between a daughter adopted from a baron family and the sole son of a marquess family. It was in no way an exaggeration to say that all it took was a word from Roel to turn Alicia¡¯s life into a living hell, and she would have no way to retaliate at all. What? Tell Marquess Carter about it, you say? Marquess Carter was perhaps an impartial person, and he might protect Alicia in view of his rtionship with Alicia¡¯s father. However, what would happen when Marquess Carter was not around? Grudges amongst children were often far more frightening than what adults could imagine; just the intervention of an adult wouldn¡¯t stop things. It was just like back then... Terror flickered across Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes as she recalled her past. She raised her head to look at the little boy seated opposite to her, and Roel¡¯s small body seemed to ovep together with the boys who had once humiliated her. It made her lower her head even more, as if there was something pulling her down. What she was oblivious to was that the demon king in her heart, Roel, was even more nervous than her at the moment! Damn! How am I supposed to earn the affection of a 7-year-old child? Roel, who had 29 years behind him if one were to count his two lives, sat on his chair in a daze. He felt an urge to ruffle his hair from frustration. The reason why he invited Alicia down to the dining room to have luncheon together was simple enough¡ªhow could he win the affection of someone whom he didn¡¯t even meet with? But when the two of them were finally sitting face-to-face, he found himself not knowing what to say to her, and the pressure of having to make a good second impression wasn¡¯t helping at all. Hey sis, let¡¯s get close to one another! Tsk, doesn¡¯t sound too right either! After pondering for a very long while, Roel decided to go about it formally in the end. ¡°Alicia, I neglected to introduce myself earlier because I was feeling a little under the weather. My name is Roel, and I¡¯ll be your stepbrother from this day onward. ¡°Yes, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Feel free to tell me if you face any difficulties in this house in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re feeling bored, you can alsoe by my room to look for me.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°...¡± What the hell was that? Are you a parrot?! Roel looked at the little girl before him, who kept repeating the same words with her head lowered, and a fact quickly dawned upon him¡ªnone of what he was saying was getting through at all. He wasn¡¯t gaining any affection out of this, and Alicia was still as cold as ever toward him. She was polite and obedient, but her attitude was pushing him miles and miles away. This child... Why does her heart feel so closed? It feels like she has matured beyond her age. For kids of our age, shouldn¡¯t the act of asking someone out to y already a symbol of goodwill and friendship? I thought that we¡¯ll be able to walk out of the dining room with our hands together and head for the garden to y in the mud together. Having failed his first wave of attack, Roel found himself at a loss as to how to proceed. On the other hand, Alicia heaved a sigh of relief. Distancing herself from others with a courteous front was Alicia¡¯s way of protecting herself. For someone who had been bullied and harassed by boys due to her appearance, Alicia didn¡¯t believe in the bonds between humans at all. Even if she managed to get close enough to someone to y together, they would eventually distance themselves from her out of fear due to her peculiarity, and it was only a matter of time before this fear transformed them into demons that oppressed her. Yes, this is fine. The little girl thought to herself as she clutched her skirt tightly. A heavy silence fell upon the dining room. Roel waspletely helpless against the heavily guarded Alicia, till the servants finally walked in andid out the cutleries. ¡°AH!¡± While exquisitely designed cutleries were ced gently before the two of them, Alicia suddenly let out a shout of exmation, confusing the servants. A spark shed across in Roel¡¯s mind as he recalled a certain scene inside the game. Oh right! She¡¯s afraid of this! My chance hase! Chapter 5: Drive It Into Your Head, This Is My Little Sister!

Chapter 5: Drive It Into Your Head, This Is My Little Sister!

Roel suddenly recalled something¡ªAlicia, in her younger years, was afraid of knives. To be more exact, she was frightened of anything sharp that could potentially be used to hurt her. As a saying back on Earth goes, ¡® once bitten, twice shy ¡¯. This saying described an irrational fear toward certain objects often stemming from certain traumatic experiences, perhaps moremonly known as a phobia. Phobias induced feelings of tension and fear in one under certain specific circumstances. Even if one knew such emotions were irrational, one¡¯s body would still cower instinctively in the face of simr circumstances, hindering one¡¯s daily life. Phobias could manifest in many ways, but Alicia¡¯s phobia was directed toward sharp objects. As for the reason behind that... Roel could only say that those who possessed exceptional talents often had to bear great pain too. Sighing deeply in his heart, Roel began to recall how Alicia¡¯s childhood was depicted in the storyline. All of Alicia¡¯s misfortune originated from her bloodline. Yes, the same highest Silver Bloodline that Roel salivated over, Silverash Child. Bloodlines were not as simple as they seemed in this world. They were termed as Sia¡¯s Gifts. Sia was the creator of this world, and the continent was named after her. She was also the central deity of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. From such a perspective, possessors of bloodlines were considered as God¡¯s Children. The term, bloodline, was actually quite misleading. Most powers granted through bloodlines weren¡¯t hereditary. It wasmon for a couple who both possessed bloodlines to give birth to a perfectly ordinary child, and it was also equally possible for bloodlines to appear amongst the children of ordinary households. However, bloodlines were useless until they were awakened, and awakenings were tied to the concept of ¡®tier¡¯. Bloodlines could be ssified into four tiers, the highest being ¡®Gold¡¯ and the lowest being ¡®Iron¡¯. Each awakening would raise the tier of one¡¯s bloodline once, so a bloodline possessor might have to undergo several awakenings in order to reach the full potential of his bloodline. To put it in other words, possessors of Silver Bloodline would have to awaken twice, and possessors of Gold Bloodline would have to awaken thrice. The number of bloodline possessors in each tier reduced exponentially up the tier, and Gold Bloodlines were so rare that there were times that they didn¡¯t appear within a country for decades. Alicia had already awakened once, so her bloodline tier was currently Bronze. However, the powers she had awakened to weren¡¯t regarded highly, and she was even bullied due to that. Her ability was high-speed regeneration. It might sound like nothing much, but the sight of her skin wriggling about as she recovered from her injuries was something that could induce difort in others, so it wasn¡¯t too hard to imagine how immature rascals would respond to it. This peculiar trait of hers, as well as the fact that her father was rarely at home and her innate introversion, led to her tragic childhood. Of course, another crucial reason was also because no one thought that this little girl, who appeared to be nothing much except for her looks, would have been able to awaken her bloodline once more to Silver-tier, resulting in her abilities to fully blossom. While Roel was pondering over these matters, the silver-haired girl sitting opposite him was shivering from fear. Looking at the human silhouettes reflected on the knife and the metallic glimmer from the sharp tips of the fork, the tiny Alicia began to recall what she had been put through. It was at the birthday celebration of the princess a year ago. Her wine-loving father had gotten himself drunk. There, a few sons from count and viscount houses had cornered her with knives and forks in their hands. Treating her as if she was a tool meant for their entertainment, they disregarded her cries and plunged their knives and forks into her body. One of them even tried to stab his fork into her eyes to see if she was capable of regenerating her eyes too. It was fortunate that one of the adults happened to stumble onto the cruelty of these children and chased them away, or else Alicia might have lost her sanity there and then. Nevertheless, the incident haunted her ever since and became her worst nightmare. It was from then on that Alicia began to fear sharp objects like knives and forks, not just those in the hands of others but even on her own too. Her father had once tried to encourage her to ovee this phobia, but it was futile. Ever since then, the only cutlery that Alicia would use was the spoon, and this continued for the past year. As she had only arrived in the Ascart House barely a few hours ago, there was no one who knew that she couldn¡¯t use forks and knives, and today¡¯s main dish happened to be pan-searedmb steak, which necessitated the use of the knife and fork. The delicious dishes had already been served on the dining table, and the servants stood on standby by the sides of the room. The moment the ck-haired boy picked up his cutleries, the gleam reflected off their metallic surfaces caused Alicia to visibly shudder a little. ¡°Alicia, our Ascart House is known for our specialtymb steak. Do have a taste of it,¡± Roel looked at the terrified silver-haired girl as he spoke words that blocked off her route of escape. It was not out of some sort of cruel interest to inflict suffering upon her that he was doing this. Rather, he needed to first ¡®witness¡¯ Alicia¡¯s fear, or else he wouldn¡¯t be able to help her. This was the second time that they were meeting one another, so there should have been no way for Roel to know that she was unable to use sharp cutleries. Thus, he needed to create an opportunity for himself to intervene in the situation. Unfortunately for him, his words caused Alicia¡¯s vivid imagination to run wild. She meekly nced at Roel with her quivering eyes as a possibility surfaced in her mind. Could it be that Roel has heard of my phobia before? There was no way she could verify this deduction of hers, but the noble circle was only that big, especially amongst children, so it was not unthinkable for Roel to have heard of the ¡®mysterious lifeform¡¯ named Alicia. If so, that would exin the reason behind this abrupt formal luncheon together. Moreover, Roel even raised the name of the Ascart House in his earlier statement, which was practically coercing Alicia into doing as he said. Whenever nobles brought up the name of their houses, it was usually with the intent to strong-arm the person they were talking to and make things go their way. Unless one had the resolve to offend the other party, the only option that one could go with was to agree with it. It would have been deeply disrespectful for Alicia to reject Roel right now, and Roel could use it as an excuse to make things difficult for her in the future if she were to do so. The silver-haired girl sped her hands tightly together under the dining table. I mustn¡¯t let him know my weakness, or else... what that awaits me will be a brand new hell. With such thoughts in mind, Alicia¡¯s small, trembling hands slowly inched toward the fork and knife on the table. Her beautiful face had turned ghastly pale, and tears were glistening in her eyes. She had to bite down on her lips to stop herself from whimpering. On the opposite side of the dining table, Roel widened his eyes upon seeing Alicia reaching for her fork and knife. What¡¯s going on? Why is she picking up those cutleries? Does this mean to say that the current Alicia doesn¡¯t have a phobia toward sharp objects yet? No, that¡¯s not right! She hasn¡¯t picked them up yet. Her hands are trembling! Seeing how Alicia was desperately pushing herself to ovee her fear to pick up the cutleries while holding back the urge to cry, Roel suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his heart. Unable to bear the sight anymore, he immediately interjected right in. ¡°Hold it for a moment. Alicia is only 7 years old, so it¡¯ll be inconvenient for her to use a knife and a fork... Anna.¡± ¡°Young master, what orders do you have?¡± ¡°Move my seat over to Alicia¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± The maids quickly moved Roel¡¯s food and cutleries over. Just like that, Alicia watched in shock as the ck-haired boy walked around the dining table to take the seat adjacent to her. Following that, he pulled her te ofmb steak over to his side. ¡°L-lord Brother?¡± ¡°Since you aren¡¯t proficient in the use of knives and forks, allow me to slice yourmb steak on your behalf.¡± As Roel picked up his cutleries and was just about to begin working on themb steak, Anna suddenly stepped forward from behind and bowed slightly. ¡°Young master, please leave such matters to us.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Alicia is my younger sister. I¡¯ll take care of her myself.¡± ¡°... I understand, young master. Anna was slightly taken aback by those words, and she stared at the little boy before her contemtively for a moment before quietly backing to the side of the room once more. Roel¡¯s earlier words could be taken as a deration to all of the servants in the room, or perhaps, calling it a warning might have been more apt. There was no way none of them would have noticed that Alicia wasn¡¯t even able to pick up her cutleries earlier, but none of them stepped out to say words like ¡® Miss, allow me to do it on your behalf ¡¯, choosing to turn a blind eye to it instead. Had it been Roel in her position, someone would have already stood forward to offer his service long ago. This wasn¡¯t just out of consideration of Roel. More than that, it also reflected just how little regard these servants had for Alicia as an adopted child of the Ascart House. A servant¡¯s standing was determined by the house that he belonged to, and the servants of the Ascart House had seen plenty of high nobles in the years they had worked here. In their view, the daughter of a baron house was simply not a priority to them. By dering Alicia as his younger sister, the servants would have to view her as a true member of the Ascart Family, one of their masters. Anyone who dared to snub Alicia after this would be viewed to be undermining Roel¡¯s authority as well. While Roel had managed to convey his meaning across well, he soon regretted his decision by a little¡ªhis arms were starting to ache. Tsk! Why is this knife and fork so heavy? Is this all the strength that a 9-year-old child has? How can I possibly lose to a meremb steak? After all I¡¯ve said, it would be embarrassing if it turns out that I can¡¯t do it by myself! ¡°Lord Brother, shall we get someone else...¡± ¡°No. I can do it.¡± Unwilling to admit to the fact that he was a weakling, a tenacious streak sparked inside Roel as he began to saw themb steak aggressively, as if dealing with his mortal enemy. Watching the ck-haired boy from the side, Alicia¡¯s expression slowly began to change. Several minutester, Roel finally managed to slice themb steak into bite-size pieces. He tossed the knife and fork aside and scooped up a piece of meat with his spoon. Yes, Roel was going beyond just personally slicing the meat. He was going to personally feed her too! ¡°Alicia, open your mouth.¡± ¡°Ah? B-but...¡± ¡°Listen to me and open your mouth.¡± ¡°A-alright.¡± A pair of crimson eyes met a pair of golden eyes on the dining table. The silver-haired little girl hesitated for a moment before she brushed aside the hair by the side of her face and leaned forward to eat off Roel¡¯s spoon. At this very instant, she could sense the change in attitude that everyone in this dining room had for her. The servants who initially looked at her with traces of disdain in their gazes were now either staring shocked at their intimacy or pondering with their heads lowered. With such a simple move from Roel, the prejudice toward her was shattered. The fragrant juices of themb steak exploded inside her mouth, carrying a slight touch of vani to it. As Alicia munched on the bite-size meat that Roel went through great difficulty to prepare for her, she suddenly felt an urge to cry. So, there really is a person in the world other than her father who is willing to treat her so nicely? ¡°How is it? Tastes alright?¡± ¡°... It¡¯s delicious.¡± Alicia continued biting on the meat as she secretly wiped her eyes with her hands. She looked at the little boy sitting before her, and she could see warmth within his eyes. She felt like she should say something in this situation, but no words came to her when she opened her mouth. A long whileter, after numerous times of opening and closing her mouth in futility, she finally squeezed out a sentence with great hardship. ¡°Thank you, Lord Brother.¡± (Affection Points +1000!) Chapter 6: It’s All Green!

Chapter 6: It¡¯s All Green!

¡°Pu!¡± ¡°L-lord Brother?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Haha.¡± Under Alicia¡¯s concerned look, Roel shrugged it off with augh as he nced at the top of her head. Due to the two year age gap between them, Alicia was half a head shorter than him, so the (Affection Points +1000) was practically sticking right next to his face. Holy moly! 1000 Affections Points! A freaking four-digit figure! Roel was screaming frenziedly in his mind, and he had a strong urge to do a celebratory dance right on the spot. While the Emblem of Glory probably yed a huge role too, it was still unbelievable to him that a four-digit figure would roll in just by feeding Alicia a spoonful of meat. This was way better than him tearing up before Anna! Roel turned to look at Alicia with his golden eyes once more, and this time, other than pity, his eyes also carried a hint of joy too. By brushing up Alicia¡¯s affection, not only will I be able to avert my death g, I¡¯ll be able to strike it rich too! This is killing two birds with one stone! ¡°Come, have another mouthful. Ah¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Glomp.¡± (Affection Points +50!) ¡°Alicia, this beetroot is delicious. Have a taste.¡± ¡°Un... Glomp.¡± (Affections Points +70!) ¡°This is the orange juice that goes well with the specialty wine that Viscount Ross gave our father. It has a citrusy sweetness to it. You should have a try.¡± ¡°Glub glub... Lord Brother, this orange juice is really, really sweet!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it so? I also think it¡¯s delicious too.¡± (Affection Points +100!) It was as if a switch inside Roel had been flicked on when he saw how numbers that kept popping up above Alicia¡¯s head. He immediately got into his overly doting brother mode and ordered his servants to grab everything delicious that he could think of within the house and bring it over. ¡°Bring me the choctes that Viscount Ryan sent me for my birthday this year.¡± ¡°Bring me the milk candy that my father gave me.¡± Quick, just bring everything here! Standing behind the duo, Anna stared with googly eyes as the selfish and bad-tempered young master she struggled to handle unhesitatingly brought out all of the good stuff he had stashed away to share them with Anna. Even the Seven-colored Royal Macarons that he couldn¡¯t bear to eat went right into Alicia¡¯s mouth, as if fearing that she wouldn¡¯t have enough to eat. What in the world is going on? Does the young master really like his new stepsister so much? It doesn¡¯t make sense for their rtionship to have proceeded to such an extent so quickly... Or could it be that... Anna¡¯s eyes widened evenrger. Looking at the loving siblings before her, she thought that she might have just inadvertently stumbled upon the truth. Heh, is that how it is? Well, I must admit that Miss Alicia is a beauty in the making. Looking at the blissfully smiling silver-haired girl, Anna¡¯s lips inched upward to form a knowing adult smile. That exins why the young master acted so out of character the first time they met. It turns out that he has fallen in love with little Alicia at first sight! I must say, children nowadays sure mature fast! Anna ced her hand dreamily on her slightly reddened cheeks as her imagination ran off in a direction that wasn¡¯t particrly family-friendly. But soon enough, she snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the little duo before her with a worried frown. While it was ddening to see that the two of them were getting along well, it was a pity that Alicia was the daughter of a baron house. With such a background, it would be nearly impossible for her to marry into a marquess house... Wait a moment, this was not right! Anna, who was just about to arbitrarily proim that this budding romance would end in tragedy, suddenly thought of another factor that she had neglected¡ªthe crisis the Ascart House faced over itsck of offspring. The Ascart House was a distinguished noble lineage with many years of history behind it, but consecutive generations of poor birth rates had resulted in Marquess Carter and his sole son, Roel, to be the only ones left in the lineage. Under such circumstances, it would be unwise for Roel to seek a political marriage with other houses. The reason was simple¡ªthey would be in a vulnerable position if the other party coveted their wealth. It was a known fact that Roel was the only sessor to the Ascart House, which meant he would eventually inherit Marquess Carter¡¯s position. If any nobles were to covet the Ascart House¡¯s wealth and power, they could simply marry their daughter to Roel and seek an opportunity to do away with him. The Ascart House would then be left without a sessor, thus cing Roel¡¯s wife next in the line of session. Such vile acts had already happened several times in history to houses with few members in their lineage. While such actions were frowned upon in the circle of nobility, there was little that could be done if there was no evidence to convict the culprits, and culprits were rarely foolish enough to leave behind any incriminating evidence. Looking at it from such a perspective, Alicia would indeed be a better option. Despite her lower lineage, she was in an advantageous position due to the close ties between the Ascart House and the baron house that she had descended from, which meant that the Ascart House had a good grasp of Alicia¡¯s background as well. As long as the little duo could cultivate feelings for one another from a young age, Alicia would indubitably be the best candidate as Roel¡¯s wife! Perhaps, the old master leaving to deal with some urgent matters might even have been part of the n as well to create an opportunity for the young master to get close to Miss Alicia. This would mean that Miss Alicia has already been internally decided as young master Roel¡¯s future wife! What about Alicia¡¯s identity as an adopted child of the Ascart House, you may ask? That didn¡¯t pose a problem at all. All they had to do was to send Alicia out to be adopted by another house before having Roel to marry her back into the Ascart House! Havinge up with aplete scenario in her mind, Anna looked at Alicia with gleaming eyes. She felt like she had managed to peer through the intricate fabrics of the circle of nobility to arrive at the truth. What she didn¡¯t know was that none of what she had juste up with had ever shed across Roel¡¯s mind. All Roel could think of right now were the rows of Affection Points popping up above Alicia¡¯s head. (+60 Affection Points! +75 Affection Points! +110 Affection Points! +95 Affection Points...) Roel felt as if he was watching an ATM machine shooting out banknotes all over the air. His Affection Points were increasing at an incredible pace, surpassing the 2000 mark within a short span of time. But as the saying went, ¡®the overeager won¡¯t be able to eat hot tofu¡¯. It was not wise for him to rush things right now. Aspared to the initial swift increment, the Affection Points rising above Alicia¡¯s head were growing fewer and fewer, and Roel knew exactly the reason behind that. ¡°Lord Brother, I-I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± With a huge feast of delicacies and desserts ced before her, the silver-haired girl rubbed her stomach and spoke up in embarrassment. Faced with such a situation, Roel knew it would be best to wrap things up here. He was already more than contented to have been able to earn over 2000 Affection Points in a single meal, and Alicia did have a little too much to eat. ¡°Since you¡¯re full, let¡¯s end this luncheon here. Out of consideration that you aren¡¯t able to use a fork and knife properly yet, you¡¯ll have your meals with me for the time being.¡± ¡°Ah? H-how can that do? To impose so much on Lord Brother would be...¡± ¡°Hm? Are you averse to the idea?¡± ¡°No! There¡¯s no way I would be! I¡¯m just afraid that I¡¯ll be troubling you too much...¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. You¡¯re my little sister, and this is what I should do as your older brother. You need not think of it that way.¡± I¡¯ll brawl with anyone who dares to say otherwise! With a grand wave of his hand, Roel dispelled the final unease in Alicia¡¯s heart. The silver-haired girl smiled with a slightly reddened glow on her face, and a series of numbers appeared above her head once more. (Affection Points +500!) Uwaa! Alicia, are you an angel? You don¡¯t know how much I love you right now! Roel was deeply touched by this final sum he received. He bade farewell to Alicia before thetter proceeded to leave the dining room. This time around, however, her treatment was far better than before. ¡°Miss Alicia, please be careful.¡± Due to Alicia¡¯s shorter stature, the chairs in the dining room were a little too tall for her, such that her feet were unable to reach the ground. She was just about to hop down the chair when three maids suddenly rushed forward to support her. Their attitude toward Alicia was much more amiable than before, treating her with the respect that a daughter of a marquess house deserved. ¡°Please hold my hand.¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± Alicia was treated like a fragile porcin doll as the servants carefully supported her down from the chair. She pondered a while over the sudden change in the attitude of these adults before finally turning to look at Roel with gratitude in her eyes. (Affection Points +500!) ¡°Thank you, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Hm? It¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯ll be seeing youter for dinner.¡± ¡°Un! I¡¯ll be taking my leave then.¡± Alicia courteously lifted her skirt slightly and curtsied before leaving the dining hall a little reluctantly. After seeing off his beloved stepsister, Roel was finally able to get back to his meal. He was so focused on feeding Alicia and earning Affection Points earlier that he hadn¡¯t been able to eat anything. ¡°Hm? Why is there another 500 Affection Points?¡± Roel muttered under his breath while chewing on hismb steak. Another additional 500 Affection Points had suddenly been added to him, causing the total amount of Affection Points he had to rise beyond 3000. The fact that he was able to earn so many Affection Points within just a few hours was indubitably good news for both him and the Ascart House. The more Affection Points he earned, the lower the chance of the Ascart House declining and him turning into a tragic cannon fodder viin. After this huge harvest, it was time to move on to the next step, and that was to try out the Affection Points Exchange Shop and see if it was really possible to make purchases. Otherwise, if he were to find that there was some hidden caveat behind the Affection Points Exchange Shop after saving several hundred thousand Affection Points, it would really be a huge tragedy. To be safe, it was best for him to try it out for first. Having made up his mind, Roel turned his sights toward the Affection Points Exchange Shop. Chapter 7: Give Me A Good One

Chapter 7: Give Me A Good One

Roel believed deeply in spending money only on things that were worth their value. Having made a small fortune for himself, Roel spent two hours taking a more detailed look through the items in the Affection Points Exchange Shop, and he soon noticed something. As the tip from the System had mentioned, the Gold Coin Shop mostly consisted of items that improved his individual characteristics. The items in the Affection Points Exchange Shop, on the other hand, appeared to be a little more peculiar. Take this for example: ¡¾Banshee¡¯s Umbre It screams during heavy downpours. Price: 500 Affection Points¡¿ 2 replies ¨C 3 weeks ago ¡°...¡± Are you joking with me? What is the use of something like that? Screams during heavy downpours? What is the use of that? Would the rain disappear just because the umbre screamed? Besides, if one were to flip its meaning around, isn¡¯t it just an ordinary umbre when it¡¯s not raining then? The cheapest good that Roel found so far cost 500 Affection Points, but it would appear that he couldn¡¯t expect quality out of cheap stuff. The cheapest items were so bizarre that he had no idea how he could use them at all. While Roel¡¯s aim was to test out the functions of the Affection Points Exchange Shop, he didn¡¯t want to buy items that he had no need for. These were precious Affection Points that he had earned by giving up his beloved milk candies and chocte! After spending a long time browsing through the list of items, Roel finally stumbled upon something that still looked decent. ¡¾Skeleton Pallbearer Army The summoned beings of the Commandment Cult¡¯s Gravediggers. Born for death, they bring joy to the living. Price: 2500 Affection Points¡¿ Hm... I don¡¯t really get it, but it sounds quite amazing. It should be abat-rted item, right? Furthermore, the item illustration also looks quite formidable, a huge skeleton head. Seems like an okay choice! Havinge to a decision, Roel finally leaped down from the chair he was sitting on. ¡°Anna, I¡¯ll be heading to the training field in our backyardter in the afternoon.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make preparations right away.¡± After Anna left the room, Roel headed back to his bedroom with the other servants to take a short nap. As a 9-year-old at the moment, he needed to have sufficient sleep in order to grow up well. After busying himself for the day and having his fill of food, the drowsiness was already setting in, so it didn¡¯t take long for his consciousness to start drifting off. This made him deeply cognizant of the fact that he was indeed a small child now. Roel had once heard someone saying that a human was a ve of his hormones, or that a person¡¯s body would influence one¡¯s train of thoughts. He hadn¡¯t thought too much into those theories previously, but the current him felt that there were grains of truth in them. For one, shedding tears was definitely not something that the Roel of the previous world was able to do onmand; being a 20-year-old adult, it was hard for him to tear up at all. Another thing that he noticed was that there were actually no lewd thoughts surfacing in his mind when he leaped into the embrace of the fairly beautiful Anna earlier on, which was probably just the kind of reaction one would expect from a 9-year-old. ¡°I guess libido really is the effect of our hormones at y.¡± While muttering to himself, Roel finally fell into a deep sleep, charging up his energy for his activitiester in the afternoon. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C The Ascart House¡¯s backyard was huge, at least in Roel¡¯s opinion. In the circle of nobility, the front yard represented the face of a noble house whereas the backyard was a reflection of their decorum. One of the ways how nobles determine if a noble house was declining was through looking at their backyard. In this world, gardening was viewed as an art form practiced exclusively by nobles. Nobles rarely engaged in physical activities, choosing instead to focus their efforts on nurturing nts and flowers to raise the aesthetics of their yards. Some of the richer nobles would even renovate their yards every season in order to uphold their distinguished image. While the Ascart House was rich, it wasn¡¯t as extravagant as those nobles. A huge part of that was simply because the patriarch, Marquess Carter, was a magician who wasn¡¯t too interested in art. Nevertheless, the Ascart House still employed two gardeners to maintain its two yards. Beside the exquisite backyard garden maintained by the two employed gardeners was the Ascart House¡¯s training field. This training field was mostly reserved for Roel to practice his spells. One thing of note was that most noble houses didn¡¯t have such a facility. The Ascart House only happened to be an exception due to its illustrious lineage of skilled magicians. It was not umon for members of the Ascart House to charge alongside a bunch of muscle heads on the battlefield, so it was only natural for it to have such a facility. However, due to the superior strength of Marquess Carter, he rarely frequented the training field ever since reaching adulthood. It was only after Roel¡¯s birth that the training field was finally opened once more. ¡°Anna, I need you to leave with the others first. I would like some time to myself to ruminate.¡± ¡°Young master, you should have someone by your side when you practice.¡± ¡°There are no weapons here, and you are aware of the spells I am able to use too. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°But...¡± It took quite a while before Roel finally managed to persuade his personal maid to guard the entrance to the backyard. After finally being freed from his guardian, it was time for Roel to go all out. ¡°System, I want to purchase Skeleton Pallbearer Army from the Affection Points Exchange Shop!¡± ¡¾Request received.¡¿ ¡¾Are you certain that you wish to spend 2500 Affection Points to purchase Skeleton Pallbearer Army?¡¿ ¡¾Yes/No¡¿ ¡°Yes!¡± ¡¾You have obtained Skeleton Pallbearer Army. You may choose a location to ce it down.¡¿ Following those words, a shadow of 2 meters in height suddenly appeared within Roel¡¯s sight. It felt simr to the games of the previous world, where a yer, after selecting a building to construct, had to choose a location to ce it down. Roel chose a t ground three meters away from him. A burst of dark wind congregated within the area that Roel selected, and an ominous-looking ck coffin materialized on the ground, emanating a chilling air of eeriness. Six skeleton soldiers stood neatly in two rows beside the coffin. They kneeled on the ground on one knee with their heads lowered, disying their deference to whoever was inside the ck coffin. 2 replies ¨C 3 weeks ago Roel was astounded by this imposing sight. This was the first time he wasing into contact with the supernatural powers of this world ever since regaining his memories, so he was unable toe to terms with it right away. Nevertheless, he quickly recovered from his shock and began skipping around in joy. ¡°Holy moly, they really are skeleton soldiers! And I¡¯m getting six of them for just 2500 Attraction Points?!¡± Even if these skeleton soldiers were lower-tier troops, it felt like a huge value for money given the Affection Points they cost. At this rate, he might really be able to summon a massive army of skeletons at will, making him a nigh invincible existence in this world! Roel was so excited that he began rolling around the ground in glee. It took a while before he managed to calm his ecstasy down and return back to his feet. ¡°Cough cough, I need to calm down first. It¡¯s still too early to be rejoicing. I still have no idea how powerful these skeleton soldiers are yet. Right, I should give it a try.¡± With such thoughts in mind, Roel turned to the wooden pole by the side and issued an order, ¡°Attack! Cut the pole down!¡± The empty eye sockets of the six skeleton soldiers lit up slightly as they turned their heads toward the wooden pole. Then, with a series of creaking sounds, they rose to their feet and stood tall like warriors preparing for war. Then, they lowered their waist, propped up the coffin, and ced it on their shoulders. ??? Hold it right there, what¡¯s going on? Is the coffin their weapon? No, wait a moment. How is it that this scene looks so familiar to me? While Roel was deep in thought, the six skeleton soldiers began dancing with unbelievably uniform movements as they marched forward in a neat formation. Their movements were so smooth that it was hard to believe that they were just skeletons. 1 reply ¨C 3 weeks ago At that moment, the world seemed to have fallen silent for Roel. A slight spring breeze blew a fallen leaf across Roel¡¯s frozen face, seemingly nudging him toward the greater world out there. However, Roel wasn¡¯t in the mood to think of anything else. Looking at the army of dancing skeletons before him, a thought surfaced in his mind. It¡¯s a team of professionals... ¡ª Pallbearers are people who carry the coffin during a funeral procession. Dancing pallbearers, in recent years, have gotten quite a bit of attention, starting from a group in Ghana, as they send away the deceased with lively dances and bring sce to the living. Chapter 8: Sorry, Mages Are Out

Chapter 8: Sorry, Mages Are Out

¡°You must be kidding me! What I want is skeleton soldiers, so why are you giving me professional dancing skeleton pallbearers here?!¡± On the training field, a deeply frustrated ck-haired boy stared agape at the skeleton pallbearers, who were dancing with the coffin while making their way over to the wooden pole, and he suddenly felt that he had been scammed. It¡¯s 2500 Affection Points, a hulking 2500! Did I really spend so much money just to buy this? What in the world do I need this for? For my own funeral procession? Roel clutched his chest, which was hurting so badly that he felt like he was having a heart attack. Then, he snapped out of it and attempted to make one final struggle. ¡°Stop right there for a moment!¡± ... Ten minutester. Roely down on the grass field as he stared at the blue sky and white clouds above him with the eyes of a dead fish. The six skeleton pallbearers were currently kneeled by the side of the ck coffin, as if waiting to carry him out. After a series of trials and errors, Roel finally understood something... these skeleton pallbearers couldn¡¯t be used for battle at all! He could call these skeleton pallbearers out separately, but despite their lively movements with the coffin, as soon as they were 2 meters away from the coffin, they suddenly became as weak as a newborn chick. Even the tier F- Roel was able to fight them to a draw! One must know that Roel was a 9-year-old kid whose proficiency in magic paled inparison to his fellow Magician Apprentices. Since each skeleton pallbearer was equivalent to Roel in terms of strength, it would mean that the total fighting prowess of the Skeleton Pallbearer Army was a pathetic 6 Roels! Or to put it in simpler terms, they were useless. While this world did operate by the adage that there was no useless upation, there was still a significant disparity in the strengths of individuals. Based on the evaluation standards of the System, adult men without any exceptional skills were F-rank; magicians who had undergone formal militia training were E-rank; those who had managed to be knights or warriors were D-rank. These skeleton pallbearers were F- trash when they were more than 2 meters away from the coffin, and F+ when they were within 2 meters. This meant that even an E-rank militia could single-handedly obliterate them all! Roel had also taken a peek inside the coffin they were carrying, and it was empty. That being said, the coffin was made of rather good material. The summoned beings of the Commandment Cult¡¯s Gravediggers. Born for death, they bring joy to the living. Recalling how these skeleton pallbearers danced along with the coffin, a look of realization appeared on Roel¡¯s face. He finally understood what the description of the item meant. Commandment Cult, I¡¯ll remember you! Just see if I¡¯ll buy your stuff anymore! I¡¯ll be a dog if I get anything else of yours! Roel swore with gritted teeth before taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down. While the turn of events had frustrated him, at the very least, the experiment to purchase an item from the shops was a sess, and that was the most important thing for now. It was a pity that he had wasted 2500 Affection Points on this, but this amount was nothing muchpared to how much he would earn in the future. As long as he had those two shops in the System backing him up, he was confident that a day woulde where he would be able to unfurl his wings and soar to the top! Just thinking about it made him tremble in excitement. Having lowered his expectations, Roel no longer carried as much hostility toward the Skeleton Pallbearer Army anymore. At the very least, he had learned an important lesson from this, and that was to never judge a book by its cover, especially in those two shops of the System. No matter how awe-inspiring the name sounded and how mysterious the description sounded, I¡¯ll never be deceived again! ¡°Am I supposed to use them to earn money? But how am I supposed to go around doing so...¡± Roel ced his hand beneath his chin as he looked at the skeleton pallbearers contemtively. ording to the System, the items avable on the Affection Points Exchange Shop were supposed to be used to earn money, but was it really possible to put these skeleton pallbearers to good use? Their appearance was a problem by itself, but even the way they conducted funeral processions was very different from the customs of the Theocracy. Would the people of this world be able to ept sending away the dead with joyous dancing? On top of that, he wasn¡¯t too sure just how the people of this world viewed the undead too. This detail wasn¡¯t mentioned in the game. Just by the name ¡®Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯, he had a strong feeling that the people here might not be very fond of the undead. Roel pondered for a while, and he felt that there was a need for him to supplement his understanding of this world first. He remembered that there were a few basic books in his room that he couldn¡¯t be bothered to flip through all this while. Having made up his mind, Roel began thinking of a ce to hide these six coffin-bearing simpletons from view first. As it turned out, anything that he had bought from the System couldn¡¯t be conveniently kept back into some sort of mystical inventory anymore. So, he would have to find a safe ce to stow them away. So, he issued an order for the six skeleton pallbearers to move over to the resting room by the side of the training field. It took some effort, but they managed to squeeze the coffin through the doorway in the end. Roel nodded to himself. He was the only one who used the training field, so it went without saying that this resting room was usually deserted. Furthermore, it had just been cleaned today, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone stumbling upon these skeleton pallbearers for the time being. Having settled everything, Roel finally left with ease of heart to embark on his route to wisdom. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Hm? It looks like there¡¯s a difference between mages and magicians?¡± In the study room, Roel was flipping through a book named Origin of Magicians, which was as thick as a brick, and he felt like his understanding of the world was being swiftly renewed. It wouldn¡¯t have been entirely wrong to call the 9-year-old Roel a good-for-nothing. Despite having a highly respected magician as his father, the sheer extent of his ignorance was baffling. It was no wonder his own Phantom Hands would point a middle finger toward him. That was why he was frantically brushing up his knowledge right now. Through the books, he learned of an extremely important event in history that changed the course of the world, and that was the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. While Roel did know bits and pieces of this world¡¯s history through the game, it wasn¡¯t asplete and detailed as the historical records in the books. First and foremost, mages were, in fact, magicians prior to the Third Epoch. Just to know, the current date was the 1003rd Year of the Third Epoch, the Year of Warhorns. The inception of the Third Epoch was marked by an event known as the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. The era prior to the Third Epoch was one where the current existing countries had yet to be formed, and mankind had yet to migrate to the west. In that era, an enigmatic incident happened in the legendary ancient capital, and it was described by the historians as: ¡°Uncountable spirits howled ceaselessly in the dark, their existences omnipresent. It was as if the crepuscule was trying to talk to us.¡± That incident eventually came to be known as the Whisperings of the Spirits. The descriptions in the book were ridiculously fantastical, and there were many reasons cited for the event too. But in any case, the world was never the same ever since the incident due to a change that swiftly followed. And that change was the corruption of mana. From then on, whenever magicians or knights absorbed mana from the atmosphere to use their transcendental powers, they would be inflicted with negative statuses. The luckier ones walked off with just a certain degree of physical harm, but those who were less fortunate descended into lunacy. There was nothing that could create a pandemonium as effectively as the copse of a way of life. In the Ancient Austine Empire, where howling spirits roamed amidst an air of eeriness, the knights forsook their pride and turned against the people whom they had sworn their lives to protect, and the wise mages turned into barbarous beasts who gobbled up the bloodied innards of their own kind. Hundreds of people fled from the capital every single day, only to realize that the madness had spread across the entire empire. It was in the face of such events that the final emperor of the Ancient Austine Empire dered mass immigration to the west, proiming that the empire had been put under a curse by ¡®he-who-must-not-be-named¡¯. Decadester, after braving through untold dangers, traversing across huge swathes of miasma and charrednds, the group of people who chose to immigrate together with the empire finally arrived on this plot ofnd. A thousand years had passed since then, and mankind gradually developed new theories that helped them adapt to the corrupted mana in the atmosphere and utilize its prowess. The knights chose to retain their traditional names whereas the mages of the past had chosen to call themselves magicians. The magicians of the present day had lost the ability to cast magic unconditionally like the mages of the past, but in exchange, the prowess they could exert was far greater than before. There was an example raised in the Origin of Magicians. The earlier version of Phantom Hands, Death Grasp, originated from the mages. A mage could crush a person¡¯s neck with Death Grasp, but a magician couldpletely burst a person¡¯s head with Phantom Hands, though the magician would have to bear the cost of his hands getting burnt or turning numb. After gaining a rough understanding of the difference between the past mages and the current magicians, Roel moved on to look through the scriptures of the Saint Mesit Theocracy and, to his relief, found that the religion itself didn¡¯t carry any animosity toward the undead. The reason behind that was because the undead was also viewed as a creation of Goddess Sia. That being said, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that the popce in the Saint Mesit Theocracy was epting of the undead. At the very least, Roel didn¡¯t think that there would have been anyone in the world who would be fond of those six simpleton skeletons. This brought him back to the same question. He didn¡¯t want the very first item he had bought from the System to go to waste just like that, but given their appearance, how could he use them to bring profit to himself? Chop them up and feed them to the dogs? The ck-haired boy scratched his head and he looked out of the window musingly. A long timeter, his eyes slowly widened, and a smile crept onto his lips. Ah hah, that might work! Chapter 9: I Feed, I Reap, I Happy

Chapter 9: I Feed, I Reap, I Happy

¡°Come, Alicia. Try this smoked sausage.¡± Nighttime, in the dining room, a silver-haired girl was seated beside Roel. Looking at him with an embarrassed blush dyeing her cheeks, she opened her cherry-like lips and waited for delicious food to be sent right into her mouth. ¡°Glomp.¡± She bit down on the smoked sausage, causing meat juices to explode in her mouth. Even though Alicia was already trying her best to be as prim and proper as she could, a trickle of oil still ended up flowing down her chin. The realization of her inelegant behavior caused her face to redden even further. Seeing this sight, Roel smiled kindly as he picked up a napkin and carefully wiped her face. ¡°Lord Brother... I-I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°Allow me.¡± Roel insisted as he hastened his movements slightly. Out of sheer embarrassment, Alicia directed her gaze downward, not daring to look at Roel directly. (Affection Points +200!) Ooh Alicia, I love you! Seeing how his Affection Points were trickling up at an insane rate, Roel¡¯s feelings for Alicia transformed from deep fear into fanatic adoration in the course of a single day. He was starting to rte to the feelings of those idol-chasing fanboys. What he did not know, however, was that his attentive consideration was slowly pushing the reticent Alicia onto the path of a fangirl as well. If one could peer into the vibrant world inside her heart, one would be truly surprised by how she was still able to maintain such a stoic expression on her face. Lord Brother is such a gentle and kind person. He cares so much for me even though we¡¯re not real siblings. My chest feels warm, and I don¡¯t want to part from him. B-but if I were to appear too clingy right now, would it just put him off? Alicia clenched her small fists tightly as she recalled the pain she had been put through by those children who had oppressed her. There were also those who were curious about her and tried to get close to her by expressing their goodwill, but she could sense that Roel was different. Her experiences had made her extremely sensitive to the emotional fluctuations of those around her, and she could sense that the goodwill Roel had for her came right from the bottom of his heart. Alicia wanted to open her heart to him; she had been alone for far too long. She had been drowning in the malice of others for so long that she was desperate to reach out for the light and warmth before her, but she was simply unable to shake off the insecurities in her. What if he is only treating me well out of a moment of fascination? Just like how children eventually be sick of their toys, will he toss me aside once he loses interest in me? The experiences she had been through as a child had made her far too guarded, but she believed in the words of her deceased father¡ª true love will be able to withstand the trial of time. The silver-haired girl tried her best to hold herself back, but it was hard for her to calm herself before a person who was going all out to be nice to her. Had it not been for the fact that they had only known one another for a single day, Roel would have already given Alicia a tight hug and rubbed his cheek against hers! It was way too fast! Alicia¡¯s Affection Points for him were whizzing through the roof like a rocket, sting through the atmosphere! Not to mention, Alicia was also incredibly cute as well, especially when her fair skin was dyed with a tinge of red blush. She was also polite and obedient despite her young age. Roel would not have a sliver of doubt if Alicia were to im that she was an angel! How in the world could the original Roel even think of giving away such an adorable sister? Damn it, I¡¯ll chop off the head of anyone who dares to snatch her from me! Even if the Ascart House falls, no one is taking Alicia away from me! While reaffirming his Alicia-centric principles, Roel continued to deliver food into Alicia¡¯s mouth. As Alicia had already awakened her Bronze Bloodline, there was no need for her to worry about losing her figure; the bloodline would ensure that she would always remain in her most beautiful form. Without such a worry, Roel was able to go all out with his feeding. Only when Alicia meekly waved her hand and expressed that she was unable to eat anymore did Roel finally give it a rest. Even after they had finished their dinner, the little duo was still unwilling to part from one another, so they chatted for a while longer. It was not until the tired Alicia rubbed her closing eyes that Roel finally told her to head back to her room to rest. Marquess Carter didn¡¯t return for dinner as well. Such a situation had beenmon since a long time ago, so neither Roel nor the servants were too surprised by it. After heading back to his bedroom, Roel spent another two more hours reading before his little body finally started caving in to fatigue. Under Anna¡¯s support, he climbed onto his bed and into the warmfort of his duvet. Too many things had happened today?¡ªthe recollection of his past memories, the meeting with Alicia, the arrival of the System, and the future ns he had made to deal with the danger surrounding him. Even an adult would be exhausted having to deal with so many matters at once, let alone a 9-year-old boy. Roel, having expended his mind and body today, quickly drifted off to dreand. Meanwhile, Anna, who was just about to back out of the room, suddenly found herself musing over everything that had happened earlier in the day. She took another look at the adorable face of the little boy snoozing on the bed and recalled the changes that had happened to him. (Affection Points +50!) ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just stay for a while longer then.¡± Anna muttered before leaving the room with quiet, nimble movements. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- A monthter, in the farnds located on the outskirts of Ascart City, a crowd had formed before the Fief Lord¡¯s gristmill. Beneath the ring sun, Old Kent was in the midst of tilling his field when he noticed the crowd gathering before the gristmill. He immediately tossed aside his hoe and pulled up his pants. With the tenacity of a ravenous tiger, he grabbed the bag of wheat by the side of the field and sprinted toward the gristmill with all his might. Along the way, he didn¡¯t forget to call out to his son too. 1 reply ¨C 3 weeks ago ¡°Bill, stop messing around with that darned donkey of yours! Hurry up and call your mum over to help me transport the crops. The gristmill has opened!¡± 1 reply ¨C 3 weeks ago Old Kent was more of a person of actions than words. He gave his son, who was feeding their donkey, a good kick on his bottom before continuing his charge toward the gristmill. It was not that Old Kent was an impatient person, but he had simply too manypetitors vying with him. If one were to gaze down on the farnds from the sky, one would see dozens of people sprinting frantically with bags of wheat in their hands toward the gristmill. They had different starting points¡ªsome were closer than the others¡ªbut if one thing was for certain, Old Kent wasn¡¯t in a very advantageous position. Son of a banshee! Isn¡¯t Old George supposed to beme; how is he running that quickly? And that Anthony too! Your family doesn¡¯t have a lot of wheat anyway, so what are you running so hard for? Runner Old Kent surveyed the strongpetitors in the race and frowned grimly. He realized that he would have to give it his all today, or else... he wouldn¡¯t be able to pay his taxes today! That¡¯s right! Old Kent, theme Old George in front of him, Anthony on his left, and the dozens of others were fighting to pay their taxes! How did civilians pay their taxes in this world, you might ask? This usuallyplicated question had a very simple answer for those who work in the fields¡ªthrough handing over a portion of the crops they grew. It should go without saying they couldn¡¯t just hand over the crops that were freshly harvested from the field. No, these crops had to be processed first. The taxation process consisted of sending the wheat harvested to the Fief Lord¡¯s Gristmill to ground it down to flour. The tax officials would then take a portion of it away as tax before putting a tick beside the family¡¯s name. Had it been previous years, there would still have been people heading over to the Fief Lord¡¯s Gristmill during the harvesting season, but the queues would have definitely not been as long as this. But on this very year, all of the farmers ran with such desperation that anyone who didn¡¯t know better would have thought that the grim reaper was chasing them. The reason behind this difference was the newly appointed traveling tax official of the Ascart Fiefdom¡ªRoel Ascart. Roel Ascart, the young master and sole sessor of the Ascart House, was only a 9-year-old, so it couldn¡¯t be helped that Old Kent would snort in disdain when he heard that this little brat had be a tax official. He thought that the nobles were just toying around as usual, but soon, he heard some news that swiftly drove away his initial scorn. The news hade from the farmers who had bumped into Roel Ascart when they headed to the gristmill to pay their taxes, and itprised two key pieces of information. First and foremost, when Roel Ascart was the tax official, the taxpaying farmers wouldn¡¯t have to turn the millstone themselves in the Fief Lord¡¯s Gristmill. In order to prevent farmers from underpaying their taxes, they were expected to grind their wheat down on the spot, and the millstone had to be turned manually. Those who were more well-off could bring their donkeys with them, but the issue was that their private donkeys were likely to then be used for public use. Words wouldn¡¯t be enough to describe just how tiring it was to turn the millstone manually with one¡¯s hands. Old Kent couldin about it for days on end! However, in the gristmill that Roel Ascart was collecting taxes from, everything was different. The farmers only had to hand their wheat over to the officials and wait by the side, and a whileter, their wheat would magically turn into flour. It sounded too good to be true, but Old Kent didn¡¯t think that there was anything amiss about it. The old Marquess Carter was a renowned magician in the Saint Mesit Theocracy, so it went without saying that his son was bound to be a talented magician too. To the ordinary popce, there was simply nothing that magicians couldn¡¯t do. But that was not all. While the benefit of not having to turn the millstone manually was weed amongst the farmers, it was not enough to make the more well-to-do farmers, which included Old Kent himself, go crazy over it. What that really sent their old bones sprinting frantically was the next piece of information they heard. And that was that the taxes collected when Roel Ascart was on duty were actually less than usual! The farmers weren¡¯t educated, but they were streetwise. They were exceptionally calctive when it came to the payment of taxes. When Roel offered to grind the wheat down in their stead, the first thing that the farmers were worried about was that they would be overtaxed. The fact that they wouldn¡¯t be able to see the wheat getting ground into flour in person left them feeling a little uneasy. But after a series of careful calctions to figure out if they had been scammed, they arrived upon an astonishing conclusion¡ªinstead of being overtaxed, they were being undertaxed instead! Based on the average of the estimates gathered from the farmers¡¯ calction, they were undertaxed by more than 10%, some even close to 20%! As soon as the news got out, all of the farmers who hadn¡¯t paid their taxes yet wentpletely red-eyed. A decrease of 20% in tax was a huge sum of money! Those crops saved could be sold in the capital and used to purchase plenty of good stuff. This was especially significant for well-to-do farmers like Old Kent. The money Old Kent saved from the reduced tax would be enough to hold a decent wedding ceremony for his son! It was just a pity that Roel Ascart didn¡¯t have a fixed gristmill that he worked at, so it was impossible to predict where or when he would appear. Old Kent arrivedte the previous time and ended up at the end of the queue, such that it wasn¡¯t even close to his turn when the gristmill closed at sunset. Just recalling about how aggrieved he felt then sent a spurt of energy racing through Old Kent¡¯s body, granting him the strength to outrun theme Old George in the race to the Fief Lord¡¯s Gristmill. Meanwhile, at the forefront of the long queue before the gristmill, an adorable little boy was currently seated before a small round table, leisurely enjoying his afternoon tea. His gleaming golden eyes nced at the farmers who were sprinting over with all their might, and a warm smile unfurled on his face. Chapter 10: Coach, I Want To Play Basketball

Chapter 10: Coach, I Want To y Basketball

What kind of person was Roel Ascart? If someone were to ask the farmers of the Ascart Fiefdom this question a month ago, they would have surelyughed their heads off. Everyone knew that nobles of Roel Ascart¡¯s standing usually stayed in the most stately of mansions within the city. Even those living in the city would struggle to catch a glimpse of him, let alone farmers living in the city outskirts like them. But a miracle urred half a month ago. The young master of the marquess house actually lowered his pride to step onto the fields on the outskirts of town in order to visit the farmers, thus granting Old Kent and the others the rare opportunity to see him in person. And everyone¡¯s first response upon seeing Roel Ascart was all the same?, and that was to take a second look. He was simply too good-looking, that¡¯s why. Roel¡¯s face was a lethal weapon in reaping Affection Points. Some said that he was cute, some said he was handsome; if the public had a list of desired features, Roel¡¯s face would certainly check them all. It wasn¡¯t long before rumorsparing Roel¡¯s looks to the beautiful elves of stories began spreading far and wide, making him the perfect lover budding young women who had just opened their eyes to the opposite gender dreamed of. The next thing that people noticed about Roel after his physical appearance was his attitude. From Old Kent¡¯s point of view, Roel Ascart was an earnest person who treated his subordinates with respect. It was nearing autumn now, so the weather had cooled down significantly. Nevertheless, the noon sun was still an adversary that ought to be feared. There was plenty of restless fidgeting amongst those queuing up, and even Old Kent himself couldn¡¯t help but feel irritated under such weather. Despite so, Roel Ascart was still able to maintain his poise. He didn¡¯tsh out at his subordinates; on the contrary, his attitude was even better than the usual tax officials that came down. Of course, as a noble, it went without saying that there was no way Roel Ascart would be exposed to the sun like the rest of them?¡ªthere was a servant holding an umbre up to shelter him from the ring sunlight?¡ªbut to be honest, it didn¡¯t make too much of a difference. On top of that, he had to maintain his spells in order to keep the millstone turning. From such a perspective, it would stand to reason that Roel Ascart would have been far more exhausted than the farmers, who were only standing in the queue. Thinking up to this point, the old farmers couldn¡¯t help but think in their minds: Young master Roel sure is a wonderful person! While Kent and the others were looking at Roel with looks of admiration, thetter was also looking at them?¡ªwith the green light popping up above their heads, of course?¡ªfeeling deeply moved too. What a wonderful harvest I¡¯m having here! A smile carrying earnest delight blossomed on Roel¡¯s face. Over the past month after recovering his past memories, Roel had managed to get used to his life here, and a series of borately designed self-salvation ns had also been put into motion. As someone who was in no waycking in self-awareness, Roel knew deep down that he hadn¡¯t managed to triumph over his death g yet. As a key boss in themon route of the game, Roel¡¯s conflict with the main character and his harem party ran far deeper than a single Alicia. While it was good news that he had managed to reconcile with Alicia, thus averting the future fate of being in by the future Silverash Child, there was still a plethora of possible ways he could meet his end. Despite only being a 9-year-old, Roel knew that he had to start working hard from now on if he wanted to ensure his survival, and the first step was to figure out how he could put the item he had obtained from the Affection Points Exchange Shop to good use. Half a month ago, Roel approached Marquess Carter for a talk, expressing his repentance over the tyrannical attitude he had put on thus far. He imed that having Alicia as his stepsister had made him realize howcking he was as a brother, so he decided to turn over a new leaf and be someone who could shoulder responsibility. After apologizing sincerely with a lowered head, he raised his head back up to seek Marquess Carter¡¯s opinions about what he should do next, only to recoil at the sight of the crying middle-aged man before him. There were few who could dispute that Marquess Carter was a highly sessful individual, who was both a distinguished magician and one of the few high nobles in the Theocracy. Yet, there had been two thorns in Marquess Carter¡¯s heart all this while?¡ªthe premature death of his beloved wife, and his son¡¯s ipetence. Amon hardship faced by single-parent families was the difficulty in expressing care and concern for the child during his growth, and that often led to manyplications afterward. The situation was especially exacerbated in the Ascart House as Marquess Carter, as an important figure in the Theocracy, had a lot of work to deal with, leaving him with little time to apany Roel. At the same time, he felt apologetic for Roel for having to grow up without his mother, so he tried to make up for it by doting on Roel. Ironically, his kind intention only further fueled Roel¡¯s tyranny. Roel became a selfish and domineering individual, never hesitating to scold and beat up the servants. Anyone with eyes could tell that he would eventually grow up to be a cruel fief lord. Marquess Carter wasn¡¯t blind to how Roel was bing, and he was anxious about it too. But at the same time, he simply couldn¡¯t bear to harden his heart against the child he had with his deceased wife. In the end, he decided to adopt a simr-aged child in hopes of dispelling his son¡¯s loneliness and nudging him toward a more positive direction. Despite so, Marquess Carter didn¡¯t expect it to be so effective as to induce immediate changes in Roel! It went without saying that Marquess Carter was extremely excited to see such a development, but he knew that he mustn¡¯t get ahead of himself just yet. He would have to make sure to properly steer Roel in the right direction from now on so that he wouldn¡¯t go astray again. So, after a long moment of hesitation, he decided to reveal a fact to Roel first, and that was that... Roel didn¡¯t possess any talent as a magician at all! Marquess Carter also felt deeply helpless about this as well. Roel was already 9-year-old, but his study in spells was not going well at all. One must know that Marquess Carter was already a proper transcendent back when he was at this age! Compared to him, Roel was truly feeble. The inability to be a transcendent meant that it was unlikely for Roel to be a central figure of the Theocracy like Marquess Carter, but fortunately, that was not vital for a noble. Roel might not have been able to bring the Ascart House to greater heights, but he should at least be able to safeguard the family business for the next generation. As a father, Marquess Carter didn¡¯t have great ambitions for Roel. All he wished was for Roel to grow up happily and live a peaceful life. That was probably the same wish that most parents in the world had for their children. Little did Marquess Carter know that the many women whom Roel would eventually cross paths with had already ensured that peace would never be a part of his life. ¡°Father, are you saying that rather than studying magic spells, it would be better for me to focus on learning how to manage the fiefdom well instead?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s likely that the Ascart House might decline in your generation, but as long as you grit your teeth and push on, you¡¯ll eventually be able to make a turnaround.¡± The Ascart House was a lineage of distinguished magicians, such that there would be a highly talented magician offspring at least once every two generations. Marquess Carter only had one son, Roel, which meant that the next generation was already doomed. But even if he couldn¡¯t rely on his son, surely he could count on his grandson, right? ¡°Find a few more wives and make sure to have a lot of children. That¡¯ll increase the probability of you having an offspring strong enough to prop up our Ascart House.¡± The frank advice from Marquess Carter left Roel a little speechless. He could only be impressed by just how open-minded Marquess Carter was. But as ridiculous as those words sounded, Roel knew that Marquess Carter meant what he said. The continuance of a noble house¡¯s lineage was not to be made light of. So, Roel could only silently nod his head while feeling a little conflicted with the idea of bing a wastrel who lived off his children. After going one huge round with his father, Roel felt that he had done enough padding, so he finally revealed his intention. ¡°Father, I¡¯m interested in the agriculture industry and the taxation of our fiefdom. May I request to temporarily take on the position of a taxation official so that I can see how the system works?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea! Feel free to go ahead with it. As long as you wish to learn, I¡¯ll support you unconditionally!¡± Marquess Roel, who had finally seen some hope in Roel, was afraid that Roel was just speaking on a whim and would soon change his mind, so he immediately got his subordinates to prepare the documents and stamped his approval on them within moments. Having achieved his goal, Roel thanked his father before looking at the documents in his hands with tears glistening in his eyes. My skeleton coolies can finally get to work now! Chapter 11: My Friend, You’re So Green

Chapter 11: My Friend, You¡¯re So Green

¡°Milord, thank you for yourpassion. May the blessings of Sia be with you!¡± Outside the Fief Lord¡¯s gristmill, Old Kent loaded his flour onto his carriage before bowing deeply in gratitude to Roel. Behind him was a huge queue of farmers, who were looking at him in envy. Old Kent was quite lucky today. It was already time for the taxation official to get off work when it finally got to his turn in the queue, but the generous andpassionate young master Roel noticed how he hadboriously toiled a huge cart of wheat over and had waited under the ring sun for long hours, so he made a special exception and extended the operations by half an hour. Due to this stroke of fortune, Old Kent managed to pay his taxes today. One must know that Roel was a traveling tax official, which meant that there was no saying when they would be able to see him once more. Naturally, Old Kent was more than overjoyed with this turn of events, and the others were deeply envious of his luck too. ¡°It isn¡¯t anything much. I¡¯m just getting off work a littleter than usual. Make sure to prepare well for the onset of winter with the harvest you have made,¡± Roel said with a warm smile as he gazed upon the green light glowing above Old Kent¡¯s head. Those words only made Old Kent feel even more moved, to the point that his head was glowing as green as a grass field. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago Seeing this sight, the smile on the face of the passionate¡¯ Roel grew even brighter. In his mind, he gave himself a huge round of apuse for havinge up with such a brilliant n. Kindness did y a part behind Roel¡¯s decision to extend operational hours and handle Old Kent¡¯s taxes, but what yed arger role behind that decision was the fact that Old Kent generated the most Affection Points for him during the earlier farnd marathon race, an astonishing 150 points! Roel was deeply shocked when he saw it. What marvelous harvest this is, glowing with such beautiful viridescent color! Even I¡¯d feel bad if I were to turn down such a huge gift! So, when Roel found that the person next in line was Old Kent, he decided to stay on for onest grand harvest. As could be seen from the overwhelming evidence, he had made the right decision. Old Kent had given him 300 Affection Points in one shot, rivaling the sum of three farmers! ¡°Young master, it¡¯s gettingte.¡± The soft whisper from a beautiful maid tickled Roel a little. Due to his shorter stature, Anna had to bend forward in order to whisper into his ears. As a result of that, when he turned his head over to look at her, he found himself staring straight into Anna¡¯s bountiful chest. ¡°...¡± ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°Cough cough, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Roel didn¡¯t feel anything due to his young age, but his adult mind still felt a little embarrassed about it. He quickly adjusted his state of mind before standing up to enter the gristmill together with the unguarded Anna. Meanwhile, the other servants began packing up the table, chair, and tea set. The other farmers in the queue also sighed in disappointment. Roel did find it a pity to have not reaped the harvest that was already right before him, but as the saying went, ¡®haste makes waste¡¯. If he were to keep granting special privileges to the farmers without thinking it through, the farmers would simply take his service for granted. By then, the Affection Points he could earn from each individual would reduce significantly. After a month of analysis, Roel realized that the Affection Points System was moreplicated than he had initially thought. Take Old Kent for example, the reason why he produced so many Affection Points was due to the relief of having barely been able to make it in for the tax collection, as well as the delight and sense of superiority derived from having a noble make a special exception just for him before everyone else. All of these factors yed a huge role in generating the grand total of 300 Affection Points. However, if Roel had not chosen to wander amongst the gristmills but instead selected a specific one to work in, Old Kent would have still been grateful to him, but it would definitely not have been as much. Give a man a cup of rice, and he¡¯ll be thankful. Give a man a sack of rice, and he¡¯ll be dependent on you. To put it frankly, the key to earning Affection Pointsy in hunger marketing. That being said, humans wereplicated beings, such that there was no such thing as a sure-win strategy. With such thoughts in mind, Roel walked into the gristmill and saw six skeletons standing in a daze before the millstone. There was a ck coffin ced by the side of the room, though it had already been cloaked white by ayer of flour. Indeed, this was the method that Roel thought of to recoup his 2500 Affection Points! The concept of sending the deceased away joyously with dancing skeleton pallbearers was simply too revolutionary, such that it was impossible to even fathom that anyone in the Ascart Fiefdom would enjoy it, so earning gold coins through that was out of the question. That being said, it would still be wonderful if he could recoup his Affection Points somehow. So, he found the skeletons, who were good for nothing except for their stamina, a job that they could do?¡ªcoolie work. Thebined strength of the 6 F+ skeletons was at least enough topete with a donkey, so pushing the millstone posed no issue for them. It just so happened that the coffin was a good way to transport the flour around too. All the skeletons had to do was to dump the flour inside the coffin outside the gristmill once it got full, and the other servants would pack them up properly and load them onto the second carriage. Roel directed a nod of approval toward the six skeletons, thinking that they were at least good for something now. Then, with a snap of his finger, the skeletons swiftly folded themselves tightly and fitted themselves into the coffin. The attitude that the Saint Mesit Theocracy had toward the undead was one of silent approval. It was said that the undead had already existed ever since the First Epoch, so the Theocracy had nothing against the undead. As long as a magician controlling the undead didn¡¯t flout anyws of the country, no action would be taken against him. That being said, the sudden appearance of a few racks of skeletons would still cause great panic amongst the people, so Roel couldn¡¯t just allow his skeletons to run rampant. For that reason, he usually first stowed his skeletons inside the ck coffin before transporting them from ce to ce. Roel also knew that it would be impossible to hide them from his servants in the long-run, so he imed that the Skeleton Pallbearer Army was a treasure stowed away in the vault of the Ascart House. There were quite a few old relics inside the vault anyway, such that even Marquess Carter couldn¡¯t say for sure whether it had really been in there or not. Ahh, being from a house of magicians sure is convenient! Roel stretched his backzily as he walked out of the gristmill. Some of the guards quickly marched into the gristmill to carry the coffin out and load it onto the second carriage. As for what the first carriage was, it went without saying that it was a luxurious transportation carriage reserved specially for the esteemed marquess¡¯ son! Under the cheers of the farmers, Roel got onto his luxurious carriage and sunk his little body into thefy sofa. Anna also followed him into the carriage and sat down on the chair opposite to him. The door to the carriage closed, and the coach began driving the carriage forward. Sitting in front of the Fief Lord¡¯s gristmill and supervising the taxation process was the kind of work that looked deceptively easy but was actually incredibly tiring. Putting aside the sweltering weather, Roel had to constantly maintain a dignified sitting position before the farmers, and that was more than enough to wear his weak body down. After a long day of work, the exhausted Roel was finally able to rest a little. His muscles, which had stiffened up from long hours of staying stationary, gradually eased up little by little. ¡°Ahhhh, I¡¯m going to die if I don¡¯t recharge a little from Aliciater on...¡± Roel muttered with a nk look in his eyes, causing Anna, who had heard her fair share of bizarre words from him recently, to blink her eyes in confusion. ¡°Does young master miss Miss Alicia? You¡¯ll be able to meet her in a moment¡¯s time. She should be waiting at the main entrance for you to return.¡± Anna thought about the silver-haired girl who had been waiting at the entrance of the Ascart House every evening thest few days, and a knowing adult smile formed on her lips. She couldn¡¯t help but think that youth was such a great thing. On the other hand, Roel¡¯s spirits lifted a little upon hearing Anna¡¯s words as he prepared himself to receive the biggest harvest of Affection Points for the day. With a look of anticipation on the little boy¡¯s face, the luxurious carriage finally made its way through the gates of the marquess¡¯ mansion. At the moment that Roel alighted from the carriage, Alicia¡¯s promised sweet voice sounded in the air. ¡°Wee back, big brother Roel!¡± Chapter 12: Sorry, We Just Want To See The Ships Set Sail

Chapter 12: Sorry, We Just Want To See The Ships Set Sail

If one were to ask when Roel was the happiest each day, the answer would certainly be right now. At the entrance of the mansion stood a silver-haired girl with arms spread wide. She hugged her brother, who had just returned from an exhausting day at his internship. Her slightly shy demeanor and exquisite looks formed great chemistry, producing an irresistible charm that drew others in. ¡°I¡¯m back, Alicia.¡± Feeling a bit gleeful from receiving the slightly awkward little girl¡¯s sweet hug, Roel reciprocated by returning the hug while patting her head dotingly. As things would have it, Roel had a role to y in Alicia¡¯s current reaction. It was not too hard to imagine that Alicia was far from the kind of person who would actively hug others. She had a reticent andposed nature, and her family had brought her up to be a well-mannered and gracefuldy. Other than her deceased father, she had never hugged anyone else before. But her cool demeanor was met with Roel¡¯s warmth. Every time he returned from work, he would greet this little girl with a warm hug. At the start, Alicia would stiffen up under his embrace, suffering from the culture shock. As time went by though, she gradually grew used to it, and in the recent two days, she even began to hug Roel on her own ord. Under Roel¡¯s influence, she was gradually bing more proactive in expressing herself. Roel felt that this was one of the two important signs that Alicia was starting to ept him, the other one being how Alicia was addressing him right now. ¡°Big brother Roel, it¡¯s itchy. Hahaha!¡± Roel mischievously blew at Alicia¡¯s neck, tickling her a little. Under his attack, the little girl who had matured earlier than her age ended up breaking out inughter. Alicia changed the way she addressed Roel around a week after their first meeting. It was bound to happen given how quickly they grew closer to one another. However, it was only when no outsiders were around that she would address Roel as ¡®big brother¡¯; on other asions, she would go with a more formal ¡®Lord Brother¡¯. In any case, these changes were a good sign as it showed that Alicia was slowly beginning to open up. ¡°My apologies. Did you dislike it?¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it.¡± Hearing Roel¡¯s concerned question, Alicia quickly shook her head, her shimmering silver hair swaying along with the movement. Her desire for warmth instinctively drew her to Roel, and after a moment of hesitation, she carefully buried her face into Roel¡¯s shoulders. Just like that, the two children continued hugging one another. The maids around couldn¡¯t stop themselves from smiling upon seeing this sight, and the green light of Affection Points glowed above their heads. The young master and miss are as close as always~ As someone who had witnessed how the rtionship between the two children slowly developed ever since their first meeting, Anna was the de facto captain of the ¡®Roel X Anna Ship¡¯, and she prayed fervently with all her heart that this ship would eventually set sail. Roel took a discreet nce at the green light around him, pausing for a while, before finally and reluctantly parting with the adorable Alicia. It had been a while since this bizarre phenomenon started, but for some inexplicable reason, every single time he doted on Alicia, the nearby maids would suddenly release a wave of Affection Points for him. What was even more astonishing to him was that the amounts they were giving out were steadily growing over time! This had been a shocking discovery to Roel. As baffled as he was by this urrence, he weed it with all his heart. After all, this meant that he was able to harvest some extra ie from the side mobs on top of the main boss. That all being said, Roel wasn¡¯t just getting close to Alicia for the sake of earning Affection Points. This was also necessary to protect her. Based on the information he had gathered from the game in his previous life, Alicia¡¯s fate was intricately linked with the Ascart House and Roel. In fact, one of the tragedies that happened to Aliciater in the game was that she got sold by Roel in exchange for some sort of benefit that was required for the declining Ascart House to remain afloat. While there was no way the current Roel would do anything like that, he still felt a little uneasy about the matter, especially since he was unsure of the exact circumstances surrounding that event. There could have been some sort of extenuating circumstances at y then. In order topletely eliminate the chances of that event urring, he would have to earn enough Affection Points and prevent the decline of the Ascart House. This way, Alicia wouldn¡¯t have to go through that tragedy, while Roel would be able to avoid his death g too. Was there a more justifiable reason than this to get close to a cute girl like Alicia? ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now. Let¡¯s head over to the dining room to eat.¡± ¡°Yes, big brother Roel.¡± ¡°What did you do today?¡± ¡°In the morning, I had etiquette lessons with Viscountess Heffen. In the afternoon, I had literature, history, and math lessons. After that, I spent my day reading in the study room until evening.¡± Hm? She¡¯s actually so hardworking? A certain ipetent young master faltered a little upon hearing Alicia¡¯s words, and a sense of shame rushed through him. Nobles did enjoy privileged lives, but they weren¡¯t like the nouveau riche who indulge themselves in decadent pleasure. Every single noble carried a heavy responsibility on their shoulders¡ªto prepare the next generation to shoulder the pride and glory of their respective houses and to carry the mission on to the next generation¡ªso that their houses could continue and prosper. After years of trial and error, they concluded that the best way to do so was through education. Education was the key to producing elites capable of fulfilling the responsibilities they were entrusted with. Hierarchy was reinforced by education, too. The Ascart House, as a long-standing noble house, pulled no stops when it came to the education of its younger generation. The teachers that were brought in were all distinguished figures in the Holy Capital, and the assignments they gave out were also known for their difficulty. Of course, it was totally tyrant Roel¡¯s style to disregard his teachers and toss aside his assignments, but Alicia was not the kind of person to do that. Despite the huge workload she already had from her studies, she still persisted in reading during her free time too. Wasn¡¯t this too much for a 7-year-old child to bear? ¡°Alicia, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re motivated to study, but you mustn¡¯t tire yourself out. You can slowly take your time; there¡¯s no rush.¡± ¡°... That won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Hm? Why is that so?¡± ¡°... If I don¡¯t work hard now, I won¡¯t be able to catch up with big brother Roel.¡± Alicia revealed her motive meekly. She was currently younger by Roel by two years, so if she were to continue her studying at a normal pace, she would never be able to catch up with Roel¡¯s progress. That would mean that they would never get to attend the same sses. That, in turn, meant that they could only meet each other for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, significantly reducing the time they had together. That was not something that Alicia could tolerate. Studying was dry and monotonous, but this little wish of hers gave her the drive to work diligently every single day. This train of thoughts seemed so natural to her that she didn¡¯t even notice how attached she was bing to this brother of hers whom she had only known for a month. ¡°Is that so? But I recall that the teachers assign quite a lot of assignments. I would usually have to work on them till nighttime.¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably because big brother Roel is learning more advanced content. I¡¯m only on the third volume for math. The content is rtively easier, so I¡¯m able to finish the assignments quite quickly..¡± ¡°Is that so? You¡¯re only on the third volume... Hm?¡± Roel¡¯s footsteps suddenly halted on the spot as he reyed what Alicia had just said in his mind. Following that, his golden eyes slowly began to widen. Wait a moment, the third volume in math? But I¡¯m pretty sure that I¡¯m only on the second volume right now! Roel suddenly remembered how he had never attended sses seriously and would often write all sorts of nonsense for his assignments. Due to that, he had already spent more than a year learning the second volume, which was not difficult at all. Otherwise, he should have already been on the fourth volume by now. With this, Roel was forced to acknowledge the cruel reality that his studies were actually behind Alicia, his junior by two years... and it seemed like she did it easily at that! Thinking back on the game, Roel suddenly recalled that Alicia was known for her excellent results in the academy too! Argh! A beautiful appearance, smart mind, and monstrously powerful bloodline; just what in the world was this perfect being?! Had it been the other Roel, he would have surely developed a sense of inferiority against her! Roel suddenly felt like he had found the reason why the original Roel had ended up oppressing Alicia, treating her with great hostility. As a person who was not very high on the intelligence stat, having to face the seemingly perfect Alicia and be reminded of his inadequacies every single day, it probably heaped a mountain load of stress on him. To actually begging behind a person who looked up to him, onlookers would haveughed at the plight that Roel was in... No, they really wereughing at him. (Affection Points +20! Affection Points +30! Affection Points +15...) Indeed. Despite the dignified and respectful facade of these maids, they were allughing at Roel at this very moment in their minds?¡ªthe strained looks on their faces were more than enough to prove that! They knew Roel¡¯s current progress in his studies, after all. ¡°Pft!¡± Anna, who didn¡¯t fear her young master as much anymore after spending the past month together, identally let augh slip out, but it was quickly stifled by Roel¡¯s sharp re. Nevertheless, she was still deeply looking forward to the soon-toe reversal of roles, where Alicia would be the one tutoring Roel on his studies instead. It sure is heartening to see the young master and young miss getting along well! Setting aside the maids¡¯ antics, it was just a pity that Roel wasn¡¯t going to let the old script y out that way anymore, and he had the capability to do it. He was no longer his past self! It¡¯s lucky that math was my strong suit back on Earth, or else I might have really been done in here! , Roel thought as he continued proceeding ahead. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Marquess Carter wasn¡¯t at home today either, so the kitchen staff was waiting for Roel to return before starting the preparations for dinner. As soon as the news of Roel¡¯s return was ryed via the guards, the kitchen immediately got to work. In the dining room, the little boy and girl sat side-by-side?¡ªRoel had already received formal approval from Marquess Carter regarding this arrangement. Feeding Alicia every day was a huge project for him, so he couldn¡¯t allow anything to go wrong! That being said, he had relented on slicing the meat in view of his young age, now entrusting the task to the trusty servants. The only responsibility he had was to feed Alicia. Roel and Alicia chatted at the dining table as they waited for dinner toe, but surprisingly, a piece of news arrived first. ¡°Young master, the old master has sent news that he¡¯ll be returning tomorrow with a guest.¡± The news was passed through several people, and in the end, it was Anna who stepped forward with a lowered head to inform Roel. Thetter blinked in surprise upon hearing the news. A guest? Chapter 13: Don’t Worry, My Ship Will Never Capsize

Chapter 13: Don¡¯t Worry, My Ship Will Never Capsize

Father will be back tomorrow? So fast? Roel was surprised because he didn¡¯t think that Marquess Carter would get a break all of a sudden. He subconsciously stroked his lower jaw contemtively, seemingly emting the gestures of old schrs in the Country of Academics, Brolne. Amused by the sight of an elderly gesture on the little boy, the watching servants couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a little. For Marquess Carter, a noble of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the concept of fixed workdays didn¡¯t exist. Who could possibly force someone of his standing to work? That being said, as the Chief Magician of the Holy Knight Order, Marquess Carter could be considered a military man, and he was responsible for researching new spells and training his subordinates. The key behind the continued prosperity of the Ascart Housey in its deep-rooted connections with the military. The presence of talented magicians in its lineage allowed its influence to permeate the military. In fact, if one were to trace a few generations up the lineage, there were even some from the Ascart House who had risen to the very top of the military. As such, Marquess Carter often spent his time with the knights, choosing to entrust the management of the fiefdom to the officials under him. He would only return for three to five days per month to conduct a routine inspection and hold meetings to set a direction for the fiefdom¡¯s development. Needless to say, this was also the reason why Roel grew up without any family members, and Marquess Carter felt deeply guilty about it. Roel did a quick calction, it had only been half a month since his fatherst departed. It was peculiar that he was returning so quickly and for him to bring a guest back with him too... One should know that those qualified to be guests of the Ascart House were no minor figures. At the very least, they had to be a noble of at least viscount rank for Marquess Carter to take the trouble to inform the mansion in advance. His underlying meaning was ¡® It¡¯s a VIP, so prepare yourselves! ¡¯. Roel couldn¡¯t help but wonder just who it could be. He earnestly thought about it for a while, and in the end... he decided to dig into his dinner instead. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago It couldn¡¯t be helped that there were only so many people he knew! Rather than let his mind wander aimlessly, he might as well do something useful like filling his belly and earning some Affection Points! ¡°Come, Alicia. Ahhh¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Glomp!¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago ¡°What a good girl. How does it taste? I told the chef to add a little more sugar, so it shouldn¡¯t be too sour this time.¡± ¡°Mm, it tastes much better than before. Thank you, big brother Roel.¡± Alicia raised her head up and revealed a sweet smile. Her sparkling ruby eyes looked as if the rays of the morning sun were concealed within their depths, tempting others to gaze within. Ahhhhh! How adorable! I¡¯m really going to die from this one day! Roel had to give his all to resist the urge to rush forward and give this adorable little sister a tight hug. With effort, he kept hisposure, picked up a napkin, and gently wiped away sauce that had gotten on the corners of Alicia¡¯s mouth. The little girl¡¯s eyes narrowed on touch, reminiscent of a little cat being spoiled by its owner. This job should have been done by the servants, but the servants were not people who didn¡¯t know how to read the mood. They chose to stay put in their position and watch the interactions of the little duo with slight smiles... though Anna¡¯s gleaming eyes were a little hard to bear. Such sweetness for my eyes to feast on everyday! Over the past month, Alicia¡¯s standing in the Ascart House had risen swiftly. From an adopted daughter from a baron house, she was now viewed by the servants as the future matriarch of the Ascart House. The interactions between Roel and Alicia did y a huge part in that, but the decisive factor was actually the unintentional result of that conversation between Roel and Marquess Carter. That heart-to-heart talk between father and son had not only allowed Roel to achieve his motive, it had also brought about some unintended side effects, including a change in how his father treated Alicia. After learning that his ¡®using-another-simr-aged-child-to-guide-my-wayward-son-back-to-the-proper-path¡¯ stratagem was a resounding sess, Marquess Carter was deeply thankful to Alicia. He began doting on her all the more. While it was his gratitude that motivated this change in behavior, it was taken very differently by the servants of the house. The old master indeed favors Alicia! He¡¯s intending to have the young master wed her in order to ensure the continuance of the Ascart lineage! Such rumors had already spread far and wide within the manor, and Roel¡¯s actions only served to affirm it. The ¡®Roel X Alicia Ship¡¯ had been expanding at an astonishing pace, providing a massive source of Affection Points for Roel. On the one hand, the sweet childhood tale of romance between those two highly attractive individuals proved to be extremely popr amongst the slightly older maids, and on the other, any servant would prefer someone whom they had known from a young age to be the future matriarch of the Ascart House, rather than take their chances with an unknown stranger from elsewhere. Well done, young master! Snatch Miss Alicia¡¯s heart over with your charms, and our Ascart House will be set for the future! Anna sped her fists tightly before her chest as she cheered for Roel inside her heart. Roel¡¯s train of thoughts, however, waspletely different from hers. It was simply too much to think that a 9-year-old and a 7-year-old would really understand what romantic love was. Even Roel, a past adult, had no feelings toward boy-girl rtionships at the moment due to his undeveloped body. He only doted on Alicia because he thought that thetter was simply too cute; she was the chicken soup that healed his exhausted soul. After feeding Alicia, Roel also quickly cleared his food too. Since the two of them weren¡¯t able to spend time together earlier in the day, they decided to make up for it after dinner. Marquess Carter wasn¡¯t around at the moment. With no one to keep them on schedule, they could stay up as long as they liked! That being said, their young bodies still tired out very quickly. By the time the clock struck eight, Roel and Alicia had already retired to their rooms. But here came the question¡ªwhat did Roel and Alicia do together in the period of time after their dinner and before their bedtime? Due to the exorbitant price of nighttime illumination, mostmoners would simply opt to have a rxing cup of tea or a conversation with their loved ones before heading off to bed. As for whether there would be any additional activities in the bed, that would be up to the individual. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago But for nobles, their nighttime activities were far more extensive than that. Since money wasn¡¯t a problem, there were many things that they could do, such as ying chess or reading books. Those who embraced their artistic side might opt to dance or y some music. When there were more people around, they might even choose to hold a ¡®moon-gazing party¡¯. Alicia and Roel would usually spend their time together chatting or reading books, but due to their prior conversation about their studies, inevitably, the topic headed that direction. ¡°Big brother Roel, I¡¯m having trouble solving this problem. Can you teach me?¡± The moment Alicia took out her assignment and consulted Roel, the room suddenly plunged into an unnatural silence. The servants, who were still cheering for Roel a moment ago, suddenly froze on the spot. Even the professional Anna was caught off guard and failed to conceal her shock in time. Is there where it alles crashing down? Anna, as Roel¡¯s personal maid, knew about his current progress with his studies better than anyone else. Given that Roel wasgging behind Alicia at the moment, how could he possibly solve thetter¡¯s problem? In the face of this crisis, Anna stood forward and interjected. ¡°Miss, our young master had a busy day supervising the taxation process, so I fear that...¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± To the horror of the servants, Roel rejected Anna¡¯s timely assistance. He elegantly snapped-up Alicia¡¯s assignment before looking at thetter with a confident smile. ¡°Which part are you having trouble with? I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Chapter 14: Is This the Prelude to a Wedding? (It Isn’t)

Chapter 14: Is This the Prelude to a Wedding? (It Isn¡¯t)

What is the key to winning a woman¡¯s heart? This was a universal problem that had confounded countless men since the dawn of mankind. It was like a philosophical question, where every single person had a unique answer. Some women indulge themselves in beauty, seeking out an attractive partner to spend their lives with. Some women value culture, demanding their other half to be romantic and talented. However, to children still caught in their studies, the greatest mark of sess was often examination results. They tend to look up to their smarter peers with rose-tinted sses, influencing their perception of thetter. Alicia was a child who had matured early, due to her past experiences, experiences which resulted in her having her own unique perspective regarding the world. A perspective which, while not necessarily a bad thing, resulted in her being unable to fit in with her peers, bing estranged. Not even Roel, who had opened her heart, could change the girl¡¯s independent nature. That was why she desired to prove herself through her studies, so that she could receive everyone¡¯s acknowledgment. And right now, she desires one person¡¯s acknowledgment more than anyone else¡¯s in the world. Roel¡¯s. On the study desk, Alicia watched how the ck-haired boy sitting next to her calcted out an entire page worth of sums, and her eyes twinkled in admiration. It didn¡¯t surprise her that Roel was able to solve the problem she had stumbled over easily; after all, she had already thought that this big brother was ahead of her in his studies. However, what Roel then proceeded to do made her realize just how vast the gap between them was. Not only did Roel exin the method of solving the problem to her in a concise manner, but he even went through the rest of Alicia¡¯s assignment to check for any errors¡ªand he did so by calcting all of the sums on the spot. ¡°Big brother Roel, how are you able to calcte so quickly?¡± asked Alicia in a mixture of shock and awe. After all, Roel had managed to work out all of the problems in just ten minutes when she had already spent more than half an hour on them. Hearing Alicia¡¯s question, Roel put down his pen before gazing at the questions before him, a pensive look on his face. ¡°Regarding this...¡± You¡¯d have been able to do it as quickly as me if you could recite the multiplication table too... 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago Roel chuckled lightly to himself. ¡°There¡¯s a small trick to it. I¡¯ll show youter.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Witnessing Alicia¡¯s sweet smile and the massive influx of Affection Points he had just received, Roel couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself too. He casually turned around to nce at the utterly bbergasted Anna, and a smug smile emerged on his lips. Heh, looks like I¡¯ve managed to preserve my dignity! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C The following morning, Roel woke up early and had breakfast together with Alicia. The two didn¡¯t follow the usual routine of sticking close together. Rather, they quickly finished their meals before heading back to their rooms to prepare for the day¡¯s events. This was all because an esteemed guest was visiting today. The servants hadn¡¯t just shrugged off the message from Marquess Carter either. They¡¯d worked through the night to ensure that the Ascart House was ready to host their guest. The change was so great that Roel nearly thought he had been kidnapped to somewhere else when he first emerged from his bedroom. On top of ensuring that the entire ce was spick and span, the servants also changed the carpets, put up paintings, and took out the valuable antiques that had been stowed away in storage¡ªcing them on disy in the study room, along the corridors, and other prominent locations. To conclude, it was as if they were preparing for Christmas. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago It goes without saying that the stars of the show, Roel and Alicia, couldn¡¯t just dress casually, the way they normally did, especially so for Roel. As the sole son and heir of the Ascart House, he had to y the part. ¡°Young master, please don¡¯t move around.¡± Back in his room, Anna was squatting before Roel, tidying up his eyebrows for him. For the sake of appearances, Roel had to have a touch of makeup applied, improving his already handsome face slightly, though it wasn¡¯t the same kind of makeup that was used back on Earth. ¡°Alright, young master. Please close your eyes now.¡± After applying a razor to Roel¡¯s eyebrows, Anna next picked up a small brush and dabbed it inside a jade bottle filled with some sort of transparent fluid before carefully applying it to Roel¡¯s face. It felt refreshingly cool against his skin. When Roel finally opened his eyes once more, he was shocked by what he saw. It was almost as if he was looking at himself through a camera¡¯s beautifying filter. Holy moly. I look dashing! 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago He lightly touched his lower jaw as he examined the handsomed inside the mirror. Dropping his gaze, he eyed the jade bottle and its contents of transparent liquid. Demon Dew. Rumor had it that the main ingredient of Demon Dew was a resin gathered from the tree demons of the Lost Forest. It was an exclusive product sold by the Sorofya Merchant Association. From the moment it appeared on the market, it became an ultra-luxury product that innumerable noblewomen scrambled to get their hands on. A single droplet for unblemished skin, five droplets for aplete makeover; it was nearly as amazing as stic surgery! That being said, its effects were temporary and wouldn¡¯t work against magicians that boasted high mana, such as Marquess Carter, since they would be able to easily see through such a low level beguilement. On top of that, Demon Dew was not all good either. All of the mana-infused products of this world had some side effects. If one were to use the product too frequently, it could ce a ¡®Charm¡¯ effect on one¡¯s face. There was an incident where a noblewoman found herself attacked by a fanatic stalker after she overused Demon Dew. Despite the downsides, the product still remained the favorite of noblewomen. Just a small bottle would cost dozens of gold coins. While admiring his good looks in the mirror, Roel suddenly thought of something, so he turned around and asked Anna a question. ¡°Is there Demon Dew over at Alicia¡¯s side too?¡± ¡°Young master, please rest easy. We have made sure to prepare some for Miss Alicia too.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Roel nodded his head calmly, only to notice some unexpected Affection Pointsing from Anna. This is weird, why is Anna giving me Affection Points? I didn¡¯t do anything at all... Oh wait, I get it now! Roel smacked his fist against his palm in realization, as he felt like he had stumbled upon the truth. It must be due to my good looks! Ahh, what a sinful man I am! 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago The little boy sighed to himself as he ced all me on his splendid appearance. Meanwhile, Anna¡¯s thoughts were, of course, going off on a tangent to what Roel was thinking about. Young master sure dotes on Miss Alicia a lot. Despite his young age, he¡¯s already showing so much consideration for her! The sudden bout of shipping induced a huge stream of Affection Points from Anna, which greatly boosted Roel¡¯s ego and confidence, thanks to his own misperceptions. Half a minuteter, Roel finally tore his eyes away from the mirror and walked out of the room wearing a fitted suit. Just as he was walking down the left side of the central staircase, heading to the lounge, he noticed a silver-haired figure walking toward him from the right side of the central staircase. Alicia was wearing a white banquet dress that was looser at the top and bottom but tightened around her slender waist. Her silver hair had been put up neatly, leaving just a few strands of it hanging by the side of her face. The effect of the Demon Dew had bestowed a touch of seductiveness to her delicate features, making her appear like a ravishing figure who had walked out from a painting. That was not all. Those crimson eyes became the final note, the missing piece, to create a striking contrast with Alicia¡¯s fairplexion, white dress, and silver hair; it was reminiscent of a zing inferno in the midst of a snowy mountain. When all the elements harmonized together, it was hard for one¡¯s heart not to pound in her presence. Upon sighting Alicia, his footsteps halted and Roel fell into a daze for a good two seconds. The servants around him couldn¡¯t help but make a sharp intake of breath themselves. Following that, a hushed, excited discussion broke out amongst the servants, filling the silent lounge with life. What breathtaking beauty! How can anyone ever resist this? Roel snapped out of his daze and quickly reached for his nostrils to check if he was bleeding. Confirming there were no problems, he hurriedly averted his gaze from Alicia and continued heading down the stairs. Wow, I¡¯m really going to die at this rate. Her fighting prowess is way too strong! Roel¡¯s thoughts raced as he continued his descent. He was too affected by the sight of Alicia that he failed to notice the girl¡¯s return reaction. In the instant that Alicia caught sight of the dressed up Roel, her body froze up. Her crimson eyes slowly widened as a tinge of red swiftly rippled over her face. Her heart began beating so quickly that it was actually starting to hurt a little. Big brother Roel is so handsome... Realizing that her breathing was starting to be a little chaotic, Alicia quickly averted her eyes. She felt like the boy before her was wrapped in a natural radiance that she couldn¡¯t bear to look straight at. She lowered her head and clutched the sides of her dress nervously. ¡°Miss, you can do it!¡± The whisper of support from a maid behind her snapped Alicia out of her daze. She walked down the stairs over to Roel¡¯s side before timidly raising her head, only to find herself meeting with Roel¡¯s eyes. A moment of silence lingered between the two before they averted their eyes simultaneously and speedily. ¡°L-lord Brother, you look spirited today!¡± ¡°Yes, the same goes for you too. You look... beautiful.¡± The little duo stood side by side with reddened faces, feeling inexplicably embarrassed about the situation. Meanwhile, the army of servants following behind was feasting their eyes at this rare sight. How adorable! I would have no regrets even if I were to die now! Argh, just when is the young master going to marry the young miss? ¡°Anna, your expression, your expression!¡± The nearby servants quickly tugged at Anna to remind her to rein in that bizarre smile on her face. It was in the midst of this slightly pink atmosphere of budding romance that the doors to the marquess house suddenly opened. Chapter 15: Angel’s Bloodline

Chapter 15: Angel¡¯s Bloodline

The rumbling of a carriage could be heard from beyond the door. Faces still red, Roel and Alicia quickly pulled themselves together, and the excited Anna reined her emotions in. The romantic mood that had built-up popped like a bubble, reced by solemnity. Roel spied outside the door with narrowed eyes and saw an exquisite noble carriage slowly pulling into the courtyard. Clip clop clip clop! The rhythmic ttering of hooves echoed crisply, and the sound was surprisingly calming in this tense atmosphere. The appearance of the white steed, however, made Roel¡¯s pupils contract a little. Frostwing Horse, the hybrid between the mystical pegasus and unicorn. It was a beast of noble birth, and there were very few of them in this world. It was usually impossible to see them outside of the Holy Capital¡ªand most people wouldn¡¯t really think of rearing one either. Frostwing Horses had exceptional specs, far surpassing that of other steeds, but its temper was terrible due to its noble blood. Pegasii were beings of legend, known to be the steed of angels; whereas unicorns were licentious bastards who only allowed the purest of maidens to ride upon them. Legends spoke that the Frostwing Horses had once pledged their allegiance to the High Elves under one unbelievably shameless condition, ¡® Fulfill all of our demands.¡¯ That¡¯s right. They wanted everything! They demanded those with the bloodline of angels; they demanded the purest of maidens; there was no end to their demands! 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago They prided themselves on possessing the bloodline of two mythical creatures, but the truth was that they matched neither the pegasus nor the unicorn. While it might be possible for them to awaken both bloodlines to their purest form, bing the greatest steed in the world with the powers of both mythical creaturesbined, but that existed only in theory. To date, no one has ever seen such a formidable Frostwing Horse. That being said, there weren¡¯t many houses that could afford to use them as carriage horses; or to be more exact, there was only one house that was able to do so. Upon realizing this fact, Roel¡¯s body stiffened up. He lifted his gaze to take a look and saw the conspicuous emblem disyed on the side of the carriage. It was an insignia emzoned with an imprable shield sporting two intersecting wings, named the Guardian of Radiant Wings. This insignia was unique to a house within the Saint Mesit Theocracy, namely the royal family¡ªthe Xeclydes. As the name, Saint Mesit Theocracy, suggested, it was a country in which politics and religion were intertwined. The head of the Xeclyde House was both emperor to the country and pope to the church. He headed the Genesis Goddess Church, which worshipped the Goddess of Creation, Sia. The Genesis Goddess Church boasted the greatest religious following in this world, its believers spread across the entire human territory, and its influenceparable to that of Earth¡¯s Roman Catholic Church in Italy. The church¡¯s teachings profoundly impacted its followers¡¯ way of life. A single housemanded unquestionable authority over this massive religion with uncountable followers, and that was the Xeclydes. Typically speaking, there should have been no way a single house could have swallowed this humongous pie on its own. There were bound to be ambitious and power-hungry organizations who wanted a slice of their own, possibly demanding for the pope position to be rotated amongst major powers or for greater distribution of power over the religion. But as the situation would have it, the Xeclydes managed to maintain a tight hold over the Genesis Goddess Church for the past thousand years, and there was only one reason for that¡ªthe Xyclydes had inherited the Angel¡¯s Bloodline. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Angels were known to have assisted Sia during the First Epoch, and they were said to be the race closest to the gods. Was there anyone in the world who was more qualified to lead the religion worshipping Sia than the descendants of angels? As important as legitimacy was, it was just the icing on the cake. Legitimacy wasn¡¯t sufficient to safeguard anything for a thousand years. The key to the Xeclydes¡¯ continued dominance was something far more crude¡ªsheer power. In this world, bloodlines weren¡¯t just good for boasting who and who were your father and grandfather. No, they were real symbols of power. There were many variations to the Angel¡¯s Bloodline, but one thing for certain was that this bloodline was guaranteed to be Gold-tier as long as one was able to awaken it. That was more than enough to guarantee the session of their lineage. Anyone who was reincarnated into that family would be able to enjoy a life of predestined sess, as if a protagonist of a novel. Ey, how lucky. Roel thought as he hurriedly took off the Emblem of Glory pinned in front of his chest. ¡°Lord Brother?¡± Alicia blinked her eyes in surprise at Roel¡¯s movement. However, there was no time to talk. The carriage had alreadye to a halt, and the servants rushed forth to open the golden carriage doors. Three people stepped out from within. The first was Roel¡¯s father, Marquess Carter. The second was a golden-haired man with a massive body and a solemn face. The third was a young girl. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Wee, Your Highness Kane. I am Roel Ascart. I have long since heard of your brave exploits from my father, and it is my honor to be able to meet you today.¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago At the foyer of the mansion, Roel greeted the golden-haired man as he directed huge eyes twinkling with the innocent admiration of a child toward him. His acting was near perfect, such that no one would have been able to pick a w with it. Marquess Carter was a little stunned to see Roel acting in such an abnormal fashion, but the golden-haired man beside him burst into heartyughter. ¡°Hahaha, Carter. I didn¡¯t think that a fellow like you would actually spout good things about me!¡± Themander of the Holy Knights Order, Kane Xeclyde, was ttered by Roel¡¯s words. He hadn¡¯t thought that Chief Magician Carter, who often raised opposition toward his suggestions, would actually praise him before his child. Looking at the beaming admiration on Roel¡¯s earnest face, Kane couldn¡¯t raise the slightest doubt toward thetter at all. While Roel, as a noble, was expected to be able to speak pleasantries, he was also at an age where it was normal for kids to carry deep reverence toward gant knights. Which kid had never dreamed of bing a suave knight and saving a princess from the clutches of an evil dragon? ... Though admittedly, there was a far greater chance for the princesses of this world to be the ones doing the saving instead. Kane took a second-look at Roel and affirmed his thoughts once more. Ah, what a fine, honest youth! Prince Kane nodded in great satisfaction before turning his gaze toward Alicia. Alicia raised her skirt slightly and curtsied, her movements as graceful as a true princess. ¡°I am Alicia Ascart, the adopted daughter of Marquess Carter. It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, Your Highness Kane.¡± Alicia¡¯s greeting was polite, but there was a feeling of lofty coldness behind her words. It didn¡¯t appear to be a conscious intention on her part, but rather, it felt more like her natural disposition. Kane, despite his vast experiences with all sorts of people, was a little surprised to see such airs from a child. ¡°This child... I see.¡± Kane examined Alicia for a moment longer before a thought came to his mind; his gaze suddenly changed from surprise to a heavy expression. He reached out his hand and ruffled Alicia¡¯s soft hair lightly. ¡°You must be Larthe¡¯s child.¡± ¡°Y-you know my father?¡± ¡°Of course, I was the one who mentored him!¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago Kane thumped his chest like a proud military man before finally sighing deeply once more. He then turned to look at Carter. ¡°You did well. Take care of her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let Larthe down.¡± The two men nodded in mutual agreement. While looking at Alicia, Kane suddenly recalled something, and he beckoned with his hand, saying, ¡°Come here, Nora. Meet your new friends.¡± A beautiful figure silently walked forward. She was a golden-haired girl with eyes the color of sapphire,manding a presence that rivaled the brilliant sun. ¡°Nora Xeclyde. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet the two of you.¡± Chapter 16: I, Roel, Speak No Lies

Chapter 16: I, Roel, Speak No Lies

Nora Xeclyde. This was a name Roel remembered from the memories of his previous life, as well as one of the individuals whom he would prefer to stay away from if at all possible. She was the future head of the Xeclyde House, as well as the future Holy Eminence of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, which meant that she would eventually be a powerhouse of this world. Nora Xeclyde was revered no matter where she went, such that in the game she was deferentially addressed by the academy students as the Queen. Together with Alicia, they were known as the Golden Sun and Silver Moon of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. Needless to say, she was one of the four capture targets. It was just unfortunate that her exterior portrayal of a perfect youngdy was not an urate reflection of her true character. To put it in simple terms, Nora Xeclyde was an extreme sadist. She put on a dignified look before outsiders,pelling others to defer to her authority, but the truth was that she was someone who derived great joy from inflicting pain on others. That gave rise to her other reputation as the ¡®Bloodthirsty Angel¡¯. Any fight that involved her would need to be mosaiced out in order not to traumatize onlookers. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago The concepts of good and evil blurred when it came to Nora Xeclyde. She treated those who were close to her kindly and, at the same time, would never hesitate to stand up against evil. But, on the other hand, it was hard for anyone to im that she was a good person; not after witnessing the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood left in her wake following a violent rampage, especially with the knowledge that she relished in it. Roel¡¯s deepest impression of Nora Xeclyde came from a CG in the game. It depicted the supposedly saintly Nora posing with her bloodstained wings unfurled as she stared at the yer with an intoxicated look on her face. The contrasting elements of good and evil harmonized in her, forming a breathtaking work of art. Art appreciation aside though, Roel wanted nothing to do with such a person in reality. He felt like he needed to distance himself from Nora for the sake of his own sanity. One must know that even the main character had to spend three whole semesters shamelessly pursuing and fawning over Nora Xeclyde, even nearly losing his life in the process, before finally sessfully capturing her. If it was already that tough for the main character, there was no way anyone else in the world could possibly win her over! 4 replies ¨C 6 days ago If Roel, an antagonist in the game, were to try to do the same, he would definitely be killed in a heartbeat! Heh, I even have a professional team to send me off with fanfare if that were to happen! 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Thinking about the Skeleton Pallbearer Army he had exchanged his Affection Points for, Roel suddenly felt a foreboding sensation in the pit of his stomach. One must know that Nora had yed a huge part in orchestrating Roel¡¯s eventual death in the game! Once again, Roel reaffirmed his determination: I mustn¡¯t get involved with this girl! ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Your Highness Nora, is the red tea to your liking?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s delicious. Thank you, Miss Alicia.¡± In the lounge, Nora, Alicia, and Roel were seated together, sipping on tea while having a pleasant conversation. So far, an hour had passed since everyone first met in the foyer, and Roel¡¯s group parted ways with the adults. Elsewhere, the grown-ups were in the midst of a secret conversation inside one of the guest rooms. Roel had no idea what his father and Kane were discussing as he was not privy to any of it, but it was bound to be something of significant importance. The fact that Kane chose to bring Nora along also hinted at one thing¡ªthe Xeclyde House wished to get on good terms with the Ascart House. What better way to ensure close, long-term ties between the houses than to have their children y together? The Ascart House was known as one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses inside the Theocracy, and this was an epted fact even within the Holy Capital. The Xeclydes had much to gain from rallying the Ascart House over to their side, and the best way to do so was to win over their young sessor, Roel. In fact, it was a convention for sessors of noble houses to socialize and forge amicable ties with other houses. For that reason, children of nobility had to mature early so that they could maneuver their way through all sorts of social situations. The battle to build factions had long begun, and those who were slower to realize it would be at a disadvantage. The three children sitting in the lounge were all very cognizant of this fact. Nora, despite her high standing, carried no arrogance in her attitude. She guided the conversation with grace and magnanimity as she attempted to get on closer terms with her twopanions. Alicia could see through Nora¡¯s intent, but the experiences she had been through made her extremely guarded against all of her peers except for Roel. And as for Roel... He was simply smiling his way through the situation, trying his best to feign death. He made his stance very, very clear through his actions: I want no part of this. Nora might be a huge tree, and an alliance between the Ascarts and the Xeclydes was indeed a very enticing proposal. There were great benefits if one were to look at it from the standpoint of their houses, but Roel was currently looking at it from his own shoes. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago As a boss in themon route, he was a viin who was deeply hated by the main character and the capture targets. He would, one day, be killed by them. In order to avert that tragic fate, he only had a single goal at the moment, and that was to pull out all his death gs. As long as he seeded in it, he should be able to live to a ripe, old age. It seemed like a feasible n, but there was just one little problem. How was he supposed to remove his death gs when he wasn¡¯t entirely sure what they were? He didn¡¯t have full knowledge of the storyline! The solution that Roel came up with to his dilemma was simple enough: don¡¯t do anything the original Roel would have! If the original Roel was extremely cruel to Alicia, the current Roel would dote upon her to the high heavens! Or, something along those lines. It was likely that the original Roel would immediately catch on to Nora¡¯s goodwill and proceed to fawn upon her. So, the current Roel decided to stay as far away from Nora as possible. Trying to disy goodwill to me? Sorry, but I¡¯m blind! Trying to butter me up withpliments? Sorry, but I¡¯m deaf! Say anything you want, I¡¯m not going to see or hear anything anyway. I¡¯ll just sit here and smile like the wallflower I am. Detest me if you want to. I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯ll be best if you detest me to the point where you never want to meet me again! ¡°Can I call you Roel?¡± The dignified Nora asked with a sincere and intimate tone. Roel pondered for a moment before replying with a smile. ¡°Of course, Your Highness. It¡¯s my honor.¡± Tsk, can you stop acting like we¡¯re close to one another? What Roel was saying with his mouth had nothing to do with the thoughts in his head. He stered a polite smile on his face and responded to Nora¡¯s questions with the minimum level of civility required. ¡°Roel, can I be your friend?¡± ¡°Of course, Your Highness.¡± Who would want to be friends with you? ¡°Am I being a little too abrupt here?¡± ¡°Of course not, Your Highness. It¡¯s my honor.¡± If you know that it¡¯s too abrupt, you shouldn¡¯t have done so in the first ce. ¡°... What do you think of me?¡± ¡°Your beauty is as the rays of the sun; your kindness overwhelming like the embrace of the earth. Our country shall prosper under the leadership of a great person like you. May Sia bless you.¡± Now you¡¯re asking me to fawn on you too? Tsk, how shameless. ¡°... What do you think of our Xeclyde House?¡± ¡°Our Ascart House will be your most stalwart supporters. There¡¯s no one in Saint Mesit who doesn¡¯t know of our unwavering loyalty toward the royal family, and...¡± ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡± Nora cut Roel¡¯s thering off with a wave of her hand, causing thetter to blink his eyes for a moment, but he readily stopped the stream of nonsenseing from his mouth. Are you finally getting sick of the bootlicking? If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s just have our tea in peace, shall we? 2 replies ¨C 6 days ago Roel thought as he lifted his teacup to take a sip. It was at this moment that Nora took out a red pendant from beneath her clothes. ¡°Roel, what do you think of this pendant of mine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s gorgeous, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, I think so too. I do fancy this pendant a lot. It refracts sixteen different rays of crimson light when light shines into it.¡± ¡°Astounding.¡± Roel shot a nce at the crimson pendant and replied with apliment. Meanwhile, Nora leaned forward and continued with narrowed eyes, ¡°I should also mention that it has a unique ability. Are you curious to know what it is?¡± ¡°It would be my honor to know, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± A smile crept onto Nora¡¯s lips as she beckoned Roel over with her finger. Roel was a little surprised by the gesture. Something¡¯s really not right. He felt there was something amiss, but after a brief hesitation, he still chose to lean over and listen to what the girl had to say. Now that Roel was blocking her from Alicia¡¯s view, Nora¡¯s smile swiftly grew colder and colder as she revealed the secret behind the crimson pendant with a frigid voice. ¡°Its effect is none other than... lie de-tec-tion.¡± ¡°... Crap.¡± Under Nora¡¯s yful look, Roel finally spoke his true thoughts aloud for the first time in the past hour. Chapter 17: Digging My Grave

Chapter 17: Digging My Grave

Nora Xeclyde was born with a golden spoon in her mouth. With the bloodline of the Xeclydes flowing in her veins, she was always in the spotlight no matter where she went. Even from a young age, she was already put through the most rigorous education avable. Great expectations were ced on her. From her bloodline of the highest tier, one that would send any bloodline purist nobles into a frenzy, to her impable looks, which would not have been out of ce in an art gallery, the young Nora was a person favored by the gods. It felt as if she had been born with all of the gifts this world had to offer The nobles of the royal court and the bishops of the church would often bump into her ¡®coincidentally¡¯, hoping to leave a good impression. Her peers, under the orders of their parents, desperately tried to tter her, flooding her with a sea of praise. Despite this, Nora, with her impable upbringing, had always been able to keep her poise and respond with grace and magnanimity. But, beneath this wless facade, there was only one thing racing through her mind: How boring. Everything felt boring and hypocritical, and it nearly drove her mad at times. How would it feel if everyone in the world had only one face to show you? Nora believed that none would have better credentials than herself to answer that. As the days of boredom continued endlessly, Nora slowly realized a little quirk inside of her. Whenever a troubled look appeared on the face of a person before her, suddenly things weren¡¯t so boring any longer. She didn¡¯t know yet that this was the awakening of a particrly disturbing nature; she simply thought that she was ill. However, in this world where mental illness was not considered an issue, she had no way of figuring out the cause. 2 replies ¨C 6 days ago It was only during times when her servants had done wrong and needed to be punished that she was finally able to release her true nature. That said, she wasn¡¯t allowed to fully let loose either; those who possessed the Angel¡¯s Bloodline were expected to bepassionate. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago She felt stifled living such a life, constantly having to repress her nature. She sought a ce where she could be true to herself. The children of the noble houses who supported the Xeclyde House were useless to her in that regard. Due to the hierarchical difference, they tended to view Nora with rose-tinted sses, such that the reverence and admiration they carried toward her were earnest. Punish not those who are sinless; embrace those who embrace us so ¡ªthat was the motto of the Xeclyde House. Nora was not a person who would allow her selfish whims to get in the way of her principles, so she had no choice but to suppress her desires. She could only wait patiently for the day someone who wore a mask like her own would appear, someone whom she could expose her true self to without having to hold back. And, she felt like she might have finally found that someone. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°I¡¯m quite surprised, Roel. I didn¡¯t expect you to be a liar.¡± After discreetly sending Alicia away, Nora gracefully picked up her teacup and took a sip as the corners of her lips inched upward uncontrobly. Opposite her, Roel looked a little unnerved, fidgeting in his seat. ¡°Ha-Hahaha, Your Highness I believe that there might be some misunderstanding between the two of us...¡± ¡°Another lie, but it matters not. You may keep trying if you wish to; your desperation does amuse me a little.¡± Nora assessed Roel with her gaze, seemingly admiring the ck-haired boy sitting before her. The joy that came from the bottom of her heart made her already beautiful face look even more enchanting, but it just so happened that this was an expression that Roel was deeply familiar with. It was the joyful look Nora would reveal whenever she caught sight of prey. Shit! Why would this damned sadist set her eyes on me? What am I to do now? Why can¡¯t you just stay away from me? I don¡¯t want to die just yet! Roel, who was sweating profusely, quickly shut his mouth as he worked his mind desperately to figure out a countermeasure. Nora, on the other hand, paid no heed to Roel¡¯sck of response and continued her monologue. ¡°Truth be told, your response did catch me off guard. Putting other things aside, I am still rather confident in my looks. I didn¡¯t think that you would deny that too. I admit that your little sister, Alicia, is quite a ravishingdy, but I didn¡¯t think that I would lose to her in a battle of charm. Why do you seem so guarded against me? Or could it be that...¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Nora leaned forward and looked intently at the nervous Roel. ¡°... you know of my true nature?¡± ¡°!!!¡± The instant that Roel heard those words, he almost thought that he heard a chess piecending on a chessboard, apanied by a shout of ¡®Checkmate!¡¯. His body stiffened with anxiety. Against Nora, who had a lie detector in her arsenal, Roel only had three options: Admit to it openly, admit to it silently, or deny it and be corrected by the lie detector. Son of a banshee! Are these even options?! Realizing that he had been cornered, the exasperated Roel finally came to the limits of his endurance and decided toe clean. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. So, can you just stay away from me?¡± Roel couldn¡¯t be bothered to keep up with the act anymore, so he wiped away his polite smile and leaned backward casually, speaking with a cold attitude. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Fine, I don¡¯t care anymore! Might as well go all out! ¡°I have no interest in you or your Xeclyde House. I don¡¯t intend to have close rtions with you, and you can be assured that I won¡¯t attempt a revolt like a fool either. So, can you just let me off? 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Roel revealed his own thoughts in a straightforward manner. While the Ascart House was not on the same level as the royal family, it was still one of the top noble houses in Saint Mesit Theocracy. It could at least afford to wage a verbal war against a member of royalty! After all, despite the lord and vassal rtionship that existed between the two, the Ascart House still had its own independent army. I won¡¯t join you, but I also won¡¯t turn against you. Surely, that should be enough to satisfy you, right? Roel was basically proiming his desire to maintain a neutral stance, and it was usually one of the safer moves to make in politics. Little did he know though, Nora¡¯s attention was still focused on something else that he had said. ¡°You have no interest in me? Don¡¯t you... think that I¡¯m weird?¡± ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Roel replied with a frown. Nora pondered for a moment before borating a little hesitantly, ¡°You should already know about it; that I enjoy seeing others in a troubled position and begging for mercy. Sometimes, I get urges to step on them too... Don¡¯t you think that I¡¯m weird to have such a side to me?¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Nora awkwardly revealed the darkest depths of her young mind, and it could be seen just how much of a dilemma she had been in over this matter. However, Roel, after listening to her words carefully, startedughing. Heh, if you think that just this much if weird, you¡¯re really looking down on yourself! Cors, chains, whips... Heh, there¡¯s plenty more that you haven¡¯t awakened to yet! 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Knowing what the future Nora would be like, Roel was exploding with retorts for her. However, since he was the one looking for a concession from her, he had no choice but to mellow his words a little. ¡°That¡¯s nothing at all; you¡¯re still too young. There are plenty of people like you out there in the world, especially amongst the nobles. This little perverse side of yours right now isn¡¯t even worth mentioning at all.¡± ¡°I-is that true?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Having lived in the digital age, where information on anything was nevercking, Roel was able to respond with great confidence. ¡°You don¡¯t know just how horrifying humans can be when they really go all out. There are even monsters who feast on human flesh! Compared to them, you¡¯re like a pebble before a mountain!¡± 2 replies ¨C 6 days ago ¡°I-I see...¡± Somehow, it sounded exceptionally convincing when those words came from Roel. Having finally been released of her burden, she heaved a deep sigh of relief. Roel, who was oblivious to the fact that he had managed to counsel the young Nora out of the dilemma she was facing, was still ranting on about all sorts of weird fetishes he had encountered in his previous world, such as necrophilia and more. Through his words, the closed-off Nora seemed to have opened the doors to a brand new world. ¡°... So, what you¡¯re facing is nothing at all. As long as you get the consent of the other party and don¡¯t bother those around you, it¡¯ll all be good.¡± ¡°I get it now.¡± After listening to the long monologue from Roel, Nora nodded deeply as a glimmer of light sparkled inside her sapphire eyes. ¡°But it would still be best not to let this matter get out, right? How am I to find anyone who will indulge me?¡± ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± Roel red at the young girl before him disdainfully, as if mocking herck of wit. ¡°You are a member of the Xeclyde House, the future sessor of the throne! There are plenty of people willing to be treated like a dog by you! If you were to put them in a line, the queue would stretch from one end of the Holy Capital to the other! What are you worrying about? Anyone you ask would be honored to take on the role!¡± ¡°Do you mean it? Would he really think of it that way?¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 days ago ¡°Of course! Trust me, no one will be able to reject you!¡± Roel waved his hand grandly as he gave his reassurance. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, Mister Roel... I think that you¡¯re a good choice.¡± Nora rose to her feet and strutted up to Roel, carrying an air of fragrance. A foot stamped down on the chair between Roel¡¯s thighs as she leaned in and grabbed him by the cor. She spoke with an assertive tone, which oddly paired well with the slight blush on her cheeks. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago ¡°Be mine.¡± Chapter 18: You Aren’t Getting Away From Me

Chapter 18: You Aren¡¯t Getting Away From Me

In the nine years of Nora¡¯s life, this was the first time she felt such a strong desire to possess something. Inside the lounge, the young girl, who had nted one foot between Roel¡¯s thighs, was looking down upon him with the stately air of a ruler, as if everything in the world ought to belong to her. A hint of blush in her cheeks gave off a scent of temptation, making it hard for one to reject her demands. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago The beauty of the saintly angel had already been cloaked by ayer of decadent desire, making Roel feel as if he had already caught a glimpse of the grown-up Nora. In an instant, he pushed aside Nora¡¯s hand and regained his freedom. ¡°W-what are you talking about? Didn¡¯t I tell you to get away from me? I have no interest in having anything to do with you!¡± Catching a whiff of the slightly sweet scent lingering in the air, Roel felt deeply relieved that it was just little Nora that he was dealing with here. Were it the mature Nora standing before him instead, he might have very well sumbed to her temptation. To be honest, bing Nora¡¯s ¡®pet¡¯ wasn¡¯t all bad. There weren¡¯t many people on the continent who could rival her in beauty or power, after all. On top of that, despite her sadistic and domineering nature, she was very caring about those whom she considered hers. This made her a little reminiscent of a menacing yet doting elder sister that went: Only I can bully you . Even the main character in the game seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed his time being Nora¡¯s pet. But, being a pet was one thing; being a dead pet was another. Other than Alicia, who was an exception, how could the antagonist possibly walk alongside one of the capture targets? If he were to continue walking the same path as the original Roel, before he knew it, he would have already be the lynching target of the main character and his capture targets! My goal should be pulling out my death gs; everything else is just unimportant. What could possibly be more important than staying alive? ¡°You know everything about me and even counseled me, but now you¡¯re trying to push me away?¡± Nora was a little perplexed by Roel¡¯s attitude. She pondered for a moment before adding on. ¡°Just what do you dislike about me? I can change. Or, could it be, you carry some kind of prejudice against my family?¡± ¡°It¡¯s neither. I¡¯m simply uninterested in you. Besides, why does it have to be me?¡± Roel quibbled weakly, leaving Nora silent for a moment, before she calmly responded. ¡°It¡¯s because I feel that your thoughts are too idealistic. You may not mind who I am, but it¡¯s optimistic to assume it¡¯ll be the same for others. Whoever I approach can very well use this as a weapon to attack me and my family, perhaps even ckmailing us.¡± Having grown up surrounded by conspiracy, Nora had developed a good nose for information that could potentially be used against her. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Holy moly, is this really a nine-year-old child before me? Just what in the world are they putting noble children through for them to be so imposing? 4 replies ¨C 6 days ago Roel¡¯s breathing halted for a moment as he briefly saw the aura of a conqueror in the young Nora. It was no wonder the original Roel ended up dying so tragically in the game. Compared to these elites, the original Roel was practically no different from a brain dead eggnt! Thinking up to this point, Roel suddenly recalled that the people in this world typically married at 14, so it stood to reason that they would mature early. It was the environment that ced greater expectations on the youths and left them to have no choice but to mature. ¡°Don¡¯t you have subordinates too? I¡¯m referring to the noble children in your faction.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. It¡¯s also a taboo for my weakness to fall into the hands of my subordinates. Not to mention that there¡¯s a chance that the secret might leak out.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, what you¡¯re saying doesn¡¯t make sense at all. If they won¡¯t do, what makes you think that it¡¯ll work with me?¡± Roel asked with a bizarre look on his face. Nora ced a hand on her cheek and pondered deeply before finally replying. ¡°For some reason, I don¡¯t think that you¡¯ll betray me. Putting my feelings aside, as one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, there isn¡¯t much you could earn by spreading malicious rumors about me. Also, there¡¯s Uncle Carter around too...¡± Somehow, the more Roel questioned her judgment, the more certain Nora became with her decision. This left him a bit flustered, so he decided to snap her out of this dangerous train of thought. ¡°Enough. For the time being, can you put your foot down first? Alicia will being back very soon.¡± ¡°Oh hoh! Are you worried that I might give myself away now?¡± ¡°Worried your head!¡± Feeling a huge headache setting-in under Nora¡¯s relentless pressure, Roel grabbed her leg and firmly nted it back down on the parlor floor. ¡°Come to think of it, I have been wondering about this for a while now, but how do you know about my interests? Are you able to read minds or something?¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago ¡°...¡± Mind-reader, my ass! Would I have been duped by you and your ursed lie detector if I had that kind of cheat? I just know what the future holds for you. Despite his fierce mental retort, Roel remained perfectly calm outwardly, as if what Nora was talking about was just a minor issue. ¡°It¡¯s a secret.¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so?¡± Nora stared at Roel as her eyes narrowed in interest. Her sapphire eyes looked a little more spirited than they did when she first walked into this lounge. Is this a magician house? How interesting. A rare, unrestrained smile surfaced on the lips of the young girl as she nodded contemtively. She gracefully walked back to her seat and sat back down. It was also at this moment that Alicia returned too. ¡°Pardon me, Your Highness. I have kept you waiting.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Please, have a seat. Your tea is getting cold.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you. May I ask what you have been talking about with Lord Brother?¡± Alicia asked to catch up on the conversation after returning to her seat. Those words made Nora chuckle a little as she replied. ¡°Our interests.¡± (Affection Points +200!) ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª ¡°You stubborn old fool, why won¡¯t you listen to my advice at all!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Kane, but I need to consider this matter more deeply.¡± ¡°Sigh! Fine then. There¡¯s still some time, so I¡¯ll wait a little longer.¡± The tall golden-haired man returned back to his seat, but the look on his face showed that he was reluctant to let things rest just like that. Sitting opposite, Carter appeared to have many things on his mind too. A knock sounded from the other side of the chamber door. ¡°Old master, Her Highness, young master, and the others await you in the foyer.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Carter looked visibly relieved after hearing the maid¡¯s report. He looked at the golden-haired Kane before him and asked. ¡°How about we conclude the discussions for now?¡± ¡°Yes, it looks like we have no other choice. I need to rush back to the Holy Capital by tomorrow.¡± Kane shook his head helplessly as he grumbled about the long journey he would have to take right after. The two of them emerged from the guest room together and headed down the central staircase, only to see the three children chatting pleasantly with one another in the foyer. ¡°Hm?¡± Looking at Nora, who had a brilliant smile on her face, Kane subconsciously halted his footsteps out of bewilderment. Seeing this, Carter also stopped as well. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kane?¡± ¡°... No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Long had it been since Kane saw such a dazzling smile on his daughter¡¯s face, to the point where he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned for a moment. However, he quickly brushed it off with a wave of the hand and continued his descent down the stairs. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Meanwhile, Carter noticed how close the children appeared to be, and he felt a little curious as to what had happened. One must know that Roel was notorious for being a little tyrant in the circle of nobles, exploiting his father¡¯s high status to act as he pleased. As a result, he barely had any friends at all. Did he manage to change that aspect of himself too? ¡°I have kept you all waiting. Youngdies, little gentleman, it looks like you had a pleasant time together?¡± As the two fathers approached, Kane took the initiative to address the three children. Roel, who felt like he was going bald from the stress of being eyed as prey by Nora, immediately turned to Kane and replied. ¡°Yes, Your Highness Kane. It¡¯s our honor to have Her Highness Nora here, and we have spent a pleasant time together.¡± This formal response left Kane a little surprised. Nora¡¯s eyebrows also shot up a little as she quickly figured out the little thoughts that Roel had in mind. Thinking of using noble etiquette to restrain me, so that I¡¯ll leave as soon as possible? Heh, you sure have quite a few small tricks up your sleeves. Such thoughts in mind, Nora stood forward and, before everyone¡¯s eyes, wrapped her hand lightly around the crook of Roel¡¯s arm. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago ¡°Lord Father, even though it hasn¡¯t been a long time since we met, Roel and I are already good friends. Would it still be alright if I drop by the Ascart House in the future to meet again?¡± Nora looked at Roel with deeply sincere eyes that made it look as if they were bosom buddies already, causing Roel¡¯s face to twitch a little. At the same time, Alicia, seeing how chummy the two of them were getting with one another, suddenly looked a little ufortable. ¡°Oh? The two of you are already friends? It looks like our children are getting along better than we are.¡± Kane remarked with a slightly bitter smile, and Carter looked equally helpless too. Carter then walked forward and shot a deep look at Roel before replying to Nora¡¯s question. ¡°Your Highness, as long as you wish, the doors of our Ascart House are always open to you.¡± ¡°That is wonderful to hear. Thank you, Uncle Carter.¡± As if there was honey in her voice, Nora¡¯s words swiftly dispelled the slightly heavy atmosphere between the two adults, inducing Carter to chuckle softly as well. Meanwhile, Kane shot another nce at the two children whose arms were linked together, and his smile slowly grew warm as well. The only one who objected strongly to this was Roel. His face was nearly cramping up from all the twitching it had been doing, and his heart was pounding hard with a resounding ¡® Noooooo ¡¯. 3 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago Damn it, thisss actually turned the tables on me. Uncle Carter your head! I¡¯ve been betrayed. ¡°Alright, Nora. We need to get going.¡± While Roel was still preupied with his inner monologue, the crowd clustered in the foyer chatted a little longer before Kane took a look at his watch and began urging his daughter to depart. It was only then that Nora reluctantly released Roel¡¯s arm and bade her farewells. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be seeing you again, Roel...¡± The lively golden-haired girl said with a vibrant smile. She watched the ck-haired, golden-eyed boy with her own exuberant eyes, as she muttered out thetter half of her sentence beneath her breath. You aren¡¯t getting away from me. Chapter 19: Have I Plucked Out the Death Flag?

Chapter 19: Have I Plucked Out the Death g?

Carter felt that his son was bing a man. Sitting on the center seat of the dining table, he recalled all of the pleasant surprises he encountered today. It was supposed to just be a private meeting between him and Prince Kane over the affairs of the Holy Knight Order. However, it just so happened that Prince Kane¡¯s daughter had been training in the Holy Knight Order recently, and as a doting father, Prince Kane made an on-the-spot decision to grant his daughter a short break. He brought her here with him, thus bringing about this coincidental meeting. Carter had never imagined that this coincidence would bring about an unintended but pleasant development. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago Nora Xeclyde was a household name in the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s circle of nobles. A pure bloodline and an excellent upbringing meant that she held great potential in her. She was still young, but everyone knew better than to underestimate this young princess. If one really had to point out of a w in Nora Xeclyde, it would be her overly perfect character. Her impability made it hard for anyone else, aside from family members, to get close. Even Kane, as her father, hadmented on several asions that his daughter seemed to be bing more distant, as if she was putting on a mask of her perfection to conceal her true self. But for the first time, this independent and loftily high flower of nobility actually took the initiative to link arms with a peer, even showing reluctance to part from him. Carter would have never believed this to be possible had he not seen it with his own eyes. And what was even more unbelievable was that this person was his own son! 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago O¡¯ great Sia, what in the world is going on here? Carter felt deeply perplexed about this matter. He took a few good looks at his son, assessing the boy from head-to-toe after Kane had left, but he was unable to discern anything. Since he couldn¡¯t determine what had brought about such a reaction from Nora, in the end, he could only attribute it to Roel¡¯s recent diligence. 3 replies ¨C 6 days ago Indeed, ever since the previous heart-to-heart conversation they had, the little boy had undergone great changes. Even when hosting the guests earlier, his bearing was on point, keeping a polite front yet not unnaturally so. Still, Roel would have to put in a lot of hard work in order to get on the good side of that young princess! Eyy, it¡¯ll be a tough road ahead, my son! It never even crossed Carter¡¯s mind that the situation was theplete opposite of what he was thinking of, that the roles of who was trying to get closer to who werepletely reversed! In any case, his impression of Roel did improve a lot due to this matter. As a father, Carter was constantly thinking about how he could pave the route ahead for Roel, so that his son, who possessed nearly no supernatural abilities at all, could live an easier life in this world. In that regard, building up connections was of utmost importance, especially with the other major noble houses. The Xeclydes, as the strongest faction and royal family of the Theocracy, was naturally the number one noble house to get close to. Carter¡¯s initial thought was to formally hand over his ties with Kane to Roel, somewhat simr to an extension of friendship across generations, but it seemed like there was no need for that now. Instead, Nora¡¯s intimate attitude toward Roel sent Carter¡¯s thoughts spinning off elsewhere; he began to review his n once more. Perhaps he should change the Ascart House¡¯s stance and build closer ties with the royal family. With the protection of the royal family and the authority the Ascart Housemanded, Roel should at least be able to live a safe and peaceful life, even if he possessed no power at all. Looking at the current rtionship of those two children, there was a good chance that they would continue growing closer, perhaps even... 4 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago No, it was still too early to be thinking that far ahead now. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Carter looked again at the ck-haired boy, who was busy feeding Alicia at the dining room table, and shook his head inconspicuously. His son had his own life to live, and more often than not, ns couldn¡¯t keep up with changes. There was no point in thinking so much now. Moreover, Carter wasn¡¯t too fond of arranged marriages between nobles; he himself had courted and married the woman he loved. Roel was the crystallization of the love between him and his wife, which was also a reason why he doted on him so much. Taking one more look at the tender sight of his son feeding his younger adopted sister, Carter felt his mood buoying to a new high. He even ate an additional portion ofmb steak with gusto. It was perhaps a good thing that he was oblivious to the thoughts running through his son¡¯s mind at the moment. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Did I mess things up? Ever since Nora¡¯s departure, Roel had been asking himself this question over and over again for the rest of the day. As a transmigrator who knew of the tragic fate that awaited him, Roel had set a very clear final goal for himself: To pluck out all his death gs and live a peaceful life . In order to achieve this goal, Roel had managed to analyze a few side goals that he needed to achieve, and these included preventing the decline of the Ascart House, treating Alicia kindly, and avoiding getting involved with the other key characters in themon route. But today, he met the greatest crisis in his ns. Not only did he fail to put distance between himself and the other key figures, he even got eyed by the most despairly difficult capture target of them all to deal with, Nora Xeclyde! C-c-calm down! At times like this, I need to stay calm and think it through. It isn¡¯t the end yet! It was not as if he didn¡¯t consider the possibility that he could avoid the death g by getting on good terms with Nora Xeclyde, but one consideration he had was that this event could very well be part of the storyline too. What if he had unknowingly triggered this death g through this? There were too many details missing from his knowledge. However, as he thought more about it, he felt that he might have been thinking too much. It was a real world that he was currently living in, not the same game world that he knew of in his previous life. Brains were functioning perfectly normally, for most people at least, and love and hatred wouldn¡¯t just pop out of nowhere for no reason. The greatest evidence to that was the reconciliation of the rtionship between him and Alicia. If he was really forced to y along with the storyline, Alicia would have hated him no matter what he tried to do. Perhaps he was getting ahead of himself, thinking that this simple meeting with Nora would lead to his viinous bad end. Besides, his rtionship with Nora was likely to have already been different from that of the original Roel. The original Roel most likely dumped a truckload of earnestpliments on Nora in order to get on her good side, which, in turn, would not have triggered the lie-detecting crimson pendant and caught her attention. From this perspective, he was indeed doing what the original Roel never would have. So, the possibility of him meeting the same ending as the storyline should have lessened... probably. Just like that, Roel tried his best to cheer himself up, but this resulted in him being a little inattentive about what was happening right in front of him. Those glowing eyes that were usually focused on Alicia were nowhere to be seen. And this was vividly felt by Alicia. Noticing the peculiarity with her brother, Alicia lowered her head helplessly as she gripped the hems of her dress tightly. Big brother Roel must still be thinking about Her Highness. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Alicia recalled the golden-haired girl she had met earlier in the day, her graceful disposition, her iparable beauty, and her esteemed standing. All of those imprinted an image of her as an impable princess in the minds of others. A single smile from her was enough to make others swoon. 3 replies ¨C 6 days ago And such a person took the initiative to hug Roel. No matter how borately I have dressed myself up, even when the effects of Demon Dew have yet to fade, Lord Brother doesn¡¯t look at me anymore. I am the one sitting before him, but the only one on his mind is Her Highness. I can¡¯t win against her. Lord Brother might treasure me, but he won¡¯t choose me against a real gem. As these thoughts dominated her mind, Alicia lowered her head even further as the indignance triggered by her low self-esteem made her eyes redden. She bit her lips in an attempt to conceal her emotions, but she couldn¡¯t stop a whimper from escaping from her lips. ¡°Alicia? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Chapter 20: Big Brother, I Love You

Chapter 20: Big Brother, I Love You

1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago At the Ascart dining room table, Roel, who had been in the midst of his mental healing process, suddenly noticed that there was something amiss with his dear adopted sister. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago He looked above Alicia¡¯s head, and bewilderment surfaced in his eyes. Hm? Where are my Affection Points? It¡¯s not growing anymore? Alicia had always been Roel¡¯s biggest client when ites to Affection Points. He could expect to see an ocean of green light every dinner, as his Affection Points shot right through the roof, but astonishingly, Alicia had been quiet for the entire dinner. There weren¡¯t even the slightest Affection Pointsing out of her at the moment. Is it that Alicia isn¡¯t green anymore, or that my eyes are ying tricks on me? 3 replies ¨C 1 week ago Roel was a little perplexed, thinking that something wrong might have happened to the System. However, when he turned his head over, he saw something green popping up above Carter¡¯s head. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago Ah? That¡¯s not right, the System isn¡¯t malfunctioning. Does it mean that the problem originates from Alicia? So, Roel began examining the little girl before him closely, and indeed, there was something off about her. Today¡¯s Alicia kept lowering her head, and she hardly spoke a word at all. The smile on her face looked forced, and tears were glistening in her ruby eyes. It was as if someone had bullied her. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago A-ah? What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t tell me that someone actually dared to bully Alicia? That person must be tired of living! 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Roel flew into a rage. As the spring of his Affection Points, Alicia had contributed over half the points he had earned to date. It was no exaggeration to say that she was the key that determined whether the Ascart House would decline or not, along with Roel¡¯s final fate. Anyone who dared make Alicia unhappy right now was practically a mortal enemy who was out for his life! Such a person deserved to be pinned to the ground, beaten to a pulp, and stomped into the earth. 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago With such vicious thoughts in mind, Roel began gently asking the silver-haired girl the reason behind her unhappiness, but astonishingly, she refused to speak at all. Huh? What¡¯s going on here? The confused Roel pondered for a moment before asking once more with an even gentler voice. ¡°Alicia, can tell me what is bothering you?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Is it something that you can¡¯t tell me?¡± ¡°...¡± Roel continued asking several more questions, but Alicia insisted on maintaining her silence, leaving him deeply perplexed. What is going on here? Alicia is usually quite obedient, so why isn¡¯t she saying anything at all? Could this be something really serious? This won¡¯t do. I have to make her speak no matter what. Having made up his mind, Roel began drawing forth the huge reserves of untapped acting talent within him to put on a magnificent y. ¡°I understand. It can¡¯t be helped if you can¡¯t tell me about it.¡± Roel¡¯s voice suddenly became weak and helpless, as if he had suffered some sort of heavy blow. ¡°I thought that I could open your heart, that you trusted me, but it looks like I have overestimated myself. I¡¯m sorry for troubling you, Alicia. Treat it as if I haven¡¯t said anything at all.¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Roel¡¯s downtrodden tone caused the silent Alicia to hurriedly raise her head in astonishment. As soon as she saw the disheartened look of the ck-haired boy before her, she felt a pang in her heart. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago ¡°No, that¡¯s not it! It¡¯s not like that at all! It¡¯s just that I-I...¡± Alicia wanted to exin the situation, but her words were jammed in her throat, refusing toe out at all. In the end, she had to lower her head before she could squeeze out a question with great difficulty. ¡°Lord Brother, do you... like me?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel, who was still immersed in his acting a moment ago, was suddenly jolted out of character, causing him to respond foolishly. A momentter, he widened his eyes and immediately replied. ¡°Why would you suddenly ask me that question?¡± ¡°B-because Lord Brother, you like Her Highness Nora more, right?¡± 6 replies ¨C 5 days ago Alicia raised her head to look at Roel with moistened eyes as she asked. ¡°Her Highness Nora is more beautiful than me, and she¡¯s a princess who¡¯ll be able to help you in the future. Compared to her, I¡¯m just a child who brings you trouble and can¡¯t even eat my own food...¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 weeks ago As Alicia spoke, her tears began flowing down, leaving Roel feeling so flustered that he felt like he was going to suffer a heart attack. With a deeply helpless sigh, he quickly started to exin himself. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago ¡°What are you thinking about? When did I say that I like Nora?¡± ¡°But you have been in a daze ever since Her Highness Nora left!¡± A daze? Alicia¡¯s words made Roel widen his eyes in realization. What in the world... My daze is out of shock, not yearning! Thinking about her? Hah, I would rather that she never appeared before me at all! 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Utterly speechless, Roel could only reach out to wipe the tears from Alicia¡¯s face. Now he understood the root of the problem. Even if Alicia had matured beyond her age, theck ofpanionship from her parents since young and the bullying she suffered from her peers still left some trauma behind, causing her tock a sense of security. Now, she had finally found a ce for herself, but that only made her even more fearful of losing it all. Having understood the situation, Roel sighed deeply. He patted Alicia dotingly before reaching out to embrace her. 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago ¡°Alicia, don¡¯t get too hung up with fears that will nevere to be. You¡¯ve nothing to fear at all. As long as you wish it, I¡¯ll always remain by your side.¡± 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago ¡°L-lord Brother?¡± Feeling the warm arms wrapped around her, Alicia felt her insecurities slowly slipping away. ¡°Yes, Nora might be an excellent individual. She¡¯s a great beauty and has a lofty standing, but what about it? My Alicia doesn¡¯t pale inparison to her at all!¡± ¡°H-how could I possiblypete with Her Highness...¡± ¡°You are thoughtful, and your presence heals me each time I return exhausted from work. So what if you can¡¯t use a fork and knife? I¡¯m the one who enjoys feeding you. As long as you are fine with it, I¡¯m more than happy to be able to take care of you.¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 weeks ago Light pats on the back and words of reassurance calmed Alicia¡¯s fearful heart. Eventually, the emotions that she had been suppressing within finally poured out, and she began crying in Roel¡¯s embrace. ¡°Big brother Roel, hic don¡¯t leave me! I love you!¡± ¡°I love you too, Alicia.¡± Roel said as he tenderly stroked Alicia¡¯s little head affectionately. While it was true that he was saying these words tofort her, they also reflected his true thoughts as well. Over the past month they had spent together, Roel had seen many sides to this child. She was gentle, kind, smart, and diligent, but at the same time, she was sensitive, insecure, andcked self-esteem. Even putting aside the storyline, Roel would still want to take care of this little girl and protect her. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago In Roel¡¯s heart, Alicia was a wounded angel who had to be cared for with tenderness. As for that other sadist of an angel, it would be best if he could stay as far away from her as possible. 3 replies ¨C 1 week ago Of course, Roel also knew that things wouldn¡¯t remain this way forever. Alicia was still young for now, but it was only a matter of time before she matured. Once she came of age and became more conscientious to the differences between men and women, she would probably put some distance between them automatically. There was no way they could always be together. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago With such thoughts in mind, Roel couldn¡¯t help but sigh in reluctance. Perhaps this was the kind of emotions that a father felt watching his daughter grow up. 2 replies ¨C 6 days ago It was at this moment that green light suddenly sprouted from Alicia¡¯s head. 3 replies ¨C 1 week ago (Affection Points +1000!) (Affection Points +1000!) (Affection Points +1000!) Chapter 21: Young Master, Choose True Love

Chapter 21: Young Master, Choose True Love

1 reply ¨C 1 week ago It was the first time since obtaining the System that Roel saw it flooding out notifications. While holding his beloved sister tightly in his arms, he found his sightpletely blinded by a frenzied outpour of green light. In just ten short seconds, he had already received 20 notifications. Holy moly! This payout of Affection Points is almost enough to match thebined total I earned throughout the past month! Furthermore, it¡¯s one thing for Alicia to go green... but why the hell is Anna going green as well? 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago Roel looked at his personal maid with question marks floating around his head. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago While he was feeling confused about the bewildering situation, Anna was feeling deeply moved to see that the ship she had been rooting for all this while was finally moving forward. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago As expected, true love only exists between our young master and young miss. No matter how great the princess might be, she¡¯ll never prevail in the face of true love! 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago The fanatic shipper, Anna, had actually been feeling quite uneasy too ever since Nora¡¯s departure. Nora¡¯s perfection left asting impression, not just on Alicia, but on the servants of the manor as well. 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago In terms of looks, both had their own strengths and charms, but Nora had a crushing victory in terms of background. On top of that, she had disyed formidable attack power earlier in the foyer as possible rival material. It was more than enough to rattle the hearts of the Roel X Alicia shippers. They knew instinctively that there would soone the rise of a rivaling power known as the ¡®Roel X Nora Ship¡¯, and perhaps, even the old master himself might have chosen to defect to that faction! 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago However, Anna decided to stand firm in her faith. She¡¯d sped her hands tightly together as she affirmed her beliefs in those two children again and again. It was not without reason that Anna had such a deep attachment to the Roel X Alicia Ship. True love was simply hard toe by in this world, especially among nobles. Marriages were often pegged with a price tag, and couples were forced to marry one another without even meeting beforehand. To some, the freedom to love could be the most valuable and unreachable thing to them in the world. Young master, I know that Nora is a perfect princess, and the Ascart House will rise to greater heights under the support of the royal family, but none of this measures up to the value of true love! You have to grasp your own happiness with your own hands, just like the old master! 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago Recalling the sorrowful fate awaiting herself, Anna looked at Roel with eyes filled with unwavering determination, hoping to give him the strength to push through the difficult route ahead with the sheer force of her gaze. On the other hand, Roel was simply bewildered. What is going on? Why is Anna staring at me so frighteningly? Did I do wrong? No, she¡¯s still giving me Affection Points. All of the servants are giving me Affection Points...? ¡°Roel, what¡¯s wrong? Why did Alicia cry?¡± Carter, who had been immersed in his thoughts the whole time, finally noticed the anomaly with the two children and spoke up. 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago Roel quickly retracted his gaze from his surroundings and replied. ¡°Alicia suddenly recalled a story she read inside Origin of Magicians and got a little scared.¡± ¡°Ahh. There are indeed a few stories in there that are quite frightening. Alicia is still a little too young to be reading that.¡± 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago Carter nodded in realization. Roel continuedforting Alicia while looking at his father. Suddenly, a thought came to mind. This could be a good opportunity to have some questions that had been lingering in his head answered. ¡°Father, I have been wanting to ask you a few questions regarding magicians. Would it be convenient now?¡± ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t think that you would be interested in this. Sure, feel free to ask any question that troubles you.¡± Carter was more than delighted to hear that his son had some interest in magicians. He ced his fork and knife down and gestured for the servants to serve the desserts so that the father and son duo could enjoy a leisurely talk. While the servants busied themselves, Roel began asking about the power systems in this world. ¡°Father, is there any tier ssification system amongst magicians?¡± ¡°Tier ssification?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m thinking of how there should be a tier ssification for magicians in the same way bloodlines can be ssified into Gold-tier, Silver-tier, and the sort.¡± 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago Carter widened his eyes in realization as he seemed to finally catch Roel¡¯s drift. ¡°Ah, you must be referring to Degree of Assimtion?¡± ¡°Degree of Assimtion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Mana is the origin of all transcendental abilities in the world, and any being that is capable of utilizing transcendental abilities would suffer from the corrosion of mana. The very ability to utilize transcendental abilities means that one has managed to adapt to the corrosion to some extent. We call this process of adaptation ¡®Assimtion¡¯, and the Degree of Assimtion is what determines a transcendent¡¯s strength. ¡°Going by the constitution of humans, there are basically seven stages to the Degree of Assimtion, ranging from the lowest Origin Level 7 to the highest Origin Level 1. Each increment in origin level causes one¡¯s Degree of Assimtion to deepen, thus strengthening one¡¯s transcendental abilities too.¡± Carter sipped his tea as he exined the theories with a professorial tone. Roel, on the other hand, fell into deep thoughts. The terms ¡®mana corrosion¡¯ and ¡®assimtion¡¯ sound like really bad news. Does bing a magician mean turning into some sort of monster? Roel turned to his father once more and voiced his concerns. ¡°Will the process of assimtion affect one¡¯s body, like inducing weird mutations or something?¡± ¡°Hmm... That depends on the situation. However, the process of assimtion is more of an evolution than a mutation. It should perfect one¡¯s body instead of warping it. Some even manage to significantly lengthen their longevity through the process of assimtion. Of course, if something goes wrong during evolution, there is indeed a possibility that mutations could ur.¡± 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago Carter shot a nce at the two children, but after some consideration, he chose to refrain from telling them the frightening consequences of a failed evolution. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago Roel considered his father¡¯s words carefully. It was highly likely that the seven tiers of the Degree of Assimtion, Origin Levels 7 through 1, corresponded to the System¡¯s F-tier to S-tier. In other words, Roel¡¯s current trashy talent. which was only barely capable of producing a gust of hot air, was at least within the ssification. 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago ¡°Father, are the members of the militia also part of this ssification?¡± ¡°Of course. Most members of the militia are at Origin Level 6, which means that their strength is roughlyparable to that of a horse or ox. Most of them have limited talent though, so it¡¯s unlikely for them to climb any higher than that.¡± Roel heaved a sigh of relief. Carter¡¯s response verified that the Origin Level 6 corresponded to the E-tier rating in the System, so it should be safe to assume that the two types of ssifications corresponded to one another. If so, he could rely on it to gauge where he stood against others. ¡°Father, is there a vast difference between each origin level?¡± ¡°The difference between each level increases the more one heads upward, especially between the lower four tiers and the upper three tiers. To draw aparison, it would be like the difference between an adult and an infant.¡± ¡°I think I understand.¡± Roel¡¯s tiny hope that ¡® Maybe I¡¯m not as weak as I thought ¡¯ shattered into a million pieces. Heaving a deep sigh, he continued asking another question. ¡°Father, our house is a magician house, right? Given that we have managed to produce so many generations of magicians, shouldn¡¯t there be some sort of unique training method that our ancestors used?¡± ¡°Magician house?¡± 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago But surprisingly, Carter blinked his eyes in confusion upon hearing his son¡¯s words. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that it¡¯spletely wrong to say that, but we¡¯re more of a military house. My official position in the Holy Knight Order is vicemander, not Chief Magician. Commoners tend to generalize all transcendents as magicians as they know nothing about the true nature of supernatural abilities. Chief Magician is actually just my Evolution Pathway.¡± ¡°Evolution Pathway?¡± 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s one of the few Evolution Pathways made avable to me ording to my Origin Attribute.¡± Chapter 22: The Differences in Origin Attribute

Chapter 22: The Differences in Origin Attribute

1 reply ¨C 1 week ago Realizing that Roel waspletely clueless about this matter, Carter began to exin in detail what the evolution of a transcendent entailed. First and foremost, he exined the concept of magicians to Roel. While themon popce referred to all transcendents as magicians, it wasn¡¯t in line with how transcendents tended to identify themselves. To draw a parallel, it was just like how the word ¡®worker¡¯ could refer to a bricyer, a farmer, a maid, or simply anyone who worked. Hardly anyone in their right mind would introduce themselves with a ¡® Hello, I am working as a worker ¡¯ when talking about their upation. ¡°The way transcendents refer to their own power is to first identify their Origin Attribute, followed by their Origin Level, and finally their Evolution Pathway. For example, the more formal way to refer to the Holy Aura Warriors in the Holy Capital would be Compassion Origin L 3, Light Guardian.¡± ¡°Compassion?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s their Origin Attribute. It¡¯s basically the nature of their power, which, in turn, determines the Evolution Pathways avable to them.¡± Carter had to spend quite a bit of effort educating his son, before Roel finally understood the meaning of Origin Attribute clearly. There were originally no pathways in the world. It¡¯s roads that have been trodden by many that eventually came to be known as pathways. This was a saying by a famous individual in the previous world Roel lived in, and it basically summarized what the so-called Origin Attribute in this world meant. Acquire greater power and transcend mortality, this had been the goal of all lifeforms since the First Epoch. It all started from a time far beyond the records of any historians, and it was only through the hymns sung through the ages that traces of that time could still be found. There were those who failed, but conversely, there were those who seeded too. Thankfully, there was one thing that those who seeded would usually do, and that was to record down the path that they had taken, so that the generations ahead can benefit from their experiences. This was also the most primitive form of Origin Attribute. Origin Attribute could be understood as a safer route to achieving evolution. It allowed those who were still fumbling around to swiftly join the ranks of the transcendents and slowly climb their way up relying on the sesses of the predecessors. ¡°Father, how many Origin Attributes are there in the world?¡± ¡°No one knows for sure, but there must be thousands at least that have been uncovered since the ancient era. However, there are only a few which are known to us, and even fewer that are suitable for humans.¡± ¡°Suitable for humans?¡± ¡°Yes, the Origin Attributes that humans are currently using are actually heritages left behind by ancient races. Take Compassion for example, it¡¯s said to be an Origin Attribute uncovered by the angels, and it belongs to the Xeclyde House. It¡¯s an Origin Attribute that¡¯s used only within the Theocracy.¡± Carter¡¯s words had opened up a new world for Roel. He had never thought that the transcendental abilities would be thisplicated. No wonder the game skipped the details and only mentioned the bloodlines! ¡°I understand it now. Father, is your Origin Attribute Compassion too?¡± ¡°No, my attribute is Wisdom. Ites from the Country of Schrs, Brolne. The origins of the Wisdom Origin Attribute has long since been lost within the eons, but it¡¯s one of the Three Main Origin Attributes epted by the church.¡± ¡°Three Main Origin Attributes?¡± ¡°Yes. They are namely Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Compassion, Brolne¡¯s Wisdom, and the Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s Courage. The Three Main Origin Attributes are viewed to be most suitable for humans, and there¡¯s widespread eptance surrounding them. All other Origin Attributes other than those three are deemed to be unorthodox by the church, and those who practice them are viewed to be heretics.¡± ¡°Ah? Why is that so?¡± ¡°Other than the Three Main Origin Attributes, which are the mostpatible for humans, other types are either extremely unstable or unsuitable for humans. Attempting to develop such Origin Attributes could lead to devastating consequences, such as a failure to evolve or other adverse side effects. ¡°I see. What would happen if the church deems a person to be a heretic?¡± ¡°Heretics are banned from entering the Holy Capital and all Genesis Goddess Churches, which means that they aren¡¯t entitled to the benefits that the church provides, and they will be sidelined by themon popce. Other than that, there¡¯s nothing much to it.¡± ¡°... They won¡¯t be captured and burned at the stake?¡± asked Roel cautiously. Those words shocked Carter. ¡°Of course not! There are plenty of smaller religions in each country, so not even the Theocracy has the power to enforce suchws. Besides, most heretics haven¡¯t done anything bad, so burning all of them is obviously an irrational move. That said, the Theocracy would still strike down hard on cults that have been going aroundmitting evildoing.¡± ¡°Ohhh, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Roel heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing those words. Considering those sinister things sold in his System¡¯s Gold Coin Shop, it was probably only a matter of time before he became a heretic himself. It was fortunate that the religions in this world weren¡¯t as scary as those in his previous world¡¯s Middle Ages. He had no desire to experience the terror of a witch hunt personally. ¡°What if a heretic appears amongst the nobles of the Theocracy? Will he be killed?¡± ¡°If he hasn¡¯tmitted any crime, no, though he¡¯ll be stripped of his noble position.¡± ¡°...¡± Tsk, isn¡¯t that as good as crippling me? ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s probably no nobles who would dare to be a heretic.¡± ¡°... That¡¯s hard to say. While the Three Main Origin Attributes are viewed to be the most suited for humans, it¡¯s not a definite fact for everyone due to differences in constitutions. There are those who are born with a constitution that¡¯s more suited for other attributes. There are also cases where nobles turn to cults in order to fulfill their desires.¡± It was at this point that Carter¡¯s expression suddenly turned sullen, as if having recalled an unpleasant memory. Seeing this, Roel chose not to probe deeper into the matter. ¡°How does the Theocracy identify these heretics then?¡± ¡°A heretic would never disy their power before others, so we aren¡¯t able to discern one from any ordinary person normally. However, there are specialists inside the Judgment Order that ensure that these heretics won¡¯t be able to get away once they reveal themselves.¡± Speaking to this point, Carter gave his exceedingly ordinary son a deep look before remarking meaningfully. ¡°Possessing transcendental abilities is not necessarily a good thing. With poweres responsibility, and you¡¯ll find yourself frequently entrusted with dangerous missions. Rather than constantly walk a thin thread between life and death, it¡¯s much better to just be an ordinary noble and enjoy a peaceful life. ¡°...¡± Roel didn¡¯t respond to his father¡¯s remark; he couldn¡¯t, and it all left him feeling slightly bitter on the inside. If being an ordinary noble was an option for him, he would willingly live the blissful life of a cker, only moving when it was absolutely necessary to do so. But the problem was that fate had a tragic future in store for him, and he could very well tumble down that path if he didn¡¯t do a thing at all. ¡°You should understand now why the term ¡®magician¡¯ is not apt to describe the lineage of our Ascart House now. It¡¯s not to say that our Ascart House doesn¡¯t have magicians¡ªI¡¯m one myself¡ªbut each generation is simply too different from the others to generalize it as such. In fact, there are so many possible pathways for the Wisdom Origin Attribute that it eventually led to the Uprising of Schr Guilds.¡± ¡°Schr Guilds?¡± ¡°Yes. Those who undergo simr Evolution Pathways tend to gather together and form organizations to protect their own interests and share research results with one another, simr to how it is with the Light Guardians. These organizations became known as Schr Guilds, and eventually, the guilds banded together to form a country of their own.¡± ¡°A country of their own... You¡¯re referring to...¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s exactly what you¡¯re thinking of,¡± Carter nodded with a smile. ¡°The Country of Schrs, Brolne; that¡¯s the country that has been formed by the Schr Guilds!¡± Chapter 23: Who Am I Supposed To Be Accompanying Again?

Chapter 23: Who Am I Supposed To Be Apanying Again?

The Country of Schrs, Brolne. This was a ce that Roel was extremely familiar with, since it was where the plot first started in the game he yed in his previous world. It was a country that was reminiscent of an academy, filled with the smartest of schrs, who gathered together to make breakthroughs in their research, and young students, who hade to advance their studies. It was a ce that was overflowing with the vibrance of youth. In his previous world, Roel wouldn¡¯t bother thinking too deeply into the history or purpose behind a location inside a game, but through Carter¡¯s exnation, he was able to get a rough idea as to just how powerful Brolne was. ¡°To actually be able to form a country... Are the Schr Guilds really that powerful?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just a couple of Schr Guilds we¡¯re talking about here; Brolne has the backing of almost all major Schr Guilds! As its focus is on research, its rules are significantlyxer, and it¡¯s on friendly terms with its neighboring countries too. It has managed to make a name for itself as the world¡¯s education hub, a ce for countries to send their talents for nurturing.¡± Speaking to here, Carter took a look at Roel and Alicia and smiled. ¡°The two of you will be heading there in the future too. I hope that you can enjoy your once-in-a-lifetime school life there.¡± ¡°Lord Father, you studied there before too?¡± Alicia, who had long ago stopped crying, asked out of curiosity. Carter looked into the distance with nostalgic remembrance, as he nodded his head and replied. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago ¡°Of course, that¡¯s where I graduated from. It was during my time there that I chose Brolne¡¯s Wisdom, instead of the Theocracy¡¯s Compassion. My time there has had a profound effect on my life.¡± As the head of the Ascart House reminisced about his past wistfully, Alicia¡¯s eyes twinkled in excitement, and she began to look forward to her time in Brolne. As for Roel... well, his face had already turned as pale as a sheet of paper. Studying at Brolne? You must be kidding me! That¡¯s not going to school but leaping right into the de of a guillotine! Dad, do you know just how many elites on this continent are out for your son¡¯s head? If you really want to send me there, you might as well just prepare my gravesite beforehand too! Roel had hundreds ofints about this matter, but he couldn¡¯t voice them aloud. He could only force himself to put on a strained smile. Soon, Carter snapped back to the present and continued his exnation. ¡°If the schrs form one huge coalition of transcendents, the other huge coalition would be the knights.¡± ¡°Knight Kingdom, Pendor.¡± ¡°Exactly. Knights have different possible Evolution Pathways too, but they have fewer guilds, since the changes that ur to them tend to be more individualistic. The royal family of Pendor is the head of thergest guild, governing the core secrets behind Courage.¡± Roel nodded silently to his father¡¯s words as he understood some of the deeper meaning implied. Basically speaking, Origin Attributes were key technologies to each country, the secret sustaining their strength. As long as they continued to dominate the secrets of evolution, they would be able to nurture future generations of powerful transcendents. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago And the Xeclyde House, with the further augmentation of their bloodline, could produce even more powerful transcendents. Darn! Is it toote for me to bootlick Nora now? For a moment there, Roel seriously considered whether he should just sacrifice his body and be a pet, but he quickly dropped the idea. Considering the fact that this world didn¡¯t have organizations like PETA, he felt that it would still be best to rely on himself! 7 replies ¨C 13 hours ago ¡°Father, what is my Origin Attribute then?¡± 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago ¡°An Origin Attribute is obtained through a ceremony that requires one to be at Origin Level 5. You¡¯re still Origin Level 7, where most of the fundamental spells aremon use. You don¡¯t need an Origin Attribute.¡± ¡°...¡± In other words, I¡¯m too weak that no one wants me. I get it. 4 replies ¨C 13 hours ago Roel supplemented in his mind, but the truth was that he was also relieved by the fact he didn¡¯t have an Origin Attribute too. Based on what he had heard thus far, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be possible to switch from one Origin Attribute to another, so it would be dangerous if he already had an Origin Attribute that wasn¡¯t suitable for him. He couldn¡¯t help but recall how the System had scanned his body before recing the Gold Coin Shop¡¯s stock with all sorts of dark and sinister enhancement tools to ¡®match¡¯ his needs. Judging by that, his constitution was probably as ipatible to the angel¡¯s Compassion and knight¡¯s Courage as one could get. 8 replies ¨C 13 hours ago Of the Three Main Origin Attributes, the only one that stood any hope was Wisdom, but what was more likely to be a fit for him were the heretics¡¯ Origin Attributes. But, if he were to go down that path, he would have to make sure to tread carefully. Ordinary heretics would only be exiled once caught, but if he was found to have ties with some evil cult, there was a chance that he could be executed as an aplice. This was especially relevant to him since the original Roel had been a member of an evil cult. In order to avoid his death gs, this was something that Roel would have to be extremely careful about. But thinking about it, it would still be best for him not to go to Brolne in the first ce. Why in the world did he have to go there to meet the male lead and female leads anyway? It would be so much better to stay right here at the Ascart House and enjoy a blissful life of luxury! ¡°Father, you know the circumstances surrounding me, and I have no interest in the power of transcendents either. I just want to rule over this fiefdom well. Do I really have to go to Brolne?¡± Roel tried asking. 2 replies ¨C 6 days ago The face of the excited Alicia immediately crumbled, and Carter also shook his head right away. ¡°You have to go.¡± ¡°Why is that so?¡± ¡°Brolne does provide training for transcendents, but it also provides the core education needed by those making their way in the circle of nobles. The education that you have been through thus far would allow you to pass the examinations with ease, but what¡¯s important here are not your academic results but rather the identity of a graduate and the friends that you would make there.¡± 3 replies ¨C 13 hours ago Carter took a sip of tea as he spoke. ¡°Saint Freya Academy; that¡¯s the ce you¡¯ll be going to. It¡¯s the academy where the most talented youths across the Sia Continent gather. The sessors to major noble houses of different countries would all be there. As the sessor to one of the Theocracy¡¯s Five Eminent Noble Houses, you¡¯ll have to graduate from the academy for the sake of your own reputation. ¡°As a noble, knowing how to socialize is important, but the friends you make through clinking wine sses at banquets cannot bepared with ssmates who have spent their youth together with you. You might not understand it right now, but you¡¯ll understand once you grow up.¡± Roel agreed deeply with Carter¡¯s second point. The bonds that were forged at a young age tended to be simpler and purer. Whereas, as adults, there were far too many external factors at y that the innocence of friendship was lost. ¡°There¡¯s still onest key reason that you have to head to Saint Freya Academy, and that is...¡± Carter ced down his teacup and looked at his son with a smile. ¡°... you need to apany Her Highness Nora.¡± 1 reply ¨C 4 days ago ¡°What?¡± Roel, who had been calm all this while, found his face twisting in shock upon hearing those words. Chapter 24: You Were Born In the Wrong Year

Chapter 24: You Were Born In the Wrong Year

1 reply ¨C 1 week ago ¡°What are you so shocked about? You¡¯re the same age as Her Highness Nora, so it goes without saying that you¡¯ll be going to the academy together with her.¡± ¡°No, I get that, but what do you mean by I¡¯ll have to apany her?¡± Roel asked with a pale face. After Carter¡¯s exnation, Roel finally understood what was going on. While Saint Freya Academy was a ce to learn, the students gathered there were nobles from different countries, so it was inevitable that they would form cliques with those from the same country. Nora, as the princess of the Theocracy, couldn¡¯t possibly be left alone and isted. So, the nobles who were of the same age as Nora would all be attending Saint Freya Academy together. The n was to improve their clout and avoid being bullied by others. To put it simply, it was basically just them protecting their royalty. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago There was no explicit rule saying that the nobles should perform this duty, but everyone would do so anyway. It was a good opportunity to get close to the princess... and it was free. 2 replies ¨C 13 hours ago As the most prestigious academy in all of Brolne, Saint Freya Academy¡¯s enrollment fees were exorbitant, even by the standards of nobility. Some of the lesser houses wouldn¡¯t be able to fork out the money for their children to enroll there. However, in the year that Nora was enrolling, the royal family would be providing schrships for students who were going to attend Saint Freya Academy. 2 replies ¨C 13 hours ago I know that life is tough, but as adults, it¡¯s our responsibility to pave the way for the next generation! Education is a must! Have you heard of Saint Freya Academy? It¡¯s the greatest academy of the entire Sia Continent, the best education that your child can get! Don¡¯t worry, I know that you¡¯re poor, so I¡¯ll fork out money for your children to go to school! Oh right, it just so happens that our princess will be attending that school this year too. Ahahaha, what a coincidence, right? Cough cough... You get what I¡¯m saying, right? 1 reply ¨C 13 hours ago It was at this point that those poor nobles would humbly ept the generous donation while offering greatpliments for their royal family. Then, they would return back home and tell their rascals to listen to the princess and serve her like ackey. This strategy ensured every single member of the Theocracy¡¯s royalty had their own following inside the academy. All they had to do was give a shout and a massive army of followers would be rallied before them. In a sense, this was a guarantee for a wonderful school life free of bullies. 2 replies ¨C 4 days ago Of course, as one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, the Ascart House wouldn¡¯t lower itself to beckeys over mere school tuition. Roel would be heading to Saint Freya Academy together with Nora as an aide to help manage her group of followers. This was actually a pretty decent position, since he would be able to make use of this opportunity to recruit young elites and, at the same time, get the royal family to owe him a favor. Besides, being able to build close ties with a member of the royal family while at school could have longsting benefits. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago There were many situations where close aides of the sessor to the throne would eventually be promoted into influential positions, working closely with the crown to help manage the country. 1 reply ¨C 13 hours ago ¡°I was still a little worried about this initially, but now it seems like everything should be fine. Given how close you and Her Highness Nora have be from your first meeting, I believe the two of you will be able to work very well together! Prince Kane and I are delighted by how things turned out.¡± Carter¡¯s optimistic attitude formed a stark contrast with Roel¡¯s despairing face. This situation remained till the end of dessert time, when the trio finally returned back to their rooms to rest after a long day. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Roel didn¡¯t head to sleep right away. Instead, he sat on his chair and pondered over everything that had happened earlier in the day. Putting aside the encounter with Nora for now, he did learn a lot about this world through the discussions regarding transcendents and Origin Attributes. Some of the more inexplicable details surrounding the game finally began to make sense. He tried to analyze his current position, and he felt that things were still quite dangerous for him. For one thing, the fact that the strong power he had exerted in the game that turned out to be from an evil cult not acknowledged by the Theocracy had left him feeling quite uneasy. Just where in the world did the original Roel learn that from? Carter¡¯s Origin Attribute was Brolne¡¯s Wisdom, so it definitely was not something passed down through the family¡¯s heritage, and as of yet, Roel hadn¡¯t managed to get in contact with any evil cult members, so far... ... which meant that he would probably meet them in the future. It was likely that there was some event waiting in the future that would lead him astray. 2 replies ¨C 13 hours ago The sense that something ominous was going to happen didn¡¯t sit well with Roel, made him feel a little jumpy. He felt that he urgently needed to raise his fighting prowess in order to deal with whatever he would have to face moving forward. I shall send any evil cultists that knock on my door fleeing for their lives! 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago Having made up his mind, Roel began looking for ways to raise his fighting prowess, but he soon realized that before reaching Origin Level 5, the power of transcendents usually grew with age, and this was highly dependent on talent. It was only after reaching Origin Level 5 and obtaining an Origin Attribute that one could use external means to raise one¡¯s Origin Level. So, the issue that Roel faced now was how he could ensure that he grew up properly along with his Origin Level. The convention in this world was to either practice spells or train one¡¯s body, but so far, he had failed to persist in either one. Practicing two iplete, basic-level spells didn¡¯t interest Roel, and the so-called noble swordsmanship sses were mostly just for show. The teachers that Carter brought in were said to be ex-royal guards of the Theocracy, but it would appear that Roel simply wasn¡¯t cut out for this. It was due to ack of talent and diligence that resulted in Roel¡¯s pathetically weak state. This would have to change from now on! He would allocate a portion of his time every day to practicing that darned middle-finger spell and would start training up his body as well. He would have to change his attitude toward his swordsmanship training too. And of course, he would put the cheat key he¡¯d been given to full use too. ¡¾Lobor Enhancement Serum Type II A one-time use item produced in the Lobor region, which has been mired in war for many years. One thing to note is that the ¡®one-time use¡¯ refers not to the item but the soldiers consuming it. Side Effects: umtion of heat in internal organs, shortening of lifespan Price: 500 Gold Coins¡¿ 2 replies ¨C 13 hours ago ¡°...¡± Roel was rendered utterly speechless by this unreliable item inside the Gold Coin Shop, but the reason why this item caught his eye was due to the presence of aplementary item right below. ¡¾Lobor Cooling Serum A noble invention indeed, the ray of hope for humanity! Loborians finally don¡¯t have to burn their intestines over their own medicine anymore! It¡¯s such a perfect fit with Lobor Enhancement Serum Type II that some call this item the miracle of the gods! This is an item that is used to raise the talents of youths, and satisfied customers im that it tastes marvelous when consumed together with Lobor Enhancement Serum Type II. Side Effects: Freezing of bloodline (When consumed individually) Side Effects: None (When consumed with a 1:1 ratio with Lobor Enhancement Serum Type II, after the mixture settles at a brown-red color) Price: 1500 Gold Coins¡¿ Looking at the description of the cooling serum, Roel finally managed to calm down a little. Nevertheless, there was still a displeased frown resting on his face. ¡°Feels like an unscrupulous marketing tactic.¡± Chapter 25: Steam Discount

Chapter 25: Steam Discount

4 replies ¨C 13 hours ago Roel had always thought that the items sold at the Gold Coin Shop were extremely bizarre, ranging from the earlier bloodline enhancement item to this serum. Their side effects were so adverse that it really made him wonder who, in their right mind, would consume them. In order not to die from consuming a 500 gold coin enhancement serum, one had to fork out an additional 1500 gold coins? Heh, what a smartass! Is there a worse case of predatory marketing out there in the world? If it¡¯s dangerous, why don¡¯t you just mix the two serums together before selling them then?! Roel heaved a deep sigh before he began to look into this ¡®Lobor¡¯ ce. It turned out that there was no such ce inside the Theocracy, so Roel chose to ask the home tutor who taught him culture and geography about it. ¡°Young master, there is a ce called Lobor in the world, but it¡¯s located inside the Austine Empire, and I don¡¯t recall any battle ever having urred there. Perhaps, you might have remembered wrongly?¡± replied the white-haired, white-bearded old schr, Flori. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago Flori was extremely knowledgeable, due to having spent his younger years touring the world, which was also why he was eventually recruited as Roel¡¯s tutor. However, the eyes that he directed toward Roel were filled with disdain. He felt that this wastrel of a scion had simply heard of some rumors about Lobor somewhere and wanted to bring it up to test him, and if he failed to answer the question, thetter would use this matter to kick up a huge fuss. ¡°... I see. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s proceed with the lesson then, Mister Flori.¡± Surprisingly, Roel didn¡¯t make use of this opportunity to kick up a fuss. On the contrary, Roel listened attentively during the entire lesson, though he asked quite a bizarre question after the lesson ended. ¡°Mister Flori, are there still any world maps remaining from before the Third Epoch?¡± 1 reply ¨C 12 hours ago ¡°Maps before the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital? I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to find any of those in the open markets. Maps are very valuable, you see. If you¡¯re looking for a map from over a thousand years ago... I¡¯d say that the only people who could possibly have them are the royal families of each country.¡± 2 replies ¨C 12 hours ago ¡°Ah, I understand.¡± 1 reply ¨C 12 hours ago With a nod, Roel bade this bad-tempered old schr farewell as he wondered if this ¡®Lobor¡¯ mentioned by the System was a ce existing long before the Third Epoch. The migration to the west prior to the inception of the Third Epoch had dealt a huge blow to human culture. Many historical records went missing during that period of time, leaving behind huge gaps in known history. Even a wartorn area which had created quite a formidable serum ended up being forgotten by the world. ¡°A civilization that has already been forgotten, is it?¡± Roel muttered as he suddenly felt a little forlorn. Perhaps he might be the only one in the world who knew about the war torn Lobor and the bizarre but potent serums that Loborians created. 1 reply ¨C 12 hours ago ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no point thinking so much into it. What I should really be thinking of is how I can raise the money to buy the goods.¡± It was no time for Roel to be getting sentimental. He needed to quickly raise the money so that he could buy the two serums within one month. There was a legitimate reason why he was in such a rush. ¡¾Monthly Special Discounts¡ª50% OFF! Lobor Enhancement Serum Type II Price: 250 Gold Coins Lobor Cooling Serum Price: 750 Gold Coins¡¿ 2 replies ¨C 5 days ago ¡°...¡± It¡¯s a time-limited sale at 50% off! I¡¯d be saving a whopping 1000 gold coins! What a coincidence it was that the discounts were on the items that Roel really wanted to get! Even though the price was still exorbitant, so far, he hadn¡¯t heard of any simr medicine being sold within the Theocracy or any other country, so it was likely to be one-of-a-kind. The items in the Gold Coin Shop would refresh once every month, and there would only be a couple of items that would be discounted every single time. If he were to miss this opportunity, he might never get a chance to buy them ever again! He would be a fool if he didn¡¯t make full use of this discount! That being said, 1000 gold coins went far beyond what Roel could afford. One must know that his monthly pocket money was just 20 gold coins! Even if he tried asking Carter for more money, he could probably only get an additional 100 gold coins at most. It should be noted that Carter, as the vicemander of the Holy Knight Order, had a monthly sry of several hundred gold coins, and an ordinary official working in the Holy Capital only earned around 100 gold coins every month. And this was considering the intion of wages due to the high cost of living inside the Holy Capital! 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago What else can I do then? Should I try robbing a bank or something? Roel racked his brain to think of a solution, and he finally thought of something: Kickstarter! 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago It was not as if Roel really had nothing on him at the moment. He did possess the key to a treasure chest known as the System, but he was justcking the money to get the treasures out from within. As expensive as the items in the Gold Coin Shop were, they were all good stuff. At the very least, the items provided by the System were still quite reliable, since the side effects were stated very clearly in advance. Furthermore, some of them were even antiques from more than a thousand years ago, making them priceless treasures! To be honest, Roel would prefer not to do this if there were any other options. It went without saying that he wasn¡¯t so foolish as to sell the more dangerous items, but the items generally sold in the System were quite potent. There was no telling if it would lead to some unintended consequences. But well, there was no other choice right now. Time-limited discounts held an irresistible charm that made a person feel as if he would regret it for life once missed, not to mention that the discounts were on the two items that Roel needed too! After convincing himself that this was absolutely necessary, Roel moved on to think of the next question¡ªwho should he raise funds from? He needed to find a rich and reliable buyer he could trust. He didn¡¯t want to be scammed into an unprofitable deal, and neither did he want to reveal any personal information. There was one person that he immediately thought of that met all of these conditions¡ªCarter. Good things should, of course, be consumed internally! 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago If it was selling to his own father, Roel would be willing to bring out even the most potent items in the Gold Coin Shop. However, the issue was that it would be hard for him to exin where he got these items from, and it didn¡¯t seem likely that Carter would have any use for most of those sinister-looking stuff. On top of that, most of the items had some degree of danger when using or consuming them, due to the extreme side effects. It would be horrible if he were tond his father in a bad position due to them. In the end, Roel still felt that it would be safer to sell them to an outsider. It was best not to implicate the Ascart House in the transaction of these dangerous items at all. If so, he only had a few choices. The supply chains in this world weren¡¯t as developed as his previous world, so there were few who could afford to dabble in these high-value transactions. All in all, Roel ced them into three categories: First, the other nobles. This was beyond Roel¡¯s means at the moment, since he had no reliable connections in the circle of nobles. Second, the traveling merchant parties that would drop by Ascart City every year. These merchants varied greatly in their financial abilities, and their traveling schedules weren¡¯t fixed. Last but not least, the merchants that were already operating in Ascart City. Of them all, there was only one merchantpany that Roel could think of that was trustworthy and had the financial ability to purchase Roel¡¯s goods. And that was thergest merchant organization on the Sia Continent, an organization that spanned across huge swathes ofnd, the Sorofya Merchant Association. Chapter 26: The Meagre

Chapter 26: The Meagre

Sorofya. This was a name that no one in Sia Continent didn¡¯t know of. In this world, where the flow of information was severely limited by geographical distance, it was only natural that those who were born in the Austine Empire wouldn¡¯t have heard of the Theocracy¡¯s Xeclydes, and vice-versa with the Austine Empire¡¯s Ackermanns. But the name, Sorofya, was known by almost everyone regardless of which country they were from. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago And the reason for that was the Sorofya Merchant Association. The merchant association was born in the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, which was located at the heart of the Sia Continent. Its name was derived from the Rosa River that flowed through the entire northeast region. Ease of travel, imparted by the river, and an ideal geographical location, allowed the area to swiftly grow into a trading hub shortly after the inception of the Third Epoch. Despite so, the civilians living there didn¡¯t enjoy good lives. This important trading hub was a strategic military location as well, making it a ce countries fought for. To make things worse, Rosaians were incredibly wealthy, which meant that a sessful military campaign could very well reap great benefits. As a result of that, Rosa ended up changing hands many times. This tragedy continued until 200 years ago, when Rosa was under the rule of the notorious tyrant emperor of the Austine Empire, Karwen II. The Rosaian merchants were finally unable to tolerate the brutal rule of their colonial masters, so they raised their gs and staged a revolt, eventually leading to the founding of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. Of course, all was not smooth during the founding of the nation. The few major merchant houses who masterminded the revolution faced immense pressure from the Austine Empire, both militarily and financially. Some of them gave in to the mary incentive provided by the Austine Empire and backstabbed the revolution, whereas others caved to the military pressure and raised their hands in surrender. There was only one merchant house that continued to persist in its ideals, and that was the Sorofyas. The Sorofya House was the only one that showed backbone amidst all of the money-minded merchants, and it was precisely because of their grit that they suffered the most during those dark times. Indeed, the Sorofyas were the ones who were backstabbed by the other merchant houses. Nearly their entire family was captured by their own allies and handed over to the Austine Empire in exchange for incentives. The only one who managed to escape then was their youngest son. When the Austine Empire attacked Rosa City, they brought all of the Sorofyas out to the frontline and used their lives to threaten the youngest son into opening the city gates and surrenderingpletely. Yet, the n was foiled when the obstinate old patriarch ran right into the de of a sword andmitted suicide, choosing death to being used as a hostage. 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago The death of the Sorofyas¡¯ patriarch meant that the n to force the youngest son to surrender had failed. Out of rage, the Austine Empire had every single member of the Sorofyas in their capture put to the sword, plunging the remaining survivor of the house, Grimm Sorofya, into great agony. He swore vengeance on the Austine Empire. As future events revealed, the Austine Empire had made a bad move, and they had underestimated the tenacity of the Rosaians as well. This decision plunged them into a bitter war with the Rosaians thatsted for the next decade. They attempted everything they could think of, including massacring entire cities. Yet, the rebels continued to fight them with increasing ferocity. There was even one incident where the rebels were trapped inside Rosa City for seven whole months, resulting in the depletion of their rations. The only food source avable in the city then were the few fish and prawns from the river. The grand Ausier Street that was previously known for its splendor had emaciated corpses lying all around. It was during such a moment that a general of the Austine Empire brought out freshly baked bread to entice the people in Rosa City to surrender, and needless to say, the determination of the rebels wavered in the face of such temptation. In this crucial moment, Grimm Sorofya took a sword up to the highest tower in the city and sliced off half of his arm. Holding his bloodied, severed arm, he dered to the city that they could eat him if they were hungry, but they must never surrender to the tyranny of the Austine Empire! 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago Watching such a sight, the popce in Rosa City all broke down into tears as they swore to rather be hungry ghosts inside the city walls than toe under the brutal rule of the empire once more. Faced with their resolution, the countenance of the general of the Austine Empire turned dark. Not too long after, he requested a swap in leadership under the pretext of illness, choosing to retire from the battlefield. After this battle, the Sorofya House truly grew to prominence, allowing it to rally Rosaians under its banner. Despite so, Rosa was simply far toocking in terms of military powerpared to the Austine Empire. As the saying went, ¡®justice may bete, but never absent¡¯. Just as the Rosaians were finally reaching their limits, the Theocracy joined the battlefield. The Austine Empire had used the cruelest of stratagems in order to take down Rosa, and the act of massacring a city was a severe vition of the teachings of the Genesis Goddess Church. Even amon civilian on the streets couldn¡¯t stand seeing the atrocities of the Austine Empire anymore, let alone the Saint Mesit Theocracy. The most important element in a fight between massive countries was timing. The Theocracy immediatelyunched a precise and deadly strike against the troops of the Austine Empire the moment it joined the battle, not forgetting to im legitimacy through pinning over a dozen crimes on the empire, including crimes against humanity. At the same time, it also dered the independence of Rosa and provided it with great support. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago This development turned what should have been some internal strife of the Austine Empire turned into a fight between two powerhouses instead. Having gained the support of the Theocracy, the remnants of the Sorofya House spared no effort in evicting the Austine Empire from their borders. After a prolonged fight, the empire finally gave up on the lucrativend of Rosa and signed a ceasefire with the Sorofya House. With this, the curtains finally closed on a war that hadsted nearly a hundred years. The Sorofya House had paid a heavy price for the founding of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, losing several generations of its patriarchs in battle. However, their sacrifices were acknowledged by the newly liberated Rosaians, and the Sorofyas were granted the dominant position in Rosa¡¯s politics. It was also then that the Sorofya Merchant Association emerged on the world stage. Over the past hundred years, the Sorofya Merchant Association had managed to permeate every country, turning the Sorofya House into the wealthiest power in the world. They were dubbed as the Uncrowned King due to the massive influence they could potentially exert over any country. 1 reply ¨C 12 hours ago The Ascart House was one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses of the Theocracy, and Ascart City was considered one of the more distinguished cities in Saint Mesit. However, as the patriarchs of the Ascart House had mainly dabbled in the military, very little focus had been on the development ofmerce. Compared to the cities managed by the other four eminent noble houses, Ascart City could be considered the least prosperous. That being said, it was ranked highest in terms of safety. Only a fool would dare to cause trouble in the territory of a powerhouse who had a powerful army under hismand. As such, the popce of Ascart City lived a rather peaceful life. Merchants favored such stable environments, and naturally, the Sorofya Merchant Association wouldn¡¯t pass Ascart City by. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C 3 replies ¨C 12 hours ago ¡°Young master, this is thetest winter collection of the Sorofya Merchant Association.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Inside a resting room, Anna handed arge but not bulky catalog into the hands of the ck-haired boy, Roel. He had just ended his daily swordsmanship training, and after receiving the catalog, he began flipping through it. This catalog, designed in a simr fashion to the menus of high-ss restaurants in Roel¡¯s previous world, contained a list of the Sorofya Merchant Association¡¯s recent masterpieces. It included a picture and description for each product, allowing the customers to grasp a better understanding of what they were going to purchase. The Sorofyas had a deep understanding of the customers they were dealing with, fully grasping how much nobles valued their reputation and lovedparing with one another. The wealthier nobles, in order to unt their affluence, tended to purchase the entire catalog in a breath. The Ascart House was notcking in money, but being without a matriarch, it didn¡¯t have much use for the items inside. The dress that Nora was wearing the other day was also ordered from the Sorofyas, which showed just how far-reaching its influence was. Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel a little overwhelmed as he browsed through the winter collection. Even the leather cover of the catalog felt like an extravagance to him. This little booklet must have cost at least one goin coin, right? Haaa, it¡¯s no wonder why the Sorofyas are able to rake in the big bucks. 2 replies ¨C 1 week ago Roel couldn¡¯t help but wonder just how much the Sorofya Merchant Association was actually earning as he continued flipping through the collection. There was one thing he was looking for in here. Chapter 27: What Else Could She Possibly Like

Chapter 27: What Else Could She Possibly Like

2 replies ¨C 12 hours ago There was a huge assortment of items to Sorofya¡¯stest winter collection, ranging from cosmetic products¡ªthat had all sorts of bizarre ingredients in them but boasted miraculous effects¡ªto daily necessities, jewelry, perfume, and even unique food and drinks. There was nothingcking at all. As for clothes, the catalog only detailed the fabric avable and the names of the designer and embroiderer; the design itself wasn¡¯t shown in the catalog. One of the most awkward situations that could happen amongst noblewomen was for them to be caught wearing identical clothes to a banquet. 3 replies ¨C 1 week ago For this reason, the designer would pay a visit to the customer¡¯s house for measurements and fittings, and they would design a set of clothing specific to the individual. This way, they would be able to ensure that every single article of clothing was unique. 1 reply ¨C 12 hours ago The dress that Alicia wore during Nora¡¯s visit was a gift that Carter gave her when she first came to the Ascart House. Even Roel had to admit that it was quite a spectacr dress. It was now the little girl¡¯s most prized possession. That being said, Roel didn¡¯t get Anna to bring the catalog over to look at these items. The items inside the catalog were all quite amazing, but he was only interested in the very final page of the catalog¡ªthe request list. One of the business functions of merchant associations was to purchase goods, and the request list was essentially items the Sorofyas were seeking to purchase. It was not umon for nobles to have special requests for the merchant, and the request list was created with the purpose to fulfill these requests. Take for example if Roel wanted a scented soap right now but it wasn¡¯t avable in Ascart City or its vicinity. What he could do was leave a request for an item, something ¡®scented and capable of cleansing the body¡¯. Once the Sorofya Merchant Association received the request, they would ce it on their catalog¡¯s request list and purchase it from other regions in the Theocracy or even other countries. 1 reply ¨C 1 week ago It was possible for the item that was eventually procured to not be a scented soap but, perhaps, a stone that fulfilled the same criteria. 5 replies ¨C 1 week ago Only major customers were allowed to make these requests, and they would have to ce a deposit with the merchant association first. After the transaction was made, amission fee would be collected by the merchants. It was basically a special service provided to its VIPs to satisfy them. There were two reasons why Roel wanted to sell his item through this request list: First, the ones who ced these requests were high-worth individuals, so the prices they offered would usually be much higher aspared to the prices merchant associations offered. Second, this request list was anonymous, be it the buyer or the seller. Only the Sorofya Merchant Association would know the identities of those involved in the transaction, and for thest few decades, there had never been any instance where it was caught leaking the confidential information of its clients. To summarize, it was profitable and safe! That being said, there was still one condition that couldn¡¯t be avoided. Roel needed there to be a request for an item with criteria matching what the System could fulfill. It would really take quite a great deal of luck. To his delight, there was actually one request on the list that waspatible with what was avable in the Gold Coin Shop! Request Criteria: Has the effect of calming souls, suppresses the power of hexes, and prevents corpse reanimation. Roel took a careful look at the criteria before turning to look at his System¡¯s Gold Coin Shop. ¡¾Sarchorme¡¯s Soul-calming Lamp An oilmp created by Priest Sarchorme. It brings peace to those who have returned to Mother Earth, so there¡¯s no fear of weird things crawling back out. The effectsts till the oil runs out. Price: 5000 Gold Coins¡¿ ¡°...¡± Seems like it¡¯ll work? Roel stroked his chin as he looked to and fro between the request criteria and the description of Sarchorme¡¯s Soul-calming Lamp. Name itself contained ¡®Soul-calming¡¯¡ª ? . Prevention of corpse reanimation¡ª ? . All that was left was the part about suppressing hexes. Well, if the effect of the hex was the reanimation of corpses, arguably, themp could be said to have the effect of suppressing hexes, right? 1 reply ¨C 17 hours ago Suppression of hexes¡ª ?. 6 replies ¨C 4 days ago Nodding to himself, Roel ced the catalog down on the table as he began contemting how he should go about doing it. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C ¡°Father, I would like to make a trip over to the Sorofya Merchant Association.¡± ¡°Hm? Is there something that you would like to buy? You can just send a servant over to ce the order.¡± Inside Carter¡¯s study, Roel¡¯s father looked somewhat perplexed by his son¡¯s request. As a spoiled young master, used to getting what he wanted simply bymanding his servants to do it for him, Roel had never needed to head to the merchant association before. Sending over a purchase order was just a small errand anyway, so it was fine to leave it to a servant. To be honest, Roel could have chosen to head there without informing Carter beforehand, but it would have likely incurred Carter¡¯s suspicion. So, in order to not undo the trust he had built up recently, he decided that it was best to consult Carter about it first. ¡°Actually... I¡¯m not buying something for myself.¡± Roel appeared to ponder for a moment before rubbing his hands together awkwardly and replying with a slightly embarrassed look. This reaction immediately hooked Carter¡¯s curiosity. ¡°It¡¯s going to be winter soon, but I haven¡¯t gotten Alicia any wee gift ever since she joined our house. So, I¡¯m hoping to personally browse through the recent additions the Sorofyas¡¯ have in stock and get her something she¡¯d like.¡± ¡°Ahhh, I see.¡± Carter put down his pen as he looked at his own son in surprise. He didn¡¯t think that it was possible for his son to change by so much in just a few short months. To think that he would actually know how to care for someone else! Having a younger sibling to take care of does make one mature! (Affection Points +200!) With a green light shing over his head, Carter nodded with a wide smile of approval. ¡°It¡¯s an excellent idea. Go ahead then, I¡¯ll pass the money to Anna.¡± ¡°Thanks, father, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Having seeded in his n, Roel quickly thanked his father before turning around to walk out of the study gleefully. With this single move, I got money, a wave of Affection Points, and managed to conceal my reason for heading to the Sorofya Merchant Association. This is killing three birds with one stone! As expected of me! But while Roel was celebrating his little victory in his heart, Carter suddenly called for him. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The sound of a chair being pushed backward sounded, and Carter stood up from his desk. He took a close, intent look at Roel, to the point that thetter started to sweat a little. W-what is going on? Did he notice something amiss? Recalling how his father possessed transcendent powers, Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he waited nervously for Carter¡¯s following words. ¡°You¡¯re heading there to buy something for Alicia, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± ¡°You can take your time and have a good look at the items they have. You¡¯ll have to prepare another gift on top of Alicia¡¯s... Her Highness¡¯ birthday ising up soon.¡± 3 replies ¨C 12 hours ago ¡°Alrig... What?¡± Roel, who was just about to reply by reflex, suddenly processed what Carter was saying and halted in shock. ¡°Her Highness?¡± ¡°Yes, Her Highness Nora. You had a high feverst year, so you weren¡¯t able to attend Her Highness¡¯ birthday banquet. No matter what happens, you have to attend this year to make up for it.¡± ¡°T-this...¡± ¡°Usually, since we¡¯re from the same house, it¡¯d do for us to just send one gift. But, now that you¡¯re friends with Her Highness, and considering that you were absentst year, it would be best for you to give her a personal gift this time around... It¡¯s settled then!¡± Carter pped his hands together and ended the discussion there. The gleam in his eyes showed that he was very satisfied with himself for having been able to think of this, but meanwhile, Roel¡¯s face had already started scrunching up bitterly. Dad, can you stop talking nonsense? Who¡¯s friends with who? How can you trust that woman¡¯s words?! ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be too valuable. It¡¯s best if you could choose something that¡¯s in line with Her Highness¡¯ preferences,¡± said Carter with a smile. Something that Nora likes and shouldn¡¯t be too valuable... 1 reply ¨C 5 days ago It was almost frightening how an answer immediately surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t help muttering to himself. ¡°A dog leash.¡± Chapter 28: Let’s See Who I Should Rip Off

Chapter 28: Let¡¯s See Who I Should Rip Off

Arwen Dani felt that he had led quite a sessful life. Forty this year, he was born in Rosa and had the trademark red hair of a Rosaian. In his earlier years, he had traveled cross country in a merchant convoy, touring the many nations of the continent. It was only in his thirties that he finally returned to Rosa to take on greater responsibilities within the association. At this moment, he was already the manager of Sorofya Merchant Association¡¯s Ascart City Branch. As one of the few branch managers of the illustrious Sorofya Merchant Association in the Theocracy, Arwen¡¯s standing was even above that of lesser nobles. Only the most distinguished customers were worthy of being attended to by him. And the ck-haired boy sitting before him right now was one of them. ¡°Young master Roel, the two sets of clothes you have ordered will only be arriving in half a month¡¯s time. We¡¯ll have our people deliver them to the Ascart House. As for the short sword you requested, I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll take slightly longer; roughly three months.¡± Inside an exquisitely adorned room, a ck-suited Arwen looked at the adorable yet handsome little boy seated opposite to him, as he exined the situation with an amiable smile. Thefortable vibe that he emanated showed how deserving he was of the manager¡¯s position. A slight aroma wafted from the highest quality red tea being served in borately designed Rosaian teacups on the table. Roel leanedfortably on a soft sofa as he took a sip of the tea and remarked calmly. ¡°The tea is not bad.¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s only appropriate of us to serve you with the best of teas. I wouldn¡¯t bear to drink such precious tea under normal asions.¡± Tsk tsk, only a kid would believe those words of yours! 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Roel continued smiling calmly while retorting disdainfully to Arwen¡¯s remark in his mind. Sorofya was known for its wealth, so how could a high-standing branch manager possibly be unable to afford tea? It was as good as saying that a fish was drowning in water! This was amon tactic that merchants used, buttering the customer up to high heavens before ripping them off and taking all their money. It was particrly effective on naive youths or proud nobles who would go to all lengths to uphold their pride. Unfortunately for Arwen, Roel fit into neither of the two categories. You have a glib tongue, but you might as well spare the effort. You¡¯re a hundred years toote to be taking advantage of me! 2 replies ¨C 2 days ago Roel put down his teacup calmly. Paying no heed to Arwen¡¯s ttery, he began speaking. ¡°It¡¯s not an issue, three months is fine. These are just minor issues. I didn¡¯t call you here for a private chat to verify these trifles.¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 days ago ¡°I understand. Young master Roel, please feel free to speak your mind. We¡¯ll prepare anything you need.¡± Arwen still had an amicable smile on his face, making it appear as if he would be more than willing to do anything to help, but on the inside, he was already starting to feel contempt for Roel. Yet another dirty deal. I¡¯ve long heard that the son of Marquess Carter is a wastrel, but I didn¡¯t think that he would get involved with that kind of stuff at such a young age. Let me take a guess what it is this time. Is it the mirage grass or the euphoric beat? Or is it women that he wants? 1 reply ¨C 12 hours ago Arwen pondered as he made up his mind to find an excuse to send Roel off. While the Sorofya Merchant Association did deal with a wide variety of stuff, there were explicit rules forbidding the sales of such items within the Theocracy. It was one thing if Roel was the marquess himself?¡ªArwen might have still considered going through with the trade to fawn on him?¡ªbut Roel was only a sessor at the moment. 1 reply ¨C 12 hours ago One should know that Carter was a model noble, as well as a powerful transcendent. There was no way he would allow his own son to get involved in this sort of stuff. If Carter were to investigate this matter, Arwen would fall into deep trouble. However, Arwen¡¯s expectations were doomed to fall t this time around. ¡°I wish to sell an item listed on your request list.¡± ¡°Request list?¡± Arwen blinked his eyes, a little surprised that this young boy was actually here to sell something to him. However, his surprise only lingered for a moment before his professional smile swiftly returned to his face. ¡°Ahh, so that¡¯s the case. May I ask which request criteria does the item you are selling fulfill?¡± ¡°Request 172. Has the effect of calming souls, suppressing the spread of curses, and preventing corpse reanimation.¡± Roel calmly recited the text he recalled from the catalog, causing Arwen, who was just about to flip through the catalog himself, to freeze on the spot. His eyes narrowed for a split second. ¡°... Hahaha, young master Roel¡¯s memory sure is amazing! Yes, there¡¯s indeed such an item that we¡¯re urgently trying to procure at the moment.¡± Arwen put on an act of flipping through the catalog, but in truth, his heart was already thumping in excitement after hearing Roel¡¯s words. Others might not know who the buyer was, but Arwen, as a manager, was privy to some information not known by outsiders. This was a request issued directly from the central headquarters in Rosa, which meant that the buyer behind this Request 172 was likely to be one of his higher-ups. All of a sudden, this seemingly insignificant transaction had turned into something so important that it could influence Arwen¡¯s future career in the merchant association. It looked as if nothing had changed on the surface, but the sharp glint in Arwen¡¯s eyes showed that he was finally getting serious. ¡°Young master Roel, may I ask where the item is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s currently at my home. If negotiations go well, I¡¯ll drop by tomorrow and deliver the item into your hands.¡± ¡°I understand. Pardon me when I ask this question, but how much of the listed criteria does your item fulfill?¡± ¡°I can guarantee that my item fulfills the criteria of calming souls and preventing undead reanimation. As for the suppression of curses, that remains to be seen.¡± As Roel quickly exined the effects of the Soul-calming Lamp, he paid close attention to the fluctuations in Arwen¡¯s emotions. While thetter had an excellent poker face, he was unable to conceal the keen look in his eyes after hearing Roel¡¯s description. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago ¡°It¡¯s an item I found inside our Ascart House¡¯s vault. My father doesn¡¯t agree with me selling it, but you should have also heard about how I amcking in talent as a transcendent. Those bizarre items inside our storage room are of no use to me anyway, so I might as well exchange them for something more practical instead, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Roel put a disdainful look on his face, perfectly ying out the part of a standard good-for-nothing scion. Arwen couldn¡¯t help but sneer on the inside upon seeing Roel¡¯s attitude, but on the outside, he nodded vehemently in agreement. ¡°Indeed, what you¡¯ve said makes perfect sense. Useless items do nothing more than collect dust; it¡¯s a good idea to trade them for gold coins now and purchase the things you really need. It¡¯d do just to buy them back once more when you are in need of them.¡± Arwen yed along to Roel¡¯s tune and even developed on his point, neglecting to exin to the ¡®naive little boy¡¯ how items that possessed transcendent powers tended to be rare and incredibly hard to source for in the market. Roel nodded his head vehemently upon hearing Arwen¡¯s words, looking as if he couldn¡¯t agree more. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago ¡°I knew that Mister Arwen would understand me. My father is simply too stubborn. What¡¯s the use of keeping those scraps back at home? If it was me, I would have had all of them sold by now!¡± 1 reply ¨C 12 hours ago Roel waved his hand grandly, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to dispose of the vast collection the Ascart House had rued over the years. Those words sparked a me in Arwen¡¯s heart. The treasure collection of a long-standing magician house like the Ascarts was not to be underestimated. They were bound to have many rare and exclusive antiques, and those items were not things that one could buy even if one had the money! If he could seal this deal, it would be all worth it, no matter how much money he had to spend! Besides, when had the Sorofyas evercked money? That was the one thing that they could confidently dere that they had in excess! And in truth, the Sorofya Merchant Association had a special task for all of its branch managers, and that was to collect all sorts of mystical treasures from all over the world. There were some branch managers who spent years trying to get close to declining nobles in hopes of acquiring the treasures they had. They knew that as long as they could seal the deal, their promotion would be guaranteed. Be it the fulfillment of Request 172 or the Ascart House¡¯s treasures, they were all invaluable opportunities to Arwen, such that he was already having trouble trying to maintain his poker face. He gulped down a mouthful of saliva as he asked with a hint of agitation. ¡°Young master Roel, what do you think would be an appropriate price for the item you wish to sell?¡± ¡°This is our first time working together, so I need to bring back a sum of money that my father can look at.¡± Roel¡¯s eyes darted upward contemtively for a moment before he finally gave his offer with a smile. ¡°50,000 gold coins, how does that sound?¡± Chapter 29: War of Words

Chapter 29: War of Words

,000 gold coins? It was as if a pail of cold water had been poured over the me in Arwen¡¯s heart as soon as he heard the ¡®deal¡¯ Roel was offering him. He stared at Roel in utter bafflement, his first instinct being to refute the ridiculous price. However, being a professional, he reminded himself that he was dealing with a kid here and quickly calmed himself down. ¡°Young master Roel, you might be unfamiliar with the market price, but the amount you¡¯re requesting is too high.¡± Arwen rubbed his palms together awkwardly as he spoke with a conflicted look on his face. ¡°50,000 gold coins is already enough to buy a house inside the Holy Capital. For a single item, this price is far too exorbitant. Even a full set of inscribed armor wouldn¡¯t be that expensive.¡± ¡°Inscribed armor? Excuse me, but are you trying topare a treasure of our Ascart House to a mass produced good?¡± bellowed Roel furiously. Putting his notoriety as a little tyrant to good use, he mmed his fist on the table imposingly. ¡°How can that sort of trash possibly be put on the same level as what I¡¯m offering here? My father told me that it¡¯s a one-of-a-kind good, worth at least tens of thousands!¡± Roel didn¡¯t hesitate to pull out Carter¡¯s name to heap pressure on Arwen. Hearing those words, the conflicted look on Arwen¡¯s face deepened as he replied anxiously. ¡°But young master Roel, we haven¡¯t gotten an opportunity to see the item you are offering us yet. I¡¯m afraid that the price you¡¯re asking for is far beyond our current budget...¡± ¡°Mister Arwen, I can guarantee its effects. If the item doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll give you a full refund right away. I have already put my name out there as a show of my sincerity, so how much are you willing to offer for my artifact?¡± Seeing how far Roel was willing to go to vouch for his item, Arwen quickly began reassessing the current situation. The eptable price range listed by central headquarters for Request 172 was 0 to 20,000 gold coins, but the Sorofya Merchant Association had a rule where the branches purchasing the item could take the price difference asmission in order to encourage them to be more proactive in their procurement of requested items. In view of this use, most branches would have offered 15,000 gold coins at most so that they could take the remaining 5,000 gold coins for themselves. However, in view of a possible long-term partnership with Roel on the sales of the Ascart House¡¯s treasures, Arwen decided to offer a more favorable deal to him. He pondered for a moment before finally speaking up. ¡°I think that 18,000 gold coins is an appropriate price. Young master Roel, what do you say?¡± Arwen nervously looked at the little boy before him, who appeared to not know the rules of the industry. He was worried that thetter would blow his top upon hearing the massive price difference from the initial offer. That being said, Arwen had also dealt with his fair share of difficult customers over the years, so he was confident in his ability to persuade Roel to ept his offered price. But, contrary to his expectations, Roel ced his cup of tea down on the table, stood up, and began walking out of the guest suite without saying a word at all. 1 reply ¨C 5 days ago ¡°Eh? W-wait a moment, young master Roel! Where are you going?¡± Arwen immediately rose to his feet and moved quickly to block the exit of the ck-haired boy. ¡°Mister Arwen, I¡¯m having reservations about your sincerity. The price you have offered me isn¡¯t even half of my initial offer.¡± ¡°Young master Roel, I assure you that I have no intention of scamming you. Your initial offer is simply too high. 18,000 gold coins is the limit of what we can offer you.¡± Arwen spoke with a face that was as sincere as possible. It was almost as if he wouldn¡¯t be earning a single gold coin out of this deal at all. Roel looked at Arwen quietly for a moment before he nodded his head with a smile of realization. Son of a banshee, you must be thinking that I¡¯m a helpless prey on your chopping board, huh? Very well, I shall show you the right way to negotiate a deal! ¡°I see. It would appear that the scale of the Ascart City Branch is still too small.¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Disappointment flickered across Roel¡¯s face as he stepped forward and patted Arwen¡¯s chest lightly. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mister Arwen, I know that the financial ability of your branch is limited, so I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. Here, I¡¯ll be heading to the Holy Capital for Her Highness¡¯ birthday soon, and I believe that the Sorofya Merchant Association¡¯s Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters should have the capacity to fulfill my demands.¡± 1 reply ¨C 5 days ago ¡°!!!¡± Those words made Arwen widen his eyes as cold sweat began dripping down his back. Wait a moment, this isn¡¯t how the story is supposed to go. If what Roel mentioned was real, Arwen would not just be missing out on two massively lucrative transactions for his branch, his evaluation inside the merchant association would also be utterly ruined! In truth, the Sorofya Merchant Association¡¯s Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters, as lengthy and formidable as the name sounded, was only half a tier above the Ascart City Branch. They would surely be tempted by the profits that Roel could potentially bring them and very possibly offer him a sweet deal. Then, once Arwen¡¯s rivals learned that he had screwed up this deal at his own branch, it was certain that they would blow up this matter so as to get rid of an insidepetitor. Would the sessor to the Ascart House travel all the way to the Holy Capital to sell his items for no reason? Not to mention, this was an item requested by the central headquarters, so they would surely take this matter very seriously. By then, he would be stuck with abel of ipetence. Arwen couldn¡¯t ept such an oue, especially given that the manager of the Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters was his ¡®old friend¡¯ who had taken ¡®very good care¡¯ of him in his younger years. 1 reply ¨C 6 days ago That decided it. Arwen grit his teeth and made up his mind. ¡°Young master Roel, please calm down for a moment. Why don¡¯t we do this instead? As long as there¡¯s nothing wrong with the item after inspection, I¡¯ll fork out 25,000 gold coins for it.¡± Afraid that Roel would turn him down, he took two gasps of air before he continued his persuasion. ¡°I know that this price might be insufficient to satisfy you, but I can tell you honestly that the highest estimated price for Request 172 is only 20,000 gold coins. I¡¯m offering the additional 5,000 gold coins out of my own pocket, as a gesture of friendship. I can swear on the name of Sia that not even the Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters can offer you this price.¡± Hearing Arwen¡¯s vow, Roel¡¯s expression finally alleviated a little. He took his time to ponder the offer before slowly returning back to his seat. He stared at the cunning businessman before him for a moment longer before finally eding with a nod. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll trust you since you have gone to the extent of swearing on Sia¡¯s name. Let¡¯s go with the price that you¡¯ve proposed then. However, I have two conditions.¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago ¡°Go ahead and state them.¡± ¡°First, I wish to receive one-fifth of the money in advance as a deposit to bring back to my father. Second, due to some reasons, my father doesn¡¯t want anyone else to know that these goods areing from our Ascart House. So, we won¡¯t be signing any agreements or acknowledging this transaction at all. I expect the highest level of confidentiality from you.¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago ¡°Yes, I understand. You don¡¯t need to worry. Our Sorofya Merchant Association is renowned for its world-ss confidentiality, so you can be assured that no one else will know about this transaction.¡± Arwen was overjoyed to see that he had managed to convince Roel. He continued to discuss the details with Roel over tea before handing Roel a box of money and walking him out of the merchant association. ¡°Anna, Mister Arwen said that a new batch of goods will being in tomorrow, so we¡¯ll be dropping by again tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes, young master. I¡¯ll make arrangements ordingly.¡± After issuing instructions to Anna, Roel got into the carriage before bidding Arwen farewell. ¡°I¡¯ll be seeing you tomorrow then, Mister Arwen.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Inside the carriage traveling homeward, Roel fondled the box filled with gold coins as he thought over the earlier exchange he had with Arwen. Fortunately, he managed to exploit his young age and tyrannical reputation to his advantage during negotiations. As an ignorant and reckless scion of the powerful Ascart House, it was his entitlement to be unreasonable, and this made it incredibly difficult for the rational Arwen to deal with him. For one, Arwen had no problem believing that Roel would sell his stuff over at the Holy Capital in his anger. In truth, Roel couldn¡¯t afford to wait till Nora¡¯s birthday and make the trade over at the Holy Capital. He needed to settle it this month. However, there was no way Arwen could have known that. For the sake of securing the ¡®treasures of the Ascart House¡¯ for himself, he chose to take a loss on the first deal in order to build up a friendly working rtionship. Unfortunately for him though, Roel had no ns of continuing his trade with the Sorofyas. 2 replies ¨C 5 days ago It was risky for him to pull things out of nowhere and throw them in the market, as it could catch unwanted attention in the long-run. Furthermore, he wouldn¡¯t be able to exin it to his father, Carter, if thetter were to learn of it. However, if it was just one item... ¡°It¡¯s just a Soul-calming Lamp, and it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m doing this. I can¡¯t be so unlucky as to get done-in on the first time, right?¡± muttered Roel optimistically. Chapter 30: Money to Buy Happiness!

Chapter 30: Money to Buy Happiness!

A weekter, Roel sat in his room as he stared at the two brand-new winter coats folded neatly in wooden boxes in front of him. These winter coats were of different sizes, therger one being for a guy and the smaller one being for a girl. These were the clothes that Roel had personally ordered at the Sorofyas a week ago. It was worth noting that therger winter coat was bought not for Roel himself but as a gift for Carter. While he was shopping at the Sorofyas, he suddenly recalled that in his ten years in the Ascart House, not once had he ever bought anything for his own father before. Feeling a bit guilty about this, Roel decided to use the money that he had earned to order a coat for Carter. In a sense, this was a small token of appreciation for everything his father had done for him over all these years. It appeared that Arwen viewed Roel as a VVIP, due to the transaction they had, resulting in the former using everything within his power to ensure the service provided was to Roel¡¯s satisfaction. As such, the clothes that were supposed to be due in half a month¡¯s time were delivered in just a week... ... though what was important here was the sparkling golden heap buried beneath the clothes. Gold coins. 20,000 of them, to be exact. 3 replies ¨C 11 hours ago It was the final payment for the item Roel sold via the request list. A week ago, as soon as Roel brought the deposit home with him, he exchanged it for Sarchorme¡¯s Soul-calming Lamp through the Gold Coin Shop. Themp was molded with some sort of dark brown dirt, and the oil inside was dark red in color, seemingly made out of some sort of mysterious substance. Roel tried lighting themp up, and the me produced by themp released a pure white glow that brought him inner peace. Perhaps this was how enlightenment felt. The following day, Roel passed the Soul-calming Lamp over to Arwen for testing. The results appeared to be satisfactory as Arwen squealed in delighted that the item Roel brought over had far surpassed what they had asked for. Arwen thought that something as valuable as the Soul-calming Lamp was bound to be some sort of family heirloom, and he felt deeply relieved that he had decisively gone through with the transaction yesterday and didn¡¯t let this treasure slip through his fingers. His attitude toward Roel also became much more amicable than before, and he indicated that he would try to send the final payment over as soon as possible. ¡°Yep, he did manage to deliver it here quite quickly,¡± muttered Roel as he picked up a fistful of coins. The process would usually require quite some time, as the item would first have to be delivered to the branch where the buyer made the request from, then the buyer would collect the item and submit payment for it. Only after the payment had been confirmed could the money be released to the seller. Considering how transportation was an issue in this world, it was amazing how they could clear the administrative process within just a single week. Roel was quite satisfied with how things turned out. He was initially nning to raise just 1000 gold coins to purchase the two serums in the Gold Coin Shop, but he ended up profiting an eye-popping 20,000 gold coins from the sales instead. With such money, one could buy a huge house in a prime location in the Holy Capital! To make aparison, the Ascart House, as one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, should have aworth of at least 10 million gold coins, if one were to factor in the span of its territory and all of its properties. However, most of these were fixed assets that couldn¡¯t be liquidated easily. The amount of money that the Ascart House was really able to bring out was around several hundred thousand gold. Given so, Roel could already be considered a mini tycoon in Ascart City, and that was just from a single transaction. Roel was the type of person who relished in seeing his bank ount bnce increase day by day, and he would rather take a dagger to his heart than watch his money disappear like water through a broken faucet. However, he knew that the small fortune he had just built up would soon disappear in the endless abyss known as the Gold Coin Shop, and it anguished him greatly. It was regrettable, but Roel knew clearly what he was working for. No amount of money was worth his life. Besides, would he have to worry about having no money when he was finally strong? Roel assuaged his aching heart by telling himself time and time again that this money was going to good use before finally stowing it away in his private little treasure vault. Then, he picked up the two winter coats he had bought and headed out of his room. It just so happened that Carter was taking a break today and was in the mansion. Otherwise, he would have to wait another week before giving it to him. Roel first headed over to Alicia¡¯s room. The etiquette lesson Alicia had earlier in the morning had tired her out, so she was currently taking a break at the moment. Nevertheless, Roel¡¯s arrival still brought a bright smile to her face right away. ¡°Good morning, Lord Brother,¡± said Alicia as she stood up and curtsied. Her movements were dignified but, at the same time, so unbearably adorable as well. Seeing this brought a faint smile to Roel¡¯s lips too. ¡°Morning, Alicia. Your etiquette lesson must have been tiring. Here, I have a gift for you.¡± With a wave of his hand, Anna immediately brought a beautifully designed wooden box forward. The logo of the Sorofya Merchant Association and the autograph of the designer were carved onto the wooden box, making it look simplistically ssy and exclusive. The box also carried the scent of a perfume that Sorofyas¡¯ was marketing at the moment, a deliberate yet natural way to advertise their other products. I really do wonder who is the one behind all of these marketing tricks. He¡¯s a true business prodigy! While Roel¡¯s thoughts were wandering all over, Alicia sped her mouth in sheer delight upon seeing the packaging. It wasmon knowledge that tailored clothes from the Sorofya Merchant Association were expensive. However, their unique and fashionable designs were hard for any woman to resist, such that even the sensible Alicia would be captivated by their beauty. ¡°Big brother, this is...?¡± ¡°I realized that I have never given you a wee gift ever since you arrived at the Ascart House. I¡¯m btedly making up for that.¡± ¡°Thank you, I love it!¡± The delighted Alicia leaped into Roel¡¯s embrace and cuddled up against his chest like a silver cat. A wave of high-value Affection Points shot out from her head. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago The maids in the vicinity watched the loving siblings with slight smiles on their lips as green light rose over their heads as well, especially for Anna, who was producing substantial numbers. However, Roel didn¡¯t pay any heed to the points. He was fully indulging in Alicia¡¯s warm hug as he felt a surge of healing energy gushing into his heart. Oooooh, how cute! I feel like I¡¯m being born anew! 2 replies ¨C 4 days ago Roel had been stressing himself out having to raise money and build up his physical stamina. He now felt his anxious heart gradually calm down as his burdens were lifted away. He had never known that a hug could be so therapeutic; he would pay any amount of money to experience it again. This hug onlysted for a short while before a maid, under the piercing re of her colleagues, nervously interjected into this warm atmosphere to usher Alicia for her next lesson. Roel bade his adopted sister farewell before heading off to knock on the door of his father¡¯s room. To his astonishment, his meeting with his father caused an even greatermotion. When Roel told Carter that he had used his money to buy him a winter jacket and passed a wooden box over, the great marquess, he actually started crying! ¡°Maria, you can rest at ease now. Our child has matured. He even knows how to buy me a gift now!¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Carter opened the locket that he wore around his neck and began crying to the portrait of Roel¡¯s deceased mother, leaving Roel feeling somewhat amused yet ultimately mncholic. Listening half-heartedly as Carter began nagging at him once more, Roel felt something settling down in his heart. It was theforting from a father¡¯s love. While Roel did possess the memories of his previous life, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Carter was his father. Carter had to raise Roel up alone after his wife died a premature death, and the journey to parenthood hadn¡¯t been easy for him. Roel¡¯s willfulness often left him with splitting headaches, and the knowledge that Roel wascking the talent to be a transcendent made him feel deep self-reproach. But, despite the difficulties along the way, he had never given up on Roel. He continued to n carefully for his son¡¯s future to ensure that his son would be able to live a peaceful life ahead. In truth, if it was just over the session of the Ascarts¡¯ lineage, there was no need for Carter to go through so much trouble. He could have just married another wife and born a few more offspring; that was the ¡®normal thing¡¯ other nobles would have done. However, Carter chose not to do so, because of his deep love for his deceased wife and Roel. While Roel had cursed at having been put into the tragic role of a soon-to-be-killed viin, he felt that it was a great blessing of the world for him to have been born into the Ascart House and to Carter. While feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, Roel gave his farewells to his father before heading back to his room. Seeing the smiles on the faces of his family members made him feel more energized than ever. Now that he was fully recharged both in body and soul, it was time for him to get to the main show¡ªthe two serums. Chapter 31: Happenings In the Shadows

Chapter 31: Happenings In the Shadows

What should one do before drinking medicine? Roel wouldn¡¯t say that he was an expert on this topic. He recalled how martial artists in his previous world had a habit of meditating under a waterfall for several days in order to reach their peak state. However, it seemed like this world didn¡¯t share that custom, though it was not as if Roel would do it anyway. Some might pray to the gods and wish for everything to go well. However, seeing how Roel was dealing with some dark and sinister stuff here, he didn¡¯t think that the gods of this world would be willing to give him their blessing. Forget it, I¡¯ll just gulp it down and get it over and done with! Roel stared at the two bottles of serum that he had spent 1000 gold coins to acquire from the Gold Coin Shop¡ªLobor Enhancement Serum Type II and Lobor Cooling Serum. The former was a bottle of viscous ck fluid that looked no different from crude oil while thetter looked a teeny bit tamer with its dark blue color. He uncapped the two bottles and began pouring them into a ss cup. To his surprise, the ck viscous fluid flowed smoothly like water whereas the tamer dark blue fluid flowed slowly like a thick molten caramel. The two fluids began to effervesce upon contact, as if some sort of sinister chemical reaction was taking ce. Roel eyed the color of the mixture carefully as he recalled the description of the items. ¡°I¡¯ll be able to drink it once the color settles at dark red...¡± Time ticked by as Roel observed the mixture patiently. Around ten minutester, the mixture inside the ss cup finally turned dark red, and the effervescence had stopped too. Roel picked up the cup and took a sniff. He could smell a scent simr to orange juice in it. ¡°System, is this fine? Can I drink it now?¡± ¡¾Scanning object...¡¿ ¡¾Color matches. Reaction matches. The serum is ready for consumption.¡¿ ¡°That¡¯s a relief. But still, it feels so odd for something with the texture of milk to have the smell of oranges... Forget it, cheers!¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Roel swirled the fluid inside the ss cup lightly before tilting his head back and gulping down this serum mixture that had cost him 1000 gold coins. Its texture is thick like gravy, and it has a weird taste too. The slight orangey scent does mellow down the weirdness a little, making it at least ptable. 2 replies ¨C 11 hours ago For those inquisitive minds out there, this was Roel¡¯smentary on how this highly expensive serum mixture tasted. That being said, the value of mediciney not in its taste but in its effectiveness. After downing the serum mixture, Roel closed his eyes to focus on the miraculous changes that were happening to his body... ... or he would have been if not for the fact that nothing was happening at all. ¡°What¡¯s going on? I thought I was supposed to have a huge burst of power and go Super Saiyan! System, is this how the serum mixture is supposed to work? I paid 1000 gold coins for it, and nothing is... Gahh!¡± Halfway through delivering his indignant consumerint, Roel¡¯s body suddenly shuddered as he felt a burning heat rising from his stomach, spreading all over his body within seconds. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago He could sense his temperature rising at a rapid pace, such that his head was starting to feel groggy from overheating. He immediately rose to his feet and struggled to make his way over to his bed, only to find himself cking out after barely taking a step. Bam! The chair was knocked to the ground, falling right beside a copsed ck-haired boy. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª While Roel was knocked unconscious under the effects of the serum mixture, far away in Rosa, the little Soul-calming Lamp that he had sold to the Sorofya Merchant Association was gradually creating ripples that would eventually change his fate. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago ¡°It¡¯s working! It really is working!¡± A ginger-haired middle-aged man dressed in opulent robes sat upon the main seat in a dark room while eximing in agitation. There was a shabby-looking oilmp ced on the table in front of him, emanating a bizarre white light. It illuminated the magnificent paintings and invaluable old books spread around the room, as well as the nts that were specially imported from Gran Fiefdom that were ced along the sides... ... and not to forget, the excited faces of those gathered around the centrally positioned table too. ¡°Mister Bruce, how are you feeling at the moment?¡± ¡°I feel great. The corrosion is slowing down... No, it has pretty muche to a halt.¡± 2 replies ¨C 11 hours ago He touched his own chest as he tried to perceive the changes that were going on in his body, and soon, he nodded his head affirmatively once more. ¡°The unease in my soul has vanished, and I can feel that the effects of the undead reanimation gradually undoing itself. What¡¯s amazing is that it actually has no side effects on me at all... Andrew, are you able to identify what thismp is?¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 days ago ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ve never heard of this item before. However, I¡¯m certain that it¡¯s an antique originating from before the Third Epoch.¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 days ago A spectacled old man wearing a pointed hat, Andrew, remarked as he stepped forward to examine the Soul-calming Lamp close up. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago ¡°This oilmp appears to be made of a special kind of dirt, and the oil within seems to be the blood of some creature. My guess is that it¡¯s the product of an heretical cult. Judging by theck of adverse side effects, it doesn¡¯t seem to be from an evil cult. It¡¯s probably from one of the cults in the Second Epoch that has already been forgotten by civilization,¡± replied Andrew. ¡°Is it possible to replicate it?¡± ¡°I can give it a try, but the chances of sess are slim.¡± ¡°If you aren¡¯t able to do it, no one else will be able to either. What an irony. I never thought that a day woulde when I¡¯m dependent on amp to live,¡± remarked Bruce Sorofya wryly. No one else in the room could bring themselves tough at his remark. A heavy silence lingered in the air until a man holding onto a ck wooden staff finally spoke up. ¡°Given the rate the oil is depleting, the oilmp should be able tost us several years, which means that we have more time on our hands to devise a countermeasure.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. With this additional time bought and our influence as Sorofyas, it¡¯s not entirely impossible for us to find a remedy.¡± The group inside the room tried to maintain an optimistic attitude. 2 replies ¨C 11 hours ago Bruce Sorofya smiled bitterly to himself. It was at least a good thing that he managed to obtain thismp, so he shouldn¡¯t get too pessimistic about the current situation, he thought. ¡°With these additional years bought, I¡¯ll be able to raise Charlotte up. By then, I¡¯d be able to leave with no regrets. If that doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯ll have no choice but to put our lives on the line.¡± 2 replies ¨C 11 hours ago Bruce¡¯s words brought grave looks to everyone inside the room. The crowd nodded as one, resolutely, as if affirming their determination. It was then that someone suddenly thought of something and asked. 1 reply ¨C 3 days ago ¡°Who is the seller of this oilmp? Do we have the person¡¯s information?¡± ¡°It was sold by the Ascart House of Saint Mesit Theocracy.¡± ¡°What? The Ascart House?¡± Upon hearing the words from his subordinate, a frown immediately formed on Bruce¡¯s forehead and he lowered his head in thought. This reaction made the rest of the group gathered around the table look at one another quizzically before Andrew finally propped up his sses and inquired. ¡°Bruce, are you acquainted with the patriarch of the Ascart House?¡± ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t know him. It¡¯s just that... we have some history together. Did the seller leave behind any words?¡± ¡°No. On the contrary, he instructed the manager of the branch not to reveal any information about himself.¡± ¡°...¡± Hearing those words, Bruce visibly rxed a little, thinking that it might have been all a coincidence. Indeed. It has been nearly a hundred years since then, so who would still remember the promise from back then? 1 reply ¨C 3 days ago Bruce chuckled to himself, thinking that it was all over. Yet, who could have thought that there would still be a continuation to the story? 3 replies ¨C 11 hours ago ¡°What¡¯s weird though is that the seller is the son of Marquess Ascart, and he¡¯s only nine this year.¡± ¡°9-year-old? He¡¯s of the same age as our young miss. Could it be that he secretly sold the treasure behind his family¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Haha, how is that possible? This is an antique from the Second Epoch! It can easily be regarded as a family heirloom in any noble lineage!¡± ¡°ording to the report, it appears that Marquess Ascart instructed his son, Roel Ascart, to handle the transaction. Based on the information we have gathered, this young sessor doesn¡¯t possess any transcendental abilities, so this might be an attempt to get on good terms with the local branch. That could help them in building up a partnership with us in furthering the development of the fiefdom¡¯smerce.¡± 2 replies ¨C 2 days ago ¡°That¡¯s possible. If the young sessor is unable to be a transcendent, he¡¯ll have no choice but to focus his efforts on managing the fiefdom.¡± While the crowd was discussing the affairs of the Ascart House, Bruce Sorofya fell silent once more. The others didn¡¯t think much of Marquess Ascart¡¯s decision of entrusting the job of selling the Soul-calming Lamp to his son, but Bruce felt that there was something more to it. He felt that it was a remindering from the Ascart House, a reminder that they still remembered the promise. The Ascart House was urging him to fulfill his end of the promise, and in order to do so, they even went to the extent of offering him their family heirloom, so as to keep him alive. 4 replies ¨C 11 hours ago Bruce had no idea how the Ascart House knew about his current condition, and he had no idea how the news of him being the buyer leaked out either. A hundred years passed in a sh, but the veil of mystery surrounding the Ascart House only thickened. ¡°Could this be fate?¡± he muttered weakly. 2 replies ¨C 3 days ago After another long moment of reflection, he couldn¡¯t help but utter his daughter¡¯s name in a daze. ¡°Charlotte...¡± Chapter 32: The Culprit… Is Me!

Chapter 32: The Culprit... Is Me!

Roel had a terrible nightmare. In it, he was kidnapped by massive ogres, who first put him in a shudderingly cold refrigerator before frying him in a blisteringly hot pan. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Perhaps it was because Roel¡¯s skin was thicker than normal, such that the blisteringly hot pan didn¡¯t manage to thoroughly cook him, he was ced back into the refrigerator once more before being thrown into the hot pan yet again. This alternating freeze-fry treatment continued for two torturous days, inflicting such great suffering that Roel¡¯s consciousness had started fading near the end. It was only muchter, when a girl¡¯s unbearable weeping gradually grew louder and louder in his ears, finally prating his stupor, that Roel regained consciousness. He slowly opened his heavy eyelids and saw an ornately designed ceiling above him. ¡°This ce is...¡± ¡°Big brother Roel! You¡¯re finally awake! Wuuuu¡ª¡± 1 reply ¨C 11 hours ago ¡°Ali... cia?¡± The young man struggled to turn his head, only to have a silver-haired girl pulling him in. Before he knew it, he was already in the embrace of a bawling Alicia. No matter how he tried to console her, she simply wouldn¡¯t stop crying. Meanwhile, Anna began shouting loudly upon noticing that Roel had awoken. ¡°Young master is awake!¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯ll inform the old master right now!¡± The servants quickly ryed the news, and before long, anxious footsteps rapidly approached outside before a figure came bursting through the door. It was Carter. Roel was astonished to see his father acting in such an undignified manner for the very first time. However, Carter paid it no heed as he began examining Roel from head to toe worriedly. ¡°Roel, you¡¯re finally awake. Do you feel ufortable anywhere?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling fine, just a little tired.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Carter heaved a deep sigh as he nodded in relief. Whileforting the crying Alicia, Roel asked his father what was going on, only to be shocked to learn that he had actually slept for three whole days! Or to be more urate, he had been ill for three days now. It was on that night three days ago that Anna first noticed Roel lying unconscious beside a chair. Roel was in a delirious state then, and his body was burning up. The flustered Anna immediately ran off to inform Carter of the matter. Carter was in the midst of trying out his new clothes when he heard from the panicky Anna. Clothes were immediately tossed aside as he dashed straight over. Immediately, Carter moved his son over to the bed before instructing the servants to lower his temperature so as to prevent his body from overheating. It was around this time that someone noticed the serum containers and ss cup used to mix the serums together on Roel¡¯s table. Carter inspected the remaining liquid droplets inside the serum containers and noticed that they contained magic power inside them. The first thought that came to his mind was that someone had attempted to assassinate his son, so he immediately locked down the mansion and began casting spells to trace the culprit. ¡°There¡¯s no need to investigate the matter. I drank the serums of my own ord!¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Noticing that the matter was beginning to blow out of proportion, Roel quickly spoke up and intervened. He told Carter that he found some medicine inside the vaultbeled to be ¡®body enhancing¡¯. Out of a moment of recklessness to improve his constitution, he ended up drinking it. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago The realization that no one was out for Roel¡¯s life made everyone in the room heave a sigh of relief, but Roel still had to go through a long lecture from Carter for his reckless behavior. ¡°How can you just consume the items inside the vault so recklessly? Do you even know how long the serums have been there for? It could have already expired by now! You should be d that you¡¯re still alive right now after drinking such stuff!¡± ¡°I was wrong, father. I won¡¯t do it again...¡± Roel didn¡¯t expect the two serums described to be a ¡®perfect fit¡¯ to turn out like that too, so he apologized earnestly. Seeing how remorseful Roel was, Carter decided to let this matter go. He reminded Roel once more to never act so recklessly again before finally leaving the room. After finally resolving Carter¡¯s side, Roel turned his attention toforting the still weeping Alicia. ¡°Big brother Roel, I understand how you feel, but you mustn¡¯t do this ever again! If our house ever needs the power of a transcendent, even if what I am able to do might amount to very little, you should at least rely on me a little!¡± Alicia spoke with a tearstained face. However, those words from Alicia made Roel¡¯s body stiffen a little. No no no, you¡¯re looking down on yourself way too much. If that power of yours is considered as weak, there would be nothing in this world that can be considered strong anymore! 3 replies ¨C 11 hours ago Putting his mental retorts aside, Roel promised Alicia that he wouldn¡¯t do anything reckless in the future anymore, and the little silver-haired girl finally managed to crack a faint smile. The two of them continued hugging for a while longer before finally separating. The unintended illness had caused a huge panic in the Ascart House, but to be honest, Roel had a hard time being too upset by how things turned out. This incident showed him that the effort he had been putting in over thest month hadn¡¯t been in vain. There wasn¡¯t anything different about Carter, since he was known to be a doting father anyway, but Alicia¡¯s attitude was truly different from how it was in the game¡¯s storyline. Had it been the original Roel, Alicia would have politely enquired about his condition while feeling nothing inside... At the very least, she wouldn¡¯t have soaked his clothes in tears. While he felt bad for worrying them, knowing that someone cared so much for him made him feel warm on the inside. ¡°Young master, you have just recovered from your illness. You should change your clothes.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Roel patted his chest as he took off his soaked clothes and passed them over to Anna. These servants of the Ascart House were also treating him differently from before as well. Had it been in the past, they might have been fidgeting around out of worry that they would lose their jobs, but they definitely wouldn¡¯t have been so concerned about him. Kindness does reap kindness. At least the Ascart House isn¡¯t as unfeeling as it used to be. As Roel¡¯s thoughts wandered, he began to take a closer inspection of his body. He soon noticed another change of a very different sort. He didn¡¯t feel as weak as a patient who had just suffered three days of high fever should. Closing his eyes and clenching his fists tightly, he could clearly sense that his body was much stronger than before. Considering how much he had forked out for the serum, he expected at least this much. The knowledge that he hadn¡¯t spent his money in vain filled him with relief. Such thoughts in mind, Roel opened the System¡¯s User Interface, and there was indeed a difference in his status. ¡¾Name: Roel Ascart Gender: Male Age: 9 Bloodline: Iron Epithet: ¨C Tier: F+ (Magician Apprentice) Fundamental Spells: Minor Heatwave, Phantom Hands¡¿ Just by drinking two bottles of serum, his tier had already increased from F- to F+. The (Defective) tag that was previously on his Phantom Hands had disappeared too. 1 reply ¨C 11 hours ago On top of that, he could sense that he hadn¡¯t fully assimted the energy inside the serums. As long as he trained hard, he should be able to raise his tier up to E soon. That would correspond to Origin Level 6, the strength of a trained militia soldier. It might just be a single tier, but it made a huge difference. The strength of a trained militia member was far greater than that of an ordinary civilian. They possessed the strength to curb even lions and tigers with ease, though mana-mutated demon beasts might still pose a bit of trouble. During peacetime, militia soldiers were tasked with the responsibility of ensuring security and order on the streets, but as soon as a crisis struck, they woulde under the military. With their greater numbers, they would form the bulk of the army, standing steadfast to repel aggressors. ¡°I guess I¡¯ve finally managed to take a small step forward?¡± 1 reply ¨C 3 days ago He was feeling a little agitated by how his efforts were paying off. He might not be a natural-born talent like Alicia and Nora, but he was still advancing at his own pace. A step at a time, he would rue power and eventually change the tragic fate that was awaiting him! ¡°I shall grow stronger, pluck out all my death gs, and live a peaceful life!¡± Chapter 33: Oomph!

Chapter 33: Oomph!

Roel was currently standing on the Ascart House¡¯s training field, swinging his sword down on wooden targets. A 9-year-old child wielding an edgeless metal practice sword against a resilient wooden target would have usually been a monotonous cycle of repeating the same movements again and again. But something was different today. Bam! Bam! Crack! Swinging with all his might, Roel split open the wooden target in just three strikes. Even the practice sword had dented slightly under the sheer force of the blows. This was absolutely a show of superhuman strength. It was impossible for an ordinary human to smash one of these wooden targets in just three strikes, especially when bludgeoning it with an edgeless de. ¡°So this is Origin Level 6, the System¡¯s tier E?¡± Roel retracted his de, feeling gratified. His body had undergone a massive change over thest few days, especially the mana in his body. A week ago, Roel spent a great deal of money to purchase two serums from the System, only to be incapacitated for three whole days after consuming them. After he regained consciousness, Carter strictly instructed Roel to continue resting in bed, so as to ensure that his body recuperated properly. He even went to the extent of ordering Anna to keep a close eye on him. Under Anna¡¯s watchful gaze, Roel could only flop around in bed out of boredom for another three days before he was finally liberated. As such, this was the first time he was testing out his newfound strength. During his three days of enforced rest, Roel felt the serums¡¯ energy gradually being assimted into his body, causing him to be more and more energetic with each passing day. Sometimes, he even found himself unable to sleep at night. His five senses grew much sharper, and his reflexes were faster than ever. It was only this morning that Roel had a look at his User Interface and realized that his tier had risen to E. That was why he immediately rushed to the training field to try his hand. His newfound strength was truly amazing. He felt that he could slice an unarmored enemy in half without much issue. Even if he had to face a mountain tiger right now, he didn¡¯t think that he would necessarily lose. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago While Roel was satisfied with his growth, he didn¡¯t letcency get to his head. The enhancement serum could only bring his constitution and talent as far as tier E. There was still a long way to go if he wanted to further raise his Degree of Assimtion to Origin Level 5. ¡°Eyy, I¡¯ll probably have to find another way to raise money soon.¡± Roel had two boxes of gold coins stowed away securely in his little personal vault, but his gut feeling told him that it would be far from sufficient. For the first time ever since his transmigration, he felt that he was really poor. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Even after pumping so much money in, it would still be hard for him to catch up to the footsteps of true prodigies like Alicia and Nora. As the game¡¯s capture targets, they were blessed with superior bloodlines that allowed them to achieve far more than ordinary people could despite exerting just half the effort. The only sce for him was that such elites numbered in the minority in this world. Even though Alicia usually appeared docile in Roel¡¯s presence, the reality was that she was far stronger than the previous F- Roel. Even with two years of disparity in their ages, her proficiency in spells was far above Roel¡¯s. That being said, the two of them had their own strengths and weaknesses. Alicia was known for her regenerative ability, but her offensive prowess wascking byparison. It was the opposite for Roel, where he had great strength but ordinary recovery. In any case, after testing out his physical prowess on the wooden targets, Roel proceeded to the next segment¡ªspell practice. He picked up a spellbook, which he hadn¡¯t touched for a very long time, and began looking through the spells inside. It wasmon knowledge that all of the basic spells, prior to obtaining an Origin Attribute, were transitory spells. At Origin Level 7, the spells that one could learn were mostly functional spells that had little offensive power, such as Phantom Hands and Minor Heatwave. In his former world in a certain popr game, these could barely even count as level 0 spells. They were only good for minor chores like retrieving objects or drying one¡¯s clothes. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Origin Level 6 was viewed as the minimum requirement to learn spells that were actually useful for offensive purposes. Those at this level would find their bodies undergoing a set of changes that brought about a significant enhancement in their control over mana, thus opening up a vast new array of spells that could be learned. A veteran militia soldier would usually have quite a few decent spells up his sleeves, and what Roel wanted to learn was something practical that would be of help to him. After an hour of nitpicking, Roel finally narrowed down the list of spells he wanted to learn. ¡¾Focused Burst Channels one¡¯s mana within the body toward a chosen body part to strengthen its speed and resilience. Can be used for both offense and defense.¡¿ 2 replies ¨C 2 days ago ¡¾Spell Gloves Imbues magic power onto one¡¯s hands to fend against enemy attacks. Resilience of the gloves is dependent on the attribute of the imbued mana instead of the amount of mana used.¡¿ 2 replies ¨C 2 days ago ¡¾Controlled Breathing A distinctive breathing method that requires the use of mana. It can significantly reduce the depletion of one¡¯s stamina, allowing one to stand strong in a prolonged battle.¡¿ 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago The three spells were all Origin Level 6 support type spells that Roel found in the spellbook. Why support type? The preferred way of fighting at this level was still close-quarterbat; spells more or less yed an auxiliary role. The reason for that was not too hard to figure out¡ªthe offensive type spells at this level were simply too ineffective. Take this for example... ¡¾methrower Creates magical spell mes. The amount of damage it can inflict in the short-run is limited, but it is useful as a feint.¡¿ 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago ¡°...¡± This was basically the kind of offensive type spell that one could learn at Origin Level 6. Roel didn¡¯t think something like that was useful in the long-run, unless you wanted it for roasting meat. Unless he were to get stuck at Origin Level 6 for too long, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t bother wasting time learning such showy yet useless stuff. Shortly after Roel recovered, Carter traveled back to the Holy Knight Order. He had piled up quite a bit of work in the days he stayed at the Ascart House looking after Roel, so it didn¡¯t seem likely that he would be able to return anytime soon. As a result, Roel and Alicia returned to theirfortable twosome life. The days that followed were quite peaceful. Roel, having gained real transcendental abilities for the first time in his two lives, could now hardly curb his excitement at all. He put his all into learning everything there was to know about spells. At the same time, he also upped the intensity of his physical training severalfold too, resulting in a massive improvement in his swordsmanship. 2 replies ¨C 1 day ago With this, he finally graduated from being a weakling. 3 replies ¨C 1 day ago Alicia had been working hard during this period of time too. It appeared that Roel¡¯s illness had sparked something within her. She was able to integrate into the Ascart House sessfully due to Roel and Carter¡¯s efforts, and she began developing a sense of responsibility toward the house too. She felt that she needed to contribute back to her adoptive family, especially after she learned that it was nigh impossible for her Lord Brother to gain transcendental abilities. Well, it went without saying that she was unaware that her brother was a pay-to-win yer who dumped his fortune into the cash shop to squeeze out some transcendental abilities from his tiny body. 5 replies ¨C 2 days ago After the autumn harvest came to an end, Roel was relieved of his responsibilities as a tax official. There was currently nothing in the Affection Points Shop that caught his interest, so he decided to put that aside for now and focus on developing his individual ability. That being said, the three-times-a-day Affection Points farming sessions with Alicia still continued, and he was always able to harvest quite a substantial amount each time. Furthermore, he noticed that the amount of Affection Points he was getting out of the servants was increasing as well. 1 reply ¨C 2 days ago Anna had been quite happy during this period of time too. Being able to watch over the sweet, budding romance between the young master and the young miss, together with her colleagues, had be her daily dose of bliss. The adorable interactions between the two of them would always leave her squealing excitedly in her mind without fail. 1 reply ¨C 10 hours ago Such peaceful days passed in a sh. 2 replies ¨C 1 day ago Before one could notice, autumn had alreadye to an end, and winter was on the verge of setting in. Chapter 34: Is This Bribery?

Chapter 34: Is This Bribery?

Winter seemed to have snuck up on them while Roel and Alicia were preupied with their studies and training. The temperature continued to fall, and eventually, it started snowing. Gazing upon the scene outside, which had been cloaked in ayer of white snow, Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel a little excited inside. It felt almost as if the world was inviting him out to take a look and have a snowball fight. Even Alicia, who was usually calm and quiet, felt an urge to frolic about in this weather. It was a pity that Roel and Alicia were the only ones in the Ascart House, and Roel couldn¡¯t bear to really go all out against her in a snowball fight. In the end, they simply made a snowman together. 1 reply ¨C 3 hours ago There was a superstition that a snowy winter would lead to a bountiful spring, so the farmers living in the suburbs also rejoiced at the weather. Snow continued to fall for several consecutive days before the weather calmed down. It was on the day right after it stopped snowing that Carter finally returned back to the Ascart House. He appeared to have plenty of work on hand, such that he didn¡¯t have time to rest at home. Even on his rare, free days, he led the militia and military soldiers out to the mountain to hold the local Winter Hunt. The Winter Hunt was a staple event for each fiefdom. The onset of winter signified the withering of nts and crops, resulting in ack of food and other necessities. At times like this, the local noblemen would rally the men in their territory, who were free at home, to hunt down animals in the wilderness. The meat of the hunted animals could be eaten as food, and their skin could be stitched together as coats. It was one of the ways to alleviate the difficulties brought about by the harsh conditions of winter. The nature of the Winter Hunt changed over the years though, as the popce learned how to prepare for and cope with the harshness of winter. Furthermore, safety measures were put in ce to help the needy. Starvation was no longer a huge problem for themoners anymore. As such, the Winter Hunt turned into something more like a festive celebration instead. Roel was still too young, and he didn¡¯t want to leave Alicia alone at home either, so he opted not to participate. Carter spent three whole days up in the mountain before finally returning with a deer head in hand. ¡°What is... this?¡± It was inevitable that Roel was startled to see the massive antlered deer head that was almost the size of a table. If the rest of the body matches this head... that would mean this ¡®deer¡¯ is around the size of an elephant! And as if its humongous size wasn¡¯t enough, it had quite a terrifying appearance too. Three rows of razor-sharp teeth in its mouth was absolutely not something one would expect to see from an herbivore. Its antlers had a color gradient that was ashen-ck at the bottom but blood-red at the tip, and they radiated an eerie crimson glow in the dark. Even though the deer was already dead, Roel could still feel an oppressive vibeing from it. 1 reply ¨C 3 hours ago ¡°This is a Bloodhorn Deer that has mutated under the effects of mana, turning it into a ravenous beast that feeds on meat. It¡¯s quite rare to see one that has grown sorge. I¡¯m proud to say it¡¯s our greatest spoil from the Winter Hunt. It¡¯s fortunate that I was the one who encountered it, or else it could have caused devastating damage to those living in the region.¡± The way in which Carter was stroking the massive head of the deer with a relieved look left Roel feeling a little speechless. His evaluation of Carter¡¯s strength as a Chief Magician was swiftly being refreshed. ¡°Father, how powerful was this deer?¡± ¡°Bloodhorn Deers are usually at Origin Level 4, but this one is bigger than normal, and the spells it cast from its antlers were unusually powerful too. I¡¯d say that it¡¯s quite close to Origin Level 3.¡± ¡°Is that so? I understand,¡± Roel spoke, as he took a deep look at Carter. Though his father had never mentioned how strong he was before, from this incident, and even if Carter had the assistance of the soldiers in encircling the Bloodhorn Deer, it was likely that he was at least Origin Level 3 to subdue this deer. 1 reply ¨C 3 hours ago Roel¡¯s gaze slowly moved back to the massive deer head on the ground. Even its antlers were as thick as his thighs. This made him cognizant of the fact that this world might not be as safe as he had assumed it to be... A few days after the Winter Hunt, Carter departed the Ascart House again, due to working up once more. Roel and Alicia were already used to it by this point, so they didn¡¯t kick up a fuss. Life went on as usual until an unexpected visit from a familiar face brought a pleasant surprise to Roel. Arwen, the manager of the Sorofya Merchant Association¡¯s Ascart City Branch, had personally dropped by the Ascart House to deliver a short sword. Roel hadn¡¯t been in contact with Arwen ever since their transaction three months ago. It was an intentional decision on Roel¡¯s part, since he wasn¡¯t nning on selling anything else from the System to the Sorofyas. Three months had passed just like that. The short sword Roel had ordered from the Sorofyas back then was ready, so Arwen came by personally to deliver it. It was not as if Roel was on bad terms with Arwen, so it would be rude of him to chase thetter off for no reason. So, he invited Arwen in for a cup of tea in their guest room. One thing that Roel didn¡¯t expect was for Arwen to have a beaming smile on his face. It was an earnest smile filled with happiness and gratitude, not the usual business smile that he put on when dealing with customers. ¡°Young master Roel, you have really done me a great service!¡± Arwen grabbed Roel¡¯s hands in agitation as Affection Points popped out furiously above his head. This situation left Roel rather bbergasted; he had no idea why Arwen was acting in such a manner. Noticing Roel¡¯s bewilderment, Arwen quickly calmed himself down and exined the situation. ¡°The buyer of the oilmp told me to ry their sincere gratitude to you, saying that the effects of the oilmp have far exceeded their expectations. The Rosa Central Headquarters marked the matter as a huge contribution for me, and I¡¯ll be promoted to manager of the Holy Capital¡¯s Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters in theing year. I¡¯m deeply grateful to Lord Marquess and you for taking care of me during my time here.¡± Roel blinked his eyes in surprise upon hearing those words. He never thought that the oilmp he sold would actually bring about Arwen¡¯s big promotion. One must know that that was a very important position within the merchant association! Wait a moment, it looks like the effects of my oilmp are greater than I thought. It might result in unintended changes in the trajectory of the world. Is this a blessing or a disaster? 3 replies ¨C 3 hours ago Roel was familiar with the butterfly effect, where a single change could bring about far-reaching impacts in the future. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a little uneasy about the future deviating in an unpredictable manner as a result of his actions. However, after giving it some more thought, he felt that it was meaningless for him to brood too much over it. One should know that he was supposed to be a viin who would be lynched in a few short years! Could the future possibly get any worse than that? Besides, the buyer could possibly be from some unknown country far, far away... ¡°How could the sale of a single item possibly affect me so easily?¡± Roel reassured himself as he tossed this matter to the back of his mind. Instead, he turned his attention to the two wooden boxes ced before him. One of the wooden boxes contained a short sword that was forged with top-quality cial metal, which was known for its exorbitant price. The short sword had a razor-sharp edge that reflected a cold glint, and its short length made it convenient for a young noble to bring it around with her for self-protection. It came together with a ckwood sheath that was beautifully adorned with gold and jade. It was apparent that this short sword was worth quite a sum, possibly several tiers higher than what Roel ordered and paid for previously. Most likely, Arwen had ¡®upgraded¡¯ the order on his own ord. The content in the other wooden box was more straightforward. It was filled entirely with gold coins. With a quick nce, Roel could tell that there were at least several thousand of them inside.¡°Young master Roel, as a gesture of appreciation for your support thus far, I¡¯ve brought 5000 gold coins with me here today. I hope that you can ept it as a token of our friendship. I would like you to know that the doors of our Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters are always open to you!¡± With a radiant smile on his face, Arwen pushed the boxes toward Roel, urging thetter to ept his gifts. Roel smiled back in response to Arwen¡¯s gesture. He understood the rationale behind thetter¡¯s actions. Basically, Arwen wanted to be the exclusive intermediary handling all sales of the treasures that Roel had to offer. To be honest, Roel wasn¡¯t put off by Arwen¡¯s intention. While thetter was indeed a businessman out for profit, he was not a person who was blinded by greed. For one, Arwen could have concealed his promotion and saved himself 5000 gold coins, but he chose to be honest, trading short-term gains in favor of building a long-term working rtionship. He knew where his priorities were, and he was able to act on them impartially. A person who knew how to give up on the small fish to reel in a big one was someone who knew how to do business. 1 reply ¨C 3 hours ago With such thoughts in mind, Roel stood up and offered his hand to Arwen. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be troubling you in the future then.¡± Chapter 35: Journeying

Chapter 35: Journeying

A faint perfumeing from scented sachets suffused the interior of a spacious, moving carriage. By his side, a lightly snoozing small girl felt a little warm against him. It was such an environment that Roel opened his eyes groggily to look at the same, old ceiling he had seen for thest three days now. They were traveling in a horse carriage at the moment. It had been two months since the onset of winter. Roel, who rarely left the Ascart Fiefdom, was on his way to an annual social gathering of nobles that started justst year¡ªHer Highness Nora¡¯s birthday celebration. 3 replies ¨C 11 hours ago As the only sessor to the Xeclyde House, Nora Xeclyde was extremely doted on by her grandfather, the incumbent Holy Eminence, John Xeclyde. For this reason, the social debut she had on her previous birthday was made extremely grand. The word ¡®debut¡¯ sounded just like an idol making their first media appearance, and it was a surprisingly apt description of the ritual. In this world, a noble¡¯s social debut referred to the first time he or she appeared in public, or put more simply, the first banquet that was attended. Children of nobility would undergo etiquette sses until their parents felt that they looked respectable enough to appear before the circle of their peerage. The parents would then find a suitable asion to hold a banquet and invite guests over to introduce their child to them. The asions mostmonly used for social debuts were birthdays, since it doubled as a celebration at the same time. The Ascart House had also held a banquet for Roel¡¯s social debut earlier at the start of the year, and it was quite a grand event too. Contrary to popr belief, nobles rarely held celebrations without deeper agendas, since celebrations were rather costly to host. Nora Xeclyde had already made her social debut the previous year, so there was bound to be a different agenda for her birthday banquet this time around and for the following years too. Using the words of the Xeclydes, it was an asion to unite everyone together and deepen rtionships so that they could work together to lead the Theocracy toward a brighter future. In more conventional terms, it was to build connections and make friends. Even with the Xeclydes authority as the royal family, there were still many issues where they would need the support of the nobles, especially those from the Five Eminent Noble Houses. The Five Eminent Noble Houses carried a lot of clout due to their long-standing history, so even the royal family had to try to maintain friendly rtions with them. As for the minor nobles... their role there was to pay respects to the royal family and know what the top brass of the country looked like, so as to avoid crossing them in the future. Roel was absent for this important banquetst year due to illness, so unless he were to be incapacitated, there was no way he would be able to escape from it. Not to mention, he was supposed to be a ¡®close friend¡¯ of Nora Xeclyde too. Close friend, my ass! Roel retorted coldly in his heart as he straightened his body upright and gazed out of the carriage¡¯s window. As the temperature continued to plummet, fewer people were getting out of their homes to move outside, especially in the suburbs. The road that they were traveling on had piled up high with quite a bit of snow, but fortunately, the Ascart¡¯s carriage was a top-quality magic tool. Putting aside its top tier ability to absorb shock, it was also able to travel at speedsparable to riding on a normal steed, and it could steer through difficult terrain too. Nevertheless, even with the unobstructed traffic, it still took three days to travel from Ascart City to Holy Capital Loren. The group had rested in towns the previous nights, so their traveling speed was slowed considerably. The Ascart House had originally prepared two carriages for this journey, one for Roel and one for Alicia, but out of sheer boredom, Alicia eventually climbed into Roel¡¯s carriage to seek refuge. ¡°Big brother Roel, I¡¯m lonely.¡± 1 reply ¨C 10 hours ago ¡°Come and join me in here then.¡± Seeing how adorable the pouty-faced Alicia was, Roel immediately sumbed to her request. So, they continued their journey with a single carriage from that point on. Time seemed to pass faster when there was apanion. The two of them spent their time chatting and ying chess, and they would lie together with one another when they got tired. Despite that, three days cooped up inside a carriage still proved to be too stifling for Roel to bear. 2 replies ¨C 10 hours ago ¡°Young master, we¡¯re going to arrive at our destination very soon. Please hold on for a little longer,¡± said Anna, as sheforted the young man who was rolling his eyes at the scenery outside. Over the past two days, due to Alicia¡¯s arrival, Anna had been providing Roel with a great deal of Affection Points. Being able to admire this young couple at proximity had thrilled her, such that her knowing adult smile had been appearing with far greater frequency than before. Even three days of carriage ride couldn¡¯t dampen her spirits. ¡°Holy Capital Loren should be filled with nobles by now, right? Where are we going to stay?¡± ¡°The Ascart House has its own property in the Holy Capital. It was bought by your predecessors, and there are servants stationed there to maintain it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel was able to put his heart at ease after hearing Anna¡¯s words. The two of them continued to chat for another hour before the coachman informed them that the three-days journey had finallye to an end. Holy Capital Loren, as the base of operations and the face of the Xeclydes, was both grand and imposing. Its city walls towered at a height of 10 meters and were built by piling massive white boulders upon one another. Its immacte white exterior made it look like a divine stronghold of mankind, and this image was further reinforced by the presence of fully armored soldiers patrolling the area. But well, looks were just looks. Despite how heavily fortified Holy Capital Loren was, it had never been sieged before, not even once. This was the holynd of the Genesis Goddess Church, and it held a special ce in the hearts of Goddess Sia¡¯s worshippers. It was a testament to just how far the beliefs of the church had permeated the whole of humanity; no one had ever dared to raise their arms toward this ce. And how strong could soldiers who had never faced war possibly be? Roel felt that there were so many precedents in the history of his previous world that the answer was rather clear-cut. As the carriage rumbled forward, the towering city walls gradually grew closer and closer. The extravagant exterior of the Ascart House¡¯s carriage swiftly caught the attention of the crowd lining up before the city gates. ¡°What a beautiful carriage! Where did this noblee from?¡± ¡°Must be from a distinguished noble house.¡± The crowd discussed amongst themselves. On the other hand, the soldiers guarding the city gates knew just what to look out for. ¡°Look at that insignia!¡± ¡°Eye of a Candlelight, it¡¯s the Ascart House!¡± ¡°The Ascarts? Hurry up and open the side gates!¡± The guards on duty quickly informed theirmander of the arrival of the Ascart House, and themander immediately ordered for the opening of the side gates. At the same time, the crowd before the city gate also opened up a path and stood deferentially to the sides as they watched the carriage race by. Roel was able to catch a firsthand glimpse of the influence the Ascart House had in the Theocracy just by looking at the civilians outside from the windows of the carriage. These civilians held great respect toward the Ascart House, and it was even more so for themander of the city gates. After amicably exchanging a few words with the coachman, themander swiftly granted them passageway. ¡°Hmm, it looks like our house is doing quite well in the military?¡± ¡°The Ascart House has great influence in the military. It has been twenty years since the old master joined.¡± Anna¡¯s response to Roel¡¯s question made both him and the just awoken Alicia realize just how heavy their family name was. They would have to make sure to carry themselves well, so as to not embarrass the name of the Ascarts. Roel shot a nce at Alicia, and the two of them nodded their heads in unison. The carriage slowed down significantly after entering the city. The crowds along the streets grew denser the deeper they headed into the city, and discussions broke out when passers-by noticed the insignia of the Ascart House on the carriage. There were even a few who were exining to theirpanions what the insignia represented. Soon, the carriage left the bustling market area behind to arrive at the more peaceful residential area for nobles which boasted an exuberance of beautiful scenery. Traveling past several magnificent mansions, they soon stopped before a ssical vi. The Ascart House¡¯s Labyrinth Vi. Chapter 36: Rejecting the Queen is a Tradition of Our House

Chapter 36: Rejecting the Queen is a Tradition of Our House

The Labyrinth Vi was quite a renowned ce inside Holy Capital Loren. Rumors abounded amongst the popce that this property of the Ascart House was unbreachable. ording to rumor, if the person entering was weed by the owner, everything would function normally within the vi. However, if the person wasn¡¯t weed by the owner, he would be faced with abyrinth that he would never be able to escape from. This rumor had been around for so long that it was impossible to trace its origin anymore, but it did show the deference the popce held toward the Ascarts as a magician house that wielded mystifying powers. And Roel had the honor of living in this scenic location as one of its masters. ¡°Father, are the rumors true?¡± While admiring the ssical design of the vi that hade from over a hundred years back, Roel couldn¡¯t resist asking Carter about the authenticity of the rumors. That question made Carter chuckle to himself. He brought Roel and Alicia over to his study. After settling down on the chairs, he began sharing the history of their house. ¡°This vi was built by the patriarch of the Ascart House three generations ago, who happens to also be my grandfather, Ponte Ascart. It currently has more than 170 years of history behind it.¡± Through Carter¡¯s exnation, Roel and Alicia learned about a history that was not only unknown to the general popce but was recorded only in the most confidential historical records. Around 200 years ago, the royal family of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the Xeclydes had a pair of twins, a son and a daughter. The son was named Wade Xeclyde, whereas the daughter was named Victoria Xeclyde. This pair of siblings were highly talented, reaching Origin Level 4 at a very young age. This should have been good news to the Xeclydes, but in an unexpected twist of events, Princess Victoria discovered that her little brother, Prince Wade, was actually rted to an evil cult. It was utterly scandalous for the sessor of the Theocracy¡¯s Holy Eminence to be involved with an evil cult. Anyone else would have immediately raised an outrage upon learning of this matter. However, the sharp-witted Victoria didn¡¯t do so. She knew how sensitive her position as the second-in-line to the throne was, and acting without careful preparation could result in her beingbeled as a rebel. So, after careful consideration, she decided to inform her spells teacher, Ponte Ascart, about the matter. After a series of verifications, Ponte eventually believed what Victoria said. The two of them began to gather evidence, as they awaited the return of the then incumbent Holy Eminence, who was far away at the Austine Empire. Then they could reveal Wade¡¯s true face. Little did they expect that the meticulous Wade would actually notice what Victoria and others were intending to do, and it resulted in a bloody internal conflict that waster dubbed as the March Turmoil. Back then, three of the Five Eminent Noble Houses were on Prince Wade¡¯s side and one dered neutrality, so as to steer clear of the conflict. Victoria only had the Ascart House and Ponte¡¯s army on her side, so the circumstances were very disadvantageous to her. With the central street of Holy Capital Loren as the boundary, both sides engaged in a bitter war thatsted over a month. Under the suppression of the armies of three eminent noble houses and the evil cult allied with Prince Wade, Victoria and Ponte¡¯s army was forced back time and time again. The situation then was so tragic that words could hardly describe them. Corpses were littered all over the Holy Capital, and even heavy rain couldn¡¯t wash away the stench of blood and corpses that had engulfed the city. Victoria and Ponte were inflicted with severe injuries in the midst of a battle, and the reinforcement that they had called for was stuck outside the city. Left with no choice, Ponte used a family heirloom to turn the area around his vi into abyrinth, and the two of them sought refuge there. The enemy dispatched an army of nearly ten thousand soldiers to march into the Labyrinth Vi, but it was futile. Not only were they unable to find Ponte and Victoria, but many of them had even lost their lives in thebyrinth. This situationsted for over two weeks, and it was these two weeks that changed the course of history of the Theocracy for good. 1 reply ¨C 3 hours ago Victoria¡¯s envoy had ovee all odds and sessfully met up with the Holy Eminence who was still outside then. When the Holy Eminence heard that Wade had fallen into depravity and attempted to kill his older sister, his face warped in shock, and he immediately rushed back from the empire while rallying his armies. Eventually, he sessfully made it back before thebyrinth was breached by the enemy. The Labyrinth Vi was the very ce where Victoria and Ponte sought refuge. This vi still retained a fragment of the family heirloom used back then, which resulted in it having some mystical effects. ¡°After that? What happened next?¡± There was nothing more irritating than to have a story ending on a cliffhanger, so Roel quickly urged Carter to finish up the story. Alicia was also looking over with eyes twinkling in curiosity, hoping to hear the conclusion too. 2 replies ¨C 33 minutes ago Seeing this, Carter smiled calmly and continued. ¡°Everything that happened afterward is just normal history. Prince Wade was subdued and arrested by the returning Holy Eminence, and the evil cult was plucked out from its roots. The three eminent noble houses that sided with Prince Wade were punished for their actions. Ponte and Victoria managed to escape from the Labyrinth Vi safely. Victoria eventually became the next Holy Eminence, and the Ascart House waspensated handsomely for its deeds. It was from that generation onward that our Ascart House became a close ally of the Xeclydes.¡± Carter¡¯s words made Roel and Alicia break out in relieved smiles. It was clich¨¦, but it was always heartening to see justice triumphing over evil, especially when it was their predecessor that was portrayed in the story. ¡°Ah. Speaking up to this point, I suddenly remembered a certain rumor about the story.¡± ¡°A rumor?¡± The silver-haired girl asked curiously at Carter¡¯s remark. The mischievous Carter simply smiled quietly for a very long while, keeping the suspense, until Roel finally shot him a look of overflowing disdain. ¡°The life-and-death situations that Victoria and Ponte had been through together back then resulted in them bing close to one another. After that incident, Victoria proposed to Ponte, but... Ponte rejected her on the grounds of their age gap and their rtionship as teacher and pupil.¡± 5 replies ¨C 27 minutes ago ¡°This...¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t smell of anything good.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes drooped down. She was still at an age where she carried fantasies about love and romance, and it felt like a great tragedy that the love between Victoria and Ponte couldn¡¯t be fulfilled. Roel, on the other hand, was just very skeptical of this whole affair. Seeing this huge contrasting response he was getting from the two children, Carter shook his head wryly and further borated. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Ponte already had a family by then.¡± 1 reply ¨C 2 hours ago ¡°Ah, then it can¡¯t be helped.¡± Alicia nodded her head in realization after hearing Carter¡¯s boration. This conclusion sounded much more eptable to her. Meanwhile, Carter patted Roel¡¯s shoulder and said. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this so as to let you know that our predecessors have once rejected a member of the royal family, and it was that famous Victoria.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel looked at Carter, who was bizarrely puffing up his chest proudly, and he found himself speechless. Is that all? Father, you must have not known that I have already done it once myself, and I¡¯ll continue to do so in the future. 3 replies ¨C 2 hours ago While Roel was still retorting in his heart, he suddenly recalled something Carter had said, so he asked. ¡°What happened to our family heirloom then? You mentioned that there¡¯s a fragment remaining in this vi?¡± ¡°The family heirloom is a gemstone. It was already damaged before Ponte used it, and the multitude of enemies that charged into thebyrinth pushed the gemstone beyond its limit, causing it to be reduced to dust. Only a small fragment of it remains at the moment.¡± A family heirloom that could ward off thousands of enemies was bound to be incredibly valuable, so Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel great pity about its loss. But thinking about it again, its sacrifice hadn¡¯t been in vain. It was the key to the continued prosperity of the Ascart House over thest few generations, an investment done right. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s all for my story. You had a long carriage ride to get here, so you should have a good rest.¡± Carter pped his hands as he instructed the two children to rest well. They had a long day ahead of themselves tomorrow. Chapter 37: What Do You Think?

Chapter 37: What Do You Think?

Her Highness Nora¡¯s birthday banquet could be divided into two main social circles. One was for the nobles, and the other one was for the children they brought with them. The social gathering for the children was much less mature, but its importance wouldn¡¯t pale inparison to that of the adults. Factions formed as children tended to persist into adulthood, so houses that were close with one another usually requested for their sessors to huddle together and form cliques. For this reason, this banquet was important to children like Roel too. He was already disadvantaged for being absent the previous year, and this was further worsened by the fact that the Ascarts didn¡¯t have many offspring or subordinate nobles. ¡°Roel, try your best to make friends at the banquet, but there¡¯s no need to force it if it doesn¡¯t work out.¡± Carter told Roel prior to setting off to the royal pce. He was basically giving Roel some mental prep for what was toe. Carter himself didn¡¯t have a good time in his younger years, due to the Ascarts¡¯ reputation as a house of magicians, and it didn¡¯t help that Carter himself wasn¡¯t too interested in building factions and connections either. So, he thought that the banquet wouldn¡¯t be too pleasant for Roel either. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, father. I¡¯m not too bothered by all these.¡± ¡°Alicia, it¡¯ll do for you to just follow your big brother Roel aroundter on.¡± ¡°... I will.¡± The silver-haired girl replied obediently before slowly lowering her head. The smile on her face was slowly vanishing, reced by unease. Hm? Is she feeling nervous? It¡¯s rare to see such a look on her face. ¡°Alicia, it¡¯ll be fine. Just follow meter on.¡± Roel patted Alicia¡¯s head and consoled her. ¡°... I understand, Lord Brother.¡± Alicia squeezed out a strained smile for Roel as she tried her best to push down the fear in her heart. It will be fine. I¡¯m a member of the Ascart House now, and big brother Roel is with me too... ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C As the proverb went, ¡®clothes make the man¡¯. Given the grand asion, the nobles of the Theocracy were dressed in their finest garments. However, one would be sorely mistaken to think that clothes was the only thing they couldpare with one another. No, the noblespared their carriages too. The usually peaceful street outside the Xeclydes¡¯ garden was already filled with all sorts of beautifully adorned carriages. These carriages formed a long queue as they awaited their entry into the royal pce. Carter made use of this opportunity to introduce their insignias for Roel and Alicia, paying greater emphasis toward the other four of the Five Eminent Noble Houses. ¡°That grey bear insignia belongs to the Belfast Marquess House. Their fiefdom is located at the northernmost border of the Theocracy, a ce known to be freezing cold. Their people are known to be incredibly tough. ¡°Look at the golden bird insignia on our left, that¡¯s the Lucerne Ducal House. They are the only ducal house left in the Theocracy and have always maintained a politically neutral stance. ¡°The one in front of us with the tiger insignia is the Elric Count House. They used to be a marquess house, but they were demoted for supporting Prince Wade during the March Turmoil. As their fiefdom is located next to the border, they have always been known for their great military might. ¡°The frontmost carriage belongs to the Weiss Marquess House. Their insignia is a campan flower. Over the past few decades, they have been standing on the same front as the Xeclydes, making them a part of the royal faction. However, it doesn¡¯t seem like they are entirely steadfast in their stance.¡± Carter introduced the major noble houses one after another, and Roel listened to him attentively. As such, the two of them didn¡¯t notice the darkened look on Alicia¡¯s face when the tiger insignia was mentioned. As the carriages entered the royal pce one after another, Roel finally managed to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking scenery of the royal garden. As it was the winter season, there wasn¡¯t the usual fountain and grass field, but even the gazebos were designed borately enough to carry the aesthetics of the garden. The green cedar trees that the gardeners had trimmed carefully were also exceptionally pleasing to the eye amidst the usual whitendscape. Roel and the others got down from their carriage and walked into the manor with a brief disy of their invitation cards. As for the gifts, they were entrusted to the maids of the royal pce to take care of. The interior of the manor was posh, filled with hanging crystal lights and artworks from famous painters. Roel stepped on the soft carpet as he examined his surroundings with a deepening frown. There was a bizarre sense of familiarity about this manor. ¡°Does it look familiar to you? It has been a hundred years since this manor was built, that¡¯s why its design resembles that of our Labyrinth Vi.¡± Carter revealed the answer to the mystery for the two children as he took a look around the manor himself too. Under the lead of the royal servants, they were brought to the banquet hall. There was still an hour or so till the banquet officially began, but there was a reason why the guests usually chose to arrive early¡ªit was to socialize with one another. Aside from members of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, there were also top military and governance officials around, lofty nobles from the capital and minor nobles from distantnds. All sorts of people were gathered in this banquet hall, making it an opportune moment to alleviate the slightly tense atmosphere in the air and learn more about current affairs. This was also a chance to observe the targets one wanted to get close to and make preparations for approaching the other partyter on. Carter brought Alicia and Roel around to introduce them to the nobles and military officials he was closer to. After greeting quite a few people, Alicia and Roel sessfully found a few youngerpanions that they could hang out together with for the birthday banquet. A daughter of a count house, a daughter of a viscount house, the daughter of a baron house... To put it in short, all of these youngerpanions were girls. What about the guys then? Weirdly enough, there was not a single one aside from Roel. 1 reply ¨C 18 minutes ago ??? Am I born under a lone star? Roel¡¯s lips twitched at this unbelievable coincidence. He looked at the group of girls gathered around him with a headache, not knowing what he should say at all. Kids of his age tended to hang out with those from the same gender, which meant that Roel was very out of ce in this group. They were still a few years away from the arrival of their youthful spring, where their hearts would start thumping for the opposite gender. As a result, while some of these girls were sneaking nces at Roel, none of them took the initiative to approach him. In any case, time passed by swiftly amidst this boisterous atmosphere¡ªat least for the others¡ªand soon, it was time for the birthday banquet to begin. The inner doors of the manor hall opened, and a massive group of servants stepped out from within to pave the way. Following that, the stars of the show finally made their appearance¡ªthe Xeclyde royal family. Prince Kane was the one who escorted Nora into the banquet hall. She was garbed in a flowy dress that made her look like a fairy, winning her gasps of amazement from the crowd. Banquets in the Theocracy always started with a hymn. The bands began to y, and with Prince Kane taking the lead, the crowd sang their praise for the Goddess of Creation, Sia. After this formality was over, the banquet finally got to its main show. Prince Kane and the young Princess Nora first expressed their gratitude toward the nobles for their presence before formally dering themencement of the banquet. tes of sumptuous dishes were served on arge buffet table, and servants walked around the room offering drinks to guests to quench their thirst. However, no one¡¯s attention was on the food and drinks. At this very moment, everyone was looking at the two members of the royal family standing at the forefront, searching for an opportunity to step forward and talk to them. ¡°I-I don¡¯t have to go, right?¡± Looking at the graceful golden-haired girl standing in front, Roel took half a step back as he shot a nce at his father hopefully, only to be met with a deep smile from Carter. ¡°What do you think?¡± Chapter 38: Nora’s Philosophy of Hunting

Chapter 38: Nora¡¯s Philosophy of Hunting

What a boring event. These were the thoughts in Nora Xeclyde¡¯s mind when she looked at the pure and charming face reflected in the mirror. She had never been particrly interested in her birthday, and she didn¡¯t find it necessary to make a big fuss about it. In fact, she hated it when people did so. No matter what, this was still the day her mother left her. Her mother, who had no transcendent abilities, died due tobor difficulties. Nora might not have met her mother before, but she had a father who loved her deeply. Her birthdays initially had still been eptable to her, but things began to changest year. From the moment of her social debut, her birthday became nothing more than a convenient excuse for the upper echelons of society to gather and socialize. This notion made her feel a little ufortable inside, and it made her even more so aware of how hypocritical and meaningless everything around her was. Do I have to face the fawning smiles of those nobles once more? Just looking at their faces makes me feel revulsion. All that is in their minds are ways to further their own interests, and they make it so tantly obvious too. It¡¯s so unbelievably boring that I don¡¯t even want to bother dealing with them at all. These days are really getting unbearable... Oh, wait a moment. He¡¯ll being this year, right? 2 replies ¨C 54 minutes ago The silhouette of a little boy shed across Nora¡¯s mind as emotions rippled across her impassive face. She remembered that he wasn¡¯t around during her birthday banquetst year. But since they had met one another this year, Marquess Carter would surely drag him here. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be a little more interesting then?¡± Nora muttered under her breath, while a rare tinge of anticipation touched her heart. Her lips subconsciously curled up into a smile. Everything proceeded smoothly afterward. Nora, who was rarely in public sight, awed the nobles easily with her appearance. Whether it be a guy or a girl, adult or child, everyone looked at her with eyes filled with amazement. None of this brought Nora any joy though. She faced the guests with a slight smile, all the while discreetly scanning the crowds to find that same-aged boy she remembered. There were too many people attending the banquet that it took Nora quite a bit of effort before she finally found her target. It was a ck-haired boy standing behind his father with a helpless look on his face. The air of disinterest around him felt incongruous with the lively atmosphere of the banquet. Oho, that¡¯s quite an interesting expression he has over there. Nora¡¯s body trembled upon seeing the conflicted look on Roel¡¯s face, and she nearly burst intoughter even. She took a deep breath to maintain her poise before focusing her attention back on the hymn. 1 reply ¨C 50 minutes ago After praying for Sia¡¯s blessings, going by convention, every noble house would bring their children forward to have a short conversation with Kane and Nora, so that the children could get to know one another. The time allocated was usually one to two minutes for each house, and anyone who took any longer than that would be scorned for a breach of etiquette. This was one of the things that Nora hated the most about her birthday banquet. One must know that this meet-and-greet sessionsted a whole two hoursst year. She had to maintain the highest level of decorum throughout this entire period of time and remember the name of every single person. As this was a standing buffet, she couldn¡¯t sit down and rest either. As the future leader of the country, Nora knew that it was her responsibility to disy her most perfect self before her followers, so she hosted the nobles that stepped forth with utmost grace. That being said, she maintained a sliver of her attention on the ck-haired boy, wanting to know what he was up to. The boy first argued with his father, Marquess Carter, about something, before his head drooped down in disappointment. A short whileter, the two of them, together with a silver-haired girl, began making their way toward her. Nora keenly noticed the bitter look on the ck-haired boy¡¯s face, and for the first time in this banquet, she revealed an entrancing smile that came from the bottom of her heart, causing the nearby guests to be spellbound. Is he trying to avoid meeting me? Hahaha, how interesting. Knowing that she was the culprit behind the boy¡¯s troubles, Little Miss Angel suddenly felt her mood lifting. The dreadful nature that she had sealed up deep within her threatened to burst forth. At the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why Roel was so averse to her. I agree that the girl named Alicia is rather adorable too, but I don¡¯t think that I¡¯d lose to anyone in apetition of outer appearances. Is it my personality then? Does my personality make you cower as if I am a venomous serpent hissing at you? Nora narrowed her eyes. It was not displeasure that she felt inside; it was excitement. The desire to dominate was puffing up in her chest, enticing her to sumb to her true nature. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago How I wish I could step on him right now. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago Nora tried her best to push down the thoughts running rampant in her head. While she liked seeing Roel¡¯s troubled expression, she didn¡¯t want to make him hate her. The dominance she sought wasn¡¯t one of imposed authority; she would only get a soulless shell of a body and not his heart. That was not what would bring her joy. There were many people who were more than willing to throw themselves at her for all sorts of reasons, but that was not what she wanted either. She viewed these people with revulsion, and they would never have been able to fulfill her desire to dominate either. This Little Miss Angel¡¯s criteria were quite specific, in fact. She wanted a person who was reluctant to be with her but had no choice but to ept her. She wanted a challenge! And a prey had just caught her line of sight. Roel Ascart knew the deep desires she harbored within, and he wouldn¡¯t intentionally please her. He was fearful of her, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent where he repulsed her. He had a dashing face and top-notch acting skills. He was a cunning person worthy of crossing blows with her. It¡¯s almost as if he¡¯s a dessert prepared specially for me. 3 replies ¨C 57 minutes ago Nora sighed yearningly as her face flushed slightly red. To obtain this man, render him utterly helpless before me, and make his everything mine; is there any greater excitement than this in the world? 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago With such thoughts on her mind, the Little Miss Angel put on a bewitching smile as she readied herself to cross blows with Roel. Chapter 39: We’re Really a Pair of Siblings Made in Heaven!

Chapter 39: We¡¯re Really a Pair of Siblings Made in Heaven!

¡®You are the only one that I was looking forward to meeting.¡¯ The underlying meaning behind those words, in Roel¡¯s view, was simr to the joke ¡® Those who are supposed to be here aren¡¯t here ¡¯.[1] The moment those words escaped Nora¡¯s mouth, all of the nobles in the vicinity fell deathly silent. They turned their heads over and stared at Roel with widened eyes, leaving him feeling as if countless daggers were stabbing into his back. ¡°Ah, my apologies. It appears that I have misspoken out of excitement.¡± Nora covered her mouth with widened eyes, as if she had just noticed her own faux pas. She quickly corrected her words. ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that I was looking forward the most to meeting you.¡± ¡°...¡± Nora¡¯s following words raised another huge wave ofmotion across the banquet hall. Hushed whisperings could be heard all around, and this time, even those who were at the furthest end of the banquet hall were starting to turn their eyes over too. In the blink of an eye, Roel had be the center of attention. W-what the hell is this woman talking about?! Roel stared at Nora in utter bewilderment, not knowing what kind of madness had struck her. The two of them had only met once before, so why was she talking as if they were lovers? Nora looked at Roel quietly with a smile after saying her piece. There was a gleam in her sapphire eyes, carrying an inconspicuous trace of mischief and excitement. Others might have overlooked it, but there was no way that could have escaped Roel¡¯s eyes. Son of a banshee! That woman is doing it on purpose! It was in that moment that Roel knew for sure that Nora carried bad intentions in her heart. He quickly racked his overclocked brain before answering with aposed tone. ¡°Ah, is Your Highness hoping to have another game of chess with me? I understand. If time permits, I¡¯d be more than willing to apany you.¡± Those words made the crowd, who had been watching the thrilling drama unfurling before their eyes with bated breaths, dete in a mixture of relief and disappointment. After all the buildup, it¡¯s just a game of chess? I thought that it was some explosive gossip... Roel¡¯s exnation had popped the bubble of excitement for the onlookers. They slowly turned their attention back to their circles to resume their conversation. But what Roel didn¡¯t expect was that Nora had no intention of letting him go that easily. ¡°Chess? Well, a game with you would interest me, but I don¡¯t recall ever ying that with you.¡± Nora looked innocently at Roel, her sapphire eyes shining. As expected, those words were incredibly effective in stirring up the interest of the crowd. Even Kane and Carter had turned to look at Roel in bewilderment. You demoness! What in the world are you trying to y over here? Are those words that can be spoken in public? Are you trying to confess to me right now? Roel, who desired to maintain a low profile and live his life out in peace, wanted nothing to do with this sadistic angel, but things were swiftly going down the wrong direction. Nora¡¯s words were as good as affirming their close rtionship, leaving others with no choice but to view them as a pair. This disastrous turn of events left Roel feeling utterly anxious, but his mind was failing to find a goodeback to turn the situation around. Unexpectedly, at this crucial moment, a person stepped forward and saved him. ¡°Your Highness Nora, I enjoyed the pleasant conversation we had the previous time you visited the Ascart House. If I may humbly request, could you stop teasing my Lord Brother?¡± Alicia stepped forward and curtsied gracefully to Nora. Her unique cool and lofty disposition felt like a refreshing spring in the midst of summer, winning her thepliments of the watching nobles. Alicia, well done! Roel was overjoyed by the arrival of reinforcements. He didn¡¯t think that the introverted Alicia would step in at a moment like this, and her tone sounded a little unhappy and pushy even. Could it be that... She doesn¡¯t like Nora too?! 1 reply ¨C 9 minutes ago No wonder! Or should I say, as expected of my little sister. It looks like we have the same taste in people! We¡¯re really a pair of siblings made in heaven! The sharp-witted Roel nodded approvingly to himself as he thought of just how amazing the bond between siblings was... unlike a certain man who was still watching the drama as if he was just an onlooker! While Roel was berating Carter on the inside, Nora and Alicia were shooting sparks at one another. 1 reply ¨C 9 minutes ago The sapphire eyes of the golden-haired girl narrowed slightly as she met the crimson eyes of the silver-haired girl before her. Through a mysterious telepathy arising from the exchange of gazes, they were made aware of each other¡¯s intentions. This littless actually likes her own stepbrother... This woman is eyeing Lord Brother... 1 reply ¨C 11 minutes ago ¡°Oh? I¡¯m not teasing your older brother though. These are my earnest thoughts.¡± ¡°I see. It would appear that the months my Lord Brother and I have spent waiting for your letter hasn¡¯t been in vain. Allow me to thank you on behalf of my Lord Brother for your thoughtfulness.¡± ¡°...¡± Nora¡¯s eyes gradually turned serious after hearing Alicia¡¯s words. She hadn¡¯t thought that this little girl who was two years younger than her would actually be so formidable with her words. While maintaining her poise and etiquette, this little girl naturally weaved an implicit message into her words to inform all listening ears that Nora hadn¡¯t been in contact with Roel ever since departing from the Ascart House several months ago. With this piece of information, the crowd would have the impression that any words that Nora was going to say next were just an attempt to reconcile with Roel after giving him the cold shoulder for several months. Even Roel, who had realized that the tables had turned around, didn¡¯t look as troubled anymore. 1 reply ¨C 28 minutes ago Looks like I can only go this far this time. Such thoughts in mind, the Little Miss Angel was forced to begin adopting an apologetic attitude. ¡°My apologies, Alicia. I have been focused on my studies over the past few months that I couldn¡¯t divert my attention elsewhere. I am grateful to both you and Roel for attending my birthday banquet, and I hope that you¡¯ll have a pleasant time here.¡± With a smile, Nora politely concluded this high-level verbal war between experts. Carter and Kane spent the rest of the time chatting a little before their time came to an end, in which Carter then led Alicia and Roel back into the crowds. It was pretty much free and easy after greeting Kane and Nora. Typically speaking, the nobles who were still waiting for their turns to greet the royal family would gather together and converse while snacking on the food provided... though as nobles, they wouldn¡¯t eat too much in such a setting. For those who had already greeted the royal family, they would begin looking for the targets they wish to socialize with in order to carry out their agenda. As for the children, there were pretty much no restrictions at all. They could eat and drink whatever they wanted as long as they didn¡¯t look too indecorous. The parents would usually set them free to hang out with their little gang of friends. But Roel, as someone who was absent for the previous banquet, had a mission on hand. Carter would be bringing him around to introduce him to everyone that he ought to know of. In a sense, it was like a supplementary lesson for having skipped sses. Of course, Alicia had toe along too, since she was officially a member of the Ascart House as well now. Having to maintain a dignified posture and greet foreign faces one after another, Roel and Alicia swiftly tired themselves out. For an entire hour, they had to put on their most graceful smiles and behave in a way that would leave favorable impressions with others. Even so, they had only managed to greet the noble houses who were closer to the Ascart House by the end of the hour. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. It¡¯s impossible to meet the nobles from all of the houses in just a single day. You must be starving by now.¡± Carter also noticed that the two children were exhausted, so he urged Roel to bring Alicia over to the buffet table to grab something to eat while he continued to socialize with the other nobles. ¡°Let¡¯s get something to eat.¡± Roel spoke as he looked at the table filled with glorious delicacies. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Footnotes [1] This is how the joke goes: A person was hosting a party. It was already beyond the time they had agreed on, but over half of the guests hadn¡¯t arrived yet. As a result, the host was feeling very anxious inside. So, he remarked. ¡°Why aren¡¯t those who are supposed to be here, here?¡± A few sensitive guests, after hearing those words, thought to themselves, ¡® You¡¯re saying that we aren¡¯t supposed to be here then? ¡¯ So, they discreetly left the party. Seeing that some of the guests were leaving, the host grew even more anxious, and he eximed. ¡°Why are the guests, who aren¡¯t supposed to be leaving, leaving?¡± The remaining guests heard those words and thought to themselves, ¡® You¡¯re saying that we are the ones who are supposed to be leaving then? ¡¯ So, they left the party too. In the end, the only ones left at the party were the host and a few of his closer friends. One of the friends stepped forward and told him. ¡°You should think before you speak. It¡¯s hard to take back your words once you have spoken.¡± The indignant host eximed in response. ¡°I wasn¡¯t asking them to leave!¡± The remaining friends flew into a rage upon hearing those words and bellowed ¡°So you¡¯re asking us to leave then!¡± After saying those words, they turned around and left in a huff. Chapter 40: I Don’t Want to Lose to Her

Chapter 40: I Don¡¯t Want to Lose to Her

Roel realized one thing from the banquet today¡ªthe Xeclydes were not only powerful, but they had money too. Take the wide buffet table for example. While the purpose of the food was just to stave off hunger¡ªnone of the nobles would actually feast on them¡ªevery single dish that was present here were all hard-toe-by delicacies! The Karon Forest¡¯s Blood-eyed Spotted Birds, known for their delectable flesh, were rumored to be the sentries of the werewolves. They were known to be both rare and hard to hunt, but they were being served on a huge tter at this banquet. The North Sea¡¯s Papershell Crab, dubbed the wonder of the sea, was an extravagant product that was little seen even amongst veteran fishermen. Its thin and crisp skin and its overflowing crab paste made diners salivate just at the sight of it. The fruits were rare exotic products, and the wine served was fine alcohol that had been aged for over twenty years. If the purpose of the banquet was to highlight the affluence of the royal family, they had done a darned good job of it. Roel wasn¡¯t sure how the culinary skills of the royal chefs were like, but just the ingredients were enough to whet his appetite. As a certified foodie from Earth, these dishes held a far greater attraction to him than whatever benefits he could derive from the other nobles. As important as socializing was, would it be able to stop the main character and his harem from killing him ten yearster? If it couldn¡¯t, he might as well stuff himself with some good food so that he could die in peace. With such thoughts in mind, Roel moved toward one of the tes and began to slice some meat to feed Alicia. Given that there were no servants around, he would have to take care of Alicia himself. That was also the reason why Carter told him to bring Alicia with him. However, the embarrassed Alicia ended up rejecting him. ¡°Lord Brother, I-I¡¯m not hungry. I¡¯ll have some juice instead.¡± Alicia wanted to ept Roel¡¯s goodwill, but having Roel feed her like a servant in public could potentially damage Roel¡¯s authority, and that was not something she could ept. Rather than seeing her beloved older brother bing the butt of others¡¯ jokes, she would rather bear with the hunger a little. ¡°I¡¯ll get a cup for you then.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, Lord Brother. You don¡¯t have to take care of me. I¡¯ll have a chat with those girls from earlier on instead.¡± ¡°Ah, alright then.¡± Roel thought of the female nobles who were on close terms with the Ascart House and nodded his head. This was a rare opportunity for Alicia to make some friends. They usually pretty much stuck to one another year-round anyway, so there was no need for Alicia to follow him around on this rare asion that they were outside. As such, Roel parted with Alicia and began embarking on his voyage of delicacies alone. Little did he know that a pair of vile eyes had already set its sight on the lonesome little girl. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Alicia traveled through the corridor alone. The onset of winter had caused the temperature to drop drastically. While it was still quite warm inside the banquet hall, due to huge crowds moving to and fro, it was freezing along the corridor. The music andughter sounded hushed here. The lights along the walls were hung up high, making the corridor look a little dark. The tearoom that had seats provided for noblewomen to gather and chat with one another was located not too far away. Traveling through the dim corridor, Alicia suddenly felt her heart thumping in unease. She hated this ce, and she hated this banquet too. It was not because the star of this show was Nora or that she carried some prejudice toward the Xeclydes. She hated this ce because it carried memories that she didn¡¯t want to recall. She was terrorized by a group of boys right here, during the birthday banquetst year. Those children, in an attempt to please the sessor of a count house, offered her up to him and pulled her over to an empty room to stab her with forks and knives. It was this incident that led to her phobia of sharp objects, rendering her unable to hold knives and forks anymore. Her father was furious after learning of the incident, but as there were no wounds on Alicia because of her regeneration ability, and there was no other evidence to incriminate the culprits, he had no choice but to let the matter go. Alicia didn¡¯t tell Roel and Carter about this incident, since it was already all over, and she didn¡¯t want to add to their troubles. She noticed the same boys who had terrorized her in the banquet this year too, but her identity was already no longer the same as before. She was no longer the child of a fallen baron house but the adopted daughter of the Ascart House, Alicia Ascart. Those cowardly bullies wouldn¡¯t dare to touch her anymore as anything they did to Alicia Ascart would be viewed as an insult to the Ascart House, and in fact, those boys did quickly avert their eyes back then in the main banquet hall. Is it finally all over? But barely after those thoughts surfaced in Alicia¡¯s mind, two boys suddenly stepped out from a bend at the corridor. They were the children from viscount houses, Luke and Shawn. ¡°Stop right there! Alicia, it has been a long time since west met.¡± ¡°You are...¡± The two children stared at the shocked girl as obnoxious smiles reflexively surfaced on their lips. They had bullied her from a young age, so they knew just how weak-willed she was. Indeed, fear had already begun showing on Alicia¡¯s face. But things wouldn¡¯t go as they nned this time. While fear was slowly gripping Alicia¡¯s heart, a boy¡¯s silhouette surfaced within her mind. She recalled how Roel had apanied and taken care of her the past few months, and it jolted her awake from her fear. She remembered the family name that she carried now, and she knew that she couldn¡¯t remain the weak girl she used to be. Previously, she could me her low position and personal weakness for sumbing to those in power, but that excuse was no longer valid. She was the one in power now! If she still allowed others to climb over her head, she had only her own cowardice to me. She knew that there was only one oue if she didn¡¯t fight back, and that was the esction of the oppression. For some reason, Nora¡¯s silhouette also shed before her eyes at the moment. That golden-haired girl, despite her young age, was both confident and proud, to the point that it felt divine even. Had it not been for Roel, she would probably have carried great adoration for Nora too. But after having stood face-to-face with Nora earlier, there was only a thought in her mind right now¡ª I don¡¯t want to lose . She didn¡¯t want to lose to her rival. She didn¡¯t want to give her big brother away. For this, she had to change! ¡°Shawn and Luke, it has been a long time. Is there anything you need?¡± Having reaffirmed her will, the silver-haired girl held back her fear and questioned the two boys before her imposingly, causing their smiles to freeze. The two of them looked at one another as they suddenly seemed to have recalled Alicia¡¯s current identity. Theirplexions turned awful, and even their words didn¡¯t sound as smooth as before. ¡°Y-you have toe with us!¡± ¡°Yes, you have toe with us!¡± ¡°I refuse. My father and my brother are waiting for me, so I have no time to apany you.¡± Alicia ced great emphasis on the words ¡®father¡¯ and ¡®brother¡¯, causing Shawn and Luke¡¯s faces to further darken. They red at Alicia angrily, but the realization of the difference in their standings made them dare not say or do anything. ¡°Tsk, a bunch of useless fools!¡± But at this very moment, a third voice suddenly sounded from the darkness. A suave golden-haired boy stepped out from the bend of the corridor with over ten other children with him. From the moment he appeared, Alicia¡¯s face turned pale. The lips of the golden-haired boy curled up into a foul smile as he pointed at her and ordered. ¡°Hold her down!¡± Chapter 41: I Am Here

Chapter 41: I Am Here

While Roel moved around the buffet table to fill his stomach, he thought about the stuff that Carter had told him about all this while. The birthday banquetst year was extremely important, not just because it was Nora¡¯s birthday but that it was the first time the young nobles of the current generation of the Theocracy were gathered together. There were many asions for adult nobles to socialize with one another, be it the tea parties held by noblewomen or ordinary banquets. However, the chances for young nobles to meet one another were rare, and for some, this birthday banquet could even be the only opportunity. At this banquet, the socializing of the adults was surprisingly a secondary aim. The stars of the show were actually the children instead. It was a huge loss that Roel had missed the banquetst year as not only did he miss the chance to build up his own faction, he even ended up inadvertently giving an advantage to another house¡ªthe Elric Count House. Of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, the only ones that had offspring of simr ages to Nora were the Ascart Marquess House and the Elric Count House. Since Roel was absent for the previous birthday banquet, the child that had the highest standing in the banquet other than Nora herself was the eldest son of the Elric House, Bron Elric Since Nora was busy greeting all the guests, Bron was granted free reign amongst the young nobles, allowing him to quickly build up a following. It should have been nothing much for a small child to gain some power, but it just so happened that Bron had quite a terrible reputation himself. Elric Youth Faction, that was what Carter called them. Bron and his following of degenerates might have been young, but the atrocities that theymitted couldn¡¯t be easily shrugged off. They had stirred all sorts of trouble amongst the civilians, but most of them had been secretly dealt with so they hadn¡¯t caused a huge uproar thus far. In truth, Roel had been feeling an ominous vibe inside after hearing of the Elric House. A hundred years ago, when the Elric House was still a marquess house, their territory extended far and wide, making them the de facto leader of the Five Eminent Noble House. Even the Lucerna Ducal House wascking inparison to them. At its peak, the Elric House¡¯s power rivaled even that of the royal family. However, what turned the fate of the Elric House around was the fight between the royal twin siblings, the renowned March Turmoil. The Elric House had chosen to stand with Prince Wade in that conflict, and they served as the main fighting force of Wade¡¯s faction. Against Princess Victoria, who only had the backing of the Ascart House, it should have been a sure-win battle. Yet, all of it failed due to the interference of the Ascart House¡¯s patriarch back then. Thebyrinth had simply consumed far too many of their soldiers such that they didn¡¯t even have the strength to stand against the returning Holy Eminence and his army. Prince Wade¡¯s defeat had far-reaching effects, and its mark was imprinted clearly in the history of the Theocracy. To the Elric House, it spelled a catastrophic disaster. As Prince Wade¡¯s fervent supporter, the patriarch of the Elric House back then killed himself in hopes that the Xeclydes would spare his house, but the results were still less than ideal. The Elrics were demoted to a count house, and a huge chunk of their territory was taken away too. They were only left with the barren borders to rule. Most of the territory they lost was given to the Ascart House, causing the power bnce of the Five Eminent Noble Houses to be utterly reversed. It took a hundred years before the Elrics finally regained their power. Unfortunately, the Elrics didn¡¯t think that they had erred in their support of Prince Wade, and they didn¡¯t find anything wrong with the massacre that they hadmitted in the Holy Capital either. They felt that it was only natural for victors to trample on losers and rise through the ranks. It¡¯s all the fault of those damned Ascarts. Were it not for them, we might have even reced the Xeclydes as the new royal family. The Elrics were respectful to the Xeclydes on the surface, but with a grudge sitting between them, they were constantly thinking of snatching back the territory they had lost and regaining the honor that had been trampled upon. Naturally, they viewed the Ascarts as their nemesis. ¡°Wait a moment, father mentioned that the so-called Elric Youth Faction is here too. Children of this age tend to be fearless and act without concern of consequences. They should havee to provoke me, so why didn¡¯t I bump into any of them?¡± Roel swept a look across the banquet hall, only to find that the golden-haired boy and the group of children he led had vanished without a trace. A frown formed on Roel¡¯s forehead as a foreboding premonition shook his heart. Wait a moment, could it possibly be... ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Bron Elric was infuriated. Other than his usual gang, nearly all of the young nobles in this banquet had been trying their best to acquaint themselves with another person, and that was the other offspring of the Five Eminent Noble Houses here, Roel Ascart. Bron wasn¡¯t the type to look for faults in himself. He didn¡¯t think that the reason behind that was due to his horrid reputation. Rather, he med the Ascart House for resorting to despicable ploys. In any case, it was a fact that Roel¡¯s arrival had broken his dominance over the younger generation of nobles, and this made him feel deeply uneasy, but he had no idea what he could do about it. And it was at a time like this that he found the ideal target he could use to send out a stern warning to all other young nobles about siding with the Ascart House¡ªAlicia. ¡°Disgusting things tend to flock together with one another. Alicia Ascart, huh? Hahaha! What a revolting name!¡± Inside a spare room in the manor, a golden-haired boy, Bron, looked at the silver-haired girl in front of him with eyes filled with hostility. ¡°Alicia, do you remember me? I¡¯m your good friend, Bron. Did you really try to reject my invitation earlier? That really hurts my feelings.¡± Bron stared into the little girl¡¯s crimson eyes as he threateningly brought a knife closer to her eyes. Staring in the face of her fears, Alicia trembled uncontrobly as she cowered back. Tears glistened in her eyes. She bit her lips tightly as she tried her best to pull herself together. ¡°Y-you... What are you trying to do here?¡± ¡°I just wish to reminisce about our past together. I was nning on letting you off the hook easily this year, but I never thought that you would join the Ascart House. How convenient of you to find another father to fall back on so quickly. Ah, you also have that trash of a brother too...¡± ¡°I-I won¡¯t allow you to insult Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Oh, what¡¯s this? You seem to be pretty fond of him? It pleases me greatly to see the good rtionship between you and your brother!¡± Bron sneered coldly as he leaned forward to Alicia¡¯s ear and whispered to her. ¡°Does he know that you¡¯re a monster?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Have you shown him how your body wriggles like there are worms inside when you heal from your injuries? Well, I guess your expression says it all. Of course, there¡¯s no way the Ascart House would have epted you if they knew that you¡¯re a monster.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. Big brother Roel wouldn¡¯t...¡± ¡°Heh, you sure are stubborn!¡± Bron looked down on Alicia as he raised his leg to kick her, only for a silhouette to suddenly appear on the scene. ¡°Alicia, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m here.¡± 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago Amidst Alicia¡¯s weeping, a voice suddenly sounded right behind Bron. Bron immediately turned his head around, only to find himself faced with a pair of wintry, golden eyes. Chapter 42: You Deserve to Die

Chapter 42: You Deserve to Die

Roel would have never thought that there would be a death g in this banquet too. Alicia¡¯s hatred toward the original Roel probably had its roots in this banquet too. The original Roel didn¡¯t have the guts or capability to stop Bron, so he would have only been able to watch in trepidation from the side. However, the current Roel was different. Words couldn¡¯t begin to describe how he was feeling at the moment. He only felt a heat burning in his body and mind. His mana was also burning. He finally understood why he had worked so hard all this while to reach Origin Level 6. If one were to think deeply into it, strength wasn¡¯t a necessity for him to avert the future storyline. But, standing behind Bron at this very moment, everything suddenly seemed to make sense to him. It was all so that he could beat this damned piece of shit into the ground! ¡°Y-you, where did you... ¡± Bam! 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago Roel had no interest in wasting his time listening to what Bron had to say. He raised his hand to grab the golden-haired boy¡¯s face before abruptly smashing it into a nearby table. Boom! Roel¡¯s blood was pumping fast under the effects of mana, allowing him to exert superhuman strength. Bron¡¯s head was rammed into the table with great force, nearly imprinting his facial features into it. However, Roel wasn¡¯t happy with just this much. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Kacha! Before anyone in the room could recover from their shock, Roel had already smashed Bron¡¯s head into the wooden table four times, and on the fifth time, thetter¡¯s head smashed right through. Only then did Roel finally stop a little. ¡°What a tenacious cockroach. You still aren¡¯t going to die yet?¡± Roel gazed down coldly on Bron, who was frantically trying to pull his head out from the table. It was likely that thetter was at Origin Level 6 as well, or else he should have died from the very first blow. It was also at this point in time that the gang of young nobles behind him finally recovered from their daze. ¡°B-boss! Stop him!¡± ¡°Get him!¡± These young nobles were all horrified to see how their leader was mmed into the table so easily, but there was no way they could back down here. There were all supposed to be Bron¡¯s closest confidants. They had to buck up their courage and step forward even if their opponent was the young master of the Ascart House. Eleven of them. Roel quickly ascertained the number of enemies he had to face. He quickly cast Controlled Breathing, so as to recover the stamina he had expended on smashing Bron¡¯s head, before flexing his unimpressive muscles toward the noble children. A fight was inevitable. ¡°Big brother Roel!¡± ¡°Alicia, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll deal with theseckeys first.¡± Roel first consoled the weeping Alicia before turning around to face his enemies. He might have already reached Origin Level 6, but it would still be difficult for him to face so many enemies at once. No matter what, theseckeys were still nobles, and some of them were decently talented too. There were five of them who were at Origin Level 6, just like him. How could he win this battle? In a face-to-face battle, victory would be impossible. However, a battle consisted of both brawn and wits. As long as his blows were vicious enough to instill fear in them, he could shatter their fighting will. Even if these young nobles possessed superhuman strength, their minds were still those of kids. With such thoughts in mind, Roel picked out the strongest one of the threeckeysing at him and chose to attack him face-to-face. ¡°Spell Gloves!¡± With a furious roar, Roel imbued ayer of blue mes on his hands before his fist collided with the other party. With a loud cracking sound, the other party released a howl of agony. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago ¡°AHHH¡ª!¡± Striking a fist imbued with Spell Gloves was just like trying to strike a metal wall. The harder one struck, the greater the rebound would have been. In such a case, the other party¡¯s strength at Origin Level 6 bit back at him. The other party ended up having his bone fractured, causing him to roll around the ground from the excruciating pain. The other twockeys who had charged forward with him froze in shock at the sight. Neither of them had reached Origin Level 6 yet, and seeing someone who was stronger than them getting done in so easily intimidated them. Of course, Roel wasn¡¯t going to miss this perfect opportunity to take down his enemies. He unhesitatingly flung his fist toward the two of them, sending them flying toward the wall. After defeating the first three, Roel quickly proceeded to deal with the rest. It was an utterly chaotic battle. Those who were still Origin Level 7 were of no use at all, and they were cleared out of the battlefield with a punch each. As for the other four Origin Level 6, they were engaged in a close fight with Roel. These Origin Level 6 noble children were indeed quite formidable. One of them had a massive physique that was as tough as stone. Even Roel¡¯s Spell Gloves couldn¡¯t breach his defense easily. Another one had a pair of searing hands that would melt Roel¡¯s skin if he were to ever get a grip on Roel. As for the remaining two, perhaps it was because they had just advanced not too long ago, they didn¡¯t have anybat spells at all. Faced with this group of transcendents that boasted high offensive and defensive power, Roel was practically trading a blow for a blow. He used a hand to grab the searing hands to hold them in ce while using his Spell Gloves to smash the other party¡¯s face with all his might. After knocking out the most troublesome fellow to deal with, he quickly moved on to the stonelike fellow, using a Muay Thai move that consisted of holding the other party¡¯s shoulders down while kneeing upward, aiming straight at the other party¡¯s crotch. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago ¡°AHHH¡ª¡± A scream of agony sounded as Roel downed yet another enemy. It was an impressive feat for him to have downed 9 out of 11 enemies alone, but he paid a heavy price for it. His clothes were tattered, a hand was blistering from being exposed to searing heat, and his knee was bleeding profusely from the tremendous impact. Even Alicia couldn¡¯t help but cry after seeing Roel in such a state. In any case, Roel¡¯s battle aplishment thus far had thoroughly traumatized the remaining Luke and Shawn, making them not dare to step forward at all. Just one sharp look from Roel was more than enough to make them tremble in fear. ¡°R-Roel, it wasn¡¯t our intention to bother the Ascart House. We wouldn¡¯t dare. I-it¡¯s Bron who made us bring Alicia over!¡± ¡°Y-yes, we weren¡¯t intending on bullying her this year at all! We¡¯re speaking the truth!¡± Shawn and Luke¡¯s words made the fatigued Roel blink his eyes quietly. He slowly processed the words of the duo before nodding his headprehendingly. ¡°So, you¡¯re the scoundrels who bullied my little sister all this while?¡± ¡°Ah? N-no, that¡¯s not what we meant...¡± ¡°Forget it. Crawl your way out of this room, and I¡¯ll let you off.¡± Roel pointed to the doorway with a smile. The two of them shot a hesitant nce at one another before nodding in resolution. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do it!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll crawl our way out, but... you must keep your end of the promise!¡± Under Roel¡¯s implicit approval, the two of them got to their knees and began crawling their way out. Yet, to their horror, Roel suddenly took this opportunity to direct four sharp kicks toward their crotches 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago Kacha! ¡°AHH¡ª! Y-you!¡± ¡°Imbeciles. You sure believed my words easily. Even a fool would know that I wouldn¡¯t let the two of you off after what you have done to my little sister!¡± Roel simply sneered at the pair. In truth, he had overexerted himself to the point where he could hardly lift his hands anymore. Even the kicks he had aimed at them were a little strained. Had it been a proper fight, he might have lost to them, but it was fortunate that they were already scared out of their wits and ended up being duped. ¡°But yes, I¡¯m a person of my words. You can crawl out now. You can be assured that I won¡¯t chase you anymore.¡± Roel spoke to them smilingly. However, he suddenly noticed that there was something amiss with the expressions of the two. At the same time, Alicia¡¯s voice sounded as well. ¡°Be careful!¡± Roel only managed to turn his body around before a dagger plunged straight into his stomach. Chapter 43: Something I Have To Do

Chapter 43: Something I Have To Do

¡°Big brother Roel!¡± ¡°Die, die! I¡¯ll send you to the depths of hell!¡± Creeping up on Roel from behind was a bloodied Bron. His suave face was already ruined from being smashed into the table, and there were wooden splinters embedded in his face. His sharp nose bridge, that was once a source of pride, had copsed downward, and his reddened eyes reflected his berserk state. Baffling baboons! I have already smashed his head into the table, and he¡¯s still able to climb back up? Roel had underestimated the resilience of an Origin Level 6 transcendent. He didn¡¯t think that Bron would be able to recover so quickly from his concussion and silently sneak up on him to stab him. A searing pain assaulted Roel as Bron plunged his dagger, which was around the length of a finger, into Roel¡¯s stomach. In this crucial moment, Roel quickly used Focused Burst to tighten his abdominal muscles while reaching out to hold the de of the dagger in ce. ¡°Miscreant, you dare use a dagger against me? Are you tired of living?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of ways to lure you out and deal with you, but who would have thought that you woulde knocking of your own ord¡ªand for the sake of this hideous woman? You sure have made things convenient for me! ¡°There are too many people here who have harmed you. Do you know what this means? It means that spells won¡¯t be able to pinpoint me as the culprit anymore! I¡¯ll be able to get away scot-free even if I ughter you here! You are the sole son of the Ascart House. If I were to end your lineage right now, I¡¯ll be viewed as the hero of the Elric House!¡± Bron roared furiously as he tried to push the dagger in with all his might. On the other hand, Roel was doing his best to stop the dagger from piercing any deeper. Even though he had nearly depleted his mana and wasn¡¯t able to cast Spell Gloves anymore, he was gripping the dagger tightly in ce through sheer tenacity. A pair of golden eyes met a pair of green eyes, one impassively cold and the other ferociously vicious. Just like that, the two of them wrestled in this life-and-death tug-o-war. As time went by, Roel¡¯s hands began to shake. The earlier battle caused his left hand to be seared to the point where it couldn¡¯t be used anymore, and his right arm was bleeding profusely from holding onto the sharp de. He couldn¡¯t sustain Controlled Breathing anymore, and his mana was down to the dregs. Inparison, while Bron was faring horribly too, his state was at least better than Roel¡¯s. ¡°Hahaha, you have run out of strength now, haven¡¯t you? I can feel your grip loosening by the moment!¡± Bron mocked coldly as he grit his teeth and pushed the dagger millimeter by millimeter deeper into Roel¡¯s stomach, causing blood to spurt out yet again. A victorious smile had emerged on Bron¡¯s face; he was so certain that victory was already within his grasp that he failed to notice the person charging forth from behind. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C This mustn¡¯t do. I must help big brother Roel! The trembling Alicia thought frantically. The battle had already reached its climax, and Roel and Bron were tussling with one another. In Alicia¡¯s view, Bron Elric had already gonepletely mad. He was really intending to kill Roel and her. She knew that she had to help her older brother, but she had no idea what she could do to make a difference. Despite her powerful bloodline, she was still far too young. She was only at Origin Level 7 at the moment. There was far toorge a gap between Origin Level 7 and Origin Level 6, be it in terms of strength, speed, or resilience. Was it really a hopeless situation? No, there was still a way out. The oldest humans had discovered a way to significantly increase their fighting ability, so as to gain the strength to deal with enemies that would have otherwise been beyond their means¡ªweapons. The silver-haired girl looked at the bloodstained knife on the table, and her body instinctively trembled wildly in aversion. This was the knife that had been waved right before her eyes just a moment ago. To Alicia, this was an object that was more frightening than any other weapon out there in the world. Had it been the past her, she wouldn¡¯t have even dared to spare a nce at it. However, her eyes were set on it at this very moment. Despite the tears that were flowing uncontrobly, she forced herself not to avert her eyes from it. She had always thought that it was a bizarre world she lived in. There were so many frightening things to be feared, yet so few wonderful things to be cherished. That day, when Roel first personally fed her, she thought she saw happiness knocking on her door for the first time. As frightening as the knife was, she was a hundred times, no, a thousand times more frightened of losing Roel and the cherished happiness that had finallye to her. Move, my body! Move! The little girl screamed at herself in her mind as she forced herself to grab hold of that bloodstained knife. It should have been something so light, but it weighed a ton to her. An unknown strength rising from the depths of her heart brought her the courage to willingly lift it up for the first time since that incident. I must protect Lord Brother! With tears in her eyes, Alicia bit her lips in resolution as she charged toward the nightmare that was threatening to take away her everything. 3 replies ¨C 13 minutes ago ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Splitch. The sound of a knife stabbing into a person¡¯s body sounded for the second time in the room. Bron Elric¡¯s body jolted as he turned around to look behind him with widened eyes. Behind him, a trembling Alicia had already pushed the knife into his back. Blood had spurted all over her body, and her hands were shaking ceaselessly. Yet, gritting her teeth tenaciously, she continued to pour her strength forth to push the knife further in. ¡°AHHH¡ª¡± A shriek that could have otherwisee from a ughtered pig sounded from Bron¡¯s mouth. The excruciating pain on his back caused him to release the handle of the dagger as he swung his arm around and smacked the silver-haired girl behind him flying. Then, he hurriedly touched his own wound. With a cry of agony, Alicia was mmed into a wall before copsing to the ground, spewing a mouthful of blood. This sight made Roel see red. Gathering everyst bit of strength he had in his body, he hurled his fist toward Bron with a deafening roar. ¡°You bastard!¡± Pah! Krk! A powerful fist carrying all of Roel¡¯s rage shot right into Bron¡¯s chin, producing the cracking sound of a fracture. The sheer force sent Bron flying through the air in an arc before mming down hard onto the table behind him. Bam! The attack caused the golden-haired boy¡¯s eyes to roll upward as white foam dribbled down his mouth. His body twitched around like a fish on the shore. Roel pulled out the knife from his stomach and held it with both hands as he stabbed it right down to pin Bron firmly onto the table. ¡°Ahhh you... Wuuu...¡± The intense pain temporarily brought Bron back to consciousness as he groaned feebly, but soon, he fainted once more due to the concussion from the earlier blow. Roel shot him onest nce before heading over to the fainted Alicia while clutching his stomach. ¡°Alicia?¡± Roel quickly took a look at Alicia¡¯s condition, and to his relief, it appeared that the blood she spewed out earlier came from an injury in her mouth and not something more severe. Heaving a sigh of relief, he slowly sat down while groaning in pain. Tsk, my wounds are too heavy this time around. I think my rib cage has fractured too. Roel, whose consciousness was starting to fade away, quickly shook his head to keep himself awake. It was at this moment that flurried footsteps sounded from the corridor. Bang! The door shot open, and yet another group of children ran in. Upon seeing the tragic sight in the room, they eximed in horror. ¡°Big brother Bron!¡± ¡°Who? Who¡¯s the one who did it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s him! He¡¯s not one of our own!¡± Seeing their unconsciouspanions lying all around, the agitated group, who were clearly Bron¡¯s allies, soon noticed Roel, and they charged over with furious roars. Roel¡¯s face immediately turned grim. He tried pushing himself off the ground, but he was far too weak for that right now. At this crucial moment, a figure suddenly stood between the group of children and Roel, Nora Xeclyde. She coldly ordered the group. Chapter 44: Arrows of Dissension

Chapter 44: Arrows of Dissension

Nora Xeclyde nced at the devastated body of the ck-haired boy behind her with a conflicted look on her face. She spoke words only she and Roel could hear. ¡°I do want to see you troubled and helpless, but seeing you reveal such an expression toward another person really does displease me.¡± 2 replies ¨C 1 hour ago ¡°Just what kind of entric possessiveness is it that you have there?¡± ¡°Probably loathing toward those who fiddle with my toy?¡± ¡°... Tsk, you are beyond cure.¡± ¡°Beyond cure? Perhaps so, but now...¡± Nora¡¯s lips had inched upward a little out of amusement from the short conversation she had with Roel, but in the next moment, as she turned her head around, all that was left was chilling displeasure. ¡°Is there anything else that you need here?¡± ¡°... Your Highness, I apologize for my rudeness, but this is a personal affair between us and him.¡± The boy leading the pack nced at the pitiful state that Bron was in, and the fear rising from the depths of his heart told him that he had to at least attempt something here. Otherwise, he would be caught by Bron¡¯s wrath in the aftermath of this incident. There¡¯s amon saying amongst those trapped in bureaucracy, ¡®my subordinate¡¯s subordinate is not my subordinate¡¯. As high as Nora¡¯s standing was, as formidable as the royal family was, they were not the ones in directmand of the young nobles gathered here. ¡°We don¡¯t have any intention of disrespecting you. We just wish to exact vengeance for our friends.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We are only looking for that boy behind you!¡± ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± Nora coldly eyed the noisy bunch of misfits standing before her before ncing at the other ten incapacitated children and Bron. Then, she nodded empathetically and smiled. ¡°I see. It¡¯s a really touching friendship that you have over here. Bron Elric sure has a lot of friends around. Unknowingly, he has already befriended so many young nobles in our Theocracy.¡± The brighter Nora¡¯s smile grew, the more hostile her gaze became. This bunch of fools thought that they were discreet in amassing a bit of clout and building up their faction, but Nora had already long found out about this so-called ¡®Elric Youth Faction¡¯ from the royal intelligence reports. There was no royal family that could possibly tolerate their subordinates building up their ownrge factions and amassing great influence, let alone something that aimed to involve an entire generation of noble subjects. Nora turned around, bent over, and looked Roel in the eye. ¡°In contrast, Mister Roel Ascart over here appears to be quite miserable byparison. It seems like I¡¯m the only friend that you have here.¡± ¡°... But you aren¡¯t my wuuu ¡ª!¡± Roel¡¯s attempted rejection was thwarted by a palm covering his mouth. ¡°Even though it¡¯s adorable to see you talking tough, I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re in a good position to refuse my help. After all, you aren¡¯t alone right now.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Nora¡¯s words made the muffled Roel stop his little act of rebellion, and his eyes slid over to nce at the unconscious Alicia lying beside him. With a solemn look on his face, he slowly fell silent. Nora slowly removed her hand before turning to look at Alicia, who was still being protected by Roel despite the horrendous state he was in. She couldn¡¯t help feeling a little envious. ¡°Just like how you feel obliged to exact vengeance for your friends, I am also obliged to protect my own friend.¡± Nora quickly readjusted her mood before turning back to look at the dumbfounded crowd standing before her. ¡°As the master of this manor, I¡¯m formally requesting that you leave this ce.¡± ¡°...¡± Nora¡¯s words caused the noble rabble in the room to fall silent. They looked at one another for support. Their rtionship with and fear of the Elric House made them hesitate, but their hesitation only served to further infuriate Nora. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Are you intending to disregard the authority of a Xeclyde? I see... Make your move then.¡± ¡°Ah? No, we are...¡± Coming to the limit of her patience, Nora finally dropped her smile. Rampaging mana burst forth from her skin and a shimmering pair of wings formed from light coalesced behind her. A powerful pressure crushed down on the surroundings. Roel felt as if his blood had frozen in ce, making him shudder. The atmosphere suddenly grew so heavy that he felt like oxygen was being squeezed out of his lungs. Fortunately, this terrifying sensation onlysted for an instant. The pressure quickly receded after. It was likely that Nora was taking care of him. As the feeling disappeared, his breathing swiftly reverted to normal. Roel gazed upon the silhouette of the angel who bore a pair of light wings standing before him with a look of disbelief in his eyes. Origin Level 5. The ability to materialize the disorderly and corrupted mana into the form of one¡¯s imagination could only be achieved through an Origin Attribute, and the minimum requirement for that was to reach Origin Level 5. This was the hallmark of a true transcendent. 2 replies ¨C 1 hour ago The problem here was that Nora was only 10 years old... ¡°Gahh!¡± ¡°What¡¯s your decision?¡± Under Nora¡¯s cold gaze, the young nobles, who were still thinking of making a move a moment ago, fell to the ground like crops being reaped by a scythe. Their natural instinctspelled them to submit to the higher being standing before them. Even the few Origin Level 6s amongst them were shaking like feeble hamsters standing in the face of a lion. ¡°If you wish to make a move, do it quick. This is the first time I¡¯m dealing with someone of my own age group, but I should tell you that I don¡¯t have the habit of holding back.¡± Nora raised her hand as she gathered a cluster of mana so dense that it actually felt nauseating. Everyone present, with the exception of Roel, couldn¡¯t stop themselves from screaming out of sheer fright. However, halfway through her motion, Nora suddenly seemed to have noticed something. She turned her sight toward the doorway before sighing in disappointment. ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to stop here.¡± Nora dispelled her mana, causing her light wings to dissipate. Everything became calm and peaceful once more. An elegant and tranquil smile, reminiscent of ady strolling in a flower garden, returned to her face. A momentter, the door burst open, and a group of adults dashed in. ¡°Roel! Alicia!¡± Carter was the first one to barge in while shouting the names of his children. The first thing that he saw was the tragic state that Bron was in, and he immediately knew that something was amiss. So, he began searching around the room frantically for his two children. It was utter pandemonium afterward. Carter found the severely injured Roel and the unconscious Alicia leaning at the foot of the wall and dashed right over. Prince Kane walked over to Nora and enquired about the happenings from her. A huge following of nobles that entered afterward stumbled upon the horrendous sight in the room. The men gasped in shock, while the women shrieked in horror. Even the servants were flustered. Many of the young nobles present had been scared out of their wits by Nora, such that it wasn¡¯t too hard to get the truth out of them. It also happened that Alicia woke up at this moment. The scene before her made her realize that they had been saved. While trying her best to hold back her tears, she quickly recounted the situation to everyone present. Alicia¡¯s story raised a huge uproar amongst the nobles present. The noblewomen rushed over to give Alicia a hug while berating Bron and his posse, as if venting their rage for simr miseries they had gone through when they were younger. The next ones to step forward were the military men. Alicia¡¯s father, Larthe, was a soldier who had died on the battlefield, which made them treasure Alicia as one of their own too. Hearing that the orphaned Alicia had been put through such torture and humiliation left the military officials deeply enraged. It was made in that they wouldn¡¯t let this matter slide easily. ¡°We beseech you to resolve this matter appropriately,mander.¡± The members of the Holy Knight Order had a livid look on their faces, and themander they were addressing, Prince Kane, was no better either. His eyes were burning with murderous intent as he stared at the unconscious Bron on the table. However, there was one person who beat him to it. In the face of public outrage, the man who was viewed by everyone in enmity, Count Bryan Elric, stepped forth and struck Bron in his face. Chapter 45: Noble House

Chapter 45: Noble House

Krrk! It was a sharp cracking sound, something that had echoed many times earlier in this room, but it was different this time around. A neck had just been snapped. 1 reply ¨C 4 hours ago ¡°AH¡ª!¡± ¡°In the name of great Sia, what are you doing?!¡± Screams and horrified exmations sounded in the air. Everyone who was infuriated at Bron a moment ago waspletely stunned. Prince Kane had a look of disbelief on his face. Carter hurriedly covered Alicia¡¯s eyes. Nora had a rare frown on her face. Roel looked at the man who shared the same green eyes with Bron as he felt a chill running down his spine. No one could have thought that Count Bryan had stepped forward, not to save his son, but to snap his neck with a single strike. 1 reply ¨C 4 hours ago This man is vicious. Roel¡¯splexion slowly turned awful. Under normal circumstances, shouldn¡¯t the old one stand forward after the young one failed? That would have given Carter and Kane the justification to condemn the Elric House and make them suffer a heavy price for their actions. Yet, this fellow wasn¡¯t going by the script! Roel looked at the golden-haired count before him, and thetter also happened to turn his head over at the moment, resulting in their gazes meeting one another mid-air. Roel immediately felt his body turning cold, as if he was being stared down by a venomous snake. ¡°Bryan, what are you doing?¡± Sensing that Count Bryan was assessing Roel, Carter stepped forward right away to shelter his child behind him, as he narrowed his eyes in hostility. On the other hand, Bryan was silent for a moment before he answered calmly. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just taking a look at the young man who stopped Bron¡¯s foolishness.¡± 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago Following that, he turned to face the surrounding crowd and spoke up loudly. ¡°I sincerely apologize on behalf of the Elric House for everything that has happened here. It¡¯s my failure to discipline my children that led to this situation. I have punished Bron for his actions, and we¡¯ll make sure topensate Miss Alicia for the suffering she has been put through. I ask for your understanding.¡± The entire room fell silent after Bryan¡¯s deration. The sight of him killing his own son left the nobles feeling disconcerted. The military officials, including Kane and Carter, looked at the dead Bron and found themselves unable to say anything either. Noticing theck of opposition, Bryan walked up to Nora to speak to her. ¡°Your Highness Nora, I am deeply apologetic to have caused such a scandal on your birthday. I humbly ask for your forgiveness.¡± ¡°Count Bryan, you need not act in such a manner. You have dealt with this matter well.¡± Nora¡¯s insincerepliment was dripping with sarcasm, but Bryan feigned ignorance to it. ¡°Your Highness Kane, I¡¯m afraid that there are many matters I must attend to, so I¡¯ll have to make a move in advance.¡± Bryan bowed slightly before grabbing Bron¡¯s corpse and making his exit. Spectating nobles scrambled to open up a path for Bryan, and it was only after this terrifying man had vanished from sight that they all heaved sighs of relief. Watching as Count Bryan left, Roel felt that he had really underestimated the world of nobles. The old noble houses, having weathered hundreds of years of rise and fall, had matured from the crises they had faced. It was not that they wouldn¡¯t err, but they learned how to deal with mistakes. Bron was an immature fool. From the moment he whipped out his dagger, he was already a goner. Count Bryan, on the other hand, was a perfect product of the standard noble curriculum, valuing his house¡¯s interest above all else. Not even the sentiments of a father got in the way of his judgment. The Elrics might have left, but the matter surrounding the Elric Youth Faction hadn¡¯t been settled yet. Prince Kane had no intention of letting these noble children off the hook easily just because they were young. With a wave of his hand, he had his men take them away. They would be severely punished before being granted permission to leave the manor. Their names would be taken down, and royal edicts would be sent to their houses to inform their families that they had been cklisted by the royal family. With this, their futures were most certainly ruined. ¡°How did you find me?¡± 4 replies ¨C 1 hour ago While Carter and Kane were dealing with the aftermath of the incident, Roel, who had just undergone emergency treatment, turned to Nora and asked. Nora blinked her eyes before replying calmly. ¡°That¡¯s because you never came back after being called away by a little girl. I was somewhat curious, so I came over to take a look. It was then that I happened to see that bunch of people barging into this room... Perhaps this is what you call fate?¡± 3 replies ¨C 1 hour ago Fate, my ass! Roel snorted in response to Nora¡¯s words as he slowly recalled everything that happened before he made his way here. After parting from Alicia at the banquet, certified foodie Roel didn¡¯t hold back before the enticement of the buffet table. Holding a te in hand, he delightfully hopped from one dish to the other and gorged himself thoroughly. It was only due to his graceful eating etiquette that he barely managed to not look out of ce. But halfway through his feast, Roel noticed that the number of boys in the banquet hall had reduced considerably, which brought his train of thoughts to the Elric Youth Faction. Thinking of them left him feeling a little uneasy inside, so he headed over to the girls who were in his faction to check out the situation, only to bump into a girl who witnessed Bron¡¯s group taking Alicia away. When Roel learned that someone was bullying his little sister, he told the little girl to find Carter while he took out a tool he had bought on discount from the Affection Points Shop in thest few months and headed over to look for his little sister first. ¡¾Shadow Lover Love without roots, feelings abounded. The lover in the shadow bleeds dry, only to be thought of as a stream of warm tears.¡¿ 3 replies ¨C 1 hour ago It was yet another description that was useless except for its poetic value. Shadow Lover was a red cloth, made of a translucent material simr to bridal veils. After several months of experimentation, Roel managed to uncover the ability of this red cloth. As long as he had it on in a dark environment, his presence would utterly vanish, reminiscent of the lover that no one knew of depicted in the description. This was also why Roel was able to suddenly appear behind Bron earlier on. His initial n was to take them out one by one discreetly, but when he saw Bron¡¯s actions and heard Alicia¡¯s crying, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to bide his time anymore. This was what resulted in the eventual 1v12. While many things had happened, in truth, only 5 minutes had psed between the moment Roel entered the room and when he pinned Bron to the table. Nora followed by Carter and the other adults barged into the room about 7 minutes after the start of the incident. Roel could have waited it out until reinforcements arrived before making a move, but he didn¡¯t want to do so, especially when he knew that Alicia could have been traumatized for good had he chosen to wait. He ended up sustaining severe injuries due to that, but he didn¡¯t regret his decision. Those around him also expressed their approval toward his actions. ¡°Lad, you¡¯ve done well!¡± ¡°It was a battle well fought!¡± ¡°As expected of an Ascart, you didn¡¯t embarrass us!¡± Prince Kane and the other members of the Holy Knight Ordermended Roel for his actions and aplishments. Carter couldn¡¯t help but feel gleeful hearing the praises heaped on his son, but he still maintained a grave look on his face. ¡°You did well protecting Alicia this time, but you shouldn¡¯t act recklessly the next time you encounter such a situation. Rely on me more!¡± ¡°I understand, father.¡± 2 replies ¨C 1 hour ago Roel humbly responded to thepliments of the men around him while shooting a nce at Alicia. As he watched her thank the circle of noblewomen around her for their concern with a smile, he couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene of her picking up a knife and stabbing Bron. He was indeed relieved to have been saved by her, but no matter how he looked at it, such an action was too extreme for someone of her age. He couldn¡¯t think of it as a good thing. Would this matter leave some kind of trauma behind? 1 reply ¨C 31 minutes ago It looks like I¡¯ll have to pay careful heed to this in the future. 7 replies ¨C 1 hour ago The doting ck-haired boy thought to himself before everything suddenly faded to ck. 3 replies ¨C 57 minutes ago Chapter 46: Alicia Is a Treasure

Chapter 46: Alicia Is a Treasure

Have you ever put your life on the line for another person? When Roel first saw this question on a social media tform in his previous life, he was rendered speechless. Bro, open your eyes and look at the era we¡¯re living in! Who are you even going to pit your life against? In the modern era, where the pen was much mightier than the sword, physical brawls had be extremely rare, let alone life and death battles. This was even more so in first world countries. One could get stopped by uniformed uncles just by strolling around with a knife in hand! Roel scoffed at the question, thinking that there would never be a day where he would have to put his life on the line for another person, at least till now. In the original storyline, the suffering that Alicia went through under Bron fractured the rtions between Alicia and Roel, nting an unshakable death g for him there. However, since he had intervened this time around, the situation should be different from before. That being said, the price paid for the intervention was really not to be scoffed at. After knocking out 12 opponents, Roel¡¯s left hand was burned and his right hand suffered a deep cut. His arms and knees were mashed up, and several of his ribs had fractured. While the wound in his stomach wasn¡¯t fatal, it was still quite deep. Aside from these major injuries, his body was also covered with cuts and abrasions. Plenty of blood had been lost too. In the end, Roel¡¯s body couldn¡¯t take it any longer and he passed out. Were it not for the existence of transcendental abilities in this world, he would have been bedridden for a very long time. ¡°Ah, ah. Ouch ouch ouch...¡± On top of a bed, an unconscious ck-haired boy was rudely awoken by all the aching painsing from his body. Even before opening his eyes, he was already groaning in agony. His body moved instinctively in response to his misery and one of his wounds was pulled at, jolting him fully awake in an instant. With a sharp intake of breath between clenched teeth, Roel opened his eyes. He immediately began scanning his surroundings. The ceiling was quite beautiful with a mural depicting a holy maiden, a fashion trend from a hundred years ago. There were also many decorative ornaments and artworks hanging on the walls. The red carpet and the vibrant-colored furniture in the room looked prettyvish. This was a room inside the Labyrinth Vi. The familiar environment set Roel¡¯s heart at ease. It was then that he noticed a girl sitting beside him. Silver hair flowed down her shoulders. She had a face that was beautiful yet aloof, giving off the impression that she was unapproachable. She was currently dozing lightly on a chair beside the bed. Her tranquil sleeping face softened the coldness of her features, giving it an adorable touch instead. It made Roel¡¯s heart pound a little. Thisss is really getting more and more beautiful by the day. Roel couldn¡¯t help but stare at her for a while, appreciating her beauty before inwardly sighing deeply. Alicia will only continue to be more gorgeous in the future. The Silverash Bloodline pursues the highest level of perfection, after all. Tsk, it feels like there¡¯ll be a lot of bugs by her side in the future... Roel stroked his lower jaw contemtively as he fell into deep thought. The incident with Bron made him realize that Alicia, as one of the main capture targets, was bound to face even more trouble in the future. It would be annoying, but there was nothing to be feared since the solution was very simple. He would just have to drag all those scoundrels out under the sun and murder them socially in the name of justice. Of course, Roel wouldn¡¯t be taking responsibility if any of them were to have their neck snapped by their own father for being an embarrassment to their house. That would be their own household affair; he wasn¡¯t going to take the me for that. It was then that Roel suddenly recalled the golden-haired man he met that day, and his heart suddenly felt a little heavy. Bryan Elric. He was truly a terrifying man. As the saying went, ¡®not even the most vicious of tigers preyed on its cubs¡¯. While the revtion of Bron¡¯s misdeeds had brought about public outrage, such that it would have been impossible for Bron to take over the house anymore, it still didn¡¯t change the fact that he was a child of the Elric House. The privileges of the Five Eminent Noble Houses were not for show. Strictly speaking, even the Xeclydes couldn¡¯t pass judgment on Bron directly; they had to go through the Theocracy¡¯s courts. There were many strings that one could pull in the courtroom. The Elric House might not be as prosperous as it was 200 years ago, but they had been rising quickly in recent decades. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for them to preserve the life of a boy who hadn¡¯tmitted murder. Yet, in order to swiftly appease public outrage and avoid implicating his house, Count Bryan acted decisively, granting his son a quick death before anyone could even stop him. Hisck of feelings toward his own progeny was truly frightening, and the attitude he had back then... Bron was a typicalwless little rascal. His domineering personality could have been a product ofcency, due to the swift expansion of the Elric House¡¯s influence over thest decade. Nevertheless, there was still too big of a difference between his character and his father¡¯s. Roel had a feeling that Bron wasn¡¯t being valued as the sessor, that no one had tried to discipline and educate him before. In any case, all Roel felt from Bryan was bad vibes. He wouldn¡¯t want to be the enemy of this vicious man if there was any other choice. However, just from the look Bryan shot him back then, it was quite clear that the die had already been cast. But so what? Alicia is a treasure from the gods. Anyone who tries to hurt her deserves death! No exceptions whatsoever! 1 reply ¨C 27 minutes ago After venting his emotions, Roel felt a little calmer. Now that he thought about it, from the perspective of the Ascart House, such developments weren¡¯t too bad either. The Ascarts and the Xeclydes had been on good terms with each other ever since the March Turmoil, but the other four of the Five Eminent Noble Houses tended to waver in their positions. The Elric House was even publicly known to be on bad terms with the royal family. This incident would remind the Xeclydes that several generations ofx governance had led to the breeding of toxic flies amongst them. These toxic flies threatened to overthrow what the Theocracy originally stood for, and they had already started huddling around the shitpile known as the Elric House. Once a rival faction sessfully gained substantial power, they would grow dissatisfied with being in a position of subordination, leading them to eventually challenge the Xeclydes¡¯ authority. This was an inevitable turn of events brought about by a conflict of interest, and Prince Kane and the others should have realized it through this matter. If things had gone ording to the original storyline, Bron¡¯s faction would have continued to amass influence as his subordinates inherited their houses and took on positions of power. It would have spelled a disastrous catastrophe for the Theocracy. ¡°Wait a moment, now that I think about it, Nora once said in the game that a revolt had urred in the Theocracy. Could that revolt have stemmed from Bron and his faction?¡± Was it a coup d¡¯¨¦tat? Or did they try to exert political pressure to force the Xeclydes to abdicate? Roel pondered with a frown. He was only starting to realize just how big an impact his actions had made on the future. Since the Xeclydes had been awoken from their slumber, they would surely spare no effort in trimming away the decaying and withered leaves amongst the nobles. That was, after all, the job of the royal family. The Xeclydes would also deal with the Elric House too, but since Bron was dead, it would be hard for them to find a legitimate reason to flex their authority right away. It was while Roel was deep in thought that the silver-haired girl dozing-off nearby woke up from her nap. With a light yawn, she slowly opened her eyes and saw that Roel was now awake. Her eyes immediately went wide as she leaped to her feet. ¡°Big brother Roel!¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯re awake, Alicia. I saw that you were sleeping, so I didn¡¯t wake... Ahhh? Why are you crying?¡± Watching tears stream down Alicia¡¯s cheeks, Roel began to panic a little. Her tears somehow held the power to make his heart feel a little jittery. ¡°I¡¯m fine, big brother Roel. I¡¯m just finding it hard to hold back my emotions.¡± Alicia wiped off her tears as she tried to keep her feelings in check. Then, she leaped onto the bed and wrapped her arms around Roel¡¯s neck. ¡°I love you, big brother Roel!¡± (Affection Points +50,000!) Chapter 47: Do You Love Me?

Chapter 47: Do You Love Me?

Green! Way too green! This was the first thought that came to Roel¡¯s mind as Alicia wrapped her arms around him. That¡¯s 50,000 Affection Points! What in the world? Do I even earn that much in a month? Roel was shaken by the green light zing above Alicia¡¯s head, to the point that he was screaming inside his head frenziedly. But thinking more about it, it appeared that he hadn¡¯t received any Affection Points from Alicia throughout the ¡®Bron incident¡¯. Was this the grand total of what he had earned? Ah, that makes sense then. Roel shot a nce at his broken arms and legs, and he suddenly felt that it was all worth it even if it was just for this sum of Affection Points. As his shock gradually calmed down, his attention naturally wandered off to other sensations, such as... How soft, warm, and fragrant! Roel thought as he stroked Alicia¡¯s hair. The texture felt a thousand times better than stroking a cat, stoking up a profound sense of satisfaction in his heart. ¡°I love you, Lord Brother.¡± Alicia said with a voice slightly hoarse from crying. Her sudden promation of love made Roel¡¯s heart skip a beat, and he felt a slightly itchy feeling in his chest. ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°Lord Brother, do you love me?¡± ¡°Ah? I-I...¡± Roel didn¡¯t expect to be suddenly bombarded with this question, such that he was stunned for a moment. Alicia released her hold and stared at Roel eye-to-eye. There seemed to be a torrent of emotions raging in her eyes, as if she was trying to convey something to him. ¡°...¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened a little. From the solemn expression on Alicia¡¯s face and her trembling fingers, he could tell that it was not the time for him to be joking around. He could sense that she was feeling nervous, perhaps terrified even. She was afraid of being rejected. Is this a side effect from what Bron had said to her during the banquet? Or is it a manifestation of the unease she felt from seeing me getting stabbed back then. But in any case... There was no way Roel could bring himself to reject her. ¡°I love you too, Alicia.¡± Roel said dotingly as he reached out to hug the trembling little girl in front of him. Alicia burst into joyful tears. Outside the room, Anna, who was peeping through the cracks of the door, was moved to tears by what she saw. Biting her handkerchief in agitation, she lightly closed the door shut before turning around to face the huge army of servants standing behind her. ¡°Our young master and young miss... are an item now! Uwuuuu...¡± ¡°R-really?¡± ¡°Yay¡ª! Long live our young miss!¡± ¡°Our Ascart House is saved!¡± The ¡®Roel X Alicia Ship¡¯ fan club members cheered joyfully upon hearing the news that Anna had brought them. The ones who were the most touched of all were the servants working for Alicia. ¡°Anna, are you certain about this?¡± ¡°Of course! How could I possibly be mistaken?¡± Anna, who was still wiping her tears a moment ago, straightened her back and stood with a dignified air as soon as she heard someone questioning her credibility. She quickly recounted the promations of love made to one another on the bed earlier, causing the other servants to gasp in agitation. ¡°But given the young master and young miss¡¯ age, could it just be kinship?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t refute the possibility, but considering how mature our young master and miss are, I believe that there¡¯s arger proportion of romantic love in their rtionship.¡± ¡°I... I also think that it¡¯s romantic love too!¡± The members of the fan club discussed fervently with one another over this matter, but none of them were able to urately capture the thoughts that were in Roel¡¯s mind at this very instant. ... She¡¯s really like a cat. This was the thought in Roel¡¯s mind as he stroked Alicia¡¯s silky hair. It felt like he was patting a particrly clingy cat. Thinking more deeply into it, there were indeed a lot of simrities between Alicia and cats. Like how they looked docile but were actually very guarded against others; like how they stood dignified and gracefully, rarely trying to disy intimacy; like how they were very sensitive toward their surroundings. Of course, there were significant differences between them too. Alicia was unable to fully conceal her emotions. She was sensitive but fragile. She sought to love and be loved. Behind her aloof exterior, there was a warm heart beating. Roel would have to go through many hurdles and obstacles in order to bring out her true self. The main character managed to aplish all of this with great difficulty in the game, but Roel was fortunate that he was able to meet Alicia many years in advance. At the very least, he was able to reduce her suffering and alleviate her loneliness. She wouldn¡¯t kill me anymore. Roel, who finally recalled the storyline of the game, nodded to himself confidently. ¡°Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± Roel was in the midst of celebrating his small victory when he heard the little girl¡¯s voice and turned his head over. Alicia¡¯s head was leaning on his shoulder, and she spoke with a choked-up voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was because of me that you sustained such heavy injuries. If only I wasn¡¯t taken away by them...¡± ¡°What in the world are you talking about? You are the victim here! What are you apologizing for?¡± Roel¡¯s expression turned grave as he spoke with a firm voice. ¡°It¡¯s Bron and his group of cronies who inflicted harm on us. They¡¯re the ones who should be apologizing and punished for their actions! So, don¡¯t be silly and take the me for this matter. If any jackass tries to say otherwise, tell me and I¡¯ll break his leg!¡± ¡°Lord Brother.¡± Alicia was deeply moved by Roel¡¯s words, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t help but recall some matters. ¡°After this incident, it¡¯s likely that there¡¯s already no room for reconciliation between the Ascart House and Elric House.¡± ¡°... That can¡¯t be helped. Our paths differ from one another in the first ce, not to mention that there¡¯s already a deep grudge between us. It was only a matter of time before this happened, so there¡¯s no need for you to pay it any heed.¡± Alicia fell silent once more. She recalled the look Bryan Elric shot Roel back then, and after a long moment of silence, she finally spoke with conviction. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Hm? Ah... Oh.¡± Roel blinked his eyes in surprise at Alicia¡¯s sudden remark. He didn¡¯t understand the resolution behind those words, and Alicia, despite having noticed it, didn¡¯t bother to exin either. Her crimson eyes narrowed a little before slowly loosening up once more as she silently buried the vow she had just made in the depths of her heart. ¡°But speaking of that, haven¡¯t you already protected me once?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel pointed to his own stomach and exined to the confused Alicia. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you bravely stepping in back then, my injuries would have been more severe. You have already protected me once.¡± ¡°I-I wasn¡¯t... I wasn¡¯t thinking of anything at all. I was afraid, afraid of losing you. It was so terrifying that I...¡± Alicia¡¯s voice became choked-up once more. Recalling the overwhelming fear she felt back then made her tug Roel even tighter than before. It was as if she was afraid that he would suddenly disappear into thin air. Sensing this, Roel stroked her head and spokeforting words. ¡°But you still saved me. I never thought that you would ovee your fear and pick up the knife. You are more courageous than I imagined.¡± ¡°... It wasn¡¯t courage. It was a fear triumphing over another. Aspared to losing you, the knife wasn¡¯t scary at all.¡± ¡°...¡± Alicia¡¯s earnest words left Roel a bit shaken. Something stirred in his heart, leaving him with misting eyes. After a long moment of silence, he nodded his head heavily before leaning it against Alicia¡¯s. ¡°Is that so...¡± Roel muttered softly before the room settled into silence, leaving two hearts leaning against one another, beating silently. Chapter 48: An Unfulfilled Prophecy

Chapter 48: An Unfulfilled Prophecy

Deep in the night, Bryan Elric walked down the corridor of the Elric House¡¯s mansion in the Holy Capital. In this silent building, his footsteps echoed particrly loudly. Moonlight shone through the window to cast its cold light upon his body, making him appear even more chilling. At the end of the corridor, Bryan took out a key, opened a door, and walked in. Beyond the door stood the item that he was looking for¡ªa mercury mirror. 1 reply ¨C 13 minutes ago This mirror was around the height of a human, and it was designed in a manner that made it look like a door that one could pass through. And that was how it was intended to be used too. Bryan stood before the mirror and looked at his calm yet slightly livid expression. He raised his hand and knocked on the mirror. ¡°Lybit, open the door.¡± There was a slight ripple on the surface of the mirror before an eye suddenly materialized in the middle of the mirror. The eye turned to look at Bryan before dissipating. Following that, powerful pulsations of mana emanated from the mirror before it suddenly swung open like a door, revealing a hunched old man holding a key in his hand. The hunched old man bowed deeply to Bryan. ¡°Wee back, vice guild leader.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Bryan nodded quietly to acknowledge the greeting before walking through the mirror door. The scenery around him swiftly changed into that of a dark castle. Connoisseur Guild Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters¡ªthis was the name of the castle that was permanently submerged in darkness. It was the cradle of a bunch of lunatics who were obsessed with ¡®art¡¯. ¡°The Collector... I¡¯m referring to the guild leader, is he here yet?¡± ¡°Yes yes, he¡¯s already here. However, you have arrivedte. We just finished an auction. The hunched old man followed Bryan¡¯s footsteps as he exined with a subservient smile, hoping that he could catch the eye of this enigmatic vice guild leader with his words. That being said, he didn¡¯t bear much expectation. To his surprise though, it appeared that Bryan did have an order for him to handle. ¡°My bloodline, ten years old. He has lost a bit of blood. To what extent will you be able to do it if I were to entrust him to you?¡± ¡°Ten years old? A boy?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Please allow me some time to think about it. Er... If the corpse is still intact, I should be able to get 20 more years for you with my skills!¡± replied the hunched old man with a fawning chuckle. Bryan looked at the hunched old man impassively for a moment before nodding his head. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll leave it to you from now on then. You¡¯ll be satisfied with the payment.¡± ¡°Hehehe, I won¡¯t disappoint you! ¡°Are you done speaking? I have a meeting with the guild leader to attend.¡± ¡°Yes yes, I¡¯m done. Please go on ahead!¡± The old man dared not speak incessantly in Bryan¡¯s presence. He lowered his back subserviently as he saw thetter off into the darkness ahead. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- Bryan¡¯s mood lifted a little after cing his ¡®order¡¯. Thest few days had been quite vexing for him. His n fell to shambles, and the Xeclydes and Ascarts had begun working together to exert pressure on him. Other fiefdoms also began making moves against the Elric House both in the open and in the shadows, resulting in business negotiations falling through and sanctions being imposed. This had caused that bunch of good-for-nothing nobles under him to fall into a fluster. They scrambled to him and wailed about how Bron had been a bad influence for their children and so on. Bryan knew deep down what they wanted behind that superficial act of theirs¡ªthey sought the secrets of longevity. Yes, this was all a trade. In exchange for their loyalty to the Elric House and their children joining Bron¡¯s following, the ailing nobles would be bestowed with a way for them to continue living, and perhaps, even making a ¡®full recovery¡¯. Of course, Bryan didn¡¯t put in so much effort just to build up his child¡¯s influence. It was all just a part of his ns. ¡°Did it fail? It¡¯s unexpected to hear that your n fell through. Were you unable to meet the conditions?¡± ¡°No, a ruthless sessor and arge group of followers; I already met the conditions for it. The timing was also perfect, but the prophecy still fell through for some inexplicable reason.¡± On one end of a long table, Bryan took a sip of tea as he spoke cidly. He had put in quite a bit of effort to ensure the fulfillment of the prophecy this time around, spending over a year to build up the scenario. He had also used all sorts of means during the banquet to direct others away from the scene, so as to create the necessary environment for Bron to aplish what was expected of him. But, he never thought that the supposedly untalented Roel would actually be different from the rumors. They should have been able to either rally him over to their side or kill him, but his unexpected strength allowed him to stand his ground against Bron and his followers. After a grueling battle, the one who climbed out alive from the bloodstained room turned out to be him. An inconspicuous frown of frustration formed on Bryan¡¯s impassive face as he thought about the incident. On the opposite end of the long table, however, a dark figure cloaked in shadows chuckled softly. ¡°For the prophecy to actually fall through... Labi will go on another one of his hysterical rampages once he learns about it. This is indeed a little troublesome. It¡¯s a relief that it¡¯s no longer possible for Carter to awaken anymore, but his son could pose a problem. Our failure to bring him over to our side or kill him might spell trouble for us in the future.¡± ¡°But hasn¡¯t the Ascart House already lost the method to awaken?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Based on the records, ever since Caroline Ascart went berserk at the start of the Third Epoch, the heritage of their house has already been severed. However, there¡¯s something bizarre about that house. Once every few centuries, an abnormal individual who defies allmon sense would appear amongst them. Over the past thousand years, there have already been two patriarchs who have awakened on their own.¡± The dark figure tapped his finger on the wooden table as he recalled the legendary house that was gradually being dragged into the darkness by the grinding gears of time. ¡°The bloodline of that n has been divided into seven parts ever since the Second Epoch. The only lineage that is still faring well is the Ascarts, who have chosen to seek refuge with the Theocracy. Yet, that family still manages to pull off the impossible. ¡°They have already lost their heritage, yet their patriarchs are still able to pull through using just the ordinary Three Main Origin Attributes... There¡¯s just something peculiar about their house that allows them to continue defying fate over the past thousand years. Even when they¡¯re in decline, I can¡¯t help but feel unnerved by them.¡± The words spoken by the guild leader made Bryan¡¯s frown tighten a little. He took a while to contemte those words before he finally asked calmly. ¡°Should we make a move again?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. Prophesy isn¡¯t our exclusive domain. Besides, there¡¯s no need to further drag your Elric House down into the swamp. The news that the Ascarts might usher in another awakened individual has already sparked the nerves of many people. We can be assured that one of them will make a move in order to stifle the danger in the cradle.¡± ¡°But that boy has close rtions with the sessor of the Xeclydes. The chances of a sessful assassination are...¡± ¡°The Xeclydes are another troublesome house to deal with, but it matters not... Here, why don¡¯t you have a look at the painting that I have recently collected?¡± The dark figure snapped his finger, and a scroll painting slowly unfurled itself in midair. It depicted a street mired in chaos; a ck-haired boy and a golden-haired girl were supporting one another as they trudged ahead. 1 reply ¨C 20 minutes ago ¡°It looks like trouble will be knocking on their doorsteps very soon.¡± 1 reply ¨C 24 minutes ago Chapter 49: Heart of Flames, Fear as Fuel

Chapter 49: Heart of mes, Fear as Fuel

Alicia Ascart went through one of the happiest days of her life. Before entering the Ascart House, the time that Alicia had with her loved ones had always been limited. Her father, Larthe, due to his duties in the Knight Order, was rarely home, so spending long dull days with the servants was her norm. But those days were broken the day her father suddenly left her. She was adopted by the man her father died protecting, Marquess Carter. In truth, Alicia did not have a good impression of Marquess Carter initially. No matter how mature or understanding she could be at other times, there was no way for her to reconcile herself with the situation and view favorably the man who took her father away from her. That was why she was always respectful but distant to Marquess Carter. That was the limit of her self-control. She treated Roel the same way during their first meeting too. Alicia had actually heard of the vile rumors surrounding Roel prior to their first meeting, which was why she was trembling with trepidation the first time they met. She was afraid that he would be her new nightmare, just like those many others she had met before. Thankfully, her worries proved to be unfounded this time. Roel treated her far better than her wildest imagination. She never had any siblings before, but based on what she knew about the circle of nobility, not even blood-rted siblings would treat each other that well, not to mention that she was just an adopted child. Does he have some motive in mind? Such thoughts hade to Alicia more than once. She had also listened to the discussions of the servants, but the conclusion she arrived at was that the only thing he could get from her was this body of hers, which was still passable in looks. Is that it? Is my body what he wants? If that¡¯s the case, I guess it¡¯s all fine then. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago That was what Alicia, who craved love, thought. She didn¡¯t see any problems with entrusting her body to someone who treated her better than anyone else in the world. Rather, that was thepensation that he rightfully deserved. 2 replies ¨C 1 hour ago The young Alicia knew very little about the affairs between men and women and didn¡¯t quite understand what the notion signified, but she was aware of theck of offspring in the Ascart House. She deemed it her responsibility to the house to bear children for Roel and raise them up. 2 replies ¨C 1 hour ago It doesn¡¯t sound too bad? If she could continue staying by his side and enjoy such bliss, she felt that such a trade-off waspletely eptable. After having a taste of the sweet poison known as happiness and affection, she couldn¡¯t bear the thought of returning back to her old days of pain and loneliness anymore. That was why she had resolved to devote herself to Roel and spend everyday in bliss. She thought that these days could go on forever until the end of time. But, old nightmares suddenly caught up. Once again, she found herself faced with the demon, Bron, and he tried to drag her back into the hell that she had barely escaped from. Just as she was about to drown in despair, Roel appeared once more and tore apart the vines entrapping her. He pulled her out from the darkness that was just moments away from engulfing herpletely. That night, while Roel remained unconscious after the incident, Alicia insisted on staying by his side. She pondered many things, and before she knew it, a spark of me had already ignited in her heart. It burned with irrepressible intensity, searing her in both body and mind. She felt like she was going to be set alight. This must be the love that adults speak of . 1 reply ¨C 39 minutes ago She previously thought of her feelings for Roel as a fair exchange, a give-and-take rtionship. But right now, all she wanted was to give. She felt these sentiments were a manifestation of her love for Roel. Her body, her soul, and her heart, she wanted to offer them all to the person whom she loved the most in the world. She found herself unable to curb these feelings anymore, and that was why she confessed to him. To her relief, she received the response that she expected. This was the moment that Alicia felt the happiest in her lifetime. This should have been enough to satisfy her, but during her conversation with Roel, she couldn¡¯t help but seriously think over some matters, namely the future of the Ascart House. Roel berated her for trying to take on any me for the incident, but it was a fact that she was the trigger behind the fallout between the Ascart House and the Elric House. She knew that Roel had reced her as the Elrics¡¯ new target. Alicia had once heard from Carter that Roel¡¯s potential as a transcendent was severely limited. In fact, it was unlikely for him to even obtain an Origin Attribute in the future. The n had been for him to lie low and expand the Ascart House¡¯s family tree quietly, but it was all in shambles, now that the Elric House was eyeing him. He had inadvertently gotten himself embroiled in the factional rivalries of the Theocracy, thus cing himself right in the face of danger. Even if Roel told her that she didn¡¯t have to pay any heed to it, how could she possibly pretend that nothing had happened at all? The old Alicia might have wept about it when no one was looking, but the current Alicia was going to handle it differently. She, too, had been changed by the incident. From the moment she grabbed hold of the knife, her cowardice and weakness had been washed away. She used to wait for Roel to bring her the happiness she sought, but everything that had happened made her realize that she had to take a more proactive stance. She had to fight in order to steer the future in the direction she wanted and protect what she treasured. 5 replies ¨C 36 minutes ago Happiness might havee knocking on her door, but she had to reach out and grasp onto it tightly. And, it was not beyond her means to do so. It was not as if there had been no precedence to the circumstances that Roel was faced with. Houses like the Ascarts, from time to time, would find themselves faced with a generation where transcendental powers seemed to have suddenly vanished. There were many ways to deal with this situation. One was to marry more spouses and have many children, but if the house was standing in the face of a powerful enemy, the wiser decision would be to marry a powerful spouse. There were plenty of cases in history where powerful women protected their weaker husbands, and some of them had even been adapted into folktales and mademonce. Alicia, as someone who possessed a bloodline, even if it was just a non-offensive Copper Bloodline, was able to grow faster as a transcendent than most others, making her suitable for the role. 2 replies ¨C 1 hour ago She had already made up her mind to protect Roel no matter what happened. And for that to happen, she needed strength. ... Dong dong dong! Standing in a silent corridor, Alicia knocked on the tall study room door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Lord Father.¡± ¡°Alicia? Come in.¡± The man inside the study was a little surprised to hear Alicia¡¯s voice, and he quickly gave her permission to enter. Alicia pushed the door open and looked at the man sitting behind a wooden desk covered with documents. She got straight to the point. ¡°Lord Father, please teach me spells.¡± ¡°...¡± Carter was taken aback by Alicia¡¯s sudden request. He stared at the silver-haired girl standing before him in surprise, before the emotions reflected on his face gradually changed. ¡°Child, what is it that you want?¡± ¡°I wish to protect Lord Brother. For that, I need to be strong.¡± ¡°...¡± Carter fell silent after hearing the girl¡¯s reply. A conflicted look surfaced on his face as he struggled internally for a long while before finally speaking in a sobering tone. ¡°Alicia, the road of a transcendent isn¡¯t as smooth-sailing as others think it to be. It¡¯s filled with danger and horrors. Are you certain that you wish to walk on this path for another person?¡± Carter had cast aside his identity as Roel¡¯s father for the moment. He was asking this question from the standpoint of someone who had walked the same path that Alicia now sought. Alicia looked seriously at Carter in response. The slight tinge of warmth she felt inside thinking about her resolution brought a smile on her face, and she answered determinedly. ¡°Yes, Lord Father. There¡¯s nothing in this world that scares me more than the thought of losing big brother Roel. The danger and horrors I face will not knock me down; they¡¯ll only make me stronger.¡± ¡°!!!¡± Carter stared at the smiling girl with a dumbfounded look on his face. He thought that he was seeing things. Her back was faced against the abyss, and the path ahead of her was filled with brilliant radiance. O¡¯ great Sia, this child... Carter silently stood up from behind his desk and walked over to Alicia¡¯s side. He squatted down to look her in the eye, and he spoke with words filled with such great conviction that they almost seemed prophetic. ¡°Alicia, you¡¯ll be strong. I promise you that.¡± Chapter 50: Steam Again!

Chapter 50: Steam Again!

Yep, looks like it¡¯s time for me to splurge again. Roel thought as he looked at the neat row of boxes filled with gold coins sitting right before him. That¡¯s right, Roel had struck it rich. From yesterday morning, which was the day right after Nora¡¯s birthday banquet, the street outside the Ascart House¡¯s Labyrinth Vi had been filled with carriages. The nobles were fighting with one another to enter this usually feared vi to express their deepest concern for Roel and Alicia. These nobles were neither the subordinates of the Ascart House nor the friends of Carter. All of them had amon simrity though¡ªthey were the parents of those in the Elric Youth Faction. The existence of the Elric Youth Faction had been made known along with the incident. While the leader of the group, Bron, had been killed by Count Bryan, the discussion on how they should deal with the rest of the group, who had tyrannized others alongside Bron, was still underway. Not every noble house could be as cold-blooded as the Elric House. Most nobles were willing to pay some price to save their children, and there were even a few who didn¡¯t know of the existence of the Elric Youth Faction. Now that crisis had struck, they were trying everything they could to resolve the problem. They weren¡¯t so foolishly naive as to think that they would be spared just by lying low, especially not after beating up the young master of the Ascart House. If things blew up, the ones to suffer would surely be their own children. Ever since the incident yesterday, the noble houses had been fighting with one another to foot Roel¡¯s medical bill. Of course, given the multitude of distinguished actors amongst the nobles, one could expect a fair dose of drama as well. There were monologues depicting feelings ofmentation over how they had failed to keep their children in line, followed by infuriated vows to break the legs of their children. Roel felt that there was no need for that since he had already broken their ¡®leg¡¯ back then. In any case, the Ascart House chose to ept some of the gifts and money that the noble houses brought over. They also expressed their willingness to reconcile with some of the sidelined houses in the Elric House¡¯s faction. It was not that the Ascart House was bowing down to them, but that it was an essential political maneuver. These noble houses used to side themselves with the Elric House, but now that the Elric House had lost a son and fell into disrepute, it was an ideal opportunity to poach their people. The Xeclydes and the Ascarts had already discussed their ns to divide and undermine the Elric House¡¯s influence. Roel¡¯s unintentional fight had really brought them the impetus they needed in order to stage the copse of the Elric House¡¯s influence. Regarding the gifts, Carter magnanimously handed them off to Roel and Alicia, citing the reason that they were the victims and ought to bepensated. Roel was more than delighted with his father¡¯s decision. He had figured that the whole lot would be confiscated and funneled into the Ascart House¡¯s public funds, so it was a pleasant surprise that things turned out this way instead. One should know, of the five elements, the one hecked the most was none other than gold. After all, the System was practically a gold digger! And just yesterday, Roel noticed that the System was holding yet another event. ¡¾Special Event: Inaugural War of Fury In a dark room, amidst shes of cold des, you stand determined to protect the justice in your heart. Everything in the event shop currently going for 30% off!¡¿ ¡¾Special Event: Silver Wings of Liberation Release the silver bird from its cage. Allow it to unfurl its wings and fly to unstoppable heights! The items in the event shop will be discounted by 40% (Can be stacked with other discounts)¡¿ To be honest, Roel initially thought nothing about the 30% discount, but when he saw that the second special event was an additional, stackable 40% discount, he suddenly felt electricity running through his body as he jolted upright. A 30% discount on top of a 40% discount... That was a grand total of 58% off! One must know that even the usual monthly sales only gave a 50% discount! Goddamnit! Shopkeeper, get me everything from this row to that row! Roel quickly went into the event shop to take a look, and vo! It was yet another surprise! There were surprisingly a lot more items inside the event shop than usual. He would typically only receive 2 items in the event shop every month, but there were 10 items this time around! However, because this was a special event, the items would only remain in the shop for a week. Nevertheless, this didn¡¯t dampen Roel¡¯s mood at all for he was now a mini tycoon! In order to fish their offspring out of this massive scandal, the noble houses really went all out. The amount that was received from each house ranged from several hundred to several thousand. All in all, the split that Roel obtained in total was around a hulking 10,000 gold coins! And, that wasn¡¯t all. An old friend hade to visit him during this period¡ªArwen. It had been several months since Arwen had been appointed as manager of the Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters. As soon as he caught wind of the matters that had transpired during the princess¡¯ birthday, he immediately tapped into the Sorofyas¡¯ informationwork to uncover the details surrounding the matter before hurriedly rushing over to pay Roel a visit with all sorts of recovery medicine, tonics, and, not to forget, gold coins. Arwen wasn¡¯t just indebted to Roel over the issue surrounding the Soulcalming Lamp. More than that, Roel was going to be his future coboration partner. If something were to happen to the Ascart House, Arwen would be losing out on a lot of potential profits. Of course, his action of siding with the Ascart House would risk cing him on the bad side of the Elric House... ... but who cares? I¡¯m a Rosaian anyway. The only superior I¡¯m ountable to is the Sorofyas. The Elrics can hate me for all they want, but they can¡¯t do anything about me. Roel got up from his bed to wee Arwen in person. Two acquaintances meeting in a foreignnd tended to evoke feelings of closeness. The two of them chatted leisurely in the reception room, bringing their ties closer, though Roel did manage to get some useful information out of the conversation too. ¡°The Elric House? Ah... Young master Roel, you should also be aware that us employees of the Sorofyas are bound by a use of confidentiality.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯m aware, but surely you must also know of some information that isn¡¯t confidential? Tell me anything that you are allowed to concerning the Elric House.¡± ¡°The Elric House, huh? Hmmm, let me give it some thoughts...¡± Arwen pondered with a frown for a long while before he finally spoke up slowly. ¡°The current Elric House is a little... unusual.¡± ¡°Oh? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°There are some doubts surrounding how the Elric House managed to rise to power once more. Young master Roel, you have heard of the battle between the royal twins a hundred years ago, right?¡± ¡°Naturally. It¡¯s a matter concerning my predecessor, Ponte. I have known about it since I was young.¡± Roel spoke with a straight face without the slightest hint of embarrassment on it. Arwen nodded his head before he continued on. ¡°The battle between the royal twins led to the Elric House being banished to the borders facing the Austine Empire and Knight Kingdom Pendor. I have once traveled to the borders myself, and I can assure you that it¡¯s not an easynd to manage. It¡¯s a buffer zone between the three countries, and small skirmishes often ur there. It¡¯s a ce of chaos. ¡°The intention behind the royal family¡¯s decision to banish the Elric House there is likely to have it spiral into decline before vanishing from the face of the world. However, after struggling for the past hundred years, the Elric House miraculously managed to rise back to power. What is bizarre about this whole matter though is that the Elric House¡¯s rise is totally unounted for. Our Sorofyas actually didn¡¯t notice it until it had already happened.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Roel was confused, so Arwen took some time to reorganize his words before he borated with a much softer voice. ¡°Young master Roel, our Sorofyas is a merchant organization. We have invested significantly to build up our intelligencework, so as to ensure that we can make the right decisions. Ah, just to rify, we don¡¯t engage in spy work or espionage! We would never stoop that low! What we mainly do is coting and tabting information.¡± ¡°Coting and tabting information? Wait, what you mean to say is that...¡± ¡°Yes, we gather information and make estimates about each fief¡¯s production and flow of goods. Through this, we are able to gauge each noble house¡¯s financial power and make investments ordingly. However, our investigations seem to have failed with the Elric House.¡± Speaking up to this point, an uprehending look appeared on Arwen¡¯s face. ¡°Based on the data we have gathered on the Elric House¡¯s fiefdom, there hasn¡¯t been any change in their poption size over the past few decades.¡± Chapter 51: Bridal Studies

Chapter 51: Bridal Studies

What is the foundation of a noble house¡¯s rise to greatness? There were many answers to this question, but if one really had to choose an answer, it would undoubtedly be wise governance. How well a fiefdom fared would directly affect a noble house¡¯s base of power. A noble house could be blessed with talented offspring, but it would be futile if it had no money to hire the best instructors to nurture their talents. Building connections with other nobles also required money, be it purchasing dresses or keeping up appearances. Even a powerful army had to be maintained atop a pile of money. All of this was financed by the taxes earned by the fiefdom, which was in turn rted to the workforce. If the governance is inept, the standard of living of the people will fall, reducing productivity. If the governance is tyrannical, the people will migrate to othernds. If the governance is excellent, foreign talent will consider settling down in the fiefdom. It was with such considerations that the Sorofyas used the growth of poption as one of the indicators to measure how qualified a lord was. But how could the Sorofyas measure a fiefdom¡¯s poption? After all, it couldn¡¯t possibly do a headcount of every single person in a territory. How inefficient would that be? The Sorofyas¡¯ approach toward this matter was to make an estimation through the flow of goods of one of the necessities in everyday life¡ªsalt. Humans cannot live without salt; this was a physiological need. This was especially so in this era of menialbor. Those who under consume salt would find themselves feeling lethargic andcking in strength. ¡°The Elric Fiefdom doesn¡¯t produce salt, which means that they have to acquire all of it through merchants. As such, we¡¯re confident about the uracy of the figures we have. Any discrepancy in the results should be minimal. In our analysis, we found that the amount of salt bought by the Elric Fiefdom has been going up slowly over the past few decades, simr to some of the more stable fiefdoms around. ¡°While it does show that the Elric Fiefdom has been governed decently, it also shows that there¡¯s nothing spectacrly outstanding about it. To put it bluntly, it¡¯s average. It¡¯s doing neither good nor bad. From this result, our inference is that the Elric House should also be faring ordinarily, neither prospering nor in decline. But the truth is that...¡± ¡°The truth is that the Elric House has been rising with great momentum over the past few decades, making it one of the higher ranking houses in the Five Eminent Noble Houses. Its influence in the Theocracy¡¯s circle of nobility has grown tremendously, perhaps even surpassing that of the Ascart House. Things are going very differently from what the Sorofya Merchant Association predicted.¡± Roel finished the sentence for Arwen. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I said that there¡¯s something weird about this.¡± Arwen revealed a look of iprehension, whereas Roel fell silent. ¡°If a noble house wishes to rise through the ranks, the one thing that they absolutely need is money. Given that the Elric Fiefdom hasn¡¯t picked up much over the years, where could they have possibly obtained their money from? While the Elric House has been blessed with transcendents over the past few generations, they don¡¯t appear to have uncovered any lucrative trade to finance their activities. Yet, despite them keeping a low profile all this while, it¡¯s a fact that the influence has been continuously growing. ¡°In any case, young master Roel, I think that you ought to tread carefully.¡± Arwen offered Roel a piece of advice with a rare grave look on his face, and thetter nodded in response. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for your reminder, Mister Arwen. I¡¯ll pay heed to that. Other than these, is there anything else that you can think of?¡± ¡°Ah. I have only read the internal reports thus far. Why don¡¯t I do this instead? I¡¯ll head back to flip through the records we have on the Elric House. Perhaps, I might be able to find something new.¡± ¡°That would be wonderful! I¡¯llpensate you appropriately for the information.¡± ¡°Hahaha, there¡¯s no need for that. As long as you drop by from time to time to unload some of the stuff that is jamming up your vault, I think I¡¯ll be able tough even in my sleep.¡± Those words from the middle-aged man brought a bitter smile to Roel¡¯s face. He felt that he should really get some stuff from the Affection Points Exchange Shop to sell to him now. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago The two of them chatted for a little longer before Arwen took his leave. After that, Roel looked for Carter to gather more information about the Elric House. Unexpectedly, Carter simply threw him a detailed investigation report to browse through. Once again, his understanding of his own house underwent a forceful refresh. As he had spent his life living in a posh mansion filled with servants, he hadn¡¯t been able to catch a glimpse into the military prowess of the Ascart House thus far, but it would appear that it was really a huge deal in the Theocracy. On top of owning a reserve army, it had the power to swiftly rally 3000 Origin Level 6 soldiers through the militia forces too. Aside from that, the intelligencework that it managed was the top amongst the Five Eminent Noble Houses. 2 replies ¨C 1 hour ago The Five Eminent Noble Houses were like independent kingdoms, operating in a manner simr to a standard decentralized governance structure in the Middle Ages. The Xeclydes wielded absolute influence, due to their tight reins over the faith of the popce, and anyone who tried to challenge their authority would be swiftly knocked back in ce. As such, it was the leader of the pack. In truth, the Xeclydes¡¯ duty as the royal family was, to put it simply, serve as the mediator in the conflicts between nobles. Meanwhile, the Elric House was the little tyrant right beneath the royal family, standing high and mighty before the others. It was just that it took the wrong side in the conflict a hundred years ago. Speaking of fights between nobles, there was one implicit rule that governed it: No familicide. Nobles were graceful, even in battles. If they couldn¡¯t win a battle, they could surrender and redeem themselves with money. The victor was obliged to leave the losing house¡¯s lineage intact. Unless in extreme conditions, rooting out an entire family was a forbidden course of action. It could be thought of as a contractual agreement that nobles sign upon birth. The goal behind this implicit rule was to preserve the lineage of nobles. Anyone who tried to undermine this rule would be sanctioned by other nobles. This could be seen from the battle between the two royal twins back then. The Elrics and the mighty army of 10,000 theymanded had indeed chosen to stand with Prince Wade, but this action was not considered a coup d¡¯¨¦tat. As such, the limit of what the royal family could do was to evict them to the border. Another implicit rule amongst the nobles was to respect the chain ofmand. The royal family, as the highest leader, had the authority tomand the Five Eminent Noble Houses and the nobles directly under theirmand; there was no question about its legitimacy to do so. However, if it overstepped its boundaries and attempted to touch the viscounts subordinated to the Elric House, it would be viewed as an act of undermining the dignity of the Elric House. Such an action would bring about condemnation from the other nobles. The Five Eminent Noble Houses needed a ¡®big brother¡¯ to help resolve conflicts and maintain harmony amongst them, but if the ¡®big brother¡¯ threatened their authority and power, they would be incentivized to turn their swords against the ¡®big brother¡¯ and seek a new liege. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago For this reason, nobles knew very little about each other¡¯s military power. ording to the Ascart House¡¯s report, the Elric House had been expanding its army slowly over the years. This wasn¡¯t much of an issue as their poption was growing as well, so it was only natural that they needed more people to maintain security. However, what was interesting was that the number of mercenaries it employed had increased significantly over the years. The Elric Fiefdom was located at the intersection of three major countries with several other minor countries in the region, making it an ideal ce for mercenaries to earn a quick buck. There was nothing wrong with a fiefdom to hire mercenaries to bolster its forces, but it was often viewed as ast resort due to a major risk associated with it: Can you really differentiate which ones are the real mercenaries? The report only contained a preliminary estimate regarding the number of mercenaries the Elrics had employed; there was no way of getting a concrete number on that. But in any case, the report had raised Roel¡¯s guard toward the Elric House. The feelings he had when he looked at the System¡¯s discounts once more werepletely different from before. The bizarre circumstances surrounding the rise of the Elric House had left him with an ominous vibe. His goal was no longer just raising his fighting prowess anymore; more than that, it was a way of self-protection. The goal that Roel¡¯s eyes were set upon all this while was very clear: Self-preservation. After all, he only had one life to live. With this goal in mind, Roel took another look at the discounted items in the event shop, and there was one thing that immediately stood out to him. ¡¾Cmity of Bloodshed A failed spell from the noble research of the Doujutsu Society. There¡¯s a chance that a person who carries killing intent toward you will have his name revealed amidst crimson light to you. Remember, don¡¯t waste your time screaming for theatrical effects. Just run! Price: 4200 Gold Coins¡¿ 4200 gold coins. In other words, the item cost 10,000 gold coins prior to the discount. It was pretty expensive for a spell. But again, you get what you pay for. Its effects were pretty useful, especially since it appeared that there were no bothersome prerequisites to activate the skill. The only gripe that Roel had with it was the idea that it was dependent on chance. He had no idea how high this chance was, which meant that he couldn¡¯t fully rely on it. Aside from that, it seemed like it would only work if he were to see the target in person. In other words, he couldn¡¯t rely on it to avoid secret arrows aimed at him or sudden assassination attempts. But even with these restrictions in ce, it was still a useful spell. It could very well save his life in the future. Roel was indeed tempted to buy the Cmity of Bloodshed since he was certain that it would be useful. Being able to confirm who was an enemy would definitely prove to be a valuable asset in protecting himself. The only issue was that... ... 4200 gold coins was still too expensive! He would have to find a way to borrow a bit of money, and as for whom he should borrow it from... ... ¡°Alicia. If you have no use for thepensation you have received yet, can I borrow some of it for a while?¡± Inside a room, Roel tried to suppress his embarrassment as he asked the silver-haired girl for money. Alicia blinked her eyes at Roel for a moment before nodding her head lightly. ¡°Sure, Lord Brother. If you have a need for it, you can take it all.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just borrowing it for the time being. I¡¯ll return it to you once we get back home,¡± rified Roel with a quick wave of his hand. Roel did have quite a bit of money left from the sales of the Soulcalming Lamp, but he had left it back at the old mansion in Ascart City. He wouldn¡¯t be able to reach it before the discounts ended since there were still some things they had to attend to in the Holy Capital. But surprisingly, Alicia didn¡¯t seem too bothered with Roel¡¯s guarantee. She simply responded with a casual nod, clearly thinking nothing of it at all. ¡°...¡± Roel sensed that Alicia seemed to have no notion of just how important money was, and as an older brother, he felt obliged to say something about it. ¡°Alicia, I know that we don¡¯t have much use for money, as most of our needs are paid for by the Ascart House. However, you should still try to build up your own savings. You do have things that you want, right?¡± ¡°Things that I want...¡± The silver-haired girl repeated contemtively as she stared at Roel in a daze. This left Roel feeling a little perplexed. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°AH!¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-nothing! Lord Brother, I don¡¯t have anything I want at the moment, so please feel free to take my share of thepensation for your use,¡± said Alicia with a reddened face. 2 replies ¨C 1 hour ago She quickly stood up and curtsied lightly to Roel. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯ll be heading off to study. I¡¯lle over to find you a littleter.¡± ¡°Ah, I see... Alicia, you need not push yourself too hard in your studies. You can always catch up with your lessons after we return to Ascart City.¡± To be honest, Roel couldn¡¯t understand why Alicia was so determined in her studies. Kids her age should be trying to skip lessons wherever possible! To persist in her studies despite having traveled all the way to Holy Capital Loren, this was already beyond the normal scope of diligence! Alicia didn¡¯t bother to rify Roel¡¯s misunderstanding. Instead, she smiled quietly to herself for a moment before finally replying tenderly. ¡°It¡¯s bridal studies.¡± Chapter 52: I Firmly Reject Political Marriages!

Chapter 52: I Firmly Reject Political Marriages!

It wasn¡¯t umon for things in life to not go ording to n, and learning how to cope with them was part and parcel to navigating life¡¯s difficulties. That being said, there were still a few events that cut exceptionally deep into one¡¯s heart, like one¡¯s father remarrying, or having to marry off one¡¯s adopted sister. Roel was only ten this year, but he had been through the vicissitudes of life. He had experienced the beauty of modern society, as well as the extravagant life of a noble in an era of feudalism. Despite his appearance as a cute little boy, he already had the mentality of a forty-year-old father. Thus, when he heard that Alicia was going to do ¡®bridal studies¡¯, he was utterly floored. He had actually forgotten that such a day woulde when Alicia would have to be married off. Roel was no longer living in the modern era anymore. This was a world gued with disease and war, where most countries would never reach their optimum poption. In response, countries naturally encouraged more childbirth. The Theocracy, as the moralpass of human society, had many teachings encouraging childbirth too. Due to this, the people in this world tended to marry at a young age, simr to how it was in the Middle Ages in Roel¡¯s previous world. It was perfectly normal for girls of 14 or 15 years to be mothers. It wasmon for nobles to take it slightly slower, but most noblewomen still married and gave birth by 17 or 18. Any woman who remained single beyond 20 would be considered a spinster, or using a moremon term in Roel¡¯s previous world, an old maid. Of course, this standard only applied to ordinary people; transcendents followed another set of rules. Transcendents would undergo some physical changes due to the assimtion of mana. This would result in their lifespan increasing or decreasing to some degree, so it depended on context. Nevertheless, most nobles were already grandparents by the time they were in their fifties. In this world, childbirth was viewed as a blessing rather than a burden. An additional person in the household meant an additional pair of hands to help out. Furthermore, the more children one had, the more likely the chances of drawing a SSR. This was especially so for noble houses. The older a noble house was, the fewer offspring they tended to have. If a noble house were to usher in a patriarch who was exceptionally good at ¡®sowing seeds¡¯, even the ancestors would leap out from their graves to offer praise to the great Sia above! It was not to say that old noble houses werecking in that aspect. Instead, the problem stemmed from the rules governing the circle of nobility. To put it simply, there was no freedom to love amongst nobles. Marriages were decided by one¡¯s parents, and they were used as political tools to consolidate power. More often than not, nobles would only meet their betrothed partners once at a ball and, perhaps, have a dance together before suddenly marrying one another. For the couples, it was almost like drawing a lottery. If the couple surprisingly clicked with one another, it would be all for the best, but it was unfortunate that such lucky ones were rare. The reality for most high society marriages was that they are barely being held together by a thread known as duty. There were even some couples withpletely fractured rtionships. Given so, how high could the birth rate possibly be? What Roel was most worried about now was Carter embroiling the young Alicia in a loveless political marriage. Alicia was going to be eight this year. Going by conventions, they should have already decided on a fianc¨¦ for her. In fact, Carter¡¯s aim in adopting her was to elevate her standing, so as to find a good husband for her. If she was going to start her ¡®bridal studies¡¯ now, could it be that there was some progress regarding this matter? Roel was deeply worried that Alicia and her future husband wouldn¡¯t get along with one another. Just thinking about it made him fidget uneasily. How can I give Alicia away to someone else? No way in hell! I haven¡¯t gotten enough of stroking... Cough! Where else am I going to get my Affection Points from then? Besides, who is she even going to be betrothed to? Roel struck his bed with his fist as he gritted his teeth in anger. No, definitely not! It would be like sending amb into the mouth of a tiger if we were to betroth Alicia to those arrogant young masters! Besides, there are no good people amongst those noble rascals... except for me, of course! Roel righteously denounced the depraved nobles of the world while distancing himself from them. Once again, he affirmed his will to keep Alicia by his side, and he vowed to use all means possible to oppose Alicia¡¯s marriage. ¡°Ey? Wait wait wait wait wait! Aren¡¯t I in the same position too? Isn¡¯t it possible for me to get into a political marriage too?¡± This notion stopped Roel briefly and caused him to ponder his own situation, but a momentter, he burst intoughter. ¡°Ahahahaha, how can that be possible? How could I possibly not know if I was already in an arranged marriage?¡± 1 reply ¨C 15 minutes ago While Roel was carefully considering how he could keep Alicia in the Ascart House, a carriage bearing the insignia of the Guardian of Radiant Wings came to a halt at the entrance of the Labyrinth Vi. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Why does your face stiffen whenever you meet me? Just what have I done to incur your displeasure?¡± In one of the vi¡¯s guest rooms, Nora greeted Roel with a bright smile while making an apt remark about his stiff fake smile. Roel, who was just smiling for the sake of maintaining a basic level of civility, quickly wiped the forced smile off before responding. ¡°It¡¯s all a misunderstanding. You are the one and only princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, an exalted existence. There are many who would queue up just to catch a glimpse of your glory. It¡¯s my deepest honor to wee you into our humble abode.¡± Leaning into his sofa, Roel once again spoke words that sounded like they hade straight out of a textbook. It was a replica of the polite yet distant attitude Alicia had shown him back when they first met. Nora pondered this response for a moment before trying a new maneuver. She replied with a downtrodden tone. ¡°I thought that we would have be close after I saved you, but it looks like it was all one-sided thinking on my part.¡± Nora¡¯s eyes drooped down and the graceful smile she usually stered on her face withered a little. Her eyes reflected dejection and helplessness, and she gave off an air of misery that would evoke pity from all beholders. It was an appearance no one would have expected from the confident princess, almost feeling as if anyone who had tried to hurt her, whether in word or deed, were grave sinners who should be condemned to the lowest depths of hell. ¡°...¡± You win, alright? Can you stop acting like this? Roel felt his head hurt a little as he looked at Nora. Looking back, she had indeed saved his life. If not for her stalling Bron¡¯s allies for a good two minutes, he might have ended up with a couple more fractured bones or worse. Reciprocation was in order. It would appear immature on his part to continue treating her so coldly after benefiting from her assistance. ¡°Nora, thank you for your help.¡± (Affection Points +100!) Roel squeezed out his words of gratitude with great difficulty, and fortunately, Nora swiftly reverted back to normal after hearing them. She gracefully walked over to a chair and sat down. ¡°I was the one who saved you for that incident, but considering the overall oue, I feel like I should be the one thanking you instead.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°As the young princess of the Theocracy, it¡¯s my responsibility to rally the young nobles under my banner. However, I¡¯m rarely in the Holy Capital, and I devote far too much time to my knight training. The influence Imand has diminished without me noticing. That gave the Elrics an opportunity to stick their heads in and form their Elric Youth Faction. Basically, it¡¯s my negligence that resulted in this situation.¡± Nora confessed, and her open and honest attitude in admitting her faults left Roel feeling a bit more respect for her. As the saying went, ¡®if my liege treats me with sincerity, I shall repay him with loyalty¡¯. While Roel didn¡¯t consider himself as her subject, her earnest attitude still stirred some changes in him. I guess it¡¯s fine not to put that much distance between us. Chapter 53: We’re Similar to One Another

Chapter 53: We¡¯re Simr to One Another

Roel didn¡¯t think that it was right for him to allow Nora to take sole responsibility for this matter. He was equally guilty. In truth, it should have been the three of them¡ªNora, Bron, and Roel¡ªforming three separate factions to lead the youths, but due to the negligence of two of the parties, as well the Elrics¡¯ intentional scheming, it eventually led to the rise of the Elric Youth Faction. Having thought through this matter, he began to counsel Nora. ¡°I do have a part to y in this matter too. If I hadn¡¯t fallen ill the previous year, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out like this. It¡¯s not your sole mistake, so you need not me yourself over much.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel¡¯s words didn¡¯t receive any response at all. He waited for two whole seconds before he turned to direct a puzzled look at Nora. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why aren¡¯t you responding?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯m just a little surprised. I didn¡¯t think that you would console me.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m just speaking the truth.¡± Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes stared deeply into Roel¡¯s golden ones as she tried to peer through the inner thoughts in his mind. There was always an indescribable contradiction behind Roel¡¯s actions. His actions and behaviors showed that he carried no ill-will for her. In fact, she believed that he had a high opinion of her. Yet, for some reason, there seemed to be an inexplicable distance separating the two of them. 1 reply ¨C 35 minutes ago What is the reason behind this? As Little Miss Angel pondered over this question, she suddenly seemed to have found yet another spark of joy in Roel. (Affection Points +100!) ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Alicia? I thought that she would have apanied you. Is she resting?¡± Nora casually nced around the room as she dropped this question, only to be surprised by Roel¡¯s silence. It took a while before thetter finally squeezed out a bitter response. ¡°Alicia is currently taking home economics sses. I didn¡¯t ask her for details. Ha. Haha.¡± Thinking about the ¡®bridal studies¡¯ that Alicia was currently going through, Roel let out a series of strainedughter. That brought a doubtful look to Nora¡¯s face. Even from the perspective of an outsider, she could tell that Alicia was very fond of Roel, so it didn¡¯t seem likely that she would choose her lessons over apanying him. Wait a moment. Now that I think of it, while I was passing through the foyer earlier, I noticed a series of sparks of magic spellsing from the southwest room... I see. Is she practicing? Comprehension flickered across Nora¡¯s eyes. She took a look at the forlorn Roel sitting before her and, after some thought, eventually shook her head. Forget it. It¡¯ll be better for the person-in-question to exin it herself. It¡¯s bad manners to interfere in the rtions of others. Besides, it¡¯s not to my advantage either... Nora shot Roel with the sharp look of an eagle eyeing its prey, but she immediately concealed it. This is bad. It¡¯s still too early to reveal my true desires to him. 1 reply ¨C 32 minutes ago Ahhh, I really want to step on him and see him pleading for mercy. Is this the feeling that criminals feel before sinning? 2 replies ¨C 31 minutes ago Nora looked at Roel, who seemed to be getting warrier and warrier after noticing her gaze, and she wondered if he was an incubus sent from the devils of hell to tempt her into depravity. Or could this be Sia¡¯s trial for her? Whenever her eyes fell upon Roel, her desire to bully him would grip her thoughts hard. 1 reply ¨C 31 minutes ago ¡°You really are a danger to me.¡± 1 reply ¨C 30 minutes ago ¡°W-what?¡± Noticing the nature of the gaze the blushing Nora was directing toward him was bing weirder and weirder, Roel panicked. He was still recuperating from his injuries, and Nora was an entire level stronger than him. If she were to sumb to her sadistic tendencies, he would bepletely helpless to stop her. ¡°Your Highness Nora, please! Take a deep breath and control yourself. Haven¡¯t you gotten through fine thus far? I believe that you can ovee your own desires, so you should believe in yourself too!¡± ¡°You dare say such words when you are the one seducing me.¡± 1 reply ¨C 29 minutes ago ¡°...¡± How in the world am I seducing me? Tell me, I¡¯ll change! Roel¡¯s face puffed-up red with fury, but his reaction only seemed to deepen the depravity lurking in Nora¡¯s eyes. She leaned in and ced her hand softly on the boy¡¯s chest; she spoke in as husky a tone as her girlish voice could manage while disying a slightly sensual look on her face. 1 reply ¨C 28 minutes ago ¡°Have you considered what I told you?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± Nora¡¯s abrupt touch made Roel stiffen up, and his reply was equally stiff. Nora giggled softly at his reaction. ¡°Bing mine, of course. What do you think about bing my subordinate and spending every day with me?¡± 2 replies ¨C 27 minutes ago ¡°Hahaha, you sure know how to jest. I have to take over the Ascart House too, you know.¡± ¡°Is there any conflict between the two? Uncle Carter is a marquess, but he¡¯s also the vicemander of the Holy Knight Order too.¡± ¡°My father is a strong andpetent man, so he¡¯s able to juggle those two responsibilities. I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m incapable of managing that. You are also aware that I¡¯mcking as a transcendent. There¡¯s a good chance that I¡¯ll never be able to reach Origin Level 5 in my lifetime. ¡°... An army doesn¡¯t just consist of soldiers who fight. Many of our advisors aren¡¯t powerful transcendents too.¡± 1 reply ¨C 26 minutes ago Nora proposed another possible path that Roel could take in the army, but Roel had no intention of having any deeper ties with her than he already had. He would rather return to the fiefdom and be a farmer instead. 1 reply ¨C 25 minutes ago ¡°My apologies, but I refuse. It¡¯s too dangerous for me.¡± ¡°What an obstinate person you are. Sometimes, I really can¡¯t understand why you keep trying to push me away. Our paths are bound to intersect with our backgrounds. Before ourmon enemy, the Elrics, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s best for both of our houses if we get more intimate with one another?¡± ¡°My deepest apologies, but I feel nothing for you. Your Highness Nora, why don¡¯t you pick someone else instead?¡± ¡°You console me when I¡¯m feeling down, yet you im that you don¡¯t want to get closer to me?¡± 1 reply ¨C 24 minutes ago ¡°T-that is...¡± Roel stuttered on his words as he found himself unable to justify the action he made on a whim earlier. Seeing this, a seductive smile surfaced on Nora¡¯s seemingly pure face. She narrowed her eyes mischievously, enjoying this situation very much. ¡°Your inner conflict amuses me. Don¡¯t you think that we are very simr to one another?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re trying to hold yourself back from getting close to me, and I¡¯m trying to suppress my desires so as not to approach you. It¡¯s the same inner conflict that we both face. It¡¯s almost like apetition to see who drowns first.¡± Nora¡¯s words made Roel widen his eyes. He tried to look into his heart to see how it was that he truly felt, and it finally dawned on him. To him, Nora wasn¡¯t just a beautiful princess, the lofty high flower that none could approach. More than that, she represented hope. Humans would face all sorts of trouble during their lifetime. From time to time, they would feel an inclination to seek help and be protected by others. To Roel, the death gs had been a towering mountain that he struggled to surmount, such that he dared not rest at all. In the process of plucking out his death gs, it was inevitable that he would feel exhausted and want to give up. And Nora seemed to be a quick solution to the problems he was facing. She had the power, money, and influence to protect him. If he was willing to give up his independence for survival, going along with Nora would have been a very feasible course of action. She was a sadist¡ªno doubt about that¡ªbut she was someone who knew how to treat those whom she cared for very well. In the game, she was known to be an excellent leader. But even so, Roel was someone who believed in seizing fate with his own hands. He didn¡¯t want to give up his initiative to take on a more passive role. He felt that he would stand to lose many things if he chose this option. It could be his fiefdom, his fortune, or maybe the people who he cared about; he didn¡¯t know exactly which it would be, but he didn¡¯t want to risk it. After a long bout of contemtion, Roel finally revealed his decision. ¡°Drown? Sorry to disappoint you, but I choose to remain afloat.¡± Chapter 54: We Need To Connect Our Bloodline

Chapter 54: We Need To Connect Our Bloodline

¡°What¡¯s so bad about sumbing? Who knows, it might lead you to happiness.¡± Roel shook his head in response to Nora¡¯s efforts to tempt him. ¡°Perhaps so, but there are many different types of happiness in this world. The happiness I wish for is one that I grasp hold of myself. Happiness bestowed might be convenient, but it¡¯s easily lost too.¡± ¡°You know that I¡¯m not that kind of person.¡± ¡°... There are always circumstances where a person is forced to make a choice.¡± ¡°Hmm, what you said makes sense too... Looks like I¡¯ve failed to tempt you once again. You really know how to crush my confidence.¡± Nora straightened her body upward as she sighed softly, revealing the expression of a child throwing a tantrum at not having obtained a new toy, but soon, her lips curled up once more. ¡°While you have rejected me, I must say that the reason you have given me is quite satisfactory.¡± ¡°Thanks for thepliment. Speaking of which... did youe all the way here just to tell me these things?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m here to deliver a gift to you. You can think of it as a token of gratitude from the royal family.¡± ¡°A token of gratitude?¡± You are giving me a gift for fighting on your birthday? Dear goodness, are you an angel? Oh wait, you are... Roel thought as Nora turned around to take out a gift box. ¡°Shall I open it? Or would you prefer to do it yourself?¡± ¡°You can open it.¡± Roel looked at the long wooden box in Nora¡¯s hand. It was a ck box crafted out of resilient ck ironwood. It typically wouldn¡¯t be used as a gift box because it was too heavy. The toughness of ck ironwood wasparable to steel, but its density surpassed it. Even though Nora was able to hold it easily with a single hand, an ordinary human would probably struggle to carry it even with both. Just what in the world could it be? Nora smiled. Before Roel¡¯s expectant eyes, she lightly pulled away the ribbon wrapped around the heavy wooden box before prying it open. Roel immediately saw a sharp sh of light burst forth, causing his eyes to hurt a little. Unable to withhold his curiosity, he stood up and walked closer to take a look. The exterior of the box looked humble, but its interior was surprisingly magnificent. There was a painting at the center of the box, depicting an angel standing with closed eyes, emanating holy light. There were armed men gathered around the angel as they faced the darkness surrounding them. Yeap, it was likely to be some sort of mythical painting, but Roel couldn¡¯t recall what the story behind it was on the spot. That was not important anyway. What was important right now was the metallic item wrapped amidst a white silk cloth sitting inside the box. ¡°This is a... short sword? Wait a moment, could this be...¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Saint¡¯s de¡ªTwelve Wings, Ascendwing.¡± ¡°!!!¡± A smiling Nora calmly revealed the name of the ck short sword nestled within the box. This revtion left Roel gobsmacked and frozen in ce. Saint¡¯s de¡ªTwelve Wings. Roel couldn¡¯t be med for gawking like a bumpkin, for this weapon was simply too well-known. If he had to draw aparison to his previous world, it could be considered his previous world¡¯s Lance of Longinus. While the overallmander-in-chief of the Genesis Goddess Church was Goddess Sia, the ones who made decisions were the angels. There was a verse concerning the de in the Edda Poems, which originated from a time several millenniums ago, during the lost era. Humans of that period stillcked the ability to record events in writing and could only pass down history orally in hymns and poems. The verse went like this, Man didst discover theke and encountered the Death Moon therein. Darkness and corrosion chased them from behind, sweeping fear and panic through the believer¡¯s ranks. Falling into madness, they tore their brethren apart with hands and teeth. The holy disciple didst beseech the heavens for sor, and in light and mes, an answer was proimed. Twelve wings of incandescence descendeth from the sky to fall before the feet of the holy disciple; twelve wings turned dark as they settled upon the earth. The holy disciple raised them up and roared, and the bloodied ws retreated atst. It was a very dark fairy tale that sounded ridiculous and bizarre to those living in the current era, but this was indeed what that had been passed down. Schrs and theologians had nevere to an agreement on the poem¡¯s meaning, but the majority of people believed that the twelve angel wings were weapons. Many humans over the years had tried to trace the epic through the vague details depicted, hoping to uncover the truth. One of the most famous stories surrounding that came from the Ancient Austine Empire. Legend had it that over a thousand years ago, the vast Ancient Austine Empire obtained twelve weapons that resembled feathers. The emperor back then bestowed them to the nobles. However, the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital urred, and humans were forced to migrate to the west. The empire fell apart, and the twelve weapons disappeared in the annals of history. There were rumors that the Saint Mesit Theocracy had five of them in its possession, and they were bestowed upon the first generation patriarchs of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, who had made great contributions to the founding of the country. However, after the five patriarchs died, the holy weapons were recollected by the Xeclydes, and they were rarely seen since then. Thest time one appeared in public was more than a hundred years ago, in Ponte Ascart¡¯s generation. Back then, after the battle of the royal twins concluded, the Xeclydes bestowed Ponte with one of the Twelve Wings out of gratitude for his contributions and conferred him the title of a ¡®Holy Disciple¡¯. But ever since then, none of the Twelve Wings had been seen again. ¡°You¡¯re giving it to me?¡± Roel pointed at the box in Nora¡¯s hands as he shared his doubts. Wasn¡¯t this a gift of the highest honor, given only to those who had saved the Theocracy from a major crisis? Even though he had managed to unearth a massive underlying problem threatening the Theocracy, no matter how he looked at it, he still wasn¡¯t worthy of receiving something as valuable as this. Were the Xeclydes too rich and sought to squander their money? Or was this some sort of bribe? Faced with Roel¡¯s question, Nora chuckled softly and replied. ¡°Of course we can¡¯t give it to you directly. You would have to be conferred as a Holy Disciple first. Your qualifications and age don¡¯t meet the requirement, so we can only temporarily lend it to you, or more specifically, to the Ascart House.¡± Nora¡¯s words helped Roel make sense of what was going on. To put it in simpler terms, the Xeclydes were very worried that Roel would suddenly drop dead. Since their house was working hand-in-hand with the Ascarts to weaken the Elrics, and this internal battle was currently happening in the shadows, it was unlikely that it would elevate into a direct sh. However, this was under the assumption that the enemy would obey the ¡®implicit rules¡¯. Count Bryan had just lost his son, so it was not unthinkable for him to want to exact vengeance. Considering that the Ascart House only had a single sessor, there was nothing that would hurt it more than assassinating Roel. Count Bryan definitely had the motive to hurt Roel, and the rewards were great if he seeded. In order to avoid any mishaps from urring, the Xeclydes decided to lend a holy weapon to Roel, so that he would be in a safer position. Having finally understood the situation, Roel nodded quietly in acknowledgment before he pointed to the ck short sword in the box and asked. ¡°So, how is this item supposed to be used?¡± Nora¡¯s lips curled up. She tucked her hair seductively to the side as she replied. ¡°It¡¯s quite simple. You just have to connect your bloodline with mine.¡± Chapter 55: Official(?) Condemnation From the Fanclub

Chapter 55: Official(?) Condemnation From the Fanclub

¡°Connect my bloodline with yours? What does that mean? ¡°It¡¯s exactly as it sounds. Don¡¯t worry, I know that you don¡¯t have any experience in this, so you can just follow my lead.¡± ¡°...¡± What the heck is going on here? Experience? Follow her lead? Why does it sound so... Cough cough. Roel looked at the golden-haired girl who was staring back at him with an intense look in her eyes, and his face unknowingly began to redden. Nora persisted in her straight face for a little longer before she finally couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha, you really are quite cute at times! Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t hurt.¡± No wait, if anyone is going to be in pain, it should be you...? Nora was unaware that her unintentional words had made the highly knowledgeable Roel¡¯s thoughts wander into a mosaiced domain. She simply thought that thetter was afraid. She reached her hand outward to grab Roel¡¯s palm beforeying both of their hands onto the short sword. With a light nick on the de, blood flowed out from both of their fingers and dyed the short sword red. Roel didn¡¯t say anything in the face of the sudden sharp pain in his finger, but he soon noticed that something was amiss. There was a suction forceing from the wound in his finger, and it was swiftly sapping him of his blood. It was as if he was being tributed to the short sword. ¡°This is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an issue. Trust me.¡± Nora tightened her grip on Roel¡¯s hand as she directed her calm sapphire eyes toward Roel¡¯s golden ones. She noticed that her gesture did calm thetter down a little, and it made her chuckle a little. Then, she closed her eyes and began muttering a prayer. At the same time, Roel also sensed a mysterious power enveloping him. The mysterious power wasing from their blood. As if an aridnd frantically absorbing moisture, the blood was swiftly taken in by Ascendwing. It caused the darkness on the surface of the short sword to retreat, revealing the light hidden beneath. That was when it happened. ¡°Argh!¡± Roel, who was staring at the short sword curiously, suddenly saw some blurred images shing in his vision. They were all still scenes, as if someone was flipping through an old photo album right before his eyes. He tried to get a clearer look, but he couldn¡¯t focus his sight at all. A searing sensation assaulted his brain, causing him to stagger a little. ¡°Roel? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Nora¡¯s voice jerked Roel back to awareness. While he swiftly regained his senses now, it felt like he had just experienced being pulled into another world. He exchanged nces with the curious sapphire eyes before him for a moment before reassuring her. ¡°... I-I¡¯m fine.¡± Roel quickly took a look at his own condition, while contemting what he had just been through. What was that? A head rush? Surely not. Besides, what sort of head rush would bring about just hallucinations? Could it be that I have been exercising too hard recently? Roel¡¯s first instinct was to rationalize his own condition from a scientific perspective, but he couldn¡¯t ascertain just what in the world happened to him earlier. On the other hand, after receiving a response from Roel, Nora carried on with her ceremony. It took five minutes before Nora finally ended her prayers, and the two of them released their hands. Ascendwing rested before them with a very different appearance from before. Cold light shone from its snowy white surface. ¡°Give it a try. She¡¯s yours now.¡± ¡°What in the world did we just do...¡± ¡°You can consider it as a ceremony to unseal the weapon. The Twelve Wings can only be unsealed by the Angel¡¯s Bloodline and a ritual. The reason why we mixed our blood together is so as to make it acknowledge you as well.¡± Nora exined as she passed the entire box over to Roel. Roel took out the half meter long snowy short sword from within and found that its weight was suited perfectly for his use. He tried swinging it around as he asked. ¡°A treasure of this caliber is bound to have some special abilities. What¡¯s the ability of this short sword?¡± ¡°That depends on you.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°The previous ceremony wasn¡¯t just to have Ascendwing acknowledge you. It also incubates a transcendental ability from our blood offering. This is a gift from the angels, a bestowment that belongs solely to you. The process would usually take around a month.¡± A bestowment that belongs solely to me? Those words made Roel look at the short sword in his hand with even greater fervor than before. It was a feeling of tion reminiscent of having struck the jackpot. At some point in time, Nora took out an extravagantly ornate short sword that radiated a golden glow. ¡°That reminds me. Thank you for the present you have given me. While it¡¯s limited in terms of utility, I¡¯m still fairly satisfied with its design.¡± Nora tenderly stroked the birthday present Roel had specially ordered for her. Roel could only smile weakly in response. Aren¡¯t you speaking the obvious? I spent over a hundred gold coins and three different types of gemstones on its design. It¡¯s all money, you know! Who in the world could possibly detest that? Roel was still feeling a pinch in his heart. However, when he looked at the national treasure currently gripped in his hand, the gloomy emotions were all swept away. He waved his hands generously. ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it. It looks like we have ended up exchanging short swords.¡± Yeap, let¡¯s just call it quits with that! Roel was too busy soothing his conscience that he didn¡¯t notice Nora¡¯s body freezing up at his words. She stared at Roel while blushing furiously, mouth opening and closing like a shocked fish. It took a long time before words came out of her. ¡°If I may ask, do you know the significance behind an exchange of short swords?¡± ¡°Significance? What do you mean by that? Is there a deeper meaning for such an action?¡± ¡°... You buffoon. Go and ask someone.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a while now, and I still have matters to attend to. You should rest well and quickly recover from your injuries.¡± Shooting a nce at the bbergasted Roel, Nora stood up with her cheeks still burning and bade hurried farewells. Her abrupt actions left Roel at a loss. ¡°W-what is happening? What¡¯s with this atmosphere? It¡¯s almost as if I have done some terrible wrong! It can¡¯t be that it has that kind of connotation, can it?¡± Perplexed and confused, Roel looked at the shimmering treasure in his hands before anxiously calling for the maid standing by the doorway. ¡°Anna,e here! Do you know what an exchange of short swords signifies?¡± ¡°Exchange of short swords? Ahh, are you referring to that tradition?¡± ¡°Tradition?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯smon for those from military or knight households to give the woman they are courting with a short sword as a symbol of confession, and if the woman agrees, she would gift one back. It¡¯s a symbol of reciprocation... However, there are barely any houses that follow this ancient tradition anymore. What¡¯s more popr nowadays is gifting essories such as rings and nes. Hm? Young master, what is that you¡¯re holding over there?¡± The Roel X Alicia Ship fanclub manager, Anna, narrowed her eyes upon sighting the short sword in her young master¡¯s hands. The atmosphere around her suddenly grew incredibly heavy as an imposingly impassive look lingered on her face. It took some time before a smile appeared on her once more. ¡°Young master, you¡¯re still recuperating. It wouldn¡¯t do for you to dabble with weapons in your current condition. Can you tell where the sword in your hands came from?¡± ¡°Ah, t-this...¡± Sensing a mysterious pressure weighing down on him, Roel suddenly found himself in a fluster. His eyes darted around the ce as he struggled to find the right answer. ¡°I-it¡¯s a gift from Prince Kane!¡± ¡°... I see. Please be careful not to injure yourself. If you have any problems, feel free to call me.¡± After saying those words, Anna left the room and closed the door behind her. In the moment that she was finally out of view, the smile on her face vanished and herplexion darkened. Her inner self was screaming in turmoil. Miss Alicia, bad news! The vixen has struck! Young master, you big, fat phnderer! Chapter 56: Meeting the Parents

Chapter 56: Meeting the Parents

Roel obtained a national treasure-level short sword from Nora, though it was anticlimactic how this seemingly monumental event barely changed his life at all. The only thing that was noteworthy was probably Anna, for some inexplicable reason, bringing Alicia over to his room right after Nora departed. The warnings from Arwen and Nora, as well as the long lecture from his father, hadpletely convinced Roel not to wander around the capital. He spent every day peacefully in the Labyrinth Vi. In order to protect Roel, the Ascart House specially dispatched a group of experts from their fiefdom over to the vi. These experts wore silver armor, and were said to be Carter¡¯s personal guards, making them much stronger than ordinary soldiers. Under their protection, there was no need for Roel to be on tenterhooks over every small detail. Besides, there was a long history behind the Labyrinth Vi, which could be seen through its interior design and the artworks ced on disy. Each generation¡¯s patriarch had umted a mind-boggling amount of books during their lifetime, resulting in the constant expansion of its library. The front and backyards of the vi were also rather spacious, allowing one to move about without feeling too stifled. It could be said to be one of the very few serene locations in the Holy Capital... though admittedly, its fearsome reputation probably yed no small part in that. Every morning, after waking up, Roel would head to the backyard for his morning exercise before heading back to the vi to have breakfast with Carter and Alicia and drum up some Affection Points. Following that, he would either read some books or train his body. During his break time, he would grab a piece of cloth and wipe Ascendwing¡¯s lustrous de to marvel at his own wealth. The same rules applied for the tea break in the afternoon and dinner. Due to Alicia being too busy with her ¡®home economics¡¯ lessons, the amount of time she had to spend with Roel had decreased. It was probably due to that that the Affection Points he earned from feeding her were higher than usual. In truth, after oveing her fear back then to stab Bron, Alicia¡¯s phobia of sharp objects had lessened considerably. With a bit of effort, she could at least bring herself to pick up knives and forks. However, whenever Roel saw how the girl was straining herself during mealtime, he couldn¡¯t help but want to help her. Besides... if Alicia could eat on her own, wouldn¡¯t he lose his job as a human feeder? His daily ie of Affection Points would lessen significantly! That¡¯s uneptable! So, while arge reason was Roel¡¯s selfish motives, Alicia¡¯s mealtime feeding continued. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t too worried about spoiling Alicia, turning her into wastrel; that girl had an independent streak, and it was bone deep. She wasn¡¯t the type to be overly dependent on anyone. It would probably be more urate to think of the feedings as a way for the siblings tomunicate their feelings; it was just that they¡¯d agreed to it implicitly. ¡°Hm? Are we going to spend the new year at the Holy Capital? We aren¡¯t going to head back to our fiefdom?¡± Busy feeding Alicia at the dining room table, Roel asked in astonishment. Carter elegantly finished with his food and swallowed it down before nodding in response. ¡°Yes. There has been a snowstorm over the past two days, which will lengthen our journey significantly. It¡¯s no joke to spend the night outside under such weather conditions, especially since it hasn¡¯t been long since you recovered from your injuries.¡± ¡°Me? I¡¯m fine. Are we really staying here just because the weather is bad?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s only one of the reasons. Other than that, I suspect that the journey back could be fraught with dangers too.¡± ¡°...¡± Carter¡¯s words made Roel fall silent. Needless to say, what was worrying Carter wasn¡¯t the presence of bandits or wild beasts. However, since Carter didn¡¯t have the intention to borate on it, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to probe deeper either. Since the atmosphere around the dining room table had grown too heavy, Carter brought up a lighter topic. ¡°Ah, yes. This could actually be good news for the two of you. The new year celebration in the Holy Capital is far more lively than that of our Ascart City. When I was younger, I would ask your grandfather to bring me here during this period.¡± ¡°Oh? Are there special activities over the new year?¡± ¡°Of course! There¡¯s the New Year Ball at the royal pce, the New Year Prayers at the Saint Faron Church, the distribution of holy candies, and, not to forget, the famous choirpetition of the Theocracy. The results of thepetition are decided by popr vote, so it bes especially lively.¡± Carter got excited himself just talking about the various programs that would being up in Holy Capital Loren over the new year holiday. Roel and Alicia were also getting a little interested in it. The Xeclydes would be holding two events. One of them was a New Year Ball in the royal pce for the nobles. It was not much different from the new year banquets that nobles hold in their own fiefdoms too, just that the location would be the royal pce and at a far grander scale. The other one was the New Year Prayers, an activity exclusive to the Genesis Goddess Church. The Saint Faron Church was constructed more than 600 years ago, and it had since then been mostly used for hostingrge scale church events. With the massive crowds that always gather to pray for the new year, it was the only location big enough. After the prayers were over, the next event on the timeline would be the National Choir Competition Finals. It was a program pretty simr to the New Year Gs held back on Earth. Every single person present would be given a vote, which they could use to support their favorite team once the performances were over. The rankings were determined solely through the votes. In the afternoon, there would be carriages traveling down the street in front of the royal pce and the church to distribute sweets, namely the so-called holy candy. Sweets were, by no means, cheap in this era, so this was also a very popr annual event. Huge crowds would be lined up along the roadside every year, waiting for the carriages to arrive. With so many events prepared, it would be hard for the new year celebrations not to be lively. Not to mention, there were also plenty of tourists and devout believers dropping by during this period of time to join in the festivities or offer their prayers. ¡°It does sound quite interesting.¡± Hearing Carter¡¯s vivid descriptions, Roel and Alicia traded gazes, and the gloomy atmosphere looming between them vanished in an instant. They had already made up their minds to enjoy the holiday here. Roel had never gotten to enjoy the liveliness of a crowd, not since he transmigrated here, since the poption density is much lower. This would be a rare chance for him to have some fun and let loose, and he intended to make full use of it. Perhaps it was to prepare for the new year celebration, but Nora didn¡¯t drop by anymore ever since thest since she came over to deliver the Twelve Wings¡¯ short sword. Roel weed this situation with all his heart. While it was impossible for him topletely sever rtionships with her, he was still determined to put some distance between the two of them. Stray away from the storyline, live a life of peace. Roel also resumed his lessons after recovering from his injuries. It was not too difficult to hire a good teacher in Holy Capital Loren, especially since many of the teachers were having their end-of-year break, and they were more than willing to earn some extra ie from the Ascart House. For someone who had been through the rigorous education sybi back on Earth, the sses in this world were, to be honest, more than doable. The only issue he faced was memorizing the content rting to history, geography, culture, and religion. Many of the hired teachers were shocked to see the young master of the Ascart House, who was rumored to be inept and ignorant, disy astounding wits and intelligence. Often, he was able to read between the lines and go beyond what they covered in sses. Considering the usual suffering they would endure at the hands of the impish scions, teaching Roel was like a breath of fresh air to them, making them feel fulfilled as a teacher. Due to that, Roel¡¯s reputation swiftly underwent a 180-degree change. As for transcendental abilities, Roel was still at a slow, natural growth phase. For those beneath Origin Level 5 and therefore unable to acquire any Origin Attribute yet, the only ways to raise their strength were physical training and spell practice. Roel didn¡¯t ck off in either. Through his efforts, his fighting prowess should be ranked slightly above averagepared to the other Origin Level 6s. At the very least, he should have a slight leadpared to his peers. While it was still nothing noteworthypared to Nora¡¯s Origin Tier 5, Roel told himself that there was no need topare himself with a monster. She was an angel after all, so it was only natural that she was stronger than him. Days passed fruitfully as Roel slowly developed hispetence. Just as it wasing close to the end of the year, Carter suddenly dropped a bomb on Roel. ¡°The Holy Eminence wishes to meet you.¡± Roel¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. It went without saying that he knew who the ¡®Holy Eminence¡¯ referred to. John Xeclyde, the pope of thergest religion of mankind, the emperor of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the patriarch of the Xeclyde House, the envoy of God, the first disciple... There were simply too many titles that it was impossible to remember all of them. A more intimate way of referring to him from Roel¡¯s perspective was probably ¡®Nora¡¯s grandfather¡¯. There were hundreds of millions of people living on the Sia Continent, but the number of people who dared to oppose him could definitely be counted with one hand. His influence was publicly acknowledged to be the greatest on the Sia Continent. Receiving an audience from him was a big deal, especially when he was viewed to be one of the greatest heroes of mankind. In his younger years, John Xeclyde had once defeated the high priest of the deviants during a holy war. What were the deviants? There were many official exnations to that, but the vibe that Roel got from ying the game was that they were a bunch of mindless beastmen. They lived in the Lost Domain¡ªthe region that humans had already migrated from¡ªand their bodies suffered a high degree of mutation. These beastmen were unable tomunicate with humans, but there was still great enmity between them and humankind for one single reason¡ªthey ate humans. Deviants shared a striking level of resemnce to humans, but they were definitely not humans. On the contrary, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to gobble down any human that they encountered, thus making them the nemesis of the human civilization. This was a natural predator-prey rtionship, so there was no room for reconciliation at all. The beastmen had invaded the western Sia Continent four times thus far, and they caused huge disturbances every single time. Whole countries had been destroyed under their savagery. In the holy war 80 years ago, the humans and the beastmen spent 22 months locked in a stalemate before the humans finally found an opportunity to make a breakthrough. In the Battle of Establishment, John personally killed the beastmen¡¯s high priest, but he sustained heavy wounds and nearly died as well. It was thanks to the relentless charge of Pendor¡¯s knights that he was saved from the clutches of death. This had been the greatest war achievement of the human race against foreign species. John Xeclyde¡¯s name spread far and wide, and he was loved by the whole of humankind. Naturally, this meant that his seat on the throne was stable too. Every year, countless devout believers would embark on a pilgrimage to Holy Capital Loren just to catch a glimpse of him from afar. They would scream in excitement like fans meeting their idol, and there were even a few who went to the extent of kneeling down from sheer agitation. Now, this idol of humanity who transcended territorial boundaries actually wanted to meet Roel! Needless to say, he felt flustered. It was simr to how if you were sitting at home one day then you suddenly received a call informing you that the leader of your country wished to meet you. There was no one who wouldn¡¯t be bewildered by that! John Xeclyde didn¡¯t appear in the game, so Roel was unfamiliar with his appearance and personality. There was no prior knowledge he could use to prepare himself for this audience. If he were to identally speak the wrong words... ... Oh, it doesn¡¯t look like anything will happen either. Roel suddenly snapped out of his daze. He shot a nce at hisposed father and the two maids on standby near the dining table, and he suddenly recalled what his current identity was. The Holy Eminence was formidable, but the Ascart House was no pushover either! Besides, their houses were still in the honeymoon phase of buttering each other up with sweet words. Also, as much as Roel wanted to deny it, his rtionship with Nora was still fairly good. The bestowment of Ascendwing was a gesture of goodwill from the Xeclydes, possibly by order of the Holy Eminence himself even. Looking at it from such a perspective, it didn¡¯t seem like there was any need for him to lose his nerves. He¡¯s just a grandpa from a neighboring house. Yeap, sounds about right. As Roel was trying to convince himself that it was no big deal, time ticked on. Before long, the Third Epoch, Year 1004 was already nearing its end. Chapter 57: Before the Crowd

Chapter 57: Before the Crowd

The night before the new year, Roel Ascart sat in a carriage that was galloping straight toward the majestic Saint Faron Church. The carriage wasfortable and spacious, but it wasn¡¯t a property of the Ascart House. The insignia of the Guardian of Radiant Wings revealed that it was a royal carriage. On this very day, the Xeclydes, known to be the envoys of Goddess Sia due to their Angel¡¯s Bloodline, were incredibly busy making arrangements for their two uing major events. They had to host the prayers over at the Saint Faron Church while simultaneously preparing for the New Year Ball that would be held in the royal pceter at night. Carter, as a marquess and a military man, was obliged to attend the ball. Alicia didn¡¯t have any obligations or priormitments and could technically head to wherever she wanted. Out of safety considerations though, Roel requested his father to bring her together with him, so as to look after her. In view of the mishap that happened back during Nora¡¯s birthday banquet, Carter approved of Roel¡¯s suggestion too. As a result, Roel was left all alone. When the decision was made, the ruby eyes of Alicia, who was looking forward to enjoying the new year festivities with Roel, immediately reddened. She grabbed Roel¡¯s hand tightly for a long while before she was finally able to bring herself to let go. Before heading off with Carter, she made sure to remind Roel. ¡°Lord Brother, I heard that Her Highness Nora will be leading the hymns and prayers today. It would be advisable for you to avoid talking to her, so that she can save her energy for the asion.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± This was the first time Roel was hearing that Nora was leading the hymns and prayers. That would exin why she seemed to have vanished from the face of the world for the past two weeks. Most likely, she had been putting all of her efforts into ensuring that everything went perfect. Thinking about it, it almost seemed like an idol trainee preparing for her center stage debut. With her beauty, her poprity would surely skyrocket. ¡°But, isn¡¯t it fine if it¡¯s just a casual chat?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do! Ah. No, what I mean to say is that... we can always pay a visit to Her Highness togetherter on! You can save your words till then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Alicia appeared to be looking at Roel with a smile, but her attention was actually on the short sword hanging by his waist. Her expression remained warm and cordial, but her hands had already tightened into fists. The Roel X Alicia Ship fanclub manager, Anna, had used her connections to inform Alicia about Nora and Roel exchanging short swords. Initially, Alicia was devastated by the news, but when she headed over to confront Roel with tears glistening in her eyes, she realized that he thought nothing about the matter at all. It was all a misunderstanding. Nevertheless, this incident made her wary of her rival¡¯s schemes. Nora. This was an opponent that the introverted Alicia would have never dared to go against normally. Any peer who dared to challenge Nora would only be embarrassed by their own shorings. However, the feelings that were burning in Alicia¡¯s heart made her unwilling to yield so easily. My greatest advantage is that I¡¯m always by Lord Brother¡¯s side. Her Highness is a formidable opponent, but she¡¯s unable to apany him all the time. Lord Father has also recognized me too. As long as Lord Brother reciprocates... ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be making a move first. See you tomorrow, Alicia.¡± A warm hand gently patted the head of the contemting silver-haired girl, causing her mind to go nk. She raised her head to look at the smiling Roel, and a faint blush appeared on her fair skin. ¡°L-l-lord Brother, see you.¡± With her brain overheating, it took Alicia everything she had to stutter out her farewells, before she watched Roel getting into the carriage and departing. For the past hour since then, Roel had been sitting all alone inside this carriage. It must be said that the Xeclydes were indeed very considerate. They dispatched a whole toon of knights to apany him and ensure his safety, but due to that, the journey was much slower than expected. Not to mention, the street was congested too. It took an entire hour before the carriage managed to reach the midpoint of the street. At the end of the avenue was the magnificent Saint Faron Church. ¡°There sure are a lot of people around. I wonder where they all popped out from.¡± ncing out of the window, Roel refreshed his definition of what the concept of ¡®congested¡¯ meant. How should I describe this sight? A sea of heads? Even sardines aren¡¯t put through something like this! It almost looks like people are ovepping with one another! Roel couldn¡¯t help but recall a video he saw in his previous life of train conductors literally packing humans into trains in a certain country. It seemed like he had underestimated the influence of the Genesis Goddess Church. And just like how he was observing the crowd, the crowd was observing him too. ¡°Look!¡± ¡°That insignia! It¡¯s the carriage of the royal family!¡± ¡°Who is inside? Could it be Her Highness Nora?¡± A hugemotion broke out amidst the crowd when they noticed the Xeclydes¡¯ carriage. Roel quickly pulled down the blinds to conceal himself. The toon elerated through the empty central aisle of the avenue. It seemed like even the coachman and the knights weren¡¯t ustomed to being observed by so many people. It was just unfortunate that carriages weren¡¯t allowed into the church itself, so the toon had no choice but to stop by the side gate. Roel quickly fixed up his appearance, pinned the Emblem of Glory on his chest, and took a deep breath as he prepared himself to appear in the limelight. Despite so, the moment the carriage doors opened, Roel still stiffened up. So many people! Even with a quick nce, I can already tell there are several thousand people here! Facing thousands of eyes focused on him, Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel great pressure crushing down on him. In a moment of ingenuity, he used his spell, Controlled Breathing, to forcefully calm down his stage fright. So, at the entrance to the restricted area of the Saint Faron Church, surrounded by a toon of knights, the crowd saw a ck-haired, golden-eyed little boy steadily walking down from a carriage that represented unrivaled authority and standing. His suave appearance was pleasing to the eye. Despite his young age, he had an indescribable charm that easily won him the crowd¡¯s goodwill. He was dressed in a luxurious white formal suit. Slotted at his waist was a short sword of unknown origin but emanating an air of holiness. As his ck shoes fell on the red carpet, the crowd could see that his height only reached up to the chests of the tall knights. However, hisposed and confident disposition formed a stark contrast to the guarded knights around him. ¡°Who is that little boy?¡± ¡°Wuuu, he¡¯s so adorable! He¡¯s like a small angel!¡± ¡°Could he be an illegitimate son of the royal family?¡± ¡°Lord Roel, for your own safety, please quickly enter the church.¡± The huge crowd made it harder for the knights to ensure Roel¡¯s safety, so they quickly converged together to form a tight circle around him. The chief of the knight toon felt a little pressured by the circumstances, but knowing how close rtions were between this young master of the Ascart House and the royal family, he dared not to hurry him too much. As a result, he could only lower his body and advise him quietly. Roel nodded lightly with approval and cooperated with the knight toon. This made the toonmander heave a sigh of relief. ¡°Knight toon, form two rows by the side and pay heed to your surroundings. If anyone dares toe too close, do not hesitate to take him down!¡± Themander passed out his orders. Twenty knights quickly positioned themselves in two rows and pointed their swords outward, creating a path for Roel to pass through. As Roel walked grandly through the procession, countless eyes looked at him with fondness, wonderment, and adoration. (Affection Points +1, +3, +2, +5, +4, +2...) ¡°I see. So this is what it feels like to be the center of attention...¡± Roel muttered to himself as he walked through the doors of the church. Chapter 58: Perhaps It’s Fate

Chapter 58: Perhaps It¡¯s Fate

Saint Faron Church. This was an old building with several centuries of history behind it. It should have looked a little weathered, but to Roel¡¯s surprise, it looked tremendously resplendent and beautiful. There was a brilliant source of illumination within that was as stable as the light bulbs in his previous world, allowing those walking through the corridors to marvel at the uncountable murals covering the walls and ceiling alike. Roel¡¯s understanding of the Genesis Goddess Church was still quite limited, so he couldn¡¯t understand a lot of the depictions in the murals. Nevertheless, as a noble, he hade into contact with a lot of artwork ever since his younger years, which cultivated his appreciation for fine works. In his view, these murals were wonderfully exquisite, and many of them were indubitably the magnum opus of famed painters. For so many masterpieces to be ced side by side with one another, it was definitely a haven for art lovers. This was a testament to the long history behind the church, as well as the influence itmanded. It demanded deference from those who stepped through its doors. Under the lead of the church¡¯s staff, Roel was brought to the assembly hall... and he suddenly found himself left all alone there. It was not that the church¡¯s staff were intentionally snubbing him, but they were simply too busy preparing to receive the crowd for the prayers, and the severeck of manpower wasn¡¯t helping at all. Left with no choice, Roel simply took a look around the church by himself for an hour before he finally went to meet Holy Eminence John Xeclyde. John Xeclyde was a white-haired old man who looked surprisingly unkempt, even though that was just by the standards of the more straightced nobles. In terms of appearance, he looked no different from any of the citizens he met outside the church earlier. However, if one were to take a closer look, one would realize that despite theck of a smile on his face, he still gave off an air of benevolence. Wearing a set of white holy robes, he sat upon a stone chair ced atop a red carpet. The illumination in the room was slightly dim, but it somehow felt like the light that was there was focused on the man. It was a mysterious feeling, indescribable by words. It was almost as if meeting a character who had walked straight out of an epic saga. However, Roel knew the reason behind this feeling. Origin Attribute Compassion. This was one of the Origin Attributes that had remained firmly under the control of the Xeclyde House since ancient times. Carter once told him that a high-level transcendent of Compassion would appear like a sage before the eyes of mortals, while lies and sins couldn¡¯t hope to deceive his eyes. ¡°Roel Ascart from the Ascart House pays respects to Your Eminence. It¡¯s my deepest pleasure to meet you.¡± Faced with a man who wielded powers far beyond his imagination, Roel wouldn¡¯t dare to show any disrespect. He ced his palm on his chest and reported his own background, disying how well brought up he was. On the other hand, witnessing the serious look on the adorable ck-haired boy¡¯s face, John burst intoughter. ¡°There¡¯s no need for this, child. Come here. I have heard of a lot about you from Nora.¡± John had a deep voice that came with age which feltfortable and set people at ease. When he mentioned Nora¡¯s name, Roel suddenly had a feeling as if he was meeting the grandparent of a ssmate. He carefully approached, and to his surprise, thetter really was just like a neighborhood grandpa. ¡°Would you like to have some fruit?¡± ¡°Ah, no. I had dinner before I came.¡± ¡°Mmm. Our fruits are all there, so feel free to take them when you¡¯re in the mood for it. We just brought them in today, so they¡¯re still fresh.¡± Roel was rendered speechless by this conversation. It sounded almost as if His Holy Eminence was coaxing a child! What he didn¡¯t know, though, was that he was indeed a child in John¡¯s eyes. John was over a hundred years old whereas Roel was only 10, the same age as his granddaughter. In truth, he didn¡¯t have any real business with Roel. He simply wanted to get closer to the Ascart House and meet this rare ¡®good friend¡¯ of his granddaughter. ¡°How is the short sword? Have you tried it out yet?¡± ¡°Yes, the sword is very handy. I heard from Her Highness Nora that it acquires an adaptation effect from the absorption of my blood.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Ascendwing is a rather special weapon even amongst holy artifacts. It has the unique strength of incubating abilities. I believe that the incubation should bepleted within the next few days... Wait a moment. Hmmm?¡± John was speaking while stroking the featherlike inscriptions of the short sword when he suddenly halted. He lowered his gaze to look more closely at the de and blinked his eyes. He could sense the vibrant vitality of the ones contracted with the short sword¡ªRoel and Nora¡¯s vitality. These were the basic elements required to form an ability within the sword. However, what was unusual about this was that the sheer amount of vitality was overwhelming. ¡°A high level ofpatibility? I didn¡¯t expect that it would...¡± John Xeclyde began muttering under his breath as he examined Ascendwing again and again. All of a sudden, he raised his gaze to look at Roel. ¡°Child, your sword could very well incubate two abilities.¡± ¡°Two abilities?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Your power has a high level ofpatibility with Nora¡¯s...¡± John Xeclyde swiftly began to fill in the details for Roel. ording to him, the purpose of the blood tribute ritual for Ascendwing was for the royal family to use the power of their own bloodline to bestow a special ability to the receiver of the sword. In other words, it was a buff. From time to time though, there would be a recipient whose bloodline was exceptionallypatible with that of the royal family, thus leading to another oue¡ªdouble buffing. With two powerful bloodlinesplementing one another, there was a high chance that the short sword would develop a second ability. Such a happening was extremely rare though. It had only happened once in known history. ¡°Good friends with powerful bloodlines thatplement one another. Bless Sia. The two of you are destined to stand alongside one another.¡± (Affection Points +200!) This unexpected surprise delighted John greatly. He felt that this could be guidance from the great Sia. Even the look he directed toward Roel became far more amicable than before. The one who was smashed with the news, however, looked nothing less than dumbstruck. Compatible? Me and her? That¡¯s impossible! Are you insinuating that I¡¯m a masochist? Son of a banshee! I must never let her know of this matter! Oblivious to Roel¡¯s horror, John was still immersed in the delight from stumbling upon such joyous news. Due to that, he decided to talk a little more than he intended to. ¡°Child, I have heard of your affairs. You have done well. There aren¡¯t many young nobles like you who embrace justice in their hearts. Decades of peace has bred a swelling whirlpool of desire and corruption that has tainted far too many people.¡± John sighed as he thought about the times when he was still a hot-blooded young man. ¡°I have spent my lifetime fighting against the darkness, and that might be the fate awaiting both you and Nora too. Different eras have different darknesses. The darkness I had to face was on the battlefield, but it seems unlikely to be the same for you. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that your enemies are weak. On the contrary, they are furtive and hidden deep among us.¡± John lowered his sight to look into Roel¡¯s confused golden eyes, and he seemed to be seeing something different from what others did. There was a short moment of silence before he continued. ¡°You belong to a house with a very long history, but time has erased far too much from your lineage... I pray that you¡¯ll, one day, be able to revive the greatness of the past.¡± John sighed once more after saying those words. Roel could smell the scent of a mystery in those words. Lineage? Revive the greatness of the past? What does that mean? ¡°Your Eminence, it¡¯s about time.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ming... Child, let¡¯s end our conversation here. May Sia¡¯s blessings be with you.¡± Hearing the reminder from an attendant outside, John concluded their conversation. Before he left, he ced his hand on Roel¡¯s head and gave away his first blessing of the year. Then he headed off to conduct the New Year Prayer. On the other hand, Roel found himself ushering in the new year with a load of doubts on his mind. Chapter 59: Nora’s New Year Blessing

Chapter 59: Nora¡¯s New Year Blessing

All in all, it was a difficult night for Roel. The New Year Prayers was a sacred event for Sia¡¯s believers. The event started before midnight, but every single recitation of the holy scripture and prayerssted for around two hours¡ªand it repeated three times. It was only when dawn arrived that the event finally concluded. As the guest of the Holy Eminence, it went without saying that Roel was orded with special privileges. He was given a spot in the VIP section, where the esteemed guestsing from all over the continent were gathered. If anyone thought that being ced in the VIP section was a blessing, they couldn¡¯t be more wrong. There were no snacks to munch and no sofa to lounge on here. In reality, it was just a fancy way of referring to the positions closest to Grandpa John. Yes, there was no seating at all; it was just an area with dozens ofrge pavers ced right in front of the stage where the Holy Eminence was speaking from. Granted every single VIP guest was given their own personal floor tile to pray from¡ªat least it was more spacious than the packed-like-sardines crowd behind¡ªhowever, Roel still had to stand alongside these devout believers throughout the entire course of the event till daylight. What kind of horrendous torture is this?! The hardly-a-believer Roel felt extremely distressed about this situation. In the first ce, he had hardly any interest in this event at all! But as the guest of the Holy Eminence, he couldn¡¯t afford to take his leave halfway through the event. That would be a tant show of disrespect toward Grandpa John! As a result, Roel was doomed to a night of suffering. He stood all the way from midnight till daylight, only receiving two short breaks in the middle. It was only at the end of the third set of prayers that he was finally liberated. Of course, there weren¡¯t too many people like Roel who thought of this event as suffering. Most of the believers were still quite excited about the new year. Furthermore, after the New Year Prayers, the royal family would be distributing the first wave of holy candies. This was an event that appealed to the masses. There was a prevailing notion that anyone who managed to collect the most holy candies in the first wave would be granted the most blessings for the year. In a sense, this was simr to how some people thought that being the first to visit a temple and light a joss stick for the new year would bring great luck for the next twelve months. As a result, the crowd standing by the sides of the streets only continued to grow with time. Unfortunately, Roel wasn¡¯t too interested in the good omen that came with this activity. In the first ce, he had received the direct blessing from the Holy Eminence himself before the New Year Prayer. As for the holy candies, all he had to do was mention it in front of Nora to obtain an entire jar of them. But again, candies from Little Miss Angel would nevere free. It was her expertise to use all sorts of events to stir-up trouble. Just thinking about it was enough to send a shudder down Roel¡¯s spine. He felt that he would be better off without those holy candies. Under the escort of the knights, Roel got back onto the carriage and headed back to the Labyrinth Vi. On the way back, he peered through the windows and saw groups of people returning home with joyful smiles on their faces. Upon arrival at the destination, Roel got down from the carriage and ced 10 gold coins in the hand of the captain of the knight toon. ¡°This is...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the new year. I can¡¯t have you all working overtime without receiving anything in return. Thank you for your protection.¡± ¡°Haha! Thank you for your generosity, Lord Roel. May Sia bless you!¡± Having received some easy money, the knights waved Roel goodbye with smiles on their faces. Roel bade them farewell too before entering the Labyrinth Vi under the escort of the servants, only to realize that no one had returned yet. Carter, Alicia, and even Anna weren¡¯t around. ¡°Hm? Where are they?¡± ¡°The old master has sent news informing us that Prince Kane will be bringing the nobles for a New Year Hunt, and that he would be attending together with Miss Alicia. It¡¯s likely that they¡¯ll only be returning the following night.¡± ¡°Ah? The following night?¡± Does this mean that I¡¯m going to spend the new year by myself? You must be kidding! Tsk, if only I had known in advance, I wouldn¡¯t havee back. It¡¯s too lonesome being here by myself. Roel stared out at the seemingly empty house and the unfamiliar servants stationed at the Holy Capital, and he suddenly had a bizarre feeling that he was a guest in his own house. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯ll be heading off to sleep.¡± With a light yawn, Roel grumbled about having to spend a new year without Alicia as he trudged back to his room. Following that, he took off his coat and sprawled over his bed. Before long, he was already in dreand ¡ª¡ª When Roel opened his eyes once more, the house was alreadypletely dark. There was only a faint light behind him that vaguely illuminated the room. Feeling ufortable from sleeping on his stomach for too long, he flipped over onto his back before exhaling deeply in relief. The new position felt much morefortable. ¡°Haah, what time is it?¡± ¡°Six at night.¡± ¡°WAH!¡± The unexpected response from his bedside made Roel leap up in horror. He saw a golden-haired girl sitting on a chair beside him. She wasughing heartily after witnessing his terrified reaction. ¡°Hahaha! Your reaction was truly entertaining. My time wasn¡¯t wasted waiting for you to wake up.¡± 1 reply ¨C 31 minutes ago Roel red at the chuckling princess with bared fangs, looking almost as if he would draw his sword against her. Nora decided to quickly rein in herughter. ¡°Say, is it really appropriate for you to enter my room without permission?¡± ¡°Hm, you don¡¯t like it? Wasn¡¯t it exciting for you when you saw me?¡± ¡°Exciting your head!¡± refuted Roel mercilessly. He took a look around the room to search for his servants, but Nora immediately interjected. ¡°I have already swapped out all of your servants. Everyone here now works for me.¡± ¡°???¡± What does this mean? A kidnapping? All I did was take a nap, yet you managed to pull off so many tricks behind my back? ¡°Speaking of which, what are you doing here? For goodness sake, it¡¯s the new year. Can¡¯t you let me off on such a festive day?¡± Roel could only grumble out hisints. ¡°How heartless. You know that I¡¯m here to apany you. This is an honor that countless people dream of.¡± Nora revealed the reason why she was here with a smile, rendering Roel speechless. To put it simply, the New Year Hunt had happened on a whim, most probably due to the nobles getting too drunk on alcohol. Not only was the Ascart House emptied out, but there was hardly anyone in the royal pce too. Roel, who didn¡¯t attend the banquet due to his audience with John, and Nora, who had been preparing for the choirpetition, were among the few people who were left behind. Holy Eminence John was also busy over the new year. He had to meet the believers in influential positionsing from all over the continent, so he really couldn¡¯t fork out any time to apany his granddaughter. Having expected this situation, Prince Kane had told Nora to bring a chef, a coachman, and arge group of servants, and head over to the Labyrinth Vi to find Roel. The two children were close with one another anyway, so it was perfect to have them spend the new year together and further deepen their friendship. It was just that Roel felt that a lioness had just crept into his house and was holding him hostage. ¡°You didn¡¯te to watch my performance. I was looking forward to seeing you amongst the audience.¡± Nora eyed Roel with narrowed eyes, displeased that one of her expectations was dashed. It was only then that Roel noticed that she was still wearing the ceremonial robes of the church¡¯s choir. On top of that, she had also applied some Demon¡¯s Dew which harmonized her pure disposition and seductiveness together into a fatal charm. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. I was too tired from having to stand for an entire night. So... d-did you win?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Nora¡¯s matter-of-fact answer allowed Roel to heave a sigh of relief, but Nora wasn¡¯t intending to let him off so easily. ¡°I might have won, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you neglected to cheer on a good friend.¡± ¡°T-then... What do you want?¡± ¡°Look at how defensive you are getting. I¡¯m a benevolent person, so how could I possibly not forgive you over this slight mistake that you have made? In fact, I¡¯m here to offer you some sweets. Mia.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± Upon Nora¡¯s call, a maid standing outside immediately carried a container into the room. Nora took out a holy candy from the container and unwrapped it. Holding the candy between her fingers, she looked at the bewildered Roel with a smile filled with desire. Chapter 60: Foodcentric Cult

Chapter 60: Foodcentric Cult

Two fair fingers held onto a light red candy that glowed brightly in the darkness. Nora sat with her slender legs crossed, her fair skin veiled by a thinyer of ck silk, looking like a piece of art. Her blushing cheeks and glinting eyes revealed the excitement pounding in the depths of her heart. Even her lips were curled up in mischief. She was truly beautiful. Looking at her under the dim illumination, Roel couldn¡¯t help but gulp down a mouthful of saliva. Nora did have a fatally seductive charm, and there was no question that she was good to Roel. After all, in the original story, Nora told the main character, who was the prince of an empire, to lick her shoes. Just to emphasize once more, it was not even her legs but her shoes. But over here, she allowed Roel to lick her fingers. It was obviously preferential treatment... somewhat. Was Roel moved? Looking at the beauty who was tempting him like the snake in Eden¡¯s Garden, it would be a lie if Roel said that he wasn¡¯t moved... It was tempting to get close to Nora, but it would be a catastrophe for a viin like him! Roel hadn¡¯t forgotten what his current position was. He was still in the midst of pulling out his death gs, so he waspelled to make different decisions from the original Roel. It was always better to be on the safer side. ¡°You can keep it. I¡¯m not going to eat it.¡± Roel turned his head away as he replied with an impassive tone. Not understanding Roel¡¯s reaction, Nora frowned in iprehension. ¡°Why? You obviously look very moved.¡± ¡°Haa? Who are you saying is moved? Stop talking nonsense. Besides, did you even wash your hands? I¡¯m not fond of eating things that others have held in their hands.¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ve washed my hands! Are you really not going to eat it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Roel¡¯s response displeased Little Miss Angel. She beganining under her breath. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why are you so opposed to me? You wouldn¡¯t even eat the sweet that I unwrapped for you.¡± ¡°Is the main point the sweet? You just want to see me lick the sweet because it¡¯s in your hand!¡± Roel¡¯s usations brought a slight hint of embarrassment to Nora¡¯s face. She quickly averted her eyes. ¡°S-sweets are important! They are blessings for the new year!¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you give them to me directly?¡± ¡°Hm? Mister Roel, are your hands clean? Somehow, I seem to recall that you are a person who is obsessed with hygiene.¡± Nora mocked him with his own words. Roel could only awkwardly retract his already outstretched hand. ¡°You can wrap the wrapper around the sweet first, before passing it to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already thrown away the wrapper.¡± ¡°Toss it directly into my mouth then.¡± ¡°... Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re already at Origin Level 5, but you can¡¯t even aim a throw properly?¡± ¡°Tsk. Fine. Open your mouth wide then.¡± Nora clicked her tongue in displeasure as she tossed the sweet into Roel¡¯s mouth. Roel sucked on the sweet as he looked at the defeated golden-haired girl with a triumphant smile on his lips. Heh, you wish to fight with me? Wait a hundred years more! Roel was gleeful to have won a battle, but before he could fully relish in his victory, a smile suddenly crept onto Nora¡¯s face. She ced her hand on her cheek and spoke words that utterly crushed every bit of his happiness. ¡°Is this the joy of feeding a pet?¡± ¡°Cough! What...¡± ¡°You looked so adorable when you caught my sweet. It was like a dog biting down on a ball.¡± ¡°The hell! You fooled me?!¡± Having been messed with by Nora, veteran actor Roel felt as if he had been deeply humiliated. On the other hand, Nora nodded her head in satisfaction. ¡°Actually, this isn¡¯t too bad either. I do enjoy this quite a bit. Let¡¯s do it again next time.¡± ¡°Next time your head! Don¡¯t even dream about it!¡± ¡°Mm, your looks of frustration are not bad too.¡± Damn it! I can¡¯t fawn on her, and I can¡¯t get angry too. Why is thisss so hard to deal with? It was sweet on the tip of his tongue, but bitter in the depths of his heart. He felt so frustrated that he could burst right into tears, but Nora would probably just enjoy the show if he were to do so. Tsk. Forget it. I shan¡¯t get angry. Calm down. Calm down! After finally calming himself down, Roel leaped down from his bed and left the room. Nora also stood up and followed suit. ¡°You woke up at a good time. It¡¯s about time for dinner, so let¡¯s eat together.¡± Nora proposed with the intention of making up with him. Employing the carrot and the stick, huh? Do you think I¡¯ll be bribed that easily? Roel snorted coldly, thinking nothing of her goodwill. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the royal chefs with me. The ingredients are fresh too.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head over right away!¡± As a certified foodie, Roel could hold a grudge against anything except food. Aspared to throwing a tantrum against Nora, stuffing his mouth with delicacies was simply far more important. So, the two of them moved to the dining room, got into their seats, and readied themselves for a ride of exquisite vors. ck pearl caviar from the Northern Sea,mb meat from Hyde teau, and all sorts of famed ingredients were presented one after another, bringing euphoria to Roel¡¯s tongue and sending it to new highs. It was a meal more magnificent than anything he had experienced. The most valuable dish of the entire dinner was the golden truffle from the Great Pok Forest. It had an outer appearance that was as brilliant as gleaming gold, but when one cut into it, its white lustrous flesh would be revealed. Its deep and unique aroma provided an explosion of vor that would easily satisfy any gourmet. Due to that, the golden truffle had always been ranked within the top three delicacies of the Sia Continent. It was so valuable that even the Ascart House would struggle to afford it. The conditions for the growth of one of these golden truffles was so extreme that it was impossible to cultivate it. As such, the amount produced every year was extremely limited. Most of it was already consumed internally within the Pendor Kingdom itself, where the Great Pok Forest was located, and the amount that was exported was only enough to distribute a set to the royalties all over the continent. That went to show just how valuable this ingredient was. If not for Nora, Roel might have never been able to eat it in his lifetime. The golden truffle was lightly grilled using a vorless oil and then perfectlyplemented by a ss of fruit wine made out of mango, honey, ginger, almond, peppermint, orange blossom, and white grapes. It was truly a culinary experience that Roel could hardly pick any ws with. Too moved by the delicacies, Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed in bliss as his pupils twinkled with delight. The golden-haired girl sitting across from him smiled in amusement at the sight. ¡°You¡¯re so hard to deal with usually... yet it¡¯s so easy to bribe you with good food.¡± ¡°That depends on the quality of the food. I¡¯m more than willing to be bribed by something of this level.¡± ¡°Is that so? It looks like I need to be wary of Pendor in the future.¡± Nora couldn¡¯t resist teasing a little. However, Roel disagreed with her view. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯ll be holed up in my fiefdom in the future. I doubt that anyone would waste their money trying to bribe me.¡± ¡°Hm? You still haven¡¯t changed your mind yet? Are you really not thinking of joining the military like Uncle Carter?¡± ¡°For a weakling like me who is unable to advance beyond Origin Level 6, there¡¯s no meaning in joining the military.¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to the military than fighting battles. You can always join as an advisor or a consultant. Due to the courage you showed in protecting Alicia from Bron and his cronies, most of those in the military have high hopes for you, you know?¡± Nora¡¯s words surprised Roel. He didn¡¯t think that his desperate brawl with Bron would actually bring about such an effect. Given that the roots of the Ascart Housey within the military, it wasn¡¯t too bad for things to turn out that way. If true, a military career might just work out very well for him. Should I give it a try? Roel was a little moved after hearing Nora¡¯s suggestion, but all of a sudden, he noticed the hidden twinkle in her eyes. Wait a moment, this isn¡¯t right! Isn¡¯t Nora training at the Holy Knight Order? Crap, I¡¯m falling for her ploys again! ¡°I¡¯m grateful that they think of me in such a light, but I¡¯ll have to pass. I¡¯m a cripple without any ambition, so I ask of you not to waste your efforts on me.¡± ¡°Hmph, I can¡¯t even persuade you this much, huh? How obstinate.¡± Seeing that her ns had failed, Nora sighed deeply for a moment before suddenly smiling to herself once more. ¡°But, it matters not. We have plenty of time ahead of us.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be fun if a game ends too quickly, right? Just like that, Nora and Roel spent the first night of the new year in peace together. Chapter 61: Burn This Disgrace!

Chapter 61: Burn This Disgrace!

The silver moonlight cloaked Roel, who was sitting in a daze by the windowsill. He swung his legckadaisically as he looked at the ticking clock and sighed deeply. Ey, I can¡¯t fall asleep. I slept too long earlier in the day. He spent two hours eating and chatting with Nora before thetter retired to a guest room to sleep. She had busied herself for the entire day, so it was only natural that she was exhausted. Roel, on the other hand, had more than enough energy to expend. So, he headed to the study room and grabbed a book to read. Fast-forwarding on, it was already midnight, but Roel still felt no inclination to sleep at all. After some thought, he decided to head out for a walk. He put on a coat beforeing out of his room. A maid on night duty immediately asked Roel if there was anything that he needed, but he shook his head in response. ¡°I¡¯m just heading out for a walk. There¡¯s no need to follow me.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Roel.¡± The maid respectfully returned to her original position whereas Roel began strolling around the vi alone. My house sure is big. Roel thought as he wandered around the building which had more than a century of history behind it. As the host, it was customary for Roel to bring Nora around the house to take a look, but in view of the poor illumination at night, this matter had been postponed till tomorrow. Nora had really brought quite a lot of people with her. Counting all the maids, chefs, and guards, there had to be more than a hundred people. There were over twenty people on normal night duty, and this was not counting the knight toon stationed around Nora¡¯s room. The maid with long gray hair named Mia, the one who passed Nora the sweets container earlier, was around too. ¡°Young master Roel, is there anything I can help you with?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just having difficulties trying to fall asleep, so I¡¯m taking a walk around. Is Her Highness sleeping?¡± ¡°Yes, Her Highness has already been asleep for two hours.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel shot a look of envy at her room. He was just about to take his leave when he suddenly recalled something. ¡°Right, did she manage to win the Chorale Choir Competition today?¡± ¡°Yes, Her Highness has a voice blessed by heaven. The panel of esteemed judges who came from various countries was deeply impressed.¡± Mia proudly replied. Roel nodded in response as he recalled how displeased Nora was about him not watching herpetition. He pondered for a moment before asking. ¡°Is there any tool that recorded her voice or performance during thepetition?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the Recording Stone? Of course, we have prepared that too. The church would always record the new year events every year. They would mass-produce the recordings and sell them to other countries so that others can bask in the glory of Sia too.¡± Mia¡¯s words surprised Roel. Now that he thought about it, there was indeed such a thing. It was just that the Ascart House had never bought it before. It was not because Recording Stones were expensive, but the opening event of the church was simply too boring. It was an entire night of prayers! No one but the most devout of believers would have been able to bring themselves to watch people praying for a whopping six hours! ¡°This includes the choirpetition too?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s recorded too.¡± ¡°Can you bring me a recording of it tomorrow then? I would like to see Her Highness¡¯ performance.¡± Otherwise, she¡¯s going to keep harping on it for life. Roel supplemented thetter half of the sentence in his heart, but the maid, who heard just the front half of the sentence, interpreted his intention very differently. Her pupils widened in astonishment before the air over her head started to turn green. A smile that carried a mixture of relief and maturity appeared on her face. (Affection Points +200!) Huh, what¡¯s going on? Why are you turning green? What did I do? Roel was rendered speechless by the sudden wave of Affection Points. Thinking back, it seemed like he had an inexplicable ability to make maids go green. It was the same for the servants in his house too. Often, before he knew it, all of them would turn green together. ¡°Young master Roel is truly considerate. I believe that Her Highness Nora will be pleased if she learns about this.¡± ¡°N-no, I...¡± ¡°Please be assured. I¡¯ll prepare the Recording Stone tomorrow. You¡¯ll receive it at thetest by the day after tomorrow.¡± Mia had be excited; she was all pumped up. Having served Nora for many years, she knew just how lonely her young miss was. Roel appeared to be a decent man to her; he came over herete at night to check on her, and he even requested to obtain the Recording Stone from the church beforehand. He must be anxious to watch the splendor of our young miss as soon as possible! Not to mention, the two of them had backgroundspatible with one another, and what was even rarer was that they were actually on good terms with one another. Was there any better partner for her young miss than this? For that reason, she decided to give everything she had to help this boy who sought to free her young miss from her loneliness. Seeing the maid thumping her chest with a confident expression that said ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I understand¡¯, Roel, despite all of the doubts lingering in his mind, found himself not knowing what to say at all. In the end, he could only bid Mia farewell and take his leave. ... The following day Roel got up early in the morning and began his work as a tour guide. The Labyrinth Vi, even with its hundred years of history, was actually nothing spectacr to the royal family. After all, the royal pce itself had centuries behind it! However, there was one exceptional advantage that the Labyrinth Vi had over the royal pce, and that was the endorsement from celebrities! ¡°There, do you see the chair over there? Her Majesty Victoria once sat there!¡± ¡°Here, here. Look at themp over here. Her Majesty Victoria once used it!¡± Roel simply vomited word-for-word everything that the excited Carter had said when thetter brought him around the house when he first arrived. Actually, the responsibility of the servants of the Labyrinth Vi wasn¡¯t really to take care of the family members of the Ascart House. The Ascart House had few offspring, and they would only stay in the Holy Capital once in a while. There was no need to hire so many servants to wait on them. What the servants were needed for was the preservation of these historical items. It went without saying that nobles needed to have a fair share of antiques to unt their history too! This was a matter of dignity! The most incredible ce of the Labyrinth Vi was probably the library, which contained many ancient books. Being fully aware of this, Roel led Nora over to the library and gestured to a set of books on the bookshelves. ¡°The books you see over here are the diaries left behind by my predecessor, Ponte Ascart. You may feel free to flip through it, but please do pay heed since the paper is a little brittle.¡± Nora nodded her head obediently. As a future female sessor as well, she carried great respect for Empress Victoria. Thus, she had a favorable impression of Ponte Ascart, who was known to have helped Empress Victoria through the crisis back then. This was a rare opportunity to read the diaries of Ponte Ascart, and a rare solemn look appeared on her face. Roel was relieved to see this since he would be able to take a breather with this. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel curious as to what was written in the diaries. Despite it having been some time since he arrived at the Labyrinth Vi, he hadn¡¯t actually read these yet. He assumed that the diaries were likely to be filled with boring work-rted stuff, since Ponte Ascart was a high-standing official. Thus, he never bothered himself with them. With such thoughts in mind, he took out one of the diaries himself and began flipping through it. ¡¸ 13th June, sunny. Uwoh, Victoria¡¯s little skirt looks so cute! It looks like the newest trend in the Holy Capital. There are many noblewomen who have been wearing such skirts recently, but in my opinion, Victoria is still the most beautiful of them all! ¡¹ 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago ¡¸ 14th June, sunny. Today¡¯s Victoria appears to be a little out-of-it. She seems to be bothered by something. I should have given her a stern scolding, but I can¡¯t bring myself to do it. Uwu, a brooding Victoria looks cute too! ¡¹ ¡°...¡° W-what¡¯s going on? This doesn¡¯t look right! Roel was taken aback. Even though he had only read two entries so far, it carried a strikingly simr style to some of the otaku-esque websites he had browsed through in the past. No, no no no no no. How can this be? My predecessor, Ponte Ascart, is a great hero! I... I¡¯ll read a bit more first... ¡¸ 24 August, rainy. It was raining when Victoria came by today. She got drenched along the way, resulting in her clothes clinging to her. Ahh, o¡¯ great Sia! Her body is still as small as a few years back. She doesn¡¯t have that unnecessary umtion of fat on her chest. Her slender frame is truly a work of art! And oops, she caught me looking at her chest and red at me. I must make sure to do it more discreetly in the future... ¡¹ Pah! The sound of a book mming shut echoed loudly in the room, shocking Nora, who was reaching out to grab one of the diaries herself. ¡°Roel? What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t you tell me to be more careful with these books?¡± Nora tilted her head in confusion at Roel¡¯s actions. Thetter¡¯s cheeks were twitching a little. It took a while before he raised his head up once more with a light smile on his lips. With a tender voice, he said... ¡°Hm, what could be wrong here? We have spent quite some time walking around. Shall we head out to have some tea now?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to read the diaries...¡± ¡°It¡¯s all work-rted entries. There¡¯s nothing interesting to read about it. We have a tea set which Empress Victoria is very fond of. Aren¡¯t you interested in it?¡± Under Roel¡¯s coaxing, Nora¡¯s attention was sessfully diverted, and the two of them left the library together. Before walking out, Roel shot a ferocious re at the bookshelf. I¡¯ll burn you down tomorrow! Chapter 62: Ophthalmologist

Chapter 62: Ophthalmologist

How did it feel to know that one¡¯s predecessor was actually a pervert? Roel believed that he had just earned the qualification to answer this question. Flustered. Extremely flustered. And embarrassed too. The usual attitude Roel had with Nora was to ¡®stay as far away from me as possible¡¯, but today, he desperately tried to keep her by his side, not allowing her to stray from his line of sight at all. Ponte Ascart¡¯s diary entries were simply too detailed that Roel felt his fingers and toes curling up. Just from the three entries he had read, he was able toe up with a lot ofbels for his ancestor¡ªillicit teacher-student fantasies, ¡®t is justice¡¯ cultist, and very possibly a lolicon. ¡°Tsk. That fellow should really be thankful for Prince Wade¡¯s rebellion, or else he could have very well been executed by Victoria...¡± ¡°Mm? What did you say?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing much. How is the tea?¡± ¡°Not bad. The teacup is wonderful too. Empress Victoria has a good sense of aesthetics.¡± Seeing how Nora was focused on other matters, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. It was fortunate that those from the royal pce rarely frequented this ce. He would just have to survive these two days and send her off tomorrow night. It would all be good by then. The reputation of the Ascart House banks on everything that is going to happen today and tomorrow! Roel thought as his heart pounded furiously. He began putting together ns to keep Nora upied. Meanwhile, after Nora finished studying the tea set, she turned to examine the door of the tea room, and she soon noticed something peculiar. ¡°What¡¯s that pinhole on the door?¡± ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t that a door viewer?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking why there¡¯s a door viewer here. Isn¡¯t it something that¡¯s normally used only for the door at the entrance? I¡¯ve been paying close attention and noticed that almost every room in this vi has a door viewer. Is there some kind of special significance to this?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no special significance to it now. Just like what you have said, this door viewer is intended only for the entrance, but...¡± Roel revealed a rare gleeful smile as he pointed to the door of the tea room and exined. ¡°... every single door in the Labyrinth Vi is an entrance in itself.¡± ¡°What?¡± Nora blinked her sapphire eyes in confusion as she tried to process what Roel was driving at. On the other hand, Roel also didn¡¯t keep her in suspense and revealed the deeper meaning behind his words. It was not just out of familiarity that Ponte Ascart chose the Labyrinth Vi as the ce to bring Victoria Xeclyde to seek refuge. More than that, it was because theyout of this vi waspatible with thebyrinth artifact too. ¡°The legendarybyrinth back in that era consists of twoyers¡ªthe inneryer consisting of the vi and the outeryer epassing the streets and byways outside. The effect of the artifact veils the twoyers in mist and partitions them into numerous sections. Whenever a person passes through the boundary of a section, he would be randomly teleported into another section. Unless the person enters thebyrinth in a specific manner at a specific timing, they will never be able to reach their destination. That¡¯s also why it was termed as abyrinth. ¡°As for the inneryer, it works in the same manner as the outeryer, just that the boundaries are the doors this time around, making every single one of them an ¡®entrance¡¯. I heard that huge, bulky metal doors were used back in that era, but they have already been reced with the ordinary wooden doors you currently see. Nevertheless, we still kept the door viewers around for remembrance¡¯s sake.¡± Roel¡¯s exnation expanded Nora¡¯s understanding of the Labyrinth Vi by a fair bit. ¡°Is it still possible to transform the vi into abyrinth once more?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to construct the same massivebyrinth back in that era anymore, but if it¡¯s just limited to the interiors, it should still be doable.¡± Roel replied as he recalled Carter telling him that a fragment of the family heirloom used back then still lingered within thebyrinth, granting it mystical powers. On the opposite end of the tea table, Nora looked at Roel, who was deep in thought, and she raised her teacup and took a sip. She seemed to be in a better mood than usual. (Affection Points +200!) For reasons unbeknownst to her, Roel was treating her much amicably than he usually did. At the very least, he wasn¡¯t intentionally trying to put distance between them. This ced her in a good mood. Nora was definitely not a masochist, and there was no way she would feel pleased when someone took on a perfunctory attitude with her. In fact, with her pride as a member of royalty, she wouldn¡¯t bother trying to know anyone who treated her in such a manner. In the end, the so-called ¡® boy you have won my interest through your cold attitude ¡¯ plot device only worked in stories. Anyone who tried to emte it in real life would only find themselves failing tragically. The current rtionship between Nora and Roel was more like buddies who knew each other¡¯s secrets, allowing them to show their true selves before one another. More importantly, while Roel tried to draw a line to distance himself from her, he had never snubbed her before. On top of that, it had been some time since Roel learned her secret, but he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to use it as a chip to negotiate for a better position for himself or anything at all. In terms of character, he could still be considered as an upright person. If only he was willing to get close to me... Nora sighed while sipping on her tea. To be honest, Roel was proving to be a far more difficult opponent to conquer than she initially thought. She really had no idea how that silver-haired girl managed to get so close to him. But while Nora envied Alicia, she was unaware that at this very moment, Alicia had just received news that the two of them would be spending the new year together in the vi, and she began crying out of indignance. Carter had to spend a great deal of effort consoling her before she finally calmed down. Roel spent the rest of the day on his toes, fearing that Nora would suddenly spark a newfound interest in looking at the diaries. This constant anxiety manifested into a grudge against his predecessors. Goddamnit! Thosezy bums must have never even flipped the cover on one of those diaries before, or how else could they allow such dark history to exist to this day? They even foolishly treated it as if it was a precious family heirloom! Please, that¡¯s a perverted lolicon over there! As frustrated as Roel was, he didn¡¯t dare to let it show out of fear of slipping up. As a result, this day ended up being the most harmonious day he had ever spent with Nora. The smile on Nora¡¯s lipssted all the way till dinner. ¡°Today¡¯s cuisine is meticulously prepared too. I am confident that it¡¯ll satisfy your pte.¡± ¡°I have no doubt in the fooding from the chefs of the Xeclyde House. Your food has never failed to delight me.¡± ¡°Including that sweet?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that you enjoy our food. As a gesture of reciprocation, I would really appreciate it if you would just be a little more obedient.¡± ¡°Pardon me for being unable to fulfill your request.¡± Roel unhesitatingly turned Nora down. The golden-haired girl clicked her tongue in dissatisfaction, but she didn¡¯t say too much about it. The dinnermenced under a fairlyfortable atmosphere. The location where they were dining wasn¡¯t the usual dining room table but a smaller table by the windowsill, allowing for a picturesque view of the vast scenery outside and a more intimate environment. There were also candles lit at the center of the table, adding to the mood. If they had been a little older, this could be considered a date. Roel¡¯s mind was still wandering around the area when ayer of red light suddenly cloaked his line of sight. A familiar burning sensation assaulted him once again. He immediately raised his hand and pressed it against his eyes in hopes of alleviating the pain. The sight rmed Nora. ¡°Roel, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing much. It¡¯s just that my eyes would suddenly hurt from time to time recently. I had it checked with the principal doctor of the Ascart House, but he wasn¡¯t able to find anything amiss.¡± The pain in Roel¡¯s eye left as quickly as it came. He rubbed his temples in frustration as he wondered if there were any ophthalmologists in this world. Nora was also reassured to see Roel¡¯s words too However, what the two of them didn¡¯t know was that while Roel¡¯s eyes were hurting, the fragment of a multicolored gemstone glowed as if it had been awakened. A momentter, it reverted back to quietude. Chapter 63: I Trust You More Than You Do

Chapter 63: I Trust You More Than You Do

Roel felt that Nora was a good person. He believed that being able to have good food and sleep whenever one wanted to were the fundamental sources of bliss for humans, and anyone who was able to enhance this feeling of bliss for him was a good person. It was true that she did suffer from a slight streak of sadism, but no human is infallible. Roel felt that this much was at least understandable, especially with gourmet-level delicaciesid out before him. The cut of fish he was munching on had a soft and springy texture, giving it a fantastic bite. He felt that the chefs in this world really knew how to handle their ingredients. On top of the fundamental taste, aroma, and appearance, they were also able to perfect the mouthfeel of the food too. Without a doubt, this further entuated the culinary experience. Back where Roel lived in his previous life, his countrymen were known to be extremely picky with their food. This was inevitable since there was plenty of affordable good food around. Roel wasn¡¯t born in a wealthy family in his previous life, but he did travel to many different ces together with his parents. He had enjoyed hot pot on the mountains, sulentmb on the ins, and fresh fish by the river. The desire for good food was already carved deep in his soul, a pursuit that he would never be able to escape from. While Roel was indulging himself in the sumptuous food before him, he didn¡¯t fail to notice that Nora appeared to be a little restrained during the meal. It seemed like something was bothering her. How did Roel notice it, you ask? It was through her appetite, of course! It should go without saying that the professional royal chefs wouldn¡¯t make a mistake as basic as portioning. Even a child like Roel wouldn¡¯t feel bloated after eating the full course. Perhaps Nora, as a girl, might not be able to eat as much as him, but there was no way she should be leaving so much good food behind. Looking at the dessert which Nora had only eaten a spoonful from, Roel blinked his eyes in confusion. What¡¯s going on? I thought that girls have a separate stomach for dessert? I can still understand if she isn¡¯t able to finish the main course, but she doesn¡¯t have an appetite for the dessert too? Is she on a diet? Is that even possible? I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ve ever heard of an obese angel before. Could it be that her stomach is feeling unwell? Uhhh, doesn¡¯t seem too possible either. Those who possess bloodlines aren¡¯t that weak. Roel postted many possibilities, but he was unable to figure out what was wrong with the girl. Taking a closer look at her face, it appeared that she was a little out of it. ¡°Nora, what are you thinking of?¡± ¡°Hm? Nothing at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not nothing. You obviously have something on your mind. Look, you have barely eaten anything at all.¡± Roel nced at his own clean te. His noble etiquette forbade him from asking for seconds despite relishing each dish. So, every single time he finished his portion, he was forced to suffer the agony of salivating over the delicacies left on Nora¡¯s te. Tsk tsk, the royal family sure is extravagant! Roel was full of criticism for Nora¡¯svishness of wasting such good food, but there was no way he was going to say that aloud. He couldn¡¯t possibly put on an attitude after eating her food, right? However, what was surprising to Roel was how Nora didn¡¯t reveal her confident sadistic nature in response. Instead, there was a hesitant frown on her forehead, as if she was unable to find the words to describe her current feelings, or rather, this was the first time she was experiencing such a sensation. It felt like a distortion of her bloodline, as if someone was staring at her from an unknown ce. She couldn¡¯t calm her palpitating heart at all, and unease seemed to ripple through her body. Even she herself had no idea what she was feeling so frightened of. She had heard from her elders that possessors of the Angel¡¯s Bloodline had the ability to foretell danger, but she had never experienced it before, so she had no idea whether her current feeling was a warning for danger. More importantly, she didn¡¯t think that it was possible for any danger toe to her and Roel given the current circumstances. She raised her head to look around her. Putting aside her personal maid, she had brought an entire toon of royal guards together with her. Furthermore, the Ascart House also had its own toon of guards protecting Roel too. All in all, there were at least 200 transcendents currently in the Labyrinth Vi. The sheer military power gathered here was more than enough to form a small army, not to mention that the soldiers within this small army were all elites. The security measures were on the dot too; there were guards patrolling every nook and cranny, and sentries were stationed every here and there. Even the rulers of smaller countries, whom Nora had met in Holy Capital Loren over thest few days, wouldn¡¯t be able to match this army. Even if an enemy were to somehow breach all of their forces, they still had an array of magic tools to protect themselves. The magic tools that the sole princess of the Theocracy and the sole sessor of an eminent noble had were not to be scoffed at. Roel might not have had any enemies in the past, but after the affairs at the birthday banquet, Carter would surely hand him some invaluable magic tool in order to ensure his safety. It would be hard for any enemy to ovee their artifacts. And most importantly of all, they were currently in Loren, the headquarters of the Genesis Goddess Church. This was a ce that was under the tight control of the Xeclyde House. If anything were to happen to Nora and Roel, reinforcements would arrive in at most five minutes. Nora didn¡¯t believe that there was anyone who would be willing to pit their strength against the Theocracy directly. ¡°Am I thinking too much?¡± Nora muttered while simultaneously cing her hand on her chest, attempting to still the pounding of her heart. She was able to reason out how irrational her fears were, but emotions weren¡¯t that easily convinced by logic. In the end, she still decided to ask about it. ¡°Roel, do you have any defensive magic tool to protect yourself with?¡± ¡°Magic tool... Ah, you must be talking about this.¡± Roel reached into his clothes and took out a purple crystal pendant. ¡¾Seere¡¯s Guardian Stone A magic tool created by Great Schr Seere from the Country of Schrs, Brolne. It¡¯s able to withstand multiple attacks from a high-level transcendent.¡¿ This was an artifact that Carter handed over to Roel after the birthday banquet. While its ability to withstand multiple attacks from a high-level transcendent appeared to be pretty useful inbat, in truth, it was highly unlikely for one to be assassinated by high-level transcendents. Those who were at Origin Level 3 and above were already the top leaders of a country. Putting aside the fact that it was unlikely for them to head out and attempt to assassinate another person, even if they did, their targets were likely to be of equally prestigious standing as themselves. Besides, they would have subordinates who specialized in assassination, and they were likely to be more skilled than them in this. Most importantly of all though, if a high-level transcendent were to really set their eyes on them, there was no way they could escape from the other party with just a couple of magic tools. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been wearing it all this while. Is there a problem? ... Or do you suspect that we are in danger?¡± Roel frowned. Given how Nora had been suffering from a poor appetite and brooding throughout the meal, he couldn¡¯t help but think further into the matter. Nora, on the other hand, pondered for a moment before finally revealing the unease in her heart. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how to describe this feeling. It¡¯s like I¡¯m a prey eyed by a stronger predator, a soldier who had an arrow nocked and aimed at him, a ve who was soon to be stepped upon...¡± What is with that final metaphor there?! Roel retorted in his mind and his face twitched slightly at that bizarreparison. However, Nora¡¯s words also made him understand how severe the situation was. ¡°It¡¯s just a feeling that I have. I don¡¯t have any evidence backing it up, so it could have just been a whimsical mood shift, so...¡± ¡°No, I believe you.¡± Nora raised her head to look at Roel with widened eyes, and she saw the graveness on his face. It was clear that he was taking her feelings very seriously. (Affection Points +200!) The feeling of having her unfounded worries acknowledged surprisingly embarrassed her as her face blushed furiously. She was unexpectedly happy about this. On the other hand, Roel¡¯s mood grew incredibly heavy. Nora¡¯s nervousness was definitely no joking matter. She was a possessor of the Angel¡¯s Bloodline, which was known for its sharp intuition for danger. It was a feeling reminiscent of the legendary woman¡¯s intuition. It would be foolish to brush away her unease easily. 1 reply ¨C 54 minutes ago As for evidence... was there really a need for there to be evidence every single time in order to move? In any case, Roel immediately leaped off his chair, grabbed Nora¡¯s hand, and began leaving the room. While taking his leave, he also quickly issued several instructions to the servants and guards, which basically consisted of tightening the security and preparing for battle at any moment. That was not all. He even grabbed the emergencymunication tool of the Ascart House, readying himself to ask for reinforcement from his father and the church as soon as any danger presented itself! Chapter 64: Night of the Demons

Chapter 64: Night of the Demons

In a dimly-lit castle, there existed a secret room behind a hidden entrance. In this room, an austere golden-haired man was seated at one end of a long table, staring at a painting that was floating before him. A crease was slowly forming between his brows. A month had passed, and the prophetic oil painting had changed greatly from when Bryan first saw it. If what he had viewed before was an inferior work created by an artist¡¯s whim, then now it had indubitably be a masterpiece created under the hands of a skilled painter, a work to be marveled. The boy and girl in the painting, who were previously nearly indistinguishable, were now depicted with realistic vividness, and the surrounding buildings had all sharpened in rity. This was good news. It symbolized that the date of fulfillment of the foretold prophecy was ticking close, and the variables surrounding the event were lessening. Soon, the boy from the Ascarts and the girl from the Xeclydes would fall into danger. However, Bryan had another view regarding this matter. He had learned a lesson from his previous failure with prophecy. ¡°This painting doesn¡¯t depict their death, which means that the conclusion is uncertain.¡± Bryan muttered coldly as the crease between his brows deepened. Truthfully, he wasn¡¯t too optimistic about the prophecy. Sitting at the opposite end of a long table, an enigmatic figure known as the Collector chuckled upon hearing those words. ¡°You¡¯re right. Still, if the painting has beenpleted to this degree, they won¡¯t be able to escape the ill fate that awaits them.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the one making a move?¡± ¡°The Mythril Priory. Of course, there could be other powers behind them too. They proposed a coboration with us, but I declined.¡± ¡°Declined?¡± For the first time, Bryan spoke with a hint of doubt. He looked at the silhouette hidden in the darkness before him, hoping to peer into the man¡¯s true intentions. Seeing this, the Collector exined. ¡°They don¡¯t stand a good chance. They are going for the Ascarts and Xeclydes together. Houses with long lineages are a variable, and dealing with one is already a huge hassle. The risks from dealing with two simultaneously are too great. ¡°Still, to express our stance, I dispatched a precious staff of ours to assist them. It¡¯ll at least correct some of the imperfections in their ns and raise the chances of sess.¡± ¡°What about this painting?¡± ¡°I have shown it to them. They don¡¯t think that it¡¯s an omen of failure. There are those amongst them who don¡¯t believe in our prophecies, and some think that it¡¯s an opportunity. I¡¯d imagine that the streets of the Holy Capital depicted in this painting are currently filled with their men.¡± The tone of the Collector grew lighter and more joyous the further he spoke, perhaps carrying a hint of mockery too. Bryan listened to the news about the collusions and conflicts amongst the various evil cults impassively, his eyes focused only on the painting ahead of him. There was something about it that was drawing his attention. Naturally, this caught the Collector¡¯s attention. The chuckle halted, and a curious voice sounded. ¡°You have been staring at this painting for a long time now. Why so? It¡¯s rare to see you getting so interested in something. Is it that boy?¡± ¡°... Not exactly. He does intrigue me, but the location feels oddly familiar to me.¡± Bryan stared at the streets depicted in the painting as the crease between his brows refused to unfurl. It was an old street built in a ssic manner. Judging from the surrounding buildings, it didn¡¯t seem to be located in the noble sector. It would have been easier to find it if it had been in any other city in the Theocracy, but there were simply too many streets that looked alike to this in the Capital. Having enjoyed centuries of peace, there were simply too many ancient buildings with hundreds of years of history behind them. Old and ssic weren¡¯t distinguishing traits butmonce. With such thoughts in mind, Bryan dispelled his doubts. It wouldn¡¯t be odd for anyone who had been to the older sectors within the Holy Capital to find the scenery depicted in the painting familiar. So, he shook his head and turned his attention back to the long table. He stared at the teacup in front of him contemtively for a few moments before he raised his head. ¡°What about the Genesis Goddess Church? There¡¯s no way to circumvent him if anyone tries to pull something in Loren.¡± Bryan didn¡¯t reveal the name of the person, but the Collector still understood who he was referring to. The Holy Eminence, the protector of Holy Capital Loren. Evil cults wreaked havoc everywhere else on the Sia Continent, but there was one ce which they would try to avoid if possible¡ªthe Theocracy, especially the Holy Capital. If they had no choice but to go to the Holy Capital, they would do their best to humble themselves and appear invisible. Even though everyone was aware that he could see them. No one could escape his sight. That was why everyone could only bend their backs lower and lower, till the point where he couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with them anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Mythril Priory are thinking, but they must have made a deal with that man. It has been some time since their establishment, and while they have been lying low thus far, they do have quite a developed intelligencework. I believe that the things they have to offer are substantial, which is why I chose to offer them a little bit of help.¡± The Collector revealed his intentions behind this matter. The crux herey not in participation but to avoid getting sold out by the Mythril Hermits as chips for negotiation. They were taking on a more conservative, defensive position. Bryan nodded and replied. ¡°The Mythril Priory has been away from the Theocracy for far too long. The Theocracy isn¡¯t like Rosa; it¡¯s no easy feat to thrive here. Sia¡¯s light does exist in this ce. However, our friends don¡¯t seem to understand this.¡± He could finally see why the Collector appeared to be gloating over their imminent failure. As the country controlled by the Genesis Goddess Church, the number of evil cults operating within the Saint Mesit Theocracy had always been the lowest amongst all countries. There was hardly any news about them at all. As such, it was inevitable that the cults operating outside would think that their counterparts in the Theocracy were weak and ipetent. They couldn¡¯t be more wrong. Under the focused suppression by the Theocracy, any smaller cults would swiftly meet their end. This meant that these cults had no choice but to ally together in order to protect themselves. There were some who chose to leave the Theocracy and make their name elsewhere, but simrly, there were also behemoths that chose to lurk under the shadows cast by the most radiant light. And the Connoisseur Guild was one of the organizations that chose thetter. ¡°Let them do what they want. They¡¯re at least qualified to serve as a stepping stone.¡± The Collector slowly ced his goblet back onto the table. It¡¯s going to be a long night. ... ssifying strength in Sia was not an easy feat. It wasmonly known that the factor that yed thergest role in determining one¡¯s strength was one¡¯s Origin Level. To use a metaphor, it was like a generator that determined how much power one was able to exert. With sufficient strength, one could do anything. The higher one¡¯s Origin Level was, the more mana one could exert at once. A massive umtion of mana would bring about a qualitative change in its nature. Simr spells cast using varying amounts of mana could bring about massive differences that were not just limited to scale and power. The next factor would be one¡¯s Origin Attribute. It was the core system that determined a transcendent¡¯s abilities. That would be pretty much it for ordinary transcendents, but there was a group of blessed individuals who were bestowed with another trump card¡ªbloodlines. Each bloodline possessormanded a unique power. Some were granted a single ability; some were granted multiple abilities too. Regardless of which, the abilities granted through bloodlines were often terrifyingly strong. Tapping into one¡¯s bloodline ability was not without cost; on the contrary, they often came with severe side effects. Nevertheless, most bloodline abilities could generate a force that transcended thews of the world. Take Skin Grafter Peter Kater for example, he was one of the rare humans who possessed a lower Silver Bloodline. The requirements to activate his bloodline ability was extreme, and the price of activation was so great that he literally couldn¡¯t pay it himself. Nevertheless, if used in the right circumstances, it could prove to be an invaluable asset. Peter Kater¡¯s bloodline ability was called Personal Studio. It could only be activated indoors, and there was a cooldown time of three years. On top of that, he had to take the lives of a hundred people as a tribute. For all of these conditions, the effect of his bloodline ability was surprisingly simple¡ªhe could iste himself and everyone else with him within a room from the rest of the world for a single day. Of course, he wasn¡¯t paying such a heavy price for nothing. Personal Studio had the ability to nullify all magic tools, be it protective artifacts ormunication devices. It was a mini world that forbade disturbances from the world beyond it. It was easy to think that his bloodline ability, which didn¡¯t augment his fighting prowess but had a long cooldown time, was both inconvenient andcking, but it was perfect for assassinating high-ranking nobles whocked fighting prowess by themselves. It was precisely due to this that Peter, despite being only at Origin Level 4, was able to rise to a significant position within the Mythril Priory, enjoying an extravagant lifestyle. Today, as the representative of the Mythril Priory, he, together with his co-conspirators, would be attempting one of the highest level assassinations that the Sia Continent had ever seen before... Compared to the powerful fief lords and even kings of minor countries that he had assassinated in the past, Peter¡¯s assassination target this time around, Roel Ascart, was someone exceedingly minor. The other party was merely a 10-year-old brat who didn¡¯t even have a noble title! To be honest, Peter didn¡¯t understand why he had to use his invaluable ability on someone of this caliber, but he dared not go against the orders of the leader. ¡°I¡¯ll insert you into the room they are in, but I won¡¯t be able to confirm the timing. Roel Ascart could be alone by himself, or he could be with the princess of the Theocracy too. However, you can be assured that there will be no more than three people. Remember this, you can only kill one person. Once a person is dead, you¡¯ll be teleported right back to your original position.¡± ¡°So, why do we have to make a move within these two days? That princess wouldn¡¯t be around on any other day, and there would be fewer guards, right?¡± The ck-haired, pale-faced Peter looked at the nervous well-built man, who was holding onto an axe, and posed his doubt. The well-built man shot him a look without saying a word, but Peter still managed to catch his drift and clicked his tongue in annoyance. Bloodline abilities came hand-in-hand with restrictions and side effects; no bloodline possessor was exempted from that rule. There were bound to be even tighter restrictions for this man, who was able to ovee all the barriers surrounding the vi and urately ¡®insert¡¯ him in. Is it the new year? Or is it the alignment of the stars? , Peter wondered. Before Peter could say a word, the well-built man had already begun his move. He raised the sleeve on one of his arms to reveal his scar-filled flesh, before raising his axe high and hacking down on it. Amidst a stifled scream of pain, Peter watched as the man¡¯s arm fell to the ground, but shockingly, what flowed out of his wound wasn¡¯t blood but crimson magic power. The bizarre magic power swiftly shrouded Peter before disappearing together with him. ... ¡°Where did this lettere from?¡± In the headquarters of the Genesis Goddess Church, the Holy Eminence, John Xeclyde, who had just finished meeting the kings from smaller countries, looked at the priest standing before him and asked. Thetter was respectfully offering an envelope with three feathers to him with both hands. The three white-feathered envelope was a gesture of surrender that was initiated by the countries that had been invaded by the Ancient Austine Empire during the Second Epoch. It eventually spread across all of the human countries, and it continued to be used even to this day. Any envoy who carried a three white-feathered envelope was viewed to be invible and mustn¡¯t be harmed. Typically speaking, the envelope would only appear between warring countries, but the situation was a little peculiar for the Theocracy. It wasmon knowledge that the Theocracy was not at war with any country, which meant that the envelope could have onlye from one source¡ªthe evil cults. Sometimes, when an evil cult or a hostile power was no longer able to withstand the pressure from the Theocracy anymore, they would deliver such an envelope over as a symbol of surrender. Usually, they would offer some intelligence orpensation to the Theocracy in exchange for a peaceful exile to somewhere remote, or possibly, even migrating to the empire or other countries that were hostile to the Theocracy to stir trouble. The Theocracy usually took on a more peaceful approach toward such surrenders too. John Xeclyde knew full well that a country needed to have flexible diplomacy in order to thrive. Destroying all evil was nothing more than an ideal. Taking on an unyielding stance against evil cults could very well backfire on the Theocracy. ¡°The young rascals found it in the wishing box in the square earlier today. Your Eminence, will you be taking a look at it?¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll take a look at it. You may back down now.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Eminence.¡± John took the envelope before dismissing everyone within the room. He infused his magic power into the envelope, and the three white feathers immediately rose into the air to form a triangr screen. This was the method to view the content of the envelope. It was a little simr to the modern day video conferencing tool. It was a safe, efficient, and confidential way for hostile powers tomunicate with one another. It was just that it expended a significant amount of magic power, and it could only be activated by the intended recipient. ¡°Good day to you, the esteemed Holy Eminence of the Theocracy. I am the vice leader of the Mythril Priory, Caras. I offer you my sincere greetings.¡± On the screen, a gentleman that resembled a noble ced his fist on his chest and bowed deeply to John Xeclyde. In such a manner, the two of them began their conversation. ... Meanwhile, in the Labyrinth Vi, Nora and Roel found themselves in an utterly baffling situation. They were in the library browsing through some books a moment ago when a mystical pulsation of magic power caused their surroundings to change immensely. Nora suddenly felt her bloodline ability jolting violently, as if she had encountered a hostile enemy. On the other hand, Roel¡¯s head also began to hurt once more. What is going on? This scenery looks like... Damn it, my head hurts too much! The abrupt change in the situation left Roel with no choice but to bear with the excruciating pain and scan his surroundings. Standing right in front of them was a ck-haired man, who was observing them intently. A light red aura was swiftly diffusing from above him, suffusing the air with a sickly sweet stench of blood. Chapter 65: The Angel’s Decision

Chapter 65: The Angel¡¯s Decision

Peter Kater was in a terrible mood at the moment. Such horrible luck. That well-built man from the Connoisseur Guild had indeed sent him in, and he knew beforehand that this mission was going to be like drawing a lottery. The best result for him was for Roel Ascart to be all alone. He could swiftly get the job done and retreat as quickly as possible. It would have also been fine if Roel was with a random guard. Under such circumstances, as long as the guard wasn¡¯t too powerful, he should still be able to take care of the situation quickly. As for the worst possible scenario, it was for Roel Ascart and Nora Xeclyde to be together with one another. The members of the Xeclyde House, possessors of the Angel¡¯s Bloodline, were not people who could be dealt with easily. ¡®Don¡¯t y schemes with the Xeclyde House , this was amon consensus amongst all of the evil cults in Sia. Several centuries ago, there was a powerful cult that had reached the peak of its influence back then that attempted to challenge that consensus. They assassinated a member of the Xeclyde House. The result of their actions was an unyielding pursuit with utterly no regard for the cost thatsted for a whole forty years. Over the forty years, the cult traveled across all of the human countries and even tried hiding in the depths of a remote mountain range. However, no matter where they went, they were never able to hide from the eyes of the church. It felt like a sword was forever floating above their heads, threatening to sever their necks as soon as they tried to rest. Just like that, a group that once boasted over 10,000 transcendents was utterly massacred to the final cultist over the course of forty years. Through its actions, the church gave a stern warning to all cults and rival powers, If you want a fight,e at us straight-on. If we lose, we¡¯ll admit our defeat. However, if you wish to y the assassination game with us and threaten our lineage, then we¡¯ll use the full power of the Genesis Goddess Church to decimate you. You can run wherever you want, but you¡¯ll never be free. It was fortunate that Peter¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t Nora, so his fate wouldn¡¯t be as tragic as that ancient cult. Based on the directives he had received from his superiors, he just had to temporarily keep Nora under control, so that he could kill Roel Ascart before making his getaway. But, of course, things weren¡¯t so easy in practice. First and foremost, it would be hard to keep Nora under control without injuring her. If he really did injure her, the Xeclydes might very well have some sort of peculiar means up their sleeves to track him down. Even if he was able to make a getaway now, what about in the future then? Was he going to spend his life wandering all around the world as a wanted fugitive once Nora came to power? Peter was not a fool. He had a clear idea of the pros and cons of what he was doing. He was willing to carry out the mission entrusted to him by his superiors, but that was under the pretext that the risks and rewards were reasonable. Having thought this far, he looked at the two children before him. They were still shocked by the abrupt situation, and a scheme began to surface in Peter¡¯s mind. He would make a bid for his survival. ¡°A good day to the two friends that we have here. Pardon me for my abrupt visit. I am a disciple of the Mythril Priory. I havee under the orders of my superior to take one of your lives. ¡°You¡¯re currently in the space I have created with my bloodline ability, a studio that¡¯s isted from the rest of the world. You can give it a try, but I can assure you that any magic tools you have are rendered powerless here. There¡¯s only one way to escape from this space, and it¡¯s for one of you to die. ¡°I don¡¯t care which of you the person is, but blood must be shed. Thus, I would like to offer a proposal¡ªwhy don¡¯t the two of you fight it out to decide on the survivor?¡± Peter Kater spoke with a brilliant smile on his face, reminiscent of a devil enticing humans to sin. He reshaped reality for the two children through the lies he weaved into his words. ¡°I can assure you that I¡¯ll only kill the person who loses the duel. I won¡¯t touch a single hair on the head of the winner.¡± He calmly exined to the two children the rules of this ce, and he reasoned that he hadn¡¯t wanted toe here either. He was forced to make a move by his superiors of the Mythril Priory, and it was out of his benevolence that one of them would be able to get out of here alive. He expressed that he was very conflicted about having to choose between two precious lives. In order to be fair, he decided to entrust the decision to them, which was also the reason why he proposed thispetition. After saying his piece, Peter Kater stood calmly to the side as he watched the two children with a smug smile, as if he had just done something noble. The distorted portraits hung within the room revealed sinister smiles as well, and a jarring cackling that seemed to havee from the demons of hell reverberated loudly in the room. Faced with such a situation, the faces of the two children turned pale. Yes, this is more like it. Peter Kater observed the scared-stiff young duo before him as he ridiculed them in his mind. He believed that greed is an inherent nature of humans. A good upbringing and education could erase some traces of it, but simrly, it was possible to construct situations that exacerbate it too. The tool that Peter used was fear. Humans tended to lose their rational judgment in the face of fear, making them more self-centered and egotistical. In thispetition-like scenario that he had created, he had made himself out to be the one in authority who was leveraging a deal between the two of them. Everyone else here was nothing more than prey. In the space he had constructed, one¡¯s standing and position no longer meant anything at all. Even humble coachmen would ughter the noblemen they served for a chance at survival, let alone an esteemed princess of the Xeclydes. With Nora Xeclyde¡¯s superior strength, she would be able to kill Roel in his stead. While Peter was thinking such thoughts in his mind, the two children had finally fully digested the information that he had thrown at them. Roel sped the pendant he had received from Carter in his hands and attempted to infuse mana into it, but there was no reaction. He withstood his headache and turned to look at Nora, only to see that thetter was checking her magic tools too. To their astonishment, Peter¡¯s words were true. Roel could hardly believe the situation he was in. He couldn¡¯t understand how this fellow managed to circumvent all of their guards to get to them, and he had no idea what this room they were in was either. He was also oblivious that he was faced with thebined prowess of two powerful organizations, a line-up that was usually used to assassinate powerful nobles and even kings. He also had no idea why he was eyed by the Mythril Priory organization either. However, there was one thing that he did know despite his ignorance. You¡¯re only going to kill the loser? Hah, a heap of bullshit! Looking at the deep crimson light that was shing above Peter¡¯s head, Roel knew that the man standing before him was definitely not a trustworthy individual. He had cast the Cmity of Bloodshed, a spell he had bought from the Gold Coin Shop that helped him discern who carried killing intent toward him. One thing that he was surprised to discover about the spell was that there were actually different ssifications based on the intensity of the colors. A light red color meant ¡® An enemy has revealed his killing intent, but you aren¡¯t his primary target ¡¯. A normal red color meant ¡® An enemy has directed his killing intent right at you ¡¯. A dark red color meant ¡® An enemy carries great killing intent toward you, and you¡¯re his primary target ¡¯. The current situation was the third one, which meant that the enemy was specifically out to kill him! This made Roel deeply worried, but at the same time, a sliver of doubt surfaced in his mind. Doesn¡¯t this mean that Nora is uninvolved in this matter? If so, why did the enemy stille up with such a proposal? Roel pondered for a moment, but in the end, he could only attribute it to the other party being unwilling to make a move by himself for some sort of reason. Nevertheless, the proposal he had made was indeed rather vile. ¡®Do not ever put a person¡¯s humanity to the test¡¯, this was a saying that Roel had often heard in his previous life. Humans could be noble, but they were fallible too. Their natures were not constant. Rather, they changed themselves to fit the situation. Roel took a look at the eerie room filled with all sorts of distorted, dancing portraits. Those faces that had seven empty holes where their eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth should be really challenged Roel¡¯s tolerance. He felt revulsion. Nora was indeed a good person, but she was still young. Would she really be able to think rationally under this terrifying situation, when her life was threatened by another? Roel didn¡¯t know the answer to this question. He raised his gaze to look at her, only to be faced with her sapphire eyes. Silence lingered between the two of them as Roel tried to make out her thoughts, but he couldn¡¯t discern anything from her impassive face. But, all of a sudden, Nora stood up and pounced on him. ¡°Hey! You...¡± The abrupt twist in the situation made Roel exim in horror, but before he could finish his sentence, Nora was already right before him. He reflexively reached for Ascendwing, but to his surprise, the princess did something different than what he had expected. She reached out to grab his hands before pulling him behind her. Her impassive eyes finally revealed a hint of emotion. She gave the assassin a piercing look, her head raised in a dignified manner. ¡°You want us to fight it out? Dream on.¡± Chapter 66: The Radiant One

Chapter 66: The Radiant One

Words couldn¡¯t describe how Roel felt when Nora unfurled her wings of light and shielded him behind her. He had considered many possibilities. Perhaps Nora would attack him; perhaps she would try tomunicate with him peacefully; perhaps she might try to put some distance between them to guard against him; perhaps she would feel desperate, with no choice but to kill him. However, he never imagined that Nora would actually show her back to him. While Roel didn¡¯t possess an Origin Attribute, he was notpletely powerless. On the contrary, he definitely bore a means that could heavily injure Nora¡ªthe Ascendwing Short Sword. This was a weapon that Nora had activated for him, and it allowed him to easily breach the defenses of an Origin Level 5 transcendent. If Roel had set his mind to betray her right now, she would be utterly defenseless given the close range. By daring to give him her back, she was disying her full trust. It was true that Nora had been good to him all this while, but he never thought that she would go to such an extent for him. Was she confident of defeating the enemy standing before them? No, that wasn¡¯t it. Roel had no idea what trump cards Nora had up her sleeves, but he was able to sense some of her emotions. It was nearly indiscernible, but the hand she was holding his with was trembling. She was definitely not as calm as she portrayed herself to be at the moment. Nevertheless, given that they were suddenly shoved into this dark and sinister art studio, surrounded by terrifying paintings that really left one nauseated, her current performance had already far exceeded Roel¡¯s expectations. There was another person who was equally surprised, Peter Kater. He never thought that the mind games that he was skilled at would instead actually further affirm the young girl¡¯s will to stand against him. ¡°Princess of the Xeclydes, you seem to carry some misunderstandings toward us. You deem us as evil cults who ought to be put to death, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we¡¯re mindless butcherers who go around causing meaningless deaths. ¡°I have a good idea of both of your strengths. Your Highness, I am confident of defeating you with an overwhelming advantage if you challenge me to a battle. If you¡¯re worried that I¡¯ll renege on my promise and take your life after killing that boy over there, you need not be. If I wished to, I could have taken both your lives already. There¡¯s no need for me to propose such a roundabout manner of doing things.¡± After hearing the long speeching from the assassin, Nora looked at him calmly and replied with a few snappy words. ¡°Are you done speaking?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I, Nora Xeclyde, as the sessor of the royal family, am born with great responsibilities on my shoulders. When ites to work, Roel is my subordinate. As his liege, I am duty-bound to protect him. When ites to private rtionships, Roel is my close friend. I am obliged to respect and stand up for him. ¡°I am his guardian, and I¡¯ll shield him from unreasonable harm that others seek to inflict on him. This is the responsibility that I, as a Xeclyde, bear. Are you asking me to put down my responsibilities and my pride to collude with the likes of you? Don¡¯t insult me.¡± Nora¡¯s forceful words stunned Roel. It felt like he was finally catching a glimpse of the charisma she had before her loyal group of followers. He opened his mouth, but he had no idea what he should say. All he could feel was the dryness of his throat. The saying ¡®Subordinates will put their lives on the line for those who recognize their worth¡¯... wasn¡¯t exactly appropriate for this situation. That being said, Nora¡¯s attitude did move Roel. The interweaving rays of light behind her back looked glorious, but they were nothingpared to the light she held in her heart. On the other hand, Peter Kater fell into a rage hearing her deration. From his perspective, he felt that there was something very wrong with Nora¡¯s head. ¡°Competition is the natural way of the world. It¡¯s those who adapt who survive. What¡¯s wrong with the strong killing the weak?¡± ¡°It¡¯s due to your primitive, beastlike mindsets that you are deemed as evil cultists. You think nothing of human lives and challenge the order of society. You undermine the progress that we have made throughout the years and seek to destroy civilization.¡± ¡°Haa. Very well. Perhaps those are the honest thoughts you stand by, but what about him?¡± Peter nced at the ck-haired boy, trying to sow internal discord with a sinister smile on his face. ¡°He nearly drew his sword on you earlier. The rtionship between the two of you looks pretty one-sided to me.¡± ¡°His fear only goes to show hisck of understanding toward me. We¡¯ll have plenty of timeter to get to know one another better.¡± As Nora said those words, she nced backward to shoot a piercing re toward Roel, causing thetter to scratch his head awkwardly. However, she didn¡¯t continue faulting him for that. Instead, she turned back to face their enemy. ¡°Thank you for your warning. We¡¯ll be closer than ever in the future. However, we don¡¯t need you to question our rtionship.¡± Nora¡¯s words made Peter Kater widen his eyes. Iprehension was written all over his face. What in the world was with that Roel brat? How in the world did he manage to win over the sessor of the Xeclydes? Why is she so protective of him?! He was starting to feel a little frenzied at the situation. He exhaled deeply as he thought to himself that there was a need to plunge these two brats deeper into despair. ¡°Is that so? Fine. Let¡¯s not talk about these for now. Why don¡¯t I introduce my paintings to you first?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I might be a transcendent, but I¡¯m first and foremost an artist. This studio contains all of my work to date. There aren¡¯t many people who have the privilege to enjoy my masterpieces. Well, let¡¯s start with this one then!¡± With a snap of his fingers, a portrait painted with gruesome colors that emanated a horrible stench floated up to him from behind. He turned around and stared lovingly at the portrait as he began to excitedly exin the concept behind his painting, as if he was a curator in a museum. ¡°Have a good look at this, it¡¯s my magnum opus! Painters nowadays are only out to create a sensation for fame. Their so-called masterpieces are all form and no soul. Disappointing! Look at the empty eyes of the characters they create! Look at their empty and soulless pieces! They¡¯re a desecration to true art! ¡°So, I set out on a long journey to seek the way to creating the most vivid painting, and vo! I finally found it! In the midst of my journey, I stumbled upon a pregnant mother breastfeeding her child. There was such a loving smile on her face when she gazed upon her child while stroking her protruding stomach. She must have been wondering what her second child would look like. It was such a moving sight that I found myself trembling with the desire to eternalize this scene... so, I killed her.¡± Peter Kater revealed a tender smile as he reminisced about his past with nostalgia, but the words he spoke left Nora and Roel stunned. ¡°What... did you say?¡± ¡°I killed her and her child. I used their flesh and blood to create this portrait, ¡®Smiling Mother¡¯. Look at her beautiful figure and her soul. This is what I call true art! She¡¯s my muse!¡± Peter opened his arms gracefully, as if he was enjoying the cheers from a crowd of his admirers. However, all Roel and Nora could hear were screams of agony within the studio. Countless poor spirits were drifting amidst the darkness, screaming at Peter¡¯s inhumane actions. Yet, the culprit only breathed out rxedly, as if enjoying all of this. He looked at the two pale-faced children and almost wanted tough to himself. They¡¯re brats after all. All it takes are a few words to frighten them. The smug assassin waved his hand, and the mother depicted in the painting crawled out from the frame and coiled herself around his body. ¡°Your Highness, you should know deep down that the two of you aren¡¯t a match for me. If you insist on making me your enemy, I don¡¯t mind adding the portrait of an angel to my collection.¡± The pale ck-haired man looked into Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes. ¡°You would make a perfect painting. Your blood will paint beautiful strokes of red and ck, and your bones will be ground to form yellow and white. I¡¯ll use a real angel to create a painting of an angel. Ah... that would make a marvelous painting, wouldn¡¯t it? I might even be able to rise to Origin Level 3. ¡°But, if you change your mind and stop protecting that brat, I¡¯ll let you off. I don¡¯t need too many dead bodies in my studio. I just need one person for my colors. You¡¯ll be able to return safely back to your world.¡± Peter said as he looked at the 10-year-old girl with his lips curled up. He waited patiently for her response. He knew that Nora was no fool. She was acutely aware of the differences in their strength. If so, what he had to do was to create a scenario where she could self-justify her betrayal, and the best way to do so was to render her helpless. As long as she felt that she had no choice but to do his bidding, she would be able to toss aside that self-righteousness of hers and act as he intended her to. Peter had used this method many times before, so he knew that humans weren¡¯t as mentally resilient as most thought they were. One simply had to push the right buttons in order to make a person follow one¡¯s bidding. He assailed Nora both logically and emotionally, but such a pity it was that he didn¡¯t get what he wanted. What he received wasn¡¯t apromise but the mocking of the princess. ¡°Compassion, kindness, and impartiality. These are the values that we Xeclydes embrace. It¡¯s the moralpass that we hold in our hearts. You don¡¯t even know this much, and you still wish to make a painting out of me using my flesh and blood? ¡°Did you think that I would be afraid of you? I might die, but our lineage would never end. A day wille where the sword of a Xeclyde will pierce through your throat. The deceased will finally be able to rest in peace, and the living will be able to live without fear. Justice may bete but never absent. The only fate that awaits you is destruction!¡± Nora red unyieldingly at the enemy before her as she spoke words that affirmed her heart. Roel was moved by her speech too. He felt that even though she had yet to fully unfurl her wings, she had already shown herself to be a true angel who stood steadfast in her beliefs. ... While Nora and Roel were standing against Peter, Holy Eminence John was also in the midst of negotiation with the vice leader of the Mythril Priory. ¡°As you have demanded, we¡¯ll leave the Theocracy and guarantee that none of our members will ever appear in the vicinity of the Theocracy anymore. On top of that, we¡¯ll provide you with the intelligence of eleven targets on your hit list.¡± The refined man respectfully listed the concessions he was willing to make for a peace treaty between the Theocracy and the Mythril Priory, from offering valuable intelligence regarding other evil cults to dealing with the underlying threats that were endangering the Theocracy. It was almost as if he was viewing himself as a stout ally of the Theocracy. The white-haired old man fell silent while listening to the other party¡¯s words. A long timeter, he finally asked the most important question. ¡°So, what do you hope to obtain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. We just hope that you can turn a blind eye to this incident,¡± said Caras calmly. Chapter 67: The Path of Justice

Chapter 67: The Path of Justice

Caras¡¯ voice echoed loudly within the massive hall, but what awaited him wasn¡¯t the words of approval he expected but a lengthy silence. While he hadn¡¯t explicitly mentioned what that incident referred to, Holy Eminence John still understood what he was referring to. Within Holy Capital Loren, there was no transcendent who could escape from John¡¯s eyes and defy his will. He was fully aware of everything that was going on. This was also the reason why Carter felt assured leaving Roel alone in the capital. Needless to say, the Mythril Priory knew it too, which was why they had headed over to negotiate with John on this matter. They hoped to obtain John¡¯s implicit approval by offering him benefits that he couldn¡¯t reject. ¡°We won¡¯t hurt the offspring of the Xeclydes, and we dare not do so either. We can give you our assurance on that. We also understand the current political situation in the Theocracy, so we have already made preparations for the cleanup. Roel Ascart will not die in Loren. Everything is nothing more than an ident. The Ascart House will not be able to find any evidence to hold against the royal family. ¡°If you are still worried about that, we can even help you hold back the Elric House to a certain degree. At the very least, we¡¯ll be able to buy ten years for the royal family. ¡°Our target is not the Ascart House but the prophesied son. The current patriarch of the Ascart House, Carter Ascart, is still in his prime, and he still has the ability to pass down his bloodline. The Ascart House will not be without a sessor. Chaos and imbnce will also not ur amongst the Five Eminent Noble Houses.¡± Caras¡¯ respectful and humble voice echoed loudly in the hall. Without a doubt, the Mythril Priory had made ample preparations for this operation. The cleanup they had proposed was near perfect, such that any negative influence on the Theocracy would be reduced to the very minimum. On the contrary, the Theocracy and the royal family had much to earn from epting this deal. Any rational man would know what to choose after weighing the pros and cons, not to mention that the Xeclydes was a massive noble house. Caras was still very confident in the terms that their Mythril Priory had offered. It was true that John Xeclyde was the Holy Eminence, but more than that, he was also the patriarch of the Xeclyde House. A noble house couldn¡¯t just survive on one¡¯s hot-bloodedness and emotions. More often than not, it was theposure and rationality to make the hard choices that maximized the house¡¯s interests and brought about the best oue. Such choices came at a cost. Sometimes, it meant fracturing kinship and severing friendship. If one thought that serving as the patriarch of a noble house was just ying house, one couldn¡¯t be more mistaken. A patriarch¡¯s sole responsibility was to develop his house and bulk up its influence. Any patriarch that failed to put the noble house¡¯s interest first would, strictly speaking, be considered a failure. If the Xeclyde House epted the deal offered by the Mythril Priory, it would mean sacrificing the sessor of another noble house for ten years of stability in the Theocracy. Even a fool could tell that this was a beneficial deal to the Xeclydes! Furthermore, the Xeclydes had greater leverage in this deal because what awaited the Mythril Priory if they dared to go against their promise was relentless vengeance. Not even the vilest of evil cults would dare to fool the Holy Eminence. The gains and risks were simply too adversely skewed. The Mythril Priory had shown sufficient sincerity and offered an eptable reason, but to Caras¡¯ surprise, Holy Eminence John didn¡¯t show much of a reaction. The old man leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, reminiscent of an ordinary old man napping under the afternoon sun. John Xeclyde was thinking about his earlier meeting with Roel. The boy was a peculiar child. Despite his young age, he had eyes that seemed to have seen much of the world yet still carried innocence. That child¡¯s attitude toward him was neither fawning nor arrogant. He could feel the purity and righteousness in that child¡¯s heart. ¡°Caroline Ascart, Winstor Ascart, and Ro Ascart, those names should be familiar to you, I suppose.¡± Holy Eminence John spoke all of a sudden. Those were names that once struck fear into the hearts of others, but they had long since disappeared in the annals of history. Caras couldn¡¯t help but frown after hearing those words. This, in turn, brought a faint smile to John¡¯s face. ¡°You fear them, their bloodline, and their spirit. You¡¯re afraid that they might bring some things out of history that you wish not to see once more. For that, you wouldn¡¯t even let a child who is only showing signs of the prophecy go.¡± ¡°... That might be the case, but isn¡¯t keeping the Ascart House under control advantageous to the Xeclydes too? I believe that our interests are aligned here.¡± Caras¡¯ words made John Xeclyde fall silent for a long while. The old man gazed into the distance, seemingly peering through the river of time, back to the moment when that ancient contract was made a thousand years ago. ¡°The Xeclydes shall protect the Ascarts; this is a promise that the two noble houses made at the inception of the Third Epoch. Over the past thousand years, the Ascarts have been through several rises and falls, but the Xeclydes never broke that contract. Why should I abandon it now?¡± ¡°Because times are changing. Because the world is no longer the same as it was. There¡¯s no such thing as an eternal promise in this world. Someone as wise as you must know that a personal promise means nothingpared to an entire country.¡± ¡°... You¡¯re right. From the perspective of a ruler, the interest of an individual should never outweigh the interest of a country.¡± John nodded slightly, which brought a smile to the face of the man on the screen. However, this smile was destined to be short lived. ¡°But, I reject your offer.¡± Those words froze the smile on Caras¡¯ face. ¡°Mythril Priory, why do you think the Ascarts came to the Theocracy to seek our protection back then?¡± ¡°What... do you mean?¡± ¡°Courage, justice, and fairness. To seek a future for the living, and to redress grievances for the dead. This is the responsibility that those of their bloodline have chosen to take on. The unabated battering of time might have worn down their powers, but they still refuse to yield on their mission. Why do you suppose such a house would seek the help of the Xeclydes?¡± The old man had been leaningfortably back into his chair, but now he slowly straightened up as an air of solemnity and majesty drifted from him. ¡°That¡¯s because they thought that we were alike. They acknowledged the values that we stand for, and they had faith that our n will be able to stand firm in the face of temptation. They believe that the promises made by those with the Angel¡¯s Bloodline can persevere even before the erosion of time. ¡°The interest of an individual is indeed minorpared to that of a country, but what do you think the purpose behind the existence of the church is? There are plenty of people who resort to evil as they pursue their greater interests. Unscrupulous men and women in search of immortality and authority tyrannize the masses. In the face of all this, the church is the ray of hope for the weak! From the day of its establishment, it has already been decided that it would never waver from its purpose in the face of greater interests!¡± John Xeclyde¡¯s calm voice slowly grew more and more impassioned. From a benevolent old man, he transformed into a ferocious lion. ¡°As a ruler, I ampelled to agree to the deal you have proposed. As the patriarch of Xeclyde House, I should have prioritized the interests of the house and put it before all else. However, I am first and foremost the Holy Eminence, the leader of the Genesis Goddess Church! The very value of my existence lies in mypassion and impartiality. Mythril Priory, your actions have insulted the church and the justice I hold dear in my heart!¡± Before John Xeclyde could finish his piece, Caras¡¯ face had already turned ghastly pale. He couldn¡¯tprehend the so-called justice that John stood for, but he could feel an invisible power pulsating across the whole of Loren. In ces where he couldn¡¯t see, the high priests, who were in the midst of their prayers, opened their eyes, and the inquisitors, who had devoted their lives to fighting evil cultists, picked up their weapons. ¡°Since you are already here, you might as well stay for good.¡± John Xeclyde dered imposingly before he turned his sights elsewhere. He peered through an entire half of the Holy Capital before his eyes finally fell upon a room within the Labyrinth Vi. ¡°But thanks to you, I was able to hear what I wanted to hear.¡± John added with a benevolent chuckle. His body began to glow as his bloodline ability traversed across space to fall upon a golden-haired girl within that room. ¡°Child, use your powers to protect your friend... then bear witness!¡± His words echoed in Nora and Roel¡¯s ears Following that, a powerful burst of light exploded within the studio, causing the monstrosities lurking all around to scream in horror. ¡°Grandpa, this is...¡± Nora was still perplexed at the start, but she soon realized that the ones embraced by the light weren¡¯t just her but Roel too. Roel¡¯s eyes were wide-open as an intense headache assaulted him once more. Inside the secret chamber of the Labyrinth Vi, a colorful gemstone released a blinding radiance that swept away Peter Kater¡¯s bloodline ability with a powerful explosion. Thebyrinth had been activated. Chapter 68: Bro, Web Loan?

Chapter 68: Bro, Web Loan?

Labyrinth Vi. 180 years ago, this residence became the key that determined the fate of the Theocracy. Over ten thousand soldiers had fought a bitter battle in this ce, using the swords in their hands to shape the future of the country. That was a bloody period of time that revealed both the evil and goodness of humanity, treacherous betrayals and steadfast loyalty, the sh in ideals and wills, and the feud within the royal family over the crown. The splitting headache that Roel experienced when thebyrinth artifact activated was so excruciating that even the ident that brought about his death in his previous life couldn¡¯tpare with it. He felt like his brain was being sizzled on top of a barbecue rack, and his blood and nerves were being stung every single instant. The pain traveled through his veins into his eyes, making him feel as if someone was pumping mercury into his eye sockets. He wanted to scream, but no voice woulde out of him. Everything in his line of sight had started to distort. Even when he tried closing his eyes, everything remained blood-red. It felt like something had grabbed hold of his eyes, forcefully keeping them open. Ancient scriptures, stone tablets, broken swords, and all sorts of bizarre items swiftly shed across his eyes before he finally arrived at the origin of it all. It was a single candle lit amidst the darkness. As the candlelight flickered, he could see indistinguishable silhouettes creeping nearer. However, Roel was too dazed to pay heed to it. Vaguely, he heard the jingling of bells in his ears. ¡°The kingmaker...¡± sounded a hoarse voice. Roel couldn¡¯t tell where the voice hade from, but in the next moment, everything dissipated into emptiness. Darkness descended upon him once more as he lost consciousness. ¡ª The pulsation of bloodline¡ªthis was currently what Nora was feeling. Herst memory before she was knocked out was a massive burst of light as the Labyrinth Vi broke through the studio. It was only when the searing pain in her bloodline jolted her awake that she finally opened her eyes once more. She found herself lying in a foreign environment, and lying next to her was a ck-haired boy. ¡°Roel, what wrong? Roel! Roel!!!¡± ¡°Argh, my head... It hurts... Nora?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Are you fine?¡± ¡°... Can¡¯t say so.¡± Roel forced himself to answer Nora¡¯s question. His head was still aching terribly, and the pain only further intensified for his eyes. It was so unbearable that Roel¡¯s body curled up as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly. However, his response seemed to have put Nora in a spot. ¡°Roel, I know you aren¡¯t in good shape right now, but there¡¯s something really wrong here...¡± Nora¡¯s voice sounded a little flustered. Roel, who was in such great pain that he wanted to start rolling around, forced himself to open his searing eyes and focus his attention on his surroundings. An iprehensible sight awaited him. How could this be? Why would there be sunlight here? He was so shocked that he even forgot about his pain for a moment. It had been less than half an hour between Peter Kater¡¯s sudden arrival and the activation of thebyrinth. Even if he had fainted along the way, surely it shouldn¡¯t have already been daylight by the time he woke once more? The confusion made Roel¡¯s senses grow dull. He tried his best to assess his surroundings, and he soon realized that the sunlight was actually the least of his worries... Half-copsed buildings, bloodstains everywhere, corpses lying all along the street, shattered fragments of bricks strewn about, flipped carriages... Everything Roel saw was so incredulous that he suspected he was hallucinating, but the vividness of the scene didn¡¯t just apply to his sense of sight. He could smell the choking stench of rotting corpses and the shouts sounding from afar, which only further drove home the fact that everything was real. ¡°What¡¯s going on? T-this is...¡± ¡°Roel... Is this a scene created by the Ascart House¡¯sbyrinth?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t... think so...¡± ¡°Could it be grandpa¡¯s doing then? But...¡± Roel forced himself up as he scanned his surroundings once more in bewilderment beside Nora. They were both dumbfounded by the unexpected scene change. ¡°That Peter fellow doesn¡¯t seem to be nearby. I saw him getting hit squarely by the light earlier. ¡°Peter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m referring to that evil cultist.¡± ¡°How do you know his name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a spell. No, that¡¯s not important now. We should quickly get a grasp of what¡¯s going on first.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± Roel and Nora climbed to their feet under each other¡¯s support, and they began wandering around the area in search of clues to determine the situation. It was also around then that a familiar tone sounded in Roel¡¯s head. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾System is activating...¡¿ ¡¾System activated.¡¿ ¡¾Acquiring new information...¡¿ ¡¾User Interface refreshed.¡¿ ¡¾Name: Roel Ascart Gender: Male Age: 10 Bloodline: Iron Epithet: Fist King of the Royal Garden, Protector of the Lady Tier: E+ Fundamental Spells: Minor Heatwave, Phantom Hands, Focused Burst, Controlled Breathing, Spell Gloves¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾System detected symptoms of ¡®Restoration of Primordial Bloodline¡¯.¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation of Risk Level: Extremely Dangerous¡¿ ¡¾The interweaving of history and present; the amalgamation of light and shadow. Amidst the bustle stands a lone figure. In this great era, a flower blooms and withers.¡¿ ¡¾Degree of Bloodline Awakening: 17%¡¿ ¡¾System advises the user to give up, due to the immense danger of bloodline awakening. ¡¿ W-what¡¯s going on? Why did so many notifications suddenly pop up at once? The sudden emergence of the System notices shocked Roel. Bearing with the pain, he took a careful look at this User Interface and noticed that his tier had unknowingly risen to E+. Putting it in the standards of this world, he should be one of the stronger Origin Level 6s now. Surprisingly, he had also received an epithet, though it was a rather strange one. Fist King of the Royal Garden... He probably got it from punching those young nobles back at the birthday banquet, while Protector of the Lady should be referring to how he protected Alicia back then. However, that wasn¡¯t the biggest problem here. What really drenched Roel in cold sweat were the additional notifications regarding his bloodline, especially the two striking crimson words, ¡®Extremely Dangerous¡¯. He couldn¡¯t help but grimace. The System was a queer existence, preaching about freedom and giving all sorts of terribly vague descriptions. However, it had been very responsible in listing down the side effects of items and keeping him away from danger. If it deemed something to be ¡®Extremely Dangerous¡¯, it would be wise for him to pay heed to the warning. But, why would all of these notifications suddenly pop up right now? Could it have something to do with the current situation he was in? Furthermore, what did the words mean that Holy Eminence John said before he passed out? Roel was extremely confused at the moment. He felt there was a need for him to straighten things out first. First and foremost, the System mentioned ¡®Restoration of Primordial Bloodline¡¯. Did this mean that the Ascart House had some sort of unique bloodline that was passed down through the generations too? But why hadn¡¯t he heard anything about it from Carter before? In any case, it seemed to be something rather powerful. Roel pondered it a little longer, and he soon shook his head. Who really knew whether it was a good thing or not? If the bloodline was restored too far, he might just end up turning into an orangutan. Besides, the price to pay for it appeared to be far too great¡ªjust the pain in his eyes was already hard enough to bear! And once again, the description the System provided... Son of a banshee, can¡¯t the System say something that makes sense for once? What the hell am I supposed to make out of this? He felt like he was going bald just by reading the vague description. History and present, light and dark; what the hell did all of this mean? Damn it all. My physical condition is faring very badly right now, there¡¯s something funny with the surroundings, and a crazy painter is out for my life! All of these factors made Roel feel like he was facing unprecedentedly great danger. Give up? I¡¯ll be losing a chance to obtain a powerful trump card if I give up now! If it was any other circumstances, I might have still chosen to give up, but a crazed dog is thinking of mashing me down into meat paste to paint his portraits! But speaking of which, if I were to give up on the Restoration of Primordial Bloodline, will I receive anypensation? ¡¾This System obeys thew of equal exchange. The greatest reward for giving up the Restoration of Primordial Bloodline is safety. The user should know that safety always ranks first!¡¿ ... Herees the preach again. Roel felt that he had already tried his best to remain on the safe side ever since he came to this world. He got close to his adopted sister, avoided the princess, and spent his days eating and sleeping without stirring trouble. From time to time, he would even do some good deeds to help the people of the Ascart Fiefdom. He didn¡¯t believe that there was anyone in this world who had lived safer than he had! Yet, he still ended up falling into such a damned situation in the end. Just thinking about it made rage rush to Roel¡¯s head, leaving him furious and indignant. What if I insist on awakening my bloodline? ¡¾Calcting...¡¿ ¡¾With the assistance of the System, the chances of sess will be 60%¡¿ ¡¾Aid of a possessor of the Angel¡¯s Bloodline confirmed. Chances of sess has increased by an additional 10% to 70%¡¿ Aid of the possessor of the Angel¡¯s Bloodline? Could that be referring to the burst of light from the Holy Eminence back then? Roel recalled the events that had urred before he passed out. ¡¾Estimated cost of the System¡¯s assistance: 500,000 Gold Coins¡¿ ¡¾The usercks the required funds. Activating Loan Function.¡¿ ¡¾Loan Function activated.¡¿ ¡¾With the shutdown of the System for 10 years and 6 months as coteral, you¡¯ll be able to borrow 500,000 gold coins.¡¿ ¡¾Yes/No¡¿ Chapter 69: Poker Is a Man’s Romance

Chapter 69: Poker Is a Man¡¯s Romance

Shutdown of the System? You must be joking with me! Are you nning to go on a strike? ¡¾System will still be operational during the coteral period. However, if the user fails to repay the debt in full within 5 years, System will automatically go into shutdown.¡¿ ¡°Earning 500,000 gold coins within 5 years...¡± muttered Roel under his breath with a tight frown. He looked at the copsed walls and corpses all around him. He could hear a loudmotion echoing from a ce where his eyes couldn¡¯t see. It was clear to him that many people had been rallied together here for a purpose. As for what that purpose was, Roel could roughly fathom a guess. War. Just by looking at his surroundings, it was obvious that they were navigating a street ravaged by war. The weapons and corpses lying all over the ce couldn¡¯t possibly make that any more obvious. Had Roel not been ¡®trained¡¯ for this through the gruesome gore movies he had seen in his previous life, he would have vomited right away. Knowing they were in the middle of a war, though, did nothing to enlighten them to the plight they were in. Roel had a ludicrous deduction in his mind, but he didn¡¯t voice it aloud because he was hoping for it not to be the case. He shot a look at Nora to check on her current condition. She was currently squatting behind a ruin to observe the surroundings, looking for a safe location where they could rest for the time being. Even though she was trying her best to conceal it, through her slight gestures and expressions, Roel was still able to tell that she was suffering from some sort of abnormal physical condition too. Ever since they were transported here, her movements felt a little dyed. It must be an effect from the burst of light Holy Eminence John caused... But, shouldn¡¯t that be a buff rather than a debuff? It can¡¯t be that her bloodline is awakening right now, can it? Roel wondered as he tightened his fists. All transcendental powers in this world came at a price, and this included bloodlines too. The Angel¡¯s Bloodline was much safer in the sense that the cost of using its abilities was much lower, but nevertheless, the awakening from Bronze-tier to Silver-tier still carried significant dangers. Recalling how Nora bravely stood forth to protect him from Peter earlier, Roel felt something stirring within him. He felt that it was time to repay the debt. It was one thing if he was trulypletely helpless, but someone had already pointed a road out for him. Given that Nora was in bad shape now, it was his turn to step up and shoulder the burden. % probability of sess, I shall bet on it! ¡°Yes, I choose to awaken my bloodline!¡± ¡¾Bloodline Awakening Support System activating...¡¿ ¡¾Pain Suppression System activated.¡¿ ¡¾Adaptation System activated.¡¿ ¡¾Progress of Bloodline Awakening: 17%¡¿ A series of notifications popped up from the System. As if many steroids were injected into Roel¡¯s body all at once, he felt his headache swiftly receding as the mana in his body grew explosively. A light cracking sound echoed within his body as his bones and muscles automatically adjusted into the most suitable constitution to match his abilities. Several secondster, Roel leaped to his feet. His golden eyes regained their previous spirit, and his movements were sharp and nimble. This abrupt change surprised Nora, who was still busy scanning the area. ¡°Roel, are you fine now?¡± ¡°Pretty much so. Did you manage to find anything?¡± ¡°Not yet. It seems like an intense battle has just urred in the vicinity; there are barely any buildings that are still intact. There aren¡¯t any good hiding ces at the moment. Furthermore, I think that our current position isn¡¯t too good.¡± Nora looked around at the corpses surrounding them with a tight frown on her face. Having been trained in a Knight Order from a young age, she knew of the military conventions during wartime. For one, every army would make sure to sweep the battlefield to clear off or capture any remaining enemies and acquire any useful supplies from the deceased. For fights in cities, it was of paramount importance that they quickly cleared away the corpses. Otherwise, if the rotting corpses were to contaminate the sewage waters, it could very well lead to a gue. There had been cases in history where the entire popce of a city had died out due to that. Given that this was a standard protocol that any army that had been through formal training would know, it was bizarre why these corpses were left here rotting. Nora could think of three possibilities to exin it. ¡°First, both armies have suffered severe losses; they don¡¯t have enough manpower to clean up the battlefield. Second, there is special personnel like those from the Skeleton Cult casting barriers around the area to prevent a gue from urring. And, as for thest possibility...¡± Nora gulped down a mouthful of saliva before she spoke with a slightly nervous voice. ¡°... the battle is still ongoing, and we¡¯re standing right in the middle of it.¡± Roel looked at Nora as his eyes twitched a little. Silence lingered between them for a while before Roel finallyposed himself. ¡°What we have to do now is to collect intelligence. We need to find out the current time, our location, and the identities of those fighting against one another. The more information we have, the greater our chances of getting through this. ¡°Putting aside my Ascart House, there aren¡¯t many organizations in the world who would dare to challenge the Xeclydes. If we follow the adage of ¡®an enemy¡¯s enemy is a friend¡¯, we can assume that at least one of the factions fighting here would be willing to take us in.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree with you on that, but how should we go about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too risky for us to attempt to capture a living person when we haven¡¯t made sense of anything at all, so let¡¯s go for a dead one instead.¡± As Roel spoke, his eyes drifted over to a body lying on the ground that had multiple arrows stuck in his back like a porcupine. Just by looking at the appearance, that person was definitely dead. However, if one knew what to look out for, there was still plenty of critical information that one could acquire from him. Roel first picked up a rake broom that was conveniently lying close to him before scanning the vantage points he could possibly be sniped from. Oh right, there aren¡¯t any 98k or that sort of firearms in this world. After ensuring that the coast was clear, he stretched the rake broom outward to hook the corpse before carefully pulling him in. The rake broom appeared to havee from one of the nearby well-to-do houses to sweep their gardens. Roel had seen the servants in the Ascart Manor using the same type of broom, just that it was longer and stiffer than the one he was currently holding. The manor of a marquess house is muchrger, after all. It makes sense that our servants would need better tools, Roel entertained himself with such thoughts while reeling the corpse in. It took several minutes, but he finally managed to pull the corpse over to his side. Once the job was done, Roel tossed aside the rake broom before flipping the corpse frontward to search his body. ¡°How is it? Did you find anything?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a blonde-haired young man. Well-built, quite young, possibly in his thirties. I can¡¯t identify the origin of his armor and weapon, but their quality appears to be so-so. Oh, wait a moment. This is...¡± Roel had begun patting the corpse from the head down, and his attention was soon captured by an insignia carved on the corner of the man¡¯s breastte. It was an insignia depicting a red beast standing on its back feet, baring its fangs ferociously. ¡°Isn¡¯t this the insignia of the Elric House?¡± ¡°What?¡± Nora, who was still keeping a lookout for enemies, eximed in astonishment. She quickly squatted beside the corpse to examine the insignia too. ¡°You¡¯re right... No, there¡¯s something odd. This armor...¡± Nora¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What did you notice?¡± Roel, who immediately took over Nora¡¯s sentry job, asked anxiously, but he didn¡¯t receive a response. He waited for another two more minutes before he finally nced backward to take a look, only to see the golden-haired girl stripping off the soldier¡¯s armor. What¡¯s going on? What is she trying to do over there? Does this world not have a culture of respecting the deceased? Do we really have to strip him bare? ¡°Nora, what are you doing?¡± ¡°No, this is impossible. But...¡± Noticing that Roel was looking at her, Nora quickly tried topose herself. Despite this, Roel could still see a mixture of confusion and fluster on her face, an expression that hardly anyone had seen on her before. Roel quickly squatted down to meet her face-to-face, hoping to calm her down. Nora stared into Roel¡¯s golden eyes for a long while before she finally began speaking. ¡°There¡¯s something weird about this soldier. All of the items that he¡¯s wearinge from Empress Victoria¡¯s era!¡± Chapter 70: I Am Still a Child

Chapter 70: I Am Still a Child

Roel felt his heart contracting sharply. It was not because of an enemy attack or a problem with his body, but a natural response to the sheer shock he felt. The clues littered everywhere had given him a rough idea as to the situation he was in, but he still found the current situation hard to believe. Traversing through time and returning into history, is this really something transcendents can aplish with their strength? At the very least, Roel knew for sure that neither Nora nor himself was capable of this. At Origin Levels 5 and 6, the two of them were much too weak! Even Origin Level 4 Peter Kater was able to easily triumph over them. It was impossible for them to deal with anything rted to space-time, given the limitations of their strength. This world that they lived in was one that didn¡¯t have convenient teleportation doors like thosemonly seen in fantasy works, or else traveling wouldn¡¯t have been such a massive hassle! There were indeed transcendents with space-rted abilities, but most of them were limited to short-distance teleportation, and they would have to pay a frighteningly hefty price to use it. And this was still for the easier-to-grasp spatial abilities! Roel had never even heard of anyone wielding a time-rted ability before, and clearly, it was the same for Nora too. ¡°Could it be my grandfather who sent us here? But, I don¡¯t think anyone in our house has that sort of ability...¡± muttered Nora in confusion. All of a sudden, she set her eyes on Roel, assessing him from head to toe. By the process of elimination, if it wasn¡¯t herself, it could only be him. However, herpanion was just as baffled as she was. Time ticked by in silence. Fear of the unknown was gradually creeping into their hearts, leaving them feeling like rudderless ships heading into turbulent waters. It took quite a while before they were finally able to calm themselves down. ¡°It could be thebyrinth artifact, or that I might have some mysterious ability that I don¡¯t know of, but in any case... it seems like we really have returned back to Empress Victoria¡¯s era.¡± ¡°Such a thing...¡± murmured Nora. ¡°Otherwise, we can¡¯t exin this corpse either. Is there any soldier in the world who would wear a set of antiques from a hundred years ago and march off to war? Besides, it¡¯s obvious that this armor is still new, not some sort of old artifact.¡± Roel picked up the breastte to emphasize its lustrous metallic surface that clearly hadn¡¯t been through the test of time yet. Toward this, Nora was unable toe up with any counterargument. ¡°Speaking of which, how can you tell that it is from Empress Victoria¡¯s era?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been training in the Knight Order since I was young. My historical knowledge of military equipment is still quite reliable.¡± Prompted by Roel¡¯s question, Nora pointed to the shoulder intersection of the breastte. ¡°In more recent breastte designs of the Theocracy, this portion is usually linked using chainmail. However, during Empress Victoria¡¯s era, the mainstream way is to use multipleyers of this silk-like material to link up this intersection.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Roel tried to prod the white silk used for the shoulder intersection of the breastte, and it was surprisingly hard to the touch. He could tell that this material was newly woven, causing it to still be rather stiff. ¡°... Let¡¯s find some other clues. We need to first figure out of where we are,¡± said Roel. He lifted the breastte and tried checking the fit, but in the end, he could only toss it away with a deep sigh after confirming that it was too big for him. It would be great if he could wear it. For one, it would have raised his defensive ability, and for the other... Well, he and Nora were simply dressed too finely, wearing a suit and a dress respectively. No matter how one looked at it, they were awfully out of ce with the surroundings. Furthermore, the two of them were blessed with good-looking appearances, making them look like child models standing in the midst of a battlefield. It was both overly conspicuous and incongruous, making them likely to attract unwanted attention all around. One must know that noble children were free money during times of tumult! It wasmonce for revolutionary armies to kidnap noble children and demand ransom money from their houses. If their houses refused to pay up, they could then sell the noble children elsewhere to serve as ves. ¡°The armor is too big for us to wear. Let¡¯s find some in clothes from the residences nearby.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s already turning dark. We need to move quickly.¡± The two of them quickly discussed their n under the final embers of the evening sun, before determining their destination to be the three rtively intact residences right ahead of them. The stronger Nora led the group, and weaker Roel backed her up with his short sword. Their journey was still rtively smooth as vision under the setting sun was rather poor, and the physiques of those two children were much smaller than the bulky armored soldiers. It was hard for anyone to notice them from afar. The first thing that the two of them saw upon sneaking into the courtyard of one of the three residences was the usual bloodstains and corpses. Nora quickly searched for a safe pathway into the residence whereas Roel shot nces at the breasttes worn by the corpses, paying close heed to their insignias. Tiger, tiger, and tiger again. Looks like the Elric House has suffered great casualties. Good! Having a clear distinction between ally and enemy allowed Roel to put aside his empathy for the deceased soldiers. After scanning the area and finding nothing dangerous, he proceeded to enter the residence through the open windows. It was safer this way, since they would be able to avoid the creaking noise produced by opening doors. The two of them remained next to the window a while to control their breathing before advancing ahead once more. There were too many dead corners inside the residence, and they weren¡¯t sure if anyone else was here or not. So, they were forced to proceed more carefully than ever. It took them ten minutes to sweep this two-storeyed residence. All in all, there were two casualties inside. One of them was a soldier stationed by the windows on the second floor¡ªit looked like his face got mosaiced out by some sort of powerful spell¡ªand the other one was an old man killed in the living room. Roel deduced that the old man was the owner of this residence, judging from his fine garments, the silver pocket watch that hadn¡¯t been picked, and an envelope on his chest. ¡¸ Esteemed Sire Rhodes, I have followed your request, securing my possessions and sending my family members away in advance. However, the fighting in the city has been worsening with each passing day. I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll eventually reach here as well. I hope that you can find a way to help me so that I can tide through this crisis safely. Edward Pott Year 828, 13 March ¡¹ Nora fell silent after reading the letter. Roel also sighed deeply as well. March of Year 828, this was a date that left a deep imprint in history. The battle of the royal twins, March Turmoil. It was said to be the biggest event in recent history for the Theocracy, a battle that marked a turning point for the country. It was an event that had been studied time and time again by historians. Who could have thought that a day woulde where they would be witnesses for this major event? ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stop thinking too much into it. The most important thing we have to do now is to ensure our survival. We need to secure water and food. Let¡¯s search the area,¡± said Roel as he pulled himself together. Nora, now reminded of their purpose here, also quickly nodded in agreement. The two of them began ransacking the residence, searching the kitchen, the dining room, the washrooms, and even the bedrooms on the second floor. However, there wasn¡¯t a morsel of food nor a drop of potable water to be found. Most likely, the soldiers already ransacked the ce. ¡°Tsk, aren¡¯t they way too thorough with their ransacking? We need to do our searching at night, or else it¡¯ll be hard for us to get supplies once dawn arrives. There aren¡¯t any proper clothes here either; all of them have been ripped to shreds,¡± grumbled Roel. ¡°Same formation. Let¡¯s go.¡± The two children, whose teamwork was gradually improving, quickly left the first residence and headed off to the second one. But this time around, they encountered an unexpected situation. ¡°Wait a moment, where did this miste from?¡± ¡°This is weird. There wasn¡¯t any mist when we came here earlier!¡± ¡°This is bad. It must be the effect of thebyrinth!¡± The sudden shrouding of the mist left them in a fluster. It arrived so quickly that it only took dozens of seconds for their distant destination to bepletely blurred. That wasn¡¯t the end of their bad luck. Just as they were about to make haste toward the second residence, they suddenly heard many footstepsing from their front left. What was abnormal about this situation was that the sound of the footsteps didn¡¯t crescendo gradually; it was quiet one moment and loud the next, as if they had appeared out of nowhere! Completely caught off guard, Roel and Nora ended up bumping right into this group of soldiers. At the same time, a voice sounded from their front right, and a blurred figure gradually approached amidst the mist. Just like how Roel and Nora were astonished by this ridiculous encounter, the armored soldiers were equally taken aback. Themander of the soldiers took quick note of the fine clothes Roel and Nora were wearing, and his eyes lit up. He immediately issued an order for the soldiers to capture them. ¡°Suspicious figures! Capture them!¡± ¡°Roel, we¡¯re going to run. Hold my hand!¡± Following themander¡¯s order, the soldiers drew their weapons and approached Roel and Nora. Seeing that the situation was very disadvantageous to them, Nora reached out to grab Roel¡¯s hand as she prepared to flee into the depths of the mist. To her surprise, Roel grabbed her wrist instead and stopped her. ¡°Roel?¡± Nora looked at Roel in surprise, then she noticed that his eyes were not on the approaching soldiers but the other figure approaching from their front right. The figure had alreadye into their line of sight while no one was paying heed to him. It was a pale-faced, ck-haired man covered with blood. There was a fresh stream of blood that was flowing down from his left shoulder, which he was sping with his right hand. He appeared to be in a bad state. Yes, it was none other than Peter Kater. His sudden appearance swiftly caught the attention of the soldiers. Before they could demand that he identify himself, Roel had already delivered the answer that they were looking for. It was a marvelous performance that transcended the boundaries of reality and fiction, expressing such vivid details that it drew the audience into the scenario he crafted. With eyes glistening with tears of agitation, Roel looked at the stunned Peter as if the man was some long lost kin that he had just reunited with. ¡°Now! They have fallen for our trap, Uncle Peter!¡± shouted Roel. Chapter 71: ‘Traitor’

Chapter 71: ¡®Traitor¡¯

Peter Kater couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since anyone called him in such an intimate manner, especially not from a child. He hated children. Those darned rascals often mocked his art just because theirck of experience prohibited them fromprehending the profound intricacies behind his masterpieces... though the same could be said about adults too. But, on this very day, his poprity amongst children suddenly soared to a new high. He was even intimately addressed as ¡®Uncle Peter¡¯! Of course, this came at a very heavy price. The words ¡®fallen for our trap¡¯ made the soldiers, who were nning to surround Roel and Nora, freeze on the spot. Themander shot a look at Peter and immediately realized that there was something strange going on. This ¡®Uncle Peter¡¯ person had a pale face and was drenched in blood too, but the only injury he had was a wound on his shoulder. In other words, the bloodstains on his body were not his! Furthermore, to dare wander in this area without wearing any armor, it could only mean that he was a transcendent, a high-level one at that! ¡°Enemy attack!!!¡± The warymander immediately shouted out loud. Peter Kater looked at the rmed soldiers, and it finally dawned on him that Roel had pulled one over him. ¡°You stupid brat, what nonsense are you...¡± ¡°Open up the formation! Cover the frontlines!¡± Realizing that Peter could be a magician, themander immediately raised his sword and charged at him. There were ten other soldiers who quickly followed him, prepared to cover him if anything were to happen. Having fought on the battlefield for a long time, their instinctive reaction upon encountering a possibly hostile magician was to immediately turn against him. Their furious howls drowned out Peter¡¯s exnations. ¡°Wait a moment, I... No, I am not... Shit!¡± The arrows that whizzed across the sky was thest straw. Just tens of meters away from Roel and Nora, a huge battle suddenly broke out. Dozens of soldiers began shing with Peter Kater. Soldiers that had been through life-and-death situations were indeed different. In terms of absolute strength, this toon of soldiers couldn¡¯t be said to be strong. Even the threemanders leading the group were only at Origin Level 5 themselves, and the others were Origin Level 6, which Roel could deal with individually. However, the fighting prowess they disyed far exceeded that of Roel and Norabined. The frontliners stood forth to encircle Peter whereas the archers were constantly releasing arrows to curb Peter¡¯s movements. The 3 Origin Level 5s wisely chose to skirt around the battlefield, dealing out sharp attacks whenever Peter¡¯s guard was down before slipping away. Their organized coordination allowed them to fight on par with the powerful Peter despite their weakness. In just a few moments, both sides had already seen blood. Peter¡¯s prided ¡®Smiling Mother¡¯ howled furiously as it wed the throats of anyone in range. However, the presence of casualties didn¡¯t deter the soldiers; if anything, it triggered their bloodthirst and rage. In a moment of carelessness, Peter was stabbed in his thigh by one of themanders. ¡°Argh!!! You bunch of imbeciles are asking for it!¡± howled Peter in fury. Roel and Nora decided it was time to make their escape. They knew they couldn¡¯t afford to get caught up in this fight, and they would only expose themselves to danger by sticking around. The two children held each other¡¯s hands tightly as they fled the area while gasping for air. They ran toward the direction of the second residence, but after traveling for a while, they encountered a new problem. ¡°This isn¡¯t right. Judging from the distance, we should have already arrived by now.¡± ¡°The legendary mistbyrinth in the March Turmoil... Granted that we¡¯re within thebyrinth now, it would be a wonder if we can reach our destination.¡± ¡°What should we do? Does your Ascart House have any records regarding thebyrinth?¡± ¡°Records? You mean the list of missing people?¡± retorted Roel in exasperation. He pondered for a while longer before finally replying. ¡°There¡¯s no way to decipher thebyrinth. This is its greatest strength, as well as the reason why it eventually became a legend. ording to the records, Prince Wade led his personal guards into thebyrinth, but he was still unable to get to the Labyrinth Vi. The only ones who are able to truly navigate within thisbyrinth are the people who have our family heirloom.¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to thebyrinth artifact? Is it with you?¡± ¡°Of course not. Given the current timeline we¡¯re in, the artifact is definitely in their hands,¡± replied Roel as he looked into the depths of the billowing mist. It was almost as if he was peering through the mist to look at the duo who had be closepanions with one another due to this battle and opened up a new era of friendship between the Ascarts and the Xeclydes. ¡°... Mister Ponte and Empress Victoria,¡± mumbled Nora as she revealed the answer. She looked a little dazed after hearing those words. As Empress Victoria was her ancestor and one of the few female leaders of the Theocracy, she had always carried great admiration for Empress Victoria. Just thinking of the possibility that she would be able to meet Empress Victoria in person made her a little agitated. Roel, on the other hand, looked a little conflicted about this current situation. Am I going to meet that old pervert? Had Roel not read the diary, he might have felt a little moved about meeting Ponte Ascart. But right now, he was only praying hard that his predecessor at least looked decent on the surface... Eyy, it¡¯s no wonder they say that it¡¯s the victors that make history. Just how much did Ponte have to be beautified for people to actually view him as a hero? But as Roel thought more about it, he wondered if he was only feeling so disappointed because his expectations of Ponte had been too high. After all, there was no perfect human being in the world, including heroes. Everyone had their own desires and ¡®dark side¡¯, but at least Ponte¡¯s dark side appeared to have been kept in check. Roel didn¡¯t think any deeper into it since it wasn¡¯t the right time to do so, especially after he had noticed that there was something abnormal about Nora¡¯s condition¡ªher hands were burning! Ordinary humans, even when afflicted with a high fever, couldn¡¯t possibly have their body temperature shoot up so high. Even transcendents whose bodies had been enhanced couldn¡¯t possibly have felt so scalding to the touch. Is she facing some problems with her bloodline? Her physical condition... ¡°It won¡¯t do for us to remain in this mist. Thebyrinth might be formidable, but at the very least, it doesn¡¯t have any offensive power. For the time being, let¡¯s find a ce to hide first, or else it¡¯s only a matter of time before we bump into others. This time, I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± As Roel spoke, he stepped in front of the clearly weakened Nora and began scouting the way forward with his short sword in hand. Nora was stunned for a while, staring at the boy who was suddenly showing such proactiveness. A momentter, a helpless smile curled on her lips. Looks like I¡¯m unable to hide it after all, she thought. With a deep sigh, she allowed Roel to drag her around. Typically speaking, the proud Nora would have never given up the initiative in such a dangerous situation and entrust her life to another person. She was born a leader, and her very will was the edict of the gods. No one could lead her, and no one would dare to either. That would be an act of insubordination, a show of disrespect toward her. Her strategy teacher had warned her to guard herself against anyone who tried to influence her will¡ªit was likely that the person had traitorous thoughts in mind. Nora had taken his words to heart. But today, when this boy with ¡®traitorous thoughts¡¯ grabbed her hands and pulled her around, Nora suddenly felt that her teacher wasn¡¯t entirely right either. Despite the searing sensation engulfing her body, a smile still formed on her lips. What a fool. He¡¯s so weak, but he still wants to y the hero. This night of horrors hadn¡¯te to an end yet, but her perception of Roel had changed after seeing all of the little actions he made. In the past, it was out of interest and the shared knowledge of her secret that kept her eyeing him so fervently. She derived joy from secretly observing his troubled expressions. But now, her intentions had changed. She wanted to keep him by her side. For a long, long time toe, that was. Chapter 72: Holy Sons

Chapter 72: Holy Sons

Roel had never bothered intentionally putting on a good face before Nora. In fact, he was more than eager to avoid her whenever possible. In the past, Nora had attributed this to hercking charisma, but now that she was being protected by him in thisbyrinth of despair, it dawned on her that something else could be at y. She could sense that Roel didn¡¯t dislike her. What he disliked was fawning on her. In a sense, he was quite an obstinate person, or perhaps, it might be more urate to say that he was a prideful person. Even as the exalted princess of the Theocracy, she couldn¡¯t hope tomand subservience from him. Yet, in times of danger, he was someone who was worth entrusting her back to. Nora felt that she and Roel, at their core, were very simr. Righteous, kind, and prideful, they wouldn¡¯t allow themselves to yield in any circumstances. In fact, Roel could have made very different choices tonight, especially back at Peter Kater¡¯s art studio. It wasn¡¯t just Nora¡¯s character being put to the test back then. Faced with a deadly assassin who possessed terrifying strength far beyond either of them, even the powerful Nora could hardly keep her fear in check, let alone the weaker Roel. Yet, he stubbornly chose to hold onto his true nature, which made Nora delighted to know that she hadn¡¯t chosen the wrong man. It was no longer just about her desire to step on him and fulfill her sadistic tendencies anymore. Her feelings for Roel were already advancing in a direction which even she couldn¡¯t make sense of. 1 reply ¨C 24 minutes ago It was a warm feeling, sometimes a little itchy even. Her mind would suddenly heat up from time to time, but it wasn¡¯t an illness. She realized that she was gradually losing control of her desire to dominate him, but despite all her intelligence, she found herself unable to do a thing about it. Somehow, there was a mysterious feeling inside telling her that as long as the two of them remained with one another, they might just be able to ovee the current crisis they were in. Having always been a logical person, she was a little baffled by how this inexplicable notion was able to easily overtake her thoughts. Roel¡¯s footsteps halted suddenly. Pulled back from her thoughts, Nora raised her head and noticed the blurred outlines of buildings appearing ahead of them. It was a monastery. It was rather humble-looking, being small in size and having an old architectural design. It was mainly built from stone, though most of its renovations consisted of wood that was of unknown origin but obviously didn¡¯t look terribly expensive. Hanging at the main door was a wooden panel bearing the insignia of the Genesis Goddess Church. The oilmp at the entrance was unlit, and the entire building seemed to creak at the slightest breeze. Nora began scanning the building carefully, whereas a frown swiftly formed on Roel¡¯s face. ¡°What¡¯s with this building?¡± Amidst dark shadows and the veiling mist, this sinister building looked as if it could havee right out of hell. The atmosphere around it was so chilling that it would have halted the footsteps of any human approaching it. Roel shot a look at the surroundings and noticed a signpost demarcating their current location: Locke Street 42. ¡°This appears to be a minor monastery,¡± said Nora as she took a step forward to stand side-by-side with Roel. In contrast to Roel¡¯s frown, there was a pleased smile on her lips. She seemed to think that this monastery was not too bad. The Genesis Goddess Church was incredibly massive, spanning the whole of humankind, with customs that varied greatly from country to country. Due to that, there were many different interpretations of the church doctrines too. Other than the founding principles of the religion, the church was still rtivelyx on other issues. All in all, one could segment the clergy of the Genesis Goddess Church into two types. One was the devout ascetics who stayed in monasteries. They lived a life of abstinence, devoting all of their efforts into deciphering the teachings of the church and enlightening the masses. The other was the priests. They were allowed to marry, and there were hardly any restraints on their actions. However, if an emergency situation urred, they were expected to answer the church¡¯s call and obey their dispatch. Essentially, the clergy of the Genesis Goddess Church could choose to either live independently by themselves or be paid subordinates. The building before them was a monastery for the ascetics... and to put it bluntly, it was basically an elementary school. It was small in size, and the knowledge they imparted would be rtively shallow. The monks and nuns that lived in such ces made a living by teaching those who lived in the neighborhood. The school fees were cheap though, making it very friendly to the masses. It was a good education option for those in the lower stratum of society. ¡°This architectural design seems to be from Paul III¡¯s era. It should be at least 300 years old judging from the current time we are in. It¡¯s rare for a small monastery like this to be able to survive so long.¡± Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched a little after hearing Nora¡¯s words of approval. It went without saying that the Little Miss Angel, who was a higher-up of the church, would have an inherently positive impression of the churches and monasteries of the same affiliation, but the same didn¡¯t apply to him. He only felt cold shudders running down his spine looking at this old, rundown building. ¡°Do you suggest we enter this monastery?¡± ¡°Mm, I think that it¡¯s a good idea to take cover here. The building might be old, but it¡¯s steady. There don¡¯t seem to be marks of battles around, so there shouldn¡¯t have been any major skirmishes in the area. I think it¡¯ll be safer here. Besides, an old monastery like this one tends to have nock of rations. We should be able to acquire what we¡¯re looking for here.¡± Nora¡¯s detailed analysis of why they should enter the monastery left Roel at a loss of words to refute her. He took in a deep breath before finally bucking up his courage to step forward. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Roel cautiously approached the monastery. He walked past the oilmps, which were swaying ominously in the wind, and scanned the surroundings warily. Then, he raised his hand and attempted to push open the doors of the monastery. ¡°It¡¯s locked. Seems like there are people inside.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that they¡¯re likely to be soldiers, or else there would have been someone on sentry duty outside.¡± After a quick discussion, Roel and Nora deduced that the people inside could be the monks and nuns that were originally residing in the monastery, and that the risk wasn¡¯t too high. Nora stepped forward and ced her hand on the crack between the doors. Light poured forth from her hands to form an incredibly slim de, and she used it to sever the woodentch locking the doors. Bam! The doors opened inward. ¡°Ah! Y-you...¡± Before the two of them could enter the monastery, a shrill shriek sounded from behind the door. Roel turned to look at the origin of the sound, and he saw an orange-haired middle-aged man dressed in the robes of a monk. He looked a little thin. ¡°D-don¡¯t kill me... Ah? The two of you... aren¡¯t soldiers?¡± The monk, ude, kneeled on the floor as he pleaded for mercy, but halfway through his words, he noticed that the two figures walking through the doorway were shorter and thinner than he had expected. They weren¡¯t soldiers but children! The gentle light within the room brought focus to the elegant clothes that the two children were wearing. The ck-haired, golden-eyed boy looked suave with the silver sword he had in hand, and the golden-haired, sapphire-eyed girl carried an air of grace as faint light shimmered around her. Their appearances left ude dumbfounded for a moment. His body shuddered as a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. Wait a moment. This scene looks oddly familiar... Isn¡¯t this the same as the Holy Sons myth?! ude couldn¡¯t help but recall a certain mural depicting the Holy Sons in the church. The mural spoke of a legend where, during an era when the world was filled with war and suffering, Sia dispatched two envoys down to the mortal world to listen to the hardships of humankind. The envoys were known to be a boy and a girl, and they were beautiful, wise, and kind. They set out on a journey to hear the woes of mortals and offer them salvation. ude stared at the pair of bizarre children standing before him. All of a sudden, an excited look appeared on his face, and his head began glowing green... or at least that was what Roel saw. (Affection Points +100!) (Affection Points +100!) ... To make it even more terrifying, ude even began to praise Sia, speaking of how benevolent the great Sia was to send the Holy Sons down to the world and all sorts of iprehensible nonsense. His hysterical actions left Roel and Nora utterly dumbstruck. ¡°No, please hold on for a second...¡± It took a great deal of effort before the two children finally managed to exin their plight and put a stop to ude¡¯s hysteria. ude nodded after hearing their exnation, seemingly epting their story, but in truth, the reverence he carried for the two of them still remained unabated The reason behind this was because he noticed the evidence to prove that these two children were not ordinary mortals¡ªthe short sword the boy was carrying! While the boy had concealed it well, ude was still able to discern the true identity of the sword through his keen eyes. It was one of the holy weapons that he was honored toy his eyes upon ten years ago, when the church held a grand sermon for all clergy in the Holy Capital. Saint¡¯s deÒ»Twelve Wings! And the girl was even more so formidable. While ude was a powerless mortal, he still noticed the divine light that shrouded the girl when she severed the doortch. Such adept control of mana could only be achieved by a transcendent who possessed an Origin Attribute, which meant that she had to be at least Origin Level 5. On top of that, the purity of her light was even greater than that of most high priests he knew of. Such great power on a mere child who appeared to be at most a ten-year-old? Heh, a holy weapon and superior transcendent powers, and you im that you¡¯re just ordinary noble children? Yes yes, anything you say. (Affection Points +100!) ude nodded his head quietly at everything the boy and girl before him were saying, but on the inside, he was feeling gleeful at having seen through the disguise of the Holy Sons. O¡¯ great Sia, your grace shines on me! Chapter 73: The Truth of History

Chapter 73: The Truth of History

¡°Lord Roel, Lord Nora, will bread do? Here is some jam I bought from a street vendor. It goes quite well with the bread.¡± ¡°Thanks, ude. Aren¡¯t you going to eat too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just ate not too long ago.¡± Ever since Roel and Nora arrived at the monastery, the middle-aged monk had been scrambling around to attend to their every need, not resting in the slightest. It was almost as if he was afraid of neglecting them. Feeling a pair of eyes brimming with respect and admiration staring intently at him, Roel felt a huge headache. (Affection Points +100!) What in the world is going on here? Do you even recognize me? It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m some sort of god who has descended upon the world to offer you salvation, so why are you giving me so many Affection Points?!?! 1 reply ¨C 9 minutes ago Roel had never known that affection could be so burdensome too. Every time he saw green light beaming from ude¡¯s head, he felt like the weight on his shoulders was getting heavier and heavier, as if someone was heaping expectations on him. Wait a moment. Could it be because... I¡¯m too handsome? Roel munched on a slice of bread as he nodded his head solemnly. He felt that his guess made perfect sense. Otherwise, why would a stranger treat them so well as to even offer them precious rations? One must know that it was the entire Holy Capital that was in turmoil at the moment! Even if they were noble children, there was no guarantee that they would get a reward for returning them to their parents, especially since their parents were very possibly dead. ¡°ude, may I ask you a few questions?¡± ¡°Yes, of course! Feel free to ask!¡± While Roel¡¯s mind was still wandering all over the ce, Nora engaged in a conversation with this overly passionate monk. ¡°Are the armies fighting out there Prince Wade¡¯s and Princess Victoria¡¯s?¡± asked Nora. This was an odd question, considering how the fighting had been going on for half a month now. It was impossible for anyone in the Holy Capital to not know of it. ude was understandably taken aback, but soon recovered. Of course! The Holy Sons have just descended from heaven, only to be met by such chaos. They must still be trying to grasp the situation. Oh ho, isn¡¯t this a good opportunity for me to show my worth? ¡°You must be confused by what¡¯s happening in the city. Why don¡¯t I exin everything to you?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be much appreciated. Thank you, ude.¡± ¡°No no, this is what I ought to do!¡± ¡°...¡± Putting aside Roel, who could literally see affection, even Nora was starting to feel somewhat overwhelmed by just how passionate ude was. In the end, she chose to attribute it to his sense of righteousness. For the next few minutes, ude exhibited his schrly credentials. He exined the circumstances surrounding the two factions in a clear and concise manner. The battle started at the beginning of March, and it has been ongoing for half a month now. The entire Holy Capital went into lock down and became isted from the rest of the world. No one is allowed to enter or leave the city. It¡¯s a struggle between Prince Wade along with three allied eminent noble houses against Princess Victoria and the Theocracy¡¯s Guardian Knights and Knight Orders. The three noble houses are the Belfasts, the Weiss, and the Elrics, though to be more exact, the Belfasts and the Weiss are only ying a supporting role. The bulk of Prince Wade¡¯s strengthes from the Elrics. As for Princess Victoria, she has the support of the Ascarts, whomand the Third Battalion and the Knight Orders. The two sides swiftly built their formations along the central street of the Holy Capital and faced off with one another, but it didn¡¯t take long for the bottleneck to be broken. ording to the news, the patriarch of the Elric House personally led a swift and deadly strike against the nks of Princess Victoria¡¯s forces, resulting in their defenses being breached and their formation copsing. From then on, the battle turned from a sh into a massacre. The death toll rose swiftly every single day, and blood filled the entire Holy Capital. There were a great number of deaths on both sides, but eventually, Prince Wade¡¯s alliance still managed to destroy Princess Victoria¡¯s forces. Realizing that the situation had turned desperate for them, the patriarch of the Ascart House ordered a retreat. He pulled Princess Victoria away to his residence and cast a grand magic spell over the surroundings, filling the area with fog. Anyone who stepped into the fog would suddenly find themselves teleporting randomly around. So far, this had hindered Prince Wade¡¯s alliance from clinching the decisive victory. Currently, Princess Victoria and the remnant of her forces were holed-up within the fog, but everyone knew that this wasn¡¯t a long-term n. It was only a matter of time before the grand spell was released. Once that happened, Prince Wade and his allies would swiftly eliminate all of them. Prince Wade had ordered the area covered by the fog to be encircled, and they were constantly sending patrol teams in to scout the area. Therefore, those who were trapped here had no choice but to hide within the shelters of their own homes and pray that Prince Wade¡¯s soldiers would overlook them. ¡°Wait a moment. How are you so clear about all of this?¡± After hearing ude¡¯s story, Roel sensed that the man knew too much. This was a medieval world they were living in, not the modern era of information, with radios and cell phones. It was hard to believe that a mere monk living in a monastery, an ordinary civilian, would actually be able to gather so much ssified information. ude began to stutter under Roel¡¯s questioning. His eyes swam nervously around for a moment, but under the interrogative stares from the two children, he eventually caved and confessed. ¡°I am part of Princess Victoria¡¯s logistics team, but I was unable to keep up with their retreat and ended up being left behind. So, I took my own rations and sought refuge in this monastery. The bread you are eating right now is the food that I snuck away with.¡± Ah, so you¡¯re a cook who failed to keep up with yourrades... Nora and Roel looked at the food in their hands speechlessly. Based on ude¡¯s ount, by the time he got here, the grand magic spell had already been activated, confounding his sense of direction. Had it not been for his good luck, he would have never been able to make it into this monastery. In a strict sense, ude could be considered as a deserter, but neither Roel nor Nora, who were sharing his loot, had any intent to criticize him. After filling their stomachs and quenching their thirst, Roel felt that it was time for him to ask ude what his stance on this matter was. ¡°Judging by the fact that you had previously worked in Princess Victoria¡¯s army, does this mean that your allegiance is to Princess Victoria?¡± ¡°You can say so,¡± replied ude vaguely. His not-so-resolute answer surprised the two. Given that ude was on Princess Victoria¡¯s side, he should have been filled with contempt for Prince Wade for colluding with evil cults. Noticing that something was amiss, Roel narrowed his eyes and probed on. He decided to cut straight to the main point. ¡°Is Prince Wade not an evil cultist?¡± ¡°Huh? Of course not! He might be a heretic, but he¡¯s not an evil cultist. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have so many followers either,¡± replied ude with genuine confusion. Nora and Roel exchanged shocked gazes with one another. A heretic and an evil cultist might sound simr to one another, but there were some differences between the two. Most heretics had abilities that brought convenience to the popce, so the Genesis Goddess Church generally turned a blind eye to them. Evil cultists, on the other hand, sought to unleash destruction upon the world and overthrow the current order. If what ude said about Prince Wade not being an evil cultist was true, it would mean that the history Roel knew of was riddled with ws. A sh of insight crossed Roel¡¯s mind as he suddenly realized something. He first stopped Nora, who appeared to be on the verge of saying something, before he turned to ude and spoke with a grim tone. ¡°ude, can you borate in more detail about the cause of this conflict?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± replied ude with a nod, before heaving a deep sigh. ¡°This will have to start from the mother of the two royal highnesses.¡± Chapter 74: Countdown of the Witness State

Chapter 74: Countdown of the Witness State

Locke Street 42. Roel and Nora were currently sitting around one of the short tables the children in the monastery usually dined at. Neither of them was saying anything at all. They had just listened to the story about the prince of this country, Wade Xeclyde. Born as one of the royal twins, he was blessed with incredible gifts at birth. His intelligence allowed him to easily grasp new knowledge, and his transcendent abilities were amazing even by the standards of the talented Xeclydes. Going by the usual plotline of fantasy novels, Wade Xeclyde should have either walked down the path of sess, leading the Theocracy on to defeat the Austine Empire and rise to the top of the world, or he should realize that human nature is inherently evil and fall into depravity, just like how history eventually came to depict him. But, the truth was neither. The first 12 years of Wade¡¯s life was filled with aplishments and bliss. Everything was smooth-sailing, and it felt like it would continue so till the end of his life. Yet, everything descended into tragedy when he turned thirteen. It all stemmed from Wade and Victoria¡¯s mother, Consort Mary. Mary was born in an average viscount house in the South Sea Fiefdom. She met Prince Ryan during the banquet held for his sixteenth birthday, and the two of them fell deeply in love with one another. Prince Ryan overcame all opposition to wed Mary, and they ended up having twins together. Needless to say, the twins were none other than Wade and Victoria. Havinge from a humble background, Consort Mary was especially empathetic to the suffering faced by themon folk. She loved children and had a gentle personality. She often spent her time visiting the orphanages in the Holy Capital and donated to smaller monasteries. From time to time, she would even conduct lessons for the popce. Little wonder that she was so well-loved by the citizens. However, despite her good nature, she concealed a secret that no one could learn of. She was actually a transcendent, and her Origin Attribute was not one of the Three Main Origin Attributes, which made her a heretic. This secret was made known to the public by ident when Wade and Victoria were thirteen. For the wife of the incumbent Holy Eminence to actually be a heretic... it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how this would shake the upper echelons of the Theocracy. All sorts of conspiracy theories surfaced, and in the blink of an eye, Consort Mary suddenly became public enemy number one within the highest levels of the church and the royal court. Holy Eminence Ryan was also swept into the midst of this storm. Consort Mary had turned into the weak spot of the royal family. No one knew for sure just what kind of political strife had broken out within the royal court, but this uproar ended with Mary fading from public view. She was sent to a monastery in the Holy Capital to live her life out quietly. From then on, even though Mary still lived in the same city as the twins, they were firmly separated from one another. They never got a chance to meet once more. This could have all changed when Wade ascended to the throne and donned the holy robes, but he didn¡¯t manage to make it in time. It was when Wade was 15 that a gue broke out in the Holy Capital. The well-protected royal pce wasn¡¯t affected due to swift measures put in ce, but the monastery in which Consort Mary lived happened to be one of the infected regions. In the end, in the March of Year 824, Mary sumbed to the gue and died. Just like that, a kind woman who was loved by the popce departed without anyone knowing. There was no sorrow and no funeral. It was almost as if she had never existed in the first ce. This incident really agitated the young Wade. No one understood just how that 15-year-old child felt when he learned his mother had died, but he couldn¡¯t even see her off. It was not that no one tried to probe, but he didn¡¯t allow anyone to peer through his inner thoughts. All everyone saw was a diligent youth persevering in his studies and training. Compared to Victoria, who spent her days grieving over her mother¡¯s death, it looked as if he waspletely unfazed. All of the nobles who had put Consort Mary down back then heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Wade¡¯s attitude. They praised him for his wisdom at being able to see the bigger picture. Yet, they didn¡¯t understand that the more silent a person was, the more frightening he would be when he finally erupted. Wade hadn¡¯t lost his emotions; he was just sharpening his edge. He channeled all of his wrath and sorrow into motivation, the motivation to seek greater power. He bided his time and quietly grew his power while waiting for an opportunity to surface. And an opportunity finally surfaced four yearster. In the March of Year 828, when Holy Eminence Ryan left the Theocracy to visit the Austine Empire, he finally drew his de on his enemies. With a single move, he cut down half of the upper echelon of the Theocracy. None of the bishops who had insulted Mary were able to escape from his fury. He didn¡¯t give them any chance at all, just like how they hadn¡¯t given Mary a chance back then. 2 replies ¨C 1 day ago If all Wade did was kill, he would have been no more than a butcher blinded by vengeance. However, the truth was not so. Wade¡¯s ambition went further than just exacting vengeance; he had ideals as well. ¡®Revolutionaries¡¯, that was the name of Wade¡¯s faction. It was filled with many hot-blooded youths who sought to change the rules that opposed the existence of heretics. For his goal, Wade even took on a huge risk by changing his Compassion Origin Attribute into something else, thus turning himself into a heretic. That effectively meant that Wade had turned his back on the session of the throne. He was putting everything he had on the line; if it failed, he would have been left with nothing at all. It was the sheer determination he disyed that moved the hesitant heretics in the Theocracy to make a stand. They swiftly joined Wade¡¯s ranks, and to everyone¡¯s amazement, three of the Five Eminent Noble Houses actually chose to stand alongside him. Everything else went ording to recorded history. The Revolutionaries moved with frightening speed, leaving those in the conservative faction facing a crisis before they even knew it. Victoria and Ponte were the two final fortresses of the conservative faction. As long as the Revolutionaries could capture Victoria, Wade would be in a strong position to force Holy Eminence Ryan to acknowledge the ideals of the Revolutionaries. Unless Holy Eminence Ryan could bring himself to destroy his own heritage and pass the crown down to a non-Xeclyde, he would have no choice but to ede to Wade¡¯s demands. After listening to the full story, Roel and Nora were left bbergasted. The story they were hearing right now was simply far too different from the history they had learned. Roel himself wasn¡¯t really a believer of the Genesis Goddess Church, so he empathized more with Wade¡¯s actions, at least for the first half of the story. From his perspective, he felt that it was tragic for someone as kind as Consort Mary to end up with such a fate just because of human biases. Well killed! Those who speak of forgiveness should try losing their mom in that manner first before preaching those values! Vengeance in the face of injustice was an inherent tendency of humans. Putting the subjectivity of moral values aside, while Wade¡¯s actions were extreme, there were still many who could see things from his perspective and empathize with him. As for Prince Wade¡¯s Revolutionaries and those ideals that were mentioned in thetter half of the story, Roel couldn¡¯t really make a judgment about that, and he didn¡¯t think that he was qualified to do so either. There were no history books that spoke about that faction, and he didn¡¯t live in this era himself, so he didn¡¯t fully understand the situation or its nuances. However, based on what he had heard from ude, it would appear that while the ideals promoted by the Revolutionaries were shockingly progressive for the Theocracy, it was also overdue to address the issue of heretics. For the past decade, the Theocracy had been attracting more and more heretics to settle down in the country, due to the stable livelihood provided. Given their growing numbers, it would be unwise to continue overlooking them. This influx brought about both pros and cons. For the pros, these heretics were important members of the workforce. In this world where most fiefdoms suffered from underpoption, having more workers was almost always a good thing. Furthermore, there were many skilled individuals amongst them too, making them an invaluable resource that could potentially be tapped into. However, looking at it from another perspective, the fact that their Origin Attribute wasn¡¯t stable meant that problems could ur during their evolution, resulting in them falling into depravity and turning into vile evil cultists. In reality, the line between heretic and evil cultist was blurred, so it wasn¡¯t that easy to distinguish between the two. On top of that, public security in the Holy Capital had been growing poorer over the past decade too. Hearing the truth behind the history, Roel was once more rendered speechless. However, the one who was most affected was none other than Nora. From a young age, she had viewed Victoria as her role model and strove to be like her. Yet now, what ude mentioned threatened to overthrow what she had believed in her whole life. 5 replies ¨C 1 day ago Naturally, Nora didn¡¯t just take ude¡¯s words for granted. She posed her doubts and questioned the validity of his statements, but ude had an answer to that too. ¡°I know all of this because I belong to one of the monasteries here in the Holy Capital. Our small monastery is acquainted with Consort Mary,¡± said ude as he reminisced about her beautiful silhouette with a look of nostalgia. ¡°She¡¯s a good person.¡± ude muttered to himself, as if trying to justify something. Seeing this, Roel pondered momentarily before finally posing a question. ¡°Do you think that Prince Wade was justified in his vengeance?¡± This question provoked a huge response from ude. The monk¡¯s first instinct was to blurt out a response, but he managed to hold himself back at the veryst moment. A long period of silence lingered in the air before ude finally replied with a vague answer. ¡°I can empathize with how His Highness Wade feels.¡± His Highness Wade? Roel took some time to ponder the underlying meaning behind ude¡¯s words. He shot a nce at the pale-faced Nora before he moved on to pose his second question. ¡°Then do you think that Prince Wade¡¯s initiative is the right choice?¡± ude¡¯s response was even bigger this time, but it was a response of uncertainty. His eyelids quivered a little as he thought over this matter. It seemed like a series of posttions and contradictions were urring in his heart. He raised his hand up slightly in agitation, only to eventually put it down powerlessly. ¡°I don¡¯t know... I really don¡¯t know.¡± This was perhaps a sentiment shared by many in this era too. Two different ideals represented two different paths the Theocracy could walk down. They were standing at a fork, and their decisions would determine their future and many others. It was too big of a decision, so much so that it frightened them, rendering them incapable of choosing. With a deep sigh, Roel concluded his questioning. He turned his head over to Nora, only to see her brooding over this matter. She appeared to be in a gloomy mood. What ude mentioned earlier had really shaken her. There was nothing that Roel could do to solve this, but at the very least, he could solve their physiological needs. ¡°It¡¯s about time to sleep. We should get some rest.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ude brought the two of them to separate bedrooms. After packing up a little, Roely down on the bed and sighed deeply. So many things had happened that it was hard to believe that it had only been half a day. Even with the ¡®steroids¡¯ he had received from the System, it was still a little too much for him to bear. Recalling the System, Roel suddenly remembered the deal he had made with it a while back regarding the loan, so he quickly took a look at the System¡¯s interface once more. His eyes widened at what he saw. Chapter 75: Predecessors

Chapter 75: Predecessors

¡°Your Highness, you should be getting up now.¡± A golden-haired, armored knight walked into the bedroom of an ordinary residence and gently woke the young man snoring on the bed. Hearing the call, the young man opened his eyes and calmly sat up. He had lustrous golden hair and a beautiful face, but those did little to mellow down his sharp, solemn, sapphire eyes. With his light armor donned, he emanated an air of valiance. Wade Xeclyde, the first in line to seed the throne of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, as well as the highestmander of the allied armies. ¡°Felder, what time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already 6 in the evening, Your Highness.¡± ¡°I see... Speaking of which, is there a need for a marquess like you to wake me up personally?¡± replied Wade as he looked at the young knight standing before him. Anyone who didn¡¯t know better might have thought that the young knight was a logistical soldier attending to Wade, but in truth, he was actually one of the marquesses of the Theocracy, a powerhouse who wielded immense military might in his hands. Felder Elric, the patriarch of the Elric Marquess House, one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses. He was only in his twenties, but he was already a powerful Origin Level 3 transcendent. He was also Wade¡¯s closest aide and friend. Regardless of which country one was in, any transcendent who was able to reach Origin Level 3 was considered to be a top-notch expert. The gap between Origin Level 3 and Origin Level 4 was considerable, such that tens of thousands of transcendents found themselves never able to ovee this boundary. Felder was a certified genius to be able to reach this height at such a young age. His talents ranked at the top amongst the nobles. On top of that, the Elric House was also currently the strongest amongst the Five Eminent Noble Houses, making Felder one of the most powerful figures in the Theocracy. Yet, Felder showed no disrespect to the young man who had just awoken from his slumber. In response to thetter¡¯s question, he ced his fist on his chest and bowed slightly. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my honor,¡± said Felder with an earnest smile. He might have been considered a prodigy by his peers, butpared to the young man sitting before him, all of his aplishments seemed like nothing inparison. Wade Xeclyde was a man of many talents despite his young age too. He had learned his martial arts from one of the royal knights of Knight Kingdom Pendor, and his reputation was widely known amongst the schrs of Brolne too. By his 18th birthday, he had already reached Origin Level 3. Such a liege was someone Felder deemed worthy of serving, not to mention that Wade shared the same ambitions and dreams that he did. ¡°How is the search for Victoria going?¡± ¡°There are no results for the time being. As we had guessed, she has gone into hiding with Ponte. I believe that she has no intention of fighting us anymore.¡± Wade was much more energized after two hours of rest. He nced out the window and looked at the fog-shrouded region not too far away. Ever since Ponte set up thisbyrinth, Wade and Felder had only been sleeping 2 hours every day. They took turns leading the armies into thebyrinth to search the area, with Felder taking the morning shift and Wade taking the night shift. They were pushing themselves beyond the limits and exhausting themselves, but they were still unable to get a handle on the enemy¡¯s location. ¡°Time isn¡¯t in our favor. We can¡¯t drag it out any longer, or else an issue might crop up with the Holy Eminence. Do you have any good ideas on how we should handle this situation?¡± ¡°No, I haven¡¯t thought of...¡± ¡°Your Highness, emergency military report!¡± A soldier suddenly barged in and interrupted Felder¡¯s words. However, the two of them didn¡¯t lose their temper due to it; instead, a smile broke out on their faces. There weren¡¯t any enemy formations in thebyrinth at all, so any emergency military report couldn¡¯t possibly be about an attack. If so, there was only one possibility... ¡°In the depths of Locke Street, we found a reaction to the royal bloodline. It¡¯s Princess Victoria!¡± ... ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is this tool malfunctioning?¡± In a beautifully decorated room, a ck-haired man looked at the detection tool on his table and frowned. This royal bloodline tracking device was an invaluable magic tool, and there were only three people in the world who had it. The one that the man had in his hand at the moment belonged to Princess Victoria Xeclyde. In other words, it was the possession of his pupil. This ck-haired man went by the name of Ponte, and he was the patriarch of the Ascart House. He had chosen to take the side of his pupil in this battle, and with his help, they managed to build up a defense line and stabilize the situation. Unfortunately, this didn¡¯tst long as their defensive line was soon breached. There was nothing that he could do about this. Prince Wade was already a fearsome opponent on his own, and the backing of the Elric House¡¯s patriarch only made him even more unstoppable. Even Ponte, despite having reached the peak of Origin Level 3 and already on the verge of making a breakthrough to Origin Level 2, had to admit that they were indeed monstrously talented youths. Yes, very different from this spoiled princess with a nasty personality! , retorted Ponte as he snuck a nce at the woman sitting on the sofa behind him. She was a woman who looked like an angel. Her beautiful looks and her graceful demeanor made her an unforgettable silhouette in the hearts of many. Ponte¡¯s eyes scanned the sleeping beauty from head to toe before taking out his little booklet and began writing down: Today¡¯s Victoria is like an angel too, but her chest hasn¡¯t been developing over the past few months. What a pity. After writing down those words, Ponte closed his booklet and sighed deeply. His actions may appear weird to others, but he was really not a ¡®man of culture¡¯ who went about writing perverted diaries! This was actually the price he had to pay for his magic spells as a Wisdom Origin Level 3 Chronicler. Transcendents had to pay a price for their powers. Evil cultists usually had to take the lives of others whereas heretics differed from case to case. Inparison, the Three Main Origin Attributes that were deemed to be more suitable for humans had a lower price to pay. For Ponte, the price was to record reality down. However, the issue over here was that the ¡®reality¡¯ he had to record wasn¡¯t a transcript of events but the reality of being a man. ¡°Are you writing those stuff again?¡± The whisperingsing from behind made Ponte¡¯s body stiffen. Victoria had already woken up, and she was looking at him yfully with an arm propping up her head. ¡°To actually be interested in your pupil¡¯s body, you sure are perverted. I would love to hear the contents of your diaries one day. Personally from your mouth, that is,¡± said the golden-haired woman with a bright smile on her face. Ponte sighed deeply in response. His pupil was quite an incredible person, having both the aptitude and character to achieve great things in the future. It was just that she had a weird sadistic streak that loved seeing him in a troubled position. ¡°Heh, that¡¯s a good expression you have there. I would love to continue teasing you, but let¡¯s stop with this for now. I¡¯ll hold myself back for the time being.¡± Seeing that Victoria had decided to stop her offense, Ponte exhaled deeply in relief. He ced his pen down, turned to her, and said. ¡°Victoria,e and have a look at this. Your magic tool appears to be acting up.¡± ¡°What?¡± Victoria stood up and walked over to take a look at the magic tool on the table. Her eyebrows slowly furrowed as she saw two unmoving red dots on it. ¡°Locke Street? Who could this be?¡± muttered Victoria to herself full of doubts. Chapter 76: First Encounter

Chapter 76: First Encounter

Finally a clue to getting out of here! Roel looked at the countdown and the evaluation on the System¡¯s interface and heaved a deep sigh of relief. Fortunately, it seemed like his and Nora¡¯s situation was just temporary. It was likely to be like the ¡®dungeons¡¯ in games. As for what this ¡®dungeon¡¯ was for... ¡¾Progress of Bloodline Awakening: 60%¡¿ He had a feeling that it was for this. The evaluation probably determined how much he could earn from the awakening of his bloodline, especially since the rewards in dungeons usually depended on how well one performed. ¡°System, what is the evaluation based on?¡± ¡¾It¡¯s based on the user¡¯s actions, decisions, aplishments, and many other factors. It¡¯s impossible to list the exact factors at y.¡¿ ¡°I see. I guess there¡¯s something concrete for me to work toward now. What does kingmaker mean?¡± ¡¾Depending on the road you choose, the results will vary. The power of choice is in your hands. The System will not force the user into making any actions, but it advises the user to heed the spirit of the Ascart House. It will be beneficial to the awakening of your bloodline.¡¿ ¡°Spirit of the Ascart House? What is that?¡± muttered Roel contemtively as he ruminated over the System¡¯s words. He realized that he didn¡¯t have a clue as to what that was. Carter had never spoken much about the values of the Ascart House. His usual lectures were just the usual stuff about how a nobleman should act and the sort; there was nothing special at all. ¡°Isn¡¯t this problem too tough? Can¡¯t you give me some clues?¡± ¡¾There¡¯s no one true answer to the questions of the heart. Also, the System advises the user that a man should constantly seek to improve hims...¡¿ ¡°Enough, you need not say anything else,¡± replied Roel with a wave of the hand, as if to sweep away the System¡¯s constant titudes. A carpet ced atop a wooden bed frame for a mattress, Roely there pondering for a long while, but no answers came to him. In the end, he could only shake his hand in the air and toss the questions to the back of his mind. Roel stared at the 60% written on the System¡¯s interface as he quickly calcted how long it would take before time¡¯s up. Considering that the awakening started earlier in the evening and it was nowte at night, after the chat they had with ude, there was a good chance that his awakening would already beplete by the time he opened his eyes tomorrow morning! ¡°Eyy, if only it was that easy!¡± Roel sighed deeply. He knew that the awakening couldn¡¯t possibly be so simple, especially since the System deemed it to be ¡®Extremely Dangerous¡¯ and that the sess rate was only 70%. These two pieces of information constantly dampened his mood. He was already halfway through his awakening, but he hadn¡¯t experienced anything yet. He wasn¡¯t sure whether this meant that everything was going smoothly or that the danger had yet toe, but in any case, all he could do was mentally prepare himself to deal with whatever might ur. To be honest, he was already throwing everything to luck since it didn¡¯t seem like there was anything much he could do about the awakening. He had already resolved himself for the worst when he made that decision. ¡°Come to think of it, there¡¯s still 73 hours till the end of this ¡®dungeon¡¯. Is there anything that I need to do? What in the world is the ¡®Witness¡¯?¡± Roel pondered as he stared at the numbers reflected on the System interface. While he was deep in thought, his consciousness gradually faded, and unknowingly, he fell into a deep sleep. ... With gritted teeth, Peter Kater wrapped both his hands around the sword that was plunged into his thigh and pulled it out. At the moment that the sword was extracted, he yelped in pain as blood spurted all over his clothes. Having one¡¯s femoral artery sliced was no joke. The sheer blood loss could easily take away an ordinary human¡¯s life within a few minutes. However, transcendents had many ways of coping with such a situation. For those who had recovery-type abilities, such an injury didn¡¯t pose a threat at all, but even for those who didn¡¯t have such means, they could still control their flesh to significantly reduce blood loss. For an Origin Level 4 transcendent like Peter, such a trick was, of course, well within his means. ¡°Yowch! Damn it! Those two damn scamps!¡± cursed Peter under his breath as he held his thigh tightly. Peter channeled his mana outward, and three paintings materialized around him. One of them was the ¡®Smiling Mother¡¯ painting that Roel and Nora had seen previously, the second painting depicted a group of girls bathing in a river, and thest one was a noblewoman pulling a pet dog by the leash. All of these three paintings, by Roel¡¯s standards, looked like things that had crept out from the depths of hell. All of the characters depicted in the painting had empty holes for their eyes, nostrils, ears, and mouth. In the second painting, the river which the women were bathing in was filled with blood. In the third painting, the dog on a leash was filled with bloody pus on its face, and the noblewoman holding onto the leash looked dried out and withered. Peter Kater¡¯s reddened eyes moved waveringly amongst the three paintings. He took a look at the deep cut on his shoulder and thigh, and in the end, he grit his teeth and cast a spell on the painting with women bathing in the river of blood. ¡¾Scapegoat Transfer the wounds you have suffered onto an artwork¡¿ This was a recovery method unique to Peter Kater, though there are plenty of simr skills amongst evil cultists too. In the next instant, a mist of blood burst forth from the painting Peter had selected. A deep cut appeared on the thighs of the bathing women, and shrieks of agony sounded out loudly. The color of the river grew even more vibrantly crimson. Inparison, Peter¡¯s injuries began to recover. In just a few moments, the damage to his thigh had vanished without a trace. Seeing this, he heaved a sigh of relief before slowly releasing his grip on his thigh. While Scapegoat was a powerful ability, it had its limitations too. After transferring the damage, he would be unable to use the painting for the next week. On top of that, this spell could only remove a single injury, so the injury on his shoulder hadn¡¯t healed yet. Peter Kater raised his reddened eyes once more and assessed the two other paintings floating in midair around him. The colors of ¡®Smiling Mother¡¯ looked a lot more faded than before, and the noblewoman walking a dog picture had distorted significantly too. The earlier battle had been harsh not just on Peter but his paintings too. ¡°I need to find more women¡¯ skin, or else...¡± muttered Peter to himself. His strength was built upon his artwork, but these artworks weren¡¯t so convenient as to be able to be used forever. On the contrary, they were as brittle as ordinary artworks. In order to sustain them, Peter would have to continue killing living beings who resembled the characters in his paintings and graft their skin over. This was also where his title as the Skin Grafter came from. Peter had no idea where he currently was, but he could tell that a war had broken out here. There were many soldier squads patrolling the area. An evil cultist like him couldn¡¯t afford to get checked by anyone here. As a result, every single time he encountered someone, a fight would ensue. To make things worse, there was not a single woman here at all, which meant that he couldn¡¯t repair his paintings! This made Peter extremely nervous. For the first time, he regretted having taken on this mission, though he was more furious at the boy who hadnded him in this state. ¡°That wretched bastard! If not for him... Damn it, I swear that I¡¯ll skin him alive and ster him on my paintings!¡± Just thinking about Roel was more than enough to make Peter clutch his hair in a frenzy. The sheer intensity of his madness instilled fear in anyone looking at him. However, a few secondster, he regained his calm. ¡°Yes, I have to find them. I¡¯ll kill that brat to quench my fury. The Ascarts do have a long history behind them. If I use him in my painting, I should be able to rise to Origin Level 3. These lousy soldiers don¡¯t pose a threat to me anyway!¡± Peter continued gritting his teeth and muttering to himself as he walked through his foggy surroundings. He turned to the noblewoman holding onto the leash of a dog and instructed. ¡°Eva, find them with your dog!¡± With a loud roar, the skinny noblewoman holding onto a dog leash walked out of the painting. The hideous hellhound began sniffing thebyrinth before heading off in a certain direction. Peter, clutching his shoulder, quickly followed the hellhound and disappeared in the fog. ... Roel had a nightmare. In the dream, he was walking on top of scarlet ground. There was no water or trees anywhere; everything within sight was scarlet in color. The ground felt like gravel, but no pebbles moved when the wind blew past him. How weird, Roel thought to himself in the dream. His fuzzy brain had barely any capacity for thought too. He simply looked at the scarlet ground, listened to the whistling of the wind, and trudged forward without any thought. It was almost as if he was a lifeless zombie driven by sheer instinct. He couldn¡¯t sense anything else, and his body knew nothing of exhaustion either. He didn¡¯t know where he was headed or what his aim was, but he continued walking on for a long, long time. It felt like there was no end to his journey. The sun in the sky neither rose nor fell, creating an impression that time had stopped in this world. Like a perpetual machine, he trudged on and on, and finally, he arrived at the endpoint. It was the boundary of this scarlet world, disying a battlefield that had long concluded. Heads as big as houses were half-buried within the gravel. Rusty swords as high as towers were stabbed into the ground. Murders of crows circled the sky as they gazed down upon Roel. At the center of this mess, there was a humongous skeleton that towered like a mountain sitting on the ground. A sword had pierced through its chest. It was cloaked in a ragged cape, and the crown sitting on its head had already long lost its luster. Yet, the skeleton remained imposing and divine like a god. In the instant Roelid eyes upon that skeleton, an indescribably excruciating pain suddenly jabbed his nerves, electrifying his numbed mind. The extreme difort jolted him back to his senses, and he snapped out of his daze. At the same time, the eye sockets of the humongous skeleton lit up with a faint glow. ¡°Who is it?¡± An ancient and deep voice reverberated loudly in the air. The skeleton¡¯s gaze moved downward and locked eyes with the shocked Roel. As their gazes connected with one another, Roel suddenly felt that searing pain in his eyes once more. A faint light formed on the surface of his eyes momentarily before he shut them while emitting a cry of agony. ¡°I see. It¡¯s you lot again.¡± The humongous skeleton seemed to have understood something from observing the screaming child standing before him. His voice sounded disappointed, but at the same time, seemed to carry traces of anticipation too. ¡°Hm? It¡¯s a youngd this time around?¡± The skeleton assessed Roel¡¯s appearance in surprise, but the fluctuations in his emotions were so minor as to be negligible. ¡°Very well,d. Answer my question.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°How do the dead pass down their power?¡± The ancient, deep voice resounded in Roel¡¯s ears, but the suffering boy, who was still covering both his eyes, couldn¡¯t understand the question. He tried his best to raise his head, only to see that the humongous skeleton had already averted its gaze. Turning its eyes toward the setting sun, it remarked. ¡°You don¡¯t need to answer my question right away. You may take some time to think about it first.¡± His voice was calm and cid, seemingly carrying no expectations for Roel¡¯s answer at all. A momentter, he seemed to sense something once more, and he said. ¡°You appear to have encountered some trouble. Return. However, remember to bring me an answer the next time youe.¡± After those words were spoken, Roel found everything before him fading to ck once more. ... ¡°Haaa!¡± In a monk¡¯s cell in the old monastery, the sleeping Roel suddenly shot awake and gasped desperately for air while clutching his nket tightly. His head was already drenched in ayer of sweat, and his eyes looked unfocused and frantic. It looked as if he had just been jolted awake from a nightmare. And, that was exactly what Roel thought too. ¡°Huu! So it¡¯s a dream after all! That scared me!¡± Roel was just about to lie back down and rest some more when he noticed a notification from the System. His body immediately stiffened as he gasped in shock. Chapter 77: Don’t Talk, Drink

Chapter 77: Don¡¯t Talk, Drink

First Encounter? What does that mean? Roel¡¯s drowsiness was immediately dispelled by those words from the System. With widened eyes, he recalled the vivid dream he just had, and cold sweat drenched his back. S-surely not, right? I mean, aren¡¯t dreams usually used as prophetic materials? Or could it be that such dream foreshadowing is too clich¨¦ nowadays, so they are skipping right ahead to the main event? Roel gripped his nket tightly. The bed in the monastery was already hard enough as it was, and now he was faced with such an outrageous situation. How was he supposed to fall asleep like that? He stared at the System¡¯s ¡®Calcting results...¡¯ many thoughts whirling in his mind. Considering how this System often preached about freedom and that sort of stuff, it was safe to assume that it wouldn¡¯t proactively create events for him. The earlier dream must be a result of some kind of change Roel was undergoing. There was another thing that caught his attention too. ¡¾Progress of Bloodline Awakening: 80%¡¿ It had been two hours since he fell asleep earlier on, so it wasn¡¯t that surprising to see that his bloodline awakening had already reached such a level. However, there was a new issue right n ow¡ªthe number wasn¡¯t changing anymore. The awakening had halted. Roel could roughly fathom a guess as to why that was so. Do I have to answer that question first? , he wondered. Meanwhile, there were some updates over on the System¡¯s side too. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Information refreshed. The user has received a unique status¡¿ ¡¾Grandar¡¯s Promise You have made a promise with the king to bring it back to reality. Effects: Amplifies your strength significantly, grants temporary invulnerability (Lasts for 30 seconds) Remaining Uses: 3¡¿ 2 replies ¨C 3 minutes ago ¡°Invulnerability?!¡± Roel eximed in shock upon seeing the notification on his screen. He had never thought that the skeleton would actually grant him a spell. Holy shit! What in the world is that humongous skeleton? This is way too overpowered! 1 reply ¨C 30 minutes ago However, just thinking of the question posed by the skeleton brought a frown back to Roel¡¯s face. How do the dead pass down their power? 2 replies ¨C 2 minutes ago Roel really had no idea what that was all about. In this world filled with transcendents, the concept of ¡®dead¡¯ was very different from his previous world. Take the skeleton in his dream for example. With a sword plunged through its chest, it would appear that he had died on the battlefield fending off his enemies. However, could the humongous skeleton really be considered as ¡®dead¡¯, especially since he could talk and move? That was really hard to say. Besides, what did the ¡®power¡¯ that was mentioned refer to? Skills? Bloodline? Knowledge? Roel scratched his head but the question appeared to be far tooplicated for him to give a concise answer to. Soon enough though, another matter caught his attention¡ªthe skeleton had mentioned that he was in trouble. A frown formed on Roel¡¯s forehead as he got an ominous omen. Before he could really think about it, he heard footsteps outside, and ude rushed in through the door anxiously. ¡°This is bad, Ho¡ªLord Roel! Lady Nora is ill! ¡°I-I noticed her copsed beside the table when I was heading to the loo just now. There was a cup on the floor beside her; she appeared to have been in the middle of having some water when she suddenly fainted. I tried calling her, but she isn¡¯t reacting at all. When I touched her forehead, I realized that she was burning up! So, I quickly carried her here to you!¡± cried ude. ¡°Alright, I got it. Don¡¯t panic.¡± ¡°Uhm, a-alright!¡± ude took deep breaths as he replied, but he was unable topletely rid himself of his jitters. Could it be because I fed mortal food to the Holy Son that caused her to end up in such a state? Such weird thoughts filled ude¡¯s mind. Unable to bear with the unease, he ced Nora on Roel¡¯s bed before rushing off to the prayer room to pray for her. Meanwhile, Roel ced a wet towel on her head. He couldn¡¯t help but me himself for having neglected her. He had known that she was feeling unwell for a long time now, but he subconsciously thought little of it. Now that he thought about it, it was obvious that Nora had been behaving rather strangely before heading off to sleep. All this while, she had been bearing with her difort, never uttering a single word ofint to Roel at all, but he took her resilience for granted. He had a strong feeling that Nora was really undergoing a bloodline awakening, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to rejoice over this situation. The situation was simply too dangerous at the moment. Most of the bloodline awakenings of the Xeclydes happened under the supervision of an elder, who would guide and support them through the procedure. However, that was clearly impossible right now. Forget about the guiding elder, they didn¡¯t even have anyone to protect them! Roel really had no idea what Holy Eminence John was thinking of. Why did he throw the two of them here? While it did allow them to escape from Peter Kater¡¯s ability, their circumstances still appeared to be not much better than before. Their lives were still in danger at every moment. On top of that, there¡¯s still another 60 hours more before they could leave this area. ¡°The circumstances are really bad. What should we do about this...¡± muttered Roel to himself in frustration. He wasn¡¯t a doctor; he had no idea what he could do to help Nora. On the other hand, upon hearing Roel¡¯s words, Nora¡¯s eyes fluttered open a little. ¡°The only ones who can guide me through my awakening are my ancestors...¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake? How are you feeling?¡± asked Roel anxiously. ¡°... I don¡¯t feel too good. Am I ill? I¡¯ve never felt this way before.¡± Nora observed her feeble self and smiled bitterly. As a treasured princess of the Theocracy, she had doctors keeping a close eye on her health from a young age. Furthermore, her Angel¡¯s Bloodline granted her a superior constitution, this had led to her never falling sick even once in the ten years of her life. But right now, her body was feeling so heavy, it was suddenly hot one moment and cold the next, and her consciousness seemed to be drifting in and out. All of these were experiences she had never had before, and it made her terrified. The weakening of her body resulted in the weakening of her will as well. She stared at the dark and unadorned ceiling above her, and for the first time, she wondered if she could really get out of here. ¡°My body has already been in this state for a night now. Even though I¡¯ve used spells to reduce my sensitivity to pain and sharpen my will, it looks like I¡¯m only dying the inevitable. If only I knew this would happen, I would have at least learned a recovery spell...¡± remarked Nora bitterly. Due to her personality, she had always preferred powerful offensive spells, which led to herck of interest in recovery spells. Yet, this bias of hers ended up biting her back. Listening to Nora¡¯s words, Roel knew that her condition was not something that a non-professional could solve. She needed the help of a transcendent to heal her, but given the current situation... Roel could only clench his fists tightly together. He took out the only thing that appeared to be useful in this monastery. ¡°Drink this bottle of medicine. It should at least be of some help.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m too weak to get up.¡± So, Roel stepped forward and carefully propped Nora up before leaning her against his chest. He uncorked the bottle and brought it over to her lips. ¡°Come, drink it.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Hm? Nora?¡± Roel was surprised by theck of action from his patient. As he was behind her, he couldn¡¯t see her furiously blushing face and the hesitation that was written all over it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did I hurt you?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s something else.¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°... It feels a little weird. Aspared to being fed, I think I prefer to be the one doing the feeding instead,¡± answered Nora reluctantly. 1 reply ¨C 28 minutes ago That answer made Roel grind his teeth in exasperation. Sis, TPO! Which is more important, your life or maintaining that sadistic front of yours? ¡°Can¡¯t you control yourself a little?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I said that I¡¯m not going to drink it.¡± ¡°Cut the crap and drink it!¡± ¡°Wuwuwuuu!¡± The frustrated Roel stuffed the bottle into Nora¡¯s mouth andpletely disregarded her opposition. Left with no choice, she could only swallow the entire bottle of medicine down. ¡°Y-you traitorous subject! How dare you treat me in such a manner!¡± Infuriated, Little Miss Angel criticized Roel¡¯s tyrannical actions furiously, but he simply smiled casually behind her back in response. ¡°My liege, have you forgotten that you haven¡¯t donned the crown yet?¡± ¡°So what? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll kill you in the future?¡± ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll just stage a revolt then.¡± While bickering with Nora, Roel slightly backed away, hoping toy her back down on the bed. Unexpectedly, Nora grabbed onto him lightly and stopped him. ¡°T-this is fine. Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The bed is too hard,¡± replied the golden-haired girl with a reddened face. 1 reply ¨C 27 minutes ago Roel shot a nce at the rock hard bed before nodding contemtively. 1 reply ¨C 26 minutes ago Indeed, children of esteemed lineage grow up sleeping in feather quilts, so it¡¯s only natural that they aren¡¯t able to get used to such a hard bed. Forget about Nora, even I feel a little ufortable sleeping here. So, Roel stopped what he was doing and allowed Nora to continue lying on his chest quietly. The two of them listened to each other¡¯s breathing and heartbeats while waiting for the medicine to take effect. Nora looked at everything before her. The renovation in the monastery was old and basic. As a building made out of stone, it was inevitable that the ce would be cold at night. The only source of illumination here was the candlelight on the table, but even that felt like it would soon be devoured by the darkness of the night. Looking at this scenery that was vastly different from the extravagant pce she was used to, she felt a little dazed, as if she was inside a dream. Nora stared at this dark room for a long moment while enjoying the warmth on her back. All of a sudden, she spoke up. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to hate me as much anymore.¡± ¡°I have never hated you.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± replied Roel. He unwittingly thought about Nora¡¯s actions back at the art studio with Peter Kater earlier. Her unyielding spirit to uphold her principles had moved him, and that had in turn changed some of the thoughts in his mind. ¡°Back then, I was just a little... Never mind, but it¡¯s not like that anymore.¡± ¡°... To be honest, I was thinking that even if you do hate me, it¡¯s not that bad either.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel frowned at Nora¡¯s words. Somehow, he felt that there was something amiss about her. However, Nora didn¡¯t respond. Instead, she stared ahead nkly, seemingly thinking of something. It was a long whileter that she tilted her head slightly toward Roel and spoke. ¡°You should leave tomorrow at dawn.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was thinking the same too. I¡¯ll carry you.¡± 1 reply ¨C 25 minutes ago ¡°No, I¡¯m saying that you should leave by yourself,¡± said Nora calmly as she looked at Roel¡¯s face. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to get out of here if you bring me with you.¡± Chapter 78: Closest to You

Chapter 78: Closest to You

¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Nora¡¯s words left Roel stunned for a short moment before he quickly refuted her. However, Nora remained perfectly calm. ¡°I¡¯m just speaking the truth. You are also aware of it deep down. Given our current situation, it¡¯s impossible for you to bring me along with you,¡± she replied with a bitter smile. Roel saw something in her that was different than her usual demeanor¡ªdespondence. It was an emotion he thought that he would never see from her. It felt like she was drowning in despair but was still trying to pull herself together to say farewell to him with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t bother with me. You¡¯ll lose your life needlessly if you stay with me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. I can¡¯t possibly leave you here alone.¡± ¡°What else can you do then? Carry me out of here? In thisbyrinth filled with dangers?¡± Nora chuckled wryly to herself as she shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You won¡¯t even be able to run when you encounter soldiers. We have no identities in this era, so nothing good wille out of being captured.¡± Roel¡¯s mood became heavy. Prince Wade was aiming to use his identity as ¡®the only sessor¡¯ as leverage against the current Holy Eminence to force him to ede to his demands. Therefore, both Victoria and Nora were impediments to him as their Xeclyde bloodlines granted them a im to the throne. Of course, this fact meant that Victoria¡¯s forces would wee their presence, but could they even reach them? They had no way of getting to Victoria and Ponte given thebyrinth they were in. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s someone out for our lives right now. Peter won¡¯t let us off for getting him embroiled in this. He¡¯ll surely do everything he can to get to us. An irony, don¡¯t you think? It¡¯s a pity that we don¡¯t know the way out of here either.¡± A smile of ridicule surfaced on Nora¡¯s face as she seemed to foresee the ending awaiting that inhuman beast. But soon afterward, she turned back to Roel and emphasized once more calmly. ¡°If you bring me with you, the two of us will die together.¡± Roel stared at Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes as many expressions flickered across his face. Deep down, he knew what Nora said was true. He had enough sense in him to figure that out. However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to leave behind an utterly powerless Nora here all alone. Not after what she had done for him. ¡°Don¡¯t give up so easily. It¡¯s at times like this that we should try to think of a way out.¡± ¡°A way out? Are you able to figure out a way to carry me out of this ce, when soldiers can appear out of thin air, and an evil cultist is hot on our tail? No, there¡¯s no way out of this. Even if the two of us were in our top condition, there¡¯s still nothing we can do about this.¡± Nora¡¯s logical response left Roel with no words to refute her, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was convinced by her argument. In fact, his silence and the obstinacy in his eyes told Nora of his intention clearly. ... What a fool. Nora turned her head away, choosing not to look at him anymore. Her scattered golden hair covered her lowered face slightly, concealing the tears brimming in her eyes and the joy rippling through her heart. (Affection Points +2000!) 2 replies ¨C 14 minutes ago This is the first time, Nora thought. She clearly wanted to ask him to leave, yet she couldn¡¯t help but feel delighted and moved by his refusal. She felt guilty over her feelings of joy, but at the same time, an unprecedented feeling of assurance embraced her too. Looks like death isn¡¯t that frightening after all. What¡¯s more frightening is having to die alone , she thought wryly. ¡°5th of June, the day of my baptism. Remember this date well, June 5th,¡± said Nora gently as she leaned powerlessly on Roel¡¯s chest. ¡°It¡¯s unlikely, but if my father and grandfather direct their fury at you, tell them this date. The day of baptism is something that is only told to those closest to you. They¡¯ll understand once they hear it.¡± Closest to me? Roel¡¯s face began to twitch a little, and he had to give his all to prevent it from cramping up. He blinked his eyes, thinking that he should probably say something in response, but he had no idea what. In the end, he was simply left with an ufortable feeling, as if a small bone was stuck in his throat. Some timeter, the medicine took effect and Nora fell asleep. ¡°Lord Roel, is Lady Nora fine?¡± ¡°Yes. She has fallen asleep after drinking some medicine.¡± Outside the room, ude, who had been praying all this while, came by to enquire Nora¡¯s current condition. The graveness the monk felt was significantly alleviated after hearing Roel¡¯s answer. However, he was still a little worried about the matter. ¡°This monastery used to have a nun who specializes in recovery spells, but she was taken back by her family before the battle began. All that is left are some fever and sleeping medicines. I don¡¯t know if they are really useful or not.¡± ¡°They are useful. Thank you for your help, ude.¡± ¡°No no, it¡¯s all for our great goddess!¡± said ude as he patted his chest in agitation. If he could help the two Holy Sons who descended on the world, that would be equivalent to helping the goddess herself. It was a huge merit he was making here! It was just that he was feeling a little confused as to what kind of illness one of the Holy Sons was afflicted with. She was clearly fine when they chatted earlier. ¡°Lord Roel, if I may ask, where does Lady Nora¡¯s illness stem from?¡± ¡°Ah... She injured herself while fighting with an evil cultist. She was trying to hold it in earlier.¡± ¡°I see!¡± eximed ude in astonishment As expected! The Holy Sons only suffered injuries from fighting against the dark powers of the continent. Those underhanded rats must have resorted to some sort of despicable means! Hah! May their bowels loosen and fall incontinent! ude roared furiously in his mind. If not for hiscking strength, he might have just rushed out the door right now to clear away those evil cultists with his own hands! Roel watched the expressions flickering across ude¡¯s face and wondered if it would be appropriate to interrupt the monk¡¯s train of thoughts. ¡°ude? Are you listening?¡± ¡°Ah, yes yes, I¡¯m listening! Lord Roel, do you have any instructions for me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. It¡¯s just that... things might get chaotic soon. So, I hope that you can remain in this room and protect Nora. Don¡¯te out no matter what you hear, or else things could get dangerous.¡± ¡°Chaotic? Could it be...¡± ¡°Yes. I suspect that our enemies will chase us here.¡± ¡°This... Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll bring some food and weapons here to protect Lady Nora by her side!¡± Hearing that evil cultists mighte knocking very soon, ude¡¯s face turned pale as he quickly began to busy himself with preparations. He had barely fought during his life, so all he had was a standard issue sword from his role as a soldier. It wasst sharpened a year ago, so it would probably only suffice for killing a chicken now. To summarize, his fighting prowess was something Roel bore zero expectations for. However, that was fine too, since Roel hadn¡¯t intended on relying on ude in the first ce. Actually, there was no basis behind his worries other than the dream he just had, but he was the kind of person to prepare for the worst. In his dream, that mountain-like skeleton known as Grandar mentioned that he was in trouble. Considering how the other party had granted him such a powerful spell on their first meeting, it seemed pretty meaningless for him to lie on such a matter. Most likely, he just wanted him not to die too quickly, so that he could get the answer he wanted. Roel¡¯s initial thought was that the ¡®trouble¡¯ referred to Nora¡¯s illness, but the more he thought about it, the more he felt that that wasn¡¯t it. Grandar¡¯s Promise was a powerful spell that granted him invulnerability for a short period of time. No matter how one looked at it, it was definitely abat spell. Surely, Grandar hadn¡¯t given him such a spell to fight against an already incapacitated Nora, right? Without a doubt, he was supposed to use this spell to deal with some other enemy. As for who this enemy was, Roel had a pretty good guess on that. ¡°Peter Kater...¡± Roel muttered the name of his enemy as he clenched his fists tightly. Truthfully, Roel had a deeper reason why he felt guilt toward Nora that she didn¡¯t know about. Nora might not have found anything wrong about them getting attacked by an evil cultist, but Roel himself knew he was the cause of it all. He knew very well that this assassination hadn¡¯t happened in the original plotline of Eyes of the Chronicler . In the first ce, Peter¡¯s target was him, not Nora. This was already revealed by his spell, Cmity of Bloodshed. His actions had caused huge changes to ur in the future, changing the original plotline surrounding the Theocracy. In his bid to remove his death gs, he unintentionally ced Nora in danger. It was because she wanted to be with him that she left the safety of the royal pce to stay at the Labyrinth Vi on the first night of the new year. That resulted in her getting embroiled in the assassination attempt. It was less than a single day, but Roel saw many different sides to Nora, be it her kindness, her unyielding spirit, or her frailty. He knew deep down that he couldn¡¯t abandon her, or else he would never be able to live with the regret. So, he drew his silver short sword and nced at the de. A pair ofposed but imposing golden eyes, filled with killing intent, stared back at him. He stood up and headed to the doorway of the monastery. There, an oilmp swung creakily under the cold night breeze. He began making his way toward the unknown darkness and disappeared within it. Chapter 79: Battle in the Monastery

Chapter 79: Battle in the Monastery

A person should know their limits. This was a saying that Roel felt was appropriate to be used anywhere regardless of the circumstances, and this was especially so in a world where transcendent powers were possible. Knowing what one was capable of allowed one to make correct choices in the face of trouble. ¡°If you fail to n, you n to fail,¡± muttered Roel. He had always believed in making careful preparations before doing anything. Before taking action, he had already thought out the possible situations and made countermeasures for them ordingly. It might have been a hot-blooded gamble driven by emotions, but it was definitely not blind recklessness. Assuming that the ¡®trouble¡¯ that wasing for them was really Skin Grafter Peter Kater, it would mean that he had managed to ovee the toon of soldiers from back then. In that toon, three of them were at Origin Level 5 and the rest were Origin Level 6s. By this gauge, it should be safe to assume that Peter¡¯s strength was at Origin Level 4. It was unlikely for his level to be any higher, since that would mean that had to be Origin Level 3. Remember that Origin Level 3 marked a high-level transcendent, a being who possessed immeasurable power. If he was really that powerful, there was no way he would have faced any difficulties trying to deal with those soldiers. Also, Nora likely had no confidence in defeating Peter, considering how she reacted back at the art studio. With her Angel¡¯s Bloodline, she was far stronger than ordinary transcendents of the same level. She even had the possibility of challenging some Origin Level 4s. Through using suchparisons, Roel concluded that Peter Kater¡¯s strength was at the stronger side amongst Origin Level 4s, probably like a C+ by the System¡¯s standards. This meant that he was two whole levels stronger than Roel. It was typically impossible for an Origin Level 6 to defeat an Origin Level 4, but after careful consideration, Roel felt that he still stood a chance. Peter Kater was certainly powerful, but he had one weakness¡ªhe was a pure magician. This could be seen from his attitude when he showed-off his art studio, as well as the way he defended himself when dealing with the attacks from the toon of soldiers earlier. He disyed ordinary physical prowess and even ended up getting stabbed in his thigh. If one were to just look at his constitution by itself, it was at most on par with an Origin Level 5 closebat warrior. Perhaps, he might even be physically weaker than Roel too! Furthermore, after the bitter battle he had been through, it was likely that he was in a weakened state. After all, the transcendent abilities in this world all came at a price, especially for evil cultists. This could be seen from the battles between the Theocracy and the evil cults. Roel once heard from Carter that the Theocracy rarely had the upper ground when facing off with evil cultists right from the start. The evil cultists tended to have exceptionally powerful offensive transcendent abilities, which made it hard to face them straight on. However, as long as they dragged the battle out, the scales would swiftly tip in the Theocracy¡¯s favor. In fact, there were times where the cultists would die on their own from being unable to foot the price of their own abilities! Living life to the extreme, this was the fundamental nature of evil cults. Taking all of these factors into consideration, a n was slowly taking shape in Roel¡¯s mind. The key to whether he could achieve victory basically hinged on two factors¡ªwhether he was able to get close enough to Peter, and whether he was able to wield sufficient attack prowess to break Peter¡¯s defense. He looked at the silver short sword in his hand. It was going to be his trump card tonight. As a holy weapon, it was the bane of all evil cultists. The defense of a mere Origin Level 4 wasn¡¯t even worthy of mention before it. Also, after having absorbed his and Nora¡¯s bloodline for a month, Ascendwing had sessfully incubated its first ability. He was going to entrust his hopes to it. ¡¾Ascendwing Short Sword The remnants arising from the crystallization of the harmonization of the first generation Bloodline Awakener and the Compassion Origin Attribute. Its current user has infused an ability into it. The Unruly: The user is able to teleport to a location within sight three times a day. The maximum distance is determined by the nature of the user¡¯s magic power and attribute.¡¿ This ability had appeared yesterday night, but it would prove to be Roel¡¯s greatest weapon by instantaneously closing the distance with that monster cloaked in human skin to destroy him. As powerful as this ability was, it had its limitations. For one, he could only teleport to ces within sight, which meant that it was impossible to teleport across walls. Furthermore, visibility would be greatly reduced due to the constant fog and the darkness; that meant that the distance he could teleport was reduced to only 10 meters. This was extremely disadvantageous to Roel. Based on what he had seen during the fight with the patrol squad, Peter Kater¡¯s painting had a striking distance of 20 meters, which meant that just a teleportation distance of 10 meters was insufficient. To make things worse, the mana cost for multiple teleportations was too great for Roel to bear even in his best condition. This was a problem that he had to solve right now, and fortunately, he seemed to have found a solution in the Affection Points Exchange Shop. ¡¾ck Crow Fog Lights Warm light pierces through all obstructions. It¡¯s a tool used in Fog Capital Shantu to guide people home. When the fog starts to settle in, its light will turn green. During that time, please remain at home. Price: 500 Affection Points/light¡¿ Roel had always thought that his System was not very unreliable, but who could have thought that he would actually be able to find the key to oveing his quandary through it? The ck Crow Fog Lights was like the final missing piece to his n. With the fog light in hand, he prepared himself to face a night of untold danger. ... Peter Kater noticed that something was off about the situation. He held onto his wounded arm as he stared at the eerie looking monastery shrouded by the fog. Without historical knowledgeparable to Nora, he was unable to discern just what kind of era this building came from. All he felt was that this ce was a little creepy. He turned to look at the withered noblewoman leading the way and the hellhound she was holding. ¡°Eva, do you sense any other presences here other than those two brats?¡± The noblewoman shook her head in response to her master¡¯s question. Peter looked at the yellow light hanging on the roof of the monastery and pondered silently. Even though this ¡®Eva and Her Dog¡¯ painting was not particrly powerful amongst Peter¡¯s many paintings, its tracking ability was second to none. Anyone who had entered the building within thest three days wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape the notice of the hellhound, unless that person was of Origin Level 3 or above. However, was it possible for an Origin Level 3 transcendent to appear at a ce like this? Peter shook his head with a chuckle. That was impossible. Even though he wasn¡¯t sure what in the world was happening here, if there was really such a powerful individual on this battlefield, he would have already been killed by now. One must know that Peter hadn¡¯t been concealing his aura all this while. From this, he assumed that there wasn¡¯t any major threat to him here. Peter felt that the likelihood of encountering danger was unlikely, but nevertheless, there was still a need to maintain the highest level of wariness just to be safe. So, he had Eva and her hellhound lead the way at the front while he followed them from a distance away. In a sense, it was this decision that had saved his life. Ruff! Ruff ruff ruff! The moment they passed through the doors of the monastery, the hellhound that Eva was holding onto suddenly began barking uneasily toward the empty dark shadow. The perplexed Peter was just about to ask about it when a silver gleam shed across the air. A distortion suddenly formed amidst the darkness as a silhouette carrying a sword dashed out, directing his sword toward the hellhound and Eva. Ascendwing¡¯s incredible might was revealed instantly. It pierced right through the hellhound and Eva, causing their bodies to distort before vaporizing into thin air. Seeing this scene through Eva¡¯s eyes, Peter¡¯s face warped in fury. He didn¡¯t expect to lose a precious painting just like that, but before he could erupt in anger, the silhouette had already moved on to his next target¡ªhim. ¡°Brat, you¡¯re asking for it!¡± bellowed Peter. His painting, the Smiling Mother, immediately surfaced from behind him, causing the surroundings to suddenly be viscous. The stench of blood that suddenly suffused the air was nauseating. However, the short sword released its glow once more, liberating Roel from the heavy weight on him. He continued to dash forward as he eyed the man standing before him. He noticed that thetter¡¯s palm was faced toward him, an action reminiscent of a magician preparing to cast a spell. Should I continue charging? Or should I back away? Roel was put in a dilemma at this moment. If he advanced a few more steps, he could use the ability of his short sword to leap to Peter¡¯s side. However, these additional few steps posed a huge risk to him. Roel felt like there was a fire burning in his heart, but his mind was as calm as still water. He recalled Peter¡¯s battle performance against those soldiers earlier on. Thetter was indeed powerful as an evil cultist, and his prowess as an Origin Level 4 transcendent was not to be scoffed at. Was it possible to kill him with a direct charge? There was indeed such a possibility, but the chances of it seeding was very slim. It was so low that Roel wouldn¡¯t want to take his chances. ¡°The Unruly!¡± All of a sudden, Roel felt a premonition of danger strike his heart. He quickly infused his mana into his short sword, and his body vanished from view. 3 replies ¨C 3 hours ago A bloody ray of light sted out from the tip of Peter¡¯s finger, crossing through the space Roel was standing just a moment ago. It struck the walls of the monastery with a heavy impact, causing the building to creak a little. This was a terrifying spell that could instantaneously induce the explosion of one¡¯s blood. It was one of the usual spells that Peter used to decimate his enemy and prepare the paint he needed for his artwork. It should have decided the battle, but it fell empty instead. ¡°What happened? Goddamnit! Where is he?¡± Peter could hardly believe his eyes. It was true that he didn¡¯t expect Roel to be able to avoid his attack, but what really shocked him was the brat suddenly disappearing into thin air! What is happening here? Flustered now, Peter quickly scanned his surroundings and instructed Smiling Mother to coil around him and protect him. He began trying to make sense of the situation by thinking through all the possibilities. Not many spells allowed one to simply vanish into thin air, and the prices one had to pay to cast them were extremely heavy. The Country of Schrs, Brolne, did have a faction that was skilled in concealment, but that wasn¡¯t an ability that Roel, who didn¡¯t possess any Origin Attribute, could have learned. It was limited to only high-level transcendents. ¡°It¡¯s his weapon. That sword...¡± muttered Peter as he narrowed his eyes coldly. He recalled how the sword was able to destroy Eva in a single strike, and that made him feel deeply uneasy. However, he knew better than to reveal his fears in battle. He continued scanning the room with a cold look on his face. Meanwhile, on one of the beams near the ceiling of the monastery, hidden from Peter¡¯s sight, Roel was currently eyeing Peter with cold eyes. With a silent sigh, he took off Shadow Lover as he began analyzing his situation again. The surprise attack wasn¡¯t exactly a failure, but it was true that he had missed a valuable opportunity to get Peter while he was off guard. In his initial n, he was aiming to use Shadow Lover¡¯s concealment ability to camp at a spot to deal a swift and deadly blow to Peter. However, Peter was far more vignt than he had thought. Not only did he choose to send his painting in first, but he was even wary enough to maintain some distance. That ensured him sufficient time to react to anything unexpected. The current situation wasn¡¯t exactly in Roel¡¯s favor. The Smiling Mother had some sort of AOE dy skill. Whenever he draws near, his movements would almost grind to a halt. He recalled how the soldiers earlier on froze up in her presence before having their throats slit open. Also, Peter¡¯s reflexes could be considered noteworthy. They didn¡¯t make him inhumanly fast, but it was excellent for a magician. He was able to swiftly recover andunch a decisive counterattack despite being caught off guard. The duration he took to cast his offensive spell was also quite fast too, taking just one second. It was due to all of this that Roel was left with no choice but to swiftly teleport away and bide his time, waiting for his next opportunity. The battle also granted Roel some understanding about his sword and its first ability too. Without a doubt, The Unruly was a powerful ability, but it had its own limitations too. The maximum distance that he could possibly teleport was 50 meters at the moment. Being able to teleport 50 meters might sound amazing, but considering the burst power of transcendents, it was still insufficient. There were plenty of spells that had a strike range further than 50 meters. However, one thing that ddened Roel was that he was mistaken about its mana cost. The mana consumed was 10% of the spellcaster¡¯s total mana, which was still afortable amount for Roel to bear. However, it was likely that its effectiveness would be poorer when he was faced with far stronger enemies in the future too, especially with its limited uses. Eyy, how cool would it be if I could teleport all around the battlefield without restraint? Nevertheless, aside from the unfortunate limitations of Ascendwing, even Roel had to admit that it was a broken weapon. He nced downward to look at Peter, who was still warily scanning the room for him. Currently, he still has two more uses left of his sword¡¯s ability. It would only suffice for one charge and one retreat. It was impossible for him to abandon Nora, who was still lying somewhere inside the monastery, so there was only one thing left for him to do. Kill Peter in the next strike. Chapter 80: To Each Their Faith

Chapter 80: To Each Their Faith

Wade Xeclyde looked out of the window as he waited for the sunlight to bask upon thends once more. Everyday, dawn and dusk; these were the fixed resting times for the grandbyrinth that had segmented the streets into dozens of individual pieces. For an hour during these two periods, the lingering fog would recede temporarily, allowing one to navigate through thebyrinth without suffering from impaired visibility. However, after the hour was up, the fog would creep back in and a newbyrinth would emerge, rendering all of the information collected over the past half a day useless. This was also the reason why Wade¡¯s allied armies were unable to find Victoria and Ponte no matter how theybed the area. Unless they were able to gather an army of over a hundred thousand to fill up the entire street, their chances of reaching Victoria and Ponte banked entirely on luck. Furthermore, their armies couldn¡¯t afford to advance too quickly due to the poor visibility, which meant that the efficiency of their search was lower than expected. Justst night, however, Wade found a new ray of hope. There was no need for him to search blindly anymore, for he had detected a resonance with the royal bloodline on Locke Street. Without a doubt, the one who was resonating with the royal bloodline had to be Victoria. While Wade couldn¡¯t understand why she would deactivate the magic tool that was suppressing her royal bloodline, there was no doubt that this was a good opportunity for Wade to strike. As soon as the fog dissipated at dawn, he would personally lead his armies toward where the resonance wasing from. ¡°Your Highness, we have no idea what Victoria and Ponte are up to. The fact that they dare to reveal their location means that it¡¯s likely for there to be a trap waiting for us there. Please remain here and allow me to go instead.¡± Looking at the young man gazing out of the window, Felder Elric ced his fist on his chest and spoke gravely. He felt that it was best for him to move, given the risks involved. However, the young man he was addressing didn¡¯t respond to him. The other party continued looking out of the window quietly, as if not hearing his request. ¡°Felder, what do you think is the cause of my mother¡¯s death?¡± ¡°Hm? It¡¯s due to the political shenanigans of the nobles and priests of the church...¡± Felder was surprised by the abrupt question posed by Wade. He blinked his eyes in confusion as he revealed his own view on the matter, but thetter shook his head in response to his answer. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. That¡¯s just scraping the surface. The real reason lies in our differences.¡± ¡°Differences?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Wade turned around to face Felder, and he began to exin calmly. ¡°Geographical differences, racial differences, nationality differences, faith differences; all of these differences we have with one another induce fears. They are like fences that segregate us from one another. We view everything that stands outside our fence with fright, fearing that others would infringe on our sanctuary and threaten our existence. ¡°Regardless of your identity and merits, as soon as you disy any difference from the majority, you¡¯ll be treated differently. It could range from subtle discrimination to genocide. That¡¯s the true cause behind my mother¡¯s death. ¡°Have I avenged her through this war yet? There are probably many who think that I have achieved my goal. The nobles who had sidelined and pressured her back then have already died, but that¡¯s not my end goal. It¡¯s not over yet. The vengeance I seek goes far beyond that! ¡°My mother died from the gue and the scorn of the nobles, but more than that, she died due to the discrimination and oppression arising from the differences in ideals. That¡¯s what I seek to shatter in my vengeance. I want to tear down those tall fences that people hide themselves behind! But, there¡¯s just far too much that needs to be eliminated... ¡°It¡¯s a difficult journey ahead, but it¡¯s not entirely impossible. For one, I could unify the continent together as one, just like the Ancient Austine Empire back in the Second Epoch...¡± Wade looked at the dumbfounded Felder with eyes burning with ambitions. ¡°You once asked me what my dream is. I¡¯ll give you an answer right now. This is my dream! It won¡¯t be easy to realize it; there will be difficulties every step of the way. Your strength is irreceable to me in fulfilling this goal... That¡¯s why, I forbid you from viewing yourself as a pawn to me.¡± With a faint smile on his lips, Wade refused Felder¡¯s request. However, Felder was in far too much shock to respond right away. Even though Felder had known that the liege he served was one with great ambitions, he never imagined that thetter would actually harbor such grand dreams. He actually wanted to construct a unified empire for all humans. ... If it¡¯s him, with his talents and the power of the Theocracy, that might just be possible! Felder suddenly felt that Wade looked far bigger and more imposing than before. The marquess straightened his back once more before bowing solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for the high opinions you have for me. I¡¯m willing to devote my life to fulfilling your dreams! However, Your Highness, I can¡¯t allow you to walk into Locke Street by yourself. So what if it¡¯s a trap? If I don¡¯t even have the courage to face this bit of danger, how could I possibly be worthy of standing by your side and fulfilling your dreams?¡± Those words made the edges of Wade¡¯s lips inch up further. Even though there was no crown on his head, the air hemanded was alreadyparable to that of a conqueror. ¡°We¡¯ll set off at daylight.¡± ... ¡°Wade will definitely head there, I¡¯m certain of it.¡± In the Labyrinth Vi, Victoria Xeclyde pointed to the blinking red dot on Locke Street as she directed a sharp look toward a helpless looking ck-haired man sitting not too far away. Ponte Ascart was holding onto one of his diaries with a musing look on his face. It was a long timeter before he finally responded. ¡°Victoria, is your magic tool really working normally? Could it be malfunctioning? No matter how I look at it...¡± ¡°It¡¯s working fine.¡± Victoria¡¯s sharp and resolute response left Ponte at a loss for words. As a teacher, he felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate for him to probe too deeply into the private affairs of his pupil, but given the current circumstances, it didn¡¯t seem like he had any other choices. ¡°Regarding this... Victoria, does your family have any distant rtives that are not known to the rest of the world or something like that...¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing of that sort.¡± ¡°It¡¯s certain that Holy Eminence Ryan isn¡¯t in Loren at the moment, so what do you think this red dot signifies then?¡± ¡°Probably an illegitimate child.¡± Victoria puckered her lips as herplexion turned a little awful. The worst thing that could happen in the midst of a disaster was for a family crisis to suddenly break out, especially when it was something as explosive as the revtion of the existence of a half-sibling. Anyone stumbling into such a situation would feel utterly annoyed. As a member of the Xeclyde House, it wouldn¡¯t do for Victoria to speak badly about Holy Eminence Ryan, her father, but it couldn¡¯t be helped, and her mood became awful. ¡°Ah. What do you propose we do about this then? Are we going to save that person?¡± Ponte discreetly nced at his fuming pupil while asking carefully. Victoria took a few breaths to calm herself, before finally nodding her head. ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s a fact that our Xeclyde House iscking in offspring. Furthermore, the fact that the child has been roaming around on the streets goes to show that the Holy Eminence isn¡¯t aware of his or her existence. They¡¯re an innocent bystander in this conflict, so I can¡¯t let them to die in Wade¡¯s hands.¡± After saying her piece, Victoria raised her head to look Ponte in the eye. ¡°Teacher, please help me. I wish to bring that child here.¡± Ponte fell into a moment of silence after hearing Victoria¡¯s request, but it wasn¡¯t hesitation on his face but graveness. ¡°Victoria, I understand how you feel, but you should understand the cost of your action. We mighte to blows with Wade over this matter. You¡¯ll be putting yourself in great danger.¡± ¡°I understand, teacher, but I can¡¯t turn a blind eye to my kin... Furthermore, for Wade¡¯s n toe to fruition, he has to hold an unshakable leverage over the Xeclyde House. He cannot allow an illegitimate child to meet our father.¡± Victoria¡¯s eyes drooped sorrowfully as she spoke. She hated how things hade to this point between her and her twin brother, but she knew that she had to stop Wade at all cost. It was not ack of understanding between them that brought about this conflict. On the contrary, it was precisely because she knew Wade¡¯s ns that made her determined to stop him. Wade¡¯s ambitions were simply too great. It was to the point where the Theocracy wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the weight of his dreams. It would spell a cmity for the world if Wade were to don the crown. Countless civilians would lose their lives, and families would be torn apart. ¡°Since you have already made up your mind, I won¡¯t say anything more about it. Let¡¯s face off with those two brats, Wade and Felder, then.¡± Ponte sighed deeply in his mind before stepping forward to console his student. Following that, he began to analyze a feasible n for the operation. He took a look at the map of Locke Street and prayed that the environment there was suitable for him to exert his prowess. Meanwhile, Victoria put her sorrow aside and began preparing the manpower required for the operation. There was no doubt that the blinking red dot on Locke Street would spark up a huge battle between both factions after several days of rtive peace. Unknowingly, ominous clouds had begun gathering from all around, bringing a heavy feeling to the battlefield. Chapter 81: A Life And Death Battle

Chapter 81: A Life And Death Battle

Inside the monastery, ude was clutching tightly to a sword he hadn¡¯t used even once since obtaining it. He huddled up into a ball inside the mini fortress he had built in the room out of furniture and trembled fearfully. ude was already middle-aged, which meant that he had a wealth of life experiences, but ultimately, he was more into books than swords. He spent most of his time inside the monastery teaching the studentsnguage, math, and the stories about the Genesis Goddess Church. Being conscripted to join Princess Victoria¡¯s logistical toon was probably the most frightening event in his life. He had to march into the battlefield to carry the wounded back to camp so that they could get treated, so it was inevitable that he would be exposed to the cruelty and gruesomeness of war. In just a few short days, he had already seen more bloodshed than he ever wanted to. He was disappointed when he was left behind by the main army, but in truth, it was also a huge relief to him too. Being able to return to this familiar monastery set his mind at ease, making him feel like everything was normal once more. Little did he expect that he would actually stumble onto Sia¡¯s envoys in this familiar monastery. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, an evil cultist even knocked on the doors of the monastery shortly after. The evil cultist summoned countless vengeful spirits around, haunting the monastery. A malevolent air drifted in the surroundings, and from time to time, cries of agony could be vaguely heard from the fog. He thought that the demons from legend had resurfaced in the world. ude stared at the sealed door as he gasped for air. Huge droplets of perspiration could be seen dripping from his head. He turned around to look at the sleeping girl behind him, and aplicated and fearful look surfaced on his face. The Holy Sons must be fighting with all their strength right now. ude¡¯s faith was telling him that he ought to do something, but his trembling body rendered him powerless. In his view, the only ones who could deal with those evil demons were the Holy Sons. He was convinced that Nora and Roel weren¡¯t ordinary mortals, not just in terms of strength but character too. They were strong yet humble, polite and approachable, brave and unyielding. They would unhesitatingly pick up their weapons and fight against any evil cultist who came their way. Ordinary mortals didn¡¯t possess the inner strength they did. In truth, Nora and Roel were frightened too. However, they found their courage to ovee their fear in different ces. For Nora, it was her lineage and her dignity. For Roel, it was his sense of responsibility and morals. Their reasons were different, but it allowed them to ovee the hurdles in their hearts, granting them the strength to stand strong. Surrendering to a stronger power wasn¡¯t frightening; what was more frightening was the surrender of one¡¯s soul. ude could feel a lofty, unshakable spiriting from the two children, and it was a quality that he had only seen in very few prestigious figures like Princess Victoria. ¡°May Sia bless the two of you.¡± ude bowed to the idol of Goddess Sia and fervently prayed for the safety of the two Holy Sons. ... Peter Kater had never thought that a day woulde where he would be forced into a defensive position by a mere Origin Level 6 brat. With ¡®Eva and Her Dog¡¯ destroyed, he was only left with Smiling Mother and a few other minor paintings to use. A fat businessman, a stern soldier, a crying maid... Peter released all of his earlier, more mediocre works. Most of these paintings didn¡¯t wield too much strength, and Peter considered them an embarrassment. However, given the current situation, his pride was of secondary concern. In this fog where his visibility was limited to 10 meters, he was faced with an opponent who wielded a powerful weapon and could mysteriously vanish into thin air. All of this manifested into a fatal threat that gripped his heart with fear. The pale-faced Peter took deep breaths as he tried his best to calm his heart. I mustn¡¯t panic. It¡¯s just an Origin Level 6 brat, that¡¯s all! So what if he has a powerful weapon in his hands? Hisbat experience and mental fortitude is nothingpared to me! I am the hunter here. He¡¯s nothing more than my prey! 2 replies ¨C 13 minutes ago While reassuring himself, he shouted furiously at the surroundings, hoping to lure Roel out. However, other than the cries of vengeful spirits, there was nothing to be seen or heard amidst the fog. His yellowish eyes red at the surroundings in fury. It was then that he suddenly sensed some movements in the defense line formed by his paintings 20 meters behind him. Found you! As soon as he received the information from his paintings, Peter Kater channeled his mana into the tip of his finger, manifesting a ball of red light. It was the vile spell that made the target¡¯s blood explode upon impact. Without hesitation, he shot out the spell, and it struck a figure cloaked in a red shawl. ¡°Hahahaha! Do you finally understand the difference standing between us now, brat? Did you think that you can defeat me just because you have a couple of good items on you? You must be dreaming!¡± Peter Kater was ecstatic to see that his spell had struck a target. Heughed gleefully as he began striding toward the target he had just struck, wanting to admire the pained look on Roel Ascart¡¯s face as his body was reduced to a pile of bloodied water. To his horror, while it was indeed Roel Ascart lying there, the look on him wasn¡¯t that of pain but of triumph and ridicule. Roel was lying prone on the floor, his hand grasping onto the purple pendant which he wasn¡¯t able to activate back at the ¡®Personal Studio¡¯. There was a shimmering barrier that was made out of light cloaking his body. No matter how the paintings wed at the barrier, they were unable to breach it. From the instant that Peter Kater saw that Roel was fine, his mouth opened and closed in utter shock, losing his speech. On the other hand, Roel¡¯s eyes lit up with murderous intent. 1 reply ¨C 11 minutes ago ¡°Gotcha!¡± Roel¡¯s voice was like an invitation from the grim reaper. At the next instant, Roel¡¯s body suddenly vanished into thin air. A gust of wind blew from Peter¡¯s back as a short sword pierced right through Smiling Mother with unstoppable momentum. It all happened so fast that Peter had no time to react at all. Pchi! The sound of a de piercing into a human¡¯s body sounded loudly in the air. Peter lowered his head in disbelief as he looked at the de stabbing right into his chest. Blood spewed out of his mouth. It was then that he realized that he had fallen for Roel¡¯s trap. I was fooled by a mere brat. As blood spurted from Peter¡¯s body, his consciousness gradually blurred. His life began to sh before his eyes. He recalled his poorer years, the despaired days he spent after his lover and family members died, as well as the days that he spent wandering around as an unrecognized painter. In the end, he was taken in by an evil cultist and ended up walking on the path of a transcendent. The young painter he saw in his memories had such a resolute look on his face, swearing to never be governed by the rules of the world anymore. That was his initial goal of being a transcendent. However, as time passed, he found himself turning into a tool of the organization. His initial dreams had eroded away before he knew it, and now, he was even going to lose his life to his target. I see. Is that the reason why I can¡¯t advance any higher? As death crept closer and closer to him, an epiphany struck Peter. He suddenly understood just what he wascking. Along with this realization, his mana began to gush outward furiously. With newfound strength, he grabbed the short sword that was plunged into his chest and turned around to face Roel with reddened eyes. ¡°Cough! Brat, I didn¡¯t think that you would have been able to push me to this point. I have really underestimated you. You are indeed a far more formidable opponent than I had thought. However... did you think that you can kill me just like that?¡± Peter howled with the fury of a beast. His gaze was filled with the tenacity to tear apart the enemy before him. Roel felt goosebumps rising up all over his body in fear. This was the first time he was really witnessing just how frightening and unyielding the transcendents of this world were. ¡°You¡¯re underestimating the prowess of an Origin Level 4 transcendent! Did you really think that you¡¯ve stabbed my heart? Take a closer look!¡± Roel widened his eyes as he looked at the wound caused by Ascendwing, only to see that the injury he caused had vanished without a trace. In its ce was a distorted portrait. ¡®¡°State of Immersion¡¯, this is my greatest trump card. A part of my body has already turned into a painting. You can no longer kill me! ¡°I admit that you were indeed a fearsome adversary, Roel Ascart, but it¡¯s a pity that you are far too weak. You aren¡¯t able toprehend what transcendents are capable of. That¡¯s why, this battle is my victory! ¡°Still, I should thank you for reminding me of my past. I finally see what is pulling me back. With that, goodbye!¡± Peter grabbed the short sword in front of his chest tightly while summoning the tattered Smiling Mother back to his side. The bloodied, bony hands of Smiling Mother swiped across the air to tear through Roel¡¯s throat. At this critical moment, time suddenly seemed to have slowed for Roel. Peter was right. Roel was not a true transcendent yet. He didn¡¯t have a real grasp of just what high-level transcendents were truly capable of, leading to his ns falling short. However, that didn¡¯t mean that it was over yet. If Peter was able to suddenly release a huge burst of power when crisis struck, there was no reason why Roel couldn¡¯t do likewise. The enemy before him might be a tenacious demon, but he was no pushover either! He reached out to the mes of life that burned at his very core and ignited it, causing it to ze with astounding fervor. ¡¾System confirmed.¡¿ ¡¾Spell ¡®Grandar¡¯s Promise¡¯ has been activated.¡¿ ¡¾Countdown. 30... 29... 28...¡¿ Rampaging mana seared every nerve in Roel¡¯s body, inciting him to roar in frenzy. The sudden surge of power caused his muscles to rip and tear, but he couldn¡¯t feel a thing at all. His body had already lost its sense of pain. At the same time, the bony ws of Smiling Mother finally reached Roel¡¯s body and pierced through his chest, inflicting him with a fatal wound. Yet, Roel paid no heed to that either. At this very moment, his attention was focused solely on Ascendwing. ¡°Shit! What¡¯s going on? Why did your mana suddenly... Impossible... Smiling Mother, hurry up and kill him!¡± Peter immediately noticed that things had gone awry. The short sword that he had been holding in ce was moving once more, threatening to pierce through the area of effect of the State of Immersion. He bellowed to his paintings desperately, but it was all futile. Roel was like an infallible war god. Despite grievous wounds that were being inflicted on his body, his face remained impassive. Even his fighting prowess hadn¡¯t lessened in the slightest. 1 reply ¨C 7 minutes ago Is this... undead reanimation? It can¡¯t be! Peter stared at the bloodied boy before him in shock and iprehension. Perhaps it might have been a figment of his imagination, but he seemed to see a massive silhouette standing right behind the boy, gazing down on him with eyes so impassive they made him feel as if he was nothing more than an ant. He panicked. He knew that things had gonepletely wrong, but he was powerless to change anything. ¡°Thanks for your warning. Goodbye, Peter Kater.¡± Surrounded by the ghosts of the paintings and the fog, Roel swung Ascendwing horizontally with unstoppable force. In the wake of a sh of silver light, a body was severed in two. Chapter 82: Good, We Got Him

Chapter 82: Good, We Got Him

¡°You... How is this possible? Cough!¡± The curtains were finally drawn on this life-and-death battle within the fog outside the monastery. A silver sh of light ripped through Peter Kater¡¯s body, and all of the distorted paintings gathered around him were torn apart. Peter Kater had no more means to avert his death. He felt his mana swiftly flowing out of his body, dissipating into the surroundings. ¡°I never thought... that I would really lose my life here... Hahaha... Brat, don¡¯t get too smug... You dared to make a deal with that kind of existence... One day, you¡¯ll too...¡± Despite having only half a body, Peterughed at Roel in mockery as he thought about the massive silhouette that he saw earlier, but before he could finish his words, he had already sumbed to death. All that was left on his face was a smile of ridicule. Meanwhile, Roel was gasping for breath after his massive exertion. He wasn¡¯t in any state to listen. He could only feel a searing heat burning his body. The invulnerability effect was still active for the moment. As the skill counted down to its end, the wounds inflicted by Smiling Mother and the other paintings began to quickly heal up. A surge of dark energy was swiftly rejuvenating his body, nursing him back to full health. ¡¾3... 2... 1...¡¿ ¡¾Spell ¡®Grandar¡¯s Promise¡¯ has ended.¡¿ ... With the end of the spell, the System¡¯s ¡®Evaluation¡¯ was also quickly being updated, and this was the final result: ¡¾Evaluation: High (74)¡¿ 1 reply ¨C 8 minutes ago Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by the sudden increase in his evaluation. He reached out to touch his abdomen. Previously, Smiling Mother had left a gaping hole there. Now, nothing remained but a smear of blood on his unblemished skin. His wounds hadpletely healed up, not leaving even a scab behind. Is the recovery ability of undead that great? , Roel wondered. He recalled all of the movies on overpowered zombies he had seen in his previous world, but even they didn¡¯t seem so formidable. Perhaps the undead in this world were exceptionally powerful. ¡°The effects are incredible, but it¡¯s just... incredibly exhausting...¡± Roel¡¯s body wobbled from side to side as he spoke feebly to himself. Transforming from an ordinary human into an undead and back took a huge toll on the body. Even with his injuries healed, he still couldn¡¯t recover from his frail state right away. It felt like his body had beenpletely emptied out. With unsteady steps, Roel staggered over to a nearby worn-out signpost that indicated ¡®Locke Street 42¡¯ and leaned against it. He took deep breaths to soothe the difort he felt, before turning to look at the monastery with a relieved smile. It had been incredibly dangerous, but he managed to ovee the disaster in the end and protect Nora. This was enough for him. ¡°What an irony though. Am I going to be the one to fall ill next once she recovers?¡± Roel clutched the signpost tightly with a helpless smile on his face. He gritted his teeth and began staggering his way toward the monastery. I need to head back and get ude to clean up the body, or else it could draw soldiers over... Halfway to his destination, he suddenly found his vision clearing up significantly. He raised his head and realized that it was already dawn. Sunlight scattered all over the street, brightening the surroundings in an instant. Sunrise and sunset, these were the times that thebyrinth would rest and reset the maze. It wouldst for an hour each time around. Looking at his own shadow cast behind him, Roel heaved a deep sigh of relief. He was d that the long night was finally over. However, before he could rest easy, he suddenly noticed another shadow appearing beside him. Someone is behind me! Roel immediately tensed up once more. He knew that there was no such thing as ¡®allies¡¯ in thisnd where danger lurked at every corner. So, he unhesitatingly turned around and aimed his short sword at the figure standing behind him. To his horror, Ascendwing, which had never failed him since he had obtained it, actually failed to injure his target. A metallic reverberation sounded from the de. Roel stared in disbelief at the dashing, golden-haired man blocking the sword with his long, slender forefinger. Judging from how the golden-haired man¡¯s muscles weren¡¯t tensed up, it was apparent that he wasn¡¯t exerting himself in the least. At the same time, it didn¡¯t seem like he was actively using his transcendent abilities either. Typically speaking, the sharpness of Ascendwing should have been more than enough to slice a person¡¯s finger in two, but that wasn¡¯t the case right now. Roel was shocked by the current situation, but he wasn¡¯t confused. Just by looking at the golden-haired man¡¯s face, which shared some resemnce to that of the girl currently sleeping inside the monastery, he was already able to figure out the person¡¯s identity. Wade Xeclyde. The worst-case situation had happened. Both he and Nora were in a terribly dangerous position. Wade Xeclyde was an extremely powerful individual. One of the techniques that he was skilled in was to focus his strength at a single spot to stop any weapons that were directed toward him. Such a technique was more or less a gimmick, but it was effective in crushing the fighting will of his opponents. However, the situation was a little different this time around. Just as Wade¡¯s finger was about toe in contact with Ascendwing, the short sword seemed to sense something and abruptly retracted its force, allowing Wade to easily stop it. Needless to say, this bizarre situation piqued Wade¡¯s curiosity. He moved his line of sight from Roel¡¯s bloodied body over to the sword, and his pupils suddenly contracted. Saint¡¯s de¡ªTwelve Wings! There was no question that it was the Xeclydes, inheritors of the Angel¡¯s Bloodline, who boasted the greatest knowledge of the Twelve Wings. Due to the nature of their bloodline, they couldn¡¯t be hurt by the Twelve Wings. In fact, this feather-like short sword was even used as their childhood y toy. Wade fully understood the significance of Ascendwing being wielded by the hands of an outsider. ¡°Who are you?¡± Wade turned his eyes back onto the owner of the sword. His gaze was far sharper and graver than it was before, but the person he was addressing appeared to be too tense to speak. Then, he turned his gaze sideward to look at the severed halves of a corpse lying on the ground. This mana... Origin Level 4? This child managed to kill him? A slight crease formed upon Wade¡¯s forehead. If the presence of Ascendwing created an air of mystery around the identity of the boy before him, the presence of the corpse belonging to an Origin Level 4 evil cultist further deepened it. Wade had a clear grasp of Roel¡¯s strength. Thetter was at most at Origin Level 6, having yet to obtain his Origin Attribute. Yet, to be able to defeat an evil cultist 2 levels stronger than himself... This was truly unbelievable, a nigh impossible feat. Could it be the sword¡¯s ability?, Wade wondered. Meanwhile, contrary to what Wade believed, Roel¡¯s mind hadn¡¯te to a halt just because Ascendwing had failed him. In fact, his mind was churning at full throttle to figure out a way to lure this prince as far away as possible from the monastery. He wasn¡¯t certain why Wade had suddenly appeared here, but he knew for certain that he couldn¡¯t allow the prince to meet Nora. Everything Wade was doing right now, including inciting this grievous civil war, was to make him the sole sessor to the throne. That was the condition he had to fulfill in order for his n toe to fruition. Therefore, there was no way Wade could tolerate the existence of Nora. He would have to lure Wade away from here by hook or by crook, but how was he supposed to do so? The most direct method was for him to lure Wade away by running away from this area. With such thoughts in mind, he turned his gaze to Ascendwing in his hand. So far, he had already used ¡®The Unruly¡¯ twice today, which meant that he had onest teleportation left. However, given that the maximum distance he could teleport was 50 meters, and that thebyrinth¡¯s fog had already receded, there was little doubt that he would get caught straight away. To make things worse, he was already encircled. There were all sorts of soldiers marching here from all directions right now, be it armed warriors, silver-armoredmanders, light-armored archers, or logistical soldiers. Wade¡¯s allied armies. There were records of them in history, and it was stated that most of them were evil cultists that looked as if they hade from the depths of hell. However, it turned out to be a tant lie. These soldiers were clearly very well-trained and disciplined, and they were not evil cultists but heretics. But of course, Roel was in no mood to correct history right now. The emergence of the allied armies crushed the final spark of hope that Roel harbored in his heart. With the maximum teleportation distance of 50 meters to ¡®The Unruly¡¯, no matter where he teleported off to, he would only be leaping into a sea of enemy soldiers. ¡°Judging from your clothes, you must be from a high-standing noble house. Interesting. I haven¡¯t heard of any nobles being conferred with Ascendwing, but yours has already been activated.¡± Wade looked to and fro between Ascendwing and Roel¡¯s stiffened face, and he found himself unable to suppress his curiosity any longer. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Victoria?¡± While Wade was asking his question, Roel noticed a golden-haired knight rushing over to them. The knight stopped before Wade and bowed to him. ¡°Your Highness, we have surrounded the area. Our men are prepared to move as soon as you give themand.¡± ¡°Move in and find her.¡± ¡°I understand. What about this...¡± ¡°You need not care about him. There¡¯s no need to take his weapon away either. He doesn¡¯t have the strength to fight back anymore. Just find someone to take care of him.¡± Wade looked at Roel, who was trying his best to put on a strong front despite being on the verge of passing out at any moment, and he chuckled to himself. He decided to keep this interesting boy alive for the time being and question himter. On the other hand, however, the golden-haired knight was cautious of Roel. He stared deeply at thetter, seemingly trying to assess if Roel would be a threat to Wade or not. At the same time, Roel began assessing the knight in return. To his astonishment, he saw something that he hadn¡¯t expected to see at all. ¡¾Wade¡¯s Aide: Felder Elric (Bryan Elric)¡¿ Chapter 83: B-but I Haven’t Gotten On the Bus Yet!

Chapter 83: B-but I Haven¡¯t Gotten On the Bus Yet!

Cmity of Bloodshed. This was a spell that Roel bought from the Gold Coin Shop while it was holding a special discount. Its effect was quite mystical, working only on a probability basis. So far, the only person whom the spell had worked on was Peter Kater. That being said, it did provide him with quite some useful information. For one, he learned that he, for some reason, had be a target for evil cults. However, the spell was being activated for the second time this very instant. Roel saw a light-red name appearing above the golden-haired knight¡¯s head. The fact that the color was light-red showed that the knight carried killing intent, but it wasn¡¯t primarily targeted at him. But what was shocking wasn¡¯t the color of the name but rather the name itself. ¡¾Wade¡¯s Aide: Felder Elric (Bryan Elric)¡¿ He wasn¡¯t too surprised at the start, but when he noticed the name ced inside the brackets, he couldn¡¯t remainposed any longer. It was almost as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. The sudden appearance of the name ¡®Bryan Elric¡¯ left Roel¡¯s mind nking out. His first reaction was to wonder if that Count Bryan had been mysteriously dragged into this world when thebyrinth activated. However, he quickly denied that possibility. For one, it was impossible for Bryan Elric to be in the vicinity of the Labyrinth Vi, and for the other, he seemed to fit perfectly into this world. This knight¡¯s subordination to Wade Xeclyde and the authority he wielded before the soldiers showed that he was indeed Felder Elric, a man who belonged to this era. However, the Cmity of Bloodshed couldn¡¯t possibly make a mistake, so why would Bryan Elric¡¯s name appear? After thinking hard on this matter, Roel could only think of a single possibility¡ªthe Felder Elric of this generation was indeed the future Bryan Elric! It was written in the history books that the patriarch of the Elric House had ended his life after the defeat of Wade¡¯s allied armies in the March Turmoil. It was unlikely for this part of the history to be false as the Xeclydes would have personally verified the authenticity of the news. Felder Elric must have found some way to revive himself, allowing him to continue existing as Bryan Elric in the era of Holy Eminence John more than a centuryter. The discovery of this rming secret made Roel¡¯s heart pound harder. He couldn¡¯t help but stare at the golden-haired knight intently, which only seemed to further spur on Felder¡¯s hostility. ¡°Brat, I have no idea where you came from, but you are standing before the great Prince Wade. You better lower your head in humility and respect in his presence.¡± After uttering those threatening words, Felder turned his attention away from Roel and ordered the soldiers to tighten the encirclement around the monastery. Following that, he led the vanguard force made up solely of elite soldiers into the monastery fearlessly. ¡°Ahh! Don¡¯t kill me, I am merely a monk...¡± The footsteps of the soldiers pattering on the wooden floor of the monastery sounded loudly. The sound of a door being kicked open echoed loudly in the air, and it was swiftly followed by ude¡¯s frightened screams. Following that, a soldier rushed out of the monastery and eximed excitedly. ¡°Your Highness, we have found her!¡± A clear smile broke out on Prince Wade¡¯s face upon hearing the report. He quickly made his way into the monastery, and under the lead of the soldiers, he headed straight toward the room Noraid in. He didn¡¯t even spare a nce at ude, who was being pinned against the corner of the room with a de pressed against his neck, as he walked straight toward the unconscious girl lying on the bed. The tension that had kept him strung up over thest few days finally left his body along with a sigh of relief. I¡¯ve won! The huge losses he had made over the past half a month of internal strife hadn¡¯t been in vain. He managed to seed in the end. As long as he managed to put Victoria under his custody, his ns would surely work out without a hitch! ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t expect Ponte to abandon you and escape alone. I thought that the two of you... No, wait a moment. This isn¡¯t right!¡± Wade widened his eyes as he walked closer to take a closer look at the ¡®Victoria¡¯ lying on the bed. He suddenly felt a strong sense of incongruity about the person before him. Even though Victoria had a childlike physique that never seemed to mature, there was no way she could have looked so young. It was almost as if she had regressed several years to return back to her childhood. Furthermore, her bloodline ability... Wade closed his eyes in order to get a keener sense of the bloodline ability of the girl lying before him. The results made his face scrunch tightly out of sheer incredulity. It was true that the girl shared the bloodline origin as him, but her bloodline was only at Bronze-tier! This was obviously not right. Both he and Victoria had already reached Silver Bloodline 6 years ago! Bloodline regression? Just like how it was impossible for a human to age backward, there was no way that the tier of a person¡¯s bloodline could regress either! If so, could it be that Victoria had managed to regress her time? No, that was impossible too. Not even an Origin Level 1 transcendent has the power to tamper with a person¡¯s time, so such a possibility could be excluded. By eliminating all that was impossible, what that was left, no matter how improbable, had to be the truth. Wade had no choice but to ept the true significance behind this baffling situation before him, and that was that the girl before him was not Victoria Xeclyde! ¡°Bring that boy outside to me. Now!¡± Having stumbled upon the truth, Wade¡¯s very first reaction was to interrogate Roel. However, before his men could move, the textbooks in the monastery that were used to educate the children studying here suddenly released a brilliant sh of light. Countless pages shot out from the textbooks and filled the room. This abrupt situation made Wade¡¯s face darken lividly. ¡°Shit!¡± The presence of this familiar phenomenon made Wade reflexively draw his sword. But contrary to his expectations, those pages didn¡¯t attack Wade, but instead, they shot forth for the unconscious girl lying on the bed. Amidst the storm of pages, a ck-haired man suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He grabbed the unconscious girl before directing a polite smile toward Wade. ¡°A very good morning to you, Your Highness Wade. And... goodbye.¡± With mischievousughter, Ponte and Nora¡¯s bodies suddenly scattered into countless book pages, causing Wade¡¯s sword to end up piercing through empty air. Wade cast aside his sword furiously and issued an order to his men, ¡°They must still be in the vicinity. Hurry up and look for them!¡± With Wade taking the lead, the soldiers quickly rushed out of the monastery to conduct a thorough search of the area. After their departure, the storm in the room quickly settled down. A page slowly drifted down to the ground, revealing the content on it. ¡¸5 March, sunny. Today¡¯s Victoria is wearing yellow panties.¡¹ ... While book pages were rampaging within the room Nora had been in, there were also some unexpected situations happening outside the monastery too. While Roel was looking around, he suddenly noticed that an army of organized soldiers wearing the standard uniform of the Theocracy¡¯s military had suddenly appeared out of nowhere to encircle all of them. It happened so suddenly that he was left utterly dumbstruck. In Roel¡¯s defense, he wasn¡¯t the only one whose mouth was flopping open and close like a fish out of water. Felder was as shocked as he was. Without a doubt, the appearance of these soldiers was bad news to Wade¡¯s allied armies. This was further reinforced by the fact that these soldiers had, in fact, literally appeared out of nowhere, which meant that the master of this giganticbyrinth must have pulled some strings here. As for who the master of this massivebyrinth was... it went without saying that it was Roel¡¯s famed predecessor, Ponte Ascart! Hooray, my savior hase! Long live my ancestors! Roel was more excited about this than anyone else. To his delight, the soldiers of the Theocracy didn¡¯t let him down either. Under the great banner of the Guardian of Radiant Wings, an incredibly beautiful golden-haired woman drew her sword and pointed it toward Felder Elric. ¡°Attack!¡± A melodious yet firmmand was issued to the soldiers of the Theocracy. Princess Victoria¡¯s forces roared furiously as the strongest knights standing at the forefront of the formation led a valiant charge against Wade¡¯s allied armies. At the same time, the archers standing at the back of the formation drew their bowstring to cover them. While Wade¡¯s allied armies were caught off guard, they were not rendered helpless by the situation. They swiftly recovered from the shock and began rearranging their formations to brace themselves for the impact from the knights¡¯ charge. It should have gone without saying that the one who was the most disadvantaged by this sh was Roel. ¡°Oi oi oi, I am still here!¡± Staring at the massive cluster of arrows raining down from above, Roel¡¯s face darkened in horror. The emergence of Victoria¡¯s forces had indeed brought him a ray of hope, but ironically, it also plunged him further into danger. Before he could escape from the grasp of Wade¡¯s soldiers, he had to first and foremost find a way to survive! It didn¡¯t take Roel too much effort to figure out why Wade and Victoria would appear at the same ce simultaneously. Given that this monastery was not some strategic location, the only possibility was Nora. It¡¯s likely that they have some sort of magic tool or spell that allows them to detect the royal bloodline, Roel thought. At the same time, he heaved a sigh of relief too. Since Victoria was here, it could only mean that she was also determined to secure Nora, which meant that things wouldn¡¯t work out as Wade intended. Thebined prowess of Victoria and Ponte would be more effective than any n he could think of to help Nora. Actually, now that he thought about it, it was unlikely for Wade to kill Nora outright. The Xeclydes suffered from ack of offspring, so it was likely that he would avoid killing any of his family members unless the situation truly warranted such a course of action. While Nora was an unexpected variable, Wade would probably wait for her to wake up and exin the circumstances first before deciding whether to take her life or not. In the end, the one who was in the greatest danger here was in fact none other than Roel himself. He was already on the verge of getting killed by friendly fire over here. This was his firsthand experience of what arge-scale battle among transcendents was like. Perhaps it was out of consideration that they were in the midst of a city or that it was simply too mana consuming, neither sides were using any elemental attribute spells; there were no fireballs or the like flying around. But despite theck of special effects, the threat he faced was way more deadly than a volley of fireballs. A single arrow struck the empty ground just five meters away from Roel, and the mana infused on its tip immediately exploded. The rock-paved street shattered from the blow, and a powerful shockwave stirred up by the explosion nearly pushed Roel down to the ground. ¡°Holy shit... This isn¡¯t what arrows are supposed to be like!! It¡¯s no wonder they aren¡¯t bothering to use fireballs or that sort of fantasy stuff. Hell, these arrows are faster and more destructive than any fireball can possibly be!¡± Roel immediately clutched the purple pendant hung around his neck, summoning a thinyer of shielding to surround him. Fortunately, the quality of Carter¡¯s magic tools was reliable, or else this rain of arrows would have been more than enough to take his life. Under the fierce assault of Princess Victoria¡¯s forces, Wade¡¯s allied armies suffered heavy losses. Cries of agony sounded ceaselessly in the air. Roel shot a look at the five soldiers who were assigned to guard over him. Two of them had already lost their lives, and the other three were either trying to save theirrades or had drawn their shields and weapons, preparing themselves for battle. It was clear that no one¡¯s attention was on him right now. After all, who would care about a mere prisoner when their lives were at stake? Due to the sudden outbreak of chaos, Roel was finally free to make his getaway. He prepared himself to be received by his allies, but in the next moment, he saw a ck-haired man flying across the air with a golden-haired girl in his hand. At this moment, Roel only had a single thought in his mind. Wait for me, I haven¡¯t gotten on the bus yet!!! Chapter 84: Are You My Guardian Angel?

Chapter 84: Are You My Guardian Angel?

When the ck-haired man passed by him, Roel suddenly experienced a familiar sensation of dread simr to when he missed the school bus in his previous life. While he didn¡¯t recognize the ck-haired man dressed in old-fashioned noble clothes, it wasn¡¯t hard for him to guess who it was based on the fact that he was holding Nora in his hands. Most likely, that person was none other than his perverted predecessor, Ponte. Ponte was supposed to be his ray of hope out of this quandary, but it seemed like the bus didn¡¯t have any empty seats left for him anymore. ¡°Nora!¡± Roel shouted out loudly, hoping to catch her attention if she was awake. He didn¡¯t want to be left behind here. However, as he looked at the two of them flying openly across the sky, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous in their stead. No matter how powerful Ponte was, it still didn¡¯t change the fact that they were in the midst of a battlefield right now. Flying right over enemy lines was a sure way to provoke every single enemy archer. Sure enough, this was best exemplified by some of the soldiers standing near Roel at this very moment. ¡°Who is that?¡± ¡°An enemy! Shoot him down! Shoot him down!¡± The soldiers were infuriated at being looked down on by their foe, who was tantly escaping under their watch. In just a short second, over a hundred arrows whizzed upwards, targeting the fleeing man in the sky. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. Nora!¡± Roel cried out loudly in astonishment. His mindpletely went nk in this situation. Having just experienced the incredibly destructive power of arrows in this world, he didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen to Nora if any of the arrowsnded on target. However, instead of seeing the two flying individuals exploding in a burst of blood, an unbelievable sight happened instead. ¡°Hextongue: Distortion.¡± Just as the arrows were about to strike down their target, the ck-haired man suddenly began reciting something. Just like a veteran taxi driver meeting a traffic cop, the arrows that were aimed at him suddenly did a u-turn and flew backward. This physics-defying phenomenon left the mouths of Roel and many other soldiers agape. ¡°That¡¯s the patriarch of the Ascart House, Ponte Ascart! Continue shooting! Don¡¯t stop! Anyone who gets him will be promoted!¡± bellowed Wade furiously. Felder immediately drew his sword and shed it in a crescent arc, releasing a concentrated burst of mana toward Ponte thatunched with a terrifying sonic boom. Just in terms of pulsation of mana, it was already far greater than what the Origin Level 4 Peter was capable of. Roel felt that Peter would have surely lost his life if he were faced with such an attack. Naturally, this tremendous burst of mana immediately caught the attention of the whole battlefield. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Ponte Ascart stood calmly in the face of Felder¡¯s offense, barely reacting at all. ¡°Hextongue: Internal Dissolution.¡± Felder¡¯s burst of mana was just about to strike Ponte¡¯s body when it suddenly exploded from the inside-out. Just like that, an attack so powerful that it could even tear apart steel dissipated into the surroundings. Not only did it fail to injure Ponte, but the shockwave of the explosion even provided him with greater momentum for his escape. ¡°Thank you for sending me off, Marquess Felder!¡± 1 reply ¨C 21 minutes ago Those words made Felder so furious that he would hurl vulgarities if not for his dignity as a noble. With this, Ponte had traversed across half of the battlefield, and he began to descend toward Princess Victoria¡¯s side. At the same time, the knights below quickly rushed forward withrge shields to protect him. ¡°Themander ising down!¡± ¡°Shieldbearers in position!¡± ¡°Return fire!¡± Ponte¡¯s troops quickly formed a circle around him. At the same time, Princess Victoria gave off the order to fire, causing yet another rain of arrows to rise into the air. Seeing how Ponte managed to flit across a battlefield with ease, Roel couldn¡¯t help but look forward to his future development as a transcendent too. While he knew that the predecessors of the Ascart House were known for their exceptional ability, he was still surprised by how powerful Ponte was. When can I be that strong? Roel looked into the sky longingly. This event had really ignited a fire in his heart. In the past, he had hardly any understanding of what transcendents were capable of, so he was unable to fully visualize the possibilities. However, now that he was witnessing it in person, his motivation to be stronger was greater than ever. But putting dreams aside, Roel suddenly realized that there was an extremely pressing problem at hand. Wait a moment. Nora has been saved, and Ponte has already returned to Princess Victoria¡¯s side... What about me?!?! Roel took another good look at his surroundings, and he realized that the rain of arrows, which had just stopped for Ponte a moment ago, had started once more. It was apparent that Princess Victoria¡¯s forces were oblivious to his existence. The soldiers beside him lifted their shields up to protect themselves, leaving Roel the only one without cover. He stared at this situation with a dumbstruck expression before cursing furiously. ¡°Hell no! You bunch of selfish pricks! In the end, I can only count on myself!¡± Roel ran toward the side of the street and grabbed the shield of a fallen soldier before leaping into the drain. Holy Capital Loren often had sh rains, and there were frequent cases of summer floods over the past few centuries. So, when Holy Eminence Ryan came to power, he ordered for reconstructions in the city. After a great deal of work, this problem was finally solved once and for all. Due to this, the drains in Loren were wide and deep. It was a tight fit for an adult, but a child could still maneuver in with ease. It was no exaggeration to say that Holy Eminence Ryan¡¯s reconstructions saved Roel¡¯s life. As powerful as the barrier formed by Roel¡¯s purple pendant was, it was immobile. In other words, he could only stand still until the battle was over if he wanted to rely on it. By then, he would simply fall into Wade¡¯s clutches once more. Wade was bound to be furious after having Nora taken away right before his eyes. He would surely do everything he could to investigate Roel, and once he found out that Roel possessed the bloodline of the Ascarts, it would be all over! Knowing that he had to make a stand right now, Roel summoned everyst bit of mana and stamina he had left as he held the shield above him and dashed down the drain. He was so desperate that he was running faster than the world-breaking record for 100 meter sprint in his previous life! Tok tok tok! ¡°Ah!¡± The exploding arrows sent rock fragments and all sorts of misceneous objects pattering against the shield. Screams of those wounded reverberated through the battlefield. The chaos and cacophony above made Roel¡¯s forehead furrow, but he didn¡¯t dare to peek or stop. It was fortunate that Victoria¡¯s soldiers were decent with their archery, not one of their arrowsnded in the drain. Their professionalism greatly increased Roel¡¯s chances of survival. Otherwise, even with a shield above him, there was no way he could cope with those grenade-like explosive arrows. ¡°Hold the enemy down! Protect our retreating allies!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get tangled up with the enemy!¡± Themanders barked out orders from above. After securing Nora, Victoria and her forces weren¡¯t intending to continue the battle with Wade. Those at the back tried to retreat whereas those at the forefront tried to cover them. On the other hand, Wade¡¯s allied armies were biting onto them tightly, determined not to allow them to retreat easily. ¡°Charge! Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t back down! We can get them!¡± Orders boomed loudly on the battlefield above, leaving Roel tense and anxious. He knew that he had to get to where Victoria and Ponte were before they got away, or else there was no way he would be able to find them in thebyrinth. With such thoughts in mind, he hastened his footsteps and dashed forward. The blood of the deceased flowed down the streets and into the drain, causing the base to be a little viscous and slippery. However, Roel couldn¡¯t care less about getting a little more dirty now. He bore with the blood stench as he scrambled his way forward. Unfortunately, the situation wasn¡¯t in Roel¡¯s favor. This entire street was under Ponte¡¯s control, so Wade¡¯s allied armies were destined to be unable to hold them down for long. Fog had begun settling into the streets once more. Due to poor visibility, both sides had stopped firing arrows out of fear of friendly fire. The war cries gradually grew softer, signalling that the battle wasing to an end soon. This should have been good news, but it was a nightmare to Roel. He had barely reached the midpoint of both forces, which meant that there was a good chance that he was going to be left behind. What do I do? Should I head upward and sprint forward? There was a good chance that Roel could make it if he were to do so, but the issue was that he didn¡¯t have the armor of either factions, which would make him incredibly conspicuous on the battlefield. If the soldiers of both sides were to mp down on him together, he would be courting his own death. Roel continued running ahead along the drain as he tried his best to keep hisposure. It was at times like this that he couldn¡¯t lose his nerves, or else a reckless action on the battlefield could very well spell his death. But at the same time, he knew that he was at a critical juncture and had to make a decision very soon. He touched the silver sword he was carrying with him contemtively. He still had one use of The Unruly. The fog had yet to fully settle in yet, which meant that he could still barely make a full distance teleport right now. If he used it well, it would definitely increase his chances of catching up with Victoria¡¯s retreating forces. However, he also understood that just a leap of 50 meters wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to get out of the ¡®battle zone¡¯, which meant that he was still exposing himself to great risk. To leap or not to leap, that is the question... Immense stress had caused Roel¡¯s breathing to grow harsher as he felt a little suffocated. He took a peek out of the drain before finally gritting his teeth in resolution. Damn it! The fog will havepletely settled in if I continue hesitating! I should just make a gamble! At the worst, I¡¯ll just activate my purple pendant and hole myself up in the middle of the battlefield like a statue! Having made up his mind, Roel pulled out his silver sword and prepared to leap out of the drain. However, before he could make a move, he heard a series of cheersing from above. ¡°It¡¯s His Highness! His Highness is here!¡± ¡°Long live His Highness Wade!¡± From the exmation of a single soldier, it took only 10 seconds for it to turn into deafening roars of excitement that shook the earth. Without having to nce over, Roel could already figure out what was going on. Prince Wade had personally stepped onto the battlefield. Following that, a deafening explosion trembled the ground violently. Roel nearly slipped on the slippery blood beneath his feet. Astonished, he quickly peeked out of the drain once more, only to see crimson lightning crackling in the sky, tearing through the fog of thebyrinth. Felder also quickly made use of this situation to raise his sword up high and roar furiously. In an instant, the morale of the Wade¡¯s allied armies grew to a new high, and they charged forth with greater tenacity than before to stop the retreat of their enemies. Roel was a little shocked by how the circumstances of the battlefield changed so quickly. Looking at Wade, who was still channeling his spell at the frontline of the battlefield, he suddenly felt that the other party didn¡¯t look so hateful anymore. I didn¡¯t think you, of all people, would actually sacrifice yourself to buy time for me. You must be my guardian angel! Feeling touched, Roel quickly tucked away his silver sword and continued charging down the drain. Chapter 85: Please, Save Him

Chapter 85: Please, Save Him

¡°Victoria, I have brought her here!¡± In the midst of the battlefield, Ponte Ascart descended from the sky together with a young girl in his arms,nding into a shield formation formed by his trusted soldiers. Victoria quickly passedmand rights over to her vicemander before rushing over to Ponte¡¯s side. Victoria looked very different from how she seemed back at the Labyrinth Vi. The usual lofty look on her face was nowhere to be seen; on the contrary, she looked deeply worried. As a member of the royal family, she lived her life with a mask. She would usually y the role of a graceful and obedient woman, but at this time, she was revealing her true emotions. As easy as it might have seemed for Ponte to strut into the middle of the enemy camp alone, it was, in reality, a mission fraught with danger. Both Prince Wade and Marquess Felder possessed powers that rivaled Ponte. Nevertheless, using his advantages as a magician of the Hextongue Faction, he still managed to shake them off with ease. His valiant exploits had not just made Roel¡¯s heart pump in excitement, but it had also further captured a certain woman¡¯s heart and boosted the morale of his allies. ¡°Wee back, teacher. What¡¯s wrong with this child?¡± Victoria heaved a sigh of relief on the inside after seeing Pontending safely on the ground before turning her sights toward the young girl he was holding under his arm. When she saw that the possessor of the royal bloodline was actually a female, she snatched the young girl over from Ponte¡¯s hands without any hesitation. While Ponte was an upright man, as the saying went, there was no human without some sort of peculiar fetish. Due to the cost of his spells, his preferences in women were fully exposed to Victoria, and this was also Victoria¡¯s greatest trump card in keeping Ponte in check. Yes, she knew that Ponte liked t-chested, petite women. So far, from her observations, it didn¡¯t seem like Ponte was actually into children, but still, better safe than sorry, right? On the other hand, Ponte was also rendered speechless by how sensitive Victoria was about this matter. He had intentionally held Nora around her waist in order to avoid any weird misunderstandings, but who could have thought that it was all futile? ¡°I... I really am not... Ey, forget it!¡± Seeing the soldiers that were surrounding them at the moment, Ponte couldn¡¯t bring himself to say those words out loud. He knew that it was probably going to be useless anyway, as evidenced by the many times before he had tried to rify the misunderstanding. Meanwhile, Victoria was taking a closer look at her newly discovered blood kin, and her body froze up as soon as she saw the girl¡¯s face. The girl had beautiful facial features reminiscent of a saintly angel, golden hair that shone like sunlight, and a graceful figure. It was an appearance that even Victoria herself was awed by. However, that wasn¡¯t the reason why her body froze up. The reason why she was so shocked was because they were simply too simr... How could this girl look so much like her? Be it appearance or disposition, the girl looked exactly like the Victoria of 10 years ago. If not for the girl¡¯s much younger appearance, she would have thought that their mother had triplets instead of twins back then! What¡¯s going on? How could an illegitimate child look so much like me? Ponte was also taken aback once he had a good look at the girl¡¯s face. He was too focused on dealing with the enemies earlier that he didn¡¯t have any time to pay attention to her. But now that he was taking a closer look, he couldn¡¯t help but be confused. They look so alike even though they don¡¯t have the same mother? Are the genes of the royal family that powerful? ¡°Hold on. Why is she unconscious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either. She was already like this when I rescued her. Could it be that Wade did something to her?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. This child has a high fever... It¡¯s her bloodline! Her bloodline is awakening!¡± As someone who had been through a bloodline awakening herself, Victoria was able to immediately identify the reason for Nora¡¯s abnormal condition, and it astonished her. One must know that the sessors of this generation, Victoria and Wade, had been known as prodigies ever since a young age. Their talents as transcendents were amongst the top even when considering the long history of the Xeclyde House, but they only managed to awaken their bloodline to Silver-tier when they were 13. On the other hand, how old was this girl? ? 12? Victoria was not sure, but it was certain that the talents of this lost-long blood kin were at an unbelievable level. As long as she was carefully nurtured, she would definitely be an incredible figure who wielded the power to impact mankind as a whole in the future. I must protect her and keep her from falling into Wade¡¯s hands!, Victoria thought resolutely. She began using her Compassion Origin Attribute to gently direct the flow of energy in Nora¡¯s body, allowing her powers to flow smoothly. Meanwhile, Ponte also felt relieved to see that Victoria was in control of the situation. He turned his attention away from these nearly identical sisters to assess the battlefield. At the same time, he also took out a colorful gemstone. It was the magic tool he used to control thebyrinth, as well as the family heirloom of the Ascart House. While the colorful gemstone had some defects, the power it held was unimaginable. Even though Victoria¡¯s forces seemed to have the upper hand at the moment, it was mostly due to themunching a surprise attack and catching the enemy off guard. Once Wade¡¯s allied armies managed to recover and get their momentum back, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance at all. There was simply too great a disparity in their absolute military might. The Elric House had really gone all out to support Wade, and the heretics who had been living in the Holy Capital all along had thrown themselves in together with Wade too. These two powers formed an unprecedentedly powerful force that was nigh impossible to stop. On the other hand, the only ones supporting Victoria were the military units stationed in the Holy Capital. Of course, Ponte had also rallied his own personal army back at the Ascart Fiefdom to reinforce them, but Wade¡¯s allied armies had already taken control over the city walls and gates, which meant that the bulk of the Ascart House¡¯s military force wasn¡¯t able to get in. Since Victoria¡¯s forces were unable to win in a direct battle, Ponte wisely proposed for them to avoid a direct confrontation with Wade and save up their strength. They would await the return of Holy Eminence Ryan before staging aeback. With this in mind, as soon as Ponte escaped from Wade and Felder¡¯s clutches, he activated the colorful gemstone to summon the mist back in. However, his intentions were urately grasped by the enemy too. Ponte looked at the golden-haired man, who was summoning crimson streaks of lightning to dissipate the mist, and he couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by how fast Wade had matured. Ponte had once served as Wade¡¯s teacher, albeit for a short period of time. He could tell that Wade did have the disposition of a ruler, and his outstanding talents would bring the Theocracy to greater heights. Yet, certain events that happened along the way changed Wade¡¯s ideals, leading him to walk on a different path from Victoria. Those eyes that were once clear were now filled with burning mes. Wade had chosen to walk the path of a revolutionary, and he was determined to achieve his goal no matter how much blood he had to shed along the way. The old g of the Saint Mesit Theocracy was going to be incinerated in his hands, and no one knew what would be born from the ashes. Just like Victoria, Ponte was also deeply convinced that Wade had to be stopped. ¡°Commander, our brothers at the frontlines are getting stalled by the enemy forces!¡± The howl from one of the military officers interrupted Ponte¡¯s wandering thoughts. He swiftly calmed down and focused once more, returning to his usual solemn self. He quickly surveyed the situation, then he began channeling mana in his hands once more. But before he could release his spell, he suddenly heard a scream right next to him. It was a cry from the girl in Victoria¡¯s hands. Nora¡¯s consciousness was extremely faint at the moment, but she could faintly sense that her condition was swiftly improving. Putting everything aside, the Angel¡¯s Bloodline was renowned for its exclusivity. Other than the elders of the Xeclyde House, who shared the same bloodline, there was no one else in the world who could guide her powers and facilitate a sessful breakthrough. Of course, it was not entirely impossible for a Xeclyde to awaken on their own, but it would be an extremely risky move. Furthermore, if the awakening process failed even once, it was likely that it would leave behind some irrecoverable internal trauma that would gue them for life. Given Nora¡¯s young age, it was already incredible that she could keep herself together despite the energy rampaging within her body. However, if she were to be left in that state for any longer, there was a good chance that her condition would deteriorate. Due to that, Victoria was currently doing everything she could to preserve this talent for the Xeclyde House. ¡°Where... am I...¡± Under Victoria¡¯s help, Nora finally regained consciousness. Her eyes fluttered open, but to her surprise, it was to the background of a slightly misty blue sky. There was a face hovering over her that was almost identical to her own except for a few differences. It felt bizarre, almost as if she was looking into a mirror. ¡°Y-you are...¡± ¡°Child, there¡¯s no need to worry. You¡¯re in safe hands. I am Victoria Xeclyde, the second in the line of session to the Theocracy¡¯s throne. You must have heard of me. Can you tell me your name?¡± Victoria looked at the shocked girl staring at her and asked with a gentle andposed smile. Illegitimate children were usually forced to hide in the shadows, never to be recognized by their family, so they tended to carry some enmity toward those in the main lineage. For this reason, she thought that the girl would view her in hostility, but the reality was different from what she expected. The girl was taken aback for a moment before she suddenly rose up and grabbed Victoria¡¯s hand excitedly. ¡°Your Highness Victoria! I am Nora Xeclyde. I know that it might be hard for you to ept, but I¡¯m actually your distant rtive.¡± As Nora spoke, a shocked expression that was at odds with the words she was speaking appeared on her face. It was not that she was suffering from a split personality, but that the words spoken came out differently than what she had intended. She was thinking of introducing herself as Victoria¡¯s descendant, but those words seemed to naturally change into something else upon leaving the tip of her tongue. It was almost as if she was put under some sort of restriction spell, preventing her from revealing the truth of her origin to those living in this era. This situation surprised her, but it was notpletely uneptable to her. She had heard of ces in myths that imposed a speech limitation on adventurers, and the situation she was in seemed quite simr to that. Actually, her attention wasn¡¯t really on this matter either. In fact, it wasn¡¯t on any matter but a person, or rather, theck of one. After introducing herself, she began looking around the chaotic battlefield, seemingly searching for something. Unfortunately, no matter where she looked, it was to no avail. ¡°Your Highness Victoria, help me look for someone, please! I¡¯m begging you!¡±Nora grabbed Victoria¡¯s hands tightly as she pleaded with her. Chapter 86: There’s Something Wrong With You!

Chapter 86: There¡¯s Something Wrong With You!

¡°Your Highness Victoria, I have apanion named Roel Ascart. He¡¯s a ck-haired, golden-eyed boy, around the same age as me. He¡¯s... a very important person. Please, you must find him!¡± ¡°Ahh... Child, we¡¯re in the midst of a battlefield. Even if you ask me to look for someone... Wait a moment, did you mention Ascart?¡± Victoria was put in a spot by Nora¡¯s question when she suddenly noticed a key phrase in what thetter had just mentioned. Her eyes immediately darted toward Ponte. Thetter was in the midst of gathering his mana to cast another spell, but he, too, caught the girl¡¯s words and quickly turned his head over. ¡°Teacher, is there such a person in your family?¡± ¡°No, I have never heard of this person before.¡± Despite saying so, Ponte continued staring at Nora as he digested what she had just said. He felt like there was something important he needed to recall, but it just wasn¡¯ting to him for some reason. On the other hand, after hearing how Victoria addressed Ponte, Nora immediately realized who he was. She quickly turned to him and said. ¡°You must be Marquess Ponte, right? You have to find a way to save Roel. He¡¯s an offspring of the Ascart House! I believe that he might have been captured by the enemy soldiers!¡± Nora¡¯s desperate plea shook Ponte¡¯s will. His flow of mana into the colored gemstone in his hand came to a halt and he began to hesitate between two different decisions. Even though it was a child whose existence he didn¡¯t know of, the knowledge that the other party possessed the bloodline of the Ascart House pricked deep into Ponte¡¯s heart. What could he do? The Ascart House was simply not blessed with fertility! The Ascart House had been quite prosperous over thest few generations, and it would have been all good if not for a single problem persisting in their family tree. For some reason, the patriarch of every single generation had almost always been a single child. Only in a few, rare generations did the patriarch have siblings. Due to this, the Ascart House viewed every single family member with great importance, leading to a very different climate from the usual noble houses that had lots of sessors but a great deal of dirty rivalry too. ¡°Child, are you certain that yourpanion is one of my family members?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain. I can swear on my bloodline that it¡¯s the truth. Please, you have to find a way to save him!¡± Nora said as she bowed deeply to him. The current circumstances left her with no choice but to set aside her pride. She simply couldn¡¯t bear the notion of any dangering to Roel. The two of them had already been through so much in thisbyrinth. Things shouldn¡¯t end like that. They mustn¡¯t! ¡°Victoria, leave this matter to me. I¡¯ll try to look around a bit.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re in the midst of a battlefield! To find someone here is...¡± ¡°Our Ascart House has too few offspring. Even if he¡¯s from the side family, I can¡¯t just give up on him without doing anything at all. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll fully activate thebyrinth before Wade manages to fully bite onto us!¡± Leaving those words behind as a guarantee, the ck-haired man dove into the crowd of battling soldiers and began looking around. ... Meanwhile, at the midpoint of the battlefield, Roel was forging a path forward. ¡°Get out of my way! RahhhhÒ»!¡± Inside the drain, Roel pulled off an elegant upward kick that urately struck the ¡®third leg¡¯ of a soldier of the Elric House. He managed to maximize the damage with a minimal amount of exertion. Unfortunately for the soldier though, while he was rolling around the drain with his hand grabbing his crotch, one of Victoria¡¯s soldiers rushed up to him and ended his life. After dealing with an enemy, Roel took a few sharp inhtions to catch his breath. It was not that he was so free as to be able to casually deal with other soldiers along the way, but as the battle got more and more intense, a major crisis urred for him¡ªthe drain was no longer his exclusive domain anymore. Roel¡¯s initial intention was to run along the inside of the drain until he arrived at where Victoria and Ponte were, but life is pretty darned good at finding ways to sabotage ns. As both factions shed with one another above, a diverse group of people ended up joining him in the drain¡ªalive, dead, half-dead, you name it. Take the soldier Roel had defeated just a moment ago for example, he had rolled into the drain with another soldier from Victoria¡¯s faction and emerged triumphantly from the scuffle. It was just a pity that victory was nothing more than a transient concept. Shortly after, he was defeated under Roel¡¯s sure-kill secret technique, Cracking the Nuts. ¡°What¡¯s happening? Why are there children on the battlefield?¡± ¡°He helped me earlier on! I think he¡¯s on our side!¡± Roel¡¯s presence in this underground world was incredibly conspicuous amongst the other soldiers, but fortunately, the soldier who had worked together with him earlier to defeat the soldier from the Elric House vouched for him. Sensing an opportunity here, Roel quickly leaped out of the drain and made a grand deration. ¡°Brothers, please escort me to Her Highness Victoria¡¯s side!¡± As Roel said those words, he drew Ascendwing and raised it into the sky. The beautiful shimmering de of the holy sword swiftly caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°This is the token Her Highness has left with me. It¡¯s a weapon of the Twelve Wings series, a treasure tightly guarded by the Xeclydes! I need your help to escort me over to Her Highness¡¯ side!¡± Fearful that the soldiers had spells that could ascertain the authenticity of his words, Roel paid careful heed to his wording, so as to ensure that he was being truthful. Ascendwing was indeed left to him by ¡®Her Highness¡¯, just that it was ¡®Her Highness Nora¡¯ instead of ¡®Her Highness Victoria¡¯. It was not his fault if the soldiers misinterpreted the meaning of his words. The soldiers heard his plea and took a good look at the holy sword. While they couldn¡¯t determine Roel¡¯s trustworthiness, they dared not hesitate for too long. Their goal was to retreat anyway, and it was not a huge deal bringing a child with them. ¡°New orders! Send the signal to our allies, retreat!¡± The military officer inmand of this squadron barked out an order, and the squadron immediately began retreating toward Victoria¡¯s position. This abrupt deployment caught the attention of a certain keen-eyed, golden-haired man. ¡°That bizarre child...¡± Wade, who was in the midst of channeling his spell to keep thebyrinth¡¯s fog at bay as long as possible, was able to easily spot and identify the incongruous Roel in the midst of the battlefield. He thought about all of the doubts in his mind after meeting Nora, and a sharp glint flickered in his eyes. His instincts told him that he shouldn¡¯t let that boy get away so easily. ¡°There¡¯s something queer about that boy we met previously. Capture him!¡± In response to Wade¡¯s order, Felder swiftly scanned the battlefield before locking his eyes on the target. Roel immediately felt something prickling at his back, and a shiver ran down his spine. He instinctively turned around to take a look, only to see a terrifying-looking Felder shrouded in blood mist heading his way. ¡®Billowing Bloodmist¡¯. This was a spell that channeled the mana infused within one¡¯s blood outward to shroud one¡¯s body in a blood mist. It was used for both defending against attacks and enhancing one¡¯s spells. The strength of the spell depended on each individual¡¯s specific constitution. Some could use it to deflect an arrow, whereas others could only barely slow one down. When it came to Felder though, Billowing Bloodmist turned him into a war god on the battlefield. Rather than calling it a blood mist, it looked more like a crimson monstrosity wrapping itself around him. The sheer amount of mana concentrated around him greatly enhanced all of his attributes. Roel was just about to witness firsthand how powerful the enhanced Felder was. Felder started off with a powerful leap forward that produced a sound reminiscent of an exploding cannonball. His crimson silhouette arced across the sky before beginning to descend upon the hordes of soldiers like an unstoppable meteor. Roel was utterly dumbstruck to see this situation, and the soldiers immediately realized that a crisis was going to befall them too. ¡°Shit! It¡¯s the Elric Marquess!¡± ¡°Defend!¡± The soldiers quickly raised their heavy tower shields to block Felder, but they were barely any help against a transcendent of Felder¡¯s level. Afternding on the ground, Felder charged forward a couple of times before finally arriving right before Roel and the soldiers who were escorting him. He swung his sword horizontally, releasing a crimson wave into the surroundings. Kacha! With a single strike, the tower shields broke apart, and over a dozen soldiers were knocked into the air. Roel was also struck by the shockwave of the collision and ended up rolling uncontrobly backward like a feather amidst a powerful gale. However, it was not like Roelpletely nked out after witnessing Felder¡¯s despair-inducing strength. Instead, he was quickly thinking about the cards he could potentially use to deal with Felder. So far, he had three trump cards in hand. Of those three trump cards, the purple pendant rendered him immobile and Ascendwing could only teleport 50 meters away, a distance that Felder could cover in the blink of an eye. Since it was impossible for him to shake away Felder, there was only one thing that he could do¡ªpit his life against Felder. If he surrendered now, he would be entrusting his fate into the hands of another man,pletely losing control over his situation. However, if things worked out, he might just be able to buy enough time for his escape. The importance of nning was often only highlighted in emergency situations. In just a few short seconds, Roel was able to quickly make up his mind and react ordingly. ¡¾Spell ¡®Grandar¡¯s Promise¡¯ has been activated.¡¿ ¡¾Countdown. 30... 29... 28...¡¿ A familiar ticking sound echoed in Roel¡¯s ears once more. At the moment of activation, he seemed to see a deste in basked in the afterglow of a setting sun. The eyes of the massive skeleton, Grandar, were gazing down on him, silently urging him to offer the answer to the question he had asked. This hallucinationsted for a mere split second before Roel quickly rose up. His mana began surging forth like a torrential flood. He raised his sword and fearlessly struck down on Felder, who was rushing his way. Boom! There was a loud explosion and shockwave, but this time, it wasing not from Felder but Roel. It looked as if there was a towering avatar that rose all the way up to heaven standing over Roel, looking down upon all beings beneath. This sight shook Felder¡¯s heart. The two swords collided with one another, but shockingly, the renowned Marquess Elric was actually sent staggering backward. ¡°You are a heretic!¡± Felder roared furiously. He was certain that the avatar he saw standing over the ck-haired boy was not a hallucination. While he wasn¡¯t certain of the origin of the avatar, he was convinced that it was the god of a heretical cult. Only an ancient god could make an Origin Level 3 transcendent like him stiffen up with just a single nce. Since the ck-haired boy was a heretic, why did he choose to side with Victoria? Felder couldn¡¯t understand it, but there was one thing that he did know¡ªthe boy standing before him was an extremely dangerous individual. If he couldn¡¯t force this boy into submission, he would surely pose a huge threat to His Highness Wade¡¯s ambitions in the future. Killing intent raged in Felder¡¯s eyes as he raised his sword and charged forth once more. Even if it would bring him Wade¡¯s criticismter on, he was determined to eliminate this dangerous variable standing before him. On the other hand, Roel knew well that he was invincible for these 30 seconds, that was why he was making full use of this opportunity to go all out. At the very center of the battlefield between the two factions, a golden-haired man and a ck-haired boy roared ferociously as they began engaged in a terrifying duel. A silver short sword shed again and again with a white sword, producing powerful shockwaves that kept other soldiers at bay. And yet, in the midst of this intense battle, the System continued to tick on mercilessly, seemingly counting down the seconds to Roel¡¯s death. Chapter 87: I Should Start By Making An Example

Chapter 87: I Should Start By Making An Example

¡¾6... 5...¡¿ The System¡¯s countdown was drowned out by Roel¡¯s roars as he went on his final rampage. Roel had no idea who Grandar was exactly, and it was likely that no one else in the world knew anything about him anymore. Nevertheless, there was no doubt that the spell Grandar had given him was extremely powerful. He was even able to gain the upper hand against the powerful Felder, albeit only for 30 seconds. Under Roel¡¯s relentless barrage of attacks, Felder quickly found himself suppressed. Roel¡¯s stats were actually only average except for his tremendous burst power, but this burst power was more than enough to curb Felder in close-quartersbat. It was fortunate that Felder was a veteran fighter with skills and agility far above Roel¡¯s, allowing him to stand his ground against the overpowered Roel in the short-run. Despite being overpowered by a child, Felder wasn¡¯t too worried, for he knew that Roel¡¯s burst of power could only be sustained for a very short period of time. Power and cost were two sides of the same coin in this world. Felder had seen Roel¡¯s true strength earlier, and thetter should only be Origin Level 6. Most likely, the reason why Roel could harness such great power and fight on par with him, an Origin Level 3 transcendent, was due to temporary undead reanimation of his body. However, such a status could only be sustained for a short period of time. Naturally, Roel wasn¡¯t oblivious to the limitations of Grandar¡¯s Promise either. It hadn¡¯t been long since hest experienced the overwhelming feeling of weakness once the spell duration ended. So, he knew that he would be rendered powerless if he couldn¡¯t end the battle within 30 seconds. In truth, when he failed to force Felder to retreat within the first 10 seconds, he had already known that he wouldn¡¯t be able to win the fight before time ran out. Nevertheless, he still continued to fight with all his might because he believed that he would be able to catch someone¡¯s attention. And he was right. ¡¾3...¡¿ As the countdown was about to hit zero, just like how heroes always appeared at the final moment, a man¡¯s voice suddenly sounded out of nowhere. 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago ¡°Child, you did well. Hextongue: Center of Gravity.¡± From the moment he heard those words, Roel knew that his gamble had paid off. At the same time, Grandar¡¯s Promise also finally came to an end. However, Felder was in no position to continue his offense anymore. There was a peculiar mana reaction urring on the armor he was wearing. When he raised his head, he saw arrows and bloodied swords flying toward him from all directions. ¡°Bastard! Are these little tricks all you¡¯re capable of, Ponte?!¡± Felder furiously released his mana as the blood mist around him billowed. He red at the smiling ck-haired man standing in front of the boy he had been fighting against. Ponte Ascart, one of the powerhouses of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, as well as the leading figure of Princess Victoria¡¯s forces. When the two esteemed marquesses of the Theocracy locked eyes with one another, the atmosphere suddenly grew so fiery that it looked as if something big was going to happen. ¡°Ponte, that boy is a heretic!¡± ¡°What about it? Are you interested in him, Marquess Felder?¡± Ponte chuckled lightly at the infuriated golden-haired knight. He grabbed the exhausted Roel with his right hand while waving his left hand casually. Book pages suddenly manifested out of thin air and fluttered around him in huge quantities. ¡°Pardon me for being unable to apany you for long. As you can see, Marquess Felder, I am a busy man.¡± Before Felder could respond, Roel¡¯s line of sight was already covered with the book pages fluttering around him and Ponte. The sounds of the battlefield swiftly grew muffled before disappearing altogether. By the time the pages finally scattered apart, he found himself in the heart of Victoria¡¯s faction. ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°Roel!¡± The voices of two women sounded in the ears of the Ascart boys. Victoria visibly heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that Ponte had sessfully made his retreat whereas Nora leaped right toward Roel and embraced him tightly. ¡°Ouch! Nora, it hurts!¡± Having used Grandar¡¯s Promise twice with barely any rest, Roel¡¯s body was aching everywhere, and Nora¡¯s tight hug nearly sent him into the arms of the Maker. Nora quickly loosened her grip upon hearing his exmation. ¡°S-sorry, I didn¡¯t do it intentionally.¡± Nora couldn¡¯t contain her worry and began examining Roel from head-to-toe to check on his condition. Seeing this, Victoria couldn¡¯t help but shoot a deep look at Roel. This child sure is adorable. Somehow, he seems to resemble teacher quite a bit. However, Nora¡¯s response seems to be... Victoria turned her gaze toward Nora with a contemtive look in her eyes. Meanwhile, Ponte had gotten back to work. ¡°There¡¯s no need to save our supplies! Archers, cover the retreating soldiers! Everyone, we¡¯re retreating!¡± Ponte didn¡¯t let loose just because he had returned back to safety. He began channeling his mana into the colorful gemstone, causing the gem to glow brilliantly. The fog all around swiftly grew thicker at a visible pace. The crimson lightning summoned by Wade was still trying its best to ward off the prowess of thebyrinth, but it was almost like trying to keep the rain at bay by lighting up a campfire. Both Wade and Ponte were Origin Level 3 transcendents, but Ponte had a decisive advantage due to the differences in equipment and terrain. Wade didn¡¯t stand a chance at all. Victoria¡¯s forces made full use of the concealment of the thick fog to retreat. It was obvious that the soldiers had been specially instructed beforehand from how they showed no hesitation in forsaking their weapons and turning tail to flee desperately. It was baffling to see those soldiers willingly casting aside their precious equipment, but admittedly, it was effective. Nearly all of the soldiers who were still able to move managed to make their escape. Unyielding perseverance for survival, this was the most valuable quality for the weaker Victoria¡¯s forces at the moment. Sensing that they had finally managed to shake the enemy off their tail, Ponte heaved a sigh of relief. His breathing audibly became heavier, showing that he had indeed exerted himself significantly from diving into the heart of the battle twice and forcefully activating thebyrinth artifact. However,pared to the other member of the Ascart House present, he was at least in a much more eptable condition. Roel had been trudging forward under Nora¡¯s support all this while, but after seeing that the enemy troops were nowhere in sight anymore, the obstinacy pulling him together finally snapped. He sumbed to the severe fatigue and passed out against Nora¡¯s shoulder. ... A dayter, in the Labyrinth Vi. ¡°Is that child still in the room?¡± Standing by the windows of the lounge, Ponte nced at Victoria, who was closing the metal door after entering the room, and enquired about the conditions of the two children. Victoria nodded her head in response. ¡°I asked her, but she doesn¡¯t want toe out. It hasn¡¯t been long since her bloodline awakening ended...¡± ¡°What¡¯s her name again? How old is she?¡± ¡°Nora, 10 years old.¡± Ponte looked out of the window silently while deliberating over her words. Victoria slowly made her way over to his side. ¡°Silver Bloodline at 10 years old? That must be rare even for your lineage.¡± ¡°Indeed... At the very least, her talents surpass both mine and Wade¡¯s,¡± replied Victoria with a bitter smile. This was the first time that she was unable to match up to someone else in terms of talent. ¡°Is it fine? I mean, for one of your kin to possess so much potential.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not particrly interested in the pursuit of power. The presence of more talents in the Xeclyde House is good news to me. Teacher, shouldn¡¯t you know this the best?¡± Victoria sighed deeply. She was suddenly reminded of her twin brother, Wade. The two of them had been so alike before their mother passed away, but in the short span of a few years, everything had changed. ¡°Speaking of which, Victoria, don¡¯t you think that... there¡¯s something peculiar about the two children?¡± Ponte was a little hesitant when he spoke those words, and Victoria also didn¡¯t respond to his question right away either. Instead, thetter fell deep in thought. Indeed, there¡¯s something amiss with those two children, especially their clothes. The fact that they are wearing such luxurious, noble clothing goes to show that they aren¡¯t forgotten, illegitimate children wandering on the streets. Instead, it¡¯s more likely that they were entrusted to some noble house to raise. But, if that¡¯s the case, I should have already heard about them by now, especially given their conspicuous appearances. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s one thing for an offspring of the royal family to be here, but it¡¯s far too much of a coincidence for a child from teacher¡¯s house to be here too. Not to mention, they are even acquainted with one another.¡± Is it the norm for wandering illegitimate children to huddle together with one another for warmth nowadays? Such a thought inexplicably surfaced in Victoria¡¯s mind, but she quickly shook her head to refute it. On the other hand, Ponte maintained his silence as he pondered about the matter more deeply. In his view, it wasn¡¯t unthinkable for the Ascart House to have descendants out on the streets, especially since there were several preceding patriarchs who had suddenly gone missing. No, what really intrigued him were the abilities and equipment the child possessed. Ponte stroked the short sword lying next to him and remarked. ¡°The fact that the boy named Roel is in possession of Ascendwing goes to show that His Eminence Ryan is already aware of their existence. It¡¯s just a pity that His Eminence isn¡¯t in the capital at the moment, or else we would have been able to consult him on this matter.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know what my father is thinking of...¡± Victoria and Ponte¡¯s train of thoughts were getting further and further away from the truth. The most pitiful one of all was probably Holy Eminence Ryan, who, despite being far away in the Austine Empire, was being viewed with scorn by his daughter for ¡®secretly harboring an illegitimate child¡¯. ¡°Still, I must say that I¡¯m surprised that the child of your Ascart House was able to hold Felder off for so long.¡± ¡°You saw it?¡± ¡°Of course! All of the soldiers standing on the frontlines saw it. That child fought off the enemy general in the heart of the battlefield! I am certain that this matter has already spread far and wide amongst the soldiers.¡± Victoria offered a rare highpliment toward the prowess Roel disyed on the battlefield. On the other hand, however, Ponte¡¯s expression grew a little grim. The other soldiers had been kept at bay due to the shockwaves produced by the collision between Roel and Felder¡¯s swords, but Ponte had caught a clear glimpse into Roel¡¯s powers. ¡°That ability of his originates from a heretical cult. You should be aware of that too, right?¡± ¡°So what? My mother was a heretic too, but does that mean that she¡¯s evil? Teacher, are you trying to sound me out here?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll feel ufortable about this.¡± ¡°Why would I feel ufortable about this? Besides, Nora and that child¡¯s rtionship...¡± A warm smile crept onto Victoria¡¯s lips as she spoke. This ¡®little sister¡¯ of hers had rushed over to Roel¡¯s side to stand by him despite barely getting out of danger herself. The emotions that drove such actions were something Victoria herself could deeply rte with. She turned to look at herpanion beside her with a stare so intent that it made Ponte cough in difort. ¡°The two of them appear to have gone through numerous crises with one another, I can tell that their feelings run deep. Teacher, don¡¯t you think that their situation is very simr to ours?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so? I-I already have a family.¡± ¡°A family, huh? Are you referring to your wife-in-name whom you have not met for almost a decade now?¡± After rendering Ponte speechless with her cutting words, Victoria turned her head away with a cold harrumph. She shot a nce at the room the two children were in, and somehow, she saw shadows of her and Ponte in them. I wonder if I can make this old tree flower if I could pair those two children together. Victoria nced at the man beside her as her thoughts began to wander. Chapter 88: Who Can Stand This?

Chapter 88: Who Can Stand This?

¡°We meet again... Amongst those whom I have bestowed my power upon, you¡¯re the first one to reunite with me so quickly.¡± On a blood-colored in, a humongous skeleton with a crown atop its skull gazed down on a small child with curiosity gleaming in his eyes. ¡°Those who attain my power treasure it dearly, not daring to use it recklessly. This is the first time I saw someone using it twice in a single day.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the purpose of seeking power to put it to good use? To utilize it in an appropriate moment to achieve what would otherwise be impossible¡ªI believe that¡¯s the best way to use power, and that¡¯s what I did.¡± Roel raised his head to look up at the towering Grandar as he revealed his thoughts. The skeleton contemted silently for a moment before nodding his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. Power exists to be used; it¡¯s meaningless to hold back one¡¯s power just for the sake of it.¡± Grandar¡¯s mood seemed to have lifted a little upon hearing Roel¡¯s thoughts. He hunched forward, lying down on the red stones of the in and minimizing his distance from Roel¡ªa gesture symbolizing his interest in this smalld. ¡°Since ancient times, warriors would disy their courage and strength on the battlefield in order to win respect, and this respect would ord them authority, eventually bing their base of power. It¡¯s the case for your second battle. The soldiers have witnessed your valiance, and that¡¯ll go a long way in the future. ¡°What about your first battle though? Why did you choose to fight? Was it for that little angel?¡± Roel quietly pondered Grandar¡¯s question. His battle with Peter Kater at the monastery was a discreet one, such that no one witnessed the process. Killing Peter Kater didn¡¯t bring him any honor or rewards, and the process was fraught with dangers too. ¡°I killed Peter Kater because he deserves to die. He hasmitted too many vile deeds, and his existence is a blemish to mankind. I protected Nora because I felt that she¡¯s worthy of my protection. She¡¯s upright, kind... While she does have a few weird quirks, she distinguishes between right and wrong and uses her power with good intent. Is there anything wrong with me choosing to protect her?¡± Roel also sat down on the ground casually after seeing that Grandar had taken a rxed position. As he questioned his heart for the reasons behind his decision back then, thoughts of Nora shed across his mind, and the answer seemed to flow naturally afterward. On the other hand, Grandar¡¯s eyes twinkled a little after hearing the answer. A long whileter, he finally remarked. ¡°I understand. You wish to mate her.¡± ¡°... Huh?¡± Grandar¡¯s response left Roel wide-eyed. Roel lifted his head to stare at the humongous skeleton above him as redness swiftly flushed his suave yet adorable face. ¡°What are you talking about?! When have I ever said that? ... I¡¯m still a kid!¡± ¡°Hm? Is that not so? Do you not wish to mate her?¡± ¡°W-what mate or not mate? That¡¯s not the point at all!¡± eximed Roel loudly in embarrassment. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that I¡¯m doing the right thing here! How did your thoughts manage to wander so far off?¡± Roel¡¯s reasoning made Grandar fall silent once more. The glimmer in his eyes flickered as he seemed to recall ancient history. ¡°... The right thing, hm? Is it even possible to define anything as right in this world? Often, those who believe that they are doing the right thing don¡¯t end well.¡± Grandar¡¯s words carried a slight hint of mncholy. Sharply noticing the fluctuation in the skeleton¡¯s tone, Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed a little. ¡°In defining whether something is right or not, I believe that we can ssify them into absolute correctness and rtive correctness. It depends on which one you are looking at.¡± ¡°Tell me more about it.¡± ¡°Absolute correctness refers to an unbending, universally epted truth. For example, if I were to say that I¡¯m a human, that¡¯s an objective truth. As for rtive correctness, it¡¯s more subjective. Take my act of killing Peter Kater for example... ¡°From my point of view, Peter Kater is a despicable individual who has no qualmsmitting the vilest of deeds, which is why I believe I am justified in killing him. However, in the eyes of organizations that are hostile to mankind, Peter Kater could very well be viewed as a hero to them. ¡°In other words, depending on the perspective you look at the matter from, the conclusion you arrive at will vary as well. So, which type of correctness are you looking at here?¡± asked Roel. Grandar didn¡¯t answer Roel¡¯s question right away. Instead, he returned to his thoughts and considered the matter deeply, not moving at all. For a long while, only the whistling of the wind could be heard on this in. ¡°... I¡¯m probably looking at thetter.¡± The humongous skeleton finally answered, before he rose back up to his feet. Lots of rock pieces and dust fell from the crevices of his body, causing Roel to quickly cover his mouth to prevent anything from falling in. ¡°Roel Ascart, right? Your thoughts interest me. You have already used the spell I have given you twice. The next time we meet, you¡¯ll have to give me an answer to my question.¡± Grandar reminded Roel in hopes that thetter would spend some time to think it over carefully. Amidst the cloud of dust around him, all Roel could do was to nod his head. ¡°That¡¯s all then. You may return now.¡± After those words were spoken, Roel¡¯s surroundings began to vanish into darkness. By the time everything disappeared, Roel lost his consciousness. ... ¡°... Roel... Roel!¡± ¡°Cough! No-Nora!¡± ¡°You¡¯re finally awake!¡± As soon as Roel opened his eyes, he saw a beautiful face appearing right before his eyes. This face was looking at him worriedly. Before he could even make sense out of what was happening, a pair of arms had already wrapped around his body tightly. ¡°W-wait! Ah? It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore...¡± Roel instinctively jolted from the remembered trauma and excruciating pain of the previous hug, but surprisingly, all he felt was Nora¡¯s soft body and her lingering fragrance. He began taking a look around him and realized that he was in a bedroom. This bedroom wascking in some of the required furniture, as if someone had just barely put it togetherst minute, but the aesthetic was still fairly decent. Wait a moment. This room... It didn¡¯t take Roel too long to notice that the room he was in was extremely familiar. He shot a nce at the doorway, where a heavy metal door was attached with a door viewer. Through this, he was able to easily figure out his current location. Looks like I¡¯m back here once more. There was only one house in the world he could think of that had door viewers on every single doo r¡ªthe Labyrinth Vi. In any case, being in this somewhat familiar environment made Roel heave a sigh of relief. At the same time, Nora also heaved a sigh of relief too. She continued hugging Roel for a while before she finally calmed down and began speaking. ¡°You had a nightmare earlier on. Your breathing suddenly became ragged. You really scared me.¡± ¡°Ah? Oh, that...¡± Roel recalled the slight moment of anxiety he had when the world around him faded after bidding farewell to Grandar, and he immediately understood what was going on. He first assured Nora that he was fine before asking about their current circumstances. As it turned out, after the battle ended with a retreat, both Roel and Nora were brought over to the Labyrinth Vi, the main camp of Victoria¡¯s forces, to be treated. Nora sessfully awakened her bloodline to Silver-tier under Victoria¡¯s assistance, and Roel was also put under the care of skilled doctors. While Roel was being treated, they conveniently conducted a blood test between him with Ponte through a spell. It was confirmed. He carried the bloodline of the Ascarts. Also, it would appear that they were unable to inform Victoria and Ponte about their true identities as time travelers from the future. It was almost as if someone had cast a spell on them, restricting their speech. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised to hear that, and he had no problem with it since exining the situation would be a huge hassle anyway. After going through two life-and-death situations, Roel just felt blessed to still be alive. He leaned his chin on Nora¡¯s shoulder and relished in the human warmth. He never thought that it was possible for him to feel so fulfilled so easily. ¡°Nora, this incident happened due to a problem in my bloodline. I was the one who dragged you into danger. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? My grandfather yed a part in the awakening of your bloodline too. Besides... you were the one who protected me back then from the clutches of that evil cultist.¡± Nora chuckled sweetly upon hearing Roel¡¯s words, and she hugged him even tighter than before. On the other hand, Roel was surprised to hear that she was actually aware of that. ¡°Dummy. By sound, of course,¡± replied Nora with a helpless smile. Thinking back to the night when shey helplessly amidst the shrieks of drifting specters, Roel¡¯s actions had really shook her heart to its core. Ever since she was young, she had nevercked protection from others before. Be it out of responsibility, duty, or kinship, those around her were inclined to brave through danger to ensure her safety. Holy Eminence John had once told her that she should grasp her life with her own hands, as humans were simply far too vulnerable to falling into depravity. It was inevitable that she would face betrayal from the ones close to her. ¡°Only a person who truly loves you will be willing to put his all on the line for your sake. However, are you willing to allow such a person to make a sacrifice for you?¡± It was only now Nora really understood the meaning behind Holy Eminence John¡¯s words back then, and she had found an answer to that question too. No, she couldn¡¯t allow that. She was terrified that it might happen even. ¡°I am the stronger one here. I should have been the one protecting you...¡± ¡°That¡¯s nonsense. As a man, I can¡¯t allow you to be the only one braving through danger.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. You¡¯re mine. You¡¯ll have to seek my permission before sustaining any injuries, understood?¡± ¡°What do you mean by...¡± Thinking that Nora was teasing him yet again, Roel immediately refuted her words. However, to his surprise, Nora suddenly sat upright and sped his hands in hers sincerely. ¡°Perhaps not yet, but I¡¯m willing to make an advanced payment first.¡± It was not the usual mischievous smile on Nora¡¯s face but one of concern and worry. Her tender expression was so different from how she usually acted that it made Roel¡¯s heart suddenly start pounding. ¡°Roel, I¡¯ll protect and care for you. I shall be your protector. This is a vow I¡¯m making to myself, and I shall devote my life to fulfilling it.¡± 1 reply ¨C 1 hour ago Nora¡¯s sudden confession left Roel reeling. He finally understood why Nora was giving off such an incongruous vibe to him. This time, Nora was not teasing him for the sake of fulfilling her sadistic desires. Rather, she was expressing her true heart to him. This sudden change in tactics was fatal; Roel felt his defenses swiftly crumbling. ¡°W-what are you talking about? It¡¯s out of my own will that I chose to kill Peter Kater. You don¡¯t need to do this.¡± ¡°You might not need it, but I¡¯m willing to do it.¡± ¡°W-wait a moment. Just stay silent for a while...¡± Roel felt blood rushing into his head. His cheeks were burning, and there was a slight itch in his chest. His mind was so overwhelmed that he was unable to process the situation. Fortunately for him, someone arrived on time to rescue him from this quandary. ¡°How loving the two of you are! Do children nowadays start whispering sweet nothings to one another at such a young age? Well, at least this is better than a cowardly grown man who dares not do anything at all!¡± An envious teasing sounded in the air. The door opened, and Victoria walked in together with a bitter looking ck-haired man behind her. Chapter 89: Should I Pimp or Not?

Chapter 89: Should I Pimp or Not?

Hm? This woman really resembles Nora... This was Roel¡¯s reaction when he first set eyes on Victoria. She looked so nearly identical to Nora that it was impossible for him not to be surprised. However, he soon snapped out of it. As someone who had yed the game in his previous life, Roel knew very well that the simrity was only temporary. In terms of facial features, there would probably not be many differences, but when it came to their figure... Let¡¯s just say that Nora will be much more shapelypared to the regrettably childlike Victoria. Doing a rough estimate, Victoria was likely in her twenties, but her body was a proportionate ergement of the 10-year-old Nora. Roel¡¯s attention switched over to the ck-haired man standing behind Victoria, and he couldn¡¯t help questioning his knowledge. Wait a moment, that isn¡¯t right. Based on the diaries left behind by Ponte, isn¡¯t Victoria his type then? Why did he end up rejecting her? Initially, Roel thought that Ponte was some scum who went around flirting with younger girls, but as they started conversing, he soon realized that their rtionship was moreplicated than he had imagined. Not only was Victoria a ¡®legal loli¡¯, but she seemed to have some sort of leverage over Ponte that allowed her to curb him entirely. 1 reply ¨C 20 hours ago ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s great to see how close they are to one another.¡± ¡°Y-yeah, indeed.¡± ¡°Now that I think about, there are nobles that have begun opposing conventional political marriages, especially those in the younger generation. Those old-fashioned ideas about having to choose between responsibility to one¡¯s house and happiness are gradually being rejected.¡± Naturally, Ponte understood the deeper meaning behind Victoria¡¯s words, and he shook his head helplessly. Nevertheless, Roel could see that, to a certain extent, Ponte did dote on her. The two of them appeared to have each other in their hearts. Roel didn¡¯t just look at their interactions but the atmosphere around them and the subtle gestures they made too. While Victoria had hidden it well, from time to time, she would still exude a certain disposition that he was deeply familiar with. He shot a nce toward the well brought up Nora, and he suddenly understood where her sadistic tendencies had originated from. It¡¯s a hereditary trait that shows up once every few generations, huh? Perhaps it was because she had sensed Roel¡¯s thoughts, but Nora suddenly turned her head over and stared at him. Under her intent gaze, he quickly averted his eyes, only to be met with Ponte¡¯s gaze right after. The two boys of the Ascart House exchanged looks, and they suddenly felt a sense of camaraderie with one another. It was a feeling of deep connection created by mutual sympathy for one another, due to suffering through the same plight. They were like oppressed peasants ready to raise up in arms against the Xeclyde girls... ... though it was not as if they would really dare to do so. Their rebellion would probably just be quelled in an instant. Ponte and Victoria talked about a lot of stuff with Roel and Nora, but surprisingly, they didn¡¯t question their identities. They seemed to believe that Holy Eminence Ryan had been hiding these two children, and it was only due to the sudden outbreak of chaos that their existence was revealed. Naturally, Roel was more than willing to pin it all on the faraway Ryan. Nora was a little conflicted about soiling her predecessor¡¯s reputation, but she still chose to keep her silence as well. ¡°Child, you must have suffered a lot over the years. You have to believe that our father is not someone who would abandon any of his family members. I don¡¯t know what Wade has told you, but his words can¡¯t be trusted. He¡¯s walking down the path of a tyrant.¡± Victoria grabbed Nora¡¯s hand as she began to counsel her ¡®little sister¡¯ warmly. Seeing these two sadists acting so gently with one another made Roel¡¯s eyelids twitch in difort. He shot a nce at Ponte and saw an expression of astonishment on his ancestor¡¯s face too. ¡°Mister Ponte, I have some questions regarding our lineage that I wish to ask you about. Is it convenient for you now?¡± Roel made use of this opportunity to speak to his predecessor, and Ponte also nodded in response to his question, not putting on airs at all. ¡°Your name is Roel, right? I am the current patriarch of the Ascart House, so feel free to ask me anything regarding our family.¡± As the patriarch of a house suffering from ack of offspring, Ponte hoped that the family tree could expand a little bit more. A member of the side family like Roel didn¡¯t have the right to seed the Ascart House, so it was unlikely that he would get into any internal strife with the other family members. If he epted Roel into the family, there would be another pair of helping hands to rely on when crises ur. In view of this, Ponte wasn¡¯t averse to Roel¡¯s sudden appearance. It was just that, to his surprise, Roel asked not about returning back to the Ascart House but one of the core secrets surrounding their lineage. ¡°Mister Ponte, our lineage has a hereditary bloodline, right? Can you give me more information about it?¡± Roel looked at Ponte with a firm look in his eyes as he posed the question. On the other hand, Ponte was momentarily stunned before he suddenly recalled something. An anxious look appeared on his face as he asked. ¡°One moment. The prowess you showed earlier on the battlefield, does it have anything to do with our family¡¯s bloodline?¡± ¡°I think so...¡± Roel¡¯s hesitant response made Ponte widen his eyes. Ponte instantly stood up and pulled Roel out of the room with him. ¡°Child,e with me!¡± ¡°Ah? Ponte, where are you leading the child off to?¡± ¡°We¡¯re heading to the study. There¡¯s something I need to discuss with this child in private. You need not pay us any heed.¡± After shaking off Victoria and Nora, Ponte led the perplexed Roel through numerous metal doors before finally arriving at the study. The room appeared much emptierpared to how Roel remembered it. The two of them settled down around a table. Ponte didn¡¯t rush right into the topic but, instead, prepared two cups of tea for them. There was a long pause as if he was sorting out his thoughts before he began speaking. ¡°I thought that you were a heretic, but it looks like it¡¯s something... more than that. If you have really awakened the bloodline of our Ascart House, it would really be a huge matter.¡± ¡°Mister Ponte, what do you mean?¡± ¡°As a long-standing noble house, the Ascart House does have a hereditary bloodline, but it has nearly died out by now. We don¡¯t know when our hereditary bloodline began fading, but ever since the start of the Third Epoch, we have already lost the means to awaken it.¡± ¡°Ahhh, I see... Does that mean that it¡¯s bad news that I have managed to awaken our hereditary bloodline?¡± Roel was a little confused about this. Judging by the grim look on Ponte¡¯s face, it seemed like the awakening of his bloodline wasn¡¯t something to rejoice over. He couldn¡¯t understand why gaining greater power was a bad thing here. Ponte smiled bitterly in response to Roel¡¯s words. ¡°It¡¯s rare for our family members to naturally awaken our hereditary bloodline the way you did, but in the past few centuries, two of our predecessors have managed to do it. However, do you know what kind of fate befell them?¡± ¡°Did something bad happen to them?¡± ¡°The two of them went missing. To this day, we still don¡¯t know what happened to them.¡± Roel was speechless. He suddenly recalled the ¡®Extremely Dangerous¡¯ notification that the System warned him with. Could it be that this warning referred not to the process of awakening but to the events that would be triggered as a result of the awakening? ¡°Winstor Ascart and Ro Ascart, these are the names of the predecessors who managed to naturally awaken our hereditary bloodline. They served as the patriarch during their time, and the Ascart House grew to new heights in their hands. However, after a short period of prosperity under their leadership, they suddenly vanished from the face of the world; that resulted in the decline of the house for the next decade afterward.¡± Recalling the historical records left behind by the ancestors of the Ascart House, Ponte sighed deeply. Roel took some time to straighten out his thoughts before he decided to inquire deeper into Winstor and Ro Ascart¡¯s affairs. ¡°Mister Ponte, are there any links between the disappearances of the two patriarchs?¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any significant links between their disappearances, but one thing worthy of note is that the two of them were avid adventurers. Before they went missing, they would often spend long periods of time traveling around the continent, exploring ancient ruins. ording to the records, the two of them were unimaginably powerful, so it¡¯s unlikely for them to have been assassinated... My guess is that they lost their lives in the midst of exploring an ancient ruin.¡± ¡°I see... Do you know what is the ability of our Ascart House¡¯s hereditary bloodline?¡± Roel felt a little ufortable hearing the plights of his two predecessors as it seemed to cast an ominous portent for his future too. He hesitated for a moment before deciding to ask one of the key questions. Unexpectedly, Ponte fell silent upon hearing that question. A bizarre silence lingered in the air for a long moment before he finally squeezed a few words out. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°The ability of our hereditary bloodline is not stated in the family records.¡± ¡°A-ah... I didn¡¯t think that it would be like that.¡± Roel was quite taken aback by the answer, and Ponte quickly borated with reddened cheeks. ¡°Our records aren¡¯tplete; there are some portions that have gone missing over the generations. Nevertheless, based on what¡¯s left, it seems like the two patriarchs have difficulties trying to depict what the ability of the bloodline is. Furthermore, their abilities differed from one another too. The onlymonality between the patriarchs is that they were both history buffs, devoting their lives to uncovering the past.¡± Ponte looked a little stifled as he spoke, thinking that the information he had wasn¡¯t helpful at all. However, Roel felt that his mind was ready to explode after listening to the key points of Ponte¡¯s short description. ¡®Uncovering history¡¯, wasn¡¯t that precisely what he was doing at this very moment? Thinking about it, the Labyrinth Vi could be considered as a historical artifact in his own era. Roel felt like there were simply far too many mysteries surrounding the Ascart House and its hereditary bloodline. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you all of this to intimidate you. I just hope to offer you some advice so that the same plight doesn¡¯t befall you.¡± ¡°Advice?¡± ¡°Indeed. I would advise you not to wander around carelessly, but I suspect that there¡¯s a good chance that our hereditary bloodline requires you to go around uncovering ancient remains. That being said, I hope you can realize that great poweres with great risks. The two predecessors who brought our Ascart House to greater heights ended up dying prematurely. Just because something is within reach doesn¡¯t mean that you have to grasp it. Living a peaceful life is also a viable option for you.¡± Roel could feel the sincerity behind Ponte¡¯s words. He knew that Ponte was showing him earnest concern as an elder in the family, and he was touched by the gesture too... but it didn¡¯t seem like living a peaceful life was a viable option for him anymore. As one destined to be a viin in the future, it was likely that trouble woulde knocking on his door even if he chose to remain still. ¡°You¡¯re on good terms with that child named Nora?¡± ¡°Ah? Why are you suddenly asking this question? I guess it¡¯s still alright...¡± ¡°Sometimes, it isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing to rely on the royal family a little...¡± What should I do? My predecessor is tantly telling me to pimp myself out to Nora! Should I heed his advice or not? Roel stared at Ponte numbly. Somehow, even though the two of them weren¡¯t married, Ponte was looking more and more like a henpecked husband under Victoria¡¯s tyrannical rule. Roel¡¯s first reaction was to reject Ponte¡¯s suggestion, but he suddenly recalled those words that Nora had just spoken to him earlier in the room, and it made his face redden a little. He lowered his head to ponder over it for a while. Just as he was about to give his response, Ponte suddenly took out a book and a pen and began jotting something down, ¡¸ 9th March, sunny. ... ¡¹ Chapter 90: The Elder’s Teachings

Chapter 90: The Elder¡¯s Teachings

Roel was feeling rather conflicted inside¡ªor would embarrassed be a more appropriate word? This must be how a child stumbling upon his father ying as a female vtuber would feel. Alright, the metaphor was a little too visceral, and Roel couldn¡¯t help but shudder thinking about it. Still, the sense of humiliation he felt was about the same! ¡¸9th March, sunny. Today¡¯s Victoria wore the attire of a nun while treating the children¡¯s wounds. She was so cute even though her measurements haven¡¯t changed at all over the past three years.¡¹ Roel stared at the criminally disposed man writing in his diary, eyes filled with scorn, almost as if he was looking at the vilest scum of society. He wondered if he should spit on thetter to fully express the contempt he held. ¡°Ah, about this, hahaha... It¡¯s the price of my magic, so you need not pay it any heed.¡± Noticing the disdain dripping from Roel¡¯s gaze, the embarrassed Ponte quickly began exining himself. Ponte¡¯s Evolution Pathway was Chronicler from Brolne¡¯s Wisdom Origin Attribute. It was an advancement belonging to the Hextongue Faction. On the battlefield, Ponte was capable of calmly toying with his enemies, seemingly in full control of the situation. His performance remarkable; his appearance dashing. However, that all came at a bitter price¡ªwriting this embarrassing, perverted diary. To make matters worse, he had toplete his journal entries before the eyes of another, and he was disallowed from destroying the diaries he had written. In the past, he had always written it before his pupil, Victoria, which led to her having a tight grasp over his weaknesses. Fortunately, Victoria was the type of person who looked imposing on the surface but was a softie inside. Not to mention, she was fond of Ponte too, so she could be trusted with this matter. Listening to Ponte¡¯s woes, Roel couldn¡¯t help but remember the entire shelf of diaries he found in the modern-day Labyrinth Vi, and he suddenly felt a great deal of sympathy for this ancestor of his. Ponte probably would never have imagined that this embarrassing history of his would remain safely guarded in this study even a hundred yearster. After ending their conversation, Roel and Ponte finished up their tea before heading back to check-in with Victoria and Nora. To their surprise, they stumbled upon a particrly disturbing discussion. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not having much progress on my side either.¡± ¡°Heh, hoping for them to make a move is almost the same as wishing for pigs to fly. Listen to me, you need to be force... Ah, you are back.¡± Seeing that the two Ascart boys walking into the room, Victoria hurriedly halted her teachings and directed a winsome smile at the pair. However, Ponte and Roel only felt a chill running down their spines. ¡°What did the two of you talk about?¡± ¡°Nothing much... just the future of our bloodline.¡± Victoria¡¯s response invoked a deep red blush on Nora¡¯s face. On the other hand, Roel and Ponte second-guessed their initial doubts. Yeah, I must have been hearing things. There¡¯s no way that the respected members of royalty would be interested in discussing such mundane matters! Roel thought to himself with a smile, and Ponte also set his heart at ease. It was soon to be lunchtime and Victoria and Ponte wanted to have a good meal with their newly-found kin. Considering that they were in the midst of war, there was no way their meals could be luxurious, but it was at least still filling and nourishing. It was especially good for Roel, who had lost quite a bit of blood recently. They continued chatting amiably over the meal, and Roel found an opportunity to ask Victoria for her reasons for opposing Wade. Unexpectedly, her motive was not some greatpassion for mankind or other righteous cause. On the contrary, she had a very practical reason behind it. The simple exnation is that Wade hoped to build a massive empire reminiscent of the Ancient Austine Empire, so as to unite the forces of mankind to fight against external threats, but Victoria thought that the chances of pulling it off were extremely slim. ¡°The Theocracy is strong, but Pendor and Austine aren¡¯t easy opponents. While the Country of Schrs, Brolne, is close to the Theocracy at the moment, if the Theocracy invades other countries, there¡¯s a good chance that Brolne will change its stance. ¡°Wade hopes to assimte heretics into the Theocracy and create a more equal world. I have no objections regarding that, but his extreme methods are very risky. It has been a long time since thest Holy War, and the chances of deviants invading West Sia are increasing with each passing year. Initiating a war right now would only lower the overall strength of mankind. ¡°I do not wish to see my mother¡¯s tragedy happening to anyone else, but I believe that changes should be made step-by-step. We should start off with assimting the non-religious transcendent factions before moving on to the heretics. Initiating change from within won¡¯t be easy, but we¡¯ll be able to minimize the risk and damage this way.¡± After hearing Victoria¡¯s standpoint, Roel found it hard to evaluate her stand. Victoria and Wade appeared to have simr goals in mind, but the way they wished to go about it was different. Victoria was a more conservative individual, whereas Wade was a revolutionary; it was no wonder why they couldn¡¯t see eye-to-eye. However, Victoria¡¯s worries about the deviants invading the Sia Continent did eventuallye to be, just that it only happened a centuryter. She was right yet not really so. Looking at Victoria and Ponte, Roel couldn¡¯t help but ponder about a question: Just what was this world he was currently in? Did he and Nora really return back to the past? Roel personally didn¡¯t believe in time travel, due to the many paradoxes that could ur as a result of changing history. Rather, he believed more in diverging realities in parallel universes. If someone returned back to the past and changed history, rather than to say that he had changed the past, he would have just created another parallel universe. Could he be in some sort of illusion, simr to a lucid dream? That was the most direct exnation Roel could think of, but on further thought, he felt like he might be oversimplifying matters. There were far too many pieces of evidence to overturn that deduction. No matter how he looked at it, Victoria and Ponte were simply too real to shrug off as dream fragments. What he felt was more probable was that he had been transported over to an independent world that depicted a snippet of history, reminiscent of the world inside mirrors. Expanding on that theory, the bloodline of the Ascart House would be like an entrance ticket to enter this world, allowing him to be a Witness. As for what he would be witnessing, it could have been the important turning points of the world, the unyielding spirit of an individual, or some truth hidden in the annals of history. He didn¡¯t know for certain what it was, but it was simply his job to bear witness to it all. He had a feeling that this unique experience would be an invaluable impetus to both his and Nora¡¯s growth in the future, both in terms of maturity and as transcendents. However, the most important thing right now was for them to ovee the dangers lurking here first. Roel felt that he could somewhat understand why those two predecessors were unable to describe the abilities of the Ascart Bloodline. Despite experiencing it personally, even he would be unable to properly convey it in words. It felt a bit like the games he yed in his previous world, where certain events would transport the yer back in history to get a deeper understanding of the world background, but that didn¡¯t feel exactly right either. Roel continued eating while pondering the matter. It was then that Victoria suddenly dropped a bomb on him. ¡°Since you¡¯re already here, we¡¯ll do our best to ensure your safety. A battle will likely break out over the next two days, but you need not worry. We¡¯ll dispatch some men to escort you out safely.¡± ¡°Battle? Why?¡± Roel and Nora were astonished by Victoria¡¯s remark. Based on what they knew from history, Victoria¡¯s forces would continue holing themselves up inside thebyrinth until Holy Eminence Ryan finally returned to save the day. Therefore, they didn¡¯t think that any more battles would ur before then. There was a long moment of silence before Ponte finally exined the situation. It was all because they had moved out to save Nora and Roel. The huge battle Victoria¡¯s forces had with Wade¡¯s allied armies gave thetter a lot of opportunities to nt tracking spells on their soldiers. As a result of that, over the past day, Wade¡¯s allied armies had managed to make great progress, advancing very close to where the Labyrinth Vi was. At this rate, a battle would likely break out tomorrow. The news was shocking. Roel and Nora didn¡¯t expect things to turn out this way, but it did make perfect sense. ¡°You need not me yourself for this matter. Ponte and I made this decision knowing the risks at hand. If we lose this battle, you must make sure to lie low. The Holy Capital isrge. As long as you use magic tools to conceal your whereabouts, you should be able to escape Wade¡¯s detection in the short-run.¡± Victoria spoke with a prudent and gentle voice, and Ponte silently agreed with her view. It was obvious from their attitudes that they didn¡¯t have much confidence in the uing battle. They were worried that Roel and Nora would insist on staying behind in a moment of hot-bloodedness, which was a situation they wanted to avoid at all costs. Over the past two days, it was more than apparent to them that both Roel and Nora wielded great talents, and they had the potential to surpass the two of them in the future. They must never lose their lives in this ridiculous internal strife, or else it would be a huge loss to both their houses and the Theocracy. However, Roel and Nora didn¡¯t respond right away to Victoria and Ponte¡¯s advice. The lunch soon concluded, and Victoria and Ponte headed off to organize their soldiers and prepare them for the uing battle. On the other hand, Roel and Nora returned back to their room to rest, making full use of this quiet moment to think over what they had just heard. ¡¾Countdown to the end of Witness State: 32 hours 45 minutes¡¿ Roel looked at the System¡¯s notifications and saw that there was still a little less than a day and a half left until the Witness State would end. If they were to take a defensive stance, they should be able to buy enough time to survive until the very end. However, that was not what he was nning on doing. The Witness, Kingmaker, Grandar, the progress of his bloodline awakening... There were too many things at stake here, and they made Roel feel that he shouldn¡¯t choose to escape. The two life-or-death situations he had been through changed his evaluation significantly, which made him realize that he had to give up something in order to earn something. ¡¾Evaluation: High (87)¡¿ Roel looked at the significant rise in his evaluation, and needless to say, he was happy about it. However, there was one issue that he thought he needed to rify. ¡°System, is it possible for the evaluation to go down?¡± ¡¾The Evaluation System is constantly updating itself based on the user¡¯s actions. It is possible for your evaluation to go down.¡¿ The System¡¯s response made Roel wince a little. The fact that it was possible for him to lose marks meant that escaping was no longer an option anymore. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to raise his score this far, and he would only regret it for life if he were to allow his evaluation to fall due to a moment of cowardice. But, while Roel had made up his mind to stay, he felt that he had to advise Nora to leave. Nora wasn¡¯t going through an evaluation like he was, so there was no need for her to put herself through this risk. Such thoughts in mind, he went to Nora¡¯s room to talk to her about this matter. To his surprise, Nora¡¯s decision was not what he had expected. ¡°You wish to stay here? Why? We¡¯ll be able to return back to our world in just one and a half days¡¯ time. You¡¯re putting yourself at risk for no reason!¡± Roel couldn¡¯t ept Nora¡¯s obstinacy, but thetter had her own set of logic to back her choice. ¡°It¡¯s against my principles and my Origin Attribute to turn my back against those who have saved my life, not to mention that they are my predecessors. The disconnect between my actions and my Origin Attribute will result in a contradiction in my newly awakened bloodline. Besides, aren¡¯t you staying too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different for me! I have aplicated reason behind that...¡± Roel told Nora about the condition regarding his bloodline, hoping that she would change her mind regarding this matter. However, she remained unwavering in her stance. From the sharp light in her sapphire eyes, it was clear that there was nothing he could say to change her mind. ¡°My grandfather told me toe here to bear witness. Since that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s my duty to watch over my predecessors to the very end... Besides, I don¡¯t wish to part with you either.¡± Nora reached out to hold Roel¡¯s hands as she spoke. The determination and tenderness in her eyes made Roel sigh helplessly, The frustrated look on his face seemed to have entertained Nora as she chuckled softly. She raised her hand and poked his cheek mischievously. Under her teasing, Roel suddenly turned his head over and opened his mouth wide, as if he was going to bite down on her finger. But instead of retracting her finger, Nora pushed it closer to him instead. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of me biting you?¡± ¡°Will you hurt me? I think not.¡± ¡°Hmph. You sure have a high opinion of yourself.¡± Roel turned his head away as he didn¡¯t want to deal with this damned sadist. Nora¡¯s decision to heed Holy Eminence John¡¯s instruction to witness this turning point of history could be considered as an internal matter within the Xeclyde House, which meant that Roel was in no position to tell her what to do. In any case, he still made up his mind to bring Nora safely out of this no matter what happened. While the two children in the Labyrinth Vi were affirming their determination, Victoria and Ponte had also finished organizing their forces. Amidst the fog, a vengeful prince and his knight were sharpening their des. Everyone was making the final preparations for the uing battle. In this calm before the storm, a new day arrived. Chapter 91: The Clash of Faiths

Chapter 91: The sh of Faiths

War broke out as promised the following morning. As soon as the fog dissipated along with the scattering of sunlight at dawn, the quiet streets outside the Labyrinth Vi became filled with deafening war cries. The battle escted at an unimaginable rate, as both sides began going all out right away. The intentions of Wade¡¯s allied armies were made tantly obvious¡ªthey were nning to use everything within their means to crush the enemy and capture Victoria. The ranks of Wade¡¯s allied armies were filled with many heretics. While they were termed as heretics, the truth was that many of them were born in the Theocracy and grew up here, only to be discriminated against on the basis of their lineage and Origin Attributes. They felt that this was extremely unfair. Why should an otherwise upstanding member of society be discriminated against, just because they are deemed a heretic? Meanwhile, no matter how corrupted, any member of the Genesis Goddess Church can act as they please. This was a question without an answer in the current era; the conflicting moralpasses of the people wouldn¡¯t allow it; making it the greatest dilemma of the present age Theocracy. For these heretics, Wade¡¯s revolution was a ray of hope. It was an opportunity for them to challenge the system and create a new future for the next generation. They wished to build a new society that promoted equality, where people wouldn¡¯t be treated unfairly just on the basis of their lineage and Origin Attributes. To be honest, for the freethinker Roel from the modern era, he felt that the heretics were justified in their actions. Perhaps it was due to the firm conviction in their mission that the heretics showed unyielding determination, charging ahead without showing any fear of death. In order to quickly subdue Victoria¡¯s forces, theypletely gave up on using arrows and long-ranged weapons for additional support. They used the tower shields in their hands to fend off the spells directing toward them while charging ahead with unstoppable momentum. Needless to say, such a death charge brought about great casualties, but whenever a soldier died, another one would swiftly rush forward to take his ce. They grit their teeth and stood firm in their beliefs. The greatest strength of humansy in their ability to ovee their primitive tendencies. It was in the nature of all living beings to avoid dangers, but for their faith and ideals, humans were willing to brave mortal danger. While this could go both ways, Roel felt that it was such a spirit that allowed human civilization to develop this far. However, it wasn¡¯t just the soldiers in Wade¡¯s faction that had conviction. Victoria¡¯s forces also carried justice in their hearts. As knights and military men serving the Theocracy, they were the guardians of the Theocracy, and they were duty-bound to ensure the peace and security of themon popce. The ones standing before them were enemies who had caused great casualties within the Holy Capital. It was their responsibility to stop them! gs with hundreds of years of history were held high above their heads as the soldiers from Victoria¡¯s faction retaliated ferociously against the charging enemies. Even when their prestigious armor inscribed with the insignia of their affiliation was stained with blood, they still stood fearlessly against those who dared disturb the peace in the Holy Capital. Their honor was on the line here, and they wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to trample on it. The intense battlefield was like a meat-grinding machine. Not a single second passed without someone copsing amidst a pool of blood. Soon, as the first face-off came to an end, the leaders of both factions entered the battlefield too. From the very back of their respective formations, the teacher-pupil duo faced the liege-subordinate duo. Both Victoria and Wade hadplicated looks on their faces, but their eyes were firm and resolute. At the same time, Ponte stopped thebyrinth artifact too since it was pointless now that the enemy was already inside their hiding spot. Under the intense rays of the morning sun, the two royal siblings tried theirst attempt at negotiation. ¡°My royal sister, have you forgotten the tragedy our mother encountered? In order to prevent such a tragedy from urring again, as well as for the greatness of the Theocracy, we need to put all of our strength together and push for a difficult but necessary change! To stop an inevitable revolution and be content with staying stagnant, how are you different from those nobles who brought about the death of our mother?¡± Before the soldiers of the two factions, Wade questioned Victoria¡¯s actions with a look of fury. He even resorted to mentioning the death of Consort Mary, something no one had talked about for a long time, the topic was too heavy and depressing. His speech brought about some unrest within Victoria¡¯s forces, shaking their morale. There were many soldiers who knew Consort Mary personally and felt deep sympathy for her plight. Even Victoria looked a little downcast being reminded of her deceased mother. Ponte reached to grab her hand and squeezed it, and she smiled in response to his warm gesture. She quickly calmed her emotions before she stepped forward and responded. 1 reply ¨C 3 minutes ago ¡°Wade, I¡¯ll never forget what happened to our mother. I don¡¯t question your vengeance, but the revolution you seekes at a heavy price. Look at what you have done so far. In less than a month, rivers of blood are already flowing through our beloved homnd! How many people have died for your ambitions? Do you feel no remorse over the innocent lives you have taken?¡± ¡°Sacrifices are inevitable in a revolution. In history, revolutions would always infringe on the interests of those in power. If we don¡¯t tear down the old systems, a new era will never arrive! What you preach are mere ideals that will nevere to fruition! A revolution without blood will only be gradually stifled by the nobles and clergymen before eventually being extinguished!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t deny the possibility of what you have just said, but that¡¯s why the royal family exists! Our very responsibility is to be leaders that set a direction for the country and bring everyone toward a more desired future. If blood has to be shed in the process of doing so, I would rather it be mine than those of the innocent civilians! Wade, it¡¯s the blood of your very countrymen that is fueling your ambitions! Have you already forgotten the teachings of our house?¡± ¡°... It looks like there¡¯s no way for us toe to apromise.¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± With the two standing firm in their stances, the final negotiation broke down. Their words had guarded the morale of their respective factions, as well as driving in the fact that it was impossible for the two factions toe to an understanding. The soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons as they resolved themselves for a fight to the death. Wade drew his sword, and the golden-haired Felder at his side quickly followed suit. He turned around to face his own guards standing behind him, eyes filled with burning passion, and roared furiously. ¡°For justice!¡± Wade¡¯s war slogan was responded to with a deafening war cry from his soldiers. He raised his sword up high as the symbol of revolutionary change. At this very moment, the morale of the soldiers rose to the peak. Simrly, Victoria and Ponte also stepped forward alongside one another and drew their swords in unison. ¡°For peace!¡± They also received an earth-shattering roar in return, as if baring their fangs against their enemies. In terms of morale, it would appear that both armies were equally matched with one another. Following that, the war horns sounded, and the main forces of the two factions began charging at one another. ¡°Are the two of you ready?¡± ¡°We are ready,mander. Please feel free to return to your toon.¡± ¡°I understand. May Sia be with you.¡± A towering knightmander bade Roel and Nora farewell before charging into the battlefield with his men. Roel, standing together with a pale-faced Nora, looked at the chaotic battlefield before him and sighed softly. He couldn¡¯t help feeling that this battle was nothing but a terrible tragedy. Thinking of the reasons behind it, there was no right or wrong, just a difference in opinion and ideals. Both Victoria and Wade sought the best for the Theocracy and their people, but their means simply differed from one another. For Nora, who had grown up with a clear sense of right and wrong under the indoctrination of the Genesis Goddess Church, she felt ufortable facing such a blurred sense of morality. She might have matured early, but ultimately, she only had 10 years of experience living in this world. No matter how talented she might be, this is still too much for a child to bear. Roel thought to himself as he shot a nce at Nora. All of a sudden, he felt Nora grasping his hand. He turned his head over and found himself faced with her eyes. Instead of carrying their usual confidence, her sapphire eyes reflected weakness and confusion. Her sudden show of vulnerability made Roel¡¯s heart violently skip a beat. ¡°I... don¡¯t know who is right here. My grandfather has told me to bear witness, but I still don¡¯t know even after spending long hours thinking it over.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped... The world isn¡¯t so simple that we can simply divide everything into right and wrong. More often than not, it¡¯s just a difference in positions and perspectives.¡± Roel¡¯s words brought some rity back into Nora¡¯s eyes. She turned her head over to look at themanding Princess Victoria, and determination slowly returned to her face. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by the changes Nora was going through, and a helpless smile emerged on his lips. It seemed like his words had struck a chord in Nora¡¯s heart. Yet, here he was, still wavering between both sides himself. There were still slightly more than 10 hours left until the end of the Witness State, and Roel knew that this was the crucial moment of the whole trial he was being put through. Whether he would be able to advance a step further and obtain the best rewards would depend on his choice and his actions here. While Roel and Nora were deep in their thoughts, Victoria turned to Ponte standing beside her and nodded her head. Ponte immediately caught her drift and stopped his bombardment of magic spells to take out a colorful gemstone. ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Indeed, Ponte had started using thebyrinth once more. It was their greatest trump card after all, so it was impossible for Victoria¡¯s weaker forces not to make use of it. From the very start, this battle had been a trap. Ponte had only released thebyrinth for so long in order to lure Wade¡¯s allied armies in deeper. The spell which he had been channeling for half a day since the arrival of dawn finally began working its magic. It took only a few moments for fog to settle in amongst the formation of Wade¡¯s allied armies, severely limiting their visibility. This was extremely dangerous as it impeded the militarymanders¡¯ ability to assess the battlefield and make adjustments. So, Felder immediately ordered the army to charge ahead to further pressure Victoria¡¯s forces, and the opposition did likewise. As a result, the soldiers of the two factions crashed into one another like waves. The Knight Orders on Victoria¡¯s side, which had stationed on the nearby higher terrains ahead of the battle, rushed down along slopes and gained tremendous speed, allowing them to im a decisive advantage in the first charge. Many of Wade¡¯s soldiers were skewered by their spears. However, the momentum of Wade¡¯s allied armies barely faltered at all. Their formation continued pushing ahead with great speed. At the same time, Wade had begun channeling the same crimson lightning spell once more, causing his body to be cloaked in a crimson glow. Innumerable lightning bolts crackled around him, dissipating the fog Ponte had summoned. However, the effects fell short as he was still unable to effectively dispel the fog and turn the tables around. Cloaked in the fog, the soldiers of Wade¡¯s allied armies had their formations continuously breached and torn through, resulting in them being unable to put up a proper fight. The gap between both sides began to swiftly narrow until Victoria¡¯s forces finally imed the upper hand for the first time since the sh started. ¡°We have only managed to disperse their formations thus far. They can still regroup and fight back given sufficient time. We need to hurry up and grasp the decisive victory.¡± Ponte¡¯s attempts to forcefully tap into the power of thebyrinth artifact had taken a huge toll on him, causing hisplexion to pale. He anxiously warned his pupil as he tucked the colorful gemstone back into his clothes before drawing a short sword out. This was a short sword that Roel was fairly familiar with: Saint¡¯s de¡ªTwelve Wings. However, Ponte had already exhausted himself far too much, such that he ended up needing Victoria¡¯s help to steady the short sword in his grasp. At the center of the battlefield, this teacher and pupil pair exchanged gazes and saw each other¡¯s determination to push it through at any cost. Their intersecting hands moved to point the short sword toward Wade, who was still channeling crimson lightning around him in the distance. In the next instant, a destructive burst of silver light traversed across a thousand meters, illuminating the faces of every single fighting soldier on the battlefield. Spell of Oblivion, Angel¡¯s Chorale. Chapter 92: Crown of Lightning

Chapter 92: Crown of Lightning

One of the reasons why the Twelve Wings were known as holy weapons was because they were believed to possess the power to understand the heart of a human. The abilities they incubate were often in line with the will of their wielders, which, in a sense, could be considered as the fulfillment of wishes. Roel was a weak child, so Ascendwing responded to him by granting him ¡®The Unruly¡¯ ability, allowing him to free himself from dangerous situations. To Ponte, the Twelve Wings chose to grant him greater offensive power instead. Those in the Hextongue Faction were reputed for their exceptional spellcasting speed, bizarre transference spells, and powerful disturbance spells. However, simr to most Schr Factions in Brolne, it had a fatal w¡ªitscking offensive prowess. Hecked supreme power that could determine a fight. Due to that, Ponte desired greater offensive prowess, and the response given to him by the Twelve Wings was the spell, Angel¡¯s Chorale. This was a powerful spell that focused all of the spellcaster¡¯s mana into a burst of destructive light. There was no questioning its prowess. From the moment of its appearance, all soldiers on the battlefield could vaguely hear a divine hymn sounding in their ears, as if an angel was conveying his blessings through the light. However, to the target of the attack, Wade, it sounded no different than the voice of death. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Felder was the first one to react in that situation. His loyalty toward his liegepelled him to charge forward fearlessly to shield his liege from this fatal attack despite knowing the consequences that would befall him. Roel¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment at the sight. He never thought Felder, or to be more exact, Bryan, would be the sort of person to actually give up his life for someone else. In his view, Bryan was a cold-hearted individual who prioritized the Elric House above everything else, including his own family. Yet, here he was, like a knight depicted in legends, unhesitatinglyying down his life to protect his liege. As Felder dashed forward, he channeled his mana to its limits, swiftly forming innumerableyers of defensive shields out of his blood mist to fend against the burst of light. However, his defense was insufficient against the destructive might of Angel¡¯s Chorale, which harnessed both the mana of Ponte and Victoria. His blood mist defensive shields were swiftly pratedyer afteryer with frightening speed, faster than the rate that he could generate them. At the final moment, just as thestyer of the blood mist defensive shield was about to be breached, a hand pushed Felder away from the line of attack¡ªWade. Wade managed to save Felder in thest instant, but the result of that was a direct hit from Angel¡¯s Chorale. The bloodied Felder cried hoarsely in despair, and all soldiers on the battlefield, be it ally or enemy, were shaken by the sight. The duty of a knight was to protect his liege, but how many lieges in the world would be willing to stand forward and sacrifice himself for his knight? Wade¡¯s action was noble yet foolish, and he paid a heavy price for that. Even after being weakened by Felder¡¯s blood mist, Angel¡¯s Chorale was still not a spell which Wade could withstand. His crimson lightning bolts were devoured by the silver light, and his blood and flesh were charred by its destructive energy. It all culminated into a deafening explosion before everything slowly settled. The soldiers, who had finally regained their sight, put aside everything they were doing to look at the fallen prince on the ground. ¡°I-is he dead?¡± ¡°Have we won?¡± Victoria¡¯s forces stared at Wade from afar as they sought confirmation from one another in disbelief. Wade¡¯s soldiers shouted in panic, hoping that their liege would open his eyes and tell them that this was not real. Felder was staring at Wade¡¯s body with dted pupils. Despite his injuries, he dashed forward without a care in the world to ascertain Wade¡¯s current condition. It was almost as if someone had hit the pause button in the middle of the intense battle. Wade Xeclyde had already lost his senses. In truth, he wasn¡¯t thinking anything when he pushed aside Felder from the line of attack. The only thought dominating his mind was that Felder would die at this rate if he did nothing at all. The death of a loved one was something Wade had experienced before, and he never wanted to go through it ever again. That was the reason why he picked up his sword and swore that he would never let history repeat itself. That was the central driving force behind his revolution. Yet, he didn¡¯t think that even after Felder¡¯s blockade, the attack from Ponte and Victoria would still carry sufficient power to kill him. In the face of that blinding light, Wade¡¯s body was punctured with innumerable holes. The hymn of an angel sounded in his ear, as if seeking to send him to heaven. He had lost his senses, and his consciousness began to blur. He felt his body growing lighter and lighter, and it felt like his soul was about to depart from the bustling mortal world. For a moment there, he seemed to have returned back to the sleeping chambers in the royal pce he remembered from his childhood. On a familiar bed, an orange-haired woman hugged him and uttered her expectations for his future. ¡°Wade, you are born with great responsibilities. You are the future emperor of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the envoy of Sia. You¡¯ll uphold justice and fairness in the world. From the icynds of the borders of the Northern Sea to the dense forests of the South, everyone will be singing praises of your greatness...¡± Her loving words resounded in his ears, causing Wade¡¯s departing soul to halt in ce. As he recalled his mother, a doubt arose in his mind. Have I managed to do it? Have I met my mother¡¯s expectations? As he thought and thought, his dazed eyes regained rity, and his impassive face was consumed by rage. Silhouette after silhouette shed across his eyes as he recalled the mocking of the nobles and the discrimination of the clergymen. He remembered the smile on the orange-haired woman¡¯s face as she embraced him, telling him that they would reunite on the day he was crowned as emperor. That was a promise that was never fulfilled, as well as the final piece of memory he had of her. His recollection froze right at that scene, and it silently whispered the answer to his doubts. No, I can¡¯t leave right now. I haven¡¯t achieved my goals yet. Wade¡¯s eyes fully regained their rity, and the angelic hymn no longer reached him anymore. ring pain returned to his body as mana began flooding his body at a ridiculous level. The glow of the Wrath Origin Attribute resurfaced as his answer to the irrationality of this world. His eyes shot open once more as he sought to purge the irrationality that brought about his mother¡¯s death. His body was tattered, but his existence had never been felt so strongly on the battlefield before. ¡°Mother, please bear witness to the path I seek,¡± whispered Wade softly to himself. A beautiful figure seemed to appear before his eyes. She smiled at him, encouraging him to advance bravely. The lightning bolts in the sky began crackling once more, and a storm flurried furiously across the battlefield. Standing at the center of this frightening phenomenon, Wade looked farrger than he was. His crimson mana rose like mes into the sky, forming a ruby crown on his head. This turn of events astonished Victoria and the others. ¡°How is this possible?¡± ¡°Wade...¡± Right before everyone¡¯s eyes, Wade sessfully made a breakthrough. His fury overcame the limitations of life and death, bringing his Wrath Origin Attribute to a greater height, bing an Origin Level 2 transcendent. His powerful mana shook the Holy Capital, roaring for those who had died of injustice. There was no one in this huge Theocracy who could stop him anymore. The injured prince raised his sword up to the sky as he announced to the world that he had returned. At the same time, fragments of his mana drifted across the battlefield and fell upon his soldiers, warping into crimson light that shrouded their bodies. All of Wade¡¯s soldiers roared in excitement as they felt their overall stats rising. Their exhausted bodies were reinvigorated, and it felt like there was a me zing in their chests. ¡°Brave warriors, follow me! We shall build an impartial world for all!¡± Wade¡¯s words served as the war horns to announce themencement of a new round of battle, and his rally was responded to with loud cheers from his soldiers too. The buffed allied armies of Wade raised their swords and charged forth with unstoppable might, forcing Victoria¡¯s forces into a defensive position. Far away, Victoria looked at her severely injured brother who was now born anew. There was a dazed expression on her face. From the moment he sessfully made a breakthrough, she knew that things weren¡¯t going to go smoothly. Origin Level 2. This was already beyond what Victoria and Ponte could deal with. Other than Holy Eminence Ryan, there was no one in the entire Saint Mesit Theocracy who could suppress Wade in terms of power anymore. However, this didn¡¯t mean that it was the end yet. They still stood a chance, for Wade was simply too severely injured. Wade¡¯s breakthrough did little to heal him from the fatal injury he had suffered, and Felder was severely weakened too. The two of them were at their limits. Wade¡¯s unbelievable army-level buff was indeed powerful, but such spells tended tost for only a short duration and had extreme side effects afterward. In other words, as long as they could survive this onught, there was a good chance that they could turn things around and win this battle! This was really the final battle of this war, and they needed to hold on regardless of the cost. ¡°Hold your ground, their spells cannotst for too long!¡± ¡°Reinforce the defense line!¡± Such shouts echoed loudly among Victoria¡¯s forces. Ponte even stood at the frontline to organize the formations personally. On the other hand, however, Felder was personally leading the charge of Wade¡¯s allied armies, emanating his trademark crimson glow along with him. He, too, knew that this was the critical moment of the war, so he forsook his shield and focused solely on offense. Behind him, the severely injured Wade was also casting lightning and mes on enemy soldiers. This liege-subordinate pair were already on the verge of death, but ironically, they appeared to be in their strongest condition yet. Under Felder¡¯s fearless charge, a gaping hole was pierced into the formation of Victoria¡¯s forces. Wade¡¯s allied armies charged right through Victoria¡¯s soldiers, heading right into the heart of their formation. They couldn¡¯t care less about the soldiers threatening their nks anymore; their targets were clear¡ªVictoria and Ponte. On the battlefield, the familiar group of four reunited with one another once more, but the circumstances were different from before. Wade¡¯s lightning was no longer something that Ponte¡¯sparatively weaker spells could dispel easily, and Victoria¡¯s abilities were mainly centered around support, so she was unable to pose a threat directly. The ability of their Twelve Wings sword was still on cooldown, resulting in the teacher-pupil duo being unable tounch any decisive attacks against their enemies. The area of their sh was soon devastated as sand and rubble shot in all directions. Explosions sted off one after another. The first one to fall amongst the four was Felder. He had been the one leading the charge earlier, resulting in him exhausting himself significantly. Victoria¡¯s holy light area spell had struck him squarely, causing him to finally sumb to his injuries and copse to the ground. However, in return for that, Ponte and Victoria, who were alreadycking in mana, suffered direct hits from Wade¡¯s lightning, causing them to incur significant injuries. Ponte coughed a mouthful of blood whereas Victoria¡¯s light wings gradually began to dissipate. In the end, the two of them slumped to the ground while leaning on one another. Lightning rumbled in the air as a countdown to the end of the duo¡¯s life started ticking. But, all of a sudden, a divine ray of light suddenly shrouded the teacher-pupil duo as a small figure stepped forth to protect them¡ªNora. She descended from the sky with her light wings, and before the shocked eyes of the duo, she activated one of her magic tools sessfully blocking the onught of lightning bolts from Wade. However, this was already her limit. The protective barrier she summoned was severely strained under Wade¡¯s earlier attack, and it wouldn¡¯tst another direct attack from him. Once it shattered, she would have no other means to stop Wade anymore. Wade was momentarily surprised to see his lightning bolts blocked before an impassive look returned to his face. He shot a look at Nora, and he could clearly tell the side she had chosen from the look in her eyes. ¡°You would rather die together with them? Very well, I understand,¡± muttered Wade. He raised his sword to end this war that had continued for far too long, but all of a sudden, he felt a menacing threating from behind and halted his movement. He instinctively deemed this threat to be far beyond what Ponte, Victoria, and Nora posed to him right now, so he turned around and quickly scanned the battlefield. In the end, his gaze fell upon a single silhouette that was walking his way. It was the ck-haired boy he had seen not long ago. Chapter 93: My Answer

Chapter 93: My Answer

Roel didn¡¯t stop Nora from charging forward to protect Ponte and Victoria because he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her, and he knew that there was something else he needed to do too. He had been watching the war for several hours up till now, and that had given him plenty of time to think over everything. The fact that he finally chose to step onto the battlefield meant that he had finally made his choice, and he had the means to turn what he wished to see into reality. ¡¾Spell ¡®Grandar¡¯s Promise¡¯ has been activated.¡¿ ¡¾Countdown. 30... 29... 28...¡¿ This was the third time he was activating this spell, but unlike the previous two times, there was no explosion of strength and mana. The scenery around him changed, and before he knew it, he was no longer on the battlefield anymore. The stench of blood that had been lingering in his nose slowly scattered as he found himself standing in the middle of a red in, and the humongous skeleton, Grandar, was standing before him. ¡°Have you finally thought through your answer?¡± Grandar gazed down at Roel with mild interest in his eyes as he spoke gravely. ¡°Answer me. How do the dead pass down their power?¡± Roel was silent for a moment after hearing Grandar¡¯s question once more. He thought of all of the details he had gathered from his interactions with Grandar thus far before finally speaking. ¡°I have prepared two answers. One of them is for this question; the other one is for you. Which one would you like to hear?¡± ¡°Oh? Interesting. Tell me both.¡± ¡°For the first answer, in regards to your question, as someone who has been watching this war together with me, you should already know my answer, isn¡¯t that so?¡± Roel looked at the faraway setting sun that seemed ready to dip below the horizon, within could be seen the figures of the brave warriors fighting against one another. The faces of Victoria and Wade appeared in front of his eyes before scattering away with the wind. ¡°Spirit, will, and ideals. These are the ways that the dead pass down their power. Some do it through writing history; some do it through the transference of knowledge. As these legacies umte with each passing generation, eventually bringing forth a qualitative change. That¡¯s how the society and civilization we know now came to be.¡± Roel thought of the rich culture of the countries that were built in his previous life, as he affirmed his views. ¡°The foundation of all cultures and civilizations is the dead, or to be more exact, the knowledge they have passed down. This knowledge may change, be trimmed, or be further expanded over time, but without a doubt, this umtion over time will bring each passing generation to greater heights. It¡¯s the string that ties all beings, living or dead, together.¡± Roel¡¯s response left Grandar deep in thought. Grandar didn¡¯t give his response right away, but unexpectedly, Roel wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°But, none of what I have just said is applicable to you.¡± Those words made Grandar gradually open his mouth as the light in his eyes grew greater. If skeletons could show a stupefied expression, that would probably be it. However, Roel didn¡¯t pay any heed to it. ¡°All that I have just said is under the premise that one has sessors to inherit one¡¯s lineage. What about you though? You don¡¯t have that anymore, am I right?¡± Roel shot a nce at the massive skeletal racks half-buried in the sand and sighed quietly. ¡°The giants are only faraway legends of the Second Epoch now. I don¡¯t know if your civilization still exists, but your spirit, will, and even your existence have already disappeared into the oblivion of history. The first answer I prepared is no longer applicable to you, and that¡¯s why I have another answer just for you.¡± Before Grandar¡¯s shocked eyes, Roel unhesitatingly pointed to himself in confidence¡ªor perhaps, it might be more urate to call it arrogance. ¡°I am your answer, Grandar.¡± Roel looked at the imposing giant skeleton calmly, as if everything was under his control. ¡°I am your medium for passing down your power through the generations once more, be it your spirit, will, civilization, history, or even strength. I am not an important person in this world, but I am necessary to you. This is the answer I have to your question.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Brat, you sure have guts to dare speak those words. Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°It only further shows that I¡¯m right if you feel threatened by my words... And besides, you don¡¯t dislike me, right? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have helped me so much.¡± Roel spoke with a bright smile. Grandar¡¯s spell had helped him ovee danger on several asions, and the other party had even specially met him the second time he used the spell to remind him to give him an answer. This massive skeleton was indeed a frightening existence, but there was no denying that the other party had been helping him all this while. ¡°... You¡¯re more brazen than I thought, but that¡¯s also why I favor you.¡± After a moment of silence, Grandar burst into heartyughter. His voice trembled the in, causing the dust on his body to rain down. ¡°Your first answer is already eptable, but the second answer you offered fits my pte better. Let me ask you another question then.¡± The skeleton turned solemn once more. He gazed down at the young boy who dared to face him fearlessly and asked. ¡°Lad, no, Roel Ascart, what do you think the rtionship between the two of us should be?¡± ¡°I personally am interested in befriending you.¡± ¡°Friends? Haha, I see! Very well!¡± Grandar stood up as dust fell from his tattered cape. His towering stature made him appear no different than a god standing beneath the afterglow of the setting sun. ¡°Then I shall help my friend achieve victory on the battlefield!¡± ... ¡°It¡¯s you...¡± Wade finally snapped out of his astonishment. It was the same ck-haired boy he had seen before, but he was different from before. The air the boy gave off felt unfathomable, almost as if he was staring into the abyss. Concentrated mana that didn¡¯t pale inparison to his, an Origin Level 2 transcendent, pulsated around the boy¡¯s body. ¡°Is he a Blessed One of the ancient gods? I never thought that I would encounter such an existence here.¡± Blessed Ones referred to individuals who were bestowed with extraordinary powers by the ancient gods. Despite the word ¡®blessed¡¯, in truth, they were just toys for the ancient gods. Some of them didn¡¯t even have their own will, and nearly all of them met with tragic ends. Wade thought Roel was one of those pitiful Blessed Ones, but he had no intention of going easy on someone who threatened him. He unhesitatingly channeled his crimson lightning bolts toward Roel, hoping to end this battle quickly. While it was easy to assume that Blessed Ones were powerful existences, the truth was not so. The ancient gods behind them didn¡¯t value the Blessed Ones so much as to protect them. After all, broken toys can always be reced with a new one; it was foolish to fight with others over mere consumables. Crimson lightning bombarded Roel, dyeing thend red. The sheer intensity of the lightning made the air feel searing hot. The shoutsing from Nora and the others were silenced by the thunderous rumbling. The eyes of the soldiers were being drawn over as many believed that the curtains were finally going to be drawn on this internal strife. After striking down Roel, Wade confidently turned back to face Victoria and the others, wanting to end this once for all. But unexpectedly, the boy who was expected to die didn¡¯t fall. ¡°Grandar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Roel called for hisrade, and a humongous silhouette suddenly descended in the middle of the Holy Capital. It was a skeleton so enormous that he seemed to connect the earth to heaven. Wade¡¯s devastating crimson lightning looked like nothing more than tiny snakes in his face. With a wave of his hand, a powerful gust of wind blew and dissipated the crimson lightning into nothing. Feeling the gust of wind rushing past him, Wade hurriedly turned around, only to be shocked by what he saw. Things had proceeded in a direction far beyond his imagination. He stared at Roel, who stood at the center of Grandar¡¯s protection, and fear struck him. The boy isn¡¯t a Blessed One but a Contractor of an ancient god. The realization of this unbelievable fact made Wade realize how huge of a threat he was facing at this moment. He immediately gathered all of his mana, and the Wrath Origin Attribute bellowed furiously within his body. The crimson lightning in the sky vanished without a trace, reced by a silent sphere of light in his hands. This sphere was the manifestation of his wrath, the silent fury he bore against the world. It was so bright that it dulled everything in its surroundings. This was the highest destructive power of the Wrath Origin Attribute. On the other end, Roel had also finished his preparations too. ¡°Given your circumstances, I can only exert a single punch at most,¡± echoed Grandar¡¯s voice in Roel¡¯s ears. Even under the effects of undead reanimation, Roel¡¯s body was still swiftly being torn apart. His body was unable to bear the weight of the giant¡¯s strength. But, so what? Roel didn¡¯t respond to the giant¡¯s words right away, choosing instead to turn to Nora, who was protected within a magic barrier at the moment. A slight smile formed on his lips as he spoke. ¡°I wish to bring her out of here safely, no matter what it takes. Is one punch enough?¡± Roel asked Grandar. Grandar responded with a heartyugh that was filled with lofty pride as one of the strongest existences in the world. ¡°One punch? That¡¯s more than enough!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it then!¡± Amidst heartyughter, Roel¡¯s billowing mana began to take a corporeal form. Circr ribcage bones that emanated blood-colored light formed around Roel, followed by the neck, and head. Like a demon god summoned from hell, Grandar¡¯s upper body was beginning to manifest in this world. The sight caused soldiers to feel giddy, and even the bravest of warriors didn¡¯t dare to look at it in the eyes. Before the sphere of light that threatened to bring forth destruction, Grandar unhesitatingly raised his massive arms to strike down on it. Boom! A powerful shockwave swept through the entire Holy Capital like a major earthquake had been triggered. The terrifying sphere of light, formed with the concentrated prowess of the Wrath Origin Attribute, shattered under the might of Grandar¡¯s fist. At this very moment, Wade seemed to see countless giants standing amidst a scarlet in in front of him, and their crowned king was roaring furiously at him. ¡°This is...¡± Wade eximed in astonishment, but his voice was immediately drowned out by the explosion. The shockwave sent the soldiers flying through the air helplessly. Even Nora¡¯s magic tool had begun cracking under the impact, causing the barrier she had summoned to protect the three of them to waver unstably. However, Nora couldn¡¯t care less about all of this at the moment. She looked around anxiously in search of Roel¡¯s silhouette. ¡°Child, he¡¯ll be fine. You need to protect yourself first!¡± ¡°But...¡± Nora knew that Victoria was right, and it made her feel deeply helpless. She shouted Roel¡¯s name desperately as she hurriedly tried to sustain the barrier as long as possible to shield them from the impact of the shockwave. Meanwhile, the severely injured Felder was struck squarely by the shockwave and fell unconscious, resulting in him being blown away along with the other soldiers who were dragging him out of the battlefield. This single collision literally shook the entire Holy Capital, and the intense battle finally came to an end. Chapter 94: Are You Certain About Choosing Him?

Chapter 94: Are You Certain About Choosing Him?

The terrain within thebyrinth underwent aplete change. Houses copsed, and the soldiers of both factions toppled to the ground. This entire region was ttened. Roel and Wade¡¯s sh created a force far beyond imagination. A huge cloud of dust rose into the sky like a soaring dragon, and it took a long while before everything finally settled down. There was only one person left standing at the center of the explosion, and it was a ck-haired boy. He set his eyes on the copsed Wade before staggering over with his strained body. Without a doubt, Wade had lost in the collision of power. Due to Roel¡¯s weak body, Grandar had only exerted enough strength to nullify Wade¡¯s spell, but this was more than enough to achieve victory. Wade was simply too severely injured by the earlier attack from Ponte and Victoria that he couldn¡¯t sustain himself anymore after losing almost all of his mana. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. You are a heretic. Why do you stand in my way?¡± Wade was weakened to the extent that he couldn¡¯t even rise to his feet anymore. From the moment he expended his vitality to force a breakthrough to Origin Level 2, it had already be a battle against time for him to defeat Victoria and Ponte before his body caved in. Strictly speaking, he had lost not to Roel but to himself. Knowing this, Roel didn¡¯t put on the attitude of a victor before Wade. He dragged his fatigued body over to Wade¡¯s side, and he looked at thetter with eyes filled, not with scorn, but respect. He pondered Wade¡¯s question before slowly giving his reply. ¡°There are many reasons. For one, rather than stirring up a huge war of unification, I believe it¡¯s more worthwhile to devote our resources to improving the lives of the popce instead. But, if I really have to choose one... if I were to give you an opportunity to raise your arms to protect your loved ones, would you grasp it?¡± said Roel as he nced at a golden-haired girl running toward him. It was Nora, who had ovee the shockwave through her magic tool. She heard Roel¡¯s words on her way over, and her footsteps suddenly came to a halt. Wade happened to nce over at this moment, and the two of them met each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°I see. It looks like we¡¯re the same type of people...¡± Wade stared into the boundless sky as the image of his mother, Consort Mary, shed before his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s just that I was unable to raise my arms when my loved one was in danger. When I was finally ready to protect her, she was already no longer around.¡± Listening to Wade¡¯s remark, Roel suddenly felt a little conflicted on the inside. Wade was someone who had devoted his life to erasing the tragedy he had once suffered. He rose to fight for the heretics, raising a revolution to bring them a brighter future. Yet, at the same time, he brought suffering and death to many innocents. Roel couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he would have walked down the same path had he been in Wade¡¯s shoes. There was a long moment of silence between them before Roel finally spoke up. ¡°You might have failed in your revolution, but you were still a worthy emperor for your people.¡± ¡°Oh? And you still turned against me?¡± ¡°I recognize your talents and your spirit, but I oppose your goal and your ambitions.¡± ¡°Is that so? What a traitorous subject you are. Youngss, it looks like you¡¯ll suffer quite a bit in the future.¡± There was an indistinct smile on Wade¡¯s lips as he watched Nora walking over to Roel¡¯s side to support him. His words seemed to carry a deeper meaning, and it left Nora at a loss as to how she should respond. Looking at these two young children, Wade suddenly felt the wrath that had been burning within him ever since Mary¡¯s death slowlying to a rest. Maybe these two children will lead the Theocracy to a better ce than I ever could? If this boy¡¯s strength were to be paired with the Xeclydes¡¯ unique abilities... As such thoughts crossed Wade¡¯s mind, his expression gradually eased up, as if he had let go of all of the baggage weighing him down. Under Nora and Roel¡¯s watch, he closed his eyes for the final time. ¡¾The goals of the Witness State have been fulfilled. Remaining time left: 4 hours 2 minutes¡¿¡¾Evaluation: Perfect (102)¡¿ ¡°Roel, what¡¯s wrong?¡± As soon as Roel saw the word ¡®Perfect¡¯ reflected in the System, his body finally reached its limit. He wobbled unsteadily on his feet, and he would have fallen to the ground if not for Nora noticing it in time and supporting him. ¡°It¡¯s noth... Alright, it¡¯s something. I don¡¯t have the strength to continue standing anymore.¡± Roel was barely standing, he feltpletely expended. The only thing keeping him upright was his arm flung over Nora¡¯s shoulders. Truthfully, he could barely feel anything in his body at all. The aftereffects of tapping into Grandar¡¯s overwhelming strength had taken a huge strain on his body, such that his consciousness had started blurring. He even wondered if he would pass away like Wade as soon as he closed his eyes. Breathing in the scent of Nora¡¯s body, Roel tried his best to pull himself together. He took a look at thetest notificationing from the System. ¡¾Remaining time left: 4 minutes 42 seconds¡¿ Roel heaved a sigh of relief. The time had updated. After three days of heart-thumping danger, the two of them were finally going to leave this ce alive. His eyes turned a little moist just thinking about it. One must know that Roel lived a privileged life of luxury prior toing to this ce. Dealing with a couple of kids was already his limit. To suddenly be put through such a trial was honestly far too much of a leap ahead. Nevertheless, in order to protect Nora and awaken his bloodline, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and persevere through crisis after crisis. After all his effort, he was finally going to leave this ce in 4 minutes¡¯ time. There probably wasn¡¯t enough time to say farewell to Ponte and the others, though it was likely that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do it anyway with the restrictions on speech here. With such thoughts in mind, Roel began sharing the news with Nora. ¡°Nora, we¡¯ll be leaving...¡± ¡°Are the two of you fine?¡± It was then that Ponte and Victoria arrived at the scene too, interrupting Roel¡¯s words. Victoria swiftly noticed that Wade had stopped moving altogether and froze on the spot. Tears formed in her eyes, and she began to weep silently over the death of her younger twin brother. Ponte moved forward to console her. Victoria knew that this wasn¡¯t a good time and ce to be grieving over Wade¡¯s death, so she quickly pulled herself back together and turned to Roel to ask for Wade¡¯s dying words. However, when she saw the state that Roel was in, she jolted in astonishment. ¡°What happened? His body has undergone undead reanimation?¡± Victoria took a closer look at Roel¡¯s physical state before remarking with widened eyes. Ponte also quickly examined Roel¡¯s condition and frowned. ¡°How did things turn out like that? Could it be the price demanded by an ancient god?¡± ¡°Undead reanimation? Ancient god?¡± Looking at the anxious faces of his two predecessors, Roel implicitly understood that they were referring to Grandar. His body had lost all feeling after that powerful straight jab pulled off by the giant. Most likely, his joints and nerves must have been severely damaged by having to exert a force beyond what they could withstand. The realization of just how terrible a state he was in made his cheeks twitch a little. However, before he could make a fuss about the condition he was in, someone else was already doing it for him. ¡°We don¡¯t have any mana left... Quick, Nora! You should be the one to do it!¡± ¡°Ah? I¡¯m afraid that I don¡¯t have any spells that aid in recovery.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. Don¡¯t you have one of the Twelve Wings weapons with you?¡± Victoria shot a nce at the short sword hanging by Roel¡¯s waist and quickly drew it out. She stuffed it into Nora¡¯s hands and urged. ¡°Use this!¡± ¡°Use... this?¡± Facing the dumbstruck Roel and Nora, it finally dawned on Victoria that these two children were oblivious to the many uses of the Twelve Wings series. Heaving a deep sigh, she began exining to them. ¡°Your mana fused together during the unsealing of the de, which resulted in the incubation of an ability within it. So, by using it as a medium, it¡¯s possible for you to transfer mana to one another to some extent, be it through an exchange of blood or intimate contact.¡± Roel was still initially nodding in agreement with Victoria¡¯s words, but thest few phrases that she mentioned nearly made his eyes bulge out. Wait a moment. Exchange of blood? Intimate contact?! He was getting a very bad feeling about this, and he really wanted Victoria to stop speaking. However, Victoria paid no heed to his silent plea whatsoever and continued ¡®imparting knowledge¡¯ to Nora. ¡°He can¡¯t afford to lose any more blood, or else his condition will worsen. You¡¯ll have to sacrifice yourself in order to save him!¡± The opportunistic Victoria instinctively knew that this was a good chance to y the wingman and help her ¡®little sister¡¯ score a homerun. If things go well, it would be killing two birds in one stone... No ¡ªVictoria shot a nce at Ponte¡ª it would be three birds in one stone... So, she looked at Nora intently and threw a discreet straight ball right over. ¡°Nora, are you certain that you have chosen him? You won¡¯t regret this?¡± Victoria¡¯s words were a secret message known only by the Xeclydes. As descendants of angels, the Xeclydes valued purity very highly. Every Xeclyde, be it man or woman, could only have a singlepanion for life. Regardless of howcking they were in offspring, the virtue of purity took precedence over everything else. Nora quickly understood Victoria¡¯s intentions. Her sapphire eyes widened as her face reddened in embarrassment. Roel sharply noticed that there was something wrong with the atmosphere, so he quickly interjected. ¡°If I may ask, what are the two of you talking...¡± ¡°Roel, my apologies, but I¡¯ll have to ask you to hold your tongue for now.¡± Roel: ¡°???¡± In a rare show of tant dominance, Nora silenced Roel with a sharp tone. Meanwhile, Ponte understood what Victoria was driving at, and he looked at the two children before him doubtfully, wondering if they were still too young to make such a decision. ¡°Victoria, don¡¯t you think that...¡± ¡°Teacher, you should stay out of this.¡± Ponte: ¡°???¡± The two princesses of the Xeclydes disyed their dominant personalities, leaving the two subdued Ascart boys looking at one another. They suddenly realized just how low of a standing they seemed to have before these two women. ¡°Nora, if you have already made up your mind, go ahead and do what you have to. Don¡¯t end up like me. Even though I won¡¯t let him get away, things aren¡¯t that easy for me anymore.¡± Victoria shared the lessons she had learned from her personal experiences, and Nora nodded in agreement too. The Ascart boys had an incredibly frustrating tendency to reach out to them but not do anything at all. Yet, when they tried to approach them, they would back away out of fear. With such thoughts in mind, Nora¡¯s eyes became firm. ¡°I understand.¡± Nora responded to Victoria with affirmation before she turned her eyes toward the confused boy beside her. No, wait a moment. What do you understand? Roel was still bewildered by the current turn of events. These two girls seemed to be speaking in riddles that he couldn¡¯t understand. But, for some reason, he felt that there was something dangerous in the gaze Nora was directing toward him. It was a predatory gaze, yet it carried a hint of tenderness and warmth too. In any case, it was just weird! ¡°Since you have made up your mind, I wish you all the best!¡± Victoria struck Nora¡¯s back in encouragement as a burst of green light rose from her head. Before the dumbstruck Roel could react, Nora had already supported his body upward and sealed his lips. ¡°Wuu!¡± Roel couldn¡¯t even begin to wrap his head around what was happening. Then, a notification came in. ¡¾Countdown ended. Commencing return.¡¿ Chapter 95: They Are Still Safe and Sound!

Chapter 95: They Are Still Safe and Sound!

As the final glimmer of light departed the mountain along with the setting sun, campfires were lit beside the tents constructed along the mountain slope. People slowly gathered around these campfires and chattered merrily. This New Year Hunt was decided on a whim, but as the powerful transcendent, Carter Ascart, was with them, they hardly faced any danger along the way. Last night, they set off from the royal pce and arrived at a vige located at the foot of the mountain. From the vigers, they learned that there was a strange, massive bird that spat venom terrorizing the mountain. This had resulted in the other animals being chased out of the area. Needless to say, this was good news for the hunting team, who were looking for a worthy prey to subjugate. The following morning, they ventured into the depths of the mountain under Prince Kane and Marquess Carter¡¯s lead, and by noon, they had already managed to kill the bird. They found quite a few eggs in the bird¡¯s nest and had them shipped back to the Holy Capital. They spent the time afterward dissecting the bird, removing its feathers, skin, meat, and even its poison sac¡ªwhich they were nning to use as the medium for a spell¡ªbefore finally incinerating its carcass with a torch. It was a massive victory, especially given that they had protected the livelihoods of the vigers in the region too. Naturally, this was a huge cause for celebration, and the atmosphere was livelier than ever. However, in the corner was a gloomy little silver-haired girl, that dampened the atmosphere a little. Alicia wasn¡¯t in a good mood at all. Her beautiful eyebrows were slightly curved downward, and herrge eyes reflected her worry and frustration. It was an expression that could easily invoke the sympathy of anyone around her. She might be stuck on this mountain, but her heart was far away in the Holy Capital. In truth, she should have attended the royal banquet together with Roel, and this New Year Hunt should have be a treasured memory between the two of them. Yet, of all times, Roel happened to receive an invitation from the Holy Eminence, resulting in the two of them parting ways. It was already depressing enough that she was unable to spend the new year with her beloved older brother, but who could have thought that Kane and the others would actually send Nora into the Labyrinth Vi during her absence? That was no different than rubbing salt in her wound! Alicia didn¡¯t hate Nora; on the contrary, she very much admired the princess. Nora¡¯s charisma as the princess of the Theocracy was the real deal. Her powerful and graceful presence inspired others to follow and serve her. Had it not been for Roel, she might have chosen to serve Nora as her liege. Unfortunately, fate had other ns in store... Her meeting with Roel was like a withered flower encountering morning dew. Even if there was other water in the world that could make her blossom even more beautifully, she wouldn¡¯t choose anything else over it anymore. She had already decided that the morning dew was all she needed. Yet, who could have thought that her warm and kind older brother would actually catch the eye of Her Highness Nora? To make things worse, the two of them were actually living under the same roof at this very instant! This is dangerous! Big brother Roel, you must keep your distance from her! Warning bells were ringing in Alicia¡¯s head, making her feel deeply uneasy. However, there was nothing she could do. It would be unreasonable of her to ask Carter to send her back right now, so she could only sit on a log, munch on the freshly roasted bird meat, and watch those uncles merrymaking together. The night deepened, but the exuberant adults were still singing and dancing joyfully around the campfires. For a child like Alicia, however, it was about time to sleep. The maids had already prepared the tent and noise istion magic tools so that Alicia could have a good rest. Such consideration was the initiative of Anna, the newly promoted head maid, as well as the manager of the Roel X Alicia Ship fanclub. She viewed it as her personal responsibility to ensure thefort of the future matriarch of the Ascart House. Anna quietly reminded Alicia that it was time for her to retire for the night, and the two of them began making their way over to the tent. Unexpectedly, along the way, they heard Marquess Carter¡¯s astonished exmation. ¡°What? There has been an emergency in the Labyrinth Vi?¡± ... Bishop Philip had just encountered a small problem in his life. Dressed in white holy robes with reinforced chainmail underneath and armed with a magic staff, he was currently standing in the study of the Labyrinth Vi, looking stiffly at two children cuddling one another right before his eyes. The good news was that these two children were the targets that he was supposed to rescue from the clutches of evil cultists, Roel Ascart and Nora Xeclyde. It should have been ddening for Philip to see that they were safe and sound, but the problemy in the manner of their appearance¡ªthey had literally appeared out of nowhere. There was a sudden burst of light, and these two suddenly popped into the room. In truth, Philip had the scare of his life when he received the orders from Holy Eminence John to rescue the precious little princess of the royal family. One must know that Nora was the treasure of the Theocracy, and any threat to her life was a national crisis! Without daring to hesitate in the least, he rallied 100 veteran inquisitors from the Holy Pce. They mounted their steeds and galloped straight to the Ascart House¡¯s Labyrinth Vi. When Philip informed the guards stationed at the Labyrinth Vi that Roel and Nora were in danger, all of them were a little skeptical, though none of them dared to make light of the situation. It was all chaos afterward. A terrifying force consisting of a bishop, high-level inquisitors, royal guards, and the personal guards of the Ascarts sprinted frenziedly toward the study with anxious faces, causing the maid stationed outside the room, Mia, to nearly shriek in horror. The door was pushed open, and the panting men and women were stupefied to see that the room waspletely empty. There was not a single soul to be found. The heavy silence that loomed was panic inducing. Themander of the Ascart House¡¯s private army immediately contacted Marquess Carter to inform him of the situation. The head of the royal guards did the same too, but his recipient was Prince Kane. Philip stared at the scene with his mouth agape as he wondered if the Holy Eminence had gone senile with old age and ryed the wrong location to him. Then, in the middle of all the chaos, an explosion of light suddenly urred in the study. Everyone present were skilled fighters with sharp senses, and their first reaction was that they hade under attack. Schwing schwing schwing schwing! Even without amand, all of the guards reflexively unsheathed their swords. They observed the scene warily. ¡°Who is it? Where¡¯s the enemy?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Wait a moment, there are people inside the light!¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s Her Highness!¡± And, this was how Philip found himself in his present circumstances. However, this was no time for a recap. How Roel and Nora appeared was, surprisingly, only a secondary concern. He had noticed another, even more explosive, fact that made his eyelids twitch uncontrobly. Even though Philip had been single for over 40 years now, his tingling senses as an adult were telling him that there was a problem with just how unnaturally close the lips of the two embracing, unconscious children were. If his guess was not wrong, it would mean that the hope of the Theocracy, their beloved Princess Nora, before being knocked out, was actually locking lips with this darned brat from the Ascart House! A-and judging from their posture... it is a forceful kiss even! Philip was utterly dumbfounded. There was not a single day in his 40 years of singlehood that had equipped him with the wisdom to deal with a situation like this. Furthermore... ¡°Don¡¯t touch them! The two of them are currently linked by some sort of spell!¡± Philip anxiously shouted at the guards who were rushing up to the two children out of agitation. His keen eyes had already given him a rough understanding of the current situation. He noticed the presence of the silver short sword hanging by Roel¡¯s waist. ¡°This is the ability of the Saint¡¯s de¡ªTwelve Wings. Don¡¯t touch them yet. It¡¯s likely that one of them is injured at the moment, and the other is channeling mana to heal the injuries. The two of them are safe right now, but the same cannot be said if any of us were to move them recklessly.¡± Philip looked at the dirty faces of the two children, but he was unable to discern who was the one injured here. As an ex-member of the Inquisitor Hall, his offensive capability as a transcendent was not to be underestimated. However, treating the wounded would be going beyond his field of specialty. He dared not make a call on this matter recklessly. So, Philip passed down an order to bring a transcendent with the relevant ability over to check on their condition. ¡°Call the clergymen from the Sacramental Hall over!¡± One of Philip¡¯s subordinates immediately contacted the church for reinforcement. Meanwhile, in a study filled with people of varying statuses, be it the high and lofty bishops and militarymanders or the humble servants and maids, everyone was staring at one another ufortably, not knowing what to do. Their passion for gossip had been ignited after seeing the postures of the boy and the girl embracing one another on the carpet. To be fair, it was nothing much for children of their age to embrace one another, but the nature of the matter changed if a kiss was involved too. It was normal for people of the Sia Continent to marry at 14 or 15, so it was alsomonce for children of 12 or 13 years of age to be engaged with one another. But 10 years old... wasn¡¯t this a little too early? One must know that the Xeclydes were known for only having onepanion their entire life. From the current looks of it, it would appear that their princess already had someone in her heart, and it was none other than the sessor of the Ascart House. Everything had happened so suddenly that they weren¡¯t sure what to make of this news. ¡°Miss Mia, should we bring something... Ah? M-Miss Mia?¡± Philip was intending to ask Mia to bring something over to cover the two children, so as to uphold their privacy, but to his surprise, the maid actually began crying. ??? W-What¡¯s going on? The princess is fine, so why are you crying? Philip couldn¡¯t have imagined that he was witnessing the birth of a new fanclub manager. Meanwhile, Mia had no attention to spare to bother with how outsiders might view her at the moment. She was simply too absorbed in her excitement. How many years has our princess been alone? Finally, Her Highness has found her own happiness! Mia bit on her handkerchief in agitation as tears streamed down her face. The bbergasted Philip moved his gaze to and fro between the two embracing children and Mia several times, but he couldn¡¯t see anything to weep over about this situation. Ah, I guess she must be shocked. After squeezing out a reason to make sense out of the situation, Philip heaved a deep sigh before creating a golden wall around the two children with a wave of his hand. Then, he pped his hands to gather everyone¡¯s attention and spoke. ¡°Everyone. There¡¯s no point for all of us to wait here for the clergy of the Sacramental Hall to arrive. You should return back to your stations and do what you have to. The night isn¡¯t over yet!¡± Philip¡¯s words jolted everyone awake, and the guards quickly left to return back to their duty stations. They had already realized that this would not be a peaceful night, and their hearts hadn¡¯t calmed down from the earlier shock of Roel and Nora¡¯s disappearance. They couldn¡¯t allow anything else to happen beyond this. As for those from the church, they knew a little more about the incident. Their peers in the Inquisitor Hall were currently working overtime chasing evil cultists all around with greatswords in their hands. It was the first worthy mission they had had here at Holy Capital Loren in many years. To be honest, they were rather happy about this mission too. The Inquisitor Hall was basically a reserve army receiving wages from the Genesis Goddess Church. Their missions were usually very dangerous, requiring them to travel all the way to remote viges or mountain valleys in order to strike down evil cultists. However, the enemies they were dealing with this time were right here in Loren, their very home base. They had convenient ess to supplies, and medical aid was on tap, just a call away. This mission was much safer than what they usually took on. Most importantly of all, they could earn a bonus for each evil cultist they managed to strike down, and working overtime during public holidays entitled them to double pay. Needless to say, they weed such easy money with open arms! Who wouldn¡¯t love money? Actually, Philip wasn¡¯t too surprised this incident happened over the new year. The evil cultists on the Sia Continent were very powerful, but they had to pay a heavy price for their strength. One of the moremon conditions required the evil cultists to offer tributes on festive asions, such as the new year. Due to the powerful influence of the church in the Theocracy, hardly any evil cultist would dare to pull off anything here. However, if one were to investigate the reports of missing people in other countries, one would notice that the number of missing people reported tended to spike during the new year period. In fact, in more chaotic locations, the new year period was even viewed as a cmity. Innocent civilians were forced to hide in the mountains out of fear, choosing to bear with the coldness and hunger in the wilderness rather than spend the new year in their own viges. Evil cults would surely strike during this period of time, and weaker viges didn¡¯t stand a chance against them at all. Recalling the tragedies he had witnessed when taking on missions outside, Philip closed his eyes and prayed that those who lived in fear could remain safe this year. It was then that amunicator of the Ascart House, a transcendent skilled inmunication spells, suddenly entered the room. ¡°Bishop, I am Carter Ascart. I wish to see my son¡¯s condition!¡± ¡°Big brother Roel!¡± ¡°Marquess Carter, you may call me Philip. Your son is safe, so I ask you not to worry. Ah, and the youngdy is here too.¡± As Philip spoke words of reassurance to Carter and Alicia, he stepped aside to disy the golden wall he had cast. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but observe the silver-haired girl in themunication spell curiously. He had never heard that the Ascart House had a daughter too. Sigh! Look at how sorrowfully she is grieving over her older brother, the two of them must be close to one another! I should hurry up and show her that her older brother is fine so that she can put her heart at ease! Philip waved his hand, and the golden wall copsed like a falling curtain. On the carpet behind the golden wall, two children were embracing one another tightly like lovers on the verge of kissing one another. He gestured to the two children as he continued speaking with a gracious smile. ¡°Look, they are safe and sound. There¡¯s no need to worry at all.¡± It was questionable whether Carter or Alicia, who now stood there stiffly, had heard his words at all. Chapter 96: Life Is So Hard

Chapter 96: Life Is So Hard

A weekter, in a ssically designed room, a suave ck-haired boy dressed in noble clothes sat on a sofa with dead fish eyes as he listened helplessly to a recount of his ¡®glorious deeds¡¯. He was Roel Ascart, the sessor to the Ascart House. Ad who was so unlucky as to suddenly encounter king-level assassins the day right after the new year. While he was safe thanks to Holy Eminence John¡¯s protection¡ªhe even managed to awaken his bloodline by a stroke of luck¡ªhis life didn¡¯t return to normal after the incident was over. On the contrary, things seemed to be getting worse. ¡°The rumor you mentioned... how far has it spread?¡± After hearing Anna recount the rumor she had heard at the market, Roel was rendered mute for a moment before he asked with a flicker of hope in his eyes. Anna took some time to think of an appropriate way to convey just how widespread the rumors were before speaking. ¡°While I was purchasing supplies for the Ascart House, I met a total of 7 people from the merchant association. Of them, 6 asked me if the rumors are...¡± ¡°Alright! You need not say anymore.¡± Roel hurriedly waved his hand to stop Anna frompleting the sentence. Just thinking about the rumors made sweat trickle down his forehead, and he quickly wiped it off with his arm. The rumor was a story that had recently gone viral in the Holy Capital. From the members of royalty and high nobles all the way down to ordinary foot soldiers and servants, anyone who hadn¡¯t heard the story must have been living under a rock. It was a literary masterpiece thatbined all of the elements necessary to make a bestseller, just that such effort waspletely wasted on mere gossip. It was said that in Holy Capital Loren, there were two childhood friends who grew up together. They were both the sole sessors of prestigious noble houses, and they came to fall in love with one another. However, as the two of them were already engaged, they were unable toe together as a couple. But, on the first day of the new year, the two of them found themselves unable to curb their feelings for one another any longer. Making use of the opportunity when the elders of their families were gone, they promised themselves to one another and eloped. Yet, in this moment of steaming, passionate bliss, evil cultists exploited a weakness in the defense of the Holy Capital caused by the festivities and assaulted them. After an intense battle that included many narrow encounters and crises, the two lovers managed to defeat the evil cultists by a narrow margin, but the boy ended up suffering severe injuries during the fight. In order to save her lover, the girl offered him her first kiss in order to evoke a spell to heal his wounds. However, this act was discovered by the rescue team dispatched to save them, and it was reported to the elders of their respective families. Their secret romance was exposed, they were grounded by their houses and punished severely for it. The end. Despite the simplicity of the story, there was a surprising amount of contention over it amongst the popce and the circle of nobility. There were many elements in the story, but the key point was ¡®lovebirds being forced apart due to an engagement¡¯. This was a thorn that stabbed deep in the nerves of many people. The freedom to love was one of the few cases wheremoners felt superior to nobles. Due to the nature of the circle of nobility, the marriages between nobles were ever cursed to be used as political tools. Due to the presence of such contention, the story spread further and further, and it eventually evolved into a social movement. Nobles who had been through simr experiences couldn¡¯t help but shed a tear while recalling their pasts, and the masses vehemently objected to such irrational practice. In a rare show of unity between nobles andmoners, they demanded that the two lovers in the story be allowed to get together! Yes, that was right. Everyone actually knew who the protagonists in the story were. The scene about the girl giving away her first kiss to save the boy bore a great resemnce to the legend about an angel¡¯s first kiss... though the so-called legend was a mere rumor too. Rumors regarding the royal family tended to spread the fastest, after all. Roel would have enjoyed this drama as a spectator, but no, instead he was stuck with a leading role. He didn¡¯t have the luxury to sit back and watch the show idly anymore! Sighing deeply, he leaned back and stared nkly at the ceiling as he recounted the situation that day... At the end of the battle between Victoria and Wade, he ended up sustaining severe injuries due to having borrowed Grandar¡¯s power. Victoria made use of this opportunity to urge Nora to make a move. Following that, the countdown struck zero, and they were brought back to the real world. The journey back involved intense turbulence and distortions, resulting in both Roel and Nora, who weren¡¯t in good conditions in the first ce, to lose consciousness. Heter heard from others that he and Nora had only disappeared for an hour that night. However, when the two of them finally returned, they were cloaked in dirt, and he was severely injured. Also, somehow, their postures were incredibly intimate. This should have been nothing much, but s, the mana impartation effect Victoria mentioned really happened. That resulted in the bishop who discovered them not daring to separate them recklessly. It was onlyter when professional healers from the church arrived that the two were finally separated. Indeed, their intimate sleeping posture was on full disy for a whole half hour! This was no different from a public execution for their reputations! To make things worse, this sight was broadcasted to Carter and Alicia through amunicator, which resulted in Alicia throwing a tantrum. Alicia was usually very mild-mannered, rarely losing her temper. However, once she was triggered, it was really not easy to cate her at all. The following day after the incident, she returned and bawled tearfully before him. ¡°Big brother Roel! Am I not good enough for you? Do you not want me anymore?¡± ¡°Of course not! Where did you hear those words from? There¡¯s no way that I wouldn¡¯t want you!¡± The wronged look on Alicia¡¯s tearstained face made Roel¡¯s heart squeeze in pain. He simply couldn¡¯t stand watching her cry. He reached out to pull her in and hug her, but astonishingly, Alicia actually turned around and ran away tearfully, rejecting his embrace. ¡°A-Alicia?¡± This refusal was a heavy blow to Roel, causing him to just stand there foolishly, unsure of what to do now. What¡¯s happening? Why did things not go as I expected? Shouldn¡¯t Alicia reciprocate my hug and finally break out in a smile? Under Anna¡¯s disdainful gaze, Roel stood in a daze for a very, very long time. A week had passed since then, but the cold shoulder Alicia was giving him still showed no signs of thawing. Alicia seemed to be busy with something, so Roel didn¡¯t have any opportunities to see her. She wasn¡¯t even at the dining table during mealtimes! Apparently, she had received permission from Carter to have meals in her room. In other words, Roel had just been fired from his feeding job. ¡°Is this the end of the world? This must be the end of the world, right?¡± Roel muttered to himself with dead eyes. He swallowed his food tearfully as he prayed that a day woulde when Alicia finally changed her mind and came down to this dining table to reconcile with him. He sighed deeply as an unprecedented wave of lethargy swept over his soul. This must be how Garfield felt when he was deprived ofsagna. ¡°I¡¯m going to die if I don¡¯t get a dose of Aliciatonin soon...¡± Listening to the weird mumblings of Roel, Anna couldn¡¯t help but think of just how despondent Alicia had be over thest few days. Her appetite had been getting worse and worse. In the first ce, Alicia was a small eater. Previously, she would still try her best to eat a little more when Roel was feeding her, so that they could stay together for a little longer. But, over the past week, Alicia¡¯s food intake had reduced by half, or perhaps even more... Anna thought about how worried the maids taking care of Alicia had been, and she sighed mournfully. For the children¡¯s happiness, she felt that she should find an opportunity to help the two of them reconcile and renew their bond. Oblivious to Anna¡¯s thoughts, Roel felt that everything in his eyes looked dull and boring. He had no motivation whatsoever, and he didn¡¯t want to do anything at all. He sent Anna away before lying down listlessly on the sofa. ¡°Everything has been so vexing recently.¡± Roel ced his arm on his forehead as he muttered to himself. Far too many things had happened recently, and he felt that he needed to take some time off to think things over. It had been a week since he had returned from the Witness State and parted with Nora, but they hadn¡¯t been able to meet with one another ever since then. ording to Carter, Nora needed some time in order to stabilize her Silver Bloodline, and during this period of time, she couldn¡¯t get too excited. Roel couldn¡¯t understand what ¡®getting too excited¡¯ had to do with meeting him, but in any case, it did seem like they were being kept apart from one another for the time being. In a sense, the rumor that had been going around wasn¡¯tpletely unfounded. ¡°I wonder how Nora is doing at the moment...¡± After having gone through so much together, Roel¡¯s impression of Nora had improved greatly. It would be a lie to say that he didn¡¯t care about her. In fact, there was a tinge of worry within him that simply wouldn¡¯t settle down until he could finally verify with his own eyes that she was safe and sound. Another thing that Roel did after returning to this world was to check historical records, and he realized that there had been no changes to history at all. It was still stated that Wade was defeated by the returning Holy Eminence Ryan, and Victoria and Ponte hid in the Labyrinth Vi till the veryst moment. Knowing this, his heart was set at ease as he affirmed his own deductions. Most likely, the world that he was brought to previously was just a short snippet of history. Anything that happened there wouldn¡¯t interfere with the real world. Roel¡¯s role was just a Witness, not a time traveler to change history. It made it seem like everything Roel and Nora did in that world was futile, but that wasn¡¯t really the case either. While they had indeed gone through great danger, nearly losing their lives on several asions, they had received rewards proportionate to the peril they went through. In terms of strength, Roel had awakened his bloodline, received Grandar¡¯s blessing, and advanced his transcendent abilities significantly. He felt that he should be able to reach Origin Level 5 very soon. Meanwhile, Nora had sessfully awakened her Silver Bloodline, which led to her already crazy fast growth speeding up even more. In terms of mental maturity, the two of them had grown by quite a bit after all the ordeals they had been through together. They had peered through the fabric of time and witnessed the fearless and brave spirits of Wade, Felder, Victoria, and Ponte as they strove to fulfill their visions for the future of the Theocracy. The experience had changed their thoughts on many matters, leading them to start peering beyond just the surface when looking at matters. Roel believed that their mental growth was far more important than their power growth. Prodigies like Nora didn¡¯tck power; what theycked was wisdom. The education of young nobles was still rather conventional, which led to them viewing the world in a simplistic, one-dimensional manner. Theycked the ability to truly think from other perspectives and utilize the power that was bestowed upon them effectively. This experience was probably the best practical lesson she could have, imprinting wisdom greater than any book could impart to her. It would help her decide on the path she wanted to walk on as a ruler and save her unnecessary detours. The only problem was the attitude she was taking toward him... ¡°Surely she wouldn¡¯t treat me in the same manner that Victoria treats Ponte, right? That can¡¯t possibly be. We aren¡¯t in that kind of rtionship in the first ce. Ha hahaha.¡± Roel consoled himself as he forced out augh. Chapter 97: I Might Be Strong Now, But I’m Poor!

Chapter 97: I Might Be Strong Now, But I¡¯m Poor!

Victoria and Ponte were also from the Xeclydes and the Ascarts, so their behavior implicitly formed an example for Nora and Roel to follow, almost like role models. Just that they were negative role models. Just thinking of the way Victoria had Ponte tightly in her grasp made Roel feel deeply ufortable. He swore to himself that he would never end up suffering the same plight as his ancestor. That said, their interactions did spawn a sliver of doubt in his mind. While Ponte hadn¡¯t shown it explicitly, it was apparent that he had Victoria in his heart. Yet, the two of them still ended up parting ways in the end? Roel scratched his head in confusion. Could it be that the modified portions of history weren¡¯t just limited to Wade? Perhaps, there had been some tampering over on Victoria¡¯s side too. He didn¡¯t think that the two lovebirds, who thought of dying together under Wade¡¯s de, wouldter actually split apart. Should I look through Ponte¡¯s diaries to find out? Such a thought did sh across Roel¡¯s mind for an instant, but he immediately shook his head reflexively. It was almost as if his mind was subconsciously rejecting the diaries, so that he could keep his mental sanity. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s too humiliating to read that stuff. Besides, I have something more important to deal with...¡± Roel muttered to himself as his eyes slowly turned sharp. Aside from power and knowledge, there was another important thing that Roel obtained from the Witness State¡ªmilitary intelligence. He learned that Felder Elric was the same person as Bryan Elric. He didn¡¯t think that it was possible for the Cmity of Bloodshed to have made a mistake. So far, Roel hadn¡¯t told Nora about this matter, because he didn¡¯t have any evidence to back up his words, and this piece of information waspletely useless back in the Witness State. However, now that the two of them had returned, the confidential information was, without a doubt, worth its weight in gold. It was just that there was still one, small, persnickety issue, and that was... ... he still didn¡¯t have any evidence. It had been more than a century since the March Turmoil, and Felder¡¯s existence had already been buried beneath the dust of history. There were no articles of evidence or eye-witnesses left that Roel could use to corroborate his story, and his one-sided words weren¡¯t powerful enough to achieve anything. If he recklessly made a move without nning things out thoroughly, he would only be unnecessarily rming Bryan, making him more difficult to deal with. Despite all that, it was not like Roel waspletely helpless. Bryan was not some hermit crab who could freely change his shell to live forever. Someone who had managed to live so long was bound to have some dirt on him, and there was a good chance that dirt was an evil cult. Now, he just had to dig carefully. Speaking of evil cults, the one behind the assassination attempt a week ago was paying a heavy price for its actions right now. Aside from the inquisitors dispatched by the church, his father, Marquess Carter, was not someone to be messed with either. He had divided his army into special task forces, and under the pretext of ¡®eliminating a threat to the Theocracy¡¯, he had them join in the hunt for the evil cultists. Due to the incidents at Nora¡¯s birthday banquet and the following reprisals, the Elric House had been severely weakened and would probably try to lie low for the time being. Considering this, Bryan was also unlikely to be able to pull anything in the short-run. Therefore, Roel could rest easy for the time being. He slept well and ate well. After going through the horrors of war, he finally realized how much of a blessing it was just to be alive and eat good food. Of course, he didn¡¯t just squander all his time resting during this period. He was also preparing himself for a breakthrough to Origin Level 5. This was a huge hurdle to ovee, so he had to ensure that he was thoroughly ready. Typically speaking, a transcendent would have to head to the church to request a Compassion Origin Attribute ritual for the advancement, but it was slightly different for him due to his peculiar circumstances. After awakening the Ascart Bloodline, Roel discovered that he had a Bloodline Origin Attribute, which, as the name suggested, was an Origin Attribute that was a perfect fit for his bloodline. It was relieving since, unlike heretical Origin Attributes, Bloodline Origin Attributes had a higher level of recognition in the Theocracy. After all, heretical Origin Attributes had influences from foreign gods, whereas Bloodline Origin Attributes are more specific to the individuals. This was good fortune for Roel. Bloodline Origin Attributes are actually incredibly rare, and most bloodline possessors aren¡¯t so lucky as to have one. More often than not, it was only found in noble houses with a long history behind them. These were the following notifications that Roel received when he regained consciousness after escaping the Witness State: ¡¾Evaluation: Perfect (102)¡¿ ¡¾Bloodline awakening sess.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained the bloodline: Kingmaker¡¯s Bloodline (Bronze)¡¿ ¡¾The bell chimes amidst the mist, granting direction to the lost. You have chosen to leap beyond spacetime to bring constion to the deceased.¡¿ ¡¾Degree of Bloodline Awakening: Perfect¡¿ ¡¾Tracing Bloodline Origin Attribute.¡¿ ¡¾Origin Attribute: Crown¡¿ ¡¾The Origin Attribute will be bestowed when the user sessfully advances to Origin Level 5.¡¿ It was through this series of notifications from the System that Roel knew that his hard work hadn¡¯t been in vain. It would appear that the only reason why he received a Bloodline Origin Attribute was due to his perfect awakening. As the saying went, ¡®a good steed requires a good saddle¡¯. From this aspect, the Crown Origin Attribute was without a doubt Roel¡¯s best choice, and it solved the issue of him being ipatible with the Three Main Origin Attributes. In Roel¡¯s view, bing strong was necessary in order for him to break all of his death gs. He wouldn¡¯t give up growing as a transcendent just because he was ipatible with the Three Main Origin Attributes. His initial intention was to use the alliance between the Ascarts and the Xeclydes as leverage to negotiate with the royal family to turn a blind eye to him being a heretic. However, now that he was set to obtain the Crown Origin Attribute, there was no need for him to do that anymore. That wasn¡¯t the only thing that delighted Roel though. On top of raising his potential, he had also obtained a powerful skill too. ¡¾Wade¡¯s Gift¡¿ ¡¾In his final moments, the dying king has acknowledged your beliefs and cast aside his hatred, bringing him peace in the afterlife.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained army buff spell: Howl of Crimson Lightning¡¿ ¡¾Fury toward injustice, buried deep in the hearts of the people; their wrath manifests as crimson lightning, roaring against the irrational world.¡¿ ¡¾All allied soldiers in the vicinity will have their offensive and defensive prowess significantly enhanced, and they will be ced in a berserk state. The fighting prowess of soldiers in berserk state will be raised ording to the predisposition of the individual. When the effect of the spell ends, there¡¯s a high probability that buffed soldiers will fall into a fatigued state.¡¿ When Roel saw this technique, he nearly leaped up in ecstasy. He was even more excited than when he first saw the Crown Origin Attribute, and the reason behind that was because of the words ¡®army buff spell¡¯. Army buff spells were incredibly rare on the Sia Continent, such that anyone who possessed such a spell could easily take on a high-ranking position in the military. To put it in even more extreme terms, even an imbecile who knew nothing but an army buff spell would be headhunted by the military and paid handsomely. Of course, that person must be of a decent Origin Level, since such spells consumed a lot of mana. There was a very practical reason why army buff spells were so highly valued. In simple terms, it was a matter of efficiency. Most armies had squads specializing in casting buffs, but their buff spells were all single target. The mana cost would be unimaginably high if they tried to buff an entire army soldier by soldier, so the ones who were usually buffed were just the elites. On the other hand, the mana cost of army level spell buffs depended on the area covered, not the number of people affected. Some of the more potent multi-target buff spells could even be cast on an entire army. There were downsides though¡ªit was basically a trade-off between quality and quantity. The effectiveness of army buff spells at the individual level was much less whenpared to individually targeted buffs. Nevertheless, the sheer scale of an army buff spell was more than enough to shift the tide during a battle. Even just a slight boost in stats for every soldier could create a huge variable in the oue of a battle. As Roel had already had illustrated to him, Wade¡¯s army buff spell went far beyond ¡®just a slight boost in stats¡¯. It was a spell that he awakened during his breakthrough to Origin Level 2, and it fully showcased the burst power of the Wrath Origin Attribute. Every single soldier became unstoppable berserkers on the battlefield. With their sheer force, they tore a hole right through the defensive formation of Victoria¡¯s soldiers with ease. If utilized well, this army buff spell could be a weapon of mass destruction on the battlefield. He couldn¡¯t help but feel ddened that he chose Wade back then. Had he chosen Victoria instead, even if he gained a good spell too, it was unlikely to be one as useful as this. On the whole, Roel was extremely satisfied with everything he had gained. His fighting prowess had definitely risen by a great deal, and he had gained several new trump cards to deal with the crises he would face in the uncertain future. However, there was one thing that he had been wondering ever since he returned from the Witness State¡ª where did Grandar go? It had been a week already, but the other party hadn¡¯t appeared in his dreams, not even once. This felt unnatural as, in Roel¡¯s view, Grandar was like a lonely, middle-aged man who enjoyed chatting with others. He wasn¡¯t the type of person to put on airs and disappear for a long period of time. In fact, even though it was just an inexplicable feeling, he sensed that his connection with Grandar had weakened considerably. Roel spent some time pondering over this question, and he eventually came up with a hypothesis. Most likely, the Witness State served as a medium that strengthened the connection between him and Grandar, allowing them to meet and interact with one another. When the Witness State ended, the connection between them was significantly weakened, preventing them from reaching out to one another anymore. That being said, as long as he obtained the Crown Origin Attribute, there was a good chance that he could strengthen the connection with Grandar once more. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to quickly reach Origin Level 5 and obtain the Crown Origin Attribute.¡± Roel muttered to himself as he decided on a short-term goal. As for his long-term goal though... ¡¾System Notification: You currently owe the System 500,000 gold coins.¡¿ ¡¾Maturity date: 1815 days¡¿ ¡°Ah, son of a banshee! This is too much to repay!¡± Seeing so many zeros in his ount deficit made him feel like his head was going to explode. He might have profited a lot from the Witness State, but the price he had to pay was no joking matter either. Just this 500,000 gold coin loan was more than enough to plunge him into despair. ¡°You¡¯re such a gold digger. Are you going to eat up all of the gold and mess up the economy in this world?¡± ¡¾The gold taken in by the System will be redistributed into the gold mines around the world. The Systemmits itself to be a sustainable business, so the user does not need to worry about that.¡¿ ??? To put it in other words, you are collecting gold from me just for the sake of it? Aren¡¯t you just toying with me here? It¡¯s almost as if you¡¯re asking me to construct a building, only to tear it down right after! Thinking on the brighter side though, this also meant that Roel was single-handedly ensuring the sustainability of gold mining operations all over the Sia Continent, thus safeguarding the jobs of all miners! Surely such a feat was worthy of a Nobel prize? With a deep sigh, Roel began calcting the possibility of returning the money on time. Is it possible to get the Ascart House to fork out 500,000 gold coin? Mmm, it¡¯s not entirely impossible, but how can I justify where the money is going to? Can I just tell father that I¡¯m making a contribution to the gold mining operations all over the world? Hahaha, who would believe that... Besides, if I suddenly take away so much money from the Ascart House, it could cause serious cash flow issues in the short-run. It seems like I¡¯ll have to think of a way to somehow earn the money myself... Roel felt that he had to sit down together with Carter to have a long chat about this. Chapter 98: We’ll Absolutely Fulfill Our Promise

Chapter 98: We¡¯ll Absolutely Fulfill Our Promise

Actually, regarding the loan repayment, Roel did consider whether he should just shirk his debt and not pay up at all. He would suck the System¡¯s blood dry before callously abandoning it, like a heartless man. After all, the System could still operate for another 5 years, even if Roel didn¡¯t pay it a single gold coin at all. If he could be a powerful expert by then, he wouldn¡¯t have any need for the System anymore. However, after thinking it through, he eventually chose to abandon this idea. There was no saying what would happen within 5 years¡¯ time, so it was best for him to keep the System with him. It was not as if he couldn¡¯t repay the 500,000 gold coin loan anyway. He could always earn more money if he needed to, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to find a second System anywhere else. With such thoughts in mind, Roel stood up and made his way over to Carter¡¯s study, hoping to discuss the governance of the Ascart Fiefdom with him. Roel felt that Carter was simr to those scions in a one of the soap dramas of his previous life, where the scions would rather cast aside the huge inheritance their fathers had left them just so they could chase their dreams. This could be seen from how Carter chose to focus his time on the military instead of developing thepany (Ascart Fiefdom). It really pained Roel to see how so much potential was being put to waste when it could be something greater! As the sessor of the Ascart House, Roel felt obliged to fill in the gap that his father had left behind! He decided that he would march up to Carter and have a thorough discussion about this matter, hoping to obtain partial rights to govern the fiefdom. His burning motivation was to be disappointed. ¡°Ah? My father is not around?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The old master has been summoned to the royal pce.¡± ¡°The royal pce? Hm...¡± Roel couldn¡¯t help but think about the rumors about him and Nora that had been heard all around towntely, and he felt a little jittery inside. It can¡¯t be that Carter has been called there for that matter, right? ... While Roel was feeling uneasy inside, Marquess Carter was meeting an unexpected figure in the royal pce¡ªHoly Eminence John Xeclyde. While John Xeclyde was, in name, the emperor of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, Carter didn¡¯t have too many opportunities toe into contact with him. The Xeclydes had simply far too many organizations beneath it to manage. All in all, the organizations the Xeclydes were managing could be divided into two segments: the major organization and the minor organizations. Needless to say, the major organization referred to the Genesis Goddess Church. It was a massive and powerful establishment; its every move could spur rippling effects over all humanity. It was the binding factor that united humans during times of crisis, but even during peacetime, it was important to manage rtions and ensure the church¡¯s incorruptibility. On the other hand, the minor organizations referred to the powers and noble houses of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. As the royal family, the Xeclydes had to take the center position and keep everyone in check. However, there was a limit to any single person¡¯s energy, including Holy Eminence John. So, he chose to focus on the affairs of the church, entrusting the governance of the Saint Mesit Theocracy into the hands of his son and loyal subjects. It was only during important national ceremonies that Holy Eminence John would make an appearance in his position as the emperor. Carter didn¡¯t have an official position in the church, so he didn¡¯t have too many opportunities to interact with this patriarch of the Xeclyde House. Thinking back, thest time he really talked to thetter was when he was officially appointed as the vicemander of the Holy Knight Order. Unlike the solemn atmosphere back then, their meeting this time around was much more amicable; too amicable, in fact. It was to the point that Carter instinctively sensed that there was something amiss here. Looking at the warm smile of the old man before him, Carter quickly doused his heart with cold water as he reminded himself that he ought to tread carefully. ¡°Carter, I trust that you¡¯re familiar with the details of that incident concerning those two children, right?¡± After trading some pleasantries, Holy Eminence John finally got to the main point, raising the topic of the recent assassination attempt on Roel and Nora. In response, Carter immediately took on an attitude of self-reproach. ¡°Your Eminence, I¡¯m deeply apologetic about this incident. It was an assassination attempt on Roel¡¯s life, but we ended up implicating Her Highness Nora too, putting her life at risk. I seek your pardon on this...¡± Carter wasn¡¯t fond of dealing with politics, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was bad at it. He uttered a full set of lip service, starting from expressing his fury toward the deeds of the vile evil cultists to his apologies for involving Her Highness Nora in this affair before finally concluding with his gratitude toward the Holy Eminence¡¯s generous help. Even the grumpiest of critics couldn¡¯t have possibly picked any ws with his monologue! Meanwhile, John nodded asionally throughout the monologue to express his understanding of the matter. At the end of which, he even spoke words to assuage Carter¡¯s self-reproach. ¡°Carter, this was a situation that none of us hoped to see, but since it has already happened, I think that it¡¯s only apt for us to work together ande up with a countermeasure. May I know what your thoughts on this matter are?¡± Seeing where Holy Eminence John was leading the conversation, Carter finally understood the motive behind this audience. It was no exaggeration to say that the church had gone all out for Roel this time around, dispatching inquisitors all over the country to apprehend the evil cultists. It was only natural that such an act of generosity must be met with reciprocation. Carter figured that Holy Eminence John was sending a subtle message for the Ascart House to offer something in return, but what could this ¡®something¡¯ be? Dispatch soldiers to help with the elimination of the evil cultists? Aid the Xeclydes in suppressing the Elrics? Carter looked at the white-haired old man before him uneasily, fearing what thetter would ask for. On the other hand, John smiled softly and calmly revealed his intention. ¡°I believe that we should assign Nora as Roel¡¯s protector, what do you think?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s worth consi... Huh? I mean, pardon me, but what did you just say?¡± Carter instinctively tried to postpone the decision-making process, but halfway through his words, he suddenly processed what Holy Eminence John had just suggested. He raised his head with widened eyes, bewildered. ¡°I propose that we should assign Nora as Roel¡¯s protector. I personally believe that it¡¯s a move that¡¯s beneficial to both of our houses. Marquess Carter, if you have any reservations regarding what I have just proposed, you may feel free to voice it out.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant! I¡¯m just a little... surprised.¡± Despite his years of experience in politics, Carter found himself incapable ofprehending the current situation. It was one thing for the Xeclydes to take the initiative in lending a helping hand to the Ascarts, but instead of asking for something in return, they were saying that they would continue protecting them for life... How could there be such a good thing in life?! Of course, Carter didn¡¯t know that such an act was equivalent to entrusting his son into the clutches of the devil, or else he wouldn¡¯t have been so confused. Noticing that Carter was overwhelmed by his proposal, Holy Eminence John began to exin the rationale behind his offer. ¡°Carter, there¡¯s a contract between both of our houses.¡± John straightened his back as his expression smoothed out to look more saintly than ever. He spoke with a deep voice that added a touch of solemnity to the atmosphere. ¡°At the inception of the Third Epoch, when the Ascart House sought refuge with the Theocracy, our predecessors signed a contract with one another. As long as an offspring of the Ascart House sessfully awakens his bloodline, those bearing the Angel¡¯s Bloodline will protect him till adulthood. Since Roel has managed to awaken the Ascart Bloodline, I believe that it¡¯s only right for us to invoke the uses of the contract. ¡°The Xeclydes shall hold to the end of their promise!¡± Holy Eminence John looked at Carter with a terrifyingly grave look, almost as if saying ¡® anyone who stops us from protecting Roel is insulting our predecessors! ¡¯. Carter, on the other hand, was just dumbfounded. Thinking about it, there was indeed such a contract. A thousand years was a long period of time. During this period of time, the Ascart House, excluding Roel, had only two transcendents who managed to awaken the Ascart Bloodline. Probably even the patriarchs before him had already forgotten about the existence of this contract! Besides, so what if he had remembered the contract? Was he supposed to take a sheet of paper and demand that the Xeclydes serve as their bodyguards? Quite bluntly, this contract was only valid so long as the Xeclydes were willing to recognize it. Otherwise, it was just a piece of scrap paper. Yet, the Xeclydes actually approached them on their own ord, offering to fulfill this thousand years old contract. Carter was definitely moved by this proposal, but for Her Highness Nora to be Roel¡¯s protector... Wasn¡¯t this a little inappropriate? ¡°Your Eminence, as you may know, there is a great deal of gossip going around about Roel and Her Highness Nora. If you were to assign Her Highness as Roel¡¯s protector at such a timing, wouldn¡¯t it further fan the rumors?¡± Carter voiced out his own worries. It was the duty of the royal family to protect its people, so there were indeed times when the royal family would dere their protection of an individual. It could be a vulnerable sessor of a noble house whose parents had been assassinated and was thus left without backing, or the child of a family of soldiers whose kin had all died in war. However, the ¡®protection¡¯ aforementioned wasn¡¯t physically assigning soldiers to these individuals but just protection in name. The royal family would hold a grand ceremony and dere their protection of an individual under the witness of the nobles. It was actually just a warning to everyone that whoever dared to mess with that kid would be messing with the Xeclydes too. Even though this protection was in name only, it was usually extremely effective. This was because the Xeclydes, as possessors of the Angel¡¯s Bloodline, viewed their reputation and honor highly, and they would retaliate aggressively against those who dared undermine them. Take the vulnerable sessor mentioned above for example, the enemies of the noble house had attempted to poison the sessor even after the Xeclydes had made their deration. Fortunately, the sessor survived the assassination attempt, but even so, the Xeclydes still felt greatly humiliated by the matter. They ordered Inquisitor Hall to dig deep into the matter and arrested every single noble who was involved in the poisoning. So, while Carter was in full support of having Nora be Roel¡¯s protector, given the gossip going around recently, they would only be adding to the rumor mill by holding a protector deration ceremony involving the two of their houses. The royal family¡¯s reputation was at stake here, and Carter felt that it would be wise to refrain from muddying up the waters any further. Unexpectedly, Holy Eminence John appeared to think little of this matter. ¡°It¡¯s even more so during times of lies and falsehood that we must stand proud and confident. If we back down here, we¡¯ll only be telling the world that we have something to hide.¡± Holy Eminence John spoke with a voice so assertive that Carter was subconsciously dragged into his train of thoughts. Hm? It does sound logical, but why do I still feel like something is not right... Carter was a little too overwhelmed by the situation to really think straight. Meanwhile, the clear-minded Holy Eminence John knew that he had to strike the iron while it was hot, so he continued pushing the case forward. ¡°The Xeclydes will hold to the end of our promise. If we can¡¯t ovee this bit of trouble, how can we call ourselves the descendants of angels? Alright, I have made up my mind. We shall hold the ceremony half a month from now!¡± Chapter 99: It’s Time For a Counterattack

Chapter 99: It¡¯s Time For a Counterattack

In the royal pce, after sending away Marquess Carter, Holy Eminence John leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply. How long had it been since hest proactively pushed his ideas on another person? For many years now, he had never needed to take the initiative to carry a discussion. His guests would respectfully speak non-stop in his presence, and all he needed to do was to indicate with either a nod or a shake of his head. He had never thought a day woulde where he would have to coax another party like a desperate salesman once more. Ey, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. It¡¯s all for the children. Just the thought of his precious granddaughter made John heave a deep sigh. For his granddaughter, who had beenpletely out-of-it ever since she returned from the ordeal, he could only put down his pride and personally make a move. Indeed. Just like Alicia, Nora hadn¡¯t been eating much recently either. It was normal for those of the Angel¡¯s Bloodline to require some time for their powers to settle down after an awakening, and it would typically take around 10 days. However, for a person whose first observation after opening her eyes was the absence of Roel, 10 days was far too long. Nora had fallen unconscious shortly after being egged on by Victoria into kissing Roel, so she was unaware of how Roel was doing at the moment. Of course, she did receive news from the Ascart House that Roel was faring well, but still, her heart simply couldn¡¯t rest easy unless she were to verify it in person. And when a child starts losing appetite, the ones to suffer are the parents. This is simply how the world worked. The reason why John was able to harden his heart and send Nora in together with Roel for his trial was because he thought that it was an ordeal that the Xeclydes had to ovee. When it came to everyday life, however, John was just the typical doting grandfather. Putting aside his worries for Nora, he was actually rather concerned about Roel¡¯s condition too. From Nora¡¯s ount, he learned of Roel¡¯s actions during that snippet of history, and he wasn¡¯t surprised to learn that Roel had ties with a powerful ancient being. Nevertheless, he was concerned about the colossal strength that the ancient being had disyed through Roel. ording to Nora, Wade had already advanced to Origin Level 2. Despite being limited by ast moment breakthrough and severe injuries, it was still unthinkable that he would actually be defeated by Roel. After all, Roel was someone who didn¡¯t have an Origin Attribute yet, so he shouldn¡¯t have been able to exert the true strength of the ancient being. Looking at history, the members of the Ascart House who had managed to awaken their hereditary bloodline eventually became notable figures, and they were a stalwart ally of the Xeclydes in their respective generations. In a sense, the Xeclydes¡¯ offer to protect Roel was kind of like an investment that was almost guaranteed to profit them handsomely¡ªand there was a good chance that they could buy over their ¡®invested business¡¯ too. It was out of consideration of this that John decided to go all out this time. He had no intention of forcing the two children together, but nevertheless, it wouldn¡¯t hurt for him to give his granddaughter a little push. After all, this was the first time that Nora was showing any interest in her peers. To be honest, there were many people with bizarre quirks in the history of the Xeclydes. John hadn¡¯t noticed Nora¡¯s sadistic streak yet, but his tingling senses were telling him that there was definitely something there. Considering Roel¡¯s nature, he might just be able to embrace her shorings too. ¡°I¡¯ve already done what I can to help. All that is left is to wait and see how far they can get.¡± The old man sighed deeply again before rising from his seat and heading toward the depths of the royal pce. ... Roel learned something new today, and that was humans had limits. ¡°Is Alicia eating in her room once again? Haaa...¡± Roel stared listlessly at the sumptuous lunch spread before him as he fiddled with his soup with his spoon. A human could still survive a week without food, but a day without Aliciatonin was like a year without rain. Mealtimes were supposed to be his daily doses of happiness, where he satisfied both his appetite and healed his heart. But now... ¡°How nd. Everything is so nd...¡± Roel ate the food carefully prepared by the chefs with an expression so impassive he might as well have been munching on wax candles. He knew that this was simply a byproduct of his horrible mood, but what could he do about that? If humans could control how they were feeling, they wouldn¡¯t be humans anymore. ¡°Is it because we aren¡¯t blood-rted? Is that why Alicia has already grown sick and tired of me in just half a year?¡± He had already gotten so close to Alicia, and he thought that their rtionship would remain that way till parted by death. But how did everythinge to this point... Roel continued stirring the soup before him in a daze. He was in such a horrible state that even the maid standing behind him couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. It was true that Anna was the manager of the Roel X Alicia Ship fanclub, but before that, she was Roel¡¯s personal maid. It was her job to take care of Roel¡¯s needs. ¡°Young master, you need to pull it together.¡± Anna approached her slouching young master and advised him respectfully. ¡°It has already been several days now, and I imagine that Miss Anna has already cooled down by now. You need not be so pessimistic.¡± ¡°Pessimistic? Am I being pessimistic here?¡± Haaa, what do you think? Anna stared at the downcast Roel so intently that it brought a sliver of self-realization to him. ¡°Is that really so? Was I being too pessimistic? But, what I said is the truth! Alicia doesn¡¯t need me to feed her anymore, so I have be useless to her. She detests me and doesn¡¯t even want to see me anymore. Ahh, is this the end of the world?¡± ¡°Young master, you could be misunderstanding something here. Why would Miss Alicia detest you?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t detest me? If she doesn¡¯t detest me, why would she refuse to meet me? This doesn¡¯t make any sense at all! Now that I think about it, girls at her age tend to change their preferences very quickly. I get it now. I was toocent. I thought that I had already left a favorable impression on her, but the goodwill she feels for me has already expired, right? I¡¯m nothing more than a speck of dust in her history now...¡± It was like an endless chain of negativity; Roel was constantly looking for new excuses to shut himself down. Looking at how her young master was on the verge of bing a cripple, Anna felt that she really had to do something or else things could blow up. ¡°Young master, Miss Alicia¡¯s feelings for you haven¡¯t changed. She¡¯s just... throwing a tantrum after seeing your unseemly appearance with Her Highness.¡± ¡°I know that too. Alicia is a person whocks security. It¡¯s only normal for her to be fearful of my improving rtions with Nora...¡± replied Roel with a deep sigh. He understood that children were very vulnerable to jealousy and fear. When he was younger, he remembered how betrayed he felt when a friend who used to always y together with him chose to y with other kids. He had never spoken to that friend ever since then. But, it was different between him and Alicia. They were family members, so how could he possibly abandon her for Nora? However, it would be difficult for him to convey this to Alicia properly. After all, Alicia didn¡¯t even want to see him anymore. While Roel thought that he had already urately identified the root of the problem, Anna was starting to realize that there was something very wrong with her young master¡¯s train of thought. Security? Fearful? ¡°Young master, regarding that... I don¡¯t think that Miss Alicia is fearful. She¡¯s just throwing a tantrum out of jealousy.¡± Jealousy? What jealousy? Roel frowned in confusion. The expression on his face caused Anna¡¯s eyes to widen; she was speechless. She suddenly felt incredibly exasperated and vexed. There was a long moment of silence before Roel gradually understood the meaning behind Anna¡¯s words, and he burst intoughter. ¡°Hahaha! Anna, what are you talking about? Alicia is a child!¡± ¡°Child? Young master, there¡¯s only 2 years of difference between you and Miss Alicia. There isn¡¯t too huge a gap between the two of you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but we¡¯re siblings! You¡¯re really thinking too much into this.¡± Roel waved his hands confidently with a proud look that said ¡® there¡¯s no one in this world who knows Alicia better than I do ¡¯. His response struck one of Anna¡¯s nerves, and she had to summon her inner nirvana in order to not lose her temper. I shan¡¯t get angry. I shan¡¯t get angry. I shan¡¯t get angry... Anna tried her best to soothe the rage that was on the verge of bursting forth as she silently took deep breaths. She looked at Roel and considered whether she should ry Alicia¡¯s feelings to Roel. In the end, she chose not to interfere too much in their rtionship. It was one thing to support the two of them, and it was another thing to get involved in it herself. Besides, even though Roel was having a major misunderstanding over here, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was already firmly in Alicia¡¯s grasp, to the point that he was almost an addict. Looking at it from this perspective, it could be said that their rtionship was still quite stable. They were so emotionally dependent on one another that they could hardly stay apart. In any case, the foundation was already there. If they were to walk down this journey a step at a time, their feelings for one another would surely be stronger than ever. With such thoughts in mind, Anna calmed her emotions down as she suddenly felt a feeling of enlightenment. Such small turbulence wasn¡¯t an issue at all. That said, it wouldn¡¯t do for the two of them to keep remaining estranged from one another. Of the three masters of the Labyrinth Vi, one was hardly around and the other two were just gloomy all day long. The atmosphere was simply too heavy to bear. Even the chefs in the kitchen had noticed that something was wrong, and they spent long hours staring at the tes that had barely been eaten from in shock, wondering if their culinary skills had deteriorated. ¡°Young master, do you wish to reconcile with Miss Alicia?¡± ¡°Of course! If it was possible, I would have already done it by now! It¡¯s just that she keeps avoiding me, so how can I find an opportunity to approach her...¡± replied Roel with a sigh. An unfathomable smile curled on Anna¡¯s lips. ¡°How about leaving it to us then?¡± ¡°You all?¡± ¡°Indeed. We¡¯ll create an opportunity for you to reconcile with Miss Alicia. What do you think about that?¡± Roel looked at the smiling maid before him with doubtful eyes. He had already spent thest few days attempting all sorts of things, but nothing worked at all. What could Anna and the other servants possibly do? ¡°If you¡¯re confident about it, you can go ahead and do what you need to.¡± Roel replied listlessly, clearly not bearing much hope. He couldn¡¯t have known that he had just released the powerful secret organization that had been lying undercover in the Ascart House, the Roel X Alicia fanclub. Chapter 100: The Plan

Chapter 100: The n

The patriarchs of the Ascart House had always been interested in the military. Many of them had taken on important roles in the Theocracy¡¯s military, so the Ascart House could be considered as half a military house. It was probably due to the influence of its military background that gave rise to a simr culture in the house as well. One of the reasons behind that was probably due to its recruitment policies. Servants who were skilled in swordsmanship were given extra points during their interview, and maids with any direct kin in the military were prioritized. On top of that, the Ascart House was actually a good ce to work. All of the employees were paid decently, and the workload imposed on them was manageable. There was hardly any workce politics like one would see in dramas. Due to that, there were always a lot of applicants seeking work. Given such recruitment conditions, most of those eventually hired could be said to be quite capable in their own rights. When all of them united together as one to achieve a single goal, they showed military-level discipline and efficiency. After receiving explicit approval from Roel, Anna didn¡¯t rush to make a move. Instead, the first thing she did was to gather some of the key members of the Roel X Alicia Ship fanclub to hold a meeting so as to share critical intelligence with one another. In a dark room lit only by a candlelight, several figures were gathered around a long table, and the one heading them, Anna, sat at the very end of the table. Her sharp eyes scanned all of the figures present, and a slight knot formed upon her brow. ¡°Where¡¯s Butler Fulte?¡± ¡°The old master is heading out tomorrow morning. Fulte is making preparations at the moment, so he¡¯ll be a littlete.¡± ¡°We shan¡¯t wait for him then. Let¡¯smence the meeting.¡± Anna nodded her head contemtively and made the call to carry on with the meeting. All of the maids and manservants gathered around the long table immediately turned their focus to her. The meeting started off with an opening speech that depicted the crisis they were facing before proceeding on toy out the agenda of the meeting. Following that, everyone began their report. ¡°Our young miss has looked at the door 11 times today. Every single time someone knocks on the door or footsteps sound by the corridor, she would react intensely. She started using forks and knives during mealtime, but her mood still remains clouded. Her appetite has further reduced from a third yesterday to a quarter today...¡± ¡°Our young master¡¯s appetite is still decent. It has only fallen by a third.¡± ¡°No no, you can¡¯t look at the matter so simplistically. Our young master is a glutton, so the fact that his appetite has fallen by a third marks a huge crisis!¡± ¡°Miss Alicia¡¯s quality of sleep has also been dipping over thest few days. On average, she has only been sleeping 4 hours each day.¡± Listening to the words spoken by the fanclub, Anna began piecing the information together to form a big picture. Based on what she had gathered so far, the root of this problem was still the misunderstanding between the two children. Alicia was clearly throwing a tantrum, but Roel wasn¡¯t even able to identify the real reason behind that. ¡°Are we still keeping the fact that the young miss is studying spells for the young master¡¯s sake a secret?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m afraid that we can¡¯t work the case from there. The young miss insists on hiding this matter from the young master, possibly fearing that it would wound the young master¡¯s pride, and, in turn, result in the loss of the young master¡¯s doting and protection.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that Miss Alicia needs to worry about that.¡± Anna, who was familiar with Roel, shook her head and sighed deeply. It was unlikely that Roel would stop doting on Alicia just because she had be strong. On the contrary, Roel might rejoice even. It was simr to how humans might not necessarily be a match for wild cats, but did that stop humans from wanting to stroke them? ¡°If Miss Alicia doesn¡¯t take the initiative here, the situation will be one where she is working hard for the young master, but the young master is cheating on her outside.¡± ¡°Uwuuu, the young miss is so pitiful!!!¡± ¡°Quiet, we¡¯re still in the middle of a meeting here!¡± Anna sternly berated the maid to maintain the discipline in the meeting before quickly gathering the inputs thus far to state her analysis. ¡°After several days of cooling down, the conflict between the two of them has more or less settled down. Both sides have indicated a strong inclination toward reconciliation. ¡°However, after being repeatedly rejected over thest few days, the young master has started to close himself off and stopped looking for Miss Alicia. On the other hand, Miss Alicia doesn¡¯t know how she should face the young master after throwing a tantrum. This is the problem that we need to resolve right now.¡± ¡°But how do we go about doing it...¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple.¡± Faced with the question from her subordinate, the fanclub manager stood proudly as a sharp glint shed across her eyes. ¡°We just need to knock down the door that stands between the young master and Miss Alicia.¡± ... ¡°Young miss, won¡¯t you eat a little more? This is the freshest Hayley fish which was shipped here straight from the port.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already full.¡± In a huge bedroom located at the west of the Labyrinth Vi, Alicia put down her fork as she shook her head to refuse the delectable fish that was notcking in taste, fragrance, or appearance. ¡°I don¡¯t have much of an appetite recently.¡± ¡°I see. I shall convey your words to the chef so that they can make adjustments ordingly.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not it. It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with the chefs! The dishes are wonderful; it¡¯s just that...¡± ¡°Young miss, you need not worry about this. I¡¯ve heard that the young master hasn¡¯t been eating much recently, so it has to be the chefs¡¯ fault!¡± Those unexpected words from her maid caught Alicia off-guard. She slowly raised her head to look at her maid, and after a moment of hesitation, she asked. ¡°D-does Lord Brother... not have much of an appetite either?¡± ¡°Hmm... I heard from the other maids that he has barely eaten anything at all.¡± The maid waiting on Alicia stroked her lower jaw, seemingly recounting what she had heard from her colleagues. ¡°It appears that the young master hasn¡¯t even been eating half of what he previously did. It¡¯s really worrying. After the huge ordeal he went through, he should have been eating well so that he could recover properly.¡± ¡°Not even half?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve heard. Anna has been really worried about him recently.¡± The maid heaved a deep sigh as she began to clean up the tes and cutlery. On the other hand, Alicia began to fidget uneasily on the spot. She knew just how much of a glutton Roel was. For his appetite to actually be this poor... ¡°W-wait a moment! Is Lord Brother ill? Has he seen a doctor yet?¡± ¡°He has already been diagnosed by the doctor, but it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s physically ill. The doctor says that it¡¯s a problem stemming from his mood.¡± ¡°His mood?¡± ¡°Yes, young miss. He must have been having a rough time. He has been wandering about listlessly thest few days, and everyone is worried that his body will crumble at this rate!¡± The maid agilely packed everything up and ced it back onto the tray before walking out and closing the door behind her, leaving a deeply worried Alicia back in the room. I-is it because of me? Is it because I refused to meet big brother Roel over thest few days, that¡¯s why he¡¯s not eating at all? Alicia¡¯s little forehead scrunched up with worry. Roel¡¯s body was covered with wounds thest time she saw him, and his condition was so frail after that assassination attempt. He was still in the recovery phase, making it extremely important for him to eat well. If he were to skip his meals at a time like this... Worry and self-reproach swiftly expanded in Alicia¡¯s heart. In truth, she wasn¡¯t angry anymore after having several days to cool down. It was just that she had never really thrown a tantrum before, so she had no idea how to reconcile with Roel. As a result, this matter was pushed back again and again, all the way till now. She was initially intending to wait a few more days before returning back to the dining room to have her meals. However, what she had just heard from her maid left her feeling deeply unsettled. After all, was there anything more important than Roel¡¯s health and safety? ¡°What has Lord Brother been doing recently?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still on the same routine as before. He hasn¡¯t resumed sses yet as the old master says that he still needs rest, so he has been devoting his time to self-study and practicing his swordsmanship.¡± ¡°That reminds me, I heard from Anna that the young master seemed a little out of it while he was practicing his swordsmanship yesterday, and he nearly injured himself.¡± ¡°W-Wait a moment! What¡¯s that about?!¡± Yet another bombshell was dropped on Alicia, causing her heart to contract sharply. Her agitated state appeared to have astonished the maids, such that all of them began to stutter. ¡°A-actually it¡¯s nothing much. The young master often skips his swordsmanship sses, and the old master has reprimanded him for it many times before.¡± ¡°The young master has injured himself several times before in his swordsmanship practice. Miss Alicia, you need not think too deeply into it.¡± The maids tried their best to reassure Alicia that she was not to me here, but the girl only felt more and more ufortable hearing their words. What the maids had just mentioned was not wrong, but those were past incidents. Over the past half a year, Roel had been training diligently, his sword skills could no longer bepared to how they used to be. It was impossible for him to injure himself under normal circumstances. Just the thought of Roel being nicked by a sword was more than enough to fill her with fright. She was able to ovee her fear of sharp objects, but she couldn¡¯t stand the thought of her loved one being injured by one. ¡°I¡¯ll be having my food at the dining table tonight. I¡¯ll meet Lord Brother.¡± After some consideration, Alicia finally came to a decision. However, those words that came out of her mouth provoked an intense response from the maids around her. ¡°Young miss, what are you talking about? Have you forgotten what happened? How can you forgive the young master so easily?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, young miss. You mustn¡¯t give in that easily!¡± The two maids who had been taking care of Alicia ever since she arrived at the Labyrinth Vi immediately began putting Roel down as soon as thetter was mentioned. ¡°Miss Alicia has been working hard to learn spells for the young master¡¯s sake, but what did the young master do? He actually cheated with Her Highness behind your back! He must be making light of you!¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t it. I think that...¡± ¡°Indeed! The young master must be thinking that he already has our young miss in his hands, and that¡¯s why he¡¯s acting in such a manner. All men are the same! Young miss, you need not worry. You have our support! It has only been a few days since that incident. In my view, you should leave him hanging for a month!¡± A tight frown formed on Alicia¡¯s face upon hearing those words. She tried to calm these two maids down, but it wasn¡¯t working very well. ¡°Young miss, there¡¯s no need to worry. We have the support of everyone in the vi. We¡¯ll surely make the young master see the errors of his ways!¡± ¡°Indeed! Young miss, you need not worry too much about this. You can just leave it to us! Be it your meals, walks, or baths, we¡¯ll make sure to liaise with the maids over at the young master¡¯s side so that you won¡¯t bump into him by ident!¡± ¡°Wait a moment, I think that this is a little excessive!¡± The guarantees of the maids left Alicia horrified. Upon hearing that the maids and servants of the vi were on her side, she btedly realized that she had made a major mistake. Unknowingly, she had diminished Roel¡¯s standing amongst the servants. This won¡¯t do. At this rate, Lord Brother¡¯s reputation will be affected too! While Alicia was panicking inside, the two maids exchanged looks. One of them secretly pulled a string, ringing a bell outside. A few secondster, a maid suddenly rushed into the room in a fluster. ¡°Young miss, bad news! The young master has fallen ill!¡± Chapter 101: The Trump Cards

Chapter 101: The Trump Cards

Roel Ascart was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling above with a dazed look. He couldn¡¯t help but look back on everything that had happened over the course of the day... It all started from lunch onward. The days without Alicia were dark and difficult, but Roel knew what was important to him. If he wanted to survive, he would have to continue working hard so as to gain the strength required to pull out his death gs. Thus, after a short post-lunch nap, he began his usual afternoon training. It consisted of him swinging his sword repetitively, forming muscle memory for sharper reflexes. Swinging the sword was an exhausting exercise, so Roel was bound to start perspiring. Due to that, he would usually take a bath after his training before moving on to his studies. Today was no different, just that it was snowing outside. Of course, how could mere snow stop Roel¡¯s determination to be stronger? One must know that he had already resolved himself to reach Origin Level 5 as soon as possible. There was no way he would allow weather to be an excuse for him to ck off! Therefore, Roel began his training beneath the falling kes. The snow didn¡¯t impede the training at all; on the contrary, it actually felt good. Due to the cold weather, he hardly sweated at all. All in all, it was a rtively enjoyable training session. However, when he finished up his training and returned indoors, he found himself faced with an agitated Anna. ¡°Young master, your clothes arepletely soaked!¡± ¡°Ah, indeed. It¡¯s snowing outside, so it¡¯s inevitable that my clothes will be soaked.¡± ¡°This won¡¯t do. Young master, you¡¯ll get sick at this rate! Quick, take them off. I¡¯ll prepare a warm bath for you right away!¡± Roel was intending to bathe right away anyway, so he didn¡¯t pay much heed to Anna. He followed his personal maid¡¯s instructions, taking off his clothes and enjoying a warm bath. Everything was still normal up to this point. It was after he finally finished his bath that things began proceeding in a queer direction. ¡°Young master, let¡¯s check your temperature!¡± Roel nced at the thermometer, which looked surprisingly simr to the ones in his previous life, with a doubtful look on his face. The thermometer was one of the few magic tools that had permeated the lives of the ordinary popce on Sia, so there was nothing surprising about it. What surprised Roel were Anna¡¯s sudden actions. ¡°You could have caught a cold from wearing wet clothes earlier. I think it would be best to check your temperature just to be safe.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Roel didn¡¯t think that he was ill, but he still went along with it so as to assure Anna. He ced the thermometer into his mouth and kept it there for three minutes before finally passing it over to Anna. Yet, who could have thought that Anna would gasp in shock upon seeing the results on the thermometer? ¡°Young master, you¡¯re ill!¡± Anna informed Roel with a grave look on her face, leaving thetter stupefied. ¡°Huh? I¡¯m ill?¡± ¡°Indeed! Your temperature is two notches higher than that of a healthy human. You need to head to your bed and rest right away!¡± With a wave of Anna¡¯s hand, an army of maids immediately dashed over and escorted Roel back to his bedroom. ¡°No, wait a moment. Are you certain that I¡¯m ill? I don¡¯t feel anything though. I think that I should be alright...¡± ¡°Young master, the old master has assigned me to take good care of you. I am responsible for taking care of your health, so I must ask you to cooperate with me.¡± Anna dabbed her eyes to dry her tears as she spoke with a worried voice. Under such circumstances, Roel was left with no choice but to remain in bed for the entire afternoon. He started at the ceiling above him with eyes reminiscent of a dead fish as he waited for time to pass in boredom, but the more he thought about it, the more suspicious he felt the scenario was. This isn¡¯t right. Thest time I practiced my swordsmanship in the snow, Anna didn¡¯t bother checking my temperature or anything of the sort. Why would she suddenly do it now? It was snowing much heavier back then, and I was nearly drenched through. Unable to make sense out of the situation, Roel finally chose to attribute it to the servants and maids getting a little oversensitive due to his poor condition recently. Just as he was about to try his best to nap a little, he suddenly heard frantic footsteps in the corridor outside. Then, the door burst open. ¡°Big brother Roel!¡± The person who rushed into the room had the familiar face that Roel had been longing to see for several days now. Alicia¡¯s face was filled with anxiety. The instant she saw Roel lying in a daze on the bed, her eyes began to redden. ¡°Wuu, big brother Roel, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯ll never do it again.¡± ¡°Ah? A-Alicia?¡± Roel stared at the little sister whom he hadn¡¯t met for quite a while as he wondered if he really was ill and hallucinating. Before he could decide whether it was real or not, Alicia had already leaped right into his embrace, sobbing tearfully while apologizing to him. It was only when Alicia¡¯s maid entered the room shortly after that Roel finally snapped out of his daze. Holy Sia! Anna, you really are a genius! He immediately understood the intentions behind Anna¡¯s peculiar actions earlier on. Given that an opportunity to resolve the conflict was right before him, there was no way he would give up on it. He immediately loosened his tightened muscles, allowing his body to slump over Alicia as if he was on the verge of passing away. ¡°Alicia, it was all my fault. I realized that I was neglecting you, and I feel deeply regretful about that. You don¡¯t know how lonely I have been without you. I really don¡¯t want things to remain so tense between us. Will you forgive me?¡± ¡°Yes yes, I¡¯ll forgive you! Lord Brother, as long as you get well, I¡¯ll forgive you for anything! Wuu, I was actually not that angry either. It¡¯s all my fault. I kept turning you away for nothing...¡± Alicia spoke in self-reproach as she wiped off her tears. Her innocent appearance made Roel feel deeply guilt-ridden, but thinking about how things had been thest few days, he decided to persist in his act just this once. ¡°Alicia, I have been thinking about it over thest few days, but the thought of the possibility that you hated me made me feel as if my heart was being sliced into innumerable pieces. I found myself at a loss as to what to do.¡± ¡°How can that possibly be true? I¡¯ll never hate you, big brother Roel!¡± ¡°Never?¡± ¡°Never!¡± Alicia affirmed her words with resolution, leaving Roel feeling deeply touched. He reached out to hug the silver-haired girl before him tightly, and thetter relished in the familiar embrace as she pressed her cheeks against his. After the turmoil of thest few days, Alicia felt like her heart had finally settled down. Thinking back and considering how she had recently acted, she thought that she needed to give herself a warning to never be so silly as to hurt herself and her loved ones anymore. On the other hand, Roel felt that color had finally returned to his monotonous world. Taking a few deep whiffs to replenish his depleted stock of Aliciatonin, he felt like his body and soul were being swiftly recharged. Even the surrounding air smelled sweet. His mood simply soared like an eagle that was just freed from its shackles. Indeed, having a harmonious family is the most important of all! He pulled away from the hug and looked Alicia in the eye. ¡°Alicia, let¡¯s never have a cold war with one another anymore, alright? At the very least, please don¡¯t avoid me anymore in the future.¡± Thest few days had really traumatized Roel. He rubbed Alicia¡¯s cheeks softly as he spoke these words. Alicia also nodded obediently in response. ¡°Mm, I have learned my lesson. If big brother Roel bullies me in the future, I¡¯ll just cry out loud.¡± Alicia replied with tear stains still lingering on her face. The sight of this caused a stabbing pain to Roel¡¯s heart. Her pitiful appearance somehow left Roel feeling a little flustered. ¡°No, I was the one at fault here. I¡¯ll never do it again.¡± Roel said as he hugged Alicia once more. Slowly, the atmosphere between the two hugging children grew a little intimate. The other maids, who had been watching this scene by the side, smiled quietly amongst themselves before backing out of the room. Anna continued looking at the two children, who had made up with one another in just a single minute, and her usual knowing adult smile appeared on her face once more. This should be enough. Anna slowly retreated to the door before walking out and carefully closing the door shut. With this, the first ever mission of the Roel X Alicia Ship fanclub was a perfect sess. ... Rosa Merchant Confederacy, Rosa City. Ausier Street. This name was not very well-known amongst themon popce, but there were no nobles on the Sia Continent, regardless of their country of origin, who didn¡¯t know about this ce. Spanning 2000 meters in length, it was the heart of the prosperous Rosa City. It wasn¡¯t a particrly long strip ofnd, but it was rumored that over 70% of the world¡¯s fortune was centered on this plot ofnd. Extravagance was second nature to this street. Kaiser stones, mined from the Kaiser Mountain, had a translucent and clean appearance that gave off a faint andfortable glow under the sunlight. It was typically used as an ornament in the architectural design of the mansions of high nobles, but here on Ausier Street, it was used as mere pavement. Several thousand pieces of expensive Kaiser stone gave off a gentle glow that made one feel as if treading on light. It was an ostentatious show of financial power that made minor nobles go green with envy. There were also warm lights that brought about a calm atmosphere, enhancing one¡¯s tendency to splurge; the constantfortable environment within stores despite the changing weathers outside; expensive trees that gave off a soothing fragrance... As long as one observed closely, there were always surprises hidden along this street. These surprises were present for a single purpose though¡ªprofit. The Sorofyas had created the most extravagant environment in the world, but this extravagant environment, in turn, marketed itself and naturally drew in high-value individuals to shop here. Royals of powerful countries, princes and princesses of smaller countries; every single person who walked this street was of exalted standing, and it wasmon for them to spend a great deal of money to obtain what they wanted. Probably those who didn¡¯t splurge on this street wouldn¡¯t dare im that they had been here either. This project that cost an astronomical sum was the foundation the Sorofyas had built up over the past century. Every single change along this street, be it the locations of the vendors or renovation of the road surface, was all nned out meticulously. In the noble sector of Rosa City, the leaders of major merchant associations were all currently gathered in the reception room of the Sorofya mansion, awaiting the release of the new ns for the street. Ausier Street was the private property of the Sorofya House, so every single store had to clear the Sorofyas¡¯ annual check in order to continue operating in the following year. Today was the day the annual checks would be conducted. In the elegantly furnished room they were all sitting in, the leaders of the major merchant associations had their heads slightly lowered out of respect, disying none of the arrogance that money and power usually brought about. Sitting on the chair right in front of all of them was a young girl, who seemed oddly out of ce in this solemn atmosphere. Her reddish-orange long hair flowed sleekly down her shoulders, and her emerald eyes were both clear and calm. She carried a dignified and reticent atmosphere, and this was the impression most people had of her. Charlotte Sorofya. Without any showy essories or beautiful dresses, her very existence itself felt majestic and noble, as if all luxuries in the world ought to belong to her. It was said that the Sorofyas had inherited their bloodline from high elves. In the legends, the high elves were a race that governed the wealth of the world, and mortals would unhesitatingly offer their all to them. Here at this gathering, it felt like the legend had manifested itself in the real world. The girl carried the grace of the high elves and was calmly reading through a set of financial reports in her hands, her emerald eyes reflecting no fluctuation in emotions at all. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. She raised her head lightly to look at a man sitting before her, and a voice that was cold yet carried a pleasing quality, reminiscent of songbirds, sounded. ¡°I have read your financial report. Mister Robert, it looks like your revenue has grown greatly this year.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Charlotte. It¡¯s all thanks to the support of the Sorofya House.¡± A smile broke out on Robert¡¯s face as he began voicing his gratitude toward the Sorofyas. Unexpectedly, Charlotte didn¡¯t appear to be too pleased by his attitude. Instead, a frown was forming on her forehead. ¡°This is the first time you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Charlotte. Our merchant association only joined Ausier Streetst year. This is the first time...¡± Robert rubbed his hands together before as he responded to Charlotte¡¯s question. But, before he could finish his words, a cold and sharp voice had already interjected. ¡°Is that so? You need not return next year then.¡± Chapter 102: Charlotte’s Mountain of Stress

Chapter 102: Charlotte¡¯s Mountain of Stress

¡°P-pardon me, but what did you just say?¡± Robert raised his head and stared in bewilderment at the young girl sitting on the chair in front of him. Charlotte maintained the same impassive expression as she replied calmly. ¡°Your license to operate on Ausier Street has been revoked. You¡¯re given 3 months to pack up your stuff and leave Ausier Street, otherwise we¡¯ll be enforcing it from our side.¡± ¡°W-wait a moment, Lady Charlotte! You have seen our financial reports, so why are you asking us to move out? I can¡¯t ept this!¡± Robert eximed in astonishment as he demanded a reason. What he received instead was a sharp, cold gaze from the girl. ¡°Your numbers are good, and it¡¯s true that your business is booming. However, it¡¯s another question whether the money is still with your business or not, right?¡± Charlotte¡¯s words brought a jolt to Robert¡¯s heart. Through his many years of experience, he forced himself to maintain a poker face as he tried to exin the situation. However, Charlotte wasn¡¯t interested in hearing his exnation. ¡°You need not say anything. Do you still not get it? The scent of fortune isn¡¯t on you anymore. Let me see why that is so... Ah, is it gambling?¡± The fiery-haired Charlotte took a document that was being passed to her by one of her attendants and quickly scanned through it, showing barely any emotions on her face at all. On the other hand, Robert¡¯s face had alreadypletely gone dark. There was a rumor that the Sorofyas had the ability to turn anything into gold. Anyone with the slightest bit ofmon sense would know that it couldn¡¯t possibly be true, but rumors don¡¯t juste out of nowhere. While they couldn¡¯t make gold, they had something almost as good¡ªthe Sorofyas have the ability to sense wealth. From uncertain technological investments to wilymercial partnerships, the Sorofyas, who had inherited the blood of the high elves, only needed to choose the path where the scent of money was heaviest. And today, Robert had be yet another lucky one to witness this incredible ability in person. He sought to say something to turn the situation around, but Charlotte had no intention of giving him the chance to do so. She waved her hand casually, and two guards standing by her side stepped forward to escort him out of the mansion. ¡°Lady Charlotte, please give me a second chance! I swear that this year...¡± Robert cried out as he struggled to free himself from the grip of the guards, but it was futile. The door of the reception room closed after he was dragged out, drowning out his cries. The other merchants in the reception room watched the sight in nonchnce as they chatted with one another. ¡°That fellow is from the Roche Merchant Association.¡± ¡°Hmph. A neer that only started risingst year thinks that he can fool Lady Charlotte. What a fool.¡± ¡°It¡¯s futile to attempt anything before Lady Charlotte. She¡¯s a prodigy that only appears once in a century in the Sorofya House.¡± The veteran merchants chatted amongst themselves as the newer ones listened in wonderment, reminding themselves to never end up with the same fate as Robert. ¡°It isn¡¯t a problem that will happen next year. Your body no longer carries the scent of fortune anymore. It¡¯s inevitable that you¡¯ll fall into destitution.¡± Charlotte sighed deeply as she muttered to herself, seemingly answering Robert¡¯s final plea. One of the attendants behind her stepped forward and spoke to her respectfully. ¡°This is the fate that awaits most gamblers when they choose to cave in to irrationality. Young miss, please do not be too bothered by it. Shall we take a rest for now?¡± ¡°Yes, that sounds like a good idea.¡± Charlotte was a little tired after having checked quite a few merchants, so she agreed with the attendant¡¯s suggestion. The attendants immediately got into action after receiving the order. They swiftly moved the work-rted furniture away, and the roof above slowly turned into a transparent skylight that allowed natural light in. Several potted nts that gave off a rxing scent were carefully ced around the room under the instructions of the designers. In just a few minutes, the room had been converted from a solemn conference room into a light-hearted resting area filled with greenery. Charlotte¡¯s reddish-orange hair seemed to glow under the natural sunlight. As the skylight was made out of a special material that filtered out the elements that damaged one¡¯s skin, there was no need to bring out the usual parasol. An afternoon tea table for one wasid out before Charlotte. The attendants brought out top-quality imperial tea brewed by a tea master, followed by exquisite desserts that were freshly prepared by world-ss patissiers. Charlotte took a sip of tea and sighed pleasurably. After rxing for a little, she turned to the ck-haired attendant standing by her side and asked. ¡°Grace, how is the development of the Land of Chaosing along?¡± ¡°Young miss, the development has been going slowly. The environment is too unstable, and our manpower iscking too.¡± ¡°I see...¡± replied Charlotte helplessly. She had no intention of ming her subordinate as such an oue was within her expectations too. Charlotte Sorofya, the beloved daughter of Bruce Sorofya, was the sessor to the Sorofya House. Despite only being 10, she was already being dubbed as the Uncrowned Princess and was one of the most powerful people in the world. At least, this was what most people knew about her. However, behind the glitz and mor, she bore a heavy responsibility that most were oblivious to. Charlotte was one of the rare ones who had inherited the bloodline of her ancestors, seeding the beauty and the powers of the legendary high elves. In the centuries of the Sorofya House¡¯s history, there were only a small handful of patriarchs and matriarchs who could match up to her. Greater power, however, meant greater responsibility. Charlotte, with her sharp senses for money, began dipping her hands into the family business when she was just 7. Initially, she had taken more of an auxiliary role, managing some of the minor businesses and offering strategic advice. However, when her father, Bruce Sorofya, obtained a bizarre oilmp half a year ago, the pressure on her as the sessor suddenly increased greatly. All sorts of high-level business decisions were tossed her way, and she found herself having to review all sorts of development ns. Recently, Bruce Sorofya even entrusted two major projects to her, asking her to take on one of them. One was the development of the Land of Chaos, Tansen, and the other was the development of the Twohorn Port. Neither of these two projects were easy to pull off, even when taking the financial ability and influence the Sorofyasmanded into ount. Hardly anyone in the Sorofya House was willing to take them on. The intention behind Bruce Sorofya¡¯s action was very clear¡ªhe wanted Charlotte to use her abilities to resolve one of these two problems that had bothered them for a long time, and through this, prove herself to the rest of the family. In the face of her father¡¯s expectations, Charlotte bravely stepped forward to take on the challenge. Who could have thought that her nearly omnipotent ability would stumble here? Between Tunsen and Twohorn Port, Charlotte, through her sharp sense for money, unhesitatingly chose the former. As the name, Land of Chaos, suggested, Tunsen was awless region with an extremely messy politicalndscape involving a multitude of major powers. It was known for its domestic production of magic tools made out of demonic creatures, which was also the reason why multiple countries sought to build up a presence there. There were rumors that a god had once fallen in Tunsen, and the blood of the powerful being seeped into thend, dyeing the ground red. The extraordinarily high concentration of mana greatly increased the chances of animals residing in the region undergoing a mutation, leading to a proliferation of demonic creatures. Due to that, the region was deemed to be extremely dangerous and unsuitable for humans to live in. Most who chose to live in Tunsen despite the risks were transcendents, especially heretics and evil cultists who were driven out of their homes. They made a living through hunting down demonic creatures and selling their parts, though the number of demonic creatures they were able to hunt tended to be severely limited. If the Sorofyas could enter this demonic creatures market and develop aplete business model around it, it could potentially earn thousandfold of its initial investment. From such a perspective, Charlotte¡¯s sense for money was indeed spot-on. However, based on the reports of previous attempts made by the other family members, the demonic creatures residing in the area were too dangerous. It was one thing tounch a single expedition into Tunsen, but if they really intended to reside in the area, they would need to hire a frightening amount of guards for protection. By no means was it an exaggeration to say that it would be almost equivalent to raising an entire army. If so, the cost would be too high for them to sustain in the long-run. Charlotte pondered over this problem carefully, and after great consideration, she decided to use the influence of the Sorofyas and spend a great amount of money to purchase a magic tool that could repel demonic creatures, thus ensuring the safety of the merchants they would dispatch to Tunsen. Ever since the request was sent, there had been dozens of responses from all of the branches, but none of them fit the criteria to a satisfactory degree. Most of the magic tools were still effective on ordinary animals and demonic beasts with a lower degree of mutation, but they couldn¡¯t stand their ground when it came to the hell level difficulty Tunsen. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect things to be harder than I expected. If we can¡¯t find a suitable magic tool within the next two months, I¡¯ll have to make changes to the proposal.¡± Charlotte remarked with a sigh, worried about the progress of the development. Grace sighed along with Charlotte as she couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight grudge toward Bruce. While this world didn¡¯t have the idiom of ¡®hastening the growth of a seedling by pulling on it¡¯, it was stillmon sense to take things step by step. Bruce Sorofya had doubtlessly heaped a great deal of stress on Charlotte over the past half a year, and it left Grace feeling anxious inside. ¡°Young miss, there has been a piece of good news regarding the Land of Chaos recently. A merchant has approached us with the intention of getting into a partnership with us. They im that they are able to resolve the problem of the demonic creatures.¡± ¡°Oh? Do they have the magic tool that we¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. However, they have some clues to solving this problem. It appears that the indigenous poption of Tunsen have been using a certain kind of magic tool to protect themselves from demonic creatures, and they have some leads that we do not possess regarding the matter. They have expressed their willingness to negotiate with the indigenous poption regarding this matter.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great news! Tell them that the Sorofyas are willing to pay them handsomely for that. As long as we can get a footing into Tunsen, we¡¯re willing to negotiate any conditions that they have!¡± This was the first good news that Charlotte had heard over the past month, so it was inevitable that she would get so excited about it. If they could get one of the major powers stationed in Tunsen on their side, there would be a far greater chance of sessfully developing the market there. However... ¡°Make it clear to them that they are not to use forceful methods during the negotiation, so as to avoid incurring the hostility of the indigenous poption.¡± ¡°Yes, young miss. I¡¯ll take note of that.¡± Grace answered with a lowered head. A slight smile formed on her lips as she added. ¡°If this matter goes well, we¡¯d have set the foundations to developing Tunsen. The old master should probably give you a break after that.¡± ¡°Indeed. It has been far too tiring over the past half a year.¡± Recalling all of the stress she had been put under during this period of time, Charlotte could only sigh helplessly to herself. However, there was a doubt that had been floating in her mind for quite a while now. What in the world incited my father to anxiously rush things all of a sudden? It¡¯s almost as if he wants her to build a strong foothold for herself as soon as possible. Additionally, what is with that bizarre oilmp... ¡°Could he have fallen under the influence of evil cultists or something?¡± Charlotte wondered, but she could only bury such thoughts in the depths of her heart. Chapter 103: The Loborian Workout

Chapter 103: The Loborian Workout

At the dining table in the Labyrinth Vi, from time to time, Roel would feed a spoonful of soup into Alicia¡¯s cherry lips, and her throat would quiver ever so slightly as she swallowed it down. At the end of which, she would even lick her lips slightly to clean off the soup around her mouth. (Affection Points +100!) Is this heaven? This must be heaven, right? Roel felt like a part of his soul was drifting toward paradise just by looking at Alicia. The smile had barely left his face for even an instant. The heart-to-heart talk on the bed in the afternoon had led to aplete reconciliation between Roel and Alicia. In fact, their rtionship had only grown closer after the slight crisis they faced. Their feelings were manifested in how they could barely stay away from one another at all. Roel wanted to make up for a week¡¯s worth of missed doses of Aliciatonin, and Alicia was releasing all of the feelings she had suppressed over the week. If not because Roel thought that it was inappropriate, Alicia would have even wanted to join him in bed tonight. However, there was one thing that had left Roel feeling a little down, and that was Alicia had already turned 8. After oveing her mental trauma, she was in the phase where she felt that she ought to be more independent. As a result, the thrice a day feeding sessions had been reduced to once a day. Roel was ddened by Alicia¡¯s desire to improve herself and mature, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little lonely about it. The three times daily healing sessions might have been reduced to one, but that was precisely why he treasured it even more than before. As a result, there was a very contrasting sight at the Ascarts¡¯ dining table. While Roel and Alicia were being lovey-dovey, the oldest one was left all alone in the corner, munching on his ham sandwich. Carter was honestly a little surprised to see how the two siblings were closer than ever, which left him at a loss as to how he should announce the deal he had made with the Xeclydes earlier in the day. What¡¯s going on? Weren¡¯t they still avoiding each other earlier in the morning? How in the world did they manage to reconcile so quickly? There wasn¡¯t any warning beforehand! How am I to approach that subject now?!?! Carter was all stressed out. In terms of his stance, he was more supportive of Alicia, who was almost a half-pupil of his by now, but Nora¡¯s presenceplicated matters. Only a fool would think that Roel could shirk his responsibility after kissing a daughter of the Xeclydes! Furthermore, the rumor that had been making its rounds... Why must matters be soplicated? Argh, my stomach is starting to hurt. Is there anything that¡¯s lighter? I should get the chefs to prepare some soup for me... Just thinking about his son¡¯s future was more than enough to give Carter indigestion, so he ordered for a bowl of rich soup to be brought out. In view of Roel¡¯s previous ipetence, his initial n was to have his son live a peaceful and stable life. He would marry a few daughters of minor noble houses and work hard every night to expand the family tree. However, the ns he had made were all overturned when Roel awakened the Ascart Bloodline. Of course, Carter was more than delighted to see Roel bing stronger, but at the same time, he was worried about the troubles his son would encounter along the way. Putting everything else aside, neither Nora nor Alicia were pushovers. Nora was one thing, but even Alicia, in Carter¡¯s eyes, was a little monster too. The greatest evidence of that was the fact that Alicia was already on the verge of reaching Origin Level 5. In just a single month¡¯s time, Alicia had grown at a ridiculous speed, climbing from Origin Level 7 all the way to the peak of Origin Level 6. Quoting her words, ¡® Every time I think of big brother Roel, I can feel energy filling up my body. ¡¯ Carter found himself rendered speechless by that exnation. To normal transcendents, mana had to be slowly umted over time like a stream flowing into a sea. When it came to Alicia though, it was as if a fountain would gush out from thends wherever she tilled. Given Alicia¡¯s current speed, it shouldn¡¯t be long before she acquired an Origin Attribute. One must know that even the pride of the Theocracy, Nora, had only reached Origin Level 5 at 9 years old. It waspletely understandable why Carter was so dumbfounded by how fast Alicia was growing. He had never thought that the girl he had adopted out of kindness would actually be a prodigy far exceedingmon sense. If given sufficient time, she could be a world-ss expert. And most importantly of all, she was dedicated to his son. It would be a lie if Carter were to say that he wasn¡¯t excited by this notion. However, once the initial hype died down, he began seeing a whole lot of troubles that could appear on their way. He could tell that both Alicia and Nora had a tenacious streak in them. If a day came where the two began fighting one another, probably not even Roel would be able to mediate between them. Just thinking about the endless precedents in history, where female transcendents dumped by the men they were devoted to ended up murdering their former lovers in cold blood, left Carter with goosebumps rising all over his body. Of course, Carter didn¡¯t think that his son would be that kind of phndering scum, but rationality in romance was nearly a non-existent concept. Carter recalled his limited experiences in romance and felt that this was a tough nut to crack. Furthermore, thinking about the tactics that Roel had employed to date... Huh? It doesn¡¯t seem like Roel has really done anything at all...? Could it be that he has transcended mere tactics? Carter sipped on his soup as he eyed the two children sitting before him doubtfully. He hesitated for a long while, but he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to inform them that Nora was going to be Roel¡¯s guardian under such an atmosphere. ... After dinner, Carter headed back to his room with a brooding look on his face. On the other hand, Roel and Alicia headed to the study and enjoyed some quality time together before finally parting ways for the night. Roel felt satisfied both physically and mentally. He had never felt better than he did right now. Therefore, there was no way he was going to miss this precious opportunity. After returning to his room, he instructed Anna not to disturb him before turning over to look at the System. ¡¾Scanning the user¡¯s condition...¡¿ ¡¾The user is rmended to purchase the following items to attempt a breakthrough.¡¿ ¡¾Lobor Advancement Serum (Fifth Edition) Loborians are passionate about alchemy, but the serums they produce tended to work differently from how they expected them to. No one could understand why a serum intended to numb the senses of an enemy would actually aid in making breakthroughs. The person who developed the serum was beheaded under the suspicions of being a spy. Side Effects: Heavy intoxication Price: 10,000 Gold Coin¡¿ ¡¾Special Event: Let¡¯s Make A Breakthrough Together! % off all breakthrough-rted items! Items on discount: Lobor Advancement Serum (Fifth Edition) Discounted Price: 1000 Gold Coin¡¿ ¡¾The Origin Attribute is ready. The System advises the user to make a breakthrough as quickly as possible.¡¿ Roel was initially a little unhappy when he saw that there was only one item in the event shop, but when he realized that it was a 90% discount, all of his displeasure immediately melted away like frost before the summer sun. ¡°This darned System is finally being humane for once!¡± The surprised Roel was indescribably moved. While he was still troubled over how he could make a breakthrough to Origin Level 5, his System took the initiative to offer him what he needed at a discounted price. It was indeed the role model for all businesses! The young boy, who was 500,000 gold coins in debt, wiped away his tears as he took out his personal funds¡ªmost of which was borrowed from Alicia¡ªand offered it unhesitatingly to the System. One must know that there were many transcendents who failed to deal with their breakthroughs to Origin Level 5 properly and suffered some side effects. Some of the more severe cases even ended up with physical deformity. Roel could still remember the ¡®perfectbination¡¯ he had half a year ago that had a hell of a kick, though it did raise his Origin Level significantly. Thus, when he saw that the side effect of Lobor Advancement Serum (Fifth Edition) was only intoxication, he almost burst outughing. Heh, I¡¯ve even drunk stuff that almost killed my liver in my previous life, so what does this count as? Roel picked up the container he had just received from the System and examined it closely. The serum inside the container was transparent, just like water. When he tried swirling the container, the way the fluid flowed along the sides of the container felt reminiscent of wine. He uncorked the bottle and took a whiff of the serum, but there was no particr scent to it. Doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s anything much... The mild appearance of the serum emboldened Roel¡¯s courage, and he felt that there was nothing to be afraid of. Having learned from his previous lesson, he went over to his bed and sat down there. Even if I get knocked out right away, at the very most, I¡¯ll just fall asleep on my bed. Having made ample preparations, Roel unhesitatingly picked up the serum and drank it. As a certified foodie, he carefully savored the taste of a serum that originally cost 10,000 gold coins. There was a peculiar sourness to the taste, but the alcohol was frighteningly potent. It felt like a stream of me had been ignited from his throat all the way down to his stomach, which reminded him of the 56% white wine he had drunk in his previous life. He could feel his body growing hotter and hotter. Even before swallowing the wine, he was already feeling the kick. In his slightly intoxicated state, he finally gulped down the rest of this not-too-delicious fake alcohol. As the world swirled around him, his consciousness gradually faded... ... The following day, Roel¡¯s eyes fluttered open to a ceiling covered in murals. Oof, that darned serum still packs a punch. Lucky I was well prepared, or else I would have surely fallen to it! Roel was still having trouble gathering his concentration due to his head hurting from the hangover. All of a sudden, though, he suddenly realized that the murals he was staring at looked a little unfamiliar, and his expression slowly turned grim. Huh? Am I seeing things? Why does it look so foreign to me? Roel was taken aback for a moment before he hurriedly checked his surroundings. As soon as he started moving, he found himself bumping into a soft body. A soft moan, which was almost as loud as a thunderous rumbling in his ears, sounded. He immediately shot upright in astonishment. He stiffly turned his head sideward and found himself faced with a white pajamaed Alicia! Son of a banshee, what¡¯s going on? Why is Alicia sleeping next to me? No, wait a moment... Isn¡¯t this Alicia¡¯s room?! As the truth dawned on Roel, a shudder ran through his body and he identally kicked the fair legs that were peeking out from Alicia¡¯s pajamas. Under the stimtion, the young girl slowly opened her eyes and saw the frozen Roel. A happy smile blossomed on her lips. ¡°Good morning, big brother Roel. You woke up early.¡± ¡°Ah, y-yes I did.¡± With his mind already on shutdown, it took a lot of effort for Roel to squeeze out a response. On the other hand, Alicia stared at Roel intently for a moment before pulling him back down on the bed. ¡°We yed till ratherte yesterday night. You should sleep a little longer.¡± Alicia murmured drowsily as she leaned on Roel¡¯s chest and closed her eyes once more. Her warm breath on Roel¡¯s neck made him feel a little itchy. Looking at the unguarded look on Alicia¡¯s face and her beautiful figure, Roel found his heart thumping faster and faster. In just a short moment, his breathing had already grown a little heavy. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva as a doubt floated into his mind. What did we yst night? Chapter 104: Life Is Tough

Chapter 104: Life Is Tough

What did I dost night? On Alicia¡¯s bed, Roel stared at the foreign ceiling before him as he thought nervously. He could feel Alicia¡¯s body pressing against his, and her warmth made him feel a little fidgety. Vaguely, her soft breathing could be heard. This scenario was strongly suggesting the notion of ¡®the following day after the consummation of marriage¡¯, and that really scared Roel. Wait a moment, didn¡¯t I fall asleepst night after drinking the Loborian Advancement Serum? How did I end up in Alicia¡¯s room then? This shouldn¡¯t be... Is this a dream? Roel pinched himself. Ouch, it hurts. He tried leaning in to take a whiff of Alicia¡¯s scent. Mm, a little fragrant. Yeap, this really isn¡¯t a dream. But, how did things turn out this way? Roel¡¯s eyes flickered around nervously as he racked his mind to figure out what was going on. He couldn¡¯t understand why the two of them were sleeping on the same bed, and the gaps in his memories ofst night really made him flustered. What kind of y is Alicia referring to... Carter shed across his mind, and Roel wondered if he should arrange for an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. But again, he suddenly remembered that there was no blood rtion between him and Alicia, so maybe things weren¡¯t that bad? Besides, the societal norms in this world were very different from his previous one. Forget about how they weren¡¯t actually blood siblings, but even if they were, it still wouldn¡¯t be anything much, at least by the standards of this world. Simr to the Middle Ages in Europe in his previous life, rtionships between siblings weren¡¯t a forbidden fruit yet. Civilization hadn¡¯t realized the dangers of it, so there was no one who gave a damn about it. Even royals were guilty of it too. Whileing up with all sorts of excuses to reassure himself that it was alright, it suddenly dawned on him that he was still a child. He quickly looked at his clothes and realized that there were all still on him. Then, he took a deep breath and exhaled deeply, releasing all of his anxiety and nervousness. For the time being... I should escape first. Regardless of whether something happened or not, he felt a little ufortable having Alicia stick so closely to him. For some reason, thisss was bing more and more charming, such that it was getting harder for him to maintain his self-control. He carefully lifted Alicia¡¯s head and wiggled his body out bit by bit. Once he was out, he took a pillow to fill up the gap created by his absence. Then, he sneaked out of the room before shutting the door lightly. Having finally escaped from Alicia¡¯s room, he breathed out deeply in relief. He took a look around the corridor, only to realize that there was no one outside. ¡°This is odd. Anna should have at least been here with me. Where is she?¡± Roel was initially nning to ask Anna what happened the previous night, but thetter was nowhere to be seen. He took a look at his own pajamas and decided to head back to his room to change his clothes first. Unexpectedly, before he could make a move, he heard a voiceing from the far end of the corridor. ¡°Your Highness, the young master is out at the moment.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s not what I heard from the guards outside. However, since you¡¯re the one saying it, I¡¯ll take your word for it and visit Alicia instead. She¡¯s a good friend of mine, so surely that shouldn¡¯t be an issue for you?¡± The familiar voices of Nora and Anna sounded from the corridor. The crescendoing patter of footsteps sounded like death tolls in Roel¡¯s mind. He wanted to dart away and hide, but it was toote. ¡°Your Highness, Miss Alicia had ate night and isn¡¯t awake yet. I shall send a servant to inform the young master of your arrival too. I believe that he should...¡± Nora suddenly halted her footsteps, causing Anna¡¯s words to trail off too. Anna turned in the direction where Nora was looking at, only to find a flustered ck-haired boy dressed in pajamas standing right in front of Alicia¡¯s bedroom. The criminal was apprehended on the spot. ... Half an hourter, in the guest room of the Labyrinth Vi, a golden-haired girl sat on a sofa chair with her legs crossed, impassively listening to a recount of the story from a maid standing before her. Meanwhile, a ck-haired boy fidgeted uneasily in his seat as his gaze alternated between the speaking Anna and the clearly infuriated Nora. ¡°Last night, young master Roel retired earlier than usual to his bedroom, intending to have a good rest. However, not too longter, he dashed out of his room to look for Miss Alicia. His face was abnormally reddened in excitement, and he was swaying around unsteadily. I suspected that he might have drunk some wine, but I couldn¡¯t smell alcohol on him. ¡°I tried to advise the young master to return back to his room to rest, but the young master insisted on looking for Miss Alicia. So, I obeyed his order and sent a servant over to inform Miss Alicia. However, the young master said that it was very urgent and that he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He charged toward Miss Alicia¡¯s bedroom and barged right in. ¡°Miss Alicia was astonished, but due to their close rtions, she wasn¡¯t displeased. So, the two of them began having intimate interactions...¡± ¡°Wait wait wait! Anna, stop talking nonsense! W-w-what do you mean by intimate interactions? Nora, this is...¡± ¡°Roel, shut up.¡± Roel was just about to argue his case when he found himself faced with a ¡®kind¡¯ smile from the golden-haired princess, and his body stiffened. His attempt to defend himself was shut down immediately; he felt stifled. In the end, he could only slouch back down into his seat. Seeing that Roel had wisely chosen to back down, Nora turned her gaze back to the witness. ¡°You may continue speaking.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. The young master and Miss Alicia continued their intimate interactions till midnight. Once again, I advised the young master to return back to his room to rest, but he turned down my suggestion. After that, he drove all of us out of the room, saying that he wanted to spend the night together with Miss Alicia. We have no idea what went on in the room afterward. ¡°The following morning. When Miss Alicia¡¯s maids entered the room, they noticed that the two of them were sleeping on the bed together. They dared not disturb them, so they quietly backed out of the room. Even until your arrival, neither of them had left the room. This is all I know about the matter.¡± ¡°Very well. You may take your leave.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± The Roel X Alicia Ship fanclub manager sold Roel out clean before bowing respectfully and taking her leave. Before the matter had been revealed, as Roel¡¯s personal maid, Anna felt duty-bound to conceal the truth on behalf of her master. However, now that things had already developed to this point, her desire to stan Alicia surpassed her loyalty toward Roel. To be fair, Anna hadn¡¯t lied about anything. Roel¡¯s actionsst night were that of a typical drunkard, doing as he pleased. It was fortunate that he was still a child, so it wasn¡¯t that bad. Nevertheless, whether he managed to hit a homerun or not didn¡¯t matter; the important part was that he had gotten on Alicia¡¯s bed with the girl! Even if Her Highness Nora is exceptionally forgiving to the young master, I doubt that she would be able to tolerate such stuff, Anna thought to herself as she took her leave and closed the doors, leaving behind a deadly silence in her wake. One of the most terrifying moments in life was when silence suddenly settled in the midst of a heavy atmosphere. Roel found himself fidgeting uneasily on his seat. He couldn¡¯t understand why it was so, but for some inexplicable reason, he felt like he had wronged Nora. He had roughly understood what had happened after hearing Anna¡¯s story. To put it simply, he had a ckout after drinking. He had only experienced it once in his previous life, and it was the result of drinking tequ at the egging of a friend. The sheer force of it knocked him out, and he couldn¡¯t remember a thing about what happened afterward. Roel had never thought that the serum could do so much evil even when he had taken preventive measures. It was even worse than the first time, and he felt deeply aggrieved as a customer. How am I supposed to guard against a drunken rampage? This is too much! While feeling bitter inside, Roel sneaked a nce at Nora and saw that she was taking deep breaths, seemingly trying to calm her emotions. It was apparent that she was deeply agitated by Roel¡¯s ¡®dazzling performance¡¯. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything at all, really! Nora, you have to believe me...¡± Roel muttered weakly. He didn¡¯t even dare to raise his voice before Nora right now out of fear that he would identally agitate her further. Upon hearing his words, Nora closed her eyes and lowered her head. A momentter, she raised her head once more and looked at him. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to your exnation, but if you dare lie to me...¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I would do that! I live my life embracing honesty!¡± Faced with Nora¡¯s narrowing eyes, Roel quickly threw out a guarantee beforeing out clean. ¡°Actually, I acquired a serum recently that¡¯s said to be able to help me advance to Origin Level 5. I was in a good condition yesterday, so I decided to use the serum. However, I didn¡¯t expect the serum to have some side effects. I found myself cking out after drinking it, and it was only this morning that I finally regained my consciousness. ¡°It¡¯s fake alcohol. There must be fake alcohol inside! Fake alcohol really ruins lives!¡± Roel smacked his thighs as hemented his actions regrettably. Meanwhile, seeing the earnest look on his face¡ªas well as theck of reaction from the pendant she was wearing¡ªNora¡¯s anger finally subsided a little. Human civilization had declined since its golden era. The development of alchemy had regressed significantly, and there was nothing in current times that could match the Lobor series. Due to that, it was inevitable that Nora would have a poor impression of serums and be opposed to their consumption. Nevertheless, she knew that not everyone was as blessed as her to be able to make breakthroughs relying solely on her talent. While Roel had awakened his bloodline, he was likely to be a Copper Bloodline at the moment. Considering that he had spent years developing slowly due to theck of a bloodline, it was understandable why he would be anxious to raise his strength, even if he had to rely on serums for that. Nora felt that it wasn¡¯t her ce to criticize him for that, but it was another thing if he got into trouble for swallowing things of unknown origin, especially when it created such a massive misunderstanding. ¡°Roel, I understand your desire to be strong, but it¡¯s extremely dangerous to consume serums when you don¡¯t know what side effects they might pose. You¡¯re really being too reckless here! I¡¯ll need to have a talk with Uncle Carter about this, so as to...¡± ¡°Wait wait wait wait wait! I think that there¡¯s no need to trouble my father over something like this. It¡¯s just a drunken rampage...¡± It¡¯s one thing for you to nag me, but we shouldn¡¯t get our parents involved here, alright? What am I supposed to say if Carter asked me where I got the serum from? The anxious Roel was trying to change Nora¡¯s mind when suddenly someone knocked on the door. ¡°Lord Brother? Are you in there?¡± Chapter 105: He’s Mine

Chapter 105: He¡¯s Mine

Alicia is here... The realization of this brought very different feelings to the duo in the room. Roel was feeling a little out of it. He was attempting to prove his innocence to Nora when Alicia suddenly jumped in. Even by thinking with his toes, it was obvious that this wasn¡¯t a good thing! And, his ominous feeling was backed by the sharp glint that had just shed across Nora¡¯s eyes. ¡°Lord Brother?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m in here, Alicia,¡± replied Roel with a slightly strained voice. The door opened, and Alicia, dressed in a beautiful white dress, entered. She first directed a warm smile toward Roel before turning to Nora with a slightly less warm look on her face. She respectfully raised her skirt slightly and curtsied. ¡°Good afternoon to you, Your Highness. It has been a while since west met at your birthday banquet.¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Alicia. It has indeed been a while since west caught up with one another. I went by your room to look for you earlier, but I heard that you were still asleep. I didn¡¯t think that you would ready yourself so quickly.¡± Nora responded to Alicia¡¯s greeting with a smile, though her words clearly ryed her displeasure at having her conversation with Roel disrupted. Alicia was unfazed by the remark, and she replied withposure. ¡°Pardon me for having kept you waiting. It was my first time with Lord Brotherst night, so we ended up staying up for too long and had difficulties trying to wake up on time.¡± Alicia¡¯s exnation made Nora¡¯s eyebrows shoot up. Roel, on the other hand, was rendered dumbstruck. I can¡¯t possibly have really done that, right? No, I shouldn¡¯t panic. I should first rify the situation first. ¡°Alicia, could you rify on what you meant by ¡®first time¡¯?¡± ¡°Hm? It naturally means the first time I¡¯m sleeping with Lord Brother on the same bed.¡± ¡°Ahh, I see.¡± Roel wiped the sweat off his forehead in relief as his heart was put at ease. Despite the rification, however, Nora wasn¡¯t d in the least. How could she possibly be d upon hearing that the person she fancied had shared a bed with his non blood-rted sister? She would have to be a saintess to feel d! The issue here was not whether Roel had made a mistake or not. What she had a gripe with here was that there was a constant possibility of Roel making the same mistake again, especially given the current circumstances! If they could share a bed this time, they could very well be huffing and puffing together on the bed the next time! ¡°Miss Alicia, I don¡¯t believe that your actions are appropriate for ady.¡± Nora maintained a ¡®kind¡¯ smile as she spoke with a criticizing tone. ¡°The Ascart House is a respectable family with a long history behind it, and it wouldn¡¯t condone the scandalous act of two youths nearing adulthood sharing a bed with one another. The only ce where such a practice is tolerated is in ordinary families with a lot of children. I believe that the Labyrinth Vi has more than enough rooms for you to choose from, so you ought to carry yourself with respect. ¡°But, speaking of such, Roel, may I know which room it was we previously embraced one another? So many things have changed over 200 years that I¡¯m finding it a little difficult to find my way around.¡± ¡°Embrace one another? Lord Brother?¡± ¡°No, that is...¡± Nora¡¯s suggestive words made Alicia¡¯s face darken a little. Roel quickly exined the situation, and Alicia, who had already heard of their short trip back into the past, heaved a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, Nora had no intention of letting things rest just like that. ¡°Roel, you haven¡¯t pointed the room out to me yet.¡± Nora continued asking with a smile, so Roel could only earnestly try to recall the matter. However, this recollection made his face turn pale. Wait a moment, that room can¡¯t possibly be... Shit! ¡°I-it¡¯s the third room on the west wing of the vi.¡± ¡°The third room on the west wing of the vi... Your exnation is so abstract. Allow me to think about it for a moment... Ah, isn¡¯t that Miss Alicia¡¯s bedroom ?¡± Nora eximed in ¡®realization¡¯. She hurriedly turned to Alicia with a look of apology on her face. ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t expect Alicia to be living in the room that we used before. Ah, but I¡¯d imagine that the bed should have been changed by now. This sure is a huge coincidence. Please ignore what I have just said.¡± Nora looked at the seething Alicia with a look of sympathy, as if pitying her. That was a critical strike to not just Alicia but Roel too. What¡¯s going on here? Sensing a chill in the air, Roel didn¡¯t even dare to swallow his saliva down. He tried his best to make his presence as thin as possible, so that he wouldn¡¯t get implicated in this frightening tug-o-war. On the other hand, Alicia slowlyposed her breathing before bringing back a smile to her face. ¡°Ah, that must be a room filled with memories for Your Highness, right? Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t I let it out to you? Lord Brother and I will use another room instead. Or perhaps, I should reciprocate the favor and visit Lord Brother¡¯s room the next time.¡± Alicia pped her hands together with an innocent smile on her face, as if a child stumbling upon a good idea. Those words struck one of the thorns lodged in Nora¡¯s heart, and coldness zed over her eyes momentarily. Nora didn¡¯t think that this youngss would actually be such a difficult opponent to deal with. ¡°Alicia, such matters shoulde with mutual consent. It hasn¡¯t been long since Roel was severely injured, so he should be given plenty of time to rest, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Nora shot a menacing nce at the ck-haired boy who had been feigning dead all this while, as if threatening him to dare say otherwise. Roel found himself shuddering involuntarily upon meeting her eyes, and his instincts were ringing warning bells in his head. ¡°I agree with what Nora said. Alicia, it isn¡¯t too appropriate for us to be sharing the same bed.¡± While Roel was kind of forced to say those words, he did think that it wasn¡¯t right for them to make such a practicemonce. He definitely wasn¡¯t just saying these words out of fear of the livid Nora! Alicia¡¯s cheeks puffed up in indignance. She pondered for a moment before finally replying. ¡°Since Lord Brother has already said so, I shall go along with your wishes. By the way, I heard that you have been having trouble sleeping recently, and I heard that music is a good way to rx to boost sleep quality. I am still confident in my skills with musical instruments, and I believe that it¡¯ll aid you in your recovery. Until you fully recover, I shall apany you till you fall asleep.¡± Alicia spoke with a warm smile. Roel, on the other hand, had a strange look on his face. Rxing before sleeping, ying instruments ... He couldn¡¯t help but think of all of those metaphors he had seen in his previous life on the inte, and it made his face blush furiously. He quickly tossed aside all of those R-rated connotations to the back of his mind. ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through so much trouble. We can just chat with one another.¡± Roel spoke with a wave of his hand, hoping to disperse the scent of gunpowder that was lingering between the two girls. To his dismay, neither of them had the intention of letting things rest just like that. ¡°Alicia, I understand that the two of you are siblings living under the same roof, but considering that you aren¡¯t rted by blood, it¡¯s only right for the two of you to maintain an appropriate distance with one another.¡± ¡°I beg to differ, Your Highness. A harmonious family is the foundation of happiness. There are people who devote their lives just to have what we have. I don¡¯t think that we should intentionally distance ourselves from one another out of fear of what others may think.¡± ¡°I do concur with you that a harmonious family is important, but intimacy shouldn¡¯t just be one-sided. Haven¡¯t you considered the possibility that your actions may have been a bother to Roel?¡± ¡°Your Highness, you are only saying such words because you are oblivious to the deep bond my brother and I share. You might be unaware of this, but I have a phobia of sharp objects, especially cutlery. In order to help me, Lord Brother would usually sit beside me during mealtimes and feed me. That¡¯s how close we are with one another, Your Highness.¡± After saying those words, Alicia shot a nce at Roel with shyness and affection brimming in her eyes. Her gaze was so adorable that it made Roel¡¯s heart skip a beat. At this very instant, he felt an urge to leap forward and give her a tight hug. This urge was swiftly dispelled by fear though. ¡°Is what she said true?¡± A voice that felt as cold as the night of Winter Solstice sounded in Roel¡¯s ears, freezing his body up. ¡°Y-yes, it¡¯s true. There¡¯s nothing that can be done about that. Alicia needs extra care.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be fine to leave it to the servants?¡± ¡°Your Highness, may I humbly ask you not to interfere in the affairs of the Ascart House? I believe that this is a matter for Lord Brother and me to decide on our own. It¡¯s with the Xeclydes¡¯ virtues ofpassion and magnanimity that the nobles of the Theocracy have been united as one thus far. I trust that Your Highness intends to uphold this good practice?¡± Thisss! Nora¡¯s pupils dted upon hearing Alicia bringing the name of the Xeclydes into this argument. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t refute the values that the Xeclydes embraced as they were the key to the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s many years of peace and stability. It was also a huge taboo for an outsider to meddle in the affairs of another noble house, and it was especially true for the royal family. Excessive interference would cast doubts on the royal family¡¯s intentions, and it could be dangerous if others viewed it as an attempt to consolidate power Nora was aware that she had misspoke, so she quickly shut her mouth. Her zing sapphire eyes met Alicia¡¯s ruby ones, and sparks could almost be seen flying across the room. Nora had to admit that she had indeed been underestimating Alicia thus far. Her opponent was far more intelligent than those of her age. Initially, Nora thought that Alicia¡¯s feelings for Roel were only kinship, and they would slowly fade as time went by. However, she dared not think the same anymore. It was obvious that Alicia liked Roel, and her feelings for him ran deep. It was fortunate that Roel seemed to be oblivious to it at the moment, possibly because Alicia was concealing her feelings under the veil of kinship. Hmph. Such little tricks. Nora had always preferred to confront someone head-on with her feelings, so she viewed Alicia¡¯s tactics with disdain. That being said, she had to admit that Alicia¡¯s strategy of silently standing by Roel¡¯s side and permeating every aspect of his life was indeed something to be feared. The advantage of proximity should never be underestimated. In fact, Nora would say that Alicia was ahead of her in the race at the moment. If those two were to continue their intimate actions of hugging and feeding one another everyday, it was only a matter of time before they finally became a pair! This realization raised Nora¡¯s wariness to the maximum. Unfortunately for her, she realized it toote. Roel had already been nurtured into a siscon over the past half a year. Just three days without Aliciatonin was enough to spark withdrawal symptoms in him. With this, the argument finally reached a standstill. By bringing up the social conventions governing the royal family, Alicia managed to clinch the upper hand in this face-off. However, it wasn¡¯tpletely over for Nora yet. She still had a trump card in her hands. ¡°That reminds me, I met Uncle Carter earlier in the morning. He says that he hasn¡¯t informed you of the matter yet, and he told me to ry the news to you.¡± In this seeming moment of desperation, Nora suddenly pped her hands together, and a radiant smile emerged on her lips. Her sudden change of topic made Alicia feel a little unnerved. ¡°Hm? Is it something concerning me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Nora¡¯s lips further curled up, forming a devilish smile that Roel was deeply familiar with. She gracefully pulled Roel over to her side before turning to face Alicia. ¡°An agreement has been formed between the Ascarts and the Xeclydes. I¡¯ll be Roel¡¯s protector. Do you get it now? ¡°He¡¯s mine.¡± Chapter 106: Which One Do You Choose?

Chapter 106: Which One Do You Choose?

Nora¡¯s deration brought a queer silence to the room. Alicia blinked her eyes nkly, and Roel looked equally confused too. Roel nudged Nora and asked her softly. ¡°Nora, what do you mean by protector?¡± This term was, honestly, not too difficult toprehend, but the Xeclydes had simply far too many titles, like Humanity¡¯s Guardian of Light, Mediator of the Nobles, and so on. The word, ¡®protector¡¯, could have connotations different from what he was expecting. Somehow, he couldn¡¯t help but think of the mafia gangs and yakuza in his previous life, who collected protection fees from the businesses on their turf. ¡°It has been decades since the Xeclydesst invoked the protector policy, so it¡¯s only natural that you are unaware of it.¡± It was only then that Nora realized her audience didn¡¯t understand what she was saying, so she quickly borated. She turned to face Roel, who was standing right in front of her, and a touch of tenderness colored her face. ¡°Do you remember what I told you back then? I said that I¡¯ll protect and care for you. I said that I will be your guardian. Right now, I¡¯m fulfilling the promise that I made to you. ¡°Most of those who receive the protection of the Xeclydes are victims of political assassination, children of soldiers who have died on the battlefield, or politicians of foreign countries who have chosen to seek refuge with the Theocracy. However, these people only qualify for 3rd tier protection...¡± Nora began exining to Roel the ¡®protector policy¡¯ of the royal family. All in all, there were three tiers to the protection that the Xeclydes offered, ranging from 3rd through 1st tier. The 3rd tier protection was for those who have met with injustice or are facing certain extenuating circumstances, warranting the intervention of the royal family. The 2nd tier was for major noble houses facing crises that could potentially destabilize the Theocracy, or minor countries facing threats from evil organizations. As for the 1st tier... ... that level of protection was reserved solely for the children of the Xeclydes. Of course, the tiers existed for a reason¡ªtheprehensiveness of protection one would receive varied ordingly with it. At the 3rd tier, the protection provided was limited to promation, which could basically be summarized as a ¡® I¡¯m covering this kid! ¡¯ kind of deration. For the 2nd tier, the Xeclydes would dispatch some of its forces to ensure the target¡¯s safety or eliminate potential dangers. And,st but not least, once it reached the 1st tier, the Xeclydes would mobilize their personal army to guard the target, simr to the army of royal guards protecting Nora. However, as a wise sage once said, ¡®there is no way to guard against a thief in the long-run¡¯. Simrly, there was no such thing as absolute protection in this world. What was more key to the ¡®protector policy¡¯ was actually deterrence. Most of those eligible for 3rd tier protection were civilians of the Theocracy, so it was much easier to handle it. If a person under the Xeclydes¡¯ protection were to die of unnatural causes, the Theocracy would do everything it could to apprehend the masterminds and all of the aplices involved in the matter, and punishments could go as high as the death penalty, depending on the degree of involvement. On the other hand, a lot of those ced under 2nd tier protection were from other countries, so it was a little more inconvenient for the Theocracy to intervene when the protectee was harmed. Nevertheless, the Theocracy would still ce the country and all of the organizations involved on its cklist and exert the greatest degree of sanctions possible for the following century. In extreme cases, the Theocracy would even consider waging war. As for the highest level of protection, 1st tier, it was rather straightforward¡ªa non-time-limited death edict from the Theocracy. Every single generation of the highestmander of the Inquisitor Hall had dedicated their heart and soul to destroying the organizations that dared flout the Theocracy¡¯s 1st tier protection, for this was what their KPI depended on. It was a policy that could basically be summarized as ¡® You piece of shit! You can be sure as hell that I¡¯ll chase you to the end of the world if that¡¯s what it takes to end your life! ¡¯. Surprisingly, the Xeclydes had really managed to do it. There had been a handful of first-rate transcendent organizations that had once appeared on the Theocracy¡¯s hit list, but despite their massive sizes, none of them was able to withstand years of all-out pursuit from the Theocracy with no brakes pulled. What was the most frightening about it was that it was an endless chase with no deadline to it. Even if one had the means to run away physically, the stress resulting from being constantly hunted down would eventually wear one down. ¡°Our protector-protectee rtionship has already been affirmed by an ancient contract made by our predecessors. It was initially ssified as 2nd tier, but due to my personal promise to you, an exception has been made; the level of protection is raised a tier.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make it 1st tier protection? Doesn¡¯t that mean that...¡± ¡°It is precisely what you are thinking. The protection you¡¯ll be ced under will be on a level equivalent to that of the royal family, which means to say that you¡¯re like family to us. Any attempts to harm you will be viewed to be an attempt to sully my honor as your protector.¡± Roel was surprised by all of this. He never thought that Nora was willing to invoke the power of the royal family in order to protect him, and to such an extent at that. This gave Roel a strong sense of security. As someone who was doomed to be a viin in the original storyline of the game, his goal had always been to pluck out his death gs and raise his chances of survival as high as possible. This single move from Nora had pretty much pushed him all the way to the halfway mark of his goal. With the Theocracy, Nora, and Alicia on his side, even if the two remaining capture targets were to attempt to harm him, he was confident that he could hold his ground against them. ¡°Nora... thank you.¡± Roel was taken aback for a long while, and he found himself at a loss as to what to say. In the end, he decided to just go with a sincere ¡®thank you¡¯. On the other hand, Nora smiled in response to his words before turning over to look at the pale-faced Alicia. ¡°Alicia, do you understand it now? As Roel¡¯s protector, it¡¯s my duty to be concerned about everything rting to him. Thus, I ask of you not to use ¡®the internal affairs of the Ascart House¡¯ as an excuse to exclude me here.¡± ¡°I see. I must say that I¡¯m in awe of your means.¡± Alicia clenched her fists tightly as she tried her best to control her emotions. She had never thought that someone else aside from her would have actually noticed the insecurities that Roel had buried in the depths of his heart. Her fighting spirit faltered slightly, but not her determination. ¡°Your Highness, I have neither the power nor the standing you possess. I can¡¯t do what you can do. However, you won¡¯t monopolize Lord Brother with just this. You could use your position as Lord Brother¡¯s protector as an excuse to get close to him, but I wonder how much time you can afford to spare in your packed schedule to apany him.¡± Alicia¡¯s words brought a frown to Nora¡¯s forehead. This was indeed a sore spot for her. As the sessor to the Xeclyde House, she had far too many things that she needed to handle, and she was well aware of this too. While meeting Nora¡¯s eyes, Alicia stepped forth and hugged Roel from the back as she spoke with a tender voice. ¡°On the other hand, I can constantly stay by Lord Brother¡¯s side and ensure his safety. Compared to all of those deterrence measures that attempt to salvage the situation only after something has happened, wouldn¡¯t it be much better to prevent any harm froming onto your loved one from the start? At least, this is what I believe the true definition of protection is.¡± ¡°Alicia...¡± Roel was deeply moved by Alicia¡¯s words. Even though he knew that thetter was still weak and had yet to mature, her sentiments were more than enough for him. Alicia noticed Roel¡¯s misunderstanding, but she didn¡¯t bother exining anything. She did think that she was still too weak at the moment, especially since her rival was the high and lofty Nora. There was still way too much she had to work on in order to close the gap. While Roel felt moved by the gestures of the two girls, he dared not move at all. He was in a peculiar position at the moment. The front half of his body was pulled to the point that he was nearly pressing against Nora¡¯s body whereas the back half was being embraced by Alicia. The two girls were ring at one another over Roel, neither one willing to take a step back at all. Being ced in a situation like this, Roel could almost hear the voice of the River God calling out to him: Did you drop a golden girl, a silver girl, or a copper girl? Oh wait, there isn¡¯t any copper girl. Roel tried his best to feign death, hoping that the two girls would think of him as a mere bolster in their hands. He didn¡¯t want to get involved in this at all. Unfortunately, reality is truly cruel. ¡°Roel, who do you think is right here?¡± ¡°Lord Brother, have I said anything wrong?¡± Facing both physical and mental pressure from the front and the back, Roel felt that he was on the verge of a mental breakdown. He looked to and fro between the two girls, and he felt despair wing down at him, dragging him into the depths of hell. It was then that a ray of salvation fell from the sky. ¡°Young master, lunch is ready. The old master is already waiting.¡± ¡°Ah, understood. We¡¯ll be right there!¡± Anna¡¯s voice had never sounded sweeter. Roel answered her loudly, relieved that he was able to free himself from the hellhole he was in. ... ¡°Uncle Carter, I¡¯m grateful for your warm hospitality.¡± In the dining room, Nora thanked Marquess Carter with a smile after finishing her meal. Her sincere attitude and polite tone were befitting of her image as a graceful princess. Carter was pleased by her pleasant attitude. ¡°You¡¯re being too kind. It¡¯s our honor to have Your Highness joining us for a meal today.¡± Exchanges of pleasantries and ttery were a standard whenever members of the royal family visited noble houses. This wasn¡¯t the first time Carter was handling such a situation, and he was pretty used to it by now. What was different this time, however, was that his smile hade from his heart. The reason behind that was because Nora had adopted the attitude of a junior before Carter. Her humility had helped her score some brownie points with Carter, even though Carter already knew thess¡¯s intentions. He shot a nce at Roel, who didn¡¯t seem to have much of an appetite today, and he wondered just what kind of magical charm his son possessed to actually be able to capture the heart of the future sessor of the Theocracy. Following that, he turned to look at Alicia, who had been silent throughout the entire meal, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh on her behalf. Child, you have a formidable foe to ovee here, Carter thought in pity. As Alicia¡¯s adopted father and half-teacher, he was still more favorable toward Alicia. However, it was one thing for him to have his own preferences, it was another thing for him to step in and intervene. After all, he would feel bad if he set stumbling stones in Nora¡¯s path after how respectfully she had treated him. The children will eventually sort things out amongst themselves anyway, so I shan¡¯t get involved here. After making a quick appearance, Carter quickly came up with an excuse and fled from the scene, leaving Roel in the lurch once more. And, shortly after Carter left, Nora also finally revealed the reason behind her visit. ¡°Roel, I would like to discuss the matter concerning our ancestors with you.¡± Chapter 107: Those Books Ought To Be Torn Apart

Chapter 107: Those Books Ought To Be Torn Apart

In a familiar study, Roel looked at a shelf filled with diaries before casually taking one of them out. These were ancient books with more than a century of history to them, and they were the manifestation of the cost Ponte had to pay in order to use his powers. It was not too long ago that Roel thought of burning the lot down as soon as an opportunity arose, but now, he only felt a little nostalgic looking at them. His trip back into historysted only for a short three days, but it had left a very deep impression on him. He had already lost his interest in removing these shameful records, especially now that he knew the truth behind them. ¡°You said that you wanted to talk to me about our ancestors. What is this about?¡± Roel asked slightly distractedly while flipping through the pages of what could have been passed off as the mental records of a criminally-indisposed man. ¡°As you know, I have just awakened my bloodline to Silver-tier, so I have been stabilizing my condition over thest few days. However, while I was adjusting my physical condition, I looked through the records during my spare time and discovered quite a few hidden secrets.¡± ¡°Is that so? What are they?¡± ¡°There are many of them... Actually, I am Wade¡¯s descendant.¡± ¡°I see... Wait, what did you just say?¡± Roel was still calmly browsing through one of Ponte¡¯s diaries when the gravity of Nora¡¯s words sank in. He leaped up in astonishment and stared at her in disbelief. On the other hand, Nora wasn¡¯t too surprised by Roel¡¯s reaction. She nodded her head with a slightly bitter smile as she continued. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear wrongly. I¡ªor perhaps it¡¯s more urate to say the current royal bloodline of the Theocracy¡ªhave all descended from Wade Xeclyde.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t he defeated by Holy Eminence Ryan in the timeline of this world?¡± ¡°He was defeated, but that doesn¡¯t mean that he died.¡± Nora sighed deeply before she began to divulge one of the most confidential secrets the royal family had been guarding tightly to Roel. More than a hundred years ago, in the final moments of the March Turmoil in this world, Wade, despite his strength and the massive influence he had amassed, was unable to find Victoria till the very end. The intense final showdown Roel and Nora witnessed didn¡¯t ur, and Wade didn¡¯t manage to advance to Origin Level 2 either. As a result, he was easily defeated once Holy Eminence Ryan returned from the Austine Empire. The chaos in Holy Capital Loren swiftly settled down, and Wade was put on trial. However, contrary to the rumors that he had been secretly put to death, the truth was that Wade had only been sentenced to life imprisonment. There were three reasons that brought about such a light sentencing. First and foremost, the attitude of Holy Eminence Ryan toward the March Turmoil had set the tone for Wade¡¯s clemency. In the history of the Xeclyde House, Holy Eminence Ryan was known to be a weak emperor. Against outsiders, he stood steadfast to protect and vie for the interests of his people, but when it came to dealing with internal affairs, he was exceptionally forgiving to the noble houses. He was the kind that faltered when it came to dealing with his own people, and this could be seen from how he sumbed to the demands of the nobles and the clergy, choosing to send Consort Mary out temporarily and bide for another opportunity to bring her back instead of risking internal strife. However, the setbacks he had faced along the way toughened him up. He had already lost his wife due to his weakness, and he wasn¡¯t about to lose Wade too. So, he rose up against all opposition and turned against the dissenting nobles for the first time. He argued that it was due to the nobles insisting on driving Mary away due to their biases that brought about such a major tear in his family, and he threatened to pursue this matter if they forced his hand. Second, Victoria¡¯s stance in the matter had quelled significant opposition against Wade¡¯s verdict. She had be the representative of the conservative faction following the March Turmoil, and she had Ponte and the Ascart House¡¯s full support behind her. There was effectively no one in the conservative faction who could challenge her leadership. She was unable to take the life of her already defeated younger brother, so the whole conservative faction could only bow down to the will of its leaders and maintain a grudging silence on this issue. Third, the interests of the Five Eminent Noble Houses were also aligned with Wade¡¯s clemency. Back then, aside from the Ascarts and the neutral Lucernes, the other three eminent noble houses had chosen to support Wade in the coup d¡¯¨¦tat. How the mastermind of the incident was dealt with would set the tone of the aplices¡¯ punishments too. It was in the nobles¡¯ best interest for Wade to not be dealt with too harshly. As such, when they learned that the Xeclydes were nning to grant clemency to Wade, they did everything they could to support that decision. With these three factors in y, Wade¡¯s punishment was eventually reduced to life imprisonment. Nevertheless, due to the controversy of the verdict, the Xeclydes, with the support of the other noble houses, let out word through unofficial channels that Wade had been secretly put to death. ¡°I can understand how Wade was able to remain alive in the aftermath of the March Turmoil, but I still don¡¯t understand how you could have been his descendant. What about Victoria¡¯s descendants? Shouldn¡¯t they have be the rightful heirs to the throne instead?¡± ¡°ording to the records, Empress Victoria did get married, but the truth is that it was a fake marriage. Her husband, William, was actually one of her close maids cross-dressing.¡± ¡°Ah? Is such a thing possible?¡± Roel was shocked by Nora¡¯s words. He had always thought that the royal family was filled with prim and proper individuals, dignified to their very bones. Yet, it turned out that they yed all sorts of nifty tricks like this... Nora could understand Roel¡¯s astonishment too. She was even more shocked than him when she first learned of this matter. ¡°Wait a moment. Could it be that Empress Victoria faked her marriage in order to...¡± ¡°Correct. One the reasons is because she needed to have a spouse in order for her to legitimately take Wade¡¯s offspring as her own and raise them to be sessors of the throne, and the other is due to Mister Ponte.¡± Roel could somewhat understand Victoria¡¯s decision. The culture in the Theocracy back then was far more conservative than at present. It would be a huge scandal if the empress of the Theocracy was foundmitting adultery with a married noble. The honor of the royal family would be sullied, and she would risk turning all of the noblewomen against her. Noblemen cheating on their wives had always been a sore spot for noblewomen, so this was an issue that they felt strongly about. It was probably out of consideration of this that Ponte chose to reject Victoria after careful consideration. He couldn¡¯t allow Victoria to put so much on the line for him. It was just that he would have never imagined that Victoria¡¯s feelings for him weren¡¯t just at the level of a short-term infatuation¡ªshe truly loved him and wanted to be with him, no matter how long it would take. So, Victoria set her eyes on a long-term n instead. Through adopting Wade¡¯s offspring, she was able to seal the mouths of her subjects who constantly raisedints about theck of a sessor. Following that, she began biding her time for Ponte, waiting two whole decades till Ponte¡¯s wife finally passed away. Ponte¡¯s wife was not a transcendent, and she could be considered to be one of the poor victims of the circle of nobility¡¯s great tradition of political marriages. After bearing Ponte¡¯s child, the two of them spent the rest of their life estranged from one another, with neither side interfering with the affairs of the other. In the end, she passed away in her forties. By then, Ponte was already in his fifties, and Victoria was also nearing her forties too. The two of them were old by mortal standards, but neither of them were mortals. For powerful transcendents like them, they were still very much in their prime then, making it the golden age for marriage. ¡°In other words, they managed to get together in the end? If I recall correctly, Victoria¡¯s rulested for around 40 years, and she eventually passed away from illness. In other words, they were together with one another for around 20 years?¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s question, Nora¡¯s expression suddenly grew a little bizarre. She hesitated for a brief moment before finally posing a fairly interesting question of her own. ¡°After all we have talked about, do you still believe the history in the records?¡± ¡°... That¡¯s true. What¡¯s your take on the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all my deduction from this point onward. I believe that Victoria faked her death and passed the crown onto the next generation before eloping with Ponte.¡± ¡°Oh? Is there any basis behind your deduction?¡± This drama-like twist left Roelpletely bbergasted. It was so shocking that he couldn¡¯t help but feel skeptical about the matter. In response, Nora began sharing her analysis. ¡°The basis of my deduction is that the royal mausoleum didn¡¯t open during that period of time...¡± ¡°Alright, you need not say anymore. I trust you.¡± Roel rubbed his temples to calm himself down a little. For an empress who wasuded as a wise ruler by the masses, it didn¡¯t make sense for Victoria not to be buried in the royal mausoleum when she passed away. It was likely that she wasn¡¯t even dead in the first ce. In fact, it was already rather improbable for a high-level transcendent like Victoria to die to an illness. There were many academics who proposed conspiracy theories regarding this matter. ¡°Several years after Empress Victoria passed away, Marquess Ponte also mysteriously vanished. He left behind a letter saying that he was going to investigate the fates of the preceding patriarchs of the Ascart House who had gone missing in history. Ever since then, there had been no news on him.¡± ¡°I see. I understand now.¡± Roel nodded with a sigh. It was not a bad thing that Ponte got together with Victoria in the end. At the very least, there was a happy ending to one of the many missing patriarchs of the Ascart House. Still, it sure was ironic for him to actually go missing himself while searching for the other missing people. ¡°Wait a moment, aren¡¯t the two of them high-level transcendents? It has been a hundred years since they went missing, but is it possible that...¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s possible that they might still be alive.¡± Nora¡¯s response astonished Roel. He turned to look at the pile of yellow diaries and he suddenly felt that he should just burn them to ashes. Damn it! It¡¯s one thing if Ponte is already dead and the diaries are the only memories of him left, but if he¡¯s still alive, what use do I have for these perverted diaries? ¡°However, this is all just spection right now. There is no concrete evidence to prove my deduction, and most of those who lived in that era have already passed away by now.¡± ¡°True, it¡¯s only a possibility. Speaking of which, what happened to Wade in the end?¡± ¡°... Wade spent hister years imprisoned, and he eventually passed away woefully in his early thirties.¡± Roel shook his headmentably. As an Origin Level 3 transcendent, Wade should have been able to live for many years, but who would have thought that he would die such an early death. It looked like depression could really reduce one¡¯s lifespan. For someone as ambitious as Wade to be forced to live his life meaninglessly imprisoned, it must really have been a living hell for him. Nora¡¯s mood also grew a little heavy talking about it. It was a long time before Roel thought of another question. ¡°Did the treatment of the heretics change in the end?¡± ¡°Several ns were put in the pipeline to resolve this issue, but they ended up not being executed. When news of Prince Wade¡¯s death began spreading, the heretics immediately began fleeing the country out of fear of being purged. With therge-scale migration, the proportion of heretics in the Theocracy reduced greatly, minimizing the societal conflict arising from demographic differences. The situation remains that way even to this day...¡± ¡°I see...¡± Roel looked out of the window as he thought about those heretic soldiers who fought fearlessly to demand equal rights for themselves and their offspring. He couldn¡¯t speak for all of the heretics, but those who were in Wade¡¯s allied armies were truly awe-inspiring. Their conviction and passion were rarely seen in any other army. It was just a pity that they lost their leader and ended up scattering before they could aplish their ambition. Dreams and ideals that used to resonate strongly in the hearts of so many people vanished with hardly a trace left, bing no more than the dust of history. The thought that he would be like them one day made him feel insignificant in the world. Chapter 108: He Has Returned

Chapter 108: He Has Returned

In the Land of Chaos, Tunsen, Mount Caylon, a man sporting dark orange hair kicked off the corpse he had pierced with his sword, before scattering the lingering blood on it with a powerful flick of the de. Steam was rising from his reddened body, simr to a cooked crab freshly out of the pot. However, those familiar with the man would know that this was the cost of his transcendent ability. The man was Rodney, an Origin Level 3 transcendent. He was fairly famous in the Land of Chaos, but at odds with his identity as a high-level transcendent was that he had neither a prestigious upation nor great wealth. The reason for that? He was a heretic. Heretics weren¡¯t weed in the stabler major countries where the society had more or less stabilized. The Austine Empire, as a show of defiance against the Theocracy, would still ept some heretics from time to time, but other than this small exception, most heretics were forced to live in wartorn areas or small countriescking the power of transcendents. Most of them eventually move to the unruled borders of humanity¡¯s territory and survived on their own. Of course, for a high-level transcendent like Rodney, making a living wasn¡¯t an issue at all. In fact, in his hot-blooded younger years, he had ventured into all sorts of ces and did all sorts of stuff. but after he sustained a permanent physical trauma during one of his adventures, he decided to rein himself in and return back to his homnd, the Land of Chaos, and he eventually became one of the vige chiefs. The Land of Chaos, Tunsen, was a very special ce on the Sia Continent. The unique environment gave rise to all sorts of demonic beasts in the area, making it one of the rare ces for procuring invaluable demon beast materials. Yet, hardly any nobles had considered expanding their influence into Tunsen yet, and those who raised the idea were thought of as lunatics. It was not without reason that Tunsen came to be known as the Land of Chaos. Chaos was an intrinsic nature of this region, and any noble or even king who tried toy their hands on these grounds would only be ughtered helplessly. For one, Tunsen was home to extremely powerful transcendents. There were many heretics and evil cultists who, for various kinds of reasons, had chosen to settle down in this mountainous region. In fact, it could be said to be the ¡®vacuum cleaner of the Sia Continent¡¯, taking in all of those powerful transcendents who had no ce to go. Needless to say, there was no way these transcendents would take those attempting to infringe on their sanctuary kindly. Aside from that, the habitat in Tunsen was incredibly inhospitable too. Only the strong could survive. There was an astounding number of powerful demonic creatures roaming thisnd, and a stampede would ur once every few years. It was definitely not a ce for the weak, as evidenced by how more than half of those still living in the region were transcendents who had survived the cullings of many years of natural selection. Despite all of the powerful individuals living in Tunsen, they weren¡¯t wealthy. Trying to survive in such inhospitable terrain wasn¡¯t cheap. That¡¯s why the locals would always rip clean the wealth of any outsiders, unless that outsider was stronger than what they could deal with. It also wasn¡¯t always peaceful among the transcendents living in Tunsen either. These transcendents formed viges based on their faith, and from time to time, there could be alliances and wars urring amongst them. While the heretics had beliefs that deviated from the norms, that didn¡¯t mean that they had no sense of morality. Many of them were disgusted by the atrocitiesmitted by evil cultists too, and Rodney was one of them. Rodney panted heavily to catch his breath after dealing with an evil cultist. One must know that the evil cultist he had just killed wasn¡¯t a small fry but an Origin Level 4 expert. There was usually a huge gap in strength between an Origin Level 3 and an Origin Level 4 transcendent, but an injury that Rodney suffered in his earlier years had brought about an internal injury that disallowed him from fighting a prolonged battle. On top of that, the enemy he had faced was not just any Origin Level 4 transcendent either. Rodney looked at the mountainous forest, which looked as if it had been swept by a hurricane, as well as the 10 bodies that were strewn all over the ce. All of these bodies had been mutted horribly, making the scene difficult to look at without retching. It had been a truly difficult battle. Unlike the usual reasons, however, this battle didn¡¯t ur due to a conflict arising from a grudge or territorial dispute. The reason was one that left Rodney feeling deeply unnerved¡ªthese darned evil cultists were here to steal the Scale of the Snake God! That was an ancient magic tool which Rodney¡¯s vige had been protecting ever since Rodney brought it back three years ago. Indeed, the years that Rodney hadn¡¯t been venturing out in the greater world aimlessly; he had a clear goal in mind. The Sia Continent was massive, and there were stillrge swathes ofnd that had yet to be explored by humankind. However, the humans¡¯ regions of activity had more or less remained constant all this while. There were lots of spections that these unexplorednds could contain faraway ancient civilizations, the remains of ancient humans, or perhaps the intelligent lifeforms that were often spoken of in the legends. Even the more recent Ancient Austine Empire, which had copsed in the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital more than a thousand years ago, had plenty of valuable things to be unearthed, and they would be considered as priceless treasures in the current markets. The temptation of making a huge fortune drew countless individuals to walk the path of an adventurer, creating their own teams to scour ancient remains in search of treasure. There were all sorts of characters to be found in adventurer teams. Be they weak or strong, the country they originated from, or the religion they believed in, all of these were of secondary concern as long as there was money to be earned. In fact, adventuring was one of the few upations where heretics could possibly strike it rich. Adventuring uncharted territories came with great risks, and those who lived their lives treading around danger were likely to eventually sumb to it. The young and hot-blooded Rodney believed that his team was somehow different from the others, only to be smacked in the face by cruel reality. Thepanions that had apanied him for many years ended up losing their lives, and Rodney himself barely escaped with severe injuries. However, despite the huge losses, he managed to swipe the Scale of the Snake God from the ancient ruins. ording to the schr they had in his adventuring team, the ancient ruins they had explored then was built prior to the era of the Ancient Austine Empire, before the Second Epoch. That would mean that the ruins had at least two thousand years of history. The Scale of the Snake God was the treasure worshiped within the ancient remains, so it was estimated to be at least a thousand years older. Just based on the sheer history behind it, its value was already immeasurable. Rodney could have made a huge fortune by selling it, but having lost all of hispanions, he fell into despondence and adamantly refused to sell this final treasure that hispanions gave their lives for. So, he brought it back to his homnd, but unexpectedly, this scale actually had miraculous effects in the Land of Chaos. Ever since he brought back the Scale of the Snake God, the demonic creatures of Tunsen no longer approached the vige Rodney was residing in, seemingly fearing it. At the same time, the snake-type demonic beasts around the vige increased greatly, and amazingly, instead of attacking the vige, these snakes ended up protecting it instead. Naturally, such a phenomenon swiftly caught the attention of the people in the vige. When it was found that this phenomenon was the result of Rodney¡¯s contribution, he was swiftly elected as vige chief. Over the next ten years, everything was smooth-sailing for the vige, and it began to develop into a mid-scale vige. Under the protection of the Scale of the Snake God, Rodney¡¯s vige was set to develop into thergest trading hub within the Land of Chaos within the next few decades, but disaster struck. For some reason, Tunsen¡¯s Marta Merchant Association, one of the rare merchant associations operating in Tunsen¡¯s vicinity, suddenly turned their eyes to them. On the surface, the Marta Merchant Association appeared to be ordinary merchants distributing the materials harvested from demonic creatures to the other countries, but Rodney and a few other individuals knew that it was actually an organization helmed by evil cultists. When the Marta Merchant Association first heard of the Scale of the Snake God half a month ago, shortly after the new year, they sent someone over to the vige to speak with Rodney, hoping to purchase it at a lowered price. However, when Rodney turned down their offer, they began bared their fangs and attempted to snatch it away by force. They were probably hoping to obtain the Scale of the Snake God without paying any price, but it was all wishful thinking on their part. How could a vige where a prodigy like Rodney originated from possibly be ordinary? In truth, the vige consisted of descendants of the Strength Origin Attribute heretics, which was rumored to have originated from the ancient giants. Their fighting prowess was something to behold, but the price they had to pay for that was brutal too. It was said that their ancestors had once annexed the territories of the Theocracy with their overwhelming strength, only to be driven out due to an incidentter on. Their ancestors then fled all the way to Tunsen and eventuallyid their roots down there. Rodney¡¯s vige might be small and had few transcendents, but every single one of these transcendents were incredible fighters. The evil cultists had really barked up the wrong tree this time around. The first team they sent was utterly obliterated without causing much of a stir. Rodney didn¡¯t pay too much attention to these small fries at the start as there were simply too many evil cultists in the Land of Chaos, so these types of incidents were fairlymonce. He figured that their leader would back down upon realizing that they had picked on someone they couldn¡¯t afford to mess with. However, he soon came to realize that he was underestimating the severity of this matter. The people who were eyeing them weren¡¯t just a couple of evil cultists or the Marta Merchant Association even. Instead, it was a farrger organization. Through interrogating the apprehended evil cultists, he learned that someone had offered the Marta Merchant Association a huge amount of money for the Scale of the Snake God in their possession. They had no idea how much money was involved in this trade, but it was definitely a huge fortune far beyond their imagination. That was apparent by the 10 mutted corpses lying at Rodney¡¯s feet. One must know that even in the Land of Chaos, Origin Level 4 transcendents were not just pawns that one could mobilize easily. The fact that the Marta Merchant Association went to the extent of dispatching 10 Origin Level 4 transcendents for this mission showed that they expected great returns. ¡°Rodney, how is it going on your side?¡± The voice of an old man sounded on the other end of the forest. Rodney, whose body was still steaming and reddened all over, quickly responded to the call. ¡°Wood, I¡¯m done dealing with the evil cultists on my side, but I won¡¯t be able to move for the time being.¡± ¡°Hold on, we¡¯ll head over right now.¡± As soon as those words were spoken, Rodney immediately heard a loud ¡®bam¡¯ sound. Following that, he saw an old man holding a wooden staff in his hand soaring high up in the sky as if he was boosted by a rocketuncher. He stopped for a brief moment upon reaching the peak of his trajectory before starting to fall at an elerating speed toward Rodney¡¯s side. Bam! ¡°Cough cough cough!¡± ¡°Rodney, it¡¯s wonderful that you¡¯re alright! I¡¯ve already managed to deal with those who sneaked into the vige.¡± Amidst a cloud of dust, a gray-haired old man quickly walked over to Rodney¡¯s side with an agitated look on his face. This old man had clear eyes and a flowy, long beard that made him look reminiscent of a learned schr. His clothes were a little dirty, and there was a small sack hanging around his waist. ¡°Say, can¡¯t you make a softernding?¡± ¡°Softer? That¡¯s not a word that our people know of! Do you take me as a dancer who prances all around on tiptoes?¡± Wood waved his hand impatiently. He raised his staff and summoned a light breeze to sweep away the surrounding dust, which alleviated Rodney¡¯s heavy coughing. ¡°What are you in such a hurry for if you have already dealt with all of the enemies?¡± ¡°Those evil cultists are not important right now! I rushed all the way out here to inform you of major news that I just received!¡± ¡°Major news?¡± Rodney raised his head and looked at the agitated Wood in bewilderment. ¡°One of our gods woke upst night!¡± Chapter 109: Where Are You, Milord?

Chapter 109: Where Are You, Milord?

¡°You saw an ancient god awakeningst night? Ahh, I see.¡± By the edge of the forest, in the middle of a bunch of sword-wielding heretics, the still steaming Rodney feebly responded to Old Wood¡¯s words with an attitude of humoring an old child. Wood was the previous vige chief, having led the vigers for many years before Rodney was even born. He had already gone into retirement after passing his position down to the meritorious Rodney, but due to the major crisis the vige was facing from the evil cultists, Rodney had no choice but to ask for his help. Despite Wood¡¯s advanced age, as an Origin Level 3 transcendent, it was still well within his means to deal with a couple of Origin Level 4 evil cultists. However, just like Rodney, Wood also had to bear a heavy side effect after using his strength in battle... To put it in milder terms, he would be as daft as a doorknob, though those who were from Earth like Roel would rte better with the term, ¡®senile¡¯. So, when Wood fell from the sky and started rambling confidently about how their god had awoken, Rodney¡¯s first thought was that the old man¡¯s illness had struck again. However, in view that Wood was the previous vige chief, the well-mannered Rodney decided to go along with the old man, so as to not anger him. ¡°Yes, of course. You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°You darned brat, I¡¯m speaking the truth over here! The price of my transcendent ability is already over, so stop looking at me as if I¡¯m off my rocker!¡± ¡°Yes, old vige chief. Everything you say is right. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°... Son of a banshee! Kuri, you tell him!¡± Seeing how Rodney was treating him like a senile old fool, Wood became so infuriated that he began smacking his own chest to alleviate how stifled he felt. Eventually, he pulled a blue-haired young man named Kuri forward to vouch for him. Kuri stroked the fur of the dog in his arms as he began speaking. ¡°Vige chief, what the old vige chief mentioned is true. It¡¯s not just him; those who have a stronger spiritual sense in our patrol squad also saw the visionst night. We came together to describe what we sawter on, and it turned out that the visions we saw are the same as one another.¡± As it turned out, all of the magician transcendents in the vige had all received the vision. There were some minor discrepancies here and there in their depictions, but overall, there was little doubt that they had all seen the same things. ¡°A little boy standing on the shoulder of a humongous skeleton. This is really... Are you certain about it?¡± By this point in time, Rodney¡¯s body had already cooled enough to stop steaming, and the redness had started to recede too. He began inquiring about the details with a confused and skeptical look on his face, but the responses he received weren¡¯t satisfactory. A humongous skeleton could be referring to the corpse of a giant, but the significance of a little boy standing on his shoulder... No matter how he analyzed it, it was a symbol of an equal rtionship. But how could a human possibly have an equal rtionship with a giant? One must know that the giants were viewed to be a race equal to the angels in the legends; their existence was no different from a god to humans! How could such an existence possibly allow a human to stand on his shoulder? ¡°But it¡¯s really a little boy judging from his height and physique! It¡¯s just that we weren¡¯t able to make out his face.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only to be expected, Kuri. The bodies of exalted beings aren¡¯t to be peered at. There¡¯s a good chance that the little boy could be a God¡¯s Envoy!¡± ¡°God¡¯s Envoy? You mean a Holy Son?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, a Holy Son!¡± ¡°Hold on, hold on. Give me a moment.¡± Rodney stood forward and stopped the two overly agitated men in their tracks with a raise of his hands while he quickly sorted out his thoughts. Heretics were known to have Origin Attributes that differed from the Three Main Origin Attributes, and they had their own separate religion from the Genesis Goddess Church too. That being said, many of the heretics actually weren¡¯t devout believers of their own faith. There were two reasons for that. First, their identities as heretics hardly brought them any benefits at all. Second, many of the worshiped gods had already vanished from the face of the world, leaving behind just their Origin Attributes and Evolution Pathways for humans to use. Rodney¡¯s vige was in the Strength Origin Attribute Faction, and in ordance with their faith, most of their transcendents carried some level of respect toward the ancient gods too. However, this respect was more of one to the deceased, and none of them wanted to see the return of the ancient gods. If the origin of the Strength Origin Attribute were to return, they, as transcendents who bore the Strength Origin Attribute, would surely be influenced in some way as well. On the positive side, the awakening of the ancient gods would reinforce their Evolution Pathway, thus bringing their powers to greater heights. To use an analogy, it was somewhat simr to a modern man appearing amongst a group of primitive cavemen and showing them the way forward. The closer they were to this origin, the more their strength would be enhanced and the smoother their breakthroughs would be. On the negative side though, the ancient gods were frightening existences that stood at the very pinnacle of their Evolution Pathway. They could use the resonance with their Origin Attribute to influence those beneath them. A typical example of that was heretics converting into evil cultists. Not all evil cultists became evil cultists willingly; it simply happened when the ancient gods above them fell into depravity. Such factors couldn¡¯t be controlled, which was also why most of mankind rejected all other Origin Attributes aside from the Three Main Origin Attributes. Right now, Rodney and the others were facing the same risk as well. ¡°Based on what we saw from the vision, he doesn¡¯t have any intention to control us. However, it¡¯s possible that our existences are too faint to catch his attention too,¡± said Wood as he stroked his beard. Just like how humans wouldn¡¯t pay attention to the gazes of ants, it was perfectly normal for exalted beings to disregard insignificant humans too. However, this appeared to be a good thing since ack of interest meant that the exalted being had no intention of controlling them. ¡°If we could find the Holy Son, the little boy, we might just be able to plead for the protection of an ancient god through him. However, other than the vision, we don¡¯t have any clue as to where he is...¡± Wood sighed with a deep frown. Their information was sorelycking at the moment for them to make any decision. Rodney took some time to organize the information he had in mind before speaking. ¡°I have taken note of the matter. However, we don¡¯t have the spare time and effort to devote to dealing with the issue of the Holy Son and the ancient god just yet. The Marta Merchant Association has already set its eyes on us, and from the looks of it, they will spare no cost to obtain the Scale of the Snake God. I interrogated one of the evil cultists earlier, and it appears that there¡¯s an influential power that is seeking to purchase it at an astronomical sum.¡± ¡°Are you saying that there¡¯s another power behind the Marta Merchant Association?¡± ¡°That exins why there¡¯s no end to the evil cultists harassing us!¡± Both Wood and Kuri¡¯s expressions turned grim. What should take precedence at the moment was to ensure their survival against the evil cultists. The Marta Merchant Association rose to prominence under the support of several evil cults, and no one knew how deep their waters were. If one thing was for sure, a minor heretical vige like theirs, which hadn¡¯t had enough time to grow and develop yet, wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against them. ¡°Should we try seeking help from the Coalition of Viges?¡± ¡°This is a personal matter of our vige. The Coalition will not get themselves involved in this.¡± ¡°They won¡¯t care whether we live or die. In fact, they might even get us to hand over the scale to them.¡± The three of them fell silent. They really were in a terrible position right now. The simplest solution to the problem was indeed to hand over the Scale of the Snake God, but that wasn¡¯t an option for them. Due to the safety bestowed by the mystical effects of the magic tool, Rodney¡¯s vige hadn¡¯t faced anyrge-scale attacks from demonic beasts for thest decade, allowing them to expand their poption significantly. Unfortunately, they were still in a vulnerable phase where the younger generation had yet to mature despite the increment in poption. Because of that, there was a huge strain on the vige¡¯s security force. They didn¡¯t have enough transcendents to protect so many people yet. In fact, the only reason why they remained safe to this day was due to the protection of the scale. If they were to hand over the scale, it would really be the opening act of a huge tragedy. Countless people would lose their lives to the demonic creatures, and they could possibly end up in a worse position than before they had acquired the scale. ¡°Let¡¯s migrate. We¡¯ll move deeper into the mountains and try tost till spring. If there are no results after three months, the power that¡¯s trying to purchase the scale from the Marta Merchant Association might just give up.¡± Left with no choice, Rodney could only choose to escape and have everyone bide their time. Neither Wood nor Kuri had any opposition to his decision. After all, they couldn¡¯t afford to sh head-on with the Marta Merchant Association with their current strength. ¡°What if they refuse to give up even after spring? We have too many people in our vige. We won¡¯t be able to procure enough food just by hunting the beasts in the region.¡± ¡°... Worsees to worst, we¡¯ll hole ourselves up in the mountain and start farming there to grow our own food. That being said, even though we don¡¯t need to worry about getting assaulted by demonic creatures, it¡¯ll still be hard for us to survive with the thick miasma there,¡± said Rodney with a worried frown. ¡°Speaking of which, should we consider approaching the Holy Son for help then?¡± proposed Kuri carefully. He had a feeling like the awakening of an ancient god during this tumultuous period was the calling of fate. However, his suggestion was met with silence from Rodney and Wood. Seeking help from the Holy Son, or to be more exact, an ancient god, was a definite gamble. If it worked out, it would be all confetti and happiness. However, if they betted wrongly, they could very well end up as mere puppets. Even the usually optimistic Wood couldn¡¯te to a decision easily regarding this matter. ¡°We don¡¯t even know where the Holy Son is right now. Let¡¯s treat it as our final resort for now,¡± replied Rodney. Wood also nodded in agreement with his decision. It was better for them not to stake their all on such a risky gamble, especially since the lives of the entire vige were at stake here. ¡°It would indeed be the best-case scenario if the Holy Son really exists and is able to bestow us with the protection of an ancient god, without enving us. However, is such a thing really possible?¡± Rodney shook his head skeptically. In the days he spent traveling around the world, he had heard too many stories about heretics falling into depravity and bing evil cultists. It was inevitable that he felt distrust toward the ancient gods of his faith, and he didn¡¯t believe that there was any human in the world who could stand side-by-side with them. Both Wood and Kuri could also see where Rodney wasing from. If it was a powerful transcendent they saw in the vision instead, there might still be a possibility that the ancient god would view him as an equal. However, it felt a little too far-fetched that an ancient god would think of an immature little boy as his equal. ¡°Sigh, let¡¯s make preparations for the migration then. If what we saw in the vision is real, we should see more visions in the future.¡± Wood looked into the faraway distance with his gray eyes as he wondered about the future of his brethren with a mix of worry and anticipation. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. At least until we can finally verify the whereabouts of the Holy Son.¡± Chapter 110: Crisis!

Chapter 110: Crisis!

In the Labyrinth Vi, Roel leaned against his chair as he exhaled deeply. From the period after lunch until now, he had a feeling like his life force was swiftly flowing through the cracks of his fingers, no matter how hard he tried to grasp at it. Through the conversation with Nora, Roel found out about the chain of events regarding the March Turmoil, as they went in this world, along with the final fates of the various characters involved... ... but he hadn¡¯t forgotten about the one who had yet to pass away and had even appeared right before his eyes not too long ago. ¡°Felder is Bryan? This... How could this be possible?¡± Even Nora, despite her deep trust in Roel, found it hard to believe him right away. She had seen Felder with her own eyes, and that golden-haired knight had left a deep impression on her. His righteous and loyal disposition was at odds with Bryan, who was like a cold-blooded, venomous snake. ¡°Roel, is it possible that you have made a mistake on this matter? Both Felder and Bryan share the same bloodline after all, so could there be a discrepancy in the results?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s a discrepancy in the results.¡± Recalling the advice and Sorofyas¡¯ investigation report he had heard from Mister Arwen, Roel was still rather confident about this matter. ¡°The spell I used has almost no chance of going wrong. It¡¯s stated in history that Felder killed himself and died, but as we know now, the historical records can¡¯t be trusted anymore. Furthermore, even if we take a step back and concede that Felder did indeed kill himself, given the power and influence the Elric House wielded back then, it¡¯s not entirely impossible for them to find some sort of abstruse ritual to resurrect him.¡± ¡°I have heard of evil cults who possess the means to resurrect the dead, but most of them have drastic side effects, and the resurrected individual is likely to face a huge change in his personality too. Could that be the reason why the two of them are so different from one another?¡± Nora tried to build on Roel¡¯s deduction to analyze its feasibility. They concluded that the deduction was not entirely imusible, but there was also no irrefutable evidence to prove the matter. In the end, she decided to inform her elders in the Xeclyde House regarding the matter. ¡°However, as we don¡¯t have any evidence regarding this, we can¡¯t use this matter as a pretext to investigate the Elric House.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand that. I wasn¡¯t expecting to deal a blow to the Elric House through this matter either. I just thought that I should warn you that the Elrics could be more sinister than what we see on the surface.¡± Roel¡¯s serious words brought a surge of warmth to Nora¡¯s heart, and green light began sprouting from her head. While the two of them chatted with one another, the conversation inevitably arrived at the kiss which brought about a huge stir amongst nobles andmoners alike in the Holy Capital. Roel looked at the mirror in front of him, and the sight of his lips made him feel a little fidgety. He recalled his previous life, how he had chosen to focus on his study in his high school years and didn¡¯t bother looking for a girlfriend right away after advancing to university either. In the end, he ended up transmigrating over to this world without having dated anyone. The kiss he had with Nora was his first kiss in his two lives. It couldn¡¯t be helped that his face would flush a little when he recalled the matter. However, what really set his already heated cheeks aze was Nora¡¯s reaction. At the start, she was still speaking calmly about the matter, saying that it was solely for his treatment. However, when she noticed the embarrassed look on his face, her breathing started growing a little heavier. She bit her lips before licking them with a look of nostalgia on her face. Then, her eyes curled into mischievous crescents as she leaned forward and whispered into his ears. ¡°Speaking of which, that was my first kiss.¡± Those words made Roel¡¯s heart shudder. He couldn¡¯t understand why Nora was suddenly acting in such a manner, but her light breaths on his ears made him feel a little ticklish. He suddenly felt an urge to embrace her, but he eventually chose to curb himself. ¡°Hm? I thought that you would pounce on me.¡± ¡°Why would I pounce on you?¡± Roel stared speechlessly at the golden-haired girl, who was looking at him with a face that said ¡® there¡¯s something wrong with you ¡¯. It was almost as if she thought that all men in the world were fools who would bow down before her skirt. Such narcissism... Alright, I guess she does have the assets to back up her narcissism. Roel looked at the nearly perfect woman before him as he suddenly felt impressed with the level of self-control he had shown thus far. No matter how Nora tried to seduce him, he still managed to pull himself together in the end. Perhaps he got too used to looking at Alicia, that he was starting to build up some immunity against perfect lifeforms. ¡°Does it really matter whether I pounce on you or not? Will you give yourself to me if I were to do so?¡± ¡°Of course not. It would just provide me with the perfect excuse to step on you.¡± Nora unhesitatingly confessed her true thoughts, which made Roel widen his eyes in shock. ¡°You... Can you stop setting traps for me every step of the way?¡± ¡°But you keep rejecting me. I would really appreciate it if you would just go along with it for once, even if only to fulfill my personal interests.¡± Nora¡¯s sigh of deep disappointment made Roel¡¯s eyelids twitch a little. He hesitated for a long while before finally relenting a little. ¡°When you say step, how do you intend it to be like?¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re really willing to y along with me? Well, I don¡¯t really demand too much out of this either. You just have to lie down on the floor like a dog and...¡± ¡°I refuse.¡± All it took was Nora voicing her request halfway through for Roel to utterly destroy everyst bit of consideration he had for her. On the other hand, Nora, whose hopes had just barely risen due to Roel¡¯s positive response, began sulking in dissatisfaction. However, she didn¡¯t harp on the issue. The two of them continued chatting idly for a while longer before leaving the room to meet up with Alicia for a tea party. However, what Roel never expected¡ªthough he should have¡ªwas that the ¡®tea party¡¯ would be yet another brutal battlefield. On a table right beside a window that gave a beautiful view of the garden outside, Roel found himself pincered between Nora and Alicia. These two girls had their forks ced right in front of him, awaiting his response. It was no wonder why people said ¡®what goes aroundes around¡¯. The tables had been turned on feeder Roel, as he found himself put in a position where he was the one being fed instead. As it turned out, the revtion that Roel had been feeding Alicia during mealtimes was not taken very well by Nora. The lunch earlier was still a rtively formal asion, and Marquess Carter was present too, so it was not appropriate for her to act too casually. However, the ¡®rxing¡¯ afternoon teatime happened to provide a perfect opportunity for her to strike. Of course, for someone as dominant as Nora, she would prefer to be the one feeding than to be the one being fed. With a hand ced demurely on her flushed cheek, Nora moved her fork toward Roel¡¯s mouth with an excited twinkle in her crescent eyes. Unfortunately, it turned out that there was anotherpetitor in the race too. Alicia couldn¡¯t possibly overlook Nora¡¯s behavior, so she picked up her fork and did the same thing. This left Nora feeling a little dumbfounded. ¡°Miss Alicia, if my memory fails me not, don¡¯t you have a fear of cutlery? You seem awfullyfortable with them now.¡± ¡°Your Highness Nora, I¡¯ve been working hard to ovee my fear. It¡¯s still a little too early for me to use knives, but forks are still barely within my means. If it¡¯s for Lord Brother, I¡¯m willing to bear with the difort.¡± Nora and Alicia looked particrly amicable with one another. Their words were incredibly polite too, and there were warm smiles on their faces too. A pity it was that their smiles didn¡¯t extend to their eyes. ¡°Roel, this is delicious. Come, open your mouth wide and have a bite.¡± ¡°Lord Brother, this is the first time I¡¯m feeding you. You wouldn¡¯t turn me down, right?¡± Faced with the two, arguably, most adorable girls in the Saint Mesit Theocracy, Roel saw his health bar depleting at an unbelievable speed. No matter how dense he could possibly be, there was no way he was naive enough to really believe that these two girls were only interested in feeding him. The main point here isn¡¯t eating at all! No, it is about who I choose! Regardless of what Roel¡¯s true thoughts were, the person he ate from first would be viewed as the one whom he treasured more. If he were to take either one and set her among a crowd of her female peers, he could make a decision without any hesitation at all. But this... It was almost as if he had a wolf behind his back and a tiger in front of him¡ªhe waspletely trapped! In this dire moment, the sharp-witted Roel pped his thigh and faced the crisis right in the face. ¡°Hahaha, I didn¡¯t have much of an appetite this afternoon, so I¡¯m indeed a little starving at the moment.¡± Forcing a smile onto his face, Roel swiped off the food from the forks of the duo and stuffed them into his mouth together. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s not bad. Nora, can you bring me more of that yellow dessert over there? Alicia, do bring me that te of macarons too.¡± ¡°Ah? Oh, of course.¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Brother.¡± The two girls blinked their eyes nkly for a moment before quickly getting to action. Just like that, the two girls began feeding him food one by one, which made Roel heave a huge sigh of relief. Everything had gone ording to his n. Indeed! When being ced in a situation where he was being forced to make a choice, Roel had decided to take a more dominant position so as to be the one to call the shots instead! Had he remained passive and allowed the two girls to act as they pleased, those two would only do it again and again until they got the answer they wanted to the question. No matter how he tried to handle the situation, it was unlikely that things would have been resolved well. However, by taking charge here, the focus had turned from apetition between the two girls into a mission to satisfy his appetite. Fortunately, it would appear that the two girls themselves were satisfied to see Roel swallowing down the food they were feeding to him too. The downside, however, was that such a happy ending came at a price. ¡°Young master? Young master, are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine... It¡¯s just that I had a little too much to eat. The desserts are quite sweet, so having too many of them is a little...¡± After the tea party ended, Roel sent Nora away before he squatted by the walls of the vi and began retching. As these desserts were intended to go with tea, they were made slightly sweeter than normal. They were a sinful indulgence in small niblets but a sickly repugnance inrge gobbles, and Roel ate enough for three in a single seating! ¡°Don¡¯t bring me anything sweet for dinner. I won¡¯t be needing any desserts.¡± ¡°I understand, young master. Shall I call a doctor for you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Help me keep a lookout so that Alicia doesn¡¯t see this.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do that.¡± Anna heaved a deep sigh as she thought for the first time that the young master was rather pitiful. Alicia and Nora did have a good time earlier, but Roel was left to suffer all alone, fearing that others would find out about it. Is this the price of phndering? (Affection Points +300!) Anna shook her head as she swore to herself to treat Roel better than before. Meanwhile, looking at the green light rising from Anna¡¯s head, Roel found himself utterly bewildered. What¡¯s going on here? Why would I gain Affection Points over this? Does she actually like to see me puke? The earlier tea party was truly like a battlefield to him, but he did manage to gain quite a bit out of it. Nora and Alicia¡¯s heads were constantly green while feeding him, and all in all, they provided him with nearly 10,000 Affection Points. ¡°I have saved up quite a bit of Affection Points now, so it¡¯s about time for me to start spending them,¡± muttered Roel to himself. Currently, he had more than 200,000 Affection Points in his ount. Of them, the main Affection Points supplier, Alicia, had once provided him with a wave of 50,000 Affection Points. On the other hand, Nora was also starting to contribute a greater amount too, with one instance where she gave away 3000 Affection Points shortly after they returned from the past. Knowing the significance behind these Affection Points, Roel heaved a deep sigh of relief as he felt that the suffering he had been through was all worth it. ¡°I don¡¯t think that either of them will hurt me anymore, so I guess I¡¯m halfway out of danger now. As expected of me!¡± muttered Roel to himself in satisfaction. Chapter 111: It’s Fate That You Asked

Chapter 111: It¡¯s Fate That You Asked

On a long-missed crimson in, Roel stood on Grandar¡¯s shoulder as he watched the sunset and the earth basked in its afterglow. Be it ancient gods or giants, they were existences to be respected and feared. Had it been in the ancient era, only those of a high race who had been orded permission could have the honor of standing on the shoulder of a giant. Insignificant existences like humans were only worthy of prostrating on the ground as they waited for the giants to pass them by. The doubt harbored by Rodney and the other vigers was legitimate. Regardless of which epoch one was in, there was no doubt that humans paled by far inparison to those monsters who had been ruling the world ever since the ancient era. If one were to view the progression of transcendents as a benchmark for the development of a civilization, the human race would be in the Iron Age,gging so far behind the others that they were only chasing after the footsteps of those far ahead in the race. But, of course, this mattered not to Roel. He was currently a friend who had signed a contract of equals with Grandar, so standing on thetter¡¯s shoulder was not anything to make a fuss about. In fact, it was much more convenient to do so when they were having a conversation. ¡°Grandar, I¡¯ve been wondering all this while, but I¡¯m really curious as to why we met one another.¡± It had been half a month since thest time they met in the Witness State. Roel was delighted to cross paths with his skeletal friend in his dreams once more, and this confirmed his suspicions that thetter could appear in the real world too. ¡°If my bloodline allows me to slip into the annals of history and witness sights that have already been forgotten by humanity, how did our connection evene to be in the first ce? You have already passed away a very long time ago, right?¡± Roel stroked his lower jaw contemtively. The giants had alreadypletely vanished by Victoria¡¯s era in the Third Epoch, and Grandar himself had also mentioned that he had already passed away for a very long time. Given so, there should be some sort of catalyst that brought them together with one another. Is it my bloodline ability? But, if that¡¯s the case, what is it about my bloodline ability that has a connection with Grandar? It can¡¯t be through a lottery, can it? Roel¡¯s question made Grandar fall silent. Thetter¡¯s massive skeletal hand rubbed his bald skull, seemingly deep in thought. ¡°Ever since I died and turned into how I currently am, I have lost many of the memories. I feel like my head has been emptied out,¡± grumbled Grandar in frustration. Roel also nodded in agreement after hearing that exnation too. Emptied out? Of course you feel that way! You don¡¯t have anything left inside that skull head of yours! While Roel was retorting in his mind, Grandar began to recall what he remembered. ¡°I have met several who were like you.¡± ¡°Like me?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m referring to those who were able to enter this in of eternal sunset.¡± Grandar¡¯s memories brought him back to the times when intruders stepped into this ins many years ago. ¡°I think there were 5 or 6 of them. I can¡¯t remember their appearances, but they were all dressed differently. I doubt they were from the same country.¡± ¡°... Ah, I think it¡¯s more likely that they aren¡¯t from the same era at all.¡± ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s possible too. My concept of time is blurred.¡± Grandar rubbed the crown on his bald head as light flickered in his eyes, sending him on a trip down memoryne. ¡°They possessed powers very simr to yours. Of them, there was a human girl who was fairly formidable.¡± ¡°Fairly formidable?¡± Roel was surprised by Grandar¡¯s evaluation. He had witnessed Grandar¡¯s power before, and a person he deemed to be ¡®fairly formidable¡¯ was likely to be one of the transcendent powerhouses of her era. ¡°Wait a moment. If someone that formidable came by to look for you, why didn¡¯t you choose her?¡± ¡°Before bothering to listen to my question, she had already begun prattling on about some crisis and emphasized that my help is necessary. But, she isn¡¯t my believer; I have no reason to lend a helping hand to her.¡± ¡°I see... Oh? Did you just mention believer? What believer?¡± The sudden use of the jargon had Roel turning his head over doubtfully. In response, Grandar began exining that simr to how most humans werepatible with the Three Main Origin Attributes, the giant race had an Origin Attribute that was the mostpatible with them too¡ªStrength. The so-called believers referred to the humans who had developed the Strength Origin Attribute after the giants. These humans formed their own religion, and through special rituals that used their transcendent ability as a medium, they could offer their prayers and tributes to existences that were higher up in their Origin Attribute. In fact, the reason why most transcendents created and joined a religion was tomunicate with higher beings of their Origin Attribute. From time to time, some of these prayers and tributes would still reach Grandar, which went to show that there were still groups using the Strength Origin Attribute out in the world. ¡°I see. Are you able to sense them now that you¡¯re freed from your restraints here?¡± ¡°I can. If I wanted to, I could enve them too. However, they are just a bunch of weakds, so they won¡¯t be of much use.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded to himself. When he heard Grandar referring to his believers as ¡®a bunch of weakds¡¯, he subconsciously bypassed the matter and didn¡¯t think too deeply into it. Meanwhile, after sidetracking from the topic, Grandar quickly pulled back to what he was speaking about earlier. ¡°As for why we came to meet one another, that girl did mention it. It seems like an ancient contract exists between us.¡± ¡°An ancient contract?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a contract of mutual interest. You are able to tap into our power, and we¡¯d be able to return back to that world through you. However, it would appear that the invocation of the contract requires a medium. That girl had a ring I wore back in the days, but it doesn¡¯t look like you have anything on you. I¡¯m also not too sure how you managed toe here.¡± ¡°Ah, I get it now.¡± Roel pped his hands in realization after hearing Grandar¡¯s exnation. Wasn¡¯t this basically the same as summoning a heroic spirit in a certain franchise back in his previous world? Those who wanted to summon a particr heroic spirit would have to flip through the grave of the person they wanted and search for a personal artifact of their target. Otherwise, it would be a crapshoot, and the heroic spirit that was the mostpatible with yourself would be summoned instead. Looking at it from this perspective, could the reason why I stumbled upon Grandar be due to our simr personalities? So, I managed to get a SSR despite drawing on random? ¡°Speaking of which, I managed to reach Origin Level 5 recently, so my strength increased by a fair bitpared to before. If we were to fight together once more, how many punches will you be able to deal out?¡± Roel looked at Grandar hopefully. Thetter¡¯s strength was indeed incredible, allowing him to pull off the impossible and defeat the Origin Level 2 Wade, but the price of that was his incapacitation. It took an entire week before he managed to recover back to full health. Typically speaking, since he had made such a major advancement in his strength, his ability to bear Grandar¡¯s powers should be significantly greater than before. At the very least, he should be able to hurl out more punches than before. Unexpectedly, Grandar fell silent. He nced at Roel hesitantly, seemingly unsure of how he should phrase it in words. It took a long time before he finally squeezed out a response. ¡°You¡¯ll be able tomunicate with me without having to enter this world from now onward. That will be convenient, don¡¯t you think so? Hahaha...¡± Alright alright, I get it. You beating around the bush only makes it even more painful for me... Grandar¡¯s incredibly unnatural manner of changing the topic made Roel realize that he still had a long way to go. The two of them continued chatting for a little longer before the slightly exhausted Roel took his leave and went into real sleep. Each transcendent in this world had his own way of growing, but onemonality that all transcendents shared was the ssification of strength¡ªOrigin Level. Transcendents had a different way of growing after reaching Origin Level 5 and obtaining an Origin Attribute. In the past, Roel relied on training his own body in order to create an optimal condition for the natural development of his transcendent ability. However, things were slightly different now that he had obtained an Origin Attribute. There was more that he could do now to hasten the growth of his powers. So, how does an Origin Level 5 transcendent grow their transcendent ability then? The answer lies in understanding their Origin Attribute and acting in a way thatplements it. Take Brolne¡¯s Wisdom for example, themon understanding most people had of it was the pursuit of knowledge. So, those who took on the Wisdom Origin Attribute studied hard in order to elevate their knowledge. In other words, it was not that schrs tended to choose the Wisdom Origin Attribute, but those that had chosen the Wisdom Origin Attribute tended to be schrs. The same went for the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Compassion too. Themon understanding of it was being affable and willing to help those in need, so the Theocracy had plenty of good people. Doing good deeds was no longer an act of altruism but something that could bring about definite rewards to the doer. Simr principles applied to Pendor¡¯s Courage too. It was not that the Knight Kingdom¡¯s bunch of metal cans only knew how to brainlessly charge ahead, but those who continued to cower after choosing Courage were doomed to never be able to rise through the ranks. Thinking about it, Roel felt that the Three Main Origin Attributes of humankind were each like a positive feedback loop. If you studied hard, carried yourself virtuously, and didn¡¯t fear death, you¡¯ll definitely be strong and reach greater heights. This, in a sense, affirmed the characters of those who were able to climb to a greater height, thus ensuring the development and prosperity of human civilization. He felt that it was a good thing that humankind chose to promote the Three Main Origin Attributes over the others, but it was a pity that he fit into none of the three. Crown. That was the name of the Origin Attribute that his bloodline had granted him. Roel¡¯s first reaction to it was confusion. For a moment there, he thought that he could see the universe revolving around him. Be it Compassion, Wisdom, or Courage, these terms were easy toprehend¡ªbe a good person, go and study, and don¡¯t be scared of death. But, what about Crown then? What did Crown signify? Was he to rush to the royal pce and steal Holy Eminence John¡¯s crown? If that was the case, wouldn¡¯t that mean that he would have to go around the continent stealing the crowns of every single king? That was the road of a tyrant! Roel was utterly bewildered. Putting aside that these ideas were ludicrous, he didn¡¯t have the strength to realize them either. Not that he was interested in bing a king in the first ce. Fortunately, Roel was notpletely without a clue. ording to history, he had two ancestors who had awakened to the bloodline too¡ªRo Ascart and Winstor Ascart. Given so, there was a good chance that they could have received their Bloodline Origin Attribute as well, making their deeds a clue that he could reference too. So, he headed to the archive in the Labyrinth Vi and began looking through the records of those two ancestors of his. I just hope that it¡¯s not something weird... Roel sped his hands together as he prayed silently. Chapter 112: Odd Similarities

Chapter 112: Odd Simrities

¡°They are fatally charming to the opposite gender, and they faced many rtionship problems throughout their lives. Furthermore, all of them went missing after setting out on a journey...¡± Reading through the records of his ancestors, Roel found himself extremely confused. Based on what he had read thus far, it would appear that both Winstor Ascart and Ro Ascart were outstanding men. He didn¡¯t know what the two looked like, but it was clear that they were extremely popr with women. Well, considering their noble birth and overwhelming strength, it was understandable why women fancied them. What was weird about it all was that the women they tended to get involved with were extremely formidable as well, ranging from the feared generals of the Austine Empire to esteemed schrs of Brolne. As history had shown time and time again, it was only possible for peaceful harems to exist in wish-fulfillment novels. Both Winstor and Ro had plenty of headaches caused by all the women around them, and the fact that they were each engaged to a strong-willed fianc¨¦e with a powerful background did nothing to help either. It was like trying to cook a pot of soup that was filled with ingredients that would never go together¡ªit would just be filled with plenty of jarring and disharmonious vors! Ey, the two of them sure don¡¯t know how to keep themselves in check. Why in the world are they messing with so many women¡ªnot to mention, monstrously powerful women at that! They have practically pushed themselves off the cliff! Roel put down the record he was reading and sighed deeply inmentation, but all of a sudden, he thought about himself. Wait a moment!! Aren¡¯t their circumstances... ¡°... different from mine!¡± Roel began chuckling hysterically to himself. Nora, as his protector, would never hurt him, and Alicia had little interest in transcendent ability at the moment too. Most importantly of all... ¡°... I don¡¯t have a powerful fianc¨¦e like them!¡± Roel patted his chest as he felt ddened by how society had progressed since the olden days. If he really was involved in a political marriage, his fianc¨¦e was almost guaranteed to be a prominent noble as well, possibly even the leader of a faction too. If he were to try to shirk the engagement, the Ascart House would have to pay a heavy price for it, and it would lead to plenty of trouble too. Ahhh, thank god my father is a believer in marrying out of true love! Long live true love marriages! Roel smiled delightfully to himself,pletely disregarding the fact that his father had unintentionally sold him out to the Xeclydes. ¡°But, speaking of which, does this mean that the key to developing my bloodline is to be a scumbag and get involved with all sorts of rtionships? Am I destined to be a harem king? No, that can¡¯t possibly be. If that¡¯s what my ancestors did, they would have deserved to die a thousand times over.¡± Roel shook his head, thinking that it was unlikely for the Crown Origin Attribute to work in such a manner. In the end, he had no choice but to turn his attention to the sector which he really didn¡¯t want to get involved wit h¡ªexploration of historical remnants. Other than their messy romance life, the othermonality between Winstor and Ro was that they were both famed archaeologists. Without a doubt, this was definitely something suspicious. It was just that the records had once been damaged and were no longerplete, so the amount of information Roel could acquire was limited. Fortunately, there were other avenues that he could acquire information from¡ªthe Ascarts weren¡¯t the only ones who kept records, after all¡ª and the fact that he was currently in the Holy Capital only made things even more so convenient. So, he took the book he was reading out of the archive with him before instructing Anna. ¡°Prepare the carriage. We¡¯re heading to the Royal Library!¡± ... In a gracefully adorned room, Roel lightly picked up his teacup and took a small sip as he browsed through the ancient record in his hand. It was so calming and peaceful that his worries seemed to evaporate into thin air. The Holy Capital¡¯s Royal Library. This was one of the most magnificent buildings in the whole of Loren, and it had over a hundred years of history behind it. It was clear that a lot of effort had been put into its renovation. It wasn¡¯t as resplendent as the Saint Faron Church, but it carried the same air of ssiness that schrs tended to exude. As for why it was named the Royal Library, it was not to mean that the library was exclusive to the royals but that the Xeclydes were the ones who forked out the money for its construction. They clearly had high hopes for this library, and their investment did pay off too. The Royal Library was currently one of the Three Great Libraries of the Sia Continent, and it had enjoyed its fair share of glory throughout the years ever since its construction. The Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Royal Library, the Austine Empire¡¯s Millennia Glory Repository, and Country of Schrs, Brolne¡¯s, National Athenaeum of Wisdom¡ªthese were the famous Three Great Libraries of the Sia Continent. All in all, they contained at least 60% of humanity¡¯s historical records. One might even say that they were the very symbol of the Sia Continent¡¯s culture. The Theocracy¡¯s Royal Library was established as thest amongst the three, and in truth, it was founded out of a fit of anger. The one who ordered the construction of the library was Holy Eminence Lukas, the father of the incumbent Holy Eminence, John. If what Nora said was true, Lukas was Wade¡¯s son and Victoria¡¯s adopted son. Holy Eminence Lukas was probably one of the more interesting rulers of the Theocracy. Perhaps it was because he descended from the line of the incredibly ambitious Wade, or that Victoria had doted on him greatly out of guilt toward him, but Lukas was an extremely prideful ruler. He was the type that couldn¡¯t tolerate even the slightest bit of humiliation. This usually didn¡¯t pose much of a problem, as he was from the line of the powerful Xeclyde House. There was hardly anyone in the world who would dare offend him, especially not within the Theocracy. Nevertheless, there was no one who could truly escape from the frustrations of society, and this applied to the lofty Holy Eminence Lukas too. The Eastern Sia Border Defense Agreement. This was an important agreement that had to be ratified every 30 years in order to confirm the areas around mankind¡¯s borders that each country would protect, as well as the military forces they would be deploying there. The purpose of this agreement was to protect humanity from the threat of the deviants so as to ensure peace and prosperity. As for why the agreement onlysted 30 years each time, there was actually a very practical reason for that. Most minor countries had a short lifespan. They tended to be internally unstable, with uprisings uring fairly frequently. When such internal crises urred, their monarchs had a tendency to ¡®dissolve¡¯ their countries, thereby escaping from the defense agreement. That would allow them to redeploy the troops they had stationed at the eastern border back to their country in order to deal with the rebels. Such incidents would ur once every decade or so. That being said, holding an international conference to renew the Eastern Sia Border Defense Agreement every decade was far too inconvenient. One must know that this was a world where transportation was highly inconvenient and inefficient; a trip from the Theocracy to the Austine Empire could easily take several months. On top of that, negotiating the terms was even more exhausting. Eventually, the major powers came to an agreement to renew the defense agreement once every 30 years. The international conference for the renewal of the defense agreement during Holy Eminence Lukas¡¯ was held in the capital of the Austine Empire, Siaus. That international conference was much tougher than usual, and the disagreements amongst the major countries were far more rife than usual. Needless to say, the Austine Empire, as the old nemesis of the Theocracy, didn¡¯t give Lukas a good time either. An international conference amongst the leaders of various countries wasn¡¯t likepany meetings, where everyone was shut in an enclosed room and forced to talk until they finally came to a conclusion. No, their negotiations urred only once every 10 to 15 days, and the time in between was usually spent visiting one another to build rtions or to tour various ces that the host country had nned for them. The ce where the Austine Empire had chosen to bring Lukas to was their prided Millennia Glory Repository. While its name sounded fairly pretentious, the library did live up to the hype, having inherited the culture from the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire. The Austine Empire had implemented a fairly interesting system of organizing the books in this library. They sorted the thousand years of historical records of the Sia Continent chronologically, and they made sure to bold the shelfbel of the year the Theocracy was founded. ced on that very shelf was the dark history behind the establishment of the Theocracy, borated extensively with analyses by the Austine schrs. How can we allow your precious history to disappear from the face of the world? I recall that you don¡¯t have anyrge libraries at your ce, right? No problem! We¡¯re all one big family anyway, so I¡¯ll store them on your behalf! Ah, there¡¯s nothing about the Theocracy on the shelves further ahead anymore. It¡¯s all the history of our Austine Empire from this point onward. I doubt that it will be meaningful for you to look through the rest of our library. Shall we just call it a day here? All of the unting and taunting that were shoved right into Lukas¡¯ face made him so angry that some said that he was nearly sent into Sia¡¯s embrace that very day. To make things worse, despite how frustrated he was, he was unable to refute any of those words, leaving him no choice but to grit his teeth and tolerate it. When had Lukas ever been embarrassed like that? Even after returning from that international conference, he continued fuming over this matter every time he thought about it. So, the following year, he issued an order to gather all of the distinguished architects, schrs, and historians, and instructed them to construct a prestigious library that surpassed even the Millennia Glory Repository. After its construction, he stuffed all of the dark history of the Austine Empire inside and made sure to invite all of the top brass of all countries over to have a look. While the purpose behind Lukas¡¯ action was petty vengeance, there was no doubt that the construction of the Royal Library had contributed greatly to the furthering of the Theocracy¡¯s culture. Stroking the pages of the well-preserved ancient record in his hand, Roel couldn¡¯t help but ponder about the necessity of libraries to humankind. The Royal Library was open to everyone, regardless of their social standing. That might not be very significant for Roel, due to his privileged background, but to those who sought to study but couldn¡¯t afford to buy books, this library was no different from and of treasure. That being said, nobles like Roel still had some additional privileges in public facilities like this aspared to themoners. He didn¡¯t need to pay a deposit to borrow books, and he could freely ess the historical records with over 300 years of history, which were usually not open to outsiders. On top of that, the head librarian even personally greeted him too. ¡°Young master Roel, how are you finding our VIP Reading Lounge? If it¡¯s not spacious enough, you may head over to my ce. I believe that it would be afortable environment for you to browse your books.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hospitality, head librarian. I do like the environment of the VIP Reading Lounge; it¡¯sfortable and quiet. It¡¯s just that... if I recall correctly, the section I¡¯m in is exclusive to the royal family, isn¡¯t it?¡± Roel breathed in the invigorating Wurs fragrance and relished in the soft and fluffy mat beneath his feet. The wooden chair he was sitting on was made out of incredibly high-quality material that made it steady yetfortable. It was a room less than 20 square metersrge, but its extravagance was enough to awe anymoner. Indeed, he was in the poshest area of the library, a special area exclusive only to members of the royal family. High nobles could enter as well if they had received prior permission from the royal family, but Roel didn¡¯t even know of its existence beforehand. In fact, he was invited here from the ordinary reading area. ¡°Head librarian, no, Mister Carmen, I had forgotten to request permission prior to entering this reading lounge. I must have brought you quite a bit of trouble, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s no trouble at all, young master Roel. There¡¯s no doubt that royal permission would have been given if you had requested it. This room is usually used by Her Highness, so there¡¯s no one more suited to borrow the use of it than you!¡± ¡°Hm, Nora?¡± The shocked Roel blurted out Nora¡¯s name directly, which only made the smile on the plump head librarian, Carmen, deepen further. This is a room that only the members of the royal family can use? What about it? Just ask around town, there¡¯s no one who doesn¡¯t know that the sole son of the Ascart House, young master Roel, is already half a member of the royal family! There are countless people who are dying to meet him, but the Ascart House rejected their requests under the pretext that he¡¯s still recovering from his injuries. Carmen was extremely ustomed to politics in the Holy Capital, so as soon as he heard that young master Roel had actually visited the Royal Library, a shudder immediately ran through his body. This was an encounter that countless officials and nobles were dying to have, but he happened to bump into it just like that. There was no way he couldn¡¯t have been overjoyed by this! One must know that the head librarian of the Royal Library was assigned directly by the royal family, making it a proper official position. Had it been just a week ago, Carmen would still have to think twice about the authenticity of the rumors since there were always plenty of falsehoods going around. However, just a few days ago, an explosive piece of news descended upon the Holy Capital. The sole sessor of the royal family, Her Highness Nora, was going to be the protector of the young master of the Ascart House, and the ceremony would be held a few dayster. It immediately caused a huge stir. Even fools could immediately figure out that there was something happening between the two of them! In other words, there was a good chance that young master Roel could be a prince consort in the near future, making thetter Carmen¡¯s direct superior. If he could get on the good side of young master Roel right now, his position would be secured! ¡°If this room is reserved for Her Highness Nora¡¯s use, it should be fine for me to borrow it for the time being. I¡¯ll follow up with the proper requesting procedureter on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too polite here. There¡¯s no need for that. That would be too much trou... Hm?¡± Halfway through Carmen¡¯s words, he suddenly widened his eyes as he realized that there was something more to what he had just heard. If young master Roel intends to follow up with the requesting procedure, he would have to visit the royal pce... Wouldn¡¯t that be an opportunity to meet Her Highness Nora? Ah, I see! I was still wondering why young master Roel would suddenly pay a visit to our library, but it turns out that he has other ns in mind! Indeed, with such a reason, he would have a legitimate reason to enter the royal pce and have a secret rendezvous with Her Highness Nora. O¡¯ great Sia, what great ingenuity this is! As expected of someone who is in line to be our next prince consort! (Affection Points +100!) Green light glowed from Carmen¡¯s head as his respect for Roel soared to new heights. Before Roel¡¯s confused gaze, he swiftly changed his words and continued. ¡°Young master Roel, I understand. Please do go ahead and follow up with the requesting procedure. I¡¯ll make sure to have the documents prepared whenever youe by, so there¡¯s no need to worry about those. Please feel free to do so as many times as needed for you to meet Her Highness Nora!¡± ¡°Ah? N-no, that¡¯s not it. That¡¯s not what I mean...¡± ¡°Young master Roel, you need not exin. I understand it all. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be able to take any pressure from above, so please go ahead and do whatever you need to!¡± ??? What do you understand? I feel like what you¡¯re getting at is different from whatever I¡¯m saying. Carmen patted his chest, putting on the face of a reliable wingman who would do anything to bring two lovebirds together. Seeing this, Roel shook his head helplessly. He felt that he would face a lot more simr situations in the future, so he couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin anymore. Ey, forget it. I should just focus my attention on reading the records of my ancestors! The date of the protector ceremony ising close, and I¡¯m certain that it¡¯ll be yet another headache to deal with. I should just focus my effort on looking for clues for now! Roel shook his head as he tossed this matter to the back of his mind. Chapter 113: A Small Goal

Chapter 113: A Small Goal

Roel had once heard a quote in his previous life, ¡®studying is the cheapest way to raise one¡¯s worth¡¯. These words were pretty relevant in his previous world, but it was even more so on the Sia Continent. This was an era when educated individuals were the minority. Just knowing how to write well could be a way of life, as prominent ns would hire them topile history for theter generations to know of their ancestors. Of course, those writers usually wouldn¡¯t be so detailed as to include even the fetishes of the ancestors too, unlike a certain someone¡¯s diaries. At the very least, it should be safe to assume that there should be no such awful material to be found in the records of the Royal Library. At Roel¡¯s request, the librarians immediately marched out and retrieved all records rted to Winstor Ascart and Ro Ascart. In total, they were more than enough to fill an entire table. Given the astounding amount, there was no way Roel could feasibly run through all of them, so he could only swiftly browse through the content and select some of the more relevant ones. After half a day¡¯s worth of work, Roel arrived at the same conclusion as Ponte. It would appear that his two predecessors were simr to the typical hyperactive, restless protagonists one would see in shounen mangas. Even after bing the patriarch of the Ascart House, they continued traveling around the continent, never hesitating to leap into adventures and explore ancient ruins. Roel gave the matter some thought, and while he did agree that it was a clue to uncovering the truth behind the Crown Origin Attribute, he didn¡¯t think that the act of adventuring and exploring ancient ruins was the key to the growth of his transcendent ability. For one, while they had leaped into adventures time and time again, they had no choice but to spend most of their time staying in the Ascart House due to their duties. During these ¡®downtimes¡¯, they still continued to grow stronger. Besides, to actually have to go out on adventures in order to grow, wasn¡¯t that practically a curse to a shut-in like him?! Roel was more than satisfied with his current life of leisure where he could eat well and sleep well. Ro and Winstor went missing while adventuring anyway, so the least he could do was to learn from their lessons and not walk down the same path as them! He continued to look through the historical records, but unexpectedly, in the process of researching, the Crown Origin Attribute suddenly began reacting. It was a slight and vague feeling, but he could sense that he was absorbing mana from the surroundings. The mana was gradually pushing his Degree of Assimtion, slowly strengthening his powers. It was at this very moment that Roel finally came to a realization. He finally understood why both Ro and Winstor were so passionate about archaeology¡ªit turned out that uncovering the past was one of the ways that the Crown Origin Attribute could grow! However, this realization also highlighted another issue too. It would appear that not all kinds of historical records would grow his Crown Origin Attribute. For one, he had read therge pile of diaries Ponte had left behind¡ªwhich arguably could be considered as historical records by now¡ªbut it didn¡¯t bring about any reaction. Why so though? Is it in order to keep it PG? Roel shook off the bizarre thoughts floating in his head and began analyzing it carefully. Perhaps, he had to uncover a certain sort of information in order to trigger the Crown Origin Attribute. As the name ¡®Crown¡¯ suggested, maybe he had to uncover the truth about something rted to kings and emperors for it to work? There were still too many possibilities at the moment that Roel couldn¡¯t draw any conclusions in a moment¡¯s time, but he wasn¡¯t worried about it. The Ascart House had plenty of records anyway, and it was likely that some of them had been used by Winstor and Ro too. Worsee to worst, he would just have to do trial and error and gradually narrow down from there. In any case, he was delighted to have found a reliable clue to growing his transcendent ability. Without any hesitation, he decided to dive right into his training. He began reading the history of how the various countries of mankind migrated to the west following the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. As he read on and on, he began to find it rather enjoyable to learn about the details surrounding well-known events that urred in the past. In the first ce, he was an arts student in his previous life, and he was particrly good with geography and history. On top of that, the history in this world was much more interesting than the history of the previous world due to the inclusion of all sorts of supernatural abilities and incidents, such that it almost felt as if he was reading a novel. Most people knew that the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital that happened in the final years of the Second Epoch was the trigger that led them to migrate westward in search of and of peace, but what they were unaware of was that thisnd was far from being peaceful. Aside from its primitive environment, thend was home to many ferocious beasts too. ording to the lore of the Sia Continent, the Goddess of Creation Sia was the mother of all intelligent lifeforms. The ssification of ¡®intelligent lifeforms¡¯ didn¡¯t include natural beasts that obeyed their primitive instincts. Otherwise, the whole of mankind would probably have to be herbivores in order to survive. Of course, the term ¡®intelligent¡¯ was subjective. Most beasts in the wild did have primal instincts that allowed them to outwit their prey, and some of them could grasp some basicbat tactics. The difference was more or less drawn based on their ability to conquer their primitive instincts, thereby oveing their natural limitations. That being said, it would be unwise to look down on the mutated demonic beasts just because they were deemed ¡®unintelligent¡¯. One example was the Bloodhorn Deer which Carter had brought back to the Ascart House from the Winter Hunt. Were it not for Carter subjugating it, it could have easily caused widespread damage. There was a much more convenient way to ssify ¡®intelligent lifeforms¡¯ from natural beasts though¡ªthe ability to obtain an Origin Attribute. While demonic beasts were astoundingly powerful, they didn¡¯t possess Origin Attributes. Of course, there were also intelligent lifeforms with beastlike characteristics, such as the saint beasts under Sia¡¯smand, but they possessed Origin Attributes as well. Unlike natural beasts, these saint beasts were often depicted to be sages in the legends, ying a supporting role in the war among different races. Some of them rose to high positions, and they led their own race to unearth newnd and develop civilization. As they chose to take on a more advisory type of leadership position, their fighting prowess tended to be rtively weaker, though it would be foolish to shrug them off as weak. Even though there were no detailed records of it, there were legends that the Ancient Austine Empire in the Second Epoch had a Sacred Guardian Beast. Simr to how the ancient giants and angels had disappeared in the annals of history, however, the saint beasts also disappeared from the face of the world at some point in time. When the pioneers leading the migration to the west first arrived, they encountered beasts that were far more frightening than the Bloodhorn Deer. It was fortunate that some of these beasts were intelligent enough to be tamed, and they were surprisingly favorable to the arrival of the humans as well, seemingly due to being sick and tired of hanging out with their unintelligent peers. Naturally, the humans were more than happy to tame them too. However, the other beasts that could neither be tamed normunicated with became the nightmare of humanity. ording to the records, the human countries that had just settled down back then were still weak. They were unable to deal with the more powerful demonic beasts that dominated the most fertilends. Subjugation missions often required a country to mobilize everyst bit of its resources, but even so, victory wasn¡¯t guaranteed. There were countries that fell in defeat and ended up being utterly destroyed. This was also why the Five Eminent Noble Houses, who had fought the most tenaciously alongside the Xeclydes to build up the current Saint Mesit Theocracy, were highly respected by the people. It was this solid foundation that allowed them to prosper in the Theocracy for many generations since then. Humans advanced a step at a time over the course of 200 years, clearing out the overpowered demonic beasts and bringing peace and stability to the region. There were far too many humans and countries that had fallen to the demonic beasts over this period of time, with no way to tally the actual number of casualties. Historians eventually came to term these people as the Crusaders of Establishment. Roel found himself with many thoughts in his mind after reading up to this point. Somehow, the development of human civilization was always a war against nature. Humans sought to ovee the harshness of nature, whether it be hoping for summer to be cooler or for winter to be warmer. That was probably the most fundamental motivation behind why generations of humans devoted their lives to reshaping their environment, be it through sowing seeds in barrennds or devising tools to conquer the sky. Their spirit was tenacious, and it allowed them to ovee their natural limitations. ¡°Now that I think about it, the level of development of our Ascart Fiefdom is incredibly low.¡± Roel suddenly recalled the report he had read back at home. The Ascart House had been conferred with a massive territory during the founding of the Theocracy, making it almost the de facto leader of the Five Eminent Noble Houses. Yet, in the past few centuries, the Ascart House had never risen to the top before, not even once. The reason for that was very simple¡ªmost of the territory of the Ascart Fiefdom had not been developed yet. How were the Elrics able to rise to prominence 200 years ago? It was because the Elrics¡¯ territory consisted of mostly ins, making it very suited for agriculture. While the span of their territory was smaller than the Ascart House, it was the easiest to develop. Inparison, the Belfasts were located right next to the North Sea, the Lucernes had massive forests, and the Weiss had a lot of mountains. However, none of them posed as great a difficulty as the Ascart Fiefdom, which consisted mostly of mountainous terrain filled with huge swathes of forest. It was truly a nightmare to develop. The Xeclydes had good intentions in mind when they conferred this piece ofnd to the Ascarts. The conditions of thend were not the best, but the sheer span of it meant that it had great potential. As long as the Ascarts worked at it diligently, they would surely be able to fare decently. As the current reality showed, they had really overestimated the Ascarts. With each passing generation, the Ascarts appeared to be less and less invested in developing theirnds. They basically tossed all of the work to their subordinates and left the fiefdom to run by itself. For the past millennia, the economic activity of the Ascart Fiefdom had only been limited to their ins, which made up only 30% of theirndmass. As for the other 70%, there was hardly anything at all. To be fair, the other 70% were mountainous terrain and forests. There were many demonic beasts lurking in those areas, and it wouldn¡¯t be easy to clear them out for development purposes. However, if it could be done properly... Roel looked at the string of zeros in his bnce against the System, and he suddenly felt a little nauseated by the sheer amount of debt he was in. If he wished to repay the money before the deadline, he had no choice but to explore economic opportunities for the Ascart Fiefdom. He had approached Carter to talk about this matter a few days ago, and his father was perfectly fine with dumping it all on him. As long as nothing major happened, Carter wouldn¡¯t interfere with what he was doing. ¡°It isn¡¯t just about Nora and the others. The copse of the Ascart House is a major death g too. The Elrics are eyeing us intently, so we cannot afford to show any signs of weakness. On the opposite end of the mountain range of the Ascart Fiefdom is the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. If I could pave out a route and developmerce in the area...¡± muttered Roel to himself as his eyes turned sharp. Chapter 114: Father Is Afraid For You

Chapter 114: Father Is Afraid For You

In the royal pce, a gray-haired maid was currently trying to curb her excitement as she made her way toward her master¡¯s chambers. This was an extremely meaningful day to Mia, for it was one which she had been looking forward to yet simultaneously felt a little mncholy toward. This was the day that Her Highness Nora would fulfill the royal promise and be the protector of the sessor of the Ascart House, Roel Ascart, through a grand ceremony. Mia, as Nora¡¯s personal maid, was heartened by this. The role of ¡®personal maid¡¯ was a special post within a household. Due to the nature of the job, it had stringent requirements, and only the cream of the crop was chosen. In fact, when it came to the sessors of major noble houses and the royal family, their personal maid was almost guaranteed to be someone of considerable standing too. Mia was no exception to the rule. Despite being Nora¡¯s personal maid, she actually came from a noble house, and her father held a significant position in the royal court. Her role as Nora¡¯s personal maid had brought her house significant benefits¡ªher father had been promoted, and her oldest brother had received the recognition of the royal family too. Despite all of that, however, Mia found herself gradually distancing from her family members. Humans tended to be the most sensitive in their teenage years, and it was at such an age that she had to enter the royal pce all alone. She faced her fair share of difficulties and indignanties, but she had no choice but to bury it all in her heart because she had no kin by her side. Even on rare holidays, when she was able to return home to visit her family, her family members seemed to be far more concerned about the movements of the royal family than her wellbeing. Her father instructed her time and time again to carry out her job properly, so as to bring honor to the family, and her brothers spoke with her only to seek out better career paths. Sometimes, Mia felt rather than being a family member, she was more of a tool for her family instead. Her sentiment toward her kin had inevitably thinned over the years, but that couldn¡¯t stop her desire to love and be loved. Thus, she entrusted her feelings to Nora, whom she had grown up with from a young age. Years of apaniment with one another had made her feel like she was Nora¡¯s older sister, though she had enough self-realization in her to know that it was arrogant for her to think this way. How could she possibly match up to Nora¡¯s lofty standing? But, despite her rational mind telling her otherwise, her instincts drove her to act with Nora¡¯s best interests in mind, and that was why she decided to make a move. Not too long ago, Mia used one of her channels to spread a rumor. It was a rumor about two children who were mutually in love but met with numerous difficulties along the way, only to end up being forced apart from one another. It was cunningly crafted to poke at the mental anguish that far too many nobles had suffered through. While no names were used in the rumors, it was not too difficult to piece the clues together to figure out who those two children were. Mia wasn¡¯t doing this just for fun, of course. No, she had a clear goal in mind, and that was to massively expand the Roel X Nora fanclub! In the first ce, Mia thought that it was a miracle for Nora to actually be interested in someone. Outsiders viewed Nora as a lofty, graceful,passionate, and dignified individual, an almost perfect being, but Mia could tell that Nora had never really and truly been interested in anyone before. She treated everyone as equals, but from another perspective, it also meant that there was no one she was actually close to. Such an urrence, Mia thought, was abnormal. A human couldn¡¯t be without friends. Everyone probably had periods in their lives when they were all alone, but that shouldn¡¯t be the norm. Yet, Nora happened to be an exception. It was not to say that she didn¡¯t have people by her side¡ªon the contrary, she could easily make plenty of ¡®friends¡¯ if she wanted to¡ªbut it was another matter to forge a genuine connection. More often than not, two individuals had to be of simr positions to truly connect with one another, but with Nora¡¯s high standing and her overwhelming strength, there was no one in her age group with whom she could really talk to. On top of that... while it was probably not that good for Mia to put it in such a manner, but she felt that there was something unusual about Nora. There was a time that she had made a mistake and was supposed to be severely punished, but all Nora did was to step on her kneeling body. One must know that Nora was extremely light, and she hardly used any strength when she stepped down on her too. Could such a punishment really be considered as a punishment? And, why was Nora so excited after carrying out the punishment? Her Highness Nora must really care for me and is unwilling to punish me, so she just put on a show for it. Mia convinced herself that this had to be the case before feeling all moved about the matter once more. Uwuuu, Her Highness really treats me far too well! With such thoughts in mind, Mia finally arrived at Nora¡¯s chambers and knocked on her door, requesting entry. ... ¡°Your Highness, you have woken up earlier than usual.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t fall asleep,¡± replied Nora with a bitter smile. Given the strict management of her physical condition, she had never thought that a day woulde when she would lose sleep from rampant emotions. ¡°That only goes to show that Lord Roel is important to you.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Faced with Mia¡¯s teasing smile, Nora fell silent. She was a little shy at having her feelings pointed out, but she didn¡¯t deny the matter. She didn¡¯t think that it was necessary to conceal her feelings¡ªa true monarch would express her emotions freely and leave her subjects to deal with them. Besides, given that the target she was going for was a boy from the Ascart House, she knew that it wouldn¡¯t do for her to half-ass it. Victoria¡¯s advice had really struck a chord in her heart. Be it Ponte or Roel, the way to deal with this kind of indecisive fellow was to dish out heavy blows one after another. It would be best if she could take him down in a single move, but otherwise, the least she could do was to pin him down, so as to keep otherpetitors at bay. Nora thought about the silver-haired girl that was constantly by Roel¡¯s side, and she found herself sighing deeply once more. As it turned out, she was already a step toote from the very start. Alicia had met Roel earlier than her, and they had already forged a strong bond with one another. If Nora were to attempt to y the viin and pull them apart, there was a good chance that it would backfire on her. Besides, given her standing, it would be inappropriate for her to do so, or else others could misunderstand her intention as sowing discord amongst the other noble houses. This could threaten the stability of the Theocracy, so she wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to do something like that. The onlyfort she had was that Alicia was still young and naive. Rather than confessing her feelings for Roel, Alicia chose to immerse herself in the warmth brought about by kinship instead. She was afraid to shake things up out of fear that it would ruin their current rtionship, or maybe it was simply out of shyness. Regardless of which it was, it mattered not. What was important was that Alicia had chosen to take on a passive stance. As long as she was content maintaining the status quo, Nora would have plenty of chances to seed. Mia picked up the bell on the table and rang it lightly. The crisp sound reverberated for a short moment before an army of maids rushed in several secondster. They immediately tidied up the room, prepared the gowns, andid out the cosmetics neatly on the table. Meanwhile, Mia led Nora to the side for a bath. While the royal pce embarked on a busy day, over at the Labyrinth Vi, Roel was in front of a stoney-eyed Anna as she worked her nimble hands to touch up his appearance. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed by how suave he was. The Demon Dew sure is incredible. All it takes is a few drops of it, and my looks are elevated to much greater heights. And furthermore, it isn¡¯t just Demon Dew this time around too... The exquisite bottlesid out in front of him looked no different from small piles of gold coins in Roel¡¯s eyes. Truthfully, none of these cosmetics were prepared by the Ascart House. Despite being high nobles themselves, both Carter and Roel lived their lives rtively crudely. Carter often spent his time in the military and didn¡¯t need cosmetics whereas Roel was different from the typical nobles who spent their days thinking about how to touch up their appearances to attract the opposite gender, especially since there was no need for him to do so. These cosmetics were actually a gift Roel had received from the Sorofya Merchant Association¡¯s Manager Arwen a few days ago. When he heard that Her Highness Nora was going to be Roel¡¯s protector, he nearly fainted from glee. He never thought that hiswork of connections would expand in such a terrifying manner just because of an investment of 5000 gold coins he made a few months ago. Right now, he no longer expected Roel to sell him anything anymore. As long as he could just maintain an amicable rtionship with Roel, the Sorofya Merchant Association was bound to do well in Holy Capital Loren. He would be able to tap into the halo of being a close associate of Roel to secure favorable deals for the merchant association, and if things go well, he could be a supplier of the royal family too. Being an official royal supplier would change the nature of the association¡¯s business. Of course, these ns were still all in the pipeline, and they were contingent on Arwen maintaining a close rtionship with Roel. So, Arwen decided to double in on his investment and send over thetest goods of the Sorofyas. Take the bottle filled with pink powder for example, it was known as Pink Lover, and it had the effect of slightly mellowing down the effects of the Demon Dew to make one¡¯s facial features look more natural. Even a small bottle of it cost tens of gold coins, and it was a yet-to-be-released product too. Their n was to make a grand release in the following spring, and they were still in the midst of building up hype for it. In other words, it was a product that one couldn¡¯t buy yet even if one had the money. It was the usual Sorofyas¡¯ marketing strategy of winning over the noblewomen and young misses in order to ess the deep pockets of rich noble houses. It was a natural tendency of humans to pursue beauty, and appearances were even more so important in the circle of nobility. ¡°Young master, you look good today.¡± Despite the inexplicable cold attitude Anna had been putting on for the entire day, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from praising Roel. Following that, she brought Roel down to gather together with Carter and Alicia. As one of the main stars of the protector ceremony, the Ascarts were all going to be present at the scene. Carter had opted to dress in a formal military uniform instead of his noble suit, and it did make him look quite suave. Alicia, on the other hand, was wearing a flowing white gown that amazed Roel. Roel sneaked two peeks at Alicia before quickly averting his eyes. Alicia had always been quite beautiful, but that was further entuated by the gown and cosmetics provided by the Sorofyas, bringing her beauty to a nearly transcendent level. It was to the point that Roel found it a little unreal, reminiscent of a being that only appeared in one¡¯s dreams. Meanwhile, Alicia was fiddling with the hems of her dress with her head lowered. Her face was so reddened that she could hardly speak fluently anymore. ¡°Alicia, you look beautiful today.¡± ¡°Y-you too, big brother Roel... N-no, that¡¯s not what I meant! I meant to say that you look dashing today too! Ahh, s-shall we hold hands to walk together?¡± ¡°Hm? Sure.¡± Roel offered his arm for Alicia to grab, and the two of them exchanged nces and smiled together. Anna¡¯s stiff expression finally alleviated a little after seeing the interactions between the two children, and a smile finally returned to her face. On the other hand, Carter was filled with mixed feelings about this. He nced in the direction of the royal pce and sighed deeply in his heart. I wish you a life of peace, Roel. Chapter 115: I Don’t Like It

Chapter 115: I Don¡¯t Like It

The Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s royal pce was built over a thousand years ago, when humans had just begun moving over to West Sia. Back then, Holy Capital Loren was one of the few key fortresses of mankind, so the building served as an emergency gathering point andmand center. When the Theocracy was officially founded, the building was finally remodeled into the royal pce seen today, making it one of the oldest buildings in the country. Age can be a sign of culture, but it often hints at dpidation too. However, over the years, the royal pce had been renovated several times. In fact, a massive fire had once burned down a huge chunk of the structure, thus calling for a mass reconstruction. Thest time it was renovated was just several decades ago. So, it didn¡¯t look its age in the least. On the contrary, it presented itself as magnificent even. The color scheme of the royal pce was centered around white. It was said that the architect had spent a great deal of effort to recreate the color gradient of an angel¡¯s wing. While Roel had no idea where those people had managed to see an angel¡¯s wing, there was no denying that the visual impact was incredible. The entire building felt holy and invible. The concept behind the interior of the royal pce, on the other hand, was not much less sophisticated¡ªit was just in extravagant. In a sense, this reflected the royal family¡¯s way of doing things. The Xeclydes embraced purity as one of their virtues, so they just got straightforward to the point, not bothering bother with all of the fanciful stuff. Inside a waiting room of the royal pce, Roel, who had just finished touring the royal pce for the first time, sipped on a cup of tea as he ran through the sequence of events of the protector ceremony that was going to happenter on again and again. ¡°Am I going to get Ascendwing back too?¡± muttered Roel under his breath, as he subconsciously reached out to his empty waist. Half a month ago, when he first returned from the Witness State with Nora, even though the two of them had passed out, there was a mana connection between the two of them due to the effects of Ascendwing. As such, Bishop Philip chose to call in experts from the Sacramental Hall to deal with the situation. Those from the Sacramental Hall devoted their effort in exploring the various rituals and ceremonies surrounding spells, so they were the most knowledgeable in this field. After those clergy verified that it was safe to separate them, the youngsters were pulled apart from one another and treated separately. Those clergy assumed that Ascendwing belonged to Nora, so they ended up taking it back to the royal pce with them. People said that a sword is a warrior¡¯s lover. Roel wasn¡¯t much of a warrior, but he did miss his little war buddy a lot. It had saved him at a lot of critical moments, and it was a gift that was activated by both his and Nora¡¯s blood, making it an important keepsake for the two of them. He was only d that it was going to be returned to him very soon. Thinking about it now, it should be around time for Ascendwing¡¯s second ability to be sessfully incubated. He heard from Holy Eminence John that this phenomenon was brought about by the resonance between his and Nora¡¯s bloodline abilities, and this made him feel a little odd inside. The talk about resonance and incubation made him feel almost as if they were giving birth to a child. The events today would start with a ceremony, where Roel would be officially dered to be put under the protection of the royal family, before proceeding on to a banquet. There would be fewer nobles attending this ceremony aspared to Nora¡¯s birthday banquet, as most of them had already returned back to their fief by now. However, Roel thought that it was a good thing since it meant that those attending would just be the nobles of the royal court, the militarymanders, and those of the Knight Orders¡ªbasically, their own people. The atmosphere should be much better than thest time around. ¡°Lord Roel, the ceremony is about to begin. Please follow me.¡± Roel nodded in response before following the servant all the way to the entrance of the ceremonial hall. Standing on a lush crimson carpet, he stared at the beautifully adorned door before him in amazement. It was only then that he realized that he was at quite an incredible ce. Saint Seshur Hall. This ce, together with the square in front of the Saint Faron Church, were known as the two holynds of the Theocracy. The square in front of the Saint Faron Church was the ce where the Holy Eminence himself would lead the people in prayer, making it a significant ce to the believers of the Genesis Goddess Church. As for the Saint Seshur Hall, it wasuded for its long history and the monumental events that had urred here. Both the founding of the Theocracy and the conferment of the Five Eminent Noble Houses had taken ce within these walls. Over the past thousand years of history of the Theocracy, those who had stepped foot into this ce were influential figures of their generation, including generals who had produced miracles on the battlefield, officials who had managed to pull off reforms to sever corruption and other systemic problems, and even Empress Victoria¡¯s conferment of Ponte following the March Turmoil too. ¡°I never thought that they would choose to use this ce...¡± Roel gulped down his saliva as he realized for the first time that there was something amiss about this ceremony. He thought that this was only a procedure they had to follow in order to officialize the promise their ancestors had made a thousand years ago, a little simr to how business owners would cut a red ribbon to announce the opening of their shops. However, it was obvious that he was underestimating the scale of this affair now. This would be an event almost at the level of a military parade! Looking at the road of glory that countless meritorious subjects of the Theocracy had walked on before, Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel a little nervous. The old butler beside him noticed this and chuckled to himself. ¡°Lord Roel, you need not be anxious. You¡¯re the youngest ever star of the Saint Seshur Hall. You should be feeling proud instead.¡± This old butler usually put on a cold and nonchnt look no matter which noble he was standing before, but surprisingly, he had a brilliant smile that wasparable to sunflowers on his face right now. Roel, on the other hand, only felt even dizzier after hearing those words. As expected of a butler of the royal family. He sure has a unique way of forting¡¯ others... Or could it be that Nora was the one who taught him to say those words? It was the same feeling a student would have arriving at an examination hall, only to realize that the questions were not on the sybus. Nevertheless, Roel wasn¡¯t ready to flunk his examination right now, so he quickly began building his mental fortitude. Old rules. Breathe in, breathe out. Emblem of Glory, check. Once inside, everyone else aside from Nora are all heaps of cabbages. Don¡¯t even look at them! Roel took a few huge breaths in order to bring himself back to peak condition. Right after he was finally done preparing himself, the bell in the butler¡¯s hand suddenly began ringing of its own ord. The guards standing before the door stepped forward as they prepared to open the path up. ¡°Lord Roel, please enter.¡± After saying those words, the two guards slowly opened the several meters high doors. At the same time, a brilliant light reminiscent of an angel¡¯s glow shone from the top of the door, creating a spectacr yet solemn light show. Feathers began scattering all over the room, leaving Roel feeling a little overwhelmed. Light show? Feathers? What the hell is going on? Did I win the lottery or something? This is excessive! Roel was shocked by this overly mboyant entrance, but little did he know that it was just the beginning. Resounding pping and cheering roared loudly within the hall. There were far more people than he had expected¡ªjust those moving by the sides of the crimson carpet already numbered over a hundred. What the hell is this? How is this ¡®we only invited a couple of nobles of the royal court¡¯? Roel stared at the unexpectedly magnificent scene before him, dumbfounded, as he remembered the words Prince Kane had ryed to Carter previously. There had to be over a thousand people gathered here! Was there a need to make it so excessive? What Roel didn¡¯t know was that the Holy Eminence had specially ordered to make this protector ceremony grander than usual. For this purpose, they specially gave a break to departments of the government, be it the officials or the soldiers, so that those who were usually busy like Carter could make it today. That being said, it should be noted that one needed to have a minimum rank in order to enter the Saint Seshur Hall, which severely restricted the number of people present. Otherwise, given all of the rumors surrounding Roel and Nora, the sheer number of people who would rush down to watch themotion would probably be enough to fill the square before the Saint Faron Church. This is insane! Even though Roel was overwhelmed by the situation, he made sure to maintain a dignified appearance before the crowd. After going through all sorts of life-and-death situations back during the Witness State, was there anything that could scare him anymore? Heck, I have even traded blows with Wade Xeclyde before! My dder can at least hold on against something of this level! Roel took in a deep breath before he began making his way forward. His recent breakthrough to Origin Level 5 allowed him to stand more confidently and withposure, plus the Crown Origin Attribute bestowed him with a unique air of nobility that stood out even amongst the powerful crowd gathered here. Under the witness of over a thousand nobles, knights, militarymanders, and officials, he began walking down the path of glory. He carried a faint smile, and his eyes were deep and unwavering. Despite his solemn air, he didn¡¯t appear cold. Without a doubt, Roel¡¯s ability to control his expressions had grown yet again. His natural dashing looks, paired with the Sorofyas¡¯ cosmetics, caused a huge stir amongst the crowd as soon as he made his appearance. Many of those who were seeing him for the first time were quickly won over by his looks. ¡°I feel like he¡¯s a good match with Her Highness.¡± ¡°Those from the Ascart House really have good genes.¡± The adults discussed quietly amongst themselves, while those of Roel¡¯s age directed looks of envy and excitement toward him. Meanwhile, Roel continued walking forward, proceeding toward where Nora stood. The throne that was usually ced at the end of the hall had been reced with a long ceremonial sword¡ªSaint King¡¯s de. It was the personal sword that was used by the founding emperor of the Theocracy, and it had been mainly used in ceremonies since then. This was the sword that had been used to confer the Five Eminent Noble Houses, Ponte, and Carter. On this very day, its youngest ever wielder would be using it to confer the youngest ever conferred. Nora, who was standing before the long sword, looked like a true angel. Little beads of light that floated around her highlighted the purity of the white gown she wore, and her garb waspleted by a golden crown that sat atop her head. Looking at the smiling Nora at the end of the path, Roel found himself awestruck for a moment. If Alicia¡¯s beauty was described as an impactful one that could stop one¡¯s heart short, Nora¡¯s beauty would be one of elegance and grandeur, reminiscent of an untouchable being that mortals dared not to approach. Did I really hug such a girl before? Recalling how she had once leaned against his body during their time at the monastery, Roel felt like everything was a little unreal. He did his best to curb his leaping heart as he calmly made his way toward Nora. Gradually, the apuse andmotion quietened down as everyone knew that the highlight of the show wasing. Nora turned around and respectfully retrieved the Saint King¡¯s de. Roel implicitly understood what he needed to do, so he took one step forward and prepared to lower a knee onto the ground before Nora. This was the standard position meritorious subjects in the Theocracy would take before their liege in a conferment ceremony. The Saint King¡¯s de would then be ced on his shoulder, and the two of them would speak their vows. Unexpectedly, just as Roel was about to lower his knee, a hint of difort flickered across Nora¡¯s eyes. After a quick moment of thought, Nora stepped forward to pull him up. ¡°You need not kneel.¡± Such simple words they were, yet a massivemotion they brought about. Chapter 116: The Second Ability

Chapter 116: The Second Ability

Roel was also stunned when Nora stretched her hand out to him and told him not to kneel. It was normal for nobles not to kneel before the royal family in this world. You could think of the royal family as being more like the biggest noble house in the country, the leader of the circle of nobility. They were, by no means, the masters of the nobles, so the nobles didn¡¯t have to lower themselves and act too deferentially in the presence of royalty. Ceremonies, however, were an exception to the rule. In such a setting, the act of kneeling was more or less just heeding ancient traditions that had been passed down through the ages. ¡°You need not kneel.¡± Roel raised his head upon hearing those words, and he found himself met with Nora¡¯s sentimental eyes. He hesitated for a moment before rising to stand steadily upon his two feet, straightening his back. As he stood back up, the disturbance from the crowd crescendoed to a peak. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did he stand up once more?¡± ¡°Her Highness asked him to stand up.¡± ¡°Is that true? What¡¯s going on here?¡± Such a sight had never happened before, so it was understandable why the guests were taken aback, possibly distraught even. Some said that this conferment was different from the usual, whereas some said that the royal family had changed the conventions. There were even some who went to the extent of specting that Nora was intending to turn this into a wedding ceremony at the veryst moment. The crowd was shocked by the scene, but little did they know that the ones who were truly shaken were the royal family and the officials working to facilitate the ceremony. In the first row of the spectator stand, Prince Kane frowned upon seeing Nora messing around with the ceremony. He turned to the person beside him, Holy Eminence John, and asked. ¡°Father, isn¡¯t what Nora is doing right now inappropriate?¡± ¡°Inappropriate? How so?¡± The white-haired old man blinked his eyes innocently, as if he couldn¡¯t understand what his son was driving at. Prince Kane nced at the spectacle in front of him and remarked. ¡°It¡¯s an extremely disrespectful breach of the ancestors¡¯ conventions. With established formalities now breached, it¡¯ll be hard to proceed with the ceremony.¡± John slowly turned his eyes to look at his own son, allowing the disdain he felt to show fully on his face. To hell with your established formalities. Can¡¯t you tell that your daughter is currently flirting with the boy she likes? That¡¯s the goal of holding this protector ceremony in the first ce, but you can¡¯t even tell that much? Back in those days, I, John Xeclyde, was known as the Saint Mesit¡¯s Romance Sage, yet how in the world did I have a blockhead of a son like you? Thank god my granddaughter takes after me instead of you! ¡°I finally understand why a prince like you needed me to choose a wife for you back then.¡± ¡°Ah? Why are you talking about this all of a sudden?¡± The abrupt jab from his father left Kane feeling a little dumbfounded, and John couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin it to him either. The old man looked at Nora as he nodded slightly to express his support. Following that, he turned to the rites official handling the ceremony and said. ¡°If I recall correctly, the alliance ceremony doesn¡¯t require the conferred to kneel. Let¡¯s go with that then.¡± Nora heard John¡¯s instruction and heaved a sigh of relief. On the other hand, looking at the massivemotion urring all around, Roel couldn¡¯t help but ask her. ¡°You don¡¯t have a n in mind for this?¡± ¡°You can say so. I changed my mind in the spur of the moment,¡± replied Nora with a chuckle. She was seemingly surprised by her own whimsical action too. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if I just have to kneel down for a moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy if you choose to kneel to me when we¡¯re all alone, but let¡¯s spare that for now since we have an audience. I¡¯m not interested in having the person I like worship me.¡± The overly forceful straight ball smashed right through the windows of Roel¡¯s heart, making it thump wildly. Even hisposed breathing was nearly messed up. Looking intently at Nora, who had ced the Saint King¡¯s de to the side under the orders of the rites official, he felt an inexplicable sensation tickling his heart. ¡°Your Highness, an alliance ceremony needs to be solemnized by a token. Would Ascendwing be appropriate for you?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s proceed with that.¡± Nora agreed with the suggestion of the rites official. Ascendwing was bathed with both of their blood, and it provided the impetus for the two of them to tighten their bond. There was indeed no token more appropriate than this for the ceremony. After the briefmotion, the hall returned to an anticipatory silence. Under everyone¡¯s eyes, Nora raised a white feather-shaped short sword and infused her mana into it. A brilliant light shone from the relic and embraced the two of them. Holy weapons contained a will of their own, and it was instinctual for them to protect their masters. With both of Ascendwing¡¯s masters present at the scene, it began trembling excitedly, almost like a child standing before its parents. It pulsated with an air of holiness, as if it had a life of its own, casting a halo of divinity around the Saint Seshur Hall that made it look reminiscent of the heavenly ne. Gasps of astonishment could be heard amongst the crowd. Holy Eminence John exchanged gazes with Prince Kane as they felt their bloodline power reacting to the waves of holiness sweeping past their bodies. This bizarre feeling clearly wasn¡¯t a normal reaction from Ascendwing. The one who felt this reaction the most, however, was Nora herself. She felt her own body heating up in response to the sword in her hand, and a feeling of euphoria gripped her soul. Looking at the ck-haired boy standing before her, she recalled all of the experiences they had been through together, and her truest sentiments manifested in the form of a vow. ¡°I, Nora Xeclyde, shall represent the Xeclydes in fulfilling the ancient promise by ensuring the safety of the offspring of the Ascart House. ¡°Roel Ascart, I shall protect and care for you. I shall be your guardian. Until youe of age, any acts of aggression directed toward you will be viewed as an act to undermine the authority and honor of the Xeclydes. ¡°I¡¯m willing to follow the footsteps of my predecessors to carry out this ancient promise. Are you willing to ept my grace?¡± These were the words Nora uttered under the radiance of the holy light. A glimmer twinkled in her sapphire eyes as she looked at Roel with unprecedented tenderness. It left Roel taken aback for a moment, but he quickly recovered right after. ¡°I, Roel Ascart, shall represent the Ascarts as the beneficiary of the ancient promise and ept the grace of the Xeclydes. ¡°During the course of this promise, I¡¯ll do my best to cooperate with my guardian. I shall trust and rely on her to tide through difficult times together.¡± As Roel spoke his vow, the confusion had already vanished from his golden pupils. Nora¡¯s lips inched upward in satisfaction upon hearing his words, and she reached out to entrust Ascendwing into his hands. To their astonishment, in the moment that both of their hands were in contact with Ascendwing, a resounding trill echoed from the holy weapon. Both Roel and Nora widened their eyes together as they felt an astounding amount of power flowing into their bodies through their arms. A pir of holy light shrouding the two of them as it rose all the way to the tall ceiling of the hall, which stood several meters above them. Screams echoed from the crowd, but the surroundings didn¡¯t descend into chaos. This was because nothing fell from the sky. The condensation of magic power pierced all the way to the clouds, reducing everything standing in its way to dust. This outburst of powersted for ten frightening seconds, rming all the transcendents present. Holy Eminence John, Prince Kane, Carter, and everyone else could sense an ancient yet pure auraing from the power. This was the power of the Twelve Wings, a set of artifacts originating from the Second Epoch. After the ten seconds were up, everything dissipated into sparks of light that rained down from the sky, filling the hall. What appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes were two saints standing face-to-face on both sides of Ascendwing. Both the golden-haired girl and the ck-haired boy had wings behind their backs. These wings of light should have been an exclusive domain of those who carried the Angel¡¯s Bloodline, yet it was appearing on the back of a non-Xeclyde. ¡°How could this be possible?¡± eximed Prince Kane in astonishment as he rose to his feet. Holy Eminence John also widened his eyes at the sight too. He moved his gaze downward toward the short sword the two of them were holding in their hands. At the front of the hall, Roel and Nora opened their eyes simultaneously and immediately noticed this mystical phenomenon urring to them. ¡°Roel, your back!¡± ¡°I feel it too. This is...¡± Is this the new ability of Ascendwing? Roel could clearly feel something extending out from his back, but it felt almost intangible, somewhat like a phantom limb. He turned to his System and found that there were indeed some updates about Ascendwing. ¡¾Inteced Wings The fusion of bloodlines induces an exchange of gifts. Just like how wings only work in pairs, one wouldn¡¯t do without the other.¡¿ ¡¾Angel¡¯s Gift Recovers injuries to a certain extent and dispels negative statuses. Bestows the user with luck and grants him temporary flight ability.¡¿ ¡¾Crown¡¯s Bestowment Once every 7 natural days, you¡¯ll be able to project a hologram to the linked pair. Once every 70 natural days, you¡¯ll be able to transfer a spell over to the linked pair. Once every 700 natural days, you¡¯ll be able to project an avatar that shares the same abilities as the original body to the linked pair. The transferred spell can be of any nature, be it offensive, defensive, or recovery. Any damage dealt to the avatar will be transferred to the main body too.¡¿ It took Roel a long while before he finally understood the long string of abilities he had just grasped, and it swiftly became apparent to him how powerful the second ability of Ascendwing, Inteced Wings, was. Its greatest strength was that it contained two separate spells without an increment in the cost! By the rules of Inteced Wings, Angel¡¯s Gift was an exclusive skill to Roel whereas Crown¡¯s Bestowment was an exclusive skill to Nora. However, if he were to look deeper into it, the skill ¡®Crown¡¯s Bestowment¡¯, was to hisplete advantage too. The first effect of being able to project a hologram to Roel¡¯s side was nothing much, basically simr to holding a video conference call once every week. The second effect, however, was another matter. That would mean that Roel could borrow a spell from Nora almost every other month. It might not sound like anything much at the moment, but that was only because Nora hadn¡¯t fully matured yet. Once she maxed out her level, her overwhelming strength would be more than enough to obliterate any enemy! As for thest effect of being able to project an avatar once every two years, the skill should be simr to how he summoned Grandar in order to deal with Wade back then. In a sense, the huge skeleton he summoned wasn¡¯t really Grandar himself but an avatar created out of his mana, and the effect of this skill was probably simr to that. It was just that this time, the avatar would be that of Nora. All in all, Crown¡¯s Bestowment was a spell that fully benefited Roel. As for the spell he had received, Angel¡¯s Gift, its effects of being able to heal injuries and recover from negative statuses was definitely an invaluable aid too. Roel was the type of person who would either not fight at all or go all out to destroy his opponent, regardless of the cost. Given his tenacious fighting style, Angel¡¯s Gift could possibly keep his health bar up during critical moments. ¡°Nora, this ability...¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve noticed it too.¡± ¡°My apologies. It doesn¡¯t seem to be useful to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Twelve Wings incubate their abilities based on the wishes of their wielders. The ability you see is the manifestation of my will to protect you.¡± Roel¡¯s heart trembled upon hearing Nora¡¯s words. He was deeply thankful to her. However, what he didn¡¯t know was that while the spell was the manifestation of Nora¡¯s wish, her wish was intermixed with some of her own selfish desires too. When she saw the first effect of Crown¡¯s Bestowment, her lips curled into a gentle smile. How wonderful. I¡¯ll be able to check on him regrly now. Chapter 117: Alicia, Forget It

Chapter 117: Alicia, Forget It

Ever since she realized her feelings for Roel, there had been one problem that was guing Nora¡ªif they were to really get together, they were likely to be in a long-distance rtionship. She was extremely busy with her responsibilities as the Theocracy¡¯s princess and her work over at the Knight Orders. This resulted in her frequently being stuck at either the Holy Capital or the Knight Orders. On the other hand, Roel, as the sessor of the Ascart House, had to stay in the Ascart Fiefdom. A very obvious problem arose from this. The wise sages of the past had once said ¡®those who kill should be prepared to be killed¡¯, and Nora believed that this idiom could be extended toward thievery too. She was well aware that she was attempting to steal Roel from Alicia¡¯s side, and this realization made her even warier of others attempting to do the same. Furthermore... Nora shot a look at Roel¡¯s face, which was further entuated by the perfect lighting created by the pair of wings behind him, and her heart started beating faster and faster. Roel had the kind of face that would attract unnecessary attention from the opposite sex, and the fact that he had an unbelievably adorable adopted sister by his side only worsened her situation. She would have to be a fool to put down her guard in such a situation! Knowing that you have to guard against a thief is the easy part, the hard part is figuring how you should go about doing that. Even with Nora¡¯s confidence, she didn¡¯t think that she could send out sparks telepathically from a long distance away. Her solution came unexpectedly from Crown¡¯s Bestowment. She couldn¡¯t care less about thetter two spells, but the first spell brought a twinkle to her eyes. Just a slight switch in perspective, and the spell Roel was the least concerned with turned out to be the one she was the most fond of. Through the first effect of Crown¡¯s Bestowment, she would be able to project a hologram and meet Roel once every 7 days. Factoring in that she could drop by Ascart Manor whenever she was traveling between the Holy Capital and the Knight Orders, there was a good chance that she could meet him five times in a month! Five times! That was way more than the frequency of their meetings over the past few months! As the future empress, Nora¡¯s marriage was bound to have rippling effects throughout the Theocracy, which meant that her engagement and marriage had to be carefully nned out in order to avoid any instability. It was likely to take several years before she could officially propose to Roel. In other words, she just had to make sure to keep a close eye on him for the next few years. These thoughts only widened the smile on Little Miss Angel¡¯s face. She looked at Roel, who was clearly feeling deeply moved about this matter, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilty about it... though her guilt was overshadowed by her surging excitement and desires. This sure is... Ahh, that expression of deep trust, carrying not a sliver of doubt toward me at all. He¡¯s an adorable little pet that I just can¡¯t help but want to bully. Nora¡¯s face swiftly flushed red. She knew that she couldn¡¯t pull Roel into her embrace in front of so many eyes, so she could only do her best to control herself. It was fortunate that the uproar urring in the hall had deafened out her slightly heavy breathing, so Roel wasn¡¯t able to sense the anomaly in her condition. ¡°Look at the two of them! There are wings of light on their backs!¡± ¡°O¡¯ great Sia, what¡¯s going on here?¡± Two little angels, who had unfurled their wings of light, were emanating pure white sparks that looked reminiscent of little fireflies. This supernatural scene made everyone present realize that they were witnessing an incredible sight that could very well go down in history! The crowds trembled in excitement as they tried to fathom what was going on. Some of those who enjoyed drama even spected that Roel might be an illegitimate child of the royal family. In the first row of the crowd, Marquess Carter, looking at Ascendwing, could already pretty much figure out what was going on. However, before he could think of a way to ry the information to the crowd, Holy Eminence John had already stood up and begun spouting nonsense. ¡°Everyone, this is a blessing from Sia!¡± Those words left Carter utterly dumbfounded. He quickly turned to the front of the hall, only to see that Roel was equally stunned too. John showed none of the diposure that someone who just spouted a huge lie before more than a thousand people should have. Instead, he maintained a ¡®holier than thou¡¯ expression as he pointed to the two children standing at the forefront of the hall and dered powerfully. ¡°This is a gift from Sia. The great Goddess of Creation has acknowledged their vows and blessed them! She¡¯s decreeing for us to look after these two children, so that they won¡¯t lose their innocence and purity.¡± Holy Eminence John¡¯s interpretation of the phenomenon had stirred a hugemotion. The devout believers of the Genesis Goddess Church immediately kneeled upon the floor and bowed down in reverence. The teenage girls witnessing this romantic moment began to scream in excitement. It was truly a huge mess. Everyone¡¯s emotions were running wild. Carter stared at the chaos happening all around in bewilderment. In the end, he could only attribute it to John making use of this phenomenon to further raise the prestige of the church. He shot a nce at the silver-haired girl beside him, who had been staring at Nora wordlessly ever since entering the venue, and he found himself sighing deeply once more. Had it been anyone else spouting such nonsense, Carter would have surely stood up to refute those words for Alicia, but this was Holy Eminence John they were talking about here, the emperor of the Saint Mesit Theocracy! There were also others present who could tell that it was utter nonsense too, but none dared to challenge his statement. I¡¯m sorry, Alicia. We can only swallow this down. Carter shook his head as he made up his mind to lend a helping hand to Alicia in the future to equal the ying field. There was nothing they could do here¡ªthey were on the enemy¡¯s turf, after all. However, things would be different once they returned to the Ascart Fiefdom. No matter how formidable Nora may be, she couldn¡¯t possibly chase Roel all the way back to his home, right? Carter chuckled wryly to himself before turning his gaze back to the forefront of the hall. By then, the rite hade to an end, and the holy sound of church music began to y. With the majority of the crowd still immersed in the phenomenon that had urred earlier, the atmosphere in the church crescendoed to a new peak under the influence of the music. Holy Eminence John personally walked up to the front of the hall to lead the two children down. The servants quickly rushed forward to fix the roof. Carter and Alicia stepped forward to receive Roel. The muddle-headed Kane also finally snapped out of his daze to head in front to check on his daughter¡¯s condition too. And following right behind him was the excited, swarming crowd. What came afterward was a grueling period for Roel. For the first time in his life, he got to experience what it was like to be viewed as an auspicious omen that everyone just wanted a touch of. ¡°Young master Roel, I am the vice chancellor of the Holy Capital¡¯s Tax Bureau, George. May I shake hands with you?¡± ¡°Me too! Please shake hands with me as well. I¡¯m the vice chief of the Internal Security Division, Sanders.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cut queue!¡± The crowd rushed forward to form two long queues that stretched like coiling dragons in order to greet the two stars of the show as soon as the ceremony ended. The nobles and officials, who were well-versed in etiquette, would have never done something as ungracious and impolite as queuing up, for the act of queuing was equivalent to urging those ahead of themselves to hurry up. The nobles¡¯ way was to find an opportunity after the one ahead of them had finished their greeting to elegantly step in and take their position. However, manners were the least of everyone¡¯s concern at the moment. The Holy Eminence himself had mentioned that this was a blessing from Sia, a divine omen from the Goddess of Creation herself! Simr to how people queued up in front of temples right before the new year, fearing that their blessings would be lessened the longer they strayed from the auspicious timing, Roel¡¯s wings of light were also slowly dimming at a visible rate as well. They knew that they would regret it for life if they missed the opportunity to share the auspicious omen if they allowed their manners and etiquette to hold them back! Despite the countless pairs of hands that wanted to get a touch of him, Roel was surprisingly able to maintain perfect manners. Not only so, he even made sure to take care of everyone present to the best of his abilities. His kindness and magnanimity touched all of the guests present. Humble, well-mannered, magnanimous, and amicable, it¡¯s no wonder why Sia would offer her blessings to him. This is truly a wonderful child! This was what the adults were thinking, and their feelings were properly ryed to Roel too. (Affection Points +50!)(Affection Points +100!)(Affection Points + 70!) ... Yes yes, everyone will get a share of it! No worries! Roel cated the agitated crowd as he gazed upon the brilliant field of lush green before him in wonderment. He felt like a satisfied farmer harvesting all of the beautiful crops before him. As expected of nobles, they sure are generous with their affection! Ahh, this is so much better than what I harvestedst autumn! Roel happily shook hand after hand, treating everyone with equal earnestness. His gracious attitude made some of the lower-ranking officials and nobles feel deeply moved, resulting in their heads sprouting with green again and again. The inflow of Affection Points was so great that Roel wondered if he should try shaking legs with them as well! On the other hand, Nora had it much easier. Her royal body disallowed men from approaching her carelessly, and even the noblewomen dared not overstep their boundaries too. ¡°Your Highness, may I have the honor of shaking hands with you?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± ¡°Thank you, really thank you! I¡¯ll pray for both your happiness!¡± After shaking Nora¡¯s hands, the noblewoman offered her blessings before leaving with a fulfilled smile. The well wishes made Nora¡¯s face turn red, and she turned away to look at the still hard-at-work Roel. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder why the ck-haired boy was so enthusiastic about this. Checking out Roel was one thing, but the bulk of her attention was still centered on the crowd. With just a quick nce, she could already identify quite a few young women with blushing faces standing in the queue. Hmph, I knew it. There are indeed those who are trying to take advantage of this situation to get to him. Daughters of nobles and officials, huh? It matters not, they pose no threat to me at all. Nora could clearly see the looks of infatuation on the faces of those young women, but that hardly fazed her at all. That was because she knew that it was impossible for them to seed. Their parents wouldn¡¯t even allow them to get close to Roel, especially not when the Xeclydes were their direct superiors. The ones she had to be wary of were nobles that weren¡¯t directly subordinate to the royal court. Those that had a fief of their own weren¡¯t as vulnerable nor as dependent on the royal family, so it wouldn¡¯t be as easy for the Xeclydes to assert pressure on them. On the contrary, they might even get a thrill out of ¡®getting together with the man favored by the princess¡¯. As much as the circle of nobility despised women who seduced powerful, attached men, there were still many who took pride from it as it indirectly affirmed their charms. This was a culture that had been guing the circle of nobility for a long, long time. Still, Nora was quite confident in herself. Be it in terms of figure, appearance, strength, or background, there were only a select few who could stand on equal grounds with her. How much of a coincidence would it take for them to fancy Roel as well? Nora thought about this while chatting and shaking hands with the noblewomen, and gradually, she found her mood lightening considerably. It was then that she suddenly found herself faced with someone she hadn¡¯t expected to meet in the queue. It was a silver-haired, crimson-eyed girl who looked almost as if she had walked out of a fairy tale. With her usual cold expression, she walked up to Nora with light footsteps. A slightmotion could be heard from those gathered around. ¡°How beautiful!¡± ¡°Which house is she from?¡± The sight of this girl caused Nora¡¯s smile to gradually fade as she uttered a name that could have been a greeting or just a subconscious whim. ¡°Alicia.¡± Chapter 118: Unexpected Twist of Events

Chapter 118: Unexpected Twist of Events

While Roel was still delightfully greeting each and every noble and official walking up to him, not too far away from him, a silent fuse had been ignited. Two young beauties were currently standing face-to-face. Neither spoke a word, but just the chilly atmosphere that floated between them was enough for some of the keener viewers to notice that something was wrong. The noblewomen present began sharing their intelligence with one another. Quite a few of them had seen Alicia during Nora¡¯s birthday banquet, so it didn¡¯t take long for the identity of the silver-haired, crimson-eyed girl to be known by everyone. ¡°That child is Lord Roel¡¯s adopted sister? Doesn¡¯t that mean that...¡± ¡°Shh! Don¡¯t speak of things that aren¡¯t verified yet.¡± ¡°What more is there to verify? Look at the atmosphere there! It¡¯s clear that Her Highness¡¯s good times have just hit a stumbling block.¡± A passion for drama burned innately in the hearts of all humans, regardless of which world one was in. The onlookers waited with bated breaths for the promised sh between the two duelists who had now crossed paths with one another. They were dying with curiosity to know who would emerge victorious. Carter also only just noticed the two girls standoff. In order not to get caught up in this mess, he quickly rushed over to where Holy Eminence John and a few other top nobles and officials were gathering and started chatting with them. ¡°Alicia, hurry up and get straight to the point. Time is precious. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he were to see this.¡± Nora shot a nce at Roel, who was still busy dealing with the nobles and officials approaching him. She always felt a little stifled whenever she had to deal with Alicia. Alicia¡¯s identity as Roel¡¯s adopted sister came with disadvantages. It made it difficult for Roel to discern between kinship and romantic love, thus making it extremely difficult for her to advance their rtionship any further. However, her significant importance to Roel also made it difficult for rivals to deal with her. Anyone who wanted to approach Roel couldn¡¯t afford to fall out with her. How much did Roel dote on Alicia? Nora felt that she had already gotten a good grasp of it thest few times she had visited Roel. In brief, her position in Roel¡¯s heart was unshakable. This, in turn, meant that Nora couldn¡¯t afford to make any obvious moves against Alicia. The idea that marriage was just about two partners was nothing more than naivety. Most people wouldn¡¯t want to bring in a spouse that was at loggerheads with their family, unless they were prepared to go to the extent of severing ties with their family. Nora had no idea whether Roel would ever go to such an extent for her, but she had no intention of putting it to the test. She was already on the verge of catching her prey, and she didn¡¯t want any unnecessaryplications to ur at this timing. She stared at Alicia¡¯s red eyes intently, a little afraid that thetter would blow things up. It wouldn¡¯t look good on either of them if Roel got involved in this matter too, especially now that they were in public. However, as it turned out, her worry was unfounded. ¡°Greetings to Your Highness. Please be assured that I do not have any particr intention here; I just wish to greet you. It wouldn¡¯t be a cause of concern even if Lord Brother sees us together here.¡± ¡°If your intention is to greet me, I¡¯d be more than delighted to have you around. It¡¯s not to any of our advantage for our rtionship to get too awkward.¡± ¡°Please do not worry. I¡¯m appreciative of the things Your Highness is doing to protect Lord Brother, and I have no intention of making things difficult for you. After all, Lord Brother¡¯s safety takes precedence over everything else.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Nora¡¯s expression softened a little after hearing Alicia¡¯s words. She suddenly felt that it was not without reason that Roel doted on her. This child was able to distinguish between what was important and what was not, and she didn¡¯t allow her own personal emotions to get in the way of important matters. Even though Roel might appear to be in safe hands at the moment, in truth, there were still plenty of threats lingering around him. The incident with the Mythril Priory was a perfect example. On top of that, John had mentioned that members of the Ascart House who had awoken their hereditary bloodline tended to be short-lived, dying prematurely before their time. It was almost as if they were cursed; Nora couldn¡¯t help but be deeply worried. ¡°It looks like you value him quite a bit.¡± ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t bear the thought of any harming to Lord Brother.¡± The silver-haired girl ced a small hand over her heart, and the frost on her face melted to reveal a smile. It was a warm smile that vanished within moments, but its beauty was not lost upon the onlookers, who felt their hearts skipping a beat. ¡°I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s a bad thing to have you protect him in my ce before I am strong enough to do so myself.¡± ¡°Before you are strong enough to do so yourself? You sure do speak big words. Do you think that you can surpass... Wait a moment.¡± Halfway through her words, Nora¡¯s sapphire pupils suddenly widened a little. She assessed the silver-haired girl standing before her for a short moment, and astonishment flickered across her features. This feeling... She¡¯s already on the verge of reaching Origin Level 5! How can this be possible? Nora had met Alicia during her birthday banquet, and thetter was still a powerless little girl back then. Yet, in the short span of two months, the powerless little girl was already on the verge of acquiring her own Origin Attribute? This frightening realization made goosebumps rise all over Nora¡¯s body as her wariness toward Alicia grew to an unprecedented high. She reassessed the little girl who dared to challenge her with narrowed eyes, but this time around, she felt warning bells ringing in her head. ¡°When ites to protecting Lord Brother, the responsibility should go to whoever is better at it. Don¡¯t you agree with what I said, Your Highness?¡± ¡°It looks like I¡¯m being underestimated here.¡± Noraughed softly to herself before she stepped forward with a smile on her face. She wasn¡¯t using any of her transcendent powers, yet her disposition suddenly became incredibly domineering. ¡°You wish to rece me? Try it then. I shall let you know the disparity between us.¡± The two of them looked at one another with mes burning silently in their hearts. Alicia had a target that she wanted to surpass, and Nora was rmed by thepetitor who was threatening to overtake her. Just like that, the rivalry between two of the most outstanding girls in the Theocracy was sparked over a boy who was oblivious to it all. As a result, three distinct crowds were formed in the hall. The first was Roel¡¯s, who was still happily offering well wishes to the swarming crowd who were dying to shake his hand. The next was Nora and Alicia¡¯s, who were standing unyieldingly before an audience of hordes of noblewomen. The final one was Carter¡¯s, who was chatting passionately with John about the dilemmas faced in raising a child, hoping to stall for time. Fortunately, John seemed to be rather pleased with himself for having helped his granddaughter score a goal, and in view of the fact that they could be inws in a few years, he was interested in deepening his rtionship with Carter too. Overall, it was still quite a warm and heartening atmosphere, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯tst till the very end. It was around an hour after the rite ended, and Roel¡¯s wings of light were on the verge of vanishing. Just as Roel was finishing up hisst few handshakes, a guard suddenly rushed into the room and headed over to Carter and Kane¡¯s side. This abrupt situation didn¡¯t really cause much of amotion as the star of the show was Nora, and the highest-ranked individual in the room was John. As a result, the attention on Kane was greatly reduced. Carter initially didn¡¯t pay too much heed to Kane being called away, but when thetter returned with a grave expression on his face and halted all greetings to request for a private conversation with Holy Eminence John, he knew that something major must have happened. John¡¯s face remained perfectly impassive during the private conversation with his son, making it nigh impossible to figure out what was going on, but some of those who were more attentive noticed a slight fluctuation in his mana for an instant. Several minutester, after the discussions between Prince Kane and Holy Eminence John came to an end, the former walked back to the crowd and dragged Carter and a few other top brass of the Knight Orders to the side to hold a quick meeting. Putting Kane aside, Carter, as the patriarch of the Ascart House, was considered as half a star of the show. The new disturbance that was urring was swiftly noticed by the crowd, and some of the more keen-eyed nobles and officials began observing the situation closely. However, those who had watched Holy Eminence John only saw a nonchnt expression on his face the whole time, so it felt as if what he had discussed with Kane earlier was unworthy of mention. In the end, Roel didn¡¯t notice the confrontation between Nora and Alicia. Shortly after Alicia finished greeting Nora, she was surrounded by the young female nobles under the Ascart House¡¯s umbre, blocking off any prying eyes and preventing anyone from messing with her. Being of a simr age group, they soon found amon topic and began chatting merrily with one another. Meanwhile, Nora continued epting the greetings of the noblewomen one after another. ... ¡°Mister Carmen, I didn¡¯t expect to see you here too. I¡¯m really grateful for your assistance not too long ago.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too kind. Lord Roel, you¡¯re the one who helped me here. I knew that I couldn¡¯t have seen it wrongly. You¡¯re truly a perfect match with Her Highness Nora!¡± ¡°Ah, this... Hahaha.¡± Roel shook Carmen¡¯s plump hands as he followed the usual convention of nobles¡ªwhen in doubt on how to answer, just carry the topic across with a peal of heartyughter. The Holy Capital¡¯s Royal Library was thergest historical archive in the Theocracy, making it an extremely important ce for Roel. While Carmen¡¯s position as the head librarian wasn¡¯t too high, getting on his good side would make things much more convenient for him in the future. And more importantly... (Affection Points +80!) Oh my, look at how generous he is with his Affection Points! How could I ever dislike a person like this? ¡°Mister Carmen, I am personally quite interested in history, so I¡¯ll probably be dropping by your ce quite often in the future.¡± ¡°Lord Roel, the Royal Library would be honored to have you there! Just send a messenger over beforehand, and I¡¯ll make sure to have the librarians gather all of the records you require and prepare the best environment for your browsing.¡± Roel was quite delighted by Carmen¡¯s response. Just from that in itself, he should be able to continue freeloading off the royal library¡¯s VIP Reading Lounge in the future. He continued chatting a while longer with the librarian before offering him Sia¡¯s blessings and bidding farewell. By then, the wings of light behind Roel had finally vanishedpletely. Making use of the opportunity, Roel halted this fanmeet handshake event and quickly left through the side door to head for the washroom. As delighted as he was from all of the Affection Points he had earned over the past hour or so, he had ended up ruing quite a bit of distress in his dder. After quickly relieving himself, he proceeded to wash his face. Staring at his reflection in the mirror, he exhaled deeply. So far, the ceremony had proceeded almost perfectly. The atmosphere was great, and many of the officials and nobles were making use of the opportunity to request visits while dropping hints at possibilities of coboration. Other than the huge hole in the roof, one could say that the ceremony had achieved its intended oue. ¡°The ceremony should officially end soon. Guess I should head over to father and Alicia¡¯s side and camp it out,¡± muttered Roel to himself as he straightened his body and began making his way out of the washroom. Unexpectedly, as soon as he was about to step back into the hall, he found himself bumping right into Carter. ¡°Hm? Father, were you waiting for me here?¡± ¡°Roel? No, I just happened to be discussing something with His Highness Kane here earlier. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll give you a heads up first.¡± The coincidental meeting with his son seemed to have sparked some thoughts in Carter¡¯s mind. He pulled Roel to one side and fell silent for a short while. His expression slowly turned grave before he spoke in a solemn tone. ¡°I might not be able to return anymore.¡± Chapter 119: He Needs Me the Most

Chapter 119: He Needs Me the Most

¡°You might not be able to return? Father, what do you mean?¡± Roel paused briefly before inquiring further. Clearly, he was having difficulty grasping the meaning of his father¡¯s message. What a grim atmosphere this is! It sounds almost like the negotiations between two yakuzas breaking down. Then one of them goes something like ¡®Hah, you won¡¯t be making it out of here alive then!¡¯ kind of feeling. What is going on? Has the royal family arranged for 300 archers to camp outside the doors and will turn us into porcupines as soon as we walk out? But, that doesn¡¯t make sense... It was probably because Carter noticed the weird looks Roel was directing toward him that he quickly supplemented his words. ¡°It¡¯s work. Some urgent matters cropped up, so I won¡¯t be able to return home with you. That¡¯s what I mean.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what you mean! Father, can you stop scaring me? I have a weak heart... Wait a moment, you just received the news?¡± ¡°Yes. His Highness Kane just informed the top brass of the Knight Orders of the matter. It¡¯s likely that all of the military officers will be asked to stay back after the banquet.¡± Carter sighed in deep worry, clearly brooding over something. His reaction made Roel realize that trouble hade. They were in the midst of a banquet starring both Nora and the Ascart House, and the venue used was the prestigious Saint Seshurs Hall too. In terms of scale, this was definitely grander than Nora¡¯s birthday banquet. For an urgent report toe in at a time like this, not to mention that all of the military officers would be asked to stay back to discuss the matter, it would appear that the situation was grim. Roel took a nce back into the hall, and he could easily spot over a hundred people dressed in military uniforms mingling in the hall. It would be a huge deal to get all of them to stay back. ¡°Father, is it convenient for you to tell me what is this about?¡± asked Roel with a hushed voice. Carter visibly hesitated for a moment before sighing deeply once more. ¡°Forget it, you¡¯ll find out about it eventually anyway... We have detected some deviants moving about in the vicinity of the Tark Stronghold.¡± ¡°What?! Dev¡ª¡± Before Roel could voice out his words, Carter had already pressed his hands over his mouth to muffle him. The father and son duo quickly scanned the surroundings, and they heaved sighs of relief after seeing that no one was watching them. ¡°This is a confidential military intelligence. We haven¡¯t announced it out of fear that it could spread fear and panic amongst the popce. Make sure that you don¡¯t let the news leak out as well.¡± ¡°I understand. But still... this matter is way too big.¡± Roel swallowed a mouthful of saliva. From the moment he heard the news, his heart had been pounding nonstop. Discovering the activities of the deviants might seem like nothing much, but anyone who had some basic military knowledge would know the true severity of this matter. One must know that deviants wouldn¡¯t just pop out randomly the way a wild beast would. Finding traces of deviants was as good as a prelude to war. It was either there were no deviants at all, or the entire area was already filled with them. Human migration at the end of the Second Epoch was not like moving from one country to another. It was a mass migration at the level of nations, where the waypoints along their march could be estimated in years. It was only after covering a very, very long distance that they finally arrived at thisnd of peace. Here was the question. If the deviants were to take the same long journey to arrive at the boundaries of the human territory, could they possibly be here for the tour? The more you invested into an undertaking, the greater the returns you hoped to gain from it. This basic principle applied to the deviants too. The appearance of the deviants heralded a period of turmoil. Without a doubt, they will attempt arge-scale assault against the humans. It was only 80 years since thest deviant invasion of West Sia. In this world where travel andmunication were inconvenient, it wasn¡¯t considered to be a very long period of time, so it was odd for them to suddenlyunch another invasion so quickly. ¡°Roel, there¡¯s no need to get too worried yet. While I don¡¯t deny the severity of this matter, things haven¡¯t reached the worst-case scenario yet.¡± Carter patted the tense shoulders of his child as he began exining the situation from his professional military perspective. After hearing Carter¡¯s analysis, Roel¡¯s worries alleviated a little. As it turned out, such situations weremon in history. The two key eastern strongholds of the human territory would face such situations once every few decades. However, they would usually be able to repel the deviants sessfully due to their limited numbers and strength. It was just that the four famous examples of the invasions of West Sia that most people knew about happened to be the times when the stronghold failed to hold back the enemies. ¡°As long as we can hold them back, it¡¯s actually not a big deal at all. We would also hide it from the civilians to avoid unnecessary disturbances. I reckon that the current situation should be something simr to that.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s good.¡± Seeing that Carter was still fairly calm about it all, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. As the son of a military man, it was inevitable that he was concerned that arge-scale war might break out. Thus, he was relieved to hear that things weren¡¯t as dire as he thought. ¡°Alright, you shouldn¡¯t pay too much heed to it. Make sure to control your emotions well. You¡¯re the star of the banquet after all.¡± Carter patted Roel¡¯s shoulder once more before heading back into the hall. On the other hand, Roel had a deeply troubled look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s too hard for me to pretend like I never heard anything...¡± Roel took some time topose himself once more before squeezing a smile back onto his face. He lifted his head and puffed out his chest before walking over in Nora¡¯s direction. She noticed himing, so she headed over to meet up with him too. ¡°Did something happen to Uncle Carter?¡± ¡°Oh? You were able to notice it even from so far away?¡± ¡°Of course. Isn¡¯t it only natural for me to keep an eye out for my partner during a banquet?¡± ¡°As expected of Your Highness. Something did happen, but let¡¯s talk about it after the banquet is over.¡± Nora looked at the clearly brooding Roel, but in the end, she chose not to probe. The two of them headed over to Holy Eminence John¡¯s side together, and Roel spent thest few moments of the banquet chatting with this old man. As soon as they gathered together, John grabbed Roel¡¯s hand and began talking about Nora¡¯s childhood days with him. Perhaps Roel was just thinking too much into it, but John¡¯s chatter about day-to-day matters seemed even more amicable than the first time they met. He couldn¡¯t emphasise it enough, but it really was like talking to a friendly neighborhood grandfather. The old man unhesitatingly spilled Nora¡¯s dark history, making the golden-haired girl fluster quite a bit. ¡°Grandfather, why are you talking about all of this?¡± ¡°Eyy, it¡¯s nothing much at all. Roel is family with us, right?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Looking at the ck-haired boy nodding earnestly in response to his question, the smile on John¡¯s face deepened further. Despite the asional dark history being spilled, the three of them spent their time joyously. Amidst chuckles and light-hearted banter, the banquet finally came to an end. ... At the dining table in the Ascart House¡¯s Labyrinth Vi, Alicia couldn¡¯t help but notice the slight furrow marring the face of the ck-haired boy sitting beside her. It had been several hours since they had returned from the royal pce, but Roel still seemed out of sorts. Naturally, Alicia, whose eyes were always drawn to her older brother, was able to notice the difference right away, and it made her feel a little uneasy. She took a quick nce at her surroundings¡ªthere was nothing about the two rows of maids and servants standing behind them. She moved her eyes to the main seat of the dining table¡ªit was empty. Typically speaking, the trio of the Ascart House should have returned together, but Carter said that it was rare for so many personnel from the military and Knight Orders toe together, so they wanted to hold a post-banquet gathering together. As a result, Roel and Alicia left the banquet hall on their own. Even when they were sitting in the carriageing back, Alicia had already noticed that something was up. Usually, whenever Roel was preupied for the earlier half of the day and couldn¡¯t spare any time for her, he would make up for it in theter half of the day. However, Roel only chatted with her for a short while after climbing into the carriage before looking out the window in a daze, seemingly in quite a gloomy mood. Initially, Alicia thought that Roel was feeling down from having to part with Nora. They were going to return to the Ascart Fiefdom soon, and that would make it much harder for him to meet her. Due to this, Alicia threw a silent tantrum and made a decision to ignore Roel for the rest of the carriage ride. But soon enough, she realized that something else was bothering her Lord Brother. Alicia turned her head back to Roel once more. Thetter appeared to be eating as per usual, but with every mouthful of food he ate, his eyes would, for some reason, dart toward Carter¡¯s empty seat. She had been keeping count throughout dinner, and this was the fifteenth time he had done this. Unless her older brother had awakened to some sort of bizarre fetish, this could only mean that something had happened to their father. Though, what could possibly happen to their father? One must know that their father was the patriarch of the Ascart House, one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses! Unless hemitted a severe crime, even the royal family wouldn¡¯t be able to punish him... Wait a moment, could it be... a stepmother? Alicia expanded the scope of her thoughts, and she recalled all of those noblewomen flocking around Carter earlier during the banquet. The more she thought about this, the more convinced she was about it. Carter mentioned that it was going to be a gathering amongst the military men, but thinking about it, there were actually plenty of opportunities for them to gather together with one another. There was nopelling need for them to hold a gathering on this particr day, especially after the fairly tiring ceremony they had just been through. It can¡¯t be that... Lord Father has gone out to date another woman? Yes, that would exin why big brother Roel has been feeling uneasy all this while but hasn¡¯t done anything yet. But, would Lord Father really do that? To be safe, Alicia thought that it would be best for her to try sounding Roel out. ¡°Lord Brother, are you thinking about Lord Father¡¯s affair?¡± ¡°Hm? Alicia, you know about it too?¡± ¡°Yes, I have a rough idea of the situation.¡± Alicia¡¯s worried eyes left Roel slightly taken aback. He thought that Carter had yet to inform Alicia about the matter, but it seemed like their father was equally candid with both of them. I guess there¡¯s no point hiding this from Alicia since she¡¯ll eventually find out about it anyway. Roel lowered his head in contemtion for a moment, before he put down his soup spoon and sighed deeply. ¡°It all happened too sudden. I¡¯m having difficulties trying toe to terms with it.¡± ¡°I can understand how you feel.¡± Alicia lowered her head mncholically. She had been through the experience of having to get used to new family members, so she could empathize with the confusion Roel felt at the moment. She was fortunate to have encountered someone who doted on her greatly, but the same could not be said about the stepmother they would have if Carter were to remarry. ¡°Lord Brother, it would appear that Lord Father is intending to make a move this time around. Do you support him?¡± ¡°Hah... I can understand where he¡¯sing from, but to be honest, I don¡¯t want him to get involved in it.¡± There were descriptions of the Tark Stronghold in the books. It was located at the border of the human territories, and it was known to be barren and underdeveloped. No matter what, Carter was still a blue blood, so he would suffer a fair bit stationed at a ce like that. But again, there was no disputing that Carter was a military man through and through. All else aside, the invasion of the deviants was a threat to humanity. There was no way Carter would stay put before this. ¡°Hah... I really don¡¯t know what I should do about this...¡± Roel gazed out of the dimming skyline outside as he muttered worriedly to himself. Seeing this, Alicia felt her heart squeezing slightly in pain. Big brother Roel is really pitiful. As charming as Her Highness Nora is, in the end, he still values his family more than anything else. The person he needs the most is me! ¡°Lord Brother, no matter what happens, I¡¯ll never leave your side. Please believe me.¡± Alicia ced her hand on her chest as she looked at Roel with eyes filled with tenderness. Chapter 120: I’ve Got the Power

Chapter 120: I¡¯ve Got the Power

Roel was extremely moved by Alicia¡¯s sentiments. It was no wonder why they always said that a daughter was like a father¡¯s fluffy pillow. Even though Roel was only an older brother, he could thoroughly feel Alicia¡¯s warmth. He pulled her into an embrace and stroked her glistening silver hair. Slowly, he could feel his heart calming down once more. As for Alicia... she only felt that her older brother had a really tough life. Big brother Roel has really gone through too much having to grow up on his own. He lost his mother at a young age, and his father had hardly any time to apany him. His transcendental ability awakened slowly at the start, resulting in many suspecting that he has no talents as a transcendent. It wasn¡¯t easy for the two of us to discover warmth in one another, but the domineering royal family suddenly decided to butt right in. From that old man that schemes with a kind face down to that unreasonable princess, all of them only wish to take advantage of big brother Roel. They are really all a bunch of baddies! Alicia harrumphed indignantly in her mind. It was obvious that she carried great prejudice against the Xeclydes, She felt that her peaceful life with Roel had derailed ever since they met Nora. And, as if life hadn¡¯t been harsh enough on him, he had to face the dilemma of having to ept a stepmother! Just thinking about how tragic Roel¡¯s life was really shattered Alicia¡¯s heart. O¡¯ great Sia, why is this world so vicious to big brother Roel? Alicia¡¯s rose-tinted sses had made Roel out to be the very symbol of perfection. Any difficulties he faced had to be due to either the capriciousness of the world or the schemings of others. Due to such beliefs, her eyes began brimming with tears as she snuggled against Roel in his embrace. ¡°Lord Brother, do you think that Lord Father would listen to our opinions and give up on it?¡± Alicia¡¯s words made Roel jolt a little. He nced at the teary face of the young girl in his embrace, and he suddenly felt a stabbing pain in his heart. I nearly forgot that Alicia¡¯s father died on the battlefield. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to ustom herself to the Ascart House, but our father suddenly has to head to the battlefield again. This matter probably poked at one of the traumas in her heart. Roel was very conflicted inside, but he didn¡¯t want to lie to Alicia. He could only give her a response that did little to alleviate her uneasiness. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard. In a sense, it¡¯s his wish to be able to do this.¡± Those serving in the military had their own pride and hot-bloodedness. They believed that the role they yed, even if it ended in death, would safeguard the safety of their loved ones. Carter was the patriarch of the Ascart House, but judging by how he devoted his efforts toward the military, even neglecting the Ascart Fiefdom for it, it could be said that he was first and foremost a military man. He had lived his life preparing for war, so there was no way he would back down here. Even if one were to put aside his career, he wasn¡¯t the type of coward who would leave hisrades in the lurch during a crisis either. On top of that, if he chose to back down here, it would sully his reputation. Nobles viewed their honor higher than even their own lives, for their reputation belonged not just to themselves but their whole house. It was due to his understanding of all these that Roel couldn¡¯t bring himself to stop Carter no matter how worried he was. ¡°But still, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for him topletely disregard the opinions of his children. At the very least, shouldn¡¯t he listen to the concerns you have?¡± asked the tearful Alicia. Big brother Roel is a member of the Ascart House too¡ªnot to mention that he¡¯s the sole son here¡ªso he should have a say on such matters! If father remarries and has more offspring, big brother Roel¡¯s position as the sessor will be threatened. On top of that, if Carter were to be duped by a vixen and end up favoring his other children aside from Roel... It took just a few seconds for Alicia to piece together a convoluted drama plotline, and it made her feel even more unnerved. No, I can¡¯t allow big brother Roel to be hurt in such a manner! Alicia clenched her fists tightly as she bucked up her courage. ¡°Lord Brother, if you don¡¯t find it convenient to have a talk with Lord Father about this, why don¡¯t I do it instead?¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯ll do it?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Brother. Please leave it to me to convince Lord Father to change his mind!¡± Looking at the resolute look in Alicia¡¯s eyes, Roel blinked his eyes as he quickly reanalyzed the situation. Hmm... If Alicia were to do the talking instead, the effects should be far better. Carter is her guardian after all, and he has promised to take good care of her. Even though it¡¯s impossible to convince Carter not to participate in the battle at all, it would be good even if we could get him to retreat to the backline and handle the logistics or something. At least it¡¯ll be much safer that way. With such thoughts in mind, Roel nodded his head while light began returning to his eyes. ¡°Alicia, I¡¯ll be entrusting this matter to your hands then! Go ahead and do what you want to, but don¡¯t get too stressed out over this. Regardless of whether you seed or not, I won¡¯t me you for it.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Brother!¡± Alicia clenched her fists tightly as she told herself that she would convince Carter no matter what it took, and Roel also finally revealed a relieved smile that clearly carried great expectations for her. The tworades in arm quickly finished up their dinner before heading over to the study to read a little while waiting for Carter to return. This wait ended upsting several hours. It wasn¡¯t till Anna began persuading the two children to retire for the night for a second time that the arrival of a carriage finally sounded from the entrance of the Labyrinth Vi. After an exhausting meeting thatsted nearly 9 hours, the wearied Carter was finally able to return home and get some rest. But unexpectedly, as soon as he walked through the door, he found Roel and Alicia standing right in front of him, as if they had been waiting for him there all this time. The sudden appearance of the two children clearly caught Carter by surprise. However, he soon thought of something, which led him to send all of the maids and servants off before bringing the two of them over to the reception room. He settled down on a sofa before heaving a deep sigh. ¡°You must have some concerns in mind for staying up sote waiting for my return. Feel free to speak of whatever you have in mind.¡± To be honest, Carter felt a surge of warmth in his heart when he saw the two children. He had a good idea what they were going to say, and while he couldn¡¯t agree to their request, he felt that it would still be best to hear them out. Otherwise, if something were to happen to him, these two children might just end up ming themselves for life. Having received permission, Roel and Alicia traded gazes with one another, and thetter gave a slight nod before taking a step forward. Her crimson eyes were reflected with the determination to help her loved one. ¡°Lord Father, I have a request. I hope that you can consider Lord Brother¡¯s feelings when ites to your remarriage!¡± ¡°I apologize, but I¡¯m... Ah? What did you just say?¡± The two boys of the Ascart House were equally stumped by the girl¡¯s words. ... 10 minutester, after rifying the situation with Alicia, Roel awkwardly apologized to Carter over this matter. He had never thought that Alicia, despite seemingly being aware of everything, was actually ignorant of the matter concerning the deviants. He felt apologetic for egging Alicia on without rifying things with her, which resulted in this massive misunderstanding. At the same time, Alicia quickly mouthed her apology before running behind the sofa to hide with a reddened face. She didn¡¯t know how to face her big brother or her father after the huge blunder she had just made. Seeing this, Roel shook his head helplessly, and Carter let out a rare chuckle. As shocked as he was to hear Alicia¡¯s words initially, he was actually quite amused by the incident. He hadn¡¯t noticed that his nerves were still strung up from the long meeting he had just been through, but Alicia¡¯s blunder allowed him to rx quite a bit. At the very least, his expression wasn¡¯t as stiff anymore. Feeling soothed by the presence of his son and daughter, Carter pondered for a moment before turning his attention to Roel first. ¡°Roel, I know what you¡¯re going to say, and I understand how you feel about this too. I apologize for not having been a good father. I know that I have neglected you over the years due to my work, and I feel deeply regretful over it. ¡°This matter came as a bolt out of the blue. None of us expected it to happen, but it did. Since the enemies are already gathering at our doorstep, we¡¯ll need to send people over and resolve this matter. We, the Ascarts, are nobles serving as the lord of the Ascart Fiefdom. It¡¯s our responsibility to stand at the forefront and protect our people from external threats. This is the only way we can inspire confidence and keep the morale of our people up. ¡°Not to forget, I am also one of the top brass of the Theocracy¡¯s military, as well as the vicemander of the Holy Knight Order. I am duty bound to protect my countrymen. Even if we look at it from the standpoint of humanity, high-level transcendents like me are a vital force against external threats. No matter which perspective you view the matter by, it¡¯s necessary that I head eastward and sh against those dastardly rogues.¡± Roel pondered his father¡¯s words for a long while. Alicia also peeked out from the sofa she was hiding behind and gradually rose back up to her feet. The two children were clearly affected by Carter¡¯s words. It took some time before Roel managed to construct a long argument about the unique standing of the Ascart House. Without a doubt, the Ascart House was an important pir to the Theocracy, and, touchwood, if Carter were to lose his life in the war, it could mess up the established power bnce and destabilize the Theocracy. Carter patiently listened to Roel¡¯s argument before offering an answer to Roel¡¯s doubts. ¡°In truth, what you have mentioned was also one of the points of consideration in the earlier meeting. Due to that, I have been transferred.¡± ¡°Hm? Transferred?¡± ¡°I am currently the overall officer-in-charge of logistics for Tark Stronghold. My key responsibility is to procure rations and ensure that they are safely delivered to the troops.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that...¡± ¡°Yes, it means that there¡¯s a chance that I won¡¯t be participating in the war from the frontlines.¡± The bitter look on Carter¡¯s face formed a stark contrast to Roel¡¯s overjoyed smile. Under normal circumstances, Carter would have been assigned as the vicemander of the Tark Stronghold, but during the meeting, the royal family raised the point concerning single parent families. Naturally, the Ascart House fell under this category as well, which resulted in Carter being thrown all the way to the Logistics Department. ¡°Since it¡¯s mainly a defensive battle, the supply routes are all within human territories. In other words, my role as a logistics officer is fairly safe.¡± Roel finally heaved a deep sigh of relief, and the silver-haired girl also excitedly ran out of her hiding spot too. However, Carter¡¯s words weren¡¯t finished yet. ¡°That¡¯s the current update on my side, but Roel, you do know that you have a mission over on your side too, right? We don¡¯t know how long the deviants¡¯ activities will continue for, and there¡¯s a good chance that I won¡¯t be able to return back to the fiefdom for the next few years. Do you know what I¡¯m getting at?¡± A smile crept onto Carter¡¯s lips as he smacked Roel¡¯s shoulder forcefully. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me for the governance rights of our fiefdom? You¡¯re getting that. It¡¯s just that instead of getting a portion of it, you¡¯ll be getting the full rights instead! ¡°Roel Ascart, from this day onward, you¡¯ll be the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom!¡± Chapter 121: Parting Gift

Chapter 121: Parting Gift

The following day after bestowing the position of ¡®proxy fief lord¡¯ to Roel, Carter departed from the Holy Capital. In a war, the rations always move before any soldier or steed. While logistics operations were less risky in nature, it was of vital importance to ensure that nothing went wrong. It was not a joke when people said that war was a battle of resources. With the outbreak of war with the deviants, under the uses of the defense agreement, each human country would have to increase the number of troops they had stationed on the eastern border of the human territories. Therefore, there would be a huge increase in the burden of supplies, be it clothes, food, horse fodder, and more. This meant that the logistics would have to greatly upscale their operations in order to keep up with needs. However, increasing the amount of supplies delivered wasn¡¯t as easy as it sounded. For one, most of the previous supply routes that were used in previous outbreaks of war had already been worn down by decades of neglect, which meant that the human countries would have to repair them. On top of that, these routes were incredibly long as they connected the various countries together, so repairings were definitely not easy. Still, at least this was much better than having to build the supply routes from scratch. In any case, the heavy task of rebuilding the routes fell into the hands of the Logistics Department, and as the officer-in-charge there, Carter was expected to inspect the situation personally and make urate onsite decisions. That was also the reason why he was amongst the first to leave. Early in the morning, after waving Carter goodbye, Roel looked at the departing backs of his father and his soldiers and sighed deeply. While he had discussed the matter of managing the fiefdom with Carter many times before, he had never really thought of bing the proxy fief lord. There was a huge difference between taking over a single department and taking over the entirepany at once. Just the overwhelming amount of work that was about to be shoved in his hands will be more than enough to leave him with a splitting headache. On the bright side, Carter had at least moved quickly to handle any legal hurdles with the decision. Yesterday night, he quickly drafted up a letter of attorney to entrust his rights as the fief lord into Roel¡¯s hands and sent it right into the royal pce to have them officialize it. With this, Roel would have the power of thew on his side when he took over as the proxy fief lord. After Carter left, Roel and Alicia also began making preparations to return to the Ascart Fiefdom. Thinking about it, it was pretty incredible how they had stayed in the Holy Capital for almost three months now, ever since Nora¡¯s birthday banquet, yet the Ascart Fiefdom was still operating perfectly fine despite being without its lord. As expected of the Ascart Fiefdom! Generations of fief lords shirking their duties must have taught them independence! Looking at it from this perspective, Roel suddenly felt that he might not be as busy as he thought he would be. On the contrary, it might end up being quite an idle job even. For the whole day, Roel and Alicia spent their time thinking what they should bring back with them. The Holy Capital was the mostmercially developed city in the Saint Mesit Theocracy, so there were plenty of goods here which one wouldn¡¯t be able to acquire elsewhere. Usually, nobles were expected to bid close friends farewell, sometimes even paying them a visit. However, in view that Roel and Alicia were still young, they were spared from that formality. All they did was to dispatch a messenger over to the royal pce to inform them of the matter. However, right before noon, the messenger returned, and he wasn¡¯t alone. He came with a huge army of guards and a royal carriage. Fine, I sort of knew that this would happen... Roel wasn¡¯t surprised at all, but Alicia¡¯s face puffed up in displeasure. That being said, she was aware that paying a visit to someone who was leaving was an act of friendliness, so she could still tolerate the vixen¡¯s visit, even if just barely. ¡°Are the two of you really intending on leaving tomorrow?¡± In the reception room, Nora sat together with the two Ascart siblings and sighed out hermentations. She was definitely going to miss Roel greatly once he returned to the Ascart Fiefdom, but other than him, she felt that she would miss Alicia too. She was actually quite interested in Alicia, since the younger girl was one of the few peers who left her feeling threatened. If possible, she would love to continuepeting with Alicia. Losing both her lover and her rival at once would mean that her life would return to its usual dull and boring state, and this was honestly a hard pill for Nora to swallow. Even so, she knew how important a fief was to a noble, so she wouldn¡¯t be so immature as to try to detain them in the Holy Capital. ... Though a huge part of it was actually because Nora didn¡¯t know how the Ascart House ¡®managed¡¯ its fiefdom. She couldn¡¯t have imagined that there would be a fief lord in the world who would actually entrust theplete management of his fiefdom into the hands of his subordinates. Otherwise, she might have just tried to keep the two of them here at the Holy Capital for another two months to apany her. ¡°You should have already heard of the matter that cropped up in the military, right?¡± ¡°You mean the matter concerning the deviants? Yes, I have heard of it from my father. Uncle Carter should have already set off by now, right?¡± ¡°Yes, he left early in the morning. I¡¯m the proxy fief lord now, so I¡¯ll need to return to my fiefdom as soon as possible to take over my father¡¯s duties.¡± Nora expressed her understanding of Roel¡¯s concerns, but after shooting a nce at Alicia, she unhesitatingly made her demand. ¡°You can return to the Ascart Fiefdom, but you¡¯ll have to write letters to me.¡± ¡°Write letters?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Now that I¡¯m your protector, it¡¯s only right for you to keep me up to date with your circumstances. Hmm, let me think about it... Let¡¯s go with one letter per week then,¡± proposed Nora with a smile. Her suggestion immediately incurred Alicia¡¯s discontentment. ¡°Your Highness, putting aside the fact that letters contribute very little to protecting Lord Brother, don¡¯t you think that a frequency of once a week is far too often? Lord Brother will be busy with his work as the proxy fief lord, and I don¡¯t think that it would be appropriate to heap more work on his shoulders.¡± ¡°Oh... Is writing letters to me a chore? This is the first time that I¡¯m requesting this of someone. Roel, are you averse to the idea?¡± ¡°Ah, no. That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± Faced with the dejected princess who looked like her pride had been wounded, Roel hurriedly waved his hands to refute her words. This brought a smile back to her lips, and she turned over to face Alicia once more. ¡°Miss Alicia, I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s appropriate for you to determine what¡¯s good for Roel even though you¡¯re his younger sister. Who knows? What you dislike might just end up being what he likes the most.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Your Highness sure likes to joke around. I can assure you that I know Lord Brother¡¯s preferences better than anyone else in the world. I can tell when someone else is burdening him.¡± Looking at this stubborn pair who both refused to back down, Roel lowered his head and tried his best to be as transparent as possible. He couldn¡¯t afford to offend either side, so the only thing he could do was to attempt to meld into the background. If anyone asked him a question, he would just say that he wasn¡¯t feeling well. If that person continued probing on, he would have no choice but to faint on the spot. Maybe they sensed Roel¡¯s awkwardness or the presence of the maids in the room had convinced them to hold back a little, but the two of them red at one another for a while before finally turning away with a cold harrumph. Seeing this, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It should be one letter per week under normal circumstances, but I¡¯ll allow a letter per fortnight when things get hectic on your side. I would sincerely prefer it if it¡¯s written personally by you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Of course, I¡¯d personally write any letters that are addressed to you. You need not worry about that.¡± With Nora loosening the conditions a little, Roel ended up epting her demand without any hesitation. Nora nodded in response as a beautiful smile blossomed on her lips. While the two of them could chat for a short while with one another every week through Ascendwing, these conversations wouldn¡¯t be recorded down and couldn¡¯t be kept. If she wanted to prove to others that they were indeed on close terms with one another, physical evidence would be absolutely necessary. Indeed. Arge part of why Nora was asking Roel for letters was out of pride. No matter how mature she behaved, she was still a young girl who was new to romance. She was sensitive toward the nonchnce of her lover, and she especially hated it whenever others questioned their rtionship. It was already bad enough that there was an Alicia constantly lurking at Roel¡¯s side. She wouldn¡¯t be able to tolerate it if any otherplications urred. In any case, she was delighted to have received a satisfactory response. As Roel and Alicia were still busy packing their luggage, it wasn¡¯t convenient for Nora to stay too long. So, after chatting for a while, she bade them farewell and left. However, not all of Nora¡¯s entourage left together with her¡ªshe left half of her royal guards behind with Roel. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°It¡¯s my gift to you. They are the elite soldiers of the royal family. From now on, they¡¯ll be stationed at the Ascart Fiefdom, and you¡¯ll be their direct superior.¡± Roel stared at the well-equipped hundred-man army standing before him with widened eyes. One must know that these were elite soldiers, and even the weakest of them was at Origin Level 5. On a battlefield, they were special forces that could be mobilized for strategic purposes. Yet, Nora actually gave them to him just like that. This was truly a massive gift of immeasurable value. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°I do, but this is a bit too...¡± ¡°If you like it, all you have to do is to say ¡®thank you¡¯,¡± said Nora with a mischievous smile. When she turned over to look at Roel once more, she was surprised to see a serious look on his face. His expression was so earnest that it left her dazed for a moment. ¡°Nora, thank you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s... nothing... I¡¯m your protector after all, so it¡¯s only right that I do this much.¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s sincere gratitude, Nora¡¯s face turned a rare shade of deep red. After bidding each other farewell, Roel stared at the departing royal carriage with a mix of emotions bubbling in his heart. He had spent barely three months in the Holy Capital, but so many things had happened and changed. Be it himself, Alicia, or Nora, the three of them were very different from how they were before. They had grown a fair bit, and their rtionships had also grown intertwined with one another. Roel turned to look at the hundred elite soldiers standing ready to receive hismands, and he couldn¡¯t help but tremble in excitement. One must know that these hundred elite soldiers belonged not to the Ascart Fiefdom but to Roel himself. They were his personal army, paid for by the royal family. There was no doubt that this was a massive gift. This military force would be yet another trump card he could rely on once he returned to his fief. If anyone tried to make things difficult for him, all he needed to do was to wave his hand, and his soldiers would ram that person down right away... As excited as Roel was, he was also well aware that he hadn¡¯t won the respect of these soldiers yet. Considering that they were the elites from the royal family, it was inevitable that they would be a little proud. He would have to find an opportunity to shake them up a bit, so as to truly instill some respect for him. Feeling the power of the Crown Origin Attribute pulsating within his body, a confident smile emerged on Roel¡¯s lips. All things aside, he was confident in his ability to posture. ... ¡°Quick quick, ce the spare copies of these documents onto the cart and deliver it to the Ascart House! Is the first cart full? What are you waiting for then? If it¡¯s full, hurry up and set off!¡± ¡°Head librarian, are we not going to keep the copies for ourselves? Won¡¯t the royal ce raise objections if we were to deliver so many documents over to them?¡± ¡°The original versions of the documents are still with us, so we can easily make more copies in the future. As for objections from the royal pce...¡± Carmen looked at the vice head librarian who had just raised the question with eyes dripping with disdain, almost as if he was staring at a fool. Just recalling the sight of how Roel and Nora unfurled their wings of light in unison and induced a towering pir of holy light in the middle of the ceremony was more than enough to answer the question. ¡°Their only objection would be why we bothered wasting time to seek their permission at all. So, stop wasting time on useless talk and continue filling up the carts. Quick!¡± Chapter 122: Let Big Bro Show You How

Chapter 122: Let Big Bro Show You How

A dayter, in the evening. A convoy bearing the insignia of the Ascart House found themselves faced with a scene of chaos. On the ins just slightly left of them, a group of odd-looking beasts were dashing straight toward the main road the convoy was traveling on. These beasts were four-legged and had two horns on their heads, making them resemble goats. Their fur was white with bits of gold mixed in, and their high-pitched calls resembled that of a deer. Their bodies were exceptionally dexterous even in the midst of their sprint, allowing them to swiftly change directions. Gold Rams. They were demonic beasts famed as an auspicious omen on the Sia Continent, and they were incredibly valuable on the market. There was a famous analogy where their beautiful skin and smooth fur could be traded for gold of equivalent weight, and that was also where their name, ¡®Gold Ram¡¯, came from. Its skin and fur had always been known to be the top-tier material for noblewoman¡¯s luxury wear, and its demand had always far outstripped its supply. It was not so much the case in the Saint Mesit Theocracy, but the citizens of the Austine Empire believed that wearing clothes made out of Gold Ram¡¯s fur could bring about good luck. As such, clothes that were fashioned with ents of Gold Ram¡¯s fur could easily fetch twice as much as equivalent clothes without it. Other than its fur, its other body parts were incredibly valuable too. The horns of the Gold Ram were known to be an important magical material. Its head could be used as an ornament of wealth in residences. Its meat was renowned to be sulent, such that famed chefs ranked it as one of the top three muttons. To put it in other words, Gold Rams were no different from a moving heap of gold coins. The only issue was that it was difficult to find and capture one. From the moment Roel saw the Gold Rams, he immediately realized that his opportunity hade. He looked at the soldiers who were clearly moved but were still restraining themselves out of self-discipline, and he knew that this was his chance to showcase his leadership ability and strength. So, he opened the carriage doors and swiftly scanned the surroundings before issuing amand. ¡°Guard captains, step forth!¡± The captains from the Ascarts¡¯ guards and the royal guards stepped out of the formation and walked over to Roel¡¯s side. After asking a few questions, Roel quickly came to understand the traits of the Gold Rams. As it turned out, the main reason why it was hard to capture Gold Rams was due to the unique nature of their fur. They were highly resistant to piercing attacks, making it hard to kill them with bow and arrows, though shing and mauling still worked fine. On the whole, Gold Rams weren¡¯t too powerful, such that an Origin Level 6 transcendent would be able to defeat one solo. Having learned some crucial information about the target, Roel immediately got onto a horse and led the guards on a chase for the Gold Rams. Under the orange glow of the setting sun, a group of armored soldiers galloped across the meadows in an attempt to capture the herd of Gold Rams. However, it would appear that they didn¡¯t have much of a speed advantage against the Gold Rams even when they were on their steeds. They chased the Gold Rams all the way till they were already nearing the outskirts of the forest, but they weren¡¯t anywhere close to catching up with them yet. This made the guards incredibly anxious. It was not easy toe by a single Gold Ram, let alone a herd of them. They couldn¡¯t stand the thought of allowing these heaps of gold coins and top-notch good ingredients to escape right under their eyelids! The captain of the Ascarts¡¯ guards, Dirk, was considering whether he should get off his steed and try chasing the Gold Rams on foot. He was an Origin Level 4 transcendent, so even though his stamina couldn¡¯tpete with the steed he was riding on, his burst speed was still much faster. But, before Dirk could make up his mind, the guards suddenly noticed an anomaly¡ªa powerful spell was being cast. rmed, the soldiers quickly turned their heads around, only to see that the person they were tasked to protect, young master Roel, was whizzing forward right above their heads, almost like a cannonball. Roel¡¯s body was cloaked in shining white light, and he was wielding a silver short sword in his hand. There was a pair of wings formed of light on his back, allowing him to glide through the air at a speed almost reminiscent of a fallinget. With a loud explosion, he crashed down to earth in front of the herd of Golden Rams, cutting them off right before they could enter the forest. A cloud of dirt and debris billowed out from the impact zone, and a frightening aura swept across the meadows. Looming above, a massive and terrifying silhouette manifested before everyone¡¯s eyes, casting its shadow over everyone¡¯s heads. The herd of sprinting Gold Rams immediately came to a halt, as if someone had cast a Binding Spell on them. They trembled uncontrobly before the humongous silhouette. The braver ones lowered themselves and huddled on the ground fearfully whereas the cowardly ones copsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth. This powerful show of force terrified not just the Gold Rams but the steeds of the guards too. All of their horses screeched to a halt, and some of them even turned tail and fled. ¡°This will do, Grandar. It¡¯ll be bad if we identally hurt our own allies.¡± ¡°These little things sure can¡¯t take a scare.¡± Grandar shot a nce at the panicking mounted guards before his humongous silhouette gradually dissipated, though the skeleton avatar that had formed around Roel¡¯s body didn¡¯t vanish along with it. The skeleton gazed at the horses that were still frantically neighing in fear as he began talking about the beasts back in his era. ¡°The horses back in my days weren¡¯t too big either, but I must say that they were much better looking. They had something pointy poking out of their heads, and they were much stronger than these...¡± Wait a moment, bro. Aren¡¯t you talking about unicorns over here? Roel listened to Grandar¡¯s words with a strange look on his face. ording to what he was hearing, it would appear that giants are a far stronger race than the horses. The only horses that weren¡¯t afraid of giants were probably the kings of horses or something. While Roel was listening intently to the giant, who had be chatty after being alone for too long, the guards continued to tremble with fright. The pressure that Grandar exerted through his very presence was simply too strong; it instilled fear not only in beasts but humans as well. In fact, the stronger a transcendent was, the more vividly he could feel just how terrifying of a being he was standing before. The captain of the Ascarts¡¯ guards, Dirk, exhaled deeply before trading nces with the pale-faced captain of the royal guards. It was at this moment that they realized that the young master they served was no ordinary person. The other guards might not have noticed it, but the two captains, with their sharper senses, could feel that the silhouette that had appeared earlier was from the ancient era. It was a being so monstrously powerful that they couldn¡¯t even put together the courage to stand up against it. One must know that not even Marquess Carter had induced such an intense feeling of helplessness in them before! They could hardly fathom how Roel managed to subordinate such a powerful being, but without a doubt, this showed that he held immense potential in his hands. If he were to continue growing at this rate, he would surely achieve unbelievable things in the future! It was at this point that Dirk finally snapped out of his daze. He looked at Roel, whose silhouette had appeared once more amidst the settling dust, and hurriedly issued an order to the stiffened guards. ¡°What are you waiting for? Do you expect the young master to take down the Gold Rams by himself? Hurry up and get moving!¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± The Ascarts¡¯ guards immediately dismounted and rushed up to the Gold Rams. The royal guards btedly came back to their senses and quickly followed them too. None of them said a word at all, but they had alreadye to a realization. The royal family was indeed formidable, but the Ascart House was notcking at all. At the very least, the terrifying silhouette they had seen earlier was not something that could be found in the inheritance of just any noble house. It¡¯s no wonder why Her Highness Nora is determined to rally him to her side. It turns out that he does possess true capabilities. The royal guards quickly corrected the mindset they had regarding Roel. While the guards were pulling themselves together, Roel chatted with Grandar, and he found out that the ¡®white horses with something pointy poking out of their heads¡¯ had already gone extinct. After the conversation finally came to an end, he began making his way toward the paralyzed Gold Rams. Unexpectedly, these demonic beasts seemed to be traumatized by Roel¡¯s aura. Just by him approaching them, the knees of the Gold Rams would wobble before plopping down to the ground on their knees. ¡°Young master, why don¡¯t you head back and take a rest first? Leave the matters here to us. I promise you that we¡¯ll bring everything of value back!¡± Dirk rushed up to Roel and thumped his breastte confidently. Roel noticed the more respectful and amicable attitude that this guard captain was taking toward him as he nodded his head in acknowledgement. It looks like I really need to show a hand or two in order to let them know that I¡¯m no pushover. These demonic beasts sure appeared at a timely moment! Group activities like hunting did well in building camaraderie in a team. After the huge harvest they had made, even the guard captains couldn¡¯t bring themselves to maintain the severe looks on their faces anymore. As if spring had arrived, smiles could be seen on everyone¡¯s faces. Nodding in satisfaction, Roel got back on his horse and returned to the convoy first. The rest of the guards who had remained with the convoy earlier turned to him, seemingly curious to know what had happened. In response, Roel raised his sword up high and shouted. ¡°We have managed to take down the entire herd! We shall be having a feast tonight!¡± There was a brief moment of silence before resounding cheers broke out within the convoy. No one thought that the young master would be so generous. One must know that the meat of Gold Rams was a delicacy served on nobles¡¯ dining tables. Soldiers and servants like them hardly get any opportunity to see them in person, let alone dine on them. ¡°Lord Brother, you must be exhausted. Come, have some water.¡± Alicia took a small water bottle from Anna before rushing over to Roel¡¯s side to offer it to him. Seeing this, Roel quickly got off his horse and took a few big gulps from the water bottle. Ahh, the water offered by my little sister is indeed sweeter! After quenching his thirst, Roel and Alicia exchanged knowing smiles with one another. A constant show of force bred fear, and an unrestrained use of rewards incentivized others to take advantage. Inculcating loyalty necessitated a wise use of both fear and rewards. Given Roel¡¯s esteemed position and the potential he had shown them, he didn¡¯t believe that anyone would still choose to go against him. If he could convert these guards into his own people, he would have more leverage over the other officials and nobles once he returned to the Ascart Fiefdom. Chapter 123: Carter’s Instructions

Chapter 123: Carter¡¯s Instructions

On a slope by the side of the main road, Dirk and the other guards busied themselves with setting up tents. After getting sidetracked by the herd of Gold Rams earlier, they ended up significantly dying their progress homeward. They would have to travel overnight in order to reach the nearest city. Priority number one was ensuring the safety of Roel and Alicia, therefore the two guard captains came to a consensus that it would be too dangerous to travel under the veil of the night. One must know that it was no joke to be assaulted in the dark. The threats lurking in the wilderness were much more terrifying at night, and many distinguished figures had lost their lives to them. Even though Dirk had great confidence in the strength of his subordinates and the royal guards, he still felt that it was unwise for them to take on unnecessary risk. Besides... if he were to suggest for them to continue traveling under such an atmosphere, he could very well earn the ire of every single person in the convoy. ¡°How much meat are we going to getter on? I mean, we have quite a lot of people here, and Gold Ram meat is quite valuable after all. We can¡¯t just finish up everything here by ourselves, right?¡± ¡°Regarding that, the chefs initially decided on ughtering three Gold Rams, but the young master says that it¡¯s not enough to reward the men, so he told them to add two more in.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Bless Lord Roel!¡± The soldiers chattered merrily with one another while skillfully constructing the tents. Those that were done with their duties gathered around the campfire with excited smiles as they waited in anticipation for the marvelous meat they would be eating with relish very soon. Such was the joyous atmosphere drifting throughout the camp. Meanwhile, on the side, chefs were busy preparing the ughtered Gold Rams. They carefully removed each hair from the skin, before storing all the precious fur in a sack. Then they proceeded to wash and clean-up the meat, getting it ready for use in tonight¡¯s meal. ¡°Big brother Roel, the fur of these rams is worth a fortune. Should we try rearing them?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work. I¡¯ve already asked about it. Once a Gold Ram loses its fur, it would perceive itself to be in a ¡®state of danger¡¯, and this would elerate the rate of its mutation. Its fur will not regrow, and it would be highly aggressive and dangerous too. Worst of all, its meat would also be tough.¡± ¡°Ah, so we can only shear a Gold Ram once. That would exin why their fur is so expensive.¡± ¡°Yes. By clearing this herd of Gold Rams, we have resolved a possible threat to the region. These Gold Rams won¡¯t be as easy to deal with once they grow up.¡± Roel watched the chefs busy with their work, feeling satisfied with the oue. On top of the great profits, he would earn a good reputation as well. Meanwhile, Alicia nodded her little head before lowering it contemtively. Roel and the other guards had chased the Gold Rams a far distance away, so Alicia didn¡¯t manage to perceive Grandar¡¯s power. However, that didn¡¯t mean that she hadn¡¯t noticed any anomalies. The respectful gazes of the soldiers, Dirk¡¯s amicable attitude, or the subtle subservience of the royal guards; the sensitive Alicia had keenly picked up on all of these differences. It made her realize that something must have happened. She remembered that Roel had only reached Origin Level 6 a few months ago, so it should have been impossible for him to win the admiration of these Origin Level 5 elite soldiers. Big brother Roel never talks to me about anything regarding his transcendent abilities... Alicia sighed deeply. Roel still thought of her as a frail and helpless little girl because she was still hiding her abilities. She was able to retain Roel¡¯s care and concern for her through this, but at the same time, it made it difficult for her to win his acknowledgment. Could it be that he has reached Origin Level 4? But that¡¯s a little... Alicia wondered in uncertainty. Dirk was an Origin Level 4 transcendent¡ªthis was something she had heard from Carter before. Based on what she knew, the military was rather strict on hierarchy, and they tended to value strength highly due to the nature of their upation. Considering how respectful Dirk was to Roel, that could really be the case... Alicia had thought of her own rate of growth as ¡®average¡¯ as she didn¡¯t really have anyone else topare to, so it couldn¡¯t be helped that she would end up overestimating Roel. The realization that Roel was growing way faster than her made her realize that she wasn¡¯t working hard enough. This won¡¯t do! I need to buck up! Alicia clenched her fists tightly. If she was going to protect Roel, the minimum she had to do was to catch up with him first. Furthermore, considering that there was a Nora above her... This event marked the start of yet another growth spurt in Alicia¡¯s already insane growth rate. Meanwhile, Roel watched intently as the chefs roasted four of the rams over a fire and used thest one to boil a huge pot of rich soup with spices they had gathered from their surroundings. The morale of the guards was extremely high. Some of them were wilderness survival veterans with knowledge of which nts are edible and which are not, not to mention which are the tastiest. As soon as they entered the forest, they immediately scoured the area and harvested every vor-entuating spice that theyid their eyes upon. When Roel saw the heap of delicacies on the table, he realized that there were indeed a lot of valuable resources in the forests of the Ascart Fiefdom. He remembered from his previous life how some rare herbs were able to fetch exorbitant prices, such as wild ginseng. This could be a sector worth developing. As Roel was trying to rack his brain to figure out a way to earn more money, the four rams ced above the campfire had started emanating a rich fragrance throughout the campsite. Dirk immediately assigned more soldiers to sentry duty, afraid that the fragrance would draw wild beasts over. The sun had already set by the time they were done with all sorts of chores, and soon, the celebration banquetmenced. Roel and Alicia were given a whole roasted Gold Ram whereas the remaining three were shared amongst the guards and the servants of the camp. That being said, there was only so much that two children could eat. After slicing off a few of the better cuts, the rest would be distributed to the soldiers. Roast ram was one of the few dishes that didn¡¯t require too delicate a touch. The vor of the food depended more on the quality of the ingredients themselves, and the meat of a Gold Ram could be said to be top-notch. The fat was marbled equally throughout the flesh, causing a rich explosion of juices to burst forth in one¡¯s mouth with each bite. The crispy skin only further contrasted to just how tender the meat was. When it came to evaluating the quality of a meal, the two most important factors were the food itself and the atmosphere. Dining in the wildernesscked the usual elegance of a nobles¡¯ repast, but this was made up for with a different vibe. The cooling breeze on the meadow, the beautiful moon and twinkling stars above, the singing andughter ofpanions; all of these shed a carefree and merry atmosphere over the event. ¡°Lord Brother, do you want some wine to go with the meat?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to pass. Since no one else is drinking, I shan¡¯t be an exception,¡± replied Roel with a smile. He snuggled a little closer to Alicia, and thetter began giggling a little. However, when she noticed that the soldiers nearby were observing them, her face quickly reddened. After filling up their stomachs, Roel called for a soldier to invite Dirk back from his sentry duty. The sudden invitation left Dirk feeling both ttered yet nervous. He couldn¡¯t understand why Roel would suddenly take the initiative to approach him, but he wasn¡¯t going to question thetter¡¯s intention. After having gotten a firsthand glimpse into Grandar¡¯s overwhelming powers, he swore to himself that he would take a respectful attitude toward Roel and never cross him. Shortly after Dirk returned back to the camp, one of the chefs passed him a te of ram steak that was just freshly cut from a roasted Gold Ram. The ram steak was drizzled with rich sauce, and there were some greens on the te to clean the pte. Dirk¡¯s eyes alternated between the te of ram steak in his hands and Roel¡¯s ¡®Go ahead and dig in¡¯ look, and he suddenly found himself feeling a little uneasy. ¡°Young master, this... Can I ask why you¡¯ve called me here?¡± ¡°You may rest at ease, I don¡¯t have any other intention in mind. I thought that there won¡¯t be enough meat to go around, and the ram I have here will eventually be distributed to the men anyway. Mister Dirk, you have worked hard protecting us throughout the entire journey, so it¡¯s only right that I treat you to a meal first.¡± ¡°Haha! Young master, you¡¯re ttering me. It¡¯s my responsibility as your guard to protect you...¡± Networking was all about interactive, mutualpliments, and both Dirk and Roel understood this fact well. Roel hadn¡¯t thought that this solemn-looking guard captain would actually be so good at formal social interactions, and Dirk also didn¡¯t expect Roel to be so humble and respectful. With the two of them bouncing off one another well, it turned out to be a fairly pleasant chat. Dirk recalled the rumors he had heard about the young master having an inferior aptitude and horrible personality, and he felt that his brain must have short-circuited to simply believe those rumors without verifying it in person. How could the son of the great Marquess Carter possibly be mediocre? With their intentions aligning with one another, it didn¡¯t take long for Roel to get closer with the cold-faced official. Feeling that it was about time, Roel gestured to Anna with a nod, and thetter immediately led all of the chefs and servants away, giving the three of them some privacy. ¡°Mister Dirk, to be honest with you, I do have something I need to ask of you. I believe that you¡¯re also well aware of the circumstances on the eastern border. I would like to know if my father has given you some instructions regarding the matter.¡± Those words brought about an instant change in Dirk¡¯s expression. He raised his head to look at the smiling Roel in shock. He didn¡¯t think that the boy would actually be able to deduce so far. He first responded with a strained smile before lowering his head in contemtion. While the one who had asked the question was Roel, Carter¡¯s only son, it still wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to break the confidentiality use of the military to divulge the order of a superior. ¡°Mister Dirk, there are no outsiders here. The only ones here are me and Alicia, so there¡¯s no need to worry. You can be assured that neither of us will raise this matter before my father. If, by any chance, my father learns of this matter, Alicia and I will unreservedly stand on your side and tell him that we were the ones who forced you into it.¡± Dirk was visibly moved after hearing Roel¡¯s guarantee. Had it been in the past, he would have likely rejected the request right away, but having seen Roel¡¯s potential firsthand, he was starting to think that it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to work for the young master. The fact that there was only one son in the Ascart House meant that Roel¡¯s standing was unshakable. Furthermore, Dirk was aware that Alicia was training under Carter as his pupil, and he was shocked to see how much the little girl had grown within just a short period of time. With such a line-up, the Ascart House had a bright future ahead of them. Weighing the pros and cons of this matter, Dirk felt that it would be worth breaking the confidentiality use of the military in order to get on good terms with Roel and Alicia. Besides, considering that the ones he was divulging the secret to were Carter¡¯s son and daughter, the punishment was unlikely to be too harsh. Having made up his mind, Dirk raised his head to face the two children before him. ¡°Young master, young miss, I¡¯m grateful that the two of you think so highly of me. Regarding the master¡¯s instructions, I¡¯m not too certain if others have received other instructions, but I have personally received two myself. ¡°The first one is to update him on the affairs of the fiefdom. I am topile a monthly report containing the actions and key decisions young master Roel has made for the fiefdom and send it over to Marquess Carter. If any critical matters were to ur, I am to inform him as soon as possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fairly reasonable,¡± replied Roel with a nod. Roel was, after all, a 10-year-old child. No matter how much Carter trusted Roel, he would really have to be out of his mind to leave such a young child to manage a fiefdom without any fail-safe measures. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s no problem with that. What about the second instruction?¡± asked Roel. ¡°The second one is a little odd. The master has told me to try all means to inform him right away if the Sorofya House sends anyone over.¡± Chapter 124: The Sorofyas

Chapter 124: The Sorofyas

¡°My father told you to Inform him if the Sorofya House sends someone over?¡± Sitting by the campfire, Roel looked at Dirk with eyes filled with confusion. What¡¯s going on? When in the world did our Ascarts get involved with the Sorofyas? Furthermore, to actually instruct Dirk to inform him right away if the Sorofyas were toe knocking, it must be something pretty serious. It can¡¯t be that... Carter borrowed money from them in his younger years? Roel felt a chill running down his spine. It was not that his imagination was running wild... Well, it sort of was running wild, but he couldn¡¯t be med for that! There were simply far too many nobles in debt to the Sorofyas! Developing a fiefdom requires a massive influx of money and resources, and there are very few noble houses financially stable enough to fork it all out at once. In a sense, it was simr to how people bought houses in Roel¡¯s previous world. There were tycoons who simply paid the full sum right away, but most people had no choice but to take out a loan first before slugging it out to pay the debt off in installments. It was mainly the banks that provided financing services in his previous world, but in this world, this job was taken up by the merchant associations. Most fief lords would make sure to build up a good rtionship with major merchant associations to ensure that they could get funding whenever they needed to work on a major project. To put it simply, the merchant associations lent out money to the fief lords, and the fief lords repaid the debt, with a bit of interest, over years or even decades using the taxes they collected. This was an oversimplification of how things worked though. More often than not, there was much more to talk about at the negotiation table. For example, the fiefdom could benefit from the connections and technological expertise that merchant associations had, such as procurement of manpower and tools for the construction of advanced facilities. Simrly, the merchant associations could request favorable terms for its operations in the fief, such as lower taxes or the implementation of certain businessws that benefited them. Even a simple endorsement from the fief lord could bring about great benefits. All in all, the sessful development of a fiefdom could bring about great benefits to the fief lord and the merchant associations that were involved in it. But, of course, there were great risks involved as well. There was a chance that the investments put into the fief would fail to generate proportionate returns, and that would be a huge blow to both the fief lord and the merchant associations. The fief lords that had failed to develop their fiefdom ended up bing poor, resulting in their standing and influence diminishing significantly. However, the merchant associations had it much worse. Those who invested small would lose all of their capital, whereas those who went all out could end up bankrupt as problems cropped up in their cash flow. The Sorofyas was thergest merchant association on the Sia Continent, and it had worked together with many fief lords to develop their territories. The Sorofyas tended to have a keen sense for profit, so most projects they were involved in seeded. However, those who failed ended up falling into a huge debt with the Sorofyas. Could it be that his father had tried developing the Ascart Fiefdom while he was younger, only to end up losing a lot of money and falling into debt? Just the thought of this was more than enough to turn Roel¡¯s face livid. Goddamnit, I¡¯m already half a million gold coins in debt! If I need to repay my father¡¯s debt too, I might as well just sell myself to Nora for money! ¡°Has our fiefdom had any major development projects recently?¡± asked Roel nervously. Dirk blinked his eyes for a moment before letting out a rare peal ofughter. ¡°Hahaha! Young master, how could our Ascart Fiefdom possibly be involved with major development projects?¡± What the hell? Why do you look so proud of that? Roel found himself incredibly speechless with Dirk¡¯s oddly proud response. All of a sudden, he felt that his ancestors were actually fairly talented too. They actually managed to instill pride in their own people for being the only ones to not develop their territory! How in the world does one do that? Roel rubbed his temples as he sincerely believed that it was a huge mistake for the Xeclydes to give such a huge plot ofnd to the Ascarts a thousand years ago. They likely could have never imagined that every generation of the Ascarts¡¯ patriarchs were rebels who would rather make it on their own than inherit their familypany (fiefdom). With not a single generation bothering to get involved in the fiefdom¡¯s development, it was no wonder why it was near the bottom of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, despite being close allies with the royal family! It almost feels like my ancestors are filled with hoodlums who joined the military just so they can unt their strength! But, of course, he was also somewhat relieved to hear Dirk¡¯s answer. It would appear that they didn¡¯t owe the Sorofyas any money... which meant that everything was fine! Honestly speaking though, while the Sorofyas were incredibly influential on the Sia Continent, the Ascarts were no pushover either. The title of being one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses was not for show. If the Ascarts chose to hole themselves up in the Theocracy, there would be very little that the Sorofyas could do. Such thoughts in mind, Roel¡¯s mind was finally set at ease. He didn¡¯t like being on the wrong side of reason. As long as Carter hadn¡¯t signed any kind of contract or agreement with the Sorofyas, Roel would just ignore them. Not to mention, Roel had sold them a high-quality Soulcalming Lamp previously too. Given the favor that he had done to them, they should be grateful to him instead. ¡°But speaking of the Sorofyas, I remember that in the game...¡± Roel muttered under his breath as a young woman with auburn hair and emerald eyes surfaced in his mind. Charlotte Sorofya. She was the eldest daughter of the Sorofyas, as well as one of the four main capture targets of the game, Eye of the Chronicler. By now, Roel¡¯s memories regarding the game had already be quite blurred, such that he remembered very little about this young woman. The only thing he recalled was that she was yet another ice beautyqueen, though her ¡®coldness¡¯ was different from Alicia¡¯s. Alicia¡¯s coldness was intrinsic, reminiscent of an untouchable flower on the peak of a cier mountain, naturally putting some distance between her and others. On the other hand, Charlotte¡¯s coldness came mainly from her attitude. There was a peculiar personality trait that was passed down from generation to generation within the Sorofyas¡ªck-and-white thinking. This could be clearly seen from the history of their house. Once they decided that they hated someone, even if the other party was the Austine Empire, they would unhesitatingly pit their all against it, even if it spelled their doom. On the other hand, when it came to people they fancied, they were inclined to trust them and protect them. Charlotte had inherited this personality from her ancestors too. When it came to people she hated, she would unhesitatingly use all avable means to crush them from the shadows. However, when it came to people she liked, she was willing to go to any lengths for them. To be honest, Roel would like to avoiding into contact with this woman if possible, since he was unable to guarantee that he would be able to pierce through her hard shell and walk into her heart. If he were to identally get on her bad side, it would be extremely difficult for him to turn things around. Also, of the four female targets who Roel was lynched to death by in the game, Charlotte had contributed the least to his downfall and eventual death. In fact, she had hardly made a move at all. Roel wasn¡¯t too certain what the reason behind this was, but he took this as a hint that there wasn¡¯t as big of a grudge between him and Charlotte. Thus, he felt that it would be fine for him not to get involved with her. ¡°Forget it, I shouldn¡¯t get involved with her. It¡¯s not like we have anything between us right now anyway. I¡¯m a busy man too, you know...¡± ¡°Lord Brother, what are you mumbling about?¡± ¡°Ah? It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it. Hahaha.¡± Faced with Alicia¡¯s curious gaze, Roel quickly covered it with augh before continuing the conversation with Dirk. During their talk, he realized that Dirk had once been deployed at the eastern border in his younger years. He was young and rash then, and it was a moment of hot-bloodedness that prompted him to travel all the way to the Holy Capital and join the military. Due to hisck of connections and bad luck, however, after he was done with his training, he ended up being sent to the eastern Tark Stronghold to serve as a sentry. Despite serving at one of the strongholds of mankind to fend against the deviants and other external threats, Tark Stronghold was incrediblycklustre in times of peace. There were hardly any activities urring there, and there were barely any opportunities avable too. It was located in a barren wastnd with no potential for development at all, and the fact it was geographically inconvenient to ess only made things worse. No one in their right mind would want to head there and suffer for no reason. The Theocracy understood this as well, so in order to avoid this crucial stronghold from falling into depravity, it chose to constantly deploy fresh blood there. Soldiers would usually stay there for 5 years before being swapped out, and their sry would also be higher than usual. Dirk had learned quite a bit from the 5 years he spent in Tark Stronghold, and he did possess quite a bit of talent as a transcendent too. As soon as he returned, he was immediately promoted and ced directly under Carter¡¯smand, thus striking up a connection with his own fief lord. In this era when travel was incredibly inconvenient, people tended to carry more feelings toward the ce where they were born and raised. It was understandable why Dirk would be excited at the notion of being able to serve directly under his own fief lord, which resulted in him working harder than anyone else. His hard work paid off in swift growth, which led to him quickly catching Carter¡¯s notice. Unfortunately, there were very few opportunities to rue military merit during peacetime, which made credentials even more important. Despite Dirk¡¯s capabilities, he had never been educated in a military academy, which made it hard for him to be promoted. It just happened that Carter was building up a private army for the Ascart Fiefdom then. Under the tempting promises that Carter had made to him, as well as the opportunity to work at his hometown, where his family and friends were, Dirk eventually chose to leap over. ¡°Young master, I know what you¡¯re worried about, but I must say that your worries are unfounded. I have seen Tark Stronghold in person, and I can assure you that it¡¯s almost impregnable.¡± As Dirk was able to strike it off with Roel, he ended up talking more than what he usually would. ording to him, even though the area which the Theocracy was responsible for spanned quite a distance, it was mostly in the mountainous region. The difficulty in maneuvering around such terrain would make it nigh impossible for any invaders to take down the stronghold. ¡°Now, the area that is hard to protect is the span of the border that¡¯s guarded by Knight Kingdom, Pendor. It¡¯s located on a in, and there¡¯s no advantageous terrain to exploit. That¡¯s where thergest stronghold of mankind, Saint Karon Stronghold, is located. If anything happens to the stronghold, all countries are obliged to send their troops over to reinforce it. Three out of the four known invasions of West Sia urred through there.¡± Those words made Roel feel much more assured. He tried to recall if there were any details in the game regarding this event, but nothing presented itself. The game started with the main character enrolling into Saint Freya Academy, so there were very few details about the events that urred before that. However, considering that the main character was still able to attend the academy in peace, it looked like there was no need to worry about this invasion of the deviants. At the very least, it didn¡¯t appear to have resulted in anysting consequences. Given that it wasn¡¯t arge-scale war, the lower risks associated with Tark Stronghold, and that his father had been assigned to the Logistics Department, Roel felt that he didn¡¯t have to worry too much about this matter. With all of his worries cast aside, he would finally be able to focus his attention on the development of his transcendent abilities and the fiefdom. Looking at the 200,000 Affection Points he had umted thus far in the System, Roel decided to go on a shopping spree. My first goal as the fief lord shall be to finish spending all of my Affection Points! Chapter 125: A Rising Star

Chapter 125: A Rising Star

A monthter, morning in the Ascart Fiefdom, an exquisitely designed carriage appeared from around the corner and trotted its way down the streets. There was a unique insignia on the carriage which consisted of an eye hovering above candlelight. Had it been outside of the Theocracy, people would have probably immediately assumed that it was the insignia of an evil cult. However, here in the Ascart Fiefdom, this was an insignia that was well-known by the popce, especially over the past month. More and more people were starting to recognize this insignia along with a name constantly associated with it¡ªRoel Ascart. For some reason, the young sessor of the marquess house had be the proxy fief lord, gaining full powers over the management of the territory, thus making him the number one most powerful figure in the local bureaucracy. As glorious as the title of being the ¡®youngest ever proxy fief lord¡¯ sounded, it came together with plenty of skepticism and doubt. Most officials chose to hold their tongues, but they were actually dissatisfied with Marquess Carter¡¯s decision. One must know that Carter was a famed figure in the Theocracy, respected by the people no matter where one went. Even though he did ck off quite a bit when it came to the management of the fiefdom, there was no denying that his massive influence and poprity made their work much easier. It was normal for humans to glorify the past in the face of uncertain changes, resulting in an extremely low approval rating for Roel when he first came to power. However, to everyone¡¯s astonishment, the situation changed swiftly over the course of a single month... The carriage bearing the insignia of an eye hovering above candlelight came to a halt before the Administrative Bureau of the Ascart Fiefdom. The coachman quickly hopped down and ced the stairs down before opening the door to the carriage. A beautiful maid first stepped out of the carriage and stood respectfully by the side as she awaited the distinguished personage sitting within to step out. This scene had already be one of the daily top sights for residents living in the vicinity. From the moment a ck-haired boy slightly bent his body and walked out of the carriage, revealing his young and suave face, many of the pedestrians instinctively halted in their footsteps and turned their gazes over. The young women seeing Roel for the first time gasped in wonderment whereas the older women couldn¡¯t stop themselves from taking a few more looks. Ahhh, how good-looking. These were the feelings that resonated amongst most of the gathered audience to Roel¡¯s arrival. Roel was getting more and more aplished in the art of dazzling others with his looks. There was hardly any w that one could pick with his image, and humans happened to be creatures whose perceptions are heavily affected by their sense of sight. As Roel made more and more public appearances, his poprity amongst the youths, especially with the opposite gender, surged like a rocket sting for the sun. More and more young women carrying romantic dreams would intentionally pass by this street every evening, and some of the more well-to-do individuals even chose to rent a house in the vicinity. To be honest, Roel was a little conflicted about this situation. These fan-like behaviors reminded him of tragedies that had urred to highly popr idols in his previous life, but fortunately, it would appear that the people here were much more level-headed. Now that he thought about it, Nora also faced such situations whenever she made a public appearance, perhaps even more severe. The royal family was always in the limelight, and everyone was naturally curious about their affairs. Knowing that there were people out there who had it worse than him, Roel felt a bit more soothed. After alighting from the carriage, he casually shot a sweeping look in his surroundings, and many of the pedestrians responded to his gaze with a slight bow. In return, he nodded his head with a slight smile. As the facts had shown time and time again, Roel could have made a living on his face alone. However, he had returned back this time around with great ambitions to correct the mess his ancestors had left behind, not to mention that the massive debt he was in was constantly hounding him from the back of his mind. He was determined to change the state of the Ascart Fiefdom! A month ago, after Roel took over as the proxy fief lord, the first thing he thought about was how he could rally the people together. Chaos was bound to ur when a change in leadership urred. The subordinate officialscked a sense of loyalty to their new lord, and the popce who weren¡¯t interested in politics were unaware of the change in leadership. This was a normal urrence in a world with an underdeveloped media industry. This problem was further exacerbated by Roel¡¯s jarring young age. He knew that he would have to act fast, or else it would be difficult to change public perceptions once the notion of him being an ipetent leader sank in. The first days would be crucial. Knowing how important it was to have the support of his subordinates and popce in order to effectively implement changes, Roel unhesitatingly pulled out the Three Axes n. The first axe was to reorganize public security. It was true that the Ascart Fiefdom was viewed to have the highest level of public security amongst the fiefdoms of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, but that was an evaluation of the overall environment made by merchants. In other words, the dominant factors in this evaluation were things like the number of bandits operating in the fiefdom, the safety of the roads within the Ascart Fiefdom, and other factors that would affect business operations. However, to the citizens of the Ascart Fiefdom, it was the criminals lurking within themunity that destroyed their livelihoods. Minor thefts, hoodlums, gangs, loan sharks, and even human trafficking¡ªthese were the things that brought stress to the people, sometimes even dealing irreparable harm to them. Roel had heard a lot about such matters in his previous world, and he carried a deep level of abhorrence for them. He was determined not to allow such vermin to operate under his rule, which was why he started a campaign with the slogan of ¡® Cleanse the vermin off the streets ¡¯! The goal was to tighten security on the streets and sweep away the criminals who were already operating in the area. He started off by carefully picking his team ofw enforcers. He could have mobilized the civilian militia and the city guards, but he chose not to do so for two reasons. First, he had concerns that they were in collusion with some of the local criminals and secret societies. Second, he was worried that they weren¡¯t strong enough to deal with their targets. Most of the transcendents he had fought against thus far were extraordinarily powerful, such that he had a skewed impression that there were plenty of Peter Katers out there. Besides, this was his first undertaking as the proxy fief lord, so it was only appropriate for him to take extra caution and ensure that things went well. Due to all his considerations, he was easily able to narrow down the candidates¡ªthe Ascarts¡¯ guards and royal guards who had escorted him back to the fiefdom. As a result, an unprecedentedly powerfulw enforcement team was created. It consisted of Dirk as the leader, and the team was filled entirely with Origin Level 5 transcendents and above. Dirk, having grown up here, had plenty of connections with the locals, and he was extremely motivated about this as well because it was the first mission Roel had assigned to him. In less than a week since the team was created, Dirk had already submitted a name list with a hundred people on it. The name list was categorized into three ssifications. The first ssification consisted of murderers and human traffickers. The second ssification consisted of violent criminals and loan sharks who had torn families apart. The third ssification consisted of thieves, ckmailers, and most of the less grievous crimes. Roel instructed Dirk to do further investigation and make sure that the evidence was concrete. Thew enforcement team had to first ensure that everything was urate and document the process well before making an arrest. The severity of their punishment would depend on their crime. For human traffickers, especially those who kidnapped children and sold them elsewhere, they would be facing the death penalty. Roel felt that there was a need to make it harsh in order to deter others from doing the same. He carried strong emotions about this matter due to the documentaries he had watched in his previous life, and he didn¡¯t think that there was any need to waste valuable taxpayer money on people like that. As for those who belonged to gangs and secret societies, they were severely punished so as to ensure that they wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt another victim or exact vengeance against the one who reported them. Due to the swift and sharp actions of thew enforcement team, within a fortnight, several of therger secret societies and gangs inside Ascart City fell one after another. Many loan sharks were apprehended in the midst of their escape, and the human traffickers were all arrested too. It was a nightmare for all of the criminals. All of this bad news led to criminals queuing up to admit to their wrongdoings. They were afraid that thew enforcement team would hurt them outright. Thew enforcement team that Dirk led were mostly hot-blooded youths from the military. They had an overwhelmingly strong sense of righteousness that led to them having the tendency to go overboard when dealing with criminals, especially for those who were caught right in the act. Those who got off with fractures should be counting their blessings, for there were some who were killed right on the spot. While the means was questionable, there was no denying that the deterrence effect was incredible. Nowadays, the street hoodlums would start shivering uncontrobly as soon as they saw the guards wearing the Ascarts¡¯ military uniform. Roel was well aware that thew enforcement system he had implemented was extremely rough and had many underlying problems, but he felt that it was in the interest of the people to start fast and strong before slowly refining it. There was a lot of work to be done in order to build up a proper judicial system, but in the short-run, this would have to do. Other than apprehending and punishing the criminals, Roel hadn¡¯t forgotten aboutpensating the victims either. In his capacity as the proxy fief lord, he pushed out a policy topensate the victims duly from the money thew enforcement team confiscated from criminals. The policy sparked a hugemotion right away. Ever since a long time ago, any money confiscated from criminals would usually go into the fief lord¡¯s own pocket. It was unheard of to distribute the money to the people. On the day that the policy was officially announced, a huge crowd gathered right outside the Administrative Bureau, hoping to see whether the victims would really receivepensation or not. However, it was only during the evening that the first applicant came knocking on the doors of the Administrative Bureau. The applicant was an old man who had offended one of the secret societies and ended up having his legs crushed. He had no money to treat his condition, which he would soon die from, so he decided to take a gamble and give it a try. Yet, who could have thought that just after an hour of running through the full procedures, the proxy fief lord himself personally handed him a pouch of gold coins? ¡°Thank you! Thank you, milord! Sia will bless all of you!¡± The old man burst into tears before the earnest young fief lord standing before him as brilliant green light shone from his head. When he limped his way out of the Administrative Bureau, there was a smile filled with hope on his face. It was with this precedence that other victims of all sorts of crimes began visiting the Administrative Bureau in order to ask for financial aid while also serving as eye-witnesses against their aggressors. There was no way to say for sure whether the gods were really watching over everything happening in the mortal world, but the people had eyes of their own too. They could see the warmth of justice and benevolence radiating from Roel, and it embraced all of them in its protection. All of those who were grateful to Roel¡¯s aid sang praises of him to those that they came by. The old man who had his leg treated at a hospital constantly told his neighbors about Roel¡¯s generosity. The despairing parents who had their kidnapped children brought back to them told their children time and time again to hold Roel¡¯s grace deep in their hearts. Those who were liberated from the mire of debt loan sharks ced upon them were grateful for the new life they had been given, and they swore to give their all for the Ascart Fiefdom. One had to know that it was the vulnerable ones who numbered in the majority in society. Through their word-of-mouth, the approval ratings made a miraculous turnaround. From someone who was little known and whosepetency was viewed with skepticism, in less than a month since his appointment, Roel Ascart¡¯s reputation soared higher than anyone else. To the people, he was Goddess Sia¡¯s envoy, the Holy Son, the light that banished the evil. Themoners spent every single day toiling hard just to eke out a living, so they could hardly be bothered about other matters. Be it Carter Ascart, the Five Eminent Noble Houses, or the Xeclydes, all of those mattered very little to them. The only one that they truly recognized and respected was Proxy Fief Lord Roel Ascart, for he was the only one whose magnanimity interfered in their mundane matters and lent a helping hand to them. ... ¡°Young master Roel, people nowadays salute us whenever we patrol the streets in our military uniforms. There are quite a few youngds in the team who have found femalepanions too,¡± said Dirk. On the day the ¡® Cleanse the vermin off the streets ¡¯ operation came to an end, Roel held a celebration banquet for everyone involved in the operation. Dirk drank heartily at the banquet, enough that his cheeks turned bright red. He had never felt so fulfilled in his job before. If only Dirk had recognized Roel¡¯s potential in the past! The affairs that urred so far under Roel¡¯s leadership had convinced him to offer his fealty. To be honest, the ¡®Cleanse the vermin off the street¡¯ operation was hardly worthwhile in terms of gains and losses at all. Mobilizing so many valuable Origin Level 5 transcendents for such an operation was extravagant. One must know that their team ofw enforcers was strong enough to make a strategic difference on the battlefield, but here they were, mobilized for ¡®less important¡¯ matters that would have normally never fallen into their hands. Dirk had never heard of any fief lords going to such an extent for themon popce before, but Roel did it, and with overwhelming sess at that! Perhaps young master Roel is indeed different from the other patriarchs of the Ascart House. With such things in mind, Dirk continued gulping down the alcohol before him in merriment. Chapter 126: The Completion of the Three Axes Plan

Chapter 126: The Completion of the Three Axes n

Returning back to the same old question, how could one win the support of the people? Wise old sages of the past had said that those who could win the hearts of the people would win the world. Roel had an advantage in the sense that he came from an era of information, so he could tap into the experience of those who had walked on a simr path before and learn from them. Winning the support of the people had be such an important topic in the modern world that Roel couldn¡¯t be more familiar with it. So, what was the secret then? To serve the people, of course! The people had eyes to see for themselves what kind of person their fief lord was, whether he was good or evil, inept orpetent. Roel was born an aristocrat in this life, so he couldn¡¯t go with the typical sort of pretext like ¡® A leader born from the people ¡¯. Still, he could at least be a leader that reached out to the people. The ¡® Cleanse the vermin off the streets ¡¯ operation brought about a significant financial loss. Despite confiscating the properties of the criminals, the Ascart Fiefdom had lost money overall. However, it did bring Roel poprity and support from the people. These were things that were hard to buy even with money. At the same time, it brought Roel¡¯s team together too. He worked closely with the Finance Department and Public Rtions Department in order to kickstart the operation, and this coborative work allowed them to familiarize themselves with one another. On top of that, the sess of the operation also brought them a shared sense of glory. This was also the reason why Dirk was so happy at the celebration banquet. He was rejoicing not just over the aplishment of the mission but the happiness of being able to uphold justice in his hometown. It had brought him a good reputation, and it gave him a sense of pride at being able to work under Roel. The same applied for the other young men in thew enforcement team too. They knew they were working for a good cause, and this could be seen from the earnest respect the people treated them with. The grocers would give them some free food from time to time, and there were people who would shout out thanks to them while they were walking on the street. ... Though the one that delighted them the most was that they were receiving more confessions from women than they ever had in their entire life. The numerous stories about ¡®heroes saving beauties¡¯ going around were swiftly freeing the members of thew enforcement team from their singlehood! The most popr one of all was still their highest superior, Roel. There were many young women on the lookout for his movements as they camped out at certain locations just to catch a glimpse of him. He would also receive over a dozen confession letters every single day, and some of the officials¡¯ daughters even offered themselves as his concubine. Of course, all of these offers were turned down by Roel under the pretext that Carter wasn¡¯t around. ... Back to the present time, Roel entered the Administrative Bureau of the Ascart Fiefdom and walked into his own office. He settled down on a soft leather chair as he exhaled deeply. Without a doubt, the first axe of his Three Axes n was immensely sessful, which brought about a good momentum for the following second axe and third axe. The second axe he had prepared was the Ascart Fiefdom Road Network Construction Proposal. It was a massive n that spanned over several years. The goal was to build up a well-connected transportwork between the cities, towns, and viges within the Ascart Fiefdom. This wouldy down the foundations required for swift economic development. As they say, the road to fortune starts from building the road itself. Havinge from the modern world, Roel understood just how important well-paved roads were to the prosperity of a territory. How could a territory prosper when it wasn¡¯t even essible? Well-paved roads were the prerequisite to efficient military mobilizations andmercial activities. It had been decades since thest time a road was paved and repaired in the Ascart Fiefdom, before Carter even came to power. Needless to say, the roads had already fallen into disrepair; there were a few parts that had even effectively been cut off. However, this was a considerablyrge project that required a great deal of investment. Roel¡¯s first thought was to look for a merchant association for financing, but recalling the huge debt he owed to his System, he felt that it was best not to worsen his financial situation. He should avoid borrowing money wherever possible. As it happened, it was actually possible for Roel to carry out the n by himself without external financing too. The reason for that was due to him saving on the cost of raw materials. ¡¾Milton¡¯s Path of Nature In the midst of his research to harmonize civilization together with nature, Forest Spirit Milton developed equipment that can be used to produce wooden bricks that are as tough as stone. Once nted into the ground, it¡¯ll start taking root. ¡® Wood elves are still existent in this world, it¡¯s just that their manner of existence is different from before ¡¯ ¨C Milton Sessions Price: 30,000 Affection Points/unit¡¿ ¡¾Commemoration of the New Proxy Fief Lord A thousand years of umtion could build up a massive wealth whereas a thousand years of neglect would only result in stagnation. Wealth and prosperity are the only ways to fend against the des of the enemies. 50% off selected items in the store! Milton¡¯s Path of Nature Discounted Price: 15,000 Affection Points/unit ... ¡¿ When Roel saw the discounted item in the event store, he immediately knew that he had to buy Milton¡¯s Path of Nature. The other daily necessity sort of items were truly nothingpared to it. When it came to the construction of roads, there were two things that really hiked up the cost¡ªmanpower and materials. There were various types of roads that one could build. The simplest way was actually to just tten and harden the ground, but such a way was unreliable. Grasses could grow on the ttened ground, and it was vulnerable to erosion as well. The more reliable method was to build pavements, but the formtion and transportation of the materials all cost a massive amount of money. However, if he were to use Milton¡¯s Path of Nature, he could save all of this money. This curiously named object was actually a set of equipment that forest spirits used for their spells. By inserting wooden logs into the equipment, it would churn out wooden blocks that were far tougher than usual. On top of that, these wooden blocks lodged themselves into the ground by taking root, thus making it almost like a miraculous construction material when creating pavement through mountain forests. One of the key issues that Roel was worried about was the mmability of the material. No one would want to walk on a path that could turn into an inferno at a moment¡¯s notice. However, after purchasing one unit and conducting a quick experiment, Roel realized that his worries were needless. As it turned out, bricks produced by Milton¡¯s Path of Nature were water absorbent, making them even harder to set alight than asphalt. The climate around the Ascart Fiefdom happened to be humid, so there was no need to worry about it being a fire hazard. Another factor that had to be taken into consideration was efficiency too. Milton¡¯s Path of Nature was a good item, but it would be meaningless if its users were to churn out the wooden blocks too slowly. So, Roel gathered a skilled craftsman to test out the tools, and the results showed that the efficiency was roughly equivalent to having the materials created and shipped over from Ascart City. In other words, it was a jackpot! Roel had secured a nearly zero cost, zero shipping fee material for the construction of the pavement with no decrease in the supply efficiency. Over the past year, Roel had gathered almost 300,000 Affection Points, so he could afford to squander it a little. He unhesitatingly purchased 9 more Milton¡¯s Path of Nature, thus hitting the purchase limit for this item. With this, Roel¡¯s second axe was roughly settled, so he turned his attention over to the third axe¡ªpublic sanitation. Roel had lived in the old manor of the Ascart House ever since he was born, and most of his trips were taken in carriages. Therefore, hecked a certain understanding of the current state of the Ascart Fiefdom. That was why the first thing he did as the proxy fief lord was go on an inspection, and it didn¡¯t take him long to notice a major problem. The Ascart Fiefdom had modeled its sewage system after Holy Capital Loren, so there was not much trouble in that regard, but when it came to the disposal of trash, there was much left to be desired. The fiefdom tended to bury its garbage, which was indeed better than how some countries in his previous life chose to dump their garbage into rivers and pollute the nearby environment. However, burying garbage was not a foolproof solution. When the hot and humid summer arrived, the stench of dposing garbage underground would fill the area. On top of that, it was possible for poisonous substances to flow through the soil and contaminate the nearby water sources too. Other than that, household habits for handling garbage also posed a problem. Inside most cities, households tended to dispose of their garbage only once a week out of convenience. There was no such thing as trash bags in this world, so people tended to leave the garbage heaped out of the way in a corner. Needless to say, this was not advisable as the bacteria that bred in dposing garbage was a threat to the safety of the popce. In years where rainfall was higher than usual, the bacteria from these garbage heaps could flow into households in the form of sh floods. In fact, Ascart City even had a small-scale gue due to that on one asion. The Sia Continent was still in a stage where most production processes were human-driven, so the health of the poption was extremely important to maintainingbor force productivity. Due to that, the outbreak of a gue would have dire financial consequences on a fief, possibly even resulting in its bankruptcy. It was fortunate that nothing serious appeared to have happened to the Ascart Fiefdom, but it would be foolish to continue entrusting it to luck. So, Roel decided to change the practice of ¡®burying the garbage¡¯ into ¡®burning the garbage¡¯. It was more convenient in the sense that there was no need to dig holes, and it was extremely efficient too. Through such a practice, they would be able to dispose of garbage once every three days and significantly improve sanitation in cities all across the territory. Of course, it was not as if no one had ever thought of burning garbage before. However, it was viewed to be an idea that was good in theory but infeasible in practice, and the reason for that was the cost. Burning garbage was not as simple as lighting it up with a torch and waiting for it to disappear into ashes. A lot of garbage was actually wet and hard to light up, which meant that they needed oil to facilitate the burning process. However, it was extravagant to waste expensive oil on burning garbage when it could be used for so many other things. Faced with such a problem, Roel immediately looked through his System¡¯s Affection Points Exchange Shop, and he swiftly spotted something that could be used for it. ¡¾Auckser¡¯s Furnace Walking along the streets of Volcano City Auckser, one would find massive furnaces installed with the mountain rocks of the Eternal Volcano. Dwarven master craftsmen would be found using these furnaces to show off their superior smithing skills. Be warned though, for thosecking in skill, the high temperature in these furnaces can easily reduce everything to ash within tens of seconds. Price: 200,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡¾Commemoration of the New Proxy Fief Lord ... Auckser¡¯s Furnace Price: 100,000 Affection Points¡¿ Roel was a little hesitant when he first saw the price. It was too expensive, and it seemed to be used for purposes other than disposing trash. However, after much contemtion, he still decided to buy it anyway. The dwarven master craftsmen were no longer around, and none of the human cksmiths had the ability to forge a sword within tens of seconds. No one could really use the true prowess of the furnace anyway, so there should be no issue with him using it to dispose of trash. Once again, Roel attributed the presence of Auckser¡¯s Furnace to the legendary vault of the Ascart House, iming that it was one of the treasures left behind by his ancestors. He assigned several soldiers to constantly stand guard by the furnace¡¯s side to avoid any problems from urring. The furnace was massive in size, and its firepower was astounding. By constructing a few additionalponents and installing them on the furnace, they were able to swiftly turn it into a formidable incinerator. Be it animal bones or unusable farming equipment, all it took was moments for all of them to turn into ashes. Of course, this meant that they had to be fast when clearing the ashes inside too, or else the tool would be reduced to ashes too. In any case, three days¡¯ worth of garbage for the entire fiefdom took only half a day topletely clear out, thus greatly improving the sanitation in cities. The chances of individuals falling ill or a widespread gue urring had been greatly reduced, and this would doubtlessly contribute greatly to the productivity of the Ascart Fiefdom for a long time toe. With this, Roel¡¯s Three Axes n was set in ce. The ¡® Cleanse the vermin off the streets ¡¯ operation had won the people¡¯s heart, bringing the prestige of the Ascart House to greater heights. The construction of roads was a long-term project, so it would take years before the effects started to show. As for the improvement of public sanitation, it was a resounding sess too. Aside from the less apparent benefits, just the disappearance of the stench permeating the streets of dposing garbage had greatly improved the people¡¯s standard of living. Through his measures, Roel had won widespread recognition. Themoners, who had never enjoyed the benefits of wise governance under the leadership of previous generations of fief lords, were extremely grateful to Roel, causing his poprity to soar swiftly. The goal of the Three Axes n was to build a strong foundation for the development of the fiefdom. If one were to attempt to build a castle withoutying the base down properly, many problems were bound to ur along the way. Roel felt that this was important for removing his death gs too. Reducing the hostility that the female capture targets carried toward him was important, but the decline of the Ascart Fiefdom was also a huge death g. It had been hinted by the System many times before, and in fact, it was arguably the trigger to his fall into depravity. That was why he went all out this time around. He was determined to protect his family¡¯s fiefdom properly and develop it well... I shall earn enough money to repay my 500,000 gold coin debt to the System and live my life peacefully and blissfully! With such thoughts in mind, Roel threw himself back into his work, and time swiftly ticked by. Chapter 127: Child, It’s Time

Chapter 127: Child, It¡¯s Time

Two yearster, in the Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s Rosa City. In a ssy office that carried a breath of history, a ginger-haired middle-aged man was seated before a study desk. In front of him, at the center of the room, stood a girl with auburn hair and emerald eyes. The man was Bruce Sorofya and the girl was his daughter, Charlotte. They were the most renowned father-daughter pair in Rosa. They were usually on good terms with one another, but the atmosphere in the room felt a little different from normal. ¡°Father, why did you call me here?¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Bruce had sent her a letter using their house¡¯s high-priority envelope to summon her back from the Land of Chaos. The high-priority envelope was reserved solely for situations where the house was in dire trouble, which was why Charlotte was rmed to receive the summon. Without any hesitation, she rushed all the way back home, taking hardly any rest along the way, only to have Bruce ask her all sorts of trivial questions over the past half an hour. Bruce had also noticed Charlotte¡¯s confusion as well, and he sighed softly to himself. He knew that it had skirted around the issue for too long, and it was about time for him to get straight to the point. ¡°Charlotte, what do you think of the Ascart House?¡± ¡°Ascart House? Are you referring to the house ruling over the neighboring Ascart Fiefdom?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m referring to them. I would like to hear your evaluation of them.¡± ¡°Hmm... The Ascart Fiefdom itself holds a lot of potential, but it seems like the fief lord managing the territory has been quite inept thus far.¡± The almost offensive evaluation caused Bruce¡¯s eyebrows to shoot up, but before he could say anything, Charlotte had already started backing up her evaluation with all sorts of statistics, such as the progress of development of the fiefdom barely reaching 40%, its dpidated roads, the inessibility of its mountainous terrain, the low border taxes that were hardly sufficient to make up for its expenditures, and so on. All in all, it was a miracle that the Ascart Fiefdom managed to survive for the past thousand years. The incredibly long rant left Bruce feeling a sharp migraine settling in. ¡°Enough. I¡¯m aware of your view of the Ascart Fiefdom now, so you need not say anymore.¡± With a wave of his hand, Bruce gestured for Charlotte to halt her analysis. He felt that he had just asked the wrong question, and it left him at a further loss as to how he should approach the topic. The Sorofyas was a house of merchants. Even though they had strayed away momentarily from their primary trade to fight a war, they didn¡¯t abandon their roots. Even the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, which they stood in the center of, developed through expanding its economic prowess. Due to that, they naturally evaluated others through their finances and economic development too. The Ascart House, despite its high and lofty position over the past millennium, had horrible figures when it came to its economic development. In fact, it was regressing half of the time, which was how it managed to remain more or less stagnant even after so many years. Given so, it couldn¡¯t be helped that Rosaians thought very little of it. The patriarch of the Sorofya House, Bruce, had a different thought about this matter though. The Ascart Fiefdom was indeed an unqualified mess from the perspective of a merchant, but its military prowess was formidable. Each fiefdom had its own strengths and weaknesses depending on its specialization. Rosa chose to develop itsmerce, and that was why it was prosperous. On the other hand, the Ascart Fiefdom chose to grow its military might, and that was why it was stable. From the perspective of a ruler, Bruce actually had quite a high opinion of the Ascart Fiefdom. At the very least, thetter was a neighbor that was worth maintaining friendly rtions with. And fortunately, due to more recent events, he did have several points to refute Charlotte¡¯s opinion. ¡°Charlotte, have you heard of Roel Ascart?¡± ¡°Roel Ascart? You¡¯re referring to the sole son of Marquess Carter? I heard that he was quite a tyrant when he was younger, but he appears to have gotten on good terms with the Theocracy¡¯s princess, Her Highness Nora.¡± ¡°Cough cough. Let¡¯s not talk about the past and his backing for the time being. You have been busy dealing with issues over at the Land of Chaos, so it can¡¯t be helped that your information is outdated. Take a look at this report first.¡± Bruce picked up the documents he had on his desk and passed them over to Charlotte. Thetter received the documents and began browsing through them. Gradually, her eyes began to widen. Bruce watched the reactions of his daughter as his lips curled into a smile. Indeed, the content of the investigation report regarding the Ascart Fiefdom was truly explosive. Every single figure they had estimated was ridiculous based on what he knew, such that he had to dispatch another team to verify the authenticity of the first team¡¯s report. Charlotte¡¯s interest was clearly piqued as she flipped through the report. She carefully read through the various policies the Ascart Fiefdom had put in ce over thest two years, and the more she read about it, the more ingenious she felt they were. To start with, they had carried out an operation named ¡® Cleansing the vermin off the streets ¡¯, which involved using the powerful military might of the fiefdom to sweep away all of the evildoers. Following that, they carried outrge-scale road construction in order to connect the various cities and towns in the Ascart Fiefdom together, thus improving the overall essibility within the fiefdom. The lowered crime rates and improved road system significantly improved investors¡¯ perception of the fief, and this was further reinforced by the various policies put in ce to promote business transactions. But, what stood out the most to Charlotte was a policy named ¡®Supporting the Poor¡¯. This policy was another brainchild of Roel Ascart, and as the name implied, its purpose was to help some of the poorer viges improve their financial situation. How it worked was that the Ascart Fiefdom would dispatch some merchants over to each vige to aid them in the development of their businesses, including scouting for business opportunities and establishing processes. On top of that, these businesses were also offered government loans to quickly expand their operations, and these debts could be slowly repaid over the course of a decade. This ¡®Supporting the Poor¡¯ policy was initially treated as aughingstock by other fief lords. They thought that Roel Ascart was foolishly squandering his money away for the sake of earning a good reputation. Yet, in just a single year¡¯s time, the results produced by the policy made them swallow their words back down. By no exaggeration at all, the level of production in the Ascart Fiefdom increased manyfold. And, this was only just the first year. ording to the internal documentspiled by the Sorofyas, it was estimated that this rapid growth would continue for at least 5 more years. ¡°How is it, Charlotte? Do you still think that Roel Ascart is an inept scion?¡± ¡°If he was really the one who came up with these ideas, he¡¯s indeed a formidable individual. Perhaps, he might even be a genius,¡±plimented Charlotte. Bruce heaved a deep sigh of relief, and he finally threw out his final bait. ¡°The Ascart Fiefdom has recently submitted a coborative development proposal to us. The area they¡¯re looking at spans their northern border region along with the southern border of our Rosa. I think that the proposal is worth looking at. What are your thoughts?¡± ¡°Assuming that the content of the report is true, it would mean that the Ascart Fiefdom will be going through swift economic growth for the next few years. I believe that we should view their proposal favorably.¡± ¡°You think so too? Then... what do you think of negotiating this deal for us?¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. The development of the Land of Chaos hasn¡¯t been going smoothly for you over the past two years. I think it¡¯ll be good for you to turn your attention to something else for the time being.¡± Bruce¡¯s grave face made Charlotte fall silent. She pondered the matter for a moment before finally nodding in agreement. ¡°I understand. Leave this matter to me.¡± ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll be looking forward to hearing good news from you. Also, there¡¯s another matter that I should inform you of regarding Roel Ascart.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Faced with the curious emerald eyes of his daughter, Bruce struggled internally for a long while before he tried his best to squeeze out a forced smile. ¡°... he¡¯s actually your fianc¨¦.¡± Chapter 128: Human Rights? Does It Exist?

Chapter 128: Human Rights? Does It Exist?

In the depths of the Theocracy¡¯s royal pce. ¡°N-Nora? Wait a moment, calm down! Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t don¡¯t don¡¯t don¡¯t don¡¯t!¡± Bam! Inside a dimly-lit spare room prepared for the banquet, a golden-haired girl met eyes with a ck-haired boy. The passing of two years had brought about some changes in their appearances. The ck-haired boy, Roel, was growing more and more simr to the viin he remembered in the game he yed in his previous life. His features had grown a little firmer and more masculine, resulting in his adorable appearance being reced with a more suave and youthful image. What stood out the most was his height. He had grown a fair bit over thest two years, resulting in his figure bing much taller. His shoulders had also broadened a bit too. However, he had inherited the smaller physical frame of his spellcaster ancestors, so he didn¡¯t look particrly bulky. However, the changes Roel had gone through could hardlypare with Nora at all. It was said that puberty transformed a girl into a woman, and this saying was best exemplified here. She still had the same long, golden hair as before, but her previously still a little raw disposition had fully matured, bing far more graceful and domineering than before. She had grown a little taller, and her appearance became more mature as well. Even the most subtle of gestures from her exuded her confidence and a powerful air, making her seem more and more like a true empress. Her childlike adorableness had receded to entuate her womanly charms, especially when it came to her chest. What had once been t as an airne runway had begun to protrude a little. There was no doubt that Nora was getting more and more beautiful with time. Seeing how she was getting more simr to how he remembered her to be in the game, Roel was indeed moved. But, before considering being true to his feelings, he had to prioritize his survival first. He could sense that the golden-haired girl before him was losing control of her emotions out of excitement. Within five seconds since they locked eyes with one another, thetter¡¯s breathing grew heavier and heavier before abruptly pouncing on him, knocking him down to the ground. The resounding ¡®Bam¡¯ sound from earlier came from the chair Roel knocked over as he fell to the floor. He quickly turned to the doorway and stared intently for a brief moment, but fortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like anyone was nning to investigate the ruckus. Roel wiped the sweat off his forehead before turning to look at the reddened youngdy sitting on his body. ¡°Are you out of your mind? There are plenty of people out there! Why did you bring me here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to greet all of the guests at your birthday banquet?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. We haven¡¯t met each other for two years now. You can¡¯t really expect me to hold myself back, right?¡± ¡°Hold yourself back? Wait a moment! You... What are you nning to... Wuuuu!¡± Before Roel could finish his words, his lips had already been forcefully sealed off by a kiss. He immediately stretched his hand forth to push the girl sitting atop his body away, only to find his hands mped down on the floor by another pair of hands. Muffled noises from the birthday banquet could be vaguely heard through the door, and it heightened Nora¡¯s exhration. The intense feeling of excitement set her body aze. With the final sliver of rationality left in her mind, she reminded herself to practice some self-control. ¡°Huu, huuu. What are you doing all of a sudden?!¡± ¡°What am I doing? Can¡¯t you tell? Kissing.¡± ¡°Do normal people who haven¡¯t met for two years meet in a dimly-lit room like this and kiss one another in such a posture?¡± ¡°Is there any problem with it? We already did the same thing two years ago anyway.¡± Unlike the panting Roel, the golden-haired girl still had plenty of breath in her to refute his arguments. Roel tried his best to pull his hands free, but it was to no avail. ¡°Give up. I have already reached Origin Level 4, you won¡¯t be able to break free from my grip.¡± ¡°Why in the world are you even holding me down like this?¡± ¡°Do you even have to ask? It¡¯s because I like it, the feeling of forcefully sweeping you away to a ce just out of the sight of those young noblewomen flocking around you. Ahh, that expression of yours is truly adorable. Really, you should stop seducing me like that.¡± ¡°Like hell I¡¯m seducing you!¡± The perverted words that were spilling from Nora¡¯s mouth left Roelpletely speechless. He continued trying to struggle free, but under Nora¡¯s incredibly aggressive stare, he eventually resigned himself to fate. ¡°Say, don¡¯t we have our weekly calls? Surely those can be considered as meetings too, no?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the several minutes¡¯ long chat we have every week with your little sister sitting right beside you?¡± Nora¡¯s eyebrows shot up as she spoke with a tone filled with sarcasm. It was clear as day that she was infuriated just thinking about it. In contrast, Roel simply looked a little awkward about it all. Using the ¡®Crown¡¯s Bestowment¡¯ ability of Ascendwing, Nora was able to project a hologram to meet with Roel once a week. The time limit of the ability was around five minutes. This was the skill that she had nned to use in order to check on Roel, but as it happened, the two of them were only free in the nighttime, the period of time Roel usually spent together with Alicia. As such, an incredibly awkward situation urred. How was Nora supposed to flirt with Roel when Alicia was around, especially when she only had five minutes and wasn¡¯t physically present at the scene? This was obviously a losing battle! In the end, she could only keep warning Roel to be careful of Alicia while thetter listened with an annoyingly nonchnt smile. Then, when five minutes was finally up, she would end up disconnecting in frustration. Such calls were so meaningless that Nora would rather not have them at all. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but worry that Alicia would pull some sort of trick to take advantage of Roel that she ended up projecting her hologram each time anyway. However, to her exasperation, that foolish siscon continued thinking of his little sister as kin and continued cuddling with her. Please! That youngss is also at Origin Level 4, but she still puts on that frail damsel act before you. Pretty much the whole world knows that she¡¯s a prodigy except for you! As soon as those thoughts came to her mind, she shot Roel a piercing, indignant re. She really couldn¡¯t understand how Alicia managed to brainwash him so thoroughly. Back then, when she told him that Alicia was likely to have already reached Origin Level 4, he even dared to shrug it off with augh! Roel didn¡¯t believe her at all! He thought that she was saying all of this due to her rivalry with Alicia. It made her so angry that she ended up ignoring him for half a month! There¡¯s really something wrong with thatss! I must save him from the clutches of that evil silver demon! After Nora finally cooled down from that incident, she swiftly realized how severe the problem was. Due to the incident, she stood against all opposition and insisted on returning from the eastern border to hold a birthday banquet just so that she could meet Roel. However, when she finally saw him, she realized that the problematic one wasn¡¯t just Alicia now. There was a huge cluster of annoying bees that had started pestering him in the two years she was gone. So far, Roel had already served as the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom for two and a half years. During this period of time, he had made huge aplishments. Most notably of all, he had established roads between all viges, towns, and cities, thusying down the groundwork required for a swift expansion inmercial activities within the fief. In the past, trade was mostly limited to the municipality that one lived in. No matter how many goods a business could produce, there was only so much they could earn in a single municipality due to limited demand. However, now that it had be much more viable to ship goods out to other municipalities, the market had been increased from just one municipality to hundreds of municipalities all over the Ascart Fiefdom. Due to that, the citizens of the territory were now more enthusiastic than ever in their work, and many businessmen had appeared amongst the people. Be it agriculture, textiles, or most other industries, they grew swiftly within the past two and a half years. The growth in economic activities created a virtuous cycle, as the positive business environment encouraged more merchants outside to put their investments into the fiefdom. In fact, the local Sorofya Merchant Association even approached Roel to learn from him and build friendly rtions. ¡® A once-in-a-century prodigy in fiefdom administration ¡¯, this was the evaluation that the manager of the local Sorofyas¡¯ branch had of Roel, as recorded in one of the investigation reports of the Xeclydes. The swift growth of the Ascart Fiefdom brought Roel to the limelight, and more and more people were starting to notice this young man. Naturally, this included a particr group of people whom Nora wouldbel as ¡®vixens¡¯. Take those women from the Lucerne Ducal House for example, they were all so much older than Roel, and yet they tried to unt their charms before him, hoping to catch his attention. Nora was at the forefront of the banquet hall, greeting all of the noble guests one after another, but she had been discreetly keeping an eye out for this. It was out of fury that she decided to drag Roel away and vent her anger a little. ¡°What were you talking about with those women earlier?¡± ¡°Those women?¡± ¡°The young misses from the Lucerne Ducal House.¡± ¡°Ah, them . They asked me for the key to the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s sess, so I told them that it¡¯s the construction of roads, but they simply wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± Roel could understand why they would think this way though. He knew of the importance of establishing roads from his previous life, but the other nobles weren¡¯t so privileged as him as to have witnessed the amazing prowess of globalization. In fact, most nobles rarely visited those not very essible smaller towns and viges as they were, obviously, not very essible. On top of that, most people who were worthy of seeking an audience with the influential nobles were important people based inrge cities, resulting in ack of representation for those living in smaller viges and towns. As such, it never urred to them that there was untapped potential in smaller viges and towns that they could utilize to spur the growth of theirnds. To be honest, Roel was also a little uncertain about this since he was no expert on this¡ªhe was basically pulling out things he knew from his previous life and putting them into practice¡ªbut fortunately, things turned out fine in the end. Also, the Ascart Fiefdom had not exactly been stagnant too. It was true that its economic growth had beengging behind, but that was mostly due to ack of supporting policies and infrastructure. Truthfully, many businesses in their respective municipalities had been refining their operations for a long while, which allowed them to swiftly scale up their operations as soon as the markets opened up. It was the umtion of hard work over the past few centuries that brought about this swift, massive growth. I¡¯m standing on the shoulders of a giant. That was what Roel often said, though most people hardly understood what he was talking about. Maybe except for Grandar, though his interpretation was very different from Roel¡¯s own. He would always giggle whenever Roel said that phrase before humbly expressing that it really had nothing to do with him at all. Roel thought that his reaction was pretty interesting, so he didn¡¯t bother exining the real meaning behind the phrase. ¡°Is that so? Hmph, those frivolous bimbos. This won¡¯t do, I need to rid the smell of them from you.¡± Nora¡¯s breathing began to hasten amidst her words, and she began to take off Roel¡¯s clothes. This left him aghast. ¡°W-wait a moment! Nora? What are you taking off my clothes for? S-stop it... Grandar!¡± ¡°Stop shouting. Mister Grandar is no longer around from the moment I saw you. Be obedient. I shall leave you with a small strawberry.¡± ¡°C-can you not do this? What if others were to see it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m doing this for the very purpose of having others see.¡± After a short struggle, Roel was pressed back down onto the floor, and an exquisite handcuff made out of golden mana bound his hands. Victory had been decided. Time for me to have a bite of my dessert. Chapter 129: Physically or Spiritually?

Chapter 129: Physically or Spiritually?

A wrestling match urred for a short while in the dimly-lit room. Roel, despite his disadvantageous position, tried his best to struggle free, flinging his arms and legs with the intensity of Magikarp flopping around onnd. Unfortunately, he was outpowered here. Nora¡¯s golden mana flickered several times before two pairs of golden rings locked his wrists in ce. Meanwhile, Nora was locking down his waist with her body. All she had to do was to move her body a little for the reddened Roel to dare not move anymore. ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue struggling? I like it when you struggle.¡± ¡°You really are a pervert!¡± ¡°It has already been two years, but your mouth is still as sharp as ever.¡± With his attempt to rebel a failure, Roel was rendered utterly helpless before Tyrant Nora as she stroked his cheeks lightly. It was hard to tell whether her sapphire eyes were twinkling due to the golden radiance of her mana or something else, and her sadistic smile was growing wider and wider. An idea seemed to havee to her mind as she prodded Roel¡¯s cheeks mischievously. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try this? If you bark once and call me master, I¡¯ll consider letting you off. What do you think about it?¡± Nora grabbed the cor of Roel¡¯s suit as her eyes narrowed in excitement. Anticipation was written all over her face as she gazed down on the boy lying beneath her. ¡°Though I want to put you under my foot, that would soil your clothes. Would you be more receptive to it if I do it barefoot?¡± ¡°Receptive your head!¡± Faced with the double insult to his body and his dignity, Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched as he cursed out loud. The reason why he struggled so desperately earlier was because he knew that something bad was bound to happen if Nora managed to get her hands on him. Indeed, his intuition didn¡¯t fail him! ¡°Haven¡¯t you in your fair share of deviants at the eastern border? You should have satisfied your sadism there, no?¡± ¡°Well, the cries of those monsters are indeed music to my ears. But, if I have to be honest, it isn¡¯t stimting enough.¡± Nora rubbed her chin as she blinked her eyes contemtively, seemingly reminiscing how she felt when she stood atop heaps of corpses. ¡°I thought that I would be excited too, but the experience turned out to be underwhelming. I was only able to vent my desire to fight. No matter how many filthy wild dogs I dig through, how can any of thempare to my most beloved pet?¡± Nora¡¯s searing gaze was almost burning through Roel. She felt that her appetite had gotten too ustomed to Roel that nothing else could satiate her anymore. ¡°After having tasted a true delicacy, those ordinary fodder are nothing more than a means to alleviate my appetite. You should have given it quite some thought over thest two years, no? How about it?¡± What do you mean by ¡®how about it¡¯, you sadistic freak! Roel retorted in his mind as he quickly formted a n to break out of his current situation. However, before he could put it into action, a voice suddenly sounded behind the two of them. ¡°Your Highness Nora, may I humbly ask you to stop bullying Lord Brother?¡± That voice made Nora click her tongue in annoyance. She slowly rose back up to her feet before turning around to face the owner of that voice. A silver-haired girl was looking frostily at her. Over thest two years, Alicia had undergone quite a transformation too. Her miniature body had grownrger by a fair bit, making her look moredylike. Her slightly chubby cheeks grew slightly more defined and exquisite. The only things that remained the same were her beautiful ruby irises. Her disposition felt more ethereal and untouchable than before. By now, Alicia¡¯s beauty had be famous throughout the entire Theocracy. Her striking beauty was the perfect love-at-first-sight weapon, inducing the infatuation of many young scions. They desperately tried to fawn on her, hoping to catch her attention. Some of them even went a bit overboard. Unfortunately for them, Alicia was no longer the weak-willed girl she used to be. She didn¡¯t hold back against those who dared to step out of line. Many of those who thought that they could take advantage of her ended up learning a painful lesson in the shadows they would never forget. Yet, whenever she was with Roel, the cold and unapproachable girl would suddenly be incredibly affectionate and cuddly. She would leap right into Roel¡¯s embrace with a giggle and snuggle right up to him. The obedient child disguise that Alicia had been maintaining before Roel really left Nora feeling exasperated, especially since Roel continued getting duped by it. Every single time, he would patiently console the ¡®frightened¡¯ Alicia and use the excuse that she was still too young to reject all of the pursuers who came knocking on the doors of the Ascart House. Of course, some scions who were unwilling to give up so easily attempted to send a letter directly to the father of the two children, Marquess Carter. However, most of those letters fell on deaf ears. Nora could understand where Marquess Carter wasing from. Unless someone clubbed Marquess Carter hard on the head, there was no way he would easily let go of a talent of Alicia¡¯s caliber. ¡°Miss Alicia, it has been two years since Ist met Roel. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s inappropriate of you to interrupt our rendezvous?¡± Nora red at Alicia with an awful look on her face. ¡°Your Highness, I understand how you feel, but as the star of the show today, you have already caused quite amotion out there with your prolonged absence. Other than that, I also have important news to inform Lord Brother of¡ªLord Father has returned.¡± ¡°Our father is here?¡± asked Roel in agitation. Nora¡¯s expression also turned slightly grim too. She quickly dispelled her binding spell on Roel, and thetter quickly sat up, straightening his clothes as he did so. Marquess Carter had been managing the Logistics Department for the Tark Stronghold for two years now, and during this period of time, he had only returned home once. The news that he was at the Holy Capital came as a pleasant surprise to Roel. ¡°Is father back from the frontlines? Didn¡¯t he have a mission on hand and couldn¡¯t make it for the birthday banquet?¡± ¡°I heard that he has managed toplete it ahead of time.¡± Nora fell silent after hearing Alicia¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t help but sense that there was something strange about this matter. The deviants had been growing more and more active at the eastern border over the past two years. It was for this reason that Nora had to give up celebrating her birthday and head to the eastern border in advance. It was only in recent days that she managed to find some time to return back to the Holy Capital. She knew a fair bit about the situation on the frontlines, and she was aware that the mission Marquess Carter was assigned with wasn¡¯t something that could bepleted in the short-term. It was odd that he was able to return to the Holy Capital despite his duties. Just what is so important that he needs to ry the matter to his children in person? Nora had her doubts about this matter, but she felt that she should still take the big picture into ount and allow Roel to leave. After all, this was a rare reunion for the father and son, so it would be inappropriate for her to continue taking up his time. Roel quickly headed out of the door, and Nora followed him. At that instant, when Nora was about to walk past Alicia, she suddenly halted her footsteps and tilted her head slightly over to look at the silver-haired girl with a sharp gaze. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t even hope that you¡¯ll be able to continue maintaining that innocent act of yours before him. It¡¯s only a matter of time before he opens his eyes and sees through you.¡± ¡°Pardon me, but I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯m only preserving my truest self for Lord Brother. Everything is built upon our love.¡± After the quick verbal sh, the two girls harrumphed coldly before turning away from one another. ... Carter Ascart was feeling very nervous at the moment. The jittery feeling he felt inside wouldn¡¯t subside no matter what he did. Two years ago, before he headed for the eastern border, he suddenly recalled an important matter which had slipped his mind all this while. A long time ago, when he first participated in a battle on the frontlines, his father said some mystifying words to him. ¡°You must return alive. Otherwise, the daughter-inw from the Sorofyas that I¡¯ve reserved for you would have been in vain,¡± That was the exact words that Carter¡¯s father told him, It was simple and direct, but that didn¡¯t make it any less of a bombshell. Back then, Carter was still young and hot-blooded, so how could he possibly turn a deaf ear to the sudden news drop that he was actually engaged to someone else? He immediately demanded the details from his father. And thus, a clich¨¦ scene unfolded. Roel¡¯s grandfather, nc Ascart rubbed his hands together as he instructed a servant to flip through the drawers to retrieve an engagement contract. ording to nc, this engagement was made prior to the founding of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. In the final years of the liberation of Rosa, the Austine Empire had tried making onest ditch struggle, dispatching arge-scale reinforcement to hold a final showdown with the Rosaians. With the enemies outnumbering them threefold, the Rosaians had no choice but to seek help from the Theocracy, but the Theocracy wasn¡¯t in a position to dispatch their troops directly to help them. In simple terms, the Theocracy could not directly interfere in the conflict between Rosa and the Austine Empire. Since Rosa at the time was still a part of the empire, the fight was considered a civil war, and it was taboo for external nations to meddle in a country¡¯s internal affairs. So, the Theocracy could choose to side with one party and provide aid wherever necessary, but if it were to directly participate in the battle, that would not only ruin their reputation but also bring a great deal of trouble. However, the Theocracy couldn¡¯t just watch as Rosa¡¯s rebellion was quelled by the Austine Empire either. If they did, all of the aid previously provided for Rosa¡¯s liberation would have gone to waste. It was at this crucial moment that the friendly neighboring Ascart House stood forward to lend a hand. As important as legitimacy was, there were always dirty tricks to circumvent it. In a war, it wasn¡¯t umon for troops to slightly overstep their boundaries, especially when pursuing enemy troops. And, the Ascart House made full use of this fact to beat the stuffing right out of the troops of the Austine Empire. What? You dashed into my home with your troops, and you expect me to just shrug it off just because it¡¯s an ¡®ident¡¯? Hah! This is called self-defense, you twats! The Austine Empire ended up being put through a great deal of suffering by the Ascart Fiefdom. Unlike his tamer son, Carter, nc Ascart was an unreasonable and underhanded person. Instead of confronting the Austine Empire directly, he chose to exploit the times when the Austine Empire was going all out against the Sorofyas to sneak to their rear and shove a sword up their ass. A few more iterations of that, and even the soldiers started constantly checking their rear out of PTSD. This pincer attack put the Austine Empire at a terrible disadvantage, so they proceeded on to hold a three-sided negotiation instead. At the negotiation table, nc Ascart, despite meeting the then patriarch of the Sorofya House, Tindi Sorofya, for the first time, imed that he felt a deep bond with thetter, as if they were long-lost friends who were reunited once more. The two of them nearly made a vow of sworn brotherhood then and there, but they eventually decided to settle with a bond of marriage instead. To officialize it, they even signed a private engagement contract right there. The two of them were so chummy that the negotiator for the Austine Empire nearly retched. In any case, their shamelessness left the Austine Empire with no way to push their agenda through. Seeing that they no longer held the upper hand anymore, they could only try to squeeze as muchpensation out of Rosa as possible before finally signing a peace agreement, where the Austine Empire agreed to recognize Rosa as an independent country. And thus, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy was formed! While the engagement contract was brought out for the sake of disgusting the Austine Empire and ruining their ns at the negotiation table, that didn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t binding. Both the Sorofyas and the Ascarts recognized its legitimacy, and they were indeed intending to invoke it. While the patriarchs of the Ascart House tended to shirk their duties as fief lord, they weren¡¯t oblivious to their ipetence in governance. Simrly, the Sorofyas were also painfully aware of their weak military prowess too. From the perspective ofplementary natures, the two houses were a perfect fit for one another. Yet, due to gender shes, this engagement was never fulfilled in Carter¡¯s generation, for the Sorofyas and Ascarts happened to bear only male offspring in that generation. After nc passed away, there was no one else mentioning the engagement anymore, so Carter forgot all about it. But not too long ago, Carter received a letter from Rosa that was so shocking that he immediately applied for leave and dashed all the way over to the Holy Capital in fright. The Sorofyas had remembered the engagement, and they wanted to invoke it too! ording to the letter, it seemed like the Ascart Fiefdom had sent a proposal over to the Sorofyas for a coborative development. The Sorofyas seemed to think that Roel had talent in business, and they had a very high opinion of him. As such, they wanted to fulfill the engagement contract they had signed a hundred years ago and form a bond of marriage between the two houses. Looking at the timeline, the Sorofyas should have already set off by now. Carter was toote to stop them, and he had no reason to stop them as well. Regardless of whether it was for the engagement or the negotiation regarding the proposal, it was only appropriate for them to meet in person to talk things through. One must know that an engagement between nobles was no joking matter. It was not so simple that one could cancel it just by giving 7 days¡¯ notice beforehand or something. There was no greater humiliation to a noblewoman than being refused from an engagement. If no legitimate reason was presented, she would be aughingstock within the circle of nobility. In other words, if they failed to settle this well, the Sorofyas could very well turn against the Ascarts. Did this mean that Roel had no choice but to carry out the engagement then? Well, that was not exactly right either. Ever since ancient times, there were plenty of ¡®unsuitable political marriages¡¯ too. Nobles weren¡¯t entirely inflexible either. In order to leave some space for them to take a step back wherever necessary, there was something known as the adjustment period. The adjustment period was usually set to be several months long, and during this period of time, the two engaged parties had to visit each other once and attempt to spark feelings for one another. If they felt that they were still unsuitable for one another after several months of effort, they would be able to cancel the engagement. Even though there was usually such a use, it was rarely invoked in real life. After all, most noble houses valued the interests of their houses over their own feelings anyway, and that was why there were still so many unfortunate marriages. But again, the situation between the Ascarts and the Sorofyas was a little peculiar since it was a century old engagement contract. In any case, a meeting between Roel and his engaged half from the Sorofyas was already inevitable at this point. Looking at the two nearly monster-like girls rushing in his direction together with the overjoyed Roel, Carter found his guts deting a little. However, he knew that there was no way to postpone it any longer, so he decided to just light the fuse and quickly get it over and done with. He first stepped forward and gave Roel a tight hug before acknowledging the presence of the two girls with a nod. Then, before Roel could say anything, he took the initiative to speak his piece. ¡°Roel, I came back in a hurry because I have something important I need to inform you. You have a fianc¨¦e, and her name is Charlotte Sorofya.¡± Chapter 130: A Fearsome Force

Chapter 130: A Fearsome Force

¡°He¡¯s engaged? How is that possible?! Why weren¡¯t you aware of it then?¡± ¡°As you heard, it¡¯s an engagement contract dating to a hundred years ago. Lord Father never mentioned this matter to me before, so it¡¯s only natural that I was unaware of it!¡± ¡°What should we do? It¡¯s one thing if it were anyone else, but of all people, it has to be the Sorofyas¡¯ Charlotte!¡± In the royal pce, Nora and Alicia were seated together around a tea table as they berated one another in vexation. The reason behind their frustrations was due to the news that Carter announced to them a few days ago during Nora¡¯s birthday banquet¡ªRoel actually had a fianc¨¦e! To make matters worse, his fianc¨¦e was also quite a formidable individual, Charlotte Sorofya. She was a beauty famed throughout the Sia Continent, rumored to be as impable and wless as the elves out of legends. One must know that the elves were said to possess irresistible charms that make one offer one¡¯s all to them. And, that was just talking about her appearance. Other than that, she was also the first miss of the Sorofya House, its future matriarch. She was known to the world as a rare business prodigy, a top-notch designer, and a fashion icon. All in all, she was a prodigy that one could hardly pick a w with. ¡°This is really troublesome. I could have just turned a blind eye if it was anyone else, but definitely not Charlotte!¡± ¡°Your Highness, have you met her before?¡± ¡°We met once before,st year. I had paid a visit to the Sorofyas while passing through Rosa on the way to the eastern bordernds.¡± ¡°How is she? Is she as the rumors make her out to be?¡± Alicia¡¯s question was met with Nora¡¯s silence. Nora¡¯s brow knit together for a long while before she finally uttered her own evaluation with some difficulty. ¡°I was moved.¡± ¡®What?¡± ¡°From the moment I caught sight of her, my heart began beating faster. Do you understand what I¡¯m trying to say here?¡± Nora lowered her head in what almost seemed like despair, as if she couldn¡¯t believe that she actually felt such a thing. Alicia stared at Nora for a moment before abruptly backing off a little. This caught Nora by surprise, who then raised her head up to look at her rival in confusion. ¡°Your Highness, there¡¯s no need to exin yourself. It might be unconventional, but I assure you that you have my support.¡± Alicia directed a kind smile at Nora, as if urging her to go ahead and spend her entire life with Charlotte. Needless to say, this only left Nora feeling even more infuriated. ¡°I¡¯m saying that it¡¯s weird! That girl possesses some sort of magic ability. It¡¯s not just charm but something of a much higher level. Perhaps it¡¯s due to her bloodline, but she gives off an air of inexplicable nobility.¡± ¡°Nobility?¡± ¡°Indeed. On top of that, the rumors about her appearance aren¡¯t exaggerated at all. Her charisma is the real thing, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m so worried about it. If even I am taken by her charm, it¡¯s hard to believe that Roel would be able to hold himself back before her.¡± Nora muttered as she clenched her fists tightly. She suddenly remembered the situation with Victoria, how thetter had suffered many setbacks along the way just because Ponte had married before her. She had to wait for a grueling 20 years before her chance finally came. Nora thought that it was already bad enough for Victoria, but it looked like an even worse fate was waiting for her! If Roel were to really marry Charlotte, there was a good chance that Nora could wait out her entire life and still not have any chance to strike at all! I have to outlive an elf? You must be joking! This won¡¯t do. I can¡¯t let things progress like this! I must find a way to stop the engagement between the two of them! ¡°But what can we do about this? For century-old engagement contracts like this, I doubt that Lord Brother will be able to one-sidedly turn the other party down.¡± The typical plotline of a powerful noble rejecting his fianc¨¦e to get together with his one true love was something that only worked out in novels. Try doing that in real life, and it will be an utter hell hole. The more prestigious the noble houses involved were, the more troublesome things would be. To turn down an engagement, regardless of intent, was considered an act of snubbing. In the first ce, individual feelings have no ce in political marriages¡ªall that really mattered was for the two noble houses to be connected by a familial bond. This was the case for Ponte and his wife, where they simply got together and fulfilled their duty of bearing an offspring. Just the thought of Charlotte fulfilling her duty by bearing Roel¡¯s offspring was more than enough to leave Nora¡¯s head spinning. She felt that the world suddenly didn¡¯t look so good anymore. Simrly, Alicia¡¯s face was also ghastly pale, and she was having trouble pulling herself together. ¡°A legitimate reason is needed to handle the rejection of an engagement, and both parties must be positively obliged to it. We can still talk to Roel about this, but trying to convince Charlotte will be nigh impossible.¡± ¡°Hm? Why is that so? She has never met Lord Brother before, so there shouldn¡¯t be any reason for her to insist on this marriage, right?¡± ¡°There is a reason for her to insist on this marriage. It bes clear if you consider Charlotte¡¯s marriage problem by means of elimination.¡± Nora patiently exined the current circumstances to Alicia. This was simply a matter of patible spouses¡¯. Charlotte, as the first miss of the Sorofyas, was as good as the princess of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. A person who was qualified to wed her had to be a member of the royal family, but taking a quick look at the royals in Austine, Saint Mesit, and Pendor, those who fit the bill were already in their thirties, and this was including Nora¡¯s father, Kane, too. ¡°Do you think that she would rather marry a man who is already in his thirties and be my stepmother rather than marry Roel?¡± ¡°But if she were to annul the engagement contract, she could simply find a person she likes and have him marry into the Sorofya House.¡± ¡°Those who are willing to marry into the Sorofya House would be the second sons of the royal family, those who aren¡¯t in the direct line of session. In terms of standing and influence, how could any of thempete with Roel, the sole sessor of the Ascart House? Furthermore, based on what I know, even though Charlotte is the sessor of the Sorofya House, her position isn¡¯t as stable as it seems, due to howrge the house is. I¡¯m certain that they are nning to use the marriage with Roel to reinforce her standing within the Sorofyas.¡± Hearing that Roel was being viewed as a tool riled Alicia up. She viewed love to be something sacred in her heart, and those who used marriage for impure motives were insulting its sanctity. Nora was equally agitated too. There was no way she could remain calm in such a situation. If Charlotte were to seed, Alicia might still have a legitimate reason to stay by Roel¡¯s side as his adopted sister, but it would be game over for her. ¡°There¡¯s only one solution here¡ªwe need to get Charlotte to loathe Roel. We have to make the thought of marrying Roel utterly unbearable to her.¡± ¡°Hate? That¡¯s easier said than done. Do you have any thoughts on how to go about doing that?¡± A sharp glint shed in Nora¡¯s eyes. She looked at Alicia with eyes filled with graveness. ¡°Charlotte has never met Roel before, which means that it¡¯s possible for her to have some discrepancies in her intelligence. So, what we have to do is to make her feel that Roel isn¡¯t a trustworthy person for her to entrust her future to and continue building on that. In order to achieve that, we¡¯ll need to cooperate with one another closely...¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes firmed up as she nodded resolutely. In the face of amon enemy, the two rivals decided to shake hands and work together to get rid of the looming threat! ¡°For love, as well as to protect Lord Brother, I shall y the viin for once!¡± Chapter 131: Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy

Chapter 131: Know Thyself, Know Thy Enemy

Finally, after two long years, the g finally came! In the study room of the Ascart House, Roel touched the very same table he sat before three years ago, when he first regained the memories of his previous life. Back then, the younger Roel browsed through the records anxiously, only to tremble in fright at the presence of familiar names. Following that, he encountered g after g, most notably Alicia and Nora. He had met his fair share of dangers and threats together with them along the way, but he sessfully resolved all of them. Now, he was certain that the two of them were definitely on his side. The Ascart Fiefdom had also walked on a path of steady development under his governance, so the chances of the Ascart House declining were likely to be greatly reduced with this. As for the 500,000 gold coins debt he owed to the System, he had repaid 150,000 gold coins thus far. As for the remaining 350,000 gold coins, judging from the current rate of growth in the fiefdom, he was confident that he would be able to repay it in time. All of the challenges he had faced thus far had been resolved. It was time to turn his attention to the ones ahead of him. Charlotte Sorofya, this person was Roel¡¯s next death g. To be honest, Roel didn¡¯t have as deep of an understanding of Charlotte aspared to Nora, as he had never gotten to y Charlotte¡¯s route before. However, based on the various clues he had gathered from the storyline, he was still able to figure out some of the unique traits that Charlotte had. First, just like the other capture targets, she was extremely good-looking too. Nothing more had to be said about this. Second, she tended to be cold to those she was unfamiliar with, showing an almostpleteck of interest. Third, she possessed many talents, one could even say that she was a model noblewoman. However, just because she was skilled in many fields didn¡¯t mean that she was weaker as a transcendent. Fourth, the spells she specialized in were a little peculiar, in the sense that they needed money or gemstones as mediums in order to activate. It was the literal interpretation of the saying, ¡®money is power¡¯. Fifth, she was a very filial daughter, and she had a good rtionship with her father. However, her family situation was much moreplicated due to the massive size of the Sorofya House. It took Roel a while before he was able to squeeze out everything that he knew about Charlotte thus far. He gave it some thought, and in the end, he still thought that the best way to pluck out the death g was to raise Charlotte¡¯s favorability with him. After all, that was how he was able to win Alicia and Nora over too. Roel did consider whether he could simply avoid Charlotte, but he immediately rejected the notion. He tried to do that with Nora, only to fail tragically. Besides, Charlotte was somewhat his fianc¨¦e at the moment, and the Sorofyas would take it as an insult if he were to avoid her. To be honest, Roel was feeling a little uneasy about all of this because he felt that it could lead to manyplications if he failed to resolve it well. Back then, when Carter informed Roel of the matter at the banquet, both Nora and Alicia reacted explosively to the news. The former disyed a rare breach of etiquette for a moment there, whereas thetter tugged on Roel¡¯s sleeves meekly as her eyes brimmed with tears. It was clear that the two of them opposed Roel and Charlotte getting on close terms with one another, and it would be unwise if he were to identally nt two death gs back in while rooting out one. He wouldn¡¯t want to incur either Alicia or Nora¡¯s hatred because he had neglected them, or else he might just end up getting stabbed in the back while walking through an alley one day! For the time being, he felt that he should first work on cating Nora and Alicia. Hopefully, that would reduce any adverse side effects from this fianc¨¦e matter. Also, it would be best if he could annul this engagement. He didn¡¯t think that it was likely for Charlotte to have positive feelings for him. In the game, Charlotte treated him extremely coldly, and she had once told the main character that she wasn¡¯t fond of him. Even though she didn¡¯t make a move against Roel when he was being lynched by the main character and the female capture targets, she didn¡¯t show much sympathy for him either. Just think about it. Which youngdy would be pleased to learn that she had been engaged to a man whom she hardly knew at all? Most likely, Charlotte was just trying her best to put up with the engagement for the interests of her house. Thinking back to it, the Roel in the game must not have annulled the engagement, perhaps using it to ckmail Charlotte even. In other words, if Roel could work together with Charlotte to annul the engagement contract here, he would be able to return her freedom while winning a lot of Affection Points for himself. That would be the perfect ending! But while uprooting death gs was important, Roel felt that he should think in the long-term here. There was a lot more he could get out of this situation if he moved correctly. For one, the Ascarts would be much stronger if he could make an ally out of the Sorofyas. Charlotte was a person who truly cared for the Sorofya House, so there was meaning in trying to build close rtions with her kin too. Considering that the Sorofyas were intending to pursue a bond of marriage with the Ascarts, it was likely that Charlotte would try her best to tolerate Roel no matter how much she disliked him. So, if Roel could use this ¡®honeymoon period¡¯ to his advantage, he could potentially achieve a lot of things! Roel had done quite a lot over thest two years in order to prevent the decline of the Ascart House. The southern mountainous regions of the Ascart Fiefdom had be much more developed and prosperous than before, and this could be seen by the greater volume of merchants traveling to and fro in the area. However, there was one ce Roel was having trouble developing, and that was the Worun Mountain Range, which extended from the south of the Ascart Fiefdom into the Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s territory. The Worun Mountain Range spanned huge swathes ofnd, boasting an abundance of resources waiting to be uncovered. Roel deeply believed that there were many treasures lying in there. However, it had never been properly developed before. Roel had sent a formal coborative development proposal to Rosa regarding that matter. By making the Sorofyas a coborator, he would be able to avoid any territorial disputes in the future, share the risks with them, and increase the chances of a sessful development through tapping into the strengths of the two houses. At the same time, this coboration couldy the groundwork to building up a symbiotic rtionship between the Ascart Fiefdom and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, which was certain to pay back great dividends thereafter. Very good, I think we¡¯re all set. No matter how I look at it, the chances of things falling through are almost zero.. In order to leave a good impression with Charlotte, Roel decided to go all out. He made sure to prepare everything thoroughly, froming up with a wet-weather n to vetting through the details of the ns. He was determined to ensure that everything was in order. One particr detail that he was concerned with was his attire. The person he was going to meet was known as a fashion icon, so it would be best for him to be dressed at least not too unfashionably. Considering that the Ascarts had their roots in the military, Roel opted to have a smart military-style suit tailored for him. As for the tailor, he sought the aid of the retired great designer of the Sorofyas, Kyde, who happened to be Charlotte¡¯s fashion teacher too. Surely Charlotte, no matter how picky she was, wouldn¡¯t question the taste of the person who had taught her fashion, right? As for the interior design, the Ascart House had decided to abandon the extravagant theme to go with a more historical, ssy feel. There was no other choice. No one could possibly beat the Sorofyas when it came to money, so it would be wiser for the Ascarts to unt their history instead. The Ascarts were, after all, a noble house with more than a thousand-year history behind it, so its collection of antiques was something any collector would be amazed by. In any case, if they wanted to build a close rtionship with the Sorofyas, they had to make themselves appear up to par as well. True friendship could only be built in an equal rtionship. To summarize, Roel¡¯s goal was to go along with Charlotte¡¯s wish to annul the engagement while maintaining a good working and personal rtionship with her and the Sorofyas. Having decided on a n, he felt much more assured than before. However, what he didn¡¯t know was that there were two other girls putting together an entirely different n from the shadows. Chapter 132: The Watcher, Alicia

Chapter 132: The Watcher, Alicia

¡°Big brother Roel, can you sleep with me tonight?¡± ¡°Ah? ... That doesn¡¯t sound appropriate.¡± After finishing up her dinner, Alicia turned to look at Roel with pitiful eyes as she made a request that left her brother in a difficult position. Over the past two years, due to Alicia¡¯s insistence, Roel¡¯s feeding job gradually grew more and more obsolete until it came to a point where he suddenly found himself unemployed. In a way, Roel had expected this to happen since Alicia was already 10 years old. In this world, the mana in the atmosphere affected not only beasts but humans too. Humans matured at a younger age here, reaching adulthood at 14, the permissible age forwful marriages. By such standards, someone of Alicia¡¯s age no longer needed caring for. In exchange, however, Roel began receiving all sorts of bizarre requests from her. For one, Alicia liked to dive under his bedsheets, and she always used the same three reasons: ¡°Wuuu, big brother Roel, the story in the book was really scary!¡± ¡°Big brother Roel, I had a nightmare.¡± ¡°Big brother Roel, I miss you a lot.¡± There was at least an attempt to justify it for the first two reasons, but the third one was really just trying to brute force her way through. It went without saying that Roel had to turn her down. He was already 12 this year, and he had already begun growing as a man. It would be inappropriate for him to continue treating her the way he used to. However, that was easier said than done. Every time he toughened his will to turn her down, the silver-haired girl would begin tearing up. ¡°Big brother Roel, do you not like me anymore? Am I being a bother to you?¡± Just the sight of Alicia crying pitifully made Roel feel like there was something crushing his chest, leaving him suffocated. There was once that he felt that it wouldn¡¯t do for him to continue doting on Alicia like that, so he bucked up all of his willpower and chased her out of his room. But for the rest of the night, as soon as his eyes were closed, the forlorn silhouette of a silver-haired girl wiping her tears while leaving the room kept surfacing in his mind. He ended up tossing and turning for the whole night, unable to catch a wink at all. It was then he realized that he was physiologically incapable of refusing a crying Alicia. However, he really couldn¡¯t allow her to continue doing as she pleased. Due to her bloodline, Alicia had been growing more and more beautiful over thest two years. Worse they weren¡¯t blood-rted, there was no saying that something might happen one day if they continued sharing a bed. ¡°Alicia, you¡¯re a grown-up now. I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s right for us to continue sleeping with one another.¡± Roel pondered for a long while before finally saying these words. Alicia raised her eyes to look into Roel¡¯s golden eyes silently for a moment before asking softly. ¡°Is it because big brother Roel has a fianc¨¦e now?¡± ¡°Hm? What does this have to do with me having a fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only your adopted sister whereas Miss Charlotte is your fianc¨¦e. She¡¯s someone who is going to apany you for life...¡± As Alicia spoke, her voice gradually grew a little agitated. She took two deep breaths before turning her head away from the stunned Roel, as if trying to hide her helplessness and frailty before him. Roel stared at the silver-haired girl standing before him, and he suddenly realized that he had been so focused on removing Charlotte¡¯s death g that he ended up neglecting Alicia. Had Alicia been the one to get engaged instead, he would have surely gone on a rampage. Just the thought of another man getting all touchy with an unwilling Alicia was enough to make mes of rage burn inside him. As I thought, all political marriages are toxic, the cancer of society! Marriage should be a union of two loved ones! I can¡¯t allow Alicia to suffer such injustice! The least I can do is to ensure that she retains her freedom to date and marry whoever she likes... ... though it should go without saying that the man would have to first clear Roel¡¯s assessment before being allowed to date Alicia. Roel quickly snapped out of his thoughts with a cough. He tried his best to turn his eyes away from the reality that he was a siscon by telling himself that this was his duty as an older brother! In any case, he turned his attention back to Alicia and sighed softly to himself. His feelings always triumphed over his rationality in the end. ¡°Fine. However, I¡¯ll first put it out clearly that I¡¯ll only allow it at most once a month in the future.¡± As soon as Roel said these words, a smile returned to Alicia¡¯s face as she jumped up from her chair and leaped into Roel¡¯s embrace. ¡°Thank you, big brother Roel!¡± ¡°Haa. You¡¯re already a grown-up now, but you still act like a child.¡± ¡°That has nothing to do with age. It¡¯s only normal for girls to act like a child before the person they like.¡± ¡°Yes yes, I get it.¡± Roel couldn¡¯t help blushing at Alicia¡¯s words as he felt an itch in his heart. After finishing dinner, the two of them walked hand in hand to the study and spent their time reading and chatting idly. Reading was a hobby Roel picked up after transmigrating to this world as there was simply nothing better to do here to alleviate boredom. But ever since he obtained the Crown Origin Attribute, it had evolved from a simple hobby to a means for him to grow stronger. Learning about history was one of the ways to advance the Crown Origin Attribute, albeit slowly. Over thest two years, Roel had learned a little more about the rules concerning the growth of the Crown Origin Attribute. For one, he had to read a correct snippet of history in order to absorb a significant amount of mana into his body and enhance his Degree of Assimtion. The effects were further amplified when he was reading about war, politics, dynasties, and rted topics. The more important and consequential an event he was learning about was, the greater the growth of the Crown Origin Attribute. As for fake snippets of history, the effects depended on the degree of fabrication as well. The mana absorbed would typically be significantly lesser, roughly around 30%pared to reading a correct snippet of history. To summarize, the more fabricated the history, the greater the loss in efficiency. Too many lies, and the Crown Origin Attribute would hardly grow at all. This discovery made Roel realize why his ancestors would often head out on adventures. Most likely, there were encountering too many falsehoods in recorded history that their growth slowed to a tortoise¡¯s crawl. In the end, they couldn¡¯t take it anymore and decided to take matters into their own hands. It was fortunate that Roel¡¯s Origin Level was still low at the moment, and his ancestors had left behind quite a huge collection of historical records. On top of that, he had sneaked away several carriages of books from the Holy Capital¡¯s Royal Library, so there were plenty of books for him to read through at the moment. ¡°Big brother Roel, what do you think of this book? It looks quite interesting.¡± In the study, Alicia, who had cultivated a habit of reading after having apanied Roel for the past few years, held up a book named Secrets of the Seafolk. Just a nce at the title was enough to dispel Roel¡¯s interest. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a historical record, but it¡¯s fake. Don¡¯t bother looking at it, I didn¡¯t get any reaction when I flipped through it back then.¡± Roel spoke words that could easily be mistaken as an innuendo. The book, Secrets of the Seafolk, contained mainly spections, so there was hardly any concrete content in there at all. Rather than a historical record, it could be more urate to think of it as a fantasy-horror genre novel. ¡°Is that so? Are the Seafolk nothing more than legends?¡± Roel¡¯s evaluation had greatly decreased Alicia¡¯s interest. She casually flipped through the pages, feeling a little regretful that one of her fantasies was fictional. Surprisingly, her ck-haired brother shook his head in response. ¡°No, the Seafolk do exist. There are records of sightings over at the northern archipgo.¡± ¡°Ah? Is that true? Are there beautiful mermaids like those in the stories Lord Brother has told me?¡± Roel recalled the fairy tale he had told Alicia on a whim, and he quickly retracted his words. ¡°Those stories I told you about have been beautified. Those of the Seafolk aren¡¯t that beautiful, and they have a ferocious nature. They can be considered to be an ancient species on the Sia Continent, so it would be hard to see them anymore.¡± Roel recalled the historical records he had read and the conversation he had with Grandar, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit whimsical at how so many things had changed since the old days. Based on Grandar¡¯s ount, mermaids and simr species were fairlymon back in his era, and he had once met a merman by the seaside. The term, Seafolk, was an all-epassing reference to all intelligent beings living in the sea, but this broad category could be further divided into many different species. One notable trait of the Seafolk was that they were fairly territorial, so most of the major seas had a ruler. The prowess of the Seafolk should not be underestimated. In the vast ocean, there were even oceanic beasts that possessed powersparable to the gods, making it far more dangerous than the world onnd. However, as time passed, the Seafolk gradually faded from view. Humankind hadn¡¯t even been able to fully explore thends of West Sia over the past thousand years since their migration, let alone exploring the oceans. ¡°I see. Hm? What is this?¡± Alicia was in the midst of listening to Roel¡¯s exnation while casually flipping through the book when she suddenly jerked to a halt. She slowly retrieved an envelope from between the pages and assessed it closely. Slowly, her lips curled up. She casually turned toward Roel, wrapped her hand around his neck, and rested her chin on her shoulder. Then, with a coy voice, she began iming credit. ¡°Lord Brother, look at what I¡¯ve found here.¡± ¡°Hm? An envelope? Where did ite from?¡± ¡°It was stuffed between the pages of the book you said is fake. It seems to have quite some years to it.¡± ¡°Indeed. The paper has already yellowed.¡± Roel assessed the envelope in Alicia¡¯s hands before nodding his head. He carefully took it from her hands and raised it up to the light in an attempt to peer through it. ¡°The paper doesn¡¯t allow light through and turns a little green... This is Barke paper in its earlier years. It¡¯s particrly known for its resilience, but the manufacturing costs are too high. I believe its production was discontinued about 300 years ago.¡± Roel came to a conclusion using the huge arsenal of knowledge he had rued over thest two years. His heart jolted when he realized that the envelope he was holding onto was actually antique, and his movements immediately became much more careful than before. Alicia had practically picked up a huge EXP pack for him! Roel knew that this was a good opportunity for him. Through reading all sorts of historical records, he managed to reach the peak of Origin Level 5 within two years. However, he soon realized that he had reached a bottleneck; the Crown Origin Attribute had already stopped growing for half a year now. Grandar had already been urging him to go on an adventure to seek out the impetus required for him to make a breakthrough. However, with the eventual fates of his ancestors weighing on his mind, Roel dared not make a move recklessly. However, this antique envelope could very well provide the impetus he needed for his breakthrough! An object that had 300 years of history could be considered to be of substantial value to the Ascart House too, though the content of the object was equally important as its age. Roel examined the wax seal on the envelope, and he noticed that it was quite an interesting insignia. ¡°An anchor and a rose? Wait a moment, is this gold wax? How extravagant!¡± ¡°Gold wax? That would exin the color of the seal. It does look like they have mixed gold in.¡± Roel¡¯s analysis sparked Alicia¡¯s curiosity too. The two of them carefully opened the envelope and retrieved a slightly yellowish letter from inside before cing it on the table. The letter was surprisingly concise, containing just a single sentence of words. It was just that... ¡°Big brother Roel, these words are different from the ones we use.¡± ¡°This is anguage of the Ancient Austine Empire. It was used before the Third Epoch Year 378, and it was renowned to be a dignifiednguage exclusive to the nobles. However, due to itsplexity, it gradually grew out of use before bing obsolete.¡± ¡°I see. Are you able to read the content of the letter then?¡± ¡°You can say so.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes twinkled with stars upon hearing Roel¡¯s answer. All of a sudden, she felt that her older brother looked even suaver than before. On the other hand, the ck-haired boy chuckled softly at her response before he began deciphering the words on the letter earnestly. Chapter 133: Y-yellow Letter

Chapter 133: Y-yellow Letter

Sitting before themp in the study, Roel stared at the letter in his hand as he slowly tranted the message of the letter. Fortunately, it was fairly concise, so there wasn¡¯t any difficulty in tranting it. Roel could interpret every single word on the message, but it hardly made sense to him once he strung them all together. This was the tranted version of the letter: ¡¸To the Fief Lord In the middle of the fourth month, I shall be arriving at the Twohorn Port with the egg(s). The Queen¡¹ Roel stared at the content he had tranted on another piece of paper contemtively, not saying a word for the long while. Alicia, who was peeking at the letter from behind his shoulders, was a little puzzled too. ¡°Big brother Roel, what does this mean?¡± ¡°Let me take a look again.¡± Roel proceeded to check the content of the letter two more times, but there didn¡¯t appear to be anything wrong with the trantion. He moved on to examine the letter and the envelope carefully, but other than the gold wax seal, there weren¡¯t any other clues. In the end, he put down the letter and envelope and tried to piece together the clues he had gathered thus far. Fief lord, egg, and queen. Based on these clues, the first thing he could think of was... the royal family was seeking offspring? Oh lord, this letter can¡¯t be part of some royal booty call, could it? Roel remembered the shelf of perverted diaries on the Labyrinth Vi, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this letter was pointing toward yet another mysterious fetish of one of his ancestors. An egg and a queen... This can¡¯t be some sort of erotic y, can it? All sorts of dirty thoughts flooded Roel¡¯s mind, causing his face to redden. He could sense Alicia¡¯s gaze on him, so he quickly shook his head and told himself to calm down. No no no, that shouldn¡¯t be. It¡¯s already weird enough to find erotic diaries from 200 years back. Surely, I can¡¯t be so lucky as to find erotic letters from several hundred years back too, right? The letter only mentioned ¡®egg(s)¡¯ anyway, so it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be a human¡¯s. Also, there¡¯s a mention of the Twohorn Port, so it should be much more probable that they are referring to fish eggs here. Perhaps, my ancestor just wants to eat some caviar or something. But again, what¡¯s with the person signing off as ¡®The Queen¡¯ though? Is she the queen of the caviar industry or something? ¡°Fief Lord and Queen, the way that they address each other so formally makes it sound like some sort of nickname.¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯re right. Perhaps they are alluding to something else.¡± Roel blinked contemtively for a moment, and he felt that what Alicia said made sense. The letter was addressed to ¡®Fief Lord¡¯, which made Roel assume that it referred to one of the preceding patriarchs of his Ascart House, but that might not necessarily be the case. It was more likely for ¡®Fief Lord¡¯ and ¡®Queen¡¯ to be code names for members within a certain organization, for a letter between a real fief lord and queen would never be signed off in such an ambiguous manner. Nobles did care a lot about social etiquette after all. Given the Ascart House¡¯s position in the Theocracy, it was unlikely that it would just joinanyorganization. Assuming that the Ascart House was truly involved in an organization, it was likely that the organizationwas either political or factional in nature. In other words, it could either be a gathering of nobles and officials, or a transcendent organization. Over the years, the Ascart House had shown no political ambitions at all. It had been obediently staying put in its position, not starting any waves, that it actually started declining a little. It should be safe to strike off the first possibility. It was more likely that the Ascart House had joined a transcendent organization, and it was working under the alias of ¡®Fief Lord¡¯ with someone codenamed ¡®Queen¡¯. Most likely, they hade to some sort of agreement regarding the ¡®egg(s)¡¯, so they promised to meet at Twohorn Port to deal with the goods. From the wear and tear of the paper, Roel could roughly discern that the envelope had traveled a fairly long distance before reaching the Ascart Fiefdom, possibly having to cross the seas even. ¡°The insignia on the wax seal does have an anchor after all, though I must say that¡¯s quite an oddbination to have it go along with a rose... Wait a moment, golden rose?¡± Staring at the insignia, Roel suddenly widened his eyes in astonishment. He realized that he had seen this insignia somewhere else before. ¡°Isn¡¯t the golden rose the insignia of the Sorofya House?¡± ¡°Sorofya House? Big brother Roel, are you saying that this letter is addressed to the Sorofya House?¡± Hearing the family name that had left her with a headache recently, Alicia¡¯s eyes narrowed. She stared at the old letter on the table, and all of a sudden, she felt that finding the letter wasn¡¯t really a good thing anymore. Can I still ce it back where I took it out from now? This was what Alicia was thinking in her mind. Roel, on the other hand, pondered for a while before shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say for sure. There¡¯s an anchor beside the golden rose, and there are far too many organizations that use a rose in their logo¡ªjust the Theocracy already has several noble houses who do so. It¡¯s still too early to draw a conclusion.¡± ¡°I see, that¡¯s good...¡± ¡°Miss Charlotte from the Sorofyas ising by in two days¡¯ time. I should just ask her then.¡± Alicia¡¯s smile froze in ce. She lowered her head and covered her face in regret,menting over her foolish decision. She was hoping to receive Roel¡¯spliment, but somehow... she ended up providing amon topic for the two of them. She stared at the ck-haired boy in front of her, who waspletely focused on the letter, and in an act of willfulness, she stretched her hand forth and covered his eyes. ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°Big brother Roel, you aren¡¯t allowed to read it anymore. It¡¯s time to sleep!¡± ¡°Ah? A-alright, let¡¯s go and sleep then. It¡¯s indeed gettingte now.¡± Roel put down the letter and cast a simple spell named ¡®Paper Preservation Spell¡¯ over it. It was the spell that librarians made a living out of. He had specially made a trip over to the royal library in order to learn the newest version of this spell. There were simply too many records in the Ascart House, and some of them were confidential, so he couldn¡¯t possibly hire another transcendent to do it for him. However, what Roel didn¡¯t expect was that this simple spell actually piqued the interest of the silver-haired girl standing behind him. ¡°Big brother Roel, I wish to learn this spell!¡± ¡°You want to learn the Paper Preservation Spell?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be able to practice it on the books in the study whenever I have time while helping you out a little.¡± ¡°S-sure. Speaking of which, you seem to be quite fond of these simple spells. You wanted to learn the Luby Spell too.¡± ¡°Of course! My goal is to be a good wife, so it¡¯s only natural for me to learn these simple spells to help my future husband.¡± A slight blush colored Alicia¡¯s cheeks. Despite her overwhelming talents as a transcendent, it turned out that she had surprisingly traditional values. In her view, a good wife should learn some day-to-day spells, but the resources that Carter provided hercked such stuff. She would often practice her spells only when Roel was out, but nevertheless, there would still be traces of her spells lingering inside the manor. Roel would always find some hints of simple spells lying around. After arranging a time for Roel to teach Alicia the new spell, the two of them parted with one another to wash up and prepare for bed. But for some reason, Alicia didn¡¯te by even after Roel waited for her on the bed for quite some time. ¡°Could it be that she has already fallen asleep?¡± ¡°Young master, shall I head over to take a look?¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for it. Let¡¯s not disturb her if she¡¯s already resting,¡± said Roel with a smile. Despite Alicia¡¯s mature appearance, she would still show hints of childishness from time to time, and he found the contrast between the two sides of her very adorable. ¡°Alright, I shall be going to sleep too.¡± Roel shook his head as he instructed the servants to turn off the lights. It didn¡¯t take long for him to drift off to dreand after the busy day he had. But, shortly after he fell asleep, a silvery silhouette silently appeared before the moonlit window. It was as if the beauty of the silvery moon was embodied in the form of a mortal; her glistening body looked incredibly alluring. Her ruby eyes shone brightly amidst her darkness. There was a thin silver veil she had summoned using her mana cloaking her body. Under the faint light of the moon, she gazed quietly upon her fast asleep lover on the bed, and she felt an urge to call out and awaken him. However, after a few deep breaths, she slowly shook her head. She was confident in her looks, but she felt that it was beneath her to obtain what she wanted through such a manner. She knew that Roel¡¯s love for her was pure, devoid of any vile desires. There were times she wished that Roel could be sexually attracted to her, but at the same time, her pride disallowed her from turning this into a rtionship built on lust. The bond they shared didn¡¯te easily, so it was even more important for her to cherish it. ¡°... And it¡¯s so embarrassing to be seen by big brother Roel. I feel like I would die of shame.¡± Alicia swiftly morphed back into the obedient child that Roel was familiar with. She carefully climbed on his bed and turned his body upward before staring at his face in a daze. The reason why she dared to do so was not because she was sumbing to her own desires, but that she knew that Roel wouldn¡¯t wake up at all. Perfection Origin Attribute. This Origin Attribute was the manifestation of Alicia¡¯s bloodline ability, and it belonged to her and her alone. In a sense, it was simr to Roel¡¯s Crown. The Origin Attribute didn¡¯t belong to any existing religions or cults, so Alicia didn¡¯t face any trouble with it. Simr to how Roel had to continue reading historical records in order to grow, Alicia¡¯s Perfection also had its own unique growth method. The first method was impability, both in appearance and in talent. A person with the Perfection Origin Attribute would have to work hard in her studies, her decorum, and her looks, so as to maintain a perfect appearance before others. But these came easily for Alicia. The very core of the Silverash Child Bloodline was the creation of a perfect being, so impability was not too far off of a pursuit for Alicia. Her bloodline was in perfect resonance with the Perfection Origin Attribute, allowing her to constantly grow. That was also the reason why her strength suddenly surged forth. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just that. She had another trump card as well. The concept of ¡®Perfection¡¯ differed from person to person, and Alicia viewed her ¡®Perfection¡¯ as being the perfect younger sister and perfect wife to Roel. Her every interaction with Roel was allowing her to grow. And right now, she was using her spell to grant Roel a perfect dream. Unless someone else other than Alicia approached Roel right now, he would continue sleeping peacefully. This was a spell that she had specially created in order to ensure that he would get plenty of sleep every day. However, she was using it for a different purpose today. ¡°Forgive me, Lord Brother,¡± murmured Alicia in guilt. With trembling hands, she slowly unbuttoned Roel¡¯s pajamas. Heat rushed up to her face, and she quickly took a few deep breaths in order to cool herself down. Thinking about the threat thaty before her, she firmed up her determination before leaning down to tackle Roel¡¯s neck. Chapter 134: The Worries of a Rich Household

Chapter 134: The Worries of a Rich Household

Charlotte Sorofya looked at the starry sky above, her heart throbbing in unease. It had been five days since her convoy had left Rosa¡¯s boundaries. She had passed through the Worun Mountain Range to arrive at the southern area of the Ascart Fiefdom. As a noble house that had nock of money, the Sorofyas¡¯ convoy naturally stood out from the others. The convoy consisted of a long procession of opulent carriages protected by an army of 500 soldiers. These soldiers were professionalsing from a heretical mercenary band known throughout Sia for its prowess in defensive warfare, and they were in a long-term contract with Rosa. These soldiers possessed the Unyielding Origin Attribute, which was said to havee from the ancient Goddess of Earth. However, it was said that the Goddess of Earth had already passed away in the First Epoch, so the risk of these soldiers falling into depravity was very low, making them trustworthy. Most of the famous mercenary bands on Sia were made up of heretical organizations as mercenary was one of the few proper jobs that heretics could take on. Most of them wouldn¡¯t take on any mission that involved entering the territory of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, but as the famous saying goes, ¡®There¡¯s nothing that money cannot solve, and if there is, it only means that you aren¡¯t using enough money¡¯. Given that the person to be escorted this time around was the First Miss of the Sorofya House, the budget allocated for this mission was more than ample¡ªto be more exact, it was ten times more than any escort missionmissioned by any other noble houses. On top of that, the mission itself wasn¡¯t dangerous either, and the destination not too far away. In view of the low risks, the mercenaries of the Unyielding Sect weren¡¯t in a good position to turn down a requesting from their long-term customers. It would be foolish to refuse a request from their biggest customers, and besides... who in their right mind would turn down easy money? The mercenaries were expensive to employ, but equally expensive were the personal items that Charlotte carried around with her. It was extravagance beyond the imagination of most people in this world, and that was including nobles as well. Consider this, it was not just Charlotte who was traveling here but her entire house. Charlotte¡¯s mobile house was known as the ¡®Diamond Rivi¨¨re¡¯, and it was made up of 16 carriages. Every single one of these carriages contained an independent room, be it her bedroom, study, lounge, kitchen, and even the garden she preferred to have her afternoon tea in. Whenever she traveled, these 16 carriages would always be with her. However, if that was all, it would be far from enough to blow the minds of the nobles. After all, most major nobles could easily afford 16rge carriages. The main reason why the Sorofyas¡¯ Diamond Rivi¨¨re Convoy was famed across the entire world was because of the amazing magic engineering done on these carriages. Each of these carriages had a door, and these doors were interconnected with one another. To make an example, for an ordinary carriage convoy, if one was in the study and suddenly felt like resting, the entire convoy would have toe to a halt so that one could alight from the study carriage to board the bedroom carriage. The Diamond Rivi¨¨re Convoy, on the other hand, had no such limitation. It was almost as if one was truly in one¡¯s own home, able to travel freely from room to room without any hassle. So, unless Charlotte were to walk out of the carriage herself, it wouldn¡¯t even feel like she was out on a journey. To travel without feeling like traveling, that was the dream. Right now though, Charlotte had voluntarily stepped out of the carriage to gaze at the stars above. The auburn-haired girl didn¡¯t carry her usual air of confidence and decisiveness; instead, she looked confused and weak even. Marriage was not something that could be taken lightly by a girl, but political marriage happened to be the norm in Sia. When the interests of the noble houses came first, personal feelings could only be ced second. As a result, the only things that really mattered in a political marriage were one¡¯s background and the benefits that both noble houses could get out of a bond of marriage. Charlotte feared her engagement. The thought of having to marry a man she had never met before was frightening, so it was only natural for her to reject it. The examples she had seen around her did nothing to change her mind at all. She didn¡¯t think that it was possible for happiness toe out of something so pragmatic and unsentimental, and s, her mother was the best example. Her mother was born from a prominent noble house in the Austine Empire, but she ended up marrying her father, Bruce Sorofya, in a political marriage seeking to alleviate the stiff rtionship between Austine and Rosa. Admittedly, the goal was achieved, but the price paid was Charlotte¡¯s fragmented family. Charlotte¡¯s mother was a bloodline purist, believing that the Austine Empire was the natural ruler of the continent, which resulted in her prejudices against Rosa. Even after giving birth to Charlotte, she refused to raise her daughter personally. In fact, a few yearster, she broke up with Bruce and returned back to her country. It was not to say that Charlotte¡¯s childhood was all bad¡ªher father treated her very well, and they shared a tight bond with one another. However, when it came to her mother, all she remembered was the stern-faced woman staring at her when she visited Austine a few years ago. The misfortunes weren¡¯t just limited to her own immediate family. The Sorofyas was a huge house, and many of Charlotte¡¯s rtives had suffered simr fates. Back in Bruce¡¯s generation, in order to expand Rosa¡¯s influence, each and every member of the Sorofya House had to bear the duty of going through a political marriage. One of Charlotte¡¯s aunts suffered domestic violence, resulting in her suffering partial blindness in a single eye even to this day. A cousin of hers had a phndering husband who often spent his days in brothels, leaving her to spend her nights alone in arge, cold room. Nobles might appear to be dignified on the surface, but they were just as fallible as any other mortal. There were only so few people who could truly be considered upright and virtuous. With plenty of such examples around her, how could Charlotte not be terrified? But, despite the fears looming in her heart, she was still grasping onto a spark of hope. ¡°Charlotte, your engagement was decided a hundred years ago. A hundred yearster, the two of you happened to be born in the same year. Perhaps, this could be the calling of fate.¡± Bruce¡¯s words echoed inside the young girl¡¯s mind, creating ripples in her heart. Fate. This was a word that carried special connotations in the Sorofya House. It was said that the first generation of High Elves served the Goddess of Fate, and they were able to clearly discern the ley lines of the future. That was also the origin of divination spells and prophecies. This word had a special charm that moved Charlotte¡¯s heart, even if just a little. It spurred feelings of anticipation that a young girl of her age would have. What if the young man who had be her fianc¨¦ wasn¡¯t that horrible of a person? While there were horrible rumors surrounding Roel in the past, all of this changed two years ago. The evaluations of him in the Sorofyas¡¯ investigation reports had been steadily improving over time, and there was no denying the massive contribution he had brought to the Ascart Fiefdom through his wise policies. Surely, it shouldn¡¯t be a bad thing to at least meet him, right? At the very least, her fianc¨¦ was someone of the same age as herself, not some 30-year-old prince from another country. Charlotte didn¡¯t expect too much out of her fianc¨¦¡¯s appearance, and she was fine with him being weak too. As long as he was an upright, honest, and kind man who could bring her the happiness of a harmonious family, she would be willing to give it a try with him. For that, she even dispatched her personal maid ahead of time to check on him. ¡°Grace, you have to make sure to take a close look at him.¡± Under the night sky, the voice of the young girl drifted far away. Chapter 135: You Must Take Care of Your Body

Chapter 135: You Must Take Care of Your Body

Grace Cadin was the second daughter of the Cadin House, which was a renowned transcendent house of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. From a young age, she was employed by the Sorofya House to serve Charlotte Sorofya as her maid. The years they had spent apanying one another had built up a tight bond between the two of them, which became the main reason why Grace decided to stay by Charlotte¡¯s side. Havinge from a house of transcendents, Grace was blessed with extraordinary talents at birth. The Sorofya House was well aware of her talents and had been granting her the resources required for her growth for years, resulting in her reaching Origin Level 3 before she even hit her thirties. With such strength, she could have easily qualified as one of Rosa¡¯s nobles or taken on an official position in a government department or the military. Yet, she unhesitatingly refused all offers, even when the Cadin House explicitly told her to ept. ¡°Don¡¯t go...¡± When Charlotte clutched her sleeves and spoke with a choked up voice four years ago, Grace had already made up her mind. While the two of them were master and servant on the surface, the bond they shared was more alike to sisters. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to leave Charlotte in the lurch. Some people liked to say that life was a game of luck decided at birth. Being born into the Sorofya House in this world meant that one was set for a life of fortune and glory, but this ¡®blessing¡¯ simply led to Charlotte¡¯s unfortunate childhood. As Charlotte¡¯s personal maid, Grace witnessed with her own eyes how having a mother could be worse than being without one. Charlotte¡¯s mother, that foolish Austine bloodline purist of a woman, detested her own daughter and even viewed her as an embodiment of her own shame. That woman had no qualms expressing her dislike for her own daughter, and the psychological harm she dealt to her daughter was beyond imagination. Even physical torture couldn¡¯t have been more cruel than this. Due to this, Charlotte suffered immense mental trauma from a young age. It was only after her bloodline awakened that things turned for the better. However, when it came to matters concerning marriage and family, her mental trauma would resurface, turning her back into that frightened, vulnerable child. Grace actually vehemently opposed this engagement when she first heard about it. She believed that only a true love marriage could heal the wounds hidden deep in Charlotte¡¯s heart. To her surprise¡ªgod knows what nonsense Bruce had fed her¡ªCharlotte actually agreed to meet her so-called fianc¨¦! Since Charlotte had already made up her mind, Grace was in no position to hold her back. However, she felt that the least she could do was to vet the fianc¨¦ in advance to determine if he was a worthy man. It was customary in Roel¡¯s previous world to secretly trawl through your date¡¯s social media ounts so as to gather some information beforehand. The nobles in this world weren¡¯t fools and knew the importance of information too, so they would often send their aides ahead of time to check out their partners. So, Grace was officially sent to the Ascart House ahead of time to inform them of Charlotte¡¯s habits and preferences, allowing the host to prepare themselves beforehand. This was amon procedure when nobles of different countries visit one another. After all, the differences in culture could lead to awkward circumstances that both parties would prefer to avoid. Just imagine serving mutton to your guest for dinner when they couldn¡¯t eat it! That wouldpletely ruin the mood for everything else! The reason provided was legitimate, but of course, Grace¡¯s main mission was still to gather intelligence. She was determined to uncover reliable information to deliver back to her young miss! What was Roel Ascart¡¯s personality like? How were the Ascart House¡¯s situation, atmosphere, and inner politics? With great conviction, Grace approached the doors of Ascart Manor and knocked upon it. She couldn¡¯t have known that there was a carefully nned trap, running over the course of half a month, waiting for her to leap right in. ... ¡°Grace Cadin, the personal maid of Charlotte Sorofya. It¡¯s a pleasure to visit the Ascarts¡¯ manor.¡± ¡°I am Anna Eldor, the personal maid of Roel Ascart. In ce of the Ascart House, I warmly wee you here.¡± At the foyer, Grace and Anna greeted one another in a respectful and dignified manner. Their smiles were as warm and natural as they could get. With these two experienced women setting the tone for the meeting, the atmosphere turned out to be fairly affable. Neither the Sorofyas nor the Ascarts tried to one-up the other, greeting one another politely as equals. This attitude of mutual respect won the Ascarts a favorable impression with Grace. She had represented Charlotte as her envoy to visit many noble houses before. The servants of prominent noble houses tended to be overbearing, whereas those from minor noble houses were too humble. Rarely was the reception of a noble housefortable to her, but the Ascarts managed to achieve that. The attitude of the servants often reflected the personality of their masters, so in a sense, this showed how cultured the Ascart House was. As expected of a prominent noble house with a lineage of over a thousand years. Grace put a little tick on the checklist in her heart as she entered the manor under Anna¡¯s lead. She casually nced at the furnishings along the way, not paying much heed to them at the start. While the decor was fairly ssy, it wasn¡¯t particrly extravagant. The retainers of the Sorofyas were far too used to opulence that hardly anything could impress them. However, as they proceeded on, the look in Grace¡¯s eyes began to change. She nced at the sculpture ced by the corner of the living room, the artworks hung on the wall, and even the little ornaments ced by the edges of the staircase. Gradually, she realized something. Antiques. They were all antiques, and most of them were collectibles with many centuries of history behind them! As Charlotte¡¯s personal maid, Grace had been to most noble houses in Rosa. She had seen how nobles tried to feign ssiness through extravagance, but she had never seen a noble house that humbly unted its history elegantly through putting so many antiques on disy. It was truly a splendid show of power, subtle yet powerful. It was much better than the superficial act that other noble houses put up. Once again, Grace put another tick on the checklist in her heart. Her level of satisfaction toward the Ascart House was at its highest ever. It had ss, history, financial power, and culture. All that was left to do was to assess Charlotte¡¯s fianc¨¦, Roel Ascart. ¡°Is young master Roel not awake yet?¡± ¡°Yes, the young master stayed uptest night to read, so he ended up sleeping in a little more this morning.¡± ¡°I see. Pardon me for the abrupt question.¡± Grace apologized humbly after hearing the reasonable excuse offered by Anna. Diligent in his studies, that¡¯s a good virtue to have. However, he should take care of his body better. She shot a nce at the tightly shut doors to Roel¡¯s bedroom and nodded her head approvingly. It was then that the doors suddenly opened, and an astonishingly beautiful silver-haired girl walked out with her clothes slightly unkempt. The crowd fell silent, and the smile on Grace¡¯s face froze over. Chapter 136: This World Is Filled With Lies!

Chapter 136: This World Is Filled With Lies!

From the moment Grace¡¯s eyes fell upon Alicia, her brain hanged for an entire second. This was a huge matter for an Origin Level 3 transcendent like her. This just showed her shock at the current situation. Studied till tootest night? Hah, what kind of studying is this? Biology? The other Sorofyas¡¯ retainers standing behind her were stunned as well. Everyone¡¯s eyes were centered on the unkempt silver-haired beauty that had just walked out from Roel¡¯s bedroom, and naturally, thetter also noticed their gazes too. Alicia calmly turned her gaze over, and confusion flickered in her eyes when she caught sight of the unfamiliar faces around her. With an air reminiscent of the mistress of the manor, she turned to Anna and enquired elegantly. ¡°Anna, they are...?¡± ¡°Miss Alicia, they are guests from the Sorofya House, Miss Charlotte¡¯s aides.¡± Anna was also put in an awkward position from the current turn of events. She quickly stepped forward to block Grace¡¯s line of sight before struggling to exin the matter with a forced smile. ¡°Allow me to introduce you to Miss Alicia of the Ascart House. She¡¯s the young master¡¯s younger sister, and the two of them are on good terms with one another. They often spend their time reading together at night.¡± ¡°Younger sister? Reading together at night?¡± When Grace heard that the silver-haired girl was Roel Ascart¡¯s younger sister, she couldn¡¯t help but widen her eyes in disbelief. Her heart was screaming out retorts. Are you kidding me? They are siblings, and yet they... This is preposterous! Grace shot another nce at Alicia, who was busy trying to tidy up her clothes in order to conceal the ¡®marks¡¯ on her body, and she felt like her mind was going to blow up. She was aware that Carter had adopted Alicia as his daughter¡ªthis was written in the Sorofyas¡¯ investigation reports on the Ascart House. While it was true that Roel and Alicia weren¡¯t blood-rted, that still didn¡¯t change the fact that they were siblings! How could they mess around like that? This unnatural rtionship between Roel and Alicia, in Grace¡¯s view, was a deal-breaker. Such a matter was definitely uneptable. As a reflection of how she was feeling at the moment, her face turned chilly. The servants of the Ascart House quickly attempted to cover over the matter. ¡°Young miss, you must be exhausted after readingst night, right? Do you want to return back to your room to rest for a while longer?¡± ¡°Alright, Anna. Lord Brother is still sleeping at the moment. I shall be returning to my room first.¡± ¡°Yes, young miss.¡± Without bothering to look at Grace and the other Sorofyas¡¯ retainers, Alicia left the area under the cover of the Ascarts¡¯ maids without buttoning her shirt properly. Grace stared at her departing silhouette, and she noticed that there was something off with her gait. W-wait a moment, they can¡¯t have really done that, right? But, that child doesn¡¯t look too old. Is it really possible for them to do it at such a young age? Grace felt her head getting more and more muddled. She felt like an adult looking at a bunch of teenagers messing around. The first emotion that came to her was incredulity. Could it just be a bad sleeping posture or something? No matter how I look at it, such a preposterous matter couldn¡¯t possibly ur! Grace struggled to find an excuse for this in her mind, but in truth, her opinion of the Ascart House had fallen all the way down to the bare bottom. A huge minus had crossed out all of the pluses she had on her checklist. She first took in a deep breath to calm her emotions. It was true that the Ascarts had been doing well recently, and its long history was a huge plus too, but the fact that Roel had gotten involved with his adopted sister left her with the impression that the Ascarts weren¡¯t as upright as they seemed. It looks like there¡¯s a need to reassess the current state of affairs in the Ascart House. While Grace was swiftly re-evaluating the situation, the Ascarts¡¯ servants quickly cleaned up the mess. Alicia was escorted off by the maids while Anna led the Sorofyas¡¯ retainers around the manor to familiarize them with the environment. Fortunately, the rest of the schedule proceeded rather smoothly. They first took a look at the dining room and the state of the kitchen before proceeding on to confirm the menu for the meeting. After that, they sat down and discussed the various taboos that their respective masters ought to take note of for the meeting. During a short break time, Grace shot a nce at the patrolling guards, and a slight furrow formed between her brows. Shortly after entering the manor, she had already noticed something weird about the Ascarts¡¯ guards¡ªthere were two different sets of armor amongst the guards. This suggested that the guards were operating under separate chains ofmand. This was unusual. Guards of a noble house were expected to work closely with one another in order to uncover threats. Having two separate chains ofmand here only createdpses in coordination, making the job harder than it should be. Grace was in charge of Charlotte¡¯s safety, so she was particrly sensitive toward such details. She enquired about it, but unexpectedly, she received a shocking answer. ¡°This is a gift from Her Highness Nora when the young master returned to the Ascart Fiefdom two years ago. It represents the deep bond of friendship they shared,¡± said Anna as she gestured toward the royal guards. Anna¡¯s casualness showed that she was already used to this, but Grace found it hard to ept this in a moment¡¯s time. Even though Grace had heard beforehand that the Xeclydes had invoked an old promise and be Roel Ascart¡¯s protector, she didn¡¯t think that they would go so far as to mobilize their armies for him. Putting all aside, just the close rtions between the Xeclydes and the Ascarts meant that the Sorofyas had much to earn from this political marriage. Of course, it was impossible for the Sorofyas to obtain a position of nobility or a fief in the Theocracy, but there were many ways that an influential noble house in the Theocracy could provide advantages to them. For one, the Ascarts could potentially propose policies that promoted trade between the Theocracy and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. It was for the exact same reason that Bruce Sorofya married Charlotte¡¯s mother. If Roel Ascart could go beyond his fief to influence the policies of the Theocracy to be more favorable toward Rosa, the Sorofyas would definitely gain much from it. The profits that they earned out of it would then be attributed to Charlotte¡¯s credit, giving her greater say within the house. In fact, there was a good chance that she could gain full control over the Sorofya House with such leverage in her hands. From such a perspective, Roel Ascart was indeed one of the best marriage candidates for Charlotte. Grace had no choice but to give another tick to Roel in her mental checklist. With this, her investigation was roughly finished. After the break, the group moved over to the lounge to conduct an inspection of the refurbishment. Nobles tended to collect all sorts of oddities and put them on disy, so it wasn¡¯t umon for there to be an artifact or two that left guests feeling a little ufortable. The Ascarts didn¡¯t showcase anything particrly odd, but it did have quite a sizeable collection of swords. Grace pointed out that the swords that were used by the generals of the Austine Empire would be a little insensitive, considering Rosa¡¯s history with Austine. To which Anna expressed her understanding regarding it and promised to stow those weapons back into storage before the meeting. So, Grace continued to take a look around the ce, but her attention was swiftly captured by the object ced at the direct center of the room. It was a silver short sword shaped in the form of a feather, and its lustrous de emanated a divine white glow. It felt like a holy weapon. Grace had seen her fair share of powerful weapons back at Rosa, but even so, she couldn¡¯t conceal her shock when standing in the presence of this weapon. Her sharp senses as an Origin Level 3 transcendent allowed her to vividly sense the unusual pulsation of powering from the short sword. The mysterious, ancient air that surrounded itpelled her to inquire about its origin. ¡°You¡¯re asking about that short sword over there? It¡¯s part of the Theocracy¡¯s famed Twelve Wings, and it¡¯s known as Ascendwing. The royal family bestowed it to the young master back then, so that he could protect himself,¡± exined Anna proudly. ¡°I see. So it¡¯s that legendary weapon...¡± All of a sudden, Grace felt that the Theocracy was far more enigmatic than she had imagined. She was just about to add another tick on her checklist when Ascendwing suddenly released a brilliant outburst of light. A beautiful figure started to form from the divine white light. In the short span of a few seconds, a ravishing golden-haired girl with sapphire eyes came into appearance, leaving Grace stunned. Having worked at the Sorofya House for many years, Grace had seen all sorts of people. She couldn¡¯t even keep count of the royals and nobles she had seen on Ausier Street, but rarely could anyone stun her with their appearance. To draw aparison, if her young miss was the embodiment of nobility, and the silver-haired girl named Alicia was the embodiment of loftiness, then the golden-haired girl standing before her would be the embodiment of magnanimity. She gave off the air of a ruler that naturally drew others to her,pelling their loyalty. And as the truth would have it, Grace¡¯s intuition was spot-on. ¡°Good afternoon, Your Highness.¡± After the initial astonishment, Anna calmly paid her greetings to the golden-haired girl. The revtion of thetter¡¯s identity left the Sorofyas¡¯ retainers in a panic. The Ascarts¡¯ servants bowed down respectfully, and the flustered Grace and the others quickly followed suit. ¡°Good afternoon, Anna. As always, it¡¯s a pleasure to see you. Where¡¯s Roel?¡± ¡°The young master worked too hardst night, so he¡¯s still in his slumbers.¡± ¡°Oh? I shall look for him personally then. I do look forward to having fun with him today.¡± The golden-haired girl was holding a chain-linked leash and cor with one hand, and the other was ced on her flushed cheek. There was a smile filled with anticipation and predatory desire on her lips. It was such a shocking sight that the Sorofyas¡¯ retainers froze in ce. They are going to y with a leash? It was then that Grace¡¯s brain stalled for the second time that day. Her bulging eyes were fixated on Nora, who hadn¡¯t seemed to have noticed their presence, and she felt like the limits of her tolerance was being challenged here. I-is this the truth behind the favor the Xeclydes bestowed on the Ascarts? Who could have thought that the offspring of the Ascart House would actually be pimping himself out to the Theocracy¡¯s princess! No, a pimp would be putting it lightly... He was no more than a boy toy! Just the thought of the young miss¡¯ fianc¨¦ being no more than a dog raised by the Theocracy¡¯s princess was enough to send shivers running down Grace¡¯s spine. She couldn¡¯t ept this terrifying reality. O¡¯ great Sia, I dare not believe that... Wait a moment, isn¡¯t this too coincidental? A spark suddenly shed across Grace¡¯s mind as she noticed that there was something rather suspicious about all of this. Her eyes narrowed sharply, and she began to doubt everything that had happened thus far. This isn¡¯t right. It has only been a few hours since I entered the Ascarts¡¯ manor, and yet, I managed to dig up so much dirt on them? Is this an attempt to mislead me? Grace suddenly remembered one of the red gs for espionage missions. If a spy were to obtain a huge amount of crucial intelligence shortly after infiltrating the enemy base, there was a good chance that the enemy was voluntarily giving it out. With this thought in mind, Grace raised her wariness up a notch. She discreetly scanned the expressions of the Ascarts¡¯ servants present carefully, but gradually, she began losing confidence in her own judgment. The de facto leader of the Ascarts¡¯ servants, Anna, was trying her best to maintain a smile, although it appeared a little strained, which was understandable under the current circumstances. As for the other servants standing behind her, they were trying their best to maintain a straight face, and from time to time, they would sneak a fretful nce toward the Sorofyas¡¯ retainers. Having seen everything up to this point, Grace could only shake her head and sigh in disappointment. It looks like I¡¯m thinking too much into it. It¡¯s one thing if it¡¯s just one of them, but is it really possible for all of them to put on such a convincing act? The Ascarts¡¯ servants would have to go through military counter espionage training to actually put on such an act, but how could that be possible? Even prominent noble houses wouldn¡¯t go to such an extent. Realizing that her deduction was wrong, Grace¡¯s heart became incredibly heavy. She turned her gaze back to the golden-haired girl standing in front of her, and she further affirmed her thought. She couldn¡¯t even begin to fathom the Theocracy¡¯s princess lowering herself just to put on an act before a servant like her. Under Grace¡¯s stare, Nora also noticed that something was off. She turned to Anna and asked. ¡°I have never seen them before. Who are they?¡± ¡°They are our guests, the retainers of the Sorofya House.¡± Out of Grace¡¯s sight, Anna and Nora traded a smiling gaze with one another as they carried on the act. Chapter 137: Fate Isn’t With Me

Chapter 137: Fate Isn¡¯t With Me

¡°Your Highness, those people are the retainers of Miss Charlotte from the Sorofya House. They are unaware of your identity, so please pardon them if they have disyed any breach in etiquette.¡± ¡°I see.¡± In a room of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, following the script that they had written beforehand, the slightly astonished Nora discreetly moved the leash in her hand behind her back, concealing it from sight. Anna also naturally took a step forward to cover her. Even though their coordination wasn¡¯t superb, it was fairly amazing for an impromptu reaction. However, the way they acted only further confirmed Grace¡¯s doubts. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already heard of his engagement. You may continue with what you were doing earlier.¡± Grace watched with dazed eyes as Nora headed toward Roel¡¯s bedroom with the leash in hand, and her evaluation of Roel Ascart plopped right down into the abyss. ¡°This is one of the abilities of Ascendwing. It allows Her Highness to project herself through Ascendwing to pay a visit to the young master. The two of them have gotten along well ever since their first meeting, and they would exchange letters every week. Hahaha.¡± Once Nora left the scene, Anna squeezed out a smile as she tried her best to alleviate the awkwardness in the air. The other Ascarts¡¯ servants also wisely went along with Anna and tried tough things off. Unfortunately, it was impossible to reverse Grace¡¯s opinion anymore. Grace thought that the recent movements of the Ascart House were hinting at a future interest in engaging in the politics of the Theocracy and fighting for greater interests. However, based on what she had seen thus far, the situation was likely to be the opposite. The royal family was nning to take control of the Ascart House by manipting their sessor, Roel Ascart! That would exin why the royal family was sparing no effort to protect him! The more Grace thought about it, the more convinced she was of this matter. It was only a brief moment, but she had gotten a firsthand experience of the overwhelming charisma of the sessor of the Theocracy¡¯s crown. That glint in her eye when she brought out her leash held an air that was both domineering and aggressive. No man could possibly hope to win over such a woman, especially not one who was in an illicit rtionship with his adopted sister. ... Time passed in a sh, and it was soonte afternoon. Grace and the others were just about to leave when they stumbled onto a ck-haired, golden-eyed boy in the lounge. There was no denying that Roel¡¯s appearance was visually striking even to Grace, leaving her a deep impression of him, but after all she had been through, she was extremely certain that this boy was nothing more than a gigolo. She had seen far too much such that nothing could change her mind anymore. After spending another hour sorting out a few more details, she bade farewell to Anna. ¡°It must be tiring on you having to travel to and fro, Miss Grace.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty to resolve these matters ahead of time. You don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± It could have been her imagination, but Grace thought that Anna looked a little relieved to send her off. While she was leaving the manor with the other Sorofyas¡¯ retainers, she passed by a few maids, who were busy putting up the bedsheets to dry. ¡°Today¡¯s bedsheets are much more difficult to clean.¡± ¡°There¡¯s actually blood on them. The young master was really too violent with the young miss.¡± ¡°Shhh, someone ising! Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± The casual chatter amongst the maids revealed a piece of explosive news, but Grace was already too numb to react anymore at this point. She thought of the unnatural gait of the silver-haired girl when she left Roel¡¯s room and shook her head. Piecing together the results of her investigation, she came to a decision. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t allow her beloved young miss to marry into the Ascart House! ... The following night, in the Diamond Rivi¨¨re Convoy. Charlotte sat before a table filled with rare delicacies that had been delicately prepared by top chefs of the Sia Continent, but her hands weren¡¯t moving at all. Behind her, Grace, who had just returned less than half a day ago, stood with a bitter look on her face. In this solemn atmosphere, the two of them could only sigh wordlessly in their hearts. Grace could still remember how, when she rushed back on a horse earlier this afternoon, the young miss had rushed out of the carriage with a rare anxious look on her face to receive her. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t bear the news that the young miss wanted to hear. When she met the young miss¡¯ worried, frightened, but hopeful eyes, she felt a stabbing pain piercing through her heart. She knew that the young miss had to walk out of herfort zone in order to give this engagement a try, but reality was often cruel. There was a short bout of silence before Grace finally pulled together her resolution to reveal everything she had encountered back at the Ascart House, including her encounter with Roel Ascart, Alicia, and Nora. And, this was the oue of that. Charlotte¡¯s head had been lowered since then, and she had hardly said anything at all. The mood in the room was so heavy that it was getting hard to breathe. The maids standing by the side of the room had uneasy looks on their faces. Even the Origin Level 3 Grace was finding it hard to endure the pressure. Grace had never seen this side of Charlotte before. She had seen the vulnerable little girl obstinately holding back her tears, as well as that charismatic business prodigy who moved decisively on opportunities, but never had she seen thetter looking so defeated before. Even the difficulties the girl faced at the Land of Chaos only made her lose a bit of sleep; this was the first time that shepletely lost all appetite. ¡°Young miss...¡± Grace felt that she had to say something to Charlotte, but she had no idea how to continue. Thetter shook her head silently in response, indicating that she wanted some quiet time to herself. There were times when Charlotte Sorofya felt that she was someone abandoned by fate. ¡®The one blessed with glory, fortune, and talent¡¯¡ªthe rest of the world was envious of what she had, but all she could feel was the weight of it as it crushed down on her spirit. The fortunes of the Sorofyas came at a price¡ªher father was always too busy to share a meal with her, and her mother scorned her. It was always her and the servants at the dining table. Of course, as a member of the wealthy Sorofya House, she had nevercked anything material before. She could buy clothes that ordinary civilians would never be able to afford even if they were to save up for an entire lifetime, and her residence wouldn¡¯t pale to the royal pces of other countries. Her food was carefully prepared by the top chefs of the Sia Continent, and the bodyguards who ensured her safety were on par with the royal guards of major countries. Those around her told her she was blessed, and she told herself the same too. She tried to be satisfied with what she had, and she continued thinking this way till she was 6. It was during a harvest festival. She was riding a magnificent carriage through town when she noticed that a child had been knocked down by the crowd through the window. The child, around the same age as her then, cried loudly for help, and it swiftly drew the attention of her parents, who were not too far away. They quickly rushed to her side. Her father pushed away the crowd in the way, whereas her mother swiftly picked her off the ground. Naturally, it caused a hugemotion. The father apologized profusely to the people whom he had pushed away earlier, while at the same time, the mother berated the child for straying too far away from them. However, perhaps out of fright of nearly getting lost, the child continued bawling loudly. The father heaved a helpless sigh before forking out a few copper coins to purchase some crude candy from the side of the street. It was only after receiving the candy that the child finally stopped crying and broke out in a smile. Hand in hand, the three of them walked off and disappeared into the crowd. That was the first time Charlotte, who had barely any experience with the outside world, got a glimpse into the interactions within other families. It was probably a perfectly ordinary urrence that perhaps even those involved wouldn¡¯t remember, but it had shaken the beliefs that little Charlotte had persisted in all along. That family of three were ordinary civilians. Their clothes were a little tattered, and they even had to hesitate to fork out the money to buy such crude candy. Yet, were they unhappy? Charlotte had no answer to that question, and she didn¡¯t voice her question to anyone either. She simply silently stared at that candy shop which the father had bought the crude candy from. After a long moment of silence, she ignored the objections of those around her and ran down from the carriage to buy one for herself. It was very cheap, such that the vendor couldn¡¯t find the change for her even after she broke the gold coin in her hand into two. The crude sugar candy was no more than processed raw sugar; it couldn¡¯t evene close to the refined pastries that she often had. It had an unappealing ck exterior and a slightly bitter aftertaste too. It was the same sweet, but its taste was different when eaten by different people. Aplete, blissful family; Charlotte began dreaming of having something like that. Once, during a trip to the Austine Empire, she secretly paid a visit to her mother with a heart trembling with uncertainty and expectations. Yet, when her mother looked at her with eyes filled with tant contempt, she found her dream shattering for the first time. And today, her dream shattered for the second time. In the end, fate still wasn¡¯t on her side. ¡°Young miss, everything that I¡¯ve reported is based on my personal view, so it¡¯s still too early toe to a conclusion. Perhaps, it might just be a misunderstanding...¡± Grace wanted to console Charlotte, but her words gradually grew softer and more uncertain. Hearing that, Charlotte heaved a deep sigh. ¡°It¡¯s an engagement contract invoked for the benefits of the two noble houses. I have no rights to demand anything out of Roel Ascart, just like how he doesn¡¯t have any rights to demand anything out of me. It was naive of me to pin my hopes on aplete stranger,¡± said Charlotte with aposed voice, before smiling helplessly. Hoping for an intercountry political marriage to end in bliss was almost the same as hoping for a miracle to ur. Even if miracles did happen in this world, what were the odds of it happening to her? ¡°Young miss, what are you intending to do if the result of my investigation is urate?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll cancel the engagement.¡± ¡°But the chances of the Ascarts agreeing to it are...¡± The thought of the current circumstances made Grace scrunch her face in distress. The annulment of an engagement could only be done with the approval of both sides, but which noble house in the world could possibly resist the humongous benefits that came with a bond of marriage with the Sorofyas? ¡°In the end, political marriages are centered around benefits. When ites to offering benefits, it¡¯s never been a problem to me.¡± Charlotte responded to the worried Grace with aposed tone. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t want to annul it, I¡¯ll just have to raise the stakes until he finally caves in.¡± Chapter 138: High Life

Chapter 138: High Life

In the tea room of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, Roel Ascart was staring at the two girls before him with eyes filled with doubt. He could tell that they were definitely up to something. What¡¯s going on here? Did something happen? Roel was still a little groggy from having woken up not too long ago, but he still tried his best to recall everything that had happened. Last night, Alicia had requested to sleep together with him, but she didn¡¯t arrive on time. Initially, he thought that she might have already fallen asleep in her room, but just earlier in the morning, he learned that Alicia had been to his room. Perhaps it was because he stayed upte to read, but his sleep was exceptionally deepst night. He hadn¡¯t even sensed Alicia¡¯s presence at all. On top of that, he had a dream too. He couldn¡¯t recall what it was anymore, but it seemed to have something to do with Alicia, and it left him feeling good when he woke up earlier. In any case, Roel slept all the way till the afternoon, only to wake up with a jolt. He found Nora standing in front of him, and a huge surge of mana was fluctuating around her. It was immediately clear to him that she had used the ability, Crown¡¯s Bestowment. Not only so, but she utilized not the usual first skill but the third skill, the one that could only be used once every two years. Considering how Nora had resorted to such a precious skill, it could only mean that something huge had happened. The first thing that came to his mind was his own father. Nora had been working near the eastern border of the human territory recently too, so if she was in such a rush to appear before him, could it mean that... ¡°Nora, what brings you here? C-could it be that something has happened to my father?¡± ¡°Ah? No, that¡¯s not it. Uncle Carter is doing perfectly fine. I... I just missed you all of a sudden.¡± Faced with the suddenly panicking Roel, Nora quickly reassured him in a fluster. Fortunately, Roel epted her exnation and swiftly calmed down again. But soon, doubt filled Roel¡¯s mind once more. Nora wouldn¡¯t opt to use the third skill of the Crown¡¯s Bestowment over the first skill for no reason. It was inconceivable to him that she had triggered the two year countdown on the third skill just to pay him a visit. Had it been before, Roel might have still epted her exnation, but one must know that they had just met one another a month ago at the Holy Capital for Nora¡¯s birthday. No matter how he looked at it, she shouldn¡¯t have been in such a rush. It was clear that there was something wrong here. Under Roel¡¯s skeptical stare, Nora¡¯s usual domineering air faltered a little. She appeared to be rather troubled. There was a brooding look on her face, and she opened her mouth a couple of times, only to close them hesitantly after. Please, do you need to scare me like that? Just what in the world happened? Roel couldn¡¯t help but think that Nora was acting like a child fidgeting before her parents after doing something wrong. He tried to recall if Nora had done anything wrong to him recently, but nothing came to mind. In the end, he could only try to sound her out. ¡°Nora, is there anything you need me for? Well, I do have some free time on hand recently, so...¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it... That¡¯s right! I recently started learning the art of tea brewing. Would you like to try my tea?¡± ¡°Hm? Sure...¡± Staring at the young girl who was abruptly offering to brew him a cup of tea, Roel decided to ept her offer for now. He continued trying to rack his brain for a reason behind her unnatural behavior, but to his surprise, it wasn¡¯t just Nora who was acting unnaturally... ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯ve personally prepared some desserts for you today. Come, have a taste.¡± Alicia was as adorable as ever, but while she was feeding him her handmade desserts, Roel could sharply sense that there was something different about her. There was something different about her expression, something different than the usual blissful and satisfied look she would disy before him. It had been three years since Roel and Alicia started living with one another. Alicia was confident that she knew everything about Roel¡¯s habits and quirks, and she could capture every subtle change in his emotions. In fact, to some extent, she could guide his train of thought as well. This was probably the highest level that any brocon could reach. However, the converse was true as well. She must have done something wrong, and this is her way of making up to me. Despite having figured out the situation, Roel didn¡¯t pursue the matter. A mistake made by Alicia could hardly be considered as a mistake. My little sister is right no matter what she does! Roel was a braindead siscon patient too. However, he soon realized that the ones who were treating him exceptionally well weren¡¯t just limited to Nora and Alicia. No, everyone in the manor was suddenly treating him with extreme kindness! The maids smiled at him, the butler was much more affable than usual, and his personal maid, Anna, was taking care of him more than usual. It was as if he had turned into the protagonist of the world overnight, as if the world revolved all around him! It was one thing if Alicia had done something wrong and tried to make it up to him by treating him better, but if everyone else was doing the same too, there had to be a deeper reason for it. Could it be that everyone has done something wrong to me? Hah, that¡¯s clearly impossible. They must have realized how great of a person I am! After eliminating all of the right answers, Roel finally arrived at his own conclusion. He nodded his head in satisfaction at his brilliant detective work. But soon, he noticed the second anomaly¡ªNora and Alicia weren¡¯t fighting with one another. Roel picked up a cup of tea from the table as his gaze alternated between the two brooding girls before him. Really, what is going on today? Every time Nora and Alicia met, it would be like a spark hitting gunpowder¡ªa great fight was almost guaranteed to ensue. And whenever they reached an impasse in their fight, they would suddenly turn to Roel in unison and demand that he choose between them. But, today? It had been a while since they had gathered together around this table, but there was actually no conflict at all! Did the sun rise from the west today? Perhaps, he was unknowingly transported into another parallel world? Roel was oblivious to the inner turmoil of the two young girls. There were two main reasons behind the guilt they were feeling. First, they hadpromised Roel¡¯s reputation and honor. While they had made sure to n the operation carefully, so as to not leave any incriminating evidence¡ªall they did was act in a way that would mislead Grace¡ªthe fact was that the Sorofyas had still formed a negative impression of Roel. No matter how one looked at it, this matter was to Roel¡¯s detriment. To be fair, though, the damage dealt was limited. For one, the Sorofyas wouldn¡¯t leak the matter and risk sullying its rtionship with the Ascarts. Also, considering the mutual benefits that both sides stood to gain from a partnership, it was unlikely that this personal gripe would affect their working rtionship either. That being said, they still felt guilty that Roel had been defamed like that. Nora and Alicia had discussed this matter, and they had decided topensate Roel through other means. It went without saying that the most direct manner was to improve their attitude toward him, though given how doting Alicia and Nora were toward him, there was not much to improve over here. But at the very least, Roel finally had the luxury of enjoying being served upon. That was also why he was keeping silent despite knowing that there was something seriously wrong with these two. Why botherining when he was satisfied with how things were right now? This was the first time that he really felt that he was in control when the three of them were together. In fact, he would go as far as to im that this was the highest point of his life! Back on Nora and Alicia¡¯s side, the second reason for their guilt was because they felt deeply apologetic for the other victim of this matter, Charlotte Sorofya. Nora had personally met Charlotte when she passed by Rosa on her way toward the eastern border. Thetter was a beautiful and knowledgeable individual, and it had been a pleasant meeting. That was not to say that they were friends, but at the very least, they had expressed goodwill toward one another in light of their countries¡¯ stances. What Nora had just done was effectively screwing Charlotte over for her own happiness, and she felt conscience-stricken about it. At least from the standpoint of a noblewoman, Nora felt that marrying Roel was actually a good thing. She was not saying this just because she fancied Roel, but she earnestly believed that it was true from an objective viewpoint. For one, the Ascart House was powerful and Roel was its sole sessor, but what she thought was more important was Roel¡¯s character. To be honest, Roel was quite an odd one within the circle of nobility. There was no denying that Roel was extremely good-looking; it caused no end of worry for Nora everytime the two of them were at a banquet. It was not umon for men born with good looks to phnder around after realizing their own poprity, but it was swiftly made apparent that Roel was not a scumbag. On the contrary, he was an introvert who wasn¡¯t really interested in the pursuit of physical pleasure. Well, other than enjoying good food. While other nobles were busy indulging themselves with all sorts of debauchery, Roel was constantly immersed in his books, seeking to improve himself. Even during his free time, he would think of ways to develop the fiefdom and improve the standard of living for the people. Many of the policies that he came up with and implemented were unusual but amazingly effective. Plus, despite being a bookworm, Roel was not socially awkward. He was good atmunicating, making him a fairly interesting conversational partner. Aside from this, he was also responsible, kind, mild-tempered, principled, and intelligent. It was true that there were times that he appeared dense, such as how he naively believed that Alicia was weak even to this day. However, he had also disyed amazing wits in moments of crisis as well. Nora felt that he was just too trusting of those close to him, allowing them to get away with things he should have seen through. Admittedly, she thought that it was yet another charm of Roel¡¯s¡ªbeing calctive toward his enemies but not his own people. But make no mistake, one should think thrice before making an enemy out of him. For a noblewoman, there was a high chance of achieving happiness by marrying Roel. Even at the very worst, his spouse was guaranteed to be treated with respect and kindness. From such a perspective, one could say that Charlotte had really lucked out with this engagement. Contrary to how Charlotte felt, fate was actually on her side this time around. However, out of their own selfishness, Nora and Alicia crushed her hopes. They didn¡¯t think that it was that bad of a thing when they were still nning things out, but right after they executed it, they felt immense guilt weighing down on their hearts. In fact, they even regretted it. It was often said that all¡¯s fair in love and war, but it was not Nora and Alicia¡¯s intention to bring harm onto another person. Due to that, they felt extremely conflicted over what they had done. With so many things burdening their minds, the atmosphere of the tea party was a little strange. Roel did try to ask about it several times, only to have Nora skillfully steer the conversation elsewhere and Alicia ying along with her. In the end, he decided to just relish in the present. He enjoyed a good sleep, a wonderful meal, and a treatment fit for a king. There was no doubt that this was one of the most blissful days for him. It gave him the energy to start nning for the next problem that awaited him. Tomorrow was the date the Ascarts and Sorofyas had agreed on. He would be meeting the third female capture target of the game, Charlotte Sorofya. Considering how Charlotte had barely any impression of him at the moment, this was actually a good opportunity for him to win some Affection Points from her. I shall make her head glow green like the lushest meadow in the Ascart Fiefdom! Roel set a small goal for himself before joyfully turning his attention back to the present, where two ravishing beauties were still diligently waiting upon him. Chapter 139: Alicia’s Trump Card

Chapter 139: Alicia¡¯s Trump Card

¡°I¡¯m Charlotte Sorofya. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Roel Ascart. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you as well.¡± The following morning, by the entrance of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, a well-dressed Roel stood face-to-face with an auburn-haired girl as the two of them introduced themselves to one another. Staring at the girl standing before him, he fell into a momentary daze. She sure is good-looking. Roel thought as he watched the girl curtseying politely before him. As someone who had plenty of intimate interactions with Alicia, he felt that he was alreadyrgely immune to beautiful women. However, when he finally met his fianc¨¦e in name, he realized that he was still far too naive. If Alicia¡¯s beauty was a powerful artwork that dazzled those whoid their eyes on her, Charlotte¡¯s would be a delicate piece that wasn¡¯t impactful at first sight, but its appeal gradually grew upon one, until one was finallypletely enraptured with it. Be it her exquisitely sculpted facial features, her slender body, her silky hair, or the indescribable air of nobility shemanded, all of these were basically screaming one fact at Roel, D¡ªno! 3D¡ªyes! This was the moment that it dawned on Roel that there were limitations to a 2D figure. In the end, there was simply no way for a 2D figure to defeat a 3D person¡ªor at the very least, these female capture targets. Charlotte¡¯s high elf lineage caused her to exude a strong aura of nobility that could influence those around her, such that many of the servants of the Ascart House were astonished to discover that a person like her existed in this world. Even the manager of the Roel X Alicia fanclub, Anna, found her eyes narrowing. Oblivious to Roel, he wasn¡¯t the only one shocked in this first greeting. He, too, had brought an equivalent level of shock to Charlotte as well... How in the world is it that he looks so poor? Charlotte stared at the aura of a pauper lingering around Roel before turning her gaze toward the interior of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, and she couldn¡¯t help but narrow her eyes in confusion. This is weird. The manor itself carries a strong scent of fortune, but why is it the opposite for him? Charlotte couldn¡¯t make sense of the contradiction, but it mattered not to her. Her spouse¡¯s financial condition was not something on her list of considerations¡ªshe had money anyway. Any problem rting to money was not a problem for her. With such thoughts in mind, she turned her attention away from the aura of a pauper to focus on Roel¡¯s other qualities. Even though Grace had previously described her fianc¨¦¡¯s appearance to her, she still couldn¡¯t stop her heart from skipping a beat when she finally took a good look at him. He was indeed very handsome and suave. He had a well-proportioned body, and those golden eyes of his seemed to carry a mysterious charm that drew people in. This mysterious charm actually came from the unique aura of the Crown Origin Attribute. Charlotte felt inexplicably drawn toward him, but as someone who had quite a bit of social experience, she was still able to conceal her feelings well. Her retainers, on the other hand, didn¡¯t have as much self-control. Grace looked at the ¡®depraved¡¯ man standing before her, and her eyes widened a little. She had to admit that Roel did look a lot better than he did yesterday, when he had only just arisen from his bed. He gave off a gentle yet firm impression, reminiscent of a refined schr. Unfortunately, this positive image did little to change the preconceived impression of him. Charlotte took a short nce at Roel before lowering her gaze. It was no wonder why her fianc¨¦ was able to be the pet of the Theocracy¡¯s princess. His looks had far surpassed her expectations; there was no fault to be picked with it. If not for all of the bad rumors surrounding him, she might have actually fallen in love with him at first sight. It was just a pity that what he had inside didn¡¯t match up with what he showed on the outside... ¡°Miss Charlotte, you must have exhausted yourself traveling all the way here. May I interest you in a cup of tea?¡± ¡°Of course. It would be my honor, Mister Roel.¡± Charlotte politely epted Roel¡¯s invitation before the two of them headed over to the lounge, following the procedure they had previously agreed on. Meanwhile, the servants by the doorway began settling the carriages in the Ascarts¡¯ manor. There was quite some work to do because the Sorofyas¡¯ Diamond Rivi¨¨re Convoy was enormous; even Roel jolted in astonishment when he firstid his eyes on it. However, the tables were going to be turned now that they were entering the Ascarts¡¯ homeground. Charlotte looked at the massive collection of antiques positioned at every nook and cranny of the manor, and she couldn¡¯t help her astonishment. She had indeed heard about it from Grace previously, but it was another thing to witness it in person. One must know that it had only been a hundred years since Rosa split from the Austine Empire and became the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. While it had managed to amass a huge fortune within this short period of time, in the view of most major countries on the Sia Continent, it was no more than a nouveau riche. Rosacked the history and culture that other countries had, and most of its local antiques only dated a hundred years back. Those that were over a hundred years old tended to be imported from other countries. In this aspect, it was theplete victory of the Ascarts. And as if to highlight that, Charlotte noticed that there was a small card ced beneath every single one of the antiques,beling the date and origin of the antique. ¡¸ Year 79, March. Gift from the Lucerne Duke during his birthday celebration.¡¹ ¡¸ Year 828, February. Gift from Empress Victoria during a royal banquet.¡¹ All of these unted the glory enjoyed by the Ascarts over its thousand years of history, as well as the formidablework of connections it boasted. Watching as Charlotte swiftly browsed through each of these cards, Roel felt a little gleeful inside. This was actually an idea that he came up with at thest moment. Yesterday, while he was bringing Nora on a tour to browse through the collection of items they had in the manor, he suddenly thought of the Austine Empire¡¯s Millennia Glory Repository. ¡°I think we could do something like that too.¡± After Nora¡¯s avatar vanished, Roel stroked his lower jaw in contemtion as he proposed the idea to Anna. In the circle of nobility, antiques had the practical purpose of showcasing a noble house¡¯s heritage and ss. However, antiques could only awe those who could discern their origin, and not many people had the keen eyes to do so. Even Roel would struggle to identify the items ced around his own manor, let alone a stranger! So, he decided to lower the level of difficulty here by emting what the museums in his previous world did. You don¡¯t recognize the antiques? Ah, that¡¯s not a problem. You can at least read, right? To create an even better viewing experience, he took the trouble to line up the antiques based on their age, so as to craft out a chronological story for the guest. These details were minor, but they were effective in improving the impression guests would have of the Ascart House. After the subtle round of bragging, Roel and Charlotte finally arrived at the lounge and began a proper chat with one another. The two of them were aware of the engagement, so there was no need to skirt around the topic. But, at the same time, it would be abrupt to speak of it all of a sudden. Thus, Roel felt that it would be better to first build some rapport with Charlotte, and the best way to do so was throughpliments. ¡°Even from Rosa, I have heard a lot about Uncle Carter¡¯s reputation. If I recall correctly, he¡¯s serving as the Theocracy¡¯s chief of logistics for the war at the eastern border? That¡¯s truly the blessing of the soldiers. They would be able to devote their attention to dealing with the crisis on hand without having to worry about rations.¡± ¡°Uncle Bruce has also contributed greatly to the war. I have heard that Rosa has generously provided financial support for the countries fighting on the frontlines. The people of all countries have been singing praises of hispassion.¡± The boy and the girl sitting on both sides of the table had brilliant smiles on their faces as they offeredpliments toward one another. It was clear that they were both skilled at maneuvering in social settings. They buttered one another up so well that they were able to establish rapport swiftly with one another, building the foundation for them to move the conversation on to talking about themselves and their interests. Roel was interested in books and Charlotte in making money. Roel worked part-time as the militarymander and proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, whereas Charlotte dabbled in fashion design, musical instruments, and the arts. ¡°...¡± The divergence was made rather clear here. There was hardly any ovep in their interests, so they simply shallowly touched on the topic before quickly moving on to talk about their own lives. ¡°Oh? Miss Charlotte has been participating in the executive branch of the Sorofyas for four years now? That¡¯s impressive. I have only been the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom for less than three years myself.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too humble, Mister Roel. I have heard of your wisdom from Rosa. Despite having no kin by your side to support you, you single-handedly propped the Ascart Fiefdom up, spurring its development. My aplishments are nothing muchpared to yours.¡± ¡°Miss Charlotte, you¡¯re ttering me. Besides, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t have any kin by my side either. You may have heard that I have an adopted sister who goes by the name of Alicia.¡± As soon as the siscon Roel raised the topic of Alicia, it was almost as if the flood gates had been opened, unleashing a massive torrent. He began showeringpliments on Alicia as if he was a forty-year-old father bragging about his own daughter. On the other hand, Charlotte¡¯s face visibly froze up a little upon hearing Alicia¡¯s name. She recalled the report she had received from Grace, and a slight feeling of aversion rose from her heart. However, as she listened quietly to Roel¡¯s bragging, a hint of confusion surfaced in her eyes. It didn¡¯t seem likely for Roel to talk about another woman whom he had an illicit rtionship with in front of his fianc¨¦e, especially given how tactful he had been throughout the conversation. It wasn¡¯t like him to make such a faux pas. On top of that, Roel¡¯s attitude felt more like a parent unting his own child than anything else. In view of all this, Charlotte began to reconsider the situation. Putting aside her prejudice from prior intelligence, she actually had quite a high evaluation of him based on his performance thus far. In fact, it surpassed her highest expectations. Could it be a misunderstanding? As this thought sparked in her mind, her eyes gradually regained their glow. Her heartbeat began pounding faster and faster. Her reactions, however, were all captured by Anna, who was standing behind Roel, and her forehead furrowed slightly. As I thought, those little tricks can only do so much, Anna thought with a sigh. She had to admit that the young master was charming enough to shatter all of the bad reputation they had built up with the Sorofyas. Fortunately, they had prepared a trump card. The maid secretly gestured toward the doorway, and not too longter, the servants walked in and reported that lunch was in order. So, Roel and Charlotte parted temporarily to head to their respective rooms and prepare for the meal. The brief respite made Roel heave a sigh of relief. Earning Affection Points was indeed a tough job. The maids made use of this opportunity to touch up Roel¡¯s makeup with the cosmetics they had prepared beforehand. At the same time, he also switched to more casual clothes. ¡°Where¡¯s Alicia? She had a ss this morning, but she should be joining us for lunch, right?¡± ¡°Miss Alicia has headed out to purchase some books. She¡¯ll only be back at night.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded in response as he quickly finished changing up. Perhaps, it was a good thing that Alicia was not around. He could sense the reservations she carried toward Charlotte from their previous conversations, and he wasn¡¯t too surprised by it. It felt a little too ridiculous to suddenly fulfill a hundred-year-old engagement contract, and he believed that Charlotte felt the same way too. If thetter found it hard to raise the matter, he would just have to be the one to do it. It would be a good opportunity for him to earn some Affection Points. Roel quickly ran through the procedures once more in his head. He couldn¡¯t have imagined that someone had already arranged an extra show for him. ¡°Ah right, I shouldn¡¯t forget about this letter too.¡± Roel took an envelope from the table and slipped it into his front chest pocket. He was nning to ask Charlotte about the letter to see if it had anything to do with the Sorofyas. It could be a conversation topic between them over the meal. Once he was ready, he walked out of the room and met up with Charlotte, who had changed her clothes as well, in the dining room. ¡°Miss Charlotte, you look gorgeous.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mister Roel. You are...¡± Halfway through Charlotte¡¯s words, her voice suddenly stopped short. Her bizarre reaction made Roel blink in confusion, but Charlotte was too shocked by the thing near his neck to pay any heed. It was located slightly below his neck, near his chest. There, his fair skin had a pink bruise reminiscent of a butterfly¡ªit was Alicia¡¯s love mark. Chapter 140: Damn You, Charlotte!

Chapter 140: Damn You, Charlotte!

On the walls of the eastern border of the human territories, Tark Stronghold, Carter was chatting joyously with a golden-haired girl. ¡°Uncle Carter, I¡¯m very grateful for your help on this matter.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much, Your Highness. I merely instructed Anna to cooperate with you.¡± Carter heaved a deep sigh of relief. With this, the engagement should be annulled, and his son would be safe. His worries were finally alleviated, and he would finally be able to get a good night¡¯s sleep tonight. Indeed, Carter had been losing sleep over Roel¡¯s engagement. As minor as it appeared to be at first nce, there were too manyplications at y here. The engagement hade at a bad time. Had it been three years earlier, Carter would have raised both hands in agreement to this century-old engagement promise. The Sorofyas indeed had many things to offer, and Charlotte had a fairly good reputation. However, over the past three years, Alicia had entered the Ascart House and be an inseparable ¡®sister¡¯ to Roel, and Nora, for whatever reason, was fixated on Roel and even became his protector. The two of them possessed great talents as transcendents, and what they had to offer didn¡¯t pale inparison to the Sorofyas. Alicia¡¯s power would be an invaluable aid to the Ascart House, and the fact that she was unconditionally supportive of Roel meant that she would be a stalwart ally. On the other hand, Nora possessed the power of the Theocracy behind her, and she could tap into that power to ensure Roel¡¯s safety. One could reinforce the foundation of the Ascart House, and the other could reinforce the position of the Ascart House in the Theocracy. No matter who Roel chose in the end, he would still benefit greatly from it. However, the same couldn¡¯t necessarily be said about Charlotte. The Sorofya House was indeed rich, but it was ultimately an external power. Its influence in the Theocracy was limited, which meant that they wouldn¡¯t be able to support the Ascarts directly if anything happened. On top of that, there was the risk of the Sorofyas attempting to subvert Roel in order to gain control over the Ascart House. Ultimately, what the Sorofyas could truly offer the Ascarts was just money, but did the Ascartsck money? Well, the answer was, technically, yes, since Roel would need a ton of money in order to properly develop the Ascart Fiefdom. Carter, however, had adopted a very different set of logic with regards to this question. Is there enough money to sustain our military? There is? Well, then there¡¯s no problem here. Carter had never thought that the Ascart Fiefdomcked money, especially since Roel was developing the fiefdom pretty well in recent years, which further reduced their need for financial aid. It was honestly quite a simplistic view that was heavily influenced by his military mindset. He believed that the stability of the fiefdom took precedence over everything else, so as long as there was enough money to finance the army and no one was starving, everything else was of secondary importance. Besides, Carter was a believer in the freedom to love. Alicia was the first one to start pursuing Roel, and it would be ridiculous to ask her to back down just because of some century-old promise. Most importantly of all, just having two prodigies fighting over Roel was enough of a headache. If another one were to join the fray, it would really be cataclysmic. At this rate, his son might really get assassinated in his room one day! You know what? I take back those words about you marrying more wives. Just stop messing with those girls, alright? Your father is really scared right now! That said, there was one thing that had continued to mystify Carter all this while. Based on what he knew, Roel had done practically nothing at all, so how in the world did Alicia and Nora end up bing so obsessed with him? He had racked his brain over this question but still couldn¡¯t find an answer, so he eventually chose not to think about it anymore. In order to avoid the worst from happening, he instructed Anna to cooperate with Alicia and Nora. Hopefully, this would ensure that the child from the Sorofyas wouldn¡¯t fall in love with Roel. Otherwise, it would truly be a shitshow. Of course, there was also the risk of Roel sumbing to Charlotte¡¯s beauty and attempting to court her, but he would like to think that his son wasn¡¯t that kind of scumbag. Son, womanizers never end up well. Don¡¯t stray down the wrong path. Of course, the n dide at a cost, or more specifically, Roel¡¯s reputation would be soiled. However, Carter didn¡¯t think that that was a problem either. All he had to do was step forward and rify the matter once it was all over. The kiss mark could be passed off as a prank from the young Alicia, and Nora and her dog leash could be easily exined as her bringing her dog over to the Ascarts¡¯ manor to bring it on a walk together with her good friend Roel. It was not their fault if the Sorofyas chose to think too much into these matters. Once the Sorofyas backed out of the engagement, they wouldn¡¯t be in a position to invoke the contract once more. As for Roel¡¯s side, Carter had already written a letter to exin and apologize about the matter. As soon as the engagement was broken, he would send the letter over. Alicia and Nora also seemed to have discussed how they should make it up to Roel too. After hearing Nora¡¯s report on the matter, Carter heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that it was finally all over. If there was a fortune teller here, he would have surely told Carter that it was impossible to truly control what happens in life. Once the winds of fate start blowing, it would be impossible to quell them anymore. ... Charlotte¡¯s head was feeling vexatiously heavy right now. As the sessor of a prominent noble house, no matter how strong his desires were, he should have never done that sort of thing before his first meeting with his fianc¨¦e! Is it that princess or that adopted sister of his? Or could it be that he has even more women out there? Charlotte quickly shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to know about it or interfere in this. However, the very least Roel could have done was to not leave this kind of mark prior to their meeting. Even if he was just keeping up appearances, he should have made sure to maintain it from the start to the end. Charlotte was not oblivious to the debauchery that happened within the circle of nobility, but this was the first time she was seeing someone doing it so openly. ¡°I was still thinking of continuing our negotiations, but it looks like there isn¡¯t any need to do that anymore...¡± ¡°Hm? Miss Charlotte?¡± Charlotte¡¯s sudden sharp re and her mocking smile finally clued Roel in that events had taken a turn for the worse. He realized that she was staring at his neck. However, before he could react, Charlotte had already tossed out yet another question. ¡°Mister Roel, when were you made aware of our engagement?¡± ¡°Hm? Not too long ago, around half a month back.¡± Charlotte nodded her head slightly in response. She fully understood just how much of a stranger she was to him. ¡°We are two strangers brought together by a mere piece of paper. I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m qualified to criticize how you live your life, but at the very least, I¡¯d like to think that I have the right to reject you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Mister Roel, I know that it¡¯s a little abrupt, but I believe that we aren¡¯t suited for one another. What are your thoughts on this?¡± ¡°...¡± Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. Charlotte¡¯s sudden decision was a little overwhelming to him, leaving him feeling as if a game he was ying had suddenly fast forwarded to the end. But I haven¡¯t gotten my Affection Points yet! Why are you jumping to the endpoint all of a sudden? ¡°Miss Charlotte, it hasn¡¯t been long since we met one another. I think we still don¡¯t know each other well yet.¡± ¡°No, I believe that I already have a good understanding of what kind of person you are.¡± Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes were fixated on the love mark at the base of Roel¡¯s neck. Fury was raging in her mind, but out of consideration of thetter¡¯s standing, she suppressed her anger and gave an exnation. ¡°Everyone has a different understanding of what marriage means. Some think of it as a formality; some think of it as a trade. However, I believe that a marriage is something sacred. It¡¯s the foundation to creating a family, a means to pursue happiness. What are your views on this matter?¡± ¡°Your words make perfect sense, Miss Charlotte.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then this problem can be easily resolved.¡± Charlotte¡¯s lips curled up. The provocation of Alicia¡¯s love mark had riled her up, leading her to do something that she would have never done normally. Strong pulsations of mana began swirling around her body, and her bloodline, which she had inherited from her high elf ancestors, started gushing. Specks of starlight began forming behind her, forming a constetion of an ancient god behind her. This ancient god held onto a staff in one hand and a scale in the other, seemingly looking over her. The ancient spell immediately caught the attention of all of the transcendents nearby. Even Grandar turned his gaze over from another world. A crimson swirl of mana arose from Roel¡¯s body and enveloped him, protecting him from harm. For a moment, the mana formed the shape of a massive skeleton, but it vanished in an instant, leaving one wondering if it had just been a coincidence. ¡°The Goddess of Fate? How interesting.¡± A hoarse voice echoing in Roel¡¯s ears gave him a clue as to what was going on. Under the powerful pulsation of mana, Charlotte¡¯s noble disposition was cloaked in a mysterious, dreamlikeyer, spurring one¡¯s curiosity about her. ¡°¡®Arbiter of Fate¡¯, that¡¯s my bloodline ability. It¡¯s also the proof that our house originates from the ancient high elves.¡± Standing beneath the starry sky she had summoned, she turned around to look at the mysterious constetion as she began to exin calmly. ¡°Since ancient times, the high elves have served as the envoys of the Goddess of Fate. They were the progenitors of divination and prophetic spells. Due to their ability to discern the flow of wealth, they eventually got involved inmerce and financial management. ¡°The condensation of a person¡¯s entire life is what we term as fate. Fate is something fluid; it¡¯s often moving and changing. Life, death, and marriage are important turning points of fate. Do you understand what I¡¯m getting at?¡± Charlotte turned to face the astonished Roel. Thetter seemed to have already connected the dots together, and to which, she nodded her head. ¡°Whether fate is sided toward us or not; whether our union will bring about happiness or misery, all this can be made known by a simple binary divination by the Arbiter of Fate.¡± ¡°This... Isn¡¯t this oversimplifying the matter?¡± ¡°Do you think that the conclusion received through an ancient transcendent ability is less credible than any evaluation we make through a short moment of interaction? What we see with our eyes is often untrustworthy.¡± With Charlotte going this far to insist on it, Roel could only sigh deeply. What else could he do in this situation? Question the credibility of divination and whatnot and forcefully stop her from carrying it out? Charlotte had already led Roel into voicing his support for the view that marriage should be built on the foundation of happiness, so he had no grounds to stop her from divining the oue of their marriage. In fact, if he attempted to do so, it would only cast doubt on his sincerity. If I were to say that I¡¯m only interested in your Affection Points, would you believe me? Roel pondered this question, and he felt that no one in Charlotte¡¯s position would believe those words. They would only suspect that he was out for the Sorofyas¡¯ money. Given the circumstances, it would appear that it was impossible for him to earn her Affection Points anymore. Fortunately, the two of them would just be strangers once the engagement was annulled, so there shouldn¡¯t be any reason for Charlotte to harm him. The best he could do right now was to at least maintain a friendly rtionship with her. That way, it would be possible to pursue a partnership together with the Sorofyas in the future. To be honest, it was quite tiring to tread carefully around this woman too. He also felt that it was somewhat good for them to skip all of the formalities and get straight to the main point. Having thought things over, Roel waved his hand grandly and said. ¡°Miss Charlotte, since you have already put it out like this, let¡¯s do it then. Go ahead and do what you must. I¡¯ll be awaiting the results.¡± ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll be using this gold coin as the medium for the divination,¡± replied Charlotte with a nod. She took out a gold coin that was slightly dull in color and disyed it clearly to Roel. ¡°This is the Moira Gold Coin of the Ancient Austine Empire. With heads representing bliss and tails representing misery, we shall allow fate to determine the oue of our marriage. What do you think?¡± ¡°I have no qualms about it.¡± ¡°Arbiter of Fate.¡± ¡°... Understood.¡± Charlotte closed her eyes and began mumbling under her breath. The blurred silhouette formed within the constetion began emanating a faint radiance as a hoarse voice sounded from it, responding to its master¡¯s will. It was almost as if an invisible hand was holding onto the gold coin in Charlotte¡¯s hand. With a resounding ¡®ding¡¯, the coin was flicked into the air. The revolving coin swiftly ascended up, and the starlight behind Charlotte also intensified in proportion as well. The coin reached the peak of its arc before it began falling back down. All of the stars reverted back to normal, and the gold coin fell down to where it was flicked up from, spinning a few rounds in the air before finallynding on one side. ¡°Heads.¡± A hoarse voice calmly announced the results of the divination, causing shock in both the auburn-haired girl and the ck-haired boy. They stared at the human imprint on the coin of fate with widened eyes as they struggled toe to terms with the unexpected results. W-what is going on here? Is the script supposed to go like this? Roel was utterly stunned here, not knowing what Charlotte was up to. However, thetter¡¯s mind was just as much of a mess as his. Heads? How could it be heads? Could it be that the divination result has been affected by Roel¡¯s mana? This was the first thought that came to Charlotte¡¯s mind as soon as she saw the coinnding on heads. However, when she checked on it right after, she noticed that Roel¡¯s mana was condensed around him, showing no hints of extending outward at all. The result wasn¡¯t tampered with? How could this be possible? This phndering man... Charlotte got more and more agitated just thinking about it. ¡°T-there must be a mistake somewhere! We¡¯ll do it again!¡± ¡°Ah? Again?¡± Is there such a thing as ¡®doing it again¡¯ when ites to divination? Roel frowned in skepticism. He suddenly noticed the crowd around him, which left him feeling a little embarrassed that they were actually divining about their love life in front of so many people. However, Charlotte was too agitated to pay any heed to it. She turned to the silhouette behind her and emphasized once more. ¡°Arbiter of Fate! With heads representing bliss and tails representing misery, verify the oue of a marriage between Charlotte Sorofya and Roel Ascart!¡± ¡°... Understood.¡± Ding! The coin was tossed once more. The eyes of Roel and Charlotte were fixated on the coin from start to end, and the result... ¡°Heads.¡± ¡°H-how can this be? How could I possibly...¡± The result of the second toss felt like a hammer smashing into Charlotte¡¯s heart. She nced at her confused would-be fianc¨¦e in front of her, and her eyes narrowed a little. Wait a moment, could it be that the condition I set has some problems? That¡¯s right, the bliss might not necessarily be the result of our rtionship. I need to be more exact with my words... ¡°Arbiter of Fate! With heads representing a marriage of mutual love and tails representing a marriage of acrimony, verify!¡± ¡°... Understood.¡± Ding! ¡°Heads.¡± ¡°...¡± With the third result of the divination ending up like that as well, Charlotte was utterly bewildered. At the same time, the overly embarrassing conditions she was using for the divinations cracked even Roel¡¯s thick skin. He looked at the unnaturally fidgety servants and retainers watching the scene by the side, and he quickly walked over to Charlotte¡¯s side and nudged her. ¡°Charlotte, let¡¯s stop for now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt me, it isn¡¯t over yet! T-there must be some mistake here. I have to do it again...¡± You still want to do it again? What kind of new humiliation y is this?! The furiously blushing Roel grabbed Charlotte¡¯s hand, causing her to recoil in shock. She immediately snapped out of her agitated state. Her first reaction was to berate Roel for his sudden act of physical contact, but when she turned her head toward him, the first thing she saw was hispletely flushed cheeks and ears. ¡°Look at the surroundings. Don¡¯t toss the coin anymore... I¡¯m begging you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel pleaded with a quivering voice as he lowered his head to conceal his blushing face. At the same time, Charlotte also finally returned to her senses. She slowly scanned her surroundings, only to realize that the servants, butlers, guards, musicians, and even chefs in the room were all staring at the duo standing at the center of the scene. There was a warm, knowing smile on their faces, which brought a zing heat to her face. ¡°No, t-this is a misunderstanding! We aren¡¯t...¡± Faced with so many eyes on her, it took only two seconds for her to reach maximum embarrassment. Flustered, she struggled to exin the event to the crowd, but a slight chuckle that sounded thenpletely crushed her courage. ¡°Mister Roel, I-I-I-I-I... I¡¯m not feeling well! Farewell!¡± ¡°What? Hey, it¡¯s unfair for you to run off just like that! Char...¡± Bam! A panicked girl abandoned the bbergasted Roel and bolted right out of the room. Chapter 141: Vengeance Fulfilled

Chapter 141: Vengeance Fulfilled

¡°What are you all looking at? You¡¯re all dismissed!¡± ¡°You! What are youughing at? Drop that smile from your face! You are forbidden from smiling!¡± It was a terrible lunch for Roel. The stressing from the judging eyes around him left him nearly with a stomach ache despite the good food served to him. Damn it! Why do I feel so humiliated? I feel like I¡¯m going to drop dead from the embarrassment! Regardless of whether it was when the chef was exining the origin of the fish fillet with a bright smile or when the famed musicians that he had invited from Loren yed a melodious, uplifting tune, he would somehow think of that humiliating moment when he was left standing alone in the middle of the room, the center of everyone¡¯s attention. That nasty woman! How can she abandon me after doing all of that! That¡¯s too much! Roel would love nothing more than to seal that public shaming Charlotte had delivered to him into the recycle bin in his headbeled ¡®Dark History¡¯, but it was easier said than done. He felt that this would be a mental trauma that would make his fingers curl up out of sheer cringe even years from now. That empty chair before me sure feels ironic. Ahhhhh! Don¡¯t make me recall that memory again! Roel gnashed his teeth as he ripped his fish fillet apart. How could that woman use her bloodline ability three times in a row to humiliate me? It was fortunate that most of those present were his people, but those knowing smiles that they kept directing toward him left him feeling so awkward and mentally stressed that it felt like he would develop a brain tumor out of this. Or is this some kind of ploy to assassinate me through shame? Also, the incident did spark a sliver of doubt in Roel¡¯s mind¡ªwhat in the world was with that divination? He took a huge gulp of refreshing chilled mead to cool his emotions and exhaled deeply before beginning to run through what had happened earlier. The current turn of events was not very desirable, and there was a need for him to think of a way to resolve the situation. While it was not explicitly stated in the game, the clues seemed to suggest that their engagement hadn¡¯t been annulled at that time, likely because game-Roel had refused to do so. So, if he wanted to remove his death g with Charlotte, the best way to do so was to sit down with her and peacefully talk things over. However, theplications that happened along the way made that harder than it had to be. For some reason, Charlotte had abandoned all of the frontloading to get straight to the point, but the results of her divination ironically painted a wonderful future for their union instead. Honestly, Roel was still having difficulties trying toe to terms with what had happened thus far. He had never seen such an amazing act of self-sabotage before. ¡°She was definitely intending to annul the engagement, but this oue is really...¡± Roel tugged at his hair while feeling that he had been ced in a really difficult position. The thing was that he had actually prepared a set of maneuvers to annul the engagement peacefully, and all Charlotte had to do was to sit there and do nothing at all¡ªhe wasn¡¯t even expecting her to cooperate with him! But what now? Charlotte basically dropped bomb after bomb to ruin the whole game, leaving the two of them in an awkward position to do anything at all. ¡°None of you are to leak out anything that happened today! What urred was nothing more than an ident, understood?¡± After lunch was over, Roel had summoned everyone present and emphasized that it was just a freak ident and the results of the divination were unreliable. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like his rification was working very well. ... On the other hand, Charlotte rushed all the way back into her room inside the carriage and holed herself up. ¡°Young miss, pleasee out. None of us areughing at you.¡± Grace looked at the bundle wrapped within a thickyer of nket and sighed deeply. She had never thought that Charlotte¡¯s Arbiter of Fate would end up with such results. Divining with Arbiter of Fate consumed Charlotte¡¯s mana greatly. If she refused to eat on top of that, it was likely that she would suffer a migraine soon or even be unable to get up tomorrow morning. Feeling that it wouldn¡¯t do to leave things be, Grace racked her mind to think of a way to console Charlotte, but before she could say anything, her mistress had already spoken up first. ¡°Grace... What do you think of the results of my divination?¡± The girl hidden in the nket asked with a voice quivering in embarrassment. Grace pondered for a moment before responding from a professional¡¯s standpoint. ¡°... I think that it¡¯s worth taking them into ount, but you shouldn¡¯t blindly ept them unconditionally. You have only used a costless general binary divination, which has a lower sess rate and credibility, as well as many loopholes. ¡°On top of that, divination is highly sensitive to the weather and the bloodlines and Origin Attributes of the ones divined. Besides, even if the results of the divination are urate, there are also many loopholes with the questions you asked as well.¡± Admittedly, Charlotte was too agitated earlier that many of the questions she asked were vague and unclear. For one, she divined whether the two of them would end in bliss or not, but the definition of ¡®bliss¡¯ differed from one individual to the other. Besides, bliss was a transient state; even a tragic marriage could be peppered here and there with moments of bliss. As for the divination of whether they were ¡®in love¡¯, love could also be a transient state as well. There were plenty of lovers who married out of passion, only for their zing love to be doused within weeks. Such examples were not umon amongst nobles, which only went to show that Charlotte¡¯s divinations were not truly meaningful. ¡°I-is that so?¡± Hearing Grace¡¯s interpretation of the situation, Charlotte¡¯s head peeked out a little from the nket as the redness on her face receded a little. Slowly but surely, she was regaining herposure. ¡°Yes, young miss. So, what do you intend to do? Will you fulfill the engagement you have with young master Roel, or do you intend to...¡± Charlotte fell silent. She pondered the question for a long while, but in the end, her face darkened once more. ¡°... I don¡¯t dare to make a gamble here.¡± ¡°...¡± A silent sigh escaped from Grace¡¯s lips. Considering the experiences Charlotte had been through thus far, it was not that difficult for her to understand the rationale behind the girl¡¯s decision. The risks really were too high. No matter how the Ascarts tried to hide it or how optimistic the results of the divination were, there was no denying that Roel was entangled with two charming girls who were every bit as beautiful as Charlotte. Was Roel a good marriage partner? The answer was a resounding yes. He had a lot of good qualities, be it his appearance, his background, his talents, and much more. There were very few people in the world who were as eligible as he was. However, these factors happened to be of secondary concern to Charlotte. What Charlotte¡ªor rather, all children who had an unhappy childhood¡ªreally wanted was someone who truly loved her; someone who was willing to build a happy family with her. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t seem like Roel fit the criteria. ¡°I was too rash earlier. I should negotiate again with himter at night.¡± Having finally calmed down, Charlotte slowly crawled out of her nket as she made up her mind to follow her initial n. ¡°I feel apologetic to him, but I¡¯ll offer him amplepensation.¡± ... You nasty woman! You still dare to stand before me, huh? At the dining table once more, Roel red at the stiff-faced girl sitting opposite to him furiously. All of the indignance he had umted since lunchtime had exploded into seething rage. Ever since that incident, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that everyone wasughing at him. His mind was really on the edge right now. She¡¯s really too much! How could she make me bear the brunt of the impact all by myself! ¡°Mister Roel, do you still remember the coboration proposal you sent to us a while back?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, I remember it,¡± replied Roel snappishly. Under the illumination of the candlelight, Charlotte put on a slightly guilty smile while Roel eyed her with disgruntlement. Heh, coboration? You only remember it at a time like this, huh? Are you just looking for another opportunity to abandon me once more? ¡°I¡¯ve taken a look at the proposal, and I fully agree with it.¡± ¡°... Miss Charlotte, you fully agree with it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d taken a careful look at the proposal before heading here, and I believe that the proposal is mutually beneficial to both of our houses. I do have the rights to call the final shots on this matter.¡± ¡°I see... Allow me to thank you on behalf of the Ascart Fiefdom then. I look forward to working with the Sorofyas. You may send over your negotiators whenever convenient to discuss the details of the contract with our Legal Department.¡± Roel¡¯splexion alleviated a little after hearing Charlotte agreeing to the coboration proposal. Seeing this, Charlotte also heaved a sigh of relief. With the business deal settled, the atmosphere between them lightened a little. ¡°Mister Roel, I am very apologetic about the events that transpired earlier this afternoon. However, after careful contemtion, I would still like to annul our engagement. May I know your thoughts on this matter?¡± ¡°This... Pardon me, but I think that it¡¯s still too abrupt...¡± Roel looked at Charlotte¡¯s head, which had never turned green even once throughout the entire day since they met one another, and he felt a little reluctant to let her off just like that. However, his hesitant attitude was interpreted very differently by Charlotte. ¡°300,000 gold coins.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing topensate the Ascart House 300,000 gold coins for the annulment of this engagement.¡± ¡°...¡± At the very moment Roel heard the generous offering from the wealthy young miss of the Sorofya House, his body immediately stiffened up. He narrowed his eyes a little as he smelled the scent of an opportunity here. It might be nigh impossible for him to get any Affection Points out of Charlotte anymore, but at the very least, he could at least squeeze some gold out of the Sorofyas, which was practically loaded with money. This was, after all, a deal for her to regain her freedom. What did mere money count as? Besides, she owed him for emotional damage from the mental trauma she had afflicted on him! With such thoughts in mind, the gaze Roel directed toward Charlotte grew kinder and kinder. Even though Charlotte¡¯s head had never turned green all this while, he felt like her entire body was glowing as green as a field of cabbages at this very instant. ¡°Miss Charlotte, how can you say such words?!¡± The veteran farmer, Roel, immediately got right into the act to maximize his harvest. With tightly clenched fists, he stared at Charlotte with eyes filled with disbelief, as if an honest man being callously betrayed by his lover. ¡°I¡¯ve been treating you with my utmost sincerity so as to fulfill the sacred promise of our ancestors. Yet, you wish to annul the engagement in such a manner? 300,000 gold coins? How can that possibly match up to the century-old promise between our houses?!¡± ¡°...¡± Roel¡¯s indignant deration left Charlotte feeling utterly dumbfounded. As someone who had been striking business deals for the Sorofyas for years now, there was no way she wouldn¡¯t understand what he was up to. Wow. I have never seen someone who can ask for more money in such a shameless manner. Charlotte took a few deep breaths topose herself. She finally understood why Roel was able to spur such rapid development in the Ascart Fiefdom within just a few years¡ªhe might be a noble, but he was no less cunning than any businessman! You still dare to talk about me? You are obviously the one who wishes the most to cash in on this engagement! Roel sensed that Charlotte was starting to lose her temper, but he wasn¡¯t intimidated in the least. One must know that despite his rich exterior, the truth was that he was heavily in debt. Three years had already passed thus far, and he still owed 350,000 gold coins to the System. This was definitely not a small sum, so it was inevitable that he would feel anxious about it. ¡°350,000 gold coins. That should be enough to express my sincerity.¡± ¡°We, the children of the Ascart House, are very proud of our legacy. We view the will of our ancestors in high regard. The spirits of my ancestors often appear in my dreams to...¡± ¡°400,000 gold coins!¡± ¡°Even the diaries of my ancestor, Ponte, have been stored securely in our Labyrinth Vi over at the Holy Capital. This century old engagement promise has Grandpa nc¡¯s honor on the line, and it represents our hundred years of friendship with the Sorofyas...¡± ¡°450,000 gold coins! Mister Roel, you should know when to be satisfied!¡± ¡°...¡± Charlotte warned sharply with anger seething in her voice, causing Roel to stop his rant. He looked at the auburn-haired girl before him and blinked silently for a moment before lowering his head with a deep sigh. There was a long silence drifting in the air before Roel finally spoke once more. ¡°... So, no matter what I say, you¡¯re determined to end this engagement with your money.¡± Those words shocked the angry Charlotte. She raised her head to look at the slightly forlorn boy sitting before her, and all of a sudden, she felt a slight ache in her heart. Guilt began pricking at her conscience. ¡°I just think that... we aren¡¯t suited for one another.¡± ¡°Not suited for one another, huh... I know that you have some reservations about me, but if you would just tell me what¡¯s wrong, I¡¯m willing to try my best to change for your sake. Isn¡¯t the purpose of this meeting for us to give one another a chance?¡± ¡°... I¡¯m sorry.¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s questioning, Charlotte¡¯s face was clouded by her dilemma for a moment before she lowered her head and rejected him once more. On the other hand, Roel also fell silent too. His golden eyes reflected his deep disappointment, as if he couldn¡¯t understand why Charlotte would reject him so heartlessly. This heavy atmosphere made every second feel like an eternity. Unable to bear with her guilt, Charlotte ended up caving in and broke the silence. ¡°This is my personal problem. I¡¯m sorry, Mister Roel... I¡¯llpensate you with 500,000 gold coins, and I hope that you can forgive...¡± ¡°Deal.¡± ¡°???¡± As soon as Roel heard Charlotte¡¯s pleading offer, Roel suddenly bounced back to life as he sealed the deal decisively. This turn of events left the still guilt-ridden Charlotte utterly dumbfounded. ¡°Cough cough. Well, I¡¯ll ept Miss Charlotte¡¯s goodwill. In truth, our Ascart House, from my father¡¯s generation onward, has been very supportive of the freedom to love, so we do empathize with how you feel about this matter. Please rest assured that we¡¯ll do our best to shift away this hundred-year-old boulder that stands in the way of your happiness!¡± Roel quickly changed his tune, unhesitatingly tossing aside all of the nonsense he talked about concerning the Ascart House¡¯s legacy. He even conveniently brought up Carter¡¯s support of the freedom to love, phrasing it in a manner that made it sound as if the hundred-year-old engagement promise was nothing more than a boulder blocking both their paths to happiness. ¡°Mister Roel, has no one ever told you that you¡¯re a shameless person?¡± ¡°Hahaha. Well, there are people who tell me that from time to time, but I¡¯d like to believe that they simply don¡¯t know me well enough.¡± Having extorted a massive sum of 500,000 gold coins from Charlotte, Roel waved his hand nonchntly,pletely disregarding Charlotte¡¯s sharp criticism. Customers tend to be a little edgy whenever they have to part with their money. It¡¯s understandable, really. Roel, as a veteran in this field, had skin as thick as the city walls. There was no way Charlotte, who had never learned how to insult another person, could possibly stand a chance against him. That being said, he still thought that it was not a good thing to keep her fuming. The goal of annulling the engagement had been achieved, so his death g had been sessfully removed, but there were still benefits from maintaining a good rtionship with Charlotte. ¡°Speaking of which, Miss Charlotte, I have an ancient letter here which appears to have something to do with the Sorofya House. May I invite you to take a look at it?¡± Roel wanted to divert Charlotte¡¯s attention elsewhere, so he reached into his chest pocket and took out the envelope in it. He ced it on the table and pushed it toward Charlotte. However, Charlotte wasn¡¯t intending to y along with him anymore. ¡°What kind of sinister ploys are you up to this time around?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a ploy, I promise you. I found this envelope by coincidence a few days ago, and I noticed the insignia of the Sorofyas¡¯ golden rose on its wax seal. That¡¯s why I thought of showing it to you.¡± ¡°Golden rose?¡± The words piqued Charlotte¡¯s interest. She frowned for a slight moment as she directed her gaze at the envelope in Roel¡¯s hand. After a moment of contemtion, she reached out for it. ¡°Let me take a look at it then.¡± Right after those words were spoken, Charlotte¡¯s hand fell on the envelope. To everyone¡¯s surprise, in the moment that both of their hands were connected with the envelope, a powerful pulsation of mana suddenly burst forth, rattling the manor. Chapter 142: Intimate Interaction

Chapter 142: Intimate Interaction

My blood is burning. That was how Charlotte and Roel were feeling at the moment. It was almost as if something deep in their bodies wasing awake with a roar, as if their ancient bloodlines had suddenly gained sentience. Their hands were connected through the envelope, leading their mana to amazingly fuse together as one. However, what happened afterward was a huge explosion. It was not a physical explosion but an explosion of mana and consciousness. A great outburst of light poured from their bodies, causing the two of them to reflexively shut their eyes. However, what they were weed with wasn¡¯t darkness but an unbelievable sight. It was a view of the sea that extended all the way to the horizon. There were dozens of shipsing together to form a fleet. The bow of the ship had an artistic sculpture that resembled a golden rose, and it was made out of precious metals and gemstones. Birds circled in the sunny sky above. An auburn beauty was looking into the distance when she sensed something and suddenly turned around. Her solemn yet slightly yful gaze seemed to traverse across the boundaries of space-time to meet the gazes of the duo peeking into this seascape. ¡°!¡± This exchange of gazessted only for a second before the unbelievable image dissipated into nothing. A blood-colored aura flowed on the surface of Roel¡¯s body as Grandar¡¯s skeleton avatar manifested into appearance. His eyes were fixated on the envelope in Roel¡¯s hands. On the other hand, Charlotte was also staring at the envelope with eyes filled with disbelief as she silently muttered a phrase. ¡°... The Golden Fleet.¡± ¡°Young miss!¡± ¡°Young master!¡± As soon as the sh of light vanished, the door to the room was immediately pushed open forcefully as the guards from both sides rushed in. The scene descended into momentary chaos as the guards drew their swords and scanned the surroundings warily for potential enemies, though most of their attention was drawn to the envelope on the table. ¡°Young miss, please remove your hand from the envelope!¡± ¡°Young master?¡± Grace and Anna¡¯s worried voices sounded behind each of the recipients. Roel hesitantly retracted his hand. He felt that the earlier situation was the result of his bloodline acting up. Charlotte, on the other hand, carefully picked up the envelope on the table to inspect it. She first carefully felt the texture of the envelope before examining the golden wax seal quietly. An old legend surfaced in her mind, and a long whileter, she finally spoke up once more. ¡°I shan¡¯t be returning.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. Mister Roel, let¡¯s not annul our engagement anymore.¡± Charlotte calmly told the dumbfounded Roel. ... The Golden Fleet. This was an organization that Roel had never read about in the historical records. Based on its name, he could deduce that... well, it was a fleet. ¡°...¡± ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll admit it! I don¡¯t know anything about it. There are no records about the Golden Fleet in the Theocracy¡¯s royal library.¡± Roel shrugged helplessly as he admitted that this was a subject that he hadpletely no knowledge of. Charlotte didn¡¯t look particrly surprised to hear it either. Forget about a youth like Roel, it was likely that even the old schrs in Brolne, whose beards were long enough to sweep the floor, wouldn¡¯t have heard of the legend of the Golden Fleet either. Indeed! The story of the Golden Fleet wasn¡¯t ssified as ¡®history¡¯ but as ¡®legend¡¯. The reason for that was theck of physical records regarding the tale. ording to Charlotte, it was a story passed down orally in the Sorofyas, who had inherited the bloodline of the high elves. The story traced back to the Third Epoch Year 200 to 300, more than 700 years in the past. There was some controversy about the location, but themon view was that it was located south of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, within the borders of the current Mandeel Kingdom. Of course, given that the Mandeel Kingdom had only existed for 200 years thus far, there was no way it could have anything to do with the Golden Fleet. Nevertheless, there were still some rumors going around that the Mandeel Kingdom was built on the ruins of a powerful old kingdom, and there were some rare oddities being unearthed there from time to time too. It was just that these oddities weren¡¯t worth too much, and the Mandeel Kingdom also didn¡¯t regard them highly either. Compared to the vague rumors going around in the Mandeel Kingdom, the Sorofyas¡¯ oral records were much moreplete. The story started from the well-known migration of the Ancient Austine Empire to the west. After the passing of several generations of monarchs, the unity and order of the migration army were already showing some cracks. By the time they finally arrived at West Sia, the migration army had long since be fragmented into multiple factions. Other than the stalwart supporters of the Austine Empire, most of the high brass had chosen to break away from the Austine Empire with their followers and make it on their own in this newnd. Of them, there was one faction that had inherited the bloodline of the high elves. However, this faction was different from the rest in the sense that they consisted entirely of craftsmen. This faction specialized in the construction of ships. Most of them used to serve in the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s navy. Back in the Second Epoch, the powerful Ancient Austine Empire once ushered in a phase which waster known as the Era of Adventure. Curious about the world around them, humans began exploring the world and unearthing ancient ruins. They harbored dreams of stumbling upon some treasure that would bring them a fortune. The adventurers gathered in teams as they attempted to conquer bothnd and sea, going as far as their limits allowed them to. It was rather simr to the Age of Discovery in Roel¡¯s previous world. In that era, there was no other force on the seas that came close to matching the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s navy. ording to historical records, their navy had once fought against the Scale Tribe and numerous sea monsters that lurked around the shores of the Ancient Austine Empire, and the battle ended in their resounding victory. They sessfully drove them away from shallow waters, significantly expanding humankinds¡¯ region of activity. Roel didn¡¯t have an idea as to how powerful the Scale Tribe or the sea monsters were, but the fact that they were an ancient race should be more than enough to inform one that they were frightening adversaries. Without a doubt, Ancient Austine¡¯s navy was a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for them, this bunch of navy men happened to be born in the wrong era. Nearing the end of the Second Epoch, the humans had all begun to migrate westward. There was no clear destination in mind, and their journey wasndbound as well. The navy men, who had devoted their lives to learning how to navigate the sea, suddenly found their skills obsolete. As a result, their standing in the migration army fell lower and lower. So, when they finally arrived at the newnd, one particr group of the navy, which consisted mainly of those who had inherited the bloodline of the high elves, decided to part ways with the rest of the group. The first thing they did was search for the sea, where they could put their skills to good use. As a result of that, in the southernmost area of human activity, a coastal city-state was founded. While the rest of mankind were pitting their lives against demonic beasts, this city-state utilized the naval technologies of the Ancient Austine Empire to gather key resources and developed swiftly. In just the short span of a hundred years, they had already grown into a powerful and rich nation. ¡°Utilizing the spells exclusive to those of the High Elf Bloodline, as well as a staggering amount of precious metals and gemstones, the Sofya Kingdom constructed the Golden Fleet. It had once sent the legendary sea monster, Kraken, fleeing in panic, and it had breached the defense line the Scale Tribe had formed in the coastal waters, thus opening up humankind¡¯s first north-south sea route.¡± Just the name, Sofya, was more than enough for Roel to understand that the founders of the Sofya Kingdom were the ancestors of the current Sorofyas. This beckoned the question¡ªif the Sofya Kingdom was really that powerful, why did it end up getting forgotten by the rest of the world? A slight frown formed on Roel¡¯s face. It was not that he was casting doubt over Charlotte¡¯s words, but it wasmonce for those in this world to exaggerate their own lineage. The older one¡¯s lineage was, the more exaggerated it tended to be. That¡¯s why the stories told by the older generation should be taken with a pinch of salt. Take the Kraken for example, that was one humongous octopus monster over there! It was just as frightening as advertised in Roel¡¯s previous world. Yet, the Golden Fleet actually defeated it in the sea? A slightly perfunctory smile had already appeared on Roel¡¯s face, as if he was just humoring her. Seeing that her words were being doubted, Charlotte¡¯s cheeks puffed up in indignance. ¡°Are you thinking that I¡¯m exaggerating things over here?¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯s just that... If the Sofya Kingdom is as powerful as you im it to be, why is its name not found in any of the current historical records?¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s question, Charlotte suddenly fell silent. Her eyes alluded to her dilemma, and it took a while before she finally gave an answer. ¡°ording to the legend, the country infringed upon a taboo. For its sin of defying the gods, it was erased from existence.¡± ¡°...¡± It was amon reason used for the destruction of transcendent countries, so Roel wasn¡¯t particrly amazed. Instead, he continued staring at Charlotte quietly, which seemed to have pressured thetter to quickly borate on her exnation. ¡°But, based on the results of our investigation, it appears that there was internal strife within the top brass of the Golden Fleet. It¡¯s been imed that their fight angered the gods, and they were punished for it. There are also spections that they might have encountered natural disasters such as tsunamis and the sort in the middle of their fight, leading to the eventual decline of the kingdom.¡± Charlotte quickly revealed everything the Sorofyas had investigated about the Golden Fleet to Roel, and he nodded his head quietly, thinking that the story was much more believable now. The earlier vision had onlysted for a moment, but he was certain that he saw dozens of ships there. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand what that has to do with you suddenly changing your mind about our engagement.¡± Despite having listened to the long story about the Golden Fleet, Roel found that there was still nothing to exin Charlotte¡¯s change of heart. Instead of answering the question directly, Charlotte posed a question of her own. ¡°Mister Roel, what do you think of the Sorofya House¡¯s military might?¡± ¡°Hm? I guess... it¡¯s not too bad? Hahaha.¡± The abrupt question caught Roel off guard, so he tried tough it off. Charlotte heaved a deep sigh as she clenched her fists tightly in indignance. The Sorofyas were renowned for being an economic powerhouse, boasting businessworks that extended throughout the Sia Continent. However, there was a wound to their pride that had been guing them for quite some time now, and that was the issue of their heritage. The Sorofya House had inherited the bloodline of the high elves, who were known to be a race as powerful as the angels. Yet, in terms of raw power, it was obvious that there was a huge disparity between the Sorofyas and the Xeclydes. The reason for the disparity was the severing of the Sorofyas¡¯ heritage. The downfall of the Sofya Kingdom and the Golden Fleet was a devastating blow to the heritage of the high elves. Many of their secret spells and awakening methods had vanished in that cmity, resulting in the significant weakening of the Sorofyas¡¯ transcendents. While the Sorofyas still managed to rise up once more utilizing their keen sense for money, theck of powerful transcendents to safeguard their position and wealth only led to them feeling more uneasy than ever. Over the past hundred years, they spared no efforts in recruiting powerful subordinates and heretical mercenaries. They even went to the extent of engaging in political marriages with established transcendent houses. Their actions could all be attributed to the unease they felt. In fact, the engagement contract between the Sorofyas and the Ascarts also partly stemmed from the Sorofyas being interested in the Ascarts¡¯ superior military prowess. The Sorofyas¡¯ wealth and economic leverage made them a potential target of major countries, and that ced them in a very dangerous position. Wealth had to be safeguarded with ample power, and that was why the Sorofyas had been actively investigating the Sofya Kingdom and the Golden Fleet, hoping to bring back their golden age. And today, through this envelope and Roel¡¯s bloodline ability, Charlotte actually managed to witness the legendary Golden Fleet with her own eyes. On top of that, she suspected that the woman whom they exchanged gazes with in that vision was the final queen of the Sofya Kingdom, Isabe Sofya. She was depicted in the legends as a talented transcendent, and it was during her era that the Golden Fleet managed to send the legendary Kraken fleeing for its life. The Sofya Kingdom was brought to its greatest heights ever under her leadership, but everything vanished all of a sudden, leaving nothing but a huge mystery for those of theter generations. ¡°Mister Roel, I need your help, no, to be more exact, our Sorofya House needs your help. I have taken a look at the envelope, and there¡¯s no doubt that the wax seal is the royal insignia of the Sofya Kingdom. There are grounds to believe that my ancestors had ties with the Ascart House. If you have any records rting to that, I ask that you sell them to us. We¡¯ll ept whatever price you deem fit.¡± ¡°...¡± Faced with Charlotte¡¯s heated gaze, Roel¡¯splexion darkened a little. From the current looks of it, the 500,000 gold coins extorted out of Charlotte through his convincing acting skills was probably gone. It was reced with a deal that was arguably even more lucrative, but there was just one little problem on hand... He had no goods to sell! Roel looked at the envelope on the table with a bitter smile. He had no idea whether it was due to the loss of historical records or an intentional act by one of his ancestors, but so far, he hadn¡¯t seen any records rting to the Sofya Kingdom or the Golden Fleet. This envelope was really all he had. ¡°Miss Charlotte, I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you, but this envelope is the only clue that the Ascart House has on hand.¡± Roel¡¯s pained exnation led to the light in Charlotte¡¯s eyes gradually dimming. She couldn¡¯t conceal the disappointment on her face. However, she suddenly recalled another issue. ¡°Wait a moment, Mister Roel. How did the earlier visione about then? Could there be some traces of transcendent power lingering on the envelope?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s probably my bloodline ability,¡± replied Roel with a smile. ¡°From time to time, the Ascart Bloodline triggers a vision when Ie into contact with historical artifacts, simr to how a ster oracle receives a vision when certain conditions are fulfilled. I would be able to see bits and pieces rting to the past. This envelope doesn¡¯t seem to be significant enough to trigger my bloodline by itself, but most likely, when we came into contact earlier, our bloodlines resonated with one another, which resulted in...¡± Roel¡¯s words grew softer and softer as he noticed that a certain auburn-haired girl seated before him was watching with an increasingly heated gaze. He felt almost as if he was being eyed by a predator. On the other hand, Charlotte nodded her head before getting straight to the point. ¡°I understand it now, Mister Roel. It looks like we need to get more intimate with one another.¡± Chapter 143: Buying Love

Chapter 143: Buying Love

Roel had a bad premonition. On the other side of the table, a girl with auburn hair was directing a very ominous gaze his way. If he really had to describe it in words, it would be like a ravenous beast catching sight of food, or apletely destitute gambler stumbling upon gold by the side of the road. In any case, it was just bone-chilling! ¡°Wait a moment, Miss Charlotte. I think you need to calm down a bit first.¡± Sharply sensing that things were headed in the wrong direction, Roel hurriedly interjected to cut off Charlotte¡¯s train of thought, whatever it was. Years of dealing with Nora had trained up his sense for danger. He took a while to ponder over the situation before speaking up. ¡°We should first get our priorities straight. The purpose of this meeting is to examine our engagement; the incident with the Golden Fleet is just an ident, a mere intermission. The chances of it happening once more are incredibly slim.¡± ¡°I see. In other words, you¡¯re saying that we need to ramp up the test cases in order topensate for the high failure rate?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean! In the first ce, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m obliged to help you on this matter, right?¡± Roel sped his forehead speechlessly. Unexpectedly, his rejection only brought about a sinister smile on Charlotte¡¯s face. At the next moment, her expression suddenly changed, and she raised her hand to wipe off her ¡®tears¡¯. ¡°Mister Roel, I never expected to hear such heartless words from you!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°You made me dere our love before so many people through Arbiter of Fate, and yet, you wouldn¡¯t even help me on this small request!¡± ¡°W-w-wait a moment! Stop it! Stop talking nonsense!¡± The veteran actor Roel waspletely flustered by Charlotte¡¯s abrupt crying act. Half an hour ago, he was the one acting as a valiant man struggling to guard his house¡¯s honor. Half an hourter, he ended up being ced in the role of a scumbag taking advantage of his weak fianc¨¦e. ¡°Mister Roel, have you forgotten the friendship forged by our ancestors when they joined hands to deal with amon enemy? I-I know that all men are fallible to lust and greed... For our ancestor¡¯s honor, I¡¯m willing to sacrifice my body and my assets to fulfill you. But in return, can¡¯t you at least grant this one request of mine?¡± ¡°I... You...¡± Roel pointed a trembling finger at the crying girl before him, but he was unable to find the words to refute her. He had never thought that this lofty looking young miss would actually have such a devious side to her. Her fake tears looked so genuine that anyone watching this scene would think that he was taking advantage of her! ¡°I-I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t go overboard! You and I both know darn well the circumstances surrounding our engagement. Just half an hour ago, you were still trying to bribe me with money to annul it!¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m repenting on my folly right now. Besides, I don¡¯t actually have the authority to annul our engagement on my own ord.¡± Charlotte slowly put down her hand, which was still wiping away her fake tears a moment ago, to reveal the smile of a scheming businesswoman. She took a good look at Roel¡¯s stiffened face before remarking in interest. ¡°As you know, the market conditions are determined by the forces of supply and demand. I made a misevaluation earlier and nearly wasted 500,000 gold coins for naught. I assure you that I won¡¯t make the same mistake again. ¡°Mister Roel, what is your current impression of me?¡± Charlotte tucked a lock of her auburn hair behind her ear as she looked at Roel with an alluring twinkle in her eyes. Her sudden outburst of charm made Roel¡¯s heart thump quickly, though his sharp eyes did spot the suspicious curl at the corner of her lips. Tsk, this woman! ¡°You¡¯re asking for my first impression of you? Miss Charlotte, are you certain that you would like to hear the truth?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then I shall be perfectly frank here. Miss Charlotte, I don¡¯t deny that you are impable on the outside, but I personally believe that it¡¯s what¡¯s on the inside that counts. I¡¯d very much prefer someone who has inner beauty, not someone who derives pleasure from mocking others.¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s sharp criticism, Charlotte chuckled demurely behind her hand before responding concisely. ¡°Mister Roel, you do have an appearance that can charm many young girls, but it¡¯s a pity that you aren¡¯t my type. And speaking of inner beauty, I find it ironic that someone who attempted to extort money from his fianc¨¦e on their first meeting is criticizing me.¡± ¡°...¡± Tsk, this woman sure is a tough nut to crack! Looking at Charlotte, Roel btedly realized that the intelligence he had gathered from his previous life wasn¡¯t useful here. Charlotte had the ability to adjust her character ordingly, depending on who she was dealing with. Her initial distant but polite persona was still manageable, but now that she had transformed into a sharp-tongued devil, he suddenly found himself being put in a spot. ¡°I see. Miss Charlotte, it looks like the both of us have horrible impressions of one another.¡± ¡°Indeed. I feel a little embarrassed that I actually share amonality with you.¡± ¡°Son of a banshee! You are just going to insult me directly now, huh?¡± ¡°The same goes for you too, Mister Roel. You just told me that you don¡¯t like me directly to my face. I must say that this is the first time I¡¯m hearing such words in my life.¡± Charlotte gently raised her teacup with a casual smile, but her smile didn¡¯t extend to her eyes or her tone at all. Roel was also trying his best to maintain a smile and look as rxed and elegant as possible. As a result, the two of them ended up ring at one another across the table for a long while before Charlotte finally sighed softly. ¡°It looks like the both of us cane to a consensus that it¡¯s necessary to annul the engagement.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s beyond me to imagine a life with you.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t the two of us take a step back and think of it as an exchange?¡± ¡°... What do you mean by that?¡± Roel looked at Charlotte warily, as if a customer putting up his guard against an unscrupulous businesswoman. However, thetter paid no heed to his excessive attitude and carried on. ¡°During the period of our engagement, you¡¯ll help me uncover clues regarding my ancestors. In exchange, I¡¯ll offer you financial help. Thoughts?¡± ¡°Are you trying to hire me here?¡± ¡°You can think of it that way too. Let¡¯s exploit our temporary engagement to its greatest potential and achieve a win-win situation. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s much better that way?¡± Charlotte¡¯s lips edged up confidently, expressing her certainty that Roel would ept her terms. Seeing this, Roel clicked his tongue in annoyance, but he had no choice but to acknowledge what Charlotte had just said. The fianc¨¦ of Charlotte Sorofya¡ªeven if it was temporary, the young nobles of all countries would still dly take up the position. From such a perspective, Roel, as a man, could be considered rather fortunate. It was actually not that bad of an idea to help Charlotte out, even if not for the money but just the Sorofyas¡¯ goodwill. It was just that he was serving as the proxy fief lord, and while his workload had reduced significantly over the years, he was, by no means, free. While Roel was still hesitating over this matter, a familiar aura suddenly suffused him, and Grandar¡¯s voice sounded in his ears. ¡°Take her deal. This is a good opportunity for you to make a breakthrough.¡± ¡°...¡± With even the big fellow rmending him to do as such, Roel¡¯s face scrunched tightly together, conflicted. It took a long while before he finally reluctantly nodded in agreement. He had indeed been stuck at Origin Level 5 for too long. Even if not for Grandar urging him on, he was also feeling rather anxious about his bottleneck too. If this matter could really provide him with the impetus to make a breakthrough... ¡°How are you intending topensate me? What if I fail to find any clues despite having worked on it for a long time?¡± ¡°Yes, I do recognize such a possibility. So, in order to spur your motivation, I shall pay you in installments.¡± ¡°Installments?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. For example, hold my hand.¡± ¡°Haa? Miss Charlotte, surely you can¡¯t be thinking of ordering me around like a servant just by spending some money, right? I am...¡± ¡°1000 gold coins.¡± The moment the auburn-haired girl dropped her offer, Roel froze right on the spot. It took only an instant for him to straighten his back and change his tone. ¡°Sincerity is the key to doing business. It¡¯s only right for me to do my best for you if I¡¯m epting your money. Like you have said, this is a win-win situation. For ourmon goal, I¡¯m willing to sacrifice myself a little. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just holding hands? Grab it all you want!¡± Chapter 144: A Tragic Failure

Chapter 144: A Tragic Failure

Holding hands¡ªthis is a gesture with many different meanings. At its most basic, it is the physical contact of two individuals¡¯ hands, but the action hase to mean much more. For instance, it can be interpreted as the fruition of courtship or, understood figuratively, an agreement between two powers to join hands with one another. When used in the context of an engagement, however, it carried some intimate undertones. And then, there was Roel and Charlotte. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Say, can¡¯t you move a little?¡± ¡°How do you want me to move?¡± ¡°Just use more strength!¡± Under Charlotte¡¯s urging, Roel finally exerted a teeny tiny bit of strength, turning what was just pure physical contact into what vaguely resembled the traditional concept of hand-holding. ¡°It isn¡¯t working. Like I have told you before, the chances of it working out are very slim.¡± ¡°As long as there¡¯s a chance, we¡¯ll have to give it a try. It¡¯s better than searching aimlessly elsewhere.¡± Despite grabbing onto Charlotte¡¯s slightly chilly but tender hands, Roel¡¯s expression remainedpletely nonchnt. But unlike what his face was showing, his heart was racing wildly. Putting aside her personality, Charlotte could truly be described as a delicate artwork. It wasn¡¯t just about her appearance; even her touch and scent were satisfying to the senses. Her lustrous skin had a quality that was as smooth as silk, and from proximity, Roel could smell a gentle and faint fragranceing from her. Standing so close and being so intimate with a youngdy as pure and impable as Charlotte was was honestly a bit enticing. Roel grumbled manyints, but his body was earnestly enjoying the sensation. On the other hand, Charlotte had her head lowered, thinking up her next n. Do we need more intimacy than this? Charlotte recalled the divination and prophecy spells she had learned in the past, and admittedly, the level of connection through holding hands was simply too low. In some of the old records, there were even cases of magicians consuming another person¡¯s blood in order to trigger a vision. Of course, such a method was too primitive, and Charlotte adamantly objected to it. However, if it was just an esction of intimacy, that was still tolerable to her. ¡°Hug me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hug me. It should increase the chances of our bloodlines resonating with one another. I¡¯ll pay you 2000 gold coins, so hurry up!¡± ¡°This...¡± To sell my own dignity for 2000 gold coins, this is simply too... Nay, 2000 gold coins is much more important! Roel deemed his own dignity to be less than 2000 gold coins, so he gritted his teeth and did as he was told. In order to ensure customer satisfaction, he made sure to exert a bit more force than before, causing Charlotte to cry out in rm as she was pulled straight into his embrace. ¡°Roel, can¡¯t you be a little gentler?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who told me to use more strength?¡± With their bodies pressed tightly against one another, Charlotte discovered her cheek was now leaning against Roel¡¯s shoulder. For the first time since the start of the ¡®experiments¡¯, she found her face heating up. She quickly took two deep, silent breaths as she tried her best to control her own elerating heartbeat. ¡°That¡¯s before! Besides, I didn¡¯t tell you to suddenly assault me!¡± ¡°Alright, alright. You¡¯re the client here, so anything you say goes.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be right for Roel toin after epting Charlotte¡¯s money, so he released his hands and left Charlotte to lean lightly against him. He found himself feeling more enticed than ever, so he quickly averted his head away, seeking to avoid those emerald eyes. On the other hand, Charlotte also tried her best to control her breathing and heartbeat as she did everything she could to avoid looking at Roel¡¯s face at proximity. In the end, she decided to focus her line of sight on his neck instead. Unexpectedly, this action that she made out of shyness ended up bringing her attention to something suspicious. ¡°Hm?¡± Charlotte stared at Roel¡¯s fair neck in confusion as she noticed the absence of the love mark she saw earlier in the afternoon. Why was it no longer there? Love marks were caused by sucking too hard on a part of the skin, resulting in the bursting of small blood vessels. Ordinary mortals would take around a week to recover from it, but transcendents, who boasted greater recovery ability, would only take around two days. The duration could be further reduced to just a single day for those who had physical type abilities. That was clearly not the case for those of the Ascart House, who were known to be a house of magicians. It had only been several hours since the afternoon, so it was rather puzzling for the mark to have vanished within such a short span of time. ¡°You healed your neck?¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean? Was there something on my neck?¡± Roel turned his head over upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words. The hint of confusion in his eyes as he blinked nkly at her made him appear truly innocent, which made the situation even more puzzling to her. What¡¯s going on here? He doesn¡¯t seem to be aware of it... Hold on a moment! Why is there a mana pulsation here? Charlotte raised her hand and touched the skin where the love mark was previously, and she could sense a slight mana pulsation that was at odds with Roel¡¯s mana. This was the lingering trace of a spell, suggesting that the love mark was nothing more than a congregation of mana. It appeared that the spell was supposed tost for quite a while, but the earlier explosion of mana when the vision urred had sted the spell away, revealing the truth. I... have been tricked? Charlotte widened her eyes as she finally stumbled upon the truth. While Roel had quite messy interpersonal rtionships with other women, he didn¡¯t seem to be the type who would be so tactless as to get intimate with another woman prior to their first meeting and even leave a piece of evidence behind. The realization that she had wronged Roel left her feeling a little self-reproachful, but she had no idea how to start apologizing about the matter either. Before she could do anything, however, a slightmotion sounded from the doors. ¡°Young miss, you have just returned, so you might not be very familiar with the current situation. Miss Charlotte is still present...¡± ¡°Yes, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll console Lord Brother.¡± ¡°No, young miss, that¡¯s not what I...¡± Bam! Without bothering to listen to the full situation, Alicia, in ordance with the n, headed toward the dining room, where Roel was likely to be, so as to console him. If everything had gone ording to Carter¡¯s script, Roel should have already been rejected and was currently being criticized by Charlotte. Alicia¡¯s job here was none other than to barge in and rify that the love mark was only a prank before apologizing to Roel about it. With this, the engagement would be sessfully canceled, and Roel¡¯s reputation would be salvaged as well. Admittedly, Alicia would take the me for the matter, and she might even incur Roel¡¯s wrath, but she felt that it would be all worth it if she could get rid of that darned engagement. Alicia hurried ahead so anxiously that Anna didn¡¯t have the time to stop her. In the end, the door was mmed open, and a scene she had never expected to see unfurled before her eyes. In a room without anyone else around, a boy and a girl had their bodies leaning against one another. The girl was tenderly stroking the boy¡¯s neck, and the boy¡¯s face was averted sideward out of shyness. W-what¡¯s going on? ording to their n, shouldn¡¯t the two of them have fallen out with one another by now? Why would they... The silver-haired girl, who just barged in, stood in the doorway in bewilderment. Charlotte, however, sharply sensed the aura Alicia was giving off. Shepared the aura to the lingering traces of mana left on Roel¡¯s neck, and her emerald eyes immediately narrowed. It¡¯s her. ... Roel found himself in an awkward position with Alicia suddenly on the scene. In his view, Alicia had headed out earlier in the day as a mini act of protest against his engagement, and yet, as soon as she returned home, she was met with the sight of him and Charlotte hugging one another. Had he been in Alicia¡¯s position, such a scene would have definitely been a huge blow. Roel immediately tried to exin things to the stunned Alicia, but before he could say anything, a doubtful voice sounded right in front of him. ¡°Darling, who is she?¡± ??? The wordsing from the auburn-haired girl in his embrace left Roelpletely nked out. He directed widened eyes toward her, only to find that her nonchnt face had faded to reveal a coy smile. She looked so adorable that for a split second there, he thought that he was hugging his lover. ¡°Darling? Are you listening?¡± Seemingly realizing that Roel was a little out of it, the girl in his embrace pinched on him lightly, causing him to quickly snap out of his daze. He immediately red at her, only to hear a soft whisper in his ear. ¡°3000.¡± ¡°Hahaha... Miss Charlotte, please calm down. She is my younger sister, Alicia...¡± As soon as Roel heard the money offered, he straightened his back, and with a soft chuckle, he began introducing Alicia to his customer, Charlotte. The two girls greeted one another with what could have been described as near perfect etiquette, just that the expressions on their faces were vastly different. Charlotte had a friendly smile reminiscent of an older sister meeting her love¡¯s younger sister for the first time, but Alicia¡¯s face was ghastly pale. Her ruby eyes were filled with confusion, and the atmosphere she was giving off was as if she had just fallen out of love. ¡°Lord Brother, w-what were the two of you doing?¡± ¡°Ah! Alicia, we were actually...¡± ¡°My apologies, Alicia. This is the first time Roel and I are meeting one another, so we ended up allowing our excitement to get ahead of ourselves. It¡¯s indeed inappropriate for us to be so hasty.¡± Charlotte unhesitatingly interjected into Roel¡¯s words, cutting his exnation off short. She took a step toward Alicia, conveniently positioning Roel behind her back as she offered a sincere apology. ¡°As an engaged couple deeply in love with one another, I view it my responsibility to fulfill the needs of my darling. However, you can be assured that I¡¯ll pay careful heed to propriety in the future. There are indeed some things... that would only be appropriate for after marriage.¡± Charlotte shot a shy smile at the boy behind her before lowering her flushed face, almost as if a bride waiting for her fianc¨¦ to bring her back home. Roel¡¯s lips twitched at that sight. He felt like he had just uncovered new horizons before him. How could someone be this good at acting? Also, what do you mean by ¡®fulfilling my needs¡¯? Roel could only stand there stupidly, and it was even worse for Alicia. The silver-haired girl stared at the couple before her, who looked as if they were going to marry the very next day, with her mouth agape,pletely unable toprehend just where their ns had gone wrong. ¡°M-Miss Charlotte, Lord Brother has a veryplicated love life. I think that you should better understand him first beforeing to a decision...¡± ¡°Oh? Are you referring to those women who are interested in my fianc¨¦? It doesn¡¯t matter to me at all. I¡¯m not too concerned about them.¡± Charlotte looked at the staggering Alicia with her brilliant emerald eyes, a gentle smile sitting on her lips. ¡°I understand that my darling is an outstanding man, be it his appearance, his character, or his talents. It¡¯s perfectly normal for many women to covet him. There are bound to be other women in his life prior to our meeting, and I¡¯m fine with that...¡± As she said those words, Charlotte turned around and pounced right into Roel¡¯s embrace. Then, she turned her head backward and added with a blissful smile. ¡°... because his future belongs to me.¡± Alicia¡¯s pupils dted in shock. She stared at how Roel remainedpletely still despite Charlotte¡¯s bold act, not bothering to shake the girl away at all. All of a sudden, she felt extremely powerless. Her body swayed weakly from side to side as she confusedly bade her farewell and bolted off. ¡°Say, can you not bully my little sister like this? She¡¯s still a child.¡± ¡°A child? Hah. Would a child leave a love mark on your neck?¡± Charlotte took a step back from Roel before straightening upright. Then, she divulged everything that had happened earlier from her perspective to him. Hearing the full story, a bizarre look surfaced on Roel¡¯s face. Alicia, Nora, Anna, and the others had worked with one another to put on an act before Charlotte? Such a thing... doesn¡¯t sound very probable. He knew that Alicia was very concerned about his reputation, and she always made sure not to say anything that would blemish his name. Nora was a sadist, but she was careful to never reveal it before others, let alone implicate him in it. As for Anna, that was even more impossible. Back then, when Alicia was still giving him the cold shoulder, Anna made sure to seek his permission first before making a move. ¡°Hold it for a moment, you mentioned an army of professional spies...¡± Roel blinked his eyes nkly for a moment before a spark shed across his head. The concept of professional spies led Roel¡¯s train of thoughts toward the military, and the first person that popped into his mind was his father. All of a sudden, everything seemed to make perfect sense to him. Goddamnit! So, you were actually the mastermind behind this, father! You already have your hands full dealing with rations at the frontline, yet you¡¯re still secretly pulling strings over here, huh? Having finally figured out the truth, Roel felt utterly speechless, not knowing whether he shouldugh or cry at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation. Carter¡¯s maneuver had reallyplicated things between him and Charlotte. While Roel was brooding over the chain of events, Charlotte fell into deep thoughts as well. ¡°I see. But even though she isn¡¯t the mastermind, she¡¯s still an aplice. If I leave her be, it¡¯s likely that it¡¯ll interfere in our work...¡± ¡°What are you intending to do?¡± ¡°100,000 gold coins. Send her off for a month.¡± Chapter 145: Old Enemies

Chapter 145: Old Enemies

A weekter, in the extravagantlyrge study of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, Roel took a nce at the clock hanging on the wall as he did a swift mental calction of the time. It was currently early in the morning, and the maids were still busy dealing with household chores. The chefs had also headed out to purchase some groceries, and they would be preparing breakfast very soon. Roel was currently sitting on a tall chair with a huge stack of books before him. He couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of the grueling period in his previous life when he had to study for hours every day for his university examinations. All he did was tackle exam questions one after another till he reached a point where he could solve a problem just by looking at the key phrases. That was how he spent his youth in his previous life, and he felt like he had just returned back to that time. Many things happened over the past week. First and foremost was the damned capitalist Charlotte¡¯s underhanded method to acquire a monopolization of Roel. Charlotte had offered 100,000 gold coins to have Alicia leave for a month, but Roel rejected the offer. Quoting his exact words, ¡°This is Alicia¡¯s home, and it¡¯s up to her to decide whether she wants to stay here or not.¡± Ever since Alicia witnessed the ¡®love y¡¯ between Roel and Charlotte, she had been out of sorts. The news that Charlotte had tossed three coins of fate to affirm their feelings for one another only further worsened her anxiety. And that wasn¡¯t the end of it yet. When she learned that the envelope she found had triggered a bloodline resonance between Roel and Charlotte, creating a great pulsation of mana that shook the whole manor, she deeply regretted her itchy hand back then. She felt so indignant that she hugged her pillow and cried the night away. In the three years they had known each other, this was the first time that Alicia found herself missing her rival, Nora. Charlotte currently had the bond forged by the engagement, the three coins of fate, and the bloodline resonance between Roel and her, putting her in a greatly advantageous position. Things weren¡¯t looking good for Alicia at all, and she felt that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold the fort all alone. It was incredibly unfortunate that Nora was still stuck at the eastern border, making it hard to establishmunications with her. There was no way to seek help from her at all. Not to mention, even if Alicia somehow managed to deliver the word to her, it was unlikely that she would have been able to do anything at all. The only thing she could do was rely on Roel¡¯s doting to stick as close to him as possible. Needless to say, Charlotte was displeased about it. In the end, Roel had to find an opportunity to talk to Alicia and inform her of the truth. ¡°Lord Brother, you aren¡¯t going to marry that woman? Are you certain? You aren¡¯t lying to me, are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you, Alicia. We¡¯re currently looking for clues about the Golden Fleet. Our current rtionship is nothing more than an appearance.¡± Roel began to exin to Alicia about the current circumstances surrounding the Sorofyas, and that they would get stronger if they could find their missing heritage and awakening methods. If they attempted to investigate this matter openly, there was a good chance that the Austine Empire would interfere every step of the way, so the two of them had to make use of their engagement as a cover. Of course, considering Roel and Charlotte¡¯sck of expertise inparison to the old schrs of Brolne, the Austine Empire might just shrug it off as a futile attempt, even if they were to announce it to the world. Nevertheless, as the saying went, ¡®better safe than sorry¡¯. Roel¡¯s exnation convinced Alicia how important the matter was. After receiving his guarantee that nothing would happen between him and Charlotte, she suddenly expressed her desire to head to the Holy Capital. One of the reasons for her decision was the enticing 100,000 gold coins offer Charlotte had made to Roel, and the other was that she realized Charlotte would only get excessively touchy-feely with Roel in her presence. It was only when she was not around that the two of them would behave more normally. Without a doubt, this was Charlotte¡¯s way of exacting vengeance on Alicia for deceiving her. Alicia was incredibly frustrated by this, but in her current capacity as Roel¡¯s adopted sister, she had no grounds to stop what Charlotte was doing. Left with no choice, she could only back down for now and hopefully get in contact with Nora in the Holy Capital to discuss this matter. ¡°Lord Brother, you must make sure to protect yourself well. You must never fall for her, alright? Wait for me to return.¡± Recalling the almost desperate words uttered by a tearful Alicia before her departure, Roel felt a little amused by how exaggerated she was being. He was only making a trade with Charlotte over here¡ªthe truth was that they viewed each other as an eyesore! How could he possibly ever have feelings for her? Ey, children nowadays sure think too much about love. How impractical that is! How much better it would be if they had devoted their time to earning money instead? Roel shook his head disapprovingly. Just thinking about the thousands of gold coins he was easily raking in every day made him feel deeply fulfilled. Of course, it was not as if he was taking Charlotte¡¯s money for free. He was working as hard as possible to ensure that his client got her money¡¯s worth in return. The following day after Alicia left, Roel and Charlotte began a life that was reminiscent of a summer camp military training. Roel would wake up at five in the morning every day to start browsing through the books in the study, whereas Charlotte would wake up slightlyter at around six. A week of working closely with one another toward amon goal had built up some rapport between the two of them, giving rise to an atmosphere that was somewhat reminiscent of office colleagues. Roel took another look at the clock before entering the tea room to scoop three teaspoons of superior imported royal red tea into a tea strainer. He boiled a kettle of water and allowed it to rest for three minutes before pouring it into the cup with the tea strainer. Once that was done, he whipped out his secret form. ¡¾Anti-Hypnosis Spell Serum Type 3 This is a serum developed by the Country of Slumber, Casi, to deal with nightmares. One drop is all it takes to reinvigorate and dispel all drowsiness, allowing one to curb those damned monsters. However, if you still treasure your life, it¡¯s advisable not to drink too much at once. Price: 300 Gold Coins¡¿ This was the good stuff! Roel had found it while browsing through the System¡¯s Gold Coin Shop every single day. 300 gold coins was still affordable given his current financial circumstances. A bottle was roughly the size of a small test tube, though itsted a surprisingly long time thanks to the tiny doses he consumed each time. Its color was a shade of brown simr to red tea, and its taste was extremely mild, nearly indiscernible. The first thought that came to Roel¡¯s mind upon seeing this object was Red Bull. True to its description, just a single drop was enough for one to work efficiently for an entire day. The cost, however, was that he wouldn¡¯t be able to have any dreams, not as if that really affected him much anyway. It was one thing to read as a hobby, but it was another thing to have to scan through an almost endless heap of books and swiftly browse through their contents. Having to repeat the process again and again was hard to bear, even for Roel. Being a human Google was really no easy feat at all. Roel carefully added a droplet of the serum to his tea, and vo! It wasplete. He quickly moved on to prepare another cup of tea, but this time around, it was one of the flower teas indigenous to the Ascart Fiefdom. Naturally, this second cup of tea was for Charlotte. The so-called royal red tea was imported from Rosa, and as a local, Charlotte had already drunk so much of it that she was sick and tired of it by now. Instead, she found the locally produced flower tea of the Ascart Fiefdom she had been trying over thest few days novel. ¡°Are rose petals added to this cup of tea?¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s a mixture. There are other flower petals in there too.¡± ¡°I see...¡± It was obvious that Charlotte was attracted to the aesthetics of the flower tea. The myriad of colors in the flower tea was reminiscent of an artwork, making it highly appealing to girls. So, Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by her reaction. Using ng from his previous life, it was of ¡®instagrammable¡¯ quality, though looks weren¡¯t a guarantee of taste. Many of the viral restaurants he had been to in his previous life focused only on the appearance of their dishes¡ªall it took was one bite to dispel the magic. Just recalling all of the disappointments he had been through made him heave a deep sigh. Inparison to those viral restaurants, the local flower teas of their Ascart Fiefdom were much better. At the very least, its quality was definitely up to standard. It was actually a product from one of the smaller viges, but Roel¡¯s ¡®Supporting the Poor¡¯ policy had helped it to expand the scale of its business operations and establish distribution in other municipalities. In just three days¡¯ time, Charlotte had already be a loyal fan of the mixed flower tea, and she had begun experimenting by adding different kinds of vor enhancers. So far, it had mainly been limited to sugar cubes, but she was intending to test out honey soon too. Roel had also somewhat grasped her taste¡ªjust make it sweet. So, he added a sugar cube into the teacup before bringing the two cups of tea over to the study. It was also then that a girl with auburn hair pushed the study¡¯s door open and walked in. Roel shot a nce at the clock¡ªit was exactly 6 o¡¯clock. If preferring sweet food was one of Charlotte¡¯s unique traits, another one would be her devout observance to punctuality. She was always on time, never early orte. ording to her, this was a trait that was shared by the other members of the Sorofyas too. One should know that nobles had a tendency forteness. It was almost as if they were afraid that they wouldn¡¯t appear noble enough had they been on time. In smaller countries, even forrge-scale events such as a princess¡¯ birthday banquet, it wasmon for guests to be rolling in after the stipted timing on the invitation. ¡°Here¡¯s your tea. I¡¯ve added a cube of sugar to it.¡± ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯d prefer it if you could add another one in the future.¡± ¡°That would be too sweet. I really do wonder where you got your sweet tooth from.¡± ¡°Mister Roel, I¡¯d send those words back to you. You seem to be oddly fond of bitter drinks. I find it hard to imagine anyone having such distasteful preferences.¡± As soon as they met one another, Roel and Charlotte began quibbling with one another, as usual. However, over thest few days, the initial fiery atmosphere from their squabbles had cooled down significantly, making it seem more like friendly banter. Charlotte took a sip of tea before she nodded with an approving curl of the lip. ¡°You got the temperature on point. 80 points.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered. That would be 50 gold coins.¡± The smile immediately froze on the young girl¡¯s face. She ced her teacup down and red sharply at her ck-hairedpanion. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it still 40 gold coins yesterday?¡± ¡°I did add a sugar cube today.¡± ¡°... You¡¯re probably the only one in the whole of Sia who would charge me for a cup of tea.¡± ¡°Thanks for yourpliment, but there aren¡¯t many in Sia who are so honored as to have me brew a cup of tea for them.¡± ¡°But, you¡¯re my fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°...¡± Charlotte threw out her trump card, which halted Roel¡¯s y in its tracks. Most men would probably be more than willing to pick up cooking if they could have such a beautiful and noble beauty as their fianc¨¦e. At least in the eyes of Charlotte¡¯s many suitors, Roel was a fool who didn¡¯t know how to appreciate his own fortune. To actually charge her for a cup of tea, his EQ was really worth questioning! ¡°Alright. To protect the honor of my fianc¨¦e in-name, this cup of tea will be on the house.¡± ¡°Hah. I should really thank you for your generosity then.¡± ¡°Yes, you should. You¡¯re wee.¡± A slight argument in the morning was good for jumpstarting one¡¯s brain. The duo reined in their enmity and settled down side-by-side before a table positively flooded with stacks upon stacks of books. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like this sea of books is growing smaller at all.¡± ¡°Of course not. These were just brought over from the archive earlier. I took a look there earlier on, and we haven¡¯t even browsed through half of the records yet.¡± The overwhelming workload left Charlotte with a deep sigh. Due to the need to maintain secrecy, she couldn¡¯t hire professionals and had to do the work herself. It was just that she hadn¡¯t expected the Ascarts¡¯ manor to have so many books. Isn¡¯t this already on the level of a library? Charlotte grumbled in her mind as she stretched her right hand to the side. At the same time, Roel also stretched out his left hand, and the two hands interlocked with one another. Just like that, they began to flip through the pile of books before them. Indeed, this was the sure-kill technique that Roel and Charlotte hade up with after days of research¡ªHand-in-hand Book Reading Technique. Chapter 146: An Occasional Adorableness

Chapter 146: An asional Adorableness

While Roel was still in university in his previous life, the stress of failing his end-of-semester examinations would usually prompt him to be a regr at the library, where he found himself bing yet another victim of the vicious ¡®library dates¡¯. The three killer moves of library dates¡ªhand holding, back leaning, and secret whispers¡ªthese had once left the single Roel in utter despair, crumbling weakly to the floor in defeat. Yet, who could have known that he would one day be one of these people too? Feeling the soft and tender sensation in his grasp, Roel couldn¡¯t help butment that the working world sure was tough. In order to ensure that they didn¡¯t miss any information that could possibly lead to a vision, the two of them had been holding their hands while reading all this while. Unfortunately, there hadn¡¯t been much progress so far. After several attempts at physical contact failed, Roel and Charlotte turned their attention elsewhere and decided to investigate the letter and its message instead. The content of the letter was fairly short. No matter how they looked at it, there were only two leads they could use for their investigation. First and foremost was the location mentioned in the letter, Twohorn Port. Roel personally wasn¡¯t too familiar with the ce. In fact, the only thing he knew about it was that it wasn¡¯t located within the Ascart Fiefdom. It was not as if he hadn¡¯t tried looking up the records to see if he could find anything about ¡®Twohorn Port¡¯, but there were no maps in the manor that mentioned anything about it. Initially, Roel thought that the maps were simply iplete. He was no longer in a world where maps were urate andmonce; in this world, maps were strategic intelligence that had a consequential impact in war, making them highly valued. On top of that, there were no advanced technologies in this world to get overhead imagery of terrain, and no tools to help draw out the map. Everything had to be done manually. Cartography was an upation that was highly demanding in terms of skill. They had to head down to the region being mapped themselves and survey the area, conducting measurements and making estimates, before detailing the information down on a piece of paper. On top of how tiring and tough the job was, it was highly dangerous too. Exploring treacherous regions was difficult enough by itself, but they were often made unwee on top of that. There were no fief lords who would be willing to have their own territory exposed to others. If someone were to be caught secretly creating a map of a fief, that person would be arrested and grilled. The line of thought was that if someone was trying to draw a map of your fiefdom, someone was probably coveting yournd. Even legitimate cartographers, authorized by the royal family, faced difficulties trying to carry out their work in other fiefs. The fief lords would usually resort to all kinds of tactics to sabotage their work. Even if they didn¡¯t, just the danger of the wilds was a struggle to deal with. Here in Sia, old mountains weren¡¯t just filled with wild beasts. There were mutated beasts lingering in the depths of forests and mountains which even high-level transcendents would struggle to cope with. If a cartographer were to encounter one of those, it would spell certain doom. That¡¯s why it was often said that the greatest aplishment of a cartographer was toplete a single map in their lifetime. In any case, all of these reasons made it highly difficult to acquire maps in Sia, and this was only the very first step of the problem. There was a greater challenge awaiting after acquiring a map¡ªverifying its authenticity. If there was one thing Roel learned after reading through so many old records, it would be that cartographers weren¡¯t exactly the most honest of people. There were some cartographers who simply followed their imagination, asionally fabricating ces for the sole purpose of fame. It would be hard for others to disprove that the pieces they fabricated didn¡¯t exist anyway. All of these led to an interesting phenomenon in Sia. Many fief lords had invested great resources to map out their own territories, only to find that the maps were of different shapes and sizes. They could have very well started a new variety show on it, ¡®Guess Which Map is the Real One¡¯. This sort of ridiculous situation happened in pretty much every single new fief. Fortunately, the Ascart Fiefdom had a thousand years of history behind it, so they still had a fairly urate map on their own territory. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said about the maps they had on other regions. Regardless of whether it was the ¡®Hundredth Year of the Theocracy¡¯s Establishment: Full Map¡¯ or ¡®The Third Deviant Internal War Strategic Map¡¯, there was not a single ce that was called Twohorn Port. Unexpectedly, Charlotte provided an answer to this question. ¡°Ah, Twohorn Port actually refers to the Cursed Bay. You don¡¯t know it?¡± ¡°Like hell I would know that! They don¡¯t even sound simr in terms of name!¡± Realizing that he had researched in vain all this while, Roel stared at the auburn-haired girl before him speechlessly. After enquiring a little deeper into it, he learned that Twohorn Port was simply a name that the locals used for referring to the Cursed Bay. The name, Cursed Bay, was much more famous than the darned Twohorn Port. At the very least, there were quite a few people in the Ascart Fiefdom who had heard about it. The reason was quite simple too¡ªit was close. It was simply an undeveloped area just east of the Worun Mountain Range. Of course, the reason why it was undeveloped wasn¡¯t because the Ascarts or Rosa werezy. It was because the Cursed Bay, as the name suggested, was cursed. Eternal frost. No one could find an exnation for it, but the area around the Cursed Bay was extremely cold. It was a little simr to Antarctica in Roel¡¯s previous life. Ironically, its location would actually make a decent seaport, but unfortunately, this seaport was always frozen. The weather of the Cursed Bay was unnatural, as could be seen by the temperate climate of its neighboring regions. This piqued the interest of adventurers. Many of them attempted to conquer the world of ice, only to never be seen again. Those who eventually managed toe back only numbered a few, and the term, Cursed Bay, came from the mouths of these survivors. Adventurers weren¡¯t an entirely foolish bunch either. In the first ce, the Cursed Bay wasn¡¯t the remnant of an ancient civilization, so it was unlikely to harbor anything significant. As the casualties rose, people soon lost interest in the region. This was basically what Roel knew about that remote area. As for Charlotte, that ce was known as one of the most difficult projects that the Sorofyas had embarked on over the past few decades. ¡°Rosa is founded on itsmercial power, and ports are extremely important formerce. Twohorn Port is a natural port, and the ancestors of the Sorofyas once considered developing it to be the central trading hub of the Sia Continent. However, they weren¡¯t able to resolve the problem of the extremely low temperatures, which be unbelievably harsh when winter sets in. Even horses would find it hard to survive in that weather...¡± Charlotte swiftly exined the Sorofyas¡¯ interest and gripes regarding the Cursed Bay. Putting together what they knew about the ce, they began reanalyzing the letter once more, and soon, they stumbled upon a clue. Based on the information conveyed in the letter, as well as what they saw during the vision, the ¡®Queen¡¯ was leading the Golden Fleet toward Twohorn Port, and was estimated to arrive around April. If the Golden Fleet was able to dock there, it would mean that it was still a functional harbor back then, which was at odds with the current situation of the port. At the same time, considering that the recipient was the Ascart House, which was not located too far away from the port, Roel and Charlotte stipted three possibilities. : The receiver, ¡®Fief Lord¡¯, headed forth to receive ¡®Queen¡¯ at the Twohorn Port, and the two of them met with one another. : The receiver, ¡®Fief Lord¡¯, waited in the Ascart Fiefdom till around April or May for the arrival of ¡®Queen¡¯. : Due to certain circumstances, ¡®Queen¡¯ was unable to arrive at the Twohorn Port, so the two of them canceled their appointment and lost contact with one another. The third possibility hardly contributed to their investigation, so Roel and Charlotte decided to focus on the first two. Theoretically speaking, there should be some traces of their meeting that could still be found somewhere. Whether it be that the patriarch of the Ascart House headed out or the queen of the Sofya Kingdom paid the Ascart Fiefdom a visit, both were monumental events that were likely to have been recorded down. If so, the next thing they had to do became clear. They should investigate when the weather of Twohorn Port first showed signs of irregrities, and using that as the upper limit, they would investigate every single record of the Ascart House¡¯s preceding patriarchs before then. From there, they would first narrow down the identity of ¡®Fief Lord¡¯ and search for another clue through him. The Sofya Kingdom had already vanished several hundred years ago, and the Golden Fleet had probably disappeared into some crevasse in the middle of the sea. If they wished to trigger another vision, they would have to work on it from the Ascart House¡¯s side. And this was exactly what Roel and Charlotte had been working on over the past few days. To their chagrin, however, they hadn¡¯t even managed to find the date when the region¡¯s weather first showed signs of irregrities. They continued flipping through the records for another hour, and the stress of having to read continuously was starting to build up a frown on Roel¡¯s face. He shot a nce at the girl sitting beside him and found that Charlotte was still concentrating on the documents. Wow... She would have been a straight A student back in my old world. Roel looked at Charlotte in envy for a moment before stretching his neck and back to loosen the tension in them. Then, he started to ponder over how he should get Charlotte to pause her work to grab some breakfast. It was already time for them to eat, and usually, the servants would knock on their door to inform them. However, as the two of them didn¡¯t want to be interrupted in the midst of their work, they ended up calling off that service. But, what Roel didn¡¯t expect was that trying to drag Charlotte away from her work was almost like talking to a boulder. ¡°Hey, stop reading. It¡¯s time to have breakfast.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just move your mouth. Move your body too!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°...¡± It was not the first time this had happened, and Roel was leftpletely exasperated by her. Fortunately, Roel was a flexible person. If method A didn¡¯t work, he would try method B. If method B didn¡¯t work, he would try method C, so on and so forth. Eventually, he managed to find an effective trick to deal with her bad habit. So, he leisurely turned to the girl he was holding hands with and remarked calmly. ¡°Speaking of which, I told the chef yesterday to sprinkle some salt on the grilled eggs today.¡± ¡°Mm... Ah?¡± Too absorbed in her books, Charlotte gave her usual perfunctory response before realization struck her, and her pupils began dting. She turned to look at Roel with disbelief reflected in the depths of her emerald eyes. ¡°You mentioned salt, not sugar? How am I to eat that?¡± ¡°Hm, I imagine we should have five minutes before the chef starts sprinkling salt on the eggs. I still think eggs go much better with salt, don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°I absolutely do not think so.¡± The auburn-haired girl sharply rejected Roel¡¯s opinion before swiftly releasing his hand and rising to her feet. Looking at her cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk in indignance, Roel couldn¡¯t resist bursting intoughter. ¡°Threatening me with condiments, are you a child?!¡± ¡°Says the one who only eats sweet food. That¡¯s an awfully childish food preference there, Miss Charlotte.¡± ¡°You... Hmph! I shan¡¯t argue with the likes of you!¡± Having her weakness brought right out to the open, Charlotte¡¯s cheeks acquired a hint of blush as she marched her pouty face out the door. Seeing this, Roel also got up and followed her. Thisss can be adorable at times too, he thought. Chapter 147: I Shall Give You a Good Dream

Chapter 147: I Shall Give You a Good Dream

¡°Young miss, what do you think your current rtionship with young master Roel is?¡± Early in the morning, in Charlotte¡¯s room, Grace wasbing Charlotte¡¯s hair as she posed a question. Upon hearing the question, Charlotte nked for a moment before offering the same response she gave several days ago. ¡°We¡¯re just a fake engaged couple in a business partnership. Didn¡¯t you already ask me this question a few days ago?¡± ¡°Fake?¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s response, the ck-haired maid murmured broodingly to herself. She was unable to shake off the peculiar feeling that had been nudging her ever since a few days ago. It had been more than a week since they arrived at the Ascarts¡¯ manor, and during this period of time, Grace noticed an extremely severe problem. Whenever the two of them chatted, be it day or night, the frequency of a certain name appearing was on the rise. And there was a perfect example right now. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Roel would be so well-versed in the Ancient Austine Language. Why would someone from the Theocracy like him go and learn something like that?¡± ¡°His clothes yesterday were not too bad. It¡¯s just that the design is a little out of fashion. If we could just tighten the fabric around the shoulders...¡± ¡° I¡¯m not too sure about it, but it looks like his transcendent abilities aren¡¯t as weak as I thought. But whenever I ask him about it, he would simply start stuttering, refusing to tell me the details.¡± ¡°...¡± Young miss, why do you want to learn the details about him? Aren¡¯t the two of you only in a business partnership? Do you really need to know so much about him? Grace frowned in confusion. Ever since she learned that all of the information she had gathered about Roel was a deliberate attempt to misguide her, she had been extremely wary of the maids and servants working for the Ascarts. At the same time, she also began to reassess her evaluation of the engagement. Even though the misunderstandings had led to Charlotte and Roel starting on the wrong foot, there was no doubt that Roel, in some way, had managed to grow on Charlotte. It had reached the point where he could actually influence her emotions to some degree. Love and hatred had amonality between them¡ªinterest. As if elements on the same coin, it was possible to flip between the two of them. What Grace was most worried about with Charlotte was that she would remain cold and nonchnt. It was the default state for Charlotte to distance herself from others and treat them coolly. This was the result of the trauma she faced in her childhood, which led to her inability to rely on or trust another person. Unless one was able to walk into her heart, any rtionship that one forged with her would only remain superficial. Back then, Grace thought that it would take Roel at least several months to break through theyer of ice around Charlotte¡¯s heart, but things progressed much faster than she thought. The not-too-pleasant first meeting had broken Charlotte¡¯s indifference, spurring her aversion toward him. However, as they came to know one another better, their rtionship began to improve swiftly. Could this be some kind of trick yed by the Ascart House? Grace had been traumatized by the borate schemes plotted by the manor¡¯s maids that she couldn¡¯t help but doubt everything those from the Ascart House did. Out of worry, she asked Charlotte if she liked Roel, but unexpectedly, thetter beganughing. ¡°You¡¯re asking me if I like that fellow? Hahaha! Grace, just what are you thinking? How could that even be possible?¡± Charlotte responded with utmost confidence to her worried personal maid. ¡°You should have heard how he speaks. That fellow is the very antithesis of the Sorofyas. He barely knows anything about art and music, and his taste in fashion is also unable to keep up with us. On top of that, he barely understands what romance is. Had it been any other nobleman from Rosa, he would have already devoted multiple love poems to me by now!¡± ¡°...¡± Grace fell silent upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words. Differences in hobbies weren¡¯t definitely a bad thing; it depended on how one looked at it. Inept in music? Doesn¡¯t that mean that the two of youplement one another? Love poems? That sort of thing only works if there¡¯s mutual interest in one another! ¡°In any case, the rtionship between the two of us is only a business transaction. Our engagement is nothing more than a cover to conceal our deal.¡± Charlotte crossed her arms as she dered her verdict on this matter decisively. Grace looked at the auburn-haired girl through the mirror, and she suddenly remembered the almost forgotten three divinations made just as a week ago. Are the results actually urate? Grace quickly shook her head. She had no answer to the question in her mind. All she could do here was to hope for the best for the young miss. ... ¡°Hm? Why did he suddenly fall asleep today?¡± In the study room, Charlotte looked at the ck-haired boy, who had fallen asleep right next to her, and she blinked her eyes in confusion. It was the tenth day since they had embarked on this military-style schedule of browsing through the old records. During this period of time, Charlotte had already gotten used to her life at the Ascarts¡¯ manor, and to some degree, she had be quite familiar with the personality of her temporary fianc¨¦. It was precisely due to that that she was a little confused about how he had fallen asleep here today. Based on her past impressions, while it would be going too far to say that Roel was a spirited person, he was at least someone who was constantly energetic. His attention would wane from time to time, but he had never shown any signs of exhaustion before. To be honest, she was rather impressed by that. Even though Charlotte pretty much followed the same schedule too¡ªthe two of them would begin work early in the morning and only retire for the day at nine at night¡ªshe actually had a secret method to recharge her energy. Charlotte¡¯s personal maid, Grace, was an Origin Level 3 transcendent, and aside from her formidablebat prowess, she was also well-versed in minor day-to-day spells. One of them was Deep Sleep, which was known to be a cheat for replenishing vitality. Under the effects of Deep Sleep, a single night of rest would leave one feeling invigorated, as if one had rested for several days on end, and it didn¡¯t have any adverse side effects at all. It was with this cheat that Charlotte was able to wake up refreshed every morning with sufficient energy to drive her through the day. Otherwise, there was no way she could have managed the huge workload she was entrusted with for so many years without rest! Nevertheless, despite enjoying the miraculous effects of Deep Sleep, Charlotte would still feel tired in the afternoon from time to time, but Roel was able to remainpletely fine. All this while, she had attributed it to their physical differences, but it looked like that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡°Ahh. Now that I think about it, he mentioned that he had forgotten to bring something that reinvigorated him...¡± Recalling how Roel had flipped through his pockets when he was brewing tea earlier in the morning, Charlotte nodded her head in realization. But soon after, her forehead furrowed together once more. Wait a moment, doesn¡¯t that mean that he has been relying on medicine to maintain his energy level thus far? Surely that can¡¯t be true... Is he an idiot?! Charlotte¡¯s expression suddenly turned stern as she looked at the ck-haired boy slumped over beside her. Medicines currently avable on the Sia Continent were hardly anything good. It was not to say that they were ineffective, but most medicines came with major side effects, and some of them were even addictive. In fact, most doctors viewed medicine to be thest resort. If it was possible to recover naturally, they would never advocate medicine. Charlotte had never imagined that the source of Roel¡¯s energy would actually be from drugging himself! ¡°This... isn¡¯t an issue about money anymore.¡± Charlotte looked at the sleeping Roel with a conflicted look on her face as she suddenly found her emotions thrown into turmoil. She thought that Roel was cooperating with her in order to shake off the aura of poverty clinging to him, but those assumptions were starting to waver now. Money was good stuff¡ªCharlotte could testify to that¡ªbut was it really worth it for Roel to drug himself and ruin his own health for? It was worth remembering that Roel was the sole son of the Ascart House. Even though he had an aura that looked as if he owed someone half a million, the aura of fortune lingering around the Ascart House had yet to dissipate. On the contrary, it seemed to be growing denser. Over thest few years, the Ascart Fiefdom had managed toy down the foundations required for swift economic growth, and that had attracted many merchants to the region. This surge inmercial activity was building up wealth for the people of the fiefdom. Charlotte had witnessed its effects herself while she was traveling through the fief. The carriage business in Ascart City was booming, such that they were currently in the midst of constructing a new branch office. There were many more stories like that, and they all testified to the increasing poption and activity across the Ascart Fiefdom. While she had no idea who Roel owed money to, he definitely did have the means to repay his debt. Most importantly of all, Charlotte was paying Roel by the day, and even if Roel were to ck off she would still have to pay him the same amount. Despite this, Roel was giving his all to help her, even going to the extent of drinking medicine without telling her anything about it. Without a doubt, his intentions were sincere. It was no longer just about money anymore. This was a favor, and the value of favors was always immeasurable. Knowing that the person silently doing her a favor was her fianc¨¦, Charlotte felt even more conflicted. Why is he going so far to help me? It was supposed to be a rtionship of mutual benefit... Charlotte¡¯s thoughts suddenly came to a pause as several questions arose in her mind. Perhaps, it was Roel¡¯s duty to help her browse through the records, but what about the other things he did for her then? He would wake up early to brew a cup of tea for her, usher her to breakfast on time, chat with her to alleviate her boredom whenever she got tired, andst night, he even massaged her shoulders. She realized that she had overlooked something all this while. All along, she thought that it was a good transaction for her to purchase Roel¡¯s time with her money. Despite their frequent squabbling, the time she spent with him was still quite rxing. But, now that she was looking back at it, was it really something she could buy just because she had money? Assuming that she did buy all of this with money, was she currently paying an equivalent price for it? Many emotions flickered across Charlotte¡¯s face as she contemted this important question. She stared down at the young man sprawled atop the book he had been reading, and all of sudden, she felt a slight hint of guilt toward him. It was already approaching winter, and snow had piled up in the world outside the windows of the study where they worked. The cold wind that battered against the ss had caused ayer of frost to form on the outside. Even though the Ascarts¡¯ manor had a constantly active spell that maintained the temperature of the manor, the two of them came to a consensus to keep the temperature low so that they would remain awake. However, if one of them were to fall asleep under such chilly conditions... Charlotte began to worry about Roel. Even though transcendents tended to be more physically resilient, they weren¡¯t entirely immune to illnesses, especially for the more schrly type of transcendents like Roel. With such thoughts in mind, she tried to stand up, only to notice their linked hands. She hesitated. She pondered for a moment before picking up a gemstone to contact Grace, who was standing on guard outside. ¡°Young miss, is there anything you need me for?¡± ¡°Bring me a nket. Also, raise the temperature of the study room.¡± ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll have it done right away...¡± ¡°Wait a moment. There¡¯s still one more matter I need your help on.¡± Charlotte stopped the ck-haired maid, who was just about to leave the room. She nced at the side profile of the exhausted Roel, and after a moment of contemtion, she added. ¡°I need you to prepare a Deep Sleep spell too.¡± Chapter 148: We’ll Be Taking a Break Today

Chapter 148: We¡¯ll Be Taking a Break Today

What¡¯s happening here? In the study room, Roel had just woken up after a two-hour snooze. He stared at the nket wrapped around him before turning to look at the auburn-haired girl seated beside him. The girl also turned over to look at him at the same moment, and their eyes met. ¡°Is this... yours?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°... Thank you. My condition isn¡¯t so good today, so I ended up falling asleep.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel raised the nket slightly as he thanked Charlotte. Thetter nodded her head slightly without saying a word. Sensing that the mood was off, Roel took a closer look at her and noticed that the girl seemed to be angry. Charlotte had aposed look on her face, and she hadn¡¯t voiced any criticisms at all, but there was a slight change in the air she gave off. She usually felt noble and invible, but at this moment, he could sense a sharp, stern feelinging from her. This was not the first time Roel was experiencing this change in the air, and he had even researched it before. The conclusion he arrived at was that it was a phenomenon produced when a transcendent¡¯s mood influenced their mana fluctuations, which in turn affected the atmosphere. However, this was no time to be geeking out. Roel first ced the nket he was draped in lightly to the side before thinking back to see if he had done something wrong. Is she angry because I cked off a little? Surely not. Roel refuted the thought with a shake of his head. Putting aside the fact that it was extremely inefficient to browse through the records in an exhausted state, even if he did ck off, Charlotte would probably just voice her disapproval. Charlotte was truly an exemry noblewoman through and through. Having squabbled with her for ten days now, Roel realized that her vocabry for criticisms was severely limited, presumably due to herck of knowledge of vulgar terms. Her criticisms were often limited to ¡®greedy¡¯, ¡®shameless¡¯, ¡®childish¡¯, and such rtively polite and inoffensive terms. Roel, on the other hand, had encountered all sorts of colorfulnguage on the inte in his previous life, so whenever Charlotte started spouting out her criticisms with a face reddened in frustration, he could only think of it as cute. Besides, Charlotte was someone who had nock of money. Someone like her wouldn¡¯t get angry just because he cked off a little. It was just like Bill Gates bending over to pick up a penny off the street¡ªthat was impossible! So, what could the problem here be? Roel secretly nced at Charlotte, but she was still keeping her silence. Sensing that the atmosphere wasn¡¯t really right to speak, he decided to dive back into his work. As a result, the ufortable tension lingered in the air for two whole minutes before the auburn-haired girl finally took the initiative to speak. ¡°How did you end up falling asleep today?¡± ¡°Ah, my condition just hasn¡¯t been too good today.¡± ¡°Not in a good condition today? What about the previous days then?¡± ¡°The previous days? I was fine, I guess.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Charlotte replied with a smile, but her face looked oddly livid. Her eyes continued staring intently at Roel as she continued her interrogation. ¡°Were you drinking some sort of medicine previously?¡± ¡°Hm? I was. The medicine helps me to...¡± ¡°Hand it over to me tomorrow.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said, hand it over to me tomorrow. I¡¯ll manage it. You aren¡¯t allowed to drink it anymore.¡± Looking at the stern-faced Charlotte, Roel finally understood why she was so angry. But soon, he became confused once more. Is she... worried about me? But why? Roel couldn¡¯t understand why Charlotte was suddenly so worried about him drinking Red Bull, though he could tell that she had mistaken his energy drink for some sort of dangerous chemical. ¡°Actually, that medicine I¡¯m drinking is perfectly fine. It doesn¡¯t have much of a side effect at all...¡± ¡°That still won¡¯t do. Most medicines without side effects tend to be addictive, and that¡¯s even more dangerous.¡± Charlotte nced at the mountain of books before them and warned sternly. ¡°There are still a lot of records for us to look through, and we can afford to take our time here. If you continue to consume medicine to sustain your energy, I¡¯ll have no choice but to write a letter to Marquess Carter about this.¡± ¡°Wait wait wait! Fine fine, alright, I¡¯ll hand it to you tomorrow!!¡± Hearing that Charlotte was actually going to be a tattle-tale and rat to his father, Roel quickly raised his hands and surrendered. Ever since the matter concerning the ¡®perfect pair serums¡¯, Carter had strictly forbidden Roel from drinking any medicine. If she were to really send a letter over, it was very possible for Carter to apply for a break right away, just so he could rush back to Ascart Fiefdom to give him a piece of his mind. Fine fine, I shan¡¯t drink it anymore. Happy? Both Roel and Charlotte sighed in surprising unison, though the former was out of helplessness and thetter was out of relief. After this short incident, the two of them continued browsing through the records once more. However, just as the reinvigorated Roel was going to start on his third book, Charlotte suddenly ced a bookmark in the book she was reading and mmed it shut. Then, she rose to her feet. ¡°Let¡¯s end it here for the day and have a meal now.¡± ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t there still half an hour before we get off work?¡± ¡°... We¡¯ll be taking a break for today.¡± Charlotte¡¯s nonchnt reply made Roel¡¯s eyebrows shoot up. What¡¯s going on today? Thisss feels incredibly weird today. Why did her attitude suddenly change by so much, not to mention, what¡¯s this about a break? Despite the grumblings in his mind, Roel¡¯s body was far more honest. He immediately closed his book and rose to his feet too. The two of them headed out of the study room together, but just as they were finally at the doorway, Charlotte suddenly tugged Roel¡¯s sleeves. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you today.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. For a moment there, he couldn¡¯tprehend what Charlotte was saying. You¡¯ll treat me? Huh? Is there a guest in the world who would treat the host at the host¡¯s residence? Roel was utterly baffled, and Charlotte didn¡¯t bother exining either. She simply grabbed his hand by habit. ¡°You just have to follow me.¡± With these words, she led Roel out of the manor. ... An hourter, Roel found himself staring at the morous beauty with auburn tresses before him in a daze. After leaving the manor¡¯s study, Charlotte pulled him all the way outside and into her vi-like carriages. The moment he stepped into the carriage, he found himselfpletely awestruck by what he was seeing. The ceiling had delicate hanging lights adorned with carefully polished gemstones, and all sorts of renowned artworks were hanging on the walls. The furniture was all the handiwork of master craftsmen. It was incredibly extravagant yet ssy at the same time. Roel felt as if he had entered a brand new world. Had he not just stepped inside a carriage moments ago, he would never have imagined that this was the interior of one. Even those limousines with a built-in bar would have to eat a humble pie before this. The interiors of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re were almost equivalent to a luxury vi, and all the facilities that one could think of were present. ¡°Here are your clothes.¡± While Roel was still struggling toe to terms with the Sorofyas¡¯ extravagance, Charlotte stuffed a set of clothes into his arms. He blinked nkly as he opened up the clothes in his arms to take a look at them, only to realize that it was a formal suit. ¡°This is...?¡± ¡°Be honored. This is the first time I have personally designed clothes for an individual. Alright, you should hurry up and put it on!¡± Charlotte pushed Roel¡¯s back as she gestured for a maid behind her to lead him toward the changing room. Then, she headed off to her own personal changing room to freshen up and change her clothes too. By the time the doors opened and the two of them met one another once more, they were already lookingpletely different from before. In his ck formal suit, Roel looked much taller and refined. The dark color contrasted well with his golden eyes, making them stand out more than usual. Despite his young age, he gave off an inexplicable air of authority under the lighting. On top of that, the aura of the Crown Origin Attribute made him feel mysterious, piquing one¡¯s curiosity. Charlotte, on the other hand, was wearing a red gown that cut off at the knees. It was quite a bold look by the standards of the Theocracy. It was designed with borate details, reminiscent of a blooming rose. The gown revealed Charlotte¡¯s tender shoulders and gave a glimpse of her back, plus her legs, peeking out from under her gown, were adorned with a pair of ck garters¡ªgiving her a touch of cheekiness beneath her formal appearance. The contrast between her fair skin and the ck garters entuated her beauty, taking Roel¡¯s breath away for a moment. ¡°How is it? You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°No... I think it looks great.¡± ¡°Hmph, looks like your taste isn¡¯t too bad after all.¡± Charlotte twirled her finger around a ringlet of her hair as she shyly remarked. Then, she quickly added on, as if trying to exin herself. ¡°These pieces are from the new formal attire I designed, but due to their bold looks, they eventually failed to make it into the Sorofyas¡¯ spring collection.¡± ¡°That¡¯s truly a pity. These clothes look good.¡± Roel¡¯s remark brought a smile to Charlotte¡¯s lips. For some reason, at the moment that her smile surfaced, Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat uncontrobly. It was often said that clothes make the man, but clothes are actually pretty choosy too. This beautiful red gown, reminiscent of a blooming flower, in Roel¡¯s earnest opinion, was something that only Charlotte could pull off without being overshadowed by it. She gave off the impression of a flower high in the mountains, something thatpelled the admiration of others. She was noble and proud, but she wasn¡¯t infallible. She had her frail side too, but that only made one cherish her even more. In terms of evoking the desire to protect, not even Nora and Alicia were a match for her. Such charm was lethal to men, and Roel was no exception. He averted his gaze, not daring to spare her a second nce, lest he be captured by her charms. He cleared his throat and quickly asked. ¡°Charlotte, what are we going to do dressed up like this?¡± ¡°Nothing much.¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes twinkled with a smile. ¡°We¡¯re just going to see some butterflies.¡± Chapter 149: Unexpected Meeting

Chapter 149: Unexpected Meeting

Austine Empire. On a mountaintop in the midst of the vast Leumann Forest, there stood an observation tform packed densely with visitors. Numerous beautifully adorned carriages had stopped before a cluster of pces that was built with a great amount of money. Couples alighted from these carriages with their hands interlocked and their bodies leaning against one another. With such a chummy atmosphere lingering between them, they would enter the pces together. This was the most famous date spot in the Austine Empire, the Leumann Pces. Its reputation transcended boundaries; there was hardly anyone on the continent who hadn¡¯t heard of it. Every February, couples would gather here at these centuries old pces to gaze down on the majestic forests and clear streams of the Leumann Forest... as well as to watch butterflies. Indeed, this was a famous spot for watching butterflies. The Leumann Forest had a tropical climate, so the concept of the four seasons didn¡¯t apply here. It was hot and humid all year round. Every February, a certain species of butterfly known as the Nightglow Butterfly wouldy their eggs here, and after several months of incubation, they would be beautiful stars of the night. These almost fantastical creatures were capable of glowing in the dark¡ªin fact, their leader was chosen by the brightness of their light. There was no doubt that they were a pleasure to watch, but how they came to be associated with romance was more of a marketing gimmick used by the Austine Empire. ording to the rumors, a few centuries ago, the emperor of the Austine Empire then, Charles II, proposed to the queen of the powerful Rona Kingdom. However, as the queen was uninterested in the proposal, she decided to set a condition¡ªshe dered that she would only marry Charles II if he could show her beauty that transcended her imagination. Charles II was caught unprepared by her request, but in a stroke of ingenuity, he picked up an egg of the Nightglow Butterfly and infused his mana into it. Soon, the egg hatched to be the ravishing leader of the Nightglow Butterflies, stunning everyone present. Impressed by the beauty of the butterfly, the queen changed her mind and epted Charles II¡¯s proposal. As a result, the Rona Kingdom was absorbed into the Austine Empire, pushing the empire to greater heights of prosperity and strength. Roel personally felt that the legend was not too bad for a marketing gimmick, but its credibility was sorelycking. While there had been no historical record to verify or refute the authenticity of the legend, based on how the tyrannical Austine Empire usually handled problems, if a marriage of annexation didn¡¯t work, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to resort to war next. Just think about it, which smaller country would ept the proposaling from the emperor of arger country, knowing that the goal of therger country was annexation? One would really have to be out of their mind to actually ept such a proposal! ¡°Distorting facts to conceal their tyranny; the Austine Empire sure is as shameless as ever.¡± ¡°You should empathize with them a little. They used to be a grand empire in the previous epoch. The least they could do is to annex a few of the smaller, nearby countries. It¡¯s Austine we¡¯re talking about after all.¡± ¡°Pfft.¡± Roel¡¯s sarcastic mocking made Charlotte burst outughing. One of them came from Rosa whereas the other came from the Theocracy. Both of them came from noble houses who had a history of fighting against the Austine Empire, so they happened to share the same views on this matter. However, while the two of them thought that this legend was utter bullshit from an objective point of view, there was no denying that it did have a huge market value, especially for couples. Ever since the legend began spreading, more and more couples visited the Leumann Forest to incubate a Nightglow Butterfly egg as a symbol of love to their other half. After several centuries of marketing, it had already be a holynd for lovers. The Leumann Pces that the two of them were standing before were specially built for visiting foreign nobles. Every February, during the mating season of the Nightglow Butterflies, the Leumann Pces would wee nobles from all over the continent. There would be interesting and fun events held here, making it the perfect ce to graduate from singlehood. Of course, this came at a price. The pitiful Nightglow Butterflies found their eggs stolen from them, bing nothing more than tools for humans to profess their love. ... ¡°Respected Sir and Miss, may I have a look at your invitation letters?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± At the entrance of the Leumann Pces, an attendant gracefully received Charlotte¡¯s invitation letters. Both the man and thedy, though young, looked dignified and elegant, leaving the attendant with little room to doubt their identities. He simply took a quick nce at the invitation letters before handing them back. ¡°A very warm wee to the Mandeel Kingdom¡¯s Count Roel and Miss Charlotte.¡± Realizing the esteemed standings of the guests who hade from afar, the attendant¡¯s smile grew even warmer than before. Roel and Charlotte exchanged smiles with one another before heading into the venue under the lead of the attendant with their arms linked. Feeling the touch of Charlotte¡¯s arm, Roel couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the mystical effects of the Sorofyas¡¯ spells. The Saint Mesit Theocracy was located extremely far away from the Austine Empire, so naturally, there was no way that the two of them could get here so quickly. In truth, neither of them were in their original bodies at the moment. Rather, it was one of the unique spells of the Sorofyas using an object known as the Twin Stone as a medium. The Twin Stone was an extremely rare mineral. It existed in pairs, which were linked with one another across space. Whenever one sensed a pulsation of mana, the other would tremor in resonance even from a long distance away. It was typically used as a fancy type of wedding ring. The Ascart House had Twin Stones too, but they had never been able to figure out a significant use for it. However, with the Sorofya House¡¯s great fortune and expertise in gemstones, they managed to develop clones which one could control remotely using the Twin Stones as a medium. It was somewhat simr to the avatar created via the third skill of the Crown¡¯s Bestowment. Unlike the avatar created by the Crown¡¯s Bestowment, these clones possessed hardly any offensive prowess at all. However, if one was only nning to use it to tour around and attend a gathering, that wouldn¡¯t pose a problem at all. In a world devoid of advancedmunication technology, people often knew the names of renowned figures but not their faces. Even famed beauties like Charlotte were no exception to the rule. Also, their identities were carefully prepared beforehand and were nearly impable, so a disguise was unnecessary. They could just walk in openly. Thus, neither of them stirred the slightestmotion when they entered the venue. Though admittedly, a part of the reason was because they were entering the couples area, and everyone was too busy flirting with their partner to pay them any heed. Had it been the singles area instead, Roel would have surely... ... well, maybe not. However, Charlotte would have definitely been wildly popr. It would probably take mere seconds before she was surrounded by admirers. ¡°Sir, here is your incubator.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± One of the attendants walked up to them and handed Roel a golden box that was around the size of a palm. Roel epted the item with a smile before inspecting it curiously. Those who hade to participate in this event were either rich or noble. Needless to say, they wouldn¡¯t lower themselves to head into the forest to hunt for butterfly eggs. Therefore, the organizer specially prepared these incubators in advance for them. There were two reasons for this. First, the guests wouldn¡¯t have to touch the butterfly egg with their own hands. No matter how beautiful the Nightglow Butterflies were, it was still rather disgusting to touch insect eggs. Second, it was to ensure that every couple had a butterfly to watch. Even though most of the guests were nobles, it didn¡¯t mean that they were all transcendents. On top of that, using mana to incubate a butterfly was an extremely delicate process; not all transcendents were capable of managing that. It would be truly awkward if they had traveled so far, only to be unable to incubate a butterfly of their own. The incubator was prepared in order to avoid such embarrassing situations from urring. The little box didn¡¯t just contain a butterfly egg, it also had an attachment that was charged with mana beforehand. All one had to do was to flick the switch, and mana would be infused into the egg. Roel felt that it was rather smart to prepare such devices beforehand to improve the guests¡¯ experience. He examined the incubator in interest, and on the side, he saw an emblem depicting a shield with a lion on it. Ah, it was indeed nned by a distinguished noble house. They are very meticulous in their operations, making sure to protect the honor of their guests. This was Roel¡¯s first glimpse into the Austine Empire¡¯s culture. The Austine Empire proimed itself as the legitimate sessor of the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire, so the fashion trends here tended to be more conservative. Most women wore long skirts, whereas men donned military-style uniforms. In a sense, it was symbolic of their respect toward military power. Language wise, the Austine Language was a simplified version of the Ancient Austine Language, making it rather simr to the Theocracy¡¯s Saint Mesit Language. There were only some differences in pronunciations. The origins of both countries could be traced back to the mass migration from East Sia after all, so it didn¡¯te as a huge surprise that they spoke in simr tongues. In Roel¡¯s view, they were just different dialects of the samenguage. The event came in the form of a night banquet. There were many dessertsid out on a long table for guests to freely snack on. The observation tform in the Leumann Pces offered a wonderful sunset view of the mountains and streams in the Leumann Forest. Once thends turned dark, they would be able to see clusters of Nightglow Butterflies dancing merrily beneath. Roel grabbed two cups of fruit wine from a tter a waiter was walking around with and passed one to the boldly dressed girl beside him. ¡°You do stand out quite a bit with that dress here. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to dress in such a manner here in Austine?¡± ¡°I do believe that humans should have the freedom to dress in whatever they wish as long as they don¡¯t breachmon decency.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with what you said, but still... Forget it. That woman over there with a feather stuck on her head is dressed even more outrageously than you.¡± Roel widened his eyes at a couple dressed in what could only be described as tribal wear from a tropical rainforest. He turned his gaze back to Charlotte once more, and all of a sudden, he felt that her nearly knee-length skirt didn¡¯t look too out-of-ce anymore. ¡°At least you look gorgeous. We should probably thank our international friends for the contrast here.¡± ¡°Hmph. You aren¡¯t that hopeless in terms of aesthetics after all.¡± ¡°Thank you for yourpliment.¡± Roel and Charlotte exchanged jabs, in ordance with their norm, as they circumvented the dance floor, where couples were slow dancing to soothing music. They headed for the observation tform to find a good spot. Feeling the light breeze on his face and gazing upon the vast scenery before him, Roel felt like the stress he had piled up over thest few days was being released. He took a sip of his fruit wine before exhaling pleasurably. His mood was soaring to a new high. ¡°The scenery is not bad.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°I thought that they were exaggerating the view as a marketing gimmick. However, if it¡¯s to enjoy such beautiful scenery, I guess it was worth masquerading as a couple with you.¡± ¡°Technically speaking, we are still fianc¨¦ and fianc¨¦e in name, so it¡¯s not exactly a masquerade.¡± ¡°Sounds about right.¡± Roel chuckled softly in response before turning his attention to those in the vicinity. Most couples on the tform were either holding hands or embracing one another, spreading an awful lovey-dovey stench around. He turned to Charlotte and noticed that she was looking at another observation tform that was located further frontward, giving the best view of the entire forest. The couples there looked more toned down in terms of public affection, and there was a group of people chatting amicably with one another at the moment. ¡°What¡¯s that ce?¡± ¡°The distinguished area, reserved for nobles of the Austine Empire.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel was just about to make a spiteful remark with a smile when he noticed a slight knit forming between Charlotte¡¯s brows. Perplexed, he traced her line of sight and saw a woman dressed in a blue skirt whispering intimately with another man. ¡°You know her?¡± Roel asked with uplifted eyebrows. Charlotte hesitated a little before nodding slightly. ¡°She¡¯s my mother.¡± Chapter 150: Attested by the Butterflies

Chapter 150: Attested by the Butterflies

¡°...¡± When Roel heard those almost nonchnt words from Charlotte, he suddenly found himself at a loss for words. He stared at the impassive Charlotte, whose eyes were fixated on the blue skirted woman. Off in the distance, he could still see her chatting merrily away with some man, and he felt his mind going nk for a moment there. If she is Charlotte¡¯s mother, who could that man be? Watching his mother-inw in name¡¯s tender interactions with this blonde-haired man, Roel felt his face stiffening up. Needless to say, he had looked through his fianc¨¦e¡¯s family records prior to their first meeting, including their portraits too. Charlotte¡¯s father, Bruce, was supposed to be a ginger-haired man. Most importantly though, the records didn¡¯t state that Charlotte¡¯s parents were divorced. Considering that the two of them were still married, and Charlotte¡¯s mother was here flirting with another man, this... What¡¯s going on here? Did we just catch her mother in the midst ofmitting adultery? What in the world is this? This isn¡¯t a telenov! Roel stared at Charlotte mouth agape, electrified by this soap opera-like twist of events. He thought that Charlotte was here to watch butterflies, but not wanting the hassle that woulde from entering the singles area, she dragged him here with her as a plus one. However, from the looks of it now, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. What do people usually do at times like this? March up to the adulterous couple and ssh a cup of water on them? That wouldn¡¯t work though. We aren¡¯t in our original bodies, and any Origin Level 6 transcendent can easily stop us. In other words... ¡°I get it. Evidence collecting, right? How should we go about it? I haven¡¯t really learned any spells for that.¡± Roel¡¯s face suddenly lit up with excitement, and he stared at the duo before him in the distance like a little paparazzi ready to collect a huge scoop. All he needed was for the boss to say the word, and this hot scoop would be all over the tabloids by tomorrow. Unexpectedly, his boss, Charlotte, responded to him with a confused gaze. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t need to stand on ceremony here. Regardless of our rtionship, I¡¯ll at least back you up here.¡± Roel smacked his chest reliably before directing his gaze at the adulterous couple before him with his teeth clenched. Damn you two! That blonde guy over there obviously looks like some sort of gigolo! Roel clenched his fists tightly, ready to get some action. Meanwhile, Charlotte looked at Roel with a conflicted look on her face. She opened her mouth several times, only to stop hesitantly each time. In the end, she squeezed out a slightly forced smile and said. ¡°Thank you, Roel, but... there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Her forced smile carried a slight tinge of sorrow before she turned to gaze at the scenery before them. ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood. I wasn¡¯t intending to do anything here. I just wanted to see her.¡± ¡°See her?¡± ¡°It has been five years since Ist saw her.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Charlotte pondered for a moment before exining her own circumstances concisely with an oddly nonchnt tone. It was a story not on any of the reports Roel received. After hearing everything, he found his heart unable to calm down for a very long time. Frankly, Charlotte¡¯s family situation far surpassed his imagination. Charlotte¡¯s mother, Adelicia Milton, was the second daughter of the Austine Empire¡¯s Milton Ducal House. The Milton House was a behemoth with a long history behind it. Its origins could be traced all the way to the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire, so in a sense, its lineage could be said to be even older than the Ascart House. A house with such a long history to it should never be underestimated. In fact, during the mass migration westward at the inception of the Third Epoch, the Milton House was in a managerial position. The story afterward was as Roel knew. After arriving at the newnd, a huge internal conflict that had been brewing through the entire journey finally broke out among the migration army, leading to the fracturing of the Ancient Austine Empire. Many people scattered with their followers in a bid for independence. The Milton House was one of the stubborn conservation factions. It wielded significant power in the migration army, so it refused to acknowledge the other deserting factions since it was at odds with their interests. Eventually, the Milton House, together with several other major noble houses from the Ancient Austine Empire, formed the foundation of the new Austine Empire. In order to highlight its legitimacy, this bunch of people came up with the infamous Pure Bloodline Theory. To summarize, the Pure Bloodline Theory postted that everyone aside from the people of the Austine Empire were barbarians. The nobles who originated from the Ancient Austine Empire were depicted as a superior breed, and it was their prerogative to rule over the other countries. So, the people of the Austine Empire were first-tier citizens, and everyone else was a second-tier citizen or worse. This theory was a strong binding force for the Austine Empire during tumultuous periods, and it legitimized their actions in annexing nearby countries after their foundation. As a result, the Austine Empire grew swiftly over time. Its belligerent behavior had the support of its citizens who viewed it as justified use of force against traitors. It was not ¡®conquering other countries¡¯ but ¡®regaining thend that they rightfully deserved¡¯. This Pure Bloodline Theory became the source of the Austine Empire¡¯s arrogance. Ever since its rise to power, it had been pushing the theory widely amongst its people. In fact, some of its extremists even advocated for intermarriage amongst the high nobles, so as to avoid the dilution of their bloodline. Charlotte¡¯s mother, Adelicia, was one of the beneficiaries and believers of this extreme Pure Bloodline Theory. More than 10 years ago, in an attempt to repair its rtions with the Austine Empire, Rosa began offering great support to the Milton House, and in exchange, Adelicia was betrothed to the leader of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, Bruce, as a symbol of their alliance. It was a marriage that carried no romance at all,pletely driven by interests. Naturally, the only possible oue was an empty shell of a rtionship. Roel had once heard in his previous life that when a marriage crumbled, it was the children who suffered the most. This saying was best exemplified in Charlotte¡¯s life. Adelicia was forced by the marriage contract to bear an heir for Bruce, but in her bigotry, she unhesitatingly chose to abandon her progeny, Charlotte. She believed the blood of her daughter was impure and a disgrace to the Milton House¡¯s noble bloodline. Charlotte¡¯s very existence was a stain on Adelicia¡¯s reputation. Roel couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine just how much it must have hurt to be discriminated against by her own mother, and it left him with chills running down his spine. He dazedly stared at Charlotte, wondering just what kind of emotions were lurking in her head as she recounted this dark chapter of her history. ¡°Back when I was 7, I came to the Austine Empire to visit her secretly. I was filled with anticipation as I made my way to the Milton House. Back then, I didn¡¯t know the reason behind her hatred toward me. I thought that she simply had a fallout with my father. When we met, I ran forward and attempted to hug her...¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice suddenly trailed off at this point as she stared silently at the faraway woman with her emerald eyes, seemingly reying the very scene in her mind. ¡°She kicked me aside. She wasn¡¯t even willing to touch me with her hands.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel¡¯s face twitched. He lowered his head and took a sip of the sweet fruit wine, but it tasted oddly astringent. ¡°Why did youe to see her then? What¡¯s there to see for someone like her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It could be indignance, or maybe I do carry some lingering affection for her. I¡¯m foolish, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°... No, you aren¡¯t.¡± Roel shook his head. ¡°I take back the words that I said earlier. It was rude for me to speak in your ce. It¡¯s only normal for a child to carry some affection for her own birth mother. It¡¯s just that... I don¡¯t think she¡¯s worthy of you.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte blinked in surprise. She turned her eyes over to look at Roel for a very long time before her lips curled up a little. ¡°You sound angry.¡± ¡°I am angry. What¡¯s wrong with that? Should I not feel angry?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I just... think that it¡¯s quite refreshing. Those around me usually dare not criticize her before me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a difference in positions. I can¡¯t be bothered to mince my words here. Do you feel ufortable about this?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Charlotte shook her head. She began swirling the cup of fruit wine in her hand unconsciously as she felt a mysterious tingle in her heart. ¡°This is the first time an outsider has gotten angry on my behalf. It feels rather peculiar, but at the same time, it does delight me a little... But now that I think about it, my fianc¨¦ isn¡¯t exactly an outsider either, right?¡± ¡°Cough cough!¡± The mutterings of this auburn-haired girl made Roel choke on his saliva. Charlotte chuckled softly behind her hand in response. ¡°You were doing that on purpose?¡± ¡°Was I? I thought I was just iterating the truth.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t refute that, but still... Forget it.¡± Roel decided to just turn away and continue sipping on his fruit wine. Meanwhile, Charlotte continued to stare at him for a while before suddenly speaking. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel didn¡¯t respond to Charlotte¡¯s words of gratitude. The two of them silently watched the scenery before them while the couples around them continued immersing themselves in their own little worlds of romance. It was only after nightfall that the host began urging everyone to use their mana to incubate their butterflies, hyping up the atmosphere. Soon, the youths in the room began professing their feelings for one another. Gasps of amazement could be heard nonstop as beautifully glowing butterflies broke free of their shells and unfurled their wings. The ravishing smiles of thedies wereparable to the radiance of the Nightglow Butterflies. Meanwhile, Charlotte raised her hand toward the woman dressed in blue as she made her prophecy. ¡°The most brilliant Nightglow Butterfly for the night will be emerging from her hands.¡± ¡°Hm? Why is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the host of this event is none other than the Milton House. When ites to the incubation of Nightglow Butterflies, what¡¯s important is not the amount of mana but the attribute of the mana. I have no doubt that the incubator held by that man has been charged with mana from the Austine Royal Family¡¯s Kingdom Origin Attribute. ¡°Unless the Theocracy¡¯s Xeclydes personally incubate an egg with their Compassion Origin Attribute, it¡¯s impossible topete with the Austine Royal Family¡¯s Kingdom Attribute in terms of purity and prowess. By receiving the brightest butterfly, it¡¯d highlight Adelicia as the most beautiful and noble woman here.¡± ¡°...¡± The words ¡®most beautiful and noble¡¯ brought a slight frown to Roel¡¯s face. It was ironic how a woman who had abandoned her family and scarred her daughter was able to live so carefreely in the world. With such thoughts in mind, he turned to his otherpanion and asked softly. ¡°Grandar, is the Kingdom Origin Attribute formidable?¡± The voice of the giant swiftly reverberated in response in his ears. ¡°Still passable.¡± ¡°Compared to mine?¡± ¡°Trash.¡± ¡°Pfft. I see.¡± The giant¡¯s curt responses carried hardly any emotion at all, but Roel could still sense a hint of bias in the seemingly honest answers, and it made him chuckle a little. He lifted his box and started infusing his mana into it while looking at the girl before him. Slowly, light began to gather in the vicinity of the incubator. ¡°Stop looking,¡± said Roel as he stepped forward and blocked Charlotte¡¯s line of sight. The gaze from his golden eyes met with Charlotte¡¯s beautiful emerald orbs, and for the first time, there was a slightly tender smile in his gaze. ¡°Most beautiful woman? The Miltons sure have a bad sense of humor. If anyone here is worthy of being honored as the most beautiful and noble woman, I think the strong-willed person standing before me would be more than appropriate.¡± As Roel said these words, the manaing from his Crown Origin Attribute began to rush outward. Beneath the gentle lighting from the incubator, his smile looked warm and gentle. ¡°These aren¡¯t empty words, Miss Charlotte. The butterflies can attest to it.¡± Chapter 151: Soar

Chapter 151: Soar

What kind of person was worthy of being deemed as beautiful and noble? It was hard to give a concise answer to this question, but perhaps it would help by first asking what the concepts ¡®beauty¡¯ and ¡®noble¡¯ represented. ... Well, Roel was not one to analyze questions in such a philosophical manner, but he thought that he at least had the moralpass of an ordinary person. A mother worthy of being deemed beautiful was one who looked upon her children lovingly. A mother worthy of being deemed noble was one who carried great virtue and frequently took into consideration the wellbeing of her children. A beautiful face that was maintained by borate care, as well as nobility built by trampling others; these were no more than illusory bubbles that would pop once the winds of a new era arrived. All falsehoods would be unraveled, revealing the shallowness of it all. Looking at Charlotte, Roel suddenly understood why he felt so indignant on her behalf. Ah, so that¡¯s why. I didn¡¯t think that there would be so many simrities between us. He revealed an enlightened yet helpless smile as he nced at the light in his hand. Roel Ascart seemed to havee to life from the moment he recalled his previous life, but that wasn¡¯t right. It was faint, but he still remembered his tyrannical yet fragile self of the past. It lurked at the corners of his mind, almost out of reach, but not entirely out of sight. It was a child, suffering and confused from having lost his mother at a young age. It was a pain that he could never circumvent while growing up. His childhood was apanied by a strong desire for kinship and affection, but his desire was never fulfilled. It was probably from there that he turned crooked. Roel and Charlotte were quite simr in the sense that they struggled growing up in a household that was almost forever empty. Whenever night descended, they would be left alone in their rooms, apanied only by the moon. Roel pitied Charlotte, but he also pitied his younger self. However, what was different about them was that Charlotte did have a mother. Adelicia¡¯s actions didn¡¯t bring about any physical harm to Charlotte, but Charlotte¡¯s nonchnt attitude had pricked Roel¡¯s nerves, leaving him feeling greatly irked. He felt like Adelicia had tossed something which he desired but couldn¡¯t obtain on the floor, trampling harshly down on it. ¡°Someone once told me that roses that bloom under harsh conditions tend to be even more moving and beautiful. Miss Charlotte, your resilience, in my eyes, is like a golden rose.¡± Amidst a faint glowing light, Roel looked into Charlotte¡¯s eyes as he spoke. His golden irises seemed to radiate in the darkness, giving him a look that was dignified yet mysterious. Crimson mana began manifesting around his body. Charlotte also returned the gaze unblinkingly, and she seemed to feel a sense ofpanionship from him. ¡°!¡± A few short secondster, Charlotte¡¯s pale face gradually turned utterly red. With a gentle smile, Roel lifted his hand, and the crimson mana began to spiral into the incubator, causing creaking sounds to echo until the ss was no longer able to handle the pressure and cracked. Kacha! The box shattered loudly, and bits of light began spilling out of Roel¡¯s hands. Meanwhile, on another observation tform some distance away, a bundle of light unfurled its wings under the loud cheering of the Austine nobles. It was a beautiful Nightglow Butterfly with brilliant green wings. Its luminescence lit up all of the faces around, and the pureblood nobles of the Austine Empire began singing and dancing joyously. A smile could be seen on Adelicia¡¯s face. The most beautiful butterfly emerging amongst the pureblood nobles had been a tradition for the Milton House for many years now. It signified their superiority and nobility. However, this year, the butterfly was hatched using mana from one of the empire¡¯s princes, making it more beautiful and radiant than ever. As soon as it broke out of its egg, its wings spread out wide before the cheering crowd. There was not a single person who doubted the standing of this butterfly. It was thergest and most beautiful Nightglow Butterfly they had seen over the years, and the purebloods saw the glory of the great Austine Empire in it. The atmosphere was brought to a high as passionate exmations could be heard here and there. But soon, the crowd began to realize that something was amiss. ¡°Wait a moment, why isn¡¯t it setting off?¡± ¡°It¡¯s bizarre indeed. None of the butterflies have flown off yet.¡± Looking at the sky above, the Austine nobles realized that something was wrong. The young masters and misses from the noble houses began to whisper to one another while the guests from afar watched the butterflies circling above their heads, unaware of the anomaly at all. Soon, there was only a single butterfly that remained unhatched in the entire venue. Everyone¡¯s eyes fell upon the ck-haired boy standing by the corner of one of the observation tforms. Roel was currently still channeling his mana toward the incubator. He had already seen the butterfly hatched by the pureblood nobles of the Austine Empire, which convinced him to give it his all. He wasn¡¯t doing this just to vent his own frustration toward Adelicia. More than that, he wanted to give Charlotte a present. He wanted the butterfly he hatched to be strong and beautiful like the girl standing before him. Its birth shall herald the new leader of the Leumann Forest¡¯s Nightglow Butterflies. It shall be born as a king! Too focused on the deed at hand, Roel was oblivious that by the horizon of the world, a humongous skeleton was also looking intently at the happenings here. His eyes were shining as he awaited the miracle that had long been buried in the sands of time. ¡°It¡¯splete.¡± Several secondster, Roel muttered softly. Following that, a dull thud sounded as a radiant outburst of light gushed forth, filling the tform with light. The incubator cracked, and the egg inside fell to the ground, reduced to fragments. Following that, all of the butterflies gathered in the area began moving. Countless glowing spots stopped momentarily before rushing toward one of the observation tforms, reminiscent of soldiers who had received an order from their superior. The green butterfly hatched by the pureblood nobles even took the lead to circle around the light that had just broken free of its egg, like a general protecting its king. By this point in time, Charlotte and Roel were alreadypletely shrouded amidst the light, but the two of them paid it no heed. The girl stared dazedly at Roel¡¯s outstretched hand, where a golden butterfly was currently unfurling its golden wings, revealing the insignia of a golden rose. ¡°Soar.¡± Roel whispered a silent blessing toward the small lifeform. In response, the golden butterfly rose into the air. It circled the auburn-haired girl several times before perching intimately on her shoulder for a brief moment. Then, it began charging toward the endless darkness of the night. The brilliance it emanated evoked shouts of excitement from the crowd. Its light was as magnificent as a shooting star. Countless Nightglow Butterflies swiftly followed its lead, creating a drifting trail of light amidst the night sky, vying against the twinkling stars of the sky. ¡°It¡¯s a King Butterfly!¡± ¡°That mana reaction... Is that butterfly a demonic creature? It¡¯s a mutated beast!¡± ¡°Ah? Doesn¡¯t that have a really low probability of urring?¡± The confirmationing from the transcendents provoked a huge uproar from the crowd. The couples gazed into the sky as they discussed the magnificent sight they had just witnessed. The host made use of this opportunity to dere grandly. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we have actually managed to incubate a mutated Nightglow Butterfly on this very night. This is a miracle brought about by the love and fortune amassed by everyone present. Without a doubt, this is a historical moment that will be remembered even years from now!¡± Those words stoked the emotions of everyone present, raising the heat in the atmosphere. The youthful couples cheered in delight as they celebrated this momentous asion. Meanwhile, Roel fell deep in thought. Mutated beast? Surely not. The egg is perfectly ordinary, so why... Why did it suddenly turn into a demonic creature? Could it be that if sufficient mana is infused into a Nightglow Butterfly, it could evoke a mutation? Roel was baffled, but before he could make sense of it, the host had already led the crowd to him with a voice amplifier in hand. The host saw Roel lowering his head contemtively whereas Charlotte was hardly moving at all. With his many years of experience dealing with nobles, he chose not to proceed on to the next event right away but instead enquire about their rtionship carefully. ¡°Mister, allow me to thank you for presenting us with such a moving sight. If I may ask, what is your rtionship with thedy over here?¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, we¡¯re fr...¡± ¡°C-couple... We¡¯re engaged.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Charlotte suddenly interrupted Roel¡¯s response, causing him to widen his eyes in surprise. The two of them had spent quite a number of days together by now. Roel thought that he knew the girl standing before him quite well. However, at this very moment, she suddenly appeared a little foreign to him. Charlotte¡¯s face was cloaked in shyness. She was biting onto her lips softly as emotions rippled in her eyes. Her usual cold, nonchnt face had turnedpletely red, and her body was stiffened up tensely too. Her hands were grabbing onto the hems of her skirt so tightly that her knuckles were starting to appear a little white. Her auburn locks swayed lightly with the night breeze, and her red gown looked ever more resplendent with the dim luminosity from the Nightglow Butterflies in the background. At this moment, Charlotte carried a frightening level of charm that seemed to endlessly draw one in, making it impossible to resist her. Just a nce was all it took for Roel¡¯s heart to be left on the verge of exploding. ¡°I see. The two of you are an engaged couple. It looks like we may proceed with the Kiss of Fortune Ritual as nned then!¡± The host heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, and the atmosphere hyped up once more. Roel blinked his eyes nkly, and after quickly inquiring, he discovered that there was actually a continuation to the legend of the Nightglow Butterflies. Thedy would return the gentleman¡¯s gift with a light kiss, symbolizing her blessing and affection. It was said that the queen of the Rona Kingdom had reciprocated to Emperor Charles II in such a manner back then, and it brought him a life of good luck. The Austine Empire grew rapidly under his rule, and he passed away peacefully out of old age. Crap, I identally went too far. Upon hearing the tradition, Roel¡¯s face immediately stiffened up. He never thought that something he had done out of a whim would actually put them in a spot. Charlotte had only brought him here as a convenient plus one so that she could be spared the hassle. She wouldn¡¯t have thought that he would incubate the brightest butterfly and be forced into giving him a kiss. ¡°T-there¡¯s no need for it. I appreciate the reminder, but we don¡¯t really believe in such stuff. Hahaha.¡± Roel waved his hand at the middle-aged man, hoping to reject this darned superstition. As a proper gentleman, he wouldn¡¯t force anydy¡¯s hand. However, the auburn-haired girl before him fell into a dilemma hearing his words. I-if it¡¯s only a kiss... ¡°Don¡¯t look down on fate... T-this is just reciprocation.¡± Charlotte took in a deep breath, and before Roel¡¯s shocked eyes, she began walking closer and closer. She looked at his lips and struggled a little, but in the end, she still ced a light kiss on his right cheek. (Affection Points +10,000) It had been ten days since then, but a familiar mana pulsation began to appear once more. Chapter 152: There’s Only One Right Answer

Chapter 152: There¡¯s Only One Right Answer

Roel¡¯s mind wentpletely nk when Charlotte¡¯s lips came into contact with his cheek. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to reject Charlotte¡¯s kiss, not just because of how charming she looked at the moment but because the kiss represented her sincerity too. It was a kiss for blessing and fortune, ady¡¯s reciprocation toward the man who brought forth a beautiful butterfly for her. It was a proper and dignified ceremony that would be inappropriate to reject. Roel had no idea how much courage Charlotte had to summon to carry out this ceremony, but at the very least, he was certain that it had not been easy on her to do so. And unexpectedly, this kiss actually brought about the long-awaited resonance in their bloodlines once more. Many visions flickered across Roel¡¯s eyes in an instant. There were so many of them that he couldn¡¯t even attempt to remember them. All noises seemed to vanish as he was brought several centuries back in time. A man and a woman appeared before his eyes. The woman was tall and sported auburn hair, whereas the man had a solemn face. It was a series of snapshots involving the two of them under many different circumstances¡ªduring wartime, day-to-day life, casual light conversations, speaking to someone with grave looks on their faces, andst but not least, a goodbye kiss between the two of them. Wait a moment, this is... Looking at the woman who was waving her hand to send off the man whom she had just kissed, Roel suddenly felt a mysterious feeling. She looks like Charlotte, but at the same time, she isn¡¯t her. What in the world... While Roel was still feeling confused over the odd resemnce between the woman and Charlotte, the man in the vision suddenly turned his head over. His eyes seemed to peer through space-time to meet Roel¡¯s gaze, allowing Roel to properly see his appearance for the first time. It¡¯s him! Waves of shock washed over Roel¡¯s heart, but at the same time, he also felt enlightened too. The vision came to an end right after, and sounds of cheering slowly crescendoed in his ears as he was pulled back to reality. ¡°Hooray!!!¡± Jubnt shouts could be heard everywhere. Even the observation tform of the singles area was currently filled with a huge crowd, who were excitedly watching themotion. True to the saying, ¡®love transcends boundaries¡¯, this joyous celebration was partaken by everyone, regardless of where they hade from. ¡°Roel, the vision earlier was...¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a little confusing for me, so allow me to calm down and think things through first.¡± The young duo, who had just separated after the kiss, were left dazed by the overload of information just received. However, the crowd interpreted their reactions very differently. ¡°A huge round of apuse for the demonstration of true love between this lovely couple. O¡¯ great Sia, may their love be blessed by fate!¡± ¡°Oooooooh!!!¡± Resounding cheers echoed from the crowd as the atmosphere rose to a new high. The peeps over at the singles area began hooting loudly, and the lovers in the couples area began swooning for one another once more. Only Roel and Charlotte¡¯s emotions didn¡¯t match with the festive atmosphere, they were left in their deep thoughts while surrounded by chaos. It was only until the host finally said his next words that the two of them finally snapped out of it. ¡°Now, the two of you may head over to your suite to rest.¡± ¡°Mm... Huh?¡± Roel turned his head over in shock, only to meet with the deep, meaningful smile of the middle-aged host. ¡°Sir, I wish you an unforgettable night.¡± ... The Milton House was meticulous in its services. It might be due to them learning from the Sorofyas¡¯ expertise over the years of their partnership, but in any case, it was clear that they had a knack for creating unforgettable experiences. For one, the now famous Nightglow Butterfly Festival had not always been a tradition of the Austine Empire. It was due to the Milton House constantly hyping the event in recent decades that the festival grewrger with each passing year, building up its name throughout the Sia Continent. The ¡®suite¡¯ mentioned by the host was also the product of the Milton House¡¯s business ideas. It was basically a room located at the very tip of the mountain, the highest level of the Leumann Pces, offering the best view of the resplendent scenery. It boasted a size simr to presidential suites in Roel¡¯s previous life, and in terms of grandeur, it wouldn¡¯t lose out to any royal pce. This ¡®suite¡¯ was usually exclusive to the Austine¡¯s Pureblood Faction, but on the night of the Nightglow Butterfly Festival, it was opened to the couple who managed to incubate the brightest butterfly. A loving couple blessed by the crowds being offered the most luxurious room boasting a magnificent night scenery; it wouldn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what they were going to do. It was only unfortunate that the ¡®couple¡¯ chosen this time around weren¡¯t particrly appreciative of the significance of this room. ¡°You... Are you sure you didn¡¯t do it on purpose?¡± ¡°Of course not! You were present back there too! You should have turned down this suite!¡± ¡°How in the world was I supposed to refuse the suite? You saw the atmosphere back then too!¡± On the big bed in the suite, an auburn-haired girl was hugging a pillow tightly, hiding half of her head. She stared pitifully at the ck-haired boy, who was anxiously trying to exin himself. There were traces of fear in her eyes, but strangely enough, there were also slight hints of anticipation too. Charlotte was having such an intense headrush that she couldn¡¯t even make sense out of what was going on anymore. From the moment Roel presented her with the butterfly, she couldn¡¯t help but think that he had turned into a different person, and that left her feeling a little uncertain yet excited at the same time. It was also the same for Roel too. Holy shit, why is thisss so adorable? Roel eyed the girl who was sitting cross-legged on the bed. She kept secretly sending him nces from time to time as she half-hid behind a pillow held in her arms. Her shyness contrasted with the bold red dress she was wearing, making her look incredibly enticing. Her current appearance was really gnawing away at Roel¡¯s heart. ¡°S-speaking of which, your mother doesn¡¯t seem to have recognized you earlier.¡± ¡°It has already been 5 years. I was only 7 thest time we met, and my appearance has changed greatly since then. Besides, I don¡¯t take after her.¡± ¡°I guess so...¡± ¡°... Between me and her, who do you think is more beautiful?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Roel was halfway through a yawn when the question caught him off guard. He looked at Charlotte, who was shyly hiding her face, as he blinked his eyes in confusion. ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± ¡°J-just answer it!¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s you. How could Adeliciapete with you?¡± Roel looked at his fianc¨¦e, who was suddenly throwing a tantrum for some reason, and answered with a helpless tone. To be fair, Adelicia did have a young appearance, looking to be someone in her twenties. But in Roel¡¯s mind, he couldn¡¯t help but think of her as an olddy, not to mention that she had an ugly heart too. ¡°Hmph. At least you know how to speak.¡± Charlotte appeared to be satisfied with Roel¡¯s response. Behind the pillow, the corners of her lips curled up as her eyes twinkled with joy. For a moment there, Roel thought that he saw a cat¡¯s tail curled up beside her in a happy and content manner. The fanatic cat stroker blinked his eyes for a moment before swiftly shaking that thought out of this head. Charlotte was a bit confused by Roel¡¯s unusual reaction. Slowly but surely, the two of them started to calm down, which brought their attention back to the events from earlier. ¡°So, w-when I kissed you earlier, you saw it too, right?¡± ¡°... I did.¡± Roel responded to the shy girl with a contemtive nod, seemingly reying the vision he had seen in his mind. He heaved a deep sigh before continuing on. ¡°I know who ¡®Fief Lord¡¯ is.¡± Chapter 153: Our Ancestors’ Romance

Chapter 153: Our Ancestors¡¯ Romance

Regardless of which world or era one was in, the most important job a leader had to fulfill was to build amon sense of identity and a mission for their people. The Ascart House had been working hard on this for the past thousand years now. However, instilling a sense of identity would have to start from within. Most patriarchs would usually leave some sort of heritage item for their descendants as a proof of existence and to pass on their legacy, and the mostmon proof was, of course, their portrait. My son knows what I look like. My grandson knows what I look like. What about my great-grandson and great-great-grandson then? Even the longest living transcendent couldn¡¯t live forever. In order to eternalize their dignified stature, so thatter generations might look upon their visage with reverence(?), the patriarchs of the Ascart House would usually hire an artist to do a portrait of them during their prime¡ªaround 20 to 30 years of age¡ªand these portraits would be stored in the vault. Roel used to look at those portraits often in his younger years. Not reverently, of course. What could a little brat possibly know of respect? Just like most other rascals, the younger Roel had a sharp eye for judging people by their appearances, having once held a ¡®beauty contest¡¯ for the portraits. Of them, there was one particr portrait that left him with the deepest impression. It was the portrait that depicted an ancestor whose name had spread far and wide several centuries ago, Winstor Ascart. Winstor¡¯s Adventure, this was the name of a book that was often read to Roel in his younger years. Later, when he awakened his bloodline, his curiosity about this ancestor, who had also awakened his bloodline too, further deepened. It had been several centuries since Winstor¡¯s era, so it was inevitable that many of the records concerning him were no longer around. Nevertheless, Roel still remembered his face clearly, which was why he could recognize him right away in the vision. ¡°I never thought that ¡®Fief Lord¡¯ would actually be him.¡± Roel swirled the ss of fruit wine in his hand inattentively, causing the ice cubes to clink softly. His mind was currently wandering elsewhere as great curiosity and a slightly ominous premonition gripped his mind. Had ¡®Fief Lord¡¯ been any other patriarch of the Ascart House, Roel wouldn¡¯t have thought much about him joining a transcendent organization. However, given that it was Winstor Ascart they were talking about here, the situation was likely to be far more important than they initially thought. Winstor Ascart was one of the top experts among all humans back in his era, so a transcendent organization he was involved in had to be anything but ordinary. On top of that, a minor detail that Roel noticed suggested that Winstor was not the leader of the organization. In one of the snapshots during the vision, he remembered a bunch of people, split into two sides of a long rectangr table, holding a meeting. Winstor wasn¡¯t sitting on the center seat of the table; on the contrary, he was located further to the end. To be fair, the Winstor in the vision was still very young, presumably around 18 years of age. Nevertheless, ording to historical records, he had already reached Origin Level 3 by then. In the present Sia Continent, there were hardly any Origin Level 1s around anymore, which meant that Origin Level 2s were the most powerful experts at the moment. Prince Wade, whom Roel met previously in the Witness State, was an example of how powerful Origin Level 2 transcendents were. Despite being severely injured and almostpletely drained, he still wielded enough power to turn the tide of battle single-handedly. With this kind of power, one could easily lead an army to expand humankind¡¯s territories! While Origin Level 3s were slightly less impressive, their strength was more than enough to qualify them as generals of major countries. Yet, despite Winstor¡¯s great power, he wasn¡¯t even ranked amongst the top on that long table. On top of that, it would appear that the queen of the then powerful Sofya Kingdom was also a member of the organization. That made it hard to even fathom just how terrifyingly powerful they were. ¡°Just what kind of transcendent organization is it that Winstor would join them?¡± murmured Roel inquisitively. He might have chosen to help Charlotte for her money and goodwill at the start, but right now, he was more motivated than ever to get to the bottom of this mystery. He had a hunch that the truth behind the short lifespans of the awakened members of the Ascart Housey at its root. Were the missing patriarchs assassinated by their enemies, or was it just a coincidence? If there were really enemies out for their lives, who are they? The countless questions floating in Roel¡¯s mind left him feeling frustrated and worried. His brooding appearance swiftly caught Charlotte¡¯s notice. ¡°Roel, what¡¯s wrong? Yourplexion looks awful.¡± ¡°Hm? It¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯m just thinking about the visions we just saw.¡± ¡°Are you talking about the visions of our ancestors joining the Twilight Sages Assembly?¡± ¡°Mm... Ah?¡± Roel was still deep in thought when Charlotte¡¯s words suddenly sank in, and he immediately turned his head over in astonishment, giving the girl a mild shock with his abrupt movement. ¡°Y-you know the organization they were involved in?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw the insignia on their chests during the vision. It was the insignia donned by members of the Twilight Sages Assembly.¡± ¡°What is the Twilight Sages Assembly?¡± The name of the organization carried the strong stench of evil cultists to Roel. Back in his previous world, anything rted to the word, ¡®Twilight¡¯, tended to be nothing good, especially when it came to organizations. Nine out of ten organizations with ¡®Twilight¡¯ in the name viewed the destruction of the world to be their calling. My ancestor can¡¯t be an evil cultist, right?, Roel wondered worriedly. On the other hand, Charlotte didn¡¯t appear too affected by this realization. She set aside the pillow she had been clutching to reveal her face, and after a moment to gather her thoughts, she answered hesitantly. ¡°My knowledge of this organization is limited to only its name and insignia. As for how I came to know about it... Well, as you know, the Sorofyas¡¯ intelligencework is second to none in the whole of Sia. Since our martial strength iscking, we have been pursuing close rtions with plenty of transcendent houses, and one of them is the renowned house of assassins, the Karash House...¡± As Charlotte spoke, Roel continued swirling his wine ss lightly while listening attentively to Charlotte¡¯s story. Soon, he came to understand what was going on, and there was one particr piece of information that stood out to him. The Karash House was not to be trifled with. The Karash House used to be known as the world¡¯s strongest assassin house, their reputation on par with Hassan-i Sabbah in Roel¡¯s previous life. However, instead of being a religious group¡¯s Order of Assassins, assassination was more of an art form that was part of their heritage. It was rumored that the Karash House¡¯s Origin Attribute was something rted to assassination. WIth their arts passed down and refined through the generations, their long-established business naturally received plenty of good reviews from its customers. However, it was a particrly talented individual of the Karash House that brought about its rise to fame. That person was the patriarch of the Karash House in his era. As an assassin, it was only normal for him to receive requests, but no one could have imagined that he would actually ept a request to assassinate the crown prince of the Austine Royal Family. And what was even more shocking was that he actually seeded. To be fair, this usually wouldn¡¯t be anything huge to the Austine Empire because its emperors tended to be really good at sowing seeds, so it was not too tough to find a recement for him. However, the situation was a little peculiar this time. Namely, the crown prince who was assassinated wasn¡¯t just any normal crown prince¡ªhe had been holding onto his position for 40 years now. The old emperor was already ailing and on the verge of death, which meant that the crown prince had lost his life right before he was about to be inaugurated. Was there any greater tragedy than that? As history had shown, there was. The sudden death of the crown prince brought about an unexpected opening for the crown, which led to many ambitious factions making a move in a bid for power. As a result, the Austine Empire descended into an internal war thatsted for ten whole years, emptying out its coffers and weakening its overall military strength. For the next few decades toe, it was too busy licking its wounds to continue annexing any weak nearby neighbors, and that led to a massive change in the political climate of the Sia Continent. The Karash House rose to fame in that battle, and it was deemed as the Uncrowned King of Assassins for the next few generations toe. However, its glory was doomed to be fleeting. The kill order the Austine Empire had set on the Karash House led to its eventual decline. As soon as Rosa sessfully broke away from Austine and established their merchant confederacy, they immediately pounced into the embrace of the Sorofyas seeking asylum. The Karash House, by that point, was already nothing worthy of note, consisting of just the remnants of the defeated. Nevertheless, they were still able to provide plenty of inside information regarding the past. One piece of traded knowledge was the reason why they had chosen to assassinate Austine¡¯s crown prince back then. ¡°ording to the records of the Karash House, their ancestor was a member of a transcendent organization known as the Twilight Sages Assembly. That assassination was a mission from the Assembly, and the insignia of the Assembly is the same as what I saw in the vision earlier.¡± ¡°I see. Does the Assembly still exist?¡± ¡°They have long ceased to exist. The evidence lies in the downfall of the Karash House. Considering the huge sacrifice they made in this mission, the Assembly should have protected them from the wrath of the Austine Empire. Yet, several centuries ago, the support given to the Karash House suddenly came to a halt, and ever since then, the Assembly hasn¡¯t gotten in contact with them again.¡± Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot upward in response. Larger transcendent organizations tended to be protective of their members, especially those who had contributed greatly. Needless to say, no one would dare to put their lives on the line for an organization that couldn¡¯t or wouldn¡¯t offer protection. With members ranging from the queen of the Sofya Kingdom, Winstor Ascart, to the Uncrowned King of Assassins, Karash House, the Twilight Sages Assembly clearly possessed tremendous prowess. It was so powerful that it was capable of pulling off an assassination on a member of the Austine Royal Family. So, how in the world did such an organization suddenly vanish into thin air? Such a powerful, secret organization couldn¡¯t just be disbanded. There were simply too many interests at stake, given the members involved in it. If so, that only left one possibility. It was eradicated. ¡°... It feels like the mystery is only growing deeper. What does ¡®Egg¡¯ in the letter refer to then? Also, what¡¯s the goal of the organization Winstor and the rest were involved with? There are still many unanswered questions here.¡± ¡°Indeed... However, we did receive quite some important information here too, no?¡± ¡°Hm? And that is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m referring to the rtionship between Queen Isabe and Mister Winstor.¡± Suddenly feeling incredibly shy, Charlotte snatched up her pillow and hugged it tightly once more. She looked at Roel with a reddened face. ¡°I think that they are a couple.¡± ¡°... That does seem to be the case. Hahaha, what a coincidence.¡± ¡°I-indeed.¡± ¡°...¡± A bizarre atmosphere drifted into the room, lingering over Roel and Charlotte. Their ancestors were a romantic couple, and the two of them were an engaged couple now. Even though there were several centuries separating them, such a coincidence should be rather umon in the world. It felt like fate had crept-up on them from the past, silently shrouding the two of them. Charlotte felt her mind fuzzing out as her heart thumped harder and harder to the point that it was starting to hurt a little. She had no idea just what was happening to her at the moment. On the other hand, Roel was taking sips of his wine a little too often, hoping to use the chilled alcohol to calm his raging heart. Silence persisted between the two of them as the atmosphere grew weirder and weirder. The feverish shouts that could vaguely be heard from the party outside suddenly sounded a little too jarring. ¡°L-let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± After a long hesitation, Charlotte finally overcame her frayed nerves and spoke up shyly. Chapter 154: A Fuzzy Dream

Chapter 154: A Fuzzy Dream

Upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words, Roel instinctively shot a nce at the beautiful girl sitting on the bed, coyly half-hiding behind a pillow, and he immediately felt a surge of heat racing through his body. Self-awareness was a virtue that all humans should have, but Roel felt that Charlotte was really acting too dense at this moment. Had there been an impromptu examination on the subject, she would have failed horrendously. To be sitting on the bed dressed in such a manner while saying such words with such an expression... Is she trying to invite me? Roel shot a cold re at Charlotte, and to her credit, thetter immediately noticed the mistake in the way she expressed herself. She quickly corrected herself in a fluster. ¡°I-I was saying that we ought to rest. I didn¡¯t mean it that way...¡± ¡°Yes, I know. I¡¯ll go and sleep on the sofa. You should quickly turn in for the night.¡± Roel stood up to walk out of the bedroom, but unexpectedly, he felt a tug pulling him back. He turned around and saw an auburn-haired girl holding onto the hem of his shirt. ¡°How can you rest properly on the sofa? T-this bed is wide enough for two. It¡¯ll be fine as long as we just take a side each!¡± Those words were spoken with a meek voice. Having never seen anyone sleeping on the sofa before, it was beyond Charlotte¡¯s imagination to fathom that the furniture could even be slept on. Besides, Roel was both the sessor of the Ascart House and her fianc¨¦, which made it even more inappropriate for her to allow him to sleep on such a thing. Of course, these were just extrinsic reasons. There was a more intrinsic reason why Charlotte had chosen to stop him¡ªit was an order from her heart. There were two reasons why she hade to this ce today. One, she wished to reward Roel¡¯s hard work over the past few days and give him a short break. Two, she wanted to free herself from the restraints she had shackled herself with, the lingering desires that continued to gue her since her childhood. It wasn¡¯t as easy as it looked for her to face her trauma. Her heart still ached from the loss and great disappointment she felt. Even if their rtionship was cially cold, no child could sever her ties with her mother lightly. Her act of confiding in Roel was her way of venting her emotions and liberating herself. But unexpectedly, it had triggered Roel¡¯s feelings of indignance and sympathy. When he incubated the most beautiful butterfly of the night and affirmed the path she had walked on alone all of these years, she felt something long suppressed in the depths of her hearte gushing out irrepressibly. It was the feeling of loneliness she had tried to mp down again and again over the years. It was her weakness that she had tried to conceal with a strong front before others. It was the cold windows of winter and the lone shadow of summer. When that butterfly unfurled its golden wings emzoned with the insignia of a rose, Charlotte felt like she had been liberated too. For a moment there, she felt like Roel was her kin, as if they were oldpanions who had been together for many years. Her rational self swiftly pulled her out of her daze, but that sensation still lingered in her heart, as if it was deeply imprinted there. Had it been in the past, Charlotte would have never approved of spending the night in the same room as Roel. But now, the thought of having him sleep on the sofa pained her inexplicably. While Charlotte was losing control of her emotions, dealing with all of these unfamiliar feelings never before experienced, Roel was having trouble trying to hold himself back physiologically. Perhaps it was because she knew that she was going to meet her mother here, Charlotte had chosen to dress boldly. It was her symbolic protest toward the conservative Austine Empire and the toxic values they stood for. Regardless of why, it made her already fatal charm even more lethal. In order to grab the hem of Roel¡¯s clothes, Charlotte had to move her pillow aside and lurch forward, causing her body to plop down on the bed. Herrge, misty emerald eyes were looking up at him, drawing him in. The alcohol is a little too strong. Roel quickly found an excuse for himself. He thought that he had gained immunity toward beautiful women after having seen Alicia and Nora day after day for the past three years. Yet, he had never felt such a way before. It wasn¡¯t just about Charlotte¡¯s outer appearance; her pure, innocent eyes, which were at odds with her usual sharp, intelligent look, were also frighteningly powerful too. Most importantly of all, her Origin Attribute was currently furiously stoking Roel¡¯s darkest desires. The Sorofyas was arge noble house with many family members, and most of them chose to adopt the Three Main Origin Attributes. However, those who possessed a greater degree of the High Elf Bloodline, especially Charlotte who had undergone the ¡®Restoration of Primordial Bloodline¡¯, would adopt the Sorofyas¡¯ unique Origin Attribute instead. The Loyal Origin Attribute. Simr to the other Origin Attributes of the Sia Continent, the Sorofyas¡¯ Loyal Origin Attribute grew through aligning one¡¯s actions with the quintessence of the Origin Attribute. However, as the Sorofyas were rulers themselves, the concept of loyalty for them mostly applied to their own family and faith. However, for the women of the Sorofya House, loyalty took on a different meaning when they got married. Its focus would shift from the Sorofya House as a whole to the family they built together with their spouse. In other words, they would be devoted to their husband, unyielding even to their death. Even the most stubborn mule couldn¡¯t hold a candle to them. This trait had be the source of tragedy for many daughters of the Sorofyas¡¯. There were many nobles on the Sia Continent, but once a daughter of the Sorofyas¡¯ chose the wrong person, they were bound to a life of misery. This was also why Charlotte was so afraid of getting married. It was a path of no retreat for her. Roel could understand where she wasing from, but in a twisted manner, it also incited a man¡¯s desire to possess. If he could ensnare this innocent girl who had no experience with love whatsoever, he would have a lover who would never turn her back on him. Perfect loyalty¡ªthese words carried some kind of sorcery that made Roel¡¯s mind overheat. In the materialistic world of the circle of nobility, where debauchery wasmon, having a virtuous spouse who was solely devoted to one was the dream. At this critical moment, the reddened Roel quickly summoned his mana and cast two spells on himself with a wave of his hand. ¡¾Cold-blooded Animal Corrects your thoughts with rationality, greatly reducing the chances of reckless decision-making in the spur of a moment.¡¿ ¡¾Stiff Skin Hardens your body to be as hard as stone. The side effects are also apparent¡ªwhat has already turned stiff cannot possibly expand.¡¿ One of the spells was to lower the heat, and the other one was to forcefully restrain his own body. Under the effects of the two spells, Roel shuddered a little as he lowered his head to look at Charlotte once more. Then, all of a sudden, he lurched forward. ¡°R-Roel?¡± Roel snatched the pillow from Charlotte¡¯s hand and put it in ce before drawing her into a princess carry andying her down properly on the bed. Then, he pulled the nket over and covered her up snugly. His movements were so swift that Charlotte was left astounded. ¡°Roel, you are...¡± ¡°Sleep.¡± ¡°B-but you...¡± ¡°Listen to me. Sleep.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel patted Charlotte¡¯s head gently as he said those words. His attitude was so gentle that Charlotte found herself at a loss on what to say. She pulled the nket up a little and hid the lower half of her face. After a moment of silence, she finally nodded her head slightly. Seeing that Charlotte was finally listening to him, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. He extinguished the candle by the bedside before awkwardly maneuvering his stiffened body out of the room. It was only after he closed the door behind him that he finally dispelled the two spells he had cast. He had never felt so exhausted physically and mentally before. ¡°Thatss is really a tough one to deal with.¡± Roel scratched his hair as he remarked helplessly to himself. He fell face-down onto the soft sofa in the lounge and thought about the irony of the situation he was in. ¡°For the couple who won the best room for the most brilliant butterfly to actually sleep apart, I guess we¡¯re really one-of-a-kind, huh?¡± muttered Roel to himself. While thinking about everything that happened throughout the day, the profile of an auburn-haired girl inevitably surfaced in his mind as his consciousness began to fade. Before he knew it, he had already fallen into a deep sleep. ... It had been many years since Roel wasst in the world of dreams. This time, he found himself on a journey through a dimly-lit world. His starting point was a teau filled with muddy puddles, as if it had been raining heavily just a moment ago. Bits of greenery dotted thend. There were old trees with branches so long that they curved down to the ground, looking almost like mysterious tentacles. Just like the first time he arrived in this world of dreams, his mind was extremely fuzzy, incapable of formting any rational thought. As if he was a puppet on a string¡ªor maybe he was simply instinctively familiar with this plot ofnd¡ªhis body began marching forward on its own ord. Weirdly enough, his movements were extremely precise, as if it had been carefully programmed beforehand. Not once did his feet sink into the puddles of mud despite his unthinking movements. He walked on and on, stepping across nascent des of grass, as well as the massive yet soft bodies of copsed tree trunks. Time seemed to be a nonexistent concept here, and gradually, his sense of distance began to fade as well. From time to time, he would encounter some enormous boulders that towered like small hills on the ground, and these boulders becamendmarks that gave him a slight sense of progression. However, no matter how long he walked for, the sky still remained dim, not showing any hints of the passing of time at all. He continued walking in such a mindless manner for an unknowable amount of time. He eventually arrived in the depths of a cluster of mountains, and beneath the shadows of the cliff, he found himself standing before a golden-haired woman sitting upon a golden throne. The golden-haired woman slowly opened her eyes, revealing orange, catlike irises. Roel felt as if his head had been dunked into the bottom of an icy sea all of a sudden, causing his senses to swiftly return to him. He soon regained control over his body once more. ¡°I never thought someone would be able to find me here.¡± A cool, feminine voice sounded in Roel¡¯s ears. There was hardly any fluctuation in her tone, but her words expressed surprise. However, that was soon reced with disappointment. ¡°A child?¡± It was a mutter that sounded no different from a sigh. She gazed at Roel with a hint of exasperation. It would appear that Roel¡¯s childlike appearance didn¡¯t induce much confidence in her. However, her curiosity was still piqued. ¡°A person as young as you was able to reach me, it looks like you¡¯re quite a remarkable prodigy. However, the prodigies that have emerged over the past thousand years are as numerous as the stars in the sky, but most of them quickly end up dead. ¡°Just try to survive, won¡¯t you? At least, until our next meeting.¡± After saying those words, the woman closed her eyes once more, and Roel fell back into a deep sleep too. Chapter 155: I Am Quite Strong

Chapter 155: I Am Quite Strong

¡°Kingmaker...¡± A hoarse yet familiar voice echoed in Roel¡¯s ears, rousing his consciousness. Shaking. The whole world was shaking. This was what Roel felt in his dazed, half-awake state. Fatigue assaulted his body, leaving him so lethargic that he felt like he had just run a full marathon. His eyelids were so heavy that he could hardly open them, but his surroundings were jarringly noisy. He could hear shouting around him¡ªa lot of shoutinging from many different people. Most of them had the gruffness of a man¡¯s voice. At the same time, he also heard the sound of objects falling relentlessly on wooden nks. Other than that, there was also a ¡®spltch spltch¡¯ noise that Roel often used to hear from hisputer in his previous life. To use more exact terms, it sounded like someone was stepping on some sort of viscous fluid. There were also some sounds Roel was familiar with. One of them was the reverberation produced when two metallic objects collided with one another, and the other one was the sound of a weapon tearing through flesh. These were sounds usually produced in war. Wait a moment, war? As the word shed across Roel¡¯s mind, he immediately opened his eyes, only to find that his surroundings werepletely dark. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± Roel was confused by the epassing darkness, and it made him feel uneasy. The ground beneath him felt cold to the touch. He tried his best to rise to his feet, only for a sudden quake to send him tumbling back down. It was a failed attempt, but it did provide Roel with some information. Darkness, shaking, things falling onto the wooden ground, battle cries above him, and the sound of waves¡ªRoel swiftly understood the significance of all of these elementsbined. He had experienced this once before, after all. Not to mention, there was also something else directly informing him about the situation he was in. ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾The System has detected the symptoms of bloodline awakening.¡¿ ¡¾Bloodline Awakening Support System activating...¡¿ ¡¾Activating the Witness State.¡¿ ¡¾Adventure and freedom, war and sacrifice. Like the relentless waves, they are stubborn and unyielding. The cracks on the gemstone linger, and gold shall sink in the depths of the ocean. ¡¿ ¡¾Countdown to the end of the Witness State: 119 hours 17 minutes¡¿ ¡¾Progress of Bloodline Awakening: 11%¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation: Low (6)¡¿ ¡°As I expected!¡± Roel massaged his forehead as he looked at his System interface. Based on the description from the System, he already had a good idea where he was. The Golden Fleet. ¡°Is it five days this time around?¡± Actually, Roel was delighted with the current turn of affairs. The overwhelming load of questions he had surrounding the Golden Fleet and the Twilight Sages Assembly had been eating away at his mind. What were the goals of those organizations? What were Winstor Ascart and the Ascart House¡¯s ce in the Assembly? Who were the enemies? Who were the friends? Roel waspletely clueless, and he was anxious to get some answers. There was another notification from the System that caught his attention too. ¡¾Peytra¡¯s Blessing A great existence bears great expectations for you. She has offered you a blessing for your survival. Effects: Enhances all attributes for the next three minutes. The degree of enhancement differs depending on the attribute of the user¡¯s mana. Remaining Uses: 1¡¿ ¡°Peytra... That¡¯s the name of that woman, right?¡± Roel muttered under his breath. His thoughts went back to the golden-haired woman with slit, catlike eyes. Even though his memories regarding her were very vague, he could still remember the unease he felt in her presence. If ¡®majesty¡¯ was the impression Grandar had left him with on their first meeting, the impression Peytra had left him with was ¡®enigmatic¡¯. Roel could tell that Peytra was an extremely powerful existence, but he couldn¡¯t urately gauge the extent of her strength. It was only fortunate that she bore no ill-will toward him. Based on Roel¡¯s theory of ¡®summoning heroic spirits¡¯, the meeting between him and Peytra should be a coincidence too. Or perhaps, it might be because they hadplementary personalities with one another. This piece of history was clearly fraught with dangers, so it was a relief to have her assistance, especially in the current situation he was in. Boom! Another explosion sounded from the deck above, followed by cries of agony. The intense shaking left Roel with no choice but to lower his body once more, but unexpectedly, this action caused him to bump into a familiar, soft body. ¡°Ah?¡± Roel¡¯s mind went momentarily nk. An incredibly ominous feeling arose in his heart as he hurriedly turned his head toward the sensation. A quick channeling of mana to his hand produced some dim luminescence that barely lit up the inky darkness. Just as he had expected, a familiar face came into view. ¡°Damn it!¡± Roel suddenly felt a migraine setting in. He stared at the auburn-haired girl by his side in frustration and regret. While Roel was filled with great expectations for this Witness State, he was also equally afraid of it too. Having apanion would doubtlessly be a great reassurance to him, but he could hardly bring himself to feel that way if thepanion was Charlotte. It was not that Charlotte was weak or a burden, but that he couldn¡¯t stand the notion of putting her into danger together with him. He did bring Nora into the Witness State together with him the previous time, but they were in the middle of a confrontation with Peter Kater back then, so it could still be reasoned as a means of escape. However, this time around, Charlotte got embroiled in it for no good reason at all. Charlotte was a person who belonged to high society. She was the star of the fashion world and highlight of any social gatherings, the business prodigy who could influence the world¡¯s economy. The battlefield was definitely not a ce where she belonged, and it was far too dangerous for her. Roel stared at the unconscious figure before him with pangs of guilt in his heart, but there was nothing he could do about it anymore. So, he propped her up from the cold wooden floor and began inspecting her body for injuries. Yes, everything looks fine... Wait, that¡¯s not right! The heat returned to his body once more, faster than he could have imagined. He quickly shook his head and snapped out of his daze. ¡°Charlotte! Charlotte, wake up!¡± After ensuring that she was uninjured and her heartbeat and pulse were normal, he began shaking her body to wake her up. Most likely, she had only fallen unconscious due to the impact of entering the Witness State, simr to what had happened to him. He continued shaking her for a while before her eyes finally fluttered open lightly. ¡°Roel?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. How are you feeling at the moment?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still fine. Wait a moment, where is this ce?¡± ¡°We should be in a ship¡¯s hold at the moment.¡± ¡°A ship¡¯s hold?¡± Facing a confused auburn-haired girl still a little dazed from waking up in an unfamiliar environment, Roel gulped down his saliva and added. ¡°To be more exact, I believe that we¡¯re in the hold of one of the Golden Fleet¡¯s ships.¡± ... A few minutester, in the darkness they were in, to a noisy, warlike background noise, Roel quickly exined the circumstances they were in, which left Charlotte dumbfounded. ¡°The Ascart Bloodline... is actually capable of something like this?¡± ¡°It is. I have been through this once before, but there were many times that I only survived by the skin of my teeth.¡± Just recalling the journey to the past he had at Holy Capital Loren left him feeling a little heavy on the inside. He looked at Charlotte and spoke with a conflicted tone. ¡°This power is extremely dangerous, and I¡¯m unable to fully control it. I didn¡¯t think that I would implicate you as well... I¡¯m sorry, Charlotte.¡± With remorse in his golden eyes, Roel offered a sincere apology. Charlotte remained silent for a moment as she listened to the sh of weapons and cries of agony sounding above her, and her face couldn¡¯t help but pale a little. Her hands had long clenched into fists out of nervousness. Yet, despite so, she had no intentions of sumbing to her weakness. ¡°You aren¡¯t to me for this. If we really have to ord responsibility for this matter, I was the one who hired you to investigate the Golden Fleet in the first ce. You are only fulfilling your side of the agreement.¡± Charlotte took a few breaths to calm herself down first, before proceeding on to confirm the magic tools she had on hand. ¡°Your ability is exactly what we needed. We won¡¯t get a better opportunity than this to uncover the secrets behind the Golden Fleet. You need not think too much into it; you¡¯re only fulfilling the request I had made. If anyone should apologize, I should be the one to do so. It was I who implicated you.¡± Roel stared at Charlotte in surprise. He didn¡¯t expect her to absolve him entirely of me. It made him feel so moved that he began fumbling over his words. ¡°No, I-I...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Charlotte took out the pendant hanging around her neck and the ring she wore on her finger before squeezing out a smile at Roel. It was quite a forced smile, possibly the most awful one she had ever shown to him. Yet, it was such an expression that made his heart thump wildly. He raised his hand in front of him to cover his view of her for a moment as he grumbled helplessly. ¡°What are you talking about? During times like this, I should be the one to...¡± Boom! Roel¡¯s words were cut short by an explosion. Unlike those before, this explosion had happened in their vicinity¡ªa part of the deck right above the pair¡¯s heads had been directly sted open by the ongoing battle. The muffled noises outside suddenly grew much clearer as a ray of light crept into the ship¡¯s hold. At the same time, a silhouette fell through the hole as well. Roel and Charlotte immediately darted toward the corner when the explosion urred, but soon, they realized an anomaly. The silhouette that had fallen in was thrashing about quite a bit. Under the ray of sunlight shining in, the two of them saw a humanoid creature with the face of a fish crawling up from the ground. Fresh blood was flowing from its body, an indication that it was injured. As it raised its head, the creature happened to catch sight of the two youths hiding in the corner, staring at it in bewilderment. Gblu! The creature let out a bizarre cry, seemingly excited to have encountered human younglings. The mana shrouding its body suddenly intensified as it opened its mouth wide, revealing three rows of dagger-like teeth. This creepy image left Charlotte¡¯s facepletely pale. She took a step forward with her trembling body as she raised the glowing ring in her hand. ¡°Roel, be careful...¡± From the moment this mysterious creature appeared before their eyes, Charlotte¡¯s wariness had already been heightened to the max. The pressure she felt from the creature gave a rough gauge of how powerful it was¡ªit was roughly equivalent to an Origin Level 5 transcendent¡ªbut she couldn¡¯t be sure whether it possessed any special means or not... While she was channeling her mana in preparation to curb the creature, another person wrapped in crimson mana had already darted forth from her side. Roel closed the distance swiftly with his body lowered toward the ground to reduce air resistance. It took only the blink of an eye for him to reach the 2 meters tall humanoid. He hurled his fist forward, and the crimson mana produced a powerful shockwave that sted the creature¡¯s head all the way into the wall of the ship¡¯s hold. Pah! With a crisp sound, the fishlike head of the creature exploded like a smashed watermelon, and its viscous brain matter sttered all over the ground. Its uninjured lower body convulsed under the rays of the sun before copsing to the ground. From start to end, it never even had a chance to brandish its sharp ws at them. Charlotte halted her spell as she stared at the fallen enemy with her jaw dropped. It was also then that Roel turned around and happened to meet her eyes. ¡°Well... I¡¯m actually pretty strong myself.¡± Standing right beside the creature¡¯s carcass, Roel scratched his cheek as he spoke. ¡ª Starve¡¯s Simple Ship Glossary: Chapter 156: Not a Burden

Chapter 156: Not a Burden

How powerful was Roel? Hardly anyone had the answer to that. Whether it was Alicia, Carter, or Anna, no one in the Ascart House had ever seen him make a move before. The strong army of guards constantly patroling around to ensure his safety made Charlotte misunderstand that Roel was a weak academic. In truth, there was no way someone who was contracted with Grandar could be weak. Roel had grown greatly over thest two years under Grandar¡¯s tutge. He was no longer the same person he used to be. Aside from the fact that he had reached the pinnacle of Origin Level 5, just his Crown Origin Attribute made him stronger than his fellow peers. His mana was more condensed, and he was able to channel it faster than others. On top of that, the Crown Origin Attribute also had its unique trait too. ¡¾Remation of Glory A warrior from ancient times has returned. A power that has vanished, after passing down from hand to hand, finally returns to its homnd.¡¿ ... The System¡¯s description was useless, as usual, but anyway, the Crown Origin Attribute allowed him to tap into the power of the ancient being he had contracted with to a certain degree. That meant that he could utilize Grandar¡¯s Strength Origin Attribute and some of his undead reanimation spells. Overwhelming raw strength was actually extremely terrifying in battle. Whenplemented by Roel¡¯s spells, it turned him into a nightmare for his enemies. The creature, by the standards of human transcendents power level, was at least at Origin Level 5, but Roel was able to crush its head with just a single strike. ¡°I¡¯m able to protect myself, and as your fianc¨¦ and the one who opened up the path to this fragment of history, I¡¯m obliged to protect you too.¡± ¡°B-but...¡± ¡°My apologies, but I don¡¯t intend to open up this matter to discussion... Furthermore, it isn¡¯t a good time for discussion either. These creatures appear to be Scalemen from the Scale Tribe. This ship has been attacked by the Seafolk, and it doesn¡¯t look like things are going well for them at the moment.¡± Roel raised his hand and halted Charlotte¡¯s words. He nced up to look through the hole on the deck, where silhouettes could be seen swiftly flitting by, and he gained a rough idea about the current circumstances they were in. Logically speaking, their more likely allies here should be the humans, and the invading Seafolk was their enemies. Unfortunately, of the seven or so humanoid figures rushing past the hole peering onto the deck, he noticed that only two of them were humans. Also, very few of theprehensible shouts sounded human. Piecing all of this evidence together... Crap, we¡¯re going to lose! At this thought shed across his mind, Roel felt his heart sinking into the depth of the abyss. They were in the middle of the sea right now¡ªeven a fool could tell that the Seafolk would have the advantage here! If this ship were to copse, both he and Charlotte would be done for! ¡°Quick! Before the humans here die out, we must protect this ship!¡± Roel shouted at Charlotte before rushing through the hole and onto the deck, where the battle was still ongoing. Charlotte had also realized the precariousness of the situation by now, and she quickly did the same. As they were climbed out of the hold, the light before them expandedrger andrger till, atst, they found themselves standing before an expansive view of the sea, as well as the full reveal of the battlefield. The sight of the scene brought a jolt to both of their hearts, stiffening their bodies and ckening their jaws. The ship was cruising through incredibly choppy waters. Huge waves were rising and crashing down one after another, and countless sea creatures with chilling yellow eyes were rising out of the waters to invade a fleet of ships. The men and women on the ships were desperately brandishing their swords to cut down the creatures with furious roars. There was a gigantic monster partially concealed within the waters wrapping its tentacles, which were as huge as towers, around the ships. A blood-curdling cry could be heard from the depths beneath the waves. However, those ships weren¡¯t going down without a fight either. Powerful pulsations of mana rippled as the transcendents onboard gathered their power and shot concentrated beams into the brine, raising huge waves in their wake. Be it the furious roars of the humans, the cries of the sea creatures, the explosions of cannons, or the shrieks of the underwater monstrosity, this overload of sensory information overwhelmed the heads of the duo, leaving them momentarily stunned. Roel quickly snapped out of his shocked state to reassess their current circumstances. At the same time, Charlotte¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Be careful!¡± Following her sharp warning, two sea creatures covered in scales began charging their way. In Roel¡¯s narrowed eyes, the Cmity of Bloodshed had activated,beling their names in dark red. ¡¾Soldier of the Scale Tribe #%@*¡¿ ¡¾Soldier of the Scale Tribe *&%#¡¿ The dark red names were a clear indication that they were enemies. This time around, however, it was Charlotte who made a move. ¡°Jewel Trigger!¡± The auburn-haired girl gently stroked the exquisite ring on her finger, and the ring began expanding and transforming amidst a brilliant radiance, turning into a delicate gun-like magic tool. It seemed more like a phantasmagoric artwork made out of expensive, beautiful ores than a gun, and it was slotted with colorful gemstones instead of bullets. It glistened with shimmering light, which, unbeknownst to outsiders, was actually the blessing of the Death God. Jewel Trigger. This was a legendary magic tool passed down through the Sorofyas¡¯ lineage. Simr to the Theocracy¡¯s Twelve Wings, Jewel Trigger was one of the greatest creations toe out of the ancient era. Famed to be a relic of the high elves, it was capable of shooting out any kind of magic. ¡°Ruby Slot!¡± Charlotte raised her magic tool upward. Without even bothering to aim, she nonchntly pulled the trigger, producing a euphonic trill. Krng! The ruby immediately dissipated into a burst of light that pierced right through the crimson hearts of the two enemies before them. ¡°Uwok uwok!¡± ¡°Gah! The two sea creatures were still on a defensive stance when their bodies were struck. A desperate cry escaped from their mouths as they clutched their own chests. Blood spurted out from their mouths, and they copsed to the deck. Their brilliant yellow irises gradually dimmed into darkness. Till death, they couldn¡¯t understand what happened to them. ¡°Indeed, these sea creatures have low immunity toward Curse Magic!¡± Having discovered the Scale Tribe¡¯s weakness, Charlotte¡¯s morale rose a little. At the same time, Roel noticed that there were some changes in the values in the System. ¡¾Evaluation: 7 (Low)¡¿ ¡°!¡± It¡¯s actually possible to raise my evaluation by killing these creatures? On top of that, Charlotte¡¯s kills count too? Roel slowly turned his attention back to the battlefield, but this time around, his eyes were filled with zeal. If he had thought of these Scalemen as a threat to his life earlier, right now, they looked more like moving experience packs to him now. You bunch of dumb saltwater fishes, die for my bloodline awakening! Gahahaha! I¡¯ll knock your gills out of your faces! Crimson mana began pouring out of Roel¡¯s body as he scanned the area intently. Soon, he found the center of the battlefield, where a group of humans were struggling against over a hundred Scalemen. The defense line built up by the humans was on the verge of copsing at any moment. ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯ll be heading over to that side. You should find a ce to hide...¡± ¡°Mister Roel, please do not misunderstand. I¡¯m not your baggage but your fianc¨¦e.¡± Charlotte narrowed her emerald eyes in discontentment as she took a step forward. She fiddled with the beautiful gun in her hand as she spoke with a voice filled with determination. ¡°Leave your back to me.¡± Chapter 157: Ray of Hope

Chapter 157: Ray of Hope

Captain Jeff had a strong feeling that this would be thest day of his life. He was already in his fifties, as evidenced by the grey hairs sprouting from his head. He had a short stature and a scruffy appearance, and he wore clothes typical of a seaman. It would have been easy to mistake him for a humble swabbie, but in truth, he was a powerful Origin Level 3 transcendent. The ship he was working on was no ordinary ship either¡ªit belonged to the prestigious Golden Fleet of the Sofya Kingdom. It was known far and wide to have conquered the seas of West Sia, before the other migrants of Ancient Austine had even managed to grasp a proper foothold on this newnd yet. The Golden Fleet could be divided into three tiers, and Jeff was the captain of the tier-1 vice gship, SS Saint Paul. Without a doubt, he was one of the most influential figures in the Golden Fleet. Yet, the current situation left him in despair. The Deepsea Scalemen were the archnemeses of the Golden Fleet. The fleet actually had the experience and ability to deal with these darned saltwater fishes, but the internal fight they had not long ago caused them to lose one of the vice-captains of SS Saint Paul, resulting in the ship losing some of its functions. In the Golden Fleet, it was nothing much for the captain to charge to the frontlines and get injured. While it could affect the crew¡¯s morale if something were to happen to the captain, there was no big harm as long as the captain didn¡¯t sustain severe injuries or die. However, the two vice-captains, inparison, yed a far more vital role. The vice-captains of the Golden Fleet were all possessors of the High Elf Bloodline. They might not be powerful individually, but they held the keys to the magic tools on the ships. The foundation of the Golden Fleety in the lost technologies of the high elves. The magic tools created using these technologies could only be activated by those who bear the bloodline of the Sofya House, which meant that the vice-captains were strategic resources to the fleet. Without them, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tap into the true prowess of the Golden Fleet. The vice-captains were usually tucked safely away in the Control Room, but during an internal conflict a while ago, one of the vice-captains defected to the rebels and injured the other vice-captain, resulting in the severe weakening of the barrier around the Control Room. While they managed to emerge victorious in that battle, no one could have imagined that this mishap would bring about a catastrophe to them now. ¡°Damn it!¡± Jeff stabbed both of his hands into the chest of one of therger Origin Level 3 Scaleman Generals, and with a furious roar, he ripped the body in twain. Blood sttered all around, dyeing the middle-aged man red. He looked at the astonished expression on the dying Scaleman General as he shook his head. I might be a sucker in the water, but you¡¯re a sucker onnd. Jeff exhaled carefully as he clutched the gaping hole in his abdomen. Bearing with the excruciating pain, he turned to the crewmates around him and asked. ¡°How¡¯s Vice-Captain Laure?¡± ¡°Captain Jeff, Vice-Captain Laure... is already on his dying breath.¡± When the blood-covered ship doctor said those words, the faces of all of the crewmates crumbled. A stifling silence suddenly broke out amidst this cacophonous battlefield. Vice-Captain Laure¡¯s death meant that their ship would stop operating. All of the installed magic tools that were protecting them thus far would be deactivated, and the outer electric surrounding the ship would dissipate as well. By then, their enemies wouldn¡¯t just be the elites of the Scale Tribe but the countless monsters lurking in the vast sea. ¡°How much longer can the electric hold out for?¡± ¡°Around 10 minutes.¡± ¡°10 minutes, huh?¡± Jeff muttered to himself as he watched the younger crewmates who were putting in their all to fend off the invading Scalemen. As someone who had been venturing on the seas half his life, he had already made his peace with death. It was just that he couldn¡¯t help but find it a pity that all of these young men would be apanying him too... A gloomy heaviness weighed the man¡¯s heart down. He moved swiftly toward the copsed young man before him, bent down, and looked him in the eyes. ¡°Laure, just hold on for another 10 minutes. We¡¯ll drag a few more of them down with us. Then, you can activate the Golden Soul to bring that huge bastard out there down with us. Let¡¯s leave together with a bang.¡± The young man, Laure, had arge portion of his chest ripped out, and his consciousness was already starting to fade. Nevertheless, Jeff¡¯s order still made him widen his eyes a little. Despite already standing before death¡¯s door, a slight glow returned to his eyes. A slightly proud smile surfaced on his lips. ¡°... Leave it to me, Captain,¡± Laure promised weakly. Seeing how the young ones were fulfilling their duty despite already being in their final moments, Jeff couldn¡¯t help butugh heartily. He took a look around him, but all he saw were calm faces. His crew had already buried their fears deep in their hearts, resolving themselves for death. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,ds.¡± ¡°Capt¡¯n, it¡¯s all that traitor and these hideous fishes¡¯ fault. It has nothing to do with you!¡± ¡°It¡¯s our final battle. I¡¯ll cover for you all this onest time!¡± The crewmates chuckled amongst themselves as they followed Jeff up to the frontline. The old captain took in a deep breath and buried his sorrow in the depths of his heart. The only thing he could do now was to kill as many enemies as he could so as to reduce the pressure on his allies. The crewmates also drew their swords and raised their axes as they resolved themselves to fight to their dying breath. However, before they could do anything, a loud explosion suddenly sounded ahead of them. ¡°Capt¡¯n! That is...¡± One of the crewmates pointed ahead and eximed loudly. Jeff also raised his head to take a closer look, only to widen his eyes at the next moment. A massive crimson giant had suddenly appeared behind the Scalemen¡¯s formation, unleashing havoc upon them. ... ¡°Ahhhh!¡± At the back of the Scalemen¡¯s formation, Roel, together with the humongous crimson skeleton behind him, released a ferocious roar. Channeling his crimson mana into his fists, the two of them raised their fists with perfect synchronicity and smashed them down upon the hordes of Scalemen surrounding them. Puchi! The skeleton¡¯s offense was unstoppable. Even an Origin Level 4 Scaleman Officer was reduced to minced meat before its might right away! As the gigantic fists continued to rain down, the sound of exploding bodies and sttering blood echoed loudly on the deck, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s that? It¡¯s incredible!¡± ¡°The skeleton is fighting those fish bastards? No, wait a moment, there¡¯s someone in there!¡± ¡°Is he an ally?¡± ¡°Like hell we would have allies in this godforsaken ce!¡± Jeff watched raptly with twitching lips, his eyes filled with inconceble astonishment. Even he dared not im that he would be able to fend against the pure force of that humongous crimson skeleton! He focused his gaze at the center of the skeleton, and he noticed that there was actually a ck-haired human boy inside. ¡°A child? How could there be a child on my ship? Wait a moment, those clothes... Is he a noble? He looks like a rich kid who snuck away from home.¡± Looking at the small silhouette fighting bravely against the enemies, Jeff couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. It was truly shocking that the boy actually wielded such frightening fighting prowess despite his young age. Had it been possible, he would have surely done his best to ensure the young boy¡¯s safety. However, there was no way to turn things around anymore. SS Saint Paul¡¯s downfall was already inevitable. However, what he witnessed right after made Jeff and the other crewmates widen their eyes in astonishment. With a single powerful strike, the boy cleared away all enemies before him! However, this was not enough to reverse the tide. Not a second after the boy released that punch, another ten Scalemen were already creeping up on him from behind. To make things worse, the boy appeared to be oblivious to it, which left the crewmates feeling even more nervous. They shouted desperately to warn the boy. At this critical moment though, a beautiful girl dressed in a red gown suddenly appeared behind him. Holding an ornate gun in hand, she shot out a burst of blue light. Halfway through its trajectory, a sharp cracking sound, reminiscent of the shattering of a gemstone, echoed from the blue gleam and snow suddenly spread outward,unching itself forward as a freezing gale. The Scalemen standing within the radius of the explosion were instantaneously frozen into statues. The ship¡¯s crew shuddered at the sight. ¡°Wait a moment, isn¡¯t that...¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Gemstone Magic. That youngdy is a member of the royal family!¡± ¡°A member of the royal family? Doesn¡¯t that mean that she can drive the Golden Fleet?¡± The discussions of the crewmates swiftly snapped Jeff out of his daze. A spark of hope ignited in his chest, and his desire to survive fueled it into a massive inferno, driving him into action. He immediately stepped forward, raised his sword up high, and rallied the crew. ¡°Lads, it¡¯s time for us to show our worth! Let¡¯s rip the gills off these nasty fish and save those two children!¡± ¡°Charge!¡± The sudden emergence of a ray of hope reignited the morale of the crowd. With sword and axe in hand, the crewmates dodged the barrage of high-pressured water arrows and harpoons from the Scalemen as they swiftly moved in to rescue Roel and Charlotte. At the same time, seeing that the crewmates were starting to make a move, Roel went at the enemies even more aggressively, trying to group up with their allies. He knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able tost long all on their own. ¡°Charlotte, the green one!¡± ¡°On it!¡± Despite it being their first battle with one another, Roel and Charlotte¡¯s coordination was fairly decent. Concise messages got across without a hitch. A slight click sounded from Gemstone Trigger, and a green burst of light shot forth and numbed the dozens of Scalemen around them. Making full use of their momentary incapacitation, Roel swiftly moved in to destroy them all. The two of them were able to clear off the enemies at a fast pace, but to their astonishment, the number of enemies were increasing even faster than that. The Scalemen were constantly climbing onto the deck from both sides of the ship. Roel quickly reassessed the situation once more, and he noticed that there was a ck-backed Scaleman, who was emanating a terrifying aura, leading a group of his brethren forward to block their path. A grey-haired, middle-aged man, who appeared to be the captain of the ship, stepped forth and began shing with the ck-robed Scaleman. ¡°This won¡¯t do. We¡¯re doomed at this rate.¡± Roel frowned as he noticed that the situation was getting more and more pessimistic for them. The Scalemen¡¯s current strategy was basically to overwhelm them with numbers, a Scalemen wave tactic. It was a simple strategy that would result in huge casualties for the Scalemen, but admittedly, it was effective. Unless they couldunch a sufficiently powerful attack to open up the path in a single shot and group up with the rest of the crewmates, it was only a matter of time before they were worn down stranded out here. Charlotte¡¯s Gemstone Magic was still fairly sustainable, but Roel¡¯s summoning was simply draining his mana too quickly. To make things worse, he had lost his connection with Grandar ever since he entered this space, so the humongous crimson skeleton he had summoned was no more than a soulless imitation. It was still an incredible force to behold, but it was taking Roel much more mana and effort than usual to control. Sensing his swiftly draining mana, Roel gritted his teeth as he finally made up his mind. Since all of you are so passionate, it would be rude of me not to offer you a gift, right? ¡°Charlotte, get down!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel shouted out loud before abruptly turning around to pull Charlotte, who was in the midst of shooting down enemies, into his embrace. Before Charlotte could even process what was going on, Roel had already forcefully carried her down to the deck with him, causing the two of them to tumble forward along the deck. Boom! Following that, the humongous crimson skeleton Roel had manifested using his mana suddenly blew up, producing a terrifying bombardment of bone fragments. These bone fragments tore through everything in the vicinity, ughtering the Scalemen mercilessly. Thisrge-scale spell immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention. The massive sea monster¡¯s tentacles halted momentarily, and the crews of the neighboring ships also turned their heads over in bewilderment. On the massive gship at the forefront of the Golden Fleet, an auburn-haired woman standing on top of the mainmast turned her head around with astonishment reflected in her eyes. ¡°That was...¡± ¡ª More ship terms: Swabbie: Someone from the lowest ranks of a navy. Tends to perform menialbor on the ship. i.e. imagine those who mop the ship¡¯s deck. Chapter 158: When the Lightning Triggers

Chapter 158: When the Lightning Triggers

Explosions, the cries of sea creatures, and the heat and the breathing of the ck-haired boy lying next to her¡ªall these sensations were dominating Charlotte¡¯s senses. Despite being in the midst of a fight, being in such close proximity to Roel still made her heart beat rapidly. However, she quickly shook the mood off and focused on the battle once more. The huge explosion caused both sides toe to a momentary ceasefire as they tried toprehend what had happened. Charlotte, who was lying in Roel¡¯s embrace, opened her eyes and noticed that the mana pulsations in the area had amazingly vanished all at once. Realizing that this was a perfect opportunity to do it, she decisively raised her gun once more, but this time around, it was aimed at no other than the ck-haired boy embracing her. ¡°C-Charlotte?¡± ¡°Trust me!¡± Roel was initially shocked, but after hearing her words, he hesitantly nodded in agreement. The trigger was pulled, and a resplendent white burst of light swiftly expanded before his eyes, eventually filling up his field of vision. By the time the light died down, he realized that his surroundings had changed. He took a look around him and found that he was surrounded by a bunch of dumbfounded shipmates staring at him. ¡°W-wasn¡¯t thisd over there earlier on? How in the world did he suddenly appear here?¡± Before they could get to the root of this bizarre phenomenon, the sound of a trigger being pulled echoed from the distance once more, and a blurred silhouette suddenly appeared right above them¡ªCharlotte. Shended squarely on Roel, who was already struggling to his feet, smashing him back down onto the deck. ¡°Pu! Cough cough!¡± It was fortunate Charlotte¡¯s good figure had softened the fall. Despite the forceful impact, Roel managed to recover with just a couple of coughs. Before the two of them could celebrate their little sess, the shipmates suddenly dashed right up to them, scaring them. ¡°Wait a moment, we are...¡± ¡°You need not exin yourself, we understand!¡± ??? Huh? What do you understand? Roel was confused. He had even prepared an borate exnation beforehand to ensure that he could convince the crew that they weren¡¯t hostile, but it ended up going to waste. Without any hesitation, the shipmates gathered around them turned their bodies around, pointing their weapons outward. They were ready to fend off any enemies who dared to approach them. ¡°Child, do you know how to operate a ship?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Captain Jeff approached Charlotte, who was being shielded behind Roel, with beaming eyes as he posed a question to her. However, Charlotte only looked visibly bewildered in response, which practically answered Jeff¡¯s question by itself. He quickly turned to the ship¡¯s doctor and howled. ¡°Do whatever you need, but you must keep Laure alive! At the very least, buy him enough time to impart to this child the method to control the electric!¡± Afterward, Jeff quickly filled the two children in on the current situation. Upon hearing that they were actually intending on blowing the ship up, Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. Meanwhile, Charlotte quickly rushed to the dying vice-captain¡¯s side and began learning the method to control this massive vessel from him. You are really trying to teach her how to control a ship on the spot? Are you joking with me? Roel was still having difficulties trying to grasp the current situation. It was true that Charlotte was a prodigy, but she was a business prodigy! No matter how smart she was, there was no way she could grasp something asplicated as ship steering on the spot when she had no prior experience at all! As speechless as he felt at the current situation, it was no time to be grumbling about it. The battle had resumed, and war cries filled the deck once more. Every single second, a crewmate or a sea creature would copse to the ground, dead. Roel clicked his tongue in annoyance before grabbing a sword from the ground and charging back to the frontline. ¡°Captain Jeff, is Charlotte activating the electric the only way we can survive this tribtion? I mean, it¡¯s not reliable to leave it all to her! Is there really nothing we can do here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s another way out of this, but it¡¯s no longer feasible anymore. Unless someone is able to drive all of these Scalemen off the ship so that we can reim the foredeck!¡± Jeff raised his hand and deflected off a couple of high-pressure water arrows flying his way. He also knew that it was unlikely for Charlotte to seed, but aspared to attempting to reim the foredeck, they were better off pinning their hopes on her. In the first ce, if they really had the strength to drive the enemies off the ship, SS Saint Paul wouldn¡¯t have ended up in such a position at all. They had already fought a prolonged fight thus far, and they had neither the strength nor stamina to overpower or oust the sea creatures anymore. ¡°No longer feasible? Well, you should think twice about that.¡± Roel stroked the sword in his hand as he muttered to himself. A red glow was starting to shine from his golden irises as he gathered whatever remaining mana he had together. His crimson mana coiled around him like a python before abruptly bursting outward, morphing into bolts of crimson lightning that roared thunderously in the sky. Boom! The rumbling thunder sounded like the wrathful war cries of countless warriors, immediately attracting the attention of all aboard. Jeff widened his eyes in bewilderment as the second miracle unfolded before his eyes in this critical moment. It was an army buff spell, a legendary ability coveted by all countries in the currently chaotic Sia! It was said that those who possessed them were chosen by heaven and would eventually be kings! The ck-haired boy cloaked in lightning felt fiery like heaven¡¯s wrath, but his eyes remained sharp and cold. A crown of crimson lightning had manifested on his head. For a brief moment there, Roel thought he caught a glimpse of the side profile of the ambitious prince in his memories. Thetter tilted his head slightly over, revealing his characteristic unrestrained and haughty smile. ¡°Hmph. You still continue to linger after death, huh?¡± Roel¡¯s lips also curled up in response to the illusory image he saw. The kingly disposition he emanated gripped the hearts of everyone present, be it Jeff, the shipmates, or the sea creatures. When he raised his sword, the tempestuous winds and lightning moved on hismand and shattered into countless sparks that fell upon all of the humans, embracing their bodies in the form of crimson auras. Feeling the surge of strength into their bodies, the shipmates couldn¡¯t resist roaring in heightened morale. ¡¾Spell ¡®Howl of Crimson Lightning¡¯ has been activated. ¡¿ ¡¾Calcting the user¡¯s remaining mana.¡¿ ¡¾Countdown. 273, 272, 271...¡¿ ¡°Follow me! We shall ughter these bastards!¡± A sharp and authoritative voice boomed in everyone¡¯s ears. From the moment the countdown started, Roel immediately took the lead and charged forward. The first one to follow him was Jeff, who looked no different from a demon shrouded in the crimson aura. ¡°Kill ¡®em!¡± ¡°Ourst stand!¡± In just two short seconds, all surviving crew realized what their current circumstances were and charged ahead too. Under the effects of the army buff spell, their offensive and defensive prowess had been enhanced explosively, To them, this wasn¡¯t just a fight for survival; it was a fight for vengeance too. The memories of their ughtered friends and kin filled their chests with wrath, driving them with unprecedented motivation. The injuries inflicted all over Jeff¡¯s body began healing at a visible rate under the effects of the crimson aura. His axe swung down furiously on every single enemy who stood in the way of his frenzied charge, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to arrive at the backlines of the sea creatures. By the time he finally rose to his feet once more, all of the Scalemen¡¯s bodies had already lost their heads somewhere along the way, tumbling down to the deck with a ¡®tok tok tok¡¯ sound. He wasn¡¯t the only one going on a rampage here. The other warriors on the frontline were charging forth like rampaging bulls too, and the magicians and archers on the backline were bombarding the enemies relentlessly with their magic bullets and arrows. However, the one who stood out the most was none other than Roel. Cloaked in crimson lightning, he looked as if a god had descended upon the mortal world to bring divine retribution upon all life. He had an elemental attribute advantage against the sea creatures, such that any Scaleman who came into contact with him would be immediately reduced to cinders. His army buff spell had turned the tides of the battle in an instant. Under the support of the overwhelmingly powerful buff, the shipmates swiftly regained control of the foredeck. They managed to reim the upper ground here, which made it much easier for them to knock down any Scalemen who dared to lunge at them. In just two short minutes, almost all of the enemies on the deck were either injured or dead. In a single swoop, Roel, along with the shipmates, managed to recover most of the conquered territories, leaving them with much more room to maneuver than before. Meanwhile, the dying Vice-Captain Laure was staring at Charlotte with envy in his eyes. To think that there would be such prodigies in the world. No, it¡¯s only right for the prodigies of our house to wield such capabilities! Laure had a relieved yet bitter smile on his face. The ships of the Golden Fleet had a central magic medium that was often described as the ¡®Blood of the Ship¡¯ known as the Golden Soul. Simr to how powerful magic tools were capable of selecting their own masters, the Golden Soul also had its own will too, which was why only those who bore the bloodline of the Sofyas could control it. Nevertheless, it was still unprecedented for the Golden Soul to fancy a person so much. With the extent of its fondness for Charlotte, the ship would even move on its own ord to protect her! In truth, there was no need for Charlotte to learn anything at all, because she was a born ruler of the Golden Fleet. Her orders would be carried out by the ships without fail! ¡°I never thought that someone other than Her Majesty would be able to reach such a level... Child, all you need to do is to listen to your heart. May Sia bless you.¡± Leaving behind those words, Laure breathed hisst. However, the expression on his face showed not despair but a contented smile. ¡°Rest in peace, Mister Vice-Captain.¡± Charlotte bowed slightly as she quietly murmured a farewell to her fellow family member. By the time she raised her head once more, her eyes were already filled with killing intent. ¡°SS Saint Paul, high-frequency electric.¡± Under her solemnmand, SS Saint Paul immediately releasedyers of golden sparks that swiftly enveloped the exterior of the ship. All it took was an instant for almost a thousand Scalemen lingering aboard the ship to be burned to a crisp before plummeting into the depths of the sea. The cries of monsters echoed loudly from below. ¡°It¡¯s a sess! The Vice-Captain seeded!¡± ¡°Bless Sia, bless Sia!¡± The familiar vibrations on the ship informed all of the shipmates that the reconstruction of the electric was a sess, and cheers filled the air. At the same time, Roel also heaved a sigh of relief too. He began to rein in the crimson lightning he had dispersed earlier with a minute left on the timer of ¡®Howl of Crimson Lightning¡¯. To be safe, both Roel and Charlotte hadmitted themselves to their own undertaking in order to save the ship, and neither of them ended up disappointing. This event reignited the morale of the crew. It was then that an announcement was broadcast to the entire Golden Fleet. ¡°gship, over. Target 112, bearing 20. Bombard in 60 seconds.¡± Roel was a little surprised by the broadcast, but the other shipmates were getting pumped up. ¡°Target 112, it¡¯s that sea monster!¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to determine the oue of the battle.¡± Hearing the shouts of the shipmates, Roel turned to look at the center of the fleet, where a sea monster was floundering furiously about after having its tentacles sliced off. Before Roel could take a proper look, the ship he was on had already started adjusting its position in preparation for the bombardment. Wait a moment, are we going to participate in the bombardment too? Did Charlotte manage to learn so much in thest few minutes? The other shipmates were eximing in astonishment too. The swiftly turning ship created a powerful momentum that forced everyone onboard to grab onto something or risk being flung off. Jeff pulled Roel over to his side and shouted with a hearty guffaw. ¡°Hold on tightly,d! It¡¯s going to be a firework show!¡± ¡°Firework show?¡± Roel blinked his eyes at the unfamiliar term, seemingly still struggling to grasp what was going on. Jeff simply continued smiling without exining anything. A countdown had started on the broadcast system. ¡°Countdown to bombardment. 3, 2, 1... Fire!¡± At the end of the countdown, a surge of massively destructive energy began to channel in the massive cannon installed at the ship¡¯s bow. Roel could feel unimaginably powerful mana pulsations rippling beneath his feet, as if the rapid surge of a river after the rain was flowing past below him. Following that, a terrifying beam of light sted forth with an unbelievable radiance that dimmed even the skyline. Boom! It was as if the entire sea had turned golden in a heartbeat. The sea monster had looked undefeatable in Roel¡¯s eyes, but as the concentrated firepowering from dozens of ships engulfed it, the sea monster let out a piercing shriek before being vaporized with everything in its vicinity. Just like that, the legendary sea monster that had terrorized countless sailors was eradicated from the face of the world. This astounding sight sent a shock right to Roel¡¯s soul, leaving him shaken for a long while. ¡°So, this is the power... of the Golden Fleet.¡± Roel muttered in wonderment under his breath before joining the overjoyed crowd in celebrating their triumph. ¡ª Ship¡¯s Terms Part III: Foredeck: Refers to the edge of the ship¡¯s bow, at the top of the hull. In this case, it¡¯s like recapturing the wall, but on a ship. Hull: The physical outer portions of the ship that sit in the water. Chapter 159: It Takes Skills To Make a Cannon Fire!

Chapter 159: It Takes Skills To Make a Cannon Fire!

What do men dream of? Roel couldn¡¯t really speak on behalf of others, but to him, there were two greatest romances he had. Whopping big cannons and huge ass warships! Whenever he yed military strategy games in his previous life, he had a tendency to blindly expand his army with as much firepower as possible, so that he could obliterate his enemies. There was an overwhelming rush of tion whenever he took it right to his enemies¡¯ faces. He had never thought that he would get to experience it in person. ¡°Woohoo! We got ¡®em!¡± The deafening cheers from the crowd were like a matchstick that had set alight the dreams Roel carried buried in the depths of his heart from his previous life. Just as I thought, all cannons need to be huge! -Devout Cannon Cult Believer Roel Infected by the contagious merry atmosphere, Roel joined in the crowd and cheered loudly too. Seeing this, Captain Jeff burst out inughter. He was familiar with this response¡ªevery young man who had witnessed the concentrated firepower of the Golden Fleet would usually reveal such fervent excitement. In fact, there were even a few who would reverently stroke the thick cannon barrel at the ship¡¯s bow. The octopus-like sea monster had been vaporized under the concentrated firepower of the Golden Fleet, and this attack effectively changed the trajectory of the battle. Without the sea monster¡¯s support, the remaining Scalemen were no longer able to threaten the Golden Fleet anymore. Left with no choice, they could only dive back into the sea in hurried retreat. Seeing this, the crewmates all heaved deep sighs of relief. The joy of oveing a dire situation made everyone lose control of their emotions; there were some who startedughing uncontrobly, and there were also some who broke down in tears. It all made for a ridiculous scene. Roel was feeling quite agitated too, but he didn¡¯t forget his ownpanion, who made sure to cover his back throughout the battle. So, he gathered whatever energy he had left and dragged himself toward the Control Room, where he saw Charlotte resting against the rudder. ¡°Charlotte, you really are a genius!¡± In his feverish state, Roel rushed right up to the auburn-haired girl and gave her a tight hug. He was too excited to pay any heed to propriety, and his actions were driven entirely by instincts. Charlotte, on the other hand, was caught off guard from the sudden intimacy and became flustered. ¡°W-what are you doing? Let me go!¡± Charlotte was exhausted from having expended her mana, but being wrapped up in Roel¡¯s embrace caused her temperature to skyrocket once more. Her face quickly grew red, and she began hammering on Roel¡¯s back. Unfortunately, her weak protest was hardly enough to wake Roel from his overexcited state. In fact, it wasn¡¯t even enough to catch his notice at all. Meanwhile, Roel had turned his attention to his System Interface. ¡¾Evaluation: Average (56)¡¿ Indeed, the kills made by myrades also add to my evaluation! Roel was excited to see how his evaluation rose to 56 points after a single fight. In his previous Witness State, he had to make a move himself in order to raise his evaluation. He wasn¡¯t so privileged as to have an entire army on his side. It sure was great to have allies! Thinking about it, it could be because this was a significant battle between humans and a foreign race, which was why he received such a huge reward for leading the counterattack. ¡°Y-you¡¯re too close!¡± ¡°Ah, my apologies.¡± A weak protest sounded from Charlotte, and Roel finally snapped out of his daze to free Charlotte from his arms. The sudden parting after such intimacy left an air of awkwardness between them. Blushing furiously, Charlotte crossed her arms and red at him with slightly teary eyes. ¡°You insensitive man! Fool! Unbelievable!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I got a little too excited after seeing your skills at firing the cannon...¡± replied Roel in embarrassment. At the same time, a seed of doubt in his heart was swiftly growing. He couldn¡¯t understand how Charlotte was able to learn how to pilot this humongous warship within such a short period of time. However, he wasn¡¯t given the chance to ponder on this as another crisis cropped up then. ¡°Oh, is that so... Did you think that I hadn¡¯t noticed what you did? You must have been really worried that I would fail that you charged out all by yourself, hm?¡± ¡°Ah. Hahaha... Well, that is...¡± Guilty as charged, Roel averted his eyes as he tried tough the matter off awkwardly, but that only made Charlotte¡¯s re even sharper. However, when she thought about how Roel, shrouded in crimson lightning, led the ship¡¯s crew on a charge straight into the heart of the Scalemen¡¯s formations, she found a certain sensation rippling in her heart, leaving her diposed. All this while, she had known Roel to be a schrly academic, and this was the first time she was seeing him in a fight. For a moment there, she actually saw the shadow of a hero in him. Despite the wealth of worldly experience she had rued dealing with all sorts of people, she was still at an age where she would asionally fantasize about heroes. There was simply a sense of reassurance from having someone to fall back on during times of trouble. Aside from that, she found herself worrying about him too. Why is he charging right into the frontline? What if he gets hurt? What if the high-pressure water arrows hit him? Isn¡¯t it weird that an Origin Level 5 transcendent is leading the group whereas the Origin Level 3 Captain Jeff is behind him? That doesn¡¯t make sense at all! Charlotte wasn¡¯t d to see that herpanion was in the limelight; it only made her feel perturbed. This was the first time she was experiencing such emotions. She had no idea why this was the case, but it sure was challenging the limits of her heart. She never wanted to be put through something like this a second time. ¡°I-I was worried that the vice-captain was too injured and couldn¡¯tst long enough to impart the techniques to you. It¡¯s just always good to have an additionalyer of insurance, right? Hahaha.¡± ¡°A bare-faced lie. I can¡¯t be bothered with you.¡± Charlotte waved her hands irritably, and the ship began following the instructions ryed through the broadcast system to retreat from the battlefield. It was only after they made a sessful retreat that this battle could be considered to have finallye to an end. Under Jeff¡¯s orders, the remaining crew quickly got back to their positions. Roel and Charlotte stood with one another watching as the shipmates hurried about their work. The uneasy feeling lurking in the depths of Roel¡¯s heart also finally alleviated a little. Grandar¡¯s absence was, to be frank, a huge blow to Roel¡¯s confidence. That ancient giant was his strongest means, a trump card he could y when the situation was dire. So, it was inevitable that losing Grandarwould leave him feeling a little unnerved. He wasn¡¯t too sure of the reason behind this urrence, but he had a feeling that it could be the interference of the other ancient powerhouse residing in this world¡ªPeytra. Peytra was likely to be a once powerful existence who had disappeared from the face of the world a long time ago. His guess was that Peytra didn¡¯t fancy the idea of him bringing along a powerful bodyguard for this trial, so she blocked out Grandar¡¯s existence from this world. However, if that was really true, wouldn¡¯t it mean that Peytra was actually even stronger than Grandar? Roel gave the matter some thought, and eventually, he refuted the notion. This fragment of history he was currently in wasn¡¯t under the jurisdiction of Grandar, which meant that the giant likely had less influence here. Even if Peytra did manage to block Grandar out of this world, she did have the field advantage, so it wouldn¡¯t be fair to use it as a basis ofparison. Unable toe to a conclusion, Roel decided to shake those thoughts from his mind. He was still too weak to fathom the affairs of the ancient gods. For the time being at least, he was in a safe position, and that was enough to be thankful for. Heaving a deep sigh of relief, Roel was just about to sit down and rest awhile when a silhouette suddenly flitted over through the wind andnded on the ship¡¯s deck, right before him and Charlotte. It was a beauty with auburn hair dressed in a fleet admiral¡¯s uniform. She gave off a refreshingly cool impression, which left others with good vibes about her. However, both Roel and Charlotte widened their eyes upon seeing her. This woman was a familiar face to them¡ªthey had seen her in the first vision they had. At the same time, all of the crewmates on deck quickly bowed deeply to her too. ¡°Paying respects to Your Majesty!¡± ... Isabe was the reigning queen of the Sofya Kingdom, as well as the admiral of the Golden Fleet. In the present human world, she was an elusive, legendary figure. The Sofya Kingdom was located far from where most of humankind was active at the time, leaving most people with the impression that it was a ¡®remote, border country¡¯. In fact, unless one were to travel by boat, it would take several years to travel onnd from the Sofya Kingdom to the southern border of the Ascart Fiefdom. Given its geographical inessibility to the rest of humankind, it was inevitable that most people had formed a biased point of view against them. On top of that, the conservative faction of the Austine Empire had a grudge with the Sofyas, who had chosen to break free of the Austine Empire. Theybeled the Sofya Kingdom as a group of barbarians, spreading malicious rumors about them. In fact, they often intentionally excluded them from the annals of history, as if refuting their existence. As a result, the deceived popce were oblivious to the fact that the Sofya Kingdom, who inherited the power of the high elves and the naval technologies of the Ancient Austine Empire, had already built a prosperous society on their own. Isabe had always advocated the opening of the Sofya Kingdom, in hopes that it could find its ce amongst humankind once more. For this ambition, she had once traveled throughout all the human countries, and it was in the midst of this journey that she fell in love. Her attitude toward foreigners reflected her ideals too. She was usually respectful and weing toward foreigners in hopes that they would acknowledge the Sofya Kingdom, but there was just one thing that she couldn¡¯t tolerate¡ªthe attempted espionage of the military secrets of the Golden Fleet and the Sofya Kingdom. The auburn-haired woman looked to be in her twenties at the moment. She had a beautiful face and shapely facial features, and shemanded the same air of nobility as Charlotte too. However, unlike Charlotte, the eyes she directed toward Roel werepletely cold. A boy who possessed powerful fighting prowess and an army buff spell, and a girl who possessed the ability to control the ships of the Golden Fleet; these two extraordinary youths had suddenly appeared on one of their ships in the middle of the open sea. There was no way Isabe could shrug this matter off as a coincidence. There was only one more possibility she could think of here: They were plotting to steal the ship. She had already received a brief outline of the situation from those aboard SS Saint Paul earlier, which allowed her to formte a perspective on the chain of events. Most likely, the mysterious organization that had been eyeing the Golden Fleet from the shadows for a long time now saw that the SS Saint Paul was in a bad position, so they decided to send these two youths in to infiltrate the ship, take advantage of the chaos, and sneak away with the ship. Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t expected Jeff to go so far as to attempt to self-destruct with the ship. Realizing that their ns wouldn¡¯t work out, the two youths were left with no choice but to step forward and tide the SS Saint Paul through its crisis for their own survival. This spection wasn¡¯t entirely unfounded either. The evidencey in the ent of the youths. Both Roel and Charlotte spoke with a different ent from those of the Sofya Kingdom. On top of that, it was swiftly made apparent that they knew hardly anything about the Sofya Kingdom at all, which greatly increased her suspicions. ¡°Speak, who sent you here? The Saviors Council? The Fende Brotherhood? Or... the Saints Convocation?¡± When Isabe mentioned the veryst name, her voice suddenly sharpened with murderous intent. Roel had no doubt that regardless of whether he said the truth or fabricated falsehoods, this queen of the Sofya Kingdom still wouldn¡¯t let him off. Even though the two of them had saved SS Saint Paul, there was no denying that their backgrounds were rather suspicious. The safe move for Isabe to take here was to eliminate them. In this critical moment, Roel¡¯s brain quickly whirred into action. He raised his hand to stop Charlotte, who was on the verge of blurting out something, before stepping forward himself. He ced his fist on his chest and bowed slightly. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Roel Ascart. Allow me to ry the well wishes of the Ascart House to you in ce of our patriarch, Winstor Ascart.¡± Chapter 160: Buttering Up the Older Sister

Chapter 160: Buttering Up the Older Sister

¡°Winstor? He sent you here?¡± Right outside SS Saint Paul¡¯s Control Room, Isabe reassessed the ck-haired, golden-eyed boy before her in astonishment. What¡¯s going on here? Was it a misunderstanding? Are these two youths really on our side? Wait a moment, that isn¡¯t right! ¡°From what I know, Winstor doesn¡¯t have any younger brother. Furthermore, if you¡¯re truly from the Ascart House, there¡¯s even less of a reason for you to be here. I¡¯ve already sent a letter to Winstor informing him that there¡¯s no need to send anyone over.¡± ¡°Your Majesty, are you referring to the letter saying that you would be arriving at the Twohorn Port in mid April?¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯ve seen that letter?¡± ¡°Of course. In order to be of aid to Your Majesty, it¡¯s necessary for me to gather as much information as possible. Our patriarch has even shown the letter to me.¡± Under Isabe¡¯s shocked gaze, Roel calmly reached into his inner pocket to retrieve an envelope bearing a golden seal. ¡°Your Majesty, this is the token my older brother gave me when he sent me here. Due to the distortions in space and time caused by the teleportation from the Twilight Sages Assembly, the letter is in a brittle state. Please handle it with care.¡± Roel presented the envelope to Isabe with both hands while looking at the queen with a warm smile, as if he was aware of the close rtionship she had with his ¡®older brother¡¯. Isabe hesitated for a moment before receiving the envelope. Why is this fellow so good at duping other people? Behind Roel, Charlotte was trying her best to control her facial expression while feeling utterly speechless at the lies Roel was spouting one after another. His ability to weave all of his lies together convincingly was truly worthy of admiration. You sure are... Thank Sia I put up my guard right from the start, or else I might have been deceived by you too! While Charlotte was patting her heart in relief, Isabe stroked the familiar envelope containing the letter she personally wrote. She noticed that there were clear traces of age on the paper, resulting in its exterior bing rather brittle. Barke paper was known to be longsting and resilient; it would take centuries to wear it down to such a state. ¡°... I never thought that such a thing was possible. Was it ¡®Academic¡¯ who sent you here?¡± Isabe¡¯s suspicions had mostly faded with the submission of evidence, but she hadn¡¯t put her guard downpletely yet. Faced with this question, Roel spent a short while thinking it over before shaking his head. ¡°My apologies, Your Majesty. While I do know the person who teleported us over is a member of the Twilight Sages Assembly, I¡¯m not privy to his identity as I¡¯m not in the Assembly myself. I¡¯ve only heard my older brother mention the matter in passing.¡± ¡°Then what does he look like?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t know that either. All we saw was a blurred figure.¡± Faced with Isabe¡¯s persistent questioning, Roel could only answer with a slightly distressed frown on his face. Surprisingly, his ignorance didn¡¯t spark further doubts from Isabe. On the contrary, it inspired her trust in him. The Twilight Sages Assembly was an organization formed by the experts of humankind all over the Sia Continent, united for a single aim. Its members included outstanding figures in various fields and even rulers as well. Because of that, it was not umon for some members of the Assembly to carry grudges toward one another. In order to avoid having their grudges interfere with their work, the members tended not to reveal their faces to one another, and they altered their voice whilemunicating too. ¡®Academic¡¯ was one of the veteran members of the Assembly, possessing powerful transcendent abilities. He was known by his peers as an extremely careful and elusive person. Had Roel really tried to describe his looks, Isabe might have chosen to eliminate him right on the spot. Having cleared her suspicions of Roel, Isabe turned her sights to Charlotte, who bore some resemnce to her in terms of hair color. Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat at this situation, worried that Charlotte might give herself away. However, to his astonishment... Charlotte turned out to be an even better actor than he was. As soon as Charlotte met eyes with Isabe, her eyes began tearing up. Her body quivered ever so slightly as she opened up her palm, revealing the gleaming Jewel Trigger in her hand. ¡°This is the token of my identity, Your Majesty Isabe. Please, on ount that we have descended from the same lineage, I ask you to help our Sorofya House!¡± ¡°Ah? W-what?¡± The sudden tearful outburst and the apanying information overload left Isabe dazed for a moment as she tried to sort out the information she had just received. Meanwhile, with a shaky voice, Charlotte began recounting her sob story. 200 years back, when the Sofya House parted with the mass migration army to head southward, there were a few weaker n members who couldn¡¯t keep up and ended up falling behind. This group of people was eventually captured by the migration army and forced to join the newly founded Austine Empire under the Milton House. Transcendents who possessed the High Elf Bloodline were naturally sensitive toward money. Aware of this fact, the Milton House forced the captured n members and coerced them to work for them. However, as the Sofya House had already been pinned with thebel of ¡®traitors¡¯, they were discriminated against and lived in hardship. Over the past 200 years, those n members, whoter came to be known as the Sorofyas, lost their spells and heritage, leaving thempletely helpless against their captors. The incumbent patriarch of the Sorofya House, Bruce, wished to change the dire straits they were in, and a coincidence led to him hearing about the existence of the Sofya Kingdom from the Ascart House. So, he ordered his daughter, Charlotte, to bring their hereditary treasure, Jewel Trigger, as a token of their house to seek assistance from the Sofya Royal Family. It just so happened that she chanced upon a member of the Twilight Sages Assembly, who was busily searching for someone in possession of the High Elf Bloodline for this mission, so she volunteered herself without any hesitation. Due to that, she ended up getting teleported here together with Roel, resulting in the current situation. Charlotte conveyed her story with such powerful emotions that it swiftly won her goodwill and sympathy from the crowd. Even Roel would have believed her sob story had he not known about her true background! H-how is thisss so good at deceiving others? The same thought that was in Charlotte¡¯s mind just 5 minutes ago surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind too. In any case, the stories weaved by the fianc¨¦-and-fianc¨¦e in-name worked wonders in winning Isabe over. ¡°I never thought that the n members whom we parted from would actually survive...¡± Isabe remarked deeply as she thought about the records left by her ancestors. It was not that she was gullible, but far too many people had fallen behind and gone missing in that arduous march southward led by the Sofyas back then. Just the constant exertion of stamina was already tough to cope with, but there were also many treacherous terrains and terrible weather that one had to ovee. They didn¡¯t have the luxury to slow down for the ill or the weak, so by the time they arrived at the coast, their contingent had been reduced to less than a third. It was entirely possible for the other two-thirds who were left behind to find a way to survive. However, there was just one final remaining doubt lingering in the back of Isabe¡¯s mind. ¡°How were you able to control the ship?¡± ¡°Vice-Captain Laure taught me the method to do so in his dying breath. I learned it on the spot...¡± ¡°What?¡± Isabe was dumbfounded. Captain Jeff and the other crewmates of SS Saint Paul, who had gathered around to listen in on their conversation, quickly stepped forward to vouch for what Charlotte said. ¡°Your Majesty, I can testify for this matter. ¡°Me too! I was watching over them from the start to the end.¡± ¡°I can testify for it too!¡± The goodwill Roel and Charlotte earned from saving them and their mates from the desperate situation hadn¡¯t gone to waste. The shipmates eagerly stepped forward to exin things on their behalf. Isabe gave the matter some thought before passing a coin over to Charlotte. ¡°This is an evaluation tool our n uses to verify our people¡¯s bloodline. I need to determine the authenticity of what you said earlier,¡± said Isabe solemnly. Charlotte was a little hesitant. There was no doubt that she was a descendant of the Sofyas, but with centuries sitting between them, she couldn¡¯t be sure if the evaluation tool could really detect her bloodline. However, knowing that there was no way to circumvent this, she eventually stretched her hand out to grasp the gold coin Isabe was proffering to her. In the next moment, a brilliant burst of light shone through the cracks of her hand, causing everyone in the vicinity to widen their eyes in astonishment. ¡°What a powerful bloodline she has!¡± ¡°O¡¯ great Sia!¡± The bright light illuminated the faces of everyone in the vicinity, further highlighting their shock. It was the same for Isabe too, and she finally understood why Charlotte was able to learn how to control the ship so quickly. ¡°You¡¯re able tomand the Golden Soul directly?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the golden light in the ship, then yes, I¡¯m able tomand it.¡± Charlotte¡¯s words left Isabe in a state of incredulity for a moment before excitement began racing through her heart. The fact that Charlotte could learn how to control the Golden Soul within just a few short minutes meant that her talent was on par with Isabe¡¯s, perhaps surpassing her even. ounting for the fact that Charlotte hadn¡¯t gone through the systemic training of the Sofya Royal Family yet, if they were to focus their efforts and resources on nurturing Charlotte... ¡°Child, I understand the plight your n is in. Let¡¯s head to the gship together to discuss this matter more thoroughly.¡± Isabe patted Charlotte¡¯s head as her heart ached a little to think of the hardships Charlotte and her family had been through. She revealed a warm smile, reminiscent to that of an older sister, as she invited them to the gship. Seeing this, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. Settled! ... Half an hourter, aboard the gship of the Golden Fleet, SS Saint Mary, Roel found himself standing utterly dumbfounded amid the resplendent captain¡¯s quarters. Had it not been for the swaying floor beneath him, he would have thought that he was in the royal pce of the Sofya Kingdom. Despite being on a ship, exquisite artworks were everywhere to be seen. There were crates of gold coins ced casually in the corner like spare change. Gemstones of all colors were ced orderly on the table by color. It looked like theter-to-be Sorofyas were frighteningly rich even 800 years back. ¡°The two of you are engaged?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. My father believes that the military might of the Ascart House is essential to resolve the difficult position we¡¯re in, so the two of us ended up getting engaged to one another.¡± ¡°I see... How unexpected, I must say. To think that there would be another engagement between both of our bloodlines... Ah, did Winstor tell you about it? I¡¯m actually engaged with him too.¡± (Affection Points +500) Isabe looked at the two children before her as she felt amazed by the mysterious coincidences fate tended to bring about. At the same time, the two children were also stunned to hear the surprising news. ??? Winstor and Isabe are engaged to one another? What¡¯s going on here? Seeing how shocked Roel and Charlotte were, Isabe started blushing a little in embarrassment. ¡°W-well, it¡¯s just a verbal promise from Winstor at the moment. There aren¡¯t any documents to officialize it. That being said, I must say it¡¯s quite surprising that two people who share the same bloodlines as us are actually engaged with one another too...¡± Suddenly shy, Isabe gave a soft sigh at this point. She realized that she wouldn¡¯t be able to put on airs before these two children anymore¡ªone of them was a fellow n member who carried great potential and ought to be properly nurtured, and the other one was the younger brother of her lover. With such deep ties between her and the two children, she subconsciously began warming up to them. ... Though admittedly, a huge part behind her opening up to them was actually because these two youths were engaged to one another too. This uncanny coincidence left Isabe feeling that there were deeper workings behind this encounter. The high elves and their descendants had always believed in fate, and she was no exception to the rule. ¡°Big sister Isabe, I often hear my older brother mentioning you...¡± Having realized Isabe¡¯s weakness, Roel began preying on her Affection Points by using the intimate familial address ¡®big sister¡¯. His sweet calls melted Isabe¡¯s heart, and her head began glowing green. Needless to say, there was no way a businesswoman as shrewd as Charlotte wouldn¡¯t capitalize on this opportunity. She hopped on the bandwagon, and it didn¡¯t take long before she became a ¡®close sister¡¯ to Isabe too. After the three of them got close to one another, the tone Isabe took with them became much more casual than before. ¡°Roel, Charlotte, what is the mission entrusted to the two of you that sent you to us?¡± ¡°We¡¯re to aid you on your journey to the Twohorn Port. ording to the prophecy made by the Twilight Sages Assembly, there¡¯s a high chance that you¡¯ll encounter trouble along the way. Due to the long distance, they are unable to teleport high-level transcendents over, so they had no choice but to send us instead.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Isabe nodded in response to Roel¡¯s words, before a hint of helplessness shrouded her face. She sighed deeply before remarking in frustration. ¡°I knew that the delivery of the Six Cmities wouldn¡¯t go smoothly.¡± Chapter 161: Egg of the Glacier Creator

Chapter 161: Egg of the cier Creator

What was the environment like back in Winstor and Isabe¡¯s era? As Roel was transported into this Witness State too abruptly, he didn¡¯t get a chance to investigate this crucial piece of information thoroughly. Nevertheless, through the huge collection of records he had read thus far, he could still roughly map out Winstor¡¯s life and make some deductions. The current date was Third Epoch Year 261. This was a momentous year for all historians in the future as it marked the first war between humans and deviants. Humankind remembered this period of time to be dark and terrifying. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the huge battles urring at the eastern border, leaving very little attention on the southern border, where the elusive and little-known Sofya Kingdom was located. The war with the deviants resulted in the massive destruction of literary works and records, dealing a huge blow to humankind¡¯s culture. That could be the reason why there were hardly any records of the Sofya Kingdom inter generations. However, Roel had just learned that the current Sofya Kingdom¡ªor at least Queen Isabe¡ªwasn¡¯t really isted from other nations. They hadn¡¯t been just relishing in the prosperous haven they had created for themselves. ¡°Six Cmities? Big sister Isabe, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Oh? Has Winstor not told you about that? Oh well, I guess that¡¯s only to be expected. He¡¯s quite tight-lipped when ites to such matters.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s question, Isabe casually rested her head on her arm as she replied. A momentter, she suddenly chuckled awkwardly before adding on. ¡°I suppose I ought to be keeping this matter confidential too. However, due to the nature of our n, practically everyone onboard the ships knows about it. So, I can¡¯t really be bothered to hide it either. Roel, you read the letter, right? Aren¡¯t you curious what ¡®egg¡¯ refers to?¡± ¡°Wait a moment, are you saying that...¡± ¡°Yes. The Golden Fleet has received a request from the Twilight Sages Assembly to transport an egg of the Six Cmities.¡± As Isabe exined the matter, she nced out of the window to watch the ship¡¯s white g fluttering high up in the sky. She picked up her cup and took a small sip of wine. There was a considerable moment of silence before she finally asked a question with a deep, grave voice. ¡°Do the two of you believe in fate?¡± ¡°Fate?¡± Isabe¡¯s abrupt question left Roel and Charlotte taken aback. Roel disyed his confusion at the bewildering question he was posed with, whereas Charlotte, who was much more familiar with the topic, gave the question some thought before finally answering slowly. ¡°Fate is a very broad term that epasses many fields. Depending on your area of focus, the answer could vary greatly. May I know what kind of fate you are referring to here?¡± ¡°Hmm. If I have to give a term to it, it¡¯d be the fate of humankind.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Isabe¡¯s response left Charlotte frowning in uncertainty. Meanwhile, Roel was failing to see where this conversation was heading and couldn¡¯t help grumbling mentally. Is day-to-day divination no longer enough to satisfy you anymore, so you¡¯re starting to prophesy the apocalypse now? Roel thought about all those wacky prophecies he had heard about 1999 and 2012 in his previous life, and it suddenly made him feel that Isabe wasn¡¯t that reliable anymore. While it was said that the high elves were skilled in divining fate, the truth was that even divining a single person¡¯s life was tough enough in this world filled with all sorts of supernatural powers. Attempting to divine the fate of humankind in its entirety was simply unthinkable. One of themon analogies used for fate was countless strings intersecting with one another. With the sheerplexity at y here¡ªjust the movement of a single string could have rippling effects across the entire web¡ªit would mean that any single fate of humankind divined was meaningless due to the humongous variability at y. Even the more knowledgeable Charlotte was also feeling a bit skeptical about this topic. Isabe noticed the doubtful looks directed her way, but she paid it no heed. She swirled her wine cup calmly as she tossed out her second question. ¡°It has been 200 years since we migrated into this new haven, and humankind is starting to recover its breath of life. With the foundation of a new civilization, a new order is slowly being put in ce. It was tough and there were many sacrifices, but we still managed to triumph over the disastrous catastrophe we faced at the end of the Second Epoch. However, have you tried thinking deeper into it? ¡°A long, long time ago, in the ancient times which we can only take a peek into through the legends that have been passed down, there used to be civilizations of incredibly powerful transcendents. Where do you think they have gone?¡± ¡°Ahh? T-this...¡± Isabe¡¯s question had stumped both Roel and Charlotte. The current transcendent and noble houses that inherited ancient bloodlines were extremely powerful. The Xeclydes even managed to build a powerful country and an influential religion, and they dominated both for over a millennium. Herees the question... Where are the real angels then? It wasn¡¯t just about the angels here. There were also the giants, the high elves, and all of those ancient races. With their powerful spells and advanced technologies, they constructed prosperous civilizations that were far ahead of current humans. However, where had they all gone to? This was a question beyond Roel and Charlotte¡¯s means to answer. In fact, there were probably no living beings who could give a definitive answer to that mystery. Isabe¡¯s intention, though, was not to have them rush off and pursue the truth behind this ancient mystery of the world. She took another sip of wine before revealing the partial truth that she was aware of. ¡°They have been destroyed. Utterly obliterated. Those prosperous civilizations have copsed to rubble under the merciless flow of time. There are many usible reasons for it¡ªwar, gue, changes in climate, and self-made disasters. It¡¯s quite interesting how powerful civilizations can prove to be fragile at times. ¡°Fate is strangely partial about this. Be it transcendent races or humankind, whether they are strong or weak, their futures are always uncertain. It¡¯s just that... the scales of fate, from time to time, could be tampered with by shadows lurking in the dark.¡± With a calm voice, Isabe unveiled one of the truths of the world to the two children before her. ¡°Some civilizations were destroyed not by natural means, and the culprits were the Six Cmities left behind by the Mother Goddess.¡± ¡°Destroyed? Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°Six Cmities? What in the world is that...¡± The revtion spread further confusion, imploring the two young listeners to quickly seek rification. Roel¡¯s pupils were slowly dting as he felt that he was slowly approaching one of the core secrets of this world. ¡°The Six Cmities, that¡¯s what our n call them in a folk song passed down orally from generation to generation. ¡®The Mother Goddess closes her eyes, heralding the rise of the ck sun. Chaos and cmities escape from Her eyes. Freezing ciers and searing heat, torturous suffering and miserable cries; they descended upon the world with bodies and forms. Divine retributions, we call them. Six of them, they are.¡¯, this excerpt came from the high elves¡¯ Fulier¡¯s Poetry.¡± Isabe recited a part of the folk song with a melodious tune before she shook her head ironically. ¡°When I was younger, I always thought that this folk song depicted a terrifying tale. Yet, when I grew up, I realized that I¡¯m a part of this tale too.¡± Following this, Isabe began to unveil another secret to Roel and Charlotte. It was a story about a group of people who worked for the best interests of humankind, using an organization and, at times, a country to aplish their aim. They were a group of sages whose eyes peered beyond the fabric of time and space to bear witness to the true history. The Twilight Sages Assembly. This was a group of people who had chosen to devote their lives to preventing the destruction of human civilization. The Six Cmities were said to be monsters that came to life after the supreme existence known as the Mother Goddess breathed herst. They were the embodiment of the most terrifying elements in the world. Simr to the curses in Pandora¡¯s Box, these Cmities were born as the nemeses to all living beings. Their traces could be seen in the downfall of many of the ancient civilizations. The ultimate aim of the Twilight Sages Assembly was to eliminate these harbingers of destruction. However, simr to those prosperous civilizations of the past, humankind was already disadvantaged in the war against the Six Cmities because of ack of reliable intelligence. Despite the tireless efforts of the Assembly for the past century, it had only managed to find traces of three of them. Sire Darkness, Devourer of Light, and cier Creator¡ªthese were the cmities the Twilight Sages Assembly had deduced thus far. These names were orded by one of the destroyed civilizations of the past, and thest one was the true identity of the ¡®egg¡¯ the Golden Fleet was transporting. ... Inside the hold of the gship of the Golden Fleet, SS Saint Mary, Roel held onto the railings of a staircase so cold that it was almost sticking to his hand as he gazed downward in awe. Gusts of cold air rose from below, chilling his face. A golden fluid was revolving inside the ship¡¯s hold down below, suppressing a light-blue ice fragment. The ice fragment was less than a meter in width, and there was a silhouette within it. The silhouette looked like bundles and bundles of something, reminiscent of an infant huddling inside a mother¡¯s womb. ¡°That¡¯s the egg of the cier Creator. We stumbled upon it by coincidence while fighting against the Seafolk. By the time we found it, the area around the sea had already frozen up to form a massive iceberg. If we were two monthster, the ce would have already turned into a cier. By then, no one would be able to find it anymore.¡± Eyeing the cunning enemy below, Isabe began sharing the process of how she used an icebreaker ship to smash open a path through the iceberg and subjugate the egg. Just listening to the process made shudders run down Roel¡¯s spine. Coldness was a huge enemy to most civilizations. Fending off starvation and keeping warm¡ªthese were the primitive instincts most lifeforms possessed in order to survive, for failure would spell death. The cier Creator was the cmity of coldness. Even in its unincubated state, the cier Creator was already able to freeze the sea over to form an iceberg around it. Roel could hardly imagine just how terrifying of a cmity it would be once fully developed. On top of that, just the knowledge that there were another five counterparts to it lurking somewhere in the world, biding their time to pay a visit to human civilization, left Roel with a heavy feeling inside. ¡°It was said that the Country of Dwarves, Alefolte, was destroyed by the arrival of a cold spell thatsted for decades. It was initially just treated as a fable, but from the looks of it now...¡± Isabe breathed out a cold stream of mist along with a sigh. On the other hand, hearing that there was already a precedence to the tyranny of the cier Creator, both Roel and Alicia were appalled. ¡°Your Majesty, how do you intend to deal with this egg? By the current looks of it, this egg has only been temporarily sealed here, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We have only sealed it for the moment, and honestly speaking, that¡¯s all we can do here. The true terror of the Six Cmities lies in the impossibility to fully eradicate them. Rather than calling them a lifeform, it would be more urate to view them as the manifestation of a concept...¡± Isabe¡¯s words made Roel¡¯s heart fall heavily. The strength already disyed by the egg was evidence of its terrifying destructive potential. No wonder it could kill whole civilizations. How in the world could mortals cope with something like this... Roel pondered with a tightly furrowed brow, but before he could figure out anything, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in his mind. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾The Crown¡¯s Stone has been detected.¡¿ ¡¾Initiating ¡¯Reconstruction of Bloodline¡¯...¡¿ Chapter 162: You Can’t Lose

Chapter 162: You Can¡¯t Lose

Reconstruction of Bloodline? What in the world is that? Also, what¡¯s the Crown¡¯s Stone... Roel was dumbfounded by the sudden barrage of notificationsing from the System. Never would he have thought that a cmity that concerned the survival of all human civilization would actually be rted to his bloodline. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Initialization of ¡®Reconstruction of Bloodline¡¯ sessful.¡¿ ¡¾Inspecting the mutation of the Crown¡¯s Stone. Conducting preliminary assessment of its tier.¡¿ ¡¾System Evaluation: Can be assimted¡¿ ¡¾Rmended Assimtion Level: A¡¿ ¡¾Reassessing the rate of growth of the mutated Crown¡¯s Stone ording to the user¡¯s condition.¡¿ ¡¾Rmended Assimtion Level: B+¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾The user hasn¡¯t reached the rmended assimtion level. Assimtion of the mutated Crown¡¯s Stone will be risky. Activating Assimtion Support System.¡¿ ¡¾Estimated cost of the Assimtion Support System: 300,000 gold coins¡¿ ¡¾User doesn¡¯t have sufficient bnce at the moment. Activating Loan Function¡¿ ¡¾In view that this is not the first loan, an interest rate of 10% per month will be charged on the principal sum.¡¿ ¡¾You are borrowing 300,000 gold coins at an interest rate of 10% per month.¡¿ ¡¾Yes/No¡¿ The huge wave of iing notifications left Roel¡¯s eyes in a blur, but there were two words that caught his attention right away: Loan Function. That darned Loan Function again! When Roel saw that he didn¡¯t have enough money to support the activation of the Assimtion Support System, he knew that he had fallen into a pit. Without disappointing him, the System offered a loan once again, and this time around, it was even charging an exorbitant interest rate! At an interest rate of 10% a month, Roel would have to pay a whopping 30,000 gold coins just to offset the interest! Even robbing a bank wouldn¡¯t be as efficient as this! What in the world is this? Is this like an adaptation of payday loans? Is the System trying to rip me off here? ¡°Don¡¯t you think that your interest rate is too high? Even the finances of the Ascart Fiefdom won¡¯t be able to manage the upkeep on the loan with this sort of interest rate!¡± ¡¾Risk and rewarde hand in hand. The chances of a Crown¡¯s Stone appearing is extremely low, and the sessful assimtion of it can enhance the user¡¯s abilities. However, strong abilities tend toe with side effects. The user should make the decision himself.¡¿ ¡°...¡± Roel fell silent after hearing the words and warning from the System. Without a doubt, he was paying a huge price for the loan this time around, but just as what the System said, this was also an opportunity for him¡ªa fortuitous encounter, some might call it. While he had no idea how the cier Creator was rted to the Crown Origin Attribute, it was obvious that the strength of this civilization destroyer was bound to be amazing. In fact, thinking back on it, even though this darned System often triggered him, so far, it had only offered its Loan Function once before, and that was for the awakening of his bloodline. So far, he hadn¡¯t regretted his decision yet; the awakening of his bloodline had really changed the trajectory of this life. So, this time... With a conflicted look on his face, Roel turned to look at the auburn-haired girl chatting with Isabe, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel deeply uneasy on the inside. Even though Charlotte had assured him that it was not his fault, he still felt guilty having implicated Charlotte into the Witness State. That being said, he was still fairly confident in his ability to protect her from danger. However, after hearing all the talk about the cier Creator and all sorts of powerful monsters lurking in the world, he started to lose confidence in himself. For one, he knew that Twohorn Port ended up freezing over, bing known as the Cursed Bay instead, a region where many adventurers would end up losing their lives. The bizarre climate around Twohorn Port had always been a topic of much spection, but Roel finally understood the cause of it. It was simply because the egg was there. But, how did the egg end up there? Roel took some time to carefully think over this question as his face turned incredibly solemn. If this matter wasn¡¯t the intentional doing of Isabe and the Golden Fleet, there could only be one possibility. This voyage was going to be the Golden Fleet¡¯sst. ¡°...¡± The thought of it made Roel clench his fists tightly. He was honestly tempted to devour the cier Creator, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t as easy as it seemed. There were many implications at y here, the most direct one being the ¡®side effects¡¯ mentioned by the System even after the activation of the Assimtion Support System. He knew just how terrifying some ¡®side effects¡¯ of transcendent abilities could be, but the danger that was lurking right before him this very moment was not something he could turn a blind eye to. It took a very long moment of consideration before he finally made up his mind. ¡°I choose ¡®Yes¡¯.¡± So what if it won¡¯t be easy? So what if there are side effects? It¡¯s no longer about just me anymore. I brought Charlotte into this, so I¡¯m obliged to see her out safely. I can¡¯t just turn a blind eye to the obvious threats lying ahead. Not to mention, she¡¯s also my... Roel shot a nce at Charlotte before swiftly averting his eyes once more. Even if their engagement was only in name, it was a fact that Roel was indeed Charlotte¡¯s fianc¨¦ at the moment. As long as he bore this title, he felt responsible for ensuring her safety. ¡¾Assimtion Support System activated.¡¿ ¡¾Adaptation System activated.¡¿ The System notifications echoed in Roel¡¯s ears, and he began sensing certain changes urring to his body. Meanwhile, Isabe began exining their current circumstances. ¡°We have two enemies right now. One of them is the Seafolk, who thrive in the cold. They hope to obtain the cier Creator and use it to create a favorable habitat for themselves. The other one is the Saints Convocation. They are a group of lunatics who believe that the Mother Goddess is Sia, and that the Six Cmities are a trial and retribution from the gods for humankind. ¡°The news regarding the egg leaked somehow, resulting in this bunch of lunatics rushing to the Sofya Kingdom. They rallied the conservative faction within the kingdom and managed to earn significant support. Right now, they and their supporters are pursuing us from behind with our own ships.¡± With a deep sigh, Isabe revealed the reason behind the internal strife within the Golden Fleet. In the end, it could all be traced back to the Sofya House¡¯s Loyal Origin Attribute. All this while, Roel and Charlotte had been wondering how the Sofyas knew so much about the Six Cmities when everyone else in the world, including renowned schrs, knew nothing much about it at all. As it turned out, back in ancient times, the high elves used to serve the Mother Goddess. From such a perspective, the Six Cmities could actually be considered asrades of the Sofya House. This resulted in two diverging points of view amongst those who had inherited the High Elf Bloodline. ) To choose their High Elf Bloodline and be loyal to the Mother Goddess whom they had once served. ) To choose their Human Bloodline and be loyal to the faith worshiped by most of humankind, Sia. The former became known as the conservative faction, whereas thetter became known as the pro-human revolutionary faction. Isabe had already faced great resistance from her kin when she tried to reach out to other human countries to earn their eptance. The emergence of this egg only served as the trigger that led to aplete fallout. In the view of the believers of the Mother Goddess, the cier Creator was a God¡¯s Envoy, but Isabe and the others regarded it as a malicious catastrophe. Such a radical divergence in beliefs couldn¡¯t possibly be reconciled. Along with the Saints Convocation fanning the mes by the side, the urrence of internal strife within the Golden Fleet was inevitable. Gordon Sofya, an Origin Level 2 transcendent, one of the esteemed elders of the Sofya House, was the leader of this rebellion. He was joined by one of the executives of the Saints Convocation, whom Isabe didn¡¯t have much information on. ¡°The gship under my control should have the advantage in terms of speed, but due to the egg requiring the concentration of the Golden Soul to keep it sealed, the functionality of my ship is greatly reduced. As a result, my side has ended up at a disadvantage. If things go on like this, it¡¯s only a matter of time before they catch up. A battle would be inevitable then.¡± Isabe gestured toward the golden fluid, which formed aplicated formation around the egg, as she exined. This made Charlotte¡¯s heart sink. However, before she could descend into pessimism, Roel suddenly spoke up. ¡°In other words, if we can curb this ice fragment, we should be able to speed up and avoid the ships from the conservative faction, right?¡± ¡°Yes, you can say so. Wait a moment, what are you nning to do?¡± To Isabe¡¯s horror, Roel suddenly leaped down the stairs to head for the egg. ¡°Roel,e back! It¡¯s too cold down there!¡± Panicked, she quickly shouted a warning to Roel. Even though Roel was sent here by the Twilight Sages Assembly to help her, there was no way she could allow any harm toe upon Winstor¡¯s younger brother. Otherwise, there was no way she could exin it to Winstor. However, to Isabe¡¯s surprise, as Roel approached the golden fluid formation, the egg suddenly began trembling in response. The cier Creator was a legendary existence known to have destroyed civilizations before, but Isabe could actually sense fearing from it! ¡°H-how is this possible?¡± Isabe could hardly believe her eyes. She couldn¡¯t imagine why the monster would fear Roel, who was so much weaker than her. Behind her, Charlotte, who had also sensed the same thing, had a tense look on her face, but she chose to hold her tongue. Was she worried? Of course she was! However, for some reason, when she saw the determined look on Roel¡¯s face, her heart began thumping frenziedly. She found herself unable to voice out the words to stop him. While the twodies were worried out of their minds, Roel was currently feeling very cool at the moment. The biting chill of the egg felt oddlyfortable to his skin. Under the support of the System, Roel¡¯s mana had begun racing swiftly, as if someone had ignited his inner nitro. It made him feel unbearably hot, which prompted him to instinctively head toward the cooling egg. It was like opening a fridge in the heat of summer. It was thatfy. ¡¾Origin Attribute has been activated. Starting assimtion. Countdown: 180 seconds Sess rate: 73%¡¿ ¡¾Counting down. 180, 179, 178...¡¿ The notifications from the System snapped Roel out of his daze. He could vaguely sense the Crown Origin Attribute producing a force of attraction toward the egg. As if a mother beckoning its child home, he began to absorb the frost mana in the vicinity. ¡¾120, 119, 118...¡¿ A minute passed quickly. Roel no longer felt as irritably hot as he did a moment ago, but at the same time, he didn¡¯t feel any stronger despite having absorbed the frost mana. ¡¾61, 60, 59...¡¿ Two minutes passed. Roel was starting to sense that his plight was getting worse and worse. His body had been as hot as a furnace a moment ago, but at this moment, he felt as if someone had robbed him of his charcoal, causing him to swiftly lose heat. Despite so, he still hadn¡¯t grown any stronger at all. ¡¾31, 30, 29...¡¿ Another half a minute passed. Roel¡¯s body had already turned ice cold. He stared nkly ahead as he felt that time was slowly being stretched out into eternity. He was in great pain, but he knew that he mustn¡¯t give up at this critical moment. He stared at the 73% sess rate evaluated by the System with a helpless look on his face. He had no idea how the System managed to tabte this number, but he felt like his fate had been leftpletely up to luck. It was then that he felt a figure lightly hugging his cial body. ¡°I got your back. You mustn¡¯t lose here!¡± Charlotte shouted as she aimed her gun at Roel and pulled the trigger. Chapter 163: The Protection of Fate

Chapter 163: The Protection of Fate

Inside the hold of the gship, the crisp ringing of a gun¡¯s trigger being pulled echoed several times in session. Shattered gemstones morphed into golden light and scattered all over Roel¡¯s body. Under Charlotte¡¯s relentless shots, the area around the cier Creator turned into a sea of mes. The onught of heat alleviated Roel¡¯s condition, granting him his sanity back. However, it only took several seconds for the raging sea of mes to be put out in this cold environment. The spell mes were like the flickerings of a candle on a windy night, always on the verge of being put out. However, Charlotte couldn¡¯t care less. A dozen gemstones were only enough to provide Roel with a moment of warmth, but fortunately, she had more trump cards than this. ¡°Roar with ferocity.¡± Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes suddenly glowed brilliantly as her bloodline began to heat up. She gave off the powerful disposition of a queenmanding an army of a thousand soldiers. Under her orders, the golden fluid wrapped around the egg began to move. Weng! An intense buzzing sound began to echo from the core of the ship. The golden fluid flowing through the pipes of the ship quickly gushed toward the origin of the frost, charging like an order of mounted knights. The shipmates looked at one another in confusion, perplexed as to what was going on. At the same time, Isabe began making her move too. ¡°I see. So this is the ability of the Ascart House? How mysterious. It¡¯s no wonder why the Assembly would send you here. As the big sister here, it¡¯s only right for me to give you a push on the back.¡± Looking at the duo fighting against the egg in the ship¡¯s hold beneath her, Isabe¡¯s final lingering doubts had atst been dispelled. A refreshing smile surfaced on her lips as the golden constetion of an ancient god suddenly formed behind her. It was the same one Charlotte had summoned during her first meeting with Roel, but the one summoned by Isabe had an even clearer presence. ¡°Arbiter of Fate!¡± The beautiful and valiant woman ordered with her clear voice, and the golden constetion behind her raised the bnce in its hand. At the same time, Isabe lifted her hand, and golden light began congregating in her hands to form 10 small chips. ¡°Charlotte, take a good look. This is the real way to use our bloodline. We aren¡¯t servants but makers of fate! ¡°These are the chips that we have manifested as leverage using the fate of our lives. Be it our family, friends, or subordinates, glory or shame, prosperity or destruction; everything is epassed within these 10 chips. With these as stakes, I shall steer the flow of fate!¡± Isabe gazed down on the duo from the top of the stairs as she spoke. Stars began to fill the upper area of the ship¡¯s hold as the golden constetion of the Goddess of Fate stretched her hand forth, and images began appearing on each side of the bnce she was holding. On one side was a ck-haired, golden-eyed boy. On the other was the embryonic monster growing inside the ice. The bnce swayed unstably for a moment before finally tilting toward the embryonic monster¡¯s side. Seeing this, Isabe revealed a slight smile. ¡°If it¡¯s just this much, one coin shall suffice. Chip of Fate, stake in!¡± ¡°Received.¡± Isabe flicked her finger softly, and one of the golden chips flew in an arc before falling onto Roel¡¯s side of the scale. The whirring of a mechanical system echoed for a brief moment as the equilibrium of the bnce began moving once more. At the same time, the golden constetion emanated a brilliant glow of light too. All of a sudden, the embryonic monster inside the ice began to weaken, as if it had been afflicted with some sort of curse. In just a few seconds, the frosty currents revolving around it had already mostly stilled to a halt, leaving it almost defenseless. At the same time, Roel also sensed a mysterious power suffusing his body, as if someone was silently giving him a push. He finally understood the reason why the System had attributed such a high chance of sess to this assimtion. ¡¾10, 9, 8...¡¿ With fate standing on his side and the supporting from his fianc¨¦e, Roel finally managed to absorb all of the frozen mana in the vicinity. With thepletion of the process, the System¡¯s notification immediately rang right away. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾You have sessfully absorbed a partial power of the mutated Crown¡¯s Stone.¡¿ ¡¾You have gained the ability: cial Touch¡¿ Ah, I¡¯ve finally seeded. Under thebined assault of capitalism and mysterious voodoo-like magic, the ancient monster was finally forced to lower its head. Roel heaved a relieved sigh. Looks like the 300,000 gold coins spent hasn¡¯t gone to waste! There was a stiff smile on Roel¡¯s face for a moment before his vision suddenly went dark. ... Midnight, under the silver glow of the moon, a fleet of ships arrived at the area where the Golden Fleet had fought earlier before anchoring on the spot. There were a couple of smaller boats shrouded in a golden fluid rowing around the area, collecting samples. At the bow of the gship, there were a bunch of white-robed disciples gathered around their old leader as they prayed quietly to the moon. Such a sight could be seen on the bow of every single ship in the fleet, making quite an eerie sight. The disciples continued murmuring the name of the Mother Goddess for half an hour before the ritual finally came to an end. The other crewmates proceeded to report their findings, and themand team resumed their discussions too. ¡°What? They suffered no losses at all? How could that be possible? Putting the other ships aside, SS Saint Paul should have been doomed!¡± eximed Gordon in disbelief after hearing the report from his subordinate. His silvery hair drifted along with the night breeze, bestowing him with an air of destion on top of his usual solemness. Gordon had already lived for more than 200 years now, making him one of the rare ones who had lived in the Second Epoch. His wealth of experience, which could be traced back to the Ancient Austine Empire, sharpened his instincts for naval warfare, granting him the intuition to predict the conclusion of a battle even before the fight began. SS Saint Paul was arge warship second only to the gship, SS Saint Mary. Given its strategic importance, Gordon was actually nning to snatch it over prior to the breakout of the internal conflict, only for Vice-Captain Laure to find out about his n and foil it. Despite so, Gordon still managed to destroy arge portion of its Control Room, creating an opening for the Scalemen to take it down. Yet, why would it... The unexpected turn of events left him deeply troubled. He was the kind of person who hated uncertainty and variables, especially after all of the painful choices he had to make throughout his life. Gordon had witnessed the peak of the Ancient Austine Empire, but he had also been through the hardships and despair of the mass migration westward. Those in his generation really didn¡¯t have it easy. There were challenges at every turn, and the end appeared to be never in sight. Many of his peers eventually sumbed to the stress and ended their own lives. Even those who pulled through the storms couldn¡¯t always break free of the past, trapped in dreams of the prosperity and glory they once enjoyed. To some extent, Gordon was the same as thistter group of people. However, unlike the others who reminisced about the Ancient Austine Empire, what he dreamt of traced even further back, something even grander. He was pursuing the origin of his bloodline, the glory of the high elves. The Mother Goddess was his and hisrades¡¯ greatest belief, and it was also the greatest conflict between them and Isabe¡¯s faction. There was a period of time when Gordon was a member of the ignorant masses who believed in human supremacy. However, when he learned that the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital was induced by one of the supreme existences and saw how the Ancient Austine Empire, which he believed to be impregnable and infallible, fell apart, he was forced to change his mind. The gods were powerful and invible. Before them, humans were no more than fleeting, insignificant existences. Against those supreme beings, resistance was futile. The only viable option was to obey them. Gordon¡¯s past experiences, further fueled by his Loyal Origin Attribute, built up his unwavering faith in the Mother Goddess. Thus, he thought that Isabe¡¯s pursuit was just a product of her ignorance, and he looked upon her efforts in disdain. To choose humans over the gods and attempt to defy the predestined downfall of civilization; that was nothing more than blind arrogance. Countless civilizations before them had already sumbed to the gods. Humankind¡¯s westward mass migration was nothing more than an attempt to dy the inevitable. ¡°Destruction is the end of our journey. Only by forsaking our human selves, remaining true to our High Elf Bloodline, and serving the Mother Goddess will we be able to relive our past glory.¡± These were the beliefs driving Gordon and his extremist conservative faction. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how pleasantly surprised they were when they were approached by another organization who believed in the Mother Goddess as well¡ªthe Saints Convocation. The Saints Convocation was a mysterious organization based at the north end of humanity¡¯s territories, and their ultimate goal was to support the six God¡¯s Envoys in the revival of the Mother Goddess, and they were determined to achieve it regardless of the price they had to pay. So far, based on the intelligence gathered, the organization appeared to be hostile toward the other elusive transcendent organization Isabe was in. Withmon enemies andmon goals, the paths of Gordon¡¯s conservative faction and the Saints Convocation naturally converged with one another. In fact, the Saints Convocation had contributed greatly to the rebellion of the conservative faction against Isabe. ¡°Esteemed King of the South, you seem to have some lingering doubts in your mind?¡± A white-robed young man named Doyle walked up to Gordon to check in with him. He was one of the executives of the Saints Convocation. Gordon turned his head over to look at Doyle as his eyes narrowed a little. ¡°I am no King of the South. I am just an old man who knows my own ce.¡± ¡°A wealth of experience does bring about wisdom. Only an Outliver like you could understand the greatness of the gods. Isabe might be talented, but the short twenty years she has lived has limited the depth of her vision. Before someone who has lived centuries like you, she¡¯s probably no more than a child.¡± There were a few strands of ck hair peeking out of Doyle¡¯s cap, and he had a paleplexion that made him look gentle and amiable. He could easily win the goodwill of others with just his words, but his charisma didn¡¯t seem to be working on Gordon at all. ¡°What¡¯s your motive? Why did you choose to help us?¡± Gordon voiced his own doubts with an impassive look on his face. ¡°My goal is to bring our n back to its era of prosperity and glory and survive the impending cmities along with the Mother Goddess. However, these should mean nothing to outsiders like you. I want to know what your aim, or rather, the Saints Convocation¡¯s aim is,¡± added Gordon. ¡°You¡¯re right to say that we have no vested interests in the Sofya House. However, if we¡¯re just talking about aims here, we do have the same intentions in mind. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the Mother Goddess returns; there¡¯s no doubt about that. Our duty, as her believers, is to clear off all obstacles standing in her path before her return.¡± ¡°Clear off all obstacles, you say? In other words, you¡¯re iming that the resurrection of the Mother Goddess is rted to the six God¡¯s Envoys?¡± Sensing an important clue in Doyle¡¯s words, Gordon tried to probe a little deeper, only to be responded with a silent chuckle. ¡°You appear a little worried. Did something happen?¡± asked Doyle. ¡°... A ripple in fate has just urred. Another powerful bloodline possessor seems to have gotten involved in this matter. This means that there are two people on Isabe¡¯s side to activate the Perpetual Seal, making it even more difficult for us to snatch it over.¡± The wrinkles on Gordon¡¯s face deepened as he said those words. The Perpetual Seal was the final measure of the Sofya House. It could only be activated and dispelled by those who carried the purest High Elf Bloodline, making it nigh impossible to tamper with it. Once activated, the egg would be permanently buried in the darkest depths of the boundless sea. Originally, all they had to do was kill Isabe in order to stop it from happening. However, the emergence of yet another powerful bloodline possessor on the Golden Fleet meant that the number of variables had just increased greatly. ¡°I understand.¡± Hearing Gordon¡¯s worries, the white-robed young man nodded his head with a gentle smile on his lips. ¡°You can leave the assassination of the other bloodline possessor to me.¡± Chapter 164: Don’t Speak, Kiss!

Chapter 164: Don¡¯t Speak, Kiss!

Inside a shadowy mountain valley, Roel stared at the cluster of mountains in the distance in a daze. A golden-haired woman gradually manifested from the darkness, appearing atop the old throne before him. She had a shapely figure that could be vaguely discerned under her traditional long robe, and her hair was emanating golden light particles. ¡°We meet again. It looks like you have managed to ovee the crisis, though I have to admit that I was rather surprised to see that you didn¡¯t use my blessing. Should Ipliment you for that? Or was it an intentional act on your part?¡± ¡°Intentional? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Fear and dread, these are the emotions that humans naturally bear toward us. Powerful beings like us are bound to be feared. It¡¯s the natural instinct of intelligent beings to dread maniption.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel looked into the glowing, assessing eyes of the golden-haired woman before him as he considered her statement carefully. ¡°I¡¯m not guarding against you. Rather than to say that I¡¯m unwilling to use your spell, it would be more urate to say that I can¡¯t bear to use it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t bear to use it?¡± Under Peytra¡¯s prating gaze, Roel lowered his head slightly in contemtion, attempting to make sense of his thoughts. ¡°I have a feeling that a greater danger is encroaching. It wasn¡¯t worth bringing out my trump card for the scuffle earlier on. I want to reserve my greatest power for the most critical moment.¡± ¡°Oh? I didn¡¯t think that you would have such a high opinion of my blessing. It pleases me to hear such words. Indeed, treasuring the blessing I bestowed upon you is a show of respect to me. It¡¯s pleasing to see that you know of respect.¡± Peytra¡¯s mood seemed to have lifted as her lips curled up. However, there was still a small doubt she had left. ¡°I noticed that your own self is at odds with your age.¡± ¡°My own self?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s impossible to lie to me in my world. This is a ce that strips off all disguises to reveal one¡¯s truest self.¡± ¡°... Is that so? That would exin why I feel a little peculiar here.¡± Roel nodded in realization as he finally knew what the unnatural feeling constantly nudging him was. The woman eyed Roel intently as the light in her slitted eyes intensified. ¡°In any case, you have fulfilled the first promise. I should probably bring out my sincerity too.¡± Peytra¡¯s golden eyes seemed to glow even brighter. Under her piercing gaze, Roel felt a slight burning sensation in his eyes, causing him to squint a little. ¡°What did you do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small gift. You¡¯ll know it once you activate the spell,¡± remarked Peytra with a smile lingering on her lips. Her eyes remained focused on Roel, but she seemed to be seeing something even further. There was a moment of silence before she pressed her lips together and questioned. ¡°I heard from that fellow that you have a question to ask?¡± ¡°That fellow?¡± ¡°I¡¯m referring to that giant who keeps kicking up a fuss outside. What a troublesome one he is.¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯re referring to Grandar?¡± Before Roel¡¯s widened eyes, Peytra nodded in affirmation. She ced her hand on her cheek and looked at Roel with a trace of mirth in her eyes. It was a show of great interest. ¡°He¡¯s throwing a tantrum because he can¡¯t get in here. He¡¯s even threatening me not to get any thoughts about you.¡± ¡°The two of you are able tomunicate with one another?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯re the medium linking the two of us together though. Nevertheless, I am still quite surprised. How did you manage to win an existence like him over to your side?¡± Roel couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a little imagining the sight of Grandar throwing a tantrum. After some consideration, Roel carefully tendered a reply. ¡°I guess it¡¯s because we¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± Peytra widened her eyes in disbelief at his response. She blinked her eyes several times before bursting intoughter. ¡°You have be friends with that kind of fellow? Hahaha, youngd, you sure are an interesting one!¡± She continuedughing for quite a while before finally recalling the main matter at hand. She gazed into the distant outside world as her eyes twinkled in curiosity. ¡°Show me the most beautiful thing about fate. That¡¯s my request.¡± ¡°... You all sure like to pose troublesome questions. Though, fate? This term sure has be rtable to me in recent days.¡± ¡°Are you referring to the girl who worships the Goddess of Fate?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Roel thought a little deeper into it, and he felt that it wasn¡¯t just about Charlotte here. Everything seemed to be somehow tied to fate, including how the two of them came to meet one another, which brought about a crossroad in his life. No, to be more exact, they were each other¡¯s crossroads. Their meeting had definitely created huge ripples for the future. Far too many shocking events happened recently. Some mysteries he had been dwelling upon had been unraveled, but he still felt himself to be no more than a young pupil just starting to learn about the world. The partial knowledge he had only left him even more confused, leaving him with many spections about his lineage. ¡°That girl possesses a rare ancestral bloodline blessed by the Goddess of Fate. I do agree that she would make a good mating partner for you.¡± ¡°Indeed... Huh?¡± Roel instinctively nodded in agreement to the serious words spoken from the throne, only for his pupils to dte in shock a momentter when his distracted mind finally realized what he had just agreed with. ¡°Wait a moment, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hm? I¡¯m simply saying that both of your bloodlines arepatible with one another. Offspringing from the two of you will have a high chance of being bloodline possessors too.¡± ¡°No, I mean, why are you suddenly talking about mating? What does this have to do with anything?¡± ¡°I was of the impression that the two of you are a couple. Am I mistaken?¡± Peytra blinked her eyes in confusion, uprehending of what Roel was driving at. On the other hand, Roel was so speechless at those words that he didn¡¯t even know where he should start exining things from. ¡°We¡¯re an unmarried couple, unmarried! There¡¯s no mating going on here!¡± Roel emphasized with a furiously blushing face. There was an uncanny feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as he couldn¡¯t help recalling the simr conversation he had with Grandar back then too. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was Grandar who had led Peytra astray here. Still, to talk about mating so directly... Are those from the ancient era so forthright? We really should practice some subtlety when ites to such things! Roel was so agitated that the unnatural feeling he felt from being in this world lightened considerably. Peytra was a little intrigued by this urrence, but she decided not to pay it too much heed. She raised her eyes to gaze at the mountain range beyond them before remarking wryly. ¡°Is that so? But... it looks like you are the only one who feels that way?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You should leave now.¡± Peytra shot a prating look at Roel and reminded him. ¡°Don¡¯t forget my question. May we meet again, Roel Ascart.¡± The gentle voice echoed in his ears before a devastating storm swept through the area, tearing apart the surroundings. Roel¡¯s consciousness gradually faded until everything turned ck ... ¡°W-what should we do? His temperature is still plummeting!¡± ¡°The egg isn¡¯t reacting anymore. It seems to be the effect of Roel¡¯s absorption spell.¡± In an exquisitely designed ship cabin, Isabe was looking at the boy lying on the bed, emanating ripples of cold mist, with tight furrows on her brow. Back then, as soon as Roel passed out after absorbing the frozen mana, Isabe immediately carried Roel into this cabin and had a doctor check on his condition. Fortunately, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with him. It was just regretful that Roel had been in an unconscious state all this while. He couldn¡¯t even attend the short party thrown by all the crew to celebrate surviving the crisis. Roel¡¯s sacrifice hadn¡¯t been in vain though. His act of absorbing the frozen mana reduced the burden on the Golden Soul, which allowed SS Saint Mary to regain most of its usual functions. Its speed increased significantly, and its defensive measures were restored too. However, just a minute ago, Roel¡¯s condition suddenly took a turn for the worse. ¡°This is the frost aura from the egg. We should be able to suppress it with the Golden Soul, simr to what we did with the egg.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Charlotte nodded her head in agreement with Isabe¡¯s opinion. However, she soon noticed a problem. Under the suppression of the Golden Soul, the temperature within the room did rise, but the frost aura only receded back into Roel, putting him in a worse state than before. ¡°This won¡¯t do. He¡¯s like a sponge at the moment, and the frost aura is like water to him. Trying to suppress the frost aura externally won¡¯t work; it¡¯ll only worsen his condition. What we need to do is to squeeze the frost aura out of him instead.¡± ¡°B-but what can we do?¡± Flustered, Charlotte quickly halted her actions with the Golden Soul upon hearing Isabe¡¯s conjecture. Isabe turned toward Charlotte, who looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment, and an idea suddenly popped into her head. ¡°Charlotte, it looks like we can only entrust this matter to you, his fianc¨¦e.¡± Watching the flustered girl before her solemnly, Isabe raised her hand grandly to point toward the boy lying on the bed and instructed. ¡°Go, kiss him!¡± Chapter 165: Isabella’s Coaxing

Chapter 165: Isabe¡¯s Coaxing

Inside the ship cabin, Charlotte¡¯s body stiffened at Isabe¡¯s words. ¡°B-big sister Isabe, what did you say?¡± ¡°Hm? You didn¡¯t hear me clearly? This is troublesome. There isn¡¯t any time to be wasted on exnations now.¡± Isabe looked at the unconscious Roel with a deep frown before decisively pushing Charlotte toward where heid. Trying her best to maintain a poker face, she pointed to Roel¡¯s lips and spoke words that left no room for doubt. ¡°Kiss him right now!¡± ¡°Ah? No, I mean, w-why do I have to do that...¡± Charlotte nced at the unconscious Roel as a furious blush dyed her cheeks. Her mind was filled with question marks as she looked at the ¡®big sister¡¯ behind her with utterly bewildered eyes. Seeing how pure Charlotte was, Isabe sighed deeply in worry. Without a doubt, Charlotte was an outstanding individual, be it her beautiful appearance, her kind and gentle heart, or her amazing talent. Even Isabe dared not say that she was superior to Charlotte. However, if there was one w to pick about the girl, it would be her naivety when it came to rtionship matters. She was simply too innocent, and she got shy too easily. The veteran Isabe couldn¡¯t help but reminisce about her own romance experience. Back then, when she was still young and adventuring around, she met Winstor for the first time in an ancient ruin. The two of them had a small conflict, which escted into a fight. She was still quite hot-headed back then, so she mercilessly pummeled Winstor with her proficient Jewel Magic. However, in the midst of doing so, she identally triggered a mechanism which trapped the two of them underground. It was from there on that the tables turned. Isabe might be powerful, but she was only interested in the wealth hidden in the ancient ruins. She didn¡¯t have any interest in archaeology at all, so her knowledge about such ancient ruins was limited. It was the younger and weaker Winstor who stood up in this situation, taking the lead with his broad range of knowledge. The two of them made peace with one another and worked closely with one another to navigate through the ancient ruins. Eventually, they managed to find a way out. This life-and-death experience they shared became the foundation of their rtionship, though to her chagrin, sheter found out that it had been a love at first sight for Winstor¡ªor to be more exact, he fell in love with her after getting beaten up by her. To be honest, Isabe had felt a little weirded out by this, and she even suspected if Winstor had some kind of strange fetish. However, Winstor had conducted himself quite normally over the years, so she eventually shrugged it off. Later on, the two of them teamed up and ventured to many ces. Their abilities also swiftly grew stronger over the course of their journey. However, Isabe had been hesitant to reveal her identity as the sessor of the Sofya Kingdom. She knew that Winstor was interested in her even though they had never said it aloud, but she was afraid the revtion of her identity would unravel what bond they shared. Unable to conquer her dilemma, she eventually left him with a kiss before quietly parting ways with him. It was a long 5 years before they met each other once more, at the Twilight Sages Assembly. They sat with faces concealed and voices altered, yet Winstor was still able to vaguely recognize Isabe. It was almost as if their reunion had been decreed by fate. Their feelings for one another rekindled, and they eventually came together as a couple. Isabe and Winstor¡¯s rtionship was something that had been tempered through oveing multiple difficulties. It wasn¡¯t just a verbal promise of engagement connecting them; their bond was far stronger than that, and it could weather through storms. That was why she could discern the frailty in her little sister Charlotte¡¯s romance. Marriage of convenience was a huge taboo in the Sofya House. Due to the nature of the Loyal Origin Attribute, the women of the Sofya Royal Family had the right to one-sidedly void their engagements. As such, Charlotte¡¯s case was actually rather rare. It was a huge pity that the Sorofya House had forgotten about their traditions over the past few centuries. When Isabe found out that Charlotte was actually an incredible prodigy, the first thing she should have done was to annul the engagement and return Charlotte her freedom. However, things wereplicated by the fact that Roel was Winstor¡¯s younger brother, her future brother-inw. She wouldn¡¯t want to sour rtions with him considering that they were going to be one big family in the future. More importantly, even though it wasn¡¯t very apparent, Charlotte seemed to harbor feelings for Roel. ¡°Charlotte, he¡¯s your fianc¨¦. What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°I know, b-but our engagement can still be annulled...¡± ¡°Put the engagement aside for now and touch your own heart. Do you like him?¡± ¡°!¡± Isabe threw a straight ball toward Charlotte that tore through all of her veils of concealment. It made her eyes widen as her face turned as red as an apple. ¡°I... I don¡¯t...¡± ¡°Haa? You don¡¯t?¡± Isabe scoffed at Charlotte¡¯s weak rebuttal. She was a little irritated by how quick her junior was to deny her own feelings. Taking a moment for a long calming breath, Isabe gazed intently into Charlotte¡¯s eyes before speaking. ¡°Very well. Since you have already spoken your mind, I¡¯lly two choices out before you. ¡°If you like him, you should give him a kiss and save him. This is a good opportunity to deepen your rtionship. The bond between the two of you was founded upon a flimsy engagement promise, but you can further reinforce it with a connection of gratitude by saving his life here. ¡°Otherwise, if you don¡¯t like him, you should just turn around and leave. I¡¯ll just use normal means to sustain his condition. You can be assured that his life won¡¯t be in danger at the very least.¡± Those words left Charlotte deeply conflicted. Her eyes flickered in hesitation, and her body began to tremble slightly. Seeing this, Isabe found herself sighing deeply once more. She felt her own heart softening a little for the inexperienced Charlotte, so she mellowed her tone and spoke to her little sister with earnest words. ¡°Charlotte, our Origin Attribute has fated us to remain steadfast to only one. There are many women in our n who were too shy to speak of their feelings and ended up in tragic plights. Do you wish to follow their footsteps?¡± ¡°I...¡± ¡°Think of your rivals. A man like Roel is bound to have other women around him. If you can¡¯t build a sufficiently strong bond with him before they make a move, how do you intend to guard your own family?¡± ¡°!¡± Isabe¡¯s words hammered right into Charlotte¡¯s heart with great force, causing her body to shudder in horror. Two silhouettes, one with golden hair and the other with silver, surfaced in her mind before the word ¡®family¡¯ swiftly dominated her thoughts. Slowly, her clouded eyes began to clear up to reveal renewed determination, and her trembling also came to a halt. Alright, it looks like I¡¯ve managed to rouse her morale. Isabe clenched her fists tightly, heartened by the sight. ¡°I get it now, big sister Isabe.¡± ¡°You should hurry up and get along with it then!¡± Isabe patted Charlotte¡¯s shoulders with a solemn look, as if she was sending a soldier off into battle. Charlotte grabbed the hem of her skirt tightly as she slowly approached Roel. Her heart thumped louder and louder. She felt like her body was burning up. She looked at the unconscious Roel as she tried her best to build up her courage. This is all just so he can quickly free himself from danger. I¡¯m only doing this because there¡¯s no other choice. Besides, he¡¯s unconscious now. As long as no one speaks of it... With such thoughts in mind, Charlotte gradually fell into a daze. She couldn¡¯t tell whether it was a hallucination or not, but she thought she saw a butterfly bearing a golden rose fluttering before her eyes. It was only when Isabe¡¯s urging voice sounded once more that she snapped out of her daze. If it¡¯s for him... With tender eyes, Charlotte leaned forward to kiss Roel¡¯s frozen stiff lips. At the same time, Roel, who had just been sent back to reality from a faraway ce, groggily opened his eyes, only to be met with a pair of dazed emerald eyes in very close proximity. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°¡°!¡±¡± Chapter 166: It Only Works If We Plaster Hard

Chapter 166: It Only Works If We ster Hard

A dayter, in a dimly-lit ship cabin, an auburn-haired girl spoke in a voice quivering with deep frustration and helplessness. ¡°Say, can you stop moving around so much?¡± ¡°S-sorry, I can¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°So, Mister Roel, can you exin why you had to use that spell? You nearly froze the entire ship!¡± Charlotte chastised sharply, causing a cold, shivering Roel to cower before her ferocity. It took a while before Roel squeaked out an exnation with a guilty look on his face. ¡°I just wanted to give it a try. I didn¡¯t expect to cause such a hugemotion. Cough cough, fine... I was wrong.¡± ¡°Hmph, forget it! I can¡¯t be bothered with you.¡± Taking into consideration Roel¡¯s earnest repentance and his shivering body, Charlotte softened her stance a little. She snapped her fingers, and the gemstones embedded in the walls around the room began glowing brilliantly. First, the rubies shone crimson light down on Roel where heid, hastening his blood flow. This gemstone was typically used to stop bleeding for emergency treatments, but today, it was used in reverse to warm up Roel¡¯s frigid body instead. Following that, the gemstones harnessing spells to produce heat and absorb frost lit up, raising the temperature in the room. Under the brilliant lighting from all around, Roel¡¯s condition began to improve. With the preparatory workpleted and the ¡®surgical lights¡¯ in ce, it was time for the ¡®chief surgeon¡¯ to enter the operating theater. Charlotte first ced her hand on Roel¡¯s shoulder and waited for his trembling kneecaps to calm down a little before finally sitting down on them. She pressed herself lightly against Roel¡¯s chest before her body began emanating a slight glow. Golden Soul, this was one of the key items used by possessors of the High Elf Bloodline to draw out the true prowess of their abilities. Despite its name, it was actually a magic tool made out of a concoction of ingredients, though it did contain small bits of gold too. It was fluid in form, but it could solidify at will. The reason the Golden Fleet acquired its name was because of the Golden Soul flowing within its ships. It served as a medium that amplified the power of spells cast by the possessors of the High Elf Bloodline by more than tenfold. The keels of the Golden Fleet were made out of solidified Golden Soul, which ensured that the ship wouldn¡¯t fall apart regardless of the impacts it suffered. As for the other functions, such as eleration and bombardment, those were left to the fluid Golden Soul circting within the ship. All in all, the system of the ship was quite technologically advanced. It was with this piece of technology that the Sofya Kingdom was able to suppress even the Seafolk, bing the true dominant power on the seas. Of course,manding the Golden Fleet had its own drawbacks as well. For one, the Golden Soul could only be controlled by those who had inherited the bloodline of the Sofya House. Without the possessors of the bloodline present, the ships would be crippled. The previous situation with SS Saint Paul was a good example. Had it not been for Charlotte¡¯s appearance, the ship¡¯s advanced functions would have been rendered useless the moment Vice-Captain Laure died, turning SS Saint Paul back into an ordinary vessel. By then, they would have lost their greatest edge against the Seafolk. The power of the Golden Soul extended beyond just the functionalities of the Golden Fleet. For one, the members of the Sofya House used it as a defensive magic tool. When condensed, it was strong enough to block most attacks, making it an excellent shield with high mobility. Aside from that, the golden mana it contained also had multiple uses, such as reinforcing matter on touch, or as Roel named it, the Omnipotent ster. ¡°How does it feel? Is it better now?¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t feel that cold anymore. Speaking of which, you seem to be much more proficient aspared to yesterday.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m constantly improving my technique. If I don¡¯t learn properly, I¡¯m going to be...¡± Charlotte was suddenly reminded of the incident yesterday, and her face immediately flushed as red as a boiled lobster. This, in turn, sparked Roel¡¯s memories, and he began to cough unnaturally. His eyes swam around nervously before finally halting on Charlotte¡¯s red lips. Thinking about how their eyes were staring straight at one another from less than a hand¡¯s length away when he woke from his slumber yesterday, he felt a buzz in his mind. The soft sensation of Charlotte¡¯s skin on his arm was threatening to evoke his inner wolf. It was one thing for Charlotte to be beautiful and adorably innocent, but she was also kind enough to put herself in an ufortable position for him too. Had they met much earlier, he might have just decided to marry her and spend their entire lives together like this. To be honest, he was quite amazed by how Charlotte was able to bring out such inexplicable thoughts in him. Roel quickly shook away those misceneous thoughts and turned his attention toward his System. The reason behind his affliction was stated right there. ¡¾cial Touch This spell was obtained through assimting a portion of the powers of a terrifying ancient cmity. When cier descends, the world is silenced. Releases directed frost aura in the vicinity. It can manifest in any form for offensive and defensive purposes. The area and strength of the frost aura is decided by the user¡¯s mana. Side Effect: Intermittent chills¡¿ ¡°...¡± Roel heaved a deep sigh after looking at the side effect. It was like a non-ice type pok¨¦mon had been forced to learn ¡®Hail¡¯¡ªfreeze yourself first before freezing your enemy! It was a very pragmatic world they lived in. Greater power tended to demand a greater price. So far, Roel had never experienced it personally before, and this cial Touch taught him a bone-chilling lesson. Earlier this morning, the Golden Fleet was assaulted by another humongous sea monster and apanying hordes of Scalemen. Gigantic tower-sized tentacles attempted to coil themselves around SS Saint Mary. Roel, who was witnessing this for the first time, was horrified. Not daring to hold back at all, he decisively activated cial Touch. A cold spell suddenly rippled across the surface of the sea in the form of a swiftly expanding ice fog. Aside from the Scalemen and sea monster, even the morning mist became frozen in ce instantly. It was an overwhelming victory for the Golden Fleet, but a personal loss for Roel. As it turned out, his attack had inadvertently frozen one of the tentacles of the sea monster to the ship¡¯s deck, leaving a huge obstacle extending across the 20-meter width of the ship before plunging into the sea. It looked oddly reminiscent of a tail swishing by the side of the ship. It had been a while since the side effect of cial Touch kicked in, causing Roel to be bedbound, but the sound of ice being chiseled still persisted from the ship¡¯s deck, evidence of the mess Roel had created. In any case, this was a perfect demonstration of the incredible power of the Six Cmities. The cier Creator, despite being sealed in its egg form, was still able to turn SS Saint Mary¡¯s hold into a world of ice. Its potential for destruction was beyond imagination, and needless to say, the price for evoking such overwhelming power was great too. It was a long while before Roel¡¯s body finally felt warm once more, and he heaved a deep sigh of relief. He looked at the golden glow around Charlotte and asked curiously. ¡°Charlotte, how far have you mastered the spells rting to the Golden Soul?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve grasped most of the theoretical knowledge thus far. The Golden Soul is one of the two core secrets of the Sofya Kingdom, with the other being Bnce of Fate from our bloodline ability. It¡¯s the loss of these two important pieces of our heritage that caused our lineage to fall into decline,¡± replied Charlotte. Roel nodded in agreement. He too was amazed to learn that the possessors of the High Elf Bloodline possessed the ability to tamper with the flow of fate. While it came at a cost¡ªthey had to use their own fate as the stakes¡ªand it was hard to use it directly in a battle, there was no doubt that it was an incredibly powerful support spell, bordering along the lines of unreasonableness. Take the tug-o-war between him and the cier Creator back then, it was likely that other transcendents wouldn¡¯t have been able to help him back then. However, Isabe was able to influence the final results by pulling the strings of fate directly, providing him the final push he needed in the standoff. Roel spent a short while specting about the various situations where the Bnce of Fate could make a huge difference before exhaling in awe. He decided to take a quick look at the countdown timer on the System. ¡¾Countdown to the end of Witness State: 59 hours 44 minutes¡¿ Two and a half days? Roel stared silently at the timer for a while before informing Charlotte about it too. Charlotte responded with a nod of acknowledgment. ¡°Two and a half days... That should be enough for me to memorize all of the spells.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Since your goal has been fulfilled, all we have to do now is to ensure our safe return.¡± ¡°Safe return, hm? This ship still carries the egg on it, and the ce where ites to its eventual rest is...¡± Thinking about the eternally frozen port in her memories, Charlotte tightened her grip on Roel¡¯s shirt out of anxiety. It felt peaceful at the moment, but she knew deep down that dangers were already encroaching on them. As calm as the waters looked at the moment, the Golden Fleet was actually surrounded by enemies, be it the Seafolk, Gordon¡¯s rebel fleet, or the Saints Convocation. Without a doubt, they were in a precarious position. One could almost say that Isabe had erred in deciding to take on the mission to deliver the egg. This was a mission that brought no tangible benefits to the Sofya Royal Family or the Golden Fleet. On the contrary, it even spurred the outbreak of an internal conflict by exacerbating the divergence between the conservatives and the pro-human revolutionaries. The Twilight Sages Assembly might have the ability to mobilize arge amount of resources, but there was no way it couldpensate the Sofya Kingdom¡¯s losses arising from its internal war. Given everything that she had to lose, why did Isabe still choose to ept this mission in the end? Was it because of Winstor? Or was it pressure from the Assembly? Had Roel not met Isabe, he might have thought so. However, after witnessing her charismatic decisiveness in person, he couldn¡¯t imagine her to be someone who would cave in to peer pressure, even if it wasing from her lover. She was a strong leader who wouldn¡¯t be easily swayed. Most likely, the reason why Isabe made this choice was simply because she is human. Unlike Gordon who advocated the nobility of the High Elf Bloodline, Isabe believed that she is human and viewed it as an honor. She lived in an era of great chaos. The first invasion of the deviants had caught everyone off guard, pushing humankind to the brink of extinction. Yet, at the same time, it brought the whole of humanity to be united together as one. Humans already had their hands full dealing with the invasion of the deviants, and they couldn¡¯t afford to have one of the Six Cmities awakening on them at a moment like this. In this desperate situation, the Twilight Sages decided to step forward and deal with this crisis on their own. Isabe and the Golden Fleet could be said to be the final hope of humankind. If they failed their mission here, human civilization would surely copse and all countries would fall without fail. Roel had no idea how Isabe was able to bring herself to make this painful choice, but if one thing was clear to him, she eventually seeded in her mission. At this crossroad of fate, they were the ones who sacrificed their lives to escort the whole of humankind down the path of survival against all odds. It hadn¡¯t been long since they met one another, but Roel was filled with respect for Isabe. At the same time, however, he felt incredibly unnerved about the ultimate fate that awaited the Golden Fleet. Is this voyage theirst? Two and a half days, is it? As long as we can survive till then... With such thoughts in mind, Roel hugged the auburn-haired girl before him lightly. Chapter 167: Please Protect Her Well

Chapter 167: Please Protect Her Well

Over the course of the day, Roel got to experience firsthand the strategic difference of having a healer on the team. Knowing that he could count on Charlotte to treat him, he began exploiting his abilities without any worries. Watch how the enemies go brr under my frost aura! Now that he knew the great prowess of cier Touch, he specifically chose to hunt down stronger enemies. Even if he got injured, all he had to do was to find ¡®Omnipotent ster¡¯ Charlotte to heal him up. She needed to train her control over the Golden Soul anyway. Admittedly, it was also quitefortable hugging Charlotte, and it healed his soul too. Of course, Roel was a person with a sense of propriety, so he made sure to avoid doing anything inappropriate to Charlotte. He also wasn¡¯t intentionally exploiting his new spell to take advantage of her. He too needed to familiarize himself with his new ability. cier Touch was a rare spell manifested directly from his Crown Origin Attribute. ording to the System, cier Creator was a mutation of the Crown¡¯s Stone. Roel didn¡¯t understand the true significance behind what that meant, but he at least could tell that this was a spell exclusive to him and him alone. Unlike the Strength Origin Attribute and undead reanimation spells that he had been leeching off Grandar, cier Touch was a spell that truly belonged to Roel, which meant that it was possible for him to further develop it. The more he used it, the stronger it would be. Indeed, Roel was trying to raise his mastery of cier Touch at the moment, mainly to assuage the unease he felt. Roel thought that his interference had curbed the egg, allowing the gship SS Saint Mary to speed up significantly. With this, the Golden Fleet should be able to shake off its enemies, and he and Charlotte would be able to leave peacefully in two days¡¯ time. However, earlier in the afternoon, he heard some words from Isabe that stoked his worries. ¡°Things are not looking good. The Silver Hawk lost sight of Gordon and his forces two days ago and we haven¡¯t seen them since.¡± Silver Hawks were flying magic tools used to scan the vicinity to scout out intelligence and search for enemies. Made out of silver and gemstones and fueled by mana, they could travel far faster than any ordinary bird. Isabe and Gordon had been keeping a close eye on one another all this while, but ever since Roel and Charlotte¡¯s arrival, Gordon¡¯s fleet had suddenly vanished without a trace. Clearly, their arrival had forced Gordon to alter the original strategy, cloaking the future with a veil of uncertainty. On the surface, Roel looked unfazed by news of the disappearance of Gordon¡¯s fleet, but he was doubtlessly feeling unnerved on the inside. It manifested as restlessness, where he found himself unable to stay still at all. He felt that he should at least try to raise his strength, even if just a little bit, so as to prepare himself for whatever woulde. As a result, many Scalemen ended up freezing into popsicles before sinking down into the depths of the sea. Even the tentacled sea monsters began to avoid Roel instinctively after having realized the threat he posed¡ªthough the tentacle still frozen to the deck was arguably a telltale too. After several shes, the enemies no longer dared to approach the Golden Fleet out of fear of Roel¡¯s frost aura. So, the still restless Roel decided to experiment with cial Touch to see if he could adjust it for day-to-day use, perhaps creating a refrigerator or an air-conditioner. However, he soon realized that it was infeasible. The frost aura produced by cier Creator was not ordinary cold air. Its prowess couldn¡¯t be weakened. Even with a slight nick, it could freeze up the tower-like tentacles of a sea monster. On top of that, it was also hard to defrost anything touched by the frost aura. The tentacle that was still firmly attached to the deck even after a day had passed was the best evidence of that. In the evening, when Roel was hugging Charlotte for the fifth time of the day, thetter pinched him hard on his waist, making him realize that he had gone overboard. In the end, he was left pacing around the deck restlessly. He thought that maybe the evening sea breeze could cool him down, but it didn¡¯t seem to be working. Unexpectedly, a guest appeared. ¡°Catch it. It¡¯s top-quality ginkgo wine.¡± Roel caught the bottle filled with fine wine before turning to look at the approaching auburn-haired woman with a smile. ¡°Big sister Isabe, I¡¯m still a child. This wine is too heavy for me.¡± ¡°Men like to drink strong alcohol to bond with one another. You should get used to it early.¡± ¡°Men? You¡¯re drinking it too though.¡± ¡°The concept of genders doesn¡¯t apply to rulers.¡± Isabe chuckled softly as she took a gulp from her own bottle. Then, she walked over to Roel¡¯s side along the railing and watched the darkening seascape. Specks of light could be seen from the dozens of ships sailing over the waters, and vaguely, the singing of sailors could be heard. Roel uncorked the bottle and took a sip, only to choke on its spiciness. Isabe guffawed at the sight before snatching over the ginkgo wine from his hand to rece it with a bottle of beer. ¡°Forget it, drink this instead. Beer is more fitting for someone of your age.¡± Isabe¡¯s smiling words induced a smile from Roel too. Looking at this beautiful yet suave woman before him, he suddenly found himself a little envious of Winstor. It was probably a mixture of Winstor¡¯s good looks and the wondrous workings of fate that allowed him to win the affection of this woman. Ordinary men would be intimidated just standing in her presence, let alone dredging up the courage to court her. ¡°Big sister Isabe, you were looking for me?¡± Roel took a sip of the beer and relished in the familiar taste he had enjoyed over thest few days before getting on with the conversation. Isabe lowered her head contemtively for a moment before asking. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I just wanted to ask what you think of Charlotte.¡± ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that the two of you only met one another a few days ago, even though you have already gotten engaged with one another. So, I¡¯m quite curious to hear what your view of her is.¡± With her long auburn tresses fluttering leisurely in the evening sea breeze, Isabe stared at Roel intently, leaving him with a feeling as if he was meeting his partner¡¯s parents. This inexplicable thought suddenly made him feel a little nervous. ¡°I... I think that Charlotte is a wonderful woman.¡± ¡°Wonderful? How so?¡± ¡°Err... Everything. We coordinate well when battling alongside one another, and she¡¯s the one who has been treating me whenever the side effect of my ability strikes. While we often argue with one another, we usually mean no ill-will toward one another...¡± Under Isabe¡¯s oddly intent gaze, Roel found himself speaking a whole ton of words. Isabe initially nodded quite frequently in response to Roel¡¯s words, but slowly, her expression turned a little bizarre. Wait a moment, you call something of that level an argument? Isabe thought about the interactions she had seen between Roel and Charlotte thus far, and her eyebrows shot up a little. Then, she took a sip of wine before getting straight to the point. ¡°Roel, do you like Charlotte?¡± ¡°... If you ask me whether I like her or not, I¡¯d say that I do like her. However, the situation between us is a littleplicated.¡± Roel chose to reply with extremely vague terms. He couldn¡¯t help but think about everything he had gone through with his fianc¨¦e in-name thus far, and his face began heating up. Seeing this, Isabe¡¯s lips inched up a little. ¡°I see. I think I understand what¡¯s going on. Since that¡¯s the case, may I entrust you with a mission?¡± Isabe held the railing before her and gazed into the vast sea with a tranquil smile on her lips. Her voice sounded very peaceful. ¡°You should know that my mission to deliver the egg is of grave importance. If cier Creator were to hatch, it could potentially bring human civilization as we know it to an end. I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯ll be able to pull it off or not, which is why I have to take an additional safety precaution. ¡°The Perpetual Seal Project, that¡¯s the insurance I have taken for this mission. The Perpetual Seal will melt the tons of solidified Golden Soul in the ship¡¯s keel and encase the egg in it. It¡¯ll drag the origin of cmity down into the depths of the sea, where no one will find it until the seal dies out. ¡°Thus far, I was the only one whose bloodline is pure enough to invoke the Perpetual Seal, but then Charlotte came along. Gordon knows of this safety precaution too, so I¡¯d be his first target if he intends to make an attempt on the egg. However, if he learns that Charlotte wields the same authority over the Perpetual Seal too... Do you understand what I¡¯m getting at?¡± Isabe turned her head to observe the wide-eyed boy with a solemn look on her face. Her tone sounded graver than ever. ¡°The possibility is slim, but if a battle urs, they might notice Charlotte¡¯s existence and attempt to eliminate her. I hope that you can do your best to protect her when the timees.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel fell silent. He thought about the Cursed Bay, and his heart suddenly grew incredibly heavy. He stared back at Isabe¡¯s emerald eyes for a long while before finally answering her question. ¡°Charlotte is my fianc¨¦e. It¡¯s my responsibility to protect her. We came here together, and I¡¯ll make sure that we leave this ce together too. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll be by her side.¡± ¡°... I see.¡± Isabe nodded her head in satisfaction at Roel¡¯s answer. His courage stirred some memories in her head, causing her to look into the distant sea wistfully. ¡°You really do resemble him.¡± ¡°Him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m referring to Winstor. He always says such cheesy words with a straight face too. Hold on, is that some kind of unique trait of your lineage?¡± Isabe stroked her chin contemtively, provoking a slight chuckle from Roel. Roel looked at this big sister who treated him and Charlotte as her younger siblings, and the salty sea breeze suddenly tasted a little bitter to him. He thought about the ancestors of the Ascart House who had passed away in their prime, and he couldn¡¯t help but pose the question that had been guing his mind for a long while now. ¡°Big sister Isabe, is fate... unchangeable?¡± ¡°Hm? Of course not.¡± Isabe was a little surprised by the solemn look on Roel¡¯s face as he asked this question. She was intrigued, but she chose not to probe deeper into it. Instead, she answered with a question of her own. ¡°You should have seen it too, right? The Bnce of Fate. Have you ever wondered why the Goddess of Fate holds a bnce in her hand?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Be it divination rune stones or cards, there are many objects that could be used to symbolize fate. Rarely does anyone associate it with a bnce, so why do you think that the Goddess of Fate holds it in her hand?¡± ¡°This...¡± Roel had no answer to Isabe¡¯s question, and in fact, she wasn¡¯t really expecting him to have one either. With a chuckle, Isabe revealed the answer. ¡°That¡¯s because fate is ever-changing. We, the worshipers of the Goddess of Fate, know that the best. Every single second, every reunion and every parting tilts the Bnce of Fate. I don¡¯t know what kind of fate you have been pinned with, but you need not fear. Just reach out your hand and do whatever you can to shake the Bnce of Fate. That¡¯s what you should do.¡± There was a hardy, unyielding look on Isabe¡¯s face as she gazed at the boundless sea before her. She raised her hand and took a big gulp of the ginkgo wine, filling her mouth with its aroma. ¡°Fate doesn¡¯t exist to be surrendered to; it¡¯s there to be altered, so that you can create a world you desire.¡± As Isabe said those words, she thrust the nearly empty wine bottle into Roel¡¯s hands and looked at him with anticipation in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t put on such a bitter face, Roel Ascart. You still have a long road ahead of you.¡± Leaving behind those words, Isabe left with a smile. She knew that she should give the boy some time to think things over by himself. Roel looked at Isabe¡¯s departing silhouette for a while before gulping down the final bit of the ginkgo wine. ¡°Thank you.¡± It was a windy evening, but the cold breeze couldn¡¯t extinguish the spark of hope that had ignited in the heart of the boy. Chapter 168: The Gaze Across the Battlefield

Chapter 168: The Gaze Across the Battlefield

The following morning, Roel woke up to the sound of warning bells. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw the gemstones embedded in the walls glowing brightly crimson, causing his heart to clench up. The crimson gemstone represented danger to the Golden Fleet, and the fact that it was lighting up only meant that enemies had appeared. Roel could hear the sound of footsteps hurrying through the corridor. He quickly leaped to his feet, put on his coat, and rushed out. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Charlotteing out of the cabin opposite to him. ¡°Roel, it¡¯s an enemy attack,¡± said Charlotte with an uneasy frown. Roel nodded without much expression on his face, but in his heart, he heaved a deep sigh. Despite everything I tried, it was still impossible to avert danger. ¡¾Countdown to the end of Witness State: 24 hours 47 minutes¡¿ Looking at the countdown on the System, Roel knew that it was impossible for him to circumvent the final battle. With just a day left, there was no way they could stall the enemies till they reached drynd. They had to either win the battle or die at sea. So, Roel grabbed Charlotte¡¯s hand and rushed to the deck together with her. It was utter chaos along the way; people were rushing about, shouting instructions or conveying the situation to the others. Once they arrived on the deck, they realized that the crowd were looking eastward, where under the rising sun, a phantom like fleet was appearing on the horizon. It was a fleet that looked simr to the Golden Fleet, but the insignia on the g they sailed under had taken on another appearance. The anchor had been reced by six specks of golden light encircling a golden rose. Without a doubt, the six specks of golen light represented the Six Cmities that Gordon¡¯s faction worshiped as the God¡¯s Envoys. Roel also soon discovered the reason why this fleet was able to catch up with the Golden Fleet despite their hastened speed¡ªthe interference of the Seafolk. Under the glowing eastern sun, humongous sea monsters with long tentacles were gradually descending back into the waters. Their race had always abhorred strong light, and they would only appear in the dark. Nevertheless, the fact that they had been traveling alongside Gordon¡¯s fleet showed that they had formed an alliance to retrieve the egg. ¡°Gordon shouldn¡¯t have the ability tomunicate with the Seafolk. Why would those gill bastards help him?¡± ¡°Gordon¡¯s conservative faction doesn¡¯t have the means to pull it off, but our enemies aren¡¯t just limited to them.¡± Isabe was also assessing the enemy fleet approaching from the horizon together with her crewmates a grave look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s probably the Saints Convocation¡¯s interference.¡± Isabe issued an order, and dozens of warships swiftly got into a battle formation to prepare themselves for engagement. Over a hundred Silver Hawks rose into the air to scout out enemy intelligence. At the same time, they also began extending their underwater scan radius to check for approaching Seafolk. Meanwhile, the captains of Gordon¡¯s fleet had taken control of their rudders to steer their ships in a direction parallel to the Golden Fleet, trying to avoid getting bombarded by the cannons installed on their enemy ships¡¯ bows. This tense situation continued for over an hour as the distance between both sides gradually pulled close. Both sides were familiar with each other¡¯s tactics and means, so there was no way they would give each other the opportunity to use their powerful main cannons. As a result, the battle would mostly be dominated by close-distance bombardment and close-quarterbat. Crew members positioned themselves on the masts of the ships as they readied their arrows for theing engagement. Meanwhile, warriors stood on deck holding their shields in ce. Into this precarious moment before the battle came a sudden small burst of light on the SS Saint Mary, delivering amunication request from the gship of the enemy fleet, SS Saint Martin. Isabe gazed across the vast sea to observe the white-haired old man in the opposing gship, and after a moment of contemtion, she decided to ept themunication request. ¡°It has been a while, Isabe.¡± A deep, hoarse voice greeted Isabe through themunication magic tool. ¡°Isabe, you should know that our n descends from the proud lineage of the high elves. It is our High Elf Bloodline that brings us honor. Our power stems from the Loyal Origin Attribute that we are born with. The Mother Goddess is the great existence our ancestors have pledged loyalty to, and She is the one who brought our n to the height of its prosperity. We have to reaffirm our faith in her to return to the previous days of glory we enjoyed!¡± A tinge of redness dyed Gordon Sofya¡¯s face as he gazed at the dozens of ships sailing opposite him and eximed in agitation. ¡°History has shown us time and time again that prosperity is transient. Destruction is an inevitable calling of fate. None of us wield the strength to oppose the Mother Goddess and her envoys. As humans, we are far too insignificant in their presence that the only way for us to survive is to submit to the higher beings, submit to the fate we were born with. Only by recovering the loyalty we once lost can we continue to thrive even amidst lurking cmities!¡± The old man looked at the sky above with deference in his eyes. The sea turned silent for a moment as the crewmates of the Golden Fleet looked at one another. The cruel reality shoved right into their faces stoked their fears, assassinating their morale. If they were truly powerless before the almighty gods, choosing to side with them was obviously the logical decision to make. Gordon¡¯s words had severely shaken the resolve of Isabe¡¯s crewmates. However, Isabe remained unfazed before Gordon¡¯s impassioned speech. She stepped up onto the highest point of the gship and gazed at the old man from afar. ¡°Gordon, your eyes are too blinded by the past. Our ancestors might have worshiped the Mother Goddess, but you would do well not to forget that all intelligent races are the children of Sia. If reaffirming our faith can make us stronger, the one we should be pledging loyalty to should be the Genesis Goddess! ¡°As for your ims that destruction is preordained by fate, don¡¯t make meugh! For thousands of years, the world has changed hands multiple times, but civilizations continue to rise and thrive. Where has the infallible Mother Goddess you speak of gone to? And whose control are the Six Cmities truly under? Humans might be weak now, but the conclusion is nowhere close to decided yet. For someone who has already chosen to press his head down to the ground in subservience before anything has been decided, what right do you have to speak of the future of humankind?¡± Isabe turned around to look at her subordinates from dozens of ships behind her. Her eyes seemed to reflect the making of history, the inception of a new era. ¡°Do you think we know nothing of the strength of our enemies? No, we¡¯re painfully aware of how powerful they are. We know how dangerous the mission we have chosen to undertake is. However, as the ones who have inherited the most advanced naval technology of humankind, we are an embodiment of human civilization. When humanity is in a precarious position and faces the threat of extinction, we have to step up and guard our civilization. Centuries from now, when our descendants look back in time, they will celebrate our courage and view us as their pride! ¡°All are equal under the bnce of fate, be it humans or gods. So, keep those self-assuming words for yourself, Gordon!¡± Isabe¡¯s confident response echoed throughout the fleet, inducing the crewmates to raise their swords up high and cheer loudly. On the distant SS Saint Martin, the white-haired old man¡¯s face turned livid. ¡°Foolish and ignorant. It looks like there¡¯s no point in conversing with you anymore.¡± ¡°My thoughts exactly. I can¡¯t think of anything to say to someone who can turn against his own people after living amongst them for 200 years. I shall send you off with my sword instead!¡± Isabe mocked coldly before raising her hand up high to ry hermand. ¡°Men, take aim and fire freely!¡± Those words signaled the start of the battle. With the final attempt at reconciliation ending in failure, the two fleets roared out battle cries and began releasing barrages of golden light. There were attempts to use the main cannons at the bow of the ship too, but the results werecklustre. None of the captains were fools, so hardly any ships were struck squarely by the main cannons. Nevertheless, the other weapons were still working out properly. Boom! Under the bait of the Golden Fleet, Gordon¡¯s fleet was lured into an area where gemstone mines had been nted beforehand. The mines exploded with great force, stirring great waves that rose several meters high, causing the ships of Gordon¡¯s fleet to shake vigorously. Quite a few of their crew members wereunched into the sea, and water also began flooding into the ships, causing their speed to drop drastically. One must know that the Golden Fleet hadn¡¯t held back their attacks for over an hour out of kindness andpassion. In truth, they had been assessing the flow of water currents and wind direction. Laymen like Roel might think that the sea was all the same, but in the eyes of these veteran sailors, dominating the right water current was like iming an advantageous position in battle. The might of the gemstone mines were further augmented by the water currents, putting the Golden Fleet in a greatly advantageous position. At the same time, first mates throughout the fleet began rying new orders in their respective ships. ¡°Divers, prepare yourselves!¡± Crew members wielding harpoons immediately rushed to the sides of the decks. They channeled their mana, and before Roel¡¯s astonished gaze, small gaps began appearing on their necks, and scales started to cover their bodies. Gills Formation Spell, Scale Defense Spell, Heat Moderation Spell¡ªthese diving-rted spells were performed under the orders of the first mates. The buffs from these spells granted ordinary divers strengthparable to that of Scalemen warriors for a short period of time. They would be able to move in the water fluidly, just like fish. Thousands of seamen swiftly formed a formation as they began swimming toward the ships of the enemy fleet preparing to attack from beneath the water. Roel gazed into the distance and saw that divers on the enemy fleet were quickly preparing themselves and diving into the water too. As a result, the divers of both fleets encountered one another underwater and began fighting over control of the water. Meanwhile, on the surface, the enemy fleet, after surviving the torrential waves, had started to approach the Golden Fleet. The sailors on the ships began to fire their smaller side cannons, causing wooden splinters to fly all over amidst explosions. The archers standing atop the masts alsounched their barrage of arrows. Even the warriors on the deck gripped their axes and swords tightly, prepared to charge into battle at any moment. The deafening explosions, furious waves, and war cries that echoed in the area made Roel tighten his fists. He shot a nce at the Control Room before turning to eye the countdown on his System. Once again, he reaffirmed his goal. I¡¯ll protect Charlotte and leave the Witness State safely. With such thoughts in mind, Roel stood at attention nervously by the wall right outside the Control Room. For some reason, even though there was no enemy in the vicinity, his heart wouldn¡¯t stop palpitating from anxiety. Meanwhile, far in the distance, on one of the enemy ships, a white-robed man opened his eyes, revealing his eerie white irises. ¡°Found you,¡± he muttered softly. Chapter 169: He’s Courting Death

Chapter 169: He¡¯s Courting Death

In the Control Room, Charlotte nervously looked at the vice-captain, who was busy assessing andmanding the battlefield. She took a controlled, silent breath before quietly walking away and opening a door. Beyond the door was a flight of stairs leading deeper into the core of the ship. She slowly walked down the flight of stairs as she looked distractedly at the gleaming seven-colored jewel she held in her hand. The shaking ship made the soles of her feet slightly numb. Even throughyers of walls, she could still hear the impassioned war cries of the soldiers on the ship¡¯s deck. Yet, those did nothing to rouse Charlotte¡¯s morale; instead, her heart felt extremely heavy. As the First Miss of the Sorofyas, while Charlotte had never experienced the brutality of the battlefield before her current adventures, she wasn¡¯t a weak, sheltered princess either. Born with strong transcendent abilities, her life was bound to be not peaceful. Even so, this battle was still difficult for her to bear. Because it was an internal war. Unlike the Scalemen and sea monsters they had fought previously, the ones fighting this time around were humans, not to mention that they were all Charlotte¡¯s ancestors. There was no doubt that the one Charlotte was supporting was Isabe, but still, even if they won this battle, there was nothing to celebrate over. In the end, they were just whittling down their own forces. Regardless of who won, it was still a loss for the descendants of the High Elf Bloodline. Isabe was well aware of Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. Had it been possible, she¡ªas well as everyone else in the Sofya House¡ªwould have done everything they could to avert this battle. She could rte to how Charlotte felt, and that was why she chose to keep the girl away from the battlefield, despite her overwhelming talents. It would be too tragic to stain the hands of someone as young as Charlotte with the blood of her n members. Charlotte slipped the seven-colored gemstone, which could form an absolute defensive barrier at a critical moment, into her pocket before slowly heading to where the egg was. She had to stay here to fulfill the mission Isabe had entrusted her with in case things went awry. In the unlikely case that the Golden Fleet fell in defeat, Charlotte would activate the Perpetual Seal and ensure that the egg of the cier Creator was permanently buried in the depths of the sea. Walking across the frozen ground, Charlotte suddenly found herself reminiscing the leisurely days she spent in the huge study room in the Ascart Fiefdom, flipping through record after record with Roel. It was tiring and they hardly made any progress at all, but looking back, those days were still oddly fulfilling. Every morning, she would be weed by a cup of flower tea brewed by Roel personally before diving into the records. Then, he would poke fun at her love for sweet food and remind her to head down for breakfast. They often argued with one another, but at some point in time, even the arguments became an enjoyment to her. I did confiscate his medicine, didn¡¯t I? He would surely start getting drowsy in the afternoon after this. It would be good to implement an afternoon break... Ah, there¡¯s no longer any need for that, is there? As this thought surfaced in her mind, Charlotte suddenly halted her footsteps. She raised her head to assess her surroundings before lowering her gaze quietly. There¡¯s really no need for that anymore... Roel and Charlotte were tied together by an engagement contract, but the only reason why they stayed with one another was due to Charlotte¡¯s employment. Her goal back then was to obtain clues to the missing legacy of the Sofya Kingdom, and she had already managed to achieve it. The aplishment of this goal spelled the end of Roel and Charlotte¡¯s shared fate. Since they had aplished what they set out to do, the next step would be to annul their engagement contract. The curtains would be drawn, and it would be the end of their rtionship. They would return to their own lives¡ªRoel would no longer have to brew tea for her in the morning anymore, returning back to the outstanding, young fief lord he was, and she wouldn¡¯t have toin about theck of sugar in her food anymore, for she no longer had to concern herself with the culinary preferences of a dining partner anymore. From there on, the trajectory of their lives would diverge, and their worlds would no longer intersect. This was the ending awaiting them. Charlotte stared at the frost before her in a daze as she noticed something peculiar stirring in her heart. Why do I not feel happy at all? Be it freeing herself from her engagement or obtaining the heritage of the Sofya House, none of these could spark joy in her anymore. Instead, she felt deeply bitter inside. He would return to his lovey-dovey days with those women, wouldn¡¯t he? Charlotte suddenly felt a lump in her throat. A long moment of contemtionter, she put on a forced smile. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. In his heart, I¡¯m nothing more than a troublesome employer to him...¡± muttered Charlotte quietly. Too absorbed in her thoughts, she didn¡¯t notice a human silhouette quietly rising behind her. The body was formed out of fluid with half his facial features missing. Arge mouth was cracked open in a mocking smile, revealing sharp jagged teeth. ¡°If we could return together...¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be returning anywhere.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± A hoarse voice sounded right behind Charlotte, causing her to fling her body around to face the unexpected visitor with widened eyes. Sharp ws, formed from the humanoid monster¡¯s fluid body, swiped toward her neck, inducing her protective pendant to release a burst of light. However, to Charlotte¡¯s shock, the barrier which was supposed to be able to block the attacks of high-level transcendents broke with hardly any resistance under the sharp ws. In this desperate moment, she quickly grabbed for the seven-colored gemstone in her pocket, hoping to create another barrier for herself. But, it was all toote. Before her despaired eyes, the ws had already arrived right before her. The noise of daggers sinking into meat sounded as blood and flesh sttered everywhere. ... Crimson blood flowed down Charlotte¡¯s cheek. It felt a little warm. With disbelieving eyes, she stared at the boy who had appeared out of nowhere to shield her in his embrace. Her brain seemed to have gone numb at that moment, rendering her incapable of thought. ¡°Hey, are you fine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine...¡± His anxious voice produced an instinctive, dazed response from her. She stared at the boy¡¯s face before gradually lowering her head to look at the ring wound on his chest. ¡°How unexpected. Someone was actually able to detect my presence,¡± a hoarse voice sounded. The fluid humanoid monster nced at the gaping hole above them in surprise before retracting his now frozen ws. He assessed its arms in intrigue for a brief moment before decisively severing the frozen parts. A burst of powerful mana pulsated within his body, causing more fluid to flow over to the amputated areas and reform a new set of ws. Then, he raised his head to look at the massive skeleton he had incidentally severed in half. It was currently dissipating in a burst of crimson light, like a portent to the boy¡¯s withering life. Seeing this, the monster¡¯s lips curled up as he abandoned the idea ofunching a follow-up attack. Origin Level 2, that was the strength of the monster. Roel might have made a timely appearance, and he had put up a strong defense too. However, the huge gap in power resulting from the difference in their Origin Levels couldn¡¯t be bridged that easily. ¡°R-Roel!¡± Roel copsed to the ground, provoking an anguished cry from Charlotte. Doyle remainedpletely unfazed before Charlotte¡¯s scream. He walked forward briskly as he prepared himself to rid the variable in their ns. However, too blinded by the victory within grasp, he didn¡¯t notice the dark but heavyyer of light shrouding the body of the copsed Roel. ¡¾Spell ¡®Peytra¡¯s Blessing¡¯ has been activated.¡¿ ¡¾Countdown. 300, 299, 298... ¡¿ Amidst the emergence of these notifications from the System, the copsed boy suddenly opened his golden eyes. Vaguely, he could see a dark mountain valley, where a mysterious but authoritative throne was cast under the shadows. The silhouette of a golden-haired woman flickered in his eyes, conveying her silent blessing to him. It was a powerful yet indescribable surge of power. Roel saw innumerable scenes of nature¡¯s wonders sh across his vision, be it towering mountains, boundless ins, bountiful forests, or mighty rivers. He felt like his body had turned into the ley lines of the great earth as searing mana consumed his body like burning magma. An additional vertical slit formed in each of Roel¡¯s golden irises, making him look oddly like a cat or a snake. His shattered rib cage began to repair at a visible rate. His magmalike mana surged upward, like an erupting volcano conquering ground. This phenomenon induced a swift rise in Roel¡¯s Origin Level. ¡°Die!¡± The fluid humanoid monster released a screeching cry as his sharp ws swiped down at Charlotte¡¯s throat once more. He gazed at the crying, despairing face of the woman before him, and the mocking smile on his lips widened. It was almost as if he was ridiculing the foolish love that existed between ignorant humans. Then, a silent murmur sounded in his ears. ¡°cier.¡± The murmur of the rising Roel carried no hatred or rage. His words seemed to convey a mere narrative, yet the world painted out his will through manifesting frost. He was angry, but his rage seethed quietly. The miserable cries of his enemy seemed to be venting his frozen emotions on his behalf. ¡°AHHH!¡± A hoarse cry escaped from the fluid humanoid monster. A sudden outburst of frost aura ravaged the ship hold, freezing him in ce as if an ice sculpture. Charlotte instinctively raised her arms to protect herself, but the frost aura that froze everything else felt warm like the spring breeze to her. ¡°Roel!¡± Charlotte was stunned for a moment before she shouted the boy¡¯s name with tears brimming in her eyes. However, this was no time for Roel to console her. He swiftly scanned the surroundings, and when he caught sight of the flowing Golden Soul along the walls, his golden eyes immediately narrowed. ¡°cier!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± As if a soldier receiving an order, a burst of frost aura charged toward the wall under Roel¡¯smand. At the same time, the core of the fluid humanoid monster, who had escaped the earlier attack in the nick of time, immediately darted out of the flowing golden fluid. That frost aura that was capable of freezing souls left him feeling as if his head was ced under a guillotine. The only thought in his mind now was to escape from this ship right away. Boom! A loud explosion sounded above, followed by the sounds of objects plummeting into the sea. Roel took a look at the monster who had slipped through the cracks of the ship hold, before turning his attention toward Charlotte, who was running toward him while wiping off her tears, and he pulled her into his embrace. Charlotte let out a short yelp from the sudden force, but she didn¡¯t berate Roel for his gesture. Instead, she reached out and returned the embrace too. The lingering fear from nearly losing one another was causing their emotions to run amok. Be it Roel or Charlotte, neither of them wanted to let go at this moment. However, the countdown on the System was constantly reminding Roel that he had to act quickly. ¡°Do you still have your defensive magic tool?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°Activate it. Stay here and don¡¯t move around anymore.¡± ¡°Wait. What about you?¡± Charlotte held tightly onto the seven-colored gemstone as she asked Roel anxiously. Roel nced at the sky above as rage bubbled in his heart, and he spoke with a tone that was chillingly nonchnt. ¡°Since he¡¯s courting death, I should send him on his way.¡± Chapter 170: Greetings First

Chapter 170: Greetings First

Down in the ship¡¯s hold, two youths who had barely gotten out of danger hugged each other tightly. Upon hearing Roel¡¯s decision to pursue the enemy, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but feel deeply uneasy, especially since she had just experienced the terror of the enemy personally. ¡°It¡¯s the sea outside. That monster will have the field advantage out there with its liquid body.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but it¡¯ll be different when I¡¯m there.¡± ¡°But still...¡± ¡°His ability allows him to conceal amidst the Golden Soul. It¡¯s obvious that he was sent here specifically to assassinate you and Isabe. He has to die, and the only one who can do it is me.¡± Roel ced his hands on Charlotte¡¯s face to look right into her quivering eyes. Under the effects of his ability, he felt as cold as ice, but his words were gentle. ¡°Listen to me and wait here.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± Under Roel¡¯s intent gaze, Charlotte nodded her head with a furious blush. She activated the seven-colored gemstone in her hand, whereas Roel leaped up and disappeared in a flurry of snow. ... Cannons, arrows, and war cries; these were the sounds dominating the battlefield. With both sides going all out, the battle between the Golden Fleet and Gordon¡¯s fleet escted. Every moment, a severely injured or dead sailor would plummet into the sea, dyeing the surface with ayer of fresh blood. The utterly chaotic battlefield and the presence of the sea should have been highly advantageous to the fluid humanoid monster, but he was devoid of his usual confidence and leisureliness now. That was because a stronger natural predator was right on his tail. Cold was the natural enemy of a being made out of fluid, and he was being eyed by an opponent whopletely curbed him. He had no idea what was giving him away, but despite beingpletely surrounded by water, his enemy was somehow still able to sniff him out. To him, Roel was like the Soulstealer in legends. Everything about him was mystifying, be it his sudden surge in strength, those golden eyes that could find him no matter where he hid, or that terrifying frost aura he emanated. All of these factors were leaving him deeply unnerved. The fluid humanoid monster would have never imagined that things were actually much more straightforward. ¡¾Fluid Lifeform Puppet: Dous Rodrick¡¿ That was basically what Roel was seeing. From the moment the puppet Dous controlled snuck onto the ship, the Cmity of Bloodshed had already activated, allowing Roel to clearly see the monster sliding through the deck to enter the ship hold. Upon realizing that Charlotte could very well be his target, he rushed over without any hesitation. As it turned out though, Roel¡¯s actions were still a little too reckless. Even when using both the powers of the frost aura and the skeleton giant manifestation, there was still a massive difference in power that nearly sent him tumbling through the gates of hell. It was only fortunate that Roel had a trump card in hand. Peytra¡¯s Blessing. Even though this ability could only be used once, its prowess exceeded Roel¡¯s imagination. It was time-limited, but it actually raised Roel¡¯s strength all the way to Origin Level 3. Now with the base power of a high-level transcendent, he was able to bring out the true strength of his abilities and dominate his enemy. He flitted through the air swiftly with the speed of a cannonball, and it only took him several seconds to catch up with the assassin escaping under the concealment of the sea. So, he began descending from the sky toward the waters below. Before the tip of his toe could evene into contact with the water, the frost aura he emanated had already produced a whitending point for him. However, this much was still not enough for him. ¡°cier.¡± With a cold murmur, the Crown Origin Attribute gathered the power of the Cmity of Coldness and began encroaching on the seawater beneath Roel¡¯s feet. Just like that, a white zone suddenly expanded in the middle of the two fleets. It was the blessing of eternal frost, a dirge from the Death God. cial Touch was no longer the same as it used to be with Roel¡¯s heightened powers. Frost poured out like the eruption of a volcano, spreading outward as quickly as a tsunami, expanding its territory in all directions swiftly. As a result, the sea froze in ce and the waves silenced. The seabirds in the sky silently fell to the ice sheet beneath. Everything seemed to have fallen quiet. This almost miraculous phenomenon of freezing the sea astounded everyone on the battlefield. The cannons from the warships came to an immediate halt, and the archers who had a bird¡¯s eye view of everything began shouting in incredulity. Even the warriors on the decks were flustered. The divers in the sea swiftly scattered like rmed fish, swimming away for their lives. The captains of both fleets quickly ordered for their crews to turn their ships around and flee, though the enemy ships who were, unfortunately, closer to the expanding cier had already been frozen in ce. Any sailors who tried to leap out of the stuck ships were frozen mid-air, and they shattered into innumerable bloodied ice fragments upon striking the hard cier. This horrifying sight had everyone else on the warships shuddering in fear. ¡°Dous, I know that you¡¯re in here. ¡°Puppetmaster, or to be more exact, the Puppet Guild. That is how others call your people, am I right?¡± Roel recalled all of the Schr Guilds from the Country of Schrs that he knew about and deduced the most likely one that fit the criteria here¡ªthe Puppet Guild. That was a guild that focused not on raising one¡¯s own strength but on controlling all sorts of puppets to fight in the transendent¡¯s ce. It promulgated that the human body had limits, whereas the puppets one controlled could be adapted to each and every situation. Puppetmasters could alter the form and attribute of their puppets to counter their enemies. They could also hold incredibly expensive rituals to imbue special properties into their own puppets, adding effects like an enhanced opening attack. Of course, puppetmasters had their own shorings too. While the puppets themselves were strong and flexible, the puppetmasters were, more often than not, quite vulnerable. They weren¡¯t able to move effectively while controlling their puppets, and their puppets couldn¡¯t be of a higher Origin Level than themselves. The Fluid Lifeform Puppet was an actual monster existing in the sea, just that it was being controlled by a puppetmaster named Dous. Judging from the level of the puppet, it should be safe to assume that Dous was also at Origin Level 2, or else he would have mobilized an even stronger puppet against them. ¡°Every single puppet has a core to power it and maintain the connection with the puppetmaster. Your puppet might have a peculiar form, but it¡¯s no exception to the rule either.¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes seemed to peer through the thickyer of ice under his feet to stare directly at Dous. ¡°Your puppet¡¯s core should be the fluid itself, right?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s calm question was heard loud and clear by Dous, instilling deep horror in his heart. On a distant warship, a young man with his eyes closed began to shudder. It took him a mere instant to figure out Roel¡¯s intention. Goddamnit! He¡¯s nning to freeze the entire area! The fluid humanoid puppet immediately harnessed all of its strength to smash through theyers of ice encasing it before dashing out from the frozen sea. He didn¡¯t dare to approach Roel, who remained shrouded in a frost aura. So, he chose topress his mana as tightly as possible before abruptly releasing it, producing a humongous explosion of silver light. ¡°Go to hell!¡± Dous¡¯s infuriated roars echoed loudly as silver strings of light darted in all directions. The purepression of mana inside the spell produced a brilliance that outshone even the sun at the moment of its release. There were no doubts about its ability to obliterate. Shocked screams and pained shrieks filled the surroundings, rming even Isabe and Gordon. ¡°This is bad!¡± ¡°That is...¡± The two of them quickly summoned the Golden Soul to form a defensive shield around themselves. The captains on the further warships also swiftly ordered for their crewmates to activate their barriers. Whirring sounds could be heard from the ships all around. However, the ck-haired boy right beneath the silver sun stood silently on the spot, not showing any response at all. In the sky, the vile monster Dous controlled sneered coldly. The frost aura was indeed terrifying, but it wasn¡¯t an effective means of defense against burst power. As powerful as Roel might be, there was nothing the other party could do about the Light of Oblivion he had cast with his full strength. His tion remained for a long while until he lowered his gaze and met eyes with the ck-haired boy. ¡°!¡± Those beautiful golden eyes of the boy gleamed enigmatically, causing Dous¡¯ body to stiffen. A cold, horrifying sensation was starting to surface from the depths of his heart. This gleam was the gift Peytra had bestowed to him on their previous meeting. ¡¾Eyes of Petrification All life returns to the earth, and all beings eventually fall silent. Only statues are eternal.¡¿ This was a power that seemed tomand the authority of nature, a force that Roel had never seen before. There was no strong pulsation of mana when he activated the Eyes of Petrification, but he could sense his mana gradually oveying the target in his eyes. ¡°H-huh?¡± A dazed exmation escaped from Dous¡¯s mouth. He could sense that he was losing a part of his control over his puppet, but there was something even more shocking awaiting him. The numbness assaulted the core of the puppet before traversing across space like a virulent poison to assault him. ¡°AHHH¡ª!¡± A white-robed man on SS Saint Martin cried out miserably as he clutched his aching arm with horror reflected in his eyes. Petrification. His arm was turning into stone. ¡°How could this be possible? How could a spell of this level still exist in this world?!¡± With a frenzied scream from Dous, the fluid lifeform puppet suddenly exploded like fireworks, causing its body to disperse like an omnidirectional barrage of bullets. In response, Roel raised his hand, and a dark yellow scalelike barrier formed right before him, devouring the silvery fluid bulletsing his way. It was a full powered attack from the fluid lifeform puppet, but it couldn¡¯t even hurt Roel at all. Seeing this, Dous made use of the chaos caused by the explosion to extract his core from the puppet and have it escape toward Gordon¡¯s fleet. I need to get away right now! Dous¡¯s fluid lifeform puppet had killed numerous transcendents to date, but he never thought that there was still such a terrifying spell in the world that could curb himpletely. He did know of spells that could petrify others through vision, but the effects tended to set in very slowly, making them infeasible in battle. Yet, Dous¡¯s puppet and his real arm got petrified in just one short second. This had already transcended theprehension of this young executive of the Saints Convocation. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he needed to get away from this boy as far as possible. Observing as the puppet¡¯s core bolted in the direction of the enemy fleet, Roel¡¯s gaze turned steely. He had no intention of letting Dous go at all. ¡¾133, 132, 131...¡¿ Roel recalled clearly how Dous had swung his executioner¡¯s de down upon Charlotte, and this affirmed his will to kill the puppetmaster. He wrapped his body in frost aura as he quickly hastened his speed to chase him. ¡°Stop him! Find a way to stop him, quick!¡± Sensing Roel¡¯s approach, the terrified Dous bellowed out orders to his people as he maneuvered the puppet¡¯s core toward the nearest warship. Upon receiving the order, the warship quickly aimed its cannon toward Roel and fired destructive, golden beams. Faced with the iing threat, Roel neither retreated nor dodged. Instead, he channeled his crimson mana outward, which looked like a spark of me burning atop a chilling cier for a moment, before a humongous skeleton suddenly manifested itself amidst the crimson light and mist. Its crimson fist shot forth with astounding momentum. For a moment, the world seemed to dim. Then, without any resistance at all, the golden beams dispersed harmlessly, crushed by the powerful punch. The punch continued to push forward with increasing momentum, smashing through all obstacles in the way before puncturing a massive hole right through the warship, scuttling it. Boom! A gigantic explosion broke out, dering the end of the warship. With the destruction going on all around, the humongous crimson skeleton looked like a harbinger of doom. The frightening might disyed caused silence to ripple through the entire battlefield for a moment. Then, the distant allies raised their swords and cheered loudly, and the enemies began screaming from deep fear. No one noticed that during this striking moment, a bundle of fluid had managed to make its getaway into the faraway distance. Dous¡¯s head was drenched in sweat, but a slight smile had returned to his face. I managed to escape in the end. That brat¡¯s sudden outburst of strength is likely to be time-limited. I might still have a chance to striketer on. As long as I hide well and bide my time... Wait a moment, why is the ship so cold? While crafting out his next course of action, Dous suddenly noticed the irregrities in his surroundings and snapped out of his thoughts. At the same time, a cold greeting sounded behind him. ¡°Good morning to you, Mister Dous.¡± It was a ck-haired boy. Chapter 171: Your Absence is Very Important to Me

Chapter 171: Your Absence is Very Important to Me

¡¾40, 39, 38...¡¿ The ship cabin was gradually turning colder and colder. Roel stared calmly at the white-robed young man whose right arm had already been petrified, and the shuddering Dous returned the stare too. He couldn¡¯tprehend how the other party could have possibly been here. ¡°N-no, this is impossible. How did you manage to find...¡± ¡°We exchanged gazes, didn¡¯t we? How is your arm feeling?¡± Roel answered the doubt of the man, a small gift before sending him on his way. Dous¡¯s face immediately turned ghastly pale. He subconsciously lowered his gaze to look at his petrified arm. He couldn¡¯t have imagined that the lingering traces of mana in his arm would have actually created a trail for the boy to find his real body. ¡°W-wait a moment, I¡¯m one of the executives of the Saints Convocation, and I have a high standing in the Schr Guild too. Y-your name is Roel, right? Tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll do my best to satisfy you!¡± Dous¡¯s white eyes gradually regained their color as he squeezed out a strained smile on his face. He anxiously revealed his high standing, hoping to convince the boy before him to spare him. To his despair, nothing he said could melt the cold look on the boy¡¯s face. ¡°Spare yourself from the effort. There¡¯s nothing you have that¡¯s important to me.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s important to you? Tell me!!¡± ¡°... Your absence. That¡¯s what¡¯s important to me.¡± Staring down at the enemy who had infiltrated SS Saint Mary to assassinate Charlotte, the frost aura shrouding Roel began to stir. Dous staggered backward in horror. Then, all of a sudden, his body suddenly exploded, causing his flesh to fly outward in all directions as a fog of blood swiftly suffused the cabin. This was Dous¡¯s final bid for survival, hisst trump card. Blood Flesh Dissection. This spell exploded his body, causing it to dissect into over a thousand pieces, each infused with his will. As long as one of them could escape, he would have a chance at revival. Of course, the price of doing so was the loss of his important organs and physical functions. He would be a being that was neither living nor dead. However, this was still much better than death. As long as a breath remained in him, he could slowly retrieve whatever he had lost. After all, this was a supernatural world where the impossible was usible. Dous knew that Roel wasn¡¯t going to let him off, so he was decisive in the activation of his spell. The explosion that urred in this small cabin produced a shockwave that sted everything into the open sky. This was, after all, the self-destructive explosion of an Origin Level 2 transcendent. Its shockwave was powerful enough for someone from a thousand miles away to clearly feel its terrifying force. The warship Dous was on, SS Saint Martin, split into two halves under the force of the explosion, and the pulpy mashed remains of the sailors tumbled into the sea together with shattered wooden splinters. Dust scattered into the air, veiling the surroundings. The fractured consciousness of Dous felt a little reassured after seeing the explosion. Given that Roel had been in close proximity when it happened, even if the other party had survived the explosion, he should no longer wield the strength to pursue him anymore. The boy¡¯s ability to freeze the surface of the sea was terrifying, but Dous didn¡¯t think much of it. There were high-level transcendents who could pull something simr to that off with their bloodline ability, but Dous was confident that even an Origin Level 2 with ice-rted bloodlines wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the current him. Blood Flesh Dissection increased his magic resistance to a level where hardly any spells could faze him anymore. It was also due to this effect that he had chosen this spell amongst many others as his final survival means. Be it Brolne¡¯s Chief Academic or Saint Mesit¡¯s Angel King, none of them had the ability to stop him in this form. He was still young. As long as he survived this ordeal, he believed that he would eventually be able to return to his peak. By then, he would make sure to ughter this darned bastard and everyone he cared about! With an unwavering determination to survive, Dous¡¯s body pieces began raining down into the sea. At the same time, Roel¡¯s frost aura began to ripple outward, preparing to burst forth once more to freeze the sea. Seeing this, Dous couldn¡¯t help but sneer at the attempt. An ice spell from a mere Origin Level 3. How could something of this caliber stop me? Confident in his own spell, Dous continued his descent into the sea, falling into the water with loud plops. However, what happened right after defied his wildest imagination that he even began doubting hismon sense. He still ended up frozen. Why?!?! Countless doubts exploded in Dous¡¯s mind, but soon, he stumbled upon the real reason. Wait a moment, this frost aura is... How could that be? Completely horrified by his realization, Dous quickly channeled the still unfrozen bits of his body outward, attempting to escape from the expanding cier chasing him. However, it was all futile. In just a few short seconds, both his body and mind sputtered to a halt, terminating the being known as Dous. ¡°You spared me a lot of time by mashing yourself up.¡± Standing on the surface of the sea, Roel looked at the thousands of flesh pieces trapped within the ice beneath his feet as he shook his head. To be honest, he was a bit perplexed as to what had happened as well. He could tell that the explosion into thousands of body pieces was Dous¡¯s escape means, but it didn¡¯t seem to have done a thing at all. However, he swiftly shrugged these thoughts to the back of his mind. He could sense that Dous had met his end, and that was all that really mattered. ¡°Goodbye, Mister Dous.¡± ... The familiar deck of a familiar ship; these told Roel that he had arrived at his destination. Hended onto the deck of SS Saint Mary quietly with slightly heavy breaths. In the background was a world of frost. Roel didn¡¯t waste thest 30 seconds of Peytra¡¯s Blessing to calmly return from the enemy¡¯s frontline¡ªthat would have been utterly foolish. Instead, he made sure to pay a visit to some of the enemy ships. He froze the waters around the ships and ordered his crimson skeleton to tear out the ships¡¯ masts. He wisely chose not to engage in fights but, rather, create favorable conditions for his allies. The goal of backstabbing enemies wasn¡¯t about destroying the enemy formation; rather, it was to induce chaos and render them incapable of putting up a proper fight. Under Roel¡¯s interference, seven of the enemy ships ended up being significantly slowed, and three of them were even frozen in ce. These impaired ships became easy targets for the Golden Fleet to hit with their main cannons, a task that the fleet¡¯s captains carried out without any hesitation. Just like that, Roel single-handedly determined the tides of the battle, sealing the conclusion of the fight. It was like a textbook example of warfare amongst transcendents, fully showcasing the terrifying influence high-level transcendents had on the oue of a battle. It was just that Roel was fully aware that he wasn¡¯t a proper high-level transcendent, so what he could do was limited. ¡¾3, 2, 1.¡¿ ¡¾Spell ¡®Peytra¡¯s Blessing¡¯ hase to an end.¡¿ ¡¾Degree of Bloodline Awakening: 77%¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation: High (82)¡¿ Amidst the emergence of System notifications and the cheering warriors rushing over to his side, Roel¡¯s vision began to darken. The frost aura around him dissipated, and the dim yellow mana previously surging in his body vanished as well. His knees caved in, and they would have knocked onto the ground if not for a person suddenly rushing forward to support his body. Ah, it¡¯s Charlotte. Such a thought surfaced in Roel¡¯s sinking consciousness as he looked at the blurry auburn-haired figure in front of him. His body had turned as stiff and cold as a corpse. Vaguely, he could feel tears dripping down on his chest, bringing his cold body a tinge of warmth. ¡°Dous... That assassin is dead.¡± ¡°I know, I know... Stop talking.¡± Tears streamed down Charlotte¡¯s eyes asyers of golden light emanated from her body. She embraced the ck-haired boy tightly as she desperately channeled the golden light to force out the coldness that had permeated his bones. Themotion of the surrounding crewmates also died down. They slowly turned around and raised their shields up high, granting a little privacy to the couple, while they warily assessed their surroundings for any iing threats. ... Roel¡¯s interference had affected Isabe and Gordon¡¯s fight too. The gship of Gordon¡¯s fleet, SS Saint Martin, had been blown in two thanks to Dous¡¯s self-explosion. While the Saints Convocation had chosen to help Gordon, their alliance wasn¡¯t so tight-knit for Dous to care about his allies when his life was in immediate danger. His selfishness was the final nail in the coffin for the conservative faction¡¯s rebellion. The impact arising from the demise of the gship wasn¡¯t as simple as just lowering the morale of the fleet. It represented the destruction of the fleet¡¯smand chain, causing the coordination of the warships to fall apart. The fleet formation fell into an utter mess, leaving many of the warships vulnerable to enemy attack. Perturbed by his fleet falling apart around him, Gordon eventually fell in defeat. The white-haired old man kneeled on the surface of the sea as he clutched tightly onto the deep cut on his abdomen. His usual air of solemnity had vanished without a trace. The sharp pain from his abdomen was causing his wrinkled cheeks to twitch uncontrobly. ¡°Surrender, Gordon.¡± Theparatively less injured Isabe, shrouded in Golden Soul, descended to the surface of the sea. She persuaded him to give up, but the old man responded to her with a deep, gutturalugh. ¡°No, the one who should be surrendering is you.¡± Gordon showed no signs of despair despite his imminent defeat. Instead, his eyes were gleaming with reverence. As if having sensed something, he turned around to look into the horizon of the sea. His body began trembling intensely from sheer excitement. ¡°It¡¯s over. It has arrived.¡± Chapter 172: In the Name of Love

Chapter 172: In the Name of Love

Something ising. This was the thought that surfaced abruptly in the midst of Roel¡¯s blurring consciousness. This thought had surfaced rather inexplicably, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t doubt it at all. It was a vague yet palpable pressure. It was electrifying, like an ice cube suddenly pressed against the nape of your neck in the midst of the blistering summer, but, at the same time, intimidating, like the sinister tempest of a brewing storm. Under these sensations, Roel¡¯s blurring consciousness was jolted fully awake, bringing him back to his senses. His golden eyes narrowed as he tightened the arm he had wrapped around Charlotte, shocking her in turn. ¡°Roel? What¡¯s wrong? Are you in pain?¡± Charlotte hurriedly wiped away her tears as she asked anxiously out of concern, but Roel couldn¡¯t find the exact words to answer her question. Lying against her body, he stared at the horizon of the sea with a bewildered look in his eyes. Then all of a sudden, at the extremity of the horizon, the golden sun vanished. In the direction where the rising sun should have been, there was a smudge of darkness that was swiftly expanding. It was hard to discern what it was¡ªit could have been a cloud of smoke or moving shadows¡ªbut before Roel¡¯s astonished eyes, the darkness began to devour everything. The brilliance of the sun was gradually covered, causing both allies and enemies alike to realize that something was very wrong. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that over there on the eastern horizon?¡± ¡°It looks like a ck smudge. What is it?¡± The sentry keeping a lookout from the mast ryed the abnormality to all of the other crewmates with anxious shouts. The warriors that were guarding Roel and Charlotte began frowning nervously. The instincts they had sharpened from years of experience on the battlefield were telling them that a cmity was approaching. Charlotte also halted her movement to look at the eastern horizon, where Roel¡¯s eyes were fixated. It was like a chain effect. More and more people had stopped whatever they were doing to gaze eastward. The gradually darkening sky induced the fighting warships to hurriedly turn on their lights, and the firing of the cannons came to a halt. The fighting crowd quickly parted from one another to form two different sides as they eyed one another warily. ¡°What is that? Speak!¡± On the sea, Isabe pointed her Jewel Trigger at Gordon¡¯s head as she bellowed furiously. However, the aged old man seemed to be out of it. He stared at the darkening sky with a confused look in his eyes. There was a slight fear, but, at the same time, reverence on his face, emotions that one would typically disy before the gods. ¡°I told you, Isabe. Don¡¯t try to resist them. It¡¯ll only bring death upon you. It has always been right behind us. It¡¯s our fate to serve the Mother Goddess! The divine retribution of the gods will purge all of the traitors...¡± Bam! With a click of the trigger, the head of the devout believer was sted into bits. Isabe watched as the tattered corpse of an exrade sank into the depths of the sea with a wintry look in her eyes. ¡°You were still a king, albeit that of the rebels. It¡¯s your own choice if you wish to kneel and worship your so-called god, but before that, the one thing a king should prioritize over all else is his own people!¡± With a cold harrumph, Isabe turned her gaze back eastward to look at the darkness that was swiftly rushing in their direction. The sky had already turned blurry, and the sea was no longer clear. All of these urrences gave Isabe an inkling as to what was going on. The destroyer of civilizations had descended upon them. It was a cmity that had reduced civilizations to rubble time and time again throughout history, a terror that continued to gue the world. Its name, Sire Darkness. That was what the destroyed civilization of ancient treants called it. It was another entity of the Six Cmities, wielding strengthparable to that of the egg SS Saint Mary was escorting. However, unlike the unincubated cier Creator, Sire Darkness was a mature cmity. Its destructive prowess was the real deal. Sire Darkness was said to be an ancient monster created from fire and earth. The darkness that buried everything was not magic but something even more frightening than it. Soot. Ash. Dust. It was the fog of death formed when the earth tremored during the eruption of a volcano. The moving ground and the breath of the volcano, these were the physical manifestations of Sire Darkness, as well as the very reason why it was undefeatable. It didn¡¯t even need to attack; everything in its trail would simply perish. No one could possibly survive an attack from such a monster. Gordon¡¯s subservience and loyalty did nothing at all. All of the subordinates who had chosen to follow him were doomed to die in this cmity. ¡°How foolish. How many civilizations have the cmities destroyed since ancient times? Do you think that there were none who tried to submit to them? Those who resisted them might no longer be around, but how many of their worshipers have managed to survive to this day? ¡°The continuance of the High Elf Bloodline depends not on the Mother Goddess nor these hateful monsters. Rather, it¡¯s the human blood in us which you made light of and viewed in disdain.¡± Isabe muttered softly under her breath as she stared at the enemy swiftly approaching them. History had shown that traitors often suffered tragic fates, let alone those who betrayed their entire race. As the cmity approached closer and closer, she couldn¡¯t help but think about the spections floating within the Twilight Sages Assembly. ¡°To think that we would be eyed by this fellow. It looks like Academic was right after all. His wisdom is truly amazing.¡± Isabe chuckled helplessly under her breath, but after the smile came to pass, what remained wasposure and determination. ¡°Perhaps this is the decree of fate. But, even if the bnce of fate has already chosen a side, I, Isabe Sofya, refuse to lower my head!¡± Golden mana began to pour out of Isabe and surge into the sky. At the same time, themunication devices of the warships also began sounding. ¡°Warriors! Since things have alreadye to this point, there¡¯s no point panicking anymore. Like I¡¯ve told you previously, the cmity of chaos has already caught up with our footsteps. Destruction has begun encroaching on our civilization. Gordon¡¯s naive hopes have been disproven. That ancient monster seeks to bring down every single one of us humans here, regardless of our faction. ¡°It¡¯s more than easy to offer our necks to the cmity like deranged cultists, but as proud humans who have defeated the Seafolk and conquered the sea, how can we show our cowardice to the enemy? Sia created this world with the concepts of life and death, and even that pitch-ck monstrosity before us is no exception. Surely I need not tell you what we have to do now, right?¡± With a faint but valiant smile on her lips, Isabe channeled her mana to an unprecedentedly high level. Behind her, the Goddess of Fate raised the bnce in her hand, revealing an overwhelming difference in odds between both sides. Without any hesitation, Isabe staked all 10 golden chips that represented glory and honor on the side that was raised steeply up high, causing the bnce to shudder a little. At the same time, the entire Golden Fleet broke out into a furious roar. ¡°Fellow crewmates of the Golden Fleet, I hope that when we reminisce about this battle in our ailing years, we¡¯ll be able to guffaw heartily without a single shred of regret. I hope that all of us can puff our chests up high when we speak of this glorious battle. Be it victory or defeat, I¡¯ll be with all of you. So, charge forth without fear! ¡°Let¡¯s show the backbone of us humans!¡± ¡°Roar¡ª!¡± The warriors of the Golden Fleet raised their swords up high and roared at the unprecedentedly powerful enemy standing before them. The roars of the warriors converged together to shake mountains and seas alike. Amidst the rousing war cries, a golden sea manifested beneath Isabe¡¯s feet. It represented the brilliance created by human civilization, an existence at odds with this ancient monster before them. It glowed brightly in the midst of the darkness, radiating courage to all hearts. Before this cmity of extinction, the enemy warships halted their cannon fire while their crews nced at one another silently. The captains barked out orders for them to hoist their gs up high and alter their direction. In the wake of Sire Darkness¡¯s attack, everyone came to realize a fact¡ªthey were all humans. Submitting to the terrifying cmities was a mistake in itself. The cmitiescked the values that humans embraced; they knew not ofpassion, and they weren¡¯t God Envoys either. They were mere bringers of destruction. Ignoring the shoutings of the crowd, the ck wave pressed closer and closer. Its dispersed body gradually converged to form a massive grayish-ck silhouette in the midst of the darkened sky. The edges of its body were blurred out, so one could only make out its roughly humanoid appearance. However, its body was so huge that it seemed to connect the earth with the sky, dominating everyone¡¯s line of sight. Two dusk orbs lit up in the sky, bing the eyes of the massive silhouette. It gazed down upon the humans who dared to attack it as its eyes gleamed a little in response. ¡°Golden Avatar!¡± Isabe raised her finger and pointed at the massive figure that could easily wipe out every single one of them. An enormous divine avatar formed out of the Golden Soul rose from the sea amidst a rush of golden waves to stand before the massive silhouette in the sky. It releasedyers of golden light that trapped the ashes that threatened destruction. Ten stifling seconds ticked by, and the eyes in the sky narrowed in ridicule. Before Isabe¡¯s shocked gaze, the massive silhouette spoke its first word. ¡°Foolishness.¡± Sire Darkness¡¯s body suddenly swooped downward. ¡°Fire! Fire!¡± Under the order of the captains, the main cannons on the warships released over a hundred powerful bursts of golden light, piercing right into the body of the ck fog simultaneously. Yet, despite all of the support and cover fire, the humans were still disadvantaged. The monster in the sky was unfazed by all of these attacks. The bnce of fate held by the Goddess of Fate was shaking, but it was showing no signs of tilting over. I¡¯m still too weak. If only I had a few more years... Isabe sighed deeply to herself. Her personal strength as an Origin Level 2 transcendent,bined with the incredible force of the Golden Fleet, was powerful enough to obliterate a country. However, against the Six Cmities who ravaged civilizations as a whole, it was inevitable that they were stillcking. In truth, she had already resolved herself for defeat. Meanwhile, on one of the warships, Roel found his heart thumping swiftly at this battle of epic proportions unfolding before his eyes. His mind was consumed by nervousness. He lowered his gaze to look through the hole in the deck and saw that the egg of the cier Creator was still emanating coldness. There was less than a day left till their return from the Witness State, but Roel knew well that they wouldn¡¯t survive long under the ravaging might of Sire Darkness. The only thing they could do now was to activate the Perpetual Seal and bring down the egg. At the same time, Charlotte watched the battle before her as realization struck her. They couldn¡¯t win this fight. Being able to peer into the essence of the Golden Soul, it wasn¡¯t difficult for her toe to this conclusion. She watched the crewmates rushing around on the deck, as well as the cannons that were firing relentlessly, before turning her head to the ck-haired boy standing beside her. At this desperate moment, Charlotte, for a brief moment, seemed to see a future for the two of them. It would be a peaceful, normal life. They would travel around freely with one another, bickering about all sorts of minor things. They would have a wedding blessed by the elders, and beautiful flowers would rain upon them as they were proimed husband and wife. A new life would be born from their love, creating theplete family that she had always sought. It was a pity that this future would always remain a dream, never to be fulfilled. The encroaching darkness felt like death¡¯s embrace; it was only a matter of time before they sumbed and drowned within it. Charlotte held onto the seven-colored stone in her hand tightly. This was a tool that provided her with absolute defense against all cmity. Be it the ancient monster in the sky or the dangers lurking in the sea, none of them would be able to break this greatest defensive spell of Jewel Magic. ¡°Its name is Protector of the Heart. It¡¯s a magic tool made from mixing 7 top-grade gemstones together with your blood. It doesn¡¯t just form a conventional barrier like most protective magic tools do. It would be more apt to call it the highest level spell, especially when it¡¯s fired as a bullet.¡± ¡°Spell?¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s a magic spell to live.¡± Recalling the exchange she had with Isabe, Charlotte slipped the seven-colored gemstone into the Jewel Trigger as she muttered under her breath. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we have met earlier?¡± It was a question that sounded more like a sigh. Charlotte looked at her fianc¨¦-in-name with a gentle smile before reaching out to embrace him. Faced with this abrupt gesture, Roel instinctively realized that something was off. ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°... Darling, you have to live on.¡± Bang! The trigger was fired, and the seven-colored gemstone within shattered into pieces. The bullet of absolute defense shot right into Roel¡¯s body, surrounding him with a seven-colored glow as the impact knocked him into the sea. Chapter 173: Peytra

Chapter 173: Peytra

Roel found himself standing in the midst of a dark valley, surrounded by towering mountains that blocked off the sun, allowing only bits of sunlight to spill through the small cracks between. This dim environment highlighted Peytra¡¯s glowing golden hair. She wore a white robe that looked divine and authoritative, giving her a look of invibility. She was seated atop her throne with closed eyes, seemingly in deep sleep. It was only when Roel walked over from the distance that her mysterious eyes opened. ¡°How unexpected. You don¡¯t look very anxious.¡± Peytra observed the approaching ck-haired boy as she blinked her eyes in intrigue. ¡°You like that girl, don¡¯t you? She¡¯s bound to lose her life at this rate.¡± ¡°I know that, but venting my fury blindly does nothing at all. It might bring me a moment of sce, but ultimately, nothing would have changed. What I want to achieve is Charlotte¡¯s survival. I want to save her. I don¡¯t want to lose her. So, I have to remain calm.¡± Under Peytra¡¯s gaze, Roel responded to her question with a quivering voice, surprising her. She noticed that the boy¡¯s fists were so tightly clenched that blood was flowing through the cracks of his fingers. ¡°I understand your intention now. Answer my question then, Roel Ascart. What¡¯s the most beautiful thing about fate?¡± Peytra slightly straightened her posture, and her expression also grew a little solemn. Under her intent gaze, Roel revealed his answer. ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to give a decisive answer to your question. As the saying goes, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However, if it¡¯s fate we¡¯re talking about, I believe that the answer is ¡®choice¡¯.¡± ¡°Choice?¡± Peytra narrowed her eyes as she repeated Roel¡¯s answer, and thetter nodded in affirmation. ¡°Isabe told me that fate is a tug-o-war. Nothing is decided until the present bes the past. Before then, everything is possible. That¡¯s why she staked her entirety on the side of the humans to fight against the civilization destroyers. In the face of overwhelming odds, she chose to struggle. ¡°I once thought that the ability to struggle against fate is the most beautiful thing about it, but after careful contemtion, I found many loopholes with that line of thought.¡± Roel raised his gaze to look at the towering mountains behind, as he thought about everything he had seen and done ever since arriving in this Witness State. Somehow, he could still taste the alluring aroma of the ginkgo wine he had that day on the tip of his tongue. ¡°If I had revealed the results to Isabe beforehand, telling her that this escort mission will be herst voyage, would she have bowed down to the monsters and worshiped them as God¡¯s Envoys like Gordon and the others? ¡°No, she wouldn¡¯t.¡± There was a gleam of respect and admiration in Roel¡¯s eyes as he shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s because Isabe is a ruler. Not just for the Sofya Kingdom, but for all humans. Even if the conclusion awaiting her is death, she would still follow the tides of fate and embark on this voyage, all so that she could seal off the egg in the depths of the sea for the sake of the entire human civilization. ¡°There are soldiers who choose to fight for their homnd despite knowing that the odds are stacked against them. There are doctors who persist in saving patients during a gue despite knowing the dangers. These are people who have chosen to fulfill their fate, but they still glow as brightly as anyone else, if not more. These people are worthy of respect. ¡°Choice, and the ones who choose to make noble choices; they are the most beautiful things of fate. Whether they choose to submit or struggle, they don¡¯t content themselves to being the ves of fate. They are the ones who decide their own fate.¡± Roel¡¯s voice was firm and powerful, and his words echoed within the valley. Peytra stared quietly at the boy standing before her, peering into his golden eyes. She silently murmured his words. ¡°... It¡¯s neither struggle nor submission, but the power to choose between them that is the most beautiful thing of fate?¡± The golden-haired woman quietly leaned back on her throne, as she raised her eyes to look at the sky above the valley. Her thoughts seemed to have traveled thousands of years back, returning all the way to the era of myths. A long timeter, the edges of her lips curled up into a smile. ¡°Youngd, thank you. Your words have brought meaning to my life.¡± ¡°... It looks like you¡¯re satisfied with my answer.¡± ¡°Yes, you have managed to find an answer that I like. It looks like I can¡¯t remain a bystander here anymore... Perhaps, this is, in a way, fate too. With a slightly bitter smile, Peytra raised her head to stare into the distance, where a golden force was shing with a ck monstrosity. Slowly, her face turned sombre. ¡°Youngd, I¡¯m willing to lend you a hand, but there¡¯s something you need to know... The strength of that ancient monster far exceeds your imagination. You have a powerful defensive spell imbued in your body, making it easy for me to save you. However, if you insist on fighting against the ancient monster to save that girl, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t give you any guarantees. You don¡¯t have enough mana for that.¡± Roel¡¯s heart sank upon hearing those words. His worries became reality. Both Grandar and Peytra were legendary existences who had made their name back in the ancient era, when gods still ruled the world. However, no matter how powerful they used to be, they were now deceased. Their only connection to the present was through Roel. In the previous Witness State, despite having the aid of Grandar, he reached his limit fighting against the Origin Level 2 Wade, not to mention that Wade had only just made a breakthrough and was severely injured. But what about the Six Cmities? Sire Darkness was an unfathomably powerful monster that even the Golden Fleet under Isabe¡¯smand couldn¡¯t stand up against. Using that as a gauge, its strength was likely to exceed even that of Origin Level 1 transcendents. To make matters worse, different from the previous time, the current Roel had just been through a battle and was already expended. ¡°You should think things through. The cost of saving her far exceeds your imagination. In the worst case scenario...¡± Peytra didn¡¯t finish her words, but from her heavy gaze, Roel implicitly understood what she was going to say. Death. There was a chance that Roel would die attempting to save Charlotte. But what of it? The image of that auburn-haired girl shooting the seven-colored gemstone into his body with a tearful smile on her face was already seared into his mind. What she had shot into him wasn¡¯t just the power to live on, but an imprint of her very existence too. If she was willing to die for him, why couldn¡¯t he do the same for her? ¡°We¡¯ll either get through this together or die together.¡± Roel¡¯sposed iteration of these words had Peytra blinking her eyes. She was surprised, yet also not really, by his response. Looking at the obstinate boy standing before her, a gentle smile surfaced on her lips. ¡°Is that so... Well, I understand it now.¡± The golden-haired queen rose to her feet, and the earth trembled along with her movement. The dark valley began rumbling loudly, and a dusky ray of orange light suddenly shot right into Roel¡¯s face. It was the rays from the setting sun. Light? Perplexed, Roel raised his gaze to look at his surroundings, only to widen his eyes in disbelief. The entire mountain range was moving. No, to be more exact, something that looked like a mountain range was moving! Amidst the shaking of the earth, a humongous entity rose to the sky, and realization finally dawned on Roel. It was a snake. It was a snake so unimaginably massive that just looking at it squeezed the breath out of one. As it rose up, its towering body divided the distant setting sun in two. Flocks of flustered birds darted away in all directions, but it was meaningless. The snake was the entire mountain range. Gazing at the wondrously grand¡ªperhaps divine even¡ªlifeform before him, Roel got a vague idea about Peytra¡¯s identity, as well as what king she was. She was the Queen of Saint Beasts. In the ancient legends, the saint beasts were one of the primordial races who had apanied Sia in conquering the world, but they died out swiftly after Sia¡¯s passing. As Sia¡¯s Envoys, they once stood at the top of the world, but as the world stabilized, they quietly disappeared from sight. One of the renowned saint beasts was the Earth Goddess created personally by Sia herself¡ªthe World Snake. Legend had it that the World Snake had a body that was impossible to see the end of. ¡°It seems a littlete for me to introduce myself at this point in time. This is my original body. You must have been taken aback.¡± ¡°... I¡¯m tempted to deny it, but there¡¯s probably no one in the world who can remain calm after witnessing the emergence of such a deific being.¡± ¡°Haha, you do have a way with words. So, what is the rtionship between us?¡± ¡°Rtionship? Friends?¡± ¡°Friends... So be it.¡± The Earth Goddess smiled as she gently held onto the boy¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± With those words, Roel¡¯s consciousness gradually faded away. Chapter 174: So Many Things I Would Like to Say to You

Chapter 174: So Many Things I Would Like to Say to You

In the gloomy depths of the sea, Roel slowly woke up surrounded by a shimmering seven-colored light. The battle above the water¡¯s surface had already reached its final moments while he was away. At the forefront of the humans, standing in front of the dozens of warships, beneath the golden deluge, were two females¡ªone of them an auburn-haired woman, and the other one a girl with hair of a lighter shade. Isabe looked at Charlotte in shock. It was weak, but she was certain that she had sensed the mana pulsations arising from the activation of the seven-colored gemstone. She shot a quick look behind, only to see that Roel was nowhere to be found. I see. ¡°What a foolish child. But again, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m qualified to reprimand you either.¡± Isabe opened up her palm and looked at the gleaming ring she had been grasping tightly onto all this while. It was her engagement ring. Protecting human civilization was a noble and glorious aspiration, but aspirations were often not enough to fuel one through times of difficulties. When cmities strike, what allowed humans to bring forth power far beyond their imagination was often the bonds they had, be it kinship or romantic. Protecting her kin and her lover; these were the thoughts fueling Charlotte, and they held equally true for Isabe. It was the source of their courage. Amidst the roar of the ancient monster, the two of them exchanged smiles as they let go of their fears. Together, they stepped forward and raised their hands, and the avatar standing in the middle of a golden deluge shuddered as it made itsst stand against Sire Darkness. Meanwhile, in the dark depths of the sea, Roel had already seen past life and death. He reached out to touch the seven-colored barrier that was protecting him as an auburn-haired girl surfaced in his mind. He reminisced the first time they met, how they tried to scheme against one another in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, then their temporary cooperation in the study room, to the butterflies they watched at Austine, and the camaraderie they shared onboard the Golden Fleet. All of these dissipated with the final small click of a trigger. For a brief moment before he fell into the sea, he caught sight of Charlotte¡¯s face. It was not a forced smile but an expression of her trying her best to hold back her tears. She was crying from the pain of separation, as well as her innate fear of death. So, why did she still choose to do so then? Is it to repay my favor of saving her earlier on? Did she feel responsible for implicating me in this? Or is it due to the almost searing feelings she has been stifling in her heart? It is impossible for humans to truly understand one another, for each of us operates differently from one another. Roel couldn¡¯t figure out Charlotte¡¯s feelings, but was that even important at all? No, none of it is. What¡¯s important is for her to live on so that she herself can ry how she feels to me. That¡¯s the most important of all. ¡°Though it might be a bit regretful that the listener might not be able to be there to hear her words...¡± Mana was being swiftly drained from Roel¡¯s body. He could feel that a humongous body was gradually forming in the darkness beneath him, but just as Peytra had said, his mana was far from enough to sustain this manifestation. So, he could only expend his life force in exchange for that. Crimson mana covered Roel¡¯s body with a searing light. Grandar¡¯s undead reanimation ability was desperately trying to stall for time for Roel, but even so, multiple adverse side effects had already started to show on his body. He was gradually losing strength, and his mind was blurring. He looked at the dark waters around him, and he suddenly had a feeling that he might just end up staying here for all eternity. It was not that he was terribly frightened of death; he just felt unbearably indignant. I really want to see her, even if it¡¯s just to say my farewells. What should I do... A small wish popped into Roel¡¯s head. As he sank deeper and deeper, the surroundings seemed to grow colder and colder. In his groggy state, he felt like he had returned back to that moment on the observation tform of the Leumann Forests when a golden Nightglow Butterfly vied its brilliance against the stars and the moon. The butterfly was as noble and beautiful as a golden rose. It was his first gift to her. It sparked the start of their feelings, as well as the intertwining of their fates. ¡°She likes butterflies, doesn¡¯t she...¡± murmured Roel weakly. He raised his hand, and the golden brilliance of the incubated butterfly shone once more. In his cold body, his seemingly frozen bloodline started to circte once more as the Crown Origin Attribute began to resonate with his will. Yes, this is the feeling I remember. Roel remembered how he infused the power of his bloodline into the egg before the King Butterfly emerged from within. Just like how the incubation of the Nightglow Butterfly didn¡¯t take much mana, he also didn¡¯t have to expend anything much here either. Golden butterflies unfurled their wings one after another and fluttered around their master. There was light amidst the darkness once again, just that it was not under the night sky but in the sea this time around. Unknowingly, Roel began to emanate golden light too. His golden mana diffused into the surroundings, inducing the humongous silhouette beneath him to abruptly open her eyes. This is... The ancient goddess raised her head, and to her disbelief, she saw broken fragments of a crown. At the same time, Roel revealed a satisfied smile too. ¡°Go,¡± hemanded. The golden roses born from the Crown Origin Attribute spiraled their way upward, creating a golden stream in the midst of the dark sea. Schools of fish scattered hurriedly to open up a path for the fragile butterflies to ascend. Even the sea monsters could only tremble in fright in theirirs, not daring to appear at all. On the surface of the sea, Isabe was in the midst of fighting against the cmity when she abruptly turned her head around. She felt like her mana was being drawn to something beneath the water. At the same time, the massive dark silhouette in the sky halted as well. A momentter, thousands of golden butterflies rose abruptly from the sea to soar into the sky. Like a river of brilliant stars, they flew toward an auburn-haired girl and began circling around her. On the warships, the crewmates stared at this miraculous scene with their mouths agape. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Butterflies? How could there be butterflies in the sea?¡± The sailors couldn¡¯t help but voice their doubts. Meanwhile, Charlotte, standing at the center of the phenomenon, quietly raised her trembling hand, and a butterfly intimatelynded on the tip of her finger. It fluttered its wings, revealing a familiar golden rose insignia she had once seen before. ¡°It¡¯s him... It¡¯s Roel...¡± The familiar auraing from the butterfly broke through thest of Charlotte¡¯s defenses. Tears began spilling out of her emerald eyes as she cried out sorrowfully. At the same time, high in the sky, the ck ancient monster took a step back from the golden butterflies, seemingly out of fear. ¡°Who?¡± It was the second utterance from the ancient monster since the start of the battle. Sire Darkness turned its eyes toward the source of the butterflies, peering through the water to gaze upon a ck-haired boy shrouded by seven-colored light. Then, a pair of brilliant eyes reminiscent of the sun suddenly lit up behind the boy, staring coldly back at it. ¡°!¡± The eyes of the ancient monster widened as fear arose in its heart. It was a form of natural deterrence, arising from the natural suppression that those who stood at the top of their authority had over those beneath them. In the sea, the draining of Roel¡¯s life force came to a halt. Noticing the change in his condition, he turned to the humongous silhouette behind him and asked. ¡°Peytra?¡± ¡°It¡¯s already enough,¡± replied the ancient goddess gently. She gazed at the congregation of golden butterflies above. The familiar power left her feeling as if she had returned back to the ancient era. ¡°How beautiful,¡± remarked the Primordial Earth Goddess. Light gleamed in her massive eyes, and the world began to shudder. ¡°You have shown me utmost beauty. In return, Roel Ascart, I, in the name of the Earth Goddess, shall lead you to victory!¡± Peytra¡¯s voice gradually changed from a smooth feminine voice to the thunderous rumbling of the earth. She rose up, and the seas began to rage. The warships shook violently as they were buffeted by furious waves, and the sea monsters below anxiously fled as far away as they could. The massive shadowy silhouette in the sky roared back angrily. Ash and dust converged together within the deathly fog to form a fist. It harnessed the hottest mes born from the earth¡¯s veins, capable of reducing all beings to cinders. The searing scarlet fist, wrapped inyers of murky ck fog, was like aet plummeting from the heavens. Even the sky seemed to further dim in its presence. Yet, beneath the surface of the water, the Queen of Saint Beasts remained perfectlyposed. The World Snake charged out of the sea with a massive pir of water ascending along with her. Her massive body was like a released arrow, piercing through the surface of the sea to shoot through the clouds. Boom! A deafening explosion sounded. Her golden glimmering body collided with the fist, but the mes and ash just scattered harmlessly against her face, hardly slowing her down at all. Her charge was unstoppable. Before Sire Darkness¡¯s frightened screams, she opened her massive maw wide and devoured its upper body whole. Before the World Snake, even the terrifying cmity seemed mortal inparison. The surrounding ash and dust immediately billowed as Sire Darkness tried to reconstruct its body, but it was to no avail. With a shake of her body, the earth elements filling the sky began pouring toward Peytra, like children returning to their mother¡¯s embrace. In the depths of the sea, Roel watched on as the massive snake continued absorbing ck fog as if she was devouring the sky, and he smiled in contentment. Sire Darkness was indeed a cmity that was nearly unkible. There was nothing current humans could do to fend off the deadly volcanic ashes that it scattered. Humans were so poorly mismatched that it wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched to call it a god. However, it was still far from enough to match Peytra. Peytra was the Primordial Earth Goddess, the Queen of Saint Beasts. She was the one who used her own body to stabilize Sia when the world was still unstable right after its creation. The earth and mountains were all her children. As a cmity born of earth, Sire Darkness was like a helpless child before her. The huge tidal waves created by the World Snake rising from the sea were still raging on. The crews of the Golden Fleet were desperately trying to remain afloat in the face of this crisis. However, there was a part of the sea surrounded by golden butterflies that remained peaceful, as if it was isted from the rest of the world. The World Snake gazed down on the auburn-haired girl surrounded by the golden butterflies. The ck fog shrouding her manifested into a hand that reached out to carry Roel out of the sea. The sky gradually cleared up, revealing the sun once more. The massive snake exchanged gazes with Roel from afar. She nodded her head lightly before her massive body descended back into the watery depths once more. At the same time, new notifications popped up on the System Interface. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾The goals of the Witness State have been fulfilled. Remaining time: 22 hours 35 minutes¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation: Perfect (115)¡¿ Chapter 175: What Are You Talking About?

Chapter 175: What Are You Talking About?

Amidst the surging waves, a little Roel-brand ck fog submarine zoomed across the water to head for the area where the golden butterflies were. Roel took a nce at the notifications of the System before struggling to push his body upward. It was excruciatingly painful, but he managed to adjust his position so that he could see into the center of the gathering of golden butterflies, where a safe Charlotte stood. Seeing this, he heaved a sigh of relief. Thwack! A crisp cracking sound echoed from his arm. Perhaps it was due to the tension leaving his body, such that his bone felt that there was no need to hold on anymore, but just trying to raise his body up was actually enough to cripple his arm. Having lost his support, Roel ended up tumbling headfirst into the ashes. He coughed twice before managing to flip himself over. Instinctively, he wanted to pop his bone back in ce, but after a moment¡¯s reflection, he dropped the idea. Forget it. Instead of popping it back in ce, I might just end up crippling my other arm too. Knowing just what kind of condition his body was in, Roel sighed deeply. There was still some crimson mana lingering on his body, caused by his deep undead reanimation state. It was normal for his brittle bones to fracture. He was trying his best to think happy thoughts to divert his attention away from reality so as to remain optimistic. Looking at the blue sky that Peytra left behind on her departure, he couldn¡¯t help but feel that the world was such a wonderful ce. Anyone would think the same after surviving the stifling despair Sire Darkness brought with it. The dawn sun had already fully risen, and the surging seas gradually calmed. The world reverted back to normal. Looking at the vast, boundless scenery before him, an irrepressible joy broke free from Roel¡¯s heart. There were many difficulties along the way, but he still seeded in protecting the person he wanted to. It has only been a few days, but I really do miss home. I want a few days of rest without having to look at anymore ancient records. If anyone dares talk about work in front of me, I swear that I¡¯ll wrangle their neck... Well, maybe except for Charlotte, Roel thought to himself. He waited patiently for the ck fog to bring him over to the gathering of golden butterflies, but when he took another look at his surroundings, he suddenly frowned in confusion. Huh? Am I hallucinating, or am I heading in the wrong direction? For some reason, it seemed like he was heading further and further away from the golden butterflies. ¡°Hahaha, I must be too tired. Peytra is the Earth Goddess, so how could she possibly mistake her directions?¡± Roel tried tough the matter off, but this self-deception wasn¡¯t going tost for long, especially not when the gathering of golden butterflies had grown so far away that he could hardly see them anymore. ¡°...¡± Roel¡¯s mouth was agape for a moment before he broke out swearing. ¡°Son of a banshee! Hey taxi, you¡¯re going in the wrong direction! Peytra? You¡¯re jesting with me here, right? P-Peytra? Goddamnit!¡± Roel cursed the already departed ancient god as he gradually racked his mind to think of an emergency countermeasure. After looking around, he realized that there was only one way out of this. He had to hop off the kidnapper¡¯s car right away, even if it was the sea beneath him. Roel couldn¡¯t help but wonder why he ended upnding in this state. Things weren¡¯t supposed to progress this way! Surely it should bemon sense for someone as severely injured as him to be sent into the care of hisrades, no? Roel gritted his teeth as he tried his best to roll out of the ck fog. Unexpectedly, he was weed not by the freezing seawater but by a warm embrace. ¡°What are you doing? Dumbo!¡± A tearful reproach sounded in his ear. There was a familiar fragrance tickling his nose. Roel lifted his head and found himself faced with a teary-eyed Charlotte. Before Roel sessfully rolled himself into the sea, the auburn-haired girl, under the assistance of the Golden Soul, managed to rush to his side and catch him at thest moment. Following right behind her was a slightly injured and mana-depleted Isabe. ¡°Charlotte...¡± Looking at the auburn-haired girl who had suddenly appeared right before his view, Roel suddenly found himself at a loss for words. ¡°H-how did you find me? I thought that you didn¡¯t notice me.¡± ¡°It brought me here.¡± Charlotte pointed to the fluttering butterfly on her shoulder as she spoke with a hoarse tone. Roel was surprised for a moment before he broke out into a faint smile. ¡°It looks like my present reached its recipient.¡± Charlotte, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t bring herself to smile at all. She looked at Roel¡¯s horrendous condition, and despite trying desperately not to do so, she still couldn¡¯t hold back the tears brimming in her eyes. ¡°How could this happen? Your injuries... At this rate...¡± Charlotte fumbled to take out her gemstones and fired them through the Jewel Trigger. Precious jewels disappeared swiftly one after another, imbuing Roel with recovery, cleansing, revitalizing, and refreshing buffs. However, the effects were minimal. ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Realizing that there was a deeper cause to Roel¡¯s terrible condition, Isabe quickly rushed forward and created a soft bed from Golden Soul. She gently moved him over to the bed before carefully inspecting his body. With her sharp eyes as an Origin Level 2 transcendent, she soon determined the issue. ¡°He overexerted himself too much, and the side effects of his abilities are further worsening his condition. It¡¯s all thanks to this mysterious state of undead reanimation he is in that he¡¯s still managing to hold on thus far. If we carelessly dispel his undead reanimation, we might just expose him to greater danger.¡± ¡°W-what should we do then?¡± Charlotte hurriedly stopped what she was doing after hearing Isabe¡¯s analysis. She looked anxiously at her ancestor to seek advice on what they should do. Isabe pondered for a moment before blinking her eyes mischievously at Charlotte. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no helping it. You¡¯ll have to apany him on the bed then.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Isabe¡¯s suggestion immediately provoked a bewildered exmation from Charlotte. As for the slightly slower Roel, it took him a few seconds before he finally realized the implied meaning of Isabe¡¯s words. ¡°Hold on for a moment, what did you say?¡± ¡°Roel, your body is in an extremely delicate condition right now. It¡¯s fortunate that you have few external injuries, but there¡¯s no doubt that your body has already surpassed the limits of what it can bear.¡± Isabe looked at Roel with a grave look on her face as she ryed her diagnosis of his current condition. To put it simply, Roel was suffering from the side effect of cial Touch, and the usage of Peytra¡¯s Blessing to forcefully raise his Origin Level had sapped his mana and vitality. His state of undead reanimation had stabilized his condition for the time being, but it wasn¡¯t a long-term solution. In fact, being in this state for too long could bring about further side effects that wouldplicate matters. ¡°Conventional treatment can heal your external injuries, but it won¡¯t alleviate the deeper problems within your body. Each of them is like a ticking time bomb buried deep inside you, ready to blow up at any moment. It¡¯s no longer possible for you to get through this alone. You need someone to gently guide your body and help it recover. Do you get it now?¡± Isabe shoved the bbergasted Charlotte forward, pointed her finger at the girl, and spoke with a firm, resolute voice. ¡°The only one who can do all of these right now is her. In fact, deep down you should know it already. After all, the two of you have been hugging one another to keep the side effect of cial Touch under control for some time now, right?¡± ¡°Well, t-that...¡± Charlotte¡¯s face immediately blushed brightly, and Roel¡¯s cheeks also twitched at the awkwardness of the situation. Seeing this, the ¡®veteran¡¯ Isabe earnestly added on. ¡°I know that youths of your age tend to be embarrassed about such stuff, but the Sofya¡¯s Golden Soul is your best bet to survive this ordeal. ¡°Charlotte, you can also see that Roel is in a disastrous state. If he doesn¡¯t recover properly, even if he manages to survive, his body could end up so impaired that he won¡¯t be able to advance his transcendent abilities anymore. I¡¯m not even joking. ¡°For the time being, at least until he finally recovers from his depleted state, you have to constantly stay by his side. This is the responsibility you need to bear as his future wife!¡± ¡°!¡± It was an unexpected critical hit for Charlotte! Isabe¡¯s sincere voice had unwittingly struck a chord in her heart. ¡°W-wife...¡± Charlotte widened her emerald eyes and her quivering mouth repeated this single word. Her mindpletely nked out for a few seconds before revving up once more with renewed determination. W-wait a moment, why are you getting absorbed in the y too?! Roel was dumbfounded to see how Charlotte had suddenly transformed into a virtuous wife under Isabe¡¯s ¡®goading¡¯. He quickly realized that the conversation was developing in an extremely odd direction, so he tried to speak up to stop it there and then. Unfortunately, there was an even more experienced yer on the field who cut him off mercilessly. ¡°Roel, you¡¯re a patient right now. Patients don¡¯t have the right to protest!¡± With a wave of her hand, Isabe shut off Roel¡¯s voice with ease, destroying any say he had in this matter. As a result, Roel could only stare helplessly as Isabe led Charlotte deeper and deeper down the road. ¡°Charlotte, when are you nning to marry after returning?¡± ¡°Huh? M-marry... I think it¡¯ll take some time. Our ages are still...¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, the two of you are still too young at the moment.¡± Isabe sighed softly as she shot a worried nce at the severely injured Roel. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to treat Roel, especially in this era they lived in. If his condition were to deteriorate, there was a good chance that he might die a premature death. She couldn¡¯t confidently say that Roel would be able to tide through this ordeal. Then, she turned her gaze toward the worried Charlotte, and she couldn¡¯t help but recall the wondrous kaleidoscope of golden butterflies she had seen earlier. Objectively speaking, she shouldn¡¯t have allowed Charlotte, one of the top prodigies of their n, to marry someone who was already on the verge of death. However, Charlotte was already devoted to Roel, and Isabe herself was fond of this boy too. Once someone with the Loyal Origin Attribute had chosen a partner, there was no saving them anymore. Even if Isabe wanted to dissuade Charlotte, there was simply nothing she could say that would change thetter¡¯s mind. Left with no choice, Isabe could only go about the situation from another angle. She contemted for a long while before getting straight to the point. ¡°Charlotte, Roel is in a terrible condition right now. In the worst-case scenario, he could very well... For the sake of your future, there¡¯s a need to bring forward your marriage. Just leave the details to me, I¡¯ll talk to Winstor about it.¡± ¡°Huh? Bring forward the wedding?¡± ¡°Yes, we should do that to be safe. The two of you should marry right away as soon as you return. And Charlotte, you should try to get pregnant as soon as possible. You have to do it for your own happiness and the continuance of both of your bloodlines. Do you get what I¡¯m saying?¡± Isabe stared grimly at Charlotte as she spoke with unquestionable authority in her tone. Charlotte was so overwhelmed by how fast the conversation was going that her brain was about to start smoking from going on overdrive, but she still nodded her head after noticing the severity in Isabe¡¯s tone. ¡°I-I-I-I understand! I¡¯ll try my best!¡± Try your best, your head! Do you even know what you¡¯re saying?! Roel red at Charlotte, whose head had started swaying back and forth from overheating, and retorted in his mind. It was only when the System¡¯s notification popped out once more that he finally snapped out of it. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Countdown to the end of Witness State: 4 minutes 59 seconds¡¿ Roel looked at the timer that had popped out all of a sudden, and the expression on his face immediately turned serious. ¡°Big sister Isabe, can you tell me what I should do if I wish to join the Twilight Sages Assembly after I recover?¡± Chapter 176: Their Trail

Chapter 176: Their Trail

¡°You wish to join the Twilight Sages Assembly? This...¡± Isabe was just about to give Charlotte some emergency prenuptial advice when Roel suddenly changed the topic. She was surprised for a moment before a relieved but conflicted look appeared on her face. ¡°Roel, it¡¯s good that you have such thoughts, but the Assembly demands a lot. Your strength does reach the required level, but your Origin Level is still far toocking.¡± Thinking about the massive snake that had devoured one of the Six Cmities, Sire Darkness, Isabe had no choice but to re-evaluate Roel¡¯s fighting prowess. She had no idea how he managed to contract with that kind of god, but without a doubt, his strength was something that was desperately needed by the Assembly. ¡°Big sister Isabe, I know that there are certain restrictions to the Assembly. Is there any way, even if it¡¯s just a clue, that you can give me as to how I can approach the Assembly?¡± asked Roel anxiously. Of course, he wasn¡¯t asking this because he wanted to join the Assembly. After all, in their time several centuries from now, the Assembly had already vanished from the face of the world. However, there were still many mysteries surrounding the Twilight Sages Assembly that he wished to seek an answer to. Isabe was the only member of the Assembly Roel had met thus far, and it was clear that she was a core member too. Having no other leads, she was Roel¡¯s only way to learn more about this elusive transcendent organization. Seeing the strong desire for knowledge in Roel¡¯s eyes, Charlotte could somewhat guess Roel¡¯s intention. So, she grabbed Isabe¡¯s hand and spoke up on Roel¡¯s behalf too. ¡°Big sister Isabe, I wish to join the Twilight Sages Assembly too, but I¡¯m far weaker than Roel at the moment. Can you tell me who the founder of the organization is and how I can join it?¡± ¡°This... The Twilight Sages Assembly was founded shortly before the end of the previous epoch. I¡¯m not too sure who the founder of the organization is, and I reckon that only the leader knows that.¡± ¡°Leader?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s known as ¡®Great Sage¡¯. This title has only been used by the leader of the Assembly, and based on what he has said thus far, it seems like the position has already changed hands before.¡± Isabe crossed her arms as she thought about what she had heard from the leader of the Assembly thus far. She took a while to recollect her thoughts before speaking once more. ¡°¡®Great Sage¡¯ had once said that the Assembly was in a worse position before, and our enemies aren¡¯t just limited to the Mother Goddess. Based on past experiences, there¡¯s a good chance that he might have to sacrifice himself too.¡± ¡°!¡± Hearing Isabe¡¯s words, Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. ¡®Worse position before¡¯, ¡®past experiences¡¯, and ¡®sacrifice¡¯, these words did suggest that the ¡®Great Sage¡¯ title had changed hands multiple times, though there were still no clues as to who they were. It looked like he would have to try to join the Assembly¡ªassuming that it was still existent in the present day¡ªin order to figure things out. So, Roel began inquiring into the method of joining the Assembly. Isabe gave the question some thought before pointing out a path to the two children. ¡°Due to the nature of the Assembly, there could be dire circumstances if a spy were to enter our midst. Therefore, the vetting is extremely strict. Initially, individuals would approach the organization to join, but this method proved too inefficient in terms of increasing member count. As a result, it adopted a rmendation system.¡± ¡°Rmendation system? Doesn¡¯t that mean that you can rmend us, big sister Isabe?¡± ¡°I do have the authority to do so, but you need at least two rmendations.¡± ¡°Two rmendations? But... aren¡¯t the members of the Assembly not supposed to know one another?¡± Roel was a little dumbfounded by Isabe¡¯s response. He had previously heard that the members of the Assembly were unaware of each other¡¯s identities, so as to avoid internal strife and focus on theirmon goal. If so, how could one get the rmendation of two members? Discuss with another member to rmend the same individual? That was possible but unlikely. In that event, the rmended individual would be exposed to both members, making it possible to deduce the identity of the member through their connections. That was unadvisable considering the nature of the Assembly. Both Roel and Charlotte frowned as they pondered over this issue. Seeing this, Isabe chuckled out loud. ¡°I know the doubts you have in mind, but you are misunderstanding something here. In fact, we never rmend people we know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? Then how do you ascertain the character and ability of the newly joined members?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite simple actually. We simply take plenty of time to assess them in an appropriate environment.¡± Looking at the surprised duo, Isabe pondered for a short moment before deciding to reveal the answer. Considering Roel and Charlotte¡¯s incredible talents, they should be more than worthy to join the Assembly. Not to mention, she was going to marry Winstor in the near future too. ¡°There¡¯s an academy in the Country of Schrs, Brolne. The Assembly chooses its talents from there.¡± Isabe revealed the truth outright to them. ¡°At the start of every academic year, the Assembly would send blessed tokens, disguised as ordinary protective magic tools, to a selected group of students. The members of the Assembly would recognize these blessed objects and observe the actions of these students before making an evaluation and selecting who to rmend. ¡°The members of the Assembly who wield the power to rmend changes every year, and the rmended individuals aren¡¯t immediately brought into the Assembly either. Rather, the Assembly would send a messenger over to speak to the rmended individual during a period when the individual is most likely to join the organization. It could be a year after leaving the academy, and it could also be decadester. These measures significantly reduce the likelihood of the identities of the members being exposed to one another. ¡°I see.¡± Hearing Isabe¡¯s exnation, both Roel and Charlotte nodded in realization. The measures put in ce by the Assembly was quite reasonable, and they, to arge degree, reduced conflicts of interest amongst the members. At the same time, Roel found himself utterly speechless at the revtion too. In the end, it¡¯s still the academy! However, on further thought, it did make sense. After all, a famous academy would boast the greatest gathering of the world¡¯s talents, so it was only reasonable for headhunters to search for new members there. But at the same time, Roel also realized that knowing how the selection was done didn¡¯t really make much of a difference. After all... Wait a moment! A question suddenly surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind. Based on the evidence gathered thus far, there was indeed a high possibility that the Twilight Sages Assembly had been disbanded for whatever reason, but there was a chance that its members might still be around. After all, it was an organization filled with high-level transcendents from all over the world, and high-level transcendents tended to have long lifespans. In other words... If he could somehow obtain one of those blessed tokens, he still might be able to get the attention of one of the Sages, and through that, learn more about the Assembly! ¡¾Countdown to the end of the Witness State: 44 seconds¡¿ With such thoughts in mind, Roel nced at the limited time he had left before desperately grabbing Isabe¡¯s sleeves to continue his questions. ¡°Big sister Isabe, we¡¯re going to head back soon, and I¡¯ll definitely have to rest for a long time afterward. I won¡¯t be able to obtain the Assembly¡¯s blessed token even if they did send me one. Can you tell me where I could im one?¡± Isabe was surprised by Roel¡¯s words for a moment before realization struck her. Roel and Charlotte had been teleported here by a member of the Assembly, and now that the danger was over, it seemed only natural for them to be teleported back. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, you should look for the Drunkard Treant in Karon Forest. Remember to use the Ancient Austine¡¯s Conti Wine, or else he probably won¡¯t show himself...¡± ¡°Ah? Drunkard Treant? What is...¡± ¡¾Countdown ended. Commencing return.¡¿ Before Roel could finish his question, darkness had already descended on him. Right before the eyes of the smiling Isabe, the two of them vanished without a trace. Chapter 177: It’s All Set!

Chapter 177: It¡¯s All Set!

Just a few more days, and I¡¯ll be able to reach there. A magnificent carriage pulled by a beautiful white horse was rushing swiftly to Ascart City. Inside sat a girl with hair the color of gold, who gazed at the winter scenery passing her by as her mind drifted back to 10 days ago... ... It was the New Year of the Third Epoch Year 1007. There was a significant difference between this year¡¯s celebrations and those over the past decade. Usually, Nora, as the sessor of the royal family, would spend New Year¡¯s Day in Holy Capital Loren to lead the prayers for the masses. In some years, she would join the choralepetition too to hype up the atmosphere. But this year, she was nowhere to be seen in the capital at all, be it for the royal pce¡¯s banquet or the church¡¯s prayer. Her absence was a huge blow to all of Nora¡¯s fans in the Holy Capital, causing the sales of this year¡¯s church recording to decline steeply. So, here was the question: If Nora didn¡¯t spend her New Year in the capital, where could she possibly be? The answer was the eastern borders. As the representative of the royal family, as well as the future sessor, Nora¡¯s very presence at the frontlines was a huge boost to the soldiers¡¯ morale. It represented how highly the Xeclydes thought of the war against the deviants. It was no exaggeration to say that Nora was the most popr idol in the whole Saint Mesit Theocracy, so her presence was highly weed by the soldiers. The feelings the soldiers bore toward her wasn¡¯t just adoration but admiration. They weed Nora not because of her beauty but her strength. There was no denying that her outer appearance did affect how others viewed her, but ultimately, her strength was still the key factor reinforcing her people¡¯s loyalty toward her. It was herbination of great strength and tremendous potential that won her support from the military. She had a noble birth, amazing looks, incredible talents, widespread support from the people, and eptance by the officials. It was truly the full package¡ªanyone who sought to usurp her position would really be utterly defeated. During the New Year, Nora devoted a Soulcalming Hymn for the soldiers who had sacrificed themselves for war, and it further consolidated her base of support in the military. The world had nock of strong and charismaticmanders. In the first ce, mostmanders were powerful transcendents, and their role often involved ripping an opening in the enemy¡¯s formations for their men to exploit. When it came to charisma, those in a position of power had a huge advantage. Often, all it took was just expressing a bit of care and concern. However, there were very fewmanders who continued caring for their soldiers even after death. In the whole Theocracy, the only ones who had implemented official death gratuity systems were the Xeclydes and the Ascarts. It was not without reason that the Ascarts¡¯ military was exceptionally strong. The soldiers weren¡¯t fools; they could see with their own eyes who was worthying down their lives for. Anyway, aside from consoling the deceased soldiers, there was actually another reason why Nora had decided to head to the frontlines¡ªit was to visit Carter. Given that it was inconvenient for Roel to visit the eastern borders, it was only natural for her to pay a visit to herpanion¡¯s father on his behalf. Also, she needed to discuss the annulment of Roel¡¯s engagement with Carter too. As a patriarch who prioritized safety and stability over everything, Carter, despite being a believer in true love marriages, was biased in favor of Nora and Alicia¡¯s cases. In fact, Carter yed a huge role in the scheme to do away with the third rival. However, fate loved to y pranks on people. While Nora, Alicia, and Carter were patting their chests in relief, thinking that they had managed to pull it off, Roel had already started holding hands with Charlotte on their ¡®library dates¡¯. It was only during her visit to Carter that Nora finally learned of the matter. As it turned out, Alicia was overpowered on her home turf, so she was forced to flee to the Holy Capital to contact Nora for backup. To be honest, she nearly suffered a mental breakdown when she heard that Alicia failed to hold the fort. She burst out cursing there and then. ¡°You ran back just like that? Are you an idiot?! That¡¯s your home!¡± Nora was incredibly agitated at the moment, but even more so was Alicia. ¡°What am I supposed to do with our n exposed?! That Charlotte saw through our trick and told Lord Brother about it. Lord Brother must really hate me now! Uwuuu...¡± Halfway through her words, Alicia broke down in tears. The indignant look on her face left Nora feeling incredibly vexed, though she knew deep down that she wasn¡¯t in any position to criticize Alicia. It was not that Alicia didn¡¯t try hard enough, but Charlotte had pulled off quite a few unexpected moves there, especially the three divinations to affirm their rtionship. Nora was utterly bbergasted when she heard about that too. On top of that, Charlotte had legitimacy on her side too. She was Roel¡¯s fianc¨¦e, whereas Alicia was Roel¡¯s adopted sister. If Alicia were to act too demanding, not only would it be disrespectful, it would also ruin Roel¡¯s impression of her. Perhaps, it might even stir Roel¡¯s sympathy for Charlotte, pushing him over to her side. Charlotte was well aware of this, so she didn¡¯t hesitate to hold and hug Roel right in front of Alicia, often leaving her rival fuming and at wit¡¯s end. ¡°Big brother Roel said that he was merely in a transactional rtionship with that woman, and that they would annul the engagement when it¡¯s all over, but still...¡± ¡°Can those words even be trusted?¡± Nora snorted in disdain to those words. Perhaps, Roel might not have been lying, but she felt that Charlotte absolutely was. After all, she had affirmed their rtionship with three divinations, so how could their rtionship be only transactional? Only a fool would believe such things! Nora felt that her intelligence was being gravely insulted here. Taking a step back, even if Charlotte truly didn¡¯t harbor any feelings for Roel at the moment, that didn¡¯t mean that she wouldn¡¯t in the future. A man and a woman spending their time all by themselves, holding hands and hugging one another... That was way too dangerous! Just thinking about that auburn-haired girl she had seen in Rosa not too long ago, she felt as if her heart had dropped into the abyss, falling endlessly. Charlotte¡¯s High Elf Bloodline granted her a noble disposition that made her an extremely charming individual, making it easy for her to win someone over. On top of that, the Sorofya House had a hereditary Origin Attribute that would make it incredibly troublesome if Charlotte were to somehow fall in love with Roel. Of course, while Roel had his charm too, Nora didn¡¯t think that he had the ability to make Charlotte fall for him in a short period of time. Charlotte could be considered as Rosa¡¯s princess, and she had met with plenty of outstanding young men in her time, which would have built up high standards for her. On top of that, the women of the Sorofya House tended to be very careful when it came to their marriage. There was no way they could get together with one another in just 10 short days. ¡°I¡¯m not in a good position to deal with her, but you can.¡± After tearing up a little, Alicia¡¯s ruby eyes narrowed slightly as she revealed her true motive for traveling all the way to the Holy Capital to contact Nora. Those words made Nora widen her eyes in realization, and she slowly nodded her head in response. This battle was highly disadvantageous to Alicia¡ªit could be said that Charlotte was her natural counter¡ªbut it was different for Nora. Nora was the princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the only sessor of the royal family. In terms of standing, she was definitely equal to, if not above, Charlotte. More importantly, she was also Roel¡¯s protector. With this official protector-protectee rtionship between the two of them, there were actually many things that Nora could do. When it came to pulling underhanded tactics, Alicia was in a more advantageous position due to her proximity to Roel. However, when it came to waging a confrontational war, Nora, as Roel¡¯s protector, was definitely in a much better position. It was true that Nora was hesitant to intervene in the affairs of the Ascart House previously due to her sensitive position in the Theocracy. It would spur unease if it was thought that the Xeclydes were meddling in the internal affairs of the Five Eminent Noble Houses. However, things were different now. Screw all of the political implications! I¡¯m already on the verge of losing Roel here! Nora epted Alicia¡¯s SOS and rushed back from the border right away. It took her less than five days to reach the Holy Capital. She was quite delighted with the speed of travel, and her heart was finally put at ease too. She knew that Roel was the type to be wary of strangers, and Charlotte, as a woman from the Sorofya House, was incredibly conservative when it came to marriage. There shouldn¡¯t have been enough time for any fruit to be born out of their rtionship yet. ¡°All I need to do now is to think of a way to chase her off...¡± muttered Nora to herself. Confident, she began nning out her next move with the determination to seed in a single shot. In her view, Charlotte was no more than a paper tiger who was going to be taken down very soon! Just three more days, and she would be in Ascart City. Everything was still under control! Chapter 178: You Need Guts to Succeed!

Chapter 178: You Need Guts to Seed!

¡°Search the entire ce thoroughly! We have to find the young miss and young master Roel at all costs!¡± In the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, Grace looked at the empty room before her as she ryed her instructions imposingly. The elite guards of the Sorofyas immediately scattered in all directions to carry out her orders. Thinking about everything that had just happened, she felt goosebumps rising all over her body. As Charlotte¡¯s personal maid, Grace had always maintained a professional front. She was confident that she could live up to Charlotte¡¯s trust, especially when it came to thetter¡¯s safety. She was incredibly meticulous about every single detail surrounding Charlotte, and she always made sure that everything was within her control. There were plenty of people targeting the Sorofyas, especially the young and vulnerable Charlotte. If their schemes worked out, they could walk away with more money than they could earn over several lifetimes. Over the years, however, anyone who had tried to approach Charlotte with malicious intentions would ¡®disappear mysteriously¡¯. The power of an Origin Level 3 transcendent was not something to be made light of. As long as Grace was by Charlotte¡¯s side, most assassins wouldn¡¯t even live to see Charlotte. However, Grace had made a huge mistake today. The First Miss of the Sorofya House, her beloved master, had actually vanished right under her watch! To make things worse, the young master of the Ascart House had disappeared together with her! Such a situation could only be described as mind-shattering in Grace¡¯s view. ¡°No, I mustn¡¯t panic at a situation like this! T-there¡¯s still hope... The doors of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re haven¡¯t been opened, and there aren¡¯t any pulsations of mana nearby either. They¡¯re definitely still on the carriage!¡± Grace massaged her temples with her trembling hands as she tried her best to logically analyze the situation. It was possible for humans to vanish into thin air in this world¡ªthe Blink Bullet of Charlotte¡¯s Jewel Trigger was one good example. However, spatial transference spells were bound to produce inerasable mana pulsations. In theory, mana pulsations would be released at the same moment a spell took effect. If a transcendent had invoked a spatial transference spell to leave the carriage, there was no way they could erase the mana pulsations left on the carriage in their wake. If so, there was only one possibility: The duo in the istion chamber had cast the spell themselves. Due to Charlotte and Roel using the Twin Stones to attend the Leumann Forest¡¯s Nightglow Butterfly Festival in the Austine Empire, their main bodies had lost consciousness. Naturally, they would require additional protection. The istion chamber was created specifically for such an event. It had the ability to unidirectionally iste mana, making it impossible for outsiders to teleport right into the chamber. However, as it was unidirectional istion of mana, it was still possible for the people inside the chamber to teleport outward via a spatial transference spell. But was that even possible here? Based on Grace¡¯s estimation, Roel was at Origin Level 5 at the moment, far beneath the required level to use spatial transference spells. The only possibility was for him to use some sort of special magic tool. However, he was currently wearing a suit Charlotte had specially designed for him without any of his usual magic tools on him. One could even say that he waspletely unarmed. No matter how mystical the Ascart House is, there¡¯s no way they can make people magically disappear, right? Grace was a believer in hard facts instead of superstition. Besides, even if the Ascart House did have the ability to do that... Why would they? Even though it was a political marriage, Roel and Charlotte were still a proper, engaged couple at the moment. Under such circumstances, if Roel really wanted to do something to Charlotte, Grace, as a mere servant, had no authority to stop him. There was no need for Roel to kidnap Charlotte at all. Of course, there was another possibility¡ªCharlotte, instead of Roel, was the kidnapper. However, regarding that... ¡°There¡¯s no way that could happen! How could someone as graceful and demure as our young miss possibly kidnap a man? It has never happened before, and it never ever will!¡± Grace felt like her train of thoughts was getting more and more muddled with all of the possibilities. She lowered her head to look at the blood pendant she wore around her neck, and it was still gleaming as usual. This showed that Charlotte was not in danger, and it was probably the only good news in the present situation. However, even if her master wasn¡¯t in danger right now, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that she was in a safe position. Also, there was another problem here¡ªshe didn¡¯t know Roel¡¯s current situation. It hadn¡¯t been long since the two of them disappeared, so she could still cook up excuses on their behalf. However, once the night deepened, the servants of the Ascart House would start knocking on the doors of their carriages inquiring after their young master. By then, what was Grace supposed to do? One had to know they were currently in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, surrounded by hundreds of powerful guards who were constantly patrolling the area. It made her shudder just to imagine how the Ascart House would take it if they found out that their sole sessor was lost under the Sorofyas¡¯ watch. Unlike the Sorofyas, the Ascarts didn¡¯t have many offspring. Roel was the only one in his generation. On top of that, he was incredibly talented, having made many contributions to his fief, despite only assuming power as the proxy fief lord 2 years ago. Without a doubt, the Ascart House would soar to greater heights under his leadership. If the Sorofyas couldn¡¯t find Roel and hand him back to the Ascarts safe and sound, it could possibly incite a war! Just thinking about the consequences was enough to leave Grace in a fluster. It was then that a slight disturbance sounded inside the room. There was a slight mana pulsation, which surprised all of the transcendents in the room. They quickly turned their sights toward a door, which Grace quickly kicked open before rushing in. ¡°Young miss!¡± Grace shouted as she barged through the door. To her utmost relief, there were two additional figures who had appeared in the previouslypletely empty room. Charlotte¡¯s eyes began twitching a little in response to the shout before gently fluttering open. ¡°This is...¡± Looking at the familiar ceiling of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re¡¯s istion chamber, Charlotte was dazed for a moment before abruptly widening her eyes. She recalled what Roel had said prior to her losing consciousness. This is... We came back? By the time Charlotte snapped out of her daze, Grace had already rushed to her side. She was bewildered to see that Charlotte was deeply fatigued, as if she had just been through a war. Thus, she quickly released her mana in order to inspect Charlotte¡¯s condition. Unexpectedly, before she could cast her spell, Charlotte suddenly jerked upward. ¡°Roel!¡± Having fully awoken from her daze, Charlotte quickly turned to the unconscious boy lying next to her. She recalled what Isabe had said and quickly tried to treat him. ¡°Golden Soul... This is bad!¡± Charlotte tried to summon the Golden Soul out of habit, only to realize to her horror that nothing happened. She scanned her surroundings, but the golden light that had been by her side for thest few days was nowhere to be seen. Without the Golden Soul, Charlotte¡¯s abilities had been effectively halved. H-how could this be... Charlotte btedly realized what had happened, and a feeling of helplessness washed over her body. It was nothing much for her to lose the Golden Soul because she had already made sure to fully memorize the form to craft the Golden Soul¡ªit was one of the key pieces to their heritage, after all. With the resources the Sorofyas had at their disposal, they would be able to recreate it soon enough. However, Roel couldn¡¯t afford to wait that long. The Golden Soul was the only thing that had been keeping his condition from deteriorating further, and its absence now could be fatal. A familiar frost aura began emanating from Roel¡¯s body once more, but this time, without the protection of the Golden Soul, Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but shiver from the coldness. Grace also noticed the anomaly right away, and her eyes widened in shock. She immediately advised her master to stay away from Roel, but Charlotte disregarded her words. Charlotte stared at her freezing lover, and slowly, determination settled in her eyes. It was true that she didn¡¯t have the aid of the Golden Soul anymore, but to be exact, it wasn¡¯t the Golden Soul that had been stabilizing Roel¡¯s condition thus far. Rather, it was one of the sealing spells of the Jewel Magic. The Golden Soul only served as a medium to transfer and amplify its effects. As long as Charlotte was around, there was still hope for Roel. All she wascking right now was a method to effectively channel her spell into Roel. Back when she was still struggling to control the Golden Soul, Isabe had once told her an analogy. ¡°Think of it this way. Your mana is the power source and your body is the conduit to channel the power. The Golden Soul is just an extension of the conduit.¡± Isabe¡¯s teachings echoed in her mind, pointing a way out of this desperate situation. A steely glint shed in Charlotte¡¯s eyes as she stared at Roel¡¯s pale lips intently. Then, without any warning, she suddenly leaned forward and kissed him. ¡°Y-young miss?¡± rmed by Charlotte¡¯s abrupt movements, Grace instinctively wanted to pull her away to safety. However, her outstretched hand suddenly froze in ce after seeing what Charlotte did, and her mind wentpletely nk. W-what¡¯s going on? Why would our conservative young miss offer a kiss on her own ord? Are my eyes ying tricks on me? Wasn¡¯t she still drawing a line between the two of them not too long ago? It has only been a day, and she¡¯s actingpletely different. She¡¯s even stealing a kiss from young master Roel while he¡¯s asleep! I don¡¯t understand this. Why would our shy young miss... And for someone of our young miss¡¯ standing to have to steal a kiss, t-this is really too... But again, there seems to be something very wrong with young master Roel at the moment. The frost aura surrounding Roel began to weaken a little after the kiss. Grace had tilted her head away in an awkward attempt not to infringe on Charlotte¡¯s privacy, but her overflowing curiosity still made her sneak nces again and again. Soon, she noticed something. The frost aura wasn¡¯ting from a magic tool Roel was carrying. Instead, it was seeping right out of his body! On top of that, she could sense with her mana that Roel¡¯s life force was extremely weak at the moment. Why is his life force so weak? Doesn¡¯t that mean that... ¡°!¡± Upon realizing the truth, Grace was both shocked and horrified. She stared intently at Roel¡¯s pale face for a while before grabbing the emblem on her chest to ry new orders. ¡°Medic, report to the istion chamber immediately!¡± Looking at the incredibly frail Roel, Grace felt cold shivers running down her spine. Roel was still perfectly fine when he got onboard the carriage, and yet, he ended up being reduced to such a state. Given that it happened on the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, no matter what really happened, the Sorofyas would have to take responsibility for this matter. ¡°Young miss, what in the world happened? How do we exin young master Roel¡¯s state to the Ascarts?¡± The panicked Grace enquired about the incident, but unexpectedly, Charlotte just shook her head in response. Currently, Charlotte was staring at her lover with a prating gaze. The lingering coldness in the air was barely keeping her calm as many thoughts flickered through her mind. Slowly, her gaze grew sharper and sharper, almost like a hunter eyeing down a prey. For some reason, Grace inexplicably felt a dangerous vibeing from Charlotte. In truth, Charlotte Sorofya was indeed nning tomit a crime. If they were to exin Roel¡¯s condition to the Ascart House right now, they would surely take him back right away and be extremely protective of him. At the same time, they would also put their guard up against the Sorofyas, especially since he was with Charlotte when the mishap urred. However, that could prove to be very bad for Roel. The Ascart House didn¡¯t have the Golden Soul, and Carter wasn¡¯t at home at the moment either. They might not necessarily be able to provide the best treatment for him. On the other hand, Charlotte, with the resources of the Sorofya House at her disposal, was confident that she could provide him with better care and treatment. In other words, the revtion of Roel¡¯s condition wouldn¡¯t help him at all. Most importantly of all, would Charlotte get another chance to meet Roel if his condition was revealed? One must know that Roel was unconscious at the moment, and despite being his fianc¨¦e, there was no doubt that the greatest suspect would be her. Even if she tried to exin how they had revisited a snippet of history, would others believe her? Furthermore, this was likely to be one of Roel¡¯s greatest secrets, and it would be unwise to talk about it without his permission. To make matters worse, she was well aware that there were two women biding their time silently, waiting for her screw up in order to throw her out of the game. Just thinking about the dire circumstances she was in made her sigh endlessly. Without a doubt, things were incredibly bad for her at the moment. All it took was a moment of carelessness, and everything would be over. Perhaps, their engagement might even be annulled. Thinking up to this point, Charlotte grit her teeth as a daring notion floated in her mind. It was just that the risks were a bit... ¡°C-Charlotte...¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m here, darling!¡± The subconscious murmurings of the ck-haired boy jolted Charlotte¡¯s heart with a sudden sh of lightning. She immediately responded to him, but the boy had already fallen into deep sleep once more. Complicated emotions shed across her eyes as she clenched her fists tightly together. So what if there are great risks involved? So what if it¡¯s against the rules? For the sake of our happy ending... Only those with guts will seed in the end. ¡°Grace... We won¡¯t be telling the Ascart House about this matter yet.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Before Grace¡¯s dumbfounded eyes, Charlotte ordered deeply. ¡°Pack up and prepare to set off. We¡¯re returning to Rosa!¡± Chapter 179: Human Thermometer

Chapter 179: Human Thermometer

Midnight, Roel finally woke up from his dreams. His mind was still a little groggy when he first regained consciousness. His body felt heavy and cold. The undead reanimation effect had sealed off his senses, so any feelings of pain were nullified. In return, his body felt numb. Despite his senses being numbed, he could still feel it. Every time he felt like the biting frost was going to put him into eternal hibernation, he would suddenly feel a tender warmth spreading from his mouth. There was a touch of fragrance, then warm mana would flow through his body, suppressing the unbearable cold. This had happened at least ten times since he first lost consciousness, and each time, he would drift off to sleep once more immediately after. It didn¡¯t take long for his body to remember this sensation, and instinctively, he began fully cooperating with the suppressive mana whenever the biting frost was about to consume him. Roel was unaware that he was gradually being imprinted on through such a manner. As it turned out though, this imprint went both ways. Despite being unconscious, Roel¡¯s ¡®active cooperation¡¯ still proved to be an overwhelmingly strong stimulus to Charlotte, having never experienced such sensations before. After yet another round of gently ambiguous sensations on his lips, Roel¡¯s biting chill finally alleviated enough for him to maintain consciousness. It was the first time he was opening his eyes ever since returning from the Witness State, and he found himself weed by a starry sky... ... or to be more exact, an artificial starry sky. They were all jewels, gleaming in different colors and brilliance. They ranged from white crystals, a popr addition to formal dresses, to amethyst, which was known to be worth even more than gold. Thousands of them were embedded on the ceiling, constructing a gxy. Under the gleaming light of this gxy, Roel felt like his body had been blessed. He figured that this was one of the means of the Sorofyas. ¡°How beautiful,¡± muttered Roel in a daze. Charlotte had been gulping down tea, trying to calm herself after the stimulus of thetest treatment, when she heard Roel¡¯s voice and anxiously turned her head over. ¡°Roel, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± Charlotte immediately rushed over to the bed and grabbed Roel¡¯s hand. Her eyes were glistening with tears of agitation. On the other hand, Roel assessed Charlotte for a moment, and he was relieved to see that she was in good condition. ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Roel. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine. The one who isn¡¯t alright is you,¡± replied Charlotte. Her voice was hoarse, as if there was something stuck at the back of her throat. She looked like she was going to cry at any moment. Seeing this, Roel quickly waved his hand and consoled her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not that bad. My condition isn¡¯t as severe as it looks.¡± Roel blinked his eyes contemtively as he thought about the sensation he had experienced in his subconscious state. So, he raised his head to look at Charlotte and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know whether it was an illusion or not, but I felt something in my mouth at times while I was sleeping.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel¡¯s words made Charlotte freeze right on the spot. Under the gentle glimmer of the gemstones, her face swiftly turned red. A momentter though, she had already pulled herself back together to act normally. ¡°I-its a thermometer! I was measuring your temperature!¡± ¡°Ah, I see... No wonder.¡± Roel¡¯s thoughts were still a little disordered from having slept for too long, so he simply epted Charlotte¡¯s exnation with a nod. The thermometers in this world worked via the mouth, and he had used it once before when cooperating with Anna¡¯s n. It did sound reasonable for Charlotte to measure his temperature while he was unconscious. ¡°Sorry to trouble you. I must have damaged the thermometers with the frost I emanated.¡± ¡°Not really... It was surprisingly warm,¡± replied ¡®Thermometer¡¯ Charlotte. Her heart was pounding as her eyes lingered on Roel¡¯s lips for a moment before swiftly turning away. Roel was still a little dull from his current condition, so he didn¡¯t pay it much heed. He turned to look out the window, and all of a sudden, he frowned in confusion. The scenery is moving... which means that the carriage is moving? What¡¯s going on? ¡°Charlotte, shouldn¡¯t we be in my family¡¯s manor? Where are we heading?¡± ¡°W-we¡¯re heading off to... to see the stars! Yes, to see the stars!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Roel¡¯s innocent question left Charlotte deeply conscience-stricken, but she had no ns of backing down at this point. ¡°Your condition is not too good at the moment. You need to be in a peaceful environment to rest properly, but there are simply too many matters constantly awaiting you at Ascart City. So, I decided to bring you elsewhere.¡± ¡°Ah, I see... I guess it¡¯s fine too.¡± He was a little perplexed, but he didn¡¯t inquire any further. The experiences he had been through with Charlotte made him lower his guard toward her. He felt that Charlotte wouldn¡¯t lie to him, and she had no reason to do so either. Charlotte was the First Miss of the Sorofya House, the renowned ¡®Pearl of Rosa¡¯. The wealth she had at her disposal far surpassed that of the Ascart Fiefdom. From such a viewpoint, there was no reason for her to deceive him at all. What could she possibly stand to gain? Besides, we¡¯re just heading out of the city. It¡¯s not as if she¡¯s kidnapping me or something. Such thoughts in mind, Roelpletely gave up on thinking, which, in turn, meant relinquishing his final chance of getting off the carriage. ¡°Go to sleep, darling. I¡¯ll handle everything, so you don¡¯t have to worry at all...¡± Under her loving lull, Roel found himself drifting off to sleep once more. Watching over the sleeping ck-haired boy, Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief before gently kissing his forehead. ¡°Goodnight, darling.¡± ... ¡°Young miss, are you certain that you want to do this?¡± Outside the room, Grace asked worriedly. She couldn¡¯t understand why Charlotte was doing this all of a sudden. Last night, when the two youths suddenly vanished into thin air, Grace was certain that Charlotte couldn¡¯t possibly have kidnapped Roel. Yet, barely a night had gone by, and she was forced to swallow her own words. Of course, while this was without a doubt a kidnapping, officially, it was still known as ¡®having an outdoor dinner in the beautiful sceneries of the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯. They had departed quitete at night, so it was reasonable for them to stay out and return the next morning. So far, the Ascarts hadn¡¯t sensed anything wrong, so it wasn¡¯t toote to turn back yet. While they did conceal the truth about Roel¡¯s condition, they had also treated him promptly with the best resources they had at their disposal, so it was unlikely to cause too much of a fuss. However, if they continued on their way back to Rosa, things would really getplicated. It was only a matter of time before the Ascarts noticed that their guests had possibly gone rogue. On top of that, if it was revealed that Roel was actually unconscious during this period of time, that would be more than enough evidence to indict Charlotte for the crime of kidnapping a noble. Admittedly, it did sound ludicrous for a fianc¨¦e to kidnap her fianc¨¦, but it had to be taken into ount that Roel was the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom. If someone were to pick at this matter from a political point of view, things could very well blow up. Unfortunately, Charlotte thought little of Grace¡¯s worries. She wasn¡¯t doing this on the spur-of-the-moment. In fact, she was calm and had made this decision after careful consideration. ¡°We have to leave right away. We need to get out of the Theocracy as soon as possible, otherwise I might never meet Roel again!¡± Charlotte¡¯s fists were trembling by her sides, but her eyes were firm and unwavering. She had considered sending Roel back to the manor to be treated and exining things to the Ascarts properly, but she soon realized a massive loophole in this course of action¡ªthe attitude the Ascarts carried toward her. Based on the information she had gathered thus far, it would appear that Roel¡¯s father, Carter, didn¡¯t support their marriage. The fact that she and Grace had been maliciously misled the first time they visited the Ascarts¡¯ manor was more than enough evidence for that. While it waster rified to be a prank by Roel¡¯s adopted sister and the Theocracy¡¯s princess, it was very hard to believe that they could pull off such a stunt involving all the manor¡¯s staff without the patriarch¡¯s approval. Given Roel¡¯s unstable condition¡ªgod knows how many times he had teetered on the edge of death¡ªand that he was still unconscious most of the time, this matter would surely have to be reported to Carter. However, this incident happened due to the request Charlotte made, so the Sorofyas would inevitably have to bear some responsibility for this issue. And it wouldn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what Carter would do. Endangering their sole sessor just days after their first meeting; this was a sufficient reason for the Ascart House to one-sidedly annul the engagement without suffering any bacsh. Besides, even if Carter didn¡¯t make a move, the Theocracy¡¯s princess, in her capacity as Roel¡¯s protector, would also forcefully sever the engagement in the name of the Xeclydes. With that, at least until Roel finally took over the Ascart House, the Sorofyas would be ced on the Ascarts¡¯ cklist, making it impossible for Charlotte to see her lover anymore. Even entering the Ascart Fiefdom would be incredibly arduous. All of these had been so minor to Charlotte not too long ago, but after everything she had been through with Roel, the love-struck Charlotte could onlyment just how tough her love was. It was almost as if every single force in the world was out to ruin her engagement with Roel. A single wrong step could very well spell the end of it all. Of course, if Roel was willing to fall out with his father, adopted sister, Nora, and everyone else to choose her, everything could be easily resolved. The only problem was that... was that even possible at all? Charlotte shook her head. Not a chance. The time they had spent together was short, but the life-and-death encounters they had been through together gave her a pretty good idea what kind of person Roel was. He wasn¡¯t the type to abandon his friends and family. On top of that, she was aware that she still wasn¡¯t a vital part of Roel¡¯s life yet. Even taking the Witness State into ount, Charlotte was more indebted to Roel than the other way around. At this point, the only thing she could offer Roel was money, but what was the use of money? Would Roel even care about that? Eventually, Charlotte narrowed her eyes as she came to the realization that she had to work on both issues simultaneously. While we escape the Theocracy, I¡¯ll make sure to imprint myself on him! Chapter 180: Good Morning, Darling

Chapter 180: Good Morning, Darling

The following morning, Roel woke up to the gentle touch of Charlotte¡¯s breath on his neck. It was warm, and it carried a light fragrance. It felt a bit ticklish but also a bit arousing. It was like a foxtail that kept tickling his sleepy mind, rousing him from his rest. The moment he opened his eyes, he found himself face-to-face with a beautiful little princess. Charlotte was currently lying right beside him, on the same bed. Her silky auburn hair was scattered over the pillows. Even under the faint light, her fair skin still looked impable. Her noble aura paired with her white sleepwear left Roel with an illusion that he was staring right at the real Sleeping Beauty. W-what is she doing here? Startled fully awake, Roel¡¯s mind jammed up for a few seconds at the sight of his bedpanion. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the first time Roel was sleeping with a girl, but the other person had always been Alicia, his younger sister. Rather than saying that they were ¡®sleeping together¡¯, it was more urate to say that he was apanying a child to bed. However, that was clearly not the case with Charlotte. Ah, right. It must be due to what Isabe told her about apanying me in bed or something. I didn¡¯t think that Charlotte would actually take her words for real. Roel shook his head with a helpless sigh as he wondered why Charlotte would pay such credence to her ancestor¡¯s words. She was usually so sharp-witted when they were together, so it was an interesting contrast to see her being so obedient. But still... She looks good. Staring at the face just a few centimeters away, Roel thought about how the saying that ¡®a person¡¯s charm disappears when examined close-up¡¯ didn¡¯t apply to Charlotte at all. She still looked equally perfect close-up, luring him in deeper and deeper... ¡°Cough cough.¡± Feeling a little embarrassed, Roel turned his head away with a reddened face. While it was at the instruction of her ancestor, Charlotte still abandoned her reticence as a woman to share a bed with him. It would be disrespectful of him to harbor deviant thoughts about her after the sacrifice she had made. His light cough, however, awakened Charlotte. She was still a little dazed at the start, but as soon as she saw Roel before her eyes, her mind cleared up right away. With their gazes on one another, Charlotte blinked her eyes mischievously as a teasing smile curled on her lips. ¡°Is Mister Roel peeping on me in my sleep?¡± ¡°O-of course not. I just woke up not too long ago too...¡± Caught red-handed, Roel hurriedly tried to exin himself awkwardly. Fortunately, Charlotte didn¡¯t continue pursuing the matter. While Roel¡¯s voice was still trailing away out of embarrassment, she levered herself gracefully upward before pecking his forehead lightly. ¡°Good morning, darling.¡± The gentle greeting caught Roel off guard, leaving his mind nk briefly. Charlotte lightly wrapped her arms around his neck, closing the distance between them. All that stood between them was just the thinyer of sleepwear they were wearing. This amorous situation had Roel¡¯s heart beating so fast that he thought that it was going to leap out of his chest. W-what¡¯s going on? Roel¡¯s body stiffened, and he felt his mind overwhelmed with heat. He turned to look at the System, only to be shocked by one of the notification logs. (Affection Points +80,000) ... So, rich women aren¡¯t just loaded with money, they are also filled with affection too? Roel stared at the starry ceiling above him as he, for the first time, realized that things might have spiraled out of control. ,000 Affection Points, that was an amount Roel had never seen before. Different from the usual farming of Affection Points, he knew that this huge amount signaled a qualitative change in their rtionship. He had experienced something simr with Alicia and Nora too. But still, 80,000... Isn¡¯t that a little too much? I know that I¡¯ve been saying that I want to farm Charlotte¡¯s Affection Points, but this is really... Looking at the young auburn beauty, who was poking his cheeks curiously, he suddenly felt that he might have gone overboard trying to earn Affection Points this time around. Suspension Bridge Effect, this was a term where psychological conditions resulting from fear were mistaken for romantic arousal. They had been through many precarious situations in the Witness State that made adrenaline rush through their bodies and their hearts beat fast. Charlotte mistook those natural physical reactions as an affirmation of her feelings toward Roel, leaving her thinking that she was romantically interested in him. On top of that, their engagement and Isabe¡¯s advice probably yed a vital part in furthering the impression as well. The Suspension Bridge Effect was amonly known theory in Roel¡¯s previous world, but the people in this world were probably ignorant and thus more fallible to it. Fortunately, its effects would usually wear off with time, so there was probably nothing to worry about... right? ¡°Darling, what do you wish to eat for breakfast?¡± ¡°Ah? Anything will do.¡± In the room, Charlotte was lying next to Roel, her head propped up with one hand while the other mischievously teased Roel¡¯s face. Her fair legs thumped merrily against the bed, alluding to her good mood. There was a doting smile on her face, reminiscent of a young wife staring at her beloved newlywed husband. All of these made Roel¡¯s heart thump uncontrobly. W-what¡¯s going on? Does your country owe me a wife or something? Oh, it seems like it really does... The sudden outburst of charm had knocked Roel silly, but it didn¡¯t take him long to recover. He turned to look at the mirror on the dressing table, and he couldn¡¯t help but notice the goofy enchanted look on his face. All of a sudden, he felt like he had been unwittingly ced under the Suspension Bridge Effect too. Just recalling the moment when Charlotte shot the seven-colored gemstone bullet at him was more than enough to make his heart pound. No matter what her reason for doing so was, the fact that she did it was more than enough to move Roel¡¯s heart. The difficulty of choosing between life and death in the face of despair was definitely not something ordinary humans could imagine. Charlotte had chosen to entrust the future to him, and that was why he was able to make his decision unhesitatingly before Peytra afterward. It would be apt to describe the two of them as life-and-deathpanions, but as for the engagement... Based on their previous agreement, it should have been time to annul it, especially since the initial agreement had been fulfilled. But given the current situation... ¡°I do remember that you aren¡¯t picky about your food. For breakfast, it¡¯s customary for us, Rosaians, to go for something sweet. Is that fine with you?¡± ¡°Hm? Ah yes, sure. I¡¯m fine with anything.¡± ¡°Alright then. I know that you aren¡¯t picky, but you must have some preferences when ites to food. You must make sure to let me know in the future.¡± Charlotte tucked her hair neatly behind her ears as she spoke. Roel couldn¡¯t help but notice how her white sleeping gown made her look very different from usual. It was shorter than the standard sleepwear worn in the Theocracy, giving her the look of a mischievous girl who had secretly worn her boyfriend¡¯s shirt. ¡°Hm? Do you like these clothes?¡± ¡°Ahhh, i-it¡¯s still alright. It looks... different.¡± ¡°Yes, I was the one who designed it. Don¡¯t you think a touch of exposure brings about a unique charm as well? These are quite loose andfortable too.¡± As Charlotte started bragging about her design, she straightened her upper body slightly, causing her gown to shift upward as well, revealing more and more of her fair legs, only to suddenly stop short of exposing her innerwear. Roel found his eyes reflexively drifting along with her clothes. It felt like a kitten was wing at his heart, leaving it feeling a little ticklish. His gaze lingered at the hem of the gown before slowly moving upward, as if to conceal his action. His eyes traced the pleasing contours of her slender waist on their way up to her face, and the aesthetics only got more and more pleasing. ¡°How is it? You like it?¡± Sensing Roel¡¯s gaze on her, a gleeful smile surfaced on Charlotte¡¯s lips as she expectantly sought affirmation. ¡°Grace advised me against it when I designed this sleepwear, but I thought that it felt odd and ufortable to wear long pants to bed. In the end, this sleepwear failed to make it to the Spring Collection, just like the gown from before.¡± ¡°... I-it¡¯s not bad. I think that it¡¯s quite good.¡± Hearing Charlotte¡¯s indignantints, Roel tried his best to console her. It worked as Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief hearing Roel¡¯s affirmation, but right after that, she suddenly leaned forward to whisper right into Roel¡¯s ear. ¡°Darling, if you like it, I don¡¯t mind wearing it just for you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The sudden soft whisper exceeded Roel¡¯s tolerance. He quickly raised his hand to cover his right ear. No way could he continue allowing Charlotte to do as she pleased anymore. ¡°Say, didn¡¯t we agree previously to annul the engagement once your request is fulfilled?¡± ¡°Darling, what are you saying?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s question, Charlotte tilted her head sideward with eyes filled with iprehension. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree to marry once the request is fulfilled?¡± Chapter 181: Huge Rewards

Chapter 181: Huge Rewards

Roel found himself seated at an elegant dining table, a sumptuous breakfast spread out before him. The walls were adorned with masterful artworks, and fine music was ying in the background. The current situation was, honestly, very overwhelming to him. For many years, he prided himself on being an honest, amiable, and helpful person, but he knew that good people didn¡¯t thrive in the circle of nobility. Nobles were all about shared interests; being too individualistic would only make one an outcast. So, he had no choice but to adapt to the circumstances. Fortunately, Roel was unexpectedly talented in acting. Be it portraying an envoy of justice or a shady businessman, he was always able to get into the role and capture the tone urately. He never expected that a day woulde where he would meet his match. Earlier,ying on the princess bed in Charlotte¡¯s bedroom, Roel found himself witnessing the overflowing acting talent that a sessor of a massive business conglomerate possessed. Charlotte didn¡¯t even give Roel a chance to make aeback at all. Right after attempting to gaslight him about the agreement they made previously, her eyes began to brim with tears. ¡°Darling, please don¡¯t make such a cruel joke ever again, alright?¡± ¡°Ah? W-wait a moment, t-this is...¡± ¡°You also know that our engagement was decided by our ancestors a hundred years ago. This is a legacy they have entrusted to us as their sessors; it¡¯s sacred and invible. How could we possibly make a deal out of something like that?¡± Watching as Charlotte uttered those words with tears in her eyes, Roel was stumped. Is this really the same woman who dumped money on me back at the Ascarts¡¯ manor to annul the engagement? Is it possible that I have been teleported to a parallel world instead? Maybe a mistake urred while we were leaving the Witness State? No no no, how could that be? Shocked by how easily his fianc¨¦e had almost made him doubt his own sanity, Roel quickly shook his head to straighten his thoughts and calmed himself once more. He was rmed at how powerful Charlotte¡¯s brainwashing ability was. To be honest, if Charlotte refused to acknowledge the agreement, there was very little that Roel could do. Since it was mutually beneficial to both of them to annul the engagement back then, he didn¡¯t think that there was a need to affirm it on paper. As a result, he had no evidence to prove that the agreement had really existed. This made Roel¡¯s head hurt a little, so he decided to turn his attention elsewhere for the time being¡ªhis System. The Witness State this time around had been fraught with dangers. Roel and Charlotte had encountered numerous life-and-death encounters over the short five days, but in exchange, the high stakes were repaid with high rewards. The greatest example was the spell ¡®cial Touch¡¯, though there were many other things too. ¡¾Evaluation: Perfect (115)¡¿ ¡¾Congrattions, you have sessfully awakened your bloodline¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained: Kingmaker¡¯s Bloodline (Silver)¡¿ ¡¾An old contract and the broken fragments of a crown; the King has fallen. Glory and prosperity fade into ashes. Raising the dirt with both your hands, you transcend the boundaries of worlds and return back to reality.¡¿ ¡°...¡± When Roel read the System¡¯s description, he was reminded of the scene of Peytra absorbing the golden mana he subconsciously produced before rising into the sky to subdue Sire Darkness. Actually, he harbored many doubts regarding that matter. For one, he had no clue what the golden mana was. It was likely a new bloodline ability, and he had a hunch that the description had something to do with it. ¡°Yup, it¡¯s all gibberish.¡± Roel stared at the abstract description for a long while, but in the end, he could only shake his head and give up. Instead, he decided to try a different tact and began to review exactly what happened back then. He felt that there was a good chance that it was some sort of enhancement ability, but as for how to pull it off... Do I need to mould butterflies? It can¡¯t be, right? That¡¯d be too troublesome, and it looks weird for a guy like me to conjure swarms of butterflies too. He took a look at his tattered body and sighed deeply. There didn¡¯t seem to be much point thinking about it for now since he was in no state to test things and wouldn¡¯t be for a long time. Bloodline abilities tended toe with side effects, and it would be a huge joke if he were to identally kill himself in the midst of his experiments. In any case, the emergence of a new bloodline ability was exciting news to Roel. It was not as if his bloodline ability would suddenly vanish into thin air, so it was only a matter of time before he managed to grasp and master it. Aside from the new bloodline ability, there was another breakthrough that Roel was very pleased about, and that was the awakening of his bloodline to Silver-tier. There was only a tier of difference between Bronze Bloodline and Silver Bloodline, but there was a drastic decrease in the number of bloodline possessors. Most transcendent houses and organizations valued possessors of Bronze Bloodlines, but they wouldn¡¯t go to the extent of devoting a vast amount of resources to grooming them. However, if one of them was lucky enough to awaken their Silver Bloodline, that would make for a very different story. Having a Silver Bloodline was basically a free-pass ticket to reaching Origin Level 3 and bing a high-level transcendent. That was usually a high hurdle to ovee; many prodigies found themselves locked outside its door, unable to advance any further. However, this hurdle was basically nonexistent to possessors of Silver Bloodlines as they possessed a much higher Degree of Assimtion, making it not too difficult to have a breakthrough. For this reason, if a member of one¡¯s house possessed a Silver Bloodline, it was like winning the lottery. As long as no mishap urred, the house was guaranteed to obtain an Origin Level 3 or higher expert within the next few decades. That would usually be more than enough to ensure the prosperity of the house for many years toe. Therefore, when it came to possessors of Silver Bloodlines, transcendent houses would unhesitatingly devote all of their resources to groom them since they were almost guaranteed investments. Roel had obtained many things out of the Witness State, such as cial Touch and the new ability of the Kingmaker¡¯s Bloodline, but the reward he valued the most was still the awakening of his Silver Bloodline. This was something he desperately needed if he wanted to be on the same starting line as Nora, Alicia, and the other prodigious transcendents of the world. While Roel had barely been keeping up with their footsteps, it was unlikely that he would be able to continue doing so in the long run. The reason for that was the difference in their foundations. The nature of Roel¡¯s Crown Origin Attribute required him to venture out in search of opportunities to make a breakthrough. How fast he grew depended on how much risk he was willing to take. On the other hand, Nora and the others were so talented that they could pretty much make breakthroughs just by breathing. It was in recognition of this that Grandar and Peytra spoke that nonsense about him mating with them. Even by their high standards, Nora and the others were considered rare prodigies, making them ideal choices for the continuation of his bloodline. Now, after braving many obstacles, Roel had managed to transform from a bicycle into a motorbike. The surge of satisfaction washed away the teeny-tiny sense of inferiority he had hidden in the depths of his heart, leaving him feeling refreshed all over. He looked out of the window to gaze upon the clear, sunny sky, and he suddenly felt like the world was a beautiful ce. ¡°Speaking of which, have we not arrived at the ce where we¡¯re going to see the stars yet?¡± Looking at the snowy world outside that was swiftly retreating from view, Roel asked with upshot eyebrows. Typically, one would scout for open, high grounds to go stargazing, but the carriage was racing oddly fast, as if it was rushing toward a certain destination. Roel pondered it for a moment, and in the end, he attributed it to the weird quirks of the fabulously rich. From experience, he knew that rich people tended to operate on a different wavelength from ordinary people like him. Perhaps, Charlotte might have a specific ce where she liked to go stargazing, and she wanted to bring him there. In his previous life, he had heard about rich jet setters who constantly flew abroad just to eat at a certain restaurant and satisfy their cravings. He thought that Charlotte might be doing something simr. There was no way he could have known that Charlotte had already kidnapped him and was currently on the run. ¡°Darling, I¡¯ve kept you waiting.¡± A short whileter, Charlotte stepped into the room with her hair slightly damp. She was having her morning shower earlier, but perhaps out of fear that Roel might get lonely, she was in much more of a hurry than usual. Roel had cleaned himself as well, but with the fragile condition of his body caused by the deep state of undead reanimation he remained in, he chose to deal with it using a hassle-free spell. ¡°You showered surprisingly fast.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t possibly keep my darling waiting alone for too long.¡± ¡°You... Haa, forget it.¡± Roel had no idea how to deal with Charlotte¡¯s endless flirting, so he chose to avert his eyes in the end. Charlotte didn¡¯t seem too dispirited by Roel¡¯sck of response. She noticed that even though Roel was a little resistant toward her intimate gestures, he had never reproached her for it, and she viewed it as a good sign. On one hand, it was because Charlotte¡¯s charms were indeed irresistible, and on the other, it would appear that Roel had already subconsciously epted Charlotte. The bond forged through trial by fire was deep andplicated. The camaraderie shared through tumultuous times made him incredibly tolerant toward Charlotte, regardless of what she did. These blurring lines cast some doubt on their current rtionship status: Are we friends,panions, or an engaged couple? Charlotte was well aware of this too, so she was nning to make full use of this period while Roel was extremely tolerant of her actions to make him ept her and cement the rtionship. ¡°Darling, your tea.¡± The two of them began digging into their breakfast, as they had done many times before in the Ascarts¡¯ manor. However, there were some subtle differences. For one, Charlotte wasn¡¯t sitting opposite Roel but beside him. Out of reminiscence of the time they spent in the study, she chose to brew a cup of the usual royal red tea for him. ¡°Actually, you really don¡¯t have to personally brew the tea for me.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you do it for me many times before too?¡± ¡°Back then, there were only two of us in the library.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see any difference. You¡¯re the only one I have in my eyes, so to me, there are only two of us here.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes were locked on him intently as she spoke those tender words of endearment, leaving Roel trembling uncontrobly. He became flustered and started nudging sideward a little in an attempt to avoid her. There was nothing more frightening than having a beauty whisper sweet nothings to you. There was no one who could possibly withstand that. Feeling that his heart was nearly shot down, Roel quickly took a sip of the red tea to calm his overheating mind. With whatever remaining rationality he had left, he forcefully broke the amorous atmosphere. ¡°R-right, Charlotte! Since the request has beenpleted, it should be time to settle the debt between us, right?¡± Roel suddenly recalled the massive debt he was in, and the pink bubbles in his mind popped right away. Unexpectedly, a conflicted look surfaced on Charlotte¡¯s face, as if she was searching for an excuse to renege on thepensation. Her reaction immediately spurred an outburst of rage from the desperate Roel. ¡°Hey, you aren¡¯t thinking of reneging on mypensation, are you? It¡¯s one thing for you to shrug off the agreement we made back then, but you¡¯d really be going overboard if you covet the money I earned by putting my life on the line!¡± Since he had just taken on a high-interest loan from the System, by hook or by crook, he was determined to get some money out of Charlotte. This was the desperation of a man mired in debt! But all of a sudden, Charlotte burst outughing. She leaned over to Roel and whispered softly into his ears. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t decide that on my own anymore. It¡¯s only right for me to seek the permission of my fianc¨¦ on how we should deal with our shared property, don¡¯t you agree?¡± Chapter 182: You’ve Lost Your Husband

Chapter 182: You¡¯ve Lost Your Husband

I¡¯ve finally arrived. A majestic carriage pulled by a Frostwing Horse was swiftly approaching the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Seeing that her destination was finally in sight, Nora Xeclyde heaved a sigh of relief. It had been more than a week since she received Alicia¡¯s message at the eastern border, and ever since then, she spent almost all her time traveling on this carriage, hardly taking any breaks at all. Her efforts had paid off, and she managed to reach the Ascarts¡¯ manor in the shortest time possible. Looking at the familiar gateway, she couldn¡¯t help but recall the first time she entered the manor a few years ago. Who could have imagined that she would meet a strange boy here who fully understood and epted her entricities? Ever since then, they had spent much time together, braving numerous dangers and trials under each other¡¯s support. At this point, it could be said that they were necessary to each other¡¯s life. Alright, fine. I admit that Roel is still having troubleing to grips with my interests. But, as long as I continue enticing him, it¡¯s only a matter of time before he willingly goes along with me. Nora was confident because she had gone through experiences with Roel that no one else had. They had ovee crises that put their characters to the test, building up a deep level of trust that would have been impossible otherwise. They were independent individuals who weren¡¯t reliant on each other, but if either one were to meet with trouble, they could be assured that the other would rush over to their aid right away. This was what it meant to have two hearts linked together. Thus, Nora was confident that Charlotte, someone who had nothing more than a mere title linking her to Roel, wouldn¡¯t be able to do much even if she had overstayed her wee at the Ascarts¡¯ manor by half a month. Had she and Roel fought together in the face of despair before? Did they have a bond of trust that transcended life and death? Did they have a pure love that was devoid of any implications from their standing and reputation? Nora flung her hair aside as a haughty smile emerged on her lips. The answer was clear to her. The experience she shared with Roel was unique. How could Charlotte possibly match up to what they had? She¡¯s just a pitiful girl who¡¯s clutching onto her engagement contract desperately as her final wall of defense. Once the engagement contract is gone, she won¡¯t be a threat at all. With everything under control, Nora smiled confidently as she watched as her carriage approached the entrance of the Ascarts¡¯ manor. It was a familiar building in familiar surroundings. The Ascarts¡¯ servants were extremely diligent in their duties; even when there was still a hundred meters left before the arrival of Nora¡¯s carriage, they had already opened the doors wide to wee her. Nora already had a n in mind¡ªshe was going to do an inappropriately intimate gesture as soon as she got off the carriage and met Roel. Indeed, this was Nora¡¯s opening shot. She would suppress Charlotte and directly kickoff the fight. Since she couldn¡¯t stay for long, she needed to swiftly settle the problem and rush back to the eastern border. Only by ensuring that Charlotte was no longer a threat could she return to the battlefront with her mind at ease. This was a prime example of the saying, ¡®first the family, then the country¡¯. However, to Nora¡¯s surprise, things weren¡¯t proceeding ording to her script. Someone from the Ascarts¡¯ manor had indeed stepped out to wee her, but the person was none other than Anna, Roel¡¯s personal maid. Roel and Charlotte were nowhere to be seen. Hm? What¡¯s going on? It would still be understandable if Charlotte, as a guest of the Ascarts¡¯ manor herself, didn¡¯te out to wee her, but what about Roel then? Nora widened her sapphire eyes in bewilderment. Before she could wrap her head around this baffling situation, the carriage had already stopped at the entryway of the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Anna was already standing there, waiting for her. She was trying her best to maintain a professional smile, but the worry in her eyes was on the verge of seeping out. Not too long ago, under the directives of the incumbent patriarch, Carter Ascart, Anna had to cooperate with Alicia and Nora on their secret operation. While things backfired in the end, as Roel¡¯s personal maid, Anna couldn¡¯t help but feel greatly conscience-stricken about what she had done. Until Roel reached adulthood, which was 14 years old in this world, the patriarch of the Ascart House, Carter, would reserve the right to appoint a personal maid for him. In other words, Carter, instead of Roel, was Anna¡¯s direct superior, so she waspelled to obey his orders or risk being punished for insubordination. In the worst case scenario, she could end up being stripped of her position and forcefully parted from Roel¡¯s side. This put Anna in a difficult position. Even though Roel didn¡¯t say anything after the incident, her guilt continued to gnaw on her mind, leaving her feeling deeply worried. Does the young master hate me now? Whenever she thought about this, she would feel as upset as an older sister who was hated by her little brother. She hadn¡¯t been sleeping well recently. She wasn¡¯t aware that Roel actually bore no grudge against her, and that he was just too busy dealing with Charlotte and had no time for her. It was due to her guilt that she didn¡¯t raise any doubts when Roel headed out on the Sorofyas¡¯ Diamond Rivi¨¨re to go sightseeing with Charlotte three days ago. However, as time passed without their return, she soon realized that something was amiss. The Sorofyas would still send envoys to the Ascarts¡¯ manor every day to inform them of Roel and Charlotte¡¯s schedule, but their schedule kept getting dyed again and again. They were heading further and further away from Ascart City, soon to arrive at the Worun Mountain Range, which formed the border between the Ascart Fiefdom and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. It was one thing if Roel was a lovestruck fool who had decided to abandon all of his duties for the sake of fulfilling his love, but Anna knew he wasn¡¯t that type of person. Based on her observations, while Roel was indeed attracted to Charlotte, he didn¡¯t seem to harbor any deep feelings for her. Under the circumstances, it was impossible for her usually wary young master to depart for so long without bringing his guards or sending a message back. Anna harbored great doubts about this matter, but she wasn¡¯t certain whether she should make a move or not. For one, she had no way of directly contacting the Sorofyas. On top of that, Charlotte was officially Roel¡¯s fianc¨¦e, which made it hard for her to find a justification to follow-up on the situation. ¡°It has been a while, Anna. Where¡¯s Roel?¡± Nora posed the question as soon as she alighted from her carriage, causing Anna¡¯s smile to freeze up. She began to panic a little. Should I help hide it for the young master, or should I report it truthfully? After a moment of hesitation, Anna still felt that she should prioritize Roel¡¯s safety, so she reported the truth and her feelings of unease to Nora. As for Nora¡¯s reaction... she stood there stunned! She had already nned things out carefully, yet Roel and Charlotte turned out to be missing. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, they had already been gone for three days now! That¡¯s three whole days! Just what kind of dinner are they eating to be out for three whole days? Nora clenched her fists tightly as rage fumed in her chest. However, after calming down a little and thinking through it once more, she couldn¡¯t help but notice that there was something very incongruous about the situation. ¡°Wait a moment, did he bring Ascendwing with him?¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t. They were initially nning just to have dinner together, so he didn¡¯t bring anything with him. He hasn¡¯t returned to the manor since then.¡± ¡°!¡± Upon hearing that Roel didn¡¯t even bring Ascendwing with him, Nora widened her eyes in astonishment. The incongruity was growing even stronger. Ascendwing was a must-have to Roel whenever he was heading out. The first ability of the holy weapon, The Unruly, was his only movement spell, and he valued it greatly. As long as he was walking out the doors of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, regardless of whether he was heading to the rtively safer towns or the dangerous forests, he would ensure that he brought it along with him. ¡°This isn¡¯t right. Something must have happened. There¡¯s no way Roel would head out just like that...¡± Nora muttered solemnly under her breath. Another doubt quickly surfaced in her mind. Assuming that Roel hadn¡¯t left voluntarily, what could the Sorofyas be nning then? What could they possibly get out of targeting Roel? From a national perspective, Rosa and Saint Mesit were on friendly terms with one another, so this was unlikely to be an attempt to destabilize the Theocracy. From a house-level perspective, the Sorofyas and Ascarts were neighbors that bore goodwill toward each other. They were even nning to coborate on a major development project. From these two perspectives, it didn¡¯t make sense for the Sorofyas toy their hands on Roel at all. This left just one possibility¡ªpersonal reasons. ¡°Is she nning to kidnap Roel to Rosa?¡± Nora was momentarily stunned by this possibility before bursting intoughter. How could that be possible? It¡¯s Charlotte we¡¯re talking about here; she¡¯s the toughest nut of all to crack within the conservative Sorofya House. Roel barely has any ¡®offensive power¡¯ at all, so how could he possibly crack open her thick shell? Besides, Charlotte is well known for her sharpness in weighing the pros and cons of every single venture she embarks on. Without a doubt, kidnapping Roel carries great risks. She would have to be deeply in love with him to be willing to go that far. However, how could the two of them possibly build such a tight bond within such a short period of time? Noraughed at the sheer ludicrousness of the thought, only for a new horrifying possibility to suddenly spring up in her mind. Gradually, her smile began to fade. Wait a moment. If I recall correctly, the request Charlotte made of Roel was to investigate Charlotte¡¯s ancestors. This... Can it possibly be... This is really bad! Nora had some understanding of Roel¡¯s bloodline ability, and it was with this knowledge that she finally realized that there was a blind spot in her thoughts that she had inadvertently neglected all this while. Her face turned increasingly grim, and she immediately ryed her orders. ¡°In view of the suspicious actions conducted by the Sorofya House over thest few days, I, Nora Xeclyde, suspect that they are attempting to abduct and illegally detain the proxy fief lord of the Ascart House, Roel Ascart. In my capacity as Roel Ascart¡¯s protector, I hereby request aplete lockdown of the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s borders!¡± Having her most precious possession snatched away from her left Nora feeling deeply agitated, so she unhesitatingly resorted to extreme measures. Anna was shocked by her words, but in view of Roel¡¯s safety, she decided to heed Nora¡¯s orders and ry themands ordingly. Nora quickly gave a fewmands to settle the logistical issues regarding the border lockdown before double-checking on Roel¡¯s pathway. Then, she quickly leaped onto a Frostwing Horse and rushed off with a group of guards in hot pursuit. ... While the princess on a white horse was rushing to save her prince, a sleeping beauty act was urring over in the Diamond Rivi¨¨re. Charlotte stared at the sleeping ck-haired boy as her brilliant smile gradually faded. She grabbed his hands tightly as her expression gradually grew heavy. It had been three days since they had returned from the Witness State, but Roel¡¯s condition had hardly improved at all. He would only spend at most six hours awake per day, and he would frequently suffer chills in the night as well. On the other hand, Charlotte had been barely getting any sleep over the past three days. She had been staying by Roel¡¯s side, even during sleeptime, which led to her often being jolted awake by the sheer coldness of Roel¡¯s chilling aura. This was intended so that she could treat him as soon as his chills struck. Having yet to get a single night of good rest over the past three days, Charlotte was exhausted. But at the same time, she felt deeply satisfied too. As long as she could remain by her lover¡¯s side, no matter how tough things became, she was confident that she would be able to hold on. In fact, just taking care of Roel gave her a feeling of fulfillment. However, times of happiness are always fleeting. While Charlotte was gazing upon the sleeping Roel, Grace was already slowly approaching her from behind. ¡°Young miss, we just received news from the border. It looks like we have been found out.¡± ¡°Is that so? I knew things wouldn¡¯t be so easy.¡± Charlotte gave a deep sigh as she gazed out the window. ¡°I won¡¯t let go. Definitely not.¡± Chapter 183: Feeder Is a Popular Occupation

Chapter 183: Feeder Is a Popr upation

? Previous Chapter Table of Contents Next Chapter ? Roel Ascart felt that he had been sleeping a little too much recently. A few days had passed since he regained consciousness, but the side effects guing his body continued to affect his condition, most notably his constant exhaustion and lingering debility. He felt no different than the stereotypical beautiful frail heroine. Fortunately, this wasn¡¯t a big deal since there was always a hero around to protect a heroine¡ªCharlotte. Who would dare to bully someone favored by the First Miss of the Sorofya House? Roel gently pressed his fingers against his lips as he reminisced about the vague pleasurable sensation he had just experienced earlier when his mind was fuzzy once more. It seems that Charlotte has taken my temperature again. Haa, it really has been hard on her thesest few days. To be honest, Roel was rather moved by Charlotte¡¯s selflessness in taking care of him, especially since he could tell that she was helping him solely out of goodwill. This was an investment with no rewards, yet she persisted despite the difficulties. With a deep sigh, he turned his attention toward his current financial circumstances. Earlier in the morning, Roel had requestedpensation from Charlotte, only to be told that her assets were now shared property. He took those words to mean ¡®If you want to get your money, you¡¯ll have to acknowledge that we¡¯re an engaged couple!¡¯. It was a terrifying threat, but Roel was not one to back down in the face of trouble. You think that little ploys like this can cause my determination to obtain my money to waver? You¡¯re too naive! His personal finances were just too awful for him to back down. In order to purchase cial Touch, he had to take a freaking high-interest loan that charged 10% per month! Paying 30,000 gold coins every month just to offset the interest? That¡¯s insane! Other than the Sorofyas, who were practically swimming in money, was there anyone else that could possibly afford something like that? Also, at the root of the matter, cial Touch had not only benefited Roel but Charlotte as well. It was because the situation they were in was so dire that he waspelled to absorb the mana around the egg¡ªthis solved a problem and simultaneously obtain another powerful trump card for the two of them. Otherwise, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t be willing to touch somethinging from the Six Cmities. Transcendent abilities and the price required to invoke them¡ªthis was a central issue that all transcendents had to weigh carefully. Most would be too fervent in their pursuit of power, causing them to neglect the price that must be paid, but the Ascart House, with its wisdom passed down from generation to generation, knew better. The Ascart House had always valued stability over profits, and Roel was a deep believer in this philosophy. He would rather abandon potential gains than expose himself and those around him to danger. This was one of the rare asions that Roel decided to opt for the riskier route, and his decision proved to be right in the end. It was only with cial Touch that he managed to defeat Puppetmaster Dous and save Charlotte¡¯s life. Considering Charlotte¡¯s worth, 300,000 gold coins for her life was a pretty good deal. In Rosa, that amount of money wouldn¡¯t even be enough to purchase a few strands of her hair! Roel was willing to put aside his pride in order to repay his debt, but unexpectedly, Charlotte wasn¡¯t put off by his aggression in this matter; if anything, she was delighted at it. She promised right away to hand her finances over to Roel so that he could do as he deemed fit. Needless to say, Roel didn¡¯t take her seriously. As the sessor of the Sorofya House, the amount of properties under her name would be unimaginable. How could she possibly entrust her entire assets to him? But of course, since Charlotte was willing to pay up, there was no need to find faults with her wording anymore. So, he decided not to pursue the matter any further. ¡°Darling, you¡¯re awake?¡± Charlotte had rushed over to the bedroom upon hearing some noises. Under her support, Roel moved from the soft bed over to a wheelchair. Indeed, this was how bad Roel¡¯s condition was. The withering of his life force and the high degree of undead reanimation had caused his body to be incredibly brittle. Even walking was tough on him, and a moment of carelessness could easily result in fractures. Left with no choice, he could only resort to using a wheelchair. Charlotte pushed Roel over to a conservatory within the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, where they were going to have teatime together. There were all sorts of potted nts ced aesthetically around the room. The ceiling had a function to make it transparent, allowing natural sunlight to shine in. The fresh air within the room relieved Roel¡¯s stress a little. Under the sunlight, Charlotte¡¯s features were entuated, making her look more charming than ever. As usual, she took her ce beside Roel and began feeding him bite-sized dessert pieces. ¡°Have we not arrived at our destination yet? I¡¯ve been sleeping too much, so I¡¯ve lost track of time, but I think we¡¯ve been traveling for around three or four days now, no?¡± ¡°It takes patience in order to look at the beautiful sights of the world. Here, ah~¡± ¡°...¡± Roel stared at the fork before him speechlessly. He had always been the feeder, since Alicia was still afraid of cutlery back then, but honestly, it did feel rather weird to be the one being fed instead. A few days ago, Roel was even weaker than he was at the moment. He could barely summon any strength in his arms at all. Even holding up a soup spoon stably was impossible for him, putting him in an awkward position. Charlotte didn¡¯t make any remarks or criticize him for the ufortable situation he was in. Instead, she quietly moved the bowl over to her side, and under Roel¡¯s astonished gaze, she scooped up a spoonful of soup and brought it over to his mouth. The consideration and gentleness she had disyed then were imprinted into Roel¡¯s mind. With the atmosphere prompting him along, he leaned forward to glomp onto the soup spoon. At the very next instant, a brilliant smile reminiscent of a blossoming flower appeared on her face, leaving his heart thumping faster. But well, that was the situation a few days ago Roel was doing better now. At the very least, he should be able to hold a fork stably. So, he tried wrestling back control over the situation. ¡°Regarding that... I think I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Charlotte¡¯s refusal was so natural that it left Roel stunned for a moment. He blinked his eyes nkly for quite a while before he finally realized that his demand for independence had just been denied. ??? What¡¯s going on? Are you getting addicted to this feeding job too? Roel was perplexed by Charlotte¡¯s persistence. Feeling that he couldn¡¯t let the situation continue heading in this direction, he tried to argue his case. ¡°You¡¯re still the sessor of the Sorofya House. In terms of standing, you¡¯reparable to the princes and princesses of other countries. You really should take note of your identity. It¡¯d be more apt for you to leave such menial chores to the servants...¡± ¡°Darling, what are you talking about?¡± Charlotte tilted her head in confusion as she interjected into Roel¡¯s words. Her auburn hair swayed lightly along with her movement, looking like flickering mes under the bright rays of the sun. ¡°I don¡¯t think caring for my own fianc¨¦ is anything embarrassing. If anything, I take pride in it.¡± ¡°This... You...¡± ¡°Darling, ah~¡± ¡°...¡± Under Charlotte¡¯s unyielding eyes, Roel could only sigh helplessly before opening his mouth wide. Hispliance brought a smile back to Charlotte¡¯s face. ¡°I instructed the chefs not to make the desserts too sweet. How do you find them? Delicious?¡± ¡°Mm, it¡¯s good. I really like it.¡± Gourmet Roel spoke his words of approval as his eyes twinkled with bliss. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t show such a side to Charlotte, but his body was honest to the delights of good food. Sweet. This is the taste of bliss~ Meanwhile, Grace walked forward, leaned over to Charlotte, and whispered some words into her ears. Charlotte¡¯s pupils dted slightly, but it didn¡¯t take her long to regain herposure. She turned to look at Roel, who was enjoying the desserts before him, and she abruptly dropped a question. ¡°Darling, do you like snow?¡± Chapter 184: Mine Now!

Chapter 184: Mine Now!

What natural wonders did the Ascart Fiefdom contain? Despite being the proxy fief lord for several years now, Roel still couldn¡¯t give a confident answer to that. Transportation had never been very developed on the Sia Continent, and the Ascart Fiefdom was fairly big. Even the fastest steed pulling the best carriage avable would take ten days to travel between the north and south borders, and that was after taking into consideration the new roads that Roel had constructed. Prior to the infrastructure upgrade, the innumerable detours one would have to take could easily extend the journey to over a month. Since travel was so circumscribed, most fief lords would choose to remain in the financial and political hub of their domain in order to maximize the efficiency in rying their orders. As for those fief lords who chose to tour their country in the name of work... well, that was just in extravagance and, possibly, an excuse to ck off too. As a result, despite being the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s proxy fief lord, Roel never got to enjoy the beautiful views and local snacks of his territory. Just the immense pile of administrative work he had to wade through every single day regarding various development projects was more than enough to keep his hands full. He told himself that he would make sure to travel around the Ascart Fiefdom once everything settled down, and that was what had been driving him all along. He hoped that when he finally started touring the fief, instead of a suffering popce, he would see healthy and driven civilians working with dreams of a brighter future. Unexpectedly, Charlotte¡¯s ¡®outdoor recuperation trip¡¯ had allowed him to catch a glimpse of the fruits of his efforts in advance. ¡°Oh? Is this the specialty of the southern viges, almond wine? Just as I¡¯ve heard, it has quite a peculiar smell.¡± Roel took a sip of the wine inside his cup, and his brows immediately shot up. The auburn-haired girl beside him also took a sniff of the wine¡¯s aroma, only to be surprised by the strong almond scent. ¡°It does have a unique smell to it. What¡¯s in it?¡± ¡°If I recall correctly, it¡¯s a special local almond variation named Pam. It means ¡®cannot be bitten through¡¯ in the local dialect.¡± ¡°Cannot be bitten through?¡± ¡°Yes. The fruit has a hard, elongated exterior, and it¡¯s often used by the monkeys as a weapon. I heard that the monkeys in the region are quite remarkable fighters.¡± ¡°Pft. What is with that?¡± Roel¡¯s introduction made Charlotte burst outughing. She took a sip of wine before her eyes widened. ¡°Sweet!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? I knew that you would like it.¡± Leaning back in his wheelchair, Roel observed the sweet-toothed girl before him and smiled helplessly. Charlotte, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t resist taking yet another sip of the wine. ¡°It¡¯s really sweet. Why is that so?¡± The almond has a hard exterior but also a high sugar content¡ªvery high, in fact. If not for its hard exterior, it would have been devoured by the wildlife by now. Also, the wine you¡¯re drinking right now is actually the improved version.¡± ¡°The improved version?¡± ¡°Yes. The Pam almond has an unpleasant aftertaste to it. In order to conceal it, grapes are added during the fermentation process, which further enhances the sweetness.¡± Roel swirled the light yellow alcohol in his hands as he exined. Charlotte took another sip of the wine, and the rich mellow sweetness rolled over her tongue on its way down, making her eyes curl into smiling crescents. ¡°Speaking of which, why are you so familiar with all of this?¡± ¡°I have to be familiar. It¡¯s one of the key businesses that our ¡®Supporting the Poor¡¯ policy is nning to push out. I looked through the proposal thoroughly before putting my stamp of approval on it.¡± ¡°Were you the one who came up with the ¡®Supporting the Poor¡¯ policy?¡± ¡°Err, not really, I¡¯d say. I found it from a historical record of an ancient country five thousand years back.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s really quite an interesting policy.¡± Charlotte thought about the humongous library of records in the Ascarts¡¯ manor and nodded. She contemted silently for a while before posing a question. ¡°I¡¯m quite curious about how the ¡®Supporting the Poor¡¯ policy functions. Do you just donate money to the poor?¡± ¡°Donate money to the poor? That¡¯s a usible solution, but the results of directly donating to the poor are oftenckluster.¡± ¡®Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.¡¯ This was amon quote in Roel¡¯s previous life, and he agreed deeply with it. ¡°The Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s ¡®Supporting the Poor¡¯ policy focuses mainly on uncovering the local specialties of each region and achieving a greater level of information symmetry.¡± ¡°Information symmetry?¡± Charlotte blinked her eyes in confusion as Roel maneuvered the wheelchair around to face her. He nced at the vige, which was a little excited by the majestic arrival of Charlotte¡¯s group, and began exining. ¡°How many of these people here do you think have seen the wider world out there?¡± ¡°Hm? I guess... not many of them. Hardly anyone who ventures out of their viges would returnter.¡± ¡°Indeed! Most who leave never return. As a result, for most viges, the only one who has a bit more worldly insight tends to be the vige chief, but even so, that¡¯s just based on their experiences visiting a few nearby towns and cities. As a result, whenever merchants visit their vige, the things that they bring out are not the almond wine you¡¯re drinking right now but things like the animal hides you can see all over the market. ¡°They don¡¯t know the outside world, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re unaware that the wine they brew out of Pam almonds is an exclusive good that can¡¯t be obtained anywhere else. They don¡¯t know what theirpetitive edge in the market is. ¡°So, the main function of the ¡®Supporting the Poor¡¯ policy basically involves sending experts over to analyze and determine their market advantages before adapting the products to further their strengths and meet market needs.¡± Roel lowered his gaze to look at the wooden cup in his hand as he thought about all of those marketing tricks he had read about in his previous life. ¡°We¡¯ve already begun building factories to mass produce the Pam wine. Our Ascart House will be giving a stamp of guarantee on the product, and we¡¯ll first be focusing on the local market. Once it scales up, we¡¯ll move on to push it out to the Theocracy¡¯s nobles. ¡°I see. If you offer it as a gift to other nobles in the name of the Ascart House, you¡¯ll be able to market it as a high-quality product and build general interest in it.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the idea. We¡¯ll start from our own fiefdom before expanding to the capital... By then, I¡¯ll engage Nora¡¯s help. With the Theocracy¡¯s princess advocating the wine too, we might even be able to open the market in other countries... Wuuuuu! Charlotte?¡± Roel was still sharing his ideas when a hand suddenly shot forth to tug at his cheeks. He turned over in bewilderment, only to see Charlotte looking back at him with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°Mister Roel, if I¡¯m not mistaken, I¡¯m the first one to taste this Pam wine with you. Why should you allow another woman to promote a wine we¡¯ve shared memories of?¡± ¡°Ah? T-this...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll concede that the Theocracy¡¯s princess does have quite a bit of clout within the Theocracy, but when ites tomerce, shouldn¡¯t the natural go-to choice be our Sorofyas? Besides, this wine suits the taste of Rosaians too. If I¡¯m not mistaken, most people in the Theocracy prefer salty, savory vors, no?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right on that.¡± Roel nodded in agreement. The Sorofya Merchant Association had connections all over the Sia Continent, no one could rival its marketing power. On top of that, perhaps it was due to the bitterness of war they had suffered over the years, their people were extremely fond of sweet vors. ¡°Leave the promotion of the wine to me. We¡¯ll push it out along with our uing summer products. A decadently sweet wine specially brewed for noblewomen as a secret treat. Doesn¡¯t sound too bad, I¡¯d say. I¡¯ve alreadye up with an advertising slogan for it too.¡± Charlotte looked at her ck-hairedpanion as she reminisced about the fragrant sweetness she had just tasted. ¡°Let¡¯s call it the vor of Romance.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel gulped down his saliva upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t even dare to breathe loudly. He was not so dense as to be unable to discern what Charlotte was driving at. ¡°Ah, I¡¯ve finished my cup.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fast. It looks like you¡¯re really fond of the wine. Why don¡¯t we continue drinking back on the carriage instead?¡± ¡°Nay. The winter scenery adds to the mood too, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°But Grace and the others aren¡¯t around... Ah? W-wait a moment, that¡¯s mine. I¡¯ve already drunk from the cup.¡± Roel hurriedly tried to stop Charlotte from snatching away his cup with widened eyes, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind sharing an indirect kiss. She nced at the rim of the cup before sipping lightly off it. ¡°It¡¯s mine now.¡± Eyes fixated on the ck-haired boy beside her, she said this with a smile. ... An army of knights and guards were galloping swiftly along a snowy main road within the Ascart Fiefdom. At the forefront of the formation was a girl wearing a graceful skirt despite the chilly weather. Nora Xeclyde was currently holding onto her harness tightly, staring at the mountainous path up ahead while worries gued her heart. It had been three days since she rushed out of Ascart City in a hurry. Within these three days, she barely rested at all. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to rest. Every clue she received all hinted at the Sorofyas bearing sinister intentions toward Roel. For one, Charlotte¡¯s Diamond Rivi¨¨re had not stopped at any of the viges or cities at all. For a group that was supposed to be touring around the Ascart Fiefdom to enjoy the beautiful scenery, this was clearly unnatural behavior. On top of that, even if the rich Diamond Rivi¨¨re didn¡¯t need to stock up on their supplies, in terms of safety, it was still much safer to stay in viges or cities instead of in the wilderness. What really sealed the deal, though, was the direction and speed at which the Diamond Rivi¨¨re was traveling. After a relentless three-day pursuit, Nora could almost see the borders of the two countries now. It was understandable that Charlotte might have wanted to look at the scenery by the border, but the speed at which she was traveling clearly hinted at a desperate escape! Having her suspicions affirmed, Nora narrowed her eyes coldly. She could already roughly guess Charlotte¡¯s intention. She¡¯s really intending to kidnap Roel to Rosa! Without a doubt, Nora¡¯s original assessment of Charlotte was off. It was not wrong for her to say that the women of the Sorofya House tended to be more conservative, but once they fell in love with someone, the tenacity they disyed would be beyond imagination. Most likely, that was the current situation with Charlotte. That Loyal Origin Attribute really is a huge bunch of trouble! Nora gritted her teeth tightly in frustration. It was then that she heard a report from the soldiers. ¡°Ahead of us! It¡¯s the convoy of the Sorofya House!¡± The knights were overjoyed to have finally found their target. Nora straightened her posture in the saddle and saw over a dozen carriages bearing the Sorofyas¡¯ golden rose insignia rushing ahead of them. I¡¯ve finally found them! It was a huge relief to Nora having caught up with Charlotte¡¯s convoy before they managed to sessfully escape through the border. The knights immediately picked up their pace to surround the convoy. With an official search warranting directly from Nora, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re was forced to graduallye to a halt. Nora immediately got off her carriage and rushed toward the carriages. ¡°Roel! Where¡¯s Roel?¡± she asked anxiously. However, the one who got off the Diamond Rivi¨¨re to greet her was neither the ck-haired boy she was looking for nor the auburn-haired girl she was trying to hunt down. Rather, it was a ck-haired maid. ¡°A good day to you, respected princess of the Theocracy. I had the honor of meeting you once back at the Ascarts¡¯ manor.¡± Facing the princess who had once fooled her, Grace lifted her skirt slightly and curtsied politely. There was a radiant smile on her face. ¡°Are you looking for young master Roel? My apologies, but he has already gotten off the carriage. He¡¯s... busy with our young miss at the moment.¡± Chapter 185: May Their Hunt Go Well

Chapter 185: May Their Hunt Go Well

In front of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, Nora looked at the attendants of the Sorofyas, who were currently standing in line in ordance with her request, as she waited nervously for the knights to finish their investigation. Nora had tried interrogating Grace several times ever since she stopped the convoy, but judging from how thetter was able to calmly deal with her questions without revealing any significant information, it would appear that Charlotte had already predicted her move. As someone who had been entrusted with managing several of the Sorofyas¡¯ core businesses at an extremely young age, Charlotte Sorofya was as intelligent as she was talented. This incident was a good example of her sharp foresight. For this incident, Charlotte might have appeared to be in a difficult position, but she had the advantage as the escapee. Nora and the Ascart House had no choice but to pursue whatever tracks she had left behind, especially since they were already three days behind Charlotte right from the start. There was very little leeway for Nora to maneuver. It was not that Nora hadn¡¯t considered the possibility that the Diamond Rivi¨¨re was bait, but there was simply nothing she could do about it. There wasn¡¯t enough time for her to conduct a thorough sweep of the Ascart Fiefdom. Had she attempted it, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re could simply charge all the way to the border, and she wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch up at all. ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve searched through the convoy. Lord Roel isn¡¯t inside.¡± ¡°...¡± Just as Nora expected, neither Roel nor Charlotte was with the Diamond Rivi¨¨re anymore. She was silent for a long while before she finally passed down a difficult order. ¡°Ry my orders to every reserve and militia army in the municipalities of the Ascart Fiefdom. They are to investigate every single outsider who has entered their municipality within thest three days, and all suspicious figures are to be detained right away. Aside from that, all of you are to start collecting clues from the civilians in the region. Anyone who has reliable intelligence will be handsomely rewarded for the tip!¡± After giving her orders, Nora turned to one of the guards of the Ascart House and asked grimly. ¡°How many viges and towns are within a day¡¯s journey from here?¡± ¡°Err... There should be three viges in total, Your Highness.¡± ¡°Very well. We¡¯ll be splitting into four groups. Three of the groups will be heading toward the three nearby viges to search the areas. If you find anything, send someone to inform me right away. As for thest group, you¡¯ll be detaining the servants of the Sorofyas. Until this matter is over, no one is allowed to leave!¡± The knights and guards quickly began moving. The two guard captains quickly led their men toward the two furthest, most remote viges, meanwhile Nora headed to the closest one where Charlotte and Roel were much likelier to have passed through. ording to the guards, it was a town that was not too developed but had a uniquely vored wine. Nora and her group rushed ahead, and it didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at the vicinity of the vige. When she gazed down at the vige from a high slope, her eyes immediately narrowed. She meticulously noticed something peculiar about the vige. The snowy road leading into the vige was cleanly swept, creating a pathway wide enough for two carriages to travel side-by-side. Typically speaking, a small vige like this shouldn¡¯t see much activity in the middle of winter. Even if someone had to leave the vige, they would usually leave on foot since the piled up snow would hinder the movement of a horse, and they would have to provide feed for the horse too. Winter was a time to scrimp on rations. Other than nightly interest activities, most people would choose not to do much during wintertime. This was especially so for small viges without muchmercial activity. Yet, a vige like this actually took the effort to sweep its main road so cleanly, clearing a pathway wide enough for two carriages to pass through. Something is clearly wrong with this scene! Nora¡¯s heartbeat elerated. She never thought that a desperate struggle from her would actually bear fruit. She decisively led her men in a charge toward the vige, only to see an old woman limping her way out of her house with some firewood. Upon seeing a viger, Nora leaped off her horse and glided down on her wings of light. It brought her lithe body right before the old woman. Aghast, firewood went tumbling from trembling hands to scatter over the ground. ¡°Please calm down, I¡¯m a soldier from the Ascart Fiefdom. There are a few questions I need to ask you.¡± Looking at the frightened old woman, Nora could only hurriedly exin her circumstances. Most of the old folks in these viges had never ventured out into the world, so they didn¡¯t know of the angels or the Xeclydes. Thus, she chose to identify herself as part of the military of the Ascart Fiefdom instead. The old woman was still a little flustered despite Nora¡¯s attempts to calm her down, but she seemed to have realized that she was standing before a prominent figure and tried her best to cooperate. Nevertheless, she still continued to stutter, and she dared not raise her head at all. Nora also felt helpless about this, but with more urgent matters at hand, she could only soldier on. ¡°Have there been any outsiders in this vige in the past two days? Can you tell me what they look like and where they are?¡± Nora¡¯s gentle words had the old woman stunned for a moment before she began nodding her head frantically. ¡°Y-yes, outsiders! T-there was a rich noblewoman, a huge carriage. Yes yes, and a lot of people too!¡± The elderly woman used her hands to describe the majestic size of the carriage, seemingly having a big impression of it. Nora was delighted to hear those words, and she quickly proceeded on to ask about the specifics. ¡°You mentioned that the leader of the group was a girl with auburn hair, and there was a ck-haired boy amongst them too?¡± ¡°Y-yes, that boy sat on a wheelchair. I-I think his legs are bad. Right! They also bought wine too, lots of it!¡± Hearing that Roel was injured, Nora¡¯s body shook lightly as fury surged in her heart uncontrobly. She clenched her fists tight as she tried her best to ask calmly. ¡°I understand. Where were they headed?¡± ¡°T-that way! They headed east to see some s-snowscape. I said there are a lot of wolves there, and the west mountain is better, but they didn¡¯t listen to me...¡± The old woman nattered on and on, as if trying to shirk off responsibility. Clearly, she thought that Nora was also part of the same group as Charlotte and Roel, and she was afraid that Nora would hold her responsible for any mishap that urred to the other two. Nora didn¡¯t try to exin the situation to her. Instead, she quickly got on top of her horse, which had arrived by then, and departed heading eastward. To their delight, they swiftly caught the trail of arge group of people. By the entrance of the vige, the white-haired old woman watched quietly as Nora and her group of knights rushed eastward. A long timeter, she shook her head and returned to her house. The moment she closed the door behind her, her body began to shine brightly. Her white hair was swiftly colored auburn, and her hunched silhouette transformed into the body of a slender girl. Having reverted back to her original form, Charlotte calmly opened the entrance to the underground storage room and waited. Soon, under the support of a few attendants, Roel walked out from within. ¡°Charlotte, you really should head down to take a look. There are many fine aged wines down there, and quite a few of them are top-quality products.¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll take a lookter.¡± Charlotte tucked her hair behind her ear as she replied with a smile. She seemed to be in a good mood. Roel blinked his eyes in intrigue as he turned to look out of the window. He noticed that a group of people was rushing up a mountainous path eastward. ¡°Hm? Why are those people taking that sort of path in the middle of winter?¡± ¡°They are hunters.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Roel nodded his head before murmuring a prayer for them with a soft smile. ¡°It sure is tough on them. May their hunts go well.¡± Chapter 186: Would You Forgive Me?

Chapter 186: Would You Forgive Me?

The mountain roads of the Ascart Fiefdom sure aren¡¯t easy to travel on. This was the thought in Roel¡¯s mind as he sat in a shaking carriage, looking out at the setting sun. It had been two hours since they had left the vige that produces Pam wine. There were two roads leading from the vige into the Worun Mountain Range, one from the east and one from the west. The eastern road was much rockier, whereas the western road was smoother. Needless to say, they chose the smoother western route. Traveling after sundown defied themon sense of this world, but Charlotte¡¯s supposed goal was to show Roel the starry night sky at the top of the mountain, so the matter didn¡¯t appear too odd to him. Nevertheless, there was still one thing that roused Roel¡¯s suspicions. ¡°Is there really a need for us to be in such a hurry? Didn¡¯t you hire the vigers to hunt some animals on the eastern road? It¡¯s a waste to leave right now after spending the money.¡± ¡°I was nning to have a bonfire party, but it turns out that there isn¡¯t much firewood in the vige during winter. I had to cancel those ns.¡± ¡°True, true.¡± Roel nced at Charlotte with a hint of surprise in his eyes. He didn¡¯t expect someone who grew up in luxury like her to understand the difficulties of themoners and consider this aspect. ¡°I thought that you¡¯d be pretty spoiled given the environment you¡¯ve lived in, but it looks like I had the wrong impression of you.¡± ¡°I was quite spoiled when I was younger, but ever since my father obtained a strange oilmp, everything changed.¡± Charlotte thought about everything that had happened a few years back with a bitter smile. Roel took a sip of tea as he blinked his eyes in a moment of quiet contemtion. For some reason, her words brought him an odd feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°Oilmp?¡± ¡°Yes. I think it happened around three years back. It was quite a mysterious oilmp called the Soulcalming Lamp.¡± ¡°Pu! Cough cough cough!¡± The moment Charlotte said the words ¡®Soulcalming Lamp¡¯, Roel suddenly began coughing violently. Noticing this, Charlotte quickly patted Roel¡¯s back to soothe his difort. ¡°Darling, are you alright?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. Hahaha. Do continue your story. What happened to themp afterward?¡± ¡°The Soulcalming Lamp is a consumable treasure my father bought from someone else. I¡¯m not sure who that person is, but it seems like that person sold it quite cheaply, possibly as an expression of goodwill toward us. However, upon obtaining themp, my father suddenly became much stricter with me...¡± It was as if Charlotte had finally found an outlet to vent all of the bitterness she had suffered in her childhood. She spoke of all of the grievances she had umted in her heart throughout the years, be it her difficult journey into the Land of Chaos, Tunsen, or attempting to explore the Twohorn Port. These trials had been incredibly tough on her, but she had no choice but to grit her teeth and persevere. Listening to all of the difficulties she faced over the years, Roel lowered his head in guilt. He was incredibly familiar with thatmp¡ªin fact, it had likelye right out of his hands. It should be the one he had sold to the Sorofyas back when he was in dire need of money. He never expected the person purchasing the Soulcalming Lamp would be Charlotte¡¯s father, Bruce Sorofya, and not even in his wildest imagination could he have fathomed that it would profoundly affect how Bruce chose to raise his daughter. In a sense, it could be said that he had changed the trajectory of Charlotte¡¯s life, and it frightened him to realize how a thoughtless action of his could stir such huge changes. Looks like I mustn¡¯t purchase the items in the System carelessly. Just a mere Soulcalming Lamp had put Charlotte through several years of difficulties... What if something I brought out ended up ruining someone else¡¯s life? Charlotte saw the fear in Roel¡¯s eyes and mistook it for worry. She revealed a sweet smile before changing the topic. ¡°This part of the mountain road is quite rugged, so it can get quite bumpy. How is your body doing?¡± ¡°Hm? I¡¯m fine. My condition hasn¡¯t improved at all, but this bit of shakiness is still bearable,¡± replied Roel. Typically speaking, the carriages of the Sorofyas had been both technologically and magically engineered to absorb the greatest degree of shock, maximizing thefort of the passengers to the point that it didn¡¯t feel like one was in a carriage at all. The shakiness they were experiencing at the moment showed just how horrible the path was, though the fact that they had switched to a smaller carriage yed a huge part in that too. The Diamond Rivi¨¨re was far too big to navigate the narrow mountain roads that would bring them up to the top of the mountain, so they could only switch to a smaller carriage. Based on Roel¡¯s examination, it should have been a one-person carriage. The two of them were still able to sit side by side due to their rtively smaller sizes, but it was so snug that it left hardly any room for them to move around in. As for why they were sitting side by side instead of opposite one another, that was under Charlotte¡¯s insistence. She was oddly obstinate about this, and Roel was hardly in any condition to do something about it either. Suddenly, there was a major bump which caused Roel¡¯s limp body to tilt sideward. Charlotte¡¯s eyes lit up in anticipation. She calmly opened up her hands and allowed Roel to fall right into her embrace. ¡°Hm? Darling?¡± ¡°Ah, m-my apologies.¡± The sudden tender sensation on his body had Roel¡¯s nerves tingling, and he quickly attempted to rise back up. Unexpectedly, Charlotte suddenly wrapped her arms around him, holding him in ce. ¡°Since you aren¡¯t able to sit stably on your own, it would be better for you to lean on me instead.¡± ¡°You... Haa, forget it.¡± Looking at the mischievous smile on this young beauty, Roel heaved a helpless sigh. After all of his attempts at resistance had been rendered futile over thest few days, he had pretty much given up on fighting back. The more he resisted, the stronger Charlotte woulde at him. Since that was the case, he might as well just stay put. Roely there in resignation like a dead man while Charlotte happily poked at his cheeks, seemingly finding joy in it. The carriage continued to make its way up the mountainside, and soon, they arrived at the top. ¡°Young miss, how is this ce?¡± ¡°Not too bad. Let¡¯s stop here.¡± Charlotte took a brief look outside before giving a nod of approval. The attendants immediately began setting up temperature regtion and anti-wind magic tools around the vicinity, preparing it for a romantic nighttime rendezvous under the stars. While waiting, Charlotte observed the cluster of mountains still ahead of them, she quietly estimated the amount of time they had. If it¡¯s just tonight, we should have enough time. She stroked Roel¡¯s ck hair subconsciously as she ran through her ns once more. Once the preparations were ready, the attendants rushed over to open the carriage doors and invite them out. The two then slowly made their way toward the table and chairs ced neatly on the mountain peak. The sun had already set by now, so the mountain roads and forests had all plunged into darkness. There was no light pollution or anything of that sort in this world. Whaty before Roel¡¯s eyes was the natural night scenery of the Worun Mountain Range. This was Roel¡¯s first time being in the middle of the wilderness like this. Back in his previous life, he did tour around his home country, which was filled with mountains and rivers, but all he really remembered was just the huge, stifling crowd that was constantly with him no matter where he went. Even after he arrived in this world, he mostly spent his time in the rtively prosperous Ascart City. It was only during his carriage rides to Holy Capital Loren that he asionally camped outside. Thest time he really saw the night scenery was when he was viewing the Nightglow Butterflies in the Leumann Forest with Charlotte. That being said, there was still quite a big crowd around them then, and the star of the show then wasn¡¯t the scenery either. The usual strong winds at the peak of the mountain had been dampened by the magic tools Charlotte¡¯s attendants had set up, so by the time they reached Roel, they were no more than a cooling breeze. Roel first nced at the specks of lighting from the vige below before looking at the sky above. ¡°Waaaa! Are there supposed to be that many stars in the sky?¡± Roel widened his eyes in amazement when he saw the brilliant clusters of stars that filled up the entire nightscape above. It was not that he couldn¡¯t see the stars back at Ascart City, but viewing the night sky at the top of a remote mountain was a different experience in itself. At this high altitude, the stars felt much closer, and their faint twinkle seemed slightly brighter than usual too. The vastness of the cosmos spread out before him, along with the light breeze, left Roel feeling liberated from his very core, as if something that had been stifling him all along had finally been released. It was no wonder why people tended to look for environs with a superior natural beauty to go into retreat while recuperating. It was indeed useful. With his body and soul falling into a rxed state, a smile naturally appeared on Roel¡¯s face. Traveling here took a great deal of trouble, but he felt that it was all worth it for this majestic view. ¡°It really feels good sitting beneath this beautiful starry sky.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it? I knew you would like it, darling.¡± ¡°The wonders of nature are incredible. Even without the Nightglow Butterflies, the night sky is already magnificent as it is,¡± remarked Roel. The knowledge that this wondrousnd was under the rule of the Ascart House brought him pride. It was just a pity that this beautiful scenery was unlikely to ever be developed into a tourist location in this era. Natural scenes like this simply weren¡¯t considered a spectacle to the denizens of Sia. People craved to see the rare and inessible. In this world where humans had yet to fully encroach on nature, scenes of the great outdoors were easily avable and weren¡¯t something to marvel about. On the contrary, it was man made attractions that tended to draw people in more. It was interesting how it was the direct opposite of how things were in Roel¡¯s previous world. The thought of this made Roel shake his head in pity. Then, he turned to the auburn-haired girl behind him with a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you, Charlotte, I¡¯m feeling much better now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. If you want, we can drop by here often in the future.¡± ¡°Drop by here often... I¡¯m afraid that would be difficult. After being out for so many days, I¡¯m sure that I have a great deal of work awaiting me once I return.¡± Roel looked at the sky with a bitter smile. It had been five days since he left Ascart City. Since he didn¡¯t bring any of his guards with him, Anna and the rest of the estate were likely to be incredibly worried about him. Most likely, they would send someone over very soon. On top of that, his beloved sister, Alicia, was about to return as well. To be honest, the half a month without Alicia was quite ufortable for Roel. They had been practically glued to one another for thest few years, and this was the first time they were separated for so long. While Roel was thinking about the uing schedules and work he would have to settle once he returned, Charlotte was making her preparations too. She gazed at the distant stars for a moment before suddenly posing a question to her lover. ¡°Darling, would you forgive me if I were to do something wrong?¡± ¡°Do something wrong? What did you do wrong?¡± ¡°...¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s question, Charlotte fellpletely silent, not saying a word at all. Seeing this, Roel pondered for a moment before slowly giving his response. ¡°Since it¡¯s you, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely for you to make any grave errors. However, even if you were to err, as long as you¡¯re willing to earnestly repent, I think that I¡¯d be able to forgive you.¡± ¡°... Definitely. I¡¯ll definitely make it up to you, darling.¡± Charlotte grabbed onto Roel¡¯s hand tightly as she replied with a grave tone that sounded almost like a vow. Right after that, Roel suddenly felt his head falling as a sudden rush of fatigue devoured his consciousness. ¡°Ah? Wait a moment, this mana...¡± Roel immediately realized that he had fallen under the effects of a spell, but before he could even finish his words, he had already fallen into a deep slumber. Charlotte quickly stepped forward to catch his body before muttering gently under her breath. ¡°Goodnight, darling.¡± Chapter 187: Oh… Then There’s No Problem!

Chapter 187: Oh... Then There¡¯s No Problem!

The Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s capital, Rosa City, was actually quite an interesting ce. There was onemon trait shared by cities known to be trading hubs¡ªan open market. Without this, the variety of goods and market outreach would be severely limited. Conversely, a country that practiced istionism was described to be a closed market, and they were often apanied by poverty and rampant smuggling. If a country remained closed for too long, it might find itselfgging far behind the rest of the world, resulting in its decline and eventual elimination. Rosa City was definitely not isted, butpared to other trading hubs, its towering city walls felt like the very antithesis of open. It stood as a fortress as much as it did a trading hub. In terms of defensive capability, it surpassed even that of the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s capital, Loren. Yet, beyond its thick protective shell, the level of prosperity on disy was iparable to anywhere else on the Sia Continent. It formed quite an interesting contrast. It couldn¡¯t be helped though. Rosaians were terrified of invaders and with good reason. Rosa City had been invaded no less than ten times throughout its history, and the traumas it suffered resulted in its civilians suffering from a series of incurable mental diseases ranging from ¡®invadephobia¡¯ to ¡®starvephobia¡¯ (borborygmi phobia). The side effects manifested in how they liked things to be big and thick. Anything that could be scaled up would be scaled up, be it the city walls or the moat. All weapons in their armory had to be ready to be drawn at any moment. Granaries must be full at all times. In fact, the citizens of Rosa City had a habit of stockpiling food in their own homes. This was a city that was extremely afraid of being plundered, but admittedly, their wariness actually did them some good. More than a century ago, when the Austine Empire finally recalled its troops and the Theocracy decided not to interfere in Rosa¡¯s affairs anymore, there were numerous smaller countries in the vicinity who were tempted to take a slice of this rich and delicious pie. However, all it took was a walk around Rosa for their ambitions to be quelled. Holy shit! The first thing you do right after ending the war is to repair and fortify your city walls? Do the Rosaians have a screw loose?! That was themon thought shared by the rulers of nearby small countries back then. Clearly, the invasion would be much tougher than they expected with those whopping huge walls standing in their way. In order to conquer the fortress known as Rosa City, they would have to invest significant military forces, and if things went wrong, they could very well suffer grievous losses. And there was indeed plenty of room for things to go wrong, for Rosa had close ties with the powerful neighboring Ascart Fiefdom back then. Roel¡¯s grandfather, nc Ascart, had just signed an engagement contract with the Sorofyas back then. Given that they were nning to affirm their close ties with a bond of marriage, the Ascarts and the Sorofyas were practically one big family then. Needless to say, if the Sorofyas were in trouble, the Ascarts would stand up for them. It just so happened that the Ascart Fiefdom had nothing but military prowess. It was almost as if they were a group of barbarians obsessed with fighting. The rulers of those small countries did a quick estimation and realized that even if all of them formed an alliance, they still stood a high chance of losing the battle. So, they pped their thighs heartily, stood up, and returned back to their own homes. This incident further reinforced the ties between the Ascart Fiefdom and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, building a strong foundation for friendly rtions between bothnds. Due to this piece of history, the Ascarts wielded significant influence in Rosa, especially within its military. The military of bothnds often interacted with one another to exchange insights and conduct training. In the war back then, while the Ascart Fiefdom had been able to clinch victory after victory against the imposing army of the Austine Empire and eventually drive them out of Rosa, the Austine Empire wasn¡¯t a pushover either. Despite being caught off guard, they still managed to deal significant damage in return. Many soldiers serving under the banner of the Ascarts lost their lives on this piece ofnd. During that tumultuous period, they had no choice but to bury the deceased wherever they could. When peace finally returned, many of the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s citizens traveled over to Rosa in order to either bring the bodies of their loved ones home or to pay their respects. The Rosaians were quite meticulous on this aspect. They built a cemetery for the kind-hearted neighbors who had sacrificed themselves for the freedom of a people they barely knew. Every year, the Ascart Fiefdom would send someone over to pay respects to the dead. It was only in thest twenty years that they reduced the frequency of the visits to once every five years. As a result, most of the top brass of Rosa¡¯s military, especially the senior veterans who wielded the bulk of the military power, were extremely pro-Ascart and anti-Austine. It was this group of people who had disyed the most vehement objection to Bruce¡¯s engagement back then. In their view, a political marriage with a noble of the Austine Empire, even if it was one of the more moderate ducal houses, was still an act of submission toward their former overlords. It was an insult to the bravery and sacrifices the military made in order to fight off the Austine Empire back then. They felt that the political marriage was trampling all over what Rosa stood for. They weren¡¯t exactly wrong either, for Bruce¡¯s wife, Adelicia, turned out to be a fervent bloodline purist. The engagement stirred up a huge storm in Rosa¡¯s upper echelon back then. Many of them couldn¡¯t ept Adelicia, and they vehemently voiced their objections. The stress they heaped on the woman was one of the key reasons she eventually returned to her homnd. However, things weren¡¯t over just because the descendants of the abhorred invaders had left their country. Adelicia¡¯s vile attitude had left repercussions within Rosa, most notably for Charlotte. Charlotte Sorofya was a member of the Sorofya House, but she possessed half of the Austine bloodline too. Not to mention, her mother was a fool who had been brainwashed by the so-called Pure Bloodline Theory. These were huge minuses in the eyes of those old guards, which was why Bruce entrusted Charlotte with major responsibilities so as to build up support for herself within the Sorofya House. However, none of these were important anymore. ... In the Sorofyas¡¯ meeting room, everyone present stared agape at the golden fluid that was moving swiftly in ordance with Charlotte¡¯s orders, almost as if an extension of her mana. Even Bruce, who usually made sure to keep a poker face regardless of the situation, had his face flushed in excitement. ¡°T-this is the ¡®Living Gold¡¯ depicted in the ancient records of the Sofya Kingdom? Amazing! I never thought that I would see it in my lifetime!¡± Bruce was moved to see that a product of their ancestors¡¯ glory recreated in present times, but little did he know that this was just the start. Charlotte moved on to demonstrate a series of new spells, exining that the highest level of their bloodline ability was to influence the Bnce of Fate itself, she showcased a blueprint of the Golden Fleet, and revealed many more spoils of her recent adventure. Seeing all of this had Bruce so shocked that his mind wentpletely nk. What Charlotte whipped out was shocking to the point that Bruce couldn¡¯t process it all in a moment¡¯s time. He hurriedly had his close aide, Andrew, check on the authenticity of the items, though he was already pretty certain that they were real. Every single one of these items were vaguely resonating with his bloodline. Without a doubt, Charlotte had made a massive contribution to the house this time around. The Sorofyas¡¯ weakness from their missing heritage had been a sore spot for them for several centuries now, but she actually managed to resolve this issue. In terms of merit, this was doubtlessly far above that of developing the Land of Chaos or Twohorn Port. The Sorofyas wouldn¡¯t rise to the top right away from regaining their heritage, but in the decade toe, there was a good chance that they could be a powerhouseparable to the Xeclydes. This contribution would be Charlotte¡¯s greatest foundation within the Sorofya House. No one would be able to shake her position as the next matriarch of the house anymore. In any case, the knowledge Charlotte had brought back with her from the Witness State pleased the executives of the Sorofya House gathered in the meeting room to no end. There were smiles on everyone¡¯s faces, except for the old man sitting by Bruce¡¯s side, Ugin Sorofya. Ugin was the oldest elder of the house at the moment, and he had experienced the war prior to the establishment of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, which yed a huge part as to why he was in the extreme anti-Austine hawk faction. He believed that there was a need for both countries to eventually fight it out. For the same reason, he had always disliked Charlotte, who bore the bloodline of the Austine Empire, not to mention that she was a woman on top of that. In his view, it was a huge risk to let a woman like Charlotte take over the helm of the Sorofya House. What if she, like her mother, subscribed to the nonsensical Pure Bloodline Theory and married herself and the entire Rosa back into Austine? Wouldn¡¯t that spell a huge disaster? Ugin¡¯s deep hatred for the Austine Empire made him loathe Charlotte too for her mother¡¯s bloodline, and he couldn¡¯t help but view anything she did with skepticism. He, too, was excited by the discoveries Charlotte had made, but knowing the implications of them, and what it meant for internal politics, left him unable to smile at all. ¡°I never thought that you would be able to find the ruins of the Sofya Kingdom. You have done well,¡± said Ugin impassively. This was already the highestpliment he could bring himself to offer to Charlotte. Unexpectedly, thetter didn¡¯t ept hispliment. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t do it all alone.¡± Charlotte bowed slightly to the crowd in the meeting room before calmly revealing the ¡®truth¡¯. ¡°Father, it¡¯s with the help of the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, Roel Ascart, that I managed to find all of these items. Roel got severely injured in one of the battles we went through in the ruins, so I brought him back to Rosa without permission to have him treated.¡± ¡°What?¡± Charlotte¡¯s words stirred a huge uproar in the meeting room. No matter how lightly she tried to bring it across, everyone present in the room immediately realized that this could potentially be a huge diplomatic issue with their neighbors in the Ascart Fiefdom. Some of the wiser ones were able to immediately link it with the reports they had received about the peculiar military movements of the Ascart Fiefdom along its borders. Upon realizing what was going on, they began to persuade her against it. ¡°Charlotte, we understand how you feel about yourpanion, and there¡¯s no doubt that he would be the closest friend of Rosa in the future after what he has done for us. However, you shouldn¡¯t have dealt with this matter in such a manner...¡± ¡°Utterly ridiculous! The Ascart Fiefdom has been our military ally for generations now, but you actually privately took their sole sessor out of their territory? Did you even consider the consequences of your actions?! Your deeds would sully the close rtions we have painstakingly maintained over...¡± ¡°We are engaged. I wish to marry him.¡± ¡°Regardless of whether you are engaged or not, you still shouldn¡¯t... Wait a moment, what did you just say?¡± The obstinate old man had been finding an opportunity to put Charlotte down when her words suddenly sunk in, leaving him momentarily dazed. ¡°I said that we¡¯re engaged.¡± Charlotte calmly repeated her words. There was a moment of silence before the crowd, who were clearly ignorant of the engagement agreement, began widening their eyes in shock. Ugin stared at the determined auburn-haired girl with his mouth agape for a long while before a shudder suddenly ran through his body. For the first time throughout the entire meeting, his austere expression finally cracked to reveal a delighted smile. ¡°Wonderful! I knew that you were a true patriot! Since you¡¯re engaged to Roel Ascart, there¡¯s no problem here whatsoever! You have my full blessing for the marriage!¡± Chapter 188: As Long As It’s the Ascarts

Chapter 188: As Long As It¡¯s the Ascarts

Rosa¡¯s military was an extremely unusual organization. Typically speaking, a country¡¯s military would adopt policies aligned with the country¡¯s foreign policies. Take for example, if the Saint Mesit Theocracy was on bad terms with the Austine Empire, it could be expected that their military would be hostile to one another as well. But here in Rosa, the country¡¯s military policy was oddly independent of the country¡¯s foreign policies. Rosa had been founded onmerce, and the Sorofya Merchant Association had expanded all over the Sia Continent. Merchants were all about peace and harmony. In fact, Bruce Sorofya¡¯s marriage with Adelicia Milton was a diplomatic measure as well as a business strategy. They wanted to break into Austine¡¯s enormous market without having to face the empire¡¯s hostility. Rosa¡¯s military, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t care a whit aboutpromise. Merchants had to lower their heads at times in order to maximize their profits, but military men were far more short-tempered. Many of their soldiers and generals remembered the suffering of their people under the tyranny of the Austine Empire and took it deeply to heart. If they had the means to pull it off, they would dly destroy Austine then and there. That created a rather interesting phenomenon. On the diplomatic side, while Rosa wasn¡¯t particrly close to Austine, they were still somewhat okay with one another. Tepid, one might call their rtionship. On the military side, however, they were often conducting simtion battles against the Austine Empire for training. From time to time, there would be all sorts of memoration days¡¯ to remind the soldiers about the tragedies their ancestors had to go through. They even went to the extent of mass producing target dummies modeled after Austine generals for the soldiers to practice their swordsmanship on, all under the name of ¡®motivating the soldiers¡¯. When it came to Charlotte, Ugin, in his role as the Chief of Staff for the Rosaian Military, had spared no effort dragging her name through the mud. Charlotte¡¯s misery didn¡¯t juste from the scorn of her mother; she was loathed by the elders of the Sorofya House too. But this was all going to change now. Charlotte was going to marry the sole sessor of the Ascart House, and this wouldn¡¯t just be a marriage in-name. Heck, she had even gone to the extent of kidnapping and hauling him all the way back to Rosa! With the Sorofyas¡¯ Loyal Origin Attribute, it could be said that there was no turning back for her anymore. The realization of this changed Ugin¡¯s perception of Charlotte in an instant. The Ascart Fiefdom had long been a stalwart military ally of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, and the Theocracy behind it was at loggerheads with the Austine Empire too. Charlotte¡¯s choice had pretty much severed any future with the Austine Empire. To summarize everything in ten words: Marriage with Austine¡ªno! Marriage with the Ascarts¡ªhell yeah! In the meeting room, the white-haired Marshal Ugin patted Charlotte¡¯s shoulder as he looked at her with a doting look for the first time. An unprecedented smile actually appeared on his perennially austere face, making everyone doubt whether it was really still the same grumpy old man they had seen moments ago. The huge contrast had everyone baffled, but it was all within Bruce¡¯s expectations. He knew that things would develop in this direction beforehand. The first thing Charlotte did after bringing Roel back to Rosa was actually to meet her father, Bruce, and seek his support. She needed Bruce, the de facto ruler of Rosa, to bepletely on her side in order for her to be able to stand against the insane pressure that would soon being from the Theocracy. When Bruce saw his daughter lowering her head before him in search of sor, he suddenly felt a mixture of emotions welling up in his heart. Due to the mana hastened growth rate of humans on the Sia Continent, adulthood tended to arrive at 14 years of age. Charlotte was already 13 this year, which meant that she would officially be an adult next year. While nobles would usually dy their marriage by two to four years after reaching the age of majority, that didn¡¯t hinder them from finding someone whom they fancied in advance. As a father, Bruce couldn¡¯t bear to marry his daughter off to some rascal out there. However, when he thought about how Charlotte had lived her life over the years, he couldn¡¯t help but heave a deep sigh of regret and remorse. Adelicia wasn¡¯t a qualified mother, but did that make him a qualified father? Thinking back, over thest thirteen years, the time he had spent with Charlotte was severely limited. There was hardly any warmth between them; instead, he wasmonly exerting pressure on her in hopes that she would grow up faster. Fortunately, she was capable enough to meet up to his expectations and had grown into a fine, independent woman. For a long time now, she hadn¡¯t asked him for anything. Even when the development of the Land of Chaos encountered bumps along the way, she chose to shoulder the pressure all alone. This was the first time that his daughter was genuinely asking for his help. Given so, what other answer could he possibly give? Bruce came to a realization at that moment. He knew that he would have to devote whatever little bit remained of his life to the country, but that didn¡¯t hinder him from shouldering his responsibilities as a father too. At the very least, during a critical moment for his daughter, he wanted to be able to carry the world for her and protect her happiness. Thus, he chose to hold this meeting to showcase Charlotte¡¯s massive gains to everyone else. The n was a huge sess. In the face of Charlotte¡¯s irrefutably massive contribution, the attitude of the Sorofyas¡¯ executives toward her changed immediately. Their words became discernibly more polite and amicable. Even when Charlotte revealed her kidnapping of Roel, which could potentially be a huge diplomatic issue, they still chose to maintain a positive attitude instead of putting her down right away. Of course, the sudden 180-degrees change of attitude from the military faction was gratifying. Bruce had guessed at such a development, but it was definitely more than weed when it actually urred. It meant that there was another powerful faction backing Charlotte now. Further discussion led to an agreement that they ought to keep the engagement between Charlotte and Roel a secret for the time being. Ugin was dissatisfied with this decision. In his view, they ought to ster notices in every town in the country to inform the entire popce of the matter, and if possible, the marriage should be brought forward as much as possible. Quoting his words, ¡°Why not tomorrow?¡± If the Ascarts had any objections to it afterward, he was prepared to step forward to negotiate with them about it. He had a huge web of connections he could tap into if it really came down to it. Fortunately, his extremist ideas were swiftly rejected by Bruce. The Sorofyas had just obtained the heritage of their ancestors, and there were many things that had to be done. So, he felt that it was wiser to avoid a confrontation as much as possible. In fact, Bruce had already sent an envoy over to the Ascart Fiefdom to propose a negotiation over this matter. So, the meeting finally came to an end, and everyone quickly headed off to deal with their own matters. Left behind standing at the center of the meeting room, Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief. It looked like she had managed to resolve matters on Rosa¡¯s side, but that didn¡¯t mean that the crisis was over yet. Rather, there were still numerous trials she had to ovee. Next up would be the external pressureing from the Ascart Fiefdom and the Theocracy. Thinking about the two other girls she had met back at the Ascarts¡¯ manor, she clenched her fists tightly. ¡­ Roel Ascart had always thought that he was quite a calm and cid person. There had rarely been anything that could rile him up. He had been through numerous desperate situations, but he always managed to resolve them withposure. All of these showed that he had quite a strong heart that could take a great deal of shock. Of course, there were times that he did fall into a panic, such as when he first regained his memories and found out about the dark future he had ahead of him, but these moments of panic never affected the ns he put into action. Whenever he had to make a move, he was always able to give his 120%. However, despite his self-acknowledged mental resilience, he found that he couldn¡¯t remainposed at all with the situation he was currently in. Son of a banshee! How the hell can I remain calm when I have been kidnapped?! Staring at the foreign ceiling above him, he was already able to roughly determine the situation. It had only been five minutes since he woke up, but he made full use of this time to assess his surroundings, and he soon came to a conclusion. I am in Rosa, or to be more exact, Charlotte¡¯s house, or to be even more exact¡­ her bedroom. The evidencey in the jewel constetions on the ceiling being identical to that he had seen in the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, though the ones here were far more delicate and intricate. The blessing they emanated felt much gentler too. Also, the golden glowing from the bottle beside his pillow was another giveaway. The content of the bottle was something that shouldn¡¯t have existed in this era, for the technology behind it had gone missing ever since the downfall of the Sofya Kingdom. It was the core magic tool of the High Elf Bloodline, Golden Soul. The only person in the world who could concoct Golden Soul now was the auburn-haired girl who had participated in the great fight of the Golden Fleet with him and apprenticed herself under Queen Isabe, Charlotte. Besides, thest few words that Charlotte had said before he lost consciousness were pretty direct too. ¡°So, this is the mistake you were speaking of?¡± muttered Roel with a sigh. He didn¡¯t think that Charlotte would harbor such intentions. As if to get a free pass out of this, she even apologized first before kidnapping him. If I had known in advance, I would have said that I wouldn¡¯t forgive her¡­ but that probably wouldn¡¯t have worked either, huh? Now that he thought back on it, there were a lot of anomalies during the journey that he felt like a fool for not catching on to earlier. But again, he spent most of his time sleeping throughout the journey, and even when he was awake, Charlotte would keep him busy, leaving him with no spare attention to think about other matters. Otherwise, he should have long thought of it. Back at that mountain peak of the Worun Mountain range, Charlotte was just apologizing in advance, that way Roel wouldn¡¯t be able to get as angry toward herter on. Even if Roel had figured it out then and tried to employ his talk-no-jutsu to convince her otherwise¡­ he probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to dissuade her either. After revising his mistakes, Roel picked up the bottle beside him and began pondering over another question¡ªwhat was Charlotte up to? While it might sound quite egotistical for him to say this, he was actually quite an important figure in the Saint Mesit Theocracy. He wasn¡¯t exactly powerful since he hadn¡¯t seeded to the house patriarch¡¯s seat yet, but there was no doubt that his presence was essential to maintain the bnce of power within the Theocracy. For the sessor of one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses to be forcefully taken to another country was a major international incident. His father would surely rush over right away¡­ and it was likely that Nora would be by his side too. Even if he were to disregard all personal feelings, Nora was still officially his protector. It might be a bit far-fetched to im that the Sorofyas were challenging the authority of the Theocracy by kidnapping Roel, but without a doubt, this was an insult to Nora¡¯s dignity. Just thinking about the severity of the matter made Roel¡¯s head hurt. He couldn¡¯t understand what was going through Charlotte¡¯s mind. Though, it might be a bit more ludicrous that a hostage like him was actually worrying about his kidnapper¡¯s plight. It was almost as if he was suffering from Stockholm syndrome here. That being said, he was actually not too worried about his own plight. He didn¡¯t think that he was in danger. On the contrary, he would receive the most advanced treatment for his condition here, so there was nothing for him to worry about. As for Charlotte¡­ Well, we did toil through life-and-death situations together. What could she possibly do to me? ¡°¡­¡± It was also this line of thinking that got me into the current situation, isn¡¯t it? Hahaha¡­ The smile on Roel¡¯s face suddenly became incredibly strained. He looked at the ceiling above him and murmured softly. ¡°Haa. I just hope that things don¡¯t blow-up too big.¡± Chapter 189: Don’t Panic, We Have Our Trump Card

Chapter 189: Don¡¯t Panic, We Have Our Trump Card

Ascart City was peaceful as usual, but this peace belonged to just the ordinary, ignorant civilians. Those who were privy to a certain piece of confidential news were currently in full-blown panic mode. Roel Ascart, the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, the mastermind behind the reforms that had improved the people¡¯s standard of living and brought them hopes for a greater future, the sole sessor of the prestigious Ascart House, and the bearer of many more titles, had gone missing! He had been kidnapped by the neighboring Rosalian princess! Even the novelists in this era wouldn¡¯t dare to write something as severe as this into their tales! There were already rumors going around by the borders, but the Ascart House refused to acknowledge or respond to them. They were trying their best to conceal this matter as much as they could. Just how embarrassing was it to lose one¡¯s fief lord! Once the news spread in the Theocracy, the other nobles who viewed the Ascart House as an eyesore would surely ridicule them. At the same time, the Xeclydes¡¯ honor would be sullied as well. Most importantly of all, if this matter became an international diplomatic issue, there were bound to be some powers who would happily step right in to disgust them, like the Austine Empire. Let¡¯s settle it privately. This was the consensus the Ascart House, Xeclyde Royal Family, and the Sorofya House kidnappers arrived at. However, deathly silence had engulfed the Ascarts¡¯ manor at the moment. Alicia and Nora were currently sitting in a meeting room, each of them taking an end of a long table. The golden-haired girl was clutching tightly onto the handles of her chair with an impassive look on her face, while a silver-haired girl was pointing a trembling finger toward her. Five days ago, when the news Nora sent concerning Roel¡¯s kidnapping reached the Holy Capital, Alicia was appalled. However, when she calmed down and thought it over some more, she noticed that there were many doubts surrounding this matter. For one, she simply couldn¡¯t understand why Charlotte was doing this. With the legitimacy brought about by the engagement contract, Charlotte was in the safest position of them all. That was why Alicia had to summon Nora over to deal with her, but the other party actually ran away before they could do anything at all! Alicia couldn¡¯t understand what was going on, but she dared not waste even a moment and hurried back home. ording to the content of the final letter she received, Nora had already mobilized her knights and the Ascarts¡¯ guards to take off in hot pursuit. Judging by the time psed, Charlotte should still be in the boundaries of the Ascart Fiefdom at the moment, and there was a good chance that Nora would be able to catch them. All in all, this incident was just a scare. Havinge to this conclusion, Alicia was actually quite happy with how things turned out. Regardless of the reason behind Charlotte¡¯s actions, there was no doubt that she had made a grave mistake this time around. Even her identity as Roel¡¯s fianc¨¦e wouldn¡¯t be enough to absolve her from me. In other words, this marked the end of their fate as an engaged couple. Charlotte would be thrown into the rubbish bin, never to meet Roel ever again. I guess things turned out fine in the end. At least we managed to get rid of onepetitor here. With such thoughts in mind, Alicia returned to the Ascart Fiefdom. Contrary to her expectations, she was weed back not with Roel¡¯s embrace but Nora¡¯s incredibly livid face. Following that were several shocking revtions that shook her to the core. Her mind nked out, but she couldn¡¯t turn her eyes away from the reality of things. We really lost Lord Brother here... ¡°D-didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll be able to catch up with them? Where are they?!¡± ¡°... We did catch up with them. Twice! But both were bait.¡± ¡°Bait? You must be kidding me! Even if it was bait, there¡¯s no way the Sorofyas could travel faster than you in the winter season. What in the world happened?¡± Under Alicia¡¯s infuriated interrogation, Nora¡¯splexion turned more and more awful. There was a long moment of silence as she thought about the Ascarts¡¯ guards whom she had mobilized for the operation before deciding to reveal the truth. Nora did manage to catch up with Charlotte and Roel, so the one who won this tight chase was actually her. However, what none of them expected was that Charlotte wasn¡¯t ying the chase game with them. She was ying the mafia game, disguising herself as a civilian. When Nora charged into the depths of the mountain with her army and found herself faced not by the exquisite carriages of the Sorofyas but the local hunters, she immediately realized that she had fallen for Charlotte¡¯s trap. At that very moment, her brain suddenly went numb as she btedly realized that there was a huge problem with the old woman she met back in the vige. The old woman showed no pulsations of mana, so Nora instinctively thought of her as an ordinary person. However, she forgot that this wasn¡¯t the capital with its good living conditions but a remote mountain vige. In this era, the inconvenience of traveling meant that important resources, such as medicine, were constantly in short supply. This was especially the case in remote viges where merchants hardly ever passed through. As a result, the average lifespan in rural areas tended to be far lower than those in the cities. It was already pretty good if a vige had even a single elderly person, and if there was anyone in their golden years, it was highly likely they would have already be a transcendent from passively assimting the mana around them. This was also the reason why most of those who attended vige meetings tended to be old people. It wasn¡¯t just because they had a wealth of life experience, but that these seemingly weak old people were actually the strongest ones in the vige. And to emphasize, it was not that they became transcendents because they were old, but that they were able to live till old because they had be transcendents. All of this meant that it was decidely queer for the old woman Nora met to emanate no mana pulsations at all. Unless she was so lucky as to meet the star of fortune and managed to live to a ripe old age by sheer luck, it could only mean that the old woman had intentionally erased her mana out of necessity, perhaps to shake off her pursuers. The old woman must have been Charlotte in disguise. Having thought this through, Nora felt her heart turning cold. She immediately turned around to return, but she found herself too fatigued to continue the chase. Besides, it had already been half a day since she embarked on the mountain road, so how could Charlotte possibly give her a chance to make aeback? By the time she arrived, Charlotte and Roel were likely to have already crossed the border. ¡°I was too anxious this time around and failed to think things through properly. I let her get the better of me.¡± Nora gnashed her teeth tightly. Her eyes wereposed, but beneath theposurey furious flickering mes that surprised even Alicia. ¡°However, if Charlotte thinks that it¡¯s over just like that, she¡¯d be too naive. She shouldn¡¯t underestimate me. I am Roel¡¯s protector, and her actions have challenged my authority as a Xeclyde. She has to bear the consequences for her actions.¡± ¡°... What do you n to do?¡± Realizing that Nora was incredibly angry this time around, Alicia quickly calmed herself down as she inquired about her strategy. There was no point in fuming right now. What was more important was for them to find a way to get Roel back. As ludicrous as this entire incident might seem, this was definitely not just a squabble between children anymore. Rosa was a wealthy country that had friendly diplomatic rtions with the Theocracy and the Ascart Fiefdom in particr. All of the countries and fief involved would have their own stance toward this matter, so how was Nora nning to get in the middle of all of this? Toward this question, Nora¡¯s answer was to form the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Kidnapping of the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s Proxy Fief Lord¡¯s Investigation Squad. Definitely a mouthful, but that was the best way for her to maximize her own advantages in this situation and garner more clout. The greatest strength of the Theocracyy in its massive influence over the popce, especially when it came to controversial actions. The Xeclydes could take on the position of a judge and make a ruling on matters in the name of humanity, even if it was beyond their territory¡¯s borders. And as Roel¡¯s protector, Nora was even more qualified to intervene. She would use her identity as the chief of the investigation squad to request a meeting with Charlotte, so as to get to the bottom of this matter... well, and bring Roel back too. ¡°We misjudged. If I¡¯m not mistaken, the rtionship between Roel and Charlotte is no longer the same. This matter will likely be very troublesome.¡± Nora was referring to the Sorofyas¡¯ Loyal Origin Attribute, and knowing this, Alicia¡¯s face turned grim too. After a long moment of contemtion, Alicia shook her head in response. ¡°We might have made a miscalction here, but Charlotte has a problem that she¡¯s not able to solve over there.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Time.¡± Alicia nced at the clock hanging on the wall as she thought about the time she had spent with Roel over the years. With her credentials as the one who knew Roel the best, she stated her professional analysis. ¡°While he doesn¡¯t make it apparent, Lord Brother is a person who reminisces a lot about the past. He does like to try new things, but there¡¯s always a space in his heart that he reserves for fond memories of the past. ¡°Be it you or me, we have both known Lord Brother for several years now. No matter how capable Charlotte is, or how much resources and wealth she has at her disposal, she¡¯s unable to shake our foundation.¡± Nora calmed down a little after hearing Alicia¡¯s words. She understood that they had just reached another critical juncture in their rtionship. It was a battle of whether Charlotte finished her conquest of Roel first, or the two of them, with the power of the Ascart Fiefdom and the Theocracy, sessfully retrieved Roel first. From the current looks of it, the ball seemed to be in Charlotte¡¯s hands. It was hard to imagine the conservative Sorofyas as masters of flirting, but Charlotte¡¯s beautiful appearance and her noble disposition were powerful strengths. At the very least, it was unlikely that Roel would loathe her. If she were to resort to some despicable means... Had it been in the past, Nora would have shrugged off those worries. It was hard to imagine the proud sessor of the Sorofya House lowering herself to aggressively court a man. But now... a kidnapper wouldn¡¯t have be a kidnapper if she still had a sense of shame! Nora raised her head to look toward the south worriedly. Alicia was silent for a moment before she spoke up slowly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no need to panic. We still have a trump card.¡± ¡°Trump card? You¡¯re referring to...?¡± ¡°Even if Charlotte used some sort of means to charm Lord Brother during this period of time, their rtionship won¡¯t bear fruit. That¡¯s because the ultimate decision doesn¡¯t lie in Lord Brother¡¯s hands.¡± Alicia¡¯s ruby eyes narrowed a little as she revealed calmly. ¡°Lord Father ising back.¡± Chapter 190: You’re Forgiven!

Chapter 190: You¡¯re Forgiven!

On the southern side of Rosa Cityy the vast Sorofyas¡¯ manor. Charlotte Sorofya stood beside a window, listening to the light chirpings of a morning bird beyond the windowpane. The sun¡¯s rays gently shone in on her, making her auburn hair look like flickering mes. It had been two hours since her presentation in the meeting room. With her mind preupied with Roel, there was no way Charlotte would loiter around the meeting room afterward. In fact, she rushed all the way back to her residence as soon as she could. She knew that Roel should be waking up any time now based on the effects of the spell, Three days ago, ever since she cast a spell to knock out Roel on the mountain peak, she had been feeling very uneasy inside. She knew that her actions didn¡¯t just bring about external problems; Roel¡¯s own reaction could pose a problem too. There wasn¡¯t much gender discrimination in this world as the presence of mana and transcendents meant that women were no weaker than men, and this was reflected in their standing too. However, the pride of a ruler was still extremely important, and there was no doubt that Roel carried himself in the manner of a ruler. The Ascart Fiefdom spanned huge swathes ofnd, and its military prowess far surpassed that of a typical small country. It wouldn¡¯t be inurate to deem it as an independent little kingdom on its own, and Roel was the proxy fief lord of such a ce. It went without saying that he was bound to be somewhat prideful. Charlotte¡¯s forceful method of kidnapping Roel, if taken badly by him, could destroy the feelings they had built up thus far. While she did have a good grasp of his personality after all they had been through, this move was still very risky. She dared not take any chances, so she was determined to try to make it up to him in any way possible, just as she had promised him under the starry sky that night. Hundred Birds Gallery was a huge garden situated in the southwest region of Rosa City. At one point the location was used as a militarymand center, after the city defenses had been breached by the Austine invaders, and the area was kept under tight security. However, as peace settled in, the military defense ramped down, gradually rxing. Now, the former base had be the private property of the Sorofya House. To be more specific, it had be the private residence of Bruce and Charlotte. As Bruce was constantly busy with work, it had pretty much be Charlotte¡¯s personal property. Hundred Birds Gallery was named after the hundred species of birds that lived in its gardens. These birds used to be trained to ry critical military intelligence to the various sentry posts located throughout the city, which was why it was used as a militarymand center. One must know that the archers in this world had their arrows augmented with magic, which significantly boosted the uracy of their shots. Ordinary birds would be easily shot down by a decently trained archer. For that reason, Rosa could only purchase avian demonic beasts and tame them in order to do the job instead. Knowing that each avian demonic beast had its own weaknesses and counters, the Sorofyas chose to vary the species as much as possible, thereby ensuring the reliability of their military intelligence system as much as possible. As the war dragged on and on, the bird poption continued to grow more and more diverse. Before long, there were already a hundred species in residence. Then, all of them got retrenched all at once. When the war came to an end, the soldiers returned to their own homes, but the meritorious birds had nowhere to go anymore. Out of nostalgia, the Sorofyas chose to raise them in their own home. They even erected tombstones for a few of the birds who ryed critical intelligence in trying times. These birds were heroes. Charlotte had grown up apanied by her servants and these birds, so she was very fond of this ce. She hoped that her lover could share her feelings too. Also, the soothing presence of these birds could aid his recovery. However, to Charlotte¡¯s surprise, it seemed like she had miscalcted Roel¡¯s condition... ¡°Darling isn¡¯t awake yet? How could that be?¡± Hearing the words of the servants, she quickly rushed into her bedroom and headed right toward her bedside. This room had always been her private territory. To date, not a single man had entered this ce before. Unless she gave explicit permission, even the servants of the residence could only report to her from outside the room usingmunication magic. The only one who had the right to knock on her door was Grace. But there was an invader in her private territory at this very moment. Charlotte looked at the sleeping ck-haired boy with a worried look in her eyes. Why hasn¡¯t he woken up yet? Did I fail to control the spell properly? Or is Roel¡¯s body weaker than I estimated? Charlotte frowned in confusion. Just as she was about to take a closer look, she suddenly noticed something different about the little bottle she had ced beside Roel¡¯s pillow. It was the Golden Soul she had concocted as soon as she returned so that she could deposit a spell in it to serve as a sedative to alleviate Roel¡¯s condition whenever she wasn¡¯t around. However, it was now slightly misced from how she had remembered it... This is weird. I remember cing it vertically, but it¡¯s horizontal right now. This is... Staring at the glowing bottle, Charlotte¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Without saying a word at all, she slowly walked over and lightly pinched the nose of the ¡®sleeping¡¯ boy. It might be impossible to wake a person only feigning sleep, but there were always ways to deter the behavior. For instance, causing ack of oxygen. Five seconds... Ten seconds... When Charlotte counted to the fifteenth second, the ¡®sleeping¡¯ boy suddenly quietly opened his golden eyes to stare into Charlotte¡¯s emerald ones. Then, he raised his hand and lightly pped her hand aside. ¡°Pfft!¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at this situation. Surprisingly, Roel didn¡¯t criticize her for that. He sat upright and looked at Charlotte with a polite smile on his lips. As if someone who had just woken up and didn¡¯t know anything at all, he greeted her with aposed tone. ¡°Good morning, Miss Charlotte. Pardon me, I didn¡¯t think that I would sleep for such a long time. May I know where we are at the moment?¡± Roel¡¯s attitude, smile, and words were impably polite, but it only caused Charlotte¡¯s heart to sink. Politeness was a weapon that Roel hadn¡¯t used against Charlotte for a long time. It was used in the circle of nobility to achieve one¡¯s purpose without revealing any openings for others to fault. Even though they used this weapon against one another at the start, they swiftly dropped it as they got closer to one another. Yet, Roel chose to bring it out at this juncture. This could only mean that he was really angry this time around. This maneuver was an indication that their rtionship had regressed to a point where they neededmon civility in order to prevent rtions from deteriorating any further. It was simr to how countries, for the sake of maintaining peace after signing a ceasefire, despite truly wanting to obliterate one another, chose to bury their rage deep in their hearts and maintain a smile on their faces. The situation probably wasn¡¯t as severe as that with Roel, but Charlotte was still greatly concerned about it. It was also the reason why she rushed back in the first ce. ¡°Darling, you said that you would forgive me...¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s silent reproach, the esteemed Charlotte lowered her head silently before speaking with a slightly choked up voice. It made Roel¡¯s expression loosen for a moment, but he swiftly tensed it up once more right after. As Charlotte had an important meeting to attend, she wore a formal light-blue dress which gave her a mature charm. The earrings and ne she wore were carefully chosen topliment her dress, entuating one another. She tucked her auburn hair by the side of her shoulder, which made her look more graceful than ever. Without a doubt, Charlotte was intentionally dolling herself up for Roel. She was dressed differently from the traditional Sorofyas¡¯ attire, sporting a more conservative look than usual. However, dressing this way made it easier for her to earn goodwill as well, making one unable to bear berating her. Roel could see through her intentions, but admittedly, her little tricks were indeed useful. When she turned her glistening eyes away and silently wiped her eyes, he found himself sighing helplessly as well. For someone as young as Roel¡¯s age to rue significant aplishments as the proxy fief lord, there was no doubt about hispetency and decisiveness. However, when it came to dealing with those whom he was close to, he always ended up faltering. He was simply too much of a softie when it came to the people he cared about. Roel was aware of his own shorings, and he had been wanting to ovee them all this while. However, those whom he was soft-hearted toward simply didn¡¯t make it any easier for him, be it Alicia who always stuck by his side or Charlotte whom he had been through difficult times with. There was no way he could bring himself to hurt them, so after a long moment of silence, he found himself unable to say anything hurtful to her at all. ¡°Haaa. Tell me why.¡± Under Roel¡¯s questioning, Charlotte finally revealed her thoughts, from her worries that they would never be able to meet again to the necessity of the Golden Soul in his treatment, and the clues they had heard regarding the Twilight Sages Assembly. The reasons she came up with surprised Roel, leaving him at a loss of words. Hmm? She seems to be making a lot of sense here? Roel didn¡¯t allow it to show on his face, but his anger had slowly receded after hearing her exnation. Most of what Charlotte said was rather objective, and they were problems Roel failed to consider due to his poor condition in recent days. If he had returned to the Ascarts¡¯ manor injured, Alicia was likely to kick up a huge fuss, and Nora would definitely use this matter to attempt something. Now that he thought about it, it might be a good thing to havee to Rosa with Charlotte. With such thoughts in mind, Roel sighed softly. Charlotte, on the other hand, sharply noticed Roel¡¯s expression softening a little, so she made full use of this opportunity to push her agenda ahead. ¡°Darling, you said that you would forgive me as long as I¡¯m willing to make amends for my mistake.¡± ¡°I did say such words, but that depends on the context as well. Do you think that the same can be applied to this situation?¡± Thinking about the conversation they had under the starry sky in the Worun Mountain Range, Roel clutched his forehead and shook his head. He should have known that she was up to something when she asked a question like that. Make amends? For a fiasco of this level, how exactly do you want to make amends? Roel¡¯s response made Charlotte panic a little. She quickly picked up a bell on the bedside table and shook it lightly. A few secondster, the doors opened, and the servants pushed a huge cart filled with multiple crates into the room. ¡°Darling, here are a million gold coins. It¡¯s my own private possession. I know that you might think that my actions are a little crass, but...¡± ¡°... Say no more.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Bedazzled by the golden mountain before him, Roel waved his hand grandly and spoke with conviction. ¡°You¡¯re forgiven!¡± Chapter 191: Am I Treatable?

Chapter 191: Am I Treatable?

Roel had recently affirmed once more that he was indeed a forgiving person. The Sia Continent was a mysterious ce filled with transcendental powers and phantasmal creatures. It was very different from the modern world in his previous life, where money made the world go round. Here the influence of money was greatly reduced. That being said, money was still money. It might not bring happiness, but theck of it was almost certain to bring misery. He could say this for certain because of his experiences in his previous life. So, when Roel saw the beautiful golden mountains glimmering enticingly under the gentle rays of the morning sun, he suddenly felt like swooning. It was as if his unfulfilled first love had suddenly knocked on his door. Indescribable joy welled up in his heart, and it was swiftly apanied by relief from the knowledge that he was finally able to repay his debt fully. Debt was a terrifying thing. It was constantly weighing down on you, encroaching on your finances with every tick of the second hand. You could turn your eyes away from it, but your mind would constantly remind you of its existence, or sometimes, growing existence even. The fear of having to pay 30,000 gold coins just to offset the interest on the System¡¯s loan every month was definitely a huge terror. If he failed to repay it, it could potentially lead to the shutdown of the System. It felt like a silent hand had already wrapped itself around his neck, slowly suffocating him. As long as he could be rid of this trouble, he didn¡¯t think that forgiving Charlotte was a big deal at all. In the first ce, he wasn¡¯t particrly enraged by her actions. It was just that the sheer ridiculousness of the situation and the humiliating notion of being kidnapped by his own fianc¨¦e had overwhelmed his sensibility. Humans had the interesting ability to reshape their memories in a way that was convenient to them, and the golden mounds before him looked convenient enough for him to do so. What? I¡¯ve been kidnapped to Rosa? Ridiculous! Currently, the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom was considering if he should reshape this matter as an emergency situation where Rosa paid him a substantial sum of money to engage his help to resolve some of their problems... In any case, the important thing was that Roel had decided to yield to his kidnapper. I mean, I wanted to fight back too, but what else can I do when someone ps a million gold coins down in front of me like that?! Reject it? Do I look like an idiot?! Charlotte¡¯spensation was more than satisfactory to Roel. epting the bribe, he felt obliged to drop his stiffened expression. Or to be more exact, he couldn¡¯t even maintain a straight face anymore with his overflowing happiness tingling his facial muscles. ¡°Is it really fine for me to take away all of this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no problem at all. Darling, if you really like it, we can just leave them here for the time being.¡± ¡°Ah, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± It was definitely pleasing to wake up to golden mountains every day, but the thought that he would have to spend more than half of it to repay his debt made his heart ache. But as they say, it was better to have a swift breakup than to prolong the pain. Since he had to do it eventually, it was better to just do it right away so that he wouldn¡¯t have to get frustrated thinking about it. Therefore, Roel carefully slipped off the bed and hobbled toward the crates of gold coins. Charlotte gestured for the servants who pushed the cart in to leave the room and close the door behind them before rushing forward to support Roel. With slow but steady steps, Roel finally arrived by the gold coins, and he quietly stretched his hand forth. I might not be able to take it away with me right away, but I can at least make it disappear into thin air. Roel tried to amuse himself as a distraction from the huge loss he was about to make. Following that, a shocking sight that Charlotte could have never imagined urred. The huge mountain of gold coins was suddenly reduced to less than half of its original amount in the blink of an eye. It was almost like a magic trick! ??? bbergasted, Charlotte stood there staring nkly at the diminished mountain of gold coins, unable to figure out what was going on. Spatial magic was known to be extremely profound and elusive, such that there were hardly any reliable records regarding it. In fact, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re could be considered as the pinnacle of what mankind could do with spatial magic at the moment, and it was just building spatial links. As curious as Charlotte was, she didn¡¯t pose her question out loud. She knew that everyone had their own secrets, and this was even more so for long-standing houses like the Ascarts. The fact that he was willing to disy it in front of her was already more than enough to show his trust in her. She didn¡¯t want to try pushing it. Oblivious to her, Roel¡¯s mind was on something very different at the moment. ¡¾The gold coins have been received.¡¿ ¡¾In ordance with the debt priority, all mortgage-rted loans will be repaid first.¡¿ ¡¾All mortgage-rted loans have been repaid.¡¿ ¡¾Additional bnce in the user¡¯s ount after the repayment of the debt has been detected. System will be proceeding to the repayment of other loans.¡¿ ¡¾All loans have been repaid.¡¿ ¡¾The user has sessfully cleared his debt. Total amount expended: 650,000 gold coins¡¿ ¡¾The user¡¯s credit rating has gone up.¡¿ ¡¾Trustworthiness is the key to easy credit. It¡¯s better to stay for the long haul than to go for a short fling. Be assured, for the System shall apany you on your journey.¡¿ ¡°...¡± A huge bunch of notifications popped up in the System, causing Roel¡¯s eyebrows to shoot up. He had to take deep breaths in order to suppress all of the frustrations raging within his mind. What the hell? How dare you talk to me about whatever long haul after charging me the rates of a loan shark? If not for Charlotte, I would have never been able to fork out that 30,000 gold coins interest rate every month! Roel couldn¡¯t retort aloud in Charlotte¡¯s presence, so he could only continue to take deep breaths to calm himself down. He looked at the diminished gold mountain before him, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of loss. With a deep sigh, he decided to toss the matter to the back of his mind. Money was precious, but Roel¡¯s primary purpose of earning money was to uproot his death gs and prevent the decline of his house. From such a perspective, the money he had spent here was definitely well worth it. He would probably have to spend even more money to achieve his aims in the future anyway. Thest adventure he had been through caused his body to crumble, but he had managed to grow substantially in return. He would probably spend the next few years holed up at home reading historical records while digesting the powers he risked his life to obtain and convert it into his true strength. Most importantly, he should try to make a breakthrough now that his Origin Level 5 bottleneck was no longer limiting him. Thinking about it, Grandar¡¯s advice insisting that he go on an adventure did make great sense. As amazing as transcendent abilities were, just like any other skill, it required practice to perfect. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get practice by trawling through historical records in thefort of his own home. ¡°Charlotte, do you have any ideas how I can recover from my current state?¡± Roel wanted to grow stronger faster, but right now, the recovery of his injuries took precedence. It would be unwise for him to attempt a breakthrough before he recovered back to his peak state, and this made him feel a little anxious. Charlotte, too, understood how important this matter was. ¡°I can resolve the side effect of cial Touch, but your loss in vitality and state of deep undead reanimation are beyond my means to resolve. We¡¯ll have to consult Uncle Andrew about this. He might be able to help us.¡± ¡°Andrew?¡± ¡°Yes. He used to be a member of my father¡¯s previous adventurer team. He¡¯s an Origin Level 2 Archmagus. We can also consult Uncle Parker and Aunt Lorin. They¡¯re Origin Level 3 transcendents, but they specialize in healing...¡± Charlotte swiftly listed a huge string of names which included quite a few transcendents whom Roel had heard of while he was serving as the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom. The list of medical professionals on standby was satisfactory, and Roel expressed that with a nod of his head. It was no exaggeration to say that Charlotte was going all out for Roel this time around. With so many specialized transcendents working in unison, even a man who was on the verge of death could be swiftly nursed back to full health. At the very least, he would like to believe that his condition wasn¡¯t that dire. Isabe was, after all, someone who lived several centuries back, and the medical industry should be constantly improving over time, right? It was the case in his previous life, so it should be the same on the Sia Continent too. Big sister Isabe might be formidable, but the era has changed! With such thoughts in mind, Roel¡¯s heart calmed down a little. However, what he didn¡¯t realize was that even though Isabe was indeed from several centuries ago, she was one of the most prodigious transcendents in that era. Things weren¡¯t as simple as he thought. Chapter 192: A Long-awaited Opening

Chapter 192: A Long-awaited Opening

When was thest time the System had an event? Roel had to think way back to a time long ago to find the answer to that question, and why that was the case was a question worth pondering over. If he had to find a word to describe his System, it would definitely be zy¡¯. It took a passive role in his life, only reacting when special incidents urred. Thest time it was triggered was when he returned from the first Witness State with Nora, but from then on, it had gonepletely silent. While Roel was holed up in his manor trawling through historical records, it didn¡¯t react even once. Roel thought that there would be an event waiting for him when he returned from his second Witness State, but unexpectedly, the System didn¡¯t react at all. It was then that he began to suspect if it was due to the loan he had taken. And today, his suspicions were finally confirmed. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Repayment of loanpleted.¡¿ ¡¾¡¯Events¡¯ function reinitializing. 10%, 20%, 30%...¡¿ ¡¾Reinitializationplete.¡¿ ¡¾New event triggered: Commemoration of Debt Repayment Courage and wisdom are vital strengths to oveing challenges, but so is wealth. Having ovee a financial crisis, your future will be blessed.¡¿ ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve underestimated you, huh? You actually have all sorts of countermeasures in ce. In other words, the reason why there were so few events thus far is because I owed you money?¡± ¡¾The System will be forced to shut down if the user is unable to repay the debt. In order to free the user from temptations and encourage the user to repay the debt, the ¡®Events¡¯ function would be partially shut down during the loan period. The System seeks the user¡¯s understanding for this.¡¿ ¡°...¡± Roel fell silent. He had to grudgingly admit that the System was right. Its discounts were usually quite generous, and for someone like him who capitalized on bundle discounts and stockpiled on toilet rolls in his previous life, it was simply impossible to resist it. If he failed to hold himself back and ended up squandering his money on various items in the System shop, it could cause him to miss the deadline for repaying the debt. In that case, the System would shut down, and by then it would be much toote for regrets. ¡°Fine! There¡¯s no meaning holding an event earlier on since I didn¡¯t have spare cash on me anyway... However, it¡¯s different now!¡± Roel muttered to himself as he ced the teacup in his hands down. He stretched his backzily as he gazed out of the window. It had been an hour since Charlotte had offered him a generouspensation earlier in the morning. After making peace with Roel, she immediately began examining his condition. She found that the mana in the little bottle filled with Golden Soul was almost fully expended, which meant that it had at least activated once throughout the night. Yesterday, Charlotte was busy preparing her materials for the Sorofyas¡¯ executive board meeting, so she hadn¡¯t gotten any sleep at all. Nevertheless, before heading off, she made sure to drop by and recharge the mana in the Golden Soul, which meant that she had really only been away from his side for three hours. Knowing that Roel¡¯s condition was acting up at least once in a three hour period made Charlotte¡¯splexion darken. From the looks of it, she would have to postpone her ns to bring Roel out for a stroll around Rosa three days from now. It would be better to focus on dealing with his illness first. On top of that, she would have to hasten the production of Golden Soul too. With so many things to deal with, she quickly left the room and got down to business. Roel hadn¡¯t been cking off while Charlotte was gone either. He quickly washed up and drank a cup of tea the servants had prepared for him. Then, he ordered the servants to move the cart of golden coins over to the open balcony. It didn¡¯t take long for several birds to gather around the mountain of golden coins out of curiosity, chirping joyously with one another. Watching this sight, Roel was finallying to terms that it was all real. He felt like he had fulfilled one of the greatest wishes he had harbored since his previous life. The feeling of financial freedom filled him with plenty of motivation for the future. He sat leisurely on one of the couches and immersed himself in the feeling of profound fulfillment. It was so peaceful that Roel felt that he could fall asleep once more... until one of the birds suddenly made off with his gold coins in its beak. ¡°Ah?¡± The moment that a Fighter Pigeon in the Sorofyas¡¯ Hundred Birds Gallery escaped with two gold coins in its mouth, Roel immediately froze up. The leisurely mood he was in burst like a bubble. Huh? What just happened? Did I just get robbed by a bird?! It¡¯s one thing to be robbed by a human, but even these Sorofya birds dare to steal from me too? The unexpected robbery left Roel fuming. The merry chirpings of the birds swiftly caught the notice of the surrounding servants, and soon, the butlers, maids, and guards rushed to the scene to fight off the Fighter Pigeons. The battlested for a good ten minutes before the pigeons finally dispersed. Following that, the butler quickly walked up to Roel and apologized to him for the incident. He promised that he would try to find the gold coins and return them to him. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s just a couple of gold coins. It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Seeing how flustered the butler was¡ªthe old man was practically drenched in sweat!¡ªRoel decided not to pursue the matter. He did know that there were some birds that were fond of collecting shiny objects, and it was simply in their instinctives. It would be going overboard to vent his anger on these innocent servants. Besides, it was also partly Roel¡¯s fault for unting the gold coins out in the open anyway. The butler and the servants of Hundred Birds Gallery were deeply relieved to hear that Roel wasn¡¯t going to pursue this matter. Simr to how the servants of the Ascarts¡¯ manor had their own big clique, the same applied to the servants of the Sorofyas¡¯ Hundred Birds Gallery too. They were the ones who had been taking care of Charlotte over the years, and they had watched her grow up from a little kid to a finedy. It was understandable why they would be both curious and concerned when they heard that Charlotte was bringing her fianc¨¦ back to the manor. This was the first real interaction the servants had with Roel since his arrival, and their first impression of him was good. On top of his prestigious standing as the sessor of the Ascart House and his handsome looks, he had a gentle and magnanimous personality too. All of these qualities made him a fitting partner for Charlotte; though, there was just one small problem... Young master Roel¡¯s body seems to be a little weak. It was a cause of concern since Charlotte was a powerful transcendent herself, not to mention that she had inherited the High Elf Bloodline, which meant that her lifespan was far longer than normal humans. It would be very unfortunate if her husband were to die well before her, especially considering the Sorofyas¡¯ Loyal Origin Attribute. Oblivious to the worries of the servants, Roel was currently looking through the list of items in the events page earnestly. ¡¾Nine-headed Serpent Staff (Iplete) In the ancient era, a malevolent king was born out of the demonic beasts. Its venom was terrifying enough to threaten the gods, and its recovery ability was almost impossible to curb. It took thousands of years after all nine of its heads had been severed before people were able to extract its poison sac and use its safest portion to craft out a staff. Effect: A serpent¡¯s head will be summoned when you infuse mana into the staff. The serpent carries a powerful recovery ability, while its attacks carry potent venom. Side effect: Lowered movement speed Price: 1,000,000 Gold Coin¡¿ ¡¾Commemoration of Debt Repayment % off all of the items listed! ... Nine-headed Serpent Staff (Iplete) Discounted Price: 300,000 Gold Coin¡¿ ¡°...¡± Sitting by a round table on the balcony, Roel took a sip of tea as he earnestly examined the items avable on the System. He slowlypared the pros and cons of each of the items and evaluated their value. The 70% discount on everything listed on the event page was too enticing for Roel to miss! Perhaps it was because there hadn¡¯t been any events for too long or that the System was feeling guilt-ridden for secretly withholding events from him, but regardless of the reason, the discount offered this time was the highest ever. Bargain naysayers would argue that one could save 100% of the money by not buying anything at all, but the truth was that Roel wasn¡¯t shopping just to satisfy his consumer urges. Rather, he felt that there was a need for him to invest in himself, bringing up his strength. For that, he was willing to part with his money. In order to gain something, you would have to give up something first. The reason why Roel was able to leisurely sip his tea while watching over his horde of golden coins was due to his willingness to spend money on important things. If he hadn¡¯t taken the loan from the System and obtained cial Touch, it was likely that both he and Charlotte would have lost their lives in the Witness State. Just Puppetmaster Dous would have been enough to end both their lives, let alone Sire Darkness. This time, what had caught Roel¡¯s eyes was an item called Nine-headed Serpent Staff, the most expensive item listed in the event page. It was a weapon artifact, something which Roel had never purchased from the System before. ¡®If you want to go for something, always go for the best¡¯ was generally a terrible adage to live one¡¯s life by, but it was a different story when the items were greatly discounted. It had been several years since Roel obtained the System, but he still hadn¡¯t spent much money on the Gold Coin Shop to date. One of the reasons was because he was poor, and the other one was that he was more focused on his own development as a transcendent aspared to obtaining equipment. He basically only spent his money on strengthening his body and advancing his Origin Level. However, the situation was different now. His body was frail and his condition was terrible, making him incredibly vulnerable. While he had confidence in the security of the Sorofyas, he didn¡¯t think that it was wise to entrust his own safety fully into someone else¡¯s hands. Every soldier who had been to the battlefield would understand this logic, and it was one of the pieces of advice that the predecessors of the militaristic Ascart House passed down to each seeding generation. Roel could definitely rte to those words as well. So, when he realized that he couldn¡¯t count on himself anymore, he felt that it was time for him to get a handy weapon¡ªsomething so that he could at least protect himself¡ªand the Nine-headed Serpent Staff, which could be used for both offense and defense, seemed like a terrific idea. There was just one small doubt he had with the purchase... ¡°What does the ¡®Iplete¡¯ refer to...¡± Roel muttered to himself contemtively. Based on the description, he could tell that it was an item made out of the remains of a legendary monster many years after it had been ughtered. From this, he could easily make a deduction¡ªthe materials weren¡¯t fresh. It wasmon knowledge that one should harvest materials from a demonic beast right after hunting it down, otherwise the mana harnessed in its body would gradually dissipate. Usually, by the fifteenth day, the carcass of a demonic beast would have pretty much turned into a normal animal. Of course, as a legendary monster, the Nine-headed Serpent was no ordinary demonic beast, so it shouldn¡¯t be evaluated using the same standards. Nevertheless, after thousands of years, its materials should have lost much of its original potency. Most likely, the ¡®Iplete¡¯ should be referring to this. So, should I buy it or not? Roel brooded over this question carefully. He looked at the mountain of golden coins before him as his fists clenched tightly under the table. A long timeter, he sighed deeply. ¡°System, I would like to purchase the Nine-headed Serpent Staff.¡± Chapter 193: A Long-awaited Meeting

Chapter 193: A Long-awaited Meeting

What did a staff that was originally worth an eye popping million gold coins look like? Most people probably wouldn¡¯t have an answer to this question, but today, Roel was fortunate enough to be granted the credentials to express his opinion on this matter. Sitting on afortable chair on the balcony, he examined the ckwood staff in his hands carefully. The small mountain of gold coins that had been sitting grandly before him a moment ago had already vanished without a trace. Make no mistake, 300,000 gold coins was definitely a humongous sum even for the prosperous Rosa. Yet, all of this money had been put into purchasing a meter long staff. To be honest, despite being the one who had made the decision, Roel still felt like it was a little unreal. It¡¯s ugly. This was Roel¡¯s first impression of the Nine-headed Serpent Staff. Despite its terrifying reputation, ording to the advertising, it didn¡¯t look as splendous as he imagined it would. It looked pretty in; it was just a glistening ck stick, looking no different from those fire pokers vigers used. There was a saying in his previous life that divine objects tended to look ordinary. Sentient artifacts would usually conceal their true form and abilities, so it was to be expected that they look normal. However, this logic didn¡¯t hold for Sia. Most high-level items on Sia, especially man made ones, tended to look grand and fanciful, desperate to unt their splendor. In the current era, staves were viewed as decorative objects, ced in the same category as earrings and nes. However, if one were to trace further back, it was actually a symbol of power, authority, and glory. Sometimes, it was even used to signify royal authority, and naturally, it was not an object that just anyone could use. Considering that the Nine-headed Serpent Staff was an ancient weapon, it was likely to be of noble lineage. If he were to consider its powers too, it was not impossible for it to be a national weapon of some ancient kingdom even. It didn¡¯t make sense for it to be designed like a shiny fire poker. ¡°It really looks quite ugly. Seriously, why would someone make a weapon... Huh? Wait a moment!¡± Roel was in the midst of grumbling when he noticed something weird about the staff... there was no mana pulsationing from it at all! Most transcendent equipment, even in its inactive state, would emanate bits of mana, but this trait waspletely absent in the Nine-headed Serpent Staff. In other words, its true nature was well-concealed, which meant that it could be passed off as an ordinary object and brought into all sorts of ces. On the Sia Continent, most magicians weren¡¯t allowed to bring their staff into banquets and formal settings, simr to how knights were forbidden to bring their swords into formal events. However, the fact that the Nine-headed Serpent Staff looked no different from a harmless decoration meant that it could easily bypass any checks. Naturally, this was a huge plus for Roel. On top of that, he came to another deduction. This Nine-headed Serpent Staff might be an item that requires mana to activate. I need to give it a try to know for sure. Having made up his mind, Roel immediately went into action. It was fortunate that the Hundred Birds Gallery was massive, being the home for a hundred species of different birds. Making use of Charlotte¡¯s absence, he had the servants bring him into the estate¡¯s forest, where there was ample space and privacy for him to try out his new gear. After finishing up his preparations, he ordered for the servants to head off. Then, he took out the ck staff and tapped it lightly on the ground. He closed his eyes and began focusing his mana toward the staff. The next moment, he felt a mysterious sensation that excited him. The staff was indeed absorbing his mana, but it wasn¡¯t to activate the staff. Instead, it felt like he was incubating some sort of egg. With his hands on the staff, he could channel his mana gradually, filling up the egg and nurturing it. Gradually, the staff began to transform. Its ck exterior began to peel, causing a shimmering light to peer out from within, illuminating the entire area. ¡°This...¡± Roel widened his eyes in surprise. He quickly examined his transformed staff and noticed new designs had appeared. It was now iid with golden threads on a ck base, and it carried an ancient look reminiscent of those cave paintings dated to the Stone Age. With simple lines, it abstractly depicted a monster, the Nine-headed Serpent. Despite its simplistic design, there was an unusual beauty to it. Along with the changes in its exterior, the material of the staff seemed to change as well. It was stiff and hard a moment ago, but along with the earlier outburst of light, its surface smoothed into a jadelike texture. There were slight cracks on the handle of the staff that revealed a gemstone reminiscent of a snake¡¯s eye. It was connected to inconspicuous dark golden lines that extended across the surface of the staff. Upon closer examination, it looked like there was dark gold blood flowing through these lines. It was archaic and authoritative, humble but majestic. Vaguely, it seemed to give off a scent of danger. Looking at thepletely transformed staff in his hands, Roel could hardly hide his astonishment. He quickly turned to look at the System. ¡¾Nine-headed Serpent Staff (Iplete, Activated) Ruler of Venomous Beasts The venom of the ancient monster continues to linger within its carcass. You may use your mana to extract and utilize it. The potency of the venom depends on the amount of mana channeled. Relentless Regeneration You may use mana to trigger the regeneration ability of the Nine-headed Serpent¡¯s carcass, summoning the ancient monster¡¯s body back to the world. The strength of the Nine-headed Serpent depends on the amount of mana channeled. ¡¿ Reading through the effects of his newly bought equipment, Roel¡¯s heart was slowly thumping faster and faster as a smile formed on his lips. It looked like his 300,000 gold coin investment hadn¡¯t been in vain. Indubitably, the Nine-headed Serpent Staff was a powerful magic tool. He couldn¡¯t wait to try it out. The first ability, Ruler of Venomous Beasts, would require living beings to test the potency of the venom. It wouldn¡¯t be hard for Roel to find guinea pigs here¡ªthere had to be at least a thousand birds, all demonic beasts, here. However, after careful contemtion, he dropped that idea. He was in Charlotte¡¯s house, after all, and even though these birds weren¡¯t exactly domesticated, they were still somewhat her pets. It would be uncouth to go killing them. Furthermore, these birds had apanied her through her lonely childhood. Thinking of this was more than enough to dispel any thoughts he had of using them as test subjects. Forget it, I¡¯ll spare you all. Roel nced at the birds perching on nearby branches. Then, he turned his attention toward the second ability. He carefully channeled a decent amount of mana which shouldn¡¯t ce too much of a burden on his physical condition into the staff, and it began to shudder. It slowly extended outward, and just as it looked as if it was about to turn into a Nine-headed Serpent, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in his ears. ¡°Lad, what are you doing?¡± It was Peytra¡¯s voice. Chapter 194: How Far Have The Two of You Gone?

Chapter 194: How Far Have The Two of You Gone?

In a forest, a boy holding onto a smooth ck staff with golden iy on it stood atop a field of grass, surrounded by the watching eyes and darting flights of nearby birds. The sun¡¯s rays pierced through the cracks in the canopy above to shine on his body, making his gentle appearance even warmer. The serene atmosphere and the handsome boy made for quite a picturesque scene, but unlike his calm expression, Roel was actually in a state of shock. ¡°Peytra? Is that you?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. It has been a while. Are you still faring well?¡± ¡°Well... I don¡¯t think you can exactly say that I¡¯m faring well.¡± Listening to Peytra¡¯s cheery question, Roel looked at his own body with a helpless expression. It had already been a week since he had left the Witness State, but his condition had barely improved at all. While he hadn¡¯t said much about it, the truth was that he was extremely concerned. That being said, that was not what he was most concerned about at the moment. ¡°Peytra, it¡¯s rare to see youing out. Did something happen?¡± ¡°Mm. I sensed a familiar aura in the vicinity, so I came out to take a look. I didn¡¯t expect to see something like that.¡± Peytra¡¯s voice carried a hint of reminiscence and nostalgia. Roel could sense that her gaze was directed toward the staff in his grip. Intuiting that there might be some sort of rtion between the Nine-headed Serpent and the World Snake, he quickly inquired about the matter. ¡°Strictly speaking, the Nine-headed Serpent can be considered as my progeny. All snakes in this world are my descendants. However, unlike us, saint beasts, they are demonic beasts devoid of Origin Attributes. The Nine-headed Serpent is powerful, but it carries no spirit or sentience. It can only obey its primal instincts... I was the one who killed it.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Peytra¡¯sst few words caught Roel off guard. She went on to rte a tale dating back to the ancient era. It was a story about a war between two factions amongst the saint beasts, a conflict over Origin Attributes between the first indigenous poption of the world Sia had created. Even a being as ancient and esteemed as Peytra was embroiled in the conflict and became the representative of the Origin Attribute Faction. The opposing Primal Faction wanted to stay true to their primal instincts, pursuing greater strength and ferality. The representative of the snakes in that faction was the Nine-headed Serpent. It was a major and tense conflict that could be described with the word ¡®irreconcble¡¯, for, to some extent, it concerned their loyalty toward Sia. Simr to how higher level transcendents could exert influence over lower level transcendents of the same Origin Attribute, the same rules applied in the ancient era too. There was only one difference here¡ªall Origin Attributes could be traced back to Sia. In other words, as long as one decided to adopt an Origin Attribute in the Ancient Era, there was no way to circumvent Sia. However, unlike other malevolent ancient gods, the Genesis Goddess Sia didn¡¯t use her powers to exert control over her children. Instead, she bestowed blessings upon them. ¡°She bestowed upon the ignorant wisdom to interpret the world around them and upon the weak strength to change their fate. Through the means known as Origin Attribute, Sia has blessed countless beings. She¡¯s a benevolent mother, which is why we respectfully address her as the Genesis Mother Goddess.¡± Roel nodded to Peytra¡¯s words. There was a reason why Sia could receive the acknowledgment and respect of all races, and the pragmatic reason behind that was that there was something tangible to be gained out of her. In the ancient era, before the formation of civilizations, all races were more pragmatic in nature. It wasn¡¯t empty words that would win them over; it was tangible benefits. Talking about hopes and dreams wouldn¡¯t convince anyone, not even the giants who weren¡¯t particrly known for their intelligence. Take Grandar for example, even though he looked a little doltish at times, that was simply because he wasn¡¯t good with words. If one were to attempt to hoodwink him, that huge fellow wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use his fists to demonstrate how giants dealt with those who tried to make a fool out of them. To put it simply, the factional war amongst the saint beasts was basically a group of monsters who no longer wanted to y by Sia¡¯s rules any longer. Through the evolution of their primal instincts, they gradually strayed away from Sia¡¯s control. Unfortunately, without the Origin Attribute to control their chaotic mana, they became violent and feral, wreaking havoc everywhere. In the end, everything escted into an all-out war. As the Mother Goddess and Queen of Saint Beasts, Peytra participated in the war, fought against the Nine-headed Serpent, and killed it. ¡°... The war was tragic. It is not a pleasant memory to recall.¡± ¡°My apologies, I was unaware.¡± After listening to Peytra¡¯s story, Roel observed the staff in his hands with difort. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to probe carefully. ¡°Peytra, this staff was made out of the Nine-headed Serpent¡¯s carcass. Are you... angry?¡± ¡°Hm? Haha, you¡¯re thinking too much. It¡¯s already dead anyway; it¡¯s meaningless to fuss over a carcass. Besides, don¡¯t you humans often make magic tools out of the bones of your brethren as well?¡± ¡°Ah? T-this...¡± Roel found himself at a loss for words. In the current human world, making magic tools out of human bodies was already considered a taboo act. Anyone who tried to carry a human head into town would surely be arrested right away and grilled for it. As human civilization developed, more and more materials that could be used to craft magic tools were being uncovered everyday. It was no longer necessary to use human bones. However, Roel wasn¡¯t nning on correcting Peytra¡¯s misconception. He was d enough that she hadn¡¯t been offended by the staff. However, there was one thing he didn¡¯t expect. ¡°This is good as well. With this equipment, it¡¯ll be much easier for me to help you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°My true body is simply too huge. If you wish to manifest it using mana in the present reality, you would have to be at Origin Level 3 at the bare minimum. However, it¡¯s a different matter now that you have that staff on hand,¡± said Peytra with a slightly happy tone. All of a sudden, Roel suddenly emanated a dusky light as a familiar surge of mana warmed up his body. Following that, the top end of the Nine-headed Serpent Staff morphed into a headpiece of a small golden snake. It was an unusual golden snake that looked as beautiful as the jewels buried deep in the ground. It wasn¡¯trgepared to Peytra¡¯s mountain-like body, it was incredibly small¡ªbut Roel could sense that the mana emanated by the golden snake was identical to the actual World Snake. Its eyes still carried the same enigmatic and authoritative disposition. Roel was struck dumb by the golden snake staring at him, and he only snapped out of it when he suddenly received a notification from the System. ¡¾Nine-headed Serpent Staff (Pinnacle) Under the infusion of the ancient Earth Goddess, the vile intention harnessed within the staff has been cleansed. The will of the mother of all snakes is an absolute order, representing the greatest glory and honor. Stone Gaze The manifestation of the Earth Goddess¡¯s authority, a miracle that should only have existed in the ancient era. It can be activated using mana and cast through the snake eyes of the staff. The potency of the spell depends on the mana channeled and channeling duration. Restriction: Once every three days¡¿ ¡°!¡± Upon seeing the changes in the details of his new weapon, Roel knew that he had struck the lottery. The Nine-headed Serpent Staff was indeed powerful even before, but he wasn¡¯t fully satisfied with ¡®Ruler of Venomous Beasts¡¯ or ¡®Relentless Regeneration¡¯. The venom of the Nine-headed Serpent was certainly something to be feared, but it wasn¡¯t Roel¡¯s field of specialty, and considering his identity, it wouldn¡¯t reflect well on him either. Ultimately, the usage of poison was a minor path, which was why it had been looked down upon by other mainstream transcendent abilities. It shouldn¡¯t be a major focus of one¡¯s development as a transcendent. Besides, it was unseemly for a sessor of a noble house with over a thousand years of history behind it to be dabbling in poison. If he had a choice, he would have preferred an alternative method. As for Relentless Regeneration, it was an ability with both offensive and defensive usages. He could morph his staff into the Nine-headed Serpent to block attacks, as well to order it to attack his enemies. However, it was likely to have a severe range limit. The further he tried to reach out, the less powerful his attack would be. However, these issues had been resolved with the current changes. Stone Gaze was an ability unique to the Primordial Earth Goddess, existing only in the myths. Roel had used it once before, and it hadpletely wrecked Puppetmaster Dous, an Origin Level 2 transcendent. It was definitely one of the spells Roel coveted, and his wish was finally being fulfilled. It did have severe usage restrictions, such as having to aim the snake eyes on the staff carefully and the long cooldown period of three days, but if one were to consider the incredible potency of the spell and the fact that it had no side effects at all, these were all eptable. In any case, Roel was satisfied with the oue. ¡°How is it? The staff should have gained the Stone Gaze spell after receiving my blessing, right? You consider it as a small gift from me.¡± The beautiful golden snakeyzily beneath the sun as it spoke with a familiar, euphonic voice. After the initial hype, Roel quickly reined in his emotions and started inquiring about Peytra¡¯s current situation. This was the first time Peytra wasmunicating with him ever since leaving the Witness State, but his usual chat buddy, Grandar, was still nowhere to be seen. He figured it could be that his current condition was unable to endure a connection with Grandar, but nevertheless, he still missed his old friend. ¡°I was able toe out due to your equipment serving as a medium, but that giant isn¡¯t as lucky. He¡¯s probably still feeling troubled about it in his territory.¡± ¡°If I recall correctly, the two of you are able tomunicate with one another, right? Did Grandar say anything?¡± Thinking of that motherly giant who liked to worry about everything, Roel asked. Unexpectedly, Peytra suddenly fell silent. ¡°... He did say something, but it doesn¡¯t matter anymore. It¡¯s already toote.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°That giant told you not to touch that ice monster and absorb its power.¡± ¡°...¡± Bro, you¡¯re really a littlete here. Roel smacked his forehead and sighed deeply. Then, he turned to Peytra and asked. ¡°Peytra, is there anything you want to tell me then?¡± ¡°Me? I don¡¯t think so. Most of the matters have been resolved properly... Speaking of which, how far have you progressed with that youngdy?¡± The golden snake suddenly recalled something, and it immediately straightened its body as it asked excitedly. ¡°Do you need a blessing for procreation?¡± Chapter 195: I’m Here to Fetch You

Chapter 195: I¡¯m Here to Fetch You

Three dayster, in the lounge of Hundred Birds Gallery, Roel was currently having afternoon tea with Charlotte. The rich fragrance rising from the teacups was rxing, but the faces above the steam dissipating from the cups didn¡¯t look too good. Roel took a small sip of tea as he recalled the events that had transpired over the past three days. On the day that he bought the Nine-headed Serpent Staff, Roel chatted for quite a while with Peytra. Thetter asked Roel about his progress with Charlotte while kindly offering one of her blessings. While the Earth Goddess was most renowned in her role as the harvest goddess in the ancient era, but other than that, she also served as a symbol of fertility and reproduction. In her view, procreation was of great importance and ought to be promoted. This was especially relevant for Roel¡¯s situation. What? You¡¯re the only offspring in the current generation in the Ascart House? That¡¯s the worst thing I¡¯ve ever heard! This won¡¯t do. Procreate! You must procreate! Not only must you procreate, but you must seriously procreate! Peytra proceeded to exin how her blessing worked, and what Roel understood out of it, with his scientific mind, was that it enhanced the rate of ovtion and strengthened the sperm. With one ready to ept and the other at full aggression, it wouldn¡¯t take long for a couple¡¯s love to crystallize in a more tangible form... or forms, to be more exact. Yes, those blessed by Peytra were almost guaranteed to bear more than one child. ¡°The effects of my blessing differ based on the race, bloodline, talent, and strength of the blessed.¡± If Peytra¡¯s blessing was granted on a sow, the sow could easily bear ten piglets in a single gestation cycle, allowing her to rear an army of offspring. But of course, that was clearly impossible for a human. The fundamental physical limits of humans made it impossible for them to bear that many children at once. Furthermore, the stronger a person¡¯s bloodline and talent was, the blessing would be more concentrated. ¡°Given yours and that youngdy¡¯s bloodlines, having twins should be the limit.¡± Fully immersed into her role as symbol of fertility, Peytra analyzed the matter with a serious expression, and she even began making postnatal ns for them too. Her words left Roel¡¯s eyebrows twitching uncontrobly. Please, someone stop her! ¡°Charlotte is still too young right now. How could she possibly bear my children?¡± retorted Roel with a reddened face. His remark left Peytra, who was just about to work her magic after her long rest, a little perplexed. Hm? Am I mistaken here? I could always smell a strong mating scent whenever the two of them were together. Isn¡¯t it perfectly normal for them to copte? Peytra coiled on the ground, confused by the illogical situation presented before her. However, she soon came to a realization, and she directed tender eyes toward Roel. ¡°Child, you don¡¯t have to worry. I have blessings specially for men too, so you need not feel too self-conscious about your deficiency. I¡¯m certain that you¡¯ll be able to do it too...¡± ¡°Ah? Wait a moment, what are you driving at? Who says that I can¡¯t do it? I can do it! I¡¯m more than able to do it!¡± Roel caught Peytra¡¯s drift right away, and he immediately denied her statements with a flushed face. Under her consoling gaze, he actually considered pulling his pants down to prove himself able-bodied for a moment there. Peytra also quickly realized that she had misunderstood, so she returned back to emphasizing the importance of procreation to Roel. It was almost as if she was a mother urging her son to hurry things up so that she could see her grandchildren soon. It was just that the suggestions she gave were way too forthright... ¡°Aren¡¯t the two of you sleeping together at night? You should just raise the matter. I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll reject you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just alleviating the side effects of my condition!¡± ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s best to widen the area when you copte. The deeper you go, the better the effects.¡± ¡°...¡± Wow, you¡¯re making so much sense here that I¡¯m actually at a loss for words. The perverted goddess imparted a set of fundamentally sound theories to Roel, leaving the boy feeling utterly embarrassed. Fortunately, Charlotte sent news over then, so Roel quickly ended his meeting with Peytra under the excuse that he had to return to the manor to prepare for his treatment. Unfortunately, the results of the treatment were less than satisfactory. For the next three days, Charlotte brought Roel to meet quite a few high-level transcendents, and there were quite a few renowned magicians amongst them. Of them, the one who boasted the greatest knowledge was Wandering Academic Andrew Mara. Andrew Mara was an Origin Level 2 transcendent of more than a hundred years of age. He was born in an ordinary household in the Country of Schrs, and he was ordinary in his younger years too. His academic results had been so-so, and those who knew him thought that he would be an average civil servant of Brolne and live his life out peacefully. However, Andrew had an interest that was different from his peers, and that was adventuring. After finishing his education, Andrew, unlike the other academics, didn¡¯t hole himself up at home. Instead, he began to travel to different countries to expand his knowledge. From a hundred years ago, he began to explore ruins at the outer perimeter of humankind¡¯s territories. He joined quite a few renowned adventurer parties and rued significant knowledge and experience. Gradually, he began to make a name for himself. When he finally returned to Brolne, he received invitations from the mentors of many Schr Guilds, but in the end, he chose to follow one of the leaders of the adventurer parties he had joined, Bruce Sorofya, over to Rosa. Andrew mainly came into prominence in theter part of his life. Toward that, Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised. As the wise old sages of the past had once advised, ¡®read a thousand books, walk a million steps; expand your horizons¡¯. The academics who holed themselves in their rooms for research might have aplished the former, but without putting their academic learnings into practice by getting out and applying it, learning from their experiences, most of their efforts would be for naught. As someone who needed to vie with fate to enhance his talent and awaken his bloodline, Roel could be said to be walking down the same road as Andrew, so he felt particrly close to this old man. On the other hand, Andrew, as a close aide to Bruce, had watched Charlotte grow up from a young age, so the two of them were close like a grandfather and his granddaughter. As Charlotte was fond of Roel, his impression toward him was fairly good too. It was definitely a good thing for the doctor and patient to have good rtions with one another, but it was unfortunate that this little edge wasn¡¯t enough to bring about Roel¡¯s recovery. ... ¡°Child, there¡¯s something very wrong about your condition.¡± Andrew had spent three days examining Roel from head to toe, inside and out, only to give a verdict with the implied meaning of ¡®There¡¯s no hope for you¡¯. Roel was left utterly dumbfounded, and Charlotte was no better. However, before either of them lost their patience, the old man had already continued his exnation. The summarized version of his lengthy exnation was that Roel¡¯s ailing life force was the result of an ancient disease, and what he did back then, exchanging his life force for mana, was actually an ancient spell that had long since turned obsolete. Over time, most diseases that were considered untreatable in the past would be thoroughly researched and deciphered, allowing doctors toe up with new treatment methods and drugs to deal with them. Unfortunately, just because certain treatment methods worked in the past didn¡¯t mean that it was possible to emte them in the present day. There were actually plenty of ancient medical records detailing ways to treat ailing life force. One of the more effective methods was through consuming the dew of the Lifetree, but here came the problem... Where was the Lifetree now? As the environment changed, it was inevitable that most ancient medicine and treatment methods would be infeasible to emte now. Unfortunately, the current avable methods could alleviate Roel¡¯s condition but not cure him. ¡°The spell of exchanging one¡¯s life force for mana originates from the gruesome ritual of tribute offering, where malevolent gods absorbed the life force of their sacrificial offerings in order to obtain greater power. Back in the era when the Lifetree was still existent, transcendents would still use this spell when they are thoroughly depleted of their mana as a final resort for survival. However, as the Lifetree disappeared in the Second Epoch, this spell gradually lost its poprity due to its oue bing almost a guaranteed death sentence, resulting in its obsoletion.¡± Andrew flipped through a thick historical record as he shared his analysis with Roel. Despite being the one exining things here, his slightly murky eyes were filled with confusion and doubt. It was true that the Ascart House had a long history too, but its roots shouldn¡¯t trace back to before the Second Epoch. How could Roel possibly know the spell to exchange one¡¯s life force for mana? Meanwhile, Roel fell into deep thought. The Earth Goddess had vanished from the face of the world innumerable years back, such that she was dissociated from the current era. She probably thought that his ailing life force was a condition that could be easily treated, but who could have thought that it would be an untreatable disease in the current era? ¡°Are there no feasible solutions? Didn¡¯t you mention that there are other cures besides the sap of the Lifetree?¡± ¡°I did, but they are even more unlikely to fulfill.¡± Faced with the unyielding Roel, Andrew sighed deeply before proceeding on. ¡°It¡¯s not only ancient mutated nts that possess a huge amount of life force in this world. Some humans possess a great deal of life force as well, perhaps even surpassing that of the Lifetree. There are extremely rare ancient bloodlines that can produce nearly unlimited life force under certain circumstances. If you coulde by one of them and engage their help, your condition could be easily resolved. However, the chances of meeting a person like that is truly...¡± Andrew trailed off quietly speaking up to this point, not wanting to sink the boy deeper into despair. Roel, however, suddenly fell into a daze. Hm? Certain circumstances? Unlimited life force? Why does all of this sound so familiar to me? The image of a silver-haired woman standing beneath the moonlight suddenly surfaced in his mind. Unbeknownst to him, at this very moment, at the entrance of Rosa City, a carriage that was protected by two powerful armies of soldiers had also finally reached its destination. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯m here to fetch you.¡± Inside the carriage, Alicia Ascart looked at the towering city walls before her as she murmured a promise. Chapter 196: Final Warning

Chapter 196: Final Warning

¡°A fine night to you, Miss Charlotte. It really has been quite a long time since west met at the Ascarts¡¯ manor. May I know how your transaction with Lord Brother has been proceeding thus far?¡± ¡°Miss Alicia, it has indeed been a long time. Yourplexion looks good. It seems like you can sleep perfectly well even without Roel¡¯s apaniment.¡± In an extravagant banquet hall, there stood a girl with auburn hair clothed in a dress of crimson rose, her eyes were tightly locked with a silver-haired girl donning a flowing white gown. There were amicable smiles on their faces as they greeted one another intimately. An euphonious melody was ying gently in the background as elegantly-dressed men and women socialized with one another with wine cups held gracefully in their hands. There were also plenty of guests dancing beautifully at the center of the banquet hall, moving along to the melody. It was a scene of harmony. Today was an important anniversary thatmemorated the day more than a hundred years ago when, under the witness of the Ascart House, the Austine Empire was pressured into signing a ceasefire agreement with the Rosa Merchant Confederacy and to officially recognize its independence. Diplomatic rtions between the former enemies were quickly established thereafter. This was a day of celebration to remember the hundred years of unyielding tenacity of the Rosaians for freedom, so it was aptly named as ¡®Liberation Day¡¯. It was only second to Rosa¡¯s National Day in terms of significance. This year, however, the celebrations were further ramped up due to the sudden arrival of esteemed guests, bringing about a more festive atmosphere. The lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, Carter Ascart, hade to visit together with his sole son and heir, Roel Ascart. Along with the Ascarts, there was a group of old retired soldiers who had participated in the founding ceremony of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. These soldiers had fought alongside the Rosaians back then in their bid for independence during that brutal war back then, making them stalwart allies. This news had caused huge tremors all over Rosa. From the moment the Ascarts¡¯ convoy entered the city at noon, the streets had been filled with huge crowds. Everyone wanted to see the lord of the neighboring fiefdom who had contributed greatly to the founding of their nation but remained low profile over the years. Their curiosity wasn¡¯t too surprising since the Ascart House was quite a mysterious entity to them too. It was known as a thousand-year-old noble house filled with outstanding transcendents every generation, but other than that, the Rosaians knew next to nothing about it despite the fact that they were neighbors. Part of the reason was because the Ascart House had always maintained a low profile. In fact, before Roel began his development ns for their territory, the Ascarts were hardly involved in anything non-military-rted. Knowing how low profile the family usually was, most of the crowd had gathered on the streets not expecting to see anything significant. They were intending to just join in themotion and enjoy the merry atmosphere. Unexpectedly, they found themselves in for a treat. Before their eyes was a beautiful blossoming girl, her presence reminiscent of the brilliant full moon in the sky. Her silvery hair emanated a lustrous shine, and her skin was impable, almost like a work of art. Her eyes were an intense crimson that even the most extravagant of rubies couldn¡¯t hope to match. When she appeared, the sun seemed to have been overshadowed by an even brighter presence, causing the whole crowd to be dazzled. Alicia Ascart, this name was going to dominate gossip in Rosa City for the days toe. In terms of limelight, she outshone even Carter as well. Her appearance was sudden but powerful, bing the new symbol that people would remember the Ascart House by. Of course, this was mainly the reactions of themon popce and lovestruck young nobles. Those who were in positions of power were spectating this event too, but their focus was somewhere else. What the politicians were more interested in was the reason behind the sudden visit of the Ascarts. They wondered if it signified a deeper level of bond between Rosa and the Ascart Fiefdom. Rosa¡¯s military was more concerned about weing and hosting the respected old veterans Carter had brought with him, so as to ensure that they had afortable stay. The patriarch of the Sorofya House, Bruce, had his attention on Carter¡¯s attitude toward the engagement. Andst but not least, Charlotte, as could be seen from the current situation in the banquet hall, had Alicia as her focus. She had now begun the confrontation with her love rival. She looked about at the harmonious atmosphere all around them and sighed deeply. Admittedly, the Ascarts had dealt with the situation more wisely than she had expected. She had thought that the Ascart House would dispatch their powerful army to pressure the Sorofyas into handing Roel back, but there were two problems with that course of action. First, it would be hard for them to do it discreetly, especially since they didn¡¯t want to expose the humiliating fact that their sole sessor cum proxy fief lord had gotten kidnapped. Second, the mobilization of the army could easily lead to the worsening of rtions, no matter how friendly the Sorofyas and the Ascarts were prior to this. However, the Ascarts had chosen to visit specifically on Rosa¡¯s Liberation Day, and the significance of the event justified their action of bringing their veteran soldiers over. Basically, they had sessfully secured an advantageous position withoutpromising anything. After this, regardless of whether the Ascarts forced the Sorofyas to hand over Roel or decided to settle it in an amicable negotiation, Rosa would be obliged to go along with them or else bebeled with the unseemly action of ¡®attempting to withhold the sessor of the Ascart House on their territory¡¯. In other words, the ball was now in the Ascarts¡¯ hands. It looks like I can¡¯t take a passive stance under the circumstances. Charlotte had clenched her fists tightly as she thought matters through. True to her conviction, she did attempt to make a move. As soon as the banquet started, she headed over to Carter¡¯s side and greeted him. ¡°You must be Bruce¡¯s daughter, right? It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Charlotte.¡± This was Carter¡¯s response to Charlotte¡¯s greeting. His words were polite and his attitude sincere. Despite so, Charlotte still felt her heart sinking upon hearing those words. Putting aside the others, Carter had to be aware of the 100-year-old engagement contract between her and Roel. Strictly speaking, she could already be considered as the future daughter-inw of the Ascart House. Yet, Carter chose to address her as a stranger instead, refusing to mention the engagement at all. No doubt, this was the worst-case scenario for Charlotte. Carter wasn¡¯t even rejecting the engagement; he was denying its existence altogether. Feeling deeply bitter inside, Charlotte forced herself to exchange some pleasantries with the man before taking her leave. Despite her disappointment, she knew that things had only gotten started. It was too early for her to give up; they weren¡¯t even close to the conclusion yet! Nevertheless, the rejection from her future father-inw still left her feeling deeply pressured. It was at this moment that she crossed paths with a silver-haired girl, her fated rival. Even from their greetings, the scent of gunpowder was already chokingly strong. As they got deeper into their conversation, the two of them began hurling knives at one another, cutting into each other¡¯s wounds. ¡°Miss Charlotte, I must say that I didn¡¯t expect you to travel such a long distance away just to have a pic. You even had the time to drop by your own home. It looks like the Sorofyas¡¯ definition of a pic differs from the rest of us.¡± ¡°What can I say? Roel wanted to experience the culture of a different country. It¡¯s our pleasure to have him as our guest.¡± ¡°Oh? Do Rosaians consider it good hospitality to kidnap their guests and drag them back to their own homes? I must say, the culture you speak of certainly does intrigue me.¡± ¡°Miss Alicia, it looks like you¡¯re having some misunderstandings here. Besides, if you really want to speak of culture here, I have to say that the act of intentionally sabotaging an engagement between a couple is far more underhanded.¡± Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes glimmered sharply, and Alicia¡¯s ruby eyes narrowed as well. The two red at one another as the joyousughter surrounding them seemed to drift further and further away. After a long moment of silence, Alicia finally spoke up once more. ¡°Charlotte, did you think that you would be allowed to act as you please? Did you think that I¡¯d be utterly helpless before you? The only reason why you had a chance at all is because I¡¯ve never really made a move before. ¡°Consider this my final warning to you. Return Lord Brother to me right now!¡± Chapter 197: What About Me?

Chapter 197: What About Me?

The Rosa Conference Hall only had a hundred years of history to it, but the several million gold coins invested in it ensured that it was one of the most magnificent buildings in Rosa, if not the world. It enjoyed great international fame for two reasons. One, it was so big that it even had its own horse racecourse. Two, the venue had a transparent ceiling that allowed for stargazing. The Sorofyas had an innate talent for divination, and studying constetions was one of the means to foretell the future. Due to such a connection, stargazing was considered to be a graceful activity in Rosa. Over the years, it had taken on a more romantic connotation, where the act of inviting another person of the opposite gender to stargaze was considered an expression of romantic interest. To some extent, that was also Charlotte¡¯s intention when she invited Roel to stargaze. Unfortunately, tonight, Roel ended up not apanying her to stargaze, but instead, he was sitting all alone on the balcony of the Hundred Birds Gallery, facing the buffeting of the night breeze. Gazing out at that tall and majestic building at the center of the city, as well as the merrymaking noisesing from the streets, Roel sighed softly before taking a sip from the Pam wine ced on the small table next to his chair. Mm, sweet. Roel¡¯s emotions calmed down a little under the soothing taste of the alcohol. Needless to say, he wasn¡¯t alone due to some y by Charlotte at abandoning him. In fact, she had invited him to the banquet too, but after careful consideration, Roel had turned down her offer. The reason? He just wanted to avoid further esction of the conflict. If it was only Alicia who had traveled all the way here to fetch him, Roel, as the proxy fief lord, had nothing much to worry about. He could at least hold his ground. However, the one leading the group this time was his own father, Carter. In that case, his say would be greatly weakened. In terms of interpersonal rtionship, Carter was his father, someone whom he ought to respect. On top of that, he was also the patriarch of the Ascart House, which meant that he had the final say when it came to family-rted matters. In terms of standing, Carter was a conferred marquess, which was way more prominent than Roel¡¯s position as proxy fief lord. If Roel showed up at the banquet and Carter asked him to head back right away, what could he do? Abandon Charlotte and leave right away? Or disobey his father and insist on remaining here? Clearly, neither option was eptable. Since there was no optimal solution out of this, he decided to just camp it out for the time being. Admittedly, his act of escapism was shameful, but it was indeed effective. While Roel was praying fervently for world peace, he couldn¡¯t have imagined that storm clouds had begun gathering above the two girls in the banquet hall, bringing about a heavy pressure that heralded tempestuous weather ahead. ... Back at the Rosa Conference Hall, Charlotte and Alicia stared intently at one another with their impably polite smiles not faltering in the least. The way they stood before one another suggested a close, intimate rtionship between them, and this ¡®beautiful¡¯ friendship understandably caught the attention from the surrounding guests, especially considering the ravishing looks and prominent standings of the two. The young female nobles began chatting excitedly with one another while the young male nobles directed worried nces in their direction. These twodies were definitely the most sought after partners of the men in Rosa, and it would break their hearts if the two of them were to end up with one another. Little did they know that beneath their warm smiles lurked sharp daggers. ¡°Miss Charlotte, did you think that Lord Brother would be yours just because you took him out of the Ascart Fiefdom? Hah, what a pointless struggle. You¡¯re just going to humiliate yourself?¡± ¡°Pointless struggle? We¡¯ll see about that. Nothing has been fixed in ce yet. However, if I may ask, Miss Alicia, what¡¯s your ce in all of this? You should be aware that Roel and I are an engaged couple, right?¡± Charlotte swirled her wine cup with a confident smile as she looked at Alicia with slightly narrowed eyes. ¡°As Roel¡¯s non-blood-rted adopted sister, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re interfering too much in his rtionships?¡± ¡°The bond between me and Lord Brother is eternal. What does us being non-blood-rted even matter at all? Instead, should I say that it works to my benefit?¡± ¡°Just as I¡¯ve thought, you are nning much more than just being his sibling... Such a pity though, you aren¡¯t even a threat in my eyes at all.¡± Charlotte looked at the frowning Alicia as she spoke with a light, casual tone. ¡°I don¡¯t deny that there¡¯s a deep bond between you and Roel. It¡¯s something that you have built up over the years, and I can¡¯t hope topete with it. Regretfully for you, however, you don¡¯t understand love. You have chosen to walk down a path you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Charlotte looked at Alicia with sympathy in her eyes before she raised her gaze to peer off into the distance, in the direction of the Hundred Birds Gallery, with gentleness in her eyes. ¡°He might be a sentimental man, but he isn¡¯t a particrly discerning person. Hecks sensitivity when ites to matters rting to emotions. Your affection for him might have been obvious to everyone else, but to Roel, who has grown up together with you, he sees it as nothing but kinship. You think that victory is in your grasp, but in truth, you have already lost the battle right from the start.¡± ¡°...¡± Faced with Charlotte¡¯s merciless analysis, Alicia lowered her head and clenched her fists tightly in agitation. These words had struck the thorn lodged in her heart. However, a momentter, herplexion reverted back to normal. ¡°Like I¡¯ve told you, I simply have yet to make a move.¡± ¡°No, nothing you do matters anymore...¡± ¡°It matters.¡± Alicia calmly but resolutely refuted Charlotte¡¯s verdict. She raised her head to gaze at the silvery moon in the sky, which in turn reflected its splendor into her eyes. ¡°Three times.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In the days that you took Lord Brother away from my side, he has thought of me at least thrice, and he has subconsciously spoken it aloud at least once.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte was immediately reminded of Roel¡¯s grumblings back at the Worun Mountain Range, and her pupils dted in astonishment. Looking at the inconceble shock in Charlotte¡¯s eyes, Alicia¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°... Looks like I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°Ha. So what about it? Isn¡¯t it perfectly normal to think of one¡¯s kin when leaving home for an extended period of time?¡± ¡°Is it normal? Well, you might be right there. Just as you¡¯ve said, our kinship has unknowingly be my greatest obstacle from reaching out to Lord Brother. However, there are some things that can only be cultivated through time, for example... interdependence.¡± Alicia gently yed with the wine ss in her hand as she stared intently at the light yellow alcohol in it, seemingly reminiscing the long days they had spent with one another back at the Ascarts¡¯ manor. ¡°While the rest of you thought that I haven¡¯t been doing anything, Lord Brother has already be incapable of leaving my side. He¡¯s unable to reject me.¡± Alicia revealed a smile of triumph whereas Charlotte was utterly dumbstruck hearing her statement. Charlotte could never have imagined such a move from her rival, and it immediately triggered warning bells in her mind. ¡°I see. Is that the greatest card you have in hand? I¡¯ll admit, you have caught me off guard. However, it¡¯s a pity that I won¡¯t let you continue it anymore. At the very least, you can¡¯t hope to threaten me from where you are now.¡± ¡°What about me then, Charlotte Sorofya?¡± Right after Charlotte spoke, another voice suddenly sounded not too far away. Following that, a golden-haired figure descended from the sky. Nora Xeclyde had arrived. Chapter 198: Look At How Anxious She Is!

Chapter 198: Look At How Anxious She Is!

Bishop Philip was an honest man through and through. This was amonly known fact agreed upon within the church. Despite his high standing, he was humble, polite, and diligent. He often spent days on end outside punishing evil cultists, making him the role model of all inquisitors. The list of merits he had in the church ran on and on. During the assassination attempt several years back, Bishop Philip sessfully found and protected the missing Her Highness Nora and the Ascarts¡¯ sessor, Roel. For this key reason, Nora favored him greatly. Unbeknownst to Philip himself, he had raked up anotherrger merit than that, and that was to transmit the image of her and Roel kissing in their unconscious state over to the other two family members of the Ascart House. That incident had given Nora great leverage over Alicia, but of course, the honest Philip was oblivious to it all. You don¡¯t know how anxious Miss Alicia was when she heard of the matter! She might be an adopted daughter of the Ascart House, but that doesn¡¯t lessen her bond with her older brother. It¡¯s only right for me to alleviate her worries! As an old bachelor who craved for a warm family, Philip was able to empathize with Alicia¡¯s feelings and moved swiftly back then to reassure her. It made him feel warm and fuzzy inside to see just how bonded the Ascart House was. And today, he was experiencing a simr warm and fuzzy feeling once more. Watching as Her Highness Nora spread her wings wide and descended toward the grand city not too far away, Bishop Philip found himself quietening down. The other guards were unaware of the true reason why Her Highness Nora would suddenly pay a visit to Rosa City despite her busy schedule. Even Philip himself thought that she was going to sign some sort of secret agreement with Rosa till he saw her staring deeply at the massive city on the horizon, murmuring Charlotte¡¯s name. I see... Indeed, outstanding individuals tend to be drawn to one another. There are few peers of Her Highness Nora who are able to truly connect with her, and even fewer are of the same standing as her. It¡¯s no wonder why she was so inconspicuous for this visit. It turns out that... she¡¯s here to visit her friend! Ahhh, to go out of her way to pay Miss Charlotte a visit despite the inconvenience, it looks like they must be on really good terms with one another! Regardless of era, it¡¯s never easy to sustain friendships across borders. This is especially so if one is of notable standing, as it results in the politicization of one¡¯s private rtionships. Unfortunately, it¡¯s inevitable that every interaction by a prominent figure will be deeply scrutinized, and in my reckoning, it¡¯s the same for Her Highness Nora and Miss Charlotte too. Yet, despite the massive boulders that stand in their way, Her Highness Nora still chose her friend over all else. If I remember correctly, it should be Rosa¡¯s Liberation Day today. Perhaps, Her Highness specifically chose this day in order to drop by and give her friend a surprise. Ahh, what a regret that we ended up holding her back due to some of our conflicting schedules! Philip remembered how Nora¡¯s fists remained nervously clenched throughout the entire journey, and he couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply out of guilt. Without any hesitation, he stood forward and cast his bloodline spell on Nora, greatly elerating the speed of her flight. Knowing that she would be able to reunite with her good friend before the end of the day, his heart swelled up in contentment. O¡¯ Sia, how beautiful the bonds between fellow humans are! Surely Miss Charlotte would be delighted to see Her Highness Nora making it in time to celebrate such an important day for her country with her? Their friendship would also decide rtions between both of our countries too. It isn¡¯t just the reunion of two close friends here; from a long-term perspective, it also reinforces the shared harmony between our Theocracy and Rosa too. A sincere smile emerged on the lips of the middle-aged bishop. May Sia bless their friendship to be evesting! ... Today was not going to be a peaceful day for Rosa City. Under the festive atmosphere of LIberation Day, the mood of the popce soared to new heights. On the streets, crowds were chugging their alcohol down and singing their hearts out. Over in the Rosa Conference Hall, the unexpected arrival of a guest brought the mood of the celebration to an even greater high. ¡°Uncle Bruce, it has been several years since west met. Do pardon me for my abrupt visit.¡± ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re too courteous, Your Highness. It¡¯s our pleasure to have you here in Rosa.¡± ¡°I¡¯m deeply grateful for your warm hospitality. I, Nora Xeclyde, havee here on behalf of the Theocracy to offer our blessings toward the independence of the Rosaians. May the friendship between our nations remain evesting.¡± At the frontmost observatory of the banquet hall, Nora was currently chatting with Bruce. When she suddenly arrived several minutes ago, it caused a huge stir amongst the crowd. Even Charlotte and Alicia, who were immersed in their amicable war of words, stopped right away to look at her, shocked by her arrival. However, in view of the asion, they chose not to confront one another head-on but to observe the proper sequence of events first. Right after arriving at the venue, the first thing Nora did was to inform and pay her respects to the organizer of the event, Bruce Sorofya. This was a necessary procedure as it also symbolized a show of respect toward Rosa. Following that, she curtsied gracefully before the guests in the banquet hall to greet them, which, in turn, brought a flurry of excitement to all of the Rosaians present. This was the highly esteemed princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy after all! It was rare enough to even catch a sight of her in Holy Capital Loren, let alone outside of the Theocracy. Her arrival brought about an ¡®idol effect¡¯, creating an outburst of excitement among the attendees. Amidst thismotion, the golden-haired princess finally found herself with some time on hand to face her fated rival. Standing on opposite ends of a standing table, the graceful angel met eyes with the noble elf. The collision of their stares sparked an inconspicuous mana pulsation in the surroundings. The two of them were Origin Level 4 transcendents, and they represented the highest talent of their respective lineages too. After a quick assessment of their opponent, they realized that they were equally matched in terms of disposition. Realizing that she couldn¡¯t overwhelm the other party with her presence, Nora decided to change her strategy. Her lips inched upward as she began making her way toward another one of the notable figures in the banquet hall. ¡°Uncle Carter, you arrived ahead of me. How was your journey?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ttered by Your Highness Nora¡¯s concern. I was able to fare perfectly fine even on the frontlines, so there¡¯s no way anything could happen to me now that we¡¯re at such a safe location.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. It¡¯s my duty to take care of you while Roel isn¡¯t around, or else my father will berate me for negligence.¡± ¡°Hahaha. Prince Kane is truly worrying over nothing...¡± The cordial conversation Carter and Nora had with one another amidst the pleasant music made Charlotte¡¯s face turn pale. The wine ss in her hand trembled a little as she felt something plummeting in her heart. She could still console herself that the good rtionship between Carter and Alicia was due to their father-daughter rtionship, but the fact that Carter was greeting Nora affably as well made his stance perfectly clear. He has no qualms with Alicia and Nora. The only one he is opposed to is me. This realization heaped even greater pressure upon Charlotte, causing her breathing to be a little heavier. She quickly took a sip of wine to calm down her lurching heart. Perhaps it was due to him noticing the irregr reactions of his daughter, Bruce also walked over then, and using the excuse of wanting to organize a meetup between the veterans of the war from both sides, he pulled Carter away with him. That concluded the interaction between Nora and Carter. Bruce shot a discreet nce toward his daughter and sighed deeply in his heart. He, too, was able to discern the polite but distant attitude Carter was taking toward her, but there was nothing he could really do about this. For his daughter¡¯s sake, he couldn¡¯t even fault Carter for that; on the contrary, he had to try his best to build good rtions with him. The two patriarchs departed from the banquet hall together while trading pleasantries with one another. Nora casually made her way back to Charlotte¡¯s side. Having managed to one-up Charlotte through Carter and curb thetter¡¯s ambitions, her footsteps were much lighter than before. ¡°I never expected us to meet again under such circumstances, Miss Charlotte. I must say, you look a lot younger today.¡± ¡°...¡± Nora hadn¡¯t even bothered trying to conceal her hostility right from the start. Her words rendered Charlotte silent, not knowing how to respond at all. It couldn¡¯t be helped, since Charlotte had indeed disguised herself as an old woman to deceive Nora during the escape. To the esteemed princess of the Theocracy, being taken for a fool was indeed a great humiliation. She had expected such an oue from the start, and she was prepared as well. She closed her eyes slightly and took a deep breath. She allowed Roel¡¯s profile to linger in her mind for a few moments before she opened her eyes once more and reverted back to her usual graceful self. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure that you could join us here tonight, Your Highness Nora. You look stunning in your dress too.¡± ¡°Feigning ignorance, are we? It was indeed my naivety that allowed you to slip away right under my watch back then. Very well, I¡¯ll let it slip.¡± Nora casually picked up a ss of wine from a waiter¡¯s te before gazing at the crowd in the banquet hall, seemingly searching for a person. A long timeter, she finally asked. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°... At our home.¡± ¡°Our home? Do you mean the kidnapper¡¯s den?¡± ¡°Your Highness Nora, you appear to be harboring some misunderstandings here. Roel and I are an engaged couple. All of our properties will be ced under our shared ownership. Naturally, my home is his home too.¡± ¡°Hah, an engagement contract, you said? Charlotte, it looks like I¡¯ve really overestimated you. Even up to this point, you¡¯re still thinking of relying on a flimsy piece of paper?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our beginning, a promise our ancestors made a hundred years ago. It¡¯s the article of evidence that tied our fates together. What reason do I have not to rely on it?¡± Charlotte had a beautiful smile on her face as she spoke about the engagement contract, without a trace of the disappointment she revealed just a moment ago. Despite what Nora and Alicia had said, the hundred-year-old engagement contract was still her greatest edge. Unless Roel openly testified against Charlotte¡¯s mistakes and annulled the engagement, neither the Ascart House nor the Xeclyde House would be able to easily make a move on her. As long as Roel acknowledged that he had willingly followed Charlotte back to Rosa¡ªperhaps even iming that he was the one who raised the idea¡ªher actions could only be criticized as thoughtless. That was also the reason why everything was still peaceful before Roel made an appearance. Ayer of frost cloaked Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes. She was silent for a moment before she suddenly posed a question quietly. ¡°Charlotte, the two of you entered a snippet of history together, am I right? If so, there¡¯s a question I have to ask you. Answer me... is Roel injured?¡± Chapter 199: The Final Night

Chapter 199: The Final Night

Whether Roel was injured or not was an extremely important issue for all three of them. The answer to that could easily affect the current situation, and it was also Charlotte¡¯s greatest weakness. Roel¡¯s current condition couldn¡¯t just be described as ¡®injured¡¯ anymore. A far more fitting term would be ¡®crippled¡¯, and this worked to her disadvantage. Her initial n was to get Roel treated in Rosa, and when the Ascarts and the Xeclydes finally caught up with them, she would be able to face them with a healthy Roel by her side. Bruce would then try his best to mediate the standoff by highlighting the friendly ties between the two countries and minimize the consequences. However, she didn¡¯t expect Roel¡¯s condition to be more troublesome than she initially envisioned. Even someone of Andrew¡¯s experience and insight was utterly helpless before it. One thing of note though was that ever since Andrew shared his analysis with the two of them, Roel, despite being the patient, suddenly didn¡¯t seem as anxious anymore. He had been having leisurely afternoon teas and walks over thest few days, and there were even several asions where he reassured her, saying that he had already found a way to resolve his condition. Charlotte was moved by how Roel was concerned about her feelings despite being in a disastrous state himself, but she knew that it was impossible for what he had said to be true. As Andrew had said, the Lifetree had already disappeared from the world since the Second Epoch. As for finding a bloodline possessor with unlimited life force, that was an even more unlikely possibility. Roel had been with Charlotte everyday, and he had never taken the initiative to contact anyone. Unless he was anticipating for this incredibly rare bloodline possessor to coincidentally knock on their door, it was hard to imagine he had any ns regarding that. Darling must be worried about me, that¡¯s why he said those words. Touched by Roel¡¯s concern, Charlotte treated him much better over thest few days. At the same time, she ced a priority request on the procurement of items rted to the Lifetree on the Sorofyas¡¯ request list, but unfortunately, there hadn¡¯t been any progress on that thus far. ... ¡°Roel has already recovered from his injuries, but the side effects of his spells still continue to gue him.¡± Back at the banquet hall, Charlotte pondered for a long while before finally answering with a misleading remark. Nora frowned upon hearing those words. Instinctively, she attributed the matter to Grandar. If it¡¯s Grandar¡¯s undead reanimation, it shouldn¡¯t be a huge matter. Alicia was also in the midst of walking over when she heard that remark. She, too, came to the same conclusion as Nora and exhaled deeply in relief. With the confirmation of the safety of their target, the threediesmenced war once more. ¡°Miss Charlotte, I was quite intrigued by the earlier discussion the two of you had. It sounds almost as if you believe that you have a strong bond with Roel?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my personal belief but the truth, Your Highness.¡± Thinking about all of the experiences they had been through in the Witness State brought a contented smile to Charlotte¡¯s face. ¡°Roel and I have been through life-and-death encounters in a treacherous environment. It¡¯s only through mutual support that we managed to tide through the crisis together. After everything we have been through, our rtionship is stronger than ever.¡± ¡°Is that so? I must say, it¡¯s rather perplexing that you had to resort to kidnapping to bring him here. Is Roel unwilling to apany you back to your homnd despite your stronger-than-ever rtionship?¡± ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s out of concern that those with ulterior motives would try to hinder our rtionship. Darling was afraid that others would misunderstand me due to the incident, so he chose to apany me to Rosa in order to protect me.¡± Charlotte stared intently at Nora as she spouted lies with utmostposure. Then, her lips curled into a smile. ¡°These days, I¡¯ve been thinking that it was a huge relief that someone tried to stir a misunderstanding between the two of us on our very first meeting,pelling me to make those three divinations. That event marked the beginning of our rtionship, the foundation of our feelings. Now that I look back on it, it feels like our rtionship has been blessed by fate. It¡¯s almost as if it was all meant to be.¡± ¡°Miss Charlotte, you seem to be¡ªhow should I put this¡ªdelusional. Does the fate you speak of involve maniption through money?¡± Alicia unhesitatingly ripped through Charlotte¡¯s ludicrous words. As for Nora, she eyed the auburn beauty with a cold glint in her eyes. Instead of bickering over this, she chose to make a soft but powerful deration instead. ¡°Miss Charlotte, this is enough of you. I understand what you¡¯re trying to do, but I won¡¯t be misled by your words. I¡¯ll be bringing Roel back with me. ¡°You mentioned that the two of you are meant to be? Ha. I¡¯ve known Roel since we were nine, and from a few years ago, our story has already been spreading throughout the Holy Capital. I believe that you hadn¡¯t even heard his name, while the two of us were already braving dangers together. ¡°He¡¯s mine. It has been that way in the past, and it¡¯ll remain that way in the future.¡± Nora¡¯s aura grew more powerful with each word she spoke. Charlotte¡¯s words had triggered her, sending the rage that she had been suppressing in her heart all this while to rise to the surface. It was almost as if the final moments of calm before the storm. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± Charlotte refused to stand down even before the angel¡¯s deration. Her body arched upward proudly as she took a step forward to confront Nora. In response to her emotions, her mana began to race through her veins. She might not have been a match for Nora in the past, but the short trip to the past had brought her rewards far greater than what Roel had gained. She managed to ovee her bottleneck and advance to Origin Level 4. Aside from apanying Roel, she had been working hard all this while too. She couldn¡¯t allow herself to cower in the face of her love rivals just because of hercking strength. The realization of Charlotte¡¯s unexpectedly great strength brought a sharp glint to Nora¡¯s eyes. ¡°Miss Charlotte, has no one ever told you that you¡¯re a peculiar person?¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°The words you speak seem to suggest that your entire world isposed of nothing but Roel. You¡¯re making it hard for me to take you seriously,¡± said Nora. Charlotte narrowed her emerald eyes as she calmly returned the favor. ¡°I can understand the need for rulers to keep their subordinates under their thumb, but Your Highness Nora, surely you aren¡¯t intending to do the same when ites to love?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re driving at.¡± ¡°I just think that you¡¯re an extremely dangerous individual.¡± ¡°Dangerous? I¡¯ve never forced Roel to do anything for me. It¡¯s ironic to be hearing such words from a kidnapper.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve done nothing more than bring my darling on an excursion to my homnd. I respected his opinions and views throughout the process. However, Your Highness Nora, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case for you. Aren¡¯t you forcing Roel to ept your everything?¡± ¡°!¡± It was just a spection Charlotte was making based off Nora and Roel¡¯s characters, but it urately struck a thorn in Nora¡¯s heart. Darkness clouded her exquisite face, and the unease that had been welling up in her heart began to magnify under Charlotte¡¯s usations. As someone born with an abnormal interest, Nora was aware of how different she was from others. The bond between her and Roel was built on his ability to understand her needs and tendencies. However, it was one thing to understand something but another to ept it. Over the years, Roel had hardly shown any willingness to y along with her interests at all. Of course, part of the reason was because the two of them hardly had time for one another, but there was no denying that she was the dominant one in their rtionship, and this was not something she could change. As someone who had been doing the pushing all this while, she couldn¡¯t help but have looming doubts with how Roel viewed her. She was painfully aware that her personality didn¡¯t fit into the stereotype which noblemen tended to fancy, so she viewed her greatest edge to be her identity and standing. However, before Charlotte who shared the same lofty standing as she did, it was starting to dawn on her that her advantages in this race weren¡¯t unique anymore. ¡°Charlotte, keep your empty spections to yourself. You don¡¯t understand the rtionship between me and Roel. Our actions are built on mutual eptance.¡± ¡°Mutual eptance? Your Highness, even if you say or do nothing at all, the disparity in both of your standings will bring pressure upon him. Are you certain that Roel is truly happy with you? Do you honestly believe that he won¡¯t be burdened by your position?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Charlotte¡¯s probing ignited Nora¡¯s rage. The atmosphere between the two of them immediately turned tense. Alicia, on the other hand, sipped on a drink by the side with a leisurely smile, content to watch their brawl. Regardless of whether it was Nora or Charlotte, they were all Alicia¡¯s enemies. She would be more than delighted to see a conflict arising between them, and it would be even better that they started fighting on the spot. If they could knock each other into an amnesic state and forget about Roel, that would be truly ideal. Alicia waited expectantly for a catfight to ur, but the surrounding crowd had begun to stir upon realizing the unnatural atmosphere over here. Looking at the three women standing in proximity with one another, their vivid imaginations cooked up apletely different but equally intense story. Under the gazes of the crowd, both Charlotte and Nora finally regained theirposure. ¡°... It looks like it¡¯s impossible for us to be on amicable terms.¡± ¡°Indeed. Your Highness, if you¡¯re willing to give up on Roel, we can...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no interest in entertaining your sleep talk. You should head back to your room if you¡¯re exhausted.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take him away with me soon enough.¡± ¡°Give it a try then.¡± After trading affronts, the two women finally concluded the battle and parted with one another. Charlotte headed over to the upper echelons of the Sorofyas to secure their support, whereas Nora walked over to a balcony to gaze down on the city spread out below. Despite it already being in the middle of the night, Rosa City still remained vibrant as ever. Under the influence of the festivities, the Rosaians had no intention of retiring for the night at all. The streets remained well-lit, and bonfires were zing in all the major squares. Ceaselessughter and music intermixed with one another in the background, echoing loudly even beyond the tall city walls. Today was a joyous day of celebration for Rosa, marking not just the day of their liberation but the first official meeting between the Ascarts and the Sorofyas in many years. It was due to this that Carter, Alicia, and even Nora chose not to mention Roel in public. However, this was as far as their tolerance would go. Soon enough, Nora would be bringing her squad into Rosa to formallymence investigation into Roel¡¯s disappearance. She would not be the visiting princess of the neighboring country anymore but Roel¡¯s protector. As for Carter, he hadn¡¯t traveled so far just to hype up Rosa¡¯s celebrations either. Tomorrow... it shall all begin tomorrow. ¡°This will be your final night. Enjoy it while itsts.¡± Nora nced at Charlotte¡¯s profile as she murmured under her breath. Then, she downed her wine in a single mouthful. Chapter 200: I Won’t Make the Same Mistake

Chapter 200: I Won¡¯t Make the Same Mistake

Roel Ascart had a nightmare. The world he saw in his dream was pitch-ck, reminiscent of a boundless ocean where the sun never rose. He walked on this boundless ocean with feelings of helplessness and confusion looming in his heart. Unlike the first time he met Grandar and Peytra, where he was guided to his destination in a dazed state, he was much more self-aware in this dream. There was no feeling of numbness at all. However, that didn¡¯t make this dream any more pleasant; on the contrary, it felt much worse. The ancient gods¡¯ guidance blurring his consciousness were, in a sense, their way of protecting him. The long journey he had to take in order to pay his respects to them would have heaped substantial mental fatigue on him otherwise, making him utterly exhausted by the time he was standing before them. Standing amidst the darkness, he slowly began to perceive his surroundings. He wasn¡¯t too sure what was going on right now, but he sensed a familiar aura lingering in the area. It wasing from beneath his feet, within the ocean depths; it was the bone-chilling aura of a cier. As if it had a life of its own, Roel had a feeling that the aura was waving its hand at him, beckoning him over. He hesitantly scanned his surroundings once more, and after affirming that there was truly nothing else around did he finally dive into the ocean. Oddly enough, he didn¡¯t feel suffocated in the murky waters. He spotted a tinge of light far off below, a small hint of blue amidst this monotonous ck world, located at the bottom of the ocean. It wasing from a cier. Along with his approach, this cier seemed toe to life. It floated upward and into his embrace, attracted to his presence. It was the feeling of a hatchling returning to its nest, delighted and relieved. Despite theck ofmunication, Roel could still vividly feel its emotions. The cier seeped into his body, and the water around him gradually began to light up in blue. Intuitively, he knew that it was time for him to depart. But amidst this harmonious atmosphere, an unimaginable pressure suddenly crushed down on Roel, leaving him feeling as if his body was being pierced by something. He felt goosebumps rising all over his body as warning bells red in his mind. He looked into the distance, only to recoil in horror right after. A pair of eyes was staring at him, only to vanish in the next instant. ... ¡°AH!¡± ¡°Darling?¡± In a bedroom of Hundred Birds Gallery, the sleeping Roel suddenly lurched upright with a yelp. He gasped desperately for air. Unknowingly, his back was alreadypletely drenched. His current state shocked Charlotte, who was dressed in her sleepwear beside him. Charlotte quickly rose up from the bed to examine the ck-haired boy, who was still staring nkly ahead of him with eyes widened in shock, and after confirming that his physical condition was normal, she heaved a soft sigh of relief. She leaned forward a little and wrapped her hands around Roel¡¯s neck, pulling him into her embrace to console him. ¡°Darling, did you have a nightmare?¡± ¡°Haa, haa. I think so...¡± ¡°Everything is fine, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. It¡¯s all over now.¡± ¡°... Mm.¡± Feeling the consoling warmthing from Charlotte, Roel¡¯s eyes flickered around the room nervously before his breathing gradually calmed down. His shaken state triggered Charlotte¡¯s desire to protect, and she tightened her arms around him. A short momentter, she began speaking to distract him from his nightmare. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I never thought that I would see such an expression on your face.¡± ¡°Hm? What kind of expression was it?¡± ¡°A frightened look. You never showed fear despite the many close shaves we had on the Golden Fleet. I never thought that I would see such a side to you.¡± ¡°... Isn¡¯t it normal to be afraid of nightmares?¡± Roel argued indignantly in Charlotte¡¯s arms, which only deepened the smile on thetter¡¯s face. She reached out to stroke his ck hair as she murmured softly. ¡°Ah, I remember now. I think there was one time I saw fear in your eyes. It was when that monster nearly killed me in the ship¡¯s hold. You were frightened then, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°... Yeah.¡± Roel hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°... I nearly failed to make it in time. I was really afraid for a moment there.¡± ¡°Hehe, do I mean that much to you?¡± ¡°...¡± Faced with Charlotte¡¯s teasing question, Roel silently turned his blushing face away, which just further amused the auburn-haired girl. How adorable! ¡°I-I promised big sister Isabe to take care of you then. Besides, if anything had happened to you back then, our Ascart House would face a great deal of trouble too.¡± ¡°Oh? If that¡¯s the case, why did you charge out after driving that monster off then? Wasn¡¯t it because you were angry at him for almost taking my life?¡± ¡°... I was just being safe.¡± ¡°Bwahahahaha! Alright alright, darling. I believe you.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Charlotte leaned closer a little and rubbed her cheeks against Roel¡¯s affectionately, which made thetter click his tongue out of embarrassment. The two of them continued hugging for a very long while before Charlotte suddenly spoke up. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s only right that I do that.¡± Knowing that the defense line around his heart had practically crumbled by now, Roel couldn¡¯t help but sigh helplessly. It hadn¡¯t been long since he got to know Charlotte, but the more time they spent together, the deeper he found himself sumbing to her charms. ¡°Darling, are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Mm? Ah, yes. I¡¯m feeling much better now. It¡¯s just that... something still feels wrong with what I experienced.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t feel like just a nightmare.¡± As Roel thought back on the nightmare, his hands began huddling closer to his body out of insecurity. It was still vivid in his mind, the tremendous pressure of the stare and the utter panic it invoked in him. He had heard theories in his previous life that dreams usually stemmed from real life encounters, but the nightmare he had was so inexplicable that it seemed to have popped out of nowhere. Not to mention, the content of his dreams was also... ¡°You managed to tame cier Creator, but you were spotted by a bizarre pair of eyes?¡± ¡°Yes, that would be roughly it.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, this... Could it possibly be... the Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°...¡± Roel fell silent before Charlotte¡¯s question, that, in turn, induced the dtion of thetter¡¯s eyes. Her face gradually paled as she came to realize the implications of the matter. It was not a joking matter to be under the watch of a god, and it usually bore an ominous premonition. Since ancient times, one of the greatest fears rulers had was to catch the attention of a god and be turned into a puppet, which was why they made sure to tread carefully and not offend the gods... but Roel actually absorbed the powers of one of a God¡¯s Envoys! Charlotte felt incredibly panicked, and seeing this, Roel quickly grabbed her hand tofort her. ¡°It¡¯s just a guess at the moment. There¡¯s no need to worry too much about it yet. It might just be an ordinary nightmare.¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Even if it¡¯s more than a nightmare, the situation isn¡¯t that dire yet.¡± Roel fell into deep thought after. It had been around a month since he had absorbed the powers of cier Creator. This was the first time a slight mishap had happened, so it would be unwise to jump to conclusions so quickly. Furthermore, there was also insufficient information for them to conclude that those powerful eyes belonged to the Mother Goddess. Even if it was truly the Mother Goddess, it still wasn¡¯t a huge cause of concern yet. ording to legend, it had been a long time since She had passed away, though it looked more like She had just fallen into eternal sleep at the moment. In any case, as long as She was unable to interfere with present reality, the threat She posed would be minimal. Admittedly, it was an optimistic point of view, but as the saying went, ¡®hope for the best, prepare for the worst¡¯. He would definitely make thorough preparations for it on the off case that things went awry, but till then, there was no point worrying too much about it. Wait a moment, could this be the reason why Grandar told me not to absorb cier Creator? Many possibilities rose in Roel¡¯s mind. He felt that there was really a need for him to meet with his old friend and have a chat about it soon. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roel. If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t have been put in such a position...¡± A choked voice sounded in Roel¡¯s ears, snapping him out of his thoughts. He turned his head in astonishment, only to see tears brimming in Charlotte¡¯s eyes. For some reason, he felt an ache in his heart, and he quickly moved in to console her. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? This has nothing to do with you. It only happened because I absorbed the powers of cier Creator in order to enhance my bloodline.¡± ¡°But... if not for me, you wouldn¡¯t have met that monster in the first ce.¡± ¡°I only came across that monster due to my bloodline ability. Have you forgotten that big sister Isabe is engaged to my ancestor, Winstor? Even if you hadn¡¯t asked me to look for the heritage of the Golden Fleet with you, I would have still continued investigating the matter by tracing down Winstor¡¯s footsteps. I was bound to stumble upon the Six Cmities eventually. So, it isn¡¯t your fault at all. Listen to me and stop thinking too much into it.¡± Roel wiped off the tears from Charlotte¡¯s eyes as he spoke. The auburn-haired girl nodded softly as she hugged him even more tightly. There was a long moment of silence before she finally raised a question that she had been hesitant to ask all this while. ¡°Roel, did big sister Isabe eventually...¡± ¡°...¡± Instead of answering Charlotte¡¯s question, Roel hugged her a little tighter. Charlotte was stunned for a moment before she found herself unable to hold back her tears anymore. She rested her head on Roel¡¯s shoulder as she began crying pitifully. Roel quietly patted her back to console her. The Witness State was, ultimately, just a parallel reality. In the real history, without Roel¡¯s interference, the Earth Goddess wouldn¡¯t have made an appearance to curb Sire Darkness, which meant that the downfall of the Golden Fleet would have been inevitable. In the end, Isabe never got to meet Winstor again, and that letter became their final exchange. After learning of the feelings between Isabe and Winstor, Roel could finally understand the actions of his ancestor a little, be it why he chose to turn a blind eye to all those women courting him, or why he continued to travel far and wide his entire life, never truly resting at all. It was for vengeance. He wanted to exact vengeance for his wife. It was likely that the frightening monster known as Sire Darkness was eventually hunted down by Winstor, which would exin why humankind never came to be threatened by it. The enemies he had devoted his life to putting down would have been more than just Sire Darkness; there was also the Saints Convocation and the rest of the Six Cmities. He was determined to stter the blood of his enemies in honor of his one true love. HIs enemies probably trembled in fear before his wrath, until he mysteriously vanished from the face of the world. Centuriester, Winstor and Isabe¡¯s bloodline descendants encountered each other once again, and they had inherited their respective houses¡¯ bloodlines in full too. What could fate possibly hold in store for them this time around? Roel had no way of knowing what awaited in the future, but if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that he would never err as Winstor once did. Feeling the warmth on his shoulder, his determination became stronger than ever. He knew that it was time to stop hiding and make his move now. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll look for Alicia. Chapter 201: Leave it To Me

Chapter 201: Leave it To Me

? There was amotion at the entrance of Rosa City the following morning. At the break of dawn, an investigation squad dispatched by the Saint Mesit Theocracy had arrived at Rosa City. They brought the Sorofyas¡¯ servants, who had previously been working for the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, together with them. Grace and the others had been taken into custody by Nora¡¯s knights for a week now. They were still allowed to do whatever they wanted to, just that they were restricted from straying too far away from the group. The n was to send them back to Rosa, but they didn¡¯t tag along with the first convoy from the Ascart House as there were too many of them. Instead, they followed Nora¡¯s convoy, which departed slightly afterward, resulting in them missing the Liberation Day celebrations. It wasn¡¯t really a huge deal missing the holiday, since it was an annual celebration for Rosaians anyway. Nevertheless, theirte arrival in Rosa still left Grace incredibly panicked. During her time in the Ascart Fiefdom, she had managed to gather quite a bit of intelligence, and she discovered something that, if true, could put her young miss at an extremely great disadvantage. ¡°When are you going to release me? We¡¯ve already entered Rosa City, haven¡¯t we?¡± Locked within the bounds of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, the infuriated maid bellowed angrily at the knights of the Theocracy. However, the knights were strictly instructed to not allow any of the Sorofyas¡¯ servants to leave the confines of the carriages using the pretext of having to hold a formal handover. Grace looked at Bishop Philip, who was chatting leisurely with someone else about the unique sights in Rosa City, and she had no choice but to drop the idea of breaking out forcefully. ¡°Young miss...¡± murmured Grace worriedly. ... Meanwhile, in the Rosa Conference Hall, an elegantly dressed Charlotte stepped forward to greet Nora and the church¡¯s legal task force standing behind her. Earlier today, after entering the city, the investigation squad, tasked with the important responsibility of looking into the kidnapping case of the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, marched into the Rosa Conference Hall under Nora¡¯s lead and summoned the prime suspect, Charlotte Sorofya. Roel should have been here too, but he was excused in view of his ailing health. The church would instead dispatch personnel to Hundred Birds Gallery in order to obtain his testimony. Charlotte had anticipated such a move from Nora, and she had prepared herself for it. This was evidenced by the imposing squad of Rosaianwyers standing at attention behind her. The situation was tense right from the get-go. ¡°Based on use 4 of the ¡®Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s National Security Act¡¯, whenever a fief lord has his freedom restricted as a result of uwful kidnapping, abduction, or actions of simr nature, the Theocracy¡¯s government and the Xeclyde Royal Family are permitted to intervene and use all possible means to stop, arrest, and punish the criminals involved. The criminals will be brought to Holy Capital Loren to be tried for their sins. ¡°We have grounds to suspect that Miss Charlotte Sorofya from the Rosa Merchant Confederacy has vited this use and many others. With the evidence we have gathered thus far, we are authorized to conduct a forceful arrest.¡± An old, white-haired supreme judge from the Theocracy started off the negotiations with powerful words dripping with threat. Years of dealing with thew had built up his air of authority, giving him an imposing presence. While everyone present knew that ¡®authorized to conduct a forceful arrest¡¯ was utter bullshit under present circumstances, they still found themselves intimidated. However, the forceful attitude of the Theocracy was bound to be faced with equally forceful resistance from Rosa. Under the imposing gaze of the supreme judge, an elder with a snowy beard shakily rose to his feet. He was a retired senior official in the Rosa Legal Department. Despite his old age, hisposed rebuttal was nothing to be made light of. ¡°ording to the special use stated in the ¡®Strategic Alliance White Paper of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy and the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯, during wartime, if a member of either ruling house is severely injured or in a dangerous position due to exceptional circumstances, the other party is obliged to provide a safe environment and satisfactory medical treatment for that individual. ¡°As far as I know, the incumbent fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, Marquess Carter, is currently fighting on the frontlines of the eastern border to repel the deviants. This could be said to be an exceptional circumstance for the Ascart Fiefdom. Miss Charlotte Sorofya noticed that Mister Roel Ascart had sustained significant injuries, and her judgment led her to believe that the Ascart Fiefdom is unable to provide satisfactory treatment for him in the absence of Marquess Carter. It¡¯s on those grounds that she chose to bring him over to Rosa for treatment, and it¡¯s a legitimate and logical course of action. ¡°As for the usation iming that she has kidnapped Mister Roel Ascart, that¡¯s nothing more than a misunderstanding arising from a mimunication between both houses. I¡¯ll have to ask the investigation squad to construe its words carefully in order to avoid further misunderstandings.¡± Those two old men had abined age of over two hundred years, and yet, they were ring at one another across the long table, shooting sparks at one another. Under their lead, their aides quickly stepped forward to further push their cases. ¡°The ¡®Strategic Alliance White Paper of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy and the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯ you have quoted is nothing more than a private agreement signed between the Ascart Fiefdom and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. It carries no legal power in the Saint Mesit Theocracy, and its priority is far beneath that of our ¡®National Security Act¡¯!¡± ¡°Based on the uses of the ¡®Third International Humankind Alliance Agreement¡¯, localws should be prioritized when ites to private disputes between two fiefs. The private strategic agreements that fiefs have made with one another at their discretion hold binding power under such circumstances.¡± ¡°The sudden disappearance of Mister Roel Ascart is an international affair which has affected the stability of the Saint Mesit Theocracy and undermined the authority of Her Highness Nora Xeclyde. Given its far-reaching impact, it should not be trivialized as a private affair between two fiefs. I¡¯d have to ask thewyers of the Rosa Legal Department not to misrepresent the nature of the incident!¡± It was an intense sh of legalities between both sides. The participating members in this heated battle were top legal talents of both countries, and they had no trouble quoting all sorts of little-known uses and cases. Thickw books were flipped through at an astounding pace as both sides swiftly searched for references to reinforce their arguments. The scope of their debate included thews of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the Ascart Fiefdom, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, and even the international strategic coordination agreements signed by all human countries. There was nothing they wouldn¡¯t use as a weapon here. The Theocracy¡¯s Supreme Judge Karsted fought toe-to-toe with Ex-Senior Official Caloo of the Rosa Legal Department, unhesitatingly taking each other¡¯s arguments down. As the sh grew more heated, they soon became emotionally charged in the debate. Piercing res were shot across the table as they huffed furiously. At this point, it was no longer about being their young misses¡¯ wingmen anymore. This battle was slowly bing a confrontation between the legal forces of the Theocracy and Rosa. A loss here wouldn¡¯t just disappoint either Nora or Charlotte; they would find themselves unable to raise their heads before the other party in the future too. For three whole hours, they debated with a fervor that wouldn¡¯t lose out to even the fiercest of housewives. Nora¡¯s investigation squad was on the offense here, but under the tight protection of the Rosawyers, they were unable to pin a crime to Charlotte that would stick. Charlotte took a sip of tea, unsurprised by the oue. She had made thorough preparations for this very day, not to mention that thewyers of Rosa, due to frequent court cases arising from business disputes, were extremely skilled in debates. Bruce even personally engaged the help of the retired Caloo, who had achieved many outstanding merits for the Rosa Legal Department. With the line-up they had here, it was almost imusible that they might lose today. ¡°The condition of establishing whether there has been a restriction of personal freedom in this case depends on whether the person-in-question, Mister Roel Ascart, has willingly chosen toe along with Miss Charlotte Sorofya. Before setting out to Rosa, Miss Charlotte Sorofya has requested Mister Roel Ascart¡¯s permission, and they have even engaged in entertainment activities including stargazing. The evidence on this point is at odds with the legal definition of kidnapping.¡± After a series of debates, the inquisition squad was still unable to make any progress. So, Supreme Judge Karsted turned around to look at Nora, who was seated behind leisurely, and thetter nodded slightly. ¡°I see. In that case, we shall temporarily set aside the usations we have on Miss Charlotte Sorofya¡¯s infringement of thew, and move on to discussing the engagement contract between Miss Charlotte Sorofya and Mister Roel Ascart.¡± Those words plunged the courtroom into a state of momentary silence. Thewyers on Rosa¡¯s side looked at one another for a moment before heaving a sigh of relief. In their view, there was nothing much about the engagement to discuss. It was true that there were somews regarding engagements, but they were very vague especially since it was more of a civil matter. If the other party was unable to indict Charlotte under the crime of kidnapping, they would have very little ground to forcefully annul the engagement. Basically, what they had to do here was just to insist on the fulfillment of the engagement contract. The worst was finally over, and it looked like the other party wanted to take a rest too. With such thoughts in mind, thewyers finally released a bit of their tension. After hours of debate, it was already nearing noon. They were all exhausted, and some of them were already thinking about what they should have for lunch. It was amidst this peaceful atmosphere that Supreme Judge Karsted posed a question. ¡°May I know whichws the engagement contract between Miss Charlotte Sorofya and Mister Roel Ascartes under?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ¡®Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Engagement Act¡¯ and the ¡®Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s Engagement Act¡¯. It has a legitimate contract created under the testimony of thews of both our countries.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s great.¡± Those words brought a satisfied smile to the lips of the white-haired judge. ... ¡°Lord Brother, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± In the Hundred Birds Gallery, Alicia stared at the wheelchair-bound boy in astonishment. For a moment, she felt that the world was spinning around her. She immediately dashed to Roel¡¯s side, and unknowingly, tears had already begun dripping down her fair cheeks. She didn¡¯t even dare to touch Roel out of fear of worsening his injuries. ¡°Ah? W-wait a moment, don¡¯t cry! I¡¯m fine.¡± Watching as the tears of his beloved adopted sister continued to flow, Roel felt like his heart was going to shatter. He grabbed her hand and ced it next to his face before gently exining everything that he had been through during this period of time. When Alicia heard that Roel was being gued by three side effects, making even walking strenuous for him, her body trembled in fury. Just thinking about how Charlotte dared to tantly make light of Roel¡¯s condition made her utterly infuriated. Charlotte! This matter isn¡¯t over yet! Alicia jotted down this score in her debt book while Roel began asking her about how she had been doing. ¡°Alicia, how has your training been going? You should have reached Origin Level 5, right?¡± ¡°Ah? I, well, I just reached Origin Level 5. What¡¯s wrong, Lord Brother?¡± Roel heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Alicia¡¯s lie. He took some time to pick his words before stringing them carefully together. ¡°Well, as it happens, one of the side effects I¡¯m suffering from is ailing life force...¡± ¡°Ailing life force... Alright, I understand.¡± A sharp glint shed across Alicia¡¯s eyes. She leaned in toward the ck-haired boy¡¯s ears and whispered tenderly. ¡°Lord Brother, leave it all to me.¡± Chapter 202: Lord Brother’s Bird Has Died!

Chapter 202: Lord Brother¡¯s Bird Has Died!

When he heard Alicia boldly dering that she would handle the treatment of his ailing life force, Roel was a little worried. In his view, she was someone who needed protection, especially since she had never demonstrated her transcendent abilities before him. Ah, that¡¯s not exactly right either. asionally, while spending time together, Alicia would cast trivial spells to help him preserve ancient records and other such tasks. However, these spells could be easily cast by Origin Level 6 transcendents too, so it was impossible to determine the extent of her capabilities through that. As such, Roel didn¡¯t think that it was safe to leave everything to her. Instead, he called Andrew over and had him examine Alicia¡¯s bloodline to determine if it fulfilled the criterion. When Andrew walked through the door andid his murky eyes upon Alicia, Roel felt his heart skipping a beat out of worry. Then, Andrew¡¯s pupils suddenly dted. What¡¯s going on? Did we really manage to find a transcendent with almost unlimited life force somehow? T-this is¡­ impossible! Despite having lived for over a hundred years, the old man had never seen such a unique bloodline before. He cast a spell to allow him to better inspect Alicia¡¯s condition, affirming that the life force she possessed indeed far surpassed that of ordinary humans. Seeing this, he exhaled deeply with a thankful look on his face. Roel¡¯s salvation was salvation for the team of medical experts attending to him too. They were working on a tight timeline, especially with the Ascart House already in Rosa City to pressure them. The enormous stress crushing down on them left them constantly racking their brains in frustration for solutions, such that some team members had even gone bald from scratching their scalps out. Andrew was a little more fortunate in the sense that he still had lush white hair as he hadn¡¯t taken up too many stressful jobs in his younger years. His beard, however, was much less fortunate. He had a habit of tugging on his beard whenever he was deep in thought, and the force he exerted was proportionate to how difficult the question was. He must have at least tugged out twenty beard hairs over thest two days, so it should be understandable why he would be so agitated to see Alicia at this time. ¡°Child, I think that you fit the criterion. Are you able to manifest your life force?¡± Andrew looked at the silver-haired girl with anticipation in his eyes, wanting to see her legendary ability in action. Alicia pondered for a brief moment before nodding her head in response. She stretched her hand outward and closed her eyes. The atmosphere around her immediately changed, and wisps of light rose from her body. For some reason, Roel felt inexplicably excited upon witnessing this phenomenon. He felt Alicia was like the silvery full moon casting its lucent glow on him, leaving him feeling as if he was soaking in chilling and refreshing springwater, reinvigorating him inside and out. Alicia finally opened her eyes, and she slowly raised her hands even higher. The white wisps of light she had emanated morphed into a little bird perched on her hand. Andrew was so awed by this sight that he nearly leaped to his feet to apud her. ¡°This is fantastic! I¡¯ve never thought that it would be possible for life force to be condensed to such a degree!¡± Having never seen such a thing before, the excited old man stepped forward and took out a magnifying ss to examine the little bird on Alicia¡¯s hand close up. Meanwhile, Alicia, who had proven that she did have the ability to treat Roel, smiled in contentment, and Roel also heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Remarkable! Is this a life type unique bloodline? It¡¯s even more powerful than what is depicted in the books!¡± murmured Andrew. Roel shook his head helplessly. He must be unaware that Alicia¡¯s bloodline ability only reveals its true prowess at night. It¡¯s still daytime at the moment, so her ability is at its weakest. ¡°Mister Andrew, do you think that Alicia¡­¡± ¡°Enough! It¡¯s definitely enough!¡± ¡°How should we go about it then? Do we need some sort of magic tool as a medium?¡± ¡°No no, life force is a separate power from mana; magic tools aren¡¯t able to harness this power. The treatment method would have to depend on the extent of the bloodline¡¯s strength.¡± Andrew ced his magnifying ss down and began exining the situation to Roel. Based on ancient records, the dew of the Lifetree could be ssified into various tiers too. The higher tier dews could simply be applied externally; the patient wouldn¡¯t even need to consume it. As for lower tier dews, they might still need to be mixed with other medicine in order to augment their effects to a satisfactory level. However, as the saying went, all medicine had some degree of poison. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s the side effect if the dosage of life force is too high?¡± ¡°Well, regarding that¡­¡± That question seemed to ce Andrew in a quandary. He nced at Alicia, who was also staring at him curiously, and after a short moment of hesitation, he felt like he ought to exin things clearly. ¡°Life force is the fundamental energy of all living beings. An excess of it doesn¡¯t really have any adverse side effect, just that¡­ you¡¯ll find yourself overflowing with energy. Lots of it.¡± ¡°¡­ You mean like being too energetic and unable to sleep at night?¡± probed Roel. Andrew looked extremely awkward. Technically, yes, but probably not that innocent type you¡¯re thinking of. ¡°Ahem. You see, an excess of energy can, well, greatly stimte a person¡¯s hormones, driving their urge to procreate. Back in the First Epoch, there were many animals that resided in the vicinity of the Lifetree and acted as its protector, presumably because its presence is beneficial for reproduction. The same logic should apply here too.¡± As the old man¡¯s words echoed within the room, Roel also began fidgeting a little awkwardly. Alicia, on the other hand, widened her eyes abruptly. Her crimson eyes glowed brightly as she stared at the ck-haired boy. A momentter, she lowered her head to conceal her response, but the flickering of her pupils showed that some thoughts were currently racing through her mind. ¡°Mister Andrew, it should be fine as long as the amount isn¡¯t too much, right?¡± ¡°Indeed. The circumstance I was referring to only urs when there¡¯s a significant overload of life force. If we control the quantity carefully, that shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± ¡°How should we do it then?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ There¡¯s nothing on that in the records, but it should be fine. There are only a few methods, so we can try them out one by one.¡± Andrew stroked his beard as he began exining the various methods to Roel. The easiest methods were namely direct contact and bodily fluids. Direct contact required Alicia to activate her bloodline when the two of them were in close contact with one another. As for bodily fluids, as the name suggested, it generally referred to the transference of life force via saliva, blood, and tears. Alicia nodded in satisfaction, pleased with what Andrew was saying. She gripped her fists tightly in anticipation of what was about toe. But all of a sudden, Andrew suddenly recalled something and turned to look at the white bird perching on Alicia¡¯s hand. ¡°Ah, but if the bloodline possessor is able to manifest the life force directly, there would be no need to rely on those means anymore. We¡¯d just have to¡­¡± Chirp! Before Andrew could finish his words, the white bird in Alicia¡¯s hand suddenly let out a sorrowful cry before abruptly plummeting to the ground, breathing itsst. ??? Huh? What just happened? The abrupt death of the bird left both the white-haired old man and the ck-haired boy dazed. In the midst of this slightly awkward silence, Alicia raised her head with an apologetic look on her face. ¡°My apologies, Lord Brother. It looks like the bird has died.¡± Chapter 203: It’s Fiery Hot on Both Sides

Chapter 203: It¡¯s Fiery Hot on Both Sides

Charlotte Sorofya had never felt as stressed as she did at this very moment. ¡°Based on the rules of the ¡®Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s Engagement Act¡¯, there would indeed be no problems with the engagement contract between Miss Charlotte Sorofya and Mister Roel Ascart. However, ording to Additional use 43a of ¡®Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Engagement Act¡¯, there is a maximum effective duration of 150 years to any engagement signed by the Theocracy¡¯s nobles, and the engagement has to be fulfilled within three generations.¡± Supreme Judge Karsted calmly dropped this bombshell in the meeting room, and its effects were immediately apparent. All of thewyers on Rosa¡¯s side gasped in astonishment, realizing that they had just made a fatal error. The auburn beauty sitting behind them also recoiled a little, unable to believe what she had just heard. Charlotte and Roel¡¯s engagement contract was barely a hundred years old, which meant that there was still some time before the clock would run out. However, the crux wasn¡¯t here but the condition stating that the engagement had to be fulfilled within three generations. Roel¡¯s grandfather, nc Ascart, was only in his twenties when he aided Rosa in the nation founding, but the patriarch of the Sorofyas, Tindi Sorofya, was already in his sixties. While transcendents in this world were considered to be in their prime even in their sixties, it should be obvious to anyone that the two of them weren¡¯t from the same generation. When the engagement contract was signed, Tindi¡¯s daughter was already in her forties and married, so it was clear that he wasn¡¯t nning to marry her but his granddaughter. Unfortunately, nc was already married by then, so the engagement contract ended up being passed down further. So, here came the problem. Roel Ascart, as nc¡¯s grandson, was within three generations, so the engagement contract still applied to him. Charlotte Sorofya, however, was Tindi¡¯s great-granddaughter, making her the fourth generation. In other words, the contract was voided in Charlotte¡¯s generation. When the investigation squad pulled this fact out, all of thewyers on Rosa¡¯s side froze up. No matter how glib of a tongue they had, there was no way they could argue over something as definite as this. Bam! The loud sound of a table being mmed came from Charlotte¡¯s side. ¡°You must be joking with me!¡± In a state of rage, she actually smashed the wooden table into pieces. She rose to her feet and red at the golden-haired girl seated on the opposite end of the room. On the other hand, Nora was much more rxed. She unhurriedly picked up her teacup and took a sip before finally responding to Charlotte¡¯s outburst. ¡°Is there anything wrong, Miss Charlotte?¡± ¡°Of course! Did you think that I wouldn¡¯t read the Theocracy¡¯sws beforehand? There¡¯s no such additional use in the engagement act!¡± ¡°Are you resorting to denying reality now? Have you read the original version of ¡®Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Engagement Act¡¯? If not, you ought to hold your tongue or speak with utmost prudence. Our transcriber is penning down every remark you¡¯re making here. ¡°Also, Miss Charlotte, you seem to be misunderstanding something here. I have never denied the engagement contract between the Ascarts and the Sorofyas. The only one I¡¯m denying here is you.¡± Nora thought about the words Charlotte had skewered her with the day before as she relished in her moment of vengeance. ¡°The hundred-year-old engagement contract between the Ascarts and the Sorofyas hold great historical meaning, so how could I possibly attempt to sully this piece of important legacy? All I¡¯m asking for here is the proper fulfillment of this piece of legacy. I¡¯m afraid that you simply don¡¯t qualify, Miss Charlotte. Perhaps your aunts might want to consider it.¡± ¡°You!!!¡± ¡°Young miss, please calm down!¡± Caloo immediately raised his hand to stop thepletely enraged Charlotte. With his experience in the field, he knew that losing their tempers here wouldn¡¯t do any good. Instead, what they had to do was to change their strategy. ¡°Judge Karsted, may I ask which year was Additional use 43a of the ¡®Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Engagement Act¡¯ passed? Have you brought the original bill here? Based on what I know, the Theocracy¡¯sw books distributed within our Rosa Merchant Confederacy doesn¡¯t contain such a use.¡± ¡°The additional use was appended to the engagement act 120 years ago, in the autumn of Third Epoch Year 890. There was a huge spike in intergenerational marriage frauds back then, and in order to uphold order within the Theocracy¡¯s nobles, our legal department made some modifications to the engagement act, appending four additional uses. Additional use 43a is one of them.¡± Judge Karsted eloquently exined the context behind the additional use so as to add credibility to his words, but Caloo wasn¡¯t falling for it. He waved his hands grandly and bellowed furiously. ¡°Preposterous! Mind you, Judge Karsted, we¡¯re standing in the sacred courtroom right now! You¡¯re telling me that it has been 120 years since the Theocracy revised the engagement act? If that¡¯s truly the case, why is this additional use absent in the Theocracy¡¯sw books sold in the market?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because thew books distributed by the Theocracy are for themon citizens, whereas the additional uses in the ¡®Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Engagement Act¡¯ are directed solely at the nobles. For this reason, these uses have been excluded in thew books widely distributed. Over the past hundred years, this additional use has been invoked in at least dozens of cases, so its existence is irrefutable.¡± ¡°I see. We¡¯ll concede that Additional use 43a of the ¡®Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Engagement Act¡¯ does exist, but we cast suspicion on its timeline and enforceability. While we acknowledge that this additional use was passed prior to the signing of the engagement contract, the ratification of the bill only urred after that. ¡°Aside from that, in view that the engagement contract was signed in Rosa and not the Saint Mesit Theocracy, we believe that the additional uses targeted toward the Theocracy¡¯s nobles are not applicable to the Sorofya House.¡± Caloo¡¯s great reversal effectively bogged down the entire court proceeding once more. By this point, thewyers on both sides had already gone red-eyed, unhesitatingly resorting to all sorts of underhanded tricks against one another. Even Supreme Judge Karsted was disgusted by how the Rosaianwyers were picking at trivial details to force their case. He desperately emphasized the high degree of acknowledgment and enforceability of thew in the Theocracy, but Caloo simply turned a blind eye to it, focusing on just two points: One, he demanded a document of acknowledgment from the Ascart House regarding the changes of the engagement act. Two, he insisted that the Theocracy¡¯s additional uses shouldn¡¯t apply to Rosaian nobles. A heated debate continued to rage in the courtroom, riling up every single person present. Behind the Rosaianwyers, Charlotte felt her heart turning to ice. Regardless of the oue, there was no denying that there was contention over her engagement contract with Roel now, and it could be said to be effectively nullified until they finally came to a conclusion. While her team ofwyers, through their sharp wits, were able to preserve the engagement contract, they were no longer able to legitimately demand its enforcement anymore. With this, her greatest weapon had been crippled. ... Meanwhile, in the Sorofyas¡¯ estate, Alicia was equally heated as well. When Andrew mentioned earlier that manifestations made out of life force could treat him too, Roel¡¯s heart was immediately set at ease. He had vaguely felt a sense of resonance with the bird when Alicia conjured it earlier on, so he had no problem believing those words. If he could absorb that bird, even if he didn¡¯t shoot back to full health right away, he should at least recover by a fair amount. A smile had already formed on his lips as he knew that things were finally going to work out now. After many days of debilitation, he couldn¡¯t wait to recover and move around normally. Yet, the adorable bird he had entrusted his hopes to suddenly copsed to the ground in the next moment. ??? Both Roel and Andrew were confounded. Can a bird made solely out of life force actually die? An iprehensible question that they were doomed to never know the answer to floated in their minds. As imusible as the notion was, the creator of the bird, Alicia, was insisting on it, so there was nothing they could possibly say about it. In any case, the bird was gone. Roel traded nces with Andrew. In the end, they could only conclude that Alicia¡¯s control wascking, resulting in her inability to control the bird for extended periods of time. This begged a new question: How should Roel be treated then? Regarding this, the guilt-ridden Alicia expressed her humble opinion. Manifestation? No no no. Bodily fluids, let¡¯s go! ¡°If I use the manifestation of life force, it could easily lead to an overdose. However, if we do it through my bodily fluids instead, I can control the amount of life force I¡¯m infusing into Lord Brother,¡± said Alicia confidently. Both Roel and Andrew carefully pondered those words before nodding in agreement. It would indeed be much easier to control the amount of life force being transferred if there was a physical medium present. The easiest way to go about it was through bloodletting, but Roel couldn¡¯t bear to see Alicia bleed, so he decided to back down and go with tears instead. Well, it shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem, right? While it isn¡¯t good to say this out loud, Alicia does tear up quite often. With such thoughts in mind, Roel heaved a sigh of relief and asked to start the treatment. While Charlotte should be able to hold on with her thorough preparations, Roel would still prefer to recover his strength as soon as possible. He couldn¡¯t possibly continue to hole himself up in the Hundred Birds Gallery. He would have to take the initiative to visit Carter in order to properly resolve this matter. ¡°We should try to slow the consumption of body fluids. If needed, we can dilute it with water. As much as possible, try to consume only as much life force as you require. That would be much better for your recovery.¡± Andrew listed a few points for Roel and Alicia to take note of before taking his leave. This matter didn¡¯t require much expertise anyway, so there was no need for him to intervene unnecessarily. ¡°Alicia, try to think of sad thoughts and squeeze out a few droplets of tears into this cup. We probably won¡¯t need too much.¡± Roel raised the wine cup in his hand, which was currently filled with Pam wine, as he spoke. A glint shed in Alicia¡¯s eyes. She reached out to take the wine cup, and after staring at it for a moment, she suddenly gulped it down in a single mouthful. Ah? Why did she suddenly drink the wine? Roel was dumbfounded for a moment, but he soon rationalized it with ease. Ah, she¡¯s drinking alcohol to adjust her state of mind. It¡¯s much easier to cry in a drunken state. Woah, she seems like a true professional! While Roel was mentally nodding to himself, the silver-haired girl suddenly leaned in and sealed off his unguarded lips. Chapter 204: Healer Alicia

Chapter 204: Healer Alicia

In the Rosa Conference Hall, the intense fight that was going on between Charlotte Sorofya and Nora Xeclyde finally calmed down a little as both sides took a short break. Due to the acrimony that had built up, the initial n for both teams to luncheon together was canceled. However, Charlotte¡¯s luncheon with Nora couldn¡¯t be canceled out of consideration that thetter was a distinguished guest in Rosa. No matter how unpleasant their courtroom brawl was, there was still a need to observe basic noble etiquette, especially given that Nora was a national guest who hade to offer her blessings. Rosa must now y its part as a proper host. As a result, Charlotte had no choice but to scrunch up her nose and share a pleasant meal with Nora. Even if her heart wished fervently for the other party to disappear from the face of the world¡ªthe same went for Nora too¡ªshe still had to maintain a courteous and respectful front. With hypocritical smiles on their faces, the two of them began digging into their food. The lunch was still rtively peaceful up to this point. Both sides had intentionally restrained themselves to avoid souring the atmosphere, though some snarky remarks couldn¡¯t be avoided. ¡°Your Highness Nora, what do you think of the apanying wine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s passable, though the sweetness is a little overpowering. The food in Rosa really doesn¡¯t fit my pte, though it¡¯s not all just about the food here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Pam wine, a local specialty from the southern area of the Ascart Fiefdom.¡± ¡°...¡± Charlotte exined with a beaming smile on her face, causing Nora to freeze up right away. There was a moment of silence before Nora picked up the wine ss to take another sip. ¡°On second thought, it¡¯s actually not too bad. While the Ascart Fiefdom neighbors Rosa, it isn¡¯t as extreme in terms of taste. It¡¯s much more pleasing byparison.¡± ¡°...¡± Faced with the double standards that Nora was openly disying with her 180¡ã change in attitude, Charlotte was rendered momentarily speechless. She closed her eyes briefly to adjust her state of mind before gesturing to the wine cup and said. ¡°During our journey back to Rosa, my darling and I stopped by a vige and tasted this wine with one another. I realized right away it¡¯s a perfect fit for our Rosaians, sweet like a fated love, and I¡¯d decided to promote this product as a key aspect in our partnership. I¡¯ll be pushing it out using my connections in our uing summer catalog.¡± ¡°Pardon me, Miss Charlotte, but what in the world are you talking about? It disturbs me to see your obsession with delusions.¡± Knowing that Charlotte was trying to unt her love, Nora burst intoughter. ¡°Surely you can¡¯t naively believe that something you happened to stumble upon and fancy would have to be yours? I should politely inform you that the number one business partner of the Ascart House are the Xeclydes, and this fact will never change. To date, we¡¯ve already signed countless partnership contracts with one another. The Pam wine is a product of the Ascart Fiefdom, a specialty of our Saint Mesit Theocracy. If anything, it represents a fruit of thebor between both our houses. ¡°I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s any need to trouble the Sorofya Merchant Association for the marketing of our product. Our church has more than enough connections to push it out ourselves.¡± ¡°Your Highness Nora, you might not be too familiar with the rules regarding businesses, but surely you should understand the basic concept of ¡®firste, first served¡¯? You ought to respect the order of priorities here, whether it be with regards to business partnerships or engagement contracts.¡± ¡°Miss Charlotte, I believe that I¡¯ve already made it clear enough. I do recognize the engagement contract between the Sorofyas and the Ascarts, but you, unfortunately, do not fulfill the criteria. This engagement is illegitimate right from the start, so it¡¯s about time for you to stop identifying yourself as Roel¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡± The crisp ng of a fork piercing through a steak and striking the te beneath rang out. That was a strike on Charlotte¡¯s sore spot, and it infuriated her. However, she knew that she couldn¡¯t lose her temper here, especially not on this asion, or else she would be falling into the other party¡¯s hands. ¡°Speaking of which, Your Highness Nora, are you aware that my darling has a habit of hugging in his sleep?¡± Charlotte suddenly thought of something andunched her counterattack right away. Before the wide-eyed Nora, she began to borate in great detail while revealing a radiant smile that wouldn¡¯t lose out to even the sharpest of daggers. ¡°It might be because hecks a sense of security. He does have a lot on his te, and he says that he feels warm and at ease embracing me. Sometimes, he even falls asleep within moments in my arms. Ah, my apologies. I hope that I didn¡¯t bore you with my story. I shouldn¡¯t have raised a topic that you aren¡¯t able to rte with.¡± ¡°Charlotte!¡± Nora ground her teeth furiously in response to Charlotte¡¯s overt boasting. It took several breaths for her to calm down and return a smile to her lips. ¡°Since we¡¯re on the topic, I do remember how Roel and I were officialized as protector-protectee under the witness of over a thousand people, blessed by the elders of our families. ¡°For nobles like us, the blessing of both our houses is a key factor to a happy marriage. On that aspect, Miss Charlotte, the rtionship you treasure so much doesn¡¯t seem to be going too well. How regretful indeed.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯splexion turned awful. With the two of them taking turns stabbing daggers into one another, the luncheon devolved into a war of sharp looks and res, with neither side in the mood to speak or dine anymore. Interrupting this cold war, one of the maids suddenly walked over to Charlotte¡¯s side, leaned over, and whispered some words into her ears. It was a message from Andrew. After giving some pointers to Alicia and Roel on how to proceed, he quickly shared the news regarding Roel¡¯s impending recovery with Charlotte, knowing that she was counting on this to negotiate with the Ascarts. Hm? Alicia is actually a life force type bloodline possessor? This news shocked Charlotte, and she finally understood why Roel was so rxed all this while. ¡°I see. To think that it¡¯s actually Alicia... How do they intend to proceed with the treatment?¡± ¡°Lord Andrew said that they would be doing it through the transference of bodily fluids.¡± ¡°I see. Transference of fluids... Huh?¡± The realization of what that term meant made Charlotte jerk backward in shock. ... Meanwhile, back over in Hundred Birds Gallery, the avians were currently chirping merrily while basking under the warm sunlight. In order to create a hospitable environment for these birds, the estate was filled with all sorts of nts, be it indoors or outdoors. Even the room Roel resided in had all kinds of potted nts lying around. Wu! Roel struggled instinctively in his wheelchair, only to notice that Alicia was transferring the sweet alcohol to him by mouth. He was stunned for a moment before reflexively swallowing the wine down. Several secondster, they finally parted from one another. Alicia¡¯s fairplexion had blushed red, and she seemed a little short on breath. Her ruby eyes were zed with a thinyer of mist, glistening alluringly. On the other hand, Roel was taken aback by what had just happened. W-what is happening? What is Alicia doing? We could have just done it with teardrops, and that would have been sufficient... Recalling the sweet lingering taste on his tongue, Roel¡¯s face began to redden too. ¡°Alicia, y-you...¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Brother? Doesn¡¯t saliva work perfectly well too?¡± Alicia was still a little short on breath, but before the flustered Roel, she was still able to speak with an earnest,posed tone. Hearing those words, Roel quickly inspected his own body. ¡°It¡¯s working... But the degree of effectiveness is limited. It seems like the quantity of life force is insufficient. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t use this sort of...¡± ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s continue then.¡± ¡°Ah? No, wait a moment... Wu!¡± Roel quickly put up his arms to stop Alicia¡¯s inefficient treatment method, but he was simply too weak at the moment. Just a slight exertion of force and Roel¡¯s defense crumbled right away. With eyes glistening with excitement, Alicia took another sip of alcohol and transferred it over with a kiss once more. When their lips finally parted, she decided not to even bother getting up anymore. She continued hugging him while stroking his hair. ¡°Wait a moment, Alicia. W-what¡¯s wrong with you today? Do you know what you¡¯re doing?¡± Roel¡¯s head was spinning after the two kisses from his sweet sister. He quickly stopped Alicia from drinking more wine and questioned her with a look of iprehension. Alicia had kissed Roel before in the past, but most of those were kisses on the cheek during birthday celebrations. While Roel did need his daily dose of Aliciatonin, he always kept a clear line between the two of them because he viewed her as a sibling. He knew that Alicia adored him greatly at the moment, but he thought that it was a phase which she would eventually grow out of. He felt that there was a need for him to put some distance between them in order to avoid getting too attached. Otherwise, if he could do as he pleased, he would rather not allow her to get married to anyone and keep her by his side. Honestly, he was uncertain about his feelings toward Alicia, but it didn¡¯t feel right for an older brother to hinder his younger sister¡¯s happiness. So, he had never voiced his true thoughts aloud before others. Why do I feel this way? Roel would often ponder this question when he was together with Alicia, but he could never find an answer to it. It was understandable though, for the question he was asking had been wrong right from the start. What he should have asked himself was ¡®How did I turn out this way?¡¯. Roel had never thought of attributing the reason to Alicia before. In his view, Alicia was a little sister who needed to be doted upon and taken care of, so he never tried to think deeper about her actions before. But today, Alicia was giving him a very different vibe from before. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me today? I wonder that too.¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s question, Alicia began thinking about the conversation she had with Charlotte and began murmuring to herself. She slowly got up and gazed at Roel with her ruby eyes, asking softly. ¡°Lord Brother, do you want me to stay by your side for life?¡± Chapter 205: Alicia, You Dare!

Chapter 205: Alicia, You Dare!

Keep Alicia forever by my side? Roel already had an answer to that question in his mind. Yes, I want to, but I can¡¯t voice it aloud. He was Alicia¡¯s big brother, and it wasn¡¯t right for him to draw boundaries for Alicia to stop her from pursuing her happiness. Instead, he should encourage her to explore more and try out new experiences. The world has many wonders to offer someone as young as his little sister. However, logic and emotions don¡¯t always go hand-in-hand. As much as Roel wished the best for Alicia, there was a part of him that wanted to keep her by his side too. When Alicia took the initiative to ask him this question, he nearly sumbed to his selfishness and spoke out his true thoughts, especially since the earlier assaults had muddled his brain. Faced with Alicia¡¯s intent stare, Roel determined that it was due to him getting kidnapped by Charlotte or that Charlotte had said some words that led to her emotions running wild. He could somewhat tell that this was her way of throwing a tantrum, but when he looked into her eyes, he found himself unable to voice out words of refusal to her. Alicia had a striking beauty that would awe anyone at first sight. Roel thought that he had gotten used to her appearance over the years they had spent together, but when she showed him apletely different side of herself, he found the immunity he had painstakingly built up copsing in an instant. ¡°... I do.¡± After a long moment of hesitation, Roel still ended up saying the words that he shouldn¡¯t have. Alicia¡¯s body began trembling, and she leaped forward to hug him so tightly that it hurt a little, bringing back some rationality to his head. ¡°I understand. Lord Brother also wants to stay with me forever,¡± whispered Alicia into Roel¡¯s ears. It looked like her emotions were already on the verge of running amok. Roel, who had finally regained some of his sense, quickly pressed down on her shoulders and attempted to pull the derailed topic back on track forcefully. ¡°W-wait a moment, Alicia! Aren¡¯t we in the middle of treatment? What¡¯s with that method you used earlier on?¡± ¡°What else do you expect, Lord Brother? Are you intending to make me bleed, or do you wish to see my cry?¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what I mean...¡± The embarrassed Roel was struggling to find a mild way to exin why mouth-to-mouth transference was inappropriate, and Alicia made use of this opening to force her point through. ¡°Mister Andrew has already said that we have to carefully control the quantity, or there¡¯s the risk of overconsumption of life force. If we wish to do it by tears, I would have to cry several times in order to produce the required amount. As for blood, it contains far too much life force, such that it¡¯ll be hard to control the quantity. If so, doesn¡¯t that leave saliva as the optimal medium for the transference of life force here?¡± Roel took some time to contemte Alicia¡¯s argument with his heated mind, and it did make some sense. It was much easier to produce saliva, and the concentration of life force was much lower, making it easier to control the quantity. From such a point of view, saliva was indeed the more effective medium. ¡°I do see where you¡¯reing from, but still...¡± The red-faced Roel found himself unable to finish his sentence. There was no doubt in his mind that the act was inappropriate, but it didn¡¯t seem quite right to call it amorous either. Their lips did touch, but all that happened was really just the transference of the alcohol and saliva. It wasn¡¯t exactly a kiss in that sense. On top of that, he was a little afraid of pushing Alicia away too far. While she was officially a member of the Ascart House, in truth, she had been given the choice to leave the Ascart House upon adulthood. In the first ce, Carter had taken her in with the intent of taking care of her so that his oldrade could rest in peace. It was just that the following series of events spurred some thoughts in him, and he hoped that Alicia could officially be one of their own. ¡°Lord Brother, it looks like you¡¯re unaware of your current situation.¡± Seeing how Roel was already down to hisstyer of defense, Alicia pushed her way forward. Maintaining a stern and stoic expression on her face, she looked earnestly into Roel¡¯s golden eyes, allowing her worry for thetter to show through. ¡°Does your sense of shame outweigh the importance of your health? It¡¯s nothing more than a peck on the lips. Shouldn¡¯t you understand your priorities?¡± Knowing that Roel was particrly susceptible to logical arguments, Alicia ced herself in the position of a doctor lecturing an unruly patient. Her judgment was right, for Roel was swiftly led astray by her train of thoughts. He thought that if Alicia was willing to bear the embarrassment, why should he, a man, act so squeamish? ¡°Alright then. I understand.¡± Roel finally gave in with a nod. Seeing that her persuasion had seeded, a delighted smile curled on Alicia¡¯s lips. She grabbed the alcohol and gulped it down before feeding it to Roel. However, behind Roel¡¯s back, Alicia began manifesting a faint light glow in her hand. The Pam wine wasn¡¯t high in alcohol level, but after drinking several cups of it consecutively, Roel started feeling a little weird. He found his body heating up swiftly, as if someone had infused a great deal of energy into his body. Perhaps it was due to the life force acting up in unison with the alcohol, he was actually starting to feel his mind fuzzing out. ¡°A-Alicia, wait a moment. My head feels a little giddy... I don¡¯t know why, but I feel very hot.¡± Realizing that the treatment was headed in the wrong direction, Roel quickly called for her to stop. Alicia was very docile and did as she was told, but her hand that was wrapped around Roel¡¯s body was still infusing more and more life force into him. Wine, intimate touch, and excessive life force; these were the ingredients required for Alicia¡¯s n toe to fruition. Under thebined force of the three, Roel¡¯s breathing began to grow heavy, and the side effects from excessive life force began to be apparent. Wait wait wait wait! What¡¯s going on? Why is it growing stiff? I only had several cups of wine; isn¡¯t this a bit too much? Roel was rmed to see that he was actually reacting. His cheeks grew red, and he hurriedly tried to conceal it. However, what he didn¡¯t know was that Alicia was not an innocent little bunny but a big bad wolf. It was all ording to n, so how could she allow her prey to escape from her grasp? ¡°Lord Brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Knowing that she was already on the edge of sess, Alicia slowly moved her gaze downward before widening her eyes a little. There was a momentary pause of hesitation before she slowly leaned forward and whispered softly into Roel¡¯s ears. ¡°It¡¯s fine... Lord Brother, if it¡¯s you, I¡¯m willing.¡± ¡°!¡± Her words made heat rush right to Roel¡¯s head, and he felt that he was about to explode at any moment. Then, something really did explode. Not Roel¡¯s mind, but the door to the room. Bam! The door was knocked mercilessly into the ceiling before splintering into bits. An auburn beauty wielding Jewel Trigger and a golden angel with a pair of unfurled wings charged right into the room. There they found themselves greeted by a silver-haired girl seated upon Roel¡¯sp. Their eyes dted with fury, and they bellowed with utmost animosity. ¡°Alicia, how dare you!¡± Chapter 206: Green is the Color of War

Chapter 206: Green is the Color of War

When Nora saw Alicia sitting on Roel¡¯sp, just a step away from sealing the deal, she felt something snap in her head, releasing a monster sealed in the depths of her mind. While I was busy dealing with Charlotte, you dared to scheme behind my back to cuckold me? ¡°Alicia, how dare you!¡± Anger had already gotten the better of her rationality, such that her first reaction was to attack. Even while she was speaking, her light wings glowed with incredible radiance before morphing into ten chains that darted toward Alicia like arrows. Charlotte also made her move too. A crisp shattering sound echoed by Roel¡¯s side. The bottle that had been constantly by his side over thest few days had broken, releasing her strongestbat weapon¡ªthe Golden Soul. The Golden Soul glowed brilliantly in resonation to its owner¡¯s mana, swiftly expanding in the air. It wrapped itself around Roel in the shape of a sphere to iste him away from Alicia. Meanwhile, its owner lightly touched her ring. ¡°Jewel Trigger!¡± With a furious murmur, an extravagant magic tool materialized in Charlotte¡¯s hand. The anger burning in her heart was no lesser than Nora. If Nora was infuriated at being backstabbed by her ¡®ally¡¯, the reason behind Charlotte¡¯s anger would be due to the location of the deed. This was the Hundred Birds Gallery, her home. No woman could possibly tolerate being cuckolded in her own home, especially not someone of Charlotte¡¯s standing! Bam! The trigger was pulled. A jewel was crushed into bits, conjuring a cold spell within Alicia¡¯s body. It swiftly diffused via her blood, leaving her feeling as if she had been plunged into ice. At the same time, the golden chains Nora had summoned were already on the verge of reaching her. Under Nora and Charlotte¡¯s simultaneous assault, Alicia was ced in a very dangerous position. However, what was worthy of note was that even though the two girls were infuriated, they didn¡¯tpletely lose their rationality. They knew that they couldn¡¯t really hurt Alicia¡ªat least not in front of Roel, that was¡ªso they opted to control-type spells instead. After the chains were shot, Nora didn¡¯t follow up with any other spells. Charlotte also put down the Jewel Trigger too. Their reaction stemmed from the confidence in their spells. They were certain that their coordinated offense would be able to take down Alicia without any trouble. For one, Alicia was just an adopted daughter of the Ascart House and didn¡¯t inherit the Ascart Bloodline, so others didn¡¯t bear much expectation of her. This was further reinforced by hercking reputation. Putting aside the Saint Mesit Theocracy, there was hardly anyone who knew how strong she was in the Ascart Fiefdom. While Nora did feel threatened by her growing strength, she had never seen thetter in action before, so she didn¡¯t have a clear idea of how powerful she was. As for Charlotte, she didn¡¯t even think that Alicia could threaten her at all, and she was convinced that the battle was already decided. That was why they were going to be surprised. ¡°You two! How long more do you intend to stand in the way between Lord Brother and me?¡± Under the chilling assault, Alicia¡¯s hair began glowing brightly. She red at the two girls who foiled her n with crimson eyes filled with wrath as she began chanting softly. ¡°Spell Dissolution.¡± ¡°!¡± The moment Alicia released her spell, a ripple suddenly swept across the room like a breeze, dissipating the chains that were flying toward her as easily as if wiping off a drawing on a whiteboard. At the same time, the chilling sensation in her body vanished as well. Everything reverted back to normal in an instant. The pupils of Charlotte and Nora dted in astonishment. They couldn¡¯t believe that Alicia was actually able to use the powerful anti-magic spell, Spell Dissolution. This was one of the strongest means of dealing with other transcendents, so every transcendent would make sure to learn it. Even the most stubborn swordsman who chose to neglect his study of spells for the sake of mastering the sword would learn it too. However, the effectiveness of this spell was conditional on one factor¡ªraw power. It could only dispel spells that were weaker than it. For Nora and Charlotte, who were the strongest in their level, the only way to truly overpower them was to be of an entire Origin Level higher than them. In other words, Alicia had to be at Origin Level 3. ¡°Origin Level 3?¡± ¡°How could this be? This girl...¡± Unable to believe the horrifying conclusion they had just arrived at, both Nora and Charlotte froze in ce. One must know that Alicia was two years younger than them; it was already a terrifying feat if she could reach Origin Level 4 at her age. It was unthinkable for her to be an Origin Level 3. That would be breaking the record of the whole of humankind by a huge margin! ¡°Wait a moment, that¡¯s not it. She¡¯s amplifying her spell through some other means!¡± ¡°... Ah! She¡¯s using her life force to strengthen the prowess of her spell!¡± Seeing the faint light glowing from Alicia¡¯s body, Nora widened her eyes in realization. Mana Overload. This was an extremely difficult hard spell to grasp and was hardly used by anyone. Its effects were fairly straightforward¡ªit amplified the prowess of one¡¯s spells, allowing one to exert prowess that would be otherwise impossible. However, this spell remained little used because it sapped one¡¯s life force. No sane transcendents would hurt themselves for the sake of casting a spell or two, especially since there was no guarantee that they would be able to defeat their opponent with it. But for Alicia, that problem was nonexistent. In fact, this applied not just to Mana Overload but almost every single spell in the Sia Continent. To put it simply, a life force type transcendent could swiftly recover from the side effects of spells. Unlike what Nora and the others previously thought, Alicia didn¡¯t rise to Origin Level 4 that quickly due to her talent. What yed a greater role was er bloodline. Ordinary transcendents could only practice their spells several times every day before being forced to rest under the side effects of their spells, but with her bloodline, Alicia could practice it dozens or even over a hundred times every day without worry. If Charlotte and Nora¡¯s talenty in their ability to swiftly master their spells, Alicia¡¯s talenty in her ability to release all brakes and work as hard as she could. Due to that, she was able to ovee her limits and grow faster than anyone else. Of course, even if she could swiftly recover from the side effects of spells, the endless process of getting hurt and recovering was still incredibly excruciating, enough to drive an ordinary person insane. However, in order to be able to remain by Lord Brother¡¯s side, she gritted her teeth and pushed on determinedly. That was also the reason why Carter had such a good impression of her. Seeing how she continued to push herself in order to grow stronger despite being in pain, even the most cold-hearted of individuals would be moved by her effort. In Carter¡¯s view, the most reliable person in the Ascart House wasn¡¯t Roel nor his guards; it was Alicia. If a day came where Roel was in grave danger, there was little doubt that Alicia would forsake her life to stand in front of him, and one could be certain that she would wreak havoc before falling. If Alicia were to reach Origin Level 3, she could potentially bring down an Origin Level 2 transcendent together with her. Of course, Carter wished that such a situation would never happen, but her devotion still won her a lot of brownie points from him. For the first time, in a state of fury, Alicia finally revealed her true prowess before others. The overwhelming strength she disyed forced both Nora and Charlotte to reassess the threat she posed to them. Charlotte immediately summoned her Golden Soul, causing the golden fluid to flow around her like soldiers escorting their queen. Meanwhile, Nora¡¯s golden eyes gleamed brightly as a light crown formed on her head. Mana flurried within the room as the trio eyed one another warily. ¡°Miss Alicia, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re going overboard for pulling something like this while I¡¯m dealing with a kidnapper? Besides, you shouldn¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still an adopted daughter of the Ascart House. Roel is still your brother in name!¡± ¡°Please watch your words, Your Highness. I didn¡¯t kidnap Roel. Miss Alicia, do you have no sense of shame doing something like this on my estate?¡± ¡°How dare the two of you criticize me after interrupting a rare moment of intimacy between Lord Brother and me? It isn¡¯t your ce to interfere in the internal affairs of the Ascart House! Miss Charlotte, if you think that this ce is inappropriate, I¡¯ll bring Lord Brother over to our ce then. I trust that you have enough tact not to interrupt the harmonious reunion of a family, right?¡± Alicia showed an unprecedentedly forceful attitude before the other two. With each word being uttered, the surrounding atmosphere grew heavier as the mana channeled around them grew stronger. ¡°I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s anything else left to be said here. It doesn¡¯t seem like we can evere to apromise. ¡°Indeed. I have no words for shameless women who covet my fianc¨¦.¡± ¡°I was the first one to meet Lord Brother, and it should have been just him and me. The lot of you who cameter are an eyesore to us.¡± After expressing their final thoughts, Nora drew the sword hanging by her waist and extended her light wings outward. Charlotte summoned a golden idol and constetion behind her, prepared to use her strongest spells. Alicia conjured a white bird that fluttered around her before perching on her shoulder, waiting for an opportunity to unleash a devastating spell. The mana that suffused the room came in all colors and forms. The silence prior to themencement of the battle was stifling. After finishing their preparations, the triounched their attacks simultaneously. Charlotte raised her gun and pulled the trigger, shattering the jewels inside into innumerable curses that gushed toward the other two in the form of a ck dragon. Nora shed her sword downward, unleashing a torrent of light toward her enemies. Alicia raised her hand, and the white bird on her shoulder vanished silently to form a distorted outburst of crimson light that radiated outward terrifyingly. This was the full prowess of the most talented young transcendents in this era. Their attacks disyed might that had already far surpassed that of ordinary Origin Level 4 transcendents, and the powerful pulsation of manabined together shook the earth intensely... but this amazing prowess was soon undone. Boom! A gigantic explosion sounded, but it wasn¡¯t arising from the collision of all of these spells. Rather, a massive skeleton had burst out of the barrier of the Golden Soul and broke through the roof before smashing right down at the center of where the three spells would have collided. Under the punch of the skeleton, the ck dragon was smashed into bits, the golden torrent of light dissipated, and distorted outburst of crimson light scattered. Amidst this utter chaos, a voice quivering with rage sounded. ¡°Are you all done messing around?¡± Chapter 207: The Imposing Roel

Chapter 207: The Imposing Roel

In Hundred Birds Gallery, a ck-haired boy stood at the center of a crimson skeleton manifested out of mana as he gazed quietly at the three girls who had gone all out against one another. Under his steely gaze, Alicia, Nora, and Charlotte nced at one another, but not one of them made a sound. It was all-out war just a moment ago, but a queer silence in the next. Roel looked at the three girls grasping onto their weapons and couldn¡¯t help but heave a deep sigh in his heart. To be honest, he still hadn¡¯t made full sense of the situation yet. From his perspective, just a moment after Alicia whispered into his ears, the door was suddenly sent sting off. Then, the bottle of Golden Soul beside him shattered and wrapped around him, leaving him with only his mana to perceive the happenings in his surroundings. While he wasn¡¯t able to see or hear anything from inside the barrier of Golden Soul, his ability to perceive through mana was still fairly decent, though the trio outside caused such a huge ruckus that it made it much easier for him to do so. Whether it be Nora and Charlotte¡¯s initial outburst or their final showdown after negotiations broke down, Roel could sense them as clearly as if he was sitting upon a mountain of fireworks. Everything was rattling in his perception, leaving him dumbfounded. They are fighting one another? When that thought surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind, his instinctive reaction was disbelief. How could that be possible? I mean, look at who they are! Nora, princess of the Theocracy and future sessor of the Genesis Goddess Church. Charlotte, the first miss of Rosa and heiress of the Sorofya House. Alicia, the young miss of the Ascart House. They were among the highest ranking young nobles on the Sia Continent, all of them role models for others. They ought to be graceful and magnanimous. Even in a state of rage, they would never vent their emotions violently but deal with it in a more mature manner. It was unthinkable to think that they woulde to blows with one another just like that. So, Roel shook his head, thinking that he had made a mistake somewhere. He thought that the Golden Soul might have simply amplified the pulsations of mana, distorting his perception. However, when the ground really rattled beneath his feet, he immediately jerked in horror. He might have mistaken the mana pulsations, but surely he couldn¡¯t possibly mistake the trembling ground beneath him? What in the world could the three of them be doing to shake even the ground? Roel didn¡¯t have an answer to that question, but he knew for sure that thismotion definitely couldn¡¯t be caused by a peaceful conversation between the three of them. Out of anxiety, he decisively chose to make his move. It was while he was channeling his mana that he realized that his affliction had beenpletely cured, and his connection with Grandar had been re-established. While feeling amazed by Alicia¡¯s means, he also gained the confidence to intervene in the fight and force the trio to mediate their differences. And through borrowing Grandar¡¯s power, he managed to achieve his objective. ¡°So, who wants to exin to me what you were trying to do earlier?¡± In the room, Roel patted off the dust from his body before ring at the stunned trio snappishly. Just thinking about what had nearly transpired earlier gripped his heart with fear. They were not fooling around with their attacks earlier. If the three spells had really collided with one another and exploded, it could easily cause half of the mansion to copse, and that would only be the start of their problems. The true crisis would start when the news of their battle started being bandied about. It was one thing to be on bad terms privately, but them turning against each other publicly was noughing matter, not to mention that they even rolled up their sleeves and came to blows. Without a doubt, this would be a smudge on their reputation, and some might even use it as a tool to further their political agenda. Under Roel¡¯s stern tone, the three girls immediately thought of the implications of their actions and fell silent. ¡°You, Nora Xeclyde, represent the Theocracy and the church. You, Charlotte Sorofya, represent the Sorofya House and the whole of Rosa. You, Alicia Ascart, represent our Ascart House, me, and our father. Do you think that people of your standing have the privilege to wilfully do as you please?!¡± Roel pointed his finger at the girls who had done wrong and harshly berated their thoughtless actions. Before his fury, Nora averted her gaze, Charlotte lowered her head, and Alicia began tearing up. ¡°It¡¯s because wuuu it wasn¡¯t easy for me to find an opportunity to have some private time with Lord Brother, but they interrupted me wuuu...¡± said Alicia with her voice choked up with indignance. Her pitiful appearance stabbed deep into Roel¡¯s heart, spurring an urge in him to rush forward and console her. However, with the other two present, he had to uphold an impartial front, so he forcefully pushed that thought from his mind. He exhaled softly and mellowed his tone a little. ¡°Regardless of the reason, you should have never allowed things toe to this point. Fighting amongst one another ispletely uneptable, not to mention that the three of you even caused such a huge ruckus in the middle of the city. All of the high level transcendents in Rosa should have already sensed what you did; it won¡¯t be long before my father and the others arrive here. How do you intend to exin the situation to them?¡± The question Roel posed loomed heavily above the heated minds of the trio. Putting aside Charlotte and Alicia, who would soon be berated by their fathers for their dangerously wilful actions, even Nora¡¯s face had turned slightly pale as well. ¡°If we im that it¡¯s a spar... no, it doesn¡¯t seem likely that we¡¯ll be able to pass it off with that.¡± ¡°Father and the others wouldn¡¯t believe that.¡± You don¡¯t say! Sparring right before a patient like me? One would have to be as dumb as a rock to believe something like that!, Roel scoffed in his mind. He nced out of the window to see the maids and guards who were rushing over. Not wanting there to be too many eye-witnesses, he bellowed for them to stay away before turning his attention back to the three girls. This situation made his head hurt too. He had to find a way to cover up this matter before the elders arrived, otherwise it would be no joke if it led to a conflict amongst the executives of their respective powers. ¡°Grandar, it looks like I can only have you take the fall for this one.¡± ¡°Feel free to use my power to conceal the mana pulsations lingering in the area.¡± After much consideration, Roel apologized to the massive skeleton, though Grandar didn¡¯t think too much into it. Crimson mana swiftly swept across the room, casting ayer of undead reanimation upon everything in the room. ¡°This should be enough, right?¡± murmured Roel as he nodded in satisfaction at his handiwork. He was just about to thank Grandar when he suddenly felt something choking him as it climbed up his throat. The next second, he spurted out blood from his mouth. The hell, what¡¯s going on here? Is this a blood stasis? Roel stared at the sudden burst of blood he spurted out with a look of confusion whereas the other three girls were utterly horrified. Nora immediately swooped over to Roel¡¯s side, and Charlotte quickly followed suit. The nearest Alicia had already begun diagnosing his condition with her mana. ¡°L-Lord Brother? What¡¯s wrong? Are you in pain?¡± ¡°Roel, c-calm down a little. I know that I¡¯ve done wrong here, and I¡¯ll reflect over my actions.¡± ¡°Darling, I won¡¯t do this ever again, so pleasepose yourself.¡± Alicia anxiously checked on Roel¡¯s body as she asked about his condition. Nora¡¯s body trembled a little as she uttered some rare, yielding words. Charlotte quickly wiped off the blood from Roel¡¯s mouth, and she looked so nervous that it looked like she was going to burst into tears. No no, you¡¯re misunderstanding it. I didn¡¯t spurt blood out of anger. It¡¯s most likely... Wait a moment! Roel was just about to rify the situation when he noticed the anxious looks of the girls around him, and an idea surfaced in his mind. He allowed his body to fall limp as he began breathing raggedly. ¡°T-the lot of you... are really going to be the death of me. Huff huff. If you dare to do it again...¡± ¡°Wuuu, we won¡¯t dare to do it ever again! Lord Brother, I will never wilfully get into a fight ever again!¡± ¡°Roel, I promise you that too. You aren¡¯t in a good state at the moment, so calm down a little.¡± ¡°Darling, I know that it¡¯s my fault, and I won¡¯t do it again.¡± Seeing how their loved one had been agitated to the point of throwing up blood, Alicia bawled sorrowfully as tears flowed down her cheeks. Under her influence, Charlotte also began weeping silently too. Nora didn¡¯t have much experience with tearing up, so she cupped Roel¡¯s cheek reassuringly to calm him down. Under the coaxing of the three girls, Roel¡¯s rage was finally dissipated. However, with his temper fading, another emotion apanied by lust started to take dominance. The whispers and the physical intimacy was just too much for his already abnormal condition and surging vitality. ¡°Alright, I trust you. So... can anyone bring me some ice cubes?¡± asked Roel through clenched teeth. Chapter 208: A Woman’s Fault, A Man’s Fall

Chapter 208: A Woman¡¯s Fault, A Man¡¯s Fall

Inside a bathroom vaguely veiled by water vapor, Roel leaned against the corner of a huge bathing pool as he stared at the extravagant hanging lights above him in a daze. A long momentter, he breathed out deeply and lowered his head to gaze downward. ¡°...¡± It still isn¡¯t resting, huh? Looks like I need to bathe a little longer. ¡°Haaa.¡± Roel sighed deeply as he scooped up some water and sshed it on himself, hoping to cool his overheating head. However, it was hardly effective at all. Truth be told, Roel¡¯s senses were a mess at the moment. The excessive life force he had absorbed was currently rampaging within his body. He felt like someone who had drunk an entire vat of ginseng wine, leaving him with more energy than knows what to do with. Looking at his body, which had turned light pink like a crab fresh from the steamer, he couldn¡¯t help but remember the chaos that had transpired just an hour ago. At that time, in order to recover from an extreme case of life force deficiency, he underwent special treatment from Alicia. This was all in ordance with Andrew¡¯s suggestion, but for some reason, despite having chosen the easier to control bodily fluid transference method, he still ended up taking in a severe overdose of life force. Roel was initially intending to collect Alicia¡¯s tears for the treatment, but due to the vehement rejection from thetter, they ended up going for a rather amorous ¡®wine feeding¡¯ instead. It should have been easier to control the dose of life force through this method, but for some inexplicable reason, he still ended up taking in too much. Even up to this moment, he still couldn¡¯t understand how he ended up in his current state. In the end, he could only conclude that the life force he had received from Alicia had ended up reacting with the Pam wine, resulting in an unexpected amplification of the side effect. He felt like his entire body was being swallowed by the heat, especially when Nora and the other girls were hanging around him earlier. In the end, he could only quickly escape the scene and try to cool himself down in an ice bath. For some inexplicable reason, he kept having the feeling that those girls weren¡¯t too willing for him toe back to his senses. In fact, there was a look of displeasure on their faces when the servants delivered bags of ice over. However, there was no time for him to think deeper into it, for greater trouble awaited him. Around ten minutes after the three girls came to blows with one another, Carter and Bruce arrived on the scene together with Andrew and a few other notable figures. When the two fathers saw the door lodged in the ceiling, as well as the huge hole caused by Grandar when he manifested earlier on, they couldn¡¯t help but nce at one another. It would appear that Roel¡¯s intervention was a sess. Grandar¡¯s appearance had messed up the ¡®crime scene¡¯ sufficiently that the high-level transcendents were unable to make out what had happened. While everyone was still trying to make sense of the incident, Roel stepped forward to take the me. ¡°Lord Father, Uncle Bruce, I took in too much life force while recovering from my injuries earlier and ended up failing to control my mana properly, resulting in an unfortunate mishap. It¡¯s good that Alicia, Nora, and Charlotte were present to stop me, or else the consequences could have been dire.¡± Roel¡¯s apologetic tone left Carter and Bruce brooding deeply. The two of them traded looks before ncing at the three stiffened girls standing by the side. Honestly, it didn¡¯t take much effort to determine the truth. Ah, it looks like my child has grown up. She even knows how to fight for her man now. Such thoughts arose in the two fathers¡¯ hearts, leaving them feeling a little wistful. Bruce took another look at the apologetic Roel and immediately understood what he was trying to do. To put it simply, Roel was showing them a way to defuse the situation. He even went to the extent of destroying the ¡®crime scene¡¯ so that he could take the me. It was really rare to see someone of his age able to be so meticulous and to handle the situation maturely. Naturally, Bruce chose not to pursue the matter but to cooperate with Roel. ¡°I see. It¡¯s indeed an unfortunate ident, but it¡¯s good that no one was hurt.¡± With those words, Bruce was setting the tone for how the matter should be handled¡ª¡¯an unfortunate ident¡¯. He stepped forward to hold the hands of the apologetic Roel andforted him. Illness was always the perfect excuse for any idents that ur. Roel was, after all, a patient, so any mistake he did couldn¡¯t possibly be out of his own volition. It¡¯s just a roof! Is that even an issue at all? As expected of the patriarch of a merchant n, Bruce was extremely skilled with his words. Both Carter and Roel felt quitefortable with the way he phrased everything, and the atmosphere in the room grew harmonious. The other high-level transcendents who tagged along also wisely chose to go along with the flow. After a series of ¡®empathetic exchanges¡¯, Roel, havingpleted his mission, took his leave and went to use the bathroom for a much needed cold-water bath. Now that he finally had some time to himself, he began thinking over the events that had happened over thest few days. ¡°Grandar, are you there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± A heavy and slightly hoarse male voice echoed in Roel¡¯s ears. Following that, a surge of crimson mana zapped across the air and drew out a small skeletal figure before him. Roel heaved a slight sigh uponying eyes on this skeleton, and he began voicing out the question he had been bottling up in his heart. ¡°I had a dream a while ago...¡± While resting in the cold water, he began exining to the skeleton what happened that night. Grandar listened to Roel¡¯s story quietly, barely reacting at all, but when Roel mentioned that he had caught the attention of a pair of eyes, the light in the skeleton¡¯s eyes narrowed a little. ¡°... That could be troublesome.¡± When Grandar gave his view toward the matter, Roel couldn¡¯t help but frown grimly. Roel had been saved by Grandar multiple times now, but thetter had always described most of the threats he faced as ¡®minor¡¯ and ¡®small¡¯. It was as if there was nothing too big for this humongous giant to handle. Yet, for the first time, he actually described something to be ¡®troublesome¡¯. ¡°Is the owner of that pair of eyes powerful?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The window was closed when you had that dream, so I couldn¡¯t sense anything at all. However, the ability you absorbed indeed originates from a powerful monster. If that monster is the envoy of the Mother Goddess, it¡¯s likely that Her powers are far beyond measure.¡± ¡°Grandar, had you not heard of the Mother Goddess back in your era?¡± ¡°I could have. Perhaps it¡¯s because my head has be empty, but I¡¯ve forgotten many things from the past. There are many details in my previous life that I don¡¯t recall anymore.¡± Grandar hesitated for a long while before adding on. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s time to find some subordinates for you.¡± Chapter 209: Call My Men!

Chapter 209: Call My Men!

For the longest time, whenever Roel raised the topic of the ¡®subordinates¡¯ of the Strength Origin Attribute with Grandar, thetter never seemed to be too enthusiastic about it. In the eyes of the towering giant who used to rule in the ancient era, any transcendents who hadn¡¯t reached Origin Level 3 were no different from scrubs. They were all categorized into the same basketbeled ¡®insignificant. Of course, Roel was the exception. The Crown Origin Attribute was a special Origin Attribute. On top of its normal functions as an Origin Attribute, it was capable of disying tremendous prowess when used in unison with its uniqueplementary bloodline. In extreme situations, through the power of the contractees, it was possible to challenge and defeat enemies that were far stronger than oneself. The act of borrowing power wasn¡¯t without downsides though. It could lead to the power of the contractees pervading the individual, resulting in a series of troublesome side effects. That being said, there was little question that a transcendent possessing this bloodline and Origin Attribute was a huge, unpredictable variable. If he set his mind to it, even an emperor could possibly be dragged down from his throne. ¡°You weren¡¯t that deep in trouble previously, and I have been able to deal with those rats hiding in the shadows thus far. However, the situation might change in the future. Having numbers could be an advantage at times too.¡± Roel was rather surprised to hear those wordsing from Grandar. Giants were renowned for their overwhelming individual prowess, such that the concept of ¡®teaming up¡¯ wasn¡¯tmon to them. Yet, Grandar was actually asking him to bulk up his forces at this very moment! ¡°There¡¯s a limit to a person¡¯s energy, no matter how powerful he may be. I do understand this concept, but when ites to manpower, the Ascart Fiefdom should have plenty of people, no?¡± The Ascart House might be terrible in other aspects, but its military prowess was one thing it could definitely be proud of. If Roel were to quantify it, it was probably at least two times stronger than the other ducal or marquess houses. However, Grandar shook his head in response to Roel¡¯s question. ¡°I don¡¯t mean ¡®numbers¡¯ in that sense. I¡¯m saying that you should keep some people who can fight by your side.¡± ¡°...¡± It was like Grandar to use terms like ¡®can fight¡¯, but his concept of that phrase was definitely not the same as how most people would define it. ¡°... Origin Level 3?¡± ¡°It would be best if it¡¯s higher than that.¡± ¡°Ah, this...¡± Roel¡¯s expression became a little strained upon hearing those words. The Ascart House did have Origin Level 3 transcendents on its side, but those who had reached such a level were all close aides of Carter, each tasked with important responsibilities. Even though Roel was the sole son of the Ascart House, it was a huge waste of resources to have those people remain by his side 24/7. Cases of high-level transcendents serving as full-time bodyguards, such as in the case of Grace and Charlotte, were extremely rare. Not to mention, even the extravagant Sorofya House would agree that Grace¡¯s capabilities were being put to waste, just that Grace herself insisted on doing it. Ultimately, Origin Level 3 transcendents simply weren¡¯t thatmon in the world. Demand for them was high and supply was low. Almost all of the Origin Level 3 transcendents of the Three Main Origin Attributes were taken, and those who adopted unique n Origin Attributes tended to serve their respective houses. Unless the Ascarts were to assimte their house, no one would abandon their own house just to protect Roel. Through this process of elimination, the only ones whom Roel could feasibly take under his wing were just the high-level heretical transcendents. Naturally, there were also many others before him who had thought of hiring high-level heretical transcendents too, especially the kings of weaker kingdoms who desperately needed greater power to reinforce their authority. Despite so, there were still very few cases where a high-level heretical transcendent was employed in the long-term. There was an undeniable chance that a heretic could fall into depravity, and the potential damage that could be caused by a rampaging Origin Level 3 transcendent was honestly too much for just about anyone to bear. But while it was a risky venture for others, the dangers were fully averted in Roel¡¯s case. After all, he possessed the highest authority over two Origin Attributes at the moment. Grandar and Peytra; they were the loftiest existences in the ancient era, transcendents who had reached the peak of their respective fields. All transcendents in the present world who used the same Origin Attribute as them came under their influence and control. Roel still wasn¡¯t too sure what Peytra¡¯s Origin Attribute was, but he was quite familiar with Grandar¡¯s. ¡°Are there many transcendents using the Strength Origin Attribute?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not so. The Strength Origin Attribute isn¡¯t suited for human use, so...¡± I guess that makes sense too. Considering the resilience of giants, the Strength Origin Attribute is probably one of the cruder, rougher ones. It¡¯s unlikely for there to be too many humans who are suited for it. It seems like I have no choice but to drop the idea then. Roel sighed softly. He was going to abandon the notion when Grandar finished his sentence. ¡°... there are only two who barely meets the mark. ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s truly a pity... Hm?¡± Wait a moment, what did you just say? Roel was still feeling disappointed a moment ago when Grandar¡¯s words suddenly sank in, and he immediately raised his head. There was a brief moment of silence between the two of them before the massive skeleton asked. ¡°Origin Level 3s. Do you need them?¡± ¡°Yes yes yes! Call them over! I¡¯ll take any amount you have!¡± replied Roel with fists clenched in agitation. Even amongst heretical mercenary groups, those that had two Origin Level 3 transcendents could be easily ced in the upper tier. On top of that, with Grandar holding firmly onto the steering wheel, there was no fear of them suddenly falling into depravity. There were no better allies that he could look for! Roel was excited by the notion, but at the same time, some worries surfaced in his mind too. It was true that this deal was almost fully beneficial to him, but what about the heretical transcendents of the Strength Origin Attribute? How would they view this matter? It was true that most heretics lived unttering lives in the present Sia Continent, but they were still able to make a living in some of the smaller kingdoms which valued power greatly. In such ces, Origin Level 3 transcendents could potentially qualify for the position of a general, allowing them to live fairly grandly. Even if Roel wanted to take them in and was willing to offer them substantial money for it, would they really be willing toe along with him? Grandar had an answer to that too. As a transcendent higher up on thedder, he had the ability to bestow blessings upon the heretical transcendents of the Strength Origin Attribute. ¡°Quickened rate of mana cirction, reduced side effects, increased chances of a breakthrough...¡± Grandar listed out the various blessings he could bestow, leaving Roel so awestruck that his eyes were nearly bulging from their sockets. His confidence was swiftly inting like a hot air balloon! Quickened rate of mana cirction basically meant an increased rate of assimtion of mana. To put it in much simpler terms, it increased the pace at which one was able to make a breakthrough. Without a doubt, this was like a dream buff that all high-level transcendents desired. Putting aside those heretical transcendents, even Roel coveted the blessings too. With this as leverage, it would greatly reduce the cost required for the Ascart House to poach them over. In fact, he reckoned that the heretical transcendents would be begging to stay once they had a taste of the blessings Grandar had to offer. ¡°I¡¯ll be keeping my spirit vision on for the time being. If they wish to seek protection, they¡¯lle here on their own ord. You can also talk to the Earth Goddess about this. I believe that she¡¯ll agree to it too.¡± After saying his piece, Grandar vanished into thin air. It was likely that he was getting to work right away. Roel thought back about the conversation he just had, and he could feel his entire body tingling in excitement. Building up one¡¯s own following was definitely no easy feat. Even Nora was just inheriting her father¡¯s connections since those of the younger generation had yet to mature. However, what Roel was doing now was to pull together his own team. While the results of building one¡¯s following and inheriting a predecessor¡¯s connections might appear to be the same, there was actually a huge difference between the two. For one, the extent of loyalty was bound to be different. On top of that, Roel was bringing in people whom the Ascart Housecked. It was true that the Ascart House did have a huge military, but due to the limitations of its finances and noble rank, its number of high-level transcendents was limited. If he could put together a following of high-level transcendents, that would make up for thest weakness of its military. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Peytra about it afterward. It would be great if she has people over on her side too.¡± Having learned of the benefits the presence of these ancient gods brought about, Roel began making some calctions in his mind. If I continue to bulk up the Ascart House, it¡¯ll definitely be an additionalyer of guarantee on my safety. Ah, but I should quickly make a breakthrough to Origin Level 4 too while taking in the heretical transcendents. Grandar and Peytra were his cheat keys, but just relying solely on his cheat keys wouldn¡¯t do. He needed to bulk up his own strength too, especially in the case of unexpected crises. The previous Witness State on the Golden Fleet was one such example. There was also one thing that Roel had noticed due to the conflict that happened just earlier on. He realized that Alicia¡¯s strength was far greater than he had initially estimated it to be. He knew that Charlotte and Nora were at Origin Level 4, which meant that Alicia was likely to be on the same level too since she was able to fight on equal grounds with them earlier. Toward this fact, Roel was both shocked and a little depressed. He thought that Alicia, under his care and protection, wouldn¡¯t be so obsessed with transcendent powers anymore. So, it came as a huge shock when he realized that Alicia¡¯s powers were actually greater than what was detailed in the Eyes of the Chronicler. How did things turn out this way? Just where does her motivation stems from? Roel started doubting himself as he pondered upon this question. He wondered that Alicia was secretly working hard on her transcendent abilities because shecked a sense of security when she was with him. Little did he know that it was the opposite. Alicia was afraid that she wouldn¡¯t have enough strength to protect Roel, which was why she was working herself down to the bone, training hard to improve her abilities. ¡°... I really have to make a breakthrough soon.¡± Oblivious to Alicia¡¯s true thoughts, Roel toughened his determination as he turned his sight toward the System once again. The Commemoration of Debt Repayment event wasn¡¯t over yet, but there weren¡¯t any breakthrough serums in the 70% discount store. Having been tortured by the side effects of his spells over thest month, Roel was particrly worried about treading wrongly with his breakthrough. He knew the severe risks that coulde with a failed breakthrough, and he was determined to lower the probability of anything going awry. Huh, what¡¯s happening? Did the Lobor series die out? I thought that there¡¯s an entire line of Lobor products all the way to the top! Seeing that the serum he was looking for wasn¡¯t inside the Gold Coin Shop, Roel felt a little deted. It was always frustrating when something one was looking for isn¡¯t there just as one needed it. However, while he was casually browsing through the Affection Points Exchange Shop, there was something that caught his attention. ¡°Wait a moment, isn¡¯t this...¡± Chapter 210: Count a Bell In!

Chapter 210: Count a Bell In!

Roel had been keeping a close eye on the Affection Point Exchange Shop over the past few years as he would often find things that were beneficial to the governance of the Ascart Fiefdom there. If he had topile a list of meritorious subjects who had contributed greatly to the current swiftly economic development of the fiefdom, the Affection Point Exchange Shop was ranked in the first few ces. That being said, while Roel had exchanged quite a few stuff there, most of his purchases were deliberate and intentional. To be more exact, he only bought things he understood and needed, like the incinerator, wooden bricks, and such. These were things he knew that he could definitely put to good use. There were items that werebeled with iprehensible names and descriptions in the Affection Point Exchange Shop too, and he tended to stay away from them. In the dregs of his distant memories, he could still faintly recall the deep disappointment he felt when he purchased an item known as ¡®Skeleton Pallbearer Army¡¯. ¡®Till I know what it¡¯s for, I shouldn¡¯t waste my money on it¡¯, that was the lesson Roel walked away from that experience. Due to that, whenever he saw abstract item names such as ¡®Convene of Glory¡¯ and such, his first reaction was to simply overlook it. Not understanding what these items were used for was one thing, but they tended to be darnedly expensive too. In his experience, he came to realize that those with iprehensibly abstract names tended to be ridiculously expensive, easily costing hundreds of thousands of Affection Points. While the Alicia Mine did produce huge harvests of Affection Points, still, he couldn¡¯t just squander it away just like that! Fortunately, Roel¡¯s poprity had been rocketing over thest few years due to his work as the good work he was doing managing the fiefdom. Just by taking a stroll around the city each day, he could easily rake in a huge amount of Affection Points. If he really was in need of more, he could even hold ¡®Meet Your Fief Lord¡¯ sessions. In name, it was an event to gather the opinions of the civilians and understand their needs, but there was no rule stating that a proxy fief lord couldn¡¯t harvest Affection Points while uncovering and solving problems. While Alicia individually provided a huge deal of Affection Points to him, the truth was that Roel had already found an even more efficient method. However, just like how the human body could temporarily abstain from food but couldn¡¯t stop breathing, he had his own philosophy regarding this matter too. I can earn Affections Points whenever I want, but I can¡¯t miss my daily intake of Aliciatonin. Due to this line of thought, Roel ended up not earning as much Affection Points as he potentially could have. Fortunately, it was still enough to purchase most things that he needed, and he even managed to save up 200,000 in his ount... though 80,000 of it came from the frightening, explosive outburst from Charlotte a while back. And today, Roel unexpectedly found something in the Affection Point Exchange Shop that caught his attention. ¡¾Bell of Protection Calming tolls of the bell grants one serenity; the blessing of protection bestows one peace. Price: 500,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡¾Monthly Discount % off selected goods in the Affection Points Shop! ... Bell of Protection Discounted Price: 250,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡°...¡± Roel was overjoyed when he first saw this item. The System¡¯s shops would refresh every month, so there was a chance he might find the Lobor serums in the shop next month. However, he was reluctant to slow down the advancement of his transcendent abilities right now, especially not after he became aware of some of the threats looming above him. But after a short moment of excitement, doubts began surfacing in his mind. Will it really work? How effective will it be? After much consideration, Roel decided to get doubleyers of insurance. While the Bell of Protection was expensive, it was currently discounted and was barely affordable to him. He was more than willing to invest Affection Points for his own safety. At the same time, he could also treat this as an experiment for ¡®items with abstract names¡¯ and use this as a gauge in the future. As for the otheryer of insurance, it was basically normal advancement serum. Advancement serums had always existed on the Sia Continent, be it in the ancient era or the current era. Roel was currently sitting in the heart ofmerce of the Sia Continent, the prosperous Rosa; as long as he was willing fork out the money, he should be able to acquire a top quality advancement serum without any problem. Admittedly though, the pharmaceutical industry seemed to be rather underdeveloped in the current era, so even if he purchased the best advancement serum there was out there, its effectiveness probably wouldn¡¯te close to that of the Lobor serums. Roel had no idea how good his doubleyers of insurance would work out, but this was the best n he coulde up with at the moment. Having made up his mind, he finally rose from the bathtub and stepped ashore. ... After the ¡®fighting incident¡¯ was concluded as an ident, both Charlotte and Alicia were taken away by their fathers. While Bruce and Carter had chosen to overlook the matter in public for the sake of maintaining friendly ties, it didn¡¯t mean that the girls would go unpunished for their folly. Nora was fortunate that there was no one to lecture her there, but after what had happened here, she chose to obediently return for the time being. So, at least for today, Roel was able to get some peace. From how Roel had taken the initiative to take the me for the incident, Bruce was able to get a grasp on the personality of his prospective son-inw. Perhaps due to that, when the servants delivered an exquisite box containing an borately carved ss bottle, they didn¡¯t speak a word about the price at all. It was only when Roel picked up the bottle and asked about it that they finally answered as such. ¡°Young master Roel, you¡¯re an esteemed guest of our Sorofya House. It¡¯s our honor to be able to attend to your needs during your stay in the Hundred Birds Gallery. Please feel free to ask anything of us.¡± Leaving behind such words, the smiling maid took her leave. Roel sighed helplessly. After some consideration, he decided to ept the Sorofyas¡¯ goodwill. It would appear rude and distant of him if he were to turn down their kind intention here. It was not as if the Sorofyascked money anyway. Having thoughts things through, Roel began examining the transparent fluid inside the ss bottle carefully. Maybe it was because it hade from the Sorofyas, but this serum clearly screamed of ¡®high-quality good¡¯. It was yellowish-orange in color, resembling alcohol a little. It had a light delicate smell that wasn¡¯t too pungent. In terms of appearance, it was definitely way better than the Lobor serums. It was just that appearances were of secondary importance when it came to serums. Roel turned his sight toward the System and stared at the Bell of Protection hesitantly for a moment. A long whileter, he finally tapped on the ¡®Purchase¡¯ button with gritted teeth. With a sh of light, the super item that cost a whopping 250,000 Affection Points finally made its appearance! Roel thought that the Bell of Protection would be huge from its description, but it was unexpectedly small. It was a small ck bell that had a traditional appearance. It was roughly half the size of Roel¡¯s palm, allowing him to easily hold it in a single hand. Despite it smaller size though, it had borate carvings that resembled runes on it. Staring at this old, mysterious little bell, Roel felt a little more reassured. He ced the two items on the table before looking out of the window. He had finally recovered from his deficiency in life force and the side effect of asional chills, so the only side effect that continued to gue him was his condition of undead reanimation. Since that was the case, there was only onest thing he needed to do now. It was time to share a long-awaited dinner with Little Miss Angel. Chapter 211: Sweet Encouragement

Chapter 211: Sweet Encouragement

It was yet another peaceful night in Rosa City. A refreshing breeze swept through the streets with a hint of spring¡¯s warmth. Sitting on a chair, Roel looked past the railings to gaze upon the bustling night scene beyond the tower he was in. A long timeter, he remarked wistfully. ¡°Rosa sure is a prosperousnd.¡± Unlike the modern world, the concept of ¡®night life¡¯ wasn¡¯tmonce in the Sia Continent. Illumination tools in this era weren¡¯t particrly expensive, but it was still a cost in itself. On top of that, their degree of illumination was poor, making them not particrly functional. Therger a city was, the more difficult it would be to light it up at night. ces like the Ascart City would usually be plungedpletely into darkness a few hours after nightfall. Its people were already ustomed to rising at dawn and sleeping at dusk, a habit inculcated due to their environment. As one of the most prosperous cities in the world, Rosa¡¯s night was very different from that of the rest of the world. Its streets and alleys were filled with special ores the Sorofyas had mined from the southern mountain range. They lit up just by infusing mana into them, recing traditional light sources. When night fell over Rosa, lights of different colors would fill the city, breathing life into the streets. Night markets were established and swiftly grew in poprity, attracting huge crowds. It made Roel feel as if he had returned back to his previous life. ¡°It truly is a prosperous city, but this means it¡¯s noisy too. I prefer the peaceful night of prayers in the Holy Capital much more. ¡°Everyone has their own preferences. As the heart of the church, the Holy Capital does feel much more solemn and quieter.¡± ¡°Which do you prefer?¡± Sitting opposite of the dining table, Nora ced her wine cup down as she looked at Roel intently. Roel felt his heart skip a beat. He sensed that there was something different about Nora today, so he took some time to ruminate before answering. ¡°I like them both. When I¡¯m bored, it¡¯d nice to drop by Rosa to uncover novel delights. When I¡¯m feeling frustrated, the calming prayers echoing in the streets of the Holy Capital will put my heart at ease. Of course, I still prefer Ascart City the most. It¡¯s my home, after all.¡± Sorry, but my nest is still the best of all. Faced with Nora¡¯s deliberate question, Roel threw out a third answer and dug his way out of the trap. Surprisingly, Nora didn¡¯t respond to his answer. She turned her head beyond the railings to quietly gaze at the distant scenery. Faced with such a peculiar response, Roel¡¯s forehead gradually furrowed. ¡°...¡± What¡¯s going on? Roel was perplexed. It was an hour ago that Roel arrived at Nora¡¯s residence in Rosa City. While undead reanimation was quite a rare status condition, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to dispel. The medical team in Rosa were more than equipped to deal with it. However, as he was in a rush to advance his Origin Level, as well as considering the fact that it had been a while since hest met Nora, he decided to pay her a visit. The Xeclyde¡¯s Angel Bloodline had many practical uses, and one of them was curbing the effect of undead reanimation. With Nora¡¯s help, it didn¡¯t take long for Roel to fully recover. However, during the treatment, Roel noticed that Nora was in low spirits. It felt like she was brooding over something. He initially thought that she was feeling down due to the mistake she made earlier, leading to her feeling a little awkward before him. However, from the looks of it now, it seemed like she had really stumbled onto a problem. ¡°Nora, is there anything you¡¯d like to say to me?¡± After careful consideration, Roel decided to cut right into the issue. Nora turned her head over upon hearing his question. Her mouth opened and closed hesitantly several times before eventually converging into a deep sigh. Nora Xeclyde was indeed in a bad mood at the moment. Charlotte¡¯s question earlier in the banquet was a thorn in her heart, leaving her feeling incredibly frustrated every time she thought about it. Due to her position as the sessor to the Theocracy¡¯s crown, she had her hands full with work and had hardly any time to spend with Roel., resulting in their long-distance rtionship. All along, she thought that their weekly letters and asional short ¡®video calls¡¯ were enough to sustain their rtionship, but Charlotte¡¯s appearance had fully awakened her sense of danger. Simr to how Alicia had suddenly be aggressive due to Charlotte¡¯s appearance, Nora was also profoundly affected by her presence too. She found herself weighed down by doubts, and she was suddenly deeply fearful of losing Roel. ¡°Roel, there¡¯s a question that I¡¯ve been wanting to ask you all along... Are you happy being with me?¡± After a long internal struggle, she finally bucked up her courage to ask her question. Roel widened his eyes in astonishment from the abrupt question before confusion seeped into his eyes. Nora was one of the most esteemed individuals in the younger generation. Be it through the Saint Mesit Theocracy or the Genesis Goddess Church, she wielded immense influence that could stir ripples throughout the whole of the Sia Continent. Even Charlotte¡¯s father, Bruce, would have to maintain a respectful attitude to her. Was it even possible for anyone in the world to be unhappy to have a girl like that swearing on her honor to protect him? ¡°Nora, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you asking such a question?¡± ¡°All this while, I have been forcing you to go along with me and my peculiar interests. I don¡¯t know if my forceful attitude has repulsed you...¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was stunned by the question. It took a while before he sighed deeply and responded. ¡°Say, just what in the world is going through that mind of yours? Don¡¯t you know better than anyone else what kind of person I am? If I really disliked you, you wouldn¡¯t even have an opportunity to get close to me at all. Besides, have I ever asked you to change anything?¡± Roel rubbed the center of his forehead in frustration before looking at the astounded golden-haired girl in the eye and continued. ¡°Nora, I don¡¯t think that humans should restrain one another through their bonds. Instead, they should be trying to support one another. It¡¯s unlike you to change so easily just because of another person¡¯s opinion.¡± ¡°!¡± His clear and concise words shattered Nora¡¯s inner conflict, awakening her from her dilemma. Under the intent gaze of his golden eyes, the worries that had been weighing her mind down slowly dissipated, and her hesitant sapphire eyes regained their usual hardy gleam. ¡°... You¡¯re right. This is really unlike me.¡± The golden-haired girl exhaled softly as a smile returned to her face. When she finally raised her head once more, she had already returned back to her usual confident self. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t do for me to be wishy-washy as your protector. Besides... I also know deep down that I can¡¯t change myself.¡± A leopard can never change its spots. Nora was a natural predator in the world; those instincts were instilled in her from birth. She could suppress her nature for Roel¡¯s sake, but a day woulde where she wouldn¡¯t be able to repress herself anymore. She also knew that Roel wouldn¡¯t want her to do that either because he knew what the real Nora was like. She was a person who was going to inherit the pride and glory of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, a high and lofty figure. It was only a matter of time before she took over as the queen and became one of the leaders of mankind. There was no need for her to change at all, and there was no one who could make her change either. ¡°You are Nora Xeclyde. There¡¯s no one in this world who can control you, so it¡¯ll be fine as long as you remain you.¡± Roel gazed at the distant mountain range as he spoke deeply. His understanding words touched the golden-haired girl¡¯s heart. Her eyes glistened a little as her instincts began to grab hold of her once more. ¡°I understand. To affirm your words, won¡¯t you give me some encouragement?¡± Noticing Nora¡¯s quivering body, Roel was taken aback for a moment before finally nodding his head slightly. Indeed, words are empty. I should offer her support if she needs me... What does her ¡®encouragement¡¯ refer to though? Roel was still wondering what he had to do in this situation when he suddenly saw Nora washing her hands using a Cleansing Spell. ??? Wait a moment, why does this scene look oddly familiar? Realization suddenly struck Roel, causing his face to warp in astonishment. But before he could stop Nora, thetter had already dabbed her finger into a jar on the table to scoop up a bit of fruit jam. She rose to her feet as lust cloaked her saintly face. She gently licked on the jam on her finger before delivering it before the dumbfounded Roel. ¡°Come, have a lick. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s sweet.¡± Nora persuaded gently with a face flushed in excitement. Her inviting eyes, her alluring disposition, and her perfect appearance created an irresistible charm that drew others in. Roel¡¯s head heated up as he tried to reject her, but recalling how downcast she was earlier, he found himself wondering hesitantly if he should go along with her so as to encourage her. A long timeter, under the intent gaze of sapphire eyes, he decided to fulfill his promise. ¡°Only this time.¡± Roel muttered his condition with a deep sigh, and Nora nodded in response. Then, Roel averted his gaze as he leaned forward to suckled on her finger. Just the thought that Nora had licked on the jam earlier made his face turnpletely red. On the other hand, Nora could feel the slight movements of his tongue, and it sent shudder through her body. Her pupils gradually dted in excitement. ¡°!¡± Looking as the man she loved licked her finger, her breathing grew heavier. After ten seconds of pleasure, Roel finally lifted his head and backed away with aplicated look on his face. ¡°... This should be enough, right?¡± ¡°Mm. This is enough,¡± replied Nora with a nod. ¡°Now it¡¯s time for the reward.¡± ¡°Ah? Reward?¡± Roel blinked his eyes in confusion. The next moment, Nora suddenly leaned forward and sealed his lips, delivering thest bit of jam lingering in her mouth to him. I guess I should be satisfied with this much for now. Nora thought as she enjoyed her dessert. Chapter 212: Only Request

Chapter 212: Only Request

While Roel was dealing with Nora¡¯s sudden aggression at the highest balcony of Seyer Tower, Charlotte Sorofya was sitting in the midst of another battlefield, facing what could arguably have been the toughest challenge she had ever faced in her life. She was currently having dinner in the Sorofyas¡¯ second estate, Kairos Manor. However, unlike the light-hearted dinner between Nora and Roel, it was much more solemn over here. There was only one guest here tonight, and that was the patriarch of the Ascart House, Carter Ascart. The invitee was Bruce Sorofya, but this wasn¡¯t a secret meeting between the two of them since they were apanied by a third person. Charlotte dined gracefully into her dinner as she listened to the light chatter between the two patriarchs. They had been chatting since the previous day, so it was only natural that they were much more familiar with one another now. As such, their conversation took a much more casual tone than before. ¡°Marquess Carter, it looks like the weather over on your side is much better than in previous years.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s ddening that this year¡¯s winter isn¡¯t as cold as the previous years, but the snowfall is still as heavy as ever. It¡¯s good that Rosa has a much stabler climate. Your agricultural harvest should be decent this year.¡± ¡°Haha, indeed. Our agricultural department estimates that we¡¯ll have a good harvest this year.¡± Bruce took a sip of wine as he replied with a smile. He discreetly nced sideward and saw that Charlotte was much more nervous than usual, and he sighed softly in his heart. So far, since the start of the dinner till now, the serving of the desserts, the three of them had been mostly engaged in idle chatter. After spending a great deal of time padding and building up good rtions, Bruce finally began making his move. ¡°Marquess Carter, I¡¯m really apologetic about this incident. Charlotte was simply too concerned about Roel that she acted rashly.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Mister Bruce, there¡¯s no need to apologize. Our Alicia is at fault here too. She¡¯s too devoted to Roel that such a ridiculous incident ended up urring. We should be the ones apologizing here instead.¡± ¡°Marquess Carter, you¡¯re too courteous. Speaking of which, it¡¯s thanks to Miss Alicia that we were able to treat Roel¡¯s affliction. Roel and Charlotte have visited a ruin and retrieved many of our missing technology and heritage from the Sofya Kingdom. He¡¯s the benefactor of our Sofya House, and we¡¯re relieved that his affliction has been resolved without a hitch.¡± The two fathers chatted with another amidstughter whereas Charlotte¡¯s face grew even paler. Marquess Carter was explicitly showing his support for his adopted daughter, Alicia. Most importantly of all, throughout the conversation, not once had Carter mentioned anything about the engagement contract at all. Under Nora¡¯s interference, the engagement contract between the two houses had been practically rendered meaningless. Charlotte might still be holding onto the title of Roel¡¯s fianc¨¦e, but in truth, it was just an empty agreement now that it no longer wielded binding power. Inparison, Nora and Alicia, who had Carter¡¯s acknowledgment, were clearly in a more advantageous position. It was an uphill battle for her here. She knew that Roel wasn¡¯t the type of person to be too concerned about this¡ªhe tended to be more concerned with the immediate feelings of those he was with¡ªbut dating and marriage were two different things. If she wanted to discuss marriage with Roel, Carter was a mountain whom she couldn¡¯t circumvent. For that reason, she dared not to move carelessly out of fear of making a mistake. She decisively sought Bruce for help over here, but up till this point, Carter¡¯s attitude still showed no signs of changing at all. ¡°Roel has helped us recover important historical relics of our Sorofya House, many of those we have searched for centuries but to no avail. I believe this to be a sign from fate that the friendship between both our houses has reached its moment of reckoning, and it¡¯s time for us to pull our ties closer than ever.¡± ¡°Hahaha, Mister Bruce is too kind. Roel is just heeding the calling of his bloodline; it¡¯s an unexpected surprise that he was able to find the relics of the Sorofya House. However, I do agree that we should pull our ties closer. Our Ascart Fiefdom still requires much help and support from Rosa for its economic development.¡± Seeing how Carter humbly diverted the topic elsewhere, Bruce maintained a smile on the surface, but he felt a little helpless on the inside. At the same time, Charlotte was also put at a loss as to what to do. Even till now, Charlotte still couldn¡¯t figure why Carter was so opposed to the rtionship between her and Roel. She was the sessor of the Sorofya House, disying a great talent for governance even when she was still nine. Despite her small profile then, she was already respected by the leaders of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. Be it her talent, standing, and capability, there was not a w one could pick from her, but all of these seemed to mean nothing before Carter. Just how am I insufficient? What did I do so wrong for Roel¡¯s father to detest me so much? Is it because I forcefully brought back Roel with me? No, that¡¯s not it. Carter¡¯s interference traces even further back than that... Charlotte clenched her fists tightly as she began biting down on her lips. There were so many doubts and grievances in her heart, but facing the father of the man she loved, she dared not to voice her feelings aloud and question him. She, who had never shied away from any setting, actually found herself frightened and intimidated. This was the first time she was fighting a battle without any information to work on, as if she was fumbling blindly through the dark. To make things worse, this was a battle she absolutely couldn¡¯t lose. The price of losing her precious love was too great for her to bear. ¡°Well, it¡¯s getting quitete now. Mister Bruce and Miss Charlotte, it¡¯s about time for me to take my leave.¡± After an impable casual conversation over dinner, Carter bade his farewell with a polite smile. Bruce shot a sideward nce at Charlotte, who had been quiet the whole dinner, and noticed that she had stiffened up upon hearing Carter¡¯s words. Both of them realized right away that this dinner had been in vain. It¡¯s truly a pity. This should have been a good opportunity for us to further the matter, but Carter is simply too adamant on his stance. I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll be hard to push through with Charlotte¡¯s marriage... It was impossible for Bruce not to pessimistic after Carter had made his attitude plenty clear, and Charlotte¡¯s unnaturally poor performance tonight also left him feeling deeply anxious on the inside. Her heart had been shaken due to her love for Roel, resulting in her fumbling before Roel¡¯s father. The cowardice she had shown before Carter was likely to be viewed as a w. To show her true, outstanding self to win over Roel¡¯s father; this was what Charlotte should have done. However, it¡¯s all toote now. With such thoughts in mind, Bruce stood up to see Carter off. Meanwhile, Charlotte also stiffly rose to her feet as well. She felt like her head was fuzzing out. She knew that this private dinner was the best opportunity for her to win Carter over, but her performance was more horrendous than she had expected. Looking at Carter¡¯s departing profile, she suddenly thought. If I let him leave just like that, what I¡¯ve shown thus far will be Marquess Carter¡¯s impression of me. I-I must do something! But... what can I do here? Her mind was a nk, and her breathing reflected her erratic thoughts. Her strung up nerves made it hard for her to make a move at all. She struggled to figure out a solution in order to turn things around, but at this moment, she suddenly remembered the instant the terrifying ck monster arrived before them, when she pulled the trigger and fired the final defensive curse into Roel¡¯s body. Her love transcended life and death at that very moment, triumphing over the primal fear guing all humans. This is nothing at allpared to what we went through back then. Even the terrifying Sire Darkness couldn¡¯t sever the feelings we have for one another! Am I going to surrender my love just like this? ¡°You must be kidding me...¡± murmured Charlotte softly. She raised her head as her emerald eyes reflected the courage of a soldier determined to fight against all odds. Carter¡¯s impregnable defense was built upon his skillful dismissal of the hints constantly dropped on him. In the circle of nobility where pride and honor were of utmost importance, it was almost impossible to pierce through his defense. However, Charlotte wasn¡¯t out of options just yet. In this desperate moment, under Bruce¡¯s gaze, she nervously walked up to surprised marquess and bowed deeply. ¡°Uncle Carter, I know that it¡¯s abrupt, but I hope that you can spare me a few moments. There¡¯s something I would like to tell you. ¡°I¡¯m in love with Roel, and I plead with you not to hinder our love. This is the only request I have in my entire life.¡± Chapter 213: Breaking the Encirclement!

Chapter 213: Breaking the Encirclement!

The moment Charlotte decided to walk out and confront Carter, she suddenly received an epiphany. ¡®What could she do to move Carter?¡¯, this was a problem that she hadn¡¯t been able to figure out a solution to all along. Carter was a powerful vassal of the Theocracy, the patriarch of one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses. With the power and authority he wielded, there was hardly anything the Sorofyas could offer to change his will. However, if she were to put aside all of those titles and view him as the father of a single-parent family, a man who had lost his spouse for many years and had yet to marry even after many years, there was one thing she could think of that was likely to be able to touch him. Earnest sentiments. In the pragmatic circle of nobility which valued interests above all else, Carter was one of the rare few who disyed great sentimentality, especially when it came to the feelings between a man and a woman. While political marriage was the convention in high society, he remained true to his feelings and opted for a marriage built on love. This was also the reason why he didn¡¯t have a high opinion of their engagement in the first ce. No matter how they phrased it otherwise, this was indubitably a trade between both of their houses. But what if Charlotte could prove to him that this was something more than a trade? What if she could show him her true sentimentality, something that he valued above all else? These were all deductions from Charlotte at the moment, and she had no way of knowing if she was right or not. However, she was willing to bring out her truest feelings here to make this gamble. ¡°I¡¯m in love with Roel, and I plead with you not to hinder our love. This is the only request I have in my entire life.¡± The moment Charlotte bowed down, everyone in the room was astonished, be it Bruce or Carter. The extravagant old clock ticking by the side of the room had never sounded as clear as it did at this moment. A few secondster, Carter finally frowned with a troubled look. ¡°Miss Charlotte, you might be misunderstanding something here. Rise up, and we can...¡± ¡°Uncle Carter, I believe that you¡¯re also aware that I¡¯ve been misled in my first meeting with Roel...¡± Before Carter could dismiss Charlotte¡¯s request, thetter suddenly raised an old incident. This immediately caused Carter¡¯s face to darken. He thought that Charlotte was ming him for that incident by raising it at this timing, which caused his mood to sour a little. Charlotte was aware that he would react in such a manner, and her following words caused him to widen his eyes in surprise. ¡°I have no qualms about that matter. It wasn¡¯t just those who misled me who thought that our engagement was inappropriate; I, too, believed the same as well.¡± As she said those words, Charlotte finally raised her head to face Carter with her emerald eyes. ¡°A hundred-year-old engagement contract sounds momentous, especially if one considers the historical context behind it too. However, marriage isn¡¯t something that should be determined by the past. It represents the future, signifying a choice between two individuals to support one another through thick and thin. It¡¯s beautiful and sacred, and it shouldn¡¯t be bound by anything.¡± ¡°... Yes, that¡¯s indeed the case.¡± ¡®Believer of Freedom of Love¡¯ Carter nodded in acknowledgment of Charlotte¡¯s interpretation of marriage. Seeing that the other party was willing to hear her out, Charlotte¡¯s heart quivered in agitation. She thought about her entire rtionship with Roel before continuing on. ¡°That was why many misunderstandings arose when I first met Roel. It might even surprise you to know that we started off hating one another, but love and fate are ever so unpredictable. ¡°We encountered many dangers while searching the ruins of the Sofya Kingdom. We fought alongside one another, bravely barging through obstacle after obstacle so as to save one another. Roel once stepped forward to take a blow for me, and I once entrusted my final hope of survival to him. It¡¯s in such an environment that our love bloomed. There were many difficulties that could have brought us down, but our feelings for one another helped us to ovee all odds and emerge victorious. ¡°Uncle Carter, do you think I can give up on Roel after all we have been through?¡± said Charlotte with a choked-up voice. This was the first time Carter was hearing of the experiences Roel and Charlotte had been through, and it left him at a momentary loss. Seeing this, Charlotte didn¡¯t push her case further but silently lowered her head once more. ¡°Uncle Carter, I know that I camete. I¡¯m unable to protect Roel as Her Highness Nora can, and I don¡¯t have the deep bond he shares with Miss Alicia. However, I¡¯m confident that my feelings for Roel won¡¯t lose to anyone! Please, give me a chance. I¡¯m begging you...¡± Halfway through her words, Charlotte¡¯s teardrops had started trickling down and stained the mat beneath. Carter was also stunned by the intensity of her emotions. Charlotte¡¯s earnest sentimentality came as a huge shock to Carter, and it moved him. For a moment there, he seemed to see the profile of his already deceased wife, as well as those nobles who vehemently opposed his marriage back then. He had never thought that he would end up standing in the same position as them many yearster. An indescribable emotion welled up in his heart, and the look he directed toward the auburn-haired girl became gentle. ¡°Haaa, I¡¯ve grown old.¡± The ck-haired middle-aged man sighed softly as he gazed down at the weeping Charlotte. ¡°Child, get up... I¡¯ll ede to your request.¡± ¡°Uncle Carter? You mean that...¡± ¡°I won¡¯t oppose your rtionship with Roel anymore, but at the same time, I still won¡¯t approve of it yet.¡± Carter sighed deeply. He had already expressed his support for Nora and Alicia earlier on, so this was already the greatest leeway he could give to Charlotte. ¡°I don¡¯t have the power to control Roel¡¯s thoughts. You only have yourself to count on here.¡± ¡°Y-yes, I understand! Thank you!¡± To some degree, those words showed that Carter was finally acknowledging her. All of her pent-up worries and tension in her heart were finally released, yet her tears still wouldn¡¯t stop streaming down. It has been so difficult, so difficult... Having finally made aeback, Charlotte felt that she had finally managed to take a step forward. While Carter only promised not to get in her way, his neutrality would still increase her chances of winning by manyfold. After giving his response, Carter turned to Bruce and apologized for the matter. Bruce naturally voiced his understanding of the matter while inconspicuously dropping a good word for Charlotte. Toward that, Carter revealed a slightly bitter smile, but he didn¡¯t say anything at all. The children can sort it out by themselves. There¡¯s no need for me to interfere here. With such thoughts in mind, Carter looked out of the window to gaze into the dark night. ... Under the same night sky, Roel had finally escaped from the clutches of a dangerous angel and was gasping for air in his carriage. Thinking about the events that had transpired earlier in the Seyer Tower, he realized that he might have unintentionally made a grave mistake. Having known Nora Xeclyde for a while now, he was very familiar with her personality, which was also why he was a little shaken to see her in such a low mood. He had never seen such a side to her before, and his astonishment was further exacerbated when he realized that he was the reason for it. It was this tinge of guilt that wavered his determination, leading to him making a wrong decision when Nora offered her finger to him. The consequence of his mistake was dire¡ªNora ended up going on a rampage. Just gazing out of the window to look at the balcony of Seyer Tower, Roel¡¯s face began reddening uncontrobly. ¡°No one should have seen it, right?¡± murmured Roel as he touched his lips lightly. Due to Nora¡¯s earlier overexcitement, she bit down on his lips while kissing him. It didn¡¯t really hurt since she did pay attention to the force she exerted, but still, it made Roel more conscious than ever of her tendencies. ¡°Tsk. Now that I think back on it, there are so many problems with what I told her. I advised her to be herself, but that¡¯s no different from encouraging her sadistic tendencies!¡± Roel clutched his head in frustration as he swore to himself that he would be wiser the next time around. It was in such an exasperated mood that he returned to his room in the Hundred Birds Gallery and looked at the two items ced on the table. Having undergone Nora¡¯s Purification Spell, his condition of undead reanimation had been dispelled. With that, there was only one thing left to do. He first instructed the servants not to disturb him before uncorking the bottle on the table and gulping it down. Then, he sat on a chair by the side and gazed at the ck bell beside him. Tonight, I shall advance to Origin Level 4! Chapter 214: Your Father is Worried for You

Chapter 214: Your Father is Worried for You

The medicine tasted surprisingly decent, carrying a slight tinge of sweetness too. Roel suspected that it was an intentional choice, considering how Rosaians were terribly fond of sweetness. He turned to the Bell of Protection on the table and stroked it lightly as a doubt surfaced in his mind. How do I use this? The mostmon way to use the bell was simply to ring it, but the notion of periodically ringing a bell while attempting to make a breakthrough felt oddly ludicrous, almost like a shamanistic ritual. He considered it for a moment, but he decided not to ask the maids for help. He wanted to try infusing his mana into it first. It was supposed to be quite a high-level magic tool after all, so it didn¡¯t make much sense for it to be triggered manually. As a matter of fact, he was right. The moment his mana flowed into the ck bell, it suddenly came to life. Deep chimes that sounded as if they hade from a long time ago reverberated ceaselessly. The iprehensible runes inscribed on the surface of the bell began wiggling about. With a crisp chime, the runes rose into the air and formed a special domain around Roel. In his daze, he seemed to hear the distant chimes echoing in his head, but bizarrely, the ck bell on the table wasn¡¯t moving at all. ¡°Is this some sort of barrier?¡± Roel examined the area around him before finally nodding in realization. A warm sensation began surging around his body as drowsiness started to weigh down his mind. Amidst the gentle, deep chimes, theposed Roel channeled his mana around his body to push for a breakthrough. The room fell silent. ... The following morning, a ck carriage emzoned with the eye of the candlelight arrived at the wide courtyard of the Hundred Birds Gallery. The guards were able to recognize right away that it was the exclusive carriage of the Ascarts, so they greeted them respectfully before granting them passage. From the butler down to the guards, there was not a single person in the Hundred Birds Gallery who was unaware of the situation concerning the Ascart House. To use an apt yet not so apt phrase, the sessor of the Ascart House was currently a stay-in lover here. Knowing the intention of the young miss, the servants of the Hundred Birds Gallery naturally treated the Ascarts even more amicably than usual. As a result, Marquess Carter found himself faced with the smiles of the servant when he alighted from the carriage, to which, he responded with a nod. Under the butler¡¯s lead, he was soon brought to the guest room. It had been several days since he arrived at Rosa, and the festivities had mostlye to pass. Quite a few private meetings had happened during this period of time, and they managed to resolve most of the problems and establish good rtions for future partnerships. Carter figured that it was about time to meet with his kidnapped son, and he was surprised to see that Roel was more spirited than ever. Upon closer examination, he jolted in astonishment. ¡°Hm? Did you manage to make a breakthrough?¡± With his sharp perception, Carter was able to keenly sense the mana Roel was emanating, leading to him asking in shock. Roel honestly answered his father with an affirmative nod. The knowledge that his son had managed to reach Origin Level 4 delighted the middle-aged man greatly. ¡°I could have never imagined... Your talents as a transcendent were severelycking in your younger years, so I thought that it was impossible for you to achieve anything significant in your lifetime. Yet, you actually awakened our family¡¯s bloodline...¡± Carter looked at Roel with a wistful look on his face. Making a breakthrough to Origin Level 4 was a major event. There were probably around several hundred children of high nobles in the present Sia. While most of those were empty titles, the average strength of this group of people was significantly higher than that of theirmoner and lower noble peers. Roel was currently thirteen. When he came of age next year, he would be heading to the Country of Schrs to study together with the other elites of the human world. Most of them would still be young and hot-blooded, so they were likely to value strength more than anything else. Origin Level 5 was already considered to be in the high tier there. Students who managed to reach that level wielded great say in the academy and were granted special privileges. Even so, they weren¡¯t unique. The world was a huge ce, and those who underestimated the limits of human talent would usually be humiliated in the end. But it was a whole different world for those who had managed to reach Origin Level 4. It was the demarcator separating top talents from the others. Be it Nora, Alicia, or Charlotte, they were extremely talented transcendents who stood at the top in the current generation. Even ayman could tell that they were different with a single nce. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said about Roel. In Carter¡¯s view, it should have been difficult for Roel to reach Origin Level 4 even if he had awoken the Ascart Bloodline. Yet, Roel broke his expectations through sheer hard work. This made him both delighted and ddened. On the other hand, Roel was just feeling awful. His body was in a bad condition at the moment. After trying out the best advancement serum in the present Sia, he finally understood just how wondrously amazing the Lobor series was. Yes, it didn¡¯t look extravagant and came with rather entric side effects, but it delivered what it promised without a hitch. Be it the perfect pair of the fake alcohol, he would fall asleep right after consuming it, and by the time he finally regained consciousness, everything would be done and over with. On the other hand, the advancement serum he took this time around only served to support his breakthrough; he still had to carefully channel his mana and guide it around. It took him an entire night before he finally seeded. Roel¡¯s wariness paid off this time around, for the Bell of Protection ended up ying a crucial role here. The process of making a breakthrough was both intense and stressful, making it easy for one to lose patience upon stumbling upon an obstacle and err. However, the Bell of Protection granted him something reminiscent of a blessing, fortifying his heart against nervousness and impatience. One thing he noticed about the Bell of Protection was that its effect was equal within the barrier, meaning that its effectiveness remained the same no matter how many people were inside it. This was weed, of course, since it was always more fun to have more people working out together. On the other hand, Carter thought about the happenings over thest few days, and Roel¡¯s newfound strength was really reassuring. He beckoned Roel over to his side before revealing the aim behind his visit. ¡°Roel, I need to talk to you about your marriage.¡± Chapter 215: You Don’t Know Shit At All

Chapter 215: You Don¡¯t Know Shit At All

As the patriarch of the Ascart House, Carter¡¯s goal had always been quite straightforward¡ªI want many, many grandchildren. The Ascart House was one of the few noble houses whose lineage remained thin despite having sustained its legacy for a thousand years now. It was oftencking in members, such that it wasn¡¯t rare for the house to have only a single sessor in line. Carter¡¯s father, nc Ascart, had once exined the unique traits of the Ascart House to him when he was younger. Child, the members of our house are good at one-on-one, but we won¡¯t survive group battles. Why, you ask? That¡¯s because we don¡¯t even have a group at all! Carter could still remember the hopeful look in his father¡¯s eyes when he said those words, seemingly pinning great expectations on him. Unfortunately, his father was doomed to be disappointed. As per family tradition, Carter ended up bearing a sole son for the Ascart House. When he realized that his son was of mediocre talent¡ªor to put it in other words, an ordinary human¡ªhe was inevitably disappointed for a period of time, but he soon thought things through. This could be a blessing for the Ascart House in some ways. One of the key responsibilities of a noble was to bear sessors so as to sustain their lineage. If Roel was weak, he wouldn¡¯t be entrusted with heavy responsibilities, thus giving him plenty of spare time in the fiefdom. What else would a perfectly functional grown man do when he had an excess of spare time... As fact would have it, it was usually in eras where the patriarchs were of mediocre talent that the Ascart House tended to have more offspring. One reason was because they had more time to ¡®woohoo~¡¯, and the other was because they had more wives. Their ipetence as a transcendent meant that they were only able to marry down to the daughters of earls. Needless to say, an earl¡¯s daughter wouldn¡¯t have the power to stop her marquess husband from taking in concubines, so the patriarchs in such generations usually ended up having a huge harem and many children. It was just that the same problem would crop up a few generationster. When the patriarch became strong once more, his wife would be of significant backing, possibly a talented transcendent too. Naturally, the patriarch wouldn¡¯t be able to take in concubines, and what made things worse was that a couple consisting of two transcendents gave rise to the lowest possible birth rate. Carter had read and seen all sorts of ridiculous situations in the family history and the circle of nobility over the years, but still, he couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy when he saw the women gathering around Roel. He could sense it in his bones: It was the calm before the storm. The princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the sessor of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, and the young miss of the Ascart House; the gathering of these people could easily make the headlines in international news. Perhaps it was due to the history of those who had awakened the Ascart Bloodline being short-lived, all three of them were particrly worried and protective of Roel. With great motivation fueling them, their powers rocketed at a ridiculous speed. It would already be amazing to find even a single transcendent of their caliber in previous generations, but three of them had appeared at the same time... and what was even frightening was that neither of them were willing to back down here. Just two days ago, they even fought with one another over Roel! At this rate, no matter who Roel chose in the end, would the other two really be willing to step down? Take Alicia for example, she had worked herself down to the bone in order to raise her strength, bearing with the pain to practice her spells again and again. She was pushing herself this far in hopes that she could one day marry Roel and live in bliss with him. If Roel were to choose another person over her, would she really be able to give her blessings to them? Under the huge blow of losing her purpose in life and being abandoned by the person she cherished the most, Carter wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if her deep love turned into hatred for Roel overnight. The threat of Roel dying to a crime of passion was so real that Carter¡¯s heart would palpitate every time he thought about it. He felt that he really needed to warn his son about it. ¡°Roel, do you remember me telling you to marry as many women as you can in the future?¡± ¡°Yes, I remember that.¡± ¡°I take those words back. From this moment onward, you just have to remember one thing. By no means should you get involved with another woman, no matter the situation or circumstance!¡± Carter¡¯s sudden solemn advice left Roel a little dazed. He blinked his eyes nkly, not understanding why his father, who was still happy about his breakthrough to Origin Level 4 a moment ago, would suddenly raise his matter. That said, it was quite a fair advice that Roel agreed with. It looks like my father is more supportive of monogamy after all! Roel couldn¡¯t help but reassess his father once more. His father¡¯s deep sentimentality was really one-of-a-kind in the circle of nobility, and it moved him. Most likely, his father thought that it was more important for him to have a harmonious family than to marry for the sake of continuing the family¡¯s lineage. ¡°Father, please do not worry. I understand!¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand. I fear that you might end up getting reckless once more and...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll learn from your example and only take a single wife in the future.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the way to... Huh?¡± Carter widened his eyes in disbelief upon hearing Roel¡¯s response. His body trembled out of sheer frustration, and he found himself unable to speak for a very long while. He couldn¡¯t believe how dense his son was! What do you understand? You don¡¯t know shit at all! Carter would have burst out cursing if not for his refined noble upbringing. On the other hand, Roel mistook his father¡¯s reaction as one of approval, and he responded with a smiling nod. Looks like I am right. Ahh, look how delighted my father is. He¡¯s trembling out of joy! The smile on Roel¡¯s face further infuriated Carter. He knew that Roel would really misunderstand the meaning of his words if he didn¡¯t put it out even more explicitly. ¡°I¡¯m telling you not to learn from my example! What¡¯s wrong with polygamy? Polygamy is great too! ¡°What I mean is that you¡¯ll be entering the academy in less than a year¡¯s time. It¡¯s a ce where you¡¯ll find yourself faced with all sorts of people, and many will try to tempt you. However, you must make sure to control yourself. Those who approach you don¡¯t necessarily carry the best of intentions. There are many who covet the power and influence our familymands,¡± said Carter gravely. In truth, he had encountered such matters when he was younger too, and there were several sessful cases around him too. If Roel failed to keep himself in check and ended up falling in love with another woman, the Ascart House might just blow up, literally. Even if Alicia couldn¡¯t do the job, Rosa was right beside them, and the Holy Capital was just a few days¡¯ journey away. Roel might just get assassinated before he could return back to the Ascart Fiefdom. While Carter was imagining an utterly chaotic battlefield where the Ascart Fiefdom stood alone against thebined forces of Rosa and the Theocracy, Roel stroked his lower jaw contemtively. He realized that while most of the women he had met thus far were unusually sharp and intelligent for their age, they were incredibly innocent too. On top of that, their background was top-notch, such that there was very little they coveted from the Ascart House. However, things were bound to be different once he entered the academy. There was a ngmonly used in his previous world known as ¡®Green Tea Bitch¡¯, which referred to women who feigned pure and innocent in order to get close with powerful men. He wasn¡¯t sure how it was like on the Sia Continent, but he wasn¡¯t confident that he would be able to discern others urately given hiscking experience in rtionships. So, he decided to ask about his father¡¯s experience. ¡°Father, you met mother in the academy, right?¡± ¡°Yes. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°How was your rtionship with her then? Did anyone try to get in your way?¡± ¡°...¡± Aplicated expression appeared on Carter¡¯s face when he heard that question. Intrigued by the response, Roel decided to probe on before Carter finally revealed the difficulties he faced back then. Carter was quite a suave young man back in those years too, so it was inevitable that he would be the ¡®prey¡¯ of the young misses in the academy. There were some who admired him but politely chose to keep their distance, but there were also some who were far more persistent, trying everything they could to sabotage the rtionship between him and Roel¡¯s mother. Due to their interference, their romance eventually met with a major crisis. During that crisis, Carter found himself anguished over the absence of his lover. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t leave things be, he eventually gathered a few brothers to put their heads together and devise tricks in order to deal with those who persistentlytched on despite his constant rejection. Those tricks turned out to be surprisingly effective in practice. Since Roel was asking about it now, Carter decided to impart some of his wisdom to him. ¡°Roel, you should know that saboteurs often exploit our sympathy to get in the way of our rtionships. Back then, your mother got mad at me for consoling a junior who came to me for advice for her problems.¡± Carter raised his head as he recalled the memories of his youth. ¡°They would often put themselves down, saying things like ¡®I feel like I¡¯m nothing before Miss XXX. I am not as pretty, smart, or strong as her¡¯. How would you respond to such a remark?¡± ¡°Well... she would probablytch to me if I console her, right? But it would be disrespectful of me to put her down in such a situation too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, you ought to praise her at a time like this.¡± ¡°Praise her?¡± ¡°Yes, praise her for having self-awareness.¡± ¡°...¡± That works too? Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. It might be his imagination, but Carter¡¯s figure suddenly looked taller than ever to him. ¡°There are also other tricks that saboteurs tend to use as well, such as ¡®There¡¯s something which I can¡¯t tell anyone but you¡¯. It¡¯s an attempt to build up a closer rtionship through amon secret.¡± ¡°T-this... How should I respond then?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I¡¯ll help you ry it to the others.¡± ¡°...¡± Carter¡¯s calm response felt Roel utterly bbergasted. He suddenly remembered a ssical hint he often saw in the conversation logs posted online. ¡°Father, if she says ¡®I really envy Miss XXX. If only I had met you earlier¡¯, how should I respond?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that the Goddess of Luck was looking out for me.¡± ¡°...¡± Carter¡¯s skillful maneuvers left Roel feeling utterly impressed. He couldn¡¯t even think of a singleeback line against Carter¡¯s responses on the spot! Once again, it might have been his imagination, but he felt that the smiling middle-aged man had a glowing halo above his head, emanating a blinding radiance. With agees wisdom indeed! Still, to be able to force my father into researching for a countermeasure in order to deal with them, it looks like things are going to be messy in the academy... Those three should have nock of suitors too. I doubt that anyone would dare toe close to Nora, and Charlotte is extremely guarded as well. The only one who is worrisome is Alicia. Siscon Roel instinctively began worrying for Alicia, but that was only because he was oblivious to the attitude Alicia took toward outsiders. In truth, her overwhelming strength and icy disposition made it hard for anyone to approach her, especially men. But speaking of the academy, Roel couldn¡¯t help but think of another matter. In that trip back into history, Roel learned the way the Twilight Sages Assembly chose their members through Isabe, as well as the token he needed to obtain. If he wanted to get in touch with the Assembly, he would have to first pay a visit to Karon Forest to obtain the token. Now that his body had recovered and he had managed to make a breakthrough to Origin Level 4, it was about time to settle this matter. Karon Forest. Token. Academy. Women. ¡°I feel like there are more and more things I need to watch out for.¡± Roel sighed deeply before gathering his focus to listen attentively to Carter¡¯s teachings. Chapter 216: Sugarmummy

Chapter 216: Sugarmummy

Karon Forest was a ce Roel had frequently heard of but wasn¡¯t familiar with. From a young age, he had heard that there was a terrifying ce south of the Ascart Fiefdom known as the Karon Forest, where countless monsters and vicious werewolves lurked. These werewolves would sneak into the bedrooms of naught children and swipe them away in the middle of the night. Indeed, this was a narrative rather popr in not just the Ascart Fiefdom but the entire Saint Mesit Theocracy. Werewolves were depicted to be mass murderers who went around doing evil, simr to a headmaster who was constantly lurking in the shadows, waiting for a child to err so that he could take him away. Almost all children who heard that story for the first time would burst into tears. Of course, that story no longer scared Roel after he regained the memories of his previous life. He looked into it out of curiosity afterward and noticed that there were many weird stories going about regarding the Karon Forest. Many of those were gossips written into novels, and the Ascart House had quite a sizeable collection of that. With the terrifying image pinned on the Karon Forest, no one dared to venture into the area anymore except for adventurers with a screw loose. After all, any adventurers who still had any semnce of sanity would rather explore ruins where they could make it rich than to visit some darned forest. The reason why any adventurer would even think of entering the Karon Forest was probably due to the rumors that there was a great secret hidden in the depths of the forest. The past Roel would have simply shrugged it off as an empty rumor, but after hearing Isabe¡¯s words, he felt that the rumors might be rted to the Twilight Sages Assembly. Treant was an ancient race that had mostly gone extinct by now. They were known for their long lifespan, which could easily go up to several thousand years as long as their environment was fairly decent. Most of the treants that had appeared in the legends were wise sages, but the one Isabe spoke about seemed to be a little atypical. Drunkard Treant.... What kind of weirdbo is that? Roel was utterly confused by the title, but this was the only clue he had at the moment. He also recalled Isabe mentioning that a core item he would require to meet the Drunkard Treant was the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Conti wine. This wine was also a foreign name to Roel, who hardly knew a thing about alcohol at all. In truth, he was nning to tell Carter about the information he had gathered during this period of time, but when his father mentioned that he would be returning to the eastern border in two days¡¯ time, he chose to keep his silence. He didn¡¯t want to worry Carter and distract him from his duties. After some careful contemtion, he decided to indirectly probe Carter about the Twilight Sages Assembly and the Six Cmities so as to see how much he knew about these things. ¡°Hm? I¡¯ve never heard of that before. Which historical record did you read about those from?¡± Seeing that his father was really ignorant about these matters, Roel hesitated for a moment before attributing it to random myths he had stumbled on while casually browsing through the books. While the two of them were chatting with one another, Charlotte suddenly dropped by, and the three of them shared lunch with one another. The atmosphere was still fairly harmonious. Carter even put in a good word for Charlotte, telling Roel to work closely with her over the fiefdom. This left the auburn-haired girl incredibly touched. ¡°Uncle Carter, please don¡¯t worry. Leave the development of the Ascart Fiefdom to Roel and me!¡± Charlotte grabbed Roel¡¯s hand and reassured Carter with a thump on her chest. She looked even more determined than Roel to make things work out here. The truth was that Charlotte didn¡¯t have any cards to rely on anymore, so she wanted to prove her importance by ensuring the smooth development of the Ascart Fiefdom. She could make use of this opportunity to win the officials of the Ascart Fiefdom over to her side, and that would prove to be a valuable card for her to y in the future. If all of the officials were to support the marriage between Roel and her, Carter would have no choice but to seriously consider this matter in view of his fiefdom and family¡¯s interest. In summary, if Charlotte wanted to sugarmummy Roel, she would have to sugarmummy the whole fiefdom along with it. In truth, Carter knew deep well the intentions Charlotte had in mind, but having promised not to interfere in this matter, he decided to keep his silence here. He nced at hispletely oblivious son and sighed deeply. This sure is queer. Just what has he done to make all of these women so steadfast for him? Carter couldn¡¯t understand Roel¡¯s tricks, but at least things still didn¡¯t look too bad for the time being. Roel was intending to leave with Carter since he had fully recovered, but Charlotte retained him under the pretext of ¡®medical observation¡¯. Allowing him to return with Carter was the same as sending him over to Alicia¡¯s side. She had already learned a lesson from what had happened two days ago, and there was no way she would let him go that easily. After sending Carter off, Roel asked Charlotte for the investigative report and immediately started browsing through it. He had to admit that the Sorofyas, as one of thergest business conglomerates in this world, had the most developed intelligencework in the whole of Sia. Their intelligencework had begun looking into the Karon Forest and the Conti wine even before the two of them arrived at Rosa, and in Roel¡¯s hands at the moment was the first investigative reportpiled by them. It was not without reason that Roel had never heard of the Conti wine before; it turned out that there was no one else present in the Sia Continent who had heard of it either. The reason behind that was simple¡ªit had changed names. The one who had told them about the wine was Isabe, a person who lived several centuries in the past. Back in that era, themonnguage was still the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Language, which was the origin of the currentnguages used. There were some deviations in the pronunciations, so it was hard to determine what the wine was referring to. Nevertheless, by a process of elimination, the investigation team eventually deduced that it was referring to the Austine Empire¡¯s Cadi wine. It was a wine that had nearly disappeared from the Austine Empire, though the reason behind that was rather unexpected. It was not because the wine was difficult to make but that its vor was simply too horrendous. ¡°Hold on for a moment. Did you just say mushroom wine? As in, the mushroom that we all know of? Can that even be brewed into alcohol?¡± Even Roel was bbergasted upon hearing the report. The middle-aged man who was in charge of the investigation responded with a helpless smile. He had also questioned the authenticity of the information when he first heard about the matter. ¡°Yes, my lord. We have sent our men down to personally investigate the matter, and it¡¯s indeed an ancient wine with a long history behind its production.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to confirm that the Cadi wine is the Conti wine just by its age itself?¡± ¡°We have other supporting evidence to back up our deduction too.¡± ¡°Supporting evidence?¡± The middle-aged man looked at Roel as he nodded his head grimly. ¡°A few hundred years ago, a vige near the Karon Vige received a huge order of Cadi wine.¡± Chapter 217: Three Choices

Chapter 217: Three Choices

Archaelogy had always been a difficult field to dabble in. In Roel¡¯s previous life, archaelogists could get into heated debates about all sorts of stuff due to how contentious the excavated artifacts were. While the average lifespan of transcendents was significantly greater than that of earthlings, it was still no easy feat to investigate something from several centuries ago. ording to the legends, the Cadi wine was first manufactured by the borders of the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire. Even from back then, the vor of the wine was already unttering. In the first ce, who in the right mind would brew alcohol out of mushrooms? To make things worse, the mushroom used to brew the Cadi wine was a special breed known as Shantz. It had a vibrant color and induced slight dizziness when consumed. Indeed, the Shantz mushroom was mildly poisonous. People back in that era used the Shantz mushroom to brew wine not because their brain was malfunctioning, but that they were simply too poor. The territories of the Ancient Austine Empire spanned great swathes ofnd, expanding far and wide. It was indubitably the golden age of the human civilization. Nevertheless, those living in remote mountainous areas still suffered from a poor standard of living. Theck of fertile soil meant that their rations were always limited, so brewing wine out of grains was simply far too extravagant for them. Still, humans were good at adapting to their environment. Since using grains was out of the question, they simply had to search for an alternative in the mountains. After many trials and errors, they figured that this mildly poisonous Shantz mushroom was the next best option. They weren¡¯t intending to consume the Shantz mushroom as food anyway, so it wasn¡¯t a waste of precious rations. On top of that, the fermentation process broke down the poison and produced something safe to drink, albeit a little foul-tasting. As some philosopher probably said in the past, ¡®the greatest joy in life is to put useless things to good use¡¯. It didn¡¯t take long for the Cadi wine to gain widespread poprity amongst the others living in the mountainous regions too. In fact, even in the earlier years of the Third Epoch after moving to West Sia, as the human civilization had regressed greatly and rations were severelycking, most people resorted back to producing the Cadi wine so as to fulfill their alcohol craving. But even though the Cadi wine had made its name for its low cost and easy production during times of difficulty, it was unable to avoid the cruelty of natural selection. As stability gradually returned to the human civilization and barren grounds were converted into fertile farnds, the standard of living swiftly improved, allowing for the production of other types of wine. Under such circumstances, the greatest weakness of the Cadi wine was swiftly made apparent¡ªits taste. No matter how they modified the recipe, they were unable to remove the bizarre taste produced by the fermented mushroom. Most people viewed it as an inferior substitute to normal wine. So, when their environment finally allowed for it, humans naturally pursued something better, refusing to return back to this crudely made mushroom wine anymore. ¡°So, the wine is no longer produced anymore?¡± ¡°There are no notable breweries producing the Cadi wine anymore, though mountain dwellers still do produce it from time to time. By the borders of the Karon Forest, there¡¯s a vige named Pordere Vige that used to produce this wine up to several centuries ago. The remains of the brewery where the wine was made back then are still there.¡± Roel was actually quite lucky for this matter. Typically speaking, a brewery that stopped production several centuries ago should have been torn down by now. However, it just so happened that the vigers had built the brewery out of resilient rocks, and they couldn¡¯t bear to tear down the brewery due to a feeling of attachment to it. For a period of time, it was used as the vige chief¡¯s office and the local militia¡¯s armory, but currently, it was serving as the church¡¯s storage room. It was fortunate that the brewery had been under the jurisdiction of the vige chief, so the transfer procedures were detailed quite clearly. The investigation team was able to get the details with rtive ease. After some probing, they gathered that the brewery had stopped production around 350 years ago, which was around the same era where the Twilight Sages Assembly vanished from the world. ¡°Aside from that, we also heard rumors that the Cadi wine used to be called ¡®Werewolf Wine¡¯ and ¡®Werewolf¡¯s Dew¡¯.¡± ¡°Werewolf¡¯s Dew?¡± ¡°Yes. The rumor stems from how hunters entering the Karon Forest would asionally find containers that used to be filled with Cadi wine. They believed that this was a sign that the werewolves are fond of the wine, which led to the term ¡®Werewolf¡¯s Dew¡¯ eventuallying about.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Roel couldn¡¯t help but think of the Drunkard Treant, and he felt that he might have just figured out the truth to the rumors. With the information he had gathered thus far, he had a good idea what his next few steps should be. First, he should pay a visit to the Pordere Vige and try to procure some Cadi wine. After gathering some information from Pordere Vige, he would move southward and enter the Karon Forest. It was early spring at the moment. Roel wasn¡¯t too sure how treants functioned, but it should be safe to assume that they were more active during springtime. However, there was a problem here¡ªhow could he get into contact with the Drunkard Treant? Was he supposed to stroll around the forest and shout for thetter? I¡¯m also quite intrigued by how a tree drinks mushroom wine. Would it suck up the wine using its roots? Speaking of which, the mushroom seems to grow on the tree. To be drinking off the wine brewed using the fungus growing on it, isn¡¯t that equivalent to a human... ¡°Uweh!¡± Just imagining the awful sight was enough to make Roel retch. He quickly shut down the notion and directed his thought toward other more constructive questions... Such as how many people should he bring with him, and how should he make his way there. He didn¡¯t really believe in the rumors of there being werewolves in the Karon Forest, but bad reputation usually came for a reason. Besides, there were many records of demonic creatures emerging from the Karon Forest, so the danger here was real. He had no idea how deep he would have to venture into the Karon Forest in order to find the Drunkard Treant, so he had to take caution. Aside from that, the Karon Forest was located right next to the Land of Chaos Tunsen, where the heretics and evil cultists gathered. Those people wouldn¡¯t leave the Land of Chaos easily, but it wasn¡¯t impossible for them to establish some sort of reconnaissance point or something in the Karon Forest. If Roel was going to search the forest, there was a chance that he might bump into them. A battle would be inevitable if a noble from the Theocracy like Roel encountered an evil cultist. The church and evil cults were hostile to one another, after all. In other words, Roel would have to make sure to assemble a group of people with considerable strength for the expedition. If so, there were three choices for him. First, he could choose to deploy the soldiers from the Ascart Fiefdom. The upside was that he could be assured of the quality, loyalty, and discipline of his own soldiers, but the downside was that it would take time for them to travel here. On top of that, he would require Carter¡¯s permission, and the procedure for deploying an army was extremely troublesome. It was important to note that the Karon Forest wasn¡¯t in the vicinity of the Ascart Fiefdom; the army would have to pass through Rosa¡¯s territory in order to get there. Even Bruce wouldn¡¯t be able to permit a foreign army to enter Rosa¡¯s soil without strong justification, or else there would be many protests surrounding it. Second, he could get help from Nora¡¯s group. There was no way the princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy would travel to another country without guards, and he noticed that she was apanied by Bishop Philip this time around, a powerful transcendent whom Roel had met once before. Her group consisted of a small number of elites, allowing them to travel around without appearing too conspicuous. However, the downside was that the background of these people was simply too big, such that it would be hard for Roel to mobilize them. Besides, Nora told him just yesterday that she would have to return to the frontlines very soon, so it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for her to lend out her people to him. Third, he could get help from Charlotte. The Karon Forest bordered Rosa, making it highly convenient for Rosa to mobilize their soldiers over. On top of that, as a merchant country, Rosa would dispatch huge convoys of merchants to the Austine Empire, making it easier for them to discreetly pay a visit to Pordere Vige to acquire the Conti wine. What worried Roel, however, was the loyalty of the soldiers. It was a known fact that Rosa relies heavily on employed heretics, and it would be foolish to expect them to remain loyal when standing in the face of danger. After all, no amount of money was worth as much as one¡¯s life. After much consideration, Roel decided to eliminate the first option, but he couldn¡¯t decide between the second and the third... till Peytra¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. ¡°Little fellow, have you not taken in my believers yet?¡± ¡°You have believers too? That¡¯s wonderful! Where are they at the moment? Can you call them over?¡± ¡°What do you mean by where are they... Don¡¯t you see the guards standing all around you?¡± asked the Earth Goddess in confusion. Chapter 218: I Shall Tread Carefully

Chapter 218: I Shall Tread Carefully

The nearby guards? Roel was taken aback by Peytra¡¯s sudden remark. As one who had grown up in arge manor, he tended to overlook some of the people in his surroundings, especially the guards. Guards were essential to the functioning of noble houses, just like maids and servants, but unlike their high profile counterparts, the job scope of a guard required them to remain inconspicuous in most settings. The guards of the Ascart House were all professionals who had retired from the battlefield, making them far more skilled than normal guards. They were adept at concealing their presence and remaining in the background until danger struck. Over time, Roel soon got used to ignoring the presence of the guards around him. So, when he turned to the guards standing by the doorway, he could hardly suppress the shock bursting in his heart. Staring at the armored guards, he suddenly remembered talking to Charlotte about this. ording to her, the guards serving the Sorofya House were from a mercenary band they had established a long-term partnership with. These guards were exceptionally skilled in defensive battles, and they were the ones who had escorted her to the Ascart House back then. It was just that most of them ended up being retained in the Ascart Fiefdom together with Grace, and it wasn¡¯t too long ago that the church finally released them from its custody. There were no implicit or explicit rules forbidding a noble from hiring heretics as his guards, so this didn¡¯t pose an issue at all. After probing a little deeper, he soon realized that they were using Peytra¡¯s Unyielding Origin Attribute. The Unyielding Origin Attribute used to belong solely to the Earth Goddess, but the subsequent Earth Goddesses seeding Peytra began spreading the Origin Attribute around in order to build up a following. However, the lineage of Earth Goddesses eventually died out, leaving Peytra the only one left in the upper echelons of the Origin Attribute. ¡°I thought that you already knew about it right from the start. Isn¡¯t that why you sought me out?¡± ¡°No no, they¡¯re Charlotte¡¯s subordinates. Our meeting was a coincidence.¡± After rifying Peytra¡¯s misunderstanding, Roel moved on to ask if she was able to bestow blessings on her believers, and it turned out that it was roughly the same as Grandar. What particrly caught Roel¡¯s attention was her blessing to significantly enhance her believer¡¯s defense, making the already tanky heretics of the Unyielding Sect even more impossible to deal with. Needless to say, Roel was delighted by how things were turning out. He decided to rally the heretics of the Unyielding Sect over to his side, but there were some things he had to deal with first. He had to first negotiate with their current employers, the Sorofyas, as they were in a long-term contract. He would have to first ensure that the Sorofyas were willing to yield here before proceeding on to negotiate the matter with the leader of the Unyielding Sect. To be honest, Roel wasn¡¯t too confident of making this matter work out. The Unyielding Sect was a part of Rosa¡¯s defense army, which meant that Rosa¡¯s national security could bepromised through this. Given the implications, it was definitely not something that Charlotte had the authority to decide on; it would require the military¡¯s approval too. Something of this scale definitely required Carter¡¯s intervention, so Roel specially made a trip over to where thetter was staying. ¡°Roel? What brings you here? If it¡¯s nothing urgent, I¡¯d like to rest for a while first...¡± ¡°Father, I found an army of heretics that bear no risks at all. I would like to take them in.¡± ¡°!¡± Ah, my drowsiness suddenly vanished. The notion of ¡®expanding the military¡¯ was more than enough to sweep away Carter¡¯s fatigue. After Roel filled him in on the details, he quickly prepared the documents to initiate a negotiation with Rosa, hoping to settle this matter before he returned to the eastern border. Roel took the responsibility of talking to Charlotte about this matter, but unexpectedly, thetter seemed more delighted than he was about the matter. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that Miss Peytra would be a god of the Unyielding Sect. This is wonderful!¡± Charlotte smoothly walked over and hugged Roel. She rested her head on his shoulders as she heaved a sigh of relief. She had been incredibly worried about Roel all this while due to his bloodline ability. Her experiences in the Witness State had opened her eyes to the threats lurking in the world, such as the Saints Convocation and the other evil cults. Without a doubt, Roel¡¯s ability and potential made him a huge threat to their goals, and they would surely make attempts to eliminate him in the near future. To make things worse, Roel was out in the open while the enemies hid in the shadows. They were definitely in a disadvantageous position here, and the only thing they could do was to assign powerful guards to Roel and hope that it would suffice when the enemies finally struck. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t be able to apany you to the Karon Forest.¡± ¡°I know. It¡¯s impossible for the two of us to travel alone at a time like this.¡± Roel sighed helplessly. After their experiences on the Golden Fleet, it would be perfect to have Charlotte apany him on this journey since they were already ustomed to working with each other. It was just that the ¡®kidnapping incident¡¯ had made her lose ¡®qualification¡¯. ¡°This is fine too. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s the situation over at the Karon Forest, so it would be better for me to check out the area first. Perhaps the Drunkard Treant might not be around anymore, and it would just be a wasted trip.¡± ¡°Mm. Promise me that you won¡¯t act recklessly in the face of danger. You should prioritize your safety over all things else. The moment things look bad, you ought to retreat right away and reconsider your ns.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you should be aware of what kind of person I am. I won¡¯t put myself in danger.¡± Seeing how the boy was thumping his chest without the slightest bit of self-awareness, Charlotte hesitated for a long while before sighing softly. ¡°Do you think that it¡¯s normal for the sessor of a marquess house like you to almost die from the side effect of your own spells?¡± ¡°Ah...¡± ¡°I¡¯d be more than happy to stay by your side and dispel your side effects, but darling, I don¡¯t want to see you injured or in pain ever again.¡± Recalling how Roel spent night after night shivering from the chills made her eyes glisten with tears. Those nights had truly been hard on her too. Looking at her lover suffered ached her heart profoundly, and there were several times where she secretly wept over it too. ¡°I-I know my mistakes now. C-calm down.¡± Roel immediately admitted to his mistakes upon seeing that Charlotte was on the verge of crying. He stroked her smooth hair contemtively before sighing softly. He realized that he had indeed worried Charlotte greatly during this period of time. As the young miss of the Sorofya House, she shouldn¡¯t have to suffer so much over him. While Roel had saved her back at the Witness State, the converse was also true after they had returned to the real world. He would have already died if not for her care. Charlottey on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. In the balcony of the Hundred Birds Gallery, before the witness of the birds, the two of them continued hugging one another for a long while. I must make sure to tread carefully this time around. Enveloped in Charlotte¡¯s warmth and fragrance, Roel thought to himself. Chapter 219: Taking Advantage

Chapter 219: Taking Advantage

¡°Young master Roel? You¡¯re referring to the young master of the Ascart House whom we protected a while back?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him.¡± In the armory of the Ironwall Mercenaries, its leader¡ªa tall, long-haired woman named Cynthia¡ªred at the old secretary of the mercenary band with a displeased frown on her face. ¡°They¡¯re telling us to go under the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯smand? Are you joking with me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the notice we have received from Rosa¡¯s officials. They say that there have been some modifications to the contract, and we¡¯ll being under the Ascart Fiefdom. They want us to heed young master Roel¡¯s instructions from now onward. As for the sry...¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Theocracy we¡¯re talking about here!¡± ¡°...¡± Cynthia angrily interrupted the old secretary, shouting out the concerns that the other members of the mercenary band shared. The Saint Mesit Theocracy was home to the Genesis Goddess Church, and it was known for its peace and stability. It was the holynd for the believers of Sia, where they sought to be. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said about the heretics. Ever since the March Turmoil around two hundred years ago,rge flocks of heretics had been constantly migrating away from the Saint Mesit Theocracy, causing the number of heretics in its territories to remain low even to this day. This was an inevitable result of the hostility directed toward heretics by the people andws there. In contrast, Rosa¡¯s people andws were much more epting. In the many years since the formation of the Ironwall Mercenaries, they had never taken up any jobs in the Saint Mesit Theocracy before. It was only because Charlotte had offered an unusually huge sum this time that they made an exception and apanied her to the Ascart Fiefdom. Even so, they still ended up being held in custody by the Theocracy, and it was only in thest few days that they were finally released. ¡°Can we turn down the offer?¡± ¡°Not to Rosa.¡± ¡°What if we slip them money?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work. It¡¯s a decision made by the upper echelons.¡± The old secretary stroked his beard contemtively before heaving a sigh. He turned to Cynthia and advised. ¡°There¡¯s only one chance if we wish to turn down the offer. There will be a negotiation regarding this very soon, and you can ry your thoughts to young master Roel in person.¡± ¡°Hey! Are you telling our leader to face a noble of the Theocracy?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. That¡¯s too dangerous!¡± The words of the old secretary stirred a hugemotion as the members of the mercenary band overthrew the idea right away agitatedly. Due to Cynthia¡¯s beauty, she would rarely attend any formal meetings, especially those involving nobles, as it often led to a whole stream of trouble afterward. Her beautiful appearance and identity as a heretic had caused Cynthia to be previously hounded by quite a few disgusting nobles. Some of them even haughtily ¡®offered¡¯ to take her in as their mistress, as if they were doing her a favor. Just thinking about it infuriated the other members of the mercenary band. Cynthia was thirty this year, but her slow aging as a transcendent kept her appearance at a youthful eighteen. As the daughter of the previous leader, she had been following the mercenary band on their missions from a young age, allowing her to rue significant experience. That, along with her talent, allowed her to mature into an Origin Level 3 expert at a young age. Had she been from one of the Three Main Origin Attributes, not even the most brazen of nobles would dare to speak to her in such a manner. However, it just so happened that she was a heretic. It was simply the norm for nobles in this world to discriminate against heretics. ¡°There¡¯s not a single good person in the upper echelons of the Theocracy! Do you still remember Leyton¡¯s mercenary band? They went through so much hardship toplete their mission, only to be paid less than half of the agreed sum just because they are heretics!¡± ¡°What does that count as? Have you forgotten how our people were held hostage by the soldiers of the Theocracy? In the end, our headquarters had to raise money in order to pay the ransom before they were freed!¡± Furious voices listed examples of the Theocracy oppressing the heretics, leading to Cynthia¡¯s face turning grim. She stroked her chin as she weighed the pros and cons of this matter, but she only became more and more convinced that she had to resolve this matter personally. There was no doubt the Ironwall Mercenaries was in a weaker position here; they couldn¡¯t afford to offend Rosa or the Ascart Fiefdom here. After a long moment of silence, she revealed her decision. ¡°... I¡¯ll speak to him personally.¡± ... In a luxurious carriage, a fully armored Cynthia took a deep breath as she tried her best to calm her nerves. It was not recklessness that she decided to confront the Ascart Fiefdom on this matter. She had considered this matter carefully and evaluated the chances of sess based on her impression of Roel Ascart back when she was still at the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Roel Ascart should be thirteen this year, making him far younger than her. His reputation was fairly good, and she had spotted him getting intimate with Charlotte Sorofya on several asions. There were rumors that the two of them were engaged to one another, which sounded credible given how Roel was currently residing in the Hundred Birds Gallery. No matter how she looked at the matter, it didn¡¯t seem likely that Roel would make a move on her, or else it would be an offense to the Sorofyas. Besides, she wouldn¡¯t bepletely helpless even if he attempted something¡ªshe wasn¡¯t an Origin Level 3 transcendent for show. He might be of lofty standing, but how powerful could a child like him be? Besides, he seems to be very ill. These thoughts calmed Cynthia¡¯s heart a little as the carriage finally arrived at its destination. She opened the doors of the carriage and walked out. She was asked to put away her weapons before being put through a series of spell examinations. Following that, the servants led her across a corridor and up a flight of stairs, toward the study room where Roel was currently in. The guards in the Hundred Birds Gallery had already been reced with the Sorofyas¡¯ personal guards, and this left Cynthia a little unnerved. However, when she finally opened the doors to the study room, her worries suddenly dissipated along with the wind. In the middle of the study room carrying the faint scent of wood and paper, a suave ck-haired boy sat on a chair, casually flipping through a book. He had a gentle and calming aura that made his presencefortable. He seemed much more spiritedpared to thest time she saw him. A slight breeze blew in from the window, ruffling his hair a little. For a moment there, Cynthia was dazed by how ethereal the boy with a book in his hands looked. How good-looking... No, that¡¯s not the main point here. There are actually no guards in the room! She gathered her confidence and walked into the room. She started off by bowing slightly to Roel, courteously taking off her helmet as etiquette necessitated. Her beautiful appearance was finally revealed, inducing a slight dtion in Roel¡¯s pupils. ¡°You are the leader of the Ironwall Mercenaries?¡± ¡°Yes. My name is Cynthia Algert. I wrote my surname on the registration log in order to avoid the hassle.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded slightly to express his understanding of Cynthia¡¯s action. He started the conversation off by asking Cynthia her views regarding the Ironwall Mercenariesing under the Ascart Fiefdom. Faced with the calm question, Cynthia gritted her teeth and mentioned what she had discussed with the others earlier on. ¡°Esteemed proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, I¡¯m thankful for the high opinion you have of us, but I¡¯m sorry that we aren¡¯t able to fulfill your request. As a heretical mercenary band, we can¡¯t base our operations in the Theocracy. To be honest, we have never taken up any missions in the Theocracy before...¡± There was no particr reaction from Roel as he calmly listened to Cynthia exining the reasons behind her refusal, but in truth, his heart was sinking. It¡¯s indeed not an easy feat to get the heretics to move to the Ascart Fiefdom. Roel had foreseen such a situation beforehand, and he had prepared a countermeasure too. ¡°You need not worry about your safety in the Ascart Fiefdom. The Ascart Fiefdom is autonomous in nature and has its own localws separate from that of the Theocracy. I¡¯ll ensure that your interests are safeguarded to the best of my abilities. Also, the upper echelons of the Theocracy are changing their views toward heretics in view of the chaos urring at the eastern border. It won¡¯t be long before the Theocracy revises its policies concerning heretics; I can promise you that much.¡± Roel spoke in conviction as he thought about the golden-haired girl who had been through the March Turmoil with him. However, these words did little to assuage Cynthia¡¯s concern. She thought that he was taking her for a ride here. Be it the thoughts of the upper echelons or the future policies of the Theocracy, these were crucial information that a mere sessor shouldn¡¯t be privy to. She was oblivious to the fact that even though Roel didn¡¯t have an official noble position, his rtionship with the Xeclydes had already surpassed that of a liege and a subject. Be it Holy Eminence John or Princess Nora, they treated Roel as one of their own and didn¡¯t bother hiding confidential secrets from him. As a matter of fact, he was indeed privy to such crucial information. But of course, there was no way Cynthia would know since the Ironwall Mercenaries wasn¡¯t active in the Theocracy. Her disbelief greatly increased her perceived risks of this deal, prompting her to reject him once more. ¡°Esteemed proxy fief lord, I¡¯m ddened by the impending changes of the Theocracy you speak of, but the discrimination of the Theocracy toward heretics is deep-rooted. Even if thews change, the prejudice of the nobles will not change that easily. We¡¯ll only besmirch your reputation.¡± ¡°...¡± Gazing at the woman whose head was respectfully lowered to him, Roel frowned. He pondered for a moment before asking calmly. ¡°Nobles, you say. That¡¯s a broad term. Are you thinking that I¡¯d discriminate against you too?¡± ¡°... I dare not to. Pardon me for my disrespect.¡± ¡®I dare not to¡¯ instead of ¡®I don¡¯t¡¯, hm? Picking up the hidden message in Cynthia¡¯s words, Roel was able to catch a glimpse into just how great her prejudice toward the Theocracy¡¯s nobles was. It looks like I¡¯ll have to go all out. Roel reached out for the Nine-headed Serpent Staff that was ced by his side and rubbed its handle gently. He began assessing at the heavily-armored Cynthia intently, and his bold stare immediately caught thetter¡¯s attention. Cynthia¡¯s face began to stiffen. She had received far too many of such stares for her not to know the significance behind it. This was exactly what made her fearful ofing into contact with nobles, even forming a trauma of sorts. She clenched her fists tightly and spoke hoarsely. ¡°Milord, I¡¯m already thirty years of age. It has been many years since I¡¯ve been assigned as Miss Charlotte¡¯s personal guard...¡± ¡°I see.¡± Cynthia mentioned her age and Charlotte¡¯s name in hopes of curbing Roel¡¯s ¡®desires¡¯, but to her despair, it waspletely futile. He didn¡¯t back down after hearing all of that; instead, he rose to his feet and walked up to her. ¡°Kneel down.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°I said, kneel down. You¡¯re too tall.¡± ¡°...¡± Cynthia¡¯s mind went nk for a moment when she heard Roel¡¯s request before clenching her fists in fury. All men knew how amorous of a position it was to have a woman kneel right in front of them, but the problem was that there was nothing wrong with this order. All he had done was to request her to kneel down, and it was perfectly normal for amoner to kneel before a noble. Cynthia reminded herself that the Ascart House was far too influential to turn into an enemy as she reined in her pride and slowly lowered herself. She clutched tightly to the final sliver of hope that Roel wouldn¡¯t attempt to do anything overboard. If he was really intending to have her do that sort of thing, she would bolt out of the room right away and leave the Hundred Birds Gallery. To her surprise, however, Roel raised her hand to ced it atop her head. A heavy and authoritative pressure suddenly crushed her body. Wait a moment, what¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t move at all! She was horrified to learn that she had lost control of her body. This situation made her understand that she had wrongly assessed Roel¡¯s strength; he was actually a monster far beyond her wildest imagination! The next moment, a surge of mana suddenly flowed into her body. Chapter 220: I’m Not a Fraud!

Chapter 220: I¡¯m Not a Fraud!

The moment Roel¡¯s hand came into contact with Cynthia¡¯s head, pale yellow mana began cloaking her body. Through his hand, it flowed into her body. The next moment, Cynthia jolted from the great impact, causing her body to stiffen. It wasn¡¯t an impact arising from aggression. In truth, Roel hadn¡¯t used any spells at all. The suppression she felt stemmed from the natural suppression arising from a superior being towering above her. As the Primordial Earth Goddess, Peytra¡¯s powers were the purest form of the Unyielding Origin Attribute. The other believers who managed to obtain the Unyielding Origin Attribute were able to bask in her afterglow, but the differences were clear. This was also the reason why ancient gods were able to influence those beneath them on thedder. As the mana of the Earth Goddess gradually suffused her body, Cynthia found her consciousness transported to a valley, where she found herself standing before a humongous snake of unbelievable proportions. This was the divine avatar of the Earth Goddess, the very original manifestation of their Origin Attribute. Her presencemanded subservience from her believers. In this ¡®illusion¡¯, she found her mana circting faster than ever. An old wound by the side of her ribcage began heating up as the pale yellow mana harnessing unbelievable life force began healing the physical trauma she had struggled with all these years. Cynthia was utterly astounded by the happenings in her body. Transcendents of the Unyielding Origin Attribute were known for their overflowing life force, but she had never seen such pure energy before. Physical trauma was one of the main reasons why mercenaries tended to live short lives. The existence of supernatural powers in this world meant that injuries could get extremely messy, especially when it involved rare toxins, unique skills, or bloodline spells. Those were very likely to haunt one for life. The wound by the side of Cynthia¡¯s ribcage was inflicted by an evil cultist she encountered in the midst of her mission. It was from a unique bloodline spell, and it becamepletely untreatable after she killed the enemy. Even though she had sought medical treatment and tried to suppress its effects as much as possible, she would still be rudely awoken by a sharp pain in the middle of the night from time to time. The organization that was best equipped to deal with such wounds was the church, but as one could expect, such services were not offered to heretics like her. She knew deep down that even though she could suppress the effects of the bloodline spell now that she was still at her peak, it could very well be the cause of her death a hundred years from now, when she became frail and ailing. She had seen far too many elders in the mercenary band who had suffered the same fate, including her father. Yet, her fate was changed today. Basked in this unprecedentedly powerful blessing, she heard Peytra¡¯s voice sounding in her ears. The warmth she felt convinced her to let loose and fully immerse herself in the mana and edict from the Earth Goddess. Meanwhile, Roel continued gazing at her calmly, though his nervously beating heart was telling a different story. Needless to say, he didn¡¯t bear any lustful intention when he assessed Cynthia earlier on. In truth, he was gauging her through Peytra¡¯s powers, and his mission was pretty muchplete after infusing Peytra¡¯s mana into her body. Recalling the stiffened expression on Cynthia¡¯s face and her ever-so-slightly trembling body earlier on, Roel shook his head and sighed. He had received a heads up from Rosa that the Ironwall Mercenaries didn¡¯t have a high opinion of the Theocracy, but he didn¡¯t think that it would be such a degree. He knew that it would be impossible to convince her with words alone, so he could only seek Peytra¡¯s help here. He knew that he needed powerful aides to assist him. It would be too inefficient if he had to deal with everything himself, not to mention that it would undermine his prestige as the proxy fief lord if he had to intervene in every matter personally. In truth, Roel¡¯s hands were itching for a battle after advancing to Origin Level 4, but he realized that any side effect he suffered had to be cured by Nora, Charlotte, and Alicia¡¯s powers. In fact, even if he used Ascendwing to recover from the state of undead reanimation, Nora would still be able to sense it. If he were to be caught engaging in a battle without apelling reason, his punishments could range from light warnings to severe tearfulints from the girls. By this point, Roel was already aware that he was particrly vulnerable to tears, be it from Alicia or Charlotte. As for Nora, while she wasn¡¯t the type of cry, she did have the power to ¡®restrict Roel¡¯s movement¡¯ for his safety as his protector... and it was no secret what she would attempt to do once he was grounded. The thought of all these made him shudder. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and turned his attention back to Cynthia. The mana infusion had alreadye to a halt, and Cynthia slowly opened her eyes. ¡°Looks like it was a good dream, Miss Cynthia.¡± ¡°... Lord Holy Son, I apologize for my earlier disrespect. Please pardon my ignorance.¡± ??? Holy Son? Why am I called that again? He remembered being addressed as such when he sought refuge at a monastery during the March Turmoil. Now that he thought about it, most of those who were involved in gods in one way or another usually carried the prefix, ¡®holy¡¯. ¡°It seems like Peytra has exined my circumstances to you.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Holy Son. The Great One has made a decree and bestowed upon me a blessing.¡± Cynthia¡¯s voice carried a hint of apology. She had cast doubt upon Roel¡¯s character and was prejudiced to assume that all of the Theocracy¡¯s high nobles were biased against heretics. However, having received the decree of the Earth Goddess herself, she came to realize that she had misunderstood him. Put in the ancient times, Roel would be considered as the high priest of the Unyielding Sect, the number one person beneath the Earth Goddess. In any sect, anyone who dared to defy the will of the high priest would suffer divine retribution, making it no exaggeration to say that the high priest¡¯s words were absolute. She knew that Roel could have simply forced her into submission, but he didn¡¯t exploit the authority he wielded to coerce her into epting his offer throughout the course of the negotiation. Even when he was rejected time and time again, he didn¡¯t lose his temper and instead offered her a blessing. She was moved by the sincerity he had shown here. She thought about those words Roel had said earlier, but this time, she harbored not doubts but a sliver of hope for a brighter future for her and herrades. Asrge as the Sia Continent was, there were only so few nobles who were willing to side themselves with heretics, and not a single one of them was a powerful high noble like the Ascarts. In light of the fact that Roel was their Holy Son and wouldn¡¯t betray them, Cynthia felt that he could be someone worth serving. If things worked out, they could finally free themselves from their life of wandering and have a ce where they could call home. And if the attitude the Theocracy took toward the heretics really changes in the future... The thought of it made Cynthia¡¯s heart thump in excitement. She quickly adjusted her posture into a formal single knee kneel and lowered her head with a hand ced on her chest. ¡°Lord Holy Son, I, Cynthia Algert, in representation the Ironwall Mercenaries, am willing to pledge my loyalty to you.¡± Chapter 221: Little Miss Angel And Her Chains

Chapter 221: Little Miss Angel And Her Chains

Cynthia¡¯s pledge of loyalty came so abruptly that Roel took a while to digest the fact. The influence that higher existences has over lower existences through the Origin Attribute is greater than I thought, Roel thought. Oblivious to him, Cynthia didn¡¯t juste to this decision under Peytra¡¯s influence. Roel¡¯s strengths were also in her list of considerations too. It was a perfectly normal for heretics to follow their Holy Son since thetter was able tomunicate with their god and bestow blessings, but the fact that Roel was a powerful and influential proxy fief lord definitely yed a huge factor too. It meant that it was worth throwing their weight in with him. While the Sorofyas treated the heretics fairly well, their faith stilly in the Three Main Origin Attributes. If any mishap urred, they would have no problem severing their contact with the Ironwall Mercenaries. On the other hand, Roel was already one of their own as the Holy Son of the Unyielding Sect, so they could be assured that he wouldn¡¯t abandon them. Cynthia¡¯s sudden decision was bold, but it was not made out of recklessness. Roel gracefully epted her pledge of loyalty before moving on discuss the details. Peytra¡¯s blessing was a huge incentive, but humans were creatures with needs. Material rewards were equally important in spurring motivation too. He had watched far too many shows where humans killed one another over money to not be aware of this. He did have the legitimacy here now as the Unyielding Sect¡¯s Holy Son, but he had to have a tangible offering in order to reinforce and sustain their loyalty in him. It would be foolish of him to assume that the Unyielding Sect would unconditionally serve him, especially if they didn¡¯t see a brighter future with him. The Ironwall Mercenaries had been operating in Rosa for more than a decade now. They had invested greatly in their intelligencework and started quite a few businesses here, so it would be a huge pity to tell them to abandon all of these assets. At the very least, Roel didn¡¯t intend to tell them to do something that would make them sustain such a huge loss. On top of that, the Ironwall Mercenaries had been serving as Charlotte¡¯s guards for quite some time now, so it could be unwise to shake things up unnecessarily. Guards who were strong and loyal were not easy toe by, so he was hoping to have them continue fulfilling that duty, or else he would regret it dearly if something were to happen to Charlotte. In a sense, it was good that he had taken the Ironwall Mercenaries under his wing since it made them even more trustworthy, meaning they could be trusted with Charlotte¡¯s safety. So, after careful discussions with Cynthia, Roel decided to put in ce an interim measure and divide the Ironwall Mercenaries into the ¡®Ascart Fiefdom Headquarters¡¯ and the ¡®Rosa Branch¡¯. The Rosa Branch would function as per usual whereas the Ascart Fiefdom Headquarters would provide the mercenaries with special spiritual support, lodgings, training facilities, and daily necessities. It required, it would help family members of the mercenaries settle down in the fiefdom and find work. In terms of importance, Roel viewed the Ironwall Mercenaries to be even more important than the Ascarts¡¯ military since this was going to be his private army. In other words, even if he didn¡¯t inherit Carter¡¯s position as the fief lord, Cynthia and the her mercenary band would still follow him due to his identity as their Holy Son. They were going to be his most stalwart allies and greatest trump card. On the other hand, Cynthia was moved by the resources Roel was willing to devote on them, and it affirmed her conjecture too¡ªRoel really viewed them as one of his own. The two of them ended up discussing the details for several hours before finallying to an agreement. Roel invited her for lunch, but Cynthia rejected it on the grounds of her inappropriate attire. The clothes she wore under her armor were informal, and it didn¡¯t seem polite to have ady strip her armor either. ... Time ticked swiftly, and soon it was time for Nora and Carter to leave for the eastern border. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s time for us to part once more. Will you miss me?¡± ¡°...¡± In the guest room of the Seyer Tower, Nora took a sip of tea as she looked at the ck-haired boy in front of her with eyes filled with affection. Roel averted his eyes upon hearing her words, and it was only a whileter that he finally sighed softly and gave his response. ¡°... A little.¡± ¡°Heh, I see... You seem to have be more honest over thest few years.¡± ¡°I just want to better use the limited time we have with one another. You tend to get quite busy.¡± ¡°Haa. There has been far too much work over thest two years.¡± Nora looked a little regretful as she replied. She looked at Roel intently with her head resting casually on her hands when, all of a sudden, she rose to her feet. ¡°Nora?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± As she walked closer, Roel felt a little overwhelmed by her presence and her fragrance, leaving his head a little dizzy. She put one knee on the chair Roel was sitting on before gazing down on him. Her hand reached forth to gently touch Roel¡¯s chest. ¡°You know... the look of frustration you reveal during our partings is adorable, but it pains me to have to leave your side. It really is a dilemma.¡± ¡°... Do you know what my greatest regret recently is?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have encouraged you that day.¡± Roel clutched his head in frustration as he said those words, but his response only brought a smile to Nora¡¯s face. ¡°Your troubled expression looks alluring too. Haven¡¯t I told you not to seduce me in such a manner?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! Tell me how in the world am I seducing you, I¡¯ll change!¡± Sensing that Nora¡¯s body had started her trembling and her breathing was getting a little heavy, Roel used ¡®Protest¡¯, but it was not very ineffective. Looking at the struggling youth under her, her face began to redden. ¡°Hey, won¡¯t you allow me to shackle you up with chains?¡± ¡°... Isn¡¯t the answer obvious?¡± ¡°Please, just once.¡± ¡°No way!¡± Under the vehement objection of the ck-haired boy, Nora could only pout in dissatisfaction. The rare show of childishness from her threw Roel off-guard, leaving him dazed for a moment. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll let you off with a hug for now.¡± Unable to realize her wildest ambition, Nora could only switch to something more feasible. She leaned downward and wrapped her hands around Roel¡¯s neck, pressing their warm bodies together. The softness of her chest and clear heartbeat made Roel freeze up a little. It had been a while since Roel had enjoyed thefort of Nora¡¯s embrace. The two of them continued hugging each other for quite some time before thetter¡¯s breathing finally calmed down. ¡°This doesn¡¯t feel too bad for a farewell either.¡± ¡°It is the normal way to bid farewell. You¡¯re the one who is weird.¡± ¡°Talking bad about me again, hm? What a treacherous subject you are.¡± Nora gently nibbled down on Roel¡¯s shoulder, leaving thetter¡¯s face flushed by this unexpected intimate punishment. There was a moment of amorous silence between them before Nora began whispering her parting words into his ears. ¡°You¡¯re intending to head to the Karon Forest, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m heading there to look for a token.¡± ¡°Promise me that you¡¯ll back down in the face of danger. Nothing is more important than your safety, do you understand that?¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± Nora¡¯s words filled Roel¡¯s heart with warmth. The two of them continued whispering to one another for a while longer before finally separating from one another. Having received her sweet dessert, Nora hopped onto the carriage with a satisfied look and left with the Theocracy¡¯s guards. To some extent, she had fulfilled her goal here, having effectively nullified the engagement between Roel and Charlotte. After ensuring that Roel was healthy now, there was no longer any reason for her to postpone her ns any longer. Her position as the princess of the Theocracy brought her prestige and glory, but it also ced great responsibilities on her shoulders. She had no choice but to devote most of her time for the welfare of humankind. Roel understood where she wasing from too. She might appear domineering and forceful at times, but her heart was filled with justice,passion, responsibility... and, well yes, sadism too. The one next to leave after Nora was Carter. He didn¡¯t have any special parting words for Roel, except for telling thetter not to get involved with other women and focus his efforts on furthering his transcendent abilities, especially survival means. He looked almost as if he was worried that his son would suddenly drop dead one day! Roel was baffled by Carter¡¯s inexplicable worry, but he replied with a nod to thetter¡¯s advices. Carter gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaping onto his steed and rushing off. With this, the crisis was finally over. All three parties that were involved in this almost ludicrous incident had returned back to where they hade from. To some extent, Nora, Charlotte, and Alicia managed to make some gains out of this too. Roel exhaled deeply as the burden was finally lifted from his heart. He felt like he had just been put through the hardest trial of his life. He did walk out with gains too, having sessfully achieve his objectives too¡ªdispelling the side effects from the spells and bringing the Unyielding Sect under his wing. His next step would be to look for the Drunkard Treant Isabe mentioned. A good news was that the Ironwall Mercenaries had experience taking up missions in the Austine Empire, so Roel could rely on them greatly for the expedition. On top of that, their group wouldn¡¯t stand out since it was normal for mercenary bands to travel around the Sia Continent for their missions. It was just that Roel stumbled upon a small problem prior to setting off¡ªAlicia. ¡°Lord Brother, why won¡¯t you allow me to apany you? You should know that I won¡¯t be a burden to you anymore!¡± Roel felt a migraine setting in when Alicia knocked on his door and requested to apany him on the expedition, not hesitating to employ her tears even. Despite silver-haired girl¡¯s pleas, he adamantly rejected her request. He had to concede that Alicia was indeed very strong now, but that didn¡¯t hinder Roel¡¯s wish for her to remain safe. To his surprise, after realizing that he wasn¡¯t going to change his mind on this matter, Alicia suddenly changed her tune and epted his suggestion. ¡°I understand, Lord Brother. I¡¯ll head back to the Ascarts¡¯ manor first and wait for you to return then.¡± ¡°Ah? Y-yes, that would be great.¡± Roel could instinctively sense that something was fishy from Alicia¡¯s sudden change in attitude, but he didn¡¯t dig any deeper into it. Having handled the two more difficult ones, he heaved a sigh of relief. Thest one, Charlotte, didn¡¯t need much of a farewell since she lived not too far away. On top of that, considering the coboration projects between Rosa and Ascart Fiefdom that were in the pipelines, she coulde over whenever she wanted to under the pretext of a business trip. ¡°Darling, take care of yourself. I¡¯ll try to finish up my work here and visit you as soon as possible.¡± Despite being in public, Charlotte gave a light kiss on Roel¡¯s cheek as she made a promise to him. She stood on the city wall as she watched Roel¡¯s convoy depart Rosa City. At the same time, on the carriage, Roel also turned around to look at the vibrant city he was leaving. He thought about his first meeting with Charlotte and the deal they had made with one another, and it all felt so surreal. ¡°Perhaps, fate does exist in this world?¡± The ck-haired boy traveling toward the Austine Empire under the cover of the night murmured to himself. At the same time, under the silver moon, a fairylike figure melded into the shadows of the carriage, disappearing in an instant. Chapter 222: The Assault Under the Silver Moon

Chapter 222: The Assault Under the Silver Moon

On the carriage, Roely on a soft bed as he gazed at the sky like a lonely old man. Charlotte had specially modified a luxurious carriage for Roel for this expedition. The exterior design of the carriage was simplistic since they were supposed to be a group of merchants, but it was an entirely different story on the inside. The ceiling had been altered ¡®Rosa-style¡¯, allowing him to control its opacity like an electrochromic window. That was the reason why he could see the night sky clearly even within the carriage. In truth, Charlotte had her own secret motives for doing that. On one hand, it was to relieve Roel¡¯s boredom, but on the other, she was hoping to use the beautiful night sky to spur his memories of the time they had spent together on the Worun Mountain Range, stoking his feelings for her. She was actually relieved when she saw Roel sending Alicia off, but she knew that there was nothing she could do if Roel were to start missing his little sister. It was normal for one¡¯s mind to wander when traveling quietly in the middle of the night, so she was hoping that this sky window could distract his thoughts. However, the reality was that the sky window wasn¡¯t very effective. Even though his time in Rosa City was quite rowdy, he did enjoy his time there. He had good amodations, delicious food, and he even got to model for Charlotte¡¯s new clothes too. Other than that, he got to meet Nora and Carter, whom he hadn¡¯t seen for quite a while now. Admittedly, the atmosphere was less than harmonious, but overall, it was still weed by him. Reunions are joyful whereas partings are sorrowful; the feeling of emptiness was only amplified when the city bustle had been reced by the quiet wilderness. It had been several hours since Roel had left Rosa City, and it was gradually approaching midnight now. The convention of merchant convoys was to retire for the night and rest a little. It was too dangerous to travel in the night since there was the risk of plundering bandits and demonic creatures. Naturally, Merchant Roel didn¡¯t want to get into any trouble, so he ordered the convoy to stop by the main road. He looked at the cloaked figure standing right outside his carriage and instructed. ¡°Cynthia, there¡¯s no need to guard me. There should be no dangers tonight.¡± ¡°But milord...¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Rosa¡¯s roads are known for their safety, and we aren¡¯t too far away from the capital yet. Besides, you shouldn¡¯t forget that I¡¯m not a helpless merchant either.¡± ¡°I understand. Pardon me for my offense, Lord Holy Son.¡± Cynthia nodded in response to Roel¡¯s words deferentially. When the Ironwall Mercenaries learned that Roel was under the direct protection of the Earth Goddess, their Holy Son, their first reaction was to cast doubt on the authenticity of the matter. Their doubts were swiftly dispelled though after Cynthia brought ten of the mercenary band¡¯s upper echelon to meet Roel. Roel didn¡¯t have Peytra bestow her blessing to them¡ªhe intended the blessings to be a reward, not an entitlement¡ªchoosing to demonstrate his ability to them instead. In the courtyard of the Hundred Birds Gallery, Roel used the Nine-headed Serpent Staff in unison with Peytra¡¯s power to manifest her body into reality, forming a humongous serpent tens of meters in length. Before the golden divine avatar of their god, the mercenaries swiftly fell to their knees and kowtowed deferentially, not even daring to raise their gaze to look at thetter directly. ording to Peytra, this seemed to be a normal reaction resulting from the origin suppression. Only Cynthia, who boasted the highest Origin Level of the group, could barely resist it. ¡°Wait a moment, what about me?¡± ¡°How could you be the same as them?¡± Peytra¡¯s voice was overflowing with doting, maternal love as she said those words, leaving Roel¡¯s face reddening in embarrassment. Technically speaking, Roel was just the Holy Son in name, but it seemed like Peytra was really intending to be his mother here. After a short decree, Peytra¡¯s avatar finally vanished, and the target of the mercenaries¡¯ reverence changed from her to Roel. Roel felt rather awkward being worshiped by others, so he quickly told Cynthia to stop them. One must know most of these upper echelon members, with the exception of the extremely talented Cynthia, were mostly old people in their seventies and eighties. For someone who had memories of the modern world, it was deeply stressful for Roel to have the elderly kneeling before him in rows, kowtowing to him. It took a while before everyone finally calmed down a little... though the moment they heard that Roel intended to bring them back to the Ascart Fiefdom, they ended up breaking into tears once more. It was inevitable that they would feel agitated over this matter. Most heretics spent their lives wandering all over the continent, unable to find a ce where they could call home. No one who hadn¡¯t been in their ce could begin to imagine just how much they desired to find a ce to settle down in. Roel¡¯s gesture meant a lot to them. First the kowtowing, and now the collective crying; themotion was too much for the younger Roel and Cynthia to bear. It wasn¡¯t that bad for Roel, but Cynthia, as the leader of the mercenary band, was getting flustered by how they were acting before their Holy Son. Fortunately for her, Roel lent her a helping hand by diverting the topic elsewhere, raising the subject of him needing some guards for the expedition. That proved to be an effective tactic to stop the crying. The elders immediately stowed away their tears and put on their professional business faces to endorse their respective teams, hoping to get some slots in the expedition. Soon, it turned into an argument over their loyalty, equipment, the strength of their team members, and all sorts of things. The first time was always the most important, and the same applied to mercenaries too. Humans tended to be resistant to change, so they usually stuck whatever worked. These sly old men understood this logic, which was why they were arguing vehemently with one another, refusing to back down at all. If they could get the opportunity to join the expedition and do a good job in it, they could very well be the Holy Son¡¯s close aides. That would be a huge honor, and more importantly, there were great benefits that coulde out of that¡ªCynthia was a good example of that. Ever since she recovered from her previous physical trauma from the Earth Goddess¡¯ blessing, she had been looking more spirited than ever. On top of that, she said that the speed of her mana channeling had increased significantly, which signified faster growth too. Given her young age, there was a good chance that she could make another breakthrough in the future, bing an Origin Level 2 transcendent! There was no one who wouldn¡¯t be moved by such a great incentive! It was just that there wasn¡¯t a huge disparity in the fighting prowess of the teams, so they weren¡¯t able toe to a conclusion as to who was the best. In the end, Roel couldn¡¯t stand their argument anymore and opted to simply pick the strongest mercenaries, resulting in the formation of a 30-man super-elite team. This toon consisted of 1 Origin Level 3, 20 Origin level 4, and 9 Origin Level 5 transcendents. It was worth noting that the Origin Level 5 transcendents either possessed unique bloodline abilities or exceptional skills... such as culinary skills. Yes, that¡¯s right! Even the cook of this team was at Origin Level 5! This was truly extravagant, considering how Origin Level 5 transcendents were usually squad leaders in any other army. This toon had already far surpassed what people of this world would consider as ¡®strong¡¯. In fact, Roel suspected that even his father¡¯s personal guards weren¡¯t this frightening. Bing a high-level transcendent was really dependent on luck and talent, but it was still possible for most decent transcendents to be nurtured to Origin Level 4. Knowing that the core of their businessy in their manpower, the Ironwall Mercenaries invested great time and effort into developing their own training system so as to maximize the potential of their members. It was due to theirpetency that the Sorofya House offered them a long-term partnership. That being said, the Earth Goddess¡¯ Unyielding Origin Attribute had its weakness too, namely its passive nature. Its strong defensive prowess brought about lowered risks, but at the same time, it made it much harder for them to make a breakthrough too. In so many years, the only one who overcame the bottleneck to be a high-level transcendent was Cynthia. However, things were different now that Peytra had returned. ... With such powerful transcendents in his vicinity, Roel wasn¡¯t too worried about anything happening, and Cynthia shared his sentiments too. However, during the onset of the night earlier, when the silver moon rose into the sky, her sharp senses suddenly caught the scent of an anomaly for a brief instant. Not wanting to worry Roel before anything was confirmed, she ordered her men to check the area around the convoy thrice, but it was to no avail. Faced with the confused looks from her fellow mercenaries, Cynthia started doubting her senses too. After all, this was the first time she was escorting the Holy Son, and she was feeling quite nervous despite herposed appearance. On top of that, Roel was persuading her to take a rest too, so after a slight moment of hesitation, she finally walked away from the carriage doors to the campfire, where she could still keep a close eye on the carriage. ¡°No matter what, I can¡¯t allow anything to happen on the first night of the expedition,¡± murmured Cynthia under her breath as she insisted on taking the night sentry. Little did she know that a figure had manifested from the silver moonlight basking the carriage. ¡°Good night, Lord Brother.¡± Beneath the night sky, a silver-haired girl gazed at the ck-haired boy sleeping on a bed as she murmured softly with a gentle look in her eyes. Chapter 223: The Joys of Sneak Bites

Chapter 223: The Joys of Sneak Bites

By the side of the campfire, Cynthia began polishing the sword in her hand while making sure to keep Roel¡¯s carriage in her peripheral vision. At the same time, five mercenaries who were on night sentry duty tonight had scattered in different directions, nting and activating enemy detection magic tools. Of course, in order to avoid disturbing the Holy Son, Cynthia didn¡¯t nt a magic tool in the vicinity of Roel¡¯s carriage, but she believed this to be enough. Theoretically speaking, all magic spells in Sia required a medium, be it water, fire, or earth. Even the most elusive of spells would involve the transmission of mana.. The only type of spell that could barely circumvent this theory was the rare spatial magic, but even so, it was severely limited by distance. On top of that, the carriage which Roel was on couldn¡¯t be invaded by spatial magic at all. As the creators of the ingenious Diamond Rivi¨¨re, the Sorofyas were more than familiar with spatial magic to know how to deal with them. The carriage had been cast with a barrier that warded off even Charlotte¡¯s teleportation bullet. Due to this, Cynthia was confident that Roel wouldn¡¯t be in any danger as long as she guarded the entrance. Unfortunately, she was unaware that the existence of incredibly rare bloodlines in the world that allowed transcendents to use unconventional mediums to transmit their mana, for example, moonlight. In the carriage, Alicia raised her hand and cast a spell that deepened Roel¡¯s sleep, emanating a dim light. After ensuring that everything was in order, she heaved a sigh of relief. She knew that she couldn¡¯t show herself as they weren¡¯t too far away from the Ascart Fiefdom yet. If her older brother were to learn of her presence, he would angrily send her off. To be fair, it was not like her older brother was able to force her to leave if she insisted on sticking around, but she had been hesitant to anger him ever since he coughed blood after witnessing their fight. She wanted to avoid making him angry wherever possible. Having grown up together, she was extremely familiar with her older brother¡¯s character. As long as they were far enough from the Ascart Fiefdom, while he would be angry for a moment, he would surely be too worried to send her back on her own and instead choose to bring her along. She took off her shoes and climbed onto her older brother¡¯s bed. Like a child pulling a prank, she felt ticklishly excited about secretly sneaking onto her older brother¡¯s bed without him noticing. She silently inched closer to his side before gazing down on him quietly. Lord Brother looks so adorable asleep. Alicia¡¯s face began to redden. As the proxy fief lord, Roel knew that he was disadvantaged by his young age, so he had to make sure to uphold a straitced appearance so as to avoid getting subconsciously brushed off by others as a kid. It was only when he was asleep that he finally put down his guard and allowed his face to rx fully. In fact, this was one of the reasons why Alicia decided to sneak in and peek at him. Feeling his warm breaths, Alicia felt her emotions slowly running amok. Under the moonlight, she leaned in a little closer to share a light kiss with the sleeping boy, but she soon realized that she wasn¡¯t satisfied with just this much. Even though her spell had indeed deepened her older brother¡¯s sleep, that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t be awakened. There was a possibility that he might wake up if she were to go too far, so the most she could do was to give him a peck on his mouth. Feeling a little frustrated, she slowly moved downward and started kissing his neck. However, instead of alleviating her heat, her actions only further riled her up. She moaned softly in frustration as she seriously contemted whether she should just go all-in. However, at this crucial moment, Roel¡¯s subconscious murmur made her jolt in shock. ¡°Mmm...¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia¡¯s body stiffened up, but the ck-haired boy merely merely adjusted his posture slightly before returning to silence. She heaved a sigh of relief after realizing that it was a false scare, but at the same time, it jolted her rationality back in. She took in deep breaths to calm herself down as she fondled her own abdomen. After a moment of contemtion, she shook her head. ¡°It won¡¯t do. It¡¯s still too early at the moment. I won¡¯t be able to bear a healthy baby,¡± she murmured as she bit her own lips in indignance. in the Sia Continent, noble children were given aprehensive education on biology so that they wouldn¡¯t mess around out of ignorance of the oue. All noblewomen would go through apulsory biology lesson upon the arrival of their first period, and they were warned of the consequences that might arise from ¡®tasting the forbidden fruit¡¯ too early. ording to Anna, if she were to get pregnant before her pelvic bone properly developed, she wouldn¡¯t be able to give birth properly. It would be dangerous to both her and her child, which was why she had been curbing herself all this while. Anna was very thorough in her lesson as she knew of the dangers of misinformation. The greatest killer of young noblewomen in this era was actually childbirth, and it was a problem which even low-level transcendents suffered from. Of course, Alicia didn¡¯t have to worry about this aspect at all. She was overflowing with so much life force that even cesarean wouldn¡¯t hurt her by much. It was just that the procedure led to another problem¡ªchildren who weren¡¯t born through natural means were unable to receive Sia¡¯s blessing. That would be a huge disadvantage for the Theocracy¡¯s nobles. Alicia didn¡¯t want the crystallization of Roel and her love to suffer any grievances, so she could only grit her teeth and toil it out to maturity. With such thoughts in mind, she finally calmed down. She took a look at her surroundings before shaking her head in displeasure. It would be thrilling to do it in a carriage prepared by the Sorofyas, but she didn¡¯t like theck of formality in the ritual. It felt almost as if she was a third party interfering in a private space. If she really wanted to get lovey-dovey with Lord Brother, she would rather do it in the Ascart House, in their love¡¯s nest, than in the wilderness like this. After dispelling her thoughts, shey down quietly by Roel¡¯s side and closed her eyes. Let¡¯s leave it at this for now. ... The convoy quickly packed up and departed at dawn. Roel thought that he would be lethargic since it had been a while since he had woken up this early, but he was surprisingly faring better than expected. He attributed it to him having a good sleepst night. He had heard that the presence of nature promoted higher quality of sleep, so perhaps that could be the reason why. It was just that he felt a little queer on his lips. What¡¯s going on? Did I identally hurt my lips? Roel was surprised by the weird sensation lingering there, but he didn¡¯t think much of it. This was just a minor matter, and it could be possible that he might have just knocked it while turning around. I mean, what else could it be? Would someone sneak into my carriage in the middle of the night to do this? That¡¯s impossible! Roel tossed those thoughts to the back of his mind and chowed on some food before resuming their journey to the Austine Empire. Along the way, he saw a roadsign pointing to the Austine Empire, and he couldn¡¯t help but recall what he knew about that ce through the reports. The Austine Empire was the yground of the bloodline purists. Ever since they sessfully rallied the people with the bragging they did at the inception of the Third Epoch, they managed to get a firm footing on the continent and expanded swiftly under the g of ¡®restoring the prosperity of the old empire¡¯. The process involved annexing all of the nearby, smaller countries, resulting in its foreign reputation falling into shambles. Its foreign diplomacy might be a huge mess, but it was faring well in its internal security. Through instilling the thoughts of ¡®superiority on the grounds of bloodline¡¯, they were able to encourage a high level of loyalty amidst their people. While there were some failed campaigns like the one with Rosa, overall, they were still standing strong. One thing that was worthy of note though was that the Austine Empire had fallen into an awkward position due to the ¡®imbnce of yin and yang¡¯. Through conventional standards, the incumbent emperor of the Austine Empire, Lukas Ackermann, was both a qualified yet unqualified emperor. He had aplished significant merits, such as reinforcing the stability of the empire, ending the decades old war with Rosa, revitalizing its economic development, and raising the average standard of living of the normal popce. As for his failure... he was far too much of a workaholic and refused to get close to women. Yes, having an emperor that didn¡¯t like women was a huge disqualifying factor that could easily result in a national crisis! The nobles who were working under the emperor hoped for him to pass down his legacy to the next generation so that the goodwill that had been built up thus far could continue to persist. A problem with the imperial session was everyone¡¯s problem. All of the officials had protested for a long time against Lukas¡¯ failure to fulfill one of his key duties as the emperor, but their concerns were simply shrugged off by the workaholic. It was only in thest twenty years, when Lukas¡¯ influence finally began declining due to his old age, that he finally sumbed to his subordinates¡¯ will and reluctantly took off his pants for the empire. Ironically, another major problem cropped up from there. Lukas managed to bear two sons, but there were unfortunatelycking in talent as transcendents. They were still barely qualified as princes, but there was a clear contrast between them and their father, which was honestly a huge disappointment... until his third child, a daughter, was born. Lilian Ackermann was her name. Unlike her two brothers, she was blessed with great aptitude as a transcendent. Her birth forced Lukas to pull up her pants, for Lilian was the child of the empress. Her lineage granted her huge political resources at her disposal, and she herself wasn¡¯tcking in any other way either. As a result, despite not having the rights to session due to her gender, her very presence still threatened the positions of the first and second prince. There was a rule in the Austine Empire¡¯sws that stated that the sessor to the crown had to be a high-level transcendent unless in turbulent times, and the first and second princes had stagnated at Origin Level 4 for more than a decade now. For those who had the right to session to becking and the one who didn¡¯t to be overwhelmingly qualified, this brought about quite a huge controversy in the Austine Empire. Nothing had happened thus far, but everyone could sense that a storm was brewing. ¡°The Ancient Austine back then and now Austine too; it really is a country gued with troubles,¡± murmured Roel under his breath. Chapter 224: Such a Thing is Possible Too?

Chapter 224: Such a Thing is Possible Too?

The Saint Freya Academy was an educational institution with centuries of history to it. It was located at the heart of the Country of Schrs, Brolne. The term ¡®Freya¡¯ came from the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s ¡®Freyja¡¯, who was known as the Goddess of Knowledge and Truth. She had many believers in the Ancient Austine Empire, and it was rumored that the Wisdom Origin Attribute actually originated from her. Back in the Second Epoch, all academies would have Freyja¡¯s sculpture erected at their entrance, and interestingly, she assumed the image of a severe man back then. This was simr to how the Goddess of Mercy transformed from a man to a woman over time in his previous life. Hardly anyone had seen the gods before, and the transmission of information tended to be slow and unreliable in this mostly unglobalized world. On top of that, far too many books and cultural information had been lost during the migration at the end of the Second Epoch, resulting in some discrepancies in information here and there. There was a huge schstic debate in the earlier years of the Third Epoch over whether gods had gender or not¡ªin Roel¡¯s view, the argument was really as useful as arguing whether gods had buttholes or not¡ªbut this detail did mean a lot to the believers back then. After a long, long debate, old man Freyja was finally tossed into the rubbish bin, and in his ce rose the beautiful Freya, the Goddess of Knowledge and Truth. At least that was how it was in the Country of Schrs. To be frank, Roel had an inkling suspicion that those old schrs had been single for far too long, such that they didn¡¯t even want to worship a man as their god anymore. Putting that aside, the fact that the Country of Schrs was willing to use the name of a god for the academy as a billboard showed how much they valued this educational institute. Saint Freya Academy stood at very top of the pyramid, granting prestige and recognition to anyone who graduated from it. It was almost like Harvard or Oxford in his previous life. Pratically all high nobles of major countries had graduated from this institution, such as Roel¡¯s father, Carter. It was also in this ce, where the most powerful and brilliant youths of the world were gathered at, that the curtains on Eyes of the Chronicler was drawn. To date, Roel had done a pretty good job at plucking out his gs. The Ascart Fiefdom had been steadily growing under his care, and he should have managed to avert any bad endings that would have urred with Alicia, Nora, and Charlotte, turning them into his allies even. Of the four capture targets, three were already on his side, so the ¡®lynching team¡¯ who managed to bring about his downfall in the game had pretty much copsed by now. Nevertheless, this didn¡¯t meant that Roel¡¯s guard was down yet. Of the four capture targets, if Nora was the most aggressive one, Alicia was the most impactful one, and Charlotte was a milder, supportive one, then the final capture target, Lilian Ackermann, should be evaluated as the most troublesome one. Indeed, the princess of the Austine Empire was the final culprit who brought about Roel¡¯s death in Eyes of the Chroncler. Roel¡¯s knowledge about Lilian was severelycking, losing out to even that of Charlotte¡¯s. However, there was one aspect about her that had caught all of the yers¡¯ attention back then, and that was her identity. Lilian was an Ackermann too, which made her the elder sister of the illegitimate son, Paul Ackermann. Half-siblings they might be, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that they had direct blood rtions. Such a character shouldn¡¯t have be a capture target, or else it would have been incest. Of course, games always had their ways to circumvent that issue. In truth, the two of them weren¡¯t of the same bloodline, and the one who was ¡®fake¡¯ here was likely to be Paul. There was simply no way the emperor would allow himself to be cuckolded by the empress, so it was impossible for Lilian to have falsified her identity as their daughter. As a country whose values had been warped by the bloodline purists, they were extremely fastidious when it came to legitimacy. Whenever a prince or a princess was born, they would be put through a magic tool to have their bloodline checked. Even if a person somehow managed to fool the magic tool, they would still be exposed eventually when it was found that they couldn¡¯t activate the many tools of the Ackermann Imperial Family that required the imperial bloodline as a medium. Considering that Lilian had already lived in the Austine Empire for more than a decade now, she would have already been exposed by now if she was a fake. This meant that the one whose identity ought to be questioned was Paul Ackermann, who only stayed in the Austine Empire for a short moment before being sent to the Country of Schrs to study. But again, it wasn¡¯t right to say that Paul was a fake Ackermann either as several details in the plotline wouldn¡¯t make sense. That was also why Roel, whose memories were mostly limited to themon route, was confused over this fiasco too. Most of these secrets would probably only be uncovered if the yer unlocked Lilian¡¯s route. Putting aside the secret identities, there was another matter which Roel was particrly concerned about. For some reason, Lilian Ackermann was extremely hostile toward Roel Ascart right from the start of the game, even before he was revealed to be an evil cultist.. Even till now, Roel wasn¡¯t sure what the reason behind that was. He thought that it could be because Lilian keenly noticed Roel¡¯s anomaly but didn¡¯t have enough evidence to work against him. That would be the most optimistic situation of all since there was no way Roel would join an evil cult now that he already had his own army. ¡°So... all¡¯s fine, right?¡± Roel blinked his eyes contemtively before deciding to think positively. If his deduction was right, he wouldn¡¯t even have to bother with Lilian¡¯s g at all. In the first ce, there was no way so many people in the world would be so deeply prejudiced toward him like Charlotte at the start. In fact, even in Charlotte¡¯s case, her strong feeling mainly arose from the unexpected engagement contract between them, but Lilian was far away in the Austine Empire. It was impossible for there to be any connection between them. ¡°Ahh, I¡¯m really thinking too much into it.¡± Roel heaved a long sigh of relief before revealing a ¡®what a wondrous world we live in¡¯ expression. As expected of me. I¡¯ve fulfilled all my goals even before entering the academy. With such thoughts in mind, Roel straightened his body and took a sip off the teacup gracefully. While I have managed to ovee most of my death gs in the game by now, I still shouldn¡¯t act carelessly. The events in the academy reflects only the problems faced by the former Roel; there are still more pressing issues I have to deal with, such as finding ¡®Academic¡¯. Having decided on his goal, Roel put down his teacup and gazed out of the window to look at the sternfaced mercenaries marching in a formation outside the window. Then, he turned his attention back to the interiors of the carriage, where he was all alone without any maids or anyone else. All of a sudden, he felt a little ufortable. ¡°Is the loneliness of traveling alone? Ahh, I guess I should get used to this soon,¡± remarked Roel as he subconsciously rubbed his lips. Chapter 225: Ashamed

Chapter 225: Ashamed

Three days after leaving Rosa City, Roel noticed that there was something really weird going on. ¡°Why do my lips look a little swollen?¡± Roel stared at his swollen red lips in the mirror with questions buzzing in his mind. He was prepared for the possibility of him being afflicted with all sorts of ailments from being in a different environment, but the symptom he was suffering was beyond his understanding. What could possibly cause swollen lips? Did I umte too much ¡®heat¡¯ in my body from eating too much barbecued meat? That shouldn¡¯t be. I¡¯ve never suffered such symptoms before, and a transcendent¡¯s body shouldn¡¯t be that weak! Roel had no idea what was happening to him, so he called Cynthia over to enquire about it. After taking a careful look at it, she responded carefully. ¡°Milord, it looks like it¡¯s just... swollen.¡± Roel was left a little speechless. He lowered his gaze contemtively while stroking his chin, trying to figure out the situation here. However, this action resulted in him noticing something that caused his eyes to widen. In view of the possibility that a battle could ur, the carriage modified by the Sorofyas didn¡¯t usefortable soft carpeting that could be hard to maintain bnce on, but a special type of material that grasped onto the soles of one¡¯s feet. This special material made it much easier to see things that would usually not be too conspicuous... such as footprints. Roel stared at the footprint on the floor as hisplexion gradually turned awful. Cynthia and the other mercenaries would step onboard his carriage and report their schedule every day, but he was certain that this footprint didn¡¯t belong to any of them. It was simply too small, to the point that he suspected it to havee from a child. A child was able to circumvent my defenses and sneak in while I was asleep? This notion left Roel feeling deeply unnerved. His first thought was that it might have been a ghost. Ghosts did exist in the Sia Continent, but they weren¡¯t as terrifying as they were in his previous life as there were many known means to deal with them. Still, the knowledge that someone had been peeking on him at night made him incredibly ufortable. But on second thought, it didn¡¯t really make sense that a ghost could leave behind a footprint, which meant the being which had been sneaking into his carriage was likely to be incredibly powerful. It reminded him of the legends of the banshees, who were rumored to feast on the life force of human travelers. However, thest known sighting of a banshee was already several centuries back. Roel didn¡¯t think that he would be so lucky as to meet with a mythical monster, but nheless, this matter was definitely not one he should make light of. The carriage of the Ascarts¡¯ sessor wasn¡¯t a ce where anyone could climb onboard as and when they pleased. After a moment of careful contemtion, Roel regained hisposure and instructed with his usual tone. ¡°Cynthia, bring me the map.¡± ¡°Yes, milord.¡± Cynthia quickly brought a map back into the carriage, only to be faced with Roel¡¯s stern face. He tapped lightly on the surface, which made thetter¡¯s face turn incredibly grim. Half an hourter, Cynthia walked out of the carriage and continued marching ahead without saying a word, as if nothing had happened at all. Roel also behaved as per usual, and he even took an afternoon nap. Evening time, the convoy stopped by the roadside. The mercenaries quickly hunted down a few animals in the area to stock up on their rations before proceeding on to prepare dinner. Roel seemed to be in a particrly good mood that day as he joined in his subordinates¡¯ party and sang along with them. Then, at the same time as he did in previous days, he retired back into his carriage. Time slowly ticked by. Soon, when the moon was high in the sky and Roel was ¡®fast asleep¡¯ in the carriage, a dim silver light began manifesting once more as a slender figure appeared as promised. The next moment, Roel shot up and a battle broke out. ... ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Half an hourter, Roel sat by the table as he gazed impassively at the ¡®imp¡¯ who had snuck onto his carriage. The pitiful girl sat timidly on the bed opposite to him, her face utterly reddened with shame. Roel and Cynthia¡¯s bait worked out perfectly. There was an air of leisureliness drifting in the camp due to the earlier party¡ªRoel had even sung a melody together with them¡ªand it sessfully made Alicia lower her guard and appear as per normal, thinking that nothing would happen. Yet, she found herself weed with a massive bone w and a tight encirclement of many transcendents outside the carriage. The moment Roel saw Alicia¡¯s face, he reflexively stopped what he was doing, but it was already toote to halt his subordinates outside. Cynthia was the leader of the Ironwall Mercenaries, and she viewed this mission with utmost importance. She never thought that a problem would have cropped up under her watch, so she gave her 120% this time around in order to make up for his failure. So, almost at the same moment that Roel stopped his attack, she barged into the carriage with the other mercenaries. And this resulted in public humiliation. Unfolding before everyone¡¯s eyes was a silver-haired girl frozen in ce while trying to take off her shoes and climb onto her older brother¡¯s bed. Cynthia was utterly dumbfounded, for she recognized the other party to be the young miss of the Ascart House. She had met Alicia before when she previously escorted Charlotte to the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Unfortunately, none of the other members of the mercenary band recognized her. Context-wise, they were in the midst of the wilderness at night, and a humanlike being possessing inhuman beauty suddenly appeared in the midst of their master¡¯s carriage, presumably with hostile intention. Naturally, their first reaction would be to put down this being. ¡°Be careful, it¡¯s a banshee!¡± ¡°Protect Lord Holy Son!¡± ¡°The carriage is too small. We need to knock her out!¡± The agitated mercenaries were overflowing with killing intent. Those in the front line raised their shields and were prepared to ram her out. Left with no choice, Roel could only shout out the words that he didn¡¯t want to say the most. ¡°Stop! She¡¯s my little sister!¡± The surroundings plunged into a bizarre silence right away. Some of the mercenaries who were already in the midst of their charge had to veer sideward in order to avoid Alicia, only to end up ramming loudly into the door at the opposite end. Cynthia had a stiffened expression on her face, and the other mercenaries could hardly conceal the peculiar looks on their faces too. Alicia¡¯s face turned crimson under everyone¡¯s gaze. She huddled into a ball with a low weeping noise. Seeing this, Roel quickly flipped up the nket and covered her. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. It was just a misunderstanding. You may return to your positions.¡± Roel sped his forehead as he struggled to voice those words out. The crowd quickly backed out from the carriage, knowing that they had seen something they shouldn¡¯t have. It was only till the mercenaries finally fitted on the spare carriage door that Roel finally pulled the nket away from her, revealing the utterly embarrassed Alicia. The two of them sat like that for ten whole minutes, neither knowing how to initiate the conversation at all. A long timeter, Roel sighed deeply and said. ¡°Tell me, what were you thinking?¡± Chapter 226: Compensation

Chapter 226: Compensation

Even though the mercenaries had alighted from the carriage, they didn¡¯t stray too far out of concern for Roel¡¯s safety. Cynthia shot a gaze at the mercenaries in the area, warning them to keep their silence. Meanwhile, in the carriage they had gathered around, Alicia sat with a lowered head under Roel¡¯s intent stare. ¡®Night assaults¡¯, this was something which Roel had often seen in movies and dramas, and it was usually a fun plot development that guaranteed some hrity... but it turned out to be ¡®not so fun¡¯ when he was the one being assaulted. The reason was the implications arising from it. Nobles were all about grace and etiquette. In ancient times, there were even standard positions that nobles ought to take during their consummation of marriage so as to appear graceful even during coitus. Of course, the strict traditions had loosened up greatly since then, but it was still important for a noble to maintain modesty. Being assaulted at night was utterly ludicrous, not to mention that it was a younger sister assaulting his older brother! Such a thing had never happened to Roel before. There were always guards and maids on standby outside his room, preventing anyone from trespassing. Aside from that, the people whom he associated himself with tended to be nobles too, and they were unlikely to do such a thing themselves. His own reputation didn¡¯t matter as much; what distressed him far more was the implications it would have on Alicia¡¯s reputation! It was fortunate that those who barged into the carriage earlier were from the Unyielding Sect, his own people. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire. ¡°Tell me, what in the world are you thinking?¡± ¡°I... I just didn¡¯t want to part with Lord Brother, so...¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you lied to me and snuck out?¡± asked Roel with a sharp tone. Alicia¡¯s face immediately copsed as she bit her lips pitifully. ¡°But... Anna is handling the internal affairs of Ascart House properly, so there¡¯s nothing for me to do even if I return. It would be much better for me to spend my time apanying Lord Brother instead...¡± ¡°Apanying me? Does that involve sneaking into my carriage in the middle of the night? Do you know how others will take this matter?!¡± It was rare for Roel to lecture Alicia¡ªhe simply doted on her too much that he could hardly raise his voice against her¡ªbut it looked like he was really fuming this time around. Alicia¡¯s eyes swiftly turned moist, and before long, she began sobbing pitifully. Seeing this, Roel was left utterly distressed. He had no choice but to swallow the harsh words he had on the tip of his tongue down and mellow down his tone a little. ¡°Haa, do you know that you might not be able to marry if this matter were to get out?¡± ¡°Wuuu, I¡¯m sorry. I... Ah?¡± Alicia reflexively apologized for her actions, only to suddenlye to a halt. I won¡¯t be able to marry... There¡¯s actually such a huge benefit to this too? Alicia was stunned by the sudden revtion of the unexpected benefit, giving her a moment of epiphany. Her momentary daze, however, perplexed Roel. ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°Ah? Uwuu, I know that I was at fault here...¡± Noticing Roel¡¯s bizarre look, Alicia quickly continued crying while apologizing profusely, but the eyes hiding behind her hands were gleaming brightly. ¡°Lord Brother, will I really be unable to marry in the future?¡± ¡°Well, that depends. You¡¯re lucky that the ones who witnessed the sight are my guards, so they won¡¯t leak it out.¡± ¡°Uwuu! Will Lord Brother take care of me if no one wants me in the future?¡± ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. So be it if you aren¡¯t able to marry anyone. I¡¯ll take care of you for life!¡± Hearing the tearful sobs of the silver-haired girl, Roel thumped his chest and gave his promise. Little did he know that his words had caused Alicia¡¯s heartbeat to hasten as she realized that she might have just grasped the keys required to make this rtionship work out... I see. So all it takes is for the rumors to get out... She continued weeping on while entertaining those thoughts in her mind so that Roel wouldn;t sense anything amiss. Seeing how remorseful she was over her actions, Roel found herself unable to criticize her anymore. He thought of himself as half a parent to Alicia since Carter was hardly around, and he believed that the important thing in educating a child was to make her earnestly admit her own mistakes and ensure that it didn¡¯t happen again in the future. Scolding a child excessively was nothing more than venting one¡¯s emotions. So, Roel heaved a deep sigh and changed the topic. He began asking Alicia how she had been faring over thest few days, and it turned out that Alicia¡¯s case wasn¡¯t as ridiculous as he had thought. It turned out that Alicia had rushed to leave back then not just to deceive Roel but to catch up with Carter too. In fact, she had gotten permission from their father regarding this matter. It was just that no one could have imagined that Alicia would choose to remain hidden and sneak into Roel¡¯s carriage night after night. During the day, Alicia would follow the carriage from the back. It was fortunate for her that Roel was posing as a merchant convoy, so their traveling speed was much slower than a military convoy would. It wasn¡¯t too difficult for her, as an Origin Level 4 transcendent, to catch up with them. Subsistence-wise, a transcendent of her level could easily go on for days without eating. As for rest, where else could befier than Lord Brother¡¯s bed? ¡°That¡¯s not right. Cynthia is an Origin Level 3 transcendent. It doesn¡¯t make sense for you to be able to escape her notice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of the full moon. My bloodline spells will be greatly enhanced in the presence of the full moon, allowing me to reduce my mana pulsations to almost nothing at all. Wherever the moon shines, I can infiltrate with ease,¡± exined Alicia while pointing at the moon. This plunged Roel into shock. The revtion really renewed hismon sense of what was possible and what wasn¡¯t on the Sia Continent, especially when it came to bloodline abilities. Now that he really thought about it, Nora, Alicia, and Charlotte had extremely powerful bloodlines that couldn¡¯t be gauged using normal standards. In fact, Roel was the same too. Others would simply think that he was mad if he told them that he had a connection window with the ancient gods. ¡°Ah, it looks like you¡¯ve really grown up.¡± Roel looked at Alicia as he sighed deeply. He suddenly felt a profound feeling of loss from the realization that the little girl from yesterday was swiftly maturing into an adult and no longer needed his protection and doting anymore. However, barely as those thoughts arose in his head, it was interrupted by the other party right away. ¡°Lord Brother, are you intending not to care about me anymore? Am I annoying you now?¡± Seeing the glistening tears in Alicia¡¯s ruby eyes, Roel immediately shook his head to deny it. Alicia stepped off the bed and leaped into Roel¡¯s embrace. After a short cry, she finally calmed down once more in Roel¡¯s arms. She adjusted herself to sit on Roel¡¯s knees and lean on his body. On the other hand, Roel found himself sighing helplessly once more. He would be heading to the academy next year, and the difference in age meant that Alicia would only be able to join him a yearter. While he would still return to the Ascarts¡¯ manor for the holidays, she would probably be lonely with his absence. Forget it, I should think of this journey as a way to make up to her in advance. With such thoughts in mind, Roel hugged the silver-haired girl in front of him. Meanwhile, a far distance away, deep in the lush Karon Forest, a towering ancient tree that rose to the clouds opened its eyes. It lowered its gaze down upon a slender silhouette. Chapter 227: The Everchanging Flags on Roel’s Bed

Chapter 227: The Everchanging gs on Roel¡¯s Bed

Half a monthter, a merchant convoy consisting of over thirty individuals entered the Austine Empire¡¯s Pordere Vige. There was no house insignia on the carriage, but it bore a symbolmonly used by Rosaian merchants. It signified that they weren¡¯t from a noble house but one of Rosa¡¯s many merchant associations. Since they didn¡¯t have any noble background, their entry wouldn¡¯t rm the local nobles either. That being said, for a remote vige like Pordere Vige, the arrival of a merchant convoy was still quite a spectacle for them, drawing in huge crowds. And their curiosity was met with returns too. They got to feast their eyes on the presence of two extremely beautiful youths who looked like the graceful elves in stories. They were the ck-haired boy and silver-haired girl seated at the centermost carriage, looking like an unmarried couple. As for why the crowd thought of them to be a couple, there were three reasons for it. One, they were sharing a carriage after all. Two, even though the two of them were really good-looking, the differences in their hair and eye colors hinted at them being non-blood-rted. Three, they had a lovey-dovey atmosphere between them. They were either hugging one another or holding hands, almost as if they were stuck to one another. The ck-haired boy still lookedposed about it all, but the silver-haired girl had a clear look of bliss on her face. There was no married woman in the vige who wasn¡¯t familiar with the expression on her face¡ªit was the look of a woman in the honeymoon period of her romance. Gossip about these two unusually good-looking youths spread swiftly, and the most popr theory postted that the ck-haired boy was the young master of a merchant association and was bringing his fianc¨¦e around for a tour. Roel was oblivious to all of the rumors going around. He was already used to Alicia clinging to him, and honestly, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to exin the matter either. Even if he were to find out that Alicia was intentionally putting on that intimate act in public, he would probably have just turned a blind eye to it. As a true-blue bro-con, it was inevitable that he was extremely forgiving toward his little sister. So far, there had been nothing she had done that he wasn¡¯t able to forgive her for yet. Regarding the ¡®night assaults¡¯, he simply attributed it to a child¡¯s prank. Cynthia and the others didn¡¯t dare to raise questions about his verdict¡ªit was Roel¡¯s private affair after all¡ªbut the skeptical looks in their eyes were more than enough to show what they thought about Alicia¡¯s act of climbing onto his bed. There was little Roel could do about how others thought about the matter, so he could only order everyone to keep mum about it. Naturally, Alicia was dissatisfied with the order. If she could, she would spread this rumor all over the continent and ensure that everyone knew about the ¡®night assaults¡¯ so that she wouldn¡¯t have to get married to anyone else. In the end, she could only content herself with informing Cynthia and the others that they were actually non-blood-rted siblings. Cynthia and the others were clearly relieved to hear that. They were quite conflicted when they learned that their Holy Son might bemitting incest since it went against what they deemed to be ¡®socially eptable¡¯. But soon, they realized something thatpletely changed their impression of Alicia. Is she going to be our mistress in the future? After all, from Cynthia and the other¡¯s point of view, the two of them were already at the extent where they were sharing a bed. Wouldn¡¯t marriage be the next natural course of action between them? Oblivious to them, however, there was actually an intense war over Roel¡¯s bed that wouldn¡¯t pale inparison to Rosa¡¯s century-old war for independence. Like a widely contested territory, Roel¡¯s bed was constantly changing hands; it was just that the Alicia Kingdom had the upper hand at the moment. That said, it didn¡¯t hinder Cynthia and the other mercenaries from trying to build up a close rtionship with Alicia. Their lovey-dovey atmosphere and the knowledge that they were non-blood-rted made it pretty clear to them whom they should throw their lot with. ... Ahhh, it looks like Lord Holy Son and Miss Alicia are getting along well today too. While issuing orders to her subordinates to transport the wine out, Cynthia shot a nce at the carriage with a warm smile on her lips. Meanwhile, Roel was seated in the carriage, staring deeply at the wine ss he was swirling in his hand. Right after entering the vige, Roel ordered his subordinates to purchase all of the Cadi wine from the shops and even from homes. He even headed straight for the best tavern in the vige to buy himself a cup of it. As a historian, he was quite interested in this wine that had over a thousand years of history to it. It was indeed very cheap, costing just two copper coins each cup. It even came with aplimentary slice of sweet lemon, which, ording to the tavern¡¯s boss, was necessary or else some people couldn¡¯t even be able to bring themselves to drink it. Hearing those words, Roel gave it a try and nearly spurted out the drink right away. Due to its unrefined manufacturing procedure, the Cadi wine didn¡¯t have a high alcohol content. It had a slightly refreshing, numbing texture, presumably due to the mushroom, but its taste was really unttering, to put it in a milder way. It was really, really bitter, and it carried the stench of dirt too. It was like the pr opposite of the Pam wine produced by the Ascart Fiefdom. Due to its awful taste, Roel didn¡¯t bother reserving any for Alicia. Despite so, the curious Alicia still insisted on giving it a taste, and she was immediately convinced of Roel¡¯s sharp judgment. Pordere Vige¡¯s local specialty was unsatisfactory to Roel, but this was not the only thing he was looking out for here. This was the first time he was traveling to the Austine Empire, and he was nning on making use of this opportunity to see how the other municipalities outside of the Ascart Fiefdom operated so that he could better refine his policies as the proxy fief lord. After careful examination, Roel soon came to realize something¡ªthe Austine Empire probably wasn¡¯t as rich and powerful as the rest of the world imagined them to be. At the very least, the infrastructure in the mountainous municipalities was very poor, and it looked like the civilianscked a sense of belonging to Austine too. The term ¡®pureblooded¡¯ carried no significance here, and the people of the vige didn¡¯t feel that they were superior to the rest of the world either. This made Roel feel ratherfortable. When he gave the matter some thought, it did make sense. Who would care about the superiority of bloodlines when they were struggling to stave off hunger and keep warm? Even illusions of grandeur couldn¡¯t triumph over practical needs! The evaluation he eventually arrived at was that the Ascart Fiefdom was on the right track. It was building on the correct foundation, and he should be able to reap the rewards of his effort in time toe. Anyway, after replenishing their supplies and collecting over twenty barrels of Cadi wine, they finally aplished their mission and headed to an inn to rest. The following morning, they resumed their journey toward the Karon Forest. ... In the Karon Forest, a dark gray-haired middle-aged man and a gray-haired elder were forging their way forward amidst trees and shrubs. The middle-aged man was Rodney, and the elder was Wood. They were the incumbent and preceding vige chiefs of the Strength Sect respectively, wielding considerable standing and power. Yet, their appearances looked incredibly unkempt at the moment. Rodney was much younger than Wood, and as if to symbolize his vigor, steam would gush out of him vigorously whenever he fought, resulting in his clothes bing awfully tattered. Inparison, the older Wood looked much more decent. He was wrapped in a wolfskin cloak, just that its fur had mostly dropped from all the battles he had been through, turning it into a leather jacket instead. The two of them were clearly dressed badly for someone of their stature, and it was a long story how they ended up in their current plight. It had been three years since the Strength Sect had caught the eye of the evil cults aiming for the Scale of the Snake God. Over this period of time, they had already moved their vige twice, but the evil cultists continued to pursue them fervently. Left with no choice, they decided to venture into the remote Karon Forest to seek refuge. At the same time, they also activated their spiritual sense in hopes of finding clues rting to their god and Holy Son. The Strength Sect was one of the few heretic sects that had a fairlyplete heritage, so they understood the great influence that their god had over them. Unlike the Unyielding Origin Attribute, the Strength Origin Attribute came from the giants, so it was far rougher in nature. It was much easier for transcendents of the Strength Origin Attribute to make breakthroughs, but in exchange, the Origin Attribute was extremely demanding on one¡¯s physical prowess, and its powers came with huge side effects. This was the reason why the Strength Sect only had several hundred people but were able to produce two Origin Level 3 transcendents whereas the Unyielding Sect only had one over three generations despite having thousands of people. Strength and risk came hand-in-hand; this was simply how things were on the Sia Continent. It was also due to this that Rodney and the others carried great hopes for the Holy Son, hoping to fly right over to his side to seek refuge under him. They knew that while the Holy Son carried absolute power over them, he was also the only one who could lessen the side effects of their Origin Attribute through the blessings of their ancient god. The entire vige had kept their spiritual sense activated for three years now, keeping a close eye out for any happenings, but to their despair, that little boy they saw in their dreams that day never appeared again... till a month ago. That night, over twenty transcendents in the vige received a spiritual vision. The old vige chief, Wood, even managed to sense the rough location of the ancient god through his sharp spiritual sense. As soon as dawn arrived, the entire vige immediately got to action. They had finally found a way out of the quandary they were in. Three years of persistence had finally paid off, and it made them break down into tears. They barely had any clothes left to wipe their tears and snot on though, so they could only grab nearby leaves to do the job. It had really been tough on them. They had spent three whole years living in the wilderness, far beyond the reaches of the human world, such that they thought that they were really going to turn into barbarians at this rate. Happiness hade so quickly that it literally caught them off-guard. Spring had just barely arrived, and they hadn¡¯t managed to stock up on their rations yet. Even though they knew where their Holy Son was, they didn¡¯t have the resources to make the trip right away. They had no choice but to devote a month of their time to gather as much food as possible for the trip. Farming was clearly out of the question here, so they could only prepare stuff like preserved fish, meat jerky, and dried fruit. As for the rest, they could only try to make do with their hunts along the way. But before leaving the Karon Forest, there was onest thing they had to do. With the two remaining vats of fruit wine their vige had in their hands, Rodney and Wood made their way toward the absolute power whom no one could defy in this vast forest to thank it for granting them sanctuary. The Master of the Forest, Ancient Treant Kayde. The rumors of werewolves in Karon Forest were actually true, just that these werewolves weren¡¯t exactly real werewolves in the truest sense. They were cursed humans who had chosen to live alongside with the Master of the Forest. It was only with the permission of the Master of the Forest that the Strength Sect was barely able to stand its ground in this forest, and the price of it was annual tributes of wine. It was only right for them to pay theirst respect to the Master of the Forest prior to their departure. So, they ventured into the depths of the forest and found the insignia they had made beforehand. Following that, they entered a mountain valley in ordance with the route they remembered. As soon as they stepped into the vicinity, a massive oak tree at the center of the mountain valley opened its eyes. ¡°Greetings to the great Master of the Forest.¡± Rodney and Wood bowed deeply with the vats of fruit wine in their hands. The towering treant waved its branches in response. Before the two of them could speak a word, the treant had already spoken up first with its hoarse voice. ¡°You came at a good time. I have a favor to ask of you, my friends.¡± Chapter 228: A Surprise Meeting

Chapter 228: A Surprise Meeting

Cracks of the morning sun shone on the horizon, heralding a new day for the Karon Forest. Diurnal animals awoke from their slumber and began their daily activities, the most notable of which being the melodious chirping of the birds in the sky. It was in such a refreshing environment that an army of over a hundred people traversed quietly through the forest. They were dressed sloppily, most of them not even having any footwear. The one leading the army was a dark grey-haired middle-aged man and a grey-haired elder, Rodney and Wood. The two of them were currently standing on top of a tree with weapons in their hands, looking for a better position to camp at so that they could bettermand the vigers traveling discreetly by the sides of the road. Indeed! Today was the day that the two vige chiefs of the Strength Sect were going to explore the world of banditry together with their people. Admittedly, it was quite embarrassing for them to be doing such a thing, but there was nothing that could be done since it was a requesting from the Master of the Forest. ... Moving time back to a day ago... This was the first time Rodney and Wood had received a request from the Master of the Forest, and it was quite unexpected since they couldn¡¯t imagine anything this treant, who had survived through the ancient era, would need from them. Just what in the world would prompt this esteemed being to seek our help? Has it met with some grave crisis? Rodney and Wood¡¯s faces immediately turned solemn, but what Ancient Treant Kayde said afterward made their expressions turn a little bizarre. ¡°I heard a piece of news from my farawaypanions. A convoy is bringing a lot of my beloved Cadi wine over. Ah, that delectable texture and wondrous taste! I haven¡¯t had it for almost a hundred years now...¡± That night, Rodney and Wood stared at one another in bewilderment as they listened to the towering treant moan about its love for Cadi wine for over an hour. For a moment there, they felt that Ancient Treant Kayde sounded like a frustrated alcohol addict who was forbidden from touching any alcohol by his children. Anyway, the request it had was to plunder the alcohol carried by the passing convoy. ¡°...¡± The two Origin Level 3 transcendents were speechless upon hearing the request, but at the same time, they found themselves heaving a sigh of relief too. Honestly speaking, they were grateful to the Master of the Forest for epting them, but they weren¡¯t in a good position to be taking on hard requests. If it was something which Ancient Treant Kayde couldn¡¯t resolve with the werewolves under hismand, it was likely that the Strength Sect would have to pay a heavy price in order to fulfill the request too. If that was the case, both Rodney and Wood would have no choice but to turn down the request even at the expense of appearing ungrateful. However, such was not the case now. Is banditry shameful? Of course it is, especially shameful for Origin Level 3 transcendents who had enough pride to not resort to such lowly means. That said, it was far safer than any request they would have otherwise received. Bandit ambushes usually urred in less secure roads and in the wilderness, but onemon aspect was that both the attacker and the attacked tended to be weak. In fact, most of them wouldn¡¯t even have Origin Attributes. After all, which Origin Level 5 transcendent would possibly lower themselves to bing a merchant¡¯s guard or a bandit when they could have be a squad leader in an army instead? Of course, there were ouwed ouwed transcendents who had no choice but to resort to banditry in order to make a living, but even so, the strongest amongst them was only at Origin Level 4, regardless of howrge the bandit band was. There was not a single high-level transcendent bandit at all. There was a good reason for that, actually. Simply put, if a high-level transcendent were to join an organization, the nature of the organization would change right away. The country wouldbel the organization as ¡®rebels¡¯ and dispatch soldiers to bring it down right away. They wouldn¡¯t risk having such an unstable factor around as it could pose a threat to their national security. And since even the strongest of bandits was only at Origin Level 4, it was only normal for even the strongest convoy guard to only be at Origin Level 4 too. No one in their right mind would pay a king¡¯s ransom to hire a high-level transcendent when they weren¡¯t needed. ¡°This poses no risk to us at all.¡± Both Rodney and Wood were confident that they could easily bring down a convoy of merchants with ease. After careful consideration, the two of them finally thumped their chest confidently and epted the request. ¡°Count it on us.¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll snatch whatever wine you want! This entire forest belongs to you anyway, so it¡¯s only right for those merchants to pay tariffs!¡± The two Origin Level 3 transcendents replied affirmatively to the request. This was a small matter in their eyes anyway, and they were d that they could repay their debt to the Master of the Forest with this. With lightened hearts, the two of them quickly returned to the vige to make ns. The trees were incapable of conveying the scale of the merchant convoy, so Rodney and the others had no idea what kind of force they were up against. Just to be safe, they chose to bring more people along. The ambush they prepared was, frankly put, sloppy. Due to theck of arrows, they didn¡¯t bother trying to conquer any high grounds beforehand. In the first ce, their n was simply to swiftly overwhelm the merchant convoy and force them to surrender. If possible, they wouldn¡¯t want to hurt anyone since their goal was just the alcohol. When the other warriors of the Strength Sect learned that they were just dealing with a mere merchant convoy, all of the tension they felt evaporated away. They simply hung a couple of tree vines around their necks and treated it as camouge. It was only under the ring noon sun that they bothered to add ayer of wild grass above them. It was under such circumstances that the convoy of thirty people finally approached the road they were camping at. But to their bewilderment, the convoy suddenly came to a halt right in front of their ambush. What¡¯s going on? Have we been found out? Rodney and Wood traded gazes. They did know that the members of the Strength Sect were being sloppy and unprofessional here, but it should have been enough to fool the average merchant convoy as Wood had specially cast an Illusion Spell. One would have to be at Origin Level 3 at minimum to see through his spell from a distance away. ¡°Does that convoy have Origin Level 3 transcendents?¡± ¡°How could that be? It must be a coincidence.¡± Looking at the slightly old carriages and the average-looking guards protecting it, Rodney couldn¡¯t imagine such a merchant convoy to have the financial capacity to hire a high-level transcendent. Wood also nodded in agreement with his judgment as well. Then, right before their eyes, two youths suddenly alighted from the carriage at the very center of the convoy. It was a ck-haired boy and a silver-haired girl, both dressed in the typical wear donned by a merchant¡¯s children. Yet, Rodney felt his heart skipping a beat upon seeing their faces, especially Alicia¡¯s. ¡°Why does it feel like something is amiss...¡± As an adventurer who had traveled to many different ces, Rodney was a veteran who was very well-versed with the ways of the world, and the situation before him definitely had something amiss. One, good-looking children tended toe from distinguished backgrounds. The gene enhancement resulting from an increased Degree of Assimtion was not just for say. Two, it was an irondw that youths who traveled without an elder¡¯s supervision were extraordinary individuals. After all, which merchant association would entrust a normal youth with the responsibility of leading a convoy? Aren¡¯t they merchants heading back to Rosa? What are their identities? Could it be possible that... While Rodney was trying to deduce the truth, Wood was staring intently at the ck-haired boy¡¯s figure. Why does he give me such an intense feeling of familiarity? It was an inexplicable feeling of intimacy, and it left him deeply perplexed. For someone who had never ventured out for decades now, there was no way Wood could have been acquainted with that ck-haired boy, but he simply couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that he had seen the other party somewhere. While the two of them were trying to figure out their doubts, the convoy had started moving once more. However, it had slowed down its pace significantly in order to amodate the two slower youths, who seemed to have alighted for a whiff of fresh air. Since their movements were slower, the speed at which they were walking into the ambush slowed down as well. This left the warriors camping by the sides of the road feeling deeply exasperated. However, Rodney and Wood only felt more and more perplexed. That formation! Isn¡¯t that one typically used only by professional mercenaries? On top of that, the disposition of those two youths... This isn¡¯t right. They have to be children of high nobles! This doesn¡¯t make sense. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve never seen someone with that face before, but his silhouette somehow looks incredibly familiar to me. I haven¡¯t met any strangers recently... Wait a moment! ¡°This is bad! Hold your arms!¡± ¡°Stop!!! That¡¯s our Holy...¡± The two vige chiefs came to a realization simultaneously, albeit being from different angles. They stood up and bellowed as loud as they could, but it was already toote. From the moment half of the convoy entered the mountain, the previously empty spaces by the sides of the road suddenly distorted, and over a hundred warriors of the Strength Sect immediately charged out from the illusion. This would be their first andst movement in the entire operation. The next moment, a powerful burst of crimson mana rushed into the sky, and a humongous skeleton manifested in the world like a demonic god. Chapter 229: Right, It’s the Ascarts

Chapter 229: Right, It¡¯s the Ascarts

The moment the humongous skeleton wrapped in crimson light appeared in the midst of the Karon Forest¡¯s mountain valley, the movements of the assants immediately came to a halt, be it the frantically shouting Rodney and Wood, or the warriors who had charged forth valiantly. It was a frightening sensation of stiffness that made them doubt that their blood had stalled to a halt, followed by an unbearable pressure crushing down on them. It took just a split moment before all of the believers of the Strength Sect fell to their knees and lowered their heads. Only the high transcendents, Rodney and Wood, were barely able to remain on their feet. Meanwhile, the mercenaries of the Unyielding Sect also felt a heavy pressure on their bodies. Having received a notice beforehand, they didn¡¯t fall into a panic. Still, Grandar¡¯s powerful existence forced them to avert their gazes deferentially. Only Cynthia was barely able to maintain her gaze upon this mighty existence, but the more she looked at him, the more astounded she was. High-level transcendents possessed sharper senses that allowed them to better perceive the existence of gods, discerning their nature and their strength. Based on what Cynthia was feeling, the crimson skeleton was an existence that wouldn¡¯t pale inparison to the great Earth Goddess she worshiped. Worshiping two gods at once? How is this possible? Words couldn¡¯t begin to describe how shocked Cynthia was. Ancient gods were strict and severe. They demanded absolute loyalty from their believers. A believer could lose a god¡¯s grace just by marrying a woman disfavored by the god, let alone doing something as sacrilegious as worshiping another god. Yet, suchmon sense didn¡¯t seem to apply on Roel. Cynthia was unaware that Roel was in an equal contract with Grandar and Peytra. He was a guide who had brought them out of their eternal slumber, bing the bridge that linked them to the present reality. Their existences were mutually beneficial to one another, unlike the other believers who implored god¡¯s grace through their faith. She suddenly found the ck-haired boy standing before her turning into an unfathomable existence, a being whose strength she would never know the depths of. Meanwhile, the members of the Strength Sect fell into utter silence until Wood finally spoke up. ¡°O¡¯ esteemed One, your undeserving believers beg your pardon for the great disrespect we have shown upon Lord Holy Son.¡± ... An hour after the chaos, the believers of the Strength Sect had all tossed aside their weapons and were humbly squeezed together in front of the convoy like penguins. Meanwhile, some distance away, Roel stood alongside an obedient Alicia as he gazed upon the mountainous scenery with a staff in his hand while listening to Rodney and Wood¡¯s exnation. Over the past hour, he got a detailed exnation about the Strength Sect¡¯s current predicament¡ªbasically the reason why Grandar¡¯s believers ended up bing a bunch of beggars plundering a merchant convoy passing through the area. To his surprise, this actually had something to do with the Sorofya House attempting to develop the Land of Chaos. Precisely due to that, Alicia was filled with sympathy for the members of the Strength Sect, and she impassionedly criticized the evil power oppressing the innocent masses. ¡°Lord Brother, Charlotte really is a bad woman!¡± While Alicia was dealing out heavy blows toward Charlotte, Roel gazed upon the scale he had just received from Rodney and beganmunicating with Peytra. ¡®Scale of the Snake God¡¯, this was basically a scale from one of the Earth Goddess¡¯ descendants. From Peytra¡¯s point of view, it was a relic left behind by one of her great-great-great...-great-grandchild, so naturally it was not something that could catch the eye of the previous Queen of Saint Beasts. That being said, it was not entirely useless either. It had been many years since Peytra departed from the world, so it was extremely hard to find mediums that could harness her power. The scale from her descendant was indubitably a rare item, harnessing the potential to be something far more than an artifact that simply rallied a couple of snakes with its lingering aura once it was blessed by Peytra. It was worth noting that the Strength Sect was extremely conservative, such that their respect and faith in Roel was far greater than that of the Unyielding Sect. All it took was a single encounter for all of them to surrender to Roel right away. They didn¡¯t even know what Roel¡¯s name, standing, or position were then! Grandar¡¯s appearance did contribute partially to that, but still, it was noteworthy that they didn¡¯t hesitate to hand over the Scale of the Snake God, something which they had refused to submit to the evil cults all this while, to him. Based on Rodney¡¯s ount, the members of the Strength Sect were intending to set off and look for Roel within the next few days. This was the first time they were engaging in banditry, and it was under someone else¡¯s request that they did so. Roel took a look at their clothes and decided to believe them. Considering the fact that they had two Origin Level 3 transcendents on their side, if they really had no qualms with robbing others, they should have long struck it rich by now. They wouldn¡¯t have been so pitiful as to be dressed in scraps... though what he was more concerned about was the reason why they were robbing him. ¡°Wait a moment, someone requested you to do so?¡± ¡°Yes, it was to repay the grace shown upon us by the Master of the Forest that we tried to rob your convoy.¡± ¡°I see... Who is the Master of the Forest though? Is he a heretic from the Land of Chaos too?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not it. Well...¡± Under Roel¡¯s perplexed gaze, Rodney and Wood hesitated for a long while before finally deciding to reveal the truth. ¡°The Master of the Forest is actually an ancient treant.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes upon hearing those words. He asked a few more questions to better understand the situation, but it only deepened his shock. He would have never thought that a day woulde where a tree would plot to rob him, and what made it even more ridiculous was that the other party had sent Grandar¡¯s believers after him! And when he learned that the treant was actually aiming for the twenty vats of atrociously disgusting Cadi wine, he immediately understood the meaning behind Isabe¡¯s words back at the Witness State. I see. There was no need for me to do anything at all. Anyone who brings arge quantity of Cadi wine with him into the Karon Forest would be able to meet the Drunkard Treant. Such a thing probably hadn¡¯t happened in a while since no merchant convoy would be willing to supply such a cheap yet disgusting wine, let alone transport it into the dangerous Karon Forest. In fact, ever since the Era of Adventure, most of the roads leading toward the Karon Forest had be dpidated. Given the circumstances, Roel reckoned that it was the truth when Ancient Treant Kayde mentioned that it hadn¡¯t had any Cadi wine for nearly a hundred years. Meanwhile, Rodney and the others were d to learn that they didn¡¯t have to be torn between their loyalty toward Roel and the debt they owed to the Master of the Forest. Together, they began making their way toward the depths of the mountain valley. ... It was springtime. Buds emerged on tree branches, and birds could frequently be seen circling above the forest. It was yet another season of awakening for the Karon Forest. Yet, in the depths of a mountain valley, Kayde¡¯s eyes remained firmly closed. This actually concerned the secret as to why the ancient treant was able to enjoy such great longevity¡ªNEET. If it was possible not to move, Kayde wouldn¡¯t move at all. It lived its life as though an ordinary oak tree, living quietly through the generations, silently witnessing times of prosperity and disaster. Having witnessed almost everything the world had to offer, there was not much that could catch Kayde¡¯s attention, especially after the departure of a group of close acquaintances. Before it knew it, its life had returned back to serenity. Nothing could disturb him, and nothing dared to disturb him. The descendents of those cursed by the gods had be its guards, and in return, it mellowed down their instincts and became their emotional stabilizer. This mutually beneficial exchange brought unprecedented peace to the Karon Forest, and it had remained that way for several hundred years now. But on this very day, a powerful aura broke the peace of the forest. The moment that powerful aura broke out, a pair of deeply wrinkled eyes opened on the towering ancient tree. The terrifying presence of the god rmed it, forcing it to take the situation with utmost graveness. Its body began to shudder as a faint glimmer of light shone in the depths of its trunk. The surrounding earth began to tremor as dust rose into the air, scaring away flocks of birds. This was the first time in decades that Kayde had unrooted itself from the ground. At the same time, over a hundred shadows flitted in the darkness of the forest¡ªwerewolves. An ancient promisepelled them to offer their aid to the Master of the Forest if thetter was in a dangerous position. Following right after were the powerful demonic creatures whom Kayde had contracted with as well. Humongous birds circled the sky warily, and lethal venomous scorpions rose from their burrows. ¡°They still managed to find me in the end?¡± murmured an ancient, hoarse voice contemtively. It looked in the direction where the sound of footsteps was gradually echoing clearer and clearer. To Kayde¡¯s surprise, the army came to a halt over a thousand meters away; the only one that approached it was an individual. It was a ck-haired boy dressed in clothes that weren¡¯t too extravagant. He had an appearance that could be considered to be above average amongst the humans, and he gave off an air of nobility. Holding onto an old staff, he looked at Kayde withposed golden eyes. His presence wasn¡¯t imposing, yet no lifeforms dared to carelessly approach him. A beautiful golden jeweled snake had risen from the staff and was resting calmly on the boy¡¯s hand, and the demonic creatures in the area shuddered in its presence. Behind the boy stood a humongous giant manifested with crimson mana. It nced lightly at the werewolves in the area before finally turning its eyes to the towering treant. Kayde stared intently at the approaching boy with gradually widening eyes. The fact that the auras of two ancient gods wereing from a single person seemed to have jotted its memories from a long time ago, dredging up fuzzy reminiscences. While its mind was still wandering, the ck-haired boy finally halted his footsteps. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, the great Master of the Forest, Mister Kayde. I am Roel Ascart, the descendant of one of your acquaintances. I beg your pardon for my abrupt visit.¡± In ordance with ancient etiquette, Roel ced a hand on his chest and bowed slightly. Before him, the eyes of the ancient treant suddenly lit up brightly. ¡°Right, it¡¯s the Ascarts...¡± Chapter 230: A Message From the Ancestors

Chapter 230: A Message From the Ancestors

When Roel Ascart¡¯s name echoed in those pitch-ck ears, the ancient treant finally managed to link the significance of the current situation to a family name in its river of memories. It understood what this family name signified, and the knowledge of it finally eased its tensed nerves. ¡°He¡¯s not an enemy.¡± A hoarse voice sounded from the ancient treant, and it made the demonic creatures and werewolves heave a sigh of relief. Shadows swiftly flitted across the darkness of the forest as these guards quickly left the area in packs. Roel calmly looked on as the shadowy figures hiding in the darkness of the forest swiftly departed one after another. In response, he released the manifestation of the crimson giant behind him, causing the crimson mana to dissipate into the surroundings, and the golden snake resting on his arm slowly slithered back into the Nine-headed Serpent Staff. With a gentle breeze, the forest reverted back to its usual calm, as if nothing had happened at all. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your hospitality despite my abrupt visit, Mister Kayde.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s only right for me to do this. But the Ascarts, hm? There have been quite a few interesting things going on recently...¡± remarked Kayde. It raised his head to gaze into the distance. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Roel felt that the ancient treant¡¯s eyes were gleaming brightly. A momentter, thetter spoke once more. ¡°Before we get to that... boy, do you have any alcohol? I¡¯m pining for some.¡± ... ¡°Ahh, it tastes as nostalgic as ever. Like Ousen¡¯s ck soil, it really is an unforgettable vor...¡± The ancient treant poured vat after vat of the pale yellow alcohol into its tree hole as it moaned in pleasure and delight, though the weird analogy used here left Roel with a bizarre look on his face. When Kayde asked Roel for alcohol, thetter revealed a ¡®Heh, I got it all prepared¡¯ smile and gestured for Cynthia and the others to bring ten vats of alcohol forward. He thought that it should have been enough, but to his surprise, the ancient treant drank alcohol not by sucking it up through its roots but by pouring directly into its tree hole. The alcohol was consumed quickly, but fortunately, it was enough to satisfy Kayde¡¯s craving. The Cadi wine had scratched him right at where it itched, and just like any satisfied drunkard in a bar, he began sharing his story. ¡°Isabe? No, I don¡¯t know that name, though I have heard of ¡®Queen¡¯. I¡¯m actually a member of the Twilight Sages Assembly too, going by the alias of ¡®Chronicler¡¯. Erp!¡± Roel was surprised to hear that the Assembly actually epted treants too. It was within his expectations that Kayde didn¡¯t know that Isabe was ¡®Queen¡¯ given the high level of secrecy maintained within the organization... but why would it be familiar with the family name ¡®Ascart¡¯ then? Kayde pondered a long while over this question as it downed another vat of wine before sighing deeply. ¡°The answer is simple. I¡¯m one of the founding members of the Twilight Sages Assembly, and the first leader of the Assembly is named Lucent Arde. He¡¯s your ancestor.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened a little, perplexed over what he had just heard. Wait a moment, Ascart and Arde... Do treants have bad hearing? Kayde noticed the confused look on Roel¡¯s face, so he borated further on the matter. ¡°The Arde House existed in an era you would term as the Second Epoch. It¡¯s one of the secret houses holding up the Austine Empire, working behind the shadows to ensure the peace and prosperity of the human civilization. They were the ones who first created the Twilight Sages Assembly and brought the other houses onboard in order to deal with all sorts of cmities. ¡°But just as how nts blossom in spring and wither in autumn, the Twilight Sages Assembly found itself faced with a catastrophic failure nearing the end of the Second Epoch, and the Austine Empire fell soon after. In order to avoid the pursuit of the Savior¡¯s believers, it split up into seven separate houses, and the core of them is the Ascart House.¡± ¡°W-wait a moment, give me some time to digest the information first...¡± Faced with the huge influx of explosive information Kayde was conveying in a summarized manner, Roel quickly raised his hand to stop it for a moment. He rubbed his temples as he slowly broke down what he had just heard. First and foremost, the Twilight Sages Assembly was started by the ancestors of the Ascart House? It¡¯s a little weird how I¡¯ve never read any records about the Arde House in the Ancient Austine Empire before... and most importantly of all, what¡¯s the ¡®Savior¡¯? ¡°Kayde, is the Savior a god? Why would his believer pursue the members of the Arde House?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking about the Savior? Well, I do know that His existence predates my birth, but I don¡¯t know too much about His identity. But if one thing is for sure, He is a being far greater than what the concept of ¡®godhood¡¯ epasses.¡± A solemn expression appeared on Kayde¡¯s face as he continued with a deep voice. ¡°He is an ancient being who embodies the most terrifying mania and depravity, the destroyer of civilizations. He is in slumber at the moment, but He yed a huge role in the extinction of many of the mythical races existing in the legends. One of the key goals of the Twilight Sages Assembly is to prevent His awakening. Other than that, I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t really know anything else. Due to the nature of my race, I¡¯m not too actively involved in the affairs of the Assembly.¡± ¡°...¡± Kayde¡¯s exnation left Roel with a chill running down his back. He took some time to calm himself before turning his attention toward the more important matter here. While the notion of a terrifying existence waking up andying waste upon the world was frightening, the more direct enemy he had to be wary of here should be the believers instead. ¡°Who are the believers of the Savior?¡± ¡°There are far too many of them. Most of them are transcendents who have traded their judgment for greater power. They used to exist as an organization named Savior¡¯s Convene back in the Second Epoch. As numerous as autumn leaves are the transcendents who fall into depravity during chaotic times mired in fear. ¡± ¡°... I see.¡± Roel nodded in realization. He had read about the Savior¡¯s Convene in the historical records, and it was known to be an evil cult active in the final years of the Second Epoch. However, there was no record about the god they worshiped at all. Looking at it now, it was possible that even the book¡¯s author was unable to gather any information about it. He felt that the things he was hearing from Kayde were crucial secrets of the past, but it wasn¡¯t too meaningful to him right now. They had happened too far back in history that they weren¡¯t as relevant in the present era anymore. So, after a moment of contemtion, Roel decided to pull the timeline a bit close to the present age. ¡°Have you ever heard of the name ¡®Winstor Ascart¡¯?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, but I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re referring to ¡®Fief Lord¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve attended Assembly meetings in the years he was active, though I don¡¯t know his name. He¡¯s aware of my affairs though, and he has even gifted me alcohol before. Ah yes, it¡¯s the same Conti wine you brought to me.¡± As the ancient treant reminisced the past, its branches reached out for yet another vat of alcohol and began pouring it into its tree hole. ¡°This is the wine of reunion. It¡¯s only at times when descendants of acquaintances visit that I get to savor its wondrous vors... I believe thest one who came by was a young man named Ro. He didn¡¯t bring much wine with him though.¡± ¡°Ro?¡± ¡°Indeed. It was around three hundred springs before, around this time too. He came to inform me that the Twilight Sages Assembly has ceased to exist. He seems to have found this ce through the information left behind by ¡®Fief Lord¡¯... Well, I¡¯ve guessed as much since it had been some time since anyone brought any wine to me, but his words confirmed my suspicions. The Assembly... has finally met its winter,¡± remarked Kaydementably. On the other hand, Roel was surprised to hear that Ro Ascart had also managed to find this ce by following Winstor¡¯s footsteps in the Twilight Sages Assembly. The towering treant continued gazing upon the ck-haired boy as it gulped down on its wine. Over the past few centuries, the members of the Ascart House who managed to awaken their bloodline had found their way to the Karon Forest to stand before it. For a moment there, the blurred silhouette of another man from centuries ago ovepped with the ck-haired boy before it, though this illusion onlysted for an instant. Then, the dazed eyes of the treant slowly regained their rity. ¡°Is this the heritage of bloodline?¡± muttered the treant under its breath wistfully. On the other hand, Roel was still deep in thought. Wait a moment, Ro Ascart traced Winstor¡¯s footsteps back then. Isn¡¯t that the exact same as what I¡¯m doing now? In other words, wouldn¡¯t that mean that... ¡°Kayde, what did Ro tell you when he looked for you back then? Was he looking for the Assembly¡¯s token too?¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. He wanted my Oak Pendant,¡± replied the treant. ¡°He said that he was heading off to the faraway Country of Schrs to look for more clues.¡± Indeed! His goal was to look for ¡®Academic¡¯! Roel widened his eyes upon hearing this news. ¡°Did Ro tell you the results of his investigation? I believe that the Twilight Sages Assembly should have just gone under in his time, so he should be able to gather some information about it.¡± The Ascarts¡¯ bloodline, the disappearance of the Twilight Sages Assembly, the sudden downfall of the human civilization back in the Second Epoch, as well as the Arde House; these mysteries shook Roel¡¯s heart greatly. He knew that he had to seek the answers to these questions. To his surprise, the ancient treant before him suddenly began patting its own body. Hm? What¡¯s it doing? Are there worms on it or something? ¡°Kayde?¡± ¡°Give me a moment. Let me see where I ced it... Ah yes, I tucked it over here.¡± The massive tree twisted sideward a little to reveal the left side of its body to Roel. It pointed toward its trunk with its branches. ¡°It should be somewhere here. He left a message.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°As I¡¯ve told you, my alias in the Assembly is Chronicler, though ironically, I¡¯m actually the one being ¡®chronicled¡¯ on. Hahahahaha... Anyway, I¡¯m able to retain any marks on my body, and my lifespan is far longer than any humans, so many of the Assembly¡¯s members chose to inscribe important pieces of information on my body so as to ensure that they would be passed down to the future generations. Ro left a message back then, and I recall him mentioning that he¡¯s leaving it for the future members of the Ascart House. You can try looking around a bit.¡± Roel was taken aback for a moment before quickly getting to action. Using his mana, he was able to swiftly leap from branch to branch all the way up to the area where Kayde had pointed out. It took a bit of searching, but he soon found some deep, solemn word carvings. He quickly read the message, but it made his eyes narrow in astonishment. ¡¾To those who havee after me, do not trust the Ackermanns. -Ro Ascart¡¿ ¡ª Just to mention, the noun that has been used for gods thus far has been a gender neutral term that doesn¡¯t exist in English, which is why I¡¯ve been using capitalized ¡®He¡¯ and ¡®She¡¯ based on contextual clues. In other words, the Savior might or might not be a woman. Chapter 231: Everything is There

Chapter 231: Everything is There

¡°...¡± Looking at the message left several centuries behind by his ancestor on the crown of the ancient treant, Roel found himself utterly bewildered. He reached out to touch the carvings, which shimmered a faint, dark golden luminescence from time to time, as he pondered over the significance of this message. Do not trust the Ackermanns... What does he mean by this? Naturally, Roel knew who the Ackermanns were¡ªhow could he possibly not know the imperial family of the Austine Empire? But the message to not trust the Ackermanns was extremely perplexing as it meant that the Ascart House, at least in Ro¡¯s generation, was in contact with the Ackermanns. This was rather inconceivable since the Ascart Fiefdom was geographically distant from the Austine Empire, and Ro should have barely reached maturity when he left these words behind. It was a little hard to believe that a young adult of a foreign noble house would be able toe into contact with Austine¡¯s imperial family. From the fact that Ro was able to find Karon Forest from tracing Winstor¡¯s trails, it should be safe to say that he was a meticulous person. It didn¡¯t seem likely that a meticulous person would make a hasty judgment and even go to the extent of leaving a warning behind for theter generations without concrete evidence. If so, the most likely possibility should be... ¡°Is it from a snippet of history?¡± murmured Roel as his eyes turned sharp. He could make guesses on what Ro had managed to uncover, but there were too few clues at the moment to form aplete picture. In any case, it was good that he had received a lead from his ancestors to know where he should work on next. Roel leaped his way back down to the ground and took some time to organize his thoughts. He hadn¡¯t met anyone from the Ackermanns yet thus far, but he knew that their paths would soon intersect at the academy. Meanwhile, Kayde continued gulping down the other vats of alcohol when a thought suddenly surfaced in his mind. ¡°Speaking of which, are you rted to the girl who came by a while back?¡± ¡°Huh? What girl?¡± Roel raised his head and asked. The treant received his answer from the confused look on his face and nodded contemtively. ¡°I see. It seems like she isn¡¯t yourpanion.¡± ¡°May I ask what happened?¡± ¡°It was around a month ago...¡± A month ago, on a crescent moon night, a girl dressed in full armor arrived at the Karon Forest. Kayde initially thought nothing of the matter, but to his astonishment, the other party managed to track down his whereabouts and soon stood before his presence. Clearly, the girl had visited the Karon Forest with a goal in mind¡ªKayde. Before the ancient treant could say anything, the other party had already conveyed her message in a clear and concise manner. ¡®Be careful, they might have already found this ce.¡¯ Leaving this message behind, she turned around and left before Kayde could even snap out of his daze. ¡°She¡¯s likely to be a descendant of an ex-member of the Assembly, or else she wouldn¡¯t have been able to find me easily. I¡¯m also not too sure who ¡®they¡¯ referred to. The Assembly has simply made far too many enemies over the course of its history,¡± said Kayde helplessly. A deep frown formed on Roel¡¯s face. The knowledge that the descendants of the Assembly¡¯s members were still around and active was relieving, but he was more concerned about the enemies that had been mentioned, as well as the safety of the ancient treant before him. ¡°Kayde, what do you intend to do then? You don¡¯t seem to have made any move over the past month.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but I¡¯m stumped here. I¡¯d only be more conspicuous once I¡¯m out of the forest,¡± sighed Kayde. At least he wouldn¡¯t appear too out-of-ce amidst the other trees in the depths of the forest, but once he left the mountain valley, he would immediately stick out like a sore thumb. He could also try to head over to the neighboring Land of Chaos too, but the soil over there wasn¡¯t suited for his subsistence. He wouldn¡¯t be able tost long there. With nowhere to escape, he could only try to reinforce his current position, which was why he reached out to the other demonic creatures in the valley and organized them over the past month. That was also the reason why he was able to swiftly rally an army together when Roel walked in earlier. He was frustrated about his current predicament, but there was nothing much he could do here. On the other hand, a glint shed across Roel¡¯s eyes when he heard about the quandary the ancient treant was in. Indeed, an ancient treant like Kayde would be exposed as soon as he walks out of the Karon Forest... but what if a human were to ship him out instead? A tree walking on its own ord was a sight to behold, but a human shipping a tree off wouldn¡¯t be anything to make a fuss over... The southern mountainous area of the Ascart Fiefdom has nothing but trees. If I could migrate Kayde and his army over there, wouldn¡¯t the military prowess of the Ascart Fiefdom rise by another notch? ¡°Kayde, if you trust me, what do you think about moving to my fiefdom?¡± Roel took some time to carefully contemte the matter, and he eventually concluded that it was something that could be feasibly pulled off. So, he voiced his idea to Kayde, but thetter appeared a little hesitant. ¡°But what about the cursed werewolves...¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re able to keep them in line, we can move them over too. The same goes for the demonic creatures too.¡± ¡°Still, the risks would be...¡± ¡°Five vats of Conti wine every day!¡± ¡°That¡¯s a treerific idea! When are we setting off?¡± ¡°...¡± The sudden change in attitude by the ancient treant left Roel a little speechless. He blinked his eyes nkly for a moment before gesturing for Cynthia and the others toe over and meet Kayde. Of course, the most important person that Kayde had to meet was still Alicia. She would be the only decisionmaker in the Ascart Fiefdom once he left for the academy, so it would be best if the two of them could get on good terms with one another. Unexpectedly, before Roel could even introduce them to one another, the ancient treant suddenly put down his wine and lowered his trunk before Alicia. ¡°Shiver my timbers! What amazing life force you possess!¡± Kayde quickly lowered his body to the astonished silver-haired girl as a gesture of respect. Like most ancient treants, he revered the Lifetree and viewed it to be the mother of all nts. Thus, he viewed Alicia, who possessed a humongous amount of life force too, to be an equally divine existence. To put it in other words, Alicia had won the ancient treant¡¯s goodwill easily. Roel was still worried about the two of them might start off on the wrong foot, but it seemed like he was worrying over nothing. In any case, it was good that they were getting along well. After careful negotiation, Roel decided to get the matter done as quickly as possible. For one, they had no idea who or when the enemies wereing, so it would be best to make haste. First and foremost, they had to request help from Rosa so that they could send a huge procession of merchant convoys over to smuggle humongous Kayde and his army of werewolves and demonic creatures out. Once the merchant convoys reach Rosa, they would swiftly swap Kayde out for a real oak tree so as to cover up the trail. Cynthia would discreetly lead the real Kayde and his army to traverse across the Worun Mountain Range to enter the Ascart Fiefdom while the merchant convoys would ship the oak tree all around Rosa to sell it. Of course, this entire matter would probably still appear suspicious to the enemies looking for Kayde¡ªthere was no way they wouldn¡¯t link Kayde¡¯s disappearance with this sudden shipping of an oak tree¡ªbut as long as they cleaned it up well, the enemies shouldn¡¯t be able to link this matter to the Ascart Fiefdom. After all, Rosa was themercial hub of the Sia Continent, where all kinds of goods were constantly changing hands. It was far too easy to falsify all kinds of transaction records and throw the enemies off their tail there. Aftering up with a n, Roel and the others immediately began making preparations. Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten about his initial goal either. He was here to obtain the token of the Twilight Sages Assembly, and the ancient treant didn¡¯t hesitate to hand it over. Kayde ran his branches through his crown to search through his leaves. At the same time, a faint shimmer of light trailed through his veins and diffused into the surroundings as little specks of mana. A whileter, a tiny bundle of light that appeared insignificant to his humongous body began to manifest at the tip of his branch. ¡°This is a product I created by infusing my resin with mana. Despite its light weight, it¡¯s incrediblypact and resilient, which is why I named it ¡®adamantine amber¡¯. It¡¯s a medicine that calms the soul, and it used to be one of the tokens used by the Assembly,¡± exined Kayde as he passed a transparent resin piece that was around the size of a fingernail over to Roel. The ck-haired boy carefully received the item. Upon contact with it, he suddenly felt an inexplicable feeling of reinvigoration, alleviating his mental fatigue. ¡°So this is the token...¡± murmured Roel as he tightened his grip around the adamantine amber. After a moment of silence, he bade farewell to Kayde for the time being to make further arrangements for the shipping. Under the orange glow of the setting sun, the convoy slowly retreated from the mountain valley. Roel held Alicia¡¯s hand as he watched as the humongous tree close his eyes and return to rest. It should have just been a simple trip to acquire a token, but he unexpectedly managed to unearth so many new pieces of information. While he had gained a greater understanding of the past, he found himself burdened with even more mysteries. What was different this time around, however, was that he wasn¡¯t as clueless as before since he had a clear direction to work toward. Staring at the resin in his hands, Roel¡¯s gaze gradually grew firm. Be it the matter concerning the Twilight Sages Assembly or Ro Ascart, they were all pointing toward a single thing¡ªthe academy. ¡°The Country of Schrs, huh? Looks like I¡¯m about to get busy very soon.¡± Roel looked up at the orange sky with conviction in his eyes. Chapter 232: A New Beginning

Chapter 232: A New Beginning

A yearter, in the Country of Schrs... It was springtime once more. The capital of Brolne, Leinster, was finally thawing from the biting winter¡¯s frost. As the weather grew more hospitable, a visible tinge of green began sprouting along the streets, and the general streetwear became lighter and more casual. As if mirroring the change in season, the city also gradually grew more bustling and vibrant... though the real reason behind it was the start of a new academic semester. Every spring, Leinster would be the most bustling city in the whole of humankind. Youths across the Sia Continent, both nobles andmoners, would gather at this ce, seeking to further their knowledge. As the country that housed over 80% of the Schr Guilds, Brolne boasted a diverse range of academies. Leinster was even dubbed as the Capital of Academies in honor of its position as the education hub of humankind. Over 60% of Leinster¡¯snd belonged to education institutions, and there were over twenty tertiary academies that epted adults of fourteen years of age or above. Naturally, there was no reason for the academies to limit themselves to only taking in nobles. In fact,moners made up the bulk of the student poption in most academies. The Leinster Tertiary Academy, the Cecilia Women¡¯s Institution, and the Saint Weiss Academy were all well-known academies that were sponsored by some of thergest Schr Guilds, and each of them had its own strengths. However, if one were to rank the academies in terms of influence, there was one academy that clearly topped the list¡ªthe Saint Freya Academy. The Saint Freya Academy was founded nine hundred years ago. It was the very first academy in Leinster, established in the same year as Brolne. In fact, Leinster was a city built around the Saint Freya Academy, just that the number of students arriving in the city kept increasing over time until it eventually reached its current scale. So, howrge was the influence of the Saint Freya Academy then? This was a question that wasn¡¯t easy to answer, but a hint of it could be seen during thergest event of the Saint Freya Academy¡ªits Centennial Academy Foundation Day. Some of the renowned alumni of the previous Centennial Academy Foundation Day included the Austine Empire¡¯s emperor, the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Holy Eminence, Brolne¡¯s speaker, and the Pendor United Kingdom¡¯s king. If not for the fact that Rosa hadn¡¯t been founded then, there would probably be the chief of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy in the list of guests too. This was indubitably a powerfulwork of connections for the Saint Freya Academy, possibly the most terrifying one on the Sia Continent. What made this even more terrifying was that the very act of graduating from the Saint Freya Academy could be said to be a legacy in itself. When generations of preceding emperors and kings had walked out of this academy, their descendants pretty much had no choice but to do the same too. One must know that every single weakness revealed in politics would haunt you for life. If a sessor of a major country was dumb enough not to attend the Saint Freya Academy, it was certain that his political rival would use it as a weapon to constantly cast doubt on his qualification and legitimacy, especially when hemitted a major mistake. And when the sessors of the respective countries were attending a certain academy, it went without saying that the other young nobles would have to follow them too, or else they would risk being sidelined. Such a feedback loop started several centuries ago, and it was reinforced time and time again over the years, strengthening itspetitive advantage. But aside from its legacy, another key reason why the Saint Freya Academy had remained the definite number one was simply due to the fact that it was rich. As years passed, the graduates who went through vile torture of society would inevitably recall their time in the academy, reminiscing the bonds they made along the way. The backstabbing and schemings one would face in society would only contrast sharply to the rtively peaceful and fun times in the academy, making those memories even fonder. The only difference was that the ones reminiscing the Saint Freya Academy were the powerhouses of the Sia Continent, so naturally, the donations they offered were far more substantial too. In a sense, it could be said that the Saint Freya Academy was an educational institute that was nurtured by all of the Sia Continent¡¯s nobles. Even though the Saint Freya Academy was the indubitable number one powerhouse in Leinster, the students who joined its ranks every year didn¡¯t number too much. Perhaps due to the rarity, students who donned the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia naturally stood out in the crowd even though more than half of the Leinster¡¯s popce were students too. The ck-haired young man sitting on a chair along the streets leading to the academy area at this very moment was a good example. His very presence had already attracted the gaze of many youths. ¡°It¡¯s a male student from the Saint Freya Academy!¡± ¡°Shhh! You¡¯re too loud!¡± ¡°... He seems to be a noble, a fairly high-ranking one at that.¡± On the other side of the street, severaldies from the Cecilia Women¡¯s Institution were gathered around a table, chatting intensely as they shot peeks at the ck-haired young man. They weren¡¯t the only clique in the area that was doing so. Just like how there were students who worked hard in hopes of bettering themselves, there were also those who wished to share a budding romance with another while they were young. Many of those who arrived at Leinster had their own hopes and dreams, though the gathering of so many youths naturally meant that the secretion of hormones here was more than anywhere else. It couldn¡¯t be helped since humans were, to some degree, driven by instincts. It was natural for them to be attracted to the other sex, especially if the other party disyed outstanding traits. Leinster itself was a cradle for the future talents of the Sia Continent, and the students of the Saint Freya Academy were cloaked in a divine halo that made others naturally view them in a better light. For the female students of the Cecilia Women¡¯s Institution, who barely had any contact with men, they were naturally drawn to the male students of the Saint Freya Academy... and the ck-haired young man¡¯s presence only further entuated the effects of their rose-tinted sses. In terms of appearance, he had a slender body frame and a well-defined face. He wore a dark-colored overcoat that gave off a mysterious vibe when paired with his golden eyes. In terms of disposition, he had a calming aura that naturally won goodwill from others. There was an air of nobility around him, but it was mellowed down by his gentle disposition, making him appear like a refined gentleman. He was currently immersed in a book he held in his hand. Judging from the old exterior and yellowish pages, it should be an ancient record with quite some history to it. By his side sat an ancient staff. Despite the bustle arising from the crowds traveling to and fro in this start-of-the-semester season, there was a mystical feeling of serenity around him. ¡°Would I appear too forward if I approach him and ask for his name?¡± ¡°Is he a freshman or a senior?¡± ¡°Does that matter? Hurry up and make up your mind, or else the women from Saint Weiss Academy will be making a move ahead of us!¡± The women looked incredibly nervous, worried that someone else would beat them to it. But at the same time, the culture in most parts of the Sia Continent was still rather conservative, especially for those who were new to Brolne. It would take a woman a great deal of courage to approach a man. While they were still urging one another to make a move, the ck-haired man on the chair suddenly moved. Roel Ascart closed his book and raised his head. He felt exhrated after having channeled his mana for a while. He took a look at his surroundings, and the women who were still looking at him a moment ago immediately averted their gazes. He waspletely oblivious to their shyness, though he was very aware that there were many people staring at him. But again, he was often in the center of attention as the sessor of the Ascart House. Even in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, the eyes of the maids and servants would often be focused on him. He had already gotten used to it by now and could shrug off the attention from others. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t help but think that the ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia was simply too attention catching. It really draws gazes no matter where I go, Roel thought with a deep sigh. He raised his head to look at the sky before turning his attention to the watch in his hands. After a long moment of contemtion, he nodded his head. It should be about time. With such thoughts in mind, he stowed his book away before reaching for his staff. He didn¡¯te here early in the morning in order to bask in the warm glow of the sunlight; rather, he was waiting for a person and a carriage. Soon enough, the person he was waiting for finally arrived. At the end of the street, a young man with ck hair and blue eyes was currently making his way over with a lowered head. He was holding onto a piece of paper as he trudged along the street broodingly. Not too far away, an borately adorned carriage bearing a tinum crest of the Sorofyas¡¯ insignia glimmered under the sun. ¡°Everyone is here. Time for me to get to work,¡± murmured Roel under his breath as he finally rose to his feet. Chapter 233: He Really Is a Good Person

Chapter 233: He Really Is a Good Person

¡®Roel Ascart was an extremely careful person¡¯, this was an evaluation shared by almost everyone who knew him after he regained the memories of his past life. From the moment Roel became cognizant of the true nature of this world, he knew right away that he wasn¡¯t someone blessed by the world. He was far too aware of the threats lurking around him that he couldn¡¯t rest at ease even after he won Alicia and the others over to his side. One of the reasons why that was the case was his fear of the original plotline. Having lived in this world for many years now, Roel couldn¡¯t think of Eyes of the Chronicler as a simple game anymore. This world was indubitably his current reality, regardless of whether it was the world of a gal game or not. Going by the plotline, the academy arc was definitely going to be a vital phase for him. He had worked hard thus far to shake up the plotline as much as he could, and he didn¡¯t think that his efforts had been in vain since he had significantly changed Alicia, Nora, and Charlotte¡¯s view of him. However, he still wasn¡¯t convinced that this was enough. It was true that three of the female capture targets no longer bore hostility toward him, but he thought that it would be foolish to simply shrug off the threats posed by the other key elements that led to his downfall. The ck-haired, blue-eyed young man who was trudging on while staring at a piece of paper in his hand was a familiar person to Roel Ascart, for he was the protagonist of the Eyes of the Chronicler, Paul Ackermann. If Roel remembered correctly, this was the opening scene that urred thirty seconds into the game, a cutscene that could be collected and reyed from the main menu. In Roel¡¯s previous world, it was a tradition for the protagonist to bete for school on his very first day due to somepelling reason, whether he overslept or bumped into a beautiful girl with a piece of bread in her mouth. As the protagonist of a gal game, Paul had such a clich¨¦ scene too, just that the bread had been reced with a hulking carriage. In the very first scene, Paul Ackermann held onto a map drawn by his maid as he searched frantically for the Saint Freya Academy in this massive yet foreign city, worried that he wouldn¡¯t make it in time for the entrance ceremony. It hadn¡¯t been long since he had been found, and this was his first time being in a city as big as Leinster too since he had grown up in the countryside. To make things worse, he had forgotten to bring his ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia along with him, resulting in his act of asking for help to be mistaken as a poor attempt at flirting, so no one paid him any heed at all. Left with no choice, he could only refer to the only clue he had¡ªthe incredibly abstract map drawn by his maid¡ªand try to find his way around. However, he was too engrossed in the map that he failed to check his surroundings carefully before crossing the street, resulting in him unintentionally standing in the way of the Sorofyas¡¯ carriage and rming its horse. This infuriated Charlotte, who was in a rush for time, and he ended up getting berated by her. This was Paul and Charlotte¡¯s very first meeting, and any future development they had was built on this coincidence. Of course, all of this was going to change now. Roel Ascart was here to ensure that. ... ¡°What in the world was Leysha painting?¡± Paul stared at the map in his hand with an awful look on his face. He repeatedly raised and lowered his head, hoping topare thendmarks in the map with his surroundings, but he was unable to connect the two together. It had already been a month since he arrived at Leinster, but he hadn¡¯t had any time to walk around. He was here was to undergo special training after all. Despite being an illegitimate son Austine¡¯s emperor had from an affair while he was surveying the civilians, the first sixteen years of Paul¡¯s life could be said to be fairlyckluster. As an orphan who was picked up in a remote vige in the Austine Empire, he had never received mcuh love or been properly educated. He had only learned some basic reading and calction skills from a retired priest and devoted the rest of his time to working on the farnd. Paul thought that this kind of life would continue forever until he was suddenly taken out of the vige by a secret spy in a manner that could almost be considered as a kidnapping. From then on, his life had been an upheaval. Before he knew it, everyone around him was calling him the prince of the empire. The emperor, who looked to be middle-aged but was actually already more than a century old, was suddenly his father, and he found himself with two older brothers who bore great hostility toward him and an older sister whom he hadn¡¯t met yet. The impression he had of the time he spent at the capital of the Austine Empire, Siaus, could be summarized in two words¡ª¡¯maliciousness¡¯ and ¡®enmity¡¯. With the two princes of the Austine Empire nearing thirty years of age and the princess, Lilian, having disyed her superior talent, most of the officials and nobles had already chosen their own factions. There was no space for a neer like him to squeeze in here. As a weak transcendent whocked a proper upbringing and powerful support, not to mention that he was an illegitimate son who had been left outside for more than a decade, it went without saying that his sudden appearance was unweed within the Austine Empire¡¯s political circle. Many nobles looked at him with scorn and disdain. In the three months Paul stayed at the capital, there was not a single noble to paid him a visit. This was more than enough to highlight the attitude of the nobles toward him. In view of this, the emperor, Lukas, was left with no choice but to send Paul, despite already being sixteen years of age, to the Saint Freya Academy in hopes of making up for the time he had lost from wandering outside all of these years. He was put into a month of seclusion where knowledge epassing governance, history,nguage, etiquette, swordsmanship, magic, and so on were crammed into him, but this desperatest-minute effort didn¡¯t spur any significant growth in Paul, especially in terms of his transcendent abilities. He couldn¡¯t put it into words, but he felt like something wascking here. What wasforting was that even though he didn¡¯t get along with the nobles, he struck it off well with the servants. The current quandary he was in was just an ident. In truth, Paul had been sent out all alone under the instructions of his etiquette teacher, who intended it to be an exercise to build up his confidence. A student of the Saint Freya Academy wearing the ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia would surely be able to easily win goodwill from the crowd, making it much more convenient for him to ask for directions. It was likely that he might even be approached by women! But who could have thought that Paul would be so careless as to forget to bring the ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia with him? Without the insignia, all he had left was just a map casually drawn by his maid. For someone who had spent his life in the vige to suddenly be left to wander all alone in the crowded streets of a huge city was deeply disconcerting. He tried to approach some of the passers-by along the way for help, only to be disregarded and ignored. ¡°I think I have to cross the road here?¡± Trying his best to curb the anxiety and stress that were threatening to explode from him out of fear of beingte, Paul kept his attention intently on the map as he murmured to himself. To his surprise, a gentle voice suddenly sounded by the side of the road. ¡°No, you should walk straight ahead.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The shocked Paul raised his head, only to be faced with a smiling ck-haired young man. Thetter wore a ck overcoat over a white shirt and a neat tie. He had a tall but slightly thin figure, and his golden eyes glimmered with a warm andfortable light. Paul was stunned for a moment by Roel¡¯s glowing presence before he instinctively realized a fact. I¡¯m standing in the presence of a noble. Such thoughts led to him subconsciously lowering his head diffidently. Roel took his reaction into sight and contemted for a moment before asking. ¡°This fellow ssmate over here, are you looking for the Saint Freya Academy?¡± ¡°Ah? Y-yes, I am. Huh? ssmate?¡± ¡°Yes, ssmate.¡± Roel tapped on his ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia as he directed a smile at the bewildered Paul. Paul¡¯s pupils dted in response before hurriedly thanking him in a fluster. ¡°Thanks... Ah no, I mean, I am grateful for your kind help. Senior, I-I am a new student enrolling this year, and this is my first time at the academy...¡± ¡°Senior? Ah, you¡¯re mistaken. I¡¯m a freshman as well.¡± Roel stretched his hand forth to stop Paul, who was just about to bow to him. Paul was stunned for a moment before he breathed a sigh of relief and finally revealed a smile. ¡°You¡¯re a freshman too? That¡¯s wonderful! I¡¯m Paul Ackermann. May I know your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Roel Ascart.¡± Paul had been observing Roel intently, and his heart was finally put at ease when he saw that thetter didn¡¯t appear to have any ulterior motive. However, when he heard that the other party was the son of a marquess from the Theocracy, he found his heart palpitating in unease once more. He was aware that the Saint Mesit Theocracy was at loggerheads with the Austine Empire. The son of a high noble like Roel should be well aware of the significance behind his family name, but the other party didn¡¯t bother probing deeper into it. This left Paul with no choice but to second guess the other party¡¯s intentions. Does he not care, or has he simply not put the two together yet? Or is he currently mocking me in his mind? Paul¡¯s thoughts were all over the ce due to hisck of confidence in his own identity. After a moment of hesitation, he finally voiced out his thoughts. ¡°Roel, you should have heard of my family name, right? I... I¡¯m actually the illegitimate son of Austine¡¯s emperor.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that. What about it?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel¡¯s calm response took Paulpletely off guard, leaving him in a daze. Seeing this, Roel calmly borated a little more on it. ¡°Whether you¡¯re an illegitimate son or not doesn¡¯t hinder me from helping a fellow ssmate find his way to the academy. Besides, your birth is not something that you have control over. Most importantly of all, I believe that we¡¯re all nothing more but students here in this Capital of Academies¡ªor at least, that¡¯s how I prefer to think of it.¡± ¡°... I see. I understand, thank you.¡± After a slight moment of silence, Paul finally answered with a slightly hoarse voice. He lowered his head to avert Roel¡¯s gentle eyes as he found his impression of nobles changing a little. This man is different. He¡¯s unlike those nobles who point their fingers at me in criticism in order to sustain their hold on power. It¡¯s just as that phrase, ¡®nobilityes from the heart, not from one¡¯s standing¡¯. What a good man he is! Paul Ackermann discreetly nced at the young man beside him with eyes filled wth admiration. On the street ahead of him, an borately adorned carriage raced past him amidst a slight breeze. ¡°What a beautiful carriage.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Paul innocently expressed his thoughts, and Roel nodded in agreement with a smile. Barely after their exchange, themotion broke out amidst the surrounding crowd. ¡°Wait a moment, that insignia...¡± Noticing themotion, Paul took a closer look at the carriage before his eyes widened in excitement. ¡°It¡¯s the Sorofya House, the richest house in the whole of Sia! I never thought that they would send their offspring here too. The direction it¡¯s heading in... isn¡¯t that where our academy...¡± The agitated Paul¡¯s words suddenly trailed to a halt, which led to Roel blinking his eyes in confusion. At the same time, the surroundingmotion also silenced as well. Roel traced the gazes of the crowd, only to be taken aback too. The carriage had suddenly stopped. Chapter 234: A City Filled With Vixens

Chapter 234: A City Filled With Vixens

In a carriage racing down the street, Charlotte Sorofya rested her chin on her arm as she nced at the crowd outside. There was a slight furrow sitting atop her forehead, hinting at her irritated mood. ¡°... It has been three months since west met,¡± she murmured to herself, voicing out her frustrations in this private space. She was thinking about her lover and fianc¨¦ in name, Roel Ascart. After going through numerous dangerous situations a year ago, they eventually fell into love with one another. To her distress, however, the time they had with one another ended up being severely limited. Three months had passed ever since Roel and Alicia journeyed to the Holy Capital during the New Year to reunite with Carter, but the princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, Nora, refused to allow him to leave. She forcefully retained him till the start of the academic semester, foiling Charlotte¡¯s n to share a ride with him to Brolne. And that wasn¡¯t all! Tracing time back a little more, that woman used her birthday as an excuse to keep Roel in the Holy Capital for more than a month, which meant that she had stolen five months worth of honeymoon from them! Just the thought of it made Charlotte tremble in rage. Ever since they parted at Rosast year, Roel found himself busy with all sorts of work. He first spent two months traveling to the Karon Forest, and as soon as he returned, he dove right into discussing a n with her to migrate an ancient treant over to the Ascart Fiefdom. Worried that something might go awry, he chose to supervise the operation personally and travel alongside Kayde. Due to the massive size of the ancient treant, the entire operation ended up taking another three more months. Following that, Roel, in his role as the proxy fief lord, began to settle down the members of the Strength Sect and Unyielding Sect in the fiefdom while reviewing the fiefdom¡¯sws rting to the heretics. Also, he had to follow up with the problems that had cropped up during the fiefdom¡¯s massive economic growth and push forward solutions. Basically, he was bogged down with endless work! Seeing how busy her lover was, there was no way Charlotte could bear to watch him suffer on his own. Tapping into her influence in Rosa, she helped to resolve some of the economic problems faced by the Ascart Fiefdom, winning her great poprity from the civilians and officials. In just a short period of time, she managed to make her name out. However, gains and losses came hand-in-hand. Charlotte¡¯s devotion of her time and effort into the Ascart Fiefdom meant that she had even less time to spend with Roel. Her pent-up feelings of affection left her incredibly suffocated, which, in turn, resulted in her sulkiness. Such had been her mood ever since she started setting off for Brolne. The frustrated youngdy looked out of the window to gazed upon Leinster¡¯s streets. This was a ce where she knew she would eventually have to head to from a young age. As a noble house which had risen to prominence in the recent few centuries, the Sorofyas ced great importance in assimting into the upper society of the Sia Continent, and attending the Saint Freya Academy was one way to do so. So, over the past century, the Sorofyas became the greatest sponsor of the Saint Freya Academy. Through its economic prowess and having its n members attend and graduate from the academy, the Sorofyas sessfully entered the inner circle of upper society, whichid down the foundation for them to massively expand their operations afterward. They knew that it was important to maintain the connections they had built up so as to ensure continued business cooperation, so there was no way Charlotte, as the sessor of the Sorofya House, was going to break this tradition. Leinster tended to be incredibly crowded during springtime as youths from all over the Sia Continent traveled here in order to further their education. Carriages of young nobles from all countries were lined up outside the city gates, such that it took Charlotte a while before she was finally granted ess. The first thing she noticed what she entered the city was the unusually huge number of youths all around her. ¡°Is this the City of Academies? It really is crowded here...¡± Charlotte mumbled as she looked out of the window. She was just about to draw the windows in order to block off the prying gazes from the passers-by outside when she caught sight of a familiar figure. It was a ck-haired young man dressed elegantly, holding onto an ancient staff in his hand. This figure caused her to nk out for a moment before she hurriedly issued her order. ¡°Stop the carriage!¡± ... As the carriage emzoned with the insignia of the Sorofyas¡¯ insignia stopped in the middle of the street, the gazes from the surrounding crowd also halted on it as well. Paul¡¯spliments trailed into silence, and Roel also turned his head over in surprise. For a moment there, he felt his heart turning cold as goosebumps rose all over his body. Why would it... I¡¯ve already interrupted the encounter here, so why would the carriage stille to a halt here? Could it be that the original plotline of the game has some binding power in this world that prevents me from changing the events? Or is this world not real at all? Many pessimistic thoughts gloomed over Roel¡¯s mind as the carriage door opened, and an auburn-haired youngdy stepped out. Her presence induced gasps of amazement and excited murmurs from the surrounding crowd. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first miss of the Sorofya House!¡± ¡°How gorgeous...¡± Charlotte¡¯s ravishing appearance and noble disposition immediately made her the center of attention in this crowded street. Everyone in the vicinity couldn¡¯t help but pay heed to every single one of her movements. Yet, the person in question didn¡¯t seem bothered at all, for her gaze was only directed in a single direction. ¡°She¡¯s looking in our direction!¡± eximed Paul in a mixture of surprise and excitement. Before Roel could say a word at all, the auburn-haired young woman vanished with a gunshot, only to suddenly appear right behind him. ¡°Darling!¡± Charlotte cried out in agitation as she hugged Roel tightly. This intimate gesture sent a wave of shocked gasps through the crowd. At the same time, Roel¡¯s mind stalled to a halt, and Paul widened his eyes in utter bewilderment. Ah, the carriage was stopped due to me? The realization of the truth made Roel heave a deep sigh of relief, dispelling the ominous feeling glooming over his heart. Meanwhile, Charlotte rested her head against his shoulders as she continued speaking. ¡°We¡¯ve finally met after three long months. It¡¯s fortunate that I¡¯ve been keeping a lookout on the streets...¡± ¡°Charlotte, let¡¯s not do this here. There are too many people around.¡± ¡°... Yes, you¡¯re right. There are too many people around.¡± Charlotte raised her head in response to Roel¡¯s words before directing a sharp gaze at the female students in the vicinity. She keenly picked up on their awfulplexion and instinctively understood their thoughts, which immediately heightened her wariness. This really is a dangerous city. With such thoughts in mind, Charlotte released Roel from her embrace before reaching out to grab his hand instead. Then, she turned to Paul and asked doubtfully. ¡°He is...?¡± ¡°He¡¯s our ssmate. He got lost along the way.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Charlotte revealed a smile upon hearing Roel¡¯s exnation. She elegantly raised her skirt a little and curtsied to the dazed Paul, speaking amicably. ¡°I¡¯m Roel¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Charlotte Sorofya. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡± Chapter 235: The Kind Mister Roel

Chapter 235: The Kind Mister Roel

On the streets, Paul Ackermann was left even more bbergasted after hearing Charlotte¡¯s introduction, though the same applied to all of the women eyeing Roel in the surroundings too. Charlotte discreetly shot a nce and noted how most of the women had been intimidated by her show of dominance. That brought a satisfied curl on her lips. It was one thing if Charlotte and Roel were just dating¡ªthat wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue to some women¡ªbut an engaged couple was a whole different story. An engagement contract was formed on the mutual consent of two noble houses, signifying an exchange of benefits. There was no ce for a third party to butt in on it. The female students from the Cecilia Women¡¯s Institution and Saint Weiss Academy clenched their jaws and left in frustration. Charlotte exhaled softly before finally turning her attention back to Roel and hispanion. It was only then she was able to take a good look at Roel¡¯spanion. In terms of appearance, this young man could be considered to be slightly above average. His fashion sense was fairly decent, his choices of clothes and essoriesplementing well with one another. However, for some reason, there was a feeling of incongruence between him and his clothes. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m Paul Ackermann. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you too!¡± It took Paul a while to recover from Charlotte¡¯s shocking deration, and he quickly introduced himself to her too. Those words, however, immediately caused the air to tense up. Charlotte¡¯s pupils slowly dted, and Paul also btedly recalled the enmity between their countries. ¡°Ackermann?¡± ¡°S-sorry, I, it¡¯s...¡± ¡°Charlotte...¡± Paul anxiously apologized right away, iling his arms around in a fluster, not knowing what to do. On the other hand, Charlotte frowned silently for a long while before finally calming down after meeting Roel¡¯s eyes. The Ackermann House could be said to be the nemesis of the Sorofya House, for the former had nearly driven the Sorofyas into extinction during the civil war back then. The appearance of the illegitimate son of the emperor half a year ago had caused a hugemotion in the Austine Empire, so it went without saying that the well-connected Charlotte was aware of the matter as well. However, even if Paul¡¯s existence was a smudge on the reputation of the Austine Imperial Family, Charlotte still couldn¡¯t bring herself to like a person who bore the ¡®Ackermann¡¯ family name. This was how deep her prejudice toward them was. That being said, Paul was in Roel¡¯spany at the moment, and the two of them appeared to be discussing something. Given so, no matter how much Charlotte disliked the Ackermanns, she would at least ord some respect to her man and not cause a scene here. So, she directed a nod of acknowledgment toward Roel first before turning to address Paul. ¡°Mister Ackermann, there¡¯s no need to apologize to me. You¡¯re Roel¡¯s friend right now, and our countries have signed a peace agreement. Let bygones be bygones, shall we?¡± After saying those words, she turned to Roel and carried on. ¡°Darling, it¡¯s really a delight to stumble upon you here. It¡¯s unfortunate that I¡¯m in a rush for time at the moment, so let¡¯s meetter in the academy, alright?¡± Then, she curtsied elegantly to the two of them. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave first.¡± ... Charlotte¡¯s attitude might be polite, but her sudden departure showed what she thought of the Ackermanns. Looking at her departing marriage, Paul sighed in self-reproachment. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ve made her unhappy. I¡¯m sorry... Would this affect your rtionship with her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s not that kind of person. Besides, I¡¯ve already told you that your birth is not your mistake. It isn¡¯t something within your control. What¡¯s more important is the type of person you are.¡± The smile on Roel¡¯s face remained as gentle as ever, not disying the slightest hint of rage from Charlotte¡¯s departure. In fact, Roel was indeed feeling deeply touched and overjoyed at the moment. It can really be changed! This world is as real as it is, and the plotline doesn¡¯t hold absolute power here! Roel clenched his fists tightly as he thought about the hard work he had put in over the past five years. The confirmation that everything he had done over the years hadn¡¯t been in vain filled him with a profound feeling of relief. At the same time, Paul Ackermann was equally moved as well. O¡¯ great Sia, what a righteous person he is! In truth, Paul reserved a deep fear for the renowned Saint Freya Academy. It hadn¡¯t been long since he came into contact with the upper society, but everyone he met seemed to bear hostility toward him. He knew that the Saint Freya Academy was filled with the offspring of high nobles and powerful officials, people who were born with golden spoons in their mouths, so he carried no expectations that they would treat an illegitimate son of the emperor like him any better than the others had. Yet, there was actually a ssmate here who was able to look at him without any prejudice about his background. This in itself was a huge encouragement. Perhaps, the academy wouldn¡¯t be as terrible as I thought it would be? With such hopes in mind, he began making his way toward the academy under Roel¡¯s lead. The two of them casually chatted with one another along the way, allowing them to swiftly warm up to one another. The friendship between guys was usually more straightforward. Unlike in drama serials, the process of meeting one another to bing friends didn¡¯t need to be affirmed verbally. Rather, the intent was made clear through their casual conversations, a mutual agreement that needed no words. In the process of knowing one another, Paul found out that Roel was an extremely knowledgeable individual. Even on their way to the Saint Freya Academy, he was able to share the stories behind some of thendmarks and point out interesting events rting to renowned historical figures in some of these locations. To Paul, who had grown up in a remote vige in the Austine Empire, this was an incredible feat. Having found yet another one of Roel¡¯s strengths, Paul¡¯s respect for him deepened yet again. Making use of this opportunity, he posed the questions he had regarding the Saint Freya Academy. His teachers had been harping on the Saint Freya Academy during their lessons, but the truth was that Paul still knew very little about how things were on the inside. After all, no one really bore expectations for him, and his teachers were only hoping for him not to cause any trouble and embarrass himself. With his current standing and means, he had no way of obtaining the intelligence that he wanted. Roel knew better than anyone else the position Paul was in, so he chose not to probe too deeply into it. He shared what he knew about the Saint Freya Academy with hispanion without asking too much. In some sense, the Saint Freya Academy could be described as a transcendental existence in Leinster. In terms of history, the establishment of the Saint Freya Academy predates that of Leinster. In terms of influence, the principal of the Saint Freya Academy, Antonio Keel, was the speaker of Brolne¡¯s governing council, making him one of the key leaders of this country. In fact, the appointment of any key official positions in Leinster needed to go through Antonio¡¯s approval. Such a setting allowed the Saint Freya Academy to have full autonomy and operate under a different set ofws and jurisdiction from the rest of the city. This meant that it was fundamentally constitutionally different from the other academies in Brolne. Or to put it in other words, the Saint Freya Academy was self-governed by its students. There were many theories as to why the academy operated in such a fashion, but the most credible one theorized that during the establishment of Brolne, when the country was still weak, itcked the power to manage the influential young nobles invited into the academy. In order to avoid offending any countries when conflicts arose amongst these young nobles, it decided to give up control altogether. Probably no one back then could have imagined that this innovative twist in its method of management would give birth to a unique environment in the academy, bing a key reason why rulers and nobles were keen to send their children to the academy. If it was just the impartation of knowledge, the other famed academies in the Leinster were likely able to do as well too. The teachers that they hired were all famed schrs in Brolne anyway, so sybus-wise, it was unlikely for any academy to achieve anything particrly outstandingpared to its counterparts. However, in the Saint Freya Academy, a student would be constantly tested on his social, management, and cooperation skills. Of course, since the academy was governed by its own students, there would inevitably be a hierarchy within the student popce. Those who were at the management level were known as ¡®Ringbearers¡¯. The Ringbearers were identified by the Rose Ring they wore, which served as a symbol of power within the Saint Freya Academy. All in all, there were nine Rose Rings, each bearing a different color. There was only one way to obtain the Rose Ring. Every year, at the start of the semester, the new students would be guided into a dungeon by a fairy. Those whosted to the end of it would have a chance to challenge the Ring Guardian. It sounded simple in theory, but it was actually far more difficult than it seemed. For one, the Ring Guardian was at Origin Level 3, far beyond the means of freshmen, who averaged out at Origin Level 5, to deal with. But of course, the greater the risks, the greater the gains. Those who managed to obtain the Rose Ring would be entitled to many benefits. The most direct one was the privileges it ord. From the moment one became a Ringbearer, one would be granted a special building and an individual training facility. Ringbearers had the power could issue missions to the students, and they were orded receive preferential treatment in the recruitment of followers. However, the most important privilege of all was their qualification to participate in the Rose Council. The Rose Council was made up entirely of Ringbearers, and it wielded the greatest legitive power in the Saint Freya Academy. Any motions that were passed in this council represented the highest will of the academy, such that even the principal wouldn¡¯t be able to veto it easily. As for how far the powers of the Rose Council stretched... one of the more significant authorities it possessed was the right to propose and vote on the dismissal of a staff or even an entire Schr Guild from the academy. ¡°There are currently three Ringbearers in the academy, one in each grade. Of them, the one who currently wields the greatest influence is the Third Grade¡¯s Purplerose Ringbearer, Lilian Ackermann. I believe that she¡¯s your older sister?¡± ¡°Yes, but we have never met one another before,¡± replied Paul with an unnatural look on his face. Roel noted his expression and nodded in response. The two of them continued advancing forth, and it didn¡¯t take long for the majestic gates of the Saint Freya Academy to appear before their sights. As they came closer and closer to the academy, the crowd in the area grew denser. Grand carriages could be seen traveling to and fro, and there wererger congregations of young men and women in the area. Roel looked at the academy gates before him as he thought about the following event that would happen at the gates ording to the plotline. On the first day at the academy, after being berated by Charlotte, Paul finally found his way to the academy. However, due to him forgetting to don his ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia, he was stopped when he tried to enter the academy, and the one who stopped him was a student of the Purplerose Faction. This naturally led to the appearance of Paul¡¯s older sister in name, Lilian Ackermann. As they gradually approached the academy gates, Roel wondered if he should make a move or not. He could lend his insignia to Paul for the time being so as to circumvent this plotline, but when he looked at Paul¡¯s brilliantly green head¡ªthetter had just contributed over several hundred Affection Points¡ªhis heart softened a little and he gave up on the notion. Forget it, I don¡¯t know Lilian anyway. I shan¡¯t interfere in this. The kind Mister Roel sighed deeply as he passed through the academy gates together with Paul. Unexpectedly, the Crown Origin Attribute suddenly began trembling intensely, as if drawn to something within the academy. At the same time, in one of the buildings in the academy, a pair of mysterious but beautiful purple eyes abruptly opened. Chapter 236: Who Is It?

Chapter 236: Who Is It?

The moment Roel stepped through the academy gates, he suddenly experienced an intense jolt that left him thinking momentarily that he had been struck by lightning. It was a reaction stemming from the Origin Attribute deep within his body, resonating intensely with his bloodline. Themotion in the surroundings suddenly grew fainter and fainter, as if he was being forcefully pulled off to somewhere else. Before he knew it, he found himself standing on the surface of a calmke, water slowly rippling outward under his feet. He noticed that a blurred silhouette standing opposite to him not too far away with water rippling under their feet too. The two sets of water ripples collided with one another and raised slight waves. It was also at this moment that the two of them raised their heads and exchanged gazes. And just as abruptly as it started, this profound and enigmatic resonance suddenly came to an end. Roel was rudely jolted back into reality, and he found himself staring intently at a solemn white building. ??? Who is that? What in the world just... Roel stood at the entrance of the academy with a stiffened body, his headpletely nked out. Many students had passed him by during this period of time, but he was still unable to snap out of his daze. The Crown Origin Attribute is actually resonating with something... How is this possible? Roel pondered this question with a look of disbelief on his face. It was not because he didn¡¯t understand the significance of this resonance; on the contrary, it was precisely because he did that he found it incredulous. The resonance of Origin Attributes was a statistically improbable event. It was a special reaction arising from two individuals possessingplementary Origin Attributes and bloodlines. Even with most transcendents choosing the Three Main Origin Attributes, cases of resonation were still extremely rare. And Roel¡¯s case was even more special than that. He wasn¡¯t an adopter of the Three Main Origin Attribute; his Crown Origin Attribute was a unique one arising from the Ascart Bloodline. Theoretically speaking, considering that he was the sole sessor of the Ascart House, it should be safe to say that he would never undergo a resonation effect in his entire life. ¡°... el. Roel. Roel?¡± Roel suddenly heard Paul¡¯s voice sounding next to him, bringing him out of his daze. He turned to the side, only to see that thetter had been blocked by a female student bearing the Purplerose insignia. Both Paul and the female student were staring at him. Perhaps it was due to Roel¡¯s good looks, the female student nced at the insignia on his chest before her expression mellowed down a little. Then, she began speaking. ¡°Excuse me, do you know this person?¡± ¡°... Yes, I do.¡± ¡°He has forgotten to bring his insignia with him. ording to the rules, I can¡¯t allow him to enter the academy without the insignia. He would have to either have someone serve as a guarantor for his identity or head back to retrieve his insignia. Are you willing to guarantee his identity?¡± ??? Hm? Was there such a rule? Roel was a little surprised to hear the female student¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t think that his presence would bring about such a change in the events. In the game, the loner Paul didn¡¯t know any of the other students, so he had no choice but to report his own name and cause a hugemotion. However, since Roel was with him now, Paul was more than happy to be spared the hassle. ¡°Roel, please! Help me this once, alright?¡± Roel looked at the young man, who was pleading with him earnestly with his hands sped together, with a bizarre look on his face. Indeed. If we put aside the game and just look at this matter from Paul¡¯s point of view, being restricted from entering the academy on the very first day is indeed quite a disaster. On top of that, while Paul is a prince of the Austine Empire, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was a scorned illegitimate son. He wouldn¡¯t want to draw a crowd wherever possible. Is this the butterfly effect? I didn¡¯t think that I would unintentionally break Lilian¡¯s event like this. Under Paul¡¯s pleading eyes, Roel finally gave a nod of consent. The two of them headed aside to fill up a registration form, and when the female student saw Paul¡¯s family name, there was a clear change in her expression. However, with the procedures alreadypleted, she had no choice but to grant them passage. ¡°Senior, may I ask what that building over there is used for?¡± Roel pointed to the solemn white building he was staring at earlier when he snapped out of his daze as he asked the question. He wanted to seek some answers to the weird phenomenon he had just experienced. However, after learning of Paul¡¯s identity, the female student¡¯s attitude toward them had turned cold once again. ¡°... I¡¯m not sure either.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel turned his gaze back toward the white building as he considered heading there to take a look right away. However, he dropped the idea after a moment of contemtion. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to identify the person whom he had resonated with even if he were to rush there right now. He didn¡¯t manage to see the other party¡¯s face earlier on. So, he shook his head and proceeded on. While the resonation had baffled him, he believed that it should happen a second time as long as he remained in this academy. For the time being, the entrance ceremony ought to take precedence. ¡°Thanks, Roel!¡± After walking a distanceter, Paul patted his chest with a relieved expression on his face, looking as if he had just escaped from a crisis. ¡°Hm? Ah, you¡¯re wee,¡± replied Roel distractedly. Just like that, the two of them began heading toward the academy¡¯s hall. ... ¡°... What¡¯s with that earlier resonance?¡± In a dimly lit room where the curtains were drawn, a ck-haired young woman touched her own chest as she wondered with a bewildered frown. She walked over to the windowsill and gazed down at the academy gates with her amethyst eyes. She was Lilian Ackermann, a princess of the Austine Empire. Sixteen this year, she had joined the Saint Freya Academy two years ago and was currently in the Third Grade. She was dubbed as the most talented individual the academy had over the past century. Even back at the massive empire, she was proimed as the Empire¡¯s Pearl, the incarnation of perfection. She had a perfect appearance, perfect capability, and perfect background. If one had to pick a w with this woman whose existence seemed to have been blessed by the gods, it would be her overly rational and astute mind that made her an extremely difficult person to get along with. ¡°The eyes of the princess seem to peer right into my soul.¡± This was the evaluation made by the Austine Empire¡¯s prime minister, a veteran who had been dabbling in politics for decades. His words also echoed the sentiments of many others too. To most of Austine¡¯s nobles, she was a quiet but mysterious, intelligent but cold individual. Most stood deferentially in her presence. The only exception was the ignorant young noblemen of the Austine Empire, whose hormones overcame their fear as they attempted to get close to her. In the two years since she came of age, she had received cartloads worth of gifts, but the relentless courting from the bloodline purists did little to faze her heart. It was as if she was born inherently cold, such that there was no way to break down her walls and walk into her heart. But the truth was that she was still human, and she did have emotions too. Her current state was a good example as she looked out of the windows with her fists tightly clenched. ¡°... Who could it be?¡± murmured Lilian to herself as a rush of feelings surged into her heart. Chapter 237: Lilian’s Doubts

Chapter 237: Lilian¡¯s Doubts

Lilian Ackermann was aplicated and self-contradicting woman, and this trait could be traced to the family she came from. Most children viewed their family to be a steadfast shelter they could fall back on whenever they encountered a storm, but to Lilian, who was born in the Ackermann Imperial Family, it was the source of her misery instead. The current circumstances surrounding the Austine Empire were no secret to the world. It had been more than a decade since Lilian¡¯s two older brothers graduated from the Saint Freya Academy, but they still hadn¡¯t made a breakthrough in their Origin Level yet, resulting in an unnerving tension enveloping the empire. With no clear sessor in sight, the internal strife for power continued to persist. In fact, the conflict only grew rifer with time, especially in recent years as Lilian came of age. ¡®Kinship exists not in the imperial family¡¯, such a phrase couldn¡¯t be more apt to describe Austine¡¯s imperial family. Despicable schemes and vile traps, these were the gifts that Lilian often received from her older brothers. As for her parents, she knew deep well that she was nothing more than a tool in their eyes. One saw her as a tool for session and the other saw her as a tool to sustain glory. The only reason why she hadn¡¯t been swapped out yet was because she was currently the best one amongst them. Even from a young age, Lilian had already been exposed to the ugliness of humans, and it had been a long time since she had already given up on the poor excuse of a family she had. Yet, this was the very root of her contradiction too. The more one was deprived of something, the more one would covet it. Ironically, the one thing that Lilian Ackermann wanted the most was a real family. A deep,sting, inseverable bond between those who cared and loved one another; this was what Lilian viewed a real family to be like. All this while, this had been a pipe dream for her, something that would never be within her reach, but on this very day, an opportunity chanced before her. It was just that it wasn¡¯t a family member in terms of blood ties but bloodline. Blood ties and bloodline¡ªthese were two different concepts on the Sia Continent. Blood tie was something determined at birth by the virtue of one¡¯s parents whereas bloodline was a quality one had to awaken to. These were concepts that looked simr at first nce but had vastly different meanings. Take Roel Ascart for example, the kin who was closest to him in terms of blood ties as his father, Carter, but his bloodline kin would be the previous members of the Ascart House who had awakened to the Ascart Bloodline, namely Ro Ascart and Winstor Ascart. Born eight hundred years away from one another, even though Roel and Winstor both came from the same Ascart House, the generations between them meant that they were likely to beplete strangers in terms of blood ties by now. Nevertheless, if the two of them were to meet, it was likely that Winstor would ept Roel. That was because their bloodline had originated from the same source, and this was an objective fact. The mysterious connection between bloodline possessors was viewed to be a superior, noble bond that belonged solely to transcendents. Usually, it would only happen within transcendent families that had their unique Origin Attribute, but on some extremely rare asions, it was also possible for two strangers to find one another on the basis of their bloodlines, and this phenomenon was known as ¡®Bloodline Resonance¡¯. The resonance Lilian had just experienced meant that there was a very high chance that there was a bloodline kin of hers in the academy. She clutched her chest tightly, trying to calm her furiously beating heart. The Kingdom Origin Attribute was something in the exclusive possession of the Ackermanns, but it wasn¡¯t a unique bloodline. To put it more clearly, it was an Origin Attribute that most transcendents could adopt, just that it had been monopolized by Austine¡¯s imperial family ever since ancient time, and it just so happened that the Ackermanns had a high level ofpatibility with the Kingdom Origin Attribute. Due to that, bloodline possessors in the Ackermanns didn¡¯t resonate with one another even if they were all using the same Kingdom Origin Attribute. In fact, the reason why Lilian was much powerful than her counterparts was because the bloodline she had awakened to was far stronger than the others, allowing her to surpass her peers. In truth, Lilian had always felt that her bloodline had its own unique Bloodline Origin Attribute, but as a core member of Austine¡¯s imperial family, she had no choice but to ept the Kingdom Origin Attribute. Otherwise, it would be a weakness that her political enemies would use against her. Besides, from a more pragmatic point of view, the Kingdom Origin Attribute was indeed one of the stronger Origin Attributes of the Sia Continent. Even if her Bloodline Origin Attribute was morepatible with her, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily be more powerful than the Kingdom Origin Attribute. In fact, there were members of the Ackermanns Imperial Family who had opted for their Bloodline Origin Attribute over the course of its long history, but the results were oftenckluster. Lilian¡¯s bloodline and Origin Attribute weren¡¯t fullypatible with one another, which meant that there were two possibilities with the resonance. ¡°Judging from the fact that the feeling of resonance came from the academy gates, it should be safe to presume that the individual is a freshman... If it¡¯s a resonance of Origin Attribute, it should be Paul Ackermann,¡± murmured Lilian to herself with a frown. In terms of blood ties, Paul Ackermann was indeed her younger brother, and the fact that he had also adopted the Kingdom Origin Attribute meant that he was the most likely one to have resonated with her. It was just that she thought that Paul¡¯s identity was a little sensitive. For someone who had been brought up as a noble from birth, thebel of ¡®illegitimate son¡¯ was a huge aversion factor. She viewed Paul Ackermann as a scandal of the Austine Empire, and frankly speaking, she wouldn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him wherever possible. If the person she had resonated with was him, she would probably be put in a spot. Of course, there was another possibility where it wasn¡¯t a resonance of Origin Attribute but bloodline instead. However, the extremely slim possibility of it happening made the gleam in Lilian¡¯s eyes fade. In the first ce, bloodline possessors were incredibly rare in the world, and the possibility of someone possessing the same transcendent bloodline as her being born in the same era, entering the same academy, and coincidentally producing a resonance effect was so imusible that she dared not even think about it. ¡°How could there be something as convenient as that in the world...¡± Having finally calmed down from her initial excitement, the ck-haired woman sighed softly at her impractical hopes. She slowly walked to the side of the table and her face turned solemn. There was an exquisite envelope ced on the center of the table, stamped with the ¡®Twin Eagle¡¯ insignia of Austine¡¯s imperial family. However, what was different from normal was that this letter wasn¡¯t written by a scribe but Austine¡¯s emperor, Lukas Ackermann, himself. There was a difference in the significance of the emperor tasking a representative to write a letter for him and doing it himself, and Lilian naturally understood it. So, she opened the letter and carefully read it word by word, only to find herself confused by its contents. There were two main points in the letters. First, he requested Lilian not to put Paul Ackermann in a spot in the academy. Lilian did expect such a request since Paul was currently bearing the ¡®Ackermann¡¯ family name now. It was the second point that caught Lilian off guard. ¡¾Don¡¯t get close to the Ascarts.¡¿ This was the second main point that Lukas had ryed to her, and Lilian keenly sensed that this might have been the primary purpose as to why Lukas wrote a letter to her. The Ascart House was a prominent noble house of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, so it was only natural for a princess of the Austine Empire like her to be aware of its existence. However, she couldn¡¯t understand why the emperor would personally write a letter to request such a thing of her. Unable to make sense out of it, she picked up the student particrs document by the side and flipped through it. ¡°Roel Ascart...¡± Looking at the name on the document, Lilian fell into deep thoughts. Chapter 238: Academic Credits? No No, Plucking Off Death Flags Come First

Chapter 238: Academic Credits? No No, Plucking Off Death gs Come First

¡°There are so many people of our age here!¡± As they walked onto the huge grass field slightly beyond the academy gates, Paul Ackermann couldn¡¯t help but look at everything around him in a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. As someone who had grown up in a remote vige, he was having some difficulties trying to ustom himself to this new environment. Beside him, Roel revealed a faint smile as he assessed his surroundings too. Even he had to admit that the Saint Freya Academy did feel a little nerve-wracking at the moment, be it the sheer number of people gathered in the area or the grandeur of the surroundings. The grass field they were standing on was at least the size of several football fields, such that it created an illusion that there was no end to it. On it stood the sculptures of renowned staff members of the Saint Freya Academy over the past thousand years. Putting aside the deceased, the sculptures of the incumbent Principal Antonio, Vice Principal Campbell, the grade heads, and some of the active sage teachers were present too. ¡®Sage teacher¡¯ was a term used specifically in the Saint Freya Academy, and it referred to teachers who had nurtured over a hundred elite graduates. This requirement sounded easy enough, but it was much more difficult than it looked as the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s system made it easy to enroll but hard to graduate. The biggest barrier to enrolling into the Saint Freya Academy was the exorbitant academy fees, but as long as one could ovee that obstacle, everything else wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all. However, graduating from this academy was apletely different matter. There were plenty of students who were expelled or retained in the same grade due to theck of Academic Credits. There was also a difference between ¡®graduates¡¯ and ¡®elite graduates¡¯. Elite graduates were expected to disy exceptional proficiency inbat and academics, and their Academic Credits had to be ranked within the top hundred too. For the academic side, it was pretty simr to the education system in Roel¡¯s previous world, just that there were some additional noble-specific sses, such as ¡®etiquette¡¯. In order to graduate, one would have to clear at least twenty of these academic sses. As for thebat side, it basically referred to the development of one¡¯s transcendent abilities, and the ways to earn Academic Credits here were much more flexible. All in all, they could be divided into two categories. One was through ranked matches. It involved challenging another student to a duel so as to climb up the ranking, which would, in turn, determine how many Academic Credits one received. As the battles were carried out under the supervision of the academy, there was no threat of death, but it wasn¡¯t too popr since it was hard to earn Academic Credits under this system. The reason for that was because the ranking system was unfair. Instead of dividing the students by their grades, the academy adopted a unified ranking that epassed the entire student popce. Such a system naturally meant that the students in the higher grades had a huge advantage, evidenced by how the top hundred in the ranking were mainly students in the Third Grade and Fourth Grade. As for why it was designed in such a manner... Roel¡¯s guess was that it was to give the graduating students a bit of leeway to earn whatever Academic Credits that they were stillcking. After all, the teachers of the Saint Freya Academy weren¡¯t demons whose goal in life was to keep the students from graduating from the academy. It couldn¡¯t be helped that there were some students whocked aptitude as transcendents and were unable to take on missions. It was at times like this that the ranking yed an important role. When it came to end-of-semester catch-ups, the juniors were still willing to give their spots away to their seniors so that they could at least meet the graduation criteria. Though, it would be hard to ¡®tamper¡¯ with the higher rankings as there was a special board in the academy that ryed real-time changes in the top twenty spots to the student popce. In fact, any fight involving those in the top twenty rankers would usually garner quite a huge crowd, stirring a buzz within the academy. Without a doubt, getting into the top twenty rankings was an effective way to raise one¡¯s reputation, and it naturally became a key goal of the hot-blooded youths in the academy. Do you want to be idolized in the academy? Raise your arms and fight in the ranked matches then! Aside from those who were dreaming of fame, there was also one group of people who had no choice but to acquire the top spots of the rankings, and they were no other than the Ringbearers. While the Ringbearers wielded great influence as the decision-makers of the academy, they also needed to prove that they had the strength worthy of their position. In fact, the top three spots in the rankings were the three current Ringbearers. It was unlikely that they would ever require the Academic Credits from the rankings, but nevertheless, the ranking was the most direct way for them to establish their dominance and deter anyone from going against them. The second way to earn Academic Credits for thebat aspect was to take on missions outside the academy. There was always a high demand for magic materials since the Saint Freya Academy was a ce of gathering for many Schr Guilds. Sometimes, the old archaeological professors would organize expeditions to explore ruins and dungeons. The neighboring countries would also send requests for help from time to time. In any case, there were plenty of missions for students to pick from, and the Academic Credits offered tended to be on the higher side. Butpared to fighting in ranked matches, there was some degree of danger when taking on a mission. Of course, the supervising teacher of the mission would do everything to his ability to ensure the safety of the students, but major incidents would still ur once every decade or so. From this aspect, it didn¡¯t seem rather worthwhile going on missions and putting themselves in harm¡¯s way just to earn some Academic Credits. In fact, most of those who went on missions did it not for the Academic Credits but to develop their transcendent abilities. The fastest way to develop one¡¯s transcendent ability was to put it to practical use, and going out of a mission was a safer way of challenging one¡¯s limits. Most nobles weren¡¯t so privileged as to have a high-level transcendent take care of them and guide them along. It was only in the academy that they were granted such a precious opportunity. This was a rare chance to converse with high-level transcendents and observe their fighting style up close. Needless to say, such an experience would go a long way in one¡¯s future development. For those who wanted to better themselves, this was a high-risk, high-reward opportunity. Aside from tagging along with a high-level transcendent for missions, students could also opt to follow a Ringbearer instead. One of the privileges granted to the Ringbearers was the right to form their own team for a mission. If the team were to seed in the mission without any help from the academy, the Academic Credits earned by the team members would be greatly increased. On top of that, the team would be able to keep whatever loot they acquired in the mission, and it would be a huge boost to their reputation too. Building up reputation was important to the Ringbearers, especially for those who were potential sessors to their countries. As for exactly how important reputation was... the incident that best encapsted that would probably be the famous ¡®Dragonying Incident¡¯ in the Austine Empire several centuries back. Well, it wasn¡¯t really wrong to call it a dragon, but it wasn¡¯t the same legendary dragon that was rumored to be active in the ancient era. Rather, it was a pseudo-dragon that was, honestly, more pseudo than it was a dragon. It didn¡¯t even have wings at all, and its prowess was around Origin Level 3. This matter happened roughly six centuries ago, in an era where the human civilization had yet to stabilize in its new environment. From time to time, demonic creatures would emerge from remote mountains and rampage in nearby settlements, and the pseudo-dragon was one of the major headaches faced by the border cities of the Austine Empire. The second prince of the Austine Empire then, who was second in line to the throne, was a Ringbearer of the Saint Freya Academy. After careful observation and nning, he coborated with another Ringbearer from the Austine Empire to organize a crusade against the pseudo-dragon, and they eventually managed to defeat it after a tough battle. The news that the second prince managed to lead a team to y the pseudo-dragon without the aid of a teacher immediately caused a huge stir in the Austine Empire. The prince found his reputation growing swiftly, which, in turn, brought him plenty of resources he needed to expand his influence. On top of that, many members of the crusade team were children of prominent noble ns in the Austine Empire. After the battle, they began persuading their own ns to switch sides and support the second prince instead. Regardless of how their rtionship was before, the shared glory they enjoyed from the dragonying had bonded them into a tightly-knitted group. Under such circumstances, it was to their advantage for their ex-team leader to be the emperor instead. After all, could there be any bond tighter than those who had worked together in their student days to y an evil dragon? Through his resounding reputation amongst the popce and the support from his team member¡¯s ns, the second prince eventually managed to ovee the odds in the fight for the throne and was eventually crowned as the emperor. His rule was also smooth-sailing as there was hardly anyone who could threaten his authority due to his poprity and steadfast supporters. The rewards he had reaped from the dragonying in his earlier years continued to serve him well till his death. And this was the story of the renowned ¡®Dragonying Emperor¡¯, Feymas Ackermann. This story served both as an advice and warning for those who came after him. With such a precedence, it was understandable why those who were the sessors of their countries would have a strong fixation on the Rose Ring. Those who managed to obtain it would make sure to carry out a mission by hook or by crook. This wasn¡¯t just about Academic Credits anymore; this could very well determine the political resources they would have at their disposal in the future. With suchpelling factors at y, there were still plenty of students who went out on missions every year. None of these was anything Roel had to worry about since he was strong enough to rise through the rankings and handle most missions. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said about Paul. Roel knew the current circumstances surrounding Paul. If his memories failed him not, thetter should have just made a breakthrough to Origin Level 5, which meant that his strength hadn¡¯t even reached the level of an average freshman. To make things worse, his identity as an illegitimate son of the Ackermann meant that trouble woulde knocking on his door even if he did nothing at all. Looking at the students who were approaching them with hostile looks on their faces and a golden-haired silhouette in the distance, Roel heaved a deep sigh, though it carried a hint of relief too. Looks like everything is still proceeding in the same direction. Alright, time for me to get started on the final scene! Chapter 239: Stand Up

Chapter 239: Stand Up

Roel looked at the students who were slowly approaching Paul before ncing at the familiar golden-haired figure standing amidst a huge crowd. Then, he examined his surroundings, and finally, he breathed a sigh of relief as his heart was finally put at ease. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this should be the final event of Paul Ackermann¡¯s starting sequence in the game. Who in this world hoped the most for Paul¡¯s disappearance? InEyes of the Chronicler, that person could have very well been Roel, but things had started heading down a different path from the moment he regained the memories of his past life. There was no longer a reason for him to hate on Paul, and so, the position of the main viin would have to be passed on to two other people¡ªPaul¡¯s older brothers. Ever since ancient times, the most vicious fights tended to arise from internal strife, and this was best exemplified in the current circumstances surrounding the Austine Empire. Paul Ackermann was only an illegitimate son with average talents so far, but even so, his existence still left the two older princes deeply worried. They didn¡¯t want Paul to attend the academy as it signified an opportunity for growth. Any hope that Paul could grow into a high-level transcendent tranted into despair for them. In fact, his two good brothers even prepared a gift for Paul¡¯s first day at the academy so as to thoroughly crush his confidence. The other princes had been working hard to build up their own noble faction over the past decade, so they had nock ofckeys to use in the academy. Roel grasped his staff quietly as he watched the two men walking in their direction, but he had no intention of making a move in advance. On one hand, he couldn¡¯t simply just ¡®predict the future¡¯ here, and on the other, it hadn¡¯t even been an hour since he first met Paul. I¡¯ll just wait for an opportunity to make my move. With such thoughts in mind, Roel bade Paul farewell before walking away. ... Looking at the scenery around him, Paul Ackermann found his initially nervous heart slowly calming down as a tinge of excitement started to grow within him. There had to be at least a thousand youths of the simr ages around him, and he had never been in such an environment before. It was inevitable that he would feel a little unnerved, but at the same time, it also made him realize that he was finally standing on a different stage. The students here came from all parts of the world, and there weren¡¯t that many people who recognized him here. He wouldn¡¯t be scorned here as he had been back at the Austine Empire. In this academy, they were all fellow students, people of equal standing. As long as he worked hard on this new stage, things might just turn out for the better for him.. With great hopes for the future, Paul continued walking forward, only to have someone suddenly halt his path, ¡°Hey, you¡¯re Paul, right?¡± ¡°Ah? You are...?¡± ¡°We¡¯re your seniors. He¡¯s Lyte, the third son of Earl Laker, and I am Cron, the second son of Earl Quesal. We have a favor to ask of you.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± The hostile looks on the faces of the tall and short men standing in his path, as well as the fact that they were nobles of the Austine Empire, made Paul¡¯s face turn pale. He had an ominous feeling about this. His premonition was proven right as the tall and scrawny Cron continued on. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I just hope that you can drop out of the academy.¡± ¡°Drop out of the academy?¡± ¡°Indeed. You should know better than anyone that the throne belongs to the two princes, and an illegitimate son like you have no rights to session at all. Trash should just remain as trash. I suggest you not to bring trouble upon yourself.¡± Cron spat out insulting words toward Paul with a cold look on his face, not showing the slightest respect despite standing in the presence of a prince of the Austine Empire. In their view, an illegitimate son who had no rights to session was nothing to be feared, even if the blood of the Ackermanns flowed through his veins. Paul would be suppressed no matter which of the two princes became the new emperor, so there was no chance of him rising through the ranks. However, if they could chase Paul out of the academy, Cron might just be able to win the favor of Prince Aubrey, which would give him an advantage in the session of the Quesal House¡¯s earl position despite being the second son. The shorter Lyte, as the third son of Earl Laker, harbored the same thoughts in mind too. They were willing take on this risk for the sake of rising through the ranks, though it was unfortunate that their target was unwilling to cooperate with them. ¡°Are you kidding me? I refuse.¡± Paul was infuriated by the insult he was receiving, and he clenched his fists tightly together. He had only started bearing some expectations about academy life when his brothers¡¯ckeys suddenly obstructed his way. Aside from his disappointment in his siblings, it also sparked his desire to fight back too. His response made Cron¡¯s face darken. ¡°You brat, it looks like you still don¡¯t know your ce yet! You¡¯re really asking for a...¡± ¡°Hold it for a moment, Lyte. It looks like our Prince Paul still doesn¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on yet. Allow me to exin it to him.¡± Cron raised his hand to stop his bulkypanion before eyeing the young man before him with a sneer on his lips. ¡°Junior Paul, it looks like you still harbor some expectations for your life at the academy?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you think that you would have good days ahead of you just by staying in the academy? Allow me to shatter your unrealistic dreams. Are you aware that the academy is under the rule of the Her Highness Lilian¡¯s Purplerose Faction? We aren¡¯t the only ones hostile to you here; everyone in her faction sees you as a thorn in the eye too. There are also the students from the Theocracy and Rosa who have always been at loggerheads with us. Just by that in itself, over 30% of the students in this academy are already hostile to you. ¡°Do you finally get it now? You can¡¯t do a thing here at all. You¡¯ll just be scorned and sidelined. We have plenty of ways to ensure that you¡¯ll never be able to keep your head up in the academy. The wisest thing you can do here is to back off and drop out of the academy.¡± Cron patted the dumbfounded Paul¡¯s shoulder with an amicable smile on his lips. No matter which academy one was from, a freshman would usually bepletely helpless to the oppression of a senior student, so it would be perfectly normal for Paul to back down when he knew that all there was ahead of him was endless misery in the hands of his tormentors. Cron almost wanted to apud himself for his sharp wits. As much as the Austine nobles hated Paul, he was still a member of the Ackermann Imperial Family. If they tried to chase him out with force, it would likely backfire on them in the future since thetter hade to the academy under the emperor¡¯s orders. Attempts to defy imperial orders would be viewed as an offense against the imperial family. However, if Paul were to back down here on his own volition, that would make a different story. Cron stared intently at the dazed Paul, awaiting for the moment the ck-haired young man fall into despair. In truth, Paul felt like his heart was falling endlessly into the abyss after hearing those words. The beautiful and resplendent surroundings around formed a stark contrast to his heart that was swiftly turning dull and grey, and he began hesitating over whether he should continue walking down this difficult path. Should I just turn back here... As such thoughts echoed endlessly in Paul¡¯s mind, all of a sudden, the young man who had been apanying him till a moment ago surfaced in his head, causing his body to jolt a ¡°No, that¡¯s not right...¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t deny that many in the academy would view me in enmity, but true friends don¡¯t judge one another on their identities. I believe that there are people in the world who befriend others by the virtue of their character, not their standing and background.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± ¡°Senior Cron, you may leave now. I won¡¯t leave the academy.¡± ¡°!¡± Seeing that Paul¡¯s gaze had inexplicably be more determined than before, Cron¡¯splexion turned awful. A deep frown also formed on Lyte¡¯s face too. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying? I advise you not to force our hand, or else things could get ugly here.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t drop out from the academy.¡± ¡°... Is that so? Don¡¯t me us for this then.¡± Cron red viciously at the young man standing before him as he released a powerful outburst of his mana. Amidst a faint emanation of light, Paul felt a powerful pressure crushing down on his body. This sudden act of aggression swiftly rmed the surrounding crowd. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Such heavy pressure... Are there actually Origin Level 4 transcendents amongst the freshmen?¡± ¡°It¡¯sing from over there. They seem to be seniors from the Second Grade...¡± ¡°Who is that person they are surrounding?¡± Suddenly being ced in the limelight, Cron directed a smile at the surrounding crowd before pointing to the young man before him, who was being put under so much pressure that he couldn¡¯t even raise his head. ¡°Paul Ackermann! As an illegitimate son, you should know what kind of position you are in! The Saint Freya Academy is a noble ce where many great figures have risen from. Someone like you isn¡¯t worthy ofing here!¡± Cron¡¯s action of oppressing the weak stirred the aversion of the other students, but when they heard that Paul was an illegitimate son, those students began to hesitate. They weren¡¯t sure whether they wanted to intervene in this situation. It was normal for those of illegitimate birth to be viewed with hostility in the circle of nobility, no matter how upstanding the illegitimate child could be. In fact, when they heard that Paul was a prince of the Austine Empire, some revealed looks of glee as they indulged themselves in the drama. Some even went as far as join Cron¡¯s side to mock Paul. ¡°Do you see that? This is the kind of treatment you¡¯ll receive from this day onward. Those who are born in the mud should obediently stay put at where they belong, especially trash with impure bloodlines with you! ¡°You¡¯re at Origin Level 5 despite possessing the Ackermann Bloodline? What a disgrace! Just remain kneeling over there and scram out of the academy gates afterward!¡± Cron¡¯s speech of bloodline purity won the roars of agreement from some of the students from the Austine Empire, and they began shouting out a slogan under Cron¡¯s lead. ¡°Kneel down and scram! Kneel down and scram...¡± This insulting slogan resounded loudly in the surroundings, swiftly drawing the attention of even more people. A far distance away, a crowd that was surrounding a golden-haired young woman frowned. At the same time, a ck-haired, purple-eyed young woman watching the scene from a building by the side was also greatly displeased by what she saw. This is too ugly. I can¡¯t turn a blind eye to this. Lilian thought about the letter she had received from Lukas and sighed softly. She was just about to turn to her knights and ry her orders when she suddenly spotted a ck silhouette darting across her peripheral vision. Hm? That is... Lilian¡¯s eyes narrowed as she quickly turned her eyes back to themotion. At the same time, on the grass field, Nora also widened her eyes in astonishment. At the center of the crowd, Paul felt his body growing so heavy that his knees were going to fall onto the ground at any moment, but all of a sudden, a ck-haired young man suddenly appeared beside him. The other party slipped his staff under Paul¡¯s kneecaps to support him. ¡°Why are you kneeling? Stand up.¡± Amidst themotion, Roel Ascart looked at Paul Ackermann as he spoke with a cold look on his face. Chapter 240: Meeting Eyes

Chapter 240: Meeting Eyes

There was still another hour to go before the academy¡¯s entrance ceremony. The grass field in front of the assembly hall was buzzing with voices as thousands of freshmen gazed upon the beautiful scenery of the Saint Freya Academy with hearts beating with anticipation. Yet, there was an area on the field where the atmosphere felt a little off. ¡°Why are you kneeling? Stand up.¡± Roel Ascart supported Paul¡¯s kneecaps with his staff as he spoke with a nonchnt yet authoritative voice. While Paul was still in a daze, the heavy pressure weighing down on him abruptly vanished, and he immediately raised his head in astonishment. ¡°Roel...¡± muttered Paul in bewilderment. The vibes he was receiving from Roel were very different from usual. The Roel he had known was a gentle and graceful noble who was fond of books, but the one that was standing before him was imposing and powerful. His golden eyes gleamed brightly under the glow of his mana, and his ck hair and overcoat fluttered along with the wind. Theposed but stern expression of his face showed that he was someone who had braved through true storms, unlike his peers. Roel¡¯s powerful entrance silenced the crowd. Cron and Lyte traded horrified nces as they assessed the unfamiliar face before them. Meanwhile, Roel himself sighed deeply in his heart. I didn¡¯t think that the plotline would change here too. In Eyes of the Chronicler, Paul Ackermann pretended to go along with the demand of the two Austine nobles, agreeing to drop out of the academy. However, right after he gave his word, he dashed right into the assembly hall shouting for help. Such behavior was apt for Paul¡¯s current strength. After all, what else could an Origin Level 5 do against two Origin Level 4s except to run away? His actions would attract Nora¡¯s attention, who then stood in and protected him. This was also how the two of them first became acquainted with one another. If things had gone ording to the plotline, the ideal position for Roel to take would have been just slightly ahead of Paul. The moment Paul called for help, he could step in right away and support him. That would have allowed for a logical flow of events without him standing out too much. Yet, for some reason, Paul lost his temper and confronted the twockeys directly, blowing the matter up. With this, there was no way Nora would have remained oblivious to the happenings here. Forget it, it doesn¡¯t really matter anyway. It¡¯s just an additionalyer of security. Roel sighed once more before turning his gaze toward Cron and Lyte, who were staring at him warily. Cron hesitated for a brief moment before questioning Roel¡¯s identity carefully. ¡°You must be a freshman, right? May I know who you are?¡± ¡°Saint Mesit Theocracy, Roel Ascart.¡± ¡°The Theocracy? Why are you butting into our affairs then?¡± Upon hearing Roel¡¯s background, their hearts immediately calmed down. No matter how powerful the Saint Mesit Theocracy was, they couldn¡¯t possibly stretch their hands into the internal affairs of the Austine nobles. So, their tone became far ruder right after Roel¡¯s self-introduction. ¡°Brat, I advise you not to get involved in things that don¡¯t concern you. This is an internal affair of our Austine Empire.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put your head into ces where it doesn¡¯t belong. Hurry up and leave!¡± Cron and Lyte issued their warnings, and the nearby students also began gossiping amongst themselves. One must know that the Austine Empire wasn¡¯t on good terms with the Saint Mesit Theocracy, and Paul was a prince of the Austine Empire. Some distance away, a crowd of students surrounding a golden-haired young woman also frowned upon seeing this. ¡°Your Highness, what in the world is Lord Roel...¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, just continue watching.¡± Nora looked at the fond silhouette of the ck-haired young man in front of her as the furrow on her forehead gradually rxed. With a smile on her lips, she silenced the doubts of the crowd around her. At the same time, Roel also shot a nce in Nora¡¯s direction, and her reaction put his heart at ease. While the change in the situation meant that Paul wouldn¡¯t run in Nora¡¯s direction anymore, Roel still chose to intervene in this farce for two reasons. The more important reason was that he believed that Nora wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to this ruckus even if Paul hadn¡¯t asked for help. Having known each other for several years now, Roel knew far too well what kind of person Nora Xeclyde was. Putting aside her minor w of being unable to keep her sadistic desires in check, she was a kind and righteous person whose nature reflected her Origin Attribute well. There was no way she could turn a blind eye to such hideous oppression, regardless of whom the victim was. As for the other less important reason, he was simply acting on how he felt about the situation. ¡°You disgust me.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Faced with the hostile duo, the ck-haired young man revealed an expression of revulsion, as if he was standing before something utterly revolting. ¡°Pandering to the strong and oppressing the weak; the two of you have wonderfully demonstrated the tradition of the Austine Empire. Pureblood, huh? You make me retch.¡± ¡°... I never thought that I would be provoked here. Brat, have you thought of the consequences of your actions?¡± ¡°Be careful!¡± Upon hearing Roel¡¯s provocative words, Cron couldn¡¯t tolerate it anymore and manifested his mana into the sharp ws of a massive beast and swiped it in Roel¡¯s direction. Paul immediately shouted out a warning, but to everyone¡¯s astonishment, Roel didn¡¯t bother moving an inch at all. ¡°You wish to challenge me with a fight? Very well, but I shan¡¯t be your opponent...¡± sneered Roel disdainfully. He channeled a huge amount of mana into his staff, and the earth immediately began rumbling furiously as an explosion shook the whole field. Everyone felt their vision blurring as they vaguely saw a ck stream gushing into the sky. The nearby students were unable to see the full form of the being, but those standing a bit further away were able to see the beast in its full glory. It was a ck nine-headed serpent, an incarnation of fear in the ancient era. Under the stimtion of Roel¡¯s mana, this ancient beast had reappeared in the world under the effects of Relentless Regeneration. It covered the sky from the moment it appeared, and its terrifying heads gazed down on the surrounding crowd with their golden snake eyes. Horrified cries filled the field. Without any hesitation, two heads swiped down toward the two enemies who were trying to attack its master and swallowed them whole. Paul¡¯s mouth fell agape in the presence of the towering snake right in front of him, feeling as awed as Roel was when he witnessed Ponte flitting across an army with his powerful spells back then. This unbelievable sight gripped Paul¡¯s heart at its very core, imprinting a vivid image in his mind that he would never forget. Meanwhile, Roel watched the sight with nonchnce, looking as if he had merely swiped off two specks of dirt. All of a sudden, he turned his head sideward and directed his golden eyes toward a tower constructed along the walls surrounding the field. As if reacting to his gaze, a figure stepped out from the shadows, gradually appearing in his view. He found himself met with a pair of cold purple eyes that induced deference as her name did. Lilian Ackermann. Chapter 241: Nah, I’ll Pass On Her

Chapter 241: Nah, I¡¯ll Pass On Her

While the crowd was panicking in the presence of a humongous nine-headed serpent in the grass field, Lilian Ackermann and Roel Ascart met eyes with one another, their gazes carrying a cold intent. Don¡¯t trust the Ackermanns. Roel was suddenly reminded of the message he had seen on Ancient Treant Kayde¡¯s body back in the Karon Forest. The warning left behind by his ancestor made him particrly wary of the Ackermanns, except for Paul Ackermann whom he had a good understanding of thanks to the game. It wasmon knowledge that First Prince Lucius Ackermann and Second Prince Aubrey Ackermann were ipetent and unlikely to achieve anything significant, which meant that Lilian Ackermann was the greatest threat of all. Despite it being their first time meeting one another, Roel could clearly sense cold hostilitying from her purple eyes. The fact that he was experiencing a pressure from her was more than enough to verify that he wasn¡¯t just overthinking it. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by her enmity since she was the only female capture target whom he hadn¡¯t encountered prior to this, which would probably mean that their rtionship would be the default state as it was in the game. That being said, he had no intention of winning her goodwill. After having brought Alicia, Nora, and Charlotte to his side, he didn¡¯t think that Lilian alone could pose a threat to him after all. Besides, he believed that it would be futile for him to try to win Lilian¡¯s goodwill since he didn¡¯t have the necessary condition to pull it off. In truth, despite Lilian Ackermann¡¯s cold exterior, she was a hidden brocon, just that no one including her had ever known about it since she had never had a younger brother before... until now, that was. In Eyes of the Chronicler, Lilian¡¯s first impression of Paul wasn¡¯t particrly good, but as time passed, her brocon nature would be gradually awakened. She would begin to show more care and concern toward Paul, allowing thetter to rise through the ranks without a hitch. Roel had tried analyzing the matter, and his conclusion was that it might have been a rebound effect from the extremeck of kinship Lilian suffered from a young age. Deep down, she harbored an unbelievably strong desire for family bonds, and Paul was her younger brother in name regardless of whether he was a pureblood or not. Other than that, everything else was of secondary importance. Given that Roel wasn¡¯t her family member, it would be nigh impossible for him to win her trust. As long as he couldn¡¯t break down the barriers surrounding her heart, there was nothing he could do that would win her goodwill. Theck of this vital key left Roel with no choice but to give up on the notion of building up a friendly rtionship with Lilian. For some uncanny reason, thetter also had the same thoughts in mind as she recalled the letter she had received from her father. Don¡¯t get close to the Ascarts. This was an ordering from the emperor himself, so Lilian, as a princess of the empire, was obliged to obey it. However, by ¡®don¡¯t get close¡¯, she didn¡¯t think that her father was referring to physical proximity. Obviously, if there was someone in the world who could cause trouble just bying into proximity with Lilian, the Austine Empire wouldn¡¯t have just sent a mere letter to warn her. Her father¡¯s meaning should be referring to the emotional intimacy, or in other words, she shouldn¡¯t befriend anyone from the Ascart House. While she couldn¡¯t understand the rationale behind this inexplicablemand, she was intending to do as she was told and avoid any contact with the members of the Ascart House. Yet, she could have never imagined that Roel would actually appear by Paul¡¯s side. What is he scheming? This was the first thought that arose in Lilian¡¯s mind when she first saw the two of them together. One was the illegitimate son of Austine¡¯s emperor, brought back only half a year ago, whereas the other was the treasured sessor of a marquess house from the Saint Mesit Theocracy. They belonged to two different worlds, be it their background or the environment they had grown up in. Lilian didn¡¯t think that they even had amonnguage between them, let alone be friends within less than an hour since arriving at the academy. The very fact that someone from the Theocracy was approaching an illegitimate son of Austine¡¯s emperor was a huge cause of concern. Regardless of whether Roel was targeting Paul or intending to get close to her through Paul, it would be safe to say that he didn¡¯t have good intentions in mind. Having thought things out to this point, Lilian¡¯s eyes grew even frostier. After a momentary exchange of gazes, Roel turned his attention back to the nine-headed serpent he had summoned and issued his order. ¡°Spit them out.¡± The heads of the nine-headed serpent began wiggling a bit before spitting out two humans covered in viscous fluid. Needless to say, they were no other than Cron and Lyte. Their clothes were tattered, and theyy unconscious on the grass field. Their current state looked a bit disgusting with sticky fluid coating their bodies. Despite their unkempt state, there weren¡¯t any visible injuries on their bodies. After the nine-headed serpent spat out the two of them, it began to retract back into the ancient staff under his control. It was also then that the members of the Enforcement Division arrived at the scene. Some of them warily surrounded Roel whereas the others quickly rushed forward to check on Cron and Lyte¡¯s conditions. ¡°... They have only fainted. There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with them.¡± ¡°Is that so? Carry them away.¡± The enforcers breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the two students were safe, and the heavy tension in the atmosphere alleviated a little. Meanwhile, after retracting the nine-headed serpent, Roel turned his gaze toward the tower once more, and this time around, the enmity from the purple eyes seemed to have lessened by a fair bit. Roel didn¡¯t take the initiative to release Cron and Lyte out of the kindness of his heart. This was a gesture on his part to inform Lilian that he bore no hostility here as the enforcers maintaining order in the area all belonged to Lilian¡¯s Purplerose Faction, evidenced by the ¡®Purple Rose¡¯ insignia embroidered onto the chest area of their clothes. The high level of autonomy enjoyed by the students meant that they had to be responsible for some of the academy¡¯s key functions too. Traditionally, the one who shouldered the important responsibility of maintaining internal security was the highest-ranking Ringbearer, which was no other than Lilian at the moment. To put it in another way, the entire academy was her turf, and anyone who dared to mess around on her turf would be looking down on her. Unless Roel intended to confront her, he would have to take a step back here and defuse the conflict. After the enforcers determined that both Cron and Lyte were safe and sound, the pressure exerted by Lilian on Roel lessened significantly, and she turned her eyes away from him to the ancient staff he was holding onto. Is that a magic tool from the ancient era? Recalling the faint threat she had felt from the ancient staff earlier, her purple eyes narrowed a little. It wasn¡¯t easy for a mere magic tool to be able to incur her cautiousness. It looks like the Ascart House has rued quite a bit of formidable artifacts over its thousand years of lineage, but just what is so special about it that led to Emperor Lukas issuing such an order... ¡°Lord Lilian, how should we deal with that freshman?¡± a subordinate enforcer asked respectfully. Lilian contemted for a brief moment before shaking her head lightly. Even though this incident had caused quite a hugemotion, the cause of it was Cron and Lyte flouting the academy rules by entering the grass field to oppress a freshman. On top of that, they were also the ones to make the first move. They were probably confident in their strength as Origin Level 4 transcendents and didn¡¯t expect to meet with such a tough opponent. Over the course of the fight, Roel had never cast any spell at all, and the summoning of the nine-headed serpent could be justified as a protective mechanism of the magic tool. He could easily shape himself out to be a victim of the senior students¡¯ oppression, and everything that happened afterward was just self-defense. There was also nothing to fault him on regarding the resolution of the issue. He had willingly freed the aggressors and cooperated with the enforcers afterward. It was impossible to pin anything on him. It was clear that Roel had already thought things through from the moment he decided to make a move. In terms of strength and intelligence, he was far ahead of any of his peers. Even Lilian had a high evaluation of how he had dealt with everything. ¡°What a sly one he is... But it matters not.¡± In the first ce, it was the failure of the Enforcement Division that Cron and Lyte managed to sneak into the grass field. On top of that, Emperor Lukas had also issued an order to her to take care of Paul Ackermann. Lilian nced at the bbergasted Paul as she made up her mind to use this matter to send out a stern warning to her two older brothers¡¯ckeys in the academy. ¡°Roel Ascart... It looks like there will be quite a few surprises for this year¡¯s entrance ceremony.¡± Lilian narrowed her eyes as she took onest look at Roel before finally taking her leave. ... It took a while after Lilian¡¯s departure before Roel¡¯s thumping heart finally calmed down. He raised his arm to wipe off the cold sweat trickling down the sides of his cheeks. That woman is truly terrifying. He was able to quickly calm his breathing, but his face still remained grim. He had indeed nned to stay put and cooperate with the Enforcement Division, but it turned out that there was no need for him to make that conscious decision¡ªhe couldn¡¯t move even if he wanted to. The pressure exerted on him by Lilian Ackermann was simply too heavy. What Cron did appeared to be no more than a child¡¯s y inparison. For a moment there, Roel seriously contemted whether he should summon Grandar or not. A prodigy on Lilian¡¯s level would undergo a qualitative change upon reaching Origin Level 3, growing at a rate far surpassing that of her peers. In fact, Roel reckoned that even the Origin Level 2 puppetmaster he had defeated in the Witness State wouldn¡¯t be a match for her. ¡°Roel, no, big brother Roel! Thank you!¡± A voiceing by his side brought Roel¡¯s attention back to reality. He turned his head over, only to see Paul bowing to him with a face filled with earnest gratitude. Roel responded with a heartened smile, a natural response considering the brilliant green light glowing on the other party¡¯s head. (Affection Points +2000!) (Affection Points +50!) (Affection Points +30!) (Affection Points +100!) (Affection Points +80!)... There are indeed far more benefits to being a good person than a viin. Roel smiled to himself as he looked at the influx of numbers in the System. Chapter 242: The Angel’s Reward

Chapter 242: The Angel¡¯s Reward

Looking at the notifications swiftly popping up in the System, Roel took a sweeping gaze at his surroundings and saw that quite a few people in the crowd had gone green too. Of course, thergest sum was still from Paul, but there were still small bits of Affection Points trickling in from all around too. It looked like there were quite a few righteous people in the world after all. With such thoughts in mind, Roel¡¯s mood grew a little better. He turned over to Paul with a smile and said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I just can¡¯t stand it when others parading their strength around to oppress those weaker than them.¡± ¡°Big brother Roel...¡± ¡°I should be younger than you though,¡± said Roel as he reached out and helped Paul back up to his feet. Paul raised his head to look at Roel with eyes filled with gratitude, but he immediately flinched when he saw the sight behind Roel. At the same time, a familiar voice sounded. ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t stand such stuff too. It¡¯s just that you made far too big of amotion here.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± A doting sigh echoed behind Roel. Surprised by the voice, he instinctively turned his head around, only to see a golden silhouette walking through the parted crowd. Nora Xeclyde was slowly heading his way under the apaniment of the Theocracy¡¯s nobles, but unlike his earlier encounter with Charlotte on the streets, he was much moreposed this time around. Nora was bound to make an entrance here after the huge ruckus he had caused by releasing the nine-headed serpent. Technically speaking, Roel was considered to be under her jurisdiction since he was a noble of the Theocracy too. As Nora was enrolling into the academy this year, the Xeclydes generously offered to subsidize the tuition fee of all suitably aged young nobles of the Theocracy so that they could enroll into the Saint Freya Academy too, resulting in a farrger intake of freshmen this year. In exchange, these nobles were obliged to protect Nora, though, frankly speaking, it was unlikely that she would ever require their protection. As the sessor of the Ascart House, Roel¡¯s standing in the Saint Mesit Theocracy was fairly high. On top of that, there were rumors going around that Nora was on good terms with Roel, which made him somewhat the de facto second-in-charge of the Theocracy¡¯s young nobles too. So, in some sense, it could be said that his actions represented their group. The discussions amidst the crowd grew even more fervent with Nora¡¯s arrival. Her beautiful and saintly appearance drew attention, and her graceful and magnanimous dispositionpelled subservience. Those who were unaware of her identity hurriedly asked the students around who she was. At the same time, those students who were a little further away on the grass field began making their way over in this direction, drawn by the earlier ruckus caused by the nine-headed serpent. Nora did a quick scan of the crowd, and she could immediately spot quite a few young women looking at Roel with infatuated eyes. Roel¡¯s act of justice had caught many people¡¯s attention, especially some of the more empathetic female students who were strongly opposed to bullying. Tsk. I knew that this would happen. Nora snorted in her mind, but the smile on her face was still as elegant as ever. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, she walked straight up to Roel, pulled on his tie intimately, and cupped her other hand on his chin. ¡°Ah? N-Nora?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one thing for you not to travel along with me, but you failed to look for me right after arriving here either. That warrants a punishment, doesn¡¯t it?¡± The slightly peevish yet adorable voice left Roel stupefied. Many others around him, including Paul, felt their minds stall to a halt too. Wait a moment, why does this turn of events look so awfully familiar? After Paul finally recovered from the powerful impact of Nora¡¯s charms, he suddenly thought about their encounter with Charlotte earlier, and his expression turned a little odd. However, when he turned to look at Roel once more, he suddenly felt that there was nothing wrong at all with how things were. Indeed. Only such a woman could be worthy of someone as righteous and powerful as big brother Roel! What an incredible man he is! Paul felt yet another wave of gratitude for Roel as he thought about the earlier incidents. Meanwhile, Nora discreetly scanned the crowd to assess the effectiveness of her deterrence, and it appeared to be a resounding sess. Many of those female students revealed hesitant looks, especially after learning of Nora¡¯s identity. There weren¡¯t many people in the world who wouldn¡¯t dare vie with the future empress of the Saint Mesit Theocracy for her man, if they could evenpete with her in the first ce. She was top-notch in terms of appearance, talent, and standing, such that it was hard for one not to feel inferior in her presence. Of course, Nora knew that she couldn¡¯t possibly deter everyone so easily. There were bound to be a few who would be unwilling to give up and attempt to persist in their efforts to get close to Roel. Having tasted just how sweet Roel was, she knew better than to underestimate her opponents¡¯ tenacity. For the time being, she would filter off those who were still staring at her, had dazed expressions on their faces, or were blushing furiously. ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to look for you but... well, I met a new friend.¡± ¡°Hm? A new friend...¡± Upon hearing Roel¡¯s exnation, Nora turned her sapphire eyes to the young man currently standing behind Roel. All of a sudden, she recalled how Roel had shot a nce at her when Paul was being picked on by the two Austine nobles earlier. ¡°Say, were you just making a move on my behalf earlier?¡± ¡°... You can say so.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The answer made Nora¡¯s eyes curl in delight as she finally retracted her hand. ¡°Indeed, I can¡¯t stand the supremacist culture in the Austine Empire, and I¡¯m delighted that you made a move on my behalf. However, as I have said earlier, you went overboard with that nine-headed serpent. You might be able to pass it off as an ident, but at the same time, you¡¯d inevitably incur her notice.¡± ¡°...¡± Nora¡¯s words brought a helpless smile to Roel¡¯s face. She casually shot a nce at the tower where Lilian had appeared earlier with a solemn look on her face. ¡°It¡¯s still a little too early to get into a sh with her. At the very least, until I reach Origin Level 3, I hope that you¡¯ll avoid getting into any direct confrontation with her.¡± ¡°... I realized that I¡¯ve underestimated her,¡± sighed Roel in self-reproach. He realized that he had gotten a littlecent after all of the dangerous situations he had been through. He thought that he should be one of the strongest in his age group by now, but the earlier encounter with Lilian made him understand what it meant by ¡®there¡¯s always a taller mountain out there¡¯, as well as the huge gap that stood between an Origin Level 4 transcendent and an Origin Level 3 transcendent. Looking at the downcast ck-haired young man, Nora suddenly felt that she should give him some encouragement. After a brief moment of contemtion, her lips crept upward as an idea came to mind. ¡°You need not dwell too much on it. No matter what, it¡¯s indeed more appropriate for you to make a move aspared to me. I believe that it¡¯s only right to reward a loyal subordinate who fought on behalf of his liege, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Ah? A reward? This...¡± I don¡¯t really need a reward though. I¡¯m just doing this to ensure that my death gs are thoroughly plucked out. Before Roel could even ask what the reward was, Nora suddenly leaned in. Right before everyone¡¯s eyes, an angel¡¯s kiss was nted on his cheek. Chapter 243: Lick

Chapter 243: Lick

The moment Nora nted the kiss on Roel¡¯s cheek, everything in the grass field suddenly came to a halt. It wasplete silence. Roel found his mind turning nk from the warm sensation on his cheeks as blood started rushing to his head, causing his face to heat up. He would have never thought that Nora would actually do such a thing before so many eyes. Even though Nora was very open with Roel, she had always conducted herself with poise in public. In the five years since they had gotten to know one another, Nora had never made any overly intimate moves in public that invited wild spections before. After all, she was the sessor of a powerful nation. It wouldn¡¯t be wise for someone of her position to reveal her own romantic interest as her enemies could potentially use it as a weapon against her. However, on this very day, perhaps it was due to the threat she felt from her surroundings, her level of aggression was on a far higher level than before. Little did Roel know that this wasn¡¯t the end to Nora¡¯s ¡®reward¡¯. While Roel was still feeling overly self-conscious from the crowd staring at them with agape mouths, Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes narrowed a little as she followed up with her next move. Roel immediately felt a wet sensation on his cheek, which sent a shudder through his body. Nora immediately took a step back before indulging herself with Roel¡¯s response. ¡°Nora, you...¡± By this point, Roel¡¯s face had already turned as red as an apple. The crowd also finally broke the silence as fervent discussions immediately broke out amidst the crowd. The male students who went through aplete cycle of falling in love to falling out of love in just a short minute struck their chests out of sheer frustration whereas the female students stared at Roel with gritted teeth. Roel dizzied in confusion. He subconsciously wiped off the wet sensation with his hand as he instinctively wanted to protest against Nora¡¯s prank, but the realization that they were in public silenced off his words. He ended up stuttering helplessly with quivering lips. The adrenaline rush from sharing a moment in front of a crowd made both of their hearts beat fast. Staring at the reddened Roel, Nora felt as if all of her desires had just been set alight. ¡°Such an expression really is... Ahh, I feel like I¡¯m the one being rewarded here instead.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough of you? If others were to find out...¡± Their hushed conversation sounded more like whispers of sweet nothings to the onlookers, though to be fair, the content of their exchange was far more explosive than what they were imagining. However, their private time in public view was soon disrupted by someone else. ¡°What are the two of you doing here?¡± The noisy crowd parted once more as Charlotte finally rushed over from the other end of the grass field. She had noticed that the atmosphere was a little off as soon as she arrived at the scene, but when she heard murmursing from the crowd regarding what Nora had just done, her face immediately darkened. ¡°Your Highness Nora, what in the world are you doing to my fianc¨¦?¡± ¡°It has been a while, Miss Charlotte. Pardon me, but what did you mention earlier? Your fianc¨¦? Who is that?¡± ¡°Needless to say, I¡¯m referring to Roel. I¡¯m not a fan of answering meaningless questions.¡± ¡°Is Miss Charlotte mistaken about something? I don¡¯t recall Roel having any fianc¨¦e... Ah, I remember it now. By fianc¨¦, could you possibly be referring to the 100-year-old engagement contract between the Sorofyas and the Ascarts that unfortunately doesn¡¯t apply to you? Just like that, the two young women began going at one another in public. The five months of having Roel stolen from her side had left Charlotte deeply infuriated, and Nora was displeased at having her moment with Roel rudely interrupted too. With such feelings brooding in their hearts, their tongues were sharper than ever, leaving the crowd both baffled yet weirdly excited too. Meanwhile, on a balcony some distance away, an old man holding onto a staff watched the sight and chuckled softly. ¡°What energetic children they are.¡± Principal Antonio stroked his beard as he remarked. Behind him stood a group of staff members dressed in uniforms, but in contrast to Antonio¡¯s ddened expression, they had tensed looks on their faces. They had witnessed the earliermotion, but none of them were able to get involved as the Saint Freya Academy was supposed to be an autonomous academy ran by the students. They weren¡¯t to interfere in the students¡¯ affairs except in times of emergency, which clearly wasn¡¯t the case earlier especially since Lilian was present too. One must know that there weren¡¯t even that many Origin Level 3 transcendents amongst the staff members, and Lilian¡¯s ¡®Origin Level 3¡¯ was different from the others. ¡°That feeling earlier on... It looks like the princess¡¯ has already surpassed the conventional notion of ¡®Origin Level 3¡¯.¡± ¡°Indeed, but isn¡¯t that a good thing for a Ringbearer of the academy?¡± ¡°You can say so. Looking at it from another perspective, it also means that the student she suppressed earlier isn¡¯t anyone ordinary either. He was actually able to withstand her pressure...¡± The staff members behind Antonio began discussing the earlier incident. Some of the teachers eyed the Nine-headed Serpent Staff in Roel¡¯s hands and posed their doubts to the principal. ¡°Principal Antonio, isn¡¯t that student¡¯s staff too dangerous? If it were to lose control...¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, that should be a magic tool from the ancient era. Such artifacts tend to be hard to fully control...¡± The teachers began fervently discussing the origin of Roel¡¯s staff, expressing their worry that it might run amok. However, Antonio was unfazed by the concerns they posed. ¡°Lose control? Nay. The nine-headed serpent might have appeared aggressive, but everything was under his control. The fact lies in how not a single bystander got injured despite the ruckus.¡± The old man smiled ck-haired young man in the grass field before turning around to face the staff members behind him. ¡°And speaking of danger, I¡¯m aware that there are plenty of experiments far more dangerous than that staff being conducted in this city. Instead of worrying about a student¡¯s magic tool, why don¡¯t you focus your efforts on ensuring that nothing goes wrong with those experiments? Otherwise, if our Purplerose Ringbearer holds a meeting to vote on an eviction, there would be nothing I can do at all.¡± Antonio¡¯s yful warning brought a subtle flicker in the eyes of the staff members, curbing their thoughts of confiscating the Nine-headed Serpent Staff over in order to research it. Meanwhile, after making his point, Antonio turned his gaze back onto the grass field. ¡°I have a feeling that this generation of students will be different. The princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the daughter of Rosa¡¯s chief administrator, and the sessor from the Ascart House. What a bustle it¡¯ll be!¡± ¡°...¡± Antonio¡¯s remark brought a helpless smile onto the faces of the teachers. The more outstanding a student was, the greater the pressure heaped on the teachers. This wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing for them. ¡°Hm? You look rather worried. There¡¯s no need to be. Putting aside the Theocracy¡¯s princess and the daughter of Rosa¡¯s chief administrator, someone has already reserved the position as the teacher of the Ascarts¡¯ sessor,¡± said the old man with a chuckle. He gazed at the ck-haired young man with his deep eyes as he offered his sincere blessing. ¡°Let¡¯s hope that he¡¯ll be able to pull through.¡± ... In the end, Nora and Charlotte¡¯s argument was cut short by the opening of the doors to the assembly hall. Roel finally breathed a sigh of relief. It was supposed to be a simple g removal operation, but it ended up drawing the attention of Lilian, Nora, and Charlotte. He felt like it would have been much less tiring to get into a fight than to deal with all of these. It was no wonder why some people preferred to resolve problems with violence. Along with the crowd, Roel and the others began making their way into the assembly hall under the watchful eyes of the members of the Enforcement Division. Simr to its grass field, the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s assembly hall was impressively huge too. It was designed to fit over ten thousand students at once after all. It usually remained close throughout the year except for the freshman entrance ceremony and the graduation ceremony since most events wouldn¡¯t need such a huge venue. Even the celebrations of the Academy Foundation Day were held in the other smaller halls too. Of course, there were also some special events which would warrant the opening of the assembly hall, such as the Centennial Academy Foundation Day or major award ceremonies to honor students who had made significant aplishments. One example of it would be the ¡®Dragonying Incident¡¯ several centuries ago, where the academy had specially opened the assembly hall so as to make the asion as grand as possible. It would be a huge mistake to think that the assembly hall would look crude just because of its massive size. On the contrary, it was built with the finest materials and was exquisitely designed down to the minor details. The Saint Freya Academy had nock of money anyway, so it was very willing to spend on its publicity. This ptial assembly hall was one of its key investments, and it seemed to be fairly effective given the gasps of aweing from the students. Just the corridor leading into the assembly hall was already a sight to behold. The thousand freshmen were weed by a red carpet and exquisite hanging lights on the ceiling. By the sides of the corridor were floating sculptures and portraits of distinguished personnel who had been awarded in the assembly hall. Roel was amazed by the grandeur as well, but he was starting to get used to extravagance. The time he had spent with Charlotte in Rosa had already thoroughly opened his eyes, so he wouldn¡¯t get too affected by something of this scale. Beyond the white corridor was the red-and-gold themed assembly hall. It had a ceiling so high that the illumination provided by the hanging lights above looked a little iridescent. Due to that, the academy ced a few floating illumination devices around the ce, though what was interesting to note was that these illumination devices weren¡¯t uniform. They came in different shapes and sizes, and the light they produced differed from one another as well. Oddly enough, there were even advertisements on them. One example was a skeleton hand forming a mini heart with its bony fingers, emanating an eerie green fluorescence. Every once in a while, the light would flicker and form a series of words: ¡¾The Necromancy Schr Guild warmly wees the arrival of the freshmen.¡¿ There had to be at least a hundred different varieties of such floating illumination devices around, each presumablying from a different Schr Guild, disyed in full view before the freshmen. Such a bizarre sight naturally piqued the curiosity of the students. Meanwhile, Roel was just rendered utterly speechless. He leisurely strolled into the assembly hall with the crowd, but little did he know that in a remote corner above the assembly hall, a crimson-haired woman biting on a cigarette had already set her eyes on him. There was a resentful smile hanging on her lips. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, the brat of the Ascart House.¡± Chapter 244: The Center Seat!

Chapter 244: The Center Seat!

When it came to entrance ceremonies, be it in Roel¡¯s previous life or the current one, there was always a standard procedure that everyone would have to go through. Usually, the more prestigious the academy was, the grander the procedure would be. It started off with the opening speech from Leinster¡¯s mayor, followed by speeches from important figures of the various Schr Guilds. It was worth noting that there were all high-level transcendents. Of course, these powerhouses wouldn¡¯t be personally teaching in the academy, but still, it was quite a feat to gather all of them together in a single location. One must know that the Schr Guilds weren¡¯t necessarily in partnership with one another. There was a great deal of rivalry going on, and sometimes, conflicts could get really intense between schrs who had contrasting views on a subject. It was simr to how the physicists in Roel¡¯s previous life got really passionate about the debate on the true nature of light. At one point, things got so heated up that the particle faction and wave faction nearly came to blows with one another, wanting to wake up the other¡¯s idea by whacking their heads. It was the same for the schrs on the Sia Continent too, just that things were a teeny bit more dangerous here since these schrs were powerful transcendents. If they really came to blows with one another, someone would likely walk out with severe injuries or even end up dead, so they always tried their best to remain calm. Nevertheless, it was still rather dangerous whenever they gathered together for a symposium. In past academic exchanges, there would be schrs who gotpletely riled up from having their life¡¯s work refuted by another and ended up resorting to fists. With an attitude that could be encapsted with ¡®Theory? Screw that! Let¡¯s put it into practice and see who¡¯s better!¡¯, they nearly knocked themselves out. Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped that schrs tended to be quite strong-headed, and their extreme devotion to their research often meant that theycked social interaction, resulting in them being terrible with words and managing their emotions. Whenever they found themselves angered and frustrated, the only means they knew to express their feelings was through violence. Ironically, even the instructors hired from Knight Kingdom Pendor were much more well-tempered than them. They would criticize others, but rarely would they resort to violence in order to resolve a conflict. After all, unlike schrs who holed themselves up in theirbs for research, these knights had traveled around the world and rued societal experience, so they were much better at peopling. If there were any asions that could make these schrs put aside their grudges, it would be the entrance and graduation ceremonies held in this assembly hall. It wasmon knowledge that the best way to recruit an individual was when he was still young and ignorant, which made it much easier to hoodwink him into joining an organization. Given so, it went without saying that the annual entrance ceremony was an extremely important event for Schr Guilds as it determined whether they could secure fresh blood or not. The graduation ceremony was even more so important for obvious reasons. Other than those who had to return to their homnd to take over their house¡¯s legacy after graduation, there were many other students who were not next in line of session, children of merchants, locals, or fell in love with this city after having studied here for four years. This meant that there were many talents that the Schr Guilds could recruit from the academies during each graduation season. So, just like how animals had their mating seasons, during the graduation season, the usually lofty leaders of the Schr Guilds would suddenly be terrifyingly intimate, just like a venus fly trap giving off a sweet scent to snag its prey. So, as one could imagine, the representatives of the Schr Guilds would maintain a beaming smile on their faces during the entrance and graduation ceremonies, hoping to leave a good impression on the students. They wouldn¡¯t dare tog behind on their publicity efforts too as they ced floating illumination devices and posters wherever they were allowed to. Hell, there were even some who resorted to ¡®inviting¡¯ students off the streets to their base of operations. The important thing here was to get as many people as they could. Every student they failed to recruit could mean the bulking up of the rival guild. Looking at the representatives of the Schr Guilds on the stage, Roel was filled with retorts, but he dared not to openlyment on them. Instead, he sat up straight and maintained a solemn look on his face, looking just like a model student earnestly listening to ss. As someone who was a student almost his entire previous life, there was no way that Roel would actually be interested in the entrance ceremony. Rather, he was forced by the circumstances to put on a ¡®good boy¡¯ act. Roel was currently seated in the middle of a long row of seats. On his left was Nora Xeclyde and her subordinates, and on his right was Charlotte Sorofya and her followers. It was quite a frightening line-up, to be honest. It simply couldn¡¯t be helped since the two youngdies had gotten into a fight prior to entering the assembly hall, and neither of them refused to budge in their positions at all. They even got into a bicker as to where Roel ought to sit. It was then that an idea sparked into Roel¡¯s mind, and he turned to look for his ¡®good friend¡¯, Mister Paul, only to find thetter shooting him a thumbs up and an encouraging smile before slipping away. Big brother Roel, all the best! It might have been Roel¡¯s imagination, but he felt like he could hear Paul¡¯s thoughts. Thetter probably felt a little awkward after knowing of Nora¡¯s identity and seeing Charlotteing over, so he chose to make a silent retreat. He probably couldn¡¯t have imagined that this was the moment that Roel needed him more than ever. Son of a banshee! Why are you running off? Roel gritted his teeth furiously as he helplessly watched Paul disappear into the crowd. Having lost the ¡®Paul Shield¡¯, he had no choice but to face the amazing firepower of the twodies head-on. After a long bout of grueling haggling, things eventually ended up as they were. Roel might look calm on the surface at the moment, but his heart was actually trembling in fright. He was exceptionally guarded toward Nora, who seemed to have no qualms about engaging in public disys of affection anymore. To make things worse, she seemed to enjoy the thrill, especially the fearful look on his face afterward! Of course, Charlotte was no pushover either. In some sense, it could be said that there was nothing she dared not to do. If she could pull off something as ridiculous as kidnapping him from the Ascart Fiefdom, there was probably nothing in the world that she wouldn¡¯t do. On top of that, it was worth noting that the Sorofya House was one of the key sponsors of the Saint Freya Academy. If Charlotte did try to pull something, there was a good chance that the academy would just turn a blind eye to it. Realizing just what kind of treacherous position he was currently in, Roel felt so frightened that he dared not even ce his hands on the armrest, sittingpletely uptight. To his surprise though, perhaps out of consideration of the asion and the dense poption of students around them, the two of them held themselves back and didn¡¯t attempt to do anything overboard. Time ticked by with nothing happening, and Roel was finally able to rest easy a little. He finally turned his attention to the entrance ceremony. By this point, the representatives of the Schr Guilds had already finished their speeches, and it was finallying to the highlight of the event. With the heavy tapping of a wooden staff, a tall old man dressed in refined clothes walked onto the stage. The moment he stood before the crowd, Roel could clearly sense a change in the atmosphere in the assembly hall. All whisperings amongst the students came to a halt, and those who were seated leisurely quickly straightened their posture. Everyone in the room subconsciously adjusted themselves to put on a serious attitude that was more fitting for the asion. Principal Antonio of the Saint Freya Academy. This was a name widely known on the Sia Continent, and in Brolne, it could practically be said to be a household name. There were two reasons behind that. One, he was simply strong. No one knew exactly how strong he was for he hadn¡¯t made a move in many years, but it was almost certain that he was one of the strongest transcendents of the Sia Continent. Two, he had lived for a very long time. If Roel¡¯s memories didn¡¯t fail him, this old man should be in his four hundred now. This was quite old even for a high-level transcendent. While transcendents would be able to live longer with the deepening of their Degree of Assimtion, the truth was that there was so much a low-level transcendent¡¯s lifespan could increase by. High-level transcendents could increase their lifespans by a greater degree, but they were expected to take on greater responsibilities too, especially since the human civilization had been in a shaky position over thest few centuries. Many high-level transcendents ended up dying to the invading deviants from the west. Fighting a war required a huge amount of money and manpower, which meant that the Country of Schrs, as the cradle of humankind¡¯s talents, was of vital importance. Even though the Schr Guilds all had a fair number of transcendents in their midst, many of them weren¡¯t trained forbat, so they were unsuitable to fight in wars. Due to that, Brolne ended up having the greatest number of old transcendents in the world. Antonio, as one of the strongest human transcendents, had once stepped onto the battlefield to fight off the deviants, and he did achieve significant aplishments there too. However, it seemed like chaotic times signified an opportunity for the ambitious to shake things up. Every time a war urred, all kinds of filth and problems lurking under Brolne would surface. There would always be some people who would leap out and sow discord during critical moments. Knowing just how dangerous it would be if an internal war broke out while they were dealing with external threats, Antonio chose to retire from the frontlines in order to hold the fort in Brolne instead. Naturally, this change in position meant that he was exposed to far less danger. With age came credentials, but Antonio remained close to the people despite being the speaker of Brolne¡¯s governing council, which was probably the reason why he enjoyed overwhelming support from the popce over the years. On top of that, in his years as the principal of Saint Freya Academy, he encouraged the students to be independent and propagated the abolition of some of the outdated academy traditions. Due to that, he was highly respected by the students too. Standing before such a great figure, it was only normal for the students to ord him some respect even if this was the first time they were meeting him. With everyone¡¯s attention on him, Principal Antonio finally began his speech. To everyone¡¯s surprise, however, his speech wasn¡¯t motivating but solemn. ¡®The responsibilities that came with growing up¡¯, this was the topic of Antonio¡¯s speech. ¡°The fact that you are currently seated before me shows that you¡¯re talented individuals who are ahead of your peers. In the next few years toe, the gap between you and your peers outside will only continue to grow. You can celebrate your growth and be proud of yourself, but please do not forget one thing. ¡°When you¡¯re standing at the top of humankind, the responsibilities you¡¯ll have to shoulder will be correspondingly heavy too. As students of the Saint Freya Academy, I hope that the years you spend here won¡¯t just develop your capabilities but your sense of responsibility too. ¡°The Origin Attributes grant us power and guide our way, but over the years, many transcendents eventually fell into depravity. Why would some of us stray off despite walking on the same path? That¡¯s because their goals differ. They have forgotten about their family, their country, and the whole of humankind. When they avert their eyes from their responsibilities and surrender to their desires, the only path they¡¯ll walk down is the path of destruction.¡± The faces of youths turned grim after hearing Antonio¡¯s words. To be honest, Roel felt that such a speech was more fitting for the graduates as these freshmen had only just left their peaceful nest, so they probably thought that the world was a safe ce. Putting aside the depraved and evil cultists, these young masters and young misses probably never even encountered bandits before. Not everyone was like Roel, who had been eyed by an evil cult from a young age and forced to brave through many life-and-death crises. Such a speech was clearly too early for the crowd present. As an educator, Antonio should be more than aware of this. He wouldn¡¯t make such a rookie mistake. So, it was worth questioning the deeper reason why he still chose to make this speech anyway. Roel narrowed his golden eyes as he fell into deep thoughts. Chapter 245: Humans Are Visual Creatures

Chapter 245: Humans Are Visual Creatures

So far, most of the ces where Roel had been to on the Sia Continent were still quite peaceful. Small countries often met with political changes, but most of therge countries were still quite stable internally. As a result, most of theing-of-age students had never experienced bloodshed and war. In fact, it would have been the same for Roel too if not for his bloodline. From this, it could be seen just how important the Ascart Bloodline was to his growth. Had he never awakened it, he would have probably walked down a very different path in the end. On this aspect, the only one who fared a little better was probably the Xeclydes. Not every royal family would be so brave as to dare send their sessor to the borders to fight a war. Roel guessed that Nora had probably umted far morebat experience than him in the years she had spent at the eastern border, or at least in terms of normal fights. When it came to life-and-death battles, however, he did have an advantage over her. One went for quantity whereas the other quality. It would be hard to determine which one was superior at this point yet. As for the talk about them having to shoulder the responsibilities of humankind, honestly, if Roel hadn¡¯t known about the existence of the Six Cmities, he wouldn¡¯t have really thought much about it either. It was the divergence in experiences that gave rise to the different perceptions. Principal Antonio¡¯s words carried deep meaning, but most of the freshmen probably wouldn¡¯t be able to rte to them. Still, there was definitely a deeper reason why Antonio chose to say those words in advance, and Roel could fathom a guess at it. Most likely, it was something like a heads up regarding the fight with the deviants. However, if his guess was right, that would mean that Antonio wasn¡¯t too optimistic about the situation over at the frontline. Does this mean that he has some information that others knew not of, or is he just being careful here? Roel¡¯s train of thoughts brought a deep frown to his face. Soon, Antonio finally finished his speech and left the stage amidst the warm apuse of the students. ¡°It feels like there¡¯s something deeper to what the principal said,¡± murmured Nora broodingly while apuding along with the crowd. As someone who had spent quite some time in the eastern border, she seemed to have notice something was amiss here too. At the same time, Charlotte, who had witnessed the existence of the Six Cmities together with Roel, also had aplicated look on her face. ¡°Indeed, though I reckon that most here wouldn¡¯t have gotten it.¡± Charlotte gave a rare nod of agreement to Nora¡¯s judgment. She scanned the surroundings with her emerald eyes, only to see the excited smiles of the freshmen. That left her with a deep sigh. Roel listened to the words of the two youngdies, but he chose not to give his take on the matter. The apuse soon died down, and yet another person stepped on the stage. The moment she made her presence, the entire room fell into silence. It was a young woman with long ck hair. She wore a neat military uniform consisting of a dark-colored buttoned shirt paired with anyard, a short skirt that stopped right above her knees, and a pair of ck stockings wrapping around her legs. A cape fluttered lightly behind her, giving her the impression of a militarymander. She carried an aura that was disproportionately maturepared to her young age. Her dignified facial features gave off a feeling of solemnness, and her enigmatic amethyst eyes seemed to contain endless wisdom. Sitting on a finger on her right hand was an amethyst ring shaped like a rose, and it glowed as brightly as her eyes. Lilian Ackermann was her name, and she was the ruling Ringbearer of this academy. Her appearance immediately stirred amotion amongst the freshmen. ¡°Who is that person?¡± ¡°What a beautiful senior...¡± ¡°It¡¯s Her Highness!¡± It would appear that the sense of aesthetics in the Sia Continent was fairly standard too. An ice beauty dressed in a military uniform was really a killerbo, such that it immediately won her goodwill from many of the freshmen. The excited crowd simply couldn¡¯t stop raving about her, and even Roel, despite his wariness of her, was a little dazzled too. She¡¯s indeed good-looking. As a noble from the conservative Austine Empire, a short skirt was definitely not a part of Lilian¡¯s usual get-up. She was dressed as such because this was the uniform of the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s Enforcement Division. As the Enforcement Division was tasked with the responsibility of maintainingw and order in the academy, there was a possibility that enforcers might find themselves getting into a fight in the course of carrying out their duties. It wouldn¡¯t be convenient for female enforcers to be dressed in long skirts which could hinder their movement, so she designed a set of clothes based on the female military uniform from the other countries. Of course, the clothes worn by the Enforcement Division couldn¡¯t possibly be ordinary clothes. Aside from looking fashionable, it also had decent defensive properties, such that it could be somewhat considered as a magic tool. The Enforcement Division did have ess to significant financial resources, but this was all founded on the basis that they had a powerful leader, which they did. ¡°I am Lilian Ackermann, the speaker of Saint Freya Academy¡¯s Rose Council and chief of the Enforcement Division. As the representative of the student popce, I warmly wee the freshmen who have joined us in this new semester...¡± Compared to the speech from Principal Antonio, Lilian¡¯s one was much more ordinary. It was basically the standard speech one would hear in every entrance ceremony, though it was probably much more apt andprehensible to the freshmen. Her beautiful appearance and her warm wee easily won her the goodwill from the student popce. ... Well, maybe except for those sitting beside Roel. Nora looked at the ck-haired young woman on the stage with a cold, nonchnt expression, but her sapphire eyes betrayed her wariness. The earlier exchange of gazes between Lilian and Roel back on the grass field had already left her feeling a little uneasy. Meanwhile, even though Charlotte hadn¡¯t made it in time to witness the interaction between Roel and Lilian, the grudge between Rosa and the Austine Empire made it hard for her to bear any goodwill toward the Ackermanns. Perhaps it was due to the ring difference in the atmosphere, Lilian halted her gaze in their direction more than once throughout her speech. In fact, her eyes even narrowed a little while sweeping past Roel¡¯s seat. Typically speaking, Roel, as Nora¡¯s subordinate, should have been sitting on her left, but instead, he was currently sandwiched between Nora and Charlotte. This was enough to reveal many things about their rtionship to her. It looks like there¡¯s an error in our intelligence. Rather than to say that he¡¯s two-timing, it might be more urate to say that he has multiple suitors courting him. Lilian was able to swiftly interpret the significance of the visual information she was receiving, but it birthed a doubt in her mind. How did things develop in such a direction though? Even if the sessors of two countries fall in love with the same person, there¡¯s no way they would bring the fight to the surface. Is it their pride at y? Or is there something they are determined to obtain from the Ascart House? Having never experienced the powerful feelings arising from love before, Lilian struggled to understand their thoughts. Nevertheless, that didn¡¯t hinder her from doing a reassessment of Roel¡¯s influence. Considering the current dynamics of their rtionship, it could be said that both the Theocracy and Rosa were his stalwart allies. Such an urrence was rare even when considering the centuries of history of the Saint Freya Academy. Lilian marked down this information with grave importance in her mind, but she didn¡¯t let any of her thoughts show on her mind. Her eyes gradually moved across the room, and soon, she caught sight of yet another young man seated inconspicuously at a corner. Paul Ackermann. To be honest, Lilian was quite disappointed with her stepbrother¡¯s performance on the grass field earlier on. Brave, but witless. This was her evaluation of him. It was good that he had the guts to retaliate against his oppressors, but if he wasn¡¯t going to use his brains after realizing that he wasn¡¯t powerful enough to put up a fight, his courage would only lead him to his doom. More often than not, it was the flexible, not the courageous and powerful, who won in politics. It was all about remaining calm in times of turmoil and urately assess the situation. If needed, one might even have to feign weakness so as to create a window of opportunity required to clinch victory. All of these were vital qualities to a politician, but clearly, Paul wascking. On the other hand, it was Roel who disyed overwhelming superiority in that regard. Of course, Lilian also understood that these soft skills needed to be nurtured. She had no idea what Roel had been through thus far, but she was at least familiar with Paul¡¯s circumstances. It had only been half a year since he was brought back from a remote mountainous vige, so it was inevitable that he was stillcking in terms of experience. Still, that didn¡¯t hinder her from giving out a stern warning to the oppressors. ¡°As a Ringbearer and the chief of the Enforcement Division, it¡¯s my responsibility to ensure that our students are entitled to peace and safety during their time in the academy. For the following year, we¡¯ll be cracking down heavily on all bullying cases in the campus. ¡°It¡¯s our ability to cooperate with one another in times of difficulty that allowed us to triumph over powerful demonic beasts during the earlier years of the Third Epoch. Protecting the weak is the greatest virtue that sets us apart from mindless beasts. As students of the Saint Freya Academy, future leaders of humankind, it¡¯s our responsibility to ensure that justice and impartiality are upheld.¡± Lilian¡¯s calm voice echoed loudly in the assembly hall. Her rhetoric resonated with the students, swiftly winning their support. As freshmen, they were currently the most vulnerable group in the academy. The earlier incident with Paul had stirred some worries amongst the students as they wondered if they might be the next one to get picked on, but Lilian¡¯s guarantee assuaged their worries. Resounding apuse and cheers sounded in the assembly hall as Lilian bowed slightly and took her leave. It took some time before the excited crowd to calm down once more. With the representative of the students concluding her speech too, there was just onest procedure left for the entrance ceremony. ¡°Fellow freshmen, please raise your hands up high and channel your mana.¡± The voices of the staff members echoed loudly in the assembly hall. Hands emanating a faint glow rose up, and soon afterward, they were weed with spherical objects falling from the ceiling. It was a bell roughly the size of a candy, but its interior wasn¡¯t filled with metal but a little spirit that resembled a speck of light. The staff members were currently using their mana to deliver these magic tools into the hands of the students who were emanating their mana. Roel received one of the floating magic tools too. He stroked the runes inscribed on its exterior while feeling the lively movements of the spirit inside the bell. At the same time, the voice of a staff member sounded. ¡°For students who have received the magic tools, please note that this is an item required for the entrance ceremony. It¡¯ll be recollected tomorrow, so be sure to take good care of it. Before then, please try your best to build up a good rtion with your spirit guide so as to better facilitate your journey into the dungeonter at night. You¡¯re strictly forbidden from harming the spirits, and those who do so will face severe consequences. ¡°With this, I hereby dere themencement of the final ritual of the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s entrance ceremony¡ªNight of the Demons. I wish you all the best.¡± Chapter 246: Found You

Chapter 246: Found You

¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ was a phrase that everyone implicitly understood in the Saint Freya Academy. It was the first gift given to all freshmen after their enrollment, signifying challenge and opportunity. Achieving a good result at the Night of the Demons was one of the goals of the freshmen. Despite its terrifying name, the Night of the Demons was actually just another night in the academy, just that it was made slightly different by the spirit guides. The spirit guides, also known as little fairies, were intelligent lifeforms whose origin could be traced back to the ancient era. They didn¡¯t have any particr appearance or gender differentiation, such that it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to call them a bundle of self-conscious mana. There were a lot of spections about the birth of these spirit guides. Some believed that they were the creation of some noble being whereas some thought that they were natural products of nature. So far, no one had been able toe to a conclusion about its origin, though it was not as if most people were concerned about it anyway. What was important to the students was whether they worked or not. The spirit guides would have probably been thought of as harmless fireflies anywhere else in the world, but here in the Country of Schrs, they yed the vital role of guiding individuals into dungeons. The dungeons were mysterious entities unique to Brolne. No one knew where they were located, and they were only essible through a spirit guide. Anyone under the lead of the spirit guide would mysteriously vanish into thin air as they were being ¡®spirited away¡¯ into the dungeons. Each spirit guide could only be paired with an individual, so it could only bring a single person into a dungeon. They were sensitive to the pulsations of mana as they were beings made out of mana too, so it was impossible for them to mistakenly ¡®spirit away¡¯ two individuals at once. This meant that it would be futile to attempt to tail an individual paired with a spirit guide in hopes that one could enter the dungeon too. It could be said that the founding of the Country of Schrs was based on the huge number of dungeons and ancient ruins in the vicinity, and the most famous dungeon in the Saint Freya Academy was known as ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯. Each person could only ess ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ once in a lifetime, and it could only be entered at night. It was one of the few safe dungeons that were like a dreamscape blurring the distinctions of reality and illusion. Any damage one sustained inside the dungeon would disappear upon returning to reality, as if awakening from a dream. This unique nature made it well-liked by the teaching staff. For one, it allowed the young masters and young misses who had just left the warmfort of their nests to experience the brutality of a real battle withouting to real harm, and the process didn¡¯t require any manpower or resources at all. They would be letting themselves down if they didn¡¯t make full use of this amazing dungeon! ... In the bustling self-service canteen, Roel settled down on a chair by the corner as he fiddled with the spherical ball in his hand. He could feel vibrationsing from the spirit guide within, and he continuously released a slight trail of mana to interact with it. There were also plenty of students who were doing the same around him as well. There was no questioning the ability of spirit guides to lead them into the dungeons, but whether they wished to do so or not was a whole new story. It was impossible to force the spirit guides into doing something they didn¡¯t want to, so the students could only try to coax them with their mana. This was also the reason why the teachers had given them the magic tools ahead of time. For those who failed to build up a rtionship with their spirit guides... well, they would simply be left to loiter around the academy for the entire night. As the spirit guide inside the magic tool gradually grew closer to him under the stimtion of his mana, Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something really weird about this. Lock up, stimtion, gradual submission, this... ¡°Cough cough...¡± Roel coughed softly and quickly shrugged off those weird thoughts from his mind. He continued looking at the magic tool for a while longer before stowing it away in his pocket. Then, he looked at the food before him and breathed a sigh of relief. Food was the primary source of happiness for gluttons like him. When he learned that bing a transcendent allowed him to gorge all he wanted without caring worrying about obesity, his insatiable appetite for good food was finally fully unleashed. Given so, it was understandable why he was worried abouting to the academy. School canteens had been a nightmare for Roel in his previous life. Even to this day, those dark culinary he had suffered through continued to send shivers down his spine. Fried mooncakes, stir-fried strawberry celery, broiled meat with watermelons... ¡°Uweh...¡± The feeling of nauseation prompted Roel to quickly cut off his memories and look at the food presented before him to cleanse his mind. It seemed like the Saint Freya Academy had invested quite a bit in their food, which was probably necessary in order to serve food that would be eptable to distinguished noblesing from all over the Sia Continent. In fact, they had an on-campus gourmet street consisting of restaurants opened by famous chefs, boasting a diverse range of food choicesing from countries all around the world. It was almost like a cluster of Michelin 3-star restaurants. Of course, considering the different financial backgrounds of the students, it wouldn¡¯t make sense to only provide expensive, high-ss food. There was also a more affordable student canteening in the form of a self-serve buffet. The taste wasn¡¯t as exquisite as fine-dining, but it was definitely decent. As for why a high noble like Roel was eating in the more affordable canteen instead of pigging himself out in the high-ss restaurants, this had to be traced back to two youngdies. After having to experience the unnerving ¡®center seat¡¯ at the entrance ceremony, the exhausted Roel swore to himself that he would never allow himself to be ced in such a situation ever again. So, as soon as the entrance ceremony was over, he quickly found a reason to excuse himself. Given the trouble he had gone through to escape from their grasp, it went without saying that he wouldn¡¯t head to high-ss restaurants and risk meeting the two of them there. The affordable canteen was a ce where Nora and Charlotte would nevere to. It wasn¡¯t because they were choosy¡ªNora had lived off military rations back at the eastern border, and those stuff were the very antithesis of delicious whereas Charlotte was perfectly fine with the ordinary food she had back at the Golden Fleet¡ªbut their positions simply disallowed them to do so. If Nora and Charlotte were to eat at the affordable canteen, would their subordinates possibly dare to enjoy themselves at the high-ss restaurants? Any nobles with the slightest knowledge of social etiquette wouldn¡¯t do so. However, this meant that hundreds of people from the Theocracy and Rosa would squeeze out the affordable canteen, depriving those who really needed the cheaper alternative here. There was no way Nora and Charlotte would be so insensitive as to allow that to happen. Back to the food, Roel took a bite off the tender broiled chicken and nodded slightly in approval. At the same time, he took out the amber pendant hung around his neck and examined it contemtively. He hadn¡¯t forgotten his other goal while busying himself with plucking out his death gs. Based on Kayde¡¯s ount, the Twilight Sages Assembly¡¯s ¡®Academic¡¯ should be residing in the Saint Freya Academy. If he was still alive, he would likely make a move upon seeing the amber pendant. ¡°What a beautiful pendant that is.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The suddenpliment made Roel raise his head in surprise, and he saw a crimson-haired woman holding onto a te of food taking a seat opposite to him. Her light blue eyes curled into a deep smile. ¡°Good afternoon. You¡¯re Roel Ascart, right?¡± Chapter 247: Not Exactly the Same Thing

Chapter 247: Not Exactly the Same Thing

On one of the canteen tables sat two particrly good-looking individuals. One of them was a dashing ck-haired young man with a hint of confusion in his golden eyes, and opposite to him was a tall crimson-haired beauty with a mysterious gleam in her light-blue eyes. The two of them looked to be at least ten years apart from one another, basically an ¡®older sister x younger brother¡¯ couple. With their good looks, they would surely have spurred many fan fantasies had they appeared in any drama series in Roel¡¯s previous life. This rare pairing swiftly piqued the curiosity of many of the students as they shot discreet nces in their direction. Roel held onto the amber pendant tightly as he contemtively assessed the crimson-haired woman who had abruptly taken a seat before him. What¡¯s going on? I barely took out my pendant a moment ago, and someone has alreadye knocking? Could this woman be ¡®Academic¡¯? No no, that doesn¡¯t seem possible. Roel assessed the beautiful woman before him intently before slowly shaking his head. It wasn¡¯t about how old she looked since a transcendent¡¯s appearance rarely tallied with his real age. Her being a woman wasn¡¯t a problem either since ¡®Academic¡¯s¡¯ gender was unknown. Rather, it was her attitude that gave Roel such an impression. ording to Isabe, ¡®Academic¡¯ was a very wary individual who had never revealed his identity to anyone despite having joined the Assembly for many years. It was uncharacteristic of a wary individual to suddenlye rushing over upon seeing a familiar token that had disappeared for centuries. On the contrary, it would make far more sense for ¡®Academic¡¯ to keep his distance for the time being so as to assess the situation. Could she be another member of the Assembly, or perhaps, a descendant even? Roel¡¯s eyes lit up as he replied to her greeting with a smile. ¡°Yes, I am indeed Roel Ascart. May I know who you are?¡± ¡°I am Chris Wilde, a teacher here.¡± ¡°I see. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Chris. May I know if there¡¯s anything I may help you with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I simply realized that you¡¯re rted to someone whom I used to be close with, so I came over to have a chat with you.¡± As the crimson-haired beauty said those words, she stabbed her fork into a piece of meat on her te. Meanwhile, Roel felt a jolt in his heart. I¡¯m rted to someone whom she was close to? Is she referring to ¡®Academic¡¯? Wait a moment. If she approached me for a conversation after seeing the amber pendant, does it mean that she¡¯s acquainted with Ancient Treant Kayde? Now that I think about it, Kayde mentioned that a woman had visited it at Karon Forest a month before I did. Could that woman possibly be this teacher? Did I really meet with a descendant of a member from the Assembly? Roel felt a rush of excitement upon hearing those words. ... Chris Wilde was born in a schr house in Brolne, and she was currently 36 years old. It had been eighteen years since she had graduated from the Saint Freya Academy, but she chose to work at her alma mater as a teacher. Her powerful transcendent abilities, extensivework of connections, and outstanding teaching results allowed her to achieve great sess, bing one of the few sage teachers in the academy despite only being in her thirties. With her outstanding credentials, decent family background, and remarkable beauty, it should be no surprise that she had nock of men courting her, but she still remained unmarried to date. There were rumors abound that she had remained single because she couldn¡¯t let go of her feelings for a senior she met during her student years. s, that senior was no other than Roel¡¯s father, Carter Ascart! He was the person who had changed her life forever. No one could have possibly imagined that the youngest sage teacher in history actually used to be a rebellious delinquent. Her desire to rebel against her strict family made her feel deeply averse toward the academy, but it all changed due to Carter. In the Saint Freya Academy, it was normal for students under the same teacher to help one another. Outstanding senior students would be mentors to junior students whose academic results weren¡¯t ideal, and it just so happened that Chris¡¯ mentor was Carter. What was different about Carter was that he didn¡¯t just mentor Chris because he was told to do so. Rather, he took this mentorship extremely seriously, doing everything he could to persuade Chris to work hard in her studies and be someone respected in the world. There was inevitably quite a bit of conflict during the process, and Chris¡¯ feelings toward Carter gradually changed over time. Animosity grew into fondness, and before she knew it, she had already fallen deep into the river of love. Chris was a highly talented individual in the first ce, and her desire to win the approval of her beloved senior ignited the drive in her, causing her to work harder than ever. Her efforts tranted into outstanding results, and she rocketed all the way to the top of her cohort. It was just that her feelings would never be reciprocated. Carter fell in love with Roel¡¯s mother, and in order to avoidplications, he broke off rtions with Chris, saying a ton of heartless words. Carter and Roel¡¯s mother returned to the Theocracy after their graduation and got married to one another, and they had never returned to Leinster ever since then. Chris had struggled greatly after Carter¡¯s departure. She found herself unable to forget her feelings toward Carter no matter what she tried. The heartless words Carter had spoken to her when they broke things off kept reying in her mind, and her love gradually warped into animosity. In order to mend the pain she felt from her lost love, she directed her focus into developing her transcendent abilities and nurturing students, which made her one of the youngest sage teachers. Ever since then, she had been waiting for Roel to enroll into the academy. ... ¡°Do you know who I¡¯m referring to?¡± asked Chris with a smile on her lips, intending to keep the suspense so as to prepare a ¡®surprise¡¯ for him. Unexpectedly, Roel carefully scanned his surroundings before nodding in response. Huh? He knows? Chris stared at theposed Roel nkly, notprehending how thetter could have known about her rtionship with his father. She pondered for a moment before asking hesitantly. ¡°Did he... talk about me?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Roel thought about what Kayde had spoken about back at the Karon Forest and nodded his head affirmatively. Little did he know just how great of an impact his words had dealt to Chris¡¯ heart. He mentioned me to his son? W-why? Does this mean that senior also... N-no, I have to calm down! It has already been so many years, so what¡¯s the use even if he asionally raises my name? Besides, Roel is his child, so it¡¯s only normal for him to familiarize him with some of the staff members in advance. That¡¯s right, I mustn¡¯t be fooled by that bastard! Chris gritted her teeth in determination as she persisted in her hatred for that heartless senior who abandoned her back then. She forcefully pushed down the overflowing feelings in her heart to look at Roel once more and asked. ¡°What did he talk about?¡± ¡°Hmm? How should I put this...¡± Kayde didn¡¯t even see your face, so what could he possibly talk about? That¡¯s such a weird question!, Roel retorted in his mind. However, he soon thought of something. Wait a moment, it seems like Kayde really did say something. ¡°Ah, he said that you left too hurriedly back then...¡± Krk! The fork in Chris¡¯ hand suddenly pierced through the porcin te, leaving Roel deeply disturbed. However, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to pay any heed to Roel at the moment. Her body trembled ever so slightly as her eyes began to turn moist. All of the grievances that had welled up in her heart began flurrying once more. You¡¯re saying that I left too hurriedly? You¡¯re the one who left me back then! Do you know how I lived thest twenty years?! If you hadn¡¯t said such overboard words back then, how could I possibly... Chris felt overwhelming bitterness in her heart. In truth, when she learned that Roel¡¯s mother had passed away more than a decade ago, she considered rekindling her rtionship with her senior, but her pride simply wouldn¡¯t allow her to take the initiative here. Before she knew it, things had already gotten dragged out till now. Now that she thought about it, Carter hadn¡¯t remarried despite having lost his wife more than a decade ago, which was abnormally long for a nobleman with natural biological needs. If he was just holding himself back for his child, there was no need for him to do so anymore since Roel had already matured into an adult and was currently in a stable position. In other words, this is a good opportunity to strike! Given how sharp-witted senior is, he must have figured that Roel would ry these words into my ears... Is this his attempt at reconciliation? Before Chris knew it, her heart was already thumping in excitement. The gaze she directed toward Roel also became much warmer and gentler. ¡°I heard that... he has recently traveled around a lot?¡± Chris secretly fiddled with her sleeves out of nervousness as she tried her best to maintain a solemn face. On the other hand, Roel was shocked to hear that his secret migration n had been discovered. On second thought, he remembered that Chris did manage to find Kayde on her own in the huge forest, so she might have some sort of incredibly powerful tracking magic tool. If so, it wouldn¡¯t be too surprising for her to know about the migration. ¡°Indeed. I didn¡¯t expect you to know so much.¡± ¡°N-no, I mean, I wasn¡¯t paying that much attention to him...¡± Chris hurriedly denied Roel¡¯s ims, but after a moment of contemtion, she bucked up her courage and said. ¡°Is he still at the Ascart Fiefdom at the moment? C-can I contact him?¡± asked Chris nervously. Her body had turned stiff as she looked at Roel with eyes filled with apprehension. She was worried that he would be opposed to her rekindling her bond with Carter. From her point of view, it looked like Carter had already talked it out with Roel beforehand, but that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that Roel approved of their rtionship. If Roel really wanted to sabotage things between them, there were many things he could do as the sessor of the Ascart House, be it intercepting her letters or openly expressing his disapproval of her. If so, she would have already lost half of the battle even before doing anything. To her surprise, however, Roel revealed a smile after hearing her words. ¡°Of course. I have no intention of interfering in his private life, and I¡¯ve already given my promise on that. If you wish to contact him, you can feel free to deliver your letter to the Ascart Fiefdom. My little sister, Alicia, will ry your letter to him.¡± ¡°I-I understand. Thank you, Roel.¡± Chris was so moved by how friendly and understanding Roel was that she felt like she was about to tear up. She knew that the greatest obstacle to getting together with Carter would be obtaining Roel¡¯s eptance since she was attempting to take his mother¡¯s ce, so it would be understandable if he objected to it... Yet, she was actually given a free pass here! What a kind child he is! Having received Roel¡¯s permission, Chris could hardly hold back her excitement anymore. She wanted to rush out right away to write a letter and have it sent over, but looking at the young man before her, she decided to remain seated for the time being and offer some words of advice. ¡°Roel, there have been some weird pulsationsing from the dungeon recently. You must make sure to be careful tonight.¡± Chapter 248: I’m Guessing Three

Chapter 248: I¡¯m Guessing Three

There have been weird pulsationsing from the dungeon? Roel was taken aback to hear Chris¡¯ words. He quickly ran through the plotline of Eyes of the Chronicler that he still remembered, but it only made him blink his eyes in confusion. Based on his experience thus far, he realized that the butterfly effects arising from his changes weren¡¯t as pronounced as he thought. Except for certain special circumstances or direct interference on his part, there was still a good chance that events from the game would still y out as they were supposed to. Of course, he understood that the referential value of the prophetic Eyes of the Chronicler was falling with all of the changes he had brought about. For one, the events between the female capture targets and Paul Ackermann were unlikely to work out anymore since their rtionship wouldn¡¯t snowball. Nevertheless, he expected most of the background details to remain constant. Yet, he didn¡¯t recall the game mentioning anything about an anomaly in the dungeon, which meant that things had started diverging from the game plotline here. ¡°Here, take this. It¡¯s the oil extract from the Lamp of Homing. If you find yourself stuck in the dungeon, light up the oil and follow its lead. It should bring you out safely.¡± Chris took out a small wooden bottle and passed it over. Roel examined the bottle curiously and saw that it was filled with translucent oil-like fluid. After entrusting the magic tool into Roel¡¯s hands, she gave a few more words of advice before taking her leave. As a teacher of the academy, her action was bordering on cheating by ording preferential treatment to a student, so it would be unwise for her to remain here and garner more attention. Roel looked at the departing figure of the crimson-haired woman with a moved heart. This descendant of an Assembly¡¯s member sure is a warm-hearted person. Her ancestor must be one of Kayde¡¯s close friends, possibly even having left some words on the ancient treant¡¯s body before. I didn¡¯t expect her to be so excited at the notion of being able to send a letter to Kayde. Ahhh, it¡¯s a pity that she left so quickly though. I didn¡¯t get a chance to ask her about ¡®Academic¡¯. Roel sighed in regret at having wasted an opportunity to acquire precious information, but on a more positive note, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to approach her once more at ater date since she was a teacher in the academy. Rather, he should focusing his attention on the uing ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯. Roel continued gobbling down his food while fiddling with the wooden bottle in his hand. He thought a bit deeper into the matter and felt that while the information regarding the dungeon¡¯s anomaly came as a surprise, it might not necessarily be a cause for concern. Paul Ackermann was only at Origin Level 5 at the start of the game, and he didn¡¯t have any cheats either, which led to him being quickly eliminated from the dungeon. On top of that, he didn¡¯t have any friends in the academy at that point in time, so it was possible that there was an anomaly with the dungeon in the game too, just that he wasn¡¯t privy to the information. Besides, so what if there are weird pulsations? Could the dungeon possibly be as dangerous as the Witness State? Roel shook his head decisively. He stowed away the wooden bottle and quickly finished up his food before heading off to explore the campus with his spirit guide. There were still a few hours before ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ opened, so there were many students loitering around the campus ground with little spheres in their hands, though not everyone was having an easy time coaxing those little creatures. It turned out that the spirit guides were quite the haughty ones, and Roel seemed to really be the only exception here. His spirit guide was currently circling around him energetically, shocking many of the students he met along the way. Some tried approaching him for advice, but there was no secret trick Roel could share with them. Really, why won¡¯t you believe me when I say that I¡¯ve done nothing special here? While dealing with those troubled students, Roel looked at his lively spirit guide with a slightly perplexed look on his face. He remembered that Paul had to spend an entire afternoon to coax this little thing, so he was prepared for the long haul too. He honestly didn¡¯t expect the spirit guide to grow so fond of him shortly after being stimted his mana. Is this due to my Origin Attribute? Does the Crown Origin Attribute have exceptional talent at taming? Roel pondered for a long time before shaking his head. No matter what the reason was, it was a good thing that he managed to get close to the spirit guide so quickly, which meant that he could use the time he had saved to deal with other matters. So, he began making his way toward the white building he had seen when he first passed through the academy gates. It was not as if Roel suffered from short-term memory, so there was no way he would have already forgotten about the intriguing resonance he experienced earlier on. He had already made a mental note to investigate the matter whenever he had time. Weirdly enough, he felt like he was looking into the dirty scandals of the Ascart House. Considering his unique Origin Attribute, it was likely that he had resonated with a blood kin. In fact, he was starting to suspect if his father had failed to keep himself in check back then and unintentionally left an offspring behind somewhere. Yes, it did sound awfully clich¨¦, but it wasn¡¯t imusible either. Soon, the wary Roel arrived at the white building. To his surprise, the white building turned out to be an empty facility that served no purpose at all. ording to the staff member in charge of maintenance, this building would usually be reserved by the Schr Guilds at the start of the semester for promotional purposes due to its proximity to the academy gates, which guaranteed decent foot traffic, but it would be abandoned as soon as the recruitment season was over. The Saint Freya Academy was humongous in every meaning of the word, almost spanning the size of the national parks Roel had been to in his previous life. Other than key academy buildings, there were also many constructions funded by private donations. Some nobles would even dump money on the academy to have a private residence built on the campus. Due to that, there was a severe problem of abandoned buildings ¡°Do you know who was here an hour before the entrance ceremony?¡± ¡°An hour before the entrance academy... It should be either the members of the Enforcement Division or the Schr Guilds,¡± replied the staff member. Roel fell into deep thoughts once more. It was normal for the Enforcement Division to move out and maintain security during the start of the semester, so Roel was leaning more toward this direction. To be frank, he didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Enforcement Division because of Lilian. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to look for a person right beneath Lilian¡¯s eyelids. It was likely that thetter might think that he was up to something, especially if he gave out a reason as ludicrous as ¡®looking for a kin in the academy¡¯. I actually have a long-lost sibling in your Enforcement Division. Will you allow me to investigate your members? It wouldn¡¯t take a genius to figure out how Lilian would respond to those words that sounded nothing more of a poorly thought of excuse. He should be thankful if thetter let him off with just a snort and a roll of her eyes. Roel sighed deeply before taking his leave. After walking a distance away, he turned around to look at the building once more with a conflicted look on his face. He knew that he couldn¡¯t give up just like that since the Ascart House was severelycking in offspring. ¡°Forget it. If I really do have a long-lost sibling here, we should get a chance to meet in the future.¡± Roel consoled himself before turning around to leave. Meanwhile, on the other side of the academy, a uniformed Lilian stood on a pedestal as she gazed over a dark forest while listening to the discussions of her aides. ¡°The Ringbearer this year should be the Theocracy¡¯s princess, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s likely so, but it seems like Rosa stands a good chance too. Lord Lilian, what do you think?¡± Lilian¡¯s purple eyes flickered a little upon hearing the question. She gazed at the vast forest before her as a ck figure shed across her mind. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that there¡¯ll be three this year,¡± she remarked before the shocked gazes of her subordinates. Chapter 249: Is This Really All He Has?

Chapter 249: Is This Really All He Has?

It was finally nighttime, and a crowd slowly gathered by the borders of the Fog Forest. The gathering of students brought a bustle to this gloomy ce where students would hardlye to. As its name suggested, the Fog Forest was constantly shrouded in ayer of mana-filled fog. Other than limiting the visibility, the fog also befuddled any magic tools and spells that were typically used to discern directions. Under such treacherous conditions, many of those who dared to enter into the Fog Forest eventually lost their way and were never seen again. Due to that, the academy marked the Fog Forest as a forbidden area. The Fog Forest extended beyond the Saint Freya Academy into the southern parts of Leinster. In fact, only 10% of the Fog Forest was located in the Saint Freya Academy. Due to the high concentration of mana in the forest, there were many precious magic materials that could be harvested from the forest. That was also the reason why many adventurers tried to challenge the odds and venture into the forest hoping to strike it rich, only to end up as another name on the list of missing individuals. There were some legends surrounding the enigmatic Fog Forest, such as the forest concealing some shocking secret and all sorts of hubble-bubble. These also yed a part in inviting curiosity about the forest, though Roel felt that most of those rumorscked credibility. Anyway, the reason why everyone was gathered before the Fog Forest at this moment was because it was the entrance to the dungeon. Despite the dangers of the Fog Forest, those who were blessed by the spirit guides would still be able to remain safe if they only loitered in the outer perimeters of the Fog Forest. As for those who failed to get close to the spirit guides over thest few hours... ¡°I can do it, really. Please let me in. I¡¯ve prepared a long time for this!¡± ¡°Senior, please give me a chance! Let me just give it another try...¡± There were two distinct groups at the moment. One consisted of teachers and students with glowing spherical balls flying around them, and the other was filled with students with either desperate or despondent looks on their faces. The Enforcement Division had cast a special spell at the entrance that would drive away any spirit guides who hadn¡¯t gotten attached to any student, as if jilting their partner. Naturally, those students who lost their spirit guides wouldn¡¯t be permitted to enter the Fog Forest. This was a safety precaution taken to ensure the students¡¯ safety. There were some tenacious students who were unwilling to give up and tried barging their way into the forest, but they were all taken down before they could evene close. Roel looked at the group of eliminated students and sighed deeply before turning his attention back to the two motivated youngdies standing beside him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, darling. I¡¯ll surely acquire a Rose Ring and turn this ce into our love nest.¡± ¡°Miss Charlotte, what nonsense are you spouting? Roel is my subordinate, and I¡¯m his protector. It¡¯s only natural that he¡¯ll be standing by my side as my aide after I be a Ringbearer.¡± The golden-haired girl looked at the auburn-haired girl with a provocative smile on her lips as she reached out to grab Roel¡¯s tie, as if dering her dominance here. On the other hand, Charlotte also responded with an ¡®amicable¡¯ smile too. ¡°I have no qualms with Roel joining your faction if you did manage to obtain a ring, but does that hinder our rtionship? Surely you can¡¯t be thinking of dictating the private life of your subordinates, are you? Are you actually a tyrant?¡± ¡°Charlotte, you...¡± Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply upon hearing those words, and Charlotte met her gaze without fear. Neither was willing to back down at all. Roel could only sigh softly to himself and pray for the dungeon to open as quickly as possible. As if his prayers had been heard, the shadows shrouding the Fog Forest suddenly darkened as the spirit guides began to shimmer around energetically. ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± ¡°Yes, it is.¡± The two youngdies shot a nce in Roel¡¯s direction before exchanging a nod and parting ways. They followed their own spirit guides into the forest. Roel waited for their silhouettes to be fully concealed in the fog before setting off himself. ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± Roel carefully opened up the magic tool, and the spirit guide inside soared into the sky before descending back to his side. It circled a few rounds around him before heading into the forest, and he quickly followed it too. As he headed deeper and deeper into the forest, he found the concentration of fog around him bing thicker and thicker. At one point in time, it looked almost as if he was walking amidst an utterly whitendscape, but the fog abruptly dissipated a few stepster. His field of vision suddenly opened up, and he found that he was able to see beyond several hundred meters. So, the first thing Roel did was to scan his surroundings, and he found himself surrounded by massive trees. They were of a different species and size from the eerie and warped trees of the Fog Forest, looking far more luxuriant inparison. In fact, it made him wonder if he had been transported into the ancient era. While he was assessing the new environment, more students arrived in the area under the lead of the spirit guides. As the scores were determined individually and most of the students who were coincidentally teleported to the same area didn¡¯t know one another, they didn¡¯t bother teaming up either. They chose to keep some distance away from one another while preparing for the uing battle. The forest remained quiet for quite a while when the howl of a wolf suddenly shattered the serenity of the night. Grar! Under the moonlight, pairs of gleaming eyes suddenly appeared from the depths of the forest, growing more and more numerous as they approached the students. It was a pack of mutated Demon Wolves, a speciesmonly found in various parts of the Sia Continent. They averaged at around Origin Level 6, making them one of the weakest demonic beasts individually. At first nce, it would appear as if there was nothing frightening about them other than their number. Many relieved sighs could be heard from the crowd upon seeing their opponents. The freshmen, who averaged out at Origin Level 5, were overjoyed to learn that their enemies were weaker than them, and they felt like victory was already in their grasp. After all, Origin Level 5 was a dividing line for a transcendent, marking a significant gap in strength. Most of the students believed that they could deal with Origin Level 6 demonic beasts with ease. However, Roel couldn¡¯t help but frown upon sensing the rxed atmosphere shrouding them. He scanned his surroundings and noticed that some of the students wearing armor also had grim looks on their faces as well. It looks like most students will be eliminated faster than I thought. Roel shook his head as he walked toward a massive boulder to shield his back before starting to channel his mana. ... It was a bustling night for Saint Freya Academy not just for the freshmen but the senior students too. Thergest stadium in the academy was currently filled to brim, such that there was not a single empty seat to be seen. Needless to say, they were all senior students. They looked at the projection magic tools ced on the center dueling ring with excited looks on their faces, cheering and booing from time to time. What they were watching at the moment wasn¡¯t a fight between students in the top twenty ranking but the freshmen in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯. The events in the dungeon were telecasted to all of the students, and it was one of the most popr programs in the academy every year. Other than to immerse the student in a dangerous scenario where they were forced to fight for their lives, this trial also doubled as a selection, not just for the Ringbearers but the Schr Guilds and student organizations too. Through the telecast, these organizations could identify specific freshmen whom they wished to extend an invitation to. As for the normal students, this telecast was simply one of the rare interesting programs in a world thatcked a developed entertainment industry. It was somewhat simr to the football matches in Roel¡¯s previous life, including the gambling and cheerleading aspects of it too. ¡°Go, young miss, go!¡± ¡°Woah, the third team has already survived the first wave of beasts!¡± ¡°That golden-haired girl in the seventh team is really strong. Who is she?¡± ¡°Long live Her Highness!¡± All kinds of discussions and cheerings could be heard in the stadium. Depending on what they saw through the telecast, the spectators would shoot to their feet and roar in delight at one moment, only to facepalm in the next. But when the projection shifted over to a forest filled with massive trees, the crowd in the stadium suddenly fell silent as a mixture of grim and sympathetic looks appeared on their faces. The Giantwood Forest was one of the trials in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ that the senior students had a strong impression of due to its hellish difficulty. There were more than fifty trials in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ in total, but the freshmen would only be transported to ten of them or so. Each of these trials had different levels of difficulty, but of them, there were three that were dubbed to be at ¡®team wipe level¡¯, though the scores earned would be proportionately marked up as well. One of these ¡®team wipe level¡¯ trials was the Giantwood Forest. The beasts lurking in the Giantwood Forest may look ordinary at first nce, but the wolf pack was actually far more troublesome to deal with than the enemies in the other trials because they were capable of cooperating with one another. In order to buy an opportunity for its allies to deal a fatal blow, they would even go to the extent of sacrificing itself to mp down on the weapons of the enemies. This was definitely not what any of the other beasts in the other trials would do. Even the more veteran fighters amongst the senior students would rather deal with a mixed army of Origin Level 5 demonic beasts than to face a pack of Origin Level 6 Demon Wolves. At least the former would just be a normal chaotic battle, but thetter was practically a lynching session. And for those who did manage to survive the wolf pack, a greater despair awaited them. ¡°Those freshmen are truly unlucky.¡± ¡°What a pity.¡± The spectating crowd sighedmentably. On the staff members¡¯ side, a crimson-haired woman noticed the presence of a ck-haired young man standing amidst the massive trees in the projection, and she couldn¡¯t help but frown. She subconsciously took out a cigarette and lit it up. Lilian Ackermann was in the stadium as well, sitting on the VIP tform. She had already changed her uniform out for a morefortable long skirt. She watched the same ck-haired young man in the projection intently with her amethyst eyes, her expression oddly nonchnt as if she was unaffected by the heated atmosphere around her. ¡°Lord Lilian, are you still paying attention to that freshman?¡± a voice suddenly sounded. Following that, a dashing orange-haired young man walked over to Lilian¡¯s side. He was dressed in the clothes typical of the Austine Empire. He wore a ring that gleamed with a gentle green light under the moonlight. He was Glint Doran, a Second Grade student. He was the one who clinched the champion seat in the previous ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, as well as the bearer of the Greenrose Ring. He took a look at the ck-haired young man fighting in the projection, only to shake his head. ¡°Is that undead-type spells? He¡¯d definitely rank in the top amongst the freshmen as an Origin Level 4 transcendent, but he isn¡¯t raking up much kills there. It looks like hecksbat experience. What a pity it is for him to be transported to the Giantwood Forest. He¡¯s probably still oblivious to the threats lurking around him,¡± remarked Glint disdainfully as he nced at the massive trees in the surroundings. Lilian didn¡¯t refute his words. She thought about that pair of fearless eyes that had met her gaze earlier in the day and fell into deep contemtion. Is this really all he has? Chapter 250: I’m Going All Out

Chapter 250: I¡¯m Going All Out

Lilian listened to Glint¡¯s words quietly without expressing anything at all, which Glint mistook as a gesture of encouragement for Roel. Glint was taught from a young age that the purer a bloodline was, the nobler it would be. The purest bloodline of all was naturally the imperial family, especially the highly-talented Princess Lilian. She was impable in terms of appearance, talent, and bloodline, making her the one and only goddess of Glint¡¯s generation. But as wonderful as Lilian was, she had a fatal w¡ªher coldness. It felt like nothing could faze her at all. Even when Glint won another Rose Ring for the Austine Empirest year, she delivered her congrattions with hardly any expression on her face at all. Yet, this ice beauty suddenly disyed an interest in two of the freshmen, Paul Ackermann and Roel Ascart. While Glint despised Paul, he could at least understand why Lilian would be interested in him. Even if Paul wasn¡¯t a pureblood, he had the Ackermann Bloodline flowing through his veins, so it was only normal for Lilian to show some care and concern for him. However, he couldn¡¯t understand the situation with Roel. How could a barbarian from the Saint Mesit Theocracy catch Her Highness¡¯ eye? ¡°He¡¯s no more than a freshman with an ancient magic tool in his hands, nothing worthy of note. I¡¯ve already heard of the matter concerning Cron and Lyte, and it doesn¡¯t seem like he has subdued them personally, right?¡± Glint reached for his wine cup as he nced at Roel¡¯s empty hands in the projection and chuckled softly. ¡°What a pity for him that it¡¯s forbidden to bring in intelligent magic tools into the dungeon. Without that trump card, he¡¯s no different from any of the other freshmen.¡± The students in the First Grade thought that Roel had stepped forward and uphold justice, but Glint thought that Roel had simply made an example out of his seniors in order to build his reputation. His sense of superiority as an Austine noble had marred his judgment with prejudice. Lilian thought that it all looked so childish and hrious even. She had no choice but to ept the Pureblood Theory as a member of the imperial family, but that didn¡¯t stop her from being skeptical about the theory that had hardly any basis at all. As for why she was keeping an eye out for Roel, her interest in him arose from a sensation she felt while she was suppressing Roel earlier in the day. In truth, she was intending to send out a stern warning to Roel against approaching Paul, and the pressure she exerted was definitely not something one could simply shrug off. Even Glint would have crumbled before the might of her pressure. Yet, Roel was actually able to bear it withposure. On top of that, she also discovered something peculiar during that short confrontation. It was just a fleeting instant, but she felt like she had been eyed by something that was inside Roel¡¯s body, something so powerful that even she had to be wary around. ¡°Pride and prejudice will only dull your judgment,¡± Lilian reminded Glint. Her amethyst eyes keenly took note of how the ck-haired young man in the projection was positioning himself, and a momentter, she added quietly. ¡°And it seems like he already knows about the trees.¡± ... How powerful are wolves? Roel didn¡¯t have a clear answer to that in his previous life. Most city-dwellers like him knew very little about wild animals, the bulk of their knowledge mainlying from documentaries and online videos. It was only aftering to the Sia Continent that he starteding into contact with wild animals. During his time as the proxy fief lord, he had to scout out various areas in advance to know the wild beasts active in the area. One of the beasts he had to especially look out for were the wolves, which had a special mark of their own to warn the workers to try their best to steer clear of the area. A pack of Demon Wolves was far more terrifying and troublesome than bandits, a true nightmare for any fief lords to deal with. Roel would rather fight against an Origin Level 4 demonic beast than be faced with a pack of Origin Level 6 Demon Wolves. If it was an Origin Level 4 demonic beast, he simply had to toss a team of elite Origin Level 4 transcendents, and the matter would be easily resolved. However, if he were to send the same team to deal with a pack of Demon Wolves, he would really have to pray hard that there would as few casualties as possible. However, most of the other students seemed painfully oblivious to how terrifying these Demon Wolves were, and they were now paying the price of their ignorance. They had already been fighting for more than ten minutes now, and the number of students amongst them had been greatly reduced. ¡°Let go! Goddamnit, let... Kyaaa!¡± Yet another student had his sword bitten firmly in ce by a Demon Wolf, rendering him utterly helpless as the other wolves pounced on him. He let out a cry of agony before his body suddenly vanished into thin air, leaving only his spirit guide behind to absorb the mana diffused from the demonic beasts he had killed thus far. A student¡¯s score in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ was automatically tabted through his spirit guide. The spirit guide would only absorb the mana released by the demonic beast killed by the student it was paired with, and the more mana it absorbed, the brighter it would be. The number of wolves and students had already been greatly reduced by now, such that the spirit guides of the surviving students were already glowing almost as brightly as light bulbs. Yet, Roel¡¯s spirit guide still looked the same as before. With another bone w, Roel smacked a Demon Wolf into a lump of meat as he assessed his surroundings once more. All this while, he had been on the defensive, only dealing with wolves who chose toe his way. His behavior was a little peculiar too, in the sense that most students were focused on the wolves on the ground level whereas he was eyeing the sky warily. His golden eyes were locked upon the massive trees around him and he felt the concentration of mana in the air gradually increasing. ¡°It should be about time,¡± he murmured under his breath. The next moment, the forest suddenly began quaking. Before any of the humans and wolves could react, disaster had already fallen upon them. Gror! A hoarse cry reverberated in the air, signaling the start of a new phase in the war. Intense mana pulsation suddenly rippled from the trees some of the students were backed against as malicious expressions appeared on their tree trunks. Over a dozen thick tree branches smacked down on the ground in an instant, aiming specifically at the students with the brightest spirit guides. It was such an abrupt assault from an unexpected location that those students, despite being able to hold their own against the wolf pack and rue decent scores thus far, ended up being wiped out in the blink of an eye. It was an utter mess, filled with miserable screams and the sound of squashed meat. The lips of the treants curled up eerily, as if mocking the foolishness of the humans. What they didn¡¯t know was that their reactions had been taken into sight by a ck-haired young man standing at a corner they had neglected, and the corners of his lips inched upward as well. Amidst his silentughter, the mana he had channeled around him was set alight into a mixture of mes and lightning before eventually settling into a sinister crimson aura. An ancient silhouette finally made its appearance amidst the mist, and its fist smashed downward with force reminiscent of aet. Boom! A treant exploded under the sheer force of the punch, and the only spirit guide which hadn¡¯t really grown thus far suddenly began to expand at an unprecedented speed. Under the glowing bundle of light, the smile of the ck-haired young man was finally revealed to the horrified treants. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to drop the act and go all out.¡± Chapter 251: Celebratory Cheers

Chapter 251: Celebratory Cheers

¡°Ohhhhhh¡ª!¡± In the stadium, the crowd burst into resounding cheers upon witnessing the sight of Grandar destroying a treant with a single punch. More and more people began paying attention to the situation over at Roel¡¯s side. The Giantwood Forest had definitely traumatized quite a few students in the Saint Freya Academy, leaving them with a painful memory they would never forget about. Senior students would begin gritting their teeth hatefully whenever that ce was mentioned. Rather than the seemingly innocuous name of ¡®Giantwood Forest¡¯, they believed that it should have been named the ¡®Nightmare Forest¡¯ instead, for that ce was filled with malevolent intent toward all who dared to journey into its depths. Everything looked calm and peaceful when the students first entered the field, but in truth, the first wave of monsters was already right before them. They were no other than the vile treants who had disguised themselves as normal trees. What was even more infuriating was that the treants chose to bide their time to scout out the enemies that posed a greater threat before finally making their move. While the students were still preupied with the Demon Wolves, they would lock on to the stronger students and abruptlyunch a barrage of powerful attacks. It was just like the saying, ¡®The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind¡¯. In the other trials, the students who fought the bravest and the hardest would receive the greatest reward, but the opposite was true in the Giantwood Forest. Those who performed the best against the Demon Wolves would be mercilessly struck down by the treants. And once the strongest ones were picked out, the remaining students would be powerless to turn things around, even if they chose to huddle close together and cover each other¡¯s backs at this point. This was also the reason why it was always a team wipe for the Giantwood Forest. But unexpectedly, someone actually managed to outwit the treants this time around, and what drove the crowd even more excited was the terrifying skeleton giant he had manifested to punish those vile treants. The moment the giant smashed through the thick tree trunk of a treant, the crowd suddenly felt a ze of passion running through their bodies. ¡°Holy shit! He might really just be able to pull it off!¡± ¡°Gooooooooo! Exact vengeance for us all!¡± Endless cheers roared from the crowd. Over at the VIP tform, Glint¡¯s face turned livid upon seeing the development of events. The young Ringbearer felt like he had been humiliated in Lilian¡¯s presence, and his only relief was that Lilian wasn¡¯t paying any heed to him at the moment. ¡°That is...¡± A rare hint of emotion surfaced on Lilian¡¯s usually impassive face. Her purple irises dted, and she even shot to her feet out of sheer agitation. She wasn¡¯t just astonished by Grandar¡¯s appearance since she had already sensed a powerful existence hidden in him earlier on. What really shook her up was the way he manifested his mana. ¡°Is that... creation-type magic?¡± Just like me? Lilian could hardly conceal her shock at all, and Grandar¡¯s following movements only further verified her guesses. A series of doubts began to surface in her mind. Is that the reason why Emperor Lukas stopped me froming into contact with Roel? Or is it just a coincidence here? No, that¡¯s not right. While we¡¯recking in intelligence regarding Roel Ascart¡¯s transcendent abilities, we do have a grasp of what his father, Carter Ascart, is capable of. Carter Ascart is definitely not a creation transcendent, and the order for me not to approach the Ascarts would include Carter as well. Could the two matters be unrted to one another? While Lilian was swiftly making conjectures on the situation, Roel had started going on a rampage. Those living in the present era probably knew next to nothing about treants, but Roel happened to be an exception here. After all, he had one nted back at home. In the days he spent smuggling Kayde back to the Ascart Fiefdom, the two of them had chatted about a lot of different matters. In truth, treants could be divided into two categories, simr to saint beasts and demonic beasts. Treants with Origin Attributes tended to be intelligent and amicable whereas those without one were likely to be evil and cunning. The vile treants liked to stoke violence and bloodshed so that they could absorb the casualty¡¯s flesh and blood. They had the habit of picking off the stronger adversaries in a battle first, which was indeed a good strategy since they were likely able to pull off a sessful surprise attack. Shortly after arriving at the Giantwood Forest, Roel noticed the presence of arge number of dead corpses and carcasses around the towering trees, and the faint but familiar mana pulsations he felt from the surroundings convinced him that there were treants in the vicinity. It was just that he couldn¡¯t clearly discern which ones were the treants and which ones were the real trees, which could put him in a dangerous predicament if he were to make the wrong judgment. However, now that all of the enemies had chosen to leap out on their own ord, there was no longer any reason for him to hold back anymore. It had been a year now since he reached Origin Level 4, but he hadn¡¯t really had any chance to test out his powers. This was probably the ideal moment for him to reveal his true prowess, especially since he was in quite a pickle at the moment, beingpletely surrounded by enemies while his ¡®allies¡¯ were being picked off one after another. The only silver lining in the situation was that the treants appeared to have gotten careless. They thought that victory was in their grasp, so they didn¡¯t bother uprooting for greater mobility. This carelessness would prove to be fatal, for the immobile treants were nothing more than stationary target practice for the skeleton giant. Thispse in judgment had pretty much determined the oue of the battle. Boom! Yet another explosion echoed through the forest as Grandar¡¯s fist shot forth with zing mana that crackled intimidatingly. To him, the massive bodies of the Origin Level 4 treants were no more than slightly thicker pieces of paper that took a bit more force to rip through. His fist smashed through the tree trunks like bullets, creating an explosion of wooden fragments. The treants didn¡¯t give up despite being in a desperate position. They began focusing their massive vines toward Grandar, hoping to tie down the giant¡¯s body temporarily so as to buy some time to uproot themselves from the ground. As long as they could uproot, they might just be able to slowly regain their momentum and make aeback here. So, a grand battle between the giant and the treants unfolded. It reminded Roel of the giant mecha battles he had seen a lot of in his previous life, where every single movement of the behemoths caused the ground to quake. The surviving students looked at the epic battle happening above their heads with frightful looks in their eyes. This had far exceeded what they had expected to face on their first day in the academy. Meanwhile, in the stadium where the happenings in the dungeon were being telecasted, the atmosphere had crescendoed to a climax. This real-time boxing match broadcast had brought everyone¡¯s emotions to a new high, and celebratory roars would echo each time Grandar took down a treant. ¡°Everyone, we¡¯ve found the name of the freshman. He¡¯s Roel Ascart! Let us offer our encouragement to the hero who¡¯s punishing those vile treants in our ce!¡± ¡°Hurrah!¡± ¡°Ro-el! Ro-el! Ro-el!¡± The host of the event climbed onto a nearby stool and began bringing the crowd along with him. The responses he received were massive as the hot-blooded youths began raising their arms up high, emting Grandar¡¯s movements. More and more students were joining in on the ¡®Ro-el¡¯ chant. ¡°Quick, adjust the payout ratio!¡± The gambling dealers quickly bellowed out orders to their subordinates, causing the payout ratio for ¡®Roel Ascart¡¯ to quickly began to plummet. Even so, there were still many who continued doubling down their stakes on him. A celebratory spell shot a firework into the sky, producing a brilliant outburst of light that lit up the faces of the teachers and students alike. Over on the balcony of the stadium, Chris let out a peal of heartyughter as she shook her hand holding onto a cigarette excitedly. ¡°That¡¯s right, hit that bastard there! Well done! Hahaha...¡± ¡°M-Miss Chris, please calm down a little!¡± Under the intent staresing from the other staff members, Chris¡¯ students tried their best to calm down their teacher but to no avail. Glint had risen to his feet and left the stadium just as the cheering started. Lilian had also settled back onto her chair to enjoy her cup of tea. She didn¡¯t bother looking on at how Grandar punched and kicked those treants down. Unlike the feverish crowd, she had already seen what she intended to see. The Ringbearers this year can already be confirmed. ... Another powerful upward hook that carried the force of an erupting volcano was dished out, exploding the tree trunk of the final treant into wooden fragments while sending the other parts of its body flying all over the ce. Knowing that his work was finally done, Roel breathed a sigh of relief. After the remains of the final treant fell to the ground, the few remaining survivors were safely transported out of the trial, as if they had finished their job as spectators by witnessing this historical moment in the making. At the same time, Roel and Grandar were finally able to take a break. The mana shrouding Roel slowly extinguished, causing Grandar¡¯s massive body to dissipate. His spirit guide had already grown to the size of a ball by now, but even so, it was still busy rushing about to absorb the mana of the enemies Roel had felled. Roel took a look at the tattered remains all around him and sighed deeply. Given the sheer number of treants he had killed and the Demon Wolves he had inadvertently crushed over the course of the battle, he probably cleared over half of the enemies in the Giantwood Forest by himself. Given the unimpressive efficiency of the spirit guide, it would probably take a long while for it to finish collecting all that mana. So, he looked for a sweet spot to sit down and rest a bit. The night sky scenery had cleared up a little now that the massive treants were gone, allowing him to enjoy the beautiful silver moon while catching his breath. ording to the usual procedure in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, the demonic beasts would attack in waves, each stronger than before. Only after clearing the final wave of Origin Level 4 demonic beasts would one earn the right to challenge the Ring Guardian. Of course, not every Origin Level 4 demonic beast was as cunning and massive as the vile treants. In fact, the rampaging treants were far more difficult to deal with aspared to their counterparts in the other trials. However, it just so happened that this trial was apt for Roel since it allowed him and Grandar to go on a rampage. It was indeed exhrating, but he still ended up having to hold back a little. Roel¡¯s advancement had led to a considerable increase in his mana capacity, but Grandar was growing correspondingly stronger as well, resulting in an increase in his mana consumption. Due to that, they had to aim for one shot one kill in order to end the battle quickly. Watching as the spirit guide busied itself, Roel quickly began trying to recover his mana. In truth, he could have cleaned up the enemies far more easily, but he knew that the preliminary selections would be telecasted to the rest of the academy. He figured that most students would probably focus their attention on Nora and Charlotte, but he did make quite amotion by helping Paul out earlier in the day, so there would likely be some attention on him too. Due to that, he chose to work with Grandar whom he had known for the longest time. Brute strength was simple and had nothing much to show for, but it was deceptively difficult to deal with in a battle due to its frightening destructive prowess. It was fortunate that there would be no surveince in the battle against the Ring Guardian, so he would really be able to go all out without worrying too much. After some time, the spirit guide finally finished gathering all of the mana in the area and returned over to Roel¡¯s side. By then, Roel had already managed to recover a fair bit, and his breathing had also calmed down. He rose back to his feet, and fog began setting into the forest once more. The spirit guide released a glimmer of light before leading the way forward. The fog set in much fasterpared to the first time around. It took mere seconds for his silhouette to fully vanish under the concealment of the fog. The final fight had begun. Chapter 252: Time of Reunion

Chapter 252: Time of Reunion

What is the most important thing in a 1-on-1 match? Equipment and strategy, perhaps. However, if Roel had to choose one answer amongst many others, it would be ¡®attributes¡¯. In the Sia Continent, the concept of attributes wasn¡¯t as simple as water beats fire and lightning beats water. It was aplex reality he was living in, not a game with a simplifiedbat system. A transcendent¡¯s spells coulde in many different forms, and their bodies would also be enhanced in some ways depending on their Degree of Assimtion. Fighting in this world wasn¡¯t about kneading fireballs and sending waters of tsunami¡ªit was far more dynamic than that. It was no exaggeration to say that transcendents could use anything and everything as a weapon in a fight. Even that bunch ofzy asses at the Puppetmaster Guild had enough physical strength to defeat a tiger barehanded. The conventional idea of elemental attribute advantage from his previous life really only amounted to very little in a real battle. Instead, what Roel was referring to here was positional attributes, which could be seen in the current situation he was in. Boom! A deafening reverberation echoed in the clearing in the forest as a massive skeleton collided with ance, stirring up a powerful swirling wind around them. Fallen leaves and twigs rushed into the air, and before they could fall back down to the ground, another wave of shockwave pushed them even higher up. Roel was currently standing on the ground, fighting against an armored enemy whose face was concealed behind a metal helmet. His clothes made it clear that he was a knight transcendent. ¡¾Rodrick Ausben¡¿ Roel was able to see the name of this ex-Ringbearer of the Saint Freya Academy through his spell. It would appear that luck was on his side given how he encountered a strength-focused Ring Guardian. It just so happened that he was adept at dealing with enemies who dished out physical attacks. Their intense sh shook the forest, causing the rocks on the ground to shatter into pieces. So far, the skeleton giant and the knight had already exchanged dozens of blows with one another, but neither was able to best the other. Through observing the other party carefully, Roel was able to roughly assess the other party¡¯s fighting prowess. Just looking at it in terms of strength, the Ring Guardian was indeed at Origin Level 3. However, his overall prowess was far beneath that of a real Origin Level 3 transcendent due to hiscking intelligence. A battle between transcendents wasn¡¯t just about pitting bat power¡¯ against one another. To put it in an analogy, spells were the gun whereas mana was the bullets. The specifications of the gun and bullets were indeed crucial, but the most important of all was the ability and wits to put them to good use. If a transcendent was dumb, there would be no saving him no matter how powerful the tools he had at his disposal were. The knight also seemed to have realized that it would be difficult for him to make a frontal breakthrough here, so he pointed hisnce toward Roel and started channeling a destructive congregation of mana. Roel¡¯s golden eyes narrowed as his expression turned a littleplicated. ¡°Should I say that those who are able to be Ringbearers all possess something amazing in their own rights?¡± murmured Roel to himself. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s starting to get a little interesting,¡± remarked Grandar in agreement. Looking at the heavily armored knight before him, Roel found himself filled with internal retorts. Please, you dress yourself up like a tin can, but it turns out that you¡¯re a bloody spellcaster? Roel still hadn¡¯t gotten enough information to evaluate Rodrick¡¯s background and identity, but he managed to get a rough grasp on the other party¡¯s personality. He¡¯s a conniving little schemer. A huge physique paired with heavy armor and a mount¡ªthese were all his feints. The best to determine whether a transcendent was more inclined toward spellcasting or physical prowess was the speed of his mana channeling when casting powerful spells. The proficiency of Rodrick¡¯s mana channeling hinted at long years of training, at least far more than that of Roel¡¯s. This person¡¯s true identity should be a spellcaster from the Energy Guild. Energy Guild was one of the oldest Schr Guilds, specializing in the research of the fundamental destructive nature of spells in order to improve their destruction per mana cost¡¯s efficiency. Or to put it inyman terms, they produce ss cannons. Their forms could roughly be simplified as this: Gather your mana and st it forth. The lessplicated the spells are, the lower the loss in energy arising from state conversion. It¡¯s only normal if you can st your enemy to bits, but if not, it only means that you aren¡¯t using enough mana. Of course, the Energy Guild also had quite a few secret skills that made them an adversary to be feared. For example, the renowned skill ¡®Depository¡¯ was a powerful trump card that allowed one to silently release a furious onught of stored mana in the midst of a battle. ¡°That person¡¯s physical prowess is an effect of his bloodline, right?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a physical enhancement bloodline possessor. Quite a powerful one at that,¡± evaluated Grandar. A destructive beam of light suddenly burst forth in the next moment. It zapped several hundred meters outward in the blink of an eye with a deafening sonic boom, inducing massive explosions around Roel and the forest behind him. In the face of the blinding light produced by the explosions, the knight stood silently for a moment before abruptly raising his head to the sky. In the dark night sky, a golden hint of light glimmered conspicuously in the starless nightscape, soaring diagonally toward the aerial space directly above Rodrick. Taking a closer look, it was a ck-haired young man with a pair of unfurled light wings. This was the effect of Angel¡¯s Gift, one of the abilities Roel obtained through the incubation of Ascendwing. Other than removing the effect of undead reanimation, which he often incurred when summoning Grandar, it also granted him the ability of flight, though he rarely used it. As Roel headed higher up in the sky, the surrounding temperature plummeted correspondingly, leaving him feeling a little cold. He lowered his speed a little and gazed down on the ground. By this point, Rodrick was no more than a little dot. A smile curled on Roel¡¯s lips as his golden wings of light abruptly dissipated, marking the beginning of his transformation into a crimson star of demise. ¡°It¡¯s about time. I¡¯ve been wanting to do this for a long time now,¡± he murmured under his breath with a chuckle. As his body began to descend under the force of gravity, the crimson aura shrouding him began to manifest as a massive demonic god, a harbinger of cmity. He could hear the deafening howl arising from the wind pressure battering on the swiftly plummeting giant as he fell upon the world like a meteor. Under the massive looming shadow of demise, Rodrick started taking countermeasures against Roel¡¯s offense. He raised hisnce up high and fired yet another destructive beam of light, but something of that extent couldn¡¯t hope to threaten Roel in his current state anymore. The descending fist of white bones swiftly grewrger in Rodrick¡¯s line of sight as it rammed right through the destructive beam of light and struck down on him with terrifying momentum. The whole dungeon rattled under the force of Grandar¡¯s meteoric fist. Dirt, stone bits, wooden splinters, and all sorts of things in the forest were sted into the sky as a deafening explosion and blinding light shook up all living beings in the surroundings¡ªprovided that they hadn¡¯t been obliterated by the explosion yet. Under this tremendously powerful offense, Rodrick¡¯s clone shattered into countless pieces. It took a while before the dust finally settled. Roel walked up to the crater in the middle of the clearing, where the corpse of the knighty. A pale blue ringy amidst the dust with fiery-red brilliance. ¡°Is this the Rose Ring?¡± Roel gently picked up the ring that signified honor and glory as his heart trembled in excitement. He was just about to celebrate the wonderful academy life he would have ahead of him when intense disorientation suddenly consumed him. It was the Crown Origin Attribute abruptly rattling inside of him. At the same time, the surrounding scenery suddenly extinguished like candlelight before the wind, changing right before his eyes. Damn it. I knew that misfortune has a way of knocking on my door. Roel sighed as he reached for the wooden bottle in his pocket, but before he could even touch it, he suddenly froze up. ¡°Wait a moment, this is...¡± A blurred figure had appeared amidst the fog. It was hard to make out his silhouette given the limited visibility, but the red name that glowed conspicuously above his head was in full view. ¡¾Ro Ascart¡¿ Chapter 253: I Can’t Leave Whenever I Want To Anymore

Chapter 253: I Can¡¯t Leave Whenever I Want To Anymore

Roel stared at the blood-red name that had suddenly appeared along with the change in his surroundings. He couldn¡¯t see the person clearly due to the concealment of the fog, but just the name itself was enough to shake him up. Ro Ascart. This was an unforgettable name for the Ascart House for it represented its height of prosperity. Of course, the Ascart House did flourish in Winstor¡¯s era too, but his time dated too far back that hardly anyone could remember it anymore. So, the members of the Ascart House tended to associate their house¡¯s golden era with Ro Ascart instead. In fact, Roel had grown up listening to stories of Ro¡¯s adventures, and that was how he knew that his ancestor used to study at the Saint Freya Academy. It was just that the details about his encounters in the academy were absent in the records, so there wasn¡¯t much for Roel to work with. He knew that there was a chance of encountering Ro Ascart in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, but he didn¡¯t really bank on it happening because the possibility of it happening was simply too low. It had been over nine hundred years since the founding of the Saint Freya Academy, and the total number of Ringbearers throughout its history likely numbered over a thousand. The chances of encountering a specific individual were almost null, and in the first ce, he wasn¡¯t certain whether Ro Ascart was a Ringbearer or not. Roel¡¯s train of thoughts wasn¡¯t wrong in the sense that he really wouldn¡¯t have encountered Ro under normal circumstances, as shown by how he met Rodrick earlier on. But clearly, the situation he was currently in was anything but normal. He should have teleported back to reality after defeating the Ring Guardian, but instead, he was brought to this grassy, hilly terrain instead. Roel, there have been some weird pulsationsing from the dungeon recently. Chris¡¯ words suddenly echoed in Roel¡¯s mind, ringing warning bells and reminding him to remain guarded. The greatest safety of ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯y in its ability to offset injuries and casualties, but was it still reliable now that the dungeon had been disrupted by mana pulsations? Roel didn¡¯t have an answer to that question, but he had no intentions of risking his own life to verify it. He stared at the blood-red name that signified killing intent directed toward him as he began channeling his mana reflexively. At the same time, Grandar and Peytra also began making their moves upon sensing a peril in the environment. ¡°This feeling... He possesses the Crown Origin Attribute too!¡± ¡°Roel, hurry up and get behind me!¡± A hoarse and authoritative voice first sounded, followed by an agitated female voice. Grandar¡¯s massive body immediately manifested in front of him while a humongous serpent made out of stone quickly coiled her body around Roel. The two ancient gods eyed the menacing threat standing before them warily as the fog concealing Ro Ascart finally began to dissipate. A young man with a slender body frame came into appearance. He wore formal noble clothes and a pair of boots fashioned a few centuries ago. There were several badges representing honor and glory pinned in front of his chest, and a long ck cape fluttered together with his long jet-ck hair. His golden eyes shone brightly like stars, bringing him an imposing presence that was at odds with his feeble appearance How beautiful. This was the most direct thought that emerged in Roel¡¯s mind when he first caught sight of the young man in front of him. The overwhelming scent of dangering from Ro Ascart contrasted sharply with his delicate appearance, creating a powerful and unique disposition that wouldn¡¯t lose out to Nora and the others. It would appear that this was a clone of Ro Ascart from the time he challenged ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, evidenced by the ¡®Book of the Truth¡¯ insignia he wore on his chest and theck of a weapon in his hands. It was good to know that Ro Ascart was unarmed, but this was unlikely to affect his fighting prowess by too much given the nature of the Ascart Bloodline. Roel stared at the silhouette in front of him with many thoughts running through his mind. Seemingly noticing his stare, Ro also raised his head to return the gaze. The moment the two golden eyes met one another, Roel¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted a little as a mysterious sensation started enveloping him. At the same time, Peytra shouted anxiously. ¡°No, don¡¯t look into his eyes!¡± The Primordial Earth Goddess had reacted swiftly, but it was still toote. From the moment Roel met Ro¡¯s eyes, his consciousness began drifting out of his body, cing him in a trancelike state. His movements and expression seemed to have frozen at that very moment. The mana he was channeling slowed to a halt, causing the light shrouding him to fade. He could no longer hear Grandar or Peytra¡¯s shouting anymore. Along with his retraction of mana, the two ancient gods couldn¡¯t sustain their manifested bodies any longer and started crumbling. By the time a wind blew through, there was no one by his side anymore. Ro Ascart began making his way toward Roel withposed footsteps. ... Illusion spells used to exist in the ancient era, but as the ancient phantasmagoric beings marched toward extinction, this ss of terrifying spells gradually faded into oblivion. The terror of illusion spellsy in their surreptitious nature and the difficulty in dispelling them. It was no different from a curse of death when used against solo enemies as it would incapacitate them, leaving thempletely open for the killing blow. Origin Levels and bloodlines meant nothing before this ancient curse, for illusion spells were an introspection of one¡¯s heart. It was impartial to lofty gods and powerless mortals alike. And right now, Roel had fallen into a deep sleep under the effects of an illusion spell. ... Roel found himself resting on a chair in a cinema theater, staring at a constantly changing screen in a daze. The soft chair felt incrediblyfy to rest in, and there was a faint sweetness lingering in the air that left him in a deeply rxed state. His mind waspletely nk, reminiscent of an USB stick awaiting to take in new information, which, in this case, was no other than the film ying in front of him. It told of a long yet transient story of a youth, from the moment he realized his own fate, to the pursuit of the evil cultists, the corpses that filled the streets of the Holy Capital, the fresh blood that dyed a ship¡¯s deck red, a devastating cmity and unknown enemies hiding in the shadows, and the endless trials that seemed to be lined up before him. Roel watched the youth trudge ahead without rest as thoughts began instinctively surfacing in his mind. Isn¡¯t this enough already? How long more do I have to work for? I should have done enough to be worthy of a rest. Along with those thoughts birthed a profound feeling of exhaustion in his heart that left his body so heavy that it felt almost as if someone had dumped a mountain on his shoulders. Ever since he became cognizant of his fate, his life had been a wreck of nervousness and busyness. Despite hisposed appearance, he had been desperately struggling with all he got for his own survival. While his peers were enjoying their childhood, he was frantically trying to enhance his transcendent abilities, develop the Ascart Fiefdom, and build up his own following. His efforts did pay off. He managed to ovee many crises along the way and averted many death gs he had as the antagonist. However, he soon came to realize that the end of one crisis only marked the start of another. Before he knew it, fatigue had already starting building up in his mind. He tried to ignore it, but it was getting increasingly difficult to do so. No matter how high he climbed and how powerful he became, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was a fallible mortal who would eventually tire out. Besides, was his effort really meaningful at all? Could he really avert his premature death if he continued down the current path he was on? He had no answer to those two questions, but he did know of a cruel fact. Over the past thousand years, there was not a single bloodline awakened member of the Ascart House who had lived past thirty. Regardless of whether it was the wary and meticulous Winstor or the unbelievably talented Ro, neither were able to live to a ripe, old age. It was almost as if someone had cursed the descendants of the Ascart House to a fate of premature death, tightly gripping onto their necks to stifle their breath. What if all of my struggling has merely led me on a detour toward my inevitable destination of death? He had a feeling. Once the film ying before him came to an end, he would finally be liberated from all of his burdens. It was an inexplicable thought that arose out of nowhere, but he was neither surprised nor opposed to it. He simply continued watching silently as the film cut toward his fatigued face, revealing his nk eyes. It felt like everything would end like that when a voice suddenly echoed in his ears. ¡°... They have forgotten about their family, their country, and the whole of humankind. When they avert their eyes from their responsibilities and surrender to their desires, the only path they¡¯ll walk down is the path of destruction.¡± It was the voice of an old man, but it seemed to harness some sort of mysterious power that finally cracked the indifference on the young man¡¯s face for the very first time. Family, responsibilities... As those words echoed in this dim space, ripples began forming in Roel¡¯s cid mind. He suddenly felt that something was missing in the film, and it made him stare hard at the screen to figure it out. Just what could it be... He thought really, really hard about it, and it finally struck him. A father who was strict on discipline but overly lenient on his children, a clingy but adorable little sister, a graceful and magnanimous but troublesome angel, a kind and gentle but frighteningly bold fianc¨¦e... More and more people filled up his mind at an astonishing rate, causing the film to flicker in uncertainty. Things were different now. He wasn¡¯t the loner of the Ascarts¡¯ manor anymore. While he was shaking hard on the strings of fate, they entangled him with more and more people that it was nigh impossible to unravel those bonds now. ¡°Wow, I¡¯d actually need the permission of so many people if I ever want to take a break...¡± Spirit finally began returning to the eyes of the ck-haired young man. ... At the same time, in the academy, a white-haired old man standing by a windowsill with a staff in hand revealed a faint smile. Antonio gazed at the forest veiled in fog as he remarked deeply to thepanions who stood behind him. ¡°Tonight is the night that the rosees into full bloom.¡± ... On the grassy hilly terrain, Ro Ascart finally arrived before Roel. He raised his delicate hand to slit it across Roel¡¯s neck like a dagger, but oblivious to him, a chilling frost had already begun cloaking Roel¡¯s body surreptitiously. The moment Ro Ascart¡¯s finger came into contact with Roel¡¯s skin, the aura of eternal frost suddenly gushed outward like a furious tsunami, swiftly permeating into his hand and creeping further upward. ¡°Hm?¡± Ro Ascart let out a confused murmur as he raised his gaze, only to realize that those dull golden eyes from a moment ago had regained their gleam and were staring right back at him. A cold, killing intent lingered in the air between the two young men. Chapter 254: The Roar of the Gods

Chapter 254: The Roar of the Gods

Roel stared into the eyes of his ancestor silently. The fatal illusion spell had already been broken, rendering Ro Ascart¡¯s illusions ineffective on him. It was time to repay the debt. ¡°cier.¡± With an imposingmand, Roel¡¯s mana began surging forth as a tremendous pir of frost gushed into the air. His life force started converting into power that he desperately needed to deal with the threat before him, enhancing his transcendent abilities to Origin Level 3. The moment Roel realized that he was still in the hilly terrain after escaping from the illusion, he implicitly understood that he was no longer in the safe ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ he knew of but a treacherousnd where he faced a real threat of death. He knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to hold back here. At the same time, two massive figures manifested under the effects of his mana. The roaring giant hurled out a punch as soon as he appeared whereas the Primordial Earth Goddess directed a fatal re at her enemies. A punch descended from the sky while a petrification spell crept up onto Ro from his feet. On top of that, a dangerous frost aura was threatening to freeze him whole if he didn¡¯t back away as soon as possible. Ro was indubitably at a disadvantageous position here, but Roel still didn¡¯t put down his guard. For one, he knew that inheritors of the Ascart Bloodline never fought alone. Weng! Over a thousand light rays burst forth from Ro¡¯s body with a resounding buzz, dispelling Peytra¡¯s petrification. Pure, condensed power rushed into the sky as a towering figure emerged with wings of light. The presence of this new adversary made Roel¡¯s face turn grim. Angel. Unlike the Xeclydes who had only inherited the Angel Bloodline, the being standing before him was a real angel who had served Goddess Sia in the ancient era. The rising angel charged straight toward Grandar¡¯s descending fist, seeking to fend it off. But this wasn¡¯t the end of it yet. Shortly after the emergence of the angel, the deep howls of a wolf began echoing in the surroundings too. Awooo! The body of a massive wolf suddenly manifested out of nowhere, floating in thin air as if a phantom. Yet, when its feet finally fell and came into contact with the ground, its body suddenly turned corporeal. Without any hesitation, the phantom wolf charged straight for the Primordial Earth Goddess. Behind the phantom wolf, the long-haired young man also started conjuring searing mes to deal with the encirclement of frost aura around him. In just a split moment, three distinct pairs were formed¡ªme against frost, serpent against wolf, and giant against angel¡ªand they vied for supremacy on this darknd. ... While an intense death battle was urring inside the dungeon, the area outside the dungeon was silent and peaceful. The students who had been eliminated were led out of the Fog Forest by their spirit guides. Some looked at their smaller spirit guides and hung their heads in disappointment whereas others grinned excitedly at their brightly shining spirit guides. Regardless of whether their results were ideal or not, their trial had officiallye to an end and they were free to leave the area after having their results recorded down by the teachers or the senior students. Despite so, most of them continued to loiter in the area. They were curious to see how many prodigies would ovee the trial to be new Ringbearers. However, over at the Nexus, the staff members were panicking over a sudden and unexpected crisis. ¡°The mana pulsations are still growing stronger! It¡¯s about to breach the second warning trigger!¡± ¡°Damn it! What the hell is going on in the dungeon?¡± The frustrated shoutings of the staff members could be heard as everyone fell into a state of fluster. It was hard to believe that they were still calmly sipping on tea just a few minutes ago. The staff members of the Nexus were responsible for surveying on-campus dungeons to check for anomalies and assess their levels of threat. For many years now, they had aplished their missions without any issues, but an unprecedented emergency had fallen upon them today. It was normal for fights urring within the dungeons to generate mana pulsations, but it was usually at a negligible level considering the prowess of the freshmen and the enemies they faced. However, the dungeon suddenly began emanating intense mana pulsations. Initially, the staff members didn¡¯t pay it much heed, thinking that the current batch of students might just be stronger than usual. But when the intensity of the mana pulsation exceeded the first warning trigger and still showed no signs of going down, they knew that they couldn¡¯t take the matter lightly anymore. Thest time the first warning trigger rang was two years ago, when the Purplerose Ringbearer, Lilian, exerted her full strength to defeat a Ring Guardian, but even so, the intensity of the mana pulsation only exceeded the first warning trigger for several seconds before going down. This time however, the intensity was still rising at a furious pace, practically screaming to them that something had gone awry. ¡°It has breached the second trigger warning, but the intensity is still rising! Shit!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t something that can possiblye from a student!¡± ¡°The dungeon is going to explode at this rate!¡± Panicked shouts echoed across the room as everyone started feeling a little light-headed from the immense pressure of the situation. The stability of the dungeon was a necessary factor in maintaining the dreamlike state of the dungeon. Once the level of instability bypassed a certain level, those who were still in the dungeon at the moment would lose their immunity to injuries and death. Currently, the students who were still challenging the dungeons were the princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy and the daughter of Rosa¡¯s chief administrator. ¡°Quick, inform the Emergency Rescue Team! No...¡± The pale-faced chief of the Nexus trembled fearfully at the thought of the consequences should things go wrong here. He mmed his palm on the table and bellowed. ¡°Ring the Tier-1 Crisis rm! We¡¯ll be heading straight to the principal!¡± ... On the hilly terrain in the dungeon, the battle got more and more intense with each passing moment. As Roel ignited his life force to forcefully raise his prowess to Origin Level 3, Grandar and Peytra¡¯s strength were also enhanced correspondingly to a higher level. The roars of the massive giant shook the clouds as he hammered his fists violently down upon theyers of barriers constructed by the physically weaker angel he was facing. At the same time, the Primordial Earth Goddess who had nearly lost her child here fell into aplete rampage. The humongous World Serpent hissed coldly as she mmed her tail on the ground ceaselessly, breaking the earth into countless boulders that shot straight toward the phantom wolf. It was amazing how her bulky body didn¡¯t stop her from moving at lightning speed. The sheer force of the boulders was more than enough to tear the phantom wolf into shreds right away, but each time the phantom wolf¡¯s body dissipated after its death, it would suddenly reform in mid-air shortlyter. It was almost as if it was a video game character with unlimited health! ¡°A mere phantasmagoric beast dares to make a move against us?¡± hissed Peytra. Particles of light rose from the ground and seeped into Peytra¡¯s body. She opened her huge mouth wide and unleashed a devastating beam of light onto the phantom wolf. The phantom wolf leaped into the sky to evade her attack, but the beam of light continued to tail him, severing the night sky into two. ¡°Stinky bag of bones, what are you dawdling around for? Hurry up and finish off that bird! I can¡¯t kill this phantasmagoric beast on my side!¡± shouted Peytra. ¡°I know.¡± The mes burning in Grandar¡¯s eye sockets suddenly intensified as the crimson aura around him grew brighter in color. Vaguely, a thunderous rumbling could be heard within his bones. The next moment, Grandar suddenly opened his fist up and thrust a finger coiled with crimson lightning toward the angel, piercing throughyers of barriers before finally striking on the final golden barrier. The golden barrier didn¡¯t shatter right away, but cracks immediately crept outward from the middle. The sudden aggressive assault from the skeleton giant shocked the angel. He raised his staff and gathered light behind his wings to project all sorts of divine symbols¡ªan ivory tower, the silhouette of a god, and many others. The gathered light swiftly changed into many different forms before finally converging into the staff, which the angel then pointed at the skeleton giant. Boom! A burst of holy light passed right through the golden barrier to strike the skeleton giant squarely in his face, forcefully knocking him backward while dissipating the protective crimson aura wrapping his body. However, this setback didn¡¯t crush the skeleton giant¡¯s fighting spirit; if anything, it only further stoked his aggression. ¡°!¡± Before the angel¡¯s shocked eyes, Grandar¡¯s body withstood the rush of holy light and regained his momentum. Crimson mana red furiously on the skeleton giant once more as the brilliant mes in his eye sockets narrowed. ¡°Die!¡± With an enraged roar, Grandar thrust another punch toward the already cracked golden barrier. This time, the barrier distorted slightly before shattering into pieces. The punch continued rushing forth with its remaining momentum to sink into the angel¡¯s abdomen, causing thetter¡¯s body to scrunch up before being sted into a faraway mountain like a cannonball. Even with the angel¡¯s natural ability of swift recovery, an attack of this level was definitely more than enough to incapacitate him for quite a while. But before Grandar could make any move to aid Roel, a burst of golden light suddenly shot out from where Roel was battling with Ro. It flew across the sky before it abruptly split into two and headed off in different directions. The two ancient gods immediately raised their heads warily upon sensing a familiar mana pulsationing from the golden light. It was the Crown Origin Attribute. One of the light rays struck the phantom wolf, which was still in the midst of reassembling its body. The other one trailed an arc and seeped into the copsed body of the angel by the mountain. Peytra¡¯s face warped in horror upon realizing what had just happened, but it was already toote for her to do anything. The copsed angel stood back up under the effects of the golden light, his brilliant wings glowing brighter than ever. At the same time, the phantom wolf let loose a howl as ashened mes began charging up in its mouth. ¡°Tsk. Things are getting troublesome.¡± The twist of events darkened Peytra¡¯s face, and the atmosphere around Grandar grew heavy too. They knew that their opponents had been buffed by the broken fragments of the Crown, making them much more difficult to deal with. Of course, something of this extent wouldn¡¯t be enough to defeat them, but their opponents would at least be able to tie them down now. ¡°... It looks like we won¡¯t be able to spare him any help.¡± ¡°Damn it! What will happen to Roel then? They should have three on their side!¡± eximed Peytra worriedly as she thought about the mes burning on Ro¡¯s body. Surprisingly, Grandar, who had been with Roel the longest and watched him grow over time, looked much calmer inparison. ¡°Leave it to him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Even if another one pops out, it¡¯ll be no more than a fake. He isn¡¯t as weak as you think him out to be.¡± ¡°...¡± Grandar¡¯s words made Peytra fall silent. Meanwhile, on the hilly terrain far away from the battlefield of the ancient gods, a frost-d ck-haired young man fought against his me-d ancestor. It was a battle between two devastating forces, one seeking to bring eternal rest and the other seeking to unleash cmitous destruction. Their shes produced an equally terrifying cacophony. Roel could feel his life force draining out, but he wasn¡¯t fazed by it at all. His sharp golden eyes had been keeping a close look on the battlefield, and it allowed him to see through the crux of this battle. The key of victory herey not in the fights between that of the ancient gods but the one between the mortals. Chapter 255: It’s Over

Chapter 255: It¡¯s Over

What is the one thing one needed the most in a battle? Hot-bloodedness? The courage to charge forth without hesitation? An unyielding spirit? No, it isn¡¯t any of those. Roel believed that what transcendents needed the most in a battle wasposure. The timings to make an attack, the force of each attack, the possible trump cards that the enemy could have in possession, the price that one might have to pay for the attack,.. There were many factors one had to take into consideration in order to determine the optimal move in any given situation. From such a perspective, Ro Ascart could be said to be the greatest enemy Roel had faced to date. Ever since the awakening of his bloodline, Roel had never thought that he would be outssed by anyone in the same power level as him, but Ro shattered hiscency. The two of them had a different set of strengths that allowed them to stand their ground in this intense battle. Unlike Roel, who relied on external means to raise his power level, Ro was a bona fide Origin Level 3 transcendent. His deeperprehension of this power level allowed him to draw greater utility from his spells and bloodline, as evidenced by how he was able to strengthen the ancient gods on his side using the golden fragments of the Crown, a spell which Roel had yet to grasp. Fortunately, Roel had his own advantage in this battle too, namely Grandar and Peytra. It was clear that both the Giant King and Primordial Earth Goddess were superior to the ancient gods they were facing off with, such that Ro¡¯s enhancement had only barely ced them on the same ying field. Grandar and Peytra would have long clinched the victory if not for Ro¡¯s interference. Roel stared at his ancestor deeply. Thetter was getting increasingly bewitching under the fiery luminescence of his mes, his delicate beauty making it hard to differentiate whether he was male or female. It was an androgynous charm that was fatal to both men and women alike. It was just a pity that Roel was in no mood to admire his ancestor¡¯s enchanting countenance. Instead, he turned his attention toward the mes burning on his shoulder. The nature of the mana is different. This minor detail made him realize that his ancestor had three ancient gods on his side instead of two, just that the third one ¡®chose¡¯ to lend its ability to Ro instead of fully manifesting. This was clearly abnormal. It went without saying that the prowess of a fully manifested ancient god was different from a half-assed lending of ability, and the truth was that the mes conjured weren¡¯t strong enough to fully neutralize cier Creator¡¯s frost aura. In fact, Roel had managed to freeze Ro Ascart several times, just that thetter would suddenly dissipate before reforming in mid-air, reviving in the same manner as the phantom wolf. An undying opponent. There was a moment there that Roel despaired, thinking that there was no way he could defeat such an enemy in a life-and-death battle. However, he soon regained his rationality. There was no such thing as true invulnerability in this world. Such a naturalw defying ability was bound toe with a hefty price and severe limitations. This was simply how things worked on the Sia Continent. I must have neglected something. I have to find out what it is, for that¡¯ll be my key to victory. So, Roel began boldly trying all sorts of things out to test various conjectures. After ¡®killing¡¯ Ro Ascart several more times, he finally gathered sufficient evidence toe to a conclusion. Why would Ro Ascart rather get defeated time and time again than to manifest the me ancient god? That would have been a far more efficient method of curbing my frost aura. It doesn¡¯t seem likely that he¡¯s unable to manifest the me ancient god, which means that he¡¯s doing it on purpose. Going by that line of thought, we can deduce that the me serves some kind of special purpose. The continuous revival was definitely an ability derived from the phantom wolf... What could the ability of the me be? Roel raised his palm to release a wave of frost aura so as to fend off a zing punch from Ro Ascart. He looked at the long-haired young man standing beneath him as a thought suddenly struck him. It¡¯s his shadow. The me was just a byproduct. What Ro Ascart needed was a source of light to cast a clear shadow of himself. That was the condition he needed for his unlimited revivals, and thus, he couldn¡¯t allow the me ancient god to manifest and leave his side. ¡¾Spell Countdown: 19, 18, 17...¡¿ ¡°I only have enough time for a single strike,¡± murmured Roel to himself as he felt his life force beginning to drop to the bottom. At the end of this countdown, he would fall back down to Origin Level 4 and enter a phase of extreme feebleness. By then, he would be a goner even with the protection of the two ancient gods. I have to win this battle if I wish to survive! Roel¡¯s golden eyes glowed brilliantly as if mes had ignited within them as he delivered the greatest and most powerful attack in the dungeon thus far. The moment he raised his hands, it was as if space hade under the control of a higher being. The interaction of the frost aura and the surrounding air produced white fog that oveid the surroundings, swirling furiously around the two mortals on the battlefield. The white fog tornado that abruptly appeared on the hilly terrain had such terrifying mana pulsation that it immediately caught the attention of the ancient gods. The angel in the sky halted his spell, the phantom wolf descended back onto thend, the Primordial Earth Goddess straightened up her body and gazed over anxiously, and the skeleton giant turned his head over. All of them instinctively realized that it was time for the victor of this sh to be determined. As frost swiftly piled upyer afteryer in the surroundings, Roel ced his palms together andpressed the converging frost between his hands into a heart of ice. cier Heart. This was the derivative produced when Roel drove the power of the cier Creator to the very extremity. The ice heart looked so delicate and exquisite that it could have been an art piece, but every bit of it harnessed the potential to unleash the cmity of eternal frost. The fired Ro Ascart recoiled at the sudden emergence of this terrifying force as he stiffly lowered his head to gaze upon the ice heart. At the same time, Roel grasped onto the ice heart between his hands and proceeded to squeeze it tightly. Crk! Psh! The cier Heart exploded. Before he knew it, Ro Ascart found himself struck by a cold wave that looked almost as if it hade out of nowhere, extinguishing his mes and swiftly devouring his body. It took only a blink of an eye for him to be sealed in eternal frost, permanently encasing the shocked expression arising from his moment of realization. At the same time, the white fog closed in around them to block off all external light sources. From the outside, it looked like the two of them had been locked off in a prison of cial white fog. Only the area around Roel was still barely hospitable to any lifeform. ¡°It¡¯s over,¡± murmured Roel as he gazed at the absolute darkness before him. While killing off Ro Ascart, he made sure to destroy and block off all light sources simultaneously too. This was the method he had devised to ovee his undying enemy, and his assault sessfully took the other party down. ¡¾Spell Countdown: ... 2, 1, 0.¡¿ As the countdown finally came to an end, Roel felt his body swiftly losing energy. The white fog lingering around him and Ro Ascart gradually dissipated, granting him a bit of visibility. However, this peaceful scene was shattered by Peytra¡¯s anxious warning. ¡°Roel, don¡¯t release them yet! They aren¡¯t gone yet!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Puchi! Before Roel could process the significance of what Peytra had just said, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. The bare hints of light in his surroundings allowed him to make out an indistinct figure in front of him and the blurred hand stabbing into his stomach. His eyes widened a little as fresh blood spurted out from his mouth. Thebo of extreme feebleness and an unexpected assault made his body slump over as he was brought down to his knees. The white fog dissipated at a far greater rate than before, finally revealing the chilly face of the revived Ro Ascart. I see. A distinct shadow serves to quicken his revival, but it isn¡¯t a necessary condition for it. Roel¡¯s consciousness began to fuzz under the crippling pain, but he finally understood Ro Ascart¡¯s ability, as well as where his n had gone awry. The presence of a clear shadow only allowed him to significantly speed up his revival, but the ability would still work even if his shadow was melded amidst darkness. Rather than killing his shadow in total darkness, he should have killed it in total brilliance instead. Is this the prowess possessed by an ancestor of the Ascart House? Would anyone have been able to kill him at his peak? Roel sighed softly, but the next moment, a smile emerged on his lips. It was aposed, exultant smile. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that it¡¯s over?¡± Roel grabbed onto his enemy¡¯s arm and thrust the glowing Ascendwing forward with his remaining strength. Under the stimtion of his mana, the holy dagger released a burst of divine light that exploded into the surroundings, producing a shockwave thatpletely jolted off the lingering white fog. The final card he had prepared was finally revealed. Over a hundred faces of ice mirrors surrounded the two mortals, be it on the ground, in the sky, or around them. They had simply been in the concealment of the white fog all this while. The divine light scattering from Ascendwing struck the ice mirrors and formed thousands of rays of light that bounced from one mirror to another at differing angles. They converged together at a single point, flooding the long-haired young man in an ocean of light. Under the overwhelming brilliance of light, there was no room for darkness and shadows to exist anymore. The impassive face of Ro Ascart also finally revealed true shock. Puchi! With the sound of a dagger plunging into a heart, a victorious smile emerged on Roel¡¯s face before two bodies copsed to the ground in unison. Chapter 256: I’ll Assign You a Mission

Chapter 256: I¡¯ll Assign You a Mission

On the hilly terrain, two young men standing in front of one another copsed to the ground. In the distance, the avatars of the battling ancient gods dissipated and vanished from the world. Roel¡¯s body was in a horrible state at the moment, but there was a faint smile persisting on his lips. He was in a good mood at the moment, feeling like he had aplished something momentous. When he initiated cier Heart, there were only less than twenty seconds left to the end of his enhancement. Back then, there were still two possibilities surrounding Ro Ascart¡¯s constant revival, for he knew that there were two possibilities when it came to eliminating shadows. One was to vanquish all light in the surroundings, fulfilling the adage ¡®shadows cannot exist in the absence of light¡¯. The other was a concept that had yet to exist in the Sia Continent, ¡®shadowless light¡¯. The former would still be much easier to pull off. Roel had many ways to achieve that effect, the white fog he had cast earlier being one of them. However, he wasn¡¯t one to leave things to chance, so he made preparations for the second case too. The difficulty of vanquishing all shadows was indubitably much higher. It was arguable whether shadows existed in the absence of light, but the presence of light naturally cast shadows. So, how could Roel achieve that effect? It was unlikely that anyone in the Sia Continent had a perfect answer to this question. There were many spells that utilized shadows but none that specialized in vanquishing shadows, for shadows weren¡¯t a product of mana. There was hardly any research on the Sia Continent on that aspect, but there was something in Roel¡¯s previous life that could roughly produce that effect. Shadowlessmps. It was an important invention for the medical industry in Roel¡¯s previous life, mainly used for surgical purposes. The theory was centered around using multiple light sources from different angles in order to remove contrast shadows, achieving a high level of shadow dilution. Admittedly, it couldn¡¯t remove all shadows either, but it should be enough to go to this extent. Ro Ascart¡¯s ability was indeed powerful, but thew of the world dictated that powerful spells had severe activation conditions too. The fact that he was unable to revive under the intense concentration of light was proof of thatw in action. It had been a truly tough fight, be it the initial illusion spell, the sh of the ancient gods, and the duel between frost and me, but Roel still achieved victory in the end. He triumphed over the higher level Ro Ascart, and he thought that it was something to be proud of even if thetter was just an unintelligent fake. The real Ro Ascart would have likely concealed the secret of his undying spell much better, doing all sorts of misdirections through his words and actions. ¡°Tsk, what a monster,¡± remarked Roel as he tried his best to push himself up. It was then that a chuckle sounded behind him, causing his body topletely freeze up. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re breaking my heart.¡± .... A light breeze whistled through the darkness as Roel stiffly turned his head around to look at the thin figure behind him in a daze. There was a huge question looming in his head at the moment. W-why is he speaking?! Roel was certain that the Ring Guardians created by the dungeon possessed no sentience, and that was the case for the Rodrick clone and the Ro Ascart clone he fought earlier on. It was precisely due to this w that the Origin Level 4 freshmen stood a chance against them. Yet, the clone suddenly started talking to him. More importantly, there was a change in his gaze. Roel stared at the helpless but amicable eyes directed toward him from Ro Ascart, and his lower jaw fell ckened. It was almost certain that the person standing before him did possess sentience, and the inexplicable sense of familiarity Roel felt toward him made it likely that he was the real Ro Ascart! ¡°Y-you...¡± Roel pointed to the young man before him with a shaky finger, but he couldn¡¯t find the words to express his thoughts. On the other hand, Ro sighed deeply. ¡°Even though it¡¯s just a doll that possesses my skills, I didn¡¯t think that I would actually be defeated. Should I say, as expected of a descendent of our Ascart House? What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°R-Roel...¡± ¡°So your name is Roel?¡± There was aplex look in Ro¡¯s eyes as he murmured Roel¡¯s name. He¡¯s able to reach such a level despite being only at Origin Level 4. On top of that, those two ancient gods... Ro assessed the descendant before him with narrowed eyes. His memory of the earlier battle was a little fragmented, but he could still remember bits and pieces. Putting aside the mystical formation of mirrors Roel had used in the finaleback, the two ancient gods fighting alongside him also far surpassed his expectations. Even the descendants of the Ascart House wouldn¡¯t be able to find ancient gods of that caliber easily. Summoning a specific ancient god required a relic, but acquiring that relic was so difficult that it was almost like finding a specific pebble in a vast ocean. It was also possible to summon ancient gods without using any relic, but that would be pretty much praying for a jackpot, not to mention that it would be extremely dangerous as well. The relics served as a suppression tool that allowed them to exert some level of control on the ancient gods, and the absence of them meant that they would have to personally negotiate with the ancient gods, which were nigh impossible to seed due to how fussy they tended to be. How did he manage to make those monsters submit to him? Could they not be in a master-servant rtionship? Wouldn¡¯t that be extremely dangerous then? But what¡¯s more concerning is that freezing ability of his. It¡¯s not an ability of the ancient gods, but it harnesses the aura of the Crown. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s likely to be that... That realization turned Ro¡¯s face grim, but his attention was soon captured by the pendant Roel wore around his neck. He leaned in to take a closer look, only for his eyes to narrow a little upon seeing the clear amber. ¡°Adamantine amber? You¡¯ve met Kayde?¡± ¡°Yeah, Kayde gave this to me,¡± replied Roel with a nod. He realized that this was an opportunity for him to verify what he had heard from Kayde and gather more information, so he continued asking. ¡°I have been to the Karon Forest. One of the reasons why I came to the Saint Freya Academy is to seek out the Twilight Sages Assembly¡¯s ¡®Academic¡¯. That was your goal back then, right? Did you manage to find him?¡± That question made Ro¡¯s face darken a little. He slowly shook his head before posing an odd question that appeared to bepletely unrted to their conversation. ¡°What¡¯s the frequency of the Ascart Bloodline¡¯s awakening recently?¡± ¡°Hm... I should be the only one who has awakened the Ascart Bloodline in thest three centuries since your passing.¡± Ro fell deathly silent upon hearing the number. I ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s still fine. At least you¡¯re here. There¡¯ll be hope as long as you¡¯re here...¡± It took him a long while before he finally spoke up once more, but his voice was so soft and hoarse that it sounded almost as if he was trying to reassure himself. Roel looked at his despondent ancestor and sighed softly. He could see where thetter wasing from. I guess any noble house that only produces a descendant who awakens to its bloodline once every few centuries could be considered to have fallen in decline. As one of the greatest patriarchs of the Ascart House, it must have been hard for him to bear the news. After a short moment of silence, Roel posed a doubt that had been floating in his mind. ¡°If I may ask, what¡¯s your current situation?¡± ¡°This is a fragment of my consciousness that was left behind to serve as a Ring Guardian.¡± ¡°I see... Does your sudden appearance mean that there¡¯s some crucial information or task you wish to ry to me?¡± Roel nced at the dagger he had plunged into Ro¡¯s body as he posed his question quickly, fearing that thetter would suddenly drop dead in the middle of the words as clich¨¦ to such development of events. Ro contemted deeply for a moment before replying. ¡°I do have something I need you to handle... Are there any daughters of the Ackermanns studying in the academy at the moment?¡± ¡°Yes, there is one...¡± replied Roel slowly as he blinked his eyes in confusion. Ro¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing the answer. He excitedly pped Roel¡¯s shoulder and eximed in delight. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful! Here¡¯s your mission¡ªknock her up!¡± Chapter 257: Can’t Seduce? Use Force!

Chapter 257: Can¡¯t Seduce? Use Force!

On a grassy hilly terrain, a bbergasted Roel stared at his ancestor quietly. The wind blew and the grass rustled. There was a slight spurt of blood from Ro Ascart¡¯s chest. Roel stared at his overexcited ancestor as a question popped into his mind. How in the world are you spouting such perverted atrocities with such an innocent face? ¡°Pardon me, but what did you just say?¡± ¡°I said that you should knock up the female offspring of the Ackermanns...¡± ¡°Okay, you can stop now.¡± Roel raised his hand to stop Ro Ascart as he massaged his temples to ease the headache that had started setting in. ¡°Didn¡¯t you leave behind a message on Kayde¡¯s body, telling us not to trust the Ackermanns?¡± ¡°I did, and I still feel the same way. But is there a contradiction between knocking up a daughter the Ackermanns and trusting them?¡± ¡°Of course there is!¡± eximed Roel. He red at the incrediblyposed Ro as his cheeks swiftly reddened. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down before continuing on. ¡°Doesn¡¯t knocking someone up entail marrying that person? How could you marry someone whom you don¡¯t even trust?!¡± ¡°Does it entail marriage? That¡¯s an oddly old-fashioned thoughting from someone of the future generation... Cough cough! Anyway, you can just decide for yourself!¡± Noticing the ¡®Are you a scumbag?¡¯ looking from his descendant, Ro swiftly changed his tune. It would appear that his descendant had a proper upbringing, which nurtured a strong sense of morals and responsibility within him. It was unlikely someone like that would knock someone¡¯s belly up and shirk responsibility. On one hand, Ro was ddened by that since having an excellent character was the most important foundation for someone who had awakened to the Ascart Bloodline. A person who harbored filth in his heart would only provide opportunities for his enemies to bring him down. But on the other, having an excellent character wasn¡¯t beneficial to the mission he was assigning to Roel. Just looking at Roel¡¯s reddened face was enough to make him shake his head. Judging by how embarrassed he is, he must have never held ady¡¯s hand before. Ro couldn¡¯t help but worry that the lineage of the Ascart House might just end in Roel¡¯s hands. Oblivious to him, while he was not wrong to say that Roel hadn¡¯t really held ady¡¯s hand before, it was only because it had almost always been thedies holding his hand instead. In any case, Roel¡¯scking offensive ability when it came to courting girls was a huge issue here. The Ackermanns was the imperial family of the Austine Empire, the chief propagators of the bloodline purity theory. It was impossible for a daughter of the Ackermanns to harbor any goodwill toward the men of the Ascart House; if anything, it was more likely for her to be guarded against them. Roel might still stand a chance if he was a veteran yer, but he just had to be a newbie in the field. There¡¯s no way he would possibly be able to win her heart... Unable to figure out any good solution to this quandary, Ro clenched his fists anxiously. In the end, he gnashed his teeth and instructed sharply. ¡°I don¡¯t care how you go about doing it, but you must bear a child who carries the bloodline of the Ackermanns. If you can¡¯t seduce her, just use force instead!¡± Ro would have never suggested such a n under any other circumstances, but this matter was of vital importance that it had to happen by hook or by crook. In his view, Roel would surely fail tragically under normal circumstances, but if he were to put his incredible strength to use here, there might still be a sliver of hope. Forget it! If you can¡¯t seduce her, just kidnap her over or something. You have the strength to do so anyway! As long as Roel could somehow get the matter done, the Ackermanns would have no choice but to take this one lying unless they wished to wage a war against the Saint Mesit Theocracy. Of course, this would mean that the Ascart House would be holing themselves up inside their fiefdom in the future too. The good thing about this was that there was no need for intricate schemes. The only difficultyy in whether he could pull it off or not, and Ro had great faith in Roel regarding this. She¡¯s just a daughter of the Ackermanns. How strong could she possibly get? Ro was too busy snorting in disdain at the Ackermanns¡¯ fighting prowess that he didn¡¯t notice the subtle changes in Roel¡¯s expressions when he proposed his idea. You want me to kidnap Lilian Ackermann and force myself on her? Wow... I really don¡¯t know what I should say. Looking at the ¡®easy-peasy¡¯ look on his ancestor¡¯s face, he felt tempted to ask him¡ª¡°Are you intending to end the lineage of our Ascart House?¡± One must know that Lilian Ackermann was a prodigy who reached Origin Level 3 at 16 years old, the same age as Ro did back in his era. More importantly, unlike the ¡®dumbed-down¡¯ version of his ancestor that he had faced earlier, Lilian Ackermann was a sharp-witted individual capable of formtingplexbat strategies. If Roel really were to go all out in a fight against her, there could only be two possibilities. Either Lilian would curb and kill him, or he would slip up and identally kill Lilian. There was no third possibility. Roel couldn¡¯t afford holding back against an enemy of Lilian¡¯s caliber, but if he were to go all out, every strike he dished out would be a usible killing blow. He wouldn¡¯t be able to retract his attack at the veryst moment, and it was unlikely that Lilian would be able to survive even if they had the greatest doctors waiting on standby. After great hesitation, Roel decided against telling Ro that the female offspring of the Ackermanns in this era was actually a monstrous prodigy. Instead, he moved on to ask why Ro was so obsessed with the idea of a union between the Ascarts and the Ackermanns. Unexpectedly, thetter shook his head at the question. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure either. It¡¯s a teaching passed down from the ancestors.¡± ¡°A teaching from the ancestors?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw it in a confidential document while I was investigating the Twilight Sages Assembly. It came from Emperor Charles from the final years of the Second Epoch.¡± ¡°Emperor Charles? You¡¯re referring to the ¡®Departing Emperor¡¯?¡± Roel¡¯s heart jolted upon hearing that piece of information. Charles Ackermann was simply far too significant of a historical figure that all historians would have been familiar with his name. Ro also nodded affirmatively to confirm Roel¡¯s doubt. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m referring to the final emperor of the Ancient Austine Empire. At the end of the Second Epoch, the Arde House fell apart and the top brass of the empire was mired in corruption. ording to the historical records, Charles was a young and ambitious emperor, and he attempted to re-establish rtions with the direct descendants of the Ardes, which is our Ascart House. ¡°What I found was a handwritten letter from him that contained the following sentence, ¡®When the bloodlines of the Twin Eagles converge, the gates will open and glory shall return to the world.¡¯,¡± exined Ro solemnly. Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. The content of thetter might sound abstract to theyman, but those who were well-versed in history like Roel would be able to interpret the meaning of those words right away. The Twin Eagles referred to the ¡®Twinheaded Eagle¡¯ insignia of the Austine Empire, but what was interesting to note was that this insignia had changed a little over time. Back in the Second Epoch, the ¡®Twinheaded Eagle¡¯ insignia of the Ancient Austine Empire didn¡¯t exactly have two heads. To be more precise, the eagle head on the left was brighter than the eagle head on the right, and this was amonly used painting technique in that era to express ¡®ovepping objects¡¯. To put it in other words, the ¡®Twinheaded Eagle¡¯ of the Ancient Austine Empire was actually two eagles ovepping over one another, just that the one below only had its head revealed. Many historians thought that the fact that one eagle was hidden behind the shadows of another had some hidden meaning to it, just that they weren¡¯t able toe to a conclusion on the matter. At the inception of the Third Epoch, the Ackermanns equalized the color tones on the two eagles and created the current ¡®Twinheaded Eagle¡¯ insignia, an act which many historians viewed as an attempt to bury some sort of secret. Roel was also rather perplexed about this prior to his trip to the Karon Forest, but learning about the existence of the Arde House from ¡®Chronicler¡¯ answered many of his doubts. The eagle beneath likely referred to the Arde House, which sought to protect the Ancient Austine Empire from the shadows. Looking at it from such an angle, the content of the letter left behind by Charles Ackermann was indeed pushing for the union of the Ascarts and the Ackermanns. That being said, there were still many questions here that hadn¡¯t been answered yet. What did the ¡®gates¡¯ refer to? Was it a real gate or just a metaphor? And what did ¡®glory shall return to the world¡¯ mean too? ¡°In any case, the Ackermanns is vital to the resurgence of the Ascart House, but the problem is that the Austine Empire is at loggerheads with the Theocracy, making it nigh impossible for the two houses toe together. As someone who has awakened the Ascart Bloodline, it¡¯s your responsibility to find a way to obtain their blood! ¡°However, you should pay careful heed not to allow the Ackermanns to find out about this matter. The Ackermanns of this era is not the same as that of the previous era. Much can be seen from how they changed their insignia. There must be something amiss with them, so by no means should you trust them.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel fell silent listening to those words. You want me to somehow win Lilian over and quietly take her away without rming the Austine Empire? Isn¡¯t this practically elopement?! Just what in the world made you think that I would be able to charm an esteemed princess of the Austine Empire into abandoning her glory to elope with me?! Roel was feeling utterly exasperated by the absurdly high expectations that were being heaped on him here. In the first ce, he was already greatly disadvantaged in this raceing from the Theocracy, so how could hepete with the countless other suitors Lilian had back in the Austine Empire? That was practically asking for the impossible! ¡°Keep this matter in mind and make sure you aplish it no matter what, alright? Other than that, I need to talk to you about ¡®Academic¡¯ too.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s wandering thoughts were immediately pulled back on track upon the mention of ¡®Academic¡¯. Ro took some time to gather his thoughts before he began speaking. ¡°My consciousness only traces back to my third year in the Saint Freya Academy, when I¡¯m sixteen. Back then, I haven¡¯t managed to find ¡®Academic¡¯s¡¯ trail yet, but I¡¯m certain that he¡¯s a survivor of the Second Epoch who knows of many secrets. That¡¯s the only clue I have right now.¡± Ro raised his hand and took off the ring on his finger. It was a familiar looking ring to Roel, just that its color was slightly off. ckrose Ring? Roel stared at the ck gemstone on the ring and frowned in confusion. Based on what he knew, the Nine Rose Rings didn¡¯t consist of ck color. ¡°This is the very first Rose Ring, and it used to be in ¡®Academic¡¯s¡¯ possession. Its unique nature allowed for the retention of my consciousness, which is why I¡¯m able to speak to you right now. Rumors have it that the ckrose Ring has the ability to guide, but it has never reacted while it was in my possession. Our meeting is a sign that the ckrose Ring has chosen you, and your victory against me proves that you¡¯re worthy of it.¡± Ro watched enviously as the ckrose Ring automatically flew into Roel¡¯s hand. The moment the two came into contact, the ring emanated a glow that receded Roel¡¯s injuries and the afflictions he was suffering from. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°It looks like you won¡¯t have to return as a crippled man,¡± remarked Ro with a smile. At the same time, Ro started emanating a faint light as his body began dissipating. ¡°Ro, you...¡± eximed Roel in horror. ¡°I already told you that my consciousness is merely retained inside the ckrose Ring. It¡¯s time to bid each other farewell.¡± ¡°...¡± Ro¡¯s words carried a hint of regret. He looked at the sorrowful eyes of his descendant and found his emotions suddenly pouring forth. He¡¯s even younger than me, but his life is destined to be fraught with troubles and dangers. Still, there¡¯s always a tinge of hope in the face of despair. All inheritors of the Ascart Bloodline grow up amidst difficulties. Such is the fate of our people. It¡¯s the same for me, Winstor, and even our ancestors back in the Second Epoch. Even when it¡¯s getting harder and harder for us to awaken our bloodline, the Ascart House still continues to forge its way forward, and that¡¯s enough. He was pessimistic about the future because he had an idea of the horrors Roel could possibly face in his life, but even so, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anticipation. ... As long as fellows like him continue to appear, it¡¯s only a matter of time before we seize back our previous glory. With such thoughts in mind, Ro pulled out the short sword in his chest and tidied up his clothes and his hair. He wanted to put on his most dignified appearance before his descendant. ¡°I guess this concludes my will then. There¡¯s no need to grieve. It¡¯s a miracle that someone from the past like me is able toe into contact with someone in the future. You¡¯ve been here for a long time now, and it¡¯s time for you to return to where you belong.¡± Amidst scattering fragments of light, Ro directed his most brilliant smile toward his descendant. ¡°It has been a pleasant meeting. Farewell, Roel Ascart.¡± Chapter 258: Incomprehensible Feelings

Chapter 258: Iprehensible Feelings

¡°Is he gone?¡± Looking at the scattering bits of light, Roel felt indescribable sorrow gripping his heart. He knew that deep well that the one he had been conversing with was no more than a sliver of his consciousness, and that the real Ro Ascart was already long dead. Heck, their conversation hadn¡¯t even been that long at all! But he still felt a profound sense of loss when Ro disappeared. They were kin who shared the same blood ties, as well asrades walking down the same path. All of these made him feel an intimate bond with Ro, and thetter had openly expressed his goodwill toward him too. The Ascart House had always faced ack of progeny, such that most members found themselves had hardly any kin in their respective era. This made them treasure their familial bond even more. On top of that, Roel and Ro were both inheritors of the Ascart Bloodline, so the connection they shared went deeper than anyone else. Ro appeared to have quite a mischievous character that was at odds with his delicate appearance, but Roel could clearly sense the weight of the responsibility he carried beneath his leisurely attitude. He had provided many clues that likely couldn¡¯t be found anymore in the current era, and Roel had no doubt that they would go a long way in the future. From Winstor to Ro and finally Roel, it seemed like the three bloodline possessors of the Ascart House were in a ry race to unveil the truth of history. They sought to change their own fate, the fate of the Ascart House, and the fate of humankind as well. Winstor and Ro might have lost their lives in the process of doing so, but their efforts had definitely not been in vain. The turmoil they had been through helped pave the way for Roel. Perhaps Roel might one day someday meet a premature end walking down this path too, but he couldn¡¯t allow himself to give up just like that. He couldn¡¯t allow a thousand years of umtion to be ruined in his hands. That was the truest thought he had the moment he received the ckrose Ring. Roel couldn¡¯t tell whether it was the effect of the ckrose Ring or the dungeon, but his injuries, afflictions, and depleted mana gradually healed up. Even his tattered clothes were reverting back to their original form. This incredible sight left him feeling deeply impressed about the mystical nature of the ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯. The blurred distinction between reality and illusion in the dungeon produced an amazing phenomenon. However, he was also aware that this phenomenon had been dispelled during his battle against Ro, so it was surprising to see its invocation after he received the ckrose Ring. Does this mean that the dungeon¡¯s phenomenon has something to do with the ckrose Ring? Speaking of which, wasn¡¯t it practically cheating that the ckrose Ring was guarded by the monstrously powerful Ro Ascart? Which freshmen could possibly stand a chance against him? But now that I think about it, unlike the other Ring Guardians, Ro¡¯s clone did retain a sliver of his consciousness. Could he be deliberately hoarding the ckrose Ring, biding his time for an inheritor of the Ascart Bloodline toe along so that he could entrust the important clue regarding ¡®Academic¡¯ to them? Looking at it from this angle, it would mean that Ro was gaming the system in order to ensure that the ckrose Ring never fell into an outsider¡¯s hand. Roel stared at the two rings in his hands and he theorized about the truth, but he soon shook his head and tossed those thoughts to the back of his mind. Regardless of the truth, it was time for him to leave this ce. So, he called out to the excessively plump spirit guide in the sky, only to realize that it was unable to find its way around. Left with no choice, he took out Chris¡¯ oilmp and lit it up. ... The chaos by the perimeter of the Fog Forest had just calmed down, and the elites of the Emergency Rescue Team began leaving the area in batches. Principal Antonio was also observing the situation in the vicinity. On a nearby balcony, Chris looked at the forest as she heaved a sigh of relief and continued praying for Roel¡¯s safety. It all happened after the preliminary trial, when the strongest ones amongst the freshmen had just started fighting against their respective Ring Guardians. ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ suddenly began emanating strong mana pulsations that kept rising in intensity, eventually shattering the final trigger warning. Faced with such a situation, the Nexus immediately dered Tier-1 Crisis rm, invoking the Emergency Rescue Team to remain on standby and prepare to rush in whenever required. Unlike previous years, the challengers this year included the Theocracy¡¯s princess and the daughter of Rosa¡¯s chief administrator. A mishap here could spell disastrous consequences for the whole of humankind. The sheer stress created an atmosphere so heavy that the chief of the Nexus ended up suffering from a heart attack and was carried away by the academy¡¯s doctors. Thankfully, the mana pulsations vanished shortly after. Perhaps Principal Antonio had some sort of deeper understanding of the dungeon, but he didn¡¯t appear too worried at all. As the dungeon finally became stable once more, the nervous crowd heaved a sigh of relief and began leaving the area. With that, the crisis was finally put to rest. At this moment, a crowd of several thousand consisting of both freshmen and seniors alike waited expectantly for the results of the trials. Some were nobles of the Theocracy and Rosa, some freshmen seeking for backing, some senior students who weren¡¯t faring well in the academy, and many bankers and gamblers. Regardless, they were all here with themon intent to witness the birth of the new Ringbearer(s). Ringbearers had special training fields intended for their usage, and they were able to create factions. Being in these factions had tangible benefits, such as having exclusive rights or priority in the usage of some of the facilities. But what others valued more was the rtionships one would build with fellow faction members over the years, and these bonds could continue to benefit them even after graduation. However, the most important thing about Ringbearers was their voting rights on the Rose Council, which could sway the power dynamics in the academy. There was currently a Ringbearer each in the Second, Third and Fourth Grade, so it was ideal for there to be one for the First Grade as well. Otherwise, they would be losing out on many benefits and be left without representation on the Rose Council. Time slowly ticked by amidst the crowd¡¯s excited murmuring. In a nearby temporary base of operations for the Enforcement Division, a ck-haired young woman clutched her chest with a pained look on her face. There was an overturned cup lying on the ground beside her. Lilian had been feeling deeply ufortable ever since the unnatural mana pulsations started. A feeling of frustration and unease welled up in her heart, and she couldn¡¯t calm herself down at all. On top of that, it was worsening with each passing moment. Under normal circumstances, she, as the Purplerose Ringbearer, would have nevere to this ce. In order to uphold the hierarchy in the power dynamics, she would have avoided paying too much heed to the newly crowned Ringbearers so as to keep their pride in check. Yet, the unnerving sensation she felt left her with no choice but toe over. What¡¯s going on? Why is the disturbance in the dungeon affecting my emotions? And... what¡¯s this terrifying apprehension I¡¯m feeling? Unable to make sense of anything, Lilian frowned in frustration. She couldn¡¯t really put her finger on it, but it was if she was about to lose something very important to her. As someone who had never really experienced kinship or romance before, this was an iprehensible feeling to her. While she was feeling frustrated, footsteps began sounding in the Fog Forest. The students who had challenged the Ring Guardians had finally returned, but most of them were filled with sighs. It was only when a powerful mana pulsation rippled into the surroundings, and a significantly bigger spirit guide lit up the surroundings that cheers broke out amidst the crowd. The victor was finally here. Chapter 259: When the Brilliant Light Shines

Chapter 259: When the Brilliant Light Shines

It was almost like a conditioned reflex how the crowd began apuding and cheering as soon as they caught sight of a far brighter spirit guide making its way out of the Fog Forest. They knew that the spirit guides did more than just leading the freshmen into the dungeon; they kept track of the scores too. The brightness of a spirit guide was determined by how much mana it had absorbed, which in turn reflected the number and strength of the enemies a student had defeated. Unlike the others whose spirit guides were only around the size of a basketball, the one that was currently drifting out of the forest had reached a size where an adult could barely wrap their hands around. This was a clear sign that marked the birth of a new Ringbearer. The excited crowd stared intently as the blurred figure walking out of the Fog Forest gradually grew clearer and clearer before eventually revealing a youngdy with auburn hair and emerald eyes. Her graceful gait further entuated the impact of her entrance, and the crowd immediately burst into cheers. ¡°That¡¯s our young miss!¡± ¡°It¡¯s that girl from Rosa!¡± Charlotte Sorofya directed an elegant smile at the bustling crowd as she quickly scanned the surroundings, only to sigh in disappointment upon realizing that Roel was nowhere to be found. After the intense battle she had been through, the one thing she wanted the most was to be warmly weed by her lover. In fact, she had even thought up of a script. If Roel had been waiting for her in advance, she would offer her hand and request him to help her put on her Rose Ring. While the Sia Continent didn¡¯t have a custom of wedding rings, the act of putting a ring on ady was still viewed to be an intimate act done only by couples deep in love. In a sense, it was simr to what exchanging short swords meant in the older times. It was just a pity that Charlotte¡¯s n wouldn¡¯t proceed in the direction she wished. She thought that her lover would be able to defeat the Ring Guardian faster than her, but it seemed like she was mistaken. He must have encountered a difficult enemy, Charlotte thought with a sigh. There had been many incredible prodigies in the thousand years of the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s establishment. It was only normal that some of the Ringbearers would be exceptionally powerful or were able to hold on for a long time. After all, they were all fighting enemies that were an Origin Level stronger than them, so it was understandable that they might struggle a little. Well, there was another ¡®acquaintance¡¯ of hers who wasn¡¯t out yet, but that was of minor importance. Charlotte shook off the disappointment glooming in her heart as she walked up to the crowd and raised her hand up high. She channeled her mana toward the exquisite Rose Ring she held between her fingers, which immediately produced a beautiful red aurora. This gesture was immediately met with thunderous apuse and roars of delight from the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s the Redrose Ring! We have acquired the Redrose Ring!¡± ¡°Hooray¡ª!¡± ¡°Long live the young miss!¡± The crowd went feverish at the revtion of the Rose Ring, especially the nobles from Rosa. The freshmen all heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that they would have someone to stand up for them. At the same time, the staff members spokepliments about Charlotte¡¯s remarkable aplishment too. It had been quite a few years since the Sorofyas came to prominence in the Sia Continent, but due to their talent being centered around divination and astrology, as well as their Jewel Magking decisive offensive prowess in a real battle, they only managed to bear a single Ringbearer over the past hundred years. Thus, Charlotte bing the second Ringbearer was weed by all of Rosa¡¯s nobles, and this feat indubitably brought glory to the Sorofya House. The cheers and apuse continued ceaselessly, and it didn¡¯t take long for Charlotte to bepletely surrounded. There were many freshmen and senior students who wanted to leave an impression on this new Ringbearer. However, before the hype could die down, yet another spirit guide dashed out of the forest, stirring a second round ofmotion. ¡°That is...¡± ¡°It¡¯s another spirit guide! Someone ising out!¡± ¡°Woah, isn¡¯t this spirit guide brighter than the one before?¡± It was yet another huge uproar. The emergence of an even brighter spirit guide could only mean one thing¡ªanother freshman had sessfully defeated a Ring Guardian and acquired a Rose Ring. The expectant crowd watched as the light in the Fog Forest grew brighter and brighter before a golden-haired young woman flew out with a pair of light wings. Amidst awed gasps, she descended onto the ground together with her spirit guide. Then, she raised her hand and showcased the dazzling golden aurora of her ring. ¡°The Goldenrose Ring! We have another Ringbearer!¡± ¡°O¡¯ great Sia! Long live Her Highness Nora!¡± Another round of apuse and cheerings broke out. The students from the Saint Mesit Theocracy swung their national g around excitedly whereas those from the Austine Empire looked much less excited by the turn of events. Overall, the atmosphere was still cheery enough to drive off the dreary vibes surrounding the Fog Forest. Nora also scanned the surroundings before making hernding, and the conspicuous absence of Roel made her frown. She turned to look at Charlotte, only to narrow her eyes warily upon noticing the Redrose Ring between her fingers. She managed to obtain it in the end... Forget it, it was within expectations anyway. Nora retracted her gaze, choosing not to dwell too much on the matter. As the future sessor of their respective countries, Nora and Charlotte knew that this wasn¡¯t the moment to be engaging in a verbal fight with one another. What was more important right now was to ept the congrattions of their followers. They were able to easily gain followers by virtue of their distinguished lineage, but this wasn¡¯t enough. They needed to go a step further to win their true loyalty, and this could be done through using this moment of shared glory to reinforce their sense of belonging. However, this duty didn¡¯t hinder the two of them from asionally directing a nce in the direction of the forest as they awaited for the return of their lover. Others might not be familiar with what Roel was capable of, but both Nora and Charlotte had been to the Witness State together with him. They were well aware of Roel¡¯s fighting prowess, and they didn¡¯t think that the weakened Origin Level 3 Ring Guardians would stand a chance against him. The two victors hadplete confidence in Roel, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about Chris. She paced around the balcony uneasily, and she eventually had to resort to lighting another cigarette to assuage her anxiety. As someone who hadn¡¯t dated ever since being ¡®dumped¡¯ by her senior more than a decade ago, Chris wasn¡¯t able to figure out what she ought to write to Carter about despite having racked her brain for an entire afternoon. After careful contemtion, it dawned on her that the only connection between the two of them at the moment was Roel, and thetter¡¯s result in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ was a perfect conversation starter. From an objective point of view, Roel¡¯s performance in the trial thus far had impressed her. Even if not for Carter, she would be tempted to offer a slot in her sses for him. It was just that she didn¡¯t expect Roel to meet with some trouble here. The Schr Guilds and student organizations had begun tabting the results to divide the students into five different tiers. The highest tier was naturally the ¡®First Tier¡¯ Ringbearers, but there was a subtle divergence between Charlotte and Nora¡¯s results. The size of Nora¡¯s spirit guide wasrge enough to epass an entire person, which was a spectacr results beyond the ssification of the five tiers. The academy had a special name for this, ¡®Special Tier¡¯. In the history of the Saint Freya Academy, there were very few students who were ssified as Special Tier. Often, there would only be one every decade. Thest Special Tier student to appear in the academy was Lilian from two years ago, and her spirit guide back then had been slightlyrger than Nora¡¯s. Being ssified under Special Tier was a mark that the transcendents¡¯ strength far surpassed that of their peers. Such students were highly sought after by the leaders of each Schr Guilds, and they wouldn¡¯t hesitate toe to blows if that was what it took for them to secure the students. It was just that Lilian and Nora¡¯s background meant that they couldn¡¯t be retained in the Country of Schrs, so the Schr Guilds could only hold themselves back here. The same logic applied to Charlotte, who was ranked in the highest First Tier albeit not being in the Special Tier. Looks like it¡¯s a wasted trip. Not all of the students were out of the dungeon yet, but the expectations of the Schr Guilds¡¯ leaders were starting to wane. In their view, anyone who had the ability to reach First Tier or Special Tier should have defeated the Ring Guardian by now. The battle shouldn¡¯t have dragged out for so long. As time ticked on, some amidst the crowd began to take their leave. Even the gamblers were also starting to lose their patience. They looked at the raised signboard just in front of the Fog Forest that wrote ¡¾Challengers: 1¡¿ and wondered if the final person had met with a cmity arising from the earlier anomalous mana pulsations. And just as Nora and Charlotte were starting to get worried, the thick fog inside the Fog Forest suddenly began flurrying about as light poured out from within. This mysterious sight immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Is it a phenomenon produced by the instability of the dungeon?¡± ¡°Wait a moment, isn¡¯t the light growing brighter, as if it¡¯s heading in our direction?¡± Listening to the discussions from the crowd, Antonio, who had maintained his silence all this while, suddenly raised his head and revealed a faint smile. Chris also quickly leaned over the railings of the balcony in agitation to take a closer look. A white sun emerged from the fog. It was a spirit guide that had grown over five meters in size, such that it was impossible to make out its original form anymore. It towered like a giant before the crowd, leaving everyone at a loss of words. The blinding light it emanated made it hard to maintain one¡¯s eyes on it for too long. Both the leaders of the Schr Guilds and the teachers of the academy gasped in shock. The gamblers all fell into a state of daze. All of the spirit guides lingering in the vicinity floated over and began circling this giant bundle of light, as if celebrating a triumph. Following the massive spirit guide, a ck-haired young man walked out of the Fog Forest. Most of the crowd recognized him as the rising star of the stadium earlier on. He was the final challenger to leave the dungeon, as well as the man whom the other two newly crowned Ringbearers were looking for. Roel Ascart shot a nce across the quiet crowd with hisposed golden eyes. There was a short moment of awkwardness before it dawned on him what he was supposed to do. So, he raised his hand, and a pale blue light shone from his ring. The silence lingered for a moment longer before the loudest hubbub that had ever urred in the Fog Forest broke out. The earlier host at the stadium immediately got into his role and stepped on top of a chair and projected his voice with a spell. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, today, we have all witnessed history in the making! Three Ringbearers in the same generation, as well as one who has brought us unbelievable light. Let¡¯s wee the birth of the Bluerose Ringbearer!¡± Chapter 260: The New Inheritor

Chapter 260: The New Inheritor

The crowd outside the forest had gone feverish celebrating this momentous asion. Having three Ringbearers in a single generation marked the highest record in the Saint Freya Academy. In fact, it had been more than a hundred years since any generation had had three Ringbearers. The staff members in charge of the academy¡¯s finances nce at one another worriedly. Having three Ringbearers at once meant that the academy would have to fork out a great sum of money in order to maintain their privileges, which equated to greater work for them. For the freshmen though, this was amazing news. It was as if they had suddenly found three huge umbres they could seek shelter under. As for the leaders of the Schr Guilds and the academy¡¯s teachers, what they saw was boundless potential. The massive spirit guide floating in the sky hinted that Roel had defeated an incredibly powerful enemy, and this was definitely something noteworthy for someone as young as he was. Even Chris appeared a little dazed by the sunlike spirit guide in the sky. If her memory failed her not, the record for thergest spirit guide was a diameter of three meters, but this white sun before her had unmistakably broken the record with a huge margin. He is an absolute prodigy with immeasurable potential! On top of that, he¡¯s a fief noble, which means that it¡¯s possible to win him over! This realization spurred the excitement of the leaders of the Schr Guilds in the vicinity. All of a sudden, the chronic pain in their waists and hips vanished without a trace, and their hunched backs straightened right up. As if someone had fired the starting pistol, all of them suddenly charged straight toward Roel almost at the same time, trying to get as close to him as possible. However, there was another group of people who were even more anxious than them¡ªthe teachers. A student could graduate from the academy without joining a Schr Guild, but he would definitely have to choose a teacher as his academic advisor. Roel was bound to be a powerhouse in the future given the capability he had disyed thus far, allowing them to rest on hisurels as his former teacher! It was almost like a frightening stampede rushing in his direction, but Roel was too immersed in the sweetness of sess to pay it any heed. He had never been hailed with such great fanfare before, be it in the Ascart Fiefdom, the Holy Capital, or Rosa, and the fact that it was from the elites of the Saint Freya Academy made it even more significant. This was a highlight of his life, and he would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t happy about this. But while he was enjoying the atmosphere, he didn¡¯t forget about the twodies who were waiting for him. He looked toward the center of the other two distinctive crowds, where Nora and Charlotte directed smiles toward him. Their followers also showed a warm attitude toward him due to his affiliation with the Ascart Fiefdom and the Saint Mesit Theocracy. Meanwhile, Paul also tried to squeeze his way forward through the crowd, hoping to congratte his friend as soon as he could. Eyy, I never thought that a random person I bumped into on the street would actually be such an incredible person. Ahhh, I reckon that my life in the academy should be better than I expected! Paul soon found himself packed tightly with other freshmen who were attempting to squeeze their way through too, but he quickly noticed that something was very odd about the crowd. Why are there so many women here? It would be awkward for a man like him to continue shoving his way through a crowd of women, so he ended up being forced to retreat a little. At the same time, Nora and Charlotte also noticed the urrence too, and their faces immediately darkened as they clenched their fists tightly. It¡¯s happening again! It¡¯s happening again! They knew that the huge exposure that Roel received from bing a Ringbearer was bound to draw in many vixens, but they didn¡¯t expect for there to be an army of them! Needless to say, there was no way they would allow matters to develop in this direction. So, they raised their hands grandly to order their followers to stop them. However, it turned out that there was no need to do so. Before any of the students could get to Roel¡¯s side, a bunch of old men and women descended from the sky and encircled Roel tightly. ¡°This student over here, I¡¯m the representative of the Conversion Schr Guild, Richardson Herman. If I may ask, have you heard of our guild before? If you¡¯re curious, it would be my pleasure to bring you on a tour around our headquarters tomorrow. How does that sound?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to his nonsense! I¡¯m the representative of the Energy Guild, Powell. Only sissies would join the dumb Conversion Schr Guild. A man¡¯s romancey in explosions!¡± ¡°Utter nonsense! Only a bunch of simple-minded monkeys like you will rely on brute force for everything. Conversion is the path of a true intellect!¡± ¡°Hey, those from the Schr Guilds should step aside first. I¡¯m an official teacher of the Saint Freya Academy. That student over there, what do you think of potions? I am a potion lecturer cum teacher, Pierra Oglet. I think that you have great aptitude in this field!¡± ¡°Of course he has aptitude, just not in whatever potion you¡¯re talking about. Roel, I¡¯m a magic defense instructor, Frank. You should be aware that the best way to survive in any battle is to simply be sufficiently strong. As long as you¡¯re able to hold your ground, what use do you have for potions?¡± ¡°What foolishness is it that I am hearing here? Do you think that potions are only for recovery? There are plenty of potions that a man can use, and it¡¯s not just limited to the battlefield!¡± Before Roel could even snap out of his daze, the elders from the various Schr Guilds and departments in the academy had already started bickering with one another. They used all sorts of flowery words in hopes of winning him over to their side. As more and more elders arrived at the scene, it looked almost like the situation was going to run out of control. Most of the powerhouses present here had some kind of grudge against one another, such that it didn¡¯t take much for the atmosphere to get really intense. All sorts of rebuke and criticisms were hurled at one another, and it seemed as if they were going toe to blows in order to prove themselves. Nora and Charlotte were utterly dumbfounded by the sight, and the students who were still rushing over a moment ago found themselves at a loss. Unless they were bold enough to cram their way in the midst of these old powerhouses of Brolne, there was pretty much no way for them to advance any further. Stuck with trying to turn down their requests and mediating the intense verbal fights going on, Roel felt that this was even more exhausting than fighting with Ro. ... Meanwhile, on the highest level of a tower that was temporarily upied by the Enforcement Division, a ck-haired young woman looked out of a big window and watched as the flustered young man on the field below tried to deal with the crowd around him. It looks like he¡¯s still safe for now. For some reason, this thought calmed down the unease that had been panging at her heart all this while. She pondered over this bizarre urrence, but she couldn¡¯t figure any rational exnation for it. In the end, she could only shake her head and turn her attention back to the field beneath. Even though Lilian had anticipated that there would be three Ringbearers in this batch of freshmen, Roel¡¯s performance still far exceeded her initial expectations. With the First Grade gaining three Ringbearers at once, they would be able to dominate half of the seats on the Rose Council once. In other words, their influence would begin growing swiftly. This meant that she could no longer fulfill the order from Lukas to not get close to the Ascarts. It would be impossible to avoid contact with Roel Ascart when their respective factions started shing with one another. Lilian turned her attention upon the teachers fighting over Roel before ncing over to another tower in the vicinity, where a crimson-haired woman was leisurely sipping on a cup of red tea. The furrow sitting on her forehead finally loosened a little. I guess the only silver lining to this is that my teacher isn¡¯t interested in him, or else things would really get troublesome... With her heart put at ease, Lilian took another deep look at the ck-haired young man before turning around to walk away. ... ¡°Only the Bluerose Ring? What a careful child he is.¡± Even after returning to his office, Antonio continued standing by the window with a cane in hand as he gazed upon the lively crowd on the field, focusing mainly on the ck-haired young man standing at the center of the buzz. A smile crept on his lips. The freshmen of the academy were youths who had juste of age and were facing so many of their same-aged peers for the first time. It would be understandable if they wanted to unt a bit so as to win the respect and acknowledgment of their peers. Without a doubt, the ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ was the ideal stage for them to make an impactful impression. If Roel had revealed that he was a Dual Ringbearer, it would have surely provoked a humongousmotion, especially when others learned that one of the rings was the legendary ckrose Ring. It would require selfmand far surpassing that of his age to keep his pride in check and conceal the matter. ¡°It has been three hundred years, and it looks like Ro has finally found someone to entrust the ring to. Now that I look back on it, it seems like a really long time has passed us by. What do you think, Margaret?¡± The white-haired old man nced at the wall as he spoke. A crystal ball hanging by the corner of the ceiling began spinning and emanated faint light. ¡°The lifespan of an unharmed artificial spirit lifeform is nearly limitless. Three hundred years means nothing to me, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°Is that so? How enviable.¡± Antonio responded to the revolving crystal ball with a helpless smile. The crystal ball named Margaret was an artificial spirit lifeform passed down as a relic from the ancient era. In a certain sense, she was also the true owner of the humongous Saint Freya Academy. With her powerfulputational power, she regted the operations of the magic tools in the academy, distribution of manpower, movement of supplies, and even arge portion of its defensive means. Even though Antonio was the principal, he needed to rely on Margaret on much of the management issues. On top of that, as the oldest intelligent lifeform in the academy, Margaret also grasped many old secrets that the current generation was oblivious to. ¡°You were the one who harvested the data of the Ring Guardian when Ro became a Ring Guardian back then, so I presume you must have been aware of his intentions?¡± ¡°Your Excellency, my job is to obeymands, not to specte.¡± ¡°I see... Since that child is in possession of the Inception Ring, it would mean that he has top-level ess right to you, though I reckon that the permissions will be slowly released to him?¡± ¡°My apologies, but you only possess second-level ess right. I¡¯m unable to answer your question.¡± ¡°...¡± Antonio¡¯s face stiffened for a moment upon hearing the cool response from the feminine voice. Left at a loss from the chain of rebuttals, an awkward silence seeped into the air. It continued for quite a while before he turned his head back to the field in the distance. Watching as Roel turned down the invitations from the Schr Guilds and teachers, Antonio suddenly had an inexplicable feeling that he was looking at that person who used to be his student. However, he soon shook his head and sighedmentably. ¡°New inheritor of the ckrose Ring, I pray that you¡¯ll pave a path different from his. For your n and yourself.¡± Chapter 261: I’ve Closed My Eyes

Chapter 261: I¡¯ve Closed My Eyes

A weekter... It was evening and the bustlingmercial street of the Saint Freya Academy was filled with people. The doors of the Brokesword Tavern kept opening and closing nonstop, adding a lively atmosphere to the ce. The greetings from the tavern¡¯s boss and the sound of wooden mugs bumping into one another echoed loudly every now and then. The rich aroma of alcohol wafted in the building. By the corner on the second floor sat a hooded young man and a crimson-haired woman. ¡°Say, Miss Chris, is it really good for you to bring me to such a ce?¡± ¡°Hm? Aren¡¯t you of age?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here!¡± Roel Ascart discreetly scanned the surroundings as he spoke. It was already sundown, and the tavern was starting to grow crowded. There were many individuals seated on the bar counter to share a conversation with their buddies while indulging themselves in alcohol. Some of the regrs sat on the two pax seats by the corners whereas new customers curiously examined the collection hanging on the wall. True to its name, there were over a hundred broken swords affixed to the wall of the Brokesword Tavern. At first nce, the tavern looked like a shabby building made out of stone and wood, but it was actually an extremely famous shop on this centuries-old street of the Saint Freya Academy. Rumors had it that the owner of the tavern used to be a swordsman, but an adventure went wrong caused him to lose all of hispanions and sustain irrecoverable trauma. Crushed by his loss, he returned to the academy he once attended and started a tavern. He pinned the broken swords that had once apanied him on his adventures onto the walls as a symbol of camaraderie. The owner¡¯s action received the approval of many knights. It started a tradition where retired swordsmen could entrust their broken swords to the tavern so as to find a good resting ce for their oldpanions. The number of broken swords in the tavern increased to over a hundred over the years, and every single one of them carried detailed information on their history and had some words left behind by their ex-masters. The memorable artifacts hanging on the wall, thefortable dim environment, and the historical building created an atmosphere of nostalgia in the air, which was believed to be the reason why the Brokesword Tavern continued to remain popr over the years despitecking the ssy and extravagant appearance of the other stores. Of course, most freshmen usually shied away from this shabby tavern, and it wasn¡¯t located in a particrly conspicuous location either. In fact, most of the customers in the tavern were regrs from the senior students, staff members, and the employees from the other shops. This made Roel heave a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that someone will see me and stir up unnecessary trouble.¡± Roel sighed helplessly as he picked up the mug on the table and took a sip of alcohol. The pale blue ring on his finger glimmered a little under the dim lighting of the tavern. The hugemotion at ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ a week ago had made the term, ¡®Bluerose Ring¡¯, the trending phrase in the Saint Freya Academy at the moment. The heightened awareness about him plunged his life into a very different kind of warzone. Ever since the award presentation ceremony, he found himself constantly ambushed by personnel from Schr Guilds, student organizations, and teachers. It wasmonce for these people toy in wait at ces where they knew he would be, and they would throw out all sorts of incentives to entice him. Some even tried seduction. Of course, those who resorted to ¡®improper means¡¯ were unhesitantly punished by the uncanny alliance of the Goldenrose Ringbearer and Redrose Ringbearer, but even so, troubles just kept knocking on his door. The entrance of the dormitory Roel lived in was always flooded with people looking for him, and the fact that students residing in the same dormitory were desperate to strike up a connection with him left him with hardly any opportunity to catch a respite. The week following the entrance ceremony was a grace period for the students to familiarize themselves with the academy, select the subjects they wished to study, and apply for the corresponding sses. Other than that, they would also have to choose a teacher in the academy as their academic advisor. A week¡¯s time might seem long, but it was already fairly efficient considering the immense administrative work required to process thousands of ss applications, review appeals, allocate resources to each teacher depending on their student intake, and so on. Unfortunately for Roel, it had been a really long week for him as the tenacity of the teachers was really not to be made light of. He didn¡¯t want to get involved with the Schr Guilds as he was unfamiliar with them. As for getting an academic advisor, it was obvious that he was going to choose Chris, who provided him with the oilmp that allowed him to safely return to the academy. On top of that, Chris was also one of the best teachers around, considering that she was one of the few sage teachers in the faculty. However, he chose to keep his decision to himself for the time being as he knew that he would only bring trouble to Chris if he were to reveal his decision too early on. So, he chose to camp out with the students from the Theocracy and Rosa over thest few days and maintain a low profile. Looking at how the esteemed Bluerose Ringbearer who had shaken the entire academy at its core hiding frightfully from the crowd, Chris couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡°I know those old fogeys have been hot on your tail, which is why I brought you here to loosen up a little. After all, you¡¯ll officially be my student after tomorrow¡¯s announcement.¡± Chris chugged down an entire mug of alcohol as she celebrated her wise decision to visit Roel in advance... though there was no way she would admit now that her initial intention back then was a bit more nefarious. As expected of me! She crossed her arms in front of her chest and nodded proudly. After mentally giving herself a pat on the back, she gestured to the wall beside them and continued her words. ¡°Other than to let loose, the other reason why I brought you to this corner is this.¡± Roel nced over, only to widen his eyes in surprise. There was a broken slender longsword hanging on the wall beside them. From its design, it seemed to be a sword forged in recent times. There was a preservation spell cast on it, so it didn¡¯t look old. If anything, it looked like it had just been broken not too long ago. There was a short description written beneath it. ¡¾11th Month of Year 988, shattered in the midst of saving threepanions in ruin at the foot of Mount Yufler. ¡ªCarter Ascart¡¿ ¡°It was senior who first brought me to this tavern. Do you understand why I brought you here now?¡± Chris looked at the broken sword on the wall with a nostalgic smile on her lips, but the young man seated opposite to her had already gonepletely silly. W-what¡¯s going on? Senior? Is she referring to my father? Wait a moment, if she knows my father, wouldn¡¯t that mean that the acquaintance she mentioned previously is... Roel began rummaging through his head to recall the conversation they had a week ago, but his expression only grew more peculiar the more he recalled. ¡°So, Miss Chris... Well, how is your letter writing going? What did you write about?¡± Hoping to verify the possibility that had surfaced in his mind, Roel decided to try probing about the letter. His question made Chris¡¯ expression turn a little awkward. ¡°I-I just sent the first one out. It has been a long while since west came into contact with one another. I simply talked about how it¡¯s going on your side so as to put his mind at ease. I-I mean, he¡¯s so busy at the eastern borders, so it wouldn¡¯t be good if he gets distracted worrying about you...¡± ¡°...¡± Roel stared dumbfounded at his teacher as it finally dawned on him the huge mimunication they had previously. That exins why you treated me so well! I wanted to be your student, but you wanted to be my stepmother instead? Roel covered his face speechlessly. His first reaction was to rify the misunderstanding, but when he caught sight of the wistful expression on Chris¡¯ face as she gazed upon the sword on the wall, the words that were already on the tip of his tongue suddenly vanished. He continued staring at her a little longer before abruptly picking up the wooden mug on the table and chugged it down. It had been more than a decade since Roel¡¯s mother passed away, but Carter still remained single to date. To be honest, Roel disapproved of this matter because he felt that there were only two possibilities regarding this. One, Carter¡¯s heart had died along with the demise of his mother, causing him to close himself up. That led to him rejecting all care and affectioning from the opposite gender. Two, Carter was remaining single in order to ensure Roel¡¯s smooth inheritance of the Ascart House. Considering how unruly Roel had been before regaining the memories of his previous life, this possibility seemed much more likely. But regardless of which it was, Roel didn¡¯t think that it was a good thing for Carter. The first possibility would probably make quite a touching story, and some might even praise it as an example of devotion to true love. However, in a real world setting, was it really healthy for one to continue living in the past, wallowing in grief from the passing of a loved one? In the first ce, love ought to bring about happiness. The passing of a loved one was bound to be sorrowful, but it didn¡¯t seem right to continue wallowing in it for more than a decade. The premature death of Roel¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t Carter¡¯s fault, and it wasn¡¯t right for an innocent person to have to suffer for this. It was not to say that Carter didn¡¯t have the right to grief, but it would be a psychological problem if he was really putting a lid on his feelings due to that. If so, what Roel ought to do was to find a psychiatrist to treat him instead of praising his devotion! As for the second possibility, Roel had already matured and was sufficiently strong and capable to protect himself. There was even less of a reason for Carter to hold back for him now. Looking at it this way, Chris¡¯ appearance could be a good thing. At the very least, unlike most other noblewomen, Chris was an earnest person with a candid personality. Most importantly of all, she was truly fond of Carter, having not married despite having reached her thirties. Such feelings were truly hard toe by. Since the misunderstanding had led to such a turn of events, it might be a good idea to let Chris give it a try and see how far she could go. Forget it, I¡¯ll just turn a blind eye to it then, Roel thought as he gulped down his beer. There was a moment of silence before he asked once more. ¡°Miss Chris, how did you meet my father?¡± ¡°Hm? We were students under the same academic advisor, and he has mentored me for a period of time.¡± ¡°Oh? I see...¡± Roel nodded nkly in response, seemingly not too familiar with the mentorship system. Chris was about to exin the matter to him when an idea struck her, and a yful smile curled on her lips. ¡°I can see that you are unaware of the mentorship system, but that¡¯s not an issue at all. You¡¯ll understand very soon after you be my student.¡± Chapter 262: She Must Be a Gentle Person

Chapter 262: She Must Be a Gentle Person

In some sense, it wasn¡¯t wrong to say that the Ringbearers were almost untouchable in the academy. It was a prestigious position that the students earned through their own strength and was thus invible. It was more likely that the principal to be switched out than a Ringbearer to lose his position. Of course, while there was a use in the academy¡¯s constitution that could be invoked to dismiss the incumbent principal, the likelihood of it happening was practically null. Even if Antonio were to go senile from this day onward, dressing up as a woman to parade in Leinster¡¯s city square, it would still take at least a year or so for the entire set of procedures to bepleted. As someone who had set a new record in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, Roel was also orded special privileges too. In fact, out of respect for the new record holder, the staff members even provided him with a list of buildings and training facilities so that he could pick any one of his liking. The privilege of choice was truly gratifying. Amongst the many options, three of them swiftly caught Roel¡¯s eyes. One was a tower located near the central district, the second was a cluster of vis by thekeside, and the third was a manor located further away near the mountainside. Looking at it in terms of area, the tall tower granted him the least control over his surroundings due to its proximity to the central district. The mountainside manor had much more space being located in a more remote space, and the one that boasted thergest size of all was thekeside vis. In fact, thekeside vis came as a package together with theke. However, it was usually the quality that mattered more than the quantity when it came tond. In terms ofnd value, the tower was located in the central district of the academy. The gourmet street andmercial area were a short walk away, and most activities on the campus would be held there too. It would be like living at the heart of a city. If he chose that location as the base of operations for the Bluerose Faction, he would be able to fully enjoy his student life. Delicacies would be avable just a few steps away from his tower, and he would be in a good position to acquire firsthand news about all sorts of discounts and promotions. It would be convenient for him to join campus activities as well. Even if he was feelingzy, he could opt to open the window and soak in the lively atmosphere below. Most important of all, he would be able to sleep till just ten minutes before lessons started! This was practically the ideal student life to him! If he had been granted this privilege in his previous life, he would have taken it without any hesitation. It was just that there was another factor he had to take into ount here¡ªthe suitability of the location for the construction of a training ground. Unfortunately, the tower didn¡¯t score well on that aspect since it would be impossible to construct a decent-sized training ground in the central district. For thekeside vis, itsnd value would be worth much less than the tower, but it provided the best amodations. These vis provided a scenic view of theke, and the many activities one could do on ake made it a great dating spot, be it rowing a boat, having a pic, or just idly resting around. In fact, most of the academy¡¯s water activities were held at thiske. There was plenty ofnd to work with here, and theke could be incorporated into the training ground to create an optimal environment for the practice of water-rted spells. The location was half an hour¡¯s walk away from the central district, shortened to around ten minutes if the academy¡¯s unique magic mobility device was used. It was neither near nor far from the central district, simr to how school dormitories in his previous life were usually positioned. Last but not least, the mountainside manor. It was located near the borders of the academy, such that it would take several hours to reach the central district on foot and at least an hour on the magic mobility device. It was greatly inconvenient in terms of essibility. That being said, the buildings were built grand and the renovations elegant. On top of that, it came with an already builtrge training field too. It was said to be constructed by one of Austine¡¯s high nobles during the peak of their prosperity. However, the greatest advantage¡ªand, at the same time, disadvantage¡ªto choosing the mountainside manor was not the facilities it came with but the mountain it was located in. In other words, the mountain had a dungeon. Sentinel Valley. Simr to ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, it was a unique dungeon where only those in the vicinity would be able to enter. However, beneath its mild name, there were great dangers lurking within it, just that the chances of stumbling upon them weren¡¯t too high. Every time the Sentinel Valley opened, any expedition team seeking to explore the area would be required to have Destiny Bond cast on them. Unless the entire party was wiped out, this spell would forcefully petrify any individual who had suffered a fatal attack, turning him into a statue awaiting hisrades¡¯ rescue. This way, the individual would at least stand a chance to survive if his party sessfully defeated all of the demonic beasts and dragged him out of the dungeon to have the petrification dispelled. However, if the entire party were to be eliminated or remained in the dungeon for more than three days, the petrification would be automatically undone. Once that happened, anyone who sustained fatal injuries would be pretty much doomed. All in all, the dungeon wasn¡¯t too dangerous. All they had to do was to station an individual at the entrance who could escape and seek help whenever required. Still, this solution wasn¡¯t foolproof as there would asionally be students wandering off to remote corners of the dungeon, and sometimes, the petrified bodies would be buried underground due to their battles copsing nearby terrain. In such cases, it would be hard to reach the casualties on time. In view of the risks, the academy refrained from incorporating the Sentinel Valley into their curriculum. Searching for a few missing members in a couple of small expedition teams was still manageable with the help of magic tools, but anything beyond that would be a logistical nightmare, especially considering the three days¡¯ time limit. Using the dungeon on arge-scale was a huge no-no, but it was still decent for the training of a small elite team. The only ways to really umte real-lifebat experience in Saint Freya Academy was to either go on missions or challenge the dungeons, both of which carried significant risks. At least measures could be taken in the Sentinel Valley in order to greatly increase the chances of survival, and help was readily essible if things went awry. When it came to missions outside the academy, there were hardly any reliable safetys to fall back on. Roel fell into hesitation as he weighed the pros and cons of the three options. He knew that there was no way for him to get the best of both worlds here, so he decided to go with the mountainside manor that had a dungeon after careful contemtion. There were three reasons behind his decision. First, the demographics of the members that would be joining his faction. Under normal circumstances, Roel should have been the second-in-charge of the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s nobles, Nora¡¯s right hand man. However, now that he had be a Ringbearer and was going to establish his own faction, he wouldn¡¯t be able to work under Nora anymore. That being said, he had no intention of poaching people from Nora and Charlotte¡¯s factions, and that unfortunately meant that the scope of his recruitment would be greatly narrowed. After careful consideration, he decided to target Brolne¡¯s locals and the offspring of merchant houses and lower-ranking nobles. Those people tended to be the most hardworking ones in the Saint Freya Academy since there was nothing at home for them to inherit after their graduation, so they had no choice but to be independent. Their main goal in the academy was to better themselves and expand their future opportunities, and Roel was more than willing to provide them with that. Of course, he wasn¡¯t just doing that out of kindness. This was where the second reason came in¡ªhe wanted to recruit talents for the Ascart Fiefdom. These students without any inheritance at home needed to find a job after graduation, and he, as the proxy fief lord, had the power of appointment. Last but not least, Roel had the means to further reduce the risks posed by the dungeon. The key problem with the safety procedure devised by the academy was the difficulty in searching for the petrified students, but this wasn¡¯t an issue for Roel at all, for he had Peytra on his side. It was practically sphemy to im that there was anything the Primordial Earth Goddess couldn¡¯t find in the ground! So, the greatest loophole in the security measure surrounding the Sentinel Valley wasn¡¯t a problem for Roel at all, which meant that he could exploit its benefits to the greatest degree. On top of that, he was also quite curious about the existence of dungeons too. So, after making his choice known, the academy began dispatching workers over to the mountainside manor to fix up the area. It would take around half a month before the ce was ready, but it was good that the entire procedure wouldn¡¯t require his attention since he was currently preupied with other matters. Yesterday, at the Brokesword Tavern, Roel drank quite a bit of alcohol with Chris as he reassessed thetter¡¯s personality. His eventual conclusion was that his new academic advisor was indeed a candid person. She was the type to wear her heart on her sleeves, not bothering to conceal her fondness or disdain for others. She had picked up some bad habits in the years after she had fallen out of love, such as smoking whenever she felt anxious, but overall, her strengths far outweighed her ws. One thing that particrly stood out was her meticulousness. In order to ensure that Roel could catch up with her sses as soon as possible, she even assigned a senior to mentor him. In the Saint Freya Academy, a student was required to attend the sses of his selected academic advisor, and these sses were usuallybined with students of different grades. The subject would vary depending on who the academic advisor was, but ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯ was particrly known for its difficulty. Roel figured that it would take him at least half a year before he could catch up with Chris¡¯ teachings despite the strong foundation he had built up, so having a senior student mentor him was much appreciated here. After reading up on it, he came to learn that the mentorship system was an exclusive privilege of the weaker students. It was officially known as the Academic Support Pairing Program, and an example was the previous rtionship between Carter and Chris. There were benefits offered to the mentor like bonus Academic Credits and subsidies on tuition fees, but private mentors, such as in the case of Roel¡¯s, weren¡¯t entitled to them. To put it simply, Chris was specially tapping into her connections for Roel¡¯s sake, and Roel was deeply thankful to her for that. Of course, he was even more thankful to the senior for epting the hassle. She must be a very caring andpassionate person. ... ¡°Building 1¡¯s ssroom 14, right?¡± murmured Roel under his breath as he scanned the boards hanging by the entrances of the ssroom. Meanwhile, at his destination, a ck-haired young woman was currently receiving some instructions from her academic advisor. ¡°You want me to tutor a new First Grade student? Alright, leave it to me,¡± replied Lilian calmly. Chapter 263: Second Encounter

Chapter 263: Second Encounter

Lilian epted Chris¡¯ request without much hesitation. This was not the first time that she had taken on a tutoring role. Last year, as the most outstanding student of ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯ and the representative of the Second Grade, she took on the job of conducting supplementary sses for her First Grade juniors. It was worth noting that such practices weren¡¯t the convention in the Saint Freya Academy. In fact, the dynamics of student rtionships could differ greatly depending on who the teacher was. Take the teacher who boasted the most students in the academy for example, tley, his teaching ability was naturally at a decent level, but the key reason why the students picked him over his possibly morepetent colleagues was the easier examinations he set. Simr to Roel¡¯s previous life, failing the examinations in the Saint Freya Academy was a nightmare for all students. Not only would they be taking on additional financial burden, but they would risk facing the threat of expulsion too. It went without saying that failedpulsory sses needed to be retaken, and these retaken sses needed to be paid for too. In fact, in order to ¡®encourage¡¯ the students, they would have to pay twice the usual amount for repeated sses, and that was definitely not a small sum given the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s already exorbitant tuition fees. Expulsion cases were even more straightforward. Of thepulsory sses that the students took on every year, anyone who failed five of them would be given a warning. They would have to take a make-up examination at the start of the next academic semester, and if they failed that as well, they would be sent packing right away. Such strict rules meant that there were plenty of expelled students each year, but a disproportionate amount of them came from the freshmen. It was understandable since they were new to the academy and hadn¡¯t adapted to the environment yet. Under such immense pressure, having a teacher who would often slip questions he had gone through in ss into the examinations a godsent gift. In Roel¡¯s previous life, those people were called ¡®Living Buddhas¡¯, but here in the Saint Freya Academy, he went by the name of ¡®Light of Salvation¡¯ tley. Due to that, the demand for tley¡¯s sses far outstripped the supply. Slots ran out like hotcakes even though he took in more than a hundred students each year. Heck, the slots were even auctioned off at exorbitant prices in ck markets! However, the nature of tley¡¯s sses also resulted in his students being less bonded too. They were there just to scrape a pass and that could be pulled off easily enough. There wasn¡¯t much of a reason for students to interact with one another. Even if fellow ssmates were to meet one another after graduation, they would simply exim ¡®Long live Mr tley¡¯ and that would pretty much be the onlymonality between them. In contrast to the colder nature of ¡®tley¡¯s ssroom¡¯, ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯ was at the opposite end of the spectrum. Chris sought to nurture only the greatest of talents, so the examinations she set were challenging. In fact, there were cases where all of her students failed the examinations and had to take the make-up test. Chris¡¯ teaching method was harsh, but it produced results. It had only been eighteen years since she graduated and became a teacher here at the Saint Freya Academy, but she already had more than a hundred elite graduates under her belt. ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯ was definitely far more stressful than ¡®tley¡¯s ssroom¡¯, and over the years, there were students who were unable to take the pressure and harbored hatred toward Chris. However, when they started experiencing the hardships of society, they realized that the hardships they had been through during their student life weren¡¯t in vain, especially when they managed to seize a precious opportunity or avert a cmity with the knowledge and skills they had grasped. That turned their lingering grudge into gratitude. ¡®cking off in the academy will only lead to hardships in the future¡¯¡ªthis was a philosophy that many graduates only came to realize after they stepped into the real world. When examinations became harder, the students were more likely to huddle together and help one another through the crisis. On top of that, Chris only took in the most talented of students, so there weren¡¯t that many people in her ssroom. Due to that, her students tended to be very close to one another. One of the reasons why Lilian chose Chris as her academic advisor was due to her neutral position arising from her being a Brolne¡¯s local, so thetter wouldn¡¯t fawn or be hostile toward her. Other than that, she also had her eyes on this strict sage teacher¡¯s formidablework of connections. One must know that Chris had groomed over a hundred elite graduates in less than two decades, so even her earliest batch of students was only in their early thirties. These people were still young and harnessed great potential, so there was no doubt that their influence would only continue to grow with time. Even for an imperial princess like Lilian, thiswork of connections was a valuable asset. The political situation in the Austine Empire had been growing tenser in recent years, and it was hard to tell what would happen in the future. It was necessary for her to start expanding her influence so as to be able to stand her ground. While those were her initial intentions behind choosing Chris as her academic advisor, over the past two years, Chris had be one of the few friends she had. The two of them were on good terms with one another, and that was also the reason why Lilian didn¡¯t hesitate to ept her request. ¡°Are there many students this year?¡± ¡°Nay, I only took one in.¡± ¡°I see. Is it a woman as usual?¡± ¡°Well, about that... it¡¯s a man,¡± replied Chris awkwardly. Lilian frowned upon hearing those words. It might sound narcissisticing from her, but any long-term rtionships she had with any men always resulted in amon oue¡ªa confession. The previous supplementary ss she had to take proceeded without a hitch only because all of the students were women. She was hesitant about tutoring a man since her previous experiences told her that things would likely get awkward and troublesome. Perhaps sensing the thoughts of the ck-haired young woman, Chris sighed softly and added on. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Thatd is simply too talented that I don¡¯t think anyone else can rise up to the asion. In truth, I wanted to tutor him myself, but I¡¯m worried that others might interpret it as excessive bias, and it would be unfair to my other students too.¡± ¡°Yes, that would indeed be a problem.¡± ¡°It would also be more appropriate in terms of qualification since you¡¯re a Ringbearer too.¡± ¡°Ah? Wait a moment...¡± Lilian sharply sensed the implied meaning behind Chris¡¯ words, but before she could rify the matter, a knock suddenly sounded on the door before a young man covered in a hood and a scarf walked in. The young man hurriedly closed the door behind him before breathing a sigh of relief. He began putting down his hood and taking off his scarf as he greeted the two individuals who were already in the room. ¡°Miss Chris, you¡¯re already here? Is this the senior who will be... Ah?¡± ¡°You are...!¡± Roel¡¯s greeting trailed to a halt upon seeing the familiar face in the room. At the same time, Lilian shot to her feet as she stared at Roel with widened eyes. Two pairs of eyes met one another as the rings they wore on their fingers glimmered faintly. ... It was a secret that Roel Ascart had be the student of the youngest sage teacher of the academy, Chris Wilde, but not to the twodies closest to him. Nora and Charlotte knew about it right from the very start. They felt a little regretful about Roel¡¯s decision, but they chose to ept it. ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯ was known not just for the difficulty of its examinations but its high barrier of entry too. After the bestowment of the ¡®sage teacher¡¯ title a few years ago, Chris began to take in even fewer students, and on this particr year, she chose to ept only Roel. This was an indication that she was intending to focus her effort on grooming him. This was clearly a rare opportunity, so the two women who wished the best for Roel couldn¡¯t bring themselves to voice their opposition to his decision. Nevertheless, that didn¡¯t mean that they weren¡¯t concerned. ¡°If I remember correctly, Lilian Ackermann is one of Chris¡¯ students too, right?¡± Nora picked up the teacup before her and took a sip before voicing her concern. Seated opposite to her, Charlotte nodded with a slight frown. ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s only normal for someone as talented as Lilian to be Chris¡¯ student. This ismon knowledge in the academy.¡± ¡°I never thought that I would be forced into a confrontation with that woman through such a manner.¡± ¡°Since they¡¯re students under the same teacher, I reckon that she wouldn¡¯t make things hard on him. It¡¯s just that the thought of him having to attend sses with that woman is displeasing,¡± said Charlotte with knitted eyebrows. By the nature of her birth, she harbored great hostility toward the Austine Empire, so it couldn¡¯t be helped that her impression of Lilian would be poor as well. It frustrated her to no end that she was unable to do anything about this situation. Unlike Lilian, both Nora and Charlotte had no need to expand their connections since they were already in a stable position themselves. Instead, what they needed to worry about was being ¡®brainwashed¡¯ by a foreign teacher with different ideals¡ªor at least that was what the nobles of their respective countries were worried about. For that reason, Nora and Charlotte¡¯s teachers ought to be from their respective countries, someone whom the nobles could fully trust. Due to that, they weren¡¯t able to apany Roel. They could only console themselves that there would be no vixens in ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯. All of the students there were far too busy trying not to fail their examinations to get romantically involved with one another. Maybe the highly intelligent Lilian was one exception, but both Nora and Charlotte agreed that it was impossible for Roel and her to be a thing. For one, it was impossible for an imperial member of the Austine Empire to marry a foreign noble. On top of that, Lilian was known to be a cold-natured person who naturally distanced herself from others, and there was no way Roel would take the initiative to get close to her either. No one knew Roel better than they did. He was a person with a strong sense of responsibility, so he wouldn¡¯t approach another woman whom he couldn¡¯t take responsibility for. Be it Alicia, Nora, or Charlotte, they were at least people within his reach to care for. Someone who lived far beyond his scope like Lilian was definitely out of the question. Besides, even if Roel really sumbed to Lilian¡¯s beauty in a moment of hot-headedness, Carter would surely step forward to strongly oppose their rtionship. Considering how much Roel treasured his family, the chances were slim that he would go against¡¯s Carter¡¯s wishes. What Nora and Charlotte were more worried about was Roel getting into a conflict with Lilian. Their previous encounter before the entrance ceremony was already a tense one, and things were likely to get worse now that Roel had be a Ringbearer. ¡°Darling should have already anticipated this in advance. We can only trust him to handle this matter carefully,¡± said Charlotte as he took a sip of tea. Nora also nodded in agreement as a relieved smile finally appeared on her lips. Little did they know that Roel was just getting into his second encounter with Lilian. Chapter 264: The Greatest Distance

Chapter 264: The Greatest Distance

In the silent ssroom, Roel Ascart and Lilian Ackermann sat in the same row but with two empty seats between them. At the front of the ssroom, Chris stared at the chasm of awkwardness that stood between the two of them at a loss. This shouldn¡¯t be. Roel has joined the academy not too long ago, and he shouldn¡¯t have met Lilian over the past week. Why does the atmosphere between the two of them feel so cold, as if they have a grudge against one another? Unaware of the short confrontation between her two students prior to the entrance ceremony, the crimson-haired teacher was utterly bewildered. However, there was someone who was even more bewildered than her in the ssroom, and that was Roel. There was only one question lingering in his mind at the very moment. R*ddit: How do I interact with a woman whom my ancestor has tasked me to knock up? Need urgent answers right away!!! Roel felt his mind slowly turning numb. Had this been before his encounter with Ro in the dungeon, he would have simply maintained a polite distance between the two of them, but now... Just looking at Lilian¡¯s face would make him uncontrobly recall the mission Ro had entrusted to him with a pat on the shoulder! It was already bad enough to knock up an unmarried woman, but he even had to do it behind the back of her family members. This was such a scummy move that Roel felt conscience-stricken just thinking about it. He felt like he had lost the moral high ground here, which resulted in the weakening of his airs as well. He hadn¡¯t tried gathering information about Chris¡¯ students as he was preupied trying to hide from far too many people hounding him down, and he had already made up his mind about choosing Chris as his academic advisor. As a result, he waspletely caught off-guard by the turn of events. It was out of awkwardness from his ancestor¡¯s instruction that Roel had fallen silent, but Lilian¡¯s silence stemmed from her deep contemtion. Was it deliberate? Her stoic face concealed her thoughts, but her eyes were slowly growing sharper. As the princess of the Austine Empire, Lilian was renowned enough to be dubbed as the representative of ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯. There was no way Roel could have not known that she was Chris¡¯ student. But the reaction he gave when he entered the ssroom... Lilian recalled the dumbfounded look on Roel¡¯s face upon catching sight of her and shook her head. She was fairly certain that his reaction was authentic, and that he wasn¡¯t putting on act here. Is it a coincidence? If that¡¯s the case... this might be a good thing. Of the three new Ringbearers, the Theocracy¡¯s princess and the daughter of Rosa¡¯s chief administrator were likely to bear hostility toward her, an imperial princess of the Austine Empire. Thus, it would be best for them to shun one another outside of the Rose Council so as to avoid conflict. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said about Roel. It was true that Roel was a noble of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, but he wasn¡¯t a central noble but anded noble. He didn¡¯t have any direct conflict with Austine¡¯s imperial family, so there wasn¡¯t any deep-rooted grudge between them. If she could at least maintain friendly rtions with him, he could at least be a bridge between her and the other two new Ringbearers, especially since he was on good terms with them. Most important of all, it would be a form of escapism if she were to refuse to tutor him now, and it wasn¡¯t like her to appear weak. Besides, was it really possible for her to avoid him now that they were both Chris¡¯ students? ... ¡°Do the two of you know each other?¡± After a prolonged bout of awkward silence, Chris finally stepped in and enquired about their rtionship. The two of them immediately shook their heads in response. ¡°Not really. I met him once before the entrance ceremony, but it was mainly for work,¡± replied Lilian. Her voice was impassive, and her calm amethyst eyes concealed her thoughts. She still bore some reservations about Roel due to the usible nefarious intentions he harbored for approaching Paul. However, Chris wasn¡¯t the type to probe into the affairs of her students. ¡°Is that so? Well, shall we start with introductions first? The two of you will be frequently meeting one another from now onward. I doubt that our ss will be growing bigger anytime soon, so it¡¯s only going to be awkward if you don¡¯t warm up to one another. Besides... the two of you won¡¯t be able to avoid interacting with one another even outside of my ssroom.¡± ¡°Ah? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°...¡± Roel frowned upon hearing Chris¡¯ words whereas Lilian¡¯s eyes gleamed silently. Chris raised her eyebrows slightly as she asked. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯re both creation transcendents, right?¡± ¡°Creation? No, I¡¯m more of a summoner transcendent.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that you¡¯re officially considered a summoner transcendent in your student records, but you¡¯ll be grouped with the creation transcendents for your practicalbat sses. You can think of creation as a special branch of summoning. This distinction came into existence in recent decades due to the existence of unique individuals like you...¡± Roel was a little stunned to hear Chris¡¯ words. Based on what thetter was saying, it would appear that ¡®summoning¡¯ wasn¡¯t an apt word to describe his bloodline ability. The traditional meaning of summoning was the act of transporting an already existent object or being to one¡¯s side. The same principles applied in the summoning of fire spirits or death spirits too. However, this was at odds with Roel¡¯s ability since he was summoning the consciousness of ancient beings and manifesting their bodies in the present world with his mana. From a certain perspective, it was more of an act of ¡®building something out of nothing¡¯, which fell under the category of ¡®creation¡¯. There were also differences between the two in terms of mana consumption. Summoning was a one-time purchase. Once an object or being was summoned, it wouldn¡¯t require any mana to maintain the summoning. Creation, on the other hand, was more like a subscription. Once Roel stopped supplying mana to Peytra or Grandar, their manifested bodies would soon dissipate naturally due to their inability to house their powerful souls. Chris¡¯ sharp and concise exnation enlightened Roel. He finally understood where the feeling of incongruence he had felt all this while came from. However, new doubts swiftly surfaced in his mind. This means that Lilian is a creation transcendent too? Roel shot a nce at the ice beauty two seats away from him as he tried recalling the Lilian in Eyes of the Chronicler... Nothing came to mind. The only major fight he really remembered from the game was the in-game Roel¡¯s lynching scene, but Lilian wasn¡¯t one of the key attackers there so there weren¡¯t many details regarding her. He only recalled her summoning some sort of soldiers in order to back the others up. Now that he really thought about it, Lilian probably wasn¡¯t in a good position to do anything since she was from the Austine Empire. No matter how vile the in-game Roel was, it wasn¡¯t the ce of an imperial princess of the Austine Empire to punish a criminal from the Theocracy. ¡°There aren¡¯t that many creation transcendents around, so the two of you are bound to bump into one another for the practicalbat sses,¡± said Chris. She habitually picked up a smoke, only to hesitantly put it down upon recalling that she was in a ssroom. There was a moment of silence as Roel and Lilian traded nces. There were a myriad of emotions rippling in Roel¡¯s golden eyes whereas Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes remained as chilly as ever, as if there was a block of ice in her that simply couldn¡¯t be melted. ¡°Roel Ascart.¡± ¡°Lilian Ackermann.¡± Here it was, the fastest self-introduction in the world! I guess it¡¯s good that we at least managed to exchange names, though it felt more like attendance taking... Roel felt a little helpless about the situation, but he had no idea what to say at all. In a sense, he did know more about Lilian than anyone else, but that didn¡¯t seem to be helping much here. If I were to tell her ¡®You¡¯re a bro-con¡¯, she¡¯ll probably erupt like a volcano right away. Perhaps it was because Chris felt ufortable with the undispeble awkwardness lingering in the air, she excused herself using the pretext of giving them some space to know one another. It came as a relief since there were some words they couldn¡¯t speak of in Chris¡¯ presence. He waited patiently for Chris¡¯ footsteps to fade from the corridor before finally speaking up. He felt that there were some things he should rify, and it would be good if he could win some Affection Points from her in the midst of doing so. ¡°Senior Lilian, I¡¯m unaware that you¡¯re a student of Miss Chris.¡± ¡°... Is that so?¡± Lilian¡¯s response was as nonchnt as ever, but Roel didn¡¯t back down because of that. He continued on calmly. ¡°I apologize for the incident on the field. It wasn¡¯t my intention to undermine the Enforcement Division.¡± ¡°... I see.¡± ¡°We¡¯re both Miss Chris¡¯ students, creation transcendents, and fellow Ringbearers. It¡¯s likely that we¡¯ll meet one another often in the future, so I think it¡¯ll be good if we can maintain friendly rtions...¡± ¡°Junior Roel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Roel¡¯s words got smoother and smoother, and just as he was just about to get into befriending her, Lilian suddenly cut him short. She finally turned over to face Roel properly before calmly voicing out her thoughts. ¡°We might have manymonalities that make it impossible for us to avoid one another, but I have no intention of getting on close terms with you. Our backgrounds make it impossible for us to form such a rtionship.¡± Lilian nced at the pale blue ring sitting on Roel¡¯s finger as she spoke, which made thetter¡¯s expression stiffen a little. He realized that Lilian had a negative impression of him. ¡°... I understand your intention, but it seems rude of me to not reciprocate your favor when you¡¯re sparing your time to tutor me.¡± ¡°You need not pay that any heed. I¡¯m not doing this for you. It¡¯s just a request from Miss Chris. I believe that it¡¯s sufficient for us to remain as simple ssmates. There¡¯s no need for anything more or less, or else any conflict that arises in the future will just put us in difficult positions. What do you think?¡± said Lilian with a businesslike tone. ¡°...¡± Roel finally got a grasp on the situation here. It was no longer a matter of whether Lilian had a good impression of him or not but that it didn¡¯t exist at all. It was just like the adage, ¡®the greatest distance in the world is the distance between two strangers¡¯. ¡°If that¡¯s what you believe to be necessary, let¡¯s go with that then.¡± Roel¡¯s voice turned a little colder and stiffer after hearing Lilian¡¯s words, but Lilian wasn¡¯t fazed by it. She nodded her head before rising to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m d that we¡¯re able toe to a consensus. Well, if you may excuse me.¡± With a quick farewell, Lilian left the ssroom. Chapter 265: The Joys of Freebies

Chapter 265: The Joys of Freebies

Roel sat in an empty ssroom, watching quietly as Lilian walked out of the door before sighing deeply. Their interaction made it clear to him that Lilian had no intention of building any sort of rtionship with him. She wanted to maintain a certain distance between them, and honestly speaking, he couldn¡¯t understand her thoughts at all. He couldn¡¯t help noticing that something was off during his interaction with Lilian. The reasons that Lilian offered might sound reasonable at first, but upon careful contemtion, it should be clear that maintaining a friendly rtionship with him would yield more benefits. Of course, different people tended to look at problems from different perspectives, but someone as intelligent as Lilian should have contemted the pros and cons from different angles beforeing to a decision. Or could it be that something is interfering with her decision? Roel pondered for a moment before shaking his head. He shouldn¡¯t be trying to make meaningless spections here, especially not when he had many things on his te at the moment. The ckrose Ring was a legacy he had inherited from his old ancestor, as well as the culprit that caused his spirit guide to inte to a diameter of five meters. Roel hadn¡¯t put the ring on even once over thest week. There were far too many people on his tail that he was afraid that someone would catch him with it. On top of that, he was also unaware of what exactly was the ckrose Ring¡¯s ability. ording to Ro, the ckrose Ring provided one guidance, but there was no further exnation on what this ¡®guidance¡¯ was. He would prefer not to cause amotion with the ckrose Ring if possible, so he decided to look into it only after getting his own turf. It was then that footsteps began sounding from the corridor outside. Roel quickly snapped out of his thoughts, pulled up his hoodie and put on his scarf, and walked out. Chris had chosen to put together this meeting before the morning sses so that Roel and Lilian could familiarize themselves with one another ahead of time. Now that their meeting was over, it was finally time for morning sses. The freshmen sses focused more on rudimentary content with the aim of nurturing the students¡¯ learning habits. The first ss Roel went through was math, and it reminded him of the math ss he went through in university in his previous life, though the two could hardly bepared with one another in terms of difficulty. Compared to all of theplicated mathematical models he had to learn in his previous life, what was being taught by the lecturer right now could definitely be considered as simple. One thing that was worthy of note was the grand-looking ssrooms in the Faculty of Mathematics. Its centuries-old buildings were made out of stone and carried an air of history, but at the same time, they were so well-preserved that they didn¡¯t appear decrepit. The ssroom had tiered seating, and there were plenty of windows to suffuse the room with natural light. The seats were made out of warmwood, which was harvested from a special type of tree from the Austine Empire. It had the ability to regte mana so as to maintain its temperature regardless of the weather, and this property was maintained in the furniture constructed using its lumber. On top of that, its surface wasn¡¯t too hard, making it fairlyfortable to sit on. Its outstanding qualities made it one of the local specialties of the Austine Empire. There were also old floating sculptures, beautiful hanging lights, soft carpeting, censers, and all sorts of noblelike objects. This was at odds with Roel¡¯s perception of what a normal educational institute ought to be like, though it did drive in the fact that the Saint Freya Academy was indeed an academy for the nobles, and at the same time, it justified the exorbitant tuition fees too. Taking just the censers for example, it wasn¡¯t just an exquisitely designed ornament. It was, in fact, a magic tool, and the incense burning on it was crafted out of special materials to heighten one¡¯s focus. The same applied to most of the objects in the ssroom too. Honestly speaking, Roel thought that it would be hard to fail the examinations being in such an environment. With so much money dumped into enhancing the learning environment, even pigs should be able to scrape a pass. ¡°Is this the power of money?¡± murmured Roel as he swept a gaze around the ssroom. As someone who had practically spent his previous life at school, Roel had a habit where he was fond of sitting at the very back of the ssroom. The thought of having a group of people constantly looking at what he was doing behind his back made him feel uneasy. Of course, he knew that it was an irrational fear since everyone was busy fiddling with their phones in ss to care about what others were doing, but that was simply how he felt. However, here at the Saint Freya Academy, it was pretty clear to him that it wasn¡¯t just an irrational fear, especially since his fellow ssmates were taking the trouble to turn their heads around to look at him. Roel sighed helplessly. He couldn¡¯t figure any way to deal with this issue, so he could only hope that time would eventually quell their curiosity. Fortunately, the students were still focused on the lesson most of the time, possibly because they didn¡¯t want to leave a bad impression with the lecturer on their very first ss. As there were far too many freshmen, there were multiple time slots for the fundamental sses taught by different teachers. In Roel¡¯s case, he was the only First Grade student under Chris, so he was naturally assigned to the same ss as the students of therge ¡®tley¡¯s ssroom¡¯. Due to that, neither Nora nor Charlotte was with him. Nora and her followers had joined the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s ¡®Kathleen¡¯s ssroom¡¯ whereas Charlotte and her people joined Rosa¡¯s ¡®Lora ssroom¡¯. Kathleen Weiss was the daughter of the patriarch of the Weiss House of the Theocracy¡¯s Five Eminent Houses two generations ago, making her the daughter of a high noble. Her background made her highly trustworthy, so it was unlikely that she would try to pull anything that was detrimental to the Theocracy and its sessor. The ¡®Kathleen¡¯s ssroom¡¯ was known for their ritual spells which epassed healing, cleansing, and many other fields. Anyone could tell at first sight that it was closely rted with the Theocracy. As for ¡®Lora¡¯s ssroom¡¯, it specialized in the field of astrology and divination spells. It came into prominence when it urately prophesied a major storm in Brolne decades ago and convinced the top brass to make preparations against it, thus greatly reducing the damage and financial losses to themon popce. Lora herself was also a trustworthy individual from Rosa¡¯s perspective, for she was Charlotte¡¯s grandaunt. Even back at Rosa, she was one of the representative figures of the Sorofya House, her reputation traveling far and wide. Having such an esteemed individual teach the n¡¯s sessor was naturally assuring. This meant that it was impossible for Roel to be assigned to the same math ss as the twodies. Needless to say, Nora and Charlotte were unhappy with this allocation, but they chose to let things be knowing that their attention would surely wander if they were really put in the same ssroom as Roel. There were goals they needed to achieve in the academy as the sessors of their respective countries, and for that, they had to maintain their outstanding academic results. Given so, it was important for them to focus in ss. While one¡¯s learning ability could differ depending on one¡¯s aptitude, those who wanted to reach the top tier would definitely have to put in some effort into their work, especially in a ce like the Saint Freya Academy. Even for prodigies like Nora and Charlotte, there was a good chance that their peers would catch up to them if they loosened up too much. But of course, the one who was the most ddened by this allocation of sses was no other than Roel. He wouldn¡¯t want to go through the bitter experience of being sandwiched in the middle once more as he did at the entrance ceremony. On top of that, he realized that Nora had recently expressed an interest in making sneaky movements in public just to see how he would react, and she would always reveal an excited look whenever she saw his frightened blushing face. Just the thought of her fooling around in ss was enough to make his head heat up. Charlotte was also a tough one to deal with too due to the bizarre ideas she constantly had in mind. Just a while back, she wanted to start a trend of couple clothes and immediately dove right into designing them. The clothes weren¡¯t ready yet, but Roel could already imagine just the huge uproar that would ensue once Nora learned about it. Both Nora and Charlotte had already received their personal building and training grounds, and more and more people amongst the freshmen were starting to don the Goldenrose and Redrose insignia. Roel couldn¡¯t tap into his existing connections in the Theocracy and Rosa, so he practically had to build his faction up from scratch. However, it was thankful that he had already made a resounding reputation for himself in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, so recruitment was unlikely to be too difficult. After morning sses were over, Roel quickly had his breakfast before leaving the central district. Based on the arrangements he made with the staff members a week ago, his new mountainside manor, the Azure Manor, should be ready by now, and he was nning to head over to take a look. It took an hour of bumpy ride before he finally caught sight of a magnificent sky blue-themed building. On the whole, the mountainside manor exceeded Roel¡¯s expectations. From its garden, fountain, all the way to the main building, both the scale and extravagance were satisfactory to Roel. On top of that, there were also many natural resources that could be harvested in the Miste Mountain if Roel ever wanted a taste of the wild. Roel was led into the Azure Manor under the lead of a staff member. The interior decor was quite traditional, carrying the artistic style of the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire. Overall, he was quite satisfied with this freebie he was given. After taking a look around and ensuring that the location was in order, he began giving the recruitment of personnel for his faction further thoughts. It was kind of like cheating, but he was advantaged in the sense that he was privy to exclusive information on quite a few notable figures in the game. Thanks to the leads he had on hand, he wasn¡¯t too anxious about the matter. He carefully nned out the matter till nighttime before heading to the dining room to try out the cooking of the Azure Manor¡¯s chef¡ªit was not excellent but passable. After that, he returned back to hisrge master bedroom, locked the door, and took out a ck ring. ¡°... So, it¡¯s supposed to bestow its wearer guidance?¡± murmured Roel contemtively. He put the ckrose Ring onto the fourth finger on his right hand, but this supposedly significant ¡®first wearing¡¯ didn¡¯t stir anything at all. There was no mana pulsation or peculiar physical sensation; it felt no different from a normal ring. He tried to infuse his mana into the ring, but his mana simply dissipated without achieving anything. ¡°Is there some sort of condition I need to fulfill in order to activate the ring? Or could it be that I¡¯ll have to wear it for a certain period of time first?¡± Roel spected the possibilities with crossed arms, but he couldn¡¯t figure anything out despite experimenting all sorts of things with the ring. Time passed swiftly and soon it was midnight. He decided to first retire for the night and figure things outter. Hey on the bed and gazed at the ckrose Ring that shimmered dimly beside the nightmps before finally closing his eyes with a sigh. The nightmps were put out, and Roel¡¯s breathing gradually became long and deep. In this peaceful environment, the ckrose Ring suddenly began to glow silently. Chapter 266: Appalling Guidance

Chapter 266: Appalling Guidance

¡°Hm? This ce is...¡± The moment Roel opened his eyes, he found himself faced the night sky. There was a chilling wind battering on his body, and the rustling of leaves echoed from his surroundings. It was a hard surface without any semnce of his bed¡¯s softness he was lying on. He nced at his surroundings nkly, only to find nothing in his vicinity. It¡¯s freezing. ¡°This... isn¡¯t a dream?¡± Roel shuddered in response to the cold gale. The realistic sensations he was feeling told him that something was amiss here, so he hurriedly sprung up to his feet. With a quick nce around, he discovered that he was on some sort of observation deck, granting him a bird¡¯s eye view of the surroundings. He swiftly noticed a familiar-looking building in the distance. Through the veil of the trees, he spotted the tip of a tall tower that appeared to have been constructed centuries ago. Its distinct architecture allowed Roel to immediately recognize it as one of three buildings he had contemted amongst for the headquarters of his Bluerose Faction¡ªthe tower at the central district. ¡°!¡± Roel immediately snapped out of his daze. He quickly rushed to the corner of the balcony to gaze upon the scenery beneath him, only to be stunned. What¡¯s going on? Have I been kidnapped? Someone took me out of the Azure Manor to the academy¡¯s central district so as to toss me onto this observation deck? ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible.¡± Roel immediately refuted the ludicrous possibility. It was highly unlikely for an Origin Level 4 transcendent to be taken out from his manor all the way to the central district without him noticing, and he had Grandar and Peytra by his side on top of that. Grandar and Peytra existed in separate dimensional pockets, but except for the times when he was in a severely weakened state, they were constantly connected to him through a window. Anyone who tried to make a move on Roel while he was asleep would surely be caught by those two ancient gods, and they would immediately make use of Roel¡¯s mana to manifest themselves. It was unthinkable that anyone could simply nab him away onto a balcony without them noticing. This means that it¡¯s an exceptional situation. Could it be that... Nora suddenly had a bout of inspiration and wanted to try some ¡®open¡¯ y? Nay, that¡¯s just too... Having no clues at all, Roel shook off the perverted thoughts in his mind and quickly attempted tomunicate with the skeleton giant and the Primordial Earth God, only for hisplexion to turn awful in the next moment. ¡°How could this be?¡± Roel widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m... unable to reach them? Has the window closed? Does this mean that I¡¯m currently in the Witness State? Or did I identally trigger something?¡± uttered the horrified Roel as he struggled to maintain hisposure. He tried perceiving his Origin Attribute and quickly refuted the possibility that he was in the Witness State. The Witness State was an effect of Roel¡¯s bloodline ability, so he would have been able to sense its activation. Furthermore, even if he had been transported into the Witness State, the window of connection he had with Peytra and Grandar should have only been temporarily blocked, but the window had vanished entirely at the moment, as if it had never been there in the first ce. This signified a terrifying reality¡ªhe wasn¡¯t able to tap into the power of the ancient gods at all. ¡°I need to calm down. There¡¯s no way I could have possibly lost my own transcendent abilities, which means to say that I¡¯m not in the real world at the moment. Am I currently in the world of dreams? And the cause of it... the ckrose Ring?¡± Roel massaged his temples to calm himself down as he began analyzing the situation. He recalled not taking off the ckrose Ring before falling asleep, so it was possible that this was the ¡®guidance¡¯ Ro mentioned. Gazing upon his surroundings, the midnight Saint Freya Academy was deathly silent like a ghost town, devoid of its usual bustle. There were very faint shimmers of candlelight in some of the buildings around, but it only made the surroundings eerier. It¡¯s too quiet. Roel suddenly felt chills running down his spine as such a thought surfaced in his mind. He was suddenly brought to the heart of the academy with darkness looming around him, and he had lost the support of the ancient gods too. This called for cautiousness. He scanned the observation deck he was on, only to see a huge wooden door creaking under the night gale. Everything was pitch ck beyond it, as if their of a terrifying beast. I have to head in to take a look. What Roel was in dire need of at the moment was information. If this was the guidance provided to him by the ckrose Ring, he mustn¡¯t waste this precious opportunity. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, his many encounters with danger taught him that remaining idle in such a situation was bound to lead to demise. He walked toward the wooden door with controlled footsteps, making sure to pay heed to every single detail around him, be it movements in the shadows, sounds, or even smells. After ensuring that there was no perceivable activity beyond the wooden door, he began making his way in. There was no one in the room beyond the wooden door. Roel infused his mana into his eyes, causing his pupils to emanate a faint golden glow. It allowed him to see everything amidst the darkness with rity. A swift scan of the room told him that he was in some sort of office. There was ordinary red carpeting, an average wooden office desk, teacups of unknown origin, two bookshelves with just a few books on it, a small Brolne¡¯s g, a clock hanging on the wall, and a few astrology magic devices. This should be the office of an astrology teacher, Roel thought as he assessed the devices hanging by the wall. He made his way over to the desk and tried to search through the drawers and bookshelves while trying his best not to make any noise, but there was nothing to be found. It was all empty. A slight furrow began forming on Roel¡¯s forehead. The presence of teacups meant that this office was in use, but theck of any other materials was extremely bewildering. The pieces of the puzzle weren¡¯t fitting together. Roel crossed his arms broodingly as he turned his attention to the other objects in the room. Hm? The hanging clock hase to a stop? It dawned on Roel that he hadn¡¯t heard the ticking of the clock ever since he entered the room. He looked at the time, and it was 1:13 at night. ¡°It¡¯s not the time that I fell asleep...¡± noted Roel. The clock looked antiquated, but it didn¡¯t seem to be a valuable antique. It was made out of inferior material, and the craftsmanship was shoddy too. While Roel was checking out the room, he noticed that there were no movements or sounds on the corridor outside the room either. Something is wrong here. Why does it seem like I¡¯m the only one here? Roel couldn¡¯t resist the urge to open the door and check out the corridor too. Just as he had expected, there was no one along the dark corridor either. The dark environment and the chilling silence pricked at his nerves, leaving him feeling deeply ufortable. He slowly made his way out of the room and into the corridor, advancing on till he finally reached a flight of stairs. He slowly made his way down, making sure to stop and look around every time he arrived at a new floor. Still, there was no significant discovery at all. It was only until he reached the ground floor that he noticed an oilmp by the entrance of the tower he was in. The presence of light slightly dispelled the gloomy feeling weighing down on Roel¡¯s heart, but at the same time, it also evoked his wariness too. He first scanned the surroundings with his senses and mana, and after confirming that the presence of light wasn¡¯t some sort of trap, he made his way toward it. It was the watchman office. To his relief and disappointment, there was still no one at all. Following that, he made his way out of the astrology tower and began wandering around the academy campus. In his journey, he noticed that only the watchman offices of the buildings on the ground floor were lit up; everywhere else was plunged into darkness. The existence of a pattern here felt unnervingly artificial, as if some sinister force was manipting the area. Is there really no one here? What does the guidance mean? Am I to be the new watchman of the campus? Roel pondered doubtfully as he began making his way toward the dormitories. The dormitories were a cluster of old buildings that provided rtively cheap two-room amodation to the students. It should have been the ce with the greatest crowd density during nighttime, so if he was unable to find anyone there too, it was unlikely that there would be anyone in the academy at all. Unexpectedly, he made a discovery right after making a turn ahead. On the fifth floor of the closest dormitory, there was a hint of light. The light wasn¡¯t too bright, but for someone who had been wandering amidst the darkness for a long while now, it looked like the light of revtion. Excited by this discovery, he quickly made his way over. It only took him ten seconds or so to arrive on the fifth floor. He first took a look from the stairway, and he soon spotted some shadows moving amidst the dim illumination. There is someone there! Roel heaved a sigh of relief. He cast ¡®Light Footsteps¡¯ on himself to silence his footsteps before proceeding closer to the room where the light wasing from. He stopped right before the ajar door to peek in. In the dimly-lit room, there was a ck-robed silhouette with a torch in his hand bending over his bed, whispering something to someone. His voice was hoarse and his words were mysterious and obscure. The moment Roel heard his mutterings, his body suddenly jerked as a stabbing pain that felt like someone was mashing his brain assaulted his mind. He wanted to scream to vent the pain out, but the Crown Origin Attribute in his body suddenly came to life. A unique mana pulsation rippled from the Crown Origin Attribute, dispelling the pain and bringing rity back to his mind. However, this mana pulsation also rmed the ck-robed figure. He immediately turned his head around to look at Roel, granting thetter a clear glimpse of his face. Under the flickering mes, Roel saw a withered face with white pupils and sharp fangs. What the hell is that?! ¡°cier!¡± The moment he was discovered, the widen-eyed Roel made his move without any hesitation. He released a burst of frost air, freezing the ck-robed figure who was already in the midst of making his move too. His pre-emptive move allowed him to secure an easy victory over the ck-robed figure, and it soothed his nervous breathing a little. Roel quickly nced at the dark corridor once more, and after ensuring that there were no other monsters, he made his way into the room. ¡°Student, are you fine... Ah?¡± Roel walked toward the bed and pulled out the nket, only to realize there was no one there. Huh? What¡¯s going on? If there¡¯s no one here, who was that monster talking to earlier? Roel turned to look at the frozen monster once more as he recalled the earlier scenery. The monster¡¯s movements made it clear that he was conversing silently with someone on the bed, so theck of another person in the room was inconceivable to him. The baffling situation left Roel with a tight knit between his eyebrows. Before he could make sense of the situation, he suddenly heard footsteps sounding from the corridor outside. He quickly headed out of the room and saw a toon of ck-armored soldiers marching in his direction. There was a ck-robed figure standing at the very back of their formation, presumably themander of the toon. ¡°*£££¦£¤%!¡± The ck-robed figure shouted words that were iprehensible to Roel with a piercing voice, and the ck-armored soldiers suddenly began charging over with swords in their hands. ¡°Who in the world are you all... cier!¡± Without any hesitation, Roelunched his attack against the toon of soldiers. But this time, before his attack couldnd on the soldiers, he suddenly felt a jerk on his consciousness. !¡± ¡°Diriring, diriring, diriring...¡± On the bed of the Azure Manor, Roel opened his eyes in a daze and found himself faced with the ceiling. The rm clock which he had set ahead of time was ringing noisily beside him. Brilliant sunlight was shining in from the window, bringing him warmth. Melodious chirping could be heard from the mountain not too far away. He had awoken from his dream. Chapter 267: Kiss of Fortune

Chapter 267: Kiss of Fortune

¡°Darling, did you not sleep wellst night?¡± Under the bright noon sun, an auburn-haired beauty looked at the ck-haired man seated opposite to her as she asked. Roel was massaging the space between his eyebrows when he heard Charlotte¡¯s words and raised his head. Faced with her clear emerald eyes, he hesitated for a moment before nodding. ¡°Something like that. I... had a nightmarest night.¡± ¡°A nightmare?¡± ¡°Mm. It was a peculiar nightmare,¡± replied Roel with a strained smile as he gazed down at the scenery beneath him. The two of them were currently seated at the top level of the Ceruleansky Tower located near the edge of themercial street. It used to be a meteorological tower, but it waster refurbished into a luxury restaurant. The restaurant went for the super high-ss route, opting to only provide outdoor seating consisting of a table of two in each of its four balconies. It was only open for breakfast and dinner, which meant that it only hosted a total of sixteen customers each day. Despite its small customer base, the revenue of the Ceruleansky Tower was still ranked in the top three amongst all of the luxury restaurants in the Saint Freya Academy. This was indicative of just how expensive its food and service was. Of course, the Ceruleansky Tower also had its unique selling points that justified its sky-high price tag, such as its scenic overlook of the academy and its top-notch Brolne chefs. Roel would have surely enjoyed Charlotte¡¯s treat had it been a day ago, but gazing upon the scenery of the noon academy only left him with an ufortable feeling now. He couldn¡¯t help but recall the more chilling version of it he had seen yesterday night. The nightmarest night left Roel with many questions in mind, be it the empty academy, the terrifying ck-robed figures, the whispers of a mysteriousnguage, and the empty bed. He wasn¡¯t able to find any answers to any of his questions, and the realization that he wasn¡¯t afflicted with the side effects of cier made him confused about the nature of the nightmare he had been through. Was it the guidance of the ckrose Ring or just a simple nightmare? If it¡¯s the guidance of the ring, what was it expecting me to achieve? Am I to find clues and piece together the truth or defeat those monsters? The streets that were now bustling with life had been deathly silent yesterday night in his dream. It was such a jarring contrast that it left him a little disconcerted. Before he could snap out of his daze, he suddenly felt a pair of warm hands on his cheeks. ¡°Darling, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel raised his eyes once more, only to find that Charlotte had walked up to him at some point in time, looking at him with deeply worried eyes. He quickly adjusted his state of mind and exined the matter. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night, and the lessons I had earlier in the morning were a little tough.¡± ¡°I see. Miss Chris is known for her difficult lessons, so I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t help you much with that,¡± said Charlotte as she settled herself on Roel¡¯s legs. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and her close-up warmth made Roel¡¯s cheeks redden a little though he didn¡¯t try to push her away. He had already gotten used to such intimacy during the adventure they had togetherst year. ¡°Though I might just be able to help you with the nightmare you spoke of.¡± ¡°Hm? You¡¯re referring to divination?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Dreams fall under the category of divination as well, so you can say that it¡¯s my field of specialty,¡± replied Charlotte with a wink. She stretched her hand forth and to cover his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t move. This is a spell to dispel your nightmares.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Roel closed his eyes obediently at her instruction. However, what that came wasn¡¯t a spell but a warm peck on his lips. ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°This is a Kiss of Fortune. It¡¯s particrly effective on afflictions like yours. If you still face any nightmares afterward, make sure to look for me. I¡¯ll prepare a more potent one for you next time.¡± Charlotte replied with an extremely calm tone, reminiscent of a nurse who had just applied an injection on a patient. Her oddly professional attitude stifled all of the doubts that he had on the tip of his tongue. Hm? Is there really such a spell? But there was no mana reaction earlier. Is this some sort of esoteric divination spell... Oh, wait a moment. ¡°Charlotte, there¡¯s something I would like to ask you... Is there any astrology-rted buildings on our campus?¡± ¡°Like this tower we¡¯re currently on?¡± ¡°Yes, something simr to this. Its highest floor has something simr to an open viewing tform that grants an overview of the entire central district, ¡°Are you referring to the old observatory?¡± asked Charlotte with a blink of her eyes. The observatory Charlotte was referring to was an old building with centuries of history behind it. It was mainly used for astrology-rted divinations, and the highest floor did have an open viewing tform. However, there were some problems with its facilities that resulted in an ident decades ago, and it had fallen into disuse ever since then. ¡°Grandaunt Lora told me that she had to work with the other astrology schrs to fight for the possession of the new observatory. It was quite a huge project in the Saint Freya Academy back then with a great deal of capital invested into it,¡± said Charlotte. However, there was only one thing on Roel¡¯s mind at the moment. That scenery I saw in the dream really exists! The old observatory had been abandoned since a long time ago, such that the lower levels were only used as an office at the moment. Roel was certain that he hadn¡¯t been there before, which meant that he shouldn¡¯t have any recollections of that ce for it to appear in his dreams. In other words, that wasn¡¯t just a normal nightmare. This realization shook Roel¡¯s heart, but he was able to keep it from showing on his expression. He thought about the peculiar expression of the ck-robed figure and his obscure chants, and an answer came to his mind. They¡¯re either evil cultists or heretics from some other race. Regardless of which it is, they¡¯re an extremely dangerous group. What¡¯s the goal they wish to achieve here? Would their deeds in ¡®that world¡¯ affect reality? If that cultist he had met was really just chanting to an empty wall, Roel wouldn¡¯t even want to get involved in it. However, were things really that simple? Roel pondered for a moment before sighing deeply. He decided to toss those frustrating thoughts out of his mind for the time being. There was simply too little information for him toe to a judgment at the moment, so it would just be blind spection. He quickly reverted back to his usual state and began conversing with Charlotte with a smile. Instead of worrying about the future, he would very much rather enjoy the extortionate meal he was having, the beautiful clear sky above him, and the precious time he was spending with his partner. ... The dream he had about the deathly silent academy had left Roel with a huge headache, but it wasn¡¯t the greatest problem he had on hand. Rather, there was something in reality that was even more troubling. Today was the day that ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯ weed its newest member, him. Other than the nonchnt Lilian, the atmosphere was lively and inviting. With the inclusion of Roel, ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯ currently had twelve members. There were five in the Fourth Grade who were busy working toward their graduation, three in the Third Grade, and three in the Second Grade. What particrly stood out though was the fact that they were all women. So, when they realized that their new junior was a good-looking man with a gentle demeanor, as well as a Ringbearer, the atmosphere immediately rose to a peak. All of the seniors were incredibly weing, especially those from the Second Grade. However, probably due to Lilian¡¯s cold attitude, none of them overstepped their boundaries to get too intimate with him. This came as a huge relief to Roel, who wasn¡¯t good at dealing with women. The interpersonal rtionship aspect appeared to be going well, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the lesson. ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯ covered a wide scope of topics, and fortunately, Roel was still able to deal with most of them. However, there was one particrly subject he was facing great difficulties with, and that was the Precision Magic ss. ¡°Whether you be a technician or a soldier in the future, being able to control your mana output to derive the greatest efficiency from your mana capacity is a key skill you¡¯ll have to master.¡± Chris was extremely demanding when it came to mana precision. She expected her students to be able to channel the minimal amount of mana required to form spells, reducing all wastages of mana to the minimum. However, this happened to be an extremely difficult task for Roel. Manifesting Grandar and Peytra simply required far too much mana that needed to be constantly channeled that it was nigh impossible to control it with precision. Due to that, Roel chose to focus on his burst power, seeking to maximize destruction in the shortest period of time. So, it was only natural that he would be thrown for a loop when he was suddenly asked to control his mana with precision. It was as if telling a glutton who had simply been gobbling his food down ever since he was born to start controlling his calories intake to a very precise level! At the end of the lesson, when Roel looked at the thick chainlike rope of mana in his hand and the thin hairlike thread in Lilian¡¯s, he knew right away that he would have to take remedial lessons for this ss. If a Ringbearer like him were to fail an examination, he could be darned sure that it would be going on the tabloid headlines the following morning. He could even imagine what the title would be. ¡®The record holder of ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ failed his examination! Is this bias from the teaching staff or the start of a prodigy¡¯s downfall?¡¯ Just thinking about it made Roel¡¯s head hurt. To make things worse, Chris was intending to send letters to the Ascart Fiefdom. If Alicia were to find out that he had failed his examination, he would lose his dignity as her older brother! Putting everyone aside, he was at least determined to maintain his reputation before Alicia! ... It was soon nighttime, and Roel was finally able to take a break from all of the studying he had done. Most of the students started heading toward the gourmet street andmercial street, but a certain ck-haired young man was walking in the opposite direction. Roel lowered his head, making sure to conceal himself from the students from ¡®Lora¡¯s ssroom¡¯ and ¡®Kathleen¡¯s ssroom¡¯ passing him by. Just like that, he discreetly made his way to Building 1¡¯s ssroom 14 and knocked on its door. ¡°Password.¡± Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched a little. He felt like a child ying some sort of spy game,ing up with passwords to identify one another. He took a deep breath to suppress his embarrassment before squeezing two words out of his gritted teeth. ¡°Teacher¡¯s Mission!¡± Chapter 268: The Late Night Remedial Classes

Chapter 268: The Late Night Remedial sses

The remedial sses that Lilian Ackermann was holding for Roel Ascart were to be kept confidential for various reasons. In the first ce, it was simply wrong for an imperial princess of the Austine Empire to be tutoring a high noble from the Theocracy. On top of that, if the student popce were to learn that Lilian was tutoring Roel, it would give out the impression that she was superior to him, and this would have adverse implications in terms of public perception for a Ringbearer. One must know that Roel was intending to form his own faction in the future. If the members of his faction were to learn that their boss was Lilian¡¯s tutee, they would never be able to raise their heads before the Purplerose Faction. And most importantly of all, Nora and Charlotte would surely object to it. From Lilian¡¯s point of view, that would also be equivalent to defying Emperor Lukas¡¯mand too. With such factors in y, they swiftly came to a consensus about keeping this remedial ss confidential. Roel was thankful to Lilian for her help here, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little frustrated at her quirks, such as this entrance password. What the hell was ¡®Teacher¡¯s Mission¡¯? It was almost as if Lilian intentionally chose this password so as to remind Roel not to think too much into it. Naturally, he opposed the idea of using a password, but the power of choice wasn¡¯t exactly in his hands. Since Lilian refused to budge on her decision, he could only go along with her. Heh, did you think that you¡¯re the only one with a mission here? I also have a mission from my ancestor too! Roel consoled himself as he pushed the heavy doors open and entered the ssroom. He immediately spotted Lilian standing by the podium. She was wearing a conservative Austine ck formal gown that covered both of her legs and tightened around her waist, entuating her slender figure. There was also a bowtie before her chest that gave a slight touch of mischief to her appearance. Roel was so surprised by her different attire that he couldn¡¯t resist taking a second look. While Lilian always maintained a cold front before him, there was no denying that she was a looker. When Roel¡¯s eyes fell upon her t stomach, his heart couldn¡¯t help but skip a beat as Ro¡¯s words echoed in his mind. W-w-wait a moment, what am I thinking?! As Roel¡¯s mind started to overheat, he quickly averted his gaze and made his way over to the first row to take his seat. Usually, when fellow students were tutoring one another, they would sit next to one another to make it convenient to speak to one another. However, it was clear that Lilian had no intention of sitting next to him, resulting in the ssroom turning into another lecture. It was quite a queer setting, but Roel could only ept it. To his surprise though, despite Lilian¡¯s cold attitude, she was extremely serious in her lessons. Her exnations followed a coherent flow of logic that made it easy toprehend the concepts she was interpreting. Roel thought that prodigies like Lilian tended to teach ording to their stream of consciousness since they were able to naturally achieve what others couldn¡¯t, but it turned out that she had a strong theoretical foundation as well. Her understanding of the details was on point, such that she could be said to be a more meticulous teacher than Chris. Many things that he struggled to understand earlier in the day gradually cleared up under her exnation, leaving him deeply enlightened. He was starting to see why Chris chose to get Lilian to tutor him despite their backgrounds. On one hand, Lilian was indeed good at teaching, and having two different perspectives on the same topic achieved a symbiotic effect that greatly deepened Roel¡¯s understanding of a topic. Under this high-intensity cramming session, Roel¡¯s expression gradually grew more and more serious whereas Lilian continued to maintain her usual nonchnt expression. It looked like she could have very well been lecturing to an empty ssroom. Wait a moment, is she treating me like air? Such a doubt surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind, but it was swiftly shattered by Lilian¡¯s action. It took an hour for Lilian to finish exining the content of the lessons in the day, and for the first time since the remedial ss started, she turned around to look at Roel. ¡°Is there anything you don¡¯t get?¡± ¡°Err... I think I should have gotten it all.¡± ¡°Good,¡± replied Lilian with a nod. Just as Roel thought that it was time for the lesson toe to an end, Lilian suddenly spoke up once more. ¡°Give it a try.¡± ¡°Try what?¡± ¡°Try creating the mana thread we did earlier in the day.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel blinked his eyes in surprise, clearly not expecting her to delve into the practical aspect of the sses too. Wow, she¡¯s far more responsible than I thought, but this... Thinking about how he struggled during the Mana Precision ss earlier in the day, Roel¡¯s face stiffened a little. It was a man¡¯s pride to not reveal his own weakness before a beautiful woman, and Lilian was no ordinary beauty. However, after a short exchange of gaze, he eventually sighed softly and obediently gave it a try. The next moment, a crimson burst of mana shot out from Roel¡¯s palm, forming an incredibly thick rope under his ¡®delicate¡¯ control. ¡°...¡± Tsk, I knew it! Roel felt utterly helpless at his inability to achieve refined control of his mana. As it turned out, having a beautiful woman as a teacher didn¡¯t necessarily improve one¡¯s performance right away. Feeling a little embarrassed by his ipetent disy, Roel raised his head diffidently, only to see that there was no change in Lilian¡¯s expression. Herck of response was surprisinglyforting, but her following words left him with a weird look on his face. ¡°This won¡¯t do. It¡¯s too thick.¡± Such an odd innuendo was suddenly uttered by Lilian with aposed tone, creating a mysterious contrast that left Roel feeling a little weird inside. And this was only the start. ¡°Still too thick. Try again.¡± ¡°Too thick. Again.¡± Lilian would utter simr words with each attempt from Roel, causing the atmosphere to grow a little weird. This went on until she finally called for him to stop. ¡°...¡± Roel heaved a sigh of relief at being able to finally catch a break. On the podium, however, Lilian was hardly as calm as she appeared on the surface. This is far too simr. She had been observing how Roel channeled his mana, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was looking at her in the past. There were usually some differences in how each transcendent channeled and controlled their mana, but for some unfathomable reason, Roel¡¯s method waspletely identical to her from the past. Is it because we¡¯re both creation transcendents? But even so, this is still far too much of a coincidence. Many questions surfaced in Lilian¡¯s mind, but there was one that particrly stood out. Since our ways of channeling mana are identical, why is he having such difficulties trying to control his mana? Lilian thought about the dozen failures she had just witnessed, and she had a feeling that there was something crucial that was different between the two of them despite all of the simrities. But that ¡®crucial thing¡¯ was somehow eluding her notice. She couldn¡¯t get a firm grasp on what it was. She knew it was a vital piece of the puzzle to figuring out why he was having such difficulties despite their identical mana channeling methods. Lilian stared at Roel intently with something flickering in her amethyst eyes. Her prolonged, intense gaze left thetter feeling ufortable, causing him to fidget in his seat. It was a long timeter before she finally widened her eyes. ¡°I see. I understand now.¡± Lilian nodded in realization. She looked at Roel and remarked calmly. ¡°You must have killed someone before.¡± ¡°!¡± Time seemed to have stopped in the ssroom. Roel stared at the ck-haired woman in front of him as he found himself at a loss for words. Even in the rtively more chaotic Sia Continent, it was unusual for a student who had juste of age to havemitted murder. Roel had also never spoken about this matter to anyone else due to his personal reservations about taking another person¡¯s life. He never thought that someone would be able to see through it. ¡°Senior Lilian, may I ask what do you mean by that?¡± Roel¡¯s eyes sharpened and his tone grew a little deeper. Despite his sudden change of attitude, Lilian still remained as unfazed as she always had been. She had no intention of criticizing or questioning Roel for his history; she simply lowered her gaze to look at his hands. ¡°You are weighed down by your strong murderous intent. That¡¯s the reason behind your failure.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Staring at the bewildered Roel, Lilian became even more certain of her conjecture. It was true that his usual high mana consumption did affect his ability to precisely control his mana, but more than that, it was more like an instinct for him not to do so. This instinct arose from his pursuit of extreme burst power so as to destroy all threats that stand in his way. To delve a little deeper, it could be described as a psychological barrier arising from long years of unease and numerous life-and-death experiences. No, it can¡¯t be just a single encounter. didn¡¯t just ur once. For such instincts to be deeply ingrained in him, he must have been through quite a few perilous situations... but why is that so? The Theocracy should have provided him with a safe environment... For the first time, Lilian looked at Roel with intrigue. On the other hand, Roel was put at a loss after hearing Lilian¡¯s analysis. He had no concept of what ¡®murderous intent¡¯ was, so he had no clue as to what he had to do with this piece of information he was given. ¡°Senior, what is murderous intent? How can I correct this problem?¡± asked Roel. Surprisingly, Lilian fell silent before his question. This silence loomed in the ssroom for a long while before finally culminating in a sigh. ¡°S-senior?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just get straight to the conclusion here,¡± said Lilian calmly. ¡°It¡¯s no longer possible for you to achieve refined control of your mana.¡± Chapter 269: More and More Classes

Chapter 269: More and More sses

The Saint Freya Academy was usually bustling at night. Huge crowds could be found in themercial street, and there would be a long queue of carriages waiting outside the finest restaurants. Youthful hormones seemed to be wafting in the air. Yet, in Building 1 ssroom 14, the atmosphere between a man and a woman felt oddly stiff. ¡°Senior, what did you mean by that?¡± ¡°I mean it literally. There¡¯s no way for you to achieve a passing grade in the Mana Precision ss.¡± Lilian looked at the awfulplexion on Roel¡¯s face and further borated on the matter. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve gone through in the past, and I¡¯m not interested in it either. However, you have fixed habits when ites to mana channeling, and attempting to achieve precise control requires changing all of these habits. This is equivalent to refuting all of the hard work you have put in all this while.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was appalled to hear those words. There were some habits that were nigh impossible to change, and this was one of them. His current style of mana channeling was created through the multiple life-and-death battles he had gone through, such that it was impossible for him to just ¡®reset and start anew¡¯. There was a moment of silence before Lilian continued on. ¡°While you¡¯re incapable of controlling mana precisely, your burst power is exceptional. You¡¯re able to maintain a stable powerful output at a high frequency, and that¡¯s an amazing ability.¡± ¡°But it still doesn¡¯t change the fact that I won¡¯t be able to clear the Mana Precision ss. A Ringbearer can¡¯t fail any of his transcendent sses,¡± replied Roel with a deep frown. While Ringbearers couldn¡¯t be stripped of their positions, it was possible for their privileges to be rescinded if their examination results were to be unsatisfactory. Just thinking about losing his Azure Manor was more than enough to make his heart ache. What was worse was the impact on his reputation. If news were to go around that he failed a ss, it would undermine his prestige and standing. Should I look for Chris to ask her to go easy on me? But that would be putting her in a spot too since it¡¯d be equivalent to asking for preferential treatment. Roel¡¯s face darkened as he felt deeply exasperated by the plight he was in. Unexpectedly, Lilian suddenly spoke up at this moment. ¡°... It¡¯s not entirely impossible for you to clear the examination.¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s impossible for you to pull off the basics, you can just study for the more advanced skill to showcase at the examination. Mana control is a simplified version of spellpression, focusing solely on the ¡®control¡¯ while disregarding the more difficult pression¡¯. In your case, however,pression might just be easier for you to pull off.¡± Lilian began walking down from the podium as she manifested a white thread between the tips of her fingers. With a swift flick of the thread, she sliced the thick mana rope Roel had created into two. ¡°Thickness serves no purpose here. What¡¯s more important is skills.¡± Lilian raised her hand to disy her undamaged white thread to emphasize what she had just said. The intrigued Roel leaned in to examine the shimmering white thread earnestly. ¡°If you¡¯re unable to control the quantity of your mana, the only choice you have is topress your mana to the extremity. Youck the skill for it right now, so...¡± Lilian gazed at him impassively from above and uttered. ¡°... more remedial lessons for you.¡± ... There was nothing worse in life than having to stay back after school for additional lessons. An exhausted Roel trudged out of the ssroom into the dark streets as he trudged his way back to the Azure Manor. The earlier lesson had dealt a huge blow to him, not just due to his inability to control his mana but Lilian herself too. Her meticulousness in being able to deduce his history through observing his mana and her ability to sever his mana rope with just a mere mana thread fully disyed her wits and prowess. While he did know that she was a prodigy right from the start, he still couldn¡¯t help but feel dismayed at the huge difference between them. On the bright side, he did benefit greatly from the earlier ss due Lilian¡¯s earnest teaching, and he was moved by that. He also never thought that Lilian would take the initiative to offer to take more sses with him. It was just that her attitude was still as cold as ever. When he thanked her for her help at the end of the ss, this was her response. ¡°Like I¡¯ve said, I¡¯m just fulfilling my responsibilities here, so I don¡¯t need your gratitude. It¡¯s due to your unsatisfactory performance that I have no choice but to increase the frequency of remedial sses.¡± ¡°...¡± Lilian turned around and left the ssroom after saying those words, leaving Roel not knowing what to make of this situation. By their agreement, he had to wait in the ssroom for another ten more minutes before leaving, and he spent this time pondering over this matter. Is she really that reluctant to get into any sort of rtionship with me? Roel couldn¡¯t understand why Lilian was so averse to him, and he sighed softly. In any case, it was a good thing to have a senior to tutor him, and her beautiful appearance was a huge bonus. Throughout the lesson, he couldn¡¯t help but pay heed to her splendid figure... And that reminded him of his ancestor¡¯s mission, which caused him to immediately shake his head bitterly. Honestly, he didn¡¯t think that he stood much of a hope here. Lilian was simply too far away from him that the notion of them bearing a child was ludicrous, and that wasn¡¯t the only problem he was facing at the moment. The Azure Manor happened to be located in the opposite direction of the student dormitories from the central district, so there was hardly anyone on the street where Roel was walking on. The chilly night breeze left him feeling a little cold, both in body and soul. After the nightmare he had, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little afraid of the academy at night. The sense of apprehension wasn¡¯t as apparent when there was a huge crowd around, but once the surroundings fell silent, his unease would start oozing out. It was only when he entered a magic engineered carriage and heard the coachman¡¯s voice that his heart finally calmed down a little. He leaned against the soft sofa and thought about the arrangements he had made tonight. From a rational point of view, he ought to continue exploring the academy in his dreams so as to figure out what the ¡®guidance¡¯ of the ckrose Ring was. This was his goal for enrolling into the academy, and it could very well lead to a clue concerning Academic. But just thinking about the utterly barren academy looming in darkness and silence was enough to make his face pale. Empty schools and hospitals at night were ssics in the horror movies in his previous life since the contrast between the bustle at daytime and silent eeriness at night felt unnerving, drawing out a person¡¯s deepest fears. It¡¯s all just a psychological game. The fear is all in the mind! The stiffened-faced Roel thought to himself as he wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. Understanding the reason behind one¡¯s fear was one thing, but how one felt about a matter was another. A human¡¯s mind isn¡¯t capable of rationally deciding on how one ought to feel about a matter, and besides, unlike the horror flicks in his previous life, Roel¡¯s dream did have real monsters. Those monsters had pale withered skin reminiscent of corpses, and their appearance looked even more terrifying under the dim, flickering light. To make things worse, the window between him and Grandar and Peytra were sealed in the dream. When he woke up earlier in the morning, he immediately asked Grandar and Peytra about the matter, but neither of them noticed any anomaly. This meant that he only had himself to rely on in that dream world, and this was precisely what that frightened him. Roel was a spellcaster through and through. He could dish out significant physical damage as well, but that was only through the powers of the ancient gods. Without them, he would lose a lot of his means, meaning that he would be far more vulnerable. He couldpensate for that weakness to some degree through equipment like his Nine-headed Serpent Staff or Ascendwing, but the issue was that he couldn¡¯t bring any of those into that dream world. The only thing he could really rely on was the cier ability of the Crown¡¯s Stone, but its severe side effects meant that he wouldn¡¯t be able to sustain it for too long. Well, he had his physical prowess as an Origin Level 4 transcendent too, but unfortunately, the only physicalbat skill he had learned was noblemen¡¯s swordsmanship, which was only good for dealing with weaker foes. If he were to get surrounded by soldiers like he didst night, he would be a goner for sure. And speaking of goner, he still had no idea what dying in that dream world entailed in reality. Would his death be nullified just like how the side effects of cier vanished when he woke up, or would it really be the end of him? This question had been circling in Roel¡¯s head for some time now, but he dared not to test it out. That was also the reason why he proceeded warilyst night. Unlike the smooth carriage ride, his mind was in utter disarray. A long timeter, the carriage finally came to a halt, and Roel alighted from the carriage and began making his way toward the Azure Manor. As he hadn¡¯t started his recruitment yet, he was the only student residing in the Azure Manor at the moment. Due to that, the manor waspletely dark except for the kitchen and the employees¡¯ rooms. The mountain breeze was exceptionally cold at night, so Roel hastened his footsteps. To his surprise, there was a shadowy figure squatting next to the manor gates. Hm? What¡¯s going on? Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up as he slowly made his way over. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that the squatting figure looked a little familiar as he came closer. At the same time, the other party heard his footsteps and raised his head. Upon seeing Roel, he leaped to his feet excitedly. ¡°Big brother Roel, it¡¯s me! Paul Ackermann! D-do you still recognize me?¡± The other party pointed at his own face as he eximed. It¡¯ll be hard for me to forget you, Roel thought in his mind as he nodded in response to the uneasy Paul¡¯s question. ¡°Of course. Shall we head into the manor first before talking?¡± Chapter 270: You’re Mine Now

Chapter 270: You¡¯re Mine Now

Just slightly before midnight, in the Azure Manor¡¯s dining room far away from the academy¡¯s central district, Roel watched with twitching cheeks as the ck-haired man sitting opposite to him gorged into his food. As a sessor to a marquess house, Roel had seen plenty of young masters and young misses, but never had he seen any of them ravenously wolfing down their food. Seeing how Paul nearly choked himself from stuffing down chicken drumstick, he felt like he had taken in a beggar instead. Are you here just to freeload off my food? We¡¯re supposed to be talking over dinner, but all I see is you eating and me talking! Roel sighed softly before taking a sip of wine. He couldn¡¯t help butpare the young man before him with the other far more graceful member of the Ackermanns. They were both from the same family, but there was such a huge difference between them. Meanwhile, Paul washed down all of the food in his mouth with a big gulp of water before releasing a satisfied exhtion. It looked as if he had finallye back to life. ¡°Big brother Roel, thanks for the food. My dining etiquette was probably a little inappropriate due to how hungry I was. Sorry about that.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten for the day? Why?¡± ¡°Hahaha, I lost my pocket money so I¡¯ve been starving for thest two days.¡± ¡°...¡± Why don¡¯t you lose yourself while you¡¯re at it too? Oh, wait a moment! Looking at the young man who was scratching his head awkwardly, Roel suddenly remembered that there was indeed such an event in Eyes of the Chronicler. Paul had lost his money shortly after enrolling in the academy and nearly fainted by the side of a building after starving for two days. It was around then that Charlotte Sorofya stumbled upon him. Charlotte recognized him as the person who had blocked her carriage on the way to the academy. She should have harbored deep hatred toward him, but his pitiful state evoked her sympathy instead. So, she treated him to a meal, which, in turn, left Paul deeply grateful to her. This became one of the crucial foreshadowings for their future rtionship development. It was supposed to be the first significant event between Paul and Charlotte after their first meeting, so Roel was initially intending to butt in just to be safe. However, he simply had his hands full with far too many things that it slipped his mind. Who could have thought that Paul would end up seeking him out instead? Eat all you want, boy! The sudden realization of just how important this meal was lifted Roel¡¯s mood considerably, resulting in his expression bing far more amicable. With a grand wave of his hand, he ordered a couple of side dishes so that Paul could eat his fill. Despite the huge divergence that had urred from the game, it would be a lie if Roel were to say that he wasn¡¯t bothered by the original plotline. Even if it was just to avert the smallest chance of things going awry, he thought that he should recall all of the significant events in the game and attempt to break all of the gs. It was just that it was too exhausting for him to do so, especially now that he had his hands full with all sorts of stuff. On top of that, this act of distrust toward the twodies made him feel a little ufortable too. So, it was quite a relief that Paul was stirring up changes on his own ord, such that Roel didn¡¯t even have to put up his guard at all. Perhaps, in view of their friendship, Paul might even try to avoid Nora and Charlotte. Putting aside their biological needs, men were still more inclined to look for other men for help. It was somehow much easier to share their problems with fellow brothers, and they wouldn¡¯t feel like they had lost their dignity either. In order to express his gratitude to Paul and encourage him to do the same in the future, Roel specially opened a thirty-year-old exclusive from his wine cer. That was the best one he had at the moment since everything in the wine cer was freebies from the academy. If they had been at the Ascarts¡¯ manor instead, Roel wouldn¡¯t hesitate to pop those rare hundred-year-old ones! Paul was touched by Roel¡¯s generosity. In truth, he had only met Roel a couple of times thus far, but thetter always seemed to be there for him at every crucial moment, be it leading him to the academy or backing him up before those Austine seniors. On top of that, Roel had never asked him for anything in return. Even when he came knocking uninvited to freeload off a meal in the middle of a night, Roel still weed him warmly like a true friend. He was moved by the sentiments, but at the same time, it made it hard for him to voice out the other intent he had foring here. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Feel free to voice anything you have on your mind,¡± said Roel upon noticing the look of hesitation on Paul¡¯s face. Thetter took a while to buck up his courage before speaking up. ¡°Big brother Roel, can I... join your faction?¡± ¡°...¡± Roel was taken aback by the sudden request that he wasn¡¯t able to reply right away, and his dyed response caused the atmosphere in the dining room to grow a little tense. He put down his wine cup to look at Paul intently as he found himself ced in a dilemma. There was one key character that he couldn¡¯t overlook when it came to Paul¡¯s affairs, and that was his older sister, Lilian Ackermann. It was only natural for Paul to join Lilian¡¯s Purplerose Faction considering that they were family members, but themotion that urred prior to the entrance ceremony seemed to have changed his mind. ¡°Many of those who chanted along were Austine students, so joining the Purplerose Faction feels a little... Hahaha.¡± There was a self-deprecating smile on Paul¡¯s face as he revealed the intention behind his request. When he finally found himself unable to continue speaking anymore, he tried glossing it over with augh. Roel frowned upon hearing those words as he felt something stirring in his heart. As an illegitimate son, Paul was ced in an environment that was arguably more hostile than Roel¡¯s. While the descendants of the Ascart House had many hidden enemies in the world, on the surface at least, Roel was still in quite a privileged position. The Saint Mesit Theocracy was prosperous and stable, and the Ascart Housemanded great military might. Thanks to the close rtionship between a certain ancestor who had a huge collection of perverted diaries and his liege, its territory was also vast. Roel was pretty much set for life as long as he didn¡¯t screw up badly, and he was respected no matter where he went. However, it was a different case for Paul. He was technically a prince, but he had no right to inheritance. His identity as an illegitimate son was constantly faulted by others, and his two older brothers wanted nothing more than his death. As for his older sister... it was hard to tell whether it was due to Roel¡¯s interference, but Lilian didn¡¯t seem to be as concerned about Paul as she was in the game. Isn¡¯t she supposed to be a bro-con? Why isn¡¯t she doing anything then? In any case, the overwhelming animosity directed toward Paul made him a constant victim of istion, snide remarks, and oppression. In truth, he was already a strong-minded individual for being able tost this long in such an environment. As someone who knew Paul the best, Roel felt inclined to help him, but he harbored some doubts about thetter wanting to join his faction. ¡°I understand why you¡¯re unwilling to join the Purplerose Faction, and I know that it¡¯s impossible for you to join the Redrose Faction and Goldenrose Faction due to the hostility from their members. However, you should be aware that I¡¯m a noble from the Theocracy, and joining my faction will only put you in a worse position than before. The normal thing for someone in your position to do is to not join any faction, so what brought about your decision?¡± asked Roel. Paul was actually a free factionless student in Eyes of the Chronicler. In fact, he even founded the Request Club, which was basically a ¡®I¡¯ll do anything that the client asks for¡¯ club, the kind of thing which no one but protagonists of animes and mangas did. Such clubs usually received trivial requests to look for missing pets and stuff, but interestingly, Paul¡¯s Request Club came into contact with schemes and conspiracies instead. It was his activities in this club that brought about his encounter with the main antagonist of the academy arc, aka Roel. Just what is the train of thoughts that led to Paul¡¯s change in mind to join a faction instead of making it out on his own? Roel wanted the answer to this question, and Paul hesitated for a long while before giving out his response. ¡°I need a training field. I wish to be strong, just like big brother Roel!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The hands that suddenly sped around his own and the pair of gleaming eyes staring candidly at him left Roel stunned. Then, his expression slowly turned peculiar. That actually wasn¡¯t my primary intention... Roel quietly apologized in his head before turning his attention to another problem here. ¡°What about Senior Lilian then?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to my older sister... though I¡¯ll probably still be troubling you with this, right?¡± said Paul with a sigh as he lowered his head despondently. The tension between him and the Austine nobles would worsen with this decision, and this would likely shake Roel¡¯s position too. The realization of the implications that came with this made Paul realize that his request was selfish, and he started to have second thoughts. However, before he could retract his words, Roel had already spoken up. ¡°What foolishness are you spouting here?¡± The sudden imposing voice made Paul raise his head, and he was surprised to see a rare disapproving frown on Roel¡¯s usually gentle face. ¡°Troubling me? Are you talking about the ignorant fools who express hostility toward you for no reason? Or perhaps theckeys of the other two Austine princes? How absurd. Do you think that I¡¯d be afraid of them?¡± Roel raised his right hand, revealing the pale blue ring sitting on his finger. ¡°Being a Ringbearer is more than an honor; it¡¯s a responsibility. As one of the leaders of the academy, it¡¯s my duty to uphold justice and maintain a conducive learning environment for the students. Any oppression that urs in the academy is an affront to my honor, undermining the prestige of the Bluerose Ring I bear. ¡°Those cowardly mutts who bark at you to stifle their fears because they dare not question their father, do you think that they can possibly faze me? If that¡¯s what you think, you¡¯re really looking down on me here.¡± Before the gaze of the stunned Paul, Roel stood up, picked up his staff, and strutted toward the doorway. ¡°I¡¯ve approved your request. You¡¯re a member of my Bluerose Faction from this day onward, so make sure to properly submit your application form tomorrow. It¡¯s gettingte now, so rest early.¡± Leaving these words behind, Roel walked out of the room, leaving Paul to stare at his disappearing silhouette in a daze. He sighed softly before slumping back onto his chair. ¡°When can I be like that too...¡± he murmured with gleaming admiration in his eyes. Chapter 271: Baring Hearts

Chapter 271: Baring Hearts

After entering his bedroom, Roel put his staff by the side before settling down in his chair to gaze at the night scenery outside. A long momentter, he sighed softly. He had grandly epted Paul¡¯s request at the dining table earlier, but as soon as he thought about Lilian, who would be tutoring him for quite some time in the future, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little guilt-ridden. ¡°Aren¡¯t I cornering myself by daring to steal the younger brother of a bro-con? How should Ipensate her for this?¡± Roel scratched his head helplessly. He headed to the bathroom to rinse his body before soaking himself in a warm bathtub. He fondled the Bluerose Ring sitting on his finger as his thoughts wandered around the ce. The words he had spoken to Paul on the dining table were his earnest thoughts. He had no intention of enjoying the privileges of a Ringbearer while shirking off the responsibilities that came with it. At the very least, he didn¡¯t want to turn his back on someone who needed his help and was asking for it. His sense of responsibility strengthened his determination. He rose from the bathtub and wiped his body dry before proceeding to wrap the towel around his waist. Then, he headed to his bed and took off the Bluerose Ring. He took out the ckrose Ring and quietly put it on before lying down onto his bed. ... By the time he opened his eyes once again, he was already shrouded in darkness. He channeled his mana into his eyes, but to his surprise, what he saw wasn¡¯t the gloomy night sky he saw yesterday but a foreign-looking ceiling. He quickly rose up to scan his surroundings. Soft red carpeting, tables and chairs made out of warmwood, a podium, a censer that had no incense in it, and hanging lights that weren¡¯t lit¡ªthese were all he could see in the vicinity. He was in a ssroom. Theck of enemies nearby made Roel heave a sigh of relief. He nced at the ring on his finger, confirming that this dream was a phenomenon brought about by the ckrose Ring. In order to eliminate all other possibilities, he made sure to get into bed with nothing but the ckrose Ring on him. It would have been awkward if he had to stroll around this dream without any clothes, but fortunately, he found himself dressed in his usual attire in the dream. It would have been weird to be streaking on campus grounds even if there was no one around to see it. Roel rose up and cast ¡®Light Footsteps¡¯ on himself. He took a moment to adjust his breathing before heading toward the ssroom doors. The doors of the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s ssrooms were on the heavier side, but they were made with excellent craftsmanship that they hardly made any sound when opened or closed. Roel spent a while listening intently for any activities along the corridor before finally pushing it open lightly. He first checked both sides of the dark corridor before verifying his location through thebel boards above the ssroom. Building 2, second floor. He contemted whether he should just leap out of the windows so as to avoid having to explore the eerie interiors of the building, but he suppressed his fear and decided against it. So, he carefully made his way down to the first floor, only to freeze at the stairway upon noticing the opened main entrance of the building. The howling night wind rushed into the building and shook the elegant hanging lights on the ceiling, causing them to tinkle a little. Roel turned his gaze toward the watchman office by the side, and his eyes immediately narrowed. Someone¡¯s here! It was at a shadowy corner where the light didn¡¯t reach so it was blurry, but Roel was certain that he saw something moving amidst the darkness. It was a ck-armored soldier simr to the ones he sawst night. Roel quickly backed away a bit to hide behind the stairway, trying to control his breathing. His mind began to churn into action as he tried to process his current circumstances. He was able to freeze one of the ck-robed figures with cier yesterday, and the ck-armored soldiers appeared to be their subordinates. This would mean that the ck-armored soldiers should be easier to deal with. Having cleared up his thoughts, Roel was able to alleviate his worries. He counted down from three under his breath before rushing out of the stairway. Without any hesitation, he raised his hand and sent a burst of frost air toward the shadowy corner. ¡°cier!¡± Roel¡¯s movements were swift and smooth, leaving no time for his enemy to react. The ck-armored soldier was already frozen up before he could even draw his sword. This oue set Roel¡¯s mind at ease as he swiftly made his way toward the frozen enemy. He snatched the ck-armored soldier¡¯s sword before creating a small crack in the frost aura to allow him to stab the sword into thetter¡¯s body. Unsure whether this physical attack would suffice, he made sure to channel his frost aura through the sword into the enemy¡¯s body too. After the deed was done, he double confirmed that the enemy was truly dead before dragging the body toward a nearby ssroom. Roel had been uncertain about the identity of these monsters after seeing the appearance of a ck-robed figure the previous day. So, he decided to carefully inspect the ck-armored soldier¡¯s body first so that he could at least figure out the identity of his enemies. ¡°This fellow has two hearts? No, that¡¯s not right! This is...¡± Underneath the ck armor was a humanoid being with cyan skin. Roel had sliced its rib cage open, revealing two connected lumps dyed in ck blood. It looked so gruesome that he felt like retching. It was indeed a wise decision for him to be more careful around a foreign enemy. He had spent more than an hour on the autopsy for now, and it had allowed him to make several significant discoveries. One of it was the fact that the humanoid being had two hearts, one big and one small. Had he not known about this, he could have let down his guard after stabbing the enemy¡¯s heart, creating a window of opportunity for the enemy to retaliate. That could have been dangerous. It¡¯s lucky that I found out about it in advance. I knew that you weren¡¯t human right from the start! ¡°Hm? Something looks weird here? This smaller heart seems to have grown out afterward?¡± Under the moonlight, Roel examined the two hearts with narrowed eyes, and he couldn¡¯t help noticing that the smaller one seemed to be a portion sliced out from therger one before growing out on its own. This seems to be suggesting that they have a strong regenerative ability? Roel pondered for a moment before putting down the two connected hearts with a grim look on his face. Without the absolute destructive prowess from Grandar and Peytra, the only reliable means he had to deal with such strong regenerative ability was cier. Under such circumstances, it would be really bad if he were to get tied down by the enemies. He moved on to examine the carcass¡¯ other vital organs, and he realized that their constitution was very different from that of a human. He held his disgust back until he finally reached his limit and rushed to the corner of the wall. He grabbed a random white paper lying around to wipe off the bloodstains on his hands while retching. ¡°Uweh...¡± Thanks to his thorough freezing, the smell wasn¡¯t as choking as he thought. Nevertheless, dissecting a carcass was still a challenge to a person who had no such prior experience, especially when the things inside were different from what one expected to see. Just thinking about the heart-shaped kidneys was enough to send another wave of disgust up his throat. He had to take several long deep breaths before he could finally return to his feet and head back to the carcass. This time, he averted his eyes away from the bloodied mess, focusing on the soldier¡¯s overall physical constitution. His attention soon fell upon the soldier¡¯s arms. His right arm is thicker than his left arm? Yeap, perfectly normal for a man. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. This is way too big!¡± Roel¡¯s eyelids shot up. He lifted the carcass¡¯ bulging right arm a little and found that there was some kind of tumor growing inside it, resulting in it being two timesrger than its left arm. Even if a swordsman who had devoted his life to a single sword wouldn¡¯t have such a huge difference in his arm sizes. Roel couldn¡¯t figure out a reason behind this anomaly, so he could only leave it aside for the time being. ¡°It¡¯s hard toe to a conclusion with just one sample,¡± murmured Roel as he put down the carcass¡¯ right arm. Moving on, he picked up the soldier¡¯s ck sword and inspected it. It was clear from its subpar craftsmanship that it was standard army equipment. There was nothing about its design that particrly stood out, so there was nothing to be deduced from it. With this, Roel had pretty much fully inspected all of the usible clues he could obtain from the ck-armored soldier, but it only increased the doubts he had in mind. Thankfully, he already had a clear idea what he needed to do next. I need to kill more of these ck-armored soldiers to gather more samples so that I can discern what¡¯smon and different about them. It was worth noting that this building was guarded even though Roel didn¡¯t stumble upon anyone while wandering freely in the dream yesterday. Most likely, the enemies had chosen to nt sentries around after discovering his existence, which meant that the entrances of the other buildings were likely guarded too. With this, his next destination was also made clear. Knowing that it would be foolish to walk out openly through the main entrance, he picked up the ck-armored soldier¡¯s sword and leapt out through the window,nding quietly into the bushes. Then, he began sneaking his way to the adjacent building. It was the same watchman office, the same hanging light, and the same ck-armored soldier hiding silently in the shadowy corner. This odd feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu made Roel narrow his eyes as he shot a nce at the hanging light. Does this mean that the enemies fear light? No, that¡¯s not right. The two ck-robed figures I saw yesterday were holding onto a staff with amp hanging on the end, and none of the ck-armored soldiers seemed averse to it. Are they just hiding in the shadows so that they could ambush any intruders? While pondering on the two possibilities, Roel dashed toward the enemy with his sword. He was more confident this time around since he knew that his enemy had no resistance against cier, so he wanted to test out their strength. ¡°£¦*££!¡± The ck-armored soldier released an iprehensible screech as it charged forward to fend against the intruder. After a quick exchange of blows, Roel was able toe to a rough conclusion. Its strength was equivalent to that of an Origin Level 5 transcendent, but its body was visiblycking in speed and coordination. It didn¡¯t seem to be too intelligent either, and it was incapable of casting spells. Overall, it was slightly weaker than a Origin Level 5 human transcendent. That being said, they were still pretty strong formon soldiers. After having made an assessment, Roel wanted to end things there and get rid of the ck-armored soldier. To his horror, the ck-armored soldier suddenly uttered the same whispers that the ck-robed figure didst night, assaulting his mind with a splitting pain. Making use of this opportunity, the ck-armored soldier leaped forward without any hesitation. Roel was rmed by the twist in the situation, but he didn¡¯t release cier right away. Instead, an idea sparked in his mind, and he quickly backed off toward the hanging light while eyeing the ck-armored soldier intently. The charging enemy stopped right before the intersection of light and shadow. Chapter 272: Walking the Path of the Protagonist

Chapter 272: Walking the Path of the Protagonist

Along a dark corridor, a one-sided fight was going on. ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at squeaking? Why don¡¯t you continue squeaking then?¡± A ck-haired young man stood beneath the light as he smashed his sword into the ¡®metal can¡¯ hiding in the shadows. A few strikester, the ck-armored soldier was knocked down to its knees. He proceeded on to pull the ck-armored soldier into the light, but surprisingly, thetter didn¡¯t disy any particr reaction to the light. It only fidgeted around out of distress. It would appear that the light in the watchman office was harmless to them; it was just that they didn¡¯t want to approach it. Roel sighed softly as his hopes of dominating this dream world with a singlemp shattered into bits. He raised his sword and beheaded the enemy right away. Knowing that these monsters hated the light, Roel dragged the carcass under the hanging light and began his second autopsy. It turned out that there wasn¡¯t much difference between the monsters, just that this one had one less heart and one more kidney. ¡°Organ traffickers would sure want to know the secret behind them,¡± murmured Roel as he returned the bloodied kidney he extracted back to its owner. He proceeded on to examine its physique, and it turned out that this one didn¡¯t have any abnormallyrge right arm. ¡°There¡¯s a significant difference in their physical constitution. This will make things rather troublesome,¡± remarked Roel with a grim look. The physical differences between the monsters likely meant that they had different strengths and weaknesses too. He would have to take note of this and proceed carefully. On top of that, even though their fighting prowess wasn¡¯t as powerful as he thought it out to be, their deep murmurs that held the power to disorientate one¡¯s mind were quite a hassle to deal with. This would greatly increase his exertion since he would have to keep his Origin Attribute constantly active during battle. Once the autopsy was done, Roel proceeded on to head to another building to y another ck-armored soldier, and once again, he verified that there were significant differences in their physiques. Though what was more interesting was the changes he noticed with the ckrose Ring. ¡°Is it just my imagination or does the ckrose Ring look brighter than usual?¡± Perhaps it was the lighting, but somehow the ring seemed to gleam with a greater luster after he yed three ck-armored soldiers. Before he could take a closer examination at it, the sound of an rm clock suddenly echoed in his ears. ¡°Diriring, diriring, diriring...¡± There was a slight jolt as Roel opened his eyes to his warm bed, bidding farewell to the world of darkness. ... It was yet another glorious morning, and Roel was having breakfast with Paul who stayed for the night. All expenses incurred by the Azure Manor would be reimbursed by the Saint Freya Academy as long as it didn¡¯t exceed a certain amount, so Roel could live like a king if he wanted to. Even if he did really exceed the budget, he did have the ability to pay for himself now that the Ascart Fiefdom was starting to prosper. It was also for this reason that he popped the thirty-year-old wine yesterday without any hesitation. Ahh, somehow food just tastes better when someone else is paying for it! While enjoying his breakfast, Roel couldn¡¯t help but notice the sparkling eyes Paul had been directing toward him for some time now, and it made him feel rather ufortable. This left him thinking about the divergences between the game¡¯s plotline and the current turn of events. After careful consideration, he felt that there was a need to preserve Paul¡¯s Request Club from the game. At this point, Roel was already confident that he had removed all of the death gs he had with the four female capture targets, but the only problem he had really resolved was the internal strife. In Eyes of the Chronicler, Paul became a potential love interest for the four female capture targets not just through his smooth words but by the shared experiences they had as well. Thinking about what Paul had to go through in the game, Roel couldn¡¯t help but be amazed by the sheer number of trials that stood in his way, though he was ironically unable to see that it had been the same for him too. Roel did change many things over the years, such that the umtion of his deeds ended up altering the power dynamics in the Saint Freya Academy. But while he had managed to win over the protagonists, that didn¡¯t mean that the antagonists would simply raise a white g and surrender. One good example were the twockeys who challenged Paul during the entrance ceremony. This minor detail didn¡¯t change at all, and in fact, the aggression shown by the twockeys even exacerbated. And they were just the most insignificant pawns around. There were still many trials that Paul had to ovee along the way, and Roel¡¯s absence in the list of antagonists only reduced what he had to deal with by a small part. These trials weren¡¯t just obstacles in Paul¡¯s way, for their oues would stir ripples throughout the entire academy, affecting Nora, Charlotte, and even Alicia. If things went awry, the beautiful future that Roel had already drawn out for himself could possibly be devastated. There were simply too many things at stake that Roel wouldn¡¯t be able to rest easy until he removed all of the underlying threats hidden in the shadows. In order to clear away all of those scums, Roel wanted to make use of the advantage he had from his knowledge of the Eyes of the Chronicler¡¯s plotline. That would require Paul to re-enact some of the scenes, which necessitated the existence of the Request Club as it served as the triggering g for many events. It was just that the misceneous and factionless Request Club in the game would now be associated with the Bluerose Faction, with Paul serving as the leader and Roel as its backing. It was a tradition for the factions in the Saint Freya Academy to either construct or take over a key department in the academy. In the game, Charlotte¡¯s Redrose Faction took charge of the Finance Department, and all sorts of major events would require her approval in order for the budget to go through. Nora¡¯s Goldenrose Faction led the Events Department, taking on the responsibility of nning and managing key academy events. Roel was still unsure of what key function of the academy the Bluerose Faction should take on when Paul suddenly came over to seek refuge with him. Since that was the case, he decided to go with the flow. To be honest, Roel was a little worried about the current Paul since he didn¡¯t have the backing of the female capture targets now. He was afraid that Paul wouldn¡¯t have sufficient strength to ovee the trials that were lined up before him. If any mishap were to happen to him, he might really just end up buried under his guilt. Paul¡¯s death would indubitably have huge implications in the worldview, and these implications were likely to be negative. Thinking about it, Paul¡¯s request to join the Bluerose Faction really resolved many impending problems. With the backing of the entire faction, the chances of any mishaps befalling Paul would be greatly reduced. On top of that, he would be able to secure both Paul and the Request Club, a perfect example of downing two birds with a stone! Was there anything better than this? As expected of me! Roel clenched his fists tightly as he felt deeply moved by his own wisdom. He finally snapped out of his thoughts and raised his head to look at Paul with gleaming eyes. ¡°Make sure you hand in your application by today!¡± ... The first ss that Roel had for the day was still ¡®Chris¡¯ ssroom¡¯. As soon as he pushed the door to Building 1¡¯s ssroom 14 open, he was swarmed by his female ssmates. ¡°Good morning, Roel.¡± ¡°How was the sses yesterday? Were you still able to keep up?¡± ¡°Feel free to ask us if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t get!¡± The Second Grade students had held themselves back for an entire day to determine Lilian¡¯s attitude toward Roel, and they realized that she bore no hostility toward him despite her cold attitude. Due to that, they were much more enthusiastic than yesterday. The Third Grade students sitting around Lilian were still keeping an eye out for her reaction while feeling tempted to make a move themselves whereas the Fourth Grade students simply chuckled softly at themotion. ¡°What a bustle early in the morning.¡± ¡°Haha, our First Grade and Second Grade juniors sure are spirited.¡± ¡°Ayy, looks like we¡¯re getting old.¡± The students made use of the free time they had before Chris¡¯ arrival to chat with one another. The female students from the Second Grade tried to test Roel on some of the harder concepts they had gone through yesterday in hopes of using this excuse to get close to him, but to their surprise, he was able to answer their questions easily. ¡°Oh? He actually managed to get it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite amazing. Is this the talent of the record holder for ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯?¡± ¡°Ah? Well, hahaha.¡± Roel felt a little awkward by thepliments they were showering upon him, such that he couldn¡¯t help but direct a nce toward Lilian. Of course, thetter remainedpletely unfazed, as if she couldn¡¯t see or hear what was going on over at his side. She really is treating me like I¡¯m invisible, Roel thought with a helpless smile. But at the same time, he felt thankful toward her. Her tutoring at least spared him from the embarrassment of being stumped here. ¡°Oh? What a crowd we have gathered in front. Alright, time to return to your seats now. I¡¯ll be starting the ss.¡± Chris entered the ssroom and greeted the students with a smile. She was overjoyed to see how quickly Roel was assimting with the ss, such that she started to think about how she should pen it down in her next letter. It had been far too many years since shest met Carter that it was hard for her to find anymon topic between them. She figured that the way to woo a single dad was to woo his kid first. As long as she could win over his child, she would already be halfway to sess. The content that Chris went through today was asplicated as usual. The two hours ss was more than enough to floor Roel, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t over yet. The battle was only half fought, and it would resumeter at night. There waspletely no interaction between Roel and Lilian during the ss, and it was only when they were leaving the ssroom that Roel politely bade farewell to her. ¡°See you, Senior Lilian.¡± ¡°...¡± Lilian paused for a brief moment and looked at him with a bizarre look in her eyes, seemingly surprised by his farewell. On the other hand, Roel was already used to herck of response, so he didn¡¯t pay it any heed and walked off to his next ss. But he soon realized that Lilian was following him. ¡°Senior, you are...?¡± ¡°... What¡¯s your next ss?¡± ¡°My next ss? It¡¯s creation... Ah.¡± Roel widened his eyes as it dawned upon him that they had thismon ss too. Seeing that he had finally gotten it, Lilian didn¡¯t bother to ask on. She silently overtook him and quickly walked off so as to create some distance between them. It looks like we really do have quite somemonalities between us, Roel was amazed by the coincidence. Meanwhile, Lilian felt her mind plunging into turmoil. The fact that they were both Chris¡¯ students and creation transcendents meant that interaction with Roel was inevitable. The realization that he had an identical mana channeling method as the past her left her with an itching feeling inside, as if a cat was scratching her heart. She couldn¡¯t tell whether she was just overthinking it, but for some reason, she felt a growing sense of inexplicable intimacy toward Roel the more she interacted with him, and it caused her to unwittingly lower her guard. Her sudden whim yesterday to increase their sses together was one such example. Now that she thought about it, the knowledge she was intending to impart to him was already beyond the scope of her responsibilities, but the helpless look on his face somehowpelled her to show him a way out. Her iprehensible feelings left her feeling deeply fearful. She thought about how infatuated Charlotte and Nora were with Roel, and it made her wonder if the Ascart House had some kind of incubus bloodline. No matter what, I need to tread even more carefully. Lilian shot a backward nce at Roel before walking off with many doubts in her head. Chapter 273: Goodbye, My Sister and My Weakness

Chapter 273: Goodbye, My Sister and My Weakness

Roel had no idea how many creation transcendents there were in the academy. He had been far too busy both in the day and at night that he couldn¡¯t afford to spare any attention to care about such stuff. But while he hadn¡¯t been paying any focus to it, someone else was¡ªLilian. As a Third Grade student, she was far too familiar with the circumstances surrounding the creation transcendent in the academy. The first ss was still alright, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid facing Roel for futurebat practices. For this reason, she felt averse to this ss. After entering the summoning ssroom, she headed straight for the seat that was reserved for her by the members of the Purplerose Faction. Over ten Austine nobles took their seats around her, leaving no room for anyone else to approach her. Given so, there was no way for Roel to sit close to her, though it was not as if he would do so even if he could. However, what surprised Roel was that he was also swiftly surrounded by people. It was no secret to the student popce that he was a creation transcendent¡ªafter all, privacy was nonexistent to public figures¡ªso it was inevitable that many of his ssmates would make use of this opportunity to get close to him. It was just moments after he settled down at the back row that people started swarming around him like bees drawn to a flower. ¡°Pleased to meet you, Roel. I am...¡± ¡°Roel, do you have timeter on? What do you think about having lunch together?¡± ¡°You¡¯re intending to recruit members for your Bluerose Faction, right? I can help you with that.¡± ¡°Thanks for your offers, but I have no such intention at the moment.¡± Amidst the swarm of female students, Roel put on a graceful noble smile and politely rejected their goodwill. His impable etiquette made it seem like he was dealing with them with ease, but the truth was that he was already starting to tire out. It had been years since Roel had to deal with any women approaching him at social settings. In the Theocracy, Nora and Alicia were terrifying alpha wolves in banquets whom no one dared to get in between, and in Rosa, the Sorofya House was an overwhelmingly dominant power that few dared to go against. As a result, it had been a long time since he had been swarmed by women like this. The overwhelming influx of questions and invitations was far too much for Roel to handle, and for the first time, he started to understand the importance of having faction members. There were asions where a Ringbearer needed supporters, such as in Lilian¡¯s case at the moment. Under the protection of her faction members, she was able to listen to her ss in peace and do her own stuff. On the other hand, the loner Roel had no choice but to deal with these pursuers alone. What made it more troublesome was that not everyone around him bore goodwill toward him. There were enemies who wanted to fling mud on his reputation, women who wanted to take advantage of him, ambitious individuals who wanted to use him as a stepping stone, and so on. It was hard to discern each and every one of their true natures and deal with them ordingly. In such a torturous environment, Roel ended uppletely exhausting himself throughout the course of the lesson. It was only upon Nora¡¯s arrival that long-awaited salvation finally came to him. Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed as soon as she saw the crowd of women around Roel. The sharp-witted Theocracy nobles caught her drift right away and immediately stepped forward to shield Roel from the crowd. ¡°Say, isn¡¯t it about time for your Bluerose Faction to start recruiting? At this rate, you won¡¯t even be able to attend your sses properly.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry about that, Nora. You really helped me out this time.¡± Nora shot a dissatisfied nce at those vixens before turning her attention back to Roel. In truth, she wasn¡¯t too bothered about these misceneous characters, and the real reason why she came over was to see how Roel was getting along with the other Ringbearer. As the students left the summoning ssroom, it was soon Lilian and her entourage¡¯s turn to head out. Naturally, the conspicuous presence of Nora and her faction caught Lilian¡¯s notice. Under Lilian¡¯s watchful amethyst eyes, Nora grabbed Roel¡¯s hands domineeringly to im ownership of him, sending out a clear message that he was under her protection. However, all it did was to sustain Lilian¡¯s gaze for a brief moment before she turned away. As Nora and Lilian were from different grades and weren¡¯t acquainted with one another, there was no particr need for them to greet one another. As the members of the two factions brushed each other by, Lilian kept her eyes straight ahead, showing no interest in the duo at all. On the other hand, Nora¡¯s gaze trailed her until she finally disappeared by the corner of the corridor. ¡°Roel, did that woman attempt to make things hard for you?¡± ¡°No no, of course not,¡± answered Roel weakly. On the contrary, she offered me quite a bit of help, he added in his mind. Nora heaved a sigh of relief as a smile emerged on her lips. ¡°Good. As promised, you¡¯ll be apanying me for lunch today.¡± As Nora spoke, her sapphire eyes seemed to glimmer in excitement, causing the male students nearby to direct envious gazes over. However, the one who was faced with the familiar predatory gaze felt his heart lurch instead as warning bells started ringing in his mind. Danger, danger! ... Walking down a fairly crowded street under the noon sun, Lilian Ackermann returned back to her estate under the apaniment of the Austine nobles. The students in the lower grade had to deal with their lunch quickly so that they could rush for their next lesson, but those of the upper grades didn¡¯t have afternoon sses, making afternoon a good time for them to visit popr restaurants without having to deal with the usual crowd. As for Lilian, there was no need for her to patronize any of the academy¡¯s high-ss restaurants as she had imperial chefs employed in her very estate. Of the three Ackermann offspring viewed to be in the line of session, Lilian was the one of the highest birth. Putting her emperor father aside, her mother had descended from the Sisyphus Ducal House, a noble house whose lineage could be traced back to the Second Epoch. It was part of the ruling ss during the mass migration a thousand years ago, and it remained as one of the few prominent noble houses in the newly-established Austine Empire. Her birth put her at the peak of the bloodline purists, so it was only normal for her to be granted special privileges. Having the imperial chefs at her beck and call was no more than the tip of the iceberg. She would usually have her meal by herself, but there was a rare guest in her exclusively built Nymph Pce today. Lilian looked at the uptight Paul across the dining table, unsurprised by his arrival. She had been waiting for Paul to knock on her door by himself ever since Emperor Lukas sent word to her to take care of him. There were reasons why she couldn¡¯t take the initiative to approach Paul, one of them being the opposition of her oversensitive elder brothers, and the other being the disdain of the Austine nobles. Under such circumstances, she shouldn¡¯t appear to favor Paul too much. Illegitimate offspring were scorned in the circle of nobility, and not even a child of the emperor was above this tradition. The only difference was that no one with any wits dared to do it too openly. It was simr to how Lilian was sent out a strict warning to the student popce during the entrance ceremony, but the disdain that Paul had been receiving had never stopped. Lilian thought that Paul would contact her shortly after the semester started, but it turned out that her half-brother had much more guts than she expected. Hested for ten days before knocking on her door. Not bad. Lilian had a high evaluation of him for that. On the other hand, Paul was dining into the refined cuisine of the imperial chefs so mechanically that he might have very well been munching on candles instead. Inparison, the ordinary meal he had with Roel had been far more pleasant. He had been feeling sharp gazes on him ever since he entered the Nymph Pce. These gazes came not just from the Austine nobles but the servants by Lilian¡¯s side too. The estate¡¯s master didn¡¯t appear to harbor any goodwill for him either. The lunch proceeded under this dreary atmosphere. Lilian was ustomed to silence being the reticent person she was, but Paul couldn¡¯t help but fidget ufortably. It was only till they finished the main meal and was waiting for desserts to be served that he finally bucked up his courage to reveal the intent behind his visit. ¡°Imperial sister Lilian, to be honest, I¡¯vee to inform you that I don¡¯t intend to join the Purplerose Faction.¡± ¡°... I see.¡± Paul¡¯s confidence seemed to rapidly dwindle as he voiced out his thoughts. He looked at Lilian with a mixture of fear and nervousness, unsure of how she would respond. To his surprise, thetter merely acknowledged his words impassively. It affirmed his thoughts that his half-sister couldn¡¯t be bothered with him, but this surprisingly calmed him down instead. Little did he know that Lilian had already guessed his decision. The Purplerose Faction was ultimately still a faction of the Austine Empire, so it was inevitable that its members would be hostile to Paul. Of course, no one would dare to do anything to him under Lilian¡¯s watch if he insisted on joining the faction, but that would also mean that his activities would be greatly restricted too. Everyone whom he came into contact with would likely be associated with the Austine Empire, leaving him unable to escape from the cage of prejudice. Rather than that, it was much better for him to be a free factionless student. Even though he would receive fewer resources as a result, he would at least be able to live in a far more dignified manner. ¡°Our father has sent me a letter to take care of you prior to your enrollment, but that¡¯s only if you wish to ept my help. You have the choice not to join the Purplerose Faction, and I have no intention of forcing you either. ¡°The resources that factions receive from the academy is just a small portion of what the Saint Freya Academy has. You¡¯ll be able to receive substantial resources through climbing the rankings or joining a student organization. There is a way out for the factionless too.¡± It was a rare show of concern from Lilian as she pointed a way out for her illegitimate but at least likable younger brother, unlike the two older ones. What surprised her though was that Paul didn¡¯t reveal a look of joy, instead seeming to fall into a dilemma. Hm? This reaction... Lilian frowned a little at the unexpected response from Paul. ¡°Is there anything that you wish to say?¡± she asked. Paul struggled internally for a moment before finally gathering the courage to speak up. ¡°Imperial sister Lilian, the truth is... I¡¯ve already told big brother Roel that I¡¯ll be joining his side.¡± Chapter 274: A Man Should Rely on Other Men!

Chapter 274: A Man Should Rely on Other Men!

Paul could clearly sense Lilian¡¯s gaze turning sharp the moment he made his decision known. The sudden pressure in the atmosphere made him lower his head as he awaited the reprimand from his older half-sister. To his surprise, Lilian didn¡¯t speak a word. She looked at him quietly, though her heart was hardly as peaceful as how she appeared on the surface. Born into the Ackermann Imperial Family, Lilian didn¡¯t have much experience with kinship or getting along with younger siblings. This was the first time she wasing into contact with the existence known as ¡®younger brother¡¯. She felt obliged to take care of him as the elder sibling here, but she didn¡¯t expect that she would be turned down at the very first step. Paul¡¯s refusal to join the Purplerose Faction wasn¡¯t a big issue to her; if anything, she thought that it was a wise decision. While it disallowed her from using the influence of her faction to protect Paul, she was still able to offer him help from time to time. She did have the means to do that. However, it would be a whole new story if Paul were to join another faction. It was equivalent to Paul choosing an outsider over Lilian, and such a decision obviously had major consequences. No matter how much Austine¡¯s nobles shunned Paul, he was still a bearer of the Ackermann family name. It was uneptable for a prince of the great imperial family to lower his head to an outsider, not to mention that Roel was from the Theocracy. That man couldn¡¯t have overlooked the implications, so why did he still choose to take in Paul? ¡°Is this your decision?¡± ¡°A-ah?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you¡¯re the one who requested for this on your own ord.¡± ¡°Y-yes, it is. I looked for big brother Roel yesterday and asked him for this request. I haven¡¯t met him since the entrance ceremony, so I didn¡¯t think that he would really ept me.¡± ¡°...¡± The smile of gratitude on Paul¡¯s lips brought a rare frown onto Lilian¡¯s face. She was finding it hard toprehend Roel¡¯s actions, but she decided to hold her tongue and not say anything. She could tell that Paul had already made up his mind, and it was unlikely that she could sway his decision. ¡°If you have truly made up your mind, I¡¯d presume that you¡¯re prepared for the consequences too? Your act of joining another person¡¯s faction means that my Enforcement Division won¡¯t be able to offer you any help. ¡°If this is a trap, you¡¯ll be fighting all on your own. On top of that, your action will be strongly condemned by our people, and it might even turn our father against you. You might be ced in a worse position than before.¡± Lilian calmly voiced out the difficulties that Paul could potentially face along the way, and it made thetter¡¯s face stiffen. He thought about the words Roel had spoken on his Bluerose Ring yesterday, and he eventually nodded after a moment of silence. ¡°I trust big brother Roel. Rather than winning the approval of those hypocritical nobles, what I truly want is a friend who will treat me earnestly. His Majesty may despise me because of this, but in the first ce, I¡¯m no more than an illegitimate son with no rights to session. I have no interest in the crown. ¡°What I want is an enjoyable academy life. I want a ce where I can be myself and work hard to be the person I aspire to be.¡± Roel¡¯s silhouette surfaced in Paul¡¯s mind, and his eyes hardened with determination. Seeing this, Lilian¡¯s pupils widened a little. ¡°... I see.¡± She let out an inconspicuous sigh. Looking at the young man sitting opposite her, she suddenly found her mind filling up with many thoughts. It affirmed her view that Paul was indeed an odd one out amongst the cold-blooded Ackermanns. Different from her older brothers who were passionate about pursuing greater power and standing, Paul was an earnest man with his feet nted firmly on the ground. Youthful and positive, he chased after what was real and tangible to him. There was no stench of schemes or conspiracies on him; he was as pure as he appeared to be. She envied him. It was a pity that Paul didn¡¯t choose her, or else the two of them might have gotten close to one another. ¡°Since you have already chosen your path, I won¡¯t bother trying to retain you. That being said, we¡¯re still kin with resonating Origin Attributes. If you ever find yourself cornered and in a desperate situation, as a final resort, you may look for me.¡± ¡°Ah? Resonating Origin Attributes? Er... I-I understand. I¡¯m grateful for your kind offer.¡± Paul was confused by the term ¡®resonating Origin Attributes¡¯, but he was still able to understand what Lilian was trying to convey here, so he quickly thanked her. On the other hand, Lilian wasn¡¯t too surprised to see that Paul was unaware of what the term meant. After all, it hadn¡¯t been long since he reached Origin Level 5 and obtained his Origin Attribute. Having resolved the problems weighing on his mind, Paul looked much more rxed than before. He finished up the dessert before taking his leave. As he walked out of the elegant Nymph Pce, he found himself thinking back on the conversation. Imperial sister Lilian might be a quiet person who hardly shows any expression at all, but she seems to be a nice person on the whole. It would be great if she could get along with big brother Roel. Paulmented at the deep hostility that the Austine Empire and the Theocracy bore toward one another. At the same time, he also wondered about the foreign term he had heard earlier on. What does resonating Origin Attributes mean? If my Origin Attribute has resonated with something, I should have at least felt a tingle or something, right? But I haven¡¯t felt anything peculiar ever since entering the academy. Paul frowned in iprehension. This matter was clearly beyond his knowledge, so he could only toss it to the back of his head for the time being. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll ask big brother Roelter on,¡± he murmured as he left the Purplerose Faction¡¯s base. ... Roel had many goals in the Saint Freya Academy. On the surface, he wanted to expand his scope of knowledge, socialize and make new friends, and obtain official qualifications. Beneath the surface, he hoped to find clues regarding ¡®Academic¡¯, lure out the enemies he knew of through game via Paul, and maybeaplish the impossible mission entrusted to him by Ro. All of this was centered around a prerequisite, and that was strength. A year had passed since Roel reached Origin Level 4, but he hadn¡¯t reached the pinnacle of it yet. It couldn¡¯t be helped since it wasn¡¯t as easy to advance through Origin Level 4pared to the previous levels, and he had his hands full with all sorts of things over the past year. From migrating Ancient Treant Kayde to the Ascart Fiefdom to meeting Nora at the Holy Capital, there was little time Roel could spare to browse through historical records. Naturally, his rate of growth slowed. Things were going to be different now. With his enrollment into the Saint Freya Academy, his priority was now shifted toward learning. Learning might just be about gathering new information and bing wiser for others, but to Roel, it was the road to growing stronger too. Saint Freya Academy had splendid resources and facilities to create a conducive environment for learning, but of it all, what truly made Roel¡¯s eyes glow was its massive library. The National Athenaeum of Wisdom. This was a library that was renowned not just in Leinster but the entire Brolne. It was their national pride. Brolne¡¯s National Athenaeum of Wisdom, the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Holy Capital¡¯s Royal Library, and the Austine Empire¡¯s Millennia Glory Repository¡ªthese were the three most famous libraries on the Sia Continent. All in all, they contained over 60% of the historical records preserved by humankind, making them the very core of humankind civilization. Of those three, the National Athenaeum of Wisdom boasted the longest history, though it used to be no more than a normal facility in the Saint Freya Academy. Back in the academy¡¯s earlier years, when it was still taking in a small number of students each semester, the academy¡¯s management team would often find themselves ced in a dilemma whenever they received a huge donation¡ªWhere should I dump the money on? It was such a first-world academy problem, but there was no denying that it had stumped several generations of principals. The main issuey in the fact that these donations had to be used on tangible facilities in the academy, and they couldn¡¯t be funneled toward the Schr Guilds or student organizations To put it simply, the donors wanted to seend and buildings. For some reason, wealthy people really loved big things, and it would be even better if they could get it named after them too. However, such donations were only useful up to a certain point, or else there would be too many buildings and not enough people to use them, resulting in the creation of ¡®ghost towns¡¯. Anyway, as the money snowballed over the generations, the principals found themselves greatly distressed. They couldn¡¯t just reject the money since the donations had political implications, and snubbing the goodwill of powerhouses would be a bad idea. But at the same time, it would be wrong to ept the money and not spend it. Stress balding was a prevalent condition for the principals for many years, till someone suddenly proposed an ingenious idea. Hey, why don¡¯t we use the money to fill up our library instead? By that point, their library had already been expanded several times such that there weren¡¯t enough books to fill up the empty bookshelves. For the next hundred years, the Saint Freya Academy devoted most of their funds to acquiring all sorts of exclusive and rare historical books. They would put the donor¡¯s name on the book cover, such as the one Roel was holding at the moment. Generosity of the Austine Empire¡¯s Count Hauter, December of Year 717. Interestingly enough, there was also an additional option for the donor to pen down his signature on the cover too, but of course, special services required special fees. It turned out that the nobles thought that having tomes to knowledge credited to them was much more ssier than having their names inscribed on buildings, and it ended up stirring a book donation frenzy. Under the overwhelming support of the donors, the library grewrger andrger until it finally became independent three hundred years ago and was renamed the National Athenaeum of Wisdom. The library was still located in the Saint Freya Academy, but outsiders could apply for a permit to enter the library. This was a move to promote greater literacy amongst the general popce, but things probably weren¡¯t exactly going as how they expected. Roel noticed that the female students from other academies were constantly directing nces in his direction before whispering amongst themselves, and their actions made him feel ufortable. In the end, his difort outweighed hisziness. So, he rose to his feet and headed over to the private reading rooms which required payment. He wanted a quiet environment to get his reading done. Little did he know that his actions were being spied on by a spherical object located on the ceiling. Chapter 275: Access Clearance

Chapter 275: ess Clearance

In the Country of Schrs, from 8-year-old kids to 80-year-old elders, everyone knew that the students of the Saint Freya Academy came from distinguished backgrounds. Every single one of them were likely to rise to prominence after their graduation. This fact was particrly important to the ambitious young men anddies who dreamt of swiftly rising through the ranks. Unfortunately, it was public knowledge that the Saint Freya Academy was isted from the rest of Leinster, such that it was famously dubbed as the City in the City. It was not that the students of the Saint Freya Academy were disallowed from leaving the campus ground, but why would they do that when they could already get everything they wanted on the campus? Without a doubt, this was a huge hindrance to the ambitions of those young men anddies. There was a way to get around it though, and that was the National Athenaeum of Wisdom. This vault of knowledge was open to the public, and its ess requirement was particrlyx to the students in Leinster. As a result, it became a golden spot for phnderers, though Roel found it a little too noisy for his liking. As he slowly made his way toward the private reading room, he began searching through his pockets for his student identification card. Students of the Saint Freya Academy didn¡¯t have to pay right away for ess to the private reading rooms; they would foot the bills all at once at the end of the semester. Of course, a Ringbearer like Roel obviously had special privileges. All he needed to do was to sh his identification card and he would be granted free entry. He stood in the queue in front of the receptionist, and when it was finally his turn, he shed his student identification card and his Bluerose Ring. The receptionist immediately became much more weing, even going to the extent of pointing out the rooms with the best lighting. Roel thanked the receptionist for his help before heading to the closest one. The treatment orded to the Ringbearers was truly excellent. Not only was he orded a lot of respect, but his reading ess in the National Athenaeum of Wisdom was much higher than that of ordinary students too. This was an invaluable gift for someone who needed to read as much as he did. The private reading room was decent. It couldn¡¯tpare with Nora¡¯s private room in the Holy Capital¡¯s Royal Library, but it had a simple and elegant decor, reminiscent of a typical schr¡¯s. There was a table and a chair with aplimentary notebook and pen for those who needed to pen down their learnings. By the side was a tallmp, a small bookshelf, and a clothes rack. That was pretty much everything in the private reading room, simple but practical. Roel personally thought that it was pretty good. He believed that a student should focus on his learning and temper their will instead of indulging in luxury. It was not to say that the environment in the Holy Capital¡¯s Royal Library was bad, but he simply preferred a more down-to-earth environment as a student. Roel sat down on the chair and began looking through the books. With no distractions around anymore, the speed of his reading sped up considerably. His Origin Attribute allowed him to discern the authentic portions of a book and focus solely on them, thus extracting the essence of each book efficiently. He only took an hour to finish flipping through an ancient record from two hundred years back. Just as he was about to dive into the next book, a thought suddenly popped into his mind. He was certain that the ce he was teleported into in his dreams was indeed the Saint Freya Academy. Since he had dissected his enemy to understand them better, the next thing he ought to do was to find out more about the terrain of the battlefield. Roel wasn¡¯t familiar with the various facilities around since he hadn¡¯t really gotten a chance to fully explore the area since the entrance ceremony, which meant that he wouldn¡¯t even know what possible escape routes there were if he were to get surrounded. It would be dangerous to continue this way. The library should have a blueprint on the academy, right? Roel headed over to the bookshelves to start looking for the academy¡¯s blueprint, but he soon found himself at a loss. ¡°Something as confidential as the academy¡¯s blueprints wouldn¡¯t possibly be open to the public. Where should I go looking for it...¡± ¡°¡®Architecture Blueprint of the Saint Freya Academy 26th Edition¡¯ is located on the twelfth bookshelf in the third area. You¡¯ll need a certain level of clearance ess in order to borrow the book.¡± ¡°Is that so? Thank you... Ah?¡± Roel was just about to turn around to thank the person who had just tipped him off when he realized that there was no one behind him. This mystifying urrence made him widen his eyes in astonishment. He quickly scanned his surroundings, but there was nothing but bookshelves in his vicinity. ¡°Huh? I was certain that I heard a female voice earlier on...¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Your Excellency. Are you looking for me?¡± This time around, Roel clearly heard the voiceing from above him, so he raised his head right away. What came into his line of sight was a shimmering crystal ball. What is this? ¡°Y-you are?¡± ¡°Respected Ringbearer, I am artificial spirit Margaret at your service.¡± ¡°Artificial spirit? What¡¯s that? Roel stared at the crystal ball above him in confusion, struggling to figure out what was going on. One must know that he was a history buff, and years of reading had made him an extremely knowledgeable individual. However, he had never heard of an artificial spirit before. There were many inexplicable legends surrounding spirits on the Sia Continent, such as them being the origin of souls, the first lifeforms, and so on. Spirits were often depicted to be enigmatic beings far beyond humankind¡¯s understanding. Given the generalck of understanding of spirits, the notion of artificially creating a spirit was absurd. Besides, even if someone had really managed to artificially create a spirit, it should have stirred a hugemotion and swept the whole world off its feet. There was no way Roel would have been unaware of it. On top of that, he had never seen ¡®Margaret¡¯ in Eyes of the Chronicler before. ¡°The creation of artificial spirits should be an impossible feat given the current restraints of our technology. What in the world are you?¡± The iprehensible situation before him made Roel put his guard up as he eyed the crystal ball warily. The crystal shimmered silently for a moment before finally giving its response. ¡°My apologies. You have yet to reach the required ess clearance.¡± ¡°...¡± So, this means that there¡¯s really something amiss about this? Roel fell into contemtion upon hearing those words. ¡°Mister Roel Ascart, I am the artificial intelligence in charge of strategic nning, allocation of resources, and many other operations. I have been in the Saint Freya Academy for several centuries now. If you reserve doubts about my identity, you are free to seek rification from Principal Antonio or the other Ringbearers. ¡°I havee here to ry a piece of information to you. You have been granted third tier ess to the First Authority as the Bluerose Ringbearer¡ªthe right to vote in the Ringbearers Council. ¡°Modification of ess rights: A previous decision made by the Ringbearers Council has raised your ess to the First Authority to second tier, granting you greater power than the principal. This is the current highest ess right amongst the student popce, so please use this power wisely.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel frowned a little upon hearing Margaret¡¯s words, but the wariness he felt rxed a little. If Margaret was indeed an acknowledged existence in the Saint Freya Academy, it was unlikely that she would be a hostile existence. Most likely, she hadn¡¯t appeared in Eyes of the Chronicler due to Paul not being a Ringbearer. Speaking of which, the ¡®Ringbearers Council¡¯ that was mentioned ought to be referring to the ¡®Rose Council¡¯. Despite the rumors, it was surprising to learn that the authority of the Ringbearers Council was really above that of Principal Antonio. That would exin why the Ringbearers had such high standing. However, this wasn¡¯t the end of what Margaret had to say yet. ¡°You have been granted third tier ess to the Second Authority due to your possession of the ¡®Relic¡¯. Your right to the ¡®Second Authority¡¯ has yet to be released.¡± ¡°Hm? Second Authority? Relic?¡± The astonished Roel was immediately reminded of the other ring he had in his possession, so he quickly inquired more about it. ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®Relic¡¯ you¡¯re referring to?¡± ¡°My apologies. You have yet to reach the required ess clearance.¡± ¡°Who is the one who set the ess clearances?¡± ¡°My apologies. You have yet to reach the required ess clearance.¡± ¡°Do you know who ¡®Academic¡¯ is?¡± ¡°My apologies. You have yet to reach the required ess clearance.¡± ¡°...¡± It was so frustrating that Roel felt tempted to twist the crystal ball down from the ceiling and smash it into bits. Goddamnit, how in the world are you this annoying? The infuriated Roel took a few breaths to calm himself down before he noticed a problem here. It had been half a month since he obtained the two rings, so why was this artificial spirit only showing up now? If she was really here just to inform him of his new authorities, she should have done it right after he acquired the rings. Why, of all moments, now? If what Margaret mentioned about her duties in the academy was true, it would be safe to say that her powers extended across the entire academy. There was no way that she would only be restricted tomunicating in the library. Could this mean that... A possibility that surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind made him narrow his eyes. He raised his head and asked once more. ¡°Margaret, was the ess to my Second Authority granted yesterday?¡± ¡°You have not yet been granted ess to the Second Authority, Your Excellency.¡± ¡°I see. In other words, there was something that I did from yesterday afternoon till now that would eventually grant me ess to the Second Authority.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Your Excellency.¡± Roel clenched his fists upon hearing the affirmative response from Margaret. Other than the remedial ss and apanying Paul for dinner, Roel had only done one other thingst night, and that was fighting the monsters in his dream. Looking at it now, he probably wasn¡¯t overthinking it when he thought that the ckrose Ring looked brighter than before. All of a sudden, his confidence in finding ¡®Academic¡¯ grew much greater. He had two leads to work on right now. One was the academy in the dream¡ªhe was confident that there was some kind of secret there waiting to be uncovered¡ªand the other was the ess authority he would gain through killing the monsters in the dream. Given that Magaret had served the academy for centuries now, it was possible that she might havee into contact with ¡®Academic¡¯ at some point in time. Perhaps, ¡®Academic¡¯ might have even left a message through her, and he simply had to reach the required ess level for it. At the same time, he was also curious about what the Second Authority entailed too. In any case, the new leads he found left Roel sighing in relief. At least there was a clear goal for him to work toward now regarding his investigation of ¡®Academic¡¯. He tried asking Magaret a few more questions, but all he received in return was that his ess clearance was insufficient. ¡°Hiding quite a bit of secrets, eh? I¡¯d expect nothing less from a thousand-year-old academy.¡± Roel fiddled with the ring on his finger before heading toward the bookshelf in the distance. Chapter 276: Weird Feelings

Chapter 276: Weird Feelings

That evening, Roel massaged his forehead as he walked out of the library and headed toward the central district. The National Athenaeum of Wisdom had many records of the academy¡¯s blueprints, but the problem was that they were all professional blueprints drawn to be viewed by those working in the same industry. It was incredibly exhausting for ayman like Roel to decipher all of those symbols and abbreviations. The good thing was that his efforts did pay off. He managed to figure out theyout of most buildings in the academy, so he wouldn¡¯t have to buzz around like a headless fly anymore. And now, it was time for him to meet that strict ¡®teacher¡¯ of his. He put on his hoodie and scarf and traveled through the crowd discreetly. As usual, he had to utter that embarrassing password before he was allowed into the ssroom. When his eyes fell on the woman standing at the podium, he found his heart skipping a beat. She¡¯s wearing a purple dress today. She wore a traditional purple long dress that swayed along with her movements, leaving Roel unable to retract his gaze. Simr to what she wore yesterday, the dress was loose but tightened around the waist, though this one had a wider cor line that exposed a fair bit of her shoulders. As if to conceal the exposed skin, there was a graceful purple bowtie sitting around her fair neck. Roel had to agree that purple was a color thatplemented Lilian well. It was a perfect fit with her amethyst eyes, and it seemed to entuate her disposition. An astute but enigmatic ice beauty¡ªthis was the impression that Lilian usually gave off. But somehow, she felt even colder today. Roel was able to figure out the reason behind it right away, but he chose not to raise the subject. He obediently took his seat and waited for the ss to begin. On the other hand, Lilian also didn¡¯t say a thing about it and started the ss right away. Regardless of the negative feelings she might harbor toward him, it didn¡¯t affect her ss at all. Her lesson was still as sharp and detailed as ever. What was frightening, however, was that every time Roel wanted to ask a question, she was able to answer it a second in advance. It left Roel wondering if she had used some sort of mind-reading spell on him. However, he had no way to prove it since Lilian always made sure to go through the concepts thoroughly, regardless of whether he had already grasped a portion of it or not. The slight repetitions that urred here and there were a bit frustrating, but he dared not voice anyints to his cold-faced senior. Even if it was a request from Chris, it was true that Lilian was doing him a huge favor here by sparing her precious time to tutor him. The least he could do was to pay full attention to everything she said even if it was redundant, which was what he did. His earnest learning attitude seemed to have satisfied Lilian a little. Halfway through the lesson, they proceeded on to practicalbat training. While Roel was hopeless in mana control, manapression was a different story. It was a concept first theorized and researched by the Energy Guild, the key idea being enhancing the quality of mana so as to amplify the prowess of one¡¯s spells. Lilian¡¯s manapression training could be described as a duel. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a real duel in the sense that they weren¡¯t really fighting against one another, but they would manifest their mana threads¡ªor in Roel¡¯s case, mana rope¡ªand pit them against one another. Whoever¡¯s mana thread was severed first would be the loser. Kak! With a light crack, Roel¡¯s mana rope was sliced into two with hardly any resistance. He looked at the shattered manifestation of mana in his hands and sighed softly before swiftly manifesting a new one. Meanwhile, Lilian provided him with some criticisms of his performance. ¡°Haven¡¯t I told you that thickness doesn¡¯t matter here? What you need is to focus on your skills right from the start. It¡¯s not about making it huge before attempting to squeeze it down. You have to make the change at the very start. ¡°What you¡¯re releasing right now is no different from water. It needs to be far more condensed right from the start in order to seed. ¡°...¡± Perhaps it was due to Roel¡¯s mistake being far too obvious, Lilian ended up speaking more than she usually did. However, her teachings didn¡¯t spur an epiphany in Roel; instead, it left him with a weird look on his face. The two of them needed to be close to one another in order to conduct the ¡®duel¡¯, so Lilian had to walk down from the podium to stand before Roel¡¯s desk. As a result, Roel found himself faced with her slim tummy. Ro¡¯s ursed words surfaced in his mind at this ungodly timing, causing his face to swiftly redden. It felt incredibly awkward to him, but at the same time, he couldn¡¯t really lift his gaze or lower it either. ¡°What are you waiting for? Try again.¡± Lilian¡¯s nonchnt voice cooled down Roel¡¯s overheating mind a little. He raised his head to look at Lilian, only to see her looking back at him with a shimmering thread between her fingers. This won¡¯t do. I need to calm myself down. In the first ce, what does her tummy even have to do with me?! Roel nodded in determination as he directed his focus back to his manapression practice. Under Lilian¡¯s guidance, he finally showed some improvement. After being one-shotted more than ten times, he finally held his ground in a sh for once. ¡°!¡± Roel was overjoyed to see his little crimson rope surviving Lilian¡¯s devastation. ¡°Senior, I...¡± Kak! But before Roel could voice out his joy, Lilian mercilessly swiped her silver thread down once more and severed his crimson rope into two, causing his smile to stiffen in ce. Those excited words that were already at the tip of his tongue vanished right away. He blinked his eyes nkly for a moment before quietly lowering his head topress his mana once more. Perhaps it was due to her casual action dealing a blow to Roel¡¯s motivation, Lilian contemted for a moment before speaking up. ¡°It was a fair attempt. Let¡¯s continue.¡± Those concise words hardly sounded encouraging at all, but Roel found himself raising his head to stare at Lilian with utterly astounded eyes. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Roel revealed a brilliant smile that left Lilian dazed for a moment. Once again, she felt an inexplicable feeling of intimacy toward Roel welling up in her heart. This again. What¡¯s wrong with me? Her amethyst eyes narrowed a little. Her face remained as cid as ever, but her heart had already plunged into confusion. The truth was that she wasn¡¯t intending to console Roel when she severed his mana rope earlier. While it was praiseworthy that he was able to make significant progress on his first training session, she didn¡¯t think that it was any of her business. If anything, she should be hoping for Roel¡¯s failure since she had more to gain from that. She could have just done the bare minimum as a tutor, and that would have still been fulfilling the obligations she owed to Chris. Yet, when she saw Roel celebrating his little sess with a smile on his face, only to lower his head in disappointment at her disregard right after, she felt something pounding hard in her heart. She subconsciously thought that she had done wrong. It was this inexplicable feeling that prompted her to encourage him. Is this bewitchment? Or is there something else here? Lilian pondered over this while continuing with the lesson, but she was unable to figure out an answer to that. Soon, the night deepened and their ss finally came to an end. ¡°Let¡¯s conclude things here today,¡± said Lilian. Roel heaved a sigh of relief and slumped his exhausted body onto the chair. Manapression was a far more delicate process than he had expected. Controlling andpressing mana were difficult tasks that would require one¡¯s full attention even when done separately, but Roel was expected to multitask and aplish the two of them simultaneously This was definitely a huge challenge for anyone who wasn¡¯t ustomed to it yet. Damn it, do I have to do this every ss?, grumbled Roel in his mind. He remained seated in his chair and waited patiently. Based on their previous agreement, he would only leave ten minutes after Lilian so as to avoid being spotted together. To his surprise, thetter didn¡¯t leave right away but instead lingered in the ssroom. He turned to look at Lilian, only to see her deep in thought. ¡°Senior? Aren¡¯t you going to head back?¡± ¡°I met Paul today.¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian finally raised her head to meet Roel¡¯s astonished gaze. Her face was as impassive as ever, serving as an imprable barrier that prevented anyone from reading her thoughts. ¡°Why did you ept him?¡± she asked nonchntly. ¡°...¡± Roel sensed that his response was of vital importance here. After careful consideration, he stood up and answered slowly. ¡°There are many reasons behind my decision, but there are two key ones. First, I can¡¯t stand the culture of discrimination going on in the academy. Second, I see great potential in him. ¡°I¡¯ve already expressed my opinion about Paul¡¯s identity as an illegitimate son of the Ackermann Imperial Family. I believe that he shouldn¡¯t be held responsible for his own birth and that he¡¯s nothing more than a victim here. Thus, I can¡¯t ept all of the oppression and discrimination directed toward him. At the same time, while none of you bear any expectation for Paul, I see talent in him. I believe that he can be someone great in the future. ¡°Well, I guess it all boils down to my personal preference and my eye for talent. Are you satisfied with this answer?¡± ¡°...¡± Roel looked at Lilian with conviction in his eyes as he gave his earnest answer. The person standing before him was no longer his senior but the imperial princess of the Austine Empire. Right now, she was in the midst of assessing the intent behind his decision to take in Paul. If she were to deem his action to be of malevolent nature, there was a good chance that she would try to exert her influence to control Paul so as to prevent external powers from making use of him. In the worst-case scenario, she might even send Paul back to the Austine Empire. This was not something Roel could ept. A few minutes ticked by, but it felt like an eternity had passed instead. Lilian maintained her gaze on Roel, trying to peer through his inner thoughts. Yet, the more she looked at him, the more convinced she was of his sincerity. After a long standoff, she finally spoke. ¡°I see.¡± It was her usual concise response, but it sounded like the re of a triumphant horn to Roel. There was still hardly any emotion on her face, but Roel knew that she had epted his reason. Paul Ackermann, collected! Chapter 277: I Want It All

Chapter 277: I Want It All

In Building 1¡¯s ssroom 14, Roel silently heaved a sigh of relief while maintaining aposed expression. At the same time, Lilian¡¯s worries were also ayed. She ced her teaching materials back in ce, tidied up her clothes, and prepared to leave the ssroom. However, before Roel could bid her farewell, her footsteps abruptly came to a halt, as if she had suddenly recalled something important. Hm? What is it this time? Roel watched as Lilian slowly turned around to face him, and his heart began thumping nervously once more. He was worried that she had suddenly changed her mind about Paul¡¯s matter. However, it turned out that she was just handing something to him. ¡°This is for you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Lilian walked up to Roel¡¯s desk, took something out of her pocket, and ced it onto the table. The curious Roel took a look at the item, only to be stunned right after. An adorable pink plush toy sat quietly on the table, staring at him with its small ruby eyes. It was clearly made out of premium material. Not only did it have a fluffy texture, but it also had a nice supple touch that made it pleasant to hold onto. ¡°Senior, t-this is...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a magicmunication device. I¡¯m temporarily lending it out to you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Seeing the bewilderment on Roel¡¯s eyes, Lilian began exining calmly. ¡°It¡¯ll stir suspicions if we often meet up at night. I¡¯ll be informing you about the timings of the remedial sses through thismunication device from now onward. You should know how to use it, right?¡± ¡°I do, but...¡± Roel prodded the rabbit plush toy in a daze, clearly having yet to snap out of his astonishment. Magicmunication devices were amon way for students to contact one another in the Saint Freya Academy. These devices were paired, meaning that they only allowed for one-to-onemunication, and there was a limit to the range where messages could be sent and received. Nevertheless, it was still a convenient way for students in the same academy tomunicate with one another. Roel knew of their existence, and it wasn¡¯t that surprising for Lilian to propose using these devices to keep in touch. But... why this design? This pink rabbit plush toy does look adorable, but... is this actually the kind of person Lilian is deep down? Roel alternated his gaze between the stoic-faced ice beauty and the adorablemunication device, and before he knew it, his cheeks had already begun twitching. ¡°Is there a problem here?¡± It was a voice so cold that it sent shivers down Roel¡¯s spine. Roel immediately realized that his overly conspicuous response had triggered Lilian¡¯s ire. Knowing that it would be bad to offend Lilian, he quickly picked up the pink rabbit plush toy on the table. There was a momentary pause before he raised his gaze to reveal eyes sparkling with excitement. ¡°What a beautifulmunication device this is! Wait a moment, doesn¡¯t this logo belong to the caf¨¦ run by the enchanter in themercial street? This means that this plush toy is the super rare exclusive the caf¨¦ owner gives out at random! That¡¯s incredible! How did you obtain it?¡± Roel stroked the furry plush toy as he asked with a look of deep curiosity. It was fortunate that Charlotte had mentioned it in one of their lunch conversations before. Lilian blinked her eyes in surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected Roel to know so much about the plush toy. Her sharp eyes softened down, and the tense atmosphere loosened up a little. ¡°... It¡¯s actually not that hard. The caf¨¦ owner usually gives out the magic tool to the first customer the following day after she finishes her enchantment on it. You just have to keep an eye out for the day her enchantment supplies arrive and take note of the free time she has everyday. With this information, you¡¯ll be able to project the dates when the magic tool is likely to bepleted.¡± ¡°...¡± You actually made such aplex calction for a plush toy? Just how much do you like it?! There were so many retorts in Roel¡¯s head that he was starting to have difficulties keeping up the act. He squeezed the fluffy ears of the rabbit and hurriedly thanked her. ¡°It¡¯s really beautiful. Thank you, Senior Lilian. I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good,¡± replied Lilian before leaving the ssroom. Roel stared at the closed ssroom doors for a long while before turning his eyes toward the plush toy in his hands. He felt like he had just seen a side to Lilian he had never known of. There was nothing in the game that indicated that she had such preferences. Now that I think about it, Lilian does dress herself up quite femininely. It¡¯s just that her personality is so cold that no one really pays heed to that. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s actually quite cute. The thought of Lilian using the rabbit plush toymunication device with her usual stoic face tickled Roel a little. He used to think that Lilian was an austere individual, but this incident softened his impression of her considerably. There was just one small problem here. ¡°Am I going to have to bring this plush toy with me wherever I go from now on?¡± Looking at the fluffy pink rabbit in his hands, Roel found himself sighing helplessly. ... ¡°Paul, I¡¯ll be leaving the establishment of the Request Club and its recruitment of members to you.¡± ¡°!¡± On the dining table, Roel was in the midst of slicing into his steak when he said those words, leaving Paul, who was in the midst of stuffing bread into his mouth, with widened eyes. Thetter thought that he was hearing things. Recruitment was extremely important to all factions. It involved bringing in core members and building a following, and this would form the faction¡¯s foundation. The type of people who were brought in would have a profound impact on the future development of the faction. The person in charge of recruitment could stand to gain a lot if he were to y his cards well, for the power of appointment was a great one. In the Saint Freya Academy, the responsibility of recruitment in a faction usually fell on the shoulders of the second-in-charge. Had Roel not be a Ringbearer, he would have been the one recruiting for the Goldenrose Faction. All who wanted to approach the future sessor of the Theocracy would have to first satisfy him. As long as he refused to give a nod of approval, even the most talented individual would only be able to stand helplessly before the tall gates of the Goldenrose Faction. And right now, Roel was entrusting this great power to Paul. The trust Paul had received from Roel left him deeply moved. His hands trembled a little as his face swiftly reddened in agitation. However, after a moment of careful thought, he couldn¡¯t help but worry about the implications of this move. ¡°Big brother Roel, wouldn¡¯t it backfire on you if I were to be in charge of the recruitment?¡± asked Paul nervously. As someone who was shunned in the Saint Freya Academy, he was worried that talented individuals might turn their backs on the Bluerose Faction upon learning that he was the recruiter. This would definitely be detrimental to the development of the faction. Unexpectedly, Roel wasn¡¯t bothered by that issue at all. ¡°Anyone who chooses to shun the Bluerose Faction because of you doesn¡¯t deserve to join us. It would mean that either their brains are not functioning well or their hearts are not aligned with us. Bringing in such people would only cause problems,¡± remarked Roel calmly as he took a sip of wine. Despite his nonchnt appearance, he was actually extremely excited about this matter. Naturally, he understood the significance of the ¡®recruiter¡¯ role, but that was precisely the reason why he entrusted this position to Paul. After all, Paul was the protagonist of Eyes of the Chronicler! The most important factor in the development of a faction was not its facilities or its finances¡ªit was manpower. Having many faction members had its own benefits, but the difficulties that the Request Club would eventually face were not problems that could be solved with numbers. For that reason, Roel decided to prioritize quality over quantity. And when it came to quality, who else could possibly beat the allies of the original protagonist? That¡¯s right, Roel wanted it all! Just having the protagonist wasn¡¯t enough for him; he wanted the protagonist¡¯s team as well! Of course, he understood that there was a divergence in the story and things might not necessarily go as nned, but he felt that it would be better to leave it to Paul rather than to work on it himself. After all, Paul did sessfully recruit those people in the game, so there was definitely something about him that drew his allies in. Other than that, it was also a deliberate choice from Roel to filter off prejudiced individuals through Paul. His aim was to build a neutral organization independent of any country¡¯s circumstances, but to achieve that, he needed to bring in like-minded personnel, or at least people who didn¡¯t oppose it. Considering the trials the Request Club would be put through, it was essential that its members were united on the same front. Any infighting that arose due to the differences from the members¡¯ respective countries was intolerable. He would rather not take in such members at all. ¡°Just look for people whom you admire and we can work with. The number of people you bring in doesn¡¯t matter. Feel free to take it slowly. We¡¯ll officially begin recruitment once you find enough people on your side,¡± said Roel. His intention was to preserve the conditions where Paul recruited the original members of the Request Club as far as possible. However, Paul himself took a different meaning to those words. I get it now. Big brother Roel was afraid that I would be isted in the faction, so he would rather slow down the recruitment process for my sake. Paul was deeply moved by the sentiment. He raised his head to look at Roel and saw thetter staring back at him with expectant eyes. It was one of the rare asions where the feelings conveyed more than words. Seeing this, he decided not to hesitate anymore. ¡°Big brother Roel, I¡¯ll take charge of the recruitment. I can¡¯t assure you that I¡¯ll be able to secure talents for the Bluerose Faction, but I¡¯ll try my best,¡± said Paul with clenched fists. On the opposite side of the table, Roel felt his heart bursting with joy. ¡°You should trust yourself a bit more. I believe in you,¡± he said with a deep smile. Chapter 278: What Will Come Will Eventually Come

Chapter 278: What Will Come Will Eventually Come

A month passed in a sh. The weather was starting to turn warm as the seasons marched toward summer. In the master bedroom of the Azure Manor, an rm clock suddenly went off, and a ck-haired young man opened his eyes. With a light swing of his hand, he silenced the noisy clock with his mana. Unlike other days, Roel didn¡¯t sit up right away. He continued lying in his bed, staring nkly at the ceiling. Today happened to be a rest day for the Saint Freya Academy. While the rm clocks went off as usual, the campus was still quieter than usual. Unfortunately, rest days didn¡¯t necessarily spell a break from work. Roel was one perfect example of that¡ªheck, he was even working in his dreams! Roel sighed softly as he raised his hand and stared at the shimmering ckrose Ring sitting on his finger. A heartened smile curled on his lips. It has grown once again. Good... but it¡¯s so exhausting. He thought about the fight he had just been through in his dreams and sighed softly. He had been so busy over the past month that he only wore the ckrose Ring to sleep eight times in total. Prioritizing his safety over all things else, he chose to only target solitary ck-armored soldiers. After crossing blows with the monsters in his dream several times, he noticed that the only ones withmanding power were the ck-robed figures. Ever since they noticed his intrusion, the ck-robed figures would always be apanied by at least five ck-armored soldiers, though it was worth noting that the ck-armored soldiers would gradually scatter whenever the ck-robed figures weren¡¯t around. He had killed over fifty ck-armored soldiers to date, but for some reason, the number of monsters in the dream world only seemed to be increasing. He hadn¡¯t been able to make sense of this bizarre phenomenon yet, but his intuition told him that it didn¡¯t bode well. It was likely that the circumstances were worsening in one way or the other. Just thinking about it left Roel with a headache, prompting him to massage his temples. The only thing he could do now was to unlock the Second Authority as soon as possible in hopes of getting some clues from Margaret. Aside from the problems in the dream world, he also had his hands full with the recruitment for the Bluerose Faction and the establishment of the Request Club. Fortunately, things were proceeding smoothly for those two matters. Thanks to Paul¡¯s efforts, the Bluerose Faction managed to recruit over fifty people over the span of a month. It was humblepared to Nora and Charlotte¡¯s factions, which were hundreds of members strong, and most of the recruited members were still in their trial phase, but at least it was good progress for a faction that had started from ground zero. Most of the recruits were local Brolne students and the nobles of smaller countries. Based on preliminary observation, they appeared to be upstanding individuals with principles. On top of that, Paul had also managed to secure the original members of the game¡¯s Request Club. One of them was Geralt Stephenson. He was of smaller stature, but his appearance particrly stood out due to his ash-gray hair and blue eyes. He was the son of a marquess house from Knight Kingdom Pendor, as well as Paul¡¯s roommate. He was close brothers with Paul in Eyes of the Chronicler, and he helped him greatly along the way. The Stephensons were a high noble house in Pendor, boasting centuries of history. Many of their predecessors had risen to high ranks in the military and fought valiantly against the deviants. It would be fair to say that they were a military powerhouse simr to the Ascart House. That being said, the Theocracy¡¯s overall military prowess and influence far surpassed that of Pendor¡¯s. Due to that, the Ascarts were viewed to be above the Stephensons, which was why Geralt¡¯s standing was far beneath that of Roel¡¯s despite being a marquess¡¯ son too. So here came a question: How did the offspring of a high noble, who would typically reside in single rooms, end up bing Paul¡¯s roommate? It turned out that the Stephensons didn¡¯t approve of Geralt attending the Saint Freya Academy, so he snuck out without them knowing. In fact, he had engaged the services of an identity forger to create a fake identity trail for him. His student profile documented in the academy listed him as the son of a merchant,pletely unrted to Pendor. Paul was dumbfounded to hear all of that. He would have never imagined that the roommate whom he hung out with every day would actually be the son of a marquess. At the same time, he was baffled as to why the Stephensons would forbid Geralt from attending the Saint Freya Academy. After all, it was a dream for most people to enrol in the Saint Freya Academy. However, Roel had an idea behind the Stephensons¡¯ stance. The issuey not just with the Stephensons but Pendor as a whole. They were honestly quite a peculiar country with most of their more traditional nobles adopting such a line of thought: Spells? Please, those are what women use. Real men would charge forth and y their enemies with their swords! Only the weak would resort to that kind of meaningless trick! Yes, the Knight Kingdom Pendor was filled with muscle heads. That was also the reason why there were very few students from Pendor in the Saint Freya Academy even though they were one of the major countries in the Sia Continent. They believed that ultimate strength could tear down any obstacle standing in their way. As a traditional knight house, the Stephensons shared the same beliefs too. Even when Geralt¡¯s talents showed a clear inclination toward spellcasting aspared to physical prowess and swordsmanship, the Stephensons still adamantly insisted on him enrolling in Pendor¡¯s Saint Fran Academy. Geralt¡¯s plight was not one of a kind. There were many young nobles in Pendor who found themselves faced with the same quandary as Geralt, but most of them chose to follow their family¡¯s orders. Only a small handful of them who didn¡¯t want their talents to be put to waste attempted to conceal their identities and enrol in the Saint Freya Academy. In Geralt¡¯s case, he simply failed to bring sufficient money when running away from home. By the time he finally reached Brolne, he realized that he wouldn¡¯t have much left after paying the tuition fees, so he had no choice but to opt for the cheaper two person amodation. ¡°So that¡¯s how the son of a marquess like you ended up having to make do with a two person amodation. Haha, what a peculiar circumstance you are in,¡± remarked Paul with a chuckle. Roel and Geralt¡¯s eyebrows twitched upon hearing that. Paul, have you forgotten that you¡¯re an imperial prince? Roel shook off those thoughts and carefully pondered about the circumstances surrounding their newest member. In truth, based on his in-game knowledge from Eyes of the Chronicler, he knew that Geralt had only revealed the partial truth behind why he hade to the Saint Freya Academy. The real reason why Geralt adamantly refused to attend Saint Fran Academy was because he wanted to avoid his fianc¨¦e, a daughter from a ducal house named Brittany. Well, he¡¯s in for a rude shock. Brittany is actually one of Paul¡¯s allies in the game too. If I¡¯m not wrong, she should be on her way here at the moment. In the game, Brittany caused a hugemotion upon arriving at the Saint Freya Academy, but she eventually stayed as a student and joined the Request Club. In other words, Roel was about to get two powerful allies at once, and they were both offspring of high nobles in Pendor. After confirming that the Bluerose Faction would be providing free lodging in the Azure Manor and daily allowances to its members, Geralt immediately penned down an official application to join and submitted it directly to Roel, who then approved it right away. However, knowing that Geralt was not a person who lowered his head to others easily, Roel decided to challenge him to a duel. As one of Paul¡¯s allies in the game, Geralt did have skills that stood out from the rest of the student popce. His mana was particrly unsteady and prone to changes, which might sound like a huge problem to a spellcaster. However, such a mana nature was actually highly advantageous to conversion-type spells. It was just a pity that his opponent was Roel. The mana projectile Geralt fired at Roel abruptly burst into a zing inferno in the middle of its trajectory. Geralt thought that he would be able to clinch victory by catching Roel off-guard with this attack, but his naivety onlysted till a humongous skeleton giant suddenly manifested before him in the middle of the training field. This fight was indubitably a traumatic experience for Geralt, and it forced him to acknowledge Roel from the bottom of his heart. Roel chose to assign him and Paul the role of team leader in the Bluerose Faction. This was definitely an exciting development for Roel, but this excitement had already calmed down over the past half a month. By now, they were starting to get used to one another. ... Roel finally got up from bed, took a bath, and changed into a set of formal clothes that were guaranteed to leave a good impression on others. Then, he grabbed his Nine-headed Serpent Staff and walked out from his bedroom to head for the extravagantly designed dining room. By the time he arrived, breakfast was alreadyid out neatly on the table. There was already someone sitting at the table¡ªhis second-inmand, Paul. ¡°Morning, big brother Roel.¡± ¡°Morning.¡± Roel greeted Paul as he took a seat at the table and began digging into the food. While eating their fill, they began chatting about the recent affairs at the Request Club, which was under Paul and Geralt¡¯s management. Despite being a newly-established department with no clear scope of duties, the Request Club still received quite a number of requests over the past half a month since its establishment. It was just that most of the requests consisted of looking for missing pets and such trivial matters. This was all within Roel¡¯s expectations. If not for his in-game knowledge, he would have really thought that the existence of the Request Club was of minor importance. Unexpectedly, before the two of them could finish their breakfast, a knock suddenly sounded on the door and a young man with ash-gray hair entered the dining room. ¡°Geralt? What brings you here?¡± ¡°Good morning, chief. The Request Club has received a new request, but its content is a little peculiar so I brought it over for you to have a look.¡± ¡°A new request?¡± Geralt walked in and handed a blood-red envelope into Roel¡¯s hands. Paul¡¯s eyes narrowed at the ominous appearance of the envelope, feeling a bad vibe from it. At the same time, Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed as well. What wille will eventuallye. Chapter 279: Blood Envelope

Chapter 279: Blood Envelope

Roel wouldn¡¯t have been too surprised if he had received a blood-red envelope in his previous life. Many love letters took on such a color, and it represented feelings of affection and fondness. However, on the Sia Continent, this color had a more ominous connotation to it. Those living in the modern era were ustomed to peace so they weren¡¯t too sensitive to the color of blood, but in the much more dangerous Sia Continent, the color of blood was bound to provoke one¡¯s cautiousness, especially if one was a transcendent. An envelope dyed in such a color could be viewed as a warning. Geralt¡¯s first thought upon seeing this envelope early in the morning was that it was a prank letter. It wasn¡¯t umon for cowardly mice who dared not show themselves to send in all sorts of insulting letters to the Request Club to put Paul down. Such ridiculous behavior infuriated him, but there was nothing much he could do about it. However, being brought up in a military household had taught him to be meticulous in whatever he did. No matter how irksome Geralt thought those insulting letters were, he would still make sure to take a look at their contents. Unexpectedly, his meticulousness paid off today. This blood envelope contained a long request letter that spanned three sheets of papers, and the tone looked earnest despite its bizarre content. The handwriting appeared to belong to a woman, though the letter wasn¡¯t signed off by anyone. ¡°The sender likely chose to use a blood envelope to catch our attention. If what¡¯s written inside is true, the implications are truly massive...¡± Geralt solemnly exined the reason why he specially took an hour¡¯s ride from the central district back to the Azure Manor early in the morning. Roel took the envelope, but he didn¡¯t take out the letter and read it right away. Instead, he gestured to the servants and told them to bring an additional chair over. ¡°Have a seat. You should eat something first.¡± ¡°Ah! Thanks, chief.¡± Roel¡¯s meticulousness brought a smile to Geralt¡¯s face. The operations of the Request Club wouldn¡¯t start so early in the morning. It just so happened that Geralt had yet to move into the Azure Manor and he had a habit of running in the morning, so he would usually check out the request letters whenever he ran past the Request Club¡¯s building in the central district. That led to him noticing this peculiar letter, and he immediately rushed over to the Azure Manor on the first avable carriage. Needless to say, he hadn¡¯t had breakfast yet. Geralt was already starving by this point, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to stuff food into his mouth. Paul told the servants to prepare some more food to amodate the additional guest. Meanwhile, Roel finally opened up the blood envelope and began reading its content. The content of the letter was ratherplicated, but it was indeed a request for help. The sender hoped that the Request Club could look for an already graduated senior named Cheryl Lawrence, who was believed to be currently on campus. After looking through the letter, Roel handed it over to Paul before he leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes contemtively. I didn¡¯t think that this would be the first major incident we would encounter, Roel thought as his expression turned a little grim. This was the incident in the Eyes of the Chronicler that really changed the way the yer looked at the beautiful Saint Freya Academy and the Sia Continent as a whole. ording to the game¡¯s plotline, this incident should have urred only after a few minor ones, but those minor incidents didn¡¯t ur at all possibly due to some changes brought about by Roel¡¯s intervention, resulting in the Request Club cking off for the past half a month. That being said, he didn¡¯t expect the first proper job to actually be the sickening ¡®Bloody Envelope Incident¡¯. The incident started with the disappearance of Cheryl Lawrence. The Saint Freya Academy¡¯s graduation season was in spring as well, just a little ahead of their matriction season, and Cheryl was a student who graduated in the recent graduation season just three months ago. She was born to a merchant house in a small country named Llorente Kingdom, which was located near the Austine Empire. She was the second child in the family, having an older brother and several younger sisters. Naturally, she wasn¡¯t next in the line of session. For graduates of the Saint Freya Academy who didn¡¯t have any family business to inherit, their number one option was usually to continue staying in Leinster and find a job here. There were plenty of opportunities avable in Leinster, and the qualification as a graduate from the Saint Freya Academy had a high level of recognition here. There was a good chance of achieving sess here. As the second child in the family, Cheryl harbored such thoughts too. Instead of returning home after graduation, she began looking for a job in Leinster. But a mishap suddenly urred. Her older brother and younger sisters met with an avnche during a trip and lost their lives, and Cheryl¡¯s grieving parents wrote a letter to her to inform her of this matter and urge her to quickly return home. The incident made Cheryl the only child left in the Lawrence House, so they had to have a son-inw marry into the house in order to continue the family lineage. It might be heartless to say this, but Cheryl¡¯s life seemed to be turning for the better after the tragedy. Things took a sinister turn from this point onward. Cheryl¡¯s parents didn¡¯t get to meet their daughter. Instead, they received a letter from her, saying that she had found a job and a boyfriend in Leinster, so she wanted to start a new life there. She thanked her parents for raising her and expressed her unwillingness to return home for the time being. Cheryl¡¯s parents didn¡¯t pay it much heed at first, thinking that the letter was sent out before she received news of her siblings¡¯ death. However, when Cheryl failed to return home even after some time, they were forced to conclude that she didn¡¯t want to leave her boyfriend¡¯s side and return home. So, they took the long journey to Leinster to bring her back home personally, only to be horrified to find that their daughter had long gone missing. What was the most eerie of all was that the records of Leinster¡¯s post office showed that Cheryl had received her parents¡¯ letter, which meant that she was aware of her siblings¡¯ death. The letter her parents had received from her a few dayster also wasn¡¯t sent by Cheryl herself but via one of the post boxes ced around town. Would a person whose siblings had died due to an ident possibly write back home about her new boyfriend and refuse to return home? Even if she had no feelings for her siblings at all, would she really choose her new job over the massive inheritance she had back home? Cheryl¡¯s parents thought that it was imusible too, which was why they believed that her daughter had been kidnapped and reported the case to the constables. However, Cheryl had lived on her own after graduation, and she hardly had any friends around either. The constables weren¡¯t able to find any leads after looking around a bit, so the case was eventually left hanging. Even though the constables had already given up on the case, Cheryl¡¯s parents couldn¡¯t ept that their daughter had disappeared just like this. They were determined to get to the bottom of things and find Cheryl. They conducted their own private investigation and caught wind of rumors that Cheryl was spotted in the Saint Freya Academy a few days ago, so they approached the academy in hopes of engaging their help on this matter. Unfortunately, the staff members of the Saint Freya Academy weren¡¯t keen on getting involved. Cheryl had already graduated and was no longer affiliated with the academy. Furthermore, there was no clear evidence that she had been on campus. From the staff members¡¯ point of view, Cheryl¡¯s parents were causing a ruckus after failing to find their daughter, so they cated them by agreeing to put up missing person posters on the campus notice boards before sending them off. The Lawrences were just a merchant house in a minor country, so they weren¡¯t able to exert pressure on the powerful Saint Freya Academy. However, what they didn¡¯t know was that a Third Grade student who was once under Cheryl¡¯s care had found out about the matter through the posters and started looking into the matter too. She was the one who sent the request letter to the Request Club. ¡°This isplicated,¡± remarked Paul with a frown after reading the letter. The usual requests received by the Request Club involved just day-to-day troubles faced by the students, but this request clearly wasn¡¯t anything minor. If the content of the letter was true, there was a good chance that this was a criminal case. Things could be far moreplicated than it currently seemed on the surface, and they might just end up digging up more than what they were looking for. It could potentially bring danger upon them. That was also the reason why Geralt quickly brought the letter to Roel upon seeing it. The wise thing to do here would be to turn down the request, but it would pang at their conscience if Cheryl was really still on campus and something happened to her. ¡°The sender must have been desperate since even the academy has chosen not to interfere in this matter. This is likely herst resort.¡± Geralt and Paul began analyzing the case and weighing the pros and cons of taking it on. However, their eyes couldn¡¯t stop drifting toward Roel, who had been lying on his chair with his eyes closed all this while, not speaking a word. While they were the vice leaders of the Request Club, as well as team leaders in the Bluerose Faction, they dared not to make the call on something as important as this. After all, this case looked far too much like a coordinated crime based on the information provided thus far. Under their asional nces, Roel finally opened his eyes. His expression looked far more severe than usual. There was definitely significant danger involved since this case involved evil cultists, but this wasn¡¯t something that could be avoided. Both Roel and Paul were already mired in all sorts of schemes going on in the shadows of the academy, so trouble would stille knocking on their doors no matter how hard they tried to avoid it. Since that was the case, it would be wiser to face them straight on. ¡°We¡¯ll be taking on this request,¡± dered Roel. The other two young men sitting on the dining table exhaled in relief before nodding understandingly. Geralt was brought up in a knight house and was instilled with the code of chivalry from a young age. It was difficult for him to turn a blind eye to injustice happening in the world, so he fully approved of Roel¡¯s decision. As for Paul, the two of them came to know one another due to Roel¡¯s ¡®meddlesome¡¯ personality, so he was well aware of Roel¡¯s strong sense of justice. ¡°Big brother Roel, what do we do next?¡± The two motivated young men looked at Roel intently, awaiting his instruction. Roel pondered deeply for a moment, but recalling the tragic conclusion to this incident left him at a loss for words for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ll begin investigation, but we¡¯ll start not from Cheryl Lawrence but someone else who is even more important.¡± Under Paul and Geralt¡¯s astonished gazes, Roel picked up the blood envelope as his eyes turned sharp. ¡°We¡¯ll be looking into the sender of this letter.¡± Chapter 280: The Truth

Chapter 280: The Truth

The ¡®Bloody Envelope Incident¡¯ was a particrly distasteful case due to how it concluded and the bad feelings it left one with. In Eyes of the Chronicler, Paul and his team also took the blood envelope seriously. After some discussion, they decided to resort to the most straightforward method in the book¡ªtaking a portrait of Cheryl around the campus and asking if anyone had seen her. However, they chose to focus not on the students but the coachmen working on campus. Compared to the students who were bogged down by sses, the coachmen had much more free time and were often traveling around, so there was a higher chance of them meeting with outsiders. The n did kind of work out as one of the coachmen had indeed met a woman resembling Cheryl. It was just that the resources the game¡¯s Request Club had at its disposal were severely limited, so their progress was extremely slow. It took them several days just to secure that lead. Based on the coachman¡¯s ount, Paul headed to a mountainous area in the Saint Freya Academy andbed through the area. He eventually found a ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia with Cheryl¡¯s name inscribed on its back in a bird¡¯s nest. This discovery led his team to suspect that something had really happened to Cheryl. So, after a moment of hesitation, he decided to pay a visit to Lilian. A missing token was obviously insufficient to prove that its owner had been kidnapped, so Paul was unable to convince the academy into making a move. However, it was a different story for Lilian¡¯s Enforcement Division. The Enforcement Division had a Special Ops Team that was filled with Origin Level 4 students from the Third Grade. It was an elite team whose members were personally picked and trained by Lilian, so there was no doubt about their loyalty. It was currently one of the strongest fighting forces in the Saint Freya Academy. Paul managed to convince Lilian to dispatch the Enforcement Division to thoroughlyb the mountain, and the truth finally came to light. It turned out that the ¡®Bloody Envelope Incident¡¯ was an evil cultist serial murder case that had been ongoing for many years now. The culprits were a teacher in the academy and several evil cultists hiding in a wine cer in the depths of the mountain. The teacher made use of his authority to view student profiles in order to pick out low-profile students from humbler families and with many siblings such as Cheryl. Such people tended to continue residing in Leinster alone after their graduation, making them perfect targets. The goal of the evil cultists was to use their bodies as experimental material for furthering their spells. Over the span of a few years, there were already seventeen graduates who had fallen prey to their insidious scheme. Cheryl, whom Paul and the others had worked hard to look for, was already dead from the very start of the case. Lilian¡¯s Enforcement Division did manage to find the wine cer where the evil cultists were operating from, but the game didn¡¯t reveal the inner state of the cer, only describing it as ¡®living hell¡¯. This incident dealt a huge blow to Paul, Lilian, and everyone else involved. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of it yet. What was even more infuriating¡ªas well as the thing that Roel couldn¡¯t ept when ying the game¡ªwas that the sender of the blood envelope had been killed as well. The only person who held justice in their heart and moved upon learning of the tragedy that had befallen the Lawrences was killed a few days after sending out the letter. She realized that someone was after her life and attempted to escape, only to be killed in the darkness right before dawn. To make things worse, her murderers¡ªthe teacher and the evil cultists¡ªhad been rmed by Paul¡¯s earlier overt investigation and escaped in advance. The ¡®Bloody Envelope Incident¡¯ was a massive failure of the Request Club. Both the victim and the kind-hearted helper lost their lives whereas the culprits got away scot-free. Justice was not served. This overly realistic and appalling oue came as a huge blow to Paul and the others, and it made them realize just how insufficient they were at the moment. Back when it was still a game, Roel could still forget about it after a good night¡¯s sleep. But now that it had all be reality, there was no way he would allow something as shitty as that to happen. Letting those evil cultists get away scot-free? You must be kidding me! Those evil cultists have taken such ¡®good care¡¯ of me in my younger years, so the least I can do is to return the favor to them. Saving the sender of the blood envelope and cornering the evil cultists¡ªthat was Roel¡¯s goal in this matter. Determined not to allow things to unfold like they did in the original plotline, the first thing Roel did was to search for the sender of the blood-red envelope in order to protect her. There was just one small problem here¡ªhe didn¡¯t know who the sender was. Perhaps it was because his memories had already started to fade, but he couldn¡¯t recall any mention of the sender¡¯s name or a cutscene with the sender in the game. This small gap of intelligence proved to be a huge problem. The envelope was delivered in the middle of the night, so no one had a clue as to who the sender could be. This was a huge issue since they were in a race against time to get to the sender before the evil cultists. Unable to figure out any leads, Roel thought about seeking help from the artificial spirit Margaret, but he quickly shot down the idea. It was unlikely that Margaret would be of help since her presence was conditional on the instation of her crystal ball. She was indeed omnipresent in the central district, where her crystal balls could be found everywhere, but the Request Club happened to be located at the outskirts of the central district. None of the buildings there had the crystal balls installed. This was an intentional decision since Margaret was in charge of managing the academy¡¯s facilities, not the students. It looks like my only clue is the blood envelope. If I can¡¯t find her with this, I¡¯ll have no choice but to resort to a brute force search. With such thoughts in mind, Roel began discussing another course of action with Paul and Geralt. ... ¡°Deducing who the sender is through the letter? Hmm...¡± Both Paul and Geralt supported Roel¡¯s decision to look for the sender first. It was wise to first verify the authenticity of the request, or else the Request Club could be aughingstock if they ended up working in futility on a fake incident. They had to be careful because the Request Club was under the Bluerose Faction, so any mistakes they made would directly affect the faction¡¯s prestige. Under their intent observation, they were able to gather some leads on the identity of the sender. ¡°This female student should be from the Austine Empire.¡± ¡°Big brother Roel, how do you know that?¡± asked Paul in astonishment. ¡°It¡¯s the prayer.¡± Roel narrowed his golden eyes as he pointed at a specific sentence on the letter and began exining. ¡°The letter is written with a formal tone, which makes it hard to determine the background of the writer based on the writing style. However, the prayer written in the letter¡ª¡®May Sia bestow safety upon us all¡¯¡ªis not a phrase that the citizens of the Saint Mesit Theocracy or the Rosa Merchant Confederacy would use. We would never ask Sia for a specific blessing as it¡¯s viewed to be an act of disrespect. ¡°The people of Brolne don¡¯t have the habit of writing prayers, so they would go with a simpler ¡®May Sia bless us¡¯ in situations where they are absolutely required to. As for Pendor, they would usually ask Sia to bestow upon them courage and valiance. The only ce where such words are used is the Austine Empire, more specifically its northern areas.¡± Roel¡¯s analysis left Paulpletely bbergasted. He could have never imagined that it was possible to deduce so much through just simple words of prayer. Geralt also stared intently at the blood-red envelope as his gaze gradually sharpened. ¡°Chief, this envelope might not be store-bought.¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Are you saying she made the envelope on her own?¡± Both Roel and Paul were confused as to what Geralt was driving at through those words. Geralt didn¡¯t answer their questions right away; instead, he brought the envelope to his nose and sniffed it. A momentter, his eyes widened. ¡°Just as I expected! This envelope was indeed not store-bought. She made it herself¡ªno, it would be more urate to say that she personally dyed the envelope!¡± Geralt passed the envelope over to Roel as he began exining excitedly. ¡°She¡¯s also a conversion spellcaster like me. This envelope was originally white, but she dyed it blood-red via conversion magic. It seems to be a mixtureposed mainly of rust. ¡°Now that I think about it, blood-red envelopes aren¡¯t readily avable on the market. Most likely, she was already in the midst of delivering the letter when she suddenly worried that her request might be ignored, so she decided to use the materials in her immediate surroundings to dye the envelope!¡± ¡°!¡± Both Roel and Paul gasped in astonishment. They quickly brought the envelope to their noses and tried sniffing it. There was indeed an extremely faint metallic scent on it. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that we discovered it early, or else the smell would have faded off in a few more hours¡¯ time. By then, we wouldn¡¯t be able to verify our theory anymore,¡± said Geralt as he patted his heart in relief. Roel marveled at how two heads were indeed better than one. Given hisck of understanding of conversion-type spells, it was unlikely that he would have noticed this minor but crucial detail. ¡°But that still isn¡¯t enough, right? A female student from Austine who is skilled in conversion-type spells; there are simply far too many people in the Saint Freya Academy who fit that criteria. I reckon that there are at least a hundred of them around?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. We need more information to further narrow down the pool of candidates.¡± After calming down from their excitement, Paul and Geralt turned their focus back to the discussion. They had managed to filter out 99% of the student poption now, but the remaining 1% was still quite a sizable amount. Seeing the distressed look on their faces, Roel suddenly chuckled softly. In his previous life, there were many ways to track a person down as long as you had their private possession. The transcendents on the Sia Continent possessed simr means too. He happened to know one person who was good with such stuff. ¡°No, this is enough. You have done well. I¡¯ll be taking a trip to the central district for a while. You just have to wait for the good news.¡± ¡°Big brother Roel?¡± ¡°Chief?¡± Both Paul and Geralt were intrigued to hear those words. Roel calmly stowed away the blood envelope into his pocket and picked up the Nine-headed Serpent Staff before finally revealing the mystery. ¡°I¡¯ll be paying Miss Redrose a visit.¡± Chapter 281: Lots of Friends

Chapter 281: Lots of Friends

An hourter, in the Dancing Butterfly Museum. Exuberant butterflies could be seen weaving in between flowers while red roses unted their beauty. Walking amidst this wondrous scenery with a staff in hand, Roel found himself once again impressed by Charlotte¡¯s amazing sense of aesthetics. The Dancing Butterfly Museum was a renowned picturesque spot in the Saint Freya Academy, located less than an hour¡¯s walk away from the central district. It had always been adored by female students, but very rarely would a Ringbearer choose it as their base of operations. Unlike Roel¡¯s Azure Manor, it was simply too expensive to maintain the Dancing Butterfly Museum. The exuberance of the butterflies were a result of their high standard of living, be it the mini butterfly houses constructed all around the ce or the massive magic barrier that was constantly maintained over the garden in order to regte the temperature. The maintenance fee for the infrastructure was so high that even the funding a Ringbearer received from the academy wouldn¡¯t be enough to pay it off. Heck, the Ringbearer would even have to fork out arge sum of money from their own pockets too! Clearly, this was something impractical to most students. But Charlotte happened to be an exception. When she heard that the Dancing Butterfly Museum had Nightglow Butterflies, she immediately made up her mind and chose it as her base of operations. The staff members tried to talk her out of it¡ªit was actually not in the list of avable buildings for the Ringbearers to select from¡ªbut no one could stop her from having her way. What could the academy do against the willfulness of their number one donor? The rights to the Dancing Butterfly Museum were eventually given to Charlotte, and she spent a month renovating it. None of the members of the Redrose Faction had moved in yet, so the surroundings were still fairly peaceful. Roel breathed in the fragrance of the flowers and admired the butterflies perching on his shoulders. Behind him, an auburn-haired woman was carefully examining a blood-red envelope. ¡°Darling, is this envelope the only possession of hers you have?¡± ¡°Yes, this is the only clue in my hands. Is it possible to do it?¡± asked Roel. Charlotte pondered for a brief moment before responding with a slight nod. ¡°Mm. She didn¡¯t use her name or leave any specific personal information behind, but she did cast a spell on the envelope. That fulfills the conditions for some of my divination spells. However, you should know that the less demanding the conditions for the spell are, the more vague the results will be.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I just need a rough scope to work with,¡± replied Roel. As he spoke, he took out a map of the Saint Freya Academy andid it on the table. Charlotte directed a nod at him before taking out an old gold coin from the Austine Empire and walking up to the table. ¡°Using a gold coin minted several centuries ago in the Austine Empire should increase the uracy of the divination a little. The rest depends on the mana trace she has left on the envelope,¡± exined Charlotte. Soon, an intense mana pulsation began to ripple from her. The bloodline she had inherited from a lineage that traced back to the ancient era surged through her body as a starry sky formed behind her. The golden avatar of an ancient god holding a staff in one hand and a bnce in the other manifested amidst the starry sky. It was the Arbiter of Fate. Ding. Light gathered in Charlotte¡¯s hand, and she flicked the dark golden coin into the air. It spun in an arc and fell onto the map on the table, where it continued to wobble a bit before finally toppling over. Where the coinnded was the result of the divination. ¡°That ce is...¡± Charlotte retracted her mana, and the golden avatar looming over her also dissipated into thin air. She walked up to the map and took a closer look. The coin was sitting on top of a residential dormitory located in the central district. ¡°This is the newly-built Third Residential Sector which provides single amodations. Its proximity to themercial street makes it a bit more expensive than the First Residential Sector, so it¡¯s usually resided by the wealthier nobles, especially women,¡± said Roel as he recalled the information he had read on the academy¡¯s blueprint a while back. He walked up to the table and gently lifted the coin up, revealing the southwestern dormitories in the Third Residential Sector. His hanging heart finally settled down. ¡°Darling, is this really alright? If it¡¯s a dormitory, there would be a lot of people there...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is enough.¡± The Third Residential Sector was intended to cater to the wealthy students, so there were only five floors in each apartment and two residents on each floor. All in all, there were probably around a hundred students in its southwestern dormitories. Among these hundred students, there couldn¡¯t possibly be a second female student from the Austine Empire who happened to be skilled in conversion-type spells and had a close rtionship with Cheryl. As long as Roel was able to verify the identity of the blood envelope¡¯s sender, finding her was no problem at all. He no longer had to move alone now that he had the backing of the Request Club and the Bluerose Faction. I¡¯ll definitely save the sender and apprehend those evil cultists! Roel tapped his finger on the table as he affirmed his determination. ... That evening, Roel walked silently under the orange afterglow of the setting sun under the apaniment of his lonesome shadow. After receiving the divination on the sender¡¯s location from Charlotte, Roel immediately dispatched all members of the Bluerose Faction to conduct a secret investigation on the residents living in the area. So far, the members had already managed to cover half of the target group, and he should be able to get the results by tomorrow. In the game¡¯s plotline, the sender only met with her demise several days after sending out the letter, so there should be enough time for the Request Club to maneuver around. Thanks to that, Roel wasn¡¯t too anxious about the matter. He chose to put Paul in charge of the investigation, trusting the original protagonist to do it well. He wasn¡¯t dumping the responsibility on others so that he could ck off, but that there was a he had to start weaving. Be it the teacher who picked out vulnerable graduate students or the evil cultists who experimented on them, what they did was unforgivable. Many had already fallen to their insidious schemes, and Roel felt that the least they could do for them was to avenge them. It was just that there were many things he had to do in order to build a tight enough to snag the evil cultists. The first issue was the location. There was very little detail in Eyes of the Chronicler about the location where the evil cultists were residing other than the fact that it was a wine cer in the mountain, and that was as good as knowing nothing at all. The Saint Freya Academy was simply too huge, such that the areas outside of the central district were mostly mountainous areas. There was also no boration on whether the wine cer was a public property or a private property. If it was a private wine cer, it wouldn¡¯t be listed in the records. At this rate, he really might have to knock on every private household residing in the mountains of the Saint Freya Academy and ask to look at their wine cer. And that posed yet another problem¡ªthe evil cultists were no fools either. If Roel started dispatching an army tob through the mountains, they would surely start taking countermeasures and preparing for their escape. In the game, the evil cultists had already noticed that things were amiss the first time Paul and his team searched the forest for Cheryl, and that was why they were able to make a getaway ahead of time. It was clear that those criminals were no amateurs. They were constantly on their guard and would move without hesitation. He couldn¡¯t afford to have anyone prying carelessly around lest they rmed them. So, he could only look for clues himself. He did have a lead in hand at the moment¡ªthe coachmen. As Roel walked with Cheryl¡¯s portrait in hand, he felt something weighing down heavily on his heart. Perhaps, he might have been able to stop the tragedy that had befallen Cheryl had he recalled it earlier, but his memories about the game had long faded with time. Even for this ¡®Blood Envelope Incident¡¯, he only remembered it upon receiving the blood envelope, and he had to rack his head for a long time in order to recall some of the key details. Even so, much of what he remembered was still fuzzy and uncertain. Under the ndestine operation of Geralt and a few other trusted students, the Request Club managed to find the coachman who had an impression of Cheryl earlier in the afternoon. After hearing the news, Roel decisively made the call to summon all of the coachmen who had been questioned over to the Azure Manor. ¡°The Azure Manor wishes to build an outdoor swimming pool. I¡¯ll have to trouble all of you to transport rocks and soil here. We¡¯ll be paying you two times your usual sry,¡± said Roel. He wanted to keep the coachmen here lest the news about the Request Club looking for Cheryl started spreading. After that, he headed to the National Athenaeum of Wisdom to look for Margaret. As an artificial spirit working in the academy, Margaret hadprehensive knowledge about all of the buildings in the academy. Roel quickly listed out the conditions for the location he was looking for, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to receive an answer. It was a mountainous area just slightly behind a carriage stop known as Fultes Stop, and it was known for its grove of fruit trees. Many nobles had constructed residences in the area a hundred years ago, back when there still was a craze for self-brewed wine, so most of them came with underground wine cers too. There were over thirty suspects in total, but after filtering out those with smaller wine cers and residences that were located too close to the main road, the list of options were further narrowed down to three. Of those three, one could be eliminated as it was a renowned haunted house amongst the student popce due to the murder case that had happened there a hundred years ago. While the academy barred the students from entering the residence, there would still be some who would sneak there in the middle of the night for the thrills. It would probably have been more thrilling for them if they had known that true horror was not too far away from them. In a sense, it wasn¡¯t wrong to say that they had a close brush with death though they would nevere to know of it. With this, Roel finally managed to narrow down the possible hideouts of the evil cultists to two locations¡ªLouise Manor and Wil¡¯s Apple Cider Factory. Having deduced the potential enemy hideouts, it was time for him to turn his attention to the next problem¡ªthe manpower he would be using for the raid. First and foremost, he had already decided that he wouldn¡¯t use any outside powers in this operation. Leinster had umted filth for far too long that the evil cultists had a strong foothold in the city. They might look subdued on the surface, but their intelligencework was not to be scoffed at. If Roel were to engage an external party in the raid, the evil cult could catch wind of the news through its sources and quickly make its getaway. The same problem applied to the academy¡¯s Emergency Rescue Team too. The fact that one of the main culprits was a teacher in the academy meant that he couldn¡¯t carelessly approach any internal organizations for help either. Taking several factors into consideration, he eventually came to a decision. Walking along the streetmps, the ck-haired young man finally arrived at an exquisite pce. The sun had yet to fully set, and there were many people walking to and fro the open doors of the pce. The ce was guarded by members of the Enforcement Division. Naturally, they were all shocked to see Roel. ¡°That¡¯s the First Grade¡¯s...¡± ¡°What¡¯s he doing here? Not to mention, he¡¯s all alone!¡± Hostile res came from all directions, but Roel remained unfazed. A whileter, a female student from the Enforcement Division walked up to him and asked with a polite but stern tone. ¡°I am a team leader in the Enforcement Division, Carolyn. May I know what business do you have with us, Bluerose Ringbearer?¡± ¡°You need not be so guarded against me, Carolyn. I don¡¯t have any hostile intentions,¡± replied Roel with a brilliant smile to the taller woman standing before him. ¡°I¡¯m here to have a cup of tea with my senior.¡± Chapter 282: Lilian’s Worries

Chapter 282: Lilian¡¯s Worries

A ck-haired man anddy were currently sitting opposite to one another in a room in the Nymph Pce. It was known for its delicate interior decor, and it would appear that the rumors weren¡¯t unfounded. However, there was a solemn and tense atmosphere in the room that prevented one from appreciating the aesthetics. It was just half an hour ago that Roel entered the Nymph Pce and exined everything he knew about the Bloody Envelope Incident to Lilian. Unlike Paul, he didn¡¯t bother looking for Cheryl¡¯s ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia before paying Lilian a visit to request for her help. He didn¡¯t want to waste his time and risk rming his enemy. Besides, he had confidence in convincing her and making things happen. Not all words were equal. Unlike Paul, who was an ostracized illegitimate son of the Austine Empire, Roel was one of the six Ringbearers of the Saint Freya Academy. This legitimized the operations of the Request Club, making it a powerhouse with the backing of the Bluerose Faction. Anything that came out of Roel¡¯s mouth carried weight, even if there was no evidence behind it. On top of that, Roel wasn¡¯t here to plead for help and assistance; he was here to ask for cooperation. Roel¡¯s Request Club would provide intelligence on the hideouts of the evil cultists, and Lilian¡¯s Special Ops Team would serve as the main fighting force to encircle and destroy them. This was the proposal he was going with. Typically speaking, the one with the greatest obligation to defeat evil cultists should have been the Saint Mesit Theocracy, but the students in Nora¡¯s faction were mostly still in the First Grade, so the average fighting prowess was still at Origin Level 5. They were still severelyckingpared to the elite force Lilian had carefully picked out and groomed. Out of consideration for the vast difference in military might, Roel gave up on the idea of approaching Nora and Charlotte for help. What he was aiming for here was a perfect victory, and he wouldn¡¯t allow any uncertainty to bog down his n. Besides, it was the Enforcement Division¡¯s responsibility to ensure the safety of the students in the academy. They received a huge amount of resources from the academy in order for them to carry out their job properly. Roel held a cup of tea in his hand as he waited quietly for Lilian¡¯s response. Thetter considered the matter carefully before giving a nod of agreement. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll personally lead my men to Fulte¡¯s Stop and raid the possible hideouts of the evil cultists.¡± ¡°Oh... You have my gratitude for that. To be frank, I didn¡¯t think that you would trust me that quickly.¡± Roel thought that it would take a bit more effort to convince Lilian, so he couldn¡¯t help but look at her in surprise when she agreed to his request so heartily. ¡°Despite theck of tangible evidence, I don¡¯t think that you would lie about something as serious as this,¡± replied Lilian calmly. Her unexpected trust in him brought an unwitting smile to Roel¡¯s face. What he didn¡¯t know was that his brilliant smiling face made Lilian freeze for a moment as her amethyst eyes lingered on him for a long time before she finally lowered her gaze. Once again, this feeling. Lilian picked up her teacup and subconsciously rubbed the edges of its rim. She sighed softly under her breath, confused as to what was wrong with her. Over the past month, she had spent plenty of time with Roel, be it the morning sses or the night remedial lessons. With so much interaction going on between them¡ªnot to mention the close-up ones from the manapression training¡ªshe was able to gain some understanding of Roel. He was an earnest learner, a steadfast warrior in the face of adversity, as well as an obstinate man who refused to admit defeat. Despite those traits, he didn¡¯t have a domineering character, leaning more toward the gentle type instead. There was one thing that was peculiar about him¡ªhe seemed to be constantly weighed down by worries, unlike his peers. It was a mishmash of anxiety, fear, frustration, and many other negative emotions, and it created a monster that heaped a frightening amount of stress on him. Yes, it was as if he was constantly living in a high-stress environment. Prior to their interactions, Lilian would have never expected to see such a side to Roel, for he never allowed himself to openly reveal the stress he was in. It seems to be a habit. It was likely that even those who were close to him hadn¡¯t noticed his mental state yet. Yet, when the two of them shed their mana against one another, she was somehow able to feel him. If Roel was a book, Lilian would be a reader who unintentionally flipped open this book every time their mana shed with one another. She was only reading it bit by bit every day, but surely, her understanding of him was deepening. And as she got to know him more and more, she found herself gradually undergoing a change as well. A foreign emotion was starting to bud in her. It felt like a mixture of sympathy and heartache, and it would always lead to Lilian¡¯s mind wandering in weird directions whenever she was teaching Roel. Am I being too strict here? It might impact his positivity if I push him too hard, so perhaps I should consider lessening his workload a little. These were thoughts she never had while she was tutoring others. At the same time, she started forming new habits. She noticed that whenever she offered a vaguepliment to Roel, thetter would reveal a brilliant smile. At times like this, her eyes would be automatically drawn to him, unable to move away. It was only fortunate that he was rather dense about such matters, so he hadn¡¯t noticed her peculiar behavior yet. Conversely, she hated it whenever he had a downcast look on his face. Every time he showed such an expression, she would feel as if something was crushing her heart, suffocating her breath. Any harsh words she was intending to say would be mellowed down over and over again before finallying out of her mouth. Without a doubt, the reason why she didn¡¯t hesitate long to trust Roel despite the shocking nature of what he had just told her had a lot to do with the time they had spent together. ¡°You mentioned earlier that the Request Club has narrowed down the possible hideouts of the evil cultists to two locations. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll divide the Special Ops Team into two squads, and each of us will take one each. It should be safer that way,¡± said Lilian as she finally took a sip of tea. Unexpectedly, Roel didn¡¯t respond right away to her proposal. He hesitated for a brief moment there before saying something that made her frown. ¡°Senior, regarding that matter, I do have some thoughts...¡± said Roel. They definitely had enough manpower to pull off a raid now, so their main focus right now was to devise a n to snag all of the evil cultists at once. It was certain that the evil cultists were maintaining closemunication with the teacher colluding with them, so they would have to make a move on both of them at once in order to achieve aplete sweep. In other words, the best timing for them to pull off the raid was when the teacher made an attempt on the sender¡¯s life. This was the only opportunity they had to uncover the teacher and take him down, or else thetter would simply continue staying hidden till the end of time. Of course, such a course of action would also spell great danger too. Someone who was able to hide their true nature as an evil cultist and infiltrate the Saint Freya Academy as a teacher was definitely no small fry. Ordinary students wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him while protecting the sender, so Roel would have to do it personally. ¡°I wish to stay by the sender¡¯s side and wait for the perpetrator toe knocking.¡± ng! The moment Roel voiced out his thoughts, Lilian ced her teacup down so forcefully that it shocked Roel. ¡°I forbid it.¡± ¡°... Senior?¡± ¡°I said, I forbid it.¡± ¡°...¡± Staring at the astonished Roel, Lilian btedly realized that her reaction was over the top. It took her a while before she remembered that they were currently not a senior and a junior but fellow Ringbearers, meaning that they were equal in position. She took a deep breath to calm her anxious heart, gathered her thoughts, and finally answered with aposed voice. ¡°It¡¯s far too risky. Isn¡¯t it rash for you to make such a decision when you don¡¯t even know the strength of the perpetrator? It would be one thing if the perpetrator is only at Origin Level 4, but what if he has reached Origin Level 3? The Ring Guardian you have faced in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ is nothing more than a mindless shadow; a real Origin Level 3 will be far more powerful than that.¡± No, I would rather fight a real Origin Level 3 transcendent than the Ring Guardian I had to face, Roel thought in his mind, though he chose not to voice it aloud. Lilian¡¯s voice might have been stern, but he could sense her worry and concern for him, and it warmed his heart up. Nevertheless, he still shook his head and refuted Lilian¡¯s doubts. ¡°Senior, I am confident about this. Have you forgotten about my Nine-headed Serpent Staff? I... do have quite a few trump cards other than that.¡± He was intending to assuage Lilian¡¯s worries, but thetter was still unable to ept this. It was just that her hands were tied since the main force were all her subordinates, so she couldn¡¯t just swap roles with Roel or else a huge problem could ur with themand chain. The alternative was to seek Chris¡¯ help, but the two of them decided against it after some contemtion. It was likely that the teacher colluding with the evil cultists already knew about the sender liaising with the Request Club. If both Lilian and Chris were to disy anomalous behavior at this juncture, it could lead to them stopping their activities till everything settled down. If this matter were to get dragged out, the ones who would be disadvantaged were Roel and his group. ¡°Senior, you have generously weed me at your Nymph Pce, so I¡¯ll make sure to return your hospitality at my Azure Manor. Trust me on this, alright?¡± After a long bout of persuasion, Roel offered Lilian a promise while looking at her with unwavering golden eyes. Eventually, Lilian sumbed to his obstinacy and nodded. All in all, their meetingsted for an hour, and it was already nightfall by the time Roel left the Nymph Pce. He quickly returned to the Azure Manor and summoned his team leaders over for an emergency meeting. The meeting started off with Paul and Geralt reporting the results of their investigation, followed by Roel informing them of the follow-up ns. When the two of them heard that Roel had secured the cooperation of the Purplerose Faction, they visibly heaved a sigh of relief. The following morning, the members of the Bluerose Faction continued their investigation on the Third Residential Sector, making use of a typical survey to approach the residents to obtain their personal information. Finally, at noontime, they managed to confirm the target. ¡°Melty Sani, Third Grade student, daughter of a viscount in the Austine Empire. She has learned conversion-type spells during her time in the Second Grade and achieved spectacr results in the field. She was in the same student organization as the missing Cheryl, and they appear to be on close terms with one another.¡± Roel rested in his chair as he listened to Paul read out the information in the report. At the end of the report, he nced at the blood envelope on the table and nodded slightly. His anxious heart was finally able to catch some respite after worrying for an entire day. ¡°That¡¯s her.¡± Chapter 283: Protector

Chapter 283: Protector

Melty Sani was a Third Grade student with average height and a slightly lean build. She had ck hair and blue eyes, a standard appearance for an Austinean. The Saint Freya Academy was a gathering ce for the offspring of the affluent and noble. The Sani House did have some wealth, but being the daughter of a viscount wasn¡¯t much to brag about, and Melty¡¯s results inbat sses had only been average thus far. Due to these reasons, she wasn¡¯t able to join the Purplerose Faction despite being a Third Grade Austinean. She met Cheryl in a light music club, and the two of them yed together atst year¡¯s Academy Foundation Day. From this, it should be safe to say that they were closely acquainted with one another. After looking through the report himself, Roel crossed his arms and fell into deep thoughts. Paul and Geralt stood by the side with grim looks as they awaited Roel¡¯s next instruction. The scale of this matter had already far exceeded what the two of them expected out of this peculiar department. Paul¡¯s initial intention was just to establish an organization to help the students in need, just like how Roel had once helped him. He thought that the worst he would have to deal with were bullies, but he ended up getting involved with something much more sinister. The ¡®Bloody Envelope Incident¡¯ was a serial murder case with more than ten victims. Something of this scale definitely qualified as a major case in any country on the Sia Continent. What made things worse was that like with most cases involving evil cultists, it was hard to tell whom they could trust. The staff members couldn¡¯t be trusted, the coachmen couldn¡¯t be trusted, and even the general student popce couldn¡¯t be trusted either. The only ones they could really count on were the members in the two factions. It was still barely manageable for the Third Grade students who had tempered themselves through missions, but for the newly enrolled First Grade students, this was definitely severely beyond their scope of expertise. In the silent meeting room, Paul continuously took deep breaths, but he couldn¡¯t stop his palms from sweating. This was the first time in his life he was being exposed to such a grievous crime. Sitting opposite to him, Geralt also had an awful look on his face. The two of them were only able to barely retain theirposure due to how self-collected Roel was. Noticing the unusual state the duo was in, Roel sighed softly and advised. ¡°Remember this, you must never lose yourposure in times of trouble. Panic will get you nowhere.¡± ¡°My apologies, big brother Roel. I was just taken aback by how severe the incident is.¡± Roel could understand where Paul wasing from, but this was a hurdle he would have to ovee. Mental fortitude came not from fearlessness but triumphing over one¡¯s fears. Righteousness came not from knowing not of crime but opposing it. Paul had the potential to be something great; he just needed time and a bit of support. ¡°The raid operation will be a coboration between both our factions. While our Bluerose Faction is still weak at the moment, we¡¯ll still have to dispatch people over. I¡¯m intending to send the two of you and some of the stronger Origin Level 5 faction members. ¡°My only request for you all is to remain safe. I don¡¯t want to have even a single casualty amongst us. There¡¯s no need topete with the Purplerose Faction for merit. We have done everything thus far with the objective of upholding justice, and nothing matters other than that. ¡°The fighting prowess of our squad should surpass that of a typical inquisition squad in the Theocracy. The only thing we are reallycking here is experience. There¡¯s no way to fill up that gap right now, so I can only offer you some advice.¡± Roel looked at Paul and Geralt intently as he issued a clear order. ¡°Don¡¯t show mercy. Kill them.¡± ¡°Chief?¡± ¡°Remember this! No matter how much of an advantage you might have over them, never show hesitation in killing off the evil cultists. I don¡¯t need you to capture any of them as hostages here. All I ask of you is to bring everyone out alive. Anything that happens to you will be my responsibility to bear.¡± ¡°Big brother Roel...¡± Paul and Geralt felt deeply touched by those words. They took Roel¡¯s words to heart and nodded earnestly. ¡°With that, there¡¯s nothing much I can help you on anymore. I have my own mission to carry out too,¡± said Roel before quietly picking up the report on the table. ... ¡°Sorry, we haven¡¯t seen Cheryl around. She hasn¡¯t been here since her graduation.¡± ¡°I-is that so? Sorry for disturbing and thanks.¡± In a music instrument store along themercial street, a young woman politely apologized to the store owner before trudging off with her head lowered in disappointment. It was a day off for the students of the Saint Freya Academy, so there were huge crowds gathered at themercial street early in the morning. Laughter could be heard all around as friends and couples made use of this free day to catch up with one another. But there was one person who looked out of ce in this merry atmosphere¡ªMelty. Just a week ago, Melty met the parents of an old friend who took good care of her in the light music club. When they revealed their suspicions that their daughter, Cheryl, had disappeared on campus, everyone thought that the couple was simply muttering gibberish from the shock of losing all of their offspring. Only Melty sharply noticed that something was amiss. She believed the couple¡¯s words not because she had some special superpower but that she grasped critical information that no one knew of¡ªa magicmunication device. Magicmunication devices were sold in pairs, and some of them took the form of adorable plush toys. It wasmon for female students to send one to each other as a symbol of friendship, and Melty had received one from Cheryl before. It was a cute kitty plush toy whose eyes would light up whenever they were in range of one another and purr when a message had been sent or received. Melty clearly remembered the eyes of the kitty plush toy lighting up for a brief period of time on the first day of the new semester, and it matched up with the day on which Cheryl wasst seen. She had no idea what was going on, but she was certain that Cheryl had indeed been to the academy. It was just that she had no tangible evidence on hand to convince her peers. For her friendship with Cheryl, as well as the old couple of the Lawrences who had recently lost all of their children, Melty decided to look into the matter. A week had passed since then, but there was hardly any progress at all. No one had met Cheryl, be it her previous teacher or their friends in the light music club. She checked the instrument store, the caf¨¦ they used to frequent, and everywhere she knew Cheryl had been to, but it was to no avail. In the course of her investigation, she noticed something peculiar. It had only happened a few times to date, but her intuition told her that someone was eyeing her. As a student who had taken a few divination sses in past semesters, she knew that this wasn¡¯t a good omen. Could it be that my actions have brought the academy trouble, so they are keeping an eye on me? This was the limit of what an ordinary noblewoman who had never encountered evil cultists or murder cases could think of. But thanks to that, the idea of seeking help popped into her head, and coincidentally, it happened at a time when rumors about a peculiar department operating in the academy started spreading. ¡°Have you heard about it? The Bluerose Ringbearer took in that illegitimate son and even founded that Request Club!¡± ¡°Oh my, how utterly ludicrous! It was founded to help students in need? More like an excuse to ck off!¡± ¡°Not everyone has a strong sense of duty like Lord Lilian. It¡¯s only normal for there to be organizations seeking to freeload off the academy.¡± ¡°...¡± Such remarks were often echoed by the Austinean students around Melty, but she disagreed with their opinions. For one, she was desperately in need of help right now. It was probably the umtion of fear, worry, and frustration that led to her penning down the letter on a whim. For the sake of the missing Cheryl, she was determined to leave no stone unturned. In order to bring attention to the letter, she intentionally dyed the envelope blood-red and neglected to leave her name on it. She was worried that the Request Club might use the letter to report her for starting unfounded rumors, which could be a huge problem since the academy had made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with this. On top of that, Paul was in the organization too, and she was worried that being associated with him could lead to her istion. But to her disappointment, there had been utterly no response after she sent out the letter. It didn¡¯t look like the Request Club was making any move at all. In fact, she just heard infuriating news from her fellow Austinean peers. ¡°It seems like the Bluerose Faction¡¯s Request Club has gotten into a conflict with the Enforcement Division over the allocation of resources.¡± ¡°I heard of it too. My friends who are in the Purplerose Faction told me that they had a huge argument with one another!¡± ¡°Is there going to be a factional war? Surely not...¡± There were a mixture of responses to the news, be it anger or intrigue. As for Melty, she felt like her heart had been plunged into icy-cold water as despair washed over her. It was clear to her at this point that her letter had beenpletely disregarded. Utterly disappointed, she made her way back to her dormitory in the southwestern corner of the Third Residential District. She opened her door with a deep sigh as exhaustion washed over her. It was then that she spotted a figure sitting in her living room. A jolt immediately ran through her body. Her first instinct was to scream, only to realize that she was unable to make any noise. However, she quickly realized that this wasn¡¯t a bad thing, for she recognized the uninvited guest right after. It was a ck-haired man dressed in a simple formal suit, standing unmovingly with an ancient staff ced in front of him. Despite his closed eyes, his presence was dignified and powerful. The moment he revealed those golden eyes, it was as if a resting dragon had awakened, bringing about an authoritative yet mysterious air around him. His appearance and disposition violently shook Melty¡¯s heart, but what was most important of all was that she recognized his face. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous, Miss Melty.¡± Roel directed a gentle smile toward the bbergasted woman. He rose to his feet and walked up to her. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. I¡¯m here to protect you.¡± Chapter 284: A Familiar But Hated Name

Chapter 284: A Familiar But Hated Name

At that time, Lilian¡¯s Special Ops Team and Paul and the others were already hiding in the forest near Fulte¡¯s Stop, ready to strike as soon as the call was made. The students of the Saint Freya Academy had a monthly break that was five days long, and that was proving to be a good thing right now. No matter how the students of the Enforcement Division and Request Club tried to cover their tracks, there was no way they could hide their absence from sses. Fulte¡¯s Stop was simply too far away from the central district. Of course, a couple of people missing in a ssroom that was several hundred students big wouldn¡¯t really catch much attention, but that rule didn¡¯t apply to public figures like Roel and Lilian. Besides, while Roel thought that it was less likely for there to be evil cultists amongst the students, he couldn¡¯t exclude such a possibility either. He knew that the sly evil cultists would surely get away if they were to catch wind of their ns in advance, so he wasn¡¯t willing to take that risk. So, the best time to make a move was before the break ended. Fortunately, Roel remembered that the perpetrator made his move before the break came to an end, while everyone was still busy preparing for their sses on the following day. And the scene of the crime was no other than the house he was currently in. In Melty¡¯s dormitory house, Roel calmly went through the results of his investigation report with the ck-haired woman sitting before him, not hiding anything from her. He did consider withholding information from her so as to ensure her mental stability, but he dropped the idea after careful consideration. He needed Melty to know the peril she was facing so that she would maneuver safely and avoid making any reckless movements. All it would take was a moment of carelessness from her to provide the perpetrator an opportunity to end her life. When Melty learned that Cheryl had been caught by the evil cultists and could possibly be dead by now, she broke down and began weeping uncontrobly. ¡°P-pardon me, Lord Bluerose. I just can¡¯t...¡± Melty tried to wipe away her tears, but she couldn¡¯t stop more from flowing down. Roel looked at her quietly, choosing not to say a word. He knew that she needed to vent her emotions. The sorrow from a close friend in peril and the fear of being eyed by evil cultists; these burdens were far too great for someone who had barelye of age to face. She was indubitably in a vulnerable position at the moment, but unlike in the game, she had Roel by her side now. ¡°Miss Melty, I understand the sorrow and fear you¡¯re going through at the moment, but I¡¯d like to tell you that you aren¡¯t alone anymore. What you have done is not meaningless.¡± Roel chose not to speak words offort but to inform her of the truth in his gentlest voice. ¡°I might be the only one here with you right now, but I can assure you that there are hundreds from my Request Club and Lilian¡¯s Enforcement Division supporting this operation, working hard to bring down those evil cultists. I know that you might be confused and afraid right now, but please put your trust in us. ¡°The tragedy that has befallen Cheryl is heart-wrenching, but your kindness and righteousness have alerted us to the enemies hiding amongst us, as well as to the grievous crimes they havemitted. We¡¯ll be able to stop future victims from falling prey to them and bring sce to those who have already lost their lives. ¡°So, you can hold your head up high. You have not let down the name of the Saint Freya Academy. You have done all that you can about it, and that¡¯s already good enough.¡± Under Roel¡¯s gentle words, Melty finally began crying loudly. All the feelings that had been umting in her chest, be it frustration, exhaustion, worry, or sorrow, finally came bursting out, releasing the heavy load she had been carrying with her over thest few days. It took a while before she finally calmed down and stopped crying, and Roel finally revealed his purpose behind paying her a visit. There was no doubt that Roel¡¯s n to bait the perpetrator was risky, and Melty had the right to decline participation in the n as well. However, when she heard that this was the only way to nab the perpetrator behind all of those atrocities, she decisively agreed to cooperate with him. They proceeded on to discuss the details of the n before the exhausteddy finally headed to her bedroom to take a rest. Roel reached into his pocket and took out an exquisite little locket. ¡¾Macron¡¯s Hideout To escape from his enemies, great enchanter Macron created a magic tool he could hide in whenever he needed to. When he closes this magic tool disguised as a locket, no one will be able to find him anymore. It was onlymentable that he used this great magic tool to peep on bathing women in hister years. Effect: By infusing mana into the magic tool and closing the locket, one¡¯s body will be teleported into a parallel space. Restrictions: Mana cannot be channeled inside the parallel space, and the user¡¯s movements will be severely restricted. Price: 200,000 Affection Points¡¿ This was the first item Roel had bought at its original price from the System, as well as the reason why he was confident that he could protect Melty well from the perpetrator. Macron¡¯s Hideout was a rare space magic tool that created a parallel space several square metersrge around the user, allowing him to avoid detection. It was just that the space was incredibly unstable, such that it would break down and shatter if the user were to attempt to cast a spell or move too far away. These limitations made it difficult to use Macron¡¯s Hideout for assassination. That being said, there was no doubt that it was still a powerful stealth tool. Roel settled down on the sofa in the living room before closing Macron¡¯s Hideout. As soon as the locket was closed, it emanated a peculiar mana pulsation into the surroundings, and before Roel knew it, his vision was already cloaked in a dull gray tone. He was still sitting on the sofa in this parallel space created by Macron¡¯s Hideout, but his presence hadpletely vanished from the real world. Even the depression that was previously on the sofa had vanished without a trace. Roel nodded in satisfaction with the results before closing his eyes. ... ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done, Marceus!¡± Two ck-robed men were seated face to face over a table filled with documents in a dark room barely lit by dim candlelight . One of them was a middle-aged man named Marceus, and the other one was a masked man with a gruff voice. The masked man mmed his palm imposingly on the table and red lividly at Marceus. Marceus lowered his head quietly, staring intently at the sheet of paper at the very top of the document pile. It was a painting of a Third Year female student from the Saint Freya Academy, Melty. Marceus looked at the painting contemtively for a moment before replying respectfully. ¡°I already have my eyes set on her, Lord Envoy. Her movements are all within my control. You need not worry about her.¡± ¡°In your control? Heh, that¡¯s why I always say that people like you will never aplish anything great! Weed ought to be snipped off the moment it starts growing! A week has already passed since she began investigations, so what are you waiting for?!¡± ¡°... I¡¯ll deal with her within the next few days,¡± replied Marceus deeply. His promise cated the rage of the masked man a little. The masked man looked at Marceus sharply and warned him. ¡°You better tread carefully. Four hundred years have passed, and the birth of the Great One is right upon us. We can¡¯t allow history to repeat itself. Anyone who catches any attention during this crucial moment will be disposed of without fail. We can¡¯t afford to slip up when that old geezer is still alive and kicking.¡± ¡°...¡± Marceus fell silent upon hearing the masked man¡¯s words. He implicitly understood that the ¡®old geezer¡¯ the masked man was talking about referred to Antonio. Antonio was the current principal of the Saint Freya Academy, as well as a survivor of that incident four hundred years ago. As someone who had a bit of inside information, Marceus understood what this signified. There was no doubt that Antonio was aware that something was going on in the shadows, evidenced by how he had chosen to hole himself up in Leinster in recent years. He turned down all of the invitations from other countries and ignored the situation at the eastern border under the pretext of ailing health, as if age was finally catching up with him. But those lurking in the shadows knew that the old geezer¡¯s eyes were sharper than ever. Under his watchful gaze, even the slightest carelessness could throw a wrench into their ns. ¡°Don¡¯t even think that you can steer clear of trouble just because your organization isn¡¯t a target. With the imminent awakening of the Great One, we¡¯ll make sure to stifle all possible threats in the cradle. There will be no exceptions.¡± Marceus¡¯ cheeks twitched upon hearing the masked man¡¯s words. He was enraged by the explicit threat, but he could only swallow down his indignance and nod with gritted teeth. Despite being an evil cultist himself, he feared these lunatics far more than the church. The worst that could happen in an encounter with the church was death, but those who crossed these lunatics wouldn¡¯t even be granted the sce of death. Marceus made up his mind to quickly resolve the trouble with Melty, but he soon thought of a new problem and frowned. ¡°That woman seemed to have delivered a letter to the new Bluerose Ringbearer while I wasn¡¯t paying attention...¡± ¡°What?! She sent a letter to the offspring of the Ascart House?¡± bellowed the masked man with a voice far sharper than before. Marceus realized right away that this was far more serious than he had expected. ¡°Y-yes, the Bluerose Ringbearer is indeed the freshman who has achieved the highest score in history. However, they didn¡¯t pay any heed to the letter at all! In fact, the Bluerose Faction even got into a conflict with the Purplerose Faction recently. No one has the spare attention to care about that dead graduate student right now,¡± he exined with a forced smile. In his view, no matter how talented the Bluerose Ringbearer was, his capability and mental maturity were stillcking due to his young age. What he didn¡¯t know was that the masked man was concerned not just about Roel himself but the family he came from¡ªthe Ascarts. This was a name that had remained a thorn in their hearts for the longest time. The infuriated masked man red at Marceus and ordered with a frigid tone. ¡°You cretin! You got the Ascarts involved in this as well? You better resolve this problem as soon as possible, or else you can be certain that there¡¯ll be no future for you and your organization.¡± Chapter 285: Scream All You Want, I Love It

Chapter 285: Scream All You Want, I Love It

Three days had passed since Roel started camping in Melty¡¯s dormitory house. There had been no changes in Melty¡¯s life within these three days. She continued heading to themercial street, the light music band club, caf¨¦s, and everywhere else she had been to while investigating Cheryl¡¯s case. It was worth noting that these were all public ces that boasted a huge crowd during the holidays, and she would always make sure to return with the crowd at night. She couldn¡¯t afford to be alone for her own safety, but at the same time, she had to act normally in order to numb the enemy. This was what Roel had requested from Melty. This task proved to be extremely stressful for a young, untrained woman. Her heart wouldn¡¯t stop beating in unease as she walked down themercial street. Ever since she heard the full story from Roel, the feeling of being watched suddenly felt much more intense to her. She usually tried her best to shrug it off, but today, her intuition simply wouldn¡¯t stop screaming warnings at her. An ominous premonition grew in her mind, and she instinctively understood that the evil cultists were going to make a move soon. This realization caused her face to stiffen up, and her hands simply wouldn¡¯t stop trembling. She was in such a bad condition that her friends noticed her unnatural state and began asking if she was fine. There was a moment of silence as the faces of Roel and Cheryl surfaced in her mind, and she finally overcame her fear and attributed her condition to menstrual cramps. It was a reasonable exnation, so no one thought too much about it. In view of Melty¡¯s poor condition, they decided to return to the dormitory together. As soon as Melty entered her house, she locked up the door as fast as she could, ran over to the sofa, and hugged a pillow tightly. She couldn¡¯t stop her body from trembling. ¡°Lord Roel, are you there? ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± A voice that echoed out of nowhere sent an overwhelming rush of relief to Melty that her tears started pouring down. She covered her face behind the pillow while apologizing with a choked-up voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Roel. I...¡± In a grayish parallel space, Roel sat on the sofa opposite to her. Watching as the frighteneddy sobbed her eyes out, he sighed softly. ¡°... Be strong. I have a feeling that he¡¯ll appear soon. We¡¯re already at the final part of the race.¡± A gentle voiceforted Melty, and she nodded her head slightly. It took a while before she wiped off the tears on her face and forcefullyposed herself. ¡°I apologize for my cowardice, Lord Roel.¡± ¡°No, you have been incredibly brave.¡± Just looking at thedy before him made his heart ache a little. Be it in body and soul, it was clear that Melty was already at her limit. It¡¯s about time to end things. With such thoughts in mind, Roel grabbed his staff tightly and offered his promise. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the perpetrator will be making a move tonight. In the name of Sia, I swear that I¡¯ll keep you safe.¡± ... There shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem here. In the forest slightly outside of the Third Residential Sector¡¯s southwestern area, a middle-aged man dressed in a teacher¡¯s robe was eyeing Melty¡¯s room intently. His initially nervous heart had already mostly settled down by this point after a few days of observation. The strict order from the envoy had left him incredibly nervous, wondering if he had really screwed up here. To his relief, he couldn¡¯t find any anomaly with Melty¡¯s movements. Her schedule was mostly the same as before, and the ces she visited were her usual spots too. She did return to the dormitory much earlier in thest two days, but that was nothing to worry about. On the contrary, it would be a cause for concern if a person who had spent a week looking for a missing person in futility didn¡¯t look anxious and exhausted. Due to the apprehension the envoy had regarding the Bluerose Ringbearer, Marceus also took some time to observe the so-called Request Club, and what he saw ayed his worries. Over thest few days, the members of the Purplerose Faction had been dropping by the office of the Request Club to stir trouble. Needless to say, there was very little that First Grade students could do against the oppression from their Third Grade seniors. In fact, there were rumors that the two vice leaders of the Request Club had even stopped showing up at the office out of fear, instead camping it out in the Azure Manor under the pretext of devising a countermeasure with their leader, Roel Ascart. In order to avoid being viewed as cowards, the Bluerose Faction even went to the extent of hiring a bunch of coachmen to transport stones over to build a swimming pool. Their cowardly actions made Marceus burst intoughter. ¡°What¡¯s the big deal with the Ascart House anyway? They¡¯re nothing more than ordinary nobles from the Theocracy. Tsk, the envoy is being too sensitive over nothing.¡± Marceus thought that the envoy and the others had gotten too timid due to the setbacks they had suffered in the past. True, the Ascart House might have posed a threat to them in the past, but it was all done and over with. The Ascarts might have prospered for one generation, but how long could that prosperityst? There hadn¡¯t been any major news from the Ascart House in thest few decades, so Marceus didn¡¯t know much about them and couldn¡¯t be bothered to learn more either. In his view, any of the upper schr houses in Leinster, which boasted the greatest density of transcendents in the world, could easily crush them. Ultimately, Roel was no more than an Origin Level 4 transcendent no matter how talented he might have been. What could he possibly do, especially now that he was being oppressed by the Purplerose Faction? The edges of Marceus¡¯ lips curled up as he took out a little box and opened it up. A ck object flew out from the box. It was a human eye. This was also the reason why the evil cult Marceus was in had to continuously secure new victims. They needed raw materials for their experiments. However, the ¡®raw materials¡¯ had toe from transcendents¡ªespecially powerful ones¡ªas those were much more mana conducive and wouldn¡¯t require additional processing before being put to use. Marceus quickly forged a mana connection with the human eye before sending it toward the dormitory. He raised one of his fingers, which was shining from pulsating mana, and ced it over his left eye. His field of vision immediately shifted over to that of the floating human eye. Through the dormitory¡¯s windows, he entered Melty¡¯s room on the third floor. It didn¡¯t take long for him to spot a woman sitting before a desk, focused on her assignments. Thanks to the movements of the human eye beingpletely silent, she didn¡¯t notice the intruder in her room. ¡°There¡¯s no one else,¡± murmured Marceus under his breath as he scanned every nook and cranny of the house. It wasn¡¯t too surprising since he had already observed her for quite a few days now. There was also nothing particr of note about Melty other than the fact that her eyes looked a little red and puffy. Was she crying over her missing friend? Marceus couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter at the woman¡¯s foolishness. Assured that everything was under control, he ordered the human eye to leave the house. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your days of searching havee to an end. It¡¯s time for others to search for you instead,¡± dered Marceus with a smirk as he nced at the gradually darkening sky. Meanwhile, in a grayish parallel space, Roel watched as the human eye left the house, and a deep smile filled with murderous intent emerged on his lips. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± ... Nightfall, the dormitories were plunged into silence. Marceus waited patiently for the light in Melty¡¯s room to be extinguished. He confirmed once more that there was no one around before quickly making his move. He flitted skillfully under the dark sky, making it hard to discern him from the shadows. He silently infiltrated the dormitory building, and within moments, he was already on the third floor, standing right at the doorstep of Melty¡¯s dormitory house. Instead of knocking down the door or breaking the lock, his body melted into a gooey substance, allowing him to squeeze through the crack beneath the door. Bit by bit, his liquidated body flowed into the room before swiftly reverting back to his original form. It was such a silent movement that it didn¡¯t cause a stir at all. The woman sleeping in the bedroom remained soundly asleep, and there were no movements from the neighboring house either. In this peaceful environment, Marceus walked into the dark living room and peered into the bedroom, where Meltyid fast asleep on the bed. He reached into his pocket and prepared to make his move. He already had it all nned out. After killing Melty, he would vaporize her corpse using a corrosive acid. Once the stench dissipated, the troublesome woman would disappear from the face of the world, and he wouldn¡¯t have to face the fury of the envoy anymore. Due to the special circumstances surrounding Leinster at the moment, Marceus decided to have his organization stop all operations after resolving this issue. They would wait out a few years for everything to settle down before resuming the hunt for quality experimental materials. In his view, Melty¡¯s efforts were nothing more than a farce. She could have lived a happy, ignorant life, but she simply had to put her head where it didn¡¯t belong. She should have known that curiosity killed the cat. He would remain an esteemed teacher in the academy, respected by all of the students. The organization would also continue to exist and operate from the shadows. The only ones who would disappear were the nosey meddlers. With a cold sneer, he began making his way into Melty¡¯s room, but all of a sudden, he found his surroundings turning a little cold. Huh? What¡¯s going on? Why is the temperature in the room even colder than outside? Before Marceus could even make sense of the situation, a hand suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his left arm. A surge of cial air rushed into his body, threatening to freeze him inside-out. In an instant, the darkness was cloaked in ayer of white mist. A silhouette suddenly appeared beside Marceus. He immediately turned his head over, only to see a golden-eyed man staring at him with a smile. His voice was soft but dangerous, reminiscent of the whispers of the death god. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± ¡°Ahh¡ª!¡± Excruciating pain exploded in Marceus¡¯ body, squeezing a cry of agony out of him. At the same time, it enlightened him to an unbelievable fact. I have been tricked. ¡°Goddamnit!¡± Marceus spat out a curse as he decisively severed his left arm to stop the spread of the frost, causing it to fall onto the ground with a loud plop. It was the right choice to make, for his arm continued to expand under the effects of the infused mana before abruptly exploding amidst a bloody firework, causing blood and flesh to stter everywhere. The bits that were directed toward Melty¡¯s room were blocked by a barrier, leaving her unharmed. Marceus¡¯ face turned pale from the staggering amount of blood he had just lost, but he quickly backed away to distance himself from the enemy who had abruptly emerged from the darkness. He gritted his teeth tightly to bear with the pain while sping tightly onto the stump left on his left shoulder. On the other hand, the golden-eyed man stepped onto the remains of his exploded arm and walked up toward him, closing the distance. ¡°Shout if you want to. There¡¯s no need to hold it in,¡± said Roel Ascart with a frighteningly intimate voice. ¡°I¡¯d love to hear your screams.¡± Chapter 286: You Need Treatment

Chapter 286: You Need Treatment

After three days of steadfast camping and fasting on the same spot, Roel finally managed to snag his prey. At the same time, in the forest near Fulte¡¯s Stop, a ck-haired woman opened her eyes at Paul¡¯s reminder. The Twin Stones was a unique magic mineral on the Sia Continent that existed in pairs. Whenever one of them was infused with mana, the other one would glow in resonation as well. The little piece of stone in Paul¡¯s hand was glowing crimson-red, seemingly reflecting the murderous intent boiling beneath Lilian¡¯s calm exterior. She rose to her feet, and all of the members of the Special Ops Team quickly stood up and divided themselves into two teams. ¡°Let¡¯s set off.¡± Simple words, but they were much heavier than usual. The two teams began swiftly making their way toward their destination under the veil of the night. At the same time, the cawing of crows began echoing inside the wine cers. The bloodstained ughterers raised their heads and looked at one another. ¡°Emergency! The bishop has sent news over!¡± ¡°Retreat as we¡¯ve nned!¡± The evil cultists immediately went into action, but little did they know that it was all toote. ... Cries of agony weren¡¯t something which the usually soft-hearted Roel liked, for it symbolized pain and suffering. It was usually a harbinger of bad things, but not today. Listening to Marceus¡¯ screeching howls, Roel felt the rage and frustration that had been bubbling inside him for three whole days finally being released. His smile grew brighter as the cries crescendoed. The screams of the sinner aren¡¯t pleasant, but they are at least pacifying, Roel thought. Meanwhile, the pale-faced Marceus finally backed into a wall and hollered. ¡°That student over there, what are you doing? It¡¯s against the academy¡¯sws to attack a member of the teaching staff!¡± He was trying his best to buy as much time as possible for him to recover. Roel¡¯s presence here was more than enough for him to figure out the truth. The Bluerose Ringbearer, whom he had looked down on all this while, had seen Melty¡¯s letter and conducted a secret investigation. They even prepared borate diversions to mislead him and make him lower his guard. It¡¯s all been exposed. We need to retreat right away! Marceus was utterly panicked at the moment, but he made sure to maintain an innocent look on his face as he secretly channeled his mana in preparation for making aeback. All that was needed now was for Roel to let his guard down. He had seen the projection of Roel¡¯s fight in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, so he knew that he would at least have to incapacitate Roel before he would stand a chance at escaping. That was also the reason why he didn¡¯t recklessly charge out of the house right away. Right outside of the dormitory was a forest with hardly any natural obstacles like mountains or rivers. Once they got to opennd, Roel would be able to unleash the full prowess of his skeleton giant without any worries. Marceus had no intention of trying to outrun a skeleton giant on tnd. That was indubitably a recipe for death. ¡°I was patrolling around the area when I sensed an anomalous mana pulsation, so I came in to take a look. Now that I think about it, it must be due to you hiding here. What are you up to here?!¡± The sharp-witted Marceus quickly found an exnation and began questioning the young man righteously. His realistic acting sessfully induced doubts in Roel¡¯s mind. Thetter looked astonished for a brief moment as he struggled to process what was happening. ¡°You im that you¡¯re a member of the teaching staff. What evidence do you have?¡± ¡°I have my identification card in my pocket. I¡¯m the chief of the Student Information Bureau, Marceus Cord! You¡¯re Roel Ascart, right? I know your teacher, Chris Wilde. I¡¯ll not let this matter go easily!¡± ¡°Wait a moment, you aren¡¯t an evil cultist who¡¯s here to take Melty¡¯s life? T-this is a misunderstanding!¡± Roel was utterly flustered to hear Marceus¡¯ ount. He panicked for a brief moment before he hurriedly channeled his mana into his staff. ¡°I camped here because I heard that this student had been targeted by evil cultists, but I didn¡¯t think that I would end up rming a staff member. This is truly an unfortunate misunderstanding. Please, allow me to treat your wounds!¡± Roel lifted his staff as he apologized with a guilt-ridden face. Marceus carefully assessed Roel¡¯s reaction along with his staff, and he couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in astonishment. What powerful life force he¡¯s channeling! There were plenty of healing spells in the Sia Continent, but most of them were defective. Take the church¡¯s priests for example, their healing spells came with purification effects that risked undermining the physical integrity of a human body, which could result in all sorts of problems. The only way to heal a person without incurring any side effects was through the replenishment of life force. Such an advanced healing method should be extremely effective. Marceus was still in great pain after having lost his arm, so this offer to treat him was a godsent opportunity. His eyes immediately lit up in excitement as he sneered in disdain. Heh, he¡¯s nothing more than a brat in the end. He might be strong, but he haspletely no experience at all. All it takes is a scare to make him panic. ¡°Alright, it looks like it¡¯s really just a misunderstanding. Hurry up and treat me!¡± Marceus continued ring at Roel for a moment longer before finally relenting. While waiting for Roel to treat him, he secretly channeled mana into his hand, ready to st it at Roel as soon as the treatment was done. On the other hand, Roel looked visibly relieved upon receiving permission. He pointed his staff toward Marceus and cast a pale yellow glow upon him. Staring at the pale yellow glow, Marceus couldn¡¯t control his expression anymore and his lips curled up a little. At the same time, Roel smiled as well. But the very next moment, Marceus¡¯ smile froze in ce¡ªliterally. His face had been petrified. ¡°AHHHH!¡± Marceus shrieked in agony for the second time since entering this room. Under Roel¡¯s heartwarming ¡®treatment¡¯, his skin began to turn grayish at a frightening rate. Realizing the danger he was in, he quickly released the mana he had gathered thus far and shattered the petrified skin on his face. At the same time, he dashed toward the window and jumped out. He would rather escape right away even if it meant putting himself in a worse position than to face the pale yellow glow petrifying him! Peytra¡¯s petrification wasn¡¯t so superficial as to merely create ayer of rock above one¡¯s skin. The petrified skin that fell off exposed Marceus¡¯ flesh, causing his face to sting as the wind battered on it. By the time he finally escaped from the dormitory, his face was already dripping blood all over. ¡°Lord Roel, you...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be chasing after him. The members of the Request Club are currently on their way here, so don¡¯t move around recklessly.¡± After issuing some instructions to the worried Melty, Roel quickly dashed out of the window after Marceus. Crimson mana began converging around his body, manifesting into a humongous skeleton giant in the midst of his descent. Without any hesitation, he quickly followed the trail of blood to track Marceus down. The moment the bloodied Marceus saw the sh of crimson light, he knew that his earlier prediction hade true. He ran as fast as he could, but the loud thumping sound behind him only grew closer with time. A humongous shadow started looming over him, blocking off the moonlight. Soon, he could even sense the undead auraing from Grandar. Shit, I knew it! There¡¯s no way I could outrun him in the open. I won¡¯t be able to get away at this rate. Goddamnit, I might as well go all out now! I might still stand a chance that way! Marceus clenched his jaws furiously. He was infuriated at being duped by Roel, but his anger didn¡¯t cloud his mind. He knew that the skeleton giant wasn¡¯t an easy opponent to deal with. It emanated the aura of an ancient god that instilled deep fear into his heart. In order to deal with such an existence, he would have to resort to his final trump card. Aztar, the evil god worshiped by the Bloodtribute Cult. It was depicted to be a being made out of flesh and blood, often prying on the mortal world from the shadows. He would have to borrow Aztar¡¯s power in order to make aeback here. Knowing that it was futile to continue running, Marceus whipped out his knife and sliced open his abdomen. Shockingly, the injury he inflicted on himself didn¡¯t cause blood to spurt forth. Instead, all of the blood that was about to seep out of his body vanished as if it had been devoured by some invisible being, and an eerie gulping sound could be heard in the air. Roel immediately knew that something huge was going to happen. It was a known fact on the Sia Continent that strong spells required great sacrifice, but the converse was true too. Seeing how Marceus had gone to the extent of tributing half of his body to the evil god he worshiped, he ordered Grandar to back off right away. The next moment, hundreds of capiries suddenly burst forth from Marceus¡¯ body. They were no more than thin threads when they first emerged from his body, but they rapidly expanded in the sky and transformed into terrifying bloody leeches spanning over fifty meters in length with sharp teeth at their ends. Grandar¡¯s retreat caused the initial assault of these bloody leeches to fail, and they immediately backed away right after. These hundreds of bloody leeches then began weaving together with one another to form a meat giant. This meat giant looked exactly like what it was made out of¡ªlong bs of meat interweaving one another. It had no eyes or nose, just a gigantic mouth that was constantly moaning hellish whispers. Its birth produced a sh of blood-red light, and the stench of corpses swiftly suffused into the surroundings. There was a blurred silhouette behind its back, reminiscent of some sort of projection. It was a projection of Aztar. Roel felt his Origin Attribute trembling ceaselessly in the presence of this sinister being, and it brought a tight frown to his face. The cries of the monster broke the silence of the night, spurring students in the nearby dormitories to open their windows to take a look. The moment they saw the meat giant towering in the middle of the forest, their minds suddenly jolted as if their minds had been struck by a hammer. Some of them wed at their hair from the sudden headache whereas some even fainted right away. ¡°An evil god? How strong is it? Can we deal with it?¡± ¡°So-so.¡± Grandar assessed the sinister squirming meat giant with his glowing eye before giving his evaluation with a calm but grim voice. Roel¡¯s eyebrows twitched a little. He quickly posed another question. ¡°What if I convert my life force here to raise my strength to Origin Level 3?¡± ¡°Trash.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Roel nodded with a smile upon hearing those words. A pale yellow light cloaked his body, and his mana began to grow at a tremendous pace. Even a lion would go all out to hunt a rabbit. There was no way Roel would allow Grandar to be humiliated before an evil god of unknown origin because of his weakness. The moment Grandar received Roel¡¯s blessing, his body released a brilliant sh of crimson mana that dyed the night sky red. A furious gale rushed across the air, suppressing the awful stench of the evil god. Even the blurred projection of Aztar started to waver like candlelight on the verge of being extinguished. The two giants stood face to face with one another with a distance of a thousand meters between them. The meat giant screeched frenziedly while Grandar stood as calmly as he always did. Then, the two of them charged forth at the same time. The meat giant wriggled its way forward, leaving a trail of dposing flesh and blood behind it. Its arms morphed into countless tentacles that were prepared to sink their sharp teeth into their prey. On the other hand, Grandar¡¯s body was cloaked in lightning and mes. The sheer speed of his charge created a deafening sonic boom in his wake, and the thunderous cracklinging from his fist hinted at devastating power. The moment he threw out his punch, the amalgamation of lightning and mes produced a blinding white light that fully lit up the dark forest. The tentacles were torn to shreds under the sheer shockwave of the attack, and the spurting corrosive blood vaporized in the face of the mes. Grandar¡¯s fist sunk into the evil god like a descendinget. In the face of such might, the thick and lumpy body of the meat giant was crushed as easily as a rotten tomato. Blood and flesh sttered in all directions. Bam! With a powerful explosion, the upper half of the meat giant was sted into countless squirming leeches that fell all over the forest. But things weren¡¯t over yet. These scattered leeches were showing signs of gathering back into the meat giant. However, Grandar wasn¡¯t fazed at all. After smashing through the body of the evil god, Grandar¡¯s arm stretched forth and grabbed the blurred projection of Aztar behind the meat giant. At that very moment, Roel clearly felt another emotion from the monster other than madness. Fear. Despite being left with only the lower half of its body, the meat giant still struggled desperately against Grandar, but it was all futile. Any tentacles that dared to approach him would be vaporized by the searing heat of lightning and mes. Grandar held the projection of the evil god up high, as if clutching onto its neck. His hands glowed with a dangerous light as he drove his Strength Origin Attribute to its full power. With a furious roar, he crushed the struggling projection with sheer might, reducing it to dust. Boom! The moment the projection disintegrated, the lower body of the meat giant immediately fell limp. There was a brief moment of stillness before it abruptly expanded and exploded into a bloody fog. The leeches that were scattered everywhere also slowly lost their strength and stopped wriggling. It was all over. Grandar dissipated the bloody mist with a wave of his arm. From the crumbled lower body of the meat giant, a middle-aged man tumbled out onto the ground. His body was withered, and he seemed to be on hisst breath. Looking at the severely weakened Marceus, Roel finally felt the fury burning in his heart calming down a little. ¡°You¡¯re still alive. Since that¡¯s the case, you can take onest trip to hell¡¯s gates at the executioner¡¯s tform.¡± Roel walked over to Marceus¡¯ side and spat coldly. ¡°You¡¯re arrested.¡± Chapter 287: The Burnt Words

Chapter 287: The Burnt Words

The crimson light shining from the forest slowly scattered, and most of the mess evaporated into a fog. The students in the nearby dormitories rushed out of their rooms to take a closer look at the forest, but they still couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they were dreaming. The terrifying meat giant had beenpletely vaporized, and the skeleton giant that defeated it had disappeared from sight too. All that was left were specks of mana that were swiftly being scattered along with the wind, which ironically only made the forest look even more dreamlike. Were it not for their still aching heads, they would have definitely thought that it was all an illusion. The only one amongst the crowd who knew the inside story were Melty and the members of the Request Club, who had just arrived at the scene. The members of the Request Club cheered joyfully at their victory whereas Melty couldn¡¯t help but shed tears of joy. It had been so tough, but justice finally triumphed over evil. Grandar¡¯s magnificent punch vanquished the fear that had been looming inside the hearts of Melty and the members of the Request Club over the past few days. ... In the forest, Roel quietly gazed down on Marceus. Thetter¡¯s body was aplete mess. His robe had turned into rags, and his body was marred with a mess of flesh and blood. The organs threatening to spill out of the incision on his abdomen were still thumping desperately, but their efforts were likely to be futile with all the blood profusely spilling out of his broken blood vessels. Marceus wasn¡¯t dead yet, but he had lost far too much of his life force through his tribute. It was likely that he wouldn¡¯t survive past tonight. Knowing this, he looked at Roel and feebly cried for help. ¡°Save me, save me...¡± His quivering eyes reflected his deep fear of death, but Roel was unmoved by his pleas. He would have to be braindead to entertain the idea of treating an evil cultist. If he allowed Marceus to catch a breather, thetter would surely pull off another tribute within moments and make aeback. ¡°Do I look like a dimwit to you?¡± ¡°I-I have intelligence! I¡¯ll offer you intelligence!¡± ¡°Intelligence?¡± Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up in interest upon hearing those words. Seeing a ray of hope, Marceus quickly carried on. ¡°Did you think that it would be all over after killing me? Our Bloodtribute Cult is nothing but a small organization. We¡¯re nothing at all before the real powerhouses. Those on top are currently nning something huge, something simr to what happened four hundred years ago... Gahhhh!¡± ¡°Marceus?¡± Marceus¡¯ words suddenly halted halfway through, leaving Roel intrigued. Before he could investigate what was wrong, Marceus¡¯ body suddenly expanded like a balloon before ck mes abruptly burst out from the depths of his body, swiftly engulfing his being. ¡°Ahhh!¡± ¡°Marceus!¡± Roel quickly rushed forward with the intent to put out the mes, but it was already toote. With a scream of agony, Marceus¡¯ body convulsed for a short while before fallingpletely still. In just a few short seconds, his body had been reduced to a pile of bones. He was dead. Roel looked at the charred corpse before him with absolute exasperation. He couldn¡¯t care less about the death of someone who had callously killed so many innocent people, but Marceus was just about to provide him with some critical information! It would appear that someone had nted a spell on Marceus that would trigger as soon as he started talking, and he himself wasn¡¯t aware of it. ¡°Damn it!¡± Couldn¡¯t you have spoken faster? At least finish your sentence! Four hundred years ago... What am I supposed to do with a mere date? You should have given me a key phrase or something! Roel grasped his staff tightly out of frustration, but there was nothing he could do. He stared at Marceus¡¯ bones lividly for a long time before walking off. ... Half an hourter, a ck-haired young man alighted from a carriage at Fulte¡¯s Stop. After defeating Marceus, Roel first headed back to the Third Residential Sector to confirm that Melty was safely under the protection of the Request Club before rushing toward the next battlefield. With Marceus dead, it was unlikely that the other evil cultists hiding in the wine cer would be able to rally any reinforcements and retaliate against the Enforcement Division. Despite knowing this, Roel still couldn¡¯t help but worry about it. Marceus¡¯ earlier blood tribute to summon the evil god reminded him of the unfathomable means of the evil cultists. When pushed to a corner, the evil cultists could resort to extreme means and bite back hard. Of course, Paul and the others were no pushovers either, but it was also true that they werecking in experience. It wasn¡¯t likely that any of them would slip up so badly as to die to the evil cultists, but there was a high possibility that they might still end up sustaining some injuries. If so, he could conduct emergency treatment using Ascendwing and Peytra¡¯s power to alleviate their suffering. Other than that, he also felt unnerved by Marceus¡¯ dying words. He sensed that there were powers far more sinister than the Bloodtribute Cult lurking in the shadows of this city. They were likely to be much more powerful than the Bloodtribe Cult, and they could pose a huge threat to them. He felt that there was an urgent need to find Lilian and discuss this matter. After a quick scan, he noticed that there were mesing from Louise Manor, so he quickly scaled across two hills to make his way over. As soon as he arrived, he heard crying soundsing from the manor. rmed, he quickly charged right in, only to breathe a huge sigh of relief upon seeing that everything was under control. It was the members of the Enforcement Division who were guarding the key locations of the building, and none of them appeared to be wounded. They hesitated for a moment before directing a nod toward Roel to acknowledge his presence, albeit with awful looks on their faces. The few members of the Bluerose Faction also looked fine too, though theirplexion looked a little pale. They were all leaning against the wall, retching endlessly. ¡°I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t puke anymore.¡± ¡°Uweh! Big brother Roel, you¡¯re here. Pardon me, I... Uwehh!¡± Upon seeing Roel, Paul tried to report the situation to him, only to be impeded by his retching. As for Geralt, he was so severely weakened from all the puking he had done that he couldn¡¯t even stand up straight anymore. ¡°It¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t need to say anything. I understand.¡± There was no way he wouldn¡¯t figure what was going on with the overwhelming stench pervading the manor and the sobbing noisesing from the female students of the Enforcement Division. He nced at the entrance of the bloodied wine cer and frowned deeply. I¡¯m finally here at this ursed ce. Chapter 288: I’ll Bring Her Out

Chapter 288: I¡¯ll Bring Her Out

So this is the living hell mentioned in the game. Roel¡¯s heart felt grew heavy as he recalled the description used for the wine cer in Eyes of the Chronicler. It exined the bizarre situation in Louise Manor, be it the crying members of the Enforcement Division or all the retching going on. Most likely, they had all been to the wine cer and saw what was there. The disgust toward the vile deedsmitted by the evil cultists, the sympathy they felt toward their seniors who had fallen prey to the evildoers, and many other feelings swirled in their minds, leaving them distraught. Roel clenched his fists tightly as he further affirmed his will to not let those evil cultists get away scot-free. He headed toward Paul¡¯s side and patted his back so as to alleviate his difort. Paul continued to heave every now and then, but he still managed to report the chain of events properly. After Roel activated the Twin Stones, the group camping in the forest near Fulte¡¯s Stop immediately sprung into action. They divided themselves into two teams and assaulted the two possible hideouts simultaneously. The team which Paul and the others were in was dispatched to Louise Manor. Right after they entered the manor, they bumped into the members of the Bloodtribute Cult, who were in the midst of making their escape. Roel¡¯s wariness paid off. The Bloodtribute Cult did have long-rangemunication devices that allowed them to tip one another off right away if something happened. It was fortunate that they had nned everything out carefully, or else some of the evil cultists would have surely gotten away. With the two parties stumbling upon one another, a fight was bound to ensue. Remembering Roel¡¯smand, Paul and Geralt took the initiative to engage the evil cultists,unching a powerful spell right from the start tomence the battle. But unlike usual transcendent battles, which focused on ending the fight as soon as possible, the members of the Special Ops Team turned out to be far more disciplined. Instead of engaging the enemies in close quarters, they chose to suppress them with arrows and spells, giving the enemies no room to breathe at all. At the same time, they set off res to inform therades that had headed to the other location that the enemy was here so as to converge their forces and stomp down the enemy with an overwhelming advantage. This strategy worked out amazingly. Over the course of the battle, the evil cultists of the Bloodtribute Cult cast spells that transformed some of theirrades into powerful meat giants that posed a huge threat to the raid team. Nevertheless, through their relentless suppression tactics and numerical advantage, they managed to hold on until Lilian¡¯s team arrived. Everything after that was a breeze. Under Lilian¡¯s lead, the raid team was able to take down the enemies with ease. There were 28 evil cultists in total, and the raid team killed all of them except for three. ¡°Big brother Roel, you didn¡¯t see how disgusting that Tribute Spell was! Those evil cultists would cut open their abdomen with a knife, and all of their blood vessels would suddenly rush out like tentacles!¡± ¡°...¡± You don¡¯t need to tell me; I personally saw the enhanced version of that just a moment ago. I can tell you with certainty that those ¡®tentacles¡¯ look far more disgusting when there are mouths on them. Roel¡¯s eyebrows twitched a little upon hearing Paul¡¯s words, but he chose to keep hisments to himself. He took a look around the area, only to be surprised to notice that Lilian was nowhere to be seen. So, he turned over and asked Paul about it. A furrow formed on Paul¡¯s forehead. He shot a nce at the blood-red wine cer and spoke with an awful look on his face. ¡°My imperial sister is in there... She has been inside for a while now, and she ordered everyone to steer clear of the area.¡± Roel took a quick look around and noticed the worried expressions on the Enforcement Division¡¯s members. It suddenly dawned on him what was going on, and his pupils dted a little. I should have known. The one who is most affected by the wine cer is none other than Lilian. Roel suddenly recalled some of the events in the game. He turned to look at Paul, but thetter didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to make a move despite appearing worried. After a moment of contemtion, he began making his way toward the wine cer. ¡°Big brother Roel? You are...¡± ¡°Senior Lilian forbade the rest of you from entering, but hermand doesn¡¯t apply to me.¡± Roel endured the suffocating blood stench and stepped into the wine cer. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her out.¡± ... Roel had always thought that his tolerance level toward gore was high even amongst transcendents due to the experiences he had been through. For one, he had encountered a perverted murderer in this life when he was only 10 years old. That deranged painter used human flesh and blood to create paintings that were just utterly abominable. In terms of sheer repulsiveness, there was probably no horror movie he had seen in his previous life that came close topeting with that. Other than that, he had also encountered mountains of corpses and armies of Scalemen in the Witness State too. With all the experiences he had been through, his willpower was definitely far stronger than that of his peers. ¡°Uweh!¡± But that didn¡¯t stop him from heaving moments after entering the wine cer. The passageway he was walking in was made out of a mixture of dirt and blood. The surface felt slimy, as if it was coated with human oil. This wasn¡¯t enough to shatter Roel¡¯s willpower, but it did take down his olfactory system. His stomach began to churn in repulse. So, he cast two spells on himself to control his own disgust before proceeding deeper into the wine cer. At the same time, he thought about the events that had urred here in the game. Based on what he remembered from Eyes of the Chronicler, this living hell dealt a huge blow to Lilian¡¯s mental state. What Roel and the others saw in the wine cer were anonymous victims who had been disfigured and dissected, but Lilian happened to recognize one of the victims. This tragic incident struck too close to home for her. She ended having nightmares over this for an entire week, and it was only after Paul¡¯s visit that she finally managed to ovee this trauma. However, things were different in this world. Paul and Lilian weren¡¯t as close as they were in the game, and Lilian was currently witnessing the horror in person. The feelings that were crushing her right now were definitely far heavier and more intense than any nightmare. Walking down the disgustingly moist passageway, Roel walked past the empty experimental ground with a heavy heart. He took heed not to pay attention to his surroundings and headed straight toward the end of the wine cer, where Lilian stood before an enclosed room that looked like a prison. ... How did things end up like this? Lilian thought as she stared at a wooden pole before her in utter horror. Apletely disfigured female corpse was shackled tightly to the wooden pole. Its flesh had started dposing, and its blood had already run dry. The only thing that allowed her to recognize the corpse was the pendant hanging in front of its chest. It was a crescent moon pendant originating from an ethnic minority tribe called Moen in the Austine Empire. The tribe members believed that they were blessed by the moon, so they often wore essories rted to the moon. As for how Lilian came to know about this, it was because she was acquainted with the owner of this crescent moon pendant. Lilian was still a First Grade Ringbearer when she met her, a Fourth Grade senior. She was in the midst of taking over the Enforcement Division back then, and this senior helped her greatly in ustoming to her new role as the chief of the Enforcement Division despite not joining the Purplerose Faction. The senior did abruptly vanish after graduation, but Lilian didn¡¯t think much of it since the Moen were a nomadic tribe. In the unglobalized Sia Continent, it was already hard to get in touch with individuals who lived outside of the big cities, let alone with nomads. Who could have thought that they would end up reuniting under such circumstances? Looking at the corpse, Lilian felt the world spinning around her. Her head had never been so heavy before, and it felt like someone had pumped heavy lead into her body. Slowly, the silhouette of the senior she knew began to ovep with the corpse before her. In her daze, Lilian seemed to see her familiar face smiling at her, prompting her to reach for the corpse with her trembling hands. But before she coulde into contact, she was held back by another pair of hands. ¡°What are you doing, Senior Lilian?¡± Roel held Lilian¡¯s trembling hands tightly as he asked with aposed voice. Chapter 289: Moment of Resonation

Chapter 289: Moment of Resonation

¡°!¡± In the wine cer, the sudden voice snapped Lilian out of her daze. Before she knew it, Roel was already standing right beside her. Roel wasn¡¯t as clean and pristine as he usually was¡ªhis clothes were stained with blood and dirt from the battle he had just been through. However, there was a steadfast expression on his face. His golden eyes flickered with the torches in the dark wine cer, giving it a touch of gentleness and tranquility. Somehow, the blood-red hell she was in seemed to disappear when she looked into his eyes. She found herself forgetting her anger and sorrow. A feeling of intimacy warmed her heart like a ray of sunlight, snapping her out of her daze. But it was also precisely due to this change in her state of mind that Lilian suddenly found herself consumed by intolerable shame. As a senior who had been taking care of Roel all along, she didn¡¯t want to show such an unsightly side of her to him. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me! Get out!¡± she ordered with a hoarse voice. It was the first time Lilian had used such a forceful tone to speak to Roel. Yet, it sounded so vulnerable at the same time, almost as if she was pleading with him. Unfortunately, Roel had no intention of doing as she wished. ¡°My apologies, but we¡¯re equals. You don¡¯t have the right to order me around.¡± ¡°You!! Let go of me!¡± Lilian pulled her arm out of Roel¡¯s grasp. Roel had never seen such a weak side to Lilian before, and it sent pangs of guilt through his heart. He didn¡¯t regret approaching her for this raid since her help was necessary in vanquishing the evil cultists, but it was never his intent to leave her with such a deep trauma. I didn¡¯t think that it would be so serious. She even tried to touch the corpse earlier... She must have been thinking about the past. Knowing that he had to do something here, Roel took a deep breath to calm himself down before talking about what happened on his side, hoping that it would distract and calm her down. ¡°Senior, Miss Melty is safe now. I¡¯ve killed the bishop of the Bloodtribute Cult.¡± ¡°...¡± It was partially sessful. His calm voice seemed to have alleviated her trembling a little, so he decided to try a bit harder. ¡°The clean up is nearly done. We¡¯ll be reporting this incident to the academy tomorrow morning, and it¡¯ll all be over. Senior, can we leave this ce now? Everyone is worried about you.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel¡¯s gentle persuasion slowly pulled her out from her agony, but the corpse of her innocent senior hanging beside her seemed to be reproaching her for her ignorance and powerlessness. The guilt in her heart made her instinctively turn over to look at her senior¡¯s corpse once more, but Roel immediately stepped over to block her view. Having to watch the tortured corpse of an acquaintance was nothing short of a nightmare, and what made things worse was the fact that Lilian was the chief of the Enforcement Division. Thebination of these two factors created a high hurdle that she simply couldn¡¯t ovee. However, Roel had a n. ¡°Roel?¡± ¡°Stop looking. Are you ming yourself for everything that has happened?¡± ¡°I am the chief of the Enforcement Division. If only I had noticed these earlier...¡± ¡°Stop joking with me! What does this have to do with you?¡± Roel questioned her sternly with a tight frown. ¡°The Bloodtribute Cult has operated for at least a decade now! How many chiefs of the Enforcement Division have there been over this period of time? Do you think that they are all guilty too? ¡°The leader of this evil cult, Marceus, is a staff member of the Saint Freya Academy. He has the movements of the Enforcement Division in the palm of his hand! There was no way you could have known about it under normal circumstances! Are you going to start ming yourself for not being adept in divination and predicting all of this in advance? ¡°Furthermore, the responsibility of the Enforcement Division lies in protecting the current students of the Saint Freya Academy, not its graduates. Our efforts have sessfully protected Miss Melty, who would have been killed by the evil cultists otherwise. Are you going to start denying everything that the Enforcement Division has done for the academy and its students?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, but...¡± Lilian denied Roel¡¯s usations, but how could such pain beforted so easily? She lowered her head in distress and fell silent. Roel felt pained to see Lilian in such a state. They had spent a month together. Lilian was able to read Roel, but who was to say that this connection didn¡¯t go both ways? Lilian was a person whose heart was surrounded by ice, but that didn¡¯t mean that she was without feelings. On the contrary, she cared about her friends and kinship more than anything in the world. In fact, that was the only reason why the Austine Empire had been peaceful thus far. If Lilian chose to disregard familial ties, with her talent and her powerful backing, she could have easily destroyed her two ipetent older brothers. Yet, she chose not to do so despite knowing that they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to get rid of her if they had the chance. She was avoiding a fight not because she had to but because she didn¡¯t want to fight. Lilian¡¯s gentleness was not something apparent to others at first sight. Roel was more than aware of that after all of the remedial sses they had together. He reached out to grab her shoulders and looked right into her dull amethyst eyes. ¡°Senior, I¡¯m also pained by the deaths of the victims, but we can¡¯t let the past tie us down. What you need to do now is to protect those who are still alive. ording to what I heard from Marceus, there are far greater threats lurking in the shadows of the academy. What I can do alone is limited. ¡°Senior, I need you.¡± ¡°!¡± Thest few words from Roel were like a hammer smashing onto Lilian¡¯s heart, causing her entire body to quiver. Her reaction made him think that his words were finally getting through, and he heaved a sigh of relief. But what he was oblivious to was the searing emotions that had started breeding in Lilian¡¯s heart. They were swiftly growing to a point where it was no longer possible to repress them. ¡°W-what did you just say?¡± ¡°I said that I need you, senior.¡± Roel repeated those words with a determined gaze, but somehow, it sounded a bit off now that he was saying them by themselves. So, he quickly added. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve used some powerful spells thate with significant side effects, so I¡¯m not really in a good state right now. We also have to discuss what Marceus said ande up with a countermeasure, so...¡± Lilian was staring at him so intently that it was starting to get awkward. His words gradually grew softer and softer before finally trailing off. W-what¡¯s going on? Did I go too far? Lilian¡¯s stare was so intense that it caught him off guard, and his face started turning beet-red. On the other hand, Lilian felt unprecedented emotions filling up her heart. She found herself unable to maintain her usual poker face. Her blood began gushing faster as if the ice caps in her had finally copsed. She could even hear her heartbeat thumping loudly. My head is heating up, but... how warm. Lilian ced her hand on her chest and silently felt her heartbeat. Then, she lifted it and reached for Roel¡¯s cheek. Yet, her trembling hand stopped short of touching him, lingering hesitantly for a very long time. The conflicted frown on her face reflected her internal struggle. But in the end, she triumphed over her reservations. This was the first time she was touching Roel. The next moment, their bloodline began trembling in resonance. They seemed to hear the chorale of thousands of angels singing right beside them. They stared at one another with widened eyes, unable to believe what was happening. Chapter 290: Bond of Bloodlines

Chapter 290: Bond of Bloodlines

Neither Lilian nor Roel had expected a bloodline resonance to ur, and the two of them were dumbstruck by this turn of events. They could feel a warm sensation flowing into their hearts, filling up their minds. The bloodline resonance was already starting to take effect even before they could process what was going on. Simr to how a person¡¯s emotions were affected by hormones to some extent, bloodline resonance created an inexplicable and irrepressible feeling of intimacy between two individuals. This feeling of intimacy onlysted for a brief instant, but it was more than enough to change how Roel and Lilian perceived one another. It answered all of the doubts that Lilian had harbored over the past month. So this is it. Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes widened in realization as she finally understood what hade over her, be it her instinctive urge to help him with his problems or the worry she felt when he was exposed to danger. Their bond of bloodlines had been unknowingly influencing her. While there hadn¡¯t been a bloodline resonance between them over the past month, something had been changing inside her every time they shed mana with one another. Looking back on it now, she realized that all of the clues had been there all along, just that she hadn¡¯t been able to piece them together. In the first ce, what were the odds of two creation transcendents possessing identical mana channeling methods? The truth had only eluded her because she was blinded by the vast difference in their backgrounds. This revtion came as a huge surprise to her¡ªand it was a pleasant one. The Ackermanns and the Ascarts had been estranged for at least a thousand years now, such that the two of them could practically be considered strangers to one another. It was a miracle how a bond of bloodlines could be formed between the two of them after such a long time. Lilian thought that this was a gift from Sia. A bond of bloodlines was a rtionship that allowed no betrayal or hypocrisy, a link that could never be severed. Just thinking about it was enough to make Lilian¡¯s mind heat up in excitement. On the other hand, Roel found himself utterly confused. Lilian is my bloodline kin? How is this possible? Putting all things aside, if this rtionship were toe to the surface, she would be... ¡°Roel, w-we are...¡± ¡°Senior...¡± Roel looked at the agitated Lilian and was just about to say something when he suddenly felt his mana running amok. At the same time, the ckrose Ring he carried in his pocket began shimmering, seemingly resonating with his mana. ¡°Get away from me!¡± ¡°Roel?¡± Having been through this situation twice before, Roel was able to immediately figure out what was going on. With a face warped in horror, he pushed Lilian away right before his mana gushed out with unstoppable momentum. Before he could exin anything, his consciousness had already faded. ... ¡°!¡± By the time Roel opened his eyes once more, he found himself faced with a starless night sky. He could hear the crackle of mesing from not too far away, and the surroundings were suffused with the nauseating stench of blood. The ground he was lying on felt icy-cold, and the freezing night gale only made the environment even more hostile. Where am I? Roel¡¯s groggy mind slowly began churning into action. He tried to recall everything that had happened thus far in an attempt to figure out what was going on. A bloody envelope, a grayish space, a meat giant with countless tentacles... Many scenes shed across Roel¡¯s mind before finally stopping at a woman¡¯s face. Her face was stained with tears, and yet, happiness was overflowing from her eyes. Roel¡¯s mind cleared up right away. His body jolted up from the ground, and he eximed loudly. ¡°Senior!¡± His anxious voice echoed in the dark night, only to be responded with silence. Everything clicked together right away. I¡¯m in another Witness State... but why did it have to happen at that very moment?! Roel searched his surroundings in a fluster, but his mind nked out the moment he realized that Lilian wasn¡¯t around. No one? What¡¯s going on? Is it because I pushed her away before being transported here? No, that¡¯s unlikely. I only pushed her aside because I wanted to stop the activation of the Kingmaker Bloodline, but that obviously failed. The chances of her not being transported into the Witness State with me are... Roel thought about how Charlotte was dragged into the previous Witness State despite sleeping in an adjacent room, and his heart immediately grew heavy. He clutched his forehead and forced himself to calm down. There were two possibilities right now. One, Lilian hadn¡¯t been brought in here with him. That would be good news since there was no one who understood the great dangers lying in wait in the Witness States more than him. The threats that one faced in the Witness States could potentially be unreasonable, and Sire Darkness was a good example. He was fortunate to have Peytra¡¯s help, or else even the strongest transcendent would have died if put in his ce. It was just moments ago that he had reunited with his bloodline kin, and his heart was still palpitating from the indescribable feeling arising from their resonance. He couldn¡¯t stand the thought of Lilian being put in a dangerous position. He would rather have years taken off his lifespan than to see any harming to her. But reality would never change to anyone¡¯s convenience. After careful contemtion, Roel felt that the first possibility was slim. If Lilian was his bloodline kin, it would mean that she had inherited the Kingmaker Bloodline too. Even Nora and Charlotte had been mercilessly swept into the Witness State with him; it was hard to imagine that Lilian who shared the same bloodline as him would be spared. Roel gritted his teeth tightly as he thought about the second possibility¡ªLilian had entered the Witness State as well, but she wasn¡¯t transported to the same location as him... ¡°Are you bloody kidding with me?!¡± bellowed Roel furiously. He punched his fist into the ground, feeling like he was going to lose his mind. Such a situation meant that he had left Lilian all alone in this treacherous Witness State! She would be at a loss without a veteran like him to bring her along, and she was clearly not in the right mental state to face such a trial either! Of course, there was onest possibility that Roel dared not even entertain¡ªthe possibility that both of their bloodlines had been invoked simultaneously and separately. It waspletely possible for the two of them to have teleported into separate Witness States, which meant that they couldn¡¯t help each other even if they wanted to. The thought of a bloodline kin he had just reunited with vanishing from the face of the world made Roel¡¯s body tremble uncontrobly. His mind plummeted into utter chaos, but his numerous experiences with the Witness States told him that he had to make a move as soon as possible. ¡°I need to calm down. Lilian is a powerful transcendent, so it¡¯s unlikely that anything bad will happen to her. I have to get a grasp on the situation first before I can even think about helping her...¡± Roel squeezed his face and forced himself to think positively. After his mind finally cleared up a little, he turned his attention toward the System. ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾The System has detected the symptoms of bloodline awakening.¡¿ ¡¾Bloodline Awakening Support System activating...¡¿ ¡¾Activating the Witness State.¡¿ ¡¾The library copses amidst flickering embers. Sweet dreams are devoured by desires, and the fallen shards drum the war gong.¡¿ ¡¾Countdown to the end of the Witness State: 239 hours 22 minutes¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation: Low (2)¡¿ As always, what a useless introduction. Roel¡¯s face twitched upon seeing the nonsense scribbled on the System. He was intending to quickly browse through it before checking out his surroundings, but his face swiftly turned grim when he saw thest few notifications. His low evaluation was understandable since he hadn¡¯t done anything yet, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice that the duration of the Witness State was twice as long as the previous one. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the countdown had doubled due to the effect of the resonance between Lilian and him. He cleared away his worry and gathered his motivation. For now, the highest priority for him was to use all of the means he had at his disposal to find Lilian and ensure her safety. As usual, he slowly stood up and scanned his dark surroundings to gather some intelligence. He had to first figure out which historical event he had been transported into in order to determine his next course of action. On his left was a t in and on his right was a lush forest. In front of him was a well-paved road constructed for the passage of carriages. It¡¯s likely that I¡¯m along the main road near the outskirts of a city. He looked toward the direction where the zing orange incandescence and stench of blood wereing from. Not too far away from him, there was a carriage that was almostpletely burned down by now. The scattered wooden smithereens and the fallen tyre suggested that the carriage was already severely damaged before it was set alight. As for those traveling on the carriage... Roel first double confirmed that there was no one in the vicinity before flitting toward the carriage. There were twelve corpses lying around the carriage. The lingering mana around their bodies indicated that they were all transcendents, fairly powerful ones at that. Nearly all of them were wearing guard armor, which allowed Roel to identify the only one dressed in fine robes as the owner of the carriage. It was a ck-haired young man with a gaping hole in his chest, as if someone had gobbled a part of him up. The other corpses had disconcerting injuries on them as well, be it melted flesh, charred body parts, or missing limbs. They were killed in a myriad of ways. It¡¯s the deed of evil cultists, Roel deduced. But a new doubt surfaced in his mind soon after. When did the evil cultists get so arrogant as to kill someone along the main road and leave their bodies lying around? Aren¡¯t they afraid of the bacsh from the church? This made Roel curious about the identities of the victim. So, he began checking their bodies, but there was nothing on them. He searched through the toppled carriage, and surprisingly, he managed to find an intact envelope. He brushed off the ashes on the letter and pried it open. The first line of words was more than enough to induce his shock. ¡°Respected Holy Envoy, the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch is currently facing a great threat...¡± Chapter 291: Enter! Definitely Enter!

Chapter 291: Enter! Definitely Enter!

Saints Convocation! Holy Envoy? Roel couldn¡¯t believe what he had just read. He turned around and looked at the corpses littered behind him. They are all from the Saints Convocation? There should be no doubt that the Saints Convocation is an evil cult, but the ones who did this to them are evil cultists as well... Is this a falling-out? Roel blinked his eyes in surprise. He didn¡¯t expect the first group of victims he stumbled upon to actually be evil cultists. He was deeply familiar with the name, ¡®Saints Convocation¡¯. Back when he was on the Golden Fleet, he hade to blows with one of the Saints Convocation¡¯s top brass, Dous. He chased down thetter¡¯s main body and killed off the young Origin Level 2 Puppetmaster. Roel still couldn¡¯t shake off his hatred even after shattering Dous into thousands of ice fragments¡ªhow could he when thetter nearly took Charlotte¡¯s life?¡ªso he asked Nora about the Saints Convocation after returning from the Witness State. After some investigation, Nora told him that the Saints Convocation had stopped their activities in the Theocracy for many years now. Roel breathed a sigh of relief after hearing that news, but that didn¡¯t lessen his worry about the cult that worshiped the Mother Goddess. The Six Cmities did have the power to annihte humankind, so he couldn¡¯t afford to let down his guard at all. He never thought that he would bump into the Saints Convocation here. Not wanting to miss any information on the letter, he took his time to read it carefully. Once he was done, he lowered his head and began processing the information. First and foremost, the letter allowed him to ascertain the era he was in¡ªYear 612 of the Third Epoch, which was around four hundred years back from the present time. The location was the outskirts of the Capital of Academies, Leinster. ¡°This should be the era where humankind faced the Second Deviant War. I recall that Leinster faced some sort of turmoil during this period of time too...¡± murmured Roel as he tried his best to recall everything he knew about this era. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much information for him to work with. The main crisis faced by humankind during this era was the Second Deviant War. Historians spared no efforts to praise the unyielding spirit of humankind in fending against the ferocious deviants in epic battles. As someone well-versed in history, Roel could spend an entire day talking about the events that had transpired in the Second Deviant War. Inparison, there were hardly any records about the turmoil in Leinster. Even the Sofya Kingdom that was a powerhouse in its era was almostpletely forgotten within eight hundred years. Considering how the unrest in Leinster was viewed to be of minor importancepared to the Second Deviant War, it wasn¡¯t surprising that most of the details surrounding it were forgotten over the span of four hundred years. All that was mentioned in the books was that the evil cultists had staged an uprising in the Country of Schrs, and this was corroborated by the letter he had just found. The author of the letter was the leader of Saints Convocation Leinster Branch, Bradley. The content was also fairly straightforward¡ªit was an SOS letter. It seemed like Leinster had dispatched far too many elites to the frontlines that it created an opening for the evil cutlists to exploit, and they did. It was just that the perpetrator of the uprising wasn¡¯t the Saints Convocation but the Salvation Brotherhood. The rtionships between evil cults were a blind spot that was often overlooked. Outsiders tended to think that the evil cults were all on the same side, but that was simply wrong. Different cults had different goals. Take the Saints Convocation for example, they aimed to cleanse the world through the Six Cmities and lead humankind back into the embrace of the Mother Goddess, or to use more conventional terms, they wanted to destroy human civilization. Roel didn¡¯t know what the goals of the Salvation Brotherhood were, but their allegiance definitely didn¡¯ty with the Mother Goddess. It should be safe to assume that they probably weren¡¯t too fond of the Six Cmities either. Taking a step back, even if the Salvation Brotherhood was another bunch of imbeciles who aimed for world destruction, it was unthinkable for them to ally themselves with the Saints Convocation. Why? That was because the gods they worshiped differed. It was not just the final goal that mattered to them; the means of achieving it was equally important as well. Unless they were in a desperate position, they were unlikely to collude with one another. The current circumstances in Leinster reinforced that point. ording to the letter, the Salvation Brotherhood had managed to gain control of Leinster using the power of a holy artifact they had obtained. The city¡¯s garrison troops and citizens had all retreated into the Saint Freya Academy and activated its defensive mechanism, holding the fort firmly. Knowing that it would take some time to besiege the Saint Freya Academy, they turned their attention toward the other evil cultists who refused to bow down to their leadership. One of their key targets was the Saints Convocation. Of course, an established evil cult like the Saints Convocation had its own trump cards too. It was just that most of its means could only be invoked by the Holy Envoy, which was why they sent an urgent SOS letter out. A pity it was that the Saints Convocation was never going to receive the aid of its Holy Envoy, for the Holy Envoy was actually the dead young man. I guess it¡¯s over for them then. The letter gave Roel a good grasp on the current situation in Leinster. He was d to see that the evil cultists were fighting one another, but a choice stood before him right now. Should I enter the city or not? Leinster was in a state of chaos right now, so entering the city meant exposing himself to great peril. It wasn¡¯t imusible for him to camp it out in the forest till the countdown was finally over; in fact, it was the safer option here. Roel was also reluctant to get involved in this chaos as he wasn¡¯t in a good state right now. The timing in which he was transported here was horrendous. He had gone all out to ensure that he could crush Marceus without a sliver of doubt, resorting to using cier¡¯s Touch and sapping his life force. His condition wasn¡¯t as bad as to be bedridden, but there was no doubt that the side effects severely impaired his fighting prowess. If he chose to enter the city, regardless of whether he encountered the Saints Convocation or the Salvation Brotherhood, a fight was bound to ensue. The only side he could safely side with was the weaker Saint Freya Academy. The problem was that he had to tread across huge swathes of enemy territory in order to get to the Saint Freya Academy. Even if he managed to pull it off, could he really convince the garrison troops and staff members that he was an ally? It was always better to err on the side of caution during times of crisis. Even if those camping in the Saint Freya Academy were in need of reinforcement, it was more likely that they would choose to block Roel from entering than to risk allowing a spy to sneak into their midst. Staying away from the city was obviously the wiser decision here in terms of safety. It was just that he wouldn¡¯t gain much if he chose to do so. While the Witness State was fraught with dangers, he would always be able to gain great power and learn the truth of history each time he overcame the trials. He would be abandoning a precious opportunity to grow stronger and gain valuable intelligence if he refrained from entering the city. In Year 612 of the Third Epoch, the Twilight Sages Assembly hadn¡¯t dissolved yet. It was likely that ¡®Academic¡¯ was still in the Saint Freya Academy. He could potentially solve a lot of the mysteries if he could just meet ¡®Academic¡¯ in person. Most importantly of all, if Lilian is in the city... Under the moonlit night, Roel tightened his grip on the letter in his hand as he struggled to make a decision. The night gale howled like the cries of the dead, and the persistent blood stench seemed to forebode a greater cmity. Roel¡¯s golden eyes shone brightly as hepared the pros and cons against one another, but the calctions he made faded away as something far more important dominated his mind. Eventually, all he could see was a woman reaching for his face with trembling hands. The moment he thought of Lilian, a surge of warmth gushed into Roel¡¯s chest as he felt a tug on his heartstrings. To him, she symbolized something that the Ascartscked but cherished the most¡ªkinship. Lilian had been deprived of kinship from a young age, which ironically made her almost fanatically obsessed with it. But she wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this way. Awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline had always been alone in their respective generations. They had to shoulder heavy responsibilities all alone, and the stress that was heaped upon them was not something outsiders could fathom. What Lilian desired was the same as what Roel dreamt of. From the start, there was only one answer to the question. ¡°I have to enter the city. I must...¡± murmured Roel resolutely. Because that¡¯s where my bloodline kin is. But soon after he came to a decision, a deep frown formed on his face. ¡°I¡¯m in a horrible condition right now. I have to avoidbat no matter what, but how can I do so...¡± Roel squeezed his forehead as he struggled to figure out a feasible n. Dark clouds drifted over the moon, plunging the outskirts of the forest into darkness. Roel stood as still as a statue in the midst of the shadows. Slowly, a daring n started to take shape in his mind. He quickly raised the letter in his hand and carefully analyzed it word by word. Once he was done, he tossed the letter into the fire and watched it burn down to ashes. Following that, he walked over to the fallen carriage to deduce the direction they were traveling toward before they were ambushed before making his way over. ... Two hourster, at Leinster¡¯s city gates. Dark clouds had settled in once more, robbing the sky of the moon. There were torches fixed along the city walls that provided some illumination, but it did nothing to light up the despondent looks on the faces of the Saints Convocation¡¯s disciples. It had been days since the Salvation Brotherhood took over the city and started ughtering those who refused to submit to them. The Saints Convocation suffered consecutive defeats in their hands, causing their morale to be at an all-time low. Those monsters that looked as if they had climbed out of the gates of hell were simply too terrifying. No one could approach them at all. The overwhelming prowess disyed by the Salvation Brotherhood left everyone wondering if the Country of Schrs, which the Saints Convocation had dominated for several centuries now, was going to switch hands. The disciples waited with deepening hopelessness till they heard a sudden noise in thetter half of the night. The sentries quickly took a closer look and saw a young man walking all alone in their direction. His fearless but graceful gait hinted that he was someone of significant background, which led to a fervent discussion amongst the disciples. It was some timeter before one of them finally shouted. ¡°Who are you? Identify yourself!¡± There was a moment of silence before they received a response. ¡°Get Bradley out here to talk with me.¡± The young man raised his head, revealing his majestic golden eyes. ¡°I am the Holy Envoy of the Saints Convocation, Roel.¡± Chapter 292: Who Are You?

Chapter 292: Who Are You?

Leinster is doomed. This was the thought that had dominated Bradley Danis¡¯ mind for days now. At first nce, Bradley looked like an ordinary middle-aged man with his scrawny stature and grayish hair, but beneath his humble appearancey the lofty leader and bishop of the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch. It had been a week since the Salvation Brotherhood had started its uprising, and Bradley¡¯s morale had been on a nosedive since then. Ever since the breakout of war with the deviants, Leinster¡¯s elites had been continuously dispatched to the frontline, resulting in a huge reduction in the number of teachers and clergymen in the city. At the same time, the number of studentsing into Leinster had been falling sharply as well. Its defenses were currently at an all-time low. There was nothing in the world that was easier to manipte than a frightened popce. Chaos provided the perfect fodder for evil cults to entice the weak-hearted so as to expand their organization. Thanks to the conducive environment, the evil cults were able to grow rapidly in the shadows over the past ten years. To be fair, it was not that the leaders of humankind hadn¡¯t noticed the activities of the evil cults, but they chose to ignore it. They simply didn¡¯t have the spare attention and manpower to deal with the evil cults when the frontlines of humankind¡¯s borders were already on the brink of copse. This was the era of prosperity for the evil cults, but someone suddenly flipped the table on them. The Salvation Brotherhood was an old organization tracing back to the Second Epoch. It had been operating in the Country of Schrs for centuries now though its size and influence paled inparison to the massive Saints Convocation, but the past ten years of chaos had brought about its swift growth. There were signs that the Salvation Brotherhood was starting to get out of control, such as the numerous conflicts it had with Saints Convocation in recent years. Nevertheless, Bradley didn¡¯t think that they would actually go to the extent of starting an uprising! This had indubitably crossed the line. The leaders of humankind were only turning a blind eye to them because they knew that the evil cults wouldn¡¯t really stage a coup d¡¯¨¦tat at a time like this. Everyone implicitly understood that it would be the end of them all once the deviants were to breach their defenses, so no one was dumb enough to sabotage each other at a time like this. In fact, it was more beneficial for the evil cults to lie low and wait for their enemies to whittle down one another at this juncture. The Saints Convocation believed in guiding human civilization to its end so as to return to the embrace of the Mother Goddess. However, the end they sought was at the hands of the Mother Goddess¡¯ envoys, not those filthy deviants. When the Salvation Brotherhood first started its attack on Leinster, many powers including Leinster¡¯s garrison troops and the Saints Convocation formed an implicit alliance to bring them down, but the results werepletely unexpected. The Salvation Brotherhood actually won. They summoned an army of humanoid monsters dressed in ck armor and ck robes with some sort of bizarre magic tool. These monsters couldn¡¯t move during the day, but as soon as night descended, they would swiftly flood the streets. Their enigmatic murmurs wielded the power to mess up one¡¯s mind, inducing splitting headaches. There were even transcendents who had lost their minds to it! The terrifying monsters were too much for them to deal with, so the surviving garrison troops swiftly retreated into the Saint Freya Academy and held the fort together with Vice Principal Astrid and the remaining students. On the other hand, Bradley and the others weren¡¯t so lucky as to have a powerful fortress to fall back on. With the garrison troops beyond reach for the time being, the Salvation Brotherhood naturally turned their sights to their second greatest enemy¡ªthe Saints Convocation. The Saints Convocation could only converge their forces into the eastern part of the city and hole themselves up in the Worcester Castle, but its defensive means paled far inparison to the fortress known as the Saint Freya Academy. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they facedplete defeat. And just earlier that night, he received yet another secret report that left him utterly despaired. Their Holy Envoy had been intercepted and killed. The death of the Holy Envoy meant that they had lost their final trump card. There was still a long time before the reinforcements sent from the eastern border arrived to curb the Salvation Brotherhood. It might be possible for the Saint Freya Academy to hold its ground till then, but the Saints Convocation definitely wouldn¡¯t be able tost that long. Escape wasn¡¯t an option for them either. If they failed their mission here, the top brass would surely end their lives. The only choices here were to be killed by those night monsters or to be purged by the top brass. It was such a despairing situation that Bradley could only drown his sorrows in liquor. Yet another hundred-year-old red wine was downed within minutes. Slightly intoxicated, he walked to the windowsill to look out at the dimly lit streets outside the castle. It waspletely dark, but he felt as if he could see terrifying monsters crawling out from the shadows. Tok tok! ¡°Who is it? Didn¡¯t I say not to disturb me?¡± Abrupt knocks on his door snapped Bradley out of his daze, and he bellowed at the door impatiently. To his surprise, he received an excited report from the disciple outside. ¡°Lord Bishop, the Holy Envoy has arrived!¡± ... Holy Envoy? What dogshit envoy do we have here? Bradley thought as he rushed over to the eastern city gate together with the other disciples of the Saints Convocation and a huge army of half-human half-scorpion puppets. The news that the Holy Envoy had arrived didn¡¯t bring him any relief; if anything, he only felt appalled. The others were only able to remain excited about the arrival of the ¡®Holy Envoy¡¯ because they were still oblivious to the truth, but he knew better. Holy Envoy? He has already been ughtered by those bastards of the Salvation Brotherhood! The one who ising here must be their spy! From a distance away, Bradley could spot a foreign ck-haired man speaking to the other believers beneath the city gate. A sharp glint flickered across his eyes. With a grand wave of his hands, he shouted out an order. ¡°Capture him! He¡¯s a fake!¡± Those words rmed the disciples standing around Roel, and they quickly backed away fearfully. At the same time, two white-robed disciples rushed forth with their human-scorpion puppets and surrounded Roel. This is bad. That guy over there should be Bradley. It looks like he has either already received information of the Holy Envoy¡¯s demise or that he is acquainted with the Holy Envoy, Roel thought with a frown. He had read the letter thoroughly and deduced that Bradley and the Holy Envoy weren¡¯t acquainted with one another¡ªin fact, Bradley didn¡¯t even seem to know the Holy Envoy¡¯s name¡ªand that was the key reason why he dared to impersonate the Holy Envoy. But it was clear that his n wasn¡¯t working here. In front of the eastern city gate, the disciples of the Saints Convocation began drawing their weapons and channeling their mana, ready to move against him. Despite the tense atmosphere, Roel didn¡¯t appear panicked in the least. He calmly gazed at Bradley with his golden eyes as he spoke with a cold and authoritative voice. ¡°Bishop Bradley, what are you ying at? Is this the kind of attitude you ought to be taking toward a Holy Envoy?¡± ¡°Holy Envoy? You must really take me for a fool! I have met Lord Pronte before, and you aren¡¯t him!¡± shouted Bradley as he red at Roel viciously. It was indeed highly unlikely for a regional bishop like him to be acquainted with the Holy Envoy, who was under the directmand of the Saints Convocation¡¯s executives, and the other party¡¯s audacious impersonation made it clear that he was exploiting this fact. Unfortunately for that fool, he was acquainted with Holy Envoy Pronte because thetter happened to be born in Leinster. In fact, he had been a member in the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch prior to his dispatch to the headquarters as the new Holy Envoy. This unfortunate coincidence spelled the failure of Roel¡¯s n, but of course, there was no way he would make such a risky move without countermeasures. In fact, he had considered such a possibility beforehand and was prepared for it. Roel looked into the night sky musingly for a moment before the corners of his lips curled in disdain. ¡°Pronte? Oh, you must be referring to that trash who died on his way here. When did I tell you that I am Pronte?¡± ¡°H-huh?¡± ¡°I am the Holy Envoy under the directmand of the Convocation¡¯s executives. Bishop Bradley, watch your tongue when you address me.¡± Roel suddenly raised his voice andmbasted Bradley. His confident demeanor bewildered Bradley. An aide rushed forward and informed him that the ck-haired man had already identified himself as Roel. This raised some ideas in his mind. Could it be that the executives have noticed the situation here and sent someone over from the headquarters even before I called for aid? No, that¡¯s impossible. The uprising urred not too long ago, so how could the executives react that quickly? ¡°Holy Envoy Roel? Pardon my ignorance, but I¡¯ve never heard of you before,¡± sneered Bradley as he eyed Roel coldly. ¡°Since you are iming to be a Holy Envoy, surely you can tell me the name of the executive who sent you over?¡± The surroundings plunged into silence, and Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply. Murderous intent was flurried beneath the city gates. It seemed like a fight was about to break out. Chapter 293: To Be With God

Chapter 293: To Be With God

At the eastern city gates of Leinster, a scrawny middle-aged man, apanied by countless white-robed disciples holding torches in their hands, tightly encircled a ck-haired man. The night gale wouldn¡¯t stop roaring, but the air here seemed to have gonepletely still. Bradley¡¯s voice boomed under the night sky, prompting everyone to turn their eyes toward Roel and await his response. That question proved to be a tricky one for Roel to answer as it happened to strike at his blind spot. There was no way he could be familiar with the executives of the Saints Convocation, especially not in this current generation. He was unable to answer Bradley¡¯s question. He stood silently under the yellow incandescence of the torches, seemingly deep in thought. Theck of response red up the killing intent in Bradley¡¯s eyes. With a cold smirk, Bradley raised his hand up, ready to issue the order to rip Roel to pieces, but thetter suddenly spoke up at this moment. ¡°Bradley, who in the world made a dimwit like you a bishop? Are you trying to infringe on the privacy of the executives, especially before such a crowd?¡± Roel¡¯s seething rebuke withered Bradley¡¯s air of confidence. He had been far too anxious that he failed to consider the implications of his question. It was indeed highly inappropriate to probe into the personal information of the Convocation¡¯s executives, especially in public, but despite knowing his mistake, he was still unwilling to back down on this matter. The problem was that agreeing with Roel¡¯s rebuke meant that he would have to hold a one-on-one meeting with thetter in order to ascertain his identity. This was definitely not something Bradley wasfortable with, for he was a puppetmaster. Whenever puppetmasters project their consciousness into their puppets to control them, their main body would fall limp and be vulnerable to attacks, which was why they had to hide their main bodies in a secure location before heading intobat. Of course, puppetmasters would have learned some defensive spells on the off chance they were in a position where they couldn¡¯t resort to their puppets. Nevertheless, it went without saying that a puppetmaster without his puppets would beparatively weaker than their counterparts in the other Schr Guilds. There was a high possibility that Roel was a spy out for his life, so there was no way Bradley could agree to a one-on-one meeting with him. ¡°... You need not be worried about the others. They are disciples with unwavering faith in the Mother Goddess,¡± replied Bradley calmly. Little did he know that Roel had already anticipated that answer. ¡°Unwavering faith, you say?¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes shone with a cold gleam as his face warped in seething fury. ¡°I might have believed those words before, but ever since I arrived here, I could only feel one emotion from you and your subordinates¡ªfear!¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± roared Bradley. Roel ignored his outburst. Instead, he swept a disapproving look at the crowd around him before questioning aloud. ¡°It took the Salvation Brotherhood less than a week to take over three-quarters of Leinster. Is that how you repay the trust of the executives? Thanks to your ipetence, the enemy caught wind of Pronte¡¯s movements and assassinated him on the way here. While all of you were fleeing in the face of the enemies, has the glory of the Mother Goddess shed across your mind even once? ¡°You, Bradley Danis, are no more than a cowardly scum! Don¡¯t you even dare to speak of faith in my presence! ¡°What the young Executive Dous did centuries ago was worthy of being called faith! He walked into the embrace of our God¡¯s Envoy for the Mother Goddess, and his soul will remain with Her for all eternity. What about you, Bishop Bradley? What have you done to prove your faith in the Mother Goddess to dare speak of it to me?¡± Roel¡¯s searing re and powerful words caused Bradley¡¯s heart to lurch in horror. The story of Executive Dous had long stopped circting within the Saints Convocation, but Bradley was more than familiar with it. After all, he was in the same Puppetmaster Guild as Dous. Dous was one of the early leaders of the Saints Convocation in the Puppetmaster Guild, known for his exceptional talents that allowed him to reach Origin Level 2 at a very young age. It was only unfortunate he met with a premature death while trying to stall his enemies in the midst of his mission. Dous¡¯ story did cause quite amotion back in those days, but the passing of centuries were more than enough for most things to be forgotten. The only ones who still remembered Dous were those in the Puppetmaster Guild. It was likely that Roel learned of Dous¡¯ affairs through the records in the headquarters. Theparison he was making between Dous and Bradley was a subtle but cutting jibe. Dous was able to reach Origin Level 2 and be an executive of the Convocation at a very young age. On the other hand, Bradley only barely managed to reach Origin Level 2 after so many years, and he still remained a bishop to this day. For his faith, Dous had fought valiantly and eventually walked into the embrace of one of God¡¯s Envoys. On the other hand, Bradley only suffered pathetic defeats and was forced to hide in Worcester Castle. There was simply noparing the two of them. Bradley found his face turning scarlet, but he dared not to run his mouth anymore. Roel had already subtly clued him in on his identity, and that was more than enough to invoke his fright. Is he really a Holy Envoy? Bradley¡¯s eyes swam nervously around the ce. Fortunately, Roel had no intention of pursuing the matter. He took in a deep breath to calm his anger before asking calmly. ¡°You asked who dispatched me here; I¡¯ll answer your question. It was a unanimous vote from the executives for me to head here from Twohorn Port. It looks like you haven¡¯t received the letter from the executives yet, so I¡¯ll overlook your disrespect this once in view of your ignorance. But never again, Bradley Danis.¡± ¡°Twohorn Port?¡± The dropping of yet another subtle hint made Bradley widen his eyes. That was the resting ce of one of their God¡¯s Envoys, making it a holynd for the believers of the Mother Goddess. It was also the ce where Dous lost his life. This was confidential information known only by the top brass of the Convocation, and Bradley was one of the few bishops privy to that knowledge. In fact, he had visited that ce in his younger years. The fact that Roel hade from Twohorn Port was evidence of his association with the executives. Slowly, Bradley was starting to believe Roel¡¯s ims. On the other hand, Roel keenly noticed Bradley¡¯s reaction when he mentioned Twohorn Port, so he decided to push a little further. ¡°Even if you aren¡¯t able to recognize me, you should be able to recognize this aura, right? This is the grace bestowed upon me by our great God¡¯s Envoy.¡± Roel raised his hand gracefully, and a pristine white fog began converging on top of his palm. It was the terrifying frost aura from the monster who had destroyed numerous civilizations in the past through its sheer existence, cier Creator. It sent a wave of unease through the hearts of the disciples, but what Bradley felt was a jolt of disbelief. It was the aura of the God¡¯s Envoy resting in the depths of the sea! As someone who had been to the Twohorn Port, there was no way he would mistake the aura of the God¡¯s Envoy for anything else. This was thest push that fully convinced him of Roel¡¯s identity as a Holy Envoy, and his eyes began to heat up in agitation. ¡°Y-yes, I do! I recognize it! Revered Lord Holy Envoy, my deepest apologies for my earlier impertinence! What are the rest of you doing? Put away your weapons right now!¡± shouted Bradley. The disciples quickly stowed away their weapons and dissipated their channeled mana as the doubt in their eyes was swiftly reced with reverence. At the same time, the army of human-scorpion puppets hurriedly backed away too. Bradley walked up to Roel with an amicable smile on his face. ¡°Lord Holy Envoy, it was all a misunderstanding. I received news earlier that the sted Sartoni had intercepted and killed Lord Pronte, which led to me being oversensitive about your arrival. I apologize deeply for my mistake.¡± Sartoni? Is that the leader of the Salvation Brotherhood? Roel didn¡¯t respond to Bradley¡¯s apology. Instead, he took a brief nce at the dark city beyond the city gates and asked. ¡°What¡¯s the current situation there?¡± ¡°Lord Holy Envoy, I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯s not too good...¡± Bradley began recounting the events that had urred over the past few days. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that Roel¡¯s face was slowly darkening, and it made his heart skip a beat. He was already in a desperate situation right now. Once he failed the mission entrusted to him by the executives, the only one he could rely on to speak up on his behalf was the Holy Envoy standing before him. Due to that, he decided to tread carefully around Roel and try to earn thetter¡¯s goodwill. To his surprise, there was a peculiar look on Roel¡¯s face when he started talking about the ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures loitering around the city at night. ¡°Bring me to the frontlines,¡± ordered Roel after a moment of contemtion. Bradley quickly nodded his head and personally escorted Roel over. It took them half an hour in order to arrive at the frontlines, where an intense fight was currently taking ce. The disciples of the Saints Convocation were shrieking in agony under the sphemous whispers of those monsters, leaving them with no choice but to pull back their defense line again and again. The only reason why those monsters weren¡¯t able to trample all over them was due to the arrows and long-range spellsing from the back, but that wouldn¡¯t be enough to win them the battle. There were simply far too many monsters emerging from the shadows. The Salvation Brotherhood was fighting a war of attrition against the other powers in Leinster. They would personally lead the charge in the day and rest at night, passing the job of pressuring the enemies to these monsters. This tactic allowed them to preserve the strength of their core force while swiftly exhausting their enemies. To make things worse, the fact that they weren¡¯t able to engage these monsters in close-quarter battles meant that they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold their defense line against them. Any ground they gained over the course of the day would be immediately lost at night. With this strategy, the Salvation Brotherhood sessfully knocked down all of the other powers. The only ones remaining were the Saints Convocation and the Saint Freya Academy. It was clear that the Saints Convocation had suffered yet another thorough defeat tonight. The situation at the frontlines had instilled despair in the hearts of all of the disciples, and the madness-inducing whispers only further worsened their mental state. Even the arrival of reinforcements did little to raise their morale. Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up at the sight of the monsters. He turned to look at Bradley and asked. ¡°Is that the monster you spoke of?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Lord Holy Envoy.¡± The confirmation brought a contemptuous smile onto Roel¡¯s lips, and he began walking straight toward the frontline. The appalled Bradley immediately rushed forward to stop him, but he suddenly noticed something that made him freeze on the spot. Wait a moment, why isn¡¯t my head hurting anymore? Bradley¡¯s astonishment didn¡¯t slow Roel¡¯s footsteps at all. It created a peculiar sight. On the battlefield where everyone else was retreating, a ck-haired man was advancing all alone. All eyes naturally fell upon him. As he walked forward, a mysterious pulsation rippled from his body. It alleviated the suffering of the disciples and restored their rationality andposure. By the time he finally reached the forefront of the defense line, his body was already shimmering with starlight. His small silhouette felt like a towering fortress sheltering everyone from those monsters. Bradley was dumbfounded by this miraculous turn of events. The warriors found themselves staring at the unfamiliar figure standing before them with bated breaths, uncertain of what was happening. The ck-haired man raised his sword up high and turned to face the disciples with his dignified countenance. His golden eyes glowed brightly as if it was filled with the warmth of the sun. ¡°I, Holy Envoy Roel, have been tasked by the executives to reinforce Leinster and save my fellow brothers and sisters from their suffering. ¡°Devout worshipers of the Mother Goddess, the time hase for you to stand steadfast and guard our Mother Goddess¡¯ honor. A miracle has descended for our cause. She has blessed us with Her protection from the sphemous whispers of those monsters! ¡°The Mother Goddess is looking over us right now. This is your opportunity to prove your faith. Stand together with me, and we shall drive off these abominable beings with the blessings She has bestowed upon us!¡± The ck-haired man raised his arms wide, as if he was a god embracing the masses. There was a brief moment of silence before deafening cheers and war cries broke out before him. The revtion brought to them by the Holy Envoy had evoked the faith of the disciples. They red at the monsters standing before them with eyes reddened in delirium. It was in such a heated atmosphere that the ck-haired man finally issued his order. ¡°Charge!¡± Chapter 294: From the Unknown

Chapter 294: From the Unknown

This was the night that Holy Envoy Roel became the ¡®Light of Salvation¡¯ to the worshipers of the Mother Goddess. He was the savior, the grace the Mother Goddess had bestowed upon Her cornered children. He was the executioner, judging those who dared to spheme the Mother Goddess. The fearless disciples of the Saints Convocation had gonepletely red-eyed as they embarked on an unbelievable all-out retaliation. Their fanatic charge tore the ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures apart. Ferocious war cries shook the entire city. Standing by Roel¡¯s side were the strongest elites amongst the disciples. They had dered themselves his personal guards, vowing to protect the venerable Holy Envoy with their lives. Even Bradley had stepped on top of a humongous human-scorpion puppet to lead the charge at the very forefront. He knew that this was his veryst chance. ¡°The Mother Goddess is looking upon me!¡± The fanatic disciples roared in delirium as they charged in without any regard for their lives, mercilessly shredding the Salvation Brotherhood¡¯s defense line apart. Sensing that things were going awry, the members of the Brotherhood quickly called for reinforcement, but it didn¡¯t make a difference. ... ¡°Bloody banshees! What the hell is going on here? Are those dogs of the Mother Goddess out of their bloody minds?¡± In the headquarters of the Salvation Brotherhood, Bishop Sartoni listened to his subordinate¡¯s report in utter bewilderment, notprehending how such a thing could have happened. It was just earlier in the day that those from the Saints Convocation were lookingpletely despondent, acting as if it was already the end of them. Many thought that their morale would copse the moment they were forced to face the monsters at night, but they suddenly fought back fiercely as if they were high on drugs. How in the world was this even happening? ¡°What about our Salvation Legion? How did they ovee the lockdown of our Salvation Legion?¡± roared Sartoni angrily. It was beyond his imagination that the Saints Convocation could possibly ovee the ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures. The disciples also frowned upon hearing his question. ¡°Based on what we heard, it seems like the Holy Envoy of the Saints Convocation has arrived on the battlefield, and he granted them the blessing of the Mother Goddess...¡± ¡°Bullshit! We¡¯ve already killed their Holy Envoy, so how could there possibly be another one?¡± Sartoni interrupted his subordinate furiously. In the end, he decided to head there in person and check out the situation. However, the closer he got to the battlefield, the more awful hisplexion became. He could hear impassioned battle cries, explosions, and screams of agonying from in front of him¡ªevidence that the enemies were fighting back hard. He quickly scaled onto a vantage point to gain an overview of the battlefield. He noticed a huge crowd gathered in the middle of the battlefield, forming an airtight protection around a ck-haired man. This ck-haired man had golden eyes that glowed like candlelight in the darkness, and he emanated a mysterious mana pulsation that neutralized the whispers of the ck-haired soldiers and ck-robed figures. What was even more amazing was that the crowd gathered around him were no pushovers. Beside him were Bishop Bradley and the other elite disciples of the Saints Convocation. In front of him were massive human-scorpion puppets and countless warriors charging forth fearlessly while shouting things like ¡®In the name of the Mother Goddess and the Holy Envoy!¡¯. ¡°Damn it! How is this possible? Do they have two Holy Envoys?¡± Sartoni¡¯splexion turned awful upon seeing the ck-haired man. There was only one person he could think of who could resist the sphemous murmurs of the Salvation Legion and rally all of the disciples together¡ªthe Holy Envoy. If that ck-haired man was truly the Holy Envoy, the Salvation Brotherhood would have to make significant adjustments to their war strategy. In truth, the Holy Envoy of the Saints Convocation was not necessarily strong since strength wasn¡¯t a major part of the selection criteria. It would be more urate to view the Holy Envoy as a key to unlocking the trump cards of the Saints Convocation, which, in the words he had received from the higher-ups, ¡®had to be avoided at all costs¡¯. It took them a lot of effort to track down the whereabouts of the Holy Envoy and kill him, but it seemed like the Saints Convocation had a countermeasure prepared. They actually managed to sneak another Holy Envoy in. I need to report this matter to the higher-ups right away. Sartoni shot a hateful re toward Roel before hurriedly leaving the frontlines. ... Bradley felt like he was in a dream. When the sun finally rose two hourster, the Holy Envoy finally ordered a halt to the assault. By then, they had already managed to fully regain the eastern city area and parts of the northern city area, expanding their territory by twofold in a single breath. This was the only major victory the Saints Convocation had since the outbreak of war, and it raised their morale greatly. It also saved Bradley from the seemingly inevitable doom creeping up on him. This momentous turnaround cemented Roel¡¯s prestige and influence in the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch. Roel looked upon the excited crowd before him quietly as he reviewed his goals. So far, the infiltration mission was a sess. No one would dare to question his position as a Holy Envoy of the Saints Convocation anymore, and he could now rally the disciples to do his bidding. At the same time, he sessfully stirred a hugemotion and brought attention to himself. If Lilian was in the city as well, it was only a matter of time before she learned of his current location and came looking for him. Aside from that, this victory was also necessary to rattle up the leaders and garrison troops stationed in the Saint Freya Academy a little. Under normal circumstances, there was no way the leaders of the Saint Freya Academy would agree to a meeting with the Saints Convocation, but the earlier victory over the Salvation Brotherhood gave them some leverage to work with. If things went well, he might just get an opportunity to meet ¡®Academic¡¯. The bad thing was that the Saints Convocation paid a heavy price for the intense battle they fought. Roel¡¯s Crown Origin Attribute only granted the disciples some resistance against the monsters¡¯ whispers, but the ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures were still troublesome enemies. It was only through the unbelievably high morale and fearless charge of the disciples that allowed them to achieve such a crushing victory. Roel had qualms about leading the disciples to their deaths, but this was a battle that couldn¡¯t be avoided for them, and they were all ultimately evil cultists. Besides, it didn¡¯t seem like they were averse to the idea of dying... ¡°Those who stood steadfast to their faith and defended the Mother Goddess¡¯ honor to their dying breath, you may be assured that they have returned to the Mother Goddess¡¯ embrace,¡± Roel looked at the corpses before him and remarked solemnly. Upon hearing those words, the fanatic disciples had such a heated expression on their faces that it looked almost as if they wished that they had died in yesterday¡¯s fight. It left Roel wondering just how their brains were wired, but he quickly decided that he didn¡¯t really want to know the answer to that. With a light sigh, he beckoned Bradley over with a wave of his hand. ¡°Lord Holy Envoy, is there something you need from this humble one?¡± Bradley¡¯s attitude had alsopletely changed after the battle. As soon as he saw Roel¡¯s beckoning, he rushed over with a fawning look on his face, almost as if he was ttered by the attention. So, Roel took a more casual tone with him too. ¡°Tell me the situation over at the Saint Freya Academy. Is there anyone from the Twilight Sages Assembly there?¡± ¡°Y-yes, there are two of them! ¡®Academic¡¯ Astrid and ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio. They are likely waiting for reinforcements at the moment. ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio? Roel was surprised to hear of that name as it reflexively reminded him of the white-haired principal of the Saint Freya Academy, but he didn¡¯t allow his thoughts to show on his face. ¡°I see...¡± remarked Roel with a contemtive nod. ¡°Even if they are from the Assembly, it doesn¡¯t mean that we can¡¯t make use of their power, especially when we share amon enemy. Find a way to get in touch with them. We¡¯re going to negotiate a deal.¡± Bradley¡¯s eyes slowly lit up as he answered affirmatively. ... At the same time, in the southern city area of Leinster. There was a narrow alley strewn with corpses, emanating a nauseating stench of blood. The disciples of the Salvation Brotherhood were stunned to see this tragic scene, for the ones dead weren¡¯t ordinary citizens but the ck-armored soldiers. ¡°H-how is this possible? Aren¡¯t they supposed to go on a rampage as soon as any living beinges close to them?¡± murmured one of the frightened disciples nervously. The disciples proceeded deeper, but the number of corpses lying around only continued to increase. There had to be at least a thousand lying all around them! Finally, at the very end of the alley, they found themselves faced with a human survivor. ¡°There¡¯s a survivor here! He¡¯s one of us!¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°B-b-ck-haired woman... A-all humans, all humans! Hahahaha...¡± The human survivor was so traumatized that his body was trembling uncontrobly and his words were practically incoherent. Halfway through his exnation, he even broke out in a manicughter, leaving the other disciples creeped out by his hysterical behavior. Meanwhile, in the streets some distance away from the alley, a ck-haired woman was currently walking with a downcast look on her face as she mulled over the information she had gatheredst night. ¡°Where are you, Roel...¡± Chapter 295: The Same Decision

Chapter 295: The Same Decision

Lilian was aware that she wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind. This was the first time her mind was in utter chaos despite beingpletely physically unharmed. All sorts of information were jumbled up in her head, and her emotions were stinging at her nerves like razor des. Roel had expected Lilian to be in an unstable state of mind after having witnessed the gruesome sight of an old acquaintance¡¯s corpse, so it was inevitable that she would be distraught at suddenly being teleported into the Witness State. But what he didn¡¯t know was that none of these mattered to Lilian. There was only one thing dominating Lilian¡¯s mind at the moment, and it was a fact she simply couldn¡¯t ept. I¡¯ve lost my younger brother. Lilian clearly remembered Roel mentioning that he was in a bad condition after defeating Marceus. In this seemingly familiar yet foreign city filled with monsters and all sorts of menaces, it was indubitably a dangerous environment for someone who was in a ¡®bad condition¡¯. She didn¡¯t even dare to think about what could happen because she was afraid that she might just lose her mind. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. If only I didn¡¯t touch him...¡± muttered the disconste Lilian. The worry and remorse bubbling in her heart made her voice sound a little hoarse. Prior to Roel¡¯s enrollment in the Saint Freya Academy, she received orders from Emperor Lukas not toe into contact with anyone from the Ascart House. She ought to have prevented such a situation from happening. While Roel did grab her hands back in the wine cer in order to stop her from touching the corpse, the gloves she was wearing prevented any physical contact between them. Ultimately, it was her recklessness that resulted in the current crisis they were facing. She had let her guard down. When she heard Roel saying ¡®I need you¡¯, something within her seemed to have beplete. At that moment, she suddenly felt an irresistible urge to get closer to him. Who could have thought that her audacious desire would end up cing her newly found younger brother into such danger? ¡°*£¦%¡± ¡°£££¤%£¦...¡± She suddenly heard annoying whispers that pricked at her mind, snapping her out of her thoughts. She immediately turned her cold amethyst eyes toward the countless monsters hiding inside a nearby building. ¡°Silence!¡± Lilian waved her hand grandly, and a rain of arrows fell upon the army of ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures, causing them to fall one after another. A war horn sounded, and armored warriors raised their swords and charged into the building. They swiftly cleared the corridors and eliminated the enemies room by room. Metallic ngings could be heard as swords collided into armor, and the smell of blood gradually suffused the building. Lilian looked upon the dying monsters as she found her heart worrying about Roel once more. Based on her experiencest night, the whispers of these monsters were able to induce headache and potentially even drive a person insane. But for some reason, its effects were much less pronounced on Lilian. She did feel ufortable to hear those whispers, but her bloodline would immediately respond and protect her from them. Thanks to that, she was still doing well for the time being. But what about Roel? He did share the same bloodline with her, but he was only at Origin Level 4, not to mention that he was in a bad condition. Would he really be able to fend against these monsters? Lilian clenched her trembling hands tightly. She felt like her heart was really going to explode if she continued thinking about it, so she quickly took a few deep breaths and turned her attention to finding Roel. After a month of interaction and the Bloody Envelope Incident, she was able to get a good grasp of Roel¡¯s character, and that allowed her to roughly predict his train of thoughts. Someone as meticulous as Roel wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to recklessly attempt to enter the Saint Freya Academy. He was bound to know that they were foreigners without a proper identity in this world, so he would be imprisoned even if he managed to get in somehow. Losing one¡¯s freedom in such a dangerous environment was a lousy move. That was equivalent to leaving his fate in the hands of others when he didn¡¯t even know whether ¡®others¡¯ could be trusted or not. In other words, Roel was somewhere else in the city. From interrogating the evil cultists yesterday, she learned that two major evil cults were currently fighting against one another in the city, and the monsters roaming around were one of their means. Is it possible for Roel to have sought refuge with one of the evil cults? Lilian immediately shook her head. That¡¯s impossible. How could my kind and righteous younger brother possibly throw his lot with an evil cult? It¡¯s more likely that he¡¯s camping in one of the buildings, using the power of his bloodline to fend off those monsters. There was a problem with that deduction though, and Lilian was well aware of it. She was making an implicit assumption that Roel was trying his best to reunite with her too, or else it would have been much safer for him to bide his time in the forest outside the city. She couldn¡¯t help feeling a little afraid when she thought about this. It was true that they were bloodline kin, but whether Roel recognized her as his older sister or not was a whole different matter. Roel was a noble of the Theocracy and was particrly close with the Rosa Merchant Confederacy and the Sorofyas. Acknowledging her as his older sister would only put him in a difficult spot. If he refuses to acknowledge me when the timees... Just imagining the possibility of it happening made Lilian feel vexed and insecure. The war horn sounded once more, and yet another wave of warriors charged at the ck-armored soldiers. The sudden noise snapped Lilian out of her thoughts. She quickly shook her head as she thought about the expression on Roel¡¯s face prior to their separation. ¡°That won¡¯t happen. Roel would never do that...¡± Lilian patted her chest as her haywire emotions calmed down a little. Her amethyst eyes finally began regaining their usual rationality. Soon, she came to a decision. It won¡¯t do to blindly search the city. It¡¯ll be much more efficient if I make my location known to him instead. I¡¯ll just have to keep killing until everyone knows of my existence. By then, Roel would surely be able to find his way to me. Just like that, the two bloodline kin ended up choosing identical methods to find one another in this city of chaos. ... ¡°The Salvation Brotherhood has been knocked back? How is that possible?¡± In the centralmand center in the Saint Freya Academy, an orange-haired young man was shocked to hear the report from the soldiers. He quickly lowered his head to browse through the report papers in his hands carefully. Antonio Wyatt, the highestmander of the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s Defence Army and the vicemander of the Leinster City Garrison Troops. When his superior lost his mind to the sphemous whispers of those monsters, Antonio swiftly reorganized the garrison troops and evacuated everyone into the Saint Freya Academy, where they were currently holding their defence line while waiting for reinforcement. Had it been years ago, no one would have fathomed that the Saint Freya Academy would have been forced to employ defensive warfare. After all, it was the most famous academy for transcendents for humankind. Anyone who attempted to siege the Saint Freya Academy would be immediately crushed by its superior forces... ... but things were different now. Due to the war against the deviants, every single country was practically a hollow shell after directing the bulk of their military forces to the frontline. The same applied to the Saint Freya Academy too. Most staff members and elites from the Schr Guilds were dispatched to the battlefield, and a good portion of the Fourth Grade students even dropped out of the academy to join the army in hopes of doing their part for humankind. As a result, there were only about three thousand people in the academy at the moment. It might look like a sizable force at first sight, but it was worth noting that they were mainly students from the First Grade, Second Grade, and Third Grade. Most of them weren¡¯t properly trained forbat yet. Furthermore, the Saint Freya Academy was simply too huge that no one would see one another if the three thousand people were to spread themselves equally around the campus. If not for the academy¡¯s barrier, there was no way Antonio and the others would have been able to hold their ground against the Salvation Legion. The Salvation Legion was the nightmare summoned by the Salvation Brotherhood for this uprising. Those monsters ran rampant throughout the entire city, driving countless innocent citizens insane. Even an established evil cult like the Saints Convocation was nearly forced to the brink of extinction under their prowess. But to Antonio¡¯s surprise, the dying Saints Convocation made a counterattack¡ªa huge one at that. They actually managed to recoup over a quarter of the entire city within a single night! This miraculous aplishment left Antonio greatly perplexed. He couldn¡¯tprehend how they managed to ovee the tight lockdown by the Salvation Legion. ¡°Holy Envoy Roel...¡± The young Antonio muttered the name of the man who had appeared out of nowhere and orchestrated the Saints Convocation¡¯seback, but it simply didn¡¯t ring a bell in his head at all. In truth, Antonio had more than one identity. He had joined the Twilight Sages Assembly while he was studying in the Saint Freya Academy, going by the alias of ¡®Guardian¡¯. He was privy to a lot of confidential information about the evil cults as a member of the Assembly, but he had never heard of such a formidable figure amongst the Saints Convocations¡¯ Holy Envoys. Aren¡¯t Holy Envoys supposed to be no more than tools in the Saints Convocation? They do have a high standing in the organization, but their individual prowess tends to be unimpressive. This is queer... ¡°I have to meet with Lord Astrid,¡± said Antonio. He quickly walked down a long corridor that was tightly guarded by two rows of soldiers and headed into a ptial room. The sun was already up by now, but the room remained dark due to its shut windows. He slowly walked toward the center of the room and raised his head. Beneath the iridescent ss on the ceiling floated a beautiful figure¡ª¡®Academic¡¯ Astrid. She was a highly important figure in the Twilight Sages Assembly who had remained elusive for many years, but the appearance of a traitor in the Assemblypromised her identity, resulting in their current crisis. Antonio sighed softly before walking closer to her. He slightly lowered his back respectfully and was just about to speak when the floating figure suddenly opened her eyes. It was a pair of mystical iridescent eyes, just that they were filled withplex emotions at the moment. ¡°Antonio, did something happen outside?¡± asked Astrid as she gazed nostalgically beyond the academy. ¡°I sense some familiar auras.¡± Chapter 296: Unheard Names

Chapter 296: Unheard Names

Roel was in a terrible condition right now. It had only been six hours since he entered the Witness State, and he had already impersonated as the Holy Envoy to confront Bradley and led the zealots of the Saints Convocation on a counterattack against the Salvation Brotherhood. Things did work out fine in the end, but he was pretty much treading on thin ice all this while. However, what was of greater concern was his exertion. He was able to pull off this miracle thanks to him having encountered these monsters in a parallel dark academy he was teleported into via the ckrose Ring. While trying to unlock the ¡®Second Authority¡¯ Margaret spoke of, he tried all kinds of things with his Crown Origin Attribute, one of them being an AOE suppression of those ck-armored soldiers. The results were unspectacr. He realized that all his Crown Origin Attribute did against those ck-armored soldiers was to alleviate the headache created by those sphemous whispers, but it proved to be unexpectedly crucial here. All he really needed to do here was to create an environment where his ¡®allies¡¯ could fight in, and the Crown Origin Attribute did just that. It was just that keeping the Crown Origin Attribute activated for hours on end while ensuring the range was enough to cover most of the evil cultists was no easy feat. He had exhausted himself greatly, and he urgently needed rest to recover. ¡¾Evaluation: 39 (Low)¡¿ Roel frowned upon seeing the evaluation of the System. He wasn¡¯t too satisfied with the result. To raise his evaluation by 37 points over the course of a night might look impressive, but Roel knew that increasing his points would get progressively harder the higher he advanced. Perhaps, these 37 points might not even be worth 5 points once he reached the 70s or the 80s. Roel had two deductions regarding this. One, the enemies he had defeatedst night were mainly cannon fodder. He didn¡¯t take down any notable figures, so the points he received ended up being on the lower side. Two, he was working in the wrong direction. It was unlikely that he was transported into this Witness State in order to help the Saints Convocation turn the tides against the Salvation Brotherhood. Considering the trigger for this Witness State was the ckrose Ring, which came from ¡®Academic¡¯, he ought to be looking for him in order to figure out his goal here. Besides, all he really did so far was to provide immunity to the evil cultists, so that could be a reason for the lower points too. Though honestly, Roel wasn¡¯t too bothered by it now. He was more concerned about finding Lilian and saving her. What was the point of gathering more points and bing stronger when he couldn¡¯t even protect those whom he cared about? Fortunately, he already had a n in mind. The disciples who had just been through the battle were now all gathered in a solemn hall. Many of them were caked in blood and dirt, and some were even injured. Despite so, they remained in a feverish mood due to Roel gracing them with his attention. Even Bishop Bradley was standing respectfully by the side, giving the spotlight to him. ¡°Fellow brothers and sisters, we have guarded the Mother Goddess¡¯ honor with our own handsst night. We have proven our faith through our actions. We have driven off those sphemous beings back to the void they belonged to. Without a doubt, this will be a huge blow to the Salvation Brotherhood. ¡°I believe that the frightenedmbs in this city would have already heard of our heroic exploits. They must be anxious to hear about us, so we should let our voice out. Let my name spread through every nook and cranny of Leinster. Let our enemies know that the Mother Goddess has sent Her Holy Envoy to punish those who dare to sully her honor!¡±manded Roel. The feverish crowd cheered deafeningly in response and chanted his name again and again. Given the enthusiasm they were showing, it should take no more than three days for everyone in Leinster to know about him. Roel nodded his head in satisfaction. He nced out of the window at the scenery of daybreak and solemnly prayed for Lilian¡¯s safety. ... The eastern city area¡¯s Worcester Castle used to be owned by the Worcester House, but after they met their demise in the uprising, the Saints Convocation took it over and used it as their temporary headquarters. And now, it was weing its new owner. As Roel walked on the red carpet of victory into the castle, the disciples swiftly made arrangements amongst themselves to further tighten the castle¡¯s defenses. There was a sentry every five steps one took in the castle, such that it was unthinkable for any assassin to sneak in. Bishop Bradley requested permission from Roel to retrieve the holy artifact, and thetter gave a nod of approval. On one hand, it was only normal for him, as the Holy Envoy of the Saints Convocation now, to be in possession of the holy artifact. On the other hand, he wanted some time away from Bradley so as to gain a better grasp of the current situation. His mind was still in a fluster right now. In the previous Witness States, there were usually two clear positions for him to choose from, and one of them was the side of his ancestor¡ªand it was a no-brainer choice who he should go with. But it was different this time. There were three powers at y here, and Roel wasn¡¯t even sure what he ought to be doing. On the surface, it looked like the Salvation Brotherhood was attacking the city, the Twilight Sages Assembly was guarding it, and the Saints Convocation was getting beaten up, but there was something really weird about these three powers right now that made Roel feel uneasy. First and foremost, why was the Salvation Brotherhood staging a revolt at this crucial moment during the war against the deviants? Were they having a brain aneurysm? What was even the goal of this revolt? Surely they couldn¡¯t be nning to turn all of humankind against them just so that they could conquer Leinster for a short period of time? Other than that, there was also something wrong with the garrison troops and students of the Saint Freya Academy. Last night, Roel led the disciples of the Saints Convocation on a sessful campaign against the Salvation Brotherhood. They were on the advantageous side throughout the entire battle. As long as the Saint Freya Academy had opened its gates and reinforced them, they could have conducted a pincer attack and dealt crippling damage onto the Salvation Brotherhood. This was a godsent opportunity, but the leaders of the Saint Freya Academy actually didn¡¯t make a move. Was it that their position was so dire that they couldn¡¯t go on the offensive at all, or that ¡®Academic¡¯ and ¡®Guardian¡¯ had some other reason behind it? Last but not least, the Saints Convocation had been losing terribly ever since the initial outbreak of the war. It would be wiser for them to cut their losses and retreat first beforeing back to the city at ater date. Was there really a reason for them to desperately hold on to Leinster at this specific period of time? One must know that the Salvation Brotherhood had pretty much doomed themselves. The ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures were formidable, but they weren¡¯t enough to fend against the main forces of humankind. Once reinforcements arrived from the frontlines, it would be the end for the Salvation Brotherhood. Was it really necessary for the Saints Convocation to hold on desperately against a bunch of soon-to-be-dead people? What was so bad about stepping back first and allowing someone to wipe their butt before joining the party once more? Ordinary disciples might do it for their beliefs, but surely the executives of the Saints Convocation weren¡¯t a bunch of idiots too? Roel pondered for a moment before shaking his head. He had met Dous in another Witness State before, and thetter had no qualms with running away the moment things got bad. At least based on his experience with Dous, it would appear that the executives of the Saints Convocation were pragmatic people who valued tangible gains more than pride and honor. This could only mean one thing. The Saints Convocation Leinster Branch was no more than a pawn to them right from the very start. Be it ordering Bradley to hold on to the end or dispatching a Holy Envoy over, the truth was that the executives didn¡¯t give a damn about the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch at all. The only thing they were interested in was tying the Salvation Brotherhood down. It was such an attitude that brought about the poor performance of the Leinster Branch thus far. Roel thought that the first step to making sense of this mess was to understand the reason why this uprising even started in the first ce, assuming that the Salvation Brotherhood wasn¡¯t really so foolish as to have started this war just to upy Leinster. So, he began looking through the Saints Convocation¡¯s intelligence over the past few months, and his attention was swiftly brought to a certain name. ¡®Magician King¡¯ Priestley Maxwell. Roel was bewildered to see this name not because he thought of something, but that it sparked nothing in his head at all. Someone worthy of being titled the ¡®Magician King¡¯ was bound to be a formidable figure that had left his mark in history, so it was queer that a history buff like him had never heard of him before. So, he tried casually probing the disciples guarding the entrance of his room about Priestley Maxwell, and the results shocked him. It turned out that the Magician King Priestley Maxwell was the current principal of the Saint Freya Academy! ??? Huh? This isn¡¯t right. There is no way I wouldn¡¯t have an impression of someone as formidable as that! Roel¡¯s eyes turned sharp as the incongruence he felt grew the more he learned. ording to the disciple, it had been some time since Priestley came into prominence. He used to be the speaker of Brolne, but he had long gone into retirement. No one knew how old he was, but he had been viewed as the ¡®Uncrowned King¡¯ of Brolne by everyone for some time now, for he was one of the strongest individuals amongst the current human transcendents. He was an Origin Level 1 transcendent. Under normal circumstances, someone as revered as him should be allowed to rest peacefully in his final years, but the situation with the deviants was so dire that Priestley couldn¡¯t afford to take a back seat anymore. So, he decided to stand forward and shoulder numerous responsibilities including bing the principal of the Saint Freya Academy. It was most likely that Priestley would be personally leading troops back to reinforce the Saint Freya Academy. Roel listened to the disciple¡¯s exnation nonchntly, as if it wasn¡¯t a huge matter to him at all. He followed up with a few more questions before he dismissed the disciple and closed the door to his room. As soon as he was all alone, his face turned grim. ... At the same time, somewhere far away, a ck-robed old man had just received a letter and was looking through it. When he saw that someone had used his Origin Attribute to neutralize the sphemous whispers of the Salvation Legion, the old man¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Ascart...¡± Priestley looked in the direction of Leinster and murmured under his breath. Chapter 297: Witch Queen

Chapter 297: Witch Queen

It had been a long time since Roel Ascart experienced such sensations. His mind was hazy as if he was inside a dream, but somehow, he was being guided somewhere by a mysterious force, reminiscent of a pilgrimage to meet a deity. His consciousness and control of his body were dulled to the point where he felt like a spectator watching a movie in a first-person perspective. This wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing since it buried the exhaustion he would have otherwise been burdened with from this long journey. If there was one thing he still felt surprised by despite his dulled emotions, it would be the environment around him. He was walking down a street. It wasn¡¯t a blood-colored in or a mountain valley, but a pristine white street with a wide passageway. It didn¡¯t look deserted despite theck of people. Rather, it seemed to be awaiting for the triumphant return of its king. The sunlight from above made the white street glow faintly, cloaking it in ethereal beauty. It led all the way toward a magnificent castle that towered in the center of the city. Whatever remained of Roel¡¯s consciousness churned into action as he tried to process the differences in the environment. The castle had several tall towers with gs fluttering on their roofs. Its crimson carpeting was embroidered with golden flowers, giving off an air of royalty. The numerous gates that he had passed through along the way were all humongous and majestic. It was easy to imagine just how prosperous thend was through its grand architecture. Roel had never expected that the ancient god he would be meeting this time around would actually be living in this kind of fantasy city. His previous experiences with Grandar and Peytra hadn¡¯t shown him any hint of ancient civilizations. He subconsciously passed through a series of long corridors before finally arriving before a towering door. His footsteps finally halted, signalling that he had reached his destination. It was weird, but he reflexively understood where he was¡ªthe entrance to the audience room. He was standing at the center of the pce, the ce where the ancient god resided. There was no one to report his arrival, but the heavy and opulent door of the audience room opened automatically for him, as if inviting him in. The opening crack of the door cast a small ray of light onto Roel¡¯s forehead that quickly enveloped him and the area around him. At the same time, a traditional and dignified melody started ying in the background. Golden dust drifted down the audience hall, transforming into flowers upon touching the ground. At the center of the audience hall was an elevated tform where a tall throne was stationed. Sitting on this tall throne was a white-haired woman with cherry red lips. She looked to be around seventeen or eighteen, having fair and smooth skin that looked delicate yet not artificial. She was on the slimmer side, but her tight robes entuated the outlines of her figures. Her long eyshes cast a slight shadow onto her closed eyes. Perhaps due to the fanfare in the background or that she had sensed a foreign presence, her eyelids fluttered a little before she slowly opened her eyes. The moment her glowing madder red eyes were revealed, Roel felt a jolt that finally snapped him out of his trance. ¡°!¡± His body trembled as he carefully raised his head to look at the woman on the throne. The white-haired woman appeared to be in a daze, but the moment her madder red eyes fell upon him, her lips curled up to form a familiar, warm smile. ¡°We¡¯ve finally met.¡± ¡°You are...¡± ¡°I am Artasia, but you may know me better by my title, ¡®Witch Queen¡¯.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes. The term, ¡®witch¡¯, was not to be used lightly in the Sia Continent. Unlike his previous world, it wasn¡¯t just a ridiculous usation used to defame innocent women and burn them on stakes. Rather, it was a group that really existed. There weren¡¯t many witches in the world, and they weren¡¯t fond of living together in amunity either, so it would be hard to call them a race or a tribe. Nevertheless, they were orded considerable standing in the ancient era. It was just that humans were much less epting of thempared to how they looked upon the other powerful races. In most legends that were still passed down to date, witches were depicted as old hags or inhuman monsters. Most believed them to be incarnations of disaster. But what confused Roel was the fact that there was actually a ¡®Witch Queen¡¯ despite the fact that witches didn¡¯t live inmunities. Furthermore, he thought that it was queer that the other party introduced herself right away. When had the gods... ¡°When had gods ever been so easy to speak to¡ªthat¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking, right?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel jolted in surprise at having his thoughts read out loud. Artasiaughed gleefully in response, but her smile soon faded. She began twirling her hair with a discontented look on her face. ¡°How mean. I¡¯m only trying to introduce myself here. Besides, I¡¯m not the only peculiar existence here. It isn¡¯t very nice of you to be looking at me with prejudiced eyes.¡± ¡°I-I apologize. I was just...¡± ¡°Apology epted. I¡¯m not that petty, and there¡¯s nothing I cannot forgive my hero for.¡± Before Roel could finish his words, Artasia suddenly interrupted him with a snap of her fingers and assured him with a smile. Her madder red eyes were looking intently at Roel, and her lips were curled adorably. In contrast, Roel only looked confused. ¡°Hero?¡± ¡°Indeed. You¡¯re the hero who will release me from eternal death.¡± Artasia looked at Roel with eyes filled with warmth and admiration. ¡°So, tell me your name. I wish to know the name of the hero who hase to save me.¡± ¡°My name is R...¡± Don¡¯t tell her! ¡°!¡± Roel was just about to reveal his own name when Peytra¡¯s anxious voice suddenly echoed in his ears, though it faded right after. The unexpected warning shook him for a brief moment and he lost his voice for a brief instant there. Artasia blinked her eyes, intrigued as to what was going on with him. But before she could ask, Roel had already reverted back to his usual state. ¡°... Ro. My name is Ro.¡± ¡°Ro? What a marvelous name you have!¡± said Artasia with a charming smile. She rose from her throne and spoke words that left Roel utterly dumbfounded. ¡°Now that we are done with the introductions, shall we get to know each other better through a date?¡± ¡°A date?¡± ¡°Of course! I have to repay the hero who hase this far to free me. Isn¡¯t that how it usually goes in the stories? The knight defeats the evil dragon and saves the princess from her captivity. In return, the king bestows great riches and betroths the princess to him. It¡¯s all perfectly normal.¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t defeated any evil dragon, and I didn¡¯t choose to save you on my own volition,¡± replied Roel awkwardly. Artasia was stunned for a moment, and her lips puckered into a pout. A faint hint of red embarrassment colored her cheeks. ¡°I-it¡¯s the oue that counts! No matter what the motive is or how much suffering one goes through, it¡¯s meaningless if one fails to save the princess in the end! B-besides, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s necessary for us to get to know one another better?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. Pardon me, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Really! Can you not address me so formally? Just Artasia will do.¡± Artasia turned her head away with a pout. A momentter, an idea seemed toe to her mind. She raised her skirt a little and gracefully sashayed down the stairs, adding a patch of whiteness to the field of flowers. ¡°Look, we¡¯re standing on the same ground. Can we do away with those troublesome formalities now?¡± Artasia tilted her head as she asked with a smile. Her beautiful face exuded gentleness and warmth that would melt the heart of any man. Roel was dazed by her for a moment before finally nodding. ¡°Alright, Artasia.¡± ¡°Wonderful! Let¡¯s begin, shall we?¡± Artasia¡¯s madder red eyes lit up in excitement. She snapped her fingers, and the next moment, the two of them were suddenly sitting on a dining table by the window. On the delicately sculpted dining table were a pair of carefully polished wine sses and customized silverware. The window beside the table granted a scenic overview of the massive castle and city beneath. ¡°I¡¯d have preferred to watch a theatre performance for our date, but you look exhausted. The long journey here must have tired you out. Allow me to replenish your energy,¡± said Artasia with a graceful smile. With a p of her hand, delicacies suddenly blinked into existence on their tes. At the same time, the wine sses began refilling themselves with red liquid. This unbelievable sight made Roel¡¯s jaw drop. He couldn¡¯t help but stare at the gleeful Artasia, but unexpectedly, thetter started to fidget under his gaze. ¡°I know that I¡¯m amazing, but I¡¯d prefer it if you could refrain from staring at me so intensely... This is my first date.¡± ¡°Your first date?¡± ¡°Mm... I¡¯ve never had anyone apany me at the dining table before.¡± Artasia seemed to be put on the spot as she started twirling her hair again. Her madder red eyes darkened gloomily as she recalled her past memories, but she quickly turned her head away out of fear that she would be seen through. Roel felt his heart softening up. ¡°I see. It¡¯s my honor to be granted the privilege to take you on your first date.¡± ¡°Heh, that goes without saying. Feel free to eat your fill. This is the magnanimity of the Witch Queen!¡± A smile returned to Artasia¡¯s face after hearing Roel¡¯s remark. Roel picked up his silverware and began digging into the food. The moment he popped the food into his mouth, his pupils dted in amazement. ¡°Delicious!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s my favorite vor too. It looks like we¡¯re reallypatible with one another.¡± Artasia pped her hands merrily. The two of them chatted over food before moving on to a musical performance. Afterward, they rode on horseback to a beautifulke and took a leisurely stroll around the area. Roel even taught her the rules of chess on the spot and yed with her. Unfortunately, he ended up getting outyed after a few matches, which brought a triumphant smirk to her face. It was under a warm and fuzzy atmosphere that the two of them returned to the audience room. Artasia dived into the field of flowers and iled her arms around joyfully. Then, she lifted her head a little and stared at Roel, who was still standing by the doorway. Roel sighed softly before walking over to lie down beside her. ¡°Just to make it clear, I didn¡¯t ask you to do it.¡± ¡°You can think of it as a one-sided wish from my part then. It¡¯s not my hobby to stand stoically by the side and gaze upon a youngdy lying in a bed of flowers.¡± ¡°Hahaha! Youngdy? It has been so long since anyone called me that.¡± Artasia closed her eyes, and the two of them rested quietly on the bed of flowers for a long while. This peaceful environment was eventually broken by a reluctant sigh from the white-haired witch. ¡°Looks like time¡¯s up.¡± ¡ª Chapter 298: The Temptation of the Witch

Chapter 298: The Temptation of the Witch

¡°Looks like time¡¯s up.¡± Lying in the midst of a field of flowers, Artasia spoke with a hint of sorrow and reluctance in her voice. Roel didn¡¯t respond to her remark, choosing instead to patiently wait for her to continue. ¡°It was quite long for a first meeting though, and we even went out on a date together. I enjoyed it greatly.¡± ¡°Why did you ask me out on a date?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I doubt that you asked me to apany you just because I have the ability to bring you out of here. Witches aren¡¯t known for reciprocating favors.¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes gleamed withposure and rationality, unfazed by the sentimentality of the situation. The fragrance of the flowers wafted throughout the flower field. Under the warm sunlight, Artasia¡¯s skin seemed to emanate a faint glow. She looked deeply into Roel¡¯s eyes for a long while before her madder red eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°Of course not. How could there be such a person amongst witches?¡± The adorable, mischievous look that Artasia had been maintaining all this while faded, and for the first time, she revealed a wide, enigmatic smile that looked fitting for someone dubbed as the ¡®Witch Queen¡¯. ¡°My reason for asking you out on a date is simple. You¡¯re the only one qualified to stand by my side.¡± ¡°...¡± The unexpected answer left Roel frowning doubtfully. Artasiaughed heartily at his response. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s one more thing that I¡¯ve been wanting to do for some time now.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Hehe, do you want to guess what it is?¡± asked Artasia mischievously. She snapped her fingers without waiting for a response. By the time Roel understood what was going on, he was already sitting on the throne at the center of the flower field. ¡°!¡± ¡°What do you think? It¡¯s quite a good view, isn¡¯t it?¡± Roel widened his eyes in astonishment, unable toprehend the significance of this move. He suddenly heard a voice beside him and turned his head sideward, only to see Artasia standing by the throne. ¡°I¡¯ve always been the one sitting up there, gazing down upon others from a lofty position. One day, I found myself wondering how others would feel about looking at the world from the same height as me. It¡¯s just that this is not a sight I can easily share with others, but it¡¯d be a different story with you. How is it? Do you like it?¡± ¡°...¡± Faced with the expectant eyes of the smiling white-haired witch, Roel suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Once again, before he could answer, Artasia suddenly raised her finger and eximed in realization. ¡°Oh my, how could I have forgotten? There shouldn¡¯t be anyone allowed to stand beside the throne.¡± Artasia covered her face in embarrassment before vanishing in the next instant. When she reappeared once more, she was already standing at the foot of the pedestal. ¡°My position should be somewhere here... Yeap!¡± She looked around excitedly before taking her position. Then, she turned to look at Roel and curtsied gracefully. The moment the Witch Queen lowered her head, an inexplicable feeling started sprouting in Roel¡¯s heart. Being in a position of power and superiority filled him with great euphoria, and a voice in his head told him that he could feel even better by putting even more under his control. His usual rational self would have thought world domination to be a futile pursuit, but in this moment, he felt like there was nothing he couldn¡¯t achieve. He felt omnipotent. ¡°It feels better when someone is standing below you, right? What do you think? Don¡¯t people look much smaller when looking upon them from above?¡± ¡°... Indeed they do.¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes gleamed faintly. He hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Artasia¡¯s smile grew even brighter at his response. ¡°... My hero, do you wish to be a king?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already had my fun there, but my hero, this is the first time you¡¯re sitting in that position.¡± ¡°No, I have no such intentions to...¡± Roel immediately snapped out of his trance and rejected her offer, but Artasia¡¯s voice sounded in his ears the next moment. ¡°But you look so happy.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He jerked his head sideward and saw that Artasia was suddenly standing beside him once again. She had a gentle and understanding look on her face. ¡°My hero, it¡¯s alright for you to pursue your happiness. You should be allowed to do what you want to. As long as you will it, it can alle true.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I can fulfill all your wishes in the real world, even your deepest desires. It¡¯s just that... I need your help too.¡± ¡°What help do you need from me?¡± asked Roel. Artasia nodded with a brilliant smile. ¡°The woman who came here with you, I need her to be my host for a while.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°Oh my, you don¡¯t have to re at me with such a frightening expression.¡± For the first time in this dream, Roel red at her with utmost fury, causing her to protest indignantly. ¡°I¡¯d at least need a body in order to help you in the real world. I can promise not to hurt her soul.¡± ¡°That¡¯s out of the question!¡± ¡°...¡± Artasia fell silent at Roel¡¯s firm rejection. She started pouting a little before eventually sighing deeply. ¡°Haa, was I too anxious? It doesn¡¯t matter. This will do for now.¡± Right after she said those words, Roel suddenly felt his head growing incredibly heavy. His consciousness started to fade. Thest thing he saw was the white-hared witch¡¯s yful but enigmatic smile. ¡°You¡¯ll change your mind soon enough.¡± ... ¡°!¡± By the time Roel opened his eyes once more, he was already back in his room in the Worcester Castle. Hey in a daze for a moment before he suddenly thought about the white-haired witch he met in his dream and shot upward. ¡°Artasia...¡± Roel murmured the name of the Witch Queen as he subconsciously clenched his fists tightly. It was clear to him that this meeting with her wasn¡¯t necessarily a good thing. Artasia had shown that she was different from Grandar and Peytra. She would only offer her help if she receivedpensation, and her demand was not something he was willing to fulfill. How could Roel possibly allow her to take over Lilian¡¯s body? He felt that he had a good grasp of Artasia¡¯s goal by now¡ªshe wanted to be revived in the real world. One thing that confused him though was how he ended up meeting with the Witch Queen. ording to what he had heard from Grandar, those who entered the Witness State without an ancient god¡¯s relic would be automatically paired up with an ancient god of a simr nature. Basically, it worked in the same way as a certain war over a magical cup in his previous world. It was just that having simr natures wasn¡¯t a guarantee of strength. It was possible for him to pick out SSRs like Grandar and Peytra, but it was also totally possible for him to pick out Ns. He was certain that Witch Queen Artasia was an SSR card, but he wasn¡¯t in possession of any of her relics... unless it was the ckrose Ring. But based on what he knew, the history of the ckrose Ring didn¡¯t trace that far back. Unable to figure anything out, he massaged his temples and tried to calm himself down first. On a positive note, he was the one who wielded more bargaining power in his hands at the moment, so it was possible for him to renegotiate terms with her at ater date. Having cleared up his thoughts, he heaved a sigh of relief. Footsteps suddenly sounded outside his room, and a light knocking sound echoed on his door. Tok tok. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Lord Holy Envoy, I¡¯m Bradley.¡± After receiving Roel¡¯s permission, Bradley walked into the room respectfully with an envelope on hand. ¡°Lord Holy Envoy, I wasn¡¯t nning to interrupt your rest, but the Salvation Brotherhood suddenly sent a letter over, requesting for a negotiation.¡± ¡°Negotiation?¡± Roel frowned upon hearing those words. He took the envelope and read its contents carefully. It was from Sartoni, the bishop of the Salvation Brotherhood, and he was proposing a meeting at the northern city area to discuss a ceasefire. But even though they were seeking reconciliation here, the choice of words in the letter was extremely forceful. Sartoni¡¯s reluctance was practically seeping through the letter. This hinted that it was a directiveing from a higher-up, and Sartoni was being forced to obey. Roel closed his eyes and massaged his forehead after reading the letter. The change in attitude from the Salvation Brotherhood was likely the result of ¡®Holy Envoy¡¯ Roel¡¯s interference. His arrival meant that the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch was now able to use their holy artifact, which opened up the option of forcing mutually assured destruction with the Salvation Brotherhood. Given that, the Salvation Brotherhood had no choice but to reconsider their options. For that reason, they decided to give in for the time being and propose a ceasefire. This wasn¡¯t a bad thing for Roel since he needed some time to look for Lilian. The meeting with Artasia had confirmed his suspicions that Lilian was inside the same Witness State as well, so he had to make sure to hold onto his position well until they finally reunited. In order to ensure that the ceasefire went through, he would have to act like a lunatic who was ready to blow up on the enemies the moment things went south. ¡°Bradley, where¡¯s the item?¡± ¡°It¡¯s here with me. Please be assured that I¡¯m taking good care of it.¡± Bradley reached into his robe and carefully pulled out a small box that was around the size of a palm. Roel was surprised to learn that the so-called holy artifact was actually this small. Is something this small really sufficient to intimidate our enemies? With doubts floating in his mind, Roel took the box from Bradley¡¯s hand. But before he could open it, a familiar ringing sound echoed in his head, and a series of System notifications appeared before his eyes. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾The System has detected a mutated Crown¡¯s Stone.¡¿ ¡¾Initializing ¡®Reconstruction of Bloodline¡¯...¡¿ Chapter 299: Tempest Caller

Chapter 299: Tempest Caller

Holding onto the box containing the Saints Convocation¡¯s holy artifact, Roel froze in ce upon seeing a series of System notifications popping up. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾The System has detected a mutated Crown¡¯s Stone.¡¿ ¡¾Initializing ¡®Reconstruction of Bloodline¡¯...¡¿ Roel never thought that the Saints Convocation¡¯s holy artifact would actually be a Crown¡¯s Stone! This made him feel deeply excited. He wasn¡¯t in a good position at the moment¡ªhis physical condition was less than satisfactory,munication with Grandar and Peytra was impossible in the Witness State, Lilian¡¯s location was still unknown at the moment, and Artasia didn¡¯t appear to be a trustworthy ally. He was currently in dire need of power, and he knew very well that the Crown¡¯s Stone could grant him what he needed. So far, other than the aid offered by the ancient gods, the greatest power he possessed was ¡®cier¡¯s Touch¡¯, which was derived from a Crown¡¯s Stone. It was thanks to it that he was able to ovee multiple trials along the way. So, he carefully opened the container and took a look inside. There was a transparent gemstone sealed by a lock with mysterious inscriptions on it. At the very center of the transparent gemstone was a bundle of pale yellow aura that seemed to form the blurred humanoid silhouette. The moment Roel saw the pale yellow aura, a name he had once heard from Isabe instinctively appeared in his head. Tempest Caller, one of the Six Cmities. This was the name that the treants called the frightening existence that was responsible for the extinction of many ancient races. Kayde had once mentioned the Tempest Caller in one of their casual conversations, describing it to be an enigmatic being that was impossible toprehend ormunicate with. It often lurked silently in the world, only to be seen as a blurred silhouette in one¡¯s final moments. This is the holy artifact? Staring at the egg from Tempest Caller in the container, Roel finally understood why the Salvation Brotherhood had proposed a ceasefire at this juncture. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t help but think of the executives of the Saints Convocation as a bunch of lunatics. It was fortunate that Sartoni had killed the original Holy Envoy, or else the entire city of Leinster could very well be wiped off the map by the rampaging Tempest Caller. Evil cults are indeed evil cults. They might be allies in the face of amon enemy, but their extremist ideals would only result in a tragedy for those around them. Roel pondered for a moment, but he decided not to absorb the egg right away. He still needed it to intimidate the Salvation Brotherhood, and absorbing it mightpromise his leverage over them. On top of that, he still remembered how close he hade to death when he absorbed the egg of the cier Creator, so he was wary about doing it once more. However, he did notice something peculiar. The egg of the Tempest Caller was a transparent gemstone that looked like an offshoot of the Sorofyas¡¯ Gemstone Magic. Back then, the egg of the cier Creator was sealed off by the Sofyas¡¯ Golden Soul. Both means used for controlling the Six Cmities came from the high elves... ... was this just a coincidence? This doubt lingered in Roel¡¯s mind for a moment before he shrugged it off. It was not a question he could answer for the time being. So, he told Bradley to ept the Salvation Brotherhood¡¯s offer of negotiation and set the date on the following noon. The disciples of the Saints Convocation were worn out from a night of relentless fighting, so they needed to rest up and recharge. The ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures were the least active at noon, so it would be safer for them to meet at that time. They proceeded to discuss their baseline demands for the ceasefire. Following that, Roel started asking about how the liaison with the Saint Freya Academy was going. Roel hadn¡¯t ¡®infiltrated¡¯ the Saints Convocation in order to carry out some spy mission. He knew that he wasn¡¯t fully safe here, and there was a real risk of him being exposed. If there was an opportunity for him to leave this nest of zealots and join the academy instead, he would make the leap right away. Fortunately, it seemed like things could potentially go well in that respect. ording to Bradley, some of the injured members of the garrison troops ended up being left behind while they were retreating to the Saint Freya Academy. In order to avoid the pursuit of the monsters, they had no choice but to temporarily seek refuge with the Saints Convocation. Back then, the Saints Convocation was in a bad state and needed any help they could get, so they allowed them to join them. That worked out perfectly since they could have those members of the garrison troops serve as messengers now. Roel¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing those words. He decided to pay them a visit in the room allocated to them in the Worcester Castle. When he first stepped into the room, the injured garrison troop members immediately stood up warily, worried that he might try to do something to them. To their surprise, he didn¡¯t mock them or attempt to hold them hostage. Instead, he released them. ¡°Even beings of different races would join hands in the face of amon threat, let alone us humans. It¡¯s a show of sincerity from my part to allow all of you to leave. Give this to Commander Antonio and tell him that I wish to discuss matters with him.¡± Roel entrusted the adamantine amber, one of the tokens of the Assembly, to the leader of the injured garrison troop members before setting them free. He considered telling them about the suspicions he had regarding Priestley, the current principal of the Saint Freya Academy, but he eventually decided against it. His identity made him untrustworthy to the garrison troop members, which definitely was a huge problem considering that the person he was trying to cast doubt on was a highly respected figure in Brolne. Had Roel been in their position, he would have surely thought that the enemy was trying to sow discord amongst them. For the time being, he didn¡¯t want the garrison troop members to think that he had ulterior motives lest they decide not to ry his message After releasing the garrison troop members, Roel headed back to his room to take a rest so as to prepare himself for the negotiations the following day. ... The Saints Convocation had its first peaceful night ever since the revolt started. A few monsters did stumble into their frontlines, but the disciples were able to easily clear them off by sting them with spells. This came as a surprise for Roel. It was true that two armies would temporarily stop fighting prior to ceasefire negotiations, but neither the Saints Convocation nor Salvation Brotherhood were highly disciplined military forces. On the contrary, they were bloodthirsty evil cultists. Sartoni clearly didn¡¯t agree with the ceasefire, so there was a good chance of him going for an all-out attack in hopes of recouping their loss. That would also strengthen their position for the ceasefire. Roel felt that the Salvation Brotherhood was up to something, so he made use of the Saints Convocation¡¯s intelligencework to look into it. It seemed like the Salvation Brotherhood hade under attackst night, forcing them to dispatch arge number of troops toward the southern city area. The situation was so severe that they ordered an information mpdown, so no one knew the current situation. It was unexpected, but it didn¡¯t seem too odd. Simr to how there were garrison troop members on the Saints Convocation¡¯s territory, there were also soldiers, students, and schrs scattered all around the city. It was possible that they had learned that the Salvation Brotherhood had recently suffered a major loss and tried to follow up on it. Having found a reasonable reason, Roel¡¯s heart was finally put at ease. He stowed the ¡®holy artifact¡¯ into his pocket before setting off to Minster Mansion together with the others. He wanted to bring Bradley together with him, but it was a pity that he was a puppetmaster despite being an Origin Level 2 transcendent. If a fight did break out in the midst of the negotiation, it was likely that he would end up getting sniped down in a heartbeat. Noontime, Roel finally arrived at the agreed upon location on carriage under the escort of the disciples. Minster Mansion used to be the headquarters of a Schr Guild. It came nowhere inparison to the Ascarts¡¯ manor or the Labyrinth Vi, though it was still of decent size considering just how expensivend was in the populous Leinster. Roel was just about to alight from his carriage when music started ying from the mansion. In the circle of nobility, it was considered extremely rude to start a banquet prior to the arrival of all of the guests as it symbolized that the guests were unimportant. It was ludicrous for the Salvation Brotherhood to do this when they were gathered here to discuss a ceasefire. Roel shrugged it off nonchntly and entered the mansion together with his people. The first thing he saw was the disciples of the Salvation Brotherhood moving all sorts of stuff around to prepare the venue, be it red carpet, paintings, or antiques. There was a long table of delicacies prepared by the side, musicians ying ssy music, and men and women dressed in formal suits and gowns slow dancing at the center of the room. It was as if they were really holding a banquet. Roel¡¯s group was clearly out of ce due to their armor and wary attitudes. It was almost as if a group of thugs had barged into a noble¡¯s mansion. The disciples of the Salvation Brotherhood didn¡¯t miss this opportunity to mock them with contemptuous smiles. The disciples of the Saints Convocation were livid to be faced with such an insult, but Roel simply chuckled softly before striding toward the long table to take a seat. The graceful smile on his face showed that he was unbothered by the other party¡¯s pettiness. With both sides present in the mansion, the doors were closed and the curtains were drawn, plunging the surroundings into darkness. Servants quickly lit up candles all around. It felt like time had fast forwarded to midnight despite only being at midday. The ssy music came to a halt, and the men and women stopped their dancing. They solemnly turned their gazes toward the stairs leading to the second floor, where a door flung open at the same time. A formally-dressed middle-aged man walked out and gazed down on the young man seated at one end of the long table. ¡°You must be Holy Envoy Roel. I am Sartoni, the leader of the Salvation Brotherhood. Allow me to extend my greetings to you on behalf of our Brotherhood.¡± Sartoni looked at Roel with a hypocritical smile on his face. ... At the same time, somewhere in the northern city area, a ck-haired woman muttered the words she had just heard from the mouth of an evil cultist. ¡°Minster Mansion...¡± Chapter 300: Dreamy Dance

Chapter 300: Dreamy Dance

What are the ways to deal with a person? The easiest one was to resort to physical violence, but it often resulted in significant repercussions. In cases where one was unable to resort to violence, waging psychological warfare could be a good alternative too. There were many forms of psychological warfare, but the one Sartoni opted for was ¡®standard of living¡¯. Unlike the Saints Convocation which pursued a more spiritual lifestyle, the Salvation Brotherhood believed in satisfying their material desires. In the midst of seeking greater power, they continuously ceded to their desires, resulting in the gradual erosion of their restraints. Slowly, they spiralled into what most would term as deranged obsession. A decadent lifestyle that screwed all stifling morals and ethics¡ªhow enticing it was to those whocked mental fortitude, especially youths who had yet to develop their moralpass? Sartoni had long heard about how the Holy Envoys of the Saints Convocation were raised. From a young age, they were constantly injected with a special fluid that emted the bloodline of an ancient lineage. Those who disyed a higher degree of eptance of the special fluid and were able to survive the ordeal would have a shot at bing a Holy Envoy. Holy Envoys were basically tools to activate the Saints Convocation¡¯s trump cards¡ªand to be more exact, single use tools. Needless to say, it was meaningless to devote resources into developing the abilities of a consumable, so Holy Envoys tended to not be very strong. They lived an isted life in the Saints Convocation¡¯s headquarters, so they had severely limited understanding of the outside world. He¡¯s just a countryside bumpkin who knows nothing about life at all. I reckon that he hasn¡¯t even touched a woman¡¯s hand before. Amidst the cheering of the crowd, Sartoni walked down the stairs and took his seat at the opposite end of the long table. The moment he sat down, the music started ying once more, and the members of the Salvation Brotherhood resumed whatever they were doing earlier. A servant stepped forward and respectfully served him a ss of cocktail. In contrast, there was no one to wait on Roel, and the area in front of him waspletely empty. It was only when Sartoni finally ¡®noticed¡¯ this breach of etiquette that he berated the servants in an almost exaggerated manner. ¡°What are you all doing? How could you forget about the Holy Envoy? He still doesn¡¯t have anything to drink yet!¡± The inconsequential reprimand from Sartoni spurred mockingughter from the other members of the Salvation Brotherhood. The servants simply perfunctorily ced a cup of wine before Roel, not showing the slightest remorse regarding their earlier breach of etiquette. Roel shot a nce at the ss of wine that was spared to him as if he was asking for alms. He chuckled softly to himself before raising his gaze to look at the middle-aged man sitting at the opposite end of the table. ¡°Mister Sartoni, aren¡¯t we here to discuss a ceasefire?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s indeed our purpose here, Holy Envoy.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s with this ridiculous banquet? I have only felt insincerity from you thus far.¡± ¡°Holy Envoy, you seem to be misunderstanding our intention. This is our way of expressing goodwill.¡± Sartoni shot a nce at the men and women dancing in the center of the room, who were starting to get passionate with one another under the influence of alcohol, and exined calmly. ¡°Our Salvation Brotherhood is an organization that believes in staying true to ourselves. God has granted us strength so that we can pursue a better life for ourselves. This banquet is specially prepared to help us let loose and be honest with one another.¡± ¡°Oh? This is your way of weing me?¡± ¡°Yes, I can assure you that this is our utmost sincerity.¡± Sartoni beckoned a beautiful young woman with his hand, and thetter sashayed flirtatiously to his side. He wrapped his arm around her slim waist and forcefully pulled her toward his body. He then turned his head back to Roel and continued with a smile. ¡°However, I¡¯ll have to concede that I didn¡¯t think things through properly. I should have known that a revered Holy Envoy like yourself is brought up in an environment vastly different from ours. This must be your first time encountering such a situation?¡± ¡°...¡± Sartoni¡¯s smile grew brighter at Roel¡¯s silence. He started fondling the young woman¡¯s body, and thetter giggled at his touch, seemingly enjoying it. ¡°Mister Roel, do you have any experience?¡± ¡°Experience with what?¡± ¡°Experience with women.¡± Roel¡¯s face turned dark at Sartoni¡¯s explicit words. He took in a deep breath and forcefully pulled the conversation back on track. ¡°Mister Sartoni, I don¡¯t like how you¡¯re beating around the bush.¡± ¡°I just think that we ought to first build up a friendly rtionship before proceeding with the negotiation. This is the basics of socializing. In fact, this banquet serves a purpose too.¡± ¡°Does it?¡± Roel couldn¡¯t even be bothered to refute the ridiculous argument being made by Sartoni. It was not worth wasting his effort on such petty tricks, so he decided to simply disregard them altogether. But clearly, Sartoni wasn¡¯t going to let things rest with just this much. He stood up and made a suggestion. ¡°In ordance with the culture of the Country of Schrs, why don¡¯t we share a dance as an expression of goodwill? I know that Mister Roel lives a secluded life, but surely dancing shouldn¡¯t pose a problem to you?¡± There was a mocking smile on Sartoni¡¯s face as he said those words. Dancing waspletely contrary to the raison d¡¯¨ºtre of a Holy Envoy, so it would stand to reason that Roel was ignorant of it. That was also the reason why Sartoni made such a suggestion. Even in the off case that Roel was skilled in dancing, it still wouldn¡¯t make a difference. Brolne¡¯s couple dance demanded cooperation from both sides, which made it famous as a way for dance partners to subtly express goodwill or enmity toward one another. If both partners moved in sync with one another, it would make for a harmonious performance. However, if a person wanted to humiliate his partner, all he had to do was to showcase even shier moves to render his partner unnecessary. Sartoni swept a nce at the steely-faced disciples standing behind Roel, and the corners of his lips subtly crept upward. He turned to look at Roel and remarked mboyantly. ¡°Aww, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anydies in your group. Shall we find a dance partner for you then? Is there anyone in the room who is willing to dance with Mister Roel?¡± Sartoni turned around and directed the question to the crowd behind him, only to be met withplete silence. All of the women turned their heads away in disgust. The atmosphere in the room plunged into awkwardness. Some of the men present even startedughing under their breath. Their brazen provocation finally caught Roel¡¯s ire. But before he could blow his top, he suddenly heard a familiar voice from the door behind him. ¡°Allow me.¡± ¡°!¡± The unexpected chilling voice in the banquet hall caused everyone to widen their eyes in astonishment. Roel quickly turned his head over, only to see a woman so beautiful that she didn¡¯t appear to be of this world. Skin that was fair and smooth like jade, flowing ck hair that cascaded like a waterfall, amethyst eyes that glowed with a mysterious gleam, a dignified long dress, and a purple tiara thatplemented her eye color. Just like at many other banquets in the Austine Empire, Lilian Ackermann awed everyone as soon as she made an appearance. The men couldn¡¯t help but gawk at her beauty whereas the women felt their expressions stiffening. Sartoni was so bewildered that he stopped fondling the woman in his embrace. Slowly, his eyes narrowed in fury. ¡°Who is she? Where are our soldiers?!¡± he roared. No one was able to answer his questions. Everyone stared at Lilian, but no one knew who she was or how she managed to get in. Meanwhile, Lilian directed a sweeping gaze around the room before her eyes finally stopped on Roel. The moment she met eyes with him, her cold aura thawed, allowing a faint smile on her lips. ¡°!¡± Roel gasped softly at that sight. This was the first time he saw her smile. The warmth and intimacy she exuded was a huge contrast to her usual stoic attitude, and it made his heart thump furiously. It¡¯s Lilian! Roel felt such an intense rush of happiness from having reunited with Lilian that he started to feel light-headed. All the worries he had been bottling in his heart were finally released. Fervent discussion had broken out in the room, but he was in no mood to bother with what they were saying. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, Lilian gracefully walked up to Roel. There was a brief moment of pause before she suddenly offered a hand to him. ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to dance? You don¡¯t need anyone else now that I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°... Yes, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s have a dance together to celebrate our reunion.¡± Lilian¡¯s domineering words brought a smile onto Roel¡¯s face. Irrepressible joy burst forth from his chest as he rose to his feet, gently grabbed Lilian¡¯s hand, and led her toward the center of the room. He initially intended not to go along with Sartoni¡¯s petty scheme¡ªhe would have to be actually dumb to allow someone else to lead him by the nose¡ªbut since a beauty was extending an invitation to him, it would be impolite for him to reject her as a man. Sartoni¡¯s eyes alternated between Lilian and the woman in his arms for a moment before he eventually decided against joining them on the dance floor. In the first ce, he had already lost out to Roel in terms of disposition and appearance, and the difference was even more pronounced with the gap between their partners. If he insisted on dancing alongside them, it would only spell his own humiliation. Having been outdone in the scenario he had created himself, he felt so embarrassed that his ears reddened in shame. The only relief for him was that Roel wasn¡¯t in the mood to mock him anymore, for his attention waspletely focused on his dance partner. The music started ying once more, and the two of them locked eyes with one another. Roel took note of her traditional long dress before changing his arm position to that of the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s imperial ballroom dance. Surprise flickered across Lilian¡¯s face, but it soon gave way to a heartened smile. Traditional long dresses were specifically designed for the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s imperial ballroom dance. Its long hems made it unsuited for most dances, but the specially choreographed imperial ballroom dance worked marvelously with it. It was a small gesture, but it did show Roel¡¯s consideration for her. The Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s imperial ballroom dance was known to be highlyplicated and difficult to master, such that it was eventually greatly simplified in the current Austine Empire. It was just that its aesthetics were also greatly discounted in the process. Only those born in noble houses with over a thousand years of lineage and brought up with the noblest of upbringing were able to bring out the true ir of the imperial ballroom dance. This rare opportunity excited Lilian. Their interlocked fingers seemed to connect their hearts together. Under the apaniment of music, an elegant and majestic dance came to life in this dark mansion. The imperial ballroom dance was soulful but challenging, such that it even had moves that could only be pulled off by transcendents. This was the first time Roel and Lilian were dancing together, but their coordination was so perfect that it looked as if they had done this for years. It was also at this moment that the intentional design of the long dress was finally showing through as it fluttered around the dance floor spiritedly as if it had a life of its own. The crowd fellpletely silent. They were too absorbed in the dance to even speak a word. Finally, when the melody came to an end, Lilian returned to her original position, but there was a faint flush coloring her cheeks. By the customs of the Ancient Austine Empire, the two dance partners ought to bow to one another and part ways, but to Roel¡¯s surprise, Lilian refused to release his hand. Deep emotions rippled in her amethyst eyes as she suddenly leaned forward to kiss his cheek as reciprocation for the dance. Roel was bewildered by this unexpected kiss, and it caused his face to redden. Over on the long table, Sartoni shot to his feet as mana began pulsating from him. Many years of ceding to his desires had made him a highly impatient man, and he couldn¡¯t tolerate the humiliation he was feeling anymore. The sudden outburst of an Origin Level 2 transcendent was bound to instill fright, but the two people whom he wanted to deal with were ironically unfazed. ¡°I heard that the two of you were in the midst of negotiation.¡± ¡°We were, but I¡¯m not really interested in negotiating anymore now that you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°What a coincidence. I was thinking the same too.¡± Lilian chuckled softly. She directed a cold gaze upon those who were staring at them in hostility. ¡°Ancient Austine isn¡¯t just known for its long dresses and dance moves. It has a notable history of swordsmanship and bloodshed too.¡± Loud rumbling suddenly echoed from the ground as a deep war horn sounded. The shattering of ss could be heard as an army of knights barged into the room through the windows. Chapter 301: This Isn’t What I Expected

Chapter 301: This Isn¡¯t What I Expected

A fantastical sight was currently taking ce in the Minster Mansion. With her hand still tightly holding onto Roel¡¯s, Lilian turned to the disciples of the Salvation Brotherhood and spoke with a cold but calm voice. One couldn¡¯t even sense murderous intent from her at all. Yet, there was no doubt that the army that had just barged into the mansion was under hermand. Under the loud rumbling sounds, all of the windows and doors of the Minster Mansion were shattered into fragments. Blue heavy-armored mounted knights wielding shields and spears rushed in from all directions and encircled their enemies. gs bearing the symbol of a pale blue spear fluttered amongst them. The moment they entered the mansion, the panicked crowd immediately escaped in all directions while shrieking in horror. As for Roel, he couldn¡¯t help but narrow his eyes upon catching sight of the gs. That symbol... That¡¯s the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Blue Knight Order! The sudden appearance of a valiant military force that had left its mark in history more than a thousand years ago bewildered Roel. However, this turned out to be nothing more than a sample of what was toe. While pandemonium was unfolding in the mansion, another deep war horn sounded, and this time, it came with a weird resonant thumping noise. Bam, bam, bam... This weird noise was growing louder with each passing moment. The flustered disciples of the Salvation Brotherhood immediately rushed to the closest window to take a look and their faces turned pale right after. Eventually, the noise grew loud enough for everyone to figure out what it was. It was the sound of an army of soldiers marching in unison. The Minster Mansion had already been encircled by countless soldiers at some point in time. The formation of shieldbearers outside caused the ring rays of the noon sun to be reflected into the mansion through its shattered windows, causing those inside to squint. The sea of hoisted gs, the continuous ring of war horns, and the loud organized footsteps of the approaching army gripped the hearts of those inside the mansion. They couldn¡¯t help but feel a strong sense of foreboding. Lilian gazed upon Sartoni and the others with eyes so cold that she might as well have been staring at corpses. It was true that Origin Level 2 transcendents were powerful, but to Lilian, that single level of difference could be easily bridged through her overwhelmingly powerful abilities. For the renowned warriors who were once important pirs to the prosperity of the Ancient Austine Empire, an Origin Level 2 transcendent like Sartoni was nothing more than a slightly more difficult opponent. And as fact had it, Sartoni didn¡¯t dare to move at all. Just in the mansion itself, there were already nearly a hundred Origin Level 4 Blue Knights. At this point, Lilian was practically no different from a walking fortress. It might look as if the Salvation Brotherhood was in control of the venue, but that was no longer true from the moment Lilian arrived here. The disciples of the Salvation Brotherhood in the mansion were horror-struck by the army. They trembled fearfully on the spot, and some of them even got onto their knees and begged for mercy. However, Lilian had nopassion for them. She couldn¡¯t forgive anyone who dared to insult her younger brother, though after some consideration, she decided to entrust the decision to Roel. It was also then that Roel finally snapped out of his shock from witnessing the legendary armies he had read about in historical records being materialized in reality. Noticing Lilian¡¯s enquiring gaze, he gave the matter some thought before shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s still too early,¡± he said. He squeezed Lilian¡¯s hand in hopes of cating her, but thetter surprisingly didn¡¯t reveal any discontentment toward his decision to back down here. Instead, her face turned even redder, and her eyes were filled with affection. ¡°Forget it then.¡± With a light wave of her hand, the deep war horns finally stopped ring and the knights lowered their weapons. The tense atmosphere inside the mansion calmed down a little. Sartoni heaved a sigh of relief. However, this didn¡¯t mean that it was all over yet. ¡°Mister Sartoni, I¡¯m thankful for your goodwill. I¡¯m satisfied with the banquet you have prepared for me, but I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s the right time for us to negotiate with one another. What do you think?¡± ¡°... Perhaps so.¡± Sartoni nced at the tall knights around him as he replied with an awful look on his face. He wasn¡¯t certain where these knights hade from, but he knew that they hadn¡¯t appeared in this war before. In other words, a third party had joined the fray. Any side that suddenly received additional reinforcement on the battlefield would make sure to fully disy its prowess so as to gain more leverage before proceeding into negotiations. Both Sartoni and Roel understood that, so they decided not to waste their time here. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking my leave. I hope that you have fun with this little party of yours,¡± said Roel with a brilliant smile. With that, he turned around and walked out of the mansion with Lilian. The knights swiftly parted into two rows to grant them passageway. Sartoni gritted his teeth furiously at those two departing silhouettes, but he soon thought of something that broughtposure to him. A disdainful smile formed on his face. ¡°Laugh while you can. Your days are already numbered!¡± ... Shortly after they left the mansion, Lilian¡¯s army began to dissipate. Roel was still having troubleing to grips with the current situation. All of the armies that had appeared earlier, be it the mounted knights or foot soldiers, were all aces that had left their mark in the history of the illustrious Ancient Austine Empire. These warriors existed in different eras, but they hade together to protect their queen. While he already had an inkling of Lilian¡¯s great prowess, this far exceeded what he had imagined. If Roel was someone who had surpassed others on the foundation of his Ascart Bloodline, Lilian would be the chosen one who had managed to strike a harmonious bnce between the Ascart Bloodline and the Ackermanns¡¯ Kingdom Origin Attribute. In some ways, what she had achieved could be considered to be a miracle. This notion excited Roel so much that his body began trembling slightly, but Lilian misunderstood the meaning behind his bodynguage. She gripped his hand tightly and consoled him gently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my soldiers will never hurt you. I promise.¡± Roel knew that Lilian had misunderstood, but he didn¡¯t want to touch too much on it since they were still in the presence of the disciples of the Saints Convocation. The two of them got onto a carriage and left the area. Now that they were finally getting some alone time, Roel asked her how she had fared over thest few days. It turned out that Lilian was already in the southern city area by the time she woke up. There weren¡¯t many evil cultists there, but the area would be overrunned by the ck-armored soldiers at night. In fact, Lilian was awoken by the sphemous whispersing from one of them. The absence of Roel by her side plunged her into a state of confusion. She thought that the monsters had harmed Roel and went on a massacre. Her actions ended up rming the Salvation Brotherhood. The reason why the Salvation Brotherhood didn¡¯t attempt tounch an attackst night was due to her rampage, so they had no choice but to divert their forces to curb her. She was intending to continue her rampage till Roel finally got to her, but earlier in the morning, she happened to overhear his name from one of the evil cultists. Grasping onto this lead, she headed to the northern city area, where she heard about the negotiation that was ongoing in the Minster Mansion. So, she immediately headed over and cleared off all of the guards in a single breath. She thought that her bloodsoaked clothes looked awful and was worried that she might embarrass Roel at the banquet, so she looked for a fresh set of clothes in the mansion. It was also around then that she happened to overhear Sartoni mocking Roel. Roel was a little speechless after hearing the full story. Lady Luck was really looking after them. To be honest, what happened wasn¡¯t really of importance to him. The important thing was that they had managed to reunite with one another, and it was clear that Lilian shared the same thoughts. Following that, it was Roel¡¯s turn to share his encounters with her. However, upon hearing all of the risky moves Roel made along the way, Lilian felt a strong urge to harshly berate him for his recklessness, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t bear to scold him either. In the end, she could only express her dissatisfaction through her silence. ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°...¡± Roel blinked his eyes in iprehension before realization struck him, and he burst intoughter. He took Lilian¡¯s hand and ced it on his chest. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. Look, my heart is beating as lively as ever.¡± ¡°...¡± Lilian¡¯s expression alleviated a little after hearing his gentle words, but she was still persisting with her silent protest. An idea suddenly popped into Roel¡¯s mind, and he spoke with a forlorn voice. ¡°Big sis, don¡¯t be angry at me anymore, alright?¡± ¡°!¡± The instant Roel said those words, Lilian¡¯s body jerked as if she had been struck by a bolt of lightning. She stared at him with eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°W-what did you just call me?¡± ¡°Big sis,¡± replied Roel with a smile. He didn¡¯t think that it was wrong for him to call her that given their bloodline ties, and the intimacy he felt with her emboldened him. Little did he know that he was ying with fire here. Lilian¡¯s trembling hands reached out to touch his cheeks, and somethingpletely unexpected happened right after. She leaned in and kissed him. ¡°!¡± Chapter 302: Instincts

Chapter 302: Instincts

¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s mind nked out. He had said those words with the intention of quelling Lilian¡¯s anger, but the effects ended up far surpassing his expectations. Lilian¡¯s kiss was clumsy, a sign of her inexperience. Her action was clearly driven by sheer instinct. Yet, the moment their lips touched, a mysterious sensation began rippling through Roel¡¯s body. A feeling of deep passion seared his mind, invoking a strong urge for greater intimacy with the woman before him. He wasn¡¯t the only one who was affected by this impulse as Lilian was indubitably moving on a whim too. The kisssted for a while before a surge of rationality suddenly brought Roel back to his senses. He quickly grabbed Lilian¡¯s shoulders and pushed her away. ¡°Huu, huu, senior! You need to wake up!¡± ¡°Roel, Roel...¡± ¡°Calm down, senior. We¡¯re still in the carriage!¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s reminder slowly brought rity back into Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes. She was still overwhelmed by everything that had just happened before her cheeks started to glow bright red. ¡°N-no, this is not... I-I was...¡± ¡°I understand, senior. Calm down!¡± Roel pulled Lilian into his embrace and stroked her back to calm her down. His warm touch helped Lilian to regain herposure. In this narrow space, the two of them maintained the same position for a while as their hastened breathing slowly returned to normal. ¡°Senior, are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Mm... I apologize for what happened earlier. I got too overwhelmed by...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. This is the first time we¡¯re encountering something like this after all,¡± Roel quickly consoled her before she could finish her words. Of course, Roel wouldn¡¯t be so vile as to feign innocence after receiving a kiss from Lilian. He had to admit that Lilian¡¯s kissing was a little immature though, reminiscent of the peck of a little chick. It even felt slightly itchy. Wait a moment, does this mean that it was her first... ¡°S-senior, have you ever kissed anyone else before?¡± ¡°...¡± Perhaps it was due to the influence of his previous life, he couldn¡¯t help but think that a person¡¯s first kiss was a particrly significant event, and itpelled him to ask about it. Lilian¡¯s body stiffened up upon hearing those words. There was a moment of silence before she finally awkwardly shook her head. I knew it. ¡°Was it ufortable? ... Did you hate it?¡± ¡°No, of course not!¡± Roel refuted it firmly. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t able to make sense of how he felt about this either. It just felt... unreal. He had been feeling so ever since he found out that Lilian was his bloodline kin, and the feeling got even more intense after the earlier kiss. It might have just been a light peck, but it was definitely an unprecedented show of intimacy for someone as cold as Lilian. All of her suitors in the Austine Empire would go into a fit of envy if they ever learned about this. ¡°While I have heard of cases where bloodline kin feel a strong sense of intimacy with each other, our case seems to go much further than that.¡± ¡°Mm... It could be that the intensity of the intimacy differs ording to the bloodline too,¡± theorized Lilian as she thought about that almost crazed desire for intimacy she felt. Roel nodded in agreement too. The chance of two awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline existing in the same era is simply so small that it kind of makes sense that we would feel deeply for one another... though this still seems to be an overkill. Roel sighed helplessly. He wouldn¡¯t call it a curse, but it was indeed troubling that their bloodlines were overwriting their logical mind to control their impulses. It was almost as if they were faced with a fate which they couldn¡¯t oppose. After a prolonged moment of silence, when the two of them had finally fully calmed down from the earlier incident, Roel suddenly recalled one of the vital pieces of information he had received. ¡°Senior, have you ever heard of ¡®Magician King¡¯ Priestley Maxwell? ¡°Magician King? No, I¡¯ve never heard of him before. Which era does hee from?¡± ¡°... He lives in this era.¡± Roel¡¯s expression turned grim upon hearing Lilian¡¯s answer. He proceeded on to share the intelligence he had gathered from the Saints Convocation with her, and thetter¡¯s face slowly darkened as well. This was especially so when she learned that Priestley was an Origin Level 1 transcendent. The two of them fell silent. ¡°We need to avoid him,¡± said Lilian after some contemtion. Roel nodded in agreement with her verdict. Origin Level 1 transcendents were the strongest human existence in the world. They stood no chance at all against someone of that caliber. ¡°There¡¯s a chance that Priestley is the mastermind behind the Salvation Brotherhood. I don¡¯t think that Sartoni has the power to pull off such a huge uprising on his own.¡± ¡°I think so too. What¡¯s his goal though? Is he using the uprising as a reason to escape from the frontlines? No, that¡¯s not right. It wouldn¡¯t take him long to quell the uprising, so he won¡¯t be able to dy for long,¡± murmured Lilian. However, the two of them were unable toe to a conclusion. The air between them turned solemn. Lilian lightly embraced Roel before she looked into his eyes and consoled him. ¡°Origin Level 1 transcendents are indeed powerful, but there¡¯s no guarantee that he would be able to get back in time. Besides, don¡¯t we have allies from the Twilight Sages Assembly whom we can fall back on?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± replied Roel with a nod. However, a new doubt quickly surfaced in his mind. ¡°Senior, is this really your first time hearing of the Twilight Sages Assembly? Based on what I know, the organization was once the guardians of the Ancient Austine Empire.¡± ¡°Yes, this is my first time hearing about them. There arepletely no records about them on our side. Most likely, someone has tampered with the records and purged all details on the Twilight Sages Assembly,¡± replied Lilian with a frown. The matter regarding the Twilight Sages Assembly sounded incredulous to her, but as her bloodline kin, Roel wouldn¡¯t and couldn¡¯t lie to her. If so, it would mean that there were deeper secrets surrounding the Ackermanns which she hadn¡¯t uncovered yet. She would have to take note of that, but that was of lesser importance for the time being. ¡°Let¡¯s focus our attention on what¡¯s ahead of us.¡± She looked deeply at Roel with her amethyst eyes as she spoke words reminiscent of a vow. ¡°No matter what happens, big sis will protect you.¡± ... In a dimly-lit room, Antonio presented a clear adamantine amber to the person standing before him with a solemn look on his face. ¡°Lord Astrid, this was handed over to us by our returning wounded troops. They said that it was given to them by the Holy Envoy of the Saints Convocation. It appears to be an object made out of mana and tree sap, though it doesn¡¯t seem to be a magic tool. Regarding this...¡± His voice echoed loudly in the enclosed hall. The floating ck-haired beauty before him heard something familiar from his description and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the item cupped in Antonio¡¯s raised hands, and her iridescent pupils rippled in disbelief. ¡°This is!¡± she eximed out loud. She quickly descended toward Antonio to take a closer look at the adamantine amber. ¡°... That Holy Envoy is a fake. He¡¯s one of us.¡± ¡°A fake?¡± asked Antonio in surprise. Astrid nodded in response as she touched the warm adamantine amber pendant. ¡°This is one of the insignias the Twilight Sages Assembly use in the Saint Freya Academy, simr to your Reverse Lightcross. It¡¯s produced by one of the oldest members of the Assembly, Chronicler. It¡¯s just that this insignia has fallen out of use for centuries now in order to protect his identity.¡± ¡°Centuries? That means that...¡± ¡°Yes. The Assembly was still in its peak state centuries ago. A person who is able to get his hands on this can¡¯t possibly be a traitor. Chronicler would never give this insignia to anyone easily.¡± Astrid raised the adamantine amber toward the iridescent ceiling and gently infused her mana into it. Shadowy words were soon projected on the ground beneath. ¡°Lord Astrid, this is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thenguage of the treants. I can¡¯t read it, but I suppose that it¡¯s the name of the pendant¡¯s wearer. There are several tiers to the adamantine amber, and the highest tier is one that bears the wearer¡¯s name. It signifies that the individual has Chronicler¡¯splete trust,¡± replied Astrid. As she spoke, she recalled the familiar mana pulsation she had felt a while back, and the puzzle pieces suddenly clicked together in her head. But instead of feeling relieved, a displeased frown formed on her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s a child of the Ascarts.¡± ¡°Ascarts? Doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s your...¡± ¡°Yes. He must be here to exploit the chaos in order to steal the ¡®egg¡¯ guarded by the Saints Convocation. He¡¯s out of his mind!¡± eximed Astrid worriedly. As important as the eggs of the Six Cmities were, there was nothing that was more important to her than the safety of the Ascart House¡¯s offspring. Furthermore, based on what she had felt, there were two of them in Leinster at the moment. She looked at the orange-haired man before her and instructed resolutely. ¡°Antonio, we¡¯ll be changing our priorities. No matter what it takes, you have to bring them here as soon as possible!¡± Chapter 303: Like a Couple

Chapter 303: Like a Couple

There were no violent objections from the other members of the Saints Convocation to Lilian¡¯s sudden arrival. Those zealots believed that he was the Holy Envoy, which led to them having almost unconditional trust in him. As long as Roel was alright with it, it would be alright with them too. On top of that, unlike Roel, Lilian was respected right from the moment of her arrival. Part of the reason was because the disciples weren¡¯t certain of the rtionship between her and their Holy Envoy, and the other part was due to the overwhelming strength Lilian had disyed. They would have to be a fool to turn away an Origin Level 3 transcendent at a critical juncture like this, not to mention that Lilian was no ordinary Origin Level 3 transcendent. Last night, in order to find Roel, Lilian and her armies had devastated the backlines of the Salvation Brotherhood, greatly relieving the pressure on the Saints Convocation¡¯s side. Needless to say, that was an amazing aplishment. After careful consideration, Roel and Lilian decided to portray themselves as lovers instead of siblings. While the two of them were good-looking, they had vastly different vibes to one another¡ªRoel felt more gentle whereas Lilian was an ice beauty. Besides, their eye colors werepletely different too. At the same time, iming that Lilian was his lover would also exin herck of understanding about the Saints Convocation, thus making it less suspicious if she were to do anything that looked out of ce. Fortunately, the Saints Convocation was rather liberal when it came to its disciples¡¯ marriages. It wasn¡¯t aswless as the Salvation Brotherhood, but having a lover wasn¡¯t an issue at all. After all, this was also one way of bringing in new disciples. Due to Lilian¡¯s lofty disposition and her powerful strength thatpletely didn¡¯t correspond to her age, rumors swiftly began spreading amongst the disciples that she was actually the daughter of some high noble who had chosen to elope with Roel. For that reason, no one dared to ask her about her family name. This spared them quite a bit of trouble, though it was interesting to note how the truth could sometimes be more unbelievable than fantasies. Lilian¡¯s identity was definitely not just at the level of ¡®a daughter of some high noble¡¯. With such thoughts in mind, Roel turned to look at Lilian, and thetter looked back at him with her head tilted questioningly. Her adorable reaction and gentleness in her eyes made Roel¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°Senior, you look good in a gown.¡± ¡°I-is that so? I¡¯ll wear it more often if you like it.¡± To conceal his embarrassment, Roel forcefully slipped apliment in, but Lilian was surprisingly happy with it. The atmosphere between the two of them grew more harmonious, to the point where it felt like they had really be a real couple. With even the two of them feeling this way, there was no way outsiders would be any wiser. Due to the negotiations falling apart, Roel immediately got the Saints Convocation to tighten their defenses. It was almost certain at this point that a fight would break out, but what was different this time around was that Roel was no longer interested in participating in it. Due to his reunion with Lilian, his greatest goal with the Saints Convocation had already been fulfilled. What was left now was to wait for the academy tomunicate with them. Meanwhile, Roel took this time to look at his System. ¡¾Evaluation: 66 (Average)¡¿ ¡¾Countdown to the end of the Witness State: 177 hours 42 minutes¡¿ Roel was surprised by the evaluation since he didn¡¯t think that he had done anything significant. He didn¡¯t kill any monsters or clear any major objective he knew of. He did manage to reunite with Lilian, but the credit should be attributed more toward her than him. The negotiation shouldn¡¯t be worth that many points either. He couldn¡¯t imagine how his evaluation went up by this much. Does this mean that something else is happening in a ce where I can¡¯t see, such as the pendant I sent into the academy? Roel¡¯s eyes gleamed in excitement. That definitely spelled good news for them. That being said, he didn¡¯t think that ¡®Academic¡¯ or ¡®Guardian¡¯ would make a move any time soon. Given the current circumstances, even fellow members of the Assembly would have to think twice before aiding one another, not to mention that he was likely to be viewed as an ¡®unknown variable¡¯ at the moment. So, he decided to take this waiting period to rest up. Lilian had fought for two consecutive days now and direly needed rest whereas Roel was still suffering from the effects of cier. Once the adrenaline from the reunion died down, all that was left was fatigue. After making arrangements, Roel brought Lilian back into his room in order to rest. It was so as to not look out of ce since they were currently assuming the identity of lovers, but even if they could, they wouldn¡¯t want to be separated from one another at this juncture. On one hand was their nervousness from having lost one another right after entering the Witness State, and on the other was the problem of their safety. They were currently spies in the enemy camp, so it would be much safer for them to move together. Lilian was well aware of that too, but they still ended up getting into a quarrel with one another regarding that. ¡°I¡¯m your older sister, so you should be the one sleeping on the bed.¡± ¡°How can I let you sleep on the floor? You take the bed instead.¡± The two of them were convinced in their stances and refused to budge an inch, but they eventually came to apromise. Considering that they were in an enemy camp, they decided to take turns. One of them would sleep while the other stood guard. Technically speaking, Roel hadn¡¯t slept for five days now¡ªhe could hardly catch a winkst night due to the lingering cold aura from cier. Even with his enhanced constitution as a transcendent, he was already at his limit. Inparison, Lilian had only stayed up for two nights after entering the Witness State. So, it was decided that Roel would rest first. It was nearly midnight by the time they finished up their dinner and retired to their rooms. For the first half of the night, Roel slept peacefully under Lilian¡¯s protection. Having a kin by his side gave him an ease of mind that allowed him to sleep peacefully. The usually boring sentry duty was also oddly enjoyable for Lilian too. Just by looking at the young man fast asleep on the bed, she couldn¡¯t stop her lips from creeping upward. It was a really weird feeling for her. The sudden arrival of someone important in her life made her feel as if she had fallen deep in love. Thinking about him made her happy, and seeing him induced a strong urge to get close to him. Even just listening to his breathing filled her heart with warmth. She had never felt this way before, and she cherished it greatly. But at the same time, she knew that such happiness was only good in small portions, same as sweet sugar. Having too much of it would only twist the nature of their rtionship. She feared that her feelings would go haywire once more under the effects of her bloodline if she were to get too immersed into it. With a reluctant sigh, she walked away from the bedroom and headed to the little lounge a small distance away. ... When Roel opened his eyes once more, he found himself sitting on a familiar jade throne. Unlike the first time he came here, the sky waspletely dark. There were no torches in the audience room to provide illumination, but a faint glow wasing from the purple flowers in the flower field beneath. It looked like he was surrounded by a sea of twinkling stars, making it all feel surreal. A white-haired witch dressed in a dark-colored gown was currently sitting in the midst of the flower field. Her madder red eyes were focused on the flowers around her as she carefully picked out those that were in full bloom. There was already a bundle of them in her hands. What¡¯s she doing? Are witches interested in flowers too? Roel stared at the silhouette beneath silently, not making a noise at all. However, there was no way he could conceal his presence from Artasia. ¡°Wee back, my hero. Can you give me a moment?¡± Artasia lifted her head and greeted him with a delighted smile, not surprised by his arrival at all. Roel nodded his head in response, intrigued as to what she was up to. A momentter, Artasia plucked another beautiful flower before directing a hard look at the flowers she had gathered in her arms. After a careful scan, she nodded in satisfaction. ¡°This should be enough,¡± she said with a mesmerizing smile. The next moment, she appeared right in front of Roel and showed him the flowers with a gleeful look on her face, almost as if she was asking for hispliments. ¡°Hehe, how is it? These are Reverie Flowers exclusive to my domain. Aren¡¯t they beautiful?¡± ¡°Yes, they are.¡± ¡°What a relief! I was worried that you wouldn¡¯t like them. There should be no problem using them as materials then.¡± ¡°Materials?¡± asked Roel doubtfully. Artasia nodded in response. ¡°Yeap, materials.¡± As she spoke, she released her grip over the flowers and opened her arms wide. Instead of falling to the ground, the flowers floated in ce and started intertwining with one another. In a matter of moments, a crown was weaved out of the flowers. ¡°This is the crown that I have specially made for you, my hero. Do you like it?¡± asked Artasia innocently. Chapter 304: Artasia’s Summon

Chapter 304: Artasia¡¯s Summon

Before the throne in the audience room, the beautiful white-haired witch held a flower wreath in her hands as she directed a radiant smile at the ck-haired man before her. ¡°How is it? Would you like to give it a try?¡± she said enticingly. Roel felt his desires surging upon hearing her voice. He stared at the flower wreath in Artasia¡¯s hands in a trance, but his golden eyes suddenly glowed brightly. A momentter, he regained his rationality. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Thanks for the offer, but I¡¯m not interested,¡± he replied as his heart thumped in fright over how he had nearly fallen for her ploy. Artasia first pouted in response to the rejection before sighing deeply. ¡°It took me a long time to gather these flowers. Don¡¯t you think that a crown would look good on you?¡± ¡°... Crown is indeed my Origin Attribute, but it¡¯s not my pursuit,¡± replied Roel. He rose to his feet and took a step away from Artasia¡¯s throne. He looked into her eyes and spoke resolutely. ¡°Artasia, don¡¯t try to tempt me with such stuff anymore. I¡¯m not interested in bing king.¡± ¡°... Haa, I should have known.¡± After a moment of silence, Artasia ced the flower wreath on her own head before leaning toward Roel. She came so close to him that it almost looked like she was going to kiss him, forcing him to retreat half a step. ¡°This is troubling. Is it because I¡¯ve witnessed far too many rises and falls over the course of history? Much time has passed since Sia¡¯s departure. The rest of us have all given up, but your people still remain steadfast in your responsibilities... Oh well, I kind of expected such an oue anyway,¡± she said as she slowly straightened her posture. It looked like she had given up the idea of tempting him with the allure of power for now. Roel looked at her contemtively. ¡°Artasia, just what is your true goal?¡± ¡°My goal? I¡¯ve already told you. I hope that you can have that woman be my host...¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t the truth, right? Or at least not theplete one,¡± Roel interjected. Artasia blinked her eyes at the conclusion he hade to. She tilted her head slightly and asked in intrigue. ¡°What makes you say so?¡± ¡°Witches are witches because they can¡¯t beprehended by conventional thinking. I initially thought that your goal is to be revived in the real world, but as I thought deeper into it, I found myself wondering if it was really possible for the goal of the Witch Queen to be something that mundane.¡± Roel¡¯s words surprised Artasia. She was taken aback for a moment before the corners of her lips began creeping upward. Her eyes curled in pleasure, as if the doubts he was throwing her way amused her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too rash toe to a conclusion over mere rumors? Who says that a witch has to be scheming? It¡¯s not good to hold onto stereotypes.¡± ¡°Stereotypes? You¡¯re one to talk. You seem to believe that men like women who fawn on them. It¡¯s quite obvious through your gestures, expressions, and tone.¡± ¡°How rude. Why can¡¯t I be an adorable little witch?¡± ¡°Artasia, you have not called me by my name ever since our first introduction.¡± ¡°...¡± It was yet another remark that surprised Artasia, and the smile on her lips grew even wider. ¡°You have been addressing me as ¡®my hero¡¯ thus far because you knew that I¡¯ve given you a false name. You must have used some kind of means to verify it right away.¡± Roel stared at Artasia with narrowed eyes as he spoke with an icy-cold tone. ¡°What did you use? A curse? Or some sort of spell?¡± ¡°... Wuu! Am I that horrible of a person in your mind? How could I possibly curse my hero?¡± Faced with Roel¡¯s searing re, Artasia¡¯s face reddened as she pouted unhappily, but her tone sounded oddly cheery. ¡°I only tested the name ¡®Ro¡¯ using my Introspection Spell, but it waspletely ineffective.¡± ¡°Introspection Spell?¡± ¡°Yeap! Even I don¡¯t have the ability to see through the Crown. You¡¯re an enigmatic entity for someone like me who always knows what others are thinking. How am I supposed to deal with someone like you?¡± Artasia¡¯s disposition was slowly changing along with her words. She was starting to reveal her true self. The adorable act she had been putting on all this while was slowly being reined in, reced with aposed but euphoric smile. ¡°Thanks to my hero, I was able to experience what it¡¯s like to be a woman. For the first time in my life, I was left wondering what I had to do in order to win a man¡¯s goodwill, and I found myself feeling uncertain whether I could score points with you by making a certain gesture.¡± ¡°It was all an act?¡± ¡°Nope! I concede that I did have ulterior motives, but most of what you see of me is real.¡± Artasia touched her chest as her madder red eyes further narrowed in delight. ¡°I was sincere when I said that we go well with one another. Despite my best attempts to conceal my nature, you were still able to see through a part of me.¡± ¡°This is only a part of you? Just how vile must the whole of you be?¡± ¡°Uwuu, that¡¯s too much! Those words really wound my fragile heart.¡± Artasia lowered her gaze pitifully as she pouted in indignance. Soon, a thought came to her mind and she pped her hands. ¡°Ah, I ought to offer you a reward since you did manage to see through me.¡± ¡°A reward?¡± ¡°Yeap! It¡¯s a clue to deepen our rtionship.¡± Artasia began gesturing gracefully as if a teacher lecturing her students. ¡°My hero, are you aware that all witches have a strong fixation on something? My fixation is with the concept of ¡®dilemma¡¯.¡± ¡°Dilemma?¡± ¡°Yeap. I meant it when I told you that I want that woman.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think aboutying your hands on my senior.¡± Roel looked at Artasia with aposed gaze as he spoke with an equallyposed tone. His ability to keep his emotions in check here only made him look even more frightening. Seeing this, Artasia¡¯s smile began warping enigmatically. ¡°Is that so? Well well, we¡¯ll see about that.¡± Artasia did a little curtsy, signalling the end of their discussion. Following her actions, Roel found his consciousness slowly blurring away. It didn¡¯t take long before he returned to deep sleep. ... ¡°!¡± It was in the middle of the night when Roel woke up once more. The room waspletely silent. The bed beneath him felt sofortable that it was hard to tear himself away from it. After several hours of rest, his physical condition was much better than before, though the same couldn¡¯t be said about his mental condition. Damn that Artasia! There¡¯s really a problem with that woman! While Roel was thinking such thoughts, he suddenly received a notification from the System. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾You have acquired a new skill!¡¿ ¡¾Artasia¡¯s Descent Select a woman to be the host of Witch Queen Artasia. Artasia¡¯s strength will be determined by the physical constitution of the selected host. Use: 1¡¿ ¡°... That woman!¡± muttered Roel with a deep frown. Unlike the spells he had received from Grandar and Peytra in the previous Witness States, Artasia¡¯s Summoning was not an enhancement spell but a tribute spell. There was no doubt that summoning the Witch Queen was a huge deal¡ªit could possibly be one of the strongest spells in the world. However, the fact that Artasia¡¯s strength was determined by the strength of the tribute meant that he couldn¡¯t just use a random passer-by for it. If he ever found himself in a situation where he needed the Witch Queen¡¯s help, it was likely that he would require overwhelming power to make aeback. If so, he would have to tribute a powerful female transcendent, or else it would be all in vain. On top of that, the fact that this spell could only be used once pretty much meant that it was an ultimatum from Artasia. In a sense, Artasia had handed Roel a knife, giving him the right to decide whom he wanted to stab or whether he wanted to stab anyone at all. But at the same time, she also made her will extremely clear. She wanted Lilian. That was the ideal host for her. But this was something Roel would never allow. She was his only bloodline kin in the world, the second possessor of the Ascart Bloodline in the same era. The odds of something like this urring was infinitesimal¡ªit was practically a miracle. And he cherished this gift from the world greatly. Before he knew it, Lilian had already upied an important position in his heart. Same as how Lilian viewed everyone who tried to harm and insult him as her enemy, Roel felt the same way too. He wouldn¡¯t tolerate any harming to his older sister. Even if he were to put his feelings aside and analyze it from a rational point of view, he still couldn¡¯t afford to use this spell on Lilian. Was Artasia aiming to upy Lilian¡¯s body just so as to preserve a greater degree of her powers? That could be part of the reason, but Roel definitely didn¡¯t think that was all to it. What she truly wanted was the Ascart Bloodline, and Lilian was a unique one even amongst possessors of the Ascart Bloodline. Lilian was a true prodigy. Even without the correct Origin Attribute to pair with her bloodline, she was still able to draw out the powers of the Ascart Bloodline in her own way, paving a new path for herself. What would happen if Artasia were to upy such a body and revive in the real world? That would spell the creation of an ultimate being who possessed both the powers of the Ascart Bloodline and the Witch Queen. On top of that, one shouldn¡¯t forget that Lilian was the imperial princess of the Austine Empire, a potential sessor to the throne. She had vast resources at her disposal. With such power and influence in her grasp, the entire Sia Continent might just end up as her ything! Using the spell wouldn¡¯t just hurt Lilian. It would also potentially put his family, friends, and even the whole of humankind in danger! No matter what, I mustn¡¯t use this spell. Roel looked at the silver moon outside the window as he made up his mind. Chapter 305: Irreplaceable

Chapter 305: Irreceable

Roel took a nce at the clock on the wall and sighed helplessly. He quickly got up and started tidying up his appearance. Based on what he had agreed on with Lilian, they were supposed to have already changed shifts by now. However, she didn¡¯te in to wake him up. I guess it¡¯s a good thing that my encounter with Artasia allowed me to wake up in time, or else I might have slept till the following day. After tidying himself up, he walked out of the bedroom and saw Lilian sitting gracefully on the lounge outside, diligently guarding the area. She was a little surprised to see Roel up and moving around. She had just checked on him a while ago and he was still fast asleep then. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Did something happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s time for us to change shifts. You should have woken me up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stronger than you. Besides, it¡¯s only right for me, as the older sister, to take care of my younger brother.¡± ¡°...¡± Lilian¡¯s insistent attitude made Roel sigh yet again. ¡°Go to sleep right now,¡± he said. ¡°But...¡± ¡°Preserving the condition of the elites is one of the basic principles of warfare. My fighting prowess is greatly restricted here, so it¡¯s likely that I¡¯d need your help on many thingster on.¡± ¡°... I understand.¡± Hearing that she was needed put Lilian in a good mood, and she obediently marched off to sleep. Meanwhile, Roel stretched his body a little before finally settling down on the sofa. He was ready to deal with any fights that would be breaking out tonight. There was another reason why he chose to sleep first¡ªthe movement patterns of the monsters in the Salvation Legion. Those ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures tended to move in the middle of the night, so he specifically chose to stand sentry at this time so that he could respond to any emergency calls for help without having to trouble Lilian. His prediction proved to be wildly off the mark. There was no emergency tonight at all. In fact, the frontlines were calmer than ever. What¡¯s going on? Is the Salvation Brotherhood holding themselves back out of fear of Lilian¡¯s strength? Unable to find reasons to rationalize this bizarre peacefulness, Roel felt deeply uneasy, as if he had overlooked something very important. His thoughts were soon disrupted with a shouting from the bedroom. ¡°Roel!¡± ¡°!¡± Roel dashed into the bedroom the moment he heard Lilian¡¯s shout, but there were no enemies in the room. There was only a trembling Lilian sitting on the bed, breathing raggedly. Did she have a nightmare? Noticing how Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes were quivering uneasily, Roel reproached himself for his carelessness. Too many things had happened recently that he had forgotten that Lilian wasn¡¯t in the right state of mind at the moment. Right before entering the Witness State, she witnessed the gruesome corpse of one of her acquaintances. The revtion that they were bloodline kin distracted her from the trauma for a moment, but she swiftly received her second shock when the two of them were forcefully separated from one another in the Witness State, putting her in a worse condition. She could still suppress her traumas and fears with her logical mind when she was awake, but when she finally let down her guard in her sleep, it was inevitable that everything woulde biting her in the form of a nightmare. Roel felt his heart ache for her. ¡°Senior, calm down. I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°... Roel.¡± Watching as Roel walked over to the side of the bed while whispering words of constion to her, Lilian stared at him nkly for a moment before abruptly lurching forward to hug him tightly. She greedily soaked herself in his warmth for a long while before her tense nerves finally loosened a little. Seeing this, Roel pulled a chair over to the bedside and settled her back down onto the bed. He continued holding onto her hand while gently coaxing her to sleep. ¡°Senior, I won¡¯t be going anywhere. I¡¯ll be sitting right here, so don¡¯t worry and go to sleep.¡± ¡°...¡± His words made Lilian feel a surge of embarrassment from her earlier disy of weakness, and she quickly hid half of her face under the nket. But at the same time, she didn¡¯t want to let go of his hand either. In the end, she gave a silent nod of agreement. She was supposed to head off to sleep, but her eyes kept sneaking their way toward him once every few seconds. This brought out another sigh from Roel. Knowing that she wouldn¡¯t get any rest at this rate, he decided to distract her with another topic first. ¡°What did you dream of earlier?¡± ¡°... A fight.¡± ¡°A fight?¡± ¡°Yes, it was chaotic. We ended up getting separated once more.¡± ¡°... I see.¡± Roel noddedprehendingly as he recalled how Lilian shouted his name earlier. It brought a surge of warmth into his heart. Back in Eyes of the Chronicler, Lilian¡¯s nightmare had been mostly about the dead acquaintance she had seen in the wine cer, but over here, she started dreaming about the two of them being separated instead. This showed that he held a very important position in her heart, and it would be a lie if he were to say that he wasn¡¯t happy about it. The topic naturally came to an end here, so Roel began searching for other stuff to talk about. He suddenly recalled something, and after a moment of hesitation, he decided to voice his thoughts aloud. ¡°Senior, about the army youmanded earlier in the day, they are summons too, right? You mentioned that you have never been to the Witness State before, so how did you obtain those summons? Ah, you don¡¯t have to talk about it if it¡¯s inconvenient for you. I¡¯m just asking out of curiosity.¡± Roel had avoided mentioning Lilian¡¯s army as probing into another transcendent¡¯s ability was not only rude¡ªit wasmonly perceived as an act of aggression. Even after choosing to ask about it, he made sure to cushion the question so that she wouldn¡¯t feel offended by it. But to his surprise, Lilian stared at him for a moment before chuckling softly. ¡°There are no secrets I can¡¯t share with you. I obtained my armies through relics.¡± ¡°Relics?¡± ¡°Yes. From a young age, whenever I touched things like military gs, shields, and insignias, I would find myself entering a strange dream. In the dream, I would encounter knights who promised to pledge their loyalty to me if I were to fulfill their wishes. These wishes mostly consisted of recording their achievements, rebuilding armies, and cleansing their reputation.¡± Roel widened his eyes in surprise upon hearing those words. He didn¡¯t think that Lilian¡¯s armies were obtained so... easily. Well, saying that she had obtained them easily wasn¡¯t exactly urate either. Lilian was able to easily fulfill their wishes thanks to the massive influence she wielded as the imperial princess of the Austine Empire, allowing her to easily aplish deeds that could have otherwise taken another person his entire lifetime to achieve. As for why she had never entered the Witness State, it was probably because humans weren¡¯t strong enough to sustain a domain of their own, unlike Grandar or Peytra. Having solved the mystery bugging his mind, Roel heaved a sigh of relief and steered the conversation back to her nightmare. He held onto her hand tightly and smiled gently at her. ¡°I know that the nightmare you had was terrifying, but that will never happen. No matter what kind of ordeal stands before us, we¡¯ll never be separated anymore.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s solemn promise caused Lilian to widen her eyes. A momentter, she pulled his hand over to her cheek and returned the promise with a doting look in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll never be separated anymore. I¡¯ll make sure to protect you well.¡± After a short sentimental conversation, Lilian finally fell asleep with a peace of mind. Roel heaved a sigh of relief before turning his attention back to his surroundings. The city of Leinster was oddly quiet tonight. There was no emergency report from the frontlines nor personnel walking down the corridors. It was an unnerving environment for Roel. It was under such silence that a ck silhouette suddenly shed across the window in his peripheral vision. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel quickly turned his attention toward the window, only to see a little bird with seven-colored feathers fluttering outside. Roel had seen plenty of birds with colorful feathers in his previous life too, but the one before him was unique in the sense that every single one of its feathers was emanating an iridescent glow. Its beauty was indubitably eye-catching, but what Roel was more interested in was the pendant hanging around its neck. It was the adamantine amber! Roel widened his eyes at the sight of the familiar token. He immediately understood what was going on. After a moment of contemtion, he released a faint mana pulsation from his finger,pelling the iridescent bird to nce at its chest, seemingly verifying something. A momentter, it flew over to Roel¡¯s side. It circled above his head and shook its body, causing the adamantine amber to fall into Roel¡¯s grasp together with one of its iridescent feathers. ¡°This is...¡± Roel eyed the drifting feather in intrigue, not understanding the meaning behind this gesture. However, before the feather couldnd, it suddenly morphed into an envelope with a sh of light. ¡°!¡± This sudden transformation caught Roel by surprise. He reached out to grab the glowing mana envelope. He first assessed it carefully before attempting to infuse his mana into it. Mana envelopes were usually enchanted with a seal created with the remnant mana retrieved from the receiver¡¯s possessions, which was presumably the adamantine amber in this case. In order to open the envelope, the receiver would have to infuse his mana into it in order to verify his identity. If this envelope wasn¡¯t unsealed within a certain period of time or was forcefully opened, it would trigger the enchanted seal and result in the envelope burning up. Knowing the trick behind it, Roel ced his finger on the wax seal and released the enchanted seal. Then, he retrieved the letter from the envelope and began reading it carefully. Slowly, his eyes started to widen. Just as he had expected, it was a handwritten letter from ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio from the Twilight Sages Assembly. He mentioned that the Saint Freya Academy was currently under the protection of a massive barrier, making it difficult for them to mobilize their forces beyond the scope of the academy. ¡®Academic¡¯ was also not in a good position to leave the academy for various reasons. However, in order to receive the two of them who were working undercover at the moment, he would be opening a small gap in the barrier along the northern face of the academy to bring them in. As long as they had this letter in their possession, they would be able to enter the academy without any problems. Working undercover? Roel figured that Antonio must have misunderstood something here, but this wasn¡¯t a big issue. In any case, it came as a huge relief that they were able to seek refuge within the Saint Freya Academy. This meant that he would be able to move on to the next stage of his n. He noticed that the letter was signed off by ¡®Academic¡¯ and ¡®Guardian¡¯, though this wasn¡¯t anything too surprising. He was just about to stash away the letter when realization struck him. He quickly took out the letter once more and stared hard at one of the names. Goosebumps raised all over his body. Astrid Arde. ¡°!¡± Chapter 306: Meteor Shower

Chapter 306: Meteor Shower

Astrid Arde. Roel found his mind nking out the moment he saw that name. Arde? Are they the Ardes that I know of? The Ardes were known as the Shadow Eagle of the Ancient Austine Empire, the predecessors of the Ascart House. Roel was stunned for a moment before his heart started pounding in excitement. He never thought that there would still be surviving members of an ancient household that couldn¡¯t even be found in the records anymore. This exined why ¡®Academic¡¯ was a core member of the Twilight Sages Assembly. It turned out that the other party was actually one of their own! There was no doubt that Astrid Arde was bound to have many of the answers to the mysteries he had been pursuing thus far given that she was from the Arde House and a core member of the Twilight Sages Assembly. If he could, he would sprout wings and fly over right away. No no no, I need to calm down. He quickly snapped out of his excitement to reconsider his situation. There was no problem with him heading to the northern wall of the Saint Freya Academy to meet up with ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio, but he was a little reluctant to leave just like that after the trouble he had gone through to pass off as the Holy Envoy. It was likely that the Salvation Brotherhood chose not to make a move tonight because they were in the midst of converging their forces tounch a devastating assault. This meant that there was a high chance they would strike the following night. If Roel were to leave at this juncture, the Saints Convocation would surely swiftly crumble after losing its pir of support. By then, the Salvation Brotherhood would surely turn their full attention toward sieging the Saint Freya Academy. It would be good if I could make onest move against the Salvation Brotherhood before taking my leave. A smile slowly formed on Roel¡¯s face. ... The first thing Lilian felt when she woke up the following morning was a warmth on her right hand. This is... Ah, it¡¯s Roel. He¡¯s still here. She remembered what happened the previous night, and her face immediately reddened in embarrassment. That being said, she was still happy that Roel had stayed by her side throughout the entire night. There wasn¡¯t any need for Roel to continue holding onto her hand after she had fallen asleep, but he still did it anyway as if he was fulfilling a promise to her. This waspletely unexpected to her, and in a way, it showed just how important Lilian was to Roel. A warm fuzzy feeling welling up in her heart filled her with great motivation, and she felt like the world around her was glowing. This unprecedented experience bewildered her, but at the same time, it intoxicated her too. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± Lilian greeted Roel back with a gentle smile, but a sudden bout of self-awareness suddenly struck her, and she quickly covered her face. ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°I... need to tidy myself up first,¡± said Lilian with a reddened face. It took a while before realization struck Roel, and he quickly took his leave. Lilian would usually have a bath to cleanse herself every morning, but as there were no servants in the castle and many of its facilities were spoiled, she had no choice but toe to apromise. She tidied up her appearance before appearing in front of Roel once more. Roel took a look at her, but he didn¡¯t think that there was anything different about her. In the end, he could only attribute it to her natural beauty. After this small incident, he began filling her in about the envelope he receivedst night. The content of the envelope said that Astrid and Antonio were currently under the orders of the Assembly to protect a magic tool. Given that humankind was currently threatened by the deviants, the magic tool had to be of significant importance for them to entrust it into ¡®Academic¡¯s¡¯ hands. If Roel¡¯s gut feeling was right, the magic tool was the reason why the Salvation Brotherhood staged an uprising at this juncture. On top of that, this incident could very well be rted to the downfall of the Assembly too judging from the timeline. Lilian listened to his exnation and nodded her head contemtively, but another revtion from Roel left her stunned. ¡°Lord Astrid is my ancestor?¡± ¡°Yes. Well, to be exact, she¡¯s the ancestor of our Ascart House, but since you bear the Ascart Bloodline too, it stands to reason that you have some sort of blood tie with the Arde House as well.¡± Familial bloodlines wouldn¡¯t appear out of nowhere. The most likely reason why Lilian was different from the other Ackermanns in the present era was due to the ¡®Restoration of Primordial Bloodline¡¯, simr to Charlotte¡¯s case. However, it would probably take some time for her to ept the fact that her bloodline wasn¡¯t as ¡®pure¡¯ as the rest of the imperial family. After rying this important information to Lilian, Roel decided to give her some time to think over the matters by herself. He had his breakfast before summoning the disciples of the Saints Convocation to discuss war ns. He had already thought of how he could make use of the Saints Convocation¡ªhe wanted tounch an attack against the Salvation Brotherhood. Sometimes, instead of waiting for an opportunity to arrive, it might be better to create the opportunity with your own hands, especially when time was not on your side. Roel¡¯s n was to have the Saints Convocation carry out a hugeeback tonight, but what was different was that Roel wouldn¡¯t be buffing everyone from the frontlines anymore. Instead, he would be moving together with Lilian to lure the Salvation Legion away. As powerful as the ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures were, they were unintelligent beings. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to kite them away from the frontlines before dashing straight to the Saint Freya Academy to seek refuge. Meanwhile, the remaining members of the Saints Convocation would be free tounch an all-out attack against the members of the Salvation Brotherhood and settle their scores. While the Saints Convocation was made up of evil cultists, Roel had to admit that they did help him greatly during this period of time. In a sense, he was indeed helping them by luring the monsters away so that they could possibly make aeback. Otherwise, they would be doomed anyway. The Saints Convocation would get their chance to turn the tables on the Salvation Brotherhood, and Roel would be able to escape to the Saint Freya Academy. It was a fair exchange. Having decided on his n, Roel did onest pep talk for the disciples of the Mother Goddess before they split into three teams and headed toward various ces in Leinster to wait for nightfall. ... It was going to be a restless night for Leinster. The moment the evening sun fell, Antonio leaped on top of the northern walls of the Saint Freya Academy. At the southwest of the city, the ck Salvation Legion began marching out of buildings in hordes. At the northeast of the city, majestic war horns began sounding. Under the veil of the night, a knight order donning pale blue armor suddenly appeared on the frontlines in a matter of seconds. The emergence of a legendary knight order from the annals of history was impressive, but it did little to rouse Roel¡¯s spirits. Just a few hours ago, he received intelligence regarding the movements of the Salvation Brotherhood¡ªsurprisingly, they chose to take a defensive stance. This was something iprehensible to Roel. Given Sartoni¡¯s domineering personality, it was hard to imagine that he would be able to rein himself in for two straight days. The unexpectedly quiet frontlines made him uneasy, and he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about Artasia¡¯s enigmatic smile prior to their parting. The two of them ought to be safe once they entered the Saint Freya Academy, which meant that whatever ns Artasia had in store would be unraveled... but would things really proceed that smoothly? Roel began having second thoughts about the ns he had put into motion, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a warm body leaning toward him. ¡°A penny for your thoughts?¡± ¡°Senior... I-it¡¯s nothing. I just feel like something is off here,¡± said Roel with a strained expression. Lilian sighed softly as well. With her wits, how could she be oblivious to the queerness of the current development? There was no doubt that they werecking a crucial piece of intelligence, and the miscalction resulting from that could unravel all of their ns. But they had no choice but to make a move right now. ¡°Our position will only worsen if we drag it out. We can only try our best to push through.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Upon hearing Lilian¡¯s words, Roel took two deep breaths to calm himself down before the two of them began making their way toward their destination. With the ring of the war horns, the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Lionheart Armyunched a fierce assault on the key intersections all over Leinster. Their job was to clear a path for Roel and Lilian while attracting the attention of the Salvation Legion. As a result, a weird procession reminiscent of a float parade appeared at the frontlines of the battlefield. Under the cover of the blue knights, Roel and Lilian walked through the crowded streets almost as if it was a wedding. It was just that they were greeted not with the cheers of the crowd but the growls of the ck-armored soldiers. After an hour of patrolling, the Lionheart Army began to converge toward where Roel and Lilian were, luring most of the monsters at the frontlines together with them. Under the cover of the army, the two of them began making their way toward the north walls of the Saint Freya Academy. As they began toe close to their destination, Roel finally heaved a sigh of relief. However, Lilian began frowning instead. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong, senior?¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t hear any war horns over at the eastern side.¡± ¡°The eastern side?¡¯ Roel blinked his eyes as he turned toward the dark eastern side of the city, bewildered. Were the Lionheart Army dispatched to that area wiped out? No, that can¡¯t be. Roel shook his head and denied the possibility. He was fairly well-versed in military strategies, and he didn¡¯t believe that one of the renowned elite armies of the Ancient Austine Empire would be wiped out by a bunch of brainless monsters. But before he could figure out the reason, he suddenly saw a flicker of light shining in the distance. That...? Roel was first stunned by the sudden outburst of light that swiftly lit up the night sky before his face slowly warped in horror. It was a destructive burst of mana, and it was heading in their direction. Chapter 307: The Sovereigns of a Race (1)

Chapter 307: The Sovereigns of a Race (1)

A meteor shower is falling upon Leinster. Such a thought surfaced in everyone¡¯s head the moment the night sky was illuminated by a blinding light. It was quite a mystical sight, celestial bodies descending upon the world with a beautiful glow, but witnesses of this event felt not awe but cold despair. ¡°Senior!¡± Everything had happened so quickly that Roel¡¯s surroundings were already dyed in white light by the time he sensed the danger. A long distance away, a ck-robed elder watched the meteor shower withplete nonchnce on his face. Priestley Maxwell. This was a name that people sang praises of in this era. The first image that came to people¡¯s minds upon mentioning him was a wise and gentle old man. Citizens of Brolne proimed him a Sage. Schrs dubbed him as the wisest speaker their country ever had. Transcendents revered him as the Magician King. Priestley had rued far too many merits over time for anyone to fully remember, and he shouldered the weight of humankind on his shoulders. Yet, as he watched destruction fall upon the city he had once loved and protected, all that could be seen on his face was cold solemnity. It had been a hundred years since he had defected to the Savior after his physical functions started to fail. He weaved an borate scheme within these hundred years, and victory seemed to be just within reach when an unexpected figure suddenly arrived in Leinster. The Ascarts. This was an ancient family with a long lineage that one must never lower one¡¯s guard before, especially when dealing with those who had awakened to their bloodline. Despite the heavy responsibilities they bore, they were also blessed with miraculous powers as well. Anything was possible once they got involved. This was Priestley¡¯s evaluation of them over the long years. It was like nothing was absolute before the Ascarts, be it seemingly unbreachable level difference or establishedws of the world. They were a trove of possibilities, often aplishing things that no one thought to be possible. It had been like this since the ancient era, and Priestley didn¡¯t think that this would be an exception. His murky eyes watched as Leinster trembled under his attack, but the two younglings he was aiming for weren¡¯t vaporized. As the blinding light finally dispersed, a massive skeleton and a humongous ck snake appeared around the two younglings. Half of the skeleton had melted under the meteor shower, and the ck snake seemed to be on itsst breath too. Despitecking souls, those two mana-manifested beings still managed to protect their master. As the manifestations of the ancient gods slowly dissipated, the ck-haired man spewed a mouthful of blood. Yet, the pain he suffered didn¡¯t seem to have undermined his fighting will. If anything, it made him even more resolute. ¡°cier.¡± With a murmur, he released a burst of white mist that rushed toward an old man holding onto a staff in the distance. At the same time, an unprecedentedly powerful burst of mana exploded from Lilian. War horns red deafeningly through the city as war cries started echoing around Priestley. Without any hesitation, the soldiers charged toward the culprit who had attempted to take their master¡¯s life. These soldiers came in different varieties. There was a unit of heavy infantry bearing kite shields inscribed with ferocious lions, mountedncers from the Blue Knight Order, and a division of archers wielding a mysterious magic engineered tool. Under the order of their queen, they swiftly moved to encircle their target. Within moments, devastating elemental arrows had already begun raining down on Priestley. Beside Lilian, a thousand red-cloaked mages raised their shimmering staffs up high and murmured esoteric chants. They were weaving an army spell that far surpassed what any individual magician could achieve on his own. After the unexpected assault from the enemy, both Roel and Lilian immediately retaliated with all their might. Their instincts told them that they had encountered a terrifying enemy that couldn¡¯t be evaluated withmon sense, and it would be unwise for them to pull any punches. Nevertheless, Roel¡¯splexion still looked incredibly awful. Lilian stepped forward and shielded him behind her, but her trembling arms revealed herck of confidence. The two of them could sense that the enemy hadn¡¯t used his full strength, and their guess wasn¡¯t wrong. The meteor shower that had shaken the whole of Leinster was nothing more than a greeting from Priestley. Even though he had specially made his way here in order to kill these two, he thought that it was beneath him to assassinate these younglings. It was his pride as the Magician King. Thousands of soldiers surrounded Priestley under the moonlight. Their war horns continued to re deafeningly around him. The earth trembled under the hooves of the war steeds. The sky was cloaked in arrows and frost. Yet, the ck-robed old man remained unfazed. He gazed upon the duo with perspicacious eyes for a long while before finally sighing softly. ¡°Remarkable,¡± he said. If Roel was able to tell the origins of these soldiers, how could a renowned schr like Priestley possibly not know? The eerie frost aura and the powerful army would probably have been enough to easily destroy any Origin Level 2 transcendent. Had he not fallen into darkness, he would have surely done everything he could to protect these two children. But those were nothing more than what-ifs. Faced with attacksing from all directions, Priestley¡¯s body suddenly emanated a brilliant glow that vaporized all of the elemental arrows. At the same time, the frost aura was also forcefully scattered. The old magician raised his staff up high, and the banshee idol sitting on the tip of his staff suddenly came to life. It opened its arms wide and let out a death cry. ¡°This is bad!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened in horror upon seeing the old man¡¯s staff. He reflexively thought of a holy weapon. Staff of Deathly Throes. Legend had it that a cursed banshee soul resided inside this staff. Once unleashed, the banshee would indiscriminately murder everyone in arge area. It had once taken ten thousand lives in a battle against the deviants. The moment the description of the terrifying holy weapon came to his mind, his spection was verified by cruel reality. Everything within a hundred meters of the old man copsed to the ground under the piercing shriek. Be it man or steed, those who stood in the face of the banshee¡¯s scream all lost their lives. Lilian was shocked by the turn of events, but a mere instant of hesitationter, she toughened her determination and ordered her soldiers to continue their death charge. There was no other choice. She had to buy time for the mages in order to finish their army spell regardless of the cost. Corpses inevitably stacked up as the valiant soldiers charged toward the enemy, but none of them were able to even reach the ten-meters radius around Priestley. It was an absolutely tragic sight. The only one immune to the cries of the banshee was Grandar, but without a soul, the skeleton giant was unable to pose a threat to Priestley at all. The frost aura and rain of arrows continued surging toward Priestley, but they were dispersed and vaporized before they could deal any damage. Every second on the battlefield felt like years to Roel and Lilian. It was only when the mages¡¯ chants finally came to a halt and the inexplicable pressure from the sky became so huge that it couldn¡¯t be disregarded anymore that hope finally rekindled in Lilian¡¯s eyes. The long preparation time for ¡®Army Spell: Divine Strike¡¯ was finallypleted. The moment the war horns fell silent, the thousand red-cloaked mages raised their staffs up in unison, and a blinding white sphere reminiscent of a sun emerged from the dark sky and illuminated the city. As if divine retribution, it began gravitating toward Priestley. This spell was channeled by over a thousand mages and was impossible to dodge. The mana pulsationing from it was so strong that it altered Roel¡¯s perception of what was possible for transcendents. Just as its name suggested, it was like divine retribution from the gods. Faced with this attack that sought to purge the world, Priestley finally stowed away the Staff of Deathly Throes and resorted to his bloodline ability. He sliced an incision on his palm and squeezed his blood out. The moment his blood dripped onto the ground, intense ripples of mana swept through the surroundings, and grass began sprouting from the barren ground. A mystical tree imbued with a dazzling light began rising from the ground, drawing in countless spirits that started cavorting around it. Just like that, an ethereal paradise was born in the center of a battlefield dyed in darkness and blood. The divine retribution finally fell onto the ground and ravaged everything that stood in its path, but the paradise remained unfazed as if it was a sanctuary for sinners. A dirt storm swept across the surroundings as explosions and shockwaves tore apart everything within a thousand-meter radius, but Priestley remainedpletely unharmed. ¡ª Chapter 307.5: The Sovereigns of a Race (2)

Chapter 307.5: The Sovereigns of a Race (2)

¡°What a rare army spell.¡± Under therge dazzling tree, Priestley watched as the white sun slowly dissipated above him as he offered a rarepliment. ¡°It¡¯s an amazing level ofpletion for a spell with a convoluted chant. I reckon only a behemoth like the Ancient Austine Empire would have the resources to build such a disciplined army of mages. What a pity it is that spells are ineffective against me.¡± The Magician King murmured to himself leisurely, almost as if it was all a walk in the park for him. Unexpectedly, he received a reply to his remark. ¡°If spells won¡¯t work, what about this?¡± A pair of golden eyes glowed brightly amidst the dust and darkness. A congregation of frost aura so dense that it felt corporeal gushed through the wall of dust and struck squarely on Priestley¡¯snky body. Thetter clearly didn¡¯t expect that an attack would actually be able to breach this sacred sanctuary. Before he could make any move, he had already been reduced to an ice sculpture. Therge dazzling tree towering at the center of the sanctuary swiftly sensed the unnatural condition of its master and began emanating its light once more. However, under Lilian¡¯s army spell and Roel¡¯s all-out onught with cier¡¯s Touch, even this mystical tree that seemed to transcend human understanding started to fail. After several seconds of stand-off, it was finally frozen together with its master. The spirits scattered, and the grassfield morphed into a cier. It was only when everything had been frozen that Roel finally ced his hands down, panting rapidly. Everything fell to silence. Lilian quickly rushed to his side, and the two of them stared at the ice sculptures before them silently. Despite the tense battle, everything had gone ording to the countermeasures they had developed beforehand. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t have made ns beforehand when they had already anticipated a possible encounter with Priestley. Their strategy was to have Lilian feign an attack while Roel used the powers of the Crown¡¯s Stone to push for a quick victory. The frost aura from cier Creator could be easily dispersed with mana, but its effects were absolute as long as he couldnd a direct hit on the target. This was the only sure way they knew that could bring down an Origin Level 1 transcendent. In the first ce, it was unthinkable for them to triumph over a man known as the Magician King in a battle of magic spells, and reality had proven them right. Even after their n hade to fruition, Roel still didn¡¯t let his guard down. He began to channel his mana once more to smash the ice sculpture so as to end Priestley once and for all, but a premonition suddenly struck his heart. He lowered his head to take a look, only to widen his eyes in shock the next moment. At some point in time, Priestley¡¯s shadow had split into five. ¡°Shit!¡± Roel instinctively realized that Priestley had a countermeasure and things were going to turn awry... and he was right. Four of the shadows decisively abandoned the frozen old man and started converging elsewhere. Without any hesitation, Roel gathered everyst bit of frost aura to st the four shadows, but it was in vain. It was impossible for ice to trap shadows, even for cier Creator. Lilian immediately ordered her mage order to attack the four shadows, but it was futile as well. Even amongst the intense bombardment of spells, Priestley still managed to rebuild his body to stand before the world once more. The moment his body was reformed, he released the same glow as before to ward off the frost aura and spells. ¡°What a surprise. I never thought that I would be killed once here. Young man, that ability of yours originates from the Crown¡¯s Stone, right?¡± ¡°!¡± Priestley¡¯s expression no longer looked as rxed as before. He stared hard at Roel¡¯s face for a long time before uttering words with overflowing killing intent. ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re far too dangerous... It¡¯s truly a relief that you¡¯re still too young,¡± remarked Priestley. The next moment, the old man took a step forward for the first time in the battle... ... and the world changed. An indescribably powerful explosion of mana rushed out from his body, feeling almost like a nuclear explosion. Priestley¡¯s murky eyes lit up brilliantly. Hisnky body suddenly looked iparably tall, almost like a towering giant. Countless smithereens lying around within a thousand-meter radius were sted into the sky, and even the clouds above parted into two like subjects paying respects to their king. Fear. This was the first time Roel felt such an emotion after awakening to his bloodline. No matter what kind of enemy he had faced in the past, even before the manifestation of cmity, Sire Darkness, he had never felt such deep innate fear. Unimaginable pressure crushed down on him from all directions, stripping him of his ability to move. His surroundings turned into a nk white void. Priestley stood powerfully before him, like a god with everything in his grasp. Even just looking at him was enough to instill deep pain in Roel¡¯s head. ¡°It¡¯s your conceit that led to your downfall, young man. You must have triumphed over the odds and achieved the impossible with your bloodline ability on several asions. Perhaps, you might have even defeated enemies far stronger than yourself. ¡°Ironically, that eroded your sense of fear. You know not of your limits. Origin Level 4. You should have never appeared before me until you have at least reached Origin Level 3.¡± Priestley¡¯s words were deep and powerful. His simple words boomed like rumbling lightning in Roel¡¯s head, making him cognizant of the fatal error he had made. At some point in time, after sessfully bringing down even an Origin Level 2 transcendent with the help of the ancient gods and the power of the Crown¡¯s Stone, Roel had started to underestimate his enemies. He thought that since he could bring down an Origin Level 2 transcendent while he was at Origin Level 5, surely there was hope in defeating an Origin Level 1 transcendent at Origin Level 4. But was that really the case? The answer was clear as day now. A transcendent¡¯s strength didn¡¯t scale linearly with each breakthrough; it scaled exponentially. The gap between an Origin Level 2 and Origin Level 5 couldn¡¯t even begin topare with the gap between an Origin Level 1 and Origin Level 4. Origin Level 1 was the highest fighting power of humankind, the dignity of humans. It was the reason why humans could fight with the other races for survival. It was the peak reached only by the most talented ones amongst billions of humans. They were gods encapsted in human form! Regardless of whether they were good or evil, they were indubitably the uncrowned kings of the world. What they represented wasn¡¯t a country or a race; they represented the whole of humankind. They were the Sovereigns of Humankind. Even real gods would have to step aside when a Sovereign of Humankind roared. Roel would have to pay the price for underestimating such an existence. ¡°Be buried with your arrogance,¡± murmured Priestley. With a raise of his staff, an invisible force began rippling outward from him. It looked gentle like a pebble dropped into ake, but what Roel experienced waspletely different from what it looked like. ¡°Roel!¡± Lilian shouted his name, but Roel was unable to move or talk at all. He could only desperately release his frost aura and protect himself, but even that was meaningless. The ripples pierced right through his barrier of frost aura, and sharp pain ripped through his body. His internal organs ruptured as blood and flesh sttered everywhere. Having never suffered such severe injuries before, Roel spurted a huge mouthful of blood. Behind him, Lilian also moaned in pain. Meanwhile, Priestley continued gazing upon the duo with cold impassive eyes. The tables were turned in just a few short seconds. Chapter 308: Lilian’s Lie (1)

Chapter 308: Lilian¡¯s Lie (1)

I¡¯m going to die. As Priestley walked closer, Roel reflexively understood what was going to befall him. The severity of his injuries caused his sight to darken, but right before he crumbled to the floor, a hand suddenly reached out to support him. It was a woman with blood seeping from the corner of her lips. They were faced with a frighteningly formidable enemy, but Lilian didn¡¯t back down despite being fully aware of the dangers. Instead, she stood upright and walked toward the source of the terrifying mana. ¡°Roel might not have reached Origin Level 3, but I have,¡± said Lilian. She directed a strained smile at the immobile Roel before abruptly opening her hand toward the sky. Golden fragments seeped out from her palm and scattered on the surviving soldiers and mages. Is that... broken fragments of the Crown?, Roel thought with his fading consciousness. ¡°Stop him,¡± ordered Lilian. The scattering golden light raised the prowess of Lilian¡¯s knights to Origin Level 3, and the mana of her mages also grew considerably stronger. Yet, Priestley remained unfazed before his buffed up enemies. It had been decades since he had gone all out, but he was still the dominator of the battlefield. It didn¡¯t matter how many enemies stood before him. ¡°Struggling in futility; how meaningless.¡± ¡°It may appear meaningless to you, Magician King, but I¡¯m the older sister of this child.¡± Despite the immense pressure that left her feeling as if her blood flow had screeched to a halt, Lilian raised her trembling hands and gently touched Roel¡¯s face. The powerful mana pulsation rippling from Priestley tugged at her ck hair, and her amethyst eyes narrowed from pain. But when she raised her head once more, all that could be seen was determination. ¡°What matters is that I see meaning in it.¡± ¡°... Useless sentiments. You¡¯re only bringing death upon yourself,¡± replied the fallen Magician King impassively. He raised his finger and sent a devastating flood of mana toward Lilian. At that instant, Lilian found her entire sight covered by the destructive st of manaing her way. It was a spell that Priestley had casually cast, but its prowess far surpassed that of anything an Origin Level 2 transcendent could hope to release. Faced with this frightening attack, Lilian immediately retreated with Roel in her arm, but it didn¡¯t look like she could outrun the spell. ¡°Ten Fortresses!¡± murmured Lilian in this precarious moment. Her amethyst eyes glowed brightly as her Origin Attribute began to tremble intensely. Three different fortresses rose from the ground at her summon, forming towering barriers between her and Priestley. Priestley widened his eyes in surprise. Ten Fortresses was a spell that could only be cast by the ones who had once ruled over the whole of humankind, the Ackermanns. It was said that there used to be ten impregnable fortresses that protected humans from external threats, serving as a symbol of hope during chaotic eras. This was Lilian¡¯s trump card, and it managed to block off the flood of mana pursuing her. ¡°... I never thought that you would be able to summon that. You¡¯re a half-blood of the Ackermanns,¡± remarked Priestley in astonishment. However, he soon shook his head. ¡°But even if it¡¯s the legendary impregnable fortresses, the summons from an Origin Level 3 can¡¯t stop me.¡± Priestley raised his hand for a second time and released the same spell, just that it harnessed prowess far greater than the previous one. The devastating flood of mana obliterated all of the soldiers charging in his direction, and the legendary fortresses also began copsing one after another. Lilian anxiously retreated as fast as she could while tightly holding the nearly unconscious Roel in her embrace, her promise echoing loudly in her head. I¡¯ll protect you. Her feelings morphed into unwavering determination. She grabbed two of her fingers with her other hand and snapped them without any hesitation. Kak! With a loud cracking sounding from her fractured bones, the three fortresses that had just been obliterated by Priestley suddenly emanated a blinding glow. The fourth fortress, Pardulo, and the fifth fortress, Corin, rose from the ground. At the same time, seven blue-cloaked mages suddenly appeared by Lilian¡¯s side. They sang a chorale in unison, releasing a dense mana pulsation outward. Priestley¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I see. You aren¡¯t trying to stop me but to buy time for a Transference Spell?¡± Priestley¡¯s eyes glowed brightly as he spoke. He thought that Roel was the only surprise he would encounter here, but Lilian¡¯s performance was equally astounding as well. Ten Fortresses was a spell that nullified all external spell damage, granting absolute defense to those standing behind the fortresses. It was a miracle that Lilian was able to summon up to the fifth fortress at Origin Level 3. Herposure and decisiveness in the face of danger, as well as her talents, were all praiseworthy. Even amidst despair, she was able to find a sliver of hope. ¡°I never thought that there would be two outstanding possessors of the Ascart Bloodline in the same era,¡± remarked Priestley deeply. He gathered his mana and released a cataclysmic bolt of lightning toward Lilian with overwhelming killing intent. ¡°For that reason, I can¡¯t allow any of you to escape here!¡± Both the sky and the earth cried before the might of Priestley¡¯s lightning bolt. This was an attack that surpassed allmon sense, and the sheer mana that was concentrated in it seemed to be too much for Leinster to bear. Yet, the fourth and fifth fortresses still managed to stand their ground before the lightning bolt. On one side of the fortress, the lightning bolt crackled ferociously as it tried to tear down the obstacle that dared stand in its way. On the other, Lilian kneeled down on the ground and settled Roel on her legs. She hid the fractured fingers on her right hand behind her back as she gently stroked his hair, seemingly trying to imprint his face in her mind. ¡°Senior...¡± The semi-conscious Roel muttered before abruptly spewing blood once more. In his blurred vision, he seemed to see despondence on Lilian¡¯s face, but it changed into a gentle smile the next moment. Thunderous crackling and blinding shes of light persisted around them. The wretched situation they were in brought a lump to Lilian¡¯s throat, but her heart felt strangely calm when she uttered lies tofort her younger brother. ¡°You have to hold on. We¡¯ll be able to get away very soon.¡± ¡°Cough cough. Senior... they are...?¡± ¡°They are spatial mages from the Ancient Austine Empire. It took me a great deal of effort in order to contract them. I kept them as my final resort, but I never thought that I¡¯d find myself in such a desperate position.¡± ¡°I see... but the academy¡¯s barrier...?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten? I¡¯m the chief of the Enforcement Division,¡± said Lilian with a smile. She gently stroked Roel¡¯s face. ¡°So, you should go first. Wait for me on the other side.¡± ¡°Ah? No, I...¡± ¡°I can only transfer a person at a time with this long-distance teleport. You won¡¯t be able to help me here with the injuries you have sustained.¡± ¡°...¡± Lilian¡¯s logical argument left no room for Roel¡¯s rebuttal, but he couldn¡¯t help but sense that something was amiss here. At the same time, the fortress that was shielding them started to show signs of copsing. Kak! Without any hesitation, Lilian snapped another one of her fingers. The excruciating pain and rapid depletion of mana left her body trembling feebly, but her sacrifice sessfully raised the sixth fortress, Kruyer, before them. The chorale of the spatial mages was about toe to its end. It was also then that Roel suddenly noticed a blind spot in the n. Chapter 308.5: Lilian’s Lie (2)

Chapter 308.5: Lilian¡¯s Lie (2)

¡°Wait a moment, senior. The fortresses are going to disappear the moment you start teleporting away, right? Things won¡¯t work if that¡¯s the case!¡± It was thanks to the Ten Fortresses that they were able to channel the spatial magic without being disrupted. However, as soon as Lilian started teleporting away, the Ten Fortresses would crumble and everything would be exposed before Priestley. No matter how slight the dy was, there was no way the Magician King would allow the teleportation to go through the moment they showed an opening. Roel stared at Lilian intently as he voiced his doubts, but he was unexpectedly met with silence. Realization struck him hard as his eyes slowly widened. It took a while before Lilian finally sighed grudgingly. ¡°I really wish that you could be just a little dumber at times like this.¡± Her voice was hoarse and quivering. Unable to hold back the choking feeling of an impending farewell anymore, tears finally started flowing down her amethyst eyes. She had never intended to leave from the very start. She was fully aware that the enemy standing before her was the Magician King. There was no way he would let any chances slip him by. She knew that she would die the moment the Ten Fortresses copsed. ¡°S-senior?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I miscalcted. This is our only resort.¡± ¡°W-wait a moment, what are you saying?!¡± Sensing Lilian¡¯s resolve to die, Roel¡¯s face turned ghastly pale. Her words struck his mind hard like a sledgehammer, forcing him to open his eyes to the fact that there was no alternative out of their current quandary if he wanted the two of them to survive. Artasia had won the bet. With trembling hands, he began to invoke ¡®Artasia¡¯s Descent¡¯. Compared to Lilian¡¯s death, he would rather have her share a body with Artasia. At the very least, she would still be alive. But the unexpected happened. The spell failed. Why? Thepleteck of response after casting ¡®Artasia¡¯s Descent¡¯ caused his mind to nk out. At the same time, light began converging around his body as the process of spatial transference began. ¡°No, just give me some more time! There has to be a way out of this! I still have the egg of the Six Cmities. As long as I absorb it, I should at least be able to buy some time¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°You fool. How could I allow my younger brother to sacrifice himself for me?¡± replied Lilian naturally. She looked at Roel with eyes filled with tenderness. ¡°You are the one Priestley is targeting. He¡¯s desperate to kill you. He fears you. You harness far greater potential than me, and there are many people out there in the world who love you. Your future is destined to be brighter than the stars. It¡¯s my duty as a fellow human and your older sister to send you out of here safely. ¡°We, Austineans, had to give up on many things over the years, but that¡¯s also the only reason why we¡¯re able to keep the sparks of hope alive through difficult times. You¡­ are my hope.¡± The moment Roel saw the look in her eyes, he knew that there was no persuading her anymore. He was stunned for a brief instant before teardrops started trickling down his cheeks. ¡°I know that you¡¯ll be my pride.¡± As the final verse of the chorale was sung, the tearing Lilian gently left a warm kiss on Roel¡¯s forehead. Amidst the shaking fortress and loud explosions, Roel¡¯s body began to blur out. Watching as light enveloped his body, she couldn¡¯t help but remember the promise they had made to one another the previous night. We¡¯ll never be apart anymore. She never thought that she would be the one to break this promise. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I broke my promise to you,¡± she said with a mncholic smile. Finally, when the body of her beloved one vanished, her tears finally fell to the ground. At the same time, the sixth fortress, Kruyer, fell into shambles. Amidst the disappearing fortress, an old man holding onto a staff slowly made his way over. With a nce at the spatial mages and the youngdy who was struggling to stand with her trembling legs, he immediately knew what had happened. One of them escaped, and it¡¯s the troublesome one at that. Priestley fell silent at this oue. This was the first time he had allowed an enemy to get away, and he sighed softly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that you would sessfully teleport him away. Who could have known that there would be two possessors of the Ascart Bloodline in this era, not to mention both actually possess unique constitutions? This is beyond my expectations.¡± ¡°¡­ Unique constitutions?¡± asked Lilian. Priestley looked back at her with an intrigued look before finally nodding in realization. ¡°I see. It looks like you don¡¯t have a good understanding of yourself. Very well, consider it my final gift to you for your courage.¡± Looking at the fledgling who would indubitably grow to be a thorn by his side with time, the lips of the Magician King curled up as he magnanimously decided to enlighten her of her raison d''etre. ¡°Even in your Kingmaker n, it¡¯s not everyone who has the power to absorb Crown¡¯s Stones. Those are the authorities of the gods. Only those with bloodlines and Origin Attributes that trace down to the very root can hope to covet it. That young man is a rare prodigy who is slowly climbing his way toward the gods, though you¡¯re quite an interesting one yourself too. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea why they allowed you to take on a wrong Origin Attribute, but your absolute jurisdiction over your subordinates is impressive. Those who are weaker than you can never dream of triumphing over you,¡± remarked Priestley as he thought about the army that had surrounded him earlier. Both Lilian and Roel were the enemies with the lowest Origin Levels whom he had to get serious against. If the two of them were a single level higher, the battle could have very well gone in a very different direction. ¡°¡­ Do you have any final words?¡± asked Priestley nonchntly. Lilian responded with silence. Priestley looked at her cold but unyielding amethyst eyes and suddenly burst intoughter. ¡°I see. It looks like I¡¯ve done something unnecessary. Onest thing. The ce where you have put your life on the line to teleport that young man to, it¡¯ll be my next target. Do you get it now? ¡°Everything you have done is meaningless. With that, I bid you farewell.¡± With those words, the old man raised his staff and cast a destructive light toward Lilian. ¡°You¡¯re wrong. What she has done isn¡¯t meaningless. After all, I can only bring a single person away with me,¡± a crisp yet ethereal feminine voice suddenly sounded in the air. An iridescent glow suddenly appeared out of nowhere and wrapped itself around Lilian. Chapter 309: Putting My Life On the Line

Chapter 309: Putting My Life On the Line

There was a glow of light above the towering wall of Saint Freya Academy before the body of a young man suddenly materialized and fell to the ground. ¡°Cough!¡± Roel violently coughed out blood upon hitting the ground. He was already on the verge of death with the severe injuries he had sustained and the stress resulting from the teleportation, but the thought of Lilian made him grit his teeth and hold on to his consciousness. He wasn¡¯t about to give up here. He came here not to despair but to seek hope. A cold night wind blew from the corner of the academy¡¯s walls. His surroundings looked dark and deserted, but the moment he entered the barrier, he could sense her looking over. Without any hesitation, he pulled out Ascendwing and plunged it toward his heart. But before the de could evennd, an iridescent glow suddenly emerged and blocked the de. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± His seemingly reckless action was immediately met with an infuriated feminine voice. Looking at the ancestor whom he forced to appear by threatening suicide, Roel knew that he had to convince Astrid to save Lilian in the fastest time possible. But before he could do so, he had to first understand why she had chosen to turn a blind eye to their plight. Their fight with Priestley had urred not too far away from Saint Freya Academy. Such a distance could be easily covered by a top-notch expert who had already lived for centuries within moments. This hinted that there was a morepelling reason that forced her to turn a blind eye to their plight. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you make a move?¡± Roel stared at the woman before him with his sharp golden eyes. Blood was still flowing profusely from his body, swiftly forming a puddle that stained Astrid¡¯s boots. Astrid couldn¡¯t bear to see such a look on Roel¡¯s face. She contemted for a moment before revealing the truth with a bitter voice. ¡°Child, I¡¯m sorry for your older sister. Due to certain reasons, I can only make a move once. I won¡¯t stand a chance against Priestley out there; I have to face him in the academy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Roel responded unexpectedly calmly to Astrid¡¯s exnation. He reached into his robe and pulled out a box. In it sat a glistening gemstone. The moment he took the gemstone out of the box, the two of them could vaguely hear the calls of the tempest whispering in their ears. Dark wind started to revolve around them, colliding furiously against the natural flow of air. Roel watched as Astrid¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment before finally revealing his condition. ¡°Save her. I¡¯ll kill Priestley.¡± ¡°!¡± Astrid¡¯s iridescent eyes contracted sharply upon hearing those words, but the severely injured Roel remained unnaturally calm. It was true that Priestley was powerful, but there was one thing he was oblivious to in this chaotic Leinster that could potentially threaten him¡ªTempest Caller. In fact, it would appear that the Saints Convocation had specially prepared this trump card in order to get rid of him. The Six Cmities were disasters that had devoured countless civilizations. Even the Magician King who had reached the peak of humankind wouldn¡¯t be spared from their ravage. Granted that it would take time for Roel to absorb the egg, but it was also possible for him to release this ancient monster and pull off mutually assured destruction against Priestley whenever he wanted. Astrid immediately understood Roel¡¯s intention. ¡°Worsees to worst, I¡¯m willing to bring the Magician King down with it. However, I ask you to save Senior Lilian. This is the only request I have, and I ask you to ede to it.¡± Astrid¡¯s face flickered in uncertainty as she locked her iridescent eyes with Roel¡¯s golden ones. She could feel the unwavering resolution he harbored inside. After a moment of dilemma, she came to a decision and her heart finally calmed down. ¡°I understand... You¡¯re all brave children,¡± she said. Her body began to emanate iridescent light. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, I promise.¡± With those words, her silhouette vanished from sight. She had marched off to the battlefield. ... I seeded. Looking at his empty surroundings after Astrid¡¯s departure, Roel suddenly felt like a huge burden had been taken off his chest. He raised his trembling hand and lightly wiped off the tear stains on his face. For some reason, he felt deeply at ease. The knowledge that Lilian would be able to survive filled him with relief, but at the same time, rage and fighting spirit zed in his heart. He might have persuaded Astrid by saying that he was willing to go down together with Priestley, but the truth was that he had no intention to do so. Lilian had put herself at risk so that he wouldn¡¯t die in a ce like this, and he himself believed that there was another way out of this quandary too. Thus far, the Witness States had been difficult but solvable trials, and Roel currently held two crucial keys in his hands. All that he wascking was intelligence. He believed that as long as he could piece the puzzle together, he would be able to exact vengeance on Priestley. He strained himself a little to ce the gemstone back into the box, and the brewing storm around him finally came to a rest. ... Meanwhile, condensed mana was pulsating from a battlefield not too far away. An iridescent glow shed against a white force, inducing ceaseless explosions. After innumerable years, the two powerhouses who had risen to the top amidst the human cities were finally standing before one another due to Roel and Lilian. ... ¡°I am themander of the garrison troops, Antonio. I¡¯m also a member of the Assembly, going by the alias, ¡®Guardian¡¯.¡± Before the severely wounded Roel stood a familiar yet weirdly foreign face. With a gentle wave of his hand, Antonio conjured a bunch of gleaming spirits which began dancing around Roel. ¡°Prin-, I mean, Mister Antonio, this is...?¡± Roel¡¯s eyelids shot up in wonderment as he felt his wounds slowly beginning to heal under the blessings of the dancing spirits around him. ¡°It¡¯s Lord Astrid¡¯s dream spirits.¡± ¡°Dream... spirits?¡± ¡°Yes. Lord Astrid possesses the Dreamwalker Bloodline. These are her subordinates,¡± exined Antonio. Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. He finally understood the reason behind his ancestor¡¯s longevity, but another doubt swiftly surfaced in his mind. Dreamwalker? That¡¯s an elusive being who traverses through the dreams of different beings, right? They¡¯re known for being nigh impossible to restrain. It doesn¡¯t make sense that Astrid¡¯s movements are limited here. Roel posed his doubts to Antonio, but thetter lowered his head gloomily. A momentter, he replied with a deep sigh. ¡°Lord Astrid can¡¯t leave the academy because she¡¯s protecting the future of humankind.¡± ¡°The future of humankind? What is...¡± Roel was in the midst of probing when his vision suddenly turned dark. He had lost too much blood that he started to lose consciousness. ¡°Your injuries are too severe. Stop talking and rest up,¡± advised Antonio with a frown. The spirits also began moving quicker to alleviate Roel¡¯s injuries. After holding on for a while more, Roel finally sumbed and fainted. Chapter 310: We Don’t Have Much Time Left. Go!

Chapter 310: We Don¡¯t Have Much Time Left. Go!

¡®Future¡¯ was a very vague term. It could be referring to a time period beyond now or the abstract concept of what was uing. When this term was used on the whole of humankind, the idea it embodied suddenly became extraordinarily heavy. What did the future of humankind refer to? Such a question floated in Roel¡¯s mind as he slowly began to regain consciousness. Everything that had happened before he passed out shed across his head. When he finally opened his eyes once more, he found himself lying in a clean bedroom. He blinked his eyes nkly before abruptly rising upward. ¡°... Where am I?¡± Roel clutched his aching body as he began scanning his surroundings. There was furniture in the room, but theck of personal possessions hinted that it was unupied prior to his arrival. Is it a temporary ward?, Roel wondered. Before he could say anything, a glowing spirit suddenly descended from the sky. It circled above him for a while before heading toward the doorway. Is it telling me to follow it? Catching the spirit¡¯s drift, Roel got down from his bed and walked out of the bedroom. He found himself faced with a dark and empty corridor. After turning at a few bends, he finally arrived at the main hall located at the center of the building. The spirit suddenly flew upward at this point, and Roel¡¯s eyes moved along with it. There, he caught sight of a figure floating in the middle of the hall. It was a ck-haired woman donning a long dress. She was the person whom Roel had asked for help yesterday night, butpared to before, Astrid appeared to be a little fatigued. Perhaps sensing Roel¡¯s stare, she opened her eyes and gazed upon him in surprise. ¡°Are you already able to walk? It looks like you have healed up well.¡± Astrid descended from the sky as she spoke. Roel was dazed for a brief instant before anxiously asking about everything that had happened after he lost consciousness. Astrid chuckled softly and filled him in on the aftermath of the battle that urred yesterday night. After parting ways from Roelst night, she managed to arrive at the battlefield in time and saved Lilian from Priestley¡¯s attack. She was forced to sh with Priestley in the midst of doing so, and their battle ended up reducing an entire half of Leinster to rubble. Currently, both Astrid and Priestley were in the midst of recuperating from their exertion. ¡°Had we fought in the academy, I would have been able to use my Dream Realm Barrier to protect the buildings in the vicinity. That would have limited the damage to Leinster.¡± ¡°Dream Realm Barrier?¡± ¡°Yes, it allows me to ovey the Dream Realm over reality. Any destruction caused within the range of the barrier would vanish once the barrier is removed,¡± said Astrid. Roel widened his eyes as he finally understood why this monumental battle didn¡¯t leave any marks in Saint Freya Academy in the present timeline. He proceeded to ask where Lilian was, and the response he received was that thetter had fallen asleep after undergoing treatment. His heart finally settled down upon hearing the news. Astrid smiled at the tight bond shared by the duo, but to her surprise, Roel didn¡¯t leave right away but instead asked her a crucial question. ¡°May I ask what someone as powerful as you is protecting here?¡± asked Roel, intrigued. The fact that Astrid was able to fight the Magician King squarely and retreat without sustaining any severe injuries showed that she was an expert of the same caliber as thetter, an Origin Level 1 transcendent. It bewildered him to know that there was something so important here that it actually necessitated the protection by an Origin Level 1. Astrid fell into contemtive silence upon hearing Roel¡¯s question. In the end, she sighed softly and began speaking. ¡°I¡¯m protecting a relic that affirms the alliance of the three races in the ancient era¡ªChaos Dream.¡± ¡°Alliance of the three races? Chaos Dream?¡± ¡°Yes. The alliance of the three races consists of the angels, the dragons, and the high elves. It was formed in order to fend against the Great Ones who have descended into lunacy. The Chaos Dream was created with the efforts of the three races, and it goes by another name as well¡ªSavior Dream.¡± ¡°Savior?!¡± The sudden emergence of a familiar name astonished Roel. Astrid nodded in response before revealing the truth of what she had been guarding over thest few centuries. The Savior was one of the Great Ones in the ancient era, an existence that surpassed the gods. He once ushered in a prosperous era, but just like how light and shadow were two sides of the same coin, His descent into depravity stirred countless cmities too. It resulted in the decline and eventual extinction of many of the ancient races. The Savior had fallen into hibernation since then, but even so, His very existence remained a huge problem. For one, the Savior wasn¡¯t in a deep sleep, and his mere subconsciousness had the power to lure individuals into depravity and expand his faith. Once every few centuries, he would show signs of awakening. The degree and length of awakening differed each time around, but it always resulted in a tragic bloodbath. ¡°As His deranged murmurs resounded in the recesses of minds, dragons would sink their teeth into their brethren¡¯s flesh, angels would draw their swords against one another, and even the less affected high elves would disy signs of lunacy. In order to free themselves from this unending cycle of nightmare, the three strongest races put their strength together to forge the Chaos Dream and entrusted it to the care of the dreamwalkers.¡± Dreamwalkers were an unusual race on the Sia Continent. They had a unique constitution where their bodies would be incorporeal in the day and materialize at night, thus resetting any unnatural afflictions every half-day. This constitution made them the only race other than the ancient Kingmaker n that could withstand the Savior¡¯s temptation into depravity. Stronger dreamwalkers were at least sufficiently resilient to withstand the Savior¡¯s insanity for half a day, and their depravity would be reset at daybreak. On top of that, their nature allowed them to freely control the Chaos Dream. The alliance of the three races and the dreamwalkers worked out. The Savior fell into a prolonged deep sleep under the control of the Chaos Dream. But just like how even tall mountains would eventually be reduced to sand, as eras changed, the ancient races gradually died out and the heritage of the Chaos Dream went missing. By the time it came to the prosperous era of humankind, the Savior had already ended his hibernation. Cmities that had disappeared since the ancient era reemerged in the world, threatening the survival of all races. It was only when the Twilight Sages Assembly appeared in the Second Epoch that things finally changed. ¡°At the crucial moment, the Ardes, who were the only ones who still possessed a sliver of the heritage, led the refugees of the other races on an expedition and sessfully retrieved the Chaos Dream, but they ended up paying a heavy price for it too. The first leader of the Twilight Sages Assembly, Lucent Arde, lost his life in the midst of the journey, and nearly all of the founding members met their end. Yet, while the Ardes were at their weakest ever, they ended uping under the pursuit of the Savior¡¯s worshipers due to the Chaos Dream. ¡°The worshipers of the Savior had quietly expanded in the shadows for over a thousand years by then, and their influence was so great that it permeated every nook and cranny of the Ancient Austine Empire. The Ackermanns were caught between a rock and a hard ce and eventually chose to turn a blind eye to the Ardes in order to preserve the empire. In the end, the cornered Ardes had no choice but to split into seven separate houses, thus ending its days of glory.¡± Astrid¡¯s voice sounded a little choked up speaking up to this point. Roel was also left at a loss for words. He never thought that such a fate would befall those who had put their lives on the line to preserve human civilization. ¡°My father, Boris Arde, was one of the founding members of the Twilight Sages Assembly whereas my mother, Ester, was a descendant of the dreamwalkers. Both of them died in the midst of that chaos. Even so, we still held firm and refused to hand over the Chaos Dream, and it was thanks to that that humankind was able to survive to this day,¡± said Astrid proudly. It turned out that she also had supporting evidence behind that, much to Roel¡¯s surprise. To put it simply, the Chaos Dream had the ability to suppress the deviants¡¯ activities. ¡°To be more exact, the deviants¡¯ level of activity is closely rted to the Savior¡¯s degree of awakening. We specte that the deviants might be a fallen ancient race or a congregation of the Savior¡¯s worshipers. Other than that, the Chaos Dream also has the power to intercept the Savior¡¯s powers and prevent more people from descending into depravity and lunacy. The reason why I¡¯m unable to move is due to the outbreak of war with the deviants.¡± ¡°Outbreak of war with the deviants?¡± asked Roel. Astrid nodded in response. ¡°That¡¯s right. The Chaos Dream is not something tangible; it exists only in the Dream Realm. I had to enter the depths of the Dream Realm in order to guide the Savior into a deeper sleep, which ended up restraining my movements as well. What you¡¯re seeing right now is no more than my projection.¡± ¡°I-I see. This is really...¡± The sudden influx of answers to unresolved mysteries overwhelmed Roel. If what Astrid said was true, she was pretty much a one-man army standing at the frontlines of humankind. He finally understood what Antonio meant when he said that Astrid was protecting the future of humankind, as well as the sorrowful look on his face when he said those words. Astrid¡¯s deed was noble. Despite not receiving honor or glory for her sacrifice, she continued to immerse herself in the Dream Realm to protect humankind through the Chaos Dream. In order to ensure that she wouldn¡¯t be found by the enemies, she buried her identity and restricted herself to Saint Freya Academy for centuries almost as if she was a prisoner. There was no other choice. The Chaos Dream had to be sustained with the dreams of a lot of transcendents, and the only ce in the world that fulfilled such a requirement was Leinster. Roel could sense that even though Astrid was from the Arde House, she wasn¡¯t a possessor of the Ascart Bloodline, which meant that she was silently guarding the final embers of the Ardes¡¯ glory despite only being an ordinary family member. His heart felt heavy at that thought, and he looked at Astrid with reddened eyes. ¡°How... did you manage to hold on for so long?¡± he asked. ¡°... I don¡¯t know. I was probably fueled by my indignation. I couldn¡¯t bear to watch our house fall just like that. I couldn¡¯t bear the thought that my ancestors¡¯ blood had been shed in vain. I couldn¡¯t bear the notion that no one will ever know of our story.¡± Astrid closed her eyes with a bitter look on her face. ¡°I do get afraid at times. I¡¯m slowly losing touch with the world. I had to sever all of my connections in order to conceal my identity. I don¡¯t even know how the current generation of the Ascarts is faring... or that there¡¯s such an outstanding descendent of ours like you out there in the world.¡± Astrid gently ced her hand on Roel¡¯s head and smiled. Roel¡¯s eyes reddened. He felt a strong urge to inform Astrid of his origin, but the moment he tried to speak up, he was silenced by the rules of the Witness State. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about my affairs anymore. There¡¯s something far more important that you have to do now.¡± Oblivious to Roel¡¯s current state, Astrid dabbed her moist eyes with a handkerchief before pointing to the room Lilian was in. Then, she spoke with a gentle voice. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left. You should leave offspring behind.¡± Chapter 311: Remember To Take Your Medicine First

Chapter 311: Remember To Take Your Medicine First

A solemn atmosphere was still looming in this huge hall a moment ago after Astrid shared the tragic history of the Ardes, and Roel found his heart growing heavy. Yet, such an atmosphere was immediately shattered the moment Astrid pointed her finger at Lilian¡¯s room. H-hold on for a sec. What do you mean? Leave offspring behind? What offspring?! Roel stared at Astrid with a bbergasted expression, his mind failing to process what he had just heard. Yet, thetter didn¡¯t think that there was anything wrong with what she had just said. One thing that truly terrified established houses like the Ardes was the severance of their long lineage. So here came the question: What could possibly sever the lineage of a household? Without doubt, the biggest threat was theck of offspring. No matter how rich or powerful a house¡¯s heritage was, it was all futile if there was ack of offspring to seed them. Since ancient times, those who possessed outstanding bloodlines would usually ensure that they had sessors before marching off to the battlefield. This was their responsibility toward their race and family, and this held especially true for noble houses with few offspring like the Ascarts. While Astrid would try her best to prevent it, there was still a possibility where the worst urred and Roel was forced tomit double suicide with Priestley. That being the case, it would be a wise move for him to leave his offspring behind. ¡°W-what are you talking about? Lilian is my...¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to that child. Even though the two of you share the same bloodline, you aren¡¯t blood-rted.¡± ¡°... I don¡¯t deny that, but the two of us aren¡¯t in that kind of rtionship!¡± Roel turned down Astrid¡¯s suggestion with a stiffened face. On the other hand, Astrid appeared to be taken aback by those words. She stared at Roel intently, surprised by the fact that they weren¡¯t a couple. In fact, she thought that the ¡®younger brother¡¯ and ¡®older sister¡¯ thing between them was just their own couple thing. But this isn¡¯t much of an issue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the feelings you have for one another are already good enough. Rather, should I say that it¡¯s much better than those warriors who had to fight on the frontlines back in my era?¡± remarked Astrid. She had seen a lot having lived through numerous chaotic eras. The fact that Roel and Lilian were willing to sacrifice themselves for one another showed that their feelings for one another already surpassed that of ordinary couples, and she viewed that sentiment to be more than enough for a rtionship. One must know that soldiers who sought to reproduce before marching off to the frontlines usually ended up seeking a spouse whom they had never met before. Astrid looked at Roel, who was blushing right to the tip of his ears, and she was able to immediately figure out the situation between the two of them. As an old spinster herself, she didn¡¯t have any great wisdom she could impart to the younglings. All she could do was to pat his shoulders and offer him some advice. ¡°The Ascarts are the main lineage descending from our Ardes. You have to leave offspring behind. However, you don¡¯t need to be too nervous about this. You can just tell her straight up, and I believe that she¡¯ll ept it.¡± ¡°Tell her straight up?¡± repeated Roel incredulously. How in the world am I supposed to say that? ¡®Senior, can you bear a child with me?¡¯ There would be something wrong if someone actually agreed to that... Wait a moment, if it¡¯s senior we¡¯re talking about here, she just might... Roel thought about the affection and protectiveness Lilian had been showering on him over the days, and he suddenly found himself flustered. In the first ce, he wasn¡¯t nning to die here. Witness States usually had a way out, and he was nning to fight for his life here, not fight with his life. Why should he be in a rush to leave offspring behind? Also, why in the world were his ancestors so obsessed with Lilian¡¯s womb? Roel felt a headache setting in. However, he soon remembered Astrid¡¯s earlier contemptuous tone when talking about the Ackermanns, and his overheated mind swiftly cooled down. He carefully contemted over his choice of words before asking. ¡°There¡¯s something I need to inform you. In truth... Lilian is a member of the Ackermann Imperial Family.¡± ¡°...¡± As expected, the deep resentment Astrid harbored toward the Ackermanns¡¯ for turning a blind eye to the Ardes back then brought a frown to her face. But after a bout of silence, she sighed softly. ¡°A thousand years have already passed. Those grudges from the previous epoch should be buried in the sands of history. They have nothing to do with you or that child. Rather, I can feel the earnest feelings she has for you. How many people in the world would dare stand against the Magician King for someone else? Besides, have you thought about what family name your child would take once he¡¯s born?¡± ¡°Ah? He should take the ¡®Ascart¡¯ family name, no?¡± Roel replied in uncertainty to Astrid¡¯s bewildering question, and thetter nodded in satisfaction as if it answered all of the questions here. ¡°That solves everything. You¡¯re an Ascart, and she¡¯ll be an Ascart after marrying you. The child the two of you will have is going to be an Ascart too. What ce do the Ackermanns have here?¡± Wow, this twisted logic... I don¡¯t even know how to argue against it. Roel was dumbfounded by the forceful reasoning employed by his ancestor. He never thought that Astrid would actually be so biased toward Lilian, to the point that she was willing to put aside her prejudice toward the Ackermanns for her. However, it also reminded him of another important matter. ¡°Ah right, I found a document from several centuries ago that appears to havee from the final ruler of the Ancient Austine Empire, Emperor Charles. There¡¯s a line that states ¡®When the bloodlines of the Twin Eagles converge, the gates shall open and glory will return to the world.¡¯ Do you know what it means?¡± These were words that even Ro was unable to make sense of, so Roel decided to seek Astrid¡¯s wisdom. Unexpectedly, thetter frowned in confusion. ¡°Just by the words themselves, it¡¯d appear that Charles was pushing for a union between the Ascarts and the Ackermanns.¡± ¡°Are you unaware of this matter?¡± asked Roel. Astrid shook her head before proceeding to exin the internal situation of the Twilight Sages Assembly back then. The aim of the Assembly was to unite the strength of humankind and the other races to deal with dangers threatening their survival. The problem was that there were simply too many such dangers that it was impossible to deal with them efficiently with just a singlemand chain, so they ended up splitting into multiple teams. Astrid, who was in charge of guarding the Chaos Dream, was one of the key members in the team dealing with the Savior, but there were also many other simr teams to theirs. Some seeded while some failed, but all of their actions left a mark in the annals of history. ¡°Charles... What a nostalgic name. He was truly an odd one amongst the Ackermanns. He proactively pushed for an alliance with the Ascarts while taking a firm stance against the increasingly insane worshipers of the Savior. ¡°Back then, the Twilight Sages Assembly suffered a major blow and ended up falling apart, so it became extremely hard for members to contact one another. Due to that, I¡¯m unaware of the exact situation surrounding Charles, but my guess is that he¡¯s a member of the Assembly too. ¡°The document you have found likely rtes to some kind of n devised from Caroline¡¯s side. I recall that she was propagating a partnership with the Ackermanns back then, but I¡¯m unaware of the details.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel fell into deep thoughts after hearing Astrid¡¯s exnation. He had heard of the name ¡®Caroline¡¯ before¡ªshe was the head of the Ascart House during the crossover from the Second Epoch into the Third Epoch. That was more than a thousand years back from Roel¡¯s present time, such that it would be nigh impossible to find any clues from that era. With such thoughts in mind, Roel shook his head pessimistically, thinking that this would remain as an eternal mystery. However, Astrid was quite optimistic about it. ¡°It¡¯d be almost impossible to find records regarding that now, but you need not give up hope. We can always work backward to figure it out.¡± ¡°Work backward?¡± ¡°Yes. For one, wouldn¡¯t you be able to get a clue once you give it a try with that child?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was stunned by Astrid¡¯s suggestion. He never thought that the topic would end up circling back to the starting point. Before he could even turn down the suggestion once more, Astrid had already grabbed his hand to pull him toward Lilian¡¯s room. She reached into her pockets and took out an exquisite little bottle. ¡°Have her drink this before starting. It should raise the sess rate considerably.¡± ¡°S-sess rate?¡± ¡°Mm. You should still do it a few more times just to be safe.¡± ¡°H-hold it right there for a moment, I-I...¡± ¡°Stop hesitating! Our time is limited now!¡± Astrid stuffed the bottle into Roel¡¯s grasp before pushing him into the room and closing the door behind him. After all was done, she exhaled softly. ¡°With this, I¡¯ve done thest bit that I can for the house,¡± murmured Astrid as she prayed for a one shot one kill. Chapter 312: Approaching Hearts

Chapter 312: Approaching Hearts

Astrid waited outside the door as she prayed earnestly for an abundance of offspring. Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Roel had no idea what he should do with the bottle. It took a long moment of hesitation before he gathered the courage to walk deeper into the room. This room was simr to the one he had woken up in earlier. There was a conspicuousck of personal possessions around, the clock on the wall had stopped ticking too. The only difference was the abundance of dream spirits fluttering around the room. ¡°Senior?¡± He called out lightly, but there was no response. Somehow, the knowledge that Lilian wasn¡¯t awake yet came as a relief to him, and his nervous heart calmed down a little. He headed deeper into the room with less reservations than before, and he soon found himself faced with a youngdy resting on the bed. Her face and lips looked much paler than usual due to her having lost quite a lot of blood, and her jet-ck hair was scattered messily around the pillow. Her chest was moving up and down rhythmically along with her breathing. Somehow, Roel couldn¡¯t help but think that there was a very different atmosphere around her. He was immensely relieved to see that Lilian was safe and sound, but at the same time, her figure left his throat feeling a little parched. He took a moment to calm himself before slowly approaching the bed. Just like that night, he pulled a chair over and sat by her bedside, though he was a little apprehensive about carelessly grabbing her hand this time around. Looking at her small and delicate fingers, he couldn¡¯t help but recall how she had snapped them to summon Ten Fortresses. Her fingers had already been treated by Astrid, but his heart wouldn¡¯t stop trembling as he stared at them. He gently wrapped his hands around Lilian¡¯s and exhaled softly. Despite his light movement, it still roused Lilian¡¯s consciousness, and she slowly opened her eyes. ¡°!¡± Lilian¡¯s eyes reddened the moment she caught sight of Roel. The two of them stared at one another intently, but neither of them spoke a word at all. Instead, they allowed their actions to do the talking as they pulled each other into a tight embrace. Taking in her warmth and fragrance, Roel felt a lump forming in his throat, and his body began to tremble ever so slightly. Lilian was overwhelmed by a flood of emotions too, but she stroked his back gently tofort him. The fact that the two of them were still alive despite having encountered Priestley, the Origin Level 1 Magician King, was nothing short of a miracle. Roel¡¯s heart swelled in satisfaction, and Lilian thought that she had never felt any more blissful than at this very moment. Their rush of emotions spurred the resonance of their bloodlines, melding their embracing bodies into one. Roel quietly listened to her heartbeat as he thought that it was the most euphonious rhythm in the world. While fully immersing himself in the joy of reunion, he couldn¡¯t help but silently apologize to Astrid in his heart. Without a doubt, Astrid had picked a good time to raise the topic. The two of them were bound to feel a flood of emotions upon reuniting with one another, and she even prepared medicine to heighten the sess rate. It was just a pity that Roel felt no lust at this very moment. Their feelings were far stronger than before after oveing a crisis, but that was precisely the reason why engaging in intercourse at a time like this only felt crass. When one¡¯s heart was already filled with a myriad of emotions, lust would have no choice but to take a back seat. This was the moment that Roel finally understood why people tended to embrace one another at times like this¡ªit brought two hearts closer than ever to one another. After a long hug, Roel and Lilian were finally able topose themselves once more. Lilian was the first one to break the silence. ¡°... If we¡¯re able to return, let¡¯s spend some time living outside together.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The sudden request caught Roel off guard. He raised his head to look at Lilian and blinked his eyes in confusion. ¡°Senior, what do you mean...¡± ¡°We¡¯ll head to a ce where we can spend time together without anyone or anything trying to pull us apart.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. He immediately understood Lilian¡¯s request and reflexively nodded in agreement. It was Lilian who felt uneasy about having to part ways with Roel in the past, but after the encounter with Priestley, where Lilian sacrificed herself to save him, the same unease began breeding in his heart too. Perhaps, it might be more urate to call it a trauma. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you to your promise this time, senior.¡± ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t break my promise twice,¡± replied Lilian with a smile. Roel¡¯s lips curled upward too. The two of them continued hugging for a while before Lilian finally had the spare attention to examine her surroundings. It didn¡¯t take her long to notice a peculiar bottle sitting on the bedside table. ¡°Is that my medicine?¡± ¡°Ah? Medicine?¡± Roel was confused to hear those words. By the time he understood what she was referring to, she was already holding onto the bottle in her hand. His pupils dted in horror. ¡°Wait! Senior, you mustn¡¯t drink that! It¡¯s fertil... cough cough!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°No, what I mean is that...¡± Staring at the bottle of fertility medicine in Lilian¡¯s hand, Roel¡¯s face zed like an inferno. He snatched the bottle over and tried his best to speak as calmly as he could. ¡°This is actually mine.¡± ¡°Yours?¡± ¡°Mm. I just woke up not too long ago. I rushed here to check on you after meeting my ancestor, so I haven¡¯t gotten a chance to drink it yet.¡± Roel was just about to ce the medicine back on the table when Lilian suddenly grabbed his hand and stopped him. ¡°I¡¯m ddened by your sentiments, but you should prioritize your health above all things. You should drink the medicine now.¡± ¡°... Ah?¡± Roel was dumbfounded. He looked at Lilian, who was staring at him as if he was a rebellious little kid refusing to take his medicine, before ncing at the fertility medicine in his hand, and his cheeks started twitching. Wait a moment, you¡¯re asking me to drink fertility medicine? I guess that it doesn¡¯t really have any effect on men, but still... ¡°I saw it when Lord Astrid brought me here yesterday night. That ice ability of yours has side effects.¡± Just thinking about the freezing room Roel was lying in made her frown worriedly. While Roel managed to ovee the side effect thanks to Astrid¡¯s abilities, there was a chance that it might have left him with some sort of physical trauma. If so, they ought to get rid of it as soon as possible, or else it could lead toplications. ¡°You seem very hesitant to drink it. Are you worried about the medicine?¡± Lilian asked curiously upon noticing Roel¡¯s twitching cheeks. She pondered for a moment before making a proposition. ¡°Why don¡¯t I help you check on it? I¡¯ve taken sses on potions before, and I should be able to deduce its effects by tasting it...¡± ¡°!¡± Those words sent a shudder through Roel¡¯s body. Without any hesitation, he popped open the bottle and gulped it down. Cheers! Roel frantically got rid of the evidence in order to prevent Lilian from realizing what was going on. Thetter was surprised by his vigorous movements, but she was heartened that he was drinking his medicine properly, though his conflicted expression afterward bewildered her a little. ¡°Why? Does it taste bad?¡± ¡°No. It tastes... surprisingly good,¡± replied Roel with a slightly exhausted smile. ... Half an hourter, Lilian fell back to sleep on the bed. Roel continued to hold her hand while looking at the stopped clock contemtively, pondering over some matters. Lilian was not in a stable condition at the moment. Roel was in a worse shape in terms of injuries, but Lilian had overexerted herself by summoning the Ten Fortresses, and that was far more difficult to recover from. Looking at the sleepingdy before him, Roel¡¯s face couldn¡¯t help but redden. Ro¡¯s words seemed to echo ceaselessly in his ears, and Astrid¡¯s jarring little bottle was sitting right next to him. Touching his heart, Roel knew that he did harbor feelings for Lilian, but he didn¡¯t think that it was appropriate for them to do that kind of thing right now. For one, he didn¡¯t think that the timing was right¡ªthey were still injured, and the feelings they had for one another hadn¡¯t reached that point yet. Trying to force things through when the time wasn¡¯t ripe would only fracture their rtionship. Aside from that, he was also afraid that doing so would make him lose his fighting will. He knew that his main goal was to safely escape from this Witness State with Lilian, and he wanted to focus his attention on it. So far, he had pretty much grasped the situation in the Witness State. He had been brought into the historical fragment of Leinster four hundred years ago to witness events that were neglected in historical records, almost as if someone had intentionally erased them. In this ce where hardly anyone was paying attention to, two Sovereigns shed with each other over the fate of humankind. Based on Astrid¡¯s deduction, Magician King Priestley Maxwell seemed to have already fallen into depravity a hundred years ago, and the reason for that was because he couldn¡¯t bear the reality that he was growing weaker as time ticked by. Indeed, the powerful Priestley was already in his waning years despite the prowess he had disyed. His words and actions thus far also showed that he was no zealot; rather, he seemed to have made some sort of deal with the Savior. He continued to lie low despite having fallen to depravity, slowly biding his time to uncover the identity of ¡®Academic¡¯ and the location of the Chaos Dream. The war with the deviants meant that the Savior was in a period where his consciousness was rousing. This forced Astrid to devote more effort and time into the Chaos Dream, putting her in a vulnerable state. Priestley grasped this opportunity and ordered the Salvation Brotherhood tounch a coup d¡¯¨¦tat, which, in turn, justified his return to Leinster from the frontlines so that he could aplish the final phase of his n¡ªthe destruction of the Chaos Dream. With that, he would be able to awaken the Savior. Unfortunately, the Saints Convocation noticed that something was amiss and intervened, resulting in further chaos. Roel had no idea what Priestley stood to gain from awakening the Savior, and he wasn¡¯t interested to know either. But one thing was for sure¡ªthat old geezer would soonunch his next wave of attack, and Astrid would be too busy dealing with the Dream Realm to stop him. They were in dire circumstances, no doubt about that, but it wasn¡¯t to the point of despair yet. Roel touched the box he had stowed away in his clothes as a n slowly took shape in his mind. He knew that he needed to pay a visit to a person right now. So, he closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep. Chapter 313: Witch’s Promise

Chapter 313: Witch¡¯s Promise

The first thing he noticed was the alluring tea aroma wafting in the air. There was a cushiony sensation beneath him that was sofortable that he couldn¡¯t bear to leave its snugness. When Roel finally opened his eyes once more, he found himself faced with a table full of delectable desserts, and a white-haired witch was seated opposite to him with a teapot in hand. What was different from before though was Artasia¡¯s surprisingly mild attitude. She didn¡¯t conjure him into some weird position or tempt him into anything. She simply sat gracefully in front of him and weed him with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here on this marvelous night, my hero.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you for having me here,¡± replied Roel. He took a look at the night sky outside the window as he leisurely took a sip of tea. This was their third meeting, and Roel appeared calmer than ever. Having gone through multiple crises, he knew that the tighter the situation was, the moreposed he would have to be in order to ovee it. Hisposed attitude intrigued the white-haired witch sitting opposite him. Artasia couldn¡¯t help but remark curiously. ¡°What a surprise. I thought that you were going tosh out at me.¡± ¡°Hm? What makes you think so?¡± ¡°The spell that I bestowed upon you didn¡¯t take effect when you needed it. Does that not anger you?¡± ¡°Well...¡± Roel paused contemtively for a moment before responding with a slight nod. ¡°I guess I am, but it¡¯s directed toward myself.¡± ¡°Directed toward yourself? Why?¡± asked Artasia. Roel ced the teacup back onto the table. ¡°You¡¯re a witch, an embodiment of fickleness and enigma. In the first ce, taking the spell you have bestowed upon me as a final resort was nothing short of foolishness, not to mention that that spell wasn¡¯t a buff but a summon, which meant that it was possible to reject the summoning too. It¡¯s your prerogative to choose whether to ept a summoning or not.¡± Roel raised his head and looked at Artasia impassively. ¡°Ultimately, not once have you ever said that you were on my side.¡± Those words made Artasia purse her lips as she revealed an aggrieved expression. ¡°My hero, are you viewing me as your enemy now?¡± ¡°No, I harbor no enmity toward you. I simply don¡¯t trust you. I realized that I¡¯ve been taking many things for granted thus far,¡± said Roel with a sigh as he recalled Priestley¡¯s remarks. He did think that the dangers posed by the Witness State were something that had to be taken seriously, but at the same time, his experience of oveing two of them had bredcency in the depths of his mind, subconsciously impairing his judgment. That was also the arrogance Priestley spoke of. He would encounter an ancient god in each Witness State, but there was never a guarantee that the ancient god would be on his side. This was especially so with Witch Queen Artasia. He had known beforehand that witches were fickle-minded, and that there was a real possibility that she might pull something during crucial moments. ¡°From the moment I had a resonance with Lilian and learned that she possesses the Ascart Bloodline too, I started bing dependent on her. I lost sight of my vignce and subconsciously tried to share my burden with her. In the end, she nearly lost her life in order to save me. ¡°Your failure to appear crushed my hopes, but it allowed me to nt my feet firmly on the ground once more. In a way, I ought to be thanking you instead,¡± said Roel. His golden eyes that carried no hint of deception stunned Artasia. A few momentster, the Witch Queen¡¯s body started to tremble before she abruptly burst into frenziedughter. ¡°Haha! Hahaha! It looks like we¡¯re reallypatible with one another, my hero. The desire to rely on others is amon dilemma faced by those of your n, but I have to rify that it wasn¡¯t my intention to leave you in the lurch. ¡°You must trust me when I say that I¡¯m not a bad witch. My appearance wouldn¡¯t have solved your problems if you had summoned me with your physical conditions back then. If anything, I would have only hastened your deaths.¡± Artasia ced her hand on her cheeks and stared at Roel with intoxicated eyes. ¡°I¡¯m very fond of you, my hero. At the very least, please don¡¯t doubt my feelings for you.¡± ¡°Fond of me? Is that why you derive pleasure from seeing me struggle desperately amidst dilemma?¡± ¡°Aww, it¡¯s rude of you to ask ady such a question. Isn¡¯t that as good as trying to make me confess the reason why I¡¯m fond of you? What a sly one you are, my hero,¡± said Artasia shyly. But a mere secondter, an ecstatic smile emerged on her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t deny that I¡¯m fond of that too, but it¡¯s still my earnest hope that you¡¯ll be able to ovee them. What can I say? Your n is doomed to be mired in dilemmas. Be it responsibility and danger, or decisiveness and hesitation, these dilemmas have and will continue to torment you and your n like a curse. You¡¯re a perfect example of it, my hero. ¡°When I say that we get along well with one another, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. Our personalitiesplement one another. This is rare amongst us witches,¡± said Artasia with a blissful smile. Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°It looks like witches are really a vile bunch.¡± ¡°Really, do you have to say such words? I already told you that I¡¯m not a bad witch,¡± replied Artasia with a pout. ¡°You should already know the reason why I¡¯m here, right?¡± asked Roel solemnly. Artasia paused for a moment before her lips crept upward. ¡°Well, I guess that it¡¯s indeed impossible for you to stand before your enemy without reaching Origin Level 3. Since that¡¯s the case...¡± Artasia bit down hard on her lips and spread the oozing blood around with her tongue. She lightly pressed her lips against the teacup, leaving a blood-colored lip print. After that, she handed the cup to Roel. ¡°You just have to match the lip print and drink it down. There¡¯s no saying what a witch¡¯s blood will do to you if you were to take in too much.¡± ¡°...¡± Looking at the smiling Artasia, Roel calmly drank the remaining half cup of tea he had left. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that the witch¡¯s face was slowly reddening. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The taste of my blood and kiss.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel chose to quietly ce his cup down and not answer the sensual question. Artasia pouted unhappily upon realizing that he was ignoring her. ¡°This is my first time bleeding for someone else and having what your people call an indirect kiss. Don¡¯t you think that you should at least say something about it?¡± ¡°I just think that ady¡¯s blood and kiss are not something that ought to bemented on.¡± ¡°!¡± The unexpected answer made Artasia widen her eyes for a moment before she lowered her head and twirled her hair shyly. ¡°Ah, the ritual isn¡¯tplete yet. You¡¯ll need a trigger in order to activate it.¡± ¡°A trigger?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ll need to get some blood from the child who came with you¡ªjust a few droplets will do¡ªand drink it when you¡¯re going to activate the spell. Just a reminder though, it¡¯ll be very painful.¡± It sounded like a kind reminder from Artasia, but Roel couldn¡¯t help but be suspicious about her intent. Sensing his doubtful eyes on her, Artasia sighed softly and began exining it further. ¡°You should be more than aware that I am a witch. My spells aren¡¯t intended for support. My blood is nothing more than a medium to raise your Origin Level to be on par with that child via your bloodline resonance, so no other blood will work here. It¡¯s inevitable that you¡¯ll face pain in the midst of the ritual.¡± Roel took some time to ponder over Artasia¡¯s exnation, but he couldn¡¯t find any usible alternatives here. In the end, he could only nod his head and go along with her. The wound on Artasia¡¯s lips healed within a split instant, but she continued ring at Roel with a grudging look. ¡°You really don¡¯t have any sympathy at all, my hero. I¡¯m starting to feel like a loose woman constantly at your beck and call, only to receive nothing in return.¡± ¡°I¡¯llpensate you.¡± ¡°Compensate?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Faced with the perplexed witch, Roel looked directly into Artasia¡¯s madder red eyes and spoke words as solemn as a vow. ¡°Artasia, I¡¯ll bring you out of here.¡± ¡°!¡± Staring at Roel¡¯s golden eyes that flickered along with the candlelight, Artasia suddenly found herself at a loss for words. She tried opening her mouth to say something, but no words came to her. In the end, she could only turn her head away to avoid Roel¡¯s searing gaze. ¡°... It hasn¡¯t ended yet. Is it really alright for you to make such a promise now? What if I turn my back on you once more?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll have no choice but to apany you in this world after death.¡± ¡°!¡± Artasia¡¯s pupils dted upon hearing that answer. She turned her head back to stare at the man before her, but it didn¡¯t take long before she averted her gaze once more with furiously blushing cheeks. ¡°... Coaxing me with such words. You¡¯re the vile one here, my hero. What if you really move my heart?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished my words yet. Putting aside everything else, I won¡¯t hand my senior over to you, not even over my dead body.¡± ¡°... Hmph. I should have known. She sure is dear to you, your senior,¡± grumbled Artasia in displeasure. She pondered for a moment before adding on. ¡°Still, I should offer you onest reminder. That spell won¡¯t work with anyone other than her. What you¡¯re thinking and doing are at odds with one another.¡± ¡°... Yes, this does seem like a dilemma, but it¡¯s my problem to solve. Isn¡¯t this another thing for you to look forward to?¡± Roel smiled confidently in response to Artasia¡¯s reminder. The white-haired witch was surprised for an instant before bursting into heartyughter. ¡°I see! It looks like you already have an idea in mind. Hehehe. You¡¯re really evoking my anticipation here.¡± Artasia pped her hands together as her lips curled in excitement. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, allow me to make a promise too. As long as you use that child as a tribute, I¡¯ll surely appear and bring you to victory.¡± ¡°Oh? Is that a Witch¡¯s Promise?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a Witch¡¯s Promise. It¡¯s a terrifying contract where even I would have to pay a heavy price if I went against it,¡± said Artasia. Roel¡¯s vision slowly blurred as the dream started toe to an end. Thest thing he saw was Artasia¡¯s glowing madder red eyes. ¡°Show me how you n to ovee this paradox, my hero.¡± With expectant words echoing in his ears, Roel¡¯s consciousness faded. Chapter 314: What I Seek

Chapter 314: What I Seek

Roel woke up from his dream, having sessfully made a deal with the enigmatic Witch Queen for power to stand against Priestley without being instantly KO-ed. He rubbed his eyes and looked at Lilian, who was still fast asleep. Still in his groggy state, he heard light knockinging from the door. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel released Lilian¡¯s hand and headed off to open the door. A familiar young man stood outside. ¡°Brother Antonio?¡± Roel was surprised by his unexpected guest. On the other hand, Antonio didn¡¯t voice any objections to Roel¡¯s intimate manner of address. He took a quick look at Roel and was amazed to see that thetter was still energized. He didn¡¯t expect Roel to recover so well. It was just yesterday that he was on the verge of death from his severe injuries, but despite having been in this room for three hours now, he showed no signs of exhaustion at all. On the contrary, he looked refreshed as if he had drunk some sort of tonic. ¡°Are you done yet?¡± ¡°Ah? Ah! Y-yes, I¡¯m done.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to discuss our fighting n.¡± Antonio led Roel toward the main hall where Astrid was residing. Simr to before, she was floating beneath an iridescent ss ceiling in the main hall. Her beautiful figure and closed eyes gave off a feeling of saintly tranquility, reminiscent of a serene dream. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°We¡¯re standing at the core of the Dream Realm Barrier. Lord Astrid has returned to the Dream Realm to rest. The body you see before you is no more than a clone, though it¡¯s still of significant value so there¡¯s an important need to guard and maintain it,¡± exined Antonio. He gazed at the figure floating above him with eyes filled with warmth. A thought came to Roel¡¯s mind, and he asked probingly. ¡°Brother Antonio, you seem to be on good terms with my ancestor. Have you known each other for a long time?¡± ¡°Mm. I used to be a student at Saint Freya Academy, and Lord Astrid was my teacher. She was the one who rmended me to the Twilight Sages Assembly. We¡¯ve known each other for more than a decade now.¡± ¡°So, the reason why you chose to stay in Leinster after graduation is because...¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s to protect and support ¡®Academic¡¯. I wanted to assist Lord Astrid in her undertaking.¡± Ah, is that the reason why he took on the alias of ¡®Guardian¡¯? Well, it seems like he harbors some feelings toward my ancestor. The deep sentiments overflowing from Antonio¡¯s eyes were apparent to Roel. If he remembered correctly, Antonio never took a spouse even four hundred years from now. In the history that Roel didn¡¯t intervene in, Antonio survived this tragedy, but Astrid appeared to have disappeared entirely. Shortly after, the Twilight Sages Assembly copsed. By Ro¡¯s era, there were hardly any traces of the Assembly around anymore. Now that he thought about it, why didn¡¯t Antonio tell Ro anything while thetter was investigating ¡®Academic¡¯s¡¯ whereabouts? Was there some sort of special reason involved here? Or did Antonio no longer trust anyone after the copse of the Assembly, including Ro? Surprisingly, Roel soon received his answer. ¡°It might be jarring for you to hear this, but I¡¯m d that the two of you came here.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It might seem like nothing much to you, but Lord Astrid was overjoyed to be able to meet you two.¡± Roel widened his eyes slightly upon hearing Antonio¡¯s words, and thetterughed a little. ¡°To be honest, I harbored some prejudice toward those of your n before your arrival. Over the past few centuries, there had not been a single person who had dropped by to pay Lord Astrid a visit, but it looks like you have your own difficulties too.¡± Antonio sighed softly as he thought about how these two youths were pursued by the Magician King himself. On the other hand, Roel thought about how happy his ancestor was talking to him earlier, and his heart suddenly felt incredibly heavy. Astrid had inherited the blood of a human and a dreamwalker, but it would appear that her values were still predominantly human. She valued her n and kinship greatly. For someone like her to have to guard the Chaos Dream alone, unable to reach out to even a single one of her kin over the past few centuries, such that even her descendants had forgotten about her existence... ... this was nothing short of torture. It was no wonder why Antonio would feel aggrieved on her behalf. But there were pros and cons to this too. A huge reason why Astrid was able to remain hidden to this day was because she had severed ties with the Ascart House. With many eyes from the shadows focused on the Ascart House, it was definitely much safer for Astrid to not be associated with them. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard of your n, but Lord Astrid doesn¡¯t wish to sacrifice you just like that. We¡¯re still intending to sh with Priestley. You might have lostst night, but your efforts weren¡¯t in vain. I reckon that Priestley is in his weakest ever state at this moment.¡± Antonio patted Roel¡¯s shoulder encouragingly, and Roel smiled in response. Based on Astrid¡¯s deduction, the Magician King was likely to have been steadily growing weaker over the past few decades due to his advancement in age. While Roel and Lilian had lost the fightst night, they had managed to force Priestley to go all out against them. The greater the power, the greater the price¡ªthis was the rule of the world they lived in. Not even the powerful Magician King was an exception to it. There were two fightsst night; one with Roel and Lilian, and the other one with Astrid. Considering how even Astrid was exhausted after the fight, it stood to reason that Priestley would be in an even worse state. But even if he was in a bad condition, Priestley couldn¡¯t afford to back down anymore. It had already been confirmed that he was a traitor of humankind, which meant that time wasn¡¯t on his side anymore. He needed to end things quickly, so the third battle could very well happen tonight. Roel already had an idea of what he wanted to do, but there was a great deal of preparation he needed toplete in order to pull it off. ¡°Brother Antonio, could you get in contact with my ancestor?¡± ¡°Is there something you need Lord Astrid for?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to verify a matter with my ancestor and borrow the power of the Dream Realm Barrier,¡± said Roel with tightly clenched fists. ... After having met Astrid andpleted all the preparations in advance, Roel headed to one of the empty rooms, took out a little box from his pocket, and stared at the numbers on his System quietly. ¡¾Evaluation: 79 (High)¡¿ ¡¾Countdown to the end of the Witness State: 104 hours 52 minutes¡¿ His evaluation had gone up once more, but this growth wasn¡¯t unfounded. He did escape from the clutches of one of the strongest experts of humankind, even if just by the scruff of his neck. It was consoling to know that everything he had gone through wasn¡¯t in vain, but he also knew that he had to tread carefully from now onward. Priestley wasn¡¯t nning to let a single one of them go, especially those from the Ascart Bloodline. There was no doubt that they would have to bring Priestley down in one way or another, but things wereplicated by the presence of another adversary: Artasia. Previously, as long as Roel was willing to put his life on the line, there was a good chance that he could win the fight with the assistance of the ancient gods. This time around, however, the Witch Queen didn¡¯t want his sacrifice. She wanted Lilian. This was not something that Roel could ept. If he wanted to protect Lilian, he couldn¡¯t let Artasia get her way. Otherwise, he would just be leaping from one bad ending to another. That would render everything meaningless. Defeating the Magician King and unraveling the Witch Queen¡¯s scheme¡ªthat was his goal here. Having to deal with two Race Sovereigns simultaneously was unthinkable, but this was a path that Roel had no choice but to walk down. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Initialization of ¡®Reconstruction of Bloodline¡¯ sessful.¡¿ ¡¾Inspecting the mutation of the Crown¡¯s Stone. Conducting preliminary assessment of its tier.¡¿ ¡¾System Evaluation: Assimble¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾The user hasn¡¯t reached the rmended assimtion level. Assimtion of the mutated Crown¡¯s Stone will be risky. Activating Assimtion Support System.¡¿ ¡¾Estimated cost of the Assimtion Support System: 400,000 gold coins¡¿ ¡¾User doesn¡¯t have sufficient bnce at the moment. Activating Loan Function¡¿ ¡¾In view that this is not the first loan, an interest rate of 10% per month will be charged on the principal sum.¡¿ ¡¾You are borrowing 400,000 gold coins at an interest rate of 10% per month.¡¿ ¡¾Yes/No¡¿ 400,000... That sure is expensive. However, as long as I can return to a mundane everyday life with senior, that bit of money is just... ¡°Yes.¡± With Roel¡¯s affirmation, a murky air current started to leak out from the gemstone, and it took mere moments for it to grow into a devastating tornado around him. Chapter 315: The Guardian’s Shield

Chapter 315: The Guardian¡¯s Shield

The evening sun cast a depressing orange glow over the tattered rubble of Leinster, as if prophesying the impending end of the City of Academies. Be it the initial evacuation of its citizens or the following war and massacre, there was little question that Leinster was already a dead city. The Saints Convocation Leinster Branch was going to be cast away as pawns, just as its executives had nned, and the Salvation Brotherhood had also sustained significant damage. Corpses were strewn all over the streets, and the noxious smell of blood and dposing corpses challenged the tolerance limits of one¡¯s olfactory system. From time to time, there would be lucky survivors who managed to hold on to this day despite the ongoing chaos, but even these hardy individuals couldn¡¯t help but reveal looks of fear toward the setting sun. The night breeze cloaked the city in ayer of eerie blood mist. Shadows started squirming in whatever remaining buildings there were around as countless ck-armored soldiers emerged from the darkest corners of the city. They were going to continue their pilgrimage under the lead of the ck-robed figures. Leinster was a city mired in despair, but not all hope was lost. On the walls of Saint Freya Academy stood countless guards and students. Their faces were pale and their bodies trembled¡ªit was hard not to know fear when they were aware of the horrors lurking in the darkness out there¡ªbut they still courageously stood their ground. In the academy behind them, the few remaining staff members were currently evacuating the popce toward the Fog Forest with the spirits¡¯ help. Amongst them were expecting women and innocent children, and many of them were their family members. Rather than escaping in a fluster, these guards and students would rather show their dignified backs to the next generation and protect the future of humankind. Protection and sacrifice, despair and hope¡ªthese were the main themes in the current era. Very few warriors were able to take death in stride, but many were still able to garner the courage to confront their fears. There were simply too many things that they had to put their lives on the line to protect. Under the dusk sun, Antonio stared at the main hall where Astrid resided as various emotions shed across his eyes. Many sentiments he had bottled up over the years gushed through his heart, and they eventually manifested in a fearless chuckle. The sky gradually darkened as night started to settle in. More and more enemies stepped out from the shadows of the city and started roaming the streets. Amidst them, an old man holding a sinister greenntern appeared in the distance. Dressed in his usual ck garbs, Priestley¡¯snky figure seemed to meld into the darkness. Unlike before, the Magician King traversing amidst the monsters had an awfulplexion. The greenntern he held cast an eerie glow on his face and eyes, which werepletely devoid of warmth. His appearance was chilling. Even the dullest of men would know of his betrayal just by looking at his current state, but Priestley couldn¡¯t care less. What tales could the soon-to-be-dead possibly tell? The pale green me in hisntern flickered along with the night breeze, releasing a long trail of fog in its wake. More and more silhouettes were emerging from the fog at every passing moment, as if they wereing from another dimension. The aura released by thentern guided the scattered ck-armored soldiers and ck-robed figures, and they began converging around Priestley. From the perspective of the academy walls, Priestley was already surrounded by a sea of squirming darkness. Vague whispers floating in the air were ryed to the ears of the guards stationed on the wall, making them frown in nervousness. It was then that the old man standing in the middle of all horrors lightly raised hisntern, and just like that, the fightmenced. There were no fluttering gs or ring of war horns. The sea of darkness charged toward the academy walls under the guidance of thentern, and the guards swiftly responded to their aggression. ¡°Ready, release!¡± In the final slivers of the dusk sun, the garrison troops pulled their bowstrings and rained arrows down on the dense army of monsters. Arrows worked best when the enemies were clumped up together, and the results verified it. The arrows shot by transcendents easily pierced through the monsters¡¯ ck armor to burst their hearts before smashing hard into the concrete ground, raising small clouds of dust. The ck-robed figures were even more vulnerable as their heads exploded upon contact with the arrows, causing their blood and brain matter to stter everywhere. The sessful initial assault from the garrison troops heightened the guards¡¯ morale. It revealed the monsters¡¯ greatest weakness¡ªlong-range attacks. The ck-robed figures were still able to cast chaotic mana sts, but the ordinary ck-armored soldiers had no means of attacking over a long distance. On top of that, theirck of intelligence made them incapable of strategizing, so the only thing they could do was to charge mindlessly. While the guards were shooting down the monsters with their arrows, the students released their spells with coordinated timing to unleash zingva. Firestorms enveloped huge swathes ofnd outside the academy¡¯s barrier, burning up any monsters that came into the slightest contact with it. Still, despite the destructive spells they were unleashing one after another, it didn¡¯t seem like they were achieving much against the seemingly endless army of monsters. While thousands of monsters fell under the furious onught from the soldiers and students, more marched forth to take their ce. It was a human wave attack. It was crude but indubitably effective. Arrows were being swiftly used up, and the faces of the students unleashing the arrows soon grew pale. More and moreborious panting could be heard on top of the academy walls. Yet, those repulsive whispers were slowly growing louder as the monsters closed the gap. Despite the disadvantageous situation they were in, the exhausted warriors didn¡¯t despair. Instead, they turned to theirmander expectantly. Antonio didn¡¯t respond to their gazes, choosing to bide his time. It was only when the carvings on the monsters¡¯ armor became clear to their sights and the sphemous whispers became wholly unbearable that he finally issued his order. ¡°Activate Light Crossde. Cover as much area as possible. Fire the res.¡± ¡°res!¡± Amidst the shouting of the soldiers to ry the orders, mana res were quickly fired into the sky, enveloping Leinster with such blinding light that it looked as if it could have been daytime instead. At the same time, the academy¡¯s protection mechanisms whirred into action. Colorful stones embedded into the walls started to glow brightly under the influx of mana, forming brilliant crosses all over. ¡°Fire!¡± Over a hundred Light Crossdes were released simultaneously the moment the order was issued. It caused such a strong quake that the soldiers on the walls had no choice but to hold onto one another so as to not tumble over. The crosses swiftly swept out from the academy walls at a terrifying momentum, tearing through the sea of darkness. Countless monsters were dissected before they could even respond to the onught. Murky blood sttered all around the area. Long crimson depressions were left on the vast battlefield like the ws of a massive beast. Under the overwhelming prowess of Light Crossdes, the walls of Saint Freya Academy seemed to have been padded ayer taller. The mutted carcasses lying all around the field would have looked gruesome on any other asion, but it came as a relief to all of the humans guarding the academy. ¡°Woo!¡± The humongous devastation caused by Light Crossde made the guards cheer joyously, and the students revealed excited smiles too. However, Antonio¡¯s face turned grim. He knew from the very start that the key to winning this war wasn¡¯t to defeat these monsters. His gaze wasn¡¯t on the battlefield but on the old man holding onto a greenntern a distance away. As intense as the current fight was, the war couldn¡¯t be said to have truly begun until Priestley made a move. Seemingly threatened by the prowess of Light Crossde too, Priestley finally made his move. He stared at the academy walls with eyes asposed as ever. While Antonio thought that this was a battle of attrition, the truth was that those ck-armored soldiers were all expendable to him. They were just convenient tools that felt like a waste not to use them. In the first ce, he never really expected anything from those ck-armored soldiers, and it looked like he was proven right. Priestley shook his head in disappointment before raising his hand. Mana began gathering around him, morphing into crackling lightning sparks. The mana pulsationing from him was so intense that it surpassed that of the Light Crossde. Even the sky billowed ceaselessly before his powers. The Magician King hadn¡¯t unleashed his fury yet, but the pressure was already unbearable. It was as if they were going against a divine being. The brilliant lightning sparks revealed the pale faces of the guards and the flustered students on the academy walls. Antonio¡¯s face turned graver than ever. This was the first time he was experiencing the true might of an Origin Level 1 transcendent, the highest fighting power of humankind. They were fighting against this kind of monstrous being yesterday night? Antonio thought about the two severely injured children yesterday and widened his eyes in amazement. He suddenly understood why Astrid was so determined to preserve the Ascart Bloodline. ¡°If that¡¯s the potential they wield, it¡¯d indeed be worthwhile for us to put our lives on the line to protect them,¡± murmured ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio as he began releasing his mana outward. After the previous encounter, Astrid was no longer able to return from the Dream Realm any time soon. As the next strongest transcendent currently in Saint Freya Academy, Antonio was thest shield protecting Roel and Lilian. A faint silvery glow began scattering gently from the top of the academy walls down to the ground, gradually turning corporeal. What looked no more than a thin sheet of barrier was actually far more resilient than thousands of shields. ¡°At the very least, before he seeds...¡± Boom! Antonio¡¯s words were cut short by the deafening explosions of lightning bolts on his barrier. Meanwhile, in a dark room inside the academy behind him, a pair of golden eyes sensed a presence and abruptly opened. For a brief instant, they seemed to glow dusk yellow. Chapter 316: Real Bonds

Chapter 316: Real Bonds

Unity disyed by humans in the face of crises was heartening, and their willingness to sacrifice themselves for one another was touching. With that being said, there were still limitations to what collective strength could achieve. There were simply some beings in the world that mere mortals couldn¡¯t stand against. Sometimes, a gap in strength could be so great that no quantity could hope to bridge it. Boom! Terrifying explosions of lightning echoed throughout Leinster for the umpteenth time, but mana continued to gush with relentless momentum as if it was boundless. Priestley continued standing in the same spot with a greenntern in hand, not moving an inch at all, but the guards and students on the academy walls were already forced to flee in a fluster. At the very back of the escaping crowd stood an exhausted Antonio. He could feel apleteck of fluctuation in the prowess of the lightning bolts, and he was able to easily deduce what the enemy was up to. Priestley was trying to preserve his strength. Unwilling to waste his energy against Antonio, he chose tounch a continuous bombardment equivalent to the prowess of an Origin Level 2 transcendent instead of going all out. But even so, Antonio was already on the verge of reaching his limit. Once everyone on the academy walls had made their retreat, the barrier finally dissipated. The instant Antonio made his escape, lightning bolts tore down the towering academy walls, ricocheting the rubble toward the academy. Despite their resistance, they were unable to put a halt to the Magician King¡¯s advance. The Salvation Legion marched across the rubble to pursue the fleeing soldiers and students. Their sphemous whispers echoed throughout the academy, but their effects were neutralized by the special properties of the Dream Realm Barrier. Astrid¡¯s barrier granted humans increased immunity toward the sphemous whispers, such that they wouldn¡¯t feel extreme difort toward it. However, it wouldn¡¯t work if they were to engage the monsters in a prolonged close-range fight. Due to that, the guards and students didn¡¯t allow themselves to get tied down by the monsters. While fending them off, they continuously retreated toward the second wall, where they would reorganize themselves and swiftly construct a new defense line against the monsters. It was just that it wouldn¡¯t be as effective as before. The second wall wasn¡¯t as resilient, and it didn¡¯t have powerful magic tools embedded into it either. The garrison troops weren¡¯t able to withstand the endless onught of monsters, such that they eventually got forced back to the third wall, fourth wall, and so on. By midnight, those monsters had finally breached the final wall and sessfully intruded on the central area of Saint Freya Academy. Priestley also entered into the academy that was ironically under his management. There was a smile on his wrinkled face as he walked with a pace that was neither fast nor slow, reminiscent of a king returning victoriously to his kingdom. The moment Priestley entered the Dream Realm Barrier, he felt a familiar sensation rushing over his body. Before he could figure out what that sensation was, powerful mana suddenly pulsated from the sky as an iridescent pir of light gushed from the barrier¡¯s center. Countless glowing dream spirits fluttered around the sky, forming a beautiful aurora that illuminated the faces of the intruders. Beneath the aurora, Priestley stood unfazed by the phenomenon. He slit his finger and activated his bloodline ability. A mystical tree imbued with dazzling light reemerged in the world, inducing the rapid growth of greenery in the vicinity. Under the protection of the spirits, he was able to walk away unscathed from the killing blow prepared by Astrid. ¡°Meaningless tricks,¡± murmured Priestley as the edges of his lips curled up. Thebined prowess of those dream spirits was powerful, but something of this caliber was far from enough to harm him. The fact that Astrid was attempting to pull such tricks showed that she was powerless to struggle free of the Dream Realm. Seeing his hundred years of effort was on the verge ofing to fruition, the Magician King took a step forward with a greenntern in hand. He was like a death god emerging from a mysterious fog, leading hordes of hellish monsters to unleash destruction upon the world. But all of a sudden, his movements jerked to a stop. It was a faint and inexplicable sensation, leaving a feeling of unease looming over his heart as his breathing hastened a little. The Magician King had honed his sense of danger over the many battles he had fought over the years, and he instinctively knew that the sensation signified the presence of impending danger. Priestley quickly scanned his surroundings with narrowed eyes. The next moment, he abruptly turned his head sideways. With eyes as sharp as those of a hawk, he peered through the many obstacles toy his gaze upon the highest level of a clocktower, where a young man with flowing long hair stood. This young man had a delicately beautiful appearance that seemed almost ethereal. He wore a dark overcoat that made his body look thin inparison, and his skin was still pale from having yet to fully recover from the severe loss of blood. The night breeze tugged on his long shoulder-length hair as he gazed down from the tower with cold and imposing eyes. Under the dim glow of the moonlight, he looked like a mysterious being who had walked out of a dream. ¡°!¡± That familiar yet foreign silhouette left Priestley¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. A simple change in appearance would have never surprised the Magician King; what left him taken aback was the look in Roel¡¯s eyes. It was a pair of quiet and deep eyes that had seen through the vicissitudes of the world. The brilliance that once shone in his eyes seemed to have been erased by time, reced with a solemn dusk yellow color. Those eyes left Priestley with an inexplicable feeling that he was staring straight at an ancient being. Something is off. Priestley kept his eyes focused on Roel as he started to channel his mana warily. He couldn¡¯t feel any murderous intenting from thetter, but that was also why he felt unnerved by him. ¡°What did you do?¡± he asked with a deep frown. Without bothering to wait for an answer, he raised his hand and unleashed a st of blinding white light toward the man in the clocktower. The night sky was swiftly devoured by the light, morphing the surroundings into white space just like what happenedst night. The familiar phenomenon induced a gleam in the ck-haired man¡¯s eyes, but he wasn¡¯t the same man he was before. Things wouldn¡¯t end in the same way again. An instant before the white light arrived, a dusk yellow wind suddenly gushed forth from the ck-haired man¡¯s body before swiftly expanding into the surroundings. It firmly held off Priestley¡¯s spell before reducing it to nothing. And this was just the start. As the dusk yellow wind roared with increasing fervor, the entire Saint Freya Academy abruptly fell into another world in the blink of an eye. It was a world filled with dusk yellow wind, reminiscent of a barren apocalyptic world. The sharp howling of the wind mixed with grinding sand and dust gave rise to a deathly cacophony. ¡°This...¡± The change in scenery brought an rmed frown to Priestley¡¯s forehead. He previously dealt with the frost aura from cier¡¯s Touch by scattering them with sts of mana, but he didn¡¯t do the same this time around. He knew that the dusk yellow wind was different from the frost aura in the sense that it was omnipresent, making the notion of dispersing it ludicrous. ¡°I¡¯m surprised. You managed to gain a new ability.¡± Priestley¡¯s eyes slowly turned livid as he began channeling his powerful mana once more. Roel¡¯s massive change over the course of a single day waspletely unexpected and came as a huge shock to him, and it drew out his killing intent. I have to get rid of this fellow here, or else it¡¯ll just spell endless trouble in the future. It¡¯s not toote yet. ¡°This turbid wind must be the power of a Crown¡¯s Stone too. How ominous. But as I told youst night, you shouldn¡¯t have appeared in front of me before reaching Origin Level 3.¡± Priestley stared at Roel sharply as mes and lightning began crackling around him. ¡°Even the strongest of abilities has to be built upon a strong foundation in order to exert its true prowess. You had that gullible woman who was manipted by her own feelings to save youst night, but she doesn¡¯t appear to be here with you. Who else is going to save you now?¡± ¡°Manipted by her own feelings?¡± Those jarring words spurred the ck-haired man to speak up for the first time. Priestley nodded his head in response. ¡°You and that gullible woman from the Ackermanns share a bloodline bond, but that¡¯s no more than a coincidence caused by chance. There¡¯s no blood tie between the two of you, and you¡¯re just attracted to one another under the effects of resonance. It¡¯s as unseemly as unintelligent beasts who blindly obey their instincts,¡± remarked the Magician King disdainfully. But Roel shook his head in response. ¡°No, Magician King. You¡¯re the one who is blind.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s only one bond in this world, and that¡¯s the desire to cherish, protect, and tolerate one another in this insane world we live in. It¡¯s based on the intensity of these feelings that we ssify them as kinship, romance, and friendship. It¡¯s not tangible blood ties that make a rtionship special; it¡¯s the feelings attributed to it. ¡°Chance? Bloodline resonance? Don¡¯t make meugh. You im that the sentiments we have for one another are shallow, but someone who has forsaken his family, friends, and the whole of humankind is hardly qualified to make such a judgment.¡± ¡°!¡± The Magician King¡¯s face warped lividly. He red at Roel and spoke in a voice trembling with rage. ¡°You¡¯ll pay for your arrogance.¡± With a burst of light from Priestley, tremendous pressure that threatened to freeze one¡¯s blood flow crushed down on Roel. However, Roel didn¡¯t panic in the face of danger. He calmly uncorked a bottle and poured its content into his mouth. Red fluid flowed down his throat and ignited the Witch Queen¡¯s blood. Excruciating pain immediately gripped him. Unbearable noises and inexplicable scenes overwhelmed his consciousness. He could see majestic pces, a bloodstained battlefield, ancient gods, shadowy divine idols... All of these shed across his head swiftly amidst the pain before finally stopping on a smiling Witch Queen sitting before a tea table. ¡°Show me your answer, my hero,¡± she said with a voice overflowing with anticipation. Roel¡¯s bloodline started to resonate with incredible intensity. A faint apparition of a ck-haired woman manifested behind him. He turned around and exchanged a smile of mutual understanding with her before the two of them melded into one. Before Priestley¡¯s astounded gaze, Roel¡¯s mana gushed furiously toward the sky and stirred up a violent storm amidst the dusk yellow clouds. ¡°Magician King, I might not have reached Origin Level 3, but ¡®we¡¯ have,¡± he said. Roel pressed his hand downward, and the dusk yellow wind descended at hismand, unleashing a cataclysmic dusk tempest upon the world. Chapter 317: Dusk Tempest

Chapter 317: Dusk Tempest

Moving in ordance with its master¡¯s will, the dusk tempest formed innumerable tornadoes that swiftly morphed into spears at Roel¡¯smand. These were invincible spears of wind that corroded anything that stood in their way, making them nigh impossible to guard against. Even space seemed to freeze in ce before this tremendous force of nature. With a wave of Roel¡¯s arm, the countless spears of wind whizzed toward Priestley with deafening roars. On the other hand, Priestley had already channeled an overwhelming amount of mana that revitalized his body back to its prime. Faced with the menacing aggressioning from one of the Six Cmities, he raised his staff and summoned countless spirits that shone brightly around him. With these spirits as the catalyst, the sky suddenly seemed to reverse at hismand, and the all-devouring blinding white light reemerged in the world. The two powers shed and attempted to devour each other. Roel felt stronger than ever with the buff he had received from the Witch Queen and Lilian¡¯s blood, even more so than he was with Peytra¡¯s Blessing. With ample mana sustaining him, he could afford to throw whatever he wanted against Priestley without much worry. His Origin Attribute started to quiver as he floated into mid-air. He gazed at Priestley with eyes glowing like candlelight as he raised his palm and channeled the full prowess of the Crown¡¯s Stone, as if he was really intending to unleash the ancient monster upon the world. A towering silhouette with an indistinct face vaguely appeared amongst the dusk yellow wind. It was the deathbringer that had brought down countless ancient civilizations. It was only then that Priestley finally understood the source of Roel¡¯s confidence. ¡°Is this the reason behind your arrogance? The legendary monster who has driven many ancient civilizations into extinction, one of the envoys of the Mother Goddess¡ªTempest Caller. It¡¯s indeed an embodiment of fear,¡± said Priestley as he stared at the monster formed out of wind. He lowered his gaze afterward to look at Roel. ¡°Through the power of the Crown¡¯s Stone and your unusual spell, you were able to exert might surpassing that of Origin Level 3 transcendents... I¡¯m honestly impressed, but what gave you the idea that you would be able to threaten me just by reaching Origin Level 3? ¡°That¡¯s no more than the minimum requirement for you to stand in my presence.¡± Priestley¡¯s voice boomed loudly as he raised his staff, and the white surge of light began expanding massively. The countless wind spears whizzing toward him dispersed before any could even reach him. He raised his head and stared directly at the indistinct apparition in the sky, fearless like a true sovereign. Priestley might have been growing weaker over the years, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that he was an Origin Level 1 transcendent. The wisdom and experience he had rued over the years from braving through danger and hardship were not things that could be taken away from him. ¡°No matter how alike your powers are to that monster, you¡¯re still unable topare with it. I¡¯ve no idea how you were able to block my spells with your measly wind, but your efforts are meaningless if you¡¯re unable to hurt me,¡± said Priestley. He shook his head as if he could already see the end of this fight of attrition. However, Roel was unfazed by his remarks. Unable to hurt you? Is that really the case? ¡°Priestley, have you not realized it yet?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My wind has never blocked your spells. They only vanished because they ought to,¡± Roel calmly revealed the truth. The Magician King started to frown as he vaguely sensed a terrifying truth behind what he had just heard. Roel calmly raised his hand and twirled a spiral of wind on his palm. He stared deeply at this spiral of wind as he spoke. ¡°You said that I was arrogant, and I shall return those words back at you. Many civilizations have copsed to Tempest Caller, including ancient races who possess powers far greater than us. There¡¯s no denying that you¡¯re strong, but what makes you think that you are the exception?¡± Words of doubt echoed in Priestley¡¯s ears, but before he could reply, he suddenly experienced a bout of feebleness in his body. Bam! The greenntern fell to the ground. Due to his blurring vision, the Magician King had to squint in order to look at his own arms, and he saw that the hands he had meticulously taken care of over the years were covered in wrinkles. ¡°This!¡± ¡°... All beings are equal before Tempest Caller. What it scatters is not matter but time,¡± Roel calmly revealed the answer. Priestley was horrified to hear that. He finally understood why his spells were unable to reach Roel despite the vast difference in their prowess. Under the battering of time, even spells that were strong enough to tear down Ten Fortresses would be neutralized due to the eventual dissipation of mana. That was simply how the world worked. ¡°You have already lost, Priestley. You have lost to our n.¡± Roel gazed down at the swiftly weakening old man as he spoke words so confident that it was as if everything had already ended. That deration froze the Magician King¡¯s body before boundless rage began to sear his mind. ¡°I¡¯ve lost? Haha! Hahaha! You¡¯re the first one who dared to speak such words in my presence! I get it now. So this is the prowess of the Six Cmities? It¡¯s indeed a power that none can hope to oppose. However, there¡¯s no spell that an Origin Level 3 transcendent can throw at me that I can¡¯t handle! ¡°Ultimately, you¡¯re not the real Tempest Caller. There¡¯s a limit to this enclosed space you have created here. It¡¯s a creation of the Dream Realm Barrier, isn¡¯t it? If so, all I have to do is to shatter this barrier!¡± The swiftly aging Magician King roared furiously. At this critical moment, his wealth of experience allowed him to figure a way out of this quandary, and he unhesitatingly released the unbelievable umtion of mana inside his body. The surroundings immediately trembled in response to the flood of mana. It was a nightmarish scene reminiscent of the eruption of a volcano. The rampaging mana gushing out of Priestley turned him into a walking disaster. Just the pressure he was emanating crushed buildings into smithereens before sweeping them up into the sky. His mana manifested in the form of a blinding white light that tore through the dusk yellow wind raging in the surroundings, pulling everything up into the sky, toward the boundaries of the Dream Realm Barrier. Astrid¡¯s Dream Realm Barrier allowed her to ovey a dream on reality and alter environmental conditions. In order to maximize the prowess of Roel¡¯s newfound ability, Time Devourer, she created an enclosed space around them so that he could concentrate the wind around Priestley so as to induce swift aging in him. Otherwise, if the battle were to drag out, the one who would be at a disadvantage was most definitely the weaker Roel. Whatever was oveid by the Dream Realm Barrier would be the new reality, resulting in there being almost no way to escape from the Dream Realm Barrier. Yet, Priestley actually managed to tear the barrier apart with his overwhelming outburst of mana. Crrk! With sounds reminiscent of shattering ss, cracks began appearing on the Dream Realm Barrier under the terrifying pressure from the eruption of mana. The dusk yellow wind began leaking out of the barrier, and the indistinct apparition started showing signs of fading. Correspondingly, the rate of Priestley¡¯s aging started to slow down too. It¡¯s working! Priestley was already sweating profusely at this point. The threat of decline had been haunting his dreams for many years now, and Roel actually sought to elerate the process. How could he possibly not be frightened? However, at the crucial moment, he still managed to turn the tables around using his sharp intuition and superior power. He wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to stand in the way of his goal, not even a possessor of the Ascart Bloodline who had assimted a Crown¡¯s Stone! Amidst blinding white light and falling smithereens of copsed buildings, Priestley turned his eyes toward Roel. The tables had turned. The dusk yellow wind had mostly been forced out of the barrier, which meant that Roel¡¯s ploy had failed. Yet, to his bewilderment, what he saw was not panic but a devious smile on Roel¡¯s face, as if he had seeded in his scheme. Roel raised his hand and showed Priestley the ck ring sitting on his middle finger. It was the determining factor of this fight. ¡°It was the right decision for you to shatter the Dream Realm Barrier, but have you ever wondered whose dream you are in?¡± ¡°Whose... dream?¡± Priestley murmured in a daze for a moment as he gazed at the ck ring shaped like a rose. The next moment, his eyes narrowed in horror as realization finally dawned on him. ¡°Wait a moment, that is...¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s the dream of the one who forsook her own freedom by sealing her dream into a ring so that she could maintain the Chaos Dream for the sake of the world, the dream of Astrid Arde! ¡°You have shattered her dream, thus opening a doorway for her.¡± Iridescent light started to pour through the cracks in the shattered skyline. A powerful individual was about to traverse through the boundaries between dream and reality. Chapter 318: Her Return

Chapter 318: Her Return

Priestley immediately raised his staff and attempted to stave off the brilliant iridescent light pouring through the cracks, but it was already toote. The sh between the white light and the iridescent light stirred a huge shockwave that swept across the ground. Priestley was already in his waning years, and the eleration of his decline caused by Tempest Caller weakened him even further. It was just a single sh against Astrid, but it jolted him to the point that blood started to seep from the corner of his lips. Even so, he still firmly stood his ground. Priestley raised his head to look at the shattered skyline and the ck-haired man floating in mid-air, and he finally understood why he had sensed a bizarre aura from the moment he entered the barrier. He shook his head and said. ¡°Your n all along was to use that wind of degeneration to force me into shattering the barrier? It¡¯s a well-thought-out n. Even if I had known beforehand, I would have no choice but to do the same. But do you think that you have won with just this?¡± Priestley¡¯s eyes gleamed with renewed confidence as he eyed the slowly repairing cracks of the barrier. With a peal ofughter that was also tinged with burning rage, he roared hoarsely. ¡°Something of this extent won¡¯t allow her to fully escape from the Dream Realm! In fact, I reckon that the earlier attack was already the limit of what she can do. It¡¯s futile. She isn¡¯t able to kill me!¡± The Magician King smashed the bottom of his staff onto the ground, and the shadow extending from his feet split into three. His body began glowing brilliantly once more as he forcefully dispersed the dusk yellow wind that was trying to concentrate around him once more. ¡°This is an ancient spell from the long-forgotten Country of Shadows in the ancient era. Other than Tempest Caller¡¯s degeneration ability, there is no means in the world that can kill me without triggering it. I still have three chances whereas you¡¯re already on yourst legs. A spell like yours can¡¯t possibly be without cost, and it should be about time for you to repay your debt.¡± ¡°... I shan¡¯t deny that.¡± The earlier shes with Priestley had nearly depleted Roel¡¯s mana, which meant that he couldn¡¯t sustain Time Devourer for much longer, not to mention that there were side effects for using it too. Roel frankly admitted to his poor condition, but his eyes showed no traces of the despair Priestley was hoping to see. Instead, his lips curled into a smile as he repeated the words he had said earlier. ¡°I have already told you that you have lost, Magician King. You lost not to me but to our n. Have you forgotten that there¡¯s still one more of us around?¡± Right after those words were spoken, a ck-haired woman suddenly appeared by Roel¡¯s side. She shot a cold re at thenky old man before offering her hands to Roel. Roel interlocked his hands with hers, forming a bridge that catalyzed a powerful resonance between them for a brief moment. At the same time, a droplet of fresh blood wrapped in iridescent light was delivered straight to Lilian. She parted her lips and swallowed the droplet of blood without any hesitation. Astrid had used the passageway forcefully opened by Priestley to traverse from the Dream Realm into reality in order to deliver her blood into their hands. This was the bloodline that boasted the greatest degree of status immunity¡ªthe Dreamwalker Bloodline. With this, Lilian would be able to pull off a single night of miracles. Glistening clear wings extended from Lilian¡¯s back as her little ears grew slightly sharper. Her changing disposition granted her already beautiful face a dreamy charm that made it hard to tear one¡¯s eyes away from her. Under the iridescent light, using her ancestor¡¯s blood as a catalyst, Lilian was able to pull off a temporary transformation into a dreamwalker. It was also then that Roel activated the spell bestowed upon him by the Witch Queen¡ªArtasia¡¯s Summon. The moment that this spell was invoked on Lilian, dark red mana pathways began crackling outward like bolts of lightning. The possessor of the Crown traversed across time and space to offer an invitation toward the royal court of the Witch Queen. ¡°It¡¯s about time for you to join us on the stage, Your Majesty.¡± Dark billowing clouds had covered the sky at some point in time. Under Roel¡¯s soft invitation, a ck mist suddenly swooped downward and enveloped Lilian. By the time it dispersed, the ck-haired woman had already morphed into the white-haired Witch Queen. After countless ages, Artasia had finally reemerged in this world. She looked at the young man holding onto her hands and revealed a moving smile. ¡°What a cunning one you are, my hero. Your fingers are locked so tightly onto mine that I couldn¡¯t bear not to appear at your summon,¡± she spoke with an amused chuckle. A gleam shed across the madder red eyes of the white-haired witch floating in mid-air, and the world suddenly froze in ce. The next moment, everything started reversing. The devastated ground reverted back to its original appearance, and the copsed buildings rose up once more. Dust and sand lingering in the air vanishedpletely from sight. It was almost as if the world was Artasia¡¯s yground. At her arrival, everything had to be dignified and elegant. ¡°T-this is...¡± Priestley widened his eyes in disbelief at the iprehensible miracle he was witnessing before his eyes. From the moment of Artasia¡¯s arrival, he felt an emotion that he thought he had already left behind him centuries ago. Fear. Witches were said to be a race born out of Sia¡¯s shadow. Danger and enigma were words they were associated with. Of all the ancient beings, they were the hardest ones to approach andmunicate with, if anyone was fearless enough to attempt that in the first ce. ¡°Holy Saints¡¯ Tree!¡± Priestley¡¯s furiously thumping heart told him of the unparalleled danger before him. The oppressive premonition of death he feltpelled him to take the initiative to curb Artasia, knowing that it was the only way he could possibly survive this ordeal. Even while he was shouting, he had already started bleeding from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. The heavy price he had to pay tranted into greater power as he invoked the absolute defense of his bloodline ability. A humongous holy tree rose from the ground and grew at a terrifying rate. Glowing spirits chorused harmoniously around it. An altar rose from where Priestley was standing. The apparition of the ancient gods resting in the Holy Saints¡¯ Tree slowly awakened and granted him protection. Under the sanctuary of divine light, the old Magician King pointed his staff at Artasia and released the most insane attack he had ever unleashed under the pressure of fear. With his blood as tempering, his bones as the structure, and a branch of the Holy Saints¡¯ Tree as the de, a godying sword came into existence. Looking at the impable sword glowing beneath the divine light, Priestley¡¯s face flushed in excitement despite his withered body and missing arm. This was a miracle that Priestley had pulled off by fusing his body as a Human Sovereign with the Holy Saints¡¯ Tree. At the moment of itspletion, it was blessed by the apparitions of the twelve ancient gods dwelling in the altar, granting it absurd power. I can win this fight. The birth of the Holy Saints¡¯ Sword convinced Priestley of his victory in this fight. It was an unexpected product created from his fear of death, but the great power it harnessed was unstoppable. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of existence you have summoned, but the results won¡¯t change. Disappear!¡± Priestley tossed aside his staff and grabbed the glowing Holy Saints¡¯ Sword with his remaining arm. The moment he came into contact with him, his body released blinding radiance. The blessings of the ancient gods allowed him to temporarily reverse his time, regressing him from an old man into a dashing youth. He swung the sword with great might, and a tidal wave of light rushed out. It looked as if even time would be severed before it. Yet, Artasia stood idly before the tidal wave of light, examining the floating bits of light particles with an amused smile, almost as if she was watching an extravagant performance. ¡°How beautiful, my hero.¡± ¡°Indeed. Are you not intending to defend yourself?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Have you forgotten what kind of witch I am?¡± ¡°!¡± Seeing Roel widen his eyes in realization, Artasia¡¯s lips also inched upward into a yful smile. Many apparitions suddenly shed across the two of them. Pces and towers, stone pirs and white gravestones, crowds of deafening cheers and warriors shing des with one another on a bitter battlefield... Eventually, it all reduced into a single warrior wielding a shield marching in front of the two of them. He raised his shield, and a humongous crimson eye manifested in front of him. It unleashed a sea of mes that kept the tidal wave of light firmly at bay. Boom! Artasia looked upon the scenes calmly despite the deafening explosions going off around her, almost as if she was just watching a firework show. She happily pointed her finger at the shield held up by the warrior in front of her and started exining to Roel. ¡°That¡¯s the cursed shield forged out from the eye of the first generation Fire Goddess. She fell into depravity and burned down the Forest of Life, making that shield an antithetical existence to that sword, which was forged out of the branch of the Holy Saint¡¯s Tree. ¡°This creates a contradiction. Anything that exists with a contradiction is incapable of harming me. Now, it¡¯s about time to put an end to this farce.¡± ¡°!¡± Artasia turned her gaze toward the young man standing beneath the humongous tree in the distance. He was roaring at the top of his lungs, but even so, he was still unable to push his prided Holy Saints¡¯ Sword through the mes. ¡°A traitor of your own kind? How repugnant. There¡¯s nothing more distasteful than that to me. Not to mention, you dared to hurt my hero? What a vile cretin you are.¡± Artasia¡¯s madder red eyes zed with frost as she waved her hand disdainfully, reminiscent of a divine being cleansing filth from the world. ¡°You shall repent for your crimes in the Primordial Inferno.¡± With those words, the zing mes flooded the verdant paradise, devouring the sanctuary for the sinner. Chapter 319: Whose Kiss?

Chapter 319: Whose Kiss?

Smoke puffed out from the burning paradise. Both the holy tree and the grass field were set aze, sending the spirits fleeing in a fluster. The intense heatwave dissipated the apparitions of the ancient gods. Even Priestley¡¯s body was burned down in the searing heat, leaving nothing but a faint echoing scream amidst the crackling ze. The brilliance of the mes formed a stark contrast against the night sky, drawing the stunned gazes of the fleeing soldiers and students. The monsters in the city also quickly ran away out of instinctive fear of this divine me. Roel stared at the Primordial me before him quietly, knowing that everything had finally ended. As powerful as Priestley was, he still ended up meeting his end to the mes of a fallen god. Even his powerful ancient revival spell was useless before the zing purgatory¡ªthere was simply no chance of survival before these inextinguishable mes. All that would do was to prolong his suffering. A Human Sovereign had fallen, marking the end of an era. Priestley¡¯s downfall spurred many thoughts in Roel, but the one that really caught his attention was the moment Priestley created a godying sword that surpassed his current capabilities under the immense pressureing from Artasia. Through the blessings of the ancient gods on the altar, Priestley was able to regain his youth, albeit temporarily. This meant that his bloodline was capable of doing more than just protecting him from spells¡ªit could very well harness the power of revitalization too. It was just that there wasn¡¯t much that could threaten him as an Origin Level 1, and his fear of death prompted him to steer clear of risky situations. Without any pressure to push him forward, he ended up never exploring the final and extreme possibility of his bloodline ability. How ironic was it that Priestley had betrayed humankind for something that had possibly been in him all this while? If he had chosen to put his life on the line for the preservation of humankind even once, this could have been a story of a hero being repaid for his nobility. It was a pity that the old man who was once wise had lost sight of what was important to him. Roel looked at the raging inferno and sighed heavily. On the other hand, Artasia frowned in dissatisfaction at how quickly it all ended. It was the long-awaited return to this world for the white-haired witch, but her opponent couldn¡¯t evenst long enough for her to have her fun. ¡°We could have yed a little longer if he wasn¡¯t in such a rush. How foolish,¡±mented Artasia in boredom. It might have been a close shave for Roel, but to Artasia, it was nothing more than a game. The conclusion had already been decided from the moment she made her appearance. ¡°I must say, this body does feel marvelous. So this is the Ascart Bloodline?¡± Artasia lowered her eyes to look at her hands as she slowly clenched them into fists, feeling the extraordinary sensations brought to her by the body she was in. Her eyes curled in pleasure. ¡°What a rare experience this is. It¡¯s probably different from what a traditional inheritor like you feels due to the difference in the Origin Attribute, but it feels satisfying nevertheless. Ahhh, I¡¯m starting to feel a little regretful that I can only experience this for a night.¡± Artasia ced her hand on her cheek as she spoke. Roel turned over to look at her, and it took a while before he finally asked. ¡°Are you not angry?¡± Roel had carefully nned everything down to the details. He forced Priestley to break Astrid¡¯s Dream Realm Barrier so as to blur the boundaries between the Dream Realm and reality, thus allowing Astrid to deliver a droplet of her blood over. Using the blood as a catalyst, Lilian was able to temporarily transform into a dreamwalker. By exploiting the special constitution of the dreamwalkers where their bodies turn incorporeal at daybreak, thus removing most external afflictions, he was able to force Artasia to fulfill her promise while depriving her of the chance to linger in Lilian¡¯s body. Everything had gone well, but there was one thing he was unable to take into ount here¡ªArtasia¡¯s response. He had technically duped the Witch Queen, and he had begun orchestrating this scam from theirst meeting. When Roel was first brought into the academy, he couldn¡¯t help but notice the slightly darker scenery and the stopped clocks inside the Dream Realm Barrier. These were signs that the ¡®dreams¡¯ he had been previously having via the guidance of the ckrose Ring were closely rted to the Dream Realm Barrier. And when he met Astrid in person, he was finally able to affirm that the two came from the same origin. With this realization, he finally gathered all of the puzzle pieces he needed to ovee this trial. His final meeting with Artasia before the battle could be said to be a performance. He needed to convince her to help him for everything to work, but it was beyond his expectations for the Witch Queen to actually make a solemn promise to him. Roel quietly awaited for the wrathful outburst of the Witch Queen, but thetter surprisingly didn¡¯t lose her temper. Instead, she blinked her eyes and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t deny that my n has flopped, but I¡¯m not angry about it. As I¡¯ve told you, as much as I do enjoy seeing your inner conflict from the dilemmas you face, I still sincerely hope that you¡¯re able to triumph over them. ¡°Still, youpletely surpassed my expectations. I never thought that there would be such a solution to the dilemma I posed. I was so excited for a moment there that I nearly spurted out my tea,¡± replied Artasia in a joyful tone. She suddenly took a step forward and got so close to Roel that their bodies were nearly pressing against one another, forcing Roel to hurriedly retreat a step back. Her eyes twinkled charmingly as she whispered. ¡°You left me in a dilemma. I knew that it was a scam, but I had no choice but to answer your summons due to the promise I made. You¡¯re a horrible man to inflict such mental anguish on me. Well... I concede that I did enjoy it, so I¡¯ll just treat it as my reward to you.¡± The Witch Queen lightly tapped Roel¡¯s chest with her finger as she spoke. Thetter was silent for a moment before finally responding with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m thankful for your magnanimity. Now, it¡¯s my turn to fulfill the end of my promise.¡± Roel took another step back before solemnly offering a hand to Artasia. His action left the witch taken aback as she realized what he was talking about. ¡°A contract?¡± ¡°Yes. As beautiful as this world is, it¡¯s too monotonous for someone like you.¡± ¡°Indeed. After how crudely you have treated me, it¡¯ll be hard for me to leave your side anymore.¡± ¡°...¡± Roel was rendered speechless by Artasia¡¯s teasing words. Meanwhile, thetter gently grabbed his hands and established a contract between the two of them. It was also around then that a brilliance different from the inferno in the sky started to emerge by the eastern horizon. ¡°Oh my, time sure flies. It¡¯s going to be daybreak soon.¡± ¡°Yes indeed.¡± ¡°It looks like my time is nearly up.¡± As the morning sun rose, Lilian¡¯s body would turn incorporeal and dispel the possession. Fully aware of this fact, Artasia pouted in displeasure, but she soon thought of something that brought a mischievous smile back onto her lips. ¡°As a final act of petty vengeance before my departure, my hero, let¡¯s y a game.¡± ¡°A game?¡± ¡°With that shrewd mind of yours, why don¡¯t you guess who I am?¡± she said with a twinkle in her eyes. With those words, she suddenly leaned in and sealed his lips. Chapter 319.5: Whose Kiss? (2)

Chapter 319.5: Whose Kiss? (2)

Roel was leftpletely stunned by the Witch Queen¡¯s action. As expected of an enigmatic witch, he was still unable to see through Artasia even at this point. Not even in his wildest imagination did he think that he would actually be ¡®assaulted¡¯ by her all of a sudden. What is she up to? Is this some kind of honey trap? There¡¯s no need for her to do this in the first ce... W-wait a moment! Why is it going in?! ¡°!¡± Before Roel could sort out his thoughts, Artasia suddenly breached the defenses of his lips and invaded his private territory, causing his flustered mind to heat up. His face swiftly flushed red. Despite Artasia frequently addressing him as ¡®my hero¡¯, she was no frail princess and Roel was no knight. There was no romance between the two of them, so Roel thought that it was nothing more than a malicious prank from her. He remained on his guard, thinking that she might try to exploit this opportunity to cast some sort of spell on him, but unexpectedly, she actually dared to venture deeper in! Feeling a little light-headed, Roel hurriedly shoved her aside. He was just about to berate her for her ridiculous prank when he realized that the person standing before him had changed. It was no longer the enigmatic white-haired witch who was standing before him. She had turned into a ck-haired woman with flushed cheeks and hastened breaths. Her eyes glimmered in intoxication, as if she was in a trance. Despite being shoved aside, she instinctively wanted to approach Roel and hug him, only to be abruptly jolted awake by his voice. ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°!¡± A shudder ran through Lilian¡¯s body when she heard Roel¡¯s voice. Her eyes widened as if she had just snapped out of her dreams. Realization of what she had just tried to do struck her, and she began to tremble. ¡°N-no, Roel, it¡¯s not what you think it is. I...¡± Realizing that the witch¡¯s possession hade to an end, the panicked Lilian tried to exin herself but ended up stumbling over her words. To make things worse, Roel was unable to utter words ofprehension as the one who tried to hug him earlier seemed to be Lilian herself. With that shrewd mind of yours, why don¡¯t you guess who I am? Roel suddenly recalled the witch¡¯s earlier words and finally understood what her so-called game referred to. However, it only plunged his mind into greater chaos. Based on senior¡¯s earlier movements, could she be the one who wanted to kiss me earlier? No, that¡¯s not right. Senior¡¯s kissing technique is immature, so it¡¯s unlikely that she would do something as bold as going in. Does that mean that it¡¯s really just Artasia¡¯s prank? Is there a possibility that it¡¯s both of them? The overload of questions hurt Roel¡¯s head, but before he could figure out an answer, he suddenly heard a series of intentional but awkward coughing not too far away. ¡°Cough cough.¡± Beneath the rising sun, his ancestor was staring at them with Antonio. Both Roel and Lilian¡¯s bodies stiffened at being caught in such an embarrassing situation, not knowing what to say. The awkwardness was only finally dispelled when Roel suddenly remembered the System. ¡°Oh right, the countdown!¡± Roel had sessfully ovee the danger and sealed the contract with Artasia, which meant that the Witness State was going toe to an end. However, there were still many questions he had yet to ask. ¡¾Countdown to the end of Witness State: 8 minutes 45 seconds¡¿ Is the time doubled because there are two of us here?Well, I guess you still have a conscience. Roel heaved a sigh of relief at the longer than expected time he had, but he had no ns of squandering any of the precious time he had left. ¡°Brother Antonio, I need to talk to you privately for a moment! Come with me!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel quickly pulled the exhausted young man to one side and started having their own conversation. Astrid blinked her eyes in confusion at the sudden closeness between the two men. Her real body was still inside the Dream Realm, and the avatar she was using at the moment didn¡¯t possess much power, so she wasn¡¯t able to eavesdrop on their conversation. That being said, she wasn¡¯t too bothered by it. She wasn¡¯t interested in men¡¯s talk in the first ce, and there was another family member present whom she thought was far more important than Roel at this very moment. Astrid turned her gaze toward Lilian, who was still furiously blushing at the moment, and her lips naturally curled into a smile. She walked over to Lilian¡¯s side and began asking her how she was feeling. Meanwhile, Roel was in the midst of demanding a personal secret from Antonio. ¡°Hm? You want me to divulge a secret which will allow me to immediately understand that we¡¯re close to one another?¡± ¡°Yes, this is very important to me. It should be something that only you know of, and you would tell no one but the people whom you trust the most,¡± Roel anxiously told his future principal. Antonio could see the urgency in his eyes, so he quickly dived into deep thought instead of probing about it. Roel was indeed in a rush right now. Based on his interactions with Antonio thus far, thetter seemed to harbor a grudge toward the Ascarts for not having visited Astrid over so many years, leaving her all alone. In this Witness State, the grudge was resolved due to his and Lilian¡¯s arrival, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the real Antonio. Antonio didn¡¯t reveal a single word about ¡®Academic¡¯ to Ro, so it would be naive to think that Roel would be an exception. Roel couldn¡¯t give up on Antonio because he was the only surviving member of the Twilight Sages Assembly whom Roel knew of in the real world, making him a precious source of information. Besides, there was no harm in striking up a close rtionship with a highly respected powerhouse of humankind. Under Roel¡¯s intent stare, Antonio managed to think of something. He snuck a peek at the woman with iridescent eyes not too far away before murmuring with an embarrassed look on his face. ¡°There¡¯s one secret that I¡¯ve never told anyone before... Actually, I-I¡¯m in love with Lord Astrid.¡± ¡°...¡± Bro, are you serious? Do you think that that¡¯s a secret?! Antonio revealed the feelings he had buried in his heart for many years, thinking that there was no harm trying to butter up Astrid¡¯s treasured family members. However, the bizarre look that appeared on Roel¡¯s face right after surprised him. ¡°Um, how should I put this? Is there anything... more specific than that?¡± ¡°Ah? Is that not enough?¡± ¡°... It¡¯d help if you could be more specific.¡± ¡°T-then... Ten years ago, Lord Astrid gave me a pair of gloves for my sixteenth birthday. Would that do?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s perfect!¡± Having finally uncovered some reliable information he could work with, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Lilian was baffled by the inexplicable concern that Astrid was showing to her. ¡°Lilian, it must be hard on you to be walking around after what happened yesterday. Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Thanks for your concern. I¡¯m recovering well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. To be frank with you, I vehemently opposed Roel¡¯s n. How could he abandon his pregnant wife and march onto the battlefield? Haa, it¡¯s a relief that everything went well.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s indeed... Huh?¡± Under the warm rays of the morning sun, Lilian stared at Astrid with widened eyes. Chapter 320: Pureblood (1)

Chapter 320: Pureblood (1)

Under the warm rays of the morning sun, Astrid nced at the ash remains of the holy tree and exhaled in relief. On the other hand, Lilian¡¯s mouth first opened wide in sheer astonishment before a furious blush swiftly dyed her face red. ¡°P-pregnant? Wife?! W-what in the world are you saying?¡± ¡°Hm? Of course I¡¯m talking about you and Roel. There¡¯s no need to be shy; I already know about it.¡± ¡°About... it?¡± ¡°Lilian, you have to understand that we hadn¡¯te up with this n yet when he approached you back then. We were in a precarious situation then, and there was a real possibility that the Ascarts¡¯ lineage might just be severed here. However, you can rest assured that his feelings for you are real. I can at least tell that much.¡± Astrid had a ¡®Don¡¯t worry, I understand¡¯ expression on her face, though out of a guilty conscience, she neglected to mention that she was actually the mastermind behind the n. From the details Astrid was giving out, Lilian was able to fit the puzzle pieces together and deduce the truth. W-wait a moment, this means that when Roel came into my room the other day, he was nning to... The realization of the truth made Lilian stare at the young man, who was chatting with Antonio not too far away, in disbelief. Her face started to heat up. Her response brought a smile to Astrid¡¯s face. Astrid grabbed the hand of the flustered youngdy and consoled her. ¡°It was only a matter of time before the two of you came to this point. Things might have sped up a little, but this isn¡¯t anything of concern.¡± ¡°No, I-I mean, we¡¯re siblings...¡± ¡°Even when the two of you shared a passionate kiss earlier on?¡± ¡°!¡± The question pierced deeply into Lilian¡¯s heart like an arrow. Her lips started quivering as she struggled to argue against it, but no words came to her mind. Astrid, on the other hand, put on the kind smile of an elder. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it work out fine this way? While the two of you are bloodline kin who share a unique connection granted by fate, this is not a bond that the rest of the world understands or epts. Only through marriage will the others see the two of you as a family.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Lilian¡¯s brain was still overheating from embarrassment when she heard Astrid¡¯s words and quickly regained her rationality. She looked at her ancestor and slowly began falling into deep thought. She¡¯s right. In the eyes of an outsider, being bloodline kin is nothing more than an iprehensible coincidence. They won¡¯t understand the bond between us. I need to have a conventionally epted rtionship with Roel in order for our bond to be acknowledged by others. B-but marriage is still a little... ¡°W-what if we don¡¯t get married?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get married? What in the world are you talking about?¡± Astrid frowned upon hearing the question from the slightly frustrated Lilian. ¡°What will happen to your child if you don¡¯t get married?¡± ¡°No, I mean, assuming that we don¡¯t have a child...¡± ¡°Even without a child in the equation, do you think that your rtionship will be able tost long if the two of you don¡¯t get married?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Lilian¡¯s widened amethyst eyes showed that she hadn¡¯t expected to hear such a thing at all. Astrid smacked her forehead out of sheer exasperation. ¡°Why is someone as smart as you so dull when ites to such matters? What are you going to do if thatd gets married to someone else?¡± ¡°O-of course I will... Wait...¡± Lilian was halfway through her response when it suddenly struck her. There was a key problem in their rtionship that she had overlooked all this while. Even if she viewed Roel as a family member and imed such to be the case to others, would others really believe her? Once Roel got married, what would his wife think if they were to maintain a close rtionship? Was there any woman in this world who would allow her spouse to have an intimate rtionship with an ¡®older sister¡¯ whom he had no blood ties with? At the very least, that was definitely a resounding no for Lilian. If so, the two of them were doomed to drift apart. Theirmunication would slowly lessen over time, and before they knew it, they would be no more than strangers. This realization sent Lilian into a state of shock, and she found herself swallowed by an unprecedented feeling of anxiety. At the same time, the notion that Roel could have someone far more important to him than her somehow filled her with dread. This was not a situation she could ept. Astrid looked at Lilian¡¯s clouded face and pondered for a while before adding solemnly. ¡°Let¡¯s put aside all those concerns for now. Touch your heart and ask yourself, is that really how you feel?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Are you sure that your feelings for him are only limited to kinship as an older sister? Is it possible that you¡¯re attributing your feelings for him as kinship because you¡¯re trying to fill a void in your heart or avert your eyes away from something else?¡± ¡°I-I...¡± Astrid sensed incongruence in Lilian¡¯s feelings and went ahead to question it directly. On the other hand, Lilian¡¯s eyes began to flicker around in shock and confusion. For the first time, she began to doubt her own feelings. Seeing this, Astrid sighed yet again. ¡°Calm down, you still have ample time to think it over. You don¡¯t have to rush to a decision here. However, I should remind you that you should think it through fast lest someone gets ahead of you. If someone else manages to snag him before you, it could very well be all over. ¡°Both of you are descendants of our n, and what¡¯s even more amazing about it is the fact that you don¡¯t share any blood ties. I earnestly hope that the two of you can be a blissful couple. Admittedly, it¡¯s much less efficient to expand our family tree like this, but who knows? Your child might just be pureblooded.¡± ¡°Pureblooded?¡± The familiar term made Lilian raise her head. Astrid looked at her and nodded earnestly. ¡°You Austineans must be familiar with the term, ¡®pureblooded¡¯. Even as an Ackermann, you probably harbor doubt toward the concept of pureblood since your people use it as a tool for establishing legitimacy and consolidating power. ¡°However, the concept of pureblood does exist in this world, but it¡¯s not a measure of nobility. Back in the ancient era, it used to refer to one¡¯s bloodline, such as in the case of you and Roel. ¡°When possessors of the same bloodline who don¡¯t bear blood tiese together, there¡¯s a chance that they may bear a child with stronger bloodline abilities, someone who is even closer to the origin. That¡¯s the true secret of pureblood. The so-called Pureblood Theory that¡¯s running rampant in the Austine Empire is no more than utter nonsense.¡± A sliver of anticipation was slowly sprouting in Lilian¡¯s heart as she listened to Astrid¡¯s exnation. She subconsciously stroked her own tummy as her eyes flitted toward Roel. Our... child. Somehow, those words brought warmth to Lilian¡¯s heart. Her mind slowly began to heat up as she stared at Roel in a daze. Chapter 320.5: Pureblood (2)

Chapter 320.5: Pureblood (2)

¡°Cough cough.¡± ¡°!¡± Astrid¡¯s cough startled Lilian, snapping her out of her thoughts. Just by looking at Lilian¡¯s reaction, Astrid knew that there wasn¡¯t any need for her to borate any further. ¡°We have finished discussing our matters.¡± While Lilian was feeling utterly exposed under Astrid¡¯s smiling eyes, Roel and Antonio finally concluded their conversation and headed back. Roel was too anxious with the ticking countdown to notice Lilian¡¯s anomaly, but thetter was far too conscious of him at the moment that she couldn¡¯t help but feel a strong jolt when she finally got a clear look at his new appearance. Absorbing the Crown¡¯s Stone had caused his hair to grow much longer, and his disposition felt slightly different from before too. Simr to how using cier¡¯s Touch left Roelposed, the current him gave off an air of tranquility reminiscent of an old tree that had mellowed out with time. His masculinity was toned down by his ethereal aura, giving him a delicate presence. Lilian¡¯s heart started to beat faster. She had no idea how others would take Roel¡¯s more delicate image, but it was definitely a bullseye for her. She felt an even stronger urge than before to dote and take care of him... though she dared not say those words aloud. Meanwhile, Astrid couldn¡¯t help but notice another problem here. She assessed Roel with her iridescent eyes, and a furrow slowly formed on her forehead. After a long moment of contemtion, she finally asked. ¡°Have you been seen by Her?¡± Astrid¡¯s words were abrupt, and it left Lilian and Antonio utterly confused. However, Roel swiftly got what she was driving at and widened his eyes. ¡°Are you referring to the Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I can smell Her scent on you. It¡¯s not particrly strong, but it¡¯s a sign that the two of you havee into contact.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve met Her. Ancestor, could it be that you know something about the Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. I don¡¯t know much about the Mother Goddess due to the Chaos Dream. I was only able to recognize Her scent because I¡¯ve seen someone like you before,¡± said Astrid with a look of nostalgia on her face. Roel was shocked to hear those words. ¡°Someone like me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of your ancestors, Kaldor Arde. Just like you, he was a prodigy with the ability to absorb the Crown¡¯s Stones. He came under the alias of ¡®Collector¡¯ in the Twilight Sages Assembly. I chanced upon him in the waning years of the Second Epoch. Back then, he was the core member of the team dealing with the Six Cmities. ¡°It was just a pity that the two of us parted ways due to the differing missions we had on hand. I¡¯ve never met him since the mass migration to West Sia. Back then, he spoke a lot about the Mother Goddess, saying that he had to collect the Crown¡¯s Stones in order to pull off something huge. I¡¯ve never heard from him ever since, so it¡¯s likely that he might have...¡± Astrid sighed softly, and Roel felt his heart growing a little heavy. He wanted to utter words of constion, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything appropriate. ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s not talk about such depressing matters. What I want to say is that while the Crown¡¯s Stones are powerful sources of power, you might face grave danger utilizing them.¡± Roel nodded in acknowledgment of Astrid¡¯s warning. He was moved by his ancestor¡¯s concern for him, but right now, he was much more worried about Astrid. He remembered that the ckrose Ring¡¯s Dream Realm was still existent in his era. Considering that a dead person was incapable of dreaming, this could very well mean that Astrid wasn¡¯t dead yet in his era. The Dream Realm in the ckrose Ring was likely an emtion of the very night Priestleyunched a devastating attack on Saint Freya Academy in the real world. Astrid was forced to use her only chance to leave the Dream Realm to sh with Magician King Priestley, and it was likely that she won the battle. This deduction was based on the fact that Antonio was still alive in the present timeline. If Astrid failed to defeat Priestley, the chances were that thetter would massacre Antonio and everyone else in order to conceal the fact that he was a traitor. However, it would appear that Astrid paid a heavy price for that fight too, resulting in her inability to show herself ever since then. Is she trapped in the Dream Realm? Or is there some other force at y here? Roel had no answers to those questions, but he knew that this was the best time for him to gather more information. After all, there was no one in the world who knew more about the Dream Realm than Astrid. ¡¾Evaluation: 105 (Perfect)¡¿ ¡¾Countdown to the end of the Witness State: 180, 179...¡¿ Roel looked at the little remaining time he had on hand and quickly asked his questions. ¡°Ancestor, if, by any chance, you met with danger, are there any emergency measures you have prepared that could potentially save your life?¡± ¡°Emergency measures? Well... I do have quite a few of them. I¡¯m in charge of guarding the Chaos Dream after all, so it¡¯s only right for me to prepare multiple survival means.¡± Multiple survival means? This... ¡°What about in this scenario? Assuming that you had to fight against Priestley on your own and ended up paying a heavy price in order to defeat him, what kind of emergency measures would you take?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯d really depend on the situation.¡± Astrid blinked her eyes in confusion, unable toprehend why Roel was asking these questions. However, Roel was only getting more anxious with each passing second. He quickly looked at the countdown before asking once more. ¡°Could I have a look at your list of emergency measures?¡± ¡°Hm... I guess you could, but you¡¯ll have to ask Margaret for that. She should have a record of that.¡± ¡°Margaret?¡± The sudden emergence of a familiar name caught Roel by surprise. Astrid misunderstood his exmation as a sign of confusion, so she began exining with a smile. ¡°Yes, Margaret is one of the rare dream spirits that possesses self-awareness. I was the one who instructed her to pose as an artificial spirit in the academy. To be frank, she was the one who thought up many of the emergency measures I have on hand, and she¡¯s also the one recording all of them down. She¡¯d provide me with options when the situation really necessitates them. After all, I¡¯m getting old and my memory isn¡¯t as good as it used to be.¡± Roel was surprised by the truth behind Magaret. Who could have thought that there would be a real spirit in the world feigning as an A.I.? Now, if only the same thing could happen for waifus... ¡¾Countdown to the end of the Witness State: 34, 33...¡¿ Having received an important clue that he could work with, Roel knew that it was time for him to say his farewells. He grabbed Lilian¡¯s hand and directed a nod at her. Thetter immediately caught the drift. With their hands locked together, they turned to Astrid and bowed deeply in unison. ¡°Ancestor, thank you for taking care of us during this period of time. We¡¯re overjoyed to have been able to meet you.¡± ¡°Ah? What are the two of you speaking of all of a sud... Ah.¡± Looking at their expressions, Astrid suddenly thought of something, and her eyes widened in astonishment. In the end, she let out a serene smile. ¡°... I see. That would exin why I¡¯ve never heard of the two of you. It makes sense now. I guess this means that I¡¯ve also done my part too. ¡°I must say, this all feels surreal. I never thought that I would encounter descendants from many yearster, but it doesn¡¯t feel bad at all...¡± murmured Astrid. She looked at the two youths in front of her before taking a step forward to hug them. ¡°Before you leave, I have onest request for the two of you¡ªbe happy.¡± ¡°Ancestor...¡± Roel was moved by her final words. Lilian¡¯s eyes turned moist as well. But time wouldn¡¯t stop ticking because of their sentiments. ¡¾Countdown ended. Commencing return.¡¿ With a notification from the System, both Roel and Lilian¡¯s consciousness started to ck out. Chapter 321: How Could This Be Possible?

Chapter 321: How Could This Be Possible?

Under Saint Freya Academy¡¯s night sky, just outside of the underground wine cer in the mountains, Paul Ackermann was currently contemting an extremely important question: When a man and a woman hole themselves up in a secluded space for two hours in the middle of the night, what could they possibly be doing? This was a profound question that would have stirred a variety of answers in Roel¡¯s previous world. Different people would take different views to that question. Some might be fighting hard for the sake of the survival of mankind whereas others might just be ¡®fighting thendlord¡¯. It was fortunate that the game, ¡®fighting thendlord¡¯, didn¡¯t exist in the Sia Continent, and nobles typically required a refined environment in order to y their entertainment games, so Paul was able to eliminate most of the possibilities. It was just that the remaining answer left seemed to be... Heh, how could that be possible? Paul shook his head,ughing at the ludicrous conclusion he arrived at. Big brother Roel might be a person with hardly any ws, but that¡¯s imperial sister Lilian we¡¯re talking about here! She¡¯s a renowned ice beauty in the Austine Empire, not to mention that their backgrounds are pr opposites. How could a high noble from the Theocracy possibly get together with an imperial princess of the Austine Empire? That¡¯s just utterly impossible! As much as Paul tried to turn his eyes away from it, the fact was that the two of them had been alone in the underground wine cer for over two hours now. Slowly, the atmosphere started to turn a little odd, and spective discussions were growing louder. To make things worse, there had been no suspicious activity they could hear from the underground wine cer thus far. There were no explosions, no nging of swords, and no pulsations of mana. With that, they could eliminate the possibility of the two of them fighting or meeting with danger. In the first ce, there was already some tension between the Purplerose Faction and Bluerose Faction, especially after Paul chose to join the Bluerose Faction. Their rtionship only showed signs of reconciliation due to this coborative operation to bring down the evil cultists. Of course, just because they were showing signs of reconciliation didn¡¯t necessarily mean that they would get along well in the future. The fundamental differences between the two factions were simply too great. Maybe... they are discussing how they ought to further their coboration? Paul stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Little did he know that he had already gotten it half right. The discussion part hadn¡¯t happened yet, but it was already decided that they would further their coboration, though it was not on a factional level but on a personal level... ... such as a coboration on their genes. Paul was trying his best to think the other way, but Geralt had apletely different take toward this matter. The gray-haired youth looked at the entrance to the underground wine cer, and despite its gorish appearance, he couldn¡¯t help but think that there was the scent of an illicit affair wafting through the air. Geralt had no idea what Lilian had seen in the underground wine cer, but it was bound to be nothing good. It was likely that she needed some time topose herself so she ordered them not to disturb her. The fact that Roel dared to head over all alone at a time like this was already revealing of something. Under normal circumstances, if two individuals weren¡¯t on close terms, they would try to avoid each other if they knew that the other party was in a bad mood. Take Paul for example, despite being Lilian¡¯s half-sibling, he chose to stay put and not disturb her after a moment of hesitation. However, Roel headed right into the underground wine cer with hardly any hesitation at all. Even if he was heading there to discuss official business with her, what official business could possibly be so urgent that he needed to meet her right away? Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be more appropriate and productive to wait for her to calm down first before talking official business? This was clearly illogical. There was another possibility that seemed more likely, and that was that Roel had headed into the underground wine cer with the intention to console Lilian. It was just a bit queer since the two of them didn¡¯t appear to be that close usually. Now that I think about it, there aren¡¯t many people in Chris¡¯ ssroom. Is it possible that they are the type of couple that are cold on the surface but get along well behind closed doors? Geralt also managed to guess a part of the truth, just that his deduction still stopped short of a little. Both Paul and Geralt weren¡¯t too worried since they had gotten a rough idea as to be what could be happening in the underground wine cer, but the other members of the Purplerose Faction were starting to lose their patience. Two hours wasn¡¯t a long period of time, but it was unthinkable for the close aides who had been with Lilian for years. No matter what kind of setbacks Lilian had suffered, she never needed more than a single hour in order topose herself. What was more crucial was that Lilian wasn¡¯t alone right now. Roel was with her. This unprecedented situation left Lilian¡¯s aides greatly unnerved, but none of them dared to go against Lilian¡¯s orders. After pacing around anxiously for a while, they slowly began turning their eyes toward Paul. As much as they didn¡¯t want to admit it, the only one amongst them who was qualified to enter the underground wine cer to take a look was Paul, whether it was his identity as a member of the Ackermann Imperial Family or his position as the vice leader of the Request Club. Most importantly of all, Lilian¡¯s order didn¡¯t apply to Paul. With these reasons at y, Paul Ackermann was eventually dispatched into the underground wine cer by the anxious crowd. ... ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Meanwhile, in the depths of the underground wine cer, a long while after the light from their return teleportation faded, the two of them finally began regaining consciousness. Lilian¡¯s mind was still a little hazy, The first thing she noticed was the stone cold ground she was lying on and the noxious blood stench around her. She blinked her eyes groggily before her amethyst pupils slowly dted in realization. She quickly shot up to take a look beside her, and it was only when she saw a familiar figure lying not too far away that she finally heaved a sigh of relief. Overwhelming emotions poured into her heart, and for a moment there, she almost felt like crying tears of joy. We¡¯re back. We managed to return together safe and sound! Even she herself couldn¡¯t remember how many times she had prayed that the two of them would be able to survive this terrifying encounter and return to the real world together. It was hard not to feel overwhelmed when the wish she had prayed so fervently for was finally being realized. She struggled to her feet and darted right toward the ck-haired man lying beside her. At the same time, Roel sensed the movements around him and slowly opened his eyes too. ¡°Senior, we are...¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve returned.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s wonderful,¡± said the exhausted Roel with a faint smile. Lilian lurched forward and embraced him so tightly that it felt almost as if she was kneading him into a part of her. It took a while before her feelings finally calmed down. Roel also regained his senses during this period of time and started scanning their surroundings. We¡¯re still at the bloody wine cer? It¡¯s at least a relief to see that Senior Lilian is fine now. Roel was ddened that Lilian was no longer haunted by her trauma anymore, and it eased his heart a little. At the same time, he recalled the current plight they were in. Judging from his experience with the previous two Witness States, it was unlikely that they had been away for too long. However, the people waiting for them outside were likely to already be on the verge of losing their patience. We need to quickly head out. Just thinking about the allies he had outside broughtfort to Roel¡¯s heart. After being put through that chaotic coup d¡¯¨¦tat four hundred years ago, the current Saint Freya Academy felt just like a safehouse to him now. Calling it a paradise might be a little far-fetched, but at least it was a ce where he could rest at ease. Under Lilian¡¯s support, Roel managed to rise to his feet. His long ck hair poured down on his robe, producing a slight whishing sound. It reminded Roel of his current situation, and a worried frown began forming on his face. He remembered how he was unable to move at all due to the side effects of cier Creator when he returned from the Witness State the previous time. He hadn¡¯t suffered any negative side effects from Time Devourer yet, but what unnerved him the most was the spell¡¯s description on the System. ¡¾Time Devourer The ancient monster, Tempest Caller, siphons away time with each of its breaths. Effects: Steals time and elerates aging. The rate of aging depends on the physical constitution of the individual, the strength and concentration of the wind, and various other factors. Side Effects: ¡ª¡¿ Indeed, there was nothing written on Time Devourer¡¯s side effects in the System, but as someone who had been pitting his wits against the darned System for years now, he was able to guess what the empty section meant. System: Of course there¡¯s a side effect, just that I haven¡¯t found it yet. He was 99% certain that that was what the System meant. It was a little weird to see how the seemingly omniscient System was failing here, but his guess was that the System wasn¡¯t developed enough to decipher the mysteries of temporal spells. Tsk. It¡¯s one thing that the System charges exorbitant interest rates, but now it¡¯s giving sloppy work too? Roel sighed in exasperation at how his System seemed to be regressing with time despite showering him with so many motivational talks. Putting that aside for now, he had a strong feeling that the side effects of Time Devourer were going to set in very soon. ¡°Senior, I¡¯d need you to cover for me if I¡¯m suddenly struck by the side effects of my spellter on.¡± ¡°Leave it to me,¡± replied Lilian with a smile. She wiped off the tears in her eyes before making her way out first. She thought that it was cumbersome, but she knew how important it was for them not to appear too close to one another given their current positions, especially when, in the view of others, they had just spent a long time together with one another. It looks like I¡¯ll really have to deal with this problem as soon as possible. The brooding Lilian began making her way out of the wine cer, and Roel quickly followed her footsteps, only to feel a weird sensation engulfing him at that instant. What¡¯s going on? Why does my body suddenly feel so light? rmed, he immediately realized that the side effects were starting to settle in. He wanted to call out to Lilian but he ended up cking out before he could speak a word. Dum! A noiseing from behind her snapped Lilian out of her thoughts. She quickly turned around, only to see Roel copsed on the ground. Horrified, she quickly rushed to his side. ¡°Roel!¡± Flustered, she quickly pulled Roel into her arms to check on his condition, but she immediately realized that something was amiss the moment she came into contact with his body. Wait a moment, why does his clothes feel so empty? Lilian had to feel around his clothes for a bit before finally grabbing hold of his shoulders. It was only when she pulled him into his arms that it finally fully sank in what was wrong with Roel. She stared at the figure in her arms with incredulous eyes. Amidst a pile of clothes she was holding onto was a sleeping boy with features as delicate as an elf¡¯s. ¡°!¡± ¡°!¡± Chapter 322: Disastrous Temptation

Chapter 322: Disastrous Temptation

W-what is this creature? How could there be something as adorable as this in the world? That was the only thought left in Lilian¡¯s stalled mind as she stared at the unconscious boy in her arms. He had fair and smooth skin, long fluttery eyshes, small cherry lips, a pair of little ears, long flowing hair, and a delicate androgynous face. His body was soft and incrediblyfortable to hug, almost like a little plush toy. Just looking at the little boy made Lilian¡¯s heart pound faster. He was so adorable that she just wanted to cuddle up to him, but she soon snapped out of her trance. ¡°No, how could Roel turn into a child? This is...¡± Upon remembering just how unnatural the current situation was, Lilian descended into a fluster. Despite the huge change in his appearance and age, Lilian was certain that the little boy in her arms was Roel Ascart. Her certainty came from their bloodline resonance, though it had be so weak that it was almost imperceptible. She struggled toe to terms with this ridiculous turn of events. Roel turned small? How is this possible? All sorts of spells had been created by transcendents over the long history of the Sia Continent, but very few of them had spatial or temporal implications, be it the spell¡¯s effects or side effects. Lilian had heard of spells that had the side effect of hastening one¡¯s aging process, but never had she seen one that caused age regression before. The powers of the Crown¡¯s Stones had far surpassed her imagination. She closed her eyes to calm herself before starting to check on Roel¡¯s condition. There was hardly any mana pulsationing from him anymore. His bloodline was still present, but it was at its weakest state ever. These signs suggested that Roel had lost his transcendent abilities, meaning that he had really regressed back to his earlier years. What made it worse was that there was no saying how long he would remain in this condition. ¡°...¡± Lilian fell silent. This was already a dire situation, but her gut feeling told her that there was more to it. One anomaly she noticed was that she was irresistibly drawn to Roel, wanting to get as close as possible to him, almost like a junkie. It was certain that this wasn¡¯t the effect of their bloodline resonance since the weakening of Roel¡¯s bloodline meant the weakening of their resonance effect too. There was something extremely important here that was eluding her notice. He didn¡¯t just be smaller. To be exact, his childlike form is caused by the regression of his age... But is this really all there is to the side effect? I feel like there¡¯s something far more dangerous here... Lilian tried to gently touch Roel¡¯s cheek, but the moment her finger came into contact with his delicate skin, she suddenly felt a tingle of exhration rippling throughout her body. It was hard to urately describe the sensation, but it made her feel more spirited and vigorous. It was such an intoxicating sensation that she found herself subconsciously craving for more. This was what was drawing her to Roel. She frowned deeply in bewilderment, trying to figure out what was going on. A thought suddenly popped into her mind, and she widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Wait a moment, does this mean that... he¡¯s leaking time?¡± Having finally traced down the crux of the anomalies, Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes narrowed in horror. Her face turned ghastly pale within seconds, and her lips started quivering fearfully. This is worse than I thought. Just thinking about some of the implications that could arise from that left her with a terrifying premonition. To put it in simpler terms, the phenomenon of leaking time meant that he was sharing his time with others. Lilian had no way of knowing whether this effect was temporary or permanent, but regardless of which it was, this definitely spelled disaster. If there was an ability in the world that practically all transcendents would go red-eyed over, it was the ability to restore one¡¯s youth. Even on the mystical Sia Continent, where the impossible was made possible, there was still one thing that no transcendent, no matter how powerful, had been able to escape from¡ªsenescence. Be it warriors, saints, traitors, or emperors, they were all equal before the flow of time. Even legendary beings known for their longevity, such as the majestic dragons and the mighty giants, could only lower their heads helplessly before the relentless progression of time. The desire to cling to life was even stronger in the short-lived humans. If granted the chance, many would choose to sin in exchange for longer lifespans. And their chance had just appeared. Anyone who came into contact with this beautiful but powerless boy would be able to slowly regain their youth. There was no greater enticement than this in the world. Lilian could already imagine Austine¡¯s noblewomen going into a frenzy should they ever learn about this. Before the opportunity to regain one¡¯s youth, even the closest of friends would against one another. As powerful as the Ascart bloodline was, Roel hadn¡¯t achieved its fullest potential yet. It was doubtful whether he could ward off the powerhouses that woulde after him even if he was in his best condition, not to mention he was powerless now. If someone with malevolent intention were to capture him and try to control him with drugs and spells, the consequences could be dire. ¡°... This won¡¯t do! I definitely cannot allow anyone to know of this!¡± The thought of it left Lilian¡¯s hands trembling out of panic, and she quickly took deep breaths to force herself to calm down. First and foremost, they definitely couldn¡¯t remain in the academy anymore as there were simply far too many people who recognized Roel here. On top of that, she clearly remembered Roel telling her that the Bloodtribute Cult was just one of the several evil cults that had infiltrated the academy. But where else can we go? Lilian did have plenty of pces under her name, but those were out of the question too. There were far too many eyes on her, and one of them was Emperor Lukas himself. That¡¯s the one person in the world who absolutely mustn¡¯t learn of Roel¡¯s condition. She would have sought Principal Antonio¡¯s help under any other circumstances, but the knowledge of Roel¡¯s conditionpelled her to immediately dispel that thought. Four hundred years was a long time, and humans were constantly changing ording to their environment. Lilian couldn¡¯t be certain whether ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio was still trustworthy or not, not to mention that his advanced age meant that an opportunity to regain his youth would be enticing to him too. Magician King Priestley had left a strong impression on Lilian about how fallible humans could be in the face of temptations. Of course, it would be foolish to pessimistically assume that all humans were like Priestley, but she wasn¡¯t about to make a gamble with Roel¡¯s life. For the same reasons, Lilian also quickly eliminated Nora and Charlotte too. While those twodies were unlikely to harm Roel, the same couldn¡¯t be said about their families. Nora¡¯s grandfather, the incumbent Holy Eminence of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, was already in his declining years, and the Sorofyas had many elders in their house too. Based on the intelligence she had previously gathered, those twodies were on good terms with their families. If a day were toe when their elders were on their dying breath and pleaded desperately with them to ¡®borrow¡¯ Roel so as to prolong their lifespans, would they really be able to toughen their heart and turn them down? No, they won¡¯t be able to do it. The Ackermanns were a cold-blooded bunch who wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill one another in order to consolidate their power. Kinship was nonexistent amongst them. Lilian wouldn¡¯t hesitate to rebel against Emperor Lukas if thetter were to demand her to hand over Roel. But the same couldn¡¯t be said about Nora and Charlotte. The same reasons could be easily applied to all of Roel¡¯s friends too. After much contemtion, the only ones Lilian deemed trustworthy were the Ascart House, but they were currently too far away. On top of that, the Witness State had taught her about one of the unique traits of the Ascart House¡ªconstantly under surveince. If her guess was right, there should be all sorts of powers keeping tabs on them even at this very instant. What should I do... Lilian looked at the unconscious boy in her arms with a worried frown. It was such a huge world they lived in, yet she felt like there was no ce for them at all. Silence fell upon the wine cer. She quietly looked at Roel while listening to their breathing sounds. Slowly, her emotions started to calm down. Was the current situation despairing? It would have definitely appeared so for others. But it wasn¡¯t long ago that she had braved through a situation even more hopeless than this. If she could muster the courage to stand fearlessly before Magician King Priestley, what was there to be frightened about by their current plight? ¡°If I can¡¯t decide on a destination, I¡¯ll just keep traveling till the right cees to me,¡± said Lilian determinedly as she rose to her feet with Roel in her arms. She first inscribed a message on the walls to inform the members of the Special Ops Team that there were still enemies that needed to be pursued. Following that, she summoned ten red-cloaked mages. She pointed at the ceiling above them and ordered. ¡°Blow a path open!¡± Chapter 323: Alicia’s Worry

Chapter 323: Alicia¡¯s Worry

Saint Mesit Theocracy, Ascart Fiefdom. In the brilliantly lit study room of the Ascarts¡¯ manor sat a silver-haired girl. She was focused on looking through the report she was holding in her hands, and beside her was a huge stack of documents she had processed over the past few hours. The arrival of summer meant that the weather in the Ascart Fiefdom had gotten considerably warmer. Due to that, none of the temperature regtion magic tools were activated, and the windows of the study room were left open. The night breeze that asionally made its way in felt cooling on one¡¯s skin. Silver-rimmed sses sat atop Alicia¡¯s nose bridge as she looked through the documents with a graceful demeanor. Her heart, however, wasn¡¯t as calm as how she appeared on the surface. ¡°As expected, Lord Brother is truly a prodigy...¡± Browsing through the figures in the ounting report, Alicia let out a small sigh as her awe for Roel rose another notch. Alicia was the only one left in the Ascart Fiefdom ever since Roel left for Saint Freya Academy two months ago. She chose to pick up her older brother¡¯s work and guide the Ascart Fiefdom down the path he had paved for it so that his earlier efforts wouldn¡¯t go to waste. Roel was initially hesitant to let Alicia take over his work due to her young age, timid character, andck of experience in governance. These factors could make it difficult for her to exert her dominance over the subordinates, and she could end up suffering grievances as a result of that. Despite Roel¡¯s unrestrained doting toward her as an irreceable family member, Alicia remained very strict on herself, maintaining a high level of discipline when it came to official business. She wouldn¡¯t butt into affairs that were beyond her jurisdiction, though she did dabble in some military-rted administrative work assigned to her by Carter. Nevertheless, she had a severely limited understanding of the ns rting to the fiefdom¡¯s economic development, as well as the measures that had been put in ce over thest few years. Roel had indeed been thinking about getting someone else to take over his work prior to his departure, but he was reluctant to hand the family business into the hands of an outsider, especially when he couldn¡¯t be around to monitor them. It was at a time like this that Alicia stood forward saying that she wanted to share the family¡¯s responsibilities. He was surprised by her initiative. Despite all the reservations he harbored, he eventually decided to let her give it a try, thinking that it would be a precious learning opportunity for her. He secretly bore quite high expectations for her too. It would be a huge mistake to think of Alicia as just any other child. She was a prodigy on par with Nora and Charlotte, not just in terms of transcendent abilities but intelligence too. Her strong learning ability would allow her to swiftly gainpetence; she was just severelycking in experience at the moment. Of course, there was a chance that she would mess up, but the damage would be limited given that there were many people around to advise her if she were to go astray. On the off chance that things really went south, he instructed the officials to inform him right away so that he could devise corrective measures. Roel spent thest bit of his time in the Ascart Fiefdom familiarizing Alicia with her duties. Admittedly, there was only so much he could cover in ast-minute crash course, but it should be enough to give her a general direction to work toward. With that, Alicia took over Roel as the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, bing the most powerful person in the Ascart Fiefdom. It was only when she really sat in that position herself that she started to understand just how talented her older brother was. Putting aside all of the wise government policies he had put in ce, just the ounting report she had in hand had already surpassed her wildest imagination. Roel had achieved many things during his tenure as the proxy fief lord, and one of them was to revolutionize traditional ounting by introducing double-entry bookkeeping. It would usually take fifty ountants two months to tabte the financial status of the Ascart Fiefdom using traditional ounting methods, but the double-entry bookkeeping required only ten ountants half a month to achieve the same results, causing huge savings in terms of time and manpower. This was a prodigious invention that could have onlye from someone who had a deep understanding of the field. However, not everything had gone smoothly in the process. When he first tried to introduce this new ounting method, he faced great objections from others. Most of those who voiced their objections could see the benefits in using double-entry bookkeeping, but they were worried that it could result in many ountants losing their jobs, resulting in negative implications for the fiefdom. Change was always frightening as it was hard to tell what would happen once the status quo was broken. The finance officials even visited Roel in droves to discuss this matter, but their reports only spurred Roel¡¯sughter. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, what you¡¯re worrying about won¡¯t happen. You¡¯ll only get busier and busier.¡± These were the words Roel said back then. Alicia was present at the scene too, which was why she had a strong impression of this matter. It was just that her only thought back then was ¡®Lord Brother is so dashing whenever he speaks confidently!¡¯ For a period of time after that, she became obsessed with observing her older brother at work. She would drop by his office whenever she had time to apany him while secretly spying on him. She could feel her heart pound just by thinking of those times. It was just that she was seeing another side to them now that she had taken over as the proxy fief lord. Roel¡¯s iprehensible prediction that others had taken as mere constion had reallye true. It was almost as if he was a seer prophesying the future. None of the ountants in the Ascart Fiefdom lost their jobs; on the contrary, it had be one of the hottest upations in thest two years. On top of increasing the efficiency of ounting, the introduction of double-entry bookkeeping also greatly boosted the speed ofmercial activities too. Trading wasn¡¯t as simple as just delivering goods and selling them. Whenever major merchants traded in the Ascart Fiefdom, they had to tabte their costs and sales,pile them into a report, submit it to the tax officials for checking, and pay the respective taxes they owed before they were able to leave. This was aplicated process that could easily take over ten days, and that was assuming that the figures were correct. However, with the introduction of the more reliable double-entry bookkeeping, the process was shortened to just three days. This meant that the merchants were saving over a week¡¯s time! Time is money for merchants. The faster they concluded a business transaction, the quicker they could move on to the next one. If they could save a week each time they conducted a business transaction in the Ascart Fiefdom, they could easily make a few more trips in a year and earn more money. Naturally, this was a huge plus point for the merchants. It was a no-brainer for the profit-driven merchants to operate in a fiefdom that allowed them to earn more money. With more merchants and increasedmercial activity in the Ascart Fiefdom, it was only natural for them to have to employ more ountants in order to handle their ountancy. As a result, just as Roel had predicted, the demand for ountants shot right up. Once Alicia understood Roel¡¯s logic, she finally came to a realization. Lord Brother is a real prodigy. Alicia believed that if Roel hadn¡¯t awakened to the Ascart Bloodline and instead focused his efforts on developing the Ascart Fiefdom, it was only a matter of time before the Ascart House turned into an economic powerhouse on par with the Sorofyas. By then, she would serve as the house¡¯s guardian, and the two of them would live blissful normal lives. Tsk, that would have been perfect. It pained her just to think about this. Unfortunately, there was no point in talking about what-ifs now. Roel had indeed awakened to the Ascart Bloodline, and vixens had started showing up in droves. Thinking about the golden-haired princess and the auburn-haired noblewoman made Alicia grit her teeth in frustration. No longer in the mood to read the financial report, she turned around to look at the crescent moon outside the window. She had already been working for a few hours now, and it was time for her to rx a little. So, she walked out of the study room and headed toward Roel¡¯s bedroom to engage in the rxation method she had been obsessed with ever since thetter left for Saint Freya Academy: Rolling in his bedsheets. Chapter 324: Double Insurance

Chapter 324: Double Insurance

¡°Wuuuu, it¡¯s the smell of Lord Brother.¡± In the dark bedroom, Alicia hugged Roel¡¯s pillow and took in a deep breath. Then, she started rolling around his bed happily. This was her most efficient method of relieving stress ever since Roel¡¯s departure. There was no frustration she couldn¡¯t forget by rolling on his bedsheets; if there was, it only meant that she hadn¡¯t rolled enough. Ever since Alicia tried to ¡®take advantage¡¯ of him during their time in Rosa, Roel decided that he couldn¡¯t let things be anymore¡ªespecially since she was starting to approach maturity and couldn¡¯t be considered to be a child anymore¡ªso he hardened his resolve and strictly prohibited her from getting onto his bed anymore. Of course, Alicia wasn¡¯t one to give up easily. She wasn¡¯t afraid of getting scolded, and she knew that she could easily make Roel¡¯s heart waver with her tears. Unfortunately, her schemes failed this time around. Knowing his own weaknesses, Roel learned from his previous failures and took a different approach to this issue. Whenever he caught Alicia sneaking into his bed, he would spend the following week holed up in his office, choosing not to return to the Ascarts¡¯ manor. To Alicia, there was nothing worse than not being able to spend any time with her older brother at all. Roel not returning home for an entire week was as good as a catastrophe! This left her with no choice but to hold back her tendencies. She wasn¡¯t able to sneak into Roel¡¯s bed for a very long time due to that. She could only make do with asionally peeking at his sleeping visage beneath the moonlight. Thus, the first thing that Alicia did upon Roel¡¯s departure was to upy his room. That was also where her hobby of rolling on his bedsheets came from. It had be a daily routine for her. She needed a dose of Roeltonin in the morning to give her the strength to pull through the day and a dose at night to ensure that she would be able to dream of her beloved older brother. While Alicia was letting herself loose on Roel¡¯s bed, Anna carefully closed the door to Roel¡¯s bedroom before sighing softly. Ever since Alicia took over Roel¡¯s role as the proxy fief lord, Anna would often see her browsing through the documents Roel left behind with a deep frown. Sometimes, she would even get upset because she was unable toprehend the rationale behind some of the key decisions. It ached her heart to see a young child having to take up such a heavy responsibility, but there was only so much she could do to help her. As Roel¡¯s personal maid, Anna had been serving as his secretary for a long time. Just by constantly being by his side, she was able to gain a deep understanding of the fiefdom¡¯s current state. Even so, she often found herself confused by the decisions Roel made. It was only when everything unfolded that she retrospectively realized what his intentions were back then. ¡°Young miss, it¡¯s already incredible that you¡¯re able to grasp so much within such a short period of time. There¡¯s no reason for you to feel downhearted.¡± Anna had said such words of constion to Alicia more than once, but thetter was still unable to shake off her worries that she might disappoint Roel. It was usually during times when she needed constion and support that she would dive into Roel¡¯s bedsheets. Though it seems like she¡¯s diving into the bedsheets today solely because she misses the young master a lot. As the manager of the Roel X Alicia fan club, Anna was constantly keeping a lookout for the two children. She could tell that Alicia¡¯s yearning for Roel was growing with each passing day, but even she had to concede that Alicia¡¯s coping mechanism was a little too... not demure. How should I put this? Rolling on the young master¡¯s bedsheets simply seems a bit too much... Not to mention that these bed sheets have already been washed! Anna massaged her temples in iprehension. She, too, was struggling to understand where this ¡®Lord Brother¡¯s scent¡¯ that Alicia often mentioned wasing from. In the end, she could only conclude that this was Alicia¡¯s unique way of consoling herself. Meanwhile, inside Roel¡¯s bedroom, Alicia finally had her fill of fun and stopped rolling around. With Roel¡¯s pillow still in her arms, she gently took off her silver-rimmed sses. It had been a year since the incident at Rosa, and Alicia had changed a bit since then. The most obvious change was her sses and twintails. As a transcendent possessing the Perfection Origin Attribute, there was no way Alicia would suffer from vision problems. The silver-rimmed sses were actually non-prescription sses without any vision correction effects, making them just an essory. She was wearing them because of apliment she had received from Roel. ¡°Somehow, Alicia looks really intelligent whenever she wears sses.¡± Roel couldn¡¯t have imagined that those words would make their way into Alicia¡¯s heart, such that she would make sure to put on a pair of sses whenever she was apanying him in the study room. As for her twintails, it was her personal choice. The tougher her love rivals were, the more she needed to entuate her femininity. Alicia had been working toward that over the past year. She conducted a thorough investigation and discovered that Roel paid particr heed to this rare hairstyle. She quickly made adjustments, and the effects showed right away. Thanks to this new hairstyle, she managed to unlock the aplishment of being able to share a long-awaited afternoon nap by her older brother¡¯s side. Her hard work had brought great progress to their rtionship, but it felt like it was all starting to unravel due to Roel going to Saint Freya Academy. She knew that there was nothing she could do about this, so she chose to focus her efforts on managing the fiefdom properly in hopes that Roel would reward her when he returned during the holidays. While the thought of Nora and Charlotte being by his side frustrated her, she didn¡¯t think that it was a major cause for concern. She had a good idea what would happen if one were to ce Nora and Charlotte together: they would only drag each other down. Nora would usually be able to take the higher ground due to her prestigious standing as the princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, but the same couldn¡¯t be said when they were in Saint Freya Academy. One must know that the Sorofyas were the greatest donors of the academy, which meant that Charlotte had the home turf advantage. When two powerful beasts fought, it was usually the spectator who benefited, and it went without saying who the ¡®spectator¡¯ was here. With such thoughts in mind, Alicia puffed her chest out and revealed a confident smile. It would be difficult for anyone else to approach Roel in Saint Freya Academy due to all of the eyes on them, but Alicia had the perfect legitimacy for that. In other words, she wielded the greatest advantage of them all! Once I join the academy next year, I shall tear through all of them and rise straight to the top! Nora? Charlotte? That¡¯s all they amount to. Everything is already in my grasp! Alicia hugged the pillow tightly as she smiled in anticipation. However, she soon recalled another intelligence she had received. ¡°Ah, they have an enemy too.¡± The Ascarts had conducted an investigation on Saint Freya Academy prior to Roel¡¯s engagement, and it would appear that an imperial princess of the Austine Empire was currently studying there too. This was good news for Alicia. The Austine Empire was the greatest enemy of the Saint Mesit Theocracy and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, so it went without saying that their imperial princess would be at loggerheads with Nora and Charlotte. Neither of them would be able to focus their attention on Roel since they needed to deal with theirmon nemesis too. In other words, despite the precarious situation surrounding Roel, there was actually double insurance in ce! I believe her name is Lilian Ackermann? Heh, thanks a lot! Beneath the moonlight, Alicia began giggling to herself while she ryed her earnest gratitude toward Lilian. As for the possibility of the imperial princess bing a love rival, that was clearly out of the question. Based on the intelligence Alicia had received, Lilian Ackermann was known to be a cold person who was suspected to have no interest in the opposite gender. In fact, there were rumors abound that she was interested in those of the same gender! Personally speaking, Alicia couldn¡¯t understand Lilian¡¯s inclinations, but she was more than happy to give her blessings. It was concerning that Roel had a special constitution that seemed to attract troublesome women, and for some reason, the Ascarts¡¯ men seemed to have an inclination toward dominant women too, but be it in terms of political background or personal stance, it was unthinkable that he would ever get together with Lilian. Havinge to this conclusion, Alicia sat by the bed and kicked her legs excitedly thinking about the future. She took out Roel¡¯s Life Orb, which she always made sure to bring together with her no matter where she went. Just as the name suggested, Life Orb was a simple magic tool that allowed one to check on another person¡¯s general physical condition. It was initially used in military operations to check if a spy was still alive or not, but it was adopted by adventurers, merchants, and upations that needed to travel frequently and faced a high risk of danger. Of course, Roel was heading to an academy where the chances of meeting with a mishap were low so there was actually no need to prepare a Life Orb, but Alicia still insisted on it anyway... because it was something a husband would traditionally give his wife before leaving for an extended period of time. Thinking about the cultural significance of Life Orb brought a sweet smile to Alicia¡¯s face. She began infusing her mana into the Life Orb in order to activate it, but to her surprise, the Life Orb didn¡¯t light up. Hm? Is it broken? Such a thought shed across Alicia¡¯s mind for an instant before she suddenly felt an ominous premonition. Her eyes slowly widened as a terrifying and uneptable possibility arose in her head. ¡°No, impossible! That can¡¯t possibly happen! How could Lord Brother possibly... Wait!¡± Her agitated emotions plunged Alicia¡¯s mind into chaos. However, a drifting dark cloud that covered the moon at that moment brought her a ray of hope. She realized that the Life Orb wasn¡¯tpletely dark. It wasn¡¯t clear due to the reflection of the moon earlier, but it was emanating a very faint light. This means that he¡¯s still alive! Alicia breathed a sigh of relief. She felt like she had just shaved years off her life thanks to that earlier scare, but she soon realized another problem. The intensity of the light corresponds to the physical condition of the individual. The fact that I couldn¡¯t make out the light earlier on means that... he¡¯s in an extremely feeble condition. Lord Brother... is dying? Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes narrowed in horror. She shot to her feet and rushed out of the bedroom. ¡°Anna!¡± ¡°Yes, young miss. What happened?¡± The maid guarding the room was surprised by Alicia¡¯s sudden outburst. Alicia was not in a state to exin things properly to her, so she simply raised the Life Orb and pointed to it. Anna came from a military house herself and was well-versed in military tools, so she was able to understand what was going on right away. ¡°Young master! How could this be?¡± eximed Anna in disbelief before falling into a state of shock. Meanwhile, Alicia had already regained herposure. Her body trembled as chilling mana harnessing her utmost killing intent flowed out of her. ¡°Anna, Lord Brother is in trouble. Inform Lord Father right away. We¡¯ll gather every single soldier we can mobilize and set off as soon as possible to find him!¡± Chapter 325: I Understand

Chapter 325: I Understand

Far away, in a dark wine cer, a ck-haired man was trembling fearfully in the corner. Paul Ackermann felt that he had arrived at his first major crossroad in his sixteen years of life. It was moments ago that he had headed down into the underground wine cer at the request of the Enforcement Division and the Request Club. He thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal, but who could have thought that he would end up witnessing something he should have never seen? The noxious stench of blood in the underground wine cer made him feel queasy within moments after his entry. He had to zone out a little to distract himself from his revulsion before he could proceed deeper in. Due to that, he couldn¡¯t shout out Lilian or Roel¡¯s name. And that was what led to the current sight. Through the faint illumination from the torches, Paul saw his imperial sister, Lilian Ackermann, pouncing onto Roel and taking off his clothes. He was certain that the swoosh sound he heard was produced by fabric sliding down one¡¯s skin. It baffled him. He pressed his body tightly against the wall, not daring to move at all. It was beyond his wildest imagination that his respected big brother Roel and half-sister were actually doing such a thing here over thest two hours! T-t-this... Aren¡¯t you two too unconcerned about the surroundings? No matter what, this ce is still... Wait! Isn¡¯t the reason why no one else is suspecting their affair precisely due to the location? Paul felt like he had managed to grasp the truth, but it did little to alleviate the astounding shock of this huge scandal. It felt like thousands of horses had charged into his mind, messing up his thoughts. I-I mean... Isn¡¯t this too risky?! To actually be having an affair in the underground cer when dozens of their subordinates are waiting for them outside... I know that this is a rare opportunity for them, b-but still... Is imperial sister actually into this kind of thrill? And big brother Roel too... Paul felt that this waspletely unlike the two of them. The Roel and Lilian he knew of were conservative people who wouldn¡¯t rush into a rtionship... even if they had such interests! But before Paul could understand what was going on, he suddenly heard Lilian¡¯s murmuring. It was vague, but he could somewhat hear the words ¡®child¡¯, ¡®time¡¯, ¡®cannot let other people know¡¯, and ¡®nowhere to go¡¯. Stringing all of these clues together crafted a shocking scenario that made his face turn pale. W-wait a moment, this doesn¡¯t sound right. What are they discussing? There were far too many clues pointing toward one direction that even Paul, no matter how he tried to deny it, couldn¡¯t turn his eyes away from it anymore. Elopement. The two of them were nning their elopement, and the reason was clear. Paul had no idea how Roel and Lilian¡¯s rtionship came to be, but their intimacy didn¡¯t juste from over thest few days. It was likely that they had been meeting each other in secret over the past month since the semester started, doing all sorts of things that lovers would. However, they slipped up and Lilian ended up getting pregnant. Now that I think about it, that would exin why imperial sister dares not toe out. Everyone else is retching out of disgust of the blood stench, and they would be fine once they are out. However, imperial sister is retching due to her morning sickness! Everything cleared up for Paul in an instant. There was a good chance that Lilian¡¯s morning sickness might get exposed if she left the wine cer. If her peculiar condition were to get diagnosed by an imperial doctor, everything would be exposed! That was probably what the two of them were discussing earlier. As for ¡®time¡¯, they were probably referring to how long she had been pregnant. He remembered the vige aunties mentioning that morning sickness would only kick in after a month of pregnancy... The timeline fit perfectly too! Paul¡¯s body stiffened as he began to sweat profusely. Even someone who had little political experience like him knew that the two of them were in deep trouble. It¡¯s no wonder why the two of them had to camp here for thest two hours. They must have been devising countermeasures. It seems like imperial sister is reluctant to abort her child, so she wanted them to elope despite having no good ce to go. Paul could understand where Lilian wasing from. It was simply too cruel to make a mother kill her own flesh and blood. Still, isn¡¯t elopement too bold? Just think about the kind of repercussions it would have on the whole of humankind! But again, if they don¡¯t elope, the two of them are bound to be pulled apart from one another. The world has nopassion for the love between an Austine imperial princess and a high noble of the Theocracy. It¡¯s likely that Emperor Lukas will force imperial sister to abort her child if he ever finds out about it. Lilian was currently at Origin Level 3 whereas Roel was at Origin Level 4. Their abilities were enough for them to make a living wherever they went, so there was no need to worry about their livelihood. The issue was that their actions could be considered as a betrayal to their nation, which meant that they would be outcasts of their respective countries, losing both their honor and standing. This was a choice between love and honor. Imperial sister is willing to give up her im on the throne in order to pursue their love, but what about big brother Roel? He¡¯s the only child in his household. Is he willing to give up what his ancestors have built up over the past thousand years for imperial sister and their child? Or will he force imperial sister to abort her child? Even Paul, who had limited understanding of the circle of nobility, knew how important the continuation of lineage was to noble houses. He didn¡¯t think that there was any correct answer to this, and all he could do was to wait nervously for Roel¡¯s answer. But what he heard instead was a resounding explosion. Boom! The wine cer quaked, and a cloud of dust fell from the ceiling. Paul was astounded. He raised his head and saw two silhouettes rushing out from a hole in the ceiling. So this is big brother Roel¡¯s decision... A glimmer of admiration flickered across Paul¡¯s mind as he watched their departing silhouettes. He felt deeply moved by what he had just seen. He dared not to say that one option was better than the other, but he believed that Roel was a true man for choosing the second path. As expected of big brother Roel! Despite the risks and challenges that stand in their way, he still chooses to elope with imperial sister... But this will ce great pressure on them, won¡¯t it? Is there anything I can do to help them? Paul fell into deep thoughts. Chapter 326: Taste of a Kiss

Chapter 326: Taste of a Kiss

Under the moonlit sky, Lilian Ackermann was flitting through a forest cloaked in fog under the guidance of the spirits. Two hours had passed since she sted a hole in the wine cer and made her escape. Knowing that it would be unwise to leave through the academy gates, she rushed straight for the Fog Forest, which led straight to the rest of Leinster. The two of them were like walking spotlights who attracted gazes no matter where they went, but they couldn¡¯t afford to draw any attention now, especially not when Roel was in his chibi form. Lilian lowered her head to look at the figure in her embrace. The sleeping boy¡¯s skin was so smooth that it seemed to glow under the moonlight. His adorable eyshes fluttered along with the wind. He had double eyelids, thin eyebrows, straight nose bridge, red lips, and a pair of small ears that looked like little ms. ¡°!¡± Looking at the adorable little creature in her arms made Lilian feel like an arrow had shot right into her heart. Her breathing that had remained stable even as she scaled across mountains turned erratic, and her body started to heat up. She had to tug her cor forward to allow the night breeze in before she was able to slowly regain her cool. This was the second reason why Lilian decided not to appear before the crowd. Roel was simply too eye-catching at the moment that his mere appearance was enough to make him the center of attention. While it was in the spur of the moment that she had chosen to leave with Roel, this didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t carefully consider the issue. It was an intentional choice on her part to leave a message to the Enforcement Division to inform them that there were still other evil cultists in the academy in order to stall for time. Both Roel and her had sensitive identities, such that it would stir huge chaos if they were to suddenly go missing without a reason. Of course, the excuse of chasing after evil cultists wouldn¡¯t work in the long run, but it would at least buy them a day or two. This period of time was more than enough for Lilian to escape from Leinster¡¯s vicinity. By then, she would write a letter to Chris to have her issue them a mission so as to create another excuse for their disappearance. This would at least prevent this matter from elevating into a disappearance case, though it wouldn¡¯t stop students from gossiping about them. The gossip would likely undermine their honor, but she thought that it was unlikely that it would get out of hand given the cold rtionship they had on the surface. Lilian shook her head with a faint smile on her lips, ddened that she had done well with the secrecy measures of their remedial sses. She was oblivious to the fact that her other younger brother had already started to view her as a symbol of free love. Even if gossip really spreads between me and Roel... somehow, I don¡¯t really feel averse to it. Lilian nced at the boy she was holding in her arms before quickly averting her gaze with blushing cheeks. She had never been too concerned about how other people viewed her as she didn¡¯t think that it was necessary to worry about others¡¯ opinions of her, but for some reason, she felt a little tingle of anticipation upon knowing that rumors would spread between her and Roel. How would they view us? Will they think that we¡¯repatible with one another? Or would they think that there wouldn¡¯t be anything between us due to the differences in our nationalities? ¡°... I think I should rest for the day.¡± All the misceneous thoughts floating in her mind and her body heating up every now and then made Lilian think that the exhaustion was getting to her, so she began searching around for a ce to rest. Many private mountain vis had been built around Saint Freya Academy over thest thousand years, so it didn¡¯t take Lilian much time to find a decent one. Based on its conditions, she deduced that it was a vacation home for nobles to escape from the summer heat. Not standing on ceremony at all, Lilian went straight for the vi that was in the best condition. While holding onto Roel d amidst clothes with one hand, she nonchntly flicked a fine thread of mana toward the vi¡¯s door with her other free hand, and the lock opened with a ¡®tak¡¯ sound. She pushed the door open and entered the vi. She had already verified beforehand that there was no one inside, so there was no need to sneak around. She first swept a nce across the lounge before making her way up the stairs, where the bedrooms were located. After passing through a stairway with windows that provided a good view of the moonlit sky and a slightly shadowy corridor, she entered one of the bedrooms andid Roel down on a soft canopy bed. It seemed like there were servants frequently visiting the vi to clean the ce as the room looked squeaky clean, though that was not the main concern she had in mind at the moment. There was a problem far more important that she had to resolve. Are we... going to sleep together? Lilian Ackermann stood by the side of therge canopy bed as her breathing started to hasten. She gulped down a mouthful of saliva as her body started to heat up once more. She had grown much closer to Roel after surviving the ordeals of the Witness State, but the two of them still respected the boundaries arising from their gender differences. The evidencey in how they had never shared a bed when they were in the headquarters of the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch. The Austine Empire embraced traditional conservative virtues. An unmarried woman sharing a bed with a man was viewed as having relinquished all other possible marriage candidates. It was equivalent to her promising herself to that man for life. It was likely that Roel had chosen not to share beds with her out of respect for the Austine Empire¡¯s traditions, which was why they ended up taking turns to sleep. Yet, when faced with the same choice once more, Lilian found herself hesitating. There were many spare rooms in the vi, and they had no pursuers after them. There was no reason why the two of them had to share a bed. Yet, Lilian found herself unable to walk away at all. Her amethyst eyes gazed upon the boy sleeping on the bed, from his scattered long hair on the pillow to his delicate facial features. Somehow, she thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal to share a bed with him. Promising myself to him for life? In other words, I¡¯ll be duty-bound to protect and take care of him for my entire life? This vow was one that most who hadn¡¯t thought things through would shy away from since it embodied heavy responsibility, but at this very moment, Lilian had a very different take to it. There¡¯s actually such a good thing in the world? Somehow, she thought about the kiss which the witch had initiated with Roel using her body. That was a kiss she had never experienced before,pletely different from the warmth of a little peck. It was a kiss thatpletely filled up her soul, leaving her feeling intoxicated and lost. Just thinking about it piqued a little curiosity in her. How would he taste like in his current form? With such thoughts in mind, her body began to approach his. Chapter 327: Sweet Taboo

Chapter 327: Sweet Taboo

What does he taste like? Just remembering the kiss they shared earlier made Lilian¡¯s mind wander into dangerous territory. Would it be sweet or bitter? Cool or hot? Would it quell the heat in my heart or make it explode entirely? She had no answers to these questions, but her body slowly leaned closer toward Roel¡¯s, till their faces were mere centimeters away. She would have pushed on further if not for Roel abruptly letting out a moan. ¡°Nnn...¡± ¡°!¡± rmed, Lilian immediately jolted upright. It was as if a pail of cold water had been poured over her burning mind, bringing her senses back to her. She could only be relieved that he fell back to sleep right after, so he didn¡¯t learn of what she had just tried to do. ¡°Haa, haa...¡± The nervous Lilian spent a while gasping for breath before her anxiety finally calmed down. She stared at the sleeping boy on the bed for a long time before grabbing her head in frustration. ¡°No, what in the world am I doing...¡± Lilian thought about everything that had happened in the two hours since the regression of Roel¡¯s body, and she had no choice but to admit that she was turning abnormal. It was true that she was previously attracted to Roel under the influence of their blood resonance, but the regression of Roel¡¯s body caused his bloodline to weaken to the point where the bloodline resonance could not affect her anymore. In other words, her current condition wasn¡¯t caused by external factors but internal factors. Lilian couldn¡¯t describe the overwhelming feelings burning within her that kept urging her to approach and protect him. She was painfully aware that her strong desire for intimacy with Roel was abnormal. Even with herck of experience with sibling rtionships, she knew that the feelings she harbored weren¡¯t those of an older sister toward a younger brother. She knew that it was not right, but her feelings refused to heed logic. They kept stimting her senses, sinking her deeper into the bog. ¡°I know that this isn¡¯t what an older sister should do and that this is all wrong, but... but...¡± Lilian stared at the person on the bed as her breathing hastened. She ced her trembling hands on his oversized clothes, knowing that she could remove it all with just a simple tug. Words couldn¡¯t begin to describe how attractive that notion was to her, but she felt like she wouldpletely lose control if she gave in to her desires. The only thing holding her back here was her fear of Roel¡¯s rejection. She knew that Roel viewed her as his bloodline kin, an older sister. The rtionship they had coulde crumbling down if she were to overstep her boundaries. It was as if the flood gates had been opened ever since she shared that passionate kiss with Roel. It tore down all of her mental barriers and protective mechanisms at a speed faster than she couldprehend, dragging her toward a new territory she had never known about that was both exciting and dangerous. Lilian¡¯s eyes flickered in uncertainty as she struggled with her inner demons. Several minutes passed, and her affection for Roel eventually triumphed over her desires. No, I can¡¯t do it. He¡¯ll hate me for it. Lilian lowered her head in disappointment and sighed. It was then that she suddenly heard a woman¡¯s voice whispering in her ears. ¡°How surprising. I didn¡¯t think that you would be able to hold back your urges.¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian narrowed her eyes in astonishment at that familiar voice. She quickly released her mana from the tip of her finger and manifested it into a sword while turning around to point that sword behind her, where a white-haired witch with madder red eyes floated. ¡°Look how agitated you are. Are you angry because I peeped on you, Lilian Ackermann?¡± ¡°Why are you here, witch?¡± Lilian warily pointed her mana sword at the figure floating in front of her, ready to strike as soon as thetter tried to pull anything. At the same time, she was confused about the current situation. Roel¡¯s bloodline ability had beenpletely sealed due to his regression, such that he couldn¡¯t even cast basic spells anymore, let alone summon someone of Artasia¡¯s caliber. Her question brought a blithe smile to Artasia¡¯s face. She first looked at the boy lying on the bed before turning to Lilian. ¡°Do you still remember the spell that fused both of your powers together?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That spell uses my blood as a medium.¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian widened her eyes at that revtion. Artasia chuckled softly in response. ¡°Indeed, my hero hase up with an exciting n that surpasses all of my expectations. I never thought that he would be able to protect you using such a method. It was just that he had no choice but to seek my help to raise his Origin Level. Did you think that I wouldn¡¯t pull any tricks when such an opportunity is presented before me? ¡°Well... I concede that my hero probably knows of the little trick I¡¯ve yed on him, but he had no choice but to ept it.¡± Artasia nced at the sleeping boy on the bed, unbothered by Lilian¡¯s sword. She drifted to the bed and sat down by its edge. Lilian hesitated a little before reluctantly dissipating her mana sword. She knew that her actions were meaningless since Artasia was already contracted to Roel. However, there was one thing she had to rify with the white-haired witch. ¡°Artasia, whose body are you possessing right now?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s my hero¡¯s body. We did seal a binding contract after all. What you¡¯re seeing right now is just the manifestation of the mana remnant I¡¯ve left behind. Don¡¯t worry, I can¡¯t possess your body without my hero¡¯s permission,¡± replied Artasia. Mana remnant? That would exin why her presence feels so weak. I can hardly feel any mana from her. Lilian¡¯s heart was put at ease upon hearing Artasia¡¯s answer, though she didn¡¯t let her guard down. Given the kind of existence witches were, it would be dangerous to assume that Artasia was unconditionally on their side. ¡°... What¡¯s your intention for suddenly appearing before me? Are you intending to help Roel recover from his current condition?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to, but I¡¯m afraid my hands are tied here. Even I don¡¯t have any good ways of dealing with the powers of a Crown¡¯s Stone. As for the reason why I¡¯ve appeared before you... it¡¯s quite simple, really. I¡¯m here to help you strategize,¡± replied Artasia. She gently stroked the edges of her lips as she spoke, a gesture that brought a frown to Lilian¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as what I¡¯ve said. I was awoken by the dilemma in your heart.¡± ¡°The dilemma... in my heart?¡± Lilian widened her eyes as panic flickered across her amethyst pupils. Amused by her reaction, Artasia¡¯s lips curled into a blissful smile, seemingly relishing in the youngerdy¡¯s inner conflict. ¡°It¡¯s a marvelous dilemma, a sh between your swelling desires and the beliefs you have held steadfast for a long time. A forbidden rtionship filled with contradictions and conflicts, a sweet yet bitter romance. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve enjoyed something as exquisite as this. But that¡¯s also the reason why I¡¯ve decided to offer you some advice.¡± The intoxicated look on Artasia¡¯s face slowly faded into solemnity. She looked at the woman standing before her and spoke her thoughts calmly. ¡°Lilian Ackermann, this is yourst opportunity to make him yours.¡± Chapter 328: Love or Tyranny

Chapter 328: Love or Tyranny

¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Lilian with a frown. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Artasia stared at Lilian intently, but she didn¡¯t respond to the question right away. She took some time to ponder before dropping a seemingly unrted question. ¡°Do you know that my hero is an extremely guarded person? He doesn¡¯t open up to others easily.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°See what I mean? Hmph, bloodline sure is a convenient tool. Isn¡¯t it irrational to trust another person just because of a meremonality? You don¡¯t even know him well, but you were still able to walk deep into his heart,¡± grumbled Artasia as she twirled her hair in displeasure. Even her voice had turned a little colder. ¡°The two of you share the same bloodline, but your backgrounds are vastly different. That¡¯s why you don¡¯t understand just how difficult it is for bloodline awakeners of your n. My hero had to ovee many trials in order to survive to this day. ¡°The malice he faces from the world is far beyond your imagination. Based on the memory fragments I¡¯ve seen, he doesn¡¯t have anyone or any records to guide him. All by himself, he barged through countless hurdles to stand before me. This is a miracle in itself. ¡°But that¡¯s also the reason why he¡¯s extremely guarded. You were able to breach his barriers through the bond of the bloodline you share and your willingness to sacrifice your own life for him in that battle, but this is far from enough.¡± Artasia¡¯s lips inched upward. ¡°You need to make him fall in love with you. Being siblings won¡¯t be enough; there must be romantic love between the two of you. Otherwise, you¡¯ll gradually walk toward your doom.¡± ¡°Doom?¡± Artasia¡¯s prophecy was met with Lilian¡¯s skepticism, but she shook her head lightly in response, unfazed by thetter¡¯s doubt. ¡°You know that the bloodline bond you share won¡¯t be enough for you to stay by his side forever. Separation is part and parcel of life that everyone has to learn to cope with, but you won¡¯t be able to. Not when it¡¯s him.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?¡± ¡°Is it? Don¡¯t you get it, Lilian? We are the same kind of people.¡± Artasia rose to her feet and began slowly making her way toward Lilian. She looked into Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes with her madder red ones as she continued with a light-hearted tone. ¡°You possess the special trait of a witch. You, too, have a fixation that you aren¡¯t able to turn away from. You should have noticed your own abnormality by now.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying!¡± By this point, Lilian already had an inkling as to what Artasia was driving at. She thought about all of those overpowering emotions and urges that had engulfed her over thest two hours, but she couldn¡¯t ept it. She refused to ept it. Artasia didn¡¯t pay her denial any heed. She ced her hand on Lilian¡¯s shoulder and leaned in to whisper into her ear. ¡°Lilian, there¡¯s a simple reason why you won¡¯t be able to stand separating from him. It¡¯s because you have too few desires in your heart. Perhaps, he might even be your one true desire, your only fixation. Others can keep their obsession in check by distracting themselves through other pursuits, but not you. Your obsession will only grow with time. It¡¯s only a matter of time before your feelings swallow you whole. ¡°Let me take a guess... Ten years? Or maybe twenty? You¡¯d have be the ruler of a massive empire by then. What a pity. The agony of separation will torture your mind and shake your mental stability, turning you into a tyrant. You¡¯llmit atrocities that cause him pain. ¡°The difference in stances will ce the two of you on opposing sides. He will try to stop you, but he can¡¯t. He¡¯ll be ruined by his soft-heartedness in the end. He can¡¯t bring himself to kill you, and you will exploit his weakness to defeat him. ¡°By then, that twisted love of yours willpel you to murder all of the women by his side. Let¡¯s see... What else will you do once your obsession for him runs amok? I reckon that imprisoning him is only the appetizer... Ah, there¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯ll hate you for everything that you have done, but at the same time, you¡¯ll be the only one he has left. The two of you will suffer amidst the mncholia of love and hatred while ironically trying to find warmth in one another. ¡°A harrowing romance that hurts yet binds the two of you together. How fascinating,¡± Artasia predicted merrily. Lilian¡¯s eyes slowly widened, and before she knew it, her body was trembling uncontrobly. ¡°No, shut up! There¡¯s no way I could possibly...¡± ¡°Calm down, Lilian.¡± Artasia ced a finger in front of Lilian¡¯s lips to silence the agitated woman before continuing on with a smile. ¡°Nothing has happened yet. Everything I¡¯ve said so far is just my own prediction. However, I think that you already have a gauge on the likelihood of my prediction turning into reality... You were moved for a moment there, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian¡¯s body jolted at Artasia¡¯s question as her amethyst eyes narrowed sharply. Indeed, she was shaken not because of the terrifying prediction but by the realization that she actually felt a hint of anticipation for it. The feeling wasn¡¯t strong, but it proved that such dark thoughts did exist in the recesses of her mind. She knew that she wasn¡¯t deceiving anyone here, be it Artasia or herself, so she fell silent. Seeing this, Artasia took two steps back and consoled her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Humans are contradictory beings that have both kindness and malevolence in them. If you don¡¯t wish to be a tyrant, your only choice is to make him yours. You have the perfect opportunity right in front of you.¡± ¡°Opportunity?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m referring to my hero¡¯s current state.¡± Artasia reached forth to touch the cheek of the sleeping boy on the bed, and the smooth sensation of his skin made her eyes curl in delight. ¡°His heart is usually surrounded by an irond wall, but things are different now. He must be feeling uneasy right now from having suddenly lost all of his powers, and this is the opening you need to make the final push. ¡°As enticing as he is to you, I ought to remind you that things could backfire if you cave in to temptation and try to sneak a bite before winning him over,¡± said Artasia. ¡°I know at least that much,¡± replied Lilian coldly. ¡°Is that so? Since you have gotten my point, I shan¡¯t say any further.¡± Artasia smiled at Lilian as her body began to slowly vanish with a soft glow. Lilian was silent for a moment before voicing out the doubt in her mind. ¡°Why are you telling me all of this?¡± ¡°I wonder that too. You can think of it as a witch¡¯s whim.¡± Artasia answered Lilian¡¯s final question before finally dissipating altogether. Lilian stared at the empty bedside for a long time before slowly making her way over to the bed. Gazing at the peacefully sleeping boy on the bed, she massaged her heart in hopes of soothing the suffocating sensation she felt. ¡°I really can¡¯t bring myself to let you go...¡± Just the thought of separation was more than enough to plunge her into unbearable pain. She would surely lose her mind if she had to suffer through this pain for ten consecutive years. She hadn¡¯t made full sense of her own feelings yet, but her furiously thumping heart couldn¡¯t possibly be a lie. I want to keep you by my side no matter what I have to resort to. Please forgive me. ¡°I... really am a despicable woman.¡± She took two deep breaths before raising her trembling hands. Swoosh. Chapter 329: Whose Child Is This?

Chapter 329: Whose Child Is This?

My body feels heavy. Roel Ascart slowly opened his eyes. In his semi-conscious state, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling above him. It was a white tapestry embroidered with golden flowers that lookedfortable to the touch. He also spotted white drapes fluttering around him. This unfamiliar sight stunned him. It took a while before his brain slowly began starting up. No, this isn¡¯t the ceiling. It¡¯s... the top of a canopy bed? Roel had never slept in a canopy bed before, but his half-awake mind was still capable of processing basic information. He continued looking around groggily. The ends of the bed look so far away. This bed is really huge. My clothes are really loose too. I guess they must have ripped in the midst of battle. With such thoughts in mind, Roel pushed himself off the bed to sit upward. He blinked his little eyes and ruffled his messy hair. His mind still felt hazy from having just woken up. A breeze entered through the window and tugged at the drapes, revealing a mirror on the dressing table that reflected an adorable little boy. The boy seemed to be around seven to eight years of age. His delicate appearance was reminiscent of the pureblood elves in legends, be it his smooth white skin, beady golden eyes, or his glistening lips. His dazed appearance from having just woken up looked really adorable, tempting one to give him a tight hug. ¡°Ah?¡± The foreign face in the mirror startled Roel, jolting him awake. He rubbed his eyes intensely before taking another look, but the reflection didn¡¯t change. Huh? Why is my reflection that of a child... W-wait a moment! A possibility suddenly arose in Roel¡¯s mind. He lowered his head and saw that his clothes were loose but undamaged. He hurriedly looked at his palm right after, but they were strangely small. His eyes slowly widened in horror as all the evidence was backing one frightening possibility. He anxiously crawled to the corner of the bed and pushed aside the drapes so as to get a closer look at himself in the mirror. ¡°This is... me?¡± Roel was stunned by the irrefutable truth presented before him. He was also able to figure out the cause behind this anomaly. It¡¯s the side effect of Time Devourer. Temporal spells were practically nonexistent on the Sia Continent. Only the Six Cmities had the power to pull off something like this. Uponprehending the situation, he quickly moved on to examine his current physical condition, but the results werepletely uneptable to him. His bloodline seemed to have fallen into hibernation, severing the window of connection he had with Grandar and Peytra. He had lost most of his mana as well. It wasn¡¯t just his appearance that had turned into a child; his strength had regressed correspondingly too. Losing all of his powers was indubitably the worst-case scenario for Roel. He felt even more panicked than when he first regained his memories of his past life and found out that he had many death gs ahead of him. ¡°H-how could this be? Right, I still have the System! But...¡± He still had the System to fall back on, but it was not something he could rely on in a battle. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t have money to buy equipment or mana to activate magic tools. He could only pray that there was something useful in the Affection Points Exchange Shop that he could use without mana. The realization that he had be powerless terrified Roel. He pressed his hands on his forehead and tried his best to keep hisposure, but the whirlpool of unease kept growing inside of him. It eventually came to a point where his body started trembling uncontrobly. Unlike the ignorant ten-year-old him, the current him had a clear idea of the lurking dangers, which was why he knew just how much he needed power to protect himself and the people he cherished. Powerlessness was not a luxury he could afford. ¡°No, I have to keep myself calm! Panicking won¡¯t change a thing at all. R-right, where¡¯s this ce? Where¡¯s senior?¡± Roel quickly looked around the room but couldn¡¯t find Lilian anywhere. Before he could leap down the bed to search for more clues, the door to the en-suite bathroom suddenly opened. Whoosh! Roel¡¯s body stiffened fearfully at the sudden noise. He nervously turned his head over, only to widen his eyes in astonishment at what he saw. Walking out of the door was a dreamy woman with water vapor still rising from her body. It was the person whom Roel was looking for, just that her appearance was different from usual. Her fair skin appeared a little pink due to the hot bath she had just had. Her face looked as wless as ever, and her slender physique was perfectly proportionate. Her usual cold and lofty demeanor that arose from her position as an imperial princess was softened by her casual appearance, making her look much more bewitching than usual. Her body was wrapped in a white towel that outlined her figure beautifully, from the protrusion of her breasts to the narrowing around her waist, followed by her long, slender legs. Senior is really beautiful. Roel was mesmerized as if he had seen a magnificent artwork. At the same time, Lilian gasped at the sight of Roel too. ¡°Roel!¡± Relief gushed into her mind when she saw that Roel had regained consciousness. Without a second thought, she rushed forward to pull him into her embrace. But the moment she started approaching him, he began instinctively backing away from her with fear reflected in his golden eyes. Lilian was taken aback for an instant before she was able to grasp the situation. Suppression of Origin Level. It wasmon knowledge that stronger transcendents were able to use their mana to intimidate weaker transcendents. Lilian had once exerted it on Roel as a warning for causing trouble prior to the entrance ceremony. This suppression wasn¡¯t just limited to transcendents; its effects were even more pronounced on mortals. This was also the reason why high-level transcendents avoided approaching children unless necessary. Children with higher sensitivity to mana could feel threatened by their powerful mana and fear them. That being said, it was unusual for the condition to be as severe as in Roel¡¯s case. The issue here was that Roel had retained his hypersensitivity to mana as an Origin Level 4 transcendent despite losing his powers, resulting in the suppression he felt from Lilian being abnormally powerful. Naturally, the instinctive fear he felt toward her was much stronger too. So, Lilian changed her strategy right away. She first reined in her mana that had gotten lively due to her agitated emotions before slowly approaching the boy with steady footsteps. She tried to make her expression look as gentle and friendly as possible so as to not appear threatening. On the other hand, Roel was feeling greatly panicked and confused. His logical mind told him that the person before him was Lilian, someone whom he could trust, but for some reason, there was a pang of fear in his heart that identified her as a menacing threat that he mustn¡¯t get close to. It was like the innate fear a peasant felt when standing before the emperor, a sense of inferiority toward a higher life form. It was so oppressive that he dared not to even look into Lilian¡¯s eyes. Even when he felt the bed undting from her climbing onto it and crawling over to his side, his eyes still remained firmly lowered, not daring to raise them in the least. ¡°Roel, it¡¯s me... Do you still recognize me?¡± Lilian tried her best to suppress her emotions as she asked gently. Chapter 330: Vow of Protection

Chapter 330: Vow of Protection

On the bed, Lilian was crawling up to where Roel was, but thetter was still looking downward with a reddened face. Roel was feeling conflicted at the moment. On one hand, his innate fear was prompting him to stay away from Lilian, but on the other hand, he was enchanted by the gorgeous woman before him. These two intense feelings pricked at his nerves. Terrifying... but beautiful. I want to get close to her. This inner conflict grew greater as Lilian came closer to him, leaving him unsure whether he should advance or retreat. Lilian¡¯s hair was still a little wet from having juste out of the bath. Water droplets trickled down her neck toward her corbone. Her movements inevitably loosened her towel a little, causing it to droop slightly. Some of her hair had fallen in front of her face and blocked her vision, so she gently pulled them back and tucked them behind her ears, revealing her lovely face and fair neck. The sh between her youthful appearance and mature disposition brought out a unique charm that made Roel¡¯s heart skip a beat. ¡°Roel, it¡¯s me... Do you still recognize me?¡± Those words induced a slight tremble in Roel¡¯s body. ¡°S-senior?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. Don¡¯t be afraid, I know what you¡¯re feeling right now. Is it the suppression of Origin Levels?¡± ¡°I-it seems so. I¡¯ve never experienced this before, so...¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. I understand.¡± Lilian crawled a few inches closer to Roel till she was right in front of him. She leaned toward his furiously blushing face and lightly nted a kiss on his forehead. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s body shuddered the moment the kissnded, but he forcefully suppressed the urge to run away. With his head still lowered, he asked a question. ¡°S-senior, this is...?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a morning kiss.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± Roel nodded with a reddened face after hearing her answer. Lilian thought that his response was as adorable as a little pet, and that stoked her desires further. I want to kiss him, hug him, and dote on him more, but I¡¯d scare him if I abruptly make a move. What should I do... Her mind started to heat up once more. She looked at his trembling hands, and an idea suddenly emerged in her mind. ¡°But that isn¡¯t exactly right either.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This kiss is actually a treatment.¡± ¡°Treatment?¡± Roel finally raised his head slightly to reveal eyes filled with intrigue. Lilian was delighted by this response. With affection brimming in her amethyst eyes, she began spouting half-true words. ¡°That¡¯s right. We need to work together to cure your fear caused by the suppression in Origin Levels and the side effects of your spell. It might be faint, but you should still be able to sense our bloodline bond, right?¡± ¡°... Yes, I can still feel the resonance.¡± Roel thought about the earlier kiss on his forehead and nodded in realization. He wasn¡¯t certain whether this could really alleviate the suppression of Origin Levels, but the bloodline resonance was indeed stimting his hibernating bloodline. The stimtion was weak, but it could potentially aid in his recovery. He could sense that his powers had been blocked off by some kind of intangible barrier; they were still there but he simply couldn¡¯t ess them. It looked like this intangible barrier would only slowly wear down with time, but it was possible to speed up the process. Through bloodline resonance, he could strengthen his own resistance and wear down of the barrier faster, thus reducing the duration of the side effect. This led him to think that Lilian¡¯s actions were justifiable even though it felt awkward. ¡°I see. Senior, you¡¯re intending to alleviate my side effects through the resonance?¡± ¡°Indeed. For that, we need to get even closer to one another. This is for your treatment.¡± Lilian slowly lured Roel in with a lovely smile, though her thoughts werepletely different. She had always liked adorable things, and Roel¡¯s current form was indescribably captivating to her. If not for the fact that his loss of abilities would endanger him, she would not want him to recover too quickly. She sighed softly in her mind before leaning in once more to nt another kiss on Roel¡¯s forehead. ¡°I know that you must be feeling flustered now, but there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. I¡¯m with you.¡± ¡°Senior...¡± ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive, I won¡¯t allow anyone to hurt you. Just like what happened four hundred years ago.¡± ¡°!¡± The solemn vow made Roel raise his head and look at her with widened eyes. This was the first time he was looking straight at her since the regression of his body. He found himself met with a pair of clear amethyst eyes that were tender and determined. They gleamed brightly as if there were stars in them, and the only thing reflected in them was him. The woman who stood firmly behind a towering fortress to protect him from the dangers beyond surfaced in his mind, and slowly, the fear he felt from the suppression of Origin Levels disappeared. In its ce came a flood of shame. He felt awful for fearing someone who was willing to put her life on the line for him. Lilian noticed Roel¡¯s self-reproach, but she didn¡¯t say a word at all. She simply opened her arms wide with a smile, her action far surpassing the significance of any words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, senior,¡± murmured Roel hoarsely. The two of them embraced one another right after. Roel was unable to reach Lilian¡¯s shoulder due to his miniaturized physique, resulting in him being buried into Lilian¡¯s breasts across the towel. He was ufortable with this, but at the same time, a mixture of gratitude and affection made him reluctant to part from her... not to mention that he was indeed unable to move at all. Lilian¡¯s arm was holding his waist firmly, causing their bodies to be pressed together. He could hear her hastened heartbeat loud and clear. Bloodline resonance, despite being weakened, naturally urred between the two of them. Time ticked by, and their bodies began flushing red. It eventually came to the point where Roel was overwhelmed by his embarrassment. ¡°I-I think I should go and bathe.¡± ¡°W-wait, don¡¯t struggle all of a sudden. Roel!¡± The feverish Roel tried to struggle free from her embrace, but in his anxiousness, he forgot about Lilian¡¯s current state. A towel loosened and fell onto the bed along with Lilian¡¯s panicked exmation. Chapter 331: Loyal Brothers

Chapter 331: Loyal Brothers

In the bathroom, a steady stream of cold water gushed out of the showerhead. It was early summer, and the weather was starting to turn warm. Most people would deem it still too early to be having a cold shower, but the boy standing under the showerhead remained as red as a lobster despite the icy water. The weather might not have gotten hot yet, but one had to understand that the heat on the bed was usually independent of the weather. Not even the coldest day could quell the mes of desire stoked within its sacred boundary. So, Roel could only resort to artificial means to cool himself down. It was just a pity that the cold water couldn¡¯t wash away his memories, so it was unable to put out the heat. Lilian¡¯s towel had loosened earlier due to Roel struggling during their embrace. She did react swiftly to grab the end of the towel to cover her body, but ironically, her reaction only made the visual impact of the slip-up even more powerful. Roel felt like he had seen something yet not really so. She barely managed to cover up her important parts with her swift reaction, but the knowledge that the only thing standing between the two of them was a flimsy towel was frighteningly tempting. He felt something tugging at his heartstrings. On the other hand, Lilian¡¯s face immediately turned bright red. She had never had a rtionship of any kind with a man, and being abruptly exposed before Roel in such a manner left her in a fluster. She readjusted the towel in a panic, hoping to cover more of her body, but her flustered movements were hardly helping at all; if anything, it only made things worse. At this point, Roel dared not stay in the bedroom anymore. Without further ado, he grabbed his loose clothes tightly and dashed into the en-suite bathroom. ¡°Roel?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll go wash up!¡± He made his escape frantically, but while closing the door to the bathroom, he unwittingly turned around and ended up seeing Lilian¡¯s back. Her beautiful curves under the soft glow of the morning sun were a critical hit to him. A-ah... Senior is really beautiful. ... Roel soaked himself into the warm bathtub and rubbed his own face to wake himself up. Should I say as expected of the imperial bloodline? Simr to the thousand years of lineage in the Ascart House, the Ackermanns with an even longer history have been in a cycle of marrying attractive spouses and giving birth to attractive children to the point that physical attractiveness is encoded straight into their DNA sequence. Her body is as alluring as a carefully sculpted masterpiece, making it nigh impossible to find a w in her. For a brief instant there, Roel actually was relieved by his regression. If their bloodlines had resonated as strongly as they previously did, Roel might have caved in right there and ¡®grandly¡¯ aplished the mission his ancestors had entrusted him with. He couldn¡¯t tell whether it was just his imagination or not, but he had a feeling that Lilian¡¯s attitude toward him had changed subtly. Their earlier interaction didn¡¯t exactly feel out of ce, but it also felt like something had changed. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on what it was, but thefort and warmth he used to feel around her had somehow turned into embarrassment and nervousness. ¡°Is it because of the changes in my body?¡± Roel looked at his reflection in the water, as well as his little hands that were beneath it. Going by thews of cause and effect, the likely cause behind the change in their rtionship was the regression of his body. He was aware that Lilian was a brocon who was fond of adorable stuff. But somehow, the notion that Lilian¡¯s attitude toward him had only changed because of his appearance left him feeling a little downhearted. Is it just because she likes my current form? Doesn¡¯t that mean that once I change back... No, what am I thinking of? We aren¡¯t in that kind of rtionship. Roel sshed water on his own face and evicted those thoughts from his mind. With a sigh, he rested his arms and chin by the side of the bathtub. Even as he tried to turn his thoughts away, he wasn¡¯t able to drive off the heaviness in his heart. It feels like our rtionship is changing. This realization left him feeling slightly worried. Unbeknownst to him, a ck-haired woman under the same roof was also contemting the same issue. Roel¡¯s feelings for me must have started changing. Lilian looked at the creased bed sheets in front of her, relieved that she didn¡¯t give in to her temptationst night. Without a doubt, that was the correct decision to make. Most longsting rtionships thrived on stability, be it kinship, friendship, or romance. Once the dynamics and the nature of the rtionship between two individuals had been decided, it would be hard to change it anymore. That was also the reason why old friends found it hard to be lovers no matter how close they were. Change and instability are frightening; humans instinctively shun them. Instead of introducing a new variable that could ruin their existing rtionship, most would choose to back down. What if my confession gets rejected? What if we can¡¯t even remain friends afterward? These worries forced a person to remain at the status quo, such that he could only remain friends with the person he loved, cursed to never be able to speak his feelings aloud. There was no doubt that Roel and Lilian harbored deep feelings for one another, to the extent where they were willing to put their lives on the line for each other. However, it hadn¡¯t been long since they met, so the two of them hadn¡¯t developed standard dynamics in their rtionship yet. This was a huge relief to Lilian. If she wanted to make a move, she had to do it now before Roel enshrined their rtionship as kinship. The longer she dragged it out, the lower the chances of sess. But at the same time, she could tell that Roel was someone who was very conservative with his rtionships. He was the kind of person who would take a passive stance in his rtionships and go with the flow, allowing his stream of consciousness to guide him. He might not even understand his own feelings. It wouldn¡¯t do for her to go aggressively at a person like that; pushing too hard would only make him retreat into hisfort zone. She had to alter the dynamics of their rtionship step by step. Even Artasia had advised her not to get too anxious. Thus, it was of paramount importance for her to keep the intensity of her ¡®attacks¡¯ in check. ¡°This is only the start. I¡¯m still a long way off from sess, so I mustn¡¯t let my guard down!¡± murmured Lilian as she began nning her next move. ... Meanwhile, Paul and Geralt had just returned to the Azure Manor after undergoing theborious process of handing the evil cultists over to the academy and recording their testimonies. It should have been finally their time to rx and take it easy¡ªthey had barely slept a wink over thest few days as they had been camping at Fulte¡¯s Stop in preparation for the raid against the evil cultists¡ªbut to Geralt¡¯s confusion, Paul insistently dragged him into a private room, saying that they needed to talk. ... What¡¯s there to talk about between two guys? Geralt was utterly bewildered by how secretive his roommate was being. The two of them headed into the dining room, and Paul closed and locked the door behind them. However, Paul¡¯s eyes started to swim around nervously, seemingly not knowing how to raise the subject. ¡°Hurry up and spit it out!¡± Geralt was too tired and exhausted to beat around the bush with Paul. Thetter hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up. ¡°There¡¯s an extremely important matter concerning big brother Roel that I need to discuss with you.¡± ¡°About our chief?¡± Geralt heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Roel¡¯s name. He walked over to the dining table and served himself a cup of tea. Haaa, you scared me there. I thought it was something important, but it turns out that it¡¯s just about our chief? Our chief is a reliable and meticulous person, so what could possibly happen to him? With such thoughts in mind, Geralt took a sip of tea. ¡°Actually, big brother Roel and my imperial sister elopedst night. What should I...¡± Pu! Before Paul could finish his sentence, Geralt had already spat out the tea in his mouth, forming a beautiful manmade rainbow across the dining room. He stared at Paul with eyes widened in disbelief while coughing violently. ¡°Cough! W-what did you cough say?¡± ¡°I said that big brother Roel has eloped with my imperial sister. I really don¡¯t know what I can do to help them at this point.¡± ¡°You must be joking! Our chief is not that kind of person! Stop spouting such nonsense!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my imperial sister who proposed it. She¡¯s pregnant.¡± ¡°...¡± Geralt was utterly dumbfounded. The room plunged into a diforting silence. An instantter, Geralt dashed off without any warning. But Paul seemed to have predicted his reaction in advance as he darted forth and firmly grabbed onto his legs, not allowing him to get away. ¡°Wait, Geralt! Where are you going?¡± ¡°Let go! You freaking dunce, let go of me! I¡¯m going back to Pendor!¡± shouted Geralt. I¡¯m not going to stay in this dastardly ce for even a second longer! His survival instinctspelled him to get as far away from this ce as possible, so he tried his best to shake off the stubborn man who was clutching onto his legs. It was futile though. After a long session of grabbing and kicking and wrestling, the two of them finally copsed weakly by the wall, gasping for air. Geralt¡¯s face was despairingly pale. ¡°An illegitimate son like you dares to get involved in this sort of stuff? Do you understand how severe the implications are?¡± Geralt grabbed Paul¡¯s cor frenziedly, trying to educate the man who was still living in the fields a year ago. Elopement was not rare in the circle of nobility, where political marriages were the mainstream. It typically wouldn¡¯t cause a huge stir, but that depended on who the eloping couple was. Lilian Ackermann was the only eligible sessor to thergest empire of humankind, a person who was destined for greatness. Roel Ascart was the sessor to a powerful marquess house, not to mention that he was in a close rtionship with the sessors to the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Xeclyde House and Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s Sorofya House too. ¡°Do you think that no one would try to look for them if those two eloped? I dare bet my head that their pursuers will go as far as to flip every inch of soil on the Sia Continent to find them!¡± ¡°T-then... Should I remain silent?¡± ¡°Do you think that¡¯d work? You were in the underground wine cer back then! It goes without saying that you¡¯d be viewed as one of their aplices. That means that I¡¯d also...¡± Speaking up to this point, Geralt¡¯s mind finally cleared up. He knew that it was impossible for him to wash his hands clean of this matter anymore, so he began to ponder hard for a way to mitigate the adverse impacts as much as possible. If this incident were to be ssified as a ¡®missing person case¡¯, it¡¯s likely that the Austine Empire, Saint Mesit Theocracy, Rosa Merchant Confederacy, and Ascart House will dispatch their men to look for them... but it does seem possible to avoid two of them. ¡°We should inform Your Highness Nora and Miss Charlotte about this matter. They aren¡¯t in an official rtionship with Roel yet, so I reckon that they¡¯d give up once they hear that Lilian is pregnant. That should reduce the number of pursuers by half, thus greatly mitigating the severity of the incident,¡± Geralt proposed. ¡°But what if they refuse to give up?¡± ¡°Hah, is that even possible? You also know what political marriages amongst nobles are like. Our chief¡¯s value would be greatly lowered once he¡¯s no longer the sessor to the Ascart House. Political marriages are all about benefits! Feelings have no ce whatsoever there,¡± dered Geralt grandly. His hatred of political marriages had blinded his eyes, but Paul, who had seen how Roel interacted with those twodies, couldn¡¯t help but feel that things wouldn¡¯t go as nned... but it didn¡¯t seem like there was a better option here. ¡°We don¡¯t need to tell them in person. An anonymous letter would suffice. Haa, this is the only thing we can do for our chief.¡± The two self-proimed loyal brothers immersed themselves in what they thought were feelings of camaraderie before swiftly getting into action. Their quills looked as sharp as knives. Chapter 332: Of Course I’ll Forgive Him

Chapter 332: Of Course I¡¯ll Forgive Him

Morning, at Saint Freya Academy¡¯s Fendt Cafe, famous for its desserts, twodies were seated opposite to each other at a table, one with brilliant golden hair and the other with lustrous auburn hair. Nora Xeclyde and Charlotte Sorofya. The esteemed leaders of the Goldenrose Faction and the Redrose Faction were gracefully having morning tea with one another, but the atmosphere between themcked cordiality. After all, it was a private meeting. Had it been a business meeting instead, they would have at least tried to maintain an impartial attitude to fulfill their responsibilities. The two of them had been arguing for the past month over the allocation of Roel¡¯s schedule, and it was only out of graciousness that they were maintaining a minimal level of courtesy with one another. Besides, they weren¡¯t gathered here today to resolve their personal differences. It was to discuss a letter that had been delivered to each of their residences earlier in the morning to inform them of something that was extremely concerning. ¡°Are you aware that Roel and that woman have gone in pursuit of the evil cultists?¡± ¡°Of course. I know everything about darling, so how could something as important as that elude me?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your take?¡± ¡°... Not of concern.¡± Charlotte responded to Nora¡¯s vague question with an equally vague answer. Thetter pondered quietly for a moment before nodding in agreement. As Roel Ascart¡¯s protector and fianc¨¦e, both Nora and Charlotte were extremely wary about Roel enrolling at Saint Freya Academy. Unlike in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, there were simply far too many opportunities here for conniving vixens to try to get close to him. ¡®Graveyard of Lovers¡¯ and ¡®Paradise of Vixens¡¯, some had dubbed Saint Freya Academy. Far too many engaged couples and childhood friends had fallen prey to this treacherousnd that only the foolish would dare to take it lightly. While Nora and Charlotte had their fair share of fights since the start of the semester, they stood on the same front when it came to repelling outsiders. So far, they had already taken down three vixens, but even so, there was still one woman they dared not to get careless against. Lilian Ackermann. She was a formidable adversary who wouldn¡¯t pale inparison in terms of strength, background, and appearance. She was the worst enemy for the two of them. In view of the Ascarts¡¯ odd preference for dominant women, Nora and Charlotte had paid particr attention to Lilian ever since enrollment. But with Roel and Lilian shing asionally in public, as well as Paul Ackermann¡¯s choice to join the Bluerose Faction over the Purplerose Faction, their worries began to dissipate. The only reason why they were gathered together to discuss this matter was due to Roel and that woman disappearing together for an entire night. ¡°One night should have been enough for them to catch up with the evil cultists and apprehend them. Did they meet with trouble?¡± ¡°That makes it even more impossible for anything to happen between them. Besides, that woman is not interested in men.¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± The twodies thought about Lilian¡¯s circumstances and exhaled in relief. The atmosphere loosened a little, and elegant smiles appeared on their faces. Knowing Roel¡¯s character well, they weren¡¯t too worried about him approaching any women; it was only the vice versa that was worrying. It was fortunate that Lilian didn¡¯t seem to have any inclination to approach Roel, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem here. Lilian was renowned for her cold and aloof personality. It was to the point where she had never danced with a man before despite the banquets she attended. Would a woman like her attempt to court Roel? Their lips curled up as the answer was apparent to them. Heh, that¡¯s impossible. But their intuition as women¡ªor maybe their own experiences¡ªtold them they couldn¡¯t let their guard down here. Charlotte soon thought of something that made her body stiffen up. Hold on for a moment, this situation looks a little familiar... The Witness State! ¡°Lilian is from a lineage with a long history too. Is there a possibility that darling¡¯s bloodline will be activated with her?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Witness State? That doesn¡¯t seem too possible considering their backgrounds...¡± Nora pondered over Charlotte¡¯s question before shaking her head in response. Charlotte also slowly calmed down after the initial scare. True. Based on the previous Witness States, it appears that only those whose ancestors had crossed paths with the ancestors of the Ascart House would be dragged into the Witness State. Both Nora¡¯s Xeclyde House and Charlotte¡¯s Sorofya House were noble houses that were close to the Ascart House at one point in history, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about Lilian. How could any Ackermann possibly have a close rtionship with an Ascart? In the first ce, the Austine Empire and Ascart Fiefdom were so far away from one another that it was nigh impossible for an Ascart to cross paths with an Ackermann, let alone be involved together in a significant historical event. There was indeed a possibility that the involvement between the two houses could go further back into the Second Epoch since the humans in West Sia could all be traced back to the Ancient Austine Empire, but that was really just a theoretical possibility. Practically speaking, it was still imusible. Nora and Charlotte had flipped through historical records about the Ancient Austine Empire, looking through the lists of noble houses that existed in that era, but they couldn¡¯t find anything about the Ascart House at all. This meant that it was unlikely for the ancestors of the Ascart House to be associated with the lofty Ackermann Imperial Family. It was hard for those who had never witnessed the grandeur of the Ancient Austine Empire to fathom just how lofty the Ackermanns were back in the Second Epoch. They were the sole overlords of humankind,manding vast territories and countless subjects. It would take years just to travel from the border to the capital, not to mention that only the noblest of bluebloods were qualified to request an audience with the emperor. It was only normal for the Ascarts to have not crossed paths with the Ackermanns. In other words, Lilian wasn¡¯t a threat at all! Without a Witness State, it was unthinkable for anything to happen between those two in such a short period of time. A man who usually shied away from women and a woman who harbored no interest in men¡ªas if those two would ever get into the same bed with one another! Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief. She was specially woken up early today to infiltrate the Azure Manor so as to give Roel a morning kiss, but this incident ruined her ns. Darling must be feeling lethargic without my morning kiss to power him through the day, she thought. She was oblivious to the fact that someone had already aplished the mission for her. Meanwhile, Nora carefully thought over this matter. ¡°It¡¯s due to ourcking capability that Roel had no choice but to seek that woman¡¯s help in dealing with the evil cultists,¡± she remarked with a sigh. ¡°There¡¯s no denying that woman possesses frightening talent and means. It¡¯s only fortunate that the political situation is still stable at the moment, so we¡¯ll have time to catch up with her,¡± replied Charlotte in agreement. The two women looked at one another and breathed a sigh of relief. Lilian¡¯s presence was huge pressure on them, but it didn¡¯t seem like there would be a confrontation between them anytime soon. Thus, it wasn¡¯t a worry for the time being. ¡°After all, there isn¡¯t any conflict of interest between us.¡± The two women smiled at one another as they decided to forgive the absence of the young man. Chapter 333: Taste of Affection

Chapter 333: Taste of Affection

Roel was currently in the midst of scrubbing his hair with his delicate hands in the warm bathtub. He poured some shampoo on his hands andthered it before applying it to his hair. This was something that he had done many times before, but it had gotten more troublesome now that his hair was much longer. I didn¡¯t know that having long hair can be such a hassle, Roel thought with a sigh as he diligently scrubbed the shampoo into every inch of his hair. He did like the carefree appearance that came from his long hair, thinking that it was a nice change from his usual neat image, but it felt heavy on his head and was difficult to care for. It was simply much more convenient to have short hair, and he was starting to miss it now. It took a great deal of time and effort before he finally overcame his first challenge, but he was faced with the second one right after. I don¡¯t have a towel. ¡°I forgot that I¡¯m not in the Azure Manor anymore. Senior did mention that she found this ce on the fly...¡± Roel scratched his head awkwardly as he searched around the bathroom for a towel but to no avail. In the end, he could only walk over to the doorway and knock on it lightly. After catching Lilian¡¯s attention, he carefully opened a crack in the doorway and asked with a reddened face. ¡°Senior, is there... a towel outside?¡± ¡°My apologies, it looks like I¡¯ve forgotten to get one for you. Here, use this.¡± Lilian passed a towel to him through the crack in the doorway. Roel took the towel, thanked her, and hurriedly closed the door. He patted his heart in relief right after. They weren¡¯t real siblings after all. He didn¡¯t think that there was really anything awkward about asking someone to pass him a towel while he was in the bathroom, but somehow, it did feel a little embarrassing when the person on the other side was Lilian. Perhaps out of consideration for his feelings, Lilian specially averted her eyes while passing the towel over too. I¡¯m a little surprised how meticulous senior is toward such minor details. Roel hummed a melodious tune while wiping his hair and body dry. Once again, he underestimated the inconvenience brought about by long hair. No matter how he tried to towel it, his hair still remained damp. In the end, he gave up on it and turned to look at his clothes, which he quickly realized were soaked in blood and dirt. He sighed yet again. It¡¯s dirty and too big for me. I can¡¯t wear it anymore. Feeling utterly helpless, Roel could only learn from Lilian¡¯s example and wrap the towel around his body. He was just about to get to it when he noticed a faint fragranceing from the towel. What a familiar scent. I feel like I¡¯ve smelled it somewhere. Where could it be from... A recollection of memories shed across Roel¡¯s mind. Many images shed across his mind before abruptlying to a halt at the moment the two of them hugged one another on a bed in the Witness State. ¡°!¡± This is senior¡¯s fragrance! Roel¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment upon stumbling on the truth. He quickly looked at the towel in his hands once more and thought about how it was wrapping Lilian¡¯s glorious body just a moment ago. His face quickly reddened like an apple. ¡°T-there¡¯s no choice. This might be the only towel here...¡± murmured Roel as he looked around the empty shelves in the bathroom. He couldn¡¯t resist the urge to raise the towel and take a whiff of it once more. Upon double confirming that it was indeed Lilian¡¯s fragrance, his cheeks blushed even more furiously. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before finally leaving the bathroom with his dirty clothes in hand. By then, Lilian had already changed into a fresh set of clothes, though it was worthwhile to note that she was dressed in a maid uniform, much to his incredulity. ¡°You¡¯re finally out, young master Roel.¡± ¡°S-senior?!¡± Watching as the smiling Lilian lifted her skirt slightly to curtsey toward him, Roel¡¯s pupils dted in astonishment before quickly turning his eyes away. A curtsying from an Austine imperial princess dressed as a maid? You must be kidding! Who would dare to ept something like that? ¡°Senior, y-your clothes...¡± muttered Roel. The maid uniform was predominantly ck with white frills and a little silk ribbon in front. It looked professional and adorable at the same time. Lilian chuckled in response to Roel¡¯s remark. She adjusted her silk ribbon a little as she replied. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. There¡¯s no one living in this vi, so I can only make do with the spare maid uniforms.¡± ¡°I-I see...¡± ¡°What do you think? Does it look good on me?¡± ¡°A-ah? Um, you do look beautiful, but...¡± Lilian had bent down slightly to meet his height while smiling at him. Just looking at her was enough to make Roel¡¯s heart skip a beat. This maid uniform was unlike those for cosy purposes in his previous world; it was intended for work, so it was neither tight-fitting nor revealing. That being said, it still brought out a different charm from her. If he really had to pick a fault with it, it would be the conspicuous incongruence between her and the maid uniform. Having grown up in a position of power, Lilian naturally gave off an authoritative aura that allowed her to silence others with just a casual nce. Just being in the same room as her would make one straighten their posture and sit properly. To put such a person in a maid costume simply looked too out of ce. Roel couldn¡¯t help but admire this striking contrast between Lilian and her clothes in a daze. At the same time, Lilian was also admiring the adorable little being before her. When her gaze fell upon the towel wrapped around his body, her eyes inconspicuously narrowed cunningly. ¡°Pardon me. I was only able to find this towel, so I could only pass you one which I have used. I hope that it wasn¡¯t dirty?¡± ¡°No no, of course not. It¡¯s fine, this is not something you ought to apologize over.¡± ¡°Still, it must have been a little damp. There might also be...¡± ¡°Not at all! I don¡¯t mind the smell at all.¡± ¡°... Pardon me?¡± Lilian was intending to just tease Roel a bit, knowing that he was quite restrained when it came to such matters, but his response ironically left her more flustered instead. ¡°W-was there an odd smell on it? I must have not thoroughly washed off the grime on me... Excuse me for a moment, I¡¯ll take another quick bath!¡± ¡°Odd smell?¡¯ It took Roel a while before he finally realized that she had misunderstood her words. Oh yeah, people are usually oblivious to their own body scents. Seeing that Lilian was swiftly making her way toward the bathroom once more with her head lowered awkwardly, Roel hurriedly reached out to grab the hem of her skirt and rified. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean! Rather than an odd smell, it¡¯s more of a fragrance and I¡¯m quite fond of it, so there¡¯s no need...¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was in a rush to dispel Lilian¡¯s misunderstanding that he didn¡¯t think his own words through before voicing them aloud. It was only after he had blurted out those words that it dawned on him just how amorous they sounded. His voice slowly began to trail off. Lilian froze in ce upon hearing his words, and her eyes slowly widened. There was a moment of silence between the two of them before both of their faces turned bright red. ¡°S-senior, that¡¯s not what I mean...¡± ¡°...¡± Roel quickly retracted his hand and tried to exin himself frantically, but Lilian wasn¡¯t responding at all. There was a long pause before Lilian finally turned around to look at Roel. Garnering all of her courage, she bent down and nted a light kiss on his forehead. ¡°!¡± The sudden softness on his forehead surprised Roel. He raised his head to look at Lilian in intrigue. ¡°S-senior?¡± ¡°This way, you¡¯ll be covered in my scent,¡± replied Lilian blissfully as her eyes curled into smiles. Chapter 334: You Just Have to Trust Me

Chapter 334: You Just Have to Trust Me

¡°Roel, how about this one?¡± ¡°... It¡¯s still too loose.¡± Inside the fitting room, Roel massaged his temples with one hand while holding a pair of oversized pants in the other. There was a frustrated yet helpless look on his face. Given that his initial clothes were too big and dirty, learning from Lilian¡¯s example, Roel started looking through the wardrobes in the vi and soon found a few servant clothes. The only problem was that they were too big for little Roel. ¡°Senior, is there anything smaller?¡± ¡°That¡¯s already the smallest one. It looks like we can only alter it.¡± Lilian took the pants from Roel¡¯s hand and cut off the excess portion with a sharp mana edge she summoned at the tip of her finger. ¡°Bear with it for the time being. We¡¯ll be able to buy more fitting clothes for you once we arrive at the next town.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. This isn¡¯t anything much.¡± Roel plopped onto a chair and watched as Lilian altered the pants with a serious look on her face. He thought about everything that had happened thus far before voicing out the question that had been lingering in his mind ever since he heard about Lilian¡¯s ns for them. ¡°Senior, do we really have to leave?¡± ¡°...¡± It was a concise question asked in a soft voice. Lilian¡¯s movements immediately came to a halt. She quietly stared at the pants in her hands for a moment before nodding her head affirmatively. ¡°Yes, we have to leave.¡± ¡°... I see.¡± Roel didn¡¯t pose any rebuttal to Lilian¡¯s decisive words since they already had this conversation earlier, but his lowered head showed a hint of disappointment. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to ovee the dangers in the Witness State, and the first thing he wanted to do was to meet his loved ones. The notion of having to part from them without being able to bid them goodbye made him unhappy. Lilian could understand where he came from, but she wasn¡¯t nning to budge on her stance. Still, looking as he kicked his legs unhappily left her with an awful feeling inside. With a sigh, she put the pants aside, walked up to Roel, and kneeled down to look him in the eyes. ¡°Roel, I don¡¯t have as much experience as you when ites to dealing with evil cultists, ancient gods, and all those frightening entities. However, I dare say that there are few people in the world who know more about the Austine Empire and the ugliness of human nature than me. ¡°You might not feel anything much, but your plight is far more dangerous than what you can fathom. Should news about your power to bestow youth upon others spread, many powerful houses and organizations will go to all lengths to capture you. ¡°I know that you¡¯re strong, but even if you do have the power to protect yourself, what about those whom you care about? If those organizations were to go after your loved ones in order to use them against you, are you confident that you¡¯ll be able to protect every single one of them?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel frowned upon hearing those words. He also understood how great the allure of regaining one¡¯s youth was, and he knew that many would stoop to all means in order to obtain that power... or at least he thought he did. He realized that he had subconsciously neglected the safety of his loved ones. Many of those whom he was close with were strong and well-protected, be it Nora, Charlotte, or Alicia. The same applied to Carter too; he was a strong transcendent with many knights under hismand. For many years, he was the only one who was constantly exposed to danger due to the Witness States and the threat of the evil cultists. Due to that, he thought that the best way to protect his loved ones was to, as much as possible, not to get them involved in his affairs. But now that he was giving this matter more thought, he realized that his assumption didn¡¯t hold, not to mention that there were many individuals who were in a far more vulnerable positionpared to Nora and the others whom he cared deeply for too. The maid who had been taking care of him from a young age, Anna, was one good example. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to remain unfazed if Anna were to ever get kidnapped. ¡°But do we really have to withhold the news from Nora and Charlotte too?¡± asked Roel. He still thought that Lilian was being too strict with the information lockdown here. Those twodies would definitely be worried if he went into hiding without informing them beforehand. ¡°No, we can¡¯t tell them about this. ¡°Even letting a roadside beggar know about it could pose a problem, let alone someone in the ruling ss. You should understand that those in the upper stratum of society have the motive and power to deal with you. Yes, I acknowledge that the Ascart House does have the power and influence to deal with most enemies who try to go after you, but what if the one who covets your power is someone whom you deem a friend? Are you confident that you¡¯ll be able to tell foes from friends? ¡°I know that you¡¯re close with the two of them, but that¡¯s only in the present. You don¡¯t know how your rtionship with them will develop in the future. It¡¯s too risky to involve them in this,¡± said Lilian. The prophecy she had heard from Artasia opened her eyes to the darker side of a romantic rtionship, and that deepened her belief that neither Nora nor Charlotte was trustworthy. She didn¡¯t think that she was the only one with a darker side. Those two women might truly love Roel, but their love could grow twisted as well. There was no guarantee that they wouldn¡¯t try to hurt Roel should their feelings for him ever turn into hatred, so it would be unwise to enlighten them of Roel¡¯s weakness. ¡°I trust Nora and Charlotte. They will never do anything to hurt me,¡± replied Roel confidently. Lilian sighed inwardly at Roel¡¯s naivety, but at the same time, she admired his innocence to believe in others. ¡°Even if you do trust them, it¡¯s far too dangerous to attempt to send them a message now. I know that such a measure isn¡¯t satisfactory to you, but trust me this once and leave this to me,¡± she said. ¡°... Alright.¡± There was a long moment of hesitation, but Roel eventually sumbed to Lilian¡¯s worried and pleading eyes. Lilian heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she felt conscience-stricken too. She wasn¡¯t lying when she raised those concerns, but she wasn¡¯t being fully truthful to Roel either. For one, she was also motivated by the selfish desires sparked by her obsession. She didn¡¯t want to share this secret with others. She didn¡¯t want others to see this side of Roel. She wanted to have him all to herself. She had no idea when these obsessions started popping up in her mind, but they had already grown to a point where she could hardly repress them anymore. She told herself that this was a continuation from where they had left off from the Witness State. We defeated the enemy together, so isn¡¯t it only right for us to bear the consequences together? Why should we allow a third party to interfere in our private affairs? Ironically, she was also aware that this was no more than self-justification, but she was more than willing to feign ignorance to it. She nted a kiss on Roel¡¯s forehead once more before heading back to her seat to continue altering Roel¡¯s pants. Once she was done, she proceeded to find a simple shirt and a belt for him too. Roel¡¯s arms and legs were so thin that the oversized armholes and leg opening would catch wind, so she took the trouble to cut out a few strips of leather so as to tighten them up. The clothes did feel much morefortable after her alteration. The loose sleeves with tightened armholes created a puff sleeve effect that looked good on Roel with his long hair and beautiful face, making him look extraordinarily adorable. ¡°With this, you shouldn¡¯t feel too cold when we travel at high speed.¡± Lilian looked at the boy in front of the mirror and smiled, satisfied with the fruits of herbor. It was then that Roel suddenly thought of a question. ¡°Senior, how did you bring me out of the wine cer yesterday?¡± ¡°I sted a hole in the ceiling and escaped through it. It¡¯s fortunate that no one saw us. Now that I think about it, it almost feels like we¡¯re eloping.¡± ¡°I guess it does.¡± Roel¡¯s face reddened a little before averting his eyes. However, his unwitting action brought something unexpected to his attention¡ªa small pile of clothes on the ground next to the bed. Is this senior¡¯s clothes? But that location... Looking at the clothes scattered by the bedside, Roel blinked his eyes hesitantly before raising his doubt. ¡°Senior, where did you sleepst night?¡± ¡°!¡± In the mirror, Lilian¡¯s eyes widened upon hearing the question. She lowered her head slightly, as if contemting something, but her face was slowly turning redder. A whileter, she turned over to look at Roel. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± It was like the two of them were having a silent conversation. Roel caught her drift and started to blush. Lilian thought that his reaction was rather cute, so she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to lean toward his ear and whisper softly. ¡°We shared a bedst night.¡± Chapter 335: Kidnapped Again?

Chapter 335: Kidnapped Again?

The Austine Empire was a country that embraced conservative ideals, be it amongst its citizens or nobles, in their way of thinking or their daily lives. The citizens yearned for the prosperity of the bygone Ancient Austine Empire, which led to them holding old artifacts and traditions in high regard. One such example was the extravagant long dresses their noblewomen wore in banquets. Admittedly, their simplified dance steps were no longer able to make the dresses flutter as gracefully as they once did, but it still remained one of the mainstream fashion wear over thest few centuries. The same applied to male-female rtionships too. Those who were well-versed in Austine traditions would know the significance of a man and a woman sharing a bed. It was a solemn vow of devotion, a promise to marry the other party and no one else. ¡°We shared a bedst night.¡± ¡°!¡± Those words were apanied by a warm breath on his ear and a beautiful face that was too close to look away from. Roel¡¯s hand inadvertently shot to his ear to cover it while hurriedly retreating a few steps away. S-shared a bed? Why? Was I in a bad condition then? Or does it mean that... Many questions popped up in Roel¡¯s head, causing his heart to itch due to a sudden influx of emotions. Even he couldn¡¯t fully make sense of what he was really feeling at the moment. He felt worried and confused, yet, at the same time, thrilled and expectant too. Their current rtionship status was an utter mess, filled with contradictions and elements that didn¡¯t make sense, but he found himself sinking deeper and deeper into it. His heartbeat quickened and his face heated up. Even his breathing had be a little ragged. A doubt he harbored was swiftly taking over his head. Does senior hope to get into that kind of rtionship with me? Roel touched his own chest to feel the burning sensation he was experiencing deep down. He blinked his eyes hesitantly before finally raising his head to ask. ¡°Was it because I was in a bad conditionst night?¡± ¡°... That¡¯s part of the reason,¡± replied Lilian. Seemingly feeling embarrassed as well, she turned her head away and tucked her hair behind her ears, exposing her reddened cheek and neck. They looked particrly alluring. ¡°It was coldst night. The abrupt loss of your transcendent powers made your body extremely vulnerable, resulting in the swift plummeting of your body temperature. I-I intended to hug you to sleep in order to keep you warm, and it was then that my clothes...¡± ¡°A-ah?¡± Roel widened his eyes in utter shock as his eyes darted toward the clothes piling by the bedside. Meaning to say, senior took off her clothes and hugged me to sleepst night? It was an unbelievable conclusion that made him gawk at Lilian, as if his brain had stopped processing from the overload of information. Seeing this, the blushing Lilian quickly added. ¡°But... I thought that you might hate me if I did such a thing without your permission, so I only slept beside you for the night...¡± ¡°How could I possibly hate you? ... But what if I were to wake up halfway?¡± Lilian was quiet for a long time after hearing Roel¡¯s question, seemingly unsure how she ought to answer. In the end, she bit her lips and murmured out the answer softly. ¡°... I¡¯m fine with it if it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°!¡± This subtle confession was the final push that caused Roel¡¯s head to overheat. His mind nked out and his breathing flew into disarray. The two of them looked into each other¡¯s eyes wordlessly, and for a moment there, it felt like the only thing left in the world were their heartbeats. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go wash my face!¡± Unable to stand the heat anymore, Roel escaped to the bathroom in a fluster. He was so anxious that he didn¡¯t close the door properly. Lilian stared dazedly at the ajar door for a long while before her body finally slumped weakly onto a chair. Leaning feebly against the back of the chair, she touched her burning cheeks as she quickly tried to put a lid on her own emotions andpose herself. It was to no avail. She still ended up squirming and cringing from the embarrassment of what she had just done. This is too embarrassing! How do people find the courage to do things like this... But at least our distance has closed up a little with this. Thinking about Roel¡¯s earlier reaction calmed Lilian¡¯s furiously pounding heart a little. Her earlier words came in the spur of a moment, but they seemed to work better than she had expected. There was no doubt that their previous sibling dynamics had affected how they viewed one another, but it seemed like things weren¡¯t as bad as she thought them to be. This was the credit of an ancestor from three hundred years ago. Unlike Lilian, Roel had been entrusted with a peculiar mission from the very start, so his motive for approaching her wasn¡¯t as innocent as she thought. He did get dragged down the sibling route halfway through, but another thousand-year-old ancestor stuck a leg in and punted him out. These interferences led to Roel¡¯s perception of Lilian as an older sister being not as strong as she thought it to be, which meant that she could push her n forward a bit. Still, she needed to make sure to take things a step at a time so as to not undo her progress. After a moment of rest, Lilian and Roel finally converged together once more. The air between them was quieter than usual, and they couldn¡¯t seem to look into each other¡¯s eyes, but the embarrassment had at least cleared up enough for them to discuss their next move. While they managed to escape for the time being, it wouldn¡¯t do for them to just wander around aimlessly. ¡°If we¡¯re to avoid other people, should we venture into a forest or seek refuge on a small ind?¡± proposed Roel. However, Lilian shook her head and turned down his suggestion. ¡°There are advantages to seeking refuge in remote ces, but ites with the disadvantage of being easily located through divination spells. Unlike in crowded cities, our enemies would be able to encircle the area and hunt us down.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s indeed a problem.¡± Roel nodded in agreement upon hearing Lilian¡¯s concern. Divination spells had notoriously low sess rates and uracy, but in exchange, there were hardly any means to counter them. Roel never had to worry about being divined as those who tried to peer into his affairs would find themselves in a pleasant meeting with either a skeleton giant or a humongous serpent. They would be lucky to get away unscathed from those two, let alone gather any information on Roel. But having lost his transcendent powers, Roel no longer had such protection. Remote locations came with the advantage of avoiding nosey eyes, but once someone sessfully divined their locations, they would swiftly get surrounded and taken down. It would either bepletely safe or a huge crisis. ¡°It would be better for us to seek refuge in crowded ces then. We can at least blend in with the crowd and make it hard for others to find us. But where should we go...¡± Roel crossed his arms and began pondering over the issue. On the other hand, Lilian¡¯s lips curled up. She walked over toward Roel, hugged him from behind, and offered her suggestion. Chapter 336: The Eye of the Storm

Chapter 336: The Eye of the Storm

The glorious sun rose over the horizon, proiming the arrival of a new day for the Sia Continent. Countless had already gotten up and were doing their own things, be it enjoying a cup of coffee, exchanging sweet nothings with their lover, or rushing the road. Traveling through a mountainous forest with a dense canopy that only allowed cracks of sunlight through was a mounted army of mercenaries. At the forefront of this army was a silver-haired girl riding on a demonic beast. They were heading out of the Theocracy through the northern border of the Ascart Fiefdom. Alicia Ascart could feel a portion of her powers falling into slumber with the disappearance of the moon, and it evoked a soft sigh from her lips. She turned to Cynthia and asked. ¡°Is there anyonegging behind?¡± ¡°No, young miss.¡± A woman donning heavy armor right behind her answered with a lowered head. But right after those words were spoken, someone started retching behind Cynthia. Alicia nced over and saw a middle-aged man patting the back of a gray-robed elder. There were helpless smiles on their faces. ¡°Sorry ¡®bout that, young miss. This geezer is past his prime, so his old bones can¡¯t take all this rattling,¡± said Rodney. ¡°Nonsense! Don¡¯t listen to him, young miss! I¡¯m perfectly fine. I just had too much to eatst night,¡± eximed Wood. Rodney shrugged in response, not wanting to say anything else since Wood had already insisted that he was fine. Alicia nced at the old man, followed by the army behind him. They had traveled for an entire night now, and most of theirplexion didn¡¯t look too good. It looked like the shaking of the demonic beasts when traveling across unstable terrain was not easy to bear even for the most resilient of mercenaries. She sighed softly and issued a new order. ¡°... We¡¯ll take a quick rest.¡± Alicia climbed down the back of the wolf beast she was riding on. She gently stroked its head and infused a bit of life force into its body, which was met with an exhrated howl from thetter. It shook its tail excitedly like a husky. This incredible sight impressed Cynthia and the others. Indeed, the demonic beasts they were riding on were actually the wolf packs that other fiefdoms had to devote a great amount of manpower each year to eradicate. Thanks to Alicia¡¯s abilities, these wolves had been tamed and turned into special mounts within the fiefdom. What was special about these wolves was their ability to cross treacherous terrains that were usually impossible for typical mounts. Should an emergency ur, the soldiers would be able to scale across mountains and get to their destination as soon as possible instead of taking a detour, possibly reducing travel time by up to ten times. The current situation was a perfect example of that. The army had already crossed three mountains thus far, covering a distance that would have otherwise taken ten days had they taken the main road instead. If one were to describe war as a fight to get the right people to the right ce at the right time, these mounts were indubitably an invaluable asset that would grant the Ascart Fiefdom an overwhelming advantage over its enemies. It was just that the young woman didn¡¯t look happy despite having aplished this incredible feat. Instead, she took out a Life Orb and started examining it. ¡°Haaa, it still looks the same as before.¡± After a night of traveling and thinking, Alicia was finally able to calm herself down. She noticed that the Life Orb wasn¡¯t getting any dimmer despite losing its brilliance, and that allowed her to make some deductions. The ce where Roel had gone wasn¡¯t a dangerous battlefield but a peaceful academy. As one of the Theocracy¡¯s high nobles, he was bound to be one of the most prominent people in the academy. On top of that, his tremendous strength meant that he was no pushover either. The chances of him falling into a dangerous state from fighting with someone else in the academy were extremely slim. If so, there was only one possibility: the Witness State. Her guess was that Roel¡¯s current frailty was not caused by him being on the verge of death but by him being afflicted with his spells¡¯ side effects, simr to the previous two times. That would exin why he was in a frail but stable condition. Alicia was able topose herself aftering to this conclusion. Before Roel left the house, she specially prepared a few bottles of wine that could replenish his life force for him. They probably wouldn¡¯t be enough to cure serious afflictions, but they should be enough to keep him hanging so that his condition wouldn¡¯t further worsen in the short run. Still, she felt anger burning in her chest. The Kingmaker¡¯s Bloodline was the turning point of Roel¡¯s life, but in her view, it was a menace that threatened to take him away from her. It would activate without warning and put Roel through untold dangers, almost like a ticking time bomb without a timer, making it impossible to control or predict it. To make things worse, it was also the catalyst that brought about swift development in his rtionships with Nora and Charlotte, to the point where it was nigh impossible to sever them anymore. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a cheat for all of the tramps out there? I am the one who has been with him since the very start! I am the one who spent the most time with him! But why is it that I¡¯m the only one who hasn¡¯t been through the Witness State with him...¡± muttered Alicia indignantly with tightly clenched fists. It took a while before sheposed herself once more. She had no idea whether he had entered the Witness State with Nora or Charlotte, but she knew that she would be the only onegging behind at this rate. She had to make haste. At the same time, she was also deeply worried about Roel¡¯s condition because she knew that he urgently needed protection right now. This was a piece of advice she had heard from Ancient Treant Kayde earlier: ¡°Whenever possessors of the Ascart Bloodline face a trial, they would undergo a period of weakness. This is amon problem amongst those of their n, and it¡¯s the opportunity that many await in order to bring them down. He needs help right now. As much help as possible.¡± Alicia frowned worriedly. She looked at the Life Orb in her hand and muttered. ¡°Lord Brother, wait for me...¡± ... Meanwhile, several white-cloaked figures were gathered around a round table in a dark chamber barely lit by a single candle ced in the middle. They had already been discussing for several hours now, and it looked like the meeting was about toe to an end. The innermost seat around the round table had a chair that differed from the others, looking much older and majesticpared to the others. The white-cloaked man sitting on that chair slowly stood up after a long discussion. Everyone immediately stopped what they were doing and fell silent. They turned their eyes toward the chairman of this council. The white-cloaked man first directed a sweeping gaze across the members of the council before addressing them with an old and hoarse voice. ¡°My fellow brethren, I can sense the deepening sins of the foolish sphemer. He has stolen another authority from our God Envoys. This is an insult to the Saints Convocation, a sphemous act toward the Mother Goddess. We cannot turn a blind eye to his provocation. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that the foolish sphemer has entered a phase of weakness. We must grasp this rare opportunity to eradicate the bloodline awakener of that n and monopolize his corpse. There are many other organizations who harbor the same thoughts as us, but only our Holy Envoy harnesses the power to uncover his trail.¡± The other executives nodded and voiced their agreement toward the movement. ¡°With this, Motion 751 of the Executive Council has been officially approved. In the name of the Mother Goddess, we shall eradicate the sphemer,¡± dered the chief executive. ¡°¡°¡°In the name of the Mother Goddess.¡±¡±¡± The other executives echoed after him with voices that sounded fervent yet sinister. In a flicker of the candlelight, all of the figures vanished. The candle continued to burn down, and it wasn¡¯t long before the chamber fell back into darkness. Chapter 337: Wage Slave

Chapter 337: Wage ve

What were the famous spots for lovers in the Sia Continent? Each country had its own answer to this question. Those who resided in the south of the Austine Empire would probably name the Leumann Forest, where the legend of Charles the Second proposing with the Nightglow Butterfly swooned many. Every February, the Milton House would hold an extravagant banquet for nobles with plenty of activities that promised attendees a good time. For those living in the north, nearer to the capital, they were more inclined to visit one of the vassal states of the Austine Empire¡ªthe Eirbowir Dukedom. The Eirbower Dukedom was one of the earliest vassal states of the Austine Empire. It was a fairlyrge country located in the northern frozennds, bordering Knight Kingdom Pendor. Its infertile soil was unsuitable for farming, and it had hardly any precious resources either. It was so impoverished that even the ambitious Austine Empire chose not to annex it. But as centuries passed after the mass migration, the average standard of living of the popce started to improve, resulting in a certain industry prospering in Eirbower. Every summer, an aurora would grace the night sky of Eirbower. It was one of the few natural sceneries that the people of Sia enjoyed despite most tourists preferring to holiday in bustling cities. During ancient times, the aurora was viewed to be a symbol of Sia¡¯s approval, and it was amon theme in many legends. It was generally viewed as an auspicious omen, though lovers took apletely different meaning to it. It was believed that couples who watched the aurora together would receive Sia¡¯s blessing. ... Yeah, it definitely reeked of an embellished tale in a tourist trap. But even lies would sound convincing when regurgitated again and again. Such rumors had already been spreading in the Austine Empire for a few centuries now that it managed to evolve into a legend in the present day. More and more people were buying into the story, turning Eirbower into a renowned honeymoon spot for nobles from the Austine Empire and Knight Kingdom Pendor. Every May, many newlyweds and engaged couples would journey to Eirbower¡¯s snowy mountain, filling the roads with opulent carriages. It formed a virtuous cycle. The legend attracted people to Eirbower, which, in turn, produced stories that contributed to its credibility. In fact, there were many romance stories about famous historical figures who had visited Eirbower over the years. It was said that Gorman the Second, an emperor of the Austine Empire, had once visited the Eirbower Dukedom under the pretext of sightseeing in order to scout the area for his expansion ns. While he was admiring the aurora, he happened to chance upon an Eirbowerean princess, and the two of them immediately felt attracted to one another. Love bloomed between the two of them, and they eventually got married. Due to this encounter, Gorman the Second viewed Eirbower as a blessednd and decided to drop his ns of invading it. Just like that, a crisis was averted thanks to the union of their love. Such stories were incredibly popr in the streets; they were even published in books at one point in time! That being said, Roel still held a great degree of skepticism toward them. Ultimately, Eirbower was a weak country that wasn¡¯t in control of its fate. It was only allowed to survive to this day because it served as a buffer state between the Austine Empire and Knight Kingdom Pendor. As for the story about the aurora bringing Gorman the Second and an Eirbowerean princess together... Heh. Do you think that an Eirbowerean princess has the right to turn down a proposal from an Austine emperor? Would she dare? Roel had such deeply ingrained contempt for the Austine Empire that he instinctively snorted in contempt whenever he heard such bragging from them, but when he saw the expectant look on Lilian¡¯s face as she recounted those romance stories, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to shatter her fantasies. Eyy, I guess I can let it slide this once for senior¡¯s sake. Aside from the romance fantasies, there were also practical reasons as to why they should head to Eirbower. The city Lilian had chosen wasn¡¯t too far away from Leinster, and it boasted a high poption density mainly consisting of tourists. This meant that they could easily blend in with the crowd, making it hard for their enemies to find them even if they managed to narrow down their whereabouts to the city. And it does sound kind of fun to be visiting a haven for lovers together with senior too... Roel awkwardly scratched his head as he agreed with Lilian¡¯s decision. Having decided on their destination, the two of them got right to action. They packed everything they needed and erased all of their traces in the vi before setting out. Due to Roel¡¯s weakened state, there was no way he could catch up with Lilian even if he ran with all his might. He thought that Lilian would summon her soldiers to carry him, but to his surprise, she chose to personally take on the job instead of leaving it to her subordinates. ¡°S-senior, wouldn¡¯t this be too tiring for you?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that I¡¯m a high-level transcendent? You¡¯re barely the weight of a heavy sword in your current form. Besides... this should be warmer for you, right?¡± Lilian pulled Roel closer to her body with a smile on her lips. The sudden onught of fragrance and softness left Roel reddening in embarrassment. ¡°We have to be exceptionally careful since you aren¡¯t in a good condition at the moment. It¡¯d be bad if you caught a cold. Be obedient, or else I¡¯m going to get mad,¡± said Lilian with a chuckle. With that, they began venturing into the forest. Roel¡¯s vision was soon filled with lush trees and the azure sky... as well as a wless face that looked perfect regardless of which angle he looked at it from. Listening to the wind and thedy¡¯s heartbeat, Roel couldn¡¯t help but think that fate was truly unpredictable. No one could have imagined a month back that the two of them would end up bing so close to one another. Those eyes that had gazed upon him coldly before the entrance ceremony were now looking at him affectionately. Since there was nothing much to do, he decided to make use of this opportunity to take a look at the System, only to be shocked by the very first thing he saw. (Affection Points +100,000) W-what? The first thing Roel did upon seeing the number was to double-check if he had read the number of zeroes correctly. Then, he rubbed his eyes to check if he was seeing things. It was only on the third look that he was forced to ept the fact that it was indeed a six-digit figure. I-isn¡¯t this too much? Roel looked at the number in the System before raising his head to look at Lilian. He was so shocked that he found himself at a loss for words. He could understand if the female capture targets of Eyes of the Chronicler were more affectionate than normal people, but this was ridiculous! He thought that it was impossible to top Charlotte¡¯s one-off +80,000 Affection Points, but he had clearly underestimated the power of love. Thinking about it, his rtionship with Lilian was far moreplicated than with Charlotte, Nora, and the others. Their bloodline resonance made them feel a sense of intimacy with one another, and looking at it from this perspective, it wasn¡¯t really that surprising that Lilian managed to break the record. Besides, this one-off outburst wasn¡¯t necessarily a good quantitative measure of Lilian¡¯s feelings for him. Take Alicia for example, the Affection Points he had received from her had never reached anywhere close to 100,000, but did that mean that her feelings for him were shallow? Definitely not. Roel knew just how much Alicia adored him. She would constantly contribute Affection Points ranging from the hundreds to the thousands, such that there was no doubt that she was the highest cumtively. In any case, it was a good thing that he had received such a huge amount of Affection Points, so he decided not to think too deeply into it. Meanwhile, there was another increasing number that caught his attention. ¡¾Interest on loan: 3778, 3779, 3780...¡¿ Watching as the interest sum grew every few seconds, Roel felt like his little heart would really explode from sheer stress. Despite having governed the Ascart Fiefdom for several years now, he was still a miser at heart. It felt like someone was slicing a piece off his heart each time the interest sum ticked up. Goddamnit, who the hell designed this interface? Aren¡¯t you trying to stress me to death? Roel¡¯s eyes reddened in anger. If not for the fact that he was in Lilian¡¯s arms, he would be tempted to let out a roar to vent his frustration. Damn it, I feel like I¡¯m bing a ve to the System. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Your eyes look a little red.¡± ¡°... It¡¯s nothing. A grain of sand got caught in my eye.¡± Roel let out a sigh as he decided to turn his attention away from the increasing interest sum. This wasn¡¯t the time for him to be thinking about money. There was something far more important at hand. Even if Lilian was here to protect him, he couldn¡¯t allow himself to remain powerless. If his body wasn¡¯t going to shoulder some burden, he would just have to seek help from the System. He took a look at the Affection Points he had and gritted his teeth tightly. Time to go on a shopping spree! Chapter 338: How Could There Be Absentees?

Chapter 338: How Could There Be Absentees?

There was a famous saying from a respected militia in Roel¡¯s previous life. No guns? No cannons? No problem. Our enemies are building them for us. Roel was so inspired by the fearlessness and optimism from the slogan that he decided to learn from its spirit, albeit in a slightly different manner. No horses? No carriages? No problem. The System will get it for us. Roel sat on a timber log in front of a bonfire as he looked at the patrolling Lionheart Army in the vicinity. They were taking a rest at the moment and Lilian was out hunting for food, thus giving him some time to himself. He personally thought that he had already been very patient with the System. Despite being his cheat, it was useless whenever he was in desperate situations, not to mention that it even charged him an exorbitant sum for its services. Its loan interest rate would put even the greediest of banks to shame. Still, he never¡ªor at least hardlyined about it, but things were different this time. ¡°Bloody hell! You weren¡¯t even able to detect the side effects of Time Devourer this time around. What use do I have for you?¡± Roel roared at the System. Sensing its host¡¯s unprecedented anger, the System actually fell silent for a moment¡ªpossibly out of shame¡ªbefore finally offering an exnation. ¡¾Analytical dys are inevitable when dealing with extenuating factors such as the vition of space-timews or karmic effects. The System asks for the user¡¯s understanding.¡¿ Understanding? Dream on! Why would I try to understand you when I¡¯m nning to rip you off? Just like how an indignant gamer who had lost a piece of rare equipment due to a game bug would raise a shitstorm to demandpensation for his loss, Roel was determined to get something good out of the System for this. His attitude only got even more forceful. Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s Manners 101 to show some sincerity when asking for someone¡¯s understanding? Roel nced at the 50% discount offered by the¡¾400 Years Witness State¡¿event and scoffed coldly. ¡°Is this all you¡¯re offering me after how badly you did me in? It¡¯s not enough. Either increase the discount percentage or find some other way topensate me. Take your pick!¡± ¡¾...¡¿ Roel¡¯s domineering attitude made the sheepish System fall silent once more. It took a while before it gave its response. ¡¾The world is governed by the rules of cause and effect, including the System¡¯s functions. Affection Points cannot be generated out of thin air. Gold coins taken by the System have also been reallocated back into the earth. The System is unable to offer the user anypensation on those aspects.¡¿ ¡¾However, out of sympathy for the extenuating circumstances the user is facing at the moment, the System willunch another event.¡¿ ¡¾Commemoration of the Chibi¡¯s Journey % off items in the event shop (Can be stacked with other discounts)¡¿ Hm? If it¡¯s stackable, a 50% discount on a 50% discount means that it¡¯s 75% off the items in the event shop. Roel¡¯s fury abated after seeing thepensation offered by the System. To be honest, he was only giving it a try and didn¡¯t think that it would really work out. He did know how stubborn the System could be. However, the sharp sense for negotiation he had honed over the years as a proxy fief lord told him that it was possible to push for a better deal. It was willing to drop this benefit without any hesitation. This means that it hasn¡¯t reached its bottom line yet, so there¡¯s still room to haggle on! ¡°Is that all? There have been many events with 50% off event items. Did you think that you can cate me with just an additional 25% off? Is that all your sincerity amounts to?¡± Roel questioned sharply. He looked at the System with eyes filled with contempt, as if thetter was a piece of trash. The System tried to argue against it, saying that it was already its best offer, but Roel¡¯s indignant cries and scathing insults were simply too hard to ignore. It would usually deflect his demands with its preaching, but it wasn¡¯t in a good position to preach due to its failure. In the end, it exasperatedly threw in the towel and gave its final offer. ¡¾Dangerous Pursuit A candle flickers in the night gale, and withered leaves fall at the onset of frost. A deathly pursuitmences in this bleakness. The only thing that offers any sliver of constion is the sound of snapped enemy necks. % off items in the event shop (Can be stacked with other discounts)¡¿ ¡°This is more like it. 87.5% off is at least... Wait a moment!¡± Roel was just about to celebrate his sessful haggling when the name of the event, ¡®Dangerous Pursuit¡¯, finally sank in, and he recoiled in horror. ¡°Dangerous Pursuit? What does this mean? Hello, System? Hey!¡± Roel anxiously demanded an exnation from the System, but thetter wasn¡¯t answering him anymore. Figuring that the System wasn¡¯t going to say anything, he quickly read through the event¡¯s description once more to deduce what was going on. Slowly, his face turned grim. Both the name and description of the event hinted at one thing: Something bad is going to happen. Roel had never thought that their escape was going to be peaceful. Given their identities, there were bound to be pursuers after them, simr to how Nora and Alicia came after him thest time Charlotte kidnapped him to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. However, it didn¡¯t seem right to associate those search parties with the word ¡®deathly¡¯. The pursuers mentioned in the event likely referred to someone else. Could it be referring to assassins dispatched by the other two princes of the Austine Empire to eliminate senior while she¡¯s alone? No, that doesn¡¯t sound right. There¡¯s a limit to the range ofmunication magic tools. It has only been a day since we left, so it shouldn¡¯t be possible for those two princes to receive the news yet. If so, could the event be referring to something that is going to happen soon? Roel contemted this possibility with a frown, but he quickly refuted that possibility too. No, the System has already said that it faces trouble processing anything rted to spacetime. It¡¯s unlikely that it has the power to predict the future. That would mean that the danger is happening right now! ... Could the System¡¯s realpensation not be the additional 50% discount but the revtion of the information that someone is eyeing me and has already sent assassins for my head? ¡°...¡± Roel stared at the bonfire in front of him and fell into deep thoughts. He began recollecting all of his possible enemies and narrowed down the potential suspects. He was eventually left with just one candidate. ¡°Is it the Saints Convocation?¡± He had faced a fair share of assassination attempts from evil cultists over the years, but the fact that the System wasunching an event specifically on it showed that it was at apletely different scale this time around. It was too much of a coincidence for his enemies to suddenly go all-out against him shortly after he was afflicted by the side effects of Time Devourer. He believed that it was more likely that his enemies wereing after him now precisely because they knew that he was in a weakened state. Working under that assumption, the only one who could have known that he was in a weakened condition was the Saints Convocation, the worshipers of the Mother Goddess and the Six Cmities. That was a group of lunatics that Roel didn¡¯t want to face now. He felt like he had escaped from a lion¡¯s den only to stumble into a wolf¡¯s nest, and it unnerved him. He was distracted from his plight due to Lilian¡¯spany, but all of this caused his fears to resurface. It was not the danger that scared him the most; it was the fact that he was powerless to do anything about it. It was a huge relief that he had Lilian by his side, but at the same time, the knowledge that he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything when harm befell her frightened him. He wouldn¡¯t be able to stand that. So, he anxiously essed the System¡¯s Affection Points Exchange Shop to browse through the items on discount, praying that there was something there he could use. His eyes widened in surprise at what he saw, and his anxiously beating heart calmed down a little. Unlike the usual ¡®random garage sale¡¯, the items currently avable on the Affection Points Exchange Shop were clearly tailored to help him out of his current crisis. It looked like the System had finally awakened to its conscience and dropped its bullshit about being self-sufficient and whatnot to directly lend him a helping hand. I guess the System isn¡¯t as darned as I thought it out to be. ¡¾Carriage of Sinners This carriage belongs to Bishop Hopkins of the Commandment Sect, and it has apanied him for his remaining years after his fall from grace. It wields the power to interfere with divination magic, allowing the carriage owner to sense anyone who tries to peer at him with malicious intent as long as he¡¯s inside the carriage. Price: 400,000 Affection Points Discounted Price: 50,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡¾Ethereal Tear An essory made out of the tears of the ethereal mermaid. It has been put through an intricate process of enchantment, granting it the ability to beguile one¡¯s senses. Price: 120,000 Affection Points Discounted Price: 15,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡¾Blessed Wheat A wheat blessed by an ancient guardian god. It can greatly increase a person¡¯s luck in times of danger to free them from danger. Remaining Uses: 3 Price: 600,000 Affection Points Discounted Price: 75,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡°...¡± Roel carefully read through the details of the discounted items in the Affection Points Exchange. He considered his current situation and narrowed down the selection to three items that he believed would be the most helpful to him. To be honest, Roel was hesitant to buy the Carriage of Sinners because of a familiar name in the description, ¡®Commandment Sect¡¯. A long time ago, he was fooled by a cool-sounding description into purchasing an army of useless skeleton pallbearers. It was then that he solemnly swore to himself that he would be a dog if he bought products from the Commandment Sect ever again. He reconsidered the matter again and again, but he still ended up picking up the Carriage of Sinners with clenched jaws. It couldn¡¯t be helped. It was simply too attractive. Based on its description, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call it a stealth war vehicle. It was actually capable of interfering with divination spells and even discerning the intention of the diviner! One must know there was no known spell or magic tool in the current Sia Continent that was able to thwart divination spells. It was just that it came with the major setback of neglecting divinations made with good intention. It didn¡¯t sound like a big deal at first nce, but what if the diviner unwittingly sabotaged him despite harboring good intentions? There were simply too many ways to circumvent the Carriage of Sinners once one learned the secret to it. This was a huge loophole, and Roel was unable to find a solution to resolve this issue. Still, there was no denying the usefulness of this carriage, especially now that he was without the protection of the ancient gods. As for Ethereal Tear, it appeared to be an earring based on the picture. Its description was a little vague, but Roel¡¯s guess was that it was a magic tool that allowed one to alter one¡¯s appearance. Without a doubt, this was something they needed right now, be it Roel¡¯s miniaturized form or Lilian¡¯s overly striking appearance. The two of them stood out so much right now that it was impossible for them to blend into the crowd without some sort of disguise. It was just a pity that Ethereal Tear didn¡¯te as a pair. Roel was nning to give it to Lilian since she was much more likely to be recognized as the imperial princess, especially since Eirbower was in proximity to the Austine Empire. Thest item, Blessed Wheat, was the one Roel felt most conflicted over. Based on the description, it appeared to wield the power to resolve a crisis he was facing three times, which sounded ultic even by the standards of the Sia Continent. If it really worked the way he imagined it to be, it was definitely the best buy he could go for. The only problem was that it was simply too expensive. It cost 600,000 Affection Points before discount, meaning that it was 200,000 Affection Points per use. This was definitely a luxury item. But of course, what could be more precious than one¡¯s life? Any Affection Points he hoarded would be useless once he lost his life, so it was far more worthwhile to invest in such life-saving measures. The System had been reliable in its pricing so far that one could expect quality assurance whenever purchasing expensive items from it. Blessed Wheat was bound to be something good given its ridiculous price. As a result, after a huge shopping spree, Roel found himself with a dubious antiquated carriage, an exquisite white earring shaped like a teardrop, and a little bag filled with golden wheat that he magically felt a telepathic connection with despite hisck of mana. He had pretty much emptied out his Affection Points with that, but it did make him feel a bit more assured than before. At least he wasn¡¯t that helpless anymore. A few faces surfaced in his mind¡ªNora, Charlotte, and Alicia. He felt like it had been ages since hest met them, and he missed them dearly. I wonder how Alicia is doing. Is she coping well with her work? I hope she isn¡¯t tiring herself out. Nora will be angry that I approached Lilian instead of her for help on the raid on the evil cultists. She¡¯d probably understand where I wasing from, but I should still properly apologize to her. I told Charlotte that I¡¯d be back as soon as the raid is over, but it looks like I¡¯ll have to renege on my promise to her. I can only pray that she doesn¡¯t worry too much about me. Roel sighed to himself. He knew that Alicia wouldn¡¯t suddenly appear in front of him, and Nora and Charlotte were still oblivious to his plight at the moment. He had to first ovee the crisis before him if he wanted to meet the three of them once more. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t allow himself to be weak at a time like this, he steeled his heart and told himself that he had to pull through this by hook or by crook. What he didn¡¯t know was that Alicia was currently rushing her way over, and Nora and Charlotte were also about to receive an extremely important clue regarding his current plight. It was two anonymous letters. Chapter 339: I’m Already Starting To Regret It

Chapter 339: I¡¯m Already Starting To Regret It

Three dayster, Saint Freya Academy, two young women were sitting under a lush tree, each holding onto a letter with identical handwriting. It was a marvelously sunny day, but both of them were trembling with pale faces. ¡°To the esteemed Miss Nora, with all due respect, I¡¯m writing this letter to inform you that Roel Ascart has decided to spend the rest of his life with Austine¡¯s imperial princess Lilian Ackermann. Thetter is already expecting a child...¡± On one side of the tea table, Nora read out the anonymous letter that was sent to her earlier in the morning with a chilling voice, especially when she verbalized the words, ¡®expecting a child¡¯. In response to her intense emotion, a brilliant golden glow manifested from her mana started to cloak her body. She couldn¡¯t tell who the writer was, but his intention was clear here. The writer was conveying to her that Roel had eloped with Lilian in hopes of convincing her to forsake her feelings for him. Such an act utterly infuriated her. But despite her infuriated appearance, anger was hardly the only emotion she was feeling. Deep down, she was feeling apprehensive and frightful too. While Nora strongly believed that the content of the letter was a lie, the writer appeared to be equally confident about it as well. On top of that, the fact that Roel and Lilian had been away for three days now lent credence to the writer¡¯s im. The thought that she could lose something she held dear shook her up. Not too long ago, they heard from Roel¡¯s teacher, Chris Wilde, that she had received Lilian¡¯s handwritten letter informing her that they had sessfully taken down the evil cultists, but they were taking a detour to clear a mission before returning to the academy. The two of them did think that something was odd about that¡ªRoel was already busy enough that it was hard to imagine him taking on an additionalmitment¡ªbut they shrugged off their concerns, thinking that it was unlikely for anything to happen. It was only when these letters were delivered into their hands that their fears were truly stoked. Roel and Lilian were eloping together? There was no way Nora would believe such a im. As someone who had grown up with Roel, she knew him very well. He was not the type of person to forsake everything he cared about for love, especially not when Alicia was still in the Ascart House. As much as she hated to admit it, Roel was a siscon through and through. It was impossible for him to abandon the little sister he doted so dearly for a woman he had only met two months ago. Had that been the case, she would have won this battle a long time ago. Not to mention, Roel was the sole son of the Ascart House, and he was on good terms with his father too. The Ascart House had been suffering from such a severeck of offspring for so long that it would fight against all odds to push for the union between Roel and Lilian. If Lilian was truly expecting, that was. ¡°Did you think that I would waver at mere rumors? You¡¯re underestimating me, Lilian Ackermann! We have to make a move right now, Charlotte! I need your divination... Charlotte?¡± Nora rose to her feet and proposed a coboration with the auburn-haired woman before her, only to find that thetter had fallen into a daze. Charlotte¡¯s face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and her body was trembling ever so slightly. But unlike Nora, her reaction stemmed not from indignant fury but a trauma. It was a trauma from witnessing many unfortunate marriages of Sorofya women. The Sorofyas¡¯ Loyalty Origin Attribute cursed their female offspring to be fully devoted to their spouses. If they were unable to obtain the love of the person they had devoted themselves to, they would be doomed to a lifetime of misery. She had seen far too many of her aunts suffering in anguish that it frightened her. As much as she desired a family, she feared it as well. Her view toward marriage only started to change after meeting Roel. Charlotte might appear to be the most optimistic andposed one amongst the women Roel was entangled with, but she was actually the one whocked a sense of security the most. She knew logically that it was unlikely that Roel would suddenly turn his back on her, but she couldn¡¯t help but think of the worst when ced in such a position. There were so many examples around her that she just had to open her eyes to know what was toe if the content of the letter was true. ¡°Charlotte? Why are you still staring at that thing? It¡¯s obviously a lie!¡± eximed Nora with a frown. ¡°The content of the letter might be a lie, but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird? Why would darling leave with that woman for so long without sending us a word? Not to mention, he chose to approach her for the raid on the evil cultists. Is their rtionship really as bad as we think it to be?¡± replied Charlotte hoarsely. ¡°... What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°I-it has already been a few days. That woman might have already seeded. Perhaps, the part about her expecting might also be... We might be toote.¡± ¡°Are you saying that we shouldn¡¯t do anything at all?¡± ¡°...¡± It was a silent affirmation from Charlotte. Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes widened lividly. She lurched forth, grabbed Charlotte by her cor, and violently pulled her up. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?! To think that I actually thought of a weakling like you as a rival! ¡°Toote? Are you going to wait in your ivory tower for a prince on a white horse toe and sweep you off your feet? What a load of bull. All those excuses you are spouting. You¡¯re afraid of meeting that woman. You¡¯re afraid of losing to her! ¡°Hundred years ago, your ancestors sliced off their own flesh in Rosa City to feed their soldiers. Look at your own cowardice. You don¡¯t even have the courage to face a woman. Your ancestors must be rolling in their graves! ¡°If you wish to y a damsel in distress, by all means, be my guest. Just don¡¯t expect me to y along with you... I guess that¡¯s all your feelings amount to if you¡¯re intending to give up with just this much.¡± ¡°!¡± Nora¡¯s derisive remarks sent a jolt through Charlotte¡¯s body. Staring at Nora, her emerald eyes slowly regained their usual rity. Nora released her grip on Charlotte¡¯s cor and took a step back. ¡°Goodbye, Charlotte.¡± Bidding farewell to the first eliminated challenger in this fight for love, Nora turned around to take her leave. Barely after she took a few steps away, she suddenly felt an intense pulsation of manaing from behind. ¡°!¡± Astonished, Nora turned her head around, only to be met with a brilliant constetion of stars¡ªthe Goddess of Fate. The bnce the goddess held in her hand was overwhelmingly tilting toward one side due to the chips hurled on it. Charlotte had regained her senses after Nora¡¯s reprimand, and she decided to stake everything on the line to cast the highest level divination spell. As the Bnce of Fate glowed with increasing brilliance, various images started to flicker across Charlotte¡¯s eyes. ¡°A city in the north. A logo. It¡¯s Eirbower!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°They have gone to the Eirbower Dukedom!¡± Charlotte peered into Roel¡¯s fate and sessfully divined his destination. With her fists clenched in agitation, she began making her way toward Nora. ¡°You¡¯re right, Nora. Something is amiss here. Darling has met with some kind of trouble! I was unable to sense the gaze of the ancient gods when I attempted to peer into his fate. This means that his window of connection with Mister Grandar and Miss Peytra has been severed!¡± ¡°His window of connection with the ancient gods has been severed? This... Wait a moment, the side effect of the Witness State?!¡± ¡°Yes, darling must have been kidnapped. That barbaric Austine princess must have kidnapped him!¡± ¡°...¡± Hold on for a moment, didn¡¯t you do the same at one point in time too? Nora¡¯s eyelids shot up, impressed by how the re-energized Charlotte was unable to see the irony of her remark. However, recalling the plight that Roel was in at the moment, she quickly fell into deep thought. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it would be best for us to move stealthily. Roel has far too many enemies out there. We can¡¯t let them know that he¡¯s in a weakened state,¡± she murmured. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. We need to make a move as soon as possible. Make sure you bring only those who are absolutely trustworthy,¡± replied Charlotte. With a grim nod, Nora quickly made her way out of the outdoor caf¨¦. ¡°Wait a moment, Nora.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Nora turned around. Charlotte hesitated with a reddened face before speaking. ¡°What you said earlier, thanks.¡± ¡°...¡± Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes widened in surprise. She was left speechless for a while before she awkwardly gave her response. ¡°I only said what I wanted to say. Whether you pull yourself together or not is none of my business. Besides...¡± Nora turned her back on Charlotte before murmuring with a sigh. ¡°... I¡¯m already regretting it.¡± Chapter 340: The Doctor is Caving In!

Chapter 340: The Doctor is Caving In!

An antiquated ck carriage raced down the road to the Eirbower Dukedom. In it, a ck-haired boy was currently tossing and turning on a bed. Roel¡¯s eyes were tightly shut, an indication that he was deeply asleep. Yet, there was a pained look on his face. He kept mumbling something nervously, but it was too slurred to make out what he was saying. Perhaps it was because she heard the noise or that she had sensed the instability in Roel¡¯s emotions through their faint bloodline bond, the carriage door suddenly opened and Lilian walked in. When she saw the state Roel was in, she anxiously rushed over to wake him up. ¡°Roel, Roel! Are you fine?¡± ¡°A-ah? Senior... Did I have a nightmare again?¡± Lilian¡¯s call jolted him awake from his dream. He clutched his forehead and rubbed his temple to alleviate his headache. He soon noticed Lilian¡¯s worried gaze and hurriedly waved his hand to reassure her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, senior. It¡¯s just a nightmare.¡± ¡°You have been having nightmares for thest few days. Are you really fine?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just the exhaustion getting to me. I¡¯ll probably feel much better once we arrive at Eirbower.¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± There was nothing she could say since Roel was insisting that he was fine, but a worried frown still continued to linger on her forehead. She leaned down and gently embraced Roel, patting his back tofort him. Roel returned the hug, allowing Lilian¡¯s warmth to envelop him. However, his face slowly turned grave. It had been half a month since the two of them had left Leinster now, and they had been rushing the road this whole time. They had already passed by three towns so far and were about to reach the capital of Eirbower Dukedom, Aurora Capital Ols. On the first day of their journey, while Lilian was out hunting, Roel bought a few items from the Affection Points Exchange Shop, including this Carriage of Sinners. Understandably, Lilian was bbergasted by the iprehensible apparition of a carriage when she returned with her catch, but after he exined that he had obtained it through certain means, she chose to ept his exnation without asking any questions. There were many unexinable phenomenons in this world. It was not unheard of for humans with high affinity with nature to receive gifts from the forest, or a transcendent suddenly having a gut feeling that led him to an ancient relic. There were many records detailing such events. Lilian didn¡¯t know whether it was the same for Roel or not, but she decided to refrain from digging into his private affairs. Even the closest of couples would inevitably keep secrets from one another. Granting each other some personal space was a show of respect, in her view. Roel was relieved by that. He did inform her about the possibility of Saints Convocation sending pursuers after them though since it was a real threat they could face. It would be foolish to hide that from her. Lilian hade into contact with Saints Convocation back in the Witness State, so she understood how grave the situation was. The two of them rediscussed their ns, but they eventually decided to stick with the original one. Despite the crowded streets of Aurora Capital Ols, most of them were tourists lured in by the legends of the aurora. Eirbower didn¡¯t have a huge local popce due to the harsh conditions in the north. Manpower was a key requirement for the growth of an evil cult, something which Eirbowercked, so there weren¡¯t any significant evil cult branches there that could hope to endanger Roel and Lilian. On top of that, there was a huge number of tourists entering and leaving Ols everyday, making it difficult for their pursuers to keep tabs on them. All of these factors made Eirbower a favorable choice. After confirming their decision, Roel took out Ethereal Tear and exined its functions to her before helping her put it on. They had a quick meal in the wild before Lilian summoned one of her knights to have him contribute his powerful steed to pull the Carriage of Sins. With that, they resumed their journey, just that it was much morefortable this time around. Since there was no need to worry about them exposing themselves anymore, they decided to travel on the smoother main road. Lilian summoned an army of footsoldiers to disguise as guards¡ªit would have been more conspicuous if a carriage were to travel unprotected. As a result, they ended up bing a convoy with only two real living people. At the first town they stopped at, they bought a lot of necessities, including clothes... though Lilian chose not to immediately change out of her maid clothes. On one hand, she noticed Roel sneaking curious peeks at her attire, but more importantly than that, the maid clothes symbolized their rtionship too. Lilian didn¡¯t look old enough to have a seven to eight-year-old child, which meant that the more likely exnation was that they were siblings. However, this would appear odd as it was rare for siblings to travel together. Not to mention, it was a breach of propriety for siblings of different genders to share a carriage in the conservative Austine Empire. There were actually some carriages on sale in the town despite looking much shabbier, but Lilian was strongly opposed to them traveling in separate carriages. So, after careful consideration, they decided to assume the identity of a young master out for a holiday with his personal maid. That was a fairlymonbination in the circle of nobility, so it wouldn¡¯t be too eye-catching. It would also allow Lilian to constantly stay by his side. The only problem was that it wasn¡¯t umon for young masters to have an ambiguous rtionship with their personal maids, especially if they were around the same age as them. In fact, bed warming was considered one of the duties of a personal maid in the circle of nobility. For that reason, most personal maids were usually selected from noble houses, and their masters wouldter take them in as concubines. The well-read Roel understood the connotation, which was why his face turnedpletely red when Lilian proposed the idea. He voiced his reservations regarding the arrangement, but Lilian was able to put out convincing reasons that left no room for rebuttal, so he had no choice but to relent in the end. Roel thought it was ridiculous how he now had an imperial princess of the Austine Empire as his personal maid. It was no wonder why people often said that life was like a drama. Anyway, after securing all of the necessities they needed for their journey, they soon resumed their journey to the north. It was around then that Roel started suffering from nightmares. His peculiar condition didn¡¯t escape Lilian¡¯s notice. She would have to be blind to not notice that something was wrong with the person sleeping beside her. She felt conscience-stricken by his condition, thinking that this was only happening because she dragged Roel out with her. So, she tried all kinds of means to help him, be it through spells, medicine, or even folk remedies like drinking a cup of milk before bed. Unfortunately, nothing worked. After several days of nightmares, Roel felt like he was starting to get a grasp on the nightmares. He realized that there was amon theme in them¡ªescape. Be it on a grassfield, a cluster of buildings in the middle of the night, or a prison thered in bloodstains, he was always running away in his nightmares, though he had no idea what he was escaping from. He thought that it might be his mind ying tricks on him since he was indeed trying to flee from his pursuers at the moment. In thest two days, however, he started hearing a girl¡¯s voice near the end of the nightmare. ¡°Run.¡± A simple word it was, but it ryed a lot of information. It was queer that he had heard the same voice for two consecutive nights, and it led him into thinking that it wasn¡¯t just any ordinary nightmare he was having. It might have been a warning instead. But from whom could this warning be from? Roel had no answer to that question, but at the very least, it didn¡¯t seem like he was in danger for the time being. The Carriage of Sinners wasn¡¯t just for show. Its ability to interfere with divination spells was the real deal. On top of that, he was pleased to learn that the interior of the carriage had been erged with spatial magic, housing a small lounge and a bedroom. It was just that the Commandment Sect had an unusual sense of aesthetics, opting for a gothic theme for its interior decoration. Admittedly, the effects did look pretty cool whenever the carriage intercepted a divination spell. The torches in the lounge would light up with eerie blue mes, and white mist would seep out. Those were the ¡®Sinners¡¯ in the Carriage of Sinners, or to be more exact, sinful spirits. Should they sense malicious intent or ack of intent in the spellcaster¡¯s mana, the white mist would envelop the carriage to interfere with the divination spell. On the other hand, if they sensed goodwill in the spellcaster¡¯s mana, they would return into the blue mes. It was rather frightening when the sinful spirits loitered in the carriage, making it look almost like the manifestation of theherworld in reality. If not for Roel and Lilian¡¯s boldness, they would have never dared to stay here. Over the past seven days, the sinful spirits had emerged for a total of fifteen times, a sign of just how determined the evil cults of the Sia Continent were determined to sink their fangs into Roel. Of course, there was no way the Carriage of Sinners would allow them to do as they pleased. Roel did notice that there were two times the sinful spirits had emerged from the blue mes but didn¡¯t envelop the carriage. He was consoled by the knowledge that not the entire world was out to get him, though he really shouldn¡¯t. He would be rmed to learn that the ones who cast those two divination spells were even more anxious than the evil cults to get him. ¡°Hold on for a while longer. We¡¯re going to arrive at the Aurora Capital soon. They won¡¯t be able to find us easily once we enter the city, so we¡¯ll at least be able to catch a breather.¡± ¡°Alright. Thanks, senior.¡± Lilian smiled in response to Roel¡¯s gratitude. She took a deep breath and clenched her fists tightly to restrain herself before slowly releasing Roel from her embrace. Roel¡¯s time leak had intensified over thest week. It was already hard enough for Lilian to hold herself back from her urges, but the further enticement from his leaking time was really challenging the limits of her tolerance. It had gotten to a point where just meeting his eyes was more than enough to make her heart pound quickly. What goes aroundes around. The cause of Roel¡¯s current condition was actually due to Lilian, or to be more exact, the treatment she spoke of. Under the pretext of strengthening their bloodline resonance, the two of them would sleep on the same bed with thin pajamas on. They started with just holding hands, but Lilian got more aggressive over time. In thest two days, they even started hugging one another to sleep. Their efforts did pay off. The constant bloodline resonance hastened the rate at which the barrier was being worn down, which, in turn, quickened the time leak as well. It was just ironic how the patient was getting better but the doctor was slowly caving in. Lilian waved her hand with a smile before stepping out of the carriage. She gracefully closed the door before tilting weakly toward the carriage¡¯s wall. Her face turned incredibly reddened as she raised her hand to conceal her hastened breathing. It took a while before the cooling breeze finally calmed her down. ¡°Soon. We¡¯ll be arriving soon.¡± By then, I won¡¯t have to hold myself back anymore. She looked at the road ahead of her with such thoughts in mind. What she didn¡¯t know was that two other armies had already arrived at the entrance of Aurora Capital Ols. Chapter 341: The Body is More Honest Than the Mouth

Chapter 341: The Body is More Honest Than the Mouth

Aurora Capital Ols was a city permeating with a sweet scent that sometimes felt cloying. Outside its magnificent city walls was a long line of carriagesing from the Austine Empire, Knight Kingdom Pendor, and Country of Schrs Brolne. Through the carriage windows, one could see excited couples leaning on one another as they relished in the breathtaking scenery. Delighted chuckles could be heard every now and then. The nobles from the Austine Empire still showed some self-restraint, but those from the more liberal Pendor and Brolne openly hugged one another, some even going a step further. The scent of hormones was so overpowering that one could almost see a slight hint of pink being carried into the city with the breeze. There were just two carriages in the queue that looked so out of ce that it was impossible not to stare at them. If the others were embraced by a lovey-dovey atmosphere, those two carriages were covered in a dark aura of resentment. It felt like something bad would happen if one were to get involved with them. One of these carriages was guarded by brown-cloaked guards. An auburn-haired woman sat on the coachman¡¯s position, fiddling irritably with the reins. The maid sitting next to her let out a helpless sigh for the umpteenth time. The other carriage was guarded by white-cloaked guards. It was being driven by a golden-haired woman, who red at the magnificent city walls with razor-sharp eyes. Half a month had passed since Nora and Charlotte received that taunting letter. They had mobilized all of the trustworthy subordinates under theirmand and rushed to this city of lovers as fast as they could, even sacrificing their rest for the sake of it. Charlotte brought her personal maid, Grace Cadin, with her. Nora dragged with her the subject she favored for his merit in rying the live broadcast of her kiss with Roel to Alicia, Bishop Philip. Other than that, they also brought their elite followers with them, numbering over a hundred people in total. It was quite a formidable procession that could be easily mistaken as an army... or rather, it was already an army. Under normal circumstances, it should have been impossible for Nora and Charlotte to arrive ahead of Roel and Alicia, especially with them bringing an army along. However, they managed to pull it off by implementing an insane work schedule of resting once every two days. Part of the reason why they were in such a rush was because they wanted to get Roel back as soon as possible, but at the same time, they wanted to make it in time for the Eirbower Dukedom¡¯s famous Blessing Festival, which was just two days away. The Blessing Festival was also known as the Aurora Festival and Spring Festival. It was the most lively period of time for the northern region during the year, a little simr to the Spring Festival in Roel¡¯s previous life. This festival signalled the thawing of frost and the revitalization of nature. Farmers would finally be able to get to work and grow their crops. The aurora would also appear every night during the festival. Celestial events like auroras were irregr in nature, making it impossible to determine with utmost certainty when they would appear, but the Blessing Festival was an exception to the rule. The aurora would appear every night of the Blessing Festival, possibly due to the dense congregation of mana in the sky. Of course, these technical details were of little importance to the tourists, who simply thought of the Blessing Festival as another Valentine¡¯s Day. Tomorrow night would be the grand Spring Eve Celebration that promised a night of wild entertainment. Nobles that hade from far and wide would gather at the Blessing Square to watch the aurora and receive Sia¡¯s blessing before marching off to fulfill the noble mission of creating new life. ording to the legends, babies who came into existence after witnessing the aurora would be bestowed with Sia¡¯s blessing. That was also one key reason why the northern region became a prime honeymoon destination. In fact, anyone in the northern parts of the Austine Empire whose name had a simr pronunciation to aurora, such as Are or something, was likely to be born after their parents had a wild night here. It was kind of simr to how people said that December babies were the product of their parents having a steamy Valentine¡¯s Day. As ridiculous as the im that a child would receive some kind of buff for being born on a specific day, couples in their honeymoon phase weren¡¯t particrly known for being bright either. The truth was that most did bear skepticism toward the legend, but it was enough that couples were willing to buy into it. A huge array of pregnancy medicine was being advocated by street side vendors along the streets of Aurora Capital Ols. Charlotte¡¯s face turned crimson out of sheer embarrassment, and she turned to Nora and eximed incredulously. ¡°Just what in the world has your church been teaching? It¡¯s almost as if the aurora has be a symbol of fertility that magically produces children!¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with us. The church has already warned its believers against such superstition. It¡¯s nothing more than lies propagated by the Eirbower Dukedom to fleece tourists.¡± Inparison, Nora looked much calmer despite all of the procreation-rted terms shouted by the vendors, but even she looked a little awkward in such an environment. Knowing that it was meaningless to question Nora about this, Charlotte clicked her tongue before looking away in derision. ¡°How foolish!¡± As Charlotte said those words, she began reaching for her purse. I-I mean, I know that they are clearly rumors, but darling is here in this city too! What if we need it tomorrow night? It¡¯s better to be prepared, right? B-besides, having our first time under the aurora night sky... doesn¡¯t sound too bad. With a gulp, the red-faced Charlotte shot a nce at Grace, who immediately caught her drift. Thetter alighted from the carriage with a knowing smile on her lips and headed toward one of the vendors. Our young miss sure is adorable. Meanwhile, Charlotte and Nora began discussing the specifics of their ¡®capture operation¡¯. ¡°Darling will be arriving in this city within the next two days, I can swear on my name as a Sorofya!¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s clear what that woman has in mind by bringing him here. Well, it¡¯s also good in a way since it disproves the im that she¡¯s expecting his child.¡± Nora raised her head and gazed deeply into the distance with her sapphire eyes as she added. ¡°Tomorrow, at midnight, they¡¯ll be at the Blessing Square. We¡¯ll intercept her there.¡± ¡°That woman will be a tough opponent, but our goal here isn¡¯t to defeat her but to snatch darling back. With so many of our menbing the area, there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll be able to avoid our detection!¡± said Charlotte with clenched fists. The two of them were confident about their n. They headed toward St. Phil Hotel, the most luxurious hotel located at the heart of the city. Under the apaniment of their aides, they imed their room keys and parted ways. ¡°Let¡¯s hope everything will proceed smoothly.¡± Charlotte looked at the key with a tagbeled 303 in her hands as she headed upstairs together with Grace. She was intending to cast another divination spell to check on Roel before resting up for the next day. Meanwhile, at the counter, an adorable but dignified boy walked into the hotel together with his beautiful maid. He retrieved an obsidian token from his robe and shook it in front of the dazed receptionist. The receptionist snapped out of his daze and hurriedly apologized. ¡°Room 302. I made a reservation half a month ago.¡± Chapter 342: They Sure Are Close

Chapter 342: They Sure Are Close

On the third floor of St. Phil Hotel, Roel walked across an extravagant room reminiscent of a presidential suite in his previous life and headed toward a window. He looked at the bustling crowd below and heaved a sigh of relief. After all of the difficulties they had been through, they finally arrived at thergest city in the northern region. At least for the next few weeks, he should be able to move around freely without having to confine himself inside the stifling Carriage of Sinners. It would be a lie if he were to say that he wasn¡¯t overjoyed at finally regaining his freedom. For most of the journey, all he could see outside the carriage was just barrennd that had only started thawing. Even when they stopped at towns, out of concern that he would catch unnecessary attention, he had to hole himself up in the carriage. Having to spend so many days in a confined space really built up significant mental fatigue and stress in him. He walked toward the balcony to soak himself in the city¡¯s lively atmosphere. A marching band had passed by the street beneath the balcony he was on, but the joyous melody it yed was still echoing on the street. The excited crowd cheered loudly at their marvelous performance. There were many other people also standing on their balconies on both sides of the street, enjoying the festive atmosphere. Roel couldn¡¯t help but smile at the bustle. He was reminded of the New Year¡¯s Day he had spent at Holy Capital Loren a few years back, before he became a proxy fief lord. Things felt so much simpler back then, not having to bother aboutworking and socializing. As the proxy fief lord, he was responsible for organizing New Year¡¯s Day celebrations for his fiefdom. Just the sheer amount of work he had made it nigh impossible for him to enjoy celebrations himself. It had been a long time since he had been able to really let loose and have a vacation without having to think about work at all. He had no idea when the evil cultists would get to this city, but at least for the time being, he wanted to enjoy the present. Organizing such arge-scale celebration was actually no easy feat. Be it decorating the city, rewarding the guards on duty, or making logistical preparations, all of these cost a huge sum of money. If they didn¡¯t keep a tight rein on the budget, there was a real possibility that they could face financial problems the following year. The Ascart Fiefdom was still in the midst of its rapid economic development, and it required a huge amount of money to sustain its growth. For that reason, Roel allocated the bare minimum for festivals in his first two years as proxy fief lord. It was only after he met a certain rich young miss and struck up a partnership with the Sorofya House that things started to change. Take this year for example, in order to win support from the citizens of the Ascart Fiefdom, Charlotte decided to go all-out and distribute sweets in Ascart City on New Year¡¯s Day. One had to know that sweets were no cheapmodity in this era. Distributing sweets was no different from distributing gold coins. Of course, money was one thing that the Sorofyas didn¡¯tck, and a shrewd businesswoman like Charlotte wouldn¡¯t squander her money for no reason. She let out news that if she were to marry Roel, she would hold such activities every single year. Alicia was so infuriated when she heard about it that she nearly fainted on the spot. Thinking about all of the interesting affairs regarding Charlotte brought a nostalgic smile to Roel¡¯s face. While he was deep in thought, the sudden arrival of a gust of wind sent his hair scattering all around. His body shuddered in response to the chilling air. However, the very next moment, a coat was draped over his clothes, and he found himself wrapped inside a warm embrace. ¡°You ought to be more careful. It wouldn¡¯t do for you to dress so thinly in your current condition.¡± ¡°Thanks, senior.¡± Roel turned around and smiled at Lilian. It was such a warm and beautiful smile that it made Lilian¡¯s heart pound. Itpelled her to tighten her arms around him. Their affectionate posture swiftly caught the attention of those in the nearby balconies, and they whistled loudly to voice their support of them. Thismotion swiftly caught the attention of an auburn-haired woman who lived in the adjacent room. ¡°What a din. Just what is going on out there? Ah. T-this is...¡± Charlotte murmured to herself as she made her way toward the balcony to see what was going on. The moment she walked through the balcony door, she found herself met with two embracing figures in the adjacent balcony, causing her footsteps to screech to a halt. These two... She couldn¡¯t see either of their faces, but somehow, seeing the two embracing figures evoked a sense of incongruence in her heart. She couldn¡¯t put her finger on what was wrong here, so she began contemting with a deep frown. It was only when a green leaf drifted across her eyes that realization finally struck her. ¡°Ah! Those clothes conform to Leinster¡¯s dressing style. Is that a young noble from the Country of Schrs and his personal maid?¡± What a rarebination this is... but it seems like they¡¯re really in love with one another. Charlotte felt a little envious of their intimacy, which then brought Roel to her mind. ¡°If only darling is here with me,¡± she remarkedmentably. She had always been fond of carrying out such public disys of affection in order to convey to others that ¡®this is my man¡¯. It was only a pity that Roel had been taken away by that barbaric Austinean woman. Darling must have suffered a lot having to be with that barbaric woman for such a long period of time. He must be struggling hard against that woman¡¯s attempt to force herself on him. I really have to save him as soon as possible. Charlotte took onest look at the embracing couple before she returned to her room, shutting the balcony doors behind her. She walked to the center of the room, took a deep breath, and began her divination. She was oblivious to how close she had been to the man she was looking for just a moment ago. Meanwhile, the embracing duo next door had satisfied their dose of the festive atmosphere and headed indoors too. It was a world of difference created by a thin wall of separation. ... A few hourster, in Room 303. The setting sun cast its orange glow through the ss windows to illuminate an exquisitely designed room. At the center of the room stood a maid atop a high-quality soft rug. ¡°The boy who resides in the adjacent room? Yes, I have met him. You¡¯re referring to the one who has a personal maid with him, right?¡± ¡°Yes, he appears to be around seven to eight years old. I heard that he¡¯s the son of a wealthy merchant in the Country of Schrs, but there are also rumors going around that he¡¯s the son of a high noble. Other than that, there doesn¡¯t seem to be anything noteworthy about him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Sitting by the tea table, Charlotte nodded upon hearing Grace¡¯s report. She took a sip of her tea gracefully before ncing at the medicine on the table. She picked it up with a reddening face and hurriedly slipped it into her pocket. Tomorrow night, they would be saving Roel from the clutches of the barbaric Austine princess, but it was also the night the aurora bestowed its blessings upon couples. If she did manage to save Roel and shake off those eyesores, it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible that something might happen under the influence of their touching reunion and the amorous atmosphere... This medicine might juste into y. Grace watched as Charlotte touched her front pocket quietly with a smile. As Charlotte¡¯s personal maid, she had witnessed the romantic journey between those two and was fully supportive of her young miss¡¯ decision. Heck, she was even starting to make ns for their future child¡¯s education! Young miss, do what you need to and leave everything else to us! Earlier in the afternoon, Charlotte had tried to divine Roel¡¯s location, but the weird thing was that the gold coin on the map would always return to its original location. She proceeded to try other divination spells, but all of them reflected that Roel was in close proximity to her. The first thought that came to Charlotte¡¯s mind was that Roel was currently residing in the very same hotel as her. Without any hesitation, she ordered a thorough search on the hotel¡¯s upants. Yet, after several hours of ndestine investigation and a smallmotion from apprehending two suspicious individuals, the result was a negative. This was baffling to Charlotte. Her divination spells had been further amplified by her bloodline ability, Arbiter of Fate, and the Goddess of Fate¡¯s bnce, giving them an incredibly high uracy rate. It was rare for her spells to fail. ¡°Could it be that my divination has been intercepted by some sort of fate concealing spell or a magic tool?¡± she murmured. Unable toprehend this inexplicable situation, she could only conclude that her first divination spell had failed, and the following ones that reflected that Roel was in proximity to her referred to ¡®time of reunion¡¯ instead of ¡®physical proximity¡¯. ¡°It looks like I can only wait till tomorrow and see how it turns out.¡± ¡°Young miss, Her Highness Nora has sent a message advising us not to further cause anymotion. She¡¯s concerned that our actions might rm the enemy.¡± ¡°Tsk. Tell her that I got her message.¡± Charlotte knew that it couldplicate things if Lilian learned that they were in the city as well, so she could only reluctantly nod her head in agreement. Vexed, she rose to her feet and headed out for a walk to cool herself down a little. Unbeknownst to her, the gears of fate had already started turning. In the neighboring Room 302, Roel had switched into a navy-blue suit. He sat in front of the mirror while Lilian busied herself with taming his unruly long hair. There was an expectant smile on his face. As a foodie, Roel always bore high expectations with regard to food, and the meals he had over the half a month long journey were intolerable by his standards. They were basically tasteless rations intended just to fill one¡¯s stomach. So, the first thing he wanted to do upon returning to civilization was to satisfy his taste buds. ¡°The Aurora Night is tomorrow. For today, shall we have a taste of the northern region¡¯s specialties?¡± ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea. If I recall correctly, the Eirbower Dukedom is known for its seal meat. I wonder how that¡¯ll taste...¡± Roel stroked his lower jaw with a curious gleam in his eyes. The oddly mature gestureing from his young body looked so interesting that it evoked augh out of Lilian¡¯s lips. A few momentster, Lilian put down herb and Roel finished up his final preparations. With their hands locked like a couple, they began making their way out of the room. ¡°The dishes in the northern region tend to be oily. If it¡¯s not to your liking, we can have something else.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything. I¡¯ll go with your selection, senior.¡± ¡°While I am happy that you respect my opinion, you shouldn¡¯t forget about our current persona.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t slip up in front of others.¡± Roel responded to Lilian¡¯s reminder with a smile as he twisted the doorknob and opened it. The first thing that came into his sight was an auburn-haired woman walking past the corridor. Chapter 343: The First Clash

Chapter 343: The First sh

The moment that Charlotte Sorofya appeared in front of the doorway, Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes narrowed in astonishment and her mind wentpletely nk. How is this possible? Why is she here? Have we been discovered? But what she felt following that was a flood of indignance. You must be kidding me! I have already gotten here! Just a few days more, and my n would have been a sess. Why, of all times, now... Wait a moment! Lilian¡¯s mind fell into a fluster by Charlotte¡¯s abrupt appearance. It was just a split moment, but many thoughts had already shed across her mind. She was just about to release her mana to stop Charlotte from taking Roel away when she noticed that something was off here. Charlotte¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on them at all. She was staring so intently at the gold coin in her hand that she was hardly aware of her surroundings. Lilian immediately understood what was going on, but this didn¡¯t mean that she was out of danger yet. ¡°Senior?¡± Roel¡¯s line of sight was currently focused on Lilian, so he swiftly noticed something amiss with her expression. It was just a subtle difference, but he had spent far too many days together with Lilian that such details couldn¡¯t escape his notice anymore. Intrigued, he turned his head over to check out what she was staring at. At the same time, his voice appeared to have caught Charlotte¡¯s attention, prompting her to turn her eyes over. Even though Roel¡¯s body had gotten smaller and his features more delicate, his transformation wasn¡¯t so massive as to be unrecognizable to those whom he was close with. Not to mention, Roel couldn¡¯t possibly be prepared for this abrupt meeting with Charlotte, so he was bound to give himself away. In this critical moment, Lilian pressed her left hand on the opened door while using her right one to cup the chin of the shocked Roel. She bent her body downward and headed straight for his lips. Bam! The door was mmed shut. The nervous Lilian used her now freed left hand to grab both of his hands and pressed them against the door, sealing off his movements. Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Charlotte¡¯s footsteps had already screeched to a halt. She stared at the door that had suddenly mmed on her with a perplexed frown. I feel like I just heard Roel¡¯s voice. She quickly ran through the earlier event in her mind, but it only further stoked her suspicions. So, she walked up to the door of Room 302 with her ears pricked up, wanting to confirm if she had been hearing things. Unfortunately, the boy on the other side of the door was in no state to give her the confirmation she sought. Lilian had initiated this kiss out of desperation to avoid Charlotte, but the nature of it changed halfway through. This unexpected but long-awaited dessert made her heart pound in excitement. She found herself unable to repress her feelings anymore. Under such intense stimtion, Lilian found her thoughts and senses being sharpened to an extreme degree. It felt almost as if time had stalled to a near halt for her. She could hear the faint tremors from Charlotte¡¯s approaching footsteps, and she instinctively knew that they would be exposed at this rate. I have to do something before Charlotte knocks on the door! But what can I do... The anxiety seared her nerves, but at the same time, the excitement of sneaking in a bite sent a surge of adrenaline through her body. She desperately searched for a n that would allow her to ovee this crisis, but the woman standing right outside their door wasn¡¯t patient enough to wait for her. Upon hearing nothing after a while, Charlotte hesitantly raised her hand, intending to knock on the door to check on the situation. To her, confirming a lead to Roel was far more important than disrupting the neighboring upants. Just as she was about to knock, the door suddenly opened up a little, revealing a slight crevice. ¡°!¡± This sudden movement took Charlotte off guard, causing her to hurriedly take a step back. She blinked her eyes in surprise, but before she could say anything, a pair of tightly interlocked hands suddenly shed across the door crevice. Their fingers were intertwined like a couple deeply in love. One of the hands was long and slender, beautiful and proportionate, clearly belonging to a woman. The other looked a little unusual. It looked fair and aesthetically pleasing too, but it was unusually small. Right, the one living next door is a child. Charlotte recalled the young noble and his personal maid she had seen at the balcony a few hours back and fell silent. Meanwhile, a slurping noise mixed with the rustling of clothes sounded through the door crevice, causing her to quickly back a few more steps away out of embarrassment. T-those two are actually doing such things behind the door? But it¡¯s still daytime! H-how shameless! The all too revealing noisesing from the room evoked indecent images in Charlotte¡¯s head. She quickly turned away and walked off in a huff as she furiously cursed the ludicrous debaucherymon in the circle of nobility. That voice that sounded like Roel must havee from that young noble. I guess I really was hearing things. Now that I think about it, that voice sounded a little too young. ¡°Haa, is my exhaustion getting to me? I should retire earlier for the night,¡± said Charlotte with a sigh. She walked to the end of the corridor and headed downstairs. It was only when her silhouette vanished from the third floor that the duo inside Room 302 finally parted from one another. ¡°Haa, haa, what¡¯s gotten into you, senior?¡± ¡°I-I...¡± Roel slowly slid down the door to sit on the floor. His clothes werepletely crumpled from the earlier bout of passion. In front of him, Lilian was sitting on her knees, gasping for air. Both of their bodies were scalding hot and their facespletely reddened. It was just that other than feeling a little feverish, Roel was perplexed as to what was going on too. Weren¡¯t we going out to eat? Why did we end up eating one another instead? Far too many questions were floating in Roel¡¯s mind for him to be swept away by the amorous air. Lilian dared not to reveal the truth to him because she knew that Roel would insist on meeting Charlotte and the others if he were to find out that they were here¡ªit was already hard enough to convince him not to send them a message in the first ce. To her surprise, Roel managed to stumble upon the ¡®answer¡¯ on his own. ¡°Could it be because of my leaking time?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± For a moment there, Lilian was too astounded to give a response. It took a while before she was reminded of Time Devourer¡¯s side effect. She blinked her eyes contemtively before nodding in acknowledgment. ¡°... T-that seems to be the case. My apologies, I wasn¡¯t able to keep myself in check.¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t your fault. I should be the one apologizing here.¡± ¡°...¡± Lilian felt bizarre at how Roel was so understanding about it that she was put at a loss for words. I¡¯m getting apologized to despite being the one sneaking a bite of the dessert? Is there really something as good as this in the world? She felt conscience-stricken for pinning the me on Roel, but it was not like she was going to tell him the truth anyway. She sheepishly helped Roel to his feet while discreetly checking whether Charlotte was still in the corridor. After ensuring that the coast was clear, the two of them left the room and began heading downstairs. It was a long time before Lilian¡¯s heartbeat finally reverted back to normal after that close shave. She had to acknowledge that things were going down a different direction from what she had anticipated. There was a good chance that the two of them were already caught in Charlotte¡¯s encirclement. Nevertheless, she was still reluctant to give up this opportunity just like that. The earlier situation had proven that Charlotte, despite her expertise in divination, was unable to fully lock onto their position. She might have been able to ascertain that they were in this city, but there was nothing to be feared if that was all there was to it. Their current appearances were so vastly different from their usual ones that it was unlikely that Charlotte would be able to recognize Roel right away if they were to cross paths on the street, especially since thetter was unaware of Roel¡¯s regression. Meaning to say, they were safe for the time being. Having calmed down for the time being, Lilian decided to proceed with her current n. After half a month of relentless but prudent attacks, she was confident that she had torn down most of Roel¡¯s barrier by this point. All that was left was tounch one final decisive strike to take him down, and tomorrow¡¯s Aurora Night provided the best opportunity to do so. Under the romantic atmosphere from watching the aurora together, Lilian was confident that she would be able to change her rtionship with Roel once and for all, perhaps even expanding the Ascarts¡¯ genealogy book. By then, everyone else would be no more than paper tigers before her, be it Charlotte or Nora. Once Roel¡¯s side effect wore off, they would be able to legitimately stay together with one another before everyone else. The thought of that made her heart ze with motivation. Simr to how a businessman would risk his life for a 300% profit, even the usually aloof Lilian wouldn¡¯t hesitate to put everything on the line for the sake of her own happiness. Thinking that everything was in her grasp, Lilian¡¯s lips curled to a smile. Oblivious to her, another factor that was out of her calction, a silver-haired girl with a Life Orb in her hand, was currently rushing over to Aurora City Ols, and her arrival would indubitably change everything. With that, time started ticking down to the fated night. Chapter 344: A Peculiar Dance

Chapter 344: A Peculiar Dance

The following day, when night finally fell upon the Eirbower Dukedom, the northern region weed its grandest annual celebration. Civilians in their vibrant new clothes marched around the city under the lead of a marching band. All sorts of floats started appearing in the streets to the cheers of the crowd. From the main streets to the remote alleys, there was no end to the bustling crowd. Ever since evening, before the sunpletely disappeared over the horizon, magic fireworks had been popping nonstop. It slowly pushed the festive atmosphere up to a new high. At the same time, in a grand banquet organized by the Eirbower Duke, several thousand couples dressed in magnificent suits and gowns started entering the scene. While the aurora was thought to be Sia¡¯s blessing since ancient times, the extent of the blessing was thought to differ based on one¡¯s location. It was believed that those who stood in a position closest to the sky would be granted a purer blessing. This was rather simr to some of the traditions of the mountainous tribes in Roel¡¯s previous life. The highest ground in Aurora City Ols was none other than the Eirbower Ducal Manor¡¯s Blessing Square, but this location wasn¡¯t open to outsiders. Only esteemed guests who had received an invitation were allowed to ess it. Influential or high-ranking nobles would receive a free pass into the Blessing Square, but the rest would show some sincerity in order to obtain an invitation. Only guests who were ¡®invited¡¯ to the Eirbower Duke¡¯s banquet were allowed to ess the Blessing Square. The notion of an invitation only event felt prestigious and ssy, and it would have been so if not for the explicit price tagsbelled on the invitation letters. To be frank, everyone was here just for the Blessing Square. Who would be in the mood to socialize when out on a honeymoon trip with their lover? This could be seen from how couples were sticking to themselves, whispering sweet nothings to one another while asionally grabbing some food to eat. Really, they were just waiting for the aurora to appear. If that was the case, what was the point of the banquet? One reason was so that they could mark up the price of the invitation, and the other was to avoid crossing the church. It was a teaching of the church that everyone was equally entitled to Sia¡¯s blessing. Noble ormoner, everyone was equal before Sia. Had the Eirbower Dukedom directly sold invitations to the Blessing Square, it would be equivalent to treating Sia¡¯s blessing as amercial product. That was clearly a vition of the church¡¯s teaching, an act of sphemy toward Sia. Not even the Eirbower Duke would have been able to bear the consequences of such a crime. But at the same time, after the huge amount of money he had devoted to the construction of the Blessing Square, how could he simply open it up to the public? The Eirbower Duke two centuries back had a streak of inspiration and thought of a roundabout manner to circumvent that rule. Isn¡¯t it perfectly reasonable for me to restrict others from entering my own home? All I¡¯m doing is staying at home and watching the aurora with my friends, so that can¡¯t possibly be a vition of the church¡¯s teaching, right? Who I view to be my friends is my own business. I don¡¯t think that the church has the right to tell me who is my friend and who isn¡¯t. What? You said that some of them are here for the first time? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s basic graciousness as a host to invite someone to their home when they havee with utmost sincerity? Even new friends are considered friends too! Due to this interesting maneuver, the Eirbower Duke had be a metaphor for materialism in the northern region, a person who befriended others based on their wealth and standing. Such association was extremely dishonorable for a ducal house, but the nobles in the northern region had a very different mindset due to the harsh environment they lived in. To them, reputation was nothing before money that could be used to purchase necessities to survive the winter. Besides, the banquet wasn¡¯t exactly a scam to fleece the affluent either. From the exquisite dessert tters to the symphonic melody yed by a renowned Austine band, even Roel had to give a nod of approval. He had to admit that the money wasn¡¯t spent in vain. Sensing Roel¡¯s movements, Lilian leaned close to him and asked. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m alright.¡± ¡°Would you like to dance?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be delighted to, but I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m able to do so in my current state,¡± replied Roel as he shook his short arms helplessly. Amused by Roel¡¯s response, Lilian chuckled softly. She leaned down and nted a light kiss on his forehead. ¡°Even so, you¡¯re the only one I¡¯ll dance with.¡± ¡°...¡± The sudden kiss and subtle confession made Roel¡¯s heart skip a beat. He raised his head to look at the woman standing before him, and he couldn¡¯t help but fall into a daze. There was no way Lilian would wear a maid uniform to a banquet, but she wasn¡¯t dressed in the traditional long dress of the Austine Empire either. Rather, she was wearing a gown that conformed to their identities as nobles from the Country of Schrs. It was a marvellous gown that revealed a bit of her smooth shoulder and trailed off beneath the knee, disying her beautiful legs whenever she made a move. There was a touch ofces at the hems of the gown, giving her usual cold disposition a tinge of cuteness. A mischievous satin ribbon was tied around her fair neck, tempting others to unwrap her like a present. Roel quickly averted his eyes away from her, not daring to look for a moment longer. He looked at the crowded dance floor in the center of the room, only to shake his head in the end. ¡°I think we should avoid crowded ces until my condition is resolved.¡± ¡°I doubt that anyone here has the spare attention to look at others. It¡¯s unlikely that anything will happen as long as we avoid physical contact with others. Trust me, I won¡¯t allow anyone to touch you.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case... alright.¡± The hesitant Roel eventually sumbed to Lilian¡¯s persuasion. Hand in hand, the two of them made their way to the dance floor. Considering the nature of the banquet, the band opted for a soothing romantic melody suited for couples to slow dance to while exchanging honeyed words. With the surroundings filled with flirting couples, the amorous atmosphere here far surpassed that of anywhere else. Roel only noticed that something was amiss when he came close to the dance floor, but before he could do anything, Lilian had already interlocked their fingers. ¡°Senior, the atmosphere doesn¡¯t seem right. They are all...¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Roel raised his head in a fluster, only to be met with Lilian¡¯s tender smile. His golden eyes slowly dted before awkwardly turning away. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, let¡¯s begin dancing, shall we?¡± The melody came to an end, and some of the couples took their leave from the dance floor. Roel and Lilian walked in and upied a dim corner of the dance floor. As a new melody started ying, the couples began to move. The difference in height and strides made it impossible for the two of them to dance as freely as they did in the Witness State, but their inconveniences brought about by their physical differences gave a different charm to their dance. Their bodies were only several centimeters away from one another, but the height difference made it such that one of them had to look upward and the other had to look downward. Lilian¡¯s appearance might have looked unseemly to others due to the effects of Ethereal Tear, but she looked as gorgeous as always in his eyes. It was a vastly different dancing experience to both Roel and Lilian. Liliancked experience in pair dancing, and the difficulty was heightened by her unusual partner. It would have been difficult for the two of them to synchronize their movements well with one another. Yet, with her hands interlocked with Roel¡¯s, she felt like there was something deep within her guiding her movements, allowing her to perfectly harmonize with Roel. Dance was a way for nobles to socialize and for lovers to deepen their feelings. Thetter was true for those two. They found their surroundings slowly fading away, leaving just the music and each other. They soon got into their stride and were finally able to spare some attention to chat. ¡°What do you think? I told you that it¡¯ll be fine, right? Doesn¡¯t it feel good?¡± ¡°... Mm. You¡¯re a good dancer.¡± ¡°No, I am just following the guidance of our bloodline bond. You can feel it too, right?¡± Lilian looked at Roel with intoxicated eyes, and thetter nodded with a reddened face. The bloodline resonance between them should have already be extremely faint with the sealing of Roel¡¯s powers, yet they could still clearly feel a connection to one another. ¡°We¡¯re bloodline kin, after all.¡± ¡°We are, but is that all there is to us?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The unexpected question from Lilian caught Roel off guard. He stared deeply into Lilian¡¯s eyes, and he could feel her apprehension and anticipation. Her lips were quivering ever so slightly, waiting nervously for the verdict. The soothing melody continued to y on, and the amorous whisperings of the couples echoed on the dance floor. Under this atmosphere, the feelings that Roel had been suppressing were finally let loose. ¡°No, we aren¡¯t just bloodline kin.¡± Roel shook his head. He stared at the woman in front of him with eyes filled with searing feelings. ¡°Senior, I...¡± Bam! Before he could finish his words, the doors to the banquet hall suddenly burst open. The clergymen responsible for rying the blessing had arrived, evoking cheers from the crowd. Everyone¡¯s attention was immediately drawn over. This abrupt situation caused Roel to jolt in astonishment. At the same time, amongst the clergymen, a golden-haired woman cast her sapphire eyes across the banquet hall. Chapter 345: Moonlit Assault

Chapter 345: Moonlit Assault

Nora Xeclyde was currently inside the bustling banquet hall, disguised as one of the clergymen for the uing event. She was dressed in a white cloak and her face was concealed behind a white veil. Her sapphire eyes swiftly scanned the multitude of couples in front of her. As the sessor to the Genesis Goddess Church, Nora harbored deep respect toward the aurora as it represented Sia¡¯s blessing. It was just that its significance paled inparison with the one person that was currently dominating her mind. Roel Ascart. Nora didn¡¯t have Charlotte¡¯s supernatural ability of divining a person¡¯s location, but she did have her own strength too¡ªher massive influence. Most nobles on the Sia Continent wielded considerable power, but their influence was limited to their own circle. Take the Ascart House for example, it possessed great say within the Saint Mesit Theocracy, but its influence was greatly diminished beyond the Theocracy¡¯s borders. There was only one noble house in the world whose influence had reached every nook and cranny of the Sia Continent¡ªthe Xeclydes. Just like how it was often said that the light of Sia shone upon everyone, the church was also present wherever humans lived. The church had always been the central faith of the human popce, holding a special ce in people¡¯s hearts. Only those who were tired of living would dare to undermine the church. It was through the influence of the church that she was able to swiftly build up connections and sneak into the banquet hall as one of the clergymen even though this was her first time being in the northern border. Her effort appeared to have paid off as something had just caught her eye. While her eyes were scanning through the couples in the banquet hall, an inexplicable feeling of incongruence suddenly arose in her heart. The feeling came on a whim, almost as if by intuition, but she managed to track down the source of the incongruence. It wasing from the dance floor. I think I saw someone familiar earlier on, but who is it? With such a thought in mind, Nora began approaching the dance floor. Noticing her movements, Lilian Ackermann began to panic. They are about to find us. Unlike Charlotte, Nora was Roel¡¯s childhood friend. They had known one another since they were nine, meaning that she had seen child Roel before, albeit being several years back. It was almost certain that Nora would be able to recognize Roel if she were toy her eyes on him! I can¡¯t give her the chance to see Roel¡¯s face! Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes narrowed sharply. She quickly reached out and held Roel¡¯s face to hers while looking at him with sentimental eyes. ¡°What were you going to say earlier?¡± ¡°Ah? W-well...¡± Roel was already in the midst of turning his head over to look at the arriving clergymen since that was where the center of attention was at, but his movements were forcefully halted by Lilian. It was so abrupt that it left him confused for a moment. Meanwhile, Lilian had already managed to think of a countermeasure to deal with this crisis. She gathered mana within her body and released it at a quantity so faint that it wouldn¡¯t alert anyone around her. A figure began rising from the shadows, forming a silhouette that was identical to the 14-year-old Roel. Kantsas Shadow Dancers. This was one of the more peculiar army divisions under Lilian¡¯smand. There were few members in this division, and they were extremely weakpared to the knights and mages she had contracted with. However, they possessed a set of special abilities that prompted the Ancient Austine Empire to search far and wide in order to recruit them. Their Deception Origin Attribute allowed them to disguise themselves as anyone, making them extremelypetent in espionage and sabotage. After over a thousand years, they had finally reappeared in the world. The white-cloaked Nora quickly walked toward the dance floor, determined to investigate the ¡®thing¡¯ that had caught her attention. But before she coulde close, amotion suddenly broke out by the side. Someone had knocked into one of the guests while attempting to run away. Thismotion caught the attention of everyone in the bustling banquet hall, so Nora¡¯s gaze was naturally drawn over too. It was just that she didn¡¯t expect to see a familiar face. ¡°Roel?¡± Nora widened her eyes in astonishment when she saw the escaping young man. Without any hesitation, she rushed over to capture him. Several individuals rushed forth from the group of clergymen to aid her, causing a huge disturbance to the banquet. ¡°Hold it right there!¡± ¡°Stop, we¡¯re on the same side!¡± The fake Roel leaped out of the banquet hall through one of the side windows, and Nora and her group of followers followed suit. It was only then that Lilian finally released her hands from Roel¡¯s face. Roel immediately turned his head over, but all he saw were a group of white-cloaked figures disappearing through the window. His suspicion was already piqued. Be it the disturbance caused by the clergymen or Lilian¡¯s sudden grabbing of his head, all of these were simply too unnatural, but he couldn¡¯t understand what these actions symbolized. So, he stared at Lilian and asked. ¡°Who are those people?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Could it be a lovers¡¯ quarrel?¡± replied Lilian. She blinked her eyes innocently, but that didn¡¯t seem enough to fool Roel. So, she bent down a little and kissed his forehead. ¡°S-senior?¡± As expected, her action immediately drove Roel into a fluster, momentarily distracting him from the issue at hand. Her heart was still pounding from the close call, but at the same time, she felt a rush of adrenaline too. It was scary yet weirdly exhrating. ... Roel and Lilian finished their dance under the soothing music. However, the earlier disruption and Lilian¡¯s sudden bold kiss had messed up the atmosphere she had painstakingly built up between them. As a result, she wasn¡¯t able to hear the words of confession she was looking forward to from Roel. It was a waste to have squandered this opportunity, but she decided not to rush things. It would be better to slowly bait Roel out of his shell instead of forcefully dragging him out. It¡¯s not like he can get away in his current condition anyway. Feeling a little starved after the dance, the two of them headed over to the buffet table to have some food. There was a table filled with rainbow seal sashimi. Roel was generally averse toward raw meat, but he decided to have a taste of this exotic dish. It was surprisingly good. Rainbow seals were a rare breed that were known to release blinding light at their enemies whenever in danger. They were also fond of emanating light while sunbathing on shore so as to deter any animals from approaching. Honestly speaking, they were probably a pain in the ass for most underwater creatures¡ªwho could stand it when someone constantly shed a torchlight into your eyes? The underwatermunity probably murmured ¡®Good riddance¡¯ every time a human armed with a pair of sunsses drove a harpoon through a rainbow seal. Recalling the background story of the rainbow seal made its blubbery flesh taste a little more delightful to Roel. Still, the meat was a little too greasy so Lilian offered him a ss of champagne to wash away the oily aftertaste. Just watching Roel fill up his cheeks with the rainbow seal sashimi was enough to bring a smile to Lilian¡¯s face. She knew that she had to do something if she wanted these days tost, so she quickly racked her brain to decide on her next course of action. The Blessing Square was definitely out of the question now. She had managed to distract Nora and her followers for the time being with the help of the Kantsas Shadow Dancers, but even those master disguisers wouldn¡¯t be able to kite them for long. Not to mention, the Blessing Square was bound to be heavily guarded by now. It was time to change ns. She slowly looked around contemtively, and her eyes soon fell upon a towering clocktower beyond the window. ¡°Roel, I know of a ce where we can get a good view of the aurora. We¡¯ll sneak out of the banquet hallter on.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± The approval of the oblivious boy brought a deep smile to Lilian¡¯s lips. They spent theirst hour walking around the banquet and watching a few live performances. As the time approached midnight, the couples in the banquet started making their way toward the Blessed Square in order to secure good seats. The two of them made use of thismotion to sneak away from the banquet and into the ducal estate, which wasn¡¯t open to guests. Ten minutester, the two of them finally arrived at the top of the clocktower. With Roel in her arms, she looked at the crowd in the Blessing Square beneath them and revealed a triumphant smile. They were close enough to the Blessing Square to avoid being tracked down by Charlotte¡¯s divination spell but far enough to not be within the line of sight of sentries. This was the perfect maneuver that provided the perfect opportunity for Lilian to finish up what she was doing. ¡°Roel... Lord Astrid left me with some words before we left the Witness State.¡± ¡°Hm? What did she tell you?¡± Roel was watching the starry sky when he heard Lilian¡¯s remark and turned his gaze toward her curiously. To his surprise, Lilian suddenly fell silent. The dark clouds above parted, allowing the moonlight to shine down on the clocktower. Its gentle glow exposed Lilian¡¯s furiously blushing cheeks. It took her a while to garner the courage required for her to continue what she was saying. ¡°She said that... if we were to marry, our child is likely to be a pureblood who possesses even stronger bloodline abilities.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes dted in shock when he heard those words, and he swiftly fell into a panicked state. ¡°Pureblood? Child? W-wait a moment... It¡¯s likely to be true since it¡¯s our ancestor who said so, b-but still, we are...¡± ¡°... It¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°The thought of having a child scares me, but if it¡¯s with you...¡± Lilian¡¯s body was trembling when she said those words. She looked at Roel with eyes quivering with nervous anticipation as she slowly leaned down to match his height. Her approaching warm breath caused Roel¡¯s mind to heat up. He instinctively understood the significance of the iing kiss. He knew that his rtionship with Lilian would change for good if he allowed this kiss to ur, but he didn¡¯t feel averse to it. On the contrary, he felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. He slowly raised his head, but before their lips could meet, a slim figure suddenly appeared from the moonlit window. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± Boom! With a shout and an explosion, Alicia Ascart arrived at the crime scene. Chapter 346: The Clash

Chapter 346: The sh

The Life Orb was a magic tool that was developed several hundred years ago during a war with the deviants to determine whether a soldier was still alive or not, but in the current era, it was mainly used by wives whose husbands often travelled far away. It was a simplistic tool that served a single function, but that was also the reason why it was extremely effective. No matter how great the distance was and the changes in the target¡¯s physical condition, the Life Orb would reflect the individual¡¯s condition correspondingly. A day of reunion would eventuallye as long as its glow wasn¡¯t extinguished, and this was a perfect example of that. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± With a worried exmation, a silver-haired girl barged into the clocktower through the windows, only to be met with an unbelievable sight. In front of her were two individuals staring at her with shocked looks on their faces. One was a woman whom she had never met before and the other was a child. A child with Roel¡¯s appearance. ¡°!¡± As if she had been struck by lightning, Alicia jolted in horror as her face turned ghastly pale. She could only think of a single possibility to exin this situation. Lord Brother had a child with a vixen! The moment such a possibility surfaced in her mind, her eyes reddened in indignance. She felt like the entire world had just copsed on her. It was one thing if it was Nora or Charlotte, but that clearly wasn¡¯t the case. In truth, she already knew deep down that it was no longer possible for Roel to reject Nora or Charlotte. They were simply too intertwined together in terms of their family circumstances and a plethora of other factors. But still, she couldn¡¯t ept Roel getting together with a vixen... Not to mention, they even had a child together?! You must be kidding me! I haven¡¯t even gotten together with Lord Brother yet! ¡°Y-you are...¡± ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± As Alicia pointed a shaking finger at the two of them, Roel finally snapped out of his daze and called out her name. Alicia was surprised to hear Roel¡¯s voice, and it broughtposure back to her. Wait a moment, that isn¡¯t right either. Isn¡¯t he a little too big to be Lord Brother¡¯s child? He looks as big as the first time I met Lord Brother, which means that he¡¯s around eight to nine years old at the very least. No matter how fast his body is growing, there¡¯s no way it could be this fast. There¡¯s a possibility that there might be some ability out there that hastens one¡¯s growth, but the Ascarts possess no such power. On top of that, his voice sounds incredibly familiar too. Does this mean that this child is... ¡°Lord Brother?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, Alicia. What are you doing here?¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia breathed a deep sigh of relief upon hearing his voice. She rushed forth to hug Roel, but before her hands could reach him, there was a sudden outburst of mana pulsation that pushed her back. This feeling! Origin Level 3! Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes narrowed when she realized that the woman beside Roel was actually an Origin Level 3 transcendent. She turned her gaze toward the woman, only to notice that thetter was staring back at her coldly. Wait a moment, if this child is Lord Brother, it would mean that this woman who just tried to kiss him is... The realization that there was a vixen before her made Alicia¡¯s body tremble in horror. Without any hesitation, she released a powerful burst of mana and shed with that woman. She wouldn¡¯t stand for the appearance of yet another woman by Roel¡¯s side! This chain of events immediately prodded Roel¡¯s danger instincts. He had been through far too many of such situations that he couldn¡¯t possibly not know what wasing up next. ¡°Wait wait wait wait wait! Senior, she¡¯s my younger foster sister, Alicia Ascart!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Alicia, this is a senior I¡¯ve met at the Saint Freya Academy. She¡¯s the imperial princess of the Austine Empire, Lilian Ackermann. She¡¯s the one who has been protecting me ever since I turned into this state.¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Brother.¡± The two women replied to Roel¡¯s introduction with a smile, but their sh showed no signs of abating at all. If anything, it was growing more intense. To Lilian, Alicia looked like a mesmerizing fairy that hade straight out of a dream, causing her wariness level to shoot straight to the maximum. How could she not feel rmed when there was a woman this beautiful beside Roel? As a fellow woman, she could tell the feelings that Alicia harbored for Roel transcended that of siblings. Not to mention, the sphere that Alicia was holding in her hands appeared to be a Life Orb, a magic tool that husbands would typically gift their wives before leaving for a long journey. Younger foster sister? Hah, you can only hope to deceive Roel with such crude lies. How can I not see through you when I¡¯m walking down the same kinship route as you? Lilian raised her hand to touch her ear ring, dispelling her disguise to reveal her true appearance. This time, it was Alicia¡¯s turn to be nervous. It was a face that was very different from Alicia¡¯s youthful and dreamy look. It was mature and seductive yet cold and lofty. In terms of disposition, it was impossible to tell who was superior. Lilian¡¯s face revtion pierced right into Alicia¡¯s nerves with a dagger. She couldn¡¯t overlook Lilian¡¯s charm, especially given her identity. As a result, she grew even more agitated, much to Roel¡¯s dismay. Hah, do you think that I would fear an imperial princess of the Austine Empire? I¡¯ve beenpeting with the princess of the Theocracy and the future leader of the neighboring Rosa, and both of them wield far greater influence over the Ascart House than your faraway Austine Empire! You¡¯re nothing more than a tramp who has only known Lord Brother for two months! What rights do you have topete with me? ¡°Miss Lilian, allow me to thank you on behalf of the Ascart House for taking care of him all this while. However, it won¡¯t do for us to trouble an outsider like you any longer. I¡¯ll be bringing Lord Brother back to the Ascarts¡¯ manor with me. I trust that you don¡¯t have any objections to that, right?¡± ¡°My apologies, Miss Alicia, but it seems like Roel has neglected to mention something earlier. Allow me to rify things for you... I¡¯m Roel¡¯s bloodline kin.¡± ¡°Bloodline kin? You¡¯re lying! How can that be possible?!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t it be possible? I¡¯m unsure how far back our ties go, but without a doubt, the two of us do share the same bloodline. The rtionship we share goes deeper than any other ties, be it friendship or familial bonds. In other words...¡± Lilian took a step forward, wrapped her arm around Roel¡¯s waist, and spoke with a confident smile. ¡°I¡¯m Roel¡¯s older sister in terms of bloodline. I¡¯m the closest person to him in the world aside from his parents. It¡¯s only right for him to rely on me when he¡¯s in trouble.¡± ¡°Y-you must be joking! Do you think that such lies can possibly...¡± ¡°Lies? It won¡¯t do for you to turn your head away from reality, foster sister Miss Alicia. I understand that it¡¯s hard for you to ept this situation out of the blue, but this is something that you¡¯ll eventually have to ept. After all... Roel and I have already decided to have a child together.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°S-senior?¡± Lilian¡¯s explosive words sent Alicia staggering backward in horror, nearly losing her bnce. Roel was also equally dumbstruck by the announcement, prompting him to turn around to stare at her. ¡°The union of two individuals who share the same bloodline will have a higher probability of bearing a child with enhanced bloodline. This is an unshakable truth. We¡¯re duty bound to do this for the sake of humankind, and our ancestor has also given us her blessing. ¡°Do you understand now, Miss Alicia? I¡¯ll have to ask you to exercise some tact and excuse yourself here. It¡¯d be rude of you to disturb a couple at the Aurora Festival. ¡°...¡± Alicia fell deathly silent at Lilian¡¯s terrifying verbal bombardment. However, to Lilian¡¯s surprise, her silence didn¡¯tst for long. By the time dark clouds passed and moonlight started shining upon the clocktower once more, the clouded look on her face had vanished. She raised her head and asked a straightforward question. ¡°Has Lord Brother confessed to you yet?¡± ¡°If not for your disturbance, the two of us would have...¡± ¡°Lord Brother first confessed to me when he was nine.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°Ah, it might be more urate to call it a promation of love. The word he used wasn¡¯t ¡®like¡¯ but ¡®love¡¯.¡± ¡°... What about it?¡± Lilian¡¯s smile slowly vanished as she clenched her fists tightly. Alicia¡¯s eyes curled into crescents as she continued her story. ¡°I¡¯ve shared a bed with Lord Brother a total of 212 times, exchanged morning kisses 1313 times, mutually confessed to one another 56 times, and bathed together 21 times. I¡¯ve seen every inch of his body.¡± ¡°A-Alicia?¡± ¡°Do you know how cooked Lord Brother likes his steaks to be? Do you know what temperature Lord Brother prefers his water to be at in the bath? Do you know how clumsy Lord Brother¡¯s first kiss is? Ahh, I guess you¡¯ll never get a chance to find out thest one. After all, I¡¯ve already trained him up.¡± ¡°... What are you trying to say here?¡± Faced with Lilian¡¯s incredibly awfulplexion, Alicia chuckled softly and said. ¡°I¡¯m saying that you should stop getting so gleeful over your little victories, old woman. You¡¯re merely feeding on my leftovers! Latching onto Lord Brother for offspring, are you an animal in heat? Know your ce and get lost!¡± ¡°What did you say?! You brat!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You wish to make a move on me, old woman?¡± ¡°You two need to calm down and...¡± Boom! Roel didn¡¯t even have the time to finish his words when two pirs of mana gushed into the sky. Lilian had already gone red with anger from having her sore spots poked over and over again, especially her age. Unable to stand it any longer, she went on a rampage. Alicia was also feeling utterly frustrated from having her one and only advantage over the other love rivals stolen from her hands, so she weed this fight too. Lilian¡¯s purple mana shed straight-on against Alicia¡¯s silver mana, producing a terrifying shockwave that jolted everything in the vicinity into the air. The noise produced from their unrestrained sh and the rubble rising into the air caught the attention of the auburn-haired woman on the Blessing Square and Miss Angel in the banquet hall. The two of them murmured in uncanny harmony. ¡°¡°Found you!¡±¡± Chapter 347: Deepening Danger

Chapter 347: Deepening Danger

Looking at the rubble raining around him, Roel felt helplessness that he had not felt ever since he awakened his transcendent abilities when he was nine. As terrifying as it looked, the falling rubble only posed a threat to ordinary mortals. Origin Level 6s could ward off the rubble by brandishing their spears, whereas Origin Level 5s could deflect the rubble with their mana, let alone Origin Level 4s and above. It was just that the current Roel possessed no mana at all. He only had the protective magic tools that were tossed to him from the twodies when the battle broke out¡ªa bracelet from Lilian and an amulet from Alicia. The glowing barrier they produced protected him from the devastation of their battle, but it was frustrating how he could only powerlessly watch their fight from inside. He did try shouting loudly to stop them, but it was to no avail. Neither of them had their attention on him. Under the gentle glow of the moonlight, dozens of silvery birds descended from the moon and circled around the night sky. Each of them harnessed mana that sparked Lilian¡¯s wariness. They alleviated the heavy pressure that was crushing down on Alicia, returning her freedom of movement. The Silverash Child. This was one of the strongest Silver Bloodlines that had no side effects whatsoever. It granted boundless life force that opened great room for maneuverability in a battle, as seen in the case of Alicia. Every single one of those birds were actually containers Alicia had deposited her mana and life force into. Thanks to these containers, she was able to exert prowess on par with Origin Level 3 transcendents despite being only at Origin Level 4 herself. ¡°Roel and I are destined to be together. This is the fate predestined by the bloodlines we possess. Our union will enhance the bloodline our ancestors have painstakingly preserved throughout the generations. This is our responsibility and mission!¡± ¡°Bloodline? Are you talking about that bloodline that has put Lord Brother through great danger and suffering? Hah, you can continue that cursed bloodline yourself. The offspring of Lord Brother and I will be much happier with the enhancement of my Perfection Origin Attribute!¡± ¡°It looks like there¡¯s no room for reconciliation here.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Seeing that there was no more room for words, the two of them decided to go all out, resulting in a huge flood of mana right after. Alicia¡¯s silver birds transformed into zing infernos and darted toward Lilian at breakneck speed. In response, Lilian summoned a toon of soldiers holding golden tower shields. Those were the zing Helios toon¡¯s Helios Shield, a top-notch fire attribute magic tool that granted one high resistance against fire-type attacks. Under the cover of these shields, the zing infernos were easily neutralized, leaving nothing but a warm breeze. The intense battle on the clocktower swiftly attracted the attention of the crowd on the Blessing Square. Some of the couples anxiously evacuated the area, but most of them chose to stay put and watch themotion. Amidst the chaos, Grace led the Rosaian elites toward where Charlotte and a group of high nobles from other countries were. ¡°Young miss, that is...!¡± shouted Grace as she pointed to the clocktower. To her surprise, there was no response at all. Perplexed, she turned her eyes toward Charlotte and saw that thetter was trembling. What¡¯s going on? Why is the young miss reacting like this? Oblivious to Grace, a furious tsunami of emotions was raging in Charlotte¡¯s heart. She was trembling out of shock and anger. She had seen the boy standing behind Lilian, and she would really have to be a fool if she still couldn¡¯t figure out that he was none other than Roel. She was swiftly reminded of the two ¡®live broadcasts¡¯ she had seen yesterday. It¡¯s one thing for her to embrace Roel in the balcony, but how dare that woman touch Roel when I was just a mere door away? Charlotte felt so dizzy with anger that she felt like her consciousness was on the verge of fading. Back when she kidnapped Roel from Alicia and Nora¡¯s side, she never thought that she would end up being put in such a position. It felt almost ludicrous how things hade a full circle. ¡°Young miss, they are on the clocktower. What do we do?¡± ¡°... Blow it up.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I said, blow up that wretched clocktower! The ground is our battlefield. Get darling down here right now!¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Miss Charlotte! You mustn¡¯t blow up the clocktower!¡± Amongst the crowd, the plump Eirbower Duke rushed over with a horrified look on his face. Fearing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her on time, he even made a glorious dive across the square and stopped perfectly in front of Charlotte¡¯s feet. ¡°You mustn¡¯t blow up the clocktower, Miss Charlotte! My home is right beneath it. Half of my ducal estate will be destroyed if you blow it up!¡± ¡°Cut the crap! I couldn¡¯t care less about your ducal estate right now,¡± Charlotte snapped as she stared intently at the boy on the clocktower. She mercilessly kicked off the Eirbower Duke¡¯s hands on her and furiously gave her order. ¡°A mere ducal estate; I¡¯ll build you ten of those aspensation! Blow up the clocktower!¡± At hermand, the Rosaian elites took out their gemstones and channeled their mana into it. The gemstones began to glow brilliantly before releasing a series of beams against the blocktower. Boom! Dozens of explosions bombarded the clocktower one after another, blowing many holes on the clocktower. Unable to support its weight anymore, the clocktower began to tilt sideways. This situation shocked the duo fighting on the clocktower. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Roel!¡± Roel fell off the clocktower and began plummeting helplessly to the ground. Beneath him, a wave of golden fluid had already taken its position, ready to catch him. Charlotte also charged over herself to reunite with her lover as soon as possible. To her surprise, the falling boy nevernded on her Golden Soul. Hm? Where did he go? A cloud of dust had veiled Charlotte¡¯s vision, causing her to lose sight of Roel, but she was certain that he should have fallen on her Golden Soul given the trajectory of his descent. Bewildered, she quickly looked around and soon received the answer to her question. It started from a crack of golden shimmer emerging from the dust, and it swiftly grew brighter until a golden-haired angel swooped out of the dust and rubble with a pair of unfurled wings. There was a small figure in her arms. ¡°That was a close one.¡± Gliding across the night sky, Nora looked at the boy in her arms as she spoke with a smile. Roel¡¯s eyes were still closed out of fear that he would really drop to his death when he suddenly felt something breaking his fall and heard a familiar voice. So, he opened his eyes and found himself face to face with a saintly angel who looked more gorgeous than ever under the gentle glow of the moonlight. ¡°N-Nora?¡± ¡°It has been a long time. That¡¯s a familiar look you¡¯re sporting here.¡± The current Roel evoked Nora¡¯s memories of their first meeting, and it brought a nostalgic smile to her lips. She was the farthest away when the battle on the clocktower first broke out, leaving her with no choice but to unfurl her light wings and rush over as quickly as possible. She didn¡¯t expect to bump into this pleasant coincidence. The moment she saw the ck-haired boy plummeting from the sky, she knew he was Roel right away. So, she channeled all of her mana and charged forward to swoop him away. ¡°Nora, what are you doing here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡°... I see.¡± Staring at Nora intently, Roel couldn¡¯t help but notice that there was something amiss about her current self, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on what it was. He racked his brain to figure out what it was, and soon, it struck him. Wait a moment, I¡¯m still leaking time, right? Roel finally understood where the anomaly wasing from. The leaking time from him had the effect of invigorating others, stimting them almost like a drug. It would feel like a random adrenaline rush for strangers he identally bumped into on the street, but this effect could easily spur passion in Alicia, Nora, and the others due to the feelings they harbored for him. Even Lilian, despite being at Origin Level 3, dared not to remain in contact with him for too long. Alicia was also a bit more agitated than usual, diving directly into a conflict with Lilian. That could have been the influence of the leaking time too. It was weird how Nora waspletely unfazed even though she was holding him in her hands. The effect of leaking time was more of a buff rather than a negative effect, so the cleansing effect of her bloodline should be ineffective against it. This meant that there was something off about her at the moment. ¡°... Roel, I need to talk to you about something.¡± ¡°Hm? What do you wish to talk about?¡± ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯ll find a safending spot.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Nora¡¯s attitude was polite andposed, perhaps a little distant even, and it left Roel feeling uneasy. There was none of her usual sadistic streak, and she made no attempts to get close to him either. Even her words felt aloof. Ah. Realization suddenly struck Roel. This was Nora too, just not the one he was familiar with. This was Her Highness Nora when she was in the presence of outsiders. The wind suddenly felt a little chilly. The two of them continued flying in silence. It was only after the copsed clocktower was a long distance away that she finallynded in front of a quiet mansion. Nora dissipated her golden wings. She grabbed Roel¡¯s hands and led him into the mansion. There were two rows of pirs along the sheltered entranceway, and their shadows divided the ground with segments of darkness. The two of them walked to the midpoint of the foyer before halting there. Then, she released her grasp of his hand. ¡°!¡± Roel felt a lurch in his heart when Nora released his hand on her own volition, such that he couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in doubt. His hand lingered awkwardly in mid-air for a few seconds before he slowly withdrew it to his side. His heart palpitated nervously as he looked at the golden-haired woman standing in front of him. They were only twenty centimeters away from one another, but it felt like there was a world of distance between them. The ominous atmosphere drenched his forehead in sweat, and he felt extremely jittery. ¡°What a beautiful moon we have tonight.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Roel replied vaguely in response to Nora¡¯s remark before silence took over once more. Nora took a nce out of the entranceway before walking out of the shelter to bask herself under the moonlit sky. She looked at the silver moon above and smiled faintly. Roel walked over to her side to apany her. Just like that, the two of them watched the night sky quietly for a while. Time slowly ticked by, and the silence continued to mount pressure on Roel¡¯s chest. It took a long time before Nora finally turned to Roel and spoke. ¡°Roel, I¡¯d like to ask you a question and I hope that you can give me your honest answer.¡± ¡°Alright. What do you wish to ask?¡± Nora¡¯s gentle voice made Roel shudder a little, and he turned his head over to look at her. ¡°I finally found the two of you!¡± At the same time, from the other end of the mansion, Charlotte finallynded with the Golden Soul wrapped around her. However, Nora didn¡¯t pay her any heed. Her eyes remained focused on Roel as she calmly asked her question. ¡°Are you intending to end our rtionship?¡± ¡°¡±!¡±¡± Roel¡¯s body stiffened up at her question. Even Charlotte stopped in her tracks and stared at her with widened eyes. It was all silent yet again. Chapter 348: The Knots in Our Hearts

Chapter 348: The Knots in Our Hearts

Under the moonlit sky, Nora continued looking at Roel with the same faint smile she looked at the night sky with, but her smile was starting to look a little strained. A few steps away, Charlotte froze in shock for a couple of seconds when a thought suddenly surfaced in her head. Her face turned grave, and she solemnly lowered her head. Without saying a word, she walked over to Nora¡¯s side and looked at Roel as well. Roel¡¯s eyes quivered ever so slightly before the confrontation with the two women. It took a long while for him to squeeze out a smile and reply. ¡°What are you saying, Nora? We are...¡± ¡°Lovers. It has been so ever since we were nine. It has never been said explicitly, but you should be more than aware of it.¡± ¡°...¡± Nora¡¯s calm response put Roel at a loss for words. Seeing this, she sighed softly and continued. ¡°You should have been somewhat aware of it all this while, but you chose to turn your eyes away from it. I can understand where you areing from. Our identities doplicate things, and there are many things you have to consider. I¡¯ve never med you for it, and I¡¯m willing to give you time and space to think things through. ¡°But what happened this time has exceeded the limits of my tolerance.¡± There was a hint of disappointment in Nora¡¯s eyes, and Charlotte turned her head away to hide her sorrow. Both Nora and Charlotte were born with a golden spoon in their mouths. They were blessed with great talents and lofty backgrounds. Countless men hoped to woo them and take their hands in marriage. They were not so weak as to need to fawn on a man. On the contrary, they were highly prideful individuals. They knew that their bond with Roel didn¡¯te by easily and their feelings for him ran deep, so, to some degree, they chose to suppress themselves and even implicitly permitted the existence of others in this rtionship. But it was different this time around. Nora clenched her fists tightly and spoke frighteningly heavy words. ¡°I can tell that you¡¯re afflicted with the side effects from the Witness State, and I understand that you¡¯re powerless at the moment. But unlike that time with Charlotte, you made the decision to leave us this time around... am I right?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s body jolted when he heard those words. Even without him saying a word, the answer was already made clear through his reaction. Charlotte felt her heart lurch out of despondency, and her eyes started to moisten. This was something that had been pricking at her heart for some time now. She had seen Roel and Lilian embracing one another on the balcony, and no matter how she looked at it, it didn¡¯t look like he was forced by Lilian to leave their side. If he wasn¡¯t forced or deceived into leaving with Lilian, this act was, in essence, no different from elopement. It frightened her just to think about the connotations of that. ¡°What kind of reason could have possibly prompted you to leave us and escape here with that woman? You should know full well what your actions signify. I want to know what you¡¯re thinking. I¡¯ll reconsider our rtionship based on your response. ¡°You need not worry about this matter affecting the alliance between the Xeclydes and the Ascarts. After everything we have been through, even if we can¡¯t stay by each other¡¯s side anymore, we can still remain as friends...¡± Those words were spoken with a gentle tone, but they sounded freezingly cold in Roel¡¯s ears. Looking at the two women before him, he felt like something was tightly mping on his heart, and the feeling that he was about to lose something left him feeling deeply fearful. He finally understood what kind of situation he was in. I have really hurt their hearts this time around. I-I have to quickly exin it to them! ¡°I-it¡¯s not what you think. Senior and I are bloodline kin; that¡¯s why...¡± ¡°Bloodline kin? That exins why that woman is so protective of you.¡± Nora nodded her head in realization, but it didn¡¯t stir the slightest change in her expression. ¡°But Roel, that only exins why Lilian is helping you. It isn¡¯t a reason why you abandoned us. Are you intending to push the problem onto her?¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s due to the bizarre side effect of my condition. It can regress time for a person, and it could put you on the spot if your family members learned about it. So... so...¡± Roel¡¯s voice slowly faded as he suddenly realized that there was something very wrong with what he had just said. As if answering his premonition, the two women standing in front of him were staring at him with horrified eyes. There was a long moment of silence before Nora encapsted what he had just said with a quivering voice. ¡°You¡¯re saying that if Charlotte and I learned of the side effects of your condition... we might betray you for our family members? In other words... you don¡¯t even trust us at all? ¡°D-darling, is that really what you think?¡± By this point, Roel was so flustered that he couldn¡¯t even string his thoughts together anymore. The strained smile on Nora¡¯s face finally faded altogether. She red at Roel with quivering eyes and uttered hoarsely. ¡°My grandfather is indeed getting old, but you should never forget that we are the Xeclydes! Any attempt to tamper with one¡¯s lifespan is a sphemy to Sia. Neither my grandfather nor I will stand for it!¡± ¡°My father and the other elders of the Sorofya House might soon reach the limits of their lifespans and pass away, but that¡¯s the decree of fate. Darling, do you really think that I would emotionally ckmail you into saving them? ¡°No, I-I...¡± Faced with their infuriated outburst, Roel felt his body turning cold. He wanted to exin to them that it wasn¡¯t what they were thinking, but his mind had already stalled to a halt. Words were failing him. With hisck of response, the final glimmer of hope left in Nora¡¯s eyes finally extinguished. ¡°You have really disappointed me, Roel.¡± ¡°N-Nora?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry... but let¡¯s end it here.¡± ¡°W-wait!¡± Horrified, Roel rushed forth to grab Nora¡¯s hand, but thetter took a step back before turning around to leave him. Charlotte hesitated for a brief moment, but she eventually wiped off her tears and walked away too. Watching as the two women slowly distanced themselves from him, Roel felt his blood freezing up. An unbearable surge of sadness rushed into his mind, stinging every single one of his nerves. Even his stalled brain instinctively understood what was going on under this intense stimtion. I have just been dumped. Some said that going through a breakup felt like death, but Roel thought that this was much more terrifying and painful than death. Before the heart-wrenching pain gripping him, even the terrifying assault of the Magician King seemed to be nothing inparison. I can¡¯t lose them. No matter what, I don¡¯t want to lose them. Ironically, it was only at this moment that Roel was starting to understand his own heart. Did he distrust Nora and Charlotte? Definitely not. He didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal to tell them at the very start. So, what was it that prompted him to leave with Lilian without informing them? Fearing that news would leak out? Possibly, but it was not impossible for him to find safer ways to ry the news. The truth was that he coulde up with countless self-justifications why he made that decision back then, but there was something deeper within him that prompted him to go along with Lilian¡¯s decision instead of searching for an alternative. He spent the next few seconds furiously dissecting his own head, trying to make sense of his own feelings. He instinctively knew that he only had one shot, and he had to find the most authentic answer within him in order to move those two. Otherwise, he could lose them forever. And in this final struggle, he felt like he had finally managed to grasp his truest thoughts. ¡°That¡¯s because I was afraid that I would lose you two!¡± ¡°¡°!!¡±¡± Roel shouted out the deepest feelings that had been buried in a ce so deep that he might not have even noticed it before. The moment those words were spoken, the two women stopped at the same time and widened their eyes in surprise. ¡°I think I finally understand why I didn¡¯t look for the two of you. I was afraid. I have never felt so vulnerable ever since I met the two of you. I didn¡¯t want you to see me this weak. I was afraid that I would disappoint you. I was afraid that you would leave my side! ¡°We weren¡¯t meant to be. All of these weren¡¯t supposed to belong to me! I don¡¯t know how it happened, but it did. I don¡¯t know how I can keep you all by my side, but I have to. I can¡¯t bring myself to let go anymore! That¡¯s why I need to be strong! I need to be strong...¡± Under the moonlight, the boy shouted with a lump in his throat. Before he knew it, his vision had already started to blur and tears were falling from his eyes. Was weakness a crime? Probably not for others, but to Roel Ascart, it was. He was someone who was supposed to be dead in the original storyline. He only managed to change his fate and win over the female capture targets who weren¡¯t supposed to be his because he was able to grow strong. There was nothing special about him that justified Nora and the others¡¯ feelings for him. In fact, he was nothing but baggage to them with a multitude of enemies out there seeking to im his life. And now, he had even lost the strength to protect himself. He feared that the sight of his weakness would tarnish the image that Nora and the others had of him. He feared that their feelings for him would slowly erode once they realized that he was nothing but a hassle. Somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind, he subconsciously thought that they would eventually part ways since none of them were meant to be, so he never answered their feelings properly. It was almost like a self-defense mechanism that he subconsciously avoided getting invested into those rtionships. Yet, as time passed, he found himself falling deeper and deeper for them. Before he knew it, he could no longer imagine a life without them anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ll remain in this condition, but if it continues to persist, I might lose more than just my transcendent abilities. My attention span, my analytical ability, and my power of judgment; everything else could regress as well. I can¡¯t even control my own tears now! I don¡¯t want you to see such an unsightly side of me, that¡¯s why I chose to run away. I¡¯m sorry!¡± Roel wiped off his tears with both his arms as he bared everything in his heart. Seeing such a Roel and hearing such words from him, neither Nora nor Charlotte could bring themselves to walk away anymore. When Nora turned around and saw the bawling boy in front of her, she felt like her heart was going to melt. Charlotte even burst out crying on the spot. They rushed back to Roel¡¯s side and hugged him tightly together. ¡°I¡¯ve no idea why you thought that we weren¡¯t supposed to be, but there¡¯s one thing I do know: You are a fool!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve known that darling is bad with matters of the heart, but I never thought that you would be so daft.¡± While helping the boy wipe off his tears, Nora let out a helpless reprimand whereas Charlotte sighed deeply. ¡°You thought that I would think that you¡¯re a burden and leave your side if you¡¯re weak? It seems like you have forgotten my interest. I would love more than anything for you to be weaker than me!¡± ¡°Your strength might have been an impetus behind our rtionship, but darling, I don¡¯t like you because you¡¯re strong. I like you because you were willing to risk your life to protect me even when you weren¡¯t strong. That¡¯s why I left the final seven-colored bullet for you. That¡¯s how our rtionship came to be. It has nothing to do with your strength at all.¡± ¡°I-I...¡± Roel looked at the two women hugging him from both sides, and he suddenly found himself at a loss of words. His tears flowed out even more profusely than before. Meanwhile, Nora and Charlotte were feeling touched for another reason. ¡°Still, you said it. It¡¯s also the first time I¡¯m seeing tears from you. You¡¯ve done it, darling!¡± ¡°... Five years. I¡¯m finally hearing those words from you.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Roel in bewilderment. Watching as Roel continued to wipe away his tears, Nora pinched his cheek and said. ¡°Did you think that I hadn¡¯t noticed that you were putting on a brave front all this while?¡± ¡°We did discuss this amongst ourselves in private. We thought that it¡¯s unnatural how you have been bottling up your emotions and stress without venting them out, but we didn¡¯t know how to talk to you about it. Darling, you look suave when you¡¯re putting on a brave front, but I still like it best when you let it all out.¡± ¡°Feelings can only grow when both parties are willing to open their hearts to each other.¡± ¡°You all... I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hearing their words of understanding, Roel earnestly apologized to them with a sniffle. A smile finally reappeared on Nora¡¯s face, and Charlotte wiped her own tears. They continued hugging him until their emotions slowly calmed down. ¡°I¡¯ll magnanimously forgive you this once, but if you dare pull such a stunt once more, I¡¯ll make sure that you can¡¯t even find a ce to cry!¡± ¡°In view of the special circumstances, I¡¯ll overlook darling¡¯s mistake this once. But only this once!¡± The twodies gave out stern warnings while heaving a sigh of relief too. This rtionship crisis was the first not just for Roel but for Nora and Charlotte too. The two of them were also feeling deeply nervous about the issue. The feeling of being abandoned constantly stabbed at them like a thorn lodged in their hearts. They knew that it would be a major problem if they didn¡¯t address it, but they had no idea what would be of their rtionship if they were to raise the issue. To be honest, Nora had raised this issue with the intention of just leaving Roel with a warning, but she ended up losing control of her feelings and demanded a break up. She simply had no experience dealing with such matters. She didn¡¯t think that it would hurt so much to be distrusted by the one she loved. Now that she had calmed down and was looking back on it, she felt spooked just thinking about what could have happened there. Charlotte felt the same way too. After epting his apology, they began patting the boy almost as if to vent their pent-up stress. Charlotte started poking Roel¡¯s soft cheeks whereas Nora couldn¡¯t resist the urge to y with Roel¡¯s ears. ¡°... Is this how darling looked as a child? How adorable.¡± ¡°You look smaller than what I remember from our first meeting. Eight years old?¡± ¡°W-wait a moment, you two...¡± After finally resolving the knots in their hearts, the two women began immersing themselves with teasing the miniaturized Roel. It was only when loud cheers started echoing from the distance that their teasing finally stopped. The aurora had appeared. Chapter 349: It’s All A Trick!

Chapter 349: It¡¯s All A Trick!

¡°It¡¯s the aurora!¡± The moment pink lights began appearing in the night sky, resounding cheers echoed throughout the city. In the empty mansion, the trio hugging one another widened their eyes in astonishment. There were seven colors that an aurora could manifest in, and pink was the rarest one of all. It had appeared no more than a couple of times in the long history of the Eirbower Dukedom, and it was said to represent romance and love. Following the aurora¡¯s blessing was a firework show that formed beautiful images alongside the aurora. Under this beautiful scenery and romantic atmosphere, the two women felt an intense rush of emotions. However, what they didn¡¯t know was that this beautiful aurora would soon cause an unintended crisis. ¡°It really is a pink aurora. I heard that it has been decades since thest appearance of a pink aurora. This is a good omen, fitting for us lovers.¡± ¡°How beautiful. By lovers, you¡¯re referring to me and darling, right?¡± The two women naturally assumed that this was a blessing directed toward Roel and themselves, and the difference in their perceptions brought frowns to their faces. They began ring at one another. ¡°What are you saying? You shouldn¡¯t forget that I was the one who tricked... I mean, I was the one who made Roel realize his own mistakes. You¡¯re nothing more than a vase standing by the side, hardly saying a word at all!¡± ¡°I hardly said a word at all? If not for the n... Cough! What I mean is that your words were simply too unexpected! How do you expect me to cut in?¡± The divergence in viewpoints regarding the aurora sparked an argument between Nora and Charlotte. Noticing their choice of words, Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was amiss here. Wait a moment. Trick? n? Why does it feel like I¡¯ve just gotten scammed here? The arguing duo noticed the change in Roel¡¯s expression and their faces went ¡®Oh shit¡¯. Roel¡¯s eyes slowly widened as he thought about everything that had happened thus far. Something really does feel off... Very, very off. Nora said that the two of us have been lovers ever since we were nine... Did such a thing happen? I mean, I was still avoiding her when I was nine! I concede, I did have feelings of attraction toward her even back at that point, but lovers? We haven¡¯t even confessed to one another yet! Besides, we rarely get to spend time together, and there¡¯s very little intimacy between us. Over the years, the only time we shared a kiss was the one back in the Witness State, when I was in a bad condition and she wanted to infuse mana over to treat me. How in the world are we even considered lovers? As for Charlotte, I guess I can somewhat be considered as her fianc¨¦, and I did promise to protect her. But if you were to say that we were lovers... Now that I think about it, Charlotte hasn¡¯t really said anything at all. Wait a moment, does this mean that I¡¯ve actually been tricked earlier on? No no no, that isn¡¯t right. I was indeed feeling anguished when the two of them left earlier. Such a feeling can be considered as a break-up. Huh? It does feel like a break-up... but again, it could have been something else too. Having made sense of his thoughts, he shot a piercing re at the two women in front of him, but the two of them averted their eyes. ¡°Nora, Charlotte, there¡¯s a question I would like to ask you. When in the world did I be your lover? I don¡¯t think that we have talked about this before.¡± ¡°Cough cough. Regarding that, you should also know that there are things that don¡¯t have to be spoken out loud. Feelings don¡¯t necessarily have to be ryed with words.¡± ¡°Exactly. Who says that a rtionship needs to be affirmed with words?¡± ¡°Is that so? Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s too casual to leave something as important as a romantic rtionship to implicit understanding? I feel like there¡¯s something else here.¡± Looking at the strained smiles of the two women standing before him, Roel spoke with gritted teeth. ¡°Why do I feel like someone is trying to misrepresent my feelings of favorability as an implicit lover rtionship so as to make me look like I¡¯m a scum who abandoned my lovers?¡± ¡°¡°!¡±¡± The faces of Nora and Charlotte stiffened the moment Roel popped the question. The same thought surfaced in their minds at the same time. This is bad. He managed to see through our ploy. The two of them had gotten toocent over their recent victory that they started arguing over the uneven division of the spoils of war in front of the person himself, resulting in their own undoing. Charlotte was at aplete loss as to what to do whereas Nora immediately tried to exin herself. ¡°Roel, it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking... Our rtionship has always been as deep as that of lovers, so...¡± ¡°Are you certain you want to continue arguing about this, Nora?¡± ¡°!¡± Seeing that it was hopeless, Nora decided to back down and avert her eyes. That was more than enough to confirm Roel¡¯s doubts. While the two of them had been closer than ordinary friends since childhood, it was still two different things to be as close as lovers and being lovers. Affirmation of the rtionship represented a clearmitment. Roel admitted that he had handled this matter badly with regards to Nora and Charlotte. His unannounced departure must have surely left them deeply worried, prompting them to search all around for him, and he regretted his actions. However, it was another thing for them to emotionally corner and guilt trip him like that, especially when it led to his earlier breakdown. It definitely didn¡¯t feel good to know that his emotions had been toyed with, regardless of what kind of intentions they had in mind. ¡°Hah. I never thought that there would be such a maneuver. If not for the two of you letting it slip in your argument, I might have never realized it. It really is a trick tailored specifically against me,¡± Roel harrumphed furiously. His infuriated response caused Charlotte to cave in. She burst into tears and unhesitatingly betrayed herrade. ¡°Darling! I don¡¯t know anything at all. That woman orchestrated it all on her own!¡± ¡°Charlotte! What are you saying? You darned traitor!¡± ¡°Traitor? Isn¡¯t this different from what we nned at the start? Darling, I have no part in this. Wuuu.¡± Nora was infuriated by Charlotte¡¯s betrayal. She was going to blow her top, but her airs quickly withered upon meeting Roel¡¯s gaze. ¡°Roel, things are different from what you¡¯re thinking. I-I simply got too agitated earlier, that¡¯s why...¡± ¡°...¡± With her scheme brought out to the open, Nora could only desperately attempt to salvage the situation, but to her rm, Roel wasn¡¯t reacting at all. She was taken aback for a moment before slowly lowering her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roel... But I swear that it wasn¡¯t intentional. I never thought that things would turn out like this either. Charlotte can testify for that.¡± ¡°... What do you mean?¡± ¡°Darling, I can vouch for that. I admit that we did n something on our way here, but this wasn¡¯t it...¡± Following that, Charlotte began exining their initial n. The two of them had a lot of pent-up emotions from being abandoned by Roel, which led to them discussing a n to express their dissatisfaction toward him. However, their end goal was just to make him apologize for leaving them for so long. The only problem was that Nora had chosen to take an overly forceful approach right from the start. She forcefully imed that they were lovers, and it worked because Roel did cherish her a lot and he was still flustered by her unusual behavior. This settingy the foundation for her to pressure himter on. But things started to go out of hand when they learned that Roel distrusted them. It wasn¡¯t really that big of a deal now that they thought back on it since his rationale was not wanting to put them on the spot rather than distrusting them, but they still lost control of their emotions for a moment there. The following act of them turning around and walking away was actually part of the script, but the deviation in atmosphere, setting, and tone had vastly changed the nature of the scenario. They were only expecting an apology, but somehow, it ended up heaping humongous pressure on Roel to confess in order to hold onto them. In a sense, the oue was better than they had expected, but at the same time, it had also forced Roel to confess his inner vulnerabilities in front of them. By that point, the two of them had already known that they had gone overboard. So, they quickly tried to console Roel and bring the matter to a close, but who could have thought that they would slip up right after? ¡°In other words... I was yed like a fiddle.¡± Roel looked at the two uneasy women in front of him and harrumphed furiously. Hearing those words, Nora and Charlotte quickly shook their heads and refuted his words. ¡°That¡¯s not the case! I concede that there were elements of an act in the earlier confrontation, but my emotions were absolutely sincere. I¡¯m overjoyed that you were willing to open yourself up to me. I can swear on my name as a Xeclyde!¡± ¡°The same goes for me too. Darling, I never knew the extent of the feelings you harbored for me, and I was unaware of those fears lingering in your mind. Not once have I ever thought of ying with your feelings, you have to believe me on that! Wuuu!¡± The panicked Charlotte hugged Roel tightly as she started tearing up whereas Nora insistently grabbed onto Roel¡¯s hand, refusing to let it go. There was no way Roel could struggle free of them in his current powerless state, so he could only sit down and attempt to calm his emotions. At the same time, he thought of a ssical phrase in his previous life. The more beautiful a woman is, the more deceitful she is. This matter isn¡¯t over yet! Chapter 350: The Real Problem

Chapter 350: The Real Problem

The aurora was still glowing in Eirbower¡¯s night sky, and the crowd¡¯s cheering hadn¡¯t stopped at all. Roel sat on the steps outside the mansion as he gazed at the pink aurora. The anger bubbling within him was slowly fading. Nora and Charlotte had already admitted their mistakes and apologized. Under their profuse and skillful cating, he found himself unable to remain mad at them. However, what was more important was that he had realized that there was a major problem here. I have been deceived. Not only that, I even broke into tears. It felt extremely frustrating to him even though he knew that Nora and Charlotte were doing this because they were fond of him. His anger might have faded, but he was determined to never fall for something like this ever again. That being said, it brought several problems to his attention. All along, he had been taking a passive stance toward his rtionships, choosing to just go with his stream of consciousness without thinking deeply into it. It wasn¡¯t a big deal when they were still kids, but before he knew it, it was already hurting everyone around him. He couldn¡¯t just leave things be anymore. Roel was not a lover to any of the women around him. He had never proactively approached any of them. Yet, the feelings they shared were much deeper than that of ordinary lovers. Their feelings had been proved and tempered through tribtions, ingrained deeply into their hearts. But that was also the reason why he was at a loss. He knew just what kind of precarious situation he was in. He was aware that he did have the option to ept the feelings of all the women around him. It was not umon for nobles to marry multiple wives in the Sia Continent, and his father had been encouraging him from a young age to marry more wives and have more children. Admittedly, there were problems along the way. Nora and the others were of distinguished standing, and their marriage would result in huge political implications. Whether they were willing to condone him having multiple wives was an issue too. But those issues could still be slowly thrashed out until they came to apromise. It was difficult but not hopeless. The real reason keeping him from epting their feelings was his inability to ensure his own safety. What if a day came where he suddenly vanished for two hours and returned as a corpse? What would happen to Nora and the others? The Ascart Bloodline had granted him great power, but by the Sia Continent¡¯sw of equivalent exchange, he had to pay a heavy price for it. More than once he had almost lost his life in the Witness State. Till now, he could still remember the helplessness he felt when he stood before Priestley. That was an Origin Level 1 transcendent, an existence so powerful that he couldn¡¯t hope to defeat. Not to mention, he was now contracted with Artasia, an ancient god whose true nature and intention he was uncertain of. Everything that had happened thus far told him that the Witness State wasn¡¯t just a simple instant dungeon that popped up every now and then to provide him with a convenient power up. No, it was a treacherousnd where he had to struggle with all his might in order to survive; powering up was only the means for him to survive. He was not blind to the feelings that Nora and the others harbored for him, but it might not be toote to put a stop to it yet. If he epted them and allowed their feelings for him to further deepen, what would happen to them if he suddenly dropped dead one day? Not even Nora, who was the most mentally resilient of all, would be able to bear it. He shuddered to imagine just how the one-track minded Alicia would take the news. Yet, despite not daring to approach them, he found himself unable to shake off their hands either. At some point in time, unbeknownst to him, he had also fallen for them. This dilemma was probably the reason why he subconsciously took a passive stance, neither epting nor rejecting them. However, it wouldn¡¯t do for him to maintain such an attitude toward his rtionship with Nora and the others anymore. Nora and the others clearly wanted to affirm their rtionship with him. He would only hurt them if he continued with his ambiguous attitude. He might have ovee the current crisis at hand, but he knew it was not over yet. Simr problems would only continue to ur in the near future unless he solved this issue at its root. The fear of death and numerous frustrations raged within Roel¡¯s mind, causing him to let out a deep sigh. Noticing his peculiar state, Nora turned to him and asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Roel?¡± ¡°... It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just getting a little cold.¡± ¡°...¡± Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. Charlotte also sharply noticed that something was amiss with Roel. Yet, faced with the strained smile from the young boy seated between them, they found themselves not knowing what to say. Charlotte took off her outer coat and gently wrapped it around Roel¡¯s little body. The three of them sat quietly on the steps of the mansion till a silhouette suddenly shed across the moonlit sky. ¡°The two of you! How dare you swipe Lord Brother away while I was fighting!¡± A silver-haired woman suddenly appeared out of thin air, almost as if she had manifested from the moonlight. Alicia¡¯s body was cloaked in dust, and her hair was also a mess. It was apparent that she had just been through an intense fight with Lilian. Alicia red at the two vixens sandwiching Roel. However, the moment her gaze turned toward Roel, her ferocious look transformed into a pitiful expression as she leaped in his direction. ¡°Lord Brother! Wuuuu, Alicia misses you a lot. Thank Sia I was able to find you before the aurora vanished!¡± ¡°Alicia.¡± ¡°... Lord Brother?¡± Roel weed her with a smile on his face, but Alicia was able to tell that he had something on his mind. That was simply how sharp she was when it came to matters rted to Roel. She blinked her eyes contemtively before ncing at Nora and Charlotte, but the two of them averted their gazes. Unable to gather any clues from them, she pondered with a deep frown for a moment before finally asking meekly. ¡°Lord Brother... is there something that you would like to talk to me about?¡± ¡°...¡± Roel could sense that Alicia was feeling worried and confused. He parted his lips to say something, only to close them without saying a word. He still hadn¡¯t fully thought through things yet, so he wasn¡¯t sure what he ought to say. He had known that the Witness State was a dangerous ce from the very first time it was triggered, but he thought that he would slowly learn to cope with it as he grew stronger. He believed that it was only a matter of time before he became strong enough to control the Ascart Bloodline, and by then, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about it anymore. Yet, despite the growth he had been through thus far, it felt like nothing had been solved at all. Given so, there were only two possibilities. One, he simply hadn¡¯t reached the minimum level required for him to control the activation of the Witness State. Two, the activation of the Witness State couldn¡¯t be controlled at all. Roel did give this matter some thought at one point in time. Rationally speaking, most transcendents were unlikely to activate the Witness State considering the unknown dangers lurking within, even if they sought to obtain greater power. It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that risk and reward came hand in hand, but the Witness State was almost like Russian roulette. A single bout of bad luck would condemn one to death. The desperate might resort to such extreme measures, but definitely not the patriarch of a lineage that suffered from ack of offspring. Yet, most of the preceding patriarchs who had awakened to the Ascart Bloodline mysteriously disappeared at some point in their life, and some of them had already be incredibly powerful by then... If it was really impossible to control the activation of the Witness State, everything Roel had done to escape his death gs would have been in vain. Unless he somehow became omnipotent, it was only a matter of time before he was done in by the Witness State. Could he really condemn those he loved to a life of fear, not knowing when he would suddenly disappear and drop dead? It would be best if he could somehow learn to curb the Witness State, but how could he go about doing so? With such thoughts in mind, he looked at the aurora in the moonlit sky and fell into deep thought. Slowly, his mind calmed down and an answer surfaced in his mind. Chapter 351: To Surrender Is To Win

Chapter 351: To Surrender Is To Win

Roel Ascart thought that the aurora he saw today was meaningful. At least it had helped him make sense of some matters. Nora and the others wanted a stable rtionship with him, but that in itself was a contradiction with the Witness State that randomly plunged him into dangerous situations. So, the real question now was whether he could resolve this contradiction. There was actually a usible method to pull it off, just that it was something he would have never considered in the past. He wasn¡¯t sure whether it was possible at all to shut off his bloodline and avoid the Witness State, but he knew for certain that there were triggers to the invocation of his bloodline ability. Cheerings could still be heard from the distant crowd. On the steps to the mansion, Nora and Charlotte were starting to feel uneasy at the looming silence amongst them. Alicia looked at Roel at a loss. She could sense that there was something wrong with Roel, but she couldn¡¯t do anything without knowing what he was thinking. Time slowly ticked by. It was only when Alicia was finally reaching the limits of her patience that Roel finally retracted his gaze from the sky. He looked at the three women around him and said. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ve made you all worry.¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing... Lord Brother, what were you thinking earlier on?¡± ¡°I was... thinking about the problems that have been guing me all this while.¡± Roel took some time to organize his thoughts before sharing them. ¡°I realized that I have been subconsciously avoiding some decisions due to the dangers brought about by my bloodline ability. I didn¡¯t want to implicate others with my condition, but it has be clear to me that my actions are hurting those around me. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°... Roel.¡± The three women reacted differently to Roel¡¯s apology. Alicia, who had devoted her attention to sneaking in bites of her Lord Brother, didn¡¯t really feel strongly about Roel¡¯s apology. Charlotte did feel something from it, but it wasn¡¯t particrly strong as she had only known Roel for a year. Only Nora, who had grown up with Roel and was constantly rejected by him due to her peculiar interest, felt strongly about the apology. Her forehead furrowed up when she thought about the dangers she had undergone with Roel back in the March Turmoil. ¡°Roel, I understand what you¡¯re getting at, but it¡¯s impossible for you to change your bloodline. Great poweres at a hefty price; this is an unchanging rule of our world. I know that it¡¯s scary, but you can¡¯t let your fear of your bloodline hold you back,¡± Nora spoke softly. Charlotte¡¯s face turned grave upon hearing those words. She recalled about the voyage she had with Roel on the Golden Fleet, and it enlightened her to the reservations Roel had. Alicia also started frowning as well. She remembered how Roel¡¯s body was covered in injuries every single time his bloodline ability activated. Roel looked at the trio in front of him with a heavy heart, pausing a brief moment before continuing on. ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s aw that poweres at a price... but what if I choose to forsake a portion of my power?¡± ¡°Darling, you mean to...?¡± Charlotte stared at Roel with widened emerald eyes, seemingly seeking confirmation to her deduction. Roel looked back at her and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already made up my mind. For the next four years in the academy, I¡¯ll try my best to raise my Origin Level and control my bloodline. It¡¯d be for the best if it works out, but if it doesn¡¯t... I¡¯ll give up on developing my transcendent abilities. I¡¯ll return to the Ascart Fiefdom and devote my days to developing the territory.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°L-lord Brother?!¡± This revtion sparked shocked exmations from Alicia and Nora. Alicia grabbed Roel¡¯s sleeves in agitation, unable to believe what she had just heard, whereas Nora stared at him in sheer bewilderment, unable to speak a word at all. Roel had already anticipated such a reaction, but all he could do here was to console them with a calming smile. Indeed, this was the decision he had arrived at after careful consideration. This was the only usible solution he could think of to resolve this dilemma. Roel reckoned that he should at least be able to reach Origin Level 2 by the time he graduated from Saint Freya Academy. If his bloodline ability was still like an unbridled horse by then, it was unlikely that he would ever be able to put a rein on it. If so, he would return to the Ascart Fiefdom, stow away his historical records, slip on a pair of gloves, and devote himself to the fields. From then on, the talented prodigy whom the evil cults were determined to eradicate would vanish from the face of the world. There would be no more seeding the previous glory of Winstor and Ro Ascart. He would just be an ordinary man, humbly living his life out. Perhaps, an old Roel many yearster would boast to his children that he used to have a chance at bing an unparalleled expert in the world, but he chose their mother over it. This was a path he would have never dared to walk down in the past, but upon realizing that those he treasured liked him for who he was and not for his strength, his thoughts began to change. If this world permits it, I wish to spend the rest of my life peacefully with those whom I love. Roel¡¯s calm deration of his intent astonished the three women before him. Nora anxiously grabbed Roel¡¯s hand and asked. ¡°Roel, are you really willing to give up on the Ascart Bloodline?¡± She bit on her lips nervously as she awaited Roel¡¯s confirmation. In her view, the Ascart Bloodline could be considered as a path toward godhood. That was the ability to tap into the boundless powers of the ancient gods! It was beyond imagination how great the potential was if Roel could fully develop this ability. Not to mention, the ancient gods he had contracted with were also some of the strongest ancient gods too, such as Grandar and Peytra. Such power was hard toe by, and it would be even harder to let go of it. Yet, Roel was willing to cast it all away for them. Nora couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he would regret his decision in the future. Regarding her question, Roel took some time to look into his own heart before answering with a smile. ¡°I reckon that at the extremity of the Ascart Bloodline lies the power to challenge the gods, but would attaining godlike powers really bring me happiness? If I have to abandon those I cherish to climb to the peak, I¡¯d rather not do so at all. ¡°Awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline have never ended up well. I kept telling myself that I have to learn from my ancestors¡¯ mistakes to make sure that the same fate doesn¡¯t befall me, but what is that supposed to be? ¡°I believe that the lesson to be learned here is that our n shouldn¡¯t be too obsessed with the past. We do derive our power from uncovering history, but it blinds us to the present and the future. It turns our eyes away from those we ought to cherish around us.¡± At the end, Roel let out a deep sigh. Charlotte thought about the real ending that befell Winstor and Isabe, and her expression turned sorrowful. She thought about it for a moment before weighing in. ¡°Darling, have you thought about how others would view you if you...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s shameful for me to relinquish my power for the ones I cherish. I believe that those who truly see me as a friend will support my decision. Besides... an Origin Level 2 transcendent might be nothing much for an awakener of the Ascart Bloodline, but it¡¯s still not anything to scoff at in the world we live in.¡± ¡°Indeed. Our father is also an Origin Level 2 transcendent.¡± Alicia gave a supportive nod to Roel¡¯s decision. Even in a major country like the Saint Mesit Theocracy, an Origin Level 2 transcendent could definitely be considered to be in the upper echelon even if not the highest one. Most preceding patriarchs of the Ascart House were also at this level. Those words put Charlotte¡¯s heart at ease. Nora felt deeply touched by Roel¡¯s sentiments. Roel sensed that the atmosphere was getting a little heavy, so he chuckled softly and said. ¡°Actually, it¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯ll just have to wear a pair of gloves and head out less often. The lifespan of an Origin Level 2 should be enough for me, just that I¡¯d probably appear much older than the rest of you once we get on in years. I just hope that you won¡¯t scorn me when the timees.¡± ¡°Of course not, you fool.¡± ¡°You need not worry about that, darling. I¡¯ll solve that for you. There are many ways to slow down the aging process.¡± ¡°My life force should be able to help you with that, although I think the side effect of your ability works perfectly well on that aspect too.¡± ¡°No no no, I don¡¯t think I want to fall into this state ever again. This regression is really a pain to deal with. The short limbs are one thing, but the sealing of my powers makes me feel really helpless.¡± Pu! Roel¡¯s anxious refusal of Alicia¡¯s proposal made Nora burst intoughter. With everything thrashed out amongst them, the atmosphere finally lightened up. The clouded expression on Roel¡¯s face finally cleared, and he felt like the burden weighing down his shoulders had finally been relieved. Frustrations that had been piling up in his heart for years were finally getting resolved. What he needed to do now was to enjoy his campus life for the next four years and try his best to control his bloodline. Regardless of whether he seeded or not, he was determined to respond to their feelings and give them the steady rtionship they wished for by the time of his graduation. Roel stretched his backzily, feeling more refreshed than ever. Nora had a faint smile on her lips as her drifting heart felt like it had finally found its harbor. Charlotte was already beginning to imagine life after marriage. While the three of them were immersed in this unprecedented feeling of serenity, a glint suddenly shed across Alicia¡¯s eyes and she murmured to herself. ¡°This means that I have till your graduation to get rid of the others?¡± ¡°¡°!¡±¡± Alicia¡¯s words made the other two women sharply narrow their eyes. Chapter 352: The First One Wins

Chapter 352: The First One Wins

Roel Ascart stared at Alicia in confusion, having yet to wrap his mind around the fact that he was a dessert for the threedies before him. As for Nora and Charlotte, they widened their eyes in disdain upon hearing Alicia¡¯s words. The instinctive human behavior when introduced to a set of rules was to obey it, but there were simply some people in the world who liked searching for loopholes to exploit. Alicia was one perfect example. To summarize: This child has no scruples! We¡¯re celebrating this shared victory, so why in the world must you go in the opposite way and think about swiping him away before graduation? But now that I think about it... it actually makes sense too! Nora and Charlotte immediately noticed the blind spot in their current n. There was nothing wrong with the solution Roel proposed, but the problem was that he needed time to attempt to control his bloodline. To use an analogy, it was like they were on a carriage that had barely started moving. The good news was that the carriage had a clear destination and an estimated arrival time, and it promised them a paradise where they could freely feast on the delectable dessert named Roel. Everything looked rosy for them. But here came the question: Why should I share a carriage with the others? The carriage was small and squeezy, but the roadside ditch was wide and spacious. Why not push some of them down out of the carriage and into the ditch so as to free up some space? If they managed to push everyone else off, they would be able to monopolize the dessert at the end of the journey! Charlotte and Nora¡¯s eyes zed with fighting spirit. The light and joyous atmosphere that Roel had created through his long speech was shattered just like that. Roel noticed the unusual atmosphere too. He looked at the three smiling women beside him, and for some reason, he felt a shiver running down his spine. W-why are they looking at me like this? Did I say something wrong? He was unable toprehend the situation. Meanwhile, the three women were busy hatching their ns. All of them were experts when it came to the subject of Roel Ascart, and that was why they knew his biggest weaknessck of self-awareness in rtionships. It was not that he had a low EQ. On the contrary, he was fairly good at sensing emotions. What hecked was the ability to discern romantic rtionships. Or perhaps, his threshold to consider something as a romantic rtionship was much higher than other people. Nora and Charlotte had braved through crises with Roel whereas Alicia had grown up together with him. There was no doubt that all of them shared a deep bond with him, but somehow, it felt like they were still a step away from bing his lover. It was just a question of who would be the first one to take the final step to the top. As long as they could reach the endpoint ahead of the others, they would be the final victor. It would grant them the decisive upper hand needed to eliminate all otherpetitors from the race. What? You¡¯re asking why can¡¯t we share? Are you kidding me? Love is war! The winner takes it all! Years of fighting had taught these three women how cruel the battlefield of love was. In fact, they had begun contemting whether it was a good moment to strike right now... Roel is in his most vulnerable state ever right now, both in body and mind. If I could win him over right now... The atmosphere was slowly bing a little unnerving. The first one to make a move was Alicia. She grabbed Roel¡¯s hand while looking at him with eyes brimming with affection. ¡°Lord Brother, it must have been hard on you. You have always beenpetent in everything you do, but all of a sudden, you¡¯re stuck in this small body. You must be feeling helpless.¡± ¡°Ah? Well...¡± Roel was surprised as to what hade over Alicia, but thetter looked at him insistently, determined to get an answer out of him. He let out a soft sigh before nodding in admittance. Alicia¡¯s eyes drooped down sympathetically in response. She squeezed his hand lightly, as if trying to transfer her energy to him. As expected of my little sister. She cares for me the most. Roel was moved by the encouraging gesture. On the other hand, Alicia was delighted to see that it was working. She continued looking at Roel with a mncholic look on her face as she attempted to persuade him with her most sincere voice. ¡°Lord Brother, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll do everything I can to protect you.¡± ¡°Go home...¡± Those two words apanied by Alicia¡¯s mncholic expression dealt a critical strike to Roel. Home is the harbor for the heart, a sanctuary in times of distress. Given Roel¡¯s current state, it did make sense for him to return home. Roel thought that there was some sense to what Alicia was saying, but Nora and Alicia sharply sensed that things were proceeding in a disadvantageous direction for them. ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Nora interjected furiously. She marched forward to grab Roel¡¯s other hand while directing a sharp re at Alicia. She could see right through this scheming wench. Protect him? If anything, you¡¯re a fox in the henhouse! It was worrying for Nora to leave Roel in the Ascarts¡¯ manor even when he was in his normal condition, let alone now that he was in a vulnerable state. To let him return with Alicia now was as good as delivering him into the lion¡¯s den! Not to mention, it was Alicia they were talking about here! That woman was despicable enough to even overdose him on life force; what else would she possibly not dare to do? It was almost certain that Roel would be eaten clean within three days if he were to leave with Alicia! ¡°Alicia, do you take me for a fool? Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m unaware of what you¡¯re thinking!¡± ¡°What are you saying, Your Highness? I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re driving at. I¡¯d appreciate it if you could refrain from interrupting our family discussion here.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten that I am Roel¡¯s protector? It¡¯s my duty to ensure his safety!¡± Nora spat out those words angrily at Alicia before she turned to Roel and smiled. Her ability to change her face on a whim was truly no joke. She intentionally released a hint of her holy mana that made her feel warm and amicable. ¡°Roel, I understand your wish to return home, but the Ascarts¡¯ manor won¡¯t be a sanctuary for you. The church can do much more to ensure your safety.¡± ¡°The church?¡± Roel murmured thoughtfully under the angel¡¯s devilish whisper. Seeing that his attention had been piqued, Nora doubled down on her efforts in convincing him. ¡°You¡¯re in a vulnerable state right now and Uncle Carter isn¡¯t in the Ascarts¡¯ manor at the moment. The level of security at the Ascarts¡¯ manor won¡¯t be enough to keep you safe. Our church has an army of inquisitors constantly on standby, ready to be mobilized should you meet with danger. I¡¯ll personally escort you to the Holy Capital to ensure your safety. Do you still remember the room you stayed in back at the Labyrinth Manor? What do you think about heading there?¡± Nora disregarded Alicia¡¯s opposition and made a counterproposal with a look of reminiscence on her face. It reminded Roel of the room where she had fed him sweets a couple of years ago, and it put him in a state of inner turmoil. He began to struggle between the two choices. The Ascart Fiefdom was known for its military might. Under normal circumstances, no evil cultist would dare to enter its territory and cause trouble. However, it would be a different story if the evil cultists put their minds into eradicating him while he was weakened. If so, it would indeed be much safer for him to seek refuge in the church. ¡°Lord Brother, don¡¯t listen to her! That woman doesn¡¯t bear kind intentions. You mustn¡¯t forget her peculiar inclinations!¡± ¡°What are you saying? How could I possiblyy my hands on Roel when he¡¯s already in such a state? Please watch your words, Miss Alicia! Nora and Alicia red at one another, neither willing to back down. Meanwhile, Charlotte silently watched the fiasco with narrowed eyes. Her many years of experience in conducting business negotiations taught her the importance of assessing the situation before making a move. She was aware that the Sorofya House had neither the strength of the church nor the warmth of the Ascart House, but neither of these was important. She didn¡¯t have topete on the same grounds as them. The key here was to throw out an offer that Roel couldn¡¯t resist, and she happened to know one thing that would definitely capture his heart. ¡°10,000 gold coins per day.¡± ¡°!¡± Those calm words instantaneously sparked a response from Roel. He slowly raised his head to look at Charlotte in astonishment. Nora and Alicia also halted their argument and turned their heads over. ¡°Charlotte? T-that... Shameless!¡± ¡°Do you think that money can buy you everything you want? Lord Brother won¡¯t stand for such humiliation!¡± ¡°...¡± I¡¯m d that you think so highly of me, but... I really dock money. Roel looked at the constantly increasing debt on his System and felt endless bitterness in his heart. Meanwhile, Charlotte didn¡¯t seem to feel ashamed by the criticisms of the other twodies. Instead, she walked up to Roel and looked at him with her emerald eyes. ¡°Darling, do you remember the sweet wine we coborated on? I wish to invite you over as our sommelier.¡± ¡°Sommelier?¡± ¡°Yes, I hope that you can taste test our product before it officially goes on the market. I think that it¡¯d be better if you personally take charge of the wine¡¯s quality. Considering your position as a proxy fief lord and the fact that you¡¯ll be working abroad in our Rosa Merchant Confederacy, I think that it¡¯s only right for me to offer you a wage of 10,000 gold coins per day,¡± Charlotte calmly exined with a smile. This pretext was important as it would undermine any ims that Roel had sold himself out for money. Pride and dignity weren¡¯t to be cast away that easily, especially for a noble... though the truth was apparent to those present here. Still, the offer tempted Roel. The debt that was constantly ticking up grated on his nerves, and he wanted nothing more than to rid himself of it as soon as possible. I-I want to reject the offer, I really do. But she¡¯s simply offering too much! It was clear that Roel was moved, and this escted the mes of conflict between the three women. ¡°The two of you are overstepping your boundaries! Look at the condition he¡¯s in, it¡¯s only right for him to return home and recuperate! Lord Brother, you mustn¡¯t listen to them!¡± ¡°How many times do I have to say it in order to get it inside your head? I¡¯m his protector! It¡¯s my duty to ensure his safety! This is myst warning. Don¡¯t force my hand!¡± ¡°How unseemly. Don¡¯t you understand what give and take is? Darling, you should understand who is the one who truly cares for you now. Ah, did I mention that our wages are paid by the day?¡± ¡°Charlotte!¡± The three of them were getting more and more agitated by the moment. But before there was a conclusion to their argument, a dissonant voice suddenly drifted from afar into their ears. ¡°No, he¡¯s mine!¡± ¡°¡°¡°!¡±¡±¡± A ck-haired woman had appeared behind Roel at some point in time, and she tightly wrapped her hands around Roel, as if iming possession of him. Chapter 353: Finally Here

Chapter 353: Finally Here

The atmosphere tensed up on Lilian¡¯s arrival. Nora, Charlotte, and Alicia stopped what they were doing and stared at her in disbelief. This woman is here too? How is this possible? Such a thought crossed their minds. The reason was simple¡ªNora and Charlotte had dispatched their elites to intercept Lilian. Alicia arrived a littleter than them so they weren¡¯t really certain about it, but the chances were likely that she had chosen to do the same too. Doing a quick count, there should have been at least five Origin Level 3 transcendents working in unison to intercept Lilian, but such a formidable force only managed to stall Lilian for this short period of time? Just the thought of how powerful Lilian was left the three of them with deep frowns. They were oblivious to the fact that Lilian was actually a walking fortress that wielded the power to summon armies at her beck and call. The forces they had dispatched to deal with her were all tied down by her armies. Lilian was indubitably a formidable transcendent, but even she didn¡¯t have the power to rival thebined elite forces of the Ascarts, the Sorofyas, and the Genesis Goddess Church. However, it would be a different matter if she only had to stall them. It wasn¡¯t hard to do so when she could conjure soldiers with a wave of her hand. That being said, she was still apprehensive about confronting the three women standing before her. Just Roel¡¯s foster sister was already a handful to deal with. She was capable of exerting prowess on par with Origin Level 3 transcendents despite being at Origin Level 4, and her means were nothing to make light of. There was no doubt that Nora and Charlotte would have trump cards too. Lilian had no idea how great theirbined burst power would be. But above all, she was more worried about Roel¡¯s feelings and the political implications of her actions. Before the mansion, Lilian exchanged gazes with the three women, but before they could say anything, the embraced Roel suddenly looked backward at Lilian and broke the silence. ¡°Senior, there¡¯s something I would like to talk to you about,¡± he said solemnly. Lilian blinked her eyes in surprise. It seemed to be something important judging from Roel¡¯s attitude. She hesitated for a brief moment before releasing him from her embrace. Roel took a step back before turning around to look at her with a solemn look on his face. He revealed the series of decisions he had arrived at earlier on, as well as the potential threats he could face in the future. Lilian listened to him quietly with a mncholic look on her face. She thought that it was good that Roel was working hard not just to blindly acquire power but to create a future of happiness for himself, but to be frank, she didn¡¯t bear any hopes for the n he had in mind. She knew Roel far too well to know how he would react in certain situations. Roel was thinking of building a peaceful and cozy family for himself, but how peaceful and cozy could a family be when the world was plunged into chaos? Just because he chose to turn his back on the problems of the world didn¡¯t mean that the problems of the world would turn their backs on him. The Ascart House had produced generations of heroes, but the so-called heroic deeds were only possible because the world was in a mess. It was not that they wanted to be heroes, but that they had no choice but to step up under the pressures of the world. Roel could empathize with the weak, and that was why he couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye when malevolent forces sought to trample all over them. It was not his Ascart Bloodline that was the most unstable factor here; it was his righteous personality. When human civilization was on the verge of copse, he would surely step forward and protect it. Ultimately, he was still an Ascart through and through. It was one thing if Roel was living in a peaceful era, but with the invasion of the deviants, that seemed unlikely to be the case. ¡°Senior, I¡¯ve carefully contemted the matter, and I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s appropriate for us to get into that kind of rtionship just because of our ancestors¡¯ words,¡± said Roel. There was hardly any change in Lilian¡¯s expression when she heard those words, but deep down, she felt her heart sinking into the abyss. She knew that her attempt to win Roel over had failed. It was through employing a tactic simr to that of Nora¡¯s that she was able to make great progress in her rtionship with Roel within such a short period of time. She befuddled Roel¡¯s feelings by making him mistake the feelings of camaraderie they shared as love, and the effects of the bloodline resonance as physical manifestations of their feelings. She highlighted the mission that their ancestors had entrusted to them so as to justify their rtionship, as if their union was the decree of fate. She was hoping to quickly take Roel down and make him hers through this ploy. Due to Roel¡¯s lowered mental capacity and resilience arising from his abnormal state, she managed to make huge breakthroughs. Within half a month, she was able to ustom Roel to physical intimacy with her. She even nearly baited out a confession from him! Unfortunately, her tactic came with a fatal w. Should the target be given enough time topose himself and think things through, he would realize how illogical the situation was, thus breaking the illusion. Roel¡¯s words were more than enough to tell Lilian that the spell had already been broken. At this point, she could only do everything she could to retain Roel. Only when she sessfully kept him by her side could she find new opportunities to strike and break into his heart. So, Lilian stepped forward to wrap Roel in her arms once more, but before her hands could reach him, a flood of Golden Soul suddenly surged forth to create a wall between the two of them. Her face immediately darkened. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I should be asking you that, Miss Lilian.¡± Just thinking about how she had been cuckolded over thest few days made Charlotte¡¯s blood boil with anger. With the Golden Soul wrapped around her body, she stepped forward and eyed Lilian coldly. ¡°You seem to have developed quite a few interests over thest few days, Miss Lilian.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have believed it if I hadn¡¯t seen it with my own eyes. An imperial princess of the Austine Empire actually kidnapped my fianc¨¦ and, for whatever reason, chose to pretend y as his maid. Did you feel good flirting with my fianc¨¦ in the neighboring room?¡± Charlotte spat with clenched jaws. ¡°...¡± Lilian¡¯s expression stiffened up whereas Roel blinked his eyes in bewilderment. The next one to step forward was Nora. She had a smile reminiscent of a benevolent angel, and her tone sounded warm and peaceful too. Yet, her words told a vastly different story. ¡°Miss Lilian, we¡¯re aware that you share the same bloodline as Roel. On behalf of Roel, I¡¯d like to thank you for the protection you have offered him while he was suffering from his side effects. I¡¯ll take over from now on, so you need not worry about this anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll take over?¡± ¡°Indeed. You have done well guarding my protectee before my arrival, and this is more than enough. I¡¯ll personally escort him back to the Theocracy, so you need not bother with this anymore. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for us to trouble someone whom we have barely met.¡± ¡°Nora?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was rmed to hear Nora¡¯s words, and Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes narrowed sharply. In response to her emotions, the surrounding atmosphere became so heavy that someone could have very well injected lead into the air. There wasn¡¯t anything off with Nora¡¯s words at first nce, but the subtle cues she was clearly drawing a line between Lilian and them. ¡°Nora Xeclyde, I advise you not to provoke me. Roel and I are connected by an intimate bloodline bond, and our feelings for each other blossomed in the midst of danger. There¡¯s no deeper bond than the one we share. There¡¯s no room for betrayal or hypocrisy between us, and that far surpasses what you could ever have. I don¡¯t expect you to understand the bond we share, but I won¡¯t allow anyone to insult it,¡± uttered Lilian coldly. She shot a nce at Alicia right after, and as expected, it provoked the ire of thetter. ¡°There¡¯s no deeper bond than the one you share? Hahaha! If you truly believe that, why are you in such a rush? Shouldn¡¯t you take your time advancing your rtionship instead? You have only known each other for two months, and you have already gone so far as to kidnap Lord Brother and dere that you would bear his child. Are you an animal in heat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our responsibility and mission. Forget it, I don¡¯t think that you¡¯ll ever understand our rtionship, foster sister Alicia.¡± ¡°Old woman, what did you say?!¡± The scent of gunpowder between Alicia and Lilian was choking. Roel felt utterly exasperated, not knowing what he could do to defuse the situation. ¡°Lilian Ackermann, to think that you¡¯re really lusting after my fianc¨¦! Unbelievable! Don¡¯t even dream of it!¡± ¡°Miss Lilian, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. We don¡¯t trust you or the Austine Empire behind you. We¡¯ll take care of Roel¡¯s safety on our own. You are free to do whatever you want; just don¡¯te close to Roel ever again.¡± Lilian red at Nora and Charlotte with wintry eyes. While Nora and the others didn¡¯t trust Lilian, it was the same vice versa too. ¡°I can¡¯t entrust Roel to people who are susceptible to be influenced by their family members. Leave him behind, and the rest of you can leave!¡± ¡°What if we refuse?¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Through the veil of the Golden Soul, Lilian stood off against Nora, Charlotte, and Alicia. Deathly silence settled amongst them as the concentration of mana in the vicinity started to rise. Roel knew right away that things were going to blow up, literally. Yet, he was unable to do anything in his current state, and it left him greatly frustrated. In this desperate moment, he suddenly felt a mild mana reactioning from his front pocket. Surprised, he quickly took a look at the System. ¡¾Blessed Wheat Remaining Uses: 2¡¿ The next moment, multiple silhouettes appeared in the shadows. The Saints Convocation had finally arrived. Chapter 354: It’s a Masquerade!

Chapter 354: It¡¯s a Masquerade!

In an atmosphere so heavy that it could freeze one¡¯s blood, many figures suddenly strode out of the shadows. They wore saintly white robes that looked immacte under the moonlight, and their haughtiness was fully expressed through their postures. At this critical moment, they made an appearance. The Saints Convocation. Roel was bbergasted by the sudden entrance of these evil cultists. The four women who were ready to unleash horrors upon one another also stopped what they were doing and looked over. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, Executive Francis stepped out from the group of white-robed disciples with his head held high and his chest puffed out. He first shot a sweeping look at the crowd before nodding matter-of-factly. He made no attempt to conceal the scorn in his eyes, as if he was looking at a bunch of ignorant bumpkins. Lostmbs who fail to see the Mother Goddess¡¯ greatness, confused they must be. Francis thought that their abrupt assault was beautiful and graceful, reminiscent of an artwork. He had chosen to strike on the day of the Blessing Festival so as to catch the enemy off-guard, and it looked like he had seeded. He had carefully assessed the situation before joining the fray. For some reason, Aurora Capital Ols was oddly chaotic today. There were several battles going on not too far away, and judging from the natures of their mana, it seemed to be a sh between the church and heretics. However, there were also traces of the Sorofya¡¯s Gemstone Magic and Austine soldiers mixed amongst them too. He had no idea what was going on, but he knew right away that the ideal opportunity had fallen into hisp. A sh between religions and soldiers of hostile countries¡ªthis was an irreconcble conflict. Once the battle had started, it wouldn¡¯t stop until one side waspletely eradicated. There was no better news to Francis than this. Opportunities always knock from the most mysterious of ces. He had to concede that the sphemous sinner was truly a sly one. Thetter had used some kind of means that blocked off divination spells, making it extremely hard to track him down. However, his actions also made it equally difficult for his allies to find him, resulting in him being more vulnerable than ever. There were many powers in the Sia Continent who would go to great lengths to protect an awakener of the Ascart Bloodline, but their intent mattered not when they couldn¡¯t even find him. Only the Saints Convocation¡¯s Holy Envoy possessed the means to track down the sphemous sinner. The current situation proved his point. An Origin Level 3 and three Origin Level 4s; this was honestly a pathetic forceing from a prime target that the Saints Convocation was determined to eradicate. Looks, he¡¯s even trembling out of fear. Looking at the trembling ck-haired boy in front of him, Francis felt that victory was in his grasp and smiled gleefully. Oblivious to him, Roel was actually trembling out of relief from their appearance. What a cute bunch of people! It was not that he bore goodwill toward the evil cultists. It was just that he would rather face an army of evil cultists than to watch Nora and the others attempt to rip out one another¡¯s guts. As a result, this intervention from the evil cultists was ironically weed by him. He nced at Nora and the others and saw that they had already put their guards up. ¡°These people are...¡± ¡°These clothes... They are the evil cultists from the Saints Convocation!¡± ¡°They¡¯re here to kill Roel!¡± Charlotte and Lilian, who had encountered the Saints Convocation in their respective Witness States, were able to figure out the identity of these intruders right away. With the revtion of their identity, the eyes of all four women immediately turned wintry. Charlotte thought about the plight that had befallen Winstor and Isabe due to the Saints Convocation¡¯s actions, and it sparked a raging inferno in her emerald eyes. Lilian recalled the prowess that the Saints Convocation disyed several centuries ago, and her expression turned grim. The moment Alicia heard that they were here to kill Roel, killing intent had already started leaking out of her. As for Nora... Nora didn¡¯t show much of a reaction. As someone who hade from the church, there was only one possible response for her to the current situation¡ªughter all of the evil cultists. All kinds of conflicts had broken out amongst these four women ever since they met one another, but as soon as an enemy who threatened Roel¡¯s life appeared, they immediately put aside their differences and stood on the same front. This sight left Roel feeling deeply moved. Meanwhile, Lilian looked at the enemies in front of her, and her lips suddenly curled into a smile. ¡°It looks like we have some uninvited guests, but this doesn¡¯t seem bad at all. Isn¡¯t this a good opportunity for us to show what we¡¯re worth?¡± she dered grandly. Following that, she turned to the dazed Roel and spoke gently. ¡°Roel. Unlike those who are all talk and no action, I¡¯ll show you with my actions why I¡¯m the most reliable one in times of danger!¡± ¡°Miss Lilian, please watch your mouth. It has always been the duty of the Xeclydes to protect Roel; it has been that way in the past, and it¡¯ll continue to be so in the future!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re stretching your hands too far, Your Highness Nora? Lord Brother already has a family. Outsiders should stop interfering in the internal affairs of our Ascart House! How many times do I have to say that?¡± ¡°Darling, you need not be afraid. Things have be much simpler now. We¡¯ll determine the winner through our contribution to this battle!¡± Charlotte¡¯s Golden Soul had already begun quivering in excitement in resonance with her emotions as she announced the newpetition rules to fit the change in the situation. Looking at the peculiar reactions of these women, Francis and the other disciples of the Saints Convocation felt that something was really off here. Why do these women not fear us? One must know that evil cultists were feared throughout the Sia Continent! They never thought that a day woulde where someone would look at them as if they were cattle. Perplexed, Francis assessed his opponents once more, but no matter how he looked at it, the women standing before him shouldn¡¯t pose any threat at all. The assassination of Roel Ascart was an order from the Executive Council, and the one tasked to execute the order was Francis, an Origin Level 2 transcendent. He chose to bring his aide, who was at Origin Level 2 as well, just to be safe. Other than that, there were three Origin Level 3 transcendents and roughly sixty elite transcendents in their team. This line-up was indubitably an overkill against the powerless Roel, to the point that it felt like a waste of manpower. Francis couldn¡¯t fathom a single scenario where Roel sessfully escaped from their grasp, but the next moment, the impossible happened. Three res were shot into the sky, and the distantmotion suddenly fell silent. There was a brief pause before loud rumbling started echoing all around. The armies that had been fighting one another just a moment ago had begun charging in their direction. The ones leading at the forefront were the cavalrymen of the Austine Empire, followed by their mortal enemy, the Rosaians. The clergymen of the church stood on the left of the formation whereas the heretics stood on the right. Such was the unbelievable sight that everyone was witnessing beneath the aurora. It was apletely nonsensical formation filled with various parties that were antagonistic toward one another, and yet, here they were joining hands with one another. Francis was utterly dumbfounded by what he was seeing. This formationpletely defied hismon sense. However, he soon came to a realization, and he howled indignantly. ¡°Goddamnit, they were masquerading themselves to make us lower our guard. We¡¯ve fallen for their trap!¡± With roars of war cries, the two sides finally started shing with one another, thus officiallymencing the battle. Chapter 355: Who Are the Real Evil Cultists Here?

Chapter 355: Who Are the Real Evil Cultists Here?

Watching as the cavalrymen of the Austine Empire charged toward them under the veil of the night, Executive Francis finally stumbled upon the ¡®truth¡¯. It had be clear to him that this was a trapid by the enemy. All of the earlier fighting amongst the various parties was just an borate bait to lure them out! The Saints Convocation¡¯s Executive Council knew that Roel Ascart was likely to be in a severely weakened state, so they predicted that he would lie low and avoid trouble until his recovery. To avoid news from leaking out, he would terminatemunication with most of his allies and keep the guards around him to a minimum. However, it would appear that their prediction was off the mark. They were right to deduce that Roel Ascart was in a weakened state, but he didn¡¯t terminatemunication with his allies. Instead, he chose to pull strings from the shadows. He must have guessed that the Saints Convocation woulde after him, so he chose to set up a trap here to capture them. So the fights we have seen earlier between the church and the heretics, as well as the Austine Empire and Rosa, were all just damned lies to bait us! That sphemous sinner even put on a harmless appearance and acted as if he was all innocent! Staring at the boy standing innocently alongside four female guards, Francis suddenly felt goosebumps on his arms. Good lord, how in the world is he able to hide his true intention so deeply? Just how scheming and vicious must a person be to pull off something like this? I have really underestimated him! Francis quickly reassessed their situation, and he soon concluded that it was no longer possible to escape without suffering catastrophic losses. A battle was inevitable. So, without any hesitation, he charged straight for Roel. He thought that he should be able to curb the others as long as he held their leader hostage. Things didn¡¯t go as he had expected. He soon realized that he had underestimated the prowess of the four female guards too. In the night sky, little birds manifested from mana and life force had descended from the moon and were starting to cluster in the vicinity. With each wave of Alicia¡¯s hand, a bird would transform into a devastating spell and bombard the evil cultists. The sheer killing intent she emanated made her feel like the devil herself, striking fear in the hearts of her enemies. As Carter¡¯s prot¨¦g¨¦, Alicia had been inculcated with the decisiveness of military magicians from a young age. It was one thing if she chose not to make a move, but once she decided to strike, she would go all out to devastate her enemies, not giving her enemies any space to catch their breath at all. What made this even more frightening was her bloodline that allowed her to withstand the side effects of most spells. This meant that she could afford to unleash her strongest spells right from the get-go without worrying about wearing herself down, thus bringing the concept of a burst magician to its very limit. She was like a tsunami that swept her enemies away with its torrents, leaving them helplessly gasping for air until the inevitable. ¡°Stay away from my Lord Brother!¡± The next moment, Francis was horrified to find that he had over a dozen of Origin Level 3 spells locked on him. It would be hard for him to tank all of these attacks despite being an Origin Level 2 transcendent himself, so after quickly weighing his options, he decided to back off. Little did he know that his choice to retreat here had robbed him of his best chance at getting rid of Roel. While Alicia was forcing Francis back, Nora had finally finished her preparations. Light wings unfurled from her back as she took out a container holding a mysterious crystal teardrop with multiple seals on it. She ced her hand on the container, and countless rays of brilliant light began wrapping around her body, seeping through her skin. By the time she opened her eyes once more, a tint of golden could be seen in the middle of her sapphire irises. Her body began emanating a faint glow as her aura rose to an unprecedented level. Judging from her mana pulsation, she had managed to ovee her limits to reach Origin Level 3, albeit temporarily. With her enhanced might, she began leading the clergymen of the church on a charge against Francis and the other disciples of the Saints Convocation. ¡°Darling,e to my side!¡± Meanwhile, Charlotte gestured for Roel to head over to her side while channeling her mana into the Golden Soul. The Golden Soul began to expand immensely as it shaped itself into a resilient dome around Roel, protecting every single inch of his body. No attack could hope to injure him without breaching the tight defense of the Golden Soul. The quantity of Golden Soul that Charlotte utilized here was already abnormal, but it seemed like there was something unusual about its quality too. The Golden Soul appeared to have lost a bit of its color and opacity, looking less viscous than usual. Yet, even with Roel¡¯s current weakened mana sensitivity, he could still sense the overwhelming mana it harnessed. It was only at this instant that Roel finally understood why Nora and Charlotte dared to confront Lilian. It was true that Lilian was powerful, but that was precisely the reason why Nora and Charlotte made thorough preparations to deal with her. Who could have thought that the means they had prepared would end up being used on the Saints Convocation instead? However, it was worth noting that Lilian showed nary a reaction to the extraordinary prowess disyed by her rivals, or rather, she knew better than to get swept into their tempo. There was no need for her to worry in the first ce, for she was a real Origin Level 3 transcendent. What the others were doing only barely allowed them to match her level. Not to mention, her true strengthy not in her Origin Level. Under the ring of war horns, a toon of light-armored soldiers emerged from Lilian¡¯s glowing mana. As soon as they materialized, they charged at the evil cultists who had already been forcefully separated under Alicia¡¯s destructive bombardment. Unlike typical military toons, these light-armored soldiers disyed exceptional flexibility and maneuverability on the battlefield. They brandished a myriad of different weapons, ranging from poisoned flying darts to venomous spears. Their diverse choices of weapons made it hard for them to maintain battle formations typical of well-trained toons, but there was no need for that. The result spoke for itself. A dead evil cultist was a good evil cultist. Was it really that important how they died? Lilian hadn¡¯t forgotten the purpose of this battle. In truth, the fate of the evil cultists was already decided from the moment that all four of them had chosen to fight alongside one another. However, her goal here wasn¡¯t just to eliminate the evil cultists but to take Roel away with her. For that purpose, she chose the more underhanded Nighthawk Company instead of the orderly Lionheart Division. The Nighthawk Company had little scruples when it came to dealing with its enemies, so it was definitely much more efficient in eliminating its enemies. Seeing how Lilian had thrown out her ace to kill steal, the other women narrowed their eyes sharply. ¡°This despicable woman!¡± Nora clenched her fists tightly. She charged with even greater fervor, determined to be the one to take down the most enemies. Alicia¡¯s bombardment also grew in intensity. At the backline, Charlotte continued standing beside Roel, seemingly not doing anything at all. However, those who were familiar with the Golden Soul would know that it was currently undergoing transmutation. The fluid Golden Soul grew more and more vigorous before finally transforming into an inconspicuous golden wind that blew toward the disciples of the Saints Convocation. The disciples who were panting from their exertion breathed in the golden wind, inhaling it into their bodies. Just like that, their bodies slowly umted the gaseous Golden Soul. When it finally reached a sufficient concentration, it automatically invoked a spell that crushed their hearts. ¡°!¡± It was a silent yet frighteningly deadly maneuver. Some of the weaker disciples lost their lives within moments. Francis was appalled by the viciousness of the move. A shameless trap, vicious weapons, and a scheming curse. Aren¡¯t you all the evil cultists here?! ¡°Goddamnit, I¡¯ll bring you all down with me!¡± The infuriated executive released a powerful outburst of mana, further intensifying the battle. Meanwhile, a fair distance away, two figures hid inside a building as they watched themotion. Chapter 356: The Military Prowess of the Ascart Fiefdom

Chapter 356: The Military Prowess of the Ascart Fiefdom

It wasn¡¯t easy to urately determine a person¡¯s battle contribution, especially when there were several partiespeting for kills. When multiple individuals hurled spells toward a single evil cultist, they could indeed obliterate him easily. But how were they going to split the contribution? To simplify matters, the typical way to determine the greatest contributor in a battle was not through the number of kills but by the one who took down the enemy general. And that was why Francis felt goosebumps all over his body. He had no idea what was going on with those women, but he knew for certain that their eyes were on him. He knew that he would have to fight back with everything he had if he wished to escape with his life. Loud cracking sounds began echoing from his bones. At this critical moment, Francis decided to fracture 30% of his bones as a tribute for borrowing his god¡¯s power. His physical condition deteriorated as a result of the ritual, but the smirk on his face showed his confidence that everything was in his grasp. The highest divinity of the Saints Convocation was the Mother Goddess, whose strength far surpassed that of ordinary gods. However, the hibernating Mother Goddess wouldn¡¯t answer a call for help even if the other party was an executive. The lofty and invible Mother Goddess had never answered any prayers. Even catching the Mother Goddess¡¯ eye was considered the greatest honor any disciple could ever hope for. For the past few centuries, the disciples had only seen the tip of the iceberg of the Mother Goddess¡¯ glorious power. It went without saying that the executives of the Saints Convocation were painfully aware of this issue, and it was a sore spot for them. They were at a disadvantageous position against other powers without their god¡¯s support as this could easily cause a gap in terms of top-tier power. Other than the Mother Goddess, the Saints Convocation had God¡¯s Envoys too, and some of them possessed a decent level of intelligence. The only problem was that these God¡¯s Envoys were in a habit of indiscriminately killing anyone who dared to appear in front of them, so it was impossible to garner their help. This woe had burdened the Saints Convocation for many years, and it was only when the subordinate gods who had served the Mother Goddess back in the ancient era finally awakened that things started to change. Francis was one of the few executives who couldmunicate with a subordinate god of the Mother Goddess and harness a portion of thetter¡¯s power. Amidst the loud cracking sounds, ck miasma started to gush out from the fractured parts of Francis¡¯ bones. It rushed at the crowd charging at him like a deathly fog filled with specters. Lilian¡¯s soldiers were the first ones to be swallowed by the ck miasma. It didn¡¯t take long for them to copse to the floor under its effects, but what was even more horrifying was how their corpses swiftly withered afterward. To make things worse, the ck miasma puffed out even more after receiving the nourishment of blood and flesh. This terrifying sight caused everyone charging at Francis to freeze in ce. Even Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed in astonishment as well. Francis was still suffering from agonizing pain from the earlier fractures, but he squeezed out a mocking smile on his face. ¡°This is the God of Plunder Fratier¡¯s Miasma of Specters. Only the power of another god can hope to withstand its splendor. Ignorant sphemers of the Mother Goddess, have your flesh and blood stripped away from you as you wither in repentance!¡± dered Francis grandly. Despite his grand speech, his body was shuddering from pain. The fractures left him with no choice but to hunch his body forward in order to remain standing. The apertures created from the ck miasma gushing out also made his voice sound like a bellow used in old kitchens. His words were intended to be despairing, but it only left a bizarre look on Roel¡¯s face. Only the power of another god can hope to withstand it? Ah, it isn¡¯t a problem then. Roel¡¯s expression visibly rxed, and Francis soon understood the reason for it. The ck miasma continued to encroach on Roel and the others, but a towering wall made out of metal shields suddenly appeared in its path, keeping it at bay. At the forefront of this shield formation was a tall woman who gave off an aura of heavy firmness. The tide of battle had started to turn. There was no doubt that the power of the gods was a rare thing. Even in the massive Genesis Goddess Church, only the Xeclydes and a few other special bloodlines were able to tap into the power of the gods. It was almost impossible to curb Francis¡¯ long-range and omnidirectional miasma, and the evidencey in how it had never failed him before. He did notice that one of the women possessed the Angel Bloodline, but the huge difference in their Origin Levels made her not much of a threat. So, he paid her no heed and focused his attention on the others instead. Unfortunately, of all people, he chose to mess with the Ascart Fiefdom. The Strength Sect and Unyielding Sect had chosen to join the Ascart Fiefdom under the guidance of their respective gods. In order to ensure that they were sufficientlypetent to protect Roel, the two ancient gods had bestowed upon them blessings. Cynthia was a rare Origin Level 3 expert in the Unyielding Cult, and her prowess had advanced by leaps and bounds over the past year thanks to Peytra¡¯s blessing. Her heavy shield was cloaked in a pale yellow light that petrified any ck specters that dared to approach, inducing anguished cries from them as they shattered into rock fragments. Behind her, Rodney also began his assault. Crimson mana encased his body as his muscles started to bulge to an extreme degree. He rushed forward fearlessly and smashed his fists into the ck specters, crushing them to bits. He showed that even the most primitive form of violence was terrifying if developed to an extreme degree. Unlike the other two closebat fighters, Wood¡¯s fighting style was much more elegant as a spellcaster. As an honorable elder in the presence of his juniors, he resisted the urge to smash his staff into the enemy and instead began chanting. It wasn¡¯t particrly smooth as it had been years since hest chanted any spell, but he was still able to summon a humongous skeleton arm. What happened afterward could only be described as whack-a-mole, just a tad bit gorier. Every time the humongous skeleton arm smashed down, a cluster of ck specters would disintegrate into dust. Even the ground began trembling under his excessive show of force, almost as if they were in a construction site. The interference of the trio who had received blessings from their respective gods undid the Miasma of Specters that Francis had summoned with great difficulty, forcing the specters to flee in a fluster. This was a feat so incredible that it astonished the others. When did the Ascart Fiefdom be this powerful?! A glint shed across Grace¡¯s eyes as she made up her mind to report this matter to the Sorofyas. It was time for them to make a re-evaluation of the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s military prowess. Bishop Philip of the Genesis Goddess Church was astonished by the sheer force, but as an honest man through and through, he didn¡¯t think too much into it. He swiftly snapped out of his daze and rushed toward the other Origin Level 2 enemy with his staff. Overall, those from the Genesis Goddess Church and Rosa were astonished by the prowess of the heretical army, but it was still eptable to them. They were allies with the Ascart Fiefdom, so the growth in its military prowess wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. Lilian, on the other hand, fell into deep thoughts. Wait a moment, this feeling... Roel¡¯s ancient gods? They can be used in such a manner too? If he could bestow this blessing on arge scale, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the heretical soldiers under hismand be a terrifying force... Meanwhile, Francis had bepletely dumbfounded. What the hell are those three? I¡¯ve already unleashed my ultimate move, but why am I still the one losing here?! Knowing that he couldn¡¯t let himself fall in defeat just like that, he quickly re-exerted his control on the remaining specters, trying to fend off the enemies as long as he could. Last but not least, Alicia was delighted by the turn of events. Needless to say, the merits of those from the Ascart Fiefdom would be attributed to her. ¡°Well done, Cynthia! Lord Brother shall be mine!¡± ¡°¡°¡°!¡±¡±¡± Alicia¡¯s shout snapped the other three women out of their amazement, prompting them to quickly continue clearing the enemies. Francis, as the enemymander, received extra care as the three Origin Level 3 heretics of the Ascart Fiefdom focused specifically on him. The other disciples of the Saints Convocation wanted to aid him, but they were already in a dire position themselves. Even Francis¡¯ Origin Level 2 aide was getting overwhelmed by the veteran Bishop Philip. This is bad. We¡¯re going to lose at this rate!, thought Charlotte with a deep frown. Due to the independence war a century ago, the Rosaian soldiers mainly specialized in defensive maneuvers, such as fortress warfare and long-ranged attacks. Inparison, they were much lesspetent in frontal assaults, resulting in their inability to kill steal. What should I do? At this rate... Watching as the gap in contribution grewrger, Charlotte clenched her fists tightly as she racked her mind to figure out a solution to rake in more contributions. It was then that a familiar cry echoed in her ears. ¡°What in the name of Sia! My home!!!¡± The Eirbower Duke had finally returned to his mansion, only to realize that his own home had turned into a massive construction site¡ªor perhaps calling it a demolition site might be more urate¡ªand he howled in agony. He clutched his heart so tightly that it looked almost as if he was suffering from a stroke. His heart was surprisingly fragile for a man with a bear-like physique. Fortunately, before he could suffer a heart attack, he heard a haughty voice not too far away. ¡°Do you need money?¡± ¡°What?¡± The Eirbower Duke turned his head over, only to see Charlotte Sorofya walking up to him. She pointed her finger at the disciples of the Saints Convocation and made an irresistible offer. ¡°100,000 gold coins. Kill them!¡± Chapter 357: No Delivery Charge? I’m In!

Chapter 357: No Delivery Charge? I¡¯m In!

Slumped on the floor, the despondent Eirbower Duke raised his head and looked at Charlotte. It might have been a mirage, but he thought that he saw a divine golden radianceing from her, almost as if she was a goddess¡ªthe Goddess of Fortune. The good thing about civilizations was that most problems could be easily resolved by an exchange of resources. As the frequency of resource exchange went up, humans actualized the concept of money in order to better facilitate such exchanges. No one could deny the extrinsic value of money. It is often said that there is no problem in the world that can¡¯t be solved with money; if not, it could only mean that the offered money isn¡¯t enough. The Sorofyas had a slightly different interpretation of that saying. Anything that can be solved with money isn¡¯t a problem. ¡°H-how much again?¡± The Eirbower Duke stared at the glowing Goddess of Fortune before him with eyes widened in incredulity, unable to believe what he had just heard. So, Charlotte calmly repeated the figure once more with a smile. ¡°100,000.¡± ¡°!¡± Those light words vanquished the indignation on the Eirbower Duke¡¯s face, recing it with an imposing disposition fitting for the ruler of the northernnds. His mana started to surge as he rose to his feet, fully showcasing his towering bear-like stature. It felt like the sky had risen by three inches the moment the silent Eirbower Duke stood up. He had been so humble and money-minded in front of Charlotte and the others that even Roel forgot what kind of person he was till this moment. Orsted Eirbower, Origin Level 2. Guardian of the Northern Lands. This honest-looking man had once made a resounding name for himself in the Austine Empire before he returned home to inherit the title of the Eirbower Duke. Ironically, it was the decades serving as the Eirbower Duke that slowly caused the man who was once nicknamed ¡®Incendiary Bear¡¯ to slowly lose his temper. Even the toughest man would have to bow down in the face of poverty. Despite Orsted Eirbower¡¯s miserly attitude, the huge sum of money he earned from the Blessing Festival every year would go to purchasing resources so that his people could safely tide through winter. Without this ie, there was no way the freezing northernnds could possibly sustain so many people. It was no exaggeration to say that the prosperity of the Eirbower Dukedom was closely rted to the ¡®miserly¡¯ and ¡®greedy¡¯ attitude of the preceding Eirbower Dukes. Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel a little moved thinking about it. Meanwhile, Orsted Eirbower took out a mysterious-looking whistle from his suit. ¡°Can I get it in terms of resources?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll bear the cost of delivery.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± Preeee! Orsted blew his whistle the moment they came to a deal, producing a clear and surprisingly euphonious whistle sound. Within ten seconds, a humongous bear around the size of a truck barged through the buildings and arrived on the scene, bringing a furious gale with it. A massive pair of meteor hammers also appeared in Orsted¡¯s hand at some point in time. Huh, where did you pull those meteor hammers out from? Were you hiding them in your pants? Roel was dumbfounded by the magic trick performance. It turned out that the humongous bear was just the first of the many to arrive. Following right behind it were many other warriors mounted on the bear, rushing over at breakneck speed. ¡°Mercenaries of the northernnd, destroy all of them!¡± With a furious roar, the Eirbower Duke mounted onto the humongous bear and led the charge onto the battlefield. He threw his meteor hammers outward with frightening force and speed, crushing the head of an Origin Level 3 disciple right from the get-go. The Saints Convocation was horrified by thepletely unexpected intervention of the Eirbower Duke, and it plunged them deeper into despair. ¡°Charlotte, that¡¯s against the rules!¡± Nora voiced her vehement objection against Charlotte¡¯s act of finding a helper on the spot. However, Charlotte paid it no heed. She continued firing her Jewel Trigger from the backline, remaining dignified and graceful. ¡°I¡¯m just offering some help to the residents suffering in the barren north. You can also hire them if you want to. You just have to offer a higher price than mine.¡± ¡°You!¡± Nora was choked up by Charlotte¡¯s words. Meanwhile, Francis was swiftly approaching his limits under thebined assault of Cynthia, Rodney, and Wood. The blessing of Grandar and Peytra had greatly reduced the side effects of their transcendent abilities while further enhancing the advantages of their Origin Attribute. Despite being only at Origin Level 3, theirbat prowess was already on par with the weaker Origin Level 2s. This was the advantage of the ancient gods¡¯ blessings. Francis was already crippled after having fractured 30% of his bones to cast the Miasma of Specters, making it harder and harder for him to cope against the coordinated aggression of the trio. On top of that, Alicia was also keeping an eye on him from the sky, throwing a spell over whenever he showed an opening. In one of their shes, he even got half of his shoulders shaved off. By this point, he had no choice but to admit that his defeat was already sealed. He swept a nce at his either dead or mortally injured subordinates on the battlefield, and he suddenly felt anger burning inside of him. It was not his approaching death that angered him; he had no qualms dying for his noble faith. What angered him was his inability to kill that demon¡¯s spawn andplete his mission. Roel Ascart, you despicable, conniving scum! You act all innocent like a child, but your heart is filled with nothing but schemes. I have to at least get back at him for this ambush! ¡°Please watch me, Mother Goddess!¡± Having made up his mind, Francis let out a deafening roar. Thinking that he was going to unleash a powerful spell, Cynthia and the others upped their aggression, seeking to heap more pressure on him so as to curb his counterattack. However, Roel¡¯s face paled the moment he heard those words. As someone who was once an honorary guest of the Saints Convocation¡¯s Leinster Branch, he knew what Francis was up to right away. ¡°Shit! Get away from him! He¡¯s going to blow himself up!¡± shouted Roel anxiously. Cynthia and the others widened their eyes in horror, and they immediately backed off to where Alicia was. This created some empty space for Francis to catch a breather, though he was already in no condition to make aeback anymore. Francis looked at the guarded enemy formation in front of him and the ck-haired boy far away in the backlines, and he snorted in disdain. He had barely any mana left in him, but there was still onest spell in his arsenal. If he were to tribute all of his bones and convert them into deathly miasma, he might still be able toplete his mission. The only problem was that the prowess of this mindless self-explosion wouldn¡¯t be ideal, such that he wasn¡¯t confident of bringing down most of the transcendents present on the scene... ... but it was definitely enough to get rid of a child who barely had any transcendent powers left in him. The golden fluid magic tool protecting him is indeed formidable, but it doesn¡¯t harness the blessing of a god. In other words, it¡¯s unable to stop my miasma from prating it. If so, the only oue for that demon¡¯s spawn is death! ¡°Go to hell, Roel Ascart!¡± With a roar filled with hatred, Francis leaped into the sky, and thick ck miasma began billowing out of him. Crk crk crk, the sounds of his fracturing bones echoed nonstop. Under the gaze of the few surviving disciples of the Saints Convocation, Francis used the final sliver of his consciousness to explode his body. Boom! A violent explosion urred, spreading the terrifying miasma that plundered flesh and blood across the entire mansion in a heartbeat. Chapter 358: An Unexpected Meeting

Chapter 358: An Unexpected Meeting

The moment Francis rose into the sky and unleashed his final attack to im Roel¡¯s life, Charlotte felt her heart pounding in unease. She instinctively knew something bad was going to happen. The Sorofyas were a n whose greatest strengthy in their ability to observe fate, and Charlotte was a prodigy amongst them. As the inheritor of the Arbiter of Fate Bloodline, she would receive warnings whenever danger was about to strike. Charlotte felt her bloodline rattling violently the moment Francis set his eyes on Roel. The guidance of fate warned her of what was about to happen. ¡°Go to hell, Roel Ascart!¡± With a vengeful howl, Francis released his miasma and his body exploded right after. Familiar with how curse-rted magic worked, Charlotte was able to figure out Francis¡¯ thoughts right away. ¡°Darling!¡± she screamed. She quickly contracted the dome of the Golden Soul around Roel before ricocheting him away. The abrupt eleration caused Roel to sink into the cushioned walls of the Golden Soul. Just like that, a chase between the golden sphere and the ck miasma unfolded. Charlotte¡¯s Golden Soul was still able to move extremely fast at the start under the infusion of her mana, but she couldn¡¯t continue supplying mana to it once it was beyond a certain range. It slowly dropped to the ground and started bouncing around. Its speed also slowed under the forces of friction and air resistance. Unlike the almost weightless ck miasma, the Golden Soul was heavy and bulky. The result of the chase was already decided right from the start. In a matter of seconds, the ck miasma had already caught up to Roel. But before it could really envelop him to deal the finishing blow, a mysterious mana pulsation suddenly rippled from Roel¡¯s clothes. ¡¾Blessed Wheat Remaining Uses: 1¡¿ ¡°This...¡± Roel was taken aback by the abrupt System notification. The next instant, he suddenly underwent intense turbulence that caused him to bump all around the sphere of Golden Soul he was in. It was such a disorientating experience that he suddenly wondered if the spirits for the Saint Freya Academy¡¯s entrance ceremony felt the same way being carried around too. Even during the intense bumping, he tried his best to look around and make sense of what was going on. He was being ricocheted from building to building, and the moment before he was swallowed by the ck miasma, he suddenly crashed through a window to enter a room. Bam! The sphere of Golden Soul mmed into the room¡¯s wall before finally stalling to a halt, having run out of kic energy. A few secondster, the sphere started melting into its fluid form, freeing Roel from within. Roel subconsciously raised his arms in front of him to defend against Francis¡¯ final attack, but to his surprise, the frightening miasma didn¡¯t follow him into the room. It had been blocked off by a magic barrier cast over the window. Weng! With a loud buzz, the magic barrier easily deflected the ck miasma, which had lost considerable momentum after traveling several kilometers. Roel stared nkly at the shattered window in front of him as he tried his best to understand what was going on. There¡¯s a barrier here, not to mention, this barrier actually has the power to deflect divine-type attacks! I actually survived just like that? Roel felt deeply moved. He turned to the System with eyes glistening with tears. System, it looks like I¡¯ve misunderstood you! The Blessed Wheat was truly a godsend! Roel murmured his apologies to the System as he vowed to purchase it once more should he ever see it in the Affection Points Exchange Shop again, even if it was undiscounted. Having finally made it through the crisis, he slowly regained hisposure. ¡°But this ce...¡± Roel scanned his surroundings in hopes of figuring out where he was, only to find himself faced with a pair of pink eyes right away. He widened his eyes in astonishment. Someone else is here! Roel quickly rose to his feet before taking another careful look. He was currently in an exquisitely decorated room. There was a tea table not too far away, where a pink-haireddy sat with a teapot in her hand. Her elegant dress-up and graceful movements showed that she was nomoner. She was apanied by a fully armored figure who quietly stood behind her, reminiscent of a knight. ... ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Roel stared at the duo in front of him speechlessly, not knowing what to say. The appearances of the duo in front of him were simply too peculiar, be it the knight who remained fully armored from head to toe despite being inside a room or thedy with unusual hair color. There were all sorts of races and transcendent powers on the Sia Continent, resulting in a diverse variety of hair colors. The fourdies with whom Roel had close rtionships with had different hair colors. Even so, pink hair was pretty unusual. The most primitive human hair color was probably ck¡ªor at least that was what the Ackermanns, the ex-rulers of humankind, imed. Vibrant hair and iris colors usually represented certain special bloodlines or unusual transcendent mutations. Take Charlotte for example, her High Elf Bloodline resulted in her hair taking a lustrous auburn shade. Just the pink-haireddy was already plenty surprising, but the armored figure standing behind her was even more of a shocker. The reason for that was simple¡ªRoel recognized him. Isn¡¯t that William from the protagonist¡¯s party? Roel quickly dug into the dredges of his memory to rake up information regarding the armored figure from Eyes of the Chronicler. William Cambonyte, born in Knight Kingdom Pendor, adopted son of the Cambonyte Royal Family of Pendor. In Eyes of the Chronicler, he transferred to Saint Freya Academy during their Second Grade. He was on good terms with the protagonist, Paul Ackermann, and was a member of the Request Club too. What¡¯s going on? Why is he here? Ah, wait a moment... Roel looked at the fully armored William, followed by the pink-haireddy, and finally, the pink aurora glowing outside the window. Then, he mmed his fist on his palm in realization. Ah, he¡¯s here to watch the aurora with his girlfriend. Knight Kingdom Pendor is indeed not too far away, though it¡¯s still quite surprising that we would coincidentally bump into each other here... Knowing that the duo in front of him was unlikely to be hostile, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. He was just about to apologize and take his leave when he suddenly heard a maic echoing from the helmet of the armored figure. ¡°What a surprise, Roel Ascart. I never thought that we would end up meeting in such a fashion. Is this heaven¡¯s will?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s body froze in ce. Chapter 359: An Abrupt Invitation

Chapter 359: An Abrupt Invitation

The pink aurora shone through the window to cast its glow on the pink-haireddy and the armored figure, shrouding them in dreamy lighting. Perhaps due to the loud festivity, the fight that had broken out in the Eirbower Duke¡¯s mansion hadn¡¯t affected the other parts of the city. Magic fireworks were still going on here and there, sustaining the vibrant atmosphere. However, the air inside the room seemed to have frozen due to William¡¯s words. What¡¯s going on? He recognizes me? Roel¡¯s golden eyes dted in disbelief upon hearing William¡¯s words. It made him put up his guard against thetter. It was only normal for Roel to be able to recognize William as he had yed Eyes of the Chronicler before, and thetter¡¯s appearance was so unique that it was impossible to overlook him. However, the same didn¡¯t apply vice versa. Roel was no international star. He had never been to Knight Kingdom Pendor, and he had no association with the Cambonyte Royal Family either. One had to know that the Sia Continent was an un-globalized world devoid of the conveniences of modern information technology, such that even Nora, one of the central figures of the Genesis Goddess Church, wasn¡¯t known worldwide. Roel was no more than anded noble. Why would William go to great lengths in order to find out what he looked like? Not to mention, his current state... To be fair, the Ascart House wasn¡¯t exactly a nobody in the world either, so it wasn¡¯t impossible for someone to take the trouble to acquire a portrait of him and remember him. The only problem was that his appearance was currently that of an eight-year-old. There was a group of people outside who had also sessfully recognized him despite it being their first meeting, and they were the disciples of the Saints Convocation. Roel took a step back to where the Golden Soul was sttered all over the ground as he shot a sharp look at the duo in front of him. William sensed the wariness behind Roel¡¯s movements, so he spoke up to rify. ¡°I must have frightened you. Allow me to reassure you that I mean no harm. Roel Ascart, I am your friend.¡± ¡°Friend?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If your condition hasn¡¯t affected your memories, you should be able to remember the warnings we have sent you.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was shocked to hear those words. He was reminded of the nightmares he had during his journey to Eirbower. Noting his reaction, the pink-haireddy picked up a notebook on the table and quickly wrote something down with a quill before raising it up to show him. Run That was the warning that he would always hear near the end of his nightmare. ¡°Ah! Were you the one who spoke in the dream?¡± eximed Roel in astonishment. ¡°...¡± The pink-haireddy nodded in response. Roel fell silent, but his tense nerves had finally loosened a little. Just as he had previously deduced, the warnings were indeed informing him that the Saints Convocation was after his life. It was just that he didn¡¯t expect those warnings were sent from William¡¯s side, with whom he had zero interactions with. Judging from the signs, it should be safe to say that these two are indeed my allies... but why? Goodwill rarelyes without reason. Sometimes, people do help one another when it¡¯s convenient to do so, but not to such an extent. William and the others appeared to be on his side, but what was their reason for that? What kind of ulterior motives did they have in mind to help aplete stranger? Roel directed questioning gazes toward the two. The armored William swiftly caught his drift and began exining. ¡°My name is William Cambonyte, an adopted son of the Cambonytes, Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s royal family. This youngdy here is my friend, Teresa. You must have a lot of doubts in your mind, but I ask you to trust us. Like you, we are the inheritors of an ancient will.¡± ¡°Inheritors of an ancient will? You¡¯re referring to...?¡± ¡°... The Twilight Sages Assembly.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The moment Roel heard the familiar organization name reverberating from the ck armor, he felt his mind going nk. He could hardly conceal the shock on his face. Ever since he learned about the existence of the Twilight Sages Assembly, this was the first time he was hearing this term from anyone else in the current era. Naturally, he understood the implications of it too. ¡°Y-you all...¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re the descendants of the Twilight Sages.¡± ¡°!¡± Those words of confirmation surprised Roel, but at the same time, he also got a feeling of ¡®As expected¡¯. The Twilight Sages Assembly was an organization made up of the heroes and experts in their respective eras, and the identities of its members were kept highly confidential. Even if the organization was now dissolved, it was unlikely for it to be aplete wipeout. It was possible that some of them or their descendants were still in contact with one another. He had such a thought for a very long time now, but he wasn¡¯t able to find anything despite his continued investigation into the Twilight Sages Assembly, leaving him with no choice but to doubt his own conjecture. However, William had verified his guess today. The knowledge that there were people like him still existent in this world excited Roel, but of course, he couldn¡¯t trust William¡¯s words just like that. He suppressed his emotions and began questioning her. ¡°You are descendants of the Twilight Sages? How would you prove that? It¡¯s not just our allies who know about that name in the present era; our enemies do as well.¡± ¡°Indeed, the Saints Convocation does know about the existence of the Twilight Sages Assembly, but I dare bet that they don¡¯t have this.¡± The armored William took off his metal gloves to reveal a bracelet wrapped around his surprisingly fair wrist. The bracelet looked like a jewel with a hint of golden, but it had a color gradient reminiscent of the adamantine amber. ¡°This is the Radiant Bracelet the Twilight Sages Assembly used for their selection procedure centuries ago. It serves the same purpose as the adamantine amber you wear around your neck. You must have managed to get into contact with Chronicler. Since that¡¯s the case, you can easily verify the authenticity of my words by asking him. ¡°Wait a moment, you know Chronicler?¡± ¡°I do. We received intelligence a year ago that there were evil cults looking into Chronicler¡¯s whereabouts, so we paid him a visit to warn him. I guess that you have met him afterward?¡± Roel was suddenly reminded of Ancient Treant Kayde mentioning something along the lines of a mysterious woman paying him a visit to warn him. Putting it together with what he was hearing now, the woman was probably one of William¡¯s subordinates. The corroboration of evidence dispelled Roel¡¯s doubt, and the atmosphere in the room loosened a little. There was a moment of silence before William continued his speech. ¡°Awakener of the Ascart House, I¡¯d like to assure you once more that our goals are aligned. Your awakening came as a pleasant surprise for us; it has been far too long since someone of your lineage awakened. We only learned of your existence after your enrollment in Saint Freya Academy. ¡°When we learned that evil cultists were after you, we wanted to find an opportunity toe into contact and protect you. Unfortunately, we have been unable to ascertain your location, so we could only attempt to ry a message to you through Teresa. ¡°Her ability is a little peculiar, so it might have caused you some inconvenience. For that, do ept my earnest apology,¡± said William. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. We might all be descendants of the Twilight Sages, but you aren¡¯t obliged to offer me assistance. I¡¯m grateful for the help you have offered me thus far. Miss Teresa, right? Allow me to thank you for the warnings you have sent me for the past fortnight.¡± Roel quickly shook his head at William¡¯s words before bowing graciously toward the pink-haireddy. Teresa widened her eyes in surprise as her head went green¡ªit was 100 Affection Points. She quickly grabbed her notebook and wrote down a few words. She raised her notebook up and bowed several times in a fluster, seemingly deeply ttered by Roel¡¯s remark. It¡¯s only right for me to do so Roel gently smiled at Teresa¡¯s response. He felt a surge of warmth into his heart. Chuckles also reverberated from William¡¯s thick armor upon seeing their interaction. ¡°It looks like the two of you are getting along well.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss Teresa¡¯s generous assistance has truly helped me greatly.¡± I have put Mister Roel through hardship due to my ipetence to use my ability properly. I apologize for that Teresa quickly wrote down a new line of words in her notebook and lowered her head apologetically. Roel reassured her that it was all fine, but at the same time, he suddenly thought of a problem. He was certain that he had heard a youngdy¡¯s voice in the dream, but the real-life Teresa hadn¡¯t spoken a word thus far, choosing to insteadmunicate with him via writing. Could this be... ¡°Miss Teresa... could the reason why you aren¡¯t speaking now be due to the side effects you have incurred from rying those messages to me?¡± asked Roel worriedly. However, Teresa quickly shook her head in response, and William answered the question on her behalf. ¡°Roel, you need not worry about that. Teresa is a powerful spellcaster of the Hextongue Guild. She avoids speaking to avoid trouble; it isn¡¯t due to the price of her ability.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s a relief.¡± I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern Roel smiled upon seeing those words. The atmosphere in the room also finally took on a soothing vibe. William observed the harmonious atmosphere between the two of them and pondered for a moment before nodding determinedly, as if he had made up his mind. ¡°Mister Roel, may I ask you something?¡± ¡°Of course. Speak your mind, Sire William.¡± ¡°... We would have usually waited a while longer before approaching this topic, but I feel like it¡¯s an arrangement of fate that we chanced upon one another here. So, I decided to say these words in advance.¡± William straightened up his already upright posture and looked at Roel with a solemn atmosphereing from him. ¡°Mister Roel Ascart, I¡¯d like to invite you to join us.¡± Chapter 360: Dawnbringer Order

Chapter 360: Dawnbringer Order

In the room, William¡¯s solemn invitation was met with surprise by both Roel and Teresa. Teresa turned to the armored figure beside her, not expecting thetter to have said those words at all. Meanwhile, Roel looked at William and blinked his eyes contemtively. He had a rough idea as to what thetter was talking about, but he felt that there was a need to enquire the details. ¡°Pardon me, but may I ask you to rify further?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an organization founded by the descendants of the Twilight Sages and a few other sequestered houses. We call it the Dawnbringer Order.¡± ¡°... Dawnbringer Order.¡± Dawn, as in after twilight? An interesting name. Instead of epting the invitation right away, Roel assessed William with his golden eyes as a thought arose in his mind. It¡¯s a little abrupt. Roel already saw William and the others as friends after confirming their identities, but even long-lost family members would need a few days to warm up to one another after their reunion. It hadn¡¯t even been an hour since the two of them just met, and they hadn¡¯t built up a rtionship of mutual trust yet. To join their organization all of a sudden was simply... Roel looked at William with a conflicted expression. Teresa also seemed to think that William¡¯s actionscked consideration as she began scribbling something down on her notebook. William himself also quickly sensed that his question was too abrupt, and he hadn¡¯t provided Roel with enough information to make an informed decision yet. So, he quickly supplemented. ¡°I know that you might have never heard of our organization before, and it¡¯s only to be expected. The Dawnbringer Order hasn¡¯t been established for long. Its core members consist of a few sequestered houses and the descendants of Twilight Sages, and it seeks to carry on the torch of the already departed Assembly. ¡°The Dawnbringer Order doesn¡¯t just ept anyone into the organization. We recruit mainly through a rmendation system, and there is a series of strict tests to determine the rmended individual¡¯s eligibility. However, the procedure is simplified for the descendants of the Twilight Sages. As an awakener of the Ascart House, you¡¯re eligible to directly join the Order. ¡°We didn¡¯t manage to offer you any meaningful help this time around, so honestly speaking, we were intending to leave this conversation for a more appropriate time in the future. However, you happened to appear right in front of us by some coincidence. I personally believe that this is the string of fate at work, which is why I wanted to seek your opinion on this matter,¡± William exined his thoughts. Roel could only smile bitterly after hearing the truth. He knew that it was not fate but the effect of the Blessed Wheat that brought him here. It might look like a coincidence, but this encounter was inevitable due to the barrier around the room. By Roel¡¯s standards, the only ones who would abruptly get someone to join their organization on their first meeting were either from MLMs or some weird cult. Given his meticulous personality, there was no way he would ept such an offer, or at the very least, he would postpone the decision. However, it was a fact that he had just been saved by their barrier, and Teresa¡¯s warning had been helpful in alerting him to danger too. So, he had to be tactful and polite about it. How should I go about it? While Roel was deep in thought, Teresa and William began engaging in an intense discussion, seemingly harboring different thoughts about this invitation. It was also then that shouts began sounding from the distance. ¡°Roel!¡± ¡°Fief lord!¡± The voices calling for Roel grew more and more numerous, snapping the trio in the room from whatever they were doing. Roel quickly looked out of the window, surprised at how quickly the battle had concluded. The mercenary band led by the Eirbower Duke must have given them a decisive lead in the battle. This gave Roel an idea to resolve this awkward situation he was in. ¡°Sire William, my friends are looking for me now. I¡¯ll have to head out to reassure them of my safety. If you aren¡¯t too busy at the moment, would you like to head out with me? ¡°I¡¯m extremely interested in the Dawnbringer Order you mentioned, but as the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t just make such decisions on a whim. It¡¯d be helpful if we could have further discussions on this matter. What do you say?¡± Roel thought that his excuse to buy some time for him to think through matters was good, but to his surprise, William fell silent upon hearing his words. ¡°...¡± ¡°...¡± Hm? What¡¯s wrong? Did I say something wrong? Sensing the bizarre atmosphere, Roel blinked his eyes in confusion, not knowing what he had said wrong. While he was feeling confused, Teresa scribbled something down on her notepad and raised it up apologetically. Sorry. We don¡¯t want to get too involved with the rest of the world. Hm? What does that mean? Roel couldn¡¯t help but wonder what those words meant. William let out a sigh before rifying the situation. ¡°Mister Roel, I understand what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯re unable to trust yourrades due to several reasons.¡± ¡°Unable to trust myrades... You¡¯re referring to Nora and the others?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°...¡± The firm response from William rendered Roel speechless. ¡°I let my excitement get ahead of myself earlier. It¡¯s only to be expected that my abrupt invitation would put you in a spot. I¡¯d ask you to treat it as if I haven¡¯t said anything. However, you need not worry. We should be able to meet each other soon enough. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave for the time being. Till then,¡± said William as he bowed slightly. Before Roel could respond, he ced one of his hands on Teresa¡¯s shoulder. Teresa waved her hand at Roel before speaking for the very first time since their meeting. ¡°Teleport.¡± ¡°Wait a moment, you...¡± There was a strong mana pulsation following her melodious voice, and a spatial magic started manifesting in the room. Roel¡¯s words trailed to a halt as he widened his eyes in shock. Spatial magic is one of the rarest and most difficult magic in the Sia Continent, but Teresa was able to activate it with a single word... How is this possible? While Roel was struggling toprehend what was going on, a brilliant light suddenly shone from the spatial magic, forcing him to quickly ce his arms over his eyes to shield him from the blinding light. He only slowly put down his arms several seconds after the light had faded. By then, William and Teresa were already nowhere to be seen. Chapter 361: Expectations of a Hero

Chapter 361: Expectations of a Hero

¡°Roel? You¡¯re fine! Thank Sia!¡± Several minutes after William and Teresa¡¯s departure, Charlotte found the room Roel was in through her connection with the Golden Soul and barged in through the windows. Upon seeing that he was fine, she leaped forth to tightly embrace him. To her surprise, Roel¡¯s reaction was a little abnormal. ¡°You¡¯re here, Charlotte. Has the battle ended yet?¡± ¡°Mm, it has ended, but your safety is much more important here... Is there something there?¡± Charlotte noticed that Roel was staring dazedly at the interior of the room, but she couldn¡¯t find anything worthy of note when she looked over. Roel could tell that she was confused, but he chose not to say anything. William¡¯s distrust in Nora and the others wouldn¡¯t affect how Roel perceived them, but he wanted to respect their wish for privacy. Putting aside the fact that their ancestors were fellow members of the Twilight Sages Assembly, he was also indebted to them. It would be wildly inappropriate for him to reveal their existence to someone else contrary to their will. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I was just curious why there was a barrier erected around this room. Someone important must have rented this room.¡± ¡°It should be someone of distinguished standing judging from the extravagant interior decor. The barrier was able to block off the ck miasma? That means that the caster of the barrier has received the blessing of a god.¡± ¡°The upants are probably watching the aurora at the Blessing Square.¡± Roel carried the topic across with a chuckle. Fortunately, Charlotte was not in a mood to probe deeper into this matter. The battle with the Saints Convocation had just ended, so she was more worried about her contribution to the battle and the final verdict regarding the allocation of Roel. It was no wonder why people said excessivepetition was terrible for an industry. With multiplepetitors gunning for a single prize, thedies wouldn¡¯t hesitate to resort to underhanded measures so that they could emerge victorious above everyone else. Anxious to return to the scene, Charlotte lifted Roel into her arms and quickly left the room, not giving this matter much thought. Meanwhile, Roel started musing over his earlier encounter. He truly didn¡¯t expect to meet William and Teresa here, but it allowed him to grasp important information that he was previously unaware of. It should be safe to say that the Dawnbringer Order was an attempt to bring back the Twilight Sages Assembly, albeit in a slightly different fashion. If the goal of the Dawnbringer Order was really the same as the Twilight Sages Assembly, Roel was fully supportive of this move. There were simply far too many threats lurking in this world that there was an urgent need to build a specialized team to tackle them. Things might still look rtively peaceful at the moment, but it would be toote once things blew up. There was just one thing Roel was concerned about¡ªthe political association of the Dawnbringer Order. William Cambonyte was the adopted son of Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s royal family, and he appeared to wield considerable power in the Dawnbringer Order. This suggested that the Dawnbringer Order was mainly active in Pendor, possibly even under themand of the Cambonyte House. That was something worrying. Why was the Twilight Sages Assembly such a powerful organization? It was an organization that surpassed national boundaries. The members moved for the survival of humankind and many other races. It was this noble goal that united them and instilled devotion to the organization, sometimes to the extent ofying down their lives to aplish their missions. It was this extreme degree of unity and devotion that made them a powerful force, allowing them to keep in check crises that were arguably even beyond human civilization itself. But what if this organization was bound to a country? What if the leader of this organization happened to be its royal family? Would this organization still be the guardians of humankind, or would it be reduced to a toolbox for the stated country? Roel had no idea whether the Cambonytes were truly selfless or not, but his opinion didn¡¯t really matter here. As long as there was a seed of doubt regarding the true nature of the organization, its members would be unable to fully devote themselves to its cause, especially when there was a conflict in national interests when carrying out missions. That was why neutrality was of absolute importance. Besides, he thought that it was weird how William and Teresa were unwilling toe into contact with outsiders. Now that he thought about it, Knight Kingdom Pendor was a fairly isted country. Just the disproportionately low number of Pendor students in Saint Freya Academy said a thing or two about that. It was hard to acquire any meaningful information on them. To be honest, Roel hadn¡¯t really paid much heed to them under the subconscious influence of his prior knowledge. In Eyes of the Chronicler, the ones who had taken him down were the protagonist and the female capture targets, so his attention had been on them. Inevitably, this meant that he had less energy to spare for other matters. In the game, William had transferred to Saint Freya Academy just as Paul and the others were advancing to the Second Grade. Now that he thought about it, William could have been keeping an eye on the in-game Roel Ascart to check if he had awakened to his bloodline. Of course, the in-game Roel didn¡¯t awaken to his bloodline; in fact, he even ended up bing an evil cultist. That could have been the reason why William didn¡¯t intervene when the protagonist and the female capture targets dealt with him. Having finally understood the rationale behind William¡¯s movements, Roel nodded in realization. However, he soon recalled thetter mentioning something about how they would meet each other very soon before his departure. Wait a moment, those words... Does this mean that... ... While Roel was thinking about the affairs surrounding William and the others, an armored figure and a pink-haireddy were also analyzing the earlier encounter and exchanging their views in a room located in the suburbs of Aurora Capital Ols. ¡°I concede that I was too anxious back there. Based on our interactions, it appears that he¡¯s still wary about our organization.¡± I¡¯m of the same thought too. I think we should wait a while longer. ¡°To be honest, I thought that there was a good chance that he would ept my offer right away. Somehow, he feels different from what I imagined him to be.¡± Meaning...? ¡°... I can¡¯t put my finger on it, but it feels like there¡¯s a sh between our ideologies. I could be overthinking things too.¡± William looked out of the window contemtively as he spoke. It was impossible to read his expression through the thick helmet he wore that hid even his eyes, but his voice still betrayed his worry. This encounter with Roel Ascart was unintended and outside of their ns, but it dide with several advantages. For one, the inability to prepare in advance allowed for an earnest exchange of opinions. Roel was clearly surprised when Teresa informed him that they didn¡¯t want to get too involved with the rest of the world. From that, it could be deduced that he had no intention of cutting off his connections and retreating to the shadows. This was at odds with how the Dawnbringer Order operated. Defining him based on your own imagination of how he ought to be, only to be disappointed when it¡¯s at odds with what you expected. You shouldn¡¯t do that. ¡°I know, but frankly speaking, Teresa, have you really never harbored any expectations for their n? The lineage of the Ascart House traces all the way back to the founders of the Twilight Sages Assembly! It took centuries before that n finally gave birth to an awakener. As an offspring of a sequestered house, is it even possible for you to not bear high hopes for him?¡± ¡°...¡± Teresa was in the midst of writing something on her notebook when her hands slowed to a halt, and she lowered her head. She didn¡¯t answer William¡¯s question, but her silence showed that she felt the same way. She, too, bore great expectations for the offspring of that n. It was a natural reaction when she found herself face to face with the descendants of the heroic n often mentioned in the stories of her ancestors. That was why she lost herposure upon meeting Roel and appeared a little flustered. What if he isn¡¯t the kind of person you imagined him to be? There was a long silence before Teresa finally scribbled this question in her notebook. William fell into deep thoughts upon reading the question. It took some time before he answered softly. ¡°We don¡¯t need to answer that question yet. It¡¯s too early. We still don¡¯t know what kind of person he is.¡± But how are you intending to know him better? He doesn¡¯t live in Pendor. ¡°That¡¯s simple. If he doesn¡¯te to us, we¡¯ll just have to go to him.¡± William looked at the woman in front of him as he voiced his decision. ¡°I¡¯ll be transferring over once we return.¡± Chapter 362: Time to Return

Chapter 362: Time to Return

The pink aurora had already vanished by this point, leaving just a crescent moon in the night sky. Standing above the rubble of what used to be the Eirbower Ducal manor, to the background noise of soldiers¡¯ chatter and war bears¡¯ roars, Roel Ascart was earnestly thinking about a mathematical paradox. How could 69 enemies give rise to 77 kills? Meanwhile, it was aplete mess behind him. ¡°Look at his injuries. Those are obviously caused by my spell. This kill should be credited to me!¡± Alicia pointed to a charred corpse on the ground and asserted her point indignantly. To that, Nora calmly provided a rebuttal. ¡°Miss Alicia, surely an educated person like you should understand the difference between an injury and a killing blow? You might have burned the evil cultist, but it was under my sword that he was in.¡± ¡°And we¡¯re supposed to just take your word for it? We talk evidence here, Your Highness Nora. Are you going to unsheath your sword and have it testify on your behalf?¡± ¡°You¡¯re being unreasonable, Alicia. It¡¯s unsightly to watch you desperately argue your way through. Just ept your loss!¡± ¡°I¡¯d return those words to you. We were the ones who killed the enemy leader! Isn¡¯t it a given that we have contributed the most to this fight?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting here? He self-exploded!¡± Nora and Alicia were arguing vehemently over their respective contributions to the battle. Charlotte was busy handling the transaction she had made with the Eirbower Duke. Lilian was checking on the corpses. Roel felt a splitting headache. He was thankful to have survived the assassination attempt from the Saints Convocation, but he felt like he was going to get stressed out by the tabtion errors at this rate. There was no way thedies could trust one another to judge thispetition fairly, so they assigned a representative each to tabte their own results before reporting it. This was also where things got weird. Somehow, there were 77 kills despite there only being 69 evil cultists¡ªand this was including the self-destructed Francis. So... who died twice? As soon as this mathematical paradox surfaced, Roel knew that things weren¡¯t going to end pretty. Nora and Alicia had already started bickering with each other, and it was likely that Charlotte and Lilian would join the fray once they were done with the work they had on hand. Just thinking about the mess made Roel massage his temples in distress. It was then that he suddenly heard Lilian¡¯s voice. ¡°Roel,e here for a moment.¡± ¡°Senior?¡± At Lilian¡¯s call, Roel began making his way over to her side. The arguing Nora and Alicia exchanged nces, and they came to an implicit mutual decision to postpone their argument and headed over too. The three of them soon arrived by Lilian¡¯s side, where the imperial princess was currently gazing at a corpse on the ground. Are they going to start arguing over this too? Roel thought that Lilian had called him over to have him verify her contribution, but he quickly refuted that possibility when he noticed the grave look on Lilian¡¯s face. It felt like her eyes were on something more important here. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, senior? Is there a problem with this corpse?¡± Roel began examining the corpse on the ground as he asked. It was an evil cultist with average looks and a slightly scrawny build. He was dressed simply in a white cloak. The killing blow was a sword sh. It was hard to determine his Origin Level as he was already dead, but based on the lingering mana in his body, he didn¡¯t seem to be too strong. Roel checked the corpse again and again, but he couldn¡¯t find anything that particrly stood out to him. It was then that Lilian finally spoke with an awful look on her face. ¡°Roel, it¡¯s probably because your bloodline has been sealed that you aren¡¯t able to feel anything, but I can sense it. This person possesses a bloodline simr to ours.¡± ¡°Simr to ours? How could someone possess a bloodline simr to ours... Wait, do you mean that...!¡± Roel was suddenly reminded of the information he had acquired when he went undercover in the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch in the Witness State. He learned that there was an unusual group of people in the Saints Convocation known as the Holy Envoys. The Holy Envoys were highly respected in the Saints Convocation even though they weren¡¯t necessarily powerful transcendents. Their main purpose in the organization was to serve as keys to activating their so-called ¡®holy artifacts¡¯. One example of these holy artifacts was the egg of the Tempest Caller. Activating and controlling the egg wasn¡¯t anything much for Roel, but this was an impossible feat for ordinary humans. In fact, it was through being injected with some sort of mysterious serum from a young age that the Holy Envoys were able to gain the power to control the egg. Roel initially didn¡¯t think much of it, but upon hearing Lilian¡¯s words, a doubt started surfacing in his mind. Could it be that the Holy Envoys were nurtured to resemble the bloodline of the Ascart House? Roel stared deeply at the corpse on the floor as he considered this possibility. On the other hand, Lilian blinked her eyes as she suddenly thought of another crucial problem. ¡°That¡¯s a possibility. It¡¯s just that the Ascart Bloodline is quite a unique one, so how did they manage to...¡± ¡°...¡± Lilian¡¯s words trailed off halfway through, but Roel caught her drift. He naturally understood that there was something wrong with that mysterious serum, and he recalled hearing that it was something simr to blood. If that is really the case, the blood must have originated from... Roel¡¯splexion slowly darkened. Lilian also frowned as well. Nora and Alicia still hadn¡¯t made sense of the situation yet, so they were confused by their cryptic conversation. It was only when Charlotte walked over that the atmosphere finally lightened a little. ¡°I¡¯ve finished handling things on my side... What¡¯s wrong, darling?¡± ¡°Nothing much. How are the casualties?¡± ¡°Not much. We, Rosaian, tend to fight in a defensive manner that minimizes casualties as far as possible... It can¡¯t be helped. Our past enemies are simply too formidable in terms of military prowess.¡± Charlotte uttered coldly as she specifically shot a nce at Lilian. Roel had changed the topic in hopes of changing the atmosphere, but that remark made him realize that his effort was going to fall through. As if verifying his guess, a frown formed on Lilian¡¯s forehead right after. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Charlotte to realize that you¡¯re from a humble country. What a rare show of self-awareness.¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± Lilian¡¯s sarcastic remark made Charlotte¡¯s face turn livid with anger. To make things worse, Nora and Alicia were suddenly reminded of their earlier argument and started bickering over the allocation of Roel once more. Having watched the aurora and defeated the evil cultists, there was no longer any reason for Roel to remain in Eirbower. It was only right for him to leave now. The only problem was where he ought to head to next, and that was exactly what the four women were fighting over. ¡°Roel needs to be escorted no matter where he goes. It¡¯d be the safest for us to keep all of our guards with him till he finally recovers. I suggest that we distribute his time based on our contribution instead,¡± suggested Nora, whose contribution turned out to be the lowest in the battle. Alicia, whose contribution was the greatest thanks to Cynthia and the others curbing and cornering Francis, strongly objected to that suggestion. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? It¡¯s only right for the winner to take it all! Whoever wins ought to get all of Lord Brother¡¯s bo... Cough cough, I mean, get to be responsible for protecting Lord Brother! Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of thispetition?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we respect darling¡¯s wishes here too? What if he refuses to go with you? Are you going to force him? How are you different from that Austinean kidnapper then?¡± ¡°Miss Charlotte, please watch your words. I¡¯ve never forced Roel into anything!¡± ¡°Heh, who knows?¡± Due to the history of their countriesing into y as well, the atmosphere between Charlotte and Lilian was awfully tense. First ce Alicia and Last ce Nora also couldn¡¯te to an agreement on anything either. The argument only seemed to be worsening with each passing second. But soon, Roel noticed that the situation was getting a little... queer. ¡°Pardon my use ofnguage, but what bullshit are you spewing here? Why would Lord Brother not want to return home?¡± ¡°Has he ever said that he wishes to return home? Besides, the Labyrinth Manor is his home too.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but darling is returning to Rosa with me. I¡¯ve already extended an official invitation to him, and he has clearly expressed his interest in it. Isn¡¯t that so, darling?¡± ¡°Is money all you have to offer? How pathetic. Roel, we¡¯re bloodline kin. Our rtionship isn¡¯t something as shallow as to be undermined by mere money!¡± ¡°Old woman, that¡¯s enough of you! Lord Brother will surely choose me, right?¡± ¡°Ah? T-this...¡± Slowly but surely, the eyes of the four women were turning toward him. That deadly question posed by Alicia caused Roel¡¯s face to stiffen, and he felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, cornered by all four of them. One wrong move here, and he could very well be pushed into the abyss. Thankfully, a familiar mana pulsation started emanating in his time of dire need. ¡¾Blessed Wheat Remaining Uses: 0¡¿ A warmth rippling from his chest crashed into the barrier that had been capping his bloodline and transcendent ability over the past half a month, tearing it down. He felt his heartbeat hasten as surges of mana spurted through his body. At the same time, changes were starting to ur to his body. ¡°This is...¡± ¡°Roel is growing up?¡± The four women eximed in astonishment. Within moments, Roel¡¯s body had already reverted back to its original form. He could feel a familiar power harnessing within him, and his mind seemed to have suddenly cleared up all of a sudden. I¡¯ve changed back! The side effect is finally over! Roel felt both overjoyed and relieved at the same time. He was finally able to answer the women¡¯s question now. ¡°You asked me where I wanted to go? I¡¯ve already thought it through.¡± Under the night sky, Roel looked at the bewildered women and showcased his trademark gentle smile. ¡°I want to return to Leinster. It¡¯s time to catch up with the sses I¡¯ve missed.¡± Chapter 363: Tonight Is Our Night

Chapter 363: Tonight Is Our Night

¡°Father, why do I have to wear this?¡± In an immacte white pce, a young child looked at a tall man with a helmet in arm. It was a question that had been buried in the child¡¯s heart for the longest time, and the man didn¡¯t seem to be too surprised by it either. Armor was not something a typical child would be fond of, especially when it was so heavy that it hurt just to wear it. It was only normal for a child to want to take it off. Having to impose such a burden on a child riddled the man¡¯s mind with guilt. A breeze swept in through the windows, prompting a fluttery dance from the white silk curtains. Knowing that this was necessary for the world, the man sitting on the throne took some time to harden his resolve. ¡°Based on the prophecy from the Tripartite Alliance, we might face a great catastrophe in the near future. As my sessor, you are obliged to conceal your identity and rue great power. For that, it¡¯s necessary for you to don this armor. ¡°This armor will hide your weaknesses from the rest of the world. It¡¯ll bring out your true potential and pave your way to the top,¡± the man replied with a solemn voice. The child¡¯s face crumbled sorrowfully. ¡°B-but... the other children won¡¯t y with me when I¡¯m dressed like that!¡± ¡°Enjoyment is unnecessary for you. Such distractions will only make you weak. You only need to do things that will make you strong!¡± the man emphasized. The child¡¯s head lowered even further. Silence settled in the pce. Feeling that he might have been too strict, the man rose from the throne and walked down the steps till he was finally standing before the boy. He squatted downward to meet the child¡¯s eyes and sighed softly. ¡°The Twilight Sages Assembly has been destroyed. That n has declined for several centuries now, but we must uphold the promise. It¡¯s our responsibility to regte the world¡¯s order in the wake of their disappearance. This is the only way we¡¯ll have hope against the catastrophe.¡± ¡°Promise...¡± The child knew about the promise that their people had made with that n a long, long time ago. ¡°So, I just have to hold on till they return?¡± The child looked at the man with hopeful eyes. ¡°The chances are slim, but if such a miracle does happen, the awakener from that n is likely to be a great person who can ovee all odds and achieve the impossible. If such a person does appear...¡± The man fell into deep thought for a brief moment. Then, he ruffled the child¡¯s head and smiled. ¡°... find him and entrust it all to him, Wilhelmina.¡± ... ¡°!¡± In a dream about her distant past, a young woman heard a long-forgotten name echoing in her ears, causing her eyes to shoot open. It was in the dead of night, and there was hardly any light in this exquisite bedroom she resided in. Silence loomed heavily in the surroundings. The woman clutched her forehead before slowly sitting upward. The earlier dream had chased away her sleepiness, leaving her with nothing but confusion. Why would I suddenly recall the past at a time like this? Is it because I took off my armor today? The woman looked at the heavy armor ced by the bedside and shook her head. It was rare for her to take off her armor, and logically speaking, it should have improved her sleep. It was hard to imagine why the contrary would ur. ¡°Is there something wrong with my body?¡± she murmured under her breath. She slipped down her bed and made her way to the full-body mirror by the window. Under the faint moonlight, she stared at her own reflection for the first time in a long while. The woman in the mirror had a beautiful body that had clearly been through intense training, be it her toned legs or slender waist. Her skin was fair and her chest bountiful. She had blue-gray hair, tangerine eyes, and distinctive facial features that made her countenance ravishing yet regal. Long eyeshes, crescent shaped eyes, cherry-blossom lips, and a lustrousplexion that gave off a beautiful natural glow¡ªthis woman could easily hog the spotlight just by dolling herself up a little. The only thing that was hindering her femininity was her unique air of valiance. Dragon Might. The young woman¡¯s slender body harnessed the Dragon Bloodline, a bloodline exclusive to the Cambonyte Royal Family. This was a secret she had been hiding from the public, though admittedly, she was rather fond of the abilities that came with it. None would dare to be insolent before a dragon¡¯s might. This ability was exceptionally useful when it came to curbing the sequestered houses that had chosen to meld into the shadows. It had resolved many problems she faced along the way. The effects of Dragon Might differed when she had her armor on. The cold metallic exterior of her full body armor made Dragon Might terrifyingly oppressive, but once she took off her armor, her aura felt more invible rather than frightening. Having been instilled with the knight¡¯s chivalric code from a young age, the young woman developed a personality with an extreme degree of seriousness that made her appear obstinate. It was this very personality that prompted her to search for the reason behind her insomnia. She carefully inspected her impable physique shaped by her Dragon Bloodline, but she couldn¡¯t find anything amiss. Frustrated, she breathed out deeply and returned to her bed. Having eliminated the possibility of her insomnia being a physical problem, she had no choice but to turn to the other possibility in her mind. ¡°Is it because I¡¯m about to meet him?¡± She thought about the man she had met under the northernnds¡¯ aurora not too long ago, and it made her heart skip a beat. Even someone as stoic as her had to admit that Roel¡¯s miniaturized form was a lethal weapon that could make any woman¡¯s heart melt. She was affected as well despite having always viewed herself as a man. Thinking back, that might have also yed a part in her extending an invitation to him in a fluster. What a pity it was that she didn¡¯t receive a positive response from him. ¡°I mustn¡¯t mess things up this time around,¡± she murmured with a deep sigh. She gazed at the moon outside the window and prayed that everything would go smoothly. ... Saint Freya Academy¡¯s central district, assembly hall. In a staff room located at the back of the assembly hall, a formally dressed Roel sat on a chair as he browsed through the letters Nora and Charlotte had previously received with trembling hands. Not too far away, the two young men whom Roel considered to be his deputies had stiffened looks on their faces. ¡°... Who wrote these?¡± After carefully reading through the letters twice, Roel Ascart finally raised his head and posed a question to his two deputies with a gentle smile. It was terrifying, so terrifying that the two criminals decided to drop the act ande clean. ¡°Chief, they were written by Paul Ackermann!¡± Without any hesitation, Geralt pointed a finger at Paul and cried out with a pained look on his face, as if he had been trying to hide this secret for his good friend but could no longer bring himself to do so. He shook his head in deep remorse as he tried his best to squeeze out tears to perfect his act. ¡°When Paul told me about this matter, I immediately asserted that our chief isn¡¯t that kind of person and that he must have misunderstood something. However, he insisted that you have eloped with Senior Lilian and that you have even got her pregnant... I-I...¡± Geralt spoke with such an anguished tone that it was as if he had faced grievous injustice. Paul Ackermann was utterly dumbstruck. You were the one that said that feelings have no ce in the circle of nobility. You were the one who suggested this course of action! Why am I the one taking the fall now? Is this what nobles are like? Utterly despicable! ¡°Big brother Roel, don¡¯t listen to him! I concede, I did misunderstand the situation between you and imperial sister Lilian, but it was Geralt Stephenson who beguiled me into writing those letters! He was the one who came up with this lousy idea!¡± Refusing to bear the me all alone, Paul Ackermann exposed Geralt as the mastermind of the operation. He even went to the extent of sharing excruciating details about Geralt¡¯s philosophy regarding the circle of nobility. With neither willing to take the fall here, a shitstorm therebymenced. ¡°You were the one who signed off the letters!¡± ¡°You wrote the letters with your own hands!¡± ¡°You were the one who sourced the letters!¡± ¡°You were the one who sent the letters!¡± Such words were spewed across the room. What was amazing, though, was how their mudslinging skills were visibly improving real-time. From childish usations, they grew to the level of clearlyying out each other¡¯s crimes and substantiating it with their own eye-witness ount, all with a logical flow of thought. Eventually, they even began nitpicking each other¡¯s testimonies. ¡°When did I say that they are criminals? Don¡¯t try to twist my words!¡± ¡°You said that big brother Roel got my imperial sister pregnant, and the two of them escaped together. Isn¡¯t that implying that they are criminals?¡± ¡°That¡¯s called elopement, elopement! How is that a crime?!¡± ¡°... Enough! Stop arguing.¡± Unable to take their nonsense anymore, Roel finally silenced them. He nced at the duo, who had quietened down after their outburst, and took some time to consider this matter. In the end, he let out a helpless sigh. There was not a shred of doubt that what they had done was utterly foolish¡ªthey nearly condemned him into the deepest level of hell!¡ªbut even so, their primary purpose was to help him. Considering the circumstances back then, their actions were actually fairly risky, and it must have taken them quite a bit of courage to pull it off. It was human nature to avoid problems, but the duo took the initiative to help him instead of feigning ignorance, which meant a lot considering how huge of a matter it was for him to ¡®elope¡¯ with the esteemed imperial princess of the Austine Empire. One must know that nothing good coulde out of getting implicated in such a massive scandal. To be honest, Roel would have been touched by their sentiments... if not for the fact that they had chosen the worst way to help him. What further horrified him was that they actually had a ¡®follow-up measure¡¯. Had he not returned in time, they would have begun spreading news that he had eloped together with Lilian. That would have indubitably caused a scandal on par with Watergate! Argh, I really want to give them a pummeling the more I think about it, but it wouldn¡¯t do for me to punish them too harshly either. The important thing is to get the message across. Roel pondered for a long while before finally speaking up. ¡°The two of you will be responsible for cleaning the Azure Manor this month. I¡¯ll have someone conduct routine spot checks. If I find out that any of you have cked off, I¡¯ll extend your punishment.¡± ¡°Cleaning?¡± Just this? Both Paul and Geralt were stunned by Roel¡¯s ¡®punishment¡¯. They didn¡¯t expect it to be so light. Hearing the doubt in their voices, Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up and he asked sharply. ¡°Or would the two of you prefer corporal punishment instead?¡± ¡°Cleaning sounds wonderful to me!¡± ¡°M-me too! I¡¯ve been wanting to clean the Azure Manor for quite some time now!¡± Roel shook his head and harrumphed. He rose to his feet and began making his way out of the room. ¡°Let¡¯s conclude things with this. Make no mistake, I don¡¯t condone what the two of you have done, but I don¡¯t want to spoil the mood tonight.¡± The moment Roel opened the door, the loud cheering and apuseing from the assembly hall gushed in. Amidst this bustle, he turned around to look at the stunned duo and smiled. ¡°After all, tonight is our night.¡± ¡ª- Changing ¡®alliance of the three races¡¯ to ¡®Tripartite Alliance¡¯ for the sake of coolness ?? Chapter 364: Veteran Foodie

Chapter 364: Veteran Foodie

Tonight¡¯s celebration was hosted in Roel Ascart, Paul Ackermann, and Geralt Stephenson¡¯s honor. They were the stars of the night. There was not a single empty seat in the massive assembly hall. On the stage stood a uniformed Lilian Ackermann and dozens of members from the Purplerose Faction and Bluerose Faction who had participated in the raid on the Bloodtribute Cult. They stood with their chests puffed out and a gand around their necks. Principal Antonio, dressed in a gold-rimmed white robe reserved specifically for major events, stood on the stage as he exuberantly addressed the student popce. ¡°A month ago, while most students were enjoying their peaceful campus life, a blood envelope was delivered to the newly-founded Request Club of our Saint Freya Academy, informing them of a vile incident. Due to the severity of the matter, the sender chose not to sign off on the letter. ¡°It was an anonymous report thatcked credibility, but the Request Club, led by Roel Ascart, Paul Ackermann, and Geralt Stephenson, didn¡¯t overlook it. With the limited clues on hand, they challenged the odds and searched for the truth. They sought the Enforcement Division¡¯s aid despite their previous differences and patiently staked out for days. Their efforts paid off, and they sessfully eradicated an evil cult hiding in the shadows of our academy. ¡°Their responsibility, courage, wisdom, and sense of justice are traits that the rest of us ought to learn from. On behalf of the entire Saint Freya Academy, I¡¯ll bestow the three of them a Tier-1 Contribution Medallion. I ask all of you to give your loudest apuse to our brave warriors!¡± Resounding apuse filled up the assembly hall following Antonio¡¯s words. Roel, Paul, and Geralt exchanged gazes before walking onto the stage. Roel¡¯s appearance stirred a hugemotion amongst the members of the Bluerose Faction in the audience stand. Cheers and whistles sounded nonstop. Nora and Charlotte took the lead to rise to their feet and offer a standing ovation. Lilian also looked in his direction and revealed a ravishing smile. ¡°T-that¡­ Senior Lilian is actually smiling!¡± ¡°¡­ In the years I¡¯ve spent studying here, this is my first time seeing her smile.¡± Such remarks could be heard amongst the Austinean students below. Some of them recalled the rumors spreading around recently, and it made them cast doubt on Lilian and Roel¡¯s rtionship. On the stage, a young woman with ck hair and blue eyes waited patiently for Roel with a box held ceremoniously in her hands¡ªMelty Sani. She was the whistleblower of the Blood Envelope Incident, as well as the person whom Roel spent several sleepless days guarding. She had already received a medal for her contribution, but she chose to remain on the stage to officially express her gratitude to her savior. Roel, Paul, and Geralt walked up to the stage in a line. Thetter two received their medals from Principal Antonio himself whereas Roel received his from Melty. ¡°Lord Roel, thank you for staying by my side and vigntly protecting me for those few days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right for me to do so. As a Ringbearer, I¡¯m obligated to protect the student popce and maintain order in the academy, not to mention someone as kind and righteous as you.¡± Hearing those gentle words, Melty looked into Roel¡¯s clear, warm eyes, and her face swiftly reddened. Her eyes rippled with deep sentiments as she asked softly. ¡°Lord Roel, I know that I¡¯m an Austinean, but would you ept me into your Bluerose Faction?¡± ¡°Of course. My faction doesn¡¯t discriminate against one¡¯s background. It¡¯d be our blessing to have someone as upright as Miss Melty amongst us.¡± Melty was moved by Roel¡¯s smiling response. ¡°Thank you, Lord Roel.¡± As she said those words, she suddenly tiptoed and kissed Roel¡¯s cheek in front of the crowd. ¡°!¡± ¡°Ohhhhhhh¡ª!¡± Roel¡¯s face visibly stiffened at Melty¡¯s unexpected move, but looking at the enlivened crowd beneath, he let out a helpless smile and politely thanked her. It was permitted for ady to offer a kiss to her savior under such a setting, but it must have taken a lot of courage for a conservative Austinean to perform such an act. Out of consideration for her feelings, Roel wouldn¡¯t have avoided her kiss even if he had known about it in advance, or else it would have put her in a spot. Besides, this gesture would also further boost the Bluerose Faction¡¯s reputation. While the students cheered loudly, they also looked at Roel in admiration, fervently wishing that a day woulde where they could also be a hero and save a damsel in distress. This was also Principal Antonio¡¯s aim for holding such a grand award presentation ceremony. He wanted to advocate the correct values and guide the students in the right direction. With Roel and the others receiving their medals too, the award presentation ceremony was finally concluded. Nevertheless, the students continued to ze with enthusiasm as they knew that there would be a celebration banquet hosted by the academy right after. Or rather, it might be more precise to say that they were here for the celebration banquet rather than the award presentation ceremony. All celebration banquets hosted by Saint Freya Academy were organized by the Commercial Street Union, whichprised six of the ten 3-star restaurants in Leinster and many other famous 2-star restaurants. With such an extravagant line-up, there was no doubt that the celebration banquet would be filled with a huge array of delicacies. It was a foodie¡¯s paradise, especially for a certain ck-haired man. Patience, patience! I need to at least keep up a graceful front! Roel told himself as he gracefully made his way across the corridor leading to the banquet hall¡­ but it was really hard to exert self-control when he saw the other students dashing past him to head for the buffet tables. The mixture of restraint and frustration on his face induced a chuckle from Nora, and Charlotte also tried her best to keep her lips from inching upward too. In contrast to how Roel was trying his best to maintain his poise, the nouveau noble Paul wasn¡¯t as particr about etiquette. Having starved for an entire night now, he charged toward the buffet table with the rest of the crowd and snatched a roasted chicken drumstick. ¡°For goodness sake, you¡¯re a prince! Can you stop acting in such an embarrassing manner?¡± Geralt criticized Paul with a disdainful frown. His haughty attitude onlysted a mere second. The moment he caught sight of the glowing flesh beneath the chicken skin, his eyes widened. He promptly pulled out a chair, took a seat, and grabbed a chicken drumstick for himself. ¡°T-this is¡­ Seven-colored Truffle Roasted Chicken!¡± ¡°Seven-colored Truffle Roasted Chicken? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the specialty of Weoweos Mystic Restaurant. The chicken is first marinated for several hours with a sauce made out of seven-colored truffles so as to allow the vors to fully set in. After that, it¡¯s roasted over low heat in a special oven for half a day. The resulting product is a rich and sulent chicken that promises an explosion of harmonious vors in one¡¯s mouth!¡± After a quick exnation, Geralt swiftly chomped down on his chicken drumstick, aiming to gobble down as much as he could before the others gathered around. As for Paul, he curiously examined the chicken drumstick in his hand before taking a bite. The moment his teeth sank into the chicken drumstick, he was first weed with a crisp taste before an explosion of the fragrant seven-colored truffle sauce and rich oil filled his mouth. A perfect texture apanied with harmonious vors and deep lingering savoriness¡ªthis was foodgasm! ¡°This is unbelievably delicious!¡± Before the terrifying prowess of a top-notch delicacy, Paul and Geralt were reduced to helpless ves who could do nothing but continuously stuff more of it into their mouths. It was also around then that Roel finally arrived in the banquet hall. He first shot a nce across the room and saw that nearly everyone, be it noble or civilian, had chosen to put away all pretenses and immerse themselves in the delicacies. As a veteran of banquet halls, Roel had already mastered the art of elegant chowing. Even as he wolfed down the food before him, he was still able to remain graceful by some mysterious force of nature. Meanwhile, Principal Antonio and the teaching staff were chatting with one another with sses filled with sparkling blue alcohol. He raised his staff slightly, and the instruments by the sides freed themselves from the walls of the banquet hall and began ying a cheerful symphony. The addition of melodious music on top of the delectable food brought the atmosphere to a new high. ¡°Roel Ascart, Paul Ackermann, and Geralt Stephenson, please step forward.¡± Just as the banquet was at its peak, a voice suddenly echoed across the banquet hall. Following that, several staff members dressed in chef clothes pushed a cart containing a massive cake. This sight excited many of the female students present. Bewitching Dessert House¡ªthis was the most popr restaurant amongst the women of Saint Freya Academy. The desserts they made sold faster than hotcakes all year round. It was usually reserved for special asions, such as the current celebration banquet. The celebratory cakes of Bewitching Dessert House would usually conform to the theme of the asion, making them bona fide exclusives. Its chief baker was Great Magician cum Dessert Lecturer Milin, so in a sense, the desserts could be described as edible magic tools. With roaring cheersing from all around, Roel and the others walked up to the massive cake and saw a nted crimson envelope sitting at the top. There were three little figurines resembling them standing around the envelope. ¡°Say your name and activate the cake!¡± eximed the petite Milin. Activate? Is the cake some kind of mecha? Roel and the others reported their names one by one. ¡°Geralt Stephenson.¡± The first figurine lit up. ¡°Paul Ackermann.¡± The second figurine lit up. ¡°¡­ Roel Ascart.¡± The third figurine lit up. With all three figurines lit up, the crimson letter at the center started emanating a faint light. All of a sudden, the cake exploded into hundreds of crimson envelopes that flew in all directions. ¡°Huh?¡± Roel, Paul, and Geralt were bbergasted by the sudden disappearance of the massive cake. It was then that Milin started shouting across the room. ¡°Those who wish to have a slice of the cake, ce an envelope onto your te.¡± Roel did as he was instructed to. The crimson envelope zed into ashes the moment it came into contact with the te, conjuring a piping hot slice of cake in its wake. On the cake was a figurine that resembled him. ¡°Ohhhhhhh!¡± Amazed exmations echoed from the students. Even Roel couldn¡¯t help but blink his eyes in surprise. Thanks to this performance, the atmosphere in the banquet room climaxed. The students excitedly raised their tes to catch the falling crimson envelopes to im their dessert. Amidst this bustle, a ck-haired imperial princess managed to find an opportunity to sneak to Roel¡¯s side. Slicing a bite-sized piece of cake with her fork, she looked at Roel with her glimmering amethyst eyes and said coaxingly. ¡°Here, ahh¡ª¡± Chapter 365: Sweet Dessert

Chapter 365: Sweet Dessert

While the students in the bustling banquet hall were focused on the crimson envelopes slowly drifting down from the sky, the ck-haired imperial princess silently approached her target. ¡°Senior?¡± Roel was dumbstruck by the delectable treat offered to his mouth. He could have never imagined that Lilian would be so bold even when they were already back at the academy. Their rtionship was no longer the same after the experiences they shared, but there were still many obstacles between them. Just the restriction from Emperor Lukas was a huge hurdle for them to ovee. Lilian had received a handwritten letter from Emperor Lukas forbidding her from approaching any member of the Ascart House. She still couldn¡¯t understand why thetter would impose such a restriction, but as an imperial princess, she had to obey his will. At the very least, she mustn¡¯t be caught explicitly defying his edict. Such a public disy of affection was definitely out of the question. ¡°Senior, there are too many people here.¡± Roel tried to reject her, but right after he said those words, Paul Ackermann suddenly walked over with a tter in hand. With his body, he concealed the two of them from the rest of the crowd. ¡°Quick, we don¡¯t have much time. Ah¡ª¡± urged Lilian. Looking at Paul¡¯s cover and listening to Lilian¡¯s urging, Roel found himself utterly dumbfounded. Afraid that others would see them, he could only quickly lean forward and gobble up the cake on Lilian¡¯s fork before anxiously returning to his original position. Satisfied, Lilian casually walked past him, as if nothing had happened between them. Thanks to the music apaniment and the crimson envelope cakes, the atmosphere in the banquet hall was pushed to a new high. Most of the female students who were already full from the earliest feast unhesitatingly dug into the crimson cake, lending support to the theory that women did indeed have a separate stomach for desserts. After confirming that no one had noticed their earlier interaction, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. His nervousness faded, but when he looked at Lilian¡¯s departing silhouette, his face swiftly reddened. Despite having just fed Roel with her fork, she showed no intention of changing her cutlery. Her amethyst eyes narrowed slightly as she tasted the dessert herself with the same fork before smiling sweetly. ¡°...¡± Roel felt helpless at Lilian¡¯s actions. Meanwhile, Paul watched the interaction between the red-faced Roel and the gleeful Lilian from the side, and a warm smile crept onto his lips. My imperial sister and big brother Roel are made for each other! Paul couldn¡¯t help but recall how Lilian approached him a few days ago to ask for his help. ¡°Paul, I hope that you can be the bridge ofmunication between Roel and I in the academy.¡± It was such a rare requesting from the proud Lilian that Paul agreed to it without a second thought. He did think that Roel was the only onepatible with his incredibly outstanding imperial sister, which was why he chose to support her. It was from that day onward that he became a secret agent of the Roel X Lilian fanclub and devoted himself to propagating the prosperity of the fanclub. Most of the students were so focused on the crimson envelope desserts that they didn¡¯t notice the interaction between Roel and Lilian, but there were a few exceptions. Such as Nora and Charlotte. It was basic courtesy not to steal the limelight from the star of the show, so Nora and Charlotte held themselves back from doing anything overboard here. Who could have thought that it would end up opening a gap for Lilian to strike? That despicable wench! She actually found herself a helper from Roel¡¯s side! Nora and Charlotte red at Paul Ackermann with gritted teeth, but there was nothing they could do here. Paul was still a prince of the Austine Empire, albeit an illegitimate one, though what was more important here was that he was Roel¡¯s treasured subordinate! Roel was generally good-tempered, but when he got angry, his fury was one to behold. Previously, when Nora, Charlotte, and Alicia came to blows in Rosa, he lost his temper and hollered at them, forcing them to stop. Part of the reason why they heeded his words then was because they were worried that Roel would really get mad at them, but aside from that, he also gave off an air of solemn authority thatpelled obedience. Had he not regressed back to his child state, they probably wouldn¡¯t have dared to act as they pleased back at Eirbower. Knowing that their hands were tied here, Nora and Charlotte could only direct their grievances to Paul. With sharpened instincts from his transcendency, Paul intuitively sensed sharp hostility directed toward him, and his body shuddered in response. ¡°W-why does it suddenly feel so cold?¡± Paul nervously eyed his surroundings, but thinking that nothing could possibly happen in this crowded ce, he quickly shook it off as nothing. Meanwhile, Roel had begun digging into his cake happily while scanning the surroundings. (Affection Points +80) (Affection Points +50) (Affection Points +20) (Affection Points +40) (Affection Points +110) Like a farmer facing his lush fields, Roel nodded in satisfaction. It was no wonder why they said that the kind would be rewarded. At some point in time, Roel had started to underestimate the usefulness of Affection Points. Unlike the Gold Coin Shop, which was filled with things that strengthened him, the items sold in the Affection Points Exchange Shop were mainly for the development of his fiefdom, which was not as useful to him since what the Ascart Fiefdom really needed now was time. However, his mind changed after encountering a godly artifact that helped him survive an assassination attempt from the Saints Convocation¡ªBlessed Wheat. This item served nobat purpose, but its effects were far more valuable than any weapon and tool. Upon knowing that there were such incredible items in the Affection Points Exchange Shop, he naturally started to value Affection Points too. With the officialmendation from the academy through the award presentation ceremony, there was not a student in the academy who wasn¡¯t aware of his merits in clearing away the evil cultists lurking in the academy. This earned him recognition, respect, and admiration from the other students. ¡°Chief, thank you.¡± Geralt walked up to Roel with a head glowing green and bowed deeply, thankful that he was granted an opportunity to receive such honor. Roel shook his head and replied earnestly. ¡°No, I should be the one thanking you instead. It is thanks to you and the other members of our Bluerose Faction working hard over those few days that we received this honor.¡± ¡°!¡± With just a few words, Roel attributed their sess to the collective effort of the organization. Geralt was a little surprised to hear these words. Individualism was often prioritized in Knight Kingdom Pendor due to their romanticization of heroism. A knight was usually evaluated on his own aplishment and not that of his order. This was the first time Geralt was experiencing what a shared sense of glory felt like, and it made blood race through his veins. He made a vow on the spot to bring greater glory to the Bluerose Faction. On the other hand, Roel blinked his eyes in confusion. He couldn¡¯t understand why Geralt was so pumped up over this, and in the end, he could only attribute it to cultural differences. What was needed to make a person devoted to an organization? It was a huge subject with extensive research done on it back in Roel¡¯s previous world, but Roel himself embraced a simple answer to that question¡ªinculcating a shared identity. A shared identity would help in aligning the interests of the members, allowing them to remain united toward the same goal. It was through this that the members of the Twilight Sages Assembly were able to unite into a powerful force to fight against terrifying cmities despite their differences. Roel had personally seen the power of the masses when they were united by amon goal in his previous life, and he thought that it was only normal to instill such values within the Bluerose Faction. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said about Geralt. Knights embraced a culture of personal aplishment. Most knights grew up with stories of heroes where a chosen few rose up and saved the world. The countless others who sacrificed themselves for the same goal were nothing but insignificant cannon fodder, not worthy of mention at all. In fact, this culture wasn¡¯t just limited to the knights. Most people in the Sia Continent felt the same way too. They were living in a world where transcendent powers existed after all, and there were times where a single powerful transcendent could make all the difference in the world. In the end, Roel shook his head. He felt that he was thinking too much into it. It was not his ce to decide whether individualism was superior to collectivism or not. He would rather focus his attention on something far more interesting than that. It¡¯s about time for me to exchange for some new stuff. After a night of furiously ruing Affection Points, Roel happily turned to his System and essed the Affection Points Exchange Shop. In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of the words ¡®Gold Coin Shop¡¯ and clicked his tongue. He didn¡¯t even want to look at it now after having to borrow 400,000 gold coins from Charlotte to repay his debt. Unexpectedly, an item caught his eye. ¡¾Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance A blessing left behind by an ancient goddess. The receiver of the blessing has a chance of receiving guidance that will lead him toward his chosen goal while averting crisis. The possibility of receiving guidance depends on the chosen goal. Duration: 30 Days Price: 200,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡¾Monthly Discount % off selected items ... Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance Price: 100,000 Affection Points ¡¿ ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed upon seeing the name and description of the new item refreshed in the Affection Points Exchange Shop. A blessing from the Goddess of Fate? But... why is it so cheap? Blessed Wheat cost 600,000 Affection Points, but the Goddess of Fate¡¯s guidance was priced at a mere 200,000 Affection Points. This anomaly rang rm bells in Roel¡¯s mind. He began scrutinizing the details of the item, and he eventually figured it out. It¡¯s cheaper because it¡¯s a probabilistic item. It says that the probability of receiving guidance corresponds to the chosen goal. To put it in other words, the harder my chosen goal is, the more unlikely it is for me to receive guidance. This was a very different item from Blessed Wheat, which possessed the power to change a person¡¯s trajectory of life at a given point in time. The Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance was a supportive blessing that sought to aid one in achieving a realistic goal within a short period of time. Having understood how the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance roughly worked, Roel began weighing his options. He looked at his still increasing Affection Points, followed by the celebrating students around him, and in the end, he made up his mind to purchase it. It just so happened that there was one thing he had been wanting to achieve but wasn¡¯t sure how to go about doing it. He walked over to the corner of the room, raised his wine cup to block his lips, and paid 100,000 Affection Points to purchase the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. As the blessing was bestowed upon him, he instinctively understood the way to activate it. So, he began murmuring his goal. ¡°My goal is to save my ancestor, Astrid Arde.¡± Chapter 366: The Importance of Paul’s Ass

Chapter 366: The Importance of Paul¡¯s Ass

Half a month ago, shortly after Roel recovered from his distressing physical regression, he found himself face to face with a familiar nightmare he had put behind him a year ago. He was having an afternoon nap in the Carriage of Sinners when he felt a chilling intent enveloping him, both in reality and in his dream. It was a pair of beautiful yet unfathomably cold eyes, staring at him across the boundaries of space-time. It rendered his body so cold that his heartbeat stilled to a halt. It was only when those eyes finally left that he jolted awake. His body lurched upward in shock as he gasped hard for air. His clothes werepletely drenched in cold sweat. The attention of the Mother Goddess definitely didn¡¯t bode well. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by the Mother Goddess¡¯ fixation on him. He did absorb Her God Envoys¡¯ powers, after all. Being eyed by a god ced him under tremendous stress, and he knew that he needed to find powerful allies on his side if he wished to survive the Mother Goddess¡¯ wrath. This happened to coincide with another goal of his¡ªsaving Astrid Arde. Having been through the Witness State four hundred years ago, Roel was well aware of Magician King Priestley¡¯s tremendous strength. It was likely that Astrid had suffered grievous wounds in the midst of bringing Priestley down, though the fact that the continued existence of the Dream Realm in the ckrose Ring was evidence that she was still alive. That being said, he wascking information to make any decisive moves. There were two ways for him to gain information. One was through Guardian Antonio and the other through ¡®fake A.I.¡¯ Magaret. He hadn¡¯te into contact with either of them since he had only just returned to the academy himself, but it was likely that they were helpless regarding Astrid¡¯s situation too. Over the past four hundred years, Antonio had reached the peak in terms of influence, power, and standing. If he really knew of a means to make his ex-mentor return to the world, he would have already realized it by now. The same went for Magaret, who had only started managing the academy due to Astrid. If there was a backup n that worked here, she would have already evoked it by now. If ¡®Academic¡¯ Astrid hadn¡¯t returned over a lengthy four hundred years, it could only mean that her condition was worse than he had expected. This was also why Roel decided to use Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance for that. From a personal point of view, both he and Lilian had a good impression of their ancestor and wanted to help her. From a realistic point of view, having an Origin Level 1 ancestor as his stalwart ally was more reliable than anything he could do right now. With these two motivations behind it, Roel murmured his wish and the blessing activated. ¡¾Activating Blessing ..¡¿ ¡¾Activation sessful¡¿ ¡¾There¡¯s a chance that you¡¯ll receive fate¡¯s guidance¡¿ ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾You have received guidance from the Goddess of Fate¡¿ ¡°Hm? I was able to obtain guidance so easily?¡± Roel was dumbfounded. An unwitting smile crept onto his lips as he celebrated his own good luck. But what could the guidance be... He scanned his surroundings intently, curious to know what there was in this banquet that could possibly help him save Astrid. Before he could figure out the answer, he received a notification on his System. ¡¾Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance Lower your hips, raise your leg, and kick Paul Ackermann¡¯s bottom with great force Time Limit: 10 seconds¡¿ ¡¾Countdown: 10... 9... 8...¡¿ W-what¡¯s going on? Roel Ascart was baffled by the ridiculous notification he received from the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. Based on the wisdom of an ancient goddess, the first step to saving his ancestor who had been trapped for four hundred years was to kick Paul¡¯s ass? Is the Goddess of Fate some kind of pervert who¡¯s into such stuff? He stared at Paul, who looked refreshed after finishing his cake, with question marks filling his mind. However, the countdown wasn¡¯t going to stop just because he was confused. Not wanting to let this potential opportunity slip through his fingers, he gritted his teeth and decided to give it a try. It¡¯s the Goddess of Fate. Surely she wouldn¡¯t spout nonsense. With such thoughts in mind, Roel took a deep breath, lowered his hip, raised his leg, and sent a powerful kick straight toward Paul Ackermann¡¯s butt. ¡°Ah!¡± The abrupt assault on his butt left Paul dumbfounded. All he managed to do was to let out a sharp exmation before he was sent tumbling across the air. Thankfully, the noisy crowd drowned out his cry, so it didn¡¯t cause amotion. Though two certaindies did catch sight of it. Nora and Charlotte were still feeling deeply resentful toward Paul¡¯s tant siding with Lilian, so their eyes lit up at Roel¡¯s action. They had no idea why he was doing this, but that satisfied them and soothed their anger. Meanwhile, Roel remained oblivious that his little action had appeased the wrath of two women and thus averted a potential crisis. He continued staring at Paul¡¯s movement trajectory intently, wanting to see just what the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance had to offer to him. Would the great undertaking to save Astrid really start with a kick on Paul¡¯s ass? Roel wondered doubtfully as he watched Paul tumble into the crowd. ... At the end of the banquet hall, Principal Antonio stroked his snowy white beard as he chatted with the top brass from prominent Schr Guilds, discussing the problems regarding the Challenger Cup. Challenger Cup was a major tournament that was held in Leinster once every few years. All incumbent students in Leinster were qualified to participate in it, and slots were also allocated to a few other organizations with members whose ages fit the criterion. It was a hot-blooded grand festival that was filled with the hopes and dreams of the youth. There was great public attention on every single iteration of the Challenger Cup, which meant that it wielded great influence. The participants would be awarded not just fame and glory but a new door of opportunities too. It was somewhat equivalent to the Summer Koshien from Roel¡¯s previous life. Anyone who managed to get into Koshien was already half a step there to bing a winner in life, making it a holynd for youths and dreams. Star yers that performed well in the Koshien could easily gain poprity on par with idols and receive offers from pro teams. And the influence of the Challenger Cup far exceeded that. While Koshien¡¯s influence was rooted in Japan¡¯s love for baseball, transcendent abilities were the foundation of human civilization, the key reason why it was able to prosper to this day. Strength had tangible value on the Sia Continent, and the Challenger Cup was the greatest stage for youths to prove themselves. The youths would have to devote their all in order to reach for the highest seat, be it drowning themselves in their sweat ofbor or racking their brains for ingenious ns to bring down theirpetitors. The one who seeded would acquire stupendously great fame and fortune. There was just one problem that was guing Antonio, the other principals, and the leaders of the Schr Guilds: Should the First Grade students qualify in the tournament? Previous rules dictated that First Grade students whockedbat experience weren¡¯t allowed topete for the Challenger Cup, but the external and internal situations were different this year. In terms of external situation, the invasion of the deviants by the borders created a necessity to search for more raw gems and quickly polish them up. In terms of internal situation, the current generation of First Grade students was clearly of a different caliber from the previous generations¡ªthree Ringbearers had risen from their ranks! It would be a huge waste to disqualify those three Ringbearers before the battle even started. They had to decide whether to stick to traditions or be adventurous and explore new boundaries. It was a tough decision to make as the great attention on the Challenger Cup meant that every decision they made would stir huge ripples. ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask a student for his opinion then?¡± Unable toe to a conclusive decision even after a prolonged discussion, Antonio stroked his beard and proposed an idea. It just so happened that a person suddenly crashed right in front of them the next moment. In this crucial moment, Paul Ackermann was here to the rescue! Chapter 367: You Are the Chosen One!

Chapter 367: You Are the Chosen One!

There was something peculiar about the current batch of First Grade students of Saint Freya Academy. There were the prodigious princess of the Xeclydes and the young miss of the Sorofyas, the newest member of the Ackermann Imperial Family, as well as a long-awaited awakener of the Ascart House. This was the first time in centuries that Principal Antonio had encountered so many prominent students in a single batch. They were potentially a golden generation, and it would be a huge waste to exclude them from the Challenger Cup. It was just that changing the long-established traditions of the Challenger Cup was no trifling affair. In view of that, Antonio decided to gather the opinion of the students present to gauge public sentiment. Who could have thought that Paul Ackermann would tumble right in front of him then? ¡°!¡± After a journey across the air that was tragically ignored by the crowd in the room, Paul finally skidded to a halt. Rubbing his aching bum, he slowly rose to his feet while hissing in pain. To his bewilderment, he found himself surrounded by a group of old men. Most were foreign faces, but one was appallingly familiar. ¡°P-principal!¡± Paul¡¯s face paled in horror the moment he caught sight of Antonio. He realized that he had somehow tumbled his way into the circle of Leinster¡¯s top brass. On the other hand, Antonio had fallen into deep thought upon Paul¡¯s arrival. Did he overhear our conversation? This is indeed a rare opportunity for him, an illegitimate son of Emperor Lukas, to prove his worth. Thinking of Paul¡¯s plight left Antonio feeling a little doleful, but he knew that this was an opportunity to push his cause. So, he grabbed Paul¡¯s hand and asked with a gentle smile. ¡°Paul Ackermann, you must be here to offer your thoughts. There¡¯s no need to be nervous here. You¡¯re one of the stars of the banquet; you¡¯re qualified to voice your opinion.¡± ¡°Ah? I-I...¡± I¡¯m not here to voice my opinion. I really am not! Paul was utterly horrified, and having his hand grabbed by Antonio left him feeling as if his path of escape had been sealed, further frightening him. He nervously looked into Antonio¡¯s expectant eyes, not knowing what he was supposed to do. Sensing Paul¡¯s apprehension, Antonio sighed inwardly and decided to take the lead. ¡°Paul, would you find it regretful that you aren¡¯t able to participate this year?¡± Antonio was asking Paul his view on missing the Challenger Cup, but Paul heard apletely different question. He¡¯s interviewing me on how I feel about subduing the evil cultists! Catching Antonio¡¯s drift, Paul looked at the top brass gathered in this circle and realization struck him. Ah, these people must be external parties, possibly the leaders from the other academies in Leinster. They must be trying to outdo one another now... meaning that Principal Antonio wants me to prop up Saint Freya Academy¡¯s reputation? Paul finally understood what he had to do here. Bragging, right? Leave it to me! Having confirmed his role, Paul straightened his back and puffed out his chest. ¡°Definitely! I¡¯d regret it for life!¡± Paul¡¯s unexpected impassioned response stunned the top brass. They hadn¡¯t expected him to feel so strongly about the Challenger Cup. Antonio¡¯s eyes lit up as he continued inquiring. ¡°But you also understand that participationes with risks, especially as a First Grade student, right?¡± ¡°Of course I do, but how could I back down just because it poses some danger? I am a student of Saint Freya Academy! ¡± ¡°!¡± The top brass were impressed by the pride and determination Paul was disying here. It left them wondering if they had been underestimating the younger generation. ¡°Youngsters nowadays are much more courageous than I expected.¡± ¡°Amendable attitude, indeed!¡± Paul was even more certain of his deduction after hearing their responses. Antonio nodded with an approving smile. ¡°Well said! Still, a First Grade student like you is bound to be disadvantaged against those from the upper grades. Are you certain about this?¡± Hm? Those from the upper grades? Is he referring to the Enforcement Division? Argh, why do people in power always speak in such a roundabout fashion? It took Paul a moment of rumination before he was able to grasp the meaning behind Antonio¡¯s confusing words. He recalled the advice Roel offered when Geralt and him were feeling nervous before the operation, and it helped them mentally prepare themselves. ¡°We might be weaker than those from the upper grades, but we canpensate for that through wise guidance.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s indeed a way to ovee your own limitations.¡± Satisfied with Paul¡¯s words, Antonio¡¯s smile further deepened. Youths tended to getcent during their period of swift growth, leading to them disregarding their teachers. However, many of Saint Freya Academy¡¯s teachers were experts in their own right, and the knowledge they imparted was the crystallization of what they had learned over their many years of experience. ¡°That¡¯s the response from our First Grade students. What do you think?¡± Antonio swept a gaze across the top brass from the Schr Guilds gathered around him. The top brass exchanged gazes with one another, and one by one, they began to nod their heads. Their reaction satisfied Antonio. He patted Paul¡¯s shoulders and delivered the long-awaited good news to thetter. ¡°Paul Ackermann, on behalf of the organizingmittee, I officially permit your participation in the Challenger Cup.¡± ¡°Thank you, I... Ah?¡± Faced with Antonio¡¯s expectant eyes, Paul Ackermann found himself utterly dumbfounded. ... ¡°My apologies. I saw a worm on your bum and got a little too agitated. I should have kept my strength in check,¡± apologized Roel with a sincere look on his face. Faced with Roel¡¯s earnest expression, Paul wasn¡¯t able to stay angry for long. That was one of the benefits of being good-looking. In the first ce, Paul wasn¡¯t familiar with the Challenger Cup so he didn¡¯t really understand what the significance of participating in it meant. He simply tossed the matter to the back of his head and returned to feasting on the delicacies. Thinking too much will only slow down the speed of my eating! It turned out that Paul was as much of a foodie as Roel was. Meanwhile, Roel was excited by the changes that had been stirred just by him kicking Paul over. It dispelled all of the reservations he harbored toward the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. Having found the key to fate, he looked at Paul with eyes filled with affection. As expected of the protagonist of Eyes of the Chronicler, the one chosen by fate! As someone who was more well-versed in worldly affairs, there was no way Roel wouldn¡¯t know of the wildly popr Challenger Cup. That was a dream stage for all young transcendents of the Sia Continent,parable to the World Cup in Roel¡¯s previous world. Those who performed spectacrly would be a household name in the Country of Schrs. There would always be a live audience of tens of thousands spectating the World Cup Finals. Almost every country would dispatch headhunters over to poach talented fighters, andpetition over them was extremely rife. It wasn¡¯t umon for these headhunters toe to blows with one another. However, Roel thought that this was only to be expected. One must know that the seeded fighters in the Challenger Cup were the most outstanding transcendents in their generation, some standing a chance at reaching Origin Level 2 in the future. Such talents were valuable even to the Austine Empire. In fact, there was even an incident in the past where the Austine Empire resorted to betrothing one of their princesses to a seeded fighter so as to tie him down to the Austine Empire. Just think about it! The Ackermanns, who had been propagating the Pure Bloodline Theory, had actually betrothed their daughter to an outsider! This showed just how highly regarded the Challenger Cup was even amongst the upper echelons of the Sia Continent. Of course, it was unlikely that the betrothal incident would happen again here. Putting aside the fact that Lilian was a powerful transcendent herself, just her own influence epassed over 30% of the Austine Empire¡¯s circle of nobility. Even Emperor Lukas would have to think twice before meddling into her marriage, or else it could stir a huge bacsh. Roel was fairly interested in the Challenger Cup, but he wasn¡¯t intending to participate in it due to the age limit restriction. The rules stated that participants had to be between 15 to 18 years old, so most First Grade students wouldn¡¯t be eligible. However, based on the earlier incident, it would appear that the age limit was going to be lowered so that First Grade students could participate in it as well. ¡°This is really huge news...¡± Roel was impressed by the effects of the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance, but he couldn¡¯t help but wonder just where all of this was leading to. So, how in the world is this rted to me saving my ancestor... Chapter 368: Alicia’s Little Problem

Chapter 368: Alicia¡¯s Little Problem

The Challenger Cup didn¡¯t y a vital role in Eyes of the Chronicler. It was also described to be a tournament with immense significance in the game, but there was hardly any attention on it. But again, the Eyes of the Chronicler was a gal game and not a fighting game. Paul¡¯s ass has caused a divergence from the game, which is good news since something is happening, but how will it help me save Astrid? Roel gave it some thought and eventually concluded that he would probably have to participate in the tournament himself and achieve spectacr results there. It wasmon knowledge that the winner of the Challenger Cup would receive handsome rewards, and there might just be something amongst the rewards that might be of help to Astrid. The good thing was that he was definitely eligible to join the Challenger Cup, be it his identity as one of the Ringbearers or his internal ranking amongst the First Grade students. He was currently third ce amongst his peers, and he would probably remain so since he wasn¡¯t nning on fighting against the other two ahead of him. The first ce was Nora and the second ce was Charlotte. What was funny about this was that Roel¡¯s third ce came about without him fighting a single battle. Ever since the ranked battles started, all of the opponents he challenged surrendered to him without even putting up a fight. Those who didn¡¯t know better would have thought that he had bribed them in advance. Most of the students had already known about Grandar¡¯s existence by this point, and none of them had the desire to cross blows with that formidable skeleton giant, resulting in a streak of easy wins for Roel. He soared up the internal ranking as if he was riding on a rocket ship, onlying to an abrupt halt when he encountered Nora in the semifinals. This time around, it was his time to surrender. He wasn¡¯t thepetitive type to get too bothered about rankings anyway, and he wasn¡¯t able to bring himself to fight seriously against Nora due to their personal rtionship. Besides, he had no intention of publicly revealing his trump cards. It was with such considerations in mind that he chose to surrender. What was worth mentioning was the intense fight that broke out between Nora and Charlotte when they met in the finals. In the end, Charlotte was cornered by Nora¡¯s relentless aggression and was forced to admit defeat, thus giving a peaceful conclusion to their fight. Most students wouldn¡¯t go to the extent of putting their lives on the line for the internal ranking, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the Challenger Cup. For money, reputation, and a bright future, almost every single fighter would do everything they could to achieve victory. In order to simte real-lifebat, the Challenger Cup had very little restrictions in terms of means. Even automated offensive magic tools were allowed as well. ¡°Chief, theva milk ice cream is going to be finished soon. Are you really not going to try one?¡± asked Geralt. ¡°!¡± Roel snapped out of his thoughts. He eyed the enticing volcano-shaped ice cream in Geralt¡¯s hand, followed by the swiftly running out supply in the cold dessert area. Without a second of hesitation, he gracefully speed walked over. Tsk, who cares about the tournament when there¡¯s good food in front of me? We can leave the thinking for tomorrow. Before the allure of good food, Roel decided to shut down his brain and relish himself in the delicacies that Leinster¡¯s top chefs had to offer. In this joyous atmosphere, the celebratory banquet finally ticked down to the end. ... An hourter, Roel walked down a wide street all alone. As the leader of the Bluerose Faction, Roel should have led his faction members back to the Azure Manor after the banquet came to an end, but special circumstances hindered him from doing so. He ended up leaving the banquet alone. He took a long detour before finally arriving at the staff members¡¯ high-ss residential area. His destination was an exquisite two-storey house located in the middle of this residential area that belonged to the only staff member that he was close with, as well as a potential future family member¡ªChris Wilde. Needless to say, he wasn¡¯t visiting her house in the middle of the night just to bid her goodnight. Rather, there was apelling reason that left him with no choice but to do so. It had been days since he had returned from the northern region, and his life slowly returned back to its usual joyous but peaceful state. He had bade farewell to the threat of the Magician King and the snowynds of the Eirbower Dukedom, but there was one person he was unable to bid farewell to. Alicia. Ever since they returned from the northernnds, Alicia insisted on following him to Leinster and adamantly refused to leaveter on. Roel had talked to her about this matter for many times now, but Alicia had already thought up an excuse tobel her action as ¡®work¡¯. ¡°I am here to evaluate Chris¡¯ personality and character,¡± she said. Quoting her words, as the intermediary between Chris and Carter, she was obligated to investigate the old ssmate who had been trying to send letters to Carter frequently over thest few months. It was quite a strained reason, but Roel found himself unable to say anything about it. It was reasonable for Alicia to be concerned about Carter and Chris¡¯ rtionship considering that they were family members. Roel had been always extremely sensitive about excluding Alicia from anything out of fear that she would feel like an outsider, thus putting him in a tough position here. Aside from that, Alicia was one of the key members of the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s intelligencework, so it was indeed part of her job to search for potential threats and investigate them. What furtherplicated things was how Chris and Alicia surprisingly got along with each other. He had no idea what kind of conversation the two of them had in their first meeting, but the next time he saw them, they were already as close as sisters. Intrigued, he had tried asking them about it before, and their response was that they felt a sense of camaraderie with each other. Before he knew it, Alicia had already moved into Chris¡¯ house and adamantly refused to leave. Roel would visit Alicia from time to time, but there was a special circumstance today. He looked at the note that was delivered to him via magic and let out a helpless sigh. ¡¾My bed is broken. You take her. ¡ªChris¡¿ ¡°...¡± Those simple words rendered Roel speechless. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder on his way there: Is it really that easy for a bed to spoil even when one is using it alone? With yet another sigh, he knocked on the door to the two-storey house. It was quickly opened by Chris. The edges of her lips inched upward upon seeing Roel, but she smacked her forehead and berated. ¡°You¡¯rete. Alicia has waited very long for you.¡± ¡°My apologies, the banquet just ended,¡± replied Roel. Chris looked at the bits of ribbon hanging on Roel¡¯s suit and smirked. She swiped off the ribbon on his shoulders and offered rare words ofpliment. ¡°You have done well this time around. Thanks to your aplishment, I had a lot more to write in my letter.¡± ¡°Thanks for thepliment. Speaking of which, Miss Chris... may I ask how did your bed spoil?¡± ¡°Well, about that...¡± ¡°Lord Brother!¡± While Chris was struggling to find a response to Roel¡¯s abrupt question, a silver-haired figure suddenly dashed out from one of the rooms and leaped right into Roel¡¯s embrace, thus interrupting the conversation between them. ¡°Alicia, your bed...¡± ¡°Lord Brother, I miss you.¡± ¡°... Haa, forget it.¡± Roel was still intending to get to the bottom of this matter, but when he looked at the excited youngdy snuggling up to him, his sis-con nature ended up kicking in. He knew that this was all an excuse, but he chose to condone her behavior anyway. Looking at the sweet interaction between the duo, Chris subconsciously revealed a warm smile. Well well, these two are truly... Alicia secretly gave Chris an ¡®okay¡¯ gesture to show that everything had gone ording to n. She had to seek refuge with Chris because there was a rule forbidding students from bringing outsiders into the campus with them. If not for this rule, the nobles studying in Saint Freya Academy would surely bring in armies of maids and butlers with them, which went against the academy¡¯s aim of building up their students¡¯ character and perseverance. However, such a limitation didn¡¯t apply to the teachers. Chris had the privilege to bring friends and family members over to live with her after registering them with the academy. This was also how the two of them managed to get close with each other so quickly. Alicia was the bridge between Chris and Carter whereas Chris had the power to grant Alicia residency rights in Saint Freya Academy; they were able to fulfill each other¡¯s needs. They swiftly formed the ¡®Conquering the Ascarts¡¯ Men!¡¯ alliance, and this was just the first of their many coborations toe. After thanking Chris for taking care of Alicia during this period of time, Roel and Alicia waved her goodbye before making their way toward the Azure Manor. Oblivious to Alicia, who was feeling gleeful about the sess of her n, a posh carriage bearing the insignia of a sword and a shield had just arrived at Saint Freya Academy¡¯s entrance. The coach raised his document and loudly dered the background of the esteemed individual riding inside the carriage. ¡°Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s Cambonyte House. Open up!¡± Chapter 369: Changemaker

Chapter 369: Changemaker

Hm? A carriage is entering the academy at this hour? Along a dark street faintly lit by the moon, Roel and Alicia slowly made their way toward the closest carriage stop with linked hands. Alicia was relishing in thiste night walk with her Lord Brother while Roel blinked his eyes at the carriage rushing past them. Thete night Saint Freya Academy was devoid of its usual bustle. The vicinity was enveloped in silence, making the throttling of the posh carriage that had just entered the academy ever more conspicuous. Oblivious to Roel, the scrutiny went both ways. While he was eyeing the carriage, the person in the carriage was also looking at him. ¡°That is...!¡± The armored figure seated inside the carriage immediately shot to her feet the moment she caught sight of Roel. Her first instinct was to halt the carriage, but she quickly changed her mind. She noticed that Roel was apanied by a silver-haired girl embracing his arm. A man and a woman taking a stroll at night with an intimate atmosphere floating between them; it was inevitable that William woulde to the conclusion that they were on a date. Isn¡¯t this... inappropriate? William slowly returned to her seat with a bewildered look on her face as she recalled the information they had gathered on Roel. That girl should be his foster sister, but I recall that Saint Freya Academy doesn¡¯t allow students to bring their family members to campus. William harbored doubts regarding Roel¡¯s behavior, but she had no intention of criticizing him since she was an outsider here. Her ck carriage galloped past Roel and headed into the heart of the academy. ... Half an hourter, William arrived at a traditional-looking building. Her armored silhouette as she walked across the soft carpeted corridors naturally drew intrigued gazes from the staff members. It was only when she was standing before a huge door bearing the ¡®Book of Truth¡¯ insignia that her footsteps finally came to a halt. A staff member stepped forward and respectfully knocked on the door on her behalf. Shortly after a few solemn knocks, the voice of an old man sounded from inside. ¡°Please enter.¡± The door automatically unlocked itself and sprung open. William made her way into the room with cadent footsteps. Antonio was seated on his chair getting some shut-eye, but he slowly opened them to gaze at the armored young woman entering the room. ¡°You must be Prince William. Wee to Saint Freya Academy. How¡¯s your father doing?¡± ¡°Lord Antonio, my father is faring well. Thank you for your concern.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too courteous. Your father and I wererades who fought alongside each other. Many years have passed, but our camaraderie from fighting alongside each other for humankind will never change. There aren¡¯t manyrades whom I can reminisce about the past with anymore,¡± said Antonio with a wistful sigh. Having lived for centuries, he had seen so many cycles of destruction and creation that it felt like a dreary loop. History departed only to return another day, but many of his old friends were no longer around. Longevity was not always that pleasant a thing. It was often apanied with loneliness. William remained silent before Antonio¡¯s nostalgic murmurs. The other staff member quietly retreated from the room, and the door closed and locked on its own ord. It was only then that she finally began talking. ¡°Esteemed Sage, I won¡¯t be so presumptuous as to im to understand your feelings, but I assure you that the sacrifices you have made for humankind will never be forgotten. It¡¯s my responsibility to inherit your will, and I¡¯ll work hard to ensure that your efforts won¡¯t be unraveled.¡± ¡°Responsibility, you say? Heh. It looks like he has been strict on you.¡± Listening to the words from his oldrade¡¯s daughter and the stifling heavy armor she wore, a mixture of emotions flickered across Antonio¡¯s eyes. He spent a moment in pensive silence before continuing on. ¡°You havee here on short notice, William. Is there something you need my help for?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Antonio. I wish to officially transfer over to Saint Freya Academy and further my studies here.¡± ¡°Transfer? The Knight Kingdom has its fair share of outstanding academies, so...¡± ¡°... Roel Ascart.¡± ¡°...¡± Antonio¡¯s pupils sharply contracted the moment the armored knight revealed her motive, but his expression reverted back to normal a split secondter. He took a while to consider the situation before posing a question. ¡°I believe that the Knight Kingdom should have received a report from me concerning Roel Ascart, no?¡± ¡°We did, and we value your observation and evaluation. However, as the sessor of the Cambonyte House, one of the houses that has made a vow with that ancient n, I wish to know him better on a personal level. The same goes for the members of the Dawnbringer Order who have apanied me here. We earnestly hope for his participation in our organization.¡± ¡°...¡± I guess what¡¯s meant to happen, will happen. There was not the slightest change in Antonio¡¯s expression, but he was sighing deeply in his heart. As an ex-member of the now dysfunctional Twilight Sages Assembly, ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio had remained in contact with the remnants of the Assembly and several sequestered houses residing in Knight Kingdom Pendor over the past few centuries. Over the years, his oldrades had requested for his aid on multiple asions, and he had always answered their call for help without fail. He still valued the camaraderie and bonds they once shared. It was just that this matter was different. The remnants of the Twilight Sages Assembly and the sequestered houses had been keeping an eye on the Ascart House, which was inevitable considering that they were descendants of the ancient n that founded the Assembly. Roel Ascart was spected to be the most recent awakener of that n after Ro¡¯s death several centuries ago, so the attention on him was even more intense. It was just that he hadn¡¯t made any moves over the years, so they were unable to confirm the spection. It was only this year¡ªafter Roel had enrolled in Saint Freya Academy¡ªthat Antonio confirmed that he had indeed awakened his bloodline. The news swiftly caused a huge stir in the Knight Kingdom. The original n was for Antonio to y the role of a mediator and guide Roel into the circles in the Knight Kingdom. Through gaining support from the remnants of the Twilight Sages Assembly and the sequestered houses, the Shadow Eagle of the Ancient Austine Empire would spread its wings and soar once more. It was just that Antonio¡¯s thoughts began to change as he got to know Roel better. One key factor was Roel¡¯spetency thus far. Antonio could hardly fathom how Roel was able to reach his current level of strength without anyone¡¯s guidance. He had even managed to gather significant intelligence on his n¡¯s history over the years. This proved that Roel was capable of standing his ground even without external support. But what really changed Antonio¡¯s mind was the brand new possibility he saw in the young man. He couldn¡¯t say that he trulyprehended it, but after months of observing the young man, he could definitively conclude that there was a huge difference between Roel Ascart and his awakened ancestors¡ªhis charisma. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, a sphere of influence had started converging around Roel. This influence was so great that it could sway the whole of humankind, and it was still swiftly growing even at this moment. What further impressed Antonio was their decisive responses in the face of danger. Not too long ago, when Roel Ascart met with danger, the Saint Mesit Theocracy and Rosa Merchant Confederacy unhesitatingly dispatched their soldiers and traveled tirelessly across a long distance to reinforce him. Together with the help of an imperial princess of the Austine Empire, Lilian Ackermann, they were able to crush the assassination squad. In the process of doing so, the various parties had put aside the deep-seated grudges arising from the differences in their nations and religions, uniting together as one for amon goal. To Antonio, who was no stranger to humankind¡¯s internal conflicts, this was nothing short of a miracle. The Saint Mesit Theocracy, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, the Austine Empire, and the heretics. Not once ever since the mass migration a thousand years ago had such a diverse group of people united around a single person. If this power were to be given time to mature... The thought of this cast a glimmer of expectation in Antonio¡¯s sagacious eyes. He had a feeling that when humankind was faced with dire danger, Roel would disy power and influence far surpassing that of any past awakeners of the Ascart House. For this reason, he didn¡¯t want anyone to disturb Roel. However, it seemed like his wish wasn¡¯t possible anymore. He gave the matter some thought before finally giving his reply. ¡°I¡¯ll ede to your request, but on one condition.¡± Chapter 370: Pandas

Chapter 370: Pandas

¡°Alicia, can you exin what you¡¯re doing on my bed?¡± In an unupied guest room in the Azure Manor, Roel stared at the foreign ceiling above him as he asked with a tone that carried a hint of ire. Beside him, an adorable silver-haired girl squeezed her head between his arm and waist, tickling him a little. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Good morning, Lord Brother.¡± Upon hearing Roel¡¯s livid question, Alicia blinked her eyes and decided to y deaf. She ignored his question and instead attempted to lean in for a morning kiss, but Roel cruelly rejected her by pushing her shoulders back. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you have overused this trick, Alicia Ascart? Don¡¯t think that you can circumvent my question just like that!¡± warned Roel with narrowed eyes. He felt like he was going to go bald from stress one of these days. Yesterday night, after the two of them arrived at the Azure Manor, Roel gave his room to Alicia so that she could catch a good sleep while he humbled himself with one of the unupied smaller guest rooms. This gesture showed just how much he doted on her. It was one thing for him to wake up with soreness all over his body, but what really grated at his nerves was when he realized that his sacrifice had been in vain. Alicia had forsaken thefy bed in his bedroom to squeeze with him in this stiff single bed! Of course, Alicia had an answer to that too. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯m a sensitive sleeper. Asfortable as your bed is, I wasn¡¯t able to fall asleep there.¡± ¡°You¡¯re sensitive about that soft bed, but somehow you¡¯re fine with this stiff one? I don¡¯t recall our manor having any beds as stiff as this.¡± ¡°This bed is indeed atrocious, but at least Lord Brother is here.¡± ¡°You...¡± Facing the smiling Alicia, Roel found himself unable toe up with any rebuttals to her remark. In the end, he could only heave a sigh. He used to think that Alicia would be more independent over the years and start distancing herself from him, but contrary to his expectations, she only grew even more clingy. Looking at how things turned out, he wondered why he had ever made such an assumption. I guess I got careless. I feel like I¡¯m bing more doting on her over the years too. While he was deep in thought, Alicia grabbed his arm and tried snuggling up to him, only to be stopped by the exasperated Roel once more. The two of them finally rose from bed and washed up in preparation for breakfast. It had almost be a routine for Roel and his close aides, Paul and Geralt, to have breakfast together in the dining room. Ever since Alicia chose to camp out in Saint Freya Academy, she would asionally join their breakfast gathering. Alicia¡¯s previous conflict with Lilian led to her viewing all Ackermanns with hostility, including Paul Ackermann. She would often express her enmity toward Paul over the dining table, which made thetter feel both uneasy and helpless. It was only when Roel had a proper chat with her to inform her about Paul¡¯s background that the situation finally alleviated. As much as Alicia disliked Paul for personal reasons, she was not a cold-hearted person. After learning that Paul was an illegitimate child and had an unfortunate childhood just like her, she started restraining her hostility toward him. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that she would suddenly be chummy with Paul. Thetter still had to distance himself from her on the dining table. Tolerating him was already the limit of the goodwill she would show to an enemy¡¯s sibling. Once they were done washing up, Roel and Alicia made their way to the dining room, where they were weed with a lifeless greeting. ¡°Ah. Good morning, chief, Miss Alicia.¡± ¡°Good morning, Geralt. You don¡¯t seem to be... doing well.¡± Faced with a young man carrying a pair of heavy eye bagsparable to the pandas in his previous life, Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up in intrigue. Paul, who was also in the dining room, greeted him with the same lifeless tone and a strained smile. ¡°The two of you are...?¡± Roel was perplexed by their poor conditions. Alicia also tilted her little head in confusion. It was soon revealed that their lethargy was caused by them burning the midnight oil for their studies. Academic sses were of equal importance when it came to earning Academic Credits, especially for First Grade students who had a disproportionately higher number of academic sses. The sheer amount of knowledge they had to learn was immense, and the subject that plunged most students in despair was none other than mathematics. Saint Freya Academy¡¯s mathematics sses were definitely not to be made light of. Their difficulty far surpassed the average standards of Leinster¡¯s other higher education institutes. It would appear that math was a nightmare for students even across worlds. It was worse for Paul as he hadn¡¯t been educated from a young age. As Paul¡¯s roommate and someone decent at math, Geralt selflessly stood forward and offered to help Paul lest thetter embarrass the Bluerose Faction with his disastrous result. The desperate Paul thankfully took him up on his offer, thusmencing their supplementary lessons. But after the first night of lessons, while Paul appeared to still be surviving, Geralt looked as if he was on the verge of being driven mad. The reason was simple... ¡°Before I started my lessons, he was able to answer four out of ten questions.¡± ¡°Hm? That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡± Roel blinked his eyes, surprised that Paul was able to show such a level ofpetency in math despite his background. However, Geralt¡¯s deadpan eyes told him that there was going to be a twist. ¡°What about now?¡± ¡°... Two.¡± ¡°...¡± How in the world were they regressing with more teaching? Roel fell silent, not knowing what to make of their counterproductiveness. Geralt had clearly given his all to tutor Paul, and Paul had spent the entire night trying to absorb as much as he could. It was just that the oue... ¡°...¡± Sensing Roel¡¯s gaze on him, Paul tried his best to squeeze out a smile. His attempt at putting up a strong front stifled the encouraging words that were already at the tip of Roel¡¯s tongue. There was something called progression in learning, and that was why it was important to build up a strong academic foundation before moving on to advanced topics. For Paul, who had spent his childhood doing nothing but plowing the fields, it was clearly impossible for him to catch up with his peers in just several months. ¡°Heh, to think that a prince of the Austine Empire wouldn¡¯t even be able to do such basic calctions,¡± remarked Alicia snidely. She quickly thought of something and turned to look at Roel excitedly. ¡°Lord Brother, what about that old woman then?¡± ¡°Senior has scored full marks in all of her academic subjectsst year.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Alicia clicked her tongue. She unhappily settled down on the chair next to Roel and quietly dug into her breakfast. Roel chuckled softly at her response, but he soon noticed something amiss. Hold on for a moment, I don¡¯t think that Paul¡¯s results were this disastrous in Eyes of the Chronicler. Those who failed their examinations and didn¡¯t have sufficient Academic Credits would have to undergo remedial examinations. There wasn¡¯t such a development in the game, so this begged the question of how the in-game Paul managed to pass his examinations. Roel thought hard on this question, knowing that the in-game Paul would have faced great difficulties regarding this problem too. Judging from the different circumstances in the game... ¡°Ah, I see.¡± As Roel turned his focus onto Paul¡¯s circle in Eyes of the Chronicler, realization suddenly struck him. It must have been Charlotte. There was no way Paul could have covered the sybi sufficiently within such a short span of time to pass the examinations no matter how hard he worked, but it would be a different matter if he had known some of the questions beforehand. Charlotte¡¯s divination could work wonders at times. Roel¡¯s mind was put at ease after having thought of a way out, but before he could say a word, there were suddenly knocks on the door. The few of them nced at one another, and the nearest Paul rose to his feet to open the door. Soon, he returned with a newsletter in hand. ¡°Big brother Roel, it¡¯s the academy¡¯s newsletter.¡± ¡°At this early hour? Did something huge happen?¡± asked Roel with a frown. Paul looked at the newsletter in his hand and read out the headlines. ¡°Important news: Transfer students from Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s Saint Fran Academy have invaded.¡± ¡°¡°!¡±¡± The other two young men sitting on the dining table widened their eyes at the news. Chapter 371: Problematic Children Are Coming From Another Country, Aren’t They? Why are you suddenly involving everyone into this? In one of Saint Freya Academy¡¯s meeting rooms, a pink-haired woman showed her little notebook to an armored figure, raising her doubts. William answered her question with a masculine voice altered by her armor. ¡°It¡¯s not my will. It was Lord Antonio¡¯s request.¡± Lord Antonio? ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± William replied with a sigh before proceeding to share the conversation she had with Antonio. As the first one to arrive at Saint Freya Academy, William paid Principal Antonio a visitst night in hopes of securing his support. She thought that thetter would ept their request given that he was an ex-member of the Twilight Sages Assembly, but to her surprise, he seemed reluctant to have them interfere with Roel Ascart¡¯s daily life. He even imposed a condition if they wanted to transfer into Saint Freya Academy. Antonio expressed that William¡¯s personal opinion of Roel was likely to be biased, so he wanted more people to participate in the observation so that their team coulde to a more objective conclusion. It was a reasonable condition, so William could only ept it. As a result, the number of students transferring in from Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s Saint Fran Academy ended up being more than expected. Teresa was going to be one of the transfer students too, and this matter deeply worried her. At first nce, the term ¡®sequestered houses¡¯ appeared to be referring to houses that had chosen to live in seclusion, but its true meaningy in the concealment of one¡¯s bloodline origin. There were little benefits to living in seclusion in a civilized world. For one, it was difficult to obtain resources without power and connections, and resources were of utmost importance in nurturing the younger generation. Without resources, even the most powerful of houses would fall into decline. No house would do something as detrimental as going into seclusion unless the circumstances forced them to. As such, ¡®sequestered houses¡¯ didn¡¯t refer to old heroes who had decided to humble themselves in some small vige. On the contrary, most sequestered houses were actually renowned noble houses in Knight Kingdom Pendor. As for why they had to conceal their bloodline, that was because most of them had bloodlines originating from foreign races. While they wielded great power, there were also huge downsides to their abilities. The Xeclydes¡¯ Angel Bloodline was renowned all over the world, and the Sorofyas¡¯ High Elf Bloodline had be synonymous with nobility when the Rosa Merchant Confederacy rose to prominence. Even the Cambonytes¡¯ Dragonblood Knights were highly respected on the Sia Continent. These showed that the bloodlines of foreign races weren¡¯t necessarily a bane. Those could be a reason why they ought to be ced on a pedestal and be revered by themon popce. But what if the bloodline is unstable? What if it came with ws? What if it was at odds withmon societal values embraced by humankind? Based on precedents, it was likely for themon popce to disy strong feelings of aversion toward them, some even resorting to ndering and harming them. It was out of concern of the risks that most houses possessing the bloodline of foreign races chose to keep their origins a secret, thus bing sequestered houses. The downfall of the Ardes at the end of the Second Epoch resulted in these sequestered houses losing their leader and greatest backing. As a safety precaution, they chose to limit themselves to their own circle, and this circle was none other than Knight Kingdom Pendor. That was also the reason why the Knight Kingdom was such a peculiar existence on the Sia Continent, be it their istionist policies or them constructing their own academies. They had secrets that they wanted to hide, and the experience of being once overwhelmed by the Savior¡¯s worshipers taught them the importance of huddling together for warmth. It was just that having little understanding of the outside world could breed arrogance, and this was best exemplified in Pendor¡¯s younger generation. Most younger members of the Dawnbringer Ordering from Saint Fran Academy weren¡¯t problematic children; they were disasters in the making. Just thinking about the huge mess herpanions would potentially cause made Teresa shudder in horror. Her worries were not proven unfounded. Seated on the long table in the meeting room along with them were five other people. Unlike the stereotypical solemn impression of mysterious organizations, it was aplete ruckus there. ¡°Are all of us going to enroll in the academy? What a bother. Why do we have to observe him? Isn¡¯t it much simpler to just make a move on him?¡± An orange-haired woman muttered with bloodthirsty eyes. A crimson-eyed woman joyously agreed with her opinion. ¡°I agree. It¡¯s so hard to gauge a stranger by his skin; it¡¯d be much simpler if I could just peer into his blood. I wonder how the blood of that n would taste.¡± ¡°Right? Right? If he hopes to be our leader, he should at least be stronger than us. The easiest way to settle this is to fight it out.¡± ¡°You¡¯re forbidden from fighting. This is ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio¡¯s academy. Don¡¯t cause any trouble, Selina,¡±manded William solemnly. However, her words failed to silence the orange-haired woman. Instead, she was red at with glowering eyes. ¡°Haa?! Why should I listen to you? You haven¡¯t even confirmed his strength yet!¡± ¡°There¡¯s none of us here who doesn¡¯t know of the strength of the Ardes. Just his identity as a descendant of the Ascarts gives him the right to lead us. They have already proven themselves time and time again throughout history¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all in the past. Who knows what it¡¯s like with their current generation? Isn¡¯t our motive here to observe him individually? It would be so much easier to evaluate him if I could just have a taste of his blood!¡± Juliana licked her lips and interjected. The others seemed to share her sentiments. The two men sitting at the end of the table nced at each other and nodded. The golden-haired woman sitting next to William opened her eyes. Teresa had been scribbling on her notebook all this while, but she couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to get a word in. As for Selina, she was excited to have received Juliana¡¯s support, and it emboldened her to further push her aim. ¡°Well said! Let¡¯s make a move during the transfer ceremony then. Let¡¯s kill him, or else¡­¡± ¡°Selina.¡± ¡°!¡± A dreamy voice suddenly echoed in Selina¡¯s ears, and her body immediately froze in ce as if countless invisible hands were holding her down. Powerful mana pulsations rippled across the room like terrifying waves, weighing down on the shoulders of everyone in the room. The group immediately turned their attention to the pink-haireddy, who had been struggling to put a word in all this time. You can¡¯t touch him. Those words didn¡¯t seem too powerful, but they were backed by Teresa¡¯s resolute eyes. The members of the Dawnbringer Order were surprised by her reaction. ¡°Heh, it looks like Teresa has gotten angry. Fine, I¡¯ll back down on this,¡± conceded Juliana. ¡°How rare,¡±mented the golden-haired woman. Selina revealed a look of disappointment too. With everyone finally falling silent, William made use of this opportunity to emphasize her stance once more. ¡°You aren¡¯t just representing yourself and the Dawnbringer Order here. Any action you make here will determine how others view our country and Saint Fran Academy. No matter what, you aren¡¯t allowed to start a fight here.¡± ¡°There won¡¯t be anything meaningful to observe if that¡¯s the case.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have your chance soon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to¡­?¡± ¡°The Challenger Cup.¡± Those words stirred a bout of excitement in the room. ¡°I see! It¡¯s that huge fighting tournament, right? I recall that it¡¯s going to be held this year.¡± ¡°Is he eligible to participate though?¡± ¡°I heard from Lord Antonio that the First Grade students will be allowed to participate in the tournament this year. Roel Ascart will surely be there,¡± confirmed William as she slowly tightened her grip on her sword. Meanwhile, on the other side of the academy, Roel grasped his Nine-headed Serpent Staff tightly as he read the notification he had received from the System doubtfully. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance: Participate in today¡¯s gathering together with Geralt Stephenson.¡¿ Chapter 372: Have More

Chapter 372: Have More

Everyone on the breakfast table was shocked by the headlines on the newsletter, everyone except Alicia. As students of Saint Freya Academy, they did know a thing or two about the academy. Such as how transfer students were rare here. Or that transfer students from Pendor were basically a miracle. On the whole, Knight Kingdom Pendor was heavily inclined toward physical prowess, making it the hub ofbat techniques. They had devoted significant resources to establishing their own academies and were extremely proud of them. Few from Pendor would choose the foreign Saint Freya Academy over their more nationally prestigious Saint Fran Academy, let alone transfer from thetter to the former. Putting aside those factors, it was also hard to understand why those people would transfer in at this timing, when half of the semester was already over. One had to know that transfer students weren¡¯t given any special exceptions for examinations, and they would have to take remedial examinations if they failed. It was already unbelievable for there to be a single transfer student from Pendor given such poor circumstances, but there was actually a group of them. The first thing Roel thought of was William and her group, though he was a little perplexed by the message he had just received from the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance as it hinted that this matter was rted to Geralt too. So, he nced at the ash-haired young man, only to see that thetter¡¯s initial surprise had already faded to nonchnce. Geralt didn¡¯t seem to think that this matter had anything to do with him, so Roel decided not to say anything about it either. Though Roel did have a faint inkling of what might being thanks to his in-game knowledge. There was a plot where a noble from the Knight Kingdom named Brittany transferred over to Saint Freya Academy to capture her fianc¨¦, who was none other than Geralt. After a series of incidents, she ended up joining the protagonist¡¯s Request Club. It was just that this event was supposed to ur quite a whileter. Geralt did a good job maintaining a low profile in Leinster, such that it took quite a bit of effort in order to track him down. But now¡­ ¡°Why are you looking at me with such eyes, chief?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing. Here, have more.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Having guessed what was going to happen, Roel couldn¡¯t help but direct sympathetic eyes toward the oblivious Geralt. He personally passed a slice of bread to thetter in hopes that he would have sufficient energy to pull through what was going toe next. Geralt felt a mixture of confusion and uneasiness from Roel¡¯s actions, but he still epted the bread anyway. After breakfast, the lot of them proceeded to their respective sses. Roel entered Chris¡¯ ssroom, where he naturally bumped into Lilian. Without anyone to cover for them this time around, their attitude toward each other was much more polite and distant. ¡°Good morning, Senior Lilian.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± From the front row seat, Lilian responded to Roel¡¯s greeting with her usual cid attitude, hardly showing any change in her expression at all. It was just that when no one was looking at her anymore, the corners of her lips irrepressibly crept upward. She was in a good mood. Following the peaceful greeting from Lilian was the explosive wee from the Second Grade seniors. They quickly gathered around Roel to rowdily interview him about the award presentation ceremonyst night. He also received quite a few pieces of news. ¡°Have you seen the academy newsletter yet?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about the transfer students from Knight Kingdom Pendor, right? It looks like there¡¯s going to be quite a few of them.¡± ¡°My friend who works in the academy press told me that this news came straight from Principal Antonio himself. She told me that there¡¯ll be another more important announcement that will be made in the assembly hallter in the afternoon.¡± Roel began analyzing all of the information that wasing from his seniors. The ¡®more important announcement¡¯ here likely referred to the Challenger Cup being opened to First Grade students as well. What he was more concerned about here was the fact that it was Principal Antonio who let out news regarding the arrival of the transfer students. As shocking as it was for transfer students to arrive from Knight Kingdom Pendor, it wasn¡¯t that important as to require the principal to personally ry the news to the academy press. Roel had a feeling that Antonio had done this on purpose to warn him about something. It looks like I should really have a good chat with Antonio soon, be it about Astrid or this matter, he thought. Chris soon entered the ssroom, ending their idle chatter. After a month¡¯s break, Roel was once again reminded of the hellish difficulty of Chris ssroom, though fortunately for him, he didn¡¯t need to worry too much about catching up. Chris was going to personally tutor him to ensure that. She had previously entrusted the job to Lilian out of worry that it might stir controversy if she were to disy excessive bias toward Roel. It was different this time as Roel had made a huge contribution to the academy, and it was in the midst of doing so that he ended upgging behind in his studies. It was perfectly reasonable for Chris to step up and help him given his circumstances. Of course, this meant that lesson time with his mentor was greatly reduced, and Teacher Lilian was definitely not happy about that. It was just that their awkward identities made it hard for her to voice her grievances out loud. Time slowed to a crawl in this gruelling ssroom, and it felt like an eternity had passed before lessons finally ended in the afternoon. Roel, Paul, and Geralt were having their lunch together when an announcement was made through the broadcast system, requesting for all First Grade students to gather in the assembly hall. ¡°Is it going to be about what happened during the banquet?¡± mumbled Paul as he chewed on his hotdog. ¡°I guess so,¡± replied Geralt casually, not thinking much about it. Only Roel looked at the two of them with a gleam in his eyes. He was a little amazed by their obliviousness toward what fate had in store for them. I guess the Goddess of Fate favors dense characters. Geralt was taking a sip of the newly released fruit wine with a serene look on his face, fully enjoying his academy life. He seemed to have already forgotten about the transfer students, though it was understandable since there shouldn¡¯t have been anything to worry about here. Theoretically, at least. Transfering from the morefortable Saint Fran Academy into the foreign Saint Freya Academy was so terribly inconvenient and counterintuitive that it was hard to imagine any high nobles wanting to do that. Common sense led Geralt into a mistaken assumption, but Roel didn¡¯t think it was necessarily a bad thing. It was not as if he would be able to avoid it for life anyway. This was a crisis he was bound to encounter from the moment he got engaged as a child. Roel¡¯s soft sigh was unheard amidst the chatter of the surrounding students. After lunch, the three of them rested a little longer before heading toward the assembly hall with the other First Grade students. Settling down on the softfy seats, Roel nced at Geralt and Paul, who were seated by his sides, before taking another look at the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance in the System. He was starting to get curious. The previous guidance led to Paul convincing Antonio and the other top brass into opening the Challenger Cup to the First Grade students. I wonder what wille out of this guidance. It didn¡¯t take long for the First Grade students to settle down in the assembly hall. A short momentter, Principal Antonio stepped onto the stage wearing a simple robe. Unlikest night, there was no music apaniment or cheering, making the atmosphere solemn. He slowly made his way onto the center of the stage and announced shocking news. ¡°First Grade students of Saint Freya Academy, I¡¯m delighted to inform all of you on behalf of the Challenger Cup¡¯s organizingmittee that the tournament will be opened to all of you as well.¡± ¡°Huh? Wait a moment, the tournament will be open to us as well?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that we¡¯ll also be able to¡­¡± ¡°Woohoo¡ª!¡± There was a moment of surprised murmurings amongst the students after Antonio said those words. It took a while before the news finally sank in, and deafening cheers broke out in the assembly hall. Excitement was contagious, and more and more people started cheering along. It was to the point where their voices could be heard from the square outside. It was only till the smiling Antonio raised his hands and lowered it gently that the excited students finally suppressed their emotions and sat back down. ¡°I understand your excitement, but allow me to announce another piece of important news first. A group from a foreign country shall be joining our Saint Freya Academy. They are students from Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s Saint Fran Academy, and I ask you to wee them with a warm round of apuse!¡± Along with Antonio¡¯s announcement, William and her six otherpanions slowly made their way out from the backstage. With this, the gears of fate started clicking once more. Chapter 373: Kaboom!

Chapter 373: Kaboom!

As William and her group of seven stepped onto the stage, the still feverish students gave them a warm round of apuse while assessing them curiously. It was rare to see anyone from Knight Kingdom Pendor in Saint Freya Academy, and their nobles were known to be averse to traveling outside their country. Over time, this isted country became associated with so many legends that one couldn¡¯t help but wonder if they were true. It was inevitable that the First Grade students would be excited to meet them, and the group of seven that walked onto the stage didn¡¯t disappoint their expectations. The armored knight who revealed not a crevice of unprotected skin, William. The adorable pink-haired, pink-eyeddy with a gentle smile, Teresa. The valiant golden-haired woman dressed in light armor, Brittany. The extraordinarily tall and muscr man who was surprisingly unarmored, Kurt. The slim man who had covered his eyes with a mysterious piece of cloth, Stuart. The cute ck-haired, crimson-eyed woman dressed in a nobleced gown, Juliana. The orange-haired, green-eyed woman with a small stature but a diforting smile, Selina. When these seven atypical youths appeared on the stage, the students broke into excited murmurs. ¡°Woah, that man is really tall. He¡¯s buff too!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that blindfolded man over there looks a little suave?¡± ¡°A knight in armor; he gives off an air of secrecy.¡± The female students assessed the students in front of them while apuding. As for the male students, they were so excited by the unique appearances of the transfer students¡ªparticrly the female ones¡ªthat their unfiltered thoughts flowed out from their mouths. ¡°That pink-haired girl is really adorable!¡± ¡°Hey hey, that crimson-eyed woman is clearly more beautiful. She gives off an air of grace.¡± ¡°Holy Sia, that golden-haired woman is stacked!¡± But amongst the male students, there was a certain ash-haired man whose reaction waspletely different. W-why is she here? Geralt¡¯s face crumpled the moment he saw the golden-haired woman on the stage. He would have never thought that the ones transferring in from the Knight Kingdom weren¡¯t struggling students but high nobles. Yes, high nobles. Other than Prince William, the remaining six of them were all sessors of their respective high noble houses. Two of them, Teresa and Brittany, were even daughters of ducal houses. However, none of this information was important to Geralt now. The important thing was that there was one person amongst the transfer students whom Geralt couldn¡¯t allow himself to be seen by. She can¡¯t see me. She can¡¯t see me. She can¡¯t see me... Eyeing the golden-haired woman whom he was engaged to, Geralt covered his agape mouth and began chanting profusely under his breath. He tried his best to hold his trembling body still so as to not appear out of ce. He wanted to escape right away, but he feared that would be too conspicuous. This assembly hall is filled with at least thousands of people. There¡¯s no way she could spot me amidst so many other First Grade students! Geralt nced at the crowd around him as he reassured himself. He was not wrong to say that the huge crowd did provide him some cover, but it was all futile when he was sitting right next to the human spotlight himself. Roel Ascart, the brightest star of the venue. The armored William swept her gaze through the crowd and met eyes with Roel almost in an instant. Tracing her gaze, the other six also swiftly found their observation target. Juliana narrowed her crimson eyes. Selina revealed a belligerent smile. The towering Kurt seemed to have noticed something and frowned. Stuart turned his head over as if he was able to peer through his blindfold. Teresa waved her hand over and smiled sweetly at Roel, but she froze up upon noticing the ash-haired man sitting next to him. For some reason, she found that man oddly familiar. Wait a moment, isn¡¯t he the young master of the Stephensons who is engaged to... This is bad! Teresa widened her pink eyes in horror upon recalling Geralt¡¯s identity, but her realization came toote. The valiant golden-haired woman standing next to her had already released a huge burst of mana, followed by a deafening roar. ¡°GE! RA! LT!¡± ¡°!¡± Brittany¡¯s Valkyrie Bloodline eroded her rationality. To the astonishment of the other six, she charged down the stage and leaped her way toward Geralt. Teresa and William tried to hold her back but they were unable to stop the rampaging Brittany. With this, their promise with Principal Antonio to only observe Roel from a distance was broken. The six remaining transfer students looked at one another before following Brittany down. The twist in the situation first left Geralt dumbfounded before horror gripped his body. He instinctively leaped to his feet and attempted to escape, but it was already toote. Brittany morphed into a golden bolt of lightning that zapped across the sky, arriving right above Roel and the others in the blink of an eye. At some point, a glowing halberd had appeared in her hands, and she furiously swung it down on her escaping fianc¨¦. Boom! Brittany¡¯s mana morphed into a bombardment of destructive lightning that sought to destroy everything in its path. Geralt quickly snapped out of his shock and constructed a glowing mana barrier to protect himself. It turned out to be an unnecessary move. The infuriated attack from Brittany was intercepted by a crimson skeleton hand before it could evennd on Geralt¡¯s barrier. The ck-haired man standing beneath the crimson skeleton hand raised his head and stared deeply at Brittany. Brittany found herself locked inside a pair of mesmerizing eyes that felt mysterious yet authoritative, like candlelight zing in the darkness. Those eyes felt cid like a sereneke, devoid of any ripple of emotions, yet they weren¡¯t disconcerting. Caught under such a gaze, her fury and grudge swiftly faded as if they were quelled by some force. The tremendous pressure she felt jolted her rationality back into her. ¡°!¡± Upon realizing that she had made a grievous faux pas under the influence of her bloodline, Brittany quicklynded on the ground and stepped backward. Geralt turned to look at Roel with eyes brimming with gratitude. It was only then that the students finally snapped out of their daze and escaped with flustered shouts. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on? Why did she suddenlyunch an attack?¡± ¡°Son of a banshee! Is she here to exact vengeance?¡± The sudden evacuation of the students created a huge clearing around Roel and the others. Paul was utterly bewildered by the situation whereas Brittany found herself at a loss. Unfortunately, the situation only continued to worsen. ¡°Brittany was the first one to cave in. You can¡¯t me me for making a move now, right?¡± ¡°Heh, that fellow must be the eldest son of the Stephensons. Who could have thought that he was hiding here? Heh, it works in my favor anyway!¡± ¡°Wait a moment!¡± With Brittany having made the first move, the other problematic children from the Knight Kingdom went along with the flow and revealed their true nature as well. Selina obeyed her beastlike instincts and rushed toward the center of the conflict. Juliana wrapped herself in ayer of darkness and traversed through the shadows. The two of them ignored William¡¯s shouts for them to stop and appeared before Roel the next instant. But before the overexcited duo could do anything, there was a sudden outburst of blinding holy light, followed by a series of spatial ripples. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that the Knight Kingdom prides itself on its strength, but I never thought that its nobles would be this barbaric. It looks like there¡¯s only so much etiquette one can expect from a bunch of oafs.¡± ¡°How dare transfer students like youunch an assault on a Ringbearer? Unbelievable! Should I take it as an attempt to undermine the authority of the Ringbearers?¡± The light-d Nora and gun-wielding Charlotte simultaneously appeared beside Roel, and they questioned the Pendor nobles with chilling tones. The Goldenrose Ring, Redrose Ring, and Bluerose Ring glowed brightly on their fingers, symbolizing the highest authority in this academy where students had strong autonomy. However, Selina and the others didn¡¯t back down despite Nora and Charlotte¡¯s intimidation. During this momentary standstill, William and Teresa arrived at the scene too. William was intending to mediate between both sides here, but for some reason, she fell silent upon seeing the two women standing by Roel¡¯s side. Both sides red sharply at each other, and the increasing concentration of mana they were emanating showed that they weren¡¯t just putting on a show. Meanwhile, the already forgotten Antonio on the stage gazed upon the confrontation between both sides with an unsurprised look. Chapter 374: The Authority of the Gods

Chapter 374: The Authority of the Gods

In the assembly hall, two groups gathered around Roel and William respectively stood against each other. A tense atmosphere could be felt between them. Not too far away, Antonio quietly watched themotion as if he was a mere bystander. Not a person had their eyes on him, as if he had receded into the background. Roel stared intently at William and the others as he racked his brain to decipher the cryptic intent of the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. If not for the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance, I would have likely apanied Alicia for lunch before entering the assembly hall alone. That would have made it unlikely for Brittany to have noticed Geralt since he would have been camouged amongst thousands of other students. If so, this assembly would have concluded peacefully. Had that been the case, Geralt would have likely left a farewell letter and attempted to escape back to the Knight Kingdom without anyone noticing, just like he did in the game. It was a bit hard to believe that such a small change could stir such huge differences in the oue. It felt like an innocent mentos had been identally popped into a soda bottle, inducing a shockingly violent reaction that no one expected. In any case, there was no longer any need for Geralt to run since he had been exposed, sparing Roel the trouble of chasing after him. At the same time, Brittany¡¯s reckless act seemed to have also changed their group¡¯s n regarding him. There was a criminology theory in Roel¡¯s previous life known as the broken windows theory. It theorized that visible signs of disorder encouraged behaviors that induced greater disorder. For example, a street already filled with litter might leave others thinking that it was fine to litter too. Such was the case here. When Brittany¡¯s outburst failed to be kept in check, it enticed Selina and Juliana to rebel against William¡¯s control so that they could obey their whims. Their actionspelled Nora and Charlotte to intervene in the situation. It was this series of esctions that resulted in the current standstill between both sides. This was definitely not a scenario that Roel had in mind. He didn¡¯t think that Brittany would get so agitated as to assault Geralt in the middle of an assembly. Her recklessness made the situation a little tricky. If Brittany had chosen to attack Roel, he could have justughed it off as a prank after blocking her attack before proceeding to reconcile with her. There would have been no problem with that as he would have just appeared to be a big-hearted person. The problem was that the victim was Geralt. It was not his ce to decide whether Geralt should forgive her assault or not. On top of that, he couldn¡¯t take a weak stance as Geralt was his subordinate. If he appeared too humble, it would only make him appear weak and incapable of protecting his people. Roel shot a nce at the trembling Geralt, who was looking at him as if he was his savior. He directed thetter a nod to reassure him before he rose to his feet and looked at William¡¯s group. ¡°Your Highness William, Miss Teresa, it has been a while since ourst meeting. You have done me a huge favor back when we were still in the northernnds, so allow me to express my gratitude once more,¡± he said with aposed tone. ¡°It has been a while, Mister Roel Ascart. You need not thank us. We¡¯re only doing what we ought to.¡± Hello, Roel. Both William and Teresa calmly responded to Roel¡¯s greeting. Their exchange surprised Nora and Charlotte since they were oblivious to their meeting in Eirbower. The other students spectating from the side of the assembly hall were also taken aback as they hadn¡¯t expected Roel to be acquainted with them. ¡°Huh? They know each other?¡± The crowd began gossiping amongst themselves, most of them amazed by Roel¡¯s extensive connections. The tense atmosphere slightly alleviated as a result. However, Roel didn¡¯t put down his guard. He nced at the bloodthirsty Selina and the ambiguously smiling Juliana before his gaze finallynded on the frowning Brittany. ¡°Prince William, yourpanions appear to have gotten a little too excited here, so much so that my friends might have misunderstood their intention. I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s the intention of Knight Kingdom Pendor to cause an uproar here. What are your thoughts?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not our intention to cause an uproar here. I¡¯d like to offer my deepest apology for the earlier disturbance,¡± replied William courteously. Roel heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing those words. The next moment, William suddenly turned her eyes toward Nora and Charlotte and spoke in a hostile tone. ¡°However, I¡¯m afraid that I have a different view toward what the twodies said about authority.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± Both Nora and Charlotte frowned at William¡¯s sudden provocation. Teresa turned to look at William in utmost shock. With all eyes centered on her, William continued her words. ¡°You might have heard that the Knight Kingdom Pendor respects the strong. We might be in a foreign country now, but we don¡¯t intend to lower our heads to those weaker than us. It¡¯s our culture to respect only those who have proven their strength.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re saying that we¡¯re weaklings unworthy of your respect?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t make a judgment without crossing hands.¡± ¡°You wish to challenge us to a fight?¡± William¡¯s unexpected deration that she wouldn¡¯t respect the authority of the Ringbearers raised a hugemotion in the room. Nora stepped forward and questioned her with a provocative smile whereas Charlotte reached into her robe to grab the bottle containing Golden Soul. Meanwhile, Roel stared at William with a deep frown. He couldn¡¯t understand why thetter was suddenly being so confrontational toward Nora and Charlotte. Most of the crowd also waited with bated breath to see how William would respond. However, there was one person who had been suppressing her fighting spirit all this while and couldn¡¯t wait anymore. ¡°Are we done with the talking? Let¡¯s just cut the crap and get straight to fighting!¡± ¡°Wait, Selina!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already waited long enough!¡± With a sharp glint in her eyes, Selina turned her eyes toward Nora, who was emanating the strongest mana pulsation, and started channeling a huge amount of mana. As a warrior who spent her days fighting and ughtering, Selina¡¯s eyes were always focused on the strongest opponent, which, in her view, was none other than Nora here. However, before she couldunch her attack, she suddenly felt a heavy pressure apanied by a chilling intent that seeped right into her bones. Right before a full-blown conflict could break out, Roel let his mana loose too. His mana pulsations swiftly intensified, overtaking even that of Nora¡¯s. Everyone turned to look at him with shocked looks. Selina instinctively turned her attention toward Roel, surprised by his powerful mana. As her gaze fell upon him, thetter also turned his head over to properly look at her for the first time. The moment those golden eyes fell on her body, several silhouettes appeared before her sight, inducing her sharp beastlike instincts to sense utmost terror and fear. It felt like her connection with the external world had vanished all of a sudden, plunging her into a world of absolute darkness. Three lofty existences gazed down on her from the darkness. One was authoritative and imposing. One was divine and invible. One was cold and unfathomable. Under these three gazes, the Origin Level 4 Selina felt like she was nothing more than an ant crawling on the ground. The intimidating divine auras seemed to disappear in a sh, but those three silhouettes had also been imprinted in the minds of those in the direct vicinity¡ªa towering skeleton giant, a stupendously humongous serpent, and a joyful witch. The transfer students from Knight Kingdom Pendor stiffened up at the presence of these existences. Through their unique bloodlines, they could somewhat understand it. They were standing before a man protected by the gods. Anyone who dared to push their luck with him would be met with divine retribution. ¡°Let¡¯s end it here.¡± It was only then that Antonio, who had been standing silently on the stage all this while, finally spoke up. He smiled at the youths who turned to look at him, and before anyone realized it, William and the others suddenly vanished and reappeared on the stage. ¡°This!!!¡± ¡°Spatial magic? When did he do it?¡± William¡¯s group was taken aback by the almost indiscernible usage of spatial magic. All of them turned to look at Antonio with a mixture of awe and fear. In any case, they were d to have some distance being put between them and the man protected by the ancient gods, and some of them heaved sighs of relief. ¡°Students who have traveled far to join us, I understand that the change in environment isn¡¯t easy to get used to. The differences in culture will likely result in conflicts, but I ask you to pay heed to the time, asion, and most importantly, the academy rules. ¡°Saint Freya Academy strictly forbids infighting amongst students. We encourage our students to resolve conflicts through words. If you require a more extreme form of resolution, our academy¡¯sbat rings is the ce to go. If you seek something more than that, we have arger and grander stage avable this year¡ªthe Challenger Cup.¡± Antonio¡¯s eyes drifted toward Roel¡¯s direction, seemingly dropping him a hint. His words sessfully piqued the excitement of the students once more. ¡°I¡¯ve always believed that rivalry can be a powerful motivator that pushes a person to their greatest potential. Look upon your own peers as rivals and work hard to surpass them. If so, our Saint Freya Academy¡¯s First Grade students should have no trouble aplishing something in the Challenger Cup. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to your performance in the tournament. With this, I conclude today¡¯s assembly.¡± Perhaps it was because he sensed the unnatural mental states of William¡¯s group, Antonio quickly made a motivational speech before concluding the assembly. The moment he walked down the stage, the students finally let loose the excitement bubbling within them and cheered loudly. The members of the three factions also quickly rushed over to Roel, Nora, and Charlotte¡¯s side. On the stage, William and the others no longer showed any haughtiness in their eyes. They shot a look at Roel, who was surrounded by a huge crowd, before quietly taking their leave. Chapter 375: Yandere

Chapter 375: Yandere

Nightfall, in the Brokesword Tavern located along the academy¡¯s bustling street, Roel, Paul, and Geralt were gathered around a table, enjoying mugs of beer while reading a newspaper. Given the hugemotion caused by Antonio¡¯s announcement and the confrontation between the transfer students and Roel¡¯s group, the academy press rushed out those two stories and managed to make it in time for the evening papers. Without any insider details, the reporters could only attribute the cause of the conflict to the Knight Kingdom¡¯s culture of respecting the strong. Theyvishedpliments on Roel for standing up against the transfer students and upholding the authority of the Ringbearers. Still, it was Antonio¡¯s announcement and his motivational speech to the First Grade students that took the headline. The rxation of the Challenger Cup¡¯s eligibility criteria was huge news. Most students were shocked to hear about it, and the news spread like wildfire. It was just that this wasn¡¯t the most important issue to Roel and his two aides right now. In Eyes of the Chronicler, Brittany¡¯s arrival at Saint Freya Academy was a huge event, but here, it was clouded by an evenrger problem. Roel didn¡¯t know the exact reason behind it, but William appeared oddly hostile toward those around him, especially toward Nora and Charlotte. This hostility was so unexpected and inexplicable that Roel waspletely clueless about it. What he had to do now was to collect intelligence, and he happened to have an informant right beside him¡­ Geralt Stephenson, the number one ¡®strategist¡¯ of Bluerose Faction, as well as the young master of Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s Stephenson Marquess House. As a high noble, he was bound to know a fair bit about the nobles of Knight Kingdom Pendor. The only problem was that he was in a traumatized state. His legs were wobbling like noodle strands when they left the assembly hall earlier, and he would have never been able to make it here if not for Paul¡¯s support. Roel understood how he felt, which was why he dragged him over to the Brokesword Tavern so that he could drink his troubles away. There was a saying that alcohol emboldened the cowards. No matter how terrifying of an encounter a person had, two mugs of beer were all it took to turn them into fearless heroes. Other than that, the bustling atmosphere of the crowded tavern would give him a sense of security too. After gulping down half a mug of beer, the red-faced Geralt seemed to be faring much better. At the very least, he was now able to speak meaningful words without biting on his tongue. Through his exnation, Roel and Paul slowly gained an understanding about the situation in the Knight Kingdom. ¡°What?! That woman is your fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°Lower your voice, Paul.¡± Paul couldn¡¯t help but exim in astonishment upon hearing about this matter for the first time. It immediately drew attention from the customers sitting at nearby tables, so Roel quickly shushed him up. The trio quietly drank their beers before Geralt started talking about the transfer students from Knight Kingdom Pendor. The first one he spoke about was naturally Brittany. That woman was born in a ducal house and possessed the Valkyrie Bloodline. Geralt and her got engaged at a very young age. Brittany was a beautiful woman, and her figure was amazing due to her consistent training over the years. She was a talented transcendent, and her Valkyrie Bloodline made her a force to be reckoned with. It was just that the rules of the Sia Continent dictated that power and cost came hand-in-hand. As powerful as the Valkyrie Bloodline was powerful, it came with a huge w. To put it simply, Brittany was a yandere. The Lunde Ducal House, which Brittany belonged to, had a bloodline lineage that ensured that their female offspring were always stronger than their male offspring, but even so, the head of their house was always male. The greatest reason behind that was the emotional instability arising from the Valkyrie Bloodline, though the extent of instability varied from person to person. Brittany was one of the more emotionally stable ones in her lineage, but Geralt was still unable to stand it. ¡°On my tenth birthday, Brittany personally led the army of the Lunde Ducal House up a mountain, slew ten demonic beasts, and gave them to me as a birthday present.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Well, it¡¯s indeed a peculiar choice of gift for a birthday present from a woman, but isn¡¯t that Pendor¡¯s culture? It doesn¡¯t seem too much.¡± Paul took a sip of wine as he posed his question. Toward that, Geralt answered with a lifeless look on his face. ¡°No, it¡¯s not about the birthday present¡­ When she presented those carcasses to me in her bloodstained armor, she told me this would be my oue if my heart ever changed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Paul was just about to take another sip of beer when he heard those frightening words. His hand froze in mid-air as terror filled his eyes. Meanwhile, Roel took a sip of his beer and sighed. Roel had encountered this event in Eyes of the Chronicler before, so he was aware of the problems between Geralt and Brittany. The incident that Geralt had just recounted was his biggest childhood trauma, as well as the main reason why he was so afraid of Brittany. The truth was that those weren¡¯t Brittany¡¯s true thoughts. It was her mother who taught her to say those words. The younger Brittany had once consulted her mother on how she could make Geralt fall for her. There would have been nothing wrong with this in an ordinary household as it was only normal for inexperienced youths to seek the wisdom of the elders. Unfortunately, the wisdom of the elders wasn¡¯t so reliable when it came to the Lunde House. It would do well not to forget that Brittany¡¯s mother was a possessor of the Valkyrie Bloodline too, and her degree of yandere-ism was much higher than that of Brittany¡¯s. Thanks to the advice of Brittany¡¯s mother, the amicable rtionship Brittany and Geralt had built up thus far crashed and burned, and the repercussionssted even to this day. On top of that, being raised in the yandere Lunde House left Brittany inept at expressing her emotions. The only way she knew how to ry her feelings was through aggression and force. Such deep misunderstandings made it impossible for them to untangle the knots in their rtionship by themselves. Without external intervention, it was only a matter of time before Geralt annulled their marriage, causing Brittany to go full-blown yandere. By then, it was just a question of how many attempts it would take for Brittany to lop off Geralt¡¯s head. As someone who knew the truth, Roel felt obliged to intervene and ensure that they had a happy ending. On a personal level, it was satisfying to do something nice for those around him. From a practical point of view, having the powerful Brittany join the Request Club was definitely a boon. But before that, he had to first gather more information on the other transfer students from Pendor, so he asked about them too. Geralt began sharing information about the others, but what he knew about them was limited whenpared to hisprehensive knowledge of his fianc¨¦e and the Lundes. ¡°Prince William is the godson of King Wilson. He has always worn his full armor in public, refusing to reveal his true face. There are rumors iming that he¡¯s the real son of King Wilson, and that King Wilson is trying to protect him by keeping his identity under wraps. The reason why he wears that helmet is to conceal his face, which bears a great resemnce to his father. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s no concrete evidence supporting those ims.¡± ¡°There are such rumors going around?¡± Roel blinked his eyes in surprise. Now that he thought about it, he realized that William had never taken off his helmet in Eyes of the Chronicler too. It looks like he¡¯s quite a secretive one, but it¡¯ll be best not to probe into the secrets of the royalty. Shaking his head, Roel proceeded to ask about the second person he was curious about. ¡°What about Miss Teresa? What¡¯s her background?¡± ¡°Miss Teresa is the sole daughter of Duke Constantine. The Constantines are a lineage that branched out of the Cambonytes centuries ago, so strictly speaking, they do possess the Dragon Bloodline too. Miss Teresa¡¯s bloodline ability is extraordinarily powerful even amongst the Constantines, to the extent where even her casual words turn into hexes. She started refraining from speaking due to an incident from her childhood, and ever since then, she has insisted onmunicating through her notebook. ¡°Due to her high standing and the royal bloodline flowing in her, she is dubbed as the Hextongue Princess in the circle of nobility. I haven¡¯t really spoken to her much, but she¡¯s often together with Prince William. ¡°Now that I think about it, there are spections that there¡¯s something more between her and Prince William. Miss Teresa is from a branch of the royal family whereas Prince William is the godson of King Wilson, so some believe that their closeness is a sign that she¡¯ll be queen one day.¡± Now that they were done talking about Brittany, Geralt¡¯s words started to flow smoother. He even brought up quite a few gossips from Pendor¡¯s circle of nobility. Roel fell into deep thought. Are the two of them really a couple? He took a sip of beer as he considered the possibility. Chapter 376: That Wasn’t What I Expected!!!

Chapter 376: That Wasn¡¯t What I Expected!!!

Are William and Teresa a couple? Roel spent a few moments pondering about the possibility before eventually refuting it. He had caught them by surprise at the Eirbower Dukedom by barging into their room, and William was wearing his full armor even though they were the only ones in the room then. On top of that, he couldn¡¯t feel any intimacy between them. Even when they left, all William did was to ce his hand courteously on Teresa¡¯s shoulder. If they were truly a couple, they ought to have hugged each other or at least held hands. Roel chose to keep his thoughts to himself. He took a sip of his malt beer and snacked on the almonds and beef jerky before carrying on with the discussion. ¡°What about that woman named Juliana? Her magic looks quite interesting.¡± That question brought a troubled frown on Geralt¡¯s face. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before answering. ¡°Juliana is the daughter of Count Gilbert. The Gilberts are quite a mysterious bunch; there¡¯s very little known about them. There are rumors that they are demons obsessed with ughter, but those wereter refuted as malicious lies spread by their political enemies. Members of the Gilbert House tend to look young, and their spells are often associated with darkness and require blood as tribute. Due to that, many believe that they are in cahoots with evil cultists. ¡°As for Juliana, she¡¯s also quite an elusive figure in the circle of nobility as she rarely participates in social gatherings. She usually appears only at night, and the reasoning for that seems to be her skin being sensitive to the sun. I¡¯m not too sure about her transcendent ability. In any case, she¡¯s not an easy one to get along with,¡± exined Geralt. Yup, she must be from the Blood n, Roel thought with an affirmative nod. He already had an inkling of it during their meeting earlier, and Geralt¡¯s introduction only confirmed his deduction. The Blood n was a race existing in the legends of the Sia Continent, but unlike the angels and dragons, there were very few records of them. Despite being creatures of the night, there were significant differences between them and the bloodsucking monsters from Roel¡¯s previous life. Some say that the Blood n was born from Sia¡¯s blood whereas others say that they came to be after drinking Sia¡¯s blood. Regardless of which, there was a definite link between their race and Sia, and races rted to Sia were thought to be of high pedigree in this world. There were even some schrs who theorized that the human race was a branch of the Blood n who had regressed and lost their powers. Roel personally thought that those ims were ridiculous, but it went to show just how highly regarded the Blood n was. There were humans who wanted to be associated with them. Roel slowly digested the information before turning the topic toward the orange-haired woman who seemed to go by the name of Selina. She had left the deepest impression on him due to that beastlike bloodthirst of hers. Even in Knight Kingdom Pendor, which worshiped strength, there shouldn¡¯t be many with killing intent as intense as hers. Geralt looked a little conflicted upon hearing Roel¡¯s question, as if it had raked up his memories of the past. ¡°Selina is the daughter of Count Bess. My house is on good terms with the Bess, and I met Selina while we were still children... She waspletely unlike how she is now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Roel with raised eyebrows. Geralt paused for a short moment before continuing on. ¡°Selina was also quite an energetic child back then, but she was kind and friendly too. It¡¯s likely that her bloodthirsty nature was induced by the awakening of her bloodline. ¡°The Bess are known to be a lineage of warriors, and there are many who specte that their intense bloodthirst is the price of their bloodline. This wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue during wartime, but it¡¯ll be hard for them to curb themselves in a peaceful era. I heard that Selina possesses exceptional talent in her n, making it even harder for her to restrain herself,¡± exined Geralt. ¡°I see...¡± Roel hadn¡¯t expected the belligerent Selina to have such a story behind her, and Paul revealed a look of shock. They gulped down their beer before urging Geralt to continue with the others, but thetter didn¡¯t have much information left to offer. ¡°I don¡¯t really know much about Kurt and Stuart. I mean, I don¡¯t have any interests in guys. Hmm, I do know that Kurt¡¯s family members are pretty tall as well, and they are a renowned warrior house. As for Stuart, his house doesn¡¯t really socialize much with the others, and honestly speaking, this is my first time meeting him. I¡¯d say that his bloodline has something to do with his blindfolded eyes, but you two could probably tell as much,¡± replied Geralt as he scratched his head awkwardly. Roel patted his shoulder understandingly. It was perfectly normal for nobles in the same country to not know each other, especially if they were living in different regions. It was already pretty good that Geralt knew this much about them. The information Geralt provided gave Roel a rough impression of the transfer students, but here came the crucial question¡ªhow were they rted to the missing Astrid? Roel hadn¡¯t forgotten his aim here. As important as it was to get on good terms with William and his group, his foremost priority was still to save Astrid. The Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance had already given him a clue pointing to Knight Kingdom Pendor, and what he had to do now was to decipher it. With this doubt in mind, Roel and his two aides had their fill of beer and snacks before concluding this drinking session. He entrusted the drunk Geralt to the still somewhat sober Paul before heading to the academy¡¯s administrative office all alone, where he knew the person who held the answers to his doubts was. Principal Antonio. In truth, when he first returned to the academy, Lilian proposed for the two of them to look for Antonio together in hopes of doing something for Astrid, but after careful consideration, Roel decided to leave her out so as to not expose their rtionship as bloodline kin. It was not that he couldn¡¯t trust Antonio, but a public figure like Antonio was bound to have many eyes on him. It would likely spur spections if he and Lilian were to be caught visiting Antonio together. Besides, he thought that it would be easier for him to earn Antonio¡¯s trust alone since he was clearly a descendant of the Ardes. Walking down the dark streets of the central district, Roel soon arrived at the administrative office, where the academy¡¯s top brass worked. The administrative office was a restricted location, but there were hardly any ces in the academy where a Ringbearer couldn¡¯t ess. Just by showcasing his Bluerose Ring, his request to meet with Principal Antonio was ryed with utmost efficiency. The reply came back equally fast too. ¡°Please follow me,¡± said a staff member respectfully. Roel responded with a polite nod before following the staff member over to Antonio¡¯s office. The staff member knocked on the door, and the door automatically unlocked itself and opened up. This was the first time Roel was stepping into the core of Saint Freya Academy. It was an office with a traditional but ssy design, and an old man seated behind a wooden table was looking at him with a smile. ¡°Wee, Roel Ascart. I believe that this is the first time we¡¯re meeting in private. Is there something you need me for?¡± asked Antonio. He had already known that Roel woulde to look for him. Antonio had forcefully suppressed the conflict in the assembly hall through his power and authority, but that wasn¡¯t a long-term solution. On top of that, Roel was bound to have many questions floating in his mind at this moment. The Ascarts had hardly any interaction with the Knight Kingdom over the past millennia, so the conflict must have been bewildering to him. Under such circumstances, it was understandable for him to approach Antonio, the academy¡¯s principal, for help. It was the most efficient way. Antonio was also inclined to help and get close to Roel as that was the only way for him to achieve his longtime wish. Feeling that everything was in his grasp, he sat in his chair with a faint smile as he waited patiently for the young man to pose his question. Will it be about William or the Knight Kingdom?, he wondered. The answer turned out to be neither. ¡°Principal Antonio, there has been a question troubling me for quite some time now... Have you been keeping the pair of gloves that my ancestor, Astrid, gave you up to this day?¡± ¡°...¡± Antonio¡¯s face crumbled. Chapter 377: Wrecked

Chapter 377: Wrecked

Antonio was feeling indescribably conflicted at the moment. With his wealth of life experience and the preparations he had made beforehand, he was absolutely confident that he was going to be the one in control of the conversation with Roel Ascart. He could have never imagined that Roel had such a powerful trump card in his hands. Hiscency resulted in him being struck right in his guts, and he fell into a stupor. After two minutes of silence, Roel started talking something along the lines of ¡®fourteen years old sending flowers to the wrong teacher for Teacher¡¯s Day¡¯, ¡®wanting to watch the fireworks with her on New Year¡¯s Day but couldn¡¯t find her¡¯, and so on. These consecutive hits left Antonio clutching his forehead as he anxiously asked for a time-out. It took another two more minutes for him to recover. After Antonio finally regained his poise, he let out a sigh andmbasted Roel in his mind. Youngsters nowadays have no scruples at all. How can you use such dark history to assault a four-hundred-year-old elder like me? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?! While Antonio was still trying to recover from the traumatic onught of his dark history, Roel¡¯s lips curled into a victorious smile. He knew that it was a good idea for him to make the younger Antonio reveal his dark history. Look, he managed to im the upper hand right away! After the initial shock, Antonio started wondering how Roel came to know about the history between him and his mentor, Astrid. Those memories were so far away that even he had nearly forgotten about them. After considering all possibilities, he eventually arrived at the only usible answer¡ªthe Ardes¡¯ legendary bloodline ability. ¡°Can you tell me where you heard of those matters?¡± ¡°Four hundred years ago, from a member of the Twilight Sages Assembly going by the alias, ¡®Guardian¡¯.¡± ¡°It really is!¡± Antonio revealed a bitter smile upon hearing that answer, but at the same time, he also felt a spurt of excitement too. This meant that Roel had been through the same turmoil four hundred years ago as he had, which effectively tore down themunication barrier between them. One of the greatest barriers Antonio foresaw in securing Roel¡¯s help was thetter being unaware of Astrid¡¯s existence. Astrid was born in the Second Epoch, but the Ascarts¡¯ history only traced back to the early years of the Third Epoch. Even their family names were different! Antonio could try to exin things to Roel, but Roel might not necessarily believe him. Astrid had been extremely careful not to leave any traces of her existence behind, so it was nigh impossible to find any concrete evidence to prove her ties to the Ascart House. Awakening an Origin Level 1 transcendent was definitely a huge cause for concern. If the Origin Level 1 transcendent was a heinous viin, it could potentially cause a cmity. Such considerations made it likely for Roel to refuse Antonio¡¯s request for help. That was why it was such a huge relief to Antonio when he learned that Roel had been through the same fragment of history as him. ¡°Principal Antonio, I can tell you frankly that I¡¯ve received a lot of help from Astrid in this city four hundred years ago. I know that you once harbored anger toward our n for having forgotten about Astrid, but please believe me when I say that the two of us wish for the same thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Under the dim lighting, Antonio stared deeply at Roel¡¯s serious face. A momentter, his expression appeared to have turned a little gentler, as if he had confirmed thetter¡¯s sincerity. Seeing this, Roel continued his speech. ¡°I havee here to ask you, ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio, what is the current situation that my ancestor, Astrid Arde, is in? Does the problem she¡¯s facing have something to do with the remnants of the Assembly in Knight Kingdom Pendor?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a tough question to answer.¡± Antonio let out a sorrowful sigh before slowly revealing the truth. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the conclusion. Lord Astrid isn¡¯t dead, but I can¡¯t say that she¡¯s alive either.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°She has fused as one with the Chaos Dream.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes dted in shock. Antonio was overwhelmed by his own emotions for a brief moment, but he quickly shook his head to snap out of his daze. He began revealing the true history that had transpired without Roel and Lilian¡¯s intervention. Four hundred years ago, the Saints Convocation Leinster Branch was in a demoralized state after consecutive losses to the Salvation Brotherhood. Without Roel stepping up to rally them together, it didn¡¯t take long before they werepletely wiped out. With that, the Salvation Brotherhood devoted its full forces to sieging Saint Freya Academy. It was a truly gruesome battle, and the garrison army ended up suffering heavy losses. In order to salvage the situation, Antonio conducted a stealth operation and did everything he could to assassinate the enemymander, Sartoni. His n worked out, but he ended up suffering severe injuries in the midst of doing so. Thus, Astrid forced him to return to the backlines to rest up. Just as they thought they were finally going to turn the tables, Magician King Priestley Maxwell appeared. The ensuing battle became the source of the nightmares that haunted Antonio for the next few centuries. Copsed buildings and fallenrades. The obliteration of countless civilians under the shockwave of Priestley¡¯s spells. And at the veryst moment of the battle, the sight of Astrid fusing together with the Chaos Dream. ¡°Priestley¡¯s final attack wasn¡¯t targeted at Lord Astrid but the Chaos Dream that was forced into the real world over the course of the battle. Even at his dying breath, he was still dreaming of destroying the Chaos Dream and earning the Savior¡¯s favor so as toe back to life. Howughable! ¡°It¡¯s just that even an attack from a coward like him was far too much to bear for the brittle Chaos Dream. In order to stabilize the treasure guarding the future of humankind, the severely injured Lord Astrid chose to fuse herself into the Chaos Dream. She was able to survive the madness of the Chaos Dream through the properties of her Dreamwalker Bloodline, but she couldn¡¯t avoid falling into eternal slumber.¡± By this point, Antonio was so agitated that his voice had turned hoarse, but he insistently continued on with the story. That battle had practically turned Leinster into a ghost city. Saint Freya Academy automatically repaired itself at dawn thanks to Astrid¡¯s Dream Realm Barrier, but the survivors numbered not even a hundred people. This tragic event had a far-reaching impact on the whole of humankind. Magician King Priestley Maxwell, as an Origin Level 1 transcendent and one of the leaders of humankind, had fallen into depravity and massacred the hundreds of thousands of people residing in Leinster, inflicting a crushing blow to the cradle of humankind. It was such a huge incident that it shocked all of the top brass of humankind then, forcing them into action. The allied forces of humankind halted their counterattack on the deviants and instead formed investigative teams to purge evil cultists from their ranks. To avoid causing further panic, both the tragedy in Leinster and the name, ¡®Magician King Priestley Maxwell¡¯, were intentionally excluded from the annals of history. Centuries had passed since then, and only a small handful of people still remembered the tragedy. ¡°What is preventing Astrid from waking up?¡± After hearing the full story about Leinster¡¯s tragedy four hundred years ago, Roel turned his focus toward his ancestor¡¯s issue. Antonio had answers for that. First and foremost, Astrid¡¯s maneuver was unounted for in the list of countermeasures stored inside Magaret, such that thetter had no idea how to deal with the situation. Aside from that, the members of the Twilight Sages Assembly were also vehemently opposed to waking Astrid up. ¡®Academic¡¯ Astrid¡¯s sacrifice was noble, but the Assembly had to prioritize the interests of humankind above all else. There was a chance that saving Astrid could cause the Chaos Dream to stop functioning, and that was a chance the Assembly wasn¡¯t willing to take. Unfortunately, Antonio wasn¡¯t strong or resourceful enough to find a way to save Astrid back then too. However, Antonio refused to give up despite the difficulties standing in his way. He devoted the next few centuries of his life to researching the Chaos Dream. As he learned more and more about the nature of the Chaos Dream, he was able to formte a usible solution. ¡°There are two items required to extricate Lord Astrid from the Chaos Dream. One is the ckrose Ring containing Lord Astrid¡¯s own Dream Realm. The other is a simr bloodline. As Lord Astrid is a mixed-blood, this aspect has to be broken down into two parts, human and dreamwalker. ¡°Blood from ordinary members of the Ascart House wouldn¡¯t work here. The Ascarts might have descended from the Ardes, but the passing of a thousand years has caused a huge divergence in their bloodlines. For that reason, only the blood of an awakener will work. That¡¯s why I need your help,¡± exined Antonio. ¡°I see. You mentioned that we require the blood of a dreamwalker too. Do you have any leads on that?¡± asked Roel. ¡°I do. Knight Kingdom Pendor.¡± Having his doubt affirmed, Roel narrowed his eyes sharply. Chapter 378: Antonio’s Personal Experience

Chapter 378: Antonio¡¯s Personal Experience

Roel looked gravely at Antonio. In response, thetter nodded in confirmation. ¡°Even after centuries, the remnants of the Twilight Sages Assembly gathered in the Knight Kingdom continue to oppose my n. I¡¯ve already proven to them the feasibility of the n without affecting the Chaos Dream, but those obstinate fools still deem it too risky. ¡°The lineage of the Dreamwalkers resides in that country, which means that I can¡¯t carry out my n without their help. Thus, I hope that you can garner their support for the n,¡± said Antonio as he looked at Roel with expectant eyes. Those words brought a frown to Roel¡¯s face. ¡°I get what you¡¯re trying to do, but I don¡¯t understand why you didn¡¯t intervene when a conflict broke out between our groups earlier. Isn¡¯t what you¡¯re doing contrary to your goal?¡± ¡°I can understand why you would think that way, but there are reasons for that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that there¡¯s more to the situation?¡± ¡°... Roel, have you heard of the Swordheart School?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel raised his eyebrows, unsure of what Antonio was driving at. He was aware that the term ¡®school¡¯ wasmonly used to refer to the different schools of martial arts, but his knowledge regarding them wascking since he was a spellcaster himself. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of Swordheart School before. What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the school propagated by the royal family of the Knight Kingdom. It¡¯s known as one of the Cambonytes¡¯ Three Cores, with the other two being the Courage Origin Attribute and the Dragon Bloodline. You can think of it as a unique mana utilization method, a special type of spell.¡± Antonio delved into the fundamental theory behind the martial art schools, greatly broadening Roel¡¯s understanding of transcendent abilities. Origin Attributes were the foundation of transcendent abilities in the Sia Continent. Simr to how spellcasters created spells to better bring out the prowess of their Origin Attribute, the knights had also found ways to augment their physical prowess beyond human limits. One of these ways was through the martial art schools, which were centered around the concept of a pseudo Origin Attributes. Simr to how those of the Wisdom Origin Attribute became stronger by expanding their knowledge, the Cambonytes¡¯ Swordheart School followed a simr theory too, but what it required was an unshakable will. Lofty ideals, firm principles, and an unwavering heart, those were what a practitioner of the Swordheart School needed to grow. The greater their will, the more resilient their Swordheart. If a Swordheart was developed to the very limits, it could potentially evolve into a Divine Sword. Antonio¡¯s exnation opened Roel¡¯s eyes to the transcendent pathways of Knight Kingdom Pendor. He was starting to see how their knights were able to fight on equal grounds with spellcasters despite only developing their physical prowess. However, this also raised some doubts. ¡°I roughly understand what the Swordheart School is now, but what does that have to do with the conflict between our groups?¡± asked Roel. Antonio nodded slowly in acknowledgment of his question before slowly answering. ¡°I turned a blind eye to the conflict between William and you because it¡¯s inevitable. It was bound to happen sooner orter, but the sooner the better. It¡¯d breed less acrimony if you can quickly get it out of the way.¡± ¡°Inevitable? Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the path you have chosen contradicts the traditional values embraced by the Ardes and the Twilight Sages Assembly. ¡°Traditional values?¡± Roel widened his eyes in surprise, not expecting to hear those words. He repeated the specific phrase that particrly intrigued him, and Antonio soon answered his doubt. ¡°Back in the Second Epoch, the Ardes and the Twilight Sages Assembly were the shadow guardians of humankind. They chose to remain undercover because they believed that corruption will cripple the organization if it¡¯s brought to the surface. It would also risk panic amongst themon popce once they learn about the lurking crisis. Such was the line of thought spurring the Ardes to be the Shadow Eagle of the Ancient Austine Empire. ¡°The traditional values embraced by the old Twilight Sages Assembly advocate members to forsake their personal glory and silently protect humankind from the shadows. The Knight Kingdom has held steadfast to that creed over the years. Think of its istionist policies and William¡¯s insistence on hiding his profile beneath his armor; all of these can be traced back to those traditional values to some extent. ¡°What about you?¡± Roel widened his eyes at that question. He fell into deep thought. He was studying at the prestigious Saint Freya Academy where all powerhouses of the world kept their eyes on. He associated himself with the brightest stars of the youngest generation, be it Nora, Charlotte, or Lilian. His way of life didn¡¯t conform to the spirit of silent heroism embraced by the Knight Kingdom. ¡°The Swordheart School tends to be excessively strict on its sessor so as to build up their willpower. It was his devotion to the knight¡¯s chivalric code that William was able to tolerate his stifling full armor and tough training over the years. Those traditional values I¡¯ve mentioned have likely already be an integral part of his Swordheart, something that he¡¯ll adamantly hold onto even when the going gets tough. Given that the path you have chosen differs from his, the sh in your ideologies is bound to lead to conflict.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Roel slowly nodded his head in realization. With the puzzle pieces in ce, he was finally able to understand Antonio¡¯s actions. He also agreed that a conflict with William¡¯s group was inevitable, for he had no intention of delving into the shadows. The sacrifices the Ardes made for humankind were noble, but Roel didn¡¯t think that it was feasible for the Ascarts to emte their ancestors¡¯ legacy. The Ascarts were tied down by far too many things, such as their fiefdom and their people. There was no way they could abandon those. Roel himself also had no intention of severing ties with Nora and the others. More importantly, while he admired the Knight Kingdom for having silently contributed to the world over the years, he didn¡¯t think that it was the right way to go. Far too many things had changed over the past thousand years that old values needed to be reshaped to remain relevant in the current era. Back in the Second Epoch, the whole of humankind was unified under the great Ancient Austine Empire. The creation of a force as powerful as the Twilight Sages Assembly could possibly undermine the stability of the empire, for it was bound to stoke ambitions and spections. It was a wise decision to keep the Assembly undercover back then to uphold the stability of the empire. Aside from that, there was also no reason for the Assembly toe to the surface back then. One had to remember that the Ardes were the shadows of the imperial family, the uncrowned kings of humankind! They had the means to acquire whatever resources they needed to deal with lurking disasters, so there was no benefit for them to appear in public sight. But what about now? The Ancient Austine Empire had dissolved after the mass migration, and a cluster of nations rose in its wake. These nations had their own ambitions, and the weakening of rival nations would only dden them. The only time they would reluctantly huddle together was in the face of possible extinction. With everyone¡¯s hearts in different ces, it was more difficult than ever to rally a group of selfless heroes. Even if the Dawnbringer Order were to go on the streets with megaphones in hand, shouting for everyone to save the world together with them, it was questionable whether anyone would be willing to contribute significant money or manpower. It was already difficult enough to gather resources even when doing it openly, and the Dawnbringer Order still wanted to go undercover? One had to know that the Ancient Ackermann Empire had the whole of humankind behind it whereas Knight Kingdom Pendor was a small, isted nation! William and the others might be willing to empty their coffers to make up for the deficiency in resources, but how much could they fill up? What if the crisis they were dealing with demanded resources greater than what the Knight Kingdom had to offer? Before the threat of extinction, every single bit of resources was precious and would make a difference. The Dawnbringer Order would be swiftly stretched to its limits once cmity struck. Roel had seen far too many examples of this in his previous life to know better. Besides, the Dawnbringer Order¡¯s system didn¡¯t seem feasible from a human management perspective. A hero who had resolved a crisis would be bestowed with glory and reward from their country, and that would motivate others to aplish something for the country too. On the other hand, the Dawnbringer Order expected its members to gather their own rations and weapons and devote their soldiers to performing dangerous missions that wouldn¡¯t bring them any glory or direct benefits. William and a few others might be willing to do so, but did they honestly expect others to be as selfless as they were? Having ideals was a good thing, but pragmatism was equally important too. Nobles had their own fiefs and people to take care of. Resources and manpower put into dangerous missions could have been diverted toward other ces to strengthen their fiefs and help their people. Having lofty ideals was no reason for a noble to let their people starve. To be fair, this problem existed in the Twilight Sages Assembly too, but it was mitigated to some extent by the cumtive wealth of the Assembly¡¯s members. It had the support of the Ancient Austine Empire back in the Second Epoch, making money a nonproblem. In the Third Epoch, its members included powerhouses from many countries, allowing the burden to be shared across many people. Having thought up to this point, Roel heaved a deep sigh and asked. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be easy for us to get along if we have such a huge ideological difference. Principal Antonio, do you have any ideas in mind? ¡°It won¡¯t be easy, but you¡¯ll have to change William¡¯s mind. You¡¯re a special existence to those transfer students, and the influence you have over them is greater than you can imagine. Based on your track record thus far, I am confident that you¡¯ll be able to pull it off.¡± ¡°My track record?¡± Roel thought that the phrase sounded odd, but Antonio simply shed him a cryptic smile without exining any further. You¡¯re unaware of it, but you do have a special ce in her heart, Antonio thought as he looked at Roel deeply. Chapter 379: This Child Can Be Kidnapped

Chapter 379: This Child Can Be Kidnapped

Roel slowly made his way out of the administrative office with his Nine-headed Serpent Staff in hand. He thought about the inexplicable gaze Antonio had directed at him earlier, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was amiss. He couldn¡¯t exactly put his finger on it either, but he had a feeling that Antonio was withholding the truth from him, though he chose not to pursue it after a moment of thinking. There was no way he could expect Antonio to bepletely honest with him when there was still ack of trust between them. To be frank, he would have considered this first meeting between them a sess if he could even earn Antonio¡¯s goodwill. The intelligence he acquired was already an unexpected bonus, and it would be too greedy to expect more beyond that. Walking out of the administrative building, Roel could hear a noisy bustleing from the nearbymercial street. He chose to walk in the opposite direction, where the carriage stop leading to the Azure Manor was located. However, his footsteps were swiftly halted by a familiar ringinging from the System. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance Enter themercial street and have a cup of fruit juice.¡¿ ¡°Have a cup of fruit juice?¡± The abrupt notification confused Roel. He subconsciously touched his throat and realized that he was indeed feeling a little thirsty. He did have a fairly pleasant conversation with Antonio earlier, but the two of them weren¡¯t close enough to chat over tea. With all the talking he did, it was inevitable that his throat would be a little parched, and the alcohol and beef jerky he had earlier weren¡¯t helping. He would have probably held it in until he reached the Azure Manor so that he could rest easy and rx, but it wasn¡¯t much of a problem for him to enter themercial street and buy a cup of juice there... But the Goddess of Fate can¡¯t possibly be worried about my body, right? Will something happen if I have a cup of fruit juice there? The intrigued Roel changed his pathway and began following the flow of the crowd into themercial street. It just so happened to be its peak period. The sweltering summer heat only died down a little at night. This was the moment for students to let loose after a long day in the ssroom. Couples and cliques who had eaten their dinner began touring the shops to buy whatever caught their fancy. Some of the shops made use of this opportunity to set up food stands outside their storefront to entice the passing crowd. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s more crowded than I thought.¡± This was the first time Roel was experiencing the night bustle of the summermercial street, so he was quite surprised by therge crowd. He took a look around and swiftly spotted a juice stand. The fruit juice it sold was peculiar in the sense that itprised seven distinct levels divided by a spell, making it somewhat like a rainbow tower cocktail. There was a huge group made up of mainly women standing around the juice stand. It looks like even fruit juice gets an elegant twist in this high-ssmercial street. While Roel was wondering why the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance had led him here, he noticed a familiar pink-haired figure standing amidst the crowd¡ªHextongue Princess Teresa. She was staring at the beautiful seven-colored beverage with glittering eyes, clearly tempted to buy one. But when she looked at the huge crowd around the juice stand and the notebook in her hand, she could only heave a helpless sigh. Her speech handicap made it hard for her to maneuver around the bustling night market, and she was reluctant to use her notebook as it might draw unnecessary attention. The transfer students didn¡¯t have the best reputation due to the conflict they had with Roel earlier in the day. Teresa stared at the fruit juice yearningly, but she eventually hardened her will and decided to walk away. Before she could make a move, she suddenly heard a casual questioning from beside her. ¡°How beautiful. Do you want to try it?¡± Teresa excitedly nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you then.¡± ¡°!¡± It was only then that Teresa snapped out of her daze. Baffled, she quickly raised her head to look at the person next to her, only to widen her eyes in shock right after. ¡°Hello, Miss Teresa. It sure is a coincidence. Would you mind waiting for me while I get that fruit juice?¡± Hello, Mister Roel. There¡¯s no need to trouble you. I¡¯lle again tomorrow. Teresa blushed furiously as she wrote down these two sentences in a fluster before raising her notebook. Roel nced at the banner put up beside the popr juice stand and said. ¡°It appears that this special fruit juice is an exclusive menu item this summer. I reckon that it¡¯d draw a huge crowd every single day. It just so happens that I¡¯m looking for something to quench my thirst. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to try it with me?¡± ¡°...¡± Teresa eyed the huge crowd around the juice stand and frowned. She hesitantly wrote down a few words in her notebook, only to sh them right after. She seemed conflicted about the situation. In the end, under Roel¡¯s gentle gaze, she shyly nodded with a reddened face. Roel chuckled at her series of reactions before squeezing through the spectating crowd to get the drinks. It took some time before he returned with two cups of the seven-colored fruit juice. The two of them settled down on one of the long tables by the side of the road before trying out the drink. As expected, the popr stuff in themercial street didn¡¯t disappoint. Its taste was as exquisite as its beautiful appearance. Theyers of the chilled beverage were mildly sweet with distinct vors that slowly harmonized together to give a refreshing kick. It was no exaggeration to call it the perfect summer refreshment. ¡°Miss Teresa, does your throat get parched easily?¡± It does. Because I can¡¯t speak. ¡°My apologies.¡± No, it¡¯s nothing much. Thank you for your help. Teresa anxiously waved her hand at Roel¡¯s apology as green light sprouted from her head. Roel chuckled softly before continuing on. ¡°I¡¯m not just apologizing over that. I¡¯ve been wanting to find an opportunity to apologize to you over what happened earlier in the assembly hall. You helped me back in the northernnds, but I treated you in such a manner. Did I scare you?¡± asked Roel gently. Teresa quickly waved her hand, but her movements slowed to a halt when she thought about the aura Roel emanated back then. After a moment of thought, she decided to be honest. A little. But it isn¡¯t your fault. William went too far! ¡°Hm? Is that what you think?¡± The confrontation only happened due to his provocation. Sorry, I wasn¡¯t able to stop him. ¡°No, we were at fault too.¡± Roel was a little amused by their interaction. It had somehow turned into a small apology circle between them. He was surprised by one thing though. He had assumed that William and Teresa would be on the same page considering how often they were together, but it looked like there was some divergence in their stances. Teresa wasn¡¯t as obstinate as William, meaning that it was not entirely impossible for them to talk things out. He took a few seconds to think about it, and he thought that it would be good for him to share some of his thoughts with Teresa so as to sound her out. ¡°Miss Teresa, to be honest with you, I¡¯ve heard a bit about the Knight Kingdom¡¯s ideology recently, and that gave me a glimpse into Prince William¡¯s thoughts. However, I¡¯m afraid that I don¡¯t intend to give up on what I currently have, so...¡± Roel¡¯s voice trailed off at this point. Teresa didn¡¯t seem too surprised by his response. To have a person suddenly leave a familiar environment, sever all ties with society, and devote themselves to protecting humankind from the shadows, that was madness in itself. She thought that William had gone overboard trying to impose his extreme way of life on others. She would have stopped the other party had it been anyone else, but since it was William, it ended up putting her in a spot. She had no way of stopping him, and she had no rights to do so either. I understand how you feel. Please forgive William for that. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. I don¡¯t me William for his stance. It¡¯s just that... I wonder if there¡¯s a way to make him give up without tarnishing our rtionship.¡± I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was surprised by Teresa¡¯s decisive response. Thetter hesitated for a brief moment before slowly writing down a few words. He has been waiting for you. Chapter 380: Master of Espionage, Roel

Chapter 380: Master of Espionage, Roel

He has been waiting for you. Beside the crowded street, Teresa raised her notebook to reveal these words on it. Astounded, Roel couldn¡¯t help but stare at her with his mouth agape. ¡°William has been waiting for me? What does that mean?¡± asked Roel in surprise. Teresa pressed her lips together, not knowing how to respond to that question. She would have to divulge William¡¯s secrets if she wanted to exin the matter, but she didn¡¯t think that it was her ce to say those things. If anything, Mina should be the one to tell him. So, she let out a sigh and gently shook her head. Roel caught her drift and decided not to probe any further. He nodded understandingly before raising his cup to take another sip. It looks like William has his circumstances too. This thought weighed down Roel¡¯s heart, but when he looked at the pink-haireddy apanying him, the pressure he felt seemed to lighten a little. So far, it would appear that not everyone from the Knight Kingdom agreed with William¡¯s stance. That was good news since it meant that Roel could win their support one by one before turning around to pressure William. Teresa appeared to be a core member of William¡¯s group, and she was the most normal and rational one there. It would go a long way if Roel could maintain good rtions with her. Roel finally understood the purpose behind the guidance, but another doubt arose in his mind. He came here to fulfill the guidance from the Goddess of Fate, but what about Teresa? It was a little peculiar to see a transfer student like her wandering the streets all alone on her very first day. ¡°Teresa, are you touring the academy? If so, I can bring you around,¡± asked Roel. Unexpectedly, Teresa shook her head. She quickly scribbled on her notebook. I¡¯m looking for someone. ¡°Looking for someone? Did someone from your group lose their way?¡± Yeah, it¡¯s Brittany. I couldn¡¯t find her since dinner. ¡°I see... Huh?¡± Roel suddenly thought of a possibility that stifled his words to a halt. ... In the forest outside Azure Manor, a golden-haired woman dressed in light armor was hidden on top of a tree, spying on a majestic manor through the cracks between the leaves. She watched as the candles slowly snuffed out and the breathing of those inside the manor deepened. She was Brittany Lunde, the daughter of Pendor¡¯s Lunde Ducal House. She was a ravishing youngdy who happened to be a powerful transcendent too, especially after her breakthrough to Origin Level 4st month. Her Origin Level paired with her Valkyrie Bloodline allowed her to easily overpower any of her peers, to the extent that she could be considered the key fighting force of the transfer students. Yet, the very day she entered Saint Freya Academy, she chanced upon her fianc¨¦ who had left home to escape from their engagement. She would have dragged him back with her right away if not for the fact she had encountered someone whom she must never make an enemy out of¡ªher observation target, Roel Ascart. The aura Roel released back then at the assembly hall had deeply shaken their group. Brittany¡¯s sharp instincts from her Valkyrie Bloodline told her that he was an opponent she could never hope to defeat... and Geralt was under his protection. I can¡¯t defeat Roel Ascart, and Geralt will not return to me on his own ord. However, there¡¯s still another way out. All she had to do was to avoid Roel Ascart. Her only objective here was Geralt. As long as Roel Ascart wasn¡¯t around, she was confident that she would be able to suppress Geralt and take him away with her. The first thing she did was to observe the raid location, which was none other than the Azure Manor. After hours of observation, she found out that most students residing there were First Grade students, and there were hardly any strong ones amongst them. There was a man named Paul who was constantly by Geralt¡¯s side, but that man was only at Origin Level 5 and couldn¡¯t pose a threat to her. Her initial n was just to check out the location, but after careful assessment, she noticed something that sparked her excitement¡ªthe master of the manor wasn¡¯t around at the moment. In other words, if I were to rush in right now, wouldn¡¯t I be able to... Those thoughts were extremely tempting to Brittany. ¡°I advise you not to do so.¡± ¡°!¡± A sudden voiceing from behind made Brittany¡¯s blood turn cold. She quickly turned around to take a look. In the depths of the forest, beneath the shadows of a lush tree, there was a pair of golden eyes staring at her, silently warning her not to do anything rash. Roel Ascart! Brittany¡¯s eyes narrowed in horror upon confirming the other party¡¯s identity. The overwhelming fear palpitating in her chest triggered her instincts to retaliate, but at the same time, she was apprehensive about provoking that unfathomably powerful man. While she was stuck in a dilemma, Roel continued his words. ¡°Teresa and the others are looking for you, Miss Brittany. I suggest you return now.¡± ¡°Teresa?¡± Brittany was surprised to hear Roel addressing Teresa informally. It left her wondering whether there was some kind of special rtionship between Roel and Teresa. The knowledge that Roel and Teresa were on friendly terms soothed her nervousness a little. Roel was ddened to see that Brittany was finally starting to rx a little. There was a short pause before he added on. ¡°Miss Brittany, I¡¯ve heard about the situation between you and Geralt. I personally think that you could have handled this issue better.¡± ¡°Mister Roel, I am his fianc¨¦e. Even if you try to stop me, it won¡¯t make a...¡± ¡°Pardon me, Miss Brittany, but I hope that you can calm down and hear me out first. I¡¯m not here to stop you. On the contrary, I wish to help you,¡± said Roel with a smile. ¡°Sorry?¡± Brittany was stunned. Her eyes flickered in uncertainty as she watched the young man walk out of the shadows with an ancient staff in hand. ¡°Help me? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I wish to dispel the misunderstanding between the two of you so that you¡¯re able to fulfill your engagement. Miss Brittany, you should have noticed by now that your attempts to capture his heart haven¡¯t been sessful thus far. On the contrary, he¡¯s only getting more afraid of you.¡± ¡°...¡± Those brutally honest words made Brittany¡¯s face turn pale, and she couldn¡¯t help but wince a little. This had always been her sore spot, but Roel had no intention of holding back just because of that. ¡°I¡¯ve already heard about the Lunde House and everything you have done, so I¡¯ll just get straight to the conclusion. At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before Geralt annuls your engagement.¡± ¡°!¡± Brittany already had an inkling of it herself, but the confirmation of her worst fears was a lot to bear. She had to grab onto the nearest tree trunk to support herself or else she might have just fallen off the tree. Her eyes turned deadpan as despair swallowed her heart. It was then that Roel suddenly changed his tone. ¡°However, it¡¯s not all over yet. You still have hope.¡± ¡°Hope?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Miss Brittany. Wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful if we could help each other out a little?¡± suggested Roel with a smile. ¡°Help each other out... What do you mean? Just to make things clear, I have no intention of betraying my country!¡± Brittany immediately snapped out of her trance and red at Roel warily. Roel shook his head in response. ¡°Miss Brittany, you¡¯re overthinking things. All I¡¯m asking from you here is for you to help me forge friendly rtions with William. This should be a win-win for both of our sides... unless you intend to make me your enemy?¡± ¡°...¡± Brittany felt conflicted. On one hand, their objective here was actually to establish good rtions with Roel, so there was nothing wrong with his request. However, the act of establishing a private alliance with Roel made her feel like she was betraying herrades. This dilemma left her unable to respond to Roel¡¯s offer right away. Her silence didn¡¯t worry Roel much though, for he had prepared another trump card that would ensure the sess of this negotiation. ¡°Miss Brittany, I have also provided some gifts for you as a token of goodwill.¡± ¡°Gifts? Do you think that I¡¯d be bribed by you that...¡± ¡°A set of Geralt¡¯s cutleries and bedsheets.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± The bait was simply too tempting that Brittany epted the deal without a second¡¯s hesitation. Roel revealed a satisfied smile. Current number of spies: 2 Chapter 381: Incredible Alicia (1)

Chapter 381: Incredible Alicia (1)

There were different degrees of severity when it came to yanderes. Those of the Valkyrie Bloodline were fairly normal when it came to dealing with strangers whom they carried no strong personal feelings for. That was the reason why Roel was able to negotiate with Brittany at all. After sending her off, Roel heaved a deep sigh of relief. He was d that he had averted a potential raid on the Azure Manor. This incident gave him a deeper understanding of the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. The purpose of this guidance was probably to get closer to Teresa and stop Brittany¡¯s reckless actions. These little steps were crucial to turning Knight Kingdom Pendor into his ally, which would then fulfill the requirements for saving Astrid. It was really a close call with Brittany here. Her actions weren¡¯t enough to threaten him, but if she had really barged into his residence and kidnapped one of his aides, that would have brought about a whole lot ofplications. Roel let out a sigh and returned to his own room. The moment he opened the door, a silver-haired girl rushed over and gave him a tight hug. ¡°Wee back, Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Alicia? What brings you here? Isn¡¯t your bed already fixed?¡± It was just this morning that Roel personally sent Alicia back to Chris¡¯ house, but here she was, back at the Azure Manor. This put him at a loss of words. Naturally, Alicia always had an answer. ¡°Lord Brother, Miss Chris¡¯ kitchen utensils are spoiled, so she told me toe here for dinner.¡± ¡°¡­¡± First the bed, and now the kitchenware? Just what the hell are you both doing over at Chris¡¯ house? Are you wrecking balls? Roel was filled with so many retorts that he didn¡¯t even know what to say anymore. He squeezed his forehead with his fingers in distress. ¡°It¡¯s already after dinner hours. Why are you still here?¡± ¡°I was nning to head back, but I noticed some suspicious activities outside. As a safety precaution, I decided to wait for Lord Brother here. Judging from the earlier situation, she seems to be your guest?¡± Roel alternated his gaze between Alicia and the cloudless night outside, and he found himself getting amazed by Alicia¡¯s powerful transcendent ability once more. Is it due to the moonlight? Her power feels almost omnipotent. Roel decided to tell Alicia about the situation between Geralt and Brittany. To his surprise, thetter snorted in disdain. ¡°You were able to send her off with some utensils and a bedsheet? Pitiful! I¡¯ve already imed possession of those things¡­ Cough cough! I mean, she¡¯s a pervert through and through!¡± ¡°Yeah, Geralt sure is pitiful. He must have had quite a few of his possessions stolen by her over the years.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel expressed his pity for Geralt, not knowing that he was in the same position himself. Alicia¡¯s expression turned weird upon hearing those words, so much so that she decided to quickly change the subject. Thanks to the aid from her stalwart ally, Chris, she managed to infiltrate the Azure Manor for the second day. However, she knew that Roel would likely head to the room on the second floor to sleep at this rate, and that was not something she could tolerate. She hade here with the purpose of sharing a bed with Roel. Otherwise, how could she make any progress? How can I convince Lord Brother to share a bed with me? Alicia pondered for a while before a glint suddenly shed across her crimson eyes. She grabbed Roel¡¯s arms and asked. ¡°Lord Brother, shall we y a game of chess tonight?¡± ¡°Chess? That¡¯s a good idea. There¡¯s still some time before sleeping hours anyway.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll watch the moon together afterward!¡± ¡°Sure. The weather is great today, so we should be able to get a good look at the stars.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll share a bath!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll have the hot water pre¡­ Wait a moment!¡± Roel btedly realized what Alicia had just said, and he immediately turned his head over to look at the silver-haired girl with stern eyes. ¡°What are you saying? You aren¡¯t young anymore. How can we share a bath?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve never bathed with Lord Brother before¡­ Or could it be that Lord Brother has gotten sick of me? Do you not want me anymore?¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes began glistening with indignant tears, making it look as if someone had bullied her. Her sudden tears caught Roel off guard, and he tried to console her in a fluster. ¡°When have I said that I¡¯ve gotten sick of you? Alicia, you¡¯re thinking too much into it!¡± ¡°B-but you don¡¯t even want to bathe with me anymore!¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re already a grown up now. I¡­¡± With his eyes directed straight at Alicia, Roel¡¯s voice slowly trailed off. Before he knew it, Alicia had already started to grow up. Her appearance had be incredibly beautiful, especially under the gentle glow of the moonlight. Just looking at her made his heart thump nervously, and he felt like a me was going to ze within him. It was hisst line of defense as the older brother here to noty his hands on Alicia, but it was getting harder and harder for him to exert his self-control recently. As Alicia¡¯s Perfection Origin Attribute matured, her charms were slowly bing more and more fatal. It already took all of Roel¡¯s self-control to remainposed whenever Alicia grabbed his arm or hugged him. He wasn¡¯t confident of holding himself back if they were to share a bath. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s out of the question. There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll be able to share a bath. Ask for something else instead.¡± ¡°Then¡­ I want to sleep with you tonight.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Roel frowned at that request. Alicia noticed his facial expression and immediately upped her aggression. She stared at Roel withrge glistening crimson eyes, looking like she would really burst into tears if this request was rejected as well. Her pitiful act left Roel with no choice but to submit. ¡°Fine, but we¡¯ll take one side each. You aren¡¯t allowed toe to my side. We aren¡¯t children anymore, so we can¡¯t be like before.¡± ¡°Got it, Lord Brother!¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes glowed in excitement upon receiving Roel¡¯s approval, as if she had just won a battle. Roel noticed her response, and it made him sigh in exasperation. It was clear that his point wasn¡¯t getting through to her. Am I being too lenient on her? But¡­ how do siblings usually get along with each other? Roel felt that there was something wrong about his interactions with Alicia, but he had no idea what he should do to remedy that. Heaving a deep sigh, he quickly washed up, slipped into a fresh pair of pajamas, and began ying chess with Alicia on the windowside table. The younger Roel and Alicia often yed games together in their pajamas back at the Ascarts¡¯ manor. The two of them had far too many lessons scheduled for them in the day that they could only be together at night. When they finally got tired, they would simply fall on the bed and sleep together, having almost no boundaries between them at all. But ever since Roel got busy with his work as a proxy fief lord, he no longer had time to y with Alicia. Those happy and carefree days seemed to have passed them by. The thought of it left Roel with a sense of guilt toward Alicia. He dropped his doubts about whether he had been too doting on the silver-haired girl and instead focused on their game of chess. The moon was particrly bright today, and Alicia seemed exceptionally spirited under the moonlight. The two of them yed till midnight. It ended with Alicia¡¯s victory as Roel had been secretly going easy on her. Now that they had their fair share of fun, they sat by the windowsill and watched the beautiful moon and stars. Alicia let out a little yawn. Seeing that, Roel chuckled softly and proposed for them to call it a day. Alicia was excited by the proposal¡­ until cruel reality shattered her dreams. ¡°Lord Brother, what is this?¡± asked Alicia with a dissatisfied voice as she stared at the boundary line made out of pillows on the bed. This time, Roel stood his ground and refused to budge. He knew that he couldn¡¯t waver here, or else his self-control would be the next one to waver. Since he refused to give in, Alicia had no choice but to ept this unfortunate setting. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After snuffing out the lights, Roel and Alicia began going to sleep in silence. But minutester, a meek voice sounded from the other side of the boundary. ¡°Lord Brother, I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°¡­ How do you fall asleep at Miss Chris¡¯ ce then?¡± ¡°Miss Chris has magic tools that induce sleep.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel massaged his temple helplessly at Alicia¡¯s pitiful voice. On the other side of the boundary, Alicia waited quietly, but theck of response from Roel caused her eyes to droop in disappointment. She was just about to say something more when a hand suddenly shot through the pillow boundary to hold her hand. ¡°Ah?¡± Alicia was surprised to have her hand suddenly grabbed. A voice sounded from the other side of the boundary. ¡°This should do, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Mm,¡± murmured Alicia. Feeling the warmth from therger palm, her lips slowly curled into a sweet smile. With their hands locked together, the two of them slowly descended into thend of dreams. Chapter 381.5: Incredible Alicia (2)

Chapter 381.5: Incredible Alicia (2)

The following morning, Roel woke up to find Alicia lying on his chest. He looked at the pillow boundary that had been somehow torn down by her and sighed softly. As usual, Alicia sat by Roel¡¯s side for breakfast, enjoying thetter¡¯s asional feeding service. Geralt looked much more spirited after venting in the drinking sessionst night. Paul was as usual. The three of them had a discussion and decided not to take any actions against the transfer students for the time being. Roel didn¡¯t want to have a fallout with the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom, and he was responsible for maintaining peace and stability in the academy as a Ringbearer too. William¡¯s action was indeed provocative and had undermined the authority of the Ringbearers, but they hadn¡¯t done anything significantly harmful to the academy. After breakfast, the three of them proceeded to their sses. To Roel¡¯s surprise, he encountered William in one of his sses. It was the Burst Magic ss, which was a prerequisite to some of the spellcasting sses in the Second Grade. Its goal was to enhance the students¡¯ fighting ability by optimizing their spellcasting speed. Needless to say, this ss focused heavily on practicals. Swiftness was a crucial aspect of fighting, not just for martial arts but spellcasting too. It could easily mean the difference between victory and defeat. Often, there were veteran soldiers who survived the battlefield, not by their overwhelming strength but by the swiftness of their spellcasting. That being said, destructive prowess of the spells was also one of the grading criteria, for swiftness without ample might was meaningless. There was no point in bombarding an enemy with weak spells that hardly caused a scratch. After several months of lectures and practicals, the students had made considerable improvements in dishing out burst magic. Inparison, Roel had hardly improved at all. He had already maxed out on his burst magic prowess and couldn¡¯t make any significant improvement. The fact that Lilian had offered a rare praise about Roel¡¯s burst magic while they were still on bad terms with each other spoke a lot about it. Even teachers might not necessarily match up to him on that aspect, let alone students. If not for the fact that this ss waspulsory, Roel would have just skipped it. However, there was a slight difference in the situation today that made Roel take the ss a bit more seriously¡ªthey were having an exam today. To be honest, Roel was feeling a little worried as he was forced to skip a third of the lessons due to a series ofpelling circumstances, so he decided to take the examination seriously. To his surprise, when the ssmenced, an unexpected person was brought into the ssroom under their teacher¡¯s lead¡ªWilliam. ¡°That person is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the new transfer student.¡± William¡¯s appearance stirred amotion in the ssroom. Most students couldn¡¯t understand why those from the Knight Kingdom were transferring over right before their examinations, and there were some who were looking forward to seeing them make a fool out of themselves. William remained unfazed by the attention on him. He simply raised his head and looked toward the back of the ssroom, where Roel was seated. The two of them met eyes. Is he here for me?, Roel wondered. The teacher, George, quickly introduced William to the ssroom before starting on the lessons. To everyone¡¯s surprise, their spellcasting target today wasn¡¯t the usual stationary targets in the training field but¡­ a goose. Most students had confused looks when they saw old George carrying a goose by its neck onto the empty field, but thetter paid their reaction no heed. He cast a spell to fend against the goose¡¯s pecking attacks while calmly exining the exam to the students. ¡°What I have in my hand is a Splitting Goose. The greater the force of your attacks, the more clones it would split into. You don¡¯t have to worry about killing the goose; just give it your best shot. Let me see what you have learned over the past few months.¡± After saying his piece, George calmly sat down on a table and gestured for the students to go ahead. One of the more confident students stepped forward. He summoned a huge ball of crackling mes within a single second and unleashed it upon the Splitting Goose, causing thetter to split into multiple clones. ¡°Gru, five geese.¡± On the scorched earth in the wake of the massive fireball were five geese, which quickly rejoined to form the original Splitting Goose. This mystical sight surprised the students, but it also put their minds at ease too. As a result, a peculiar power test measured in the unit of geesemenced. ¡°Meliana, three geese.¡± ¡°Jack, two geese.¡± It was such a peculiar unit of measurement that Roel¡¯s cheeks started twitching a little. He felt like he was on a variety show. He even suspected that it was a prank by the teacher to make fun of them. However, everything changed when William stepped onto the field. He walked toward the weapon stand and picked up a sword. The moment he tightened his grasp around the sword, the atmosphere around him changed. It was hard to describe with words what the change was, but it was like the sword was the final puzzle piece that Williamcked. Roel sensed a feeling of harmoniouspletioning from the current William, but it seemed like he was the only one who felt that. Most of the students were more focused on the distance. Swordsmanship was intended for close-quarterbat. It was possible tounch a ranged mana attack using the sword as a medium, but it was inefficient and the prowess would be reducedpared to a direct attack. There were also students before William who chose to wield a sword, but they had run straight to the goose and swung their de down on it. However, William didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of closing his distance with the goose. ¡°What¡¯s that fellow intending to do?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s going to walk over. Does he really intend to attack the goose from that distance with a sword?¡± William paid no heed to the crowd and silently drew the sword. He swung the sword downward serenely, devoid of the sharpness of a sword practitioner. It was almost as if he was just ying around. Yet, the tremendous mana pulsations that btedly rippled outward right after showed otherwise. There were no spectacr shes of light or anything of that sort. All the crowd saw was an extremely condensed glowing arc hurtling outward, and the next moment, the Splitting Goose exploded into thousands of miniature clones, scattering all around like clumps of dust. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°William, inestimable. Full marks.¡± This unprecedented sight silenced the students present. It was only when George announced the result that the students began apuding and eximing in awe. The strength demonstrated by William had won their respect. Is this the Swordheart School? Roel wondered curiously. While he was deep in thought, William put the sword back onto the weapon rack and walked up to him. ¡°Mister Roel, what do you think of my strength?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m amazed. I believe that Prince William¡¯s strength has far surpassed those of our age group,¡± replied Roel with a smile. It was a simplepliment, but it unexpectedly delighted the armored man. He dove straight to the point and raised an offer. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Mister Roel, won¡¯t youe to the Knight Kingdom¡­ No, what I mean is, what do you think about leaving this academy anding to join our Dawnbringer Order?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was William¡¯s second invitation to Roel. Chapter 382: Those Bad Women! (1)

Chapter 382: Those Bad Women! (1)

On the grass field, the woman wearing thick armor looked at the smiling ck-haired man and her heartbeat started quickening. Despite knowing that it wasn¡¯t the best asion to do so, she couldn¡¯t hold back the urge to offer him yet another sincere invitation. She had thought hard about everything that had happened yesterday for an entire night, and she had no choice but to admit that she had done wrong. But what she deemed to be her mistake wasn¡¯t her provoking Nora and Charlotte but her failure to disy her full prowess. That¡¯s right. In William¡¯s eyes, the reason why Roel didn¡¯t ept her invitation was that she hadn¡¯t proved herself worthy yet. This was why she made use of this opportunity to fully showcase her prowess, and she managed to receive Roel¡¯spliment as a result. Compliment was something unfamiliar to William. She had grown up hearing nary a word of that. Hearing it from Roel, the person whom she had been waiting for a very long time, was more reassuring than anything else in the world. But to her surprise, Roel rejected her invitation a second time. ¡°My apologies, Prince William. I¡¯m thankful for your invitation, but I have no such intent at the moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± William fell silent upon hearing those words, but there was something even more surprising toe. Looking at the armored figure before him, Roel thought that it would be best for him to ry his thoughts to him properly. He took a while to weigh his words before speaking up. ¡°I met ¡®Guardian¡¯ yesterday. We had a chat. He told me about the situation in the Knight Kingdom and the ideologies it embraced. I have utmost respect for the contributions your country has made to the world thus far.¡± ¡°You¡­ know Lord Antonio¡¯s identity?¡± William was astonished to hear Roel¡¯s words. Even in the Knight Kingdom, Antonio¡¯s identity as ¡®Guardian¡¯ of the Twilight Sages Assembly was a highly confidential secret that few knew about. She found it inconceivable that Roel¡¯s intelligencework had already developed to the extent of uncovering such high-level secrets. ¡°However, there¡¯s one thing I need to be honest with you about. I have no intention of abandoning the Ascart House and leaving this ce. I am willing to take on some of the responsibilities of the old Twilight Sages Assembly, but I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s suitable to continue deploying the same system the Assembly did in the Second Epoch.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think that it¡¯s suitable? Would you mind borating more?¡± ¡°We¡¯re living in an era of many nations. Rather than working in the shadows, I believe that it would be much more effective to stand forward and be a uniting force for humankind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unnecessary.¡± Sensing that the conversation was proceeding in a detrimental direction, William blurted out a response. She nervously ced her hand on her chest and carried on. ¡°For many years, the Twilight Sages Assembly had maintained order from the shadows and made many aplishments, I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s anything wrong with the system. The ipetent won¡¯t be able to contribute anything toward the disasters we¡¯re dealing with. What we need is the strength of the elites, you and me¡­ Your n and our Dawnbringer Order.¡± Sensing that there was something amiss with her words, William quickly changed her phrasing. Fortunately, Roel didn¡¯t pay too much heed to it. He frowned and started musing over her words. ¡°I can¡¯t deny that. Even if we amass an army of low-level transcendents, they still won¡¯t be able to aplish what an elite group of high-level transcendents can do. Most of the disasters that the Twilight Sages Assembly dealt with require quality, not quantity. ¡°However, there are also exceptions where the reverse is true, such as the happenings at our eastern border over thest few years. We need the cooperation of the entire humankind in order to fend against the deviants. In the future, there might be other crises that a single country won¡¯t be able to resolve on its own. Staying in the shadows won¡¯t allow us to solve those problems,¡± said Roel. ¡°Then we just have to cooperate with others when the need arises. The Twilight Sages Assembly has already disappeared for centuries now. There¡¯s a need for another organization filled with selfless individuals who cares not about material wealth or glory to rise up and take its ce. As long as we stand steadfast¡­¡± William swiftly refuted the points that Roel had proposed, but it didn¡¯t change Roel¡¯s mind. On the contrary, it only made him think that she was overly obstinate. Following a thousand-year-old tradition is indeed admirable, but those who fail to keep up with times will only be eliminated by the currents of change. ¡°Are you saying that all your organization needs is conviction? If so, I beg to differ. I do respect those who selflessly devote themselves for a noble cause, but such a philosophy won¡¯t work in an organization. Willpower won¡¯t be enough to sustain most in this dangerous and arduous undertaking,¡± replied Roel with a frown. His words provoked a strong response from William. Thetter stepped forward in agitation and eximed. ¡°For over a thousand years, we, the Cambonytes, have embraced these values and devoted ourselves to it. This is the spirit we instill in each generation of knights. I¡¯ve given up on a lot in order to uphold these values. Mister Roel, are you questioning my n¡¯s way of life now?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was stunned. Staring at the man donned in stifling heavy armor, he was suddenly reminded of his conversation with Teresa. She had implicitly told him that William had his circumstances too, just that it wasn¡¯t convenient for her to divulge them. His eyes slowly widened at that thought, and he hurriedly apologized. ¡°I apologize. I assure you that¡¯s not my intent. I didn¡¯t mean to undermine what you and your n have done for humankind. Please allow me to take back my words.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s earnest apology cated William¡¯s wrath a little, and her emotions calmed down as well. The two of them faced each other silently. The students in the vicinity noticed the peculiarity between them and began gossipping amongst themselves. ¡°It looks like they are fighting over there?¡± ¡°Surely that transfer student isn¡¯t provoking our Ringbearer again?¡± Both Roel and William could hear their discussion, but they didn¡¯t pay them any heed. The former was racking his mind to find a way to change William¡¯s mind whereas thetter suddenly thought about the women who were constantly by Roel¡¯s side. ¡°¡­ Is it because of those women?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you refusing to join the Dawnbringer Order because you wish to stay with them?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason too, but¡­¡± ¡°That simplifies things.¡± William sharply interjected before proceeding to reveal her decision. ¡°There are some conflicts in our ideologies, but both require sufficient power to implement. That makes things much easier. I¡¯ll defeat them and prove to you which side you should choose.¡± ¡°Eh? Wait a moment!¡± Roel was baffled by the oddly innocent but violent ¡®let¡¯s settle it with our fists¡¯ promation. He had no idea how Nora and the others came into the picture, but it would appear that William was already done with words. Thetter did a slight bow before he turned around and took his leave. Looking at William¡¯s departing silhouette, Roel heaved a sigh. He knew that this was going to spell trouble. Chapter 382.5: Those Bad Women! (2)

Chapter 382.5: Those Bad Women! (2)

Shortly after William left, it was Roel¡¯s turn to st the Splitting Goose. His result was also an inestimable full mark. On the whole, this seemed to be a good day for the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom. Most of them had started making a name for themselves in their respective sses. ¡°I heard that Miss Teresa performed spectacrly in the Hextongue ss. Madame Monica evaluated her to be a prodigy who appears once in a hundred years and strongly encouraged her to join her sses, saying that she would reduce her ssroom size next year so that she could devote her attention to nurturing her!¡± During their night meeting, Paul revealed the news he had heard in astonishment. However, neither Roel nor Geralt was fazed because they had already heard about it. ¡°You¡¯regging behind. It¡¯s not just Teresa; Juliana has received an invitation too, just that it was from Sir Lyon¡¯s Dark Magic ss. The other transfer students have also shown their skills in one way or another.¡± Geralt took a sip of tea, clearly rendered speechless by those monstersing from his country. Roel had to admit that those from the Dawnbringer Order had something to show for, too. Saint Freya Academy was a cradle for talents. Students who had showcased their potential would be coveted by the Schr Guilds. Take Teresa for example, the Hextongue Guild had already extended an official invitation to her. Given William¡¯s strength, if he had chosen to enroll into Saint Freya Academy right from the start, it was likely that he could have defeated the Ring Guardian and be a Ringbearer. Roel found that he hadn¡¯t been able to ascertain William¡¯s exact Origin Level to date, and that was abnormal. While thetter wore full armor that interfered with detection, Roel should still have been able to sense somewhat discerned his mana pulsation if he was at Origin Level 4 as well. On top of that, William was on par with Roel in terms of burst magic, who was already on par with Origin Level 3 transcendents. Putting all of these together, it was likely that William had already reached Origin Level 3. No normal human could have reached Origin Level 3 at their age group. Even the extraordinarily talented Lilian had only reached Origin Level 3 in her Second Grade, and others like Nora, Charlotte, and Roel himself were still at Origin Level 4. Admittedly, Roel was already on the verge of a breakthrough after undergoing the Witness State, but that was something he obtained by putting his life on the line. If William was already at Origin Level 3¡ªwhich was to say that he grew even faster than Roel¡ªwhat could he have given up in exchange for it? This was a world where power came at a price, and Roel didn¡¯t think that William would be any exception. Regarding this question, he actually had an idea in mind since there was a jarringly peculiar aspect about William¡ªhis armor. When they said that William never took off his armor, it was not just a figurative expression. He kept every single piece of his armor on at all times, including his helmet. In fact, Roel couldn¡¯t even remember a single asion where William had taken in food, be it in this world or Eyes of the Chronicler. Did William have to disfigure himself in order to obtain his current strength, so he doesn¡¯t want others to see his appearance? Or did he receive a curse that prevented him from taking off his armor? Roel had no answer to this question, but he had a strong feeling that this was a crucial factor to understanding William¡¯s background. Another bizarre fact he had uncovered was that he seemed to have a special ce in William¡¯s heart. The two of them had clear shes in their ideology, but William stubbornly chose to me the ¡®bad influences¡¯ around him instead. Even when he thought back on their interactions thus far, he had to acknowledge that William had been incredibly friendly to him. For the time being, Roel could only attribute William¡¯s friendly attitude with the close ties their ns shared had in the past. It was also weird how William harbored great enmity toward the women by Roel¡¯s side, and coincidentally, Nora and Charlotte appeared to feel the same way as well. It looked like a conflict was inevitable here. ¡°Oh? Did that metal can say that? He wants to defeat us and take you away with him?¡± ¡°Tell him to give it his best shot. We¡¯ll determine the victor through the Challenger Cup. Whether it¡¯s his stance toward darling or his arrogant attitude, I can¡¯t turn a blind eye to this anymore.¡± That was Nora and Charlotte¡¯s response when Roel informed them of William¡¯s decision. As the leader of the Enforcement Division, Lilian had already heard about the incident in the assembly hall and noticed the anomaly surrounding the transfer students. When she heard that their goal was to take Roel away with them, she fell into silence. Amongst the women around Roel, the one who wanted Roel to stay at Saint Freya Academy the most was none other than Lilian. She knew that it would be hard for her to remain in contact with Roel once he left the academy given the differences in their backgrounds. Yet, the First Grade transfer students actually wanted to take him away. This was uneptable for Lilian. There was no way she could remain silent under such circumstances. After Roel confirmed this matter, Lilian took a much more serious attitude toward the Challenger Cup. She was determined to thoroughly crush the Knight Kingdom so that they would dare not harbor such thoughts anymore. ¡°Since all they know is speaking through their fists, I¡¯ll y along with them. Not even the descendants of the Twilight Sages Assembly have the right to pull us apart!¡± dered Lilian furiously. Meanwhile, a certain silver-haired girl was also infuriated upon hearing of the matter. This was one of the few times that she had chosen to stand on the same side as her love rivals. It was just that her young age disallowed her from participating in the Challenger Cup and teaching those arrogant transfer students a lesson, so she could only rage from the sidelines. ¡­ Time passed swiftly in this fiery yet unnervingly quiet atmosphere, almost like the calm before the storm. Soon, it was time for the Challenger Cup tomence. Under the influence of the highly popr Challenger Cup, Leinster was so vibrant that it felt like they were having a festival. The students from all academies excitedly signed themselves up for the tournament, and tourists were starting to gather from far and wide to watch the fights. The crowd on the street had visibly grown denser, and inns were packed with travelers. Hardly would there be any empty seats in restaurants and taverns, and even streetside stores found their business booming. It was just that none of these were important to the students participating in the Challenger Cup. What Roel and the others were the most concerned about right now was the format of the tournament. On the bright side, the age restriction and the Challenger Cup being held only once every few years meant that there would be no veterans on the field. Everyone was somewhat on equal footing here. The prestige and handsome rewards offered by the Challenger Cup drew in many hopeful students who were banking on their luck that they would somehow get somewhere. This wasn¡¯t a bad thing for the tournament, but it didplicate the selection process. For one, they couldn¡¯t be for the standard 1-on-1 duels for the preliminary round of selections, or else the ten thousand challengers would ensure that the fights would be lined up till next year. In view of this limitation, the organizingmittee opted to go for a battle royale for the preliminary round. The ten thousand challengers would be divided into thirteen groups and ced in different environments. Only the top 1% would be able to qualify for the following 1-on-1 elimination rounds. No mishap could be allowed to happen in a tournament involving top prodigiesing from all over the world. The organizingmittee had to do its best to ensure the safety of the challengers. Thus, they allocated each challenger with a substitution magic tool that would bear injuries and even death in their ce. This substitution magic tool was around the size of a palm and resembled a little figurine carved out of jade. Despite its humble appearance, it was the crystallization of the Magic Conversion Guild¡¯s many years of efforts, and it had revolutionized tournaments ever since its creation. Before this substitution magic tool came to be, all transcendent tournaments on the Sia Continent were practically deathmatches. It was incredibly difficult to retract a spell once it had been cast, so idents weremonce. Only the most daring of transcendents who were willing to put their life on the line for wealth and glory would join those tournaments. Things only turned for the better after the substitution magic tool was created. With tournaments bing non-fatal, the number of participants in transcendent tournaments immediately grew by more than tenfold. It also slowly changed from a ¡®deathmatch for money¡¯ into a ¡®selection battle to scout talents¡¯. It was around that time that the Challenger Cup was established. Interestingly, this substitution magic tool was actually considered a failure back then when it was first created. The Magic Conversion Guild had initially embarked on the creation of a magic tool named ¡®Death¡¯s Substitute¡¯ with the goal of selling it to nobles as a protective magic tool against assassins. Yet, after pumping in a whole lot of money, the product turned out to be mediocre. The substitution magic tool needed to be activated for the substitution to take effect, but its active duration was too short to offer consistent protection. To make things worse, there was a damage cap to the substitution magic tool. To use an analogy, it was just like fighting a boss monster with a shield that had to be broken before one could shave off its health points. If there was a huge disparity in strength, the shield honestly wouldn¡¯t make much of a difference at all. In a sense, it was worse than a barrier. To summarize, it made for an incredibly useless protective magic tool. The Magic Conversion Guild fell into despair. The huge losses they had incurred in the project put them at the risk of being dissolved, but at this crucial moment, they found that this substitution magic tool made for an ideal protective device for sparring. This discovery helped them to turn things around, bringing a new chapter to the history of tournaments. It was interesting how the greatest of inventions could sometimes originate from a mere coincidence. Such had been the case in his previous world too. It was just that the knowledge that there was a damage cap to the substitution magic tool left Roel feeling a little uneasy. ¡°Surely no problem can arise out of this, right?¡± Roel murmured worriedly as he stared at the name, ¡®Selina¡¯, that was assigned to the same group as him. Chapter 383: Who’s Your Daddy (1)

Chapter 383: Who¡¯s Your Daddy (1)

? Table of Contents ? ¡°Brave warriors, the time hase for you to fight for your dreams!¡± Along with Antonio¡¯s rousing deration, majestic music started ying in Leinster¡¯s colosseum. Ribbons danced in the air as white doves flew toward the vast sky. Deafening cheering echoed from the spectator stand, and the apuse was resounding. After half a year of preparation, the long-awaited Challenger Cup was finallymencing today. The number of participants and spectators for the tournament was at a record high, and many of humankind¡¯s top brass had their eyes here. The special exception to allow First Grade students to participate in the tournament had further enlivened the event. Over at the spectator stand, many studentsing from various academies proudly waved their gs in support of their fellow ssmates. In the center of the colosseum, Roel and the other ten thousand participants could hardly curb their excitement. They looked at the stage ahead of them and waited with bated breaths for the allocation of dungeons in the preliminary round. The preliminary round was a group battle royale that would be held in thirteen different dungeons. The groups had already been decided beforehand, but the dungeon each group would be sent to hadn¡¯t been confirmed yet. On the stage, Leinster¡¯s Chief Schr ced his hand on a crystal ball, causing the scenery reflected on it to project outward. Everyone stared at the projected scenery intently, knowing that it would determine the fate of the respective group. Every transcendent possessed their own unique set of abilities, so a change in location could vastly affect their performance. In the history of the tournament, there was once a group that was allocated to the Lost Sea Cliff. Some of the challengers were particrly adept at water warfare, and through their terrain advantage, they managed to defeat one of the seeded challengers. It had caused quite a huge stir back then. Seeded challengers referred to popr champion picks by the public, and most of them were either at Origin Level 3 or from renowned transcendent houses. That being said, it didn¡¯t mean that they were bound to do well. There were far too many variables in the Challenger Cup to guarantee that. Other than location, thepleteck of restrictions on the type of spells used and equipment could make a huge difference too. There could also be dark horses who possessed special bloodlines or spells that allowed them to make an impactparable to Origin Level 3 transcendents. Of the unofficial ranking of seeded challengers, Roel was ranked in twelfth ce. The first ce was Lilian and the fourth ce was Nora. Charlotte¡¯s ranking was slightly behind in thirteenth ce due to the defensive nature of the Sorofyas¡¯ transcendent abilities. The fact that Roel couldn¡¯t even make it into the top ten showed just how inurate the seeded challenger ranking could be, though to be fair, Roel had yet to showcase his full prowess thus far. ¡°I shall select the dungeon for the first group now.¡± ¡°Oooooh!¡± Watching as Leinster¡¯s Chief Schr infused his mana into the crystal ball, the projected scenery from the crystal ball began to change. Roel thought that the situation was oddly simr to the slot machines from his previous life, be it the swiftly changing images or the incredible excitement of the crowd. Gamblers who had put money on the tournament had their eyes scarily reddened. The challengers in the first group fidgeted nervously as they prayed hard that the chosen dungeon would be advantageous to them. In this tense atmosphere, the mana in the crystal ball finally ran out, causing the projected scenery to stop at a dimly-lit location. ¡°First group, Chaos Marsh!¡± ¡°Hooray!¡± ¡°Chaos Marsh? Goddamnit!¡± ¡°Sh*t, I¡¯ve never been to the marsnds before.¡± There was a mixture of delight and frustration from the challengers. Those who had experience fighting in marsnds or dark locations cheered in delight, and those whocked those two skills were visibly worried. Such a situation continued on for the other groups. Soon, it was time to choose the dungeon for the sixth group, which Roel was in. ¡°Sixth group, Silent Temple!¡± ¡°What?! Of all ces, why must it be that hellhole?¡± ¡°Holy Sia, it¡¯s actually the Silent Temple!¡± Most of the challengers in the sixth group looked mortified at the revtion of their dungeon. Some of the more cowardly ones even considered backing out of the tournament. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by their reactions since the Silent Temple was known for its eeriness. The Silent Temple was a famous dungeon in the Country of Schrs where non-material demonic creatures gathered, or to put it simply, it was a haunted ce. Since there were skeletons in the Sia Continent, it only made sense for there to be ghosts as well. The chance of ghosts appearing in a peaceful era was extremely low, not to mention that the Genesis Goddess Church was everywhere. Simr to most RPGs, the church was particrly adept at dealing with undead. There had been few major internal wars in the Sia Continent over the past few centuries, so most humans hadn¡¯t seen a ghost before, including Roel. It was inevitable that they would feel a little apprehensive about encountering one. But to Roel¡­ Is that all? Having traversed through numerous ancient battlefields and encountered terrifying cmities, the Silent Temple was nothing but a mere appetizer. All of his experience would have been in vain if he were to be intimidated by something like this. Besides, when it came to the undead¡­ ¡­ he had an undead god with him. Soon, all of the groups were allocated to a dungeon. With all preparations ready, the staff members led the ten thousand challengers to their respective dungeons. ¡­ It wasmon for those who had never been to the Country of Schrs to think that dungeons were a physical location in Brolne¡¯s territory, but that was a misunderstanding. Dungeons were like tangible mirages, possibly a little simr to the concept of Schr?dinger¡¯s cat. It would be a stretch to say that they really existed in reality, and yet, there they were. Roel himself interpreted dungeons as locations simr to that of Grandar¡¯s in and Peytra¡¯s mountain valley, an alternate world that existed between dream and reality. Silent Temple was rumored to be the remnant of an ancient civilization. It was impossible to tell what kind of civilization it used to be since time had eroded most discernible information, and that was probably why it was chosen to be used in the tournament. Staring at the dense forest canopy and the moon that had been blocked off by dark clouds, Roel heaved a soft sigh out ofmentation for the lost civilization. He could see white apparitions scintiting in his vicinity, and he could hear iprehensible whispersing from all around. A dark forest under a moonless night, together with prying eyes and creeping malevolence¡ªit was a standard troupe for horror movies. Quite a terrifying one, if he could add, judging from how the terrified cries hadn¡¯t ceased for a single instant ever since he entered this dungeon. ¡°Don¡¯te here!¡± ¡°Damn it, these things can¡¯t be hacked to death!¡± Piercing shrieks, furious howls, explosions, and shes of des. It had barely been a few minutes since they entered the dungeon, but it was already pandemonium in the forest. It was all within Roel¡¯s expectations though. He had no intention of needlessly interfering with others¡¯ business. He only had one goal in mind¡ªthe silvery sphere of light located in the distant sky. When that sphere of lightnded on the ground, it would release a given number of crystals decided based on the number of challengers in the respective group. In order to qualify for the next round, a challenger would have to obtain a crystal and retain possession of it for ten minutes. This tournament format reminded Roel of the airdrops from a game in his previous life. Those who managed to get to the airdrop first would receive a decisive advantage for that match. The same applied here too. Anyone who was able to acquire a crystal first would be able to get a lead over others. Ten minutes wasn¡¯t exactly a short period of time for transcendents. It wasn¡¯t enough to pull off anything fanciful, but it was sufficient to put the challengers¡¯ skills to the test. Be it guarding the crystal or snatching a crystal away from another challenger, both required considerable skills. In that sense, the rule was fairly well thought of. Of course, there were also loopholes too. If there was a huge disparity in strength, it was possible for a single challenger to monopolize all of the crystals and eliminate everyone else. Otherwise, a challenger could also im multiple crystals and distribute them to his allies. Such behavior was permitted in the tournament. The organizingmittee justified it under the pretext that luck and connections were part of one¡¯s strengths too. Chapter 383.5: Who’s Your Daddy (2)

Chapter 383.5: Who¡¯s Your Daddy (2)

I¡¯ll first acquire a crystal for myself to ensure that I¡¯ll be able to move on to the next round. Depending on the situation, I¡¯ll decide whether I should reach out to Selina or not. After the failed negotiation with William, Roel decided to focus his effort on bringing the others from the Knight Kingdom over to his side first. It was just that not everyone was as amiable as Teresa, and not everyone had a weakness like Brittany. Selina was a particrly problematic target in Roel¡¯s view. She was aggressive and irrational, reminiscent of a berserker. He wasn¡¯t even certain whether he could reallymunicate with her. In the worst-case scenario, they might evene to blows with each other. The uncertainty left Roel with no choice but to tread carefully. He noticed that there were quite a few skeletons slowly rising in the vicinity, and it would be troublesome if he had to manually clear them. So, he chose to send a whiff of Grandar¡¯s aura out to deter them from approaching him. He thought that it might work since Grandar was an undead ancient god. The skeletons did fall still upon sensing Grandar¡¯s aura, but the next moment, they kneeled down and began kowtowing to him. It made it look as if Roel was the leader of some demonic cult performing an evil ritual here, leaving himpletely dumbstruck. What the hell is happening here? However, this was only the start. Grandar¡¯s divine aura was simply too powerful. To the undead demonic creatures, he was the supreme one whom they could seek refuge with. Even with theircking intelligence, they instinctively knew that they had to offer something as a tribute to the supreme one in order to be his subordinate. So, they pulled out their arms and dismantled their legs and offered them to Roel as a symbol of their loyalty. ¡°Scram, I don¡¯t need your bones!¡± Roel impatiently waved off those skeletons attempting to fawn on him. It took a while before the skeletons finally understood that the supreme one wasn¡¯t fond of their gift, so they could only dejectedly stick their arms and legs back in ce. Under the order of the supreme one, the skeletons slowly returned back to their respective graves. With an exasperated sigh, Roel finally began making his way forth. He was relieved to find that none of the ghosts along the way dared to approach him, possibly due to him wrapping himself in Grandar¡¯s aura. He was able to advance smoothly without any disruptions from the demonic beasts. After an hour¡¯s walk, he finally traveled out of the sinister forest to arrive at the center of the dungeon, where a decrepit ancient city stood. It was then that he received a familiar notification from the System. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance Wrap yourself in Peytra¡¯s aura.¡¿ ¡°Peytra?¡± Roel carefully read the guidance again and again, but he couldn¡¯t understand the rationale behind such a course of action. He had already escaped from the sinister forest, so it didn¡¯t make sense for him to bring Peytra out at this point. On the contrary, it would likely backfire on him. As the Primordial Earth Goddess, Peytra¡¯s aura was overflowing with life, putting it at odds with the deathly aura suffusing the forest. Wrapping himself in Peytra¡¯s aura could potentially spark the hostility of the undead and even alert the other challengers of his presence. It would be an incredibly risky move to make here, but considering the miraculous effects that the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance had previously produced, Roel still chose to put her advice into action. The crimson aura around his body slowly dissipated, reced with a heavy pale yellow aura. The resilience of his physical body was greatly enhanced, and bits of stone fragments began floating around him under the effects of Peytra¡¯s mana. After making the switch, Roel continued on his way. Oblivious to him, the moment he removed Grandar¡¯s aura, an orange-haired woman walking on a distant hill suddenly jerked to a halt. Her bloodthirsty eyes slowly narrowed. ¡­ Selina Bess was the daughter of the Bess Count House, which was known for its military aplishments. She had a temperamental and bellicose personality that made others deem her as the one of the most dangerous figures in the younger generation, as well as the problem child of the Dawnbringer Order. But that was not her true personality. It was the side effects from her bloodline and Origin Attribute. The Bess were a famous warrior house in Knight Kingdom Pendor, known for being short-tempered. Those who didn¡¯t know them well called them berserkers, and those who did feared them as ughterers. The Bess had inherited the Chaos Origin Attribute, which was quite a peculiar one. Order was the cornerstone of human civilization, which could be the reason why its antithesis, chaos, was deemed as a negative trait. Most Origin Attributes with negative connotations tended toe with severe side effects, unlike the stabler ones such as Compassion, Courage, and Wisdom. Power and price always came in pairs in the Sia Continent. In exchange for their emotional instability, the Bess obtained a unique power that none could hope to emte. The Chaos Origin Attribute had the power to fundamentally induce disorder in mana, allowing them to dispel the spells of other transcendents If that was all there was to it, the Bess would just be a house of bipr individuals who experienced extreme mood swings. It would be troublesome, but they would still be able to lead normal lives. Unfortunately, they happened to have a bloodline lineage that induced warlike tendencies and bloodthirst in them too. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on? This woman¡­ Ah!¡± ¡°M-monster!¡± In the dark forest, Selina was chasing a team that was on their way to the decrepit ancient city with her sharp beastlike eyes. The surroundings were dark and the terrain wasplicated and hard to navigate, yet Selina was able to maneuver around as if she was in her own turf. So far, none of her targets had managed to survive a single attack from her yet. With each strike, the substitution magic tool would release a blinding glow that signified elimination. Feeling extreme pressure from having a terrifying human-shaped beast on his back, the brawny leader of the team decided to fight back. ¡°Huddle together! We¡¯ll set up our defenses first and slowly wear her down. We need to counterattack, or else none of us will be escaping from this forest!¡± At the call of their team leader, the other members of the team quickly huddled together and cast defensive magic. From rock domes and me walls to the most ordinary mana barrier, the team quickly constructed over tenyers of barriers. But all of these looked as brittle as ss in Selina¡¯s eyes. Selina leaped down from the tree and shed her meter long de downward. It sliced through all of the barriers as if they were made out of butter. The rock domes copsed, the me walls extinguished, and the mana barriers shattered into bits. The bbergasted challengers had their bodies sliced into two. Amidst cries of agony, blinding light shone from their substitution magic tools before their bodies vanished into thin air. Yet another group of challengers had been ughtered, but Selina was just getting started. She had only dealt with them because it was convenient for her to do so, but her main dish was still waiting up ahead. Roel Ascart. He was the reason why they had traveled all the way from the Knight Kingdom to Leinster. William had told her time and time again that she mustn¡¯t attack him, but there was no way the bellicose Selina would have been able to hold herself back. It was the calling in Selina¡¯s blood to search for strong opponents and fight them to death. Roel Ascart was the opponent who had been able to stimte her fighting will to the greatest extent thus far. Even with Selina¡¯s hazy mind, she knew that assaulting Roel outside of the dungeon would cause a huge trouble, but in the Challenger Cup, they could fight without any restraints since none of them would die. This was a rare opportunity for her, and the other party seemed to understand that too. Gazing at the young man whose footsteps had halted the moment shended her eyes on him, Selina smirked in excitement. She deftly leaped off the crown of the tree and began diving downward under the cover of the night. Meanwhile, Roel also turned his sharp eyes in the direction of the forest. So many mana pulsations and sounds have vanished within this short period of time. What¡¯s going on? Isn¡¯t this too fast? Furthermore, that earlier sensation¡­ Am I being targeted here? Numerous close shaves with death had sharpened Roel¡¯s sense of danger. It was a feeling reminiscent of having a fish bone stuck in his throat, and he took it seriously. He was just a little surprised that he would encounter an opponent who could leave him feeling threatened in the preliminary round. He began invoking the Nine-headed Serpent Staff, causing the snakes on it toe to life. The snakes swiftly erged in size and scoured the surroundings for enemies. But before these snakes could find anyone, a sh of light suddenly flickered across the darkness. In just a few short seconds, Selina had traversed across a thousand meters to arrive in front of Roel, and her sword was already right above his head. Fast! With theposure of a true veteran, Roel further channeled Peytra¡¯s pale yellow mana, causing it to glow fervently. Countless stone walls and obstacles rose up to protect him. At the same time, the erged snakes from the Nine-headed Serpent Staff quickly retreated to go on the defensive, blocking Selina¡¯s advancement with their bodies. It took a mere split instant for Roel to put up multipleyers of magic and physical defense barriers. However, to his surprise, the orange-haired woman didn¡¯t swing her de down to challenge his barriers. Instead, her body stiffened up, and she abruptly darted sideward to avoid him. Hm? What¡¯s going on? Is she not going to fight me? Worried that it was a feint, Roel continued staring warily at Selina, ready tounch any counterattacks should she further her aggression. Yet, he heard something surprisinging from her. ¡°Father?¡± ¡°¡­ Sorry?¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not right. W-who in the world¡­¡± In the face of the Primordial Earth Goddess¡¯ mana, the fury in Selina¡¯s eyes swiftly receded, and she began murmuring to herself in uncertainty. Chapter 384: Where Has Your Conscience Gone To? (1)

Chapter 384: Where Has Your Conscience Gone To? (1)

At the boundary between the ruins and the forest, the pale yellow mana-cloaked Roel stared at Selina in astonishment. On the other hand, Selina held onto a sword in her hand, seemingly at a loss as to what to do. Her abrupt ceasefire and shocking words had brought about a weird atmosphere, but this wasn¡¯t because her brain was wired wrongly. Rather, this was the most direct feedbacking from her bloodline. The Chaos Origin Attribute had granted Selina a nearly omnipotent weapon capable of slicing through all magic defense, but even the strongest of weapons would be useless if one couldn¡¯t brandish it well. In truth, the overwhelming strength of the Bess could be traced back to two factors: their Origin Attribute and their bloodline that originated from an ancient saint beast. The Saint Beast Bloodline was quite a dangerous bloodline due to its ipatibility with humans. It could grant a person terrifying physical prowess and regeneration ability, but the beastlike instincts that came with it were nigh impossible to repress. It was due to thebination of the Chaos Origin Attribute¡¯s emotional instability and the saint Beast Bloodline¡¯s beastlike instincts that Selina¡¯s personality had ended up the way it was. But what if one of them were to be removed? It was possible to alleviate the side effects of the Chaos Origin Attribute by terminating its usage, but the effects of the Saint Beast Bloodline couldn¡¯t be suppressed. The overwhelming need to fight and ughter in order to obtain a brief peaceful respite had always been the greatest frustration torturing Selina, but to her astonishment, this trait was actually suppressed in Roel¡¯s presence. In the past, the only one who had been able to suppress Selina¡¯s raging bloodline was her father, allowing her to enjoy a moment of serenity. That was why the moment her bloodline was suppressed and rity returned to her head, she instinctively muttered the word ¡®father¡¯, but she soon realized that something was wrong. Simr to Origin Attributes, those who were higher up in the same bloodline lineage could suppress those who were beneath them. Her father was able to suppress her bloodline through sheer force as a superior transcendent, but it was extremely taxing on him to do so because she was actually the one who possessed the highestpatibility to the Saint Beast Bloodline in her house. It was already weird enough that Roel could do the same, but what made it even weirder was the difference in effectiveness. There was no need for her to consume any medicine or experience any pain; her bloodline had been suppressed in an instant. Not to mention, he did it when she was at the peak of her aggression, the moment right before she was about to swing down her de. The only possible exnation here was that Roel¡¯s bloodline was from the same lineage, just vastly superior to hers. Could this fellow be my long-lost brother? ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. What did you do?¡± Selina assessed Roel from head to toe, but she wasn¡¯t able to see any physical resemnce between them. With no clues to work with, she could only question him in a fluster. Even the beast ears that had morphed due to the activation of her bloodline ability were standing on end. Little did she know that Roel was even more confused than her. What was it like to be suddenly called ¡®father¡¯ by someone of his own age? Roel could now stand tall and answer this question with conviction. What the f¡ª? Staring at the orange-haired woman, who had called him ¡®father¡¯ before slowly retreating from him, Roel found himself at an utter loss of words. This was definitely not how he imagined the encounter with Selina to turn out, though he wasn¡¯t too caught off guard since this was not the first time such a baffling situation had happened. It must be the doing of the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. Roel eyed Selina¡¯s beast ears as he thought about consulting Peytra about this matter, but pale yellow mana started flowing out of his body on its own ord before he could do so. From the evening valley, Peytra peered through Roel¡¯s eyes to gaze upon Selina. ¡°Hm? I came out to take a look because I sensed a familiar aura. What a surprise. Is that the bloodline of my brethren?¡± ¡°Your brethren? Peytra, you¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that little girl possesses the Saint Beast Bloodline.¡± Roel was astonished. Saint Beast Bloodline? Doesn¡¯t that mean that her ancestors have engaged in beastiality? But on second thought, it wasn¡¯t really something to make a big fuss over. After all, there was someone with the Dragon Bloodline out there in the world. ¡°Reproduction isn¡¯t the only way for us to pass down our bloodline. In fact, it¡¯s much easier to do it through magic. It¡¯s just that the Saint Beast Bloodline is too potent that it would erode a human¡¯s rationality. I must say, I¡¯m really surprised to see that someone has actually seeded,¡± exined Peytra. Roel finally understood why Selina looked so flustered. Peytra was a World Serpent, but above that, she was the Primordial Earth Goddess and the Queen of Saint Beasts. Her presence exerted a natural dominance over Selina¡¯s Saint Beast Bloodline. The situation was starting to make sense to Roel. He thought that the one whom he would have the most trouble with bringing to his side was Selina, but with Peytra¡¯s aura suppressing Selina¡¯s aggression, it should be possible for him tomunicate with her. Roel took a moment to gather his words before he spoke solemnly. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you here, Miss Selina. What an unexpected meeting this is. I know that you have many doubts in your mind, but before that, would you care to exin what you were nning to do earlier on?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Miss Selina, did you just attempt to assault me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Selina¡¯s expression stiffened. She subconsciously nced at the huge de in her hand and recalled her earlier aggression. Before she could fully process what was going on, Roel had already moved on. ¡°I don¡¯t think that it was Prince William who ordered you to attack me. As a transfer student of the Knight Order and a member of the Dawnbringer Order¡­ could it be that you¡¯re disobeying your superior¡¯s orders?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s my own problem! Besides, William knows of my condition. It¡¯s not as if you can die here anyway!¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true too. It won¡¯t be easy for you to deal sufficient damage in a single strike that would overwhelm the substitution magic tool. Since you brought that up, I guess you weren¡¯t trying to harm me. All you wanted was a fight to alleviate the side effects of your bloodline.¡± ¡°¡­ So what if that¡¯s the case? Just get straight to the point!¡± Having her thoughts urately read, Selina eyed at Roel sharply as she questioned him back. Simr to William, she was the descendant of one of the Twilight Sages and grew up listening to stories about the Ardes. She harbored deep admiration and respect for that ancient n, but when she met Roel, she found her feelings of admiration transforming into a desire to fight under the effects of her bloodline. Knowing the difficulties she faced, Roel smiled gently at her and made a proposal. ¡°Miss Selina, why don¡¯t we make a win-win deal?¡± ¡°Win-win deal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You should have noticed the aura of the ancient Queen of Saint Beasts on me by now. I can help you suppress your bloodline and bring you serenity. In exchange, I want you to return the favor when I need your help.¡± ¡°Haa? Why should I do so? Your influence on me is nothing but a mere¡­¡± Selina¡¯s beast ears and tail started swaying upon hearing Roel¡¯s proposal, a sign that she was moved. However, she stubbornly refused to give in, fearing that giving in too easily would give Roel too much leverage over her. Seeing this, Roel retracted Peytra¡¯s aura. The effects immediately showed. Selina¡¯s eyes reddened right away, and she roared furiously. ¡°Oi, you bastard! Don¡¯t you dare¡­¡± Roel released Peytra¡¯s aura. ¡°D-don¡¯t retract the suppression so abruptly!¡± Retract. ¡°You son of a bitch! Are you asking to be ughtered¡­¡± Release. ¡°Why are you doing this? Stop toying with me!¡± Retract. ¡°Are you fucking with me? I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll butcher your body and¡­¡± Release. ¡°Wuuu! Can you have a conscience!!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Selina¡¯s eyes had already turned teary by this point. Roel, the operator of the bloodline roller coaster, realized that he had gone overboard here, but¡­ It can¡¯t be helped, it¡¯s simply too interesting~ Those furry ears and tail of hers would move correspondingly whenever she switched between her personalities. Chapter 384.5: Where Has Your Conscience Gone To? (2)

Chapter 384.5: Where Has Your Conscience Gone To? (2)

Roel was a fan of furry things. He let out two coughs to conceal his awkwardness before attempting to cate the orange-haired woman, who was ring at him with gritted teeth. ¡°My apologies, Miss Selina. I lost control of my powers a moment there.¡± ¡°Liar! You were just making fun of me! T-to think that I thought that you were the descendants of heroes¡­ Do you find it amusing to bully me? Wuu!¡± Ah? What¡¯s going on? Why is she crying all of a sudden? This¡­ Watching as tears flowed down Selina¡¯s cheeks, Roel was baffled. He didn¡¯t expect her to react so strongly against it, and it left him feeling a pang of conscience. He earnestly apologized and quickly tried to calm her down, but it still took a while before she finally regained herposure. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Selina. It wasn¡¯t my intention to make a fool out of you¡­ but the earlier incident should have shown you the effectiveness of my bloodline suppression. I¡¯m sure that you would benefit greatly from my help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Miss Selina, I hope that you can consider my suggestion.¡± ¡°¡­ You mentioned that you want me to return the favor. I need you to be more specific about that.¡± After a moment of silence, Selina posed her question. Roel honestly ryed his thoughts to her, but to his surprise, she seemed to have already guessed it. ¡°Just as I thought. It¡¯s over that matter, huh?¡± ¡°It seems like you have already guessed as much. How is it? Would you like to make a deal with me?¡± asked Roel. ¡°I refuse,¡± replied Selina decisively. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your offer is truly tempting, but I cannot betray myrades over this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Selina¡¯s resolute expression, Roel blinked his eyes in surprise. Her determined response changed his impression of her. Prior to this, his impression was terrible. She was aggressive, bloodthirsty, difficult tomunicate with, and refused toply with orders. There was hardly a good trait associated with her at all. However, after he got to know her circumstances and conversed with her when her bloodline was suppressed, he found that she was a surprisingly principled person, perhaps a little pure even. Roel was extremely confident in his offer because he knew that there were hardly any alternatives for Selina. She must have suffered greatly under the effects of her bloodline, being an involuntary ve to her bloodline¡¯s tendencies. This was possibly her best chance at salvation, but she chose not to betray herrade. Her loyalty left him feeling a tinge of respect for her. Brittany gave in and became a spy in exchange for Geralt¡¯s personal possessions. Selina chose to uphold her principles and not betray herrades despite being tortured by her side effects. I guess it¡¯s clear who the real knight is here. It¡¯s nice to see that Selina has chosen loyalty to herrades over herself, but¡­ this does pose quite the trouble to me. Roel took a while to consider the matter. He raised his head to look at the tense Selina and bowed slightly to her. ¡°Allow me to apologize to you for my offensive proposal, Miss Selina. I am in awe of your chivalrous spirit. I¡¯ll take back my words and make a new proposal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste your time. There¡¯s no way I would¡­¡± ¡°Miss Selina, you don¡¯t have to offer me any help anymore. I¡¯ll voluntarily suppress your bloodline for you.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm?¡± Selina widened her eyes in surprise. Roel smiled softly and exined himself. ¡°I¡¯ve told you earlier that I¡¯m contracted with an ancient god who was once the Queen of Saint Beasts. There are few in the world who can make her feel nostalgia, and you, an inheritor of the Saint Beast Bloodline, is one of them. ¡°In a sense, you are the descendant of her lineage, so it¡¯s only right for me to help you. If your bloodline ever bes too much to bear, you¡¯re more than wee to visit the Azure Manor whenever you wish. I¡¯ll help you without asking for anypensation. ¡°Well, I¡¯m done saying my piece. The tournament is still ongoing, and time is quite precious here. I¡¯ll be taking my leave first, Miss Selina.¡± Roel bowed slightly to her once more before turning around and walking away. Selina stared at his departing silhouette nkly. It took a few seconds before she snapped out of her daze. There was aplicated look on her face, as if she was facing a dilemma. It was only when the bloodline suppression effect was about to end that she finally clenched her fists tightly and spoke up. ¡°Wait!¡± ¡°Miss Selina?¡± Roel turned around and looked at Selina quizzically. Thetter stared at him for a while before she spoke up. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not entirely impossible for me to help you. That old geezer imposed a condition on William, forcing him to grant us independent rights to evaluate you. Do you get what I¡¯m saying?¡± ¡°I see¡­ So, what do I have to do to earn your approval?¡± ¡°1-on-1. Defeat me without relying on your bloodline suppression. If so, I¡¯ll support your initiative.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel looked at Selina with widening eyes. He understood the significance of what she had just said. On the other hand, Selina¡¯s face slowly reddened under his intent gaze. ¡°I-I¡¯m not giving you a hint here! I¡¯m just telling you the rules!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± replied Roel with a smile. ¡°Just to let you know, I¡¯m incredibly strong. The defenses you put up earlier can¡¯t hope to stop me.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°See you!¡± After leaving him a hint about her Origin Attribute¡¯s ability, Selina walked away so hurriedly that it looked almost as if she was fleeing the scene. Roel mused over the words she had just said and the enemies she had easily defeated in the forest. A momentter, a glint shed across his golden eyes. With that, he began making his way toward the center of the decrepit ancient city using a different path. ¡­ There wasn¡¯t anything much for the rest of the preliminary round. By the time Roel arrived at the location where the crystals were dropped, he noticed that there was a crystal missing from the ten slots. The lingering mana pulsation at the scene left no room for doubt who the first one to arrive was. After her bloodline suppression had been released, Selina reverted to her aggressive personality and sessfully clinched the first ce. Her original n was to hide in the area and ambush the other challenger, but out of fear that she wouldn¡¯t be able to hold herself back from attacking Roel, she chose to leave right after grabbing a crystal. ¡°How rare. It looks like she¡¯s serious about having a 1-on-1 with me.¡± Roel knew that it must have taken a lot of restraint for Selina to proactively avoid a battle. It showed her conviction in having the 1-on-1 duel with him, and he felt that he should ord her the same level of respect by taking the fight seriously. He took one of the crystals and left the area too. If he wanted to, he could have taken the remaining crystals and eliminated all of his remainingpetitors. He wasn¡¯t too worried about getting ganged up on by the remaining challengers anyway. It was just that he didn¡¯t think that there was any need for him to do so. Every single one of these crystals represented hope. They were opportunities for the students to grasp a brighter future. Roel couldn¡¯t bring himself to dash their hopes. After taking the crystal, he patiently bade his time at a remote location in the decrepit ancient city. When ten minutes was up, the crystal suffused his body with light and took him away. Before he knew it, he was already standing amidst thick fog. A spirit led him out of the fog. He was soon weed by the cheers and apuse of the spectators and members of the Bluerose Faction. He responded to them with a smile and a wave of his hand. He took a look around but couldn¡¯t find Selina anywhere. It was a little perplexing, but he chose not to pay it much heed. He began making his way toward the members of the Bluerose Faction. Since he had sessfully cleared the preliminary examination, it was only right for him to check on how the other members were doing. Before he could ask about it, a member of the Bluerose Faction walked over to him with an anxious look on his face. ¡°Chief, you should head over there to take a look. Vice Chief Paul is injured.¡± ¡°He¡¯s injured?¡± Roel asked with a deep frown. Chapter 385: An Unexpected Gank

Chapter 385: An Unexpected Gank

If there was one thing that no one was worried about in the Challenger Cup, it was the safety of the challengers. There should have been no challenger who was capable of dishing out a single blow that exceeded the damage threshold of the substitution magic tool. The damage threshold didn¡¯t refer to the injuries sustained by the challengers but the extent of destruction required to destroy the substitution magic tool. That was the reason why offspring of nobility and royalty were willing to join the tournament and spectators could watch the battles without any worry. What people were more concerned with was how pitiful the challengers died when they were eliminated. Even Roel was only concerned about the results of the other members of the Bluerose Faction. Not once had it crossed his mind that his friends and subordinates could be in danger. That was the reason why he was so shocked when he heard that Paul had gotten injured. Roel quickly had the member of the Bluerose Faction bring him over to where Paul was at. On the way, he inquired about the details of the incident. There wasn¡¯t much the spectators could see in the preliminary round. The dungeons were massive, and there were over ten thousand challengers fighting one another simultaneously. It was impossible to cover all of that. Only the most exciting battles were brought out to enliven the crowd. This time, the group that had the most clips shown was none other than the tenth group. The only one whom Roel was close with in the tenth group was Paul. Paul was still at Origin Level 5, so he didn¡¯t stand out amongst the challengers. He was alsocking inbat experience as a First Grade student. For these reasons, Roel didn¡¯t think that it was likely that Paul would be able to clear the preliminary round, so he made sure not to heap pressure on thetter. Paul himself was also participating in the Challenger Cup with the mindset that ¡®it¡¯s the process that matters, not the oue¡¯. Who could have thought that someone would target him? The culprit who injured him was no other than Kurt, one of the three male transfer students from the Knight Kingdom. Kurt Gustav, sessor to the Gustav Marquess House. Brown-haired, towering physique, and below average appearance. This was the information that Roel had on that man thus far. Kurt didn¡¯t particrly stand out within the group of transfer students. Those who encountered the transfer students from Pendor would tend to notice him first due to his tall stature, but their attention would soon be captured by the more striking others. Amongst the transfer students, he was fairly in inparison. Yet, it was this in man who became the surprising dark horse of the preliminary round, as well as the one to halt Paul¡¯s path. The dungeon chosen for the tenth group was the Berserk Beast Jungle, which was known to be the home of irascible demonic beasts. Assaults from demonic beasts weremon there, making it a highly dangerous dungeon. Yet, Paul fared well in that environment. Paul had adopted the Ackermanns¡¯ Kingdom Origin Attribute. An Origin Attribute that the Ackermanns went all out to monopolize would naturally possess great powers, but how far a person was able to develop those powers would depend on themselves. Two transcendents with the same Origin Attribute could potentially develop in different directions depending on their circumstances and depth of understanding. It was simr to how everyone was taught a simr curriculum in university, but they ended up writing different thesis papers. Lilian had managed to grasp Ten Fortresses, which was traditionally considered to be the extremity of what the Kingdom Origin Attribute was capable of. The spell was a miracle created by the will to protect and the long history of the Ancient Austine Empire. It had been several centuries since anyone had managed to fully master Ten Fortresses. As someone who was still tilling in the farnds tillst year, it was inevitable that Paul¡¯s understanding of the Kingdom Origin Attribute and worldly experience were beneath Lilian¡¯s. Nevertheless, as the protagonist of Eyes of the Chronicler, he was bound to have things that only he was capable of. Paul¡¯s understanding of the Kingdom Origin Attribute was extremely simple¡ªhe thought of his own body as a country. He deemed his act of self-defense to be equivalent to protecting his own country. His mindset couldn¡¯t be said to be wrong as it was simply too difficult for a struggling orphan who had grown up in hardship to be thinking about therger world beyond his immediate one. His interpretation of the Kingdom Origin Attribute manifested in his ability to summon legendary weapons of the Ancient Austine Empire. With this ability, Paul was able to escape from the jungle and enter the cavern where the crystals were located. However, Kurt was already lying in wait there, ready to ambush him. There was an explosion of mana, and Kurt¡¯s hand suddenly expanded into the size of a towering tree before mming down on Paul, causing the cavern to copse in the process. Paul would have never stood a chance against an opponent like that under normal circumstances, but Kurt¡¯s assault had caused a misunderstanding and stirred a riot. There was no doubt that Kurt¡¯s partial gigantification was a powerful magic, and his target was clearly directed at Paul alone. It was just that he failed to consider how the powerful shockwave of his attack would embroil the other challengers in the vicinity of the cavern. Knowing that Kurt¡¯s intentional aggression had already sowed the seeds of conflict, Paul exploited this opportunity to fan the mes of conflict. He loudly used Kurt of monopolizing all ten crystals. That immediately turned the crowd against Kurt. To make things worse, the uproar from therge-scale fight invoked a stampede from the irascible beasts in the jungle, resulting in a three-sided battle amongst Kurt, the challengers, and the demonic beasts. It was aplete chaos. The challengers who arrived btedly had no idea what was going on at all. Before they knew it, they were already dragged into the fray and were forced to fight with all they had in order to survive. It was under such circumstances that Paul received too much damage and ended up sustaining injuries. Roel¡¯s face darkened upon hearing the circumstances surrounding the tenth group. The other members of the Bluerose Faction chose to keep silent when they noticed his awfulplexion. They rushed to the entrance of the Berserk Beast Jungle, where injured challengers were lying all around the ce. The battle must have been truly intense to result in such casualties. Under the lead of the other faction members, Roel and the others soon found Paul. Thetter was lying on a stretcher with blood stains all over his body. It didn¡¯t seem like he was fatally injured, though he appeared weirdly exuberant. Why does he look so happy despite having suffered injuries? The perplexed Roel approached him, only to swiftly hear of an unexpected news. ¡°Big brother Roel, the tournament¡¯s judges have just told me that I¡¯ve held onto my crystal for ten minutes before my substitution magic tool was broken, which means that I can advance to the next round!¡± ¡°You cleared the preliminary round?¡± Roel was surprised to hear those words. It turned out that Paul had managed to acquire one of the crystals in the fight and sessfully held onto it for ten minutes. It was just that before the crystal could activate and teleport him out of the scene, he received a powerful attack from Kurt that destroyed his substitution magic tool and inflicted injuries on him. It came as a huge surprise to Roel that Paul actually managed to maneuver his way through that hell difficulty scenario and clear the preliminary round. The result showed just how much Paul had grown since enrolling into the academy Roel heaved a huge sigh of relief, ddened that Paul had managed to make it. He knew just how important the Challenger Cup was to him. This was a chance for Paul to prove himself. If he could aplish something here, his circumstances would improve significantly. It wouldn¡¯t be enough for an illegitimate son like him to seed the crown, but at the very least, he wouldn¡¯t face as much oppression anymore. It was unlikely that Paul had thought that far ahead, but as a friend, Roel couldn¡¯t help but to be concerned about it. For that, he had spent quite some time training Paul up for the tournament. Who could have thought that a transfer student from the Knight Kingdom would target Paul, nearly causing thetter¡¯s elimination at this important event? Roel could have forgiven Kurt if he hade at him directly, but thetter had chosen to target those around him instead. This was not something Roel could tolerate. With a darkened look on his face, he decided that something had to be done. ¡ª Changed Grant to Kurt Chapter 386: Who Do You Think You Are?

Chapter 386: Who Do You Think You Are?

After confirming that Paul¡¯s injuries wouldn¡¯t affect his performance in the next round, Roel quickly checked if anyone else he was close with was in the same group as the transfer students. It turned out that there were two groups. There was Nora and Juliana in the third group and Geralt and Brittany in the twelfth group. Hm? This¡­ doesn¡¯t seem too bad? Roel took some time to think about it before heaving a sigh of relief. It was unlikely that Nora would be in any danger considering her strength and the attribute advantage she had over Juliana. If anything, Juliana was the one who should be worried about encountering Nora. As for Geralt and Brittany¡­ Heh. Roel could pretty much guess how things would turn out. Geralt was probably desperately trying to escape for his life right now, but the two of them should have no problem advancing to the next round given their strength. After months of hard work and the additional stress heaped on him from Brittany¡¯s presence, Geralt unexpectedly managed to make a breakthrough to Origin Level 4 in thest few days. Roel could only say that humans unleashed their hidden potential in times of danger. Being one of the two Origin Level 4 transcendents and a vice-chief of the Bluerose Faction, Geralt could be said to be one of the faces of the faction. That was why Roel entrusted him with the mission to achieve good results in the Challenger Cup, and he had promised to give it his all. It was unlikely that he would fall in the preliminary round given his skills. Besides, even though Brittany suffered from mild yandere-ism and wasn¡¯t good at expressing herself, she was actually pretty protective of Geralt. While she asionally sumbed to her yandere tendencies and got violent with Geralt, she wouldn¡¯t allow anyone else to hurt him. Nevertheless, Roel still sent messengers to those two groups just to be safe. After he was done making arrangements, he began making his way back to the colosseum together with Paul and the other victors of the preliminary round. They had to officially register their result and receive their medals. It was not just the champion of the Challenger Cup who received handsome rewards. Outstanding challengers would receive prizes too. Even clearing the preliminary selection would entitle one to amemoration medal. After all, those who cleared the preliminary round were the top 1% who overcame all odds to rise above their peers. It didn¡¯t seem excessive to reward them with amemoration medal. A towering silhouette suddenly appeared before them while they were collecting their medals. Paul and a few other students immediately reacted to his presence. Some of them nodded their heads in acknowledgment while the others frowned apprehensively. Kurt calmly walked up to the counter to register his name and collect his medal, but he didn¡¯t leave right after. Instead, he began making his way toward Roel and Paul. ¡°What¡¯s that fellow nning to do?¡± ¡°Calm down, he won¡¯t make a move here.¡± Kurt¡¯s approach intimidated the challengers in the vicinity, but they calmed down a little upon realizing that he wasn¡¯t intending to attempt anything here. He first nced at Paul, who was silently assessing at him, before turning his eyes toward Roel. ¡°Mister Roel Ascart, I am Kurt Gustav from Knight Kingdom Pendor. There are some matters that I would like to talk to you about in private. May I know if it¡¯s convenient?¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s head over there.¡± Roel gestured to a remote corner, and the towering Kurt nodded in agreement. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two of them walked off. Kurt was the first one to pose his question. ¡°Mister Roel, I heard that the skeleton under your control used to be a giant named Grandar. Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the case. Is there a problem with that?¡± replied Roel calmly. It was clear to Roel that Kurt had inherited the bloodline of the giants judging from the abilities he had disyed thus far. As such, he wasn¡¯t surprised to hear Kurt mentioning Grandar. He thought it would be the same case as Selina, where Kurt was here to reunite with his long-lost ancestor. The reality of things turned out differently. ¡°Mister Roel, you must be unaware that Grandar is not an honorable name in our n. He¡¯s a Fallen, a tyrant and an unforgivable sinner. I advise you to sever contact with him.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Roel frowned in displeasure upon hearing Kurt¡¯s words. ¡°You said that Grandar is a Fallen?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a renowned miscreant in our n¡¯s records. I don¡¯t think it could be someone with the same name considering how peculiar it is.¡± ¡°Miscreant? Grandar is the first ancient god I¡¯ve contracted with. I¡¯ve known this ¡®miscreant¡¯ ever since I was nine. We¡¯ve toiled through numerous life-and-death situations over the years. I can¡¯t agree with anything you have just said.¡± ¡°The Fallens are adept at deception. You might not know him as well as you think you do.¡± ¡°You might be right, but Mister Kurt, don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re less qualified than me to say those words? Have you met him before? I¡¯m not fond of how you¡¯re besmirching my friend,¡± refuted Roel. Kurt took in a deep breath before answering a deep tone. ¡°I might have never met him before, but it¡¯s all clearly stated in my n¡¯s history. This is the irrefutable truth.¡± Roel smacked his Nine-headed Serpent Staff on the ground and harrumphed coldly. ¡°History, you said? I never thought that someone would dare debate history with an inheritor of the Ascart Bloodline. Let me ask you. Are you confident in your ability to discern what is true and what is false in those historical records you read? ¡°Countless historical records there are in this world, but not a single one that contains theplete and unadulterated truth. Be it distorted truth, fabricated events, or asymmetrical representation, historical records are rife with inuracies and misrepresentation. Can you say with absolute certainty that your n¡¯s records are true and objective? Rather than blindly believing in writings of the past, I¡¯d rather rely on my own judgment. ¡°Even if Grandar has done something wrong in his past life, what does that have to do with me? He has treated me sincerely thus far, and I personally believe in reciprocation. The internal conflicts of your race have nothing to do with me,¡± replied Roel sharply. ¡°I understand your stance now. Mister Roel, if you insist on associating yourself with an evil god, I¡¯m afraid that our n won¡¯t be able to offer you any help. We might even take a hostile attitude toward you.¡± ¡°In other words¡­ you¡¯re telling me that I have to end my rtionship with Grandar in order to win your people over to my side? Who do you think you are?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel snapped furiously at Kurt, and thetter looked back at him silently. There was nothing more to be said between them anymore. ¡°I hope that you¡¯ll change your mind.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely.¡± Leaving those words behind, Kurt turned around and walked away. Roel quietly looked at his departing silhouette. It was an acrimonious first encounter between the two of them Paul and the others quickly rushed forward upon seeing that their conversation had ended. They shot a re at the departing Kurt before anxiously asking Roel about the situation. ¡°Big brother Roel, what did he say?¡± ¡°¡­ Nothing much. Just some meaningless things.¡± Seeing that Roel was reluctant to talk about this matter, the others chose not to probe any deeper. They wisely changed the subject and began criticizing the transfer students for targeting Paul despite being from the same academy. Roel took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before reflecting on the earlier conversation. Admittedly, he did get emotional during the talk, resulting in the swift esction of conflict between them. While he thought that it would have been better if he could have remained calm, he didn¡¯t regret his actions. He couldn¡¯t allow others to criticize those whom he held dear to him in such a manner, and this included Grandar too. As his first contracted ancient god, Grandar had always been Roel¡¯s stalwart ally. They had tide through many difficult times together, such that there was already a bond of unconditional trust between them. For someone to im that Grandar was an evil god who had hidden his true nature here sounded like nothing but utter nonsense to him. That being said, there must be a reason why Kurt was saying all of these. What could have happened between Grandar and the giants for him to be seen in such a negative light? Roel fell into deep thoughts. Chapter 387: Conditions of the Crown (1)

Chapter 387: Conditions of the Crown (1)

Roel believed that there was no one in the world who knew better than him whether Grandar was an evil god or not, but it would be hard for him to convince others of this. After all, Grandar didn¡¯t have the typical good guy appearance. The undead was a race that humans were naturally averse to, and it didn¡¯t help that most evil gods who enticed humans into depravity were associated with the undead. However, that didn¡¯t mean that all undead beings were evil. One of the reasons why humans shunned the undead was because theycked intelligence and could only obey their instincts. However, there were actually many of the high-tier undead who overcame the negative side effects of their undead reanimation and gain self-will. A truly evil race wouldn¡¯t have been allowed to exist in the Sia Continent. The Sia Continent didn¡¯t obey thews of Darwinism. It was as an artificial biotope managed by Sia, or at least that was the case in the ancient era. All races were created by Sia, including the undead. If the undead were only capable of destruction, Sia would have long destroyed them unless she was a necrophiliac. It was just that such knowledge was not known by the present-day humans, as shown by the reactions of the challengers when they entered the Silent Temple. Kurt probably wasn¡¯t lying when he said that his n¡¯s historical records described Grandar to be an evil god, but historical records shouldn¡¯t be taken as gospel truths. They were written by fallible mortals, so there was a possibility that someone was out to besmirch Grandar¡¯s name. Roel decided to ask his old pal about thister at night, but for the time being, he had something more important to do. After waiting for around an hour, all thirteen groups had finallypleted their preliminary round. Based on the reportpiled by his faction members, Roel was able to get an overview of everyone¡¯s situation. First and foremost, Nora, Charlotte, and Lilian had sessfully advanced to the next round. Nora did bump into Juliana in the end, but a fight didn¡¯t ur between them. Juliana had probably chosen to back off upon realizing that she was a bad match for Nora. Roel reckoned that William had issued orders for the transfer students to deal with the people by his side, or else Kurt wouldn¡¯t have abruptlyunched an attack on Paul in the dungeon. Juliana must have received the same order too, and the fact that she went against the order showed that she was the type to prioritize her own interests. It was probably the same for Brittany too, though she did, in a way, carry out William¡¯s order. ¡°I can¡¯t stand anymore. Can anyone lend me a hand?¡± An exhausted Geralty on the ground outside the dungeon of the twelfth group. ording to his ount, as soon as they entered the dungeon, Brittany ignored everyone else and chased after him like a mad dog. For the past three hours, he had been fleeing frantically around the dungeon. Three hours of continuous escape had left him so exhausted that he could hardly feel his legs anymore. He grabbed the bottle of water offered to him and gulped it down in a single breath. It looked almost as if he had justpleted a full marathon. Roel did pity Geralt a little, but overall, he was quite satisfied with the results. Despite being a young faction that was initially unqualified to participate in the Challenger Cup, three members of the Bluerose Faction actually managed to advance to the second round. This was heartening news. Based on what he knew, the Goldenrose Faction and Redrose Faction had no more than five members who had cleared the preliminary round. One must know that those were major factions filled with distinguished nobles from the Saint Mesit Theocracy and Rosa! Well done! Keep up the good work! Roel nodded approvingly at the excited members of the Bluerose Faction. This was indubitably something worth celebrating over, but it wasn¡¯t the time for it yet. There was something else he needed to do first. With the conclusion of the preliminary round, most challengers chose to return to their respective academies and rest up. Roel headed toward a manor all alone and knocked on its heavy and majestic doors. Panoply Manor¡ªthis was the name of the manor. It used to be the residence of an old teacher who was obsessed with the heritage and spirit of knights, and he donated his residence to Saint Freya Academy when he died. It contained an impressive collection of over a hundred knight armor and weapons, making it a small-scale knight museum. It was also where William and the other transfer students from the Knight Kingdom were living at the moment. The staff members had allocated them this manor in hopes that the familiar environment would help them better adapt to Saint Freya Academy. There were objections to this arrangement as many saw it as a privilege that William and the others were unworthy of. The transfer students had only arrived at the academy and had yet to prove themselves worthy. However, the voices of objection were likely to disappear after today, with all seven transfer students sessfully clearing the preliminary round. ¡°Roel? What brings you here?¡± Brittany opened the door and was shocked to see that it was Roel standing outside. ¡°Miss Brittany, I¡¯d like to meet William.¡± ¡­ In a guest room where a hundred-year-old sword hung on the wall, Roel sat face to face with a fully armored silhouette. It was impossible to read William¡¯s face under his helmet, but Roel¡¯s expression was clearly dark. ¡°Prince William, I heard that you were the one who ordered the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom to attack the members of my Bluerose Faction during the preliminary round. Care to exin yourself?¡± ¡°I did issue such an order. I don¡¯t think that it vites the rules of the Challenger Cup.¡± ¡°It might not have vited any rules, but I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s right to incite internal conflict amongst our own students, especially for a tournament as important as this.¡± ¡°The Challenger Cup is an individual tournament, not a group fight. A bit ofpetition amongst fellow students won¡¯t undermine the academy¡¯s honor.¡± William answered Roel¡¯s question unapologetically. ¡°Mister Roel, I don¡¯t think that we have done anything wrong here. On the contrary, I believe that your attitude toward the Challenger Cup is problematic. You¡¯re attempting to stiflepetition here. Don¡¯t you think that your actions are hindering the fairness of the tournament?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent at William¡¯s sharp rebuke. He pondered for a moment before responding. ¡°Prince William, my actions may appear unfair to you, but the rules of the tournament implicitly allow challengers to help one another. Using the words of the organizers, ¡®luck and connections are a person¡¯s strength too¡¯. I¡¯m sure you have seen for yourself how students of the same academy grouped up in the preliminary round. ¡°Your willful actions have undermined the implicit alliance of our Saint Freya Academy, greatly disadvantaging our students in the tournament. If not for all of the transfer students sessfully advancing to the next round, the person chatting with you right now wouldn¡¯t have been me but Senior Lilian.¡± Roel warned William with a stern look on his face, but those words appeared to have struck thetter¡¯s nerve. She suddenly felt inexplicable anger burning in her chest. ¡°What do you mean by that? Do you think that I¡¯d be afraid of her?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not what I mean.¡± William thought about Roel¡¯s expression when he had intimate interactions with Lilian andpared it to the livid look he had on his face right now, and it further fanned her irritation. Roel noticed that William was starting to get a little agitated, so he decided to alleviate the atmosphere by getting straight to the point. ¡°The main reason why I¡¯m here is because I don¡¯t want our personal rtionship to affect others in the tournament. You might think nothing of the Challenger Cup, but this is a precious opportunity for those whock connections or require a tform to prove themselves. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to ept it if any student were to be disqualified from the tournament due to our conflict. The situation with Paul Ackermann is the perfect example of that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± William was able to calm down a little after hearing those words. She took her time to consider Roel¡¯s words before giving her answer. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before. We¡¯ll prove to you with our strength whom you ought to side with. You might think that our conflict is robbing others of their opportunities, but the way I see it, it¡¯s evidence that they arecking. It shows that they are inferior to us. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to change my stance. Strength is of utmost importance for us to ovee future difficulties. If you have the welfare of humankind at heart, you should choose us,¡± said William. ¡°I see¡­ I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s a need for us to continue this conversation,¡± Roel said with a sigh. ¡°I concur.¡± Roel rose to his feet, signaling the end of the conversation. He stared at the stubborn knight before him and spoke solemnly. ¡°You seem to have set your heart on defeating my friends in order to prove your point. However, you shouldn¡¯t forget that I¡¯m in this tournament too. If that¡¯s the means you have chosen, I¡¯ll just have to y by your game. ¡°With that, I wish you and your group all the best for the tournament. Farewell, Prince William.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leaving those words behind, Roel walked out of the manor. Chapter 387.5: Conditions of the Crown (2)

Chapter 387.5: Conditions of the Crown (2)

With his departure, the guest room fell into silence. It was a whileter that a pink-haireddy suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She looked at William, who sat motionlessly on the chair, and sighed softly. She took out her notebook and wrote some stuff on it before raising it up to William. Another fight? ¡°¡­¡± William saw the message, but she didn¡¯t respond to it. Seeing this, Teresa took back her notebook and wrote down a few more words on it. Mina, why don¡¯t you tell him about the vow? ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to tie him down through such means. I don¡¯t need someone who pities me. What I want is arade who shares the same ideology and will fight alongside us, a strong leader who will lead us to glory.¡± But you¡¯ll only be hated at this rate. ¡°!¡± William¡¯s body visibly stiffened upon reading those words. She clenched her fists tightly, a rare indication of her unease and anxiety. She could sense that she was slowly pushing Roel away, but she didn¡¯t know what else she could do to convince him. Is everything I¡¯ve persisted on thus far really wrong? What does that make of the unyielding Swordheart I¡¯ve forged out of my faith then? ¡°Why¡­ does things never go well? This was not what I intended¡­¡± The depressed woman lightly took off her heavy helmet to reveal a rare trace of weakness on her beautiful face. Her glistening orange eyes brimmed with mncholy. Not knowing how to answer those words, Teresa could only step forward and ruffle her head consolingly. ¡°Big sister¡­¡± It¡¯ll be fine. ¡°Will it?¡± You¡¯ve at least conveyed your thoughts to him. The constion and encouragement from her kin calmed Willian down a little. Teresa looked out of the window pensively as she added a few more words to that message in her mind. If it¡¯s him, he won¡¯t leave you to the lurch once he learns about the vow. With a soft sigh, Teresa prayed for those two to get along with each other. ¡­ ¡°W-why is that fellow here?!¡± After bidding WIlliam farewell, Roel left the guest room. Under Brittany¡¯s escort, he was just about to walk out of the doors of Panoply Manor when he happened to bump into Selina. Thetter looked visibly flustered to see Roel in their residence. She quickly retreated to the shadows and assessed him warily from there. The ¡®frightened beast¡¯ reactioning from Selina left Roel feeling a little speechless. Brittany alternated her gaze between the two of them in bewilderment. She couldn¡¯t understand just what Roel had done to make the bellicose Selina react in such a manner. She asked Roel about it, but thetter simply responded with a vague answer. With a sigh, Roel bade them farewell and quickly returned to the Azure Manor. He was intending to organize a celebration party for the Bluerose Faction tomemorate their aplishments, but Paul and Geralt had already beaten him to it. There was a mixture of delight and disappointment amongst Saint Freya Academy¡¯s student popce after the preliminary round. Many were eliminated, but the factions generally fared decently. So, most factions decided to organize their own celebration parties. Knowing when to celebrate sesses was an indication of good leadership too, and such social events could tighten bonds within an organization. It was at times like this that being at the helm was a good thing. Roel quickly allocated work to his subordinates before heading off to rest. It just so happened that he had a private matter to attend to. He returned to his bedroom and closed the door shut. Then, he began releasing a surge of crimson mana that swiftly manifested in the form of a skeleton giant. ¡°Hello, Grandar. You saw what happened earlier in the day too, right?¡± Looking at his old pal, Roel chose to get straight to the point. Given their close rtionship, he didn¡¯t think that there was a need to do padding beforehand. Grandar nodded in response to his question. He was more of an undead now, but there was no denying his giant heritage. He could sense the aura of those who had descended from the same lineage as him, just like in the case of Peytra and Selina. This meant that he was aware of the earlier confrontation between Roel and Kurt but refused to appear. Roel found this quite baffling. It would have been perfectly normal for Grandar to make an appearance and berate his descendent for sullying his reputation, but thetter chose not to respond at all. Did this mean that he had some considerations or there were some things he couldn¡¯t say aloud? Roel needed to get to the bottom of this in order to determine how he should deal with Kurt. However, Grandar¡¯s reply was unexpected. ¡°No, I don¡¯t really have any particr thought in mind. I didn¡¯t appear because it¡¯s something of the past. I¡¯ve already forgotten all about it.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Far too much time has passed. A lot of my old memories grew hazy ever since I underwent undead reanimation. I can hardly remember anything before my undead reanimation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel nodded understandingly. They had talked about this several times before. He tried asking some other questions, and Grandar tried his best to string together whatever he remembered from his memories. ording to Grandar, it was unlikely for his character to have changed after death. His undead reanimation had blurred out most of his memories, but it didn¡¯t change who he was at his core. Grandar did have an aggressive side to him, but it would be more urate to call it a warrior¡¯s tenacity instead. It was the courage to fight against all odds and triumph over difficulties. That was very different from the ¡®tyrant¡¯ Kurt described him to be. In fact, he could be said to be quite a gentle one amongst giants. But even if Roel was willing to believe in Grandar, the descendants of the Giant Bloodline were unlikely to ept that reasoning so easily. Between the words of their ancestors and a presumed evil god, it was obvious who they would be more inclined to trust. While Roel was still trying to make sense of the situation, two euphonious feminine voices suddenly joined in the discussion. ¡°Preposterous! There¡¯s no way that sack of bones could have been an evil god. He¡¯s an existence summoned by the Crown! How could he possibly have been an evil god?¡± ¡°Oh hoh! It looks like someone is out to get you, Mister Giant. You must have offended a lot of people in your lifetime. I must say, this is starting to pique my curiosity.¡± A beautiful golden snake and a white-haired witch manifested as well, and they expressed their own opinions on this issue. Roel raised his eyebrows at the new information he had just heard. ¡°Summoned by the Crown? Peytra, are you saying that certain conditions have to be met for a being to be summoned by the Crown?¡± ¡°Of course. The will of the summoned god has a huge impact in determining whether those of your n are able to clear the Witness State or not. It would be unwise to allow an evil god to be a candidate for summoning.¡± ¡°Meaning to say¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the gods that you have forged a connection with are likely to be those who have been acknowledged by the Kingmaker n¡­ though, I must say, there are also exceptions like this enigmatic one over here.¡± Peytra eyed the Witch Queen beside her as she said those words. Artasia chuckled softly in response. She looked at Peytra with narrowed eyes, seemingly a little displeased by thetter¡¯s remark. ¡°What a headache. Are you still guarded against me even now? My hero has already yed me like a fiddle, leaving me with no choice but to be his¡­ Peytra, you should stop suffocating my hero with your excessive maternal instinct.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a reasonable precaution. Besides, do you really expect me to listen to a witch¡¯s words?¡± ¡°Alright, the two of you should calm down a little. I have a question to ask you.¡± Roel was suddenly reminded of another important matter. He stepped forward to break up the argument between the two gods before posing his question. ¡°Is the term ¡®Fallen¡¯ often used in ancient times?¡± Chapter 388: Lilian’s Hand (1)

Chapter 388: Lilian¡¯s Hand (1)

Kurt has emphasized the word, ¡®Fallen¡¯, a few times. Recalling the conversation he had with Kurt, a frown slowly began to form on Roel¡¯s forehead. During the argument with Kurt, Roel had gotten too agitated that he ended up overlooking some of the key details, or else he would have surely asked Kurt to rify them. One of them was the term, ¡®Fallen¡¯. Initially, Roel thought that Grandar was deemed to be a ¡®Fallen¡¯ due to his undead reanimation, but it didn¡¯t make sense when he thought deeper into it. All deceased beings that were capable of moving on their own ord were categorized as undead. It was such a broad definition that it didn¡¯t seem proper to simplybel the undead as ¡®Fallen¡¯, especially since it appeared toe with extremely negative connotations. Somehow, thinking about the term, ¡®Fallen¡¯, reminded Roel of a certain individual¡ªSavior. Astrid had told him about the huge impact the Savior had brought to the world in the ancient era, the most frightening one of all being His deranged murmurs that lured others into depravity. The Chaos Dream was created specifically to counter the madness He was spreading. Could the term, ¡®Fallen¡¯, that was used in the historical records of the giants have something to do with this? Regarding that question, Peytra spent a moment in contemtion before shaking her head in confusion. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as ¡®Fallen¡¯ in my era. The bestowment of Origin Attributes has united all races around Sia, ushering in an era of utmost peace and stability. While there were monsters like the Nine-headed Serpent, they were inherently vile creatures whocked intelligence, so it wouldn¡¯t be apt to call them ¡®Fallen¡¯.¡± On the other hand, Artasia¡¯s madder red eyes curled into crescents as she beganughing in ridicule. ¡°My hero, the ¡®Fallen¡¯ you speak of appeared after Sia¡¯s departure. It¡¯s only normal for that old fossil over there who died very early on to not know a thing at all.¡± ¡°Witch, are you trying to provoke me?¡± ¡°Waa, the Primordial Earth Goddess sure is frightening. I¡¯m merely speaking the truth here.¡± Faced with Peytra¡¯s furious question, Artasia exaggeratedly patted her own chest as she ran over to Roel¡¯s side to seek refuge. ¡°My hero, do you see how I¡¯ve been bullied by her? Shouldn¡¯t you do something to protect your princess?¡± ¡°I was convinced that you were a queen instead of a princess. Besides, you were the one who started it.¡± ¡°Witch, get away from him!¡± Artasia revealed an unhappy expression at Roel¡¯s inaction. Peytra red sharply at Artasia and bellowed at her. It took a great deal of effort for Roel to pull the topic back on track. ¡°Artasia, what does ¡®Fallen¡¯ mean in the ancient era?¡± ¡°There are two connotations to it. One refers to a god who has sumbed to depravity in pursuit for power, and the other refers to those pitiful beings who fell into depravity under the Savior¡¯s influence. The oue is pretty much the same, just a slight difference in whether it was voluntary or not.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± murmured Roel as he took his time to take in Artasia¡¯s words. It was unlikely that Grandar would fall into depravity on his own ord. ording to Peytra, he would only encounter ancient gods whom his ancestors had acknowledged and were contracted with. No matter how it looked at it, it was unthinkable for his ancestors to add a depraved evil god into their ¡®gacha pool¡¯ and doom their own descendants. From such a perspective, Grandar was likely to be innocent. However, it would be foolish to shrug off the historical records of the giants as lies just like that. There had to be a reason why they had recorded Grandar as a Fallen. Could Grandar be associated with the Savior while he was alive? Grandar himself was unable to answer Roel¡¯s doubts because he had forgotten far too much. Peytra and Artasia were also unaware of the details too. Unable to make anything out of the limited clues, Roel could only put aside the mystery behind Grandar¡¯s past for the time being. Most races in the Sia Continent didn¡¯t have the habit of physically recording things down. The giants passed down their heritage verbally, so it was easy for information to get distorted along the way. By the time someone finally bothered to organize the information and pen it down in a book, it was hard to tell how much of it was truly credible. Grandar could possibly be one of the victims of such distortion of information. If possible, Roel would like to help his old pal cleanse his name. It was just a pity that he didn¡¯t have much information to work with at the moment. It would be good if he could acquire the historical record that Kurt spoke of so that he could verify it in person, but that would be a thing for the future. In any case, Roel decided to conclude this abrupt meeting since there was nothing left to discuss. He took some time to rest up before slowly making his way toward the banquet hall, where the celebration party would be held. The moment he walked into the banquet hall, he saw Paul donned in a peculiar set of armor. He was exining something to the crowd gathered around him. ¡°This is a special light armor used by the twelve generals of the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Jungle Warfare Division. Its official name is Forest Fae. It serves two main functions¡ªproviding camouge in forested terrain and enhancing the wearer¡¯s physical ability. It was thanks to this light armor that I was able tost ten minutes in the preliminary round.¡± ¡°Ohhhhhh!¡± ¡°Its material looks pretty special. Is it a relic from thest epoch?¡± ¡°The inscriptions on it are really pretty!¡± The nearby students showed looks of envy. Men were attracted towardbat-rted equipment whereas women were more focused on the armor¡¯s design and material usage. Well-versed in history, Roel had heard about the Jungle Warfare Division that Paul mentioned. The division was founded when the Ancient Austine Empire was at the peak of its power, and its primary aim was to deal with the beast wavesing from nearby forests. The Ancient Austine Empire boasted an expansive territory that epassed many forests and jungles. These forests and jungles were filled with demonic beasts that would flood out once every year, rendering major transportation routes inessible. This left many cities stranded like lone inds amidst a sea of beasts. There was no way the proud Ackermanns could tolerate losing control over parts of theirnds. In the early days of the empire, they had no choice but to take on defensive positions. Cities would stockpile food so that they could hide behind the safety of the city walls till the sea of beasts finally receded back into the forests and jungles. However, as the empire developed, its military force and equipment grew much stronger. Cities started bing dissatisfied at being confined within their own city walls for a month or two each year, so they started formting ns to fight back against the beast waves. It was then that the Jungle Warfare Division was founded. Twelve different generals and their respective armies were allocated to this newly formed Jungle Warfare Division. Its equipment was specially crafted by the empire¡¯s armory, and the strategy it adopted was slow and steady attrition warfare. They slowly chipped away at the number of demonic beasts, and around half a centuryter, the problem of beast waves was finally resolved. This was the first time in history that humans had sessfully triumphed over a natural disaster. It was a momentous aplishment that signified the progression of human civilization to a higher level, but this ¡®higher level¡¯ turned out to be the peak of the Ancient Austine Empire. The empire had sessfully resolved one of the greatest problems guing it, but it fell into a spiral of decline for the next few centuries toe. Its swift expansion had led to the overstretching of its military might and administrative prowess, forcing it to slow down its footsteps for world domination. During this lull period, the dreams and ambitions of the older generation appeared to have burned out. The arrival of a prosperous and peaceful era had eroded humankind¡¯s will to scale to greater heights. Heroic tales were no longer seen in reverence, and the offspring of the illustrious knights immersed themselves in the enjoyment of debauchery. Money and prestige became the goal of those in power. Factional rivalry becamemonce amidst fights for power. Humankind lost the unity that made it strong. Corruption and depravity began breeding in all corners of society. The Ancient Austine Empire had started to rot. There was nothing more toxic in the world than contentment. Such was true be it for an individual or for a country. I wonder what my ancestors, the Ardes, were thinking when they watched from the shadows as the empire slowly rotted away from the inside, Roel wondered. Those thoughts left him feeling a little mncholic. Chapter 388.5: Lilian’s Hand (2)

Chapter 388.5: Lilian¡¯s Hand (2)

Knowing that his current mood was at odds with the surrounding atmosphere, Roel quickly shook his head and tried to focus his attention elsewhere, such as the name of the armor. Forest Fae. The designer of the armor was probably referencing it to the faes in the legends, who were rumored to travel elusively in the forest. Somehow, the name left Roel with a weird feeling in his mind, as if something was off here. Paul¡¯s attempt to show off the physical enhancement effect of the armor by flexing his muscles wasn¡¯t helping either. He walked closer to take a better look at the armor. As a masterpiece created by top cksmiths of the Second Epoch, Forest Fae was truly an exquisite piece of work, be it in terms of appearance or effects. In order to showcase its camouge ability, Paul walked over to a closeby shrub with the armor on. His silhouette swiftly melded with the surroundings, making it nigh impossible to perceive him visually. ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°What an incredible ability that is!¡± ¡°This ability work even when the wearer is moving?¡± The crowd was excited by the incredible functionalities of this legendary armor. While Roel was aware of Paul¡¯s abilities due to his prior knowledge from Eyes of the Chronicler, this was his first time seeing it in person. It was as remarkable as the game described it to be. It was just that Roel couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling of incongruence he felt in her mind. Somehow, it feels like something is off¡­ Roel thought hard about it for a moment when it suddenly struck him. Wait a moment. I remember that Paul did manage to summon this armor in the game too, but he only did it when he was about to advance to the Third Grade. This means that¡­ his growth is way faster than expected? It was only now that he was makingparisons between reality and the game that it dawned on him just how fast Paul had grown over the past few months. He quickly madeparisons for Nora, Charlotte, and Alicia too, and the results were shocking. He realized that those around him seemed to be growing at a much faster rate than in Eyes of the Chronicler. It felt ludicrous to see already preposterously talented prodigies growing at a faster pace than what was set for them. Is it a coincidence? Or are there some other factors I¡¯m unaware of affecting this? Hoping to get to the bottom of this, Roel fell into deep thoughts. Meanwhile, the students from the other clubs and departments started to arrive in droves, and it didn¡¯t take long for the area around Paul to be buzzing with a hugemotion. ¡°I am a reporter from the academy. Would you be up for an interview?¡± ¡°Paul! We¡¯re from the Magic Tool Guild¡¯s Enchantment Research Club. Would you allow us to take a closer look at that perfect armor that you are wearing?¡± ¡°Ah? T-this¡­¡± The sudden encirclement of studentsing from different clubs and guilds in the academy baffled Paul, putting him at a loss. The other faction members were also caught off guard by the situation, so none of them were able to step up and take charge of the situation. The endless requestsing in from the other students put Paul in a difficult position. These were equipment that he could potentially use in uing battles, so he wouldn¡¯t want outsiders to examine it in advance. However, he had never been treated so warmly by the crowd before that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to directly reject them. He could only try to beat around the bush with an apologetic smile on his face. In the end, it was a calm but authoritative voice that saved him from his dilemma. ¡°Visiting students from the other guilds and clubs, I¡¯ll have to ask you to observe the order in the Azure Manor. Out of confidentiality issues, Paul Ackermann won¡¯t be epting any interviews at the moment, and his spells and equipment will be kept secret until the end of the tournament. I hope that you can understand where we¡¯reing from.¡± A suave and gentle-looking ck-haired man slowly walked over to Paul¡¯s side and addressed the outsiders with a smile. His tone was affable, but his words showed that there was no discussion about this. Since a Ringbearer had already stepped forward, the students had no choice but to give it a rest. Watching as the crowd scattered, Paul heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly turned over to thank the man who saved him from the crowd. ¡°Big brother Roel, thanks. I was feeling overwhelmed back there. I didn¡¯t know how I should reject them.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a normal reaction. Most people would feel that way when surrounded by a crowd. You¡¯ll slowly get used to it,¡± replied Roel with a smile. He looked at Paul¡¯s armor in intrigue before leaning in to ask with a whisper. ¡°Is it possible for others to wear your armor?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ That might be impossible,¡± replied Paul with a troubled smile. ¡°My equipment is manifested using my Origin Attribute as an intermediary and my mana as a medium. I need to continuously sustain it. The armor will disappear in due time once I take it off.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Roel nodded in response. Knowing that it was impossible for Paul to lend his armor out to others, he had no choice but to drop the idea of recreating the Jungle Warfare Division and its twelve ¡®Gold Saints¡¯. Still, Paul¡¯s feat of bringing this set of armor back to the world was a huge aplishment in itself. The Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire was viewed to be the pinnacle of magic tool research in the history of humankind. If they could break down and understand the principles behind Paul¡¯s armor, humankind could potentially push forward the development of magic tool technology by leaps and bounds. This was especially important right now given the unease caused by the deviants. Soon, it was time to officiallymence the Bluerose Faction¡¯s celebration party. The excited students raised their goblets and offered their congrattions to Roel, Paul, and Geralt. Under the lead of an artistic youngdy, joyful music began ying in the Azure Manor. Melty had shown that she meant what she had said during the award presentation ceremony. She really joined the Bluerose Faction afterward. As a senior, a member of the academy¡¯s music club, and a beautiful and well-mannered woman, she was warmly weed by the members of the Bluerose Faction. It didn¡¯t take her long to strike it off with others. The atmosphere grew more and more lively with Melty¡¯s musical apaniment. Looking at the crowd singing and dancing merrily, Roel couldn¡¯t help but think it a pity that Alicia was unable to show herself here. She was an outsider and shouldn¡¯t have been allowed to live in the Azure Manor as it vited the academy rules. She could usually move around freely as those residing in the manor were fellow members of the Bluerose Faction, so they wouldn¡¯t rat her out. Unfortunately, they were apanied by many outsiders today, so it would be dangerous for her to make an appearance. If the academy press learned that Roel¡¯s foster sister was in the academy with him, the two of them could very well get on the headlines the following day. That would cause a huge mess. Roel heaved a deep sigh in his heart. He took a sip of wine before walking over to Paul and Geralt¡¯s side, hoping to spend the party with them. To his surprise, he noticed that Paul was binging on the food and beverage as he usually did. There was also something weird about his expression too. There was a faint smile and peculiar gleam in Paul¡¯s eyes when he looked at Roel. His peculiar behavior was only exined a whileter when an amethyst-eyed woman arrived at the Azure Manor, much to the bewilderment of the crowd. Senior? Roel was astounded by Lilian¡¯s arrival. He couldn¡¯t understand why she would drop by when the two of them were intending to conceal their rtionship. Of course, Lilian wasn¡¯t the type to recklessly charge into matters either. ¡°Junior Roel, I¡¯vee as a representative of the Ackermann House. I¡¯d like to thank you for the aid you have offered to my half-brother, Paul Ackermann. Pardon me for dropping by without prior notice. I had to rush over after our Purplerose Faction¡¯s party concluded, so I didn¡¯t have time to send word over in advance.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s an honor for us to have Senior Lilian here. It hasn¡¯t been long since thest partnership between both of our factions, and I¡¯d be more than delighted if we could further our rtions. Paul¡¯s aplishment is the result of his hard work over thest few months, so I dare not im credit over that,¡± replied Roel with a smile. The two of them were far too skilled in such formal greetings that it was impossible for outsiders to notice anything amiss in their interaction. During their exchange, Agent Paul quietly pulled a chair over and ced it neatly right beside Roel¡¯s seat. As fellow faction leaders and Ringbearers, Roel and Lilian were of equal standing to each other. Naturally, their seats had to be ced alongside each other as a symbol of respect. The crowd understood this, so none of them questioned this arrangement. Lilian took her seat and began chatting with Paul, and the nearby students chose to walk away so as to give those siblings some private space. ¡°Oh? I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re able to utilize the Kingdom Origin Attribute in such a manner. There aren¡¯t many in the history of our n who have managed to aplish that.¡± ¡°Imperial sister, are there precedents of this in our n?¡± asked Paul. The private conversation between the two Ackermanns left Roel in a slightly awkward position since it wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for him to interject. So, he turned to Geralt, hoping to engage thetter in a conversation. However, before he could say a word, he suddenly felt a soft sensation on his hand. In this bustling party, the smiling Lilian deftly grabbed Roel¡¯s hand under the table. Chapter 389: Under The Table War (1)

Chapter 389: Under The Table War (1)

In the bustling banquet hall, Roel¡¯s eyes suddenly widened before he could say a word. As the soft sensation interlocked with his fingers under the table, a shudder ran through his body. His face reddened and heartbeat hastened, as if he was on a roller coaster ride. Geralt was baffled by his reaction. He couldn¡¯t have imagined that Roel¡¯s ECG graph was experiencing a huge leap at this very instant. Meanwhile, Lilian was still calmly discussing the Kingdom Origin Attribute with Paul, showing no hints of what was happening beneath the surface. ¡°Chief, what¡¯s wrong? Why is your face so red?¡± ¡°Ah? It¡¯s nothing. I just feel a little warm.¡± ¡°Yeah, the weather has been getting warmer recently. Geralt decided not to pay any heed to Roel¡¯s stiffened expression and fully immersed himself in the food and beverage instead. On the other hand, Agent Paul remained firmly seated on his chair as if he was glued to it. Seeing this, Lilian showed a rare smile. As the one whose homnd was located geographically furthest away from Roel, Lilian knew that her only chance to interact with him was while they were in the academy. Their interactions also had to be kept secret due to their political associations. This was a crippling disadvantage in this intense war for love. However, she was able topensate for that by securing a crucial lead over the otherpetitors¡ªthe support of Paul Ackermann. Despite her limited contact with Roel, she was able to remain updated about his affairs thanks to Paul. In fact, her greatest enjoyment nowadays came from going through Roel¡¯s daily report, and today¡¯s move was a calcted maneuver based on gathered intelligence. She knew that the other women wouldn¡¯t be able to attend this party as they were too busy with the affairs of their respective factions. This was an ideal opportunity for her to make her move. The feeling of secretly advancing ahead of others in this race excited her greatly, especially when she was doing it before so many people. With their fingers interlocked with one another, their bloodlines naturally began resonating with each other. A slight blush slowly appeared on Lilian¡¯s face as she felt a tingling warmth in her chest. She had openly flirted with Roel back when he was in his regressed form in order to win him over, but oddly enough, now that he had reverted back to his adult form, she found herselfcking the courage to go on the offensive. That being said, she still enjoyed the little warm interactions between them. They were simple but fulfilling. It was as if some kind of energy was charging up her heart, making the world around her look warm and fuzzy. She felt like this blissful sensation wouldst till the end of time if she could just monopolize him. As she immersed herself in this rare bliss, her amethyst eyes began curling in delight. She knew that she mustn¡¯t expose her true feelings in public, but the corners of her lips defied her will and obstinately inched upward. The changes in her expression looked ever so conspicuous in the eyes of Paul, who was trying to cover for her. Some people feigned a cold attitude to appear solemn and authoritative whereas some were simply born that way. Lilian belonged to thetter category. Her enemies saw her cold rationality as chilling hostility whereas her followers saw it as a mark of a powerful emperor in the making. Yet, Paul realized that her icy demeanor would mellow down whenever she was by Roel¡¯s side. She looked demure and youthful, words that hardly anyone would use to describe her. It was for this reason that Paul willingly took on the role of a matchmaker between Lilian and Roel. Just as I thought. Imperial sister Lilian should get together with big brother Roel, Paul thought with a smile. Due to them chatting about their Origin Attributes, most people had chosen to walk away so as to give them some private space. Geralt had also walked off to propose a toast with his buddies. Now that no one else was around, Lilian was able to start whispering to Roel. ¡°Congrattions on your advancement.¡± ¡°Thanks, senior. You too. How was the preliminary round for you?¡± ¡°I was nning to end it fast so that I could watch your match, but my group was assigned to one of therger dungeons,¡± replied Lilianmentably. She still couldn¡¯t get over the fact how her group was assigned to the frighteningly huge grass field terrain. Roel chuckled softly at her remark. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you didn¡¯t miss anything. The preliminary round doesn¡¯t pose much of a challenge to us anyway. I¡¯ll make sure to watch your fights in the subsequent rounds.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ You¡¯ll putting me in a spot.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel blinked his eyes questioningly at the unexpected reply. Lilian gave Roel¡¯s hand a light squeeze before leaning over toward him with a mischievous smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bear to end the fight when your eyes are locked on me,¡± she whispered into his ear. ¡°!¡± Roel was first stunned by those words before he turned over to look at her with widened eyes. He could feel an unbearable itch in his chest. His baffled response induced a peal ofughter from Lilian. She suddenly felt an urge to touch Roel¡¯s cheek, but the crowd around them disallowed her from doing as she pleased. Unable to get what she wanted, she could only make do with poking Roel¡¯s hand before sighing in disappointment. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that we haven¡¯t been able to meet up much ever since returning to the academy?¡± ¡°We have been meeting every day in ss, but we haven¡¯t really been able to meet in private,¡± replied Roel with a sigh. All of them had been rather busy recently due to the ruckus caused by the arrival of the transfer students and the Challenger Cup, such that he hadn¡¯t been able to meet up much with Nora and Charlotte either. The performance of the faction members in the Challenger Cup would determine how others viewed the faction. Given that Roel and the others were leaders of their respective factions, it was only right for them to provide help to their members for this important tournament, be it to offer pointers or impartbat strategies. In fact, the prowess of their respective factions was one of the evaluation criteria for Ringbearers. It was fortunate that Roel¡¯s effort paid off, as shown by Geralt¡¯s breakthrough to Origin Level 4 and Paul¡¯s advancement into the second round. He heard that there were quite a few talented members in the Goldenrose Faction and Redrose Faction who had sessfully raised their Origin Levels under Nora and Charlotte¡¯s guidance. As for the Purplerose Faction¡­ there was actually no need for Lilian to do much. She was already ranked first amongst the student popce, and the Purplerose Faction alreadymanded unshakable authority within the academy. She could better devote her time to other matters. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. The Bluerose Faction is still in its growing phase. We¡¯ll have to prove ourselves in order to secure more resources from the academy. I¡¯ve been busy with that recently.¡± ¡°I understand. The academy¡¯s internal evaluation ces great emphasis on Origin Level, so there¡¯s no helping it,¡± replied Lilian with a sigh. However, she soon thought of something that hyped up her spirits. ¡°When the Challenger Cup ends and the second academic semester starts, we¡¯ll be able to resume our remedial sses. Second Graders are also allowed to ept missions outside the academy. We¡¯ll be able to spend much more time together.¡± Lilian felt satisfied just thinking about it. On the other hand, Roel showed a wry smile when he heard about the remedial lessons. It was then that an unexpected piece of news reached their ears. ¡°Chief, Miss Chris is here.¡± ¡°Miss Chris is here? Wait a moment¡­¡± Roel¡¯s face stiffened as an ominous feeling gripped his heart. Before he could ask about it, the red-haired Chris entered the banquet hall together with a silver-haired woman. Thus, Alicia and Lilian met eyes with each other. Chapter 389.5: Under The Table War (2)

Chapter 389.5: Under The Table War (2)

¡­ ¡°Miss Alicia, I can¡¯t believe that you woulde all the way here just to fulfill your own selfish desires. Do you know what kind of trouble you¡¯ll bring Roel if your identity were to be exposed?¡± ¡°Your Highness Lilian, you seem to be misunderstanding something. I am here as Chris¡¯ rtive. It¡¯s only right for me to follow her here to congratte her student.¡± Across the table, Lilian and Alicia sharply red at each other, neither willing to back down here. Unaware about what was going on here, Chris eyed the two of them contemtively. Paul quickly made his escape, knowing that he didn¡¯t have any business here anymore. Roel looked upon this mess with twitching lips. He could have never imagined that Alicia would actually find such a method to attend the banquet. She even boldly took the seat next to him, iming that Chris had told him to take care of her. Heh, what a coincidence. I happened to have taken care of this child before. Hell, it wouldn¡¯t even be an exaggeration for me to say that I was the one who raised her! The situation was so ridiculous that Roel didn¡¯t know what to make of it. It was as if a stranger had suddenly walked up to him and entrusted him with his own kid to take care of. Still, there was no denying that Alicia¡¯s unorthodox methods were indeed effective. At least it did somewhat make sense logically, and it deterred the academy¡¯s paparazzi from approaching. Chris was the youngest sage teacher in Saint Freya Academy. Only a fool would get on her bad side for no reason. The other students also chose to keep their distance as they weren¡¯t familiar with Chris and she wasn¡¯t a particrly approachable individual. Meanwhile, Alicia was able to do as she pleased thanks to this weird rtionship web. ¡°Big brother Roel, can you tell me more about what happened at the Challenger Cup? I¡¯m curious,¡± Alicia tugged Roel¡¯s sleeves and asked. Her ¡®big brother Roel¡¯ didn¡¯t look out of ce to strangers, and Roel had no qualms with it either. The only one who was hopping mad after hearing it was Lilian. I had to act secretly to conceal my rtionship with him, but you¡¯re here to snatch him away from me openly? The abrupt tightening of Lilian¡¯s grip made Roel¡¯s heart skip a beat. Alicia keenly noticed Roel¡¯s unnatural expression and shot a re at Lilian. She reached under the table and attempted to pry their hands apart. Beneath the peaceful facade, the dining table had turned into a battlefield. ¡°Miss Alicia, can you keep your tantrums in check? You¡¯re being unpleasant.¡± ¡°Your Highness Lilian, I¡¯d return those words to you. Are you a little child who needs to be handheld through her meal?¡± The two women maintained their smiles while raising the level of their aggression, be it in terms of verbal prowess or their grip strength. The one to suffer was the man sitting between them. Cracks started showing in his expression as beads of sweat flowed down his face. I can¡¯t feel my hands anymore. Despite Lilian and Alicia¡¯s slender frame, they were powerful transcendents with physical prowess far exceeding that of an ordinary human. Their tremendous strength was further boosted by a ¡®Rage¡¯ buff, making their acts of pulling and tugging Roel¡¯s hands as good as ¡®enhanced interrogation techniques¡¯. Roel could onlyst a minute in this torture before he caved in and asked the duo to stop. It was also around then that Chris finally made sense of this triangr rtionship, and it left her dumbstruck. She could have never imagined that the mentor-mentee romance between her and Carter would ur on her students too. What¡¯s going on? Does the Ascart House have some kind of mentor-mentee romance buff? Such a situation ced Chris in a spot. She was in an alliance with Alicia, but at the same time, she didn¡¯t want to see her own student walking down the same path as her. In the end, she decided to adopt a neutral stance and not help anyone. Her decision condemned Roel into the pits of despair. With the only authoritative personnel present choosing not to intervene, there was no one else to stop the rampage of the twodies. It took an entire hour, till the celebration party finally approached its end, for the twodies to end their fight. ¡°See you, big brother Roel!¡± ¡°Junior Roel, I¡¯m grateful for your hospitality. May we meet in the finals.¡± After saying their farewells, the twodies left the Azure Manor, much to Roel¡¯s relief. With the celebration partiesing to an end, an atmosphere of nervousness and anticipation started looming over Saint Freya Academy and even the whole of Leinster. The real show of the challenger Cup, the 1-on-1 matches, was about to begin. ¡­ Winning the Challenger Cup was the highest level of honor a young transcendent could achieve. The champion would be taking away wealth, fame, and a bright future away with them. There had never been a single Challenger Cup that had failed to excite the crowd, especially when it came to the 1-on-1 matches. Over a hundred top-notch challengers would be fighting each other with everything they had, no means barred. That was definitely something worth watching. Unlike ordinary tournaments, the fighting terrain in the Challenger Cup was chosen at random. It could be a forest, a sea, or just an unassuming dueling ring. There were several considerations behind implementing such a rule. Traditional dueling rings were advantageous to challengers adept at frontal assault. If the Challenger Cup were to standardize the fighting terrain to traditional dueling rings, transcendents who were weaker at frontal assault but possessed other exceptional skills would be unable to showcase their true capabilities. Other than that, there were usually challengers who were skilled in divination too. By bringing a random variable into y, theirpetency could be showcased through the thoroughness of their preparations. Last but not least, it also encapsted the concept of luck. Luck was not just mysticism in the Sia Continent. It was possible to alter one¡¯s luck to some degree through blessings and magic tools, and Roel¡¯s Blessed Wheat was one such example. One could view the terrain selection as a tug-of-war between the two challengers¡¯ luck and fate. Three days after the end of the preliminary round, the 1-on-1 matches finally started. There were some adjustments in the ranking of the seeded challengers, and Roel had fallen a rank to thirteenth ce. It was due to the biggest dark horse in the preliminary round, Kurt, charging into the top ten. The gigantification ability of his Giant Bloodline was simply too formidable. To an average individual who hardly knew anything about transcendent abilities, a massive physique wasmonly viewed to be a hallmark of power. Due to that, the crowd had high expectations for Kurt, and he even gained quite a few followers. Roel personally didn¡¯t think much of it. After all, it was not as if Kurt was a real giant. A human who inherited the Giant Bloodline was ultimately still a human. Even if he erged his body by a hundredfold, it was still nothing but the manifestation of mana. It couldn¡¯tpete with the real thing. That being said, he was perfectly fine with it. He was still looking to rake in quick cash here. The Challenger Cup was practically the greatest gambling event in the Sia Continent. Spectators who hade from far and wide would usually put in some money on challengers they favored for entertainment¡¯s sake. Challengers were forbidden from participating in the gambling themselves¡­ but Alicia could. Roel had previously borrowed 400,000 gold coins from Charlotte to repay his debt to the System. It was not that the Ascart Fiefdom was poor, but it was currently in a crucial phase of its development and was tight on money. Of course, he could definitely squeeze out the money from the Ascart Fiefdom if he were to sh some of the major projects, but there was no way he would do that. All of the projects he had initiated for the Ascart Fiefdom were important for setting the foundations required for its future prosperity, so he couldn¡¯t possibly stifle its funding over his private affairs. That being said, it wouldn¡¯t do for him to shamelessly drag out the debt he owed to Charlotte for years. That was why he could only participate in the gambling, and the condition he chose to gamble on was the duration of the match. There were many factors a person could bet on in the Challenger Cup, such as the victor, the terrain, the duration of the match, and even the killing blow. Of them, the duration of the match was the easiest factor to control. In the first match, Roel was paired with an Origin Level 4 transcendenting from one of Leinster¡¯s many academies. The chosen terrain was a mountainous forest that contained a huge waterfall. It was generally an easy battle, and he managed to defeat his opponent at a lightning-fast speed. Roel¡¯s second opponent wasn¡¯t too strong either. He was an ex-adventurer who possessed the ability to turn his body as tough as stone. He would have made quite a troublesome adversary for most challengers, but he was unlucky to have encountered Roel, who was maxed out on offensive power. In the open desert, Grandar smashed through the enemy¡¯s multipleyers of defenses and dealt overwhelming damage that swiftly exceeded the substitution magic tool¡¯s damage threshold. Roel had made sure to hold back so as to avoid inflicting severe injuries on the other party. With those two easy battles, Roel managed to triple his capital. However, the next round wasn¡¯t going to be as easy. In the round to determine the top 16, the opponent he was matched with was none other than Selina Bess. Chapter 390: As Promised (1)

Chapter 390: As Promised (1)

After two elimination rounds, the seeded challengers had pretty much cleared away most of the weaker challengers. Roel was also about to face a previously agreed-upon battle. Selina Bess was one of thepetitors Roel had encountered in the preliminary round. The Saint Beast Bloodline she had inherited granted her great power, but at the same time, it condemned her to be in a constant state of bloodthirst. As someone who was tortured by the problems arising from his bloodline, Roel could personally rte to Selina¡¯s plight, but he opposed the way Selina tried to resolve her problems. Those who quelled their bloodthirst through indiscriminatebat rarely ended well. They would either be feared ughterers or end up decimated by a stronger opponent. Overwhelming bloodthirst could also interfere with her ability to gauge her opponent¡¯s strength, making it even more likely for her to die inbat. It was possible for the Bess to tame their Saint Beast Bloodline, but the impetus for it was different from individual to individual. Some naturally gained the ability to do so as they advanced in age. Some received an epiphany in the midst of an intense battle. Considering Selina¡¯s extraordinarily powerful bloodline, it was likely that she belonged in thetter category. With that, Roel had a good idea of what he had to do. The best way he could help her was to properly defeat her in battle, and this tournament was a good opportunity to do so. Thanks to the substitution magic tool, challengers could go all out against each other, making it no different from a life-and-death battle. The substitution magic tools used for the elimination rounds had a damage threshold five times greater than the preliminary round. It was not just to ensure the challengers¡¯ safety; it was the winning criterion too. It could be somewhat thought of as a health bar. In the crowded colosseum, Roel and Selina stood at opposite ends of the field. Between them stood a referee holding onto a crystal ball. As soon as the referee infused his mana into the crystal ball, the scenery reflected on it projected outward and began changing. The crowd stared at the changing scenery intently, knowing that it could easily make the difference between victory and defeat. Selina had shown exceptional prowess in jungle warfare and night fights. On the other hand, Roel¡¯s straightforward offensive means made t and open terrain more advantageous to him. It was as if the heavens were ying a joke on Roel. The scenery was still projecting a fairly advantageous hilly terrain in thest few seconds, but at the final moment, it suddenly switched to a dark rainforest. ¡°14th Field, Forest of Eternal Night. Challengers, prepare yourselves.¡± ¡°Ooooooh!¡± The crowd roared in a mixture of excitement and delight when the referee announced the result. Selina widened her eyes in surprise, not expecting her luck to be so good. The gamblers quickly moved in to ce their bets. ¡°50 gold coins! I¡¯ll bet on that young miss!¡± ¡°Me too! There¡¯s no way she¡¯s going to lose the match now!¡± Thanks to the massive contribution by the gamblers, the payout for Roel¡¯s victory swiftly rose. On the spectator stand, Alicia turned to Chris beside her and asked with a worried frown. ¡°I remember that Lord Brother has learned the Night Vision Spell. Why is everyone betting on Lord Brother¡¯s loss?¡± ¡°The darkness of the Forest of Eternal Night is infused with mana. Normal Night Vision Spells don¡¯t work well against it. Tsk, of all ces¡­¡± murmured Chris with an annoyed frown. She instinctively reached for a cigar in her pocket, but when her eyes fell on Alicia, she found herself hesitating for a moment before putting it back down. On the stage, Roel let out a helpless sigh. ¡°Looks like today isn¡¯t my day.¡± While he was dismayed by the selected terrain, he didn¡¯t lose hope as others expected. On the contrary, he looked confident. Had it been several months ago, Roel would have surely felt hesitant to fight against Selina in such an environment, but things were different now. The number of ancient gods he had on his side was no longer two but three. ¡°The terrain has been sessfully replicated. The challengers will be teleported into the battlefield now.¡± Roel found himself shrouded in brilliant light. By the time he opened his eyes again, he found himself surrounded by darkness. ¡­ With a quick scan of the battlefield, Roel found that the Forest of Eternal Night¡¯s terrain was worse than he had expected. The bits of starlight in the sky were the only light source in this dungeon. The surrounding trees were of average height, but there were a lot of bushes and shrubs. It was the ideal environment for wild beasts to hunt in. He tried infusing his eyes with mana to better perceive his surroundings, but it was to no avail. All he could hear was the asional ¡®scritch scritch¡¯ soundsing from the beasts prowling thend. In this unfavorable environment, Roel decided to release the Nine-headed Serpent Staff right away. It was his philosophy to never recklessly charge into things. The first thing he would always do in a foreign environment was to assess his surroundings. He had watched Selina¡¯s previous fights, and that had given him a rough idea what her abilities were. She wielded supreme offensive prowess that could prate any barriers, such that it was nigh impossible to put up any meaningful defense before her. Both of her opponents were decimated in a single strike. However, after analyzing the properties of her supreme offensive prowess, he deduced that the Nine-headed Serpent Staff was useful against her. Both Peytra¡¯s rock shield and his mana barrier were manifestations of mana, which meant that Selina could slice through them as easily as butter. However, the Nine-headed Serpent Staff was made out of the cells of an ancient monster. The Nine-headed Serpent was summoned through its ¡®Relentless Regeneration¡¯ ability, so it was not just a manifestation of mana. Selina¡¯s attacks wouldn¡¯t be able to pierce through it as easily. Roel infused his mana into the Nine-headed Serpent Staff, causing it to glow faintly. Nine terrifying serpent heads gushed out from the staff and coiled around him, reminiscent of royal guards protecting their king. Following that, he emanated pale yellow mana and formed a rock dome at the outermost perimeter. It was only when his defenses were up that he closed his eyes and started perceiving his surroundings. Meanwhile, at the other end of the forest, Selina started to channel her mana too. She was taking this battle dead serious. Her beastlike instincts were telling her that Roel was the strongest enemy she had encountered thus far, and she could lose her life if she were to take it lightly. Part of the reason why Selina had been seeking out strong opponents was due to the side effects from her Saint Beast Bloodline, but more than that, she also knew that she needed the stimtion frombat in order to find the impetus required for her to grasp control of her bloodline¡­ as well as her life. Others thought of her as a deranged berserker out for blood, but the truth was that she was seeking defeat. She was looking for a person who had the power to thoroughly crush her. It hadn¡¯t been long since they met, but Roel was one of the rare few whom she had been able to talk to with a calm mind. She was d when Roel understood her thoughts and promised to fight her with all he got. What was even rarer was that this terrain was practically made for her. Regardless of whether she overcame the odds and triumphed over Roel, the strongest enemy she had encountered thus far, or fell in defeat despite her advantageous position, there was no question that this was a rare opportunity for her. She had to make full use of it and give it her all. In resonation with her determination, her heartbeat hastened and she could feel her blood swiftly pumping to every corner of her body. Popping sounds echoed as beast ears and tail grew out of her body. Her eyes shone brightly like a wild beast, and her mind started to be filled with all sorts of dissonant noises. Her bloodthirsty nature urged her to hunt down her prey and tear him into pieces, but holding onto a rare sliver of rationality, she did something that she rarely did¡ªassessing her enemy. Chapter 390.5: As Promised (2)

Chapter 390.5: As Promised (2)

Selina knew that it would be hard for Roel to go on the offense on this battlefield, so she deduced that Roel would employ defensive mechanisms right away. So, she devised a countermeasure to that beforehand. ¡°Grar!¡± She let loose a deafening beast roar that echoed loudly in the dark forest. Through the domineering aura of a saint beast, she forced the demonic beasts into submission. She swiftly organized the frenzied demonic beasts into an army and sent them charging at Roel¡¯s defenses. After all was done, she quietly hid in the shadows, patiently biding her time for Roel to expose an opening. ¡°T-that is¡­¡± ¡°That woman is able to control demonic beasts?¡± ¡°This is insane! The match is already set then!¡± In the colosseum, the crowd was awed by the image of Selinamanding an army of over a hundred demonic beasts. Excited cheers and shocked gasps could be heard all over the spectator stand. Even the distinguished guests sitting at the VIP stand were stunned too. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder why she¡¯s known as the prodigy of the Bess House. Who could have thought that she could exert dominance over so many demonic beasts within such a short period of time?¡± ¡°That youngd from the Ascart House is in trouble.¡± Most of the judges thought that Roel was in a highly disadvantageous position here. On the highest seat of the VIP stand, Antonio watched the fight between Roel and Selina with a brilliant gleam in his eyes. Thements made by those sitting beneath him brought a faint smile to his lips, and he remarked. ¡°You¡¯ll be surprised.¡± ¡­ Roel could tell that Selina was already onto him even without opening his eyes. The furious roars of the demonic beasts and the siege on Peytra¡¯s rock dome told him as much. Knowing that he was surrounded by a huge number of demonic beasts, he ordered the Nine-headed Serpent to scatter its venom. A cacophony of miserable cries ensued. Roel eyed the frenzied beasts all around with a frown, but he decided not to make a move in the end. As a result, the duel seemed to have reduced to a fight between beasts. The Nine-headed Serpent kept scattering its venom around while the demonic beasts tried their best to withstand the venom and charge ahead. It looked like both sides were equally matched, but the scales were slowly tipping toward one side. When the aerial demonic beasts made a move too, the Nine-headed Dragon Serpent found itself unable to ward off all of its enemies anymore. Roel was left with no choice but to make a move. Pale yellow glow shone from his body, and it was swiftly followed by an outburst of aura from the Queen of Saint Beasts. Itpelled all of the surrounding demonic beasts to halt their charge out of fear. However, this was also the opportunity Selina was waiting for. She knew that sending a horde of demonic beasts was meaningless against someone who was contracted with the Queen of Saint Beasts. From the start, her goal wasn¡¯t to bring Roel down through this. It was merely a distraction to create an opening for her to strike. The poor visibility in this forest meant that the only way for Roel to sense Selina¡¯s presence was through sensing her mana pulsations, which she was bound to emanate if she attempted an attack. However, it just so happened that Selina shared a simr aura to Peytra due to theming from amon origin. Roel opted for the less efficient way of having the Nine-headed Serpent spray its venom because he knew that Peytra¡¯s aura would conceal Selina¡¯s mana pulsation, making it hard for him to sense her. That was why she went through the additional trouble of heaping demonic beasts on Roel, forcing him to utilize Peytra¡¯s power. The moment Peytra released her aura, Selina channeled her bloodline to its full prowess, resulting in an explosion of strength within her. Pushing her body to its very limits, she covered the hundred-meter distance between them within moments, appearing in the aerial space right above Roel. She furiously swung her de downward with overwhelming mana channeled into it, determined to end the battle in a single blow. In order to protect Roel, the Nine-headed Serpent quickly charged backward, only to be sliced right through. Its venomous blood sttered all over Selina, inflicting excruciating pain on her. The durability of her substitution magic tool was also reduced by a third. Nevertheless, Selina ignored all of these distractions through her sheer willpower. Her eyes were focused on a single target. Her body descended like aet, slicing through another two more serpent heads along the way. She was like a warrior charging through an army of soldiers to im the head of theirmander. It was also at this point that Roel seemed to finally sense the threat approaching him and raised his head. It¡¯s my victory! The surprised look of the ck-haired man beneath her de convinced Selina that victory was within her grasp. Yet, what happened nextpletely caught her off guard. Her de passed right through Roel without the slightest resistance. What she had just sliced wasn¡¯t Roel but a mere mirage of him. A white-haired woman stood next to the mirage, looking at her with a merry smile. A series of loud rumbles echoed from the ground, and a crimson skeleton giant instantaneously manifested around the real Roel. Like a demonic god that had risen from the abyss, he charged forth and hurled his massive fist toward Selina. ¡°Sh*t!¡± Selina knew right away that she had fallen into Roel¡¯s trap, but it was toote for her to retreat. Thebined assault from the witch and the Nine-headed Serpent had already sealed off all paths of retreat. Knowing that it was a do-or-die situation, Selina¡¯s eyes hardened tenaciously as she directed her de toward Roel, intending to face him straight-on. ¡°I haven¡¯t lost yet!¡± With a furious roar, Selina infused all of her mana into her de, cloaking it with a dark aura as dense as storm clouds. She pushed her bloodline to its very limit, enhancing her physical prowess to the highest possible level. Vaguely, one could hear the roars of ancient beastsing from her body. On the other hand, Grandar¡¯s fist crackled with crimson lightning. Roel gazed at Selina with golden eyes that gleamed like candlelight in the darkness. It was a head-to-head sh. Both forces collided with astounding momentum, producing shockwaves that rattled the entire dungeon. The surroundings were devoured by blinding light and deafening noises. Boom! Dawn descended upon the Forest of Eternal Night. The nocturnal animals cried in agony at the sudden onught of light, and the spectators in the colosseum gasped in shock. Thick clouds of dust veiled the surroundings, disallowing others from determining the result of that epic sh. The crowd anxiously waited for the oue. The night breeze swept away the cloud of dust, revealing a copsed orange-haired woman on the ground. Standing beside her was an uninjured ck-haired man, though his substitution magic tool was already on the verge of shattering. ¡°Is this for real?¡± ¡°Lord Brother won!¡± An uproar broke out in the spectator stand. Alicia cheered happily at the oue. The referee quickly confirmed the situation before finally announcing his verdict through the projection. ¡¶Victor: Roel Ascart¡· ¡°Wooooo!¡± The crowd finally recovered from the astounding sh and cheered in agitation. The apuse was thunderous. The distinguished guestsing from various countries began excitedly discussing the fight with one another. At the highest level of the VIP stand, Antonio was still smiling as per usual. Meanwhile, in the Forest of Eternal Night, Roel looked at the copsed woman before him and asked for her thoughts. ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­ Satisfied? Haa, you really are a monster. I¡¯m guessing that the final sh only happened because you allowed it to?¡± ¡°Mm. There were safer ways for me to deal with you after you have fallen into my trap, but I thought that you would be able to ept the result much better if I defeated you in a frontal sh. At least you wouldn¡¯t have any regrets that way,¡± replied Roel with a calm tone. Selinaughed upon hearing those words. She was first outwitted in terms of battle n before being utterly crushed in a sh of strength. She was supposed to have the advantage in this battle, yet she ended up experiencing such a thorough defeat. Yet, for some reason, she didn¡¯t feel averse to it. She assessed her own body and noticed that her Saint Beast Bloodline had entered a rare lull period after her earlier outburst. She was devoid of strength now, but her heart managed to findposure. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve just stuffed myself. I don¡¯t feel like fighting anymore.¡± ¡°Those words sound odding from you. Did you experience any epiphany during our sh?¡± ¡°Yeah, somewhat.¡± That instant before her substitution magic tool was destroyed, Selina felt like she had managed to grab hold of something important, though it had happened too fast for her to really determine what it was. Before she could check on it, light suddenly shrouded both of their bodies. When the light receded, the two of them found themselves back in the colosseum. They were immediately weed by deafening apuse and loud cheering from the excited crowd. Several medics quickly marched in and transferred Selina onto a stretcher. In ordance with the rules, Roel had to undergo a quick medical check too. He exhaled deeply, relieved that it was all finally over. He could hear the crowd chanting his name, so he reciprocated by waving at them. It further hyped up the crowd. Students from Saint Freya Academy enthusiastically roared at him, and the members of the Bluerose Faction passionately waved their faction g. I¡¯ve managed to fulfill the promise. With such a thought in mind, Roel nced at Selina and smiled. Unexpectedly, he suddenly received a notification from the System at this moment. Chapter 391: Don’t Reject Her (1)

Chapter 391: Don¡¯t Reject Her (1)

¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance: Do not reject Alicia Ascart¡¯s request tonight.¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± Do not reject Alicia¡¯s request tonight? Hm? Looking at the System notification that abruptly came in, Roel¡¯s mind was filled with question marks. He suddenly felt a little uncertain about following the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. There had been nothing particrly problematic about the suggestions made by the Goddess of Fate thus far, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about this one. It was still fresh in his mind how Alicia proposed for them to take a bath together not too long ago. What if she were to make such a suggestion once more? There was no way Roel could possibly ept that. It troubled him just to think about it. His eyes drifted over to the spectator stand, where a red-haired woman and a white-haired girl sat next to each other. He noticed Alicia waving happily at him, and he waved back at her. Forget it, no point worrying about it now. I¡¯ll just see how it goes. The Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance had already proven its effectiveness by this point. He decided not to think too much about it for now. The medic quickly led him out of the colosseum toward a medical examination room. He didn¡¯t have any injuries since his substitution magic tool was still intact, so he was allowed to leave after a quick examination. As soon as he walked out of the medical examination room, he was weed by the warm apuse of his faction members. The first thing he learned was that the payout for his victory had risen to an incredible level. Selina was the one who had clinched first ce in their preliminary round group, and the chosen terrain, Forest of Eternal Night, was highly advantageous to her. In contrast, Roel had avoided revealing Artasia¡¯s powers in thest two rounds. All of these factors led the crowd into believing that it was already a decided match, so they rushed to ce their bets on Selina. As a result, the payout for Roel¡¯s victory shot all the way up to 3.15 by the time the fight began. It was so skewed that Roel was dumbfounded when he heard about it. One must know that the usual payout for a seeded challenger like him was around 1.3. That was also the reason why he chose to bet on the duration of the duel instead of his own victory. He wasn¡¯t confident about maneuvering the technicalities when dealing with Selina, so he got Alicia to buy on his victory instead. Ironically, it ended up maximizing his profit instead. Just like that, he sessfully increased his capital to over 100,000 gold coins. At this rate, he might just be able to repay Charlotte before the end of the Challenger Cup! After resting for a while, Roel chose not to return to the academy right away. He stayed in the colosseum to watch the subsequent matches, hoping to gather some information on hispetitors. The tournament had already proceeded in the top 32, but none of Roel¡¯s friends and the transfer students had been eliminated yet. Even the weakest Paul was able to survive two rounds through summoning overpowered weapons and armor. Paul was lucky to encounter an Origin Level 5 transcendent in the first round, but his luck ran out in the second round when he was matched with an Origin Level 4 transcendent. Everyone, including Roel, thought that this was the end of Paul¡¯s journey in the tournament. But, of all ces, the terrain chosen as their battlefield ended up being the sea. Water terrains were usually viewed to be neutral toward all challengers since most people wouldn¡¯t have experience fighting in water. The crowd thought that it would eventually boil down to a battle of sheer power. Yet, with a simple switch of armor, Paul gained the ability to freely maneuver around the terrain as if he was in his own home turf. Through his advantages in mobility, he was able to kite his opponent and slowly wear him down till death. Such a dramatic turnaround amazed the crowd. It further drove in the notion of how important the terrain was in a battle. That was probably part of the reason why everyone rushed to ce their bets on Selina when it came to Roel¡¯s battle. Roel could only say that Paul was incredibly lucky. This might just be what peoplemonly call the protagonist¡¯s halo. Inparison, Geralt had a much tougher time. He managed to survive thest two rounds, but both had been difficult fights for him. As for Nora, Charlotte, and Lilian, those three basically crushed their opponents, especially Charlotte. Through her expertise in divination, she was able to predict not just the terrain but even her opponent¡¯s weaknesses as well. It might not be as effective against stronger transcendents, but when it came to opponents of the same Origin Level, her thorough preparations were impossible to deal with. Take the previous round for example, Charlotte was fighting with a spellcaster known for his huge AOE spells in an urban environment. The spellcaster had a bloodline ability that allowed him to conceal his mana pulsation to a certain extent, making him a frightening sniper. The spellcaster learned before the battle that Charlotte¡¯s Golden Soul was particrly adept in defense, so he decided to first bide his time to prepare a huge spell to st through her Golden Soul, clinching the win in a single move. It would be an understatement to say that things didn¡¯t go the way he expected. Amidst the hundreds of residences, Charlotte urately predicted his location and decisively interrupted his spell channeling. From the moment his spell channeling was interrupted, his defeat was already sealed. Compared to Charlotte¡¯s fanciful ys, Nora and Lilian¡¯s battles were much more monotonous. They would simply crush their opponents with their sheer strength every single time. As for the transfer students, each of them had their own unique traits. Of them, the one who stood out the most was Teresa, who defeated her opponent with ease through her Hextongue. Perhaps out of worry that she would cause excessive damage through extreme words like ¡®Die¡¯, she was extremely careful with her choice of words. She would usually spend some time maneuvering around her opponent, slowly chipping off her opponent¡¯s substitution magic tool. William¡¯s fighting style was more simple, focused mainly on efficiency. He would swiftly close in on his enemy and decide the match in a single sh. This could very well be the most exciting Challenger Cup ever hosted. The First Graders, who were allowed to participate due to a special exception, had shown their worth in the tournament, taking over twenty slots in the top hundred. Even when they were now in the top 32, they were still upying twelve ces. This was an amazing result, to the point that the crowd was starting to dub the current First Graders of Saint Freya Academy as the golden generation. However, Roel knew that the truth was very different. While the seven transfer students were First Graders in name, the only one who could be truly considered to be a First Grader in terms of age was William. The education sybi across different territories in the Sia Continent weren¡¯t standardized. What was taught in the Knight Kingdom¡¯s Saint Fran Academy and Brolne¡¯s Saint Freya Academy were very different, which was why all seven transfer students had no choice but to start as First Graders. Otherwise, Kurt of the Giant Bloodline was already a Third Grader in Saint Fran Academy. It was really through faking their ages (kind of) that the transfer students stood out so much. The upper-grade students of Saint Freya Academy were pretty impressive too, such as the Greenrose Ringbearer of the Second Grade, Glint Doran, and the Grayrose Ringbearer of the Fourth Grade, Edward Potter. Of them, Edward Potter was said to be on the verge of a breakthrough to Origin Level 3. Prior to the enrollment of Roel and the others, these two Ringbearers had always viewed the Purplerose Ringbearer as their de facto leader. Glint was an Austinean who deeply believed in the Pure Bloodline Theory, so it was only normal for him to be Lilian¡¯s stalwart supporter. Edward was from a minor country that served as a buffer state to the Austine Empire, so there was no way he would dare to defy the woman who could possibly be the empress of the Austine Empire. Roel had only met them a couple of times at the Rose Council, so his interactions with them were severely limited. His impression of Glint was that the man had a screw loose. Glint was a devout believer in the Pureblood Theory, which led to him taking a hostile attitude toward Roel and the others. As for Edward, he appeared to be a cordial person, just that he was often not in the academy so the two of them weren¡¯t able to talk much. Both of them had advanced into the top 32 as well. Edward, in particr, was in second ce of the seeded challenger ranking, and he was able to defeat his previous two opponents pretty easily. The crowd had high hopes for him. Chapter 391.5: Don’t Reject Her (2)

Chapter 391.5: Don¡¯t Reject Her (2)

Roel watched the matches after him as a spectator, and the results were as he had expected. Paul encountered Juliana in the third round. That crimson-eyed woman had a master-level proficiency of dark magic that far surpassed that of other transcendents of her Origin Level. Aside from that, she was also a highly-skilled warrior, being a native from the Knight Kingdom that worshiped strength. Her choice of weapon was an ominous ck greatsword. The ck greatsword glowed with an undting red hue that looked as if it was breathing. Paired with Juliana¡¯s crimson eyes and the Knight Kingdom¡¯s unique armoredced skirt, she looked wild yet graceful at the same time. Much attention had been on her since the preliminary round, and she had gained quite a few fans to date, especially after she had proven that she wasn¡¯t just looks. Juliana was unlucky that the chosen terrain was the rainforest, where Paul could put his armor, Forest Fae, to good use. The concealment ability of Forest Fae was so powerful that even demonic beasts were unable to sense his presence. So, she turned the shadows in the rainforest into countless little hands and thoroughlybed through the area. Sure enough, she was able to nab Paul in the end and defeat him. The sheer control she had over darkness stunned the crowd. Even the distinguished guests at the VIP stand were amazed. The theories behind using a spell to search for someone over an area were fairly simple, but putting it into practice posed a huge challenge. Often, multiple spellcasters were required to effectively invoke searching spells, but Juliana was able to do it alone with incredible finesse. The moment she found Paul, she quickly leaped over through Shadow Meld and severed him into two with her greatsword. Her sharp and smooth movements were truly pleasant to the eye, demonstrating a perfect bnce between elegance and lethality. Even Roel was awed as well. Paul suffered a crushing defeat, but he didn¡¯t receive any criticisms from the crowd. His defeat was inevitable given the massive gap in their prowess, and he had already done welling this far despite his limitations. Even the protagonist¡¯s halo wasn¡¯t that almighty as to be able to turn reality on its head. Paul might have been blessed with extraordinary luck that granted him favorable conditions practically every single round, but ultimately, luck wasn¡¯t omnipotent. Juliana had shown that the only thing that could be truly relied on was skills. It was worth mentioning that after severing Paul into two, Juliana managed to inflict a small cut on Paul through the overwhelming damage she inflicted and acquired a bit of his blood. She gave it a taste and cringed right after. ¡°Urk. What atrocious vor is this?¡± Juliana frowned in disgust for a moment before turning her eyes toward the spectator stand, where Roel was seated at. Roel interpreted her gesture to be an act of provocation, but he didn¡¯t pay it much heed. He did eliminate Selina not too long ago, and from the looks of it, Juliana and Selina seemed to be fairly close with each other. Following Paul¡¯s defeat, the other vice-chief of the Bluerose Faction also slipped up and lost his battle too. However, this was within expectations since Geralt¡¯s opponent was none other than Brittany. His legs had been trembling right from the start of the battle. It would have taken a true miracle for him to win the fight in that state. Once again, Brittany refreshed Roel¡¯s understanding of how poor a person¡¯smunication skills could get. When she saw how pale Geralt¡¯splexion was, she uttered ssical yandere words. ¡°I¡¯d rather have you die by my hands¡­¡± ¡°S-sorry?¡± Geralt felt like his heart was going to explode from fear when he heard those words. It further reinforced his notion that Brittany was off her rockers, though based on Roel¡¯s understanding of Brittany¡­ she just chose the wrong words to express herself. Brittany was probably trying to say that it would be safer for him to lose to her since others might fail to control their strength properly and injure Geralt, but mimunication appeared to be the unique trait of the Valkyrie Bloodline. Her kind intention was mysteriously distorted the moment it was filtered through her mouth. Under Brittany¡¯s ¡®intimidation¡¯, the terrified Geralt swiftly sumbed to his fear and lost tragically. To be fair, it was unlikely that Geralt would have been able to defeat Brittany even if not for the morale disadvantage. Brittany and her Valkyrie Bloodline were too much for Geralt, who had barely reached Origin Level 4 a few days ago, to handle. The other fights were pretty standard. Nora and Lilian crushed their enemies, as usual, and Charlotte managed to oust her opponent by dragging the fight out. The blindfolded transfer student, Stuart, got eliminated though. His opponent was an Origin Level 4 foreigner who boasted a wealth ofbat experience, and the chosen terrain was a desert. There was nothing special about their battle, just the two of them exchanging fairly normal spells. The opponent ended up winning by a narrow margin, but from the start to the end, Stuart never took off his blindfold. Due to the blindfold issue, many spectators felt that Stuart had held back in the battle. Those who had put their money on Stuart¡¯s victory even started a protest, iming that it was a conspiracy to steal their money. Roel was quite perplexed about it too, but he felt that the battle might not necessarily have been staged. Could it be that Stuart¡¯s eyes aren¡¯t intended forbat? Such a thought shed across his mind, but he quickly shrugged it off. After watching all the battles, the members of the Bluerose Faction returned to the Azure Manor together. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t too bad due to Roel¡¯s sessful advancement to the next round, but it was unlikely that they would be celebrating. It would have been insensitive of them to do so when Paul and Geralt had gotten eliminated. In fact, Roel even met with them privately in the guest room to talk about it. Paul and Geralt had realized their own insufficiencies through the tournament and vowed to work even harder than before. Roel encouraged their determination to be stronger. They themselves needed to be strong in order to stand their ground in this world, and it was likely that he would require their help in the future too. After the quick chat, Roel finally had some time to himself. He hadn¡¯t really put much thought into it earlier, but it was weird how Alicia hadn¡¯t returned to the Azure Manor with him today. She had left the colosseum together with Chris before the matches for the day came to an end, and he hadn¡¯t seen her around since then. Did the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance slip up? Perplexed, Roel started making his way to the dining room. However, the moment he opened the doors to the dining room, he was met with multiple confetti poppers. Pop! ¡°Lord Brother, congrattions on advancing to the next round!¡± ¡°Alicia? Miss Chris?¡± Roel watched in bewilderment as the magic confetti poppers released a festive rain of colorful ribbons all around. ¡°We know that the Bluerose Faction won¡¯t be celebrating today because of Paul and Geralt¡¯s elimination, so Alicia and I decided to hold an internal family celebration for you instead. What do you think? Surprised?¡± Chris exined with a smile. ¡°I am surprised.¡± Touched by their gesture, Roel revealed a gentle smile toward the two of them. Alicia quickly grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the table, which was filled with a huge spread. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that the dishes were a little different from usual. ¡°How unusual. I¡¯ve never seen these dishes before¡­¡± ¡°We are your chefs for today. I can¡¯t guarantee it¡¯s delicious, but it¡¯s at least a token of our feelings.¡± ¡°You prepared all of these?¡± ¡°Lord Brother, I made the soup all alone!¡± eximed Alicia as she puffed out her chest proudly. Roel was taken aback. Looking at the dishes before him, he suddenly felt like an aplished father whose daughter had suddenly grown up. When did that little girl who needed to be fed during meals grow into an adult who can now make her own food? He felt a little tearful thinking about it. To conceal his feelings, he quickly dug into the soup. ¡°How is it, Lord Brother?¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious!¡± ¡°Haa, that¡¯s a relief.¡± Roel responded affirmatively like any parents would when trying their child¡¯s cooking for the first time. But as he said those words, he realized that the soup Alicia made was indeed pretty good. What¡¯s going on? Is this an effect of the Perfect Origin Attribute too? Roel slurped up over half a bowl of soup within moments. Alicia was delighted to see how much Roel liked her dish, and Chris couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight too. ¡°Alicia has been practicing this dish in my kitchen over thest few days. There¡¯s no way it isn¡¯t delicious.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel felt even more moved upon hearing Chris¡¯ words. To his surprise, the dishes prepared by Chris were excellent too. It was only on further questioning that he learned that Chris had been living alone over the years, and she had been interested in culinary ever since her student years. ¡°I picked up cooking to impress your father, but I got dumped before I could master it. Count yourself lucky!¡± ¡°Is that so? Hahaha.¡± Roelughed awkwardly in response to Chris¡¯ grumble. While he was still feeling moved by all of this, Alicia took this opportunity to grab Roel¡¯s arm and make her request. ¡°Lord Brother, won¡¯t you allow me to stay with you tonight?¡± Chapter 392: Alicia’s Mystery (1)

Chapter 392: Alicia¡¯s Mystery (1)

On the dining table, Alicia made use of the warm atmosphere to pose her request to Roel. Chris silently cheered her on from the side. After having destroyed her bed, pot, door, and all sorts of furniture, she was struggling to think up reasons to send Alicia to the Azure Manor. That was also part of the reason why they chose to n this internal celebration party. This party was not just an ¡®on a whim¡¯ thing. They knew that it was only a matter of time before a round came where Roel defeated his opponent but Paul and Geralt ended up getting disqualified. Once that happened, they would be able to use it as an excuse to host this internal celebration party amongst them. Having found a reliable pretext, Alicia spent the whole ofst week honing her cooking skills under Chris¡¯ mentorship. As a noble herself, Alicia always had servants to attend to her every need. There had never been a need for her to cook before. It hadn¡¯t been easy for her to pick up cooking all of a sudden, but the effects were more than satisfactory. Her request was epted without the slightest hesitation. From Roel¡¯s perspective, he knew better than anyone that Alicia didn¡¯t know how to cook, and it was unlikely that she would ever have to learn it. In other words, she was doing this all for him. Given her sentiments, how could he possibly bring himself to reject her request? In fact, it was only after epting he had epted the request that he btedly recalled the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. A helpless smile formed on his lips. Is this fate? It looks like I would have still epted Alicia¡¯s request even if not for the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance. I wonder what kind of butterfly effect it¡¯ll produce this time around. Roel decided to toss those thoughts to the back of his head and focus on the present. It would be a waste to get distracted and lose sight of the little happiness in front of him. Seeing the deed had been done, Chris joined in the conversation and talked about Carter¡¯s reply letter. ¡°My father responded to your letter?¡± ¡°He did. It was dated three months ago. He thanked me for taking care of you, but honestly speaking, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve done anything much.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to admit that your lessons have been pretty tough on me. Hahaha.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell whether you¡¯replimenting me.¡± The two of them burst intoughter at that. When theughter finally settled, Roel attempted to analyze Carter¡¯s thoughts. Based on my dad¡¯s character, that reply letter was probably sent out of courtesy. He probably still sees Chris as nothing more than an old friend. Oh well, it looks like Chris still has a long way to go. Roel nced at the red-haired woman in front of him. Knowing that she still had a long fight ahead of her, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh on her behalf. In any case, this was still a good starting point considering their previous estrangement. Thanks to Alicia and Chris¡¯ apaniment, Roel was able to experience the warmth of a family even when he was in the faraway Brolne. After the heartwarming dinner, Chris directed a look at Alicia before rising to her feet and taking her leave. The only ones left in the room were Roel and Alicia. Paul and Geralt were in no mood to bother Roel after their earlier defeat, which meant that Alicia got to monopolize him tonight. She pestered him to read a book together with her after dinner, and Roel found himself unable to reject her after having eaten the meal she specially prepared for him. It just so happened that Roel needed to look through some books to reinforce his Crown Origin Attribute. He had made great advancement in his transcendental abilities after the previous Witness State, almost reaching the bottleneck of Origin Level 4, but his powers were still unstable. It could cause great trouble if he didn¡¯t quickly reinforce them. Advancing from Origin Level 4 to Origin Level 3 was like leaping across a wide gorge. Many prodigies struggled throughout their lifetime, only to never ovee this hurdle. Even Roel dared not to get careless at this step, so he wanted to make sure that he was in the best condition before challenging this bottleneck. For that, he would have to first enrich himself with a huge amount of historical records. He might have faced difficulties amassing an ample amount of books had he been in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, but if there was one thing that Saint Freya Academy didn¡¯tck, it was books. Alicia wasn¡¯t asking for Roel to read those dull historical texts out loud to her. Despite her asional selfishness, she always avoided getting in the way of his work so as to not be a burden to him. She wanted to be someone who could stand together with him, and that was why she had worked herself down to the bone over the years to improve herself. What she really meant was her lying on his shoulders and reading alongside him, and Roel understood it because it had been their usual practice back when they were still living in the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Honestly, it didn¡¯t matter to her which book they were reading. Be it historical records from centuries ago, thousand-year-old scrolls, mysterious folktales, or solemn tragedies, she would be happy as long as she had Roel by her side. It was the person who was important here, not the book. Watching Roel focusing on a matter at hand was a scenery that she had always been fond of, especially when she had the front-row shoulder seat. These were the little things in life she enjoyed. On a sofa with a tabletopmp beside it, the duo settled next to each other. Roel had a thick book in his hand, and he gently flipped it open. Alicia quietly snuggled up to him like a little cat. It was such a familiar sensation that it filled Roel¡¯s heart with nostalgia, leaving him thinking that they had returned to the study room of the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Time ticked by, and Roel slowly grew more and more immersed in the book on hand. Alicia¡¯s head also slowly tilted downward as she struggled to keep her crimson eyes open. Her head eventually fell on Roel¡¯s right shoulder, and her breathing grew long and peaceful. ¡°Really, this habit of yours still remains the same as ever,¡± murmured Roel as he looked at her dotingly. To avoid waking her, he minimized the movement of his right arm and flipped the book with just his left hand. From their younger years, he noticed that Alicia had a little quirk. It was no exaggeration to call her an all-rounded prodigy. Regardless of the subject, be it math, history, or governance, she was always able to swiftly grasp the key points and leapfrog ahead of her peers. It seemed like there was nothing academic-rted that could hope to trouble her. There was just one thing she couldn¡¯t do, and that was to read books beside him. Under the influence of the serene atmosphere and Roel¡¯s body warmth, she would always drift off to sleep. She was also never worried about dozing off beside him, for she knew that he wouldn¡¯t leave her side while she was asleep. He would silently apany her until she finally woke up. The two of them quietly sat together for several hours. Just as the clock was about to strike midnight, a mysterious ripple of mana suddenly drifted over from afar. Chapter 392.5: Alicia’s Mystery (2)

Chapter 392.5: Alicia¡¯s Mystery (2)

Juliana felt that she was about to starve to death. She stood on a tree branch and watched the vast night sky before her. There was a brilliant full moon but few stars to apany it. While basking herself under thefortable moonlight, she felt that there was a need for her to get to action tonight. Different from the conventional meaning of the word, Juliana¡¯s starvation stemmed not from theck of food. It would be more urate to call it a feeling of emptiness she felt. It was the price she had to pay after casting her spell. Roel previously deduced that Juliana had inherited the bloodline of the Blood n, but that was not exactly right. She wasn¡¯t just an inheritor of the Blood n¡¯s bloodline; she was a member of the Blood n herself. Even without awakening to her bloodline, she needed to consume a certain amount of blood after casting her spells. The Blood n was a famous n back in the ancient era. They were considered to be nobles amongst the many other powerful races back then. Yet, interestingly enough, they were biologically simr to human beings. For that reason, they were able to reproduce with humans through conventional reproduction methods. Thanks to that, even as the other races vanished from the face of the world, the Blood n was still able to continue their lineage by hiding amongst the humans. They even had their own era of glory back in the Second Epoch, when they joined the Twilight Sages Assembly. It was just that their bloodline slowly grew thin over many generations of reproduction with humans, causing their bloodline abilities to weaken. The Blood n had long lost the powers that allowed them to stand alongside the powerful angels and dragons, though Juliana had proven herself to be an exceptional talent who might just be able to reach that height. There was a sliver of hope that she could reach Origin Level 1 in the long life she had ahead of her. It was just that even prodigies weren¡¯t able to free themselves from the side effects of their abilities. The original n was for Juliana to apany William to Leinster to meet with that n¡¯s awakener, but due to Antonio¡¯s request, she suddenly found herself having to transfer into Saint Freya Academy as a student. She had not expected such a turn of events, which was why her preparation swiftly proved to be insufficient. Such as her stock of fresh blood. As a noble member of the lofty Blood n, Juliana was extremely picky with her blood. William had also strictly forbidden her from preying on the students so as to avoid getting on Antonio¡¯s bad side. This put her in a troubling position. She had expended her blood supply after fighting several rounds in the Challenger Cup. Had it been in the Knight Kingdom, she would have been able to acquire some fresh blood by injuring her opponent, but the Challenger Cup prevented her from doing that through the use of substitution magic tools. Therge area searching spell that Juliana had used in the fight against Paul earlier in the day was truly exciting, but she paid a heavy price for it too. That was why she intentionally hurt Paul beyond the damage threshold in hopes of drinking his blood, but she gave up on that notion as soon as his blood touched her tongue. It was goddamned awful. It had a weird archaic taste that choked up her olfactory senses, causing her head to spin. She immediately lost all appetite. But losing her appetite didn¡¯t mean that her starvation had disappeared. The starvation only became harder and harder to bear when she returned to the academy. Left with no choice, she followed her instincts and began making her way toward the Azure Manor. William had told her not to cause amotion here. She couldn¡¯t guarantee that others wouldn¡¯t raise a ruckus, but she had a strong feeling that Roel wouldn¡¯t make a big fuss out of whatever she did. At the same time, she was bursting with curiosity about what his blood tasted like. That n that had once led the Twilight Sages Assembly was known to possess the Kingmaker Bloodline. I wonder what it tastes like¡­ She couldn¡¯t shake off that thought once it had surfaced in her mind. Roel was like a walking bottle of 1982 Lafite to her, an irresistible enticement to a hardcore wine lover. To tell her not to pop its cork and give it a taste when it was sitting right in front of her was as good as torture. Under the night sky, Juliana began melding into the shadows to move toward the room where she had sensed Roel¡¯s presence. It took only a few seconds for her to arrive outside their window. Her unconcealed movement spell naturally caught Roel¡¯s attention, but before he could make a move, the sleeping Alicia had already been jolted awake. ¡°Who is it?¡± Having been rudely awakened from her sweet dream by a foreign mana pulsation, Alicia roared furiously at the presence by the window. She manifested multiple glowing chains from the ground that bolted straight toward the intruder. Juliana widened her eyes in sheer astonishment. She quickly dodged the attack, which resulted in her revealing herself. It¡¯s her? Upon seeing the ck-haired girl with crimson eyes, Roel shot to his feet in astonishment. Alicia red at the foreign face lividly, ready tounch the next round of attack. But before the two of them could do anything, Juliana stared intently at the chains that appeared to be manifested out of moonlight and eximed in utter shock. ¡°P-progenitor?¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Once again, Roel found himself bbergasted. ¡­ Roel had already anticipated that the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance was a mysterious blessing that mightnd him in unpredictable situations, but still, this was way beyond the realms of hismon sense. Progenitor. This was a term Roel had encountered in the anime he watched in his previous life. He had never expected to meet a progenitor of any sort in the Sia Continent, let alone fathom that his little sister would actually be one. As someone who had watched Alicia grow up from a young age, he was confident that she wasn¡¯t from the Blood n. The onlymonality she shared with the Blood n was her ruby eyes, but colored eyes were prettymon in the Sia Continent. It would be too rash to make such a conclusion with just that. To this day, Alicia had never shown any inclination toward consuming human blood. Her parents were also nobles of the Theocracy, having not the slightest rtionship with the Knight Kingdom. It was hard to imagine her being rted to the Blood n in any way. ¡°Based on what I¡¯ve mentioned, I don¡¯t think that Alicia is rted to your Blood n in any way. Miss Juliana, could this be a misunderstanding? Miss Juliana?¡± Seeing how Juliana was staring at Alicia with twinkling eyes, Roel knocked his knuckle on the table and repeated his words once more. Juliana impatiently clicked her tongue, but when she saw Alicia¡¯s face darken, she quickly changed her attitude and answered Roel¡¯s question. ¡°Mister Roel, I get what you¡¯re saying, but those are nothing more than physical appearances. Miss Alicia is most definitely a progenitor of our Blood n. I¡¯m basing this from the instincts arising from my bloodline.¡± Juliana had already noticed the intimate rtionship between Roel and Alicia by this point, so she dared not act disrespectfully to him anymore. With a polite and almost subservient attitude, she humbly exined the circumstances surrounding the Blood n. The Blood n took pride in its ability to control darkness, but in the ancient era, the progenitors who boasted a high degree of bloodline purity were said to be able to use the moonlight as a medium to cast spells, such as in Alicia¡¯s case. More importantly, from the moment Juliana set her eyes on Alicia, she felt a clear suppression on her bloodline. Such a suppression couldn¡¯t possibly be falsified. Roel could understand where Juliana wasing from. It was probably the same sensation Selina felt when she was in Peytra¡¯s presence. But it still didn¡¯t change the fact that this was impossible. ¡°If a progenitor of the Blood n was still alive, they must have lived for thousands of years. I¡¯ve watched Alicia grow up with my own eyes, and she didn¡¯t possess any transcendental abilities in her younger years. How could she possibly be a progenitor of your n?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± Juliana was unable to find an answer to Roel¡¯s questions. Roel also took this time to think this matter through, and he soon stumbled upon a possibility. Perhaps, it might be Alicia¡¯s Silverash Child Bloodline and limitless reserve of life force at work here. Members of the Blood n like Juliana needed to take in fresh blood after casting their spells, and this act could be considered as ingesting life force. On the other hand, Alicia had a nearly boundless amount of life force within her. Perhaps the overwhelming life force might be the reason behind the suppression Juliana felt. Thinking about it, Alicia was truly a formidable existence. It was impossible to urately gauge how powerful the progenitors of the Blood n were now, but Roel was almost certain that they didn¡¯t have the power to endlessly revive under the moon like Alicia. This left Roel feeling rather intrigued about Alicia¡¯s bloodline. His instincts told him that it might be something superior to the Blood n¡¯s bloodline, but he wasn¡¯t able to figure out what it truly was. In any case, Juliana was fully convinced that Alicia was either the progenitor of the Blood n or something simr to that. That meant an elevation in Roel¡¯s standing too, resulting in her not daring to lust over his blood anymore. She quickly exined the reason behind her arrival, and it piqued Roel¡¯s interest. ¡°You said that Paul¡¯s blood tastes old? Try some of mine and tell me what it tastes like.¡± ¡°Lord Brother?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just a bit of blood.¡± The shocked Alicia wanted to stop Roel, but thetter insisted on it. He even took the initiative to nick his skin and squeezed out a droplet of blood for Juliana. As a result, under Alicia¡¯s wintry gaze, a frightened Juliana meekly did what she hade for and nervously gulped down the droplet of blood. Her eyes widened the next instant. ¡°Hot!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was confused by Juliana¡¯s evaluation. While he was indeed a hot-blooded youth, he didn¡¯t think that his blood would have a self-heating function. ¡°What do you mean by hot? Why would my blood be hot?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean it in that manner. It¡¯s more like the kick you get from drinking strong alcohol. It tastes pretty good, but there are three terrifying auras mixed in it. I see¡­ So this is the majesty of the ancient gods?¡± Juliana gasped for air as she patted her chest fearfully. Roel was surprised by how she was able to discern so much from drinking his blood. However, Alicia was not very happy about this situation. ¡°You dare toin after drinking Lord Brother¡¯s blood? You really are¡­¡± ¡°N-no! Lord Alicia, that¡¯s not what I mean!¡± Juliana frantically tried to exin herself to Alicia. Roel chuckled softly in amusement. He finally understood what the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance was up to this time around. Who could have thought that Alicia would be able to tame Juliana, the descendant of the Blood n, so easily? At least from the current looks of it, it was unlikely that she would stand in his way anymore. Only those two troublesome ones are left now. As the silhouette of a towering man and a fully-armored knight shed across his mind, he found himself sighing in irritation. He couldn¡¯t help but find William¡¯s obstinacy about him odd. Why is William so bent on having me head to the Knight Kingdom with him? He¡¯s quite an outstanding leader himself, so surely there¡¯s nopelling reason as to why I have to take over the Dawnbringer Order from him. Could there be something else that I¡¯m unaware of? Roel gave this matter some thought before eventually shaking his head. He looked at the silver moon outside the window pensively, knowing that the truth would be made clear to him by the end of the Challenger Cup. Chapter 393: You’re the Only One (1)

Chapter 393: You¡¯re the Only One (1)

? Table of Contents ? Due to the unexpected guest, Alicia eventually didn¡¯t raise any overboard requests with Roel. She obediently went off to sleep after chasing Juliana off. On Roel¡¯s bed, that was. Roel had already somewhat anticipated that this would happen by now, so he took the same measure and installed a barrier of pillows and bolsters. Nothing happened during the night, but there was an odd sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when he woke up the following morning to find Alicia lying on his chest yet again. It left him at a loss for words. He knew that it wouldn¡¯t do for them to continue this way, but he was simply helpless against Alicia¡¯s pleas. Am I vulnerable because I haven¡¯t seen her for the past half a year? Roel sighed helplessly before beginning his usual morning routine. ¡­ After the previous round of fights, the Challenger Cup was finally down to the top 16. Palpable excitement could be felt on Leinster¡¯s streets as the crowd was dying to know who would emerge victorious in this golden generation. Challengers from Saint Freya Academy started to be matched up with each other, and even the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom also encountered their own people. Roel was quite fortunate to be matched with a top student from another one of Leinster¡¯s academies. He had no ns of holding back since he had already put his money on himself. As soon as the battlemenced, he summoned a huge golden snake thatunched a concentrated bombardment on the enemy, and he eventually wore down the opponent within five minutes. Thanks to that, he was able to further increase his little fortune. He chose to remain in the colosseum to watch the subsequent battles, and he soon found out his opponent for the next round¡ªKurt. The opponent Kurt had to face in the top 16 was Juliana. Juliana was a talented transcendent of the Blood Race, but unfortunately, her spells that focused heavily on utility weren¡¯t that useful against the humongous giant. Kurt¡¯s gigantified punchunched everything in the vicinity high into the sky, robbing Juliana of the shadows she needed to effectively maneuver around. Left with no choice, she could only fight him in a disadvantageous head-on battle, which, to no one¡¯s surprise, ended in her defeat. ¡°OOOOOOHHH!¡± ¡°KURT! KURT! KURT!¡± The sight of Kurt overwhelming Juliana with his gigantified fist left such a strong impression on the crowd that their hearts raced with excitement. Their feelings were ryed through their loud chants that echoed throughout the colosseum. Faced with the roaring cheers, the towering man waved his hand at the audience before turning his gaze toward Roel. His eyes were filled with fighting will. This exciting battle had rocketed Kurt¡¯s reputation to greater heights, and his fan base grew substantially. Many couldn¡¯t wait for the battle between Kurt and Roel, such that spections swiftly began to arise. ¡°Will the resourceful summoner, Roel, clinch the upper hand, or will the inheritor of the ancient Giant Bloodline, Kurt, continue his brilliant legacy? Choose your winner and ce your bets!¡± shouted a staff member from the Challenger Cup¡¯s official betting house. Buzzes could also be heard from the smaller betting houses along the streets. It was stressful to have so much attention on him, but Roel thought that it wasn¡¯t too bad. Stress was a form of motivation as well, and he did want to teach a certain arrogant someone a lesson. Time flew by amidst the hype. ¡­ After a week of hyping from the betting houses, the long-awaited fight was finally here. On one end of the field was a ck-haired man calmly holding onto a staff, and on the other was a towering man with crossed arms. There was an intense atmosphere between the two fighters. Unlike his previous duels, Roel¡¯s attitude toward this battle was very different. There were no words between the two fighters as they understood each other¡¯s obstinacy. Words couldn¡¯t hope to resolve their argument. Roel also thought that actions might be far more useful on the inheritor of the Giant Bloodline. ¡°Selecting the battlefield.¡± ¡°9th Field, Cinder Desert.¡± When the staff member holding onto the crystal ball dered the location of the fight, the crowd burst out in cheers. Roel lifted his eyebrows. The Cinder Desert contained flying ashes and cinders left in the wake of a zing inferno. There were no covers that could conceal one¡¯s body, meaning that those in this battlefield could only directly confront each other. This suited Roel and Kurt¡¯s will. Both of them were intending to sh directly with each other. Before the expectant eyes of the crowd, Roel and Kurt stepped into the field and were immediately battered by dust and small bits of rocks. In the vast desert, they stood a thousand meters away from each other. A thousand meters might have been a long distance for any other challengers to cover, but not for Roel and Kurt. It was just a few steps to them. Kurt¡¯s bloodline originated from the giants, but he didn¡¯t inherit their Strength Origin Attribute. Instead, his Origin Attribute was Renascence. The Renascence Origin Attribute was a unique one exclusive to the Weiss House. It allowed Kurt to evoke his Giant Bloodline and summon the towering physique of the ancient giants, bringing back what was already long gone back into the present day. As the word ¡®Renascence¡¯ suggested, the Weiss furthered their transcendent abilities through uncovering the origins of their bloodline, not dissimr to that of Roel or the adopters of the Wisdom Origin Attribute. For that, they had devoted great efforts into researching the history of the giants, and that was how they discovered the truth regarding Grandar. Contrary to their burly physiques, the Weiss were an academic house. They were meticulous and thorough in their research. That was also the reason why the conflict between Kurt and Roel was particrly intense, for it was the sh between the two proud academics who hade to hugely varying conclusions on the same topic. Under the ring sun, the two men standing on opposite ends of the desert didn¡¯t bother wasting their time on words. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, they unleashed their prowess and charged forth. ¡°Renascence: Manifestation!¡± With a furious roar, Kurt released a tremendous outburst of mana that triggered his Giant Bloodline to its greatest degree. Under the effects of his bloodline, his body swiftly reshaped itself to emte that of the mighty giants. Muscr legs that were overflowing with explosive power, a thick waist that had nock of flexibility, broad shoulders that provided him with greater pivotal force, and a pair of arms that harnessed unimaginable strength. Faced against Roel, Kurt chose to undergoplete gigantification for the first time in the tournament. His imposing stature was reminiscent of a deity, leaving others not daring to approach. ¡°Woooooo!¡± ¡°Giant! A real giant! It isn¡¯t just a partial gigantification but aplete gigantification!¡± Over at the spectator stand, Kurt¡¯s supporters roared in frenzied joy, which was understandable given the fortune they had staked on him. The distinguished guestsing from various countries began discussing fervently amongst themselves. The intimidating disposition of the giant could be felt even through the projection, rattling the hearts of the viewers. However, the ck-haired man standing directly in the presence of the giant himself seemed to be the exception. Roel looked at the seemingly infallible giant without the slightest hint of fear in his golden eyes. He began channeling his mana too, causing a crimson aura to swiftly shroud his body. In mere moments, a humongous skeletal being exuding a blood-red glow manifested around him. Unlike Kurt¡¯s imposing air, Grandar¡¯s presencemanded reverence and deference. Even the crowd in the colosseum found themselves gripped with looming fear that silenced them. When Grandar raised his head to gaze at his adversary, thetter dared not to meet his eyes. The battlefield was plunged into a diforting silence. This was the air of intimidation that came from a Race Sovereign. Perhaps he was unable to tolerate being suppressed in terms of aura, Kurt chose to make the first move after a momentary standstill. The giant he manifested out of mana roared furiously before charging across the desert with deafening thumps. On the other end, Roel also began making his move. Grandar raised his massive skeletal arms, and the blood-red aura around him began to darken. It took a mere instant for both sides toe into contact with each other, but the ensuing result was the most intense sh throughout this Challenger Cup. Chapter 393.5: You’re the Only One (2)

Chapter 393.5: You¡¯re the Only One (2)

Kurt¡¯s glowing fist collided with Grandar¡¯s skeletal arm, producing a powerful shockwave that rippled outward, raising a tsunami of sand. ¡°Boom!¡± In the first sh, Grandar¡¯s body slightly inclined backward whereas Kurt took a huge step backward. Kurt was astonished by Grandar¡¯s strength, but his fighting spirit wasn¡¯t quelled in the least. If anything, it only further stoked his hot-bloodedness. Without any hesitation, he rushed forward and engaged Grander once more in an exchange of fists. The previous sh had taught him that he was at a disadvantagepeting destructive prowess with Grandar, the forefather of the Strength Origin Attribute, so he adapted his strategy in real-time and went with a speedy maneuver instead. His punches, propelled by the explosive power of his mana, were swift and relentless. It was ridiculous how an arm so massive could move so quickly as to leave countless after shadows in its wake. On the other end, the eyes of the humongous crimson skeleton began gleaming brightly. If Kurt was the representation of utmost speed, Grandar would be the representation of utmost strength. Tapping into the burst power of his Origin Attribute, Grandar quietly flung his fist forward. The light that naturally imbued his fist as a result of its sheer force looked reminiscent of a fallinget. ¡°Sh*t!¡± Kurt instinctively understood that it was impossible for him to withstand Grandar¡¯s punch,pelling him to switch from offense to defense. He redirected his countless punches toward Grandar¡¯s fist, hoping to weaken it. To his horror, Grandar¡¯s fist was as unyielding as divine retribution, impossible to be fazed. Bam! There was a deafening explosion, and Kurt was sent flying with his arms wrapped defensively in front of him. Cracks had appeared on the body he had manifested out of mana. Kneeling on the ground, he looked at his devastated body and understood that he had utterly lost in this close-quarter battle. However, this didn¡¯t mean that the battle was over yet. Kurt was not a giant but a transcendent with the ability to emte the giants. His means weren¡¯t just limited to physical prowess. ¡°Land of Renascence!¡± With a bellow, Kurt channeled his mana toward his Origin Attribute. The next moment, the Cinder Desert began quaking intensely. Using his mana as a medium, he infused the power of his Giant Bloodline into the earth and swiftly animated thirteen sand giants that immediately lurched toward Grandar. This unprecedented sight produced a ripple of excitement within the colosseum as the spectators screamed out of delirium. The ck-haired man standing in the middle of the sand giants¡¯ encirclement stood asposed as ever. He raised his head and spoke to his old buddy. ¡°Still holding on?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s end this.¡± Roel began channeling a huge amount of mana that caused the Crown Origin Attribute to intensely pulsate within him. Grandar raised his head toward the sky and released a majestic roar. His regal disposition became so strong that it looked as if he had be the center of existence in the world, with the others being nothing more than his apaniment. As if a mirage, a blood-colored sunset in ovepped over the desert. A crimson wind rose in the burial ce of countless giants, rying the cheers of the warriors to their king. It was almost as if he had returned to the ancient past. ¡°!¡± Grandar¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply as seemingly forgotten memories surfaced in his mind. He let out a furious roar and hurled his fist outward. With an outburst of mana reminiscent of a supernova, a crimson aura rushed forth from Grandar¡¯s fist with the unstoppable might of a natural disaster, obliterating everything in its path. Crimson lightning crackled in the sky above, dering the wrath of the giant king. Its overwhelming force eradicated the sand giants with the slightest nick, and Kurt¡¯s giant body shattered in its face. A sandstorm rose in its wake, as if to salvage the pride of the defeated. The spectators fellpletely silent. The distinguished guests in the VIP seats stared wordlessly at the projection. The doomsday sight in the semi-obliterated Cinder Desert looked like the aftermath of a battle between ancient gods, rattling their minds. This was the effect Roel wanted to produce. Those who had witnessed this battle would never forget why giants had stood amongst the top in the ancient era, and that the one true giant left in the world was Grandar. The battle between Roel and Kurt finally concluded. When they appeared in the colosseum once more, Roel¡¯s clothes were covered in bits of sand whereas Kurt was copsed on the ground. This time, Roel didn¡¯t bother waving his hands at the spectators, and the stunned crowd couldn¡¯t snap out of their daze to apud for the victor either. He quietly turned around and made his way out of the colosseum, only to hear Kurt¡¯s voice barely a few stepster. ¡°W-wait!¡± Much to the opposition of the medics who had rushed over to treat him, the bloodstained Kurt propped up his injured body with great difficulty and called for the departing Roel. Thetter halted his footsteps. There was a conflicted look on Kurt¡¯s face as he gazed at the man who had just defeated him. He recalled the cheers of the warriors on the blood-colored in and sighed in resignation. ¡°About Lord Grandar¡­ it might have truly been a mistake on our part. I¡¯ll look into it.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. You may consult me if you have any questions.¡± Roel¡¯s expression alleviated at those words, and Kurt finally lost consciousness after speaking his piece. It was only when Roel¡¯s silhouette had vanished from the colosseum that cheers and apuse btedly sounded from the crowd. They grew louder and louder until they resounded clearly throughout the whole of Leinster. Sitting on one of the benches of the resting zone, Roel let out an exhausted exhtion. But before he could rest, a student from the Theocracy suddenly rushed over and informed him of an unbelievable news. Chapter 394: Something’s Wrong With Miss Angel

Chapter 394: Something¡¯s Wrong With Miss Angel

Roel¡¯s mood had improved significantly after hearing the words Kurt said after the end of the battle. The rage that had been bubbling within him due to the besmirchment of Grandar¡¯s reputation quelled by half. Who could have thought that a student from the Theocracy would deliver a piece of shocking news to him at this moment? ¡°What? Nora is intending to withdraw from the tournament?¡± Roel asked with a frown. He was even doubting if he was hearing things. Nora is surrendering? You must be kidding me! While the Challenger Cup was not particrly important for people like Nora and Charlotte, the prestige from winning the tournament would build their prestige and reinforce their legitimacy. They were already proceeding into the top 4, so why was she suddenly withdrawing at this point? Not to mention, it was hard to imagine that someone as strong-headed as Nora would actually surrender. The perplexed Roel posed his question to the female student, but much to his surprise, thetter revealed a look of dilemma. She carefully thought about the matter before hesitantly speaking up. ¡°Her Highness hasn¡¯t said anything about it thus far, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good physical condition.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Roel¡¯s face darkened. He quickly followed the female student back to the Saint Freya Academy. ¡­ ¡°Your Highness, Lord Roel is here.¡± ¡°Mm. The rest of you may leave.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± In a living room that gave off an air of traditional elegance, Nora sat alone at a tea table by the window. She dismissed the other Theocracy nobles in the room before directing a smile at the approaching ck-haired man. ¡°What a solemn look you have on your face. It has been a while since I¡¯ve seen such an expression on you. How was your fight?¡± ¡°I gave that arrogant fellow a good beating, but that¡¯s not important now. I heard that you¡¯re intending to withdraw from the Challenger Cup. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°How should I put this? A small issue has urred with my body.¡± ¡°!¡± An anxious furrow formed on Roel¡¯s forehead. It was not that he was making a big fuss out of nothing, but he knew that Nora was impervious to ordinary afflictions. Angels were the incarnation of purity in the ancient era. Inheritors of the Angel Bloodline like Nora were immune to most unnatural statuses. If something did manage to bypass the Angel Bloodline¡¯s immunity to get to her, it could only mean that she was in a dire state. The worried Roel began enquiring about Nora¡¯s condition, but thetter simply blinked her eyes contemtively. Her reaction left him feeling utterly confused. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just feeling a little¡­ wistful.¡± ¡°Wistful?¡± ¡°I believe that thest time you looked so worried was when we were stuck in that old chapel, back in the Witness State.¡± Thinking about their childhood experiences formed a faint smile on Nora¡¯s lips. Roel was initially confused by the remark, but he was able to swiftly connect the dots. He looked at her and asked. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°Mm. I can feel my bloodline pulsating. It might be awakening to Gold-tier very soon.¡± ¡°So fast?¡± Roel widened his eyes at the confirmation. Once again, this marked a significant divergence from Eyes of the Chronicler. Based on what he had remembered in the game, Nora didn¡¯t advance her bloodline even as she was advancing to Third Grade. Why was her bloodline awakening right now when they were still in the First Grade? This was way ahead of schedule. If anything, the situation only left him more worried. Bloodline awakening was different from making a breakthrough in Origin Level. It was a strenuous process that heaped a great deal of burden on one¡¯s body. As rare as it was, excessively fast awakenings could pose real threats to one¡¯s life. In fact, Nora was in a precarious position back then, when they were still children in the Witness State, not just because she didn¡¯t have any elders around to guide her; her body was also still too immature to properly withstand the strain of awakening. Roel was afraid that the situation might be worse for her this time around. He voiced his worries aloud, and Nora responded with a smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too much of a worrywart? I¡¯ve joined the tournament in hopes of advancing my transcendent abilities, and the awakening of my bloodline shows that I¡¯ve achieved my aim. Shouldn¡¯t you be congratting me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an opportunity, but the risks are also¡­¡± ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m already making preparations to return to the Theocracy.¡± Looking at distressed Mother Hen Roel, Nora¡¯s lips curled into a sweet smile and exined her ns. ¡°The academic year is alreadying to an end, and I have nothing much to do after withdrawing from the Challenger Cup. I¡¯d have plenty of time to return to the Theocracy and prepare for my bloodline awakening.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, that¡¯d be a good idea.¡± ¡°I was still hoping to exchange blows with you in the Challenger Cup, but it looks like I won¡¯t be able to fulfill my wish. It looks like I can only wait for you to clinch the champion trophy and offer it up to me.¡± ¡°Is that an order from Your Highness? It looks like this humble subject will have no choice but to obey.¡± Roel yed along with Nora¡¯s teasing and even bowed formally to her, but he was still unable to shake off his worries. ¡°About your bloodline awakening, I think you shouldn¡¯t push yourself too much. Giving up is also a viable option if it ever gets too dangerous. It¡¯s already amazing that you have a Silver-tier Bloodline at our age¡­ Honestly speaking, I¡¯d rather that you don¡¯t take on this risk.¡± ¡°You must be unaware how ironic it is hearing those words from you¡­ Wait a moment, you can¡¯t be afraid that I¡¯d be stronger than you, are you?¡± ¡°That came out of nowhere.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t I be able to coerce you if I were to be stronger than you? Ahh, I really miss the times when you were weaker than me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Little Miss Angel reminisced the times when there was an absolute disparity of strength between the two of them. Back then, Roel showed all kinds of troubled expressions whenever she made a move on him. She had been able to asionally grasp the initiative before Roel advanced to Origin Level 4 and caught up with her. After he gained Peytra¡¯s powers, the scales between them ended up bncing, turning their interactions into somewhat like a tug-o-war. She would attack, and then he would counter. The thought of being able to im the higher ground once more excited Nora. Sitting opposite to her, Roel was rendered utterly speechless. Aren¡¯t people usually determined to be stronger in order to fulfill their grandiose ambitions or protect their country? Yet, when ites to you, it¡¯s just a tool to fulfill your inclinations¡­ Roel grasped his forehead and worried over the future of the Theocracy, not knowing that he would go down in history as the temptress who seduced the wise queen if that was the case. After Nora assured him that she would tread carefully, he had no choice but to respect her decision. Shortly after leaving Nora¡¯s manor, Roel made his way back to the Azure Manor with heavy footsteps. He had never really thought much about it before now, but the clearparisons arising from Paul¡¯s armor and Nora¡¯s breakthrough were something worth thinking over. Obviously, the people around Roel were growing much faster than in the Eyes of the Chronicler. It looked like good news at first sight, but was it really just the p of his butterfly wings that induced such massive changes? While contemting this question, he walked off into the distance with a tight furrow on his forehead. Chapter 395: I’ll Be Using This (1)

Chapter 395: I¡¯ll Be Using This (1)

The exchange with Nora was heartwarming, but somehow, he felt a little uneasy. He was aware that his concerns were likely to be unfounded since nothing worrying had happened thus far, but human emotions didn¡¯t necessarily listen to logic. Nora¡¯s decision to withdraw from the tournament was soon announced to the public through the organizingmittee. It caused quite a stir amongst the crowd. The Challenger Cup was highly regarded throughout the Sia Continent. The prestige won from iming the champion trophy would contribute to one¡¯s influence, which was important when it came to political dealings. No one would use the princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy of tampering with the tournament, but most spectators were disappointed about her withdrawal, especially thoseing from the Theocracy. Nora was the national idol of the Theocracy, and many had taken months to travel all the way to Leinster just to cheer her on. It was fortunate that citizens of the Theocracy still had another person to cheer on. As a result, Roel was able to gain a lot of new fans just by being the only Theocracy¡¯s challenger left in the tournament. This was additional stress on Roel, but he could only obey Her Highness¡¯ order and try his best to bring glory to his country. Nora¡¯s opponent for the top 8 was Teresa, so her withdrawal meant that thetter was advancing straight into the top 4. The news of Nora¡¯s withdrawal caused a huge storm when it was first announced, but it took a mere day for another explosive news to overshadow it. One of the popr champion picks, the man who was ranked second in the seeded challenger ranking, Grayrose Ringbearer Edward, had lost his battle. He was defeated by William. Most spectators had expected to see Purplerose Ringbearer Lilian and Grayrose Ringbearer Edward facing off in the finals. Those two had proven their strength on multiple asions over the years, so there was not a single person who doubted their prowess. No one expected the seemingly ordinary William, who fought with straightforward tactics in all of his battles, would actually be this powerful. It was in the fight with Edward that William first showcased his Swordheart, and the effects were astounding. This was especially so when his de rushed forth like a shooting star, piercing through multiple barriers before slicing Edward into two. It was such an exhrating moment that the crowd rose to their feet and cheered aloud. William had crushed Edward in every aspect even though thetter was known to be extremely close to Origin Level 3, proving himself to be the superior transcendent here. The crowd naturally understood what it meant. The second Origin Level 3 transcendent in the tournament had appeared. It took mere hours for this news to spread throughout Leinster. This was the first time that two Origin Level 3 transcendents had appeared in the same iteration of the Challenger Cup. Roel could understand what the fuss was all about. There was an age restriction on the Challenger Cup that limited the participants to youths. This effectively capped the strength of the challengers. The number of Origin Level 3 challengers that appeared in the tournament¡¯s centuries of history could easily be counted on one hand. Even the organizingmittee was caught off guard by this development. William¡¯s reputation shot up to a whole new level. Manyuded him as the ¡®unstoppable knight¡¯, and he swiftly became one of the most popr picks for the champion seat. Thest pairing in the top 8 was between Lilian and Charlotte, and the results were just as everyone expected. The crowd knew that it was impossible for Charlotte to deal with Lilian in a 1-on-1 match. It was not about just the disparity in their Origin Levels but the differences in their fighting styles too. Charlotte¡¯s Golden Soul was known for its flexibility in alternating between offense and defense, but itcked destructive prowess against overwhelming numbers. She was able to somewhat make up for it through her Jewel Magic, but even so, the rate she was clearing enemies was still slower than Lilian¡¯s speed of summoning. As there was a bit of national grudge mixed into it as well, Charlotte was tenacious in the duel. She obstinately held on, refusing to give up. The battle dragged on for nearly an entire hour before she was finally overwhelmed. It was a loss, but the crowd still gave her a warm round of apuse for her determination. Roel could tell that Lilian didn¡¯t go all out in the fight, possibly because she didn¡¯t want to worsen the ties between both countries. She had opted for an attrition strategy instead, which made the fight look much better for Charlotte. In any case, the challengers advancing to the top 4 were finally selected. Teresa Constantine, William Cambonyte, Lilian Ackermann, and Roel Ascart. These were the four transcendents who were going topete for the title of the strongest young transcendent. Roel couldn¡¯t help but notice that it was two sets of older sister-younger brother pairings, and it left him feeling a little queer inside. Of course, there was hardly anyone else who shared his thoughts since there weren¡¯t many people who knew about his rtionship with Lilian. Some saw it as a showdown among three countries, and some chose to segment the group into transfer students and Ringbearers. In any case, the current popr champion picks were the two Origin Level 3 transcendents, Lilian and William. Under the witness of the crowd, the four of them began drawing the lots of fate. The results were met with a mix of delight and disappointment amongst the crowd. ¡°I¡¯ll be announcing the results of the lots. In the first group, Teresa Constantine will be fighting against Roel Ascart. In the second group, William Cambonyte will be fighting against Lilian Ackermann.¡± There was a huge ruckus in the colosseum following the announcement. Amongst them, those from the Saint Mesit Theocracy and the Bluerose Faction cheered loudly to celebrate Roel¡¯s incredible luck. As remarkable as Roel¡¯s performance in the tournament was thus far, there was hardly anyone who thought that he could really win the champion trophy. There were simply too many monsters this year. The challengers who were still in the tournament were prodigies boasting great skills and powerful abilities, such that a difference in Origin Level spelled an unbridgeable gap. But while it was impossible to im the champion seat, it was still worth pursuing for the first runner up. Inparison, those from the Austine Empire and William¡¯s fans looked frustrated. No matter how they looked at it, it wasn¡¯t going to be an easy battle for the person they were supporting. While the crowd were feeling anxious about the results of the lots, two of the challengers heaved a sigh of relief. Lilian didn¡¯t want to fight Roel prior to the finals. William shared the same thought as well, especially since her goal was to prove that she was stronger than everyone around Roel so as to convince him to choose her. ¡°Good luck. I¡¯ll eliminate him on your behalf.¡± Lilian inconspicuously walked over Roel and murmured to him, and thetter chuckled in response. The crowd apuded loudly as the final four challengers left the colosseum. They knew that regardless of the results, the four of them were destined to be the leaders of the younger generation. The hype around the Challenger Cup further rose as the tournament proceeded into its semifinals. One could hear spections flying around, be it on the main streets or in alleys. Drunkards could be heard impassionedly theorizing about the winner in the local taverns. Time slowly ticked by in such an atmosphere. Soon, it was time for Nora to journey back to the Theocracy. ¡°I¡¯ll be making a move first. Make sure to bring the champion trophy with you when you return,¡± Nora teased. Standing beside the carriage, Roel made a grand bow and formally epted the princess¡¯ order. His ¡®loyal subject¡¯ attitude sessfully induced a chuckle from Nora. After confirming that Nora was still in stable condition for the time being, Roel was able to set his heart at ease. The two of them bade each other farewell, and he watched the carriage depart under the escort of the Theocracy¡¯s guards. Only when the carriage disappeared by the horizon did he finally make his way back to the academy alone. Chapter 395.5: I’ll Be Using This (2)

Chapter 395.5: I¡¯ll Be Using This (2)

Roel didn¡¯t choose to return to the Azure Manor to rest up after seeing Nora off. Instead, he headed to the Dancing Butterfly Museum to meet Charlotte, who had just ended her battle with Lilian. ¡°Darling? What brings you here?¡± Roel¡¯s arrival came as a surprise to Charlotte, but she was able to quickly understand the meaning behind his visit. She was indeed in low spirits after losing to Lilian, but she visibly brightened up at Roel¡¯s arrival. Ever since themencement of the Challenger Cup, the two of them had hardly met each other because they were either busy training their faction members or making preparations for their own battle. ¡°Hmph. You came to visit me because you were worried that I would be in a bad mood?¡± ¡°Mmm. Rosa has a tense rtionship with the Austine Empire, so I was worried that you might be burdened by it¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel carefully chose his words while assessing Charlotte¡¯s expression. He noticed a slight flicker in her eyes, and it made him heave a deep sigh. As an offspring of the Sorofya House, Charlotte faced a lot of stress from a young age. Unlike the Ascarts, the Sorofyas were a huge n. She was first in line for session, but there were many others queuing behind her, waiting for her to slip up so that they could take her position. Her retrieval of the Sofyas¡¯ heritage did reinforce her position greatly, such that it would be hard for anyone to shake her standing now. Nevertheless, her defeat to Lilian, the princess of a perceived hostile nation, was likely to bring about some negative influence. With such thoughts in mind, Roel looked at Charlotte and gently asked. ¡°Charlotte, has the Sorofyas been putting stress on you?¡± ¡°¡­ It can¡¯t be helped. The anti-Austine sentiment in Rosa remains strong even after all these years,¡± replied Charlotte with a bitter smile. Roel¡¯s face turned solemn upon hearing those words. He gave the matter some thought before nodding his head. ¡°¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll write a letter to Rosa¡¯s military and have Grandpa Ugin handle this. Let¡¯s see who dares to cause a fuss over this.¡± ¡°Ah? H-hold on! Darling, there¡¯s no need to go to such an extent¡­¡± Charlotte was astonished by Roel¡¯s decision to intervene in the matter. She quickly tried to dissuade him from it, but it was to no avail. He knew Charlotte far too well to be swayed by her on this. Due to her aptitude for business granted to her through her bloodline, Charlotte had to take charge of the Sorofyas¡¯ businesses from a young age. She had to make decisions and handle problems all on her own, and this gave rise to her independent personality. However, this also made her view relying on others as a sign of weakness. She would always try to resolve everything on her own so as to avoid troubling others, especially Roel. She only wanted to show Roel her best sides, and she didn¡¯t consider her vulnerability to be one of them. That was why she rarely asked anything from Roel. That was also why Roel had chosen to make the trip here and offer his help. The Ascart Fiefdom was no longer the same as before. It had just signed a bunch of trading agreements and was well on its way to be a trading hub. Some merchants even spected that it had the potential to be an economic powerhouse in the future. On top of that, it was also forging closer ties with Rosa, having made severalmercial and military agreements. The Ascart House was no longer just a neighbor to Rosa anymore; they were allies. Naturally, Rosa wouldn¡¯t just shrug off the words of a close ally. In fact, it was no exaggeration to im that the influence Roel¡¯s words wielded over Rosa wasparable to that of Nora¡¯s. ¡°Darling, there¡¯s no need to do that. I¡¯ll ask for your help if things truly get dire¡­¡± ¡°Will you? Would you have even told me about this problem if I hadn¡¯te here to ask about it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte was at a loss for words, not knowing how to answer Roel¡¯s usation. Roel took a deep exhtion before he looked into her emerald eyes and spoke with a gentle tone. ¡°I know that the situation isn¡¯t that severe. You¡¯re younger than Lilian, and there¡¯s a gap in your Origin Levels. However, this isn¡¯t the main point here. What I want to do is to send out a clear message to the whole of Rosa.¡± ¡°A clear message?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to tell them that I¡¯ll back you regardless of what happens.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes abruptly widened. She stared into Roel¡¯s golden eyes and found herself met with an unwavering gaze that was filled with determination. A secondter, she lowered her head. There was a slight tinge of redness spreading across her cheeks. She began fanning her face, hoping to cool down her overheating brain. Despite typically being the aggressive one in their rtionship, she ironically found herself helplessly susceptible to Roel¡¯s unintentional attacks. Her utter embarrassment left her unable to speak a word at all. On the other hand, after innocently voicing out his thoughts, Roel turned his attention toward her physical condition. ¡°It was an intense battle back there. Did you sustain any injuries?¡± ¡°N-not at all. Darling, you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°You must have expended too much mana. Yourplexion doesn¡¯t look too good.¡± ¡°A-ah? Do I look awful?¡± Charlotte¡¯s heart jolted in shock. As a proud fashionista, how could she appear unseemly before the man she fancied? She quickly covered her face with her hand, not wanting to expose her ugly side. Roel was amused by her reaction. He grabbed her hand and quickly rified. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any self-awareness? How could you possibly look awful? What I mean is that you appear a little exhausted. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s inappropriate of me to visit you right after an intense battle.¡± ¡°That¡¯s definitely not the case! ¡­ I don¡¯t intend to rest that early anyway.¡± Charlotte quickly supplemented her statement before her eyes meekly drifted toward the window, which showcased a beautiful sunset scenery outside. Roel did the same too and enjoyed the sight of butterflies frolicking beneath the setting sun. A thought suddenly came to his mind then. ¡°Why don¡¯t I let Peytra help you?¡± ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± Having thought out of a n, Roel released a surge of pale yellow mana and infused it into Charlotte¡¯s body. The sudden entry of foreign mana into her body made Charlotte exim in astonishment, but she swiftly felt a gush of warmth nourishing the feebleness in her body. Herplexion visibly improved. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Peytra is the Primordial Earth Goddess. Her mana is gentle in nature and contains life force, and it¡¯s particrly suited for women. It won¡¯t be enough to heal you up right away, but it should take away some of your fatigue.¡± Roel continued infusing more of Peytra¡¯s mana into Charlotte¡¯s body, and thetter closed her eyes and let out a rxed sigh. Their mana began to meld with each other, allowing Roel to sense Charlotte¡¯s current strength. This feeling¡­ She¡¯s already approaching the bottleneck of Origin Level 4? Roel was a little surprised by that. As the young miss of a merchant house, there was no way Charlotte could fully devote her time and effort into developing her transcendental abilities. Yet, she was still able to keep up with Roel¡¯s footsteps. It was almost as if she was leveling up just by breathing! Is this what they call a difference in talent? Still¡­ she¡¯s also growing far faster here than in the game. Roel didn¡¯t know whether he should celebrate or worry over Charlotte¡¯s hastened growth here aspared to in Eyes of the Chronicler. He tried to take his mind off this matter, knowing that his worries wouldn¡¯t make a difference. Some timeter, the exhaustion on Charlotte¡¯s face finally faded, and Roel gradually retracted his pale yellow mana. Charlotte looked at the reassured look on Roel¡¯s face, and it filled her heart with overflowing warmth and happiness. She curled her hair coyly and spoke up. ¡°Darling, the weather is getting cold nowadays.¡± ¡°It sure is. It¡¯s already approaching autumn. Our first semester in Saint Freya Academy is about toe to its end,¡± said Roel,menting how fast time was passing them by. He thought that it was just a passing remark, but Charlotte suddenly stood up, walked over, and hooked her finger on his cor. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s about time for you to change your wardrobe to suit the new season?¡± said Charlotte with a gentle smile. Roel instinctively shot to his feet. ¡°You¡¯ve been busy recently. I wouldn¡¯t want to tire you out.¡± ¡°Designing clothes is my hobby. It¡¯s a way for me to rx. Darling, are you intending to take away my little joys in life? Besides, you¡¯re only allowed to wear the clothes I designed. It¡¯s clearly stated in our contract.¡± ¡°Wait a moment. What contract?¡± asked Roel in bewilderment. Charlotte proudly talked about the terms she had secretly snuck into the 400,000 gold coins debt note between them. Roel, who had signed the contract after a brief look through out of trust in her, was rendered speechless. In the end, he could only obediently stand up and allow his personal designer to do her work. Roel¡¯s physique was constantly changing as he was still in his growth phase, so Charlotte would always make sure to take his measurements on the spot before designing his clothes. Once everything was done, she would send an urgent order to the Sorofya Merchant Association, and the association would deliver the finished clothes within days. Thanks to that, all of the clothes that Roel received from Charlotte were exceptionally fitting. That was why he was confused when Charlotte didn¡¯t bother retrieving her measuring tape. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take my measurements?¡± ¡°I am. Your growth has slowed, but I want to ensure that the clothes I make fit you snugly. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m not nning to use the measuring tape this time.¡± ¡°How do you intend to measure me without using a measuring tape?¡± asked Roel in confusion. There was a gleam in Charlotte¡¯s eyes as she raised her hand and waved it about. ¡°I¡¯ll be using this.¡± Chapter 396: Those Who Play With Fire Will Get Burned (1)

Chapter 396: Those Who y With Fire Will Get Burned (1)

Under the dim lighting of the Dancing Butterfly Manor, a faint blush could be seen forming on Charlotte¡¯s beautiful face. She softly ced her dainty hands on Roel¡¯s chest and used her fingers to measure the breadth of Roel¡¯s chest. Roel felt awkward at the situation. The two of them were so close that all it took was a step forward to embrace her soft body. He could feel Charlotte¡¯s warm breath tickling his neck, and it sent a shudder to run through his body. ¡°Ah. Did I tickle you by ident?¡± asked Charlotte. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Roel turned his head away and refuted her question. Charlotte stared at him intently for a while when realization suddenly struck her. Her lips curled upward. Instead of taking a step back, she took another step forward. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll continue then,¡± said Charlotte with a teasing note to her voice. She ced her finger on Roel¡¯s chest once more and resumed her measurement of his chest, but her focus wasn¡¯t on the measurement this time around. She kept fidgeting during her measurement, causing her body to constantly lean in and bump into Roel¡¯s. The softness that asionally pressed against him sent Roel¡¯s heartbeat racing. He quickly turned his head back, only to be met with Charlotte¡¯s innocent expression. She looked back at him with her clear emerald eyes and asked in confusion. ¡°Is there something wrong, darling?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± Not knowing how to approach this embarrassing subject, Roel was left with no choice but to avert his gaze once more. However, Charlotte¡¯s warm breath once again tickled his neck. She¡¯s sticking too close! Roel mentally retorted as he tried his best to keep hisposure. On the other hand, Charlotte was getting more and more absorbed in her teasing, especially when she noticed the gradual reddening of Roel¡¯s cheeks. It took her all she had to hold back herughter, but it still didn¡¯t take long for him to catch onto her prank. Under the dim lighting, Roel turned to look at her and suddenly asked a question. ¡°Charlotte, are you sure that you can measure my chest like this?¡± ¡°Of course. I can¡¯t say the same for amateur designers, but I am a professional. Darling, you have to trust me.¡± Seeing the earnest look on Charlotte¡¯s face, Roel nodded understandingly before adding on. ¡°I see, I see¡­ Is that the reason why you have been measuring my chest to and fro for over ten times now?¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s movement froze to a halt. She realized that she had gotten too engrossed in her teasing that she forgot to change her movements. Her emerald eyes widened as she took a step back and attempted to exin herself, but it was all toote. Roel took a step forward in response to her movement and hooked his arm around Charlotte¡¯s waist, not allowing her to escape. Before she could even react, he leaned in and exhaled lightly on her delicate ears. The effects were immediate. ¡°Ah!¡± The unexpected assault brought out a shocked exmation from Charlotte, but Roel didn¡¯t halt his attack just because of that. She tried her best to endure it, but in the end, she was still left with no choice but to beg for mercy. ¡°Wait. No, not there. I¡¯m sensitive over there! Stop!¡± ¡°I-I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have teased you. Forgive me, alright¡­¡± ¡°Ah! I-I really am going to copse at this rate! Stop it!¡± Charlotte tried to make peace, but Roel wasn¡¯t buying into it. She had teased him for so long that he was determined to get his revenge. Under his tickling, her body slowly grew limp, her face reddened, and her breathing hastened. All of a sudden, a series of knocks echoed from the door. Tok tok tok! ¡°!¡± The sudden knocks rmed the duo who were practically embracing each other, prompting them to part at lightning speed. At the same time, the Rosaian student outside the door voiced her concern. ¡°Lord Charlotte, did something happen?¡± ¡°N-not at all! Pay no heed to it!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Both Roel and Charlotte heaved sighs of relief. They looked at each other quietly for a moment before bursting intoughter. After a short moment of fooling around, Charlotte felt much better than before, and Roel was relieved to see that she was in a better mood. Charlotte proceeded to properly take Roel¡¯s measurements before reluctantly seeing him off. ¡°You still have battles to fight. All the best, darling.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Roel left the Dancing Butterfly Manor with the blessings from the fair maiden. ¡­ ¡°Challengers, step onto the field.¡± Several dayster, the semifinals of the Challenger Cupmenced in the colosseum. Roel and Teresa stood on both ends of the field, their fans cheering loudly from the spectator stand. Roel¡¯s victory over Kurt hadpelled fans of the giant to defect to his side. He could spot banners containing Grandar¡¯s name held high all around the colosseum. Practically everyone from the Theocracy and Rosa was cheering for him, especially those from the Goldenrose, Redrose, and Bluerose Factions. As for Teresa, her fan base was more diverse. Most were from the Austine Empire and the Knight Kingdom, but she had plenty of fans from Brolne and the other smaller countries too. If the concept of ¡®eye candy¡¯ existed on the Sia Continent, Teresa definitely fitted under that category, though the same could be said about Roel too. Over the course of the tournament, Roel had gained a disproportionately huge number of female fans. He had been a looker ever since he was a child, and he had never lost in a battle of appearance to those of the same gender before. Before the battle even began, the fans were already screaming their voices out to boost the morale of the two challengers. It was under such an atmosphere that the organizingmittee stepped forward and proceeded with the usual routine. ¡°Selecting the Battlefield.¡± ¡°21st Field, Skerry Sea.¡± There was a hugemotion following the selection of the terrain. Roel quickly recalled the traits of Skerry Sea. As the name suggested, Skerry Sea was a coastal region filled with sea stacks, but what was unusual about these sea stacks was how they were peeking above the water surfaces like little inds. Therger ones were huge enough for a small vige to live on, whereas the smaller ones could be hard for even a person to stand on. It was not an easy terrain to maneuver in due to the inconsistent pathing, and the demonic beasts lurking inside the waters made it a risk to travel from sea stack to sea stack. Most spellcasters would opt tounch long-range attacks at their opponent and destroy their footing. Chapter 396.2: Those Who Play With Fire Will Get Burned (2)

Chapter 396.2: Those Who y With Fire Will Get Burned (2)

With a burst of light, the two challengers were transported into the Skerry Sea. The scenery around Roelpletely changed. He found himself standing in the middle of a sea filled with all sorts of sea stacks, but a fog hindered his vision. Nevertheless, he could vaguely spot the silhouette of a delicate figure standing at the other end of the fog. He reflexively thought that something was amiss, and his suspicion was swiftly affirmed. As the fog billowed along with the sea breeze, more and more silhouettes appeared on the sea stacks around him. All of them emanated a simr mana pulsation, making it impossible for Roel to discern which one was the real Teresa. While Roel was still trying to grapple with this baffling situation, Teresa¡¯s long-awaited voice echoed in the air. ¡°Copse.¡± Boom! Following the light and melodic voice, the sea stack Roel was standing on copsed. He began falling toward the sea along withrge pieces of rock. The demonic beasts in the sea swiftly noticed the disturbance above and gathered in the vicinity. Teresa knew that physical brawlers like Grandar needed a good footing to properly unleash their prowess, so she chose to use her Hextongue to rob him of his footing right from the start. It was a good n, if not for the fact that Roel had more than a single ancient god with him. ¡°Peytra!¡± The moment the sea stack copsed, Roel released an intense pale yellow light, and the avatar of a humongous serpent vaguely appeared behind him. The Primordial Earth Goddess had chosen to leave the Nine-headed Serpent Staff where she usually resided to manifest in reality. A gigantic serpent body made out of rocks swiftly formed, and she caught Roel just in time before he fell into the water. The sheer intimidation emanated by Peytra forced the demonic beasts lurking beneath the water to quickly scatter. At the same time, a series of explosions echoed from the sea stacks that the silhouettes were standing on. Teresa¡¯s clones vanished one after another, and the real Teresa was forced to levitate in the air. She swiftly retaliated with a series of powerful attacks. ¡°Burn.¡± ¡°Freeze.¡± ¡°Distort.¡± The words of the Hextongue Princess swiftly realized as cmities under the infusion of mana. A searing inferno descended from the sky, but the temperature beneath swiftly plummeted that it seemed to freeze one¡¯s blood. At the same time, an invisible surge of mana distorted everything in the surroundings. The series of phenomena created by Hextongue induced exmations from the crowd. The spectating practitioners of the Hextongue Faction had incredulous looks on their faces. Teresa¡¯s Manifestation Origin Attribute greatly enhanced the prowess of her Hextongue. That, together with her incredible talent in Hextongue, allowed her to summon prowess unimaginable to the average Hextongue practitioner. The bombardment of multiplerge-scale spells might have looked frightening to the onlookers, but Roel knew that this was likely to be nothing more than a feint. He noticed that Teresa was in the midst of adjusting her breathing in the air, and mana was glowing brightly around her. Soon, the fog began to billow once more. Teresa¡¯s silhouette looked delicate and small in Roel¡¯s eyes, yet the aura she gave off surpassed that of the giant Kurt. Under his watchful eyes, she began to manifest her weapon as one of Pendor¡¯s knights. ¡°Compress, Converge¡­¡± With a series of murmurs, Teresa forged a ck spear madepletely out of Hextongue. The moment it was fully manifested, the sky seemed to darken in contrast to its presence. The distinguished guests seated in the colosseum smacked the table and shot to their feet out of sheer disbelief, unable to believe what they had just seen. ¡°A weapon made out of Hextongue? How is that possible?¡± A feat that defied themon sense of the world was bound to invite shock. However, Teresa wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°Prate, Focus Fire, Indestructible, crity¡­¡± Over a dozen spells were being enchanted into the ck spear, inducing a qualitative change in it. Glowing specks formed within it like twinkling stars in the night sky. Roel was amazed by her means, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was intimidated. There was no doubt that Teresa¡¯s Hextongue was powerful, but Roel¡¯spanions were the strongest Sovereigns in the ancient era. Even if he was unable to draw out their full prowess, he didn¡¯t think that he would be weaker than any of his peers. If the ck spear in Teresa¡¯s hand represented the night sky, Roel¡¯s Primordial Earth Goddess represented the unyielding earth. ¡°Offense or defense?¡± asked Peytra. ¡°Offense!¡± replied Roel. ¡°Very well.¡± Looking at the sky above, Roel began furiously channeling his mana. The massive serpent beneath him started to glow as Peytra began gathering the power of the earth. With one representing the sky and the other representing the earth, two bursts of mana that werepressed to the extremes were finally unleashed. The woman in the sky pointed her finger downward, and the ck spear began descending with frightening momentum. The eyes of the Primordial Earth Goddess glowed brightly in response. She gathered the underground magma, reshaped it into a sharp crimson sword, andunched it upward. Boom! The collision produced blinding light that instantaneously flooded the entire field, disorientating every living being in the vicinity. Everything seemed to have disappeared, leaving behind nothing but the sh between light and darkness. The spectators in the colosseum quickly covered their eyes in response to the blinding lighting from the projection. The sheer level of destruction that was being produced by the sh of the two young transcendents shook everyone¡¯s heart. Peeking through the cracks between their fingers, the fans of both challengers prayed for the light to quickly fade so that they could resume watching the battle. Meanwhile, in the field, Roel had already wrapped his hand around Ascendwing and unfurled a pair of golden wings. The sky was Teresa¡¯s exclusive domain no more. He had been keeping his wings a secret all this while for an opportunity to put it to good use, and the shockwaves produced by the earlier collision provided him with the ideal cover tounch a surprise assault. He soared into the sky with unstoppable momentum, piercing right through the fog. Teresa widened her eyes in astonishment. She opened her mouth to verbalize a series of spells to stop him, but Roel wasn¡¯ting at her alone. ¡°Artasia,¡± he called out. A white-haired witch appeared beside him. She pointed her finger forth and easily shattered all of the spells Teresa had invoked. At the same time, the mana in the air seemed to be rushing toward Artasia¡¯s side. Teresa was rmed to find out that the effectiveness of her Hextongue decreased the closer Artasia came to her, such that she couldn¡¯t even cast a spell to relocate herself anymore. Eventually, Roel and Teresa came face to face with each other. Teresa hesitated for a brief moment but she wasn¡¯t able to bring herself to verbalize the word ¡®Die¡¯. By then, Roel had already managed to press his short sword up to her chest. The two of them looked at each other and smiled in unison. Just like that, the match came to an end. ¡°Teresa Constantine has surrendered. The victor is Roel Ascart!¡± ¡­ ¡°WOAHHH!¡± ¡°ROEL! ROEL! ROEL!¡± The two of them were teleported back to the colosseum, where they were met with the thunderous cheers and apuse from the crowd. As Roel had chosen not to hurt Teresa in the final moment, many of her supporters expressed a high degree of recognition for him. It felt like the first time that the entire colosseum was chanting his name. However, Roel felt that he didn¡¯t really win fair and square. Teresa went easy on him at thest moment. Had she chosen to verbalize words rted to death, Artasia would have been forced to focus her powers on protecting Roel instead, thus releasing her control over the surrounding mana. That would have allowed Teresa to relocate herself, and the battle would end up dragging out. Even so, Roel was confident that he would still have been the victor in the end. Teresa¡¯s Hextongue was even more mana intensive than Roel¡¯s ancient gods, so a prolonged battle would have been to his advantage. Mister Roel, thank you for showing mercy to me. ¡°No, I should be the one saying that. Even at the critical moment, you still avoided cing a direct curse on me.¡± I can¡¯t possibly do that to Mister Roel. That would have been too disrespectful. Roel was surprised to read those words, but he soon broke into a smile. He had regarded Teresa as a friend from the very start, and thetter shared the same sentiment. Even in this fight, the two of them had prioritized their friendship over thepetition. Such a harmonious fight was unprecedented in the semifinals of the Challenger Cup. The battle was over, but Teresa continued to brood over something. A momentter, she wrote something down in her notebook and showed it to Roel. Mister Roel, if William wins his fight too, could I invite you to the fruit juice store tonight? There are some things I would like to talk to you about. ¡°Hm? Yes, that would be fine with me,¡± replied Roel. Teresa smiled in relief. Under the unceasing apuse from the crowd, the two of them left the colosseum and headed off to the medical room to have themselves checked for injuries. Roel thought about Teresa¡¯s request and figured that she might be trying to mediate between William and him, but honestly speaking, he thought that William¡¯s chances of besting Lilian in the uing battle was slim at best. There could be significant differences in strength even amongst transcendents of the same Origin Level. Lilian had undergone the same Witness State as Roel. She wasn¡¯t able to contract with an ancient god due to the ipatibility of her Origin Attribute, but as a possessor of the Ascart Bloodline, her transcendent abilities still advanced significantly with the clearance of the Witness State. Not to mention, her life-and-death battle against the Magician King had provided her preciousbat experience and epiphanies that elevated her to a greater height. On the other hand, William appeared to have only advanced to Origin Level 3 not too long ago, so there was likely to be a gap between him and Lilian. Of course, Roel¡¯s assumption was based on the two of them going all-out against each other. There could also be other variables that coulde into y that would influence the results of the battle, such as the terrain. While thinking over such questions, Roel headed into the medical room to have his body checked up. Meanwhile, another pair of challengers walked into the colosseum. Chapter 397: The Third Meeting (1)

Chapter 397: The Third Meeting (1)

The next two challengers had already entered the colosseum while Roel was still in the midst of his medical check-up. By the time he was done with his check-up and returned to the colosseum, the crowd had already gone wild. It was normal for the colosseum to be noisy. The Challenger Cup had always been an exciting event, and the betting houses often tried to drive the atmosphere up in order to encourage bets. However, there was something different about themotion this time around. The crowd was protesting against something, and Roel soon found out the reason behind that. [30th Field, Colosseum] ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes in surprise upon seeing the words on the projection, and he immediately understood why the crowd was so disgruntled. The Challenger Cup had a diverse selection of dungeons for the challengers to use as fighting grounds, but there was also the traditional colosseum too. The colosseum was definitely not small in size, but it was insufficient for a fight between two powerful transcendents. There were also challengers who picked the colosseum in previous iterations of the Challenger Cup, but the crowd didn¡¯t mind it much since those challengers were weak and the space was ample for them. The main problem here was that the field was grossly disadvantageous to Lilian, who was known for her ability to summon armies. The limited space severely restricted her strategic maneuverability. On top of that, the organizingmittee had set a clear boundary for the fight, and any challenger who stepped out of the boundary would be immediately disqualified. This limitation was imposed in order to protect the spectators. There was a protective barrier erected around the colosseum¡¯s dueling ring, but the organizingmittee couldn¡¯t eliminate the possibility of the challengers bringing the fight to the spectator stand. Since the limitation was imposed out of safety concerns, it naturally applied not just to Lilian but to her summons too. The situation was overwhelmingly disadvantageous to Lilian. That was also the reason why a portion of the crowd, especially those from the Austine Empire, was unable to ept the situation. Even Lilian couldn¡¯t help but reveal a slight frown. Infuriated shoutings could be heard from the spectator stand. The organizingmittee was in an intense debate with those from the Austine Empire, who strongly insisted on drawing a new field for their imperial princess. Due to that, the fight between Lilian and William was dyed. After a lengthy discussion, the organizingmittee chose to go with the original field they had picked. ¡°The Challenger Cup is built on the foundations of fairness and equity. The rules have been made clear beforehand, and we can¡¯t arbitrarily change them due to an unsatisfactory situation. The organizingmittee has emphasized time and time again that we view luck to be a part of a transcendent¡¯s strength. As long as there¡¯s no evidence of tampering in the selection process, we will refrain from intervening in the tournament.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The crowd fell silent. No one dared to utter any words of rebuttal as the one announcing the verdict was none other than Antonio. As an Origin Level 1 transcendent, Brolne¡¯s speaker, and Saint Freya Academy¡¯s principal, Antonio was far too powerful and respected for anyone to dare question him in public, not to mention that his verdict was based on confirmed rules. William¡¯s supporters broke out in gleeful smiles whereas those from the Austine Empire and the Purplerose Faction frowned in exasperation. Momentster, the battle between Lilian and William officiallymenced. The two of them had to drastically alter their fighting strategy due to the unexpected terrain choice. Due to the limited space, Lilian¡¯s spellcasters were practically crippled and her knights wouldn¡¯t be able to build up momentum for a sufficiently powerful charge. Left with hardly any choices, she could only summon smaller army toons who were skilled in small-scale skirmishes. William¡¯s battle n was even simpler¡ªchase Lilian out of the boundary. Defeating Lilian in a proper battle would have been difficult for William, but pressuring her was a different story. Lilian was more of an armymander than a physical brawler, so she tended to avoid frontal confrontations. She would usually engage in defensive maneuvers while her army continuously wore down her opponent. It just so happened that William was extremely strong in frontal confrontations that Lilian struggled to receive head-on. Given the limited space of the colosseum, as long as she yed her cards right, she could slowly corner Lilian before sending her out of the battlefield. On the dueling ring, William channeled her mana and released it as light arcs through her Swordheart. These light arcs wielded destructive prowess equivalent to the one she had unleashed on the Splitting Goose, but the downside was that they consumed a tremendous amount of mana. As fact would have it, William¡¯s mana was indeed swiftly draining out. Lilian was forced to continuously retreat under the barrage of light arcs, but her repositioning did little to improve her situation. The colosseum was only this big, such that William¡¯s attacks could reach her no matter where she escaped to. Her army wasn¡¯t able to do much to protect her from the light arcs either, especially since any spellcasters she summoned would be decimated before they could channel any useful spells. After facing dozens of waves of light arcs, she finally slipped up and exposed an opening. Without any hesitation, William exploited the opening and directed her strongest attack over. Lilian was forced to unleash Ten Fortresses to protect herself, but she still ended up getting pushed out of boundaries and was eliminated as a result. With this, the battle was concluded. The crowd began discussing the battle amongst themselves. There were manyints since they had expected the showdown between the two Origin Level 3 transcendents to be the highlight of the Challenger Cup, but it wasn¡¯t even half as thrilling as the battle between Roel and Teresa. In particr, the spectators from the Austine Empire were livid. With a sigh, Roel made his way over to the challengers¡¯ resting area. He was able to quickly find Lilian, who was sitting on a chair with a face colder than ever. The atmosphere she gave off was so forbidding that not even the medics dared to approach her. Clearly, she found it hard to ept losing in such a manner. She was momentarily stunned for a moment when she caught sight of Roel, and her forbidding expression mellowed down a little. She told the medics to leave the room for a moment before walking over to Roel with an apologetic look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I lost the battle. It looks like I won¡¯t be able to meet you in the finals.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault that you lost. You were just unlucky with the field.¡± ¡°That might be the case, but as Principal Antonio said, luck is also a part of a transcendent¡¯s strength. I was careless. I failed to consider and prepare for this situation. How embarrassing.¡± Roel fell silent. He had no idea how he could console the downhearted Lilian. It took him a while before he finally spoke up. ¡°Luck might be a part of a transcendent¡¯s strength, but there¡¯s much more to a real battle than just luck. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t see any shame in your defeat. At the very least, it wasn¡¯t luck that you saved my life back in the Witness State. It was through your sheer willpower and strength that you were able to held back Priestley and teleported me to safety.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes widened. She thought about the difficulties they had gone through together, and her expression slowly softened. ¡°You sure know how to find reasons in my stead.¡± ¡°I¡¯m merely stating the truth. Let¡¯s not get too caught up by this, alright?¡± Lilian¡¯s lips curled into a smile. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath topose herself. Then, she looked at Roel and gave him some words of advice. ¡°William has held back in the earlier battle. The terrain was more disadvantageous to me, but I could feel that he was also being restricted by the limited space too. You need to be careful during your battle with him. He¡¯s not as simple as he seems.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Roel nodded in response to Lilian¡¯s advice. As the medics were still waiting outside to bring Lilian to her medical check-up, the two of them could only exchange a few words before parting ways. By the end of their short conversation, Roel noticed that Lilian looked much more rxed than before, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He thought that it was a wise decision for him to look for her after the battle. Due to the unstable political situation over at the Austine Empire, Lilian had many political enemies to deal with. It was likely that she was in the same position as Charlotte. It was just that Roel¡¯s sphere of influence didn¡¯t include the faraway Austine Empire, so he was unable to offer her any help on that aspect. It was fortunate that there was great contention about Lilian¡¯s fight, and she had a tighter grasp over her subordinates. The fight for the throne was already an open secret by this point, and most of the nobles had already chosen their side. It was unlikely that Lilian¡¯s supporters would turn their backs on her at this juncture. Not to mention, the other two princes were known to be weaker than Lilian. Making a huge fuss over this matter would likely drag their reputation down as well. Such thoughts put Roel¡¯s mind at ease. He returned to the colosseum and saw the disgruntled crowd leaving the premises. Most of them were still voicing their dissatisfactions about the earlier battle. However, Roel¡¯s thoughts were on the uing battle. He knew that everything would be decided the next time he stood up here. Chapter 397.5: The Third Meeting (2)

Chapter 397.5: The Third Meeting (2)

¡­ ¡°You must make sure to rest well over the next few days. You can train a little, but make sure you don¡¯t overexert yourself. Contact me right away if anything happens. I¡¯ll be taking Alicia with me,¡± instructed Chris. ¡°Ah? Chris, why do I have to¡­¡± protested Alicia ¡°Let him rest for the next few days. You can do whatever you want after the Challenger Cup ends.¡± Wait a moment, what do you mean by that? Did I agree to that?, thought Roel. ¡°¡­ Fine, I won¡¯t bother him. However, there shouldn¡¯t be an issue if I visit Lord Brother when he¡¯s missing me, right?¡± In one of the Azure Manor¡¯s rooms, Alicia tugged Roel¡¯s sleeves as she posed a question. Chris was rendered speechless whereas Roel was left at a loss. They had seen people mooching lodging and food, but this was the first time they had seen someone so determined to mooch someone¡¯s bed. Roel was initially strongly opposed to it, but he changed his mind when Chris told him that Alicia hardly slept at her house. As a fairly powerful transcendent with an overpowered bloodline, it was unlikely that Alicia¡¯s health would deteriorate even if she didn¡¯t sleep a wink for several days. It was just that Roel was afraid that her growth would be stunted if she didn¡¯t catch proper sleep, a mindset that likely came from his previous life. For that reason, he chose to turn a blind eye toward Alicia¡¯s stayovers. It was just that his advancement into the Challenger Cup¡¯s finals left Chris, Paul, Geralt, and the entire Bluerose Faction so excited that they began fussing over everything. Roel was already assured second ce in the prestigious Challenger Cup at the bare minimum. This was a huge honor for the newly founded Bluerose Faction, and it would indubitably bring them into the limelight. They felt like they would be able to walk with their heads higher than anyone else in the academy from this day onward. As for Chris, Lilian¡¯s unexpected defeat meant that Roel was the only student she had left in the tournament. Also, if Roel did manage to win the championship, she would be able to use it as an excuse to make a house visit. By then, Carter would find it difficult to turn down her request for a meeting, be it her identity as Roel¡¯s teacher or their previous rtionship as mentor and mentee. She viewed this as a crucial step for her to further her rtionship with Carter, so she was determined to make it happen. Due to these reasons, Roel found himself surrounded by an excited crowd the moment he stepped into the Azure Manor. He was able to deal with Paul and the others with ease, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about Chris and Alicia. ¡°Roel, Lilian mentioned that William still has tricks up his sleeves. You must take caution.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be careful. Miss Chris, you can set your heart at ease.¡± ¡°Lord Brother, if you ever get too anxious to fall asleep, you can look for me. I know a sleep-inducing spell that is particrly effective on¡­ Cough cough. I mean, I think that the sleep-inducing spell should be able to help you out.¡± ¡°There should be no need for that.¡± Roel didn¡¯t notice her unnatural expression and turned her down without much thought. He had never really lost sleep before. Instead, he instructed Alicia to not ce a bet for the finals. So far, he had managed to rue more than 300,000 gold coins by cing bets in the Challenger Cup. He should be able to pay his debt to Charlotte after withdrawing a bit of money from the fiefdom, so he decided to y it safe. He wasn¡¯t that confident about fighting against William, and their payouts weren¡¯t particrly high either. There was no need to take on this risk. After rying his instructions, Roel walked the two of them out of the Azure Manor. Looking at the setting sun, he knew that it was about time for him to set off for his appointment. ¡­ Even after nightfall, Saint Freya Academy¡¯smercial street was still bustling with huge crowds. Sweltering summer had fortunately passed them by, and the weather was starting to get cooling. The previously jam-packed juice stand wasn¡¯t as crowded as it was before, much to the relief of the duo who decided to meet there. ¡°Boss, two cups of juice. No ice.¡± ¡°Coming right up!¡± It took two minutes for the masked Roel to reach the front of the queue and make his order. Once he received his two cups of juice, he headed back to Teresa¡¯s side, and the two of them made their way to one of the less crowded public tables. They first scanned their vicinity, and after confirming that no one was looking at them, they heaved a sigh of relief. Things were now different from before. After the Challenger Cup, both Roel and Teresa were much more well-known than before. Their fame was previously limited to just the First Grade students, but they were now celebrities in the academy. Due to that, they had to be exceptionally careful when heading to public ces. It was one thing if others thought that they were in an intimate rtionship for meeting in private after their duel, but if someone were to doubt them of tampering with the results of the tournament, it could cause unnecessaryplications. Of course, most students would find such rumorscking in credibility. Both Roel and Teresa were high nobles in their respective countries, so it was unlikely that they would do something like that. Roel passed one of the cups to Teresa, and thetter happily sipped on it. Then, she took out her notebook and began the conversation. Thank you, Mister Roel. This is already the third time. ¡°It looks like we do bump into each other quite a bit.¡± Shortly after the Challenger Cup¡¯s preliminary round, he was strolling around themercial street to let loose when he coincidentally spotted Teresa queuing up for the same juice stand, so he stepped forward to help her. His rtionship with the transfer students was rather tense back then, so he left right after lending her a helping hand. It does seem so. I appreciate your help a lot. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I also wanted to have onest try before the juice stand closes down.¡± Roel and Teresa smiled at each other, and the atmosphere between them grew harmonious. After a quick conversation to lighten the mood, Roel finally asked Teresa for the reason why she had asked him out today. Teresa pondered for a long while before she finally moved her quill. I want to inform you about certain matters. ¡°Certain matters?¡± Yes. It¡¯s about William. ¡°¡­¡± Just as I thought. Roel wasn¡¯t surprised by that. He hadn¡¯t met William ever since their previous unpleasant meeting at Panoply Manor. Teresa was probably feeling worried about the tense rtionship between the two of them. He heard from Brittany that William regarded Teresa as his older sister, and he would usually go along with her suggestions. Given so, it would indeed be much more effective to have Teresa mediate between the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m open to talking about William, but is it really fine to talk about his affairs behind his back?¡± That child is too stubborn. He simply refuses to talk about certain matters, but I think that it¡¯s important that you know about them. ¡°I have to know about them?¡± That¡¯s right. Watching as Teresa let out a sigh, Roel raised his eyebrows doubtfully. I swear on Sia¡¯s name that everything I¡¯ll be telling you from this point onward contains nothing but the truth. I hope that you¡¯ll believe me. ¡°I trust you, Miss Teresa.¡± Thank you. Let¡¯s get straight to the main point then. Feeling Roel¡¯s trust in her, Teresa¡¯s lips curled in delight. She began writing something in her notebook, but the content was so terrifying that Roel felt his heart skip a beat. First and foremost, William isn¡¯t the adopted child of the Cambonytes but the legitimate offspring of the royal family¡­ ¡°Wait a moment!¡± Halfway through Teresa¡¯s writing, Roel quickly pressed his hand down on the notebook before ncing at his surroundings. Then, with a grave look on his face, he asked with a hushed voice. ¡°Miss Teresa, isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you to be divulging such national secrets to me?¡± Secrets regarding a ruling family shouldn¡¯t be spoken in front of an outsider, let alone a foreigner. Based on Roel¡¯s experiences, trouble would likely soon knock on the door of those who stumbled upon such secrets. That was why he wanted to stop this conversation here. Teresa noticed Roel¡¯s thought, but she chose to take a hard stance on this matter. She continued writing in her notebook. Chapter 398: The Ancient Vow (1)

Chapter 398: The Ancient Vow (1)

Under the streemps of Saint Freya Academy¡¯smercial street, Roel stared at the words written in Teresa¡¯s notebook and fell into a daze. Scapegoat. It was that single word that baffled Roel. The term ¡®scapegoat¡¯ should be referring to someone who took the fall for him in dire situations, but the terminology was incredibly vague. He couldn¡¯t think of a situation at hand that he would require a scapegoat. There was norge-scale pandemonium on the Sia Continent yet, and Roel was the sole child of the Ascart House, which meant that he was in a pretty secure position. The idea that there was a scapegoat specially prepared for him sounded ridiculous to him. Other than that, Teresa¡¯s mention of ¡®your n¡¯ also caught his attention. ¡°By n, you¡¯re referring to¡­?¡± The Ardes. To be more exact, I¡¯m referring to your ancestor, Wendy Arde. ¡°Wendy Arde?¡± Hearing the foreign name that clearly belonged to one of his ancestors brought a grave frown to Roel¡¯s face. However, Teresa suddenly changed the topic at this point and asked a baffling question. Mister Roel, are you aware of the Tripartite Alliance in the distant past? ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of it. You¡¯re referring to the alliance made out of angels, dragons, and high elves, right? One of my ancestors was protecting their creation. Does this matter have something to do with the Tripartite Alliance?¡± That¡¯s right. In the ancient era, the Tripartite Alliance made a prophecy¡­ Teresa began writing down the unknown history about the three races in the ancient era in her notebook. Transcendents in the present era were fond of using divination spells to detect cmities in advance so that they could make preparations to avert them. The powerful ancient races happened to share such an inclination too. In fact, it was due to a prophecy that they chose to entrust their bloodlines to the human race. Those living in the ancient era noticed that the environment on the Sia Continent was slowly changing with time. Slowly but surely, they were bing ipatible with the world around them. Worried that their people might go extinct at this rate, they sought a way to continue their lineages. Their search eventually brought their eyes upon the humans, who were prophesied to rise to prominence in the future. That was why there were so many humans who possessed the bloodlines of foreign races. However, that was not the end of the prophecy. The Tripartite Alliance was able to prophesy even further ahead, where they found that the awakening of ancient beings in the distant future would unleash a catastrophe upon the humans. Even the sessors of their lineages wouldn¡¯t be spared from harm. Stay Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection This was the apocalyptic prophecy that had been passed down since ancient times. Everything that the Twilight Sages Assembly did back in the Second Epoch was to prevent the realization of this prophecy. Be it the Mother Goddess or the Savior, both were manifestations of cmities that hadid waste upon the ancient races. Thus, one of the key goals of the Twilight Sages Assembly was to prevent their awakening. Roel was aware of this, but that was not what he was concerned about. Nora and Charlotte are the sessors of the Angel Bloodline and High Elf Bloodline respectively. If the sessors of the ancient races¡¯ lineages wouldn¡¯t be spared from harm, wouldn¡¯t that mean that¡­ A deep furrow formed on Roel¡¯s forehead. He knew that he had to take this prophecy seriously, or else bad things could happen to his loved ones. But at the same time, he was also confused as this prophecy didn¡¯t seem to involve him in any way. ¡°Miss Teresa, is our n rted to the prophecy made by the Tripartite Alliance too?¡± That¡¯s right. In the final years of the Second Epoch, Wendy Arde affirmed the prophecy. That is the cause of William¡¯s current state. ¡°Could you tell me more about Wendy Arde?¡± She¡¯s one of the remnants of the defeated Twilight Sages Assembly in the final years of the Second Epoch. She wasuded to be a talented astronomer and a high seer. The founders of the Knight Kingdom were her followers whom she had saved along the way. You could even say that the Knight Kingdom is a country established by her knights. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes dted at the revtion. He finally understood why those from the Knight Kingdom treated him so differently. It was probably safe to say that the Knight Kingdom viewed Wendy Arde to be the founder of their country, perhaps even putting her on a higher pedestal. That would exin why Teresa and the others looked at him through rose-tinted sses. It was just that even though Wendy had saved many people through her prophecies in that chaotic era, she wasn¡¯t able to live to see the establishment of the Knight Kingdom. She had sustained severe injuries while fighting against the disciples of the Savior, and her condition was further exacerbated by the following years of overexertion. She pushed herself to make prophecies and fought hard to protect herrades. The separation from her family members and the copse of the human empire also took a toll on her mental state. In the end, she became far too weak to survive the mass migration. Despite her hardships and agony, Wendy Arde never cursed the world or humankind. She was still worried about others even to her dying breath. She spent her final moments using her exceptional talent to make onest prophecy for humankind. She prophesied about the apocalyptic prophecy made by the Tripartite Alliance, as well as the future of the Ardes who sought to fight against it. She was able to peer through fate in her final moments, but there was a problem with the prophecy she made. It contained ring contradictions that were iprehensible even to her. In her prophecy, she was able to further narrow the time period of the uing apocalypse to a thousand years from then. She saw the near extinction of their Ardes¡¯ lineage, as well as the great danger that one of theirst descendants would face. It was just that the details were a mess. She witnessed a descendant who hadn¡¯t awakened to their bloodline turning into a Fallen under the enticement of an evil cultist, resulting in theplete extinction of their lineage. Yet, at the same time, she saw the very same descendant awakening his bloodline and oveing all adversities. At the very end, she saw the sight of him dying in the academy. From that, she derived three prophecies. First Prophecy: The descendant of the Ardes falls into depravity. He will be a threat and must be avoided at all costs. Second Prophecy: The descendant of the Ardes doesn¡¯t fall into depravity and sessfully awakens his bloodline. Third Prophecy: The descendant of the Ardes dies in an academy under the witness of the descendants of the Tripartite Alliance. ¡°This!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes narrowed upon seeing the three prophecies written in Teresa¡¯s notebook. He was able toprehend right away what the three prophecies represented. In Eyes of the Chronicler, the in-game Roel failed to awaken to his bloodline and became an evil cultist. He was eventually cornered by Paul and the four capture targets and died in their hands. The descendants of the Tripartite Alliance here likely referred to Nora, Charlotte, and William. That was in line with two of the three prophecies. The remaining one perfectly described his current situation. He was deeply in awe of his ancestor¡¯s ability to urately glimpse into the fate of her descendant a thousand yearster. It was just that her three prophecies posed a major problem to others due to the iprehensible contradictions amongst them. Roel was probably the only person in the world who could make sense of the contradictions. The contradiction amongst the prophecies could be traced back to the moment Roel recalled the memories of his past life. Those memories changed the trajectory of his life, resulting in the confusion of fate. Of course, there was no way Wendy could have known about that. She simply attributed it to the uncertain nature of fate and made different arrangements for the first two prophecies. She told her followers to avoiding into contact with the descendant of the Ardes until he awakened his bloodline. As long as the descendant remained unawakened, there would be a chance that he was already a Fallen. If so, carelessly approaching him could risk crucial intelligence falling into the hands of the evil cults. As for the third prophecy, that would depend on which of the first two prophecies was realized. If the descendant of the Ardes had truly be a Fallen, there would be no need to bother with him. All they had to do was to wait for his downfall. However, if he had awakened to his bloodline, the third prophecy would have to be averted at all costs. Chapter 398.5: The Ancient Vow (2)

Chapter 398.5: The Ancient Vow (2)

¡°I see. Is that one of the reasons why William wanted me to leave this ce and join him in the Knight Kingdom?¡± Everything was starting to click together for Roel. He noddedprehendingly as he finally understood why William was so determined to take him away with him. Had Roel not known about the events in Eyes of the Chronicler, he might have just shrugged off the prophecy as mere lies spun by Teresa. Mister Roel, do you believe what I¡¯m telling you? ¡°I believe you. I don¡¯t think that Miss Teresa would joke about something as important as this.¡± Teresa was moved by Roel¡¯s willingness to ept her words, and Roel was more than happy to receive some Affection Points from her. However, there were still some unanswered questions in his mind. ¡°Miss Teresa, I understand why William wants me to leave with him, but what does the ¡®scapegoat¡¯ you mentioned mean?¡± That¡¯s a safety measure prepared by the Ardes to avoid the extinction of their lineage. To put it in clearer terms, it¡¯s the armor worn by William. ¡°Safety measure?¡± Roel voiced his doubt. Teresa pondered about it for a moment before hesitantly writing down her response. Mister Roel, the awakening of the Ascart Bloodlinees with a certain degree of danger, right? ¡°¡­¡± A bitter smile emerged on Roel¡¯s face as he found himself not knowing how to answer the question. He wouldn¡¯t say that the danger he faced in the Witness State wasn¡¯t just ¡®a certain degree¡¯, but it was not as if Teresa would be able to fullyprehend it without going through it herself. ¡°You can say so,¡± replied Roel after a moment of silence. Teresa responded with a nod before she continued writing in the notebook. Over the years, the Ardes have developed many methods that allowed them to manage the risks arising from their bloodline. However, many of these methods had gone missing after the outbreak of chaos in the Second Epoch. While Lord Wendy was an outstanding transcendent, she wasn¡¯t a bloodline awakener of the Ardes. Her knowledge of those methods was limited to just the armor William wears. ¡°So, what in the world is that armor?¡± Stay Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection It¡¯s known as the Shadow Warrior Armor. ¡°Shadow Warrior Armor¡­¡± repeated Roel with a slight frown. Teresa began borating more about the armor. There were strict conditions to wear the Shadow Warrior Armor, and its wearer would be in a state of constant pain that would have been unbearable to ordinary humans. In exchange, the wearer would be able to grow at an unimaginable rate, allowing them to keep up with the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakeners. That would exin why William was able to reach Origin Level 3 at such a young age, though it would seem that he himself was monstrously talented too. After all, the armor only allowed him to keep up with the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakeners, but he had managed to overtake Roel. Roel was d to have one of his doubts answered, but he still didn¡¯t understand the link between the armor and being his scapegoat. ¡°What does this armor have to do with our n¡¯s bloodline awakeners? Does it allow William to offer me help in times of need?¡± That¡¯s part of the reason, but its true goal lies in the vow. ¡°Vow? What vow?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Teresa¡¯s hand stalled to a halt and her expression turned heavy. She lowered her head quietly, seemingly trying to gather her determination. Sensing the state she was in, Roel decided to give her some time to think things through and not hurry her. A long timeter, she raised her head and revealed a look of resolution. She began writing a long paragraph in her notebook. The Shadow Warrior Armor does more than boosting the wearer¡¯s growth rate. It has many other functions as well, one of them being to make a vow to the Ardes and achieve mana resonance with them.¡± ¡°Mana resonance?¡± Yes. That¡¯s the true use of the Shadow Warrior Armor. It allows William to follow you into the world exclusive to the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakeners. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s mouth fell agape. The world exclusive to the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakeners should be the Witness State. He had been unable to find any patterns of telling signs about when he would be transported into the Witness State, so he was never able to make any preparations in advance. It seemed like he could involuntarily bring in a partner who shared profound ties with the triggering event, but there was no guarantee that the partner would be strong or reliable. However, this armor guaranteed a strongrade to the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakeners. That would make the Witness State much more manageable, thus increasing their chances of survival. ¡°I see. In other words, William is able to help me clear the Witness State?¡± Yes, that¡¯s indeed the case. However, there¡¯s another function to the armor. ¡°Another function?¡± asked Roel. Teresa nodded. There was a moment of silence before she solemnly wrote down the key function of the Shadow Warrior Armor and the heaviest use of the vow into her notebook. When the bloodline awakener of the Ardes¡¯ is unable to clear his trial, the wearer of the Shadow Warrior Armor will take the fall for him. He¡¯ll die in your stead so as to ensure that you¡¯ll be able to safely return to the real world. ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s body stiffened up as his smile slowly disappeared. ¡­ The Ardes were a renowned n in the Sia Continent for their powerful bloodline. Their bloodline ability involved the deceased ancient gods of the ancient era, an utterly ridiculous concept in the eyes of most transcendents. But not even the powerful Ardes were able to circumvent the irondw of the Sia Continent. Great power came at a proportionate cost, and the Ardes had paid a heavy price for their strength. Often, their kin would lose their lives from sumbing to the trial of the Witness State. As the Shadow Eagle of the Ancient Austine Empire, the Ardes were a huge house in the Second Epoch, both in terms of power and size. Even so, they didn¡¯t have many bloodline awakeners. Most of them were ordinary transcendents like Wendy and Astrid. This should show how heavy the price of the Kingmaker Bloodline was. Thus, the Ardes devised all kinds of ways to boost their offspring¡¯s chances of survival. The Shadow Warrior Armor was one of their most extreme creations. The wearer of the Shadow Warrior Armor had to be a youth born in the same generation as the Ardes¡¯ nsman he had decided to make a vow to. Through the enhancement of the armor, the wearer could ensure that the growth of his transcendental abilities wouldn¡¯tg too far behind the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakener, thus allowing him to offer meaningful assistance to thetter. However, its key function was to serve as a scapegoat to the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakener. The Witness State would automatically dissipate with the death of the bloodline awakener who invoked it. Using this principle, if the situation in the Witness State ever got too dire that it was no longer possible to clear it, the wearer of the Shadow Warrior Armor would sacrifice themselves to deceive the Witness State into dissipation, thus saving the bloodline awakener. Upon learning the truth of the Shadow Warrior Armor, Roel finally understood why it was named as such. In other words, the wearers of the Shadow Warrior Armor were the most trusted retainers of the Ardes who had vowed toy down their lives for their master. A chilly night breeze swept across themercial street. Roel sat quietly on one of the public tables, deep in thought. Joyfulughter could be heard from the students passing him by, but his face illuminated under the streemp was livid. Teresa put down her quill and looked at him uneasily. She could sense that Roel was infuriated. This was the first time she was seeing such a side to him. The Roel she had known was a gentle person. The only time he had gotten angry was when herrades caused a huge uproar in the assembly hall, but even so, he wasn¡¯t a tenth as furious as he was right now. It flustered her to see him in his current state. Sensing Teresa¡¯s nervous gaze, Roel took a deep breath topose himself before consoling her with a slightly hoarse voice. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. I was just caught off-guard by what you¡¯ve told me¡­ Teresa, is there anything else you wish to tell me about William? Teresa lowered her head contemtively. She thought about it for a moment before she picked up her quill and began writing once more. Chapter 399: Just Like In the Stories (1)

Chapter 399: Just Like In the Stories (1)

He feels guilt-ridden? Towards me? Roel looked at Teresa in confusion, to which, thetter nodded and continued writing in her notebook. The awakening of those from your n should have been felt by the wearer of the Shadow Warrior Armor, but over the years, he wasn¡¯t able to sense anything at all. He thinks that it¡¯s his fault. That¡¯s why he feels exceptionally strongly about taking you away from here in order to avoid the third prophecy. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent upon reading the words in Teresa¡¯s notebook. He had an inkling as to why William hadn¡¯t noticed his awakening, and the problem didn¡¯t necessarilyy with William himself. Different from his ancestors, his bloodline had been forcefully awakened through an artificial stimulus from the System. That could have been a loophole in the Shadow Warrior Armor. There was no reason for William to feel guilty at all. Roel couldn¡¯t understand where this feeling wasing from, but he felt rage slowly swelling up in his chest. He clenched his fists tightly and took a deep breath topose himself. Then, he closed his eyes and tried to understand the reason behind his anger. He had learned about William¡¯s story and the existence of a ¡®safety measure¡¯ that could potentially save him once from the Witness State, but he didn¡¯t feel the slightest bit of joy. Instead, it frustrated him greatly. Logically, he could understand the rationale behind the Ardes¡¯ actions. Practically all of the races hadmitted atrocities in the ancient era to ensure the continuance of their lineages. What the Ardes did was mild inparison. Considering the strength and importance of the Kingmaker Bloodline, no one could deny that it was worth putting such safety measures to ensure the safety of the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakeners from a utilitarian perspective. Had the Ardes done wrong? Those who chose to put on the Shadow Warrior Armor had voluntarily done so, presumably because they were indebted to the Ardes and were willing to repay them with their lives. The Ardes weren¡¯t just shamelessly clinging onto life either. They knew how important it was to protect the awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline for their mission. Over the generations, the bloodline awakeners of the Ardes hadid down their lives to suppress the cmities that threatened humankind, granting themon popce peaceful lives. One was willing toy down his life and the other had to remain alive in order to fulfill his mission. It was a voluntary mutual partnership. Roel wouldn¡¯t have uttered any criticisms had it urred on anyone else, but somehow, he couldn¡¯t ept it when it came to him. Under the streemp, he opened his eyes and calmly looked at the woman seated beside him. ¡°Miss Teresa, I have understood everything you have said. My deepest apology¡­ but I can¡¯t ept William¡¯s vow.¡± ¡°!¡± Stay Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection Teresa widened her eyes when she heard the decision Roel made after a long bout of contemtion. Unbale toprehend his decision, she quickly jotted down her question in her notebook. Why? William is an exceptionally powerful transcendent. His strength should be of great assistance to you. ¡°I don¡¯t deny that, but Miss Teresa, you must be unaware of the differences between the Ardes and our Ascarts.¡± Teresa¡¯s quill froze to a halt upon hearing the unexpected remark. She blinked her eyes in confusion, not knowing how to respond. Roel chuckled at her reaction before carrying on. ¡°If the Ardes are the ancient kings of the shadows, the Ascarts would be proud warriors standing tall in the face of adversity.¡± Roel gazed into the distant starry sky as he spoke pensively. ¡°The lineage of the Ardes had already been severed since the inception of the Third Epoch. Over the thousand years, the awakeners of our Ascarts didn¡¯t have any records, rituals, spells, or vows to rely on. All of our awakeners were cast into the most treacherous of conditions from the moment of their awakening. Yet, we were able to ovee the odds and survive. Why is that the case? ¡°The reason is simple. We¡¯re warriors fighting against fate, be it the fate of inevitable death, the fate of a declining house, or the fate of losing our loved ones. Danger has always been our predicament, but we don¡¯t n on lowering our heads before it. This is the spirit we embrace, and it¡¯s our honor. That¡¯s why we were able to survive for a thousand years despite the severance of our lineage. ¡°The ancient kings might have attained wisdom that allowed them to deftly circumvent danger, but as a warrior of the Ascart House, the notion of having to use another human as a tool and necessitate him to die on my behalf sullies my honor. It vites the spirit that made the Ascarts strong in the first ce. Mypanions will frown at me if I choose to ept the vow.¡± Those resolute words left Teresa with widened eyes. In a faraway dimension, a white-haired witch murmured the name of her hero with an enigmatic smile. The Primordial Earth Goddess peacefully closed her eyes. In a blood-colored in, a humongous skeleton giant released a brilliant glow from his eyes, an expression of admiration from a fellow warrior. ¡°I¡¯ve always believed in living my life carefully and doing everything I can to survive. However, I have not grown so weak as to require someone to serve as my scapegoat. Every generation has its own circumstances, and everyone has their own moralpass. While I am grateful to my ancestor, Wendy Arde, for preparing such a safety measure for me, I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t ept this vow.¡± Roel didn¡¯t think that he was in a position to denounce the Ardes, but he wouldn¡¯t back down on his principles either. Teresa stared at Roel with dazed eyes as she mused over his words. There were many words bubbling in her chest, but she had no idea how to express herself. A long timeter, she picked up her quill. But William is extremely obstinate too. He wouldn¡¯t give up on it. He sees it as his mission. This is everything he has worked hard for. Roel thought over those words before abruptly turning his gaze toward the bend by the corner of the street. He stared at the bend contemtively for a few seconds before finally turning his head back to look at Teresa. ¡°I hope that he can rethink his options and choose his own goal.¡± His own goal? ¡°If he insists on dedicating his life to be the guardian of a distant prophecy, it¡¯ll be impossible for us to reconcile our differences. I¡¯ll have no choice but to keep rejecting him. However, if he¡¯s willing to reshape his goal into bing a truerade of mine, someone who can stand and fight alongside me, I¡¯ll use the methods of the Knight Kingdom to prove to him that fate has already changed. There¡¯s no need for any sacrifices anymore.¡± Roel spoke with utmost confidence, knowing that the third prophecy had already been broken. With those words, he rose to his feet and bade his farewell. ¡°Well then, Miss Teresa. Let¡¯s conclude our discussion here. I¡¯m grateful that you¡¯re willing to inform me of these matters.¡± No, it¡¯s only right for me to do so. Roel nodded before he turned around and left themercial street. Chapter 399.5: Just Like In the Stories (2)

Chapter 399.5: Just Like In the Stories (2)

Teresa watched Roel¡¯s departing silhouette with a smile. It was only when he finally disappeared that she turned her gaze toward the bend by the corner of the street. An armored silhouette finally walked out from the bend. ¡°Did he notice me?¡± Likely so. Your aura is far too unique. Teresa answered with a helpless look on her face. William quietly walked over to the table and took a seat. She stared at the spot Roel had seated on just a moment ago with pensive eyes. On the other hand, Teresa revealed a reassured smile. She had been trying her best to understand what kind of person Roel was through their encounters thus far. Today¡¯s conversation only happened because she was confident that he wouldn¡¯t ept William¡¯s sacrifice. She, too, didn¡¯t want to see William bing a scapegoat for another person, even if the other party was the descendant of the legendary Ardes. She had seen how William, despite being born as a lofty princess, was forced to cast aside her honor and don heavy armor due to the prophecy, unable to show her face to anyone. Day after day, she had to withstand the unbearable pain inflicted on her by the armor and undergo torturous training, all so she could die for another person¡¯s stead. It pained Teresa to see all of this. She saw William as her own younger sister, and none of this seemed right to her. Why was it that she, the Hextongue Princess, was able to enjoy luxuries and receive the respect of the people whereas the real princess couldn¡¯t even put on a skirt? That was why she took the initiative to inform Roel of the matter, but to her surprise, thetter responded even more intensely than she had expected. It even jolted the heart of William, who had rushed all the way here to stop her upon realizing what she was going to do. How is it, Mina? Are you happy with his response? I told you that he wouldn¡¯t leave you to the lurch. ¡°What is there to be happy about? Something like this is merely¡­¡± William lowered her head as her voice slowly faded amidst murmurs. Teresa smiled at that. Isn¡¯t this fine? ¡°What?¡± Don¡¯t you think that someone like him feels more like the heroes of the legendary n we often read about in our childhood? At least for me, I can¡¯t ept someone who¡¯s able to remain unfazed by your sacrifice. ¡°¡­¡± Stay Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection William fell silent. Despite her obstinacy, she had to admit that she felt a surge of warmth when she heard Roel rejecting her sacrifice. That very instant, Roel¡¯s figure seemed to ovep with the heroes she had often read about in the stories. Proud and noble, fearless and strong¡ªisn¡¯t that the kind of spirit that knights devote their lives to pursuing? He ims that our knightly spirit is outdated and no longer relevant in the present world, but isn¡¯t he the same as well?, retorted William in her mind. There was no doubt that Roel¡¯s answer had struck a chord in her heart, and that was why she ended up hiding in a fluster. It was only when he left the area did she dare to show herself. Teresa didn¡¯t receive an answer to her question, but there was no need for it. She could already tell based on William¡¯s response. All that¡¯s left is the fight between them. Teresa let out a deep sigh as she gazed at the beautiful night sky above them. ¡­ In the days leading up to the final battle, Roel chose not to drop by Panoply Manor despite having learned about William¡¯s circumstances. Instead, he focused his effort on preparing for the fight. Challengers typically avoided their opponent prior to their battle. It was to avoid suspicions of foul y and not affect each other¡¯s fighting will, which could influence the oue of the battle. It wasn¡¯t a formal rule, just an informal tradition that was deemed sportsmanlike. Roel wouldn¡¯t want to sway William¡¯s morale due to his emotional outburst, and he also knew that William wasn¡¯t one to be convinced by just words. He knew that this was no longer a fight to clinch the champion trophy anymore. More than that, this was a fight for them to prove their own faith and strength. His enemy wasn¡¯t only William but the heritage left behind by the Ardes too, whom he viewed to be unfitting for the current era. He was aware that many things were at stake here, and he was determined to win the battle. Meanwhile, there was increasing attention on the finals of the Challenger Cup, pushing the tournament toward its climax. The contention in the previous battle between William and Lilian was simply too great that it had undermined the prestige of the tournament. The organizingmittee was forced to step in and deal with the negative publicity, and the way they chose to go about it was to redirect public attention toward the finals. There were two battles in total on the day of the finals. The first battle was between Lilian and Teresa to determine the second runner-up. There wasn¡¯t anything much to be said about this round, for everyone was convinced that the match was already Lilian¡¯s. It was nothing more than an appetizer to whet the crowd¡¯s appetite. The real show was the second battle, the showdown for the champion trophy. There was a gap between Roel and William in terms of Origin Levels, so the organizingmittee wasn¡¯t able to hype it up as ¡®The Battle of the Century¡¯ or ¡®sh of the Strongest Prodigies¡¯ as they had done with Lilian and William, but fortunately, the crowd perception wasn¡¯t as one-sided due to Roel¡¯s spectacr performance thus far. He had defeated some of the most popr challengers in the tournament, such as Selina, Kurt, and Teresa. Support for him was currently at an all-time high, especially after Lilian¡¯s match. Many Austineans strongly believed that Lilian¡¯s match was rigged, which led to a portion of them harboring enmity toward William. For that reason, they hoped that Roel could defeat William in the tournament. However, this didn¡¯t mean that they were Roel¡¯s fans. They were just rooting for anyone who was against William. There was one detail that particrly excited the audience about the uing finals, and that was the age of the two finalists. This was the first time the Challenger Cup had lowered the age restriction for participation, but after rounds of merciless elimination, the duo who advanced into the finals actually turned out to be First Grade students. This was more than enough reason for people to pay heed to the Challenger Cup, even for those who had never been interested in it thus far. Younger transcendents wielded greater potential. If they were able to grow to a significant level at a young age, there was a good chance that they would reach incredible heights in the future. Many of the audience could already see them growing into future powerhouses of the Sia Continent. One of them might even reach a levelparable to Antonio. The world had already started to dub the current First Graders of Saint Freya Academy as the golden generation in view of their spectacr performance in the tournament thus far. The term ¡®golden generation¡¯ was not to be made light of. It was associated with heroes who had stood forward when humankind was in times of danger, leading their brethren on a charge through innumerable adversities in search of salvation. With the increasing threat of the deviants at the eastern border, the term ¡®golden generation¡¯ carried even greater prestige than ever. This added another element to the Challenger Cup. The audience wasn¡¯t just watching a fight over the champion trophy of the Challenger Cup anymore. This was a fight to determine the leader of the golden generation. The winner would earn tremendous prestige and influence that would pave his way in bing one of the future leaders of humankind. With the escting importance of the Challenger Cup, the citizens of Leinster, tourists who hade from afar, the media, and even the official delegation partiesing from various countries couldn¡¯t remain seated anymore. They showed their support for their favored challenger in all sorts of ways, be it arguing in taverns or staking their money in betting houses. Soon, the long-awaited day finally arrived. The hundred challengers who had cleared the preliminary round were once again gathered together in Leinster¡¯s colosseum. They were seated in the spectator stand, curious to know who would be the number one of the younger generation. The officials from the Theocracy and the Knight Kingdom sitting at the VIP stand looked incredibly nervous. They were praying hard that their respective countrymen would be able to win the ultimate glory. Sitting at the top of the VIP stand was none other than a calm, smiling Antonio. With excitement buzzing in the air, the opening music started to y. Chapter 400: The One to Determine Fate (1)

Chapter 400: The One to Determine Fate (1)

Never had Leinster¡¯s streets and alleys been so empty before. The tickets for the colosseum ran out within seconds, forcing people to acquire tickets at the other broadcasting locations instead. The betting houses and taverns were packed tighter than sardines in a can. Tension could be felt in the air as everyone waited with bated breaths for the finals to begin. Majestic music yed as Leinster¡¯s colosseum weed the stars for today with great fanfare. Four chariots entered the field under the apaniment of magnificent music, prompting roaring cheers from the audience. Selina, Kurt, Brittany, Juliana, and the others watched the chariots with solemn looks from the challengers¡¯ sector. At the teaching staff¡¯s sector, Alicia clenched her fists tightly out of nervousness, and Chris couldn¡¯t hold back her urge for a smoke. Paul and Geralt sat amongst the members of the Bluerose Faction as they led the members on resounding cheers. Next to them sat Charlotte and the members of the Redrose Faction. On a rare whim, she decided not to divine the results of the match but instead witness its proceedings with her own eyes. It started off with Lilian and Teresa¡¯s battle. This time around, there was no sudden bout of luck from either side. The chosen field was an ordinary forested terrain, and the results were as the crowd expected. With greater ground to maneuver around, Lilian was able to effectively deploy her army around the field and put them to good use. In response, Teresa maneuvered around the field with great finesse,unching frightening spells every now and then. It was just that Lilian¡¯s army was far too much for a single person to deal with. While Teresa was busy kiting the knights, the magician toon was able to channel arge-scale military spell that ended the battle with its overwhelming destructive might. The crowd might have anticipated the oue, but the battle was still a thrilling one to watch. It piqued everyone¡¯s interest, and both fighters received resounding apuse from the crowd when they were teleported out of the dungeon. The Austinean spectators were exhrated to get one over the Knight Kingdom after the previous infuriating defeat, and the crowd looked forward to the next battle. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, a ck-haired young man and a fully-armored knight walked onto the field. Deafening cheers immediately broke out from the supporters of both sides, overpowering even the voices of the referee. The referee had no choice but to wave his hands in an attempt to calm the crowd down. Roel appeared to be unfazed by the hugemotion around him. He locked his eyes on William and spoke words that surprised thetter. ¡°Cast away your reservations and give it your all. This is a once-in-a-lifetime tournament. No matter what, we shouldn¡¯t leave any regrets here.¡± After saying those words, he turned his sights toward the spectator stand. He didn¡¯t know whether his conversation with Teresa had stirred any changes in William¡¯s thoughts or not, but they were now standing at the most prestigious dueling ring with countless eyes on them. It was only basic manners for them to bring out everything they had, be it to their supporters or their opponent. William agreed with that too. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll give it my all.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s decide everything with this fight then,¡± dered Roel with an air of indomitability. Stay Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection William¡¯s fighting spirit also zed. When the spectators finally calmed down, the organizingmittee began announcing the rules once more. The finals of the Challenger Cup had always been the most heated battle for the tournament, such that it wasn¡¯t umon for injuries to ur. As an additional safety precaution, the organizingmittee had decided to double both of their substitution magic tools from five to ten. After a quick exnation, the crystal ball ced in the center of the field lit up once more. Countless spectators found themselves holding their breaths in nervousness. This time around, it was not the referee but a respected old man who was in charge of drawing the field. Antonio walked down from the VIP stand with his robe and stepped onto the field. He first smiled at Roel and William before cing his hand on the crystal ball. ¡°I¡¯ll be selecting the field now,¡± he said. The scenery in the crystal ball projected outward and swiftly changed. In the end, it stopped at a crimson mountainous terrain. ¡°32nd Field, Charred Mountain.¡± ¡°Oooooh!¡± Most of the spectators cheered aloud, ddened that there was no overwhelming disadvantage for both sides with the choice of terrain. Roel began recalling the traits of Charred Mountain. Charred Mountain was known for its hot climate and red soil. Itsnd was barren, and theck of greenery meant that cover was limited. Simr to the field between Roel and Kurt, this terrain allowed little room toy an ambush. There were some boulders scattered sporadically around the area that could be used as cover, but of course, those boulders couldn¡¯t hope to fend against the sheer piercing power of William¡¯s Swordheart. Attempting to hide behind these boulders would only hinder his own vision, making it harder for him to deal with William¡¯s attacks. Ironically, the safest option was a frontal confrontation. Roel narrowed his eyes as the two of them were transported to the battlefield. ¡­ A battlefield that was so red that it looked like it was burning¡ªit was a fitting battlefield for their showdown since it reflected their feelings as well. The fighting wills of the two fighters were crackling quietly. William had been conflicted between the values repeatedly instilled into her over the years and her own personal desires, and she sought an answer from Roel. On the other hand, Roel had resolved himself to sever the chains shackling William. It was his fundamental belief that a person should govern their own fate. The restrictive traditions of the old era should be done away with, and those who had been shackled should be liberated. It should all begin from this instant. The two of them stared at each other from afar across the charrednd. None of them were moving a step, but their mana pulsations gushed outward like massive waves and collided at the center point between them. It was impossible to see William¡¯s expression under her full-body armor, but her presence felt piercingly sharp. This must be the so-called ¡®Sword Intent¡¯ I¡¯ve read so much about in the novels from my previous life, This was the first time Roel was experiencing something like this, and it was terrifying. He felt like a guillotine was looming above his neck, and it heaped so much pressure on him that he actually felt phantom pain all over his body. This showed just how far William had polished his Swordheart. I can¡¯t let him draw his sword. Such a thought arose in Roel¡¯s mind upon sensing the dangerous vibeing from William. He immediately channeled his mana and called for hispanion. ¡°Artasia!¡± ¡°Am I the first one up, my hero? I must say, this is a nice change of pace since I¡¯m usually reserved for the finale¡­ though this does pose some trouble.¡± A white-haired witch answered his summon with a merry smile. She assessed the enemy with her madder red eyes before making her move. The moment the Witch Queen raised her hand, the surroundings started to go crazy. She manifested a blinding mana sphere in her hand and tightlypressed it. It was a perfectly ordinary action, but the sheer mana she was manipting was so great that it raised a violent whirlwind around her. It was a formidable feat that won her excited cheers from the crowd in the colosseum. Despite the cheering from the crowd. Artasia didn¡¯t release the deceptively simple spell she was manifesting on her palm. In truth, this was nothing more than the first step of her preparations. As she slowly raised the blinding mana sphere, a reversal urred. The blinding light retreated into the mana sphere as the darkness hidden at its core took over and began expanding outward. This darkness was destructive in nature, and it bared its fangs at the knight who stood in its path. The emerging darkness brought terror and death to the world with it. It was iprehensible and fear-inducing. Those whoid their eyes upon it were inevitably intimidated by this sinister phenomenon. Even the spectators at the colosseum gasped in shock. Yet, the knight who stood in the face of the darkness showed nary a reaction at all, almost as if he had fallen asleep. It wasn¡¯t because William had chosen to give up or was putting on an act. Instead, she was in the midst of tempering her own Swordheart. What is Swordheart? It is the manifestation of one¡¯s will, a sword created by one¡¯s intentions. William was using her burning fighting will as a furnace to further temper her Sword Intent. In her subconsciousness, she could vaguely hear the sound of a hammer striking down on a sword. Those words Roel had spoken that night shed across her mind, and her raging emotions and heart gradually calmed down. She reaffirmed her will to protect, and her Swordheart resonated in response to her feelings. Under the influence of her Swordheart, her disposition underwent a sharp change. The darkness was still swiftly pressing in her direction, reminiscent of a humongous mouth seeking to devour everything. Right before it was about to reach her, she made a move. Chapter 400.5: The One to Determine Fate (2)

Chapter 400.5: The One to Determine Fate (2)

William drew her sword and shed it upward. A sliver of light appeared in the face of the darkness. She had concentrated her Sword Intent to an extreme degree, focusing its might on the tip of her sword. With her sh, she unleashed a brilliant arc that sought to split the world into two. That very instant, her previously pulsating mana vanished without a trace. It was as if everything had been harnessed into this single sh. The brilliance of her Swordheart seemed to brighten up the sky for an instant, only to vanish right after. A white arc shed across the rush of darkness, as if someone had drawn a line on a massive ckboard. Awfully insignificant it appeared before the massive congregation of darkness, yet it induced a magnificent explosion that copsed the darkness. Boom! The humongous explosion from the sh of manas had the crowd gasping in shock, but it didn¡¯t slow down the pace of the battle at all. Despite the hindrances from the powerful shockwaves and blinding light from the earlier explosion, William had already rechanneled her mana back to the tip of her sword, ready tounch a second attack toward Roel. Roel¡¯s body stiffened. He could vaguely sense a lethal threating his way. William swung her sword sideward. Weng! There was a crisp reverberation of her sword, and it was instantaneously followed by a terrifying white arc that sliced through the lingering shockwaves, heading straight toward Roel. In response, Artasia closed her eyes. Mana cloaked around her body and vines began extending from her hands. Flowers in the colors of ck and deep bluepeted to bloom on the vine. They swiftly interweaved with each other to form a beautiful flower wall. The light arc swiftly struck the flower wall, the impact causing many of the flowers to fall lifelessly to the ground. Yet, the light arc was surprisingly unable to pierce through the flower wall. It looked like a swordsman shing at falling leaves. The flowers were left in a disarray, but hardly any damage was dealt at the end of it all. ¡°How barbaric. It might be unnecessary for me to point it out, but my hero, things could get troublesome at this rate.¡± Behind the flower wall, Artasia turned to look at the ck-haired man beside her with a smile, and the grave look on thetter¡¯s face showed that he already knew. From the failed first strike to the defensive flower wall used to block William¡¯s attacks, Roel was expending his mana at a frightening rate. There was no doubt that the spells of the Witch Queen were formidable, but they consumed a lot of juice. At least in terms of mana capacity, Roel was at a huge disadvantagepared to the Origin Level 3 William. He had known from the start that he would have to rely on Peytra¡¯s Blessing to forcefully raise himself to Origin Level 3 in order to win the battle, but now was not the time for that yet. On the other hand, William had already realized that it was impossible for her to defeat Roel through long-ranged attacks. So, she decided not to squander her mana on meaningless exploits and instead charge forward. She had a good grasp of Roel¡¯s strengths and weaknesses. In terms of burst power, she couldn¡¯t confidently say that she would be able to best Roel 100% of the time, but in terms of quality and capacity of mana, she definitely wielded the advantage. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection The explosive start to their battle was so intense that even William had to catch a breather, and that was why she knew that Roel was definitely in a worse state than her. This spelled an opportunity. While Roel was recovering from his earlier exertion, she could close the distance between them and overwhelm him with her closebat skills. This was a strategy shemonly used when fighting against transcendents with high burst power. Without any hesitation, she charged through the cloud of red dust cloud floating on the battlefield toward Roel¡¯s location. Just as she had expected, Roel was still anxiously trying to recover from his earlier overexertion. His mana had already stalled to a halt, to the point that Artasia was no longer by his side anymore. With the affirmation of her deduction, William further increased her speed. The sword in her hand began to glow in preparation for her next wave of attack. It was also around then that Roel finally turned his gaze toward her, seemingly attracted by the sudden light. To her surprise, there wasn¡¯t any fear in his eyes at all. ¡°You¡¯re finally here,¡± he murmured. The long-awaited blessing from the Primordial Earth Goddess traversed across space-time to fall upon him, imbuing him in a pale yellow aura. His stagnant mana immediately erupted like a furious volcano. The silhouette of a humongous serpent manifested behind him, but more importantly, his mana began to rise to greater heights, eventually reaching the level of an Origin Level 3 transcendent. This unbelievable sight had William widening her eyes in disbelief. Amotion broke out amongst the incredulous crowd in the colosseum too. ¡°Origin Level 3? How could this be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long-lost spell from the ancient era!¡± Thementators were excited by the turn of events. The transfer students from the Knight Kingdom all had their mouths agape. This was the first time since the start of the tournament that Roel had used a spell to forcefully raise his Origin Level. Such a deed should have been impossible, but that was precisely the reason why the crowd was so agitated. No one could have thought that the finals would turn out to be a showdown between two Origin Level 3 transcendents. The odds had previously been in William¡¯s favor, but this sudden development rattled everything up, making it no longer possible to predict what would happen next. Thunderous apuse broke out in the colosseum. Meanwhile, in Charred Mountain, Roel¡¯s golden eyes started glowing like faint candlelight. With his surging mana, he was able toplete his deadly trap in a mere instant. Crimson mana suffused Roel¡¯s body as pale white bones swiftly manifested around him. Grandar¡¯s towering skeletal body appeared amidst ayer of mist. Crimson lightning crackled around his tightened skeletal fist, bestowing it with absolute destructive might. With the prowess of his Strength Origin Attribute, he hurled his fist toward William¡¯s iing sword. This was the disy of what extreme physical strength was capable of. The falling fist looked like divine retribution, aet descending from the heavens to punish those who had incurred god¡¯s wrath. It felt impossible to stand against a force of such extent. At the same time, loud rumbling echoed behind William. A golden serpent rose from the earth. Peytra had brought with her the hottestva from the depths of the charrednd, which she channeled and released as a cmitous surge of mes. Two ancient gods from different eras were coborating with each other tounch a pincer attack against William. The rapid depletion of mana caused Roel¡¯s face to pale, but he knew that he had to quickly end this battle. Peytra¡¯s Blessing came with severe side effects, so he couldn¡¯t afford to fight a prolonged battle. On top of that, William¡¯s Origin Attribute spelled great trouble too. The Cambonyte¡¯s Courage Origin Attribute was the most suited for battle amongst the Three Main Origin Attributes. There was nothing better than it when it came torge-scale battles and attrition fights. Possessors of the Courage Origin Attribute were known to get more fearless and unyielding over the course of a battle, which, in turn, granted them even more power. I must end this battle as soon as possible! With such a thought in mind, Roel further increased his mana output. Finally, Grandar¡¯s fist collided with William¡¯s sword. It was the sh between two warriors who had reached the peak of their field. Grandar¡¯s fist harnessed the will to tear down all obstacles that stood in his path. William¡¯s Swordheart represented her unyielding spirit. It was a battle of wills as much as it was a battle of strength. Ultimately, the sh ended with the skeleton giant¡¯s victory. How could William ovee an existence that had tempered his strength over countless years? The light arc she had released shattered, and she was sent flying from the impact. At the same time, Peytra¡¯s surge of cmitous mes shot straight toward her, and it all culminated in a devastating explosion. Boom! Thepressed mana formed a towering pir of me, and William was sent flying into the distance. Many in the colosseum cheered excitedly, thinking that the battle had been decided. However, on the battlefield, Roel kept his eyes firmly on William¡¯s silhouette, not easing up at all. He could still clearly sense William¡¯s aura and his pulsating immense pool of mana. - I know that I keep alternating between him and her for William. William is a girl but she¡¯s concealing her identity, and much of the narration in this story is spoken from the perspective of the character. What¡¯s weird is how the perspective keeps changing every few sentences as the author slowly paints on bits of details to the characters interacting. This is the typical writing style for Chinese web novels. This means that the pronouns end up changing every few sentences. In William and Teresa¡¯s narration, I¡¯ve kept William¡¯s pronoun to female because the two of them know of her real gender, but when ites to Roel¡¯s narration about William, I kept her pronoun to male because that¡¯s how he perceives her. It¡¯s confusing and affects readability, and I considered standardizing to just male or female too¡­ but thates with its ws too. It brings about other confusion. It would be awkward if the female pronouns are used in narrations where Roel thinks William is a male. Chapter 401: To Protect, I’ll Have to Defeat Him

Chapter 401: To Protect, I¡¯ll Have to Defeat Him

More often than not, it was the trump cards of the respective transcendents that made the difference between victory and defeat in a battle. Ordinary spells were rarely sufficient to end a battle between two individuals of simr strength. It was usually an unexpectedly powerful strike or wisely executed strategy that determined the victor. Theoretically speaking, there were no spells in this world that couldn¡¯t be curbed. Thus, it was often said that as long as a person had a perfect understanding of his opponent and had reached a minimum level of strength, he would surely be able to defeat his opponent. There was no absolute certainty in this world, but this showed just how important trump cards were to a transcendent. On the Sia Continent, powerful transcendents usually had two trump cards. One was their Origin Attribute, and the other was their bloodline. Origin Attributes led to a divergence in the ability development of each transcendent, such that most people had their own unique set of spells. This allowed for a wide array of fighting styles, making battles much moreplicated. However, what really made a significant difference in a close battle was still bloodlines. Roel¡¯s Origin Attribute and bloodline wereplementary to each other, but that wasn¡¯t the case for most transcendents. William¡¯s trump cards consisted of the Swordheart she had forged with her willpower over years of training, her Courage Origin Attribute that was practically built for battle, andst but not least, the Dragon Bloodline she had inherited from her ancestors. In the colosseum, the crowd had gone wild after witnessing Roel¡¯s chain attacks because they thought that the battle was already set, but on the red mountain, Roel¡¯s eyes were sharply narrowed. The danger instincts he had cultivated through undergoing many life-and-death situations were screaming at him, telling him that things weren¡¯t over yet. The mes Peytra was breathing out had further intensified into a raging inferno, sending unbearable heat waves into the already torrid surroundings. Yet, William¡¯s mana pulsation wasn¡¯t weakening at all despite being assailed by the inferno. If anything, it was getting stronger. It had already surpassed the prowess William had disyed thus far. Each pulsation of mana harnessed unimaginable might, reminiscent of the resounding heartbeat of a powerful being. It didn¡¯t take long for Roel to uncover the reason behind this anomaly. A pair of brilliant golden eyes lit up in the midst of the zing inferno, signaling the return of a terrifying existence spoken of only in ancient legends. Along with its appearance came a wave of crushing pressure on those who dared stand in its presence. It unfurled its wings and tore through the inferno as if it was no more than a toy. Finally, its true form was revealed before the crowd. Dragon. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection Reputed to be one of the strongest races in the ancient era, their massive wingspan veiled the sky and their breath demolished everything in their path. Their scales were so tough that even the strongest weapons struggled to breach their defenses. And today, the dragons had returned to the world. ¡°!!!¡± The loudest ever exmation could be heard from the crowd when they saw the dragon tearing through the inferno. Many spectators shot to their feet. Their faces were first colored with disbelief before being swiftly reced by ecstasy. They viewed it as a huge honor to be able to witness one of the ruling races of the ancient era in action. However, the development of events left the personnel managing the dungeon feeling utmost flustered. As excited as they were to witness the return of the dragons, the sheer might unleashed by the dragon was destabilizing the dungeon. At the highest seat of the VIP stand, the white-haired Antonio revealed a slight frown. Looking at the projection of the terrifying existence and the ck-haired man facing it, his expression turned grave for the first time in the tournament. On the battlefield, Roel had a grim look on his face too. As the one facing the dragon¡¯s might in person, he knew better than anyone else how frightening William was in his current state. The moment before Peytra¡¯s mes struck, William had already activated his bloodline to begin his transformation into his primordial form. It took more than just being a bloodline inheritor to undergo such a transformation. Even Kurt, who possessed the Renascence Origin Attribute, could only reconstruct the body of the giants and not morph into one himself. Restoration of Primordial Bloodline¡ªthis was the basis behind William¡¯s inconceivable ability. By this point, he was practically no different from a real dragon anymore. He sure has hidden his trump card well, Roel thought with a sigh. William had chosen an opportune moment to reveal his hand, and things weren¡¯t looking optimistic for Roel right now. But great poweres at a cost. He wouldn¡¯t be able to sustain his transformation for long. As the man and the dragon exchanged gazes from thousands of meters away, they implicitly knew that they couldn¡¯t afford to fight a battle of attrition anymore. The battle would be decided within the next few minutes. A disquieting silence fell upon the battlefield. Neither William nor Roel made a move, but the mana in the dungeon had started to converge toward the two of them. The rowdy crowd slowly returned to their seats as they waited for the inevitable sh with bated breaths. Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Thirty seconds. One minute. Time slowly ticked by, but other than the dissipation of Peytra¡¯s avatar, nothing changed on the battlefield. The atmosphere continued to grow heavier as the dragon and the giant stared at each other from afar. On the audience stand, Alicia sped her hands together and prayed hard for Roel¡¯s victory. Charlotte¡¯s body started trembling out of nervousness. Over at the Bluerose Faction, the two youths felt like their hearts were going to leap out of their mouths. After a long silence, the two duelists finally made their moves. ¡°GRAR!¡± The deafening roar of the ck dragon shook the sky, heralding the final showdown. After a long charge-up, William soared into the sky and released a cataclysmic dragon¡¯s breath upon thends. To her surprise, the giant on the ground didn¡¯t react to her attack at all, and Roel didn¡¯t bother to dodge either. Instead, Roel raised his head and revealed a pair of golden eyes that glowed brighter than ever. With a calm voice, he summoned his final trump card. ¡°cier.¡± There was an intense burst of mana as the Crown Origin Attribute throbbed intensely. The Crown¡¯s Stone released a blinding light, and the vague silhouette of an ancient civilization destroyer resurfaced in the world. The crackling mes scourging thends were silenced, and the sky started to darken. Surges of frost aura rippled in all directions, seeking to lock all beings in eternal damnation. Facing the searing dragon breath heading his way, Roel raised his hand andpressed the white frost aura into a sphere of bleak death before releasing it upward. Boom! The two antithetical forces shed, splitting the world into two. William¡¯s mes flurried outward, dyeing the sky in the color of apocalyptic red. Simrly, Roel¡¯s frost aura rippled outward, threatening to freeze the earth at its very core. It was a sh far surpassing that of ordinary Origin Level 3 transcendents, and it rattled the very foundations of the dungeon. The personnel managing the dungeon were flustered by the turn of events. Such a situation should have warranted the cancetion of the fight, but the old man sitting at the top of the VIP stand gave no such order. ¡°Just a while longer,¡± ordered Antonio. On the battlefield, the sh between the man and the dragon finally approached its end. William was the first one to run out of strength while trying to maintain her dragon form, leading to the frost aura suppressing her dragon¡¯s breath and encroaching on the sky. Even so, she refused to give up. The moment she halted her dragon¡¯s breath, she began charging downward with utmost recklessness. She was intending to use her massive dragon physique to crash-dive into Roel and destroy him with her sheer momentum, just like aet. Between the dragon and the giant, it felt like time had regressed back into the ancient era, where unfathomably powerful beings roamed the face of the world. William used her sharp ws as her sword whereas Grandar focused his might into his fist. The roars of the dragon and the giant ovepped with each other. Their collision cracked the earth and copsed the mountains. The crackling lightning fist sunk into the dragon¡¯s flesh, causing dragon scales to rain on the ground. At the same time, a sharp w swiped across the giant¡¯s body, severing his white bones. The spectators in the colosseum were so overwhelmed that they simply went silent. The sight they were seeing jolted their hearts, but at the same time, they felt iparably small and insignificant before these legendary existences. On the battlefield, the woman who had transformed into a dragon only had a single thought dominating her mind¡ªI must win this battle. The words spoken by Roel that night had moved her heart, but ironically, it also reaffirmed her sense of duty and faith. She gathered everyst bit of the strength she had rued from the monotonous training she underwent day after day to defeat the giant that stood before her. Her unwavering will and faith sharpened her de like never before. To protect him, I¡¯ll have to defeat him. On the ground, Roel was also harboring thoughts that were coincidentally simr to hers. To liberate him, I¡¯ll have to defeat him. The conviction to win this battle burned in their hearts. Under Roel¡¯s furious channeling of mana, a crimson in vaguely ovepped with the scenery behind Grandar. With an earth-shaking roar, the giant king hurled out an unstoppable punch. It was an all-out attack from a Sovereign of the ancient era. The cheers of the warriors could be heard echoing from the valleys as if they were already celebrating the triumph of their king. Even the dungeon trembled subserviently beneath his feet. In the face of the unstoppable fist, the dragon¡¯s body began to swell. Violent mana began rampaging within her body before culminating into an astounding explosion. Grandar¡¯s decisive punch had destroyed the dragon¡¯s body in mid-air, but an armored figure emerged from the explosion and continued charging forth. This was the final opportunity William had created by paying a heavy price. She began imbuing her mana into her sword, causing it to glow faintly. Roel was astonished at William¡¯s tenacity, but he knew that there was no backing down now. He took a step forward and released a rush of frost aura against him. For thest time, their manas collided with each other, sending a flurry of dust and snow into the air. With this, the battle was finally over. Chapter 402: Your Life

Chapter 402: Your Life

William had a dream about her childhood, back when she was still at an age she could y freely. She hadn¡¯t developed strong transcendental abilities yet back then. Dressed in a white skirt, she would frolic around with big sister Teresa on the grass field, vibrant like any other child of her age. Hand in hand, they would skip into the gardens and run around the pce. One day, her father suddenly summoned her into the audience room. The first thing she noticed was a knight standing behind her father, holding onto an extremely heavy armor. Her father patted her head and told her that it was time for her to don the armor and answer her calling. The armor looked ufortable and ugly. She didn¡¯t want to put it on at all. But for the vow that was made a thousand years ago, in order to fulfill the mission entrusted to her n, she still reached for the armor. Right before she was about to touch the fierce-looking armor, a ck-haired boy suddenly grabbed her wrist and stopped her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± She recoiled in horror at the sudden appearance of the ck-haired boy. However, she soon calmed down. She thought over his question before earnestly answering. ¡°I¡¯m wearing it for you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do so,¡± the ck-haired boy replied with a gentle smile. He pulled her arm and led her out of the audience room, toward the outside world. It left her flustered, but to her surprise, her father didn¡¯t stop them. Big sister Teresa was also pping happily. As the armor got further and further away from her, the feelings she had been repressing in her heart all this while began to break free. Before she knew it, she was smiling as well. Following the ck-haired boy¡¯s lead, her surroundings got brighter and brighter until everything finally vanished. Then she woke up from her dream. ¡­ She could feel the chill swiftly receding from her body, reced with the flow of warm blood. Released from the icy prison she was in, her consciousness slowly surfaced. When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself faced with a familiar ck-haired man. ¡°Are you awake?¡± asked the pale-faced Roel. The area around them was a little misty, the result of the earlier havoc of mana. It took a while before the groggy William recalled everything that had happened. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection In the final sh, William¡¯s Swordheart faced off with Roel¡¯s cier. Both of them had cast aside all defenses to put their all in the final attack, knowing that it would be their victory as long as they were able to destroy the other party¡¯s substitution magic tools first. William plunged her sword into Roel¡¯s shoulder, causing his blood to stter all over his cheeks. Roel ced his hand on her armor and sent a st of frost aura to freeze her. For a moment there, it looked like the two of them were equally matched, but William knew that she had already lost. Bloodied icy crystals had formed around Roel¡¯s shoulder,pletely sealing off her sword. Those ice crystals were the manifestation of cier Creator¡¯s ability, impossible to shatter without special means. Even her Swordheart was unable to slice through them once she had lost momentum. It was an insane move. Roel had frozen his entire shoulder to stop William¡¯s offense, but that very tenacity bought him enough time topletely encase her in his frost aura. It was only when he finally retracted his frost aura that she slowly regained consciousness, and by then, everything was already over. I¡¯ve lost. The realization of defeat left William feeling deeply conflicted. She couldn¡¯t understand why she didn¡¯t feel an ounce of frustration at all, only relief. Even at this point, the two of them were still locked in the posture of their final sh, though it would be more urate to say that they were supporting each other at this point. While they were utterly exhausted from having expended their mana, cracks started forming on William¡¯s armor. Unable to withstand the stress caused by the rapid freezing and unfreezing, her helmet shattered. Metallic ngs could be heard as her helmet fragments fell to the ground. For the first time, William¡¯s true face was shown to the world. ¡°!¡± Blue-gray hair cascaded from their confines, and a beautiful feminine face came into view. Shocked exmations sounded in the colosseum as the crowd pointed to the projection with their mouths agape. Over at the VIP stand, officials from Pendor were dumbstruck whereas Antonio smiled silently at the situation. Even the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom were bbergasted. Amongst them, a pink-haired woman wiped off her tears in agitation, knowing that William¡¯s fate was bound to change the moment her identity was exposed. On the battlefield, Roel remained rtivelyposed despite the shocking turn of events, but that was only because he was much too exhausted to feel shocked. His golden pupils did dte at the sight of William¡¯s valiant yet maidenly appearance, but all that came out of him was a helpless sigh. ¡°I did wonder what kind of secrets you were hiding beneath your armor, but this really surpassed my expectations,¡± he muttered. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Someone as strong and stubborn as you turned out to be a beautifuldy.¡± ¡°Gender doesn¡¯t matter here. All that¡¯s important is the fulfillment of our n¡¯s mission¡­ You¡¯re one to talk about stubbornness.¡± William thought about everything Roel had said that night before eyeing the ring frozen wound on his shoulder. It ached her heart. ¡°You should¡­ cherish yourself a little more.¡± ¡°Back at you. You¡¯re one to talk.¡± ¡°Heh. Can¡¯t deny that.¡± The exhausted duo chuckled weakly. Roel looked at William and suddenly asked. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°William has to be an alias name no matter how I look at it. What¡¯s your real name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m used to William, but the name I used before that was Wilhelmina.¡± ¡°Wilhelmina, huh?¡± murmured Roel. He thought that it was a decent name. After careful consideration, he raised his head, looked into her orange eyes, and made a calm but serious deration. ¡°As the victor of this duel and the descendant of the Ardes, I hereby inform you that the mission entrusted to you and your n has officiallye to an end. You¡¯re no longer my scapegoat anymore. There¡¯s no longer any need for you to wear that heavy armor or conceal your face. You need not follow any ns made by others.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re free now. Live out your own life.¡± ¡°!¡± William¡¯s eyes slowly widened at those words. A flood of emotions overwhelmed her, leaving her at aplete loss. She felt that she had to say something, but words wouldn¡¯te to her. Her eyes started to heat up and her throat turned hoarse. She could feel a tinge of warmth spreading from her chest. ¡°What if¡­ I don¡¯t want to change anything at all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up to you. However¡­ I think you can consider taking off your helmet from time to time and dress however you like. You would look ravishing in a skirt.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± William blinked her eyes several times at the suggestion before her lips started irrepressibly curling up. Then, the two of them vanished in an outburst of light, returning to the familiar colosseum. Chapter 403: Moment of Glory (1)

Chapter 403: Moment of Glory (1)

Amidst a brilliant sh of light, Roel and William were transported back to Leinster¡¯s colosseum. Both their substitution magic tools had been destroyed, and their fatigued bodies were covered in injuries. Their return was met with deafening apuse and cheers from the crowd. Regardless of faction or nationality, all spectators rose to their feet and apuded with all their might. The excited cheers only crescendoed with time. The fight had far surpassed their wildest imagination. Everything was mind-blowing, from Roel oveing the limits of his Origin Level with an ancient spell, William¡¯s transformation, to the epic fight between two legendary existences. The revtion of William¡¯s true appearance at the conclusion of the battle added a touch of romance to the fight, leaving many young women swooning. There was no doubt that this fight would go down in the history of the Challenger Cup, reverentially spoken of even decades from now. The oue of the battle was amazing too. Simr to how heroes overcame all odds to aplish the impossible in epics, the final victor of the duel was not the Origin Level 3 William but the Origin Level 4 Roel. This waspletely unprecedented. Never in the Challenger Cup had an Origin Level 4 transcendent defeated an Origin Level 3 transcendent in a frontal sh. All these surprises filled the spectators with respect and admiration for both fighters. The apuse refused to fade as time passed. Even the distinguished guests at the VIP stand, under Antonio¡¯s lead, had started pping too. Most of these distinguished guests were powerful transcendents themselves, which allowed them to discern minor technical details that influenced the flow of the battle. The sharp wits and responses from both duelists throughout the battle were educational, such that even the powerful Antonio had some gains from watching the battle. Themotion spilled out of the colosseum to all over Leinster. Drinkers in taverns raised their mugs and chugged their drinks. Spectators in the city square hugged each other out of sheer excitement. The streets that were empty a second ago suddenly burst into life. In the colosseum, Roel reined in his frost aura, and William released her de. The medics rushed onto the field and conducted emergency treatment for the two of them. While William had lost the fight, she was still in fairly good condition after Roel had retracted his frost aura from her body. She was severely weakened from overexerting her mana, but she would be fine with some rest. Inparison, Roel was in a terrible state. The frost aura produced by cier Creator couldn¡¯t hurt Roel, but the sh on his shoulder dealt real damage to him. When the blood crystals defrost and the sword was pulled out, fresh blood spurted out and sttered all around. The spectators gasped in shock. Alicia¡¯s eyes turned teary. Charlotte anxiously shot to her feet. Lilian worriedly leaned forward. However, Roel didn¡¯t pay any heed to his injuries. It wasn¡¯t fatal anyway, so there was nothing to be worried about. Rather, he was more concerned about the side effects setting in too quickly. Perhaps it was because he had been through too much over the years, but he was exceptionallyposed about the situation. The resilience he disyed won him the admiration of the crowd, but the medics weren¡¯t loosening up at all. They had to ensure that Roel was fit enough to go on stage and receive his prizeter on. Their faces were so grave that those who didn¡¯t know better would think that they were trying to resuscitate a dying patient. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection ¡°Stop the blood loss!¡± ¡°Stretcher, stretcher!¡± Roel was still nning on walking out of the colosseum with his head held up high, but at the horrified insistence of the medic, he could only obediently lie down on the stretcher and let himself be carried off. It was only after Roel and William stepped off the field that the cheerings and apuse slowly died down. ¡­ The colosseum entered an intermission. Performers went up on stage to entertain the spectators. In previous years, if the two finalists didn¡¯t sustain significant injuries, they would be able to proceed to the award presentation ceremony after a quick preparation. However, Roel and William had clearly overexerted themselves in the battle, so they would need time to recover. An hourter, the award presentation ceremony finallymenced. It was because of this ceremony that the hundred challengers who cleared the preliminary round were invited here today. The top musicians of Leinster started ying a grand melody that stoked everyone¡¯s hot-bloodedness. At the same time, magic fireworks rose to the sky and exploded into ribbons. Under such fanfare, the heavy gates of the colosseum opened. A red carpet flowed gracefully from the colosseum¡¯s entrance toward the stage. Armed soldiers marched into the colosseum and took their positions along the red carpet. A war horn sounded. William was the first one to enter the venue. She was still dressed in full armor; it wasn¡¯t the set that had shattered from the earlier battle but a spare one intended for parades, as shown by its extravagant design. The crowd warmly weed her, and she responded to them with a wave of her hand, which stirred another wave of excitement. Behind her was the second runner-up of the tournament, Lilian. There was a rare smile on her face. She was in a joyous mood from Roel¡¯s victory over William. The spectators from the Austine Empire and Saint Freya Academy felt their hearts skipping a beat, for they had never seen such an expression on Lilian before. Following that, Teresa, Charlotte, Kurt, Juliana, and Edward, the top eight of the tournament, entered the colosseum, leading the remaining hundred challengers behind them. Brittany, Selina, Stuart, Glint, Geralt, Paul¡­ All of the challengers who had spilled their blood, sweat, and tears in the tournament stepped into the crowd¡¯s view, and they were met with warm apuse. Those who had watched the previous few tournaments of the Challenger Cup, especially Leinster¡¯s locals, knew deep well that this year¡¯s tournament far surpassed the previous few, be it in terms of the challengers¡¯ strength or quality of fights. The greatest difference stemmed from the participation of the youths from the Knight Kingdom, who had brought many surprises to the crowd. Those who had traveled here from afar to watch this tournament were satisfied. They already knew that they would be bragging to others about how they had witnessed the rise of Sia Continent¡¯s future powerhouses. The hundred challengers walked to the area beneath the stage and stood at attention. Representatives from prestigious Schr Factions and the upper echelons of the Leinster¡¯s academies stepped forward and presented them with honorary medals. Over a hundred cannons were fired simultaneously, filling the sky with ribbons once more. The drums started rolling at this moment of glory, a ck-haired man and a white-haired elder appeared on the highest stage in the colosseum together. Most of Roel¡¯s injuries had recovered after the emergency treatment, but it was impossible to replenish his lost blood and depleted mana right away. Antonio noticed his paleplexion and cast a few recovery spells on him, which helped a little. After that, Antonio turned to the crowd and began his speech. ¡°The Challenger Cup is a festival organized for the youths of our Sia Continent. It¡¯s a stage for our youths to showcase their talents and prove their worth. I¡¯m honored to have witnessed this exciting tournament with the rest of you seated here. ¡°I¡¯m sure most of you would agree with me when I say that this tournament is different from that of previous years. Due to several considerations, the organizingmittee decided to lower the age restriction and allow the participation of First Grade students. We were deeply worried when we first made this decision, but I can proudly say now that we have made the right call. ¡°The rxation of the restrictions has raised the standards of the tournament, bringing about a peak for the Challenger Cup. Today, I¡¯m honored to present the champion trophy to the youngest ever winner of the Challenger Cup. ¡°I hereby dere the champion of the 56th Challenger Cup¡­ Roel Ascart!¡± Chapter 403.5: Moment of Glory (2)

Chapter 403.5: Moment of Glory (2)

¡°WOOO!¡± The silent colosseum finally broke out in thunderous cheers as soon as Antonio concluded his speech. Those from the Bluerose Faction could hardly suppress their exhration, and Chris shot to her feet. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, Antonio took out a golden trophy with gems embedded on it. It shone brilliantly beneath the sunlight. It wasn¡¯t a magic tool, but there was hardly anything in the world that couldpete with it in terms of value. ¡°You have shown us wit, courage, and unwavering tenacity in your battle. These are the qualities we wish to bring out through the Challenger Cup, and it¡¯s the reason why we continue to host this tournament. Take it, it belongs to you,¡± said Antonio as he entrusted the Challenger Cup into Roel¡¯s hands with a smile. At the same time, the distinguished guests from the Saint Mesit Theocracy, Austine Empire, Rosa Merchant Confederacy, Knight Kingdom Pendor, and Country of Schrs Brolne walked onto the stage. They bestowed upon Roel honorary noble insignias from their respective countries. It was a tradition for the five countries to confer peerage to the champion of the Challenger Cup as a celebratory gift. It was only an honorary baron title, but it represented the recognition from those countries. With the noble insignias from the five countries pinned on his chest, Roel took a step forward while Antonio and the others took a step back. On the highest stage of the colosseum, Roel looked at the masses and smiled at the familiar faces before him. Then, he raised the champion trophy up high, and it immediately evoked deafening roars from the crowd. Tens of thousands of people began chanting Roel¡¯s name in unison. ¡°ROEL, ROEL, ROEL¡­¡± Roel felt his heart pounding hard with excitement. He waved at the crowd in response to their cheers. Charlotte, Lilian, and all of Roel¡¯s close friends looked at him with a heartened smile. The hundred challengers raised their heads and apuded for him. Having watched the fight themselves, they knew that he had proven himself worthy of the champion title. They were proud to have fought in the same tournament as a young prodigy like him. This was the day that Roel Ascart became known throughout the Sia Continent. His rise to prominence marked the start of a new generation. ¡­ The award presentation ceremony came to an end, and it was soon time for the festivities to begin. Leinster¡¯s administration officially dered three days of celebration tomemorate this historical tournament. Most of the crowd was still feverish from the excitement of the tournament when they headed to restaurants and taverns. Leinster¡¯s administration made use of this opportunity to hold all sorts of promotions, which further hyped up the atmosphere. Chatter andughter could be heard throughout the city, and the streets remained lit evente at night. After the award presentation ceremony, Roel¡¯s side effects started to set in one after another. He rejected the innumerable invitations that came his way and insisted on heading back to the Azure Manor, where he swiftly copsed onto his bed. Due to that, Saint Freya Academy¡¯s celebration had to be postponed. The Azure Manor became rather bustling shortly after. Many representatives from other departments, factions, and Schr Guilds came knocking one after another. If not for the fact that Roel was a high noble of the Theocracy, the other countries might have even sent envoys his way. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection It was a huge mess. Due to the poor condition Roel was in, the Azure Manor strictly forbade all guests. Paul and Geralt took turns guarding the manor with the other faction members, where they stopped over twenty students from infiltrating the manor. It was just that there were two people whom they couldn¡¯t turn away¡ªAlicia and Charlotte. Having watched the battle, the two of them knew what kind of condition Roel was in at the moment. As impressive as the Challenger Cup¡¯s medic squad was, there was very little they could do against the side effects arising from the Crown¡¯s Stone and Peytra¡¯s Blessing. This was also the reason why Roel insisted on returning to the Azure Manor. The two women swiftly started on their emergency treatment. Alicia¡¯s infusion of life force improved Roel¡¯s condition fairly whereas Charlotte¡¯s Golden Soul kept his chills at bay. The treatment was fortunately timely, but even so, Roel was still in a feeble state due to his excessive blood loss and depletion of mana. Even the strict Chris was appalled to see the condition he was in and insisted that he rested in bed for at least two days. Roel didn¡¯t pay much heed to his condition since it wasn¡¯t the first time he was in such a state, but the overwhelming peer pressure from others left him with no choice but to obediently lie on the bed. That night, Lilian secretly visited the Azure Manor and sessfully entered his bedroom without a hitch, thanks to Paul. Chris had dragged Alicia away with her to ensure that Roel rested up well. Little did she know that one of her students would exploit this opening to visit. Lilian didn¡¯t stay too long though so as to not disturb Roel¡¯s rest. During this period of time, she tried to heal Roel through the resonance of their bloodline, and the effects were actually pretty decent. Roel thought it was funny how he had home visits from three female doctors within just half a day, though there was no denying that their treatment was effective. By the second morning, he was already doing much better, perhaps even better than William. ording to Geralt¡¯s news sources, William had also copsed when she returned to Panoply Manor. A specialized medical team from the Knight Kingdom was currently in the midst of performing aprehensive treatment on her. She didn¡¯t suffer a lot of injuries from the battle, but she was bound to suffer some bacsh given the powerful spells she had utilized back then, especially her dragon transformation. In a sense, the two of them were in a simr plight. While Roel and William were resting up, both the Azure Manor and Panoply Manor went into a lockdown, so there was nomunication between them. It was only two dayster that Teresa¡¯s letter came in through Geralt. In the letter, Teresa said that William had made a full recovery and was able to attend the final night of celebrations, where Saint Freya Academy was organizing a celebration party for their triumph at the Challenger Cup. She moved on to ask about Roel¡¯s condition and ryed her well wishes. Roel heaved a sigh of relief after reading through the letter. He was actually quite worried about William after the battle they had. cier¡¯s Touch was such an effective tool that no one had survived its freezing to date. While he had made sure to retract everyst bit of the frost aura as soon as the battle came to an end, he wasn¡¯t certain whether there would be any side effects. With his heart set at ease, he quickly wrote a reply letter and indicated that he had recovered well. While he was writing the letter, a few questions arose in his head. William should have understood that the third prophecy is dashed. Now that she has lost her aim, what will her next n be? There should be no reason for her to stay at Saint Freya Academy anymore¡­ Will she return to the Knight Kingdom? While Roel was deep in thought, he heard a familiar ¡®ding¡¯ from the System. Chapter 404: Look Closely, Don’t Blink (1)

Chapter 404: Look Closely, Don¡¯t Blink (1)

Lying on his patient bed, Roel was stunned by the System¡¯s notification. He didn¡¯t think that the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance would work its wonders at the veryst moment before its expiry. It had been a massive help to him in building up friendly rtions with the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom. He quickly turned his attention toward the System, and the new guidance started to surface. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance Quietly stare at William for over fifteen seconds during the celebratory party with her being aware of her gaze.¡¿ ¡°Hm? Stare at her for fifteen seconds?¡± Roel was perplexed by the guidance. He would still follow it since the guidance had proven to be credible from previous experiences, but it was still pretty weird to quietly stare at someone. It¡¯s already awkward to be caught staring at someone, but I¡¯ve to do it with her being conscious about it? It¡¯s one thing to do it with a guy, but to be caught ogling at a woman¡­ Ah no, it would actually be worse if the other party is a guy. Roel shook his head and closely examined the guidance once again. It looked like he could carry out the task whenever he wanted during the celebratory party. Given the crowded surroundings, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him to find an opportunity to stare at her for fifteen seconds. He had activated the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance with the goal of saving Astrid. Despite the bumps along the way, following the guidance had always brought him positive oues that pushed him closer toward his goal. Now that he had already won the Challenger Cup, it was time to wrap things up. Having confirmed his goal, he began making preparations for the celebratory party. ¡­ It was a tradition for Saint Freya Academy to hold a celebratory party after clinching the Challenger Cup. After three days of building anticipation, the students couldn¡¯t wait for the party tomence. It was going to be arge-scale party with an estimated of several thousand participants. The venue extended from the banquet hall to the grassfield. It was going to be a night of wild fun. Before evening time, a carriage specially prepared by the academy stopped outside the Azure Manor. Several minutester, a suited up Roel walked out with Paul and Geralt, and the three of them boarded the carriage and began making their way to the banquet hall. Saint Freya Academy had dered today a rest day, allowing the students to do whatever they wanted. Some students chose toy in bed and rest up, but most were infected with excitement and wanted to participate in the celebrations. As Roel¡¯s carriage throttled down the streets, he could hear loud apuse and shouts of his name. He parted the curtains and looked out of the window; many were waving at him. As much as he appreciated the friendliness, it was too much for him to bear. I guess the Challenger Cup does hold great influence amongst the youths. It was normal for hot-blooded youths to be unwilling to lower their heads to others. While Roel enjoyed considerable fame as a Ringbearer, he had never been this warmly weed by his peers. His fame was still swiftly growing even at this very moment. Spectators of the Challenger Cup were bound to share the exciting fight between Roel and William to others when they returned to their respective countries, thus bringing their names to a greater height. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection On top of that, he was the youngest-ever champion of the Challenger Cup. This record-breaking feat would tie his name to Saint Freya Academy, Leinster, and the Challenger Cup. This was the critical acmation that woulde with winning the Challenger Cup, as well as the reason why Nora, Charlotte, and the others wanted to win the tournament despite their already lofty positions. That being said, the speed at which Roel¡¯s reputation was growing far surpassed that of the previous victors. At this rate, it would only take a few days before the results reached Nora at the Saint Mesit Theocracy. He was d that he had managed to aplish the mission Little Miss Angel had entrusted to him before her departure, but he couldn¡¯t help but worry if things were proceeding smoothly over on her side. The surroundings grew more packed the closer the carriage approached the banquet hall, such that Roel¡¯s carriage had to stop at the banquet hall¡¯s side entrance instead. For the first time, under the lead of a staff member, Roel was granted the right to enter the banquet hall from the internal entrance, which had always been the exclusive privilege of the academy¡¯s top brass. The celebratory party had yet to officiallymence, but there was already a bustle in the banquet hall. The challengers from Saint Freya Academy started to arrive at the venue, including the seeded challengers. The four Ringbearers¡ªEdward, Glint, Lilian, and Charlotte¡ªarrived one after another, and they swiftly formed their own social circles with their own supporters. The nobles from the Saint Mesit Theocracy looked lost in contrast, having lost their central figure. Despite the clear segregation in the banquet hall, the limelight naturally gravitated toward Roel the moment he entered the room. The Theocracy¡¯s nobles immediately swarmed him as if they had found their leader. Following that, Charlotte headed over and asked about his health, to which, Roel earnestly answered her question to ay her worries. In a rare expression of goodwill, Lilian also walked over to greet him. She had to maintain a formal front with so many eyes on her, but those who were truly close to her would have noticed that her amethyst eyes were seeping with gentleness. Possibly due to Lilian taking the lead, Greenrose Ringbearer Glint also took the initiative to approach Roel for a chat, although his demeanor still remained awkward. In contrast, Greyrose Ringbearer Edward was clearly much more skilled in social interactions. ¡°Senior Edward, you¡¯re intending to join the military after your graduation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n. Due to the ongoing fight at the eastern border, most countries are raising the benefits they offer to soldiers to encourage transcendents to join their ranks. It¡¯s the opposite for Leinster. There are plenty of graduates in Leinster, so there¡¯s rifepetition for work here.¡± It somehow reminded Roel of his university days in his previous life, where he and his pals would often talk about the job market. On the whole, he thought that it was good that the benefits offered by Leinster were lower inparison. Leinster was the academic hub of the Sia Continent, so it took an advisory role in the war. As a result, Leinster wasn¡¯t expected to send soldiers to the frontlines. Humans were naturally averse to risk. If Leinster was offering higher benefits despite its safer conditions, it was obvious that high-level transcendents would choose to join Leinster instead of fighting on the frontline. This adjustment in benefits was likely to have arisen from an agreement amongst the countries so as to encourage more transcendents to join the frontlines. It would be disastrous if there was insufficient manpower to guard the borders of humankind¡¯s territories. ¡°But surely Leinster would spare no resources to recruit a transcendent of Senior Edward¡¯s caliber?¡± asked Roel. The implicitpliment made Edwardugh in embarrassment. ¡°Hahaha. To be honest with you, I¡¯ve received several good offers from various armies thanks to the Challenger Cup. You know the situation at the eastern border; there should be room for upward mobility in the military at least for the next few years. I¡¯m also starting to feel suffocated after holing myself up in Leinster for the past four years. I want to head to more ces and see therger world out there.¡± ¡°It sounds like joining the military would indeed be a good option for you.¡± Roel found himself smiling at Edward¡¯s words. It was rare to see someone harboring romance for the greater world out there despite the unsettling times they lived in. Edward had the luxury of choice because he had no territory to inherit, which was proving to be a good thing since it would only shackle his free soul down. Chatting with the carefree Edward lifted Roel¡¯s spirits. Chapter 404.5: Look Closely, Don’t Blink (2)

Chapter 404.5: Look Closely, Don¡¯t Blink (2)

Time swiftly passed amidst their conversation. Soon, another important group of figures for tonight¡¯s celebration arrived at the venue¡ªthe transfer students from Knight Kingdom Pendor. The reputation of the transfer students had improved greatly due to their outstanding performance in the tournament. In particr, William, Teresa, and Kurt had built up a fairly huge fan base around them. Their entrance was warmly weed by the students, Looking at them from afar, Roel was relieved to see that his frost aura didn¡¯t appear to have left anysting traumas on William. However, he was intrigued to see that she was still dressed in her usual full armor that concealed her face. It was just that no one appeared to be particrly bothered by her appearance, and Roel eventually decided not to think too much into it too. His goal was to release William from her fate as a scapegoat, not to change her dress-up. She could have just grown fond of her armor over the years. Besides, she probably felt awkward without her armor after so many years of wearing it. It would take a lengthy transition period for her to get ustomed to going without her armor. Roel took this opportunity to stare at William, hoping to aplish his mission here. However, thetter was chatting with Teresa about something, resulting in her not noticing his gaze. It was only when all of the transfer students entered the venue that she finally met eyes with Roel and nodded slightly as a gesture of acknowledgment. By this point, it was no longer possible for him to aplish the mission. The two of them were close enough that staring at her would make things awkward for the two of them, not to mention that there were many eyes on him. As much as he wanted toplete the mission from the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance, he didn¡¯t want to risk appearing as a creep. Thus, he decisively gave up on his mission for the time being and engaged the transfer students in a conversation instead. It was often said that bonds that had survived conflicts were stronger. The first one to greet him was none other than the orange-haired Selina. Different from before, she appeared to be in greater control over her emotions. Roel hadn¡¯t heard anything from her since their fight in the top 32, and he was worried about her for quite a while. He wasn¡¯t in a good position to visit her at Panoply Manor given his tense rtionship with the transfer students back then, and she hadn¡¯t appeared in public either. He only managed to catch her on the day of his showdown with William, but he wasn¡¯t in a good condition to be holding a conversation with her. This was their first conversation since their fight in the tournament. He shot a nce at Selina¡¯s head, only to sighmentably at the absence of her beast ears. His visible disappointment brought a frown to thetter¡¯s face. ¡°You rascal, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s nothing much. Miss Selina, it looks like you have managed to control your bloodline?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not to that extent yet, but yeah, it¡¯s much better than before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Roel nodded earnestly in response before casually taking a few steps sideward to nce at Selina¡¯s bottom, but there was no beast tail there either. Selina immediately figured out what he was up to and shot a sharp re at him. She hadn¡¯t forgotten how he had toyed with her using Peytra¡¯s bloodline suppression back then. Roel could onlyugh awkwardly in response. ¡°Cough. Miss Selina, it¡¯s joyous news that you¡¯re now able to control your bloodline, even if just to a limited extent. I¡¯m earnestly happy for you.¡± ¡°Hmph. Trying to act prim and proper now?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Feel free to look for me if you ever face any difficulties with your bloodline. In some ways, you¡¯re the descendant of mypanion. I¡¯m d that you¡¯re liberated from the restraints of your bloodline.¡± ¡°¡­ Mm, alright. T-thanks.¡± It took quite a bit of effort for Selina to mutter her thanks under Roel¡¯s earnest gaze. For a moment, it looked like something had moved in her hair, but before Roel could take a closer look, the youngdy had already ran off with a reddened face. T-that is! Roel quickly tracked the profile of the escaping Selina with his eyes, but before he could take a closer look, his vision was blocked by a towering human wall. He recoiled in shock before slowly raising his gaze. It was Kurt. ¡°Kurt? Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Well, about that¡­¡± The towering man looked at Roel hesitantly, uncertain of how he should approach the topic. He remained in a dilemma for a long while before he finally lowered his head and apologized. ¡°Mister Roel, I¡¯d like to ask for your forgiveness for my ignorant remarks regarding Lord Grandar.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re talking about that matter. Didn¡¯t we already reconcile after our fight?¡± ¡°I lost consciousness before I could properly apologize to you. I wanted to make up for that.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel was surprised. He had thought that Kurt was a rude oaf due to their unpleasant first encounter, but it looked like his perception of thetter was mistaken. It would be much more appropriate to describe Kurt as an inflexible academic instead. In their following conversation, he learned the reason behind Kurt¡¯s sudden change in attitude. It turned out that the crimson in manifested by Grandar was and of glory, where the souls of respected warriors of the giant race rested in the afterlife. Only a Sovereign acknowledged by the giant race would receive such resounding cheers in that ce. Naturally, this meant that Grandar couldn¡¯t possibly be a Fallen, thus disproving the historical records of the Gustav House. That had plunged Roel into deep thoughts. He had no idea whether there was a mistake with the Gustavs¡¯ records or not, but Grandar had been a little different since that battle. He had a feeling that Grandar had recalled something, but he chose not to ask about it since he believed that thetter would talk about it on his own ord once he was ready. ¡°I¡¯ll inform my n about this when I return for the holidays. I¡¯ll try my best to right Lord Grandar¡¯s name as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Tell me if you need any help. Our goals most certainly coincide on this matter.¡± Roel was ddened to have resolved this issue. There were many others who had witnessed his fight with Kurt, so there were plenty of eye-witnesses who could testify to what Kurt saw. The circumstantial evidence should be enough to nt a seed of doubt in the Gustavs. As for what the truth was, that would have to wait till Grandar was finally willing to talk about what he had remembered. After bidding Kurt farewell, Roel heaved a sigh of relief and prepared to head off. Before he could turn around, someone grabbed his sleeve and stopped him. Following that, a familiar notebook appeared right in front of him. Chapter 405: Your Name (1)

Chapter 405: Your Name (1)

Teresa had always found banquets a bother. Due to her powerful Hextongue, Teresa mainly relied on her writings tomunicate with others. She could get most of her message across without trouble, but the efficiency was terrible, especially during social events. It was hard for her writing to keep up with conversations during social events, and others needed time to read her writings too. For that reason, she would always have an interpreter beside her to read her messages to facilitate conversation. The problem was that students weren¡¯t allowed to bring outsiders into Saint Freya Academy, so Teresa couldn¡¯t bring her interpreter with her. This made it hard for her to hold a conversation, especially when the other party was the star of the banquet. Don¡¯t go. Roel was surprised by the notebook that suddenly appeared before him. He lowered his head and looked at the pink-haired woman grabbing his sleeves. Due to her inability to speak, Teresa could only use her physical actions to draw Roel¡¯s attention. It was embarrassing for her to grab another person¡¯s sleeves in such a formal setting, but there was no denying its effectiveness. Knowing the difficulties Teresa faced inmunication, Roel first informed Paul and the others, who were waiting for him by the side, that he had some business to deal with. Then, he led Teresa to one of the seats by the side of the room, where she could take her time writing her message. Roel¡¯s consideration touched Teresa¡¯s heart, and she shed him a radiant smile. She picked up her quill and began writing down her message. Mister Roel, I¡¯d like to ry my deepest gratitude to you about William¡¯s affairs. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. I just did what I wanted to.¡± That might be the case, but what you have done changed William¡¯s fate. I feel indebted to you as her older sister, so I ask you to ept my gratitude. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s William¡¯s fortune to have a caring older sister like you.¡± Roel casually remarked as he nced at the armored knight surrounded by fans some distance away. Teresa¡¯s face reddened at thement. She quickly waved her hands to deny it before continuing with an ashamed look on her face. I¡¯d also like to apologize to you. I knew that you would react in such a manner prior to our conversation, and that¡¯s why I told you everything. ¡°Is there a problem with that?¡± But Mister Roel, I used you. ¡°Used me? You¡¯re being too harsh on yourself. I see it in apletely different manner,¡± said Roel with a smile. Teresa tilted her head in confusion, not knowing what Roel was getting at. ¡°Miss Teresa, didn¡¯t you choose to tell me everything because you trusted my character? Am I mistaken?¡± ¡°!¡± Teresa widened her eyes upon hearing Roel¡¯s question. She took a moment to think about it before shyly nodding her head. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that everything is fine then? Besides, throughout that conversation, you didn¡¯t use any misleading words to guide my line of thoughts. I think that it¡¯s far-fetched to say that you have used me.¡± Thank you for your understanding, Mister Roel. ¡°You¡¯ve already thanked me enough. So, Miss Teresa, what do you all intend to do now?¡± What do you mean? ¡°Since your n to take me away and protect me has flopped, what will your next course of action be? Return to Knight Kingdom Pendor? Or¡­¡± Regarding that, you might have to ask William in person. Teresa smiled at Roel before waving William over with an invitational gesture. But before William could walk over, amotion suddenly echoed from afar. Antonio and the other staff members had finally arrived at the banquet hall. Chris was also part of the group, and she was dressed in a gorgeous dress. The students immediately put their conversations on hold to greet them. Antonio and the others acknowledged their greetings with slight nods. Under the students¡¯ warm apuse, they made their way toward where Roel was standing. ¡°Roel, I was deeply impressed when you won the Champion Cup despite the odds,¡±plimented Antonio with a heartened nod. ¡°I¡¯m honored to be one of the few people in the world who could impress you,¡± replied Roel with a smile. After a short exchange of pleasantries, Antonio moved to the forefront of the banquet hall and officially announced themencement of the celebratory party. Hundreds of magic fireworks whizzed to the sky, and grand music began ying. Excited cheers could be heard from the banquet hall to the grass field outside. There was no need for the staff members to do anything since it was a party and not an award presentation ceremony. They wouldn¡¯t want to steal the show from today¡¯s stars, the challengers. The celebratory party was a standing buffet, where the food was supplied by Saint Freya Academy and the alcohol was sponsored by Leinster¡¯s administration. It was inevitable for the students to stuff themselves under the free flow of food and drinks. The students began digging into the mouth-watering array of food prepared by themercial street. Heavyweight drinkers also began heartily gulping down alcohol, determined to have their fill. At the front row of the banquet hall, Roel and William finally managed to catch up with each other. ¡°Do we really have to do it?¡± ¡°Lord Antonio said that it¡¯s the academy¡¯s tradition.¡± ¡°I guess we have no choice then. Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± As if exchanging secret codes, Roel and William reached for the two bottles of super huge champagne ced at the front of the banquet hall. Through infusing their mana into the champagne bottle, they were able to swiftly increase the pressure within to pop its cork. Pah! Pah! Roel quickly scanned the crowd and confirmed his targets. First and foremost, he didn¡¯t want to spray the champagne over thedies as formal gowns tended to be more revealing. idents could ur if those gowns got wet. He also didn¡¯t want to target seniors like Edward as they could find it disrespectful. After careful consideration, Roel¡¯s gaze fell upon Paul and Geralt. The next instant, the alcohol started spraying out under the gaseous pressure and sprayed toward Paul and Geralt¡¯s face. ¡°Big bro¡ªPu!¡± The shocked Paul only managed to get a word out before he was sprayed down by champagne. The sharp-witted Geralt reacted fast and hid behind Paul, leaving Roel deeply impressed by his sharp reflexes. On the other hand, William had chosen to target the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom. With the champion and the second runner-up leading the pranks, the atmosphere in the banquet hall soared to a new high. The excited Selina and the others quickly equipped themselves with bottles of champagne and joined the battlefield. The other challengers also began attacking each other with mischievous smiles on their faces. Golden alcohol was raining all over the banquet hall in just a few moments. Brittany grabbed the closest champagne bottle and began chasing Geralt, sending the terrifiedd fleeing in a panic. Teresa used her Hextongue to seal off her surrounding space, preventing any champagne from spilling onto her. Juliana was infuriated to have her elegant demeanor ruined by William, so she sought to get her revenge. Greenrose Ringbearer Glint and Greyrose Ringbearer Edward joined the battle as well. Charlotte was unharmed thanks to the protection of the Golden Soul. As for Lilian¡­ Well, who in the right mind would dare to target her? The banquet hall devolved into a champagne fight. Most students swiftly let go of their internal restraints and went wild. Those who weren¡¯t able to find a champagne bottle used beer bottles as substitutes. The musicians switched to an intense melody to suit the mood. The atmosphere was contagious. It didn¡¯t take long for those in the grass field outside to join the champagne fight as well. Antonio and the other staff members looked at the youthful scene before them andmented that they had gotten old. During the champagne fight, some of the students who got closer to Roel after losing to him in the tournament decided to unite together to exact vengeance. Caught off-guard, Roel ended up taking quite a few hits from them. In the end, he decided to team up with Paul and the other members of the Bluerose Faction to fight back. On the other hand, William and her fans had gotten embroiled in a battle with Greenrose Ringbearer Glint. Theughter and sshing alcohol washed away Roel¡¯s pent-up stress, leaving him feeling more refreshed than ever. It was only when they finally ran out of alcohol that this moment of wild fun came to an end. Chapter 405.5: Your Name (2)

Chapter 405.5: Your Name (2)

¡­ After the champagne fight, the exhausted students turned their attention back to the delicacies, which had been guarded by the staff members much to everyone¡¯s relief. The fight had brought bonds together, and students who had never talked before began engaging one another in conversations. A mildly intoxicated Juliana walked up to Charlotte and grumbled about her Golden Soul being an eyesore. Lilian started chatting with Teresa, much to everyone¡¯s surprise. William dragged Geralt and stationed him in front of Brittany. Kurt and Edward began a light conversation about history. Paul summoned his armor and demonstrated their effects to Selina and Stuart, amazing the two of them. Roel gazed at this harmonious sight as he took a sip of wine. Academy life was often the most memorable period for most. Those joyous and carefree days that were overflowing with vibrant youthfulness ripened like fine wine in our memories, bing what most called the taste of nostalgia. There was a period of time that he was hesitant and fearful of attending Saint Freya Academy. That apprehensive little boy back then couldn¡¯t have fathomed how much he woulde to cherish the experiences and bonds he had made here. ¡°I¡¯m d that I havee here.¡± ¡°Is that what you think?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel turned in the direction where the voice wasing from and saw William walking over. ¡°Eavesdropping is not a good habit.¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t trying to hide your words.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± The fully-armored William took her seat beside Roel. She looked at the bustling crowd before her and remarked. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve heard those words from you, I have even less of a reason to take you away from here.¡± ¡°Not like I was nning to leave with you in the first ce,¡± replied Roel with a smile. He heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that William had finally thought things through. However, he soon recalled the Goddess of Fate¡¯s Guidance and the mission he had to carry out. He quickly scanned their surroundings before resolving himself to grasp this opportunity. So, he turned his head over and began staring at William. Sensing his gaze, William also turned her head over to meet his eyes. Time ticked slowly under their exchange of eyes. Her initial curiosity turned into confusion, followed by fluster. Soon, she thought of something and slowly lowered her head. Fifteen seconds would have usually passed by in an instant, but every second felt frighteningly protracted when one had to stare at another person without saying a word. Nevertheless, Roel still held his gaze firm as he continued his mental countdown. When the countdown finally reached zero, William reacted to his gesture. ¡°Can youe with me for a moment?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Its effects are showing right away? Roel nodded his head before quietly leaving the banquet hall under William¡¯s lead. It was quite chaotic inside the banquet hall. Most students were drinking and chatting heartily, so no one noticed the departure of the duo. The noises slowly faded as Roel followed William to an open corridor that basked them under the brilliant moonlight. ¡°Wait here.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± William suddenly turned around and walked away, leaving thetter utterly bewildered. What¡¯s going on? Did she brign me here to meet someone else? A whileter, ¡®someone else¡¯ really appeared. It was a talldy dressed in a white skirt. She had ash-blue hair and tangerine eyes. Her waist was slim, yet one could feel explosive power in her. Her limbs were toned to what most people would call the golden ratio. Despite her valiant disposition, her eyes swam around diffidently in Roel¡¯s presence. ¡°You are¡­ William?¡± Roel had to stare at the familiar face for a while before he could recognize thedy before him. William nodded her head. Her hands were fidgeting around as if she had no idea where to ce them. In the end, she decided to hide them behind her back. ¡°Does it fit me?¡± she asked softly. ¡°I-it does, but why would you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s because you kept staring at me! I wanted to follow your suggestion and try out a skirt, but I¡¯ve gotten too used to wearing my armor. The thought of others staring at me in a skirt feels weird¡­¡± replied William with a reddened face. As she said those words, she quietly tried to tug the hem of her skirt down in hopes that it would magically stretch longer and cover her exposed legs. On the other hand, Roel was finally reminded of the words he had told her in the finals. When William¡¯s helmet shattered after the final sh, revealing her true face, he did mention something along the line that she could try wearing skirts from time to time. He never thought that she would take those words so seriously. All of a sudden, he felt that the obstinate William looked rather adorable. He also felt relieved, thinking that this was a good change for her to make. William¡¯s devotion to the vow was symbolized by her armor and the concealment of her identity. The fact that she was willing to cast these away showed that a tinge of change had started in her heart. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re finally giving up on your mission to take me away from here.¡± ¡°I was forced to. What else can I do after you shattered my armor in public? Too many people have seen my face. It¡¯s no longer possible to hide the truth,¡± muttered William grudgingly. It turned out that the revtion of her true face resulted in the im that she was the adopted son of the Cambonytes to crumble. She was instructed to return to Pendor after the holiday to be reinstated as a princess. In the first ce, she had put on the armor and assumed the role of the Cambonytes¡¯ adopted son so that she could focus her time and effort on growing stronger. Pendor would also be less affected if she ever needed to fulfill the vow and die as Roel¡¯s scapegoat. However, now that William was shown to be the real daughter of the Cambonytes, it was no longer possible for her to be Roel¡¯s scapegoat. That was because she was the sole daughter and sessor of the Cambonyte Royal Family. It would be one thing if the Cambonytes had a bunch of children fighting over the session, or that William was truly an adopted son carrying out the vow. The problem was that William was the only child of the Cambonytes, and that changed the nature of things. The king of the Knight Kingdom might be willing to put his daughter¡¯s life on the line for the sake of humankind, but that didn¡¯t mean that the nobles would agree to it. William was the only legitimate sessor to Pendor, and her death would indubitably destabilize the country. Roel¡¯s heart was finally put at ease upon hearing those words. Not even the king could afford to go against the collective will of the circle of nobility in the present Sia Continent. It was unlikely that William would ever have to sacrifice herself anymore. ¡°That¡¯s good news. It looks like my sacrifice in the finals was worth it.¡± Knowing that his deeds had definitely changed William¡¯s fate, Roel looked at the night sky above with a ddened smile. William stared at him for a long while before finally posing a question. ¡°What if you lost? What would you do then?¡± ¡°What if I lost?¡± The question caught Roel off guard. He turned to face William, who was staring intently at him, and hesitantly spoke up. ¡°To be honest¡­ I never thought that I¡¯d lose.¡± ¡°You¡­ Are you looking down on me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just that¡­ I couldn¡¯t lose in that situation, so I wouldn¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°¡­¡± William was surprised. Despite Roel¡¯s gentle smile, the wordsing out of him were surprisingly forceful. ¡°¡­ Is it because you wanted to save me?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t use the term ¡®save¡¯. I just wanted to return you the right of choice. I said it, didn¡¯t I? You should be the one to choose how you wish to live.¡± ¡°Choice, huh?¡± William murmured under her breath. She walked over to Roel¡¯s side and stared at the beautiful night sky together with him. ¡°I might have suffered over the years, but I have also gained much in return, be it strength or reputation. You might have refuted the vow, but there are still many things I don¡¯t wish to change. Is that¡­ fine?¡± ¡°Of course. You really are an obstinate one¡­ It isn¡¯t a crime to take it easy, you know.¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t like being told that I¡¯m obstinate by someone who adamantly refuses my help. However, there are things that I wish to change too.¡± ¡°Oh? What does Lord William wish to change?¡± ¡°N-no, not William¡­¡± William turned to Roel and put a finger on his lips. Then, she said with a smile. ¡°Call me Wilhelmina.¡± Chapter 406: Shared Future (1)

Chapter 406: Shared Future (1)

Beneath the moonlight, Roel looked at the smilingdy in front of him, pondered for a moment, and softly called her name. ¡°Wilhelmina.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Thedy nodded in response before turning to the night sky. ¡°I¡¯m not too bothered about my name, but if something needs to be changed, I think this would be a good start.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good idea. I can¡¯t say that William is an apt name for a princess of the Knight Kingdom.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been William for far too long; it¡¯ll be hard to get others to start calling me Wilhelmina all of a sudden. So, I was thinking of starting with those whom I¡¯m closer with.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my honor then.¡± Roel ced his fist on his chest and did a gentleman¡¯s bow. Thedy averted her gaze out of embarrassment. He smiled at the sight of that. ¡°Wilhelmina, what are you nning to do next now that your n to take me away has failed? Are you going to return to Pendor?¡± ¡°No. We¡¯re intending to stay here.¡± ¡°You¡¯re staying at Saint Freya Academy?¡± replied Roel in surprise. ¡°What¡¯s with your response? Do you not wee us here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m just¡­ a little surprised. I think that it¡¯s good that you¡¯re staying here.¡± Roel¡¯s heart was set at ease after hearing Wilhemina¡¯s reply. The arrival of the transfer students from Pendor initially came as a distress to him, but his rtionship with them had improved greatly after the Challenger Cup, especially with Teresa and Wilhelmina. Teresa had been friendly to him from the very start whereas Wilhelmina evoked his sympathy. Regardless of the reason, it was a fact that Wilhelmina had to undergo torturous training for him. She had to conceal her identity, and she lived her life prepared to die at any moment. Roel wasn¡¯t the one who asked for this, but as the beneficiary of this set-up, he couldn¡¯t remain unmoved to her plight. As for the others¡­ He and Kurt had started on the wrong foot, but thetter had already apologized and promised to right Grandar¡¯s name. Selina was connected to Peytra via her Saint Beast Bloodline, and he personally felt inclined to aid her in controlling her bloodline. Brittany had an agreement with him, and she was deeply intertwined with Geralt as well. It was likely that she would join the Request Club in the near future. As for Juliana and Stuart, he wasn¡¯t able to forge much of a rtionship with them yet. However, the former viewed Alicia as her n¡¯s progenitor and was very heeding of her will whereas thetter was quite amicable in the several exchanges they had. To be honest, Roel wasn¡¯t able to make many friends in the academy due to the overwhelming amount of schoolwork and his responsibilities as a Ringbearer. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to get close to the transfer students, and it would be disappointing if they left at this juncture. Aside from that, he also thought that the Knight Kingdom was too isted. The descendants of the sequestered houses were prodigies in their own rights, and they could potentially be the top transcendents of the Sia Continent in the near future. It would benefit them to build their reputation and expand their horizons. ¡°Personally, I believe that it¡¯s a good thing that your group has decided to step out of your closed circle and let the world know you better. It was thanks to your spectacr performance in the Challenger Cup that we were dubbed as the golden generation.¡± ¡°Golden generation, huh? There are indeed benefits for us to build up our reputation, but you are the main reason why we chose to stay here.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Have you forgotten about the third prophecy? You im that it has already been unraveled, but there¡¯s no evidence to that. There¡¯s a need for us to take caution, at least until you leave Saint Freya Academy.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too much of a worrywart?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a unanimous decision from all seven of us.¡± ¡°¡­ Oh.¡± Touched by their gesture, Roel felt a warmth in his heart. On the other hand, Wilhelmina hesitated for a moment before raising a familiar question. ¡°About that¡­ Do you want to join our Dawnbringer Order?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Ah? R-really?¡± ¡°What¡¯s with your response? Do you not wee me?¡± Roel returned the retort to her, causing Wilhelmina¡¯s face to flush red. She quickly exined herself. ¡°N-no, I¡¯m just taken aback¡­ What made you change your mind?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never said that I wouldn¡¯t join the Dawnbringer Order. I was just hesitant because I didn¡¯t know your organization well. My reservations have mostly been dispelled now, and besides¡­ in order to deal with the future doomsday prophecy, I believe there¡¯s a need for us to unite our forces.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree with that as well.¡± Wilhelmina nodded solemnly in agreement. The doomsday prophecy Roel mentioned referred to the prophecy made by the Tripartite Alliance andter affirmed by Wendy Arde about the uing catastrophe that would obliterate humankind. A sliver of hope had arisen in Wilhelmina¡¯s heart following the unraveling of the third prophecy involving Roel. She wondered if the doomsday prophecy would somehow resolve itself too. However, Roel, who knew the truth behind the prophecies, dared not to let his guard down. Wendy had already proven her immeasurable talent as a high seer through her urate three predictions regarding his fate, which lent credence to her affirmation of the doomsday prophecy. Not to mention, the doomsday prophecy initially came from the three of the strongest races of the Sia Continent. Despite the pessimistic situation, Roel didn¡¯t lose hope. Prophecies and fate could definitely be changed, or else ¡®Roel Ascart¡¯ would have already been dead by now. The Tripartite Alliance wouldn¡¯t have bothered prophesying the future and mentally torture themselves. Still, oveing the doomsday prophecy wouldn¡¯t be easy. For that reason, he needed to acquire greater strength and make more preparations, and he had ideas on how to go about it. ¡°Mina, what do you think about letting others join the Dawnbringer Order too?¡± ¡°Mi-Mina?! Don¡¯t shorten my name at your own whim!¡± ¡°My apologies. Your name was a little long, so I subconsciously¡­ I¡¯ll avoid calling you that if you detest it.¡± ¡°N-no, I don¡¯t detest it. I¡¯m just not ustomed to it¡­ Anyway, who are the ¡®others¡¯ you are talking about?¡± The flustered Wilhelmina quickly changed the topic. ¡°I was referring to Nora, Charlotte, and the others. I wish to bring them into the Dawnbringer Order.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wilhelmina fell silent at that suggestion. She clearly harbored some reservations toward the women by Roel¡¯s side. Seeing that, Roel tried to persuade her. ¡°The doomsday prophecy came from the Tripartite Alliance. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird to keep the descendants of the other two races in the dark? This is a fight for survival for us all; there¡¯s nothing to gain from hiding the truth. It¡¯d be better if we could pool our resources together and figure something out. ¡°Be it the Theocracy or Rosa, they have resources that the Knight Kingdomcks. They¡¯ll be able to offer invaluable aid in times of need andplement the deficiencies of the Dawnbringer Order. They might be skeptical about the prophecy at the start, but I should be able to persuade them about it,¡± said Roel. ¡°¡­ I understand, but I have a condition.¡± Chapter 406.5: Shared Future (2)

Chapter 406.5: Shared Future (2)

After hearing Roel¡¯s reasoning, Wilhelmina decided to try putting aside her prejudice to ept them. She looked at him with a grim face and said. ¡°I¡¯ll allow them to join the Dawnbringer Order, but I forbid them from bringing politics into the organization. The Order is an organization simr to the Twilight Sages Assembly; it serves to protect humankind from the crises, not to negotiate national interests.¡± ¡°Definitely. I can¡¯t say the same for others, but I¡¯m willing to vouch for them,¡± replied Roel with a nod. Charlotte and Nora were both descendants of the Tripartite Alliance, and Lilian possessed the Ascart Bloodline. Alicia was unlikely to be too concerned about the fate of humankind, but she was very supportive of anything Roel did. He determined the four of them to be trustworthy, and that was why he wanted to bring them into the Dawnbringer Order first. There were also others whom he wanted to pull into the organization, such as Paul and Geralt, but he decided to take things slowly for them. Paul and Geralt were still young, and it was unlikely they would connect with the ideals of the Twilight Sages Assembly. They would still join the organization when prompted to, but they would be confused by it as well. Roel thought that it would be better to go with the flow and invite them if an opportunity arose in the future, which should be aplenty. As members of the protagonist¡¯s party in Eyes of the Chronicler, it was almost fate that they would have to fight for humankind. With this matter resolved, he started approaching the topic of what he had been working toward over thest few weeks¡ªthe liberation of Astrid Arde. That was his primary goal for approaching the transfer students in the first ce. ording to Antonio, the Knight Kingdom opposed the liberation of Astrid Arde from the Chaos Dream, thinking that it could lead to the awakening of the Savior. However, Roel, who hade into contact with Astrid in the Witness State, knew that there was no link between the two. He exined the situation to Wilhelmina, who then promised to try her best to convince the elders from the Twilight Sages Assembly about it when she returned to the Knight Kingdom over the holidays. She wasn¡¯t too optimistic about it though, saying that it would require quite a bit of effort to persuade them given her past experiences. Roel understood that. He was prepared for the long haul from the very start. There was no question in his mind that Astrid had to be saved, but it would likely have to wait till he, Wilhelmina, and the others became stronger and gained greater say. In this half an hour conversation, Roel managed to resolve most of the problems clogging up his mind. The two of them continued chatting till they heard calls for theming from the distance. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection It wouldn¡¯t do for the stars of the show to be absent from the party, so they had no choice but to head back. Roel first returned to the banquet hall whereas Wilhelmina went off to put on her armor. By this point, Antonio and the staff members had already left the venue, allowing the students to go wild. Transcendents were particrly resilient to alcohol due to their enhanced constitution, and Roel ended up getting roped into some of the drinking circles. The aftereffects from his three days of disappearance right after winning the Challenger Cup were finally starting to show. A long queue of students were waiting for their opportunity to propose a toast to him, leaving him bbergasted. Wilhelmina was faring much better inparison, not because she had less fans but because she could use her knight¡¯s chivalry code to turn down the drinks. The crowd understood that the culture over at Pendor was different, not to mention that she was a member of the royal family. She had a duty to lead her people by example, so no one tried to peer pressure her into drinking. As a result, the pressure over on Roel¡¯s side intensified. Over the clinking of wine sses, Roel¡¯s social circle swiftly expanded. Thanks to the noble conferment he had received from the five major countries, there were many non-Theocracy students who approached and befriended him too. This was a sign that his influence was expanding beyond national borders. It took an entire hour before Roel was done greeting the excited students¡ªmost of them noticed his increased mental fatigue and were considerate enough not to tie him down in a lengthy conversation. He spent the remaining time at the party chatting with Charlotte and the others. The party finally ended at the strike of midnight. ... Students of Saint Freya Academy were granted two days of rest after the party to adjust themselves lest they came to ss inebriated. Roel woke up without a hangover thanks to his powerful constitution as an Origin Level 4 transcendent, but Paul and the others weren¡¯t as resilient. The sheer amount of alcohol they chugged left them sluggish for the entire day. The excitement over the Challenger Cup in Leinster finally died down after three days of wild festivities. Tourists began leaving the city, and most merchants closed their shops to rest after having overworked themselves. It was as if the partying youthful city had suddenly transformed into a peaceful old men¡¯snd. The Challenger Cup was a win-win-win situation. The spectators were satisfied by the high-quality fights, the merchants made huge bucks from the celebrations, and Leinster¡¯s administration raked in a record-high tax revenue. This was good news to Roel, for one of his rewards as the champion was to receive 30% of the tax revenue earned by the Leinster¡¯s administration during the event. His eyes nearly popped out when the clerk handed over 300,000 gold coins to him. He was shocked by the sheer amount of money Leinster had earned due to the Challenger Cup. The event had onlysted for two months, but they actually managed to earn more than a million gold coins of tax revenue from it. This was unbelievable! The Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s annual tax revenue hadn¡¯t even reached a million gold coins yet! But again, Leinster was the capital of Brolne. For many years it had been carefully managed, so it was only natural for it to be more economically developed. Not to mention, the Challenger Cup was a huge event that drew in rich people all over the Sia Continent. Looking at it from this perspective, the high tax revenue was justified. If a city wanted to be rich, it needed to develop a unique strength of its own that set it apart from the others. Leinster had chosen to specialize in the education route, and it had a thousand years of rual, which ensured that it was so ahead in the field that no other cities couldpete with it. Having thought things through, Roel could only give up on the idea of holding a tournament back at the Ascart Fiefdom too. As the seasons approached autumn, the students began looking forward to their most anticipated event for each¡ªthe holidays. Saint Freya Academy had students from all over the world, some living far away from Leinster. Roel himself needed an entire month just to return from Leinster to the Ascart Fiefdom. If the break was only two months long, all he could do upon reaching home was to have a cup of tea before preparing for his journey back to Leinster. That would be tragic. For that reason, Saint Freya Academy had chosen to set its holidays to be the end of autumn to the start of spring, thus catering better to the needs of the student popce. It just so happened that nobles tended to be the most busy over the end of the year, be it carrying out winter hunts and organizing all sorts of new year festivals. As soon as the academy released its students for the holidays, those who lived nearby swiftly hired a carriage and traveled back home. Those from foreign countries had to take more time to prepare for the long journey. As for Roel, he had other matters to attend to, such as paying a visit to a person whom he hadn¡¯t been able to meet much over the past year. Lilian Ackermann. Chapter 407: Temporary Farewell (1)

Chapter 407: Temporary Farewell (1)

It was a fantastic year for the First Grade students of the Saint Freya Academy. Most of them had something to boast about when they returned home. Boasting could be broadly divided into two categories: boasting about oneself and boasting about others. There was no doubt that 90% of them would go around saying stuff like ¡®I know a friend who...¡¯ when they returned to their homnd. As for Paul Ackermann, his life had changed a lot in this year. There were so many things that he wanted to boast about that he didn¡¯t even know where he should start from. The past fifteen years of his life couldn¡¯t evenpete with the single year he had spent at Saint Freya Academy. On top of his tremendous growth, he had also stepped onto thergest stage for youth transcendents in the Sia Continent, the Challenger Cup, and advanced to the top 32, making a name for himself. What pride! What glory! The old him would have never dreamed of achieving such a feat. The glory he had earned in the Challenger Cup greatly changed perceptions of him in the Austine Empire, and the reason why he was able toe this far was all thanks to Roel¡¯s help. Without Roel backing him in the entrance ceremony, epting him into the Bluerose Faction, and entrusting him with great responsibilities, it was likely that he would have just been discriminated against and shunned by the student popce due to him being an illegitimate child. He would have spent his days in helplessness and frustration. Without Roel¡¯s guidance in terms of transcendent abilities, there was no way he could have grown so quickly or evenprehend the way to use his Origin Attribute. Through Roel, he had met many people whom he would have never been acquainted with. With Roel¡¯s victory in the Challenger Cup, he rose to prominence as one of the leaders of the Bluerose Faction and the vice-chief of the Request Club. That was why he specially paid a visit to Roel to express his gratitude when the semester came to an end. Roel also felt wistful when he thought about the time they had spent together. He had never thought that they would grow so close. The younger him had never liked Paul. While he understood that the in-game Roel deserved his eventual downfall, it was still hard for him to feel goodwill toward someone who had caused his death. Even during their first meeting, he was subconsciously averse to Paul. He only lent a helping hand because he was disgusted by those Austinean bullies, not to mention that he had his motives for wanting to get close to the protagonist too. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection However, his perception of Paul slowly changed over time as he found thetter to be an endearing person. At some point in time, he found himself earnestly wishing the best for Paul. That was why he felt particrly touched by Paul¡¯s heartfelt gratitude. He was heartened to know that everything he had done was appreciated by thetter. ¡°I did lend you a helping hand, but all I really provided you is a conducive environment. It¡¯s your diligence and kindness that allowed you toe this far. That¡¯s why, Paul, you can be a bit more confident in yourself. ¡°You¡¯re no longer just an illegitimate child anymore. You¡¯re part of Leinster¡¯s golden generation, a leader of our Bluerose Faction, and the vice-chief of the Request Club. I hope that you can return to Austine with your head held high.¡± ¡°... I will, big brother Roel.¡± Paul was moved to hear Roel¡¯s evaluation of him. He thanked thetter once more before heading off toplete thest mission entrusted to him. It was no easy feat for Roel to meet up with Lilian in Saint Freya Academy due to the differences in their background, but such barriers weren¡¯t applicable to Paul. As half-siblings, it wouldn¡¯t be odd for the two of them to meet up, especially right before journeying back to their homnd. It would be reasonable for them to n their schedules together and look out for each other. With such a legitimate pretext, no one would doubt Paul to be a secret agent maneuvering a rendezvous between two top leaders. Thanks to secret agent Paul¡¯s help, Roel and Lilian sessfully met up with each other. The venue was a familiar location to the two of them¡ªthe tower beside the grass field. The sun had started to set by then, and there weren¡¯t many people on the grass field anymore. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect senior to choose this ce as our meeting location. Isn¡¯t it too open?¡± asked Roel worriedly. He would have preferred a more enclosed location, but Lilian wasn¡¯t concerned about it at all. She replied with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I had my magicians set up a barrier around this tower. No one will be able to see us from the outside.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Now that I think about it, this ce is really filled with memories.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it? This is where we first met at the start of the semester. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s fitting for us to part here as well?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Roel nodded in agreement. The two of them had a stand-off here more than half a year ago, when Roel first entered Saint Freya Academy. Back then, Lilian viewed him to be a troublemaker seeking to undermine her order, and he saw her as a prodigy from the Ackermanns whom he needed to guard against. Neither of them could have imagined that they would eventuallye to where they were. As they thought about the past, the two of them exchanged gazes and smiled in unison. Looking at the setting sun, Lilian tucked her hair behind her ear and remarked wistfully. ¡°Time flies by. Another semester has passed in the blink of an eye. We¡¯ll have to temporarily part ways soon.¡± ¡°You must take care of yourself, senior. Will you be alright in the Austine Empire?¡± asked Roel. Of the several women whom Roel was acquainted with, the only one he would have trouble offering a helping hand to was Lilian. Lilian was the most popr champion pick for the Challenger Cup, but she failed to clinch the highest trophy. That would stir widespread disappointment for her in the highly nationalistic Austine Empire. On top of that, she had two older brothers who were constantly plotting her death. It was hard for Roel not to worry about her. Looking at the deep furrow on Roel¡¯s face, Lilian¡¯s lips couldn¡¯t help but curl upward. She took a step forward and raised her hand to unfurrow his forehead. ¡°Rx, it¡¯s a small problem. Lucius and Aubrey won¡¯t be able to shake my position with just this much. Besides, have you forgotten that there¡¯s Paul now? My imperial brothers will start directing their efforts on dealing with him now that he has achieved decent results in the Challenger Cup. It¡¯s unlikely that I would face much pressure from them.¡± ¡°I see...¡± Roel blinked his eyes in surprise, not expecting that Paul¡¯s outstanding performance in the Challenger Cup to have such rippling effects. In Eyes of the Chronicler, Paul wasn¡¯t able to participate in the Challenger Cup. He had helped many people through the Request Club, but his reputation was mainly limited to within the academy. It couldn¡¯tpare to the fame he had gained from advancing to the top 32 in the Challenger Cup. Paul was still in the line of session despite being an illegitimate child, and his odds ofying im to the crown had risen since he had proven hispetency as a transcendent, something that the other two princes struggled to do. This was both an opportunity and a threat. Some nobles would likely start approaching Paul when he returned to the country, be it to take a risky all-in bet on him or just to y it safe by staking on all sides. However, this also meant that his two older brothers would view him as a major threat and attempt to strike him down. I¡¯ll have to offer some words of advice to him. Roel filled Lilian in about the progress concerning Astrid¡¯s liberation, and thetter heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that Wilhelmina was willing to help them on this matter. She told Roel to contact her through Paul if he needed any assistance from her. She wanted to help in Astrid¡¯s rescue too, but there was something else she had to attend to. She needed to investigate the Ackermanns for records rting to the Ascart House. Ever since she became aware of her connection to the Ascarts, there was a lingering doubt in her mind that Emperor Lukas was aware of the Kingmaker Bloodline and her inheritance of it. Previously, in the Witness State, Astrid had mentioned that a matriarch of the Ascart House, Caroline Ascart, had worked together with the Ackermann Imperial Family in the final years of the Second Epoch, but Lilian waspletely unaware of this despite being well-versed in the Ackermanns¡¯ history. Something was amiss here, and Lilian felt that there was a need to look into it. ¡°You need to tread carefully. The order you have received from Emperor Lukas at the start of the semester is rather strange. If possible, try not to rm him,¡± advised Roel. ¡°I know. Rest assured, I¡¯ll move carefully.¡± After exchanging some words of concern, Roel and Lilian finally reluctantly parted ways. Chapter 407.5: Temporary Farewell (2)

Chapter 407.5: Temporary Farewell (2)

Roel began making preparations for his long journey back to the Ascart Fiefdom. While he was packing up, Chris invited him over to her residence to talk about some matters, and Alicia chose to tag along. Other than his close friends, the person who was the most delighted over his victory in the Challenger Cup was none other than Chris. She was happy to see her student making a name for himself, but more importantly, she was overjoyed at having secured a legitimate reason to make a house visit. Maintaining a long-distance rtionship was already tough enough as it was, let alone two individuals who had been estranged for many years. She had consistently exchanged letters with Carter over thest few months, but their interaction had been mostly limited to that of old friends. She knew that she had to do something more to breach his defenses. As the esteemed youngest sage teacher of Saint Freya Academy, it went without saying that she¡­ knew nothing at all. It couldn¡¯t be helped. IQ didn¡¯t equate to EQ. Ever since she was jilted in her student years, she devoted her entire life to work. For twenty whole years she hadn¡¯t dated anyone at all, making her a bona fide ¡®single dog¡¯. She was much more mature and rational than before, but at the same time, she lost her youthful recklessness that allowed her to charge forward bravely in a rtionship. Her worries and reservations resulted in the frighteningly slow progress of her rtionship with Carter. Unwilling to just maintain the status quo between them, she sought her fellow ¡®Conquering the Ascarts¡¯ Men!¡¯ ally, Alicia, for help, who then offered her a terrifying proposal. ¡°Alicia, you seem to share a tight bond with Roel. How did you get close to him?¡± ¡°Lord Brother and I have always been that close.¡± ¡°Is that the case? Then, do you know of any strategies to quickly advance a rtionship?¡± It was rare for Chris to approach a junior for advice. Alicia carefully thought over the question before hitting her fist on her palm, seemingly having thought of a good idea. ¡°When ites to quickly advancing a rtionship, the best way is still to rely on drugs.¡± ¡°A-ah? Drugs?¡± Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection Chris was horrified to hear a potential criminal ning from a young woman¡¯s mouth. What further frightened her was how naturally Alicia mentioned it, as if it was perfectly normal. ¡°That¡¯s right. Lord Brother is a smart person, but he¡¯s innocent when ites to rtionships. As long as I can ¡®secure¡¯ him, it would be my victory.¡± ¡°No, I mean, won¡¯t most people get angry at something like that?¡± ¡°Of course. Lord Brother would definitely get angry, but I¡¯m not afraid. I just have to burst into tears, and that would soften his heart right away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± This woman is terrifying! Chris was rendered speechless by Alicia¡¯s n. She did consider it for a moment, but she swiftly understood that it was impossible for her to carry out the same tactic. Alicia¡¯s n was built on a single condition¡ªRoel¡¯s almost bottomless indulgence for her. Such a rtionship couldn¡¯t be replicated by others, let alone Chris, who had only managed to exchange three letters with Carter thus far. In the end, she decided to approach the much more reliable Roel for advice. Carter had been too busy with military matters in recent years that he had very little time to spare for his children. Due to that, Roel wasn¡¯t able to get a good gauge on Carter¡¯s rtionship status. However, he did know what kind of person Carter was, and a person¡¯s character wouldn¡¯t change that easily. He knew for certain that Carter wasn¡¯t a heartless man. ¡°Father has always kept his distance from women.¡± ¡°H-he does?¡± Chris muttered apprehensively. ¡°But again, most women approached him with ulterior motives in mind. It would be hard to generalize it,¡± Roel quickly reassured her. ¡°I-is that so?¡± After careful discussion, they decided to take things a step at a time. As soon as Carter sent a letter informing them of his return, Roel would inform Chris about it right away and try his best to stage a meeting between the two of them. As for how the meeting went, that would depend on Chris herself. Romance was ultimately a matter between two. Outsiders could create opportunities for them to advance their rtionship, but it wouldn¡¯t do to meddle too much. After confirming their n with Chris, Roel and Alicia returned to the Azure Manor to prepare for their return. While they were packing their luggages, another group of visitors knocked on their doors. It was Wilhelmina and Teresa. Pendor was located even further from Leinster than the Ascart Fiefdom. Even though the transfer students hade to Leinster as a group, they chose to return in separate convoys. Wilhelmina and Teresa had only chosen to return together because of their closer ties. The two of them were just dropping by the Azure Manor before going on their way, so they didn¡¯t talk much other than wishing each other a safe journey. Kurt had chosen to leave earlier, presumably because he wanted to right Grandar¡¯s name as soon as possible. Selina did drop by to bid him farewell before she departed. She even got angry at him for staring at her head for beast ears. Stuart and Brittany hadn¡¯t left yet. In fact, the valkyrie had been eyeing Geralt closely over thest few days, causing the poor man to tremble like a frightened rabbit for quite a while. He had calmed down since then, likely because he had figured out a way to escape from her clutches. As for Juliana, she turned out to be the most troublesome one of them all. Just a few days ago, she visited the Azure Manor and strongly insisted on visiting the Ascart Fiefdom as a guest. Roel wasn¡¯t sure what she was nning, but there was no doubt that she was gunning for Alicia. He vehemently rejected her request, leaving thetter with no choice but to give up. This incident raised several doubts in his mind. He was almost convinced that there was some kind of deeper secret hidden in Alicia¡¯s bloodline that wasn¡¯t explored in Eyes of the Chronicler, but regardless, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Alicia was his beloved younger sister. After three days of preparation, it was finally time for Roel to leave Saint Freya Academy. There was quite amotion during his departure. The Sorofyas¡¯ convoy had somehow converged with the Ascarts¡¯, so there was a massive group of students from both Rosa and the Theocracy seeing them off. It was almost like another festival. There wasn¡¯t much of an issue with them traveling together since the Ascart Fiefdom and Rosa were neighbors. It would also be much safer since both convoys would be able to look out for each other over the long journey. It sounded like a good idea to do so, and it would have been so if not for the somewhat weird atmosphere. ¡°Miss Charlotte, this is our carriage. Do you have no sense of propriety?¡± ¡°Miss Alicia, you must have forgotten that I¡¯m still formally engaged with Roel. I don¡¯t see any problems with me sharing a carriage with my fianc¨¦. What¡¯s truly problematic here is how you keep bothering my fianc¨¦ just because you¡¯re still young. ¡°You!!¡± Roel looked at the two carriages beside him, followed by the two women ring at each other in front of him, and he suddenly felt a migraine setting in. He couldn¡¯t bear to criticize Alicia, and the two of them had already gotten used to sharing a carriage even though it defied conventions in this world. As for Charlotte, he wasn¡¯t in a good position to say anything either. Charlotte had often supported him financially, and she was one of the greatest contributors to the development of the Ascart Fiefdom. On top of that, the two of them were indeed engaged even though their engagement contract was no longer binding anymore. Even at this very moment, the clothes he was wearing were designed by her. Unwilling to offend either side, Roel could only divert their attention elsewhere. He was d that Nora had returned to the Theocracy in advance. The sheer chaos that would break out if she was here too would have driven him insane. Speaking of Nora, he was reminded of some questions that had been lingering in his mind for a while now. It had been many days since he had won the Challenger Cup, but he hadn¡¯t received a letter from Nora yet. They had been exchanging letters ever since they were still children, and she would make sure to write to him every now and then no matter how busy she was. It was worrying how she hadn¡¯t sent a congrattory letter over despite his spectacr victory. Is she busy at the moment? Roel wondered as he watched the world outside the carriage¡¯s window pass him by. Chapter 408: True Love Overcomes Everything! (1)

Chapter 408: True Love Ovees Everything! (1)

It was starting to get colder in the Ascart Fiefdom as autumn deepened. Farmers started to get busy, and merchants urged their distributors to hasten the transportation of goods so that supplies could arrive before the onset of winter. The number of carriages and patrolling soldiers on the road significantly increased, but it was worth noting that most people had smiles on their faces. The farmers had a bountiful harvest this year, and the proxy fief lord, Roel, had reduced their taxes. Many merchants were also able to make more trips and maximize their profits thanks to the increased efficiency in the ounting system. As for the soldiers, the improved financial condition of the Ascart Fiefdom had allowed for greater benefits for them, most notably, a raise in their sries. All of these tranted to increased prestige for the Ascarts. There was no need for the Ascarts to spread word of their deeds at all; the popce could see the improvements that were being made to their lives themselves. As such, when they learned that their proxy fief lord, Roel, was about to return from his studies, the civilians living in the vicinity of Ascart City immediately rushed to the city with excited smiles on their faces. Just a few days back, an explosive piece of news reached their ears. They learned that Roel had clinched the champion trophy in the Challenger Cup. This was indubitably a huge affair. Even when the Ascart Fiefdom was a long distance away from the Country of Schrs, most civilians were still aware of the prestigious centuries old tournament and the significance of it. All of a sudden, Roel¡¯s standing rose from just the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom to the hero of the people. Under the leadership of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, the entire city began making preparations to wee Roel back home. Dense crowds filled up both sides of borately decorated streets, leaving Roel wondering if he had stumbled upon some festival when his carriage first arrived at the city. It was only at Anna¡¯s exnation¡ªshe had been patiently waiting at the entrance of the city for Roel¡¯s return¡ªthat he realized that this fanfare was prepared just for him. ¡°As much as I appreciate the sentiment, there¡¯s no need to make such a huge fuss over this. We shouldn¡¯t disturb the people for our own personal reasons.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood, young master. While the celebration was nned by our Ascarts¡¯ manor, the people chose toe here on their own ord. They wish to wee you from the bottom of their hearts.¡± ¡°Still, this causes a huge disruption to the traffic and trade¡­¡± ¡°We made sure to announce the celebration a month in advance so that businesses can make preparations in advance. The celebration was also carefully nned to minimize disruptions on major routes. On top of that, we have also expanded the city gates ording to your blueprints so merchants can ess the city through the side gate should there be any emergency situations.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection Roel nodded in response. He first looked at the crowd around him before stepping out of his carriage and leaping to its top. He waved at his people, and his people responded with excited cheers. Looking at the smiles on the faces around him, he felt like the fatigue he had built up over the month¡¯s travel waspletely swept away. He was heartened. The people were no fools. Even if they couldn¡¯t fullyprehend what Roel was doing, they could still sense gradual improvements in their lives, and that resulted in increased support for him. Everything he had done wasn¡¯t in vain. Under the warm wee of the crowd, Roel soon arrived at the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Watching as the servants opened the gates, he suddenly felt a sense of liberation striking him. Over the past month, due to the huge procession formed by the convergence of the Ascarts and Sorofyas¡¯ convoys, they didn¡¯t meet with any danger along the way. However, within the procession itself, Roel faced an endless onught of problems created by Alicia and Charlotte. Unable topete with Charlotte under the grounds of legitimacy, Alicia had no choice but to make a tactical retreat and resort to defensive measures. Charlotte made use of this opportunity to begin her assault, resulting in a constant bustle in Roel¡¯s carriage. Be it meal time, rest time, tea time, or card time, the two women were constantlypeting with each other in the first half of the journey. Roel had hardly any private time to himself, and mediating between them left him utterly exhausted. In the end, perhaps sensing that theirpetition wasn¡¯t doing anyone a favor, they eventually decided to sign a ceasefire agreement and enjoy thetter half of the journey. Things got much better after that. Roel even spared two days to hunt together with them, though the process left him rather speechless. Anyone who had hunted before would know that it was an activity that required a diverse array of skills, be it discerning an animal¡¯s trails, tracking it, or taking it down. It could be described as a battle of wits, such that some hunters even considered it an artform. Yet, when it came to the twodies, hunting became trivialized. Charlotte tossed a coin with closed eyes to determine the location of the hunt whereas Alicia released silver birds thatbed through the forest to search for prey. Then, they would take down their prey with a simple burst of magic each time around. Hunting was supposed to be a fight against the wild, filled with passion and hot-bloodedness. Yet, there was zero excitement and tension, almost like a streamlined hunting operation. Roel had no idea what to make of this at all. It was clear to him that the two youngdies couldn¡¯t understand a man¡¯s romance toward hunting. Nevertheless, when the two of them approached him to showcase their aplishments, he still offered thempliments. He wasn¡¯t surprised by their huntingpetency, but the guards werepletely amazed by the abilities they had disyed. The hunts filled the two convoys with a joyous atmosphere as they began making preparations for a feast. Such harmonious warmth continued till a few days ago, when they finally reached a crossroad near the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s southern border. Roel and Charlotte had no choice but to reluctantly part ways. Charlotte had wanted to apany Roel into the Ascart Fiefdom, but she received a letter from her family urging her return. The arrival of the letter initially confused them, but Charlotte soon thought of something. She first assured Roel that everything was alright before quickly taking her leave. Roel was concerned, but he chose not to probe too deeply into it. Charlotte was the sessor of the Sorofyas, so she was bound to have many troubles of her own. It was already a miracle how she was able to spare so much time to apany him. Besides, she was on close terms with her family, so she would want to spend time with them over the holidays too. It was the same for Roel too. When he was still a week¡¯s journey away from the Ascart Fiefdom, he dispatched an envoy to inform Carter of his return. Both Carter and him were often busy and had hardly any time for each other; this holiday was a rare opportunity for them to catch up. Chapter 408.2: True Love Overcomes Everything! (2)

Chapter 408.2: True Love Ovees Everything! (2)

It had been several months since Roel had left the Ascarts¡¯ manor. The moment he stepped into the estate, he felt a sense of security andfort, which allowed him to better understand his heart. Life in Saint Freya Academy was exciting and fruitful. His victory in the Challenger Cup had shot him to stardom in Leinster, and he received looks of respect and admiration no matter where he went. Yet, he found that none of these mattered to him. Most youths struggled to understand the warmth of home since it was presented to them on a tter, but to Roel, who had to brave through many dangers from a young age, there were very few ces in this world that could truly make him feel safe. He was fond of the light ink fragrance suffusing the study rooms of the Ascarts¡¯ manor. He liked how the afternoon sun would shine in diagonally through his bedroom windows. He missed the tea that Anna would brew for him every morning to start off his day. These were probably insignificant in the eyes of others, but it was these minor details of everyday life that instilled in him a sense of belonging. They told him that he was home. Neither Ascart City nor the Ascarts¡¯ manor could be said to be the most amazing ce in the world, but they were one-of-a-kind to Roel. They were filled with fond memories. He wouldn¡¯t change them for anything in the world. Sitting on a chair in the dining room and leisurely sipping on a cup of red tea, Roel patiently listened to Anna¡¯s report on the development of the Ascart Fiefdom over thest few months. Alicia quietly listened in from the chair adjacent to his. Most of the recent ns concerning the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s development were vetted and set in motion by Alicia, but she chose to have Anna report on them instead of doing it herself because she didn¡¯t want to influence Roel¡¯s evaluation. She wanted to know his objective feedback on whether she had done well or not. This was an important consideration in how she determined her self-worth. She wouldn¡¯t ept herself being a baggage to her Lord Brother. Time slowly ticked by. Soon, Anna was finally done with her report. ¡°You have done well,¡± said Roel with a nod of acknowledgment. With those words, Alicia was finally freed from the crushing pressure in her chest, and her heart swelled with pride. While it was unlikely that she could defeat Roel in terms of transcendent abilities, she was confident that she could be of help to him in a fight. However, when it came to fief governance, not a single person who knew the previous state of the Ascart Fiefdom would dare im that they were superior to Roel. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection Not even Charlotte, who was known for her sharp business acuity, would dare say so. It was as if the predecessors of the Ascart House had relinquished their talents in management so that Roel could inherit all of it. Such could be seen from the earlier bustle caused by his return. Most in the Ascart Fiefdom would see it as a huge honor to receive his acknowledgment. Alicia was overjoyed to have received Roel¡¯s words of affirmation. Roel nced at the beaming Alicia and smiled as well. Having grown up together, Roel could tell what was on Alicia¡¯s mind even when she wasn¡¯t saying a word at all. Just like how she knew him better than anyone else in the world, it was the same the other way around too. He sharply noticed how many of the problems that arose during his period of absence were resolved in a manner in line with Alicia¡¯s style of doing things. A while back, some of the nearby fiefs started maliciously spreading rumors to discourage merchants from doing business with the Ascart Fiefdom. Roel and Anna would have retaliated by engaging in information warfare, but Alicia instead opted to get rid of the ones spreading the rumors. In Eyes of the Chronicler, Alicia was an agent for the Theocracy, an assassin who removed threats from the shadows. She preferred resorting to methods that resolved problems once and for all. Part of it stemmed from the nature of her upation, but her personality yed a part in it as well. Alicia was an extreme person. Her world existed in two colors, ck and white. Those whom she treasured would be more important to her than anything else in the world, but those whom she carried no attachment for would be no different from weed growing by the roadside. That was why she had no qualms taking the lives of others. When Roel took a different attitude to her and changed her future, he thought that she would grow up to be a graceful noblewoman. Things clearly didn¡¯t go as nned. Instead, the militaristic aspect of the Ascart House further drew out her innate personality. However, this wasn¡¯t a concern for Roel. Regardless of whether Alicia was a graceful noblewoman or a decisive transcendent, it made no difference to him at all. Alicia was Alicia. She was the closest kin to him, and this was a fact that would never change. Roel continued sipping his tea with a smile whereas Alicia lowered her head and immersed herself in her joy. Looking at this harmonious scene, Anna felt deeply moved. Having served Roel as his personal maid from a young age, she had a good grasp of what kind of person he was. Nevertheless, when she heard that Roel was going to enroll in Saint Freya Academy, she still felt deeply worried as the fanclub manager of the Roel X Alicia Ship. Adolescence was the age where people tended to easily lose themselves in the moment and act recklessly. It was one thing when they were in the Ascart Fiefdom, but Leinster was a city filled with youths of the same age. With Roel¡¯s looks and credentials, there were bound to be many women who would view him as their prey. There was no saying whether Roel could remain steadfast in the face of temptation. Hardly a day went by where Anna didn¡¯t worry. It was only at this very moment, when she saw the harmonious scene between the two of them, that her heart was finally put at ease. She was healed by their interactions. As expected. No matter how many distractions there are along the way, there¡¯s nothing in the world that can hope to undermine the true love that exists between young master and young miss! Before she knew it, Anna already had a warm smile on her face. The lips of the nearby servants also curled up as well as they nodded in approval. Such a simple sight had brought about a merry atmosphere in the dining room. However, the question Roel asked after finishing his cup of tea shattered the warm atmosphere. ¡°Anna, were there any letters from the Holy Capital?¡± ¡°Of course. Ever since news of your aplishments in the Challenger Cup got out, we have received quite a few congrattory letters from high nobles,¡± replied Anna with a proud smile. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with the otherster on. Bring me Nora¡¯s letter first.¡± Roel began waiting patiently for Anna to deliver the letter to his hand, but unexpected, thetter didn¡¯t move. He raised his eyebrows questioningly, and Anna¡¯s reply caused him to narrow his eyes. ¡°Young master, we didn¡¯t receive any letter from Her Highness.¡± Chapter 409: Incomprehensible Silence

Chapter 409: Iprehensible Silence

In the dining room of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, Roel frowned upon hearing Anna¡¯s words. Alicia also put down her teacup with a doubtful look on her face. Due to the limited time Nora had to apany Roel, she had always valued her exchange of letters with him. She even exploited her position as his protector to demand a minimum of two letters from him every month, saying that it was necessary for his own safety. Of course, the content of their exchange had nothing to do with his safety at all. It maddened Alicia every single time those letters arrived, but there was nothing she could do about them. She couldn¡¯t destroy those letters, not just because she knew that it would disappoint her Lord Brother but because she knew it would affect the alliance between the Ascarts and the Xeclydes too. Roel understood why Nora was doing this, and he thought that it would be disrespectful for him to simply send her the minimum amount of letters as if it was a chore. Due to that, they would usually exchange four letters every month. In fact, there was a period of time after Nora headed to the frontlines that she sent a peak of eight letters to him out of distress from their separation. These letters were her way to maintain her rtionship with Roel and remain in the race, and that was why she valued them greatly. Even if it wasn¡¯t an important asion, she would make sure to send a letter to him every now and then. Given that Roel had brought glory to the Theocracy with his victory at the Challenger Cup, it was unimaginable how she hadn¡¯t written a letter over yet. While Alicia was attempting to make sense of her old rival¡¯s thoughts, a deep frown formed on Roel¡¯s face. He knew that Nora was in the midst of awakening her bloodline. There was a tight mpdown on information regarding that as it could pose security issues, which was why he had avoided talking about it even to Alicia. Knowing the precarious state Nora was in, he couldn¡¯t help but feel worried about her. A huge reason why he had been able to remain calm so far was because Nora had returned to the Theocracy, the Xeclydes¡¯ base of operations. He thought that the Xeclydes would have a foolproof n for her condition in their thousand years of umted wisdom, but it would appear that he had been too optimistic. Writing a letter was not something that took up a lot of time or effort. Nora wouldn¡¯t have remained unmoved upon learning that he had won the championship. Even in a weakened state, she would have insisted on writing down a couple words of congrattions and have someone send it over. The fact that she didn¡¯t do so was almost a certain sign that something had happened to her. Roel¡¯s hands began fidgeting worriedly as his heart filled with worry. Noticing his reactions, Anna pondered for a moment before offering an exnation in hopes of calming him down. Afterlife Of The Party It Came From Below Free Guy: Guy Meets Girl (60 Second Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Icon (Spot) Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: Tickets On Sale (Spot) A Journal For Jordan (Teaser Trailer 1) Everyone¡¯s Talking About Jamie: (Trailer 2) He¡¯s All That (French Trailer 1) Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection ¡°Young master, could it be possible that we haven¡¯t received any letter from Her Highness Nora due to the recent traffic disruptions at the Holy Capital?¡± ¡°Traffic disruptions?¡± ¡°The military logistics officers in the Holy Capital are looking to quickly gather the autumn harvest and send one final convoy of rations to Tark Stronghold before winter. The huge scale of the operation has inevitably affected normal traffic flow, so it wouldn¡¯te as a surprise if Her Highness Nora¡¯s letter arrivedte.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Knowing that it was possible that he was just thinking too much into it, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. He decided to wait a little longer before making a move. Even though he hadn¡¯t received any letter from Nora, he did know for certain that Nora had safely arrived at the Holy Capital. There were plenty of eye-witnesses who had caught sight of her carriage in the cities he had stopped along the way. Logically speaking, Nora¡¯s safety should be assured as soon as she stepped across the Theocracy¡¯s borders. There was not a single power in the Theocracy who could hope to threaten her, and no one would dare to do so either. Any evil cultists who had the guts to pull off something like that would have already been eradicated in the past thousand years. There aren¡¯t any hostile external powers in the Theocracy that¡¯srge enough to threaten Nora, so that shouldn¡¯t be a problem. As for internal powers¡­ The thought of Bryan Elric brought a frown to Roel¡¯s face, but he quickly shook his head. He was certain there was something fishy going on with the Elric Count House, but it was unlikely that they would make a move at this juncture. The Xeclydes were currently allied with the Ascarts, cing the Elrics in a disadvantageous position. If they dared to pull something, the Xeclydes and the Ascarts would surely make use of this opportunity to get rid of them once and for all. Not to mention, the Elrics had nothing to gain from attacking Nora either. Putting aside the fact that Holy Eminence John was alive and kicking, Prince Kane was also in his prime. While Nora was the future sessor of the crown, she was nowhere as important as her father and grandfather in maintaining the stability of the Theocracy. It didn¡¯t make sense for her to be the first target. Taking a step back, if the Elrics had really decided to tear off their mask and reveal their sharp edges, the Theocracy would have fallen into a state of chaos by now. Things couldn¡¯t possibly have been as peaceful as it currently was. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Brother? Yourplexion looks awful.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing much.¡± Looking at the concerned gaze of the crimson-eyed girl, Roel shook his head and squeezed out a smile. Then, he ruffled her silver hair. ¡°Hahaha, it tickles!¡± The worry reflected on Alicia¡¯s face faded. Roel decided not to think too much into it. There was insufficient information for him to work with, so it would be useless for him to specte and worry himself out. He did have an ominous feeling, but he didn¡¯t want to ruin the atmosphere, especially when Alicia had only just returned home. The two of them enjoyed afternoon tea before proceeding to the dining room for dinner. They stuck together tillte at night before returning to their respective rooms to rest. For the next few days, they holed themselves up at home to recover from the fatigue they had umted over the long journey. During this period of time, Roel assimted what he had learned during the Challenger Cup, granting him a deeper understanding of his own powers. That gave him some ideas as to how he should advance to a higher level. Origin Level 3 was a hurdle even for Roel, who had awakened to the Ascart Bloodline. Serums and the sort had limited effectiveness on him at his current level, which meant that he had to browse through a huge amount of historical records to build up sufficient momentum for a breakthrough. So, he spent thest few days immersing himself in the library. At the same time, he also started making preparations in case something really happened to Nora. He wasn¡¯t the type to wait passively for something to really happen before making a move. He ordered the Ascarts¡¯ intelligencework to keep an eye on the happenings in the Holy Capital. To his surprise, before he received any news from the Holy Capital, he received another piece of surprising news. Carter had returned. Chapter 410: Fathers Like Daughters Better (1)

Chapter 410: Fathers Like Daughters Better (1)

Carter¡¯s return was a huge thing to both Roel and the Ascart House. The Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s military had grown increasingly active ever since the deviants reappeared at the eastern border a few years back. There had been an increase in military missions, and there had been several mass recruitments in the Holy Capital thus far. All of these spelled an increased burden on the logistical branch of the army, which tranted into a massive increase in workload for its chief, Carter Ascart. It was easy to overlook the importance of the logistical branch, thinking that they were just inconsequential backline personnel, but they yed a vital role in determining the oue of a war. An army could guard a fortress for months despite being outnumbered, but the moment their supply chain was cut off, they would fall within days. Fighting a war swiftly depleted a person¡¯s vitality, and in the Sia Continent, there was an additional resource known as ¡®mana¡¯ too. Without ample replenishments, an army would be significantly weakened after a day of fighting. Even worse, the soldiers might lose morale. Morale was something invisible and intangible, but most famedmanders were known for their ability in rousing their soldiers¡¯ fighting will. There were many ways to build up morale, be it instilling a sense of pride through winning multiple battles or nurturing a sense of loyalty through years of camaraderie. Even offering incentives could motivate soldiers to a certain extent. However, when it came to maintaining morale, military rations were necessary. How high could an army¡¯s morale get when everyone was starving? Disciplined armies could get away with just a slip in fighting will and tenacity, but in worse cases, it could lead to desertion or even a mutiny. Of the wars from both worlds that Roel was aware of, there was not a single army that had been able to maintain their morale without ample replenishments. Even in Rosa¡¯s war for independence, the starved soldiers were only barely able to stand their ground due to an ancestor of the Sorofyas slicing off his arm to feed them. As the patriarch of a military house, Carter also understood the vital importance of the logistical function, which was why he took his job seriously. He often tagged along with convoys to personally oversee the transportation of goods. His workload was even higher than some of the frontlinemanders. That was why Carter was often away over thest few years. A joyous atmosphere infected the Ascarts¡¯ manor when the servants learned about Carter¡¯s imminent return. The prolonged departure of their masters had turned the manor cold and empty, and that had left them rather ufortable. Even the chefs had been out of work for almost six months now. Just like any family member of a military personnel, the notion of being reunited with his father filled Roel¡¯s heart with delight despite his unease over Nora¡¯s affairs. Under Anna¡¯smand, the Ascarts¡¯ manor quickly got into a cleaning and maintenance spree. All of the furniture, handrails, and objects that tended to be easily blemished were scrutinized and repaired. Antiques were carried out of the storage room and ced along the corridors. A brilliant red carpet was unrolled all the way till the streets. Roel started nning celebration events for Ascart City too. Many of the administrative officials were Carter¡¯s old subordinates, so they were supportive of the celebration events. While Carter didn¡¯t have Roel¡¯s skills in fiefdom management, he had also contributed to the people in his own way. He had helped build up the Ascart Fiefdom as a military powerhouse and worked hard to maintain a high level of security and stability, thus allowing the people to live in peace. Knowing this, the people held great respect toward Carter. On top of that, Carter wasn¡¯t returning alone; he had brought back over a thousand soldiers from the Ascart Fiefdom with him so that they could catch up with their loved ones. His consideration had won him widespread appreciation, especially from the family members of those soldiers. Three days after Roel¡¯s return, Carter finally arrived at Ascart City with the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s Third Knight Order. Evening was usually marked with the gradual quieting down of the city, but today, the streets were enlivened with triumphant melodies, singing, and dancing. The civilians waited along the streets with smiles, waiting for the return of their heroes. As the Third Knight Order entered the city gates, the crowd let out excited cheers. Wives shouted their husbands¡¯ names while the children waved at their fathers. The crowd only continued to grow denser into the city, till the city square, where Roel and Alicia were waiting. Roel was dressed in a sharp suit, and he stood upright with a gentle smile as he waited for the arrival of his father. On the other hand, Alicia wore a ck gown that contrasted beautifully with her fair skin. Conventions dictated that siblings ought to stand beside each other, but Alicia insisted on taking her ce a step behind Roel, a ce usually reserved for his wife. Roel tried to dissuade her from it, but she was awfully obstinate about it. This was not the first time something like that happened, and Roel thought that the reason behind it was because Alicia felt that she had a lower standing in the Ascart House being an adopted child. Worried that this mentality might lead to self-esteem issues, he even tried to counsel her when they were younger, but she refused to change her mind no matter what he said, and he eventually got used to it. It went without saying that Alicia had other thoughts in mind, but she had chosen to withhold them from Roel, at least for the time being. Typical of such military parades, the Third Knight Order proceeded across the streets at a moderate pace so as to unt its airs. Roel had known that the event would take quite some time, so he stood gracefully and patiently waited. It was already half an hour before the Knight Order finally arrived at the city square. The soldiers at the forefront of the procession quickly got into two formations along both sides of the city square before Carter finally stood out of the carriage and showed himself. Several years had already passed, but there was hardly any change in Carter¡¯s appearance. However, his disposition was even sharper than before, possibly due to his involvement in the war, granting him a natural intimidating aura. However, the man who alighted from the carriage wasn¡¯t the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s chief logistics officer but a father who had just returned home to his two children. His intimidating air immediately disappeared, and his expression softened into a fatherly smile. Chapter 410.2: Fathers Like Daughters Better (2)

Chapter 410.2: Fathers Like Daughters Better (2)

Roel and Alicia quickly stepped forward and respectfully greeted their father. ¡°Wee home, father.¡± ¡°We¡¯re overjoyed to have you back, Lord Father.¡± ¡°I¡¯m home. I¡¯ve kept you waiting.¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Lord Father, it¡¯s our duty as your children to wee you back from the battlefield.¡± Roel and Alicia performed a graceful bow, showcasing their air of nobility. Their movements were so smooth that the spectators couldn¡¯t resist letting out awed sighs. Carter nodded with an approving smile. ¡°The two of you have grown quite a bit, though it seems like there isn¡¯t any change in your rtionship.¡± ¡°Naturally. Alicia has helped me greatly while you weren¡¯t around. She¡¯ll be a cherished family member to me no matter what happens.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia widened her eyes upon hearing those abrupt words. She knew what Roel was trying to express, but those words were so reminiscent of a confession that she couldn¡¯t stop her heart from beating fast. Roel wasn¡¯t able to see Alicia¡¯s reaction from where he was standing, but Carter was able to see it as clear as day. With a heartened smile, he was finally able to put aside a boulder that had been crushing his chest. In the past six months, while most people in the Ascarts¡¯ manor were worried that Roel would sumb to temptation and cast away the silver-haireddy whom he had grown up with, it was the opposite for Carter. The one he was worried about wasn¡¯t Roel but Alicia. It was often said that a father would best understand his son, but this adage didn¡¯t apply in the Ascart House. As a non-awakener, Carter was unable to offer any meaningful guidance to Roel, but he was well aware of Alicia¡¯s situation. Alicia was the most talented transcendent that Carter had ever met in his lifetime, surpassing his wildest imaginations. Even Her Highness Nora, despite being one of the most talented Xeclydes, was a tad bitckingpared to her. On top of that, she was beautiful even as a child, and she had only grown more gorgeous over the years. To be fair, Roel wasn¡¯tcking in those two aspects either, but perhaps because fathers tended to favor daughters more, Carter thought that Alicia was much more outstanding. In fact, he was having difficultiesprehending how the ¡®perfectly ordinary¡¯ Roel was winning the hearts of so many women. ¡°L-Lord Father, I promise you that the feelings between me and Lord Brother will never change! We¡¯ll work hard to build up the Ascart House together, so please rest assured!¡± In response to Roel¡¯s ¡®confession¡¯, Alicia bucked up her courage and uttered wife-esque words with furiously blushing cheeks. Those words ayed Carter¡¯s worries, and he looked at the two of them with a warm smile. After a prompt exchange of pleasantries, the three of them boarded the carriage, and the soldiers escorted them all the way to the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Upon reaching the destination, Carter officially dismissed them from their duties, and the soldiers broke out into exuberant cheers. They quickly evacuated the premises to dive into their long-awaited break. ¡­ It had been a long time since three pairs of cutleries had appeared on the dining table of the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Carter took the principal seat at the end of the table whereas Roel and Alicia settled on his right. It had been some time since their feeding sessions had stopped, but out of habit, the two of them continued to sit adjacent instead of opposite to each other. Roel was dense when it came to such minute day-to-day life details, and Alicia had no intention of reminding him. The servants had always been supportive of their feelings, and Carter was more than relieved to see that their positions hadn¡¯t changed from before. Thanks to this little detail, the atmosphere was already warm even before dinner was served. Roel did notice the bright smiles around him, but he thought that it was just a natural reaction arising from the joyous asion. On the other hand, Alicia understood the meaning behind Carter¡¯s smile, which caused her face to redden once more. To her relief, Carter didn¡¯t talk about it but instead turned to Roel to chat about other matters. ¡°I did hear some rumors about it all this while, but I still found it hard to believe. It was only when I received a letter from your teacher that I was finally convinced that you won the Challenger Cup. I heard that the tournament was exceptionally intense this year?¡± ¡°It is. We had transfer students from Knight Kingdom Pendor participating in the tournament as well, so thepetition was rife.¡± ¡°The Knight Kingdom? How unexpected.¡± Surprised by the news, Carter stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Then, he directed a satisfied smile toward Roel andvished thetter withpliments. ¡°In any case, you have done well. You brought our Ascart Fiefdom and the Theocracy honor, boosting the morale of our people in this exceptional time. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re ttering me, father. I was just lucky.¡± ¡°Now now, there¡¯s no need for you to be so humble and formal at home. You¡¯re making it seem like I¡¯m an outsider¡­ I know that those fellows from the Knight Kingdom can¡¯t possibly be defeated with just luck,¡± remarked Carter as he shook his head wistfully. Roel blinked his eyes in surprise. Huh? Does this mean that my father has some connections with the Knight Kingdom? But isn¡¯t the Knight Kingdom keeping its distance away from us due to the prophecy? Perplexed, Roel nced at Alicia, who looked equally confused by the situation. He gave the matter some thought before asking with his usual tone. ¡°Father, are you acquainted with the nobles of the Knight Kingdom?¡± ¡°Yes, I do know some of them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s surprising¡­ As far as I know, you have never visited the Knight Kingdom, right? How did you get to know them?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve indeed never visited the Knight Kingdom before. However, the nobles from the Knight Kingdom are able toe over.¡± Carter chuckled softly before exining how he came to be acquainted with nobles from the Knight Kingdom. Each country was assigned with a different part of the eastern border to protect. Conditions could vary greatly as the eastern border stretched over a long distance, but most of them relied on fortress warfare to hold their ground. The Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Tark Stronghold had never been overrun by the deviants since its construction, making it a model example for others. There were no official derations thus far, but along with the reappearance of the deviants, most countries had started sending their armies over to guard the eastern border. It was there Carter met with the nobles from the Knight Kingdom. ¡°Pendor¡¯s fortress construction technology isgging behind us, but most of them have powerful bloodline abilities. The one that left the strongest impression of me was a berserker whose body was like a savage beast. His keen de was able to easily tear through any magic defenses, making him a frightening adversary for any traditional spellcasters. It was fortunate that I was prepared against it, and I managed to narrowly defeat that fellow in the end.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Carter reminisced about the friendly duels they had between their armies, the expression on Roel¡¯s face grew bizarre. Savage beast, easily tear through any magic defenses¡­ Isn¡¯t that Selina¡¯s family? In other words, while I was bullying Selina in the Challenger Cup, my father crushed her father at the eastern border? That¡¯s a little¡­ pitiful. Roel felt guilt-ridden thinking about how he had inadvertently driven Selina to tears while teasing her. However, he was soon reminded of a more important issue. ¡°Father, you came here from the Holy Capital, right? Do you have any news about Nora?¡± Chapter 411: An Unexpected Gift (1)

Chapter 411: An Unexpected Gift (1)

In the Ascarts¡¯ manor¡¯s dining room, Roel stared intently at Carter, hoping that his father might have some news for him. ¡°I might havee from the direction of the Holy Capital, but I didn¡¯t enter the city. I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have much news about Her Highness. I heard that Her Highness has withdrawn from the Challenger Cup because she was feeling unwell? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the case. She entrusted me with the mission of clinching the champion trophy before returning to Saint Mesit Theocracy.¡± ¡°It looks like you have perfectly aplished her mission.¡± Carter avoided asking about Nora¡¯s physical condition, choosing instead to quickly conclude the topic with a passing remark. He knew that it was likely that Nora had told Roel something before returning to the Theocracy considering their close ties, but that information was potentially confidential considering how he hadn¡¯t heard a word about it thus far. He knew that he would be putting Roel in a spot if he chose to probe deeper into the matter, so he decided simply not to. There was huge contention in the Theocracy over Nora¡¯s withdrawal from the Challenger Cup. National pride was at stake here, so it was inevitable for the popce to feel frustrated when one of the top candidates from their nation abruptly withdrew from the tournament. Fortunately, the public outrage was somewhat offset by Roel¡¯s victory. The Ascarts and Xeclydes were known to be close allies in recent years, and the popce was satisfied with the final oue. Thanks to that, no one harped on the issue. Carter was ddened at how things had ended amicably. He knew how important it was for the Theocracy to remain united at this juncture, and disunity could spell a catastrophe for humankind. ¡°Lord Father, I heard that there has been quite a lot of logistical movements in the Holy Capital recently. You must be swamped with work. You ought to take care of yourself.¡± The atmosphere on the dining table turned slightly heavy as Carter and Roel fell into a pensive mood, so Alicia decided to clear the air by raising another topic. Carter was slightly surprised by the sudden show of concern before replying with a smile. ¡°Mhm. The Holy Capital has decided to bolster our forces at Tark Stronghold, so we had to send more rations over to the frontlines to support the increase in manpower. It¡¯s fortunate that we had a good harvest this year, so there¡¯s no strain on our food supply. However, this has nothing much to do with me. Contrary to what you expect, my workload decreased.¡± Carter shook his head before exining the reasons to them. The war against the deviants had been intensifying in recent years, so most countries had been trying to expand their army through holding mass recruitments and offering greater incentives for soldiers. However, it was inevitable that newly recruited soldiers might becking experience, so they were first assigned to the logistics department to ¡®intern¡¯ there first. Delivering rations might seem like no big deal, but the operation demanded a high level of discipline from the soldiers. The journey was designed to be fast-paced to minimize the consumption of rations, and the soldiers had to remain alert to threats throughout the journey. On top of that, the road to the eastern border wasn¡¯t safe. Most countries rarely bothered maintaining those areas since there were few humans residing near the eastern border, thus making it a haven for demonic beasts. Deviants who had escaped the detection of the frontline troops would asionally appear in the vicinity too. On top of that, there were no major cities one could rest in along the way. That being said, it was still much safer than how it would have usually been thanks to Carter¡¯s efforts. Otherwise, the trip to the eastern border would have been like a trip to Neverevend. Armies could easily lose their way in the absence of an established path, and that could spell a wipeout in the barren eastern border. Roel and Alicia patiently listened to Carter¡¯s exnation about the eastern border. This was the first time they were hearing about all of these since Carter had never talked about his work. It was likely that Carter thought that Roel had finally grown up after learning that thetter had won the Challenger Cup, so he decided to put aside his reservations and talk about such matters. Roel could somewhat guess his father¡¯s thoughts. For the longest time, Carter had already decided that it didn¡¯t matter to him whether Roel could make it big or not. All he really wanted was for his son to remain safe. That was why he was hesitant to expose Roel to the side of the world he was in. However, Roel¡¯s victory at the Challenger Cup had changed his mind. As the number one person of the younger generation, the top echelons of many countries had already started to see Roel as one of the future leaders of humankind. There was a good chance that he would eventually be involved in the highest level decision-making that would determine the fate of humankind. For that, Roel had to expand his horizons and grasp a deeper understanding of the reality around him. Carter was well-versed in the situation over at the eastern border as the highestmander in the logistics department, which put him in a good position to fill in some of the gaps in Roel¡¯s knowledge. This would also mentally prep Roel for what he might potentially face in the future. Understanding all of these, Roel felt a tinge of warmth in his heart. However, there was one thing he had gotten wrong. His father was not just teaching him here. Those words were intended for Alicia too. Carter saw Alicia as a huge reserve of untapped potential, and he had little doubt that she would surely draw the eyes of many when she finally made her debut in Saint Freya Academy. Many would likely see her as the future hope of humankind. He saw no harm in imparting such knowledge to her in advance. Time flew past swiftly as Carter shared details about the eastern border in the form of interesting snippets of news. The two youths were fully immersed in Carter¡¯s stories, such that it was only when dessert was served that Roel finally remembered his other mission. ¡°Anna, the trophy.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Under Roel¡¯s order, the maid carefully lifted the Challenger Cup by its base and respectfully presented it to Carter. Looking at the trophy he had once seen from afar decades ago, Carter¡¯s face began flushing in excitement. Every generation of students in Saint Freya Academy would get an opportunity to participate in the Challenger Cup. Carter was no exception either. Twenty years ago, he sessfully cleared the preliminary round, but he was unlucky to have encountered a strong opponent in his first elimination round and ended up getting disqualified. That loss came as a huge blow to the young Carter. It made him work even harder for the years toe, allowing him to grow faster than most of his peers. In a sense, one could say that the Challenger Cup had motivated him to be the person he was. Back then, he would have never imagined that his child would actually avenge him twenty yearster and gloriously bring the Challenger Cup back home. Touching the 56 delicate jewels embedded on the Challenger Cup representing its iteration, Carter felt a sudden rush of pride. He wondered if he would have felt as happy if he had received the trophy himself, especially after seeing the quote and signature on it. To the 56th Champion of the Challenger Cup, Roel Ascart, May glory apany you on your journey. Shine as brightly as the stars. -The Organizing Committee of the Challenger Cup ¡°Wonderful! Splendid!¡± With his hands on the prestigious Challenger Cup, Carter could hardly stoppliments from flowing out of his mouth. A smile formed on Roel¡¯s lips too. As delighted as he was to be acknowledged by his father, he hadn¡¯t forgotten about his agreement with his teacher. ¡°Speaking of which, father, Miss Chris might be making a house visit within the next few days. I heard that she¡¯s an old acquaintance of yours during your time in the academy. Would it be convenient for you to meet her?¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s only right for me to meet and thank her in person. It¡¯s with her help that you were able to win the Challenger Cup. It¡¯s our honor that she¡¯s willing to spare time to visit us. We must make sure to wee her warmly!¡± replied the excited Carter with charismatic decisiveness. Roel and Alicia exchanged looks and heaved a sigh of relief together. ording to their n, Chris should still be by the border of the Theocracy at the moment. Roel and Alicia didn¡¯t inform Chris about their father¡¯s return right away out of worry that their father would be unwilling to meet her. No matter how much they supported Chris, they still had to respect their father¡¯s will. This was the bare minimum they ought to do as their father¡¯s children. Fortunately, Carter appeared to have a good impression of Chris, especially after Roel¡¯s victory at the Challenger Cup. This might just be a good opportunity for Chris to strike. ¡°We can send news over now.¡± ¡°Leave it to me, Lord Brother.¡± While Carter was busy admiring the Challenger Cup, Roel and Alicia quickly made ns to send word over to Chris. This was the farthest they could interfere in their affairs. Whether those two managed to get together or not would depend on Chris. Roel muttered a prayer for his spinster teacher. The three of them continued to chat tillte at night before retiring to their rooms. Chapter 411.2: An Unexpected Gift (2)

Chapter 411.2: An Unexpected Gift (2)

In the days toe, Roel shared the current progress of his transcendent abilities with Carter, which greatly astounded the marquess. ¡°You have reached the bottleneck of Origin Level 4? Are you certain?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain about it. I¡¯ve been sensing a feeling of power satiation within me recently, especially after the Challenger Cup,¡± replied Roel. Those words convinced Carter. A feeling of power satiation was a sign that one was on the verge of a breakthrough to Origin Level 3. He had been through that phase himself, but even so, Roel¡¯s progress was way too fast. All this while, Carter believed that Roel¡¯s fast growth was due to thete awakening of his bloodline. He thought that Roel¡¯s umted effort had sprung him forward, allowing him to develop his transcendental abilities at an unprecedented rate. But still, reaching the bottleneck of Origin Level 4 within less than two years was utterly ridiculous. It broke themon sense of the world. Carter initially thought that Roel was able to win the Challenger Cup due to the ancient spell that temporarily boosted his power to Origin Level 3. However, from the looks of it, Roel was quite a fearsome transcendent even without the ancient spell. It made Carter look at Roel with a conflicted gaze. Thews of the Sia Continent dictated that great power came at a great cost. Roel must have braved through untold dangers to undergo such swift growth, but the youth had never before said a word about it to him. Carter realized that he was never there for his son, and it filled him with guilt. When his failure to care for Roel in his childhood years turned thetter into a rebellious little tyrant, he swore to himself that he would do better. Years had passed since then, but he found that he was still in the same position as before. He was still never there for his son when his son really needed him. There were many excuses he could make for himself, such as his duties as a noble and the huge contributions he had made to humankind, but without a doubt, he was a failure as a father. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to imagine what would have happened if Roel hadn¡¯t matured early and learned to maneuver around on his own. If something had really happened to Roel, he would have wallowed in regret. The mixture of guilt and pride he felt for his child made the marquess sigh softly. He shook off those thoughts from his mind and started imparting to Roel his experiences in making a breakthrough to Origin Level 3. His insights provided Roel with a deeper understanding of transcendental abilities. Even though Roel had defeated multiple high-level transcendents to date, that didn¡¯t mean that he was necessarily stronger than them. Most of his formidable aplishments were achieved in the Witness State, where the ancient gods were not as limited by Roel¡¯s own strength and were thus generally stronger. He could raise his power to Origin Level 3 with Peytra¡¯s Blessing, but that was a quantitative improvement, not a qualitative one. That was why he was anxious to end the battle with Wilhelmina during the finals of the Challenger Cup. He knew that he was stillckingpared to a real Origin Level 3, especially in terms of his understanding of transcendental powers. That was why he wanted to seek the guidance of an experienced high-level transcendent, and Carter, as a veteran Origin Level 2 expert, fitted the bill. Through the exnations, he also became cognizant of the gap between him and Carter. The term ¡®Origin Level 2 transcendent¡¯ was synonymous with ¡®powerhouse¡¯ in the Sia Continent. Origin Level 2 transcendents wielded great say even in major countries like the Saint Mesit Theocracy and the Austine Empire. Every single one of them were renowned prodigies of their respective eras, the survivors of countless battles. Their skills and control of mana had been continuously refined with time and rued experience, and that was something Roel struggled to match. He was starting to get a rough grasp of Carter¡¯s strength through thetter¡¯s impartation of knowledge. Most likely, Carter was an expert even amongst Origin Level 2 transcendents. That would exin how he became the Chief Magician of the Saint Mesit Theocracy and defeated the patriarch of the Knight Kingdom¡¯s Bess House during a friendly spar. Roel gave it some thought, but he didn¡¯t think that he would be a match for his father even after using Peytra¡¯s Blessing. The gap in each Origin Level was a huge hurdle to ovee. He might still stand a chance against an Origin Level 2 schr, but against a veteran fighter, the most he could hope for was to be able to stand his ground. After several days of learning from Carter¡¯s insights, he finally found a direction for him to work toward. Once again, he buried himself in the library¡¯s historical records and patiently awaited Chris¡¯ arrival. It was for the first time Carter and Chris were meeting each other after twenty years, so there was bound to be some degree of awkwardness between them. Chris had also proven herself to be inept in the field of romance, such that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for her to stutter in Carter¡¯s presence. Given so, it was impossible for Roel not to feel nervous about it. He had spoken to Alicia about it, and the two of them had agreed to help her whenever the conversation got too awkward. But before Chris could arrive at the Ascart Fiefdom, a convoy filled with goods arrived first. ¡­ In the lounge of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, the servants were busy transporting exquisite boxes containing valuable treasures to the lounge, where they opened the boxes one by one to ascertain the goods. Not too long ago, a convoy from the Holy Capital¡¯s Labyrinth Vi arrived at the Ascart Fiefdom, bringing with it many valuable treasures from nobles all over the Theocracy. The purpose behind their gifts was simple¡ªto congratte Roel for winning the Challenger Cup. Roel¡¯s victory was so abrupt that the nobles hadn¡¯t been able to make any preparations in advance. Thankfully, it was not their first time encountering such a situation, and they had just the countermeasure for it. They would first deliver their congrattions before sending in the giftster on. One could technically view those congrattory letters to be debt notes. They were all nobles, so it wouldn¡¯t do for them to make empty promises. Whether it was to uphold their pride as nobles or their own credibility, they would usually make sure to deliver the promised gifts. As the receiver of the gifts, Roel had his own responsibilities too. It went without saying that he had to write a reply letter upon receiving the gifts, but other than that, he also had to evaluate the value of the gifts and record them down. He would have to make sure to reciprocate with a gift of equivalent or slightly higher value when asions that warranted a gift arose, such as the other party¡¯s birthday. It really didn¡¯t matter whether one had the financial means or not. It was the way of the nobles to put on a wealthy appearance even if they had to go into debt for it. Given that Roel had just be the number one person of the younger generation, they would have to make sure to send something worthy of his stature. ¡°Belfast Marquess House, an untarnished Golden Bear skin tapestry. Estimated value: 3500 gold coins.¡± ¡°Weiss Marquess House, Seven-colored Calming Flower Vase, magic tool. Any flowers in it will permanently remain in full bloom, and the fragrance it emanates treats insomnia. Estimated value: 4000 gold coins.¡± ¡°Lucerne Ducal House, ¡®Forest of Twelve Deers¡¯. Decorative ornament, one of the masterpieces of famed painter Weygin. Estimated value: 5000 gold coins.¡± ¡­ Roel sat on the sofa and enjoyed a cup of tea while listening to Anna¡¯s exnation on each of the treasures. However, when it came to a little wooden box inscribed with the Xeclydes¡¯ insignia, Anna¡¯s voice suddenly trailed to a halt. ¡°Young master, this¡­¡± She was stunned for several seconds before she carefully brought the wooden box up to Roel. Sensing that something was amiss, Roel put down his teacup before taking a closer look. The interior of the box was inscribed with a beautiful artwork depicting one of the church¡¯s legends, and at the center of the beautiful artwork was a ring bearing the insignia of the Xeclydes sitting quietly upon precious red satin. ¡°This is¡­!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes narrowed the moment he caught sight of the ring. He pulled the box closer to him to take a closer look, but his face only turned even grimmer. A ring bearing a noble house¡¯s insignia was a token only core members of a noble house were qualified to carry. Its significance was bound to be even greater for royal families like the Xeclydes. This was the type of gift that the receiver would have to humbly reject even if the Xeclydes were to offer it to them. In other words¡­ Holy Eminence John wishes me to visit him? Roel frowned. He spent a few seconds thinking about it before making his way to Carter¡¯s room. Chapter 412: That Works Too? (1)

Chapter 412: That Works Too? (1)

Not all nobles were qualified to wear rings bearing their house insignia. These essories often represented power, and to entrust it to someone else meant giving away a portion of one¡¯s power. Only the patriarch and the sessor of a noble house were qualified to wear a ring bearing the house insignia. Normal household members were strictly barred from wearing them, especially outsiders. That was also the reason why Anna didn¡¯t make a huge fuss but instead presented it to Roel right away. Even though Roel was on good terms with Holy Eminence John, and the Ascarts and the Xeclydes were in an alliance, he wasn¡¯t so narcissistic as to think that Holy Eminence John would actually give their house ring to him. It was even more impossible for thetter to send out the wrong gift. Decorum was important in the circle of nobility, and the royal family, viewed to be the leaders of the nobles, were expected to maintain the highest level of standards. To avoid faux pas, any gifts from the royal family would have to undergo multiple checks before being sent out. It was impossible for something as quintessential as the house ring to be sent out erroneously. Holy Eminence John was old, but he wasn¡¯t senile. Transcendents tended to grow wiser as they advanced in age. It was likely that there was a deeper significance behind this gesture, and Roel believed it to be a subtle invitation for him to pay Holy Eminence John a visit. In the process of returning the ring, Roel would be granted ess to the royal pce without having to undergo cumbersome bureaucratic procedures, meaning that he would be able to avoid drawing attention. In other words, Holy Eminence John was telling him to sneak into the Holy Capital. He also found a congrattory letter that came with the ring, and there were two particr lines that drew his attention. ¡¾May glory guide your way. I anticipate our imminent meeting.¡¿ ¡°May glory guide my way? Well, I guess there¡¯s no greater representation of glory than this,¡± murmured Roel as he stared helplessly at the ring sitting on his palm. He showed the letter and the ring to Carter, who gave the matter some thought before arriving at the same conclusion as Roel. ¡°It does appear to be an order for you to discreetly enter the Holy Capital. I just can¡¯t figure out what His Eminence¡¯s aim is. Does he have a mission for you? Or could this be something involving¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, I also think that it might be something rting to Her Highness Nora.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯d be best for you to set off as soon as possible. Your teacher is arriving in a few days¡¯ time, right? We could use her as a cover to conceal your whereabouts,¡± said Carter as he stroked his lower jaw contemtively. Roel nodded in agreement. If Holy Eminence John truly wanted him to discreetly visit him at the royal pce, it would be ideal for him to leave during Chris¡¯ visit. Chris was not just any teacher; she was one of the few sage teachers in the Country of Schrs, not to mention the youngest one. She was a rising star in Brolne¡¯s prestigious education system. There were countless people out there who wanted to get close to her. It was an honor to have her visit one¡¯s house. Any other noble would have ensured that all of their family members were present as a gesture of respect. For that reason, no one would expect Roel, her very student, to be absent during her visit. Of course, Chris wouldn¡¯t have minded Roel¡¯s absence since her true aim wasn¡¯t to visit him but to woo the senior she deeply loved. It was just that no one knew about it, not even Carter, thus making it the perfect cover. There were still two more days before Chris¡¯ arrival. After some discussion with his father, Roel decided to bide his time and wait for an opportune moment to sneak away. The fact that Holy Eminence John had resorted to sending over the Xeclydes¡¯ invaluable house ring signalled that it was much more important to keep his movements confidential than to rush over. There could be special circumstances at y here, so it would be best for them to move carefully. Roel wasn¡¯t sure what he would encounter in the Holy Capital, so he decided to gather his heretical army just to be safe. The Strength Sect and Unyielding Sect were independent armies directly under Roel¡¯s jurisdiction. Thanks to Grandar and Peytra¡¯s influence, he had the absolute loyalty of these two sects, making them trustworthy subordinates whom he could entrust important missions to. It hadn¡¯t been long since the two heretical sects arrived in the Ascart Fiefdom, and they hadn¡¯t fought any battles within the fiefdom yet, so there weren¡¯t too many people who knew about their existence. So, Roel intended to disguise them as wandering mercenaries and bring them with him. One potential problem was the church, which wasn¡¯t too tolerant of heretics, but that shouldn¡¯t pose too much of a problem. As long as the group carried a permit from the Ascart House, the members of the church were unlikely to find trouble with them. Putting aside the fact that the Ascarts and the Xeclydes were in an alliance, it wasmon knowledge that Roel and Nora were close childhood friends. Many spected that the Ascarts could be the inws with the Xeclydes in the near future. Anyone with any semnce of reasoning power would know better than to mess with the Ascarts. Such could be seen by how the church¡¯s clergymen had chosen to turn a blind eye to the heretics led by Alicia while they were at the Eirbower Dukedom. Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil. That was the attitude the church had chosen to take. That being said, it didn¡¯t mean that everything was perfect. Heretics naturally stood out in the Saint Mesit Theocracy due to how rare they had be after the March Turmoil, but secrecy was of utmost importance for this journey. He needed a pretext to justify the presence of the heretics. The Sorofya Merchant Association¡ªthat was his answer to the problem. It just so happened that the manager of the Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters situated in the Holy Capital was Arwen, a close acquaintance of his. In his younger years, Roel had conducted a trade with Arwen that changed both their lives. Arwen was promoted to the manager of the Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters, granting him highest executive powers over all of the association¡¯s business transactions in the Saint Mesit Theocracy. On the other hand, Roel managed to strike up a connection with Charlotte. Arwen had initially helped Roel because he felt that thetter would grow to prominence in the near future, and that perception was only further reinforced when he learned about thetter¡¯s engagement with Charlotte Sorofya. Every festive asion, Arwen would think up all sorts of excuses to stuff gifts into the Ascarts¡¯ manor as a gesture of goodwill. He had also contributed greatly to the development of the Ascart Fiefdom over the years. It would be much easier to sneak into the Holy Capital if Roel could secure Arwen¡¯s help, especially considering the current season change. Commercial activities tended to peak aroundte autumn to early winter as merchants rushed to deliver rations into cities. This was even more so for the Theocracy, where the country had signed agreements with major merchant associations for bulk purchases of winter rations. The major merchant associations would first sell the rations to the country based on previously fixed prices. Over the course of winter, the country would gradually release the rations through associated retailers to ensure that there was ample food supply in the market to maintain price stability. Otherwise, opportunistic merchants might attempt to stockpile rations and incite a food shortage so as to drive up prices. This was one of the few policies that was implemented throughout the Theocracy due to its unequivocal importance in ensuring the livelihood of the general popce. To facilitate the transportation of rations, the Theocracy would issue two-month ess passes to the contracted major merchant associations, which exempted them from lengthy bureaucratic procedures and lengthy border checks. That was exactly what Roel needed at the moment. Under the cover of the Sorofya Merchant Association, he should be able to get to the Holy Capital without a hitch. Roel ran through his n over and over again to work out the kinks before making preparations for it. Chapter 412.2: That Works Too? (2)

Chapter 412.2: That Works Too? (2)

It was a perfectly ordinary day that Chris finally arrived in Ascart City. There was no fanfare as themon popce knew neither who Chris was nor the significance of her arrival. To them, sage teachers were just better teachers. They couldn¡¯t understand the sheer influence each sage teacher possessed through theirwork of connections. The graduates of Saint Freya Academy were talents that every country fought over, and the requirement to bing a sage teacher was to nurture over a hundred elite graduates. There wasn¡¯t a strong teacher-student culture in the Sia Continent, but the influence that a sage teacher wielded still far surpassed that of anynded noble. There were even some veteran sage teachers who possessed greater authority than the royal family of a smaller country! Those who managed to be sage teachers had their own pride, which was why they rarely got chummy with anyone. This was the first time the youngest ever sage teacher, Chris Wilde, was making a house visit, but there wasn¡¯t the slightest haughtinessing from her. On the contrary, she appeared nervous and fretful. ¡°Miss Chris, there are some urgent matters over at the Holy Capital that I need to attend to, so I¡¯m afraid that I can only apany you for a day. You should have already received my letter, right?¡± ¡°I-I did, but¡­ how do I proceed with this house visit without you around?¡± ¡°Rest assured, Miss Chris. Alicia will be there to help you out. Besides, the purpose of a house visit is for the teacher to have a conversation with the parent, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that, but still¡­¡± Looking at Chris, who was distraught to the point that she couldn¡¯t stop her limbs from trembling, Roel revealed a worry frown. He hadn¡¯t expected time to shave away so much of her courage. The youngdy who had bravely confessed to her crush back then was already suffering a mental breakdown before she could meet with her first love. ¡°Miss Chris, are you alright? If you aren¡¯t confident, we could postpone the house visit till I return from the Holy Capital?¡± ¡°O-of course I am confident! Do I look unconfident to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Don¡¯t you have any self-awareness? Roel was left at a loss for words. The carriage continued trudging down the streets till it finally arrived at the Ascarts¡¯ manor. At this point, it was no longer possible for Chris to back out. The Ascarts¡¯ manor had been refurbished to wee the esteemed guest. The patriarch-cum-parent Carter was already waiting by the foyer, ready to wee the guest. Standing behind him was a white-dressed Alicia. Chris was also dressed formally for the asion. To ensure a pleasant ¡®first meeting¡¯, she had swapped out her usual loose robes for a rare gown. Her hair was alsobed neatly in ce. To ensure that there was no odor on her, she even abstained from smoking for a week. When the carriage finally came to a halt, Roel first alighted from the carriage to open up the path for his teacher. Carter also stepped forward with a smile. Chris took in a few deep breaths before garnering the courage to alight from the carriage. Yet, the moment she came face to face with the middle-aged man awaiting her, all of the mental preparations she had made for this long-awaited meeting went down the drain. Staring at the senior whom she had dearly missed over the years, she found that he was very different from how she remembered him. The hot-blooded youth in her memories had matured into a dependable adult, and the zeal in his eyes had been reced with sagaciousness. But there was still amonality between the youth in her memories and the middle-aged man standing in front of her, and that was the feeling of intimacy from reuniting with a close acquaintance. While Chris gawked at the middle-aged man, thetter also fell quiet at the abrupt reunion with his old mentee. Silence loomed between the two of them. It was only when the youth in her memories ovepped with the man before her that Chris finally snapped out of her daze. ¡°It has been a long time, senior.¡± ¡°Indeed it has been. Wee to the Ascart House, Chris.¡± After greeting each other, Chris did a slight curtsy before gracefully walking forth to engage Carter in a conversation. There was a look of nostalgia on Carter¡¯s face as he began asking about how she had fared over the years. Behind the duo, Roel and Alicia exchanged surprised looks. The atmosphere between Chris and Carter was much more amicable than they had expected. It looked like their worries had been in vain. Comparing the paranoid woman a moment ago to the dignified Chris before him, Roel wondered if this was what they called the power of love. In any case, he was d to see that things were going well. It looks like there isn¡¯t any need for me, Roel thought. With a relieved smile, he followed the duo in the manor. ¡­ Just as he had nned, Roel snuck out of the Ascarts¡¯ manor after having dinner with Chris. Ascart City quietened down with the deepening of the night. It was all dark except for a couple of restaurants and taverns. Roel got into a carriage bearing the insignia of the Sorofya Merchant Association and traveled for around two hours before finally he finally met up with Rodney and the others, who departed together with the Sorofyas¡¯ convoy several hours ago. Due to the uncertain situation in the Holy Capital, Roel decided to bring all of the elites of his heretical army with him, including Cynthia, Rodney, and Woode. They were to be the guards of the convoy while he yed the role as an executive of the merchant association. Other than the personnel, everything about the convoy was legitimate, be it the goods or the ess passes they were carrying¡ªhow could they not be legitimate when Roel had stamped on the ess passes himself? Thanks to that and the prestigious reputation of the Sorofyas, the convoy was able to cross borders with any issue. The convoy wasn¡¯t able to advance too quickly due to the rations it was carrying, but it was fortunate that the roads from the Ascart Fiefdom to the Holy Capital were well paved, allowing them to make good distance every day. It took five days of rushing before they finally arrived at the Holy Capital. It was already early winter by then, so the weather had gotten slightly chilly. The market was bustling with crowds rushing to buy their winter goods, and themotion could be heard even from the city gates. There were many carriages filled with rations trudging down the street, so no one paid particr heed to Roel¡¯s group. The guards at the city gates granted them passage after quickly checking their ess passes and the rations. The convoy sessfully entered the city, but the tense atmosphere looming over the group only grew even heavier. The Holy Capital was a blessednd to most humans in the Sia Continent, but to heretics like Cynthia, it was a ce synonymous with terror. Vividly aware that they were stepping into the heart of the Genesis Goddess Church, Rodney, Woode, and the others fell deathly silent. Cynthia also couldn¡¯t help but tighten her grasp on the horse¡¯s reins. The atmosphere grew heavier with each passing second. It was only when Roel pulled open the windows and assured them that their tension finally loosened. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Roel¡¯s stable voice was unexpectedly calming. Cynthia and the others didn¡¯t even notice that they had heaved a sigh of relief when they heard his words of assurance. Slowly but surely, they were regaining theirposure. Unbeknownst to them, they held unwavering trust toward Roel. Part of the reason was because he was their Holy Son, but more than that, he had never failed to deliver what he had promised them. When Roel promised themnd, they were given a home. When Roel promised them power, they received blessings that granted them strength almostparable to Origin Level 2 transcendents. When Roel promised to free them from their suffering, the side effects torturing them for many years were erased by their ancient gods. Any other heretic would have deemed them absolutely insane for daring to step into the heart of the church, but because Roel said that nothing would happen to them, they believed that they were safe. Besides, those who had traveled to the Eirbower Dukedom were well aware of the connections Roel had, which lent credibility to his words. Roel himself might be unaware of it, but from the perspective of Cynthia and the others, he was slowly grasping the power to influence the entire Sia Continent. If even he was unable to protect them, no one else could. Under the guard of his loyal heretical army, Roel and his convoy finally arrived at the Sorofya Merchant Association¡¯s Saint Mesit Theocracy Headquarters. Arwen personally weed him at the entrance. Roel looked at Arwen as he alighted from the carriage. Thetter immediately caught his drift and shook his head and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t have any news here either, but¡­ Her Highness hasn¡¯t appeared in public for a month now.¡± Chapter 413: Her News (1)

Chapter 413: Her News (1)

An entire month? Roel frowned upon hearing Arwen¡¯s words. He quietly contemted over the matter before nodding softly. Perhaps noticing the grim look on Roel¡¯s face, Arwen quickly added on. ¡°ording to our intelligence, there hasn¡¯t been any outbreak of chaos in the church or the royal pce, so it¡¯s unlikely that anything major has urred. The sudden disappearance of Her Highness Nora might be unnerving, but it¡¯s unlikely that the situation is as severe as you think it out to be.¡± ¡°I understand. Thank you for your help, Arwen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too courteous. It¡¯s only right for me to do this much given our ties,¡± replied Arwen with an amicable smile. The overflowing affability from the middle-aged man was a terrifying reaper of goodwill, even for Roel. He shook his head, thinking what a sly old fox Arwen was, though, at the same time, he found his nervousness easing as well. The Sorofyasmanded thergest intelligencework across the Sia Continent. They had talents specialized in gathering and interpreting intelligence from ruling houses in all countries. They wouldn¡¯t dare to go too far in the Theocracy out of fear of stirring a diplomatic issue, but it was still easy enough for them to get a gauge on the political atmosphere. Nora was the princess of a country, and there were great implications if anything danger were to befall her. It would be impossible to conceal the news. If even the Sorofyas were unable to find anything amiss, it was likely that whatever problem Nora was facing was still manageable. That alleviated Roel¡¯s worries considerably. Based on the information he had gathered thus far, it didn¡¯t seem like things had reached a disastrous state yet. Looking at it from another perspective, it was quite the news for an individual to awaken her bloodline to Gold-tier. It would make sense for Holy Eminence John to want to keep the matter under wraps, which could exin why the discreetness of this affair. Roel was spared from the pain arising from the awakening of his bloodline thanks to the System, but ordinary transcendents weren¡¯t as fortunate. They had to face significant danger and excruciating pain in the process. It would already be a blessing if the transcendent was only bedbound for a month afterward, considering how many had screwed up and lost their lives. Given Nora¡¯s talents and the Xeclydes¡¯ resources, it was unlikely that she would lose her life in the midst of her awakening. She would still have to pay a hefty price in the process, but that should be manageable for the Xeclydes. Roel thought that he shouldn¡¯t let his imagination run wild lest he did something unnecessary and worsened the situation. In fact, now that he was a bit calmer, he realized that he should have anticipated Nora¡¯s disappearance. The power granted by a Gold-tier bloodline was immense, so the price one had to pay was bound to be proportionately great as well. He probably wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if anyone in Nora¡¯s position had disappeared for three consecutive months. It was just that his worries were confounding his logical mind. Het let out a silent sigh before following Arwen into the merchant association headquarters to take a rest. There, he quietly awaited the arrival of the night. ¡­ With the Xeclydes¡¯ house ring in his possession, Roel could have marched directly into the royal pce for an audience with Holy Eminence John, but the additional requirement of confidentiality left him with no choice but to source for an alternative method. For that reason, he decided to patiently wait till sunset before making his move. In the Holy Capital, the Genesis Goddess Church and the royal pce had dozens of subordinate departments under theirmand. Some were renowned throughout the Sia Continent whereas others were humble and discreet. However, there was only one department that had the power to stage a confidential meeting with Holy Eminence John for him¡ªthe Inquisitor Hall. That was the headquarters of the inquisitors, home to many powerful transcendents. They were warriors who fought on the frontlines against the evil cultists, the most devout believers of Goddess Sia. There was a fundamental difference between saying something and doing something. Most humans had the self-restraint to persist in their values and principles in everyday life, but in times of emergency, many would still sumb to the weakness in their hearts and fall to temptation. However, inquisitors proved their own faith through their very actions, defending what they believed to be justice. Inquisitors faced far greater danger than any other army on the Sia Continent. While normal soldiers only fought on the battlefield, inquisitors were constantly on the battlefield every second of their life, even when they were off duty. Evil cultists were unlike enemy soldiers; they wouldn¡¯t step out and demand a fight. Instead, they were often camouged amidst the popce, hidden beneath a veil of anonymity. That was what made them particrly difficult to deal with. There was a vague understanding amongst the inquisitors that they were more likely to be assassinated in their everyday life than to die in a direct confrontation with the evil cultists. There were plenty of new recruits who died every year after letting their guard down in their everyday life. Even so, there were still many others who trained hard to take the ce of the deceased. Under the propagation of the Compassion Origin Attribute, while those who sought justice and kindness often met their end in their undertaking, many others rose up in their ce to further their will. The torch was being passed down through the generations, refusing to be snuffed out. Perhaps that was why it was often said that evil will never triumph over good. Role held great respect toward those warriors who silently contributed from the shadows. Some of them chose to hide their names and live reticent lives so as to not implicate their loved ones. Some of them had hideous faces warped under the effects of vile curses. But one¡¯s nobility was independent of one¡¯s appearance. In his view, those warriors were as brilliant as the sun. Their existence brought light to themon popce, allowing them to live their daily lives without worrying about the darkness lurking in the shadows. Putting their credibility aside, the Inquisitor Hall was directly under themand of the Holy Eminence himself. The nature of their duties demanded a high level of confidentiality, so they didn¡¯t need to be ountable to anyone else. If Roel was Holy Eminence John, he would have ordered the Inquisitor Hall to liaise with him. ¡­ It was a freezing winter night. The torch hanging by the entrance of the Inquisitor Hall swayed with the cold draft, illuminating the surroundings with flickering brightness. A veiled ck-haired man slowly approached its solemn gates with a leisurely gait as if he was entering a tavern. Unlike the other departments under the Genesis Goddess Church, there were no guards at the entrance of the Inquisitor Hall, though it would be more exact to say that there were no visible guards. As Roel entered the building, he could sense over ten gazes falling on him from all directions. Beyond the gates sat an upright uniformed guard behind a table. ¡°Report your name, the purpose of your visit, and present any token that can affirm your identity. ¡°Roel Ascart. I¡¯d like to meet your chief.¡± Roel took off his veil and handed over an identification token he had prepared beforehand. The guard maintained a perfect poker face despite hearing Roel¡¯s name, though the tension in the air loosened up right away. ¡°Lord Roel. Please give me a moment as I report this matter to my superior.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Roel gave a nod of approval before he closed his eyes and patiently awaited the other party¡¯s return. He chose not to talk to the inquisitors hidden in the surroundings or do anything that would potentially agitate them. The inquisitors in the shadows exchanged nced and nodded in acknowledgment. Roel¡¯s position was not the same as before. Bing the victor of the Challenger Cup had greatly increased his influence, such that he had be one of the representative figures of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. Not to mention, he was known to have close ties with the Xeclydes. He was a new powerhouse in the making. It was clear that he had already noticed their presence. If he had spoken even a word, they would have no choice but to step out and stop surveying him. That was the minimum level of respect they would have to show to him. But he chose not to do so. Instead, he closed his eyes and waited quietly, an implicit act of cooperation. His meticulous consideration of the situation left the inquisitors with a good impression of him. Slowly, Roel could feel the eyes on him dispersing. Soon, the guard returned and led him into the depths of the Inquisitor Hall. They passed through a long corridor before finally arriving at a room dimly lit by a single candle. In the room sat a red-haired man, who calmly assessed Roel with an austere face. Chapter 413.2: Her News (2)

Chapter 413.2: Her News (2)

¡°I am the chief of the Inquisitor Hall, Hanks Gray. Wee to the Inquisitor Hall, Mister Roel.¡± ¡°Thanks for your hospitality, Count Hanks. Pardon me for my sudden visit. I¡¯ve heard much about your aplishments, and it¡¯s my pleasure to meet you in person.¡± After the guard took his leave, Roel exchanged greeting the red-haired man. Hanks¡¯ greeting was formal and slightly cold, and Roel made sure to answer with impable etiquette. However, when Roel correctly identified Hanks as a count, thetter stiffened up for a split moment. There was no doubt that Hanks was one of the most important subjects of the Theocracy, serving as the chief of the Inquisitor Hall. He rarely appeared in public, such that few people were aware that he was a noble on top of a clergyman. It couldn¡¯t be helped since he had no conferrednd, and the Grays had always kept a low profile as most of their house members chose to join covert departments. There was only one possibility why anded noble like Roel was aware of his noble title¡ªHer Highness Nora, Holy Eminence John, or a member of the royal family must have told him about it. With this simple exchange, Roel subtly conveyed the deep trust the Xeclydes had in him to the skeptical Hanks. That convinced Hanks to change his attitude, and he stood up and shook hands with Roel. ¡°Mister Roel, may I know the reason behind your sudden visit to our Inquisitor Hall?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m here to fulfill an appointment.¡± ¡°An appointment?¡± ¡°Yes, it was an appointment made through a ring.¡± Roel took out an exquisite wooden box from his robe and presented the Xeclydes¡¯ house ring to Hanks for verification. Thetter quickly examined the ring before bowing respectfully. ¡°Lord Roel, please follow me.¡± ¡­ An hourter, Roel discreetly entered a familiar yet slightly surprising location under Hanks¡¯ lead¡ªthe Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s royal pce. It wasn¡¯t the headquarters of the Genesis Goddess Church, where Roel had previously met with Holy Eminence John, but the Xeclydes¡¯ Seraphic Burg. There was a subtle but meaningful difference between the two. Had they met in the church, it would mean that John was officially meeting him as the Holy Eminence, which suggested that the nature of their meeting was work-rted. In the royal pce, however, John¡¯s role would have been that of the king and the patriarch of the Xeclyde House, which inclined the nature of their meeting toward a private one. This meant that Hanks had deemed the ring as a property of the Xeclyde Royal House and not the church, hinting that this was an invitation from the royal family. The royal pce was as well-preserved as ever, looking immacte like the white wings of an angel even on a winter¡¯s night. As the red-haired Hanks led him into the vast pce, Roel noticed that the guards in the vicinity had all been reced with members of the Inquisitor Hall. Thanks to that, they were able to pass right through the usually tight security checks. The two of them hardly spoke a word along the way. It could have been that Roel was thinking too much since Hanks dide across as a reticent individual, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel that there was something peculiar about thetter¡¯s attitude. As the two of them were closely affiliated with the Xeclydes, it wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched to say that they were allies in the same faction. Yet, over the past hour, he noticed that Hanks had been quietly assessing him with a wary attitude. Is this an upational disease? As intrigued as Roel was, he didn¡¯t pay it much heed. Wariness was the way inquisitors stayed alive, and he would have probably freaked out if Hanks suddenly started cosying up to him instead. ¡°Lord Roel, His Eminence is in there. I¡¯ll be waiting outside.¡± ¡°Thank you for escorting me, Count Hanks.¡± Roel politely nodded to the red-haired man before examining the building in front of him. It was less grand than the Saint Seshur Hall, where he was fortunate to have visited several years ago, and the doors were much smaller. Judging from its location, it was likely to be a private audience room for the king and his trusted subordinates. He quickly tidied himself up before directing a nce at the soldiers guarding the entrance, who immediately caught the drift and pushed open the solemn redwood doors. Roel gracefully made his way in. Seeing that there was no one inside, he sat down on one of the guest seats and began examining the beautiful ornaments hanging on the walls out of curiosity. Not too longter, an internal door privy to the members of the royal family opened, and a white-haired elder walked into the room. Roel stood up and respectfully bowed. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Your Majesty. I¡¯m grateful for this audience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, child. We¡¯re the only ones in here. There¡¯s no need for such formality.¡± The white-haired elder gently waved his hand with a smile before making his way to the center seat. His tone and movements were casual, not putting on airs at all. Seeing that, Roel switched to a more intimate tone and smiled. ¡°Grandpa John, it has been several months since west met. How are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these old bones are still hanging on well. It looks like you have grown taller over thest few months.¡± The duo began chatting with an amicable tone, reminiscent of a conversation between a child who had just returned from school and a friendly neighboring grandpa. It was so ordinary that it left Roel feeling a little sentimental. Holy Eminence John was the elder who had shown the most care and concern for him aside from Carter. In fact, John¡¯s support was one of the key reasons why Nora and Roel were able to maintain such a close rtionship over the years. That was also the reason why Roel didn¡¯t hesitate to rush to the Holy Capital upon receiving John¡¯s hint. He knew for certain that thetter wouldn¡¯t do anything detrimental to him. He cherished the bond he shared with Holy Eminence John, and that was why he was particrly relieved to see the old man¡¯s smile. The situation shouldn¡¯t be too severe if he¡¯s smiling. Roel took out the exquisite wooden container and ced the ring bearing the Xeclydes¡¯ insignia on the table. Then, he looked at John with a troubled smile. ¡°Grandpa John, it¡¯ll be better if you could use another way to invite me over next time. I had the scare of my life when I saw this ring.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I wanted to grandly invite you over after your victory at the Challenger Cup, but several problems cropped up along the way. In the end, I could only ask you toe here quietly. I feel rather apologetic depriving the young hero who brought glory to our Theocracy of the flowers and apuse he deserves.¡± ¡°I do enjoy flowers and the apuse, but I don¡¯t have an obsession with them. It¡¯s just that your gift¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for an outsider like me should be holding onto it.¡± ¡°Outsider? That might not be necessarily so.¡± John gazed at Roel with deep eyes as he thought about the room his granddaughter had specifically reserved for the storage of important letters. Roel smiled helplessly in response to the remark before diving into the main topic. ¡°To be frank with you, it was under Her Highness¡¯ order that I did my best to clinch the champion trophy in the Challenger Cup, but when I returned to the Theocracy, I heard that it has been a while since shest showed her face. I couldn¡¯t get in contact with her via letters either. Grandpa John, did something happen to Nora?¡± There was a touch of anxiety in Roel¡¯s voice as he looked at John with a grave look. The old man reined in his smile and nodded. ¡°Child, I know that you¡¯re worried. That¡¯s also the reason why I summoned you to the Holy Capital. It has been a month since Norast appeared in public, so it¡¯s inevitable that the world would be worried about it.¡± ¡°Grandpa John, did something happened while Nora was awakening her bloodline?¡± Roel had only asked this question because he sensed the heaviness in John¡¯s voice, but unexpectedly, thetter fell silent to his question. ¡°You can say so. It¡¯s still under control at the moment, but¡­ I have an ominous premonition.¡± ¡°Ominous premonition?¡± ¡°Mm. I have a feeling that things are only going to get worse.¡± John thought about Nora¡¯s condition and let out a deep sigh. He looked at Roel with a grim expression and said. ¡°Nora is undergoing Seraphication.¡± Chapter 414: Bring Her Back (1)

Chapter 414: Bring Her Back (1)

The Holy Capital was as quiet as ever. The cold gale of nascent winter attempted to invade the tightly-guarded royal pce, only to be filtered out by a barrier of warm air. Yet, in the royal meeting room, Roel felt a chill. Nora is undergoing¡­ Seraphication? He slowly digested what he had just heard from John, and his expression slowly stiffened. He didn¡¯t fullyprehend what Seraphication entailed, but he could tell from John¡¯s expression that it wasn¡¯t anything good. He was aware that abnormal mutations often urred as a result of failed breakthroughs, so he wondered if Seraphication was an example of that. ¡°Grandpa John, by Seraphication, you¡¯re referring to¡­¡± ¡°You can think of it as a hurdle that we, the Xeclydes, have to face during our bloodline awakening. It¡¯s the greatest impediment standing in our way, as well as the variable that we have to keep under control.¡± John briefly exined the theory behind the bloodline awakening of the Xeclydes, the problems that could potentially arise in the process, and the internal contradictions of their power. As inheritors of the Angel Bloodline, the Xeclydes¡¯ bloodline awakening mainly relied on the purification of their energy so as to achieve a higher level of resemnce to their primordial form, which was none other than the angels. The angels were Sia¡¯s aides in the ancient era, and the immense power they wielded made them existencesparable to the gods. Despite the great power that the Xeclydes already wielded through the Genesis Goddess Church, they had never stopped exploring the potential of their own powers. ¡°In the centuries after the establishment of the church, one of the key research that the Xeclydes have delved into is the maximization of our growth during bloodline awakening. The world was chaotic back then. A stronger bloodline would have granted us greater power to fight against our enemies, and that was something essential for our survival. ¡°We thought that the Angel Bloodline was a huge treasure trove with unlimited possibilities awaiting our discovery. As we developedplementary spells, we gradually became more adept at tapping into the powers of the Angel Bloodline. But at the same time, we became aware of a major side effect, and that was Seraphication.¡± ording to John, when the purity of the Angel Bloodline reached a certain degree, there would be a risk of the bloodline overwriting one¡¯s identity, and the manifestation of that was known as Seraphication. The name suggested that it was the ultimate form that could be achieved by inheritors of the Angel Bloodline, and that was somewhat true if one were to look at it in terms of the purity of the bloodline. The only problem was that Seraphication didn¡¯t transform one into an omnipotent god or an envoy of Sia¡ªit only drove one¡¯s powers berserk. ¡°To some degree, the awakening of the Angel Bloodline is a fight against oneself. It¡¯s a brawl between mental fortitude and power, or should I say, a battle between one¡¯s humanity and the divine instincts arising from the power of the angels.¡± ¡°Divine instincts?¡± ¡°Yes, the power of the angels inevitably influences our mind. The extent differs for each individual, but it¡¯s exceptionally strong for that child,¡± said John with a deep sigh. He began talking about everything that had happened while Roel wasn¡¯t around. Shortly after Nora arrived at the Holy Capital and started her treatment, an unexpected ident urred. The Angel Bloodline in her body suddenly exceeded its threshold, resulting in a sudden Seraphication that drove her berserk. The chaos was quickly quelled without sustaining any casualties thanks to John¡¯s swift intervention, but nevertheless, the astounding power and overwhelming killing intent Nora emanated in her berserk state astonished him. It forced him to devise countermeasures in the off-case that she went berserk once more. ¡°Nora is already on her way to Tark Stronghold.¡± ¡°Tark Stronghold?¡± ¡°Due to her Restoration of Primordial Bloodline, her Seraphication was more severe than I had imagined. There¡¯s a limit to how much I can suppress it. She needs to find an outlet to vent her pent-up energy, and the best to do so is against the deviants.¡± ¡°Ah. That would exin herck of response.¡± Nora had been traveling around during this period of time, so it would have been hard for her to receive his letters. On top of that, it was no easy feat delivering letters to and fro the eastern border, such that it wasn¡¯t umon for letters to go missing. That would exin why Roel hadn¡¯t received any letter from Nora for so long. He could understand the rationale behind John¡¯s decision. There were wars amongst humans in the Sia Continent too, and those battlefields were likely to be safer than the eastern border. However, if Nora failed to keep herself in check and ended up carrying out acts of cruelty against other humans, her reputation could potentially be sullied. Needless to say, that would be a disaster for a future leader of the church. However, it was different for the war against the deviants. She could do whatever she wanted since no one would pity them. In the first ce, the concept of ¡®surrender¡¯ didn¡¯t exist in the war against the deviants; it was a fight for survival. There was probably no one in this world who knew more about Nora¡¯s sadism than Roel. He could still vividly remember the image of a sadistically smiling Nora stepping on a mountain of corpses with rivers of blood flowing around her from Eyes of the Chronicler. Roel used to think that it was simply Nora¡¯s character, but that didn¡¯t seem right to him now. There was a subtle difference between Nora¡¯s sadism and bloodthirst. Take her attitude toward Roel for example, while her sadistic inclinations often showed through in her words and actions, she had never hurt Roel before. On the contrary, she had been working hard to protect him. From this perspective, the bloodthirst she disyed in Eyes of the Chronicler could have just been a way for her to vent her energy so as to fight against her Seraphication. Nora¡¯s current condition appeared to be worse than what was depicted in the game. The awakening of her bloodline was furtherpounded by the swift growth in her transcendent ability; it was terrifying just to imagine her rampage. Roel frowned worriedly while John assessed him with deep eyes. A few momentster, thetter finally made up his mind. ¡°Nora told me not to tell you about this matter before she left for Tark Stronghold. However, as an elder, I have to take her safety into consideration. That¡¯s the reason why I called you over.¡± ¡°Grandpa John¡­¡± ¡°As the patriarch of the Xeclyde House, I¡¯d like to make a request of you. I hope that you can make a trip to Tark Stronghold.¡± ¡°!¡± The calm but solemn request from the white-haired elder had Roel widening his eyes. The Saint Mesit Theocracy operated under a decentralized governance system, such that the king didn¡¯t have the coercive power to wilfully impose any orders on the Five Eminent Noble Houses. Even so, the Xeclydes very rarely made a request, especially for Holy Eminence John. Roel was momentarily stunned by those words. He reflexively wanted to ept the offer, but several doubts floated in his mind. ¡°Grandpa John, I do want to pay Nora a visit, but in terms of transcendent ability, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m able to offer her any help. On top of that, you mentioned that she doesn¡¯t want me to know about this matter, so wouldn¡¯t an abrupt meeting agitate her instead?¡± ¡°There¡¯s indeed such a possibility, but I still hope that you can meet up with her. You¡¯re the anchor to her heart.¡± Chapter 414.2: Bring Her Back (2)

Chapter 414.2: Bring Her Back (2)

¡°Anchor?¡± ¡°One way to fight against Seraphication is to vent one¡¯s energy and deplete the divine instinct. Another way is to strengthen one¡¯s humanity. You are special existence to that child. You¡¯re her perseverance and the anchor to her heart. Kane is also one of her anchors, and that¡¯s why I instructed her to head to Tark Stronghold. ¡°But while Kane shares blood ties with her, there¡¯s a higher bloodlinepatibility between you and Nora. This can be seen through Ascendwing. Nora has awakened her bloodline far too early; I can¡¯t tell what kind of trials she would face along the way. Your presence might just be essential to her.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Roel nodded deeply. As the lynchpin of the Theocracy, there was no way John could leave the Holy Capital and apany Nora to the eastern border. Due to that, the next best alternative was to have Kane apany her. Even so, there was a possibility that kinship was insufficient to anchor Nora¡¯s humanity to fight against her divine instincts. That was why John approached Roel. He hoped that Roel could be the final anchor to hold Nora down in case things went awry. Having made sense of the situation, Roel quickly agreed to head to Tark Stronghold. John was heartened by the positive response, and he swiftly filled him in about the arrangements. Roel was the sole sessor of a high noble house, so there was an imperative need to ensure his safety. It was necessary to inform his family members about his decision and movements, and they also had to prepare a sizable army to safely escort him to Tark Stronghold. As they were still keeping Nora¡¯s bloodline awakening under wraps, Roel¡¯s advancement to Tark Stronghold must be kept confidential as well. Regarding that, Holy Eminence John decided to entrust Roel¡¯s safety to his trusted inquisitors. The one leading the operation would be the chief of the Inquisitor Hall, Hanks. Of course, Roel was allowed to bring his personal guards with him as well. Roel was grateful that Holy Eminence John was willing to dispatch Hanks to ensure his safety as this was the most powerful covert operation team that the Xeclydes could deploy. It was just that he harbored some doubts regarding Count Hanks¡¯ attitude toward him. ¡°Grandpa John, is there any grudge between Count Hanks and our Ascart House? I sense that he¡¯s guarded against me.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t much of a history between him and your Ascart House, but if I have to fathom a guess, his wariness likely stems from the heretical army under yourmand.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel nodded in realization, but there wasn¡¯t anything he could do about the situation. The heretical army was loyal to him, so he wouldn¡¯t do something as foolish as to disband them to please others. Looks like it¡¯ll be a tiring journey to Tark Stronghold, Roel sighed in his heart. After the two of them thrashed out all of the details, Roel took his leave. John gazed at Roel¡¯s departing silhouette as a peculiar gleam flicked across his eyes. Nora was one of the rare few in the Xeclydes who possessed the Primordial Bloodline. Knowing the dangers of Seraphication, the Xeclydes and the church had devoted time and effort into nning her growth so as to ensure her safety. Their predictions were spot-on at the start, but things changed the year she turned nine. That was the year she met Roel. That year, she entered the Witness State together with Roel and abruptly awakened her Silver Bloodline. It caught the church by surprise, but that was only the start of the anomaly. In the years that followed, Nora¡¯s growth speed exceeded their nned trajectory, resulting in the awakening of her Gold Bloodline happening an entire year in advance. There was no doubt that the changes had something to do with Roel. It could be the effect of the Ascart Bloodline propagating Nora¡¯s growth, or that the meeting with Roel had stirred something within her. John didn¡¯t have an answer to that question, but there was one thing that he did know for certain. From their first meeting, their fates were already tied together. ¡°May Sia¡¯s blessing be with you.¡± The white-haired elder closed his eyes and murmured a prayer for the two children. ¡­ Roel stayed in the Holy Capital for a couple more days after his chat with Holy Eminence John. He used the time to make preparations for his journey to Tark Stronghold, as well as to send a letter to Carter to inform him about the matter. Heading to the frontlines was a big deal. Even if he wasn¡¯t nning to fight the deviants, the least he could do was to inform his family about it. Furthermore, given the long journey to the eastern border, the year would have likely been over by the time he returned. This would be the first time Roel was spending the New Year away from his kin. It was fortunate that Carter was quite open to it. Upon learning the details, he sent a letter to ry his approval for Roel¡¯s decision. He emphasized the importance of maintaining their alliance with the Xeclydes and warned about possible interference from the Elrics. ording to Carter, while the Elrics had been suppressed by the Ascarts and Xeclydes in recent years, they were still very active in the shadows. Ultimately, they were just biding their time for an opportunity to make aeback. Now that Nora was in an unstable condition, there was no saying that the Elrics might take this opportunity to pull something. That was also something Roel was concerned about. He hadn¡¯t forgotten that the Elrics had rebelled against the Theocracy in Eyes of the Chronicler, and its current patriarch, Bryan Elric, was an old monster who had lived for centuries. Even a fool could tell that they were colluding with an evil cult. To make things worse, it was an awkward time for Roel to be traveling to the eastern border as he was also on the verge of a breakthrough. After some thought, he decided to fill his carriage with a huge amount of historical records. If he received an impetus along the way, he would push for a breakthrough right away. Cynthia and the others thought that Roel¡¯s n was too risky and vehemently objected to it. A breakthrough from Origin Level 4 to Origin Level 3 was not any easier than an awakening to Gold Bloodline. It was reckless to pull it off without ample preparation. Any other transcendent who was faced with this hurdle would have gathered everyst bit of resources they had at their disposal, be it medicine or magic tools. They would travel far and wide in search of the perfect environment to maximize their chances of a breakthrough. If need be, they would even conduct rituals like bathing themselves amidst incense smoke. Yet, Roel was thinking of making a breakthrough on a carriage? Was he tired of living? ¡°Holy Son, we should postpone your breakthrough till we return to the fiefdom. It¡¯ll be much safer if you push for a breakthrough under Marquess Carter¡¯s watch.¡± Worried about Roel¡¯s recklessness, Rodney, Wood, and Cynthia visited him to dissuade him from the ns. The oldest one of the trio, Wood, was so agitated that he started swinging his beard about as he spoke, insisting for Roel to reconsider his options. However, Roel¡¯s mind was made up. While the Ascart House looked like the ideal ce for him to make a breakthrough in peace, the truth was that the heritage surrounding the Kingmaker Bloodline and the Crown Origin Attribute had been long lost. There was no medicine or magic tool that could help him. The most reliable support he could get was from the System. Given so, it actually made not much of a difference wherever Roel made his breakthrough. Furthermore, he had a vague premonition that his journey to the eastern border wouldn¡¯t be smooth-sailing. He would be escorted by many powerful transcendents, but in case of an emergency, he thought that it would still be best for him to raise his Origin Level as soon as possible. There was also another problem he needed to be addressed¡ªthe inquisitors under Count Hanks¡¯mand. Two centuries had passed since the March Turmoil, and heretics were no longer the targets of the inquisitors. It was just that the church failed to acknowledge the heretics in its doctrine. Due to that, while most inquisitors didn¡¯t see them as a scourge, they didn¡¯t think that they were good people either. Talk-no-jutsu unfortunately didn¡¯t exist in this world, so he couldn¡¯t conveniently change the deep-seated beliefs of others with just a few words. So, he opted for a more practical route. ¡°Count Hanks, I know that you don¡¯t trust me or my guards, but I ought to remind you that the ce we¡¯re heading to doesn¡¯t differentiate between the believers of Goddess Sia and heretics. I think that the wiser move under such circumstances is for us toe to apromise.¡± ¡°Compromise?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I know that it¡¯s inevitable for us to have some differences due to the divergence in faiths, but let¡¯s not forget about themonalities we share too. I think we can at least agree that it¡¯s ourmon goal to get to Tark Stronghold safely. For that, the least we can do is to temporarily put aside our differences and work together. ¡°I don¡¯t want both of our armies to operate separately, resulting in unnecessary depletion of our energy. I believe that our energy can be better used to deal with greater threats. What do you say, Count Hanks?¡± ¡°¡­ Apromise, huh? Fine, let¡¯s go with that.¡± Under Roel¡¯s suggestion, Hanks was finally willing to put aside some of his reservations and form a unifiedmand system with Roel¡¯s group. The leaders of both sides emphasized their wish toe to apromise and cooperate for this journey. A week after the meeting with the Holy Eminence, a mixed group quietly left the Holy Capital in the middle of the night. Looking at the towering city of angels, Roel thought about the mesmerizing silhouette of a golden-haired woman and quietly made a vow. The next time I return here, she¡¯ll be by my side. No matter what. Chapter 415.1: Together, Under the Moonlight (1)

Chapter 415.1: Together, Under the Moonlight (1)

A monthter, by the eastern border of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, a disciplined army steadily marched forth on a road covered in a thinyer of snow. They were protecting a carriage, where a ck-haired man was making full use of his time flipping through his books. Opposite of him, a red-haired man was catching some shuteye. Nobles of the Saint Mesit Theocracy would have found the notion of two men sharing a single carriage perplexing, but Roel had already gotten used to it over the past month. There were even times when he spent the night in the carriage. The interior of the carriage was spacious, but it wasn¡¯t asfortable as the ones from the Ascart House, let alone the Sorofyas¡¯ Diamond Rivi¨¨re. On top of that, there were several people who were constantly entering and alighting from the carriage, causing the vehicle to shake as if someone was carrying out a mass yoga session. It couldn¡¯t be helped since this carriage was being used as theirmand center. Roel and Hanks hade to an understanding beforehand that there should only be a singlemand chain, so they specially prepared this carriage to serve as amand center. Little did they know that it would turn out much busier than they had expected. Simply put, this was not a peaceful journey at all. A month ago, when their group first set off, Roel and Hanks chose to prioritize speed above all things else due to the urgency of the mission. It was smooth-sailing at the start, but unexpected problems started cropping up one after another. It started off with amon issue Carter had once told him about¡ªgetting lost. It had been five years since Carter took on the role as the chief logistics officer. His main job was to pave roads so as to facilitate travel, and he did aplish what was asked of him. It was just that the roads he had paved were shabby dirt roads and not tiled pavements. Why not construct something much more durable and effective like tiled pavements? The answer was simple: Too much work, too expensive, and no time. There was nothing to earn from building tiled pavements¡ªno merchants in their right mind would travel to eastern border to do business¡ªand they would still have to pay exorbitant sums to maintain them. Furthermore, it was a double-edged sword. If the deviants were to breach the eastern border, those tiled pavements would lead them straight into the heart of human civilization. That would spell a disaster. In view of these considerations, it was more practical to just construct basic dirt roads. It was just that there was a fundamental problem associated with dirt roads¡ªthey were susceptible to erosion from bad weather. Be it torrential rain or winter snowfall, these could potentially erase their trails. Fortunately, Roel didn¡¯t let the intelligence he had gathered from Carter go to waste. He thoroughly searched through his System, and he found a decent tool that could help him. ¡¾Trailseeker A magic tool created by the transcendents of Ayra Kingdom to ovee the encirclement of Nightmare Forest. With its guidance, those sprightly trees could no longer hope to confound them Price: 50,000 Affection Points¡¿ When Roel stumbled upon this monocle magic tool, he bought it without any hesitation. To be doubly safe, he borrowed a map Carter drew while paving the dirt road. With these equipment, the group was able to advance smoothly. Hanks and the others from the Inquisitor Hall felt embarrassed by theirck of foresight, but it was just the first of their many problems toe. As the group marched further eastward, the number of towns and viges along the way grew more sporadic but the demonic beasts became more active. When they finally entered the vast no man¡¯snd, the demonic beasts in the forest started showing signs of clustering. The demonic beasts in the eastern region had no fear for humans, and they were known for their ferocity. Once theyid their eyes upon a prey, they would take their time stalking it, biding their time for an opportunity to strike. Winter was not just a tough time for humans; demonic beasts also struggled to gather food too. Roel¡¯s group might be the elites of humankind, but to the demonic beasts who had hardly met any humans, they looked no different from a bunch of migrating monkeys. As a result, Roel¡¯s group faced frequent assaults. For an entire week, they weren¡¯t able to get a proper night¡¯s rest. All sorts of wretched things would charge at them during the night, be it six-legged bloodthirsty giant deers or two-faced hyenas. It was distressing. This was then that Roel and Hanks¡¯ unifiedmand chain worked wonders. The heretics and the inquisitors, who had barely interacted thus far, were ordered to fight alongside one another. Things were awkward at the start, but with immense external pressure heaping down on them, they had no choice but to learn to cooperate. It significantly improved their effective fighting prowess and alleviated the tension within the group. The Unyielding Sect were mercenaries who spent their days traveling around whereas the Strength Sect were once forced to live like barbarians in the mountains. Both of them were skilled in wilderness warfare, knowing nifty tricks to deal with the demonic beasts. On the other hand, the inquisitors had plenty of experience dealing with humans. With one side specializing in PVE and the other in PVP, they were able toplement each other¡¯s ws. As their coordination improved, they were better able to allocate their manpower to efficiently deal with the demonic beasts. Thanks to that, they were able to enjoy several days of rtive peace. However, that didn¡¯t spell the end of their troubles. A threat was quietly creeping upon them as they approached Tark Stronghold. It was yet another night where the heretics and the inquisitors worked in unison to subdue waves of demonic beasts. The arrival of dawn came as a huge relief, and the atmosphere visibly lightened up as the group continued on their journey. They soon arrived at a narrow valley. A small scouting unit was dispatched to survey the valley, but to their horror, there were enemies lying in wait for them. Arrows rained down from the steep cliffs of the valley, catching the scouting unit by surprise. Thend beneath them was turned into a bog by some sort of mysterious spell, making it hard for their horses to gallop away. Then, dozens of humanoid monsters with pale faces and sharp fangs began charging down the cliff faces toward them. Deviants. Their physique resembled a human¡¯s, if not for their grayish-white skin, protruding teeth, sparse hair, and belligerent faces. Their average strength averaged around Origin Level 5. The scouting unit was caught in a highly disadvantageous position, but with their superior strength and equipment, they managed to hold their ground and slowly retreated. Once they regrouped with the others, they quickly turned the tables on the deviants and eradicated everyst one of them. It was a victory for Roel¡¯s group, but the shock from the sudden ambush and the revolting appearance of the enemies continued to linger in everyone¡¯s heart. Coupled with the foreign environment they were in, fear started breeding in their hearts. Even the reticent Hanks was fazed upon seeing the carcasses of the deceased deviants. Inparison, Roel was much moreposed. He had undergone something far worse than this to be affected by something of this extent. The Salvation Army he had encountered in the Witness State didn¡¯t look much different from humans, but their deranged mutterings made them much more terrifying than the deviants who only had a frightening exterior. ¡°What¡¯s the panic for? These creatures die when you kill them. There¡¯s nothing to be scared about,¡± remarked Roel. His calm and confident demeanor allowed most members in the group to regain theirposure. The scouting unit started reporting on the incident while Roel walked up to one of the deviants to examine the long-time enemies of humankind up close. They really are hideous. Physically wise, the deviants were built like humans. They were able to wield weapons and ambush others, which suggested that they possessed intelligence. However, the fact that they were so easily baited and refused to retreat despite being outnumbered reflected their inability to makeplex strategic decisions. He noticed the deviants crying out to each other during the battle, which indicated that they were able tomunicate with each other. All in all, the deviants they had encountered fitted Carter¡¯s description of them. It was likely that these deviants had gotten here by scaling the unguarded steep mountainous cliffs, evidenced by their tattered clothes. The ambush from the deviants rang warning bells in everyone¡¯s mind, making them view the journey ahead in a different light. They came to realize that they were no longer safely tucked behind the main forces of humankind; they were already on the battlefield. This feeling of impending danger forced the group to huddle even more tightly together. Chapter 415.2: Together, Under the Moonlight (2)

Chapter 415.2: Together, Under the Moonlight (2)

Following this ambush, their encounters with the deviants became more frequent, and the numbers of deviants in each group grew noticeablyrger. It just so happened that Roel¡¯s group was one of the rare ones with fewer members, making them an ideal target. It was still mostly peaceful in the day, but as soon as the night descended, the deviants would exploit the chaos stirred by the demonic beasts tounch a pincer attack, making the night assaults far more dangerous than before. It was also at that point that themand center became more active to control the situation. Amidst the light shaking of the carriage, Roel quickly browsed through a book within less than an hour before looking out of the window. The embers of the setting sun were starting to disappear, signalling nightfall. As the sky slowly darkened, the members of the group grew increasingly vignt. Scouts began dispersing in all directions to keep a lookout. ¡°Who should stand guard tonight?¡± Free Guy: Las Reiones Maximas De Deadpool (Latin America Market Subtitled) Collection The sudden question pulled Roel¡¯s attention back into the carriage. He put his book down and looked at Hanks. After a moment of thought, he decided to step up to the responsibility. ¡°You were the one fighting yesterday night. I¡¯ll head out tonight.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re on the verge of a breakthrough, no? I can sense that your aura is already close to Origin Level 3.¡± ¡°That might be so, but fulfilling my promise is more important to me. As one of the leaders of this group, I should lead by example.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hanks quietly watched Roel after hearing those words. There was hardly any change in his stoic expression, but the outburst of green light above his head reflected thepliments he had for Roel¡¯s words. (Affection Points +100) Just like how Hanks betrayed no signs of his expressions, Roel also kept his glee to himself. He had be rather skilled at winning Affection Points, having done so many times over the years. He reckoned that he must have at least grown a grasnd or two by now. Yet, Hanks was proving to be an incredibly difficult person to win over. They had already spent a month together now, but he had barely managed to win a three-digit figure from the other party. It was not out ofpulsion that Roel was trying to win Hanks¡¯ goodwill. It was because he figured that he would require Hanks¡¯ advice in his breakthrough. As one would expect from the chief of the Inquisitor Hall, Hanks was an Origin Level 2 transcendent, but he was even younger than Carter. He was what others would call a prodigy, so it was likely that he had his own unique insights about advancing to Origin Level 3. Basically, Roel was lusting for Hanks¡¯ experience. Traveling into the godforsaken eastern border, the only top expert that he had by his side was Hanks. But Hanks wasn¡¯t obliged to offer him any help, considering that they shared no kinship or friendship. The only way he had a chance of getting any help from Hanks was to build up his goodwill. And after a month of effort, Roel thought that the time was finally ripe. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not too anxious about making a breakthrough anymore. How should I put this¡­ I haven¡¯t been able to make much progress recently.¡± Roel looked out of the window pensively and watched as the group set up their camp. He let out a deted sigh and murmured softly, as if grumbling to himself. ¡°I can feel myself getting close, but whenever I try to push it, there would be a feeling of abrupt emptiness, as if I was just an empty shell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A frown gradually formed on Roel¡¯s face, making it seem as if he was trying to reflect on where he had gone wrong. However, his eyes inconspicuously darted toward Hanks, and he noticed a slight change in thetter¡¯s expression. There¡¯s a chance! Roel was delighted to see that the count was reacting to his troubles, but he maintained his confused and distressed expression. He was able to fully immerse himself in the role of a confused junior awaiting the guidance of an elder. He sighed yet again and continued hismentation. ¡°The world has put me on a pedestal following my victory in the Challenger Cup. They say that I¡¯m a representative figure of the Theocracy, a blessing from Sia herself. They specte that I would make a breakthrough in recent days, proiming it to be a symbol of the Theocracy¡¯s bright future. It looks like I¡¯ll be letting everyone down. I only hope that my failure won¡¯t besmirch the Theocracy¡¯s name.¡± Those words, especially ¡®representative figure of the Theocracy¡¯ and ¡®blessing from Sia herself¡¯, were clearly ryed to Hanks. A nationalist who loved his country wouldn¡¯t want to see it disgraced. A worshiper who was steadfast in his faith wouldn¡¯t allow his god to be undermined. Everything that Roel had just mentioned earlier was his private affairs, but in a twist of perspectives, he was able to turn it into something muchrger than that. Hanks looked visibly conflicted. He wasn¡¯t certain whether he should offer help to one of the rising nobles who was favorable to the heretics. On the other hand, Roel narrowed his eyes sharply and he decided to give it onest push. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough depressing talk for today. Those things outside won¡¯t wait for me to finish my grumbling. Count Hanks, I¡¯ll be leaving themand center in your hands tonight. Please rest well. May Sia¡¯s light lead us. We can¡¯t lose to a bunch of monsters here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With a smile, Roel snapped his book shut. He tidied up his clothes and prepared to alight from the carriage. His decisive movements further stirred the anxiety in Hanks¡¯ heart, eventually prompting thetter to make a move. ¡°¡­ Wait a moment.¡± ¡°Hm? Is there something you need me for, Count Hanks?¡± ¡°Just for a while. Let¡¯s talk.¡± Hanks gestured Roel over with his usual stoic face. Roel walked over with a confused look, but his heart was already bursting with joy. Sess! ¡­ Half an hourter, Roel alighted from the carriage and made his way toward one of the reserve sentry posts. Hanks¡¯ words kept echoing in his head. ¡°What youck is a belief core.¡± ¡°Belief core?¡± ¡°Just umting power won¡¯t be enough for you to reach Origin Level 3. You need to affirm your belief, or to be more exact, you need to proactively deepen your Degree of Assimtion.¡± ¡°Proactively deepen my Degree of Assimtion¡­¡± Hanks¡¯ unreserved advice spurred some vague feelings in Roel¡¯s heart. ording to Hanks, every transcendent had a different method to advance to Origin Level 3, but themonality amongst them was the proactiveness of the transcendent in the process of evolution. It wasn¡¯t just about absorbing mana to inadvertently deepen one¡¯s Degree of Assimtion anymore. One had to manually further the Degree of Assimtion, and that demanded something special, namely, a belief core. A belief core wasn¡¯t about one¡¯s willpower or determination. It was something much more fundamental, rooted within one¡¯s soul. It couldn¡¯t be seen or touched, but it was the key that determined whether one was able to be a high-level transcendent or not. That was the reason why some transcendents were able to unwittingly reach Origin Level 3 with ease. Those people had already grasped the key and only required a sufficient umtion of mana. Conversely, there were also those who scrambled their whole lives, unable to ovee the hurdle because they couldn¡¯t wrap their hands around the key. ¡°Count Hanks, may I ask what your belief core is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my faith and justice,¡± answered Hanks resolutely. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by the answer, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t walk down the same path as Hanks. As someone who was contracted with several ancient gods, he couldn¡¯t truly devote himself to a faith. He had to seek an alternative path, and Hanks also had a suggestion for that too. ¡°Many ns would entrust their offspring to me, hoping that ruing some life and death experiences would build up their belief core.¡± ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Some seeded, some failed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel noticed the grim look on Hanks¡¯ face, so he decided not to probe any deeper. It was obvious what was the oue of those who failed. Roel spent the night thinking about his own belief core. He had undergone quite a few life and death experiences from a young age, which was why he had a vague feeling upon hearing Hanks¡¯ advice. It was just that he couldn¡¯t clearly grasp it, as if it was concealed behind ayer of mist. ¡°What could my belief core be?¡± Roel stretched his hand toward the silver moon as he pondered upon the question. At the same time, a golden-haired woman in one of the most important fortresses of humankind was also reaching toward the moon. Nora was soaking in a freezing coldke as her sapphire eyes glowed with flickering golden brilliance. In her hand was a letter that hade from afar, and the name signing off the letter was one that tugged at her heartstrings. ¡°Roel¡­¡± Chapter 416: Medical Miracle

Chapter 416: Medical Miracle

In themand center of Tark Stronghold, a golden-haired man stared at a prairie outside the window. Behind him were a group of men and women dressed in the saintly white robes of the Genesis Goddess Church. There was not a sound to be heard within the room despite the crowd gathered inside. The only evidence that time hadn¡¯t fallen still was the roaring night gale outside. From the towering fortress, it looked as if Tark Prairie was submerged in a sea of murky darkness filled with treacherous enemies. It reflected what Prince Kane was feeling at this very instant. Perhaps due to sensing the diposureing from themand center, the guards patrolling around the stronghold had intentionally lightened their footsteps, but the absence of sound only worsened the moods of the present bishops. ¡°Where is Nora?¡± ¡°¡­ She¡¯s in the Arcane Ice Lake, Prince Kane.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Chief of Rites, Bishop Kathleen, carefully answered Prince Kane¡¯s question. As one of the top leaders of the church, Kathleen had never had to tread warily around anyone before. She was respected no matter where she went, and her words were taken as edicts. Yet, thispetent woman was speaking in a carefully controlled tone. It couldn¡¯t be helped since she knew why Prince Kane was in such a terrible mood. A month ago, as a side effect from her overly swift bloodline awakening, the princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, Nora, showed signs of Seraphication and ended up losing control. That incident took the entire church by shock. Holy Eminence John immediately ordered a lockdown on the news before dispatching many experts from the Rites Department to apany Nora to the Tark Stronghold for treatment. Back when they first received the edict, the bishops of the Rites Department heaved a huge sigh of relief. It had been a while since they had to deal with any cases of Seraphication, so Nora¡¯s situation hadpletely caught them off guard. They felt that it would be easier for them to treat Nora once she moved to Tark Stronghold. Seraphication could be summarized as one¡¯s divine instinct and energy going berserk, and one of the ways to resolve this berserk state was to give the individual an avenue to vent. It was simr to how a rampaging bull would eventually tire out after a while. The countless deviants outside Tark Stronghold would be fodder to wear out Nora¡¯s aggression, till she finally regained herposure. There was nothing wrong with the n, but things didn¡¯t proceed the way they had expected. Nora¡¯s condition did improve initially when she first arrived at Tark Stronghold and started venting her aggression on the deviants. However, as the degree of her bloodline awakening deepened, the situation took a turn for the worse. ¡°She has already been out for almost ten hours now. That far exceeds my duration back when I was in the same position as her. Bishop Kathleen, can you exin why there¡¯s still no improvement in my daughter¡¯s condition?¡± After a prolonged bout of silence, Kane turned to Kathleen and questioned with suppressed fury. Thetter gave the situation some thought before she respectfully stepped forward and answered. ¡°Your Highness, Her Highness Nora possesses the Primordial Angel Bloodline. Her condition is far more severe than what you faced back then. This is evident in how Her Highness Nora has already in two times as many enemies as you did back then.¡± ¡°Then why is it not working?! There are already no deviants alive in the vicinity of our stronghold. At this rate, she¡¯ll be marching into the depths of Tark Prairie within the next few days!¡± Kane mmed his palm on the table and bellowed. The bishops in the room shuddered at his furious outburst, including Kathleen. None of them had expected Nora¡¯s Seraphication to be so severe, and the knowledge that her condition was only going to further worsen left them despaired. Seraphication was a fight between one¡¯s humanity and divine instinct, and it was the most dangerous condition that a Xeclyde could be afflicted with. If Nora sumbed to her divine instinct, she would lose her humanity for good. That was not a result the church could ept. Nora had undergone the Restoration of Primordial Bloodline, making her the most talented Xeclyde in the past thousand years. Not to mention, the lineage of the Xeclydes had been thinning out over the years. No one could predict the repercussions that would ur if they were to lose Nora, especially in this tumultuous period. But if one thing was for sure, all of them present here would be the sinners of humankind. It was a frightening notion even for the veteran bishops who had weathered through numerous storms. After a moment of silence, Kathleen stepped forward and spoke up. ¡°Your Highness, I understand how you¡¯re feeling. Her Highness Nora is in a precarious position. Allowing her to unleash her aggression on the deviants has indeed helped alleviate her condition to some extent. It¡¯s just that Her Highness Nora¡¯s bloodline is simply too powerful. She¡¯s unable to exhaust the divine instinct within her.¡± ¡°What do we do then? Are you going to make her soak in that sted iceke forever?¡± Just the thought of how his daughter was still soaking inside that freezing cold magicke to suppress her own energy left Kane feeling as if a dagger was plunged in his heart. He had been through that experience himself, and he knew just how excruciating it was. He knew that the bishops were trying their best too, but that wasn¡¯t enough. But just as he was about to continue berating the bishops, he noticed a peculiar look on their faces. What¡¯s going on? Did I say something wrong? Prince Kane¡¯s forehead slowly furrowed as he waited for the bishops to give their answer. Bishop Kathleen hesitated for a brief moment before speaking carefully. ¡°Your Highness, the effectiveness of the Arcane Ice Lake on Her Highness Nora is extremely limited. It can stall the encroachment of her divine instinct, but it can¡¯t treat her condition.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t treat her condition? That can¡¯t be. Didn¡¯t you report an improvement in her condition earlier today?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an improvement in Her Highness Nora¡¯s condition, but it isn¡¯t because of the Arcane Ice Lake. It¡¯s because of that letter.¡± ¡°Letter?¡± Prince Kane repeated the key term before his pupils slowly dted. He specifically remembered a certain letter that had arrived from the Holy Capital just earlier today. It was from the sessor of the Ascart House, Roel Ascart. It was probably sent a month ago, considering the time it would have taken to reach the eastern border. Back then, when Nora first arrived at Tark Stronghold, she specially requested him to keep a lookout for any letters from Roel and make sure to deliver it to her right away. Who could have thought that the Seraphication, which the church elites desperately tried to suppress but to no avail, would actually be suppressed by a mere letter? ¡°Her condition improved because of that letter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Her Highness spent the entire night looking through the letter over and over again. It was around that period of time that her degree of Seraphication started falling.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Prince Kane was stunned. The other bishops present in the room who had witnessed the medical miracle also had bizarre looks on their faces. Kathleen thought about the look she had seen on Nora¡¯s face and spoke up once more. ¡°Your Highness, there are grounds to believe that Her Highness Nora¡¯s willpower is more effective in dealing with her Seraphication than venting her aggression on the battlefield. She might benefit more from your apaniment¡­ as well as that of the person who sent the letter.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Having heard the expert¡¯s verdict, Prince Kane raised his head and ordered with conviction. ¡°Dispatch the troops. Bring Roel Ascart here right away!¡± ¡­ It was rare for Roel to alight from his carriage unless he was on duty, but at this very moment, he stood alongside the other members of the group to behold the impressive fortress towering in the middle of Tark Prairie. It was refreshing to witness such vast scenery after spending a month traveling through mountains and forests, but more than that, they were amazed by how nature created obstacles and humans exploited them to their benefit. Far in the distance, there were two steep mountains with a ck fortress standing imposingly between them. The fortress was built into the mountains, resembling an unwavering ck shield blocking out all threats. Seeing that their destination was finally in sight, the crowd couldn¡¯t help but tremble in excitement. There was a saying that horses who raced toward mountains eventually die of exhaustion. However, Roel¡¯s group were already mentally exhausted from having to deal with all sorts of schemes concocted by the deviants. There was no greater motivation for them than having a ce where they could rest at ease. Good news came in pairs. After several more days of traveling, Roel¡¯s group stumbled upon their second surprise. A group of knights from Tark Fortress had speciallye over to fetch them. ¡°Lord Roel, we are from the Third Knight Order. We have under orders from ourmander-in-chief, Prince Kane, to escort you to Tark Stronghold. I have a letter from him with me. Please have a look at it.¡± The knights stood in an orderly fashion as their captain stepped forward and respectfully presented an envelope. Both the inquisitors and the heretics were amazed by how much the Xeclydes favored Roel to actually dispatch knights to escort him. In contrast, Roel frowned upon hearing those words. Kane had never shown a favorable attitude toward him. While Holy Eminence John showed full support for Roel and Nora¡¯s rtionship, Kane, as her father, was much more stubborn about it. On the whole, he still treated Roel fairly well, but definitely not to the extent of dispatching a knight unit to escort him. That gave Roel an ominous premonition. He nodded in acknowledgment before opening the envelope to have a look at the letter. The contents made his heart sink. It was a request for help from Prince Kane, urging Roel to rush to Tark Stronghold as soon as possible to apany Nora. The letter detailed how Nora¡¯s bloodline activity would reach its peak within the next two weeks. It was a crucial period for her, and there could be dire consequences if she lost control during this period of time. Regarding that, Roel was one of the key factors that could aid her. Roel flew into a fluster after reading the letter. Estimating the time the letter was sent, it was likely that Nora had already reached the critical period for her bloodline awakening at this very moment. I need to set off right away, or else it¡¯ll be toote. Not daring to waste any time, Roel entrusted the heretical army to Hanks¡¯mand before apanying the knights toward Tark Stronghold. With anxiety pounding in his heart, he urged his steed to gallop as far as possible. Meanwhile, in the distant Tark Stronghold, a billowing sea of mist started rising from the ground, gradually drowning everything within it. Chapter 417: Midnight Scare

Chapter 417: Midnight Scare

¡°Lord Roel, I think that we should rest for the day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± While the group was rushing back to Tark Stronghold, the knight captain hesitated for a long while before galloping forth to raise a suggestion with Roel. Thetter nced backward and saw weary faces behind him. The sky had already started to darken by then, prompting him to think twice. For two days straight, the anxious Roel had traveled with the Theocracy¡¯s Third Knight Order without the slightest rest. With their superior steeds, disciplined knights, and relentless charge, they were to cover a distance that would have otherwise taken any other unit five days. Naturally, that came at a price. Roel and the knights were still able to hold on, but the steeds they rode on were reaching their limits. On top of that, the sun was already starting to set. Traveling at night was already dangerous enough as it was; doing so in the eastern border, where the deviants were active, was practically courting death. There were many reasons for them to rest, but Roel¡¯s worry refused to allow him to slow his footsteps. He gave the matter some thought before asking the knight captain. ¡°How long more before we arrive at Tark Stronghold?¡± ¡°We are just a few hours away, but we won¡¯t be able to enter the stronghold tonight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Tark Stronghold¡¯s gates are locked at night. Even if we reach there, we¡¯ll have to wait outside the fortress walls. It¡¯d be better for us to first rest at a nearby town andplete our journey tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Roel carefully weighed his options before approving the knight captain¡¯s suggestion. Thus, the group of them began to slow down their pace. Since they weren¡¯t able to enter the fortress, it would be much better for them to rest up for the night. It was likely that he would have a lot of work to do in the days toe anyway. Roel subconsciously touched his chest, where he had ced Prince Kane¡¯s letter. He felt a tinge of warmth in his heart. The fact that Nora required his help showed that he was one of her pirs of mental support. He would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t happy to have imed such an important position in the heart of the revered princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. There was one thing Roel had been thinking about in recent days. He had always treated Eyes of the Chronicler as a guide for future events, though his reliance on it had lessened recently with the growing divergence in events. However, with Nora¡¯s Seraphication, he started noticing some anomalies. In his previous life, he had cleared themon route because he was fascinated by the in-game Roel due to thetter sharing the same name as him. He didn¡¯t venture further into each of the capture targets¡¯ individual routes, but he vaguely remembered seeing spoilers while browsing through the forums that each of the female capture targets would encounter danger. He didn¡¯t pay much heed to it all along, thinking that the world had changed far too much to head down the same trajectory. But recently, he found himself wondering if Nora¡¯s threat was the danger she was destined to face or an alternative fate caused by the pping of Butterfly Roel¡¯s wings. If he was the one who influenced her, was this influence positive or negative? He thought hard about this question and eventually arrived at an answer. He was certain that his changes had definitely influenced Nora in some way, but his influence was not all positive. For one, he did mess up the Elrics¡¯ n, thus granting the Ascarts and the Xeclydes an opportunity to put them in ce and halt their rebellion. Through doing so, he avoided an outbreak of chaos and the weakening of the Theocracy. That was a positive influence. But at the same time, it was also due to his changes that led to Nora¡¯s premature bloodline awakening. That was a negative influence, and it likely exacerbated the danger she was supposed to face in the original storyline. Roel had always felt unnerved by how Nora and the others were growing faster than their counterparts in the game, but he could neverprehend where this feeling wasing from. However, he had finally made sense of it now. He was probably worried about the dangers that each female capture target would face in their individual routes, and one of them had just been realized. Weighed down by his worries, Roel remained quiet for the rest of the journey. The knight order continued to slow their pace under the orange afterglow of the setting sun. Most of the apanying knights heaved a sigh of relief knowing that they would have a ce to rest at for the night. Two hourster, the unit arrived at one of the subordinate towns of Tark Stronghold, Balk Town. Despite being termed a town, Balk Town had no civilians at all. Most of those residing in this town were merchants dealing in military equipment. It had an abundance of resources, serving as thergest distributor market and military personnel recreation location in the vicinity. Due to that, it often came under attack by the deviants who had scaled over the mountains to invade humankind¡¯s territory. To date, no deviants have been able to breach it yet. The town was heavily fortified with all sorts of defensive armaments installed into its thick city walls. It also had garrison troops stationed in the town. The knight captain appeared to be on close terms with the garrison troops, allowing them to enter the town with ease. They quickly got themselves rooms at an inn, thus marking the end of Roel¡¯s month-long outdoor survival expedition. Roel¡¯s amazing feat of winning the Challenger Cup hadn¡¯t reached this barrennd yet, but the Ascart name held significant influence here. Strictly speaking, even though Balk Town was near Tark Stronghold, it was still under themand of chief logistics officer Carter. ¡°Wee, young master Roel! I am Carmen, the mayor of Balk Town and captain of the Balk Town Garrison Troops. I¡¯m an old subordinate of your father. I hope that Marquess Carter is having a pleasant break.¡± Carmen was extremely excited to meet the sole son of his superior¡¯s superior, even going to the extent of preparing a feast for them. Roel hadn¡¯t expected to receive special privileges here due to Carter¡¯s name, but he chose to ept Carmen¡¯s goodwill. Since thetter had already said that he was Carter¡¯s old subordinate, it wouldn¡¯t do for Roel to act too coldly to thetter. Furthermore, Hanks and the others would also be passing by this area soon enough, so it would be good if Carmen could take care of them as well. Roel shared Carter¡¯s affairs with Carmen, and thetter, after learning about Roel¡¯s ns, made a suggestion. ¡°Young master Roel, you should depart a littleter tomorrow. A fog has just shrouded Tark Stronghold. It¡¯ll be difficult for the guards to identify if you head there at dawn.¡± ¡°Fog?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little weird, honestly. There¡¯s no fog here in our town, but it¡¯s exceptionally heavy over at the stronghold. The brothers who have just returned from duty said that they almost can¡¯t see the stronghold anymore.¡± The man raised his wine ss as he grumbled about the unpredictable weather. Roel smiled in response, paying it no heed. After dinner, the group of them returned to the inn, and Roel finally got to sleep on a proper bed after a month of traveling. He was just surprised how his sleep wasn¡¯t as sweet as he had expected. Midnight, as dark clouds covered the moon, Roel suddenly felt an intense tremoring from the depths of his soul,pelling him to open his eyes wide. Then, his eyes widened in shock. The Crown¡¯s Stones were trembling. Chapter 418: A Person, A Town (1)

Chapter 418: A Person, A Town (1)

Roel thought that he could finally get a good night¡¯s rest before drifting off to sleep, but his hopes didn¡¯te to be. He had a nightmare. In his dream, he vaguely sensed the Origin Attribute hidden in the depths of his body resonating with something in the external world, prompting it to seep out mana to form a protective barrier in the area. Then, a beautiful and familiar yet shocking silhouette shed across his mind. The Mother Goddess. ¡°!¡± The blurred yet terrifying silhouette finally jolted Roel awake from his sleep, but what he witnessed afterward stunned him. He was surrounded by ice. He was still in the same inn room, but everything he could see was coated in ayer of frost. Even the ceiling above him was sealed off by his frost aura. cier¡¯s Touch had somehow activated without him knowing. A sudden loss of control in one¡¯s power could rouse one¡¯s fear, but Roel wasn¡¯t worried about it. He could sense that the Crown¡¯s Stone was not trying to harm him; it was protecting him from a simr power. As this intuition surfaced in his mind, his face slowly warped in horror. A simr power. The only powers that came from the same origin as cier¡¯s Touch were the manifestations of disasters that Roel definitely didn¡¯t want to encounter¡ªthe Six Cmities. ¡°How is this possible?¡± While muttering to himself, Roel shot to his feet, grabbed his items, and rushed out of the inn. Amotion had already broken out on the streets despite the ungodly hour. The soldiers on duty were pointing at the distance while frantically discussing with one another. More and more people were rushing out from the nearby buildings to observe the situation. It was around then that Roel finally noticed the bizarre phenomenon. A white fog had covered half of everything they could see in the distance. It spanned from the ground all the way to the sky, as if it was bing the new world. It billowed furiously as it swiftly rushed at Balk Town from afar. ¡°W-what¡¯s that?!¡± ¡°The fog ising!¡± ¡°Ring the rms!¡± The garrison troops keenly sensed the unnatural mana pulsationing from the fog and hurriedly rang the rms. Magic res were shot into the sky, producing brilliant explosions of lights. The momentary illumination brought the onlookers¡¯ attention to a massive blurred face retreating into the depths of the fog. It was such a sinister sight that it provoked astonished shouts from the soldier, further stoking the unease. The looming sense of danger Roel felt finally broke loose the moment he saw the face in the fog. The oceanlike fog was clearly not just a simple phenomenon produced by nature; it was indeed one of the cmities that had terrorized the world since time immemorial. The town quickly awakened under the loud rms, prompting the soldiers to rush out of their houses. The knights swiftly armed up and gathered under Mayor Carmen¡¯s orders, who then led them toward the town walls. Everyone was wary about this never seen before phenomenon. Archers quickly took their ces on the town walls and nocked their arrows, ready to unleash them upon the enemy. Illumination spells were continuously shot toward the sky to provide sight. The defensive armaments installed in the wall started throttling into action. However, the single man who knew about the nature of the cmities understood that it was all futile. The Six Cmities were the culprits behind the downfall of many civilizations. It didn¡¯t matter how many troops they had or how well-equipped they were. Even Origin Level 1 transcendents, rumored to wield powersparable to the gods, wouldn¡¯t be able to escape from their grasp. That was why those who stood in their presence eventually crumbled in despair. Despite the thorough preparations made by the garrison troops, the billowing fog showed no signs of retreating. In fact, Carmen and his soldiers had already sensed that something was amiss by this point. They would always face multiple assaults from deviant packs over the course of the night, but for some reason, there werepletely no movements from them tonight. It went without saying that the deviants couldn¡¯t have had a sudden spurt ofpassion for them and decided to give them some leeway upon seeing the difficult position they were in. There was only one usible reason why the deviants weren¡¯t here¡ªthey couldn¡¯t make it here. If that wasn¡¯t sufficient evidence, the stampede of the demonic beasts was a dead giveaway. On the vast grasnd in front of the town, countless demonic beasts and animals were rushing toward their direction, as if they were escaping from a cmity. Those who were fast enough were barely able to escape with their lives whereas those whogged behind were swallowed by the mist before fallingpletely silent. The fog swiftly raced forward, covering up more and more of their surroundings. It was unnerving how silent the insides of the fog was, considering the masses of demonic beasts and animals it had devoured in its advancement. Fear gripped the hearts of the garrison troops, and their breathing unknowingly hastened. Carmen gave the cue for the soldiers tounch their attack, but neither arrows nor magic spells seemed to faze the fog at all. The fog continued to encroach on Balk Town with unstoppable momentum, till a lone figure started scaling the town walls. ¡°He is¡­¡± ¡°Young master Roel, you are¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ Step back.¡± Faced with the disturbances from the soldiers and Carmen¡¯s doubtful questioning, Roel ordered them to stand down. With mana pulsating around him, he made his way to the highest point of the town walls. By then, his silhouette could be seen reflected in everyone¡¯s eyes. The archers slowly put down their bows and the magicians halted their spells. Despite the crowd of soldiers on the city walls, none of them dared to cause a disturbance. They could sense something in the atmosphere changing due to Roel¡¯s arrival. The explicable stifling sensation that stoked their fears had abruptly vanished, and the billowing mist seemed to have halted its advancement too. Standing at the forefront of everyone else, Roel looked like a barrier protecting everyone else. The crowd standing at the forefront watched the ongoing changes with bated breaths, not daring to make a sound out of fear of disturbing the young man. Amidst this tense silence, Roel started conjuring two auras, one ice blue and the other pale yellow. The sound of freezing water vapor and a brewing tempest could be somewhat heard. He took a step forward and gazed into the approaching fog with glowing golden eyes. The fog squirmed and billowed in response to his piercing gaze. Roel could sense something within the fog meeting his eyes, and it beganunching its counterattack. Time slowly ticked by, and the two auras shrouding Roel only continued to grow even brighter. The shadow of a beast could be seen flickering in his frost aura, and the vague silhouette of a human flitted along with the furious winds. Under the effects of cier¡¯s Touch, Roel¡¯s expression remainedposed and cold, as if his face was frozen up. Yet, the ring brilliance in his eyes was warning the monster in front of him back off. A long confrontation ensued. The crackling mes from torches and nervous breathing could be heard from the crowd standing behind Roel as everyone waited with strung up nerves. It felt like forever, but the monster eventually decided to back off. The billowing fog suddenly started retreating, as if a receding high tide. ¡°I-it¡¯s leaving?¡± ¡°That monstrous fog is really retreating!¡± ¡°O¡¯ Sia, thank you for your grace! Long live Lord Roel!¡± Staring as the silvery fog gradually retreated into the darkness of the night, the soldiers standing on the city walls slowly snapped out of their daze and flew into an uproar. Their strung up nerves finally loosened, and they began cheering Roel¡¯s name loudly. Carmen and the others also quickly rushed up the town wall, where Roel was standing. Hearing the cheering crowd, Roel slowly retracted his auras. Both the silhouettes of cier Creator and Tempest Caller vanished and their respective colors dissipated into thin air. The brilliant glow in his golden eyes faded, reced with endless worry. Roel gazed in the direction of Tark Stronghold, knowing that it wasn¡¯t the end yet. If anything, it was only the start. Chapter 418.2: A Person, A Town (2)

Chapter 418.2: A Person, A Town (2)

In a crepuscr castle, Bryan Elric entered a dark room. It had been a while since he wasst here. There was a long table with two cups of fragrant hot tea and a single candle faintly illuminating the dark surroundings. Beside the candlelight sat an enigmatic man, whose face was concealed between the boundary of light and dark. He was the only man of the Connoisseur Guild who could conceal his face from him, as well as the leader of the onlyrge-scale organization that operated in the country controlled by the Genesis Goddess Church. The Collector. He was like an enigmatic phantom, out of sight and out of reach. Even entering this room required the highest ess rights. Very rarely would mumbles of his existence be heard in the surface world. He wielded experience and capabilities that few could muster the courage to challenge, as if he was an omniscient being standing on a higher dimension than the masses. ¡°They have made their move,¡± said the Collector. His voice sounded like a gentle whisper from the distance, yet it ryed a terrifying truth. ¡°The time is ripe. You have mastered what I have given to you, and the Gate is already in ce. Your chance hase. All that¡¯s left is for you to make a choice.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s different from what you told me a few years back.¡± ¡°It is. Bryan, the world is ever-changing. Fate is fluid. The ident with the Ascart House is one. The death of your child is another. Looking at that child of the Ascarts now, I don¡¯t think your defeat back then was unjustified.¡± The Collector¡¯s maic voice reverberated in the enclosed space, sounding both like an exnation and amentation. ¡°It was unexpected that an awakener would reappear in that n. That was also the reason why the prophecy unraveled. Those are random forces beyond the control of mortals. Such is the reason why your Elric House fell to its current plight. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why should I believe that it¡¯ll seed this time?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because times are changing, Bryan.¡± Faced with the cold-faced Bryan¡¯s question, the Collector grandly raised his hands, as if he was portraying the world to his guest. ¡°You¡¯re seeing the calm before the storm, but the countdown on the apocalypse has already started. Primordial beings are awakening one after another. All the participants are vying for resources to get a lead over the others. The sentient Cmities are working to gather power for the Mother Goddess. Simrly, the servants of the Savior are also joining the fray. ¡°It¡¯s an era where the tempo of fate starts to break down. Unique as the Ascarts are, they are far from being invincible. This is your final opportunity. The sessors of the Tripartite Alliance have awakened under his interference. They are on the verge of breaking out of their cocoons.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bryan¡¯splexion looked even colder than before, but the Collector had urately struck on his weak point. Given the current circumstances in the Saint Mesit Theocracy, if Nora were to undergo another awakening, thended nobles who were spectating the situation would likely copse toward the Ascarts and the Xeclydes. That would have rendered his century¡¯s worth of effort futile. ¡°The resurgence of the Elric House has always been a route fraught with difficulties. With the arrival of the chaotic era, the Theocracy will be centered around the Xeclydes once more. Your wish will be shattered by the tides of change. You should know that better than anyone else, Bryan, no, Felder Elric.¡± The Collector called Bryan by his old name and spoke aloud his predictions for the future. Bryan sharply narrowed his eyes and assessed the man sitting on the other end of the table. Then, he asked. ¡°¡­ What can you gain out of this?¡± It was an abrupt question, but it cut right into the core of things. The Collector paused for a brief moment before bursting intoughter. ¡°I am but a collector. Authority does not interest me. You are the one who wields true power in the Connoisseur Guild. Your action piques my interest and rouses my expectation; that¡¯s sufficient for me.¡± ¡°That might be the case, but¡­ you seem to know quite a lot about that n?¡± Bryan continued staring at the Collector with impassive eyes. Thetter fell silent as the two of them met each other¡¯s eyes. It took a while before thetter finally responded. ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t trust me?¡± ¡°No, I just wish to know how you came to know of things.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s an easy question. I go back a long way with them.¡± ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Yes indeed. It¡¯s nothing but ancient history now¡­¡± In this dark room, the Collector looked at the man whom he had associated himself with for over a hundred years now, and for the first time, he began revealing information about himself. What he revealed caused a crack in Bryan¡¯s mask of cidness. ¡°That would exin things.¡± It took a long while before Bryan¡¯s widened eyes slowly reverted back to normal. He rose to his feet and looked at the man partially hidden in the shadows. ¡°I have no more questions. I¡¯ll ept this final chance. May we meet again.¡± With those words, Bryan turned around and left the room. The Collector silently watched as Bryan walked away. Only when thetter¡¯s silhouettepletely vanished did he finally mutter to himself.¡± ¡°That obstinate fellow. What a waste of my tea.¡± The Collector looked at the steaming hot cup of tea ced on the opposite end of the table and sighedmentably. Then, he turned around and looked at the floating sculpture he had recently obtained. The meticulous attention to detail hinted at the sculpture being the work of a master, but it was an iplete work of art. It depicted an angel-like woman standing valiantly above countless fallen corpses. However, what the Collector was particrly interested in was a young man standing hidden amidst the corpses. An expectant smile formed on the Collector¡¯s face. ¡°What will you do this time, Roel Ascart?¡± ¡­ Those residing in Balk Town had undergone huge ups and downs in a single night. From their peaceful everyday life to the encounter with the enigmatic monstrosity, and finally the flood of relief from having survived the ordeal; such huge changes in emotions left many feeling mentally drained. But more than that, they were more aware of their current situation. ¡°Lord Roel, what do we do now?¡± After the fog retreated, Carmen and the leaders of Balk Town huddled together on the town walls. At the center of the crowd, Roel was still calming his hastened breathing with both eyes closed. His mana was in chaos, and his face had also turned pale. Activating two Crown¡¯s Stones had depleted most of his mana, but he thought that it was necessary for him to do so. He wasn¡¯t in the Witness State but the real world. The fog was a true cmity originating from the ancient era. He didn¡¯t think that he would have been able to drive it away using just a single Crown¡¯s Stone. The only way to intimidate it into retreating was to simultaneously summon cier Creator and Tempest Caller. Otherwise, there was no way he would have been able to save everyone. He was in a bad condition, but there was something much more important that disallowed him from feeling relief¡ªwhat was the situation at Tark Stronghold? He was able to drive the fog away with his Crown Origin Attribute and Crown¡¯s Stone, but was there anyone in Tark Stronghold who could do the same? Would they really be able to withstand the assault from one of the Six Cmities? More importantly, was Nora in the fortress when the fog struck? Prince Kane had written in his letter that Nora needed to continuously y deviants in order to vent her aggression and cate her bloodline. It would be a blessing if she wasn¡¯t in Tark Stronghold, but if she was, would she be able to deal with the Six Cmities herself, especially since she had never encountered any of them before? This also brought about the question of why one of the Six Cmities was appearing at a ce like this. Is it the doing of the Saints Convocation? No, they don¡¯t wield such great power. They can still control its egg, but not a fully matured Cmity like this. If so¡­ could it be the Mother Goddess? Countless thoughts bombarded Roel¡¯s mind, leaving him so anxious that he didn¡¯t even want to wait for a second longer. After a momentary rest, he issued his order. ¡°Those of the Third Knight Order will be following me to reinforce Tark Stronghold. The rest of you will continue standing guard here. Also, report the situation to the Holy Capital right away.¡± After issuing his orders, Roel led the knights toward the stables. He suppressed his difort and climbed onto one of the steeds before leading the unit into the shadows of the night. Their journey was uneventful after the assault of the fog. All they could hear was the galloping of the horses and the rustling of the wind. The knights had grave looks on their faces, and they were deathly quiet along the way. Their attention was focused on their surroundings, bothnd and sky, so that they could react right away if the fog dared to encroach on them. Amidst this nervous atmosphere, Roel and his group finally arrived at the vicinity of Tark Stronghold. However, what they felt wasn¡¯t ease of mind but confusion and horror. ¡°Why¡­ is there light?¡± The stunned knight captain murmured to himself as he pulled on his reins. The knights behind him also slowed their steeds to a halt. A heavy atmosphere loomed over the group, leaving Roel confused. However, when he noticed the crack of light by the horizon, his eyes also widened in shock. Wait a moment! Light? Why is there light? Roel was failing to make sense out of the situation, and there was a simple reason behind it. The sun rose from the east, but Tark Stronghold was also located in the east. Chapter 419.1: The Turning Point (1)

Chapter 419.1: The Turning Point (1)

It shouldn¡¯t have been possible for Roel and the knights to witness the arrival of dawn. Tark Stronghold was a humongous fortress located between two steep mountains. Its sheer scale was reminiscent of a man-made mountain,parable to the massive dams in Roel¡¯s previous world. Given their proximity to Tark Stronghold, Roel and the knights should have been cloaked in the shadows of the towering fortress. The rays of dawn might dye its edges golden, but it shouldn¡¯t have directly appeared in their line of sight. Yet, the impossible was happening here. Roel and the knights were utterly confused and horrified as they witnessed a sight they were unlikely to forget for life. Tark Stronghold had vanished. It was neither breached nor destroyed. It had literally vanished in the most direct sense of the word. What Roel and the knights were witnessing was an empty space between the two steep mountains. The massive fortress that had stood tall in the eastern border for centuries was nowhere to be seen, granting free passageway through Tark Prairie. Roel¡¯s mind fuzzed out from shock. All that was left in his incapacitated mind was a name. Shrouding Mist. That was the name of the enigmatic fog Roel had fought againstst night, and he was only starting to understand the significance of it. There were hardly any records about the Shrouding Mist. There were only vague mentions about the Cmity silently erasing everything from existence. Roel previously thought that the destruction it brought about would have been simr to that of Sire Darkness, cier Creator, or Tempest Caller, but his assumptions couldn¡¯t be more wrong. It was only now that he finally understood why there were barely any records on this terrifying Cmity. It was because the Cmity had silently devoured everything. It was as if the Tark Stronghold had been dragged into a hidden dimensional pocket, thus erasing it from the surface of the world. It didn¡¯t vanish because the fortress had been breached. To be more exact, the soldiers in the fortress didn¡¯t even put up a fight at all. Had the soldiers in the fortress activated any of theirrge-scale magic armaments, it would have induced huge mana ripples that Roel could perceive, but that was not so. There were also no traces of arrows or spells in the vicinity, meaning that everything was calmst night. Everyone in Tark Stronghold was unknowingly taken away by Shrouding Mist. They might have been doing their own stuff at the very moment before being spirited away, thinking that it was just an anomalous weather pattern. Goosebumps rose all over Roel¡¯s body. ¡°H-how is this possible? Am I dreaming?¡± ¡°Where is the fortress? Where is the fortress?!¡± ¡°Hah. Hahahaha. Ahhhhh!¡± All sorts of hysterical sounds could be heard from the knights behind him. Some of them murmured under their breath, trying to convince themselves that it was all a bad dream, whereas some started going on a mental breakdown from their inability toprehend what was going on. It was simply ridiculous how an infallible stronghold that was a hundred thousand strong could vanish just like that. Roel was able toprehend their feelings, for he was also pushed to his breaking point. What Shrouding Mist devoured wasn¡¯t just the fortress that had been painstakingly built to its current size over centuries of effort. More than that, it took away the hundred thousand strong elites of the Theocracy, countless resources, as well the first sessor to the Theocracy¡¯s throne, Prince Kane! This was a catastrophe that could potentially tear the Theocracy apart! Politics, economics, and military; these were the three vital factors that made up a country. The loss of Tark Stronghold would greatly diminish the Theocracy¡¯s influence. But more than that, it also opened up one of the key pathways for the deviants to infiltrate human civilization. This day would surely go down in history as the turning point of humankind¡¯s fate, the day that the eastern border sumbed to chaos. It was the inception to an era of fear and suffering. Just thinking about the consequences of this unprecedented situation left Roel feeling as if someone had lit his mind aze. The only thing that was keeping him together was his fervent prayer that Nora wasn¡¯t in Tark Stronghold when it all happened. She shouldn¡¯t have been there. That was his deduction based on all of the factors he had gathered. Prince Kane had mentioned in his letter that Nora¡¯s condition improved after reading the letter Roel wrote two months ago about his victory in the Challenger Cup. He didn¡¯t write anything else after that letter, and that was why he was in such a rush to get to Tark Stronghold. Theoretically speaking, if his letter was insufficient to suppress Nora¡¯s increasing degree of Seraphication, she would have headed into the depths of Tark Prairie to hunt more deviants so as to vent her aggression. On top of that, he also had concrete evidence that Nora was still in the same world as him. With trembling hands, he reached for the angelic white short sword hanging on his waist and gently touched its feathery inscriptions. It allowed him to regain someposure. Ascendwing was a holy weapon that Roel and Nora had activated with their bloodlines. Through it, they could sense each other¡¯s presence. As faint as her aura was, Roel was certain that Nora was still around. ¡°She¡¯s still here, she¡¯s still here¡­¡± Roel muttered to himself as he calmed down his hastened breathing, forcing himself to calm down. Having survived many dangers, he knew the importance of maintaining hisposure when ced in a critical situation. Nora was in danger right now and urgently needed his help, so he had to quickly recover and rush to her side. Having thought things through, he began releasing a crimson aura, summoning a massive skeleton around him. The sudden appearance of Grandar exerted suffocating pressure on the knights, grabbing their attention. ¡°Are you done with your tantrum yet?!¡± Roel turned to the knights and bellowed at them harshly. His sharp golden eyes glowered with authority,pelling the knights to fall silent and tremble before his might. With order restored, he slowly moved his gaze across the knights and began his speech. ¡°Tark Stronghold has fallen. It¡¯s hard to ept this fact, but you shouldn¡¯t forget why you¡¯re here in the first ce. ¡°Look at the armor you¡¯re wearing and the sword in your sheaths. You¡¯re knights of the Saint Mesit Theocracy! I didn¡¯t protect you yesterday to watch you throwing a tantrum here and turn your eyes away from reality. Our country is in danger now! You have to stand up and prove your worth at times like this, not crumble amidst hysteria!¡± Roel furiously berated the knights for their own weakness. His reprimand brought senses back to the knights. Those who were murmuring to themselves shut their mouths and looked up at Roel, and those who had fallen into a state of shock slowly regained focus in their eyes. Roel paused for a moment to let his message sink in before continuing on. ¡°What did you think happened to Tark Stronghold? Divine retribution? Sia¡¯s wrath? Preposterous! I can tell you with certainty that what happened yesterday was an attack from the evil gods of the ancient era. It¡¯s a coordinated assault schemed and executed by the evil cults. It¡¯s a provocation against the church, an act of sphemy against Sia! ¡°You¡¯re the warriors of God, the most devout believers of Sia! You have to stand up against the evil gods and guard Sia¡¯s honor. The whole of humankind is behind us; there are countless lives resting on our shoulders! Tark Stronghold might have disappeared, but there¡¯s still a chance that we can bring it back. ¡°What you have to do right now is to pull yourself together!¡± With the knights losing their faith in this despairing situation, Roel sought to instill motivation in them by pointing out a clear enemy and nting a seed of hope in them. It wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched to call the Six Cmities evil gods. The organization that worshiped them, the Saints Convocation, was an evil cult through and through, and any attempt to destroy this world and its civilizations could be viewed as an act to refute Sia and the intelligent lifeforms she had created. The knights had to be able to make sense of the irrationality around them, or else they wouldn¡¯t be able to regain their morale. As for Roel¡¯s im about being able to bring Tark Stronghold back, that was nothing more than a white lie. That was the only way to get the knights to pull themselves together. Chapter 419.2: The Turning Point (2)

Chapter 419.2: The Turning Point (2)

¡°That¡¯s right! We can get the fortress back the same way we lost it!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an illusion created by the evil gods! We mustn¡¯t fall for their ploy! Those damned evil cults think that they can pull one over us!¡± ¡°We need to first ry the news to others and strengthen our defenses here for the time being.¡± Under Roel¡¯s galvanizing spech, the knights, who had been believers of Goddess Sia from a young age, were able to find a new way to look at the situation. Through that, they found a new pir of mental support and furiously swore to get back on the evil cults. Two knights were dispatched to head back to Balk Town to report the matter, whereas the remaining members searched the vicinity for clues and constructed a simple base. Tark Stronghold might have fallen, but the mountain pass still needed to be guarded. If they allowed the deviants to march in freely, they would swiftly scatter in all directions and wreak havoc along the eastern border, making it difficult for humankind to sustain its defense line. Of course, there was no way a unit of knights could have guarded Tark Prairie by itself. If the deviants were tounch arge-scale invasion, they would get overrun within moments. Both Roel and the knights were aware of that, but they chose not to mention it. They knew that their lives were of little importance inparison to the crisis that could potentially befall humankind. Their country, family, friends, and brethren were all behind them. They couldn¡¯t afford to back down now. The sudden catastrophe might have momentarily crushed their will, but they swiftly recalled everything they had vowed to protect. They suppressed their fear and forced themselves to stand their ground. Meanwhile, there was another mission Roel needed to aplish. ¡°Lord Roel, are you really going?¡± While the knights were busy building a temporary camp, themanders of the Third Knight Order gathered together and looked at the ck-haired man in front of them. Roel nodded his head in response to the question. ¡°Yes. Now that Prince Kane has gone missing, Her Highness Nora is the final hope of the Theocracy. For the stability and survival of our country. I need to go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A heavy silence fell upon the knightmanders. The sun had already risen into the sky by now, but the armored knights couldn¡¯t feel the slightest warmth from it. It was for a good reason that Tark Prairie was dubbed as the ¡®Graveyard of Humans¡¯, and Roel was nning to march right into its depths to look for Nora, who might not even be in there. Everyone thought that it was an act of utter madness, but none of them were able to find the words to stop him. They knew that what Roel had said was true. For the Theocracy, this was something that had to be done. Prince Kane might have disappeared with the hundred thousand soldiers of Tark Stronghold, but the Xeclydes still needed a sessor. The Genesis Goddess Church mustn¡¯t lose its lineage of Angel Bloodline. The royal family served as the centerpiece that brought the people together in times of turmoil. If the royal family couldn¡¯t maintain internal stability, how could they inspire trust in the people? Once the Theocracy copsed, unease would swiftly ripple across the entire humankind like a disease, starting a pandemonium. The knights knew that Roel was shouldering the fate of the country on his shoulders, and that was why none of them dared to stop him. They could only bid Roel farewell with heavy hearts. ¡°Take my insignia and pay a visit to Pendor and Rosa¡¯s base camps at the eastern border. Tell them that the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, Roel Ascart, formally requests reinforcement at Tark Stronghold. I¡¯ll personally exin things to their higher-ups afterward. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll make a move. ¡°Till then, you have to guard this opening with everything you have. Remember this: There are no countries here, only humans. We¡¯re all fighting with the same goal in mind.¡± ¡°Lord Roel¡­¡± The knight captain received Roel¡¯s insignia with a heavy heart. Roel patted his shoulder before silently leaping on top of a horse. He gently touched the warm de of Ascendwing and mustered his determination. ¡°Hold on till I return. Warriors of Goddess Sia, may luck be on your side!¡± With those words, Roel pulled the reins of his steed and galloped into the depths of Tark Prairie. ¡­ Roel knew that this was a mission he couldn¡¯t afford to fail. Nora was the only sessor left in the Xeclyde Royal Family. Her position was so important that it could sway the future of humankind. The Theocracy was hardly as stable as it looked on the surface. Should Prince Kane and Nora meet with a mishap, the Elrics would immediately step forward and rally all of those ambitious nobles to his side to confront the greatly weakened royal faction. It was unlikely that the Elrics would tantly stage a rebellion under the looming threat of the deviants and the powerful influence of the Xeclydes, but the fragmented Theocracy would be fraught with infighting. The cracks would continue to deepen till Holy Eminence John departed from the world. With the extinction of the Xeclydes and the emptying of the throne, the Elrics could finally remove all their shackles and start an internal war. A fight would inevitably break out between the Ascarts and the Elrics. The Genesis Goddess Church would likely back the Ascarts, but the Elrics would also be supported by the evil cults. No matter who won in this battle of good and evil, all semnce of order would be eroded. With most resources depleted from the infighting, it would be hard for the Theocracy to put up a strong defense at Tark Prairie. If the deviants were tounch arge-scale invasion as they had on four previous asions at that moment, there was no guarantee that humankind would be able to withstand the onught. That was the conclusion Roel arrived at with just a bit of guesswork. It was a grim future that he mustn¡¯t allow to be realized, but that wasn¡¯t what he was the most concerned about. There was only one thing in his mind now that terrified him, and that was the possibility that Nora might disappear. Several days had passed since Nora¡¯s degree of Seraphication reached its peak. Nora was only barely holding on with her own willpower, but her father, Kane, had suddenly disappeared together with Tark Stronghold at this crucial juncture. That would havee as a devastating shock to her. Roel didn¡¯t know if Nora was aware of the disaster that had befallen Tark Stronghold, but he prayed for her to remain ignorant. If he could conceal this matter from her till her condition stabilized, all would be all good. He continued to gallop forth under the vague guidance of Ascendwing. After he had traveled for several hours, he started noticing bizarre piles ahead of him that caused hisplexion to turn grave. He wasn¡¯t certain at first, but the overpowering stench became apparent as he got closer. A scenery of hell unfolded before Roel¡¯s eyes. It was a mountain of carcasses formed by hundreds of deviants stacked on top of one another. The rotting stench could be smelled even from a thousand meters away, causing one¡¯s stomach to churn with revulsion. Blood flowed away from the mountain like many little tributaries diverging away from its source, dyeing the ground red. Crows and hawks circled persistently in the sky. This hyperrealistic scene felt like some sort of warped gorish artwork. Roel felt his heart falling into the abyss as he stared at the mountain of carcasses. He galloped forward to check on the mutted carcasses, and his face paled when he sensed familiar mana from them. It really is her. The violent muttion of those carcasses was at odds with the kind and righteous woman Roel remembered, but his logical mind told him that there was no mistake here. He stood in the midst of this hellish scenery for a brief moment before he focused his attention on the guidance of Ascendwing once more. He decided to turn his eyes away from the brutality and continue his journey. Such sights continued as he ventured further into Tark Prairie. By sunset, he had already encountered three such mountains of carcasses. The setting sun shrouded his body in an ominous blood glow. He could feel the guidance from Ascendwing slowly growing stronger. At the same time, in a faraway hill stained with flesh and blood, a woman bearing majestic light wings slowly raised her head to direct an emotionless gaze westward. Chapter 420.1: My Fate (1)

Chapter 420.1: My Fate (1)

I¡¯m getting close now. In the blood-red afterglow of the setting sun, Roel allowed the steed to advance at a slowed pace while he kept a vignt eye on his surroundings. Roel wasn¡¯t in a good condition at all, especially after he had spent a day furiously galloping on horseback. He had underestimated his exertion when dealing with Shrouding Mist. He didn¡¯t fully release the powers of the Crown¡¯s Stones, opting to just release their auras to intimidate Shrouding Mist. Thanks to that, he was spared from the heavy side effects of his abilities. On top of that, he had to devote a portion of his mana to calm the disturbance in the Crown¡¯s Stone from their prolonged summoning. In contrast, the woman whom he was worried about was in the opposite position. Checking the traces of the three battles Nora had with the deviants, Roel was certain that she was gradually growing stronger. That was evident from the scale of the carcass mountains. It had increased from several hundreds in the first pile to over a thousand by the third pile. Her increasing kill count and the mana traces she had left behind affirmed his judgment, further stoking his worry. To his surprise, his worry didn¡¯tst for too long. Weng! A metallic reverberation could suddenly be heard ahead just as night descended upon the prairie. Ascendwing suddenly began vibrating in resonance to something, emanating a flickering light. Roel¡¯s pupils dted as he quickly looked in the direction of the metallic reverberation. He knew that resonance was a sign that Ascendwing had sensed the aura of its owner. Given that he hadn¡¯t done anything, the short sword could only be resonating to its other owner. Nora is nearby! He soon noticed a speck of golden aura rising from the horizon. It shared the brilliance of the stars in the sky,pelling one¡¯s admiration. However, that awe would onlyst for a second. A searing arc suddenly tore through the darkness and rushed at him, emanating fiery heat reminiscent of divine mes. Roel found himself unable to react to it at all. Too fast! That attack wasunched in less than a tenth of a second, a speed so fast that even transcendents struggled to cope with even with their superior reflexes. At this point, it was no longer for Roel to take any evasive maneuver. Yet, he didn¡¯t reveal the slightest hint of despair. It might be impossible for a human to react to the attack, but it was stillcking in the eyes of the gods. ¡°Making a move without a greeting? How rude.¡± A delightful feminine chuckle sounded. Roel¡¯s mana started channeling on its own ord, creating a window where a fair hand reached out from the void to release the Witch Queen¡¯s spell. The spell produced ripples that created folds in the space in front of Roel, causing the searing arc to refract and pass by Roel¡¯s sides, crashing into the darkness behind him with a deafening explosion. Thanks to Artasia¡¯s help, Roel was able to survive the lethal blow. However, he didn¡¯t celebrate just because of that. The familiar mana pulsation had already told him the identity of the assant, and that was the worst-case scenario for him. Staring at the distant horizon, he saw a young woman with unfurled light wings rising into the air as if she was the new sun. She emanated a divine aura not unlike that of a god seeking to cleanse the world. Nora Xeclyde. Their eyes met across a distance of a thousand meters. Roel felt a surge of coldness in his heart as he realized that the worst had happened. Nora couldn¡¯t recognize him anymore. Even as she gazed upon Roel, her sapphire eyes remained hard and unfeeling. She was consumed by her divine instinct. Her aura was much stronger than before, but she wasn¡¯t the same person as she was before. She no longer felt¡­ human. Am I toote? Has she fully undergone Seraphication? Such a thought arose in Roel¡¯s mind, plunging him into despair. He quickly forced himself to stay cool and think of other possibilities. Holy Eminence John did mention that Seraphication was an irreversible process, but that was only if the individual had crossed a certain threshold. Till then, it would be possible to undo its effects. The only problem was that he had no way of telling whether Nora had crossed the threshold or not. To be honest, he was afraid to know the answer to the question. However, for his own sake and Nora¡¯s, he needed to verify it himself. ¡°Nora, it¡¯s me. Roel. Don¡¯t you remember me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Withstanding the immense pressureing from above, Roel raised his head and asked with a hoarse and quivering voice. He stared intently at the angel in the sky, praying for a miracle to happen. The moment he said his name, the woman in the sky visibly frowned and there was a slight change in her gaze. However, that momentary struggle of her human self was insufficient to ovee the suppression of her powerful bloodline. Her divine instinct swiftly vanquished her humanity, and she disyed renewed hostility toward Roel. Holy mes began zing silently on her body. Roel could feel an indescribable pressure crushing down on him, heaping great stress on his body. The ancient gods from distantnds surfaced one after another to protect him, but instead of feeling fear, Roel was overjoyed instead. There¡¯s a reaction! She hasn¡¯t passed the threshold yet! The moment Roel saw the series of changes in Nora, a surge of relief gushed into his heart. He felt like there was a lump in his throat. Nora¡¯s struggling humanity might have appeared futile, but it represented a ray of hope. He wouldn¡¯t give up as long as there was a sliver of hope, and he was determined to turn things around regardless of the cost. Mana began rushing through Roel¡¯s body as he simultaneously manifested Grandar, Peytra, and Artasia. It was a huge burden on him to summon all of his ancient gods at once, but he knew that this was the minimum he needed to do in order to deal with the current Nora. That was apparent through the reactions of Grandar and the others. The ancient gods didn¡¯t stand domineeringly over the battlefield as they usually did. Faced with the expanding sphere of light in the sky, Peytra narrowed her sharp eyes, Artasia revealed a rare impassive expression, and Grandar silently gathered the bulk of his strength. The three of them knew that they were faced with a dangerous enemy. Nora had already reached Origin Level 3¡ªthat was something Roel had confirmed from the very first attack. That usually wouldn¡¯t have posed much of an issue to him since he had defeated a couple of Origin Level 2 transcendents to date. The problem was that Nora¡¯s Origin Level 3 was different from the others. She was the most powerful female capture target in Eyes of the Chronicler; there was hardly any doubt about that. She was the inquisitor of light and the holy sword that severed sins. She was the chosen one that the world birthed after countless years. Now that she had transformed into a god, she was more dangerous than ever. The danger instinct Roel had honed over the years was screaming at him to flee from here with the fastest speed possible, be it through the tension in his body or the persistent goosebumps on his arms. Even the Witch Queen chose to offer her advice. ¡°My hero, I know that you wish to save her, but I advise you to give up on that thought. That¡¯s not just any angel¡­¡± she said with a rare grave expression. ¡°Go all out, or else we¡¯ll perish here,¡± replied Roel determinedly. Chapter 420.2: My Fate (2)

Chapter 420.2: My Fate (2)

Angels. They were known as Sia¡¯s aides in the ancient era, and they had always prided themselves as the Goddess¡¯ Envoys. Many races viewed them with reverence. However, just like how different humans had vastly different degrees of talents, a hierarchy existed amongst the angels too. The Xeclydes were the result of the angels¡¯ hope to sustain their bloodline, so the Angel Bloodline they had inherited was naturally the most superior one. It granted them utmost power to survive no matter how chaotic the environment was. Every member of the Xeclyde House wielded greattent potential. Their bloodline awakening was a journey for them to search for their own ¡®roots¡¯, to reconnect with their angel lineage in their own way and inherit its power. That was why every member of the Xeclyde House had a different power after awakening. Holy Eminence John had inherited the bloodline from one of the Seven Archangels of the ancient era, making him an irrefutable powerhouse even amongst the Xeclydes. However, Nora, who had undergone Restoration of Primordial Bloodline, was in a much more special position. ¡°Angel King.¡± Peytra quietly murmured the origin of the young woman¡¯s power, causing Roel to widen his eyes in astonishment. In certain ways, Nora could be considered as a nascent form of a god, a Race Sovereign just like Peytra and the others. That was the reason why the three ancient gods were so wary about her. Furthermore, in terms of attributes, the power of the angels was quite troublesome to deal with. Among the three ancient gods, only Grandar¡¯s undead attribute could hope to curb it. Roel¡¯s face turned solemn as he came to understand how dire the situation he was in. In the sky, Nora began to make her move. She gazed at Roel with glowing eyes before gracefully arching her body forward, as if she was leaning in for a tender kiss. But what came instead was terrifying killing intent. Boom! With a sonic boom, Nora pushed herself against the air and propelled herself forward with a furious outpour of mana toward her light wings. She descended like a fallinget toward Roel. This unexpected maneuver caught Roel, Grandar, and the others by surprise. Is she giving up her aerial advantage for a close-quarter fight? After a brief moment of doubt, the Primordial Earth Goddess made use of this opportunity to unleash her power. She forcefully created an eruption between Roel and Nora, ricocheting huge shattered rocks into the sky as if an army of catapults. At the same time, she tightened her serpent body tightly together before bolting toward the descendinget. The earth mes and massive stones had blocked Nora¡¯s path of retreat while the Primordial Earth Goddess waited in front of her with her humongous mouth opened, ready to devour Nora alive. However, thetter remained unfazed, choosing to neither decelerate nor avoid Peytra. In fact, she charged right into the World Serpent¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hm?¡± Peytra was surprised that she was able to devour Nora that easily. The Witch Queen also frowned in confusion as well. The two of them couldn¡¯t understand why the enemy would voluntarily enter the Primordial Earth Goddess¡¯ Body. One must know that Peytra was the incarnation of the earth. It was impossible to destroy her from within. That was her authority as a god. Yet, the irond rule revealed signs of copsing the next moment. A tinge of golden aura started glowing from Peytra¡¯s body. From a weak flickering gleam, it swiftly permeated her body like a contagious disease. Cracks appeared all over the World Serpent¡¯s body, and everything started crumbling with a loud explosion. Boom! ¡°This is bad!¡± The copse of Peytra¡¯s body rmed the Witch Queen. She didn¡¯t think that Nora would wield such terrifying assimtory angelic power that allowed her to thoroughly invade a god¡¯s body and break it down. Roel was also shocked as well. Years of battle experience made him cognizant of a fact. I won¡¯t be able to hold my ground against her. The powers Nora had gained after undergoing Seraphication were Assimtion and Decimation. That was the reason for the mutted carcasses Roel had encountered along the way. Even without her personally making a move, all that came into contact with her mana would be pervaded by it before being decimated. In the sky, the World Serpent that was split into two plummeted to the ground with a pained cry. The angel who broke out of its body unfurled her light wings and charged forward once more. At the same time, she began conjuring light arrows and unleashed them at Roel. Grandar stepped forward to block the light arrows. He was able to counter the assimtory nature of Nora¡¯s mana thanks to his attribute of undead reanimation, thus allowing him to stand his ground for the time being. With a furious roar that shook the night, Grandar released a huge burst of death aura and hurled it toward the falling angel with a powerful punch. The sheer might of the Giant Sovereign finally cracked the angel¡¯s nonchnt expression as she opted to evade his attack. This was the first time that Nora was forced to back away in the battle, but this small win meant nothing in therger scale of things. After retreating to the sky, she raised her palm and summoned a flood of blinding light, turning the entire sky golden. Her mana pulsated with incredible intensity as she channeled it down upon the Giant King. In response, Grandar gathered his death aura and unleashed it in the form of a punch. The two forces shed, producing a massive explosion that swiftly irradiated Tark Prairie, vanquishing the shadows of the night. All of the demonic beasts in the vicinity frantically escaped from the area, and the bloodthirsty deviants dared not to approach in the face of such frightening might. It looked like both sides were equally matched at the moment, but Roel knew that the situation wasn¡¯t optimistic. Bit by bit, Grandar¡¯s mana was being assimted by the angelic power. A countdown was already ced on how much longer he could fight for. On top of that, Roel was also running low on his mana. ¡°My hero, allow me to kill her.¡± Artasia turned to Roel and spoke with an earnest plea. ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s impossible to save her from the Seraphication of the Angel King. At this rate, we¡¯ll all die,¡± said the Witch Queen. None of them had expected that Nora¡¯s Seraphication would be tied to the Angel King. It was an unintended situation, as well as Nora¡¯s own fate. Countless transcendents had been destroyed by their own talents since the ancient era. Nora wasn¡¯t the first, and she wouldn¡¯t be thest either. It was understandable why Roel wanted to save her, but there was no point for him to give up his life in futility. It was rare for Artasia to use conventional standards to construct an argument that few could refute, but Roel simply looked ahead of him quietly. Is she really not worth me putting my life on the line for? Time seemed to have stopped as such a doubt surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind. He could keenly sense the overwhelming danger he was in as if someone was pressing a knife against his neck, but the thought of Nora¡¯s lifeless corpse made him feel as if someone was ripping out his chest. For the longest time, his goal had been to live on. But what did it mean to truly live? Was killing someone whom he cared for and living his life out in regret count as living? Would ying the final hope of the Theocracy and spending the rest of his life watching the death of his brethren count as living? He could survive if he chose to kill Nora, but he thought that it would be no different from being dead. He had a part to y in Nora¡¯s Seraphication, and he strongly felt that he had to save her no matter what it took. ¡°Artasia, I forbid you to kill her. I won¡¯t let anyone take her away.¡± Under the brilliant light, Roel looked at the Witch Queen and spoke with aposed voice. His eyes glowed as brightly as candlelight, reflecting his unwavering determination. ¡°She¡¯s not someone whom I can forsake. If it¡¯s her fate to be destroyed by the Angel King, it¡¯d be my fate to drag her back from his clutches!¡± With Roel¡¯s forceful words, the Crown Origin Attribute began glowing brightly amidst crackling lightning. His mana started to surge as he began walking forward. ¡°She¡¯s only asleep. I¡¯ll wake her up.¡± Chapter 421.1: For You (1)

Chapter 421.1: For You (1)

Under the night sky, the white-haired witch watched as the Roel ignited the final dredges of his mana. She let out a soft sigh, knowing that he had already made up his mind. Between killing his loved one to protect himself and staking his life on a glimmer of hope, Roel had chosen thetter. Artasia knew that it wasn¡¯t a wise choice, but she wasn¡¯t surprised at all. ¡°This again? You¡¯re a greedy one, my hero. How do you intend to wake her from her reverie?¡± asked Artasia with a rare solemn look on her face. After Roel¡¯s previous failed attempt to wake Nora¡¯s humanity, her divine instinct still upped its vignce to prevent any mishap. At this point, it was no longer possible to get to her with just words. Roel spent a second in thought before revealing his n. Artasia¡¯s madder red eyes slowly widened. She stared at Roel for a very long time before finally giving a nod of approval. By then, Roel¡¯s mana had also crescendoed to a peak, ready for onest charge. A pale yellow glow descended upon Roel¡¯s body, raising his fighting prowess to Origin Level 3. It was Peytra¡¯s Blessing. Shortly after, the Crown¡¯s Stone started glowing brightly. ¡°cier!¡± muttered Roel. The Crown Origin Attribute began buzzing in resonation, propagating the power of the Crown¡¯s Stone. Frost aura gushed out of Roel¡¯s body toward the golden sky. A blurred cataclysmic beast manifested behind him, as if a terrifying existence from the ancient era had awoken to unleash eternal winter upon the world. As he slowly raised his hand, the amount of frost aura he was releasing intensified. It rushed upward to challenge the golden sky dominated by the Angel King, thusmencing yet another battle. The golden aura and the white aura muddled the sky. The Six Cmities were the envoys of the Mother Goddess. They were cmities manifested by the natural destructive forces of nature, putting it at an even higher order than gods. Even the Angel King¡¯s assimtory power couldn¡¯t hope to undermine them. Roel consciously formed a dome of frost aura around Nora to sever her connection with the sky, but this didn¡¯t plunge thetter into panic. On the contrary, she became even more aggressive in her stand-off against Grandar. Before long, Grandar started to approach his limit. His massive skeleton fists were already dyed with ayer of golden aura. This golden aura had started to permeate his body and ravage his insides, causing bits and pieces of his bones to fall to the ground. This wasn¡¯t a good sign, especially since Roel needed Grandar for his n. The first thing he had to do in order to awaken Nora¡¯s humanity was to get close to her. That was the condition that had to be met before he could attempt anything. However, the only one who could help him achieve that was Grandar. ¡°Are you able to hold on?¡± Roel looked at Grandar¡¯s tattered body and asked. ¡°Go and do what you need to,¡± replied Grandar with a deep and majestic voice. Roel nodded in response. He stepped forcefully against the ground and zapped forward with a burst of mana, reminiscent of a bolt of crimson lightning. His approach rmed the Angel King. She immediately beganpressing her mana on her hand before releasing it as a destructive gush of golden light. She was determined not to let Roele anywhere close to her. The iing gush of golden light blinded Roel, but he continued to charge forward without any hesitation. His golden eyes remained as calm as ever, seemingly unworried about the Angel King¡¯s attack. He knew that there was a fearless giant behind him who would ensure his safety. Roel¡¯s silent trust ignited Grandar¡¯s fighting will. The Giant King let out a deafening roar. His massive body was crumbling at an increasing speed under the assimtory nature of the destructive golden light, but even so, he still furiously channeled his mana into his right fist to hurl a crimson punch forward. With a burst of crimson light, his tenacious attack tore right through the iing golden light, opening a path for Roel to advance. After aplishing his final mission, the remaining half of his body started to disintegrate. 100 meters. Roel quickly charged forward, determined not to let Grandar¡¯s sacrifice be in vain. On the other hand, the Angel King swiftly switched from offense to defense in face of Grandar¡¯s terrifying might, but she soon realized that the frost aura encircling her had sealed off her path of retreat. On top of that, she sensed that Grandar¡¯s terrifying strength was starting to die down. These changes made her realize that the scales were tilting in her favor, so she changed her mind and decided to go aggressive. 50 meters. The Angel King unfurled her light wings and gathered her mana, but before she could fully unleash her attack, the white-haired witch beside Roel released her spell. ¡°Devour.¡± Artasia pointed her finger forth and murmured a spell. Countless enigmatic ck butterflies emerged from the void, initially attracted by Artasia¡¯s mana, but their attention was soon drawn to the person who had the highest concentration of mana here¡ªthe Angel King. They flocked toward the Angel King and feasted on her mana. The assimtory power harnessed in the Angel King¡¯s mana swiftly disintegrated any ck butterflies that dared to feast on her mana, but with their sheer number, the ck butterflies still managed to weaken her. The golden aura she had defensively wrapped around her body began to recede, weakening her defenses. 30 meters. The witch¡¯s kaleidoscope of butterflies started to wear thin, but they sessfully took away a huge amount of the Angel King¡¯s mana with them to their grave. It was at this point that Artasia finally fully expended her mana, and her silhouette faded away with the wind. With the sacrifice of two ancient gods, Roel was finally ready to put his final n into action. As he charged forward, he began topress the frost aura he had been stacking around the Angel King thus far, attempting to encase her within it. The cmitous frost aura produced ayer of frost on thetter¡¯s body and her movements began to stiffen, but it was unable to freeze her right away. But it mattered not. His goal was never to freeze the Angel King. Kacha! The biting frost sank its fangs into the Angel King¡¯s light wings, freezing it solid before shattering it into bits. Just like a bird with clipped wings, she was now bound to the ground. Upon realizing that her mobility had been restricted, a crack finally showed on the Angel King¡¯s unfeeling face. For a brief instant, she showed a hint of fluster. 10 meters. By this point, the Angel King had lost most of her mana, her wings were clipped, and her body was covered in frost, but her disadvantageous position only further spurred her killing intent. She wasn¡¯t frightened at all, for she knew that the person before her was a mere human. Humans were pathetically weakpared to the gods. She sensed that Roel had lost the protection of his ancient gods, and she knew that she could easily destroy him even in her weakened state. It was not arrogance; this was the physical difference between a human and an angel. Roel was also well aware that he wouldn¡¯t be a match for the Angel King in a 1-on-1 battle, but thetter had made a minor but fatal miscalction. ¡°Have you forgotten about me?¡± A dignified feminine voice echoed beyond the multipleyers of frost aura encircling the Angel King, causing thetter¡¯s face to warp in horror. The World Serpent¡¯s body was still being assimted by the golden aura, an inevitable effect from having swallowed the Angel King earlier, but she was still holding on. Her pale yellow snake eyes were glowing brightly likenterns, and reflected in them was a young woman slowly turning into stone. Stone Gaze. That was a forbidden spell from the ancient era, one of the strongest offensive spells of the Primordial Earth Goddess. Not even the Angel King had the power to assimte it. By this point, Roel was already standing in front of the Angel King. 5 meters. With onest contribution from Peytra, they finally managed to curb the Angel King. It was no longer possible for her to move with her body petrified and covered in frost. Roel could now put his n into action, and it looked like victory was finally within grasp. However, it would appear that he had still underestimated the prowess of a Race Sovereign. Just as Roel came into an arm¡¯s length of the Angel King, thetter began focusing her mana toward the right side of her body. Just like how Grandar had chosen to cast aside his body tounch onest powerful punch, she was forsaking the left side of her body to forcefully regain partial control of her body. This marked the end of Roel¡¯s journey. Even if the Angel King could only move half of her body, it was still impossible for a mere human to stand against it. Roel was well aware of that, and he was unable to do anything about it. Just like that, the Angel King¡¯s hand plunged into his chest with ease. Blood sttered all over the Angel King¡¯s face. A smile finally surfaced on her lips, as if mocking the weakness of humans. The next moment, however, her gaze fell upon Roel¡¯s chest with a confused frown. ¡°You must be baffled as to why you aren¡¯t able to find my heart?¡± murmured Roel calmly. The Angel King quickly raised her head in astonishment to look at Roel with her glowing eyes, and thetter calmly revealed the answer. ¡°That¡¯s a simple question to answer. I moved my heart away. My body is the final chain to shackle you.¡± Right after those words were spoken, a blood-colored frost aura began rushing toward the Angel King¡¯s outstretched hand, firmly locking the two of them together. With that, Roel¡¯s n was finallypleted. 0 meters. I¡¯m finally close enough. Beneath the night sky that ironically looked as bright as day under the influx of white and golden, Roel reached out to caress her cheek. Before her shocked eyes, he suddenly lurched forward and sealed her lips, delivering his final sliver of hope. Witch¡¯s Blood. It was no longer possible to undo Nora¡¯s Seraphication with mere words, and Roel wasn¡¯t that naive as to blindly stake his hopes on a miracle urring. He knew that he would need a medium to connect to her if he wanted to awaken her humanity. Blood was one of the most potent magic materials,monly used in the ancient era when resources were scarce. The Witch Queen¡¯s blood was one of the strongest mediums in the world, and it was the only tool that Roel could rely on. The moment their lips connected, the droplet of blood Roel had been hiding in his mouth diffused into a burning flow of energy that swiftly permeated both of their bodies. Roel felt as if someone had set his innards aze, but the excruciating pain swiftly faded as his consciousness flowed through the blood medium into the young woman¡¯s soul. Chapter 421.2: For You (2)

Chapter 421.2: For You (2)

Nora Xeclyde found herself standing alone in a saintly white world that seemed to stretch on forever and ever. It was an unnervingly monotonous world filled with nothing but emptiness, but Nora felt hardly anything at all. Her mind was emptied out as if she was being assimted into this space, such that even formting a thought or grasping an emotion wasborious to her. Why¡­ am I here? This question sent a ripple through her heart as she struggled to gather her thoughts with a frown. It took a long while before a clue came to her. It¡¯s my bloodline. She vaguely remembered that this was a space created by her own bloodline. The Xeclydes were inheritors of the Angel Bloodline, and to them, awakening was a process of them uncovering the origin of their bloodline memories and working toward it. To use an analogy, it was simr to looking for a role model to imitate. For that reason, the awakeners of the Ascarts were very different from the Xeclydes. They didn¡¯t need guidance, and there was no risk of them losing their way either. They could aplish it all on their own, and the only thing they needed to pay heed to was toeing the boundary. Simr to how realistic imitations could be easily confused with the real thing, the greater the degree of awakening, the more power they could inherit from their Angel Bloodline. That was typically a good thing, but not necessarily so for a Xeclyde. The Xeclydes might be inheritors of the Angel Bloodline, but they weren¡¯t real angels. Should their bloodline powers grow too strong, the divine instinct harnessed in their Angel Bloodline would attempt to upy their body and obliterate their humanity. That was what Nora had been fighting against all this while. In fact, this was not the first time she had entered this space, but things were different this time around. She appeared to have forgotten a lot more than she usually did. She vaguely remembered that she was always yearning for a certain someone. Just uttering his name filled her heart with warmth, and this white space would tremor and crumble shortly after, allowing her consciousness to return to her body. She could feel the familiar name at the tip of her tongue, but she was no longer able to verbalize it aloud. Even with her dulled emotions, she could feel something incredibly faint gripping her heart¡ªfear. She couldn¡¯t understand why either, but she was afraid of leaving this ce. It was as if there was something terrifying awaiting her outside this white space, and the only way she could find sce was to hide here and forget everything. But the longer she stayed in this white space, the bigger it grew. Her surroundings began emanating a holy glow, and it looked as if it was only a matter of time before she was assimted into the space. Just as she had started to let everything go, there was a sudden earthquake. For a moment, she seemed to have heard a name echoing in the distance, but it was so faint that it faded right away. The white space continued to quake, and her emotionless face started to crack. Is someone looking for me? Why? Shouldn¡¯t he have given up by now? Such doubts surfaced in her mind, and it somehow pained her heart. No one in the world knew better than her how powerful her divine instinct was. One would have to pay a heavy price to make an enemy out of it, but even so, the earthquake never ceased. Faced with such desperate pleas, Nora slowly raised her head. The notion of leaving this space surfaced in her mind, but her fear swiftly overtook her will, refusing to grant her the strength she needed to leave. Why¡­ am I afraid? She clutched her forehead and forced herself to gather her thoughts. Soon, images started appearing in front of her. A towering fortress suddenly rose in this saintly white space. Its walls were lofty and its defensive armaments powerful. Countless loyal soldiers patrolled the grounds with solemn seriousness. The clergymen walking by were kind and courteous. A golden-haired man was buried in his work. A white-robed bishop was busy in his research. Everything was that calm and quiet when a silvery fog enveloped the fortress. A blurred silhouette opened its gigantic mouth wide and devoured everything. Nora widened her eyes in shock as she finally recalled everything. That was the unbelievable sight she had witnessed while she was on her way back to the fortress. The monster made out of fog devoured the hundred thousand people residing in Tark Stronghold in a single mouthful, vanquishing their very existence from the face of the world. All that was left was an empty space in between the two mountains. Losing her blood kin, close friends, and countlessrades in such a ridiculous manner; it was like a nightmare she couldn¡¯t wake up from. This shocking sight jolted her heart, causing her to sumb to her divine instinct. It was with her final sliver of consciousness that she marched off into the depths of Tark Prairie. She shook her head in disbelief before taking a step backward with a pale face, as if denying this terrifying reality. It was then that a voice echoed behind her. ¡°Is that the reason why you fell into this state?¡± ¡°!¡± The familiar voice had Nora turning around in astonishment. A young man had appeared behind her at some point in time, and he was looking at the projection with an apologetic look on his face. ¡°You are!¡± The moment sheid her sapphire eyes upon him, Nora could feel her heartbeat hastening. Tears began flowing down her cheeks. Yet, she found herself unable to call out his name. Roel noticed the anomaly, but he didn¡¯t pay it any heed. He dragged his weary body forth and slowly approached her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I waste at a time you needed me the most. I should have been by your side when you were witnessing all of this. I never should have left you alone for so long. You must be in pain right now, but Nora Xeclyde, you are not a person who would be defeated by this.¡± With earnest apologies, Roel walked up to Nora and gently wiped off her tears. ¡°There are times when things get too tough that you need a break. I understand. Don¡¯t worry. No matter how far away I am, I¡¯ll rush to your side right away to be with you. ¡°My princess, it¡¯s time for you to awaken from your dream.¡± With a gentle smile, Roel leaned in once more to kiss Nora. The saintly white space began crumbling, and the burning witch¡¯s blood guided the two of them back to reality. The brilliant light in Nora¡¯s eyes began to recede, signaling the loss of the Angel King. Chapter 422.1: Faint Hope (1)

Chapter 422.1: Faint Hope (1)

A ck-haired man and a golden-haired woman stood face to face in the middle of Tark Prairie, their lips sealed to form a tight mana cirction. Slowly, the golden-haired woman began to regain consciousness. The moment she returned to reality, she remembered everything as if she had just awoken from a dream, be it her fight against Grandar, Artasia¡¯s ck butterflies, or Peytra¡¯s petrification. All of these details shed across her mind one by one before eventually halting on theposed face of the ck-haired man when she plunged her hand into his chest. ¡°!¡± The recollection of what she had done to Roel left her so horrified that her blood seemed to have frozen in ce. Taking quick shallow breaths, she slowly lowered her head and gazed upon the ring wound in thetter¡¯s chest. Her body began to tremble. ¡°Roel, I-I¡­¡± ¡°You just came back. Stop looking around and rest a bit.¡± Sensing the intense fluctuation in Nora¡¯s feelings, Roel quickly covered her eyes. He was in terrible shape. His mana was depleted, his body was severely wounded, and the side effects of the Crown¡¯s Stones were soon going to set in. However, he knew that he mustn¡¯t copse right now. Nora had sumbed to her divine instinct due to having witnessed Shrouding Mist devouring Tark Stronghold whole, leading to the disappearance of her father and many others. If Roel were to copse right now, it would expose another opening in Nora¡¯s mental state for the divine instinct to exploit. That would have rendered his efforts futile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Warm tears fell on Roel¡¯s icy-cold hands, and a hoarse voice kept murmuring apologies to him. They had known each other for many years now, but this was the first time Nora had broken down into tears before him. Seeing her in such a state pained his heart. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. What a troublesome princess you are,¡± Roel feigned aint with a smile. Perhaps due to the damage he had taken, his mind was slowly nking out. All that was left were the raging emotions within him. He let go of all logic and obeyed his instinct, gently leaning in to kiss the woman before him on the lips. What was different this time was that the woman reciprocated his sentiments. As if fearing that he would suddenly disappear as well, Nora¡¯s response was unprecedentedly intense. A passionate kiss mixed with the saltiness of tears; the feelings between them that had aged over many years poured out and intertwined together. It felt like a long time before Nora¡¯s tears finally stopped. As she regained herposure, her face began to turn bright red. It was then that their lips finally parted. The golden aura had already dissipated by this point, reverting the surroundings back to normal. Roel began retracting the frost aura around Nora while thetter slowly undid the petrification with her assimtion power¡ªit was possible now that Peytra wasn¡¯t around to channel the petrification, but it still took some effort. Soon enough, Nora regained her mobility. She directed a look at Roel, and thetter nodded in consent. Tears flooded her eyes once more as she swiftly extracted her hand from thetter¡¯s chest. Despite having killed tens of thousands of deviants, creating multiple mountains of corpses, she still felt nauseated when she saw Roel¡¯s blood stter out. She felt like something was crushing her heart. She instinctively reached out to hug Roel while swiftly casting a series of spells to perform emergency care for him. By this point, Roel was already starting to nod off from his umted fatigue. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine. Nothing can possibly happen to you if it¡¯s only to such an extent¡­¡± Nora carried out the treatment with trembling hands while trying her best tofort Roel. Thetter felt assured to see that she was back to her normal self. ¡°I¡¯ll just¡­ rest for a while.¡± ¡°W-what? No, you can¡¯t do that. Roel, you must hold on! Roel¡­¡± Worried that Roel would never awaken from his sleep, Nora desperately called his name again and again, but it was to no avail. From the moment he was assured that Nora would be fine, he felt exhaustion setting in like never before. The sheer willpower that was barely keeping him awake was finally cut loose, and he plunged into darkness. ¡­ Please read this novel in HostedNovel -StarveCleric There was already a crowd where Tark Stronghold was previously located. Hundreds of zing torches staved away the darkness of the night for the diligent soldiers constructing a defense line. Following Roel¡¯s departure, the Theocracy¡¯s Third Knight Order immediately sent envoys over to the Knight Kingdom Pendor and Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s base camps, but the distance made it impossible for reinforcements to arrive right away. The ones who were currently doing the constructions were the logistics team from Balk Town. These people already viewed Roel as their leader after he stepped forward to protect them that night. His orders were also supported by the town mayor, Carmen, especially the part about constructing a defense line at the mountain valley. The disappearance of Tark Stronghold was a disaster for humanity, but Roel¡¯s words provided them a glimmer of hope. They were convinced that this was a ploy by the evil cults, and they were determined to stand strong to guard Sia¡¯s honor and humanity, as well as their faraway family and country. Roel had spoken those words to construct amon enemy and get the knights to pull themselves together, but little did he know that his words would swiftly spread, and everyone eventually came to take it as the truth. In the darkness of the mountain forest, Bryan Elric looked at the brightly lit mountain valley with a slight frown, his eyes flickering enigmatically. Behind himy hundreds of evil cultists awaiting his cue. Unlike the criminals of the Connoisseur Guild, Bryan had been stationed in Tark Stronghold several times in his long lifespan. He had a deep understanding of the fortress, and that was why he was skeptical even when he heard about its plight from the Collector. He could hardly conceal his shock at all when he saw that the humongous fortress had vanished without a trace, but more than that, he was confused about the soldiers¡¯ swift reaction. From experience, he knew that the soldiers would be gripped by fear and chaos after having lost the head of theirmand chain. There should have been not a single person at the mountain valley at this moment, but things were different from what he had expected. Soldiers were arriving every now and then. There was a steely look on their faces that hinted that they were intending to fight against all odds and make things work out, no matter the cost. That was why Bryan was frowning. This unexpected situation messed up his n, posing an obstacle for his advancement into Tark Prairie. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t too many high-rank transcendents deployed here, and they were too busy constructing a defense line that it was unlikely that they would be able to stall them. Besides, it was not as if Bryan hade unprepared. He first assessed the strength of the army camping at the mountain valley. Then, he took out a pocket watch from his shirt¡ªit was an exquisite magic tool inscribed with a beautiful angel. Its clock hands moved at an oddly slow speedpared to normal watches, depending on the degree of awakening and concentration of Angel Bloodline in each Xeclyde. There was a gleam in Bryan¡¯s eyes when he saw the lifelike inscription of the beautiful angel closing her eyes once more, but he wasn¡¯t affected by it for too long. Instead, he turned his attention to the moving clock hands and carefully calcted the time. Around three days. It was the countdown to the moment Nora¡¯s bloodline awakening reached its crucial phase, and it was the opportune moment for Bryan to assassinate her. As long as he made a move during this time period and either pushed her towardplete Seraphication or killed her outright, it would be his victory. The only thing that was standing in the way of a chaotic era was the Xeclydes¡¯ lineage, and that was the obstacle Bryan had to eliminate before the Elrics would get a chance at resurgence. On top of that, he would be able to get rid of the other hateful lineage as well, thus achieving two birds in a stone. Bryan thought about the Collector¡¯s words, and his eyes slowly grew sharp. The presence of an awakener in the Ascart House had changed fate, but he was far from being cornered yet. He still had a chance to turn things around. With such thoughts in mind, he stowed away the pocket watch and gazed at the faraway prairie. Murderous intent was brewing in his cold, sinister eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± With an unfeeling order, the group marched out of the mountainous forest and began charging their way toward the faraway prairie. Chapter 422.2: Faint Hope (2)

Chapter 422.2: Faint Hope (2)

Roel Ascart¡¯s mind had never been so heavy before. As a transcendent, his physical body had surpassed the limits of an ordinary human, and his rate of recovery had reached a ridiculous rate along with his increasing Degree of Assimtion. It was rare for him to be afflicted with any abnormal conditions, but today was an exception. He was conscious, but he was unable to wake up from his slumber. He was able to perceive his surroundings, but it felt like there was a thin veil obfuscating his senses. There was only one dominant feeling that continued to gue him. Coldness. It had been quite some time since Roel had obtained the powers of the terrifying cmity, and he had used it to its full prowess on numerous asions, but this was the first time he was experiencing such biting frost. He also knew the reason why he was feeling this way¡ªhe was currently more vulnerable than ever due to the severe injuries he had sustained in the battle. This was not the first time Roel was experiencing the side effects of cier¡¯s Touch, but he had never suffered such severe injuries on top of that. He had always been able to obliterate his enemies with ease through cier Creator¡¯s sheer destructive prowess, and part of the reason was because those opponents were clear enemies so he didn¡¯t have to hold back against them. Thinking about it, this was the first time he had ended up with such severe injuries whereas his opponent remained rtively unharmed. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t regret his decision. He could feel a tender touch on his cheeks. Slowly, he opened his heavy eyelids and found himself faced with a saintly and incredibly gentle golden-haired angel. The sight of Nora stunned the groggy Roel, leaving him overwhelmed for a brief moment. A thought surfaced in his mind. How beautiful. A saintly disposition, a delicate face, little seashell ears, clear sapphire eyes that seemed to peer through one¡¯s eyes, long curled eyshes, a sculpted little nose, and a pair of cherry lips that he had just tasted not too long ago. Everything about her was perfect as if she was a masterpiece sculpted by Sia. Despite having built up immunity from having known her for years, it was still hard for Roel to bear being in such close proximity to her. His heartbeat hastened, and he turned his head away. ¡°Don¡¯t stick so close to me. It¡¯s cold,¡± he said awkwardly. Due to having overused cier¡¯s Touch, his body was emanating cold air. It must have been ufortable to make physical contact with him in his current state. Upon realizing that Roel had woken up, Nora lowered her gaze and looked at him with a ravishing smile. ¡°It¡¯s just a bit of ice,¡± she said. She grabbed Roel¡¯s hand and ced it on her chest. ¡°I¡¯ll hurt more here if I stay away from you.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a terrifying disease you have there.¡± ¡°It is. You really are an evil one to afflict me with such a terrifying disease,¡± replied Nora. She tried her best to keep her voice stable, but her nasal voice betrayed the fact that she had cried. Those fair hands that were holding onto Roel¡¯s were trembling ever so slightly. Roel looked at her reddened eyes and sighed softly. ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s my first time seeing you cry.¡± ¡°I would have preferred not to show that to you if possible. Besides, you were the one who didn¡¯t y by the rules. Why would you use that sort of method to wake me up¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that how the story goes in fairy tales? Granted I¡¯m not a prince, but still¡­ Didn¡¯t you save me the same way when we were younger?¡± Roel raised his eyebrows as he thought about how he had lost his first kiss. Nora widened her eyes in surprise, not expecting for this matter to be suddenly brought up. Her memories brought her to a ce that seemed so near yet so far. ¡°That sure brings me back,¡± she murmured as her eyes filled with nostalgia. Then, she lowered her head and looked at the man in her arms. ¡°It has been many years since, hasn¡¯t it? Even the stingiest of merchants would know to repay the debt with some interest¡­¡± With gentle words, Nora slowly leaned in. Roel looked at her tear-stained cheeks, and he couldn¡¯t suppress his feelings any longer. Their lips reunited once more, and the air around them started to heat up with a touch of sweetness. It was a while before the two of them parted. Roel¡¯s breathing was thrown into disarray, and Nora¡¯s cheeks were flushed. Tight in embrace, they listened to each other¡¯s heartbeat. Making use of this moment of peace, Roel began checking their vicinity. They weren¡¯t in the middle of Tark Prairie anymore but on a bed inside a house. The scenery outside the window was pitch-ck, indicating that the night had yet to pass. Seeing that, Roel breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he hadn¡¯t passed out for too long. ¡°This house is¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sentry post built during the previous war against the deviants.¡± Nora ruffled Roel¡¯s hair as she answered his question. ording to her, the humans had built multiple sentry posts all around Tark Prairie several decades back to keep an eye on the deviants¡¯ movements. It was abandoned after the previous war, but Nora had been using them as temporary lodgings over the past month. Roel nodded. He started thinking about the situation they were in, and hisplexion gradually became grave. It was a good thing that he had managed to awaken Nora¡¯s humanity to temporarily suppress the terrifying Angel King, but it was still too early to let down his guard. Nora¡¯s Seraphication wasn¡¯t a problem that could be solved right away. All he had donest night was to avert the worst from happening and grant her a second chance. ording to Kane, Nora was in the crucial period of her bloodline awakening, and her condition would only worsen as time went on. During this period of time, what was most important of all was to keep herpany and ensure her emotional stability. The abrupt disappearance of Tark Stronghold had agitated her to the point that she nearly sumbed to the Angel King. While Roel had managed to salvage the situation in time, he was still worried about what was toe. Kane¡¯s abrupt disappearance was a huge shock to Nora, and it had opened up a hole in her heart. Even with Roel¡¯s apaniment, it was uncertain whether she would be able to weather through the uing storms. She might appear fine at the moment, but the uncertain plight of her father would continue to haunt her, slowly filling her up with negativity and despair. Roel knew that there was a need to plug the hole in her heart, so he spent a moment in thought before speaking up. ¡°Nora, we need to talk about Tark Stronghold.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel could feel Nora¡¯s body stiffening the moment he mentioned the words ¡®Tark Stronghold¡¯. It pained him to think about the anguish she was, but he tried to remain calm and continue on. ¡°I know that you aren¡¯t in a mood to talk about it, but there are some things that you must know. The monster you have seen that day is Shrouding Mist of the Six Cmities, one of the Mother Goddess¡¯ envoys. More importantly, I think that there might be hope for those in Tark Stronghold.¡± ¡°Hope? You mean that¡­¡± Nora immediately raised her head to look straight into Roel¡¯s eyes to seek confirmation, and thetter gave her an affirmative nod. The Six Cmities were terrifying monsters that vitedmon sense, but Roel knew that each of them had their own limits. cier Creator sought to encase the world in ice. Tempest Caller reduced everything to dust through the flow of time. Sire Darkness unleashed earth mes and ash upon the world to suffocate everything. There was no doubt that they were powerful, but they were limited by their own attributes. The same ought to apply to Shrouding Mist too. Roel had spent some time thinking about it, but he thought that the greatest possibility was that the ability of Shrouding Mist was to devour space. If that was the case, it was possible for those who were devoured to still be alive. Admittedly, the chances were slim, but if his hypothesis was true, they might just be able to do something about it. Roel did wield the power to influence the Six Cmities to some extent. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to change the past, but it isn¡¯t over yet.¡± Looking at Nora, whose eyes hadpletely widened after listening to his analysis, Roel gently caressed her cheeks and looked straight into her sapphire eyes. ¡°For that sliver of hope, you have to conquer the Angel King. I¡¯m with you.¡± Chapter 423.1: Life’s Gamble (1)

Chapter 423.1: Life¡¯s Gamble (1)

Sunlight started spilling from the horizons of Tark Stronghold, signaling the start of a new day. But the situation was hardly any more positive than before. Roel¡¯s body was shivering more than he did the night before, and they were still in a precarious position. It felt like he had undergone several years¡¯ worth of events in a single day, to the extent that he wondered if he was actually in a dream. In any case, he was d to have survived this ordeal. After exining the nature of the Six Cmities and the possibility that Kane and the others might still be alive, Nora finally mustered up the courage to face her fears. She decided to stand strong for the glimmer of hope that there might just be a happy ending at the end of the path. It was not like everything was well yet, but at least the hole in her heart was plugged for the time being. Roel looked at the relieved look on Nora¡¯s face and fell into deep thoughts. Strong-willed, determined, graceful, and dependable; these were the traits that were usually associated with the princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. Nora had almost never shown her weakness in front of him before. What happened to Tark Stronghold was truly unfortunate, but it revealed to him the other side of Nora no one knew about. It also made him more aware than ever how much she meant to him. Her current show of weakness might just be a fleeting phase, but it¡¯s even more so during times like this that I have to stay by her side and support her. Roel lightly clutched his chest and tried his best to repress the twitching pain so as to make his expression look as rxed as possible. On the other hand, there was a sudden faint gleam in Nora¡¯s eyes. Her body jolted and her mana started running rampant. ¡°!¡± The unexpected development brought grim looks to their faces. Her Seraphication is kicking in again? But it was just moments ago that we ended that fight¡­ ¡°Nora, you¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll have to leave for a while,¡± said Nora apologetically. Roel sighed softly before nodding with an understanding smile. Nora¡¯s bloodline was in its most active ever phase, so she had to continuously vent her aggression to weaken her divine instinct. To preventst night¡¯s incident from reurring, she had to step onto the battlefield again and battle with the deviants. ¡°You must be careful. If you aren¡¯t able to suppress it¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t happen a second time. I promise.¡± Nora interjected halfway into Roel¡¯s hypothetical situation, not allowing him to finish his words. Her eyes were filled with resolve. Seeing that, Roel responded to her with a nod, indicating that he trusted her. They began telling each other things to be careful of, but their time was cut short by the increasing luminosity in Nora¡¯s eyes. Watching as Nora made her way toward the door, an idea suddenly surfaced in his mind. ¡°Bring some food back with you.¡± ¡°Food?¡± ¡°Yes, anything you can find. I¡¯ll need some nourishment to recover from my injuries. Your Highness, surely you can¡¯t be thinking of starving your subordinate?¡± ¡°Of course not. How could I bear to?¡± ¡°!¡± Nora answered with a tender smile, catching Roel off guard. He was stunned for a moment before a smile emerged on his lips too. ¡°It¡¯s a promise then.¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± Having made a promise with each other, Nora opened the door, unfurled her light wings, and soared into the distance. ¡­ Roel sat by the windowsill and watched as Nora¡¯s silhouette gradually disappeared by the horizon before letting out a heave of relief. A white-haired witch manifested next to him and studied his nonchnt expression. ¡°She¡¯s gone. You can drop the act now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re as¡­ Cough!¡± Roel was about to reply to Artasia when he suddenly lurched forward and started coughing violently. Blood trickled from the corner of his lips together with golden specks of light. Artasia was devoid of her usual cheery smile. She looked out of the window and gazed in the direction where Nora had departed toward before calmly asking. ¡°When do you intend to leave this ce?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of answering the question, Roel calmly lowered his head and looked at the specks of light in the blood he had coughed out, which showed that something was amiss. He wasn¡¯t too surprised though since he had already known that this could happen when he put his n into action. Nora¡¯s hand had pierced his chest in the earlier battle. While he had moved his heart away in advance and avoided a fatal blow, he was unable to stop her mana from seeping into his body. The assimtory power of the Angel King was so great that not even the Primordial Earth Goddess was able to withstand its prowess, let alone Roel. He was able to ward off the brunt of the impact thanks to the protection of his Crown¡¯s Stones, but a portion of it still got to him. Even at this moment, his body was still being destroyed from the inside. That was the vengeance of the Angel King for foiling her n. Nora didn¡¯t notice it for some reason, and Roel wasn¡¯t nning to tell her about it either. ¡°You can¡¯t stay here. You need to leave this ce right away, or else you¡¯ll die.¡± Artasia¡¯s voice had never sounded so grim before. She looked at Roel with firm eyes as she severely informed him of his current condition. ¡°She hasn¡¯t gained full control of her powers yet. She can¡¯t help you. Staying by her side will only further stimte the angelic power wreaking havoc within you, elerating the destruction of your body.¡± ¡°¡­ So?¡± ¡°Return to the human world right now. You need to put some distance between you and that woman. I¡¯ll remove the angelic power from your body,¡± urged Artasia. ¡°¡­¡± Roel quietly looked at the rising sun by the horizon, not saying a word at all. Time slowly ticked by, and Artasia¡¯s gaze was growing sharper with each passing moment. In a faraway mountain valley and a crimson in, the humongous Primordial Earth Goddess and a massive skeleton giant were listening in to the conversation too. They silently expressed their approval for Artasia as they patiently awaited Roel to make his decision. Roel¡¯s safety was of utmost priority to the two of them, such that Peytra had chosen to let Artasia have her say despite being on bad terms with her. No matter how they looked at it, Roel had already done everything he could by dragging Nora back from her Seraphication. Anything beyond this was just seeking death. ¡°How much time do I have?¡± ¡°¡­ Four days, maybe less.¡± ¡°I see. Doesn¡¯t that mean that there¡¯s still a chance?¡± asked Roel with a smile. The Witch Queen¡¯s face darkened. There was another way around it, and that was for Nora to triumph against the Angel King, make aplete breakthrough, and gain full control of her powers. If so, she would be able to save Roel from the golden aura wreaking havoc within him. But what if she failed? If the Angel King appeared even once more, it would immediately stimte the golden aura within Roel, putting him in grave danger. Not even the Witch Queen would be able to save him by then. Artasia stared at Roel with a livid expression. Fury zed in her madder red eyes, and she could hardly suppress her emotions anymore. ¡°I really can¡¯t understand you at all! What¡¯s so good about her that you¡¯re willing to gamble your life on her?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel slowly settled down onto a chair and watched out the window. Past memories shed across his mind, be it their first meeting, the reunion at the banquet, the delicious dinner they had together, theirradeship in the Witness State, the warm embrace they shared¡­ ¡°I have to be with her. I am herst ¡®anchor¡¯. You should know better than anyone that it isn¡¯t that easy to defeat a Race Sovereign. Besides, I¡¯m waiting for someone.¡± ¡°Waiting for someone?¡± ¡°Yes, a nemesis,¡± murmured Roel. His eyes transcended space to gaze upon a golden-haired man. It was a baseless guess, but his voice was without a sliver of doubt. ¡°¡­ You can defend her from her enemies, but you can¡¯t make a breakthrough in her stead. What if she fails?¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way she would fail. She¡¯s Nora Xeclyde.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Such a ridiculous statement was spoken with such great conviction that even Artasia was at a loss for words. After a moment of silence, she turned her back on him and departed angrily. ¡°Whatever,¡± she scoffed and vanished right after. Roel sighed softly, but his mind was already made up. I have already decided to protect her, so I might as well go all the way. Besides, it¡¯s about time to resolve some matters. Roel rested his body against the chair and closed his eyes. He was patiently biding his time. Chapter 423.2: Life’s Gamble (2)

Chapter 423.2: Life¡¯s Gamble (2)

Nora Xeclyde was sitting atop a boulder. It was already noon, and the brilliant sun was glowing brightly above their heads. The warm sunlight feltfortable to the skin. It was still early winter in Tark Stronghold, so there were still sparse bits of greenery here and there. Those who were fond of the outdoors would have thought that it was a fine ce for a pic. Perhaps they were thinking the same too? Nora wondered as she nonchntly looked at the carcasses of the deviants lying before her with gleaming eyes. It would have been a wonderful day on a pleasant grasnd, if not for the fact that a rampaging angel passer-by had marred the background with carcasses and blood. If a person were to look at it from the sky, it would have appeared like a blot of red ink had blighted thend. Nora¡¯s arrival was a catastrophe to the deviants, a divine retribution from a god. It bestowed upon the people the only equal thing in the world¡ªdeath. There was hardly any mental inhibition in Nora when she carried out the ughter; if anything, it brought her a tinge of euphoria. Through bloodshed, she was finally able to temporarily appease her Seraphication. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that I managed to hold myself back earlier¡­¡± Nora hugged her knees tightly as she muttered to herself. She felt terrified just thinking about the earlier situation. Just like how Roel was suffering from the golden aura seeking to assimte his body, she had also been desperately trying to hold herself back. Throughout the night, while hugging the unconscious Roel, she was desperately trying to repress the bacsh of her bloodline. The Angel King had grown much stronger after its earlier near victory, making it harder for Nora to control it. The thought that she could lose her sense of self terrified her, but what left her even more fearful was the strong killing intent the power within her body harbored toward Roel. I mustn¡¯t let him get hurt¡­ Nora swore in her heart. She eyed the carcasses that had been assimted by her light once more and saw that they were emanating steam. The trickling stream of blood converged into a pool, attracting flocks of ravens from all around. The striking colors of death had alleviated her divine instinct to some extent, but it couldn¡¯t ay her worries. ughter could relieve the side effects of her bloodline, but she could lose herself if she became too reliant on it. Some of her predecessors who had resorted to this treatment method became addicted to murder, and Nora knew that she was particrly susceptible to it. From the first time she came to the eastern border at a young age, she had already known that she wasn¡¯t averse to murder. If anything, it filled her up with a sense of aplishment and euphoria. She was aware that the feelings within her originated from the bellicose nature of her Primordial Angel Bloodline, but she chose to suppress it instead of indulging in it. The world had already progressed from an era where fights often broke out and warriors were honored for their valiance, but more importantly, she didn¡¯t want him to see such a side to her. No one would fancy a bloodthirsty person. That was simply human nature. Despite Roel¡¯s talents as a transcendent, he wasn¡¯t fond of violence. That¡¯s why she chose to bepassionate and generous. She would only reveal bits of her sadistic self in front of Roel out of sheer joy whenever she returned from the eastern border to celebrate her birthday. Thinking about the old times mellowed down her cold expression. She slowly rose to her feet as she thought about the promise she had made with the young man. ¡°Right, food.¡± The light in Nora¡¯s eyes further faded. She was aware that this was simply a method from Roel to tie her down and ensure her return, but it was also her wish to gather some food to replenish his energy. Whenever she thought about how her hand had pierced his chestst night, she would experience phantom pain in her heart. It felt like a gush of emotions was welling up within her, prompting her to do something. She quickly took a few deep breaths topose herself. Then, she unfurled her light wings and soared into the sky. ¡­ Saint Mesit Theocracy, Holy Capital Loren. In a white pce brimming with holiness, a white-haired old man seated on a throne stared quietly at the empty space in front of him. A piece of news had been delivered via an emergencymunication line from the eastern border into the hands of Holy Eminence John. It detailed not about the invasion of the deviants nor the oue of Nora¡¯s awakening but the disappearance of the hundred thousand strong Tark Stronghold. To lose his son, a key fortress of the Theocracy, and over a hundred thousand soldiers overnight would have crushed anyone else, but in thirty minutes after receiving the news, the only thing the old man did was to continuously analyze the situation from different angles. He didn¡¯t copse weakly to the ground out of shock or spout crazy mumbles to escape reality. No, he calmly chose to ept the truth. Why? Because he was Holy Eminence John. He was a veteran who had been through the previous war with the deviants. Countless times he had faced crisis and parted ways with those he loved. His body might be old, but his heart was tempered like the toughest steel. The abrupt news might have inflicted another ring wound on his old heart, but he wouldn¡¯t crumble to that. The Six Cmities might be an unheard existence to most, but it wasn¡¯t a foreign name to the Genesis Goddess Church, which had been fighting against the evil cults since its establishment. Not to mention, the Ascarts, a long-time ally of the Xeclydes, had many records regarding them. John wasn¡¯t just a father; he was also the church¡¯s Holy Eminence and the Theocracy¡¯s king. He was anguished by the happenings at Tark Stronghold, but more than that, he had to consider the implications of the incident on the whole of humankind, as well as the possible conspiracies lying behind it. This was not the first time the Mother Goddess¡¯ envoys had appeared in the Third Epoch, but never had they caused such a huge incident before. These monsters shared amon trait: They needed a very long time to grow and mature. It¡¯s unlike them to appear too early and evoke a civilization¡¯s wariness. Is there some kind of reason why they had to make a move in advance despite the risks? The more he thought about this problem, the colder Holy Eminence John¡¯s face became. He had a feeling that a tumultuous era was before them. It could just be sheer coincidence or a design of fate, but the younger generation shone brighter than those who came before them, as if humanity¡¯s luck was centered on them. The collision of these two forces was bound to induce huge ripples. Holy Eminence John thought about Nora, who was in the midst of her bloodline awakening, and a worried frown formed on his forehead, but it loosened up shortly after. All of the forces that were protecting Nora had vanished together with the Tark Stronghold, but through the mysterious machinations of fate yet again, it just so happened that the sessor of the Ascart House should have already reached her side by now. With everything that had happened, it wasn¡¯t possible for anyone to interfere in their affairs anymore. They only had themselves to count on. ¡°May Sia¡¯s light shine on you, my beloved children,¡± the old man sped his hands together and quietly prayed. He then slowly rose to his feet and walked toward the map ced by the side of the pce. His sharp eyes swiftly fell onto a piece ofnd¡ªthe Elric Fiefdom. Chapter 424: Only Us

Chapter 424: Only Us

While a white-haired old man in the Holy Capital was musing about the major ongoing changes in the present era, a young man in the faraway Tark Prairie was also contemting the same things in a room dimly lit by the rays of the setting sun. Shortly after the sun disappeared by the horizon, a golden-haired woman returned to the room with a few wild delicacies she had promised. It was clear that she had put quite a bit of effort into it. As the one who had proposed the idea, the young man wanted to personally whip something up with the ingredients gathered, but his offer was firmly rejected. Just like that, Roel was bestowed with the honor of tasting the first dish prepared by the esteemed princess of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. It would be a lie to say that he wasn¡¯t worried, especially since there was usually a negative corrtion between strength and culinary prowess¡ªor at least that was how it was usually depicted in the novels. It was just that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say anything after seeing the serious look on Nora¡¯s face. Worried but unable to do anything, Roel could only try to divert his attention elsewhere to ay his unease. The affairs surrounding Mother Goddess naturally surfaced in his mind, being one of the major threats he was facing at the moment. Unlike Holy Eminence John, who was primarily reliant on deductions to fathom the currents of the present era, Roel hade into direct contact with some of the major forces of the world, especially Mother Goddess. Or rather, it would be more urate to say that he had dreamt of Her. He could thump his chest and guarantee that there was not a single person living on the present Sia Continent who had piqued Mother Goddess¡¯s attention more times than him. Even the most celebrated bishops of the Saints Convocation would lower their heads in shame before him. Hell, I was even a Holy Son of the Saints Convocation at one point in time, albeit in a parallel reality. What can I say? I guess I am pretty ¡®lucky¡¯. Catching the attention of Mother Goddess was much more terrifying than what it sounded. Roel had even developed a certain degree of trauma toward it. That being said, it had also given him an insight into certain things. Take his previous experience at Balk Town for example, while he felt like he had met Mother Goddess, he didn¡¯t feel the intense pressure he usually felt from her gaze. Upon further thought, he deduced that it might have been an illusion conjured by Shrouding Mist. Building on that, it suggested that Mother Goddess was currently in hibernation, which meant that the tragedy at Tark Stronghold didn¡¯t ur under hermand. It was an act of aggression self-directed by the Six Cmities. That was a piece of good news to Roel. The awakeners of the Ascart House wielded the power to deal with the Six Cmities so long as they hadn¡¯t reached maturity. One of his ancestors, Winstor Ascart, appeared to have hunted Sire Darkness at one point in time. However, if Mother Goddess was involved in this matter too¡­ ¡­ Roel wouldn¡¯t stand a chance at all, at least not yet. This made him even more aware of the importance of strength, which brought his attention to another piece of good news. The growth of his transcendental ability had stagnated for quite a while now, but his bottleneck had loosened after his battle with Nora. At the same time, his mental state had also undergone several changes. Hanks had told him that life and death situations could make one more cognizant of their belief core, which was a requirement to advance to Origin Level 3. Roel had a vague idea of it now, but he would need more time to fully make sense of it. With his mind filled with thoughts, he failed to notice that the other person in the house was calling him. ¡°¡­ Roel. Roel. Roel?¡± ¡°Ah! Yes?¡± ¡°What were you thinking about? Why didn¡¯t you respond? I thought that you¡­¡± Snapping out of his daze, Roel raised his head to find a flustered Nora standing in front of him. She appeared to have run from the kitchen over to his side. He was momentarily confused as to what the fuss was about, but he quickly grasped the situation and hurriedly apologized. ¡°Sorry. I was a little tired so I didn¡¯t hear you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora stared at the apologetic Roel for a long while as her hastened breathing slowly returned to normal. Still worried, she walked over and checked on his body again. ¡°Are you certain you¡¯re fine? You aren¡¯t feeling unwell anywhere?¡± ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve already treated my injuries, and I¡¯ve made sure to move my vitals away back then. What could possibly happen to me?¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± Nora had personally treated Roel, and she even made sure to check on the injuries several times afterward, but even so, she still felt a little hesitant despite Roel¡¯s reassurance. It took her a while before she btedly nodded her head. Looking at Roel''s smiling face, she subconsciously sensed that something was amiss. With her deep understanding of Roel¡¯s habits and her sharp intuition, it was almost as if she had a built-in lie detector specifically for him. She sensed that Roel was withholding something from her, choosing to only reveal a ¡®half-truth¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just got a little distracted thinking about Mother Goddess.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Nora heaved a sigh of relief after hearing Roel¡¯s honest answer. She wrapped her hand around Roel¡¯s neck andid her head on his shoulder. ¡°You have to tell me right away if something is amiss,¡± she said softly. ¡°Is that an order?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°Your wish is mymand, Your Highness,¡± replied Roel with a mischievous smile. Nora nodded her head happily, buying into his words. She grabbed the nket by the side and wrapped it around him. ¡°This ce gets chilly at night. Your body is still weak, so you need to take extra precautions.¡± ¡°Mm, it has indeed gotten much colder.¡± It was starting to get cold now that the sun had gone down, so Roel wrapped the nket tighter around him. He was just about to tell Nora to dress warmly too when he suddenly smelled something. ¡°Wait a moment, that smell¡­¡± said Roel with a frown. Nora blinked her eyes in confusion for a moment before panic gripped her. She thought that he had smelled lingering blood stench on her from her earlier massacre of deviants. But I just bathed earlier on. Is there still a smell? ¡°W-what¡¯s wrong? Do you smell blood? It might have gotten on me while I was cooking earlier. Hold on¡­ My food!¡± Nora was in the midst of her exnation when realization struck her, and she immediately dashed toward the kitchen. Catching a whiff of the faint charred smell in the air too, Roel shook his head with a helpless smile. It looks like things aren¡¯t going well for her first culinary experience. ¡­ Half an hourter, Roel and Nora sat opposite to each other on a table. There was barbecued chicken sitting on a te apanied with a few other barbecued vegetables. Unsurprisingly, they were charred. Roel carefully looked at the bitter-faced woman, who had been quiet ever since they settled down on this table. He chuckled a little on the inside. All this while, Nora had always maintained an impable appearance as a princess, be it her mannerisms when dealing with the circle of nobility or her personal merits. She was also well-versed in art, music, and many other fields, allowing her to shine regardless of the situation. She stood out even in Saint Freya Academy, where top prodigies of the Sia Continent gathered. It was as if someone had encoded perfection into her very genes, and herpetitive nature constantly drove her to strive for greater heights. Very rarely would she taste failure, but who could have thought that she would encounter mishap after mishap outside humankind¡¯s borders. Roel looked at Nora with curiosity gleaming in his golden eyes. This was his first time seeing such a side to her, but he wasn¡¯t too surprised by it. At least on the Sia Continent, it was ridiculous for a princess to personally prepare a meal. While it was traditional for women to prepare meals in ordinary households, such practices didn¡¯t extend to the nobles, especially the conservative ones. They believed that touching dead animals anding into contact with their blood was filthy and inauspicious. That was why there were noble painters, noble musicians, and even noble gardeners, but no noble cooks. Putting aside the conservative Austine Empire, even the noblewomen in the more economically developed and liberal Rosa would avoid the kitchen. The only exception to the rule was the Country of Schrs Brolne, where a fair number of noblewomen were interested in patisserie. However, that could be attributed to the fact that Brolne was a country founded by civilian schrs, resulting in vastly different conventions and cultures. For these reasons, cooking was a skill one wouldn¡¯t expect from a noblewoman, let alone the princess of the Theocracy. That was also why Roel was worried when she determinedly walked into the kitchen earlier. However, the prepared dishes looked better than he had expected. It was charred on the surface, but it still looked fine on the whole. Roel sliced a cut of the chicken and popped it into his mouth, astounding the chef. ¡°Wait! Spit it out, it¡¯s burnt!¡± ¡°Is it? I thought that it tasted decent. This is your first time cooking, isn¡¯t it? I wouldn¡¯t want to miss it.¡± Roel ignored Nora¡¯s opposition and continued to stuff more chicken into his mouth. Nora continued protesting against it, but she soon ran out of words to say. As the young master of a marquess house, Roel had grown up eating the finest delicacies. Knowing that, Nora couldn¡¯t possibly believe whateverpliments he had for her cooking. Still, it was weirdly satisfying seeing Roel voraciously gobbling up the food she made. She rested her head on her arm and quietly watched Roel eat. In a moment of daze, she had a feeling that they were no longer a princess of a major country and the sessor of an influential noble house but an ordinary couple. Every morning, they would wake up and get to their own work. At sunset, they would gather around the dining table to have their meal, sharing what they went through during the day. They would lean on each other as they chatted till they slowly drifted off to sleep. It would be an ordinary and nd life. There would be nothing for them to worry or be careful of. Schemes and plots would be miles away from them, as well as fighting and danger. Everything that they had, they would only share with their other half. Such a boring life suddenly sounded incredibly appealing to her. There was a long bout of silence before she suddenly spoke up. ¡°Roel¡­ What are your thoughts about Victoria and Ponte¡¯s decision?¡± Chapter 425: Little Wish

Chapter 425: Little Wish

On the dining table, Roel continued stuffing food into his mouth and quietly pondered about where Nora had possibly learned how to cook from. He was so immersed in his thought that he was caught off guard by Nora¡¯s sudden question. Victoria Xeclyde and Ponte Ascart. They might be nothing more than a historical character to others, but these two names carried special significance to Roel and Nora, especially with the decisions they had made. Victoria and Ponte used to be teacher and student, but after undergoing a series of tribtions, they ended up falling deeply in love with each other. However, due to their respective positions and ethical considerations, they were unable to officially be a couple. When Nora looked deeper into her family history, she found that Victoria¡¯s so-called husband was just a disguise by her personal maid, and there were many mysteries surrounding her death. Roel also looked into Ponte¡¯s records afterward and realized that his disappearance was questionable. Corroborating both records, it was likely that those two ancestors of theirs must have had enough holding themselves back for decades, so they decided to liberate themselves by faking their deaths as soon as the situation in the Theocracy finally stabilized. However, Nora¡¯s question left Roel at a loss. Their decision? She¡¯s referring to their elopement, right? What¡¯s there to talk about their elopement? Nora noticed that Roel was confused by her question, so she took a moment to string together her words before rifying. ¡°Do you think that Victoria and Ponte have made the right choice? They might have lost prestige, but in exchange, they gained the warm bliss of a simple life. I think that living that sort of life would be a joy too.¡± ¡°¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s probably the best ending for them,¡± replied Roel with a nod as he put down his knife and fork. There was a gleam in Nora¡¯s eyes. She stared intently at Roel for a while and asked. ¡°Would you be fond of such a life too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora¡¯s expectant gaze plunged Roel into silence. The two of them might be sharing a meal right now, but such asions were rare for them. There were times when they could only make time for each other once a year to eat together. The situation did improve after their enrollment in Saint Freya Academy, but even so, they were often so busy that their meetings were infrequent. Nora was always busy. Even during the holidays, her work piled up like a mini mountain. She had to maintain rtions with both court nobles andnded nobles, and there were constantly things she needed to do in the Genesis Goddess Church. Work was never-ending for her, and her workload would only continue to grow in the future¡­ It was inevitable that she would feel a strong yearning for an ordinary everyday life. Roel did want to lead an ordinary life too, but it was starting to dawn on him that it was impossible for them. Tark Stronghold was one example. He had been trying to keep a positive attitude all this while, but his heart was filled with uncertainty and worry. He felt like he was witnessing the realization of the apocalyptic prophecy Wilhelmina spoke about. It was impossible to hide the news about the disappearance of Tark Stronghold. The deviants would soon learn about it, and the eastern border wouldpletely descend into chaos. The resulting consequences would be far-reaching, potentially affecting every human in the world. Furthermore, as foretold by the individual routes of Eyes of the Chronicler, Nora and the others were destined to face a major crisis in their lives. Nora was now facing hers, but it could soon be the others¡¯ turn. It was distressing just to think about it. If there was any other choice, Roel would have loved to turn his eyes away from reality and live his life out in ignorance. ¡°I¡¯m fond of it, but it¡¯ll be hard for us. Victoria and Ponte were only able to retire because the Theocracy was moving into an era of stability then.¡± ¡°I know. But if peace doese to the world one day, I think I¡¯d want to try out a life like that myself.¡± ¡°You can try it if you want to, but don¡¯t even think about faking your own death like Victoria did. That¡¯d plunge the Theocracy into chaos.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you be more encouraging at a time like this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job to keep you from straying off the path. I don¡¯t want to go down in history as a corrupted subject who misled my liege,¡± replied Roel as he picked up his cup. Nora puffed up her cheeks in protest to Roel¡¯s tactlessness. Little did she know that Roel wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°But¡­ if such a day reallyes, I¡¯ll apany you.¡± ¡°!¡± The unexpected assault caught Nora off guard. Her mouth opened in bewilderment, not knowing how to respond to Roel¡¯s direct response. Her lips quivered and her cheeks blushed. It took a while before she finally managed to formte a response. ¡°W-what¡¯s with you all of a sudden? Didn¡¯t you express your disapproval earlier on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s from an official point of view. No responsible ruler would abandon their country and go missing.¡± ¡°Hmph! Says the one who¡­¡± ¡°But on a personal level, it¡¯s fine with me.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°What I said before was just my stance as a subject. It doesn¡¯t reflect my true wishes.¡± Roel took a sip of a tea before cing the cup back onto the table. He raised his head to look into Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes before continuing on. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me whether you¡¯re irresponsible, ipetent, or domineering. You can be a tyrant for all you wish. I just wish to stay by your side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Through their exchange of gazes, Nora could sense that Roel meant that he said, and it stumped her. Her eyes started to heat up, so she quickly turned her head away. ¡°Isn¡¯t that blind loyalty?¡± ¡°There are different types of people in the world. Some choose to remain logical and objective. Others choose to trust a person by their virtue. I simply belong to thetter category. I trust you, Nora Xeclyde. ¡°If you are truly a tyrant, I guess I would indeed be a foolish subject who is blindly loyal to an unworthy liege. However, if you turn out to be a wise ruler who leaves her mark in history, the world would celebrate my loyalty and steadfast trust in you. That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll have to ask you to be a bit wiser so that I won¡¯t be mocked by the future generations.¡± ¡°¡­ Spoken just like a dog following its master.¡± Nora murmured to herself with a bright red face. Those words stirred some of her inner desires, so she couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Can I put a leash on you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to humbly reject that.¡± ¡°Tsk. How obstinate.¡± Roel unhesitatingly rejected Nora¡¯s peculiar advances. Looking at the golden-haired woman in front of him, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder what the future held for them. It¡¯s about time. Is it just going to be the two of us?, he wondered. Chapter 426.1: I Won’t Let You Go (1)

Chapter 426.1: I Won¡¯t Let You Go (1)

Roel found himself standing outside a grand city to the backdrop of a night sky. He could vaguely hear a bell chiming in the far distance. Anyone else would have been baffled to have suddenly been transported from the rural wilderness into an urban city, but Roel gave nary a reaction. He had somewhat expected something like this to happen. He knew his way around since it wasn¡¯t his first time here. He entered the imposing city gates, passed by the empty city square, and walked through an borately decorated corridor. In the end, he arrived before a set of doors. Creak! As the doors opened, a beam of light shone through, expanding wider until everything came into sight. It was a room containing a beautiful flower field and a throne on a pedestal. This was the ce where Roel and Artasia first met and pitted their wits against each other. It was after several shes that they decided to seal a contract, thus resulting in their current rtionship. But this time, the witch waiting for him on the other side of the door wasn¡¯t enigmatic but brooding. He was aware of the reason behind her different attitude. A trace of golden had started spreading in the throne room, rising from the corners of the wall. The affliction wasn¡¯t just limited to this ce; an entire half of the city was already shrouded in the same golden aura. There was no physical destruction as they weren¡¯t in the real world, but it showed how pessimistic the situation was. Once the golden aurapletely filled thend, the Witch Queen would lose her jurisdiction over this ce. That would sever their connection and suspend their contract. Once that happened, Artasia wouldn¡¯t be able to manifest beside him as and when she liked. He wouldn¡¯t be able to borrow her powers either. This would continue till the golden aura receded or when Roel finally sumbed to the golden aura. Roel was aware of this consequence when he made his choice, but he still felt guilt-ridden toward the Witch Queen sitting atop the throne. ¡°For the final meeting before our parting, that expression of yours is putting me in a spot.¡± Artasia rose from the throne and looked at Roel with a sharp glint in her eyes. She looked as disgruntled as a woman who just had a fight with her boyfriend. ¡°You were the one who ignored my advice and insisted on doing things your way. Are you regretting your decision now?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not it. I just feel apologetic to have put you through this,¡± replied Roel ruefully. ¡°¡­¡± Artasia fell silent. There was no Race Sovereign in the world who wasn¡¯t proud and lofty, regardless of race or era. Take Grandar and Peytra for example, despite their amicable and tolerant attitude toward Roel, they wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to undermine their pride and honor, especially not an enemy. In particr, the witches were of exceptional standing and wielded great authority in the ancient era. They were a deeply feared race, such that even the angels, who prided themselves as Sia¡¯s envoys, dared not to carelessly offend them. It was not too hard to imagine just how prideful Artasia was. It was a humiliation to her to have been assimted by the power of another Race Sovereign, but she gritted her teeth and endured it because of Roel. She even stepped forward and took the brunt of the golden aura for him. Artasia¡¯s anger appeared to have abated a little after hearing Roel¡¯s words. She huffed in annoyance and averted her eyes away. ¡°I detest how you keep making choices that put you at risk, but at least you have followed the terms of our contract.¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to¡­?¡± ¡°Dilemma,¡± replied Artasia with a smile. She pointed a finger at him and continued with glowing eyes. ¡°The instinct for self-preservation and the desire to save¡ªa sweet dilemma between two wills. It¡¯s an interesting observation for me. I look forward to the oue.¡± ¡°¡­ You still haven¡¯t given up on that yet?¡± Roel smiled helplessly upon hearing those words. He was already used to being the Witch Queen¡¯s observation target. On the other hand, Artasia was finally done venting her anger and instead offered a piece of advice. ¡°The assimtion of the golden aura won¡¯t just stop here; it¡¯ll only worsen after my disappearance. It¡¯s likely that you¡¯ll be in the final stages of the assimtion by the time you encounter your enemies. The only one who will be able to help you is Grandar, whose attribute directly opposes that of the angels. Your enemies also aren¡¯t as simple as you think them out to be. You need to tread carefully.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sensing something chaotic and inauspicious. Things don¡¯t bode well.¡± The Witch Queen was an existence synonymous with disaster in the ancient era. Something she deemed to be inauspicious was unlikely to be anything ordinary. On top of that, the witches were known to be well-versed in the art of divination, second only to the Goddess of Fate¡¯s authority. ¡°Your body is slowly weakening, and you won¡¯t be able to receive any support from us very soon. Your ally is in an unstable state and can potentially be an enemy at any moment. Your nemesis is on your way here with something prepared for you. ¡°What a wretched situation you¡¯re in! It¡¯s even worse than what you have faced in your Witness State,¡± said Artasia with a derisive chuckle. ¡°I¡¯d also say that I¡¯m pretty screwed at this point,¡± replied Roel with augh. ¡°Yet, you still refuse to back down.¡± A merry smile slowly formed on Artasia¡¯s lips as her eyes curled in anticipation, hoping to see what would happen next. ¡°You have put me in a distasteful situation, and I deem it a humiliation. Typically, I wouldn¡¯t have overlooked what you did, but if you present me with an exciting show that far surpasses my anger, I might just find a speck of magnanimity in me to turn a blind eye to your transgression. That¡¯s why, my hero, you¡¯ll have to work hard to entertain me,¡± Artasia spoke with narrowed eyes, her voice mellow with desire. Despite the threatening words, Roel wasn¡¯t worried at all. On the contrary, he was thankful for the Witch Queen¡¯s support. ¡°I¡¯m grateful for that. I must say I¡¯m rather moved by your graciousness.¡± ¡°If you wish to earn something, you¡¯ll have to pay a corresponding price for it. Such has been the path of all transcendents from the ancient era till now. Suffering and happiness are like two sides of the same coin, contradicting yetplementing each other. My hero, you really are an evil one to always put me in such situations.¡± ¡°How is it that I always turn out to be the evil one all of a sudden?¡± replied Roel with a helpless tone. Then, he raised his gaze to look at the Witch Queen and asked with a teasing yet earnest voice. ¡°Since I¡¯m already a sinner, allow me to go overboard and request the beautiful and noble Witch Queen Artasia for a treasure before our short parting.¡± ¡°Oh? Is there something you would like from me?¡± ¡°Indeed. You can consider it a prop for the uing performance.¡± Roel revealed the item he wanted with a smile, and Artasia blinked her eyes in surprise before her lips started edging upward. ¡°My hero, you really are an awful person to ask something like this of a fair maiden. I¡¯ll admit as much that it does interest me. Alright, I¡¯ll indulge you this once.¡± It took some time for Artasia to prepare the item and entrust it to Roel. Having aplished everything, she bade Roel farewell with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s about time for you to leave, my hero. That woman outside seems to be at her limit now.¡± ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to take my leave to save the princess first.¡± ¡°How unusual for you to address me like that. It sounds pleasing to my ears,¡± Artasia spoke with a merry smile as she lifted her skirt and curtsied. At the same time, Roel¡¯s surroundings started to blur. ¡°I look forward to the day of our reunion. May luck be with you.¡± Roel nodded smilingly in response to the Witch Queen¡¯s blessing before his consciousness descended into darkness, resurfacing back into the real world. Chapter 426.2: I Won’t Let You Go (2)

Chapter 426.2: I Won¡¯t Let You Go (2)

Next to the deeply asleep Roel, Nora Xeclyde was seated upright in a dark room, undergoing immense torture and suffering. She had wrapped a nket tightly around herself to block off the light emanating from her body, but she couldn¡¯t stop the golden aura from assimting her. Her divine instinct was attempting to repress her humanity and gain dominance. Looking at the fast asleep Roel, who trusted her enough to show his back to her, she felt a dull aching pain in her chest. The hands clutching her nket tightened, and she began to hesitate over the decisions she had made. Earlier in the evening, after she had cleansed Tark Prairie of over a thousand deviants, she made up her mind that if the symptoms of her Seraphication still showed up tonight, she would leave Roel¡¯s side and venture into the depths of Tark Prairie all alone. That contradicts her own feelings and wishes, but she didn¡¯t think that there was any other way around it. She couldn¡¯t let her own selfishness harm the man she loved. It was not without reason that she suddenly made that decision. In truth, she had momentarily lost control in the evening. It started with an intense pulsation from her bloodline, and reality suddenly seemed to distance itself from her that very instant. She found herself returning into the white space once more. As many times before, she tried her best to suppress her bloodline and eventually seeded, but what happened afterward astonished her. She couldn¡¯t remember where their hideout was. Roel thought that Nora had returnedte because she spent her time scavenging for food, but the truth was that she spent most of her time searching the vicinity before she finally found their hideout. There was no way a transcendent with cognitive ability far surpassing that of mortals, especially one who had been through strict military training from a young age, could have just abruptly forgotten her hideout, not to mention that that man was still in the hideout. After her father went missing, Roel was the closest person to her, one of her important pirs of support. He had just dragged her out from the abyss of despair, such that he had be far more important to her than Holy Eminence John in certain ways. Yet, she actually forgot about where he was. There could only be one usible exnation behind this anomaly, and that was that she was slowly transforming into something that wasn¡¯t her anymore. That moment, she realized that the effects of Seraphication had reached a new stage, something that had never urred in the Xeclyde House for the past thousand years. What she was facing now wasn¡¯t just the threat of aplete takeover but a gradually increasing loss of self. Her memories, feelings, thoughts, and everything else had be battlefields in her fight against her divine instinct. With each loss she suffered, her mental state would undergo a permanent change. The blurring of her memories was a perfect example. It was with this realization that she eventually made this difficult choice. The current situation made it much likelier for her condition to unknowingly deteriorate. It could be possible that she was still perfectly normal a moment ago, only to lose something crucial to her the next moment. She might even be the Angel King without her noticing, just like a frog being cooked in simmering water. She had chosen not to sleep not just to observe her own condition but because she was afraid. She feared that she would forget or even harm Roel the moment she let her guard down. That was not something she could ept, especially given the frail state that he was already in. Roel¡¯s contracted ancient gods had been severely weakened under the assimtory power of the Angel King, and his body was in a terrible condition due to the injuries she had dealt to him. Furthermore, she could sense that he was concealing something from her. She had been paying attention to him throughout the entire night, and she noticed that his face had remained pale all this while. Slowly but surely, she gathered her resolve and made up her mind. She gently moved the nket away from her and quietly tidied herself up. Then, she began making her way toward the door. The world outside was dark and cold. The hostile winds howled ceaselessly. She knew that the moment she stepped out of this door, she would have to face everything all alone. It was possible that she might never return ever again. But when she thought about how this was the only way she could protect the one whom she loved, her heart toughened up once more. She took onest yearning gaze behind her before forcing herself to turn around and reach for the door. Before she could touch it, she heard a calm voice behind her. ¡°It¡¯d be better if you could tell me in advance before heading out in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°!¡± Nora froze in ce. Panic momentarily seized her, but she quickly adjusted her feelings and answered with her back against Roel. ¡°You¡¯re awake? You were sleeping soundly earlier, so I didn¡¯t want to wake you up.¡± Roel didn¡¯t refute Nora¡¯s answer. There was a brief moment of silence before he posed another question. ¡°Where are you heading to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ having trouble sleeping. It¡¯s going to be daybreak soon, so I was thinking of gathering some ingredients for breakfast. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°¡­ Really?¡± asked Roel. He stood up while massaging his chest, feeling a little relieved. His body was slowly being broken down by the golden aura that had permeated his body due to the Angel King stabbing her hand into his chest, but it also allowed him to sense the condition of Nora¡¯s bloodline through the strength of the assimtion. Thanks to that, he was able to sense Nora¡¯s anomaly even when he was in Artasia¡¯s dimension. But at the same time, the increased activity of the golden aura inflicted excruciating pain on him. He could sense the window of connection he had with Artasia closing as a result of it. The evidence was telling him that Nora was in a dire state, and there was simply no way she could have been leaving at a time like this to gather ingredients for breakfast. He also knew of a way to verify that. ¡°Nora, let me see your eyes,¡± Roel requested as he slowly made his way over to her. ¡°¡­¡± Nora¡¯s body trembled in response, not knowing what to do. The most direct symptom of her Seraphicationy in her glowing eyes, and both of them were aware of that. Due to that, she refused to turn around, and Roel chose to stop right behind her and wait for her response. There was a long moment of silence before she finally gritted her teeth and turned around to face him. ¡°Alright. Since you have already figured it out, I won¡¯t beat around the bush anymore. Roel, we¡¯ll have to part ways for a while.¡± ¡°Why? Because you¡¯re in a dire condition?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in the final stage of my bloodline awakening. I need to focus my attention. I can¡¯t allow anyone to disturb me at a time like this, not even you.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m a disturbance?¡± murmured Roel as he lowered his head. Nora felt pained to see this, but she forced herself to stand firm. ¡°You¡¯re severely injured. You won¡¯t be able to do anything if the Angel King appears once more. I hate to say this, but you won¡¯t be of any help to me. I¡¯m grateful for everything you have done, but the best way you can help me is by returning to the backline. It¡¯s much safer there.¡± With a calm face, Nora dished out a series of cold rational analyses that stabbed right into Roel¡¯s heart. She was hoping to agitate him into turning back, and it looked like she was on the verge of sess when he lowered his head even further. But unexpectedly, when Roel finally raised his head once more, there was no anger in his eyes. There was only gentleness. ¡°You really have no talent for lying. You should have been more heartless if you wanted to goad me into leaving. Something of this extent will only make me want to stay by your side more.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡°!¡± Nora was shocked that he had seen right through her thoughts, and her first reaction was to refute him. But before she could say a word, two saintly white cuffs linked by a chain suddenly shot out from Roel¡¯s hands. He swiftly mped one around her wrist and the other around his, thus shackling the two of them together. ¡°W-what is this?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a present.¡± ¡°Present?¡± ¡°I wanted to bring this up a littleter to surprise you, but it looks like there¡¯s no way around it now. Happy birthday, Nora,¡± said Roel with a smile. Chapter 427.1: That’s Not What I Intended! (1)

Chapter 427.1: That¡¯s Not What I Intended! (1)

Nora Xeclyde¡¯s birthday was a huge affair in the Saint Mesit Theocracy. It served towork with thended nobles all over the Theocracy and consolidate the royal family¡¯s influence, thus making it an important political event. As a result, the day seemed to lose its significance when not spent in such a manner. Nora was visibly taken aback by Roel¡¯s birthday wish. She hadn¡¯t paid any attention to the date ever since she moved to Tark Stronghold, and the asional loss of memories during her Seraphication made it hard for her to properly keep track of time. However, Roel still remembered it clear as day, proving that he didn¡¯t view her birthday as a political tool as most people did. He had remembered it in his heart because of her. It was moving for her to know that her birthday was remembered by the person she fancied, but it was hard for her to express her delight at a situation like this. ¡°W-wait a moment! I¡¯m happy that you remember my birthday, but what¡¯s with this cuff?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Contract Shackle, though I guess I should probably call it Angel Shackle now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a special lock created by the resonation of two bodies harnessing mana of the same attribute. It¡¯s not a physical item, so it¡¯s impossible to struggle free of it. It can only be severed when one of the mana sources vanishes,¡± Roel exined the principles behind the lock he had received from the Witch Queen. Nora was initially confused by the exnation, but her body soon stiffened up when she understood the connotation behind those words. ¡°You mentioned¡­ mana of the same attribute? Are you saying that¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That fellow left a trace of her powers in my body in the previous fight.¡± ¡°!¡± Nora felt her head spin. There was no one in the world who knew the prowess of the golden aura as well as she did, and that was why she reacted so vehemently to it. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it? I want you to head back right now! It¡¯s an order!¡± ¡°An order? My apologies, but I refuse.¡± ¡°Roel, you!!!¡± roared Nora in agitation. It unnerved her to think of what could potentially happen if they continued down this path that she lost control of her emotions. Seeing that, Roel let out a soft sigh, but he knew what he had to do. He absolutely couldn¡¯t let Nora leave on her own at this juncture. Neither the Angel King nor the Elrics were threats that she could face on her own. If he wanted to change her fate, he would have to first convince her. Having made up his mind, he took a step forward, but his abrupt approach caused Nora to reflexively retreat toward the side of the door. So, he pressed his hands against the door, blocking her paths of retreat. He forced the panicking young woman to face him. This was the first time Nora had seen Roel acting so domineeringly. His sudden change caught her by surprise, and their eyes met each other just like that. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the silent exchange of gazes, Roel could see fear and panic in her eyes, emotions that rarely appeared on her. Thest time she showed something like that was in the Witness State, but even so, it wasn¡¯t as intense as right now. It was simply too difficult for her to remain calm after learning about Roel¡¯s injuries. On the other hand, Nora was also able to discern Roel¡¯s emotions through his eyes. It wasposure that came with the resolve to cast away everything. Their hearts were silentlymunicating their wills to each other. Some timeter, Roel began speaking. ¡°I know that you¡¯re asking me to leave because you¡¯re worried, but dying is thest thing on my mind right now. I¡¯m not going to die. I chose to remain by your side for you to triumph over the challenges and realize our hopes for the future.¡± ¡°But¡­ what if I lose?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. That¡¯s because you¡¯re Nora Xeclyde.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel¡¯s response was firm and powerful. It was without the slightest hesitation. He touched her cheek and looked intently into her eyes. ¡°You will win, I guarantee it. You¡¯re stronger than that. ¡°You¡¯re the only Xeclyde in the past thousand years to possess a Primordial Bloodline. You¡¯re the pride of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the rising star that will guide the Genesis Goddess Church to greatness. You¡¯re kind, righteous, and unyielding. Even the fate of someone like me has changed because of you. ¡°There¡¯s a brilliant future awaiting you. You¡¯ll don the crown and be the protector of humankind. You¡¯ll be the noblest Holy Eminence in the history of the church. Your name will be known to all humans, and your words will echo for generations toe. ¡°The Angel King was noble and powerful, but the era has long changed. It¡¯s not the era of the dragons, high elves, and angels anymore. The remnant of the Angel King might make you stumble, but you¡¯ll eventually muster your courage and beat it down. I believe in that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora was left without words. She stared into Roel¡¯s gleaming eyes but couldn¡¯t find any hint of mirth in them. All she could see was absolute confidence, almost as if he saw her as his faith. It was neither hypocritical fawning nor exaggerated encouragement; Roel did earnestly believe what he had just said. He fully ryed his feelings through his eyes and words, and it struck a chord in Nora¡¯s heart. I never knew it was possible for someone to trust another person to such an extent. He knows that his life will be forfeit the moment I fail. There¡¯s no guarantee whatsoever. Yet, he still continues to hold confidence in me? Nora suddenly felt like she was shouldering something heavy, but it didn¡¯t leave her burdened. On the contrary, the weight gave her peace of mind, suppressing the anxiety and unconfidence within her. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why do you still believe in me? I¡¯ve already failed once. You¡¯re also aware of my current condition. I¡¯m unworthy of your trust.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re my liege, the most important person to me. I dare say I know you better than anyone else in the world.¡± Roel thought about the memories of his past life and calmly revealed the truth. Nora blinked her eyes in surprise before her lips started curling into a smile. ¡°Spoken like a prophecy. But you¡¯re right. I¡¯m your liege, as well as your protector. I¡¯m duty-bound to protect you. It would be dishonorable of me to let down your expectations.¡± ¡°So, you aren¡¯t leaving anymore?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to leave even if I wanted to,¡± Nora shook her head as she replied. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to turn her back on Roel and betray him, not after listening to what he had said. Under his encouragement, she managed to ovee her mental barrier and stand stronger than ever. In truth, Roel had noticed that something was different about Nora ever since he saved her from the clutches of the Angel King. She had lost her usual confidence and strong will. That was why he had to do this to vanquish her vulnerabilities and allow her to focus solely on the future. Nora wouldn¡¯t lose as long as she was in her peak form. That had been proven in Eyes of the Chronicler. This should be enough. Roel¡¯s heart finally eased up, and he released his hands from the door. He was just about to back away when Nora suddenly grabbed the other end of the chain and pulled him back in. Tok! Roel widened his eyes in bewilderment. The sudden tug from the other end of the chain caused him to lose his bnce and lurch forward, such that he had to press his hand against the door once more to stop himself. When he finally raised his head once more, he found Nora¡¯s smiling face right in front of him. ¡°N-Nora? What are you¡­¡± Roel¡¯s face stiffened up, sensing that something was amiss. On the other hand, Nora raised her hand and eyed the white cuff and the chain attached to it with curled lips. ¡°I¡¯m delighted that you remember my birthday, but don¡¯t you know that cuffing up your liege is a grievous act of insubordination?¡± ¡°W-wait! Weren¡¯t you the one who said that you wanted handcuffs? Besides, don¡¯t you like the gift I¡¯ve prepared for you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that, but I never gave you permission to cuff me. You were still talking about loyalty a moment ago, making it sound as if there¡¯s no one in the world as staunch as you are. Yet, your actions speak apletely different tune.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel couldn¡¯t refute those words. The two of them stood mere centimeters apart from each other, such that they could feel each other¡¯s breathing and heartbeat. The feelings that Nora had suppressed all this while began to burst forth. ¡°¡­ I believe that some punishment is in order.¡± With an intoxicated murmur, she leaned in and took his lips. Chapter 427.2: That’s Not What I Intended! (2)

Chapter 427.2: That¡¯s Not What I Intended! (2)

It was noon. The radiant sun basked Tark Prairie in its golden rays, staving away the coldness of the night. In thisfortable weather, a single man sat alone in the midst of a grass field, reflecting on his mistake. It wasmon sense to prepare a present that was aligned with the receiver¡¯s preference, butmon sense wasn¡¯t always right all the time. Roel¡¯s current plight was one perfect example. Oof. To think that the present was actually myself. The Angel Shackle was an incorporeal magic tool that bound two sources of mana with identical attributes. It manifested as two cuffs with a chain that could extend endlessly. If one side were to tug on the chain, they would be able to drag the other party back no matter how far away they were. Roel had requested Artasia to create this magic tool both as a gift and a way for him to help Nora during the crucial phase of her bloodline awakening. It was something that was thought up with many considerations in mind. Yet, it was being used for purposes that it wasn¡¯t intended for. ¡°Here, open your mouth.¡± On the grass field, Roel sat in front of Nora with many coils of chain wrapped around his body as he quietly looked at the sky, regretting his own mistakes. On the other hand, Nora grabbed the other end of the chain and ¡®persuaded¡¯ Roel to take a bite off her dessert spoon. Roel was not tied up because he had a sudden awakening of masochistic tendencies or something. He did try to fight back, but he made a fatal miscalction here¡ªhe had used angelic power as the intermediary for the shackles. It went without saying that Nora had greater control over angelic power aspared to Roel, which meant to say that she could control the shackles to do whatever she wanted. ¡°Are you really not going to eat it?¡± Nora disrupted Roel¡¯s memory shback. She dangled the dessert spoon in front of him, trying to bait him in. However, thetter had already made up his mind to ignore her. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°It¡¯s delicious. I specially prepared it for you. You should at least give it a try.¡± ¡°Remove the shackles first.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do,¡± Nora rejected Roel¡¯s request with a bright smile. She leaned in even closer while tucking her hair behind her shoulders, revealing her fair neck. She ced her mouth right next to Roel¡¯s ears and whispered softly. ¡°Be good and take a mouthful, alright?¡± ¡°¡­ I reject.¡± ¡°I guess I have no choice then. I¡¯ll have to dish out some punishment.¡± ¡°W-w-wait! What are you going to do?¡± eximed Roel in panic. Nora had started taking off her boots with a slightly reddened face, exposing a pair of long slender legs wrapped in thin ck stockings. Her movements were so oddly sensual to Roel that his mind started uncontrobly heating up, awakening his male instincts. He knew right away that this wasn¡¯t good. As someone who was often in the apaniment of ravishingdies, Roel had a high level of tolerance as a man. However, when the esteemed princess known as a saintly angel to the masses looked at him with a furiously blushing face, her eyes intermixed with purity and desire, he found himself helplessly sinking deeper and deeper into the deadly seduction concocted by the vivid contrast. Who could possibly withstand this? All of Roel¡¯s defenses quickly crumbled. On the other hand, Nora had lightly ced her leg on his thigh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°N-no, that isn¡¯t the problem here.¡± The friction of her stocking on his leg left Roel feeling a little ticklish, and his face quickly turned red as well. He could feel her little foot slowly moving further upward, and her lust in her eyes seemed to be running amok. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t let things continue at this rate, he quickly cried out. ¡°I-I¡¯ll eat! I¡¯ll eat!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you feeding me earlier? I¡¯ll eat, so you can stop your so-called punishment now!¡± ¡°A-ah, okay.¡± Having lost the reason to continue the punishment, Nora slowly regained her rationality and withdrew her leg. She took a deep breath to calm down, but she was still unable to fully quell the heat she felt. Thus, when Roel leaned forward to take a bite off the dessert spoon, she gave in to her desire and took his lips for herself instead. Roel instinctively tried to retreat, but Nora grabbed the chain tightly, not allowing him to move away. The two of them were stuck like that for a long time before Nora finally let him go. ¡°That¡¯s not what we promised,¡± Roel grumbled while gasping for air. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s the appetizer,¡± replied Nora merrily. She finally picked up the dessert spoon and delivered it toward Roel¡¯s mouth, finally giving him a taste of the dessert. After having vented her feelings, Nora no longer attempted anything overboard, choosing to obediently feed him till he was full. She knew that if she were to continue pushing the boundaries, they might just go beyond the edge. It was not to say that she was averse to the idea of consummation with her lover on her birthday, but she felt that the location was less than ideal. On top of that, the Genesis Goddess Church forbade its followers from taking preventive measures. The birth of a new life was viewed to be a gift from Sia, but it was still too early for them to have a child just a single year after reaching adulthood. Furthermore, it wasn¡¯t ideal for them to do so given the current circumstances of the royal family. With Prince Kane¡¯s disappearance, the Xeclydes needed a powerful and wless sessor. This wasn¡¯t a good period for her to get pregnant, and there was still an important trial awaiting her just ahead. ¡°It¡¯ll happen tomorrow, right?¡± ¡°Mmhm. During sunset.¡± After lunch, Roel asked about the estimated time of Nora¡¯s final rpse of Seraphication, and thetter quickly sensed her bloodline before nodding her head. The two of them leaned against each other and listened to the other¡¯s heartbeat. The fight that would ur during tomorrow¡¯s sunset would determine their survival, the future of the Theocracy, and possibly even the fate of humankind. At the same time, Roel also had a mission he needed to aplish. He turned his sight westward, and his gleaming golden eyes seemed to traverse across space to gaze upon a group of enemies rushing in their direction. Their eyes were filled with hostility. The crossroads of fate were soon to be upon them. Chapter 428.1: Fated Nemesis (1)

Chapter 428.1: Fated Nemesis (1)

¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°¡­ Mm.¡± Roel took a moment to recover from the disorientation from being brought into an alternate world before responding with a light nod. Before him was a beautiful golden-haired woman seated upon a throne, a form which he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. He looked at the seemingly familiar surroundings around him with guilt-ridden eyes. He was in the mountain valley under the jurisdiction of the Primordial Earth Goddess, Peytra. He could still remember the moment he first met the Queen of Saint Beasts and conversed with her, as well as his shock when he first witnessed her mountainlike body. Yet, the dark mountain valley and the meandering mountains all around had been devoured by the golden aura, ceasing to exist. A part of Peytra¡¯s body was also crumbling as well. Faced with such a situation, Roel¡¯s heart grew heavy. Unlike the Witch Queen, the Primordial Earth Goddess didn¡¯t seem to mind the situation much. She rose to her feet and directed Roel a gentle smile. ¡°It has been a while since you have seen me in this form. It sure evokes old memories, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah, it really has been a long time. This is your true form, right?¡± ¡°You can say so. To be exact, my original body is a World Serpent, but it¡¯s not convenient for me to appear in that form before Sia, so I ended up using this form most of the time,¡± Peytra exined with a smile, sharing ancient stories that were no longer known in the present era. Roel listened patiently to her words, nodding from time to time. He had a different rtionship with each of his ancient gods. Grandar was a close friend. Artasia was like an ambivalent ally. As for Peytra¡­ she felt like a mother. Roel had never been able to meet his real mother in this world, but he did live with his parents for many years in his previous life. Peytra gave off a feeling that felt alike to his own mother, treating him with meticulous care and offering him advice from time to time. She was a being overflowing with maternal instinct. In a sense, the Primordial Earth Goddess could be said to be the mother of all living beings. Roel cherished this special bond a lot, and that was why he felt pained to see Peytra¡¯s crumbling body. Thetter sensed his emotions, and she began to counsel him on it. A whileter, Roel¡¯s emotions finally calmed down. Peytra took a look at Roel, followed by the disappearing mountains around her, and she eventually let out a regretful sigh. ¡°My power is close to that of Sia¡¯s, so my attributeplements that of the angels as well. I never thought that a day woulde where I would suffer such a fate. Still, I¡¯m d that I¡¯ve managed to hold on thus far.¡± Peytra looked at the gold aura encroaching the remaining half of her body before turning to look at Roel with an apologetic look on her face. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to apany you for your next battle, but that bag of bones should still be able to offer his strength to you. He¡¯s a strong one. I believe that the two of you will be able to work something out. ¡°Even so, you must tread carefully. Your defenses will be much weaker without my protection. You won¡¯t be able to use my blessing to raise your strength to Origin Level 3 either. Take note of that and n carefully.¡± ¡°Mm, I understand,¡± Roel replied with a nod. The Primordial Earth Goddess was finally able to put her heart at ease after saying her piece. She felt like she was bing a worrywart at this rate. ¡°The chances are that you are already aware of what I have just said, but I just had to repeat them or else my heart wouldn¡¯t rest at ease. I¡¯ve long wanted to talk to you about how you ignore your own physical limitations whenever you¡¯re in battle, but I couldn¡¯t find the right timing for that. You¡¯ll have to take note of that when I¡¯m not around. ¡°Frankly speaking, I don¡¯t agree with you saving that descendant of the angels, but I can see where you¡¯reing from. I still think that the elf girl is better, but that isn¡¯t a problem. As long as I¡¯m around, you¡¯ll be able to handle as many wives as you can take.¡± ¡°¡­ I-I see.¡± The sudden change of topic caused Roel¡¯s face to freeze up. He had no idea what he could say in response to that, but fortunately, Peytra didn¡¯t harp on it either. She nagged him for a while longer before her words abruptly trailed to a halt. Roel knew right away that time was up. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unlike the situation with Artasia, Peytra spent her final moments in silence. Her pale yellow eyes were filled with worry and reluctance, just like any mother sending their child to the battlefield. Seeing this, Roel¡¯s heart ached. He walked forward and gently hugged the Primordial Earth Goddess¡¯ body, much to thetter¡¯s surprise. Peytra was startled, but she soon returned the embrace. ¡°Take care. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± ¡°Mm, I will.¡± During their final embrace, Peytra spoke ordinary yet heartwarming words of departure whereas Roel replied with a confident smile. As the two of them parted, Roel found his surroundings blurring out. Peytra¡¯s silhouette was also gradually vanishing. Soon, he descended into darkness. ¡­ When Roel opened his eyes, he found that the mountain valley and the Primordial Earth Goddess had vanished from his sights. Instead, he was in a cozy room with a sleeping angel by his side. Looking at Nora, he inadvertently heaved a sigh of relief. He then looked out of the window to enjoy the scenery of the morning prairie while thinking about what had happened yesterday. There was a saying in his previous life that a child¡¯s birthday marked the anniversary of their parent¡¯s suffering, but this suffering seemed to have been passed on to Roel. Roel looked at the cuffs around his wrist and thought about the prisoner-like life he had yesterday. It made his shoulders droop in exasperation, but he wasn¡¯t too angry about it. The fact that Nora wanted him as her birthday present showed that he took up a significant position in her heart. That was a position that countless others dreamt of. Such intimacy might havee easily for Roel, but he had no intention of taking it for granted. There were times where Nora got carried away by the situation, but she was always trying her best to hold herself back. As evidence, she didn¡¯t hurt him or do anything that was truly overboard. Besides, it was not as if he really detested it. On the other hand, the day before wasn¡¯t just Nora¡¯s birthday but also the eve before the crucial phase of her bloodline awakening. It was good that she couldpletely vent her stress so that she would be in a better condition to face the uing battle. That was also something Roel had nned for at the start, just that the process went differently from what he had expected. Oh well, at least the oue is good. Due to his encouragement and various other factors, Nora¡¯s condition was much better than he had expected. She was able to keep a firm hold onto her bloodline, leaving him wondering if indulging in one¡¯s inclinations had the effect of suppressing Seraphication. He had asked Nora about this, and she replied that the cruxy in hope and sentiments. ¡°I had fun today, but just one day isn¡¯t enough for me. I want such days to continue for years, decades, and even centuries toe. I¡¯m a greedy person.¡± Those were the words she had said as she held his hands under the evening sun. The deep feelings behind those words moved him. He had never seen her as serious as this before. Without a doubt, Nora¡¯s fighting will had been piqued. She was motivated to survive this ordeal so that she could lead the life she wanted. This put Roel¡¯s heart at ease as he calmly awaited what was likely to be an ambush by the Elrics. It was likely that their enemies possessed means of tracking them down considering how they had ventured in the vast and highly dangerous Tark Prairie. If so, it was worth questioning why their enemies hadn¡¯t made a move yet. Nora was in a vulnerable state at the moment, but she could make aeback if she survived this ordeal. Time wasn¡¯t to the advantage of the Elrics. The most usible exnation Roel could think of was that they had somehow grasp when the crucial moment of Nora¡¯s breakthrough was. That would have been the moment Nora was at her weakest, thus making it the ideal moment for them tounch their ambush. Roel had told Nora about the approaching enemies, and her face paled in response. That was the worst-case scenario in her mind. However, Roel squeezed her hand and reassured her. ¡°You just have to focus on your breakthrough. Leave the rest to me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°The reason why I¡¯m here is to protect you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Roel¡¯s resolute eyes, Nora eventually nodded in agreement. Just like how he had orded her unreserved trust, she decided to believe in his ability to protect himself too. ¡°If I fail, the outburst of angelic power will spur your death. If you fail, those wretched knaves of the evil cults will take my life. It looks like we have no choice but to clinch victory.¡± ¡°Oh well. I guess our fates are tied now.¡± The two of them exchanged smiles and enjoyed the setting sun together. After spending a heartwarming day together, Nora began casting multipleyers of barrier around the house. She was intending to use this ce as a temporary safehouse if things went awry. The hundreds of defensive spells surrounding the little house put Roel¡¯s heart at ease. With this, the decisive day finally arrived. Chapter 428.2: Fated Nemesis (2)

Chapter 428.2: Fated Nemesis (2)

Humans had a tendency to turn to folk rituals whenever a major event was before them. Roel knew of ssmates in his previous life who wore red underwear for their examinations, insisting that it would bring them the luck they needed to score their desired grade. On the Sia Continent, the convention was to start praying to the gods. Roel and Nora chose not to do anything despite the ordeal ahead of them, but perhaps, the peaceful time they spent together prior to the decisive battle was their own form of prayer. Nora¡¯s enemy was the power of her distant ancestors, the divine instinct inherited for a Race Sovereign. Roel¡¯s enemy was his own tattered body and the mortal nemesis whose means he was oblivious to. Both of their undertakings were fraught with difficulties, but they chose not to talk about it. That morning, Roel, who had been blessed to enjoy Her Highness¡¯ culinary skills thus far, was finally given a chance to work his skills in the kitchen. It was his first time preparing food in many years. ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly edible. Some of the dishes are even delicious,¡± remarked Nora in amazement after having tried the barbecued meat. She couldn¡¯t understand how Roel was able to cook such decent dishes. She was only able to pick up cooking herself by watching others cook, a habit she picked up only because she knew that her beloved was obsessed with good food. Due to the scorn nobles carried for cooking, Nora assumed that Roel couldn¡¯t possibly have any experience in it. It was unthinkable to her that a first-timer could whip up anything decent, so she was already prepared to give up on breakfast when he offered his service. ¡°Weird. How did you learn this?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯d drop by the kitchen from time to time in the Ascarts¡¯ manor. I simply copied what the cook did.¡± ¡°Liar. Anna wouldn¡¯t have allowed you in the kitchen. Haa. Forget it.¡± Nora wasn¡¯t nning to get to the bottom of things, and Roel wasn¡¯t nning on exining his previous life to her. They chatted merrily over breakfast before Nora left the house to vent her powers for onest time. When she returned, she dragged Roel to thekeside together with her to wash off her blood. The early winterke was frigid, but it couldn¡¯t quell the burning heat produced by Nora¡¯s rampaging bloodline in the least. Such degree of temperature change couldn¡¯t hope to faze high-level transcendents anymore. Even the church¡¯s Arcane Ice Lake could only mildly curb her bloodline. Nora took off her clothes and stepped into the freezingke. Roel thought that it was inappropriate for him to be present, but he wasn¡¯t able to walk too far away with a strong tuging from the other end of the shackles. He could only turn around and stare at the vast sky before him in hopes of emptying his mind. Otherwise, the female clothes in his hands and the sshing sounds not too far away would stir deviant thoughts in his mind. Things that were left up to one¡¯s imagination often appeared more wonderful than they were. Often, just a nce was all it took to break the magic. Roel understood this logic, but so did Nora. That was why she didn¡¯t ask for her clothes back after stepping on shore. She walked up to Roel¡¯s back and took them by herself. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± she ordered. She quickly leaned in and snatched away the clothes in his arm. Roel felt a fleeting soft sensation on his back. There was also a slightly refreshing scent wafting in the air. He could hear the rustling of clothes behind him, and it tickled his heart. Nora felt much better after having taken a bath. Now with her clothes on, she walked up to Roel, hugged him from behind, and gently nted a kiss on his cheek. She then reached out to hold his hand, and the two of them headed back to their temporary home. Outside the window, the skyline had started glowing with an orange hue. The two of them leaned on each other with calm looks on their faces. They were ready to face whatevery ahead of them. ¡°I¡¯ll have to head out to deal with the trouble outside soon. It¡¯s almost time for you too, right?¡± asked Roel with a smile. ¡°Right,¡± Nora replied with a nod. The two of them quietly watched the setting sun. ¡°¡­ Be careful.¡± ¡°Mm. You too. You mustn¡¯t lose.¡± ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am?¡± replied Nora with a proud voice. There was a moment of silence before she abruptly turned over and hugged Roel tightly. She leaned into his ears and whispered. ¡°Come back quickly. I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± After the final embrace, Roel finally left the house and departed toward the setting sun. Nora watched his parting silhouette as golden light began to shroud her body. They were marching into their own battlefields. ¡­ The crimson setting sun resembled an ominous omen. At the horizon of the prairie, in the direction where Roel was marching toward, there stood a golden-haired man with a stoic face. Around him was a group of evil cultists who emanated an overwhelming stench of blood. Bryan Elric. He should have been a dead man, but through his own powers and his house¡¯s influence, he quickly climbed up thedders in the Connoisseur Guild, rising to the position of the vice guild leader within a hundred years. With each step he took, he further reinforced his control over this massive organization and existed in the Theocracy¡¯s shadows. Using his authority as one of the patriarchs of the Five Eminent Noble Houses, he used the church¡¯s hand to eliminate all of the opposing evil cults in the Theocracy while forcing the smaller powers to join the Connoisseur Guild¡¯s ranks. Through his relentless effort over the past hundred years, he was able to grow the Connoisseur Guild into thergest evil cult in the Theocracy. It was not that he believed in the twisted teaching of those evil cults. He wasn¡¯t doing this just to prolong his lifespan either. What he truly valued was the tremendous power of those evildoers lurking in the shadows. Power was often rooted in military might, but the Xeclydes had imposed strict restrictions that prevented the Elrics from expanding their military might. That was why he sought alternative measures to grow his power. He seeded in that. Assassination, kidnapping, and coercion; he could rely on those evil cultists to pull off all sorts of despicable schemes. The miraculous promises offered by the evil cults were also a huge temptation to the aged, ill, and frail. As a result, the Elrics were able to swiftly grow over the past few decades, but an incident that urred a few years back alerted their nemesis to their deeds, thus throwing a wrench into their ns. And the culprit? The Ascarts. They were the same people who had brought them down to their knees back then, putting them through a hundred years of humiliation. It wasn¡¯t easy for the Elrics to rise back up, but that abominable house was standing in their way once again. In the distance, Bryan Elric spotted the silhouette of the ck-haired man who had altered the prophecy and halted his footsteps. The two of them met eyes, but there wasn¡¯t the slightest surprise to be seen in their eyes. There was only resolve. As the sky further darkened, a murderous air started to quietly flurry on Tark Prairie. Chapter 429.1: How Things Have Changed (1)

Chapter 429.1: How Things Have Changed (1)

On the evening prairie, a ck-haired man came eye to eye with a golden-haired man. Murderous vibes could be felt from them. This was a rare opportunity for Bryan to eliminate the sessor of the Ascart House, but his face remained grave. He could still remember how Roel changed the prophecy several years back, and that served as a reminder to him not to let his guard down. Not to mention, his many years of experience of battling the Ascart House told him not to underestimate any of them, not even a fourteen-year-old boy. Bryan knew from the instincts he had sharpened over centuries that this was a battle that would determine the trajectory of fate. Roel shared the same thought as well. ¡°You¡¯re here, Count Bryan. It¡¯s been a long time. I see that you don¡¯t n to conceal your identity any longer,¡± said Roel calmly as he eyed the evil cultists apanying Bryan. ¡°¡­¡± Bryan remainedpletely silent, not showing the slightest expression or gesture at all. He hade without donning any concealment, be it his appearance and aura. There was no need for that since this operation was practically an all-in gamble. Should he win the fight here, both Roel and Nora would lose their lives. There would be no eye-witnesses to indict him of his crime. On the other hand, if he lost the fight, he would lose his life as well. Either way, there was no need for him to conceal his identity anymore. Roel¡¯s question was one that needed no answer. Bryan was rather surprised by Roel¡¯sposure. He noticed that there was no hatred or anger in Roel¡¯s eyes despite himing face to face with a man who was here to take his life. On the contrary, there was an air of sorrowful destion shrouding him. ¡°Time sure can be malevolent. A revered high schr despaired at the unrelenting flow of time and fell into depravity. A proud and loyal knight lost himself to the erosion of time. Even history is reduced to distorted tales, buried under dust. Yet, hatred transcends time and persists even after centuries. ¡°What should have been held steadfast disintegrated so easily, but what should have been cast away continues to linger. Ambition is like a monster that never stops growing. It has already been two hundred years. It must have been a long period of time for you, Felder Elric.¡± ¡°!¡± Bryan¡¯s eyes sharply contracted the moment he heard his old name. For the first time, emotions started showing on his face. Felder Elric was an ancient name even to Bryan himself. He couldn¡¯t remember how long it had been since anyonest called him that. After all, two hundred years had passed him by. Putting aside those from generation, even those from the subsequent generation had mostly departed from the world. Over this long period of time, his face and identity had changed multiple times. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible for someone as young as Roel Ascart to know of his true identity. ¡°How did you learn of this name?¡± Bryan red at Roel lividly. There was an insuppressible ominous feeling looming in his heart. ¡°There¡¯s no point asking about that now, but I¡¯ll answer your question. I¡¯ve seen the old Felder Elric through my bloodline ability. An embodiment of the Elrics¡¯ insignia, he was a tenacious knight with ferocity that wouldn¡¯t lose to a tiger. Be it right or wrong, he pursues the ideal he has set his heart upon. ¡°What a pity. Years passed and everything changed. The ferocious tiger is no more, and the valiant knight of the past is now a venomous snake,¡± remarked Roelmentably. ¡°¡­¡± Bryan widened his eyes in astonishment. Momentster, his eyes reverted back to normal, but a slight frown sat on his forehead. He was aware that Roel had awakened his bloodline for several years now, which meant that there was a chance that his true identity might have already been exposed a long time ago. If so, the Xeclydes and the Ascarts would have surely made preparations to deal with him. Worry gripped Bryan¡¯s heart, momentarily shaking his determination. He knew that his future ns wouldn¡¯t be as smooth-sailing as he envisioned them to be; the Xeclydes and the Ascarts would surely interfere with his ns every step along the way. But at the same time, it further intensified his murderous intent. If there was one thing he was certain about, the Xeclydes and the Ascarts couldn¡¯t have been foreseen the cmity at Tark Stronghold. As long as he killed their sessors, he would be able to pressure the other nobles to side with him. No one would want to ride on a sinking ship. That would be the crux for him to im victory in this internal war. It¡¯s fine. I haven¡¯t lost yet. Bryan sted his full murderous intent toward Roel, and the evil cultists beside him revealed looks of scorn. They didn¡¯t think that Roel would be a problem at all. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to uncover my identity. However, you¡¯ll be disappointed to know that fate isn¡¯t on your side this time. The appearance of the ancient monster changed everything. Your n is bound to fail. You might be one of the strongest transcendents of your age group, but war isn¡¯t a tournament. You can¡¯t survive alone.¡± ¡°¡­ Alone?¡± mumbled Roel under his breath. The other evil cultistsughed at Roel¡¯s naivety. There were inhumanely strong transcendents on the Sia Continent, but simultaneously dealing with multiple enemies was nevertheless a challenge, not to mention that Roel wasn¡¯t particrly strong in terms of Origin Level. But to Bryan¡¯s confusion, Roel still wasn¡¯t fazed by those words at all. Instead, thetter looked at the evening sky before speaking with a tranquil voice. ¡°I agree with your judgment. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯te alone today.¡± A faint smile slowly formed on Roel¡¯s face, inducing a frown on Bryan¡¯s. What happened next left everyone bbergasted. Roel began emanating a crimson aura that dyed everything around him red. It started out as faint thumps, but it soon crescendoed into the footsteps of an army that echoed resoundingly across the prairie. It was apanied with the metallic nging of armor and shields. Soon, they came into appearance. Unyielding kite shields were dyed crimson by the light along with heavy scimitars that ordinary transcendents could never hope to wield. A g bearing the Eye of the Candleme insignia fluttered in the wind, dering the arrival of the Ascarts¡¯ army. But what was even more salient to Bryan and the evil cultists was the other g held high beside it. It bear the Hammer of Justice, an insignia used exclusively by the inquisitors of the Genesis Goddess Church. The saintly white g looked ominous under the crimson aura, as if it was dyed in the blood of sinners. A reticent red-haired man beneath the g looked the evil cultists with eyes so cold that he could have very well been looking at the dead. An army of inquisitors marched solemnly behind him. They hadn¡¯t made a move yet, but their appearance was enough to strike terror into the hearts of the evil cultists. None of the evil cultists could maintain the sneer on their faces anymore. They realized that they had underestimated their opponent because of his young age. It was apparent to them now that their enemy wasn¡¯t a reckless man who hade unprepared. Chapter 429.2: How Things Have Changed (2)

Chapter 429.2: How Things Have Changed (2)

The reason why Roel dared to boldly stand before Bryan and the others was due to the reinforcement of his heretic army and the inquisitors. He had not just been doing nothing over thest few days. From the moment he was certain that the Elrics would make a move, he knew that he would have to face more than a single enemy. This was further affirmed by Artasia¡¯ster statement. He was only able to remain calm despite his pessimistic situation because he also had trump cards to rely on. The Strength Sect and Unyielding Sect were two powerful armies that were led to him under the guidance of their ancient gods. The inquisitors were the elites of the church, the bane of the evil cultists. After the disappearance of Tark Stronghold, Roel wrote a letter and had it delivered to heretic army and the inquisitors. Justst night, he received confirmation that they were in the vicinity and were ready to move. To make Bryan let his guard down, Roel told them to hold their positions and bide their time till the final showdown. It was only when Bryan finally showed his face that he gave the signal for them to appear. The sudden reinforcement heaped a great deal of stress on the evil cultists of the Connoisseur Guild, but it also sparked their belligerent nature. With their sworn enemies appearing right in front of them, the eyes of the evil cultists reddened with killing intent. Simrly, the inquisitors also tightened their grip on their weapons. Everyone was gathering their mana, preparing for war. A tense atmosphere could be felt in the air. Both sides were only a thousand meters away from each other by this point. Yet, Bryan frowned distractedly at the sight of the heretic army, having found them awfully familiar. He raked through his memories to grasp that feeling of familiarity, and it finally struck him when he finally felt the mana pulsationsing from Wood and the others. His golden eyes widened as his memories brought him back to the March Turmoil two hundred years ago. In the distant past, a young man known as Felder was once surrounded by people who emanated the same raw but intensely powerful mana pulsation. They were the most loyal elite soldiers standing by his side, but an ironic twist of fate, they were now on opposite sides. The thought of having to fight against his oldrades left Bryan feeling heavy inside, but there was no room for retreat anymore. He understood that the era had already changed, and oldrades had turned into enemies. The sword that was once Felder Elric¡¯s pride was no more. War was inevitable. ¡°Do not panic! Look closely. We are superior to them in terms of number and strength. There¡¯s no need to hold back. We¡¯re in a no man¡¯snd. Victory will be ours in the end!¡± With his back against the setting sun, Bryan raised his sword and quelled the evil cultists¡¯ reservations. In contrast, Roel chose to keep his silence. He was here to judge the sinners, and an executioner spoke through his de. Words were extraneous here. ¡°Charge!¡± Both armies began advancing on each other, thusmencing the battle that would determine the trajectory of fate. ¡­ It was just another mundane and meaningless day for most people of the world. Most were still unaware of the inexplicable disappearance of Tark Stronghold in the eastern border, and the deviants had yet tounch arge-scale invasion. Families were focused on preparing themselves for the onset of winter. Little did they know that a battle that would determine their fate was happening in the wilderness beyond the human world. On Tark Prairie, two armies charged furious at each other, swinging their des and firing spells with the sole intention to wipe the other off the face of the world. This battle would, to some extent, determine the ultimate fate of mankind, but things weren¡¯t looking good at the moment. From the moment the battle began, Roel had already fallen into a disadvantageous position. Time, people, and asion¡ªthese were the three crucial factors that often decided the oue of things, be it in war or day-to-day matters. They represented the interaction between living beings and the world around them, thus shaping reality. Looking at things in terms of that, Roel¡¯s army was definitely not in a good position. Evil cultists had always been known for their unorthodox and vicious means. To be safe, the inquisitors would always bring an overwhelmingly superior force when conducting sting operations against the evil cultists so as to throughly crush them in terms of military might. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t able to do it this time around due to the spatial and temporal limitations. Night was also swiftly approaching. It was time for rats to scramble out of the ditches and proudly roam the streets. The vast nd around them also ample sufficient room for the deranged evil cultists to let their destructive prowess loose. Things were definitely not looking good Roel and his army, but he still held confidence in hispanions. He knew that they had a crucial advantage over the evil cultists¡ªa united will. On one side were inquisitors filled with justice and heretics tasked by their ancient gods to protect Roel. On the other was a group of evil cultists fighting for their own interests. There was already a difference in their resolve from the very start, and it showed in their coordination too. This would be their key to clinching victory. Both armies had yet to collide on the prairie, but spells of all colors were already glowing here and there. The long-ranged attacks were the first to connect, producing deafening explosions. Weng! Just before the frontlines of both armies were about to collide, sixteen old inquisitors standing at the back raised their staffs up high. The mana they had been channeling thus far started to resonate together to unleash a devastating spell. It started with the billowing of the red clouds in the sky, then all of a sudden, a golden flood started pouring down from the sky. Divine like God¡¯s retribution, the golden flood crashed down on the sinners. The descending light horrified the evil cultists. Having never coordinated with each other¡ªevil cultists were guarded even amongst themselves¡ªit was hard for them to deal with an attack of such scale. The golden flood crushed their momentum, and they were struggling just to protect themselves. However, Bryan was already prepared for this. He raised his hand to gesture to the back, and an evil cultist standing far in the back line hurriedly reached into a sack and took out a heart covered in fresh blood. It was still beating as if it was just torn out of a person¡¯s body. The evil cultist started infusing his mana into the heart, causing the heart to expand endlessly with the spellcaster within it. It didn¡¯t take long for the bloodied heart to grow to a ginormous size, casting a shadow upon everyone as if it was some kind of twisted flesh roof. With its sheer size, it managed to block the flood of golden light descendingfrom the sky. Boom! Puchi! The divine light of judgment unleashed explosions after explosions on the wretched palpitating heart monster that dared stand in its path, causing blood and flesh to scatter in all directions. Yet, despite looking as if it would crumble at any moment, the bloodied heart still managed to withstand the wrath of the golden light through its endless expansion. The deranged evil cultists roared in excitement. They opened their hands wide to take in the rain of blood and flesh before continuing their charge. They were oblivious to the fact that the flood of golden light was only the appetizer. The main dish had yet to be served. While the inquisitors were channeling the flood of golden light, the heretic army was making use of the time bought to unleash their own long-ranged attack. A tall woman who had been blessed by the Primordial Earth Goddess stood at the forefront of the formation. The towering shield she had nted on the ground in front of her was glowing with ayer of divine light. As mana continuously flowed andpressed into the shield, it started to release steam and unbearable heat waves, to the extent that it produced an iridescent mist. Everything was then unleashed in a single st. Just like how a concentrated jet of water could easily match the sharpest knife in the world, a concentrated st ofva was practically a death beam that could obliterate everything in its path. All that was left in the line of the Unyielding Sect¡¯s attack were vaporized bodies and tragic cries. An old evil cultist who was severed into two from the waist let out a shriek. He didn¡¯t have time to fully make sense of what was happening before the two parts of his body burst into mes from the intense heat, burning him to cinders. Thebined prowess of the inquisitors and the heretic army was so great that the evil cultists were forced to disperse all around. The scessful pre-emptive attack allowed Roel¡¯s side to im the upper hand, but as soon as the battle got into close quarters, the evil cultists started showing their own strengths. Whenever a strikended on an evil cultist, the blood they sttered would turn into highly corrosive venom and the flesh they severed grew into tenacious monsters. It was no easy feat to deal with the menacing means of the evil cultists, but neither the inquisitors nor the heretic army were amateurs on the battlefield. They were able to quickly adapt and formte counterns. What particrly stood out, however, was Roel¡¯s inaction. He could sense an energy locked onto him, and its owner was rushing his way over. To the backdrop of zing mes and tragic cries, a golden-haired man and ck-haired man finally came face to face. Their mana began to seethe silently. Chapter 430.1: Castling (1)

Chapter 430.1: Castling (1)

Holy light intermixed with bloodied rain in the sky, and the pungent smell of magma filled the air. It looked as if someone had brought hell to earth. Both sides were fighting for their desired futures, and there was nopromise in between. That was why this was going to be a fight to the death. The inquisitors and the heretics were fighting to bring Roel and Nora back. They knew how important the Xeclydes were to the stability of the world. In the wake of Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance, it was imperative for humans to unite together to survive this ordeal. On the other hand, the evil cultists sought to drag the world into chaos. That was the environment they thrived in. Without the church to hunt them down, they would be able to do as they pleased without having to worry about the repercussions. But while both armies were ughtering each other in cold blood, their leaders were standing still, not moving in the least. There was a saying in Roel¡¯s previous world that went ¡®King against king, general against general¡¯, but the truth was that such logic was limited to just the chessboard. As themander of their respective armies, neither Roel nor Bryan¡¯s safety was their private affair anymore. Whatever happened to them would have a rippling effect on their army¡¯s morale. If there was a clear gap in the twomanders¡¯ strength, it was extremely likely that a battle wouldn¡¯t ur at all. Of course, it would be best if they could take down the enemymander, but it was much more important to maintain the morale of their army. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Roel chose to avoid a confrontation with Bryan, considering his condition and the gap in their Origin Levels. That was also why the chief of the Inquisitor Hall, Hanks, chose to position himself beside Roel as soon as the fight started. He was ready to face Bryan should thetter approach them. But to his surprise, Roel chose to step forward instead of backing down. ¡°Count Hanks, leave him to me,¡± said Roel calmly. Hanks looked at him with a disapproving frown. He thought that it was an unwise decision, be it in terms of strength, identity, or responsibilities. He couldn¡¯t ept Roel¡¯s suggestion. ¡°The mission I¡¯ve been entrusted with is to ensure your safety, and it¡¯s my responsibility as the chief of the Inquisitor Hall to eradicate evil cultists. You¡­ cannot die here,¡± Hanks spoke with a deep and certain voice. Roel was the sessor to the Ascart House, one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses. The consequences of his death was unlikely to be as far-reaching as Nora¡¯s, but it would still raise huge waves in the Theocracy¡¯s political scene, especially considering the prestige he had amassed as a champion of the Challenger Cup. Aware of Hanks¡¯ skepticism, Roel exined his stance. ¡°This isn¡¯t just a fight to determine the Theocracy¡¯s future; it¡¯s also an extension of the March Turmoil two centuries ago. The fates of the Ascarts and the Elrics have been intertwined since then. It¡¯s time to draw a conclusion, and I¡¯m the only one who can do so.¡± ¡°What we need now is to win this battle, not settle your centuries old grudge,¡± Hanks pointed out. ¡°That¡¯s why I have to step in. It takes a god to defeat a god.¡± With his golden eyes staring intensely at Bryan, it was almost as if Roel was seeing something others couldn¡¯t. It was then that grayish bits that resembled smoke or small clumps of dust started drifting from Bryan¡¯s body. A blurred shadow started extending behind Bryan. Wails could be heard from the distant dimming sky. This gray miasma shrouded Bryan¡¯s body, striking inexplicable fear in nearby hearts. The crowd instinctively halted their battle and hurriedly backed away from him, be it heretics, inquisitors, or evil cultists. Even so, the heavy pressure that crushed on the surroundings made it hard to breathe¡­ ¡­ till a burst of crimson light suddenly appeared. It happened as the evening sun descended beneath the horizon, appearing as if the crimson light was taking over the its ce. It carried an air of authority that calmed unnerved hearts, almost like a powerful hand aying their fears. A massive silhouette stood in the middle of the crimson light¡ªRoel Ascart. His golden eyes shone brighter than ever as he exchanged gazes with the golden-haired man standing on the other side of the battlefield. Despite their cid expressions, overwhelming killing intent quietly seethed in their eyes, making their intent no secret. The crimson light continued to expand outward, alleviating the pressure from the gray miasma. The crowd breathed a sigh of relief and halted their retreat. The evil cultists brandished their weapons and let out a war cry to boost their morale whereas the inquisitors swiftly regained control of their mana and prepared tounch a new wave of attack. By this point, the night sky had been clearly divided into two sections, one gray and one crimson. As Hanks watched the two forces shing against each other, his face slowly turned grave. Those forces were beyond what an Origin Level 2 transcendent like him could get involved with. Without a doubt, the power Bryan Elric was disying must have originated from a god. And just like what Roel had said, it takes a god to defeat a god. It was a battle no one else could interfere in. Uponing to that realization, the heretics and inquisitors had no choice but to keep their distance away from Roel and Bryan. Hanks nced at Roel hesitantly before charging into a group of evil cultists himself. He was intending to quickly eliminate all of the evil cultists beforeing back to help Roel. Just like that, an awkward clearing was created in the middle of the tense battlefield. It was a stage reserved solely for Roel and Bryan, and the two stars soon made their moves. The gray miasma grew at a frightening rate, soon filling up the sky. It emanated an aura of death so overwhelming that even the evil cultists were horrified. A wounded evil cultist lying not too far away from Bryan on the ground rolled away in fright, but the gray miasma enveloped him before he could do so. A shocking sight urred. Amidst a cry of agony, the evil cultist¡¯s body started to melt. Mere seconds was all it took for his body to dissipate in a whiff of smoke. This was a sight that horrified even the veteran inquisitors, but Roel didn¡¯t back down due to it. A humanous silhouette began manifesting behind Roel amidst shes of crimson lightning. White bones formed amidst ayer of mist, from the ribcage and neck to finally the head. The moment Grandar fully descended upon the world, he released an imposing air that left all of the enemies trembling in fear. It was impossible not to feel small and insignificant gazing upon the massive skeleton giant. Even just gazing upon it for a while induced sharp pain in one¡¯s eyes. No words were needed to know that they were standing before a higher existence. Following the outburst of might, the gray miasma and the crimson aura shed against each other amidst loud sizzles, as if countless ghosts were attempting to breach a wall of mes. At the same time, Roel and Bryan also began advancing on each other. By this point, they had realized that the only way for them to effectively end the war was to defeat each other. Looking at Roel, Bryan thought about the instructions he had received and narrowed his eyes. Chapter 430.2: Castling (2)

Chapter 430.2: Castling (2)

Roel had known from the start that the battle wouldn¡¯t be to his advantage. Be it in terms of abilities or physical condition, he was in his weakest ever state ever since he reached Origin Level 4. If his enemy was the same Felder Elric from the March Turmoil, he might have stood a chance, but that was clearly not the case. From the moment he saw Bryan, he noticed a sinister apparition shadowing the other party. Others might have seen it as a manifestation of gray miasma, but what he saw were countless fragmented souls existing in a mishmash of wriggling limbs, innards, and body parts. It was a sight that would have rattled even the bravest of souls. Roel would be lying if he said that he wasn¡¯t fazed, but he was able to quickly regain hisposure since he was aware that Bryan was concealing some kind of secret. Two centuries was a long time even for high-level transcendents. It was theoretically possible to achieve that level of lifespan, but that was easier said than done. Far too many things in life could lead to a premature death, and Felder Elric had most definitely died in the wake of the March Turmoil. There was no way the Xeclydes and the Ascarts would have slipped up on that. The only possible exnation was that Bryan hade back to life, but that was an ability that surpassed even the means of the evil cults. The only ones who might possess the power to pull that off were the gods. Roel suppressed his nausea and insistently kept his eyes on the floating mutted corpses before him. For a fleeting moment, he caught sight of a familiar face. Bron Elric. That was the name of the young man who had lost his life when the trajectory of fate changed several years ago. Before his downfall, he used to be one of the representative figures of the Theocracy¡¯s young scions, leading the Elrics Youth Faction. He was also one of Bryan¡¯s many children. Roel was witnessed Bron¡¯s death with his own eyes. Bryan had personally taken his life to appease the infuriated crowd. What could the presence of his soul in this disgusting gray miasma mean? Roel¡¯s guess was that these fragmented souls came from those who had died in Bryan¡¯s hands. They were probably the reason why Bryan was able toe back to life and remain alive for many years afterward. A fight between transcendents was more than a sh of power; it was a battle of wits too. If he could deduce his opponent¡¯s abilities, he would be able to take pre-emptive measures. The moment Roel realized what Bryan¡¯s true abilities were, he suddenly felt a strong ominous premonition. Perhaps having sensed something, Bryan made his move right after. He drew his de and focused his intent and will on its tip. He activated his bloodline and absorbed mana intp his flesh and blood, granting him extraordinary explosive prowess. The Elrics were a powerful house of warriors known for their physical strengthening bloodline. Roel had personally experienced it during the March Turmoil two centuries ago, but it would be naive to think that Bryan was still at the same level as before. It all happened without warning. Bryan was still calmly walking forth a moment ago when he abruptly elerated explosively. What was terrifying about this maneuver was how quickly he elerated and theck of transitory movement when he sped up, making it nigh impossible to guard against. His sword was directed straight toward Roel¡¯s heart as he sought to end the battle in a single strike. Roel quickly channeled his mana, and crimson bolts of lightning began raining down around him. The sheer destructive might of the crimson lightning forced Bryan to flit around in order to avoid them. It ended up dying him, causing him to take a split moment longer to charge through the cloud dust raised by the crimson lightning to get to Roel. But what he found himself faced with wasn¡¯t a ck-haired man but a massive fist harnessing tremendous strength that threatened to shatter the earth. Boom! Grandar¡¯s skeleton fist pummeled downward at a speed faster than the sonic boom, crushing the man beneath it almost instantaneously. The sheer impact of the strike raised powerful shockwaves that blew up the surface of the ground. Bits of dirt and rock covered the surroundings, obscuring one¡¯s vision. Countless cracks crept outward in all directions. Most of the heretics, inquisitors, and evil cultists were caught in the shockwave, forcing them to temporarily halt their fight. They subconsciously turned their sights toward the center of the battlefield, wondering if it was all over. To the crowd¡¯s shock, Bryan wasn¡¯t reduced to smithereens by the overpowered, though he didn¡¯t walk out of it unscathed either. He had suffered grievous injuries from the attack, and his sword had shattered into pieces, but nevertheless, he was still standing. Bryan raised his hand, and gray miasma swiftly converged to form a malevolent gray sword. The gray miasma that made up the de wriggled and squirmed, almost as if it had a life of its own. It surged toward its owner, and for a moment there, pitiful wailing could be heard echoing in the air. A momentter, Bryan¡¯s injuries started to recover, and his hastened breathing soon reverted to normal. Roel¡¯s eyes contracted at that sight. He murmured a vulgarity, frustrated at how his premonition came true. Bryan was an attrition-type transcendent, which was the worst kind of match up for Roel right now. The angelic power rampaging within him meant that he was growing weaker with each passing second, not to mention that he had the disadvantage in terms of Origin Level. This battle was going to be dragged out, and it was almost impossible for Roel to oust Bryan. Roel looked at the swirling gray miasma and let out a frustrated sigh. He knew that his chances of victory was nearly null, but even so, he had no ns of backing down. There was someone whom he had to protect at all costs. All he could do now was to try his best and wish for the best. Determined to protect his loved ones, Roel began channeling his mana toward a Crown¡¯s Stone to light it up. Frost aura started seeping out from his body, then an ancient cmity suddenly manifested with a furious roar. Dense frost aura began gushing out at a frightening rate, forming a dome around Bryan to cage him in. The moon and stars vanished from sight, obscured by the dome. The surrounding temperature also swiftly plummeted, causing white frost to form on weapons and armor. Even the fresh blood flowing on the ground froze up. Panicked screams echoed everywhere in response to the sudden arrival of a cmity. The gray miasma hurriedly backed away in fear, and Bryan¡¯s face turned grave. Roel wasn¡¯t going to let this opportunity slip by. The ancient cmity and skeleton giant immediatelyunched a new wave of attack so as to deprive Bryan of any opportunity to recover his momentum. Grandar pulled back his arm to gather his might. Crimson mana swiftly gathered in his fist, crackling with devastating power. Like a demonic godying waste upon the world, he smashed his fist down with a force as heavy as the mountains. This was an all-in attack from Grandar. It looked humblepared to his usual punches¡ªthere wasn¡¯t even the usual sonic booms¡ªbut the punch was imbued with a brightnessparable to a shooting star. The Strength Origin Attribute roared in resonation with the Crown, bestowing the skeleton giant with might far surpassing what he could tap into at Roel¡¯s current level. Thebined assault from Grandar and the frost aura rmed Bryan. He let out a wrathful bellow and swiftly condensed all of the gray miasma he could control into a sinister palm, which rose against the giant¡¯s attack. This attempt at resistance didn¡¯t faze Grandar in the least. Bam! Countless souls surged up from the gray miasma, but it was all futile against the crushing momentum of the skeleton giant¡¯s fist. The gray miasma dispersed like a popped balloon amidst wails of agony, allowing Grandar¡¯s fist to push through. It finally collided with the gray miasma sword, which also swiftly shattered without putting up much of a resistance, and Bryan was sent flying into the distant shadows. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡± roared Roel. His gleaming golden eyes were firmly locked on Bryan. He raised his hand, and the surrounding frost aura immediately converged into a wave and knocked Bryan downward. Boom! The frost-covered Bryan crashed heavily into the ground, causing parts of his then already frozen body to shatter into fragments. Without any hesitation, Roel darted toward the fallen Bryan, intending to end things there and then. The evil cultists flew into a fluster whereas the heretics and inquisitors raised their weapons and cheered loudly. Everything was going to be over soon¡­ ¡­ or it would have been if not for the dying golden-haired man suddenly opening his eyes, revealing a calm gaze. ¡°You did well.¡± A suddenpliment had Roel halting in his footsteps. Chapter 431: The Hand in the Shadows

Chapter 431: The Hand in the Shadows

Within the massive freezing dome, Roel dashed toward his severely injured nemesis lying on the ground. Seeing that victory was in sight, the heretics cheered aloud whereas the inquisitors felt a huge morale boost. No one could have thought that Roel would be able to corner Count Bryan, a renowned expert in the Theocracy, within such a short period of time. It hadn¡¯t been long since their battle started, but both sides consecutively dished out spells that surpassed the crowd¡¯s wildest imagination. In particr, Grandar¡¯s terrifying strength had been imprinted deeply into everyone¡¯s mind. In contrast, Roel didn¡¯t share their optimism at all. Even as he was rushing toward Bryan, there was a tight furrow on his forehead. He couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was amiss. Is Bryan Elric, or should I say Felder Elric, such a weak enemy? The Elrics had descended from a lineage of knights, which was exactly the type of enemy that Grandar was good at dealing with, but Roel couldn¡¯t believe that this was all Bryan Elric was capable of. He had crossed blows with Felder Elric two centuries ago in the Witness State, and he had known thetter to be a tenacious man. He found it hard to believe how he was able to easily connect his chain of attacks, especially since he was only at Origin Level 4 whereas Bryan was an Origin Level 2 transcendent. Admittedly, it would be difficult for even an Origin Level 2 transcendent to take Grandar¡¯s attack face-on, and it was nearly impossible to guard against cier Creator, but even an Origin Level 2 transcendent should have been able to put up some resistance, let alone Bryan. While the others only knew Bryan as a powerful transcendent from the Theocracy, Roel was well aware that thetter had already immersed himself in the dark arts for over a century now and had sessfully secured the assistance of what appeared to be an evil god. Most importantly of all, Roel had a weird feeling that Bryan had been trying to umte his mana throughout the battle. With all of these suspicions in mind, Roel dared not to get careless. Thus, he halted his footsteps and raised his hands. He channeled cier Touch to its limit, releasing the frost aura to its greatest extent. It converged on Bryan and devoured him whole. He decided to end it with a long-ranged attack in order to y it safe. The Six Cmities were malevolent forces that had destroyed countless civilizations. Even the gods weren¡¯t spared from their wrath. He thought that Bryan would be helpless before cier Creator. He thought wrong. ¡°You did well,¡± a third voice echoed on the prairie. The gray miasma converged beside Bryan to form a robed figure. There was a glowing crimson stone in Bryan¡¯s hand. It had been absorbing mana during the battle with Roel, and it had finally collected enough to be activated. It was through the crimson stone as a medium that the robed figure was able to traverse across space to appear here. The Collector. In the Connoisseur Guild, that alias was reserved specifically for their leader. No one knew of his true identity, and no one had seen his face before. Even Bryan had only been able to meet him in that dark room over the past century. Omniscience would have been an apt word to describe him, but he chose to conceal himself in the darkest shadows of the Theocracy, almost as if he was hiding from something. Yet, on this very day, he stepped out of the shadows and revealed his existence to the world. His goal? To ensure the death of the Ascarts¡¯ awakener. ¡°!¡± The robed figure formed out of gray miasma turned over to look at Roel, revealing his blurred face in the process. That very instant, Roel felt a sense of impending danger striking at his heart like a sledgehammer. His bloodline and mana rampaged, and the Crown Origin Attribute trembled intensely. His instincts overwrote all rational thoughts in his mind, prompting him to release his strongest attack ever. The Crown¡¯s Stones emanated a blinding light, further strengthening the ancient cmity that threatened eternal frost. For a moment, cier Creator revealed its monstrous manifestation before morphing into a sphere of light that shed across the night sky, releasing a frost aura that promised equal death to all beings. The frost aura produced an icy fog that obscured the stars and the moon. Ayer of frost encrusted the earth. The momentary appearance of cier Creator left the crowd eximing in terror, and they instinctively backed away out of fear. Nothing seemed to be capable of stopping the frost aura, and it looked like the battle would end just like that. Yet, to Roel¡¯s surprise, the robed figure had no attempt to avoid the frost aura. Instead, he began walking up toward it. This iprehensible reaction initially perplexed Roel, but the inconceivable happened right after. Roel¡¯s cier Touch had never failed him before, regardless of whether his opponent was a transcendent or a god. Yet, his desperate attack didn¡¯t manage to freeze his enemy. The frost aura had instead circumvented the robed figure and passed him by. Meanwhile, in a faraway dark room, a robed figure with a blurred face raised his hand and stretched it toward a projection reflecting a ck-haired young man. His movements stirred ripples in the gray miasma, converging it into a bundle. Then, with a wave of his hand, the bundle of gray miasma shot forth as a deathly beam toward Roel. Roel immediately took countermeasures. Grandar raised his fist to smash through the deathly beam of gray miasma whereas the frost aura condensed together to form a shield. But before both forces coulde into contact with each other, the intense trembling of the Crown Origin Attribute suddenly stopped, and its brilliant glow gradually dimmed. This abrupt change stunned Roel. He felt a mysterious sensation washing over him. For a brief instant, his consciousness seemed to have traversed across time. He saw the rise and fall of civilizations. The tales of their splendor and heroic deeds washed through his ears. Everything gradually blurred until he found himself standing in a dark space lit by a single candle. I remember this ce! The deepest memories in Roel¡¯s mind were evoked. He remembered this space to be one of the hallucinations he saw when he first entered the Witness State and awakened to his bloodline. Just that there was a subtle but horrifying difference. The candlelight was burning brightly in the darkness, but a hand was quietly encroaching on it from the darkness. Did it just appear there? Or was it there all along? Regardless, its gradual approach raised waves of unease in Roel¡¯s mind. I have to stop it. This thought instinctively surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind, but his body wouldn¡¯t move. It told him that he was nothing but a witness in this dark space. The encroaching hand wrapped around the candlelight and covered it, plunging the surroundings into further darkness. Bone-chilling frost stabbed into Roel¡¯s body, as if the death of the candlelight would take away all warmth from him. The only relief was that the hand was unable to snuff out the candlelight right away, but even so, the darkness grew heavier and heavier. Everything eventually quietened down, and Roel¡¯s consciousness returned to his body. The first thing Roel noticed was that the Kingmaker Bloodline had stalled to a halt, refusing to flow no matter how he tried to channel it. Subsequently, the light in the Crown Origin Attribute extinguished and the Crown¡¯s Stones fell silent. How is this possible?! Roel widened his eyes in horror, unable toprehend how such a situation could have happened. He desperately tried to clutch to whatever remaining power there was, but everything was flowing through fingers. The moment the Crown Origin Attribute extinguished, Grandar¡¯s body froze in ce. His eyes lost its glow, indicating that it had reduced to nothing but an empty shell. At the same time, the frost aura also dissipated into the surroundings. With the unraveling of his defence, the deathly beam of gray miasma swiftly pierced through his body, bringing him a feeling of fuzziness. Both his mind and body were fuzzing out. He felt like someone was slowly erasing his existence, and everything slowly grew indistinct. He couldn¡¯t even hear the panicked shoutings behind him. On the other hand, Bryan swiftly recovered by absorbing the gray miasma, and it didn¡¯t take long for him to return to his feet. He calmly made his way toward the towering skeleton and gazed upon the ck-haired man standing limply beneath it. ¡°Roel Ascart, your existence is an anomaly. I had to drastically change my ns because of you. Fate might have changed in the years following your awakening, but it might not necessarily go in the direction you want it to. ¡°You might have believed our goal to be Her Highness Nora, and you aren¡¯t wrong about that. However, you failed to realize that you are our target as well. This is the first time you have ventured into an istednd in the years following your awakening. It¡¯s an unprecedented opportunity for us, just as depicted in the prophecy. ¡°This will be where you meet your end, Roel Ascart. I¡¯ll send your beloved princess to your side very soon. With this, the grudge between our houses will finallye to an end. Farewell.¡± Bryan murmured his farewell to the ck-haired man, whose body was swiftly disintegrating into dust. In a faraway dark room, a robed figure was also quietly gazing at a disturbing sculpture depicting an angel standing above countless corpses. The medium that had been glowing crimson moments ago had been reduced to a dead rock, just like the owner of its mana. Everything was over. Chapter 432: Belief Core

Chapter 432: Belief Core

On Tark Prairie, Bryan walked right past the massive skeleton giant, heading toward the house thaty beyond it. In a dark room, a robed figure with an indistinct face also turned around and prepared to leave. There was no need to linger around since they had achieved their goal. Roel Ascart had already ceased to exist. The abrupt freezing of Roel¡¯s bloodline and Origin Attribute had robbed him of his divine protection right before the gray miasma pierced through him, rendering him utterly defenseless. There was no way he could have survived that attack, and that was evident from how his body had stalled to aplete halt. Oblivious to Bryan and the robed figure, Roel was still conscious. He had returned to the dark space he had seen right before he lost control of his bloodline. Extreme coldness gripped his existence. The hand from the shadows was still smothering the candlelight, but he couldn¡¯t move at all. He had a feeling that his life would be snuffed out the moment the candle me extinguished. I have to do something. Roel instinctively understood what the candle me represented¡ªit was the source of power for Ascarts¡¯ awakeners. The hand from the shadow was an external intervention from an enemy to disrupt his source of power, resulting in the freezing of his Kingmaker Bloodline and Crown Origin Attribute. The culprit was likely to be the robed figure Bryan had summoned via the gray miasma. The true question here was how the robed figure managed to pull it off. How could someone interfere with the Kingmaker Bloodline and Crown Origin Attribute? Countless doubts surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind, but he was hardly in a good position to mull over those questions. He couldn¡¯t fullyprehend what was happening to him right now, but he instinctively understood that his life woulde to an end once the candle me went out. Death was a terrifying concept, but what frightened Roel more was what came after that. Without his protection, the heretics and inquisitors wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against Bryan and the evil cultists. The princess he had sworn to protect would also soon lose her life. The thought of that was enough to drive him crazy. He struggled with all his might, desperately gathering his willpower to walk over and tear that sted hand off the candle me. His efforts showed as his body disyed signs of manifesting in this dark space, but it would dissipate right after as if fate was ying a trick on him. It felt like his body wascking a lynchpin to hold everything together. It was then that Hanks¡¯ words shed across his mind. What youck is a belief core. Realization finally dawned on Roel. This dark space was a metaphysical dimension manifested by his powers, an existence between reality and illusion. If he wanted to interfere in thisnd, he would have to grasp full control over his powers, which he hadn¡¯t been able to do so due to hisck of a belief core. His only chance at survival was to find the center of his existence and regain control of his powers. But what could his belief core be? Hanks was a devout believer of Goddess Sia, so his belief core was centered around the teachings of the church. He actively sought to put these teachings into practice in his everyday life, such that they had be an integral part of who he was. Is there anything pushing me forward too? Roel tried to focus his fuzzy mind to figure out the answer to that question, but things weren¡¯t going well for him. His thoughts slowed as the candlelight grew dimmer, till everything stalled to a halt. In a moment of daze, the life he had lived began reying in his head. One particr scene shed across his mind. Inside a dark pce, he found himself faced with a dignified man standing in the shadows. That man had golden hair and blue eyes, and his facial features were a delicate work of art. The way he carried himself was evident of his haughty personality. Storm clouds rumbled in the sky. A sudden sh of lightning illuminated the dignified man¡¯s face. Wade Xeclyde. Roel was surprised. He never thought that he would think of Wade in his dying breath. Did he pop up in my mind due to my fight with Felder? Or is it because I was fighting to protect Nora back in the Witness State too? Such thoughts surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind, but he swiftly refuted them. From the moment Wade appeared before his eyes, he felt a spark of me igniting within his body, granting him the strength he needed to fight against the force dragging him into the abyss. He felt like he was on the verge of grasping something important. Hanks said that a person may peer into the truth when he¡¯s on the verge of death. So why did I meet Wade in my dying breath? ¡°I see¡­ We do share quite a few simrities,¡± murmured Roel in enlightenment. Roel and Wade were two very different people, be it in terms of personality or ideals. Yet, there was still a striking simrity between the two of them, and that was their defiance. Two centuries ago, the defiant prince raised the gs of rebellion, leading the heretics on a fight against the establishment that treated them unjustly. The crimson lightning he wielded symbolized his wrath. Putting aside whether he was right or wrong, he fought valiantly for his ideals to his dying breath. In a way, Roel was in the same position. It was just that what he sought to overthrow was far greater than any establishments¡ªfate. He had been fighting against fate ever since he recalled the memories of his previous life. Whenever death came knocking, he would tenaciously struggle with all his might, refusing to surrender even when faced with the direst circumstances. That was how he had managed to survive all this while. Danger was always baring its fangs at him, be it the wartorn Holy Capital, the treacherous seas, or the despair-inducing academy. From cmities that destroyed entire civilizations to an Origin Level 1 Race Sovereign, he had encountered threats that most wouldn¡¯t in their lifetime. And with the Mother Goddess on his back, things were only going to get worse in the future. Awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline were destined to walk alongside death, but Roel wasn¡¯t nning to allow these difficulties drag him down. He nned to walk on with his head held high. Calmness washed over him when he finally made sense of these thoughts. He had found the answer he had been looking for. ¡°To desperately resist and change the trajectory of fate, that¡¯s my belief core,¡± murmured Roel. A surge of heat began gushing through his veins. He saw the silhouettes of Ro, Ponte, and the others shing across his eyes. The High Elf Queen of the Golden Fleet smiled at him. In the Dream Realm, the ancestor who had devoted her life to protecting humankind was proud of him. Boundless power started to gather within him. In the dark space, the candle me that was on the verge of extinguishing suddenly began zing with newfound vigor. It was just a faint flicker at first, but it slowly intensified until its light was blinding. Roel strode forward and grabbed the hand from the shadows, as if he was grasping hold of his own fate. ¡°This isn¡¯t a ce where you should be, Fallen.¡± Roel red at the silhouette in the shadows with glowing eyes. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to return what you took away from me.¡± Chapter 433.1: Being Toward Death (1)

Chapter 433.1: Being Toward Death (1)

Roel Ascart had been defeated. That was the conclusion that the crowd witnessing the fight from afar came to. Roel was still chasing Bryan a minute ago to deliver the coup de grace, but the tables were turned within seconds. A grayish silhouette had suddenly manifested beside the fallen Bryan, piquing the vignce of the crowd. Roel had noticed it too, but it didn¡¯t seem to make a difference. The grayish silhouette released an attack that somehow managed to pierce through all of Roel¡¯s defenses, resulting in an abrupt defeat. The grayish silhouette vanished after releasing that attack, and Bryan returned to his feet. It was also at this point that the heretics and inquisitors realized that they had been duped. From the very start, Roel was the true target that Bryan and the others were going for. That could be seen as much from their borate preparations. Their n worked. Roel had fallenpletely still after being struck by the beam of gray miasma, and his crimson mana and frost aura swiftly dispersed into the surroundings. His body was shrouded by gray miasma, and it was growing blurrier with each passing second. It had all happened so quickly that the heretics couldn¡¯t react to it at all. Cynthia¡¯s body froze up. Rodney was in the midst of brandishing his sword when his movements slowed to a halt. Wood stared at Roel with widened eyes, unable to believe what he had just seen. In contrast, the evil cultists revealed triumphant smiles. With Roel¡¯s death, no one else would have the strength to oppose Bryan¡¯s powerful divine power. This meant that this battle was already as good as won. The heretics and inquisitors soon realized that as well, and despair showed on their faces. Most of them were prepared to die in the course of their duty, but they couldn¡¯t ept this loss. They understood what would happen if the evil cultists were to win here. There was only one person who didn¡¯t think that it was over yet¡ªCount Hanks. He knew that Roel still had a chance to make aeback even though his life was hanging by a thread. As long as thetter could find his belief core and make a breakthrough, he might just be able to turn things around. Ironically, his near-death condition was providing him with the impetus to do so. Thinking about the month he had spent with the young man journeying to the eastern borders, Hanks was able to calm his nervousness. He had encountered many prodigies over the years, but for some reason, he was exceptionally confident that Roel wouldn¡¯t lose his life here. This was based on the intuition he had built up over the years. Meanwhile, Bryan walked right past Roel and advanced toward the house in the distance, where Nora was. Seeing that, Hanks quickly rushed over with white light shrouding his body. I have to buy time before he returns. Hanks began gathering all the mana he had within him, prepared to sacrifice his own life to stall time for Roel¡¯s return. However, a sudden burst of mana pulsation changed everything. ¡­ The moment Roel grasped the hand extending from the shadows, a slight mana pulsation rippled from the white bones of the fallen skeleton giant. It created a chain reaction. Bryan halted his footsteps, and in the faraway headquarters of the Connoisseur Guild, a robed figure turned his head around in astonishment to look at the faint glow behind him. Kak. Cracks were appearing on the stone he was using as a medium earlier, causing bits of light to spill out from within. The robed figure suddenly felt an intense paining from his arm. His surroundings dimmed right after, and a flickering candle appeared before his eyes. A ck-haired man was grabbing onto his wrist tightly, infusing a freezing stream of mana into him. An entire half of his body was already frozen. ¡°!¡± The robed figure quickly retracted his arm, releasing the candle me from his grasp. With the release of the candle me from its suppression, it immediately unleashed a wave of brilliant mana to wash away the darkness and intruder who dared to trespass on thisnd. When the robed figure returned to the real world, he slowly lowered his gaze and looked at his frozen arm in shock. It was the first time in a long time that his true emotions unwittingly showed on his face. He understood what it meant for the young awakener of the Ascart House to have been able to grab his real body in that dark space. He has uncovered his own belief core. No one will be able to infiltrate his Inner Sanctum to put out his me anymore. The Kingmaker Bloodline has been fully awakened. After the passing of several centuries, that ancient bloodline has resurfaced in the world once more. Everything will change as a result of this. Even demons and gods will have to take heed. The Collector stared at the glowing medium with an unreadable look on his face. It was impossible to tell what he was truly thinking. Over at Tark Prairie, Bryan¡¯s blue eyes zed over with iprehension. As if someone had rewound time, the gray miasma began converging around the crumbled white bones, turning Roel¡¯s blurred body corporeal once more. At the same time, an incredible amount of mana that appeared to have been conjured out of nowhere started congregating in the sky, forming an image. This image was continuously changing, be it a dignified king with a sword in hand, a ferocious wild beast, a holy angel, a majestic dragon¡­ Beings that had once existed in the ancient era appeared one after another, including the gods and demons. Despite their fleeting appearances, they contributed to a growing pressure weighing down on the surroundings before finally peaking with a glowing silhouette. The moment She appeared, even the vilest of evil cultists fell to the ground, trembling in repentance as if foolish children who had momentarily lost their way. The devout believers gasped in shock as they reverently murmured Her name. Sia. The scene before him delivered a sharp jolt to Bryan¡¯s heart, and the gray miasma also quickly scattered out of fear. Hanks hurriedly lowered his head respectfully despite being overwhelmed by the situation. There was no way such a phenomenon could have urred even for a breakthrough to Origin Level 3. The only possible exnation was that this was a memory originating from the Ascart Bloodline. As the ancient lineage picked up its glory of the past, a frozen body began to ze with fervor. Roel looked at the sky, where a glowing silhouette looked at him with a warm smile as Her hand reached out toward him. The Crown Origin Attribute trembled in response. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾You have received Sia¡¯s Blessing¡¿ ¡¾The awakening of your bloodline has beenpleted. Degree of Awakening: 100%¡¿ ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained a new skill: Being Toward Death¡¿ ¡¾Being Toward Death In the Inner Sanctum, you held steadfast to your belief and blossomed amidst darkness. No one can seek to influence the me that burns within you anymore. The flow of fate will change because of you. Death is not the end but the start. Effects: Increased resistance toward death. Depending on the severity of injuries, the user will receive corresponding enhancements in mana quantity and bloodline ability.¡¿ Several notifications echoed in Roel¡¯s ears as he felt an inexplicable sensation washing over him. It was a feeling of tenderness and tranquility in the depths of his soul. He closed his eyes and allowed the warm light to wash away the filth in his body. At the same time, he could sense the presence of a core within his Origin Attribute that held everything together. The phenomenon onlysted for a brief moment before fading away. The brilliant light receded into Roel¡¯s body, and the pressure in the air finally dispersed. Roel opened his eyes once more and gazed upon Bryan. Thetter couldn¡¯t maintain aposed front anymore; there was only graveness in his eyes. It had only been several minutes, but Roel¡¯s aura waspletely different from before. The tremendous increase in his mana showed that he had ovee his bottleneck to reach Origin Level 3. His glowing golden eyes showed determination like never before, as if even the notion of death couldn¡¯t frighten him. --- Being-toward-death is a concept fathomed by Martin Heidegger, a famous German philosopher. He has explored the topics of death and its meaning, and his ideas are quite interesting. I won¡¯t try to exin it since I don¡¯t think I understand the ideas well enough Chapter 433.2: Being Toward Death (2)

Chapter 433.2: Being Toward Death (2)

Frankly speaking, Bryan was intimidated by Roel¡¯s changes, but he knew that he still stood a chance. Roel¡¯s body was still in a blurry state, a sign that he hadn¡¯t fully recovered from the earlier blow yet. Even if he had regained control over his powers and advanced to Origin Level 3, it didn¡¯t change the fact that he was in a severely weakened condition. If Bryan wanted to get rid of Roel, now was the best chance for him to do so. ¡°How did you return? Your body should have long vanished. It shouldn¡¯t have been possible for that person to fail,¡± asked Bryan as his eyes gleamed with murderous intent. Gray miasma had started gathering around him once more. On the other hand, Roel gave off an air of serenity, as if he had just been through a long journey. ¡°Your n was perfect. I was in the worst possible state due to my battle with Nora, and that man in the shadows was able to interfere with my bloodline and Origin Attribute to seal my powers. But just as you¡¯ve said, fate doesn¡¯t necessarily proceed in the way we intend it to. It¡¯s the case for me, so it is for you. ¡°I recall that you mentioned something along the line of a prophecy earlier. Bryan, fate might have guided you into this borate assassination attempt, but regretfully, I am not one to bow down to fate. If anything, I have been desperately fighting against it all this while. It¡¯s during times of crises that my belief core shines brighter than ever. ¡°You have pointed out a way for me, allowing me to fully awaken my bloodline. You might have been able to stifle me for a moment, but there are countless others who light up the path for me. With their support, I¡¯ll eventually achieve my goal.¡± The ancestors who had provided Roel with guidance appeared one after another. Their bodies were faint and translucent, looking as if their souls were on the verge of dissipation. In exchange, Roel¡¯s aura was growing stronger by the moment. The three Witness States he had been through were fodder for his growth, seeping into his bloodline and bing his strength. Bryan¡¯splexion turned awful. The medium that connected him with the Collector had already been destroyed, which meant that he was no longer able to summon him anymore. Their n waspletely foiled. However, the battle hadn¡¯t been decided yet. ¡°Since he has failed, I¡¯ll personally send you on your way.¡± Bryan¡¯s voice was heavily solemn. A forbidding pulsation of mana rippled across the prairie, inducing the gray miasma to billow furiously and cover the sky. With no more reinforcement to fall back on, Bryan decided to reveal his true prowess. The sheer might he possessed as an Origin Level 2 transcendent wielding divine powers was terrifying. The ominous force he exerted raised shockwaves that forced Cynthia to raise her kite shield despite standing a far distance away. Wood, Rodney, and the other heretics quickly backed away as well. Hanks wrapped himself in ayer of holy light as he watched the situation with a frown. The hair-raising sensation induced from the terrifying gray miasma was one thing, but its true nature as a mishmash of fragmented souls became visible to the crowd as well. ¡°Are those¡­!¡± ¡°H-human souls!¡± Appalled shouts echoed from the surroundings, but Bryan paid little heed to it. Utopia was the name of the evil god possessing his body, as well the secret behind his ability to defy death. Those who were killed by him would be assimted to be part of his strength, and he hadn¡¯t been wasting his time over the past two hundred years. Bryan¡¯s consciousness had, in a sense, fused together with that of the evil god. It would be foolish to solely evaluate him on the oversimplified concept of Origin Level. Wails of the dead souls echoed as Bryan converged him into his grasp, forming a sword of boundless power. He was now in his strongest ever state. On the other hand, Roel slowly raised his hand toward the copsed bones around him. The truth was that his body was in a terrible shape, such that it would be no joke to say that he was standing before the gates of hell. He could hardly process the sorrowful wailing and billowing gray miasma around him. His body was still blurred, looking as if it would dissipate at a single touch. Yet, he was also at his strongest ever state. The first thing he had to do right now was to bring back hispanion. When he touched the white bones around him, the scenery before him changed. The night sky prairie turned into a sunset in. Grandar¡¯s humongous body was trembling ever so slightly. His eyes were slowly regaining its glow, as if he was awakening from a slumber. Half of the ancient giant king¡¯s body was already dyed in the golden aura. He was already on the verge of being assimted by the Angel King¡¯s mana. ¡°Looks like we don¡¯t have much time left,¡± said Roel with a sigh. A smile soon returned to his face, and he asked his old pal, ¡°Are you able to hold on?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It was a concise answer from the skeleton giant. ¡°Alright.¡± Roel nodded in response, choosing not to say anything more. Those words were more than enough for them to understand each other¡¯s will. The surroundings reverted to normal the next moment, and the pale white bones began unleashing a brilliant crimson glow. It zed as brightly as the sun, harnessing overflowing divine wrath and killing intent like never before. The fragmented souls let out piercing shrieks of fear, and the evil god eyed its adversary in rm. The skeleton giant rose to its feet amidst ayer of mist, revealing a towering stature that naturally intimidated those beneath it. The prating light in its eyes seemed to peer through all lies and facades. This was the first time Roel was summoning Grandar after reaching Origin Level 3. With his humongous increase in mana, the ancient giant king was able to swiftly revert to its peak state. However, Roel wasn¡¯t satisfied with just this much. Enduring the pain that had seized his overused body, he channeled his mana with the determination to win the battle and activated his new ability, Being Toward Death. At the same time, the sky started filling up with dark clouds. Thunder rumbled above everyone¡¯s heads, sounding like the indignant screams of thousands. Bolts of crimson lightning started falling and scattering all around, bestowing power upon the warriors of justice. Once cloaked in the crimson lightning, the heretics and the inquisitors lost their fear and regained theirposure. Their mana, which was on the verge of drying out earlier, was replenished and amplified as well. Indescribable wrath bred in their hearts, prompting them to brandish their des against the enemy. ¡°Impossible! How could you possibly have that spell?¡± Bryan bellowed out in disbelief the moment he saw the crimson lightning filling the sky. It raked up the deepest dredges of his memories and brought a nostalgic face to mind. That spell, Howl of Crimson Lightning, was an army buff spell that belonged to the man whom Felder Elric had pledged fealty to. It was the final miracle in their final battle together when warm blood still flowed in his veins, but it should have already vanished with that man¡¯s death. He never thought that the same spell would appear before his eyes centuriester. This unexpected sight shook his resolve, plunging him into hesitation. On the other hand, Roel couldn¡¯t help but recall the past, and his feelings culminated into a soft sigh. ¡°You!¡± Bryan shouted out in agitation, but the intention behind his outburst was unclear. In the end, he gave up on establishing anymunication, knowing that it was meaningless at this point. He raised his sword high up and concentrated all of the gray miasma on its de before hacking it down with a furious roar. With tremendous mana and divine power tightly condensed on its de, the sword was practically an unstoppable cmity. In response, Roel and the skeleton giantbined their powers and unleashed their final strike. Recalling his battle with Ro Ascart, Roel channeled his mana toward the Crown Origin Attribute and produced a brilliant pir of golden light that rose into the sky. It swiftly condensed into a golden fragment that fused into Grandar¡¯s humongous body. The ancient Sovereign was crowned once more after many years. The sunset ins began ovepping with the real world. The cheers of the giant warriors echoed deafeningly, even louder than the thunderous rumbling of the crimson lightning. As Grandar hurled his fist, a crimson setting sun rose behind him, bing one with his attack. The setting sun shed with the sword of gray miasma, producing a loud sizzling sound together with sorrowful cries of the fragmented souls. It was as if two different worlds had collided and was pitting to determine which was superior. After a momentary standstill, the sword of gray miasma finally started to recede. Eventually, the crimson light that dominated everyone¡¯s vision. Boom! The curtains were finally drawn on the war in Tark Prairie. Chapter 434.1: I’m Not Him (1)

Chapter 434.1: I¡¯m Not Him (1)

Intense quakes shook the mountain valley where Tark Stronghold previously stood, forcing the soldiers to temporarily halt their construction work. Demonic beasts in the nearby mountains were also agitated by the shaking and uneasy birds could be seen circling the sky above. The startled soldiers eyed the tinge of redness in the distant horizon, wondering what could be happening there. ¡­ In the depths of Tark Prairie, Grandar was stronger than ever under the effects of Howl of Crimson Lightning and the golden crown fragment. He focused his overwhelming strength into his fist and hurled it forward, utterly destroying the gray miasma and the evil god behind it. The horrifying mishmash of fragmented souls dispersed into the surroundings, returning to the earth. The culprit behind the assault, Bryan Elric, fell in defeat. I have lost. Just barely an instant after this thought surfaced in his mind, the blow from Grandar followed through andnded heavily on him, drowning out his existence with a blinding crimson aura. The gray sword in his hand shattered, and he lost every sensation in his body. In his final moments, there was not the slightest hint of desperation, grudge, or even pain on his face; just a look of daze. As the crimson aura enveloped his vision, the knight saw the liege he had pledged fealty to. It was a man whose body was shrouded in crimson lightning. He still had the same defiant smile as he did two centuries ago. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± A silent murmur drifted away with the wind before being covered by a deafening explosion. Boom! The explosion was so huge that it blinded everyone in the vicinity,pelling them to halt whatever they were doing. The heretics lowered their bodies and ced their shields down in front of them, whereas the inquisitors assumed a prone position on the ground. The evil cultists immediately realized that something was amiss. They scrambled off despite being robbed of their vision, but it was already toote. The crimson lightning chained to obliterate those who weren¡¯t affected by the army buff spell, reducing most of the evil cultists to cinders. In the wake of the crimson lightning came a series of scorching shockwaves. Roel and Bryan¡¯s sh had plunged the surrounding mana into a state of chaos, resulting in its rampage. It whipped up a devastating heat storm that ravaged the surroundings, battering those in the vicinity. Both the heretics and inquisitors could only put up their defenses and hold their positions against the ensuing force. They were fortunate that the destructive force was scattered instead of being directed at any of them, making it still barely manageable. Even Roel was rendered helpless before the storm. He had no choice but to wait for the tempest to subside. It took a long time before the furious winds and the light started subsiding enough for Roel to open his eyes once more. His first instinct was to lower his head and check his condition. His blurred body, which was previously on the verge of dissipation, had now turned fully corporeal. After confirming his safety, he scanned his surroundings and saw that the gray miasma and sorrowful wailing had vanished without a trace. This battle was aplete victory for him. However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to smile at all. He quietly raised his head and gazed into the distance. Following the devastating storm, the surroundingnd had turned into a desert. Bryan could be seen lying atop of the sand, his powerful aura no longer to be felt and his body riddled with holes. Having lost the protection of the evil god and his fragmented souls, he could no longer regenerate freely from his injuries. Roel stared coldly at the fallen man, feeling not the slightest shred of sympathy for the defeated knight. Bryan was not a man worth pitying. He had taken countless lives over the course of his life, showing no hesitation to kill even if the other party was his son. A vile man like him deserved death. But there was something in their final sh that caught Roel¡¯s attention. Bryan had neither avoided nor retaliated against the crimson lightning. Instead, he chose to silently ept his demise, almost as if he thought it was an eptable oue for him to meet his end at that attack. Roel was confused until he finally saw the look in Bryan¡¯s eyes. Bryan¡¯s flesh and blood had already withered up with ck smoke puffing from his body. Yet, there was serenity in his eyes when he stared at the sky above as though an old man having fulfilled his final wish. Even when Roel entered his vision, there was an absence of anger or hatred on his face. He quietly asked a question, one that Roel had expected. ¡°Howl of Crimson Lightning. That¡¯s His Highness¡¯ spell. Are you¡­¡± The dying knight stared at Roel intently, hoping to receive an answer to his final question. Seeing the pleading look in his eyes, Roel let out a soft sigh and answered his final doubt. ¡°I¡¯m not him.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Bryan let out a feeble sigh of detion, his eyes glooming in disappointment. ¡°But the spell I cast does belong to Wade. I encountered him through my bloodline ability and defeated him. This was his parting gift to me.¡± ¡°I see.¡± A look of realization shed across Bryan¡¯s eyes. A secondter, his lips formed a faint smile. His reaction confused Roel. ¡°You don¡¯t mind that I defeated him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not something for me to worry about¡­ It appears that His Highness is very fond of you. He doesn¡¯t hold a grudge against others over his personal affairs. He chose to entrust his spell to you; it¡¯s a symbol of his acknowledgment. As his knight, I¡¯m obliged to obey his will. It might have been my fate to die in your hands.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡± replied Roel cidly. It was impossible for him to feel sympathy for Bryan after what thetter had done, but he couldn¡¯t help but contemte how whimsical fate was. The once noble knight chose to be a vile criminal and stain his prided sword with sins. Even so, Bryan continued to hold onto a silhouette of his liege. Normally, those who had lived for a long time tended to be exceptionally frightened of death, yet he showed nothing of that sort. He was oddly calm, as if it was only right for him to die under the spell that once belonged to his liege. Roel had no idea what drove Bryan to turn into the monster he had be. It could have been to exact vengeance for his old liege. It might have been out of regret for causing the downfall of the once great Elric House. It could have also been an obsession over sess. However, if one thing was certain, Bryan had lost the ideals he had once prided himself on. He might have ceased being himself the moment that happened. The chilling night wind swept across the desert, producing a soft rustle. There was a moment of silence as Roel gazed at the fallen Bryan before he spoke. ¡°Nora is his descendant.¡± ¡°!¡± Bryan¡¯s eyes were on the verge of closing when he heard those words. He forced himself to open his eyes once more and stare at the young man standing over him. In his moment of daze, he saw a figure ovepping with Roel. It was a proud golden-haired knight holding a gleaming sword. That was the old him. ¡°The old knight has lost to the new knight,¡± murmured Bryan bitterly. Looking at the young man who had taken over his role as the new guardian of that house, it suddenly dawned on him that he hadn¡¯t just lost to Roel. He had also lost to the old him. ¡°¡­ Be careful of that man. He knows your n well.¡± It could have been out of gratitude to Roel for revealing that piece of information, or perhaps it was intended as a gift to his sessor, but Bryan gave out a final piece of advice. It caught Roel¡¯s attention, especially when he recalled the robed figure and the hand that smothered his me. ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°No one knows. He has been observing you for a very long time. Be careful, it isn¡¯t the end yet. This might just be the beginning¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s eyes turned grim. Bryan looked at him quietly for a moment longer before slowly closing his eyes. Mana continued leaking from his body until he breathed hisst. His soul scattered along with the night wind to unknownnds. Bryan Elric was finally dead. The centuries-old grudge between the Ascarts and the Elrics had finallye to an end. An old powerhouse had fallen, marking the end of a generation. Witnessing the death of his enemy ced Roel in a pensive mood. Bryan Elric was both a meritorious subject and an evil sinner. He had vanquished many enemies for the Theocracy and protected humankind from the deviants on several asions. But at the same time, he attempted to exert his dominance in the circle of nobility to instill chaos within the country and stage a rebellion. If Wade had survived and seeded in his revolution, Bryan might have been celebrated as one of the founding fathers who brought about a new era in the Theocracy. It didn¡¯t matter to Roel either way, and he had no interest in exploring Bryan Elric¡¯s duality. The only thing important to him was that Bryan was an enemy that had to be defeated. ¡°This might have been the best oue for you. You¡¯ll finally be able to return to his side. Farewell.¡± With a quiet mutter, Roel turned around and walked away from the desert. Chapter 434.2: I’m Not Him (2)

Chapter 434.2: I¡¯m Not Him (2)

Both the process and the oue of Roel and Bryan¡¯s fight came as a shock to the crowd. It waspletely unexpected that a veteran Origin Level 2 transcendent who possessed the protection of an evil god would actually fall in defeat. The implications of the battle were also far-reaching. A devastating rebellion that threatened to shake the Theocracy at its core had been averted, and the Xeclydes would be able to further reinforce their authority. Without a doubt, this was a huge victory for Roel and his allies. There were still a couple of evil cultists around who had survived Roel¡¯s final attack. Upon witnessing Grandar¡¯s terrifying might and the death of their vice-leader, they flew into a state of panic. Those who tried to escape were mercilessly mowed down by the heretics and the inquisitors, so most of them chose to surrender instead. It was rare for evil cultists to surrender to the inquisitors¡ªit was obvious what would befall them should they fall into the clutches of the Genesis Goddess Church¡ªbut no one was surprised by it. The battle they had witnessed was that shocking. From Sia¡¯s momentary appearance to Grandar¡¯s formidable might, all of these thoroughly crushed the evil cultists¡¯ morale, robbing them of their fighting will. Even looking at Roel was enough to make their legs wobble, to the point that some of them evennded on their bum. Thanks to that, the clean-up was much faster than anticipated. After much ughter and bloodshed, peace finally returned to Tark Prairie. Hanks revealed a rare smile as he watched Roel return safe and sound. The usually austere inquisitors also bowed respectfully toward him. They hadn¡¯t forgotten how Roel had manifested the visage of Sia during his breakthrough earlier, and that led them to put him on a pedestal. Not to mention, Roel had also proven himself through his actions and aplishments. The heretics of the Strength Cult could hardly suppress their excitement after witnessing the miracle produced by their god. The looks they directed toward Roel were even more reverential and fervent. As for those from the Unyielding Cult, they were more certain than ever that Roel would lead them to a brighter future. ¡°It looks like you have found your own belief core. Good.¡± Hanks walked toward Roel and noticed a distinct difference in thetter¡¯s aura. With an approving nod, he calmly offered apliment. In response, Roel bowed deeply to him and expressed his gratitude. ¡°Your advice gave me a clear direction to work toward. Thanks to that, I was able to achieve a breakthrough. You have my deepest gratitude.¡± ¡°No, my advice can only bring you so far. You are the only one who can make sense of your own heart. It¡¯s your own aplishment.¡± It was oddly in line with Hanks¡¯ stoic personality to reject Roel¡¯s gratitude, evoking a chuckle from thetter. After sharing a short conversation, Roel turned his attention toward the depths of the prairie. Hanks fell silent too. They knew that it was not over yet. It was great that they had managed to quell the Elrics¡¯ rebellion, but the crisis was far from over yet. All they had achieved thus far was providing a safe and stable environment for Nora to awaken her bloodline. If she failed to ovee her limits and lose herself to her divine instinct, chaos would still befall the Theocracy nevertheless. It went without saying that Roel wouldn¡¯t allow that to happen. He had made preparations for that. ¡°Can I leave this ce to you?¡± ¡°That goes without saying. Affairs rting to evil cultists fall under my jurisdiction.¡± With Hanks¡¯ stoic reassurance, Roel bade his farewell before rushing off to where Nora was. ¡­ Back in the house, Nora was alreadypletely surrounded by golden light. To her surprise, she wasn¡¯t brought into the nk space as she had been many times before but a sacred fortress floating amidst the clouds. It emitted a holy glow from warm sunlight reflecting off its pristine white walls. It was the kind of ce that naturally induced warmth and serenity. Even Nora was stunned at the splendor of the fortress. A name instinctively arose in her mind¡ªAnktah. Known as the City of Angels, Anktah was a majestic fortress constructed by the gods in the ancient era. It floated imposingly amongst the clouds, symbolizing the authority and glory orded to them as Sia¡¯s envoys. Even though it was dubbed as a city, Anktah didn¡¯t serve as a residential area. Its nature was closer to that of a temple, and only the highest-ranking angels were qualified to take residence there. The gates leading into Anktah were wide open with two rows of saintly angels standing before the entrance to wee her. Nora¡¯s body began walking forward uncontrobly. Solemn music started ying as she entered the city. The passers-by halted their footsteps and bowed toward her with respectful smiles. It was under such an atmosphere that she continued advancing ahead. She eventually entered a grand castle and passed through several doors. At the end of a long passageway, she found herself stepping into a council room containing seven ancient chairs. She paused for a brief moment at the entrance to nce at the seven faintly glowing angels seated on those chairs. The seven angels swiftly noticed her presence and rose to their feet, their white robes flowing gracefully to the ground. The guards escorting Nora deferentially lowered their heads and backed away as the seven angels walked over to wee her. The Seven Archangels. Nora reflexively knew who they were right away as if the information was encoded into her. The Seven Archangels took turns stepping forward with cordial smiles to look into her eyes. There was a white-haired old man amongst them who gave off a familiar aura. Yet, every single one of them shook their heads and walked to the side after meeting her gaze. Despite their disapproving gestures, their attitudes grew increasingly respectful. They gathered around Nora and led her deeper inward with warm smiles. Beyond the council room was an audience room that emanated an air of sanctity. Delicate carvings resembling art pieces could be seen at the four corners of the room. At the other end of the room was a royal throne, where an imposing golden-haired woman wearing a crown sat. The moment Nora caught sight of the woman on the throne, she suddenly felt a throb. A strong feeling of intimacy washed through her body, filling her with goodwill toward the woman. Simrly, the golden-haired woman on the throne dropped her austere expression the moment Nora stepped into the room. A warm smile slowly spread across her face, and she rose to her feet and walked over. As the distance between them narrowed, Nora¡¯s bloodline started to rush. Intense light gushed out of her body, and the powerful and authoritative aura she emanatedpelled deference from everyone else. The Seven Archangels revealed heartened smiles. Nora¡¯s mind started to nk out. Her agitated bloodline influenced her emotions, and she became agitated herself too. The strong feeling of intimacy she felt told her that the approaching golden-haired woman was someone whom she could fully trust, and a peculiar tingle began taking root in her heart. Nora had grown up receiving much affection from her surroundings, but she could never experience maternal love because her mother had died giving birth to her. There was a part of her that desired to know what maternal love felt like, but that was an impossible dream. She could only make do with her own imagination, which ironically only further stoked her desire. The golden-haired woman smiling benevolently at her stirred indescribable ripples in her heart, leaving Nora confused as to whether she was before her mother. It plunged her emotions into a state of disarray. It was then that the golden-haired woman smilingly offered her hand. Nora hesitated, but slowly, she began raising her hand to ept the gesture. As she did so, she couldn¡¯t help but nce at her wrist, which brought an inexplicable question to mind. Is something missing here? Chapter 435.1: Shackled Hearts (1)

Chapter 435.1: Shackled Hearts (1)

In the audience room suffusing with a holy glow, the guards and retainers lowered their heads deferentially. The Seven Archangels gathered around Nora with beaming smiles. The golden-haired woman offered her hand toward Nora, patiently awaiting her response. Yet, the person who stood at the center of attention fell into a trance staring at her own wrist. Something seems to be missing here. This doubt abruptly surfaced in her mind, but it bothered her so much that her agitated bloodline cooled down a little, allowing her to recover a sliver of rationality. A deep furrow formed on her forehead as she sensed that something was amiss, as if she had overlooked something important. What could it be? While she was pondering over this question, a splitting headache suddenly assaulted her mind and she clutched her forehead. Inexplicable images shed across her mind, but someone grabbed her shoulder before she could make sense of them. ¡°!¡± Jolted from her thoughts, Nora hurriedly raised her head and saw the beautiful golden-haired woman looking at her with the sameforting smile. She didn¡¯t seem to be offended by Nora¡¯s breach of etiquette. None of the surrounding archangels showed any anomalies either, almost as if they were oblivious to Nora¡¯s peculiar state. The joyous atmosphere persisted. When the golden-haired womanid her hand on Nora¡¯s shoulder, the surroundings began shimmering with brilliance once more. The inexplicable feeling of intimacy washed over her once more, pulling Nora¡¯s attention back to the present. The golden-haired woman decided not to wait for Nora¡¯s response and instead took the initiative to affectionately grab her hand and lead her forward. The Seven Archangels quickly followed behind them, only to stop on the steps leading up to the throne. Meanwhile, more and more angels were entering the audience room and taking their positions by the sides of the room. The excitement on their face was palpable as though they were going to witness history in the making. A band holding all sorts of unusual instruments started ying a majestic harmony. Adorable little angels unfurled their wings and soared above them, scattering flower petals all around. It was such marvelous fanfare, but the star of the show fell into a trance yet again. This time, Nora felt a strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Something inside her was nudging her, saying that something simr had happened before. She stared at the joyous smiles all around and the floating flower petals and white feathers, slowly falling into a daze. For a brief moment, the blurred silhouette of a man shed across her mind, causing her eyes to widen. It was just that the image left too quickly for her to fully make sense of it. However, it gave rise to an indescribable feeling of incongruence in her, inducing her vignce. It was around then that the band and choir gently decrescendoed to silence. Under the witness of the deferential crowd, the Seven Archangels stepped forth one by one to offer their earnest blessing to Nora. Their blessings manifested inyers of divine light, imbuing her with boundless energy. Radiant wings began to unfurl behind her, followed by a powerful gush of mana. That spurred awed exmations and resounding apuse from the crowd. Nora was bathed in power and glory, leaving her feeling greater than ever. Yet, the feeling of incongruence in her only grew stronger. She subconsciously nced sideward to search for a familiar figure. After receiving the blessings of the Seven Archangels, Nora turned around to look at the golden-haired woman seated upon the throne. Thetter was looking back at her with a heartened smile. She rose to her feet and slowly made her way toward Nora. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, she gently lifted the white crown on her head. It was a pure white crown devoid of any ornaments, but there was a unique kind of beauty in its simplicity. It emanated a saintly white glow befitting the disposition of the Angel King. The crowd went silent the moment the golden-haired woman lifted it up. Everyone was staring at the scene with bated breaths. Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes sharply narrowed. There was something in the white crown that intensely resonated with Nora¡¯s bloodline, inducing a powerful sense of attraction in her. She strongly desired the possession of the crown. Her instincts were telling her that the crown could grant her unparalleled authority and power. Those who truly understood what power entailed desired more than ever the power to dictate everything. Nora¡¯s attentionpletely fixated on the crown, her eyes gleaming with desire. Seeing that, the golden-haired woman¡¯s smile further brightened. It was at that moment that the strong feeling of incongruence surfaced once again. This time, it was directed toward the white crown. Saintly white. The familiar color sparked memories of a certain item in Nora¡¯s mind. Her eyes slowly widened in realization. Isn¡¯t that the color of¡­ A series of images shed across her eyes. A throttling carriage, a despairing mist-shrouded church, a tragic battle between light and ice, a callous hand plunging into a chest, a heart-wrenching spurt of warm blood¡­ and, finally, the promise she had made with him. rity began returning to Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes. She channeled her agitated emotions into rage and fiercely sliced through the seal that suppressed her memories. There¡¯s a saintly white magic tool that I treasure and wish to possess, and this is not it. Right before the white crown was able to be ced upon her head, she took a step back. She pulled all stops and allowed her raging mana to erupt from her. With the sheer outpour of her emotions, she broke free from the control of her bloodline. Her resolve to defeat the Angel King and regain control manifested as saintly white shackles on her wrist. ng ng. The sudden manifestation of the saintly white shackles at this crucial moment wiped the smile off the golden-haired woman¡¯s face. The Seven Archangel widened their mouths in shock. The crowd began fidgeting in uncertainty at the unexpected turn of events. The nging of the shackles resounded all the way till the entrance of the pce, where a ck-haired man stood with the other end of the shackles attached to his wrist. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like my help is required here,¡± he said. Nora was momentarily surprised by his presence before bursting intoughter. ¡°Of course. Who do you think I am?¡± Then, Nora turned her attention back to the golden-haired woman with the infernos of rage burning in her eyes. ¡°How dare you appear before me after harming the most important person in the world to me? You are a relic of the past, desperately struggling to return to a world that no longer wees you. I haven¡¯t fallen so low as to be crowned by something like that!¡± Nora¡¯s raging mana exploded into a furious storm of light, forcing the crowd to lower their eyes. The white crown resonated with her emotions and released a brilliant surge of light as well. The golden-haired woman was forced to release her grip on the crown and back away whereas the Seven Archangels revealed horrified looks. Everything paled before the trembling white crown. The audience room lost its luster, and the surrounding warm glow faded. The white crown reimed its power and glory before gentlynding in Nora¡¯s hands. It was still the same white crown, but Nora received it this time around without any show of deference or humility, as if the crown ought to belong to her. She calmly donned it with an air of majesty. Amotion broke out in the audience room right after. The golden-haired woman rushed forward to stop her in spite of the terrifying flurry of mana holding her back, but it was all toote. There was no higher symbol of authority to the angels than the white crown. The inheritance wasplete from the very moment Nora donned the white crown. In a bid to protect its owner, the white crown released a burst of blinding white light that nketed everything. The golden-haired woman was obliterated in a sh, followed by the Seven Archangels and the huge crowd in the audience room. Starting from the castle, the entire city started to crumble and scatter as specks of light. By then, Nora had alreadypletely assimted the white crown. The specks of light left by the copsing city surged toward Nora, forming a scenery that resembled a breathtaking celestial river of stars. As Nora assimted those specks of light, her body began to glow brightly as her bloodline overcame its previous limits. In the real world, a blinding pir of light rushed into the sky, astonishing the heretics and inquisitors who btedly arrived at the scene. Chapter 435.2: Shackled Hearts (2)

Chapter 435.2: Shackled Hearts (2)

It took a while for Nora¡¯s aura to calm down. The magnificent City of Angels, Anktah, had ceased to exist. Everything had been erased from the face of the world, except for a nging sound that continued to echo in the white space. ¡°My apologies. I kept you waiting.¡± Nora opened her eyes and looked at the ck-haired man who had been waiting for her. Her imposing aura gradually faded as tenderness seeped into her sapphire eyes. At the other end of the shackles, Roel broke out into a smile. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I feel like I¡¯ve done something extraneous,¡± remarked Roel. He had held steadfast to his belief that Nora would be able to triumph over the Angel King, but he hadn¡¯t thought that she would achieve such a spectacr victory. He had an insight into just how powerful the Angel King was, having faced thetter in a battle. Yet, the awakened Nora was able to crush the Angel King andpletely eradicate her divine instinct, granting her absolute control over her Primordial Angel Bloodline now. Roel looked at the shackles on his wrist and smiled helplessly, thinking how he had done something excessive. However, Nora shook her head and gently stroked the white shackles. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t extraneous. Thanks to it, I was able to recall everything.¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Thinking about everything that had happened ever since they were bound by this shackles, Roel was relieved that it had at least helped at the very end. This meant that his sacrifice hadn¡¯t been in vain. The shackles was designed with the primary purpose of entering Nora¡¯s mental world; everything else was secondarypared to that. He was much more worried about Nora¡¯s fight with the Angel King aspared to his fight with Bryan Elric, but the situation turned out to be opposite instead. ¡°Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t expect the shackles to have such an ability. You didn¡¯t mention it.¡± ¡°It might diminish your fighting will if I had told you beforehand. It¡¯s much more impactful to make a sudden appearance. Who knows? This might have just yed a decisive role in your battle.¡± ¡°Indeed, it wouldn¡¯t have been possible to defeat those fellows without putting in everything,¡± replied Nora as she thought about everything she had just been through. While it wasn¡¯t a gruesome fight, she thought that the gentle trap was much scarier. She could have fallen into the abyss if she had let down her guard for even for the briefest of moments. If not for her strong resolve and yearning anchoring her down, she would have been sitting on Anktah¡¯s throne right now whereas the Angel King would have taken over her body. ¡°Still¡­ I didn¡¯t expect you to pull little tricks in the dark despite all your talk about trusting me. Aren¡¯t you getting too bold?¡± Nora suddenly thought about something and began approaching Roel with a menacing smile. Thetter quickly waved his hands and exined. ¡°That¡¯s just an additionalyer of precaution. I still do trust you a lot. After all we have been through, don¡¯t you think I deserve the benefit of the doubt?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Even if I graciously offer you the benefit of the doubt, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll be able to refute your grievous crime of trespassing on my heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s smile froze up. A strong tug pulled at his wrist, causing him to lurch forward before falling into the arms of the victorious princess. She embraced him so tightly that it felt like she was kneading him into her. Roel could sense feelings of unease from her actions, so he opened his arms wide and hugged her back. With the man at the other end of the shackles in her arms, she finally let out a sigh of relief. The worries swirling her heart slowly disappeared, and her heartbeat gradually calmed down. Just like how Roel had been worried about her, she had been feeling anxious for him as well. Despite her calm appearance, unease had been gnawing at her heart all this while. This was the first time she had seen Roel being in such a frail state¡­ and she was the culprit behind it. All this while, she had been worried about the oue of the other battle, but her condition prevented her from going to her loved one¡¯s aid. She had never experienced such mental anguish before, albeit it being a short parting. It was fortunate that it was all over now. With her emotions still running wild, Nora lightly bit down on Roel¡¯s shoulders. Thetter knew that this was her way of venting her emotions, so he allowed her to do as she pleased and simply gently stroked her hair. A long timeter, Nora ced her hand on Roel¡¯s cheek and mumbled. ¡°This is your punishment for not trusting me.¡± ¡°Is that it? If so, I really ought to thank you for your magnanimity,¡± replied Roel with a smile as he nced at the bite mark that was tingling with pain and sweetness. Nora narrowed her eyes upon hearing those words. She contemted for a moment before adding. ¡°I should have also punished you for worrying me time and time again, but it wouldn¡¯t do for a wise ruler to be too harsh on her subjects. I¡¯ll postpone that forter.¡± ¡°Why does it seem like I have an endless string of sins?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you should reflect on your own actions. But for now, I¡¯m postponing your punishment so as to give you your reward.¡± ¡°A reward?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a reward for the loyal knight who stood by my side and protected me to the very end,¡± replied Nora. Tucking her golden hair behind her ears, she leaned into his shoulders once more. Her cherry lips parted and she gently licked the bite mark she had left before. That sent a shiver through Roel¡¯s body. It was an indescribable sensation¡ªa slight tinge of pain mixed with an unbearable itch, together with the velvety touch of her tongue and her warm breath. It made Roel¡¯s pupils widen, and his breathing hastened. At the same time, he felt a surge of mana seeping into his body through the bite mark. It flowed through his body and absorbed the remnant mana left behind by the Angel King, removing the stifling sensation he felt in his body. The golden aura that was suppressing the ancient gods also started to recede as well. The golden aura that threatened to assimte the crimson ins retreated, and the contracts with Peytra and Artasia were gradually being reinstated. The Angel King¡¯s mana did a full cirction around his body before being extracted through the bite mark, where Nora devoured it whole. A sudden feeling of liberation washed through Roel¡¯s body like an adrenaline rush, putting him in a state of high arousal. It felt like Nora had devoured his mental restraints along with the Angel King¡¯s mana. Nora could also feel her heart pounding fast, and she couldn¡¯t help but lick her lips. When their eyes finally met once more, they could desire in each other¡¯s zed eyes. ¡°¡­ I really want to gobble you whole,¡± murmured Nora. She rested her head on Roel¡¯s chest, and thetter naturally began stroking her hair. ¡°Spoken almost like a wolf.¡± ¡°¡­ Who knows? I might just turn into one.¡± A glint shed across Nora¡¯s eyes, but before she could do anything, a sudden quake shook the white space they were in. The nearby lights started to flicker in uncertainty. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°That woman created this space in my heart to imprison me. Now that she¡¯s no longer around, it¡¯s only natural for this space to copse,¡± exined Nora. Roel nodded in response. The space around them swiftly crumbled, and their consciousness plunged into darkness. When Roel opened his eyes once more, he found himself faced with a beautiful night sky. The dark clouds had been dispersed by the earlier gush of divine light, revealing a silver crescent moon and a sea of stars. He had returned to the very house they had been living in for the past few days, just that the roof had been blown away. He could hear shoutsing from the heretics and inquisitors not too far away. A brief momentter, multipleyers of light manifested next to him before unraveling to reveal a faintly glowing golden-haired woman¡ªNora. Her eyes slowly fluttered open to face the ck-haired man in front of her. Recalling the promise they had made before they parted ways at sunset, Roel greeted her. ¡°Wee back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± The two of them held each other¡¯s hands with warm smiles. Chapter 436.1: Would You Remember Me? (1)

Chapter 436.1: Would You Remember Me? (1)

It was a heart-stopping night, but both Roel and Nora had ovee their own trials and defeated their mortal nemesis. When they returned to the familiar wooden house and looked at each other in the eye, they found many emotions swelling in their hearts. As Nora stared at Roel, she noticed something that surprised her. ¡°You¡¯ve reached Origin Level 3?¡± ¡°Yes. Thanks to that, I was able to defeat my enemy.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­ I thought that I would be able to suppress you with mytest breakthrough, but it looks like we¡¯re even again?¡± Nora puffed up her cheeks indignantly, not concealing her emotions at all. However, she thought about what Roel just said and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°But the most important thing is that we¡¯re both safe. Congrattions on your breakthrough.¡± ¡°I should be the one saying that. Origin Level 3 might be a tough hurdle to ovee, but that¡¯s nothingpared to your Gold Bloodline. Not to mention, you even made a double breakthrough,¡± replied Roel as he shook his head helplessly. Nora¡¯s breakthroughs in her bloodline and Origin Level had refreshed Roel¡¯s understanding of the ¡®chosen one¡¯. Her fighting prowess was likely to have grown to a ridiculous level, to the point where Roel dared not say that he could stably win against her. The Angel King¡¯s powerful assimtion and decimation attributes were something that even Roel¡¯s ancient gods were unable to dispel, which meant that it could be safely said that there were nomon counters against it. Any defense would be easily rendered meaningless before Nora¡¯s abilities. Roel¡¯s heart was put at ease, knowing how powerful Nora had be. However, a question swiftly emerged in his head. He vaguely remembered that Nora¡¯s bloodline wasn¡¯t this powerful in Eyes of the Chronicler. There wasn¡¯t any detailed description about Nora¡¯s bloodline awakening in the game, but he was certain that she didn¡¯t gain such cheat abilities. The most direct evidence he could think of was how the in-game Nora specialized in swordsmanship after her bloodline awakening, but to the current Nora, weapons were nothing more than extraneous ornaments. It was indubitably good news that Nora was more powerful than expected, but Roel was a little concerned because he wasn¡¯t fully certain of the cause behind the divergence. It was highly likely that the cause stemmed from him, but he didn¡¯t recall doing anything in that regard. Unable to figure out anything, he shook his head and tossed the question to the back of his mind. Slowly, both Roel and Nora became cognizant of their surroundings. The house they were previously living in was reduced to a mess due to Nora¡¯s earlier rampaging mana, but what was more concerning was the congregation of nervous mana pulsationsing from outside. Roel and Nora quickly tidied up their clothes before walking out of the house. The moment the two of them stepped out and appeared before the crowd safe and sound, cheers broke out from the crowd. Delight and relief could be seen on the faces of heretics and inquisitors alike. The confirmation of Nora¡¯s safety meant that their mission was a grand sess. The Saint Mesit Theocracy was spared from an impending internal, and the church would remain firmly under the control of the Xeclydes. Their deadrades would finally be able to rest in peace, knowing that their sacrifice hadn¡¯t been in vain. Nora waved her hand at the cheering crowd, and they swiftly settled down. Hanks stepped forward as the representative of the group to report on the oue of the battle. The intense battle between Roel¡¯s group and the evil cultists of the Connoisseur Guild earlier had resulted in heavy casualties on their side. Nora fell into a heavy mood upon hearing the news, but Hanks and Roel lookedposed inparison. In their view, it was already a miracle that they were still alive given the scale of the enemy they faced earlier on. They couldn¡¯t have hoped for a better oue. While the evil cultists of the Connoisseur Guild were a loose group of misfits¡ªnot even a skilled militarymander like Bryan Elric could teach their cooperation¡ªtheir individual prowess was not to be made light of. There was nock of notorious high-level transcendents amongst them, such that their overall strength was superior to that of the heretics and the inquisitorsbined. This showed just how powerful the Connoisseur Guild had grown while biding its time in the shadows of the Theocracy. Fortunately, it was all over now. Those involved in the ambush, including Bryan Elric, were likely to be high-ranking members of the Connoisseur Guild. It was a do-or-die attack, after all. Bryan Elric wouldn¡¯t possibly have held back for this crucial step. As a result, their defeat here would inflict a crushing blow to the Connoisseur Guild. Furthermore, one of the key reasons why the Connoisseur Guild had been able to grow right under the eyes of the Genesis Goddess Church was due to the interference of the Elric House. The Elrics had been concealing its trail using its vastwork of connections, making it hard for the church to track the evil cultists down. Now that the Connoisseur Guild lost its greatest shield, it was only a matter of time before the church rooted out its remnants. The thought of these reminded Roel of a matter. After they listened to Hanks¡¯ report, he led Nora to the ce where Bryan died and told her about the final conversation they had. It was not out of pity for Bryan that he was doing this. Bryan¡¯s parting words wouldn¡¯t undo the atrocities the Elrics hadmitted in the shadows over the years. He just thought that Nora had the right to know the oue of the knight who once loyally served her ancestor. Nora stared at Bryan¡¯s corpse, but there wasn¡¯t even a tinge of sentimentality on her face. Her reaction intrigued Roel. ¡°You don¡¯t pity him?¡± he asked. ¡°Pity? I have already lost all pity for him from the moment he dared to draw his de against you. I just feel a little wistful¡­ Two hundred years, huh?¡± Nora said with a sigh. She raised her head and looked at Roel. ¡°Would you remember me for that long too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The abrupt question caught Roel off guard. He took a moment to think about it before shaking his head. Nora¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply at his response, but thetter followed up with a calm exnation. ¡°Memories are only for those who have parted ways. There¡¯s no need for that between us. I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± ¡°!¡± Nora found her heartbeat hastening. Her cheeks slowly turned red, and her lips began quivering. She felt like she ought to say something in response, but nothing good came to mind. She quickly checked her surroundings and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that no one else was in the vicinity. The next moment, the saintly white shackles suddenly appeared in her hands once more. With a reddened face, Nora pulled Roel right up to her face and stared at him with eyes filled with embarrassment and anger. ¡°¡­ You do know that some words can¡¯t be taken back once spoken?¡± ¡°I have no intention of taking back my words¡­ but why are the shackles still here?¡± Roel nced at the shackles as he asked in confusion. ording to Artasia, the shackles should have automatically disappeared once Nora removed the angelic power from his body¡­ but for some reason, the shackles seemed to glisten brighter than ever. On the other hand, Nora looked as if she couldn¡¯t understand why Roel was asking such an obvious question. ¡°I¡¯m quite sure I told you that I haven¡¯t forgiven you for trespassing into my heart with these shackles yet. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s only fitting for a sinner like you to remain shackled? Besides, these shackles serve as an important piece of evidence of your crimes.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say that it¡¯s a precaution in case things go awry? Haa, forget it. You¡¯ll release the shackles once you dish out whatever punishment you have prepared, right?¡± ¡°Hm? What are you saying?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Knowing how obstinate Nora could be, Roel was thinking of allowing her to do whatever she wanted to and be done with it, but her subsequent words astounded him. Nora fondly stroked the shackles on her wrist before looking at him with a beaming smile. ¡°Have you forgotten? These shackles are my birthday present. It¡¯s the only one I received this year, and I¡¯m terribly fond of it. As a noble, I trust that you would have enoughmon sense to not take back a present you have already given out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It suddenly dawned on Roel just how thoughtless his actions were. He was too engrossed with oveing this crisis back then that he failed to consider the resulting consequences. As a result, he found himself unable to refute any of the points Nora had brought up. ¡°I-I mean, these shackles are yours to keep, but surely you don¡¯t have to lock me with it, right? You could use it as a weapon¡­¡± ¡°Pardon me, but I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to get at here. Weren¡¯t you the one who forcefully ced these shackles on us? By extension, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s only right for me to interpret your action as an expression that the person connected at the other end of the shackles is part of my birthday present too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was such a rational argument that Roel found himself at a loss for words. Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes curled in delight as she gently ced her hand on Roel¡¯s cheek. ¡°This expression again. Are you trying to seduce me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything at all!¡± eximed Roel in frustration. That did nothing to quell the predatory look in Nora¡¯s eyes. Seeing that she was on the verge of pulling something off, he quickly grabbed her shoulder to calm her down. ¡°Say, don¡¯t you know that there are many eyes watching us?¡± Chapter 436.2: Would You Remember Me? (2)

Chapter 436.2: Would You Remember Me? (2)

¡°!¡± Nora jolted at the reminder. She straightened up her body and quickly scanned the surroundings. There were indeed quite a few heretics and inquisitors who were sneaking peeks in their direction. Realizing what she had just done before so many eyes, her face started burning up. ¡°Cough! We¡¯ll postpone the discussion about the Elric House for now. Let¡¯s focus on the earlier battle first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± What a quick change of tone. While feeling impressed as to how Nora was able to switch into her work mode in just a split moment, Roel also found himself wondering if she was considered daring or shy. In any case, he decided to y along with her and focus on work. It was just that he fell a little hesitant when asked to borate more about his battle with Bryan. That was probably the closest fight he ever had, but the one who posed the greatest threat to him wasn¡¯t Bryan himself but the mysterious robed figure. He would have never imagined that there would be a person in the world who could interfere with his bloodline and Origin Attribute. Other than that, he was also quite concerned about the dark space with the candle me which the System had called ¡®Inner Sanctum¡¯. It didn¡¯t look like a ce where anyone could freely enter, but the robed figure was able to stretch his hand into it. Putting that together with what Bryan said in his dying breath¡­ ¡°Roel? You mentioned that Bryan had a formidable helper. What happened afterward?¡± ¡°¡­ My guess is that the medium can only be used once. The helper no longer appeared afterward.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel concisely exined his encounter with Bryan and the robed figure, choosing not to borate on the details. He wasn¡¯t sure who the enemy was, so he was hesitant to talk too much about it lest Nora got worried about it. Other than that, he didn¡¯t want Nora to feel guilt-ridden upon learning about the danger he had been through either. ¡°Was that helper strong? We caught quite a few evil cultists, didn¡¯t we? Are we able to get them to confess to the helper¡¯s identity out of them?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not too sure since it was only a brief encounter, but his means are unlike anything I have ever seen before. ording to the captured evil cultist, that helper is the leader of the Connoisseur Guild, but strangely enough, he wasn¡¯t actively involved in its management. Most work was left in the hands of the vice-chief, Bryan. He¡¯s known to the members as the Collector, but his name and appearance remain shrouded in mystery.¡± ¡°¡­ The Collector? I see.¡± A murderous glint shed across Nora¡¯s name as she murmured the alias of the hooded figure. She had already ced the name of the miscreant who dared threaten the life of her lover onto her hit list. On the other hand, Roel fell into deep thoughts. Meanwhile, the person that was looming in their minds was sitting in the midst of his dark room, reviewing everything that had happened thus far. ¡­ ¡®Roel Ascart¡¯ should have been a name of little significance to the Collector. In a dark room, a man, whose face was shrouded in darkness, stared at his shattered arm contemtively. He had been watching the Ascarts for a very, very long period of time, and Roel Ascart hadn¡¯t been significant enough to pique his attention. He could tell that Roel Ascart was of mediocre talent, hardly worth a mentionpared to his highly talented ancestors. The Collector first came to notice that child due to an old prophecy. It foretold that Roel Ascart would bring destruction upon the Ascarts¡¯ ancient lineage, thus putting an end to their arduous journey. The Collector held a skeptical attitude toward this prophecy. After all, he had witnessed the rise of far too many absurdly prodigious transcendents from their n who changed their fate with sheer tenacity, forcefully creating a new path for themselves. However, the more he observed Roel Ascart, the more convinced he became of the prophecy. Even at a young age, Roel Ascart disyed cruel tendencies that only exacerbated with time. It was almost certain that he would grow to be a menace, but everything suddenly changed at some point in time. Roel suddenly revealed a huge reservoir of untapped potential despite hiscking talent. Shortly after, the Ascart Fiefdom embarked on a swift upward growth trend, something that hardly happened in its long history. Even the meticulously nned ambush ended in failure, and Bryan lost his life. The old prophecy had unraveled. The Collector understood that the awakeners of that n had a tendency to experience huge power spikes abruptly due to the nature of the Kingmaker Bloodline and the Witness State, but he had never seen anyone who grew as quickly as Roel did without any foretelling signs. He found it hard to believe that a young man who was growing so quickly would be able to conceal himself to such an extreme degree, neither unting his strength nor picking fights. Most organizations ended up underestimating Roel Ascart, including the Knight Kingdom. It was only in the final battle of the Challenger Cup, in the fight between Roel and William, that the world finally got their first glimpse of Roel Ascart¡¯s true strength. It was a huge shock to many, and it finally dawned on them that the situation was spiraling out of control. Even the Collector, who was already ustomed to the ludicrous strength disyed by the awakeners of that n, was shocked by Roel Ascart¡¯s ability to shatter fate time and time again. He had to admit that things were getting tricky to deal with. An advancement to Origin Level 3 would spell a huge power spike for the awakeners of that n. Knowing that, the Collector staged this ambush to kill Roel Ascart before he could ovee the hurdle, but once again, his expectations were betrayed. It was a foolproof n¡ªhe had even personally intervened to ensure its sess¡ªbut the n still ended in failure. Not only so, it even hastened Roel Ascart¡¯s growth. The Collector quietly stared at the now darkened medium as his shattered arm began to slowly recover. He knew that Roel Ascart had gained the power to manually control his Origin Attribute after his recent breakthrough, such that it was no longer possible for him to freely control thetter¡¯s Inner Sanctum. It wouldn¡¯t be that easy to get rid of the other party now. To make things worse, Roel Ascart seemed to have obtained a troublesome ability during his breakthrough. ¡°I never thought that another troublesome fellow would pop up now. It almost feels like a rey of four hundred years ago.¡± As he thought about the previous man who left him so troubled, the Collector suddenly burst intoughter. Those who had lived for a long time tended to have their own unique take on the world. For the Collector, life was nothing more than an endless repetition of history. All of these was nothing but the start of a new cycle. There was just one anomaly. Unlike his ancestors, Roel Ascart had extremely close ties to the surface world. The Collector personally found it baffling, and it didplicate things. However, that was bnced out by the premature urrence of the other changes. ¡°What an exciting era we¡¯re living in. But before we immerse ourselves in it, we ought to get rid of the unknown variables first. What do the rest of you think?¡± The Collector started off staring at his eyes before slowly raising his gaze to look around. The darkness shrouding the room slowly receded, and in the depths of the room where Bryan had never seen before, silhouettes began appearing one after another. Looking at the silhouettes, the Collector rose to his feet with a chuckle, and the space behind him began copsing silently. An era was swiftly passing them by, drawing the curtains on a new generation. Chapter 437.1: Do You Want to Lie Down Yourself, or Should I Help You? (1)

Chapter 437.1: Do You Want to Lie Down Yourself, or Should I Help You? (1)

Roel found himself standing in the middle of a wide street, faced with an imposing castle. Everything was the same as he remembered, including the warm breeze tickling his face. He didn¡¯t bother scanning his surroundings as he usually did this time around, choosing to navigate his way ahead right away. It wasn¡¯t his first time in Artasia¡¯s realm anyway, so there was no chance of him losing his way. The Witch Queen had the ability to move things around with a snap of her fingers, but for some reason, she insisted on having him journey to the pce as if some kind of pilgrimage. Roel couldn¡¯t understand what was running through her mind, but Artasia refused to back down on this ritual. ¡°I do value efficiency, but there are some formalities that can¡¯t be dispensed with. Even a loving couple would require a fitting asion to confess to each other. That¡¯s why it¡¯s better to take things step by step.¡± From her high throne, Artasia answered Roel¡¯s question with her usual merry smile. Roel lifted his eyebrows in response. ¡°I get what you¡¯re trying to say, but your example seems off.¡± ¡°You get the idea~ Don¡¯t you think that we have gotten much closer? The invibility of the contract has made our rtionship much more certain and intimate.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Artasia¡¯s thoughts were all over the ce, but Roel could roughly grasp what she was conveying. The formality between him and the ancient gods, existing in the form of their contracts, had bound their fates tightly together, intertwining their glory and shame. In a way, it was even possible to say that they were a family. ¡°So, did you call me to your kingdom to celebrate?¡± ¡°Indeed. It wasn¡¯t easy for my hero to turn the tides around and survive the ordeal. This must have been the greatest danger you have faced thus far. You have met my expectations, so it¡¯s only right for me to offer you mypliments and rewards now that it¡¯s all over.¡± Artasia revealed a rare radiant smile, and her madder red eyes curled in delight. ¡°Most importantly of all, you were able to decimate that swine who dares to humiliate me. No one has crushed the Angel King so thoroughly before, not even in the ancient era,¡± she said gleefully. ¡°That¡¯s Nora¡¯s credit. It has nothing to do with me. The shackles weren¡¯t even needed in the end.¡± ¡°My hero, are you that naive to believe that she¡¯s able to achieve all this on her own? You¡¯re the one who changed her fate. It has been quite an entertaining show for me.¡± ¡°Is that apliment?¡± ¡°It is. You have never let me down, my hero,¡± replied Artasia cheerily. Toward that remark, Roel responded with a helpless shrug. He quietly looked at the excited Witch Queen for a moment before getting to the main topic. ¡°But you didn¡¯t call me here just for this, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Indeed. There has been an unpleasant smell on you ever since you returned.¡± Artasia paused for a brief moment before her smile began to fade. On the other hand, Roel nodded knowingly, having expected this situation. His windows of connection with Artasia and Peytra recovered after Nora removed the golden aura from his body. He wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if Peytra summoned him into her realm to celebrate the matter, but something felt off when it was the Witch Queen doing so. Peytra harbored maternal love for Roel, so it was understandable for her to show concern for him after the battle ended. On the other hand, Artasia¡¯s rtionship with Roel was much moreplicated. They weren¡¯t exactly close enough to hold such celebrations. There could only be one reason why Artasia was in such a hurry to meet him¡ªshe needed to remind him of something. Roel had a good idea what that ¡®something¡¯ was. ¡°The stench of the Fallen on you is overpowering. What exactly did youe into contact with?¡± asked Artasia as she eyed Roel sharply. Roel took a moment recalling the events that transpired in his previous battle before summarizing it into a concise answer. ¡°An enemy, one that was capable of entering my Inner Sanctum to seal off my bloodline and Origin Attribute.¡± ¡°What?¡± Artasia shot to her feet upon hearing Roel¡¯s words, revealing a shocked look. Noticing her huge response, Roel narrowed his eyes. This was the first time Artasia had revealed a shocked look to him ever since their first encounter. Even in a life-and-death situation, the Witch Queen had never shown any hints of nervousness. Yet, Roel¡¯s words seemed to have rattled her mind. ¡°It looks like you know what the Inner Sanctum is,¡± said Roel with certainty. Artasia slowly sat back down on her throne, but her expression remained grave. She did know what the Inner Sanctum was. Ancient gods like her inevitably rued great knowledge over the course of their lifetime, and Artasia herself had done thorough research on the Kingmaker Bloodline. It was only normal for her to have heard of the Inner Sanctum. Her eyes glimmered contemtively for a short moment before she finally began speaking. ¡°The Inner Sanctum is a sacred ground of the legendary Kingmaker n, essible only to those who are deemed qualified.¡± ¡°Deemed qualified?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know what the exact standards are; it could be the knowledge of a certain spell or the purity of bloodline. What I¡¯m trying to say is that it¡¯s not a ce where others can enter as and when they like,¡± replied Artasia in an uncharacteristically grim tone. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was able to swiftly grasp the implications of what Artasia had just mentioned. Bryan had told him in his dying breath that the Collector had been keeping tabs on the Ascart House for many years now. Was it during the course of his observation that the Collector found a loophole to enter the Inner Sanctum¡­ or did he have free ess to the Inner Sanctum from the very start? Such thoughts sparked an ominous premonition in Roel¡¯s mind. Other than that, there was also one seemingly minor detail that Roel had noticed¡ªArtasia was acting very differently from usual. The Witch Queen had never shown care for anything, but she seemed particrly concerned about the appearance of the Fallens, even going to the extent of enquiring about a departed enemy. The wariness and hostility she had disyed were unusual. ¡°Artasia, you seem particrly concerned about the Fallens.¡± ¡°Concerned? I guess those emotions are ingrained into my very existence. The Fallens are the mortal nemesis of our ns, after all.¡± ¡°Mortal nemesis? ¡°My hero, have you never wondered about it? Your n had been lurking in the shadows for most parts of its history, so isn¡¯t it baffling how there¡¯s such a deep-seated grudge between your n and those disgusting Fallens?¡± asked Artasia. Roel took a moment to gather his thoughts before answering the question. ¡°That¡¯s because our n has chosen to stand against the Savior and interfere with His revival.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one of the contributing reasons, but it isn¡¯t the cause of this ill-fated rtionship. Both your Kingmaker n and us witches are of special standing in the ancient era; some consider us Sia¡¯s close aides. Our existence naturally draws the vignce of others. Due to that, the Savior instincitvely sought to erase our existence after His descent into lunacy.¡± Artasia rested her hands on her knees as she began recounting the past with a chillingly stoic expression, her words seething with killing intent. Roel¡¯s expression tightened up at the sudden revtion of the past. It reminded him of his advancement to Origin Level 3, where he induced a phenomenon that manifested Sia¡¯s visage. It¡¯s likely that the Kingmaker n used to have deep ties with Sia back in the ancient era, but over the long years, Sia ceased to exist, and the heritage of the Kingmaker n got severed at some point in time. If not Artasia, I might have never learned about this at all. ¡°Tread carefully, my hero. They are definitely aiming for you, especially that man who entered your Inner Sanctum.¡± ¡°Mm, I understand.¡± Toward Artasia¡¯s rare show of concern, Roel acknowledged her advice with a nod. He already had some thoughts in mind as to what he was going to do next. Seeing that, a smile reappeared on Artasia¡¯s face as she reverted to her usual self. ¡°It¡¯s not my wish to see harm fall upon you, but how boring it is to lead a mundane daily life? What a dilemma, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°What a quick change of mood. I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from a witch.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why the only option here is to massacre everyst one of those revolting vermins. Heh, I¡¯m starting to look forward to it.¡¯ Artasia ced her hand on her cheek as she revealed a radiant smile. Her narrowed madder red eyes glimmered with murderous intent. Her excitementsted for a few seconds before she finally rose to her feet and curtsied toward Roel. ¡°You must be exhausted after fighting a tough battle. Let¡¯s wrap things up here so that you can have a good rest, my hero.¡± ¡°Sounds ironicing from the one who disrupted my rest,¡± replied Roel with a helpless sigh. As he bade his farewell, his surroundings began to distort. Soon, everything plunged into darkness. Chapter 437.2: Do You Want to Lie Down Yourself, or Should I Help You? (2)

Chapter 437.2: Do You Want to Lie Down Yourself, or Should I Help You? (2)

Lethargy washed over Roel Ascart the moment he awakened from his sleep. His heavy eyelids refused to open, so he inspected his physical condition with his mana instead. He was in a severely injured state when he initiated the fight with Bryan, and he had proceeded to unleash all of his means and fully expend his mana. On top of that, he even cast the army buff spell, Howl of Crimson Lightning, in order to shake Bryan¡¯s determination at the very end. How could he not face any consequences after putting his body through such an ordeal? His advancement to Origin Level 3 did little to improve his condition. On the contrary, possibly due to his anxieties being quelled after seeing Nora safely oveing her ordeal, he felt even more drained than before. He wondered if someone had secretly swapped out the blood in his body for lead. With a silent sigh, Roel forced himself to open his eyes, only to be taken aback by the smiling face that popped up in his vision. Warm sunlight shone through the window and scattered all over her, giving her fairplexion a beautiful glow. It was such a beautiful sight that Roel found himself falling into a daze. The previous wooden hut they were staying in had its roof blown off during Nora¡¯s awakening, so they had headed to another nearby sentry post to seek refuge for the night. ¡°Nora? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Is that your response when you see me upon waking up? Haven¡¯t we been staying in the same room this whole time?¡± ¡°We were, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate to continue that arrangement. Count Hanks and the others are here too.¡± Just thinking about the devout chief of the Inquisitor Hall left Roel with a splitting headache. No matter what, Nora was still the princess of the Theocracy, so there were formalities that they had to uphold. While they did have intimate interactions in public from time to time, Roel had always been careful not to overstep his boundaries. It was one thing when they were by themselves, but if rumors were to spread about how they had shared a room¡ªor even worse, a bed¡ªthat could potentially sully Nora¡¯s reputation. It was also for that reason that they had decided to keep their distance from each otherst night. Thus, he couldn¡¯t understand Nora¡¯s sudden change in attitude. Surprisingly, she disregarded his concerns. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I have ample reason to stay by your side now.¡± ¡°Ample reason?¡± ¡°¡­ Look outside. What do you think about the weather?¡± Nora tucked her golden hair behind her ears as she looked out of the window, prompting Roel to do the same. He was confused at first, but it soon struck him. It was sunny outside, in fact, too sunny. He recalled that their previous n was to set off at daybreak, but that time had clearly already passed. ¡°It¡¯s already afternoon¡­ You¡¯re sick, dummy!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was still confused at what Nora was trying to drive at till she finally lost her patience andshed out at him. Following that, Nora exined the situation. It turned out that everyone had gathered together at daybreak, just as they had agreed on, only to realize that Roel was nowhere to be seen. So, Hanks sent one of his inquisitors to check on Roel, only to be horrified to learn that he wasn¡¯t waking up despite repeated calls. They immediately examined his condition and soon realized that he was ill. That exined why Artasia told him to have a good rest when they were parting ways. ¡°My apologies, I ended up holding everyone up. Let¡¯s set off now. If we hurry, we should be able to reach¡­¡± ¡°Lie down.¡± ¡°Hm? I¡¯m fine now. We can¡­¡± ¡°I said lie down. This is an order. Or would you prefer me to resort to forceful measures instead?¡± Nora ordered authoritatively as she menacingly manifested and shook the white shackles. ¡°¡­¡± Those words were spoken with a smile, but it was a superficial smile that failed to reach her eyes. Seeing that, Roel obediently lowered his upright body down onto the bed. Nevertheless, he couldn¡¯t help but make onest protest. ¡°I¡¯m really fine. You should also know that high transcendents rarely fall ill.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I can only imagine how debilitated one must be to actually fall ill despite being a high transcendent,¡± retorted Nora lividly. When she finally let some of her anger seep through, she found herself unable to hold back her emotions anymore. She red at Roel with rage zing in her sapphire eyes. ¡°You lied to me, didn¡¯t you? You said that Bryan only brought a single helper and that the battle ended swiftly. You said that it wasn¡¯t as dangerous as you thought. You¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora clenched her fists tightly, unable to continue speaking any further. On the other hand, Roel found himself at a loss for words. His weakened condition probably piqued Nora¡¯s suspicion, prompting her to question Hanks and the others. That exposed his downyed recount of the event. Fortunately, Nora let the matter go. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t nning to pursue the matter while he was ill. She left the room for a moment and soon returned with a te of food. She quietly heated up the food with a silent spell before lifting a fork toward Roel. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I can¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Are you trying to infuriate me now? First you lie to me, and now you¡¯re trying to turn me down. This isn¡¯t the first time you have done something like this. Open your mouth!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Recalling how he was tied up and forced fed just a day ago, Roel obediently surrendered and allowed Nora to do as she pleased. To his surprise, Nora earnestly took care of him with meticulousness and tenderness, not attempting anything else in the meantime as she usually would. That left him feeling embarrassed instead. Nora wasn¡¯t doing this due to her inclinations; she was really trying to care for him. This waspletely unexpected, especially considering Nora¡¯s lofty position. Roel felt deeply moved by her sentiments. ¡°S-speaking of which, this ce isn¡¯t safe either, right? Is it really fine for us to stay here for another day?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the deviants, I¡¯ve already ughtered all of them over thest few days. Besides, we aren¡¯t just stopping for your sake. The soldiers are worn out after their long travel and the difficult fight they had yesterday. They should be allowed to take a breather,¡± replied Nora as she inconspicuously wiped away the guilt burdening Roel. After the feeding session, the atmosphere between the two of them slowly returned to normal. As Nora reached out to feel Roel¡¯s forehead, her thoughts suddenly wandered to the events that had transpired before Roel woke up. A slight blush started to color her cheeks. Roel was doing much better now, but his fever had driven him into a delirious state earlier when he was still asleep. He kept muttering Nora¡¯s name, and it was for that reason that she refused to leave this wooden hut. She had even forbidden everyone else from entering the room so that she could monopolize this space. The fact that Roel was thinking of her even in a delirious state was proof of his sincere feelings for her, and that moved her. However, she wasn¡¯t nning on telling Roel about it because of what she had donest night in a moment of passion¡­ ¡°Hm? Do I have something on my lips?¡± Sensing Nora¡¯s intense gaze, Roel touched his own lips as he asked, which further reddened Nora¡¯s face. She quickly covered his mouth and sternly instructed him like a doctor. ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Sleep.¡± Chapter 438.1: Should I Take It Off Or Not? (1)

Chapter 438.1: Should I Take It Off Or Not? (1)

What was it like to be sick? That was a question that felt distant to Roel. It had been a long time since he hadst fallen ill. There were times that his body would copse under the side effects of his spells, but those instances involved specific symptoms and required specific cures. This was his first time catching amon cold in a long while, so long that he had failed to notice it when he first woke up. Feeling the dull pain afflicting his feverish forehead and his incredibly heavy limbs, Roel let out a silent sigh. All of a sudden, he heard the door open. Knowing that Nora had returned, he hurriedly closed his eyes. He could sense her slowly approaching him, so he maintained his sleeping guise. The vision through his eyelids was darkened, but he could vaguely tell that she was now standing before him. He waited for a long while, but the figure looming in front of him didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he felt a hand touching his cheeks. ¡°I ordered you to sleep, but you need not feign it. My intention is for you to have a good rest, not humor me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s body stiffened up. He hesitated for a moment before slowly opening his eyes. He saw Nora sitting on the chair next to him with a look of certainty on her face, confident of her own judgment. ¡°How did you notice? I even adjusted my breathing.¡± ¡°How many times do you think I¡¯ve seen you asleep? We¡¯ve been sleeping together for the past few days. The least I can do is to discern whether you¡¯re truly asleep or not.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯m impressed or not.¡± ¡°Besides, have you forgotten that my mana is still inside your body? You can¡¯t lie to me, so don¡¯t even think of trying that ever again, especially when ites to your health.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡± With a ¡®spy¡¯ in his own body, Roel had no choice but to give in. Only then did Nora finally retract her warning gaze and give a satisfied nod. She reached out to touch Roel¡¯s forehead once more and was ddened to find that his fever was slowly subsiding. ¡°I checked the supplies that you and Count Hanks brought, but there wasn¡¯t any medicine that could bring down your fever. I¡¯ve already cast my healing spells, but there¡¯s only so much I can do. You¡¯ll have to rest up and slowly recover on your own,¡± Nora said apologetically. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯d feel ashamed of myself if I couldn¡¯t recover from something as minor as this when you¡¯re here taking care of me,¡± replied Roel. It wasn¡¯t too surprising that there wasn¡¯t any fever medicine in their supplies. The inquisitors and heretics who hade to the eastern border with him were Origin Level 5 transcendents at the very minimum. Given their enhanced constitution, it was highly unlikely that any of them would fall ill. Due to that, most of the medicine they prepared was for external wounds. Ironically, they actually had medicine to raise a person¡¯s body temperature in consideration of cier Touch¡¯s side effects. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that you might catch my cold?¡± Roel looked at the hand that was just on his forehead a moment ago as he asked. Thetter looked at him incredulously in response. ¡°Are you really asking me that?¡± ¡°¡­ Oh. Right.¡± It was only then that Roel remembered that Nora was both a high transcendent and an inheritor of the Angel Bloodline. Her recent awakening only further enhanced her constitution, making her even more impervious to abnormal conditions. So, Roely down on his bed and stared nkly at the ceiling, trying to garner drowsiness. Nora stared at Roel¡¯s slightly reddenedplexion and suddenly came up with an idea. She pried up a corner of the nket and snuck her hand in. ¡°!¡± This unexpected attack immediately burst Roel¡¯s bubble of drowsiness. He turned to look at Nora with shocked eyes, only to see thetter calmly sneaking a hand into the nket. The hand deftly slithered its way into his clothes, assaulting his body with its cooling touch. ¡°N-Nora?¡± ¡°Just as I thought. You¡¯re sweating profusely. Is that why you can¡¯t sleep?¡± ¡°¡­ Maybe. But it isn¡¯t anything much. I just have to endure it a little and it¡¯ll be over soon.¡± ¡°Endure? Why do you think I¡¯m taking care of you? It¡¯s so that you won¡¯t have to endure any difort!¡± eximed Nora. With a wave of her hand, she conjured fifteen orbs of light and scattered them all around the room. Each of these orbs emanated warmth into the surroundings, raising the temperature in the room. ¡°This is¡­?¡± Roel looked at Nora in confusion, notprehending what she was trying to do. However, when a pail of water and a clean towel appeared in her hands, apprehension started to show in his eyes. He had a good idea what she was up to, and it was quickly verified by thetter¡¯s words. ¡°Hm, the temperature should be good now¡­ Get up and take off your clothes. I¡¯ll wipe off your sweat for you.¡± ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t sound appropriate.¡± Roel¡¯s face stiffened. He subconsciously tightened his grasp on the nket. However, Nora had no intention of backing down on this. She materialized the white shackles once more and gently shook them before directing a domineering smile toward Roel. ¡°Do you want to get up yourself, or do you need me to help you? You¡¯re a patient now. Have some self-awareness.¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with my illness.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any medicine here, and spells don¡¯t work well on themon cold. The only thing you can do is to rest up. Aren¡¯t you going to have difficulty sleeping due to your sweaty body?¡± ¡°But taking off my clothes is still¡­¡± His shyness was one thing, but more importantly, he didn¡¯t want Nora to see the ring wound on his chest. He knew how she would feel about it. Unfortunately, Nora refused to back down on this. She quietly shook the shackles to remind him what the other alternative was. Left with no choice, Roel could only obediently take off his shirt. On the whole, Roel¡¯s body was well-toned. His physique was well-proportioned, and there were hardly any faults to pick with his arms and abs. He would have been considered fit in his previous world, but by the standards of the Sia Continent he was on the skinnier side. Unlike the office dwellers of the modern world, the Sia Continent was fraught with dangers. There were plenty of physical transcendents who developed their bodies to the extreme, standing brawnier than even the most dedicated gym rat. Roel¡¯s physique was more inclined toward that of a traditional spellcaster, but this was only when one overlooked the considerable amount of scars that covered his body. There was a particrly huge scar located at his chest, roughly the size of a fist. It wasn¡¯t Nora¡¯s first time seeing it, but she still jolted at its ring appearance. She visibly froze in ce. Seeing that, Roel quietly covered the scar with his hand. ¡°It isn¡¯t your fault. This injury isn¡¯t even fatal in the first ce. I thought it was quite a worthy deal, paying this small price to receive the honor of bing our princess¡¯ savior.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora nodded silently at Roel¡¯s constion before she began wiping Roel¡¯s body with the wet towel. His body warmth and heartbeat reassured her, and only then did the lurching feeling she felt in her chest finally alleviate. As she moved on to Roel¡¯s side abdomen, thetter suddenly trembled. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t touch that ce. It¡¯s ticklish¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Oh?¡± A gleam shed across Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes, reminiscent of a predator that had grasped the weakness of its prey. A mischievous smile emerged on her face, and she lightly flicked her finger across Roel¡¯s skin. ¡°!¡± The tingling sensation from her touch caused Roel¡¯s body to instinctively curl up. He reflexively pulled his arms inward, but as Nora just so happened to be in his arms, it resulted in an unexpected tight embrace. It caught Norapletely off guard. Despite their frequent hugs, the knowledge that there was only ayer of cloth between her and Roel¡¯s bare body filled her heart with a tingling sensation, almost like the work of karma. It could have been out of embarrassment or excitement, but her face swiftly turned bright red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it wasn¡¯t on purpose! I¡¯m not good with that spot¡­¡± Roel frantically tried to exin himself, but his words weren¡¯t reaching Nora at all. Nora¡¯s heart was beating so quickly that it threatened to leap out of her chest. She raised her head and stared deeply into Roel¡¯s eyes. Before she knew it, her lips were already quivering with desire. However, her rationality quickly kicked in, reminding her of Roel¡¯s poor condition. Thus, she took a very deep breath topose herself before continuing her job. Everything went smoothly afterward. Maybe it was because his body felt much morefortable after the wipe down, but Roel fell asleep soon after. It was only then that Nora finally breathed a sigh of relief. Her mind naturally wandered over to what had happened earlier, and her face started burning up once more. Chapter 438.2: Should I Take It Off Or Not? (2)

Chapter 438.2: Should I Take It Off Or Not? (2)

The heretics and inquisitors who had apanied Roel to Tark Stronghold were able to get a rare day of rest. It was an awfully short break considering what they went through, but there weren¡¯t anyints since most of them were eager to leave Tark Prairie. There was one thing that shocked most of them¡ªHer Highness Nora Xeclyde had taken on the full responsibility for taking care of Roel Ascart. Such an honor was unprecedented in the history of the Theocracy. Concerns would usually arise when a man and a woman were left alone in a single room, but no one thought that way about Roel and Nora. After all, Roel was severely ill and Nora had always postured herself as a dignified royal before others. They would have been astounded to know of the things that had been happening inside the little wooden hut. While there wasn¡¯t any fever medicine in their supplies, Count Hank had brought a doctor together with him. It was only normal to do so for such long expeditions. The doctor had taken a look at Roel¡¯s condition, and the results were baffling. ¡°What¡¯s the diagnosis made by the doctor?¡± asked Roel. ¡°Your body was in a severely weakened state and that made you more vulnerable to the side effects of your abilities. You were getting the chillsst night, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel sighed softly, not expecting himself to catch a cold from the effects of cier Touch. On the other hand, Nora lowered her head in self-reproach. She knew that the cause of Roel¡¯s weakened state was the massive injury in his chest. He hadn¡¯t activated his undead reanimation state in order to appear unguarded to the Angel King, and as a result, he ended up taking the full brunt of the blow when thetter plunged her hand into his chest. This led to a series ofplications, such as the golden aura seeping into his body and the worsening of his injuries in the subsequent battle¡­ Nora released a deep sigh. She looked at Roel tenderly while changing the wet towel that was ced on Roel¡¯s forehead to help lower his temperature. Thanks to her meticulous caretaking, Roel was able to recover swiftly. His powerful constitution as a high transcendent revealed itself as his fever subsided the following morning. After some discussion, they decided to set off. It was already midway through winter by then. The temperature in Tark Prairie plummeted, and even the breeze felt freezing to the touch. Due to the fairlyrge size of their group, the pacing of their march had to slow down considerably. It took them a day and a half before they finally arrived at the mountain valley where Tark Stronghold used to stand. Unlike before, the entrance of the valley was no longer empty. After nearly a week of emergency repairs, a structure made out of wood and stones was starting to take shape. It was nothing inparison to the imposing Tark Stronghold, but it plugged the gap for the time being. Roel, Count Hanks, and the others were impressed by the progress of the construction, but Nora fell into a solemn mood. She hadn¡¯t spoken a single word ever since the mountain valley came into sight, though she was grabbing Roel¡¯s hand tighter than ever. Sorrow, fear, and all kinds of negative emotions were surfacing in her heart, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to stand strong. She wasn¡¯t just her father¡¯s daughter but also the princess of the Theocracy. Roel noticed her condition, but he didn¡¯t offer any words of constion. The grief from losing a loved one wasn¡¯t so shallow as to be dispelled with just a few words. All he could do right now was stay by her side and help her pull through. In the days they had spent together, Nora hadn¡¯t mentioned the disappearance of the Tark Stronghold even once, almost as if she was trying to forget it. Roel wasn¡¯t so tactless as to remind her of the painful incident either. However, when faced with the scars of the past, she couldn¡¯t help but turn to Roel to verify it once more. ¡°You told me that there is hope. Is it true? Or was it just an excuse to stabilize my emotions?¡± She looked at Roel with deep emotions rippling in her eyes as she posed this question. ¡°There is hope, but it¡¯s slim,¡± replied Roel honestly. ¡°I see¡­¡± Nora felt a lurching feeling in her heart, followed by a flood of emotions. However, she kept a firm lid on it all and quietly forced herself to ept reality. As their group approached the makeshift fortress, excited exmations could be vaguely heard from within. It eventually crescendoed with a roaring cheer when Nora¡¯s figure appeared fully in sight. The return of the Theocracy¡¯s sessor was such good news that it roused all of the soldiers¡¯ morale. The soldiers had been trying their best to keep their spirits up all this while, but the truth was that the abrupt disappearance of the Tark Stronghold had shaken their resolve. Nora¡¯s safe return reinvigorated them in this time of despair, providing them with a pir of support that they urgently needed. Many devout believers of the Genesis Goddess Church saw this as a symbol of Sia¡¯s blessing. The agitated crowd was finally able to release their pent-up emotions. The knights on the fortress walls began tearing up whereas the construction workers danced joyfully with their equipment. Some of the soldiers even started hugging each other tightly, shouting out of sheer relief that Sia hadn¡¯t abandoned them. Such a sight stirred Nora¡¯s emotions. She grabbed Roel¡¯s hand tightly with tears in her eyes, and Roel quietly squeezed her hand back. Soon, Carmen and the othermanders, who served as the leaders of this makeshift fortress, rushed out to wee Roel and Nora. Looks of joy and relief could be seen on them as if they were d to be finally freed from the heavy burden they had been put under. Beneath the setting sun, the two groups quickly made their way to the temporarymand center to hold an emergency meeting. The chain ofmand in the eastern border had fallen into a mess after the disappearance of Tark Stronghold. Even though most units were trying their best to work together to ovee this crisis, theck of a centralized decision-making unit could easily undermine their recovery effort, especially when there were conflicts of opinion. Fortunately, Nora¡¯s return perfectly resolved this problem. Roel also had his own problems to attend to, namely dealing with the reinforcements he had requested from other powers to bolster their defenses. The Rosaian troops stationed on the eastern border had sent reinforcements over as soon as they received Roel¡¯s letter. It was a well-known fact that the Ascart Fiefdom was a long-time ally of Rosa and that Roel and Charlotte were on veryclose terms. Thanks to that, the Rosaian general was able to mobilize his troops without any hesitation, knowing that the Sorofyas would support it. Simrly, the reinforcements from Knight Kingdom Pendor had also arrived quickly. That came as a surprise to Roel. While he was on good terms with Wilhelmina and the others, it would usually take more than a letter to get a country to mobilize its military force. So, Roel met up with themanders of the two reinforcement armies to express his utmost gratitude to them for responding to his call for help. At the same time, he personally wrote a letter to the upper echelons of both countries to thank them as well. Meanwhile, Nora assumed the role of the highestmander and began making high-level decisions that the other militarymanders hadn¡¯t been able toe to a consensus on. The abrupt disappearance of Tark Stronghold was despair-inducing, but there was a bit of good news here and there. For one, there would be a personnel rotation in Tark Stronghold once every five years, and the most recent one had been held several days ago. In other words, there was a significant number of veteran soldiers who managed to escape the cmity. That was a huge relief, as Tark Stronghold was in dire need of reinforcement. Those veteran soldiers could be deployed back in the fortress to bolster its defenses. Under Nora¡¯smand, the Theocracy was able to put together a sizable force to guard the Tark Stronghold, thus stabilizing the situation for the time being. At the very least, the current defense line should be enough to buy sufficient time for further reinforcements. It was also around then that a piece of news arrived from the Holy Capital. The Xeclyde Royal Family and the Ascart House had dered war on the Elric House. Chapter 439: The Decisive Battle

Chapter 439: The Decisive Battle

How long had it been since the Saint Mesit Theocracyst faced an internal war? That was a question that Roel was surprisingly qualified to answer, considering he had been through thest one in person. He just thought that it was rather weird how history seemed to be repeating itself after two hundred years. The parties at war with each other were still the same: the Elrics, the Ascarts, and the Xeclydes. Though, in a slight difference, the one waging the war this time around was his side. Indeed, the Ascarts and the Xeclydes had decided to go on the offensive. What was shocking about this was that Holy Eminence John seemed to have made this decision as soon as the mishap befell Tark Stronghold. Bryan, the patriarch of the Elric House, was still alive and kicking then. It probably never crossed Bryan¡¯s mind that the Xeclydes and the Ascarts would wage war on him even though he hadn¡¯t done anything at all, or he wouldn¡¯t have dared personally journey eastward to deal with Roel and Nora. It was so abrupt that both Roel and Nora were dumbfounded when they heard the news. It didn¡¯t sound like a rational decision at first nce, since the Theocracy should have dispatched its military forces to reinforce the eastern border instead of waging an internal war at this critical moment. But after careful contemtion, the two of them soon realized that it was the best decision they could have made given the current circumstances. Looking at it from Holy Eminence John¡¯s perspective, the downfall of Tark Stronghold meant that both the plights of Prince Kane and Nora had be uncertain. If he were to send troops to reinforce Tark Stronghold at a time like this, he would be falling into Bryan¡¯s trap. Stationing military troops at the eastern border would severely weaken the Royal Faction, which, in turn, reinforced the Elrics¡¯ position in the Theocracy. However, if they were to go against all odds andunch a surprise ambush on the Elrics at a time like this, there was a good chance that they could catch the Elrics off guard and inflict a crushing blow upon them. At the same time, it would tie Bryan down, forcing him to abort any schemes he was harboring against Nora. It was just a pity that the evil cults possessed means that Holy Eminence John was oblivious to. Bryan had known about the disaster that would befall Tark Stronghold in advance, which allowed him to journey to the eastern border beforehand. As a result, Roel and the others still ended up meeting with danger. ¡°But how could grandfather be sure the deviants wouldn¡¯t make a move? If the deviants were tounch an invasion during this time¡­¡± ¡°He probably received reports from Tark Stronghold. You had to venture deep into Tark Prairie due to your bloodline, so Prince Kane and the others would have scouted out the area beforehand to ensure that there weren¡¯t any major threats around.¡± ¡°I see,¡± replied Nora with a nod. Roel was surprised by the sharp military acuity disyed by Holy Eminence John, but at the same time, he was amazed by his own father¡¯s decisiveness in going along with the n. The decision might have appeared theoretically sound, but it would have taken a great deal of courage to follow through with it. Both Holy Eminence John and Marquess Carter must have faced tremendous opposition from their respective retainers for waging an internal war at this crucial juncture instead of reinforcing Tark Stronghold. If there was a miscalction in their judgment and the deviants sessfully breached Tark Stronghold in the meantime, the two of them would have be the sinners of humankind. The implications of that were far too great for anyone to bear. Even if the deviants didn¡¯t strike, they would still have to quickly resolve the internal war and dispatch their troops to the eastern border or the other nobles and countries would start exerting pressure on them. Rumors could spread that the Xeclydes and the Ascarts prioritized their little political squabble over the fate of humankind, and that would cause people to lose faith in them. It was truly fortunate that Bryan and the core members of the Connoisseur Guild had died in Tark Prairie. Even the Xeclydes and the Ascarts would have found it hard to quickly suppress with the powerful Elrics and the evil cultists under theirmand. Roel¡¯s victory in Tark Prairie ended up ying a vital role in the Theocracy¡¯s internal war. Without Bryan¡¯s strong leadership, the Elrics would have trouble rallying its vastwork of connections to fend against the Xeclydes and the Ascarts, thus greatly lowering the threat they posed. The outbreak of the internal war also meant that Roel and Nora had to return to the Theocracy as soon as possible. They had in their possession invaluable assets needed by the Xeclydes and the Ascarts to im the moral high ground and bring public sentiments regarding the internal war to their side¡ªBryan and the evil cultists¡¯ corpses. Even so, both Roel and Nora decided to stay in the makeshift fortress for a few more days. During this period of time, Roel tapped into Peytra¡¯s authority to make significant enhancements to the fortress¡¯ defenses. He further increased the height of the fortress¡¯ walls and reinforced their sturdiness. As important as the internal war was, they couldn¡¯t neglect Tark Stronghold either. While the deviants weren¡¯t fools, they weren¡¯t too intelligent either. It should be possible to intimidate the deviants as long as the fortress walls were high enough. For that, Roel had tried to imitate the previous design of Tark Stronghold, but theck of a detailed blueprint meant that he could only do it based on what he remembered. It was his first time manipting earth and wood, so he made quite a few mistakes along the way. Nevertheless, he was still able to make fast progress with the help of the Primordial Earth Goddess. Roel¡¯s ability to instantaneously construct strategic military infrastructure astounded the soldiers, and he himself also realized how powerful this ability could be in times of war. Meanwhile, Nora was busy dealing with all sorts of administrative matters, especially the affirmation of alliance with the countries who had sent reinforcement over and temporary defense coboration agreements. To facilitate this military coboration, she had established a new frontlinemand center. It was necessary to create a chain ofmand because the armies dispatched by the other countries had different loyalties even though they shared themon goal of protecting Tark Stronghold. Without a clearmand chain, it would be hard for anyone to takemand unless they were a highly authoritative figure like Nora. Count Hanks was assigned the supervisor of the frontlinemand center, which gave him the right to veto any decision that he deemed detrimental to humankind. Of course, these were all stopgap measures. The goal was to keep Tark Stronghold afloat until the resolution of the Theocracy¡¯s internal war. By then, the Xeclydes would be able to take over the defense of Tark Stronghold and the reinforcement armies from the other countries would be able to return to their original positions. Roel and Nora made sure that everything was in order before they began making their way back to the Theocracy together with the heretics and the inquisitors. It was already mid-winter, and the deterioration of weather conditions made the journey much harder. For one, the group struggled to find their way around due to the buildup of snow, thus greatly reducing their traveling speed. Also, it could just have been Roel thinking too much, but he had a feeling that the deviants roaming the mountain range had be much more violent than before. Under the moonlight, Roel stared at the carcasses of deviants and Grayfang Wolves and fell into deep thought. Soldiers were rushing about around him, making their final preparations before the resumption of their journey. Nora walked over to his side and traced his gaze to where countless carcasses were lying. The gruesome sight hardly fazed her¡ªhow could it when she had already grown ustomed to witnessing mountains of carcasses during her time in Tark Prairie? ¡°What are you looking at? It¡¯s freezing out here. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re taking me for a frail little child,¡± replied Roel with a helpless tone. Nora had been treating him like a sickly patient ever since he had caught a cold. He would usually go along with her advice to ay her worries, but there was something he wanted to check this time around. He approached the carcasses and carefully examined them before inquiring about the details of the battle. What he saw and heard brought a grim look to his face. ¡°Nora, you have killed many deviants during your time in Tark Prairie. Have you noticed anything different about the deviants we have encountered recently?¡± ¡°Different?¡± ¡°Yes. Do the deviants you usually encounter just charge out like that, not bothering to prepare an ambush or set up traps at all? I might just be thinking too much into it, but I feel like they¡¯re in a crazed state.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I can¡¯t really tell the difference, to be honest,¡± replied Nora awkwardly. Even though she had in many deviants in her time, the overwhelming prowess of her angelic power allowed her to one-sidedly crush her opponents, such that any tactics disyed by the deviants hardly registered to her at all. Besides, she was too overwhelmed by her divine instinct back then to pay too much attention to such details. ¡°But regarding what you have just said, it could also be due to the change in seasons. The freezing weather and starvation might have caused a difference in their mental state.¡± ¡°¡­ I guess so.¡± Roel nodded contemtively in response to Nora¡¯s alternative answer, but he was still unable to shake the lingering doubts out of his mind. Indeed, the freezing weather and starvation could drive the deviants into a berserk state, but that shouldn¡¯t have much to do with them attacking humans in a frenzy. While there were fewer beasts roaming around the forest during winter time, they were usually much easier to subduepared to humans, making them the better targets. Not to mention, they could also use the fur acquired from these beasts to keep warm. It should have beenmon sense to the deviants, who lived in the wilderness. Doubts persistently lingered in Roel¡¯s mind and refused to disperse. He had a vague feeling that there was something influencing the deviants¡¯ behavior. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but his intuition told him that it didn¡¯t bode well for the human race. They torched the carcasses and reduced them to ashes before resuming their journey. Soon, they finally managed to make their way out of the prairie and into the forest. Watching as the trees slowly shrouded Tark Prairie, Nora felt a flood of emotions that she could hardly make sense of; it was just overwhelming. Her time in Tark Prairie wasn¡¯t long, but it had left far too many memories with her. Be it joyful or sorrowful, they were imprinted in the depth of her heart, never to be forgotten. As for Roel, Tark Prairie was a ce where he resolved a centuries-old grudge, only to stumble upon yet another trove of mysteries. However, there was one thing Roel and Nora could fully agree on: Everything had changed. The sudden tides of change had crashed into their peaceful lives, threatening to devour them whole. A new era was starting to reveal itself, forcing everyone to desperately run with all their might in hopes of keeping up with the times. The carriage continued to throttle on, and the vast prairie finally disappeared amidst the trees, taking away Roel¡¯s deep musing with it. His gaze lingered behind for a moment longer before he quietly turned his head forward, resolving not to look back anymore. Chapter 440: They Will Be

Chapter 440: They Will Be

The following journey was also smooth-sailing for Roel and the others. Fatigue inevitably umted for the heretics and the inquisitors over the weeks, especially with the convoy attempting to make haste, but the mood was much lighter than before. For one, the heretics and the inquisitors were far more united after the epic battle against the evil cultists. Additionally, Nora¡¯s presence in the party inspired solidarity and confidence, and this kept the morale high. Count Hanks had tried his best to keep the morale high when they were on their way to Tark Prairie too, but his prestige was severelyckingpared to the revered princess of the Xeclydes. Furthermore, Nora had been emanating the aura of the Angel King throughout the journey. Humans could hardly perceive it, but high-level demonic beasts with keen instincts were extremely sensitive to it. Most powerful demonic beasts chose to keep their distance, reducing the number of enemies the convoy faced along the way by more than half. Thanks to that, the heretics and inquisitors had time to rest, putting them in a much better condition. Besides, they had also gained plenty of experience along the way, allowing them to be more efficient than ever. Even so, Roel and the others were still unable to reach the Theocracy before that day. Moments before dawn, the campfire was still faintly crackling. The patrolling soldiers finally returned under the dim illumination of me, but they didn¡¯t mor loudly to wake the others up like they usually did. Instead, they began talking softly amongst themselves, sometimes letting out a quiet chuckle. The soldiers who were on sentry duty also had smiles on their faces despite the monotonous shifts. The more devout inquisitors even made preparations to begin their prayers. The Genesis Goddess Church had many believers, but its doctrines were veryx. The believers of the religion weren¡¯t obliged to pray to Goddess Sia every morning. There was only one reason why the inquisitors were behaving in such a manner today¡ªit was the New Year. ¡°I know that you¡¯re exhausted from your sentry duty, but you can¡¯t sleep in today. It¡¯s almost time.¡± ¡°¡­ Sorry. It was too peacefulst night. I ended up falling asleep.¡± In the carriage, Nora poked Roel¡¯s cheek and woke him up with a faint smile. Roel slowly roused from his sleep and apologized, not at all surprised by her presence. Legend has it that at the first ray of sunlight on New Year¡¯s Day, Siays her gaze upon the world and listens to the voices of all beings. New Year¡¯s Day held special significance for the believers of the Genesis Goddess Church for that very reason, which was why the Holy Capital would organize huge events on this very day every year. Believers would deliver their wishes for the New Year in their prayers and ask for Sia¡¯s blessing. Even the heretics would immerse themselves in the festivities and enjoy the day. As the sessor to the Genesis Goddess Church, Nora was obliged to observe traditions and spend the day as demanded by the doctrines. This went for the devout inquisitors as well. In other words, this day was going to be unlike any other. The entire convoy was united in their wish to take a break on this very day. After being awoken by Nora, Roel spent a moment tidying himself up before stepping down from the carriage together with her. He gazed at the eastern horizon and patiently awaited the arrival of daybreak. Rustling sounds could be heard as the heretics slipped out of their tents one by one to join them. Their eyes were all directed toward the eastern horizon as they fervently held onto a wish in their hearts. The tragedy that befell Tark Stronghold had resulted in the disappearance of over a hundred thousand transcendents. Having witnessed the disaster with their own eyes, both the inquisitors and heretics felt deeply unnerved. They sought something that could ease their worries and ay their fears, something they could fall back on during these times of despair. Rodney and Wood led the heretics of the Strength Sect on a silent prayer whereas Cynthia sped her hands before her chest. As the Mother of All Beings, Sia was a god that the heretics revered and prayed to as well. Even Roel took on a rare prayerful attitude. He had never been one to believe in prayers. While he had attended the prayer sessions during New Year¡¯s Day before, it was out of obligation as a noble. However, the divine silhouette he had witnessed during the advancement of his Origin Level changed his mind. Even now, the warmth that came straight from Her soul was still fresh in his mind. Unlike others, he wasn¡¯t praying out of piousness or to have his wish fulfilled. He just wanted to ry his gratitude. If Sia was really able to gaze upon the world through the first ray of sunlight on New Year¡¯s Day, he thought that he ought to thank her more than anything else. With great anticipation, the morning sun finally revealed its glory by the horizon, scattering its radiance throughout the world. The heretics and the inquisitors swiftly closed their eyes and began praying, hoping to ry their hopes to Sia through the light. Nora unfurled her light wings, emitting a warm and beautiful glow. Roel turned his focus to his own bloodline and attempted to recall the divine silhouette he had seen back then. It might have just been his imagination, but when he thought about the warm light She emanated, he got a vague feeling that someone was gazing upon him. While he called it a ¡®gaze¡¯, it didn¡¯t feel like he was being watched. To be more exact, it was a fleeting feeling that he was wrapped amidst a bundle of warmth, though this sensation onlysted for an instant. He opened his eyes and saw that the crowd was already done with their prayers. It appeared that quite some time had passed unknowingly. The sun had already fully risen. Rodney and the others were already done with their ritual, and the devout inquisitors were slowly rising to their feet. Nora, who had already retracted her light wings at some point during his prayer, was staring at Roel in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to take the prayers so seriously this year. How surprising.¡± ¡°¡­ Did I pray for a long time?¡± ¡°Twice as long as me. You didn¡¯t realize it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel quietly shook his head, wondering if the earlier sensation was yet another memory fragment in his bloodline. On the other hand, Nora was quite curious about Roel¡¯s wish. ¡°What kind of wish did you make for you to require such a long prayer?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just wished for everyone around me to remain safe and healthy.¡± ¡°What an ordinary wish¡­ then again, there¡¯s nothing easy about that given the era we¡¯re in.¡± Reminded of the recent disappearance of her loved one, a sorrowful smile emerged on Nora¡¯s lips. Her sadness was contagious; Roel felt a dull pain in his chest. He thought that he should say something to console her, but before he could speak a word, Nora suddenly pinched his cheek lightly. ¡°It¡¯s a decent wish, but what about yourself? Shouldn¡¯t you include yourself in your own wish?¡± ¡°¡­ I forgot about that, but it¡¯s not important.¡± ¡°How is it not important? If something happens to the person who made the wish, don¡¯t you think that the people around him will be in grief? You¡¯re fortunate that I¡¯ve got you covered.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel looked at Nora in confusion. Thetter¡¯s lips gently inched upward. ¡°My wish is for me and everyone I love to be safe and blissful.¡± ¡°!¡± It was such simple words, yet they carried such heavy meaning that Roel couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes. After a moment of silence, he looked into Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes and replied with an affirmative nod. ¡°They will be. I¡¯m certain of that.¡± Chapter 441.1: As Expected of My Father (1)

Chapter 441.1: As Expected of My Father (1)

Ten dayster, after journeying a great distance, the convoy finally arrived at Saint Mesit Theocracy Holy Capital Loren¡¯s east gate under the brilliant morning sun. Most of their clothes were tattered and their ent made it clear that they weren¡¯t locals of the Holy Capital. Still, the guards swiftly cleared them after a quick identity check. It was not because they had received some kind of bribe but rather that there were simply too many familiar faces in the convoy, be it the ¡®Bane of the Evil Cultists¡¯ inquisitors, the highly influential sessor of the Ascart House, or the golden-haired angel whom every local living in the Holy Capital would recognize at a single nce. The moment Nora Xeclyde appeared before the crowd, everyone¡¯s eyes radiated gleaming light. Excited cheers broke out as the guards quickly opened the city gates for the convoy. It was not without reason that the crowd was reacting in such a manner. Nora Xeclyde had been the idol of the Holy Capital from a young age, and she was extremely popr amongst the people. Furthermore, there had been rumors going around that Nora and her father, Prince Kane, had met with an ident on the eastern border and lost their lives. The mastermind behind those rumors was the Elrics, and their goal was naturally to diminish the people¡¯s confidence in the Xeclydes. Most people shrugged off the rumors as groundless at the start, but the silence maintained by the church in face of the widespread rumors and Nora¡¯s conspicuous absence over the past month started to inspire some doubt. Gradually, the people started to feel uneasy, and the nobles began devising countermeasures against the possible imminent downfall of the Xeclydes. Needless to say, this strengthened the position of the Elrics, who were viewed as the main rival of the Xeclydes. Fortunately, Nora returned from the eastern border before the nobles started copsing in favor of the Elrics. Her public appearance effectively dispelled all rumors about her death, thus putting the people¡¯s minds at ease. With that, the center of power returned to the Xeclydes. News of Nora¡¯s return spread like wildfire. By the time the convoy entered the city, a huge group of residents living near the east gate had already congregated in the area. Knights were immediately deployed to maintain order, but there was only so much they could do when more and more people were swarming over with each passing second. The overjoyed crowd began chanting Nora¡¯s name and cheering for the triumph of the royal family. The tight solidarity disyed by the citizens of Holy Capital Loren confused Roel, especially with the recent internal war the Xeclydes had waged against the Elrics. The general popce tended to view internal war with aversion. It spelled the weakening of their country, and they were usually the ones who suffered the most from it. The resounding support shown by the crowd here was simply unusual. Thus, he discreetly approached one of the knights and enquired about it, only to learn that the church had the exact same thought as him. The official reason stated by the Xeclydes and the Ascarts as to why they had waged war against the Elrics was that thetter had been conspiring with evil cultists. They had also informed the popce about the tragic happenings at Tark Stronghold that took away tens of thousands of lives. They asserted it to be an act of aggression by the evil cultists against Goddess Sia, though they had omitted details regarding members of the royal family. A huge uproar broke out in the Holy Capital when the news was announced. Tens of thousands of distraught family members of soldiers camped outside the church, crying, hoping to find out whether or not their loved ones were still alive. It was said that the sobs of the widowed wives could be heard even from several streets away, making for a heartbreaking sight. The same scene soon urred in the other cities as news further spread. Infuriated oratorsmbasted the evil cultists on the streets, and believers of the Genesis Goddess Church demanded those miscreants be harshly punished. However, the ones who reacted most vehemently to the news were none other than the soldiers and knights. They wrote impassioned petitions to theirmanders, urging action to be taken against the evil cultists. The wrath of the people was so frightening that even the neutral nobles swiftly copsed toward the royal family¡¯s side. Of course, the Elrics stepped forward to deny any involvement in the tragic event that had befallen Tark Stronghold, but hardly anyone believed them. What was interesting about this was that the royal family had not once imed that the Elrics were the perpetrators behind the destruction of Tark Stronghold. It was just that their decision to attack the Elrics instead of reinforcing Tark Stronghold suggested an inside story, which was further reinforced by ack of updates on the status of the other royal members. It was inevitable that the public would start specting about it. The decisive action taken by the Xeclydes against the Elrics could have only stemmed from deep hatred! They must have conclusive evidence that the Elrics have harmed the other royal members on the eastern border¡­ In other words, they are the ones behind the evil cultists¡¯ attack on Tark Stronghold! That was the conclusion that most people came to even though there was no official statement asserting that the Elrics were involved in the disappearance of Tark Stronghold. The death of over a hundred thousand elite soldiers and the copse of the indestructible Tark Stronghold was a devastating blow even to the powerful Theocracy. It was imusible that the Xeclydes would suddenly go after the Elrics instead of the perpetrators of such a tragic event¡­ ¡­ unless the Elrics were the perpetrators themselves. ording to eye-witnesses, the atmosphere was crackling with fury the day the army gathered in the city square, readying themselves to march upon the Elric Fiefdom. The entire Holy Capital united under the sorrow that arose from the loss of their loved ones and their burning desire for vengeance. The impassioned soldiers solemnly swore that they would avenge theirrades who had died on the eastern border. With the blessing of a bishop and the full support of the people, the army marched out of the city and began making its way toward the battlefield. Shortlyter, the Ascart Fiefdom made its move as well. The patriarch of the Ascart House, Marquess Carter, personally led his troops toward the Elric Fiefdom as well, intending to coborate with the royal family¡¯s alliance army to carry out a pincer attack. After hearing the full story from the knight, Roel nodded his head in approval. The excuse the church came up with to calm the popce was the same one that Roel had asserted to the knights when Tark Stronghold vanished. This was better than trying to exin the truth about the Six Cmities to the popce, which was beyond theprehension of themon popce. Even Roel felt shivers down his spine whenever he thought about the devastating monsters eyeing them from the shadows, biding their time for an opportunity to obliterate all of humanity. It was not too hard to imagine what the powerless ordinary popce would think about this. Roel mused over these matters as the convoy proceeded deeper into the Holy Capital. In the meantime, the number of people following them had grown to a staggering number. Both the church and the royal pce sent envoys to wee them. One of the clergymen discreetly made his way toward Roel and Nora and quietly informed them that Holy Eminence John was not in the Holy Capital at the moment. The news came as a surprise to Roel, but it made sense upon further thought. If the Xeclydes wanted to end this internal war as soon as possible, the best way was to have the Holy Eminence John personally make a move. Just like Carter, Bryan was an Origin Level 2 transcendent renowned in the Theocracy for his incredible strength. Furthermore, it was possible that he had acquired unorthodox means through his collusion with the evil cultists, and that could easily change the tides of the battle. It could be due to those reasons that Holy Eminence John had decided to go to the frontlines himself. The church hadn¡¯t announced the news of Holy Eminence John¡¯s departure yet, considering how big of an affair it would have been since he hadn¡¯t left the Holy Capital for so many years. His presence was assuring to the popce, especially during such unnerving times, so it would be wise to keep things under wraps. Nora was astonished by the news too, but she quickly calmed down. In order to keep up the act, she had to feign anticipation about an imminent reunion with her grandfather, and Roel had cooperated with her as well. Finally, the convoy arrived at the royal pce. The crowd apanying them had no choice but to halt their footsteps here, but they continued to chat excitedly amongst themselves. It didn¡¯t look like they were going to disperse anytime soon. Meanwhile, Roel and Nora followed the envoy farther into the depths of the royal pce, where they would be given a report on the current circumstances surrounding the Theocracy. Chapter 441.2: As Expected of My Father (2)

Chapter 441.2: As Expected of My Father (2)

Roel and Nora were particrly worried about how the Theocracy¡¯s internal war was going since they had kin fighting in it. They were also aware that their worry was likely to be unfounded since there was a huge disparity in strength between the two sides, and that was indeed the case. In the royal pce¡¯s conference room, Roel first took a sip of freshly brewed tea to evict the cold from his body before browsing through a copy of the war report ced in front of him. The worried frown sitting on his forehead slowly unraveled. Overall, things were going well for the Xeclydes and the Ascarts. The Elric House had fallen into a state of chaos after it lost its patriarch, Bryan Elric. They were unable to stage arge-scale counterattack in the short run, which would be fatal for them in the long run. The theme of this internal war was fast and furious. It was for that reason that Marquess Carter and Holy Eminence John personally headed to the frontline, and the effects of their direct involvement showed. While the Elrics were in a state of disarray, their military prowess was not to be made light of. Bryan Elric was a renowned militarymander himself, and he hadn¡¯t spent the past century idling his time away. In fact, the two most renowned private noble armies were none other than the Ascarts¡¯ and the Elrics¡¯. There were some who spected that there was an arms race between the Ascarts and the Elrics, but that wasn¡¯t exactly true since the route of their development was rather different. The Ascart House, being the most trusted retainer of the royal family amongst the Five Eminent Noble Houses, had expanded the size of its reserve army when its territory expanded two hundred years ago in the wake of the March Turmoil. It had always boasted the greatest army size amongst the Five Eminent Nobles. In contrast, the Elric House had to be careful about expanding its army. It knew that the royal army was keeping a close eye on its military prowess after what they had done during the March Turmoil. Any significant military expansion on their part could swiftly invite suspicion and the royal family¡¯s interference. For that reason, they always kept a cap on the number of their military personnel. In exchange, they constructed many fortresses. The royal family was sensitive about the Elrics recruiting soldiers because they could be used for aggression, but they weren¡¯t as strict when it came to defensive infrastructure like fortresses. The Elrics could also easily justify their construction, be it to guard against demonic beasts, bandits, or foreign troops. Everyone saw the Elrics¡¯ action as nothing more than a desperate attempt at self-preservation, so they turned a blind eye to it. The Elrics used the threat of the deviants as an excuse to construct two behemoths. One of them was Cappolhio Fortress, located on the path between the Ascart Fiefdom and the Elric Fiefdom. It was fortified with potent defensive equipment and stationed around ten thousand troops. It was nothing inparison to the hulking Tark Stronghold, but it was definitely no easy feat to siege it. The other one was Croft City, located on a popr pathway leading into the Elric Fiefdom. This pathway was connected to several other fiefdoms, so it didn¡¯t seem like the Elrics were guarding against anyone in particr. In a sense, this just showed how much the Elrics hated the Ascarts by dedicating an entire fortress to them. It was just a pity that Cappolhio Fortress failed to pull its weight when the war started. It onlysted for a week before it was taken down, and the reason for that was the Ascarts¡¯ swift movement. ording to the report, the Ascarts had been secretly mobilizing its army since the 15th of December, five days before the Xeclydes dered war against the Elrics on the 20th. As soon as the Xeclydes made their war deration, the Ascarts charged into the Elric Fiefdom and advanced as swiftly as they could. Marquess Carter even abandoned the main force in favor of the vanguard. It was a risky but highly effective move. In a surprising turn of events, their swift advancement allowed them to cut off an adorable group of people¡ªthe Elrics¡¯ reinforcement army en route to Cappolhio Fortress. Ultimately, Bryan¡¯s absence had left a gaping hole in the Elrics¡¯mand chain, which resulted in a series of fatal confusions and dys. Even though the Xeclydes had dered war on the Elrics on the 20th of December, the Elrics¡¯ reinforcement army didn¡¯t set off until the 22nd. Due to that, they ended up stumbling upon the Ascarts¡¯ vanguard troops. There was no way Marquess Carter would allow the reinforcement army to get to Cappolhio Fortress and be a menace to them. That would have prolonged the war and greatly increased the casualties. Thus, he decisively ordered the vanguard troops to wipe out the reinforcement army. Regardless of which army it was, those who were assigned to the vanguard were bound to be the elites. The vanguard troops that were currently led by Carter consisted of his personal army and close aides, making it one of the most powerful forces in the Ascart Fiefdom alongside Roel¡¯s heretic army. Even so, it wasn¡¯t easy for them to deal with an enemy force severalfoldrger than theirs. After a night of bloodshed, Carter and his vanguard troops managed to keep the reinforcement army from entering Cappolhio Fortress, but they sustained significant casualties in the process. Nevertheless, they were still threatening enough to keep the soldiers inside Cappolhio Fortress from opening the city gates. If they could just hold their ground till the Ascarts¡¯ main army arrived, it would be their victory. Unfortunately, things rarely go ording to n in the real world. Themander of Cappolhio Fortress was no fool either. The following morning, he took a risk and opened the city gates of Cappolhio Fortress to dispatch several cavalry toons, which coordinated with the reinforcement army tounch a pincer attack against Carter and his vanguard troops. The battle intensified right away. ording to the war report, they fought all the way from dawn till evening. It was a savage battle. Were it not for Carter utilizing his overwhelming prowess as an Origin Level 2 transcendent to im the head of the defending general, thus greatly rousing the morale of his soldiers, his vanguard troops probably wouldn¡¯t have been able tost till the end. Fortunately, the Ascarts¡¯ main army arrived at nightfall, forcing both the reinforcement army and the cavalry toons to retreat for the time being. Usually, amander would have his troops reorganize and rest up for the day upon the arrival of the main army, but once again, Carter¡¯s decision caught the enemy off-guard. Despite having fought for an entire day now, he led the Ascarts¡¯ main army to conduct a night ambush on the camp of the Elrics¡¯ reinforcement army. The soldiers on both sides weren¡¯t in good conditions. One was exhausted from having marched a long distance whereas the other had fought for an entire day now, so neither one was in a better state than the other. It was practically a battle of willpower by this point, and the Ascart soldiers had the advantage in that aspect. Knowing that Cappolhio Fortress dared not to open its city gates at night, the Ascarts¡¯ main army was able to go all out without any worries of getting nked. After a night of fighting, the Elrics¡¯ reinforcement army finally sumbed to the Ascarts¡¯ relentless assault. By daybreak, Cappolhio Fortress was already an isted city. The morale of its soldiers was lower than ever, and some of them lost their will to fight. The crux of fortress warfare was to stall time till the arrival of reinforcements, but the reinforcement army that was supposed toe to their aid was already defeated. With no one else toe to their aid in the near future, how could the soldiers not get demoralized? Carter made use of this opportunity to pressure Cappolhio Fortress to surrender. He would bring his army on a tour around the perimeter of the fortress every day to train their voices. Roel wasn¡¯t sure what they were shouting, but it was probably something along the lines of ¡®Surrender and we¡¯ll spare your lives¡¯. A few dayster, Cappolhio Fortress finally gave in to the mounting pressure and surrendered. In truth, the main reason behind the surrender was neither because the enemy soldiers hadpletely lost hope nor that there were insufficient resources in the fortress. Rather, it was because the defending general was no longer around. That¡¯s right, the guy whom Carter had killed on the very first day. With the curtains drawn on the Elrics¡¯ prided fortress, the Ascart army was able to advance further into the Elric Fiefdom. Meanwhile, the Xeclydes were still busy trying to siege Croft City. Knowing that it could be dangerous for him to confront the Elrics alone, Carter decided to first head northward to aid the Xeclydes. With abined pincer attack, they were able to swiftly besiege it and sessfully take it down within a week. The defending army eventually surrendered whereas its general chose to end his own life. Roel initially thought that the general was fiercely loyal to the Elrics, but the subsequent investigation report from the inquisitors revealed that the general had been colluding with the evil cultists. It was likely that the general had chosen tomit suicide knowing that the church wouldn¡¯t have let him off. Following the surrender of Croft City, the allied forces of the Ascarts and the Xeclydes advanced deeper into the Elric Fiedom. Within three days, they were able to reach the vicinity of the Elric Fiefdom¡¯s capital, Edgar City. However, the battle wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡°Edgar City is one of the sturdiest fortresses in the Theocracy. It¡¯s fortunate that Bryan is already dead, so they shouldn¡¯t face too much of a problem there.¡± In the conference room, Nora heaved a sigh of relief after looking through the war report. In contrast, Roel fell into deep thought. He hesitated for a long while before finally turning to Nora. ¡°Nora, there¡¯s something I need to talk to you about.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong? There¡¯s such a grim look on your face.¡± ¡°I wish to head to the frontline.¡± ¡°!¡± Nora¡¯s pupils dted upon hearing Roel¡¯s words. Chapter 442.1: Some Things Can’t Be Avoided (1)

Chapter 442.1: Some Things Can¡¯t Be Avoided (1)

Outside the royal pce, the crowd that had gathered out of excitement upon learning of Nora¡¯s safe return had yet to scatter. Their discussions revealed their joy and relief. However, the joyous atmosphere didn¡¯t extend into the royal pce¡¯s conference room. Roel held tightly onto the war report as he stared at Nora and waited for her reply, but thetter had fallen dead silent. The term, ¡®heading to the frontline¡¯, had a different significance for different people. For valiant warriors who devoted many years to honing their skills, it was an opportunity for them to rise through the ranks. For knights loyal to their liege, it was a trial to prove themselves. But to those worried about their loved ones, it was a parting phrase they least wanted to hear. On the whole, the Ascarts and the Xeclydes were in an advantageous position in the internal war. It was a good opportunity for Roel to build up military contribution. Nora understood that, but there was still a part of her that refused to give consent. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t any reason for you to head to the frontline. If military contribution is what you want, you have already done enough by bringing me back safely. Or does that mean nothing to you at all? Does military contribution onlyprise killing enemies on the battlefield to you?¡± Nora sped her hands tightly as she posed her questions, her voice quivering with anger. Despite her confrontational attitude, Roel didn¡¯t lose his temper. Instead, he gave her a proper answer. ¡°To me, bringing you back safely is a glory I¡¯ll be able to boast of for an entire lifetime. I won¡¯t forget it even on my deathbed. There is no military contribution that canpare to it.¡± ¡°!¡± It was an arrow straight to the heart. Nora felt her rage fading off into another searing emotion, but after a moment of silence, she still decided to persist in her stance. ¡°Then there should be even less reason for you to take this risk. From our time in Tark Prairie till now, you haven¡¯t been able to take a proper break. You ought to take a good rest instead of worrying about Uncle Carter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora stood up from her seat, walked over to Roel, and gently grabbed his hands. She looked at him, her eyes filled with worry, as she gently dissuaded him from his decision. Roel found himself at a loss. Roel thought that the current Nora was much more difficult to deal with than her usual domineering self. The happenings at Tark Prairie had deeply traumatized her. She became much more protective of him, disying extreme aversion to any situation where he could potentially encounter danger. What made things worse was that she was unable to leave the Holy Capital at the moment. With Holy Eminence John heading out to the frontline, his responsibilities naturally fell on Nora, the only member of royalty left in the Holy Capital. Furthermore, she knew that she shouldn¡¯t head to the battlefield anymore for the sake of the Theocracy¡¯s stability. Now that Prince Kane was no longer around, her safety was of paramount importance. Time slowly ticked by in the conference room. Roel took a moment to gather his thoughts before he finally spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t think I can rest just yet. I have no interest in military contribution on the battlefield, but there are some matters I would like to confirm.¡± ¡°What are they? What could be more important than your safety?¡± ¡°The entrance to the Connoisseur Guild is located in the Elric House. I wish to head there to take a look.¡± ¡°!¡± A shudder ran through Nora¡¯s body when she heard Roel¡¯s aim. She was reminded of the leader of the Connoisseur Guild, whom Roel had attempted to downy but Count Hanks deemed to be highly dangerous¡ªthe Collector. When she realized that Roel had been keeping things from her, she immediately called Hanks and the other inquisitors over to her and squeezed every detail about Roel¡¯s battle with Bryan out from them. One realization she swiftly came to was that Bryan might not necessarily be the mastermind behind the ambush. Further interrogation of the evil cultists verified her conjecture. ording to the evil cultists, the Collector had prophesied the disaster of Tark Stronghold and specially erected a ¡®Gate¡¯ for them beforehand. It was due to this ¡®Gate¡¯ that the evil cultists were able to venture deep into Tark Prairie. No matter how Nora looked at it, the leader of the Connoisseur Guild was a highly dangerous figure, yet Roel was nning to march right into the other party¡¯s base. That was utterly irrational in her view. ¡°Definitely not!¡± As Nora¡¯s firm voice echoed in the conference room, a light suddenly began glowing on the two of them before manifesting into a pair of saintly white shackles. In her state of agitation, Nora resorted to using her most beloved magic tool. She tugged on her end of the shackles and pulled Roel to her. She then seated him down on a nearby chair before squatting in front of him, ring lividly into his golden eyes. ¡°What in the world are you thinking? How could you even consider going to a ce that dangerous in your current state? We don¡¯t have any information on that man, be it his strength or his means. What you should be doing now is avoiding him, not delivering yourself to him!¡± ¡°That might be the case, but I think that some things are simply unavoidable. Even if I try to walk away from them, they¡¯ll stille at me from unexpected angles. The tragedy that befell Tark Stronghold is one example of this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora couldn¡¯t rebut that point. Deep down, she had known it all along. That Roel was standing at the center of everything that was happening. That this was not something he could escape from just because he wanted to. But even so, she couldn¡¯t stand the notion of Roel falling into danger once more. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t avoid it, there¡¯s no need for you to confront it head-on. What if that person attacks you once more? Or do you think that you¡¯re invincible now that you have advanced to Origin Level 3? If that¡¯s truly what you think, I don¡¯t mind having a battle with you.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll pass on that.¡± ¡°Why? Am I unqualified to be your opponent?¡± ¡°How could someone who wields the power of the Angel King possibly be unqualified to be my opponent? I just don¡¯t want to rake up Artasia and the others¡¯ memories about the previous fight. Besides¡­ I can¡¯t bring myself to make a move against you. It¡¯s the same for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hmph. I don¡¯t know about that¡­¡± Nora turned her head away with a pout, but her cheeks had already started reddening. Even her grip on the shackles had loosened slightly. On the other hand, Roel leaned on his chair and began thinking over how he could go about persuading Nora. Even though Nora¡¯s emotions were running wild right now, she would still listen to logical arguments due to her personality and her position. A future ruler of a nation couldn¡¯t base her decisions on emotions, after all. If Roel couldn¡¯t offer her a sufficiently convincing reason, there was a good chance that she would really keep him in the royal pce. Furthermore, it was well within her rights as his protector to do so. Roel carefully recalled his interaction with the Collector and gave it some thought before he began speaking. ¡°I know that you¡¯re worried about that guy, but I doubt that I¡¯d be able to meet him even if I wanted to.¡± ¡°¡­ What makes you say so?¡± ¡°He could have directly intervened in the fight, but he chose to do so indirectly via a medium. Bryan also mentioned that he has been observing the Ascart House all this while, but it doesn¡¯t seem like he has ever directlye into contact with us. All of this suggests that he¡¯s hesitant to show himself. My guess is that he¡¯s reluctant to reveal his true identity.¡± ¡°¡­ True identity, hm?¡± murmured Nora. She looked at the contemtive Roel with worry in her eyes. From her grilling of Hanks and the other inquisitors, she learned that the Collector had the power to sway Roel¡¯s bloodline and Origin Attribute. While this ability had lost effectiveness on Roel after his breakthrough, what she was more concerned about was the implications of that. Based on what she knew, the only ones who were capable of influencing a transcendent¡¯s bloodline or Origin Attribute were more powerful elders in the same lineage. Roel possessed the Kingmaker Bloodline, and in the past few centuries, the only awakeners other than him were Ro Ascart and Winstor Ascart. But it didn¡¯t make sense for the Collector to be either of them. For one, there was no reason for Ro or Winstor to go into hiding since neither of them was a criminal, and there was no need for them to secretly keep an eye on the Ascart House when their return would have been more than weed. One possible exnation was that they had defected to an evil cult and wanted to conceal their identity so as to avoid implicating their descendants, but that didn¡¯t make sense anymore considering the Collector had made an attempt on Roel¡¯s life. Another exnation was that the Collector was someone from a timeline even further back, perhaps a member of the Ardes from the Second Epoch. Alternatively, he could have simply been someone who was close to the Kingmaker n and was aware of one of their secret arts. Doubts filled Nora¡¯s mind. She couldn¡¯t help but think that the Collector was an extremely dangerous variable who could pose a great threat if they couldn¡¯t get to the bottom of him. Chapter 442.2: Some Things Can’t Be Avoided (2)

Chapter 442.2: Some Things Can¡¯t Be Avoided (2)

Meanwhile, Roel was also thinking something along the same line. The more someone is trying to hide something, the more important it is to uncover it. There must be an important reason as to why the Collector has taken special care to conceal his identity all this while. Regarding that, he could think of two possibilities. One, the Collector¡¯s identity was controversial enough to cause a huge uproar if it were to ever get out. That might cause repercussions that disadvantaged him. Two, the Collector had many enemies who were out for his life, and his life would be in danger if his enemies ever learned of his true identity. In any case, it was to Roel¡¯s benefit to get to the bottom of this matter, and the internal war provided him an opportunity to do so. ¡°I know that you¡¯re worried about my safety, but have you forgotten who is at Edgar City? My father and Holy Eminence John are both there. I know that they can¡¯t protect me around the clock, but there¡¯s no ce safer than under Holy Eminence John¡¯s watch.¡± ¡°Well, I guess if my grandfather is around¡­¡± Nora wavered upon recalling that her grandfather was on the frontline too. Sensing an opportunity here, Roel decided to further push his point. He abruptly leaned forward and stared right into Nora¡¯s indecisive eyes to ry his resolve. ¡°While Bryan is the one who ambushed us, the true mastermind is the Collector. This matter won¡¯t be over until we deal with him. That man sought to spread chaos across the Theocracy by scheming your death. No matter what it takes, I¡¯ll return the favor to him.¡± ¡°!¡± Wrath was reflected in Roel¡¯s unwavering eyes, and his usually gentle voice was seething with rage. Nora widened her eyes as a searing heat began to consume her body. She could no longer bring herself to stop him. After several failed attempts to speak, she let out a long sigh. With a resigned look on her face, sheid her head on Roel¡¯s shoulder and whispered into his ear. ¡°Make sure you stay safe. That¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°I will. I promise,¡± replied Roel solemnly. After a moment of silence, the two of them embraced each other and immersed themselves in each other¡¯s warmth. ¡­ After apanying Nora for several hours, Roel waited for the crowd to disperse before leaving the royal pce in a carriage. His destination was the Labyrinth Vi, which he hadn¡¯t been to for quite some time now. Everything was just as he remembered it. The Labyrinth Manor wasn¡¯t considered to be a military base, so the Ascarts¡¯ intelligencework wouldn¡¯t usually deliver reports here. Knowing that, Roel didn¡¯t me the servants employed here for theck of information. While he had convinced Nora to allow him to head to the frontlines, he wasn¡¯t nning on setting off right away. He technically couldn¡¯t as Nora had enforced apulsory three days rest on him, but aside from that, he also wanted to let the heretic army take some time off to rest up before they set off. Without a doubt, the heretic army had contributed greatly to Roel¡¯s mission to save Nora, but fighting in the intense battle against the evil cultists and the long journey to and fro the eastern border had taken a huge toll on them. The fatigue they had umted along the way was beyond imagination. If not for every single one of them being at least at Origin Level 5, their high level of discipline, and their outdoor survival skills stemming from their past experience as barbarians and mercenaries, they might not have been able to hold on till the very end. In fact, in the final part of their journey after entering the Theocracy¡¯s borders, some of the inquisitors found themselves unable to keep up with the convoy anymore. So, they were sent to nearby towns along the way to rest up first, and it would probably be a few days before they returned. That showed just how harsh and fast-paced their march was. To be honest, Roel thought that three days probably wouldn¡¯t be sufficient for the heretics to fully recover, such that he considered not bringing the heretic army with him. However, when he brought that up with them, Rodney, Wood, Cynthia, and the rest of the army unanimously disagreed with his decision in a rare show of defiance. ¡°Holy Son, please permit our Unyielding Sect to remain by your side and protect you. It¡¯s the decree of our god, as well as our own wish. Besides¡­ we hope to participate in this battle as a member of the Ascart Fiefdom. It¡¯s a chance for us to earn recognition,¡± said Cynthia. ¡°My thoughts exactly! Our Strength Sect has never been afraid of battle. If anything, this war is an opportunity for us to prove ourselves!¡± Wood added. ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Roel slowly digested what he had just heard before slowly nodding in acknowledgment. While the heretic army was Roel¡¯s personal army, they had likely faced some degree of discrimination due to their identities. What they werecking at the moment was others¡¯ recognition. It was one thing for them not to participate in the internal war before since they were out guarding Roel, but there was no excuse now that they were back. Failure to do so might result in others casting doubt on their loyalty, which would worsen their positions in the Ascart Fiefdom. On the flip side, this could be a good opportunity for the heretics to integrate into the Ascart Fiefdom. There was nothing more persuasive than military contribution. Besides, Cynthia and the others also wanted to repay Roel for the grace he had shown them thus far. There was no way Roel would oppose their decision now that he had learned their thoughts, but he still ordered for everyone to go on a three-day break. The Elrics¡¯ Edgar City was a highly fortified city with nock of soldiers. Even with thebined forces of the Ascarts and the Xeclydes, it would be no easy feat to breach its defenses. Thus, there was no need for them to be in a rush even if they wished to rue military contribution. The allied army had already reached the limit of what their speedy advancement could do. They had managed to gain significant ground by catching the Elrics¡¯ off-guard, but thetter had already snapped out of their daze and taken countermeasures against their aggression. It would likely take until early spring before this war could be concluded. Even so, this was already considered fast on the Sia Continent. Infighting between powerful nobles could easilyst three to five years, with the preparation phase often taking over a year. It was worse for battles between countries, and the prime example of this was the Rosa Independence War, whichsted for nearly a century, spanning three to four generations. Even if the heretics joined the warte, they would still be able to get in on some action. In fact¡­ they might even encounter some unexpected enemies. Roel settled down in a chair in the Labyrinth Manor and pondered about a piece of information that he had seen on the war report back in the royal pce. It spurred an ominous feeling in his heart. The Elric Fiefdom was not a good piece ofnd, not just because it wasn¡¯t fertile but because it also bordered two other major countries, Knight Kingdom Pendor and the Austine Empire. Conflicts would break out every now and then, causing a major hassle. No one wanted the troubles that came with this piece ofnd, which was why it ended up being tossed to the Elric House. Ironically, it was also for this reason that the Xeclydes and the Ascarts faced difficulties gathering information on the Elrics. It was too difficult to track anything once it went beyond national borders, and the Elrics had most certainly been exploiting that. In fact, the two houses relied predominantly on the Sorofya Merchant Association for information on the Elric Fiefdom as it had eyes across the borders. However, in the war report that Roel had read in the royal pce, it was stated that the Austine Empire, who rarely paid any heed to its borders with the Elric Fiefdom, had suddenly mobilized its army. Unlike Knight Kingdom Pendor, they didn¡¯t spread their troops across the length of the border to protect their boundaries. Instead, they were concentrating their troops together. Even ayman with little knowledge of military affairs could tell that the gathering of troops was a prelude to imminent aggression. Roel had no idea what the Austine Empire was thinking, but they were likely up to no good. ¡°What could their emperor be thinking?¡± he murmured with a deep frown. Chapter 443.1: Temporary Parting (1)

Chapter 443.1: Temporary Parting (1)

In the study room of the Labyrinth Manor, Roel carefully read through the letter he held in his hands. His expression was constantly changing over the span of the letter, but by the time he ced it down, he heaved a sigh of relief. It was an urgent reply letter from the Ascart Fiefdom, containing answers to the questions Roel had posed not too long ago. The author of the letter wasn¡¯t Alicia but Anna, Roel¡¯s personal maid. She was also the one currently in charge of managing the day-to-day affairs of the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Indeed, the Ascarts¡¯ manor was left empty yet again after the outbreak of war. ording to Anna¡¯s letter, after Roel¡¯s departure Carter had hosted Chris at the Ascarts¡¯ manor for around a week, and the two of them managed to get on friendly rtions during this period of time. However, there didn¡¯t seem to be any significant advancement in their romance. After Chris¡¯ departure, the Ascarts¡¯ manor was peaceful for a while until they received news about the tragedy that had befallen Tark Stronghold. The first thing Carter did upon receiving the news was to secretly rush to the Holy Capital to meet Holy Eminence John. The result of their discussion was the ongoing internal war. Everything that Carter did afterward was detailed in the war report that Roel received in the royal pce. During this period of time, Alicia had requested permission to head to Tark Stronghold several times, but Carter turned her down under the grounds of it being unsafe. Later on, when the internal war finally broke out, Alicia left the Ascarts¡¯ manor together with the military force. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised to learn that Alicia was participating in the internal war as well. He knew that Carter had been grooming her as his prot¨¦g¨¦ in military affairs, evident from how she was granted highest ess rights to the Ascarts¡¯ intelligencework. Other households usually send just one or two representatives to fight in a war, but our Ascart House dispatches the entire family, including thedies. While I was fighting Bryan at Tark Prairie, my father and Alicia were busy suppressing Bryan¡¯s soldiers. It feels almost like an assault on all fronts, he thought wryly. Roel carefully read through the letter several more times before letting out a helpless sigh. He could only pray for his family members¡¯ safety and hasten his preparations. Two days had passed since Roel¡¯s return to the Holy Capital. That would have been ample time to recover for most transcendents, but not for Roel after how far he had pushed himself back at Tark Prairie. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t intend to alter his ns. The first thing he had to do was resolve the heretic army¡¯s equipment woes. Most of their armor and weapons were tattered after all of the battles they had been through, to the point that it was affecting their fighting prowess. There wasn¡¯t enough time to equip them to the teeth, but at the very least, he couldn¡¯t allow his personal army to step onto the battlefield with subpar equipment. The difference in equipment could spell the difference between life and death, after all. Fortunately, their mission to Tark Stronghold was officially a request from Holy Eminence John, so the royal family waspensating them for any losses they had incurred during the process. It also helped that Nora was taking the helm. With a wave of her hand, Roel received not justpensation for his losses but generous rewards for his contribution too. Nora knew that Roel wasn¡¯t doing this for money or glory, but formalities were formalities. Besides, the heretic army under Roel¡¯smand would benefit from the recognition too. In her capacity as the Theocracy¡¯s princess, Nora offered highpliments to the heretic army and even granted audience to its leaders, Rodney, Wood, and Cynthia. She bestowed blessings upon them and proimed the Unyielding Sect and Strength Sect as friends of the church. Last but not least, she instructed them to protect Roel well on the battlefield. This audience was held in the church, and it was a formalmendation rather than a private meeting. It understandably stirred quite a ripple in the popce, considering the Theocracy¡¯s ambivalent attitude toward heretics thus far. Cynthia and the others were moved by the recognition, and they swore to protect Roel even at the expense of their lives. Only then did Nora finally reveal a satisfied smile. To celebrate this significant progress for their people, the heretic army threw a wild party in the Labyrinth Vi that very night. Looking at the excited heretics before him, Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel a little wistful. It was still fresh in his mind how these powerful warriors had their heads lowered when they first arrived at the Holy Capital. Even passing through the city gates was an unnerving experience for them. Cynthia¡¯s face was all frozen up. Rodney waspletely silent. Wood showed none of his usualposure. But after toiling through many hardships at the eastern border, they were finally awarded the glory they deserved. They no longer had to be fearful of others questioning their identities, and they could finally sit proudly in a tavern without hiding anything at all. That was what it meant to receive the recognition of the Xeclydes. Roel was happy for his subordinates, but he didn¡¯t let the celebrations get in the way of his work. He was constantly receiving reports from the frontline in order to remain updated on thetest news. ording to the most recent war report, the allied armies of the Ascarts and Xeclydes had finally arrived at Edgar City. As Roel had predicted, the Elrics decided to pull back their armies into the capital and wall themselves off after losing both of their major fortresses. The Ascarts and the Xeclydes made an attempt to siege Edgar City, but things didn¡¯t go well. Knowing that their soldiers were already exhausted from the long journey, they decided to temporarily retreat and rest up after the failed first attempt. Roel didn¡¯t think that it was a bad decision. It would have been ill-advised for the Ascarts and the Xeclydes tounch a reckless assault at this juncture, especially when taking into ount the suspicious movements made by the Austine Empire. The problem was that this meant that the internal war had fallen to a standstill, and that didn¡¯t bode well for the Theocracy. In the royal pce, Nora frowned after browsing through the reports that were delivered straight from the frontline. There was another document ced on the table in front of her that hade from the faraway Tark Stronghold. Well-versed in history, she had enough sense to know that the internal war was unlikely to end in one fell swoop. Still, she could hardly suppress the anxiety encroaching on her heart. In fact, she had found herself losing her appetite and suffering from insomnia over thest few days. Tark Stronghold was practically just putting on a strong front at the moment, but that fact remained oblivious not just to themon popce but even the nobles too. The church had withheld information regarding the casualties suffered by Tark Stronghold, so no one was taking the matter seriously yet. The church had no choice but to hide this information or widespread panic would surely ur. The Xeclydes already had their hands full with the internal war; they didn¡¯t have spare resources to simultaneously deal with other issues. On one hand, Tark Stronghold desperately needed reinforcement in case of arge-scale invasion by the deviants. On the other, the internal war was swiftly weakening the overall military prowess of the Theocracy. There was no doubt that uprooting the cancerous tumor known as the Elrics would greatly reinforce the internal stability of the Theocracy, but the price they were paying might just be too much for them to bear. ¡°The eastern border is already suffering from a severeck of resources, but we¡¯re still devoting soldiers and rations to fighting this internal war. Now, it looks like a third party is thinking of intervening in our business. Just what in the world is the Austine Empire trying to pull off?¡± Nora clutched her forehead as she murmured contemtively. On the other side of the room, Roel quietly studied the Theocracy¡¯s map with crossed arms. A country¡¯s mobilization of its troops was usually guided by strategic intent. Since time immemorial, the three key reasons behind human wars had been territory, wealth, and people. For that reason, the movements by the Austine Empire were baffling to both Roel and Nora. Bordering two other major countries, the Elric Fiefdom could be considered as the Theocracy¡¯s buffer state. However, that didn¡¯t mean that it was strategd. For one, the territory mostlyprised ins that were susceptible to the charge of cavalrymen. There were several mountains in the territory, but they weren¡¯t tall enough to be used as a strategic chokepoint. Two hundred years ago, when the Elrics were first left in charge of thisnd, the Theocracy was on extremely bad terms with the Austine Empire. In a sense, the Elric Fiefdom were effectively pawns to stall the enemies should a war break out. It was for that reason that the royal family implicitly allowed the Elrics to expand their army and construct defensive infrastructure, albeit with limits. In terms of wealth, while the Elric Fiefdom¡¯snd wasn¡¯t barren, it wasn¡¯t exceedingly fertile either. Moreover, there weren¡¯t any mines or precious resources. On the whole, the Elric Fiefdom shouldn¡¯t have had anything that the massive Austine Empire coveted. Looking at it in terms of people, there was even less reason for the Austine Empire to invade the Elric Fiefdom. It was basically a national tradition for citizens of the Theocracy to hate on the Austine Empire. They would have been nothing but trouble for the Austine Empire to manage. Besides, it was not as if the Austine Empire was facing ack of manpower. The continent had been fairly peaceful for the past hundred years since thest deviant invasion, and that had led to significant growth in poption. Lack of people was practically a non-existent problem. Of course, it was not as if they couldn¡¯t think of any reasons for the Austine Empire to invade. After several days of contemtion and corroborating all of the information they had gathered, the Xeclydes¡¯ intelligencework came up with a possible conjecture: The Elrics had approached the Austine Empire¡¯s Seze House for help. Chapter 443.2: Temporary Parting (2)

Chapter 443.2: Temporary Parting (2)

The Seze Ducal House was a powerful noble house in the Austine Empire that wielded considerable influence on the Sia Continent. It had a long heritage that could be traced back to the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire. Simr to the Miltons, it was one of the few powers thatmanded great authority during the mass migration at the end of the Second Epoch, and it eventually became one of the founding noble houses of the current Austine Empire. After the fourth war against the deviants, the severely weakened Theocracy and Austine Empire decided to de-escte their conflict. Thus, they held a political marriage between the Elrics and the Sezes, who happened to be direct neighbors. In that sense, the two houses were technically rted to each other. It was just that such bonds of marriage weremon in the circle of nobility and suggested nothing at all. ¡°Decades have already passed since the political marriage between the Elrics and the Sezes. Even if the Elrics did request help from the Sezes, it¡¯s hard to imagine that thetter would dispatch troops for their sake, especially when the Elrics are in collusion with evil cults.¡± ¡°I think so too. Bryan was someone who had no qualms about killing his own child. The Sezes wouldn¡¯t have been able to trust someone like him.¡± After browsing through all of the reports, Nora ced them back onto the table and gave her analysis. Roel agreed with her judgment. The Elrics were still holding on, but they were already on the verge of copse. With Bryan¡¯s death, there was little to earn from offering a helping hand to the Elrics. It had only been two months since the abrupt disappearance of Tark Stronghold, and many countries were keeping an eye on the matter. It was a sensitive period, which made it perplexing as to why the Sezes were interfering at this juncture. The me would be too much for them to bear if their intervention were to spark a war between the Austine Empire and the Theocracy. Going down this route of logic, could this be suggesting that the Austine Empire¡¯s emperor approved of the Sezes¡¯ interference? This was what baffled Roel the most. Emperor Lukas was known to be a wise ruler, so why would he suddenly encourage aggression against the Theocracy? What could be more important than guarding humankind¡¯s border against the deviants? In the end, Roel shook his head and cleared his mind. There wasn¡¯t enough information for him to work with to make an informed guess. However, if there was one thing he was certain of, most of these problems would be resolved once they took down Edgar City. Whatever schemes that the Austine Empire is nning will unravel once Edgar City falls. Perhaps, I might even be able to find clues about the Collector. Roel locked his narrowed eyes onto where Edgar City was located on the map as his thoughts drifted into the distance. ¡­ The three days of rest passed swiftly amidst Roel¡¯s rushed preparations. With ample money on hand, he was able to secure decent equipment for the heretic army despite the short period of time. On top of that, there was an additional group of people who would be apanying him to the frontline¡ªthe inquisitors. ording to Nora, since he was heading there to investigate the headquarters of the Connoisseur Guild, it was only normal for the inquisitors to tag along as well. The very meaning of their existence was to deal with evil cultists anyway. There were too many points in that statement for Roel to retort, but either way, he wouldn¡¯t have rejected the additional help. The inquisitors were a powerful ally. It was clear to him that Nora¡¯s intent was to bolster his defenses, and if he could put her heart at ease by epting her goodwill, there was no reason for him not to do so. In fact, Roel even reserved his final day in the Holy Capital to apany Nora so as to ay her worries as much as possible. It was just that he didn¡¯t expect that Nora¡¯s sense of security came from something else¡­ Looking at the manifested white shackles on his wrist, Roel massaged his forehead in distress. It would do well to remember that Nora had always maintained the image of a pure and charismatic princess in public. If anyone were to see them shackled together, the prime suspect wouldn¡¯t be Nora but him. ¡°Are you that afraid of exposing the shackles? You¡¯re the one who gave them to me. Is it only urring to you now how dangerous they are?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that I¡¯m afraid. I simply have no desire to be mistaken as a pervert who forced Your Highness to engage in¡­ such acts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that even though you¡¯re the one who got them for me? Well, I can understand where you¡¯reing from. My act has been wless thus far¡­ Open your mouth.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora and Roel were sitting next to each other in the dining room. Nora picked up a slice of meat with her fork and brought it toward Roel¡¯s mouth. Thetter stared at her in response, but when he saw the twinkle in her curled eyes, he let out a sigh of resignation and parted his lips, allowing her to deliver the food in. The food is innocent. There was nothing much he could do since there was only a single set of cutlery on the table¡­ and his hands were tightly bound. Feeding y. That was a new interest that Nora had awakened to ever since returning from the eastern border. Roel was no stranger to it since he used to feed Alicia back when they were younger, but it felt awkward to be at the receiving end of it, especially with how Nora was doing it. Nora would lick the fork each time before feeding him a bite of food. It was so embarrassing that Roel couldn¡¯t even bear to watch it. With a slightly reddened face, he voiced his doubt. ¡°Why do you have to lick the fork each time before feeding me?¡± ¡°Does that need to be asked? It¡¯s to ensure that each bite has my vor in it.¡± ¡°¡­ Why don¡¯t you just kiss me straight? We have been doing that a lottely anyway.¡± Nora blushed at those straightforward words. It felt like the dynamics of their rtionship had somehow changed after their recent breakthrough. She gave Roel¡¯s words some thought before rejecting him with a shake of her head. ¡°That¡¯s different. A direct kiss is not bad either, but you don¡¯t feel a sense of coercion from that, do you? It¡¯s more enjoyable for me to force you to do something against your will.¡± ¡°You¡­ Haa! At the very least, shouldn¡¯t you get a second set of cutlery? Your servants might suspect something at this rate.¡± ¡°Ah. You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I¡¯m pretty certain Mia knows of my inclination by now. Ever since our first meeting, I¡¯ve lost control of myself from time to time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora touched her cheek with a blissful smile as she continued her feeding session. Roel resigned himself to his fate and allowed her to have her way. From the Theocracy¡¯s internal war to Tark Stronghold¡¯s vulnerability, Nora must have been feeling mentally exhausted from having to deal with so many problems. While her method of venting stress was unusual, Roel didn¡¯t mind asionally humoring her if it could take some weight off her shoulders. It was rare for Roel not to put up any resistance. Nora noticed that and a gentle smile formed on her lips. Dinner soon came to an end amidst this joyful exchange, and it was time for them to part ways. ¡°You must stay safe. Promise me that.¡± ¡°I will. I don¡¯t n on dying.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such inauspicious words. I won¡¯t let you off if anything happens to you, you hear me?¡± ¡°Loud and clear.¡± Nora forcefully grabbed Roel¡¯s cor and pulled him in for a kiss. It was intense with a bittersweet aftertaste. After venting her emotions, she was able to regain herposure once again. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll be waiting for your return.¡± ¡°Mmhm. I¡¯ll be heading off now,¡± replied Roel with a light nod. He took onest lingering gaze at Nora before turning around to walk out of the royal pce. Chapter 444.1: Cold Confrontation (1)

Chapter 444.1: Cold Confrontation (1)

The capital of the Austine Empire, Siaus, was located in the empire¡¯s northern territory. Snow had finally started falling after a dry spell thatsted several months. This would have been good news for most regions since it moistened the dried soil and facilitated the growth of crops in theing year. However, for major cities like Siaus, snowfall only caused traffic disruption. It was a huge nuisance, especially during this festive period. Festivals were important in the medieval era. It was one of the few things that brought joy to the popce¡¯s monotonous life, especially given theck of entertainment avenues. Otherwise, the people would have no way to vent their pent-up stress. It wasmon for most countries to set a day aside as a public holiday, and it would usually be between the autumn harvest and spring. For the Saint Mesit Theocracy, where practically everyone was a believer of Goddess Sia, it would be New Year¡¯s Day. On New Year¡¯s, the people would gather together and pray. For the Country of Schrs, it would be the birthday of the God of Wisdom. The Schr Guilds woulde together to hold a demonstration symposium, showcasing the results of their recent achievements. For the Austine Empire, it was the founding day of their empire. Its founding day was designated to be that of the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire. Even to this day, the Ancient Austine Empire was an unforgettable dream to those of the current Austine Empire. It represented the pinnacle of the prosperity of human civilization, a height that had been reached by no one else. Even when everything had already changed, the Austine Empire continued to pride itself as the sessor of that glorious legacy. Given so, it wasn¡¯t hard to understand why they paid utmost importance to the founding day of the Ancient Austine Empire, a festival that had thousands of years of history behind it. Nobles from all over the Austine Empire would travel from far and wide to the capital in order to affirm their loyalty to the ancient n, which had ruled humankind for thousands of years. Avish banquet would be held in the royal pce, and the arriving flood of guests would jam up even the widest streets. Lionhearted men crossed des in the dueling ring whereas elegantdies who were dressed in long flowing gowns twirled around the ballroom. Joyous melodies and vibrant dances filled the streets. Fireworks would whiz nonstop. All of these symbolized the grandeur of the greatest human empire. In the confines of the majestic imperial pce, a ck-haireddy dressed in fineries stood alone by the side of a banquet hall, her amethyst eyes reflecting the extravagance before her. Her delicate features were enveloped in coldness, but she remained the center of attention in this gathering of lofty youths. Young noblemen seated around a table raised their wine sses and toasted to each other, but they couldn¡¯t resist the urge to sneak nces in her direction. Valiant duelists crossed swords with each other, but be it victory or defeat, their eyes would be drawn toward her as soon as the battle came to an end. They hoped to see even the slightest stir on her impassive face. It was just that this year would prove no different than the previous. Thedymanding everyone¡¯s gaze was still as cold and lofty as ever. She was like a beautiful cier flower that left those who dared to approach with frostbite. She was Lilian Ackermann, the imperial princess of the Austine Empire. As much as she was known for her fatal charm, her terrifying capabilities also struck fear into those who dared stand as her adversary. She was not one to be made light of, be it as a transcendent, in the political arena, or as a descendant of the imperial bloodline. There was no need for her to fawn over anyone or put up a pretense, for even the powerful dukes of the Austine Empire dared not disrespect her. She had always been an enigmatic individual, having never shown any interest in anyone or anything. It was nigh impossible to fathom her thoughts, which made her even more frightening to deal with. Despite having attended numerous social events, there hadn¡¯t been a single person who shared a dance with her. It was not without reason that Lilian was deemed to be the child who bore the greatest simrity to her father, Emperor Lukas. Both of them appeared to becking in human sentiments. But unlike her father, there was a special quality to Lilian that drew others in despite the danger. Meanwhile, Lilian herself wasn¡¯t paying any heed to her surroundings¡ªshe had grown far too ustomed to be affected by mere gazes. She was too busy thinking about the recent string of events. The prosperous Austine Empire was currently mired in an internal conflict. Emperor Lukas¡¯ three children and their respective factions were at each other¡¯s throats, seeking to destroy each other in the political arena. Those defeated would be meat on a chopping board, whereas the winners would walk away with it all. This was a drawn-out battle that put the contenders¡¯ intelligence, strength, influence, patience, and many other attributes to the test. Lilian had been the one with the best cards in the past few years, putting her closest to victory, but recent developments had left her a little concerned. One was her defeat in the Challenger Cup. It had cost her a valuable trump card. The other was the alliance between her two older brothers, Lucius Ackermann and Aubrey Ackermann. Even if this cooperation was only temporary, it was still a troubling development. The tragedy that befell Tark Stronghold on the eastern border and the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s internal war should have been important events that all countries were keeping a close eye on. However, amidst all that mess, Lilian caught wind of a piece of news that triggered her sense of danger¡ªthe mobilization of the Seze Duke¡¯s army. The Seze Duke was one of the most powerful nobles in the Austine Empire. He hadn¡¯t shown favor toward any of the sessors, but the mobilization of his military had been kept secret from the nobles in Lilian¡¯s faction. This was a red g for her. More importantly, one of the two armies that were currently in the Elric Fiefdom was the Ascarts¡¯. When coincidences are lined up after one another, they aren¡¯t just coincidences anymore. That was what Lilian had learned from her experiences over the years, and it didn¡¯t seem like she was wrong about this premonition. ¡°His Majesty wishes to see me?¡± asked Lilian. ¡°Yes, Your Highness Lilian. Please head to the audience room as soon as possible,¡± the steward replied. ¡°I understand.¡± After the steward humbly backed off, having ryed the imperial edict, Lilian eyed the depths of the royal pce with narrowed eyes. There was nothing unusual about the princes and the princess meeting the emperor on Founding Day, but Emperor Lukas had always summoned all of them at once. Meeting his sons and daughter one by one was simply too troublesome for someone who valued efficiency. Yet, Lilian was being summoned to the audience room alone. Based on her understanding of Emperor Lukas, this individual audience was unlikely to signify preferential treatment. That man didn¡¯t have enough emotions in him to care about kinship or bother with trivialities. There could only be one reason why he was doing this. This was a trial for her. Whether she could clear this trial or not would determine her future. In the bustling banquet hall, Lilian nced at her two older brothers in the distance before slowly making her way into the depths of the royal pce. ¡­ Lilian Ackermann slowly walked along a quiet corridor with nary an expression on her face. There were guards standing upright on both sides of the corridor, reminiscent of armored statues, but her eyes hardly registered them at all. Her head was too busy trying to think of as many scenarios and countermeasures as possible. It would be foolish to make light of Emperor Lukas, a man who had maintained a tight grasp over the empire for many years. Given the circumstances, Lilian couldn¡¯t afford to err before him. She soon arrived before a set of towering doors carved with the Ackermann¡¯s Twinheaded Eagle insignia. The rubies embedded in the eagle¡¯s eyes glimmered brightly. The stewards reported Lilian¡¯s arrival, and the doors opened shortly after. Seated on the highest throne within was the dignified ruler of the great Austine Empire, Lukas Ackermann. Chapter 444.2: Cold Confrontation (2)

Chapter 444.2: Cold Confrontation (2)

Most rulers of powerful countries tended to be powerful transcendents themselves, and Lukas Ackermann was no exception to this rule. What was different about Lukas, however, was that he showed no signs of aging at all. Hisplexion was glowing as always, and his facial features retained a delicate touch. His slender eyes gleamed with spirit, and there was an absence of beard and mustache on him. On the whole, he looked like a well-groomed middle-aged man. However, his disposition was at odds with his appearance. Just like Lilian, he emanated an air of coldness that seemed toe right from his bones. At the same time, he gave off an intimidating air of regality that made others dare not speak carelessly in his presence. Upon seeing Lukas, Lilian lowered her head and curtsied, though she made no attempt to change her cold attitude and her expression. She knew that any attempt to fawn on him was wasted effort. It was much better to get straight to the point with Emperor Lukas. ¡°Your Majesty, you summoned me?¡± ¡°Mm. I have questions for you.¡± After a quick exchange of necessary pleasantries, Lilian dove straight into the reason behind their meeting. Emperor Lukas wasn¡¯t bothered by her straightforward attitude and instead calmly posed his questions. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the affairs that transpired during the Challenger Cup. Your defeat was not within my expectations, and it has induced skepticism amongst the nobles. You should be aware that that¡¯s disadvantageous for you.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I am also regretful about my failure at the Challenger Cup. I¡¯ll slowly address the nobles¡¯ skepticism in the future.¡± ¡°You do have to clean up your own mess, but that¡¯s not what I¡¯m concerned about¡­ Lilian, what do you think about the sessor of the Ascarts?¡± It¡¯s really about this? It was one of the questions she had anticipated, but Lilian was still rmed upon hearing it. ¡°¡­ If I may rify, are you asking for my evaluation of him?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Emperor Lukas replied with a nod. Lilian gave it some thought before answering. ¡°I believe that he¡¯s apetent individual.¡± ¡°Competent? That¡¯s quite an objective evaluation. Answer me, Lilian. Why did you allow Roel Ascart to participate in the tournament?¡± ¡°!¡± The moment Emperor Lukas, with an authoritative tone, voiced his question, Lilian Ackermann¡¯s amethyst eyes widened ever so slightly. She realized that Lukas must have noticed something. Meanwhile, Emperor Lukas continued staring down at her with his sharp eyes. ¡°You might not have lost to him, but theplications urred due to him. Putting aside the daughter of the Cambonytes, Roel Ascart would have posed a considerable threat to you as well. ¡°Opponents with high burst power are troublesome for you to deal with. The two of you are under the same teacher, so you should have some understanding of his abilities. While it was an unexpected development that the Grade 1 students were allowed to participate in the tournament, you should have been able to veto it if you had tapped into the Austine Empire¡¯s influence. ¡°That¡¯s why, I can¡¯t help but be curious. Lilian, raise your head and answer me¡­ Why are you so unguarded toward him?¡± Emperor Lukas spoke in a cid voice, but it sounded as if he was narrating facts. Under hismand, Lilian slowly raised her head to face him. Her face was as emotionless as ever, but her heart was pounding. She knew deep well why she hadn¡¯t stopped Roel from participating in the tournament. In the first ce, she never saw Roel as an enemy. In fact, she hoped that Roel could clinch the champion trophy even more so than herself. However, she absolutely couldn¡¯t allow Emperor Lukas to find out about that. Emperor Lukas had ordered her not toe into contact with those from the Ascart House, showing his wariness and aversion toward them. Acting contrary to that was equivalent to defying the emperor¡¯s edict. Lilian had a strong feeling that if she couldn¡¯t offer Lukas a satisfactory answer to his question, her circumstances would most likely spiral downward. In the war for the imperial throne, there was only one oue awaiting the faction that lost the emperor¡¯s support. Amidst the chilling atmosphere, Lilian struggled to search for a correct answer. iming that I¡¯ve forgotten about it or that I¡¯ve gotten careless is out of the question. The immense glory thates with winning the Challenger Cup has great impact. I would have done everything that I could to increase the chances of my victory. I can¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t know about Roel¡¯s true strength either. If I really saw him as my enemy, I wouldn¡¯t have given him a chance at all. Lilian racked her mind for an eptable reason, but it wasn¡¯ting easily. Meanwhile, Emperor Lukas¡¯ eyes were growing sharper. Time slowly ticked by. It was right before Emperor Lukas was about to pass his judgment that Lilian finally spoke up. ¡°Regarding this incident, my emotions got ahead of me.¡± ¡°Emotions?¡± Emperor Lukas looked almost surprised to hear that term. The gaze he had on Lilian turned even colder. However, an unexpected name came up in the following sentence. ¡°Paul Ackermann. He was the one who proposed that the First Grade students be allowed to participate in the Challenger Cup. All of this urred because I didn¡¯t put a stop to it.¡± ¡°Paul?¡± asked Emperor Lukas. ¡°While he¡¯s an illegitimate child, he has inherited our n¡¯s unique trait. He is a rare upright individual, and he harbors respect and kinship toward me too. I thought that the Challenger Cup was a good opportunity for him, so I didn¡¯t refute the decision.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Emperor Lukas fell silent. He was surprised to hear such a response, but the intensity of his gaze didn¡¯t weaken in the least. Lilian understood that as a sign that her answer was good but insufficient. So, she ced her hand on her chest and allowed a certain ck-haired, golden-eyed young man to surface in his mind before she further borated on her answer. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯d understand if you doubt my words. It¡¯s not like me to get emotionally involved. I don¡¯t know what came upon me either, but when I learned of his identity, I suddenly felt a strong urge to protect him. The thought of any harm befalling him was uneptable to me, and I found myself unable to turn down his request. I have no objections if you deem me guilty for that.¡± Confusion was reflected in Lilian¡¯s amethyst eyes for the first time. Bitterness could be seen on her usually impassive face. Her rare show of emotions surprised even Emperor Lukas, and his doubtful eyes started to waver. Years of observation had given Lukas a thorough understanding of his own children. Lilian and her two older brothers could unt their acting skills all they wanted before him, but there was not a chance in the world they could deceive him. It was for that very reason he could tell that Lilian¡¯s emotions were earnest and that she meant what she had said. This was beyond Emperor Lukas¡¯ expectations. ¡°Obsession is one of the hereditary traits in our n. It isn¡¯t your fault.¡± The sharpness in Emperor Lukas¡¯ eyes mellowed down as he offered empathetic words to Lilian. Nevertheless, his suspicion hadn¡¯t been fully dispelled yet. He looked at Lilian and suddenly spoke up. ¡°An internal war has broken out in the Saint Mesit Theocracy, and it¡¯s likely that Roel Ascart will be participating in it as well. Just as you¡¯ve said, his ability will be an asset to the Theocracy. With the imminent arrival of a Holy War, the Genesis Goddess Church¡¯s influence will rapidly expand in the near future. That could pose a threat to our empire. ¡°That¡¯s why, Lilian¡­ why don¡¯t you eliminate him for the empire?¡± ¡°!¡± The moment Emperor Lukas issued themand to kill Roel, Lilian suddenly felt the air around her turning stale. His words echoed ceaselessly in her ears, and her heart started thumping. On the surface, however, she managed to maintain a perfect poker face. She could tell that Emperor Lukas was still suspicious and was attempting to sound her out, but this wasn¡¯t an easy question for her to answer. She couldn¡¯t allow herself to stand on the opposite side of Roel on the battlefield, but how could she avoid that without incurring Emperor Lukas¡¯ suspicions? Should I ept the order? Reject it? Or maybe divert the topic elsewhere? Unbearable silence crushed down in the audience room as Lilian struggled to find an answer. Slowly, Emperor Lukas¡¯ expression started to change. Several momentster, Lilian suddenly raised her head. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll ept this order if you wish me to eliminate that fool who dares to stand in the way of our empire, but I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s appropriate for me to personally carry it out.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think that it¡¯s appropriate?¡± asked Emperor Lukas. ¡°Yes, I do. In spite of our conflicting political affiliation, we¡¯re both students of Saint Freya Academy. It will deal irreversible damage to my reputation in the academy if I were to hurt or kill a junior. I would like to avoid that if possible,¡± Lilian replied with a calm tone. ¡°¡­¡± Emperor Lukas quietly stared into Lilian¡¯s eyes for a long time, as if he was boring straight into her soul. Lilian¡¯s heart was almost trembling from sheer tension. The answer she had arrived at was to neither agree nor disagree but instead leave it to Emperor Lukas to decide. After a long moment of contemtion, Emperor Lukas slowly nodded his head. ¡°You¡¯re right. It would be inappropriate for you to take his life. I don¡¯t have any intention of killing him either. However, there¡¯s a need to deal a crushing blow to the Theocracy, and their internal war will be the only chance we have before the Holy War. What do you think?¡± ¡°Your Majesty, I believe that it¡¯s a good opportunity too. However, it¡¯s a sensitive period right now since the Theocracy has just lost Tark Stronghold to a disaster. Wouldn¡¯t it pique the wariness of the other countries if we were to make a move on them now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. The other countries will vehemently oppose our actions. The deviants are a problem that we cannot make light of¡­ Lilian, it must have been hard for you to follow my order and stay away from the child of the Ascarts over the past year, right?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s only right for me to do so.¡± ¡°You have done well. I am satisfied with your work thus far, but there¡¯s no need for you to work that hard anymore.¡± Lilian felt an ominous premonition upon hearing Emperor Lukas¡¯ words. As if a prophecy was being realized, thetter gazed down on her authoritatively and spoke despairing words. ¡°Head to the eastern border. Don¡¯t meet him ever again,¡± he ordered. Lilian¡¯s body instantaneously stiffened. Chapter 445.1: Blessing of the Military God (1)

Chapter 445.1: Blessing of the Military God (1)

Saint Mesit Theocracy, Holy Capital Loren. Roel Ascart was on horseback, heading toward the city gates under the apaniment of the heretic army and the inquisitors. It was the exact same army who had induced a riot when they entered the city with Nora, but here they were, wearing cloaks and departing without fanfare. Passers-by eyed them curiously, but no one knew who they were and where they were heading. That was simply the way of life for true warriors. They were often concealed in the shadows, quietly shedding blood to guard the peace and prosperity enjoyed by the people. Some might think that peace was a natural urrence, but that was a naive mindset held by those who had a limited understanding of politics and war. Peace had never been free, and someone had to pay the price for it. It was fortunate that there was little attention on the heretic army, and the inquisitors were used to maintaining a low profile. In addition, the entire army gave off a lighthearted atmosphere that made it hard for one to imagine that they were marching off to the battlefield. This was the difference in experience. The Unyielding Sect used to be mercenaries whereas the Strength Sect had survived the encirclement of evil cultists for many years. Both of them were ustomed to danger as the tough environment they lived in had built up their mental fortitude. As for the inquisitors, they were the most devout believers of Goddess Sia. They had all willingly chosen the upation with the highest rate of casualty in the Genesis Goddess Church as a testament to their faith. Sheltered young nobles might see the battlefield as hell on earth, but to these people, it was their everyday life. On top of that, while most people feared death, they sought to die in the most meaningful manner. The heretics desired recognition and glory whereas the inquisitors wanted to rid the world of evil and eventually return to Sia¡¯s embrace. Any army with conviction like theirs would make for a terrifying force, regardless of their actual prowess. Experience and technique could be honed over time, but tenacity was hard to learn. That was why berserkers made terrifying opponents on the battlefield. The army quietly left through the city gates under the gazes of the passers-by. Mischievous children thought that they were a merchant convoy and offered some auspicious words, hoping to receive some copper coins. They couldn¡¯t have imagined that the tall woman who tossed them a small pouch was a powerful transcendent qualified to be a general in any country, or that the old man who smiled at them was a powerful warrior blessed by the gods. Only the more keen-eyed ones who noticed the shuddering soldiers on the city walls were able to guess that something was different about this army. This was an army filled with transcendents of Origin Level 5 and above. It might not appear as much to normal civilians, but this was unfathomable in the eyes of the soldiers. Even the highest knight order of the Theocracy would only be of such standard. It was for this reason that Roel wanted to keep a low profile. He didn¡¯t want his movements to catch too many eyes. Mobilization of troops was important intelligence. Most spies would likely deem Roel¡¯s thousand man army to be inconsequential to the internal war, such that it might not be worth them risking their lives to deliver this piece of information, but it was still better to be safe than sorry, especially since Roel¡¯s reputation was very different from before. Not to mention, he was likely one of the priority targets on the Elrics¡¯ hit list. Some generals might take pride in the attention the enemy was showering them with, but Roel would rather not receive such glory. As powerful and determined as his army was, it was not infallible. For one, they mightck experience when it came torge-scale battles. ¡°Rodney, what¡¯s the maximum number of people you¡¯vemanded in battle?¡± asked Roel. ¡°I was the leader of a 300-men strong expedition team during my time as an adventurer,¡± replied Rodney. Roel posed the same question to Wood, and the old vige chief replied two hundred. From this, it could be seen that the experience they had was mostly limited to smaller battles. This was not to make light of the battles they had been through. One of them used to explore ancient remnants whereas the other had to deal with the evil cultists in the Land of Chaos. Even veteran generals might not have undergone as much danger as they did. However, there was a significant difference between smaller battles and all-out wars. It was fortunate that the ex-leader of a mercenary band, Cynthia, had once led a group of five hundred against a den of bandits that numbered over two thousand, which could be consideredparable to a small-scale war between two border nobles. The inquisitors, on the other hand, had very little experience with group battles of any sort. It was rare for evil cultists to huddle together; Bryan Elric and the Connoisseur Guild¡¯s operation at Tark Prairie was a rare exception. Ultimately, scums couldn¡¯t trust fellow scums. Most evil cultists operated alone, so inquisitors specialized in 1-on-1bat. This didn¡¯t necessarily mean that inquisitors were inept at group battles. They simply needed a good leader to coordinate them. After taking a look around, Roel eventually realized that he was the only one who had some grasp of military warfare. He might not have undergone a formal military education, but one shouldn¡¯t forget that the Ascarts were a military household. It was not without reason that the Ascart House had been able to survive over the past millennium despite knowing next to nothing about proper governance. Every member of the Ascart House was properly educated on warfare theories from a young age. Heck, I remember taking military-rted sses before evening into contact with transcendent ability sses. One of the first things that members of the Ascart House came into contact with from a young age was military chess. There were many versions of it with varying levels of difficulty, all created with the intent to train the child¡¯s cognitive skills. The most basic level was simr to international chess whereas the most advanced level was no different from theoretical warfare on a military map. This was the kind of toy that children of the Ascart House were exposed to from a young age, so it was almost impossible for them not to be interested in military affairs upon adulthood. Entertainment avenues were severelycking in this medieval world, after all. This form of education appeared to be effective, considering how the Ascart House had produced many generations of famous generals, dominating the top seats in the military even in generations without any awakeners. The version of chess that Roel and Alicia used to y before going to bed was the simplified version. Carter would also challenge them whenever he returned home, which felt somewhat like a test to check their progress. Roel would lose each time around, but he did learn a great deal from his failures. Simr to the ancestors of the Ascart House, Roel became tempted to try his hand in real warfare after growing ustomed to theoretical warfare in the form of chess. In the second year after he took over as fief lord, hemanded three thousand soldiers in a battle to eradicate wolf packs in the southern forest of the Ascart Fiefdom. Back then, he hadn¡¯t been contracted with Peytra, and Grandar gulped down mana like there was no tomorrow. It was a bona fidemanding battle where he had no cheats to fall back on. Fortunately, the results were decent. However, Roel hadn¡¯t found another opportunity to hone his militarymanding skills since, and the reason behind that was simple¡ªthe Ascart Fiefdom was simply too safe! Even the most notorious of bandits viewed the Ascart Fiefdom as a no-go zone. While mostnded nobles abhorred bandits with a passion, the Ascarts would get particrly excited whenever they spotted a group of bandits. They would dispatch soldiers in the middle of the night even if the bandits were merely passing by the area, chasing them relentlessly until each and every one of them was captured. Outsiders interpreted this as the Ascarts having a strong passion for justice, but Roel, as an insider, knew that his ancestors simply saw it as real-life Counter-Strike. After many generations of such urrences, the bandits learned their lesson and decided to stay away from this bunch of lunatics. Chapter 445.2: Blessing of the Military God (2)

Chapter 445.2: Blessing of the Military God (2)

In any case, Roel was a little excited to be able to put what he had learned onto the battlefield. He had taken military warfare sses at Saint Freya Academy, and his past life memories had given him some exclusive warfare insights that were non-existent in the current era. Just like other transmigrators, he was curious to see how well modern strategies would fare in this world. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t do for him to march onto the battlefield with only hot-bloodedness. Roel was well aware of that, and the System apparently agreed too. ¡¾First War Commemoration Sales Blow the war horns! Beat the war drum! Temper yourself with the hardships of war and be born anew amidst struggles! 50% off all items!¡¿ ¡¾Intuition of the Military God It¡¯s rumored that those blessed by the Military God possess uncanny sharpness when ites to the tides of battle. Effect: The user will be able to sense the hostility amassed by a huge antagonistic army in high morale as if a de is directed straight at the user¡¯s heart. Price: 150,000 Gold Coins 75,000 Gold Coins¡¿ ¡¾Authority of the Military God It¡¯s rumored that those blessed by the Military Godmand an intimidating presence on the battlefield. Effect: Anyone who dares disrespect the user on the battlefield will be subjected to the Military God¡¯s pressure. No one will dare to undermine your order no matter how irrational it is. Price: 200,000 Gold Coins 100,000 Gold Coins¡¿ ¡¾Solemnity of the Military God It¡¯s rumored that those blessed by the Military God harness absoluteposure on the battlefield. Effect: The user will be forced to remain calm right before making any important decision on the battlefield, allowing the user to confront any challenge with a logical mind. Price: 150,000 Gold Coins 75,000 Gold Coins¡¿ ¡¾Note: You can only own one of the ¡®Military God¡¯ skills. The other skills will be automatically removed from the Gold Coin Shop once the user has purchased one of them.¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± This was the support offered by the System as soon as Roel made the decision to step onto the battlefield. The ¡®Military God¡¯ skills came in the form of permanent blessings, which was why they were sold in the Gold Coin Shop. There were several other options, but those three were the ones that stood out the most to him. Needless to say, there was nothing more reliable than receiving the Military God¡¯s blessing when stepping onto the battlefield. All of those three blessings were likely to be useful based on their description. It was a pity that he could only pick one. Roel was particrly careful about this choice. His instincts were telling him that this was an important choice that could affect his future, so he carefully analyzed the pros and cons of each of the blessings instead of choosing one right away. With a quick nce, the name, ¡®Intuition of the Military God¡¯, suggested that it was a life-saving skill. Its description supported that idea as well. There were usually only two situations where they would encounter arge number of hostile troops with high morale¡ªchancing upon the enemy¡¯s main force or on the eve of an ambush. Being able to detect enemy attacks in advance was indubitably a cheat ability on the battlefield. Not only would it be extremely difficult for the enemy to catch them off guard, but they could also use the information obtained through this ability to turn the tables on the enemy. War could be summarized as a game of mobilizing resources, after all. The effects of the second blessing, ¡®Authority of the Military God¡¯, were fairly direct. In summary, it allowed him to unconditionally establish near-absolute authority over any troops. This was arguably the most useful ability to him at the moment. The level of authority that amander wielded on the battlefield was usually directly linked to his influence and the number of troops he had directly under hismand. It would be naive of Roel to expect others to magically submit to hismand, especially considering his young age and hisck of credentials on the battlefield. But ¡®Authority of the Military God¡¯ allowed this magic to happen. Furthermore, the presence of an authoritative general would suppress the morale of the enemy troops. Just imagine the sheer pressure from having to face a famous enemy general who had won all of his previous wars! The decline in morale could easily affect the oue of the battle. These two aspects were more than enough to see how powerful ¡®Authority of the Military God¡¯ was, which could have been the reason why it was the most expensive of the three skills. Last but not least, ¡®Solemnity of the Military God¡¯. It appeared to be of limited effectiveness at first nce, only allowing one to maintainposure in order to make rational decisions, but those who carefully read between the lines would swiftly realize that there was a hidden use to the skill that made it extremely powerful. Its trigger condition was ¡®before making any important decision on the battlefield¡¯, meaning that Roel could evaluate how important a decision was going to be by the activation of the skill. From that perspective, ¡®Solemnity of the Military God¡¯ was almost equivalent to a divination spell. The battlefield was often chaotic with many things happening all at once. Amander would have to make countless decisions ranging from minor details to major strategic deployment, making it impossible to think everything through. As a result, the most consequential decisions often ended up being made subconsciously. An ability that allowed him to sieve out consequential decisions and carefully think them through was practically a cheat. Roel desired to have all three of these skills, but reality¡ªaka the System¡ªwasn¡¯t so kind as to grant him his wish. But again, if it was possible for someone to enjoy all three blessings at once, they would have be an existenceparable to the incarnation of the Military God. After struggling with the three choices for a long time, Roel eventually gritted his teeth and made his decision. ¡¾Are you certain you would like to pay 75,000 Gold Coins to acquire the skill ¡®Intuition of the Military God? Yes/No¡¿ ¡°Yes.¡± ¡¾Paymentpleted.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained the skill ¡®Intuition of the Military God¡¯.¡¿ As soon as Roel confirmed his decision, an inexplicable heat washed through his body, only to vanish an instantter. At the same time, the other ¡®Military God¡¯ skills changed to an invalid gray color. He heaved a sigh of relief after it was all over and silently affirmed himself that it was the right choice. The reason Roel chose ¡®Intuition of the Military God¡¯ wasn¡¯t because it was a better skill than the other two. He simply thought that it was more fitting for his current circumstances, or rather, it wouldn¡¯t bring about any overly negative consequences. As powerful as ¡®Authority of the Military God¡¯ was, there were clear downsides to it too. For one, his dominance in the army could breed ill-will amongst other veteran soldiers andmanders, it¡¯s just that no one would dare to openly speak up against him due to the skill¡¯s intimidation. But more importantly, no one would dare to refute his orders even if he made an error in his judgment. Ultimately, Roelcked practicalmanding experience on the battlefield despite his deep theoretical understanding of warfare. He wasn¡¯t socent as to think that his judgment was definitely better than the other veteranmanders. As for ¡®Solemnity of the Military God¡¯, it was useful for him to know which decisions were consequential, but it could result in hesitation. After all, who could confidently make a decision right away after knowing that there were great implications behind it? Hesitation came at a price on the battlefield. Often, there was only a small window of opportunity to grasp, and hesitation could easily cost him that opportunity even if he made the ¡®correct decision¡¯ in the end. In contrast, ¡®Intuition of the Military God¡¯ simply sharpened his vignce to enemy presence, which didn¡¯t seem toe with any adverse side effects. It was just that the activation criteria were rather strict, requiring there to be a huge number of enemy troops with high morale. He would need to test out what the threshold for the number of enemy troops and level of morale was. Regardless, he was still pretty satisfied with his new skill. 75,000 gold coins was an exorbitant sum, but he was able to fork out the money thanks to the reward he received from Nora for his contribution at the eastern border, as well as the money he took from the Labyrinth Manor. Still, Roel was only rich for a couple of days before he was smacked into the dust again. It made him suspect that the System was keeping a close eye on his wealth and doing everything it could to ensure that he remained poor. Fortunately, the items at the Affection Points Exchange Shop didn¡¯t require any gold coins. ¡¾Silverwing Eagle A masterpiece created by an alchemist of Karon Kingdom, the Silverwing Eagle can scout out enemy movements from the sky. Its mythril wings grant it invisibility, though you need to be careful to ensure that it doesn¡¯t crash into a flock of birds. Price: 30,000 Affection Points 15,000 Affection Points¡¿ Roel checked out quite a few items in the Affection Points Exchange Shop, but he eventually went with the alchemy product of the ancient Karon Kingdom. Efficiency of intelligence gathering was a key determining factor in the oue of a battle, be it where one¡¯s allies or enemies were. Having a pair of invisible eyes in the sky overlooking the battlefield would go a long way. With this new skill and magic tool, Roel was finally done with his preparations. His troops, which included the inquisitors and heretics, were powerful enough to stand their ground on any battlefield. It looked like everything was in order; now all that was left was a stage for them. Despite this, Roel maintained a wary attitude. He knew that this war, to some extent, was not just an internal war anymore. He let out a worried sigh and prayed that everything would go well on the frontline. As Roel and his army started traveling along the military supply route and moving toward the Elric Fiefdom, he was able to acquire a steady stream of military reports from the frontline that were en route to the Holy Capital. Of which, there was one piece of news that made his heart sink. The second attempted siege on Edgar City had ended in failure. Chapter 446.1: Revealed Thoughts (1)

Chapter 446.1: Revealed Thoughts (1)

¡®A soldier will face nock of victories and defeats in his lifetime.¡¯ Roel could deeply rte to that quote after having fought in many battles himself, but he personally believed that there were also differences within victories and defeats themselves. An individual¡¯s defeat could result in severe injuries or possibly death. Losing a war could cost soldiers their lives and a country their contested interests. These were heavy prices to pay, but they were still tolerable from the perspective of the country. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said about the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s current internal war. Losing over a hundred thousand elite soldiers was a price too great for even the powerful Theocracy to bear. The internal war waged by the Xeclydes against the Elrics was no different from a gamble. If they could crush the Elrics, the Xeclydes would gain unrivaled authority within the Theocracy, which would allow them to build the country anew. The rebuilt Theocracy would be stronger than ever with the cancerous tumors removed. However, that was only if the Theocracy didn¡¯t weaken too much from the internal war. That was why Roel felt his heart clench when he heard that the second siege on Edgar City had failed. Sieges usually led to the highest number of casualties. If the Xeclydes and the Ascarts were to suffer heavy losses in their attack, the tides could change in the Elrics¡¯ favor. He quickly tore the war report envelope open and browsed through it. What he read eased his heart a little. There was no exact death toll stated on the war report, but the details suggested that the second siege was more of a probe rather than an all-out fight. Thanks to that, the morale of the soldiers wasn¡¯t crushed. To be frank, Roel was perplexed after reading the war report. He had yed military chess with Carter dozens of times by now, and it gave him insights into Carter¡¯s style ofmand. Under normal circumstances, Carter would first conduct a probing attack beforeunching an all-out assault. It was unlike him to drag things out for too long since the purpose of the probing attack was to gather enemy intelligence. The closer the attack, the more urate the enemy intelligence was. There was no reason for Carter to hold a second probing attack, not to mention that it was to the Theocracy¡¯s detriment to drag things out. The goal of the internal war was to quickly remove the greatest internal threat in the Theocracy so that the country could start recuperating from its losses. This was the only way for the Theocracy to regain its past strength. Even though things looked peaceful at the moment, there were countless powers closely watching the development of the internal war. If the Xeclydes couldn¡¯t quell the Elrics with convincing force, the othernded nobles might lose confidence in the royal family¡¯s strength. Under such circumstances, they might choose to keep their troops to themselves in order to protect their interests. Thus, it was weird how the frontline had chosen to probe the Elrics¡¯ forces a second time. ¡°Milord, did something happen at the frontline?¡± ¡°¡­ Not yet. You should have a look at the report too.¡± Perhaps due to Roel¡¯s grave expression, Cynthia, Rodney, and Wood walked over and enquired about the situation at the frontline. To avoid spreading unnecessary fear, Roel passed them the war report so that they could look through it themselves. The three of them quickly browsed through the war report, but they were unable toe to any meaningful conclusion. There was insufficient information for them to work with. Fortunately, this quandary didn¡¯tst too long. That very night, they received yet another report from the frontline. Something immediately caught Roel¡¯s attention, and it enlightened him to his father¡¯s thoughts. When the Theocracy wasunching its second assault against Edgar City, the Austine Empire started mobilizing its troops too. Some of the Sezes¡¯ soldiers even crossed the borders to enter the Elric Fiefdom. But upon realizing that it was just another probe, they quickly retreated back into the borders of the Austine Empire. With that, Carter¡¯s intention became clear. The second probe served not to probe the Elrics but the Austine Empire. Just as they had expected, the Austine Empire was up to something. Roel was initially confused by the Austine Empire¡¯s reaction. In his view, it was to humankind¡¯s benefit for the Theocracy to quickly conclude its internal war and reinforce the eastern border. However, when he thought about the Austine Empire¡¯s history, he could somewhat understand the rationale behind their actions. It was simply a matter of influence. History was often a reflection of the present. Roel swiftly realized that simr conflicts had broken out in the previous war against the deviants as well, and their goal back then was to be the leader of humankind in the Holy War. The current Sia Continent had a fewrge countries and many smaller ones. Each of them had different geographical conditions and cultures; some of them even harbored grudges against each other. Despite this, humankind had been able to ovee their differences and unite against the deviants for the past millennium thanks to the leadership of the Genesis Goddess Church. Through the name of Goddess Sia, the church had always seeded in rallying all of the countries together to ovee major threats. There was no doubt that the church had yed a crucial role in the continuance of humankind¡¯s lineage, but the growth of the church naturally spelled an expansion in the Theocracy¡¯s sphere of influence, especially as more believers in the Genesis Goddess Church emerged in the poption. In fact, there would be a huge increase in the number of people subscribing to the beliefs of the Genesis Goddess Church after each Holy War, granting the Theocracy consecutive decades of power and prosperity. There was no way the Austine Empire would be happy with that. In the current Sia Continent, Country of Schrs Brolne had dedicated itself to education whereas the Rosa Merchant Confederacy devoted itself tomerce; neither of them had the interest or ability to be the leader of humankind. Knight Kingdom Pendor was fairly powerful in its own right, but its istionist policies excluded it from global politics. In other words, the only one standing in the Austine Empire¡¯s path was the Theocracy. With the Theocracy currently at its weakest state ever, it was a good opportunity for the Austine Empire to further undermine the Theocracy so as to utterly eliminate any possibility of it bing the leader of humankind. Being the leader of humankind during a time of crisis granted a country massive power. Using an analogy, it was simr to a government dering a state of emergency in Roel¡¯s previous life. For the continuance of humankind, the leader would be granted far-reaching powers to do what was necessary. This granted the Austine Empire a chance to rally the whole of humankind under its g so as to reinforce its position. It could also attempt to remove the culture of theocentrism on the Sia Continent, thus diminishing the influence and authority of the Genesis Goddess Church. The Austine Empire would be stronger than ever if they managed to pull it off. It wouldy the foundation for them to unite all humans and bring back the glorious days of the Ancient Austine Empire. That was likely the greatest wish of the Ackermanns across the generations. As for the deviants, there was no denying that they did pose a real threat, but the Austine Empire was willing to overlook it for the sake of aplishing their ultimate ambition. Humankind had survived the aggression of the deviants numerous times over the years, so they probably thought that it would be the same this time around. Alternatively, it was also possible that the Ackermanns possessed some kind of means that made them confident in oveing the threat of the deviants. ¡°Thisplicates things.¡± In a tent, Roel stared at the reports in his hands and let out a deep sigh. With the Austine Empire baring its fangs, Carter wouldn¡¯t be able to decisively deal with the Elrics. To make things worse, the interference of the Sezes meant that Holy Eminence John would have to back off from the battlefield. The initial n was for Holy Eminence John to make a move at this stage so that they could decisively take down the Elrics¡¯ final stronghold. As sturdy as Edgar City was, it wouldn¡¯tst long against an Origin Level 1 transcendent. However, the interference of the Sezes changed the nature of things. The Sezes were interfering in the Theocracy¡¯s internal war under the ground of their inws'' rtionship with the Elrics, though those well-versed in politics could tell that this was a load of nonsense. Holy Eminence John would have been justified to step in and strike down the Sezes for their insolence in daring to dispatch their army on the Theocracy¡¯s soil. But the problem had never been whether Holy Eminence John was justified to act but the Austine Empire¡¯s reaction. There were two ways to look at the Sezes¡¯ interference in the internal war. If Holy Eminence John chose to turn a blind eye to it, the Sezes could simply be thought to be lending a helping hand to their extended family in a war between nobles. However, if he chose to step in, the matter would immediately escte to a conflict between countries, for, not only was he the patriarch of the Xeclyde House, Holy Eminence John also represented the Theocracy and the Genesis Goddess Church. By then, the Austine Empire would im that the Theocracy was bullying their nobles and use it as an excuse to mobilize their troops against them. It would have been a controversial move, but the Austine Empire could alleviate some of the pressure by insisting that it was Holy Eminence John who had first made a move on the Sezes, and that they were just protecting one of their own. Granted, there were many ws with that line of reasoning. However, a behemoth like the Austine Empire wouldn¡¯t be fazed by something as inconsequential as international censure. They had so much to gain from this matter that it wouldn¡¯t mind drawing the hostility of other countries to achieve its goals, as long as it was still within reasonable grounds. ¡°Whether it is to bait Holy Eminence John into making a move so as to trigger an all-out war, or to stall time and ensure that Edgar City held its ground in order to eliminate any possibility of the Theocracy making aeback after the huge blow it suffered at Tark Stronghold¡­ It looks like the Austine Empire has pretty much cornered us.¡± Roel let out yet another deep sigh. Behind him, Rodney and the others nced at each other, not knowing what to do about the situation either. It was precisely due to theck of a clear solution out of this quandary that the Austine Empire wasn¡¯t bothering to hide its intention at all. The only way to break this deadlock was for the Ascarts and the Xeclydes to take down Edgar City despite interference from the Seze Ducal House, something they would have to aplish before spring. It was just that it was easier said than done, even for someone of Carter¡¯s capability. However, by a stroke of luck, Roel had personally cracked a hole in this quandary that they were in, granting them a ray of hope amidst darkness¡ªBryan¡¯s death. The loss of their patriarch was a huge blow to the Elrics, such that the difficulty of sieging Edgar City had been greatly lowered. That was probably not within the expectations of the Austine Empire. Even in a direct confrontation, Carter¡¯s army should be able to take down Edgar City. The only problem here was the Sezes. ¡°I¡¯ll need more intelligence,¡± murmured Roel. He stared at the massive territory by the borders of the Austine Empire, the Seze Dukedom, with wintry eyes. Chapter 446.2: Revealed Thoughts (2)

Chapter 446.2: Revealed Thoughts (2)

The capital of the Austine Empire, Siaus. In a room furnished with ssic elegance, Lilian sat by the window as she stared at the snowy scenery outside with her cold amethyst eyes. Beside her stood an orange-haired maid, who softly reported the intelligence gathered today with a lowered head. She was Audrey, who served as Lilian¡¯s head maid. She had been serving Lilian from a young age and disyed greatpetence in any work entrusted to her, making her Lilian¡¯s most trusted aide. While Lilian was away in Leinster, she was the one who had been managing Lilian¡¯s faction and settling all sorts of issues. Not just anyone could be the personal maid of a high noble. By the Austine Empire¡¯s tradition, this role was reserved for a daughter from a lower noble house. It went without saying that the personal maid of a member of royalty had to be chosen with utmost prudence. Audrey herself was from a count house, so she was of considerable social standing despite being a maid. Prior to Lilian¡¯s enrollment in Saint Freya Academy, she had always made sure to stay close to Lilian and attend to all of her needs, which resulted in her adopting some of Lilian¡¯s cool-headed decisiveness. That made her quite an intimidating person to go against. Yet, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of worry and confusion as she looked at Lilian¡¯s silhouette. It had already been ten minutes since she had finished her report, but Lilian hadn¡¯t issued any orders yet. As someone who had been with Lilian for many years, Audrey was more aware than anyone else about her liege¡¯s intelligence. Lilian had always been efficient when it came to work, dealing with issues at a speed where even Audrey struggled to keep pace. Even for intricate problems with many nuances, it would never take her more than five minutes toe to a decision. Yet, there was no response from Lilian even though ten minutes had already passed. On top of that, Audrey¡¯s instincts were telling her that Lilian wasn¡¯t thinking about what she had said at all. Such incidents had already urred several times ever since Lilian¡¯s returnst winter. Lilian had also cultivated a habit of sitting next to the window and staring nkly at the scenery outside, seemingly contemting or reminiscing something. It was hard to tell what she was thinking due to her perpetual poker face, and Audrey dared not to carelessly interrupt her either. But this time, Audrey got an inexplicable feeling from Lilian¡¯s silhouette that she was thinking of someone. Hold it right there! For ady of Her Highness¡¯ age to be thinking of someone, could she possibly be¡­ No no no, that¡¯s impossible. After a short bout of suspicion, Audrey quickly evicted the disrespectful thought from her mind. She couldn¡¯t tell whether Lilian was truly feeling that way about another person, but she simply couldn¡¯t envision anyone in this world who was worthy of Lilian¡¯s attention. ¡°Your Highness, do you have any orders?¡± ¡°!¡± Another five minutes passed. Seeing that they weren¡¯t going to make any progress at this rate, Audrey had no choice but to interrupt Lilian from her thought. The sudden question jolted Lilian out of her contemtion. Her amethyst eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she drew her gaze back into the room. ¡°Pardon me, Audrey. I got lost in my thoughts. I need you to repeat what you have just said.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Starting from the Seze Dukedom¡­¡± Audrey repeated everything she had just said without any hesitation, and Lilian quickly gave out follow-up orders for each of the issues. It was also around then that her mind began wandering back to the confrontation between her and Emperor Lukas. On the Austine Empire¡¯s Founding Day, Emperor Lukas summoned her to the audience room to question her about her ties with Roel Ascart. Knowing that it would be terrible if Emperor Lukas found out about her intimate rtionship with Roel, Lilian made sure to answer every question with prudence. It looked like Emperor Lukas had epted her answers for the time being, but that wasn¡¯t enough to dispel his doubts. Thus, he intended to send Lilian to the eastern border in order to eliminate any possibility of the two of them meeting. Emperor Lukas told her that there was a need to escte measures now that Roel had won the Challenger Cup. Now that the two of them were representative figures of Saint Freya Academy, it would be much harder for them to avoid contact with each other. To avoid being put in a tight spot, it was best for Lilian to just stay away from him. Lilian couldn¡¯t ept that judgment, but she wasn¡¯t in a good position to cast doubt onEmperor Lukas¡¯ verdict, and thetter had no intention of seeking her opinion. He also didn¡¯t bother exining why the two of them absolutely had to stay away from each other. To be dispatched to the distant eastern border to fight the deviants was no different from being exiled for someone who stood at the core of the capital. However, knowing that a Holy War was imminent, Lilian wasn¡¯t too bothered about that. It was just that she couldn¡¯t stand the thought of being unable to meet with the man she loved. ¡°¡­ Your Majesty, there¡¯s only one more year before my graduation at Saint Freya Academy. Could you allow me to carry out your order in the form of a mission from the academy? That way, I would be able to stay away from Roel Ascart while reaping the fruits of harvest from my past three years of effort.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian had to shoulder great pressure to make this request. Emperor Lukas stared at her silently for a long while before finally giving his consent. Then, he dismissed her and the audience finally came to an end. All kinds of news had spread since then. It could be possible that Lukas had noticed something in the final request she made, but there was not a single piece of news that was beneficial to Lilian. On the contrary, they were all trampling on her from different angles. The involvement of the Sezes in the Theocracy¡¯s internal war was clearly a directive from the Austine Empire¡¯s upper echelon. Their goal was to blow up the matter such that the Austine Empire could directly intervene to suppress the Theocracy. That wouldy the groundwork for them to clinch the leadership position in the uing Holy War, thus rallying the entirety of humankind under the Austine Empire¡¯s g once again. If things worked out, the Austine Empire could return to its old days of glory. Given the huge implications, it was no exaggeration to say that the person who led the Austine Empire in the war against the Theocracy would receive unprecedented glory for his contribution, thus putting him closer to the throne than other candidates. And the one who was chosen was none other than First Prince Lucius Ackermann. The vastly different attitude Emperor Lukas had taken toward Lucius inparison to Lilian didn¡¯t escape the notice of onlookers. After these two matters were announced, some of the nobles leaning toward Lilian started distancing themselves from her. Lilian was in her worst ever position, and that was the reason why Audrey had been working extra hard over thest few days. However, what confused Audrey was how Lilian didn¡¯t seem bothered by the current turn of events, not making any attempt to fight back at all. ¡°Your Highness, are we really doing nothing at all? We¡¯re still in an advantageous position at the moment. As long as we join hands with the Second Prince, we might still be able to reverse His Majesty¡¯s decision,¡± asked Audrey anxiously. Thebination of the First Prince and the unprecedented glory of bringing upon a new era of prosperity to the Austine Empire was simply too dangerous. Even if Lilian couldn¡¯t secure this opportunity for herself, it was much better for it to go to the Second Prince instead. But to Audrey¡¯s astonishment, Lilian shook her head at her question. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for us to do anything at all,¡± she replied. Lilian ced her hand on a document on the table and endearingly traced a family name written on the paper. ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary. This n is bound to end in failure,¡± she added with a murmur. Chapter 447: Forgotten Legend

Chapter 447: Forgotten Legend

The moment Lilian subconsciously dered that the Austine Empire¡¯s n would end in failure, a startled look showed on Audrey¡¯s face. A secondter, Lilian btedly realized that she had misspoken and stopped her hand movement. ¡°Your Highness, I have no intention of refuting you, but the circumstances surrounding the Theocracy aren¡¯t looking optimistic,¡± said Audrey after much hesitation. Grasping onto the documents in her hands tightly, she took a moment to carefully construe her words before carrying on. ¡°Unrest has been spreading across the Theocracy following the tragedy at Tark Stronghold. Currently, the Ascarts are the only one of the Five Eminent Noble Houses that fully supports the royal family. The other three aren¡¯t as keen on it. The Belfast Marquess and the Lucerne Duke sent the minimum number of troops when reinforcement was requested. The Weiss Marquess offered more support inparison, but the troops he sent number no more than ten thousand. ¡°I can¡¯t deny that the allied army has performed excellently thus far, but most of it can be credited to the Ascart Marquess¡¯ wise leadership. Should the situation take a turn for the worse, the allied army could swiftly fall apart given the conflicting interests of the various parties. Furthermore¡­ their opponent is none other than the Seze Dukedom,¡± said Audrey worriedly. She would have never imagined that a day woulde where she would be worried about the troops of a foreign country. Beside her, there was a slight stir in Lilian¡¯s expression after hearing her trusted aide¡¯s words. It would be foolish to think of the Seze Dukedom like any other high noble, but Lilian persisted in her stance after some consideration. ¡°I acknowledge that the Sezes are powerful and unpredictable. I reckon that Duke Brookley has been promised huge benefits for executing the n. Nevertheless, there¡¯s still a difference in the Ackermanns¡¯ and Sezes¡¯ attitudes toward this war. ¡°Recing the Saint Mesit Theocracy as the new leaders of the Sia Continent and turning the Austine Empire into the only empire of humankind; it does sound like a lofty goal that all of us will work hard for. But in actuality?¡± Lilian calmly posed her question with coldness in her eyes. Audrey fell to silence. She understood what Lilian was driving at as she was a noble too. Bringing back the Austine Empire¡¯s past days of glory might benefit everyone, but there was a clear distinction in the benefits each person received. Commoners would only have more resources at their disposal and be slightly more wealthy. It was slightly better for nobles since they would be able to expand their territory, and their standing would naturally rise. However, the greatest beneficiary of it all was the emperor. The Ackermann Imperial Family was the overseer of humankind back in the era of the Ancient Austine Empire. The authority they wielded then was close to that of the gods. Returning to that era of glory meant that the Ackermanns¡¯ imperial authority would grow rapidly, leaving the dukes of the Austine Empire in the dust. The power bnce that had been maintained between the nobles and the imperial family would crumble. Emperor Lukas had likely promised huge benefits to the Sezes for them to mobilize their army, but the real question here was whether the Sezes were going to fullymit themselves to the battle or not. It would be great if the battle turned out to be easy, but if the Sezes foresaw heavy losses, they were unlikely to sacrifice themselves for the Ackermanns. Audrey¡¯splexion visibly improved upon having made sense of the situation. She believed that everything would go well as long as this golden opportunity for First Prince Lucius didn¡¯t work out. She was too caught up in her thoughts that she didn¡¯t notice that Lilian didn¡¯t state her conclusion after posing her rhetorical question. That was because she thought of a key variable in the Sezes¡¯ possession. Her judgment was that the Sezes wouldn¡¯t go all-out if they had to pay a heavy price for victory, but at the same time, she was aware that the Sezes had a certain someone who would almost certainly guarantee their victory. The Seze House was a unique existence in the Austine Empire not just because of their influence but the existence of a certain someone. There was still hope if that certain someone chose not to make a move, but if he did¡­ Lilian couldn¡¯t help but frown as she thought about this slim possibility. She stood up and walked over to the window once more. As she gazed at the deste winter scenery outside, an ominous feeling started swelling up in her heart. ¡°It can¡¯t possibly happen, right¡­¡± A ck-haired man surfaced in her mind, and she prayed for his safety in her heart. ¡­ While Lilian was tracing a name on her document with wandering thoughts, Roel was sitting before a candlelight stand, staring at the pile of reports before him as he pondered about recent events. It had been nearly a week since he had departed from the Holy Capital. Ever since the Sezes trespassed onto their territory, the Theocracy¡¯s intelligencework had been thoroughly investigating them. The investigation reports swiftly stacked up, allowing Roel to gain a decent understanding of his enemy. In summary, the Sezes were not easy to deal with. Most high nobles in the Austine Empire had long histories dating back to the Second Epoch, and such was the case for the Seze Ducal House. One distinguished historical figure from the Seze House in the Second Epoch was the famous general, Rouville Seze. When the ancestor of a family had an illustrious record in the military, his descendants would usually inherit his legacy and make a living in the military too. The Sezes were one of the noble houses in control of military power during the mass migration, and they were also one of the founding noble houses of the current Austine Empire. Unlike the other noble houses, the Sezes had chosen to stay away from political strife ever since the founding of the current Austine Empire, though they remained dedicated to developing their military forces. They boasted the strongest military prowess of all noble houses in the Austine Empire. It was for that reason that Emperor Lukas chose to entrust this job to them. Roel couldn¡¯t help but notice that Sezes¡¯ trajectory was very simr to that of the Ascarts, and that piqued his wariness. The Sezes aren¡¯t just a bunch of spoilt nobles. They are a true military house that can put up a tough fight. Both Roel and the frontlinemand center eventually arrived at this conclusion. If that was all, Roel would have been vignt about the Sezes but not overly worried. What truly concerned him was a legend spreading within the popce of the Seze Dukedom. Simr to how the tide ebbs and flows, the Sezes had its fair share of ups and downs even though it was a powerful military house. Around three centuries ago, the Sezes suffered a major blow and found themselves suppressed by all the other noble houses. It was a huge crisis, but a young man named Layton Seze stood forth. He was known to be an incredibly talented prodigy who had left legends in many parts of the world, but he was constantly traveling from country to country so it was hard to grab hold of his whereabouts. He returned to the Seze Ducal House in its moment of despair and slowly resuscitated it. At the same time, he continued to grow stronger, eventually reaching the highest pinnacle a transcendent could reach, Origin Level 1, and bing the strongest transcendent of the Austine Empire. However, much to everyone¡¯s surprise, after Layton reached Origin Level 1 and managed the Seze House as its patriarch for over a century, he chose not to be one of the leaders of humankind like Antonio. On the contrary, he stepped down from his role as the Seze House¡¯s patriarch and slowly disappeared from everyone¡¯s view. His abrupt retirement brought about plenty of spection. Some suggested that he was giving a chance to his descendants. After all, if his descendants were to remain sheltered under his halo, they might not be able to hold their own when Layton eventually passed away. Another popr theory was that Layton had grown tired of the political strife amongst the upper echelons of humankind. Things were tense between the Austine Empire and the Saint Mesit Theocracy during that period of time, looking as if a war was imminent. All in all, the important thing was that this Origin Level 1 transcendent had gone into seclusion. Many people thought that it was a huge waste, but it was not as if anyone dared to openly criticize him for his decision, so life went on as usual. The Sezes became an untouchable existence ever since¡ªwho would dare to mess with them when they had one of the strongest human transcendents behind them? Time went by, and new outstanding talents emerged in their lineage. In Roel¡¯s previous life, it was often jokingly said that aizen¡¯s memory onlysted for seven seconds. That was due to the massive influx of information from the onset of the Digital Age. News tended to be moresting in the information-scarce Sia Continent, but Layton¡¯s influence had slowly diminished ever since he went into seclusion. Over the course of two centuries, the popce gradually forgot about Layton Seze¡¯s existence. Invitation letters were no longer addressed to this legendary figure. Nobles stopped mentioning him in their greetings. Vige children began chanting the name of another hero. Layton Seze had be nothing more than a figure mentioned in history books. No one was concerned about him even though the Sezes had never held a funeral for him. No one could have imagined then that the legend would reawaken from his slumber. Eighty years ago, when humankind was utterly cornered by the deviants in the Fourth Holy War, Layton Seze returned. He had already turned into a white-haired elder by then, but he carried the fate of humankind with a staunch back. He raised his fists and vanquished the fear of the soldiers who had long forgotten about him, crushing the swelling ambitions of the deviants. Under his leadership, the forces of humankind climbed out from the pits of despair and drove out the deviants. With this victory, Layton wasuded as a hero once again. Even Roel felt an adrenaline rush when he read up to this point. It was in this war that Layton was dubbed the ¡®Military God¡¯. His prestige soared to the peak, be it amongst the allied armies of humankind or the Austine Empire. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Layton chose to return to seclusion and slowly fade from the people¡¯s sight after oveing the danger. No one dared to pose any opposition to Layton¡¯s decision, but this time around, the people didn¡¯t forget about him. Instead, they erected statues of him and worshiped him as the Military God. It was for that reason that Roel had so much information on him. Unfortunately, none of this was good news for Roel, as the Sezes were now his enemies. Chapter 448: Vague Premonition

Chapter 448: Vague Premonition

¡°¡­¡± Roel sat inside a tent, staring at the reports he held in his hands with a tight frown. In front of him stood Cynthia, Wood, and Rodney, the threemanders of the heretic army. They were deep in contemtion, trying to digest the information Roel had just shared with them. Roel had told them about the problems concerning the Theocracy¡¯s internal war in hopes that they could analyze the matter together ande up with a solution. The first question that popped into Roel¡¯s head right after reading about Layton Seze¡¯s history was: Is this four-hundred-year-old legendary figure still alive? There had been aplete absence of news about Layton Seze in the eighty years following the Holy War. All sorts of rumors floated around the Austine Empire, but all of themcked credence. Some thought that he was still alive but living in seclusion as before, but there were also those who believed that the legendary old man was no longer around. After all, Layton Seze did suffer quite some injuries in the war against the deviants. Roel also gave the matter some thought, and he eventually concluded that there was a high chance that Layton Seze was still alive. The reasoning behind his conclusion was pretty simple too¡ªAntonio, who was around the same age as Layton, was still alive and kicking. Of course, there were some differences in the circumstances surrounding the two Origin Level 1 transcendents. Antonio was one of the leading figures of humankind at the moment, so he was bound to have far greater ess to valuable resources. That being said, the Sezes weren¡¯tgging far behind in that aspect, being an esteemed ducal house in the Austine Empire. It didn¡¯t seem likely that an Origin Level 1 transcendent would pass away that easily. Wood and the others agreed with Roel¡¯s point of view. ¡°It seems unlikely that a legendary figure like Layton would pass away without a funeral. There¡¯s a chance that the Sezes might attempt to conceal his death, but based on the information we have, the Seze House isn¡¯t relying on Layton to hold down the fort anymore. I don¡¯t think that there would be any need for them to hide Layton¡¯s death,¡± said Wood. Moving ahead with the assumption that Layton was still alive, Roel proceeded to pose the second question: Will this legendary old man interfere in this matter? Neither Roel nor his hereticmanders had a clear answer to that question. ¡°Layon Seze is a legendary hero of the Austine Empire. It is almost demeaning for him to involve himself in a war of interests between nobles,¡± remarked Rodney, who had been to the Austine Empire in his earlier years. Cynthia nodded in agreement. ¡°Our mercenary band has been to the Austine Empire before, and Layton¡¯s story is quite famous there. Unless there¡¯s a qualified opponent, I don¡¯t think someone of Layton¡¯s stature would join the battlefield.¡± Wood, stroking his beard, agreed with the other two¡¯s sentiments. However, despite the unanimous agreement from his subordinates, Roel still harbored some reservations about the matter. ¡°What you say makes sense, but you¡¯re neglecting the current context.¡± ¡°Current context?¡± ¡°The Theocracy has lost significant military prowess, and the deviants are starting to be more active. We¡¯re already in the prelude of a Holy War. Thest time Layton made an appearance was when the deviants invaded human territory during thest Holy War. Don¡¯t you think that there¡¯s a good chance he might make a return now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rodney and the others found themselves at a loss for words. ¡°Besides, if we look at this matter from the perspective of the Seze House, what they are doing is no different from provoking the Theocracy. It¡¯s true that the Austine Empire is behind them, but this is indubitably a dangerous move. If Layton had expressed his opposition to the intervention, there¡¯s no way the Sezes would dare to overrule his decision. ¡°There¡¯s also a chance that Layton might be unaware of this matter altogether, but still, if we consider Layton¡¯s priorities, it¡¯s unlikely that the Sezes would mobilize their troops against the Theocracy in this case. Think about it, this war will weaken not just the Theocracy and the Austine Empire but the overall military forces of humankind. Given the imminent threat of the deviants, don¡¯t you think that Layton would be enraged when he found out about it? ¡°If we exclude the two scenarios I have just mentioned, the only remaining possibility is that Layton, for whatever reason, has approved the mobilization of the Sezes¡¯ troops. If so, we cannot overlook the possibility of him appearing on the battlefield,¡± Roel said with a deep sigh. Rodney and the others looked at one another with worried frowns. What Roel had just suggested sounded very usible to them. Neither of the three hereticmanders had encountered an Origin Level 1 transcendent before, but they did have a firsthand experience with the overwhelming prowess of the Origin Level 2 Bryan Elric. They shuddered to imagine what kind of monster Layton Seze would be. On the other hand, Roel had a much deeper insight into the strength wielded by Origin Level 1 transcendents, having encountered the all-powerful Magician King Priestley Maxwell in the Witness State. Based on his fight with Priestley, he knew that the number of troops made little to no difference against an Origin Level 1 transcendent. Even the legendary armies Lilian summoned from the Ancient Austine Empire were obliterated within moments under Priestley¡¯s overwhelming force. Roel was also aware of the fact that he wasn¡¯t a match for an Origin Level 1 transcendent in terms of individual prowess. While he had managed to take down Priestley in the Witness State, he had received significant support from Astrid and Lilian. Most importantly of all, Artasia was able to exert her full prowess as the Witch Queen inside the Witness State. Unfortunately, these advantages were not avable to him in the real world. If he were to encounter Priestley once more in the real world, even with his recent breakthrough, the only possible oue was his defeat. Thus far, Roel and hismanders had confirmed the possibility that Layton Seze might appear on the battlefield, but they struggled to think of any countermeasures. The absolute difference in strength left them feeling utterly helpless. In the end, they could only stake their hopes on luck and the church. Roel wasn¡¯t the only one suffering from a headache due to the Sezes¡¯ intervention. The Xeclydes also had a huge stake in this matter. Holy Eminence John had fought alongside Layton Seze in the previous Holy War against the deviants, so he was well aware of thetter¡¯s strength and influence. For that reason, he had urgently sent an envoy party to the Seze Dukedom before the outbreak of the war. The primary goal of the envoy party was to dissuade the Seze House from bing frontline pawns of the Ackermanns to deal with the Theocracy. If that failed, their priority would be to do everything they could to dissuade Layton from participating in the war. The envoy party included several highly respected bishops, but Roel wasn¡¯t too optimistic about it. Unlike the Theocracy, which had devoted itself to worshiping Goddess Sia, the Austine Empire had inherited the custom of polytheism from the Ancient Austine Empire. While Goddess Sia was still the supreme god, the right to worship multiple gods simultaneously had the effect of reducing faith in divine beings. It was simr to how a person who followed multiple idols was likely to be less dedicated to each idol than a person devoted to just one. In fact, the practice of polytheism was one of the means the Ackermanns used to undermine religious influences and reinforce imperial authority. Roel had no idea what the faith of the Seze House was, but he didn¡¯t think that the bishops, who solely dedicated themselves to Goddess Sia, would be able to get through to them. While he was worried about the negotiations, there were new developments on the battlefield. Chapter 449.1: Familiar Faces (1)

Chapter 449.1: Familiar Faces (1)

All nobles of the Sia Continent, regardless of country, deemed envoys from the Genesis Goddess Church to be esteemed guests. The Genesis Goddess Church was thergest human religion, after all. Even for non-believers, the influence and power it wielded entitled them to the highest level of respect. While there were plenty of powerful nobles out there, the Genesis Goddess Church practically had a monopoly in the field of religions. However, this was a gross simplification of reality. The rtionship between the church and the nobles was actually much more nuanced. There were many influences that one had to take into ount, such as geographical location. In the Theocracy, where devout believers of the Genesis Goddess Church were aplenty, the bishops of the church naturallymanded a high social standing, possibly evenparable to that of nobles. However, in rural viges or ces where the church¡¯s teachings didn¡¯t reach, the religious power of the church would be greatly diminished. Sometimes, it might even backfire. The Austine Empire was one good example of that. Due to the hostile rtionship between the Austine Empire and the Theocracy, citizens of the Austine Empire didn¡¯t harbor any goodwill for the Genesis Goddess Church despite having faith in Goddess Sia. In the Seze Dukedom, the fame and influence of legendary hero Layton Seze far surpassed that of the church. Brookley Seze was the current patriarch of the Seze House, having inherited its duke title. Under normal circumstances, he would have simply ignored the envoy party sent by the Genesis Goddess Church, but not this time. The envoy party had visited with a letter in hand. This letter wasn¡¯t written in the name of the church but in an individual¡¯s capacity. It was addressed to the hero of the Austine Empire, Layton Seze, and the writer had signed himself off as ¡®an old friend¡¯. There was only one person in the Saint Mesit Theocracy who could identify himself as such before Layton Seze¡ªthe Origin Level 1 transcendent who had also emerged as a hero of humankind in the previous Holy War, Holy Eminence John. Even Duke Brookley had no choice but to ept the letter. With it in his hand, he quickly made his way to the depths of the Seze House. There was a secret dungeon named Uzer Mountain Valley located on the forbidden grounds of the Seze House. Simr to the dungeons in the Country of Schrs, it harnessed special properties. Uzer Mountain Valley was filled with fairies that could whisk away a person¡¯s pain. The flow of time in this ce was also two times slower than in the outside world, which meant that a person could, in another sense of the word, extend their lifespan by staying in the mountain valley. In view of this unique property, Uzer Mountain Valley was viewed to be one of the most confidential secrets of the Seze House. However, those who thought of Uzer Mountain Range as a paradise would be gravely mistaken. The fairies that had the ability to whisk away people¡¯s pain were ironically violent in nature, and there were many powerful demonic beasts roaming thend. Those who entered Uzer Mountain Range with the intention of extending their lifespan would be lucky to be able to escape with their life. Only a Race Sovereign could hope to live peacefully in a ce like this. The moment Duke Brookley dismissed his guards and entered this treacherousnd all alone, numerous malevolent auras arose from around the beautiful mountain valley. Sinister cackles could be heard from the violent fairies loitering in the vicinity. This was an unnerving ce to be in even for a powerful transcendent. Not daring to make a careless move, he raised his head to look at the distant mountain valley and waited patiently. The next moment, an overwhelming aura suddenly arose from the distant mountain. It was so powerful that it stiffened the body of the Origin Level 2 Duke Brookley, rendering him immobile. At the same time, the gazesing from around him dissipated under the pressure of the overwhelming aura, and the violent fairies also halted their approach. The aura onlysted for a brief moment, but it brought peace back to the mountain valley. Once the overwhelming aura fully receded, Duke Brookley decisively began making his way toward the heart of the mountain valley. After passing by a small pathway near the fields, a familiar wooden hut appeared before his eyes. The sight of it instinctively prompted him to take on a much more respectful attitude. He quickly made his way toward the garden by the wooden hut. There, he saw a white-haired elder sitting in a chair. Thetter opened his eyes and looked at him as if having just awoken from an afternoon nap. At first nce, there was nothing special about Layton Seze that set him apart from an ordinary old man. His hair and beard had turned snowy white, though his physique remained as towering and brawny as depicted in the sculptures made of him. He had faint wrinkles that weren¡¯t too obvious and a pair of deep eyes that reflected the vicissitudes of life. Those who met eyes with him couldn¡¯t help but feel deep respect toward him. ¡°You¡¯re here, Brookley. Did something happen?¡± Layton asked his descendant with aposed deep voice. At that question, Duke Brookley stepped forward and respectfully presented the letter to Layton before exining the matter. A letter from the Genesis Goddess Church was not to be made light of, but there was a stir in Layton¡¯s expression when he learned that it was from Holy Eminence John. There were hardly any familiar names to him left in this present era, let alone oldrades. He understood that a letter written by Holy Eminence John in his personal capacity was an appeal to their old friendship. Layton chose to ept the letter from Brookley and began reading it, but he fell silent for a long while afterward. Noticing theck of response by his ancestor, Duke Brookley¡¯s heart slowly calmed down. By this point, he was already certain that the letter was sent in vain, for the Theocracy had made a grievouspse in judgment. The world had naturally assumed that he, the current patriarch of the Sezes, was the one who made the decision to interfere in the Theocracy¡¯s internal war, but the true mastermind was actually the old man sitting in front of him. Mobilizing the Sezes¡¯ troops during this time could have huge repercussions on the fate of humankind and the entire Sia Continent. Duke Brookley understood that, and he dared not make a decision by himself when there was an ancestor sitting above him. Layton, as the hero of the previous Holy War, was deemed to be the protector of humankind. While the Ackermanns¡¯ n would bring about significant benefits to the Austine Empire, there was no denying that it would weaken the forces of humankind as a whole. For that reason, just as Duke Brookley had expected, Layton initially objected to the mobilization of the Sezes¡¯ troops. Yet, when Layton received a set of military intelligence reports about the parties involved in the Theocracy¡¯s internal war, he had a drastic change in attitude. In spite of his initial disapproval, he immediately ordered Duke Brookley to begin mobilizing the troops. That had left Duke Brookley incredibly confused. It had been a very long time since Layton had interfered in any decisions made by the Seze House. He had stepped down from his position in hopes that his descendants would be freed from his influence and learn how to stand on their own two feet. True to his intent, Layton would only offer suggestions whenever his descendants came to visit, never making a clear stance. In fact, thest time he had proactively taken action was almost a hundred years ago, when the previous Holy War broke out. Duke Brookley couldn¡¯t help but wonder what could have prompted his usually passive ancestor to take such decisive action. He had been keeping an eye out for that, and as a result of interacting with Layton over the past few days, he soon stumbled upon a realization. It was the Ascarts. For some reason, Layton was exceptionally interested in the Theocracy¡¯s Ascarts. It was to the extent that Duke Brookley was almost convinced that it was the reason why he had decided to mobilize the troops. But that only brought about more doubts. The Ascarts were a renowned noble house in the Sia Continent, being one of the Theocracy¡¯s Five Eminent Noble Houses, but that was insufficient to catch the attention of the Sezes. In terms of heritage, the Ascarts were upstart nobles who had only risen through the ranks in the Third Epoch, nowhere close to the rich history of the Sezes. In terms of influence, while the Ascarts shared a simr position in the Theocracy as the Sezes did in the Austine Empire, the Elrics, with whom the Sezes once had a political marriage, weren¡¯t weak either. All in all, Duke Brookley couldn¡¯t understand why his ancestor was so interested in the Ascarts. He even investigated their family history, but Layton didn¡¯t appear to have any special ties with the Ascarts. As for major news surrounding the Ascarts, there was one that particrly stood out. The sessor of the Ascart House, Roel Ascart, had recently won the Challenger Cup, bing its youngest ever champion. Due to that, he was dered a noble by the five major countries of the Sia Continent. However, such aplishments shouldn¡¯t have been of much significance to Layton, who had been through countless storms and received the highest of glories. Chapter 449.2: Familiar Faces (2)

Chapter 449.2: Familiar Faces (2)

In the end, Duke Brookley was unable to figure out the reason behind Layton¡¯s interest in the Ascarts despite having done some digging around. However, he wasn¡¯t too bothered by it since it was of little importance in the grander scheme of things. What was more important was to decide on their next move. They had to urgently proceed ahead with the n they had agreed on with the Ackermanns. ¡°Ancestor Layton, regarding our next move¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll stick to our original n, but take note of the extent,¡± replied Layton after he ced the letter down. His response put Duke Brookley¡¯s heartpletely at ease. Eager to put their n into action, Duke Brookley respectfully requested permission to take his leave before hurriedly leaving the dungeon. After his departure, Layton reached out and picked up a document that was lying on the table. It was a military intelligence document regarding the Theocracy¡¯s allied army that Duke Brookley had brought on the day he came to seek Layton¡¯s permission. There was one page in it that looked particrly wrinkled, a sign that it had been browsed many, many times. After reading the letter from his oldrade, Layton couldn¡¯t help but flip the document to this very page to read its contents as he had done many times before. ¡¾Roel Ascart The only son of Ascart Marquess, Carter Ascart. Awakener of the Ascart Bloodline Winner of the Challenger Cup Origin Level 4 ¡­¡¿ Reading through the document and looking at the familiar face in the painted portrait, Layton fell deep in thought. A long timeter, he let out a deep sigh. ¡°How alike¡­ I guess it¡¯s time for me to head out.¡± Layton put down the documents and stared at the blue sky above before closing his eyes. ¡­ In the allied army¡¯smand center outside Edgar City, Carter impassively stared at a map in front of him with several other generals that sported grave faces gathered around him. It was already the middle of the night, which was not a normal time to hold a military meeting, but an urgent report had broken on what would have otherwise been a peaceful night, leaving them with no choice but to hold an urgent meeting. The content of the report? The Sezes have mobilized their army. The scouts had spotted the cavalrymen of the Austine Empire entering the Elric Fiefdom earlier that evening, and they had already begun constructing their base camp. The darkening sky made it hard to make a proper estimate of their strength, but it was still possible to make a rough deduction. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like an army; more like a toon of elite troops,¡± said Carter. The othermanders nodded in agreement. The Sezes wouldn¡¯t send out their main army right away even if they had ulterior motives in mind. Such a move would have only forced Carter and the allied army to confront them in an all-out fight, which wasn¡¯t something either side wanted to happen. There was nothing the Ackermanns could have offered that was worth the Sezes crippling their military force over, for that was the very foundation of their power. If the Sezes and the allied army were to go all out against each other, the only victors in this internal war would be the Elrics and the Ackermanns. One had to know that the Sezes weren¡¯t loyal subordinates who would sacrifice themselves at their liege¡¯smand. This was more of the partnership between them and the Ackermanns than anything else. Naturally, one of their priorities was to minimize losses. Carter and hismanders had previously deduced that the Sezes would deploy their elite troops to provoke and harass them, but it came as aplete surprise for them to do so at this point in time. It was just hours ago that the Theocracy¡¯s envoy party had visited the Seze House with Holy Eminence John¡¯s personal letter, but before the envoy party could report the negotiation oue, the Sezes had already sent their army to invade the Theocracy. It was safe to assume that negotiations had broken down and that war was inevitable. Carter and hismanders began discussing ns, and they eventually decided to split their troops. The majority of their troops wouldunch a siege against Edgar City, whereas a small portion would head out to tie down the Sezes¡¯ elite troops as long as possible. However, there was a condition regarding the troops that they would dispatch to tie down the Sezes. In order to avoid escting the conflict, they couldn¡¯t mobilize the church or the royal family¡¯s soldiers against the Sezes, which meant that they had to dispatchnded nobles¡¯ soldiers. Everyone present in thismand center was aware of that, but not a singlemander volunteered themselves for the task. It wasn¡¯t just about whether they were willing to do so or not, but also about the limitations of their strength. One key issue was that they couldn¡¯t divert too many troops over to deal with the Sezes, or it would undermine the main forces¡¯ attempt to siege Edgar Fortress. However, it would be far too optimistic to expect ordinary soldiers to be able to hold back the Sezes¡¯ elite troops. None of the soldiers dispatched by the othernded nobles in the alliance army had the ability to hold back the Sezes¡¯ elite troops. After all, the othernded nobles wouldn¡¯t want to risk severely weakening their military prowess in this internal war when victory wasn¡¯t guaranteed, so they chose to withhold their elite troops. As a result, the only force that had the ability to hold back the Sezes¡¯ elite troops was the Ascarts¡¯ soldiers. A heavy silence loomed inside the tent as Carter stared at the map grimly. The Ascarts¡¯ personal army had already suffered heavy losses during the siege on Cappolhio Fortress. To entrust it with such a difficult mission at this juncture was as good as driving a stake through its heart. Nonded noble would allow their personal army to be destroyed, for it didn¡¯t just represent their honor and dignity. Anded noble¡¯s personal armyprised the strongest soldiers of a fiefdom, so they naturally became a group that other soldiers looked up to. They were the spirit of anded noble¡¯s troops, and their defeat would deal a heavy blow to the morale of the other soldiers. Furthermore, Carter¡¯s authority in the allied army would be diminished if anything were to happen to the Ascarts¡¯ personal army. That could undermine their current war efforts. This put Carter in a dilemma. It would be nigh impossible for them to tie down the Sezes¡¯ elite troops without dispatching the Ascarts¡¯ personal army, but doing so could lead to severe repercussions too. How was he supposed to choose between these two options? Time ticked by, but the heavy silence continued to loom in the tent. None of the othermanders dared to take on this mission, knowing that they didn¡¯t have the ability to tie down the Sezes. An hour passed in tension, and the meeting was eventually adjourned. While Carter was feeling conflicted over this matter, Alicia, who had been quietly listening into the meeting all this while, had some thoughts in mind. She looked at the documents in her hands with gleaming ruby eyes. Alicia thought that there was no alternative for Carter here. He would have to eventually dispatch the Ascarts¡¯ personal army, or they wouldn¡¯t be able to fight at all. At the same time, she was aware that Roel would be arriving on the frontline in several days¡¯ time, which meant that tonight would be her only chance. Having thought things through, she quietly appeared in themand center as she usually did, just that she wasn¡¯t here to submit a military intelligence report but to request to join the battle. ¡°Lord Father, please allow me to lead our personal army and the heretic army to deal with the Sezes,¡± Alicia proposed with a bow. Chapter 450.1: Alicia’s Counterattack (1)

Chapter 450.1: Alicia¡¯s Counterattack (1)

In a tent under the moonlight, Alicia Ascart had suddenly appeared in front of the frowning Carter and made a proposal, but the marquess rejected her request after a moment of thought. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for that. You just have to focus on your responsibilities and continue gathering intelligence,¡± Carter spoke with a determined attitude. Alicia wasn¡¯t surprised by her foster father¡¯s vehement rejection as she could somewhat guess what was on his mind. She could sense that Carter did view her as his own daughter, but there was anotheryer of identity that she would never be able to shake off¡ªthe daughter of a closerade who had died protecting Carter. As long as thisyer of identity remained, Carter would never be able to send her to the battlefield. Carter would rather dispatch his own son to the battlefield than her due to the guilt he felt, but this was not something Alicia could ept. She knew that Roel was already in the Elric Fiefdom, and it didn¡¯t take a genius to know what would happen next. Roel had already advanced to Origin Level 3, and he was apanied by the elites of the heretic army. Given the current circumstances, it would be impossible for him not to head to the battlefield. If she couldn¡¯t convince Carter here, she would have to remain a spectator throughout the entire battle, forced to watch Roel fight against the enemies. Discipline was important in the military, so Alicia wouldn¡¯t be able to leave her position without Carter¡¯s orders. ¡°Lord Father¡­ are you intending to dispatch Lord Brother to stop the Sezes?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Carter¡¯s silent response to Alicia¡¯s question affirmed her guess. I have to find a way to convince father, but what can I do¡­ Alicia clenched her fists tightly. She chose not to refute Carter¡¯s words right away. ¡°Lord Father, there are many demonic beasts by the borders between the Theocracy and the Austine Empire. I can control them to some extent with my ability. If I cooperate well with the heretics and our personal army, we should be able to stall the enemy for quite some time. With that, our situation should improve once Lord Brother arrives on the battlefield.¡± ¡°That might be the case, but you¡¯re still underaged. I can¡¯t allow a child to march on the battlefield. You don¡¯t have to worry about this. I¡¯ll make other arrangements.¡± ¡°I might be underaged, but there are many precedents of our ancestors marching onto the battlefield at my age. It¡¯s the same for Lord Brother too. He was only ten years old when he first took over as the proxy fief lord. There shouldn¡¯t be a difference for¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. You aren¡¯t the same as them.¡± ¡°!¡± Faced with Alicia¡¯s continuous pressure, Carter ended up uttering some inappropriate words out of anxiousness. When he realized that he had misspoken, he hurriedly tried to salvage the situation, only to find a horrified look on Alicia¡¯s face. Thetter looked at him with reddened eyes. ¡°Lord Father, you still think of me as an outsider even after all these years?¡± she muttered hoarsely. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, Alicia. It¡¯s just that this mission is too dangerous¡­¡± ¡°If Lord Brother can handle the danger, why can¡¯t I? Lord Father, if you think of me as a member of the Ascart House, please entrust this mission to me. I wish to lend a helping hand to the family in this time of crisis,¡± Alicia said with a lowered head. Carter was put at a loss. Those words reminded him so much of his old subordinate that it made it hard for him to ept, but he was afraid that his insistent rejection would hurt Alicia and fracture the familial bond between them. He felt a dull pain in his heart when he looked at Alicia¡¯s reddened eyes. Touching his heart, he knew that he would have most likely epted her request if she was his blood daughter. Even though he was rejecting her request to protect her, he realized that this might have been a form of discrimination too. Uncertainty could be seen on his face for a long while before he finally let out a long sigh and gave a reluctant nod. ¡°Alright, Alicia. I¡¯ll leave it to you. You don¡¯t have to worry about themanding; I¡¯ll send someone there to handle it. You just have to hold on till Roel arrives.¡± ¡°Understood. Thank you, Lord Father.¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s gettingte. Go get some rest. You¡¯ll have to set out early tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Father.¡± Alicia directed a formal bow toward Carter before slowly fading into the shadows. When she appeared beneath the moon once more, her tears had already been reced with a relieved smile. Her bet paid off. With this, she was no longer just a spectator. She would be able to stand alongside Roel in the uing battle. ¡°I still have three days,¡± murmured Alicia. She gazed at the reports she had on Roel in her hands before looking up in the sky in reminiscence. ¡­ Mobilization of troops tended to be swift and abrupt, and this held true for both the Sezes and the Ascarts. The following morning, shortly after Carter announced his decision, the Ascarts¡¯ private army and heretic army began marching toward the border. This mobilization caught everyone¡¯s attention even though they were only several thousand soldiers strong, for everyone understood that this was the army that could very well change the trajectory of history. Meanwhile, Duke Brookley had decided to personally visit the Sezes¡¯ base camp to survey the situation. Hoping to tie down the military force of a powerful country with minimal losses would have been nothing but a pipe dream in Roel¡¯s previous life, but it was possible on the Sia Continent due to the vast disparity in strength among transcendents. A high-level transcendent could single-handedly obliterate a toon of soldiers by themselves on the battlefield. Duke Broookley was an Origin Level 2 transcendent himself, and the soldiers he had mobilized for this mission were the elites of the Seze Fiefdom. Even though they numbered less than ten thousand, their military prowess could easily match a reserve army five timesrger than them. The allied army would have to split their forces into two in order to push back the Sezes¡¯ elites. The Sezes would have aplished their mission as long as they could divert away tens of thousands of soldiers. As long as they achieved that, the Theocracy would be greatly weakened, be it through the intervention of the Austine Empire or the failed siege on Edgar City. However, barely a day after the mobilization of their troops, Duke Brookley received a report that shocked him. The Theocracy¡¯s allied army did dispatch soldiers to deal with them, but their number didn¡¯t reach tens of thousands. On the contrary, it was even fewer than theirs. This was contrary to what Duke Brookley had envisioned, and that was why he felt deeply confused by it. He had investigated the enemy forces beforehand, and he had known that the Ascarts¡¯ personal army had suffered heavy losses in the earlier phase of the war. Considering that the Ascart Marquess had to remain in themand center to direct the war, they shouldn¡¯t have sufficient elites remaining to hold them back. Is he nning to use them as pawns? Duke Brookley considered that for a moment, but he quickly refuted that thought. It was hard to imagine that a noble would go to the extent of using their personal army as cannon fodder. But if that wasn¡¯t the case, what could the Ascart Marquess be trying to do? We have not bothered trying to conceal the strength of our troops, so it¡¯s unlikely that the Theocracy¡¯s intelligencework has made a major misjudgment about our forces. Does that mean that they have some kind of formidable general or expert that we¡¯re unaware of? Far too many unanswered doubts left Duke Brookley feeling uncertain. The only thing that had gone ording to his prediction thus far was that the army dispatched to deal with them hade from the Ascart Fiefdom. He thought that the only thing left to do was wait for the eventual sh to see what the Ascarts were up to, but before then, another unexpected incident urred. He received a report from their scouts, informing him that the Ascarts¡¯ army had traversed across the ins over the past day and was swiftly approaching them, but for some reason, they had avoided confronting the Sezes¡¯ troops. Instead, they suddenly took a sharp turn and dove into a forest by the borders. ¡°???¡± It was a move that baffled not just the soldiers but even Duke Brookley, who was well-versed in warfare. Chapter 450.2: Alicia’s Counterattack (2)

Chapter 450.2: Alicia¡¯s Counterattack (2)

Jungle warfare was indeed a thing in the history of the Sia Continent, the most notable example of its use being the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Hignd Division. However, the loss of military technology and equipment during the mass migration had made jungle warfare taboo. While entering a jungle to conceal an army¡¯s whereabouts so as tounch an ambush at night was a legitimate strategy, therey a problem with it that simply couldn¡¯t be circumvented¡ªthe demonic beasts residing in the jungle. Furthermore, the jungle that the Ascarts¡¯ army had dove into was the one located by the borders of the Theocracy and the Austine Empire. Neither country had ever bothered dispatching their troops to clear the demonic beasts from there, making it a paradise for the demonic beasts. If the Ascarts were truly intending to ambush them through such a method, the chances were that they would find themselves caught in a demonic beast stampede instead. Such a basic mistake would have only been made by inexperiencedmanders, such that Duke Brookley wouldn¡¯t expect to see it on the battlefield. It was to the point that he thought that there might have been an error in the intelligence report, until another piece of news arrived. ¡°The onemanding the Ascarts¡¯ army is an underaged child? Hmph. That exins the foolish maneuver,¡± Duke Brookley harrumphed coldly. While he preferred to avoid fighting an overly powerful enemy, he thought that it was a humiliation for the Ascarts to send an underaged child to deal with him. In any case, it did exin the enemy¡¯s anomalous movements. ¡°An inexperiencedss who only knows warfare theories on paper; it¡¯s no wonder why she woulde up with such a cretinous n. It looks like there¡¯s no need for us to interfere in this battle at all.¡± Havinge to such a conclusion, Duke Brookley couldn¡¯t help but pity Carter¡¯s choice of subordinates. The othermanders of the Sezes¡¯ army also burst intoughter and mocked at how far the Ascarts had fallen. The news swiftly spread throughout the base camp, and a light atmosphere soon permeated the Sezes¡¯ army. The soldiers started to put down their guard as they prepared to witness the joke of the century. Mostmanders and veteran soldiers deduced that the Ascarts would soon flee from the jungle in a panic under the ferocious pursuit of the demonic beasts. Little did they know that apletely different situation was currently underway in the jungle. ¡­ In the midst of a jungle, under a pale moon, stood Alicia with an air of ethereal grace. Her silvery hair shone with faint luminescence, and her ruby eyes carried a tinge of tenderness. She wore delicate mythril armor and a short battle skirt, which granted her ease of movement but revealed her thighs. Despite the dark surroundings, her body appeared to be emanating faint luminosity, reminiscent of a mystical and bewitching forest fairy. At the same time, her armor gave her an air of valiance that resembled a war goddess. Divine yet enigmatic, these two vastly different dispositions appeared simultaneously on Alicia. It was a beautiful sight, but none of the warriors apanying her dared to spare an additional nce at her. They nervously held their breaths, fearing that they might infuriate the behemoth beneath her. ¡°You¡¯re saying that you were hurt by that kind of fellow? Humans do have a short lifespan. I reckon that he has already passed away for a long time now.¡± In the silent and peaceful forest, Alicia gazed at the pale moon above as she spoke as if she was chatting with someone. Under her was a colossal Eight-legged Colossal Deer, whoy openly inside arge cavern. It showed no hostility toward her, even allowing her to stroke its fur. Half of the Eight-legged Colossal Deer¡¯s body was hidden underground, but even the exposed part of its body was as big as a hill. Its antlers forked out like the branches of an eldritch tree, and the intense gaze of its four red eyes was more than enough to make any human tremble. In the shadows around them, there were countless glowing beast eyes. Emperor of Cmity. That was what the vigers who resided by the mountainous borders called this beast that was beyond their imagination. Several centuries ago, it had terrorized countless in the Austine Empire, to the point that it was deemed as the incarnation of disaster and death. It took the coordination of many powerful knights to drive it away from the territories of the Austine Empire. Yet, on this very day, this legendary monster who was known to have never disyed any goodwill to humans was chatting with a delicately beautiful girl under the moonlight. It left many wondering if they were dreaming. Even the heretics who were aware of Alicia¡¯s ability hadn¡¯t known that she would seek help from a monster of this caliber. Alicia stroked the Eight-legged Colossal Deer¡¯s fur as she continued gently infusing life force into its body, all the while chatting idly with it. Silvery birds fluttered around her, and the night wind kept blowing ceaselessly. It was only till the moon had risen directly above them that she finally exhaled deeply and lifted her hand. ¡°That should do it.¡± She gently stroked the colossal deer once more before leaping off its back and walking out of the cavern. Several momentster, the incarnation of disaster behind her slowly rose to its feet. The gaping hole in its chest that had refused to heal over the past few centuries due to the side effects of corrosive spells started swiftly closing up. At the same time, a powerful aura rippled forth from the colossal deer together with devastating mana pulsations. ¡°Grar!¡± The Eight-legged Colossal Deer rose to its full height, standing so tall that not even the sky-scraping ancient trees could conceal its stature. It raised its head to the sky and let out a deafening roar, inducing astonished exmations from the soldiers. All beings in the jungle trembled in fear. Yet, at a silver-haired girl¡¯s call, themotion abruptly came to an end. The colossal deer reined in its aura and lowered its head, answering her with an intimate call. ¡°It¡¯s about time for us to set off. You can think of it as a celebration for tonight,¡± said Alicia as she stroked the colossal deer¡¯s neck consolingly and gazed into the distance. In response, the Eight-legged Colossal Deer began moving. ¡­ ¡°Hahaha! Did you hear that? Those fools of the Theocracy seem to have gotten in trouble!¡± ¡°That¡¯s obviously a big one from the sound of it.¡± The soldiers in the Sezes¡¯ base camp merrily chatted with one another. They had just overheard the deep roar of a ferocious beasting from the jungle, where the Ascarts¡¯ army had just entered not too long ago. It resounded clearly even from a far distance away. Many of the sleeping soldiers were jolted awake by the noise, though they quickly went back to sleep thinking about how foolish their enemies were. Needless to say, the Ascarts¡¯ army must have infuriated the owner of the jungle, an act that was synonymous with courting death. The king that ruled over this jungle was no ordinary demonic beast, but an ancient monster that had once terrorized the Austine Empire. The sentries chatted about the legends surrounding the ¡®Emperor of Cmity¡¯ as they waited for the remnants of the Ascarts¡¯ army to flee in panic from the jungle with torches in hand. None of them thought that the Ascarts¡¯ soldiers would stand a chance against that terrifying monster. They didn¡¯t have to wait for long as specks of light started appearing by the edge of the forest shortly after¡ªastonishingly short, in fact. The sentries were initially perplexed given that it had only been moments since the resounding roar, but slowly, their faces started to pale. They noticed that the earth beneath them was quaking ever so slightly and that the many specks of light they had spotted in the jungle weren¡¯t torches but the glowing eyes of demonic beasts. ¡°Grar!¡± A familiar roar echoed once more, but this time, it sounded clearer than ever. Dark clouds drifted by and the silver moon made a reappearance. The head of a colossal monster rose above the jungle and gazed down on the enemies of the silver-haired girl, striking indescribable terror into the hearts of the sentries. ¡°T-that is¡­¡± Feeling an intense pang of danger from his uncannily sharp intuition as a high-level transcendent, Duke Brookley rushed out from his tent and froze at the sight of the colossal monster peeking out from the forest. It was only at this moment that he finally understood the intention of his enemies, but it was already toote. The night of demonic roars and bloodshed was already upon them. Meanwhile, a thousand-man army was swiftly marching forward under the moonlight. A ck-haired man sat on horseback with a tight frown as he recalled the war report he had received not too long ago. ¡°We need to hurry,¡± Roel murmured under his breath. With the silhouette of a silver-haired girl in mind, he hastened the pace. Chapter 451.1: Veteran Sis-con (1)

Chapter 451.1: Veteran Sis-con (1)

The crackling campfire and nging armor of patrolling soldiers could be heard clearly amidst the silent night. Roely inside his sleeping bag, staring restlessly at the beam of moonlight falling into his tent. In the end, he gave up and slowly made his way toward the table. Sitting on the table was a war report he had flipped through many times now, but still, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from frowning when he looked at it. The contents left him feeling too uneasy. ¡°To actually allow Alicia on the battlefield¡­ What in the world is my father thinking?¡± Roel murmured under his breath in frustration. It was one of the rare times heined about Carter. In truth, his reaction was already much calmer than how he was actually feeling, evident from his decision to hasten their marching pace for the past day. It all happened when an emergency report arrived in the evening, while his army was in the midst of building a temporary camp. It contained information about the movements of the Sezes¡¯ troops, their countermeasure against the Sezes¡¯ aggression, and the military dispatch order for Roel. Roel wasn¡¯t surprised about the enemy¡¯s movement at all. The important mission Carter had entrusted him with gave him a rare spurt of fighting will in this infighting among humankind, for he knew that the fight with the Sezes was where the crux of the battley. If they failed to hold back the Sezes¡¯ troops, the Theocracy¡¯s allied army would swiftly fall into a bad position. On the other hand, if they seeded, there was a good chance that they could end the internal war in a single swoop while avoiding the interference of the Austine Empire. Inparison, the siege on Edgar City was, paradoxically, of lesser importance. That was exactly what Roel wanted¡ªthe opportunity to stand at the center of the battlefield and pop the Austine Empire¡¯s swelling ambition. However, when he saw a familiar name in the team that was dispatched to stall the Sezes¡¯ troops, his mind suddenly went nk. Alicia Ascart. Roel had known that it was only a matter of time before her name appeared in the war reports, but she should have been in the intelligence department instead of the battlefield, let alone the center of the battlefield. ¡°This is nonsense! Did rust get into Carter¡¯s brain? You must be kidding me!¡± Roel¡¯s rare outburst upon reading the report scared the soldiers into halting whatever they were doing. Cynthia and the others were swiftly notified of his rage, but they chose to keep their distance as they could tell that it was likely a familial issue. Perhaps due to the values from his past life, the notion of allowing an underaged child to fight on the battlefield instinctively repulsed Roel, though he understood that the Sia Continent had very different norms regarding that matter. But not Alicia, at the very least! Roel took many deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself down. Deep down, he knew that Carter had been forced into a corner and had no other alternatives, or else he wouldn¡¯t have allowed Alicia on the battlefield. Still, this was a worrying development to him, especially given the exclusive knowledge he possessed. In Eyes of the Chronicler, all of the female capture targets had their own crisis to ovee in their respective individual routes, simr to what he and Nora had just experienced. He felt like impending danger was looming above them like an ominous cloud, leaving him uneasy. That was also the reason why he was so sensitive when it came to the safety of Alicia and the others. Sending Alicia to the battlefield at this juncture felt almost like someone had sliced his heart and grilled it on a barbecue pit. It was to the extent that he ordered the army to pack up and set off immediately. They marched ceaselessly for over a day, only stopping from time to time for short breaks. It was only after midnight on the following day that Roel finally gave the order to set up camp and rest up. So far, they had already traveled for half a month. With powerful enemies ahead of them, the soldiers needed to rest up well in order to be in tip-top condition. The battle against the Sezes was of utmost importance to both the Ascarts and the Theocracy, such that failure was not an option. Even so, Roel found himself unable to fall asleep out of deep worry. It was actually possible for them to continue rushing ahead and make it to the battlefield by tomorrow night, but the soldiers would be exhausted and in a poor condition for battle. Taking a day¡¯s rest looked to be the wiser option, but the thought that Alicia had to face an entire day¡¯s worth of danger by herself was unbearable to him. Cynthia and the others had tried counseling him out of his anxiety, and Roel himself was aware that he was overreacting too. The current situation didn¡¯t look as bad as it was with Nora, and Alicia was a powerful transcendent in her own rights. A-am I really a sis-con? No no no, that can¡¯t be possible. Due to that, Roel wondered if he was getting too obsessed over Alicia¡¯s affairs. He gave the matter some thought and eventually felt that the difference stemmed from a difference in trust. He trusted Nora¡¯s strength and believed that she wouldn¡¯t be knocked down easily, which was why he was able to remainposed to some extent despite knowing that Nora was in danger. On the other hand, Alicia had been protected by him from a young age and had hardly faced any perilous situations, so he found it hard to leave her to the lurch. In Roel¡¯s view, it was simr to how a wild beast would stand a much better chance of surviving in the wilderness than a domestic pet. He thought that Nora¡¯s ability to cope with danger was far better than that of Alicia. To be honest, if not for his transcendent body, he suspected that he might have suffered a heart attack upon reading Carter¡¯s letter. It was yet another sleepless night. Roely in his sleeping bag as he watched the starry night sky give way to the rising morning sun. The heretic army and the inquisitors swiftly packed up before resuming their journey. Meanwhile, a change was urring on the chaotic battlefield not too far away. ¡­ It had been a distressing night for Roel, but the same could be said for the Sezes¡¯ troops stationed in the Elric Fiefdom. The only difference was that Roel was worried about his kin whereas they were worried about their own survival. It was at an ungodly hour that a terrifying nightmare suddenly descended upon the peaceful in. Thousands of demonic beasts rushed out from the jungle toward the Sezes¡¯ base camp. In the distant jungle, a colossal monster raised its head above the trees and gazed down coldly upon them. It let out a ferocious roar that only further stoked the demonic beasts¡¯ aggression. There were barely any soldiers in the Sezes¡¯ base camp who didn¡¯t recognize the colossal figure shrouded in darkness, but that was also the reason why they found the situation utterly unbelievable. It was the monster that the knights of the Austine Empire had hunted several centuries ago, the Emperor of Cmity. It had been able to escape death by fleeing to the jungle located near the borders of the Austine Empire, but it had suffered grievous wounds in the process of doing so. Unlike ordinary demonic beasts, it harbored deep hatred toward all humans, such that anyone who dared to enter the jungle would be mercilessly ripped apart by it. That was why the Sezes were convinced that the Ascart soldiers would be forced to flee from the jungle in a fluster, but things didn¡¯t go as they had expected. Not only were the Ascart soldierspletely fine, but the terrifying demonic beasts whom they were convinced would have decimated the Ascarts¡¯ had ended up joining their side instead. It was not like those from the Austine Empire had never thought of taming the Emperor of Cmity. In fact, renowned transcendent houses with rted bloodlines had attempted the feat, only to fail miserably and even lose their lives in the process. It was inconceivable to them how the Ascarts were able to aplish what even the most brilliant of beast tamers were unable to pull off within such a short period of time. Duke Brookley found it incredulous as well. He immediately knew that things had gotten troublesome. The battle in the night had officiallymenced. War horns echoed loudly amidst the boundless darkness. Sleeping warriors hurriedly rose to their feet and prepared themselves. Illumination spells shot to the sky one after another, granting vision of the demonic beasts charging at them. The Emperor of Cmity was the ruler of the jungle,manding a diverse range of demonic beasts including One-horned Gigant Wolves, Three-headed Serpents, Griffins, and Talon Bats. Each of them had its own unique characteristics, making it hard to deal with all of them at once. Meanwhile, the Sezes had already started taking countermeasures on the battlefield. The soldiers pulled their bowstrings and unleashed a barrage of arrows upon the approaching demonic beasts. The magicians coborated with one another to construct a massive offensive spell. Deafening war cries echoed in the battlefield, asionally apanied by bone-chilling cries. Blood and me were swiftly consuming the ins. Chapter 451.2: Veteran Sis-con (2)

Chapter 451.2: Veteran Sis-con (2)

In the jungle outside of the battlefield, a silver-haired girl stood beneath the moonlight as her mana silently zed. Her eyes glimmered ever so slightly as she gazed upon the battlefield through the cold moonlight that scattered over the ins. She was a little surprised that things weren¡¯t going as smoothly as she had expected. The Sezes¡¯ base camp was being encircled, and the attacks of the aerial demonic beasts were hard to guard against. The soldiers were getting overwhelmed to the extent that they could only stand their ground and were barely holding back the demonic beasts. Yet, none of the soldiers were panicking. In fact, even Duke Brookley had swiftly regained hisposure after his initial astonishment. Had the soldiers here been those of any regr army, they would have descended into anarchy under the terrifying gaze of the Emperor of Cmity, but the troops dispatched by the Seze Dukedom were in no way ordinary. To be the elites of a renowned military house was no easy feat; they were the ones who had stood out amongst their peers and proven themselves worthy through numerous trials. They were all true warriors. Alicia¡¯s ability had indeede as a shock, but there was never ack of surprises on the Sia Continent. Danger was always lurking even if not in immediate sight, so much so that everyone was always struggling to survive. Every fiefdom with a long history had its own glorious stories. It was the same for the Sezes. Over the years, the Sezes¡¯ elite troops had inculcated a sense of pride that disallowed them to be easily intimidated by others. If anything, their fighting will would be stronger than ever in times of adversity. ¡°You have just recovered from your injuries, but it looks like your help will be required here,¡± said Alicia. ¡°Grar!¡± The Emperor of Cmity answered with a ferocious roar. It began marching forth, trampling over the towering trees with its colossal body. The demonic beasts halted their attacks, as if having sensed something, and hurriedly scattered to the side, opening up a clear path to the Sezes¡¯ base camp. Simrly, from the Sezes¡¯ base camp, a man slowly stood forth. Duke Brookley stared straight at the terrifying red eyes of the colossal beast as glowing blue fluid spheres began forming around him. He knew that ordinary soldiers wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against this legendary monster, so he had to step forward to confront it. The crystallization of human wisdom from thousands of years of fighting taught them that a high-level transcendent was required to take down another high-level transcendent. That was why high-level transcendents usually took on strategic roles and were only mobilized in the most crucial of situations. Under the night sky, a ferocious colossal beast began shing with a human surrounded by glowing blue spheres. At the same time, in the depths of the jungle, the Ascart soldiers began to gather and quietly wait for the arrival of dawn. ¡­ Nightfall was when demonic beasts were able to rampage to their hearts¡¯ liking. The cover of the night greatly reduced the uracy of ranged weapons and spells, thus greatly diminishing the prowess of human armies. The only reliable way to take down hordes of demonic beasts under such a situation was to rely onrge-scale offensive spells, which was why Alicia had chosen tounch the attack at night. Conversely, the arrival of dawn was time for the humans to shine. The Ascart soldiers would join the battlefield and further drive fear into the hearts of the Sezes¡¯ elites. After a night of waiting, the Ascart soldiers were feeling more eager than ever to join the battlefield. They had already ustomed themselves to the stench of blood on the battlefield, and they nged their weapons to boost their morale. At Alicia¡¯smand, they began charging toward the Sezes¡¯ base camp. The battle between the Emperor of Cmity and Duke Brookleysted till twilight. The Eight-legged Colossal Deer was stronger than ever with its injuries treated. Its massive physique and immense mana granted it the power to tten anything before it. However, Duke Brookley was also as powerful as the legends put him out to be. The Theocracy had gatheredprehensive intelligence on Duke Brookley, though it honestly didn¡¯t take much effort at all since most soldiers were familiar with the Sezes¡¯ unique traits. The Sezes had been known for their lineage of highly aggressive generals, which was likely to be a result of their Berserk Origin Attribute. As the name suggested, the Berserk Origin Attribute was incredibly hard to control and very susceptible to emotional changes. However, if it was utilized well, its prowess on the battlefield was top-notch. Unlike the nobles from Knight Kingdom Pendor, who had inherited the bloodlines of other races and gained their abilities as a result, the Sezes were high nobles from the human supremacist Austine Empire, so it was utterly unthinkable for them to be wedded with those from foreign races. Thus, like most humans of the Sia Continent, they didn¡¯t possess any special bloodlines. However, there were asionally those who were favored by Sia and bestowed with unique bloodlines without any rhyme or reason. The current patriarch of the Seze House, Brookley Seze, was one of them. His bloodline ability to control fluids made for a terrifyingbination with the Berserk Origin Attribute. It granted him the power to draw out a person¡¯s blood from their wounds, making him a grim reaper on the battlefield. It was inevitable that most enemies would feel unnerved in his presence. Of the Theocracy¡¯snded nobles, the only one who could stop Duke Brookley was Carter Ascart, but thetter couldn¡¯t possibly join the fight against the Sezes as the highestmander of the allied army. For that reason, Alicia was forced to mobilize the Emperor of Cmity, and that had proven to be a wise decision. The Emperor of Cmity was able to gain a slight upper hand in the battlest night, but it wasn¡¯t able to widen its advantage as Duke Brookley utilized his ability of fluid maniption to create bogs that severely limited its movements. Conversely, Duke Brookley wasn¡¯t able to inflict significant damage on the Emperor of Cmity. The sharp water des he hurled were capable of slicing an armored cavalryman cleanly into two, but it barely nicked the Eight-legged Colossal Deer¡¯s fur. Instead, he faced great pressure from the storm summoned by the colossal deer¡¯s branching deer horns. As the battle between Duke Brookley and the Emperor of Cmity intensified, the weather was thrown into disarray as furious squalls werebined with pelting rain, creating pits of varying sizes all over the battlefield. Neither side was able to do much about the other, so the fight ended up stalling till twilight without any clear winner. In the end, the demonic beasts retreated under Alicia¡¯s order. The hours of barely fending off a legendary monster had left Duke Brookley utterly exhausted. Out of worry that the Emperor of Cmity might appear the following night, he couldn¡¯t participate in the battle as actively as he wished to lest he deplete his strength. That was what Alicia was going for as well. Her n was to harass the Sezes with demonic beasts at night and have the Ascart soldiers attack them in the day. Through relentless aggression, she would be able to seize the initiative and stall the advancement of the Sezes to the greatest degree. In ordance with the n, the Ascart soldiers charged out of the jungle at dawn, taking over for the demonic beasts. What Alicia didn¡¯t know was that, contrary to her expectations, Duke Brookley was not nning to rest up despite having returned to the Sezes¡¯ base camp. There was a sharp glint in his eyes as he stared intently at a single name listed in the intelligence report he had in his hand¡ªAlicia Ascart. ¡­ It¡¯s her. Duke Brookley thought as he stared at the same intelligence report he had made light of a day ago. He had no concrete evidence to prove that Alicia Ascart was the culprit who mobilized the Emperor of Cmity, but the very fact that an underaged girl was allowed to step onto the battlefield was illogical in the first ce. The only reason one could justify such a mobilization was that the girl yed an irreceable role in the Ascarts¡¯ strategy. Duke Brookley was willing to bet his many years of experience on the battlefield that the sudden participation of the demonic beasts on the battlefield had something to do with Alicia Ascart, and he was willing to take a hefty risk to bet on that. His battle with the Emperor of Cmity had led him to a definite conclusion¡ªit was impossible for them to defeat that colossal beast. Given that monster¡¯s humongous physique and oozing life force, it would likely take an expedition of several months to take it down, but at the rate things were going the Sezes¡¯ elite troops wouldn¡¯t evenst a single week under the Ascarts¡¯ relentless aggression. The enemy was clearly resorting to attrition warfare. If things continued at the current pace, by the second ambush of the demonic beasts at nightfall they would have practically already lost the war. I can¡¯t let the Ascarts have their way. The only way out of this quandary is to kill the beast tamer. ¡°I know that you¡¯re all exhausted after having gone through a night of fighting; it¡¯s the same for me too. However, judging from the enemy¡¯s strategy, this will likely be the best condition we¡¯ll be in for as long as this battle continues. ¡°The enemy won¡¯t stop chipping away at us, so the only way out of this is to defeat them while we¡¯re still in a good condition,¡± Duke Brookley said as he gazed at the Ascarts¡¯ cavalrymen charging toward the Sezes¡¯ base camp. None of the soldiers voiced any objections to his call. Simr to how they were willing to entrust their backs to theirrades, they were willing to entrust their life in the judgment of the experienced Duke Brookley. The knights wiped off the bloodstains from their armor whereas the magicians grabbed their staffs once more. As exhausted as they were, their morale remained high. At the forefront of the army, Duke Brookley eyed the silver-haired girl surrounded by many soldiers in the distance and let out a sigh. ¡°A soldier has to act against their will during times of war,¡± he murmured. Duke Brookley levitated a glowing blue fluid sphere into the sky and morphed it into the shape of a miniature spear. He directed it toward the silver-haired girl standing in the distance before unleashing the immense mana harnessed within it all at once. A loud explosion and a cloud of dust ensued. Blood sttered all over the ground. Chapter 452.1: Fighting the Main Force (1)

Chapter 452.1: Fighting the Main Force (1)

Under the radiant glow of the rising sun, Duke Brookley¡¯s fluid sphere glimmered more brightly than ever. He hadpressed a great amount of his mana into that single fluid sphere, morphed it into the form of a water spear that was barely the size of a finger, before unleashing it with utmost precision. It had appeared to be little more than a droplet of water in the sky before its moment of release, but when it surged forth with unstoppable momentum, it emanated a glorious radiance that melded into the sun rays as if it was the manifestation of divine retribution. This was one of the spells Duke Brookley was famed for, having used to snipe down enemy generals before the start of the battle. Many powerful transcendents had failed to react to this attack and fell in regret. Today, its target was the silver-haired girl surrounded by soldiers. The name, Alicia Ascart, didn¡¯t really register to Duke Brookley, and the two of them hardly knew each other either. Yet, the moment he unleashed the attack, he felt a rush of guilt. Thus far, there had never been an underaged girl who had died to this attack, and there should have never been one in his principles. However, choice was a privilege in times of war. Soldiers often had to make decisions that they personally didn¡¯t agree with on the battlefield. Of all possible adjectives that could be used to describe a person, there were only two that really mattered on the battlefield¡ªfriendly and hostile. Psh! The miniature water spear swiftly bolted forth with a shrill whiz along its trajectory, though it hardly registered amidst the ruckus on the battlefield. Till the moment it struck its target, there was not a person who noticed the assassination. It was only when the impact transferred to the ground and raised a cloud of dust that the advancing Ascart soldiers finally realized that something was amiss. Boom! A loud explosion ensued, but Duke Brookley didn¡¯t bother watching themotion. Instead, he raised his head and gave the order for his soldiers to charge forth. The Sezes had hardly any information about Alicia Ascart and her abilities on the intelligence report, but it wasmon sense that a girl of her age couldn¡¯t possibly be too powerful, not to mention that she was a beast tamer. There was only so much time and energy that a transcendent had, after all. The morepetent a transcendent was in a specialized field, the morecking they would be in others. A beast tamer as powerful as Alicia Ascart was bound to be individually weak. That was why Duke Brookley had no doubts that the child who had brought so much trouble to his elites had already departed from the world, and the death of the enemymander usually stirred chaos that made it an ideal timing tounch a follow-up attack. What he didn¡¯t know was that the silver-haired girl obscured by a cloud of dust was still alive. Fresh blood was flowing from her arm, but the cause wasn¡¯t his devastating water spear but the girl¡¯s own dagger. The sensation of a cold metallic de breaching her skin was ufortable, and equally so was the viscous blood that flowed from her arm and dribbled all over the ground. The explosion that urred in the middle of the Ascarts¡¯ charging army induced a short moment of chaos, but she held her gaze firm. As the chief of the Ascarts¡¯ intelligence bureau, Alicia had ess to all intelligence reports. She knew that her enemy was a renowned general of the Austine Empire, Duke Brookley. He was a high-level transcendent known for his long-ranged sniping spell, which allowed him to turn the tables against his enemies on numerous asions. It stood to reason that Duke Brookley would surely attempt something if he sensed that the situation wasn¡¯t in their favor. As themander of the Ascarts¡¯ personal army, the least she could do was to devise some countermeasures. In Duke Brookley¡¯s eyes, the Origin Level 4 Alicia Ascart was a weakling that wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against him at all. However, one should never forget that strength came at a price on the Sia Continent. This meant that as long as Alicia paid the corresponding price, she could utilize spells far surpassing her limits. Vow of Devotion¡ªthis was a forbidden spell that took the life of an individual in exchange of attracting all long-ranged spells within a set area. It was only used by the death warriors nurtured by powerful households and some spellcasters in the military. Be it to protect one¡¯s liege or to create an opportunity for one¡¯srades, the individual who invoked the Vow of Devotion was doomed to lose their life, regardless of whether they were sessful or not. But Alicia was an exception to that rule. The notion of ¡®paying with one¡¯s life¡¯ ultimately meant the sapping of one¡¯s life force. Most humans were born with simr amounts of life force, which was why all humans who invoked the Vow of Devotion, no matter how powerful they were, would die shortly after. However, Alicia happened to possess an endless source of life force due to her miraculous bloodline. She was able to pay the price required to invoke Vow of Devotion just by slicing her wrist and letting blood flow. She directed the target to be one of the white birds floating around her, thus surviving the assassination attempt. The dust finally scattered and Alicia showed herself once more. Duke Brookley couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes in disbelief. He had in countless powerful enemies ever since he brought out this assassination spell on the battlefield, so he couldn¡¯t fathom how Alicia could have possibly survived his attack. In any case, it raised his evaluation of her. ¡°That child¡­¡± he murmured in astonishment. He had known that the Ascart House had produced generations of powerful transcendents, but he didn¡¯t think that even a foster daughter of theirs would reach such caliber. It came as a huge shock to him, but he swiftly ced his feelings under control. Instead, an even stronger killing intent burst forth from him. I have to get rid of that silver-haired girl. That was what Duke Brookley¡¯s intuition was telling him. With greater determination than before, he levitated another glowing blue fluid sphere into the sky. Simrly, Alicia also began manifesting more white birds, ready to unravel any attacks that would be thrown in her direction. The assassination attempt on theirmander had infuriated the Ascart soldiers. They roared angrily and hastened their charge. On the other hand, the Sezes¡¯ elite troops had also gotten into their formation and were ready to fight back. The earth quaked under the soldiers¡¯ heavy footsteps, signaling themencement of another battle. All sorts of spells gushed into the sky and fell upon the enemy formation, reaping away lives amidst their splendor. The miniature water spears and white birds also began their cat-and-mouse chase. After a night of prelude, the armies of two military powerhouses were finally confronting each other, fighting for both glory and the future of their respective countries. Given the chaotic battle, Duke Brookley was unable to find a good opportunity to bypass the numerous Origin Level 3 guards protecting Alicia to assassinate her, especially when he was in a weakened state after fighting against the Emperor of Cmity. On the other hand, Alicia was also unable to fully unleash her prowess since the recovery of her life force was slowed in the absence of the moon. As a result, the battle continued with no notable intervention from themanders on both sides. It didn¡¯t take long for the ins to be dyed red. Alicia was nning to fight a battle of attrition, so she had instructed her forces not to get tied down by the enemy forces and simply kite them around. Unfortunately, the situation wasn¡¯t progressing as smoothly as she envisioned. The Sezes had seen through their n, such that their cavalrymen pursued them relentlessly despite ruing fatigue over a night of battle. At the same time, after realizing that it would be nigh impossible for him to assassinate Alicia in his current condition, Duke Brookley changed his n. He first gathered arge amount of glowing blue mana around him before furiously pumping it into the ground. The surge of blue mana swiftly destroyed the structure of the ground, changing the battlefield¡¯s terrain. ¡°Wait a moment, this is!¡± ¡°Sh*t, this isn¡¯t good. Escape!¡± The Ascart soldiers didn¡¯t pay much heed to the dampening ground due to the blood seeping into the earth, but over time, the ground started turning into a bog. The cavalrymen were no longer able to freely charge across the battlefield while the footsoldiers found themselves unable to effectively retreat. The reduced mobility made it much harder for the Ascart soldiers to shake off the Sezes¡¯ elite troops. Terraforming spells were mana inefficient and slow to take effect, but they yed a strategic role on the battlefield. It was the same spell that Duke Brookley had used to stall the Emperor of Cmityst night, but he was using it now to drag the footsteps of the Ascart soldiers. His goal was clear. You¡¯re trying to prolong the battle and slowly exhaust us out? Try it then. Let¡¯s see how you can kite our troops now that you aren¡¯t able to maintain your mobility. Duke Brookley had used up nearly all of his mana on this terraforming spell, which was highly risky since he wouldn¡¯t be able to intervene anymore if any unexpected situations urred. This was as good as entrusting the battle and his life to his soldiers. This act of trust raised the morale of the Sezes¡¯ elite troops to the peak. Duke Brookley raised his sword up high, and for the first time, he charged to the very forefront and ughtered the enemies. His presence on the battlefield filled the Sezes¡¯ knights and warriors with courage, inducing an adrenaline rush in them that overwrote their exhaustion, allowing them to fight with even greater fervor than before. An uplifting war horn echoed throughout the battlefield once more. This was not a good sign for the Ascarts. They werecking in terms of absolute military prowesspared to the Sezes, which was why they had chosen to resort to attrition warfare. The crux of attrition warfare was to slowly wear down the enemy while sustaining minimal losses, but at this rate, the Ascarts¡¯ was going to crumble before the Sezes¡¯. Alicia immediately noticed the change in the situation, but she had no countermeasures to that this time. It was beyond her imagination that Duke Brookley would take on such a huge risk and personally join the frontline. It was a huge gamble for him, but it was clearly paying off. It was finally dawning on Alicia just how formidable her enemy was. As expected of the patriarch of the Seze House. It might have looked like a reckless move for him to abandon themand center and personally leap into the battlefield, but he made that decision knowing that he was the strongest transcendent on the battlefield. He knew that his very presence would serve as bait. We would be falling into his trap if we take the risk and focus our efforts on taking down Brookley. It would change our war of attrition into a decisive confrontation. But at the same time, the terraforming of the battlefield has caused our mobility to take a nosedive, making it much harder for us to retreat. There¡¯s a good chance that we¡¯ll suffer heavy losses at this rate if we don¡¯t fight back, especially with the Sezes¡¯ troops in such high morale. We were already at a disadvantage from the very start, and suffering such a heavy loss will further worsen our position. He was able to make a series of correct choices within such a short period of time, leveraging all of the advantages he and his army have. It¡¯s no wonder why he¡¯s a renowned general in the Austine Empire. Given the situation, we can only minimize our losses. Without any hesitation, Alicia ordered the Ascart soldiers to retreat, bringing the defense line further back toward the jungle. Meanwhile, the heretics of the Unyielding Sect stepped forward to fend off the advancing Sezes¡¯ elite troops¡ªthey were the only ones impervious to the bog due to the blessing of the Primordial Earth Goddess. Alicia also stood her ground by the edge of the jungle, unleashing her spells to hold back the enemy forces. She was determined to stand alongside the Ascart soldiers in this fight. Just like that, the two armies shed once more. No one noticed a mechanical eagle with silver wings approaching from the sky¡¯s horizon, its jeweled eyes gazing upon the chaotic battlefield. Chapter 452.2: Fighting the Main Force (2)

Chapter 452.2: Fighting the Main Force (2)

The defense line is crumbling. Alicia thought to herself on the battlefield filled with blood and furious war cries as she unleashed more and more spells. The battle intensified after Duke Brookley personally joined the frontline to tie down the Ascart soldiers. As the fight dragged out longer than expected, the weakness of the Ascarts¡¯ forces started to show, be it theircking military prowess or the poor coordination between the heretics and the Ascarts¡¯ personal army. Minor ws proved to be fatal under a situation of extreme stress, let alone major ones. Alicia finally understood the importance of practical battle experience. She might know the theories of warfare, but Duke Brookley was a true veteran who hadmanded over a hundred battles. His ability to read the tides of battle and adapt ordingly wasn¡¯t something that a newbie like her could match. Slowly but surely, Alicia could feel herself getting cornered. We won¡¯t be able to shake off the enemies if we continue fighting. If I summon the demonic beasts here, they might not be able to discriminate between allies and enemies. That might just worsen the situation instead. What should I do? The thought that her family¡¯s elite troops might be wiped out in her hands filled her with fright. The immense self-reproach she felt made her eyes redden. Just as she thought she was going to fall into despair, she suddenly noticed that the enemy¡¯s momentum was, for some reason, slowing down. The Sezes were still advancing on them, but those in the back of the army had slowed their footsteps for some reason. Perplexed, Duke Brookley turned around with a tight frown to see what was happening. Hm? This is¡­ All of a sudden, Alicia sensed a familiar mana pulsation that pulled at her heartstring. From a distant mountain, a man on horseback, all alone, was charging across the in in their direction. It was a ck-haired man. The Silver-winged Eagle in the sky gave him an overview of the battlefield, allowing him to discern the formations of his enemies and allies. When he noticed traces of blood on Alicia¡¯s arm, his face immediately darkened. Fury zed in his heart, but he didn¡¯t let it consume him. He knew that he couldn¡¯t be reckless here, especially when the current reinforcements were just him and him alone. In truth, Roel had released the Silver-winged Eagle toward the frontlinest night out of worry for Alicia. This aerial magic tool, which was made using alchemy, boasted an incredible speed, such that it was able to get to the battlefield in time for him to witness the fight between Duke Brookley and the colossal monsterst night. It was an amazing battle, but what more so caught Roel¡¯s attention was the fact that the enemy had an Origin Level 2 transcendent on their side. It made him realize the battle that would break out on the following day was unlikely to go smoothly. Thus, he decided to set off by himself. As the battle between the two armies intensified, Roel swiftly picked up his pace, to the point where he had gotten ahead of Cynthia and the others by a day¡¯s journey. At this very moment, he wasn¡¯t themander of a powerful army but a sole individual. His influence on the battlefield was severely limited. If he wished to make an impact, he would have to focus his strength on the enemy¡¯s vitals. With such a thought in mind, he intentionally released his immense mana and killing intent, which naturally caught the attention of the Sezes¡¯ elite troops. The soldiers mocked his foolishness in giving his position away, but they were unaware that this was the prerequisite for Roel to activate his spell. The moment ¡®Intuition of the Military God¡¯ activated, Roel saw the world before him be oveid with ayer of gray. The hostility and fighting will of the soldiers appeared as visibly as torches in the darkness, but what triggered his sense of danger the most was the middle-aged man dressed in borate armor standing in the forefront of the enemy troops. That¡¯s where the enemymander stands. Having confirmed that with his spell, Roel immediately pulled the reins of his steed and hastened his charge. Mana poured out and cloaked his body. He was ready for battle. Through the eyes of the Silver-winged Eagle in the sky, he could see that the eyes of the middle-aged man had narrowed as well. With his senses as a high-level transcendent, Duke Brookley could sense danger from the approaching young man. He levitated a fluid sphere into the sky and morphed it into a miniature water spear. Seeing that, Alicia immediately shouted out a warning. ¡°Lord Brother, be careful!!!¡± Psh! The water spear shot out the moment Alicia voiced her warning. It bolted across space and surged straight toward Roel¡¯s chest. Unlike before, there weren¡¯t any white birds nearby to redirect this sure-kill assassination spell, but even so, Roel showed no signs of panic. His strength had grown by leaps and bounds after his near-death experience in the eastern border, to the extent that he no longer needed the Witch Queen¡¯s help in dealing with an attack of this caliber. At his will, his mana almost instantaneously formed multiple barriers, which gradually deviated the trajectory of the water spear till it brushed right by him. Boom! The water spear struck the ground behind Roel and induced a resounding explosion. At the same time, the mana cloaking Roel¡¯s body began transforming into a crimson aura. Steam puffed into the sky as white bones started to manifest around Roel, forming a skeleton so huge that it looked as if a demonic god had descended upon the world. The moment Grandar appeared, excited cheers echoed from the Ascart soldiers. They began chanting Roel¡¯s name loudly. In contrast, the Sezes¡¯ troops started backing away out of instinctive fear. The pressure Grandar exerted on them was so great that they could hardly raise their heads. Even Duke Brookley felt his body stiffen under the immense pressure. In this critical moment, he channeled thest bit of mana in his body to manifest a swiftly expanding fluid sphere, which quickly morphed into a towering wall in front of Roel. Behind the towering wall, Grandar raised his crimson fist up high and channeled his strength. Simrly, the towering wall of fluid quickly reinforced itself to be thicker and more resilient. It was a fight between offense and defense, and the oue of this sh would determine the trajectory of the battle. As soon as Grandar hurled his punch forth, the towering wall of fluid began boiling under the sheer heat and force. Crimson bolts of lightning crackled loudly in the wall of fluid, seeking to tear it apart from within. The intense sh induced a giant hurricane that dispersed the clouds in the sky. All of the soldiers watched the sight intensely with bated breaths, awaiting the ultimate oue. From a far distance away, an old man gazed at the sky and murmured to himself. ¡°Has it begun?¡± With words reminiscent of someone watching a fireworks show, an elder began casually strolling forth. Chapter 453.1: Please Don’t Leave Me (1)

Chapter 453.1: Please Don¡¯t Leave Me (1)

A terrifying hurricane ravaged the ins as rain began pelting down from the sky. The sh between Roel and Duke Brookley brought aberrant weather upon the ins. Faced with Grandar¡¯s almighty punch, the towering wall of fluid emitted a brilliant blue light and began undting like the ocean, attempting to neutralize the iing force. It wasn¡¯t very effective. From the moment the two forces shed, the fist d in crimson mes and lightning began to vaporize the wall of fluid from within, triggering explosions after explosions within itspact form. This resulted in the fluid scattering all over the battlefield as searing hot rain. Meanwhile, the soldiers beneath this hulking phenomenon were forced to stab their swords into the ground just to keep themselves from being blown away by the hurricane. The brawny horses were much less fortunate, as many of them were helplessly swept away by the tempest. Even the massive trees in the jungle swiftly toppled under the winds. It felt as if the battlefield had been reduced to a showdown between Roel and Duke Brookley, though this sh didn¡¯tst for too long. The towering wall of fluid eventually dissipated under the force of Grandar¡¯s punch. However, Duke Brookley had made his escape in the meantime, knowing that the situation wasn¡¯t in his favor. He had already confirmed Roel¡¯s identity from the moment Grandar appeared¡ª¡¯the young man who summons ancient gods¡¯. This was an opponent he absolutely couldn¡¯t let his guard down against. He also knew what Roel¡¯s goal was. Simr to how he had targeted Alicia in order to defeat the Ascarts, Roel was thinking of forcing the Sezes¡¯ elite troops to retreat by defeating him. It was the correct choice, for this was the most usible way for an individual to single-handedly turn the tables on the battlefield. Had it been under normal circumstances, Duke Brookley might have just epted the challenge. However, he chose to retreat this time around, not just because he was in a bad condition, but also because he was apprehensive of Roel¡¯s strength. The youngest ever champion of the Challenger Cup was stronger than what was reflected in the Sezes¡¯ intelligence reports. There was a huge gap between Origin Level 3 and Origin Level 4. Duke Brookley would have considered pitting his exhausted body against Roel if he had yet to make a breakthrough, but his instincts were dissuading him from fighting Roel now that he had be a full-fledged high-level transcendent. For top-notch prodigies who stood above their peers, a breakthrough of a single Origin Level could easily spell a world of difference. Not to mention, Roel had proven himself capable of rivaling enemies stronger than him in the Challenger Cup. In view of these considerations, Duke Brookley issued the order to retreat. The Sezes¡¯ elite troops were surprised when they heard the low grumble of the war horn signaling them to retreat, but they didn¡¯t hesitate to obey orders. Thus, the soldiers began retreating in an orderly fashion to their base camp. Duke Brookley quickly reconstructed another towering wall of fluid to hold back Grandar so as to cover the soldiers¡¯ retreat. Knowing that just this much wouldn¡¯t be sufficient, he also directed the falling pelts of rain toward Grandar¡¯s surroundings in order to loosen up the ground around him, thus decreasing the giant¡¯s mobility. Boom! Despite pushing himself to his very limits, Duke Brookley only managed to maintain the towering wall of fluid for several more minutes before it copsed under Grandar¡¯s punches. By then, the Sezes¡¯ elite troops had already sessfully separated from the Ascart soldiers and were a fair distance away. It was possible for Roel to pursue them, but he decided against it after a moment of thought. The Ascart soldiers were far too fatigued after the intense battle to give chase. Roel could probably cause a huge ruckus even if he charged into the Sezes¡¯ base camp alone¡ªhe was the strongest transcendent here now that Duke Brookley had exhausted himself¡ªbut the damage he could inflict as an individual would be limited, not to mention that it would be a risky move. Even high-level transcendents were hesitant to go against a well-trained army all alone. Roel stared at Duke Brookley, who was still eyeing him warily from a distance, and let out a soft sigh. As expected of a renowned general, thetter was sensitive to the tides of the battlefield and gave a swift response to every change. It was also amazing how well-trained the Sezes¡¯ elite troops were. An individual could easily turn tail and flee when given the order to retreat, but an army couldn¡¯t do the same without copsing their defense line, which would create an opening in their formation. For that reason, an army had to maintain its defense line even while retreating. This was easier said than done, especially with the immense pressure Grandar was exerting on them. Any ordinary army would have lost their nerves and fallen into chaos. Yet, the Sezes¡¯ elite troops managed to maintain their formation at all times while steadily backing away. In terms of discipline, the Sezes¡¯ elite troops might have been superior to the Ascarts¡¯ personal army. After ensuring that the Sezes¡¯ were a safe distance away, Roel finally tore his attention away from them to look at the Ascarts, or to be more exact, a silver-haired girl standing by the edge of the jungle. The nerves that had remained taut over thest few days were finally cut some ck. ¡­ In a dim forest, Roel quietly listened as the Ascarts¡¯manders reported on the casualties. Behind him, Alicia was cleaning off the bloodstains on her arm with clear water. Shortly after the Sezes¡¯ returned to their base camp, the Ascarts retreated into the forest. Roel quickly caught up with them on horseback. They traversed a meandering beast path that led straight to the heart of the jungle, where a temporary military base had been constructed. It was beyond Roel¡¯s imagination for the Ascarts¡¯ base camp to be constructed at a ce like this. Even those who possessed beast taming abilities held a deferential attitude toward the wilderness, and the notion of resting in a jungle was nothing short of insanity to them. How could one possibly rest when a demonic beast could leap out from the shadows and rip them to shreds at any moment? Not to mention, this jungle had a ruler. When demonic beasts grew powerful enough to match high-level transcendents, they usually became the ruler of their territory and established symbiotic rtionships with the demonic beasts residing in the region. In the case of this jungle, it was an Eight-legged Colossal Deer dubbed the Emperor of Cmity. Taming these rulers was viewed to be an impossible feat by conventional standards. It was possible to strike deals with these rulers, but renting their home was out of the question. Demonic beasts were highly territorial creatures. It was a natural instinct for them to react aggressively if a trespasser was detected in their territory. Given so, it was nigh impossible to persuade them to allow an army to set up its base camp in their territory. One would probably have to tame the ruler of the territory in order to pull off such a feat. How in the world did Alicia pull it off? As usual, Roel was unable to find an answer to that question. He felt like Alicia was bing increasingly mysterious, especially with the recent breakthroughs in her bloodline and transcendent abilities. However, it wasn¡¯t the time to be bothered with that. He patiently waited for themanders to finish their report before informing them that reinforcement was due to arrive tomorrow. This piece of good news lifted their morale, which was relieving given the heavy atmosphere that had been looming over the base camp ever since their return from the dispiriting battle. Meanwhile, Alicia sat by the corner of themand center¡¯s resting room with a lowered head, her eyes staring intently at the floor. Even as the othermanders stepped out of the tent, she didn¡¯t rush to Roel¡¯s side as she usually would have. Even back when they were on the battlefield, Roel had noticed that there was something amiss with Alicia. She was in an extremely low mood, and it looked almost as if she was afraid of his gaze. Ever since the quick greeting they had exchanged, she had been quietly sitting there with her head lowered, all the way up till now. This left Roel in a panic. It had been a long time since theirst meeting, and the happenings at the eastern border made it such that they couldn¡¯t even spend New Year¡¯s Day together. Alicia should have been excited to see him under normal circumstances, so her reaction was baffling. C-could she be suffering from PTSD due to the gruesome sights on the battlefield? Roel¡¯s heart thumped nervously. He wanted to ask her directly about it, but he wondered if that was the right thing to do. ¡­ If it really is PTSD, it¡¯d be best for me not to agitate her for the time being, right? These considerations forced Roel to maintain a nonchnt appearance even though he felt like he was going to suffer from a heart attack with the way things were going. In the end, when he was finally done with all the work he had on hand, he plucked up his courage to ask Alicia what had happened. He first waited for a while longer, thinking that it would be good to give Alicia some time to think things through herself. However, when he realized that she had no intention of opening up on her own ord, he took in a deep breath and rose to his feet. He tried his best to maintain a calm face as he began making his way toward her. Chapter 453.2: Please Don’t Leave Me (2)

Chapter 453.2: Please Don¡¯t Leave Me (2)

How should I face Lord Brother? That was the question on Alicia¡¯s mind ever since she had returned from the battlefield. In order to be with Roel, she went all out to convince Carter to grant her the right to lead the Ascarts¡¯ personal army and heretics against the Sezes. Her decision hadn¡¯t been based on sheer recklessness or willfulness. She was confident of winning the fight. She had known from the start that there was a powerful wounded demonic beast residing in the jungle from the intelligence reports that went through her hands. She had never tamed any demonic beasts as powerful as the Emperor of Cmity before, but she was confident in pulling it off with her bloodline ability. She had done enough experiments during Roel¡¯s absence to say that with certainty. Things proceeded smoother than she had expected. The Emperor of Cmity was a far stronger demonic beast than Alicia had imagined. Perhaps due to its severe injuries, its attitude mellowed down upon sensing Alicia¡¯s powers, just like the other demonic beasts she had tested her powers on. It didn¡¯t take her much effort to convince the Emperor of Cmity to aid her in the battle against the Sezes. Now that I think about it, I have gotten toocent with my initial sesses. That might have been the reason for my eventual failure, Alicia thought as she bit her lips. Alicia and the soldiers under hermand were in high spirits when they first charged into the ins at dawn, but she quickly realized that she had underestimated the fighting prowess of the Sezes¡¯ elite troops and Duke Brookley¡¯smanding skills. The enemy had seen through her strategy from the very start and made the call to go all out. They were determined to not allow the battle to drag out. If it was only that much, the Ascart soldiers should have still been able to hold their ground. As long as they kept moving around, the Sezes¡¯ elite troops would have found it hard to encircle and overrun them, which would have allowed them to significantly prolong the fight. Yet, Duke Brookley changed the terrain with his ability, making it impossible for the Ascart soldiers to continue kiting the Sezes¡¯ elite troops. This single move changed the situation for the worse. At that very instant, Alicia felt unprecedented fear, not because she feared for her own life but because her defeat would cost the Ascarts their precious personal army. To her, that oue was worse than death. Even though Roel single-handedly forced back the enemies afterward, her misjudgment still left her feeling deeply ashamed of herself. Anyone else in her position would have been severely punished for making such majorpses in their decisions, but the moment she met Roel¡¯s eyes she could already tell that she would be let off the hook. All she could see in his eyes was relief from having confirmed the safety of a loved one. But that was precisely why she found it even harder to forgive herself. ¡°Alicia, are you alright?¡± After careful thought, Roel decided not to beat around the bush and gently asked how she was. However, his soft words of concern only made her feel even more ashamed of herself. She wanted to answer his question, but she found herself unable to speak as if something was jammed up her throat. ¡°Alicia, you shouldn¡¯t bottle things up in your heart. Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia made several attempts to speak, but nothing wasing out from her mouth, much to Roel¡¯s astonishment. His eyes slowly widened as he recalled stories of people losing their ability of speech due to PTSD. Surely it can¡¯t be¡­ The thought of that caused Roel¡¯s mind to nk out. He leaned in closer and gently touched Alicia¡¯s cheek as he anxiously probed on. ¡°Could it be that you¡¯re unable to speak? W-why? Is it due to the injury you suffered earlier on? Or did you witness something scary on the battlefield? This won¡¯t do. Let¡¯s leave this ce right now!¡± It was a rare bout of anxiety from Roel. Before he could do anything, Alicia quickly grabbed his hand before slowly raising her head to look at him. This was the first time she had looked him in the eye since returning to this base camp, but there was an indescribable expression on her face. Her usually spirited crimson eyes reflected the lurching guilt she felt. ¡°¡­ Sorry, Lord Brother. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I lost. I brought shame to the family. I led our soldiers to their deaths. I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her voice was hoarse from the overwhelming guilt choking her up. She had held it in for so long that she couldn¡¯t suppress the flood of self-reproach anymore. She leaned into Roel¡¯s chest and began bawling out loud. Roel felt an ache in his chest seeing Alicia in such a state, but at the same time, he felt a tinge of relief too. He opened his arms wide and tightly embraced her. It¡¯s good that she¡¯s venting her emotions instead of bottling them up, especially after what she went through. Roel stroked Alicia¡¯s back and quietly consoled her with his warm touch. The two of them continued in a tight embrace for a long while, till Alicia¡¯s tears slowly dried up and her emotions calmed down. Only then did Roel finally speak up. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°¡­ Mm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. It has been a long time since you cried like that. I think thest time was when we were still children.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Brother. I wasn¡¯t able to control my emotions¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to control your emotions, Alicia. At least not in front of me. Still¡­ there are some things I need to tell you.¡± Roel stroked her beautiful silver hair onest time before straightening his posture. Alicia¡¯s posture tensed up in response. He looked straight into her crimson eyes and spoke with a serious tone. ¡°You didn¡¯t lose or bring shame to our family. I can assure you of that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your words, Lord Brother, but you don¡¯t have to console me¡­¡± ¡°No. This isn¡¯t a constion but a fact. You can¡¯t be thinking that there¡¯s someone else out there who could have fared better than you did? Other than you, who else has the ability to tame the powerful Emperor of Cmity?¡± As Roel said those words, he reached out and gently pinched Alicia¡¯s cheeks. Alicia believed that she had failed in her mission by being unable to defeat the Sezes¡¯ elite troops and instead getting tied down by them. However, the truth was that she had performed far beyond expectations with the little army she was assigned with. In the first ce, the Ascart soldiers faced a terrible disadvantage in this battle, both in terms of top-tier battle power and overall military prowess. Yet, Alicia was able to take the lead in this battle against the famed general Duke Brookley and his prestigious War God Knight Order and sustain simr losses to them. This was a miracle in itself. Had it been anyone else, Duke Brookley would have immediately overran the Ascarts¡¯ base camp with the overwhelming advantage they had. In fact, Carter had estimated that at least half of the Ascart soldiers would have died by the time Roel arrived with reinforcements, but the death toll was currently much smaller than that. ¡°You were just in a disadvantageous position when I arrived. If you had sacrificed a portion of the soldiers, most of the troops would have still been able to safely retreat into the jungle. There¡¯s no way Duke Brookley would have dared to chase you in there. Given so, how could that be considered a loss?¡± ¡°But they managed to see through my strategy! The death toll is also¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with your strategy to slowly wear the enemy down. It does have the highest chances of sess given our circumstances. We simplycked the intelligence that Duke Brookley had the power to alter the terrain to this extent. As for the death toll, our losses would have been much greater if you hadn¡¯t weakened the enemy using the demonic beasts.¡± Roel gently stroked Alicia¡¯s hair as he spoke with a calm but resolute voice. ¡°You have done well despite having the odds stacked against you. You have aplished the mission entrusted to you while preserving our forces to the best of your ability. How could this possibly bring shame to our family? If anything¡­¡± Roel propped up Alicia¡¯s chin and spoke earnestly to her. ¡°¡­ you are our pride, Alicia.¡± ¡°!¡± The moment she received Roel¡¯s words of affirmation, Alicia¡¯s eyes widened. The lump she felt at the back of her throat reappeared. Without any warning, she leaped into Roel¡¯s arms. Roel heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that Alicia¡¯s dilemma had been resolved. The issue here was that Alicia had unreasonably high expectations of herself, a problem that arose from herck of experience on the battlefield. Unlike Roel, who had grown ustomed to war and death in the Witness State, Alicia had never been in such a harsh environment before. Just like any newmander, the deaths of her subordinates weighed heavily on her, making her overly critical of her own faults. That was why it was often said that those with soft hearts weren¡¯t suited to lead an army. Alicia was simply too kind. Her experience being bullied as a child made her sensitive to the pain and suffering of those around her, and this tranted to guilt whenever she witnessed the death of her subordinates. As Roel thought about this, a subconscious frown formed on his forehead. He couldn¡¯t help butmbast his father in his mind for sending Alicia onto the battlefield. ¡°Alicia, you have already aplished your mission. You can leave the rest to me. I¡¯ll have someone escort you¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel gently voiced his intention to send Alicia away from the battlefield. To his shock, thetter vehemently objected to his decision. She raised her head and looked at him with pleading eyes. ¡°Lord Brother¡­ please don¡¯t leave me anymore.¡± ¡°!¡± Chapter 454.1: Slowly Pushing the Boundaries (1)

Chapter 454.1: Slowly Pushing the Boundaries (1)

In the tent, Roel looked at Alicia¡¯s tear-stained face with slightly widened eyes. For a moment, he suddenly had a feeling that the two of them had been transported back into the past. ¡®Please don¡¯t leave me.¡¯ It had been a long time since hest heard such frail words from Alicia. Back when they were younger, the diffident Alicia would follow him around, clutching tightly onto his sleeves as she nervously scanned at her surroundings, almost as if she was keeping an eye out for things that could hurt her. But as Alicia grew up, she had be stronger physically and mentally. She was no longer the weak girl she once was. Recognizing that, Roel had tried to distance himself from her so that she would learn to be more independent, but his attempts were often foiled the moment she shed tears. ¡°I won¡¯t leave you,¡± Roel reassured her. His response was instantaneous, almost as if such instincts were primed into him. He reached out and embraced her tightly, and she returned the hug upon receiving his promise. It took a while before her emotions finally calmed down. ¡°But Alicia, you¡¯ll have to step onto the battlefield with me if we don¡¯t part ways here,¡± Roel attempted to dissuade her. ¡°I know, but I still don¡¯t want to leave your side. I feel more worried when you aren¡¯t by my side,¡± Alicia replied with tearful eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent upon hearing those words. He carefully considered Alicia¡¯s feelings and the current situation before finally nodding in agreement. The truth was that it would make no tactical sense to send Alicia away right now. He would have to dispatch a sufficiently powerful force to safely escort Alicia away from the battlefield, but that was a luxury they currently couldn¡¯t afford. Furthermore, the loss of Alicia¡¯s ability to mobilize the demonic beasts would have been a fatal blow too. Furthermore, Alicia¡¯s outstanding performance thus far had allowed her to build up prestige amongst the Ascart soldiers. Given the disadvantageous position they were currently in, it was much better for Roel and Alicia to stay together so as to instill confidence in the soldiers and keep their morale high. Sending Alicia away at this juncture might suggest a pessimistic outlook for the battle against the Sezes¡¯ and diminish the soldiers¡¯ morale. These considerations led Roel to drop the idea of sending Alicia away from the battlefield. At the same time, Alicia fell into deep thought as she recalled her initial goal. She had chosen to join the battlefield not just out of a willful desire to be with Roel. More than that, she had wanted to prove her own worth. Loneliness had been clinging onto her ever since she was forced to part with Roel, but that feeling had grown more intense than ever with Roel¡¯s recent surge in reputation. The Challenger Cup was the epitome of honor for those of the younger generation. Alicia was earnestly happy for Roel when he defeated all of his opponents and clinched the champion trophy, but as his name continued to grow further, a peculiar feeling started to overtake her. All this while, she had been the only one who understood Roel¡¯s strength and personality, but with his victory in the Challenger Cup, more and more people were getting to know him. It felt like something intimate to her had been made public and was slowly being wrestled away from her, leaving her with a profound feeling of loss. On top of that, she started to feel an inexplicable sense of distance from Roel. Roel¡¯s absence on New Year¡¯s Day had a huge impact on Alicia. Worry and loneliness gripped her like never before, leaving her unable to fall asleep. That made her ever more conscious of a single fact¡ªjust being his family member wasn¡¯t enough for her. She wanted to prove that she could stand alongside him, just like Nora and the others. For that reason, she didn¡¯t want to leave the battlefield no matter what happened. Roel was unaware of her motivations, but he slowly understood her determination regarding this matter. He exhaled softly and started asking about how she had fared in his absence. ¡°How was New Year¡¯s Day? I wasn¡¯t able to make it back in time to celebrate it with you.¡± ¡°It was the same as always, at least in terms of formalities.¡± ¡°That means there was something different from usual?¡± ¡°Mmhm. Because Lord Brother wasn¡¯t with me, I couldn¡¯t feel happy despite the festivities. I got afraid when I heard about what happened on the eastern border. I was frightened that you would nevere back. I had nightmares every night. I wanted to head over to look for you, but Lord Father refused to allow me to head there no matter how I pleaded with him¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Alicia¡¯s tearfulint about the emotional turmoil she had been put through brought a pang of guilt to Roel¡¯s heart. He patted her back and apologized to her. At the same time, he felt an even greater aversion to this war. If the tragedy that had befallen Tark Stronghold was a natural cmity beyond anyone¡¯s control, the Theocracy¡¯s internal war was a scheme concocted by the Austine Empire, a farce that threatened to shake the survival of humankind. Most important of all, it had hurt the people whom Roel cared about, and that was uneptable to him. ¡°Your arm was bleeding earlier, Alicia. Did the Seze Duke do it?¡± Roel asked as he lightly touched the area where Alicia was bleeding from earlier on. ¡°No, it¡¯s the price of a spell I cast. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Alicia. The wound she had inflicted on her arm earlier had already fully recovered under the absurd recovery ability of her Silverash Child Bloodline, to the point where a scar couldn¡¯t even be found. Even so, the image of her bloodstained arm continued to haunt Roel. He solemnly swore to end this darned war as soon as possible so that they could return to their daily lives. Alicia was able to vent all of her pent-up emotions in Roel¡¯s consoling embrace. She soon sumbed to the mental fatigue she had umted over the days and gradually fell asleep in his arms. Roel looked at the silver-haired girl that was fast asleep in his arms and gently nted a kiss on her forehead. Then, he raised his head and gazed coldly into the distance as he began formting a n to push back the enemy troops. ¡­ Meanwhile, in the Sezes¡¯ base camp, Duke Brookley was staring contemtively at an intelligence report on Roel Ascart. So many things had happened in the span of a single day that even a veteran general like Duke Brookley needed some time to fully digest the situation. He was also aware that this was the only reflection time he had, for the battle would soon resume at sunset. Without a doubt, Alicia Ascart would, once again, send the demonic beasts against them at nightfall. The colossal beast he had struggled to deal with would likely join the battle as well, but that was currently of secondary concern to him. What he was the most worried about was the young man who turned the tables on them earlier in the day¡ªRoel Ascart. That man was indubitably their number one enemy on this battlefield. As if his overwhelming strength wasn¡¯t troublesome enough to deal with, the ancient gods that man had contracted could easily shatter the morale of their troops. Even Duke Brookley himself felt a shudder run through his spine when he stood before the crimson giant, let alone the other soldiers. He had indeed received intelligence reports regarding Roel Ascart inheriting his ancestor¡¯s ability to summon ancient gods, but he hadn¡¯t expected the ancient gods to make such troublesome enemies. There was no way he could have known since he had never encountered any ancient gods himself. A feverish warrior could simultaneously fend off multiple enemies through sheer tenacity. Imagine what it would be like if that same effect were to be applied to thousands of people. That was the role that morale yed on the battlefield. Conversely, an army that had lost its will wouldn¡¯t be able to put up a fight. It wasn¡¯t unheard of for a powerful army with low morale to crumble before enemies much weaker than them. In fact, if Duke Brookley hadn¡¯t ordered for a timely retreat, that might have just been the plight of the Sezes¡¯ elite troops. It should have been a relief that they had managed to avert the worst-case scenario, but Duke Brookley could hardly bring himself to feel that way. The divergence in the resources of the Ascarts and the Sezes had given rise to different winning criteria for each of them. While the Sezes had sessfully dished out a blow to the Ascarts and safely retreated without taking much damage, their failure to cripple the Ascarts in a single swoop would soon prove to be fatal. Duke Brookley could already foresee what was going to happen next. Now that their troops had umted significant fatigue after a day of fighting, it would be much harder for them to force a second decisive confrontation with the Ascarts. This meant that they would be dragged into the Ascarts¡¯ pace and forced to fight in a battle of attrition. It was highly disadvantageous for them to stall out the fight, for the Ascarts had more resources at their disposal. There was Roel Ascart and the Ascart soldiers in the day, and Alicia Ascart and the demonic beasts at night. This relentless, around-the-clock attack would eventually wear down their soldiers until they were forced to drop out of the war. It was such perfect coordination that even Duke Brookley was unable to figure out a way to break out of this quandary. He could only stare at the military map and sigh again and again. ¡°These two siblings from the Ascarts are more troublesome than I could have imagined. And they are only at Origin Level 3 and Origin Level 4?¡± Duke Brookley murmured to himself with a frown. He was starting to regret making an enemy out of the Ascarts upon realizing the massivetent potential they possessed. If two young brats were already able to make such a huge impact on the battlefield at their current levels, what would they be capable of once they fully matured? Putting all things aside, wouldn¡¯t they be invincible in any environment that had a proliferation of demonic beasts? It felt like the only two choices he had were to either retreat or bring in reinforcements, but neither aligned with the Sezes¡¯ strategic goal. Their interest in intervening in the Theocracy¡¯s internal war was starting to thin. This put Duke Brookley in a dilemma. Chapter 454.2: Slowly Pushing the Boundaries (2)

Chapter 454.2: Slowly Pushing the Boundaries (2)

At this moment of inner conflict, an unexpected individual suddenly appeared in Duke Brookley¡¯s tent. ¡°That¡¯s quite a predicament you¡¯re in. It looks like I¡¯ve made a timely arrival.¡± ¡°Ancestor! What brings you here?¡± ¡°Calm down. There is some business I need to attend to, so you can leave the rest to me.¡± While Duke Brookley was wavering between his options, an old man who was revered by the masses as the Military God appeared in the Sezes¡¯ base camp without any warning. It was a humble arrival devoid of any fanfare, but it induced a huge stir amongst the soldiers. The Sezes¡¯ soldiers roared in delight upon hearing the news, as if victory was already in their grasp. However, in the midst of this joyous atmosphere, Layton Seze showed no reminiscence or fondness for the battlefield at all. He nonchntly listened to Duke Brookley¡¯s war report before gazing contemtively at the jungle Roel and the others were camping in. A long timeter, he breathed out a sigh. ¡°¡­ This day has finallye, Ro.¡± After muttering some ambiguous words, Layton closed his eyes and quietly waited for nightfall. ¡­ ¡°Lord Brother, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. It¡¯s docile.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the jungle, Alicia sat on top of the Emperor of Cmity and stroked its back as she spoke to Roel, who was standing on a massive tree branch just below her. Her words were rxed and casual, but Roel found it hard to concur with her judgment. He could have epted thebeling of any of the other beasts as docile, just not the Emperor of Cmity. But as long as the Emperor of Cmity was able to help them in the uing battle, he couldn¡¯t care less whether it was docile or not. And the Emperor of Cmity was indeed able to pull its weight. Roel looked at the demonic beasts loitering around the jungle with a ferocious glint in their eyes, and he nodded in awe. Alicia leaped down from the Emperor of Cmity¡¯s back andnded beside him. ¡°How is it, Lord Brother? They¡¯re obedient, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°You did well. I didn¡¯t think that it would be possible to instill discipline in the demonic beasts.¡± Despite Roel expressing his amazement toward her ability, Alicia wasn¡¯t satisfied with having just thispliment. Standing atop a massive tree branch, she looked at Roel with contemtive narrowed eyes before stepping forward to lean on his chest. ¡°Lord Brother, did I really do well?¡± ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t lie to you about something like this, so you shouldn¡¯t overthink it.¡± Recalling Alicia¡¯s earlier depression, he quickly consoled her, not knowing that he was falling into her trap. ¡°What about my reward?¡± ¡°Hm? W-well¡­¡± ¡°Hug me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Those words put Roel at a loss. He slowly reached out and hugged her. Her soft and warm body brought with it a surge of tranquility to his heart. Alicia was also enjoying the sensations of the embrace, though many more thoughts were running through her mind. It was one thing if it had been like their usual hugs, but they had been separated from each other for so long that she felt like there was a vacuum in her heart. She wanted to fill it up with something, and she knew what that ¡®something¡¯ was. I want to be closer with Lord Brother. She raised her head and looked into Roel¡¯s golden eyes. A moment of silence loomed between them before she finally spoke up. ¡°Lord Brother, can you kiss me?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Roel gently nted a kiss on her forehead, but to his surprise, Alicia didn¡¯t reveal her usual smile. Instead, she shook her head. ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what I mean. What I mean is this¡­¡± As she murmured, Alicia suddenly leaned forward and took his lips. Roel¡¯s eyes widened at the sudden assault. He instinctively wanted to push her away, but his hands stiffened in hesitation when he recalled the forlorn expression she had on her face earlier. He was worried that rejecting her at this sensitive moment would traumatize her. I-it should be fine if it¡¯s just a superficial kiss¡­ After an internal struggle, Roel couldn¡¯t bring himself to push aside Alicia, so he found an excuse for himself instead. On the other hand, a gleam flickered across Alicia¡¯s eyes. Just as I expected, Lord Brother won¡¯t turn me down if it¡¯s just to this extent. Her little victory brought a gleeful smile to her lips. Without a doubt, a lip-to-lip kiss had already transgressed beyond what was permissible between family members. It was a risky move for Alicia to make, but she went through with it because she wanted to see what was eptable to Roel. Given her current position, she knew that she had to keep pushing boundaries and slowly get Roel ustomed to her. This was the only way their rtionship could advance beyond that of family members to something more so that she wouldn¡¯t lose Roel to the others. A whileter, she reluctantly pulled her lips away from his. Before Roel could say a word, she quickly followed up with some words of gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Lord Brother. I¡¯m feeling much better.¡± ¡°W-well¡­ That¡¯s good, I guess.¡± The warm smile on Alicia¡¯s face made it hard for Roel to say anything harsh. The night gradually deepened, and it was soon time for Roel to set off. The simplest and quickest way to end this war was to defeat the enemy¡¯s leader. After much consideration, he decided to work together with the Emperor of Cmity during the night assault to take down the Seze Duke. Under Alicia¡¯smand, the Emperor of Cmity set off to the battlefield while Roel trailed a distance behind it. The demonic beasts soon began their assault on the Sezes¡¯ base camp, but both the Emperor of Cmity and Roel couldn¡¯t help but sense that something was amiss. At first nce, there wasn¡¯t anything different about the Sezes¡¯ base camp inparison tost night. However, the Emperor of Cmity sensed a terrifying aura with its hypersensitive instincts that sent chills running down its spine. It halted its footsteps and fidgeted on the spot while nervously assessing the Sezes¡¯ base camp. It was about the same for Roel too, just that what he sensed was much more tangible. His ability, Intuition of the Military God, alerted him to the strength of a hostile army and their morale. If what he had felt from Duke Brookley and the Sezes¡¯ elite troops earlier in the day was just mild difort, the feeling he was getting from the Sezes¡¯ base camp at this very moment was a lurching sense of danger. It didn¡¯t make sense. How could an army that was forced back earlier in the day and was in the midst of getting ambushed by demonic beasts possibly have such high morale? This anomaly immediately caught Roel¡¯s attention. Before he could think things through, an unbelievable surge of mana suddenly gushed from the Sezes¡¯ base camp. Majestic dragons made out of condensed mana rushed into the sky and induced sparks of lightning. The clouds swirled and formed a vortex, causing the air on the ins to start revolving. ¡°!¡± Upon sensing the surge of mana, the three ancient gods immediately opened their eyes and raised their heads, revealing a solemn look on each of their faces. Roel could sense a familiar aura from that mana. It was something he had felt from Magician King Priestley Maxwell when he fought against him in the Witness State¡ªthe aura of a Race Sovereign. C-could this be¡­ Roel widened his eyes before this intimidating aura. He realized that the most imusible and disastrous situation he had thought of had really happened. In the distance, the tightly-shut gates of the Sezes¡¯ base camp opened up, and a white-haired elder slowly made his way out. His deep eyes peered across the ins to gaze upon Roel. It was impossible to tell what was on the elder¡¯s mind, but even the weight of his gaze was crushing. Several seconds passed quietly, as if the calm before the storm. Then, the white-haired elder casually raised his hand. That very moment, Roel felt a foreboding premonition. ¡°Sh*t!¡± A curse slipped out from Roel¡¯s mouth as blue light suddenly burst forth from the white-haired elder, blinding out the surroundings. Chapter 455.1: Successor (1)

Chapter 455.1: Sessor (1)

Origin Level 1, Race Sovereign. This was the peak for the transcendents of the Sia Continent, devastating power that few had personally witnessed in the present era. Those who dared to be the enemies of these transcendental beings had mostly been reduced to ashes. Any situation where an Origin Level 1 transcendent made a move was almost guaranteed to go down in history. Most people lived their lives without ever meeting an Origin Level 1 transcendent, but here was one standing before Roel, reminding him of the terrifying strength a Human Sovereign wielded. When the thunderbolts enveloped the surrounding with their blinding radiance, Roel found himself losing all five of his senses, almost as if someone had rattled his brain hard. Mana instantaneously converged around him, rendering him immobile. He had once experienced such overwhelming power from Magician King Priestley Maxwell back in the Witness State, but unlike before, he wasn¡¯t a low-level transcendent who could be easily trampled on. He had ovee tribtions to uncover his core and advance to greater heights. Roel resisted the immense pressure crushing down on him and furiously channeled his mana to summon his contracted ancient gods. The white-haired Witch Queen swiftly appeared beside him, manifesting a ck vortex and destroying everything that was pulled into its midst. A split momentter, the pale yellow mana of the Primordial Earth Goddess surged out from his body, enhancing his defense prowess while calming the brewing sandstorm. This sh transpired in a split moment, such that no one else from either side was able to react to it. In spite of the defensive measures Roel had put up, Layton¡¯s blue thunderbolt tore through the ck vortex and dissipated the pale yellow mana wrapped around his body to strike him squarely in the abdomen. The sheer force of the thunderbolt sent him flying into the jungle, where dozens of trees fell in the wake of his retreating figure. The Emperor of Cmity witnessed this sight, and goosebumps swiftly covered its body. Obeying its instincts, it didn¡¯t hesitate to turn tail and escape back into the jungle. By this point, the other demonic beasts had also realized that danger was upon them, but unfortunately, they were too weak to resist the powerful pressure holding them in ce. While Roel was flying helplessly across the air, he seemed to hear Alicia¡¯s shouting, but not a word registered to him amidst the thunderous crackles and the ringing in his ear. It took several seconds, after flying across the in and a thousand meters into the jungle, that he finally regained control of his body. Sparks of blue thunderbolts continued to crackle as a charred smell filled the air. Thismon sense-defying strike plunged the battlefield into an eerie silence. Both the Sezes¡¯ elite troops and the Ascart soldiers found themselves speechless before the tremendous power disyed by Layton Seze, such that none of them dared to move carelessly. Are we going to die here? Such was the thought that filled the minds of the Ascart soldiers. They looked in the direction where Roel had fallen, desperately praying for a miracle. However, their rational minds were telling them that it was all hopeless. After all, Roel was only at Origin Level 3 no matter how talented he was. In this moment of suffocating despair, a puff of smoke suddenly rose from the jungle. Where the blue thunderbolt had fizzed to sparks, a ck-haired young man rose from the rubble. ¡°Cough!¡± Blood spilled out of his mouth, and the hems of his clothes were slightly charred. Yet, other than these, he was miraculously fine. His eyes glowed brightly under the mes of the torched jungle as his mana began to re once more, igniting the drive in the hearts of Ascart soldiers too. ¡°He¡¯s still alive!¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± The soldiers who discovered that Roel was still alive were either excited or shocked. Even Duke Brookley thought that it was unbelievable how he was still alive after taking an attack from an Origin Level 1 transcendent. For that very reason, a glimmer of hope lit up in the hearts of the Ascart soldiers. Relief flooded Alicia¡¯s heart when she saw Roel standing up from the rubble, and she nearly cried out of sheer joy. Her body started to glow beneath the moonlight as she stepped forward with the intent to heal Roel, but her spell abruptly stalled to a halt. The terrifying pressure crushing down on the Ascarts¡¯ had returned. Despite his lofty reputation as the hero of humankind, Layton Seze had no intention of going easy on Roel at all just because thetter was from a younger generation. Just the sheer intensity of his presence made the sky feel dimmer. Interestingly, Layton Seze didn¡¯t rush to make an attack this time around. It was the same for Roel in the jungle too. The Origin Attribute of the Seze House was ¡®Berserk¡¯, but they didn¡¯t have a hereditary bloodline to go along with it. Brookley was fortunate to be born with a bloodline that allowed him to manipte fluid, but it didn¡¯t suit the Berserk Origin Attribute well since it was more inclined toward defense and maneuverability. Inparison, Layton¡¯s thunderbolt bloodline had a highly offensive nature that went well with the Berserk Origin Attribute. There were many people who thought that he was a spellcaster due to the incredible prowess of his thunderbolts, but historical records stated that he was more of a knight transcendent. In other words, the earlier thunderbolts weren¡¯t Layton¡¯s specialty. That was why Roel was refraining from making any long-ranged attacks, knowing that they would only be revealing openings for Layton to exploit. Thus, he wiped off the blood trailing from the corner of his lips and patiently waited for the enemy to make his move. Layton swiftly understood Roel¡¯s intention, so after a moment of thought, he finally took a step forward. Along with this single step, his mana began to surge and his body started to undergo a major transformation. Within several seconds, his body expanded to the point where his muscles were bulging within his clothes, threatening to rip. Thunderbolts coiled around his body, lighting up the entire Sezes¡¯ base camp. On the other hand, the Ascarts¡¯ were put through a great deal of agony. The pressure Layton was exerting increased in intensity along with Layton¡¯s transformation. Lightning bolted down ceaselessly on the area within his sphere of control, felling tree after tree. All it took was for Layton to channel his mana to induce such a cmity. Clearly, the old man¡¯s strength was off the charts. Even Roel¡¯s face had started to turn grim. And this was only just the start. Layton raised his foot and took the second step forward. A massive, blurred silhouette manifested behind Layton. A Human Sovereign was an existenceparable to a god. Just as how mortals would tremble in Grandar¡¯s presence, those who stood before the blurred silhouette conjured by Layton would experience a dreading feeling of fear and subconsciously lower their heads. Meanwhile, in the jungle, crimson lightning and mes crackled as a massive skeleton giant manifested around Roel amidst a fog. With the powerful aura of an ancient god, Roel was able to significantly neutralize the pressure that Layton was exerting on the Ascart soldiers. In terms of aura, this man appears to be even stronger than Priestley. He doesn¡¯t feel like an old man. If anything, it seems like he¡¯s in his prime, Roel thought. Roel couldn¡¯t understand how Layton was in such a good condition despite having lived for centuries, but this meant that Time Devourer was unlikely to be too effective on him. The realization of that brought a frown to his face. Sensing his worry, Peytra further reinforced his defense while Artasia began setting up obstacles in the surroundings. Roel stared intently at Layton, awaiting his next move. To his astonishment, despite the thorough defense he had put up, Layton¡¯s silhouette abruptly vanished, reced by the afterimage of a punch that was nearly right in front of him. ¡°!¡± With his third step, Layton rapidly closed the distance between him and Roel to unleash a punch wrapped in devastating thunderbolts. It was so fast that it looked as if he had teleported across space. Roel was unable to react to this superhuman maneuver at all. Is this the pinnacle of physical force? It was almost like a cannonball crashing throughyers of ss panels. The gravitational field was unable to slow Layton at all. The sheer shockwave of the fist crumbled the boulders floating around Roel and sted away multipleyers of frost aura. Despite the overwhelming momentum of Layton¡¯s fist, Roel was hardly worried at all, for he knew that this attack wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee hispanions¡¯ defenses. He had chosen to entrust his life to hispanion, and Grandar responded to his trust with his full might. Right as Layton¡¯s seemingly unstoppable punch was about tond, another zing fist made out of white bones appeared in its path. If Layton¡¯s fist was packed with fervor and aggression, Grandar¡¯s fist was much more subtle, reminiscent of someone who had buried his history and past glories. It was a fist devoid of an edge, but the sheer weight behind it was enough to make Layton hesitate despite his absolute superiority in terms of Origin Level. Boom! The collision of the two fists produced an intense burst of light that divided the world into two colors, blue and crimson. The two forces furiously rammed at each other, eventually culminating in a deafening explosion. The two intermixed mana gushed upward as if a spear was piercing through the sky, dissipating the clouds and revealing a sky full of stars. Beneath the starlight, after the intense sh and shook the entire ins, Roel and Layton finally parted from each other, their bodies concealed by thickyers of dust and smoke. Chapter 455.2: Successor (2)

Chapter 455.2: Sessor (2)

¡°Cough!¡± Roel coughed out blood for the second time. He had sustained significant damage from the sh, evidenced by the intense pain spreading through his trembling body and his blurring vision. At the same time, Grandar wasn¡¯t able to fully withstand Layton¡¯s prowess either. Half of his skeleton body was blown into smithereens, and the crimson aura wrapping around him diminished by a fair bit. However, this didn¡¯t mean that he had lost the sh. On the contrary, he actually won despite the huge difference in Origin Levels. Nevertheless, Roel still sustained severe injuries as a result of that. Layton¡¯s punch hadn¡¯tnded directly on him, but just the shockwave of an Origin Level 1 transcendent¡¯s attack was too much for him to deal with. He suffered fractures all over his body and internal bleeding, but even so, he gritted his teeth and firmly stood his ground. If he fell now, it would be an insult to Grandar¡¯s victory, and the Ascart soldiers would be plunged into despair. Worse of all, he had a feeling that he wouldn¡¯t get an opportunity to stand up once more if he were to copse now. Pale yellow light shone from Roel as the Primordial Earth Goddess swiftly began healing his severely wounded body. Artasia seemed to be attempting something as well. Meanwhile, Roel continued staring intently into the dust and smoke, where the silhouette of an elder wrapped in blue thunderbolts was starting to show. ¡°How surprising. You managed to hold your ground. You are lucky to have been able to find a powerful god.¡± ¡°!¡± Layton looked at his slightly injured arm and remarked in surprise. Those words came as a huge shock to Roel as he widened his eyes. He immediately noticed the problem in Layton¡¯s words. Lucky? Find? Why would he use these terms? It was not much of a secret that awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline had the ability to summon ancient gods¡ªmajor noble houses and ruling families should have some records of that. However, the exact process about these ancient gods were contracted wasn¡¯t public knowledge. In fact, many people thought that the awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline were born with these ancient gods. This means that Layton knows about our contracting system. How? Roel frowned at the enemy before him with uprehending eyes. Layton lifted his eyebrows, realizing that he had identally given away crucial information. ¡°What a sharp-minded young man you are. Meticulous as you may be, you won¡¯t be able to breach the power gap between us with just that,¡± Layton spoke sighingly. He gazed upon Roel with his haunting blue eyes and calmly offered an advice. ¡°You should surrender.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent upon hearing those words. Surrendering was a legitimate option here, albeit an unfavorable one. No one would criticize him for throwing the white g against an Origin Level 1 transcendent. In the first ce, an attempt to fight against Layton Seze could already be considered to a meaningless act in itself. Even so, he didn¡¯t want to give up here. He knew what the rippling implications of that were. Behind him, the siege on Edgar City had already begun. If Roel were to back down here, the internal war waged by the allied army of the Ascarts and the Xeclydes could very well end in failure, shaking the foundation of humankind. The sheer weight he was shouldering made the notion of surrendering unbearable to him. Layton appeared to implicitly understand Roel¡¯s choice as he began gathering his mana once more. ¡°It would appear that you have no intention to back down here. Why is that so? Is it to uphold the honor of your family? Or is your personal pride getting in the way?¡± ¡°If I have to state a reason, it would be for humankind. Humankind has to stand strong if I wish to protect the ones I care about. Since we¡¯re on this topic, I¡¯d like to ask you, Layton Seze, why are you here? I¡¯m surprised that a hero of the previous Holy War like you would involve yourself in a meaningless power struggle between countries. What are you thinking?¡± Roel wiped off the blood on the edges of his lips and replied sarcastically. In response, Layton calmly raised his hand and grasped the thunderbolts crackling in the sky. ¡°Are those your final words? If so, I¡¯ll do you a favor and answer your question. I¡¯m not here for the worthless ambitions of the Ackermanns or the interests of the Seze House. I just wish to verify some things.¡± ¡°What an ambiguous answer. You might as well have not answered. I should correct you on one thing though¡ªthose aren¡¯t my final words. I don¡¯t n on losing here.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you think that you can win this battle despite the injuries you have sustained?¡± ¡°I am not so arrogant as to think that I¡¯d be able to defeat an Origin Level 1 transcendent, but I should at least be able to tie you down for a while. As my injuries, that¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. I¡¯m the strongest when I¡¯m at my weakest,¡± Roel said with a fearless smile. Despite the severe injuries he had received, his could feel a searing surge of energy gushing through his body, granting him the strength required to go against the irrational existence standing before him. Being Toward Death, that was the name of the blessing Roel had obtained during a life-and-death ordeal. It was the weapon manifested by his belief core to ovee his preordained tragic fate, a tool that shone brightest when he was faced with strong enemies. Roel activated Peytra¡¯s blessing, further boosting his power to an unprecedented height. Now that he was finally at the peak of his strength, he raised his hand and summoned a dusk wind that swiftly encircled him and Layton, confining the two of them. Meanwhile, Layton had already begun his follow-up attack. It was another punch, but unlike the two before, Layton had put his full strength into this one. The sky trembled under its might, and blue thunderbolt irradiated the surroundings. Any mortal would have easily misunderstood the overwhelming phenomenon as the arrival of the end. Sensing that, Roel decided to reveal his final trump card too. The fragment of a golden crown manifested on his palmtop and drifted into the air, casually falling upon Grandar and fusing into his body. The massive skeleton giant immediately let out a ferocious roar. With the donning of its crown, the mirage of a crimson in began to manifest in the surroundings. Boundless power surged into Grandar¡¯s fist as he hurled it against the iing thunderbolt punch. As if an escted reenactment of the previous exchange, it was yet another collision of blue and crimson, mixed with a devastating explosion and terrifying winds that swept across the ins. But unlike before, the intermixed manas weren¡¯t diverted into the air but instead reversed toward the aggressor. The immense outpour of manas enveloped Layton¡¯s body. The shockwave from the sh rippled out into the far distance, fissuring the vast in into two. Boom! The deafening sound of the explosion btedly arrived after that. Dust and smoke swiftly cloaked thends. Roel gasped for air, having depleted his mana for the previous attack, but he kept his eyes focused on the depths of the smoke. Under his intent gaze, Layton¡¯s silhouette finally appeared once more. There were faintcerations on the old man¡¯s seemingly indestructible body. The thunderbolt dding his body also thinned significantly. Nevertheless, it was apparent that the attack had failed to inflict severe injuries upon Layton. Much to Roel¡¯s dismay, the results were exaclty how he expected it to be. His face turned grim as he began to channel his mana to continue the battle with Layton. By this point, he had already given up all hopes of defeating thetter. All he hoped for was to be able to tie down this Human Sovereign as long as possible. But much to his surprise, Layton began examining the faint injuries on his body instead of continuing the battle. A long timeter, he murmured under his breath with a deep sigh. ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to get injured that quickly. You¡¯re darned lucky to have such a fine sessor.¡± Layton finally raised his head to look at Roel. With a calm but solemn voice, he spoke. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re qualified!¡± Chapter 456.1: Flirting Is An Epic Mission (1)

Chapter 456.1: Flirting Is An Epic Mission (1)

Fallen trees, countless pits, and most notably of all, a thousand-meter long fissure that cut deep into the earth; it looked as if a disaster had struck the border between Capo in and Saara Jungle. Yet, standing at the heart of devastation, Roel fell into a daze upon hearing Layton¡¯s words. Qualified? What does that mean? Is this a test? No, that doesn¡¯t make any sense. I¡¯m quite certain that there are no private ties between the Sezes and the Ascarts, or else there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t have known in my years as the proxy fief lord. Not to mention, we aren¡¯t even from the same country! Why would an expert who has made his name centuries ago suddenly appear on the battlefield just to give me a test? Hold on for a moment¡­ Centuries ago? Roel¡¯s pupils dted as a conjecture floated into his mind. ¡°It looks like you have figured out something. Indeed, I¡¯m here because of Ro Ascart. It has been nearly a century since I¡¯ve mentioned his name to anyone else. How nostalgic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Layton gazed upon Roel as he said those words, as if he was trying to find the silhouette of a man he used to know from his descendant. On the other hand, Roel wasn¡¯t immediately convinced by Layton¡¯s abrupt exnation although he acknowledged the usibility of it. Instead, he assessed Layton with eyes narrowed in skepticism, trying to discern the authenticity of the old man¡¯s words. Doing a quick calction of the years, Ro Ascart had indeed been active in Layton¡¯s era. However, considering Ro¡¯s immense reputation back in those days, it wasn¡¯t that surprising for Layton to know of that name. Furthermore, Ro had gone missing a long time ago, such that Layton could warp his story however he wanted to. It would be nearly impossible to verify whether Layton was an ally or an enemy through just this. On top of that, the dusk wind Roel had released earlier had been tightening its encirclement on Layton all this while. Admittedly, Time Devourer was not very effective on Layton as he hadn¡¯t reached an ailing age yet, but it was enough to pose a threat. Senescence is a fear that strikes deep, especially for an old man who has lived for centuries. Is Layton intentionally changing the topic to stall for time in order to find a way out of my Time Devourer? Roel wasn¡¯t one to believe others easily, especially not an enemy he was fighting with. However, if Layton wasn¡¯t lying here, this could be a chance to learn more about Ro. It would be a waste to let this precious opportunity slip past his fingers. After a moment of thought, Roel looked straight at Layton and spoke up. ¡°Ro Ascart is indeed my ancestor. What ties do you have with him?¡± ¡°Ties? You can say that we¡¯re secretly close pals.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°The rtionship between the Austine Empire and the Saint Mesit Theocracy was even tenser back in our era. Ro and I are sessors to high noble houses in our respective countries, so it wouldn¡¯t do for us to have any ties with each other on the surface. Fortunately, we had many opportunities to meet up in private as fellow ssmates,¡± Layton said with a look of reminiscence. However, Roel wasn¡¯t convinced with just this much. He stared intently into Layton¡¯s eyes and questioned. ¡°Close pals? I find that hard to believe when you pulled no punches in our earlier battle. Besides, how do you intend to exin this war? Do you think that you can justify this with Ro¡¯s name?¡± ¡°I have no intention of justifying anything. This war is the result of a deal between the Sezes and the Ackermanns. I¡¯m merely making use of this opportunity to pay you a visit. As for why I didn¡¯t hold back against you, that¡¯s simply what Ro asked of me.¡± Layton wasn¡¯t angered by Roel¡¯s hostile response. He had known that this would happen from the very start, considering how damaging the Sezes¡¯ intervention in the internal war would have been to the Ascarts and the Theocracy. Fortunately, Roel was wearing a familiar object that he could use to prove his credibility. ¡°That¡¯s the ckrose Ring you¡¯re wearing, isn¡¯t it? You must have met him in the dungeon then?¡± ¡°!¡± Layton eyed the ck ring Roel wore on his hand and remarked in nostalgia. Upon hearing those words, Roel¡¯s expression loosened for the first time. The ckrose Ring was an artifact passed down by Astrid, and it had never been officially acknowledged by the Saint Freya Academy. Due to that, there were very few people in the world who knew of its existence. Not to mention, Ro had secretly slipped a sliver of his consciousness in order to rig the test such that the ckrose Ring would only appear before his descendant. That was obviously an act of cheating, and there was no way he would tell an outsider such confidential information. ¡°You need not be surprised. If you still doubt my words, I can describe the attacking pattern of the substitute clone to you. I was the one who assessed that fellow back then.¡± Just thinking about the tough battle he had against the Ring Guardian evoked a sigh from Layton. He began sharing some of the attacking patterns of the Ring Guardian, which corresponded to how Roel remembered them to be. That ayed some of his wariness, though it further increased his doubts. ¡°Based on what you have mentioned thus far, Mister Layton, I¡¯m willing to believe that you were indeed pals with my ancestor. However, I¡¯m afraid that I still can¡¯t understand what Ro has asked you to do that requires you to go this far.¡± Without thinning the dusk wind encircling Layton in the least, Roel cut straight to the point and asked the most crucial question. That made Layton¡¯s expression turn grim as well. ¡°Ro entrusted me with something to pass down to his descendant, emphasizing that the descendant has to be an awakener and must first prove his strength before he can take the item off me. Injuring me is the bare minimum standard, but it¡¯ll culminate into a life-and-death battle at this rate if we continue fighting.¡± Layton eyed the howling dusk wind around him with lifted eyebrows as he spoke. Roel fell silent upon hearing those words. To be honest, he still didn¡¯t think that he stood a chance at bringing Layton down despite having encircled him with Time Devourer. Of course, even if this was a fight he couldn¡¯t win, he would still make full sure that Layton paid a terrible price for his victory. It came as a surprise to him that Ro would actually entrust something important to Layton, who was from the Austine Empire. Thinking back, the Ascarts¡¯s archives were burned down in a fire incident shortly after Ro went missing. It was possible that Ro might have foreseen something that led him to make this peculiar decision. Roel spent a brief moment making sense of the information he had just received so as to probe deeper into the matter. However, just as he was about to pose his questions, there was a sudden glow of light beside him. Following that, a silver-haired girl manifested amidst the moonlight and immediately hugged Roel from behind. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Alicia?¡± Her cheeks were stained with tears. Glowing specks of light floated from her body as she quickly infused a steady stream of life force into Roel¡¯s body, allowing him to swiftly recover from his injuries. After healing Roel up, she turned her cold ruby eyes toward the enemy standing before her. ¡°¡­¡± Faced with the sudden sight of two embracing youths, Layton¡¯s cheeks visibly twitched a little. Their intimate posture made him shake his head. Then, he turned his attention to the silver-haired girl ring at him, and a frown formed on his forehead. Hm? Why does her mana feel oddly familiar? Layton felt a weird sense of familiarity from Alicia¡¯s mana, but he was unable to figure out where this feeling wasing from. On the other hand, Alicia¡¯s breathing began to hasten. The heavy pressureing from Layton was more than enough to render the Origin Level 4 her immobile. It was at this moment that she finally understood what kind of existence an Origin Level 1 transcendent was, and she regretted her recklessness. At this rate, I¡¯ll be nothing but a burden to Lord Brother. The anxious Alicia felt like she had to do something here, but a hand fell on her shoulder before she could channel her mana. ¡°Calm down, Alicia. It¡¯s already over.¡± ¡°Lord Brother?¡± As Roel reassured Alicia, Layton also retracted his pressurizing aura. The billowing clouds dissipated and the cloud of dust settled onto the ground as if drawing the curtains on this fight. ¡°Now that I¡¯m done exining myself, it¡¯s time for me to hand the item over to you.¡± Layton reached into his shirt and fumbled around a bit before taking out an antique box. Roel stepped forward and carefully received the antique box from him. ¡°This is the item Ro entrusted to me back then. You should have the power to guard it yourself now.¡± ¡°Guard it? In other words, there are people after this box?¡± ¡°Indeed. He told me that this item is extremely important. It concerns the future of your n.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply. Those words, ¡®concerns the future of your n¡¯, carried great weight. The Ascarts had a thousand years of history behind them, and they had grown powerful under the protection of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. It was hard to imagine that there was a single item out there that could significantly affect them. With a heart filled with curiosity, Roel opened the antique box in front of Layton, only to be faced with an unexpected object. Chapter 456.2: Flirting Is An Epic Mission (2)

Chapter 456.2: Flirting Is An Epic Mission (2)

The night swiftly passed. By the time the morning sun was upon them, a disturbance broke out in the Ascarts¡¯ base camp inside the jungle. Cynthia and the others had arrived with the reinforcement army as promised, but to their bafflement, there was an absence of nervousness in the base camp, as one would have expected when faced against a powerful enemy. Instead, there was an air of liberation floating around the base camp. The Ascart soldiers also appeared ddened and relieved, as if they had just survived an ordeal. After a quick asking around, Cynthia and the others finally understood what had transpired in their absence. They finally realized how the massive fissure in the middle of the in and the ravaged state of the jungle came about. Even the traces of the battle looked as terrifying as a natural cmity. While Cynthia and the others were rmed by the overwhelming prowess wielded by Layton, they also felt deep respect to Roel for being able to stop an Origin Level 1 transcendent. They subconsciously directed respectful gazes toward themander tent, where Roel was resting. Inside the tent, Roel had spent the entire night without sleep. His mind was upied with the conversation he had with Layton after a devastating battle. On his table sat an opened antique box, where a transparent crystal sat within. This was the object that Layton had personally guarded over the years, the item said to concern the future of the Ascarts. The crystal had a delicate ring sealed within it. It was weaved in blue and gold and gleamed mesmerizingly. The ring design was a divergence from all of the fashion trends Roel was aware of, and he couldn¡¯t identify the material that was used for the ring either. Layton didn¡¯t know the specific details regarding the ring either, but he had heard Ro¡¯s evaluation of it. ¡°I recall Ro telling me that this item was passed down the awakeners of the Ascart House from generation to generation.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel nodded contemtively in response. There had only been three other awakeners in the Ascart House in the past thousand years other than Roel. Even when counting from the start of the Third Epoch, this ring had been carefully stowed away for at least seven hundred years since Winstor¡¯s era. Something that was treasured by the Ascarts to such an extent was worth a careful examination. The moment Roel¡¯s hand came into contact with the crystal, it began emanating a faint glow. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°It seems to only resonate with those from your n. The crystal has never reacted to my touch.¡± Layton shook his head in response to Roel¡¯s question, expressing that he knew next to nothing about the crystal. It was faint, but Roel felt a mysterious connection to the ring inside the crystal. It instinctively registered to him that the ring could be a medium to a specific historical fragment in the Witness State. Without a moment¡¯s dy, he pulled his hand back, terminating the resonance with the crystal. Then, he stared at it with a heart still beating in fear. A medium of the Witness State passed down through the generations was unlikely to lead anywhere safe, and Roel was hardly in a good condition at the moment. From that perspective, this crystal is likely to be some sort of seal to iste the ring. Just what kind of historical fragment does the ring lead to for it to be so carefully guarded and passed down through the generations? ording to Layton, the ring¡¯s previous owner, Ro, had never removed the crystal seal either. Upon hearing those words, Roel couldn¡¯t help but question how Layton came to know so much about Ro¡¯s affairs. Even for old pals, it was unusual for Ro to share so many details with Layton, especially when some of them involved confidential secrets about the Ascart House. At Roel¡¯s further questioning, Layton finally revealed that the two of them were once travelpanions. It wasmon for nobles to travel together with their friends to expand their horizons back in that era, and Ro and Layton were one such pair. The two of them began exploring the world shortly after their graduation, and Ro made use of the opportunity to search for clues pertaining to the Ascarts and the already destroyed Twilight Sages Assembly. ¡°Ro found this ring during our journey together based on a lead provided by an ancient treant. That¡¯s also why I can tell you with certainty that he has never used this ring before,¡± Layton said solemnly. Layton revealed a slight hint of respect upon the mention of the ancient treant, but Roel found it hard to feel the same way when he thought about a certain drunkard treant that was currently residing in the Ascart Fiefdom. In any case, this additionalyer of corroboration further deepened his trust toward Layton. The fact that the two of them were that close came as good news to Roel. He anxiously asked Layton if he knew the truth about Ro¡¯s disappearance, but the elder revealed a troubled expression instead. It would appear that Ro had given this ring to Layton nearing the end of their journey, and Layton had no idea where Ro headed off to afterward. Nevertheless, he still believed that Ro was alive, even to this day. ¡°That rascal is a cunning man with many tricks up his sleeves. I find it hard to believe that he would pass away that easily,¡± Layton insisted. Layton looked just like an obstinate old man who refused to ept the truth, but as someone who had once crossed blows with Ro¡¯s clone, Roel thought that there was some credibility behind what Layton¡¯s words. Simr to how Roel possessed overwhelming burst power that allowed him to rival opponents far stronger than him, albeit just for a short while, Ro¡¯s specialtyy in defense and recovery, making him almost like an unkible zombie. Yet, such a fellow went missing shortly after parting with his good friend. Where could he have possibly gone to? Or rather, what was he nning to do? With such thoughts in mind, Roel asked Layton if Ro had any specific purpose during their journey together, but the answer he received left him speechless. One thing that had been on Ro¡¯s mind throughout their entire journey, and that was to win over the princess of the Austine Empire. That was also one of the reasons why Layton dared not openly reveal their rtionship. However, Ro¡¯s action wasn¡¯t guided by feelings of love but instead a desire to obtain the bloodline of the Ackermanns¡¯. ¡°That ancestor of yours, well, has a tendency to get into messy rtionships. For whatever reason, he believed that a marriage with the Ackermanns is the key to revitalizing the Ascart House. It¡¯s just that such a thing was impossible in that era,¡± Layton exined. Just thinking about what Ro had done back in those days was more than enough to make Layton¡¯s cheeks twitch uncontrobly. Roel noddedprehendingly, not surprised by Layton¡¯s reaction. I know, I know. He¡¯s an asshole. Roel thought about what Ro had said back then, and he probably would have spat at him if not for the fact that he was his ancestor. Talking about all of these reminded him of the mission that Ro had entrusted to him back then. Knocking up ady of the Ackermanns is starting to look like an epic quest for the Ascarts, passed down through the generations and still ongoing even after centuries. Roel was probably the one who hade closest to winning over an Ackermanns¡¯ princess after Ro, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ufortable with that notion since the two of them were bloodline kin. It feels almost like I¡¯m doing something taboo. Roel rubbed his temples and sighed deeply. After a moment of thought, he decided not to tell Layton about the mission Ro had entrusted to him, not because he was worried about Layton but because he was concerned about Alicia. Ever since they started talking about winning over a princess of the Ackermanns¡¯, the atmosphere around Alicia had been a little off. As if she was feeling nervous about something, she held onto Roel tighter than ever. Roel didn¡¯t want Alicia to know about the jerk of an ancestor they had, so he diverted the topic to Ro¡¯s enemies instead. Since he was unable to gather any direct clues about Ro, it seemed to be a good idea to look into his enemies and slowly work backward. Unexpectedly, Layton revealed a name that was awfully familiar to him. ¡°Amongst Ro¡¯s enemies, the most dangerous ones were the Savior¡¯s worshipers. Those Fallens are after the ring inside the crystal too. One of the reasons I¡¯ve gone into seclusion is to evade them.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Roel lowered his head in guilt upon hearing Layton¡¯s words. He never thought that Layton would have paid such a huge price in order to guard an Ascarts¡¯ heirloom. He pondered for a moment and decided to tell Layton about his close encounter with the Collector a while ago. Upon hearing Roel¡¯s story, the hands Alicia had around Roel¡¯s body tightened yet again. Layton¡¯s expression turned livid as well. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. They seem to have set their eyes on you.¡± Chapter 457.1: The Sculpture that Was Left Behind (1)

Chapter 457.1: The Sculpture that Was Left Behind (1)

The Savior¡¯s worshipers and the Ascarts¡¯ ancestors had been mortal enemies ever since the Second Epoch. While Fallens had gone under the radar and the Ardes split into seven lineages during the downfall of the Ancient Austine Empire, the truth was that neither had truly disappeared from history. The main sessors of the Ardes became known as the Ascarts, and they approached the Theocracy for protection. Meanwhile, the Fallens also slowly began showing their tail as humankind rose to prominence once more. In fact, they were the most active during Ro¡¯s era several centuries ago, shortly before and after the war against the deviants. Both Ro and Layton were the strongest experts of their generation, which probably gave rise to a profound sense of connection between the two of them. During their journey around the world, they naturally encountered the Fallens and crossed hands with them. ¡°It¡¯s likely that you have caught their eye. Things will get troublesome from now on. They¡¯re tenacious bastards who won¡¯t easily let go once they have bitten down on something.¡± ¡°Are you speaking from experience?¡± ¡°I am. Ro¡¯s investigation work seemed to have provoked the Savior¡¯s worshipers, prompting them toe after our lives. Several times we have nearly died in their hands, but fortunately, we were always able to defeat them in the end.¡± Layton felt a little wistful thinking about the arduous journey they had in their younger years, which was why he had a strong impression of the Fallens too. Meanwhile, Roel was astonished to hear of their experiences. He knew just how troublesome it was to deal with those two of them as opponents. Ro was practically like a video game character with unlimited respawns whereas Layton was simr to a boss character with his defense maxed out. On top of that, the two of them were vignt and sharp-witted individuals, such that they would likely flee the moment they sensed danger. The fact that the Savior¡¯s worshipers were able to threaten them time and time again showed that they were not a force to be made light of. Roel made a mental note to guard against the Savior¡¯s worshipers. On the other hand, Layton stared contemtively at Roel for a long while before posing an abrupt and unusual question. ¡°Are there any awakeners in the current generation of the Ascart House?¡± ¡°Hm? No, I¡¯m the only one. Is there a problem here?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re the only one. Otherwise, judging from their style of doing things, they might just make a move on the other awakeners,¡± said Layton as he breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°!¡± However, Roel¡¯s pupils contracted upon hearing those words. He was certain that he didn¡¯t have any siblings, but he was also aware that not all awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline were Ascarts. Lilian. Recalling the ck-haired woman with amethyst eyes, Roel found his heart swelling up with worry once more. He knew that it wouldn¡¯t be easy for the Savior¡¯s worshipers to find her, given that she was a princess of the Austine Empire and had the Kingdom Origin Attribute as a cover, but the Fallens were old enemies with the Ascarts. The enemies might just be in possession of some sort of special means to detect awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline. ¡°With this, I¡¯m done with the business I have here. I¡¯ll be heading back now.¡± Layton extinguished the thunderbolts crackling around him, and his bulging muscles that were threatening to rip through his clothes shrunk back to their usual size. Seeing that, Roel quickly thanked the old man. The Sezes had most definitely interfered in the Theocracy¡¯s internal war with malicious intention, and Roel had suffered severe damage due to Layton¡¯s aggression. Still, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Layton shouldered the risk of being attacked by the Fallens in order to take care of a family heirloom of the Ascarts. For that reason itself, Roel thought that it was only right for him to express his deepest gratitude. Layton himself didn¡¯t think much of what he did though. ¡°I¡¯m merely fulfilling the promise I made to Ro back then. I¡¯m just a little surprised as to how long it took for another awakener to appear in the Ascart House. Thankfully, you proved yourself worthy to guard the item. You may visit me in the Seze Dukedom if you encounter any problems in the future, but let¡¯s spare with the fighting next time.¡± Layton Seze casually bade Roel goodbye with a wave of his hand before zapping away with the night breeze. Gazing at the blue crackling thunderbolt heading into the distance, Roel felt a surge of gratitude and reassurance. Layton¡¯s parting words had made it clear that he had no intention of severing ties with the Ascarts just because he had fulfilled the promise he had made with Ro back then. On the contrary, he was interested in establishing closer ties with the Ascarts. Whether this was out of consideration of his ties with Ro or that Roel¡¯s strength had won his approval, this was indubitably good news for the Ascart House. It would be a big deal if they could turn this legendary Origin Level 1 transcendent into an ally. With the danger resolved, Roel finally sumbed to his injuries. Under Alicia¡¯s support, he retreated back into the jungle. ¡­ Roel¡¯s condition had mostly stabilized after a night of recuperation. During this period of time, he received word from their scouts that the Sezes¡¯ elite troops were showing signs of retreating. This news didn¡¯te as a surprise to him since the Ackermanns¡¯ n had unraveled from the moment Layton appeared on the battlefield. There was not a single person in the world who would think that an Origin Level 1 transcendent would require reinforcement. If the Austine Empire were to mobilize its troops against the Theocracy even after Layton had personally appeared on the battlefield, it would be deemed as an irrefutable act of aggression by all countries on the Sia Continent. Even if just to uphold a semnce of order on the Sia Continent, there was no way the other countries would turn a blind eye to it. It was diving into the semantics, but unless the Autine Empire decided to abandon all diplomatic rtionships with other countries, it would require some form of legitimacy to start a war. Roel had too many things on his tes to delve deeply into the political struggles between major countries, but he was worried that Layton¡¯s willful action had infuriated the Ackermanns. But on second thought, it probably wasn¡¯t much of a concern for someone as influential and powerful as Layton. In fact, it made perfect sense for the hero of the Holy War to put a halt to a potential war that would have significantly weakened mankind when there was an increasing threat from the deviants at the eastern border. After dealing with other matters on hand, Roel slipped on a pair of gloves and began examining the crystal that was said to pass down from generation to generation within the awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline. Based on his analysis, the ring encased within the crystal was likely to date back further than the Second Epoch, but he wasn¡¯t able to properly identify its history and the civilization it had originated from. Even the knowledgeable Artasia said that she had never seen the ring before. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised to hear that since rings were usually private possessions. It would have been truly coincidental if the Witch Queen happened to recognize it just like that. What surprised him, however, was that none of the ancient gods were able to identify the material that the ring was made out of. Peytra suggested removing the crystal seal so that she could take a closer look at the ring, but Roel rejected the idea after some consideration. His priority at the moment was not to uncover the origins of the ring but its significance. He trusted his intuition, which told him that the ring was a trigger to a certain historical fragment in the Witness State, but that was hardly enough information for him to work with. Based on what he had deduced thus far, a medium would significantly increase the chances of him encountering a specific ancient god in the Witness State, but he had no idea what kind of ancient god he would encounter via the ring at all. On top of that, based on his previous experiences, there were varying levels of difficulties to the Witness State. In other words, there was a chance he might not be strong enough to deal with the Witness State that the ring would be transporting him into. Layton had told him earlier that the minimum requirement for future awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline to im possession of the crystal was to be able to wound Layton, and this was a requirement set by Ro himself. With the knowledge that this ring was a medium leading to the Witness State, this piece of information could be viewed in two ways. One, it was the minimum strength required to protect the ring from the Savior¡¯s worshipers. Two, it was the minimum strength required to survive inside the ring¡¯s Witness State. Either way, the notion that Roel had only reached the minimum strength required didn¡¯t really bode well. Furthermore, this crystal had already been passed down for centuries now as an important artifact that concerned the future of the Ascarts. While the Ascarts weren¡¯t as prosperous as the Ardes were in the Second Epoch, it had been in a rtively stable position over thest few centuries. He found it hard to understand why his ancestors thought that a single ring would be so significant as to affect the future of the Ascarts. Chapter 457.2: The Sculpture that Was Left Behind (2)

Chapter 457.2: The Sculpture that Was Left Behind (2)

While Roel was deep in thought, Alicia entered themander tent with a teacup in hand, only to pause at the sight of the ck-haired boy sitting on a chair. ¡°Lord Brother, did you¡­ be smaller?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± It was also then that Roel realized his transformation. He lifted his arms and noticed that his clothes had gotten muchrger. His hair was also longer than before. ¡°Haa, I guess there¡¯s no avoiding the side effects. Luckily, my age regression appears to be milder this time, so it shouldn¡¯tst too long,¡± said Roel. As he didn¡¯t have to sustain Time Devourer for too long against Layton, the side effect that diminished his cognitive ability didn¡¯t ur. His physical body had also only regressed for around a year or two. Overall, it didn¡¯t pose much of a problem. Instead, the fractures and internal bleeding he was suffering from were much more troublesome. Thus, Roel didn¡¯t think much of it and continued focusing his attention on deciphering the secrets behind the crystal. However, the other person in the room wasn¡¯t as nonchnt about the situation. Alicia¡¯s face had already started to redden, and her breathing hastened in excitement. This is a Lord Brother who is of the same age as me! To her, the age regressed Roel was almost like a limited-time collectible. More importantly, she was the only one who was here with him! ¡°Lord Brother, may I ask you to stand up for a moment?¡± ¡°Hm? Sure, I could do that. Is there anything you need from me?¡± Roel eded to her request and rose to his feet. Alicia first ced the teacup on the table before walking up to Roel. She stopped right in front of him and straightened her posture. ¡°¡­ Lord Brother is still taller than me.¡± ¡°Ah, is that what you¡¯re concerned with? You were much taller than me thest time I regressed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfair that you¡¯re older. Still, I¡¯m happy to be able to see an underaged Lord Brother again. Hehehe,¡± Alicia said as the edges of her lips inched upward to form a smile. She couldn¡¯t resist the urge to lightly poke Roel¡¯s cheeks. Roel sighed softly in response to Alicia¡¯s teasing. He had known that this would happen from the moment he broke his promise and used Time Devourer once again. Since his previous age regression, an equation had already been formed in his head: Miniature Roel = Toy It was a little frustrating to him, but he chose to allow Alicia to do as she pleased. After all, she had suffered quite a lot during this period of time. There was no way she would have felt no stress when leading an army onto the battlefield for the first time. If his temporary miniaturization could relieve Alicia of some of his pent-up stress, he didn¡¯t mind indulging her a little. As Alicia fondled his cheeks, Roel was suddenly reminded of an anomaly that urred during his confrontation with Layton Seze. How did Alicia bypass the encirclement of my Time Devourer? Normal spatial movement spells shouldn¡¯t have been able to bypass my dusk winds. ¡°Lord Brother?¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Noticing Roel¡¯s sudden stillness, Alicia tilted her head questioningly at him. Roel fell silent for a moment before he shook his head with a smile, choosing to suppress his doubts. Forget it, it isn¡¯t anything important anyway. It¡¯s a good thing that Alicia is bing stronger. I might as well spend my time deciphering this family heirloom instead of harping on this matter. Roel exhaled softly before turning his attention back to the crystal. ¡­ The war seemed to havee to a standstill after the conversation between Roel and Layton. The day that Cynthia and the others arrived on the battlefield, the Sezes chose to pull their forces further back, which further de-escted the tension on the battlefield. Both sides held their positions for two days, not doing anything yet seemingly having the same thoughts in mind. It was only on the third day, when an emergency report arrived from the frontline, that the battle with the Sezes officially concluded. Edgar City had been taken down. Understandably, a hugemotion broke out in the Ascarts¡¯ base camp when this long-awaited news arrived. The soldiers excitedly discussed the matter amongst themselves as they awaited the final call from themand center. Meanwhile, Roel was busy reading the war report in themander tent. While Alicia and Roel were having a stand-off with the Sezes¡¯ elite troops, the main force of the allied army hadn¡¯t been cking around. Worried that something might happen to his children if the war were to drag out, he quickly drew up a battle n based on the military intelligence he had gathered from his previous probing attacks and finallyunched an all-out attack three days ago. After a full day of intense fighting, the Theocracy¡¯s allied army finally found a breakthrough and sessfully scaled Edgar City¡¯s walls. Having lost their greatest advantage over the allied army, the morale amongst the Elrics¡¯ garrison troops plummeted to the ditches, leading to the swift copse of their forces. When dawn finally arrived, the city gates opened from the inside to reveal the gs of the allied army, thus ending the legend of the ¡®Infallible Fortress¡¯. With the sessful siege on Edgar City, the curtains were finally drawn on both the Theocracy¡¯s internal war and the Austine Empire¡¯s swelling ambitions. By noon, the Sezes had already pulled their troops back from the Theocracy¡¯s territory. The Ascarts¡¯ held still in face of the Sezes¡¯ retreat, watching quietly atop a hill as the enemy¡¯s army gs receded into the distance. Roel held conflicted feelings toward the Sezes. On one hand, even if they had moved under the Ackermanns¡¯ orders, they had interfered in the Theocracy¡¯s internal war and threatened the stability of humankind for their personal interests. Ascart soldiers had died fighting against them. It was hard for him to overlook all of these. But at the same time, he understood that the Ackermanns would have simply pushed someone else forward had the Sezes had refused to intervene, even if it was less effective. Whether the Sezes had gotten involved or not would have made little difference to the Theocracy¡¯s plight. On top of that, he felt thankful toward Layton as well. Layton had been guarding the Ascarts¡¯ family heirloom over the centuries despite the risks it would have brought upon him and his family. Now that he thought about it, the old man might have ordered the mobilization of the Sezes to allow for a meeting between them, which would have been impossible under normal circumstances considering Layton¡¯s sensitive position. Of course, such a decision came at a cost. Both sides had no choice but to cross blows given their opposing positions. However, the truth was that Layton had always been in control of the situation. He could have single-handedly stopped the fighting if needed to. In fact, his appearance on the battlefield had effectively prevented the Ackermanns from further exploiting the situation. On top of that, Layton had also expressed his goodwill toward the Ascarts, saying that Roel could look for him whenever he wanted to. In fact, Roel had wanted to do that, but he knew it wouldn¡¯t be a wise move to do so now. No matter what, it was a fact that Layton¡¯s appearance was to the detriment of the Austine Empire, especially when he didn¡¯t do much on the battlefield at all. The Ackermanns were likely to be in a sensitive mood now that their grand ambitions had been foiled, so it would be best to avoid doing anything that would grate at their nerves. Having driven away the enemies, Roel and Alicia led the Ascart soldiers on a triumphant march back to rejoin with the allied army. Roel hadn¡¯t fully recovered from his injuries, but the side effects of Time Devourer had already passed. This awful war was finally over. ¡­ Several dayster, Roel casually strolled through Edgar City under the apaniment of the heretics and the inquisitors, each of them fully armored and scanning the surroundings vigntly. Their wariness was understandable since their destination was the headquarters of the Theocracy¡¯srgest evil cult, the Connoisseur Guild. The Connoisseur Guild had constructed a massive magical realm using the entire Edgar City as a medium, and the entrances were the mirrors in Elrics¡¯ manor. To prevent word from getting out, all vital positions in the Elrics¡¯ manor were upied by the evil cultists themselves. The inquisitors were the first ones to pass through the mirror, and only after ensuring that it was safe that Roel entered the magical realm constructed by his mortal enemy. The members of the Connoisseur Guild had already escaped when they received news of Bryan¡¯s death and the outbreak of the internal war, so there wasn¡¯t a single person in the headquarters at all. That could have been the reason why the space looked exceptionallyrge. The group walked by an open vault, which was unsurprisingly empty since the evil cultists would have taken everything valuable away with them. There was also an auction hall with all sorts of item lists lying around. However, Roel wasn¡¯t interested in any of this. He couldn¡¯t care less about the dirty business the Elrics had been up to over the years. He only had one goal here, and that was to uncover the trails of the Collector. To his astonishment, he encountered a problem just moments after he began his investigation. The office of the Collector had mysteriously disappeared. Even though the Collector had never made a public appearance, he was the one who determined the organization¡¯s directions and ns. The disappearance of his office meant that they would be losing a vital lead, and that was uneptable to Roel. Fortunately, the evil cultists had provided them with the rough location of the office, where the clergymen discovered traces of spatial magic in the vicinity. They tried to mend the space, but the results were less than ideal. ¡°Lord Roel, this room has been destroyed for quite a while now, so I¡¯m afraid that¡­¡± Roel held onto a half-destroyed white sculpture in his hands while looking at the empty space before him with an icy gaze. In the first ce, the Collector¡¯s office was a product of spatial magic, making it highly unstable. It was hard to repair the space when it had been intentionally destroyed. All they had managed to salvage from it were some tattered furniture and a half-destroyed sculpture. From this, it could be seen that the Collector was a meticulous man. The tattered furniture wasn¡¯t of much use, so the only useful clue was the half-destroyed sculpture. The sculpture happened to depict a scene that Roel was very familiar with¡ªthe meeting between Nora and him amidst mountains of carcasses. The only difference was that the Roel in the sculpture was copsed onto the floor. ¡°A prophetic sculpture¡­ Hand this over to a sculpture appraiser to see if we can track down the creator of this piece,¡± ordered Roel. ¡°Yes, Lord Roel.¡± Artworks often embodied the unique traits of their creators. It was possible to deduce the origin of the creator through analyzing the sculpture, though it was easier said than done. Nevertheless, this was the only clue they had on the Collector. After searching through the Connoisseur Guild¡¯s headquarters, Roel departed from Edgar City. While leaving on horseback, he couldn¡¯t help but direct a nce back at the war-torn city, and it left him with mixed sentiments. Ever since the disappearance of Tark Stronghold at the eastern border, Roel¡¯s life had been deviating from what he considered to be normal. The fight with Bryan had been a close shave, the assassination attempt by the Collector left him despaired, and the ensuing internal war and scheming had been nothing but vexing. But it¡¯s now all over. My life can finally return to normal. Roel turned his head back forward, as if shaking off the bad luck that had been clinging onto him. He patted for the antique box he had carefully stowed away in his suit before galloping off. Chapter 458.1: Stoking Possessiveness (1)

Chapter 458.1: Stoking Possessiveness (1)

Country of Schrs, Leinster. Roel Ascart sat by the window and watched the busy crowd outside while sipping on his tea, enjoying this moment of peace. War and peace were like integral parts of human civilization, elements that no human could escape from in their lifetime. That being said, thanks to the outstanding performance of the Ascart House, the Saint Mesit Theocracy was able to avert a potential war and catch a breather. Still, a rock that was thrown into the peaceful surface of ake would inevitably stir ripples. The world wouldn¡¯t just revert to how it was previously after how close it hade to a major war. The ripples of changes reached as far as the Country of Schrs, and that was supposedly distanced from political strifes and international conflicts. In fact, the changes here might just be the most tangible due to the diverse backgrounds of the people gathered here. There had always been segregation of students based on nationalities in Leinster, but it was now more apparent than ever. Stiffened expressions would appear whenever students from the Austine Empire and the Saint Mesit Theocracy encountered each other. Even those who were close to each other would make do with a perfunctory greeting before parting ways. Most foreign students in Leinster were offspring of nobility, so it was impossible for them to overlook the political implications when making friends. Old students were still able to uphold civility since they had already known each other for years, but the awkwardness was palpable amongst the freshmen. ¡°I guess this is inevitable,¡± Roel shook his head and sighed softly. His thoughts couldn¡¯t help but drift back to the chaos that transpired two months ago. After his fight with Layton Seze by the border, the Sezes hadn¡¯t made any other hostile movements. Without external interference, the allied army managed to take down Edgar City, thus achieving aplete victory in the internal war. Roel took a look around the Connoisseur Guild¡¯s headquarters before leaving ahead of the others. Edgar City was in a mess after all the fighting that had urred, so the allied army had to stay behind and maintain order. Carter and the othermanders weren¡¯t that cruel as to demand the severely wounded Ascarts¡¯ personal army and heretic army to do such misceneous jobs, so they were allowed to return first with Roel, who wasn¡¯t in a good condition too. Alicia was required to stay behind to continue her work as a member of the intelligence bureau to coordinate with the inquisitors, who hade together with Roel, to capture the escaped evil cultists. Roel epted the arrangements since it was about time for the new semester to start. Honestly speaking, he was feeling utterly exhausted after having been through the turmoil at the eastern border and the Theocracy¡¯s internal war. He thought that it was ridiculous how his holiday turned out to be even more exhausting than attending the academy. Under the tight escort of the Ascarts¡¯ personal army and the heretic army, Roel safely returned to the Ascart Fiefdom. He then spent his days recuperating from his injuries and thinking about how Ro had a pretty good eye for people. Layton was indeed an honest man. Not only did he take good care of the Ascarts¡¯ family heirloom over the centuries, but he had also fully heeded Ro¡¯s words and went all-out in the battle, not pulling any punches at all. Thanks to that, Roel found himself bedridden once more despite having just recovered from the injuries sustained at the eastern border. On the bright side, the Theocracy had awarded Roel and Alicia with a Heroic Guardian Medal each for their contribution in holding off the Sezes despite the odds being against them. As neither of them was in the Holy Capital, the Xeclydes dispatched an envoy to deliver the medal to their house, a decision that was met with Roel¡¯s full support. Putting aside the question of whether it was appropriate to have the bedridden Roel travel all the way to the Holy Capital to collect a medal, it wasn¡¯t appropriate to hold a grand award ceremony at this sensitive time. It was a huge relief that the internal war had been resolved, but the Theocracy was not out of trouble yet. For one, the deviants at the eastern border would be more active with the arrival of spring. In view of that, the Xeclydes had already started dispatching reinforcement army over, but it would take some time to build up a decent defense line. As the saying goes, there is no safe egg in an overturned nest. When humankind was facing an imminent ordeal, no country would be able to rest in peace. Roel, who was one of the core figures of the younger generation and had close ties with several others who were in the same position, was naturally affected by that as well. He could tangibly feel it just by looking back at the recent journey he had made to Leinster. Unlike before, it was a dreary and lonesome journey by himself. He had neither Nora nor Charlotte to chat with him along the way and pass time. It had been forever since he had been left alone that it felt exceptionally empty. In the month¡¯s long journey, he spent his time staring at the bleak, unchanging scenery outside as he experienced a full dose of loneliness. At times, he would grumble about his ailing body, and Cynthia would knock on his carriage and show him some concern. It left him thinking: Ah. Is that how it feels like for an old man living alone to be visited by a social worker? The reason behind Roel¡¯s miserable plight was an international symposium¡ªthe International Crisis Management Symposium. As its name suggested, it was a symposium held to discuss ns to tackle with the various crises faced by humankind. The threat of the deviants had always been a major topic on the symposium, and it was supposed to be held after the abrupt disappearance of Tark Stronghold. However, the outbreak of internal war in the Theocracy, as well as the additional interference by the Austine Empire, led to it being postponed by several months. Now that the situation had finally stabilized, it was only a given for them to hold the symposium as soon as possible. In ordance with traditions, the sessors of major countries such as Nora, Charlotte, and Wilhelmina had to participate in the symposium as well. As a result, Roel was left all alone. To be fair, the symposium was organized under the church¡¯s rally, so Roel, as the sessor of an eminent noble house and a meritorious subject of the Theocracy, could have attended the symposium if he wanted to. It was just that he was uninterested in it. He could imagine how the symposium would turn out just by reading its agenda¡ªbuilding a united army to swiftly respond to threats and increasing the flow of supplies to the eastern border. It was unlikely that anyone would flip the table and walk off, but there would surely be squabbling, hours of it at the very least, especially between the Austine Empire and the Saint Mesit Theocracy Theocracy. Roel wasn¡¯t interested in such infighting. He had too much on his te to bother with that. After leisurely sipping down a cup of tea, he rose to his feet and began making his way toward Saint Freya Academy. ¡­ It hadn¡¯t been a good year for humankind. Problems had been cropping up one after another, and there was plenty of tension and conflicts amongst the upper echelon. However, these troubles didn¡¯t affect the student enrollment rate of the ivory tower known as Saint Freya Academy. If anything, its enrollment rate was higher than ever due to its outstanding performance in the Challenger Cupst year. Same asst year, the Enforcement Division was in charge of maintaining order amongst the students. Theck of high-profile individuals like Nora and Charlotte, as well as the absence of the chaos caused by Paul and Roelst year, made the atmosphere much lighter. Amotion did break out though due to the presence of a single individual. It was a woman dressed in a white skirt, looking as beautiful as the fairies depicted in the legends. Her fair skin tone and silver hair evoked the thought of snow, which sharply contrasted with her intense ruby eyes. These two striking colors came together to create an intoxicating sight,pelling the crowd to stare at her with agape mouths. She was none other than Alicia Ascart. When she stepped onto the grass field as a freshman of the Saint Freya Academy, all eyes in the vicinity were naturally drawn to her, incapable of resisting her charms. The number of eyes on her only seemed to further grow as time went by. It¡¯s almost like a weapon of mass destruction, Roel breathed out a helpless sigh. The current happening didn¡¯te as a surprise to him since Alicia¡¯s entrance did cause quite a bit of trouble in Eyes of the Chronicler too. As the one with the most striking visuals amongst all the capture targets, Alicia¡¯s ability to charm others was even greater than that of Nora and the others. On top of that, the fact that she wasn¡¯t a princess made her appear much more approachable, so it was almost inevitable that she would draw vermins to her. Most students of Saint Freya Academy were well-versed in etiquette, being nobles in their respective countries, but there were bound to be some profligate scions or reckless testosterone-charged adolescents amongst them. Knowing that, Roel decided to send out a stern warning to the student popce on the very first day of the new semester so as to prevent such people from approaching Alicia. However, things didn¡¯t go as smoothly as he had anticipated. He found that he was already reaching the limits of his patience before the troublemakers could make an appearance. Somehow, he felt a surge of anger rushing into his heart when he saw Alicia being stared at by so many people in public, and the feeling only intensified as time passed. For reasons unbeknownst to him, he didn¡¯t want others to look at Alicia. Why is that so? Is that a sign of possessiveness? Perplexed by his anxiety, Roel reflected on himself in an attempt to uncover the reason behind those feelings. Chapter 458.2: Stoking Possessiveness (2)

Chapter 458.2: Stoking Possessiveness (2)

Meanwhile, Paul and Geralt¡¯s faces twitched upon sensing a powerful pulsation of manaing from Roel. It made them conscious of the terrifying consequences should a man dare to covet the sister of a sis-con. ¡°Umm, chief. Should we bring Miss Alicia in here?¡± ¡°Y-yeah! Hahaha! Big brother Roel, you don¡¯t have to get involved in something as trivial as this. You can leave it to us!¡± Worried that Roel would identally cripple the other students in a fit of anger, Geralt quickly suggested taking Alicia away from the grass field, and Paul hurriedly voiced his support for that. Roel¡¯s frown loosened a little upon hearing the proposal, realizing that he was reacting excessively. But before he coulde to a decision, someone had already jumped out of the crowd to run up to Alicia. Both Geralt and Paul were horrified to see that. They could only murmur a prayer for the foolish freshman who had unknowingly crossed the devil. As expected, Roel¡¯splexion darkened at that sight. Is that the insolent guy who popped up in the game too? I remember he¡¯s the prince of some country, but it doesn¡¯t matter since, unlike in the game, the Ascart House didn¡¯t fall from grace. No one can save him today, not even if his father is here! Without any hesitation, Roel leaped out of the tower¡¯s window, ready to teach that little crook a lesson on propriety. To his surprise, before he could make a move, a few other people suddenly rushed out and grabbed the limbs of that mboyantly-dressed prince, pulling him back. Hm? What¡¯s going on? Are they from Alicia¡¯s fan club? No, that can¡¯t be. I remember that the fan club was founded after the entrance ceremony. They wouldn¡¯t appear at this juncture. ¡°Y-Your Highness!! You mustn¡¯t!¡± ¡°Please calm down a little! She¡¯s the young miss of the Ascarts! You can¡¯t treat her in such a manner!¡± ¡°What Ascarts? Do you think that¡­ Hold on. The Ascarts? You mean the champion who won the Challenger Cup?¡± The prince initially struggled against the hold of his retainers, only to freeze up when the family name, Ascart, finally registered in his head. His face paled, and he quickly turned around and dove back into the crowd. Their conversation was overheard by many in the surroundings. The other noble scions who were harboring the same intention as the prince revealed horrified expressions and quickly turned their heads away. In contrast, the eyes of the nearby female students lit up upon hearing that she was Roel Ascart¡¯s younger sister. They began devising ways to get close to her. This works too? Roel¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting such a twist in the situation. Meanwhile, Alicia stood with an impassive look on her face, unbothered by themotion around her. All of a sudden, she sensed a presence that broke her nonchnce. She quickly turned her head to where Roel was standing. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± ¡°!¡± As soon as Roel entered her line of sight, her cier expression melted into a radiant smile. The sudden outburst of gentleness from her left the crowd taken aback. Even Roel, who was about to take his leave, halted his footsteps. With a flicker of her silhouette, she suddenly appeared right in front of Roel. In front of countless eyes, she leaped into his chest and embraced him tightly. Then, before the astonished Roel could say a word at all, she tiptoed upward and lightly nted a kiss on his cheek. ¡°!¡± The sudden assault left Roel bbergasted. Alicia¡¯s eyes curled up as she revealed a triumphant smile that indicated that everything was in her grasp. There was a brief moment of silence before the crowd broke out in an uproar. ¡­ ¡°Lord Brother, wait for me! Lord Brother!¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the assembly hall, after the conclusion of the entrance ceremony, Roel began making his way toward the staff exit. Chasing behind him was Alicia, who kept calling out to him. After brisk walking a distance down the staff corridor of the assembly hall, Roel let out a sigh before turning around to face Alicia. It was already agreed on in the Ascart House that Alicia would be enrolling in Saint Freya Academy this year. She might be younger than her peers, but Saint Freya Academy had special tests that allowed students to enroll early as long as they could pass them. Naturally, the tests didn¡¯t pose a problem to the exceptionally gifted Alicia. Roel thought that it was good too since he would be able to take care of Alicia, sparing her from much of the trouble she would otherwise encounter during her academy life. But to his surprise, after those fools were scared off by Roel¡¯s reputation, Alicia actually took the initiative to stir trouble, embracing and kissing him before the student popce as if she was trying ot make a statement. Such behavior was obviously uneptable between siblings and defied propriety, especially the blissful smile Alicia showed after Roel walked away. That clearly ryed to the crowd what Alicia thought of Roel. Fortunately, the students were ushered into the assembly hall for the entrance ceremony shortly after that. Principal Antonio was absent as he had to attend the International Crisis Management Symposium, so another teacher reced him for the wee speech. Roel took Lilian¡¯s ce as the student representative this year, but during his speech, he couldn¡¯t help but think that the eyes centered on him felt a little gossipy. Due to that, he decided to leave alone after the entrance ceremony, but who could have thought that Alicia would actually chase after him? Now that they were finally alone, he couldn¡¯t hold back the urge to question her anymore. ¡°Miss Alicia, can you exin to me the rationale behind what you did earlier? I don¡¯t believe that this is how our Ascart House has taught you.¡± Putting on the attitude of an elder in the family, Roel solemnly asked Alicia. Unfortunately, his role y couldn¡¯t intimidate her. With a smile, she pointed to her lips and spoke an answer that was beyond his expectations. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯m doing this for your sake.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t do that, annoying men might just cling onto me. Lord Brother, do you wish to see me getting pestered by men every single day?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was put at a loss upon hearing Alicia¡¯s answer. While his resounding reputation could keep those who bore malicious intentions at bay, those who were earnest about courting Alicia wouldn¡¯t care about that. Instead, they might just view it as a trial they had to ovee in order to bring fruition to their love. Judging by themotion that Alicia had caused earlier in the grass field, it did seem likely that she would have quite a few pursuers. ¡°I can see how that could be annoying, but even so, your behavior is¡­¡± ¡°Is it just annoying?¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± Alicia suddenly interjected into Roel¡¯s lecture with narrowed eyes. Roel was stunned by her sudden question, not knowing what she was getting at. Seeing that, Alicia took a step forward and asked with a reddened face. ¡°Do you just find it annoying? Or could there be other reasons at y here? Such as¡­ jealousy?¡± ¡°Jealousy? Why would I be jealous? Alicia, what are you talking about¡­¡± ¡°You were angry when everyone¡¯s eyes were on me earlier, Lord Brother. Touch your heart. The truth is that you wish that I¡¯d be yours alone, right?¡± Alicia said as she took a step forward and leaned against Roel¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was left at a loss for words. He had to admit that he had a strong feeling of possessiveness when it came to Alicia. After all, he had raised her from a young age, protecting her and taking care of her needs. He wondered if that was how fathers felt when a rascal took their daughter away. However, he knew that the feelings he harbored weren¡¯t healthy, which was why he had been suppressing them thus far. Even parental love could be toxic if parents thought that they could control their children¡¯s life. One of the reasons why Carter and Roel wanted Alicia to enroll in Saint Freya Academy was so that she could make more friends, but it would be contrary to their goals if Alicia continued sticking to him here. While he was in a dilemma, Alicia suddenly tiptoed and whispered into his ear with a tinge of tenderness and embarrassment to her voice. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Lord Brother. I can be yours if you wish for it.¡± ¡°A-Alicia?¡± Alicia tightened her arms around Roel, but before she could make her next move, one of the doors along the corridor suddenly mmed open. A familiar voice followed right after. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Speaking in her usual cold tone, Lilian Ackermann stepped into the staff corridor and gazed down on Alicia. ¡°Stay away from him, Alicia Ascart.¡± Chapter 459.1: No Two Tigers Can Coexist On the Same Mountain (1)

Chapter 459.1: No Two Tigers Can Coexist On the Same Mountain (1)

Lilian¡¯s sudden appearance along the empty staff corridor of the assembly hall astonished Roel. On the other hand, Alicia started frowning as anger swelled in her heart. Old pals might feel a rush of intimacy when stumbling into each other after a long time, but for Alicia and Lilian, they only felt aggravated by each other¡¯s presence, especially now that Alicia was officially a student of Saint Freya Academy. That meant that Alicia was no longer external personnel, so she couldn¡¯t cling to Roel as a kin anymore. On top of that, as a student, she was officially under the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Division and the Rose Council, which made it clear that Lilian would be her greatest obstacle in the academy. Simrly, Lilian also felt particrly threatened by Alicia¡¯s existence. She shuddered to imagine what might have happened here if not for Paul¡¯s timely tipoff. ¡°Senior! What are you doing here? ¡°Roel, may I ask you to step out for a moment? There are some things I need to discuss with Alicia over here.¡± ¡°Senior?¡± Roel was taken aback by Lilian¡¯s words. While he didn¡¯t think that Lilian would bully Alicia, he was aware that the two of them had been on bad terms ever since their first meeting. It was simply too risky to leave them alone in the same space. To his surprise, Alicia voiced her approval toward that. ¡°You wish to talk to me in private? That works for me. Lord Brother, you should leave first. There are some words I¡¯d like to tell this woman too,¡± Alicia said as her eyes narrowed. With the twodies insisting on it, Roel had no choice but to excuse himself. As soon as the door by the end of the corridor closed shut, Lilian¡¯s eyes turned piercingly sharp. ¡°Miss Alicia, can you exin what you¡¯re doing here?¡± ¡°Your Highness Lilian, that¡¯s the question I should be asking you. You might be Roel¡¯s senior, but an outsider like you shouldn¡¯t be disrupting the emotional exchange between me and my older brother. I thought that you would have at least that much self-awareness.¡± ¡°Outsider? Aren¡¯t you the outsider here?¡± ¡°¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°Unlike your paper-thin connection with him as foster siblings, Roel and I are bloodline kin. It¡¯s a bond you¡¯ll never be able to sever. Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re the outsider here instead?¡± Lilian answered the seething Alicia withposure. She eyed the hands that Alicia had been hiding behind Roel¡¯s back earlier¡ªthey were suffused with life force. ¡°Resorting to underhanded means again? I guess that¡¯s the only way you canpete despite being a substitute. How pitiful,¡± Lilian mocked. That infuriated Alicia. ¡°You old woman! I dare you to say that again!¡± ¡°Indignant? Jealousy makes a person ugly, Alicia Ascart.¡± ¡°Jealous? If anyone is jealous here, it¡¯s you! Unlike someone who lives far away in the Austine Empire, I¡¯m able to be together with Lord Brother every day!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia couldn¡¯t refute anything Lilian had said about their bloodlines, so she decided to attack from another angle. Those words appeared to have cut deep, evident from Lilian¡¯s forming frown. Thus, she decided to push it further to provoke Lilian. ¡°I can kiss his cheek when he wakes up in the morning. I can lie in his arms as we go to sleep at night. Unlike you, I¡¯m living a fulfilling life. These are things that will never be within your reach. I can see why you would be jealous of that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia spoke about the intimacy she would share with Roel in their alone time, but Lilian could only lower her head and listen silently. She clenched her fists tightly as she recalled the conversation she had had with Emperor Lukas. ¡°¡­ Are you done yet?¡± ¡°Is that all you can take? Let me return your words to you then. Jealousy makes a person ugly, Lilian Ackermann. You should understand by now that it¡¯s impossible between you and Lord Brother¡­¡± Weng! Under Alicia¡¯s piercing words, Lilian finally came to the limits of her tolerance. A burst of mana rushed out from her as armored knights began to appear behind her. In response, Alicia started channeling her mana, causing silver birds to manifest around her. ¡°Was the truth too much for you to bear? You aren¡¯t as mature as I thought you were.¡± ¡°A mere substitute dares to act so arrogantly. I have been tolerating you on Roel¡¯s ount, but you¡¯re pushing your luck.¡± ¡°¡­ Who are you saying is a substitute?¡± Alicia spat through clenched teeth. The two women red at each other as the atmosphere between them grew increasingly explosive. Just as the two of them were about to make a move, the doors at the far end suddenly burst open. ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough?¡± ¡°Roel¡­¡± ¡°Lord Brother?¡± Both Lilian and Alicia were stunned by Roel¡¯s abrupt return, causing their bodies to stiffen up. Seeing their awfulplexions, Roel clutched his forehead and sighed softly. He had known that nothing good coulde out of leaving the two of them alone in a private space, so he had been waiting quietly from the other side of the door. The moment he sensed their mana ring up, he quickly pushed the door open and rushed in. To be honest, he was surprised by how the two of them nearly came to blows near the assembly hall. Fighting amongst students was forbidden in the academy, not to mention doing so in the prestigious assembly hall. That was as good as asking for trouble, especially when Lilian was the chief of the Enforcement Division, responsible for upholding order in the academy. It¡¯s one thing for Alicia, but why would senior¡­ Roel couldn¡¯t understand why Lilian would act so recklessly here. She was one of the most level-headed people he knew, and she would rarely allow her emotions to get ahead of herself. It was even more so important for them to tread carefully now that they were in Saint Freya Academy, where there were many eyes around. Something is off about senior. It was only upon sensing Roel¡¯s questioning gaze that Lilian¡¯s pupils dted in realization. She quickly snapped out of her irrational state and reverted to her normal self. She dismissed the summoned knights behind her before turning to face Roel. ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t able to keep my emotions in check¡­ I¡¯ll be leaving first. It won¡¯t be good if others were to see us together.¡± Lilian turned around and left the corridor with a lowered head, seemingly feeling guilt-ridden about her earlier recklessness. Roel noticed that Lilian was in a low mood but he couldn¡¯t determine the reason behind it, so he could only bid her farewell. After Lilian left, Roel finally turned his gaze toward Alicia. Knowing that she had nearly caused yet anothermotion, Alicia chose to obediently lower her head this time around. ¡°I was wrong, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I promise not to cause any trouble in the academy anymore. Forgive me, please?¡± ¡°¡­ Haaa.¡± With a deep sigh, Roel flicked Alicia¡¯s forehead as a punishment for the trouble she had caused. Seeing that, Alicia¡¯s heart was set at ease. ¡°Lord Brother is the best!¡± ¡°What did the two of you talk about? It¡¯s rare for senior to lose her temper.¡± ¡°¡­ N-nothing much. It¡¯s things we have said before, but she suddenly got angry. Maybe something has happened recently.¡± Feeling a pang of guilt about all of the jarring words she had said, Alicia averted her eyes and spoke in a meek tone. Those words unintentionally sparked doubt in Roel¡¯s mind. Wait a moment¡­ Why is senior here? Didn¡¯t Emperor Lukas take her to the International Crisis Management Symposium? With a deep frown, Roel stared in the direction where Lilian had left. Chapter 459.2: No Two Tigers Can Coexist On the Same Mountain (2)

Chapter 459.2: No Two Tigers Can Coexist On the Same Mountain (2)

Roel sat alone in a restaurant along themercial street as he gazed at the bustling scenery outside. Alicia was finally willing to part ways with him to mix around with the other freshmen, giving him some private time to think about Lilian¡¯s anomalous behavior. He could tell as much that there was something off about Lilian and her mood, and the cause of that could likely be traced back to the Austine Empire. The biggest evidence of that was how Lilian wasn¡¯t present at the International Crisis Management Symposium. It was an unspoken tradition of the symposium for the attending rulers to bring their chosen sessor with them. There were two reasons behind that. One, it was to allow the next generation of rulers to familiarize themselves with their counterparts so as to facilitate future discussion. Two, if a mishap were to happen to the incumbent ruler, his sessor would be ready to carry out the agreement made during the symposium, thus minimizing anypses in defense. By no means were these measures excessive. There were precedents of reckless rulers marching onto the battlefield as a show of strength, only to be sent into Sia¡¯s embrace. There were also cases of rulers slowly sumbing to stress and exhaustion from having to deal with many years of fighting and crisis. In Eyes of the Chronicler, the International Crisis Management Symposium was a crucial stage for the female capture targets to rise to prominence. Lilian should have attended the symposium together with Emperor Lukas as representatives of the Austine Empire, and the deviation from the plotline signaled that something had happened. Roel knew deep down that he was the only one who could have caused such a rippling change. Is this over the Challenger Cup? It was the most significant event involving both Lilian and him prior to the symposium, making it the most likely suspect behind Lilian¡¯s current plight. However, after careful consideration, he shook his head and refuted that thought. While Lilian¡¯s loss in the Challenger Cup would have diminished her influence, her political foundation in the Austine Empire should have been strong enough to survive that setback. There must be some other reason at y. Roel continued racking his mind to find an exnation. In the end, he could only think of one possible way how his existence could have exerted such a significant change on the Austine Empire¡ªhis identity as a member of the Ascart House. Did Emperor Lukas find out about my rtionship with Lilian? No, that¡¯s impossible. There should have been no way for anyone to find out about our rtionship as bloodline kin. Even if the news did get out, there would be no way for anyone to prove it. Since that¡¯s the case, could it be that someone else has found out about my close association with Lilian? Roel thought hard about it, but he couldn¡¯t figure out where he had gone wrong. To be frank, he wasn¡¯t really that interested in the cause right now. What he was more concerned about was the impact on Lilian. If stripping her right to attend the International Crisis Management Symposium was indeed a punishment to her, could there be anything else other than that? He knew that he couldn¡¯t directly ask Lilian about this because thetter would have just shrugged it off and reassured him that everything was fine. Fortunately, there was another member of the Ackermann Imperial Family whom he could turn to during times like this. ¡°You¡¯re asking how my imperial sister is faring? Umm, well¡­¡± In the dining room, a visible look of confusion could be seen on Paul Ackermann¡¯s face upon hearing the question. It evoked a sigh from Roel. Paul was an honest man, but like the typical dense protagonist, hecked political awareness. Such characters were usually surrounded by people who conveniently delivered all sorts of crucial news to them, and fortunately, Roel knew a fair bit about Paul¡¯s social connections ¡°Doesn¡¯t your maid or butler keep you updated on current affairs even if you haven¡¯t been paying attention to politics?¡± ¡°Are you referring to Lisa?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know their names. Is she your maid?¡± ¡°Yeah. For some reason, she know a lot of stuff¡­¡± Feigning ignorance, Roel took a sip of tea as he probed on. Paul nodded excitedly as he began sharing the amazing capabilities his maid, Lisa, was equipped with, but the listener only raised his eyebrows in response. If we¡¯re talking about maids here, it¡¯s obviously our Anna who is more¡­ No, that¡¯s not what we¡¯re getting at here. Baffled by the inexplicable mental retort that surfaced in his mind, Roel quickly shook his head and got back to the topic. Paul took a moment before he recalled some useful information. ¡°Ah! Lisa told me that my imperial sister had a solo audience with the emperor on Founding Day. She thought that Lilian¡¯s position as the sessor has been confirmed, but what happened afterward was theplete opposite. The attitude of the nobles also vastly changed afterward¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel carefully pondered over the information delivered by Paul, attempting to piece everything together like a jigsaw puzzle. He was able to roughly deduce what was happening in the Austine Empire from that, and from that, he derived a piece of good news and a piece of bad news. The bad news was that Emperor Lukas had chosen to sideline Lilian, resulting in the rise of First Prince Lucius. In fact, if a war had broken out between the Austine Empire and the Theocracy, the one who was going to lead the charge would have been him. The good news was that this development had severely threatened Second Prince Aubrey¡¯s interests, resulting in the dissolution of their alliance and the outbreak of a factional war between the two. On top of that, Emperor Lukas had chosen not to bring any of his offspring with him to the International Crisis Management Symposium, which could be interpreted as him taking a neutral stance. While Lilian was in a bad position, there was still a chance for her to turn things around. Her foundation was the strongest in terms of background and individualpetency. But that doesn¡¯t fully exin Lilian¡¯s bad mood. However, Roel was still unable to find the answer to his initial question despite his analysis. He decided to keep an eye on Lilian for the time being, instructing Paul to report to him right away if anything were to happen to Lilian. Paul was more than delighted to ept Roel¡¯s request. He had been trying to matchmake Roel and Lilian all this while, so he thought that it was a good thing regardless of who was showing concern for the other. After Paul left, Roel let out a deep exhtion before gazing out at the busy street. Perhaps due to how hectic his life had been over the past few months, he recently got into a habit of sitting alone in a restaurant and quietly gazing at the world outside. He enjoyed the inner peace he felt from the simplicity of daily life. Outside the window, he spotted many freshmen running around with their spirit guides, trying everything they could to get close to them for the uing trial. It filled him with nostalgia. In ordance to tradition, the freshmen were given spirit guides during the earlier entrance ceremony at the assembly hall. As a caring older brother, Roel had secretly checked on Alicia¡¯s progress with her spirit guide and was relieved to find that it was going well. As soon as Alicia released her spirit guide from its confinement, itnded intimately on her fingertip before fluttering merrily around her. It was even more obedient than the one Roel encountered back when he was a freshman. But again, for someone who had been able to tame the Emperor of Cmity, it was only natural that a spirit guide wouldn¡¯t pose a problem. Night soon fell upon the academy. The annual ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ would soonmence, so Roel began making his way toward the colosseum. A new year with a new batch of students; this was a precious opportunity for student organizations and Schr Guilds to bring in fresh blood. Last year, Roel was one of the talents who were being snatched up by these organizations, but this year, he would be one of those doing the snatching. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that he would be personally approaching the freshmen to invite them to the freshmen to the Bluerose Faction¡ªthat would be Geralt¡¯s job. Nora and Charlotte were away at the International Crisis Management Symposium, so the Goldenrose Faction and Redrose Faction were without their leaders for this important recruitment exercise. Roel didn¡¯t think that it would be appropriate for him to personally step in and poach their potential recruits. Paul¡¯s identity was also a little awkward for him to be doing recruitment. As a result, the burden fell onto Geralt¡¯s shoulders. Recalling how Geralt had confidently thumped his chest and promised to bring Alicia into the Bluerose Faction earlier, Roel couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. With Geralt and the others seeing Alicia as a little child who couldn¡¯t part from her older brother, it would probably blow their minds if they were to learn that Alicia¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t to join any faction but to be a Ringbearer herself. ¡°I hope that this doesn¡¯t cause an uproar,¡± Roel murmured with a sigh. For the time being, he decided to do whatever he could, such as¡­ ¡°1000 gold coins on Alciia.¡± By the entrance of the colosseum, Roel took out a money bag and smacked it down on one of the betting houses¡¯ counters. He nced at the payout on the board and revealed a satisfied smile. Chapter 460.1: The Number One Troublemaker (1)

Chapter 460.1: The Number One Troublemaker (1)

¡®Competition is the greatest motivation for humankind¡¯s betterment.¡¯ This was an adage from Roel¡¯s previous life, but he suddenly thought that quote felt iplete to him after watching the new batch of freshmen¡¯s ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯st night. ¡®Competition may be the greatest motivation for humankind¡¯s betterment, but apetition left unchecked, especially amongst women, could potentially spark a war.¡¯ It was early in the morning, but the Azure Manor was already filled with lively chattering from students doing their morning exercise. This magnificent building had finally regained its vibrancy after the long holidays. In the study room, Roel was busy reviewing the profiles of the freshmen, but his thoughts couldn¡¯t help but wander to the happeningsst night. After staking his money on Alicia, Roel didn¡¯t head to the spectator stand. The colosseum¡¯s management team had reserved VIP seats for him and the Bluerose Faction in view that his massive fame might stir unnecessary trouble if he headed to the spectator stand. There, Roel stumbled upon an unexpected person¡ªChris Wilde. She was spectating the trial with the intention of bringing Alicia into her ss. Chris had initially intended to not recruit anyone to her ssroom this year so that she could devote her efforts to courting Carter, but due to the strong connection she felt with Alicia, she decided to make an exception and continue recruiting students for one more year. To her surprise, Roel didn¡¯t look happy at all after hearing her decision. In fact, his cheeks even started twitching. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Isn¡¯t it great that the two of you can attend sses together?¡± ¡°W-well¡­¡± Of course there¡¯s no problem with me attending sses together with Alicia, but the problem is that your favored student, Lilian, is on really good terms with Alicia. Did you know that the two of them nearly tore the entire assembly hall down just a few hours ago? Letting out a deep sigh, Roel decided to divert his attention toward the projections in the colosseum that were live-streaming the happenings in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯. As the night deepened, a thickyer of fog began shrouding the Fog Forest, casting a veil of secrecy over it. With nervous hearts, the freshmen followed their spirit guides and soon disappeared amidst the dark forest. Alicia was much luckier than Roel wasst year, in the sense that she was spirited away to a normal forested terrain dungeon. As per usual, once all of the students arrived, the demonic beasts began their assault. The battlested for quite a while, and in the end, there were a fair number of survivors in the group. Alicia was among them. She had held back in the preliminary round, doing nothing exceptional other than revealing that she was an Origin Level 4 transcendent. As for the ensuing battle against the Ring Guardian, unfortunately, that was not a fight that spectators like Roel were entitled to watch. Roel had a deep impression of Fog Forest due to the tough battle he had against Ro Ascart, but he wasn¡¯t too worried about Alicia. After all, the moon was still hanging high up in the sky, and her opponent was just an unintelligent Origin Level 3 Ring Guardian. It was hard to imagine that she would be defeated here. She should be out soon. With such thoughts in mind, Roel left the colosseum and made his way toward the Fog Forest. He was hoping to wee Alicia back with a warm smile after her busy night of fighting, but it didn¡¯t take long for the smile to be wiped off his face. ¡°The mana pulsationsing from the dungeon are increasing at a rapid rate! It has already breached the first warning trigger!¡± ¡°Again? Is it going to be an annual affair at this rate?!¡± The chief of the Nexus, which was in charge of surveying on-campus dungeons to check for anomalies and assess their levels of threat, hollered in frenzy. rms were quickly rung, and an army of staff members began making their way to the Fog Forest to inspect the situation. Amazingly, most of them were able to keep calm and rational despite being in a crisis. It couldn¡¯t be helped since their nerves had already been trained by Roel and Lilian. The Emergency Rescue Team wasn¡¯t easily fazed anymore after all of the incidents they had encountered in preceding years. Heck, they even thought that things were more rxing this year since there weren¡¯t any heavyweight figures like Nora and Charlotte inside the dungeon. The level of danger also wasn¡¯t as high as in preceding years. On the other hand, Roel was bewildered by the situation. He didn¡¯t think that Alicia would stir amotion since she had the means to defeat her opponent in a normal way, unlike him. There could only be one reason behind this situation¡ªAlicia was doing it on purpose. That reminded him of what Alicia said earlier in the afternoon. I promise not to cause any trouble in the academy anymore. Forgive me, please? ¡°Tsk. Is this what she means by not causing any trouble? She really is¡­¡± Roel was left speechless, though he could guess the rationale behind her action. Both he and Lilian had caused a hugemotion in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯ in their respective years, leading to the two of them being frequently mentioned together. That might have incurred Alicia¡¯s displeasure, prompting her to cause amotion too so as to break the pairing. ¡°¡­¡± He thought that it was childish of Alicia to fuss over such trivial details, but he had no intention of rebuking her for it. Alicia had the freedom to decide how far she wanted to go for this trial. Even if he had known of her intention in advance, he still wouldn¡¯t have said anything lest it discouraged her. The intense mana pulsationssted for a long time, only slowlying to a rest after most students had already left the forest. A short momentter, Alicia emerged from the Fog Forest with a glowing white ring in her hand. Many people were looking forward to how the current batch of freshmen would perform after the previous batch achieved the spectacr result of producing three Ringbearers. There had been a slight hint of disappointment in the air thus far, but to the relief of most, a Ringbearer appeared at the final moment. It immediately induced loud cheers and thunderous apuse. Simrly, Roel also heaved a sigh of relief. What happened afterward was something Roel was extremely familiar with. He could only say that the elders of the Schr Guilds were as tenacious as ever despite their old age. Much to their dismay, Alicia didn¡¯t have much interest in doing magic research, possibly due to her military background. Due to that, the elders ended up getting rejected by an Ascart once again. When Roel saw the other freshmen from the Theocracy surrounding Alicia with smiles on their faces, he decided to keep his distance and simply watch her from afar. He couldn¡¯t help but think about how far the silver-haired girl hade from a timid child who didn¡¯t even dare to touch her cutleries when she first arrived in the Ascart House many years ago, and it filled his heart with a profound feeling of satisfaction. Alicia had been living humbly in the Ascart House thus far, but he had no doubt that she would shine brighter than anyone else in this vibrant city filled with talented individuals. The sudden rush of emotions made him tear up a little. He felt like an old father watching his daughter maturing splendidly. Simrly, Chris revealed a rare smile too. However, Alicia¡¯s sess wasn¡¯t universally celebrated by the student popce. For one, many of the students from the Austine Empire had frowns on their faces. With Alicia Ascart bing a Ringbearer as well, the previous bnce of Ringbearers between the Austine Empire and the Saint Mesit Theocracy was broken in the Theocracy¡¯s favor. It was inevitable for the students to be sensitive about such issues after the recent fight between the two countries. In a faraway tower, a rife discussion had already broken out around Lilian Ackermann regarding this issue. Unknowingly, the continent¡¯s politics had found its way into the ivory tower. Chapter 460.2 The Number One Troublemaker (2)

Chapter 460.2 The Number One Troublemaker (2)

With Alicia¡¯s resounding sess in ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, there was no need for Roel to worry too much about her anymore. The newly crowned Whiterose Ringbearer returned to her dormitory under the cheers of the other students whereas Roel headed back to the Azure Manor after spending the night watching the trial. Roel couldn¡¯t go to sleep right away upon returning to the Azure Manor for there was a pile of work waiting for him. He had to revise the name list of potential recruits, and there was a stack of documents awaiting his approval. Above that, he also needed to give careful thought to a few doubts that had recently floated into his mind. Ever since the abrupt disappearance of Tark Stronghold, all of the countries had been worried about a possible invasion by the deviants. The outbreak of another Holy War was already looming above the Sia Continent. With imminent danger right ahead of them, even Brolne¡¯s transcendents couldn¡¯t possibly continue living their lives in peace. Both Schr Guilds and research facilities had been assigned specific missions to contribute to war efforts, and the students were no exception. Roel had been tasked with the mission to investigate the trail of Shrouding Mist as a representative of the Theocracy. This mission also went by another name: Operation Rescue Tark Stronghold. So far, the Saint Mesit Theocracy had yet to announce Prince Kane¡¯s death. The families of disappeared soldiers had already received death gratuity, but the Theocracy still officially deemed these soldiers as missing. On this matter, the Country of Schrs was tasked with the responsibility of bringing back the missing soldiers and finding ways to deal with the Six Cmities. This decision was made on the basis of the optimal allocation of resources. This was one of the cases where brains were more important than brawn, and Brolne had the greatest number of researchers, schrs, and talented students of all countries. Furthermore, manpower was currently tight for most countries. If the Theocracy or any other country took on this case, they might end up diverting soldiers away from the eastern border, which would be unwise when humankind was anticipating an imminent invasion by the deviants. As for casualties that might arise from dealing with this case, that was not a factor for consideration at all. From the moment the International Crisis Management Symposium was held, the entirety of humankind had already gone into a state of emergency. At this point, there were only two ssifications for humans that really mattered: Transcendents and non-transcendents. Non-transcendents were responsible for producing and supplying resources for the frontlines whereas transcendents were all considered to be soldiers. Naturally, it was inevitable for soldiers to die over the course of a war. All students of Saint Freya Academy, including Roel, were already adults and were considered to be part of the reserve army. If any of them were to lose their lives in the course of carrying out any missions from the united army, they would be deemed to be casualties of war. Of course, the students could also withdraw from Saint Freya Academy, but the chances were likely that their country would simply send them straight to the frontline. No human would be able to circumvent the threat posed by the deviants, no matter where they were. The First Grade students were generally insensitive to it due to their excitement from having just joined the academy, but the older students were already starting to feel uneasy. And that was just for ordinary students. There were also those with an unusual beast-like intuition for danger who perceived the looming threat of war more vividly than anyone else, leaving them in a constant highly-strung state. To avoid losing their minds, they had no choice but to look for ways to suppress their instincts. ¡°What have you been staring at all this while? Aren¡¯t you going to sleep?¡± Selina sat obediently on a sofa by the corner of the study room as she stared at Roel curiously. ¡°Why else do you think I¡¯m still here? If not for a wild cat suddenly appearing at my doorstep after losing control of her bloodline, I would have gone to sleep by now.¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t help it too! You also know how troublesome my bloodline is¡­ Wait, who the hell are you calling a wild cat?! You¡¯re now the leader of our Rose of Dawn. Aren¡¯t you obliged to help your members out when they are facing difficulties?¡± Selina retorted with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. ¡°Rose of Dawn, huh¡­¡± Roel contemtively murmured the name of their newly found organization. Before the end of the previous semester, Roel had suggested to Wilhelmina that she should extend an invitation to Nora, Charlotte, and the others to the Dawnbringer Order too. Wilhelmina agreed with the suggestion and immediately got to action. However, Nora hesitated to ept the invitation. She was the sessor to the Theocracy, after all. It might not be a wise decision for her to affiliate herself with an organization. It was only when tragedy befell the Tark Stronghold and all kinds of crises started surfacing that Nora came to understand the anxieties faced by the old Twilight Sages Assembly. That was the final push that convinced her and the others to ept the invitation to the Dawnbringer Order. However, Charlotte had raised a condition during their negotiation¡ªRoel had to be the leader of the organization. ¡°I don¡¯t trust anyone other than my darling,¡± Charlotte said obstinately. Roel tried to convince her otherwise, but she refused to listen to him on this matter. Surprisingly, Wilhelmina epted that condition easily enough, not hesitating to dump all of her responsibilities on him. Selina and the others also unanimously approved the motion. Wilhelminater told him in her letter that she was nothing more than a stand-in leader when there was no Ascarts¡¯ awakener around, so she was simply returning the position to him. Her sincere words and earnest expectations left him with no choice but to step up to the role. As for the change in name¡­ it just so happened that thedies nning to join the Dawnbringer Order were of towering stature. The financial power and influence they held in their hands far surpassed that of the organization itself. For that reason, they weren¡¯t willing to just be members of the organization. Instead, they were looking to establish a partnership. To symbolize that rtionship, they eventually decided to take a word from both sides and rename the organization as ¡®Rose of Dawn¡¯. It was a refreshing name that suited the tastes of the female members, and Wilhelmina was more concerned about the practicality of the organization than its name. As such, the proposal was approved without any issues. Without a doubt, the reorganized Rose of Dawn was a terrifying force to behold. Nora, Charlotte, Lilian, Selina, Juliana, Kurt, Wilhelmina, and so on¡­ Many members in Rose of Dawn were the sessors to prominent houses, and some of them were even descendants of ancient races. They were the strongest elites of the younger generation, and theirbined influence spanned the entire Sia Continent. What was even frightening was that Rose of Dawn had hardly reached its peak yet. As the current members of Rose of Dawn matured, the organization¡¯s fighting prowess and influence would expand correspondingly. At this rate, it could even reach a scaleparable to the Second Epoch¡¯s Twilight Sages Assembly. Roel felt a heavy weight on his shoulders just thinking about it. As the leader of Rose of Dawn, all decisions he made would influence the development of the organization from now onward, whether he liked it or not. His workload had also increased by a great deal. For one, he had to thoroughly study the traits of each individual member so that he could assign them to the right ce where they could fully utilize their strengths. Even that was more work than he could have imagined. Transiting from the First Grade to the Second Grade, Roel¡¯s curriculum had shifted from highly theoretical lectures to taking on missions and practical lessons. With the current backdrop of humankind, most of the missions allocated to the students were from the united army. Due to the happenings at the Challenger Cup, Roel¡¯s batch came to be known as the golden generation of Saint Freya Academy, which resulted in the missions entrusted to them being of significantly higher risk and danger. With Wilhelmina and the others away at the International Crisis Management Symposium, the responsibility eventually fell onto Roel to prepare the members for the mission so as to minimize casualties. This was one of his duties as the leader of Rose of Dawn. Even so, he still expected to receive some help from the existing members of Rose of Dawn. To his annoyance, the problem children of Knight Kingdom Pendor had learned from Wilhelmina¡¯s example. As soon as they learned that Roel would be taking charge, they didn¡¯t hesitate to dump all of their responsibilities onto him and happily strut away. ¡°You don¡¯t have to stay upte for me. My bloodline won¡¯t run amok as long as Lord Peytra¡¯s aura is around. You can go to sleep,¡± Selina replied in embarrassment. Her tail also drooped a little, reflecting her mood. However, Roel shook his head and exined. ¡°I know that works as well, but I can¡¯t sleep when mypanions are around. It reminds me far too much of battle.¡± ¡°Ah. I see¡­¡± Selina awkwardly scratched her head. She did sense a subtle warlike auraing from Roel with her beast-like instincts. Roel had likely been through too many fights with his ancient gods that their manifestation automatically put him in abat state, simr to how veteran swordsmen would instinctively get into stance when they had a sword in hand. ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. By the way, where are yourpanions? Are they all in Panoply Manor?¡± ¡°William and Teresa are attending the symposium. Kurt is busy researching records of his ancestors. Juliana went to look for your younger sister. She was murmuring something along the lines of wanting to join the progenitor¡¯s faction. Stuart is probably in the training field right now.¡± Selina subconsciously put up her fingers one by one to check if she had missed any of herpanions. Her words brought a frown onto Roel¡¯s forehead. Putting Kurt and Stuart aside, I didn¡¯t think that Juliana would approach Alicia to be a member of her Whiterose Faction. It looks like the misunderstanding about Alicia being a progenitor of the Blood n hasn¡¯t been resolved yet. Roel let out a deep sigh. Before he could address this issue, there was a sudden knock on his door. Upon granting permission to enter, one of the students who were on patrol duty tonight walked in with an envelope in hand. Roel took the envelope and opened it. The content of the letter caused his frown to further deepen. To the esteemed Mister Roel, With the greatest sincerity, we would like to invite you to join our Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar¡­¡± Chapter 461.1: How Did She Crawl Onto My Bed From So Far Away? (1)

Chapter 461.1: How Did She Crawl Onto My Bed From So Far Away? (1)

In Saint Freya Academy¡¯s academic hub, Roel sat in a conference room spacious enough to amodate thirty people. He took a sip of tea as he shot a cursory gaze around the room. All around, he could see professors who had risen to their feet in a state of agitation to argue with one another. Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar. That was the name of the seminar Roel was currently attending. It was hosted by the most prestigious academy of the Sia Continent, and the topic of discussion concerned the fate of over a hundred thousand transcendents. The sheer importance of this seminar was implicitly understood, but Roel couldn¡¯t have imagined that the discussion would go off-track right from the start. He had considered various possibilities about what could happen during the seminar. Perhaps the schrs from the Austine Empire might get emotional and refuse to cooperate, or maybe there could be a divergence in the stances amongst different countries. But when he finally attended the seminar, he swiftly realized that the situation was worse than he had expected. In the first ce, he wasn¡¯t called here as a schr but as an eye-witness. ¡°Roel Ascart, can you confirm whether you have personally witnessed the disappearance of Tark Stronghold or not?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t witness it in person. It was gone when I arrived at the stronghold the following day.¡± ¡°How can you determine that the fog is the cause of Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance then?¡± ¡°¡­ I can sense it in my bloodline. Many of the soldiers present have witnessed the unusual nature of the fog too.¡± ¡°Fine. Even if your bloodline has the ability to sense that, how can you be certain that it¡¯s the monster from the legends? If I¡¯m not mistaken, you have never encountered any of the ¡®Six Cmities¡¯ monsters before.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a memory from my bloodline.¡± ¡­ Roel¡¯s face slowly darkened under the schrs¡¯ questions. He couldn¡¯t believe that he had been summoned to the seminar just to verify whether what had happened at Tark Stronghold was true or not. Months had already passed since the incident, but the schrs were still busy disputing the cause of the incident and the culprit. As someone who had encountered four of the Six Cmities thus far and possessed the Crown¡¯s Stones, Roel saw the existence of Shrouding Fog as an indisputable fact. The problem was that he couldn¡¯t ry it convincingly to the schrs. If he had told the schrs that he had encountered them while traveling back in time via the Witness State, even absorbing two of them in the process, the chances were that the schrs would just simply shrug him off as a lunatic. For that reason, he could only im that they were memories from his bloodline. Ultimately, the problem was that he wasn¡¯t influential enough to inspire unconditional trust. ¡°I don¡¯t think that the fog has anything to do with the disappearance of Tark Stronghold. Those soldiers might have just seen wrongly due to the unusual weather. Otherwise, they could have fallen prey to some sort of illusion spell too.¡± Even listening to the empty analyses of the schrs was enough to make Roel¡¯s heart pound in anxiety, but he had no good solution to this issue. The schrs in the room were hardcore academics who only recognized academic aplishments, which Roel had none of. For two whole hours, the schrs asked him the same question from numerous angles, but Roel insisted that it was the doing of the Six Cmities to the very end. Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t many people who supported Roel¡¯s stance. Most of them still held onto the view that it was a man-made incident. Their ignorance was extremely frustrating to Roel, though he could see where they wereing from. These obstinate old fools who had nevere into contact with the Six Cmities must have found it ridiculous how a monster would suddenly emerge from the legends and devour a hundred thousand people. It was a notion that challenged the boundaries of theirmon sense. It was not hard to see why they thought that it would be more reasonable for it to be a man-made incident. But just because a deduction was more reasonable didn¡¯t mean that it was correct. The schrs were only going to be led down the wrong path at this rate. In the first ce, it was already a mistake for them to attempt to rationalize this incident. Make no mistake, what had happened to Tark Stronghold was utterly irrational. How could a person make sense out of something that was inherently senseless? The seminarsted for the whole afternoon, but there was no progress whatsoever. Roel hade in hopes of receiving clues, but he left feeling like he had just watched a circus act. He could onlyment how cruel reality was that nothing seemed to be going well. The only silver lining was that some of the academic historians had thrown their support with Roel during the seminar. They assured him that they would gather evidence to convince the others so as to pull the investigation back onto the right track. That was also what Roel had in mind. To Roel, investigating Shrouding Fog and the disappearance of Tark Stronghold wasn¡¯t just a mission from the academy. It also concerned the promise he had made to Nora. Whether Prince Kane was alive or not, he had to provide Nora with closure. ¡°It¡¯s time for you to make a grand appearance, Artificial Spirit Miss Margaret ¡¾Understood. Searching the archives. Estimated time: 13 minutes. Please hold on for a moment.¡¿ A calm feminine voice answered from a crystal ball hanging on the ceiling. Roel nodded with a smile, contented with the answer he had received. Meanwhile, Kurt, who was sitting opposite Roel, stared at the crystal ball above with a baffled look. ¡°How are you able to order the academy¡¯s artificial spirit? Isn¡¯t that an authority reserved only for the principal?¡± ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s a long story.¡± ¡¾Lord Roel Ascart has inherited Lord Astrid¡¯s first-tier ess, which grants him the authority to ess all files in the academy¡¯s archive, modify the ess rights of other users¡­¡¿ Roel wasn¡¯t intending to answer Kurt¡¯s question, but Margaret began answering on her own ord before he could say anything. He did consider stopping her from divulging any further, but he eventually decided against it. He figured that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to familiarize the two of them with each other so as to boost their productivity. If Roel wanted to bring the ¡®Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar¡¯ back on track, he would have to produce a lot of historical records to prove the existence of the Six Cmities beyond a reasonable doubt. That was no easy task given how elusive records on the Six Cmities were, but fortunately, Saint Freya Academy happened to be home to one of the Three Great Libraries, the National Athenaeum of Wisdom. Browsing through historical records was a slow andborious job. It would take an army of well-educated and talented individuals to go through all of the books in the National Athenaeum of Wisdom, but the sheer cost of that would have been beyond the means of most nobles. Phew! Thank Sia I have trusty assistant Margaret here to help me! That being said, Margaret¡¯s search algorithm was elementarypared to the powerful search engines in Roel¡¯s previous life. She could sieve out relevant historical records, but Roel would still need to manually browse through them in order to gather useful information. Fortunately, well-educated manpower wasn¡¯t an issue here in Saint Freya Academy with most students being enved to Academic Credits. That was also why Roel had dragged Kurt to the library with him. Kurt was the perfect example of the idiom: Don¡¯t judge a book by its cover. Anyone who thought that this inheritor of the Giant Bloodline was all brawn and no brain couldn¡¯t be more mistaken. In fact, Kurt and his family members were actually one of the rare non-muscleheads in Knight Kingdom Pendor, being history buffs with their Renascence Origin Attribute. Roel was initially nning to rope Alicia into this too, but she had gotten busy after bing the Whiterose Ringbearer. In fact, the Schr Guilds had invited her on a tour around their researchbs today. Figuring that he didn¡¯t want to get in the way of her vibrant academy life, he decided not to bother her with these historical records. Besides, he knew from the many times they had spent reading together that these historical records had a hypnotic effect on her, never failing to lull her to sleep. In the huge meeting room Roel had booked for this asion, he and Kurt began organizing the records Margaret had sieved out. In the midst of doing so, Kurt suddenly spoke up. ¡°I did some investigation over the break. I wasn¡¯t able to find much about Lord Grandar, but there was some progress.¡± ¡°Oh? It sounds like you have really worked hard on that. What did you find?¡± ¡°Lord Grandar should be the final autarch of the giants, and his death seems to be rted to the Savior. I¡¯m still in the midst of gathering more information on that, but I¡¯m d to inform you that my n no longer holds onto the belief that Lord Grandar is an evil god.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Roel¡¯splexion brightened up upon hearing Kurt¡¯s words. Considering how long ago the era of the giants was, the amount of information that Kurt was able to gather was impressive. More importantly, he was able to cleanse Grandar¡¯s name. That was a weight off Roel¡¯s chest. But if Grandar was the final autarch of the giants and his death was rted to the Savior, could this mean that the Savior was involved in the extinction of the giants? Roel spent a moment thinking about it, but he was unable to figure out an answer. He could have asked Grandar about it, but he decided not to. It might have just been history to Roel, but it could be a traumatic memory to Grandar. Considering that, it might be a good thing that Grandar had forgotten about his past. With such thoughts in mind, Roel exhaled deeply before turning his attention back to the mountains of historical records piled up in front of him. Chapter 461.2: How Did She Crawl Onto My Bed From So Far Away? (2)

Chapter 461.2: How Did She Crawl Onto My Bed From So Far Away? (2)

Learn from history to avoid repeating past mistakes. This was amon adage often said in Roel¡¯s previous world, but there were plenty of obstacles to that. Oral traditions were often distorted with time, and written records often onlysted centuries before they were eroded away. For that reason, there were onlyprehensive records on a few civilizations. Furthermore,nguages were constantly transforming with time. Be it the nuances or the connotations, a word could have a vastly different meaning in the olden days. All of these made the interpretation of historical texts a huge challenge. Things were slightly better in the Sia Continent, not because the people here were better at passing down their culture and heritage but because humans had longer lifespans here. It was notmon, but there were transcendents who could live for centuries. Most who were able to reach that level of power and survive for that long would have already be a part of the upper echelon. It was human nature to resist unfamiliar changes, which was why this powerful group of people wouldn¡¯t just sit still when their descendants attempted to distort theirnguage and culture. One could say that the longer lifespans of humans had created the greatest ever inertia against change. On the bright side, it allowed most heritages and legacies to be properly passed down. Thanks to that, humankind was able to advance steadily to greater heights. That being said, there were still freak idents that set humankind back. The mass migration in the final days of the Second Epoch had practically erased an entire half of humankind¡¯s culture. Many missing gaps appeared in the records that had been painstakingly gathered by the Ancient Austine Empire, especially regarding the Six Cmities. The reason behind that was apparent to Roel. The Six Cmities would swiftly destroy the then-dominant civilization once they reached maturity, be it through a merciless cier or a time-siphoning tempest. There was very little time and opportunity for anyone to properly record their existence once they had been sighted. That being said, Roel was still able to gather some clues, but what was ironic was that most of them were from evil cultists. The Saints Convocation used to have a branch in Leinster, but they were destroyed in the fight against the Salvation Brotherhood four centuries ago. After the incident, Leinster¡¯s officials took possession of their records and stored them in the National Athenaeum of Wisdom. Roel was able to gather quite a bit of information through those records. Those records showed that the Saints Convocation did have some understanding of their so-called ¡®God¡¯s Envoys¡¯, just that their perception of them was extremely abstract and mythical. The Saints Convocation believed that the God¡¯s Envoys had descended upon the world under the will of the Mother Goddess. As the Mother Goddess fell into a deep sleep, the God¡¯s Envoys were forced to go into asional hibernation. However, from time to time, when the Mother Goddess briefly awakens from her sleep, the God¡¯s Envoys will enter a state of hyperactivity, prompting them to resort to all sorts of means to replenish their energy. When Roel saw this piece of information, he was reminded of the nightmare he had right before tragedy fell upon Tark Stronghold. He thought that it was the presence of Shrouding Fog that led to him dreaming about the Mother Goddess, but it looked like there was another exnation for it. The Mother Goddess might have briefly awoken from her slumber for a moment, but she didn¡¯ty her eyes on me. That would exin why I didn¡¯t experience the intense pressure and fear I previously felt from her. However, her awakening led to Shrouding Fog going into a state of hyperactivity. In a bid to replenish its energy, Shrouding Fog¡¯s attention was drawn to the fortress filled with over a hundred thousand prey, and that resulted in the eventual tragedy. That was Roel¡¯s deduction after spending a moment in contemtion. He was d to have made a bit of sense out of that irrational event, but honestly, the cause was not that important anymore. What they had to do now was to find a way to deal with that darned fog. To his disappointment, he wasn¡¯t able to find any content rting to that. Tsk, you are the worst batch of evil cultists I¡¯ve ever seen. Is that all the information you have on your deities despite devoting your lives to them? Roel thought to himself in frustration. Unfortunately, it would seem that the evil cultists from the Saints Convocation¡¯s Leinster Branch four centuries ago weren¡¯t that well-versed in their cult¡¯s theology. ¡°Ey, forget it. It¡¯s only the first day anyway.¡± Roel looked at the mountains of unread records piled up on the table andforted himself. On the optimistic side, he was fairly lucky to have been able to make some progress on the first day of his research. In the next few hours, Roel and Kurt buried their heads into the historical records till the library¡¯s closing time. The two of them bade farewell before parting under the night sky. In the several hours they had spent together in the library, Roel realized that Kurt was indeed a history enthusiast just like him, evident from how he could spend hours going through historical records without getting bored. It was rare for history enthusiasts to find peers with the same interests. The two of them ended up getting much closer even though they had spent much of thest few hours in silence. It also helped that the two of them had a high level of acknowledgment for each other. Roel¡¯s Crown Origin Attribute was practically a cheat when it came to conducting research on past events, considering how it allowed him to easily sieve out the truth. However, the same could be said about Kurt¡¯s Renascence Origin Attribute, which granted him the ability to read an object¡¯s memory. It was simr to a crime drama series Roel had watched in his previous life that followed a detective who possessed superpowers that granted him insights into a crime scene just by touching a murder weapon. Kurt¡¯s Renascence Origin Attribute was more potent in the sense that it allowed him to peer into the distant past, but it came with a simr weakness¡ªhe couldn¡¯t control the time period he was peering into. An ancient artifact that had existed for several millennia could easily have more than a hundred owners, but Kurt¡¯s Renascence Origin Attribute could only see a short period of its long history. For example, if Kurt were to touch a dress, it was possible for him to see it as an untailored cloth or ady dancing with it in a ballroom. It waspletely random. ¡°I see. But isn¡¯t this ability¡­¡± ¡­ one that was coveted by all men? Well, at least for the perverts¡­ I guess. Roel couldn¡¯t help but think about all the things one could do from reading the memory of an object, but he quickly shook off those dirty thoughts in his mind. It was already nearing midnight by the time he returned to the Azure Manor. Most lights were already out by the time he arrived at its entrance. Not wanting to disturb the others, he stopped at the porch and carefully scanned his surroundings first. He was keeping an eye out for an intruder who had a long history of sneaking into his room¡ªAlicia. She couldn¡¯t visit him yesterday due to the hype from her bing the Whiterose Ringbearer, but her schedule should be freed up tonight. Considering how they hadn¡¯t met for an entire day, it was entirely possible for her to be camping in the vicinity, waiting for his return. Now that they were both students of Saint Freya Academy¡ªnot to mention, Ringbearers¡ªit wouldn¡¯t do for them to share a bed anymore. He didn¡¯t want to kick up a fuss inside the Azure manor, which was why he decided to deal with outside. To his surprise, he didn¡¯t find anyone at all. Oh? Did Alicia be more conscious of the position she¡¯s in? With doubts in his mind, Roel finally opened the door and made his way into the Azure Manor. He gave the matter some thought and suddenly found that it made perfect sense. The Azure Manor was in the midst of a remote mountainous area whereas Alicia¡¯s dormitory was located in the heart of the academy. Given the far distance, it would be inconvenient for Alicia to make her way here even with her ability to teleport under the moonlight. There was a limit to how far she could teleport at a time, after all. A heartened smile formed on his lips as he walked past the lounge and headed straight to his bedroom. The moment he opened his bedroom door, he found himself met with a familiar silhouette dressed in a thin nightgown lying on his bed. ¡°¡­¡± Roel stood by the doorway, at a loss for words. Chapter 462.1: Little Sisters Are Meant To Be Bullied (1)

Chapter 462.1: Little Sisters Are Meant To Be Bullied (1)

The Azure Manor had been renovated by Saint Freya Academy¡¯s administrative staff before Roel took over the space. In particr, they had paid special heed to the master bedroom to ensure that it was both ssy and graceful, befitting of a Ringbearer¡¯s private space. However, it was starting to be a stretch to call it a private space, for a private space was defined by the absence of others. Roel stared at the woman in a nightgown lying on his bed in a daze, not knowing what to do. Under normal circumstances, he would have headed to an empty room on the floor above to avoid trouble, but with the recent increase of residents in the Azure Manor after the recent recruitment drive, such an action might pique the suspicion of others. Given so, there was only one choice left. He had to wake Alicia up, sternly berate her for her inappropriate action, and send her back to the dormitory. ¡°You really haven¡¯t grown up at all despite having be a Ringbearer. How could you¡­¡± Roel made his way toward his bed to wake up the silver-haired woman lying on it, but when his eyes fell on her sleeping visage, the mild anger he felt swiftly dissipated. Alicia was sleeping with her back against the door, her arms wrapped tightly around Roel¡¯s pillow. She didn¡¯t respond at all despite Roel¡¯s approach. Her breaths remained stable and deep, and her lips moved along with her exhtions. Her little eyebrows gently fluttered a little, but she was showing no signs of waking up. Roel knew that there was no need for her to pretend to be asleep since he could never truly harden his heart against her, which meant to say that she was truly oblivious of his return. That could only mean that she wasn¡¯t in a good condition, possibly having exhausted herself from recent events. How could this be? Alicia should be able to recover quickly at night under the effects of her bloodline, which means to say¡­ mental fatigue? Roel let out a deep sigh as he reproached himself for being too insensitive. Now that he thought about it, this was the first time Alicia had to deal with so many people. While she had to liaise with people back when she was working as a proxy fief lord and for the military, that was different from having to socialize with her peers. It was probably hard for her to open up to those of her own age given her trauma from being bullied by her peers back when she was still a child. Not to mention, this was a huge change in the environment for Alicia. It was only normal for her to be tired. These realizations convinced Roel to change his mind. He let out a sigh and decided to let her have her way for just tonight. So, he made his way to the huge bed andy down on the other end, but the mattress¡¯ undtions alerted Alicia right away. The silver-haired woman slowly opened her eyes and looked at him with dazed eyes. ¡°¡­ Lord Brother?¡± ¡°You¡¯re awake. I just came back. I didn¡¯t expect you toe here. Haa, you should know that things are different now. You¡¯re a Ringbearer too. You can¡¯t just act as you¡­¡± ¡°Lord Brother, hug¡­¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel¡¯s nagging was cut short by Alicia¡¯s abrupt murmur. Surprised, he stared at the woman lying before him and noticed that her ruby eyes were only half-open. She¡¯s in a semi-conscious state? Roel blinked his eyes in surprise, not knowing whether he should fully wake Alicia up or not. While he was hesitating, Alicia couldn¡¯t wait any longer and started crawling toward his side. Then, she dove right into his arms and snuggled up to his chest. ¡°A-Alicia?¡± ¡°Sleep, so tired¡­¡± ¡°But what about your dormitory? Wouldn¡¯t it cause amotion if you aren¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Juliana¡­ is there¡­¡± Alicia could barely let out a murmur before she fell into a deep sleep in Roel¡¯s arms. Hearing those words, Roel breathed out a sigh of relief. Ah. At least she left Juliana behind to handle the situation. It looks like she has at least grown more responsible. The night wasn¡¯t just Alicia¡¯s home turf; the Blood n was particrly skilled in maneuvering in the night too. Given Juliana¡¯s expertise in dark and illusion magic, it was unlikely that anyone would notice Alicia¡¯s absence. Roel gazed gently upon the fast asleep Alicia and tenderly stroked her silvery hair. He could only remember feeling a strong urge to shelter her from all of the world¡¯s storms before he drifted off to dreand along with her. ¡­ Not good, I fell asleep alone! The following morning, Alicia abruptly jolted awake from her sleep. Even before her mind fully cleared up, she was already somewhat aware of the mistake she hadmitted the previous night, and it filled her heart with regret. There had been increasing attention on her ever since she caused a hugemotion by bing the only Ringbearer of the current batch of freshmen. Before she knew it, the time she had to be by Roel¡¯s side had already been greatly reduced. She was hardly satisfied with the trade-off at all, but there was nothing she could do about it. She would be beneath her love rivals if she had chosen not to be a Ringbearer, and that was not an option for her at all. In particr, she was incredibly averse to the notion of being beneath Lilian Ackermann. That was also the reason why she went all out during her fight with the Ring Guardian. Last night, she had convinced Juliana to take her position in her dormitory so that she could sneak into Roel¡¯s room, but to her disappointment, Roel wasn¡¯t back yet. She initially waited patiently in his chair, but his scent that lingered in the nkets attracted her. It was a calming andforting scent to her, such that she was already fast asleep in his bed before she knew it. Knowing that Roel would have headed to the guest room once he saw her in his bed, she felt deeply regretful for having foiled such a rare opportunity. However, she soon became aware of the warmth embracing her body. ¡°This is¡­ Lord Brother?!¡± Alicia slowly opened her eyes in confusion, only to lurch in shock when she noticed that Roel was sleeping beside her with his arms around her. It was just a pity that she failed to hold herself in, such that her response awakened the ck-haired young man from his slumber. Roel opened his eyes with a slight frown and found himself faced with a furiously blushing Alicia. He was initially mystified by the sight, but his mind soon cleared up and he burst intoughter. ¡°Good morning, Alicia. What¡¯s wrong? Why are you staring at me with such an expression?¡± ¡°L-Lord Brother, you actually didn¡¯t head to the guest room. I¡¯m a little¡­ surprised¡­¡± ¡°You were already fast asleepst night. As long as you don¡¯t mess around, I can¡¯t be bothered to find somewhere else to rest. Besides, there have been quite a few neers in the Azure Manor recently. It wouldn¡¯t be good if I caused a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°I-I see¡­¡± Roel thought that it was interesting how Alicia was embarrassed by this despite her usual boldness. It stoked his inner mischief. He reached out to stroke her hair, only to have thetter dodge his hand. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You don¡¯t like me stroking your hair?¡± ¡°No! I-I mean, I don¡¯t mind that, but¡­ it¡¯s not good for my heart¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s heart was still beating wildly from how they had slept so close to each otherst night. It was not the first time they had shared a bed, but they had never hugged each other to sleep in such a manner. This sudden heightened intimacy left her scrambling away from Roel¡¯s arms in a fluster. However, Roel wasn¡¯t intending to stop his teasing just there. ¡°But you were the one who came over and hugged mest night.¡± ¡°Me? How is that possible?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the truth. You told me that you had Juliana take care of the situation in the dormitory before diving straight at me. You don¡¯t remember it anymore?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia found it oddly embarrassing to have her own ns recounted to her. She lowered her head to look at the nightgown she was wearing, and it only made her cheeks burn brighter. Leinster had gotten warmer after the passing of spring, and the two of them had been hugging for an entire night. She inevitably perspired a little, which resulted in her nightgown bing slightly see-through. She wouldn¡¯t have been too bothered about it under normal circumstances, but she somehow found it incredibly embarrassing right now. Her explosion of embarrassment made her highly self-conscious of everything. ¡°I-I¡¯ll take a bath!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to stay here with me for a little longer? We haven¡¯t been able to spend much time together ever since you became a Ringbearer.¡± ¡°¡­ Lord Brother, please stop teasing me!¡± Alicia dove under the nket under Roel¡¯s teasing, not daring to show her face. This situation left Roel feeling as if he had returned several years back to their childhood days. Looking at the adorable younger sister he had before him, his lips subconsciously curled into a smile. His mood also improved greatly. Chapter 462.2: Little Sisters Are Meant To Be Bullied (2)

Chapter 462.2: Little Sisters Are Meant To Be Bullied (2)

The two of them took turns washing up before heading down for breakfast. The employees of the Azure Manor were already ustomed to Alicia¡¯s presence, so they didn¡¯t show much of a reaction to the unexpected visitor. Paul and Geralt were also too busy settling in the new recruits, so Roel and Alicia were the only ones on the dining table. Even up to this point, Alicia¡¯s embarrassment still hadn¡¯t faded yet. Roel could easily tell from her blush. Alicia had a fairplexion that made even the slightest blush conspicuous, especially with those seashell ears of hers. Roel had always used that as an indicator to determine Alicia¡¯s mood, and such was the case now. ¡°Alicia, ahh.¡± ¡°This¡­ L-Lord Brother, didn¡¯t you say that we shouldn¡¯t do this anymore?¡± ¡°I did? But I suddenly feel an urge to feed you just like how we did back when we were still children. Are you feeling embarrassed now?¡± ¡°O-of course not!¡± eximed Alicia. With a reddened face, she leaned in and ate off Roel¡¯s fork. Her eyes were fixed on Roel as she chewed on the food and swallowed it down. Then, she meekly murmured under her breath. ¡°¡­ Lord Brother is bullying me.¡± ¡°What are you saying, Alicia? Why would I do that?¡± Roel replied with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re feigning ignorance¡­¡± Alicia muttered with an indignant pout. Roel paid her protest no heed and continued relishing himself in Alicia¡¯s rare disy of dissatisfaction and awkwardness. Breakfast continued with a furious blush on Alicia¡¯s face. As soon as they were done eating, Alicia came up with an excuse and fled from the Azure Manor as if she was escaping from a terrifying monster. On the other hand, after receiving his dose of happiness, Roel stretched his back and returned to his work with great motivation. ¡­ Over the next week, Alicia confirmed her base to be a cluster of white buildings located not too far away from the Azure Manor. In contrast to the Azure Manor¡¯s remote mountainous range, Alicia¡¯s base had ake and a beach in the vicinity, so there was nock of students frequenting the area. The student popce implicitly understood the rationale behind Alicia¡¯s choice¡ªthe rtionship between her and Roel was no secret anymore. In fact, a huge reason she had chosen that ce was to reduce the distance she needed to teleport in order to get to the Azure Manor. That being said, she hadn¡¯t visited the Azure Manor even once ever since moving into her new base. Her face would automatically redden upon meeting Roel ever since his unsparing teasing that day, to the point that she began keeping her distance from him. That was a disappointment to Roel, but he chose to leave things be. Instead, he doubled down on his work and study instead. He was continuing his research gathering in the National Athenaeum of Wisdom every day. The ¡®Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar¡¯ held several meetings over the next month, but there was hardly any progress. Roel and the other historians had substantially proven the existence of the Six Cmities, but they weren¡¯t able to find decisive evidence to prove that they were rted to the disappearance of Tark Stronghold. More importantly, they hadn¡¯t found a way to deal with Shrouding Fog yet. From Winstor¡¯s precedent, Roel was fairly certain that it was possible to kill the Six Cmities even though they would return after some time. However, no one could say for certain whether those who had disappeared together with Tark Stronghold would return once Shrouding Fog had been killed. Worst of all, they weren¡¯t able to find any traces of Shrouding Fog. Regarding this, Roel and the other historians had no choice but to continue searching through historical records, hoping to find a precedent they could refer to. To boost their efficiency, he brought in even more manpower to help with the research. This was exactly the kind of matter that the Rose of Dawn had devoted themselves to dealing with, so the Goldenrose Faction, Redrose Faction, and Bluerose Faction generously sent students to help with the research. Browsing through historical records wasn¡¯t a task that could be undertaken by just anyone. Taking that into ount, Roel tasked the student helpers with the job of sieving out records relevant to their cause. These records would then be deciphered by Kurt before they were handed over to Roel to pick out the authentic portions. This was a monotonous and boring job, but it was of utmost importance given that the lives of over a hundred thousand soldiers were at stake. Roel had emphasized this point while he was recruiting helpers, so those who applied tended to be more serious and responsible. After a month of hard work, they finally found something reminiscent of a clue. Only a very small portion of the historical records picked out by Margaret went further than describing a sighting of the Six Cmities, but even so, most of them were baseless guesses. However, there was one book in particr that caught Roel¡¯s attention. It was a record from the Second Epoch¡¯s Ancient Austine Empire. Very little was known about the book since there were only a few pages left, but the information contained within was indeed about the Mother Goddess and the Six Cmities, and they were aligned with Roel¡¯s knowledge of them. The record proposed a hypothesis that there were numerous factors that could lead to increased activity from the Six Cmities other than the Mother Goddess¡¯ influence, such as celestial events or a fixed cycle. Roel thought that the hypothesis was usible for one simple reason. The Mother Goddess had spent most of Her time in deep sleep since the inception of the Third Epoch. There were times that She awakened from her slumber, but those were never more than a brief instant. If the Six Cmities were relying on this short window to destroy humankind, the odds were much more likely for humans to naturally die out before then. There had to be something else affecting the Six Cmities¡¯ activity cycles, and the deduction pushed forward by the record was the transformations of the moon. In the Sia Continent, the moon had always been viewed to be a symbol of femininity and enigma since ancient times. Many bloodlines and spells used the moon as a medium, such that one could say that the moon made up half of all celestial events significant to transcendents. Furthermore, the moon on the Sia Continent was unlike that of Roel¡¯s previous world. There were many peculiar phenomena associated with it, with the mostmon example being the decennial Twin Moon Phenomenon. The Twin Moon Phenomenon was not just a simple celestial event; it also caused tangible environmental changes all over the Sia Continent too, such as fluctuations in the mana density. Due to its significance, there were quite a few countries that had festivals around it. Many schrs who were fascinated by the moon had devoted their lives to uncovering its mysteries, but so far, there had been no credible theoretical framework that properly exined the moon¡¯s phenomena. Given how the effects induced by the moon affected the whole Sia Continent, Roel thought that it was usible for it to serve as a mobilizing signal for the Six Cmities. There was just one problem. The record did point out a direction to work toward, but it was far from easy to verify it. Quite a few acimed historians learned about the breakthrough in Roel¡¯s research and rushed over right away. They found the findings fascinating and acknowledged the usibility of the moon hypothesis, but they also quickly added that this piece of information wouldn¡¯t be enough for them to build their case in the ¡®Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar¡¯. Roel instructed Kurt to use his Renascence Origin Attribute on the record to see if he could gather any other evidence, but thetter was unable to see anything of value. He was only able to see a person flipping through the record estimated to be around several centuries ago, but that person was unable to understand the record¡¯s content and soon lost interest in it. In the end, Roel was unable to find conclusive evidence to push his case, but he did manage to gather quite a few records of the Six Cmities. Simr research was also being carried out in the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Holy Capital¡¯s Royal Library. The only inactive one of the Three Great Libraries was the Austine Empire¡¯s Millennia Glory Repository. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by that since it was not the first time that the Austine Empire had intentionally stood against the Theocracy. He was initially intending to get Lilian¡¯s help to ess the Millennia Glory Repository¡¯s archives, but that didn¡¯t seem like a good idea now. She wasn¡¯t in a good position right now, and he didn¡¯t want to add to her troubles. Furthermore, he sensed that Lilian had been avoiding him recently. In any case, the research scale of the Six Cmities had already reached an incredible size, such that it was probably just a matter of time before something useful popped up. Just as Roel thought that everything was finally on track, an urgentmunication suddenly came in from the eastern border. A bombshell was dropped, striking fear and unease into the hearts of all humans, The deviants had invaded. Chapter 463.1: Dangerous Bait (1)

Chapter 463.1: Dangerous Bait (1)

The invasion of the deviants. Those were terrifying words to all humans living on the Sia Continent. Humankind hadn¡¯t forgotten about the countless countries that were destroyed in the numerous Holy Wars over the past thousand years. It didn¡¯t matter whether one was from the Theocracy or the Austine Empire; those who had suffered through the war would often share their tumultuous experience with their children, to the point that the invasion of the deviants was almost like a traditional bedtime horror story. Fear was an integral part of everyone¡¯s life during those periods of bloodshed. Themon popce lived their everyday life in trepidation, not knowing when the deviants would overrun their defense line. It was hard to stay positive when all sorts of negative rumors were floating around. ¡­ Terror gripped the Sia Continent with the outbreak of the news. There was a diverse range of responsesing from people all over the world. Chaos broke out in almost every country to varying extents, but some were able to quickly re-establish order thanks to the strong leadership of the ruling ss. In the Country of Schrs, an atmosphere of tension encroached on the students. Brolne was the cradle for talents and transcendents in the Sia Continent, and those studying there were automatically deemed as reserve soldiers for the united army. Due to the contents of the missions they were entrusted with, most of them were vaguely aware that a war was imminent. Even so, it hardly softened the blow for them when the news finally arrived. The invasion of the deviants signified the arrival of an era where they lost control over their own fate. Another person¡¯s mistake could easily cost them their life. A time of chaos also brought about opportunities for the ambitious. Old establishments could crumble under the strain of war, creating space for the ascendance of new powers. Until order was finally restored, everyone had a shot at grasping power. Roel¡¯s life was also affected by the invasion of the deviants. The most tangible difference was the flood of missionsing in from the united army, such that the members of Rose of Dawn had no choice but to start heading out. He personally had no objections toward those missions. Students could earn Academic Credits through them, and theirpletion supported the war efforts at the frontline. As the leader of both the Bluerose Faction and Rose of Dawn, Roel took great care in selecting and assigning missions to others. Unlike most Second Grade students struggling to put their theoretical knowledge into practice, the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom were able toplete their missions with great ease. This was due, in part, to the transfer students¡¯ superior strength, but Roel¡¯s wise leadership also yed a factor. He had been keeping up to date with each member¡¯s proficiency over their abilities, and he took care to assign missions that yed to each of their strengths. Paul, Geralt, Brittany, and the others from the Bluerose Faction also achieved decent results in the dungeon exploration and forest clearing missions they had taken on, and they had grown significantly from the experience. In fact, Paul and the others were growing so quickly that it left no doubt in Roel¡¯s mind why they were part of the protagonist party in Eyes of the Chronicler. But soon, Roel realized that the others from Knight Kingdom Pendor and the Bluerose Faction had been growing unusually fast. Upon further investigation, Roel learned that the Sia Continent¡¯s average mana concentration density would spike whenever a Holy War broke out. This effect appeared to have been further enhanced by the brief awakening of the Mother Goddess not too long ago, resulting in the mana concentration density of some parts of the Sia Continent increasing severalfold of their usual level. These were the highest recorded mana concentration densities in the past thousand years. Transcendents grew by deepening the mutation of their body through mana, so human transcendents naturally grew faster when mana concentration density increased. It was almost as if the world was trying to nurture a generation of heroes before the decisive climax. Roel had benefited from this phenomenon too. The growth he experienced from browsing through mountains of historical records had been more than he had anticipated. Even so, there was still a group of people who greatly outpaced him in terms of growth. They were none other than Lilian and the other female capture targets. Roel wasn¡¯t clear about Lilian¡¯s situation as they hadn¡¯t met at all recently, but there were rumors that she had reached Origin Level 2. This feat understandably came as a huge shock to most students. There had been no more than ten people in Saint Freya Academy¡¯s long history who had been able to reach Origin Level 3 as a student, let alone Origin Level 2. So far, there had been no official confirmation from Lilian nor the Purplerose Faction, but as someone who shared the same bloodline, Roel didn¡¯t doubt the rumors. He was aware of just how talented Lilian was. Lilian was a prodigy who surpassed her peers despite adopting the Kingdom Origin Attribute, which had a much lowerpatibility with the Kingmaker Bloodline than the Crown Origin Attribute. On top of that, she had also grasped ¡®Ten Fortresses¡¯, one of the most powerful abilities of the Kingdom Origin Attribute. Her talent was rare even within the lineage of the Kingmaker Bloodline. Even Roel would have found it hard to match her if she had instead adopted the Crown Origin Attribute. That was also why he wasn¡¯t surprised by the rumors. In fact, he thought that she might have been staying away from him in order to focus her effort on making a breakthrough. The other female capture targets weren¡¯tgging behind her by much either. Take Alicia for example, the rate of her growth had been mind-boggling to Roel. It was just a vague feeling, but his intuition told him that she would be making a breakthrough very soon. That left Roel feeling rather conflicted, considering how he had just made a breakthrough to Origin Level 3 himself. Putting aside his pride as an elder here, Alicia¡¯s speed of growth was astounding. The fact that she could possibly reach Origin Level 3 before reaching adulthood was inconceivable! ¡°Alicia, you have grown extremely fast over thest few years. Have you experienced any side effects as a result, such as finding your powers hard to control?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I have experienced anything like that. Is something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Roel had no idea what to say in response to Alicia. He stared at her in bewilderment before shaking his head and ending the topic there. He was arguably the cause of this anomaly, so he had no right toin here. As far as he remembered, there was no such ¡®increase in mana concentration density¡¯ event in Eyes of the Chronicler, which meant that this was part of the butterfly effect induced by the awakening of his bloodline. He suspected that it was rted to him absorbing the Six Cmities and the Mother Goddess¡¯ gaze on him. One could even say that he was the one who had ignited the ¡®Alicia Rocket¡¯. If it wasn¡¯t for the tumultuous times they were living in, Roel would have asked Alicia to slow the pace of her growth just to be safe. However, now that war was already upon them, it would be best if she could be strong as soon as possible. It was probably with such a mentality that more and more students were applying for missions. They knew that this was their best opportunity to advance their strength before they were required to join the battlefield. In this unnerving calm before the storm, Roel continued to gather more information on the Six Cmities while managing Rose of Dawn and the Bluerose Faction. It was just that this intermittent peace was shattered by the sudden arrival of a piece of news. Chapter 463.2: Dangerous Bait (2)

Chapter 463.2: Dangerous Bait (2)

¡°Mister Roel Ascart, what are your thoughts about that incident?¡± ¡°I have carefully looked through it and I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s rted to the disappearance of Tark Stronghold.¡± ¡°May I know the reason behind that?¡± ¡°Based on our observations at Tark Stronghold, Shrouding Fog likely possesses the power to devour space. If so, there should not have been any traces of Braytown left behind. However, that clearly isn¡¯t the case based on what¡¯s stated on the document¡­¡± In the meeting room, Roel carefully studied the report that had just arrived from the frontlines while sharing his analysis. He had a calm expression on his face, but an ominous premonition was building up in his heart. Just earlier this morning, an urgentmunication was delivered to the ¡®Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar¡¯. Another case of mass disappearance had urred not too far away from the frontlines. The schrs of the seminar responded to the news zealously, ddened to have finally caught hold of the enemy¡¯s tail. Even Roel also thought that Shrouding Fog had finally appeared. However, he soon realized that it was a different case after looking through the details. The mass disappearance had urred in Braytown, a small town located near the eastern border of the Austine Empire. It had a small poption due to its remote location, but with the recent outbreak of war with the deviants, it was upied by the military and served as an en route resting point to the eastern border. Many of the soldiers dispatched by other countries to the eastern border in the wake of Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance had passed by the town. Just a few days ago, a batch of Austine soldiers marched toward Braytown, but they weren¡¯t able to locate it. Figuring that they might have gotten lost, themanding officer hired a local guide to lead them. Yet, when they finally arrived at their destination, all they could see were the base structure of disappeared buildings lying all over the ground. Braytown had vanished along with its local popce and the soldiers stationed there. It was yet another inexplicablerge-scale disappearance of a military force, leading others to inevitably be reminded of Tark Stronghold¡¯s tragedy. For that reason, themanding officer immediately sent a report to the Country of Schrs and requested for help. However, upon careful evaluation, Roel didn¡¯t think that it was the doing of the Six Cmities. While the town was located in a mountainous region, there were no reported sightings of a terrifying fog monster or unrest amongst the forest animals. On top of that, there were hints of the town left on the ground. This was different from what Shrouding Fog did during its previous appearance. Shrouding Fog was a monster that sought to destroy civilizations. Simr to how Tark Stronghold vanished in its entirety, it wouldn¡¯t leave anything manmade in its wake. The conditions didn¡¯t appear right too. Roel hadn¡¯t sensed the presence of the Mother Goddess over thest few days, and there hadn¡¯t been any significant celestial events in the region. Most important of all, it didn¡¯t make much sense for Shrouding Fog to go for a small town with no strategic value. ¡°There are no more than a thousand people in Braytown, even taking into ount both the local popce and the stationed soldiers. Ites nowhere close to Tark Stronghold in terms of manpower and fighting prowess. The Six Cmities are known to be destroyers of civilization. There¡¯s no reason for them to target for a minor border town.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel firmly rejected the possibility of the two incidents being rted to each other, but the other schrs weren¡¯t too bothered by that. They began voicing their objections too. ¡°I admit that there are differences in the details of the two incidents, but there¡¯s no denying that they are of simr nature.¡± ¡°You¡¯re building your argument on the basis that the disappearance of Tark Stronghold was caused by those mythical monsters, but that¡¯s not something we have established yet. I don¡¯t think we should use those standards to determine whether those two incidents are independent of each other.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have any other clues to work with at the moment, and this is an official request from the united army¡­¡± The other schrs disregarded Roel¡¯s objection and epted the mission to investigate Braytown¡¯s disappearance. Roel¡¯s face darkened upon hearing that. Having been through his fair share of schemes, his instincts were telling him that there was more than meets the eye here. It had been several months since the founding of the ¡®Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar¡¯, but they still hadn¡¯t decided on a specific rescue n yet. This must have been incredibly frustrating for the schrs, considering they were the aces in their respective fields. The arrival of the united army¡¯s mission at this juncture must have felt like a miracle to them, inducing them to act on it. But this reeked of a bait to Roel. Leinster¡¯s schrs had been in afortable position for far too long that their sense for danger had dulled. They were so anxious to produce results that they didn¡¯t hesitate to ept the united army¡¯s mission, but this spelled trouble for Roel. The only ones capable of carrying out this mission were Rose of Dawn¡¯s members and Roel¡¯s good friends, but how could he send them on an undertaking that screamed of a trap? It was impossible for Roel to unterally overthrow a decision made by the seminar. Left with no other choice, he paid Lilian a visit in hopes of using the Rose Council¡¯s authority to prohibit personnel recruitment within Saint Freya Academy for that mission. In a private guest room of Nymph Pce, Lilian patiently listened to his thoughts before gently turning him down. ¡°I know that you have the welfare of our students at heart, but what you¡¯re intending to do has severe repercussions. Others might use you of hindering the investigation.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. It looks like I¡¯ll have no choice but to personally head there,¡± Roel replied with a frustrated sigh. In Roel¡¯s view, there were only two options for a mission as risky as this¡ªhe could either ignore it altogether or give his all to resolve it. For the safety of those he cared for, he decided to go with thetter. As slim as the possibility was, if this matter was truly rted to the Six Cmities, Roel¡¯s presence would be a necessity. He was the only one who had the power to curb Shrouding Fog, even if just to a limited extent. Right after he voiced his intention aloud, he was immediately met with Lilian¡¯s objection. She adamantly refused to allow him to put himself through such danger, so she proposed an alternative measure instead. ¡°I¡¯ll go instead. It¡¯ll be an opportunity for me to try my hand after my recent breakthrough to Origin Level 2.¡± ¡°What are you saying, senior? I can¡¯t implicate you into something as dangerous as this¡­¡± Roel also shut down Lilian¡¯s alternative measure right away. Simr to how Lilian cared for him, he also treasured this ¡®older sister¡¯ of his. She was the only one left in the world who shared the same bloodline as him. He couldn¡¯t possibly expose her to something that was likely to be a trap. Lilian didn¡¯t respond to his objection. Instead, she started staring at him intently with a faint smile on her lips, as if she was trying to imprint him into her brain. Her unusual behavior swiftly caught Roel¡¯s attention, and he looked at her with an uneasy frown. For some reason, he had a feeling that the ravishing ck-haired woman was about to disappear from his life. ¡°Senior, you¡­¡± he muttered hesitantly ¡°¡­ Roel, there¡¯s something I need to tell you,¡± Lilian suddenly spoke up. Roel immediately straightened his back, knowing that she was likely going to say something important. Lilian took a moment to construe her words before carrying on. ¡°The Austine Empire might have found out about our rtionship.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°I slipped up in front of Lukas. It has nothing to do with you. He¡¯s only suspicious for now, and I don¡¯t think he knows the details yet. However, he ordered me to head to the frontlines at the eastern border,¡± Lilian said with a bitter voice. She tried to force on a smile, but it looked strained despite her best efforts. Her amethyst eyes reflected her yearning and sorrow. It was hard to imagine what kind of emotional turmoil she must be suffering from for someone as dignified and selfposed as her to let her emotions slip through. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard for us to meet again,¡± she concluded. Chapter 464.1: I’m Glad That We Aren’t Blood-related (1)

Chapter 464.1: I¡¯m d That We Aren¡¯t Blood-rted (1)

Looking at Lilian and her strained smile, Roel¡¯s pupils slowly erged in shock. He had no idea how to take this situation. He was aware that Lilian was in a worse position than she was in Eyes of the Chronicler due to her association with him, but he never thought that just the suspicion that the two of them might be on close terms would actually bring about such adverse consequences. Being sent to the frontlines of the eastern border was a harsh punishment, especially at this juncture. It was often during the initial phase of a war, when the parties involved in the warcked understanding of one another¡¯s strength, thatpses in defense urred. Compiled statistics of previous Holy Wars showed that most deaths of humankind¡¯s upper echelon happened during this period of time. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I probably should have told you earlier. This is my mistake. It has nothing to do with you. You shouldn¡¯t me yourself for it.¡± ¡°Senior¡­¡± ¡°I have always hated how the two of us lived at opposite ends of the world. I told myself I must cherish the two years we have together in the academy, but I messed it all up in a moment of negligence¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Lilian¡¯s sorrowful smile and listening to her words of self-reproach, Roel clenched his fists tight. Irrepressible rage started zing in his heart, but a portion of it was directed toward himself. It was easy for one to mistake Lilian to be infallible. She was perspicacious and selfposed, always resolving all crises that came her waypetently without batting an eyelid. To top it off, she was a powerful transcendent, having reached Origin Level 2 despite her young age. She was always so mature that Roel rarely had to worry about her. Subconsciously, he saw her as someone he could fall back on. Now that he thought about it, he had always been the one asking her for help ever since they became close to each other. He had put his life on the line to protect Nora and Charlotte before, but it seemed to always be the other way around whenever it came to Lilian. Even in the dangerous Witness State, the one who had shouldered the bulk of the danger was her. Despite so, Lilian had never uttered a word ofint. She cherished him as if he was her most precious treasure, going to all lengths for him just like a doting older sister. She epted and took care of him despite being fully aware of the risks. Even when she hadnded herself in a disastrous position as a result of that, she had no regret at all. Still, Roel couldn¡¯t ept how Lilian had been put in a tough position because of him. He also felt a sense of enmity toward Lukas Ackermann, who had ordered Lilian to head to the eastern border without any regard for her will and safety. He was aware that it would be foolish of him to make an enemy out of the emperor of the Austine Empire. The vast resources Lukas Ackermann had at his disposal was not something Roel could match. However, for Lilian¡¯s sake, he was willing to do things that he would have otherwise deemed irrational. Lilian could guess Roel¡¯s thoughts from the grim look on his face, and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She rose to her feet, walked over to his side, leaned in, and hugged him. ¡°What a serious look you have on your face. Are you thinking of doing something for me?¡± Lilian asked with a tender smile. Roel didn¡¯t answer her question. Seeing through him, Lilian¡¯s eye grew even gentler as she softly touched his cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m happy to know that you have such sentiments, but the only wish I have is for you to remain safe and healthy even in a time of chaos. There¡¯s nothing else in the world that I need,¡± she said tenderly. ¡°Senior¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I¡¯m not in a good position, but it¡¯s far from being the worst-case scenario yet. It¡¯ll be hard for us to meet in the future, but that doesn¡¯t mean that there isn¡¯t any chance. There¡¯s a limit to how far Lukas can hinder us.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Lilian stroked Roel¡¯s hair as her eyes grew sharp and her expression turned solemn. ¡°Time. That¡¯s what we direly need right now. As long as I have sufficient time to grow, I¡¯ll be able to shatter any obstacle that stands between us.¡± ¡°!¡± Those words, reminiscent of a vow, echoed loudly in Roel¡¯s ears, causing him to widen his eyes. Looking at the affectionate amethyst eyes that reflected his silhouette, he found himself unable to repress his emotions any longer. He stood up and tightly embraced Lilian. Roel¡¯s abrupt move caught Lilian by surprise, causing her body to instantaneously stiffen up. However, it didn¡¯t take her long to loosen up and reciprocate his embrace. They immersed themselves in each other¡¯s warmth. ¡°¡­ I think I finally understand why you weren¡¯t born in the Ascart House.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°If you were born in the Ascart House, I¡¯d have surely be a wastrel who depends on you for everything,¡± said Roel. ¡°As much as I do want you to rely on me like that, you probably wouldn¡¯t be that kind of person even if I had been born in the Ascart House as your older sister,¡± replied Lilian with a helpless smile. ¡°¡­ Why?¡± Intrigued by her evaluation, Roel tilted his head over to look at her. Lilian rested her forehead on his and reminisced everything they had gone through together before finally replying. ¡°That¡¯s just the kind of person you are. You would have had a much easier life if you could cast away all of your responsibilities, but you aren¡¯t able to bring yourself to do that. That¡¯s why you are who you are.¡± ¡°¡­ Senior.¡± ¡°I should also say that while I would have loved to spend my childhood years with you, I am d that we don¡¯t share any blood ties. After all, there are things that real siblings can¡¯t do,¡± Lilian whispered with a reddened face. ¡°!¡± A jolt ran through Roel¡¯s body. Before he could react, Lilian had already taken a step back, ending their embrace. ¡°Leave this mission to me, alright? Let me do onest thing for you before I leave.¡± ¡°Ah? Uhh. A-alright.¡± It was in obvious that Lilian was changing the topic here, but Roel was too stunned by what she had just said to react. He raised his head to look at her, and he found that her cheeks were burning. Is she¡­ shy? It was such an unexpected side from the usually cold and rational Lilian that Roel couldn¡¯t help but widen his eyes. It was such a powerful blow that his mental faculties started shutting down one after another, to the point that he could only barely utter a dazed response to her question. Upon receiving his answer, Lilian finally couldn¡¯t take the embarrassment anymore and hurriedly ended this secret meeting with Roel. Chapter 464.2: I’m Glad That We Aren’t Blood-related (2)

Chapter 464.2: I¡¯m d That We Aren¡¯t Blood-rted (2)

It was only when Roel felt the cooling wind on his face after leaving Nymph Pce that his mind finally calmed down a little. As he regained his senses, he began to realize Lilian¡¯s ploy. ¡°She said those words with the intent to make me flustered, hoping that I¡¯d entrust the mission to her when my mind is not thinking straight, but she ended up getting embarrassed by her own words¡­¡± Doesn¡¯t that mean that there is some truth behind what she said? ¡°No, no. That¡¯s not what I should be focusing on now.¡± Roel grasped his forehead and took two deep breaths topose himself. Once he was finally calm, he began to recall everything Lilian had said earlier. He was rather certain that Lilian had downyed her situation in order to reassure him. At the very least, her deployment to the eastern border would have significantly weakened her political connections, severely disadvantaging her in the fight for the throne. She knows that I would have figured that out and tried my best not to burden her, so she ended up resorting to this. A honey trap, huh? That¡¯s thest thing in the world I would have expected from senior. In truth, Roel had no way of stopping Lilian from taking up the mission. She could have gone straight up to the ¡®Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar¡¯ and volunteered for it, and it wouldn¡¯t have made a difference whether he opposed to it or not. That decision had never been Roel¡¯s to make. The real reason Lilian had gone through the trouble to obtain his agreement was to keep him away from this matter. Just as how Roel had no power to stop Lilian from taking up this mission, the converse was equally true too. Unfortunately, Lilian was doomed to be disappointed here. Putting all things aside, Roel would have personally made the trip to Braytown even if just for Lilian¡¯s sake. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten Layton¡¯s words from several months back; the old man had warned him that the Fallens could go for other awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline. There was a chance that Lilian¡¯s bloodline might have already been exposed, especially when considering Emperor Lukas¡¯ suspicions toward her. It would be unwise to overlook the possibility that the Fallens were eyeing her. Furthermore, Lilian would be heading straight to the frontlines in the eastern border once the mission was aplished, which meant to say that their time together was limited. ¡°¡­¡± Roel felt uneasy just thinking about Lilian being in the dangerous eastern border. It wasmon knowledge that the initial phase of a war tended to be the most dangerous of all. He found it hard to understand how a parent could put their children through such danger. Of course, there were also opportunities to seize in the initial phase of a war. Those who were able to survive this dangeroud period were likely to be promoted to be one of the leaders of the united army by the time the war ended, even if they were rtively unknown prior to that, though naturally, this was conditional on them surviving the war. This was also what it meant by ¡®building qualification¡¯. Those who had fought for humankind from the start to the end were bound to be more handsomely rewarded. Lilian¡¯s recent breakthrough to Origin Level 2 was more than enough to make her one of the topmanders of the united army. As long as she could produce results on the battlefield, the influence and prestige she earned as a result would improve her position in the Austine Empire. Things were not all bad from that perspective. Roel spent a moment to quietly pray for Lilian¡¯s safety before he began making preparations for the mission. ¡­ Early morning, Roel sat by the corner of Saint Freya Academy¡¯s Administrative Center, where missions were posted, and quietly sipped his tea. Amotion had broken out at the opposite end of the room, where the mission bulletin board was located. ¡°Oh? This mission¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s to investigate the mystery behind the missing Tark Stronghold?¡± ¡°So we just have to look for evidence? The rewards are really good for just that!¡± There was a crowd gathered before the bulletin board, and their discussions were drawing more and more people in. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by themotion. After all, it was a mission jointly released by the Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar and the united army, rted the mysterious disappearance of Tark Stronghold. Most students were definitely curious about it, but hardly any of them had the intention to take it on. Curiosity kills the cat. Those who had been through dangerous missions would have agreed with that saying. It was one thing to discuss about the overnight disappearance of Tark Stronghold, but it was another thing to get involved in it. A moment of carelessness could be all that was needed for their names to be added onto the list of missing personnel. There were also stringent requirements one had to meet in order to take on the mission, the most notable one of all being strength. That was the additional requirement Roel had put in using his authority as the Bluerose Ringbearer. The united army had offered a handsome reward for the mission, such that some would be emboldened to take it on despite the limitation of their ability. Besides, such investigation work required a high level of expertise, such that ayman would hardly be of any help. Since Roel had made up his mind to carry out the mission together with Lilian, he was determined to ensure that the investigation bore results. To do that, he needed goodpanions. There were quite a few people he could choose from Rose of Dawn and the Bluerose Faction. He took some time to consider his choices and soon made up his mind. The first person he wanted to take was Selina. Braytown was a remote border town that was practically located in the wilderness, which was where her skills shone. On top of that, her keen beast-like instincts for danger would likelye in handy for this mission that reeked of a trap. It was just that Selina wasn¡¯t in full control of her bloodline yet, and she could possibly run wild without Roel nearby to suppress her bloodline. That would undermine her maneuverability. However, Roel didn¡¯t think that was a problem since he had no ns to splitting the party up. The second person he wanted to take was Juliana. He figured that the bulk of whatever danger they faced would likelye in at night, so having a member of the Blood n who possessed powerful detection skills and offensive prowess in the night would be a great asset. Roel hadn¡¯t interacted much with Juliana thus far, but she did maintain a respectful attitude toward him as a member of Rose of Dawn. It was unlikely that she would turn down his dispatch for this mission, though he would have to talk to Alicia about it too since Juliana was now her right-hand man. ¡°Things are going to get troublesome,¡± Roel murmured with a sigh before taking another sip of tea. Alicia and Lilian had never been on close terms. He could already see Alicia kicking up a fuss upon hearing that the two of them were going to carry out this mission together. Roel shook his head and turned his attention back to the personnel selection. The next person he had on his list was someone he wasn¡¯t close with but possessed a set of interesting abilities¡ªStuart, the young man from Knight Kingdom Pendor who blindfolded himself with ck cloth. Putting aside appearances, Stuart was the most normal one out of all the entric transfer students from Knight Kingdom Pendor. His fighting prowess wasn¡¯t particrly impressive and he didn¡¯t have a striking personality either, so he was often overshadowed by his peers. However, the truth was that Stuart was actually an outstanding prodigy, just that he hadn¡¯t fully grasped control of his abilities yet. The secret to thaty in his eyes. Thousand Irises n¡ªthat was the lineage Stuart had inherited his bloodline from. Said to be borned from Sia¡¯s tears, the Thousand Irises n was a unique n even in the ancient era. They were simr to humans in terms of appearance, but their eyes were rumored to harness up to a thousand abilities. The Thousand Irises n was rarely spoken of in the legends, but most of the famous eye technique users in the history of humankind were their descendants. Countless years of association with humans had made them, to arge extent, indistinguishable from humans. One could say that they were humans with special eyes. However, Stuart was an exception, having awakened to his Primordial Bloodline. From a young age, he faced all sorts of inconveniences due to his eyes. There were days he woke up with X-ray eyes and saw his parents as walking skeletons. When he looked at distant mountains, the scenery would sometimes suddenly zoom up on him. These hindered his day-to-day function, leaving him with no choice but to control it with a blindfold. Theoretically, the eyes of the Thousand Irises n harnessed up to a thousand abilities, but the situation varied from individual to individual. Some could only use up to ten whereas the more talented ones were able to awaken to over a hundred abilities. Stuart belonged in thetter category, just that his circumstances were more extreme. Even to this day, he was still awakening to even more abilities. That posed a huge challenge for him to control his abilities. Roel wasn¡¯t sure how powerful Stuart was, but just his detection abilities were more than enough reason to add him to the party. More importantly, his Academic Credit was still a big fat zero despite being a member of Rose of Dawn. Having decided on his party members, Roel quickly dove into the recruitment process. Shortly after the mission was released, Lilian finally made a public appearance after a month of absence to announce her participation in Braytown¡¯s investigation. Many schrs who were intrigued by the mass disappearances also began recruiting personnel to participate in the investigation. All it took was a single day for the mission to be known throughout Leinster. To be clear, the mission was posted throughout Leinster, just that the mission requirements set by Saint Freya Academy were stricter than other ces. The united army and the Tark Stronghold Search and Rescue Seminar were nning to recruit as many people as possible to thoroughlyb the area for clues. Roel was aware of that, but it didn¡¯t change his decision to go for quality over quantity. He was able to recruit most of the people he had decided on without trouble, but he encountered one problem that he had already foreseen beforehand. ¡°Lord Brother, you¡¯re intending to go on that investigation mission with that old woman? There¡¯s no way I can agree to that!¡± Alicia cried out. Roel quietly looked at her for a long while before letting out a suppressed sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll apany you for three missions next year.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. This is a matter of principles¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t drive you out of my room anymore.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched as he watched Alicia wipe off her tears and clench her fists in excitement. He btedly realized that he had been tricked again. On the bright side, at least his preparation work was going well. Chapter 465.1: Doting Has Inertia Too! (1)

Chapter 465.1: Doting Has Inertia Too! (1)

In the Azure Manor, Roel stared speechlessly at the enthused Alicia, not knowing how to respond to the situation. Just a few minutes ago, when he told Alicia that he was nning to take on the investigation of Braytown¡¯s disappearance mission together with Lilian, Alicia immediately opposed his decision with teary eyes. Yet, before he knew it, her tears had already been reced with a gleeful smile. If there were movies in this world, Alicia would have won the Oscars. Alicia had grown up watching Roel extort the Sorofya Merchant Association, and the young Roel had never hesitated to use his tears as a weapon during his negotiations. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that Alicia had inherited Roel¡¯s art of negotiation. In truth, it was not as if Roel was unaware of Alicia¡¯s schemes, but he was simply helpless before her tears even when he knew that they were fake. It was simr to how cat lovers would automatically swoon at the sight of an adorable cat despite knowing how merciless their swipes could be. It was already ingrained in their instincts. As soon as Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes glistened with tears, Roel would feel a jolt in his heart. When she grabbed his sleeves and sobbed for him not to go, his determination crumbled in an instant. Years of experience had led Roel to a conclusion¡ªit turned out that the concept of inertia applied to doting brothers too. The more he doted on Alicia, the harder it was for him to stop. Most children would desire independence while growing up, and they would shrug off their doting parents or kin in the process. However, such a thought had never urred in Alicia¡¯s mind before. On the contrary, she had been constantly adding fuel to Roel¡¯s engine, giving him more and more momentum. By this point, the feelings Alicia harbored for Roel had already be an amalgamation of kinship and romance, such that it was no longer possible to discern one from the other. Her older brother¡¯s doting had already ovepped with a lover¡¯s affection, and she didn¡¯t think that there was anything wrong with that. Alicia didn¡¯t like the idea of Roel being together with Lilian, but she knew better than to actually get in the way of his work. She had been working all this while to be a person who could stand alongside him, not to hold him back. Furthermore, she knew that there was no need for Roel to seek her approval for Braytown¡¯s investigation. Considering that Roel was a Ringbearer and an important eye-witness of Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance, it was inevitable that he would have to personally make a trip there himself. In fact, it would have appeared weird if he had chosen to sit out. Alicia understood that, though there was still a part of her who didn¡¯t like this arrangement. That was why she kicked up a small fuss, and the promises she received in exchange were unexpected gains. ¡°Lord Brother, that woman is definitely scheming something. You must be careful!¡± ¡°Alicia, Senior Lilian is not that kind of person¡­¡± ¡°How is she not that kind of person? She¡¯s a despicable kidnapper through and through! Also, you mustn¡¯t use that time regression ability of yours ever again! That old woman is clearly a pervert who preys on kids! Lord Brother, you must promise me that you mustn¡¯t regress!¡± ¡°No, senior is¡­ Haa, forget it!¡± Roel was on the verge of blurting out that Lilian was heading to the frontlines in the eastern border when he held himself back at thest moment. The news hadn¡¯t been officially announced yet, so it wouldn¡¯t be right for him to divulge it to others. Besides, Alicia would have still thought that Lilian had other intentions at heart even if she knew about her circumstances. Knowing that, Roel decided not to harp on this matter and instead divert the topic elsewhere. The two of them chatted for a long while when Alicia suddenly fell silent. There was a momentary pause before she continued on. ¡°Lord Brother, do you still remember what that Sezes¡¯ old man said?¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to Layton? Of course I do. It concerns our Ascarts.¡± ¡°If so, Lord Brother, why can¡¯t you just stay at the academy? I know that investigating Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance is important, but even more so is your safety.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel couldn;t say anything to refute that. Saint Freya Academy was located at the center of the Country of Schrs, making it one of the few ces Roel could rest at ease. Had it been a rtive time of peace, he would have camped it out in the academy till he finally became strong enough to deal with the threats around him. But how could he do that now that the world had plunged into chaos? Not to mention, he was also worried about Lilian¡¯s safety too. He gently patted Alicia¡¯s head as he took his time to construe his words. ¡°Alicia, the frontline soldiers might be fighting against the deviants right now as we are having this conversation. The united army is currently asking for reinforcement, and the chances are that our father will be heading to the frontlines soon. I can¡¯t stand by the sidelines and do nothing at a time like this. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how much of what I¡¯m doing here will matter, but I won¡¯t be able to live with myself if I do nothing right now. I know that you get worried each time I put myself in danger, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to help it. All I can do is to apologize to you in advance,¡± said Roel. ¡°No, Lord Brother! That¡¯s not what I mean!¡± Alicia anxiously waved her hands to express that that wasn¡¯t what she meant. Her face turned grim upon hearing his solemn response, and she instinctively knew that there was nothing she could say to dissuade him. She could only clench her fists tightly and pray for his safety. ¡°I¡¯ll work hard so as to be able to help you and Lord Father as soon as possible.¡± ¡°¡­ No, you have already worked hard enough. You should be building a stable foundation instead.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll grow fast and stable.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going for both? Aren¡¯t you being too greedy?¡± Roel replied with a chuckle. The two of them leaned against each other and quietly spent the rest of the night together, cherishing everyst bit of time they had together before their parting. ¡­ Roel became even busier in the days toe. After the mission was posted, researchers and specialists from all backgrounds started making their move. Many of Brolne¡¯s schrs began focusing their attention on Braytown, and amongst them was Lilian¡¯s party. Due to Roel¡¯s modification of mission criteria for Saint Freya Academy, there weren¡¯t many students participating in the mission, and they were all familiar faces. The bulk of the team was made up of teachers and schrs, most of them renowned figures in their own circles. Their strength averaged out at Origin Level 3, making them a force to behold. Roel didn¡¯t directly register for Braytown¡¯s investigation mission in view of Lilian¡¯s opposition. Instead, he chose to trail behind the main team together with the auxiliary team. Those participating in the mission were divided into two groups, namely the main team and the auxiliary team. Selina and the others, who hadn¡¯t reached Origin Level 3, were assigned to the auxiliary team, and Roel thought that it would only be right for him to travel together with them. The main team would be the first to set off, followed by the auxiliary team a dayter. To put it bluntly, the auxiliary team served as reinforcement in times of emergency. They were in charge of managing the logistics for the main team, making the nature of the auxiliary team mostly supportive. This was the default arrangement forrge-scale missions for Saint Freya Academy, and Roel thought that this formation made sense. Not putting all of one¡¯s eggs into the same basket was amon logic understood by most, but few bothered putting it into practice. However, Saint Freya Academy had strictly imposed this rule on its students. It had been credited for Saint Freya Academy¡¯s low number of casualties each year despite the unpredictable and dangerous nature of missions. The only student in the main team who hadn¡¯t reached Origin Level 3 was Paul Ackermann. This arrangement was not made out of special consideration for Paul but standard protocol. A middleman was needed for the main team to liaise with the auxiliary team, and Paul was the only student on close terms with members from both teams. Roel had intended for Paul to take on some other mission, but upon learning about Roel¡¯s intention, Paul immediately volunteered himself for the investigation mission, promising with great conviction that he would secretly deliver messages between Roel and Lilian at all costs. Who could have thought that he would end up bing the official messenger boy? What was worth mentioning was that Paul had reached Origin Level 4 after his recent mission. While he wasn¡¯t strong enough to match the others in the main team, he was at least good enough to not be a burden to the others. After a few days of preparation, it was finally time for Lilian and the others to depart for Braytown. Thanks to Paul being in the main team, Roel was able to use him as an excuse to see Lilian off. The two of them couldn¡¯t interact with each other in a public setting, so they could only make do with an exchange of eyes while others weren¡¯t looking. Paul was aware of the difficulties they faced in their romance, so he worked hard to cover for them like a true wingman. The main team soon set off once the other members had arrived. Roel spent a moment watching Lilian¡¯s departing silhouette before leaving the area to continue his preparation. The members of the auxiliary team consisted of just Selina, Juliana, and Stuart. There weren¡¯t many people in the team as they were just backup in case things went awry, but they were still given fairly decent equipment. The most expensive item was a long-rangemunication magic tool that resembled the bulky old-style televisions from Roel¡¯s previous life. There were also serums that dispelled unnatural conditions and recovery magic tools. Other than that, they also packed plenty of food, water, and all sorts of necessities. At least in terms of items, the auxiliary team appeared to be much more well-prepared. It was quite a hassle to run through the checklist and ensure that they had everything prepared, and Selina ran out of patience halfway through, so their preparation worksted tillte at night. Roel also joined them halfway through instead of dumping this troublesome task solely on them. It was his first time going for a mission too, so he thought that it was better to be safe than sorry. The following morning, the auxiliary team officially set off for Braytown too. Roel didn¡¯t leave together with them, choosing instead to wait an hour before tagging along. It was to obscure his whereabouts so as to catch the enemy off-guard. It was a good thing that Second Grade students didn¡¯t have any lessons after clearing their practical sses, so Roel¡¯s absence was unlikely to be noticed in the short run. If the Fallens dared make a move on Lilian, he would morph into an arrow that whizzed through the dark to destroy them. Otherwise, he would hold his position and wait till Lilian reached the frontlines before confronting the Fallens. Grimly looking at the road ahead of him, Roel further hastened his pace to catch up with the trio waiting for him up ahead. With this, his first mission officiallymenced. Chapter 465.2: Doting Has Inertia Too! (2)

Chapter 465.2: Doting Has Inertia Too! (2)

Summer arrivedte for the eastern border of the Austine Empire, so the region wasn¡¯t as hot as other ces. In exchange, the temperature would abruptly plummet when transitioning from evening to night. At a temporary campsite, four youths sat around a campfire. Upon confirming their dinner, they exchanged nces with one another. ¡°We¡¯re having fish today?¡± Roel asked in surprise. ¡°Yeah! I wanted to switch things up. There was a clear stream nearby, so I figured that the fish there should be not bad,¡± Selina replied with a happy nod. Selina¡¯s tail wagged fervently as if a hungry cat. Judging from her Saint Beast Bloodline, it was hardly a surprise that fishes were her favorite food. Unfortunately, this spelled a disaster to the other members of the party. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand what¡¯s so good about those stinky things. They don¡¯t have any blood, and their texture can¡¯tpare with other meat,¡± Juliana grumbled in disinterest. ¡°I don¡¯t mind eating fish, but it¡¯s hard for me to deal with the bones with my limited visibility¡­¡± Stuart awkwardly scratched his head as he chirped in. ¡°You can just chew the bones down,¡± Selina replied matter-of-factly. ¡°Normal humans don¡¯t chew down the bones when eating a fish¡­¡± Just like that, the three nobles from Knight Kingdom Pendor began their daily argument over dinner. Roel calmly watched their squabble by the side, having already ustomed himself to this. A month had passed since they left Saint Freya Academy, and the seasons had moved on from spring to summer. Roel and the others had finally arrived at the border of the Austine Empire, thus kickstarting their investigation of Braytown¡¯s disappearance. The auxiliary team moved independently of the main team, but the two teams still strictly observed safety precautions and maintainedmunication with each other. They would exchange information every day, Paul would visit the auxiliary team once a week to catch up on their progress, and the two teams would meet at an agreed location every month. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t any progress in their investigation thus far, but that was partly because neither of the teams had ventured deeply into Braytown yet. Shortly after Braytown¡¯s disappearance, the schrs who came to investigate the incident noticed a spike in the region¡¯s mana concentration density. They proceeded to map out the mana concentration density and identified the center of the anomaly. To be safe, the two teams had decided to first look around the outer perimeter of the anomaly before slowly closing in, so it was only normal for there to be little progress thus far. While there wasn¡¯t much progress with the investigation, Roel did manage to make some gains elsewhere¡ªhis connections. He was the leader of Rose of Dawn, and the transfer students had been showing him greater respect due to his wise allocation of missions. However, there was still some distance between them due to their unfamiliarity with one another. However, after the four of them had spent a month together, the distance that once stood between them had unknowingly vanished. This could be seen especially during dinner time. ¡°What the hell are the two of you talking about? Do you know how hard it was to catch these plump fishes? Besides, you can be sure that Roel will make them delicious!¡± ¡°What do you say, leader? If you want meat, I can get some right now. It¡¯ll be a walk in the park for me now that the sun has fallen.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be even faster if I use my eyes to lock down a prey. Leader, can I use my ability?¡± As always, the three problem children were unable toe to a consensus on their dinner n and eventually tossed the problem to him. Roel first looked at the displeased Juliana and Stuart before ncing at the pouting Selina. In the end, he let out a sigh¡­ ¡°We can¡¯t waste the fish, but it¡¯d be nice to have something else for dinner. Stuart, use your ability to look around for a prey and leave the rest to Juliana. Make sure to properly drain the blood, or else it might attract demonic beasts. An hour should be enough for the two of you, right? Bring some firewood back while you¡¯re at it,¡± instructed Roel. With delighted cheers, the meat loving duo immediately set off to hunt down an animal of their liking. Meanwhile, Chef Roel got to his station and began his work. The best way to win a person¡¯s heart is through their stomach. Roel wouldn¡¯t dare im that he was a professional chef¡ªgluttons like him had high standards as to what constituted a professional chef¡ªbut his culinary skills were at least decent enough to win the transfer students¡¯ Affection Points. No nobles on the Sia Continent were equipped with cooking skills, including the problem children from the Knight Kingdom. They could still bear with munching dry military rations at the start of the journey, but ever since Roel came to the limit of his tolerance and started making his own food, things swiftly spiraled out of control. The following day, Stuart and Selina proimed themselves as the party¡¯s hunters, with the former scouting out a prey and thetter taking it down, whereas Juliana offered to take over Roel¡¯s night duty. In return, Roel would prepare dinner for them and satisfy their craving. From then on, there would be three heads glowing affectionately green around the campfire every evening. In just a month¡¯s time, Roel managed to get closer with the other three and be the true leader of the team. ¡°Give me that fish, Roel!¡± ¡°For Sia¡¯s sake, Selina, you¡¯re a noble! Can¡¯t you at least maintain basic etiquette? How can you snatch food from another person¡¯s bowl?¡± ¡°Who cares? Didn¡¯t you ask Roel for his blood too?¡± ¡°I-I can¡¯t help that¡­¡± Selina and Juliana began quarreling yet again during dinner. Stuart watched their squabble while waiting for Roel to join them. ¡°Leader, aren¡¯t youing over to eat with us? Selina is going to finish all the fish at this rate.¡± ¡°Sorry, you can dig in first. I¡¯ll take a look at the map first.¡± ¡°Map?¡± Stuart tilted his head in confusion, but Roel didn¡¯t answer his question. Roel wanted to indulge in the food he had made after working hard for the day, but there was a nudging sensation in his head that left him concerned. In truth, he had been suffering from asional hastened heart palpitations as they approached Braytown. It felt like an ominous sign that something bad was going to happen, as if they were swimming into a huge. He had been more vignt than usual due to that, but he hadn¡¯t found anything particrly worrying thus far. Earlier, just as he was about to join the others for dinner, the hastened heart palpitations struck yet again, this time more intense than before. He took this premonition seriously and immediately took out a map to study it, hoping to see if he had missed anything. However, he couldn¡¯t find anything that would have posed a major threat to him in the region, as if it was all his imagination. Is the nervousness just getting to me as wee closer to Braytown? No, that can¡¯t be it¡­ Confused, Roel slowly made his way over to the campfire and picked up one of the barbecued fishes. Before he could dig in, he heard a perplexed exmationing from Stuart. ¡°Hm? Is that¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Stuart?¡± Roel turned to Stuart and anxiously asked. Stuart didn¡¯t answer the question right away. He continued staring intently in a certain direction as if trying to ascertain his observation. A momentter, he put down his te and lifted one side of his blindfold, revealing an eye with ever-changing colors. ¡°Leader, a fog has appeared in that direction!¡± Chapter 466.1: Trembling Words (1)

Chapter 466.1: Trembling Words (1)

Beside the crackling campfire, Roel¡¯s eyes slowly widened upon hearing the words spoken by Stuart. The roasted fish he was holding in his hand fell to the ground. Selina and Juliana also abruptly fell silent before hurriedly rising to their feet. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Fog? I don¡¯t see anything at all. Stuart, how far away it is from us?¡± Knowing that the term ¡®fog¡¯ was a sensitive word, the two women immediately put up their guard. Fog was one of the many weather phenomena of the Sia Continent, amon manifestation of nature. Yet, from half a year ago, this seemingly ordinary phenomenon slowly became a thing of nightmares when a monster rose from its slumber. Shrouding Fog was a cataclysmic monster that even the top schrs of the Sia Continent knew close to nothing about, but those born in the sequestered houses of Knight Kingdom Pendor grew up hearing about its horrors. The fear they felt toward it became even more palpable after the disappearance of Tark Stronghold. Stuart studied the map on the ground to confirm the location of the fog and the direction it was moving toward. Selina warily eyed the surroundings with her tail raised tautly. Juliana quickly gathered all of their supplies in case they needed to make an emergency escape. In contrast, Roel remained still. The Crown¡¯s Stones aren¡¯t reacting. Staring at the wisp of frost aura he had conjured at the tip of his finger, Roel frowned. He knew from his previous encounter with Shrouding Fog that the monsters of the Six Cmities had a resonance that allowed them to sense one another even from a distance away. However, he wasn¡¯t sensing anything at all. Putting aside the resonance, the unstable mana pulsation and suffocating pressure that came with the Shrouding Fog¡¯s presence were absent too. The only thing he could feel was an ominous premonition, but rather to say that it was caused by the Six Cmities, it arose from his instincts as a high-level transcendent. ¡°Roel, what do we do? Should we retreat?¡± ¡°Hey, help me pack up here! We have too many things to carry!¡± The anxious Selina and Juliana spoke up one after another, but after a moment of contemtion, Roel shook his head. ¡°Calm down first. I don¡¯t think that this is Shrouding Fog¡­ Stuart, can you confirm the location of the fog again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite a distance away from us, clustering around Braytown¡¯s center. It¡¯s unlikely that we¡¯d be affected by it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you say that earlier¡­¡± The atmosphere around the campfire visibly lightened up as everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Juliana and Selina grumbled in annoyance. Nheless, none of them dispelled their vignce just because they weren¡¯t in the direct line of danger at the moment. Roel spent a moment in thought before turning to Stuart. ¡°Do you see anything reminiscent of a face in the fog?¡± ¡°¡­ No, I don¡¯t see anything of that sort.¡± By this point, Stuart had already taken off his blindfold altogether. He stared intently at the center of Braytown with his glowing eyes for a moment before answering the question. Roel proceeded to ask several other questions, and Stuart¡¯s eye color and pupil shape changed ordingly as he switched among his abilities to answer those questions. After a series of questions, Roel finally came to a conclusion. ¡°From the current looks of it, the fog doesn¡¯t seem to have any rtion with the Six Cmities. It doesn¡¯t have a face, and there isn¡¯t a spike in the concentration of mana density. I¡¯m also not sensing anything at all. It might just be a natural weather phenomenon.¡± Upon hearing Roel¡¯s conclusion, the trio from Knight Kingdom Pendor heaved a sigh of relief. Having grown up hearing about the horrors of the Six Cmities, there would very much prefer to avoid a confrontation with those monsters wherever possible. After learning that it was just an empty scare, Selina and Juliana immediately turned on Stuart and punished him by having him sentry for the night. Meanwhile, Roel stared at the map and fell into deep thought. While he had deemed the fog ahead of them to not be Shrouding Fog, he still found the situation rather unsettling. For one, he could imagine how overjoyed the main team would be upon realizing that the fog posed no danger. This could lull them into a false sense of security, tempting them recklessly advance into the center investigation area to uncover the truth. After all, it was impossible for the schrs not to feel frustrated when they hadn¡¯t made any progress over the past month. Looking at it from this perspective, it was possible that the fog was bait for them. It reminded Roel of the unease he felt earlier, and he narrowed his golden eyes sharply. Meanwhile, in the distant shadows, a blurred human silhouette started to manifest amidst the fog shortly after Stuart ced his blindfold back on. The old eyes of the blurred silhouette gazed in Roel¡¯s direction, seemingly trying to figure out the nature of the earlier surveince. A long timeter, the human silhouette shook his head and turned his eyes upon the many powerful transcendents gathered right outside the fog. Slowly, the silhouette began to fade amidst the fog once more. ¡­ The following morning, a fog had started settling in the vicinity of Roel¡¯s camp, but the team wasn¡¯t too concerned since they had verified that it was a natural phenomenon. Stuart, who had sentried for the night, reported that he hadn¡¯t detected any anomaly in the fog over the course of the night. ¡°So it¡¯s just a coincidence?¡± Selina and Juliana were relieved to hear that. Stuart¡¯s expression also appeared much more rxed as he put on his blindfold once more. The tense atmosphere looming over the group slowly lightened up, though Roel still continued to remain vignt. It¡¯s possible for a fog to coincidentally settle in while we are investigating the area, but for it to appear simultaneously with the uneasy feeling I have been getting¡­ I still think that there¡¯s more to it. Roel chose not to burden the other three with his baseless concern, but he reminded them not to put their guard down. Following that, they proceeded with their dailymunication with the main team. It was standard protocol for the main team and the auxiliary team tomunicate every morning and evening to check on each other¡¯s situation. Roel and the others did feel a little apprehensive due to the fog, but fortunately, theirmunication went through as per normal. Paul picked up the projection call, and both sides reported that everything was normal. Lilian and the others were still oblivious to Roel¡¯s presence¡ªRoel had made sure to instruct Paul not to reveal his participation in the auxiliary team to anyone else, and he had been lying low over the past month too¡ªso Lilian wasn¡¯t particrly worried about the auxiliary team. On the other hand, Roel was d to know that Lilian and the others were safe and sound. After the usual check-in, Paul reported the main team¡¯s intention to continue with the investigation in spite of the fog, which was exactly as Roel had expected. The main team was confident in their own capabilities and they had every right to be, given that they wereposed of solely high-level transcendents. Admittedly, these staff members and schrs werecking inbat experience, such that they were unlikely to be able to put up a fight against Roel, but they were still a force to be reckoned with on the Sia Continent. Given the main team¡¯s pride and the absence of visible threats after the onset of the fog, it was no surprise they would decide to continue the investigation. If anything, the appearance of the fog further stoked their enthusiasm since they were here to look for clues, and the fog suggested a re-enactment of Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance. In return, Roel reported that they would continue their investigation some distance behind the main team. After confirming each other¡¯s ns, the two teams proceeded with their respective work. A few days passed just like that. The fog continued to persist, but there hadn¡¯t been any anomalies with it. It tended to appear in the middle of the night and dissipate at sunrise, so it wasn¡¯t much of a hindrance to investigation efforts. Selina and the others were initially still a little apprehensive about the fog, but they soon grew ustomed to the situation. Before long, Selina began prancing around like a wild beast again, and Juliana resumed her night hunts. The boisterous arguments around the campfire over the dinner menu returned. Surrounded by these lively problem children, Roel found his taut nerves rxing too. The truth was that the ominous premonition he felt never reappeared ever since that night, as if it had all been his imagination. The worries he felt back then were gradually being drowned out by his energeticpany. ¡°Selina, can you stop visiting our leader¡¯s tent? I¡¯m going to have to report this to Lord Alicia at this rate.¡± ¡°Haaa?! It¡¯s none of your business where I go. Besides, Roel is just calming down my bloodline for me.¡± ¡°If not for Lord Alicia¡¯s mission, I can¡¯t be bothered with you. Just to check, you¡­ you aren¡¯t in love with our leader, right?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?!¡± Night had fallen once again. A quarrel broke out between Selina and Juliana due to thetter¡¯s abrupt question. Stuart was busy using his powerful eyes to survey the surroundings. It was a perfectly ordinary night for the auxiliary team. The quarrel only ended when Roel announced dinner. The four of them gathered around the campfire and dug into their food amidst casual chatter. This had been their only source of joy in this dull and monotonous journey. A fog began settling into the night forest while they were eating and chatting, but none of them paid it any heed since it was a daily urrence. After they were done, the group patrolled around the campsite before returning to their respective tents to rest up, except for Juliana who was on duty tonight. It looked like a day no different from any other, but as Roely down in his tent and slowly drifted off to thend of dreams, an overwhelming ominous premonition suddenly exploded in his heart, causing him to abruptly lurch upright. ¡°!¡± As if he had awoken from a nightmare, his eyes were wide open and he was gasping for air. He could still vividly remember how heavy his body had been in the dream as if someone had pumped it full of lead. It was a terrifying but oddly familiar sensation. Before he could figure out where it was from, the Witch Queen¡¯s voice suddenly sounded beside him. ¡°I was just about to wake you up. You have sharp instincts.¡± ¡°Artasia? Could that be¡­¡± Roel¡¯s face swiftly turned livid upon seeing the white-haired witch who had abruptly manifested in his tent. Seeing the serious look on his face, Artasia reined in her smile and nodded affirmatively. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a Fallen.¡± Chapter 466.2: Trembling Words (2)

Chapter 466.2: Trembling Words (2)

A heavy feeling in his body and the inability to channel his mana¡ªit wasn¡¯tmon for Roel to receive such a vivid premonition of danger. Thinking back, thest time he experienced that was when the Collector had invaded his Inner Sanctum to stifle his me of life. Artasia¡¯s warning helped him to connect the dots, and he rushed out of his tent right away. ¡°Juliana, there are enemies in the vicinity!¡± ¡°Enemies?¡± Juliana was sitting on a vertically-ced log and sipping on a cup of tea when Roel suddenly made a promation of danger. She was taken aback, but she still took his words seriously due to the authority he had built up over the past month. She quickly rose to her feet and magically drew a sword out of her skirt. Her irises turned red, and she began carefully scanning their surroundings. ¡°Where? My barrier didn¡¯t catch anything at all. What did you notice?¡± asked Juliana. Themotion also caught Selina and Stuart¡¯s attention, and they quickly rushed out of their tents too. All three of them turned their attention to Roel while thetter quickly analyzed the situation. The Witch Queen had personally confirmed that a Fallen was in the vicinity, which was why Roel eximed that there were enemies right away. Yet, Juliana, whose senses were the sharpest in the night, didn¡¯t notice anything at all. If so, there was only one remaining possibility. ¡°Quick, contact the main team! They must be the ones who havee under attack!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Stuart had no idea what the basis behind Roel¡¯s im was, but he could tell that thetter wasn¡¯t joking around. He quickly worked with Selina to activate themunication magic tool. Meanwhile, Roel continued analyzing the situation. The Fallen must have started moving since I have received a danger premonition. That feeling of heaviness in the body and halted blood flow is simr to when the Collector interfered with my Ascart Bloodline¡­ That should be a sign as well, just that the recipient of it isn¡¯t me but Lilian this time around. The confirmation that the Fallens were indeed going after Lilian enraged Roel, and it further deepened his suspicion that the Braytown incident was a ploy concocted by the Fallens to capture an awakener of the Ascart Bloodline. They were using Shrouding Fog as bait to lure them in, knowing that Shrouding Fog was not just a menace but also an opportunity for awakeners of the Ascart Bloodline to im a new Crown¡¯s Stone. The abilities of the Crown¡¯s Stones had always been Roel¡¯s trump card whenever he was faced with transcendents much more powerful than he was. It was most definitely worth taking a risk to obtain a new Crown¡¯s Stone. That probably led the depraved Fallens into thinking that the awakeners of the Ascarts would make a move against Shrouding Fog. The knowledge that Lilian was in danger made Roel anxious, but his mind was clearer than ever in this crucial moment. Seeing how Stuart and Selina were unable to contact the main team via themunication magic tool, Roel quickly opened up a map to check the location of theirstmunication earlier in the evening. ¡°The main team was close to the abandoned Marlin Town earlier this evening, so it should be safe to assume that they spent their night there. Stuart, check the situation there!¡± Under Roel¡¯smand, Stuart took off his blindfold and revealed his eyes of everchanging colors once more. He looked in the direction pointed out by Roel, and a frown soon formed on his forehead. ¡°A fog! The fog is very thick over there! It doesn¡¯t look alive, so I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s Shrouding Fog. Wait a moment¡­ There¡¯s a strong mana pulsation. It¡¯s not a natural urrence!¡± Stuart alternated among his various eyes to make different observations of the situation of the abandoned Marlin Town. Meanwhile, Stuart and Selina finally received a response after countless tries. ¡°Roel, it¡¯s connected!¡± ¡°You got through? What did they say?¡± Roel quickly rushed over to themunication magic tool upon hearing Selina¡¯s delighted exmation, but the projection only showed a thick fog and a weird sound reminiscent of two stones grinding against each other. The projectionsted for roughly ten seconds before being abruptly cut off. ¡°¡­¡± Roel and the others fell silent. By this point, even the optimistic Selina had to acknowledge that something had happened to the main team, and it was most likely an attack from an unknown party. In ordance with the academy¡¯s protocols, Roel and the others first crushed a magic tool to send an emergency call for help to Saint Freya Academy, followed by setting off numerous help res. Then, they gathered all of their necessities and buried their daily logs in a secure location before making their way toward Marlin Town. Based on Roel¡¯s premonition, it shouldn¡¯t have been long since the main team came under attack. As long as they made haste, they should be able to join the battle at the crucial moment. As they quickly marched ahead, the fog around them began to thicken. The surrounding mana pulsation also gradually grew stronger. None of them spoke a word along the way, so the only thing that could be heard in this mostly silent night was the chilling night gale. As they approached Marlin Town, Stuart suddenly let out an exmation. ¡°That is!¡± ¡°What is it, Stuart?¡± asked Roel. ¡°Someone is copsed by the roadside just ahead of us!¡± ¡°A person?¡± Roel and the others quickly rushed ahead to take a look. A person had indeed copsed under the tree, but surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t a member of the main team. His hair was snowy-white and his face was against the ground, but his shabby clothes made it unlikely that he was one of Brolne¡¯s schrs. Even so, Roel and the others didn¡¯t leave him to the lurch. ¡°Is he one of the residents who chose to remain here even after it got abandoned?¡± ¡°Looks like it. How surprising it is that someone as old as him actually managed to make it out alive¡­¡± ¡°Leader, are we taking him with us?¡± Selina and the others seemed to feel sympathetic for the old man and wanted to help him. That put Roel in a dilemma. Their current goal was to save the main team, and their destination was likely to be fraught with danger. It didn¡¯t seem right of them to bring the old man together with them back to the heart of the battlefield. Furthermore, while Roel did believe that every life was precious, he couldn¡¯t let a stranger drag down Selina and the others. If anything were to happen to them while they were trying to protect the old man¡­ With the repercussions in mind, Roel eventually came to a decision. ¡°We¡¯ll treat him, set up a barrier, and leave him with some resources. We¡¯ll only be putting him in danger if we drag him with us.¡± Selina and the others nodded understandingly upon hearing Roel¡¯smand. Just as Juliana was about to treat the old man, thetter suddenly opened his eyes and began to struggle vehemently. ¡°Ah! Y-you all!¡± ¡°Calm down! We¡¯re here to save you. Can you tell us what happened?¡± Seeing how distraught the old man was, Roel stepped forward and spoke with a calming voice. He was hoping to gather some intelligence while diverting the old man¡¯s attention away from the traumatic experience that he had just been through. Unexpectedly, the old man suddenly quietened down. He stared at Roel unmovingly, and slowly, light returned to his eyes. Did he regain his sanity? Roel was relieved to see that. He raised his hand to gesture for Juliana to hold on for a moment so that he could ask about the situation in Marlin Town, but strikingly familiar words suddenly echoed in his ears. ¡°Big brother¡­ Roel.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel¡¯s body stiffened up upon hearing the old man¡¯s address of him. Chapter 467.1: Golden Eyes of the Endless Abyss (1)

Chapter 467.1: Golden Eyes of the Endless Abyss (1)

Amidst the foggy night, Roel¡¯s eyes remained on the old man before him as his body stiffened up. Selina and the others were confused for a moment before realization finally struck them, and they stared at the old man with widened eyes. ¡°Y-you are¡­ Paul?¡± ¡°No, how is that possible?¡± Stuart subconsciously retreated two steps out of astonishment. Selina froze up on the spot. Juliana even eximed out of incredulity, which was understandable since she was the most familiar with Paul amongst the transfer students due to her frequent visits to the Azure Manor. However, the one who was the most shaken up was still none other than Roel. Unable toe to terms with the situation, Roel scrutinized the old man from head to toe, and he finally found a trace of Paul¡¯s shadow in the old man. But before he could ask a question, the old man suddenly passed out once more. ¡°Paul? Paul!!¡± Roel eximed anxiously. The old man appeared to have exerted all of his strength uttering those words, not waking up no matter how Roel called for him. The group of four exchanged nces with one another and eventually decided to conduct their own verification. The current Paul looked nothing like his normal self. His hair had turnedpletely white, and his face was covered in thick facial hair. His clothes looked like rags dug out from the ground. By the standards of an ordinary human, he looked to be over a hundred years old. ¡°Roel, is he really¡­ Paul?¡± Selina asked apprehensively. ¡°¡­¡± Roel didn¡¯t answer her question right away. It was rash to assume that the old man was Paul just because they bore a bit of resemnce to each other. The old man had almost no mana, and he had no possession that could verify his identity. It would have been nigh impossible to verify his identity if not for Juliana. Juliana looked incredibly reluctant, but knowing that there was no other alternative, she nicked the old man¡¯s hand, dabbed her fingernail in his blood, and finally put it in her mouth. Her face instantaneously scrunched up, and she quickly turned to the side and began coughing violently. ¡°That diabolical taste! It can¡¯t be anyone else but him!¡± Juliana cried out with an awful look. She was certain about it because she had once tasted Paul¡¯s blood while fighting him in the Challenger Cup, but her confirmation only brought about a bout of silence. Paul¡¯s current state was indubitably the result of an enemy attack, but such a form of attack was unheard of in the current era. Temporal spells were extremely rare on the Sia Continent, to the point that they were thought to be nonexistent for a long time. Furthermore, most temporal spells were deemed to be forbidden spells for a simple reason: The price one had to pay to cast them was simply too great. Users of temporal spells would usually have to pay a price equivalent to the effect they had produced, and things could easily prove fatal if there was a deviation in the casting of the spell. Not only so, but there were also strict requirements on their invocation and scale. It had only been half an hour since Roel was alerted to the presence of a Fallen, and it was clearly impossible to reduce Paul to such a state within this short span of time. Even Roel¡¯s Time Devourer didn¡¯t have the ability to siphon time away from a person that quickly. ¡°This is impossible. How could this even happen? Stuart, check his condition!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Stuart snapped out of his daze at Roel¡¯smand. He took off his blindfold and started assessing Paul from head to toe. He was using an ability different from his long-range detection skills from earlier, shown by how his eyes were glowing faintly green. He made sure to double confirm Paul¡¯s condition before turning toward Roel with a distressed look. ¡°His internal organs have be dysfunctional and his mana flow has stalled to a halt. His internal condition matches that of an ailing old man. It isn¡¯t just a superficial transformation; he has indeed turned into a dying old man.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You must be joking with me¡­¡± Stuart¡¯s update left Roel and the others horrified. In particr, Selina and Juliana¡¯s faces paled at the sight of an acquaintancenguishing in such an appalling manner. For youngsters who were at the peak of their youth, having their time robbed from them and undergoing rapid aging was the most frightening way to die in the world. None of them wanted to venture any further into the enigmatic and sinister fog anymore, but Roel didn¡¯t issue the order to retreat. In the first ce, their key responsibility as the auxiliary team was to reinforce the main team should things go awry, but more than that, Roel didn¡¯t think that it was possible for them to retreat anymore. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to make it in time even if we retreat now. It took only half an hour for Paul to be reduced to this state. If we can¡¯t escape from the fog within half an hour¡¯s time, it¡¯s almost certain that the enemy will catch up to us. There¡¯s only one way for us to survive and save Paul, and that¡¯s to proceed ahead and defeat the enemy,¡± Roel spoke after careful consideration. Selina and the others slowly regained theirposure upon hearing those words. Being in such a despairing situation stoked their tenacity to beat the enemies and survive this ordeal. After an exchange of gazes, they quickly began discussing a n. Since they had recognized Paul, they couldn¡¯t possibly leave him to the lurch. Not to mention, Paul was their only source of information regarding what had happened here. ¡°If the rate of aging is equal for everyone, it¡¯s likely that everyone else other than the young Paul and Lilian is already¡­¡± murmured Selina. ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. Some of them might have a higher level of immunity to this enigmatic spell. Paul was also the weakest one in the main team,¡± refuted Roel. ¡°It looks like Paul was trying to break out of this encirclement to gather reinforcement¡­¡± Stuart analyzed. With Stuart carrying the unconscious Paul on her back, the group resumed their journey. Under Roel¡¯s lead, it didn¡¯t take long before the outlines of the abandoned Marlin Town appeared amidst the thick fog. However, the group¡¯splexion only grew more livid. There was no sound. From the moment they met Paul till now, they hadn¡¯t heard the slightest sound ofbat. A party that was ambushed in the fog would have retaliated with everything they had, especially one that was filled with high-level transcendents. Their battle would have surely caused a hugemotion, whether they intended for it or not. In other words, the current absence of sound meant that the battle had already concluded. Knowing that, it couldn¡¯t be helped that Selina and the others were on the edge. Even Roel was unable to fully keep hisposure. Even so, he didn¡¯t lose hope as he knew that Lilian was somewhere inside the fog. He had great confidence in Lilian¡¯s fighting prowess. It was impossible for her to be defeated that quickly even if she was faced against an Origin Level 1 transcendent. That much could be seen from her previous encounter with Magician King Priestley Maxwell. It¡¯s not toote yet. There¡¯s still hope. Clutching onto his faith, Roel and the others finally arrived at the entrance of Marlin Town. As one would have expected from an abandoned town, the houses were dpidated and the streets were covered in overgrown weed. The thick fog only made the ce even more unsettling, as if some sort of eldritch horror would suddenly lunge at them. Even with the sharpened eyes of a high-level transcendent, Roel could only see within a ten meters radius around him. The deathly silence wasn¡¯t providing him with any extra information either. They couldn¡¯t quickly search the town under such circumstances, so Roel could only turn to his scout for information. ¡°Stuart, are you able to locate them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no response even after several seconds had passed, so Roel turnedaround to take a look. What came into his sight were two women vigntly scanning the surroundings¡­ and no Stuart. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s pupils erged in horror. Noticing his reaction, Selina and Juliana also quickly turned their heads over, only to be shocked by the disappearance of their team member. ¡°Selina! Where¡¯s Stuart? What happened?¡± Roel questioned Selina, who was in charge of protecting their backline. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know! He was just right behind me!¡± Selina shook her head in a fluster. ¡°Did he fall behind?¡± Juliana asked with a pale face. Roel gritted his teeth. He immediately channeled his mana and manifested a colossal crimson skeleton giant around him. Grandar¡¯s powerful presence eased Selina and Juliana¡¯s anxiety a bit. The group immediately turned around and headed back in the direction where they came from. Chapter 467.2: Golden Eyes of the Endless Abyss (2)

Chapter 467.2: Golden Eyes of the Endless Abyss (2)

Ten minutester, Roel pressed his back against a wall and massaged his forehead as he tried to analyze the current situation. Beside him, Selina and Juliana were leaning stiffly against his left and right shoulder respectively. Despite their intimate posture, their actionwas devoid of any romantic intention. This was the solution they hade up with in this emergency so as to ensure they could feel each other¡¯s existence. It couldn¡¯t be helped since their search for Stuart yielded no results. They retraced their footsteps for around a hundred meters, but there was only white fog and the screeching of the night gale. There was no sign of Stuart at all. There were no traces of battle or spatial magic, but Stuart and Paul were nowhere to be seen. It was as if they had been spirited away. ¡°H-how could this be possible? Stuart didn¡¯t even make the slightest noise. No matter how powerful the opponent is, it shouldn¡¯t be possible for him to be taken away without any warning¡­¡± ¡°A faint trace of Paul¡¯s blood is still lingering in the vicinity, which goes to say that they were still safely standing there just a moment ago. How could they have disappeared just like that? Sh*t! What the hell happened?¡± ¡°Calm down!¡± Both Selina and Juliana had fallen into a state of terror after failing to find any hints of where Stuart and Paul had disappeared to. Neither of them was a coward afraid of confronting a powerful enemy. On the contrary, they had been brainwashed by the knight¡¯s code of chivalry from a young age and saw it an honor to die in battle. However, the current situation was very different from that. What they saw in this foggy night town was not a powerful adversary but iprehensible horror. From Paul¡¯s rapid aging to Stuart¡¯s disappearance, these were unexinable phenomena that would have only otherwise happened in a nightmare. Till now, they hadn¡¯t even spotted the shadow of their enemy. Roel could feel the twodies trembling on his shoulders. Their breathing had be ragged, and their faces were frighteningly pale. He knew that they were in a grave situation. No matter how powerful Selina and Juliana were, they were still youths. It was only normal for them to be frightened given the sinister events they had encountered thus far, but the problem was that it had started to affect their cognitive ability. They had shut down their minds and were leaving it all to their instincts, but giving up on thinking was thest thing they should do in this eerie town. Roel forced himself to calm downby massaging his temples. He quickly analyzed the situation before issuing a new order¡ªContinue searching for the main team and join forces with them as soon as possiblebefore discussing a counterattack. He thought that it was unwise for them to do nothing in a ce of danger, especially when they had no idea what had happened here. Staying put would just make it easier for their enemy to locate and make a move on them. Selina and Juliana decided to heed his order, and the three of them ventured deeper into Marlin Town. Thanks to Juliana¡¯s superior senses in the night, they were able to quickly locate the main team¡¯s campsite. It was an abandoned building that appeared to previously belong to the town¡¯s mayor, judging from its size. Constructed out of stones, it was in a much better conditionpared to the other dpidated buildings around. The result of Roel and the others¡¯ investigation of this building was disappointing. There was no one at all. From how all sorts of things are scattered on the ground, the main team was probably caught off guard by the enemy and had to flee in a fluster. The situation was probably so tight that they didn¡¯t even have time to inform us about the situation. As for their oue¡­ they probably vanished into the fog just like Paul and Stuart. ¡°Looks like there isn¡¯t any reason for me to hold back anymore,¡± muttered Roel. Knowing that the ones he was supposed to save were unlikely to be around anymore, Roel made up his mind and began releasing a huge surge of frost aura. The surrounding temperature immediately plummeted, and the ceiling and walls were soon coated with ayer of frost. However, the frost aura didn¡¯t stop there and continued spreading outward. It was almost impossible to discern between the spreading frost aura and the white fog. Everything that had happened in Marlin Town so far could easily make a person¡¯s blood run cold, but a huge contributing reason behind that was the thick white fog obscuring the truth. Roel had no idea whether this fog was natural or man-made, but he believed that his omnidirectional attack via his frost aura would force his enemy to reveal themselves. Just as he had thought, there was an immediate response from the silent town. Powerful pulsations of mana suddenly rippled from the town center and swiftly engulfed the entire area. It drew Selina and Juliana¡¯s attention right away. It was an unfamiliar aura, but its overflowing malevolence was more than enough to make anyone put up their guard right away. Tight frowns appeared on their faces. It¡¯s the aura of a Fallen! That was the judgment Roel made right away. The aura felt disgusting and repulsive as if it was some sort of dposing carcass, but he was able to sense something else in it that the other twodies couldn¡¯t. This is anger? No, it would be more apt to call it hatred. It doesn¡¯t seem to be solely directed toward my provocation. It¡¯s more like a response toward cier¡¯s Touch and the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones¡­ ¡°Is this hatred directed toward the Mother Goddess?¡± murmured Roel. All of a sudden, anky but hunched old man appeared at the other end of the fog. He red at Roel with intense animosity. Held in his hand was a fogmp that cast a hazy light in front of him. ¡°You¡¯ve finally appeared!¡± ¡°Get him!¡± Having finally found an enemy after wandering so long in this suffocating environment, both Selina and Juliana made their move on the old man right away. The lurking shadows morphed into countless sharp des that darted toward the old man. Simrly, Selina channeled her Chaos Origin Attribute into her glowing sword, imbuing it with the power to slice through any armor. The two women executed their strongest moves right away, and Roel was prepared to coordinate with their attack. That very moment, however, his ancient gods suddenly shouted through their windows of connection. ¡°That fogmp!!¡± ¡°No! Run away!¡± Grandar and Artasia¡¯s voices sounded at the same time, but it was already toote. The fogmp held in thenky old man¡¯s hand suddenly shimmered, and a blinding burst of light reminiscent of the sun bombarded the surroundings. Everything before Roel¡¯s eyes was drowned out by the light, and his consciousness started to blur. He felt as if his soul had been sted from his body into the sky. Under the guidance of the blinding light, his soul streaked across mountains and rivers at an unbelievable speed. He spotted the fortresses of the eastern border and the warring humans and deviants at Tark Prarie, but those, too, vanished in the blink of an eye. Eventually, he arrived at an obscure cavern. It was an endless cavern cloaked in darkness. Waves of ominous and malevolent auras rippled out from its depth as if all evil in the world was hidden within it. The moment Roel appeared, the cavern came to life and began contracting on him like he was some sort of delicious prey. Roel¡¯s consciousness began to fuzz out. He could vaguely hear Grandar, Peytra, and Artasia¡¯s shoutings, and he tried his best to pull himself together too, but it was all in vain. His thoughts were slowly freezing up, and all he could see was darkness. Just as Roel was about to fall into the abyss, a pair of luminescent golden eyes lit up amidst the darkness. His mind immediately cleared up and his eyes shot open. ¡°!¡± As if his soul had reached the limit of its travel, he began to ricochet backward. The scenery seemed to retreat behind him, the pitch-ck cavern, Tark Prairie, the fortresses, mountains, and rivers, all the way until he returned to the mountainous town. Then, a voice echoed in his ears. ¡°Roel!¡± Amidst the foggy Marlin Town, under the seemingly all-consuming fogmp, a ck-haired woman with amethyst eyes suddenly appeared. She carried the young man copsed on the floor up, and under the chorale of her spatial magicians, her figure flickered and vanished into thin air. Chapter 468.1: It’s to Save Him! (1)

Chapter 468.1: It¡¯s to Save Him! (1)

A brilliant golden radiance reminiscent of the sun¡¯s rays irradiated the fog-covered town, but it brought about not hope but a countdown to death. Under the golden light, Roel copsed to the ground as if someone had siphoned his soul out. But before the old man with the fogmp could make a second move, Lilian suddenly leaped into the room out of nowhere. She gritted her teeth to endure the soul-rending pain as she pulled Roel tightly into her arms. The next moment, four magicians dressed in white garbs appeared out of nowhere and began chanting a cryptic chorale. The fogmp had already dimmed afterhaving subdued Roel, but upon Lilian¡¯s arrival, it released yet another burst of soul-reaping light. Lilian stood unfazed against the terrifying attack. Right before the second wave of light was about to strike, her magicians finallypleted their incantation and invoked a spatial teleportation spell, bringing them out of this dangerous ce. Abhorrence warped the old man¡¯s face when he saw the two of them escape. He turned to the four spatial magicians who were left behind and waved his bony hand. The four spatial magicians immediately disappeared as if they had been devoured by the fog. After dealing with the remnants of his enemies, the old man¡¯s expression finally eased up a little. He gazed at the depths of the fog and wandered off as if he was searching for something. Meanwhile, in an empty room in the town, an embracing couple suddenly appeared out of thin air and tumbled onto the ground. ¡°Tok!¡± A loud thud echoed within the room. It was a heavy fall, but Lilian had no time to pay it any heed. The moment shended in the room, she ced her hand on the floor and invoked the Ackermanns¡¯ specialty spell. ¡°Ten Fortresses!¡± With a glow of mana, anotheryer of walls started forming along the inner perimeter of the dark room. It swiftly closed up to form a small isted space. At the same time, a barely discernible tracking spell swept across Roel and Lilian, but it was unable to pick up on their existence under Ten Fortresses¡¯ protection. Lilian looked slightly relieved after she finallypleted her defensive measures. She quickly turned her sight toward Roel. ¡°Roel, are you alright? Roel?¡± Lilian endured her own difort and tried to wake him up, but it was to no avail. Roel refused to regain consciousness no matter what she did. It was only then that she realized that there was something amiss with the situation and hurriedly sat upward to hold Roel¡¯s body. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Roel?¡± Flustered by hisck of response, Lilian anxiously inspected his body, but she was unable to find any wounds on him. Left with no choice, she could only hesitantly raise her hand and ce it on his cheek. I can¡¯t continue indulging in my bloodline resonance with Roel¡ªthis was something she had already made up her mind on, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t be able to bear parting ways with him if she continued getting closer to him. She had intended this mission to be her parting gift to Roel, hoping that it could at least reduce the danger he was exposed to. But as if fate was ying a trick on her, the one thing she had been praying for to not happen still came to be. Lilian closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. By the time she opened her eyes, her bloodline had already started trembling in resonance. As if two ripples had formed on a calm water surface, Roel and Lilian¡¯s bloodlines and mana swiftly achieved synchronization. Despite it being only a slight physical contact, Lilian was able to attain a full understanding of Roel¡¯s current condition. Warmth also started spreading from her heart, bringing about a strong feeling of intimacy and fulfillment. It filled up all of the holes in her heart, and all sorts of irrepressible emotions such as affection gripped her. It was such an intense feeling that it left her feeling slightly giddy. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t lose control of herself. She remained steadfast to her primary goal. It was just that she didn¡¯t expect even an inspection via bloodline resonance to yield no results. Roel hadn¡¯t lost too much mana, and the side effects caused by his Crown¡¯s Stones were mild. In fact, he was in a better physical condition than her. Despite so, he still remained unconscious. This put Lilian in aplete loss. The pained look that had started appearing on Roel¡¯s face made her feel as if knives were stabbing into her heart, but she forced herself to remain calm so as to figure out a solution. Earlier, when she was about to save Roel, she noticed that he was apanied by two otherdies from the Knight Kingdom. However, she was unable to save them because they didn¡¯t copse onto the ground as Roel did. Instead, they disappeared into thin air just like the others. That was also the fate that had befallen the members of Lilian¡¯s main team. Lilian was the exception to her team, and Roel was the exception to his. From the looks of it, it would appear that the Ascart Bloodline possessed immunity against this mysterious form of attack. ¡°In other words, the cause of Roel¡¯s current condition wasn¡¯t the earlier attack but something else¡­ The fogmp! I see¡­ It¡¯s his soul!¡± Lilian was suddenly reminded of the intense pain she felt earlier as if someone was tugging her soul out of her body, and her eyes narrowed sharply. A euphonious voicesuddenly sounded in the room as though responding to her analysis. ¡°You¡¯re right, it¡¯s his soul.¡± ¡°You are¡­!¡± The Witch Queen suddenly manifested out of nowhere. Floating in the air, she gazed upon the rmed and vignt Lilian and spoke. ¡°Good day to you, Lilian Ackermann. You look like you need advice from a witch.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Witch Queen¡¯s smile widened at Lilian¡¯s silence. Chapter 468.2: It’s to Save Him! (2)

Chapter 468.2: It¡¯s to Save Him! (2)

Lilian knew that Artasia was one of the ancient gods contracted with Roel, but unlike the reticent Grandar and the motherly Peytra, Artasia gave off a dangerous feeling. It was not that Artasia posed a danger to her life, but Lilian felt like she was beingpletely seen through and slowly guided into depravity. That made her even more vignt than a life-endangering threat would. Even so, she was unable to ignore Artasia¡¯s words because she knew that there was no other way out. Soul was one of the few fields that remained unexplored in the Sia Continent despite the presence of supernatural powers, or rather, it might be more urate to say that it was a field that had hardly advanced at all. Even if Lilian knew the root of the problem, she was unable to devise a solution for it. However, the Sia Continent had not always been that ignorant about souls. Theposition of souls was amon topic studied by quite a few gods back in the ancient era. In particr, witches were known to be well-versed in the field. No matter how much Lilian distrusted Artasia, there was no alternative option. ¡°What are you trying to say, witch? I won¡¯t be manipted by you,¡± said Lilian. Despite Lilian¡¯s aggressive response, the Witch Queen¡¯s smile remained as radiant as ever. She gazed at the young man in Lilian¡¯s embrace before narrowing her madder red eyes. ¡°I¡¯m just here to offer you some advice on the terrible predicament you¡¯re in.¡± ¡°Is that all? I find it hard to believe that a witch like you actually knows ofpassion.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you mistaking something? My hero and I are contracted to each other for life, unable to part ways till death. That is a rtionship far more intimate than ssmates, friends, or even couples.¡± Artasia drifted closer and closer to Lilian as her smile slowly turned wicked. She leaned toward thetter¡¯s ear and whispered softly. ¡°What we have between us is much deeper than yours.¡± ¡°¡­ Meaningless provocation,¡± Lilian replied coldly. ¡°Is that really so?¡± Artasia observed Lilian¡¯s darkeningplexion, her eyes twinkling with mischief and joy. However, she soon shook her head as her expression turned serious. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put this aside for the time being and talk about Roel¡¯s current condition. The other two are already getting mad at me.¡± She looked at the unconscious Roel and began sharing the history of the fogmp held by thenky old man. ¡°Portas Eyes, themp of the Sun God. That¡¯s the true nature of that fogmp. I reckon those names hardly mean anything to you, so I¡¯ll put it in a way you¡¯ll understand¡­ That¡¯s a relic of the Savior.¡± ¡°A relic of the Savior? Didn¡¯t you just mention the Sun God¡­¡± ¡°The Sun God is the Savior. Simr to how emperors have the habit of self-conferring all sorts of titles to sound more imposing, the Sun God is just one of the Savior¡¯s epithets. It was symbolic of His jurisdiction over light, vitality, civilization, and hope¡­ Of course, that was before He fell into depravity.¡± The Witch Queen revealed a slight frown as if this was a topic that displeased her. On the other hand, Lilian¡¯s pupils dted in astonishment at the revtion of a secret from the ancient era. ¡°That divinemp used to hang on the highest tower of Nightless City Portas. It was a symbol of hope and prosperity, as well as an incarnation of the Savior¡¯s eyes to guide the development of civilization. It was even known to be a divine artifact at its peak. ¡°However, the nature of themp changed when the Savior fell into depravity. After the copse of Nightless City Portas, themp was ced under the custody of the Savior¡¯s High Priest, which is that disgusting zombie you met earlier. Just the presence of the repulsive being leaves me nauseated.¡± Artasia¡¯s mood soured upon recalling thenky old man, but her exnation gave Lilian a decent understanding of the current situation. ¡°If thatmp is the Savior¡¯s eyes, does it mean that Roel¡¯s current state was caused by the Savior¡¯s influence?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something as simple as a mere influence. After the Savior fell into depravity, thatmp warped into a pair of demonic eyes that could entice one into depravity. You should have noticed how the Fallens are fond of wielding staves andmps. Those are an imitation of Portas Eyes. ¡°Legend has it that those who are exposed to the light of Portas Eyes will be dragged to the ce where the Savior is sealed. There, they would be converted into His worshipers. Their sanity will be eroded and their minds consumed by madness and malevolence. It¡¯s a vile relic feared even by gods.¡± ¡°Then Roel¡­¡± Lilian¡¯s face paled as she looked at Roel, her eyes filled with unease. Artasia noted her reaction but didn¡¯t answer right away. She also nced at Roel, and there was a moment of silence before she continued on. ¡°My hero is indeed afflicted by the power of Portas Eyes. His Crown¡¯s Stone must have agitated that High Priest. However¡­ the ritual was disrupted halfway through.¡± ¡°Disrupted?¡± ¡°Someone dispelled the power of Portas Eyes before we could intervene. Even so, his soul still received trauma as a result. He might be spared from descending into madness and depravity, but the trauma would still ce him in aa.¡± ¡°Coma? How long will it take for him to wake up?¡± ¡°Let me see. Judging by his current condition, I¡¯d say¡­ around ten years?¡± ¡°What?¡± Lilian was shocked to hear that, but she soon noticed theposed look on Artasia¡¯s face and quickly calmed herself down. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you appeared in front of me because you know of a way to save him¡­ What do you want?¡± Lilian asked coldly. Artasia smiled cheerily in response. ¡°It¡¯s nice dealing with someone as perceptive as you. I¡¯m spared the hassle of exining. However, you seem to be misunderstanding something. I¡¯m not here to take something from you but to give something to you.¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really nothing much at all,¡± said Artasia with a bright smile. She ced her fair hand on her rosy cheek and uttered softly. ¡°You need to do it with him.¡± Chapter 469: Inseparable

Chapter 469: Inseparable

In the room, Lilian¡¯s body stiffened up as she stared at Artasia incredulously. Artasia quietly gazed upon Lilian while patiently awaiting her decision. Under Artasia¡¯s stare, Lilian¡¯s cheeks burned up. ¡°W-what are you ying at?!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m not ying at anything. I¡¯m being perfectly serious here,¡± Artasia teased. ¡°Serious? If you¡¯re truly serious about it, why don¡¯t you exin to me what this has to do with Roel waking up?¡± Seeing how agitated Lilian had be at her suggestion, Artasia let out a soft sigh. ¡°To put it simply, the idea is to utilize the bloodline resonance the two of you share to induce a powerful stimulus to his soul to awaken him from hisa.¡± ¡°There are other ways to invoke our bloodline resonance. There¡¯s no need to resort to¡­ such methods.¡± ¡°Like I¡¯ve said, you need to induce a powerful stimulus to his soul. Do you earnestly believe that something as mild as holding hands will work?¡± Artasia mocked. ¡°¡­¡± Lilian, who was still holding onto Roel¡¯s hand, was rendered speechless. Artasia continued with a smile. ¡°Bloodline resonance is truly a mystical phenomenon. A mere touch can trigger all sorts of mana reactions that affect even the soul. Since you have asked, I¡¯ll honestly answer you. All that¡¯s needed is intimate physical contact, but that wouldn¡¯t change the oue at all, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once again, Lilian responded to Artasia¡¯s question with silence. She was acutely aware that the intense feeling of intimacy she felt from her bloodline resonance with Roel was addictive like drugs. If she were to maintain prolonged close physical contact with him, it was inevitable that something would happen between the two of them. ¡°The real question here is whether you prefer to do it on your own ord or to eventually sumb to the temptation of your bloodline resonance. Or maybe¡­ does it soothe your conscience if you at least make an attempt to resist the temptation, only to helplessly fail in the end?¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian¡¯s face warped in anger in response to Artasia¡¯s ridicule, but thetter was unmoved by her rage. ¡°What¡¯s making you hesitate, Lilian? You should know better than anyone that you¡¯re also saving yourself here.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re getting at.¡± ¡°I have told you my prophecy, but you didn¡¯t take my warning seriously. Thanks to that, you¡¯re yet another step closer to ruining your rtionship. This situation is a good example of that. My hero has been reduced to this pitiful state, but you¡¯re actually happy about it, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting?!¡± Lilian roared. Artasia drifted closer to Lilian and ced her hand on thetter¡¯s chest. ¡°Nonsense, you say? Lilian, you don¡¯t need to put on an act in front of me. I know you better than you think I do. I can see through your essence.¡± ¡°My essence? Don¡¯t make meugh, witch. Do you think that his misery would delight me?¡± retorted Lilian. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m saying. You¡¯re anguished by the harm that has befallen my hero, but, at least for now, he has be your personal possession, no?¡± ¡°!¡± The moment those words reached Lilian¡¯s ears, her body uncontrobly shuddered a little. Seeing that, Artasia revealed a smile. ¡°In this ce, there are no pests to bother the two of you. You can get as close to him as you want without a care in the world. You no longer have to conceal the affection you harbor for him. Is this truly a terrible situation for you? ¡°Tell me, Lilian. Do you really not feel the slightest delight at that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian gazed at the man in her arms and allowed his being to fill the entirety of her eyes. She felt as if something she had been suppressing in the depths of her heart all this while had started to leak out. After tasting the despair of Emperor Lukas¡¯ edict to never meet him ever again, the current situation was almost like a dream to her. Even though their situation was hardly optimistic at all, the fact that she could embrace him once again was more than enough to fill her heart with joy. ¡°The anguish of yearning for a person whom you aren¡¯t able to meet is a frightening poison. The joy you¡¯re currently feeling from this temporary possession of him will eventually be your reason to hurt him. Lilian, I¡¯ll tell you what lies ahead on the road you¡¯re treading upon.¡± Artasia voiced her prediction with great certainty, reminiscent of a devil trying to lead a mortal astray. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ ¡®Even though I know that doing this will hurt him, I¡¯ll make it up to him many times over in the future.¡¯ That¡¯s your justification for everything you¡¯ll do to him in the future. ¡°You know that getting rid of those women by his side will put him in misery, but you thought that everything would be fine as long as you showered him with more affection of your own. ¡°You know that limiting his freedom will infuriate him, but you believed that you could quell his fury by entrusting your body to him, especially once you bear his child. He¡¯s particrly weak toward those whom he cares for, and he treasures his family above all else.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Lilian listened to the Witch Queen¡¯s words, her eyes narrowed and her body began to tremble. The darkness in her heart had started to expand swiftly at Artasia¡¯s goading. Seeing that, Artasia chuckled euphoniously. ¡°I previously thought that you could hold on for at least twenty years, but at this rate, I doubt that you can evenst ten years before you¡¯re ruined by this rtionship and turn into a tyrant. ¡°You seek to destroy his everything, only so that you can entrust your everything to him. What a spectacr coalescence of deep love and hatred! It¡¯s so warped and dilemmatic that I can¡¯t help but be intoxicated by it~ But again, they often say that sweetness is best savored with bitterness. A passionate love trapped within a cesspool of hatred must be truly delectable¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Lilian finally burst out. She red at Artasia with rage burning in her eyes, leaving thetter slightly taken aback. ¡°I guess you still can¡¯t ept such a future yet. Since that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t it perfect if you could take this opportunity to vent your emotions while also saving him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian knew that Artasia¡¯s enticement was dangerous, but those words were so alluring and convincing that she found herself unable to turn them down outright. An intense war broke out in her mind as she gazed upon the man in her arms. Her breathing soon began to hasten, but she was still unable to make up her mind. The Witch Queen frowned at that sight. In the end, she decided toy out her trump card. ¡°I¡¯ll only say this once¡­ This is his first time,¡± Artasia muttered with a sigh. ¡°!¡± A jolt ran through Lilian¡¯s body as she raised her head in shock. Redness swiftly spread across her face and extended to the tips of her ears, but she couldn¡¯t resist the urge to confirm it. ¡°A-are you certain?¡± asked Lilian. ¡°¡­¡± The Witch Queen kept her silence as she had previously said she would, but Lilian¡¯s eyes slowly erged. She had been tempted. ¡°¡­ I need to at least verify it,¡± murmured Lilian. ¡°What do you want to verify?¡± asked Artasia. ¡°¡­ Even if it¡¯s just for a short moment, are you able to make him regain consciousness?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not possible to make him fully regain consciousness, but I can rouse his subconscious mind. What do you wish to do?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian didn¡¯t answer the question. Artasia looked at the furious blush on her face and spent a moment in thought before slowly nodding in realization. With a casual wave of her hand, she constructed a convoluted ancient spell to temporarily rouse Roel¡¯s subconscious mind. There was a faint glow of mana, and Roel¡¯s golden eyes slowly fluttered open. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. Quickly ask anything you want to,¡± Artasia snorted impatiently. Lilian looked at her with an uprehending frown. Even though the Witch Queen was doing this to awaken Roel, there was no denying that she had done her a favor yet again. The first time might have been out of curiosity, but what about the second time? Was it just a coincidence, or was there some other reason behind it? However, Artasia soon faded away after saying what she had wanted to, and Lilian quickly shook her head to get rid of all excessive thoughts. The only ones left in the room were Roel and herself. She looked at the semi-conscious Roel and finally voiced her question. ¡°Roel¡­ do you like me?¡± ¡°Senior¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go to sleep yet! You have to answer this question no matter what!¡± Lilian touched Roel¡¯s cheek with her trembling hand, using their bloodline resonance to sustain Roel¡¯s consciousness as long as she could while nervously awaiting his response. Roel was in a semi-conscious state and could only make instinctive responses, but this meant that he was incapable of lying too. Anything he said right now was bound to be his truest thought, and that was going to determine Lilian¡¯s decision. It was almost as if Goddess Sia had heard Lilian¡¯s desperate prayers. After a long moment of silence, Roel finally murmured a response with his faint consciousness. ¡°¡­ I like you.¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian felt goosebumps all over her body. She even forgot how to breathe for a moment. Before she knew it, tears were brimming in her eyes. This was the first time she had received a confession from Roel. Knowing that there couldn¡¯t possibly be any falsehood behind those words, she was finally able to put down her final worry. ¡°¡­ I like you too, Roel. No, I love you.¡± Lilian replied hoarsely before a relieved smile blossomed on her lips. She began to undo the buttons on her clothes, revealing the beautiful curves of her fair body. ¡°There¡¯s nothing for me to regret now,¡± she murmured. Clothes fell to the ground in the dark room. With increasingly hastened breaths, two bodies united into one. Chapter 470: Don’t Ask

Chapter 470: Don¡¯t Ask

Roel had a strange dream that was filled with ups and downs. The dream started out dark and cold. He found himself drifting aimlessly within the sinister abyss with indescribable fear clinging to him. He had faint memories of the abyss, as if he had been there before, but he barely had time to dwell on it with his consciousness beginning to fade. It was initially silent, but the more his consciousness faded, the louder the cacophony of sorrowful cries and despaired howls echoed in his mind. It was as if countless hands were pushing down on his mind, plunging him into the sea of madness. The voices didn¡¯t sound human to him, but the aggregation of suffering, indignance, and despair within them was still far too much for him to bear. His sanity began to erode under this unbearable torture, to the point that he thought that he was going to pass out. Just as he was about to sumb, there was a sudden surge of warm energy arising from deep within him that brought a sliver of rity to his mind. It was like a small matchstick in the midst of a snowstorm¡ªsmall but reassuring, and somehow nostalgic. Roel instinctively knew what the source of this warmth was: his bloodline. I see¡­ It¡¯s senior? His resonating bloodline was bringing him an irrepressible feeling of warmth and intimacy, which he had subconsciously associated with Lilian. He recalled hearing Lilian¡¯s shouts right before he passed out. He was tremendously relieved to know that Lilian was safe. At the same time, he was also surprised that his mind had slightly cleared up after the bloodline resonance. It was a peculiar sensation. He felt like he was submerged several centimeters beneath the water, able to gaze up at the world above him but unable to rise to the surface. Everything on the surface looked terribly blurred as if looking through a film of water. His cognitive functions were also dulled, severely impairing his ability to understand what others were saying. Even so, he still heard her question. ¡°Roel¡­ do you like me?¡± Those words stirred ripples, even in Roel¡¯s dull mind. His lips quivered as he gathered all his strength to respond. ¡°Senior¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go to sleep yet! You have to answer this question no matter what!¡± Lilian urged in an agitated tone that waspletely unlike her usual poised self, giving away her anxiety. Roel¡¯s eyes slowly regained their focus under their bloodline resonation, and he saw an expression he had never seen on her before. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and her amethyst eyes were quivering in unease. It was an expression of trepidation, a show of weakness that was unlike Lilian¡¯s nature. She had never looked so fragile before. Is senior¡­ afraid of my answer? The possibility of getting rejected by a person one fancied was amon fear faced by all humans, and the fear only deepened when the intensity of the feelings grew. This was a trial that not even the highly mature Lilian could circumvent. Her fear was meaningless in Roel¡¯s eyes. Her question was one he didn¡¯t even need to ponder. How could he possibly not like her? Ever since their first meeting, Lilian had offered him tremendous help, be it with his studies or providing him with reinforcement against the evil cultists. Her doting only intensified after their reunion as bloodline kin, to the point where she was willing topromise on her own interests for his sake. It was not just once or twice that she had stood forward to protect him from overwhelmingly powerful enemies like Magician King Priestley Maxwell, willingly putting her life on the line to protect him. She had also meticulously taken care of him when he was severely injured. Even though she wasn¡¯t a member of the Ascart House, she didn¡¯t hesitate to carry the burden of the Ascart Bloodline together with him. How could he possibly not be fond of someone who was willing to go so far for him? It hadn¡¯t been a long time since they came to know each other, but her tenderness had already left a permanent imprint in his heart. Even with his mind all fuzzed up, the answer was one he didn¡¯t need to give a second thought to. ¡°¡­ I like you.¡± Roel had to gather all of his strength to answer Lilian, who was trembling out of sheer agitation and fear. He finally reached his limit, but before his consciousness withdrew into the recesses of his mind, he saw an eruption of surprise, joy, and relief on her face. That¡¯s good¡­ His senses began to dull with the submersion of his consciousness, but he retained a faint impression of what happened afterward. Two warm bodies tightly embraced each other, driving each other¡¯s bloodlines into a state of delirium. Amidst this wild ecstasy, there was a familiar scent that greatly reassured him. In the final moments of this wondrous dream, all he could remember was intense rushes of pleasure as strands of long hair brushed against his chest. This sweet yet oddly realistic dream intoxicated him like fine wine. He had no idea how long it all continued for, but he sumbed to exhaustion at some point and went into a deep sleep. ¡­ Time slowly ticked by. Roel¡¯s consciousness first roused to the sound of trickling water, before the pleasurable warmth of the water soaking his body registered to him. Then, his eyes suddenly shot open. Elegant ceiling lights and wall murals came into his view. ¡°This is¡­¡± His mind stalled for a brief moment at the sight of the resplendent bathroom. He lowered his head and saw that he was lying inside a delicately carved bathtub. It was filled with azure water that emanated a calming floral fragrance. What¡¯s the situation? Roel took in the calming floral fragrance as he scanned the empty bathroom around him, but nothing registered as familiar to him. He could only try to rake up the dredges of his memory in hopes of making sense of the situation. ¡°I remember the weird fogmp shining on me¡­ Right, my consciousness was pulled toward the pitch-ck abyss, then¡­¡± As he browsed through the memory fragments of what his subconscious mind remembered, his brain suddenly nked. If I am bathing in a bathtub now, could it be that the earlier dream I had¡­!!! Roel immediately shot to his feet, but vertigo suddenly struck him and he tumbled back into the bathtub. Bam! ¡°Ouch!¡± The dull pain from knocking against the bathtub¡¯s edge made Roel frown. Knowing that it was abnormal for this to happen to a high-level transcendent like him, he lowered his head and looked at his own body in astonishment. Is this muscle fatigue? No, that¡¯s not it. It feels more like I can¡¯t properly control my body. Am I injured? However, the loud bam had clearly alerted the person outside the bathroom. The white stone door suddenly burst open to the entrance of a ck-haired woman. ¡°Roel!¡± ¡°S-senior!¡± ¡°What a relief! You¡¯re finally awake!¡± Lilian pressed her hand against her chest as she exhaled deeply out of sheer delight and relief. However, Roel was unable to give a response with his attention captured by her body. Her alluring, shapely body was d in a single piece of towel that proved insufficient to conceal her fatal charms. She appeared to have been bathing just earlier on, for there was an adorable red tinge to her cheeks and shoulders. Herpletely exposed cor bones were a stark contrast to her usual conservative wear, which made the situation even more arousing. Gorgeous. Roel was immediately bewitched by the sight. It had been a long time since hest saw such a side to Lilian, not to mention that thest it happened, his body had been regressed into that of a child. Fortunately, he was able to snap out of it fast enough to not appear daft. He quickly averted his eyes before speaking up. ¡°Senior, I¡­¡± ¡°My apologies, I didn¡¯t think that you were already awake.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°You were attacked by an enemy. I saved you and brought you here¡­¡± Lilian slowly made her way toward Roel as she calmly told him about what had happened that night. It was in hopes of catching a night of good rest that the main team decided to enter the abandoned Marlin Town. As usual, they set up their barriers and assigned sentries to keep watch at a few vital areas. Everything was still normal in the evening, but as soon as the night arrived the surrounding fog suddenly grew denser. Shortly after, anky old man carrying amp suddenly emerged from the fog. It was immediately apparent to them that something was amiss about the old man, but it didn¡¯t ur to the main team to inform Roel and the others about it right away. In their view, the auxiliary team was weak and couldn¡¯t offer substantial aid in times of crisis. That proved to be a grave mistake. A fight broke out right away, and the members of the main team disyed incredible strength. However, the enemy¡¯s ability to make people disappear into thin air was simply so disquieting that the academics who had littlebat experience swiftly fell into a state of panic. By the time half of them had been defeated, their morale hadpletely disappeared, prompting the remaining members of the main team to flee frantically. Lilian fought with the old man throughout the entire duration, and the enemy had shone hismp on several asions too. The only difference was that Lilian¡¯s sharp intuition induced her to activate Ten Fortresses as soon as themp lit up. It was fortunate that Ten Fortresses proved to be sufficient to block off that eerie light, but some of its effects still got through to her. It wasn¡¯t enough to lull her into depravity, but she had to deplete a significant amount of her mental resources to suppress its effects. For that reason, she chose to retreat for the time being and recover. Soon after, Roel and the others arrived and crossed paths with thenky old man. Lilian was initially some distance away, but she recognized the frost aura Roel had scattered and immediately rushed over. Thanks to that, she was able to make it in time and save him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I camete. The other two transfer students from the Knight Kingdom vanished before I could make a move, so I wasn¡¯t able to save them.¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t your fault. I would have likely lost my life if not for you. Thanks.¡± Roel quickly refuted Lilian¡¯s self-reproach and thanked her. He was worried about Selina and the others, though he didn¡¯t think that anything would have happened to them just yet. He wanted to find them right away, but he knew that it would be reckless to dive into action without a full understanding of the situation. So, he pondered for a moment and swiftly realized that there was a gap in Lilian¡¯s words. ¡°Senior, aren¡¯t we currently inside the domain of your Ten Fortresses? Why would there be a bathroom here? The timing also seems to be off.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian kept her silence in responce to Roel¡¯s question. Seeing that, Roel hesitated for a moment before speaking up once more. ¡°Did something happen in between the time you saved me to the moment I woke up? Did we¡­¡± Roel was halfway through his words when he was suddenly hushed by a trembling finger. Lilian raised her head to look at him with pleading eyes. She was blushing down to her neck, looking pitiful yet mesmerizing. Her eyes were zed with deep feelings, and her blush extended all the way up to her neck. She looked at Roel with pleading eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± she begged. You can also listen on Chapter 471.1: Sweet Bliss (1)

Chapter 471.1: Sweet Bliss (1)

The sound of dripping water echoed particrly loudly inside the silent bathroom. Looking at the adorable woman before him, Roel¡¯s golden pupils dted as his mind stalled to a halt. Lilian was born with a cold and lofty disposition. She rarely showed any intense emotions regardless of the situation. It was only during rare asions, such as when they had close physical contact or exchanged words of affection, that she would reveal an embarrassed face to him, and it had never failed to enchant him. But that trembling body, those reddened ears, and those eyes that were glimmering in embarrassment; this was a reaction that he had never seen before. These clues made some things apparent even if they weren¡¯t said aloud. The time of their disappearance, the sweet but intense sensations he had experienced in his dreams, his waking up inside of a bathtub, and that shy expression on her face; even the most dull-witted person would have been able to connect the dots! Roel felt his heartbeat swiftly hasten whereas Lilian¡¯s body trembled more and more. There were several seconds of awkward silence before Lilian frantically turned around. ¡°I-I¡¯ll go change my clothes!¡± She anxiously ran out of the bathroom, and the door automatically closed behind her. Roel dazedly stared at the closed doors for a long while before he began blushing furiously. Heat gushed from his body into his brain, and he could almost hear how intensely his heart was thumping. Within the span of several seconds, his temperature shot up with the speed of a rocket ship, forcing him to douse himself with some cold water to regain hisposure. Could it be that senior and I¡­ But why? No no, the reason is not important here! I need to first verify whether it did happen or not! Roel quickly inspected his own body, but he had been soaking inside the bathtub for so long that any marks would have already disappeared. Left with no choice, he could only ask potential eye-witnesses. He took a deep breath before establishing amunication window with the Primordial Earth Goddess. ¡°Peytra, are you there?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here. What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I need to ask you something¡­¡± He nervously posed his question, and Peytra answered him ordingly. ¡°You were in a weakened state then. In order to avoid cing greater stress on you, Grandar and I entrusted the witch the job of exining the situation to that girl before severing our connection. I can¡¯t say for sure what happened afterward.¡± ¡°I-is that so?¡± Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disappointed by Peytra¡¯s response, but thetter¡¯s words suddenly took a 180-degree turn. ¡°While I didn¡¯t witness anything, I must say that you woke up much quicker than you should have. The blessing I ced on you has also been consumed¡­¡± ¡°You ced a blessing on me?¡± ¡°I did. Have you forgotten about it? I gave it to you a few years ago, the fertility blessing¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was immediately reminded of the words the Primordial Earth Goddess had told him right after they sealed their contract, and his eyes widened in shock. In the dim mountain valley, Peytra nodded with a heartened, motherly smile. ¡­ I screwed up. That was the thought on Lilian¡¯s mind when she escaped from the bathroom. As soon as the bathroom door closed shut, she leaned against the door and slid to the ground as if all strength had suddenly left her body. She sped her own face in deep remorse. She wasn¡¯t intending to tell Roel about their union so as to not burden him. After all, she was currently in a precarious position regarding the Austine Empire, and the two of them were going to part ways after this. It would only hurt him if he knew about it. More importantly, she knew that Roel would surely treat her differently as a result of what had happened. That was simply the kind of person he was. There was a period of time during Roel¡¯s temporary age regression where the two of them had intimate physical contact with each other, but their usual interactions were not without restraints. If one really had to define it, it would be reminiscent of siblings. Roel respected and admired Lilian as an older sister whereas Lilian doted on Roel as a younger brother. It was this impression that Roel had of Lilian, as well as the knowledge that Emperor Lukas didn¡¯t approve of their interactions, that made him tread carefully around her. He was worried that any transgression on his part would trouble her. But this rtionship couldn¡¯t possibly stay the same when the two of them had already crossed the border. Roel would no longer be able to keep a passive stance when it came to Lilian, and the distance they had been subconsciously maintaining between them would swiftly copse. This put Lilian in a dilemma. She would be delighted to be treasured and protected by the person she loved, but at the same time, she felt that she should be the one shouldering the burden as the older one here. Between these two conflicting sentiments, her desire to avoid implicating Roel and turning him against the powerful Emperor Lukas was stronger. The best way to avoid that was for Roel stay ignorant about their union. The two of them were the only ones left in the room after the ancient gods severed their connection with Roel, so as long as she adamantly denied it, there would be nothing Roel could do. In order to hide the traces, she even dragged Roel¡¯s body to the bathroom to cleanse him despite being exhausted and hurt from her first experience. She thought that she would be able to hide everything from him once she washed their clothes and put them back on. However, her n went awry when Roel woke up faster than she had expected. She heard the sound of Roel falling down in the bathtub and got worried, so she barged in without a second thought. This moment of carelessness ended up giving it all away. When Roel asked her about what happened, she couldn¡¯t conceal her own embarrassment. Her mind was so overheated that she couldn¡¯t even spin up a proper lie. All she could do was awkwardly stop his questioning before escaping in a fluster. It looked like it was no longer possible to hide the truth from Roel, but she had no idea what she should do. I knew from the start that it wasn¡¯t right for me to do this to him while he was unconscious¡­ Will he hate me for it? What if he thinks of me as a loose woman? Lilian couldn¡¯t stop herself from getting pessimistic about the situation. It took a while before she finally snapped out of it and hurriedly changed into her clothes. Then, she sat down on a chair and began waiting with unease. Time ticked by, but Lilian didn¡¯t regain herposure in the least. She racked her brain for a solution, but nothing came to mind. Her wandering thoughts only halted when the bathroom door finally opened. From within, a fully-clothed Roel walked out. ¡°¡­¡± Two hearts thumped as a pair of golden eyes met a pair of amethyst eyes. Chapter 471.2: Sweet Bliss (2)

Chapter 471.2: Sweet Bliss (2)

Roel was already certain of what had happened after posing the question to Peytra, but that gave birth to another doubt: Why is Lilian unwilling to talk about it? He had contemted it and thought that she simply didn¡¯t want to change their present rtionship. Also, it was an awkward topic for her to talk about since this was not a subject she was exposed to in her education as a princess of the Austine Empire. While they had shared a few intimate moments in the past, those were mostly triggered by their bloodline resonance. The Austine Empire was even more conservative than the Theocracy in terms of culture and traditions. Modesty was a virtue in the Austine Empire, and Lilian was viewed to be the role model amongst the conservatism proponents in the Austine Empire. Unlike Nora, who was only putting on a poise front, Lilian was truly conservative deep down. That could be seen as much by how she had never danced with a male partner before meeting Roel. That was simply the upbringing she had received, and her cold nature naturallyplemented it. In fact, before she was aware that she was Roel¡¯s bloodline kin, she had avoided physical contact with him despite the natural attraction from their bloodline resonance. Roel couldn¡¯t imagine how much courage it must have taken for a woman like her to suddenly fast forward into doing something this bold. Just recalling her trembling body and tearful expression made his heart go out to her. He knew that she would require a great deal of mental preparation to talk about something like that, and Roel wasn¡¯t so unconscientious as to make fun of her over it. Of course, he knew that this was a conversation they needed to have, and it would be unwise to postpone it. He would just have to avoid probing too deeply and causing her difort. While Roel was thinking about how to approach this matter, Lilian¡¯s nerves were already straining from the prolonged silence. The hands she was hiding behind her back were furiously twisting and turning. She forced a smile onto her face and broke the silence. ¡°Are you feeling better now? You must still be feeling a little exhausted from the earlier ordeal. Why don¡¯t you take a short rest or¡­¡± ¡°Senior¡­ I know.¡± ¡°!¡± Despite Lilian¡¯s attempt at sidetracking, Roel unhesitatingly cut into the crux of the matter. His candor shook Lilian¡¯s resolve. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± ¡°Just as I thought. You¡¯re trying to hide this matter from me. Why made you have such thoughts?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian was unable to answer the question, so she chose to silently lower her head instead. Roel narrowed his eyes. He spent a moment in thought before putting on a strained smile. ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t have any feelings for me? You were simply trying to help me, that¡¯s why you¡­¡± he asked with a sorrowful voice. ¡°No! That¡¯s not it!¡± Lilian immediately denied it in agitation. Under Roel¡¯s scheming, she was forced to abandon her initial n. Admitting what had happened between themst night was embarrassing to her, but it wasn¡¯t uneptable to her since it could change Roel¡¯s attitude toward her. What was uneptable to her, however, was for her own love to be misunderstood and misinterpreted. Compared to that, everything else was of minor importance. So, Lilian bucked up her courage to walk up to Roel and hold his hand. ¡°I apologize for hiding the truth from you, but that isn¡¯t the reason why I chose to do so. I simply don¡¯t want to burden you with my current situation¡­¡± Lilian revealed her worries as her eyelids drooped down. Roel was left at a loss for words. He knew deep down that he could no longer treat Lilian the same way as before after learning about their unionst night. He was already dissatisfied about Lilian¡¯s departure from the very start, and that thought only grew stronger after all that had happened. It was just that Lilian had already made up her mind. ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re worried about me, but I wish to resolve the matters in the Austine Empire by myself. Can you promise me that you won¡¯t get involved in it?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Trust me, Roel.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± Roel hesitated for a long while under Lilian¡¯s pleading, but he eventually nodded in resignation. Lilian had always been the most independent one amongst the women Roel was involved with. There were times when he hoped that Lilian could rely on him a little, but ironically, this was also a side of her that he liked and admired. Everyone had their own path to walk on. Lilian couldn¡¯t constantly be with Roel because she had her own faction and connections to maintain,but in return, it gave her profound happiness and satisfaction whenever Roel relied on her like a younger brother. Undermining that was no different from trampling all over her pride. Still, there were some things that Roel had to say as a man. ¡°Senior.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I like you.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel whispered a confession to Lilian before gently pulling her into his embrace. Lilian was caught off guard by the abrupt attack. She gasped as her eyes widened to the brim. Redness flushed her cheeks within seconds. ¡°W-why are you saying this all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m answering the question you asked mest night. I don¡¯t think I gave you a proper answer back then, so I¡¯m making up for it now.¡± ¡°You have already given me a proper answer back then.¡± ¡°I did? Then¡­ what was your response?¡± Roel looked into her eyes and patiently awaited her answer. Recalling what she had saidst night, Lilian¡¯s eyes zed over in deep affection. ¡°¡­ I love you.¡± It was the same answer as before, but Roel was fully conscious this time around. He didn¡¯t give a response right away, but his breathing noticeably hastened. The two of them deeply looked into each other¡¯s eyes before they finally sumbed to their rampaging emotions and kissed. It started off with a light kiss, but it quickly deepened along with the intensity of their feelings. It was almost as if they were venting everything that they had kept repressed inside all this time. A surge of bliss and satisfaction slowly washed away Lilian¡¯s unease, and Roel¡¯s eyes slowly zed over as well. In tight embrace, they staggered toward a nearby chair and plopped down on it. Both of their faces revealed their inner desires. However, when their lips temporarily parted after a passionate kiss to catch their breath, Lilian suddenly showed a conflicted look. Chapter 472.1: Silent Agreement (1)

Chapter 472.1: Silent Agreement (1)

What is happiness? Each person had his own definition of happiness. A starving beggar would be satisfied with just a morsel of food. An overworked employee would be overjoyed to be granted a break. A soldier fighting on the battlefield knew of no greater happiness than to be granted permission to return home. Roel felt his heart filling up with bliss as he quietly gazed upon the fast asleep Lilian. In the quiet bedroom, Lilian curled up beside Roel like a little cat. Her lips would rhythmically open and close along with her breathing, and her long eyshes that sheltered her amethyst eyes trembled ever so slightly with her movements. She looked adorable. Lilian¡¯s beauty was cold and noble. Unlike Alicia, her coldness came not from ack of concern for others but an innate loftiness ingrained in her bones. Unlike Charlotte, her nobility stemmed not from her graceful demeanor but an overwhelming air of dominance. Using a metaphor, she was reminiscent of a lone lotus that had blossomed at the edge of a snow mountain. Her beauty bewitching, but the threat of slipping over the edge and into the despair left none daring to approach. This unique disposition of hers would only be reined in when she was asleep, but this secret was privy only to those whom Lilian deeply trusted. Roel enjoyed watching the usually domineering princess dropping her guard and curling up like a little kitten. At the same time, he felt apologetic because he could tell that this wasn¡¯t her sleeping position but an adjustment made to alleviate the difort she felt in her abdomen. After having carried Lilian into the bedroom to inspect the ¡®crime scene¡¯, Roel felt a sudden rush of adrenaline irrepressibly racing through his body, but Lilian was already at her limits. She was still able to hold on previously due to her fluster of wanting to clean up the scene, but as soon her mind rxed, the umted exhaustion and pain swiftly overwhelmed her. Even for transcendents with an enhanced rate of regeneration, internal injuries were much more difficult to deal with than external injuries. Lilian¡¯s condition was definitely leaning more toward the severe side. Every time Roel asked about it, Lilian would bite her lips and stare at him with grudging eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all because you¡¯re too¡­¡± ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°¡­ Forget it.¡± The furiously blushing Lilian would turn her head away at this moment and change the topic, and Roel didn¡¯t dare to probe any deeper either. Neither of them was in a good condition to continue exploring the fog¡ªRoel¡¯s soul was unstable whereas Lilian was exhausted¡ªso they decided to rest up first. Soon after Liliany down on the bed, she fell asleep in Roel¡¯s embrace. That was also when Roel started peeping on her sleeping visage. He had been staring at her for quite a while now. Her beautiful visuals yed a part as to why he couldn¡¯t have enough of looking at her, but the greater reason would be the shock he was feeling. Among the women he was close with, Lilian was thest one he had gotten acquainted with. There were times when his idle mind wondered about whom he might get together with, but he had always subconsciously skipped over Lilian. The perfection she disyed had always made her appear out of reach to him. She was smart, powerful, and influential. It felt like there was nothing she needed from him at all. For that reason, Roel always maintained a courteous distance from Lilian, never daring toe too close to her. It was not to say that he didn¡¯t harbor any feelings of attraction toward her, but he always shut them down thinking that they were rude and inappropriate. He chose to respect and admire her as an older sister, but that was a naturally restrained rtionship. On the other hand, Lilian appeared to be much more casual about their rtionship. She doted on him without any reservations and unconditionally supported him regardless of what he did. From time to time, Roel would nervously wonder if her doting would stop once he became stronger than her. He knew that she was a bro-con, after all. When her younger brother no longer needed to be cared for, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason for her to show affection anymore. If so, would their rtionship slowly fade out? Now that they had verified each other¡¯s feelings, Roel understood that those were just needless worries. Their rtionship had long transcended affinities to be something much deeper. This realization became even more vivid when Lilian told him that she felt happy. That very moment, he felt something warm and intense pouring out from his heart. He could hardly curb the raging emotions within him. but he dared not disturb the peacefully sleeping Lilian. Left with no choice, he could only divert his attention to the rest of the room to distract himself. Interestingly, there was meticulous attention devoted to the details even though Lilian had summoned this room in a rush. The room had an old but traditional design that was aligned with Lilian¡¯s preference, such that Roel suspected it to be her favorite room of the Ten Fortresses. It showed how seriously she took their first time despite the less-than-ideal circumstances. Speaking of Ten Fortresses, the ability had undergone an upgrade after Lilian advanced to Origin Level 2. She was now able to freely use the rooms of the Ten Fortresses, be it the bedrooms or bathrooms, thus greatly expanding the spell¡¯s utility. What made this ability even more powerful was that there was no discount to its defensive ability at all. The room they were in was also part of the Ten Fortresses¡¯ domain and boasted defensive prowessparable to the Ten Fortresses¡¯ walls that Roel had seen before. It was extremely unlikely that any enemy would be able to breach this ce. ¡°It¡¯s getting more and more ridiculous,¡± Roel murmured with a sigh. This marked the moment that Ten Fortresses transcended being just a simple defensive spell. At this rate, there was a good chance that Lilian might be able to utilize the ancient relics in those fortresses in the near future. One had to remember that the fortresses of Ten Fortresses were created with the greatest wisdom and technology of humankind at their peak. The ancient relics contained within them were beyond the wildest imagination of those living in the present era. Roel would go as far as to say that not a single offspring of the Ackermann Imperial Family had been able to take control of those ancient relics since the inception of the Third Epoch. Otherwise, they would have used those weapons of mass destruction to wage a war to unify the Sia Continent. If Lilian seeded in reaching that new peak, she would be a mobile fortress that boasted defensive and offensive means. Her utmost defensive prowess, extremely destructive ancient relics, and endless waves of soldiers would make her a terrifying menace to deal with. Even Roel wouldn¡¯t be confident of subduing her if she ever reached that level. Lilian¡¯s tremendous potential left Roel feeling a little envious, but it also made him breathe a sigh of relief too. Every bit of additional power she grasped would increase her chances of survival at the eastern border. If there was anything he could do to help her make a breakthrough to Origin Level 1 right away, he would carry it out right away. At the same time, he firmed up his determination to attain greater power. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect himself and his loved ones from the dangers thaty ahead. Recalling the Fallen roaming inside the town they were in, Roel¡¯s golden eyes turned solemn. It took a while before they calmed down once more. Chapter 472.2: Silent Agreement (2)

Chapter 472.2: Silent Agreement (2)

¡­ Lilian wasn¡¯t asleep for long. Her eyes suddenly fluttered open three hours into her sleep. Roel noticed a hint of panic in her eyes and thought that she was having trouble due to the precarious situation they were in. But when her eyes fell on him, the panic reflected in them dispersed into tenderness, and a blissful smile blossomed on her face right after. ¡°Roel¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here. Do you need anything?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t need anything. For a moment there, I was afraid that it was all a dream¡­ What a relief.¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian¡¯s blissful words and sweet smile dealt a critical blow to Roel, leaving thetter enchanted. He felt an urge to pull her into his embrace, but he dared not to make a reckless move out of consideration of her physical state. Instead, he held her hand. ¡°Of course it isn¡¯t a dream, though I do feel like I¡¯m inside a dream too. It¡¯s almost like a fantasy to be able to be together with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy you feel that way, but I don¡¯t recall our rtionship being as distant as to be divided by the boundaries of realism and fantasy. It should already be at our fingertips,¡± Lilian replied with a reddened face as she shifted a little toy on top of Roel¡¯s chest. In response, Roel wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep for a little longer?¡± he asked. Lilian shook her head. ¡°This is sufficient¡­ I don¡¯t want to squander this day sleeping. I want to spend more time with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Who in the world can bear this?! Roel¡¯s mind was set aze by the consecutivebo of critical strikes. He fell into a state of silence as he struggled to regain hisposure. However, it turned out that Lilian wasn¡¯t done just yet. After she sat upright, she noticed that her hair was a little messy, so she began tidying up her hair to tie a ponytail. ¡°!¡± As she lowered her head to tie her bundled hair into a ponytail, she inadvertently exposed her slender and graceful neck. Her unintentional action was shockingly erotic to the already sensitive Roel, causing his eyes to widen. His heart began to race. He had always viewed Lilian as a mature older sister, but her change of hairstyle made her look surprisingly youthful. It felt like she had transformed from a dignified imperial princess into a vivacious student at the peak of her springtime. The vast difference that arose from this minor change yed at his heartstrings. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± It might have been Roel¡¯s hastened breathing or his heated gaze, but Lilian suddenly stopped in the midst of tying her hair to look at him. Faced with her questioning look, Roel answered her honestly. ¡°You look beautiful this way.¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian was stunned by the candidpliment. Astonishment flickered across her eyes as she stared back at Roel. Her face swiftly turned red. Her lips quivered for a brief moment before she replied. ¡°¡­ If you like it, I can tie up my hair whenever we¡¯re alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love that. Now that I¡¯ve seen you with a ponytail, I find myself curious to know how you¡¯ll look with your hair put up or with a bun. I want to see other sides of you too.¡± ¡°You sure are greedy.¡± Lilian showed a troubled expression upon hearing Roel¡¯s request. She flicked his forehead lightly as a punishment. ¡°Are you curious to see my other looks because you¡¯re tired of my usual appearance?¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s because I¡¯m fonder of you now. I want to know everything about you.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel looked at the woman he loved and revealed his innermost thought. His overly direct words left Lilian feeling incredibly embarrassed. She lowered her head and fidgeted a little before murmuring under her breath. ¡°Even though you already know me so well¡­¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°N-nothing.¡± Lilian thought about what had happenedst night, and she quickly shook her head in embarrassment. She gently leaned on Roel¡¯s chest once more, and thetter wrapped his arm around her and took in her fragrance. After spending a moment in each other¡¯s warmth, Roel carried her to the guest room and ced her on the sofa. He skillfully brewed her a cup of steaming hot tea to warm her up. Lilian received the teacup with both hands and slowly sipped on it. It was a heartwarming atmosphere. It was already summer on the Sia Continent, but the mountainous region they were in remained cold, especially once the fog set in. It was almost as if Marlin City was permanently shrouded in a sinister chill. A cup of hot tea did wonders. Not to mention, a woman who had graduated from maidenhood mustn¡¯t be exposed to the cold. It would soothe her to have a warm drink. Lilian¡¯s heart swelled in joy at the meticulous care Roel was showering her. Previously, the two of them would sit opposite each other in order to maintain a polite distance, but this naturally changed along with their rtionship. They were now sitting next to each other. They could feel each other¡¯s small movements, and their neighboring hands remained persistently interlocked. Nary a word was spoken between them over tea. It felt like the tender affection they harbored for each other was infused into the atmosphere; there was no need for them to explicitly profess their feelings at all. The asional collision of gazes and the natural smile that ensued was enough. It was also at a moment like this that their bond as bloodline kin truly shone. They could feel each other¡¯s emotions through the resonance of their bloodlines. Their interlocked hands spoke louder than any words ever could. This harmonious atmosphere continued till they sipped to the bottom of their teacups. Lilian had already regained herposure by then, and she quickly remembered a question she had been wanting to ask all this while. ¡°Roel, that witch told me that someone interrupted the curse when you were exposed to Portas Eye. Do you know who saved you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s expression visibly stiffened as he thought about the mysterious journey he had taken to the faraway abyss. Chapter 472.3: Silent Agreement (3)

Chapter 472.3: Silent Agreement (3)

¡­ ¡°You met someone inside that mysterious abyss?¡± ¡°Yes, but it was only for a brief instant. I could only see a pair of golden eyes. It could also be a hallucination too considering the state I was in.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian fell silent after hearing Roel¡¯s story. By themselves, the pair of golden eyes Roel saw didn¡¯t bear much significance. However, the fact that he encountered them in the abyss that was suspected to be the Savior¡¯snd of sealing clearly pointed to something. ¡°¡­ Could this be a protective measure from our ancestors?¡± Roel suggested with a frown. ¡°Possible. Portas Eye is a divine relic of the Fallens; I can¡¯t imagine the Ardes, who view the Fallens as their mortal enemies, not having any measures against it. This should be one of them,¡± replied Lilian. Just thinking about the malevolent aura he had encountered in the abyss was enough to give Roel the creeps. The brief moment he had spent in the abyss surrounded by the aura of depravity had inflicted considerable mental damage on him. Be it the aura of depravity or the separation of his soul from his body, he had never encountered anything like these in his previous battles. It would be a lie if he said that he wasn¡¯t intimidated. He had once ovee the depraved whispersing from the Fallens with his Crown Origin Attribute, which made him severely underestimate the Fallens¡¯ ability to tamper with his psyche. From the looks of it now, he understood that it was foolish of him to getcent just because his Crown Origin Attribute offered him some degree of immunity. He had to be particrly wary of the ancient Fallens who had survived through the ages. Roel¡¯s nervousness was transmitted to Lilian via their interlocked hands, so she squeezed his hand in reassurance. Sensing her squeeze, Roel turned to look at her, only to feel a sudden warmth on his lips before he could say a word. ¡°Senior?¡± Roel was initially surprised by Lilian¡¯s sudden peck on his lips, but he soon noticed the pained and conscience-stricken look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You were exposed to such danger because I waste. If only I had arrived a little earlier¡­¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t your fault. I was careless.¡± Roel frantically shook his head to stop Lilian from taking the me on herself, but thetter was simply unable to let the matter go. Left with no choice, he could only divert the topic toward their future ns. What had happened between Roel and Lilianst night was like an all-devouring ck hole thatpletely captured their attention, but as the core members of this mission, neither of them had forgotten their responsibilities. The truth was that both of them were in a terrible statest night, and it would have been a foolish move to confront the Savior¡¯s High Priest under such conditions. They needed time to recover regardless, so they chose to set their feelings free and immerse themselves in each other¡¯s affection. However, with the arrival of dawn, Roel¡¯s soul had recovered from its trauma and Lilian¡¯s body was as good as new. Now that they were finally in a state to fight, they had to decide on their next course of action. Their initial goal of investigating the disappearance of Braytown had been rendered meaningless¡ªit was now clear as day that this incident was a trapid for them. Thus, their current priority was to save their allies and make a retreat. If possible, it would be good if they could take this opportunity to defeat the enemy too. Even amongst the Fallens, the Savior¡¯s High Priest equipped with Portas Eye could be considered as a powerhouse. He had shown great animosity toward the inheritors of the Ascart Bloodline, which meant that he was an enemy that they would have to deal with sooner orter. This could be a good opportunity to take him down, considering that Roel and Lilian had joined forces with each other, but they would have to first understand the means he possessed first. ¡°Senior, do you think that Paul and the others¡­¡± asked Roel. ¡°They should be safe for now,¡± replied Lilian. Lilian¡¯s evaluation coincided with Roel¡¯s. The reason Roel and Lilian could calmly sit here and discuss their ns was due to their deduction that Paul and the others were still alive. There was a basis behind their guess: Price. The exchange between power and price was a neverending key theme of the Sia Continent. Power always came at a price, and the price coulde in many forms, be it the process of obtaining the power, the ensuing side effects, or the stringent conditions of use. Yet, thisw of equivalent exchange seemed to fail here. Despite being faced with Saint Freya Academy¡¯s elites, that corpse-like old man was still able to easily erase their existence without revealing himself. This was an inconceivable feat even for high transcendents, such that one could imagine that it was attached with an unbelievably exorbitant price. Yet, the High Priest showed no signs of that at all. The High Priest had used the same spell many times now, but he didn¡¯t appear to be afflicted with any side effects. There were also no signs of any rituals or tributes in the vicinity. Given the circumstances, there was only one rational exnation Roel could think of: The terrifying curse didn¡¯t wield the power to instantly kill a person. That would greatly lower the price that the High Priest had to pay, which tallied the situation. ¡°We mustn¡¯t give up as long as there¡¯s a spark of hope. Neither Saint Freya Academy nor the Rose of Dawn can ept such a degree of losses,¡± said Lilian. ¡°Indeed. He dragged me to that sted ce and attacked senior. I ought to get even with him.¡± ¡°Oh? I am part of the reason too?¡± ¡°Of course. Rather, I should say that¡­¡± Roel scratched his cheeks and smiled in embarrassment. ¡°¡­ you¡¯re the main reason.¡± Chapter 473.1: Tree Heart (1)

Chapter 473.1: Tree Heart (1)

What is one thing that you absolutely can¡¯t tolerate? If Roel had to answer that question, it would be someone doing something detrimental to Lilian, especially if it was the deed of an enemy. Come at me if you want, but don¡¯t you dare go for my wife. It was still premature for Roel to say those words, but the rough meaning was there¡­ though he would want to change some of the phrasings to better fit his style. Come at me if you want, but I¡¯ll smash your head like a watermelon if you dare go for my wife. Simr to how Roel had be more protective of Lilian along with the deepening of his feelings, it was the same for Lilian too. Ever since their encounter with physical intimacy, her urge to protect Roel became stronger than ever. ¡°While I¡¯m delighted that your wish to avenge me, strictly speaking, I should be the one protecting you instead. This is the rules of the academy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a member of the main team but a student who happened to stumble here, so I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯m not under your jurisdiction. Besides, this encounter can be considered as an extension of what happened at the eastern border. I failed to handle it well¡­¡± Roel recalled his encounter with the Collector and felt self-reproach. Seeing that, Lilian raised his hand and pulled it toward her chest. ¡°The conflict between the Ascarts and the Fallens started more than a thousand years ago. In the Second Epoch, the Ardes and the Fallens were mutual nemeses. It¡¯s only a matter of time before I encounter them even if you didn¡¯t catch their attention. This is a grudge buried in both of our bloodlines.¡± ¡°¡­ Indeed.¡± Roel nodded in agreement with Lilian¡¯s exnation. It lifted his mood a little, but he soon recalled a few other matters. ¡°Now that I think about it, it¡¯s curious how the Fallen didn¡¯t use the disappearance spell on me. I wonder if there¡¯s some special reason behind that.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering about, the disappearance spell doesn¡¯t work on you.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work on me?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems to be due to our bloodline.¡± Following that, Lilian shared her encounter with the High Priest. Roel listened to her story with a slight frown as he stroked his chin contemtively. Sessors of the Ascart¡¯s Kingmaker Bloodline had a possibility of inheriting the Crown Origin Attribute. Without a doubt, the Kingmaker Bloodline was a top-notch bloodline, but like most top-notch bloodlines, its powers were extremely skewed. It was almost as if all other attributes had been neglected in favor of burst power, not to mention that it was highly risky at that. The closest metaphor to the Kingmaker Bloodline¡¯s Witness State was tigers throwing their cubs off the cliff: You¡¯ll be strong if you survive this ordeal, but if you don¡¯t, you only have your own weakness to me. In contrast, the Kingmaker Bloodline had never offered him any defensive ability, be it physical resilience or attribute immunity. The only immunity he had enjoyed thus far was his immunity to the Fallens¡¯ depraved whispers, but that was more of a property of the Crown Origin Attribute than the Kingmaker Bloodline, evident by how Lilian was susceptible to those whispers. The onlymonality between Roel and Lilian was their bloodlines; the Crown Origin Attribute and Kingdom Origin Attribute werepletely different in nature. This meant that if the two of them were unaffected by the disappearance spell, the chances were likely that this was the doing of the Kingmaker Bloodline. Roel understood the logic, but it was such a rare sight that he couldn¡¯t help but be astonished. The two of them gave the matter some thought, but they couldn¡¯t figure out why their bloodlines granted them immunity to the disappearance spell. In the end, they decided to put this matter aside for the time being. ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to think too much into the disappearance spell since it¡¯s ineffective on us, but thatmp¡­¡± Lilian¡¯s face turned grim when she thought about themp carried by the Savior¡¯s High Priest. Portas Eye was a demonic relic feared by even ancient gods like Artasia. Its ability to induce depravity was independent of the target¡¯s Origin Level, such that even Lilian would want to avoid dealing with it if possible. While Ten Fortresses was able to block off the effects of themp, it could only be used for defense. They would need a method of offense if they wished to bring down the enemy. Regarding that, Roel had an idea in mind. ¡°You can leave themp to me.¡± Roel took the mission of bringing down the enemy upon himself. After some discussion, the two of them finally agreed on their battle n and began making preparations. Make no mistake, this definitely wasn¡¯t going to be an easy battle. Even though their enemy looked to be a walking corpse on the verge of toppling over, it was likely that the High Priest of Nightless City Portas used to be an Origin Level 1 transcendent. The Savior¡¯s descent into depravity and the weathering of time had likely eroded the High Priest¡¯s body and soul, but he continued to cling to life. Not only so, but he also had the divine artifact, Portas Eye, in his possession. It was risky for them to confront the Savior¡¯s High Priest, but this was a battle they couldn¡¯t escape from. Whether it was to save their missing friends, ensure their future safety, or resolve his grudge, Roel was determined to bring the enemy down. Once they were done with their preparations, the two of them exchanged gazes. Roel gestured with a nod, and Lilian began dispelling Ten Fortresses with a faint glow. The ssy room they were in swiftly faded as if it had all been a dream, reced with a dpidated room in an abandoned town. ¡°Let¡¯s quickly get this over and done with,¡± said Roel. He first looked out of the window before leaving the room, and Lilian followed closely behind him. Their silhouettes soon vanished amidst the fog. ¡­ Dpidated buildings that had partially copsed, streets covered in weed and algae, and a terribly humid air that reeked of summer; Marlin City would have been the same as always if not for the fog that refused to dissipate despite the arrival of a new day. The dense fog made it hard to discern directions. Looking out of the dust-cloaked windows, Roel noticed a few bizarre silhouettes appearing on the streets every now and then. He couldn¡¯t make out what those bizarre silhouettes were under the obscurity of the fog, but uponing closer, he discovered that they were neither members of the main team nor the original inhabitants of the town. Instead, they were mysterious humanoid creatures that zed like fervent mes. Artasia told him that they were me spirits from the ancient era. ¡°They are people who have received divine retribution from the Savior. You can think of them as souls of sinners torched aze by Portas Eye before the divine relic descended into depravity along with the Sun God. Those me spirits are condemned to guard themp for eternity,¡± the Witch Queen exined. That gave Roel a deeper understanding of the terrifying divine relic, but this also brought another problem for them: How could they deal with the me spirits? Roel couldn¡¯t help but frown as he looked at the glowing me spirits staggering around the fog. Their varying levels of mana pulsation indicated that they had varying level of strength that likely corresponded to how powerful they were prior to being judged by Portas Eye. However, the simr me they zed with suggested the presence of a connection among them. It was easy enough to defeat a single me spirit, but it might prove dangerous if it had the power to rally itsrades. It would be difficult to deal with endless waves of me spirits while fighting against the Savior¡¯s High Priest. In consideration of that, Roel and Lilian quickly made somest-minute adjustments to their n before parting ways. Upon reaching the end of the fog, Lilian started channeling her mana toward her Kingdom Origin Attribute, producing a brilliant glow. gs began rising amidst the fog, apanied by the majestic neighing of war steeds. Lilian¡¯s summons had grown much more powerful after her advancement to Origin Level 2. Her summoned Blue Knight Order was beginning to reveal the overwhelming strength that had made them a legendary army in the history of humankind. The subordinate knights of the order were all at Origin Level 4 whereas theirmander had reached Origin Level 3. These valiant blue knights charged furiously down the streets and swiftly eliminated all me spirits that stood in their path. However, just as Roel and Lilian had expected, the sinners whom the Sun God had personally passed judgment on were no pushovers either. Through their telepathicmunicationwork via Portas Eye, the me spirits quickly identified Lilian¡¯s position and began swarming toward her. The me spirits staggering across the fog came in all races¡ªthere were dwarves, elves, giants, demonic beasts, and so on. There were even shadows of a dragonbreed streaking across the sky. They were all rushing toward Lilian in densely packed clusters. From afar, it looked like traces of fiery red were dyeing the monotonous white fog, almost as if someone had dragged sunset clouds down to earth. Even veteran soldiers would feel nervousness when faced with the encirclement of an enemy, but Lilian remained unperturbed by the steady stream of enemies. Instead, she quietly gazed in the direction where Roel was headed to and solemnly worried about him. At this moment, even the roars of the dragon sounded nothing more than the chirpings of a bird. Maybe her tant disregard for them had provoked the fury of those ancient races, but the me spirits released all sorts of shouts and beastly roars. The demonic beasts spat their venom. The giants smashed their fists down from above. Arrows ceaselessly whizzed down from the sky. Spells of all colors pierced through the fog in brilliant trails of light. Retribution had fallen on the arrogant human girl in an instant. Even so, Lilian showed hardly a reaction at all. Against this terrifying onught of attacks, all she did was to murmur a phrase. ¡°Ten Fortresses.¡± Chapter 473.2: Tree Heart (2)

Chapter 473.2: Tree Heart (2)

An explosion of intense light ensued. Through the full channeling of the Kingdom Origin Attribute, a legendary fortress that was known to be the symbol of humankind¡¯s unyielding spirit rose from the ground. The fortress walls glowed with a peculiar light that eroded the iing arrows and spells into cinders. The giants were also forced to retract their fists. Lilian¡¯s eyes remained cid as she watched the assault of the me spirits fizzed out. Of course, there was no way her counterattack would stop just at this. ¡°Wuuuu!¡± A shrill war horn yed. Following that, over a thousand of silhouettes began rushing onto the fortress¡¯ towering walls with a huge bow each in their hands. Their arms were equipped in a specially crafted magic armor that enhanced their archery. As they drew their bowstrings, their arrows began to whistle with the blessing of the wind spirits. At theirmander¡¯s call, more than a thousand arrows were released simultaneously. Behind them the archers were a circle of red-robed magicians, who were choraling in unison to channel a devastatingrge-scale spell. Beneath the fortress¡¯ walls, ferocious warriors had started shing with the me spirits. It was a warparable to those in the legends! Elsewhere in the depths of the fog, Roel nced in the direction where the explosion of lights and noises wereing from, and worry filled his face. The scale of the me spirits summoned by Portas Eye exceeded their initial expectations. Even so, Roel believed that Lilian would be able to return these deceased sinners to the earth. She had done her part, and he had to live to her expectations by subduing the true culprit behind all of this. Thus, he turned his back on the mes and rushed toward the heart of the unsettling mana. ¡­ Roel and Lilian might share the same bloodline, but the difference in their Origin Attributes gave rise to vastly different powers. Lilian¡¯s power was centered around the concept of mand¡¯. Her inexhaustible toon of soldiers that grew alongside her and her means to protect them made them a terrifying force to her enemies. It was nigh impossible for enemies to breach the defensive prowess of Ten Fortresses to assassinate the backlines, which, in turn, guaranteed reliable support for the frontlines. This allowed her soldiers to easily crush any enemy force that equaled or were weaker than them, though fights with stronger enemies still required a more careful war of attrition. In contrast, while Roel was also a force to be reckoned with, his ancient gods excelled not in quantity but quality. On top of that, his Crown¡¯s Stones posed a constant threat to his enemies that forced them to deal with them. The sheer burst power he harnessed allowed him to fearlessly confront enemies who were stronger than him. Thus, they divided up the work between them based on their respective fields of specialization, and they unconditionally trusted each other to carry out their work. Deep in the fog, anky old man with amp in his hand was still quietly observing Lilian, unaware that a pair of golden eyes had already locked onto him. Unknowingly, a chilling frost had already seeped into the drifting fog. Roel never believed in discriminating means when it came to a life-and-death battle, and this held particrly true when it came to the Fallens. Using the nearby buildings and the Witch Queen¡¯s powers to conceal himself, he slowly approached the old man till they were finally less than a hundred meters away from each other. It was also at this point that the High Priest who served the Sun God several millenniums ago finally turned his sunken green eyes toward him. Fury immediately zed in his glowering eyes, and his sagging face scrunched up in anger. The ck-robed priest felt no greater hatred toward anything other than the young man suffused with the Mother Goddess¡¯ aura. This instinct was carved inside his mind millenniums ago. The moment his eyes fell upon Roel, he reflexively raised his demonic relic. Back in the era of the gods, the responsibility of a priest was to bring sinners before their god for judgment to be passed. That was why the old man believed that it was meaningless for anyone to sneak up on him since his demonic relic could be activated in an instant. Little did he know that this standard reflex of his was what Roel was preying on. As the divinemp that had once brought peace and warmth to the world was lifted by a bony hand, the Savior¡¯s High Priest showed a smile dripping with malevolence. He was mocking Roel for his foolishness, thinking that it was impossible for thetter to outspeed themp¡¯s light no matter how fast he was. To his surprise, what appeared on Roel¡¯s face wasn¡¯t despair but the same mocking look. ¡°!¡± The High Priest was startled. An ominous feeling arose within him, but it was already toote. Brilliant light reminiscent of the sun¡¯s rays was expulsed from themp, but this golden radiance of depravity failed to shine its light upon Roel. Instead, it was forced to return where it hade from. As soon as themp was activated, the frost aura disguised as fog around Roel gathered together and solidified to form a clear mirror. At the same time, Peytra¡¯s Blessing fell upon Roel, granting him a spurt of mana that he immediately channeled toward the Crown Origin Attribute. ¡°Boom!¡± Through furiously pumping his mana, Roel was able to activate his Crown Origin Attribute to the greatest degree, thus significantly increasing his resistance against the Savior¡¯s power. With thebined protection of the Crown Origin Attribute and the cial mirror, he continued to swiftly advance on the High Priest without stopping in the slightest. This maneuver allowed him to greatly narrow the distance between him and the High Priest. The power of Portas Eye intensified with his approach, such that even the minuscule glimmer of light that slipped past the mirror was enough to induce a stabbing pain in his head. Just as his consciousness started to blur, crimson light suddenly gushed from his body. Grandar¡¯s towering skeletal body broke through the fog, his presence causing the surrounding fog to be even denser. He coldly gazed down at the High Priest with eyes glowering with murderous intent. With his crimson fog and divine body, he stood unwaveringly before the blinding rays of Portas Eye. His fury-charged fist swiftly plummeted down from the sky onto his enemy. This was a fist that was packed with Grandar¡¯s full strength,plete with Roel¡¯s vindictive emotions. It was impossible for the High Priest to dodge the attack due to the close proximity where it wasing from. His flesh and bones were squashed, and themp in his hand fell to the ground. Intense mana pulsations gushed outward as shockwaves, sweeping away everything in the vicinity. Boom! The devastating force reduced the High Priest¡¯s body to smithereens, which sttered outward all around the fog. At the same time, Portas Eye lost its luminosity as it rolled on the ground with a dull sound. Before its light could return with renewed fervor, Roel immediately encircled it with a denseyer of frost aura. It was the contrasting nature of the Savior and the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers that led the High Priest to view Roel with animosity, but it had now be the key that allowed Roel to suppress the other party. Withyer afteryer of frost aura stacking relentlessly over it, the weak me burning in Portas Eye swiftly darkened. Secondster, the terrifying demonic relic finally ran out of mana and stopped functioning. With the sealing of the demonic relic, Roel¡¯s movements were no longer restricted. The tides of the battle had turned now that the High Priest had lost his most powerful offensive means, but Roel didn¡¯t put his guard down despite so. He simply didn¡¯t think that an old monster who had survived from the era of the gods till now could be killed at easily. ¡°Roel, the punch doesn¡¯t feel right,¡± said Grandar. ¡°!¡± Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised when he heard Grandar¡¯s words. He began flitting forward to take a closer look at the remains of the High Priest, but while he was making his way over, he had already noticed an anomalous detail. There¡¯s no blood stench. Even Layton, an Origin Level 1 transcendent famed for his physical resilience, couldn¡¯t walk away unscathed from a direct attack from Grandar, but there was no blood stenching from the scrawny Savior¡¯s High Priest at all. This clearly signaled a problem. Thus, Roel hastened his footsteps with increased vignce, causing the fog to fly past him. Soon, an unbelievable sight appeared before his eyes. It answered his doubt as to why there was no blood stench. It was not because the enemy wasn¡¯t hurt but that his body didn¡¯t contain any blood at all. The Savior¡¯s High Priest had his both legs stabbed into the soil, and a sprout had emerged from his tattered body. The sprout swiftly grew into a massive tree, or to be more exact, a treant. Roel was surprised by the enemy¡¯s true identity, but he didn¡¯t lose his wits. Without any hesitation, he rushed forward with the intent to snuff out the life in the High Priest before he could regenerate. It was then that another perplexing scene caught his attention. Buried deep inside the tree¡¯s crown was a beating heart. Chapter 474.1: Ancestral Memories (1)

Chapter 474.1: Ancestral Memories (1)

In the fog, Roel Ascart quietly stared at the ck-robed priest kneeling on the ground. Thetter¡¯s body was undergoing aplete change. His legs were thickening into sharp roots that plunged into the earth. His body was expanding beyond the restraints of his own clothes. His sagging skin no longer just bore a resemnce to tree barks. These changes urring to the High Priest cleared up the doubts in Roel¡¯s mind. That exins his ghastly appearance and how he¡¯s able to survive through the ages. It turns out that he isn¡¯t a human but a treant. Before the Savior¡¯s descent into depravity, one of his personas was the Sun God. This might not hold much significance to the other races, but for the treants that were reliant on the sun¡¯s energy for survival, it was almost an instinct for them to worship the sun. Now that he thought about it, there was no way a human could have possibly be a High Priest of the Savior in the ancient era. After all, it was a very different world back then. It would have been inconceivable for a human to rise above all of those inherently powerful legendary races like the angels and the dragons. As surprising as the revtion of the enemy¡¯s true identity was, Roel wasn¡¯t too fazed by it. What truly shocked him was the dissonant item embedded in the core of the swiftly growing tree. A heart. It likely belonged to a human judging from its size and shape. ¡°Kyeee!¡± The massive treant howled out an eerie cry that grated at one¡¯s ears. Countless branches intertwined with one another, significantly bulking up the treant¡¯s size. It was clear that the enemy was currently recovering from his injuries, which didn¡¯t bode well for Roel. Despite this, Roel chose to stay put. It was not because he was underestimating his enemy or that he was overwhelmed by shock. Rather, an indescribable mystical feeling had taken over him. His eyes were drawn to the heart embedded in the treant¡¯s body, and he found himself gripped by an inexplicable sense of intimacy. It was almost as if an invisible thread had connected him to that bizarre heart. He wondered if he hade under a spell, but there was no other anomaly with his body. The inexplicable sense of intimacy also quickly faded as the enemy concealed the bizarre heart. A human heart ced inside a treant body; this was an uncannybination worth pondering over. Roel gave the matter some thought while channeling his mana, and he was soon able toe up with some deductions. ¡°I see. That heart is the reason you¡¯re able to disguise yourself as a human,¡± Roel murmured to himself with narrowed eyes. The Treant High Priest¡¯s earlier human disguise had been so perfect that Roel hadn¡¯t sensed anything wrong with it. It was to the extent that he wouldn¡¯t be surprised that such a disguise would require human parts to serve as a catalyst. Treants were bulky and highly immobile; this wasmon knowledge on the Sia Continent. However, Roel had learned from an ancient treant that was currently residing in the forest of the Ascart Fiefdom that there were fallen treants in the ancient era who were capable of traveling around freely using some sort of spell. It was unfortunate that Kayde had been too intoxicated to share more about this piece of intelligence it had spoken on a whim, but again, it probably couldn¡¯t have imagined that Roel would actually stumble upon a fallen treant in this age. To be honest, Roel wasn¡¯t particrly bothered by the ancient spell that likely required some sort of vile ritual. He was more concerned about another problem. The origin of the heart. He looked at the fallen treant, who had mostly recovered by now, with a livid expression. He already had a good guess about the origin of the heart¡ªit likely belonged to a member of the Ardes. It was not a baseless guess. Both Lilian and Roel had their own encounters with the High Priest, but thetter had never cast the highly effective disappearance spell on either of them. Lilian proposed the possibility that their Kingmaker Bloodline granted them immunity toward that spell, but from the looks of it, there was another likelier possibility. The disappearance spell was derived from the Kingmaker Bloodline, possibly lingering traces of an ability that an awakener of the Kingmaker Bloodline had obtained from an ancient god. In other words, Roel and Lilian weren¡¯t truly ¡®immune¡¯ to the disappearance spell; they were simply unaffected by it because the fundamental nature of that ability was synonymous to the Kingmaker Bloodline. It was simr to how the sun wouldn¡¯t be burned by its own mes. The thought of that ignited a spark in Roel¡¯s mind, which swiftly grew into a raging inferno of fury. It meant that the Treant High Priest had murdered an Arde and defiled his corpse in order to create a human body for itself. It was a wretched act of vileness that made Roel quiver with anger even when a thousand years had passed since then. Roel could ept his ancestors dying inbat, but he couldn¡¯t tolerate the defiling of their corpses. Just the thought of people like Astrid, who had devoted their lives to protecting humankind, being disrespected after death was enough to induce irrepressible anger in him. ¡°Kyiii!¡± Within moments, the huge treant reconstructed itself and let loose a screech suffused with madness and killing intent. Having restored its original body, it was finally able to draw out the full extent of its abilities. Severalyers of light formed around the body of the massive treant, then the surroundings started to wither. It was as if the treant was absorbing nearby life force; the ground dried up and cracked, the nearby buildings crumbled and copsed, and flowers and trees visibly wasted away. A blight was swiftly forming and expanding around the treant. An arid gale blew across this piece of deadnd, tugging Roel¡¯s hair with it. For a moment, Roel thought that he had seen the silhouette of the death god in the gale. The treant should have been a symbol of life force, but the one before him was cloaked in such a dense death aura that it was nauseating. This was the true nature of fallen treants. Under the Treant High Priest¡¯smand, the blight that greedily devoured everything within reach finally bared its fangs at Roel and pounced at him. Unexpectedly, Roel didn¡¯t back down against the dense congregation of death aura. Instead, he stood his ground and calmly stared at the foul Fallen, as if he was a grim reaper awaiting the toll of death. Then the world changed. Boom! Right as the blight was about to encroach on Roel, a loud explosion suddenly drowned out everything. mes burst through the earth and gushed into the sky, transforming the entire stretch ofnd before Roel into a zing inferno. Plots ofnd were sted into the sky while rocks and dirt alike melted under the searing heat. The fallen treant¡¯s body was blown into pieces by the explosion, but that wasn¡¯t the end of it yet. Boom! Following the rattling explosions, the golden World Serpent suddenly rose from the burningva and charged at the shrieking fallen treant. The Primordial Earth Goddess opened her gigantic mouth to bring an end to the depraved sinner who had clung on to life through the millennia. She mped her jaws down on the fallen treant to hold it in ce while summoning a pir ofva from the ground to reduce it to cinders. The fallen treant frantically fought back with all its might, but its struggle was meaningless before the very embodiment of the earth. Crisp crackles and guttural shrieks were the death throes of this sinner. The intense mes dispersed the surrounding fog, and the tremors shook all nearby mountains. The burning fallen treant looked almost like a torch signaling the fate of those who dared to sin. ¡°Are you watching this, the Collector?¡± Sensing a gaze on him from a gleaming light in the sky, Roel began to speak aloud. His voice was calm as if what had happened here was no big deal. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed. For someone who has lived through the eras, I thought that you could do better than this. I thought wrong. I guess I was too optimistic to think that trash can be something useful with time. You don¡¯t have to worry though; I happen to be good at garbage disposal. ¡°Just like how I¡¯ve disposed of this rotting tree¡­ you¡¯re next.¡± Chapter 475.1: Veronica’s Heart (1)

Chapter 475.1: Veronica¡¯s Heart (1)

The heart is an amazing organ. It supplies the body with everything that it needs to function, leaving no doubt about its importance. There are theories that there is more to the heart than we have uncovered, with one of them postting it to be a storage of memory. There were known cases in Roel¡¯s previous life where patients who had received a heart transnt would dream of the original heart owner¡¯s experiences. Some even subconsciously adopted the habits and mannerisms of the original heart owner. Such urrences baffled the scientific world. No one had been able to offer a convincing exnation for these phenomena, but fortunately, there was no need for that in the supernatural world of the Sia Continent. On the Sia Continent, the heart had always been thought of as a vessel for the soul. It was the organ with the highest Degree of Assimtion for transcendents and legendary races, making it an ideal catalyst for creating magic tools. In fact, that was one of its main uses in the ancient era. The heart from the Ardes still retained remnants of the divine power gained by contracting an ancient god, which was why Roel needed it to save Paul and the others. He didn¡¯t expect to see something else as a result of that. Staring at the heart glowing with mana, Roel¡¯s expression turned heavy. He first organized his thoughts before slowly sharing his newly-gained information with Lilian. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Paul and the others. They should be fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± The investigation party consisted of many high-profile individuals, both in the main team and the auxiliary team. The main team was filled with many renowned academics from Saint Freya Academy, as well as the imperial prince of the Austine Empire. The auxiliary team had sessors to prominent noble houses in Knight Kingdom Pendor. If something were to happen to the missing individuals, this would be thergest mishap that had happened in thest few centuries. Lilian patted her chest in relief, but she soon raised her head and looked at Roel quizzically. ¡°What exactly is that disappearance spell? Is it a spatial spell? I didn¡¯t sense any spatial distortions when the others disappeared. Even a god shouldn¡¯t have the power to defy thews of space to such a degree,¡± asked Lilian. Spatial spells were incredibly rare in the Sia Continent, but that didn¡¯t mean that they were almighty. On the contrary, due to the Sia Continent¡¯s generally stable space, there were intrinsic limitations to spatial spells. One of them was the inability to conveniently erase traces of spatial distortions. Simr to how the sun naturally cast shadows, the usage of spatial spells naturally distorted space. It was possible to quickly mend spatial distortions, but the spellcaster had to be present to properly smooth out the distortions. This was a fundamentalw of the Sia Continent, so even gods would be unable to circumvent it. But that wasn¡¯t what had happened here. Putting aside what happened on Lilian¡¯s side, Roel also didn¡¯t sense any spatial distortions or the presence of an enemy when Stuart, Selina, and Juliana were taken away. This made it highly unlikely that the disappearance spell was a spatial warp. ¡°You¡¯re right. Not even an ancient god would be able to alter the rules set by the Genesis Goddess. That¡¯s not a spatial spell but a temporal spell.¡± ¡°Temporal spell?¡± Lilian widened her eyes at the answer. Roel nodded his head and began sharing about Paul¡¯s condition. Paul Ackermann was the only one who didn¡¯t disappear after an encounter with the fallen treant, but in exchange, he had turned into an old man. This was a baffling situation, but Roel was able to make sense of it now that he understood the spell structure. ¡°The fundamental nature of the spell is time, but unlike my Time Devourer, its effects are centered around siphoning and transference.¡± ¡°Siphoning and transference?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Those who have disappeared are actually still here; it¡¯s just that they have regressed to the earliest form of their life, meaning to say¡­¡± Halfway through his words, Roel suddenly realized that their concept of fertilization, sperm, and ovum didn¡¯t exist on the Sia Continent, which left him at a loss as to how he should proceed. In the end, he could only nce at Lilian¡¯s womb and hesitantly point toward himself and her. Lilian initially tilted her head in confusion, but she quickly caught Roel¡¯s drift and started blushing furiously. The atmosphere turned peculiar. Reminded of the eventsst night, she ced her hand on her abdomen. ¡°Y-you mean the state before birth?¡± ¡°Cough. Yes, that¡¯s what I¡¯m referring to. Of course, such effects can¡¯t be sustained for long,¡± Roel let out a cough and pulled the topic back on track. ¡°Paul probably brought out a magic armor with his Kingdom Origin Attribute that reversed the effect of the temporal spell, causing him to age instead of regress. Fortunately, this spell isn¡¯t fatal. It¡¯s a temporary distortion of an individual¡¯s form that doesn¡¯t alter their fundamental existence. The affected individuals will revert to their original form once the spell¡¯s effects fade. That¡¯s why the fallen treant didn¡¯t have to pay a heavy price for the spell.¡± Roel shook his head. He didn¡¯t have a high opinion of the Ardes¡¯ temporal spell. While both spells tampered with time, there was a huge difference between the Ardes¡¯ temporal spell and Roel¡¯s Time Devourer. While Time Devourer was slow-acting, its time siphoning effect was permanent, making it an extremely dangerous spell. Even Origin Level 1 transcendents would be reluctant to go against an ability that continuously shortened their lifespan every passing second. On the other hand, the Ardes¡¯ temporal spell existed solely for the purpose of stalling time. Furthermore, from the looks of it, the spell only worked on targets weaker than the spellcaster. That rendered the spell meaningless since Roel could have easily dealt with any transcendents weaker than him with other means; he didn¡¯t need a specialized spell just for that. ¡°Temporal spells have never been known for their destructive prowess. This ability can already be considered as one of the more useful ones amongst temporal spells. Rather, it¡¯s that ability of yours that¡¯s unusual,¡± Lilian refuted Roel¡¯s opinion with a soft sigh. She felt that he was starting to lose touch with what was normal from having encountered too many strong enemies. Roel thought about Lilian¡¯s words, and it suddenly dawned on him that the abilities he had obtained came from atypical sources. The Crown¡¯s Stones born from the Six Cmities were authorities of the all-powerful Mother Goddess. It was only normal for its abilities to be superior to that of other gods. ¡°I understand the principles behind that spell, but how can the spell be dispelled?¡± asked Lilian. ¡°Temporal spells are a vition of Sia¡¯sws; the natural tendency of the world will cleanse all artificial distortions. However, that will take some time. We can try resonating our bloodlines at the locations where the others disappeared and attempt to undo the effect using this heart,¡± replied Roel. Roel looked at the ruined town around him and exhaled a sigh of frustration. It would be an arduous task to find the exact locations where the others had disappeared when everything had been destroyed. There was much work to be done, but he showed no signs of getting to action. Lilian looked at him contemtively, but she didn¡¯t say a word. While Roel had only touched Ardes¡¯ heart for a brief moment, there was a subtle change in his emotions afterward. It was so minor that it was unlikely that anyone else would have picked up on it, but Lilian did. That was why she didn¡¯t make any move right after Roel finished his piece. Instead, she quietly waited for him to continue on. She didn¡¯t urge or question him. Instead, she felt unprecedented confidence in him. Roel might have chosen to withhold information from her if it had been in the past, but now that their fates were tightly bound together, she trusted whatever decision he made. Roel went through a long internal struggle before he finally made up his mind. He turned to Lilian with a grave look. ¡°Senior, to be honest with you, I saw other things other than this spell¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­ There was a portion of our ancestor¡¯s memories, as well as the goal of the Fallens.¡± Roel began sharing what he had witnessed earlier when he had a bloodline resonance with the heart. Chapter 475.2: Veronica’s Heart (2)

Chapter 475.2: Veronica¡¯s Heart (2)

In fact, Roel had only seen fragments of his ancestor¡¯s memories. He was surprised when he found out that the owner of the heart was a female. It made viewing the memories awkward since they were from a first-person perspective. The first fragment of memory he saw was nothing special. He was seated in front of a table, studying diligently. Nothing much happened during this period of time, so he wasn¡¯t able to derive much out of it. All he was able to gather was his ancestor¡¯s name that was scribbled on her diary and her socio-economic status. Veronica Arde. The aesthetics of the room suggested that it was in theter-middle years of the Second Epoch. There was no mirror in the room, so Roel had no way of knowing how Veronica looked. He could only tell she had brown hair from the bangs that barely dangled in his line of vision. Humankind was at its golden age in the Second Epoch. It was the era where the Ardes, also known as the Shadow Eagle of the Ancient Austine Empire, were at the peak of their power. Money-wise, the expensive ornaments on disy and the huge assortment of magic tools to help with their studies were proof of their affluence. Strength-wise, all of Veronica¡¯s servants were high transcendents. This studying continued until a maid suddenly entered the room. She first bowed to Veronica before saying something that Roel was unable to clearly hear. Veronica¡¯s face brightened up joyfully upon hearing those words. She followed the maid to a room and changed into a cute but dignified Ancient Austine long gown. Roel was finally able to see her reflection in the mirror while she was dolling up. She was a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl, looking just a little younger than Roel. She could most definitely be considered to be beautiful, and her physique was leaning toward the slender side. The scene was then cut to a banquet that was grand in scale, even by Roel¡¯s standards. Many young men anddies warmly greeted Veronica when she entered the banquet hall. Without a doubt, she was the star of the banquet. A magnificentyered cake was pushed to the center of the banquet hall, clearing up any doubts about the purpose of this event. It was Veronica¡¯s birthday party. Taking her age and vivid memories about this event into consideration, this was likely a banquet to celebrate hering of age. It was just that the scale was unusually big that it brought focus to the Ardes¡¯ financial power. What made this even more noteworthy was the fact that Veronica was unlikely to be a core member of the Ardes. The main lineage of the Ardes, whichter came to be known as the Ascarts, had ck hair and golden eyes. This wasn¡¯t just a coincidence but an inevitability brought about by their Primordial Bloodline. Their unique golden candlelight-like eyes were eventer used as the Ascart House¡¯s insignia. Veronica had met quite a few people with those traits in the banquet, and she greeted each of them with utmost respect. Of them, there was one that left Roel with a deep impression. It was a ck-haired, golden-eyed man with a tall stature. His entourageprised people of different physiques, which hinted at them being mixed-bloods who had descended from other races. The respectful attitudes others took to him left Roel wondering if he was the leader of the Twilight Sages Assembly then. That was also where the first fragment of memory came to an end. All in all, the memory fragment didn¡¯t provide Roel with much information other than the background of the heart¡¯s original owner. He thought that the memories would end here, but he was mistaken. He was soon plunged into the second fragment of memory. It was the same first person perspective, but Veronica lookedpletely different from before. She was now a mature woman with long hair that cascaded down to her waist, indicating that many years had passed since the events in the first fragment of memory. She was in a crowded meeting room filled with at least a hundred people. It was hard to discern the location, but it could most definitely be described to be magnificent. The delicate aesthetic touch that exuded grace and ss was not something that Veronica¡¯s study room could match. A solemn atmosphere loomed in the room. Other than the few white-haired elders sitting in the center of the room, everyone else looked fairly young. Veronica was positioned close to the center, but it didn¡¯t seem like she had much say in the meeting. Roel deduced that it was the Ardes¡¯ internal family meeting. The logic behind his deduction was simple. Amongst those seated in the center of the room, a few of them were the ck-haired, golden-eyed individuals Veronica had met in the first banquet. That man who had previously caught Roel¡¯s attention was also among them, and he upied the principal seat. Same as before, the voices in the memory fragment were muted, making it impossible for Roel to decipher the purpose of the meeting. Nevertheless, he could tell that there was dissension among the core members of the Ardes, and it unnerved Veronica. It took a long time before the leaders finally came to a consensus. Everyone in the meeting room rose to their feet. One by one, they were assigned to one of three groups under a leader¡¯s instructions. When it finally came to Veronica¡¯s turn, the leader revealed a conflicted look. After careful consideration, he pulled Veronica away to the side and told her something. Veronica nodded in acknowledgment before making her way to thergest group. Roel noticed that thergest group had the weakest transcendents; most of them were either ailing elders or children. Inparison, the other two groups were much stronger. One of those two groups was being led by the ck-haired, golden-eyed man whom Roel previously suspected to be the leader of the Twilight Sages Assembly. The other was under themand of a youngdy. They proceeded to further divide their respective members into smaller squads. This scene reminded Roel what Astrid had told him about the Ardes¡¯mand chain. These should be the smaller teams that the Ardes operated in when dealing with a crisis. Looking from this perspective, Veronica¡¯s group was probably the reserve group. Before the conclusion of the meeting, the leaders made a speech to the crowd. Roel couldn¡¯t hear the content of the speech, but he could see worry on the faces all around. The second fragment of memory ended here. The muffling of the voices limited the information Roel could acquire from the memory fragment. All he could make out was that the Ardes had gathered their n members to make an important decision, and this decision would be a turning point for both Veronica and the Ardes. It did feel good to be able to meet many of his ancestors though. The Ardes appeared to have good genes judging by how most of them were either suave or gorgeous, though this was just a minor detail in therger scale of things. Roel had a feeling that there were other memories to be seen, and he was quickly proven right. The third fragment of memory slowly surfaced, but unlike the previous two, it was not peaceful. In the night, a magnificent mansion was copsing to a zing inferno. All sorts of valuable items either shattered or were burned into ashes. Amidst the mes, Veronica was carrying a child with her both hands, and leading in front of her was the maid who had taken care of her from a young age. Roel was hardly a gynecologist, but he could tell that the child was likely born not too long ago. This reminded him of the brief conversation Veronica had with one of the n leaders in the second fragment of memory; the man had eyed her abdomen several times over the course of their talk. Piecing the information together, Roel guessed that Veronica was already expecting during the meeting in the second fragment of the memory, which was why the n leader had assigned her to the reserve group. Who could have thought that this act of goodwill would lead to such an oue? It was likely an unexpected attack, judging from how Veronica was still wearing her white nightgown. The assants had managed to inflict a gaping wound on her maid¡¯s chest, causing blood to gush out. The child in Veronica¡¯s arms wouldn¡¯t stop crying. Veronica tried to entrust the child in her arms to her maid, but thetter adamantly shook her head. The two of them appeared to have a divergence of opinions. Veronica pointed to the maid¡¯s chest wound and said something, and the pale-facedtter finally assented with a nod. Perhaps it was due to how vivid this piece of memory was, Roel was actually able to hear her voice. ¡°¡­ Bring him to safety,¡± she said. Veronica ced her child into her wounded maid¡¯s arms. The maid burst into tears, but she quickly wiped off her tears and leaped out of the window with the child. She soon disappeared into the dark night. Veronica stared at their departing silhouettes for a long time before she began changing her clothes. With a dignified appearance, she made her way to the burning courtyard, where many shadows collided in the raging mes. She summoned her ancient god and charged at the enemies. The third fragment of memory ended here. Much to Roel¡¯s surprise, it didn¡¯t show her moment of death. He had two theories regarding that. One, she had died in a chaotic battle that didn¡¯t register vividly in her memories. Two, she didn¡¯t think that the battle was important. To the Veronica who had just be a mother, her child¡¯s safety was much more important than hers, to the point that even death paled inparison. That was why her memory stopped at her separation with her son. Roel felt awful. It was only just a few fragments of memories, but he had witnessed the important moments of Veronica¡¯s life. From her studious childhood to her maturing as a dignified member of the Arde House, the arrival of a disaster, her sending her child away and dying on the battlefield, this was the trajectory of her life. Her feelings resonated within him, especially when she quietly watched as her child departed with her maid. The motherly love brimming in her eyes then were indescribably bittersweet. After witnessing Veronica¡¯s life, Roel was even more unable to ept how someone had defiled her corpse by digging out her heart. To his surprise, even though Veronica had already passed away, there was still something left in the beating heart¡­ Chapter 476.1: For the Child (1)

Chapter 476.1: For the Child (1)

Despite the Ardes¡¯ affluence and prominence as the Shadow Eagle of the Ancient Austine Empire, they were obscured from the annals of history. Not only were there almost no records on them, but most people who lived in the same era weren¡¯t aware of their existence either. Finding even the slightest trace of the Ardes in the historical records from the Second Epoch was incredibly difficult. If anyone in the world had detailed records about the Ardes, it could only be the Ackermanns. However, that was clearly not within Roel¡¯s means to obtain. Due to that, Roel had always faced difficulties trying to learn more about his ancestors and the enemies they had faced. It was thus a surprise when he unexpectedly acquired some information about the past through the Ardes¡¯ heart. Veronica¡¯s three fragments of memory had overwhelmed him emotionally, but once he calmed down, he quickly pieced the information together and made an inference on the events. The happenings in the second fragment of memory suggested that simultaneous threats had befallen humankind, forcing the Ardes to split into multiple groups to tackle them. Veronica was excluded from the mission groups due to her pregnancy, but an enemy exploited the Ardes¡¯ moment of weakness to assault their vulnerable members. In the end, she died protecting her n members. To be clear, the vulnerable members of the Ardes hadn¡¯t been left to fend for their own. The defensive measures that had been put in ce would have made it impossible for most forces to take them down. Roelcked in-depth knowledge about the Second Epoch, but he did know of a group of people who wielded the power to deal with the Ardes even when it was at the peak of its power: the Savior¡¯s worshipers. What Veronica went through was likely the first assaultunched by the Savior¡¯s worshipers, and it marked the beginning of the Ardes¡¯ spiral into decline. With the tremendous power and influence wielded by the Ardes, they could easily rake up wealth,nd, and military prowess if they wished to. However, there was one problem that they simply couldn¡¯t resolve¡ªtheir low reproduction rate. As a matter of fact, the assault by the Savior¡¯s worshipers hadn¡¯t affected the Ardes¡¯ top-tier fighting prowess by much, but the huge casualties suffered by the vulnerable members led to a rapid decline in the Ardes¡¯ poption. Adding fuel to the fire were the major threats that had befallen humankind and the intrinsic danger that came with the Kingmaker Bloodline, making their downfall inevitable. That was the limit of what Roel could reasonably infer from Veronica¡¯s memory. He thought that spelled the end of his trip through history, but to his surprise, Veronica¡¯s heart contained bits and pieces of the fallen treant¡¯s memories as well. It was usually impossible for a magic tool to record its user¡¯s memories, but Veronica¡¯s heart was unusual in the sense that it had to be kept alive in order to retain its key powers, which was why the fallen treant had embedded it into its body. Treants were known for their overflowing life force, and this ironically held true for fallen treants as well. That allowed Veronica¡¯s heart to remain well-preserved over thest thousand years, and she naturally inherited bits of the fallen treant¡¯s memories from their connection. There were differences in how their memories were presented though. The fallen treant¡¯s memories were chaotic and incoherent, and it showed many things that made Roel shudder out of appallment. A second ago, he was still standing before a huge congregation of people reverently bowing before him under a bright, cloudless sky, but in the next, he was suddenly standing in the middle of a dusky in littered with mutted corpses. The scene changed once again the next second, and he found himself in a mountainous forest, swiftly devouring the earth¡¯s nutrients to grow. There was no logic or chronological sequence to the memories, but there were asional glimpses of horrors that gnawed away at his sanity. Even so, he forced himself to watch on. Slowly, he was able to make sense of the situation by piecing bits together. Thousands of years ago, there was an orchard of treants residing on a mountain range located in the far east. A region shrouded in fog, it was hardly an ideal environment for treants to thrive in. These treants were weak and underdeveloped, but true to their treant instincts, none was willing to leave thend they were born in. Unwilling to put up with impoverishment, a terribly weak treant decided to venture on a long journey in search of a newnd. After decades of hard work, it finally managed to escape from the fog-covered mountain range. For the first time in the treant¡¯s life, it basked under the warm brilliance of the sun. Its mana pulsated with never before intensity, and it began to swiftly grow. That was the day its devout reverence for the sun started. Many yearster, after the treant grew tall and strong, it entered the secr world and became a clergyman of the Sun God. It slowly rose through the ranks and eventually became the High Priest of the Nightless City. Up to this point, the memories depicted the story of a child ignoring his parents'' opposition to pursue his own dreams, oveing all of the difficulties that stood in his way and eventually rising to greatness. That would have made an inspiring tale, but the story suddenly took a sharp turn here. The Savior fell into depravity. The divine relic that sat at the highest point of the Nightless City, Portas Eye, suddenly turned into a demonic artifact that dragged others down into a mire of madness. The first ones to be affected were the Treant High Priest and the clergymen responsible for guarding it. Under the twisted light of Portas Eye, the Nightless City was swiftly gripped by chaos and madness. Corpses piled up along the streets as the clergymen brutally ughtered others in a fight for the demonic artifact. Screams and zing mes were everywhere. Following the treant¡¯s descent into madness, its memories suddenly became muddled up. In the bits and pieces Roel saw, the chaos in the Nightless City appeared to have rmed the other races. They quickly rushed to the scene, and without any hesitation, they surrounded the deranged Fallens and eliminated them. However, the Treant High Priest managed to escape into the mountain forest together with Portas Eye. Those from the other races initiated arge-scale search and thoroughlybed the nearby forests, determined to destroy the demonic artifact made out of the Savior¡¯s eye, but they couldn¡¯t find the trail of the Treant High Priest. Just like that, the Treant High Priest went into seclusion together with Portas Eye. Many years passed before the Savior¡¯s worshipers found its dwelling through divine guidance. By then, the Treant High Priest had alreadypletely lost its mind from prolonged contact with Portas Eye. In order to restore some degree of sanity in it, the Savior¡¯s worshipers transferred a portion of its depravity and insanity into a heart. They then taught the Treant High Priest how fallen treants morphed into humans using a human heart as a catalyst. That was how the Treant High Priest became one of the leaders of the Fallens. It participated in the first assault on the Ardes, and that was where it acquired Veronica¡¯s heart. There were many more shes with the Ardes after that. Several times the powerful Ardes had inflicted severe injuries upon it, but it was able to survive through it all. Madness had jumbled up the treant¡¯s memories, making them difficult to interpret. Despite so, Roel forced himself to watch on because he knew that there was likely to be crucial information in there. His persistence paid off. In a room shrouded in shadows sat a man with blurred facial features. This sight stirred a ripple in Roel¡¯s heart, for he recognized the man to be none other than the Collector. The Collector ced his hand on a luminescent jar in front of him. The jar was filled with dark-colored medicinal fluid with a fleshy lump reminiscent of a human¡¯s heart floating in it. ¡°Is it finally going to bepleted? All we need is thatst portion, and the Ardes¡¯ damned seal wouldn¡¯t be able to stop me anymore¡­¡± the Collector muttered. The fallen treant pointed to its own body and spoke words Roel couldn¡¯t understand. The Collector shook his head in response. ¡°Calm down, Orked. I don¡¯t need your heart; it¡¯s something else that I¡¯mcking. But it matters not. There¡¯ll be a chance as long as that their bloodline lives on.¡± The fallen treant fell silent. The scene began to distort at that point, reced with another gruesome image. Chapter 476.2: For the Child (2)

Chapter 476.2: For the Child (2)

This was the most valuable piece of information Roel obtained while enduring the torture of looking through the fallen treant¡¯s fragmented and depraved memories. It had only been a short exchange, but it revealed the enemy¡¯s goal. All this while, Roel thought that ¡®the Collector¡¯ was a random alias chosen by the leader of the Connoisseur Guild, but there seemed to be more to it. The conversation revealed that the Collector was collecting the Ardes¡¯ corpses with the goal of removing some kind of seal. Roel didn¡¯t know what the seal was, but he could fathom a guess based on the fallen treant¡¯s reaction. The fallen treant named Orked had offered Veronica¡¯s heart to the Collector upon hearing thetter¡¯s words, and that was not something to be made light of. The heart was important to Orked too; it was relying on the heart to maintain its human form and suppress its insanity. In fact, it had been meticulously protecting the heart during its battle with Roel. What could have possibly prompted Orked to enthusiastically offer something as important as that to the Collector? The answer immediately became apparent to Roel once he considered the fallen treant¡¯s history as the High Priest of Nightless City Portas¡ªthe awakening of the Savior. This exined why both the Ardes and the Ascarts had been relentlessly targeted by the Savior¡¯s worshipers over the years. While it was not stated in the historical records, the other races had likely ced a seal on the depraved Savior after He fell into a slumber, with the ancestors of the Kingmaker Bloodline ying a crucial role in the sealing process. The presence of the seal and the suppression from the other races had prevented the Fallens from awakening the Savior thus far, but the scales started tilting in the Savior¡¯s favor when He briefly awakened for a moment in theter years of the Second Epoch. The Savior¡¯s worshipers swiftly bulked up in the following years, bringing about a glimmer of hope, but they soon realized that no one was able to enter the Dream Barrier other than the Ardes¡¯ bloodline awakeners. That was the reason why the Savior¡¯s worshipers furiously attacked the Ardes and stole their awakeners¡¯ corpses. They were hoping to unravel the Savior¡¯s seal through a ritual. Based on what the Collector had said, they were already on the verge of sess. ¡°I suspect that the Fallens are just one piece short ofpleting their key. This means that the Collector will not stop his aggression on us, and neither of us can afford to be defeated,¡± Roel said with a grave expression. Lilian fell into deep thoughts. Their fates were no longer theirs alone now that they knew what the Fallens were after. Should they make a wrong move, they could very well be the final key required to unravel the Savior¡¯s seal, unleashing a catastrophe of unparalleled proportions upon the world. The sheer stakes involved here heaped a mountain load of stress on the two of them. Even the usuallyposed Lilian showed a rare frown. Be it their ancestral grudge, the devastating cmity that would result from the awakening of the Savior, or their own survival, coexistence with the Fallens was impossible. It was either us or them. Peace would never return to their lives until they crushed the Fallens. Having made sense of their current plights, Lilian turned her attention to Roel, who had not spoken a word for a while now. She suddenly recalled his earlier words, and it further deepened her frown. Roel had mentioned earlier that neither of them could afford to be defeated¡ªwhich was not wrong¡ªbut those words carried the subtle connotation of ¡®we can¡¯t afford to take any risks and have to go on the defensive¡¯. But could this problem be solved just by going on the defensive? Without a doubt, the Fallens would continue making attempts on their lives until they finally seeded, and that was not something anyone could endure. Even if they tried to remain on their guard, it was inevitable that weaknesses would start showing with time. Lilian didn¡¯t think that it was possible for the sharp-witted Roel to have not thought about that, which meant that he was misleading her into taking defensive maneuvers. As for the reason why he would do that¡­ ¡°You mentioned that neither of us can afford to be defeated. That should be possible for me given the defensive prowess of my Ten Fortresses¡­ but I don¡¯t think I can bring myself to hide in a safe spot while the man I love risks his life on the battlefield.¡± ¡°Senior, what are you saying?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you know better than anyone else what I¡¯m saying?¡± Lilian replied calmly. She stared at Roel with sharp eyes, certain of what he was up to. Under her intense gaze, Roel¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but waver a little. ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re hoping that I¡¯de under the protection of the united army in the eastern border while you secretly deal with the Fallens by yourself. You¡¯re only telling me all these because you¡¯re worried that I¡¯d be vulnerable not knowing the potential threats around me, or else you would have gone after the Collector without saying a word to me,¡± Lilian said with a harrumph. ¡°¡­¡± Having his thoughts spoken aloud, Roel awkwardly averted his eyes. Lilian heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing his reaction, then her face swiftly gloomed with disappointment. ¡°I thought that you would rely more on me after this incident, but your first instinct is still to shove me aside whenever a major problem crops up. Am I that unreliable in your eyes? Or do you see me as a burden to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± Roel adamantly refuted her words right away upon seeing her dejection. He exhaled softly before he began exining himself. ¡°I just think that the Fallens are simply too dangerous. Even the Ardes weren¡¯t able to defeat them at the peak of their power. If anything were to happen to you, I won¡¯t be able to live with myself. ¡°Besides, it seems much more appropriate for me, a direct descendant of the Ardes, to deal with the Fallens. While you possess the Kingmaker Bloodline as well, you aren¡¯t a member of the Ascart House. It¡¯d be wrong to involve you in this,¡± Roel said earnestly. Slowly, those words cleared up Lilian¡¯s dejection. She took a step forward and embraced Roel. ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d that you¡¯re concerned about me, but just as what you have said, the Fallens are a dangerous group of people. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to forgive myself if you meet with a mishap. My life will be nothing but an endless cycle of self-reproach and sorrow. What would be the point of living then? Besides, while I am not a member of the Ascart House, this matter is very much my business as well,¡± Lilian said solemnly. ¡°Hm?¡± Perplexed, Roel voiced out his doubt. Lilian¡¯s face began to redden. ¡°I might not be a member of the Ascart House, but my child will be,¡± she murmured with a lowered head. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s body stiffened the moment he heard those words, and his golden eyes narrowed in shock. Lilian suppressed her embarrassment and forced herself to continue on. ¡°Even if it¡¯s not possible to have one in the next few years, it¡¯s only a matter of time before we have a b-baby. As a mother, there¡¯s no way I would allow anyone to hurt my child.¡± Lilian¡¯s voice slowly became forceful and adamant as she spoke. It was such a stark contrast from her usualposed and poised attitude that it took Roel by surprise. As a matter of fact, Lilian was also startled by her own attitude too. She didn¡¯t feel much inside even when faced with an enemy baring their murderous intent toward her. All she would do was to nonchntly wipe that person off the face of the world. Yet, maybe because she was sensitive after hearing about Veronica¡¯s plight, the thought of someone seeking to kill her future child and rip out their heart evoked her rage and killing intent. Her amethyst eyes narrowed into sharp slits. ¡°¡­¡± Taking in Lilian¡¯s response, Roel had to admit that her words made sense. It was unfair of him to exclude her from something she was very well involved in, even if his decision was spurred by his desire to protect her. Still, a child, huh? Roel was moved by the future described by Lilian, but he soon shook his head upon recalling their current circumstances. It¡¯s a beautiful dream, but it¡¯ll probably be a long timeter before ites to fruition. Roel sighed inmentation over this distant dream as he wrapped his arms around the woman before him. Little did he know that everything was already set in stone. Chapter 477.1: Raising A Wastrel (1)

Chapter 477.1: Raising A Wastrel (1)

In the devastated town, Roel embraced Lilian tightly as he pondered upon their future. While he wanted to resolve the threat of the Fallens by himself, he knew that he had no grounds to exclude Lilian from this matter, especially after her rebuttal. Her im as the future mother of his child was simply too much for him to fight against. This wasn¡¯t a bad thing since Lilian was indubitably a reliable ally. The current n was for them to take the initiative to strike the Fallens, but it wouldn¡¯t do for them to fumble around like headless flies. They would have to devise a proper strategy to deal with the Fallens. ¡°The Savior¡¯s worshipers are already very close to sess, but that isn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing for us,¡± Roel muttered contemtively. He knew that the Fallens needed to tribute awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline in order to unravel the seal ced on the Savior, but that was no easy feat at all. Even after the Ardes¡¯ fall from grace, they were still far from being powerless. Even in their weakened state, they still had powerhouses such as Astrid and Wendy Arde. Aeback wouldn¡¯t have been possible, but they chose to hide in the shadows so as to minimize the chances of the Savior¡¯s awakening. Furthermore, the Savior¡¯s worshipers had clearly gottencent after defeating the Ardes. Instead of focusing their attention on unraveling the Savior¡¯s seal, they turned their eyes toward the Ackermanns instead. Their extreme action alerted the Ackermanns as to how dangerous they were, prompting furious retaliation. The Ardes eventually survived the tumultuous period of time nearing the end of the Second Epoch, although the extenuating circumstances had forced them to split into several houses. Their main lineage, the Ascarts, came under the protection of the Xeclydes and swiftly bulked up. They even rebuilt the Twilight Sages Assembly at one point in time. On the other hand, the Fallens had failed to awaken the Savior, and there was a constant witch hunt for them during the mass migration westward too. Their number swiftly plummeted as a result. The tables were turned on them. The Fallens had been working on this n for a long thousand years, and sess was finally within their reach. But the closer they were to sess, the more likely they were to get impatient and err. ¡°The invasion of the deviants is the prelude to the Savior¡¯s awakening. To the Fallens, there will be no better opportunity than this. They had been able to maintain their upper hand thus far by scheming in the shadows, but their impatience is slowly pushing them toward the forefront. This is a result of that,¡± Roel said as he nced at the carcass of the fallen treant. If the primary cause of the downfall of the Ardes a thousand years ago was their arrogance, the ones who were filled with arrogance now would be the Fallens. They believed that the current Ascarts didn¡¯te close to matching the Ardes at their peak of power, which was technically not wrong. There was just one slight miscalction. The Ascarts were weaker now, but the same could be said about the Fallens. At the very least, those of the Kingmaker n were capable of standing against the Fallens. Other than the initial disadvantage Roel suffered due to his ignorance about the enemy¡¯s demonic artifact, it was practically a one-sided battle against the Treant High Priest afterward. To be fair, the battle would have been much harder if Lilian hadn¡¯t stalled the me spirits for him, but Roel thought that he would have still emerged victorious in an all-out battle. While Roel attempted to measure how their fighting prowesspared with the Fallens, Lilian thought about the memories he had about their ancestors and started feeling a little uneasy. Based on Roel¡¯s description of the three fragments of memories he had seen from Veronica, the Ardes didn¡¯t live in seclusion despite the obscurity around them. This was apparent from Veronica¡¯s birthday banquet, where the guests weren¡¯t just limited to the Ardes. It was likely that they had assumed an alternate identity on the surface. In any case, this would mean that they had been living within the sphere of influence of the Ackermann Imperial Family. Lilian initially didn¡¯t think too much about the Savior¡¯s worshipers assaulting the vulnerable members of the Ardes, but taking this piece of information into consideration, it quickly became apparent to her that something was very wrong here. How could the Ardes have not known that the remaining members of their n were vulnerable to enemy attacks once they dispatched all of their elites? If they did, why would they have made such a decision? They did value the lives of their n members, as shown by how Veronica was excluded from the mission due to her pregnancy. The missing piece to this puzzle, Lilian believed, was the protection of the Ancient Austine Empire. The Ardes had thrown themselves into the pits of danger in order to protect humankind; it was only right for the Ancient Austine Empire to guarantee the safety of their brethren. Yet, Roel saw no reinforcements when the Savior¡¯s worshipers attacked the vulnerable members of the Ardes. This didn¡¯t make sense at all. Ominous guesses surfaced in Lilian¡¯s mind, especially when she recalled the grudge Astrid held against the Ackermanns. The Ackermanns might have a part to y in the incident. The Ardes might be growing too powerful for theirfort, so they wanted to deal a blow to the Ardes so as to curb them. It was hard to tell how the political situation was back then, but if Lilian had to fathom a guess, there was likely to be a subtle rtionship between the Ackermanns and the Ardes. On one hand, the Ardes were the guardians protecting the Ancient Austine Empire from major threats, but at the same time, their great power was also a threat to the Ackermanns¡¯ rule. The Ackermanns had only been willing to tolerate the Ardes due to thetter¡¯s explicit refusal to involve themselves in politics, evident by their choice to go into obscurity. However, after the Ardes founded the Twilight Sages Assembly, their influence swiftly expanded far beyond just the scope of their own n members. Factoring in the overwhelming intrinsic strength of the Ardes, it was inevitable that the Ackermanns would fear them. The Ackermanns were probably thinking of standing by the sidelines while the Ardes and the Fallens tore at each other, but they didn¡¯t expect the elite forces of the Ardes and the Twilight Sages Assembly to suffer tremendous damage in their mission to save humankind too. This miscalction caused the scales to tilt overwhelmingly in favor of the Fallens, eventually resulting in the copse of the Ancient Austine Empire. Thinking up to this point, Lilian clenched her fists tightly and cursed her ancestors¡¯ foolishness. Roel noticed a frown on her forehead and asked worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, senior?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ I¡¯m just feeling a little ufortable thinking about the Ackermanns.¡± After spending a moment in thought, Lilian suddenly turned to look at Roel with unease brimming in her eyes. It urred to her that if she was able to deduce this far, Roel, who had personally witnessed Veronica¡¯s memories, should have reached the same realization as well. She couldn¡¯t help but feel apprehensive about what Roel thought about this matter. While she possessed the Kingmaker Bloodline, there was no doubt that she was an Ackermann and an imperial princess of the Austine Empire. How would Roel see her now that he found out that her ancestors¡¯ ill-will had resulted in the downfall of his ancestors? Lilian stared at Roel for a prolonged period of time before finally initiating the conversation with much difficulty. ¡°Roel, you should have realized it by now. The Ackermanns might have a hand in that incident.¡± There was a moment of silence before Roel answered. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m aware of it.¡± He was painfully aware of theck of reinforcements for the Ardes during the battle against the Savior¡¯s worshipers. From the surrounding buildings, he deduced that the Ardes were residing in the capital of the Ancient Austine Empire. No matter how influential the Savior¡¯s worshipers were, there was simply no way they could haveunched an attack in the heart of the Ancient Austine Empire without rming the Ackermanns. Taking a step back, even if there was a gap in the Ackermanns¡¯ intelligence, the intense battle that had transpired should have alerted them to the happenings right away. If they truly intended to reinforce the Ardes, they would have surely been able to make it in time. The thought of that evoked a sigh from Roel. Just as Astrid had said, the Ackermanns had pandered to the Savior¡¯s worshipers in order to maintain their grasp on power. However, he didn¡¯t think that this had anything to do with Lilian. ¡°Senior, you can¡¯t be thinking that I would me you for this matter?¡± asked Roel. Lilian lowered her head. There was a heavy look on her face. ¡°¡­ A little. I am an Ackermann, after all.¡± ¡°What about it? To me, you are simply you. Haven¡¯t you asked me this question back then?¡± ¡°I did, but this is a different situation.¡± Lilian recalled the expressions Roel had shown after witnessing the memories in Veronica¡¯s heart, and her eyshes drooped a little. ¡°Listening to someone narrating the incident and witnessing the events in person are two different matters. You have always wanted to know what had happened to your ancestors, and now you have found both your enemy and their aplice. Are you sure that you don¡¯t want to do anything at all?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was at a loss for words. He had indeed been trying to investigate the downfall of the Ardes, and the truth did anger him. He viewed the Fallens as his sworn enemy, but it was a different matter when it came to the Ackermanns. ¡°Astrid said that in the final years of the Second Epoch, an ancestor of the Ascart House, Carolyn Ascart, had cooperated with the Ackermanns to save humankind. I don¡¯t know whether the Ackermanns were doing it out of guilt or self-preservation, but I¡¯d think that the grudges between the two houses have already been settled back in that era. ¡°The Ackermanns¡¯ unfounded skepticism of the Ardes is one of the key internal reasons that led to that tragedy a thousand years ago. If I turn my back on my lover over her family name, I wouldn¡¯t be any different from them.¡± ¡°Roel¡­¡± ¡°Senior, let¡¯s not waste our energy on such meaningless skepticism. How could you, an inheritor of our Ascart Bloodline, possibly be considered an outsider? Besides¡­ aren¡¯t you the future mother of our children?¡± ¡°!¡± At Roel¡¯s mischievous tease, Lilian raised her head to look at him. A whileter, a blissful smile broke out on her face. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re right. It¡¯s unbing of me to worry over every small thing.¡± ¡°Unbing? I do agree that senior is different from before, but I like this side of you too.¡± ¡°¡­ You¡¯re getting better at words.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± asked Roel. Shaking her head in response, Lilian stepped forward and kissed Roel on his lips. With her lover reflected in her amethyst eyes, she murmured affectioantely in response. ¡°I like it.¡± Chapter 477.2: Raising A Wastrel (2)

Chapter 477.2: Raising A Wastrel (2)

After resolving Lilian¡¯s dilemma regarding the Ackermanns, the two of them began strolling around the devastated town with their hands in each other¡¯s. It might have seemed unfitting for the situation, but after careful analysis of the temporal spell, Roel figured that there was no need for them to do anything. The temporal spell that the Treant High Priest had stolen from Veronica was an inferior version that could onlyst for a day. In other words, the other members of the two investigation teams should revert to their original forms by nightfall. It was already nearing noon after all the fighting and talking they did. Even if Roel were to start searching for others to dispel the curse on them with Veronica¡¯s heart right now, given the shambled state of the town, it was unlikely that he would even be halfway through by nightfall. Given so, he decided to wait it out instead of wasting his strength. Besides, this was the final bit of time the two of them had with each other. They would have to distance themselves from each other once the other members of the two investigation teams reverted to their original form, and before long, they would be bidding farewell to each other. Lilian would join a group of Austine soldiers up ahead before making her way to the eastern border whereas Roel would return to Saint Freya Academy to continue investigating theSix Cmities, raise his strength, and search for the Collector¡¯s whereabouts. With the Fallens seeking to unravel the Savior¡¯s seal, this matter was no longer just an issue for the Ascart House but the entire Sia Continent. Given so, it was only normal for everyone to pitch in their strength. It was just that Roel insisted on personally dealing with the Collector, citing his past experience with thetter. Lilian thought that it was too dangerous, but she couldn¡¯t change Roel¡¯s mind. Regardless, this devastated mountainous town was going to be their final stop together before parting ways. They cherished everyst bit of time they had together and didn¡¯t want anyone to interrupt them. Roel nned to give Veronica¡¯s heart a proper burial in the Ascart House. This was the only thing he could do for his ancestor who had suffered for so long after her death. For the time being, he entrusted the heart to Peytra, whose life force was many times purer than that of the fallen treant. She would be able to preserve the heart well. As for Portas Eye, Roel took extra care to ensure that it waspletely sealed up by his frost aura before entrusting it to the knowledgeable Witch Queen. His initial intention was to destroy the demonic artifact. It was a vile tool that plunged others into depravity and madness; its continued existence would have only been a threat to the world. However, that turned out to be beyond his current means. He did consider handing it over to Saint Freya Academy, but that wasn¡¯t an ideal course of action either. He wasn¡¯t obliged to relinquish his spoils of war to the academy, and he had a feeling that the academy wouldn¡¯t know what to do with Portas Eye too. On top of that, there were many eyes in the academy, and schrs were notorious for their inquisitivity. If they carelessly tampered with the demonic artifact, it could result in a cmity. After dealing with Portas Eye, Roel and Lilian left the town together to admire the surrounding natural scenery. The natural beauty of the Austine Empire¡¯s rural borders was finally apparent now that the fog had dispersed. A vibrant rainbow arced across the clear sky, lifting the moods of those who were lucky to witness its resplendence. The duo wondered in amazement how so many things had happened on this trip. Neither of them had expected to encounter such danger in this remote town, and it was beyond their imagination that they would have advanced a significant step in their rtionship. ¡°My apologies, senior. Your first time should have been at somewhere better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bothered by such trivialities. If we really wish to fuss about the details, our first time happened inside the Ten Fortresses more than anywhere else,¡± Lilian said with a furious blush. She was already considering keeping the room as it was for all eternity formemoration. On the other hand, Roel thought about the issue of having a child. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ I remember Astrid telling us that our offspring is likely to be a ¡®Pureblood¡¯. ¡°She did say that.¡± Lilian nodded in acknowledgment. Should a union between two individuals who shared the same bloodline ur, there was a high chance that they would bear offspring with an even stronger bloodline. ¡°A further enhancement of the Kingmaker Bloodline? That sounds frightening. I can¡¯t imagine how strong it¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t like the Kingmaker Bloodline. As powerful as it may be, it¡¯s simply too dangerous.¡± Lilian subconsciously ced her hand on her abdomen. ¡°If we do have a child, my only wish for him is to have a healthy and happy life. There¡¯s no need for him to awaken a bloodline that endangers his life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel found himself losing his ability to speak. Lilian¡¯s expression suddenly looked so gentle that it was almost as if she had be a mother; he found himself incapable of tearing his eyes away from her. How beautiful. His face couldn¡¯t help but redden a little, but he couldn¡¯t agree with what Lilian said. He once wondered that if he was born in the same family as Lilian, he might have just turned into a wastrel under her doting. It was fortunate that such a situation didn¡¯t ur, but it looked like his child might face such a fate. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re being too indulging. While the Ascart Bloodline is dangerous, it doese with many benefits. Furthermore, we should be able to suppress its effects by having him adopt your Kingdom Origin Attribute¡­¡± The two of them started chatting about bloodlines and Origin Attributes before moving on to other topics. It was already the middle of summer, but the mountaintop remained refreshingly cool. The two of them stood at the edge of the cliff as they admired the expansivendscape before them. Time passed in a sh, and they enjoyed the setting sun in each other¡¯s embrace. When night finally descended upon the world, the previously silent Marlin Town started filling up with voices. Roel and Lilian exchanged gazes before reluctantly parting from each other¡¯s embrace. They made their way back to the town to look for the reappeared team members. It was a good thing that the members of the main team were all high transcendents; the copsed buildings didn¡¯t pose a threat to them at all. They could even climb out of the rubble on their own. It was just that the release of the temporal spell had reverted them to their terror-stricken state right at the moment of their disappearance, so they were understandably in a distraught state. Frightened screams filled the air. As grating as those screams were, it did help Roel and Lilian swiftly locate them. Roel was just a little speechless at how those ¡®powerful schrs¡¯ were so scared out of their wits that they even attacked him. Words couldn¡¯t get through to them, so he had no choice but to knock them out with the ssical knifehand strike. He dragged those schrs whom he had struck unconscious to the center of the town, where Lilian had erected her Ten Fortresses to take care of them. However, after a brief talk with her, he was informed of a piece of bad news. ¡°They lost their minds, you say?¡± ¡°Yes, there are already a few of them. I reckon that it¡¯s the Savior¡¯s influence at work.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Roel¡¯s face turned grim after learning of the news. While Portas Eye wasn¡¯t as effective on Roel and Lilian, it spelled a catastrophe for normal transcendents. Even if they survived the encounter with it, they couldn¡¯t avoid the mental influence it had on them. Witnessing the plights of those from the main team made Roel think about his auxiliary team, and nervousness gripped his heart. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Juliana and Selina had been exposed to the light of Portas Eye too. Will they be fine? Or are they already¡­ Unable to remain seated, Roel could only anxiously pace around the room as he waited for his team members¡¯ return. The night deepened, and two familiar mana pulsations suddenly rippled from the borders of Marlin Town. Roel rushed over right away and was met with familiar faces. ¡°Leader? What happened¡­¡± ¡°Big brother Roel?¡± They were Stuart and Paul, the first ones to disappear from the auxiliary team. Paul had reverted to his young appearance. Much to Roel¡¯s relief, the two of them were unharmed. Ten minutester, there were another two more mana pulsations belonging to Juliana and Selina. However, the two of them were lying unconscious on the floor. Appalled, Roel quickly examined their physical condition, but it seemed to be a natural defensive reaction from their mind to offset the mental blow they had received. Despite being directly exposed to Portas Eye, the two members of Rose of Dawn fared much better than the main team¡¯s high transcendents. Roel was impressed by their mental resilience, but more than that, he was relieved. Now that they had found all of the missing personnel, it was about time for them to leave this devastated town. Chapter 477.2: Raising A Wastrel (2)

Chapter 477.2: Raising A Wastrel (2)

After resolving Lilian¡¯s dilemma regarding the Ackermanns, the two of them began strolling around the devastated town with their hands in each other¡¯s. It might have seemed unfitting for the situation, but after careful analysis of the temporal spell, Roel figured that there was no need for them to do anything. The temporal spell that the Treant High Priest had stolen from Veronica was an inferior version that could onlyst for a day. In other words, the other members of the two investigation teams should revert to their original forms by nightfall. It was already nearing noon after all the fighting and talking they did. Even if Roel were to start searching for others to dispel the curse on them with Veronica¡¯s heart right now, given the shambled state of the town, it was unlikely that he would even be halfway through by nightfall. Given so, he decided to wait it out instead of wasting his strength. Besides, this was the final bit of time the two of them had with each other. They would have to distance themselves from each other once the other members of the two investigation teams reverted to their original form, and before long, they would be bidding farewell to each other. Lilian would join a group of Austine soldiers up ahead before making her way to the eastern border whereas Roel would return to Saint Freya Academy to continue investigating theSix Cmities, raise his strength, and search for the Collector¡¯s whereabouts. With the Fallens seeking to unravel the Savior¡¯s seal, this matter was no longer just an issue for the Ascart House but the entire Sia Continent. Given so, it was only normal for everyone to pitch in their strength. It was just that Roel insisted on personally dealing with the Collector, citing his past experience with thetter. Lilian thought that it was too dangerous, but she couldn¡¯t change Roel¡¯s mind. Regardless, this devastated mountainous town was going to be their final stop together before parting ways. They cherished everyst bit of time they had together and didn¡¯t want anyone to interrupt them. Roel nned to give Veronica¡¯s heart a proper burial in the Ascart House. This was the only thing he could do for his ancestor who had suffered for so long after her death. For the time being, he entrusted the heart to Peytra, whose life force was many times purer than that of the fallen treant. She would be able to preserve the heart well. As for Portas Eye, Roel took extra care to ensure that it waspletely sealed up by his frost aura before entrusting it to the knowledgeable Witch Queen. His initial intention was to destroy the demonic artifact. It was a vile tool that plunged others into depravity and madness; its continued existence would have only been a threat to the world. However, that turned out to be beyond his current means. He did consider handing it over to Saint Freya Academy, but that wasn¡¯t an ideal course of action either. He wasn¡¯t obliged to relinquish his spoils of war to the academy, and he had a feeling that the academy wouldn¡¯t know what to do with Portas Eye too. On top of that, there were many eyes in the academy, and schrs were notorious for their inquisitivity. If they carelessly tampered with the demonic artifact, it could result in a cmity. After dealing with Portas Eye, Roel and Lilian left the town together to admire the surrounding natural scenery. The natural beauty of the Austine Empire¡¯s rural borders was finally apparent now that the fog had dispersed. A vibrant rainbow arced across the clear sky, lifting the moods of those who were lucky to witness its resplendence. The duo wondered in amazement how so many things had happened on this trip. Neither of them had expected to encounter such danger in this remote town, and it was beyond their imagination that they would have advanced a significant step in their rtionship. ¡°My apologies, senior. Your first time should have been at somewhere better.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bothered by such trivialities. If we really wish to fuss about the details, our first time happened inside the Ten Fortresses more than anywhere else,¡± Lilian said with a furious blush. She was already considering keeping the room as it was for all eternity formemoration. On the other hand, Roel thought about the issue of having a child. ¡°Speaking of which¡­ I remember Astrid telling us that our offspring is likely to be a ¡®Pureblood¡¯. ¡°She did say that.¡± Lilian nodded in acknowledgment. Should a union between two individuals who shared the same bloodline ur, there was a high chance that they would bear offspring with an even stronger bloodline. ¡°A further enhancement of the Kingmaker Bloodline? That sounds frightening. I can¡¯t imagine how strong it¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t like the Kingmaker Bloodline. As powerful as it may be, it¡¯s simply too dangerous.¡± Lilian subconsciously ced her hand on her abdomen. ¡°If we do have a child, my only wish for him is to have a healthy and happy life. There¡¯s no need for him to awaken a bloodline that endangers his life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel found himself losing his ability to speak. Lilian¡¯s expression suddenly looked so gentle that it was almost as if she had be a mother; he found himself incapable of tearing his eyes away from her. How beautiful. His face couldn¡¯t help but redden a little, but he couldn¡¯t agree with what Lilian said. He once wondered that if he was born in the same family as Lilian, he might have just turned into a wastrel under her doting. It was fortunate that such a situation didn¡¯t ur, but it looked like his child might face such a fate. ¡°Senior, you¡¯re being too indulging. While the Ascart Bloodline is dangerous, it doese with many benefits. Furthermore, we should be able to suppress its effects by having him adopt your Kingdom Origin Attribute¡­¡± The two of them started chatting about bloodlines and Origin Attributes before moving on to other topics. It was already the middle of summer, but the mountaintop remained refreshingly cool. The two of them stood at the edge of the cliff as they admired the expansivendscape before them. Time passed in a sh, and they enjoyed the setting sun in each other¡¯s embrace. When night finally descended upon the world, the previously silent Marlin Town started filling up with voices. Roel and Lilian exchanged gazes before reluctantly parting from each other¡¯s embrace. They made their way back to the town to look for the reappeared team members. It was a good thing that the members of the main team were all high transcendents; the copsed buildings didn¡¯t pose a threat to them at all. They could even climb out of the rubble on their own. It was just that the release of the temporal spell had reverted them to their terror-stricken state right at the moment of their disappearance, so they were understandably in a distraught state. Frightened screams filled the air. As grating as those screams were, it did help Roel and Lilian swiftly locate them. Roel was just a little speechless at how those ¡®powerful schrs¡¯ were so scared out of their wits that they even attacked him. Words couldn¡¯t get through to them, so he had no choice but to knock them out with the ssical knifehand strike. He dragged those schrs whom he had struck unconscious to the center of the town, where Lilian had erected her Ten Fortresses to take care of them. However, after a brief talk with her, he was informed of a piece of bad news. ¡°They lost their minds, you say?¡± ¡°Yes, there are already a few of them. I reckon that it¡¯s the Savior¡¯s influence at work.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Roel¡¯s face turned grim after learning of the news. While Portas Eye wasn¡¯t as effective on Roel and Lilian, it spelled a catastrophe for normal transcendents. Even if they survived the encounter with it, they couldn¡¯t avoid the mental influence it had on them. Witnessing the plights of those from the main team made Roel think about his auxiliary team, and nervousness gripped his heart. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Juliana and Selina had been exposed to the light of Portas Eye too. Will they be fine? Or are they already¡­ Unable to remain seated, Roel could only anxiously pace around the room as he waited for his team members¡¯ return. The night deepened, and two familiar mana pulsations suddenly rippled from the borders of Marlin Town. Roel rushed over right away and was met with familiar faces. ¡°Leader? What happened¡­¡± ¡°Big brother Roel?¡± They were Stuart and Paul, the first ones to disappear from the auxiliary team. Paul had reverted to his young appearance. Much to Roel¡¯s relief, the two of them were unharmed. Ten minutester, there were another two more mana pulsations belonging to Juliana and Selina. However, the two of them were lying unconscious on the floor. Appalled, Roel quickly examined their physical condition, but it seemed to be a natural defensive reaction from their mind to offset the mental blow they had received. Despite being directly exposed to Portas Eye, the two members of Rose of Dawn fared much better than the main team¡¯s high transcendents. Roel was impressed by their mental resilience, but more than that, he was relieved. Now that they had found all of the missing personnel, it was about time for them to leave this devastated town. Chapter 478.1: Wife (1)

Chapter 478.1: Wife (1)

Looking at the two young women fast asleep on the ground, Roel patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief. He had flown into a fluster when Lilian told him that some in the main team had lost their minds. He knew that Selina and Juliana had also been exposed to the power of Portas Eye when they rushed at the Treant High Priest in the earlier battle, which meant that they had been at risk too. Their assault might have appeared reckless, but they had made that move to protect him. Roel was unquestionably the strongest transcendent in the auxiliary team, but he was more of a traditional spellcaster than anything else. While he often utilized Grandar¡¯s strength, he wasn¡¯t as skilled in close-quarterbat as warriors and knights. It was optimal for him to unleash spells from the backline, especially since he could dish out great damage through the means he acquired from his other ancient gods and the Crown¡¯s Stones. It was with such considerations in mind that Roel chose the members of the auxiliary team. Selina and her overwhelming offensive prowess from her Saint Beast Bloodline were a powerful force at the frontlines. Juliana¡¯s ability to manipte shadows allowed her to alternate between offense and defense, making her suited as a second tank. Roel would be the main damage dealer on the backline. Stuart would support the team with his excellent scouting ability and the multitude of spells in his arsenal. This was the formation of their team, and the other three understood their own roles too. That was why Selina and Juliana charged at the enemy without any hesitation. They were trying to tie down the enemy so as to buy time for Roel tounch his attack, but Portas Eye activated before they could reach him. Roel wouldn¡¯t have been able to ept it if the two of them had lost their minds and fallen into depravity due to this, but it was fortunate that the worst didn¡¯te to be. While Selina and Juliana were asleep, there was a peaceful look on their faces. There was no way they could have looked so peaceful had they truly fallen under the Savior¡¯s influence. In fact, they wouldn¡¯t even have been able to fall asleep. They would have either been screaming in hysteria or spouting deranged murmurs. At least, those were the fates of the schrs afflicted by the Savior¡¯s madness. The hysterical screamings that echoed non-stop made the Ten Fortresses seem like a ce of congregation for deranged cultists. This was a conundrum. Those schrs had only lost their sanity under the Savior¡¯s influence, so they weren¡¯t evil cultists but pitiful victims. However, as high transcendents, they could cause great damage should they ever go on a rampage, so some measures needed to be put in ce. Lilian summoned her magicians to cast a hypnosis spell on those schrs to put them to sleep, but even their rest seemed to be gued with nightmares. As an additionalyer of precaution, she summoned a toon of soldiers and had them keep a close eye on the schrs. ¡°Leader, there isn¡¯t any problem with their flow of mana. They are probably just asleep.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± Roel was still feeling uneasy about Selina and Juliana, so he called Stuart over to inspect their conditions. Thetter scanned them with his magic eyes and found no abnormalities in their flow of mana. It was only then that Roel was finally able to rest at ease. Whether it was the bloodlines of other races having immunity against the Savior¡¯s influence, the temporal spell taking effect first before Portas Eye, or that their willpower was simply stronger than the schrs who had spent their lives holed up in their researchb, the whole auxiliary team had emerged from this crisis unharmed. On this miserable night filled with an endless stream of bad news, this was the only thing thatforted Roel. He lifted the two women on his shoulders and carried them to Ten Fortresses. There was nothing inappropriate about Roel taking care of his team members, but out of consideration, he first headed over to Lilian¡¯s side and gave her a heads up before moving them over to a soft bed. Paul tagged along with him to report his safety to Lilian. He was still a member of the Ackermann Imperial Family, albeit being an illegitimate child. On top of that, he knew that he was the keymunication channel between Roel and Lilian now that they were in the presence of outsiders, so he worked harder than ever for their sake. Lilian wasn¡¯t blind to his sincerity, and she most definitely didn¡¯t think of him as a tool. While she didn¡¯t feel as attached to him as she did with Roel, she was still heartened by the knowledge that she had another younger brother and took good care of him. Her actions had great repercussions. The other nobles noticed her change in attitude and no longer picked on Paul lest they got on the bad side of the imperial princess. On the other hand, after Roel settled Selina and Juliana down, he called Stuart over and began carrying out their job. A key responsibility of the auxiliary team was to provide support to the main team in times of need, which was why they had brought serums and magic tools with them. With most schrs going either mad or dumb, it was clear that they had to do something about the situation. It¡¯s unlikely that ordinary means can cure them of the Savior¡¯s influence, but it¡¯s at least worth giving a shot. That was the mindset they were proceeding with, but their optimism swiftly crashed. ¡°D-don¡¯te over!¡± ¡°Ah! Ahhhhh¡ª!¡± ¡°Hey, stop moving around! I¡¯m trying to treat you here!¡± After expending a great deal of effort, Roel and Stuart left the room feeling utterly exasperated by the antics of those who had lost their minds. Leaning against the wall, they let out deep sighs in unison. ¡°Damn. Nothing is working at all. The tranquilizers do calm them down, but high transcendents like them possess high immunity toward medicine. The effects won¡¯tst long on them.¡± ¡°I examined those who have lost their minds with my eyes, and their mana flow is chaotic. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible to correct that through external intervention. Leader, what do we do now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel thought hard about the matter before eventually shaking his head. With no more tricks up his sleeves, he could only proim their operation a failure. This investigation team was probably the most powerful line-up Saint Freya Academy had ever dispatched for a single mission, containing a majority of high transcendents. It should have been more than enough to deal with anything that came their way, but to think that it all ended up like that¡­ The students stood bravely to ovee the threat whereas the teachers were all scared witless. What was even more ironic was that the students all turned out fine whereas most of the teachers were driven mad. What in the world is this? It was such an unseemly situation that Roel couldn¡¯t help but frown at it. With more than half of the schrs losing their minds, they would have to terminate this mission here. In the first ce, the appearance of the Treant High Priest here had pretty much confirmed Roel¡¯s suspicion that the disappearances at Braytown were part of the Fallens¡¯ ploy to lure them here. As for what they were going to do from now onward¡­ ¡°The Treant High Priest might be dead, but the investigation team has suffered great casualties too. It would be unwise for us to linger in this border town. We should leave this ce as soon as possible,¡± said Roel. Having made up his mind, he quickly proceeded with the standard procedures. He picked out a few schrs who were still barely holding onto their sanity and brought them to the battlefield where he fought with the fallen treant. The rage of the Primordial Mother Goddess had blown a half of Marlin Town into the sky, devastating everything in the vicinity. The ground was cracked, revealing pools ofva that were still puffing out smoke. It was almost as if a cmitous volcano eruption had urred here. This doomsday scenery wasn¡¯t much of a deal to Roel, but it was a shocking sight to the already unnerved schrs. ¡°These marks are¡­¡± ¡°Someone dragged up theva from the earth¡¯s mantle!¡± ¡°This is where I killed the enemy who made all of you disappear and drove the others insane. Based on the abilities he has disyed, I can say with certainty that he¡¯s a worshiper of the Savior, belonging to the most dangerous evil cult on the Sia Continent. I hope that you can record this down and report it to the academy ordingly.¡± Roel gave the shocked schrs some time to take in the situation before he pointed to the carcass of the fallen treant and described the happenings to them. The gaze of these conceited schrs visibly became much more respectful after hearing the story. ¡°You can be assured that we¡¯ll report this matter to the academy. However, Roel, you mentioned that you were the one who defeated the evil cultist. There should be a reward for this, but regarding its allocation¡­¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t a problem. Even though I followed the auxiliary team, I didn¡¯t officially ept the mission, so I am somewhat of an outsider here. If there are any rewards, you can direct them toward the other members of the auxiliary team.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The schrs nodded in response. Truth be told, there were many other questions that they wanted to ask, such as why Roel was here in the first ce, but they decided not to probe deeper and instead ept his arrangement. Their cooperative attitude made Roel¡¯s expression loosen up a little. This incident had left Roel very disappointed with these schrs. He thought that they, as high transcendents, would at least be able to put up a fight, but they crumbled like domino pieces at the slightest blow of the wind. All of them fled in a panic as soon as the Treant High Priest appeared, leaving Lilian to fight on her own. This group of people could only take fights that were overwhelmingly in their favor. ¡®Fair-weather soldiers¡¯¡ªthat was what Roel would call them. It was no wonder they wouldn¡¯t be dispatched to the frontlines unless the situation was dire. If these high transcendents sumbed to their cowardice in the midst of battle and fled the battlefield, it would greatly shake the morale of the entire army. The only silver lining was that these people knew how to read the situation and wouldn¡¯t unnecessarily cause trouble. In view of that, Roel decided not to humiliate them by mentioning their abysmal performance in the earlier battle. He made sure to emphasize Lilian¡¯s role in the battle to them before leading the schrs back to Ten Fortresses. He was initially intending on letting Lilian im credit for the battle. Strictly speaking, Roel and Lilian had worked together to take down the fallen treant, but he couldn¡¯t assert that since they weren¡¯t supposed to be on friendly terms. As a result, he could only pass on the credit to Selina and the others. Even so, he was still determined to ensure that Lilian received the recognition she deserved here. The schrs listened to Roel¡¯s affirmation of Lilian¡¯s contribution and quickly caught his drift. They indicated that Lilian was the one who supported the auxiliary team to a decisive victory, and they would record it as such. That finally brought a faint smile to Roel¡¯s lips. We are Hosted Nov3l, find us on g00gle. I guess they aren¡¯t irredeemable. Roel looked at the schrs with a heartened look, but Stuart was starting to feel a little ufortable about the situation. He trailed behind Roel for a while before asking hesitantly. This novel is _hosted_ by hosted novel. ¡°Leader, is this really fine? It¡¯s your credit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. If you really feel bad, you can make it up to me by assisting me on other matters in the future. I am in a dire need of manpower now,¡± Roel replied as he patted Stuart¡¯s shoulder. Stuart pondered upon those words before nodding. The two of them exchanged a smile before heading into the pristine fortress towering in the middle of the devastated town. Chapter 478.2: Wife (2)

Chapter 478.2: Wife (2)

Deep in the night, in one of the rooms of the Ten Fortresses, Roel sat on a chair with his eyes fixated on a book he had brought with him. There was a huge bed behind him where two womeny asleep. Stuart had also fallen asleep on a desk by the corner of the room. It was all quiet except for the ticking of the wall clock and the asional flipping of pages. Roel found this rare moment of peace delightful. When the clock finally struck midnight, Roel closed his book shut, quietly rose from the chair, and made his way out of the room. It was a great deal of trouble, but they were able to sedate all of the schrs who had lost their minds after a while. Those who managed to stay sane were also exhausted after all they had been through and quickly fell asleep. Despite the Treant High Priest¡¯s death, Roel and Lilian dared not to let their guard down, especially since they knew that the Collector possessed powerful spatial means. Thus, they had agreed to maintain Ten Fortresses and stand guard for the night. Guard duty tended to be extremely boring, so the two of them decided to meet up. Of course, the more important reason was that they were reluctant to part ways just like that. Roel slowly made his way across the corridor and toward the sentry tower. This was the location they had agreed on earlier in the evening, but after some thought, he decided to make a detour to the guest room to prepare two cups of tea. The mountainous region near the border of the Austine Empire tended to turn extremely cold at night, especially at higher altitudes. It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to bring some tea over to warm them up. After preparing the beverage, Roel began walking up the sentry tower. At the top of the stairs was a door linked to the fortress wall. He opened it and was weed by a beautiful ck-haired woman standing beneath a starry night sky. ¡°The stars look bright tonight, senior.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here, Roel.¡± ¡°My apologies for beingte. It took me some time to prepare tea for us.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize; I¡¯ve only just arrived myself too. I thought that it would be difficult for me to excuse myself, but those schrs became much more behaved after you took them out. Did you say something to them?¡± Lilian received the cup of tea offered by Roel with a word of thanks before asking out of curiosity. Roel was momentarily surprised by her remark before bursting intoughter. He didn¡¯t think that his subtle act of intimidation would have such rippling effects. _ Support us at hosted novel _ ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I only brought them to the battlefield to verify the fallen treant¡¯s carcass.¡± ¡°I see. The devastation caused by the fight must have unnerved them¡­ I am rather surprised. I didn¡¯t think that they would get frightened that easily,¡± Lilian remarked with a sigh. Roel agreed with her as well. The two of them held onto their teacups as they gazed at the beautiful scenery beyond the fortress wall while enjoying the serenity of the night. As veteran fighters in their own rights, both Roel and Lilian were sorely disappointed by the ¡®academic-style¡¯ spells developed by the Schr Guilds. In their view, those spells were nothing but a waste of resources. To be fair, there were powerful transcendents amongst the schrs too. It would be unwise to dismiss all schrs over theckluster performance of those who had joined this mission. Antonio, the principal of Saint Freya Academy, was one such exception, being a schr who had risen to the highest ranks of humankind. ¡°Let¡¯s not think about such stuff now. It¡¯s rare for us to have some time to ourselves.¡± ¡°Indeed. Senior, isn¡¯t it tiring for you to continuously maintain Ten Fortresses over a long period of time?¡± ¡°I can still manage it if it¡¯s just a night. I am an Origin Level 2 transcendent, after all,¡± Lilian replied with a smile, heartened by the concern. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Roel suddenly let out a sigh. Lilian nced at him and quickly figured out his thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you disappointed that you aren¡¯t able to overtake me?¡± ¡°Well, a little.¡± ¡°Really, you shouldn¡¯t get caught up over such stuff. I am older than you.¡± ¡°I usually don¡¯t get bothered by this, but I¡¯d like to at least be strong enough to protect my wife¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Those words caught Lilian off guard. Her body first stiffened up before a shudder ran through her body. She turned to Roel with widened eyes and asked in agitation. ¡°W-what did you just call me?¡± ¡°Hm? Ah! I¡¯m sorry. It must have surprised you. It slipped out of my mouth before I¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not trying to me you here. I¡¯m asking you to repeat it one more time.¡± ¡°A-alright. My wife¡­¡± ¡°!¡± When Roel repeated that intimate address once more, Lilian lowered her head and clutched her own chest. She could feel something heating up inside of her, filling her with bliss. It was such an intense rush of emotion that her breathing started to hasten. ¡°¡­ I never thought that a day woulde where someone would call me that.¡± ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°I never thought I would hear those words in my lifetime before I met you. I used to think that such addresses are nothing but formalities, but I¡¯m starting to understand why others pay so much emphasis to them.¡± After a prolonged silence, Lilian raised her head and spoke. Her tender eyes pulled at Roel¡¯s heartstrings, and he stepped forward to embrace her. ¡°I see. If we visit a ce where no one recognizes us in the future, I¡¯ll introduce you as such.¡± ¡°T-this¡­ might not really be good.¡± ¡°Why is that so?¡± ¡°I do like being called that way, but I don¡¯t detest you calling me ¡®senior¡¯ either. More importantly¡­ this isn¡¯t good for my heart.¡± Lilian clutched her chest as she looked at Roel with a flushed face, almost as if she was earnestly worried that her heart would beat out of her chest. Her adorable appearance was too much for Roel to take that he hugged her even tighter. ¡°Senior, that¡¯s cheating. ¡°I should be the one saying that. You know that it¡¯s something that I dare not dream of,¡± replied Lilian with a pout. ¡°¡­¡± Roel blinked his eyes in confusion before he grasped what she was saying. Husband and wife were addresses used between married couples, but that was something far beyond the reach of Roel and Lilian. One was a high noble of the Theocracy whereas the other was an imperial princess of the Austine Empire; the difference in their affiliation and standing was simply too great, even if not for Emperor Lukas¡¯ opposition. It was already a miracle for them to have what they currently have. Getting married, for them, was a distant dream. The thought of that sank Roel¡¯s heart, and the arms he had wrapped around her loosened in response. Sensing the changes in his emotions, Lilian quickly added. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, Roel. I didn¡¯t intend those words as a criticism. What I¡¯m trying to say is that I¡¯m overjoyed that you regard me as your wife.¡± ¡°Senior¡­¡± That lifted Roel¡¯s mood a little. Lilian heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t really have a fixation with getting married either. Love is not something that can be guaranteed by a mere piece of paper or a ceremony. What¡¯s more important is the feelings we bear for each other¡­ and I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s entirely impossible for us to get married either.¡± ¡°Senior?¡± ¡°As long as we get through this difficult period, we might be able to¡­¡± murmured Lilian. Roel¡¯s eyes turned sharp. The threat of the Fallens and Emperor Lukas¡¯ obstruction were not problems they could resolve within a single day. However, as long as they continued growing, there would eventuallye a day where they were strong enough to resolve these issues. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to work harder.¡± ¡°As much as I¡¯d like to tell you to leave it to me, I doubt that you¡¯ll agree to it, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I am nning to stand beside you, not behind you.¡± ¡°¡­ Then I guess you¡¯ll have to work hard, the father of our child,¡± Lilian teased with a blissful smile. ¡°!¡± That was a critical hit to Roel. His face reddened and he averted his gaze. He had to take a deep breath before he could bring himself to face Lilian once more. ¡°I will,¡± he replied definitively. He then took her lips as if sealing the promise. ¡­ The following morning, the fast asleep Selina and Juliana woke up one after another. The first thing they did was to leap to their feet and scan their surroundings. Theirmon sense told them that it was impossible for such a luxurious room to appear in the rural Marlin Town, especially since they had never seen Lilian¡¯s Ten Fortresses before. The abrupt change in their environment led to them concluding that they had been captured by the enemy, such that they nearly decapitated Stuart, who heard the ruckus and came to check the situation. ¡°Wait wait wait wait! Calm down, we¡¯re already out of danger!¡± Stuart shouted in horror at suddenly having a de pressed against his neck. ¡°Out of danger? What happened? Stuart, where are we?¡± asked Selina. ¡°Move your de away first!¡± eximed Stuart. It was then that Roel walked into the room. The ruckus had caught his attention. He first looked at Stuart, who had stiffened up from being literally inches away from death, before looking at the two confused women. Then, his lips curled upward in amusement. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake? I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re both fine given how energetic you are.¡± After everyone finally calmed down, Roel proceeded to exin the situation to them. Selina and Juliana¡¯s tense expressions visibly alleviated after hearing the story. ¡°So the enemy has been dealt with?¡± ¡°Sorry, we weren¡¯t of much help.¡± ¡°No, you have done well¡­ At the very least, you were much braver than the main team,¡± replied Roel. ¡°Hm?¡± Selina tilted her head in confusion whereas Juliana narrowed her blood-colored eyes, seemingly having understood something from that. It was just that Roel halted his words there, so the two of them tacitly chose not to ask any further. A night¡¯s rest had significantly improved the schrs¡¯ conditions. Lilian retracted her Ten Fortresses, and the group began heading for the closest military outpost in the Austine Empire. It went without saying that the insane schrs were a trouble to deal with, but fortunately, the group was able to travel quickly due to their generally high Origin Levels, so they didn¡¯t have to deal with them for too long. We are Hosted Nov3l, find us on g00gle. By sunset, they could already spot a military town not too far ahead of them. With this, the investigation mission was finally over. Selina and the others would be waiting in the military town for the academy to send personnel down to aid them. Roel had already left the group to return to the academy by himself. Lilian was going to rest up a little in the military town before resuming her journey to the eastern border. A major incident like this has to be reported upward, but Roel¡¯s name was conspicuously absent in the reports. No one from the Austine Empire saw him. The insane schrs were in no state to speak, and those who retained their sanity wouldn¡¯t dare run their mouth after having personally witnessed what Roel was capable of. That helped to further obscure the meeting between Roel and Lilian. Roel watched from the shadows as Lilian led the investigation team into the town. He thought about everything that had happened during this period of time, and it pained him to know that they had to part ways. He touched his heart and solemnly swore to himself. ¡°This separation will be nothing but a temporarypromise. We¡¯ll definitely reunite once more when everything is finally over. Wait for me, senior.¡± Moments after Lilian¡¯s silhouette disappeared inside the military town, Roel turned around and walked away. ¡ª I changed high-level transcendents to high transcendents. I have been secretly changing some terms along the way, such as Portas¡¯ Eyes ¡ú Portas¡¯ Eye ¡ú Portas Eye. Hehehe~ Chapter 479.1: You Lack Common Sense (1)

Chapter 479.1: You Lack Common Sense (1)

Separation was not a foreign concept to Roel Ascart. Communication was not easy on the Sia Continent, with the key medium still being traditional letters. Acquaintances who met on a journey were unlikely to meet each other ever again, making reunions ever more precious. As Carter often had to stay out for weeks due to his military duties, Roel had to learn how to cope with separation from a young age. Despite this, he was still deeply affected by his parting with Lilian, especially when the hazy memories of that night surfaced. Alright, he is a perv, but that isn¡¯t the main point! This was Roel¡¯s first intimate encounter with a woman. It was impossible for him not to feel anything about it. He felt an urge to protect and take care of her, but his rational mind was telling him to follow the original n. I need to do what I know is right instead of blindly giving in to my urges. Lilian is also holding herself back here. Lilian hadn¡¯t been wallowing in self-pity after her audience with Emperor Lukas. On the contrary, she had done many things in order to masquerade her rtionship with Roel, to the point where Emperor Lukas would struggle to find anything amiss. This was a relief since Roel had already promised her not to interfere in the affairs of the Austine Empire regardless of what happened. He could only pray for things to work out in her favor. With a sigh of resignation, Roel turned his attention back to the road. It had been a long time since hest traveled alone. His journey started from the borders of the Austine Empire, and he chose to follow the main road leading into the heart of the Austine Empire, briefly stopping by the towns and cities along the way to take a look around. He wanted to experience the culture of the Austine Empire so as to better understand what kind of ce it was, but the more important reason here was to avoid bumping into the dispatched personnel from Saint Freya Academy. To be doubly safe, he chose to take a detour instead of the usual, shorter route. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be so foolish as to go around with his original appearance. Others might recognize him from the attention he had received from winning the Challenger Cup. Thus, he altered his appearance and donned the attire of a merchant, which fitted in with the typical travelers in the summer season. The farming season usually started in early spring, shortly after the winter snow melted. During this period of time, merchant associations would start looking into the crops that the farmers in each region had started to nt before preparing goods that catered to their needs. The most notable product of all was a yellow magic byproduct which functioned simrly to a fertilizer. Roel had personally dubbed it ¡®Jink¡¯. Even though Roel hade from a more technologically advanced world, it would be expecting too much of an urban dweller to know much about agriculture. However, during his tenure as the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, he had to at least learn the bare basics of agriculture so as to facilitate administrative decision-making. During one of his field visits, he noticed how blocks of yellow magic byproducts were used to hasten crop growth. He was rather intrigued about it, but he was so busy with his duties that he wasn¡¯t able to ask about them. For convenience''s sake, he simply went with a meme in his previous world and dubbed it ¡®Jink¡¯. He intended it as a temporary name until someone corrected him with the proper term, but before that could happen, the farmers somehow learned about the term and ¡®Jink¡¯ mysteriously caught on. Before long, it had be the standard way of referring to the yellow magic byproducts in the Ascart Fiefdom. Jink, Jink, it''s in your wheat! Jink, Jink, it''s all you''ll ever want to eat! A pound in your manure, your fields it''ll cure! Jink, Jink, your vige drums beat! Roel ended up having nightmares about that ursed brainwashingmercial from his previous life for several nights. The thought about these interesting past events brought a faint smile to Roel¡¯s lips. Based on what he had heard from the towns he had stopped at, the weather in the Austine Empire was generally good this year, so the magic fertilizers were selling better than ever. Other than that, some of the merchant associations were already transporting goods around for their autumn business, where they would sell rations and necessities to the popce in preparation for winter. These were probably why there were more merchant convoys around than usual, which worked to Roel¡¯s benefit since it made his presence less conspicuous. He even joined in some of the festivities and tasted the local specialties. At first nce, one might think that he was frolicking around, but he had been keeping a close eye out for pursuers and potential enemies. He knew that the Fallens would bump him further up their hit list after he had defeated the Treant High Priest, and this was a good opportunity for those rats to strike since it would otherwise be difficult to catch him alone. To Roel¡¯s disappointment, the enemy didn¡¯t fall for his bait. Other than a couple of hoodlums who tried to rob him upon seeing that he was alone, nothing much happened along the way. The Fallens¡¯ inaction perplexed him. Nevertheless, this was still a weed break from work. His journey progressed without a hitch, and Leinster soon came within his line of sight a monthter. However, he chose not to enter the city right away but instead bide his time in the forest outside. Roel personally believed in going all the way when it came to acting. He didn¡¯t want others to know that he had tagged along with the auxiliary team to investigate Braytown¡¯s disappearances, which was why he had subtly intimidated the schrs to keep mum about the matter. However, that was not the only measure he had taken. Roel was a public figure in Saint Freya Academy, being both a noble Ringbearer and a champion of the Challenger Cup. It was too optimistic to think that his disappearance could have gone unnoticed for months. To solve this problem, he had to create a diversion. Thus, several days after Lilian¡¯s main team set off for Braytown, another group of students took on a mission with Roel registered as their leader. They consisted solely of members from the Bluerose Faction, with Geralt serving as the team¡¯s vice leader. This team had arranged their timeline to closely resemble that of the Braytown¡¯s disappearances investigation team. If one team returned early, they would reside in a wooden cabin located on the fringes of Fog Forest and await the return of the other. It was just that the encounter with the Treant High Priest had resulted in the termination of Braytown¡¯s investigation mission, so Roel ended up arriving first despite having taken a huge detour. It was frustrating how he was idling time away despite having loads of work awaiting him, but on the bright side, Geralt was able to smoothly aplish the mission. His team made an early return to Leinster too, sparing Roel the torture of outdoor survival. ¡°How was your first experience leading a team? Were you nervous?¡± ¡°Hahaha, it was alright. It was actually Brittany taking charge most of the time. To be honest, it would have been much harder for us toplete this mission if not for her instructions,¡± replied Geralt. ¡°Oh? I thought that you detested her. Did the two of you resolve your misunderstanding?¡± ¡°Ahaha, you can say so¡­ Wait, now is not the time to be talking about this. Chief, didn¡¯t something huge happen over on your side?¡± Inside the wooden cabin, Geralt turned to Roel and carefully asked. Roel was surprised by his question. ¡°You¡¯ve already heard about it? That shouldn¡¯t be. Weren¡¯t you out on a mission?¡± ¡°Chief, you¡¯re underestimating the impact of this matter. An elite team from Saint Freya Academy got assaulted by evil cultists¡ªthis is a big thing! Even the old graduates of the academy would have already heard about it by now, let alone us!¡± Geralt eximed agitatedly. He couldn¡¯t believe how Roel was able to remainposed despite such a huge thing happening that he started to doubt his grasp ofmon sense. He forced himself to take a deep breath and calm down before he began exining. ¡°Chief, it might be rude of me to say this, but you¡¯re the abnormal one here. People don¡¯t usuallye under the attack of bloodthirsty evil cultists. Students from our Saint Freya Academy rarely encounter evil cultists on missions. This assault can be said to be a once-in-a-century massive incident. Even the top echelon of humankind has been alerted to this matter.¡± Huh? Once-in-a-century? You¡¯re talking about¡­ this? Roel was astounded to hear that. It was only then that he realized that hismon sense had long drifted away from what was generally considered normal. His many encounters with danger over the years had already numbed him toward attacks from evil cultists. The enemy whom he had faced this time around, Treant High Priest Orked, was hardly the strongest enemy he had met thus far¡ªit was far weaker than the Origin Level 1 Human Sovereigns he had shed with¡ªwhich was why he didn¡¯t think much of it. But now that he was really thinking about it, a fallen treant from thousands of years ago assaulting an investigation team from Saint Freya Academy did sound like a big deal. Chapter 479.2: You Lack Common Sense (2)

Chapter 479.2: You Lack Common Sense (2)

Geralt proceeded to share everything he had heard in the aftermath of the evil cultist¡¯s assault, which further drove in the fact for Roel just how big this incident was. In particr, there was great focus ced on Lilian¡¯s involvement in the investigation team. The upper echelons of humankind viewed the incident as an attempt by the Fallens to instill chaos through murdering a potential sessor of the Austine Empire, and they quickly came to an agreement that they had to take action against this. First and foremost, Principal Antonio of Saint Freya Academy, as the survivor to the unfortunate tragedy that had befallen Leinster centuries ago, stepped up and shouldered the responsibility of investigating the incident. He also urged the other countries to take action against the evil cultists. Following that, the Austine Empire also stated their intention to thoroughly investigate the Fallens. At the same time, they castigated the church for its failure to keep the evil cultists in check. The Theocracy didn¡¯t respond to the criticism since it was typical for the Austine Empire to sling mud on them. However, they did express their full support for an operation to cleanse the evil cultists. They were already nning to make a move on the evil cultists over the disappearance of Tark Stronghold, and the participation of other nations in the cleansing was weed. With the major powersing to a consensus amongst themselves, the motion to purge the vermin of humankind was eventually passed unanimously. In view of that, the first thing Antonio did upon returning to the academy was to gather the members of the investigation team and conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. Geralt looked much more assured when he talked about how the upper echelons of humankind were already on the matter. In contrast, Roel¡¯splexion started to turn awful, for he knew that his concealment wasn¡¯t foolproof. It was one thing for the schrs to submit a report from their end, but it was another thing if someone headed down to Marlin Town to investigate the incident. Roel hadn¡¯t removed the traces of his battle with the Treant High Priest, so doubts were bound to surface upon further inspection. All the evidence would eventually lead to him. But when he heard that Antonio was in charge of the investigation, he quickly calmed down. What? Antonio? Ah, there¡¯s no problem here then. Antonio was aware that Lilian and Roel shared the same bloodlines. Given his intelligence, he should be able to swiftly figure out Roel¡¯s intention once he learned about his involvement. He believed that Antonio would be able to promptly deal with this matter without him saying a word. He might even alter the memories of those schrs just to be safe. Roel didn¡¯t have to worry about the secret getting out anymore. It sure feels good to have strong backing. The following day, Roel returned to Saint Freya Academy. The long journey spanning across spring and summer finally came to an end, leaving him with many precious memories that he would cherish for life. ¡­ Roel¡¯s return from his months-long mission didn¡¯t cause much of a stir in Saint Freya Academy. The student popce was much too focused on the uproar centered around Lilian. Different from the upper echelons who mainly looked at the Fallen¡¯s attack from the perspective of potential repercussions, the students were more focused on the actual loss caused by the incident, meaning to say, the casualties. An incident can be blown up, but casualties don¡¯t lie. If there had been no casualties in the incident, the students wouldn¡¯t have thought highly about the evil cultists, thinking that the upper echelons were just making a big fuss out of nothing. However, that was clearly not the case here. Shortly after the investigation team returned to the academy, all kinds of news started to float around. It didn¡¯t take long for the students to panic. More than half of the schrs who were in the investigation team disyed signs of insanity after the encounter with the evil cultists. This was indubitably frightening news for Brolne¡¯s popce, who saw knowledge and rationality as the most important things of all. If not for Paul, Selina, and the others emerging out of the incident unharmed, the matter might have blown up even further. The first ones to make a statement were the Schr Factions that the victims belonged to. They denounced the evil cultists and volunteered their manpower to Principal Antonio, vowing to get to the bottom of the matter. Following that, the staff members spoke out, saying that the current security measures put in ce by the academy were insufficient to protect the students and needed to be revised. Last but not least, the Rose Council, which theoretically wielded authorityparable to the principal in Saint Freya Academy, made a statement. As the only Ringbearer currently in the academy, Alicia solemnly requested Principal Antonio to investigate this matter and soothe the students¡¯ unease. These series of statements made it impossible for anyone to remain oblivious to the evil cultists¡¯ assault on the Braytown¡¯s disappearances investigation team. Roel happened to return as this matter was at the peak of its virality, leaving no room for others to pay any heed to him. Of course, Roel was perfectly fine with the peace he was enjoying, but there was some work to be done first. The first thing he did upon arriving in the Azure Manor was to find Paul and enquire about the happenings after his departure. Paul told him that they waited in the military town for three days before a nearby rescue team arrived in a rush under the academy¡¯s dispatch. Unfortunately, they weren''t enough to escort them back to the academy. More often than not, the work of a rescue team centered around transporting the casualties or bringing back the dead. Yet, the rescue team found themselves faced with a team where over half of the high transcendents had gone mad. This was most definitely not a situation they were trained for. Thus, they sent a request for additional reinforcement to the academy, and a toon of staff members finally arrived a weekter. With their help, they were able to safely bring the insane schrs back to the academy within half a month¡¯s time. As for Lilian, she went ahead with her original n of heading to the eastern border together with the Austine soldiers, not bothering to wait for the academy¡¯s response. While the investigation team was recuperating in the academy, Antonio personally paid them a visit and enquired about what they had been through. Under the questioning of the highly-esteemed principal, the sane schrs eventually crumbled into pressure and sold Roel out, though Antonio also requested them to keep it a secret afterward. That concluded the investigation of the incident, and what was left was to go after the culprits. Roel was fully supportive of that, even making amentary on the academy¡¯s press for that. ¡°I am appalled to hear of the atrocities that had happened to the Braytown¡¯s disappearances investigation team. We can¡¯t just turn a blind eye when the evil cultists are already climbing over our heads. We must teach them a lesson they¡¯ll never forget¡­¡± As an innocent bystander who was repulsed by the sheer atrocities, Roel impassionately condemned the evil cultists to the academy¡¯s press. His acting was so real that Paul and the others who knew of the truth wondered for a moment if this was a conspiracy. After making his statement, Roel took onest look at his involvement regarding this incident, and he was confident that he had covered everything. It shouldn¡¯t be likely for anyone to suspect him anymore. With his mind put at ease, he turned his attention to the research on historical records regarding the Six Cmities. Kurt and the others had been continuing the research while he was away, and he thought that they would have been able to get quite some work done. He was visibly disappointed when he saw how the researchption couldn¡¯t even fill up a single desk. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like we have made much progress over the past three months,¡± Roel said with a frown. ¡°Indeed. The speed of our investigation slowed considerably after you left. Many of those historical records contain falsified information, and it¡¯s hard for us to discern truth from falsehood without your ability. We ended up wasting a lot of time on that aspect,¡± Kurt replied bitterly. It would appear that the rampant falsehoods scourging the historical records had thoroughly disgusted Kurt and the other students. Seeing that, Roel responded with an understanding nod. It was unreasonable to expect efficiency when fact-checking was already a huge problem. In the first ce, the research team looking into the Six Cmities was centered around Roel. His absence was a huge blow to the team; the team wouldn¡¯t even have been able to function if not for Kurt. It would be both irrational and ungrateful of him to me them for not meeting up to his unreasonable expectations. With such thoughts in mind, Roel earnestly thanked Kurt for everything he had done over the past few months. Kurt replied that it was nothing much since browsing through historical records was not work but an enjoyable hobby to him. ¡­ And here I thought I was an avid reader. I have been humbled. After getting up to date with the recent research progress with Kurt, Roel paid a visit to Panoply Manor. Selina and Juliana were faring well, but Stuart was suffering from the side effects of his eyes and needed time to recuperate. It would be cheating if those overpowered eyes of his came with no setbacks. Roel spent a while chatting with the trio before returning to Azure Manor. Unsurprisingly, a silver-haired girl was waiting for him. ¡°Lord Brother, you¡¯re finally back.¡± With those words, Alicia leaped into his arms. Chapter 480.1: Alicia’s Compensation (1)

Chapter 480.1: Alicia¡¯s Compensation (1)

Alicia leaped into Roel¡¯s arms with such force that thetter staggered a step backward. He stared at the woman in his arms with eyes widened in astonishment, but before he could say a word, thetter suddenly began sobbing. ¡°Lord Brother, you¡¯re finally back! It has already been a few months¡­ You promised me that you would take care of me when I first enrolled in the academy. How could you leave me all alone here¡­¡± Alicia buried her head into Roel¡¯s chest as she muttered amidst sobs. Roel recalled the promise they had made, and it made him feel a little conscience-stricken. Prior to the new semester, Roel wanted to encourage Alicia to break out of her closed circle and enroll in Saint Freya Academy, so he made a promise to apany her around for her first year. Yet, he had to break his promise with her due to all sorts of situations cropping up. It was inevitable that Alicia would feel indignant about the situation. Roel shot a nce at the two members from the Whiterose Faction standing behind Alicia. Those two were startled to see a vastly different side to Alicia, but they quickly caught Roel¡¯s drift and tactfully left the room with lowered heads, closing the doors behind them. WIth that, the only ones left in the room were Roel and Alicia. Looking at the sobbing girl in his arms, Roel stroked her white hair consolingly while letting out a helpless sigh. ¡°You¡¯re a Ringbearer now. You shouldn¡¯t be showing such a sight to your subordinates. Aren¡¯t you worried that it might undermine your authority?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. None of those things matterpared to Lord Brother. Besides, they already know about it after what happened at the start of the semester,¡± replied Alicia. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was rendered speechless by her response. When he thought about how Alicia had embraced him in front of the First Year students, this matter suddenly didn¡¯t seem like a big deal anymore. Their rtionship was already known throughout the entire academy, so there was no need for them to hide anything at all. Those two appear to be Alicia¡¯s close aides, so they probably won¡¯t run their mouths either. Roel shook off those thoughts from his mind and turned his gaze back to the sobbing girl in his arms. Coincidentally, Alicia also raised her head at the moment, bringing about an exchange of gaze. He noticed her reddened eyes right away, and it brought about a pang of guilt. Alicia must have been worried for me. There have been many terrifying rumors floating around, and it was impossible for her to obtain any news about my safety since I have been hiding my whereabouts. While Roel¡¯s dyed return was necessary for him to perfect his alibi, it also meant that he had gone missing for an entire month after the evil cultists¡¯ attack. If he had known that the attack would draw so much attention, he would have sent a letter to Alicia to report his safety. Thinking back, he could have dealt with this matter better. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alicia. I didn¡¯t think things through properly. You must have been really worried¡­¡± Roel apologized in the hopes of receiving Alicia¡¯s forgiveness, but the silver-haired girl turned her head away instead. ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia wasn¡¯t answering at all. Roel realized that she was really angry this time around. He tried to gently coax her, but her attitude wasn¡¯t softening at all. Her expression remained steely, and she didn¡¯t turn to look at him either. It was almost as if she couldn¡¯t hear him at all. Her unrelenting attitude distressed Roel, but there was nothing he could do about it. He had broken his promise and left her worried for an entire month. She had every right to be upset. He tried to change the topic in hopes of redirecting her attention elsewhere, but that tactic didn¡¯t work either. Alicia wasn¡¯t budging at all. When he had finally tried everything he could think of, Alicia finally spoke up. ¡°¡­ Lord Brother, have you been sleeping well over the past month?¡± ¡°Ah? I¡­ guess so.¡± Alicia¡¯s sudden show of concern threw Roel off the loop. He knew that this was going to lead to somewhere bad, but he still chose to answer after a moment of hesitation. Unfortunately, his prediction was on the mark. ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. But Lord Brother¡­ do you know how I spent every night over the past month?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia looked at him with an impassive face, but Roel couldn¡¯t find a single word to say. ¡°Every night, I stare at your Life Orb and tell myself again and again that you¡¯re safe. I couldn¡¯t sleep at all; nightmares fill my mind each time I close my eyes. I tried medicine and spells, but nothing works on this body of mine¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alicia!¡± Halfway through her outburst, Roel couldn¡¯t bear it anymore and tightly embraced her. However, she had no intention of stopping just there. She struggled against his arms and roared hoarsely. ¡°Is it going to be that again? Do I have to close my eyes to this like I have done many times before? No, I won¡¯t fall for it again. Let me go! ¡°Time and time again, you promised me that you wouldn¡¯t do anything dangerous. Time and time again, you lie! How many more times do I have to let myself get fooled by you? You¡¯re a liar, Lord Brother! ¡°Lord Father has already gone to the frontlines, and you keep charging into danger everywhere you go. Have you even, for once, stopped and considered my feelings? You¡­ Wuuuu!¡± Alicia struggled and hammered at Roel¡¯s chest as she let out everything she had been bottling inside. At the end of her outburst, she started to silently weep. Finally realizing the gravity of what he had done to Alicia, Roel felt as if a mountain was crushing down on his heart, suffocating him. The prestigious Ascart House, despite its powerful military and high standing in the Theocracy, had two major ws. One, their family had always remained small despite having a thousand years of history behind it. Two, the men in the family could hardly be said to be ¡®family men¡¯. Carter was a self-exnatory example, being almost never around. Roel had also started turning his attention away from the Ascart House to focus on other issues. However, the remaining member of the Ascart House, Alicia, was unable to do the same. It might be because she had once lost a family, but she deeply cherished the Ascart House. She always maintained high standards in her mannerisms and etiquette, and she never allowed her results to slip from the top out of fear that she would besmirch the Ascart House¡¯s reputation. Her trauma from having lost her father at a young age made her sensitive to the safety of her family members, particrly Roel. The Life Orb must have reacted when Roel was exposed to the light of Portas Eye, resulting in her anxiety and insomnia. Roel felt as if someone was stabbing daggers into his heart. He released his arms around Alicia and took a step back to take a proper look at her. Her face was covered in tears. He tried to wipe away a tear trailing down her cheek, but she pushed his hand away. ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia turned her head away. Roel was startled by her rejection, but a brief momentter, he suddenly bent downward and leaned his face closer to hers. His abrupt approach brought a hint of fluster to Alicia¡¯s face. However, she didn¡¯t push him away. She appeared to be hesitating; her hand was awkwardly frozen in mid-air, seemingly at a loss. ¡°!¡± Against Roel¡¯s swiftly approaching face, Alicia¡¯s heart helplessly raced. She wondered if he was going to kiss her on the lips, but before she could prepare herself, he suddenly went for her cheek instead. The warmth of her cheek stunned her before disappointment started swelling in her heart. Any urge she had to forgive him popped like a bubble. Just this? Roel would also asionally give her a morning kiss on the forehead of his own ord. Trying to apologize with this was simply too perfunctory in her view. Chapter 480.2: Alicia’s Compensation (2)

Chapter 480.2: Alicia¡¯s Compensation (2)

However, her disappointment soon turned into shock. It wasn¡¯t the usual one-time peck. Gentle kisses rained down on her cheeks in a peculiar trajectory¡ªhe was slowly moving downward. Why are you kissing me like that? W-wait, that is¡­!!! Alicia¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment. She immediately pushed him away and asked in a fluster. ¡°L-Lord Brother! What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything. I¡¯m swallowing your tears since you wouldn¡¯t let me wipe them off.¡± ¡°!¡± That answer made Alicia¡¯s face redden like a bright apple. Even her fair skin was tinged in red from her intense emotions. Her lips started quivering out of nervousness. ¡°Alicia?¡± asked Roel. ¡°¡­ L-Lord Brother, how¡­ how could you¡­ Spit them out!¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s just tears. I don¡¯t find it dirty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here!¡± Alicia covered her burning face with her hands. She was feeling a little giddy from her brain going on overdrive. Feeling utterly embarrassed, she copsed into a squatting position and meekly murmured. ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here. How could you¡­ swallow a woman¡¯s fluid just like that¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was surprised to hear that, not expecting Alicia to see things from that perspective. However, her words made some sense. While he didn¡¯t think that it was anything much, it was indeed considered a biological fluid, so it was improper to ingest them. That being said, he found it weird how Alicia was getting embarrassed over this. It was not just once or twice that they had shared a bed, and there were also a few times that they had a lip-to-lip kiss too. She had even once mixed her saliva into wine to nourish his ailing life force. In fact, he would say that Alicia was much more daring than him. Yet, the current situation was telling a different story. She¡¯s fine with feeding her saliva to me, but it embarrasses her when I ingest it on my own ord. Roel had no idea what to make of this situation. However, it did remind him of how she would be startled whenever he picked bread crumbs off her lips and ate them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alicia. I didn¡¯t know that you would mind this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel apologized after a prolonged silence, and Alicia slowly recovered from her explosion of embarrassment. Mustering all of theposure she could gather, she forced herself to stand up and settle down on a nearby chair. Her face was still reddened and her lips twitched. She didn¡¯t know what to say here. This interjectionpletely messed up the heavy atmosphere in the room. Alicia¡¯s anger was quelled before she could realize it. Roel made use of this opportunity to speak his words. ¡°Alicia, I didn¡¯t think things through and made you worry. Just as you have said, this isn¡¯t the first time. I keep getting into situations that make you worry, and I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡± It filled him with guilt just thinking about a young Alicia spending her nights sleeplessly in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, constantly worried that a mishap might befall him. The fact that he was closest to Alicia aspared to the others only made things worse. It scared him just thinking about how much stress she must have felt. This outburst of hers was a result of her umted frustration and distress over the years. What Roel had to do now was to admit his fault, apologize, and mentally prepare her for whaty ahead in the future. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to promise you that I¡¯ll steer clear of danger, but Alicia, just like I¡¯ve told you in the past, I¡¯ll try my best to return safely to your side. I believe that a day wille where peace will return to our lives, just like how things were in our younger years.¡± ¡°In our younger years?¡± ¡°Yes, the days we have spent together before I awakened to my bloodline.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes narrowed upon hearing Roel¡¯s words. Those blissful times they had spent together in the Ascarts¡¯ manor before Roel¡¯s bloodline awakening were the sweetest memories she had. It was impossible for her not to be moved by his promise. ¡°Lord Brother¡­ is that true?¡± Alicia asked carefully. ¡°Of course. Will you ept my apology now?¡± Roel replied with an affirmative nod. Alicia was quiet for a long while before she finally breathed a sigh of resignation. ¡°I understand, Lord Brother. I can ept your apology, but I wantpensation¡­¡± ¡°Compensation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You¡¯ll know what it is tonight. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Alicia?¡± Alicia stood up and walked out of the room before Roel could ask what thepensation was. Roel considered chasing after her to ask about it, but it didn¡¯t seem right to do so given the atmosphere. I don¡¯t mindpensating her, but night¡­ Conflicted by the timing, Roel massaged his temples and breathed a sigh. He could only pray that Alicia wouldn¡¯t go overboard here. ¡­ Nightfall, in the Azure Manor, Roel leaned on his chair and nkly stared at the scenery outside. It was in the middle of summer. The mountain forest around Azure Manor was covered in lush greenery, with chirping birds enlivening the day and clicking cicadas filling the night. The night breeze was cool and refreshing, and the quiet environment mixed with the rhythmic calls of the cicadas was rxingly hypnotic. Now that he was back in a familiar room, Roel felt like he had finally returned home after months of journeying. His taut nerves slowly calmed down. Even though he had maintained aposed appearance during the expedition, the truth was that he was hardly as rxed as he appeared to be. He was always in a vignt state whether they were traveling or resting at night. It was not that he didn¡¯t trust hisrades, but the enemy they were up against was simply too powerful. They could never be too wary when dealing with the Fallens who had lived through two epochs. As the leader of the Rose of Dawn, Roel felt obliged to ensure their safety. How could he not be exhausted when faced with such immense stress and an elusive enemy? Fortunately, the fight ended in their victory. Roel¡¯s attention wandered away as he thought about all these, and drowsiness began to overtake him. His eyelids became heavier and heavier. Knock knock! ¡°Come in.¡± The sudden knocks jolted Roel awake. He took a quick nce at the wall clock while signaling for the person outside to enter. At the same time, a doubt surfaced in his mind. She¡¯s knocking instead of entering with her transcendental powers today? It was a curious deviation from Alicia¡¯s usual manner of entrance. Before he could give much thought to the matter, his attention was stolen away by something else. Under the faint illumination of a candle and the moon, a gorgeous woman with silvery hair and crimson eyes walked through the opened door. Her beauty was as ethereal as ever, but there was a vast difference in her wear today. Instead of her usual long skirt, she was wearing a short dress with ck stockings. Her fitting clothes shaped out her slender body, exuding a different charm that took Roel¡¯s breath away. ¡°¡­¡± Alicia has really grown up. Roel¡¯s heart started to race, prompting him to subconsciously avert his eyes a little. It was at odds with Alicia¡¯s usual style of wear, but it drew out a different charm from her. In particr, Roel found himself not daring to look at those slender legs peeking from her dress. ¡°Lord Brother.¡± ¡°You¡¯re here, Alicia.¡± Roel slightly straightened his back as he responded to Alicia¡¯s greeting. He eyed her unexpected clothes and asked. ¡°What made you change your style today?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a special day. I wanted to go for something different so as to make it more memorable for Lord Brother. Does it not fit me?¡± ¡°It does fit you, but¡­ it¡¯ll be best if you don¡¯t dress like this frequently.¡± Roel forced himself to look at Alicia as he spoke, but his eyes ended up flickering around, not knowing where to look. Taking in his reaction, Alicia¡¯s lips curled upward. ¡°Lord Brother, are you hoping to monopolize this side of me? That¡¯s terribly greedy of you.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I mean. I¡¯m saying that¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin to me. I¡¯ll reserve this look solely for Lord Brother¡¯s eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before Roel could exin himself, Alicia had already walked up to him and pressed her forefinger against his lips. There was a joyful twinkle in her eyes. Seeing how excited she was, Roel couldn¡¯t bring himself to refute her words. He was opposed to her wearing such clothes in public because he was worried that it might affect her reputation, though he couldn¡¯t deny that he had some ulterior motive too. It was human nature to want to monopolize the beautiful, and he was no exception to the rule. That being said, Roel hadn¡¯t forgotten why Alicia was here. He took his attention off her clothes and mentally prepared himself to fulfill whatever request she had for him. He had previously thought that she was up to something considering how she refused to reveal it, and that feeling had since gotten much more intense. Thus, he decided to quickly get it over and done with. ¡°Alicia, you mentioned earlier that you haven¡¯t been able to catch any sleep over the past month. It¡¯s already gettingte and it would be good if you could rest early tonight. Tell me, what do you want forpensation?¡± Roel cleared his throat and subtly hurried her. To his surprise, Alicia revealed an embarrassed expression. She looked at Roel and softly muttered. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that Lord Brother would be in such a rush. I was still thinking of setting the atmosphere first.¡± ¡°Setting the atmosphere? What are you intending to do?¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened in rm upon hearing those misleading words. Alicia chuckled at his response. ¡°Lord Brother, you don¡¯t need to get so nervous. All I want is to do what you did to me.¡± ¡°What I did to you?¡± Roel asked in confusion. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Alicia licked her lips as she stared intensely at Roel with narrowed crimson eyes. ¡°I want to taste Lord Brother¡¯s fluid.¡± Chapter 481.1: Reward and Punishment (1)

Chapter 481.1: Reward and Punishment (1)

Looking at Alicia, Roel¡¯s perplexed expression slowly transformed into shock. Before he knew it, he was already sitting upright. ¡°Alicia, what did you say?¡± ¡°Did I not express myself clearly enough? Lord Brother, I want your fluid. Have you forgotten about what you did to me earlier in the day?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking! By fluid, do you mean¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s choice of terminology had induced many inappropriate thoughts that couldn¡¯t be voiced aloud, but then it struck him. It doesn¡¯t sound like a big deal if it¡¯s just that much. It was not as if humans only had one type of fluid. There were many types of biological fluids, such as tears and blood. Having thought things through, Roel stared at Alicia contemtively for a moment before reaching for the ss by the side. ¡°Cough. I understand your request now, Alicia. However, I should make it clear first that I can only provide you with my blood, saliva, or tears. Anything aside from that is out of question. You may only choose one of the three¡­¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Ah? I-I guess it¡¯s good that you understand¡­¡± Roel was a little bewildered by Alicia¡¯s candid eptance of the situation. He didn¡¯t think that she would ept her conditions that easily. Sensing that something was off, he quickly revised what he had just stated, but there didn¡¯t seem to be any loopholes. Of the three options, blood would be the easiest one of all. Tears would be harder, but it should still be possible. He would be returning what he had taken to her. As for saliva¡­ Honestly, Roel wanted to exclude this option, but that was how Alicia had resolved his ailing life force back then. He thought that it would seem too self-conscious and deliberate if he excluded this option. He would have never allowed Alicia mess around under normal circumstances, but when he thought about the suffering he had unwittingly inflicted on her over the past month, he felt obliged to indulge her this once so as to make it up to her. Of course, it was not as if he would let her go overboard. He had alreadye up with countermeasures, such as having an indirect kiss through the wine ss or something. These safeguard measures alleviated Roel¡¯s worries, allowing him to remainposed. He was just about to ask about her choice when she suddenly spoke up. Find the original at h*sted novel. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯ve already made up my mind. I¡¯ll choose blood.¡± ¡°I see. Then¡­ Wait, blood?¡± It was such a surprising option that it startled Roel. He stared at Alicia with widened eyes, wondering if he had heard wrongly. However, thetter¡¯s silent but firm smile indicated that there was no mistake here. She chose blood? This¡­ Did she pick up bad habits from Juliana? While Alicia¡¯s option was utterly bewildering, he had to admit that this was the best-case scenario for him. It was easy enough for him to supply blood to her, just that¡­ What¡¯s this conflicted feeling? He couldn¡¯t help but feel that Alicia¡¯s choice was a little ¡®distant¡¯, and it induced a small tinge of disappointment in his heart. However, knowing that he shouldn¡¯t have been feeling so, he quickly erased it. No, what in the world am I thinking? This is the right thing to do¡­ . Roel pinched his be and shook his head, ridding all inappropriate thoughts from his mind. He raised his head to look at the woman who was slowly closing in the distance a step at a time. She looked even more so alluring under the faint candlelight. ¡°Blood, is it? Alright. How much do you want?¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Lord Brother. I said that I want your blood, but I don¡¯t need you to draw it yourself.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it by myself using my own method.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s demand brought a frown to Roel¡¯s face. Seeing that, she immediately put on a pitiful expression and protested. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯ve already chosen the easiest one of the three options you offered, but you wouldn¡¯t even allow me to decide how to go about it? Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll change my decision and choose¡­¡± ¡°Wait, wait! I haven¡¯t said anything yet. You can do it yourself if you wish to,¡± Roel quickly interjected when he saw that Alicia was going to undo her move. He put the ss back onto the table before finally directing a resigned nod at her. Alicia¡¯s ruby eyes gleamed like a sly fox. ¡°You have agreed to it, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Yes, I have. How do you wish to go about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be using this,¡± Alicia pointed to her lips as she spoke. Much to Roel¡¯s shock, when she opened her mouth, there were two pointy fangs amidst her teeth. He immediately shot to his feet. ¡°Wait! That¡¯s a trait of a Blood nsman¡­ Alicia, what¡¯s going on?¡± Having traveled together with Juliana for months, there was no way Roel would mistake the traits of a Blood nsman. His face turned grim. They were mostly from legends, but Roel had heard about how the Blood n had spells that could turn others into their kind. However, that was hardly a good thing at all. Spells that altered one¡¯s race came at a heavy price, not just to the converter but the convertee too. Roel naturally assumed that Juliana had changed Alicia¡¯s race to a Blood nsman, and that left him both anxious and worried. Alicia was initially surprised by his reaction, but a tender look soon appeared on her face and she gently exined the situation. ¡°Please do not worry, Lord Brother. My current form isn¡¯t due to Juliana or the Blood n. It¡¯s one of the transformations of my bloodline.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a transformation of your bloodline?¡± ¡°Indeed. I found that my bloodline does have a mysterious connection with the Blood n, though it doesn¡¯t seem like I¡¯m one of them. On the contrary, many of the spells they struggle with look elementary to me,¡± Alicia said with a smile. Roel was taken aback by the revtion. He frowned in bewilderment. Alicia is really rted to the Blood n? How can that be? She¡¯s most definitely a human, and her bloodline doesn''t belong to the Blood n. A connection between them shouldn¡¯t have been possible. Aware of Roel¡¯s confusion, Alicia further exined that she was able to learn most of the Blood n¡¯s spells, and her current form was a transformation using one of those spells. Roel did believe her words, but there were still many doubts guing his mind. Before he could voice them aloud, Alicia had already arrived right before him. ¡°I know that it¡¯s hard for you to believe some things, but Lord Brother, those are not important now.¡± Alicia ced her hand on Roel¡¯s chest as she further narrowed the distance between them. Her faint fragrance drifted in his direction, and her clothes swayed gently along with her movement. Her appearance was as adorable as one could imagine, but her narrowed eyes revealed her deepest desire. There was an eager smile on her face, reminiscent of a child who had just received a new toy. Roel¡¯s mind had already gone nk by this point. He struggled to find a way to deal with this dangerous situation, but Alicia wasn¡¯t about to give him time to think. She exerted force on the hand she had ced on his chest earlier on, pushing him back into the chair. Then, she further advanced forward and leaned in toward him. ¡°A-Alicia?¡± ¡°Lord Brother, this is my first time trying to suck someone else¡¯s blood. It might hurt a little, so please bear with it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind the pain, but¡­¡± ¡­ why does it seem like you¡¯re scheming something? Such a thought shed across Roel¡¯s mind, but he decided against voicing it aloud. Alicia tugged on his shirt and exposed his nape. Her movements were oddly forceful that it startled Roel a little. His breath quickened a little. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯ll be digging in.¡± ¡°¡­ Mm.¡± Roel averted his eyes. Alicia began to lean in. Her silvery hair brushed across his face, leaving him feeling a little ticklish. He raised his hand in an attempt to move her hair aside, but a sudden warm, velvety sensation on his nape sent a shudder through his body. ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°This is preparation. The saliva of Blood nsmen has the effect of numbing pain.¡± ¡°¡­ Is that so? Roel was a little suspicious but he decided not to say anything about this either. He was aware that animals like bats secreted substances that numbed the senses of its victims. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if the far more intelligent Blood n had simr methods up their sleeves too. It somewhat reminded him of an alcohol swab before an injection. His suspicion was actually justified. Unbeknownst to him, Alicia¡¯s eyes were glowing with a gleeful gleam. She was not lying when she said that the saliva of Blood nsmen could numb pain, but there were other effects to it that she had neglected to mention¡ªlust and hypnotism. The Blood n was filled with intelligent beings; they wouldn¡¯t go around hunting prey every single day for food. That would cause a fluctuation in the quality of blood they obtained, and the supply wouldn¡¯t be steady either. Thus, they decided instead to have their prey knock on their door on their own ord, and the means to it was their saliva. Under thebined effects of the numbed pain, lust, and hypnotism, the person whose blood was being sucked would experience a rush of euphoria. It was even possible for the weaker-minded to get addicted to the sensation. From that aspect, it was no exaggeration to call it a drug. The only silver lining was that the Blood nsmen¡¯s feeding sessions wouldn¡¯t pose any danger to their prey as long as they didn¡¯t go overboard. Many in the ancient era were willing to serve the Blood n in exchange for the incredible euphoria, especially considering the minuscule price to pay for it. However, as more and more people served the Blood n, the downsides of unbridled lust started to show. From a position of control, the Blood n slowly became kidnapping targets for those who had be addicted to the euphoria they provided. In the end, it escted into a major crisis for the entire Blood n. From then on, the Blood n banned reckless bloodsucking. ording to Juliana, the more powerful conservative faction in the present-day Blood n had sessfully ouwed casual bloodsucking and casual rtionships within the n. Those who vited thosews would be harshly punished. That wasn¡¯t a problem to Alicia because there was only one person whose blood she wanted to suck and give pleasure to. Chapter 481.2: Reward and Punishment (2)

Chapter 481.2: Reward and Punishment (2)

Alicia nced at Roel, whose head was adamantly tilted away, and continued licking him, prepping him up for what was toe. She knew that it was impossible for Roel to get addicted given his strong willpower¡ªheck, he might just even be able to suppress the rush of euphoria! For that reason, she didn¡¯t hesitate to up the dose, using severalfold the amount of what Juliana told her was permissible. ¡°Alicia, are you not done yet? To be honest, I¡¯m not that afraid of pain¡­¡± Roel asked, sensing an anomaly in Alicia¡¯s action. ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯ll be starting now.¡± Alicia did a quick estimation on the dosage before nodding in satisfaction. She opened her mouth and sunk her two adorable fangs into Roel¡¯s nape. When her teeth sunk into his skin, she couldn¡¯t help but wince a little. However, she felt a warm gush flowing into her mouth right after, sending a mysterious sensation right up to her brain. So this is Lord Brother¡¯s blood? It was a fragrant taste that was as intoxicating as the finest of wine. The knowledge that this was the blood of her beloved further stoked Alicia¡¯s excitement. On the other hand, Roel started to feel a peculiar sensation overtaking him. He didn¡¯t feel much about the perforation of his skin¡ªit felt more like an itch rather than being painful¡ªbut everything started turning weird afterward. For some reason, he felt as if a fire had been ignited inside of him, and it was swiftly growing stronger with time. His temperature also started to soar. An inexplicable sense of euphoria started to rise within him, causing his breathing to hasten. It hardly helped that there was a soft sensation pressing against his chest. He suddenly felt an urge to pull the beautiful woman in front of him into his embrace. At the same time, his mind was slowly turning hazy. Everything around him suddenly appeared a little blurred and dreamy, as if someone had put a filter on his eyes. As his logical mind started to shut down, his instincts began to take over. Something seems to be weird here¡­ ¡°Alicia, did you do something? Why would I feel¡­¡± ¡°Trust me, Lord Brother. This is normal.¡± ¡°Normal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal to feel euphoria when having your blood sucked. Do you feel good?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened at the realization that there was another aspect to Alicia¡¯s bloodsucking. He had no idea how he should answer that question. The corners of Alicia¡¯s lips inched upward. She gently whispered into Roel¡¯s ear. ¡°Lord Brother, this is yourpensation for making me worry for an entire month. Shouldn¡¯t you go along with me? I don¡¯t feelpensated when you don¡¯t even answer my question¡­ Tell me, do you like it?¡± ¡°Alicia¡­¡± ¡°You promised, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°¡­ If you ask me whether I like it or not, of course I like it. It¡¯s just that¡­ a little too intense.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right for it to feel intense. This is a feeling that countless races were obsessed with in the ancient era. Truth be told, this sort of thing is only done between lovers within the Bloodline n,¡± Alicia replied as she yfully blew into Roel¡¯s ear. Roel¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that beforehand.¡± ¡°Does it matter? You have already promised to let me decide how I wish to draw your blood. Besides¡­ Lord Brother, aren¡¯t you feeling good too? Juliana might have the ability to do the same too, but she doesn¡¯t harbor any feelings for you. I¡¯m the only who can make you feel such euphoria,¡± Alicia said proudly. She made her second move afterward, not holding back at all this time around. She ced her slender legs clothed in ck stockings on Roel¡¯s thighs,pletely erasing any distance that previously stood between the two of them. Roel shuddered at her movements. He could feel the me zing inside him running amok. rmed, he tried to stop her. ¡°Alicia, stop messing around and get down. Yourpensation stops here.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it to end like this. I want more.¡± ¡°Alicia?¡± Roel was shocked to hear such bold wordsing from Alicia. He turned to look at her, only to see her facepletely flushed as if she had just gulped down barrels of wine. He blinked his eyes in surprise. A momentter, he remembered ament Juliana had made after tasting his blood. It tastes like an extremely strong wine. It wouldn¡¯t be good if I drink too much of it. ¡°!¡± Surely not. Is she¡­ drunk on my blood? But it was clear as day that Alicia was acting very differently than she usually would. Roel was astounded. He would have never imagined that his blood could really make a person drunk. However, what wasn¡¯t important right now. ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± While his thoughts were wandering, Alicia had already started to kiss his neck and her hands were slowly moving down his waist. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t let things proceed down this direction, Roel bit down hard on his lips and abruptly stood up with Alicia in his arms. ¡°Wake up, Alicia. You¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk! You¡¯re the one who is drunk, Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°No more touching. Yourpensation has ended!¡± ¡°What? I don¡¯t want to¡­¡± Alicia looked at her hands, which were firmly held in ce by Roel¡¯s arms, and she pouted in dissatisfaction. She began trying to struggle free from his grasp. On the other hand, Roel felt utterly helpless, not knowing how he could deal with the drunk Alicia. It was not as if Alicia had never drunk alcohol before, but never had she been this intoxicated. Who could have known that she was the type to go on a drunken rampage? Roel continued sping down hard on her hands, not allowing her to move in the least, but he had no idea how he could remedy the situation. Alicia saw that she was unable to struggle free, and in a bout of inspiration, she suddenly started taking off her shoes. Hm? Is she taking off her shoes because she¡¯s too tired and wants to sleep? Roel blinked his eyes hopefully, praying for that to be the case. He was being too optimistic. stered on Alicia¡¯s drunk face was what could only be described as a smile of mischief. After taking off her shoes, she didn¡¯t ce her legs down on the floor but instead hooked them upward in an attempt to stimte Roel¡¯s sensitive spot. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened upon realizing Alicia¡¯s intent, and his brain started to heat up. There was no doubt in his mind that Alicia had gone too far this time around. He needed to punish her so that she wouldn¡¯t dare to do this ever again. So, he lifted her up and brought her over to the bed. He held her down by her waist and started striking her thighs with his palm. ¡°Ah! L-Lord Brother?¡± Perhaps due to the sudden bout of pain, Alicia regained a little of her rationality. With a yelp, she turned to look at Roel in astonishment, but thetter had no intention to hold back at all. He knew the importance of being strict when teaching a child who had gone astray. He struck her on the thighs ten consecutive times, making her yelp in pain each time around. ¡°W-wait! Lord Brother, n-no more. I was wrong¡­¡± It was only after hearing her words of repentance that Roel stopped his punishment. Alicia¡¯s tensed body finally rxed, and she copsed onto the bed. To Roel¡¯s astonishment, she didn¡¯t seem angered or indignant by the corporeal punishment. Instead, her eyes looked unfocused, and she was blushing all the way to the tip of her ears. Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He realized that he might have chosen the wrong form of punishment. There was a hint of fear and anticipation in Alicia¡¯s eyes when she turned around and looked at Roel. ¡°¡­ A-are you going to continue?¡± ¡°What?¡± For a moment, Roel was confused as to what she was talking about. That made Alicia blush even further. She bit down on her lips, revealing an expression that looked both pitiful and excited. ¡°¡­ Are you going to continue the punishment?¡± she asked. ¡°!¡± Roel felt as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning. The me that had been burning inside of him all this while suddenly exploded into a fiery inferno. Without any hesitation, he leaped to his feet and dashed to the bathroom. Chapter 482.1: Only To You (1)

Chapter 482.1: Only To You (1)

Roel Ascartid inside a bathtub, staring at the water surface while wondering the benefits of a cold bath. Cold baths could be ufortable, but there were many health benefits associated with it. Winter swimming, for one, had the effect of strengthening one¡¯s constitution and stimting adrenaline, thus clearing up one¡¯s mind, speeding up one¡¯s blood flow, and aiding in digestion. It would have made a long list if one wrote down all of the benefits, but there was only one thing Roel was currently interested in: Quelling his heat. Transcendents had a constitution that was vastly different from normal humans, especially for high transcendents. A high Degree of Assimtion could give rise to various properties, such as enhanced tolerance to heat and cold. In particr, Roel, who had gained the ability of cier¡¯s Touch, was particrly good at taking the cold. In view of that, the ice water Roel was bathing in had to be specially made. Half of his bathtubprised floating ice, and that was after he added substances in to lower the freezing point. Despite that, his restless mind was still wandering in all directions. The events that had transpired earlier on left him with no choice but to acknowledge a fact: Alicia had truly grown up. It might be because of his bias as an older brother that he always thought of her as a young girl, but before he knew it, she had already started to exude fatal feminine charms. Just thinking about her reddened expression after he punished her was enough to cause a zing inferno to sear his body. That was exacerbated by his mind that had gone fuzzy from the effect of Alicia¡¯s saliva, dampening his self-restraint. In the end, he was left with no choice but to pull himself together with cold water. Roel looked at the chilly bathroom he was in and heaved a sigh of relief. Things had nearly gone south tonight, but fortunately, Alicia appeared to be too inebriated to walk after drinking his blood, or else this thin wooden door wouldn¡¯t have been enough to stop her. That was a huge relief to him. It gave him some time to ponder upon their rtionship. As much as he didn¡¯t want to admit it, his heart had raced for tonight¡¯s Alicia. Her transmogrification into a member of the Blood n and the deviation from her usual dressing style had nearly caused him to lose control, but he forced himself to suppress all of his swelling desires because of one thing. Her age. It wasmon for women to marry between the ages of fourteen to eighteen during the medieval times back in Roel¡¯s previous world. The Sia Continent shared the same custom too. While the notion of marrying at fourteen was a bit ufortable for Roel, who had been ingrained with modern values, the fact that people in the Sia Continent matured physically faster under the effect of mana helped increase his eptance toward this different culture. It was just that Alicia had enrolled in Saint Freya Academy early and hadn¡¯t reached 14 yet, making her a non-adult. ¡°A few more months before she reaches fourteen¡­¡± Roel leaned against the edge of the bathtub, frustrated by the conflicting feelings in his mind. He had always regarded Alicia as a family member and a younger sister, drawing a clear line between the two of them, but at some point, the feelings he harbored for her started to change. Alicia¡¯s influence had been so subtle that it was hard for him to trace the cause down to any single factor. Regardless of the reason, Roel could no longer deceive himself that he only viewed Alicia as a younger sister to him. Thinking back, there were many asions where his heart thumped when Alicia expressed her feelings toward him, but the blurred boundaries between kinship and romantic affection had made it hard to distinguish between the two back then. It was only when he finally confronted his feelings that everything started to clear up. Feeling utterly conflicted by the situation, Roel sshed some water on his own face to freshen himself up before letting out a deep sigh. For now, I should start with keeping myself in check till daybreak. ¡­ The following morning, Roel dried his body and walked out of the bathroom. The sun had only just risen. A touch of sunlight shone through the thick curtains to cast a glow on Alicia¡¯s sleeping face, creating a breathtakingly gentle scene. After spending an entire night to cool himself down, Roel had alreadypletely rid himself of any unusual effects caused by Alicia¡¯s transmogrification into a Blood nsman. However, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little exhausted. He had only just returned from a months¡¯ long journey, and he ended up spending his first night in the Azure Manor inside a cold bath. He was only d that Alicia was still asleep, thus giving him some time to rx a little. From the traces on the bed, it didn¡¯t seem like Alicia had moved around much after Roel left the roomst night. She likely fell asleep straight away, which went to show just how intoxicated she was. ¡°Is my blood really that potent?¡± Roel murmured under his breath. He subconsciously touched his nape, where Alicia had bittenst night, and he wondered out of curiosity what would have happened if he had drunk some alcohol before she sucked his blood. However, he quickly dispelled those thoughts upon looking at the fast asleep woman on his bed. He made his way toward the chair by the side of the room and nestled into it. Then, he crossed his arm and closed his eyes to have a brief rest. Time slowly ticked in this peaceful atmosphere. It was all quiet except for the asional rustle from the curtains under the summer breeze. Only when the sun had fully risen did noises start to echo from the other parts of the Azure Manor. Alicia slowly roused from her sleep. ¡°Hm? This is¡­¡± Still groggy from her asleep, Alicia scanned her surroundings with confused eyes. It was only when her eyes fell on Roel that her mind finally cleared up a little. Her ruby eyes widened in horror as memories rushed back to her. Her body immediately shot upright. ¡°L-Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Mmm? Alicia, you¡¯re awake?¡± Roel rubbed his eyes before he stood up and stretched his back. He then adjusted his expression and started making his way toward the bed, determined to correct Alicia¡¯s values. Unexpectedly, before he could get close, Alicia¡¯s face suddenly flushed red, and she dived into the nket in a fluster. ¡°W-wait a moment! Lord Brother, d-don¡¯te over!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was baffled, not knowing what to make of her response. Under the nket, Alicia was feeling so embarrassed that she couldn¡¯t even lift her head. It was true that she had ulterior motives for what she didst night, but everything suddenly ran out of control after she ingested Roel¡¯s blood. She couldn¡¯t believe just how brazen she wasst night, and that made it incredibly difficult for her to face Roel now. Her initial goal was to make Roel get intimate with her under the euphoria of her bloodsucking, but the unusually potent nature of his blood resulted in her n backfiring on her. This was a huge miscalction from her part, and she had no idea how to salvage the situation. She grasped her own face under the nket as her vivid recollections on the events that had transpiredst night tortured her sanity. It was all so humiliating that she wanted to cry. Meanwhile, Roel looked at the bump in the nket and found himself at a loss. Oh right, I nearly forgot. Part of the reason why Alicia acted that wayst night was due to her inebriation. It wasn¡¯t voluntary on her part. Since it happened under the effects of intoxication, perhaps I shouldn¡¯t be too harsh on her. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t leave things be, Roel hesitantly approached Alicia and carefully asked. ¡°Alicia? Are you¡­ alright?¡± ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t look at me,¡± she replied. ¡°Aren¡¯t you already under the nket?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t look at me.¡± ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Roel conceded at her insistence. Being heedful of Alicia¡¯s feelings, Roel turned his head away toward the doorway. Just like that, one of them hid under the nket whereas the other waited patiently by the bedside. A whileter, Alicia carefully peeked out from beneath the nket and meekly asked. ¡°Lord Brother, are you there?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Roel replied calmly. Perhaps due to hisposed attitude, Alicia trembled a little but didn¡¯t cower back under the nket. She mustered her courage and attempted to exin her actionsst night. ¡°Regardingst night¡­ I-I didn¡¯t intend for it to turn out like that. I didn¡¯t expect your blood to make me¡­ So¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to exin. I understand.¡± Roel interjected before the nervous Alicia could finish her words. ¡°Juliana once told me that my blood tastes like strong alcohol. but I didn¡¯t pay any heed to it back then. Who could have thought that my blood could really make a person drunk?¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know that you were drunkst night. Let¡¯s put this matter behind us. Will our Miss Aliciae out from the nket now?¡± Roel said as he gazed at the bed. Surprised, Alicia raised her head and peeked at Roel. ¡°Lord Brother, you aren¡¯t angry?¡± ¡°I am, but I am also partially responsible for what happened too. I didn¡¯t think things through and got careless. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t n on pursuing this matter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. Besides¡­ I¡¯ve already punished you for it.¡± ¡°!¡± A shudder ran through Alicia¡¯s body. A blush swiftly swept across her face, extending to the tips of her ears. It was embarrassing for her to think about the punishmentst night, but at the same time, it induced a peculiar feeling that sent a squeeze through her little body. In her peripheral vision, she could see Roel extending a hand toward her. She wanted to take his hand, but her embarrassment held her back, leaving her in a dilemma. She hesitated for a long while before murmuring nervously. ¡°Lord Brother¡­ you won¡¯tugh at me?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ but you must never get drunk ever again. You¡¯re also forbidden from using those Blood n spells for the time being, especially not on others.¡± ¡°I would never use those spells on others! They are reserved only for Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Roel¡¯s words left Alicia feeling so indignant that she stuck her head out of the nket and eximed in agitation, only to be met with Roel¡¯s triumphant smile. ¡°Are you willing toe out now?¡± he said. ¡°Lord Brother¡­ you said those words on purpose, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s unfair!¡± Alicia protested. ¡°You¡¯re a Ringbearer now. Others will notice if you¡¯re gone for too long.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia continued pouting in dissatisfaction despite Roel¡¯s logical point, but she soon caved in and responded with an eding nod. Then, she slowly climbed out from the nket. Her attire was unkempt after the night they had. Her dress was wrinkled, and her stockings had loosened by quite a bit. Feeling self-conscious, Alicia sat by the corner of the bed and tried her best to tighten her stockings by pulling them upward. Meanwhile, Roel fetched her shoes over. That reminded Alicia of how she had casually tossed her shoes asidest night, and her face reddened yet again. She subtly averted her eyes. Before her embarrassment could reach its peak, Roel began to help her put on her shoes. ¡°A-ah! Lord Brother, there¡¯s no need for you to¡­¡± Overwhelmed by his gesture, Alicia shot to her feet. However, Roel smiled and paid her no heed. ¡°I¡¯ll also only do this for you. This should make us equals, right?¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s face began to heat up, but at the same time, a flower of bliss blossomed in her heart. As the sessor to a powerful marquess house, it was beneath Roel¡¯s standing to do the work of a servant. His gesture of helping her put on her shoes might have been a simple one, but it reflected how much he cherished her. There was no way she wouldn¡¯t be overjoyed by that. Alicia found her emotions soaring to the sky, but she was soon reminded of her unkempt state. She had just awoken from her sleep and hadn¡¯t gotten a chance to tidy herself up yet, so her clothes were in a jumble and her hair was all around the ce. Furthermore, her intoxication had caused her to sweat quite a bit. For someone who was particr about cleanliness, how could she tolerate showing such a side to the person she fancied? She quickly covered her face and dashed for the adjacent bathroom. When she was finally out of the room, Roel slowly heaved a sigh of relief before plopping down on a nearby chair. ¡°I guess things should be settled with this,¡± murmured Roel. He slowly closed his eyes as exhaustion got the better of him. Before long, he had already drifted off to a deep sleep. Chapter 482.2: Only To You (2)

Chapter 482.2: Only To You (2)

After having cated Alicia, Roel decided to go on a short break. The mission he had ¡®taken¡¯ with the members of the Bluerose Faction was enough to earn him a year¡¯s worth of Academic Credits, so he didn¡¯t have to travel around anymore. However, he did pay a visit to Principal Antonio to talk about the assault on the Braytown¡¯s disappearances investigation team. With him filling in the nks, Antonio was able to quickly clear up all doubts regarding the matter. The truth was that Antonio was already nning to escte the matter regardless of the facts. He harbored great animosity toward the Fallens for the tragedy they had orchestrated four hundred years ago; there was no way he would pass on an opportunity to crack down on them. With the precedent of Leinster¡¯s tragedy four hundred years ago reminding the world leaders of the possible repercussions should they turn a blind eye to the Fallens, it didn¡¯t take long for them toe to a consensus to ramp up their efforts rooting out the Fallens. At the same time, Antonio had also started making preparations to awaken Astrid. ¡°Hm? Those stubborn elders of the Knight Kingdom actually agreed to awaken Astrid? I thought that I would have to pay them a visit to convince them.¡± Roel blinked his eyes in surprise when he heard the news from Antonio. He knew that the sequestered houses descended from the Twilight Sages Assembly had always been opposed to Antonio¡¯s n to awaken Astrid. He was already prepared to head down to Pendor to convince them one by one, but things advanced smoother than he had expected. Out of curiosity, he enquired about the reason. Antonio let out a cheery chuckle before exining the situation. ¡°There are two key reasons behind this. The more important reason is the Savior¡¯s current state. From the heightened activity of the deviants, it¡¯s apparent that the Savior is close to one of his once-in-a-few-century awakenings. The Chaos Dream won¡¯t be enough to suppress him anymore, so there¡¯s no harm separating her from the Chaos Dream anymore. ¡°As for the other reason, it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Indeed. The king of Knight Kingdom Pendor, Friedrich Cambonyte, has chosen to officially acknowledge you after your victory over his daughter, Wilhelmina, in the Challenger Cup. You might be unaware of it, but he has yed a vital role in the founding of the Rose of Dawn too. You can consider his change of stance as a show of support toward your leadership.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Roel replied with a nod. Wilhelmina told him during thest summer break that she would try her best to convince her father and the remnant powers of the Twilight Sages Assembly to change their stance regarding Astrid¡¯s matter. From the looks of it, she had seeded. Roel was deeply grateful to her for that. He proceeded to enquire about the details regarding the separation of Astrid from the Chaos Dream, to which Antonio expressed that he had practiced the procedure many times over the years and was confident about it. Should I say that love is truly an incredible thing? Four hundred years is long enough for a sea to dry up into a desert, but Antonio¡¯s feelings for Astrid remain steadfast. If anything, they have only deepened over time. I can only say that the reticent man I have met in the Witness State is truly a staunch man. However, there was one thing that Roel needed to remind him about. ¡°Principal Antonio, if I may suggest, you should consider going for a change in image before saving Astrid.¡± ¡°A change in image?¡± ¡°Yes. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard for you. Her heart might not be able to take it if she sees that the young student she once taught has turned into a grizzled old man.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I can¡¯t meet her in my current state¡­¡± Antonio muttered with a bitter smile. Having gotten his point across, Roel didn¡¯t harp too much on the matter. The two of them finished up their conversation before returning to their respective work. Antonio put the leads he had received from Roel into tracking down on the Fallens whereas Roel continued searching for clues on the Six Cmities. Hours of reading everyday brought about considerable growth in Roel¡¯s transcendent abilities. His fight with the Treant High Priest had also provided him with enlightenments that he needed time to digest. Amidst these days of studying and research, Roel¡¯s second year in Saint Freya Academy was finally approaching its end. The summer season was alreadying to an end when he parted ways with Lilian and returned to the academy, and the break started in autumn. Looking back, Roel had spent most of his second year on the Braytown¡¯s disappearances investigation mission and researching the Six Cmities. It was much dullerpared to his rowdy first year. Fortunately, those dull days wereing to an end. The International Crisis Management Symposium had concluded, meaning that Nora and Charlotte wereing back. This was a piece of good news that Roel had been looking forward to for a long time. He rarely voiced his feelings aloud, but he missed the two of them. It had been half a year since hest met Nora and aplete year for Charlotte. Charlotte had intended to visit Roel in the Theocracy over the New Year, but they missed each other due to hisst-minute journey to the eastern border. Since then, Roel had been busy with various stuff whereas Charlotte had to attend the International Crisis Management Symposium as the sessor to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. Their prolonged separation only further amplified their yearning for each other, to the point where they could hardly suppress their feelings anymore. To Roel¡¯s disappointment, their meeting didn¡¯t go ahead as he had anticipated. The Genesis Goddess Church had been incredibly busy due to the war on the eastern border, the campaign against the Fallens, and the investigation into the Six Cmities, so Nora had to return to the Holy Capital straightaway to helm the operations. This was a downer for Roel, but he understood that he had to get their priorities straight. Considering the current macro environment, dealing with the evil cultists and the deviants ought to take precedence over their private affairs. That being said, Nora did send a letter over to make up for it, and that made Roel feel a little better. The situation was a little more confusing when it came to Charlotte. Unlike the busy Nora, Charlotte arrived at Saint Freya Academy during early autumn, but much to Roel¡¯s bewilderment, she didn¡¯t inform him of her return nor pay him a visit. It was almost as if she was treating him to be invisible. Unable toprehend the situation, Roel eventually attributed it to Charlotte throwing a tantrum over their prolonged separation, so he specially prepared a gift and paid her a visit. To his astonishment, he received an unexpected answer. ¡°My apologies, young master Roel. The young miss has returned to the country right after participating in the examinations, so I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±¡± That was what the Sorofyas¡¯ butler told him in the museum of dancing butterflies, leaving him in deep thoughts. Is Charlotte avoiding me? Why? This realization brought a frown to Roel¡¯s face as a premonition weighed down his heart. After a moment of contemtion, he came to a decision. ¡°I understand. Since it isn¡¯t convenient for Charlotte, I¡¯ll pay her a visit instead,¡± Roel replied with aposed smile. The Sorofyas¡¯ butler revealed a subtle change in expression, which further confirmed Roel¡¯s suspicions. He turned around and walked away, paying no heed to the butler¡¯s attempts to dissuade him otherwise. Chapter 483.1: You Can’t Tell Him (1)

Chapter 483.1: You Can¡¯t Tell Him (1)

There had been a persistent tight knit on Roel¡¯s forehead ever since his return from the Redrose Faction¡¯s Dancing Butterfly Museum. The students in the Azure Manor noticed his peculiar state and tactfully chose not to disturb him. The bustling Azure Manor was much quieter on this very day. Roel stood by the window in deep thought, unaware of these changes. He was usually mindful of the atmosphere around him, but he didn¡¯t have the spare attention to bother about it now. His thoughts had been dominated by an auburn-haired woman ever since he returned from the Dancing Butterfly Museum. Too worried and uneasy, he couldn¡¯t even maintain his usualposure. This matter didn¡¯t seem like a big deal at first nce¡ªand it was possible that Roel was getting ahead of himself here¡ªbut his intuition was telling him that there was more to this than what he was currently seeing. Charlotte Sorofya was not an easy person to get along with. She was intelligent and graceful, but she was proud as well. A year of separation was bound to induce her dissatisfaction, such that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising for her to throw a tantrum or even move on to someone else¡­ or at least that was what an outsider would have thought. Roel knew that there was no way she would do something like that. The Sorofyas¡¯ lineage had inherited the Loyal Origin Attribute from the ancient era¡¯s high elves. For better or for worse, it dictated that the women of the Sorofya House were unable to abandon the men whom they had decided to be their partner. On top of that, Roel was confident in the feelings he shared with Charlotte. He was the closest person to her and understood her the best in the world, which allowed him to grasp her feelings most of the time. While it was frustrating how the two of them hadn¡¯t been able to meet for an entire year, there were many inevitabilities behind that. It was not to say that she was happy about it, but her rational nature as a businesswoman would have held her back from taking it out on him. In fact, the only times when she truly got angry at Roel was when he had clearly done wrong. Taking a step back, even if she was throwing a tantrum, she would still grant him an avenue to make amends. She had strong interpersonal rtionship skills from her years dabbling inmerce, so there was no way she would have left without saying a word unless she was nning to end their rtionship. But that was unlikely too. Charlotte had grown up as a lonely child. Her father was often busy with work and hardly had any time for her, and she didn¡¯t have any friends of her age too. That made her cherish her rtionship with Roel even more, which was why they hardly had any arguments. Even if there was something she was displeased about, she would ry it in a mature and tactful manner. These were the traits that Roel respected and loved her for. From time to time, he would wonder if this was how an old married couple interacted with each other, naturally caring and showing consideration for each other without having to verbalize it. Yet, despite all of these, Charlotte still left on her own without sending a word to him. Something was most definitely wrong here. Thinking about the crises that had recently befallen Nora and Lilian, it was impossible for Roel not to be concerned about it. That being said, it wouldn¡¯t do for him to just fumble his way into Charlotte¡¯s business. He had no evidence that something had truly happened to her; it was all spection on his part. What if the situation was different from what he had guessed? Perhaps, Charlotte had some private affairs to deal with that she didn¡¯t want him to know about. If so, it would be rude and insensitive of him to infringe on her privacy. That ced Roel in a dilemma. His brooding mood didn¡¯t escape the notice of Paul and the others. Brittany tried approaching him to ask him what¡¯s wrong, but Geralt stopped her with a raise of his hand. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± asked Geralt. ¡°Our chief is facing a quandary. I¡¯m going to ask him what¡¯s wrong and see if I can be of any help. I still owe him one,¡± Brittany replied motivatedly. She wanted to repay Roel for reconciling her rtionship with Geralt, helping them ovee their misgivings about each other and be closer. Geralt noddedprehendingly, but he nevertheless refused to lower his hand and grant her passageway. ¡°I know that you have good intentions at heart, but you should give him some time to himself first¡­ I don¡¯t think our chief is worried about himself right now,¡± said Geralt. ¡°I think so too. Big brother Roel wouldn¡¯t get so anxious if it¡¯s his own private affairs.¡± Paul nodded in agreement. The two of them had been together with Roel long enough to understand what kind of person he was, which was why they decided to give him some space to think things through. They ushered the other members of the Bluerose Faction out of the Azure Manor so that he could have a conducive environment for his pondering. Sometimeter, Roel finally came to a decision. Snapping out of his trance, he quickly noticed the trio waiting by the side of the room, and a smile emerged on his lips. Paul, Geralt, and Brittany heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°My apologies, you must have been worried. I¡¯ll need your help on some matters.¡± ¡°Big brother Roel, feel free to ask anything of us.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to leave the academy soon. I¡¯ll be entrusting the Azure Manor to your care.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The trio widened their eyes in surprise, but Roel¡¯s firm expression told them that he wasn¡¯t joking with them. After thinking things through, Roel had decided to abide by his instincts and immediately set off to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. He didn¡¯t know what Charlotte was facing since thetter refused to reveal any information to him, but he didn¡¯t dare to gamble on her safety. There was no way he could remain still when there was a possibility that Charlotte was in danger. It didn¡¯t matter whether this was the most rational decision to make or not. He simply couldn¡¯t afford to take a chance here. Having made up his mind, he brought the three of them to the conference room and started handing his work over to them. While the semester wasing to an end, he still had work piled up, especially the reorganization of the faction and the faction members¡¯ training n. One of the motions passed in the International Crisis Management Symposium was for Brolne, the cradle of humankind, to introduce squadron battle tactics to the existing curriculum. The student factions in Saint Freya Academy were expected to take the lead in this initiative, being the more mature groups around. This was even more so for the Bluerose Faction, which had be the center of attention after Roel¡¯s victory in the Challenger Cup. Roel personally thought that this was important too. Training the faction members¡¯ ability in group fights would allow them to better coordinate with others on the battlefield, thus increasing their survivability. He wouldn¡¯t want to see his faction members being helplessly crushed on the battlefield. Fortunately, the Azure Manor was at an advantage regarding that. Sentinel Valley. This was the dungeon that came together with the Azure Manor. It had a unique property where anyone who suffered a fatal attack within its domain would be immediately petrified, and there would be a window of three days for others to save them. It was the key reason why Roel chose this ce over other options, and it was now proving to have been a wise decision. Mock battles and real battles were twopletely different things. With the help of the dungeon, the faction members would be able to immerse themselves in real fights without endangering their lives. Roel was nning to use thest two weeks of the semester to hold intense group training sessions, but he could only entrust it to Paul and the others now. He took special care to ensure that they were well-versed with all of the safety precautions. After he was done briefing the trio, he made his way to the Whiterose Faction¡¯s base to meet Alicia. He felt obliged to inform her of his early departure from the academy since it meant that she would have to spend the month-long return trip to the Ascart Fiefdom on her own. The base of the Whiterose Faction was located by ake. Alicia upied a majestic mansion that offered a beautiful view of theke, especially when the morning mist settled over theke. It looked almost as if a scene that hade right out of a fairy tale. Pair that together with Alicia¡¯s stunning visuals, and it was no surprise why the student popce came to dub her as the ¡®Fairy of the Lake¡¯. The mansion also remained cool even in the summer, making its balcony an ideal dining location. But neither the beautiful scenery nor the cooling night breeze could assuage the silver-haired girl¡¯s disappointment when she learned of Roel¡¯s early departure. On the dining table, Alicia¡¯s face sunk when she learned that she would have to return to the Ascart Fiefdom alone. Roel sighed softly in his heart as he pushed the barbecued meat he had sliced into smaller pieces in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alicia. It is a sensitive period on the Sia Continent. Power bnces are being shaken, and the Fallens and evil cultists are running amok. My heart won¡¯t be able to rest at ease if I don¡¯t check on her.¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Brother. I know what kind of person you are. It is indeed weird for her to leave without bidding you farewell,¡± Alicia replied with a perplexed frown. She had to admit that Charlotte¡¯s current behavior was unlike her usual self. It was actually Charlotte, instead of Nora, whom she hade into contact the most with over the years. Admittedly, the two of them did fight a lot, but there were also times when they worked together, especially when it came to the development of the Ascart Fiefdom. This was the kind of rtionship that the word, ¡®frenemy¡¯, was created for. Alicia could no longer say for certain just how she felt about Charlotte anymore, but in any case, she did feel concerned when she heard that Charlotte might be in danger. Not to mention, Charlotte was also the central figure pushing for a coboration between the Ascarts and the Sorofyas. She had always been the one in charge of the coboration projects between the two houses. Her safety would indubitably impact the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s future development, so this was not a matter that could be made light of. ¡°I¡¯ll have to head to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy soon to check on the situation. I won¡¯t be able to apany you back to the Ascart Fiefdom this time around.¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Brother. If there isn¡¯t any issue, I hope that you can return as soon as possible to apany me. There are many things I¡¯d like to do with you over the break¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s mood lifted a little after Roel¡¯s earnest apology. Their conversation moved over to what they would do together over the break. To Roel and Alicia, these academic breaks were likely to be thest bit of carefree time they had. If the war against the deviants reached a stalemate, the chances were likely that they would be drafted onto the battlefield. It would be hard for them to return to their peaceful life afterward. Knowing that, Roel patiently listened to Alicia¡¯s ns, asionally giving a nod of agreement. Just like that, they spent their final night together before Roel¡¯s departure. At daybreak, Roel bade Alicia farewell and headed to the Ascarts¡¯ base located in the vicinity of Saint Freya Academy. There, he met up with the heretic army. After some quick preparation, they began making their way toward Rosa. Chapter 483.2: You Can’t Tell Him (2)

Chapter 483.2: You Can¡¯t Tell Him (2)

On the road leading to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, a convoyprising over a dozen carriages was traveling without rest under the protection of many guards. This convoy was none other than the Sorofyas¡¯ Diamond Rivi¨¨re. The Diamond Rivi¨¨re was well-known amongst the royalty and nobles of the Sia Continent. Extravagance, poshness, and prestige were what it wasmonly associated with, and it was deemed to be the most sessful utilization of spatial magic in daily life. Yet, the convoy somehowcked its usual air of leisurely grace. The coaches persistently advanced ahead despite their fatigue. The apanying guards were in better conditions, but the sweltering weather left their clothes sweat-stained The convoy had been traveling without rest for several days now, but Charlotte¡¯s personal maid and bodyguard, Grace, still thought that it was insufficient. She anxiously stared at the map to estimate how long it would take for them to arrive at Rosa. ¡°Calm down, Grace. The situation isn¡¯t as bad as you think it is.¡± ¡°Young miss¡­¡± Charlottey in the middle of afortable bed dressed in pristine white pajamas. She smiled at the nervous maid in hopes of calming her down, but it only seemed to fan thetter¡¯s worries. Grace anxiously rushed over to the bed to check on her condition. Charlotte Sorofya was famous amongst the younger generation in the Sia Continent, known for her lofty bloodline that descended from the ancient high elves and her tender beauty. Countless young men deemed her to be the woman of their dreams. Yet, there was something off about Charlotte¡¯s current condition. Her moving beauty and noble disposition were the same as always, but her face was ghastly pale and her body looked frail. A whiff of death aura that was barely perceivable had shrouded her slender body, and she felt fragile as if she would shatter at a touch. Others would simply think that she had fallen ill, which wouldn¡¯t have been a problem for the highly resourceful Sorofya House. However, Grace knew that it wasn¡¯t as simple as it looked, for she knew of another man who suffered from the same affliction as her. Charlotte¡¯s father. Bruce Sorofya had been the leader of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy for several decades now, but what most didn¡¯t know was that this man, despite being in his prime, was struck with a mysterious affliction that nearly caused his death several years ago. Even now, he was still constantly tortured by that affliction. And now, that enigmatic affliction seemed to have extended its ws to Charlotte. This was a nightmare to Grace, who cared for Charlotte like her own child. Due to this affliction, Charlotte couldn¡¯t reunite with her lover and was forced to urgently return to Rosa. ¡°Young miss, how are you feeling? You have to be honest with me.¡± Grace kneeled down on one knee and carefully grasped Charlotte¡¯s hand. Her heart ached when she saw how thetter was forcing on a smiling to assuage her worries despite the terrible condition she was in. Charlotte looked at Grace¡¯s grim expression before letting out a sigh of resignation. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m feeling better after the nap, but I¡¯m still feeling weak. The death aura has also started seeping into my mana. I don¡¯t think that these things are working,¡± Charlotte started taking off the exorbitant protection magic tools Grace had previously put on her as she spoke. Grace spent a moment in thought before sharing her analysis. ¡°If these magic tools aren¡¯t working, I think the chances that your affliction was caused by an external factor would be slim.¡± ¡°You can rule out that possibility. A curse couldn¡¯t have possibly escaped my notice.¡± Gazing at the twinkling ceiling reminiscent of a starry night sky, Charlotte shook her head and refuted the possibility of her affliction being caused by an external factor. As a seer favored by the Goddess of Fate and a user of Gemstone Magic, Charlotte had aprehensive understanding of curses. It was impossible for her to be oblivious to a curseid on her, especially not under this Guardian Constetion formed out of thousands of gemstones. With such thoughts in mind, she looked at her own body. Just like how a cier wouldn¡¯t form overnight, her current condition didn¡¯t just ur overnight. Now that she thought about it, she had been feeling ufortable ever since she parted ways with Roelst year, but she didn¡¯t pay it much heed. Her condition had been steadily worsening ever since then, but there was a sharp deterioration right after the conclusion of the International Crisis Management Symposium. It got so bad that she could hardly carry out any of her daily tasks on her way to Saint Freya Academy. In the end, she had to leave the academy shortly after arriving in order to prevent news about her condition from spreading. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to give him the clothes I made.¡± Charlotte stroked the clothes in front of her with a yearning look. It pained her to have to leave Saint Freya Academy without even meeting him once. Noticing her actions, Grace made use of this opportunity to slip in a suggestion. ¡°Young miss, why don¡¯t we head to the Ascart Fiefdom instead if you wish to meet young master Roel? While we do have state-of-the-art medical facilities back in Rosa, the oilmp that alleviated your father¡¯s condition came from young master Roel. Perhaps it would be better if we¡­¡± ¡°No. I¡¯ve already told you. He can¡¯t learn of this matter.¡± ¡°But young miss¡­¡± ¡°No means no, Grace. I¡¯m not going to budge on this. How could I be by darling¡¯s side in my current state? What if he receives my affliction?¡± Charlotte clutched the clothes in her hand tightly. Grace fell silent. Bruce¡¯s affliction stemmed from a mysterious curse during his adventuring days many years back. Charlotte¡¯s manifestation of the affliction hinted at the possibility of it being contagious, although the possibility was low. Nevertheless, she wasn¡¯t about to endanger her lover no matter how slim the chance was. She knew that Roel would surely pay her a visit if she told him about her affliction, which was why she chose to withhold the truth from him. That was the only way she could protect him now. However, Grace didn¡¯t agree with that course of action. She instead believed that Roel was her greatest hope of getting well. ¡°Young miss, are you really not going to meet young master Roel? It has been a year since yourst meeting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Grace attempted to entice Charlotte by ying on her yearning, and it did move her for a moment. However, Charlotte¡¯s eyes quickly hardened in determination, and she replied with a hoarse voice. ¡°I want to meet him. There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t want to. It has been so difficult trying to hold my selfish tendencies back over the past year¡­ But more than that, I want to protect him. That¡¯s all I want, Grace.¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyshes drooped downward as she quietly smoothened out the clothes she had crumpled. Grace also stopped talking at this juncture. The spacious room was suddenly plunged into silence. In spite of Charlotte¡¯s sacrifice, there was an army hundreds of kilometers away that was moving contrary to her wishes. Under the starry sky, a ck-haired man was swiftly advancing in her direction. Chapter 484.1: The One Missing (1)

Chapter 484.1: The One Missing (1)

Along the road leading to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, Roel rested under a tree while gazing at the starry summer night sky. Not too far away, a group of armored guards was busy setting up a camp. It had been three days since he left Saint Freya Academy to chase after Charlotte. He could hardly rest when his heart was gripped with anxiety. Their group relentlessly advanced without rest, but surprisingly, they still hadn¡¯t managed to catch up with the Diamond Rivi¨¨re. While Charlotte did have a two days lead ahead of him, Roel should have been able to catch up with them by this morning, considering that his group was traveling light on horseback. Yet, Charlotte¡¯s convoy was still nowhere to be seen even after sunset. Roel knew of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re¡¯s capabilities, having personally spent many days in there. The mobile mansion constructed out of spatial magic was primarily focused onfort, resulting in its pace being much slower than ordinary carriages. Unless there was a sudden major technology breakthrough over thest few years, there could only be one reason why the Diamond Rivi¨¨re was still not within sight. Is Charlotte in a rush just like us? That brought a frown to Roel¡¯s face. If his worries about Charlotte were previously just a baseless conjecture, this was a important piece of evidence that backed his deduction. Nora had to rush back to the Theocracy due to the urgent matters she had to attend to following the International Crisis Management Symposium, but the Rosa Merchant Confederacy shouldn¡¯t have any urgent business that required such haste from Charlotte. Instead, it looked more as if Charlotte was fleeing from something. Is there an enemy pursuing her? No, that¡¯s unlikely. We¡¯re traveling on the main path in the Country of Schrs. No one would be so foolish as to make a move here. Even the fallen treant, Orked, resorted to luring us to a remote border town in the Austine Empire before making a move. If it¡¯s not an enemy, what could have put Charlotte in such a rush? Could it be that¡­ she¡¯s avoiding me? The possibility looked increasingly usible the more Roel considered it. His mind started filling up with doubts. Why is she avoiding me? Is there a problem in our rtionship I am unaware of? But avoidance wouldn¡¯t solve the problem. Is she trying to hide something from me? The ominous feeling only expanded with time, prompting Roel to tightly clench his fists out of agitation. He subconsciously nced at the heretic army, who was busy setting up their camp, but he quickly shook his head and took deep breaths topose himself. No, they aren¡¯t in any condition to continue traveling right away. We have already advanced three days without any rest. I should take this time to carefully think things through instead. Assuming that something has really happened to Charlotte, what could it be? She has Grace and her guards with her, so it¡¯s unlikely for there to be any threat to her safety. Meaning to say, it¡¯s likely to be an internal matter? The Ascart Fiefdom and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy has deepened their economic and military ties over thest few years, and that has greatly elevated Charlotte¡¯s position in the country. On top of that, she has the backing of both Grandpa Ugin and Uncle Bruce, so it¡¯s hard to imagine anyone shaking her position in the¡­ Wait a moment! Bruce! Roel widened his eyes as he recalled the impetus behind his meeting with Charlotte¡ªthe oilmp he had sold to the Sorofyas. It was a request made by Bruce Sorofya to alleviate the mysterious affliction that caused his body to gradually undergo undead reanimation. Most of the goods sold in the System were unfortunately one-time-off, and he hadn¡¯t found anything that possessed simr effects to the oilmp. It was a huge relief that the purification effects of the oilmp lingered on even after its oil was used up. Uncle Bruce has been able to hold on due to the effects of the oilmp, but his condition has been steadily worsening over time. Could Charlotte¡¯s anomaly have something to do with that? Roel heaved a sigh of relief, feeling much moreposed upon realizing that Charlotte might not be the one in danger. Bruce¡¯s death would also bring about major repercussions to the Ascart Fiefdom, but at this moment, his personal feelings outweighed his sense of responsibility. Shaking his head at his own selfishness, he looked at the stars above and allowed his thoughts to drift away. ¡­ ¡°Young miss, you can¡¯t continue on like that!¡± Inside the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, Grace cried out to Charlotte with an anguished look on her face. It was just yesterday that Charlotte¡¯s condition seemed to have improved, but an attack from her affliction earlier in the morning set her back and she had beennguishing ever since. These attacks had no warnings to them and they couldn¡¯t be stopped either. The only thing they could do was suppress the rpse using the Golden Soul, but its effectiveness was limited. It was almost as if Charlotte was gued by an intangible specter that she couldn¡¯t shake off. The sight of Charlotte having her health robbed from her within mere minutes made Grace lose all patience. ¡°Young miss, please forgive me. I¡¯ll be informing Lord Roel of this matter regardless of your objections.¡± ¡°Grace! I told you that¡­¡± Charlotte uttered feebly. ¡°Young miss, I am your personal guard as much as your maid. It¡¯s my job to ensure your safety. I don¡¯t think I am capable of protecting you on my own anymore, so it¡¯s my responsibility to seek reinforcements. Please don¡¯t be stubborn about this anymore,¡± Grace sharply interjected into Charlotte¡¯s words, determinedly expressing her stance. Charlotte was taken aback by the grim look on Grace¡¯s face. She took a moment to ponder before attempting to persuade thetter with a gentle voice. ¡°Grace, you¡¯re making a mountain out of a molehill. My condition isn¡¯t as bad as it seems. The affliction hits harder at night, causing me to look worse the following morning. That was the case for my father. You should be aware of that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unfortunately, Charlotte¡¯s persuasion was useless before Grace. ¡°Indeed, I have heard about how Lord Bruce¡¯splexion worsens in the morning. But young miss, I¡¯m not oblivious to how the frequency and intensity of your attacks have increased over the past year.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte couldn¡¯t argue against that. Just as Grace had said, her affliction started out as a slight feeling of difort thatsted for seconds, urring once every fifteen days. It was so mild that it could have been mistaken as a sign of exhaustion. But before long she knew, the attacks lengthened into minutes, and their intervals shortened to once every few days. It hadn¡¯t grown so severe as to endanger Charlotte¡¯s life yet, but as seen in Bruce¡¯s case, it was only a matter of time before it developed into a fatal disease. Grace doubled down on her stance and insisted on contacting Roel, but the obstinate Charlotte refused to budge on her decision. In the midst of their confrontation, someone suddenly knocked on the carriage doors. ¡°Come in. What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Young miss, we discovered a group of mounted soldiers behind us. Their leader is the proxy fief lord of the Ascart Fiefdom, Lord Roel. What should¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± Charlotte immediately sat upward upon hearing her guard¡¯s words, her emerald eyes narrowing sharply. Meanwhile, Roel was swiftly closing the distance between them. Chapter 484.2: The One Missing (2)

Chapter 484.2: The One Missing (2)

¡­ ¡°Lord Roel, Miss Charlotte will need some time to prepare herself. Please wait here for a moment.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Roel casually eyed the dozen exquisite carriages stopped along Brolne¡¯s main road, and he noticed bits of dirt and mud clinging onto them. The coaches driving the carriages were also fighting a losing war against their drooping eyelids. That affirmed his earlier conjecture that Charlotte¡¯s convoy was traveling without rest back to Rosa. A sharp glint shed across his eyes. There¡¯s indeed something wrong here. Holding onto the reins of his steed, he recounted the events that had happened earlier. Roel and the heretic army had woken up before sunrise, and they quickly packed up their items and resumed their pursuit. They spent hours charging ahead before the Diamond Rivi¨¨re finally appeared in their line of sight. To his surprise, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re didn¡¯t stop right away even though a few members of their convoy had already noticed him, choosing to travel on. Charlotte would always order for her convoy to halt whenever they bumped into each other, regardless of the asion, but she didn¡¯t do so this time around. Roel was forced to follow the convoy for quite some time. Things only got weirder after the convoy halted. Charlotte didn¡¯t leap out of the carriage right away, and the one to receive him wasn¡¯t Grace but another female guard. Roel had some impression of this female guard, but going by the Sia Continent¡¯s etiquette, she was unqualified to receive someone of his stature. He wasn¡¯t bothered by such formalities, but he knew Charlotte was. It was unlike her tomit such a faux pas. Is this a show of dominance from her? No, that shouldn¡¯t be¡­ It was a baffling situation to Roel, but he decided against dwelling on it since it was of lesser importance. His priority was to meet Charlotte and have her exin the situation. But as time ticked by, his eyebrows started to furrow. She¡¯s taking too long. Roel nced at the coaches who had started napping from having to wait for an extended period of time, and his expression slowly turned grave. He was not so dense as to not know that women needed more time to wash up and fix their appearances in the morning, but Charlotte was an exception. In the days they spent traveling together, she had always been able to tidy herself up quickly every morning. In fact, she often had spare time to peek at his sleeping visage. The sun was already hanging high in the sky. Charlotte should have already woken up by now. It was bewildering how the door to her carriage was still firmly closed after such a long period of time. Should I barge in? Fortunately, the carriage door opened before Roel could make a reckless move. A female attendant stepped out and offered Charlotte¡¯s invitation to him, informing him that she was waiting in the guest room. He answered with a nod. Roel entered the Diamond Rivi¨¨re and walked across a spacious lounge. He soon arrived at the guest room, where an auburn-haired woman sat on the other opposite end of a sofa. A year had passed since theirst meeting, but Charlotte looked the same as ever, be it her wless fair skin, her flowing auburn hair, her dignified face, or her intoxicated emerald eyes. She wore a stylish gown weaved of red and white that exposed her shoulders, only to tighten around her waist. It flowed in a way that naturally brought focus to the crimson trinket she wore around her ankles. It was a piece that looked innocent but seductive, noble but avant-garde, a style that was uniquely Charlotte. It was probably one of her self-created piece. Roel was mesmerized from the moment heid his eyes on her, but he quickly let out a cough and adjusted his state of mind. ¡°It has been a while, Charlotte. How have you been faring?¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve been well, darling. What about you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Not too bad, I guess.¡± Roel momentarily paused for a moment at Charlotte¡¯s return question as he thought about everything he had faced over the past year. From Tark Stronghold¡¯s tragedy, the Theocracy¡¯s internal war, to the recent Braytown investigation, it was simply too hard for Roel to describe his year as ¡®good¡¯¡­ ¡­ though the same could be said about Charlotte too. Suppressing the lethargy and enfeeblement haunting her, Charlotte put down her teacup and looked at Roel with deep eyes. She had bottled up countless words to say to him over their year of separation, but she had to hold herself back, knowing that it wasn¡¯t the time for it. She couldn¡¯t risk Roel catching the same affliction, no matter how slim the possibility was. Her n was to express her dissatisfaction and find a way to drive Roel off, but when they finally came face-to-face with each other, she realized that she had overestimated herself. How could she drive off the man she had been yearning for an entire year? Her aching heart started to beat hard from the moment he appeared before her. A year¡¯s worth of feelings suddenly gushed forth, resuscitating her dulling soul. I¡­ I am really unable to chase him away, Charlotte thought bitterly. On the other hand, Roel took a trip down memory¡¯sne too, but he quickly snapped out of it. Turning his eyes toward Charlotte, he asked a question that had been guing his heart for a few days now. ¡°Charlotte, did something happen?¡± ¡°What are you saying, darling? What could have possibly happened?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother putting on an act. This doesn¡¯t work on me.¡± Fluster momentarily shed across Charlotte¡¯s eyes. She quickly concealed it with a smile, but Roel wasn¡¯t fazed at all. From their first meeting, he had already known that she was an actress through and through. It was not just once or twice that he had fallen for her act, though her tricks slowly lost their effectiveness as they got closer to each other. ¡°You didn¡¯t inform me when you returned to Saint Freya Academy, and now you¡¯re returning home without bidding me farewell. I can¡¯t say that this is the Charlotte I know. Tell me, what happened?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s nothing. I just miss home.¡± ¡°Miss home?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m drained from the long discussions in the symposium,¡± replied Charlotte. It was a response that didn¡¯t satisfy Roel, but no matter how he probed her, she obstinately clung to her stance, insisting that she had been out for too long and wanted to quickly return home to rest. The way she was reacting to the situation failed to assuage Roel¡¯s unease; if anything, it was making him worry more. He was getting a bad feeling based on what he knew about her, but thetter was refusing to divulge any clues at all. Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t make any progress at this rate, he turned his attention to the other details, hoping to unravel some other clues from the details. It didn¡¯t take long for something¡ªor rather, the absence of something¡ªto catch his eyes. Looking at the lonesome Charlotte in the room, his golden eyes narrowed with hawk-like sharpness. ¡°Charlotte, where is your personal maid, Grace?¡± Chapter 485.1: Just Accompanying You To Bed (1)

Chapter 485.1: Just Apanying You To Bed (1)

Roel raised the question with a calm voice, but his eyes were meticulously keeping a lookout for every single one of Charlotte¡¯s subtle reactions. He noticed how her body had unnaturally stiffened for a brief instant upon hearing his question. Grace was both Charlotte¡¯s personal maid and bodyguard, responsible for attending to Charlotte¡¯s every need and ensuring her safety. As an Origin Level 3 transcendent adept in close-quarterbat, she made up for Charlotte¡¯s weakness in frontal attacks. With one specializing in aggression and the other in support, the two of them made a fearsomebo that was more than enough to deter most aggressors. Besides, it was only normal for Charlotte to bring her close confidant with her on long journeys. ¡°Grace has some matters to attend to¡­¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t with you even though you¡¯re traveling? What could be more important than your safety?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Those words rendered Charlotte speechless. She couldn¡¯t agree with Roel here, for it would have been making light of Grace¡¯s dedication to her duties. She couldn¡¯t trample on everything Grace had done for her even if it was just a lie. That would have been the worst insult to Grace. ¡°Grace¡­ is feeling unwell. I ordered her to take a rest.¡± ¡°Oh? Grace is resting right now?¡± ¡°She is. All the traveling must have gotten to her. Even a high transcendent would find it hard to cope with our hectic schedule.¡± ¡°I see¡­ May I ask what¡¯s with this cup of tea then? I was fairly certain that it was brewed by Grace, judging by the aroma.¡± ¡°!¡± This is bad. Darling is too sharp! As Roel slowly unraveled her lies through his sharp observation, Charlotte began to panic. His narrowed golden eyes showed that he was ready to pounce at any gaps in her statement. She took a deep breath and forced herself to stand firm. ¡°She left right before you came. She was feeling light-headed, so I had to take care of her first before meeting you. Sorry to have kept you waiting.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Roel nodded as he casually scanned Charlotte from head to toe. A frown formed on his forehead, making Charlotte¡¯s heart skip a beat. She realized that he might be onto something and hurriedly tried to change the topic, but she was a second toote. ¡°What about you, Charlotte? Are you feeling well?¡± ¡°Of course. I have to say that thest few months have been exhausting, but it¡¯s not too much for me to take.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was fortunate that Charlotte was already prepared for that question, which was why she was able to answer without a hitch. Relieved that she had handled the question well, she casually reached for her teacup. At the same time, she raised her head to look at Roel, only to be surprised by his darkened expression. W-what¡¯s going on? Charlotte panicked. It was as if her answer was off the mark, but that shouldn¡¯t have been the case. Unsure about what was going on, she directed a questioning look at Roel, but thetter wasn¡¯t saying a word at all. The silence loomed on and Charlotte¡¯s nervousness intensified. The graceful demeanor she had been maintaining all this while began to copse. Taking her reaction into sight, Roel finally opened his mouth. ¡°Charlotte¡­ how well do you think I know you?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± It was such an abrupt question that Charlotte was taken by surprise. She stared at the ck-haired man before her and thought about the days they had spent together. Momentster, she nodded. ¡°I¡¯d say that darling knows me quite well. May I ask what¡¯s with the sudden question?¡± ¡°Nothing much. I was just curious to know what you think about me. I can¡¯t help but feel that you are underestimating my feelings for you.¡± ¡°Underestimating?¡± Charlotte tilted her head in confusion. Roel responded with an affirmative nod. ¡°That¡¯s right. I know that we haven¡¯t met for a year now. I¡¯d understand if you think that I have neglecting you and that I don¡¯t care about you, but the truth is that I know you much better than you think I do. ¡°You¡¯re fond of floral tea blends steeped at 70-degrees. You can¡¯t keep your hands away from strawberry-vored desserts and macarons. You tend to wake up early in the morning. You feel uneasy if you don¡¯t spend some time looking through your work documents before sleeping¡­¡± Much to Charlotte¡¯s astonishment, Roel calmly listed out the little habits she had in her daily life. Joy and tenderness swiftly blossomed in her heart. It didn¡¯t take long for her widened eyes and opened mouth to curl into irrepressible smiles. It was umon for humans to pay that much attention to their rtionships, and this held even truer for someone as independent as Charlotte. Her confident demeanor often left others subconsciously thinking that she didn¡¯t need care and concern. Even her own father, Bruce Sorofya, had never paid that much attention to her before. The time that Roel and her could be together had been excruciatingly limited, but Roel was still able to have such a thorough understanding of her. That could only mean one thing¡ªhe cared for her so much that he paid attention to every little detail about her. There was nothing in the world that was sweeter to Charlotte than knowing that she was being cherished by the man she loved, but knowing that she couldn¡¯t allow Roel to know about her affliction, she exerted everyst bit of self-restraint she had to keep herself from falling into his honey trap. While feeling moved, her brain had already started to process the significance of Roel¡¯s words. ¡°Darling, I didn¡¯t think that you care so deeply about me. I am deeply moved by your sentiments. However, I don¡¯t understand the intent behind your words.¡± ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that you don¡¯t have to bother lying to me.¡± ¡°Lying? I-I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand? Alright, I¡¯ll put it in clearer terms.¡± Roel looked at Charlotte¡¯s stiffened face and exhaled deeply. ¡°It doesn¡¯t show when ites to others, but you have a tendency to get nervous whenever yo lie to me. That induces your hands to restlessly fidget around¡­ such as how you¡¯re touching the rim of your teacup now.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes fell upon her thumb, which had been subconsciously tracing the rim of the teacup for a while now, and her body froze up. Her first instinct was to put down the teacup and refute Roel¡¯s words, but she gave up on that halfway through. She realized that the skepticism in Roel¡¯s eyes had been reced with certainty. It was clear as day that her lie had already been exposed. Roel would never leave the carriage now unless he got to the bottom of things. ¡°Charlotte, can you tell me what happened now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte cursed her own uselessness. Unable to suppress his worry anymore, Roel stood up and approached Charlotte, hoping to hold her hand. Such a level of intimacy was something the two of them had long grown ustomed to, but astonishingly, Charlotte immediately shot to her feet and retreated a step. This unprecedented rejection shocked Roel. ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, darling. I¡¯m begging you, please don¡¯t touch me. Allow me to exin the situation first¡­¡± Fearing that Roel would misunderstand the situation, Charlotte eventually decided to reveal the truth after some hesitation. As he listened to her story, Roel¡¯s face slowly turned livid. Chapter 485.2: Just Accompanying You To Bed (2)

Chapter 485.2: Just Apanying You To Bed (2)

¡­ The thing I¡¯ve been worrying about still happened in the end. In the guest room, Roel listened to Charlotte¡¯s story with a heavy heart. He had thought of many possibilities as to what could have happened to Charlotte. He did suspect that it might have something to do with Bruce¡¯s mysterious affliction, but the situation was worse than he had expected. The one who was ailing wasn¡¯t Bruce but Charlotte. His mind wentpletely nk the moment he heard about it from Roel. His ears started buzzing as if they couldn¡¯t ept what they had just heard. This was a huge shock to him, for he knew that the affliction was currently incurable. The Rosa Merchant Confederacy had paid astronomical sums to engage the services of the church¡¯s bishops and renowned schrs, but none of them was able to make sense of Bruce¡¯s affliction. All the wealth and connections but Bruce was still helpless before the affliction. That was how terrifying the affliction was. Charlotte¡¯s situation was only going to be worse, for the Soulcalming Lamp that had run out of oil wouldn¡¯t be potent enough to simultaneously suppress both of their afflictions. The cruel reality of things left Roel feeling despaired, but he shook his head and pulled himself back to the present. He could see a dilemma in Charlotte¡¯s eyes. On one hand, she didn¡¯t want to part with him, but she was also hoping that he would leave so that she wouldn¡¯t infect him. Seeing that, he rose to his feet and began walking up to her. ¡°D-darling? What are you going to do? Wait, no, you can¡¯t¡­¡± In spite of Charlotte¡¯s flustered refusal, Roel determinedly approached her and sealed her lips. She initially tried to push him back, but she soon sumbed to the emotions she had suppressed for the longest of time. Her body gradually ckened as their kiss deepened, leaving little room but intermittent gasps of air between them. It felt like a long time before the two of them parted lips with heavy breaths. ¡°Darling, y-you can¡¯t. If you catch the affliction as well¡­¡± ¡°You would have caught it long ago if the affliction is truly contagious. Look at those around Uncle Bruce. Aren¡¯t they all fine?¡± Roel calmly assured the woman in his hands, but that wasn¡¯t enough to quell Charlotte¡¯s unease. ¡°But the affliction stems from a curse. If the curse spreads¡­¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯ll be my fate if that really happens,¡± Roel replied. Roel gently ced his hand on Charlotte¡¯s cheeks and gazed into her emerald eyes. He felt a sharp pain in his heart just thinking about the emotional turmoil she had been put through. Several years ago, when the two of them fell into the Witness State, Charlotte chose to entrust her hopes to Roel at the critical moment and stand alone against the despairing ashes and embers of Sire Darkness. It felt like a rey of the same situation. Despite knowing that Roel was the one who had provided the Sorofyas with the Sarchorme¡¯s Soulcalming Lamp, she still didn¡¯t want to risk spreading the affliction to him. Even the most heartless of people would be touched by her self-sacrificial spirit to love, let alone Roel. Roel felt yet another explosive growth of affection toward Charlotte, and it made his face redden a little. He understood Charlotte¡¯s worries, but he had no intention of backing down here. ¡°I don¡¯t know how this matter came about, but Charlotte, just like how it was a few years ago, I will never leave you to the lurch.¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± ¡°Really, I don¡¯t know what to say about you. The Witness State is one thing, but you shan¡¯t escape this time. I can¡¯t allow you to face this all alone. This matter¡ªNo, it should be all difficulties we¡¯ll face in the future¡ªI hope that we can face them together.¡± ¡°!¡± All difficulties we¡¯ll face in the future? Charlotte¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard those words. The promise to face all difficulties together wasn¡¯t like any other promise. It was part of a wedding vow in the Sia Continent, such that the significance of those words was practically a proposal. Those were words that she had been dreaming of for the longest time, but hearing them on this unexpected asion left her feeling conflicted. Tears glistened in her eyes as she rested her head on Roel¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­ Why are you saying such words now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s now that I¡¯m saying such words.¡± ¡°¡­ You dumbo.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who is a dumbo. Even after so many years, you¡¯re still thinking of running away from me to confront your problems alone¡­¡± Roel gently brushed Charlotte¡¯s smooth auburn hair before affectionately pulling her in tighter. No words were exchanged between the two of them; they soaked their senses in each other¡¯s existence and vented out a year¡¯s worth of yearning. A gentle atmosphere drifted into the quiet guest room. A blissful smile slowly emerged on Charlotte¡¯s tearstained face. After a long embrace, the two of them finally parted a little. ¡°Putting aside your physical condition for the moment, are you feeling any better?¡± ¡°Mmhm. I feel euphoric. I can¡¯t help but wonder if it¡¯s all a dream.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a dream. I won¡¯t allow it to be one.¡± Roel gently wiped away the tears on Charlotte¡¯s face as thetter nodded in agreement. It was then that she was suddenly reminded of something. ¡°Right. I have to release Grace.¡± ¡°You¡­ imprisoned Grace?¡± ¡°She was going to snitch to you, so¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s face reddened. Roel revealed a helpless smile. Under Charlotte¡¯s order, it didn¡¯t take long for the ck-haired maid to return to the guest room. ¡°Lord Roel, I think you have probably heard the story by now, but I¡¯d still like to verify if you¡¯re aware of our young miss¡¯¡­¡± Grace asked anxiously. ¡°Yes, Charlotte has told me,¡± Roel replied calmly. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Grace. I was too obstinate,¡± Charlotte earnestly apologized to the loyal subordinate who had apanied her all her life. From the moment she entered the room, Grace could already tell from the harmonious atmosphere between the couple that her young miss¡¯ n had fallen through. She heaved a sigh of relief, ddened that her young miss wouldn¡¯t have to face it all alone. ¡°Lord Roel, our young miss only hid this matter from you because she was afraid that the affliction would spread to you. I ask for your understanding on this matter,¡± Grace courteously apologized on behalf of her young miss with a graceful curtsey. Roel shook his head, expressing that he wouldn¡¯t hold it to heart. He proceeded on to tell Grace what had happened after the two of them reunited, but to his surprise, Grace revealed a contemtive look upon hearing his story. A glint shed across Grace¡¯s eyes as she gazed at the couple seated together. It dawned on her that this was an ideal opportunity. The two lovebirds had hardly any time to meet over the past year due to heavy responsibilities they shouldered. The ¡®Roel X Charlotte Ship¡¯ was simply too overloaded that there was not much she, as the captain, could do to help the ship set sail. But now¡­ After a quick moment of thought, Grace decisively interrupted her own flow of mana, causing her face to pale within the span of a few seconds. Then, she crumbled weakly to the ground. ¡­ Grace had fallen ill. What illness is it, you¡¯re asking? Don¡¯t stick your head where it doesn¡¯t belong. The important thing is that she¡¯s ill. The convoy doctor took a look at her and diagnosed it to be a case of exhaustion. Charlotte immediately ordered Grace to take a rest. Another problem quickly surfaced: Now that Grace was ill, who was going to take care of the equally ill Charlotte? Grace had been with Charlotte from a very young age. The trust shared between the two of them was not something that anyone else could simply take over. It usually wouldn¡¯t be a big deal for her to take a brief rest from her responsibilities, but not when Charlotte was this ill. Charlotte most definitely couldn¡¯t be left alone given her current condition. By a huuuge stroke of coincidence, there happened to be another person in the convoy who was able to take care of Charlotte, and that man unhesitatingly volunteered himself upon learning of the problem. ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, you may leave Charlotte to me. What do I have to do?¡± In Grace¡¯s resting room, Roel enquired about what he had to take note of while attending to Charlotte¡¯s needs. The maid revealed a warm smile in response. ¡°Lord Roel, all you have to do is to apany her in bed.¡± Chapter 486.1: Charlotte’s Problem (1)

Chapter 486.1: Charlotte¡¯s Problem (1)

What did Grace¡¯s work consist of? Roel used to think her job as a personal maid revolved around attending to Charlotte¡¯s needs and ensuring her safety. That wasn¡¯t very different from what he had done for Charlotte a few years back. When he first came to be acquainted with Charlotte, the two of them were hardly as close as they were now. In order to please his sponsor¡ªit couldn¡¯t be helped since he couldn¡¯t afford to take money from the Ascart Fiefdom during its key development phase¡ªhe had to devise ways to get on her good books. Some of the things he did for her included brewing tea for her every morning and preparing food that was aligned with her preferences. That was also why Roel calmly volunteered himself for the job when Grace expressed that she wasn¡¯t in a condition to attend to Charlotte. But when he did a job handover with Grace, he quickly realized that things were different from what he had expected. Roel had indeed previously taken care of Charlotte back in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, but that was in the capacity of a host or a friend. It would be a gross understatement to think that attending to a person¡¯s every need was the same as just serving tea and preparing food. ¡°Apany her to bed? Do you sleep together with her every day?¡± Sensing that there was something wrong with the job description stated by the smiling Grace, Roel challenged her. While the role was termed as ¡®personal maid¡¯, it didn¡¯t mean that they had to constantly stick together as if they were glued to each other. Not to mention, Charlotte had alreadye of age. Even if it was to take care of her and ensure her safety, it seemed overboard to apany her to bed. Despite Roel¡¯s show of skepticism, Grace¡¯s expression didn¡¯t waver in the least. Truth be told, that was indeed what she had been doing every day, though it was only limited to this period of time. She knew that this was a golden opportunity to push their rtionship ahead, and she didn¡¯t have to pull any tricks for it! That was why she didn¡¯t hesitate to sumb to her exhaustion and copse. ¡°Yes, Lord Roel. Our young miss hasn¡¯t been feeling well recently. You¡¯ll have to keep a close eye on her so that you can help her right away when her affliction rpses. Due to that, you have to apany her to bed. If I may add on, our young miss has also been feeling weak and lethargic, so you¡¯ll have to attend to her daily needs too¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Has it already reached such a stage?¡± Grace solemnly shared how she had been taking care of Charlotte during this period of time, which indirectly informed Roel about the severity of Charlotte¡¯s condition. His face turned grim. Seeing that she had achieved her goal, Grace concluded the handover by emphasizing once again the importance of constantly staying by Charlotte¡¯s side. Roel responded with a nod. He offered some well wishes to Grace before taking his leave. There was a contemtive look on his face as he walked out of the resting room. It went without saying that he would do everything he could to take care of Charlotte, but there was something else more important that he would have to deal with¡ªuncovering the cause of Charlotte¡¯s affliction. Charlotte believed that she had received the affliction from her father, but Roel thought that there were far too many dubious points regarding this matter to hastily conclude it as such. For one, just as what Roel had said earlier to dispel Charlotte¡¯s worries, it was weird how Charlotte was only catching the affliction now after so many years of living together with Bruce. Be it her constitution or mana, the young Charlotte should have been much more vulnerable to catching the affliction. Of course, it could also be possible that the affliction had a slumber period before it acted up, but if that was the case, those who had been taking care of Bruce should have been the first one to crumble to the affliction. Charlotte, who hardly met Bruce at all, shouldn¡¯t have been the first one to catch it. There were far too many doubts regarding this matter, but Roel didn¡¯t have any clues to work with. Thus, he decided to first take care of Charlotte and think about itter. To his helplessness, he encountered a huge challenge right away. ¡­ Ten minutes into the job, Roel was in Charlotte¡¯s room, staring at her with an utterly confused expression on his face. Charlotte quietly sat on the sofa with a cup of tea in her hands, her face reddened. After his conversation with Grace, Roel returned to Charlotte¡¯s side and brewed a cup of tea for her. They settled down on a sofa and started chatting. During which, he asked about her daily schedule with the intention of following through with it, only to be met with Charlotte¡¯s silence. Roel caught up with Charlotte¡¯s convoy in the morning, and it was already afternoon by the time everything unfolded. Charlotte¡¯s schedule was usually packed to the brim even while she was traveling¡ªthere was always work for her to attend to¡ªbut for some reason, she was hesitant to reveal her schedule to him. He could have never imagined the sheer embarrassment Charlotte was feeling at the moment. Charlotte hadn¡¯t been in a good condition since this morning. She had a heated argument with Grace especially after learning that Roel had caught up with them. Despite her infirm state, she hurriedly got off bed and dressed herself up with the help of the other maids. Till now, she hadn¡¯t even had breakfast yet, though she didn¡¯t have much of an appetite either. What put her in a dilemma was the next activity on her schedule. Bathing. Roel¡¯s arrival had been so abrupt that Charlotte barely had time to change her clothes and tidy up her appearances, let alone bathe. Now that they had finally cleared things up, Grace should have been helping her to the bath, where she could have a good soak and cleanse herself. As someone who paid great heed to cleanliness, this was an important daily ritual to her. But now that it was Roel who was attending to her instead¡­ Charlotte lowered her gaze and quietly stared at her own reflection in the teacup. She no longer thought of Roel as an outsider after confirming their rtionship¡ªheck, they had even shared the same bed for a period of time!¡ªbut as a demuredy, being bathed by a man was beyond her limit of eptance. What further dissuaded her was the notion that Roel might feel ufortable. But it¡¯s still early autumn now¡­ I don¡¯t think that it¡¯s likely, but what if there¡¯s some weird smell¡­ Charlotte felt awfully conflicted. She raised her head and stared hard at Roel, but after a long bout of hesitation, she was still unable to voice out her original schedule. Tok tok tok! Sudden knocks on the door dispelled the awkward atmosphere between the two of them. Charlotte silently heaved a sigh of relief while Roel headed to the door to take a look. ¡°Lord Roel, Miss Grace has instructed us to deliver Lord Charlotte¡¯s schedule to you. Please have a look at it.¡± ¡°Charlotte¡¯s schedule? Great. I was at a loss as to what I should do.¡± Roel¡¯s face brightened up at the sight of the little booklet delivered to him by one of the maids. On the other hand, Charlotte¡¯s eyes nearly popped out when she overheard those words. ¡°My schedule?¡± While she was still stunned by the ¡®timely assistance¡¯ from Wingwoman Grace, Roel had already closed the door and started to browse through the booklet. ¡°Let me see what¡¯s next on your schedule¡­¡± ¡°W-wait! Roel, a-about that¡­¡± ¡°Your next schedule after breakfast is¡­ bathing?¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s body froze up. Roel looked at the furiously blushing woman, and he finally grasped the reason behind her earlier refusal to respond. Chapter 486.2: Charlotte’s Problem (2)

Chapter 486.2: Charlotte¡¯s Problem (2)

The room sunk into silence once more, but it didn¡¯t feel awkward unlike before. If anything, it resembled the amorous atmosphere between two shy newlyweds. Roel sighed softly under his breath, mentally berating himself for his insensitivity. ¡°S-shall I get the other maids to help you instead?¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t like to bathe in front of outsiders. Grace is fine, but the others might be a little¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I see,¡± Roel replied with an understanding nod. Silence loomed between the two of them once more. While Roel was at a loss as to how he should proceed, Charlotte suddenly spoke up. ¡°But darling, I don¡¯t think of you as an o-outsider¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m just saying that because we have shared the same bed many times! I don¡¯t mean anything by that¡­ It¡¯d probably be ufortable for you to bathe me, right?¡± ¡°¡­ W-well, yeah.¡± Roel averted his eyes as he admitted to it with an unusually hoarse voice. He could already feel his mind heating up at the thought of it. Bathing Charlotte was no different from ying with fire. He was a functioning man with lustful desires, after all. However, it wouldn¡¯t do for him toy his hands on her right now, not when she was in such a feeble state. To ask him to hold back before the woman he harbored feelings for under such circumstances was practically a punishment game! Roel didn¡¯t think that it was wise to test his own self-control here, but after a moment of thought, he felt that it wasn¡¯t right for him to just consider himself. I am here to take care of Charlotte, but I¡¯m already being a burden just minutes after taking on the job. Not to mention, the weather is still quite warm. Charlotte would find it hard to have a good rest without properly washing up. With these thoughts in mind, Roel mustered his courage with a deep breath before walking up to her. ¡°Charlotte, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re thinking on my behalf, but I¡¯ll be taking care of you for more a day. This is something we¡¯ll eventually have to go through.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. Have you forgotten? You wiped me back down everyday back when we first escaped from the Witness State.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte was brought back to the time when the two of them had barely escaped from the Witness State with their lives, and Roel was in a severely weakened state and couldn¡¯t bathe due to the side effects of cier¡¯s Touch. The frost aura he emanated to immediately turn water into ice,pletely eliminating the possibility of conventional baths. During that period of time, Charlotte made sure to wipe him down everyday using her Golden Soul. Born with a golden spoon in her mouth, that was the first time she had ever taken care of a person. Till this day, Roel could still remember the pair of clumsy but earnest hands wiping his body while he was in a groggy state. ¡°You took care of me when I was at my weakest. All that¡¯s changed now is the reversal of our roles. Putting all things aside, I¡¯m at least confident in my self-control. Charlotte, believe me this once, alright?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the ck-haired man who had gotten on one knee and was sincerely staring at her, Charlotte felt a lump in her throat and a warm sensation brimming in her eyes. After some hesitation, she finally gave an assenting nod. Thus began Roel¡¯s greatest daily challenge in theing days. ¡­ In a changing room just outside the bathroom shrouded in water vapor, Roel took off his coat and changed into a white shirt. In the adjacent room, Charlotte was in the midst of stripping off her clothes in preparation for the bath. While Charlotte had allowed Roel to attend to her in the bath, there was actually nothing much for him to do. The existence of transcendent powers encouraged independence in the Sia Continent, especially when it came to bathing. Unlike the case in Roel¡¯s previous world, most nobles here insisted on settling it by themselves. The avability of transcendent abilities meant that a weapon was hardly needed to kill a person, making it even harder to guard against assassination attempts. Nobles were particrly vulnerable while they were bathing as they would have to take off their clothes and essories, which meant that they would be without their usual defensive magic tools. As a matter of fact, there were many famous figures on the Sia Continent who had been assassinated in the bath. For that reason, nobles would only allow their most trusted aides and guards to remain in the vicinity while they were bathing. Their presence served to deal with assassination attempts and prevent unfortunate idents such as drunk nobles drowning in their own bathtubs. There was no way Charlotte would really order Roel around like a servant given their rtionship. Knowing that, Roel only requested to help her with minor chores such as scrubbing her back. Despite so, her allure proved to be too much for him to take. As soon as he stepped out of the changing room, he was weed by the stimting sight of a gorgeous auburn-haired woman with nothing but a towel wrapped around her. Charlotte had tidied up her hair into a bun, revealing her fair nape, shoulders, and her defined cor bones. Her towel wasrge enough to cover her chest all the way to the top half of her thighs, but the beautifully-shaped legs that peeked out beneath it was oddly arousing. Charlotte does have beautiful legs. Such was the straightforward thought that popped up in Roel¡¯s mind, though his face immediately reddened in response. It was not without reason that Charlotte was fond of wearing anklets¡ªsuch essories did further entuate her natural charms. Those who were into legs would have definitely found themparable to weapons of mass destructions. Roel¡¯s heart began to beat fast. Meanwhile, Charlotte secretly nced at Roel, whose physique was vaguely showing through his shirt. He looks firmer than he was a few years back¡­ The contrast between the old Roel and the current Roel made Charlotte¡¯s breathing hasten a little. In the midst of her secret nce, she identally met eyes with Roel. A shudder ran through both of their bodies, and they hurriedly turned their eyes away with a guilty conscience. It was as if there was a clumsy doe was bumping around in their hearts. This mission is going to be harder than I thought, Roel thought with a frown. Charlotte took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before meeting eyes with Roel once more. The two of them exchanged a consenting nod before heading into the bathroom one after another. A carriages of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re was exclusively reserved for the bathroom. Spacious and avant-garde, it had sophisticated magic tools managing both the lighting and the surrounding temperature. Even the water temperature would be adjusted ording to the individual¡¯s body temperature, thus eliminating any possibility of difort. Fresh flower petals and exorbitant serums known to improve one¡¯splexion were poured into the bath, and a faint fragrance suffused the air. Charlotte took a sip of a revitalizing beverage before she undid her towel and stepped into the bath. Despite having averted his eyes, Roel still caught a glimpse of her mesmerizing body shape from his peripheral vision. Sshing sounds could be heard Charlotte slowly lowered her body into the water. What he could see in his peripheral vision correspondingly decreased. His nerves finally loosened up, but with it came a slight tinge of disappointment. Despite the racy situation, nothing much happened afterward. It could have been due to her being in a better mood, but Charlotte¡¯s condition seemed to have improved with Roel¡¯s arrival. She was able to handle most menial tasks on her own, much to Roel¡¯s relief. Just as he thought that this dangerous bath time would end peacefully, Charlotte suddenly called out. ¡°Darling, can you wash my back?¡± Her overly soft voice betrayed her embarrassment, and her fair skin revealed hints of red too. The request startled Roel, but he quickly nodded his head before walking over with averted eyes. He grabbed the bottle of natural cleansing foam, poured some on his hands, and started rubbing it on her back. ¡°Ah¡­¡± _ Support us at h+sted novel _ As his rtively colder hands came into contact with Charlotte¡¯s back, her body instinctively trembled and a soft gasp escaped from her lips. Her sensual response sent blood gushing into Roel¡¯s head. ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing.¡± Noticing Charlotte¡¯s embarrassment, Roel decided not to probe on. Looking at her beautiful back and touching her silky-smooth skin, it didn¡¯t take long before he was spellbound. Things were starting to get dangerous for him. _ Support us at h+sted novel _ Before he could finish up his job and back away, Charlotte suddenly called out once more. ¡°¡­ Darling, may I ask you something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Have you¡­ done it with anyone else before?¡± ¡°!¡± In the bathroom that had abruptly turned silent, Roel¡¯s body instantaneously stiffened up. Chapter 487.1: Inescapable Embrace (1)

Chapter 487.1: Inescapable Embrace (1)

In the bathroom, Roel stared at Charlotte¡¯s back and his pupils abruptly contracted. Charlotte also fell silent after posing her question. Had it been a few months ago, Roel would have been able to answer that question with ease. However, his answer that question had changed ever since his trip to the borders of the Austine Empire. Lilian was the imperial princess of the Austine Empire whereas Charlotte was the sessor to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy; the history of the their respective countries were already enough to put them against each other. On top of that, it was a known fact that Charlotte didn¡¯t get along well with Lilian. There was no way Charlotte would take this this matter well. Roel felt a lurching feeling in his chest as his body subconsciously stiffened up. While he was struggling to search for an answer, Charlotte suddenly interjected once more. ¡°W-wait! Forget it, I changed my mind. You don¡¯t have to answer that question.¡± ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°My apologies. It wasn¡¯t my intention to tie you down. I don¡¯t have the right to. You must have felt ufortable at my question.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Roel quickly shook his head to refute Charlotte¡¯s words. While their rtionship wasn¡¯t official, their feelings for each other were as true as they could be. He couldn¡¯t even imagine a life without her anymore, let alone being tied down by her. ¡°Charlotte, I don¡¯t feel ufortable at your question. You shouldn¡¯t think too much into it.¡± ¡°¡­ Even when I¡¯m acting as if I¡¯m the matriarch here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to put on an act for that. You¡¯re practically half an owner of our Ascart Fiefdom now. Of every four gold coins earned by our Ascart House, one goes to you.¡± Roel thought about the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s recent financial reports and revealed a helpless smile. Charlotte was momentarily dazed by those words before a smile broke out on her face. ¡°Indeed. You got careless, darling. You should have known better than to let a third party go unchecked in your fief.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s only unchecked because it¡¯s you.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s body jolted at Roel¡¯s calm response. She slowly lowered her head before self-consciously wrapping her arm around her body. An indescribable feeling tinged with embarrassment and warmth touched her heart. Unlike other ipetent fief lords, Roel had a good sense for fief management andmerce. He kept a tight grip on resources that he knew could potentially bring in huge profits, especially during the earlier phase of the fief¡¯s development. He was exceptionally vignt when it came to dealing withrge merchant associations like the Sorofyas¡¯, knowing that an imprudent trade deal could easily undermine the fief¡¯s long-term profitability. This changed after his meeting with Charlotte. Shortly after they braved through the perilous Witness State together, Roel started releasing importantmercial rights to the Sorofyas. Charlotte thought that this was symbolistic of his trust in the Sorofyas, an indication that he saw them as a true ally. However, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case now. ¡°You released those rights because of me? Wait a moment, could it be that¡­¡± Charlotte asked with widened eyes. ¡°¡­ Yes. I didn¡¯t want to give my father the room to renege on our engagement,¡± Roel turned his reddened face away as he replied. Adrenaline surged through Charlotte¡¯s body, leaving her feeling on cloud nine. She was so excited that she even slightly turned around. ¡°Why are you turning around?¡± Roel eximed in astonishment. ¡°Darling, you¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s deduction was further affirmed when she saw Roel¡¯s embarrassed face. The knowledge that Roel had been in favor of their marriage all along filled her with so much joy that she found herself overwhelmed beyond words. It was public knowledge that nobles married not for love but to further the interests of their respective houses, as decided by their parents. Roel and Charlotte¡¯s rtionship was shaky right from the start as Carter explicitly disyed his support for Nora and Alicia, even going to the extent of sabotaging their first meeting to ensure that nothing happened between them. Knowing that it was impossible to have a blissful rtionship with Roel without his father¡¯s support, Charlotte tried her best to win Carter¡¯s approval. Her sincerity eventually moved him, and he agreed not to interfere in their affairs anymore. She thought that she had been the only one working hard to advance their rtionship, but Roel had also been giving his all for them from another angle. ¡°While my father appears to be unbothered about the fief¡¯s economy, the truth can¡¯t be farther from that. He understands how important money is when ites to building up a strong military force,¡± Roel exined. While Carter was willing to give Roel the final say in his own marriage, he still had his own set of considerations as to whom he was willing to ept as a daughter-inw, which was why he had attempted to sabotage Roel and Charlotte¡¯s first meeting. He thought that an engagement with the Sorofyas was dangerous, not just because Roel was already involved with Alicia and Nora but the political implications that came with it as well. The Sorofyas were an economic powerhouse, after all. While the Ascart House was hardly wealthy back then, its finances were stable enough to not have to rely on any external help. Its economy was also fairly independent, to the point where it didn¡¯t have to build or maintain strong ties with any of the nearby territories. This meant that Carter could back out of the engagement whenever he wanted to without suffering much of a bacsh. Thus, Roel made huge investments in the military and public infrastructure, which inevitably resulted in a budget shortfall. This created a need for additional financing, and the Sorofyas¡¯ colossal wealth and technical capability made them the ideal partner to work with. Charlotte¡¯s involvement in the projects made her a shareholder in many of the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s critical public infrastructure, which greatly increased her say in the fiefdom. That made it much more difficult for Carter to oppose their rtionship. ¡°Darling, aren¡¯t you afraid of incurring your father¡¯s wrath? Haven¡¯t you considered the possibility that I might betray you?¡± ¡°I admit that I had my own selfish intentions, but the Ascart Fiefdom also benefited from the swift economic growth and the bolstering of its military force. This is a good trade-off for the Ascart Fiefdom, especially with the unrest at the eastern border. My father understands that, which is why he doesn¡¯t me me for it¡­ As for you, you were willing to throw your life aside to save me. What reason do I have to not trust you?¡± ¡°Darling!¡± Unable to restrain her feelings anymore, Charlotte turned around and tightly hugged Roel. As if to vent her overflowing feelings, she snuggled her head against his chest. On the other hand, Roel found himself assaulted by her soft flesh pressing against his clothes. He looked down and found himself faced with a top-down view of the elegant curvature of her back. Under this sensory assault, his face instantaneously turned red. ¡°Wait, Charlotte! If you suddenly turn around¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier tother my back like that,¡± Charlotte raised her head and spoke with a furious blush. That put Roel in a dilemma. It was already stimting enough to have her soft flesh pressing against his body. To ask him tother her back in this hugging position was simply overestimating his self-control! The only problem was that Charlotte had no intention of letting him go. Seeing no other way out of this, he let out a sigh and did as he was told. His cool fingers came into contact with her warm skin, and the tingling feeling that arose as a result automatically induced a soft moan from Charlotte, much to her embarrassment. Her adorable voice nearly made Roel lose control there and then. Knowing that it wouldn¡¯t do to drag this out, Roel hurriedlythered her back in a fluster before dashing out of the bathroom in a fluster, closing the door shut behind him. In the bathroom, Charlotte looked at the door reluctantly, but she didn¡¯t say a word at all. Across the door, the two lovers felt their hearts thumping wildly, almost as if they would beat out of their chests. With that, Charlotte¡¯s bathtime finally came to an end. Chapter 487.2: Inescapable Embrace (2)

Chapter 487.2: Inescapable Embrace (2)

Breakfast and dinner were viewed to be the two most important meals on the Sia Continent. This was not just arbitarily decided; it was tied to how thebor force functioned too. Regardless of whether one was a diligent farmer or an astute shopkeeper, a good meal in the morning granted them the energy required tost through the day. Work naturally concluded at sunset due to the exorbitant price of lighting, and workers would return home to have a hearty dinner. In contrast, the middle child known as lunch wasn¡¯t as highly regarded, often thought to be something to ¡®get it over and done with¡¯. However, the truth was that lunch was important, especially to patients. At the dining table, Charlotte¡¯s face was still slightly flushed from her earlier bath, though herplexion looked worse than before. Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised as Grace had already given him a heads up that Charlotte was relying on cosmetics to appear like her usual self. ¡°Does myplexion look horrible?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Liar. I can see the worry in your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes drooped as she self-consciously touched her own face. After a moment of hesitation, she decided to redo her make-up to conceal her unsightlyplexion. But before she could do anything, Roel stepped in and stopped her. ¡°Do you honestly think that I would stop worrying once you conceal yourplexion? That¡¯s impossible. That¡¯ll only make me feel more uneasy from not knowing your true condition.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. Charlotte, I don¡¯t you to conceal your condition from me anymore¡­ or is my worry burdening you?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled then.¡± ¡°¡­ Darling, you can be cunning at times.¡± Persuaded by the smiling Roel to return to her chair, Charlotte grumbled with an annoyed pout. She felt like she had lost to his sharp tongue. Her rare show of disgruntlement amused Roel, evoking a chuckle from him. He knew that he was persuasive, but he wasn¡¯t so conceited to think that he was a match for Charlotte, who had been brokering business deals from a young age. She could be scathing if she wanted to, as shown from their very first meeting. As a matter of fact, he was only winning these verbal fights thanks to a crucial advantage he had over her¡ªhis feelings of affection. The sincere feelings he ryed through his words made it impossible Charlotte to counterattack with her venomous tongue. At this, he couldn¡¯t help but think that Charlotte had the traits of an ideal partnerand a virtuous wife. If he had to point out a w in her, it would be how she always prioritize the needs of those whom she cherished over her own, and this was further exacerbated by her sensitive nature. ¡°It¡¯s more like you have been restraining yourself. Sometimes, I do wish that you can act more wilful in front of me¡­¡± said Roel. Charlotte¡¯s pupils dted upon hearing those words. She lowered her head for a lengthy dilemma before she finally looked up at him. ¡°Is that really what you wish?¡± asked Charlotte. ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Roel replied affirmatively. ¡°¡­ You won¡¯t find me hateful?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s anything you can do that I¡¯ll find hateful.¡± ¡°Hmph, you and your glib tongue¡­ But since you¡¯re saying so, there¡¯s one thing I would like to try.¡± Charlotte rose to her feet and nervously walked over to Roel¡¯s side. Her face further reddened till she was blushing to the tip of her ears. She took a while to muster her courage before she slightly lifted her skirt and sat down on his knees. Once, while she was reminiscing Roel, she came across a book that depicted the mushy scene of two lovers dining in each other¡¯s embrace. That intimate disy of affection she pictured deeply moved her heart, to the point where she even dreamt of Roel holding her like that. Ever since then, she found it dissatisfying how Roel was always beyond her reach at the dining table. Of course, it was a breach of noble etiquette for ady to sit on a man¡¯sp during dinnertime. Nobles were expected to be refined and graceful. However, she had checked in with Grace, who resolutely told her that such acts were fine for couples. It was just Charlotte could never bring herself to make the request, especially when she considered how Roel was a high noble of the Theocracy. She was afraid that he would find her action disgraceful and scorn her, as slim as the possibility was. But if I was given a chance to be wilful¡­ Charlotte leaned in and meekly divulged her wish. She nervously assessed Roel¡¯s reaction, only to be rmed by his silence. Worried that he was displeased by her insolent request, she tried to get back to her feet and call the whole thing off, only to be blocked off by a firm arm. ¡°Charlotte, you were the one who asked for this.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Before Charlotte could formte a proper response, Roel had already wrapped his arm around her slender waist and pulled her all the way in. ¡°R-Roel? W-wait a moment!¡± The demure Charlotte had sat down on his knees, but Roel went ahead to drag her all the way into his inner thigh, pressing her back against his body. From his rough touch to his scent, the sudden sensory overload left Charlotte¡¯s face heating up. Flustered, she tried to voice her opposition, only to have her mouth pre-emptively sealed. Roel had chosen to use his mouth instead of words to exin his actions. The sudden kiss made Charlotte¡¯s eyes widen in astonishment, but she soon sumbed to his overflowing affection. ¡°¡­¡± A long timeter, their lips finally parted ways. By then, Charlotte¡¯s body had already ckened in Roel¡¯s arms. While gasping for air with a reddened face, she directed Roel a sharp re to express her dissatisfaction, only for thetter to mischievously blow at her ear. ¡°Ah! You can¡¯t!¡± Still feeling sensitive from the kiss, Charlotte covered her ears in a panic. Roel revealed a victorious smile. Tok tok tok! Before they could proceed to the second round, a series of knocking sounded. ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s body stiffened up upon hearing the knocks. She instinctively tried to stand up and return to her seat, but to her astonishment, the arm Roel had around her waist wasn¡¯t budging in the least. ¡°Darling? What are you¡­¡± ¡°Please enter.¡± ¡°Ah? W-wait!!¡± ¡°Lord Roel, lunch is ready to be¡­¡± While Charotte was still panicking, the maid outside entered upon receiving Roel¡¯s permission. She was immediately faced the sight of the two intimately embracing lovers, which made her blink in shock. Her voice slowly trailed off into silence, and it took a moment before she snapped out of it. ¡°M-my apologies, Lord Roel and Lord Charlotte! I didn¡¯t mean to interrupt¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Begin serving lunch.¡± ¡°Y-yes!¡± The blushing maid practically fled from the room. It took her a while to catch a breather. This was exciting news to not just her but all members of the RoelXCharlotte fan club members, who hadn¡¯t seen any progress for many years now. Naturally, the first thing she did was to share the joy about the rekindled me between the two lovers to their leader, Grace. Back to the room, Charlotte was on the verge of exploding from embarrassment. ¡°¡­ Why didn¡¯t you let go? She saw everything!¡± ¡°That¡¯s my intention. They should get used to it. There¡¯s bound to be more since I¡¯ll be taking care of you till you recover.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ this is so sudden¡­¡± ¡°You were so adorable when you leaped up in shock earlier.¡± ¡°¡­ You baddie,¡± Charlotte grumbled with a pout. In a rare tantrum, she ignored Roel and returned to her seat. Seeing that, Roel quickly apologized to her, but she wasn¡¯t buying into it at all. Over the course of lunch, she continued to give him the cold shoulders. Is she really angry? With a soft sigh, Roel could only carry on with his duties and pray that her anger would subside soon. It was naptime after lunch. Charlotte returned to her bedroom and changed into a pair of cute pajamas withces at its edges. On the other hand, Roel changed into another shirt and long pants. Looking at the auburn-haired woman who had been ignoring him for half an hour now, Roel solemnly walked up and apologized once more. Charlotte wanted to keep him on tenterhooks for a while longer, but her heart caved in when she saw his guilt-ridden eyes. ¡°I-I¡¯ll let it slip this time! But if you dare to make fun of me again, even if it¡¯s darling¡­¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t my intention to make fun of you. You were just so adorable that I couldn¡¯t hold it in.¡± ¡°!¡± Those words were spoken with such an earnest expression that Charlotte¡¯s face reddened yet again. Her heart was beating so hard that she was worried that he could hear them loud and clear. ¡°I-it¡¯s about time. I¡¯m going to sleep!¡± Charlotte dived into the nket as if she was escaping from a monster. Roel smiled at that sight. He walked to the other side of the bed and slipped into the bed as well. Before he could say a word, he abruptly felt a familiar pang of danger striking at his heart. Chapter 488.1: A Sweet-Sour Taste (1)

Chapter 488.1: A Sweet-Sour Taste (1)

High transcendents had sharp intuition when it came to danger. It often appeared out of nowhere, only to inexplicably disappear afterward. This short interval was usually the golden period to uncover the cause of the danger, but it was usually too fleeting to make much out of it. As soon as Roel felt the pang of danger, he began scanning his surroundings with widened eyes to gather clues. A split momentter, it struck him where the danger was likelying from. ¡°Charlotte!¡± ¡°R-Roel?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Suspecting that the danger might have been targeting Charlotte instead, he decisively pulled aside her nket and scanned her from head to toe, but much to his surprise, he couldn¡¯t find any anomaly on her. On the other hand, Charlotte was both startled and confused by his actions. Her first thought was that Roel was making fun of her again, but she swiftly noticed the anxious look on his face. Darling is¡­ She swallowed down her words of reprimand and slowly crawled over to Roel¡¯s side. With a gentle voice, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, darling?¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing. I might have sensed wrongly,¡± Roel shook his head and replied. ¡°Charlotte, do you feel any difort?¡± ¡°Not at all. My condition has been fairly good ever since our reunion earlier this morning.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Roel replied with a contemtive nod. As worried as he was, he wasn¡¯t able to find anything anomaly with Charlotte. After a moment of hesitation, he decided not to talk about his vague intuition lest he worried her for no good reason. It was not as if Charlotte was unprotected; on the contrary, she had more guards with her than usual. To suddenly speak about his unfounded intuition here would only spook her for no good reason, especially when they couldn¡¯t act on it. Roel shook his head with a smile and tucked her back into her nket. Suspicion shed across Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes, but she decided not to probe deeper. Charlotte was already feeling tired due to her poor state of health, and it didn¡¯t take long for her to drift off to dreand. Roel sat by her side and began analyzing her mysterious affliction. While it seemed like the two of them had spent the morning relishing in the bliss of their reunion, showing not a sliver of worry at all, there was not a single second that Roel had forgotten about his aim¡ªobserving Charlotte¡¯s condition. From what he had seen thus far, there was something weird about Charlotte¡¯s affliction. Most illnesses had consistent symptoms that indicate the patient¡¯s poor state of health, but in her case, it looked more as if she was suffering from a state of frailty rather than being ill. If anything, she looked like she had just ovee a major disease and was in the midst of recuperating. Of course, that was an overly optimistic interpretation that seemed imusible to Roel. While looking at Charlotte¡¯s adorable sleeping visage, he pondered hard about the question before eventually shaking his head. He needed more information to work with, so he decided to continue observing the situation for the time being. With that, he settled into the bed too and lightly held her hand. ¡­ Nothing much happened during the afternoon nap. After Charlotte woke up from her sleep, they resumed with her usual schedule. Roel had already applied for a leave with Saint Freya Academy prior to chasing after Charlotte. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t much work left to be done since the academic semester was almost over, so he could entrust the rest to Paul and Geralt. It was also a good thing that Rosa and the Ascart Fiefdom were neighbors, which allowed him to rush back to the Ascart Fiefdom if there was anything urgent he needed to attend to, so he could spend his time with Charlotte without any burden. It was rare for them to have leisure time together, and they cherished every moment that they could have together. In the days toe, they were practically glued to each other. Under Roel¡¯s meticulous care, Charlotte¡¯s condition started showing signs of recovery. Her previously pale face gradually regained its red glow, and there were no longer days when she felt so frail that she was bound to the bed. Almost like a seedling that had received sufficient nourishment after toiling through winter, she was swiftly regaining her spirit. Grace and the other maids were excited at her recovery. The affliction that had rendered them helpless over the past year actually started backing off upon Roel¡¯s arrival. This was almost like a miracle! ¡°Is this the nourishment of love? Our young miss is finally¡­¡± Looking at the lovey-dovey couple, Grace bit down on her handkerchief and wiped off her tears. She was both delighted and relieved to see that Charlotte didn¡¯t suffer the same unfortunate fate as the other women of the Sorofya House. Charlotte was also surprised by her own recovery too. ¡°Darling, it¡¯s almost as if you were the one who treated me.¡± ¡°¡­ While it does look that way, it¡¯s a pity that I haven¡¯t done anything at all.¡± ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the change in mood?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that mean that you¡¯re the one who cured yourself?¡± Roel replied with a bitter smile, refusing to ept any credit. There had been no proper diagnosis of Charlotte¡¯s condition thus far, but the symptoms strongly suggested that it was the same curse that her father was suffering from. Roel had met Bruce several times now, but there hadn¡¯t been any clich¨¦s where he miraculously healed the long-standing ailment of his future father-inw. He had no reason to believe that it would be any different when it came to Charlotte. That being said, it was joyous news that Charlotte¡¯s affliction had alleviated. Roel¡¯s arrival had heralded a good omen, and it tranted to greater respect from the Sorofyas. As Charlotte regained her vigor, she was finally able to bid her bedbound life farewell and engage in other activities. Of course, the ¡®other activities¡¯ here referred not to couple entertainment activities but to reviewing documents, or to be more exact, clearing up her work that had piled up during this period of time. She was the sessor to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, after all. She might have appeared to be carefree and rxed whenever she was with Roel, but beneath the surface, she often had to rush out her work to squeeze out time for their regr meeting. There was always work for her to do, especially after the recent International Crisis Management Symposium. At its core, the International Crisis Management Symposium was a meeting to construct the united army and allocate responsibilities to each member nation. When humankind was facing a crisis, no one was allowed to have it better than the others. Each nation took on responsibilities corresponding to their respective strengths. Unlike the Saint Mesit Theocracy, who had to devote soldiers to the frontlines, the wealthy Rosa Merchant Confederacy were tasked with the job of handling the logistics, which basically meant forking out money. Problems concerning money were usually no problem to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, but this was the war expenditure of humankind¡¯s united army they were talking about here. The scale was nothingpared to their past investments. Even an economic powerhouse like them had to carefully allocate funds lest they went under. In fact, there had been a proliferation of ounting missions this year in Saint Freya Academy. Such low-risk missions that gave out Academic Credits were extremely rare, usually limited to the academy¡¯s own finances, but they had been popping out like bamboo shoots after a rain. Most of them were from Rosa concerning the united army. The massive load of financial calctions and budgeting that had to be done was not to be scoffed at. Charlotte did have her army of secretaries to deal with the lower-level work, but there would still be a huge load of documents she had to review and approve. These documents had only been stacking up ever since she got ill. In the quiet studying room suffused with an invigorating floral scent, Roel sat by the corner browsing through a record of Rosa¡¯s history while Charlotte adeptly dealt with all kinds of documents in front of her office desk. To be very frank, Roel disapproved of Charlotte¡¯s actions. Just days before, she had been so frail that it was difficult for her to get out of bed. Her condition had improved since then, but she should have been doing rehabilitation to further aid her recovery instead of handling such stressful work. He did voice his opposition for Charlotte to take a rest, even going to the extent of pulling Grace over to his side. However, a piece of newsing from the frontlines changed his attitude toward the matter. The united army was going to make a big move after confirming their war ns in the International Crisis Management Symposium. Chapter 488.2: A Sweet-Sour Taste (2)

Chapter 488.2: A Sweet-Sour Taste (2)

As a matter of fact, the main army of the deviants was already on the verge of arriving at humankind¡¯s border after years of traveling. The vanguards of both sides had already shed several times now. The changes in the macro environment spelled a heavier workload for Rosa¡¯s logistical team, leaving Charlotte with no choice but to quickly handle whatever documents she had so as to not hold up the war effort. Even Roel had to make apromise with the huge stakes involved here. At the same time, this matter further stoked his motivation to advance his transcendental powers. So far, Roel hadn¡¯t been to the battlefield and it wasn¡¯t certain whether he would lead an army of troops in the future, but based on his current circumstances, he might be able to contribute more by moving independently. He had discussed this matter with Principal Antonio prior to leaving Saint Freya Academy, and thetter¡¯s words left him with asting impression. ¡°Child, I understand how you feel. Your father is at the eastern border; it¡¯s only natural that you would want to join him at the frontlines. However, I believe that you can contribute much more by staying here. ¡°You might be able to contribute as an outstanding general at the frontlines, but you wouldn¡¯t be irreceable there. In contrast, your presence here curbs the Fallens and the other evil cultists, which I believe is of vital importance. You have been through that incident four hundred years ago. You should know how important internal stability is during tumultuous times. ¡°Burst-type transcendents also aren¡¯t suited for prolonged fights. There¡¯s little meaning for you to join the battlefield just to wear yourself down fighting against normal troops. If you truly wish to contribute to the frontlines, the best way you can do so is to be our ace and make a vital breakthrough for us when it really counts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing Antonio¡¯s logical analysis, Roel had no choice but to admit that he would be able to contribute more to humankind by dealing with the evil cultists, though that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t contribute to the war efforts at all. On the contrary, what he did here could significantly affect the oue of the battle at the eastern border. Brolne¡¯s schrs had found that the Sia Continent¡¯s mana concentration had been steadily rising, even exceeding its highest ever record in the past thousand years. Many believed that this was beneficial to humankind. A higher concentration of mana elerated a transcendent¡¯s Degree of Assimtion and augmented the prowess of their spells. As a matter of fact, the golden generation had been growing at a rapid pace over the past year. Some of the more talented ones like Kurt were already making preparations to advance to Origin Level 3 whereas Lilian had already reached Origin Level 2 for several months now. This would have been unthinkable in the past. It was often said that heroes are born in times of chaos, and this adage was proven true on the Sia Continent. Only a few of humankind¡¯s upper echelons who knew the truth about the Sia Continent¡¯s history knew that this was an ominous omen, and it unnerved them. The Sia Continent¡¯s mana concentration rising to its highest ever in the past thousand years also meant that the problem they had to face was going to be thergest ever. Humankind was not the ¡®chosen race¡¯ in this world. The fact that the mana concentration had risen beyond its previous peak meant that the enemy they had to face was going to be monstrously powerful. It made them shudder just to imagine what they were up against. It was almost as if the tragedy of Tark Stronghold was a prelude as to what was toe. As if the Savior¡¯s awakening wasn¡¯t terrifying enough, the Mother Goddess¡¯ Six Cmities had been showing an unprecedented level of activity too. In fact, the Saints Convocation, otherwise known as the worshipers of the Mother Goddess, had started making moves recently, just that they had been overshadowed by the Fallens. This was the worst possible situation. Both the Savior and the Mother Goddess were known to be existences that surpassed the gods, and the two of them had started making their moves. This situation bore uncanny resemnce to the disaster that ended humankind¡¯s golden era of prosperity back in the Second Epoch. The only difference this time was that the Ardes and the Twilight Sages Assembly were no longer around. Understandably, the upper echelons of major countries felt uneasy. This was especially so for the descendants of the Twilight Sages Assembly led by Friedrich Cambonyte, the ruler of the Knight Kingdom. They believed that this was the disaster foretold by the apocalyptic prophecy, and they were pinning their hopes on Roel. Curbing the evil cultists was merely a small goal for Roel. As the Ardes¡¯ descendant and Rose of Dawn¡¯s leader, it was his job to prevent the Savior¡¯s awakening and suppress the Six Cmities from causing destruction. That was a responsibility far more important than protecting the eastern border, for that would be dealing with the problem at its root. Even the invasion of the deviants was an event that urred due to the Savior¡¯s awakening. Once Roel found a solution to the problem, the Knight Kingdom, the Country of Schrs, the Saint Mesit Theocracy, and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy would provide him with their full support to resolve the problem once and for all. It was fortunate that he was on good terms with all of humankind¡¯s major countries with the exception of the Austine Empire. These countries all carried high hopes for him and the Rose of Dawn. To meet their expectations, Roel knew that he had to grow swiftly. While he was busy taking care of Charlotte, he still made sure to squeeze out time to advance his transcendent powers. Saving the world was important, but so was keeping his loved ones safe. ¡°Lord Roel, I have prepared the fruits with revitalizing properties.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Upon hearing the message ryed to him via mana, Roel put his book down and headed to the opposite room, where he received a fruit tter from a maid. He then returned to the study room and made a detour to pick up his book before heading over to Charlotte¡¯s side. He calmly picked up a slice of fruit with the fork and delivered it toward Charlotte¡¯s mouth. His sudden approach naturally caught Charlotte¡¯s attention, causing her busy hands to screech to a halt. She raised her head and stared hesitantly at the slice of fruit that was being delivered to her mouth. On the other hand, Roel continued reading his book, seemingly oblivious to her dilemma. ¡°¡­¡± In the end, Charlotte caved in and slowly opened her mouth to have a bite of the crimson fruit suffused with mana. A sweet-sour taste spread inside her mouth, reflecting her current feelings. One of Roel¡¯s conditions for allowing her to work was for her to heed his instructions. She could only work a certain number of hours each day, and she had to strictly follow a rest schedule. These were based on the rmendations made by the Sorofyas¡¯ principal doctor, and Roel was determined to enforce them. He also took charge of her diet since it was also a key aspect to ensuring a smooth recovery. The doctors couldn¡¯t have imagined that the diet they had painstakingly crafted would end up bing a way for the two lovebirds to show their affection for each other. The maids, however, seemed weirdly excited about it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. I can eat by myself.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what you told me at the start too. The fruit tter ended up untouched,¡± Roel prodded Charlotte¡¯s cheeks as he replied. ¡°That is¡­¡± Guilty as charged, Charlotte meekly averted her eyes. The feeding session continued while the two of them carried on with whatever they were doing. It was a warm yet peaceful atmosphere. The maids couldn¡¯t help but smile whenever they saw their tender interactions while passing by the study room, though the people in question didn¡¯t seem to be aware of that. The fruit tter was finished before they knew it, and Roel proceeded to carefully wipe the edges of her mouth with a wet handkerchief. It was such a natural transition that Charlotte didn¡¯t even know how to turn him down. ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving at Rosa soon.¡± Feeling too embarrassed, Charlotte tried to change the topic. ¡°Indeed. Before I knew it, we had already spent half a month together.¡± ¡°At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before I be utterly ipetent in my daily life.¡± ¡°Hm? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any difference in what I¡¯m doing from Grace.¡± ¡°???¡± No difference? How could there be no difference?! Just thinking about the intimate care that Roel showered her over thest few days with was enough to make her avert her eyes out of embarrassment. Even though he wasn¡¯t as meticulous as the experienced Grace, there were little things that he asionally did that made her heart run wild. It has been a year since ourst meeting, after all. I guess this much intimacy is fine too¡­ The embarrassed Charlotte came up with an excuse to justify the situation. She didn¡¯t bother exining anything to Roel. Instead, she licked the traces of fruit juice lingering at the corner of her mouth. A sweet-sour taste suffused from the tip of her tongue down to her heart. Chapter 489.1: Under the Red Leaves (1)

Chapter 489.1: Under the Red Leaves (1)

The roadside scenery was already showing a touch of autumn even though the weather had yet to turn chilly. Charlotte stared at the yellowing leaves outside the window and sighed. Charlotte knew that this journey would be immortalized in her mind as one of her fondest memories, but not everything had been smooth-sailing. There was one thing in particr that she dearly regretted¡ªrushing the road for the initial part of the journey. Due to her poor physical condition, her convoy had traveled without rest in hopes of reaching Rosa as soon as possible. It did allow her to significantly reduce the journey time, but on the flipside, no matter how slowly they traveled after Roel caught up with her, they were only able to lengthen the journey to half a month¡¯s time. It was no wonder why people said that happy moments passed too quickly. To Charlotte, it felt like someone had cruelly elerated each day that she spent with Roel. Even her monotonous work could hardly slow down time at all. There was a profound feeling of loss in her heart when she saw that their journey was already approaching its end. Is she feeling down because she doesn¡¯t want our journey to end that quickly? Noticing how Charlotte kept ncing at the itinerary they had received from a maid earlier this morning with an unhappy look on her face, Roel was able to fathom a guess as to what was going through her mind. He thought about the half a month that they had spent together. While he had been taking care of Charlotte, he had felt extremelyfortable during this period of time, though what he relished in was the peaceful atmosphere. Roel¡¯s life could possibly be the farthest thing in the world from peace. Treacherous enemies were keeping a close eye on him from the shadows, waiting for him to expose an opening for them to capitalize on. That was not the kind of stress an ordinary person could shoulder. One could almost say that Roel had already be ustomed to stress. It took a great deal of mental fortitude to deal with unknown enemies that he knew next to nothing about, for their means could very well surpass his wildest imagination. Treant High Priest Orsted was a good example of that. I don¡¯t want this moment toe to an end too. Roel was momentarily surprised by his own thoughts before letting out a soft sigh. Turning his attention back to Charlotte, he decided to use the remaining part of their journey to help her rx. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll have to discuss it with Grace.¡± ¡°Darling, did you say something?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being suspicious¡­¡± Charlotte stared at Roel with narrowed eyes of doubt. On the other hand, Roel began working out the details of his n before proceeding to gather the maids¡¯ help. ¡­ Every autumn, tourists would flock to Rosa¡¯s Tori City to visit their famed scenic spot. Due to the lower standard of living and the proliferation of nature everywhere, most people preferred to visit prosperousrge cities and soak in their bustle. Natural sceneries held little attraction to them. But asionally, the crowd would still recognize the intrinsic beauty of nature, and Tori City¡¯s Love Forest was one of them. Love Forest was located in the vicinity of Tori City. It was filled with Miura Trees, named after the goddess that governed over love in ancient legends. It was dubbed as the ¡®Tree of Love¡¯¡ªwhich was also where the forest¡¯s name came about¡ªbecause of the color of its leaves. Just like how the maple trees in Roel¡¯s previous life would slowly regress into a fiery-red hue during autumn, the leaves of Miura Trees would turn from lush green into rose red. This transformation was thought to represent the process of how couples first started out awkward before their feelings blossomed with a burning passion. Love Forest came to be known as the holynd for romantic dates, the ideal ce for confessions. Whenever the autumn breeze blew, the rustling red leaves resembled dancing mes in the mountain, evoking the passion in one¡¯s heart. It was impossible for a young woman deeply in love not to be excited by that. Charlotte sped her hands together as she gasped at the glorious red forest before her eyes. Roel breathed a sigh of relief, feeling d that he had brought her here. Behind them, the army of maids showed motherly smiles. Roel had asked Grace for permission to bring Charlotte out for a quick change in pace. He thought that this was the best way for her to vent any dissatisfaction she had bottled up. She hadn¡¯t been able to spend much time outside ever since her affliction worsened. In fact, she hadn¡¯t left the carriage at all throughout this entire journey, spending most of her time in bed. Asfortable as the Diamond Rivi¨¨re was, it was stifling to remain indoors for an extended period of time. Roel had often heard in his previous life that natural sceneries nourished the body and mind when one was feeling unwell, which was his primary intention for bringing her out. When he shared his thoughts with Grace and the other maids, they immediately told him about the scenic spot. He did wonder if it was better to head elsewhere considering that Love Forest was located in Rosa. However, reality had shown that locals tended to show little interest in their homnd¡¯s scenic spots, believing that the grass was greener on the other side. Charlotte had never been to Love Forest even though it wasn¡¯t too far away from Rosa City. It was indeed a good idea to bring her here. ¡°Darling¡­ is this what you have been hiding for me over thest few days?¡± Charlotte gazed upon the beautiful rose-red scenery before her as she asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. You noticed it?¡± asked Roel. ¡°Of course, who do you think I am?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfair to use mind-reading spells.¡± ¡°Who needs that?¡± Charlotte retorted. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before continuing on. ¡°I knew that you were nning something because you would leave the bedroom after I fell asleep for thest two days. I just didn¡¯t expect it to be such a surprise¡­¡± ¡°Oh? How did you know what happened after you fell asleep? I¡¯m quite certain that I always returned before you woke up.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a secret.¡± Charlotte was momentarily stunned by Roel¡¯s question before she answered with a blush, determinedly concealing her own little secret. Roel didn¡¯t probe any deeper into the matter, though he guessed that it was some sort of divination spell. Surprisingly, mind-reading spells didn¡¯t exist on the Sia Continent despite it being a world filled with supernatural powers. The closest thing they had to mind-reading was lie detection. However, Charlotte was a master of divination spells, and it was an easy feat for her to figure out an individual¡¯s whereabouts. He just thought that it was uncharacteristic of her to track his whereabouts when he was already right next to her. Unable to hold back his curiosity, he raised this question with her, only for her to immediately deny making any attempt at surveince. There was a conflicted look on her face as she weighed her options, and in the end, she shyly divulged the reason behind her discovery. Chapter 489.2: Under the Red Leaves (2)

Chapter 489.2: Under the Red Leaves (2)

¡°It was the temperature.¡± ¡°Temperature?¡± ¡°Yes, the temperature of the bed and the nket¡­¡± The overload of embarrassment rendered Charlotte unable to continue on, and she turned her head away. Nevertheless, her exnation was enough for Roel to grasp her meaning. To put it simply, Roel did manage to make it back in time before Charlotte woke up from her afternoon nap, but the bed and nket wouldn¡¯t have his lingering warmth. That was how Charlotte realized that he had been slipping away while he was asleep. But¡­ doesn¡¯t this mean that she has been feeling for my lingering warmth on the bed every time she wakes up? Roel turned to look at Charlotte, but her face remained firmly averted. She refused to look him in the eye. He chuckled at that sight. Figuring that it wouldn¡¯t be nice of him to point that out, he turned his attention back to the beautiful scenery before them. He had to admit that it was not without reason that Love Forest became a renowned scenic spot in the Sia Continent. The Miura Trees had a fragrance that filled the forest with a mildly sweet scent. Their rose-colored leaves were shaped like flowers, and they scattered all around the forest floor at the tug of the autumn breeze, dyeing their surroundings in the color of romance. It was such a breathtaking sight that Roel momentarily lost himself despite having seen plenty of picturesque sceneries during his travels. Charlotte also found herself mesmerized by the rain of rose-red flowers, and she subconsciously leaned closer to Roel. ¡°How mysterious. This feeling of bliss in my heart¡­ I feel like it¡¯ll go on forever with this enchanting scenery before me. I don¡¯t even dare to carelessly step around anymore.¡± ¡°It sure is¡­ though you mentioned that you feel blissed?¡± Roel repeated her words as he looked at her with gentle golden eyes. ¡°Charlotte, do you feel blissed now?¡± ¡°Of course. Actually, I should be asking you that question instead. Darling, do you feel blissed now?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Roel was surprised to hear Charlotte directing the question back at him. He didn¡¯t understand what she meant by that. Taking his reaction into sight, Charlotte¡¯s forehead furrowed worriedly. ¡°Ever since our reunion, you often look like you have a lot of things in your mind. I know that there are many problems you can¡¯t escape from, but I still hope that the person I love can be happy.¡± ¡°¡­ Charlotte.¡± Roel found himself speechless at Charlotte¡¯s heartfelt words. There was a tingling sensation in his heart that he could hardly repress. He knew what Charlotte was talking about, and the issue she talked about did indeed exist. Even though he hadn¡¯t uttered a single word ofint despite having be a target of the Fallens and was at risk of being attacked at any moment, the stress that he felt did increase by several fold. It wasn¡¯t just his life that was at risk here; he might implicate those around him too. The incident that happened during the Braytown¡¯s disappearance investigation mission was a good example. While their target was Lilian, he was the one who had brought the Fallens¡¯ attention to her. No one would have known that she was an inheritor of the Ascart Bloodline if not for him. While his early departure afterward was nned, he followed through it with the intention of not implicating anyone else. He had never spoken about the immense stress he felt to anyone else over the past few months. He maintained a confident appearance even before Lilian. Yet, despite nothing about all these, Charlotte was still able to keenly pick up on the subtle changes in his emotions. Her concern struck a chord in his heart, and he took a step forward and pulled her into his embrace. Charlotte blinked her eyes in surprise, not expecting Roel to give such a huge reaction. However, she soon responded with a return hug. ¡°Many things must have happened during my absence, darling. ¡°Mmhm, I was feeling a little vexed. How did you notice it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying in Rosa: A man can¡¯t hide his troubles at home. You¡¯ll have to try harder if you want to keep secrets from me, Mister Roel.¡± ¡°Home, you say? I guess you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not good at hiding things from the ones I love. I don¡¯t intend on trying any harder on that though, Miss Charlotte.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to hide anything from me? That¡¯s¡­ really troubling,¡± murmured the red-faced Charlotte as she raised her head. Their eyes briefly met each other before their lips united as one, intertwining their feelings. A pair of affectionate lovers to the background of the rose-red forest; the maids couldn¡¯t help but squeal amongst themselves. Hand in hand, the two of them spent hours walking leisurely around the forest before they finally returned to the convoy and resumed their journey to Rosa. The following evening, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re finally arrived at Rosa City. The convoy¡¯s insignia swiftly caught the attention of the civilians, and the members of the Sorofya House, who had received a heads up beforehand, warmly weed them. ¡°Darling, I¡¯ll be busy for the next two days. I¡¯ll be going through a full-body checkup and settling work from the symposium,¡± said Charlotte. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there are plenty of things for me to do.¡± Before the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team, the two lovers whose feelings had deepened after their trip to Love Forest reluctantly bade farewell to each other. Charlotte went off to do her checkup and attend some meetings whereas Roel was warmly hosted by Rosa¡¯s army. No one could have imagined that their temporary parting was a fatal mistake. All it took was a single night. The following morning, Roel was awakened by a ruckus. A shocking news was delivered to him. Charlotte was in a critical state. Chapter 490.1: Nothing Compared To You (1)

Chapter 490.1: Nothing Compared To You (1)

The Rosaian military had been on close terms with the Ascart Fiefdom ever since thetter aided them in their fight against the Austine Empire. In fact, a key reason behind their support for Charlotte as the sessor was her close rtionship with Roel. Unsurprisingly, the Rosaian military warmly weed Roel when he arrived at Rosa. The wee banquet they held for him had a rxed and joyous atmosphere that didn¡¯t leave him feeling restrained. He was also relieved to hear that Charlotte had remained in good condition after parting ways with him. He felt like he had finally aplished his mission here. Rosa was an unimaginably wealthy country. They had a top-tier medical team and countless talented individuals. As the sessor of the Sorofya House, Charlotte would receiveprehensive treatment from state-of-the-art facilities. The doctors would also know how to treat her given their prior experience with Bruce¡¯s curse. For that reason, Roel wasn¡¯t too worried that night. After the banquet concluded, Roel returned to the highest-ss hotel located in the heart of Rosa¡¯smercial district and soon fell asleep. He had to refrain from going into a deep sleep over the past half a month so as to ensure that he could respond right away if anything happened to Charlotte, so it was inevitable for him to have built up significant fatigue. He was strong enough to be able to withstand physical fatigue without affecting his fighting prowess, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about his mental fatigue. He needed to rest soon, and Rosa¡¯s central district was a ce he knew he could rest at ease. Unexpectedly, his bted rest after the long journey wasn¡¯t too peaceful. He was forcefully awoken in the midst of his sleep. ¡°Lord Roel! I am Grace! There are urgent matters I need to inform you of! Lord Roel!¡± Before the sun could even rise, knocking sounds and the familiar voice of a maid echoed outside Roel¡¯s room. Roel was surprised to learn that the person causing the ruckus was Grace, but more than that, it spurred a bad feeling in his heart. His premonition was right. Grace hade at this unholy hour to deliver a piece of shocking news: Charlotte was in a critical state. Roel could hardly believe it when he heard those words, but the maid¡¯s anxious expression told him that it was no lie. Roel immediately rushed toward Charlotte¡¯s residence. The sun was barely peeking from the eastern horizon when he arrived at the Hundred Birds Gallery. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable chill as he looked at the familiar building basked in the light of the nascent sun. By then, he had already heard about the situation from Grace, who had apanied him along the way. ording to her, Charlotte was still in good condition when she parted ways with Roel to undergo a full-body checkup. After undergoing a series of tests, the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team concluded that she was fine although her body was a little weak. In view of the checkup results, Charlotte didn¡¯t take a rest but instead attended two urgent meetings to resolve the problems concerning the funding to the frontlines. After the International Crisis Management Symposium, Bruce Sorofya had headed to the frontlines and hadn¡¯t returned yet. This meant that his sessor, Charlotte, would be in charge of all internal affairs for the time being. Rest was a luxury for someone with that much responsibility on her shoulders. After the meetings, she attended a wee banquet as per their usual custom. She hadn¡¯t disyed any anomaly up to this point, but she still opted to leave the banquet early so that she could have a good rest. It was during her rest that her affliction suddenly rpsed, and the severity of which far surpassed the previous cases. Within moments, she was already suffering from a severe deterioration of her life force. ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that our medical team here is well-equipped and prepared for any emergencies. If it had happened during the journey, our young miss might have already¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Grace¡¯s body was trembling as she spoke. The happeningsst night had traumatized her. Roel had a grim expression on his face as he pondered upon the situation. He didn¡¯t utter a single word throughout the entire journey until the carriage arrived at the residence. He followed the maids into a familiar bedroom, where a sleeping beautyid to the encirclement of a magician order. ¡°Charlotte¡­¡± His quiet murmur was reminiscent of a prayer asking to be answered. He could hardly recognize her at all because herplexion waspletely different from how it was when they parted the previous day. Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and an aura of death gloomed around her. Her life force was visibly waning. She was still like a ravishing flower blooming under the nourishment of love the day before, but in less than a day, she had be a withering cherry blossom that had run out of time. Roel¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. Irrepressible pain and rage assaulted his heart. His hands tightened around the Nine-headed Serpent Staff. His body turned cold at the worry and fear that she might leave him. ¡°Lord Roel, our young miss is safe. You maye closer¡­¡± Grace told the ck-haired man who was agitated beyond words. Behind her, a group of maids silently wept. It had been a long-awaited reunion, and the two of them had advanced their feelings over the long journey. All that was left for them was to fulfill their fairytale-like ending. Yet, it all came crashing when Charlotte¡¯s affliction abruptly worsened. This was an unbearable tragedy for the maids, lest to say, Roel. Roel took a deep breath to calm his ragged breathing before he took heavy steps toward the bed. Charlotte had alwaysmanded a powerful presence. She was neither ostentatious nor outspoken, but she was always the center of attention. Yet, her presence felt thinner than ever as shey debilitated on the bed. It felt as if she would suddenly vanish in a puff. Roel felt as if countless knives were cutting up his heart. Standing by the bed, he stared at her unmovingly for a long while. Perhaps sensing his familiar aura, Charlotte regained consciousness as well. ¡°¡­ Roel?¡± ¡°Charlotte! How are you feeling?¡± ¡°What happened to me¡­¡± ¡°Young miss!¡± Charlotte¡¯s sudden awakening sent amotion rippling across the room. The medical team and clergymen quickly verified her condition with their spells whereas the maids quickly rushed off to inform relevant personnel. Charlotte looked at Roel¡¯s worried face, and a gentle smile formed on her lips. ¡°Darling, I didn¡¯t think that I would see you again so quickly¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I fell ill again.¡± ¡°Why are you apologizing? It¡¯s not like you wanted this to happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but my affliction keeps causing you more and more trouble¡­ and I didn¡¯t want you to make such an expression either,¡± Charlotte said with a bitter smile. ¡°¡­¡± Worried sick but trying his darndest to remainposed¡ªthat was an expression that Charlotte had never seen from Roel before. Even when he was faced with cmitous monsters or enemies far stronger than himself, he had never shown such panic or even terror on his face before. She never thought that she would be the one to leave him feeling so uneasy. Chapter 490.2: Nothing Compared To You (2)

Chapter 490.2: Nothing Compared To You (2)

¡°Darling, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t fine at all.¡± ¡°¡­ The rpse was much more severe this time. I¡¯m still feeling weak even at this point¡­ But for some reason, I feel much better now that you¡¯re with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte had spoken those words with the intent to reassure, but Roel slowly widened his eyes instead. He had just thought of a possibility. Charlotte saw his contemtive look, and her eyes also turned serious. ¡°Could it be that¡­¡± she murmured in realization as she recalled everything that had happened. Charlotte had been suffering attacks from her affliction throughout the journey, but her condition started turning for the better when Roel caught up with her. In the period of time afterward, the two of them were practically glued to each other, and she hadn¡¯t suffered any attacks ever since then. And this attack happened only after the two of them parted ways, albeit just for a single night. Even if the two cases above could be reasoned out as an extreme case of coincidence, what about her waking up shortly after Roel arrived at the scene? In fact, it was with this inkling of suspicion in mind that Grace chose to leave Charlotte¡¯s side and call Roel over. She had a weird feeling that Charlotte¡¯s recovery had something to do with him. The reason was still unbeknownst to them, but it was likely that Roel¡¯s presence had the effect of suppressing the affliction. It might even be possible that the unprecedented severity of the earlier attack was the affliction¡¯s rebound from having been suppressed for a prolonged period of time. Roel instinctively turned his gaze to Grace. Thetter immediately stepped forward to report on Charlotte¡¯s condition. ¡°Young miss. ording to the mana graphs, your condition showed a significant improvement upon Lord Roel¡¯s arrival.¡± ¡°To think that¡¯s really the case¡­¡± Charlotte murmured in shock. Roel spent a moment in deep thought before he finally posed a question. ¡°Charlotte, did you notice any anomaliesst night?¡± ¡°Not at all. Ah! I¡¯m not sure if this counts as an anomaly, but I vaguely recall having a weird nightmare.¡± ¡°A nightmare?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t recall the exact details anymore, but it had something to do with darkness,¡± Charlotte clutched her forehead in an attempt to recall the details as she replied. Roel nodded in response. He leaned in and gently caressed her forehead with a reassuring smile. ¡°I think I have a grasp on your situation now. There are still many things that I¡¯m unsure of, but I have a clue as to what I need to do.¡± ¡°Darling, you¡­¡± ¡°It looks like we¡¯ll have to be glued to each other for the time being. I hope our Miss Charlotte isn¡¯t sick of me yet.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not possible,¡± Charlotte replied with a smile. She reached out for Roel¡¯s hand and interlocked her fingers with his. However, she soon thought of something that made her frown. ¡°But darling, don¡¯t you have work to do as well? Rose of Dawn would have many important missions at a time like this, no?¡± ¡°I do have work to do¡­ but none of those are more important than your safety,¡± Roel revealed his true thoughts with aposed tone. ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes widened. She nced at the doctors and clergymen in the room before averting her eyes in embarrassment, though she could hardly conceal the blissful smile on her face at all. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating it too much¡­ How could my life possiblypare to the entirety of humankind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s hard to say. Aren¡¯t there plenty of rulers whomit all kinds of atrocities just to bring a smile onto a beauty¡¯s face?¡± ¡°Heh. You make it sound as if I¡¯m a vixen.¡± ¡°You do have the looks for that.¡± Roel gently nted a kiss on Charlotte¡¯s cheeks, bringing a bright blush to thetter¡¯s flustered face. Her reaction brought a smile to his face. ¡°I won¡¯t leave your side until you make a full recovery. You can be certain of that,¡± Roel said determinedly. ¡°Darling¡­¡± Moved, Charlotte held onto Roel¡¯s hand tightly. The two of them chatted for a little longer before Charlotte sumbed to her exhaustion and fell asleep. It was also then that Roel¡¯s smile finally receded, reced by graveness. Despite the leisurely tone he had used when conversing with Charlotte earlier, the truth was that his heart was alreadypletely filled with worry. He had only appeared positive and optimistic so as to inspire confidence in her. He knew that she was afraid as well. Hiding behind her calm demeanor were her trembling hands. She couldn¡¯t appear weak when there were doctors and maids in the room with them, but how could she not be afraid when an unknown illness was threatening to take her life? It pained him to see her in such a state. What was fortunate was that he already had a clue about the affliction. Charlotte Sorofya, as the sessor to the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, was a crucial figure to the stability of the human world. Her responsibility of managing the logistics for the united army could also easily affect the war against the deviants. There was no doubt about her importance to humankind. Most would have assumed that an attack on her was an act of aggression against either Rosa of the entirety of humankind. However, Roel thought that there was another possibility here. The culprits might have just been after Charlotte as an individual, or to be more exact, her lofty Primordial High Elf Bloodline. Taking that into consideration with the fact that Roel¡¯s presence had the effect of alleviating her affliction, there was only one possibility he could think of. Those ancient monsters¡­ Roel¡¯s golden eyes glowed with killing intent. Chapter 491: The One Who Manages the Calamities

Chapter 491: The One Who Manages the Cmities

Jewel Magic was a broad term on the Sia Continent, such that even Rosaian soldiers who invoked spells through the gemstones embedded on their equipment were considered to be users of Jewel Magic too. However, that was a loose ssification for what Jewel Magic trulyprised. In the first ce, it was two different matters to invoke Jewel Magic and invoke spells embedded in jewels. To use an analogy, the former was the chef preparing the dish whereas thetter was the waiter serving it. If thetter category was excluded from the ssification, the number of Jewel Magic users would be very few indeed. In fact, they consisted solely of the Sorofyas, the descendants of the old Sofya Kingdom. Jewel Magic was an entire branch of magic inherited from the ancient High Elves. Human transcendents had generally deemed it to be a highly impractical form of magic for a simple reason¡ªit was too expensive. While it wasn¡¯t umon for spells to require an invocation medium, few were as exorbitant as Jewel Magic, which demanded gemstones that were deemed precious in human civilization. Just imagine getting into a prolonged battle with a powerful enemy. Even if you managed to defeat your enemy, the chances were that you would have gone bankrupt by the end of which. Needless to say, that wasn¡¯t an eptable oue to most. In fact, the High Elves only used jewels as a medium because they weren¡¯t viewed to be valuable back in the ancient era when legendary beings roamed thends. What was truly valuable back then were gods¡¯ bestowments and the carcasses of powerful demonic beasts. Not to mention, the High Elves were blessed with a keen insight for fortune and intrinsic talent in divination. Amassing secr wealth and jewels was an easy feat to them. It only made sense for them to use easily acquired resources as their weapon. With the prowess of Jewel Magic, High Elves eventually shot to prosperity, bing one of the Three Great Races alongside the Angels and the Dragons in the ancient era. In the present era, the lofty High Elves had been reduced to stories asionally mentioned in the annals of history. The Jewel Magic inherited by the Sorofyas no longer shone with the same brilliance as that of their ancestors. Only one person of the entire Sorofya House could be said to be a true user of Jewel Magic¡ªCharlotte Sorofya. In a spacious bedroom, Roel was quietly staring at the golden fluid that flowed around Charlotte. In his hands was a book detailing the history of Jewel Magic, flipped to its veryst page. He had a rough idea of where to work toward based on the clues he had gathered thus far, but he needed to gather more information toe up with a rational conjecture. Thus, after Charlotte fell asleep, he immediately ordered Grace and the others to aid him in his investigation. He didn¡¯t mind apanying Charlotte for life¡ªif anything, he hoped that they could continue staying together with each other for their entire lifetime¡ªbut that shouldn¡¯t be at the expense of her health. His presence did curb the affliction to a certain degree, but it couldn¡¯t eliminate it. Instead, the affliction was steadily growing stronger despite being suppressed, as shown by the severe rebound Charlotte suffered shortly after parting ways. What was inside her was a ticking time bomb, and it had to be resolved as soon as possible. After browsing through the Sorofyas¡¯ records, he was able toe up with some deductions. Amongst the doctors attending to Charlotte were the specialists who had been dealing with Bruce¡¯s curse over the years, but there were some anomalies about Charlotte¡¯s condition that they were unable to make sense of. Why was Charlotte¡¯s condition even worse than Bruce¡¯s? If the cause of Charlotte¡¯s affliction was indeed a curse, there should have been a natural progression of severity. Considering that Bruce had caught the curse many years ahead of her, her condition should have been much lighter. Yet, the situation told a different story. ¡°Lord Bruce has been afflicted with the curse for many years now. He has been suppressing it with his strength thus far, and it was only in recent years that he started to cave in. It doesn¡¯t make sense for the young miss¡¯ condition to deteriorate that quickly¡­¡± said Grace. ¡°Could that be due to Charlotte being weaker as a transcendent?¡± asked Roel. ¡°That¡¯s unlikely to be the case, Lord Roel. Our young miss hasn¡¯t said a word about it, but she has already reached Origin Level 3 prior to the International Crisis Management Symposium,¡± replied Grace. Roel was surprised to hear that. As one of the heroines in Eyes of the Chronicler, Charlotte¡¯s progress hadn¡¯t slowed in the least even though the two of them hadn¡¯t met for a year now. It should have been good news that she had be much stronger, but Roel¡¯s face only further darkened. Charlotte had probably consciously concealed the news before him because she didn¡¯t want to stress him, especially since she knew that he was desperately trying to grow stronger. However, it was another thing for Roel not to have noticed her breakthrough when they had been together for half a month now. This showed that Charlotte¡¯s condition was worse than he had expected. That pained him even more. The only silver lining was that he had uncovered a usible reason behind her affliction. To throw out the conclusion, he believed that her condition was rted to the Six Cmities. ording to Grace¡¯s record, it was a year ago that Charlotte first felt unwell. It was around the same period of time that he journeyed to the eastern border to help Nora with her Seraphication. Everything was still peaceful back then¡­ or, at least, that was the case on the surface. Roel knew that Shrouding Fog was already approaching Tark Stronghold at that juncture, heralding the shocking tragedy that would shake humankind at its core. It should be safe to say that that had been a period of high activity for the Six Cmities, meaning that one of them could have been behind Charlotte¡¯s affliction. As for why the Six Cmities would target the Sorofyas, he had his own guesses too. Seven hundred years ago, Isabe Sofya had sealed off cier Creator using the Golden Soul. During the Witness State, when Roel was shivering from having used cier Creator¡¯s powers, Charlotte had been the one to alleviate his severe side effects. These suggested that the High Elves¡¯ Jewel Magic had the power to suppress the Six Cmities to some extent. In fact, now that he thought about it, back in the Witness State where he was brought to Leinster four hundred years ago, he had received a container from the Saints Convocation containing the egg of the Tempest Caller. The outward appearance of the container resembled a tool imitating the application of Jewel Magic. Perhaps, the reason the High Elves towered over the other races together with the Angels and the Dragons might not have just been due to their superior strength but also their ability to suppress the Six Cmities too. As for why they were in possession of such an ability¡­ Roel still remembered the reason traitors of the Sofya House joined the Saints Convocation to oppose Isabe. They worshiped the Mother Goddess as their ancestors did, and their allegiance was further deepened by the nature of their Loyal Origin Attribute. Assuming that their ims were true, could it be possible that, back in the ancient era when the Mother Goddess was still active, the High Elves had been the ones managing the Six Cmities for her? If that was truly the case, it made perfect sense why the Sorofyas¡¯ Jewel Magic had the power to suppress the Six Cmities. That would also exin why the curse on Charlotte was much more potent than the one on Bruce. After all, it was Charlotte, who had inherited the Primordial High Elf Bloodline and the true Jewel Magic, who posed a much greater threat to the Six Cmities than Bruce. Roel became even more certain of his guesses when he met with Wandering Academic Andrew Mara, one of Bruce¡¯s close aides. Thetter had once offered him great help, which was why he would always pay Andrew a visit whenever he passed by Rosa City. Several years ago, when Roel had just escaped from the Witness State and was severely weakened by his abilities¡¯ side effects, it was Andrew who had diagnosed his condition and confirmed it to be a case of declining life force. Thanks to that, he was able to receive treatment from Alicia and fully recover¡­ though he did go through one hell of a cat fight as a result. Nevertheless, Andrew could still be considered as his savior. Andrew had been Bruce¡¯s personal doctor for many years now, so he naturally had a deep understanding about his curse. ording to him, Bruce first came into contact with the curse at an ancient ruin. Rosater sent a huge army to the ancient ruin in hopes of dispelling the curse, but they weren¡¯t able to find anything. Andrew guessed that it might have been a problem with the personnel. ¡°A problem with the personnel?¡± ¡°Yes. Most ancient ruins were designed to trigger differently depending on the people present. It¡¯ll be hard to re-enact Bruce¡¯s encounter with the curse without bringing the same team over,¡± Andrew replied with a stroke of his beard. Roel noddedprehendingly, but he quickly posed a new question. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why didn¡¯t you attempt to enter the ancient ruin with the same expedition team again? It might be risky, but that¡¯s the most usible way to save Uncle Bruce from the curse, right? ¡°We did consider that, but you have to understand that Bruce¡¯s curse started out mild. It took us several years to realize that it was a threat to his life. By then, many of the original expedition team members had already grown significantly. ¡°You see, there are some traps in ancient ruins that grow increasingly potent depending on the strength of those present, and we were worried that the curse might be one of them. Should that be the case, the expedition would be extremely dangerous to Bruce. In view of the risks, we decided that to be our final resort,¡± Andrew exined. ¡°I see,¡± replied Roel. The two of them agreed that Charlotte¡¯s condition couldn¡¯t wait any longer¡ªthey had to deal with her curse right away. On one hand, it was infeasible for Roel and Charlotte to be together all the time given their respective responsibilities. On the other hand, there was no telling how much longer Roel¡¯s presence could suppress the curse for. They had to deal with the curse once and for all, as soon as possible. Fortunately, Rosa had already spent many years preparing for that. While Roel¡¯s Soulcalming Lamp did alleviate Bruce¡¯s condition, the Sorofyas understood that it wasn¡¯t a permanent solution. They would have to eventually return to the ancient ruin to resolve his curse, just that they had chosen to dy it since Bruce had been in a stable condition. Right now, they were just bringing forward their ns. Roel and Andrew agreed that the curse was unlikely to havee directly from the Six Cmities themselves¡ªthe Six Cmities would have killed them outright instead of simply nting a curse. It was likelier that the culprit was something harnessing a portion of the Six Cmities¡¯ power. That should still be within the means of the Rosaian elites to deal with. What Roel had to do till then was to stay by Charlotte¡¯s side, use his Crown¡¯s Stones to aid her Golden Soul in maintaining her condition, and await the arrival of good news. After deciding on what they had to do, Roel and the others wasted no time dilly-dallying. Upon receiving an urgent approval from Bruce, Andrew gathered the members of Bruce¡¯s old expedition team to execute the n they had carefully refined over many years. ¡­ Half a monthter, in Rosa City¡¯s Hundred Birds Gallery. At the crack of dawn, Roel woke up to the melodic chirping of the birds outside. He sat up on the spacious bed he had slept in and dazedly blinked his eyes. It took a brief moment before his golden eyes regained their usual rity. It was already mid-autumn. The weather had turned cold, and nights had be much longer. Roel often woke up before the sun waspletely up yet, though the ill young woman beside him remained in deep sleep. Roel looked at the sleeping Charlotte with gentle eyes as he discreetly released a stream of mana to inspect her physical condition. He let out a sigh of relief when he confirmed she was still in a stable condition. He would usually wake up at the same time as Charlotte so as to match her schedule, but on this very day, he got out of bed at an earlier hour than usual. It was not due to insomnia or some coincidence. He turned his eyes toward an envelope on the table that hadn¡¯t been there when they fell asleep the previous night. He wasn¡¯t surprised to see it though, for he was the one who requested Grace to discreetly ce any letters from Andrew there in the middle of the night. He didn¡¯t want to risk Charlotte overhearing any negative news. That could affect her condition. It was possible that they were making a mountain out of a molehill, but as this matter concerned Charlotte¡¯s health, they were determined to take all precautions possible. That was how much the two of them cared about Charlotte. Roel quietly got off the bed, headed to the table, and opened the envelope. Barely a few sentences into the letter, his eyes had already narrowed. Chapter 492.1: Inseparable (1)

Chapter 492.1: Inseparable (1)

The sun had only just started rising from the horizon. In the master bedroom of the Hundred Birds Gallery, Roel stared at the letter in his hand with narrowed golden eyes. His expression that had been as peaceful as the sky outside suddenly turned livid. Half a month ago, Andrew Mara had gathered Bruce¡¯s old expedition team members and set off to the ancient ruin where Bruce received his curse many years ago. Their goal was to eradicate the curse that gued Bruce and Charlotte once and for all. Roel expressed his full support for this move. In fact, he would have joined them if not out of concern for Charlotte¡¯s safety. She was his foremost priority, and he would regret it for life if something happened to her while he was away. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to stay put in Rosa City and await their news. Who could have known that the expedition that Andrew had prepared for many years would be fraught with difficulties? The envelope that had been delivered overnight ryed a despairing piece of news to him. The expedition team had failed to find the source of the curse. To be exact, the ancient ruin had been destroyed. ording to the letter, the expedition team had teleported over to the ancient ruin using a spatial spell. After several days of traveling, they soon arrived at the ancient ruin. They spent the next two days venturing into its depths, and they sessfully arrived at the location where Bruce caught his curse back then. The only problem was that the ce had been devastated. Horrified, Andrew quickly investigated the area. He deduced the destruction had happened in recent months by closely examining the scene of devastation, but he wasn¡¯t able to gather any other useful clues. This ancient ruin was discovered many decades ago and had been explored multiple times over the years. Rosa could easily take control of it since it was no longer a hotspot for adventurers by then, which was what they did shortly after they realized the severity of Bruce¡¯s curse. They had stationed sentries there, and the records indicated that there had been no entries in the past few months. Andrew concluded the letter saying that he would search the other parts of the ruins to see if there were any other clues to the curse, but honestly speaking, Roel wasn¡¯t too optimistic about it. The destruction of the ancient ruin was beyond his expectation, but before he could carefully contemte its significance, he suddenly heard a voice behind him. ¡°¡­ Darling?¡± ¡°!¡± A shudder ran through Roel¡¯s body, and his pupils erged. However, he quickly regained hisposure and stowed away the letter before turning around to face Charlotte. On the bed, Charlotte had propped herself up with her arms and was dazedly rubbing her eyes, searching for the young man who should have been right beside her. Her face was pale from the relentless torture of her affliction, and she seemed to have lost quite some weight. Her fitting pajamas had grown a little loose, revealing hints of her shoulders and further down. Her superior physical constitution as a high transcendent had severely weakened after she caught the curse, and she needed many hours of sleep in order to replenish her expended energy every day. Due to that, she was often unable to wake up on time. Despite that, she still retained her graceful and noble aura. It was adorable how she was fumbling to look for Roel even though she wasn¡¯t fully awake yet, almost like a sleeping beauty searching for the knight who had awoken her. Roel made his way over to her side right away. ¡°Roel¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here. It¡¯s still dark outside. Why don¡¯t you sleep for a while longer?¡± ¡°¡­ Mmhm.¡± Her mind was set at ease upon seeing the man she was looking for. Nodding her head, she grabbed his sleeves before lying back down. On the bed, she slowly adjusted her position to snuggle into his arms. Roel gazed affectionately at her as he gently moved away the hair strands covering her face. The two of them had been together for a month now. During this period of time, there were some changes in their rtionship dynamics due to Charlotte¡¯s illness, with the most apparent one being her increasing dependence on him. Due to Charlotte¡¯s intrinsic talent formerce as a High Elf, she was expected to manage some of her family businesses from a young age. Her life had been a series of trials, where she had to surmount one mountain after another. This gave rise to her ¡®soft on the inside but tough on the outside¡¯ personality. She had shown herself to be a highly independent person even from their very first meeting. Even though she harbored feelings for Roel, she didn¡¯t like to cause him any trouble. That was also why she tried to conceal her condition from him at the very start. She was simply used to dealing with problems on her own. But just as countless philosophers had said, the mind and the body were a single entity divided into two. Anything that affected one would inevitably affect the other. A prolonged period of debility had bred unease in Charlotte¡¯s heart, prompting her to instinctively seek warmth andfort from Roel. Of course, Roel had noints about it either. If anything, he was d that he could be her pir of support during her time of weakness. However, even he was starting to feel flustered after reading Andrew¡¯s letter. Roel propped his head up with his arm and admired Charlotte¡¯s enchanting visuals, but that did little to quell the anxiety he felt inside. While Andrew had told him that he would continue searching for the source of the curse, Roel personally thought that the chances of his search bearing fruit were slim. On top of that, he had thought of an unnerving possibility after reading the letter. The devastation inside the ancient ruin wouldn¡¯t happen by itself. Supposing the Rosaian sentries hadn¡¯t made any errors with the ancient ruin¡¯s entry records, the only possibility was that the devastation was caused by someone or something on the inside. Considering everything that had happened over the past year, it wasn¡¯t too difficult to fathom a guess as to what this ¡®someone¡¯ or ¡®something¡¯ was. The source of Charlotte¡¯s curse, possibly one of the Six Cmities, has awoken from its slumber and escaped from the ancient ruin. ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the sleeping woman beside him, Roel¡¯splexion turned grave. If the curse was truly from one of the Six Cmities, this would be the worst possible development for them. Humankind possessed neither the means to locate nor deal with these terrifying monsters. Praying hard that Andrew would be able to find something of use inside the ancient ruin, Roel began thinking up his next move should the worst happen. Chapter 492.2: Inseparable (2)

Chapter 492.2: Inseparable (2)

¡­ Peaceful times ought to be cherished. This was amon adage on the Sia Continent where war often broke out. It perfectly encapsted the thoughts of those living in the present era. While Roel and Charlotte were busy trying to deal with the curse, the people of the Sia Continent were far from being at peace. Instead, they were sinking deeper into the bog of war. At the eastern border¡¯s frontlines, after a couple of probing attacks, the forces of humankind had finally started engaging the deviants inrge-scale battles. Battles were slowly shifting away from small skirmishes to massive fights for territory. Just like their predecessors, the aim of the deviants was to invade the depths of the human world and plunder all they could. To achieve that, they needed to first breach the united army¡¯s defenses. Not once had they seeded over the past millennium, but the odds seemed to be in their favor this time around. Of the crucial choke points guarded by the major countries, there was one that was more vulnerable than it was at any point of humankind¡¯s history¡ªTark Stronghold. Rushed attempts at reparations had restored the disappeared Tark Stronghold back to its previous majestic scale, but ultimately, it only looked tough on the outside. Fortresses were slowly reinforced over time by pumping in huge amounts of money. There were even strategic defense magic tools that required an entire century to construct. While the Saint Mesit Theocracy had pulled no brakes in the reparation of Tark Stronghold, there was only so much they could do in a limited period of time. This was a huge hole in humankind¡¯s defense line. Should the deviantsunch an all-out invasion, Tark Stronghold could potentially be a breakthrough point for them. Once the deviants breached the defense line, they would be able to intercept the flow of logistics to the frontline, depriving the other soldiers of their necessities. This concern led to the leaders of the united army to adopt an offensive strategy instead of holding their ground as they did in the past. They would dispatch armies from the fortresses and dominate the flow of the battle. The goal was to buy as much time as possible for the Saint Mesit Theocracy to bolster Tark Stronghold¡¯s defenses. Make no mistake, this was an extremely risky maneuver. Only the military veterans who had survived the Fourth Holy War nearly a hundred years ago would dare to make such a call. However, the choice to go on the offense brought about a new problem¡ªan increased burden on the logistics chain. The logistical division of the united army was already struggling to deliver sufficient resources to the united army at the remote eastern border. Delivering more resources to the united army wasn¡¯t as easy as simply scaling up their logistical operations, especially due to how dangerous the journey to the eastern border was. This was simply asking for the impossible. But when the survival of humankind was at stake, even the impossible would have to be somehow made possible. The burden of solving this problem naturally fell onto the Sorofyas, who were responsible for the united army logistics. Needless to say, Charlotte would have to step up and tackle this problem even though she wasn¡¯t in a good condition at all. ¡°Charlotte, it¡¯s about time for¡­¡± Night, in the Hundred Birds Gallery¡¯s study room, Roel had just finished settling his documents and was just about to urge Charlotte to rest when he quickly reined in his voice. Unknowingly, the auburn-haired woman beside him had already fallen asleep on her pile of documents. Her fatigue was showing through her pale face, but he dared not to move her to the bed where she could rest better out of worry that he would wake her up. It was not the first time Charlotte had fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion in the midst of her work. Each time he woke her up, she would use the pretext that she had already rested up to continue her work. Many times he tried to dissuade her from it, but it was to no avail. ¡°Whether these logistics operations are properly handled or not will affect the war efforts at the frontlines. Many lives could be lost if I err here. I have to deal with these documents as quickly as possible.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but your body¡­¡± ¡°Darling, I¡¯m begging you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel knew that someone as weak as Charlotte couldn¡¯t be allowed to take on such heavy work, but whenever she looked at him with pleading eyes, he found himself eding to her request with a deep sigh. It had been around a month since the two of them arrived at Rosa. The two of them had been together during this period of time, but unlike before, Charlotte¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t improving at all. On the contrary, she was still growing weaker, albeit at a slower pace. It was clear that the curse was sapping Charlotte¡¯s life force, but neither the doctors nor the clergymen were able to find a way to stop that. They could only slow down the loss of her life force through suppressing the curse with the Golden Soul. Andrew sent several more letters over, but the results were disappointing. The expedition team couldn¡¯t find anything rted to the curse in the ancient ruin. This was a nightmare. By this point, Roel was almost certain that Charlotte¡¯s curse stemmed from one of the Six Cmities. It was likely that this ancient monster had been hibernating in the ancient ruin when Bruce first came into contact with it, so the curse started off mild. However, as the Mother Goddess started showing signs of awakening, this ancient monster awoke from its slumber and left the ancient ruin. That was probably the point when Charlotte¡¯s affliction abruptly grew severe. The chances were that they would have to find the ancient monster in order to resolve the curse, but the Six Cmities were elusive existences. It felt like they were facing a problem that had no solution. Unable to ept this oue, Roel tightly clenched his fists in frustration. He quietly stared at Charlotte for a long while before he took off his coat and carefully draped it on her. To his dismay, this action woke her up. ¡°Darling¡­ Sorry, I feel asleep.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s wrap things here. I took a look at your documents and none of the remaining ones are urgent. You can handle them tomorrow.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. I forbid you from staying upte.¡± ¡°D-darling, wait a moment¡­¡± Roel mped down on her protest and picked her up from the chair. Charlotte was still nning on insisting on her way, but she noticed the determined look on his face and eventually relented with a helpless sigh. She obediently leaned on his chest and allowed him to do as he pleased. Roel heaved a quiet sigh of relief and began carrying her toward her bedroom. Charlotte ced her ear on his chest and listened to his heartbeat. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About my work. You¡¯re only doing this because you¡¯re worried about my health, but I keep going against you. You must be angry with me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched at her apology. He lowered his head and looked at the feeble woman in his arms who obstinately pushed herself for the sake of the greater good. He could feel a tinge of bitterness in his heart. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. You¡¯re right to prioritize the war effort. I am proud of you for that. It¡¯s just that we have different priorities.¡± ¡°Different priorities?¡± ¡°To me, your healthes before everything else,¡± replied Roel. ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s mouth opened and closed wordlessly. She eventually turned her head away with a furious blush. ¡°I won¡¯t deny that I am angry, but it¡¯s not at you. I am angry at myself. I hate how powerless I am, how I am unable to lift your curse even though I¡¯m right beside you¡­¡± Roel said in self-reproach. ¡°Wait! Darling, what are you saying?¡± Charlotte eximed angrily. Charlotte immediately turned her head back to look at Roel and angrily eximed. She ced her hand on Roel¡¯s cheek before continuing on. ¡°It¡¯s only because you were with me that I could hold on till now! You have been protecting me by my side like a valiant knight over the past month, ensuring my safety. That¡¯s why¡­ Promise me that you won¡¯t me yourself. It hurts me when you do that.¡± ¡°Charlotte¡­¡± The two of them exchanged affectionate gazes, and they could see themselves reflected in each other¡¯s eyes. A brief momentter, their lips came together, joining their hearts closer than ever. Neither of them could have known about the discreet events happening in the shadows of this seemingly peaceful night. Chapter 493.1: Earnest Request (1)

Chapter 493.1: Earnest Request (1)

The Sorofyas had encountered a problem in their expedition. They couldn¡¯t find any clues to the curse despite having turned the ancient ruin inside out. Even so, they didn¡¯t return to Rosa right away. Instead, they beganbing the vicinity for traces of the Six Cmities, but they weren¡¯t making any progress on that either. That was also what Roel had expected. Putting aside the Six Cmities¡¯ sentience and terrifying prowess, they could actually be thought of as manifestations of natural phenomena. Their existence was conceptual, thus they had no physical bodies. This made them incredibly elusive. How could a person trace down a wind that had blown by or a fog that had vanished yesterday? Not a single clue about Shrouding Fog had been found even though the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the Knight Kingdom, and the Country of Schrs had poured in a huge amount of resources into its investigation for an entire year. If the Six Cmities were that easy to deal with, the more advanced ancient civilizations would have already developed specific means to eradicate them once and for all. That was why Roel didn¡¯t bear much hope for the search. However, theckluster results of the search wasn¡¯t the worst development in Roel¡¯s view. It was the deterioration of Charlotte¡¯s condition. Roel had chosen to stay with Charlotte in hopes that her condition would improve like how it did during the journey, but things didn¡¯t go as he had expected. If anything, it went in the opposite direction. His presence did slow down the worsening of her affliction, but her condition was still deteriorating with each passing day. This was reflected in her health records provided by the medical team. It was also showing in her behavior, such as her increased sleepiness. Roel refrained from talking about it, but he was worried sick for her. Despite the pessimistic circumstances they were in, their feelings continued to deepen with time. Night, Roel sat before a candlelit dining table with Charlotte in his arms. Indeed, this was the new position they had unlocked ever since Charlotte¡¯s meek attempt at sitting on hisp. In view of her ailing health, Roel had been princess-carrying her whenever they traveled from one ce to another. An unintended but weed consequence of that was themsettling down in such a position. On one hand, this was a natural result of their intimate rtionship. Roel was reluctant to let go of the cuddly bolster in his arms. On the other hand, Charlotte had been eating much less due to her deteriorating physical condition. She was already a picky eater from the start, and her decreasing appetite put her at risk of malnutrition. Roel quickly realized that this was the best position to get more food into her mouth. Whenever he fed her in this position, he was able to ensure that she ate more than she typically would. Thus, he stripped her of her right to dine alone and made it mandatory for her to eat in his arms. His tyranny was met with fierce opposition from the shy Charlotte, but he forcefully quelled her protests and calmly tucked her back into his arms. She had also tried going on a hunger strike, obstinately averting her head away from his spoon. His response was to hold his spoon up and patiently wait until she finally gave in. She would always give in¡ªquite quickly, in fact,sting for only a minute at most¡ªfor she couldn¡¯t stand to see Roel¡¯s hand dangling in mid-air. Furthermore, in view of their busy work schedule, Roel had set their dining time to be an hour. He always made sure to feed Charlotte first, only digging into the food himself after ensuring that she had her fill. In other words, if she refused to eat properly, he would go without food. She didn¡¯t think much about it at the start, but there was one incident where she refused to finish her food due to her pickiness, and Roel really starved himself for the entire night. Ever since then, she dared not to fool around anymore. For people like them who cherished their loved ones more than themselves, there was no coercion more effective than holding themselves hostage. As the two of them became ustomed to this setting, the dining table turned into a ce for them to express their feelings. Their overflowing affection for each other made the atmosphere cloyingly sweet, and the maids who attended to them would often be spotted with warm smiles. The Hundred Birds Gallery had been gripped by tension for far too long ever since Charlotte fell ill, and the couple¡¯s dining time was the asional breather from the stifling atmosphere. Unfortunately, this situation didn¡¯tst long. ¡­ It was yet another night in front of the dining table. A spread filled with delicacies wasid out on the table, but Roel was devoid of his usual smile. The room was deathly silent, and a heavy atmosphere suffocated everyone within. The reason? The unconscious auburn-haired woman in Roel¡¯s arms. Just a minute ago, Charlotte was still merrily chatting with Roel, waiting to be fed her favorite strawberry macaron. But just as Roel was about to bring the food to her mouth, she suddenly passed out. ¡°¡­¡± Roel could hardly believe what had just happened. His smile froze in ce, and it took several seconds before he slowly lowered his dangling arm. The metallic fork he was holding produced a crisp ng against the ceramic te, and his agitated feelings started pouring out. His intense emotions affected the mana around him, exerting an intangible pressure within the room. His face was stoic but his fists were trembling. Sensing Roel¡¯s emotions, the maids felt a tight clench in their hearts. Charlotte had been suffering from narcolepsy for a while now, but it was rare for her to suddenly pass out. This was the first time she had passed out during a joyful conversation with Roel. Without her doubt, this was an indication that her affliction had further worsened. Even with Roel¡¯s presence suppressing the affliction, it wouldn¡¯t be long before it acted up. Roel looked at Charlotte¡¯s pale sleeping face, and it made him feel asphyxiated. It was as if something was strangling him, forcing all of the air out of his lungs. He raised his trembling hands toward her cheeks, but his vision suddenly turned blurry. Realizing that he was tearing up, he quickly moved his arms over to cover his eyes instead. He took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. The maids felt choked up seeing the mncholic expression on Roel¡¯s usually smiling face. In the past month, in order to keep Charlotte in high spirits, everyone in the Hundred Birds Gallery had been trying their best to maintain their smiles. Even as her condition visibly worsened, Grace and the others did their best not to show their sorrow. But when Roel¡¯s defenses crumbled at this unexpected incident, the maids lost control of their emotions as well and began crying. To have one¡¯s lover pass out in one¡¯s arm was a huge blow to any couple who were deeply in love, and this was even more so for Roel. Deep down, he knew that Charlotte was also struggling her best to hold back her fears and cherishing every single day they had together. But it was no longer for them to keep up with the facade anymore. The affliction wouldn¡¯t grant them such respite. Chapter 493.2: Earnest Request (2)

Chapter 493.2: Earnest Request (2)

Roel forced himself to stay calm and consider the current situation. ¡°Grace.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Roel.¡± Grace hurriedly wiped off her tears before stepping forward to answer Roel¡¯s call. ¡°Is the report from the medical team out yet?¡± ¡°They need more time to generate the report for the most recent checkup, but the results don¡¯t look optimistic¡­¡± ¡°What about the ancient ruin?¡± ¡°We have already dispatched all avable manpower tob the area, but there hasn¡¯t been any progress.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Roel turned his eyes back to the woman in his arms. He appeared to be much calmer now, but it was hard to tell what he was thinking beneath his glowing golden eyes. As a matter of fact, the upper echelon of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy hadmitted all avable resources to save the highly talented sessor who was known to be the sole inheritor of the Sorofyas¡¯ Primordial High Elf Bloodline. Their intelligence departments spanning the entire Sia Continent were pulling their connections to gather everyst bit of information that could be of help. Tens of thousands of guards werebing the vicinity of the ancient ruin in search of clues. This was thergest peacetime operation Rosa had carried out since its independence. Roel couldn¡¯t me them for reaping no results when they had already gone to such an extent. In fact, Bruce was already anxiously rushing back to Rosa, and the Rosaian military was offering help wherever it could. It was just that numbers didn¡¯t matter when it came to the Six Cmities. Roel rubbed his temples as he reviewed his observations over the past month. He deduced that the monster that had cursed Charlotte was a smart one even amongst the Six Cmities. asionally, in the middle of the night, his instincts would ring warning bells in him like it did the night Shrouding Fog devoured Tark Stronghold, almost as if something ominous was eyeing him from the shadows. He realized that he had experienced simr sensations to it when he was spenidng time with Charlotte in the past, albeit it being much weaker. This meant that the enemy had been lurking around them for a long period of time. This member of the Six Cmities appeared to be terrified of him, likely to an even further degree than the trepidation expressed by Shrouding Fog during their confrontation on the eastern border. The evidencey in Charlotte¡¯s temporary recovery during their journey back to Rosa. Chances were that it was reluctant to make a reckless move in his presence. Going down this road of deduction, does it mean to say that this member of the Six Cmities hasn¡¯t fully matured yet? Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed at that thought. He was starting to get some ideas as to what he could do should the worst truly happen. Just like that, with Charlotte in his arms, he continued interpreting the pieces of information he had gathered and devising countermeasures. It was an hourter before the auburn-haired woman in his hair finally regained consciousness. Despite her enfeebled state, she panicked the moment she realized that she had slept past their allotted dinnertime. ¡°Darling, I didn¡¯t intentionally fall asleep. It shouldn¡¯t count this time around, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte looked at Roel with worried eyes, fearing that he would go hungry once more. Roel had just barely calmed down from the earlier shock, but her words made his eyes heat up. After a moment of silence, he gently rubbed her face and replied with a hoarse voice. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already told Grace to prepare another portion. There won¡¯t be any time limit today. Let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Charlotte asked in delight. ¡°Mmhm. Let¡¯s take it slow tonight. We¡¯re pretty much done with the logistical preparations for the united army anyway,¡± Roel replied with a smile. The two of them sat down and enjoyed the delicacies prepared by the Sorofyas¡¯ top chefs. Charlotte was exceptionally obedient throughout the meal, almost as if she was trying to reassure him after her earlier fainting spell. The two of them tacitly pulled the rug over the ident that had happened earlier, veiling it with this moment of happiness. Time passed, and Charlotte¡¯s health report was finally out. ¡­ Only the mostpetent doctors of the Sia Continent were qualified to be members of the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team. While they were helpless against the curse from the Six Cmities, their assessment and projections on Charlotte¡¯s health condition were still credible. The following evening, Roel sat alone in the study room, browsing through Charlotte¡¯s health report. The sky darkened as shadows slowly swallowed the setting sun; it was almost as if the world was mirroring his mood. His earlier conjecture was on the mark. The results showed that Charlotte¡¯s health was already nearing a tipping point. Her constant narcolepsy was her body¡¯s self-defense mechanism against her deteriorating health. Should her condition worsen any further, there was a chance that she might go into aa, turning her into a true sleeping beauty. The curse wouldn¡¯t let her off with just that. It would continue gnawing away at her body during her sleep until she finally withered away. Words couldn¡¯t describe Roel¡¯s feelings when he read the report, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t sumb to his sorrow. He had to hold the fort when the others were already breaking down. ¡°Lord Roel, are we¡­ really going to let our young miss see that?¡± Grace asked between weeps. After forcing herself to remain strong all this while, Grace finally had an emotional breakdown upon seeing the despairing health report. She was afraid to let Charlotte see it, fearing thetter¡¯s response. However, Roel knew that it was meaningless to hide it from her. As a high transcendent herself, Charlotte knew deep down how her body was faring, just that she consciously chose not to talk about it. He spent a few moments calming Grace down before personally heading over to Charlotte¡¯s bedroom to inform her about the results of her health report. Just as he had expected, Charlotte wasn¡¯t surprised at all. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll be in danger if my condition deteriorates any further?¡± Charlotte replied with a helpless smile, hardly looking as agitated as Grace was. Her response further affirmed Roel¡¯s determination to resort to his final measure, but before he could reveal his intention, Charlotte suddenly raised a request. ¡°Darling, may I ask for a favor?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Roel. Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes glistened as her eyes curled fondly in reminiscence. ¡°I want to visit that rose-colored forest again.¡± Chapter 494: Because It’s You

Chapter 494: Because It¡¯s You

The Hundred Birds Gallery had been oddly silent ever since Charlotte¡¯s health report came out. No one came to visit or scout out thetest information, making it more peaceful than it had ever been. It was like a serene paradise in the midst of the bustling Rosa City. It was not that the people were turning their backs on Charlotte. The upper echelons of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy were well aware of Roel and Charlotte¡¯s rtionship. If Charlotte¡¯s days were truly numbered, they thought that it was only courtesy for them to step aside and grant the two lovers the space they deserved. Reports flowing into the Hundred Birds Gallery had been greatly reduced, filtered out to only the most important news. Charlotte¡¯s responsibility of handling the united army¡¯s logistics had also been passed down to someone else. The medical team had initially demanded Charlotte to remain at home and rest up, but with no foreseeable solution for her obstinately worsening condition, they finally relented and allowed her to travel outside. The nervous atmosphere surrounding Charlotte suddenly vanished, reced with a flood of generosity and kindness. This meant that her wish could be fulfilled. She started scheming something after Roel agreed to her request, even going to the extent of chasing him out of the room. ¡°You can¡¯t enter, darling!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was intending to watch over Charlotte for her afternoon nap since he was suddenly chased out of the room. The two of them had been sharing a room for quite some time now that there were hardly any secrets between them, so he found it perplexing how he was suddenly evicted. Charlotte¡¯s heart panged in guilt upon seeing Roel¡¯s bewilderment. She emphasized it would only take her a while and proimed it to be apulsory break for his hard work thus far. Roel didn¡¯t believe her words at all, but he decided not to pursue the matter when he saw the warm smiles on the maids¡¯ faces. Over the past month, with the two of them unting their love everywhere they went, practically all of the maids in the Hundred Birds Gallery had already be their diehard fans. Nowadays, the first thing they did whenever anything happened to Charlotte was to report to Roel. Since neither Grace nor the other maids were saying anything at all, it was unlikely that Charlotte was up to anything bad. He wasn¡¯t too anxious to uncover what she was up to since he knew that it was only a matter of time before he found out. Besides, he needed some private space for himself too. So, he hesitantly nodded before instructing her to remain careful. ¡°Your narcolepsy is getting worse nowadays. Those around you might not always be able to make it in time to support you, so you have to refrain from standing on high ces¡­ ¡°Alright, I will.¡± Feeling Roel¡¯s concern for her, Charlotte¡¯s lips curled into a sweet but embarrassed smile. The two of them looked at each other affectionately for a long while before they finally parted ways at Grace¡¯s urging. The door closed, and the tenderness in Roel¡¯s eyes slowly receded. He solemnly made his way into another room. It was not just Charlotte who needed to make preparations here; he also needed to make some of his own. He had to pay a visit to someone while Charlotte was busy with her stuff. ¡­ Strolling in the midst of a tranquil mountain valley was Roel. His surroundings were dark and shrouded in chilly mist, but before he could express his difort with a frown, a faint ray of light suddenly shone from the depths of the mountain valley, bringing warmth to him. He was momentarily surprised by this sudden show of concern, but he soon shrugged it off with a smile and continued trekking down a familiar path. Before long, he arrived at a mountain stream, where a ravishing golden-haired woman sat atop her throne. ¡°It has been a while, Peytra.¡± ¡°Yes, it has been a while since west met here.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem surprised by my sudden visit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. I do pay attention to what¡¯s happening outside,¡± Peytra replied with a sympathetic look in her eyes. She rose to her feet and slowly walked up to Roel. To his bewilderment, she suddenly raised her arms and embraced him. ¡°Peytra?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything. I understand¡­ It has been hard on you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her gentle voice and mana brought about waves of serenity. Her abrupt words momentarily surprised Roel, and it took him a moment to realize that she was consoling him. She didn¡¯t utter other words of constion. With her warm embrace, she seemed to be waiting for him to release the sorrow and frustration he had bottled up over the past month, which she would then ept and assuage. Feeling her goodwill, Roel¡¯s expression started to scrunch. The past month he had spent with Charlotte had been the most marvelous dream but also the most terrifying nightmare. It had always been his dream for them to spend their days together, expressing their affection for each other like any ordinary couple. But behind the sweetness, he was forced to watch Charlotte graduallynguishing over time. The helplessness he felt from being unable to do anything for her tortured his mind and soul, and not a day went by without him cursing his own weakness. He faced everyday with a smile and a positive attitude, looking as if there was nothing in this world that could bring him down, but the truth was that everything felt bleak and heavy to him. Often, he found himself lying on the bed more awake than ever, staring at the sleeping Charlotte with moist eyes. Not even Grace and the other maids were aware of these secrets, but it didn¡¯t escape Peytra¡¯s notice. It could be said that she was the one who understood Roel¡¯s feelings the best. Her gentle constion brought down Roel¡¯s mental defenses, and he felt a lump in his throat. But before his tears could flow, he suddenly closed his eyes and squeezed his temples. He took in deep breaths and forced himself to calm down. Seeing that, Peytra gently stroked his back. ¡°You can cry here. It¡¯ll only feel worse if you bottle it up.¡± ¡°No. I want to vent these emotions on the culprit behind this.¡± ¡°¡­ That exins your heavy killing intent,¡± Peytra replied with a sigh. It was amon fighting strategy for a transcendent to channel his emotions into anger for his enemy before releasing it during a crucial moment, but Roel¡¯s intense feelings had been umted and bottled up for so long that it was almost creating a monster within him. After a longforting embrace, the two of them finally stepped away from each other. Gazing at the much calmer Roel, the Primordial Earth Goddess finally dove into the heart of things. ¡°What do you need my help for?¡± ¡°¡­ I need your help in crafting a few items.¡± Peytra let out a soft sigh. She seemed to have anticipated this situation. ¡°Should I say ¡®as expected¡¯? I knew that it would end up like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Peytra.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to apologize to me¡­ I have witnessed the blossoming of your rtionship, and to be honest, I¡¯m d that you made the same choice as you did back then.¡± Peytra sighed once more before tousling his hair. ¡°However, I think that you should cherish yourself more.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m fine. This is nothing as long as I can protect her. ¡°This isn¡¯t nothing at all! Haaa! You¡¯re lucky that they are all good girls. If any of them tries to harm you¡­ No, I¡¯m worrying over nothing. You would have been able to see through them if that had been the case,¡± Peytra said with a deep sigh. She had no idea whether this was a good thing or not, but the least she could do was to support him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can leave this to me. You¡¯re good kids who deserve happiness.¡± Offering a sincere blessing with a smile, the Primordial Earth Goddess leaned forward and kissed Roel¡¯s forehead. The surroundings began to blur. Momentster, Roel¡¯s consciousness plunged into darkness. ¡­ After the short meeting with Peytra in his dream, Roel woke up in his own bedroom. There was a light breezeing from the window. The room looked unfamiliar since he had hardly spent any time here. There were no maids waiting outside his room, suggesting that Charlotte was still busy with her preparations. Since he had spare time on his hand, he decided to deal with his work first and browse through reportsing in from Rose of Dawn. Rosa wasn¡¯t the only one who had taken huge actions after realizing the severity of Charlotte¡¯s affliction. Rose of Dawn had also started making moves to search for clues to her curse. There was not much progress at the moment, but the members were all doing their best. It was worth noting that their hard work wasn¡¯t solely because of Roel¡¯s orders. Rather, Charlotte¡¯s survival was one of the key factors to ensuring the peace and stability of humankind. Be it her position as the sessor of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy or her Primordial High Elf Bloodline, there was no denying that whatever happened to her would have rippling effects throughout the whole of humankind. This was especially so now that Rosa was an irreceable chain in handling the united army¡¯s logistics. After Roel browsed through a couple of documents, a maid knocked on his door and informed him that Charlotte was done with her preparations. So, he made his way to Charlotte¡¯s bedroom, where he saw a gorgeous auburn-haired woman standing before a full-body mirror, dressed in an adorable gown. The moment he saw Charlotte changing her clothes, he immediately knew that this wasn¡¯t going to be anything good. Unfortunately for him, Charlotte wasn¡¯t nning to let him off that easily. She grabbed his arm and firmly seated him down on the sofa, forcing him to assume the role of her fashion consultant. A pity it was that this fashion consultant had no constructive feedback to offer. ¡°Darling, how do you find this dress?¡± ¡°Mm. Looks good.¡± ¡°Your feedback is¡­ What about this one?¡± ¡°Looks good too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte pouted in dissatisfaction at Roel¡¯s repetitivepliments. Seeing that, he sighed softly before awkwardly revealing his true thought. ¡°I think that they all look good. You¡¯re the one wearing them, after all.¡± ¡°!¡± Those embarrassing words evoked a chuckle from Charlotte. Miffed from beingughed at, Roel expressed that she should have gotten someone else if she wanted some constructive opinion, but Charlotte decisively shot that suggestion down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Your eyes are enough.¡± With a gentle smile, she stepped forward and nted a kiss on his cheek. This sudden intimate transition made Roel avert his eyes in embarrassment. The maids behind swooned at their affectionate gestures. Having been cated, Roel patiently helped Charlotte pick out her clothes. Even so, it still took an entire hour before she finally decided on her outfit. With that, they were all prepared for tomorrow¡¯s outing. The following morning, the Sorofyas¡¯ Diamond Rivi¨¨re set out for a romantic trip for the couple. The coaches had no trouble navigating since their destination was within Rosa.During the carriage ride, Roel couldn¡¯t help but notice that Charlotte looked a little nervous. She would asionally direct discreet nces in his direction but not say a word at all. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Charlotte? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, darling. You don¡¯t need to worry about me,¡± Charlotte replied with a smile. Looking at the scenery outside passing her by, her eyes gleamed with anticipation. They were going to arrive at Love Forest very soon. Chapter 495.1: I Belong To You (1)

Chapter 495.1: I Belong To You (1)

Autumn was already approaching its end. More than a month had passed since Roel and Charlotte returned to Rosa. Tori City¡¯s Love Forest was covered in ayer of rose-red leaves. This was the final splendor of the Miura Trees before everything withered to the frost. Under a rain of rose leaves, Roel and Charlotte leisurely strolled down a forest path with their hands in each other¡¯s. Grace and the other maids had stopped their footsteps a far distance away, gazing at the two lovers with gentle expressions. As much as they would enjoy following the two of them and immerse themselves in the sweet atmosphere, they weren¡¯t about to overstep their boundaries. They knew better than to bempposts. ¡°All the best, young miss!¡± Grace clenched her fists tightly as she cheered for Charlotte. Thetter nced backward and directed her a nod. The brilliant rays of the noon sun had expelled some of thete autumn¡¯s coldness, granting Charlotte the freedom to wear her favorite clothes without having to worry about catching a cold. Charlotte was particrly fond of wearing her own designs during her free time, and today was no exception. Her style was at odds with mainstream fashion trends, but she was always to pull them off with such grace that few would criticize her unconventional choices. She had chosen to go with a floaty white dress with a newly-designed crown anklet for this long-awaited date. Beside her, Roel was wearing a fitting suit that could be described as formal casual. It was another one of Charlotte¡¯s own designs, and it fitted the vibe of their romantic date. The Rosaian authorities had initially intended to cordon off the entire forest upon their arrival, but Charlotte insisted on doing away with this security measure. She didn¡¯t want her date with Roel to be built on others¡¯ misfortune, and she was confident in her lover¡¯s ability to protect her. Roel could only sigh at Charlotte¡¯s rose-tinted impression of him. That being said, he still went with her wishes. It was a relief that it was alreadyte autumn and there were much fewer tourists around. Surprisingly, they didn¡¯t bump into anyone else while strolling through the forest. While taking in the breathtaking scenery, the two of them also found joy in observing the little things happening around them. In particr, they saw many adorable squirrels scurrying around the sunlit forest to stockpile food for winter. These sights brought a smile to Charlotte¡¯s face. She was so excited that she even released Roel¡¯s hand and ran up to some of these animals so as to take a closer look at them, just like a curious little child. Roel calmly followed her around, making sure to keep her safe. Ever since she had fallen ill, Charlotte had never shown such a radiant glow on her face. The debility she suffered from the affliction left her constantly fatigued that it was hard for her to find joy in anything. She couldn¡¯t express her true feelings before Roel, so she chose to cover it up with a smile. But the happiness she was showing now was real. In fact, she had been in high spirits ever since their departure from the Hundred Birds Gallery. Watching as Charlotte attempted to beckon the animals over to her, Roel had an inexplicable feeling that she was different from usual. Sensing his gaze, Charlotte suddenly raised her head to look at him. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing,¡± Roel replied with a shake of his head. It finally struck him what was different about Charlotte. She seemed to be neither the noble young miss of the Sorofyas nor the dignified sessor of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy today. She was Charlotte Sorofya today, nothing more and nothing less. She had temporarily ced aside all of her duties and responsibilities to reveal her deepest nature, making her seem more earnest than ever. Her change evoked an indescribable feeling in Roel¡¯s heart. It felt like they had entered a paradise where they could forget all about the harshness of the real world and enjoy the innocence of a youthful romance. It was reminiscent of a budding first love between middle schoolers sheltered in an ivory tower. It was shallow but wonderfully sweet. Roel found her change alluring, but it left him bitter too. He felt more attracted to Charlotte than he ever had, but a heavy feeling loomed in his heart when he thought about the reason behind her change. Many emotions flickered across his face before he managed to put a rein on his feelings. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing himself to forget about everything else and immerse himself in the present. On the other hand, Charlotte was feeling vexed at being unable to attract the little animals. ¡°I don¡¯t think I am well-liked by little animals,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯re probably busy scavenging for food,¡± replied Roel. ¡°I can¡¯t get the birds in my Hundred Birds Gallery to warm up to me too. It really is weird. Don¡¯t the legends always describe elves as being close to wild animals?¡± Charlotte stared yearningly at the little animals who refused to approach her with disappointed eyes. Roel blinked his eyes in surprise, not expecting to see such a childlike side to her. He contemtively stared at Charlotte and the little animals hiding behind a tree. With a slight flick of his finger, he released a weak pulse of mana into the surroundings. Secondster, a jolt ran through the bodies of the little animals. Their little heads peeked out from behind the tree to look at Charlotte before suddenly scurrying toward her. ¡°Oh?¡± The abrupt change in situation shocked Charlotte, but this rare show of intimacying from these little animals quickly made her heart swell in joy. She carefully stroked their smooth fur as a moving smile blossomed on her face. Roel found his mood brightening up too. The two of them took turns feeding the little animals before finally setting them go. Charlotte quietly watched as the wild animals returned to the depths of the forest before snapping back to the present. She then directed a sharp nce at Roel, who immediately averted his eyes out of guilt. ¡°Ahem. I guess little animals do like you after all.¡± ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m pretty sure that a viin has coerced them to do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte grabbed Roel¡¯s hand, not giving him any room to escape. Thetter sighed softly. ¡°I got busted, huh?¡± ¡°Of course. Despite my weakened state, I am still a transcendent. The least I can do is to sense mana. But how did you do that?¡± ¡°I got some help from Peytra,¡± Roel replied with a smile. What he had done earlier was tapping into Peytra¡¯s authority as the Queen of Saint Beasts. Other than the demonic beasts who had turned against Goddess Sia, it was well within her authority to summon any beasts at her whim. Charlotte looked at him enviously, not knowing that he had such abilities too. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s nothing much,¡± Roel said. ¡°It¡¯d be nothing much if we¡¯re just talking about small animals¡­ but I heard that children are like small animals too.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that I might not be well-liked by children too,¡± Charlotte borated as she gloomily lowered her head. Those words caught Roel by surprise, and he didn¡¯t know how he should respond. This was a taboo topic for Charlotte right now. Words rting to hope and the future were things that one absolutely shouldn¡¯t raise before the terminally ill. Charlotte was so severely ill that she could very well fall asleep and never wake up again. Even her tomorrow wasn¡¯t guaranteed, let alone having children. Talking about such distant possibilities would only stoke her sorrow and regret. Chapter 495.2: I Belong To You (2)

Chapter 495.2: I Belong To You (2)

Of course, Roel was going to do everything he could to save her, but he still didn¡¯t want to do or say anything that might upset her. Thus, after a momentary pause, he directed the conversation elsewhere. ¡°You don¡¯t need more people to like you. Am I not enough?¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± Roel wrapped his arms around Charlotte and embraced her. It was rare for him to utter such domineering words, and it made Charlotte blush a little. ¡°Is it jealousy I¡¯m detecting here?¡± ¡°You could say so. I want your mind to be filled with nothing but me.¡± ¡°You dumbo¡­ it already is,¡± Charlotte murmured in response. ¡°!¡± A jolt ran through Roel¡¯s body, and he widened his eyes. The unexpected counterattack left him feeling embarrassed instead. He turned his head over to look at Charlotte, and he suddenly felt an inexplicable itch in his heart. The sweet scent of romance gradually deepened. The two of them looked at each other without saying a word, their hearts beating rapidly. ¡°Darling, I¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Charlotte hesitantly cut off her words halfway through, and she turned her head away. Roel was intrigued by her actions, but he decided not to probe on. They spent a while in embrace before slowly releasing each other. They resumed their leisurely stroll down the rose-colored path afterward, but it was not that easy to calm their furiously beating hearts anymore. ¡­ For the rest of the day, Roel and Charlotte feasted their eyes on many sceneries they had missed out on their previous trip here. It was both sweet and heartwarming. Charlotte did run out of energy halfway through the trip, but it was easily resolved through Roel¡¯s princess carry. She would have usually protested against such intimate gestures in public, but many things had changed over the past month. She had grown ustomed to this level of intimacy between them, refusing toe down even as she recovered from her fatigue. Roel had also gotten used to dealing with Charlotte¡¯s willfulness. He lowered his head and gently demanded a kiss inpensation before resuming their walk. Charlotte blushed furiously as he collected his fees, but she didn¡¯t reject it. They were both still at an age where it was normal to get embarrassed about such things, but their dynamic felt more like an old loving couple. It was a mysterious feeling for both of them, but they relished in it too. Evening, Roel carried Charlotte back to the Diamond Rivi¨¨re. They were weed with bright smiles from Grace and the other maids. The two of them shared a marvelous dinner before heading to a nearby observatory to rest. After an entire day of activities, Charlotte sumbed to her exhaustion and fell deeply asleep. Holding her in his arms, Roel enjoyed the beautiful setting sun while stroking her silky long hair. He took a sip of wine prepared on the neighboring table and relished in the moment. It was too early for him to rest when the sun had yet to set. On top of that, he had a feeling that the day hadn¡¯t ended yet. True to his premonition, Charlotte¡¯s eyes fluttered around an hourter, rousing from her sleep. A sweet smile formed on her lips when she saw Roel lying right beside her. She looked at the darkened surroundings, followed by the half-emptied wine bottle on the neighboring table. ¡°Were you waiting for me?¡± ¡°I am. You had something to tell me.¡± ¡°You knew about it?¡± ¡°How long do you think we have been together for? You have been distracted for the entire day.¡± Charlotte¡¯s face reddened and she bit down on her lips. A momentter, she sat upright and turned to face Roel. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s because I was looking forward to it.¡± ¡°Looking forward to it? What are you referring¡­¡± ¡°Darling, I love you.¡± ¡°!¡± The abrupt confession startled Roel. He could see the earnest feelings brimming in Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes, and it brought about a rush of emotions. Charlotte did express her feelings for him from time to time, but this was the first time she was confessing to him in such a formal and solemn manner. There was no way he would be unmoved when his lover was saying such words to him. ¡°I love you too, Charlotte.¡± After properly answering her feelings, Roel leaned forward and kissed her as if to apologize for having her make the first move. The sweetness of the exchange was tinged with the bitterness of alcohol, but it only further lit their feelings aze. It was a whileter before their lips finally parted. Gasping for air, Roel looked at the auburn-haired woman who had locked her arms around his neck. She was looking at him probingly with eyes filled with desire. He would have to be as dense as a rock to not understand the meaning behind that. She was inviting him. Their current level of intimacy was no longer enough to satisfy her. Yet, Roel hesitated at her silent invitation. Charlotte¡¯s condition was in its worst-ever state. The earlier walk was already more than enough to exhaust her, let alone anything more intense than that. Roel seriously doubted that her body would be able to take it even with the adrenaline rush from their feelings for each other. Sensing his worry, Charlotte touched his cheek and reassured him. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°But your body¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m already in this condition that I wish to do it.¡± For the first time, Charlotte revealed a mncholic expression. She caressed his cheek as she continued on. ¡°I initially nned for something more borate, but I think it would only upset you more. I don¡¯t know when my body will reach its limit. I might fall asleep tonight and never wake up again. That¡¯s why, I want to make full use of today to fulfill my wish.¡± ¡°Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°Darling, I am yours. That has been the case from our birth. Our fate was decided a hundred years ago. The Goddess of Fate has intertwined our destinies together. I want you to understand that.¡± ¡°I get it. I do. You are my fianc¨¦e¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, I am your fianc¨¦e, your one and only fianc¨¦e. I want to fulfill my responsibilities as your wife for once,¡± Charlotte replied hoarsely. Those words spoken with love and sadness tore down everyst one of Roel¡¯s mental defenses. With tears glistening in his eyes, he nodded. Then, he carried her up and brought her to a familiar bedroom. This bedroom in the Diamond Rivi¨¨re was a ce cradling many of their important memories. This was where they had first shared a bed years ago, and they were going to share yet another important moment here. Roel softly ced the fragile Charlotte down on the bed, but he immediately found himself at a loss as to where to start. Sensing his dilemma, Charlotte looked at him with a tender smile on her tear-stained face. She slowly opened up her arms, as if she was going to ept his entirety. ¡°Darling, don¡¯t hold back. Entrust it all to me.¡± ¡°!¡± The feelings Roel had suppressed for the longest of time gushed out like a torrential flood, devouring his rationality. Two bodies intertwined with each other, eventually bing one. Chapter 496.1: Proof of Existence (1)

Chapter 496.1: Proof of Existence (1)

Love existed in many forms. Some saw the act of reproduction as a means to vent their lust. It didn¡¯t matter who they did it with, be it engaging in a forbidden rtionship or hooking up with a total stranger. It would be arrogance to im that their way of living was wrong. They were obeying their natural instincts, not dissimr to how animals mated in estrus. It was just that humans, as intelligent beings, often attributed a deeper meaning to the act of reproduction. Roel saw the act of reproduction as a manifestation of deep love, a means to express intense feelings where words fell short. He didn¡¯t think that the union of two humans should be an end to pleasure and reproduction. That was also why he had always been conservative when it came to sexual rtions. He believed that there were stark differences in whether physical intimacy was initiated on the grounds of deep love or hedonistic pursuits, and the most obvious disy of that was what came afterward. Those driven solely by lust often felt that everything became dull and monotonous after they had vented their libido, leaving them empty inside. In contrast, physical intimacy arising from deep love felt satisfying even after release. The feeling of bliss from embracing one¡¯s lover after doing the deed was an emotional high that many women were entranced by. Unfortunately, Charlotte was unlikely to be able to enjoy that emotional high. Despite Roel¡¯s conservative view toward sexual rtions, that didn¡¯t mean that hecked potency in bed. On the contrary, his high transcendent constitution and the blessing from the Primordial Mother Goddess granted him stamina that few men couldpete with, especially when his feelings of fondness for Charlotte were zing more intense than ever. That was far beyond what Charlotte could handle. Even the mana serum she had drunk prior to the act did little to prepare her for Roel¡¯s ferocity, not to mention that it was her first time. She had told him to give her everything, and her wish dide true. It was just that the vigorous exercise that came afterward left her too depleted to enjoy the afterglow. She fell asleep shortly after Roel came to a halt. Roel gently embraced the deeply asleep Charlotte while gazing upon her with affectionate eyes. Even after having just done the deed, he still found himself captivated by her visage. Unlike his previous experience, which felt more like a wondrous dream, he had done the deed with Charlotte with full consciousness. The profound feeling ofpletion when he joined together with the woman he loved filled the gaps in his heart, deepening his feelings for her. Looking at Charlotte¡¯s still flushed face, he thought about everything that had happened ever since their first meeting at the Ascarts¡¯ manor, and a feeling of bliss gushed out from his heart. Some timeter, his hastened breaths finally calmed down. With her scent lingering in his nose, he slowlyy down and drifted off to sleep. ¡­ Roel was startled when he opened his eyes to a misty valley, but he swiftly snapped out of it and began heading into its depths. Despite the poor visibility in the valley, there was no hesitation in his footsteps at all. If anything, he was walking at a faster pace than usual. It didn¡¯t take long before he caught sight of a golden-haired woman seated on a rock throne, who gazed down on him with a motherly smile. Realizing the meaning behind her smile, Roel¡¯s face awkwardly stiffened up. ¡°Peytra, you called me here?¡± ¡°I did. I called you here to inform you that I havepleted your request, but it looks like I have gotten in the way instead¡­ It must have been a pleasant night,¡± Peytra said smilingly. ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s face reddened. The ancient gods wouldn¡¯t peep on him while he was spending time with Charlotte, but Peytra was the goddess who governed over fertility in the ancient era, after all. She could clearly tell that Roel had just performed an act of reproduction. It was a little awkward to have been caught in the act, but there was no reason for Roel to deny anything here. Charlotte was his fianc¨¦e even though the rtionship was no longer legally binding, and their union had been mutually consensual. Established customs dating back to the Ancient Austine Empire did condemn couples who engaged in sexual rtions before marriage, but the era was changing. It was still frowned upon in society, but it wasn¡¯t a big deal anymore. Having thought things through, Roel looked back at the Primordial Earth Goddess unflinchingly. However, his response only further brightened the smile on her face. ¡°You¡¯re even showing the expression of a man. It looks like you have grown up.¡± Peytra spoke in a tone reminiscent of a mother heartened by the maturing of her child, looking almost as if she was going to start reminiscing on her youth next. Roel looked at her before lowering his head in self-reproach. ¡°I was nning to wait until her condition improves, but things somehow ended up like this¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this fine? After all the time you have spent together, it¡¯s only natural for things toe to this. I was starting to get anxious about theck of progress between you two. After all, I¡¯m on that child¡¯s side.¡± ¡°You¡¯re on Charlotte¡¯s side?¡± ¡°Of course! Like I have told you, I am the witness of your rtionship. You have shown me something beautiful back in the Witness State, and it continues to glow like the brightest of diamonds even to this day. That¡¯s the kind of thing I live for.¡± Recalling the romance between the two lovebirds, Peytra ced her hand on her cheek and started getting moved all by herself. She spent a while absorbed in these feelings before pulling the conversation back to the main topic. ¡°Did you know what that child wanted in advance? You wouldn¡¯t have asked me to craft something like that otherwise.¡± ¡°Not really, but I did have my guesses. I am more or less able to tell what she¡¯s thinking. Regarding that item, the design is of secondary concern. What¡¯s more important is its effectiveness.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s no problem with that too¡­ Should I further enhance it?¡± ¡°Further enhance? How so?¡± ¡°With the blessing of fertility, of course.¡± Peytra was bbergasted at Roel¡¯s redundant question, looking almost frustrated by how dense he was when it came to such stuff. ¡°Are you that naive to think that everything will work out by itself? High elves are known for their low rate of fertility, and it doesn¡¯t help that the two of you are high transcendents. Without a blessing, it¡¯s questionable whether you¡¯ll get a child even if you try for your entire life!¡± she eximed. ¡°Hold on for a moment here! Who said that I¡¯m trying to get her pregnant?¡± ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t want to? Are you sure?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Faced with Peytra¡¯s sharp question and prating eyes, Roel¡¯s cheeks swiftly reddened. She nodded in satisfaction upon seeing that. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be shy about. It¡¯s encoded in male instincts to breed outstanding females in their group and bear offspring.¡± ¡°Stop! I am not a saint beast and I don¡¯t subscribe to their way of life¡­ You¡¯re just looking forward to getting a grandchild, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that,¡± Peytra admitted with a motherly smile. Roel massaged his own temples. ¡°E-even so, there¡¯s no need to hurry into it. Her body is far too weak for that right now.¡± ¡°Indeed. Pregnancy would impose tremendous strain on her already weakened body¡­ If that¡¯s the decision you havee to, you¡¯d have to hurry back.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That child has chosen an extreme route,¡± Peytra gazed into the unknown distance and murmured worriedly. Her reaction spurred an ominous feeling in Roel¡¯s heart. ¡°Is Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s going to do something that will be detrimental to her in the long term. You have to return right away.¡± Roel saw Peytra¡¯s silhouette blur before his consciousness instantaneously plunged into darkness. Chapter 496.2: Proof of Existence (2)

Chapter 496.2: Proof of Existence (2)

¡­ On the dimly-lit observatory, Charlotte Sorofya stared wordlessly at the twinkling stars above. There was no one in her vicinity, not even Grace. It was a little ufortable as she was already ustomed to being constantly apanied by her maids. Having nned beforehand for today to be the momentous day, Grace had arranged for the other servants to move onto another carriage lest they interrupted their couple time. She couldn¡¯t have imagined that Charlotte had other ns for doing so. ced on the table was a transparent crystalline bottle filled with bluish-purple serum that flickered under the weak candlelight. The condensed mana it harnessed rippled against the walls of the bottle. Charlotte stared at the serum in a dilemma. She had mentally prepared herself for this beforehand, but despite her usual charismatic decisiveness, she found herself hesitating when it came to the moment for it. Agony shed across her eyes, but as she stared at the bluish-purple serum, her gaze slowly grew firm. ¡°Rather than silently disappearing without leaving a trace, I might as well¡­¡± she murmured under her breath. With shaky hands, she reached for the bottle and picked it up. Before she could uncork it, a familiar voice suddenly echoed behind her. ¡°What are you doing, Charlotte?¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s body jolted upon hearing Roel¡¯s voice. Mustering all of her innerposure, she tried to stand up as naturally as she could and turned to look at him with a smile, hiding the serum behind her back. ¡°Darling, what brings you here?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find you when I woke up, so I came here to take a look.¡± ¡°I see. You should have slept a little longer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte waspletely flustered inside. Despite the facade of normalcy, her voice was quivering ever so slightly and her smile had never been so stiff before. Roel narrowed his eyes as he eyed the hands Charlotte was hiding behind her back. Knowing better than to agitate her, Roel didn¡¯t immediately ask her what she was hiding. He directed his eyes back onto her and revealed a worried frown. ¡°You¡¯re still in a feeble state. You shouldn¡¯t havee here in just your nightgown.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not feeling cold, so¡­¡± ¡°That still won¡¯t do. It¡¯s better to err on the safe side.¡± With a sigh, Roel walked over to Charlotte¡¯s side while taking off his coat to drape it on her. Feeling his warmth through the coat, Charlotte¡¯s expression softened. The moment she let her guard down, Roel sent a small pulse of mana that gushed past Charlotte¡¯s hand like a sudden gale, swiping away her serum and delivering it into his hand. ¡°D-darling?¡± Charlotte was appalled upon discovering that her serum had been taken away. On the other hand, Roel narrowed his eyes upon the sight of the serum, and his face swiftly turned livid. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s medicine for women. It¡¯s my first time today, so¡­¡± ¡°But its color and the mana emanating from it suggests that it contains toxins?¡± ¡°N-no! It might seem that way, but it¡¯s harmless¡­¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem if I drink it, right?¡± ¡°What?¡± Much to Charlotte¡¯s shock, Roel uncorked the bottle and prepared to pour the serum into his mouth. Before the bluish-purple fluid could touch his lips, Charlotte had already charged forward to grab his arm. ¡°You can¡¯t, darling! You can¡¯t drink it!¡± ¡°Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°Darling, I¡¯ll listen to you, so hurry up and throw it away!¡± Charlotte was so frightened that her body was trembling. She snatched the serum from his hand and smashed it on the ground. Crystal shards scattered around while the serum seeped into the mat. Only when the serumpletely vanished from sight did she heave a sigh of relief. She then dived into Roel¡¯s arms and started sobbing. In the time toe, Charlotte confessed everything about the serum The truth was that when Charlotte¡¯s health report came out, the Rosaian medical team hadn¡¯t beenpletely helpless about her condition. While they were unable to lift the curse, they did have several alternative measures she could choose from. Most of these alternative measures were designed to allow her to cope with her responsibilities, but there were only two measures that she thought were worth considering. The first measure involved prolonging her life as long as possible by dying the aggravation of the curse. The proposed method was for her to encase her up using Jewel Magic, cing her in a state of stasis. She would go into hibernation in a space filled with jewels and Golden Soul, reminiscent of amber. It was estimated that this measure could prolong her lifespan by a couple of years, thus buying more time for the investigation of the Six Cmities. The downside was that if they couldn¡¯t lift the curse within the allotted time, she would end a lonely death inside a jeweled coffin. The second measure was to extend her lifespan by a year through the use of serum, but a serum harnessing such potency was bound toe at a price¡ªher life. Anyone who consumed the serum, regardless of the severity of their condition, was doomed to die in a year¡¯s time. Terminally ill national leaders usually consumed this serum to make final arrangements regarding their session, but Charlotte had a different thought in mind when she learned about its effects. Isn¡¯t a year¡¯s time enough for me to bear a child? The notion of bearing an offspring was extremely enticing to Charlotte, whose days were already numbered. She had weighed the pros and cons and spent a long time considering it, and she eventually decided to go with it. ¡°The search for the Six Cmities is hopeless. So much manpower and resources have been devoted into finding Shrouding Fog, but there hasn¡¯t been any results even after a year has passed,¡± Charlotte muttered despondently. Tears streamed down her eyes. ¡°If I can¡¯t stay by your side, I hope to at least have our child apany you. It¡¯ll be the proof that I have once existed in this world¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s repressed feelings finally erupted. She tightly hugged Roel and cried. Roel¡¯s eyes also glistened with tears. How could he bear to watch her leave him? From the very start, that had never been an option for him at all. He took a moment to calm himself down before he spoke with a hoarse voice. ¡°I understand your feelings, but Charlotte, you have misunderstood something.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be separated. We¡¯ll be able to stay together, but not through the serum but this¡­¡± Roel raised his closed hand and unfurled it. Pale yellow light flooded from within, and it took several moments before the light finally faded to reveal the item inside. It was a pair of beautiful crystal rings. Chapter 497: For Our Child

Chapter 497: For Our Child

Moonlight shone through the sky window to illuminate the dark room. Weak candlelight lit up the side profiles of the duo inside the room. With his eyes fixed on Charlotte, Roel took out the items he had been preparing for some time now. It was a pair of crystal rings imbued with the aura of the gods, shining with enchanting luminosity under the moonlight. Embedded on its tip was a dark gold jewel. Dignified, divine, and noble, the rings resembled divine artifacts from an ancient temple worshiping the gods. It naturally attracted Charlotte¡¯s attention, who closely examined it. A few momentster, she looked at Roel with confusion in her eyes. ¡°Darling, this is¡­¡± ¡°I requested Peytra to make them. It¡¯s the solution I can think of,¡± replied Roel. He wiped off the tear stains on Charlotte¡¯s cheeks before continuing on. ¡°You can¡¯t be thinking that I have spent the past month doing nothing at all, fully entrusting your fate into the hands of others?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. It¡¯s just that you have been with me every single day over the past month. How do you intend to¡­¡± Charlotte could tell that Roel meant what he said, but she hadpletely no idea what he was up to. Just like what she had mentioned earlier, there was only so much they could do without finding the source of the curse. Roel couldn¡¯t have had time to investigate for the Six Cmities when the two of them had been together over the past month, and he also didn¡¯t have any spells that would allow him to remotely search for them. Perplexed, she stared at Roel in hopes that he would exin the matter, but thetter fell silent instead. That brought a frown to her face. Just like how I went to the extreme of resorting to the serum, is it possible that Roel also¡­ rmed, she immediately grasped Roel¡¯s wrist with anxiety brimming in her emerald eyes. ¡°Darling, what are you nning to do? Tell me right now. Are you thinking of doing something dangerous?¡± ¡°¡­ It doese with some risks.¡± ¡°What kind of risks?¡± Charlotte asked anxiously. Roel stared at the rings in his hand before he hesitantly answered. ¡°You¡¯re right. Uncovering the trail of the Six Cmities is practically an impossible feat. We were unable to find Shrouding Fog even though there were so many eye-witnesses that day, let alone a being whose true form we are unaware of.¡± ¡°Then what are you¡­¡± ¡°If we can¡¯t find it, we¡¯ll just have to lure it out.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Charlotte blinked her eyes in bewilderment. Roel responded with an affirmative nod before he calmly shared his n with her. When the expedition team exploring the ancient remnant reported their failure, Roel had already known that it was almost impossible for them to find the member of the Six Cmities behind the curse. It wouldn¡¯t make a difference even if they had ten times the manpower. There was a simple reason why he was so certain about that¡ªthe Six Cmities possessed intelligence. He couldn¡¯t tell for sure how smart those cmitous ancient monsters were, but they had been shown to be cunning at times. There were numerous indications of that in the historical records he had browsed through. However, for the same reason, it was also possible to scheme against them. It was not umon for veteran policemen in Roel¡¯s previous world to lure hiding criminals out byying a trap for them. Roel thought that the same trick might work against the Six Cmities. But that was easier said than done. The fact that Charlotte had ¡®recovered¡¯ during the journey back to Rosa Merchant Confederacy could be interpreted as the culprit¡¯s reluctance to catch Roel¡¯s attention. That suggested that the member of the Six Cmities responsible for the curse might not be fully grown and didn¡¯t want to get into a confrontation with humankind yet. However, that didn¡¯t mean that there was no way to lure it out. ¡°It was just a few times, but I have sensed its aura on several asions while I was with you. I can say with certainty that the monster harbors animosity toward you, or rather, the entire high elf lineage.¡± ¡°Animosity?¡± ¡°Indeed. It has only just escaped from the ancient remnant and will likely need some time to recover, but it¡¯s already trying to kill you despite knowing that it might risk exposing its existence. This is unlike the Six Cmities¡¯ usual style of silently growing in the shadows,¡± Roel said. Charlotte fell into deep contemtion upon hearing those words. Considering the Jewel Magic¡¯s ability to curb the Six Cmities, the High Elves¡¯ previous allegiance to the Mother Goddess, and the Six Cmities¡¯ animosity toward Charlotte, Roel deduced that Charlotte¡¯s ancestors might have once punished the Six Cmities before. ¡°I understand the rough situation now, but darling, as much as the Six Cmities detest the high elf lineage, it also seems to fear you a lot. It wouldn¡¯t easily show itself knowing that you¡¯re around. Besides¡­ I don¡¯t think that I can hold on much longer,¡± Charlotte replied with sorrowful eyes. She unconsciously tightened her grip on Roel¡¯s clothes. Roel¡¯s heart clenched. He gently pulled her into his embrace and stroked her back tofort her. As much as he wanted to assure her, he was unable to refute her words. With Charlotte already on the verge of death, all that was left for the culprit behind her curse to do was to silently watch her suffer from some unknown corner of the world. There was no reason for it to show itself at all, especially when it was trying to avoid a confrontation. Roel was well aware of this problem, but he wasn¡¯t dismayed at all. On the contrary, his golden pupils glowed with a sharp glint. ¡°That¡¯s indeed the case under normal circumstances, but I have told you that I won¡¯t allow anything to happen to you. These rings exist for that purpose.¡± ¡°What do these rings do?¡± Charlotte asked with a voice tinged with skepticism and worry. Roel stared intently at the two rings. ¡°These rings will link our life force together.¡± ¡­ Charlotte Sorofya was the daughter of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s leader, which made her equivalent to a princess in terms of standing. She was lofty and noble in the truest sense of those words. The Sorofyas had already gone to all lengths to save her, but why was it that everyone was helpless before her affliction? The answer was simple¡ªher affliction wasn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. Her withering life force was only a symptom of her affliction, not the cause. Roel had also once suffered from withering life force from having expended too much life force to raise his Origin Level. He waster saved by Alicia, who was practically a walking reservoir of life force. However, the same solution wouldn¡¯t work with Charlotte. In fact, Charlotte couldn¡¯t even use simple life force serums to improve her condition. Her body was too weak to take the strain. In Roel¡¯s previous life, there was this adage that people with frail bodies shouldn¡¯t consume too much tonic because their bodies wouldn¡¯t be able to take the potent medicinal effect. Charlotte¡¯s situation was quite simr to that. The Sorofyas had the means to acquire precious medicine with miraculous effects, but they would be no different from poison to Charlotte if she consumed them in her weakened state. One could even say that the curse had capped her lifespan instead of reducing it. Using an analogy, Roel¡¯s previous ailment of withering life force was simr to a cup being depleted of its water. The solution was simply to refill it. On the other hand, Charlotte¡¯s curse was slowly hacking away at her cup, causing it to be smaller and smaller. The cup was still full, but it was carrying barely any water. Attempting to add more water in wouldn¡¯t help at all; it would only strain her body. That was why all of the doctors, schrs, and clergymen hired by the Sorofyas found themselves at a loss. However, after closely examining Charlotte¡¯s condition, Roel thought of an alternative solution. It was a method he had found in the historical records¡ªa symbiotic rtionship blessed by a god. Peytra, the creator of the rings, was the Primordial Earth Goddess in the ancient era, governing over the earth and life. Needless to say, she was adept at manipting life force. She couldn¡¯t directly lift the curse, but with some maniption, she could temporarily alleviate its effects. The proper terminology for the pair of magic rings was ¡®Rings of Symbiosis¡¯. Their effects were fairly straightforward. If one of the ring wearers suffered an abrupt loss of life force, the other ring wearer would replenish it with his own. This meant that Charlotte wouldn¡¯t die as long as Roel was alive. In a sense, their fates would be linked together with each other, thus achieving symbiosis. In the room, Roel calmly exined the effects of the rings to Charlotte to dispel her worries of abrupt death, but thetter was hardly delighted about it at all. Instead, it made her eyes widen in horror. Without any hesitation, she rejected the ring. ¡°I apologize, darling, but I can¡¯t ept the ring.¡± ¡°Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°You told me that I¡¯ll be fine, but what about you? The curse will only continue devouring my life force like a ravenous monster that¡¯ll never be satisfied. I can¡¯t drag you down with me!¡± Charlotte eximed. She tenderly ced her hands on Roel¡¯s cheeks. ¡°If death is the ultimate fate awaiting me, I hope to show you my best in my final moments. I don¡¯t want to desperately cling onto life as an unsightly leech feeding off your life force.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel knew that there was a good chance that Charlotte would reject his measure, but his determination didn¡¯t waver in the least. ¡°Our life force would be pooled together once the blessing has been established, and your constant loss of life force would inevitably weaken me as well. But Charlotte, this measure doesn¡¯t just serve to prolong your life. Rather, it¡¯s a necessary condition to save you.¡± ¡°A necessary condition?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten what our primary objective is?¡± Roel asked with sharp eyes. ¡°!¡± Charlotte slowly widened her eyes in astonishment, finallyprehending what Roel was going for. Roel had said that the only way to find the Six Cmities was to make them show themselves, but their intrinsic fear of the Crown Origin Attribute made it nigh impossible for them to show themselves until they reached maturity. However, there were always exceptions. From Roel¡¯s previous experiences, if the Six Cmities believed that it was in a position of absolute superiority against an inheritor of the Crown Origin Attribute, it would instead attempt to eliminate him so as to remove a potential threat. That was exactly the kind of situation Roel was trying to create here. While he transferred his life force to Charlotte, the unique aura of his Crown Origin Attribute would also rub off her as well. Without a doubt, the cunning ancient monster would also notice it via the curse. The sessor of the high elf lineage was on the verge of death and the inheritor of the Crown Origin Attribute was grievously weakened, but the two of them were still alive thanks to the blessing of the Primordial Earth Goddess¡­ How would that ancient monster perceive the situation? It would probably see it as both a threat and an opportunity. As long as Roel and Charlotte remained alive, there was a slim chance that they might find a solution to its curse. At the same time, this was a chance to eliminate two of its greatest threats down at once. If it seeded, the only person left in the world who could threaten it was Lilian, who possessed the Kingmaker Bloodline but not the Crown Origin Attribute. The ancient monster would find it hard to resist this hard-toe-by opportunity, especially since destruction was encoded into its very nature. By then, what Roel and the others had to do was very straightforward. ¡°I¡¯ll kill it and destroy the source of the curse. Admittedly, that¡¯s the ideal situation, and it¡¯s unlikely that things will go smoothly. We might end up losing our lives to that terrifying monster. Even so, I want to gamble on it,¡± Roel said with conviction. ¡°This is too dangerous. Darling, you don¡¯t have to take this risk for my sake!¡± ¡°Charlotte, you promised me that we¡¯ll face all hardships together no matter what happens.¡± ¡°I did say that, but¡­¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t get it? Even if I survive alone, I¡¯ll only be in insufferable pain for the rest of my life. That¡¯s why¡­¡± Seeing that Charlotte was still nning to turn him down, Roel looked straight into her emerald eyes and dolefully pleaded with her. ¡°¡­ for the sake of our child, please live on.¡± Chapter 498.1: Strategic Coaxing (1)

Chapter 498.1: Strategic Coaxing (1)

To someone who was already on the verge of death, all solutions offered to them were precious straws of hope to be grasped at. However, in real life, there were some solutions that simply couldn¡¯t be epted. There was a famous saying in Roel¡¯s previous life: The cure cannot be worse than the problem. If a person had to sacrifice something more important in order to save their life, it was only normal for them to be averse to it. That was also the dilemma Charlotte was facing. In her view, Roel had nothing to gain from what he was going to do. His body would only weaken from the depletion of his life force, and he might even lose his life while trying to bait out the Six Cmities. To Charlotte who cherished her loved ones more than herself, this wasn¡¯t an eptable oue. She knew how agonizing it was for her body to slowly weaken toward death¡¯s embrace but bepletely unable to do anything about it. She didn¡¯t want Roel to experience the same despair she did. Furthermore, she knew that Roel would face far greater danger than her if he were to fall into a weakened state, for there were powerful enemies after his life. The Fallens had been the nemeses of the Kingmaker n since a thousand years ago, and they had recently bared their fangs at him. This group of people had perpetrated many appalling incidents, and it would be wise not to underestimate their means. Roel couldn¡¯t afford to fall into a vulnerable state right now, not when those people were still out on the loose. Roel fell silent upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s concerns. How could he be unaware of the risks? Even so, he had no ns to change his mind. ¡°The intelligence we have gathered suggests that Mother Goddess¡¯ Six Cmities are on hostile terms with the Savior. It¡¯s impossible for them to join hands with each other. This is a matter of their faith. That means that it¡¯s unlikely that the Fallens will learn about my weakening from them. Furthermore, Principal Antonio and the Genesis Goddess Church have been hot on their trail recently. I doubt that they would have the spare attention toe after me.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s just a guess.¡± ¡°It is, but it won¡¯t change my mind. I n to brave through all hardships with you, be it the curse of the Six Cmities or the Fallens¡¯ assault.¡± Roel smiled at Charlotte. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to rejoice about surviving alone. We have to be together in order to be happy. More importantly¡­ I don¡¯t want our child to be without their mother.¡± ¡°Our¡­ child?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Peytra has blessed the two of us with a fertility blessing. We have only done it once, but who knows? Our child might already be in there,¡± replied Roel as he nced at her womb. ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in agitation. She instinctively ced her hand on her womb as her mind fell into conflict. From a young age, she had always wanted to find someone she loved, have a passionate romance, and form a blissful family together. While her wish might seem nd for someone of her stature, that was indeed her greatest pursuit in life. She had managed to fulfill the first half of her wish after undergoing many hardships, and it looked like the second half of her wish mighte true after the night they had spent together. Just the thought that there might be a little life in her tummy was enough to emotionally overwhelm her. She couldn¡¯t bear the thought of abandoning her child. epting Roel¡¯s proposal would ce him in danger, but rejecting it meant that their child would be without their mother. Charlotte didn¡¯t want her child to grow up in a single-parent family after the unhappy childhood she had been through. While she was still struggling between the two options, Roel suddenly hugged her tightly. ¡°Darling¡­¡± The warm embrace prompted her to raise her head, where she was met with Roel¡¯s warm smile. He raised his hand and presented the two rings to her once more. ¡°Charlotte, do you know what the marriage vows are?¡± ¡°Hm? I do know of the one in Rosa¡­¡± ¡°I know it too. I recall a line in there that goes¡­ Neither illness nor death shall do us apart.¡± ¡°!¡± A jolt ran through Charlotte¡¯s body. She stared at Roel with a look of disbelief. ¡°Darling, are you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not without reason that I¡¯ve requested Peytra to craft these magic tools in the form of rings. We won¡¯t be able to hold a ceremony due to your physical condition, but on the day we have be a true couple, I wish to ce the symbol of my love on your finger.¡± Under the starry night sky, Roel got down on his knee. ¡°For not just your health but our love as well, Charlotte Sorofya, will you ept this ring and be my wedded wife?¡± ¡°!¡± As Roel¡¯s proposal echoed in the room, Charlotte began trembling out of agitation. For the scene she had dreamt of countless times to suddenly be realized, she felt a rush of emotions that left her light-headed. With this proposal, her final defenses came crumbling down. ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that too sly? You aren¡¯t giving me any room to turn you down.¡± ¡°You mean to say¡­¡± Before Roel¡¯s nervous gaze, Charlotte raised her hand and smiled with glistening eyes. ¡°I ept your proposal.¡± Roel¡¯s nervousness instantaneously transformed into relief. He exhaled deeply before the edges of his lips joyfully inched upward. He carefully held her hand and gently slipped the crystal ring onto her finger. Charlotte took the other ring and did the same for him too. The two crystal rings glowed in unison, invoking the Primordial Earth Goddess¡¯ blessing. Pale yellow mana enveloped the couple, tying their life forces together. The two of them looked at each other. Countless words were at the tip of their tongues, but silence settled between the two of them instead. The atmosphere between the two of them grew increasingly heated with each passing moment. Their emotions had reached an intensity where words were no longer enough¡ªthere was only one other way to express themselves. After sharing a passionate kiss, Roel adeptly lifted her up and marched off to the bedroom. As the door mmed shut, theymenced their second battle of the night. Chapter 498.2: Strategic Coaxing (2)

Chapter 498.2: Strategic Coaxing (2)

¡­ The following morning, a group of maids gathered outside the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, discussing worriedly about theck of activity inside the carriage. Grace used her authority to maintain order amongst thedies while patiently waiting for her young miss¡¯ news. When Charlotte ordered the maids to leave the previous night, Grace was already aware of what her young miss was up to. As much as it had been a sleepless night for the lovebirds inside the carriage, the same could be said about the ck-haired maid as well. She couldn¡¯t help but worry about how things would turn out. It was slim, but there was still a chance that Charlotte¡¯s invitation might fall t. Over the years, Charlotte and Roel had maintained a close rtionship with each other, but they had never stepped across the final hurdle to taste the forbidden fruit. This reflected how much the two of them treasured each other. It was even possible that they were saving their first time for their marriage. For that reason, Grace woke up early at daybreak and rushed over. She waited patiently, but there had been no movements inside the Diamond Rivi¨¨re at all. As the sun rose higher, the other maids buzzed worriedly amongst themselves, but she clenched her fists in excitement. By now, she was almost fully confident that something had happened in the carriage. If nothing had happened between the two of them, even if Charlotte was unable to wake up due to her weakened state, Roel would have stille out to give them a heads up. The fact that the two of them haven''t appeared could only mean that¡­ Grace cheered for her young miss in her mind, knowing that she had most likely seeded. Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Roel had his arm wrapped around the auburn-haired woman who had fallen deeply asleep out of exhaustion. Looking at her adorable face, he pondered about everything that had happened thus far. Thanks to Peytra¡¯s warning, he was able to stop Charlotte frommitting a foolish act in the nick of time. However, it took him a great deal of effort afterward to convince her to ept the Rings of Symbiosis. In the end, he had to coax her with a sincere proposal and their future child before she finally caved in. He had long noticed that Charlotte was very concerned about having a child. While those of the Sia Continent had always paid great attention to continuing one¡¯s lineage due to the unstable living environment, her fixation about it was much stronger than most people. Half of the reason could be traced back to a key weakness of the High Elves¡ªlow fertility rate. She viewed having a child to be a huge blessing. The other half was the emptiness she had felt from her family due to the separation of her parents. It had left her with asting regret, which, in turn, fueled her wish to form a blissful,plete family. Roel breathed out softly. He looked at the ring Charlotte was wearing on her finger, and it filled his heart with warmth. Peytra ended up imbuing the ring with her fertility blessing, but it hadn¡¯t been activated yet. Pregnancy was still too much of a strain for her weakened body even after the formation of their symbiotic rtionship. Thinking about her current condition left home with a heavy heart. He carefully leaned in and kissed her cheek before tucking her into the nket. Exhaustion started to settle in for him. While enjoying Charlotte¡¯s warmth, his eyes slowly closed. That concluded the long night they had spent together. The two of them slept all the way until the afternoon. The room was in an utter mess when they woke up. Charlotte looked at the red stains on the bed sheets, and it made her face heat up. It felt embarrassing to have that seen by others. Roel noticed her response and chuckled softly before lifting her up in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s take a bath first.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright,¡± Charlotte replied with a reddened face. The two of them entered the bathroom together, but unlike before, the two of them stepped into the bathtub together. They spent half an hour cleaning themselves up before Charlotte finally gave permission for Grace and the others to enter the carriage and clean up the mess. While the maids were cleaning the bed sheets, Charlotte felt so self-conscious that she buried her head into Roel¡¯s chest like a timid ostrich. To save her from her own embarrassment, Roel proposed heading to the dining room to have some food. Due to the effects of the ring, Charlotte was in a much better condition aspared to before. She no longer felt so frail that it seemed like she would suddenly pass away. Even so, Roel still persisted with his usual habit of carrying her around. ¡­ Truth be told, she could hardly walk at all. She hadn¡¯t had enough time to recover from the first round when the second round suddenlymenced in the heat of the moment. Her body was bound to be unable to take it after the torture it had been put through. At the very least, it would be difficult for her to walk normally today. It was simply not easy for Roel to exert self-control in a moment of intense passion, especially not when his partner was exuding far greater charm than usual. Prior to their trip, Charlotte had driven Roel out of her bedroom to prepare something. He had forgotten all about it due the following series of events that happened subsequently, but he unexpectedly received the answer to thatst night. What she had secretly prepared behind his back were actually clothes, but not just any clothes. It was the kind of wear that stimted a man¡¯s libido, ranging from stockings and anklets to maid and nun cosys. Charlotte wasn¡¯t sure if her charm was enough to do the trick given howposed Roel always appeared around her, so she prepared these items to boost her chances of sess. It turned out to be an overkill, nearly causing him to lose control. Such kink wear paired with Charlotte¡¯s beauty and disposition had a destructive prowess on par with nuclear weapons. It induced a mini eruption in Roel¡¯s head right away. Just recalling the various stuff they had done with different clothes made blood rush into his head. Roel immediately put a halt to his thoughts and turned his attention back to the dining table. As usual, the two of them began unting their love for each other during the meal through their intimate gestures, but their interactions looked much sweeter than before. Charlotte had be coyer after deepening their intimacy whereas Roel was much more doting. It didn¡¯t take long for the atmosphere to turn cloyingly sweet. The maids keenly noticed the faintly glowing crystal rings they wore on their fingers. They had seen their fair share of precious jewels as servants of the Sorofya House, but this was the first time they had seen anything as beautiful as that. Grace had a stronger impression of the rings, being a high transcendent herself. She could tell right away that the rings weren''t just a simple alchemic product; they were forged from the blessing of a god. She understood their significance, and she was happy for Charlotte. After all, it was rare for any rtionship in the world to receive the blessings of a god. Little did Grace know that this wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy Peytra at all. She was already impatiently waiting for a child from the blessed couple. After sharing a romantic dinner, Roel carried Charlotte to the tea room under the glowing eyes of the swooning maids, but what happened behind closed doors wasn¡¯t continued flirting but a further discussion of their ns. ¡°Charlotte, we can¡¯t return to Rosa for the time being.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± Charlotte replied with a nod. She was out of danger for the time being thanks to the Rings of Symbiosis, but the price they paid for that was Roel¡¯s weakening. The Fallens would surely exploit this opportunity to eliminate him should they learn of his vulnerability. To be safe, they had to quickly resolve things here. For that, they had to first lure the responsible member of the Six Cmities out. Returning to Rosa was not an option for that as the immature cmity was not strong enough to deal with a major country yet, so it wouldn¡¯t make a move there. The same logic applied to other major cities too. This brought about the question: What was the most likely ce the ancient monster would be willing to make a move at? It was hard for Roel to make any spections on that due to hisck of information about the ancient monster¡¯s nature, but there was a much easier and convenient way about it. After all, they did have a seer with them here. ¡°Darling, you mean that¡­¡± ¡°Indeed. We¡¯ll be relying on your divination to decide on our next destination,¡± Roel said solemnly. Feeling his trust for her esoteric ability, Charlotte tightly clenched her fists. Their fates were tied together from the moment they decided to face future difficulties together. For her beloved, Charlotte would surely give it her all. It was just that the thought that her divination result could spell the difference between Roel¡¯s life and death intimidated her. ¡°Darling, i-if I make a mistake¡­¡± ¡°I doubt that there¡¯d be any other seers in the world who could divine it correctly if you really made a mistake. If that really happens, I¡¯m willing to bear the consequences with you¡­ That¡¯s what a family does.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte¡¯s body trembled at the calm response. Before she knew it, her eyes had already started turning moist. ¡°Family?¡± This simple word imbued her with a mysterious surge of power that drove away her fears and nervousness. Her emotions transformed into a vehement desire to protect her family members. ¡°I understand, darling. Leave it to me.¡± Taking a deep breath, Charlotte took on this heavy responsibility with a smile. She invoked her bloodline ability to divine their next destination, and soon, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re started rattling down the paved road. Chapter 499.1: Reversal of Positions (1)

Chapter 499.1: Reversal of Positions (1)

Fate was an abstruse concept to most. Many people saw fate to be the design of an absolute being that couldn¡¯t be changed. Some even believed that the Sia Continent was truly under the jurisdiction of the Goddess of Fate. Often, when a personmented about their past regrets, they would remark ¡®Such is fate¡¯. However, that wasn¡¯t an urate depiction of the world. The Sia Continent was created by Genesis Goddess Sia and not the Goddess of Fate. It was possible that the flow of fate was predetermined, but it was certainly not fixed. In fact, it didn¡¯t take a powerful being to change the flow of fate. Even humans could do it through their transcendent powers, and Roel was an example of that. Roel had undergone many life-and-death trials before he was able to change the trajectory of his life, and for that very reason, he knew just how powerful fate was. Charlotte¡¯s ¡®Arbiter of Fate¡¯ Bloodline might be weaker than Nora¡¯s ¡®Angel King¡¯ Bloodline in terms of absolute prowess, but it could pull off miracles under certain circumstances. That was also why the Sorofyas regarded the bloodline as one of their greatest treasures. That being said, even with the Goddess of Fate¡¯s blessing, divining the Six Cmities was no easy feat. Divination-rted spells had a high tendency to fail when used on a far stronger or more influential individual. Even if the diviner did divine something, they wouldn¡¯t be able to trust the result to be urate. On top of that, the entire process would be draining on the diviner. Take the current war against the deviants for example, it was theoretically possible for a seer to divine the trajectory of the war so that humankind could always make the best possible decision to counter them. However, that was impossible to pull off in practice. A war involving the fates of two races far exceeded what any seer could divine. It was the same when it came to the Six Cmities. Even though the Six Cmities were in an immature state, they were still beings created by the Mother Goddess, existences surpassing the gods. Their strength was not at a level that could be properly captured using the existing Origin Level ssification. Even seers from the ancient era would have been incapable of divining them. The only ones who could peek at their fate were those who had the Goddess of Fate¡¯s blessing like Charlotte, but even so, she had to slowly do it step by step. In a study room, Charlotte stood in front of a table with her eyes closed. Specks of light rose from her body before transforming half of the room into a mesmerizing celestial river. From the brilliant starlight, a divine avatar carrying a bnce emerged. ¡°Bnce of Fate,¡± murmured Charlotte. The Goddess of Fate raised the bnce up. Coins representing Charlotte¡¯s life manifested in Charlotte¡¯s hand. She nced at the slightly skewed bnce before flicking the coins onto it one by one. The bnce¡¯s imbnce reduced with the addition of every chip. By the third one, the bnce was already leaning in Charlotte¡¯s favor. With that, she finally made her move. Ding! An ancient gold coin was flipped into the air. It ascended to the peak of its trajectory before descending onto the table,nding with a metallic clink. It twirled a few rounds before falling t on a corner of the constetion map. The moment the divination result came out, Charlotte¡¯s face paled. The phenomena she had summoned vanished without a trace, and the abrupt loss of mana left her feeling light-headed. She was forced to grab onto the table to support herself and take a brief rest. ¡°Charlotte!¡± Roel felt great distress seeing the price Charlotte had to pay to make the divination. He quickly rushed to her side to support her. Meanwhile, Charlotte carefully examined the constetion map and made several calctions. ¡°Eastward. Three dayster.¡± After interpreting the divination result, Charlotte copsed into Roel¡¯s arms and fell asleep. Roel carried her to the nearby sofa, where he quietly gazed at the constetion map on the table. A week had passed since they exchanged their rings in Love Forest. The Diamond Rivi¨¨re had been traveling in ordance with Charlotte¡¯s divination result during this period of time, leading them to the vast eastern ins. When Roel first raised his idea of using the two of them as bait to lure out the propagator of the curse, there was vehement opposition from many in the Sorofya House. They thought that it was too risky. But when the two of them insisted on it, they had no choice but to cave in. After all, none of them had better ideas as to how they could resolve Charlotte¡¯s curse. To them, Charlotte¡¯s days were already numbered. It didn¡¯t sound like a bad idea for her to spend her remaining days traveling together with the man she loved¡­ and who knows? There might just be a miracle. With that consideration in mind, along with Bruce and Grandpa Ugin¡¯s staunch support for the proposal, Rosa¡¯s upper echelon soon changed their tune. The noblewomen saw off the ill-fated lovebirds for their final journey with tears in their eyes whereas the noblemen chose to hold their tongues. The Sorofyas also dispatched an army of elites to escort the Diamond Rivi¨¨re in case the evil cultists made a move. Wandering Schr Andrew and the other high transcendents also hurriedly returned to the country, ready to reinforce them should the target appear. Out of safety considerations, Roel and Charlotte decided not to reveal the fine details of their n with the Sorofyas and Rosa¡¯s upper echelon. It was not that they didn¡¯t trust them, but the best way to trick one¡¯s enemies was to trick one¡¯s allies too. By restricting the information to just between them, they could minimize the possibility of news leaking out. For better or for worse, Roel was certain that the member of the Six Cmities was already aware of their situation. The progression of Charlotte¡¯s curse had actually slowed significantly back when she was on the verge of death, possibly because the member of the Six Cmities thought that it had already seeded and wanted to conserve its strength. However, shortly after Roel started sharing his life force with her, the curse abruptly aggravated. In fact, there were even several attempts to afflict Roel with the curse as well through his connection with Charlotte, but those ended in failure. Clearly, the ancient monster had sensed that something was amiss and attempted to kill the two of them through the curse. But just as Roel had guessed, the curse waspletely ineffective on him, likely because he was in possession of two Crown¡¯s Stones. This meant that Charlotte was the only victim of the curse, but that wasn¡¯t a problem as long as Roel continued to share his life force with her. Without any other external intervention, they would be able to sustain this state for a long time. Meanwhile, Rosa continued to devote all of their resources to uncovering the trail of the Six Cmities. The positions had been reversed. Roel and Charlotte were now the ones waiting whereas the ancient monster was forced to go deeper into hiding. This was likely to be an unnerving turn of events for the ancient monster. Its ns had been thrown into disarray, and there were countless people hunting it down now even though it hadn¡¯t fully matured yet. The feeling of being cornered would surely prompt it into action. Holding onto that belief, Roel and Charlotte patiently waited. Chapter 499.2: Reversal of Positions (2)

Chapter 499.2: Reversal of Positions (2)

¡­ Time ticked by. There were fewer major cities around as Diamond Rivi¨¨re trailed further and further away from Rosa City. It was fortunate that the eastern in was Rosa¡¯s agriculture hub, so there were plenty of viges along the way. Roel and Charlotte found themselves with plenty of leisure time while waiting for the enemy to bite onto their hook. Despite knowing that a decisive battle was around the corner, their nervousness and worries would melt away to the sweet interactions they shared. There was just one thing that pained Charlotte¡ªRoel¡¯s gradually ailing health. In order to maintain Charlotte¡¯s health, he had to transfer his life force to her every single day. Even with the protection of the Primordial Earth Goddess, the massive loss in his life force inevitably resulted in the weakening of his body. He started to sleep longer hours, though the dominant cause was the fatigue he had umted over the past month. His weakening body also made him more prone to illnesses, such that he would get feverish from time to time. Whenever that happened, Charlotte would insist on taking care of him. As such urrences became frequent, a new dynamic slowly surfaced between them. On a sofa in the tea room, Charlotte gazed down on Roel, who was lying with his head resting on herp. With a serious expression on her face, she ced a hand on his forehead and the other on hers topare their body temperature. Several secondster, she revealed the result for the day. ¡°It¡¯s still warm. My apologies, darling, but I¡¯ll be the one taking care of you today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With her chest puffed out and her lips curled upward, Charlotte proudly dered the oue. She triumphantly squeezed Roel¡¯s cheek, not hiding her glee at all. On the other hand, Roel stared at her with doubtful eyes. With the two of them falling into poor health, Roel wasn¡¯t in a good position to care for Charlotte anymore. However, the two of them were in their honeymoon phase and didn¡¯t want to be away from each other. After some discussion, they decided that the one who was in a better condition would take on the caretaker role for the day whereas the other would be the patient. They even set some rules regarding the two roles: The patient had to abide by the caretaker¡¯s arrangement and wasn¡¯t allowed to be willful or talk back. The conditions were designed to force the patient toply with the caretaker, making it somewhat like a punishment game. As a matter of fact, Roel hade up with these rules when he lost the ability to enforce his will on Charlotte. He was hoping to use the rules to force her to change out of her unhealthy eating habits. Who could have known that he would fall ill shortly after the rules came into force? Under normal circumstances, Roel should have been faring better than Charlotte considering how he was the one providing life force to her. Yet, the situation was contrary to what he had expected. A health examination by the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team showed that his body had been in a severely depleted state, causing him to suffer a bacsh when his life force abruptly declined. How could his body be fine when he was constantly getting injured and gued by his abilities¡¯ side effects? Charlotte had a rare angry outburst upon hearing the doctor¡¯s analysis. ¡°After all of the lecturing you¡¯ve done, it turns out that you¡¯re barely holding yourself together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I wasn¡¯t aware of it either¡­¡± ¡°How could you have been aware of it when you don¡¯t pay attention to yourself, darling? That¡¯s your greatest fault! You¡­ You¡¯re going to be my child¡¯s father in the future! How can you be so negligent with your own health?!¡± ¡°¡­ I was wrong. Sorry.¡± Roel got a rare earful from Charlotte from having neglected his own health. He was still thinking of exining himself, but the fearful edge in her voice eroded his will to protest. In the end, he could only obediently admit his mistake. It was from that day on that he was forced to obey Charlotte¡¯s instructions. Charlotte took good care of him in the days toe, ensuring that he ate well and slept well. She relished in this reversal of roles, and she didn¡¯t abuse her privilege too much. However, her patient wanted to end it as quickly as possible. While being able to be the caretaker had put Charlotte in a good mood, she was so devoted to her job that her resting time had be irregr. That was not something Roel could ept. Thus, he raised an objection as soon as he felt that he had recovered, which was what led up to the earlier temperature check. Unfortunately, Charlotte ruled that he had misjudged his condition. Roel felt indignant about the verdict, but Charlotte¡¯s stern re forced him to reflect on himself. He wondered if he had truly grown dull to the irregrities of his body. After all, a slight fever was nothingpared to the severe side effects of the Crown¡¯s Stones. In the end, he reluctantly epted the result andid back down on Charlotte¡¯sp. Thetter smiled delightfully at having secured her authority. ¡°Darling, are you feeling cold?¡± ¡°The temperature is good¡­ and you¡¯re warm,¡± replied Roel. Upon hearing those words, Charlotte pulled him closer and hugged him. She didn¡¯t notice that her abrupt action had shocked him. After the passionate night they shared, the two of them had grown much morefortable with each other, resulting in their usual interactions being bolder than before. Even so, Roel found having his head pressed against her slim tummy across a thinyer of cloth too stimting. If he were to raise his line of sight by a little, he would be directly faced with her chests. He initially tried to endure it, but he eventually sumbed and kissed her tummy through the opening in her clothes. The sudden assault sent a shudder through Charlotte¡¯s body. ¡°D-darling?¡± Charlotte eximed out loud, drawing the attention of the maid by the doorway. ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t hold it in.¡± Knowing that she wasn¡¯tfortable with public disys of affection, Roel quickly apologized for his earlier action. ¡°What are you thinking? We¡¯re in front of others¡­¡± ¡°I think my brain has gone haywire over thest few days. I keep thinking about our future child.¡± ¡°!¡± That evoked Charlotte¡¯s memories about the conversations they had on the bed after their couple exercise, but a momentter, her face sank. ¡°Darling, actually¡­ it came two days ago while I was taking care of you.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to get pregnant even though we¡¯re already trying so hard. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Charlotte said dejectedly, feeling apologetic about her constitution. Roel looked at her for a moment before abruptly sitting upward to seal her lips,pletely throwing her off her pace. ¡°!¡± It was such an unexpected attack that Charlotte momentarily forgot about her unhappiness. Roel made use of this opportunity to slip in his thoughts. ¡°Charlotte, you seem to have misunderstood something. Having a child is proof that our rtionship hase to fruition; it isn¡¯t the goal. To me, you¡¯re the most important one of all.¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t forget that we have Peytra¡¯s blessing too. There¡¯s no need to rush things. Rather, it would be problematic if you seeded now,¡± Roel said as his expression slowly turned grim. Charlotte¡¯s eyes turned sharp. ¡°Darling, do you mean that the curse¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it has been growing stronger. I felt its aura while you were sleeping.¡± Roel caressed Charlotte¡¯s cheeks as he recalled the incident several nights ago. Charlotte hadn¡¯t felt anything as she was fast asleep, but the curse had abruptly intensified at a scale like never before, heaping tremendous stress on him. The ancient monster realized he was the one sustaining Charlotte and chose to focus its efforts on him. The Crown¡¯s Stones sensed its aggression and retaliated, summoning chilling frost and a pale yellow wind. That very moment that the forces shed, Roel felt something re at him. That confrontation also yed a part in the deterioration of his condition, but he wasn¡¯t angry about it at all. On the contrary, he viewed it as a good sign. ¡°That attack was likely to be the strongest one it is currently able to deal out remotely. If that had failed, there¡¯s only onest option left if it wishes to kill us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯ll show itself soon. Recalling the raging killing intent directed toward him that night, Roel spoke with certainty. Almost as if in response to his prediction, on the distant horizon, a pitch-ck tide began to billow. Chapter 500: Flooding Death

Chapter 500: Flooding Death

Roel and Charlotte¡¯s rtionship had advanced significantly ever since they left Rosa City half a month ago, but their physical conditions had deteriorated correspondingly. Initially, Charlotte was still able to take care of the ill Roel, but her health soon regressed to its previous state, causing her narcolepsy to return. Out of safety concerns, Grace and the other maids became the ones taking care of them instead. The maids couldn¡¯t help but be worried about how their conditions were deteriorating with each passing day, but Roel and Charlotte were already prepared for this. If anything, they thought that this was a good sign. In the bedroom, Roel and Charlotte had just woken up from their afternoon nap. They cuddled up to each other and enquired about each other¡¯s condition. Charlotteid on Roel¡¯s chest and listened to his heartbeat while Roel stroked her back to cate her fears. They knew that the day of the final showdown was swiftly approaching. The curse had be more active over thest few days. The frequency of attacks increased even though the severity remained the same. This suggested that something was changing, such as their distance. ¡°It¡¯sing closer to us.¡± ¡°¡­ When do you think it¡¯ll make a move? Within the next few days?¡± ¡°That should be so,¡± Roel replied with narrowed eyes. Hearing his answer, Charlotte tightened her arms around him. Unease could be seen reflected in her eyes. Roel noticed her response, but she spoke up before he could ask about it. ¡°Darling¡­ I¡¯m afraid.¡± ¡°Afraid?¡± ¡°I know that things are going ording to n, but I can¡¯t help but feel that everything is going too smoothly.¡± ¡°Too smoothly? ¡­ Yes, you¡¯re right¡± Roel nodded in agreement as he contemtively gazed out of the window. Charlotte continued hugging him, keeping her silence so as to not disturb his train of thoughts. It was usually good news that things were going ording to n¡­ but sometimes, that could also be a cause for rm. While the Six Cmities possessed varying levels of intelligence, all of them possessed sharp instincts that alerted them to potential danger. That was also the reason they were so afraid of Roel. That could be seen from his encounter with Shrouding Fog at the eastern border. He was only at Origin Level 4 back then, not even a high transcendent yet, but his presence intimidated Shrouding Fog into stopping its rampage and backing off. Thanks to that, the tens of thousands of soldiers stationed at the outer perimeter of Tark Stronghold survived the ordeal. Theyter became the core troops that guarded Tark Stronghold during the main force¡¯s absence. Considering how Shrouding Fog had been hesitant to confront Roel back when he was much weaker, the actions taken by the culprit behind Charlotte¡¯s curse were oddly bold. Furthermore, the cmity they were after had only regained consciousness not too long ago. It was nowhere as strong as Shrouding Fog, who had devoured a fortress of over a hundred thousand people. These werepelling reasons for the cmity not to appear. Is it unable to turn its back on the opportunity to eliminate both the sessors of the High Elf Bloodline and the Kingmaker Bloodline? Or does the ancient monster we are dealing with possess special means against us? Roel frowned in unease. Charlotte felt awful for stoking his fears at a time like this, so she quickly put on a smile and consoled him. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m just making a blind guess. You shouldn¡¯t let it bother you too much.¡± ¡°I know, but you¡¯re the sessor of the High Elf Bloodline and a worshiper of the Goddess of Fate. It might just be a blind guess, but it stems from your unease, right? Your intuition is telling you that something is amiss,¡± asked Roel. Charlotte hesitantly nodded her head. ¡°It looks like it¡¯s going to be a tough battle,¡± Roel sighed. ¡°Should we pause our ns and report this matter to the upper echelons of the united army? Principal Antonio and the others will be more than willing to lend us a helping hand.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. There¡¯s a high chance that the Fallens will learn about it if we report this matter upward. Furthermore, it¡¯s too difficult to conceal the aura of an Origin Level 1 Race Sovereign. The monster will likely back away if it senses Antonio¡¯s presence,¡± replied Roel. Charlotte lowered her head worriedly upon realizing that her suggestion was infeasible. Roel calmly stroked her hair to soothe her. It was not as if Roel hadn¡¯t considered alternatives to minimize the risks on their end, but nothing seemed feasible against the cunning ancient monster they were up against. It might be possible to devise something more borate if they took things slow, but time was against them here. The longer things dragged out, the more vulnerable they would be. Not to mention, the enemy was also swiftly growing stronger as well. Sometimes, Roel wondered if their situation was an inevitable oue of fate. Perhaps, from the moment they obtained the Crown Origin Attribute and the Primordial High Elf Bloodline, they were already destined to be mortal enemies with the Six Cmities. This was the price fate had imposed on their powers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have already made preparations for that. Besides, I don¡¯t think that I can back down now,¡± said Roel. ¡°You can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Yeah, my feelings wouldn¡¯t allow me too¡­ My anger has been churning for far too long.¡± Roel looked at the woman in his arms, and her pale, sickly face weighed down his heart. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s about time for me to settle the scores with it for causing you so much suffering.¡± Roel looked out of the window as rage zed in his golden eyes like brilliant candlelight. ¡­ Those traveling with the Diamond Rivi¨¨re knew that they mighte under the attack of an ancient monster on this journey, so they maintained a high level of vignce toward their surroundings, possibly even to a neurotic level. They refused to travel through mountainous terrains as it would be harder for them to get into formation, insisting on going with a much longer detour instead. They also made sure to stop at an easily defensible location before evening to set up their tents to ensure that they would be well-prepared for the night. That resulted in their slow travel progress. Nevertheless, within a month¡¯s time, Roel and Charlotte had already strayed away from populous human settlements to remote areas filled with dungeons and ancient ruins that only risk-seeking adventurers would venture into. Gsh¡¯s Basin was the name of the region, though it was moremonly known as Death¡¯s Trove. It was located on unimednd outside Rosa¡¯s borders. The multitude of dungeons and ancient ruins in the vicinity had given rise to a high level of mana concentration that made thend infertile. Due to that, no country was interested in this region. In contrast, Gsh¡¯s Basin was a miraculousnd of possibilities to the ambitious. Whether it was to be rich or obtain great power, the ancient ruins here contained incredible treasures that could fulfill their wildest dreams. As a matter of fact, many renowned adventurers who had left their mark in history had links to Gsh¡¯s Basin. Bards often sang of the grand adventures they had at this ce. But those who were seduced here by the romance of a fruitful adventure would quickly realize the darker side of the picture, evident from the skeletons lying all around the ce. The threat wasn¡¯t just limited to the dungeons and ancient ruins but from their fellow peers too. Fortunately, the imposing procession of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re had deterred adventurers from carelessly approaching them, thus saving them a fair bit of trouble. Everything appeared to be peaceful up to this point, but it was only the calm before the storm. The very night after they entered Gsh¡¯s Basin, the sentries were about to do a handover when they suddenly felt inexplicable crushing pressure from the distance. It felt as if something was squeezing their hearts, suffocating them. Not dissimr to how wild animals instinctively understood the danger of natural cmities, humans naturally felt dread when in the presence of the Six Cmities, the destroyers of countless civilizations. This feeling was further amplified for transcendents. ¡°Red alert! Red alert!¡± ¡°Is it here?¡± The Rosaian elites immediately reacted to the ominous presence that induced goosebumps all over their bodies. The warriors drew their weapons. The magicians shot spells into the sky to provide illumination. Communication tools were invoked to contact Andrew and the others for reinforcements. Just like that, the peaceful night was shattered by shouts, the nging of equipment, and the invocation of spells. In the carriage, Roel looked out of the window to stare at the distant horizon. Prior to this, he had been unable to confirm the identity of the ancient monster who had cast the curse on Charlotte, but the despairing death aura that was now settling in from the horizon told him the true nature of his enemy. Flooding Death. That was the Six Cmities responsible for Bruce and Charlotte¡¯s curse. Its name had appeared numerous times in historical records, but any attempts to describe it were vague at best, making it one of the more enigmatic cmities. Flooding Death was said to be a monster that lurked in the tides of death, patiently biding its time to drag the living into death¡¯s embrace. Not a single person had survived its assault, so there weren¡¯t any useful records on it. It was known to manifest in different forms; it could be fluid in a flooding tide or gaseous in a drifting ck cloud. ces it touched would turn intonds of death for many years toe. Any beings that stepped into thesends would find themselves slowly withering away. That was all Roel knew about this ancient monster from the historical records. However, now that he was seeing the Flooding Death in person, he was able to gain a deeper understanding of its existence. The moving pitch-ck tide was the manifestation of the very concept of death, though it might be simpler to perceive it as a sentient curse of death. Different individualsing into contact with it experienced different reactions and symptoms, but the final oue remained the same¡ªdeath. The pitch-ck clouds in the sky swiftly expanded, heralding the approach of the ancient monster. The stars in the sky lost their luster. Trepidation spread in the hearts of those standing in its presence. Even Grace, who had remainedposed all this while, started to turn pale. The Rosaian elites had been able to stand steadfast on the battlefield no matter how disadvantaged they were because they believed that there was hope for victory, but against the Mother Goddess¡¯ Six Cmities, all these veterans felt was helplessness. It was only human to cower in the face of nature¡¯s might. Rather than an act of cowardice, this was an inevitable result caused by the difference in their level of existence. That was also why the Six Cmities were so terrifying. Heavy silence loomed over the camp. The guards stared at the sky in utter despair. They couldn¡¯t fathom how they could even oppose a force of such sheer scale. In this moment of absolute darkness, a familiar pulse of mana suddenly glowed like antern of hope. The familiar mana brushed across everyone like a warm breeze, soothing their unease. It returned rity to the eyes of the magicians and brought courage to the hearts of the knights. The immense weight crushing their hearts vanished, reced by a lingering warmth. The guards naturally turned their gazes toward the center of their formation, where a ck-haired man stood fearlessly. He red at the pitch-ck sky with glowing golden eyes filled with sharp killing intent. Chapter 501.1: I Won’t Abandon You (1)

Chapter 501.1: I Won¡¯t Abandon You (1)

When the tides of darkness flooded in and covered the sky, in the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, Charlottey weakly on the bed looking frailer than ever, as if she would disappear at any moment. Her fists were slightly clenched as if trying to fight against the onught of the curse. She looked at the ck-haired man seated by the bed with narrowed eyes, speaking words filled with nervousness but certainty. ¡°Is it finally appearing?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s heading here.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Cough cough!¡± Charlotte looked somewhat nervous as she stared at Roel, but she started coughing before she could say anything. At the same time, the guards outside fell deathly silent under the immense pressure that had suddenly befallen them. Roel wasn¡¯t surprised by the situation outside at all. Having confronted these cmitous ancient monsters numerous times now, he was more familiar than anyone how intimidating they were. It was just that what he felt this time around wasn¡¯t fear but swelling rage. In thest few days, Charlotte¡¯s curse had acted up with much greater frequency. The cunning monster was clearly hoping to weaken them as much as possible through its curse before their confrontation. As a result, Charlotte¡¯s condition fell to its worst-ever state since she caught the curse, hinging on the edge of eternal sleep. Despite being in such a poor condition, her eyes only reflected deep worry for the man before her. ¡°Darling, are you going to fight with that monster?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes. It fears the Crown Origin Attribute. I have to go. I am the one who can fight it.¡± ¡°But darling, you aren¡¯t in a good state.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent in response to Charlotte¡¯s question, but his eyes were unwavering. Seeing that, Charlotte didn¡¯t say anything else. She mustered her strength to stretch her hand toward him, but it plopped down halfway through as she ran out of strength. Fortunately, Roel quickly reached out and grabbed her arm before it could fall down. He ced her hand against his cheek, and she smiled weakly at that. ¡°Darling, can you promise me something?¡± she asked weakly. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If you find yourself in a disadvantageous position, please don¡¯t hesitate to take off the ring.¡± As weak as her voice was, her eyes remained clear. A year had passed before their recent reunion. Charlotte didn¡¯t know exactly how strong Roel currently was although she knew he was bound to have be much more powerful after bing a high transcendent. Despite that, she wasn¡¯t too optimistic about the battle. She could see that she wasn¡¯t the only one in the room who had a pale face. It was clear that Roel had be severely weakened from trying to sustain her health with his life force. Everything that had happened recently was like a fairy tale to her. Roel was like a valiant knight rescuing her from the clutches of despair, standing steadfast by her side and doing all he could to protect her from danger. But now that they were standing before the evil dragon, she didn¡¯t want to be the frail princess who was nothing but baggage to the knight. She did know what it meant for Roel to take off the ring. Without the sustenance from his life force, she would swiftly sumb to the curse and pass away. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to ept death at all, not when the world had shown her the blissful future she could have. But more than anything else, she wanted him to win the battle and live on. That was why she made this request with great conviction. Roel felt a bitter tinge in his heart, and his eyes reddened. Even after a long moment of silence, he still didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, he could only sh her a helpless smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much taking off the ring can help me, but it is the symbol of our love. Until youe to hate me, I¡¯ll never take it off.¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± ¡°Charlotte, don¡¯t forget our vow. I¡¯ll never abandon you.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte widened her eyes. She remembered their promise to be together in life and in death, and it wavered her conviction. Despite that, Roel couldn¡¯t put his mind at ease. He knew that nothing he said now mattered. She wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take off the ring the moment he fell into a disadvantageous position. Knowing that he had to do something, he quietly channeled his mana before leaning in for a goodbye kiss. The moment their lips touched, Charlotte suddenly felt drowsiness washing over her. She stared at Roel with widened eyes. ¡°Darling, you¡­¡± ¡°Have a good sleep. Everything will be over by the time you wake up.¡± In the first ce, Charlotte was barely holding herself together. It didn¡¯t take long for her to sumb to the drowsiness spell and fall deeply asleep. Roel heaved a sigh of relief before rising to his feet. ¡°Goodnight, Charlotte.¡± After murmuring a goodbye, he began making his way out of the carriage. By the time he stepped out of the door, the smile on his lips had already vanished. Overwhelming killing intent flowed out of him as he finally removed the lid on his violently seething rage. Amidst the silence, a pale yellow wind gushed out. ¡­ The terror of the Six Cmities went beyond words. Soldiers fighting against the deviants at the eastern border had resigned themselves to death, but fear nevertheless engulfed them when faced with those ancient monsters. That was the natural reaction when confronted with existences beyond one¡¯s understanding. Humans were always afraid of things that went beyond their scope of knowledge. Such were the instincts of intelligent life forms capable of deeper thoughts. That was also why Grace and the others, despite having resolved themselves to protect Charlotte at the cost of their lives, froze up at the appearance of Flooding Death. However, that all changed when Roel appeared. His ripple of mana immediately alleviated the pressure on Grace and the others. A pale yellow wind under the concealment of the night blew in a radius around him, forming a semi-spherical istion barrier. Time Devourer¡ªthat was Tempest Caller¡¯s ability. As one of the Six Cmities, Tempest Caller¡¯s powers rivaled that of Flooding Death¡¯s. Augmented by the Crown Origin Attribute, it could even inflict damage to thetter. A barrier formed from it was naturally capable of nullifying the pressure exerted by Flooding Death too. The crowd heaved a sigh of relief, but Roel¡¯s face remained grave. He raised his head to sharply stare at the ck clump of deathly curses in the sky across the pale yellow barrier. Thetter sensed his aura as well, and two bundles of light reminiscent of eyes stared back at him. Chapter 501.2: I Won’t Abandon You (2)

Chapter 501.2: I Won¡¯t Abandon You (2)

The sharp-eyed scouts were the first ones to exim in horror, and the other guards began buzzing amongst themselves right after. Most of them could vaguely make out a human silhouette amongst that ominous cloud-like clump in the sky, and it unnerved them. On the other hand, Roel remained perfectly calm. Time ticked by with the two pairs of eyes locked on each other. Indescribable nervousness and tension suffused the air. The guards who had regained their senses kept their vignce up while Roel quietly waited for the enemy to make a move. Flooding Death could be considered as a highly condensed mass of curses, a type of mana cmity unique to the Sia Continent. It could travel like tidal waves or fleeting clouds, depending on the form it decided to assume. There were two reasons why Roel wasn¡¯t making the first move. He didn¡¯t want to confront the enemy in the sky, and he wanted to see what thetter was capable of. From his previous encounters, he knew that the Six Cmities possessed sentience. In fact, that was the reason why Flooding Death was in front of him right now. As much as its arrival was the result of Roel¡¯s bait, it was also worth noting that Flooding Death hade of its own volition despite knowing that he was in possession of two Crown¡¯s Stones. In a sense, this meant that it was confident in oveing his abilities. Roel stared at the pitch-ck sky and patiently awaited Flooding Death¡¯s move. The elite guards around him hadn¡¯t been idling around either. They began channeling all kinds of spells, charging up energies of all colors up to bombard the sky all at once. This was the greatest advantage humankind had over these terrifying monsters¡ªteamwork and cooperation. As intelligent as the Six Cmities were, they had never cooperated with one another. Most civilizations had been destroyed by a single cmity, and those who had crossed paths with more than one had never simultaneously encountered two cmities. There had been many conjectures regarding this matter. Some theorized that their powers conflicted with one another. Some wondered if the Six Cmities were incapable ofmunication amongst themselves. Regardless of the reason, this meant that Roel only had to focus on the enemy in front of him. Thus, he decided to leave the offense to the Rosaian elites and focus on the defense himself. This would significantly lower his mana consumption, allowing him to stall until the arrival of the reinforcements. To their astonishment, before they could unleash their spells, there was an unexpected attacking from the distance. A beam of white light fell from the sky, reminiscent of a sharp de slicing through the night. rmed by the attack, the Rosaian elite magicians hurriedly redirected their spells to fend against the beam of white light. The sh between the two forces resulted in a deafening explosion. This sudden assault shocked Roel and the others. It was clear to them that the beam of white light was a coordinated army spell, meaning that the enemy was of a sizable scale. The auraing from it had a sinister edge to it, suggesting that they were no ordinary transcendents. The Rosaian guards turned their eyes toward the direction where the beam hade from. Momentster, after the white light had faded, a bunch of white-robed figures came into sight. ¡°Mother Goddess is gazing upon us!¡± Roel¡¯s face turned livid. He recognized the familiar phrase. It was the Saints Convocation, an organization that had worshiped the Mother Goddess since the ancient era. He had crossed paths with it on several asions in the Witness State. However, he didn¡¯t think that they would actually work together with the Six Cmities to deal with him. While the Saints Convocation and the Six Cmities were subordinate to the Mother Goddess, it didn¡¯t necessarily mean that they were on good terms. For one, the Saints Convocation had sealed off Tempest Caller¡¯s egg to its powers for their own. After how they had exploited the Six Cmities as tools, it was hard to imagine them actually joining hands together. Not to mention, it waspletely inconceivable to Roel that the Six Cmities couldmunicate with humans and even rally an army behind it. But no matter how unbelievable the situation was, the situation was what it was. With the Saints Convocation havingunched their attack, the Rosaian guards quickly put up their defense. The barrier Roel had constructed using Time Devourer couldn¡¯t fend against the Saints Convocation¡¯s assault because he had to spread it thinly in order to protect everyone, which reduced its effects to an almost negligible degree. Not to mention, if he had really concentrated the power of Time Devourer, he would siphon time away from not just his enemies but his allies as well. The ability was a double-edged sword. The two armies soon came into contact and shed with each other. At this critical moment, Flooding Death started billowing. ¡­ From the moment the Saints Convocationunched its attack, Flooding Death had already started spreading itself around, reminiscent of a balled-up human stretching their limbs. The sky looked as if it had transformed into a boundless abyss. Bubbling curses started dripping out in the form of ck raindrops. When they fell onto the ground and seeped into the earth, Roel suddenly remembered the record stating that ces touched by Flooding Death would turn intonds of death. As expected, aberrations started to ur under the corruption of the curses. How many corpses are buried under a plot ofnd? That was not a question anyone could have given an urate answer to, but Flooding Death was now presenting the correct answer to Roel in the most appalling manner. Countless bodies started crawling out of the earth in the silence of the night. It wasn¡¯t just deceased humans but demonic beasts, wild animals, and even ancient beings that had long disappeared from the face of the world. These bodies were shrouded by a ck cursed mist. They looked so fragile that it looked like they would shatter at a single touch, but through his Crown¡¯s Stones, Roel knew that they were nothing more than mediums for the transmission of the curse. Those who fought with these corpses and carcasses, regardless of whether they won or lost, would be devoured by the curse. There was no way to stop the transmission, and that was how entire civilizations eventually crumbled to Flooding Death. It was only at this moment that Roel understood the core of Flooding Death¡¯s existence¡ªgue. I¡¯ll have to make a move now, Roel thought. If he left these cursed corpses and carcasses to be, not only would the guards suffer heavy casualties, but the rapid increase in the concentration of the curse would also affect the auburn-haired woman sleeping in the carriage, worsening her condition. He knew that he had to deal with Flooding Death, but the problem was that he couldn¡¯t step away right now, not when Charlotte was lying vulnerable in the carriage behind him. Furthermore, the guards weren¡¯t faring well in their fight against the Saints Convocation. Graced by the presence of their ¡®God¡¯s Envoy¡¯, the evil cultists saw this as an opportunity for them to prove themselves to the Mother Goddess. They fought tenaciously like madmen who had no qualms dying here, believing that they would be rewarded as long as they brought down their enemies. Their targets were clear here¡ªRoel and Charlotte. If any of them breached the guards¡¯ defense line, Charlotte would be in danger too. That was not something he dared to gamble on. Just as Roel was at a loss as to what he should do, he suddenly felt familiar mana pulsations behind him, followed by the thunderous clopping of horse hooves. ¡°Are they finally here?¡± Roel murmured as he breathed a sigh of relief. As the clopping grew louder, the knights on horseback slowly became visible in the night. The towering Kurt was leading the pack, followed by Brittany, Geralt, Selina, Juliana, and Stuart. Trailing behind them were the elites from Knight Kingdom Pendor. These sessors of ancient bloodlines possessed considerable strength without having an overly high Degree of Assimtion that would pique Flooding Death¡¯s vignce, making them perfect reinforcements here. With his finalyer of insurance in ce, Roel was finally freed from his shackles. His aura immediately changed as his golden eyes glowed like candlelight. He simultaneously manifested a humongous crimson skeleton around him while releasing a flood of frost aura. Without any warning, he dashed straight toward the ck clump in the distance. A thunderous roar boomed from the sky. Seemingly provoked by Roel¡¯s aggression, the ck clump started descending to the ground. With this, the fight against the zealous evil cultists, an endless army of undead, and the pitch-ck flooding waves of death finallymenced. Chapter 502.1: Absolute Trust (1)

Chapter 502.1: Absolute Trust (1)

Roel Ascart whizzed across the cursed darkness like a shooting star. As he advanced, his frost aura surged toward the sky like a silver sword. Crimson mana zed around him, manifesting the avatar of the humongous Giant Sovereign. He was finally able to go all out without having to worry about the backlines. Behind him, the newly-arrived reinforcement began charging at the Saints Convocation. The mounted knights channeled the mana into theirnces and tore through the evil cultists¡¯ formation like knives slicing through white cloth, achieving great results from their first charge. Their sess was further driven in by the diverse range of powerful abilities wielded by the core members of the group. At their forefront, Kurt activated his bloodline and transformed into a giant, which he then rammed to and fro through the evil cultists¡¯ formation to induce as much chaos as possible. Juliana fully exploited the advantages of the dark environment to quietly maneuver the shadows and reap as many lives as she could. Selina fully unleashed her bloodthirsty nature and allowed her feral side to let loose. She nimbly darted around the battlefield and ughtered anyone who showed the slightest opening. Brittany, together with Geralt and Stuart, headed over to the carriage where Charlotte was resting in and carefully guarded the area, not allowing any evil cultists toe close. This was the trump card that Roel had been reserving all this while. In the first ce, Charlotte was an important member of Rose of Dawn even if not for her rtionship with Roel. It was only right for the other members to lend her a helping hand. Furthermore, the Six Cmities wasn¡¯t just her own enemy but a threat to humankind. It was the kind of entity that Rose of Dawn had devoted themselves to dealing with. And to those from Knight Kingdom Pendor, the descendants of the Twilight Sages Assembly, the Six Cmities were the mortal enemies of their ancestors as well. Kurt and the others were absolutely trustworthy, and they were the only ones whom he could easily mobilize aside from the soldiers of the Ascart Fiefdom. Their timely appearance on the battlefield had proven crucial to turning the tables around. Following them, the other reinforcements from Rosa trailed in one after another. With many more people taking over the responsibility of protecting Charlotte, Roel was now able to focus his attention on dealing with the main problem here. Fatigue and weakness were like countless invisible hands attempting to drag Roel¡¯s consciousness into the abyss, but his less-than-ideal condition couldn¡¯t hope to quell his burning rage at all. Fueled by his wrath, his Origin Attribute began trembling in madness. It wasn¡¯t just once or twice that Roel had encountered dangerous situations, but never once had he had to helplessly watch a loved one wither away but bepletely incapable of helping her. Countless nights he had spent watching her curling up her body in pain, and each time, he solemnly swore to himself that he would tear the culprit who had put her through this to shreds. The intensity of the anguish and despair he had felt over the past month could hardly be described with words. It seethed and bubbled like a growing monstrosity within him, and it had finally found its target to be unleashed on. His mana burned furiously like an inferno, granting him an unbelievable burst of power. It enabled him to propel across the sky like aet. Amidst the crackling of mes and lightning, Roel looked at the ancient monster cackling shrilly above him and called for his partner. ¡°Grandar?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I have a favor to ask of you. It might be difficult, but I intend to kill it,¡± Roel calmly revealed his goal with a voice filled with murderous intent Flooding Death was rtively famous amongst the little known Six Cmities. It was revered as the Death God in the ancient era by intelligent races, so there was no question about its strength. It wouldn¡¯t be an easy opponent even if it had only awoken from its hibernation not too long ago. Many would have deemed the notion of killing Flooding Death to be nothing more than a pipe dream. After all, it was an entity that even gods struggled to rival in the ancient era. Yet, Grandar¡¯s answer was as concise as ever. ¡°Let¡¯s kill it then.¡± Grandar didn¡¯t waver in the least even though they were up against an unfathomable monster of cataclysmic proportions. Roel¡¯s lips curled up at his partner¡¯s calm yet domineering response. An explosive surge of mana surged through Roel¡¯s body and flowed toward the Crown Origin Attribute, which then emanated blinding radiance. An immense amount of mana gushed out of his body and whipped up furious winds. At the same time, his severely weakened body also received a tremendous burst of strength under the blessing of Goddess Sia. Being Toward Death¡ªthat was the ability created through the essence of Roel¡¯s strength, a power bestowed only upon those who sought to defy fate. The weaker one was, the stronger one would be. The closer one was to one¡¯s limits, the likelier one would surpass one¡¯s limits. The sheer intensity of his rage manifested into reality, converting his mana into intense shockwaves of mes and wind. Under the supernova-like burst of light, Grandar shot through the sky like a demonic god of mes and reached for the ck monster in the sky. The crimson me he wielded seemed to harness the strength to vanquish all evil, but the swirling clump of curses in the sky wasn¡¯t intimidated in the least. After all, mere physical contact was already an offensive means to Flooding Death. Be it human or god, anything that came into contact would be swiftly afflicted with its curse and wither away. No living being in the world could be truly invulnerable to death. Even if the cursescked power in a direct confrontation, it would always have thestugh. That was also why Flooding Death didn¡¯t hesitate to charge down and meet Roel face-on. The two mortal enemies collided with each other, giving rise to an intense sh of mana. ¡­ The moment Roel and Flooding Death collided into each other, everyone else on the ground stopped what they were doing. They knew that the slightestpse of attention on the battlefield could spell death, but none of them could ignore the menacing threat rattling their instincts. Crimson mes and lightning rippled out as devastating shockwaves that obliterated everything in their path. Under their sheer heat, the deathly curses were reduced to grayish whiffs of smoke On top of that, the sheer strength exerted by Grandar was so great that it shook the fabrics of space. Under such overwhelming offensive prowess, Flooding Death¡¯s intangible body of clumped curses could onlyst for an instant before bursting like a balloon. The seared body of the ancient monster scattered in all directions, dyeing the air ashened-gray. The strong gale arising from the explosion forced the Rosaian guards and evil cultists to lower their bodies to the ground so as to not be swept away by it. When the winds finally died down, the Rosaian guards looked toward the sky and saw that the ominous ck clump looming over them had disappeared. There was a brief second of pause before resounding cheers broke out. What they didn¡¯t notice was that the ck-haired man who hadunched the attack had gonepletely silent. Unlike others, Roel had a sharpened sensitivity toward the presence of the Six Cmities due to his Crown¡¯s Stones. He could sense that the Flooding Death didn¡¯t sustain fatal damage from the earlier attack, and just as he had expected, thetter¡¯s retaliation came swiftly after. As the light from the spectacr first collision started to fade, the scattered curses started to reappear with greater fervor than before. At the same time, many ck spots started to appear on the arm Grandar had used to scatter Flooding Death¡¯s body. The shrilly calls echoed from the sky once more. Now that he was standing at a close proximity to those shrilly calls, their effects were even more pronounced on him. Roel could feel his mana going into disarray, and the primitive fear that living beings carried toward death sprouted in the depths of his heart, unable to be repressed. It was then that he finally understood what those calls were. They were the death throes of countless living beings, the rawest sound of death. Amidst these perturbing sounds, a blurred silhouette appeared in the sky once more. At its reappearance, the curses quickly gathered in the sky and covered the stars and moon once more, almost as if everything was rewinding to its earlier state. At the same time, darkness started to devour Grandar¡¯s body bit by bit. Chapter 502.2: Absolute Trust (2)

Chapter 502.2: Absolute Trust (2)

Warning bells rang in Roel¡¯s mind. He had instinctively understood that Flooding Death had the power to slowly devour a person¡¯s body through its curse, which was why he had opted not to summon all of his ancient gods to fight with him. He knew that neither Witch Queen Artasia nor Primordial Earth Goddess Peytra had a strong resistance against the curse of death, which was why he had chosen to fight with Undead Giant Sovereign Grandar. But from the looks of it, Grandar¡¯s resistance wasn¡¯t enough to make him immune to the curses of Flooding Death. While it was true that the undead had exceptionally high resistance against curses, it was worth remembering that there had been undead civilizations in the ancient era. From the death throes Roel could vaguely discern from the shrilly calls, the terrifying cmity had means to corrode all beings. What Flooding Death conceptualized wasn¡¯t just curses but the gue of death itself. Bringing death to the undead might seem paradoxical, but in essence, the undead was merely a race cursed with the trait of immortality. Theoretically speaking, it was possible to use other curses to interrupt the undead race¡¯s immortality curse and thus bring them death. Naturally, Grandar was well aware of it too. As soon as he noticed the curse on his arm, he attempted to sear them with his crimson mes, but it wasn¡¯t very effective. The curse was like a parasite; it swiftly absorbed the giant¡¯s mana to strengthen itself and proliferate. It was nigh impossible to fully eradicate it once ittched on. Flooding Death cackled loudly at the sight, mocking Roel and the others for their ignorance. The failure to defeat the enemy in a single strike and instead getting afflicted with the curse ced Roel in a highly disadvantageous position. Flooding Death had noticed that, and it had no ns of letting Roel catch a breather. It gathered a flood of curses and sent them down on Roel like a rain of ck worms. Roel¡¯s Crown Origin Attributed trembled intensely against the swiftly approaching gue. The frost aura and pale yellow wind within him were provoked by the death curses, and they rushed out to halt them in their path. The result? A standstill. Flooding Death couldn¡¯t bypass the protection of the Crown¡¯s Stones to hurt Roel, but conversely, this also meant that Roel couldn¡¯t use his Crown¡¯s Stones to defeat it. What was truly frightening about the Six Cmities was their higher-order abilities. Be it cier Creator¡¯s frost aura or Tempest Caller¡¯s time-siphoning wind, there was no transcendent in the world who could put up a proper defense against those. The same applied to Flooding Death too. Its ck fluid curses grew stronger by sapping the life force and mana of the living, and it was practically impossible to defend against it. Putting aside Grandar and Peytra, even Artasia and her long-ranged spells wouldn¡¯t be able to do a thing about it. It looked like the only way to defeat this terrifying monster was through the Crown¡¯s Stones, but that seemed to be what Flooding Death was going for. If things really dide down to that, the only oue awaiting him was death. A sh between the Six Cmities would likelye down to a war of attrition. No matter how powerful a transcendent was, there was no way their mana capacity couldpete against something of the scale of a natural cmity. Not to mention, Roel was in a terribly weakened state at the moment. Using an analogy, it was like a human pitting his strength against a mountain. The oue was already decided from the very start. ¡°So that¡¯s the reason you dare show yourself before me?¡± Roel looked at the abominable ck monster in the sky and murmured under his breath. He seemed unfazed by the pessimistic situation he was in, but Grandar could sense that his anger was already reaching a breaking point. The fact that Flooding Death thrived on the life force and mana of others meant that its current strength must havee from somewhere¡­ Charlotte¡¯s life force. That realization flicked a switch in Roel¡¯s head. His entire being burned with anger, but oddly enough, his mind remained perfectly calm. While eyeing the monster in the sky with flickering golden eyes, he began to retract his mana. From the moment he awakened to his bloodline, he had been through countless dangerous situations, be it the Witness State or the assault of the evil cultists. Many powerful enemies had swung their des at him, only to eventually fall to him. Of course, the incredible potential of the Ascart Bloodline yed a huge part in that, but what was more important was his intellect. It wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched at all to say that Roel was someone who danced with death. Every near-death encounter he had was another addition to his resume. All of these experiences taught him an important life lesson: The more desperate the situation is, the more one should remain calm. It was not impossible to defeat the Six Cmities¡ªRoel was certain of that. He remembered Astrid telling him that he wasn¡¯t the first awakener of the Kingmaker Bloodline to possess a Crown¡¯s Stone. In fact, the Ardes had been using them as their weapon for many years now. And just a few centuries ago, Winstor Ascart had defeated at least one of the Six Cmities¡ªSire Darkness. In the decades after Sire Darkness had devoured the love of Winstor¡¯s life, Isabe Sofya, he traveled all around the world and sessfully hunted down that ancient monster, thus avenging his beloved. Thanks to that, even as the Six Cmities started awakening from their hibernation in the present era, there were still no traces of Sire Darkness to be seen. It was like a prank of fate how their descendants, Roel and Charlotte, were facing a simr situation as they did. But unlike Winstor, Roel still had a chance to protect his loved one. He was determined to cling onto this speck of hope no matter the cost. Staring at the massive entity covering the sky, Roel¡¯s elerated heartbeat slowly calmed down. He had a mysterious feeling that the centuries-old regrets of the Ascarts and the Sofyas had fallen on him. Having experienced the pain of nearly losing a loved one himself, he knew that it was time to put an end to the enmity that hadsted across the generations. The nature of Flooding Death made it impossible for any transcendents to kill it¡ªthose who attacked it were cursed, and those who were cursed became its source of power. However, there were always exceptions, and the possessors of the Crown¡¯s Stones were the exception. ¡°Grandar, do you trust me?¡± Roel suddenly asked. Grandar was momentarily startled by the question, but he soon gave a calm answer to it. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± It was an answer he had expected, but it made him chuckle a little. He raised his head and looked at the towering giant behind him. It was just a brief exchange of eyes, but it was enough for them to know each other¡¯s intentions. Then, Roel closed his eyes and began channeling his mana. Whoosh! A pale yellow wind rose into the sky and enveloped the surroundings, forming an encirclement that caged everything within it. At the same time, a silvery frost aura flooded out from Roel¡¯s body and drowned out everything in the vicinity. Within mere moments, the frost aura had alreadypletely devoured Grandar¡¯s body. Chapter 503.1: Time to Die (1)

Chapter 503.1: Time to Die (1)

cier Creator was a terrifying existence. In the writings left behind by disappeared ancient civilizations, it was described to be a destroyer that buried everything under an unyielding encasement of ice. Even amongst the Six Cmities, it was one of the hardest ones to deal with. The ability that Roel had gained from absorbing cier Creator¡¯s egg, cial Touch, showcased that. The warriors on the ground stared with bulging eyes as Grandar¡¯s humongous body was consumed by frost. They couldn¡¯tprehend why Roel had directed his deadly frost aura at his own contracted ancient god. Some even wondered if he had gone mad. In the sky, Flooding Death let out yet another shrill cry. It stared at Roel with glowing eyes and its body began to billow in unease. It knew that Roel¡¯s frost aura was a high-order power that could threaten even the gods, which was why it couldn¡¯t understand why he was using it against Grandar. The iprehensibility of the situation unnerved it. While warily eyeing Roel, it began to spread out its curses. On the other hand, the edges of Roel¡¯s lips inched upward. He was aware that many would have deemed his goal of killing Flooding Death to be impractical, but he personally didn¡¯t think that it was impossible. There was a simple way to achieve that, and that was to simply overwhelm the monster. No matter how formidable Flooding Death was, it was unable to escape unscathed from the abilities of the other Six Cmities. That was why Roel had sealed off the area with his pale yellow wind to force out a decisive fight between the two of them. At first nce, this was no different from the situation Flooding Death was trying to force out, but there was a subtle but crucial difference here¡ªthe one who was going to fight with the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones wasn¡¯t Roel but the fearless Giant Sovereign. Amidst the flurry of frost aura, Roel raised his palm and manifested his Crown Origin Attribute. The raging night wind tugged at it and dissipated it into the frost. Momentster, an explosive burst of mana gushed out from the frost, forming a thick silvery fog. The silvery fog started to revolve around the humongous skeleton giant like a tornado, looking as if something was metamorphosing from within. However, Roel wasn¡¯t content with just that and continued channeling his mana. Slowly, the golden crown fragments took on a blood-red color. It wasmon for magicians to augment their spells with their own blood, but it was an insane act for Roel considering his current state. The loss of his blood made his pale face look even more sickly. It woulde as no surprise to no one if he crumbled right now. Despite that, his eyes grew increasingly sharper. His weakening state further enhanced the effect of Being Toward Death, granting him a second burst of power. The sheer concentration of mana around Roel induced the apprehension of Flooding Death. It instinctively understood that whatever Roel was up to would likely pose a huge threat to it. Thus, it made its move too. Flooding Death let loose a high-pitched roar that instilled fear in all living beings beneath the ck sky. Then, the entire ¡®sky¡¯ began descending upon Roel. The sheer mass of curses falling from the sky looked as if the world was crumbling on them. The warriors from afar yelled in horror, but Roel, who was at the heart of the catastrophe, stood unfazed. He closed his eyes, and crimson light and frost aura began simultaneously emerging from his body, intertwining together. Right as the colossal mass of curses was about to reach him, a frost-covered skeletal arm suddenly shot out of the silvery fog and firmly held it back. At the same time, Roel opened his eyes and revealed a faint smile. The silvery fog slowly faded and Grandar emerged from within. Ice crystals swirled around him. The dense frost aura that had encased him earlier was now his armor, and a blood-red crown glowed vibrantly on his head. He lookedpletely different from before. Grandar lowered his head and met eyes with the smiling Roel. He noticed the scent of blood in the air, but he didn¡¯t say a word about it, only clenching his fists tightly. The ancient monster he was clutching onto roared even more frenziedly. Seeing that, Roel knew that his experiment was a sess. While the Crown¡¯s Stones and Kingmaker Bloodline were both his abilities, they were unique powers operating under separate systems. His contracts with Grandar and the other ancient gods stemmed from his bloodline, whereas cial Touch and Time Devourer originated from the Six Cmities. He had always avoided using these two powers simultaneously because he knew that the powers of the Six Cmities would hurt the ancient gods too. However, there was a point ofmonality between the two powers¡ªRoel himself. The powers harnessed within the Crown¡¯s Stones were so strong that they could strike fear in the hearts of gods, but they would never hurt their own master. This was the trait that Roel had exploited tobine the two powers together. The crown fragment was an ability derived from the Crown Origin Attribute that manifested the past glory of the ancient gods to return them their crowns, thus empowering them beyond their current limits. This time around, Roel had used his own blood as a medium for the spell. He had channeled his mana through his blood to forge the crown fragments, which was the reason behind their blood-red color. The infusion of his blood bestowed upon the ancient gods an additional buff¡ªinsusceptibility to the power of the Crown¡¯s Stone. This allowed Grandar to move freely even when he was fully dded in cier Creator¡¯s frost aura. This new armor was not just a gimmick; it made all the difference in the world to this battle, for it protected him from Flooding Death¡¯s curse and allowed him to attack without any restraints. With a single punch, Grandar sent frost aura gushing up the sky, encasing the humongous mass of curses with a thickyer of ice. Flooding Death shrieked in fury. Its severely distorted silhouette reflected its horror at the situation. Unwilling to believe that it was being outdone, it retracted everyst bit of its unfrozen curses and mashed them tightly together before bursting it into a deadly cursed rain. Grandar¡¯s eyes glowed sharply against the downpour. He gathered the antithetical powers of crimson mes and frost together on his fist and released them upward with a powerful punch. Everyst bit of curses that came into contact with the rising pir of silvery frost aura was instantaneously encased in ayer of ice, including Flooding Death¡¯s humongous main body in the sky. What followed right after was Grandar¡¯s monstrously powerful punch. It plunged straight into Flooding Death¡¯s main body, inducing a piercing cry of agony from thetter. The frozen portions of Flooding Death¡¯s humongous body shattered into countless ck ice bits that slowly dissipated into thin air. Horrified, Flooding Death gathered its unfrozen remnants and attempted to escape from the frost aura, but it was futile. Roel had already begun narrowing the pale yellow wind barrier he had constructed at the start of the battle. The space it could maneuver in was swiftly shrinking. Flooding Death realized that it was in a desperate position. So, it converged the expansive ck mass it had spread across the sky andpacted it into something resembling a cket. Its relinquishing of the night sky allowed the stars and the moon to reappear, but what caught the crowd¡¯s attention more was how the cket had started plummeting from the sky. Chapter 503.2: Time to Die (2)

Chapter 503.2: Time to Die (2)

¡­ Flooding Death had given up its dominant position in the sky, but Roel and the others knew that it wasn¡¯t trying to escape. Rather, this was its final desperate struggle. Despite its contraction in size, Flooding Death emanated ridiculously powerful mana pulsations iparable to before. This was the madness of the ancient monster that had been forced to a corner for the first time in ages. It had noticed the imcable killing intent Roel carried toward it, so it decided to fight back with all it had. Watching as the ancient monsternded on earth, Roel¡¯s face turned grim. Every historical record that had mentioned Flooding Death described it as an unreachable cmity looming in the sky, but for some reason, this lofty monster had chosen to ground itself this time around. Roel didn¡¯t know whether Flooding Death¡¯s change was the result of his encirclement or its determination to remove its threats as soon as possible. However, he did know that this was going to be the real battle. While Flooding Death couldn¡¯t withstand Grandar¡¯s powerful punches in its spread-out, gaseous form, there was a slim possibility that it could slip away by exploiting its elusiveness. However, that was no longer possible now that it had condensed itself and descended to the ground. Of course, it could try seeping through the minuscule pores of the earth to make its escape, but that would take far too long. Roel wouldn¡¯t simply watch while it attempted to make its getaway. Killing Roel was its only shot at survival now¡­ and that might have been the wisest move for it. Roel might seem to have the decisive advantage right now, but the truth was that he was nearing his limits. His body was in its frailest ever state after having depleted his life force for a month, but he was still ambitiously trying to simultaneously sustain the highly mana-consuming Time Devourer, cial Touch, and Grandar, especially the blood crown on Grandar¡¯s head. Grandar wasn¡¯t affected by the frost aura because the Crown¡¯s Stones had misrecognized him to be Roel, an effect Roel had created by infusing his blood into the blood-red crown in Grandar¡¯s head. However, he needed to continuously supply his blood to the crown in order to sustain the effect. It was clear by now that Roel possessed the strength to kill Flooding Death, but he needed the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones, brandished with Grandar¡¯s colossal strength, in order to outdo Flooding Death. The question now became how much longer could hest. Would he be able to kill the terrifying cmity before burning out? On the ground, Flooding Death released an unimaginable amount of mana, ready to fend against Roel¡¯s attacks. With its intelligence, it understood that victory would be its as long as it was able to draw out the battle long enough, which was why it was no longer holding back anymore. In its condensed mass of darkness, a human silhouette rose to its feet and gazed in Roel¡¯s direction. On the other hand, Grandar nced at Roel to make onest silent confirmation. Flooding Death believed that Roel was nearing his limits, but Grandar, who had a clear sensing of Roel¡¯s condition, knew that he had already surpassed his limits. Every second he remained standing with that tattered body of his was a miracle in itself. Roel knew that it was risky for him to continue the fight, but that didn¡¯t change his mind at all. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, but his eyes continued glowing brightly like candlelight. He looked at the cmity manifested in front of him and calmly muttered. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s time for it to die.¡± His cid voice sounded as if he was merely rying a fact. Grandar nodded at the confirmation and got rid of his hesitation. The final showdown began under the starry night sky. The desperate Flooding Death had condensed its body to the extent that it was nearly solid, and the sounds it verbalized sounded increasingly eerier. It took a moment to familiarize itself with its new form before releasing numerous floods of ck curses with a roar. This attack was on apletely different scale from the earlier cursed rain. Floods condensed with the vilest of curses gushed toward Roel from all directions, leaving little room for him to defend himself. In response, Roel channeled his mana to its limits. His Crown Origin Attribute resonated with fervor like never before, and the Crown¡¯s Stones glowed with unprecedented brightness. The frost aura he had scattered around quickly receded to form a clear ice barrier. It looked as if countless terrifying ck monsters were lurking in the silvery fog around Roel. All of a sudden, a flood of curses crashed into the ice barrier with a loud bam, but it was blocked off by the ice barrier. More floods followed soon after, but Roel correspondingly raised more ice barriers to block them out. The violent shes between the two powerful forces were spectacr, but neither seemed to have an advantage over the other. It didn¡¯t matter anyway since these were a mere distraction. Behind these shes, Flooding Death was preparing its true move. A crevice had appeared in its ck body, and it was focusing all of its mana there. Countless curses flowed toward that single area,pressed endlessly until they formed the equivalent of a sphere of death. As the conceptualization of death, Flooding Death¡¯s true strengthy not in spreading curses but bestowing death. At its peak, a mere nce was all it needed to bring about death. Its existence naturally led everything to swiftly spiral to its end. Death Bestowal¡ªthis is the true ability of Flooding Death, as well as its final form. The unprecedented threat from Roel convinced it to pay a heavy price to temporarily reach its mature state, a process that would have otherwise required over a thousand years of growth. The tremendous umtion of its mana looked dull andckluster, but the power it harnessed was beyond imagination. This unprecedented scale of mana pulsation and the ominous vibesing from it attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Knowing that something bad was going to happen, the fighting soldiers began to tighten their defense formation. At the same time, Grandar started gathering all the strength he had. The blood-red crown on his head glowed brighter than ever. He knew that it was not just a symbol of his own glory but Roel entrusting his life to him too. That made him more determined than ever to win this battle. A spatial crack appeared behind him, manifesting a deste sunset in that hadn¡¯t appeared for a long time. Under the cheers of the deceased warriors, the Giant Sovereign raised his arm and channeled his mana toward it, imbuing his fist with blinding light reminiscent of the sun. Flooding Death released the ray encapsting the purest concept of death with a snarl, whereas Grandar hurled his blinding fist that lit up the night sky downward. With the screams of the dead and the roars of warriors, the forces of ck and white finally collided. The vast in violently shook under the shockwave. The sh of the two forces induced ripples that changed their surrounding environments. Half of the battlefield transformed into a barrennd where everything immediately withered, whereas the other half was instantaneously encased in ice. This standstill onlysted for a brief instant before the white light engulfed everything in a spectacr explosion. Chapter 504.1: No One Can Take Her Away (1)

Chapter 504.1: No One Can Take Her Away (1)

The collision between the blinding light and the abyssal darkness catalyzed a vigorous mana reaction that obliterated everything in their vicinity. Both the bodies of Flooding Death and Roel began to disintegrate. Wisps of ck smoke were leaking from the cmitous monster that had wilfully hastened its maturity process to unleash its strongest attack. It howled frenziedly, but it couldn¡¯t stop the gradual dissipation of its curses. That was the price it had to pay for its burst of power. Simrly, the ck-haired man who was desperately trying to sustain his ancient gods and the Crown¡¯s Stones with the flicker of life force he had left found his body unraveling under the strain. Bloodied mist was spurting out of his apertures. Being Toward Death was a powerful ability that allowed him to turn the tables on his enemy even when he was in an unfavorable position. However, just like how jugs could only hold so much water, the overload of power was starting to hurt him. Roel had known from the start that it was dangerous for him to abuse ¡®Being Toward Death¡¯, but there was no other way for him to defeat Flooding Death. Even when in their immature state, the Six Cmities were far beyond what an Origin Level 3 transcendent could deal with. While Roel possessed the Crown Origin Attribute and the Crown¡¯s Stones, he had to raise his strength to its very limits before he could even pose a threat to them. Both parties were putting their all on the line here. Flooding Death was depleting its potential as one of the Six Cmities at an unprecedented rate in order to sustain its destructive beam of death, whereas Roel was staking his life on this single strike. Grandar¡¯s fist was like an unwavering boat amidst a dark, stormy sea. This decisive battle had be a contest of willpower and a gamble of fate. Be it the starry sky, the expansive earth, the unyielding encasement of ice, or the irresolvable curse, everything suddenly seemed brittle at this very instant. Roel¡¯s consciousness was slowly fading. Shockwaves swept in his direction, threatening to extinguish the final spark of life he was desperately clinging onto. However, he forced himself to hold on through sheer willpower, knowing that he absolutely couldn¡¯t teeter beyond the edge now. Oddly enough, his mind was more active than ever despite his life barely hanging on a thread. In a moment of daze, his thoughts materialized as a meteor shower shing across his eyes. Theseets reflected his motivations, be it the glory of protecting humankind or the honor of having his name go down in history. They sought to fuel his conviction through their brilliance, pushing him to hold on for even a split instant longer. Yet, he was so worn out that none of theseets could capture his attention no matter how brilliantly they shone¡­ ¡­ until the silhouette of an auburn-haired woman appeared before him. Memories of the time they had spent together shed across his eyes. The solemn vow he had made to protect her echoed in his mind. Something clicked inside of him. The dying embers of his determination zed with renewed fervor. His dull eyes slowly regained their light. No matter how difficult it was, he wanted to change the future that fate had in store for her. This ordeal was something that Charlotte was destined to go through from the moment she was born with the High Elf Bloodline. The high elves¡¯ ability to curb the Six Cmities simply made them far too much of a threat. There had probably been many confrontations between both sides over the long course of history. In the scheme of things, Roel was a third party who had gotten in the way of their conflict, but what about it? Charlotte Sorofya was the woman he loved. If fate really did exist in this world, their fates were already intertwined together from the moment Charlotte shot the bullet of life into his body. If fate had condemned her to a slow decline toward death, he would be the one to shatter that fate. He would prove with his actions that neither the terrifying destroyer of civilizations nor the so-called ¡®predestined course of life¡¯ could take her away from his side. Amidst the blinding light, Grandar roared furiously as he pushed the fist suffused with frost aura across the flood of curses, parting it into two. With a resounding explosion, the curtains were finally drawn on this decisive showdown. ¡­ The Rosaian guards and Pendorian knights could only stare in trepidation as furious gales of frost and curses ravaged the vast in. The battle between Roel and Flooding Death went beyond their wildest imagination. Even the reverberations of their sh would have been more than enough to snuff out their lives had they not retreated in time. Perhaps due to having inherited the Mother Goddess¡¯ superior strength, the Six Cmities possessed unfathomable high-order powers that even gods were unable to neutralize. Ordinary transcendents couldn¡¯t hope to protect themselves against their offense at all. Roel had staged the battlefield with Flooding Death to be as far away from the Diamond Rivi¨¨re as possible, but the shockwaves arising from their shes still caused significant damage in the carriage¡¯s vicinity. In fact, if not for the Sorofyas¡¯ Jewel Magic, all of them might have already lost their lives by now. As a matter of fact, the evil cultists from the Saints Convocation had already made their escape. All that was left were a couple of corpses that no one was going to im. The Rosaian guards held their jeweled shields up away from the carriage, forming innumerableyers of barriers to firmly keep out the deadly curses and biting frost. The Pendorian knights were also seeking shelter from the disaster with them. All of their eyes were nervously fixated on the intense sh of ck and white in the far distance. They knew that the oue of the battle between Roel and Flooding Death would determine their fates too. Should Roel fall in defeat, the ancient monster would surely turn its demonic ws toward them next. Even in a severely weakened state, there was hardly any doubt that Flooding Death would be able to easily kill all of them with its higher-order power. There was no one here who was oblivious to the stakes involved in the battle. They watched as the two conflicting forces shed numerous times before eventually culminating into a decisive, earth-shattering collision. Boom! A deafening explosion reverberated at apletely different scale from those before, nearly bursting eardrums. It was apanied with unbelievably powerful gales mixed with bits of curses and frost, forcing everyone to lower their bodies. Kurt immediately activated his gigantification and nted his tower shield on the ground, tanking the brunt of the impact for the crowd. Selina and the others lodged their weapons into the ground to stop themselves from flying away. Grace and the other high transcendents who had arrivedter did everything they could to protect the carriage. The sustained explosions threatened to burst the crowd¡¯s eardrums, and the intense lightpletely irradiated the night sky. It took several seconds before these overpowering stimuli started to subside. Kurt and the others anxiously turned to the direction of the sh despite their sh blindness and the persistent ringing in their ears. They could vaguely see that darkness had returned to the area where the two forces had previously shed, but none of them dared to make a move. After a moment of silence, the Rosaian guards and Pendorian knights finally returned to their feet and got back in formation. The magicians quickly made use of this opportunity to repair the barriers. But even after a long time had passed, there were still no more explosions or shockwaves. It slowly dawned on them that the frightening battle of epic proportions might be finally over. The crowd instinctively began squinting at the darkness, dying to know who had won the battle. Grace also looked over with a hesitant look in her eyes. Roel had sternly told her prior to the battle that under no circumstances should she approach his battlefield. If he lost the battle, she was to immediately take Charlotte away and seal her off in a crystal made out of Crystal Magic. That was the only way Charlotte could survive the ordeal. The decisive battle appeared to havee to an end, but none of them was able to confirm the victor. Even Stuart and his unique eyes were of little help here. ¡°That region ispletely engulfed with the mana of the Six Cmities. Even my eyes are unable to see through that.¡± Grace and the others fell into a dilemma. If Roel won the battle, he would definitely be in a severely depleted state and in need of urgent help. However, if it was the ancient monster who survived, recklessly approaching it right now could draw its attention to the carriage, thus cing Charlotte in immediate danger. Inside the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, the condition of the auburn-haired woman who looked as if she could pass away at any moment suddenly started improving. Her ghastly paleplexion was swiftly regaining a reddened glow. With the lifting of the curse, Charlotte¡¯s High Elf Bloodline was finally freed from its suppression. It immediately released a huge gush of life force that quickly repaired her deficient body. With the recovery of her body, the mana she harnessed within her started swiftly increasing too. With the recovery of her constitution, the weak sleeping spell that Roel cast on her naturally dissipated. Her eyshes fluttered for a moment before her eyes shot open. Chapter 505.1: Fusing Blood (1)

Chapter 505.1: Fusing Blood (1)

Charlotte woke up to a starry night sky outside the window. Her fuzzy mind was struggling to recall what had happened before she passed out, but she still instinctively realized that something was different about the sky. She stared hard at the twinkling stars while listening to themotion outside the carriage. A minute passed, and the confusion in her eyes slowly cleared up. A jolt ran through her body as some sort of realization dawned on her, causing her emerald eyes to widen in joy. She knew nothing about the battle that had transpired outside, having only just awoken from her sleep, but the changes with her body wouldn¡¯t lie. It had been a long time since she had felt the Primordial High Elf Bloodline as clearly as she did now. The terrifying monster she had seen prior to her sleep had also vanished without a trace. Most important of all, she could feel her curse slowly disappearing. These signs told her that her suffering was finally over. She was naturally reminded of the young man who had promised to grant her a new life before she passed out. ¡°Roel¡­¡± Murmuring his name, she struggled to rise to her feet. Her movements immediately caught the maids¡¯ attention, who excitedly rushed over and escorted her out of the carriage. Grace broke down in tears when she saw Charlotte, and the Rosaian guards cheered joyously. To them, Charlotte¡¯s recovery didn¡¯t just guarantee the stability of the Sorofya House and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy; it was also a confirmation of Flooding Death¡¯s demise. The relief they felt from surviving an encounter with such a frightening entity was a cause for celebration. Despite the enlivened atmosphere, Charlotte didn¡¯t seem too enthused at all. She scanned the surroundings in search of Roel but to no avail. She asked Grace about the ck-haired man¡¯s whereabouts, and thetter pointed at the swirling ck vortex in the far distance. Anxiety started breeding in her heart, and she clenched her fists tightly. It was also then that the ring she wore on her finger started to siphon her life force away. While it was an unfamiliar sensation to her, she immediately recognized the spell. After all, this was the spell that had been sustaining her for over the past month. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized just what kind of condition Roel was in. She immediately gathered and led Grace and the others toward the battlefield. She was nning to have them spread out and search for Roel, but she was soon forced to drop the idea. The crowd stopped right before the vortex of curses revolving around the battlefield¡¯s perimeter. Even Kurt and the others, who possessed the bloodline of ancient races, revealed fearful looks. The gravesite of Flooding Death was not a ce any humans could tread on. The curses would indiscriminately corrode anything that came into contact with it. However, the threat of death didn¡¯t slow Charlotte¡¯s footsteps at all. Without any hesitation, she tightly wrapped herself with ayer of Golden Soul before charging right into the vortex of curses. She knew that she couldn¡¯t afford to waste even a single second, or else she might lose her Roel for good. The Rings of Symbiosis did allow the recovered Charlotte to share her life force with Roel, but that wouldn¡¯t sustain him for long. Severe injuries could lead to a massive outflow of life force that even the rings couldn¡¯t replenish in time. Once his life force dropped beneath a threshold, he would be a goner. Charlotte felt like ants were gnawing at her heart, and the trepidation of losing her loved one made her eyes glisten. She could vaguely sense Roel¡¯s location through the connection of the rings, especially now that they were in proximity. The curses grew more concentrated the further she advanced, causing her face to swiftly turn pale despite only having just recovered from her affliction. Nevertheless, she paid it no heed and continued marching forward. Eventually, she found the person she was looking for. ¡­ ¡°Darling!¡± By the time Charlotte found Roel, he was already on the verge of death. His consciousness was fading, and he was so weak that he couldn¡¯t even utter a word. Hisplexion was so pale that it looked translucent. It didn¡¯t seem as if he was alive at all. Seeing the state he was in, Charlotte couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore. She knew that she had to do something to save him. With trembling hands, she nervously checked on his condition. The results reflected the worst possible situation. She couldn¡¯t feel any mana from him, and his life force was practically dried up. He was barely surviving through the sustenance of life force via the rings. Worst of all was his physical condition. Roel had expended half of his body¡¯s blood to bestow Grandar the ability to wield the power of his Crown¡¯s Stones. The final explosion arising from his sh with Flooding Death had also blown off a good chunk of his body. If he had any mana left, he might have been able to stop his body from losing more blood and stabilize his condition with the help of his ancient gods, but that was a big ¡®what if¡¯. By the time Charlotte arrived, he didn¡¯t even have a third of his blood left. ¡°Darling, how did this happen¡­¡± Charlotte felt as if the world was copsing on her. She held Roel close to her trembling body as her tears rained down. Even high transcendents would be in mortal danger from losing half of their blood, but Roel only had a third of his blood left. That was more than enough to seal his fate. She bit down on her lips, knowing that she had to do something. Her initial n was to bring Roel out to be treated, but she immediately dispelled that thought upon seeing his condition. Even the slightest rattle could possibly take his life, not to mention he wouldn¡¯t evenst that long. I need to perform emergency treatment on him right now, but what can I do¡­ Charlotte racked her brain for a solution, but she couldn¡¯t think of any spells that could reverse his condition. A gleam soon flickered across her eyes as an idea came into mind. She raised her arm and slit her wrist with her fingernail. There was only one thing she could think of that might help him survive, and it was amon medical procedure back in Roel¡¯s previous life¡ªblood transfusion. There were many reasons contributing to Roel¡¯s current condition, but the most immediate problem was none other than his profuse loss of blood. Under such circumstances, it was much more effective to directly transfuse blood to him than to rely on spells. There was no need to worry about their blood types as high transcendents had fundamentally different constitution from ordinary mortals due to the assimtion of mana. Their bodies were much more receptive to the blood of others, thus reducing the chances of a rejection. Nevertheless, this was still going to be a dangerous procedure because of their exceptionally powerful bloodlines. The more powerful a bloodline was, the less likely that it would coalesce with others. There was a high chance that their bloodlines might reject each other, resulting in severe bacsh to both of them. In the worst-case scenario, her High Elf Bloodline might even be crippled by his Kingmaker Bloodline. It was unlike her to take uncalcted risks, but to save Roel, she unhesitatingly went ahead with it. There was nothing more important to her now other than saving the dying lover in her arms, and she was willing to put everything on the line for that. The risk of losing her bloodline was nothingpared to losing him here. If he really died here, she would follow in his footsteps soon after. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m begging you¡ªdon¡¯t leave me. Please, please¡­¡± she murmured. She ced her bleeding wrist right above Roel¡¯s injuries. The moment their blood came into contact, an intense mana reaction broke out. Chapter 505.2: Fusing Blood (2)

Chapter 505.2: Fusing Blood (2)

Unimaginable power burst forth from Roel¡¯s drained body as the Kingmaker Bloodline fought against the foreign bloodline attempting to coalesce with it. Its fierce retaliation caused Charlotte¡¯s bloodline to quiver. The two forces fought to exert their will, causing Roel¡¯s body to shudder nonstop. ¡°¡­ Stop, Charlotte. Your body will¡­ Cough cough!¡± ¡°Darling!¡± The sudden influx of mana from his bloodline temporarily roused Roel¡¯s consciousness and granted him the strength to speak. He immediately understood what was going on and tried to stop Charlotte¡¯s suicidal behavior, but thetter paid him no heed. Instead, her mana red with even greater intensity than before. A vast starry sky unfolded behind Charlotte, and the Goddess of Fate¡¯s avatar slowly appeared from the constetions. The Bnce of Fate she carried in her hand was wavering unstably. This was Charlotte¡¯s bloodline ability, Arbiter of Fate. It was a cheat ability that allowed one to directly interfere with fate. In order to save Roel, she had decided to put everything on the line. ¡°I¡¯ll stake all ten coins!¡± ¡°Wait, Charlotte!¡± ¡°Darling, you said it yourself. We¡¯ll be together, be it in life or in death.¡± Before the vast starry sky, Charlotte spoke with a gentle smile on her tearstained face. Roel found himself at a loss for words. One by one, the ten coins that represented Charlotte¡¯s life fell onto the scale. The already wavering Bnce of Fate shook even more under the influence of the coins, and their bloodlines started to intertwine with each other. Roel prayed for her to remain safe while Charlotte did everything she could to wrench him away from death¡¯s grasp. This was going to be a long fight. As both of their bloodlines became more deeply intertwined together, the Bnce of Fate shook with even greater vigor. It was almost as if they were fighting against the world to force a miracle to happen. Themotion continued for a long time before everything slowly came to a rest. In the end, the bnce fell in Charlotte¡¯s favor. The moment everything was decided, Roel and Charlotte felt a mysterious sensationing from their bloodlines. They could sense their bloodlines losing their aggression toward each other and slowly fusing into one. At the same time, the temporary surge of mana Roel had received earlier dissipated, causing him to pass out once more. ¡­ Tonight was a special night for the humans of the Sia Continent. In a barrennd far away from the other countries, a young man had used himself as bait to challenge an enemy that countless civilizations had deemed to be insurmountable, only to emerge victorious in the end. This was a feat that wasparable to the aplishments of legendary heroes that bards sang of in the taverns. There was no doubt that this matter would have huge repercussions on humankind, especially considering the time of the urrence. If one looked at humankind¡¯s history as a novel, the war of the deviants would be the decisive arc that shaped the future progression of the story. Any incidents that happened during this period of time would naturally have its repercussions amplified, especially one as big as this. While the deviants made frightening enemies, they were still mortal beings that could be killed with swords and spells. On the other hand, the Six Cmities were a whole new story. They lurked around without leaving any trails, and they left devastation in their wake whenever they appeared. Their enigmatic nature made them much more fearsome. Ever since the disappearance of Tark Stronghold, all of the eastern border fortresses had been gripped by an atmosphere of fear. They deployed more sentries and patrols than ever, fearing that Shrouding Fog woulde after them next. In that sense, Roel¡¯s aplishment had brought confidence back to the forces of humankind. His victory proved that the Six Cmities weren¡¯t insurmountable monsters, thus bringing them a sliver of hope. This would give them the courage they needed to raise their weapons against the irrationalities of the world. From the moment he defeated Flooding Death, he had already be a hero of humankind. This title would grant him tremendous say in international affairs, but at the same time, it would also ce him in far greater danger than he could ever imagine. In an unknown forest on a faraway mountain range, a thick fog billowed in the night. The forest was eerily quiet as if all of the animals had been spirited away, allowing the fog to parade its dominance. Every now and then, the billowing fog formed the outline of a massive face looking at the moon. For some reason, it seemed to be exceptionally active tonight. Under the moonlight, the fog swirled restlessly around the mountain range though it kept itself prone to the ground, not daring to rise any higher. A whileter, it seemed to have sensed something and turned its face elsewhere. Momentster, it began to quietly drift in that direction. As the Six Cmities began to make a move, the Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns all over the Sia Continent also rushed out of their rooms to look at the moon. On the walls of one of the eastern border fortresses, an armored old knight looked at the moon with sharp eyes while the two young women behind him revealed worried looks. In an office in the Country of Schrs, a white-robed principal grimly clutched onto a staff. At the heart of a resplendent pce, a middle-aged man¡¯s eyes flickered with a glint, but it was impossible to read his thoughts through his impassive face. In a beautiful forest located in a dungeon, a brawny old man stood up from his resting chair. In a church in the Holy Capital, a white-haired old man slowly opened his eyes to look at the moon in the sky. Momentster, he shook his head and said, ¡°No, that is not that monster.¡± The golden-haired woman beside him lowered her head in disappointment. In the midst of an unknown darkness, a man with a blurred face gazed at the moon in the sky and murmured to himself. ¡°What an unnatural speed of growth. Is it because of those girls?¡± A long timeter, he heaved a deep sigh. ¡°I¡¯ll have to hurry,¡± he muttered before melding into the darkness. Chapter 506.1: Is There Really Nothing More to Her Gaze (1)

Chapter 506.1: Is There Really Nothing More to Her Gaze (1)

Roel had been through many life-and-death battles across different centuries, but not once had he ever experienced the sensation of death. He had plenty of close shaves over the years, but he had always been able to turn things around through abination of wit, strategy, strength, and luck¡­ though the resulting side effects from his abilities were always a headache to deal with. This was the first time he had reached his very limits. It wouldn¡¯t be far-fetched to say that he had already died once. Had it not been for the Rings of Symbiosis sustaining the final sliver of his life force, he would have died together with Flooding Death. Naturally, the severity of his condition made it much harder for him to regain consciousness too. When he did finally awaken from hisa, he couldn¡¯t even feel his body at all. He was able to perceive sounds around him, but they were dampened as if he was hearing them underwater. He was so feeble that he had to muster his strength just to open his eyes. Some timeter, the sounds slowly sharpened in rity. ¡°O¡¯ Sia! The bones here are all mashed up¡­¡± ¡°Focus on stabilizing his condition first!¡± ¡°Roel¡­¡± He first noticed the shouting from the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team as they barked orders to one another. Next, he became cognizant to the constant chanting of spells going on in the background. Last but not least, he heard a hoarse but feeble cry right next to him. It was from Charlotte. She kept mumbling his name as if to summon his consciousness, and he could somewhat understand why she was doing so. Excessive blood loss was dangerous even to high transcendents. Even if the patient survived the ordeal, there was a chance that the trauma could put them into a persistent vegetative state. That was also why Charlotte was trying her best to awaken him. To cate her anxiety, Roel tried his best to answer her. His response was barely audible, but it sent her in a fluster. He tried to open his eyes next, only to be startled the next instant. He didn¡¯t see anything despite having opened his eyes. Everything remained pitch-ck to him. Charlotte quickly noticed something amiss with his gaze too. ¡°Darling, what are you looking¡­ Wait. Could it be that your eyes¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was unable to answer the question. The silent confirmation that something was wrong with his eyes left Charlotte feeling so awful that tears started streaming down her cheeks. Blindness was one of the possible side effects of excessive blood loss. It would be nigh impossible to treat such a condition if it had happened for an ordinary human, but there was still hope for transcendents due to their stronger constitution. In fact, many frontline soldiers had suffered from simr conditions after surviving a close fight. It was with such knowledge in mind that Roel was able to remain calm about his blindness. However, Charlotte was unable to control her emotions at all. She felt as if someone was dicing her heart into pieces. The deep feelings they harbored for each other made it more painful for them to see the other suffer than for it to happen upon themselves. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± Charlotte apologized amidst sobs, but Roel shook his head in disapproval. She was initially taken aback by his response, but she soon understood what he was trying to convey. For the two of them who were willing toy down even their lives for each other, apologizing only seemed to undermine the vow they had made to each other. In the first ce, what they had done for each other weren¡¯t things that could bepensated with just a simple word of gratitude or apology. Thus, Charlotte wiped off her tears and solemnly told herself to stay strong for Roel. She noticed his eyes wandering around the ce, seemingly searching for her, so she grabbed his hand and ced it on her cheek. ¡°Darling, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. You¡¯re only having difficulties seeing right now due to your severe blood loss. It¡¯s only a matter of time before you recover your vision! You can trust that I¡¯ll always be right beside you. I won¡¯t leave you no matter what happens. That¡¯s why¡­ That¡¯s why¡­¡± Halfway through her words, Charlotte sumbed to her feelings once more and began sobbing. Grace stepped forward and gently reminded her. ¡°Young miss, I understand how you¡¯re feeling, but the treatment is ready¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I understand.¡± Charlotte quickly nced at the spellcasters in the room and saw that they had alreadypleted their preparations. She turned back to Roel and softly kissed his forehead. ¡°Darling, your treatment is about to begin. I¡¯ll be watching by the side. You¡¯ll be fine,¡± she said with a raspy voice before reluctantly leaving his side. Brilliant light filled the room right after. Under the invocation of the spellcasters, countless gems began channeling light rays toward the ck-haired man lying on the bed, filling him with warm energy. It slowly washed off the frost lingering inside him while repairing his tattered body. Under thisfortable sensation, Roel¡¯s consciousness began to drift off once more. ¡­ Howpetent were the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team? It was often described to be at the top of the industry, filled with the most talented people on the Sia Continent. Roel personally didn¡¯t really have a high opinion of theirpetency considering how they hadn¡¯t been able to do much for Charlotte¡¯s affliction over the past two months. However, it wouldn¡¯t be fair to judge the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team solely on how they dealt with Flooding Death¡¯s curse. In the first ce, there was probably no transcendent on the Sia Continent who would have been able to resolve its curse. No doctor could have appearedpetent when dealing with a practically untreatable affliction. While the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team were unable to save Charlotte, they proved that their own worth in how they dealt with the severely injured Roel. Had any other medical professionals been present in the room, they would have been awed by their sharp judgment and precision. Roel woke up to the warm sunlight shining in from the window. The darkness veiling his eyes had cleared, allowing him to see once more. His senses, which had previously dulled due to his severe blood loss, also regained a fair bit of their sensitivity. With a quick inspection of his body, he found that all of the external injuries he had incurred in his battle with Flooding Death had healed up. His depleted mana had recovered by a fair bit too. He also found forty or so magic tools ced in various positions around his bed, forming a therapeutic biosphere. Everything on this bed was set to the optimum level, be it the temperature, humidity, mana concentration, noise level, or light concentration. There were also a whole load of detectors constantly assessing his current physical condition, and the biosphere would automatically adjust itself to suit his needs. This was the Sia Continent¡¯s version of a high-ss intensive care unit¡­ and it was actually more advanced than what Roel had seen in the modern age. Possibly due to the detectors picking up on the signs of his awakening, just moments after he regained consciousness, a group of maids and doctors entered the room to check on him. The maids looked at him with concerned eyes whereas the doctors revealed relieved smiles before asking how he was feeling. The Sorofyas¡¯ medical team had a good impression of Roel. On one hand, they had seen how he was willing to put his life on the line to save Charlotte, and his self-sacrificial spirit touched their hearts. On the other hand, they were deeply grateful to him for having saved their patient. The one thing that doctors were most frightened of was having patients dying under their care, especially blue bloods. While their inability to deal with Flooding Death¡¯s curse was understandable, humans weren¡¯t particrly known for their ability to remain rational when dealing with the death of their loved ones. It was too optimistic to expect Bruce to understand their difficulties if Charlotte had really died under their care. Not to mention, that would have also sullied the good reputation they had painstakingly built up over the years. As a matter of fact, there had been many voices of skepticism questioning their skills over the past two month due to Charlotte¡¯s constantly deteriorating conditions. Many imed that they weren¡¯t deserving of the high treatment they were receiving. This had caused great frustration within the medical team, but it was hard for them to refute those voices. That was why the medical team worked exceptionally hard when it came to saving Roel, hoping to prove their worth through this. We might have failed to save the young miss, but we did save the young miss¡¯ lover. That should at least be good enough to make up for our earlier failure, right? The oue showed that the medical team¡¯s hard work had paid off. Through utilizing all sorts of medical procedures without any regard for the costs, Roel was well on track to making a full recovery. Chapter 506.2: Is There Really Nothing More to Her Gaze (2)

Chapter 506.2: Is There Really Nothing More to Her Gaze (2)

Roel first answered a series of questions from the doctors before turning his attention to the maids. Under his probing, they began to fill him in on what had happened after he passed out. The first time Roel passed out was during their blood transfusion. He was already a foot through the gates of death by then. In order to save him, Charlotte was forced to transfuse blood into him on the spot despite the huge risks involved. What he didn¡¯t know was that Charlotte didn¡¯t just stop at the usual halfway threshold but instead replenished him till he was two-thirds full. While she had recovered a fair bit under the resurgence of her High Elf Bloodline, her sudden loss of blood and the constant sapping of her life force through the Rings of Symbiosis had put her in a severely weakened condition once more. It would have been difficult for her to carry Roel out given her condition. For a moment there, it looked as if the two of them would die together in that wretched ck vortex. Fortunately, Stuart had been tracking her movements with his sharp eyes. Thanks to his directions, after the Rosaian guards hadyered multiple barriers of Jewel Magic on her, Grace was able to make a beeline for Charlotte and Roel and drag them out. When they finally returned to the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, Charlotte stayed by Roel¡¯s side and kept calling his name, hoping to awaken him. That was also when Roel awakened for the first time, though he quickly fell asleep in the midst of the treatment. As promised, she stayed by his side and guarded him. ording to Grace, Charlotte had been so worried about Roel¡¯s loss of sight that she cried for the entire night. The doctors of the medical team requested her to undergo treatment, but she turned a deaf ear to their advice, insisting on staying by his side. Despite Charlotte¡¯s unwavering determination to stay with him during his time of difficulty, the world wouldn¡¯t bend itself over to pander to her will. For someone who had only just recovered from her affliction, transfusing a third of her blood and having her life force constantly siphoned away proved to be too much for her to bear. In the end, Charlotte still sumbed to her weakness and fell asleep at dawn. Grace made use of this opportunity to carry Charlotte to the neighboring bed, and the medical team quickly conducted their treatment on her. Even till now, she was still asleep. Roel fell silent at her report. Unlike his usual victories, there were really a lot of close shaves in this fight. He was only alive because of Charlotte¡¯s unshaking resolve to save him. Hearing that she was safe made him heave a sigh of relief, but there were many doubts in his mind that he couldn¡¯t shake off. He thought that several days had already passed when he first woke up, not only because of the thorough recovery of his external injuries but the absence of his abilities¡¯ side effects too. There was no denying the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones, but there was a steep price to pay for tapping into their powers. Be it cial Touch or Time Devourer, their side effects were a huge headache to him. Considering how he had thoroughly abused the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones in his battle against Flooding Death¡ªhe had unleashed multiple floods of frost aura while maintaining a barrier of pale yellow wind to keep the ancient monster from escaping¡ªhe should be shuddering in a miniaturized body right now. It was queer that nothing had happened to him. Perplexed, he turned to the System as soon as Grace and the others left. There, he found his answer. ¡¾Rejection of foreign bloodline has been quelled.¡¿ ¡¾Bloodline fusion is sessful. Fusion Rate: 68%¡¿ ¡¾User has temporarily obtained ¡®Administrator¡¯ authority¡¿ ¡¾Side effects of the Crown¡¯s Stones have been paused due to the user¡¯s ¡®Administrator¡¯ authority.¡¿ Roel was bbergasted when he saw the string of notifications from the System. Through carefully examining the new key word, he quickly deduced what was going on here. This is probably the result of the transfusion of Charlotte¡¯s High Elf Bloodline. This brought further credibility to Roel¡¯s previous deduction. The high elves were likely to be the administrators of the Six Cmities back in the ancient era, and the true use of Jewel Magic was to suppress those ancient monsters. Building on that, it shoulde as no surprise that the High Elf Bloodline itself exerted a natural suppression on the Six Cmities too. Thus, when Roel¡¯s Kingmaker Bloodline finally epted Charlotte¡¯s High Elf Bloodline, thetter began suppressing the Crown¡¯s Stones in his body, stopping them from messing around inside of him. This also exined why Charlotte had always been able to alleviate the side effects of the Crown¡¯s Stones, as well as Flooding Death¡¯s determination to kill her. While feeling relieved at having his doubt answered, Roel was also d that he didn¡¯t have to suffer from those darned side effects of the Crown¡¯s Stones anymore. He continued looking through the System¡¯s notifications and noticed that there was an option for him to absorb Flooding Death¡¯s Crown¡¯s Stones. That was good news, but he was in no rush to follow through with it Flooding Death was an existence that blighted swathes ofnd with a single touch. The curses unleashed with its death were so potent that it would take millenniums for them to dissipate, and it would probably be impossible to hasten the process. Back when Charlotte recklessly charged into the vortex of curses to save Roel, Grace and the others had attempted to neutralize the curses in order to help her find Roel. After all, the Sorofya House was one of the few powers who weren¡¯tpletely helpless against the Six Cmities thanks to their Jewel Magic. Unfortunately, the results wereckluster. Without Charlotte¡¯s Primordial High Elf Bloodline, Jewel Magic, by itself, was unable to induce any considerable effect on that dense vortex of curses. Even when Andrew and the other high transcendents from the Sorofya House arrived, they were helpless before the curses too. Thus, there was no rush for him to absorb the Crown¡¯s Stone. It was best for him to first make a full recovery before absorbing the Crown¡¯s Stone, considering the toll it would on his body. Aside from that, there was another matter that left him deeply concerned, and that was the intimidating gaze from the sky shortly after he had killed Flooding Death. Just thinking about the pressure he felt at that moment was enough to make his face severe. It reminded him of the dreams he had, and it forced him to confront a dreadful truth. The Mother Goddess, who had only been able to gaze on him from the world of dreams, was now able to directly interfere with the real world. This was not a matter to be made light of. He did have such a guess when the Six Cmities first became active, but it nevertheless left him with an awful lurching sensation when it was confirmed. What worried him even more was whether that had only been a simple gaze or not. While it was uncertain what the existence of the Six Cmities were intended for, they were indubitably the Mother Goddess¡¯ envoys. Was it really possible for the Mother Goddess to remain unfazed when Roel was killing off her envoys one by one? She coldly gazed at me without making a move at all¡­ What does this mean? Is She unable to directly attack me yet? Am I too insignificant to warrant Her interference? Or maybe¡­ there isn¡¯t a need for Her to personally make a move at all? Reminded of the other cmities roaming the world, Roel¡¯s face turned pale. Wherever he went, the moon would always be hanging high above the Sia Continent, gazing upon him. If the Mother Goddess had the ability tomand the Six Cmities, those ancient monsters could very well already be on their way to him. Flooding Death was nothing more than a newborn amongst the Six Cmities, but he had to expend everything he had in order to bring it down. Should hee under the attack of another one that had already developed for quite some time, such as Shrouding Fog, there was absolutely no chance he could win at all. With such thoughts in mind, he looked out of the window and started thinking up possible countermeasures. Chapter 507.1: Charlotte’s Desire (1)

Chapter 507.1: Charlotte¡¯s Desire (1)

Thinking is highly burdensome when one isn''t in a good condition. Roel looked at the sunny scenery outside the window as he tried to make sense of his current situation regarding the Mother Goddess and the Six Cmities. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t take long before his head started to hurt. He still wasn¡¯t allowed to consume any food out of concern for his safety, and that limited his energy. Still, he was able to figure out some things during this short period of contemtion. First and foremost, regardless of whether the Mother Goddess was capable of rying orders to the Six Cmities or not, he definitely had to keep his guard up against them. While there were no records of the Six Cmities cooperating with one another, there was a possibility that they could sense andmunicate with each other. To be safe, he ought to assume the worst-case scenario and make preparations for that. Fortunately, there were only six of them. Flooding Death was dead. cier Creator had been sealed away by Isabe Sofya¡¯s Jewel Magic and was currently hibernating under Twohorn Port. Sire Darkness, based on the trails, appeared to have been thoroughly destroyed by Winstor Ascart seven hundred years ago. It was unlikely to make a resurgence any time soon. Those were the three that he didn¡¯t have to worry about. Of the remaining three, he had little to no information regarding Tempest Caller and Light Devourer. While he did know that Tempest Caller¡¯s egg had appeared in Leinster four hundred years ago, in the true history that Roel didn¡¯t intervene in, the Saints Convocation was forced to flee from the city in a fluster. It was unknown what eventually happened to the egg. As for Light Devourer, it was a cmity that Roel knew next to nothing about. He had first learned about its existence from Isabe Sofya, and there were rare mentions of it in ancient texts. Unfortunately, he was unable to find anything concrete for him to work with. There had also been no sightings of it in the past few centuries. This meant that Light Devourer was an enigmatic existence to humankind. Last but not least, there was Shrouding Fog, the culprit who had devoured Tark Stronghold and the hundred thousand troops stationed there. This was the enemy Roel believed to be the most dangerous of all. Unlike Tempest Caller and Light Devourer, whom he had little knowledge of, he knew with certainty that Shrouding Fog was an entity that the present him couldn¡¯t deal with. On top of that, it was known to currently be in its active phase. If any of the cmities were going to attack him, it was the likeliest candidate. But after careful thought, he didn¡¯t think that he would be attacked by Shrouding Fog, at least not in the short term. There was a simple reason behind his conclusion: distance. The Six Cmities had the ability to travel around elusively, but that didn¡¯t mean that they could simply appear out of nowhere. There was a limit to how fast they could travel from one ce to another, and Tark Stronghold was a long way from Rosa. Humankind had expended a huge amount of resources to find Shrouding Fog following the disappearance of Tark Stronghold, but it was unable to find even the slightest trace of it. From that, it was safe to say that Shrouding Fog had gone into hiding at a remote location. This tranted to additional recuperation time for Roel. After havinge to the conclusion that he wouldn¡¯t encounter any danger for the time being, Roel suddenly felt another wave of fatigue washing over him. His eyelids slowly drooped as his mind began to nk. Momentster, he drifted into a deep sleep. ¡­ By the time Roel opened his eyes once more, the scenery outside the window had already turned into that of a setting sun, casting a red overglow inside the bedroom. Unlike the first time he woke up, there weren¡¯t any doctors and maids rushing in and out of his room, which made the ce look more spacious than ever. The same couldn¡¯t be said about his bed though. There was an auburn-haired woman lying asleep next to him. She had long eyshes that fluttered along with the breeze, cherry-colored lips that moved rhythmically with her breathing, long hair that scattered over the pillow, and fair skin that entuated her features. She was beautiful. Charlotte Sorofya¡¯s abrupt appearance on the bed didn¡¯t surprise Roel at all. What did surprise him, however, was her bandaged body and the ongoing spells invoked upon her. Roel grimly lowered his head. It wasn¡¯t too hard for him to guess that she had received those injuries back when she barged into the vortex of curses to save him. Those ongoing spells were probably some sort of ritual to replenish her life force. Roel¡¯s life force had remained at a critically low level despite having recovered from his external injuries, so the Rings of Symbiosis had been constantly siphoning life force away from Charlotte to sustain him. He knew that Charlotte had no qualms transfusing her blood and life force to him, but it broke his heart to see her in pain because of him. Heaving a deep sigh, he did a quick introspection of his own condition and confirmed that he wouldn¡¯t be in any danger even if he stopped taking any more life force from Charlotte. While doing so might weaken him and slow his recovery, there wouldn¡¯t be any huge issues. Charlotte has already suffered enough over the past few months. She shouldn¡¯t have to experience any more pain after recovering from her curse. With such thoughts in mind, he reached for the ring he had been wearing on his finger and tried to take it off. He could touch the ring just fine, but the moment he tried to pull it off, there was an immediate outburst of light. A hand suddenly shot forth and firmly grabbed his wrist. ¡°Darling, what are you doing?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s body froze up at that familiar voice. He stiffly turned his neck over and found himself faced with a stern-looking Charlotte. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out who the culprit behind the earlier outburst of light was. Charlotte had secretly embedded a spell into the ring in advance, figuring that he would attempt to take off the ring to reduce her burden. To be frank, Roel hadn¡¯t expected such a move from her, and being caught in the middle of an attempt to remove the ring left him feeling oddly guilt-ridden. Nevertheless, he persisted in his stance after some thought. ¡°Charlotte, you¡¯re awake. I¡¯m fine now. I think we should pause the effects of the ring for the time being.¡± ¡°Liar. You can¡¯t even stand up yet. That¡¯s not how I¡¯d define ¡®fine¡¯.¡± ¡°My life isn¡¯t in danger anymore. I can slowly recover my life force. You shouldn¡¯t put your body under strain when you have only just recovered yourself,¡± Roel persuaded her. ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte found herself unable to refute Roel¡¯s words. There was indeed no need for them to continue sharing life force with each other, but she didn¡¯t want to do what was ¡®rational¡¯ here. She wanted to help him as much as she could, and she knew of a way to convince Roel not to take off the ring. ¡°You were the one who proposed to me with these rings, saying that they are proof of our mutual love. How could you even consider taking it off? Have your feelings for me already started to fade?¡± ¡°N-no, of course not! How could that possibly be true¡­¡± ¡°You should prove it with your actions,¡± Charlotte said with a resolute look on her face. ¡°This¡­¡± Roel was bbergasted. He had never thought that Charlotte would actually use his own words to corner him on this issue. He would have to be out of his mind to dare take off the ring after Charlotte had gone as far as to ckmail him with their rtionship. He could only exhale softly and release his fingers from the ring. Chapter 507.2: Charlotte’s Desire (2)

Chapter 507.2: Charlotte¡¯s Desire (2)

Charlotte¡¯s heart lightened up when she saw that she had sessfully persuaded Roel to do her bidding. His vexed expression made her lips curl in glee. She slowly snuggled herself into his arms. Her movements were gentle and careful in view of Roel¡¯s poor health, but the sentiments behind her gesture were clear. Feeling her warmth, Roel caressed her hair. Even though neither of them said a word, they seemed to be silentlymunicating their mood and thoughts to each other. Lying in her lover¡¯s arms, Charlotte thought about everything they had been through over the past few months, and she suddenly felt a lump in her throat. She opened her arms and tightly embraced him. He responded by gently stroking her back. Being targeted by the Six Cmities was the worst nightmare anyone could have¡ªit was no different from receiving an advance notice from Death itself. There were moments when she felt so helpless she simply wanted everything to end. Yet, they managed to turn things around and achieve a different oue with theirbined efforts. Their confrontation with Flooding Death was now a thing of the past, and the two of them were now out of danger. Still, the two of them had bottled up so many emotions over the past few months that they needed to vent. Even thinking about the other possible oues was more than enough to frighten Charlotte. She started sobbing against Roel¡¯s chest, and it took a while before she finally calmed down. As she wiped the tears from her eyes, she abruptly dropped a bomb. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s have a child.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was so surprised by the sudden suggestion that he couldn¡¯t react at all. He could only blink his eyes nkly as he tried toprehend the situation. Thinking that he didn¡¯t hear her clearly, Charlotte repeated herself. ¡°Darling, let¡¯s have a child.¡± ¡°No, I heard that the first time, but¡­¡± Roel wasn¡¯t sure how he should respond to her suggestion. He did hear about how the flux of emotions experienced in the wake of surviving a crisis would bring about a strong urge to bear offspring, but he wasn¡¯t in a good condition for that, and neither was Charlotte. Sensing his awkwardness, Charlotte stared at him for a moment before she finally grasped his thoughts, which made her face turn utterly red. ¡°I-I¡¯m not saying that we should do it right now! We should at least wait till we¡¯re in a better condition first!¡± ¡°Y-yeah, that¡¯s what I was thinking too. I really don¡¯t have any strength right now. Perhaps a few dayster might be better¡­¡± ¡°Having the strength for t-that is one thing, but what¡¯s more important is our health¡­ Actually, I asked the doctors about it. They told me that we should both be in our best condition in order to bear a healthy child.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel looked at Charlotte¡¯s earnest expression and fell silent. It finally registered to him that she was truly serious about this. This was not the first time she had expressed her interest to have a child, but that was in a dark period where she was already resigned to her fate and simply wanted to leave a child behind as a proof of her existence. Things were different this time around. She truly wanted to bear the crystallization of their love. Roel felt an incredible whirl of emotions within him. He stared at Charlotte with such heated eyes that it left her feeling embarrassed. ¡°Y-you also know that it won¡¯t be easy for me to get pregnant. It might take longer than expected if we don¡¯t start preparing now¡­ Your father might also acknowledge me once we have a child,¡± Charlotte worriedly exined. While it was fortunate that the two of them had safely ovee the crisis together, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Roel had nearly lost his life trying to save her. There was no way Carter would be pleased learning about the matter. Carter had never shown a favorable attitude toward her. She knew how much Roel cherished his family, which was why she wanted Carter¡¯s acknowledgement. It would be a huge step backward if this incident worsened his impression of her. However, things would be different if she were to bear Roel¡¯s child. It was a man¡¯s duty to protect their expecting fianc¨¦e, even at the cost of their life. This held particrly true in the Ascart House, which had always been thin on offspring, and especially so with Roel being the only descendant in his generation. Carter himself had no intention of having any more children, so he entrusted all hopes to Roel. Despite his disapproval of Charlotte, there was a good chance that he would immediately jump ships once she became pregnant with Roel¡¯s child. Roel also looked a little conflicted when he thought about how Carter might react to this matter. Charlotte put her hands on her abdomen and worriedly remarked. ¡°Darling, the women of our Sorofya House have always had difficulties expecting, and I possess the Primordial High Elf Bloodline on top of that. It might end up taking us a long time¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I told you before that Peytra would be helping us, didn¡¯t I?¡± Roel replied before murmuring contemtively under his breath, ¡°¡­ Our child, huh?¡± He started frowning as if he had thought of something, which drew in Charlotte¡¯s curious gaze. He hesitated for a brief moment before carrying on. ¡°Charlotte, there¡¯s something I need to tell you.¡± Chapter 508.1: A Life for A Life (1)

Chapter 508.1: A Life for A Life (1)

Despite being one of the most prominent ns on the Sia Continent, the Sorofyas knew next to nothing about their own lineage. Seven hundred years ago, after the Six Cmities destroyed the Sofya Kingdom, the high elf lineage went under the radar for a long time. It was already centuriester by the time the Sorofyas came to prominence as an economic powerhouse. The sharp intuition for money intrinsic to the High Elf Bloodline allowed the Sorofyas to easily achieve sess in their business dealings, and they quickly became the most affluent house on the Sia Continent. Unfortunately, they had already lost much of their high elf heritage by then, resulting in their weak military mightpared to the Sofya Kingdom, which was known as a naval powerhouse. That was why Charlotte¡¯s return from the Witness State with the high elf lineage¡¯s lost spells and technologies was a huge deal. Not only did it fill the nk te of the Sorofyas¡¯ heritage, but it also significantly enhanced Rosa¡¯s military prowess in all aspects. Even so, the Sorofyas remainedrgely ignorant about their lineage¡¯s history. Their rtionship with the Six Cmities was a good example of that. ¡°Administrator?¡± ¡°Yes, that was the responsibility of the high elves back in the ancient era. That¡¯s also the reason Jewel Magic is able to suppress the Six Cmities.¡± ¡°That means that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s no coincidence that you and Uncle Bruce were cursed by Flooding Death. In the worst-case scenario, the cmities mighte after you too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± On the bed, Roel shared the information he had just deduced with Charlotte. She was initially startled by the revtion, but her expression soon turned grim. Many things that didn¡¯t make sense to her were finally clicking together. She did think that it was weird how Isabe Sofya, despite only being an Origin Level 2 transcendent, was able to seal off cier Creator. While cier Creator wasn¡¯t in its strongest state then, the Six Cmities were unstoppable entities that had brought down countless ancient civilizations. These destroyed civilizations were bound to have resorted to every means they had at their disposal, only to fail in the end. It didn¡¯t make sense for an Origin Level 2 transcendent to have sessfully sealed off one of the Six Cmities, even if it was just an egg. If what Roel had deduced about the High Elf Bloodline was true, everything would make perfect sense. However, there was one minor detail that bothered Charlotte¡ªit was odd for Roel to suddenly mention this when they were in the midst of discussing the matter of their offspring. ¡°Darling, the reason you¡¯re telling me all of this¡­ does this have something to do with our child?¡± ¡°You can say so.¡± Roel carefully chose his words before sharing his conjecture with Charlotte. ¡°While a transcendent can only awaken to one bloodline, both your High Elf Bloodline and my Kingmaker Bloodline have a strong suppression effect on the Six Cmities. Abination of those two might lead to something unprecedented.¡± Roel continued his exnation by stating two possibilities. One, their offspring could awaken to the High Elf Bloodline. That wouldn¡¯t be a big issue since the Kingmaker Bloodline was practically useless unless awakened, making their offspring the same as any other member of the Sorofya House. Two, their offspring could awaken to the Kingmaker Bloodline. This could be something huge. Unlike the Kingmaker Bloodline, the High Elf Bloodline had intrinsic properties that could be described as racial traits. It was simr to how the offspring of a human and a dragon would possess some dragon traits, even if they didn¡¯t awaken to their Dragon Bloodline. One of the racial traits of the High Elf Bloodline was affinity for Jewel Magic. In other words, if Roel and Charlotte¡¯s offspring awakened to the Kingmaker Bloodline, the world might find itself with a transcendent who wielded both the Crown Origin Attribute and high-level Jewel Magic. With thebined prowess of the ancient gods, Jewel Magic, and the two bloodlines, that transcendent would practically be the nemesis of the Six Cmities. That would be a force that could potentially crush even mature cmities! There was no way the cmities would tolerate such an existence. Even if they were unable to discern the intricacies regarding the union of the Ascarts and the Sorofyas, it was a safe bet to assume they had a sharp intuition for potential threats. ¡°Recently, I have been wondering if Sire Darkness truly attacked the Golden Fleet in order to save cier Creator¡¯s egg. There have been no known precedents of the cmities cooperating with each other, so I can¡¯t help but doubt its true purpose. Is it be possible that¡­¡± ¡°Darling, are you saying that¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes slowly widened in shock. Seeing that she had caught his drift, Roel didn¡¯t borate. What he was proposing was the possibility that Sire Darkness'' true target back then wasn¡¯t cier Creator but the one attempting to seal it off. It was trying to stop the union of Winstor Ascart and Isabe Sofya out of fear of the offspring that could be born between them. If that spection was true, Roel and Charlotte would surely face even more attacks from the Six Cmities in the future, and it wouldn¡¯t end until one of them died. Roel didn¡¯t voice that aloud because he didn¡¯t think that there was enough evidence to back up his theory, but Charlotte was able to guess most of it herself, causing her to clench her fists in unease. Noticing her worries, he tried to console her. ¡°These are all my spections. I might be thinking too much into it. In the first ce, we haven¡¯t been able to make sense of the rtionship between the Six Cmities yet. It is entirely possible that they are telepathically linked to each other, and Sire Darkness was simply seeking to rescue cier Creator¡¯s egg.¡± ¡°But looking back on the history of our ns, the cmities only strike whenever members of our ns have intimate contact with each other. That¡¯s the case for Isabe and Winstor¡­ and it¡¯s the same for you and me. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too much of a coincidence? Even if it¡¯s really just a coincidence, what about our child then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte looked at Roel, her eyes brimming with worry. Thetter fell silent. Regardless of whether the Six Cmities had the sharp intuition to detect potential danger, the fact that their child would be a natural nemesis of the Six Cmities meant their fight with those ancient monsters would continue to the next generation. It was inevitable that their child would be implicated in it as well. Roel gave the matter some thought while gently stroking Charlotte¡¯s hair to console her. Under her worried gaze, he slowly replied. ¡°Catching the attention of those ancient monsters in an era of peace would have spelled a catastrophe, but things are different in our present era.¡± ¡°Our present era? Are you referring to the invasion of the deviants?¡± ¡°That, and the Tripartite Alliance¡¯s apocalyptic prophecy too.¡± Roel contemtively looked out of the window as he recalled the contents of the records preserved in the Knight Kingdom. Chapter 508.2: A Life for A Life (2)

Chapter 508.2: A Life for A Life (2)

¡°ording to the ancient apocalyptic prophecy, humankind is already reaching its final years. This can be seen just by looking around¡ªthe Savior and the Mother Goddess are awakening from their slumber, and the Six Cmities and the deviants are wreaking havoc everywhere. ¡°With the apocalyptic prophecy slowlying to be, humankind has started uniting to fight these irrationalities. In times like this, those who wield the power to suppress the Six Cmities like us will be valued more than ever. We¡¯ll be granted the highest level of protection, for we are humankind¡¯s hope in oveing this ordeal,¡± exined Roel. ¡°You¡¯re right! Most people would have turned a blind eye to our plight if it had happened during a peaceful era, but if our strength proves to be vital to ensuring the survival of humankind¡­¡± Hearing that the entire humankind would be backing them was highly galvanizing to Charlotte. Roel nodded in acknowledgment of her words. Had this happened before the disappearance of Tark Stronghold, before humankind had a clear glimpse at the danger posed by the Six Cmities, Roel and Charlotte would have likely been doomed to deal with the Six Cmities by themselves. No rational leader would devote their resources to protecting two strangers, after all. But everything changed the moment Tark Stronghold and its hundred thousand troops vanished to the colossal mouth of Shrouding Fog. Humankind panicked upon learning what the Six Cmities were capable of. They were forced to categorize them as a major threat. These changing circumstances meant that Roel and Charlotte were far more important than they used to be. As the only ones known to be able to curb the Six Cmities, the other countries wouldn¡¯t dare to turn a blind eye to their plight. Otherwise, they would be the next ones to fall. ¡°If a confrontation with the Six Cmities is inevitable, at least it¡¯s happening in this era. Furthermore, the awakening of the Mother Goddess could be an opportunity to resolve this problem once and for all,¡± said Roel. Neither Roel nor Charlotte could ept the notion that their descendants would live under the constant fear of being hunted down by the Six Cmities. The fact that the Six Cmities were a conceptual existence meant that they would eventually regenerate, even after being killed. For that reason, their ancestors could only passively retaliate against the Six Cmities whenever they appeared. However, the awakening of the Mother Goddess, the origin of the Six Cmities, could spell an opportunity for them to get rid of those ancient monsters once and for all. ¡°I don¡¯t want our children to have to go through the same things we did. I want to pave the way for them to lead a peaceful life. That¡¯s what my goal is, and I¡¯ll make it happen no matter what it takes,¡± Roel vowed. ¡°But darling, is it¡­ possible? The Mother Goddess has been a supreme existence since the ancient era,¡± asked Charlotte. ¡°To be frank, I don¡¯t know. We know too little about the Mother Goddess¡­but it¡¯s at least something we can slowly work toward.¡± Roel tightened his arms around Charlotte as he gazed at the distant sky with uncertain eyes. Charlotte took some time to digest everything she had just learned. Then, she slowly shook her head as a smile reappeared on her face. ¡°I understand your concerns now, but that doesn¡¯t change my decision.¡± ¡°Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll protect our child together if those monsters ever seek to harm him. Isn¡¯t that the reason we¡¯re working hard now? Besides¡­ this is the only way I canpensate you.¡± ¡°Compensate me? For what?¡± Roel looked at Charlotte in confusion. Charlotte chuckled seductively upon hearing his question. With a slightly reddened face, she climbed onto his body and wrapped her hands around his neck. ¡°I can''t let the fool who nearly lost his life trying to save me go unrewarded. A life for a life. I¡¯llpensate you with one down here,¡± Charlotte whispered into his ear as she nced at her womb. ¡°!¡± ¡°Darling, your heart is beating really fast¡­ Are you that excited about having our child?¡± ¡°¡­ You only got that half right.¡± Looking at the charming woman hanging on his neck, Roel¡¯s lips curled up as he pulled her in closer. ¡°One is far from enough.¡± ¡­ What does it mean to recuperate in peace? Roel Ascart¡¯s interpretation of this concept wasrgely influenced by the knowledge of his previous world¡ªa bed surrounded by four white walls, a fruit basket on the bed side table, an IV drip inserted into the arm, and, god forbid, dreadful hospital meals. The Sia Continent didn¡¯t seem to follow the same conventions, at least based on what Roel was currently going through. For one, the concept of an IV drip didn¡¯t exist in this world of supernatural powers. There were healing spells, yes, but nourishment still had to be orally consumed. This typically wouldn¡¯t have been a problem, if not for the fact that doctors here paid zero attention to the taste when preparing tonics. He would be lucky if his tonic only had a charred taste, but over the past few days, he had tasted one with a mysterious bitter taste, one with a sulfuric stench, and all sorts of weird vors. To make things worse, the portions were, by no means, small. This was practically torture for a gourmet like Roel! He had thought that his breakthrough to bing a high transcendent had strengthened his constitution to the point where he could withstand most trivial issues, but a single sip of the Sia Continent¡¯s tonic proved him wrong. ¡°Uweh!¡± After retching for the umpteenth time in his attempts to swallow the tonic, Roel was forced to conclude that he was physically incapable of ingesting that biological weapon. So much for the adage that bitter medicine is good for you. On the other hand, Charlotte had refused to take the tonic right from the very start. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to simplybel her as a spoiled child¡ªshe had been through her fair share of suffering from a young age due to her responsibilities as a Sorofya. That being said, she had neverpromised on her quality of living before. That led to her being extremely picky when it came to food. Back when she was staying in the Ascarts¡¯ manor to research the Golden Fleet, she had grumbled more than once about how the Ascarts¡¯ cuisine didn¡¯t fit her pte. She imed that she wasn¡¯t able to eat much and that it was affecting her productivity. She even tried to bribe Roel to change the menu¡­ ¡­ and it worked. Unable to resist the allure of money, Roel shamelessly betrayed the ¡®salt gang¡¯ for the ¡®sugar gang¡¯. Sweetness became apulsory element in everything that was to be ingested, ranging from appetizers to main dishes, and even their tea as well. It was also during that time that Roel introduced the Ascart Fiefsom¡¯s sweet wine to her, which swiftly became her favorite alcohol. Quoting her words, ¡®Sweetness is the taste of happiness¡¯. With such a history behind her, it was to no one¡¯s surprise that she refused to consume the repulsive tonic. Grace and the others were understandably worried about it. Charlotte hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet, and it would pose a problem if she refused to eat her medicine. Thus, they approached Roel in hopes that he could do something about it. As a matter of fact, there was an exception to Charlotte¡¯s pickiness. Over the past month, whenever Roel personally fed her food, she would try her best to swallow it no matter how much she disliked it. The same ought to apply to the tonic too. Roel epted their request, knowing that it was all for Charlotte¡¯s sake. Unfortunately, he had underestimated just how potent tonic was. When he attempted to feed her the tonic, she did try to approach it despite the look of disgust on her face. However, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to ingest the horrid tonic. It got to a point where she began begging him to spare her with pitiful eyes. ¡°¡­ Wuuu. Darling, can I not drink it? Please, I really can¡¯t do it.¡± Roel¡¯s determination crumbled before her tearful face. ¡°Alright, alright. We shan¡¯t drink this anymore¡­¡± He quickly removed the awful tonic beforeforting her with his embrace. It was from then on that she got a free pass from the tonic. Chapter 508.3: A Life for A Life (3)

Chapter 508.3: A Life for A Life (3)

Even if Roel couldn¡¯t bear to force Charlotte to drink that biological weapon, that didn¡¯t mean that he was going to leave her to the lurch. Her body had piled up some problems over the past few months, so it was necessary for her to consume proper nourishment in order to heal up well. Fortunately, he had an alternative to the tonic¡ªhis System. The present era medical industry was severely underdevelopedpared to the countless civilizations that came before, meaning that there was a good chance that he could find something much better than the tonic in the System. Thus, he turned his attention toward the System and tapped into the Affection Points Exchange Shop. There was an immediate flood of notifications informing him of the Affection Points he had earned. Doing a quick calction, he was bbergasted to discover that he had earned a hulking 150,000 Affection Points! This was an astoundingly huge number, twofold of anything he had earned from his previous adventures! But again, it was reasonable considering this was thebined total he had earned over the past two months. He had plenty of sweet interactions with Charlotte, and the two of them even risked their lives for each other. It was only right for the sum to be this much. Thanks to Charlotte¡¯s generous contribution, he now had plenty of money to splurge on the Affection Points Exchange Shop. Being the opportunistic merchant it was, the System also threw in some sweet deals to loosen his wallet. ¡¾Flooding Death Crusade Commemoration Event Centuries of grudges have been passed down from one generation to the next. Today, you have grasped fate in your own hands and dispelled the curse of death, ushering in a blissful respite. 50% off selected items!¡¿ Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised to see that since the System always held simr sales when he overcame an ordeal. The discounted items were also mainly serums and recovery magic tools, things that he happened to be looking for. It didn¡¯t take long before something caught his eye. ¡¾Lobor High Potency Revitalization Serum Type IV This high potency revitalization serum should be consumed when one¡¯s mana is fully depleted. It repairs your mana pathways and restores your body back to tip-top condition. Make sure not to wear your favorite clothes when you use it! Side Effect: Heatiness in body Price: 30,000 Affection Points Discounted Price: 15,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡°This should work,¡± Roel murmured with a nod. Roel¡¯s problems were centered around his severe injuries, expended mana, andnguishing life force, but Charlotte¡¯s main issuey in the regression of her mana pathways fromck of usage for an extended period of time. The serum perfectly tackled her condition, not to mention that it was an established brand! In Lobor we trust! Having taken quite a few Loborian serums himself over the years, Roel was satisfied with the quality of their products. Their medicine tended to be on the strong side, but their efficacy deserved a triple A rating. What they promised, they delivered. Well, the Loborian series does have some hups at times¡­ but this is already the fourth edition! Surely a serum that had gone through several revisions should be reliable, right? Not to mention, the side effect is mere heatiness! WIth such thoughts in mind, Roel bought the ¡®Lobor High Potency Revitalization Serum Type IV¡¯. He was just about to back out of the Affection Points Exchange Shop when another item caught his attention. ¡¾Love God¡¯s Kiss This is the legendary serum that allows a couple to immeasurably expand their feelings for each other. Containing a drop of unicorn blood, it''ll power you through the entire night! Price: 50,000 Affection Points Discounted Price: 25,000 Affection Points¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± Roel silently stared at the heart-shaped bottle listed in the Affection Points Exchange Shop. He was moved. All men would understand what ¡®Love God¡¯s Kiss¡¯ was after reading its item description. It was a divine elixir for men, and it was hard not to be tempted by it. After all, who wouldn¡¯t want to be more¡­ beastlike? It was not that Roel thought he wascking on that aspect¡ªat the very least, he had been ferocious enough to overwhelm Charlotte¡ªbut it didn¡¯t seem like a bad idea to buy one and keep it for emergency usage¡­ It does look like a rare item, and there aren''t any side effects at all. After some hesitation, Roel awkwardly coughed twice as he discreetly scanned his surroundings before hurriedly tapping on the ¡®Buy¡¯ button. A sound effect from the System notified him that the purchase was sessful. With that, he concluded his little shopping spree. ¡­ Right after he purchased ¡®Lobor High Potency Revitalization Serum Type IV¡¯, Roel quickly headed over to Charlotte¡¯s room, hoping to have her drink it as soon as possible. Charlotte broke out into a beaming smile upon seeing him, but when she noticed the serum bottle in his hand, her face crumbled in horror. She looked at him withrge pitiful eyes as she silently took a step back. Roel didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at her reaction. He hurriedly waved his hand and exined himself. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it isn¡¯t from the medical team. It¡¯s my own medicine,¡± he assured her. ¡°Your own medicine?¡± Charlotte asked in surprise. ¡°I acquired it through my private channels. This serumes from an older era, but I can guarantee its efficacy.¡± Despite Roel¡¯s highly dubious exnation, Charlotte epted it without probing any deeper. She was aware that Roel had his own secrets, and it wasn¡¯t just once or twice that he had pulled antiques out of nowhere. Back when the Ascarts and the Sorofyas were working together to develop the southern mountainous area of the Ascart Fiefdom, he had brought out quite a few peculiar items that couldn¡¯t be found in the existing market but considerably sped up the process. Heck, even his Nine-headed Serpent Staff was a powerful ancient relic! Inparison to that, it didn¡¯t seem like a big deal for him to randomly pull ancient serums out of nowhere. Still, as much as she didn¡¯t want to snub Roel¡¯s goodwill, it would still be hard for her to swallow the serum if it tasted bad. This put her in a dilemma. Roel noticed the slight frown on her face and smiled. He uncorked the bottle, and a faint aroma wafted out from within. ¡°Hm? It has a pleasant scent.¡± ¡°Of course. I wouldn¡¯t speciallye here just to feed you something horrid,¡± Roel replied gleefully. Even though the item description revealed nothing about the serum¡¯s taste, he knew from prior experience that products from the Loborian series were all about consumer satisfaction. They had already taken subtler details such as taste into consideration. There was not a single Loborian serum he had drunk that tasted bad. Most of them reminded him of fruit juice or fine wine. Considering that the serum he had bought was already in its fourth edition, it was hard to imagine it would have an awful taste. And it would appear that his guess was on the mark. ¡°Shall we have the medical team inspect it first? We can call Grace over to take¡­¡± ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for it. I trust whatever darling gives me,¡± Charlotte replied as she epted the serum from Roel¡¯s hands. Roel first went through the serum¡¯s side effects with her so that she wouldn¡¯t be rmedter on, especially since he knew how extreme the side effects could get. Charlotte spent a moment in thought before she dismissed her maids and pulled Roel into the bathroom together with her. She figured that she might have to externally cool herself down since the serum¡¯s side effect was heatiness, so she decided to just take off her clothes first and decide what to do next. If the heat was worse than she thought, she would quickly take a cold bath. Roel agreed with her n. The two of them quickly made some preparations. Once everything was in ce, Charlotte uncorked the serum and gulped down the sweet-smelling medicinal fluid. Seeing as her face didn¡¯t scrunch up, the vor seemed to be eptable to her. Momentster, her breathing hastened and her body started to redden. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m feeling really hot¡­¡± ¡°You should quickly get into the bath.¡± ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not what I mean¡­ I think we misunderstood what ¡®heatiness¡¯ meant¡­¡± By this point, Charlotte¡¯s face was already as red as an apple. She stared at the clearly confused Roel in frustration, but her shyness held her back. Eventually, she couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore and embarrassedly pointed at her own womb. ¡°It¡¯s heating up here.¡± Chapter 509.1: Unbreakable Promise (1)

Chapter 509.1: Unbreakable Promise (1)

There was amon saying that all medicine contained some degree of poison in them. Having a medicine that worked wasn¡¯t enough; it had to have minimal negative side effects too. No one would take fever medicine that gave them heart failure. In Roel¡¯s previous world, most medicine simply contained small amounts of toxins that impeded the normal functioning of the body in high concentrations, but things were far moreplicated in the Sia Continent. Medicine here could have the weirdest side effects, so it was of utmost importance to take prudence. That being said, how in the goddamned world was I supposed to know that ¡®heatiness¡¯ had a deeper connotation to it?! Watching as the bright-red Charlotte squirmed ufortably on the spot, Roel felt blood gushing into his head. Not even in his wildest dream could he have imagined ¡®Lobor High Potency Revitalization Serum Type IV¡¯ having such a side effect! Now that he thought about it, the function of the revitalization serum was to re-energize a body that had atrophied from a long period of mana depletion. The high potency of the serum greatly reduced the recovery time, but it also generated a fierce rebound effect. The extent of rebound could range from mild to extreme depending on the degree of atrophy for individual physical functions. This heralded an important question¡ªWhich one of Charlotte¡¯s physical functions had atrophied the most over the course of her affliction? The answer? Her reproductive function. Contrary to how it was shown in melodramas, a patientnguishing from a terminal disease rarely had the strength for their thoughts to run wild. Their body would divert energy away from nonessential functions so that it could focus on recovering from the ordeal. One of these nonessential functions was reproduction. Having a child was thest thing anyone needed when they were already knocking on death''s door. Furthermore, one¡¯s reproductive ability directly corrted to one¡¯s life force. Charlotte¡¯s reproductive ability was bound to be affected when her life force was withering from Flooding Death¡¯s curse. That also led to a lower sex drive. In fact, Roel and Charlotte hadn¡¯t had any unions since their night of passion. It was not that there was a problem in their rtionship but rather that their bodies simply didn¡¯t allow for it. So, when Charlotte downed the serum and revitalized her physical functions, her natural instincts as a woman kicked in stronger than ever, instilling in her an unbearable urge to reproduce. One could say that this was an inevitable side effect of the serum. Roel gulped down his saliva, tempted by the charming woman before him. There was just one teeny tiny problem¡ªhis body was depleted on the inside. He hadn¡¯t even recovered from his severe blood loss yet, so how could he do it in his current state? ¡°Darling, I¡¯m feeling really hot in here. I¡­¡± Charlotte said with a furious blush. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand. Leave it to me.¡± Even so, Roel epted the mission with great resolve. All men should understand how severe blood loss undermined their ability down there, but he couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye when Charlotte was suffering. He had to grit his teeth and rise up to the asion. I was the one who gave the serum to Charlotte, and she drank it without any hesitation out of trust for me. It¡¯s only right for me to settle the problem I¡¯ve caused. It btedly dawned on Roel that it was no coincidence that ¡®Love God¡¯s Kiss¡¯ appeared in the shop listing along with the serum. The System intentionally bundled them together knowing that this would happen! While Roel didn¡¯t pay close attention to the other kinds of medicine in the shop, he had a strong feeling that their side effects were simr to ¡®Lobor High Potency Revitalization Serum Type IV¡¯. Before Charlotte¡¯s eyes, he took out the heart-shaped bottle and gulped down half of it. Its taste was nowhere as pleasant as the Loborian serums¡ªit had an iron taste due to the infusion of unicorn blood¡ªbut its effects were immediate. His blood started to race as soon as he swallowed the fluid. A gush of searing heat flowed into his brain, causing him mild light-headedness. Looking at the beautiful woman standing before him, his intense feelings for her overflowed before running wild like an unbridled unicorn. ¡°D-darling, what did you just drink?¡± asked the innocent Charlotte. ¡°It¡¯s an antidote,¡± Roel replied with a smile. His answer only further confused her. ¡°An antidote? For what?¡± ¡°For your side effect.¡± Roel stared lovingly into her emerald eyes as he caressed her cheek. Then, without any warning, he hoisted her up. A night of unbelievable wonders was about to begin. ¡­ It was no secret that Charlotte wanted a child¡ªshe had already said so herself. There were many reasons behind that, be it her desire to form a family or to earn Carter¡¯s acknowledgement, but the most important factor was her deep love for Roel. It was because she loved him that she wanted to have his child. But that wasn¡¯t something easy for them. The infertility of high elves was a high hurdle to ovee, which was why the Primordial Earth Goddess had offered her help. She knew that if she didn¡¯t intervene in the matter, this couple that had gotten together under her watch could very well live out their lives without having a child. ¡°Did it not work this time too?¡± ¡°¡­ Mmhm.¡± On a sofa in the study room, Charlotte lowered the magic tool in her hand, her face clouded with disappointment. Roel heaved a quiet sigh. Under the additional drive of medicine, the two of them went at it for the entire night. With the help of ¡®Love God¡¯s Kiss¡¯, Roel was able to showcase his usual prowess, striking with a ferocity that left Charlotte bed bound for quite a while. That satisfying night they had filled Charlotte with expectations. The rebound effect from consuming the revitalization serum had vastly improved her condition, and her life force was much higher than their first time too. Theoretically speaking, she should have stood a much better chance this time around. She was so excited that she did a test as soon as she got out of bed, hoping for some good news. Unfortunately, reality was never that convenient. Her constitution wasn¡¯t a problem that could be ovee with love and passion. Knowing that words wouldn¡¯t be enough to assuage Charlotte¡¯s disappointment, Roel walked up to her and tightly embraced her. She was initially dazed by his silent embrace, but she soon buried her face into his neck. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, darling. I¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. There¡¯s nothing for you to apologize about. We both knew from the start that it wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°But¡­ we worked so hard for it. It might have already been a sess if it had been anyone else.¡± ¡°Charlotte, you are the person whom I want to have a child with. Besides, have you forgotten that we both took medicinest night? A child born under such circumstances might not turn out healthy.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± Charlotte slowly nodded her head, having found Roel¡¯s argument convincing. That alleviated her disappointment a little. Seeing that, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. He gently stroked her auburn hair and continued consoling her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t put too much stress on yourself. I haven¡¯t been able to restore my connection with the ancient gods due to my mana deficiency, but once I¡¯m in a better state, I¡¯ll talk to Peytra and figure out a solution.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Lord Peytra¡¯s blessing?¡± ¡°Mmhm. It should significantly boost our chances. You should know that you aren¡¯t the only one anxious about having a child; it¡¯s the same for her too,¡± Roel replied with augh. He gently pulled her up to her feet and led her to the dining room for breakfast. Following that, the two of them had their medical check-ups as demanded by the medical team. Both of their conditions had more or less stabilized, meaning that it was time for them to advance to the second phase of treatment. Medical experts from all over the Sia Continent would be carrying out localized treatments to speed up their recovery. Thanks to the serum she drank the day before, Charlotte¡¯s condition was much better than the medical team had expected. Inparison, Roel wasn¡¯t recovering as well, particrly due to overexerting himself the previous night. The keen-eyed medical team figured out what had happened, and they subtly advised him to focus his energy on recuperating until he fully recovered. Roel cooperated without anyints, being the one who had requested to hasten their recovery. He was in a rush, and the reason for thaty in the swirling ck vortex outside the window. Days had passed since Roel defeated Flooding Death, but the curses left in its wake showed no signs of dissipation. On the contrary, they had started to spread outward, blighting nearbynds. While this was a disaster in the making, it also spelled an opportunity to Roel. The vortex of curses was a potential Crown¡¯s Stone in the making, containing the power of Flooding Death. He had even received an option from the System to assimte it, but he had been in a terrible condition ever since he defeated Flooding Death. It would be too risky to attempt an assimtion until his body was faring better. To make an analogy, it was as if he had a spread of delicaciesid out before him but he was too ill to eat them. To make things worse, there was a chance that this spread of delicacies could draw flies over. Based on what he had previously theorized, Flooding Death¡¯s demise could potentially draw the other cmities over, be it through telepathicmunication or under the Mother Goddess¡¯ orders. He knew he wasn¡¯t strong enough to deal with the other members of the Six Cmities yet, especially Shrouding Fog, so he wanted to avoid a confrontation with them. Thus, he intended to quickly assimte the Crown¡¯s Stone and make a getaway. He ryed his intention to the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team, who adapted their ns to fit his needs. We¡¯ll do everything we can to heal you up to the minimum threshold required for you to safely assimte the Crown¡¯s Stone. As for the other problems, we¡¯ll slowly deal with them afterward. Under the professionalism of the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team, Roel soon recovered enough to proceed with his n. Chapter 509.2: Unbreakable Promise (2)

Chapter 509.2: Unbreakable Promise (2)

¡­ Actually, there was no need for Roel to do anything in preparation for the assimtion of the Crown¡¯s Stone. Based on his past experiences, the System conveniently settled everything for him. Even so, he remained vignt about the matter. He hadn¡¯t forgotten how close he came to death back when he absorbed cier Creator¡¯s egg. If not for Isabe turning fate in his favor, he might have just lost his life then. From that, he learned the System¡¯s assimtion aid wasn¡¯t foolproof, and that he had to remain prudent. ¡°Darling, do you really have to head in there? Flooding Death is dead, but its curses continue to linger. Wouldn¡¯t this negatively affect your health?¡± Under the starry night sky, Charlotte nervously stared at the swirling ck vortex, her uneasy hands fidgeting in front of her chest. Even though she had been unconscious during Roel¡¯s fight with Flooding Death, she was able to, as a high transcendent, instinctively discern just how terrifying the cmity was. Not to mention, the deathly aura emanated by the curses was not something she was foreign to. It was the very thing that had nearly taken her life not too long ago, after all. She had charged through the vortex of curses without any hesitation in order to save Roel, but that was in recklessness fueled by anxiety. Now that she was in a calmer state, what she felt toward the vortex was mostly fear. If she could have her way, she would have long dragged Roel as far away as possible. However, she knew how important the Crown¡¯s Stones were to him, so she was trying her best to suppress her anxiety and not get in his way. Keenly noticing her dilemma, Roel turned toward her and yfully squeezed her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll have to head in there to absorb the Crown¡¯s Stones. Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°Mmhm¡­¡± Charlotte replied with an honest nod. Roel chuckled. He nced at the vortex of curses behind him and made a suggestion. ¡°Why don¡¯t we enter together?¡± ¡°Together?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t have to be alone when absorbing the Crown¡¯s Stone. You have been in there once, right? It¡¯ll be fine since your High Elf Bloodline grants you some immunity toward the powers of the Six Cmities.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Upon receiving the abrupt invitation, Charlotte turned to look at the ck vortex with fearful eyes. It was rare for someone as decisive as her to be put at a loss, but those who knew what she had been through would be able to understand her hesitation. It pained Roel to see her in such a state, but he chose not to interject. He didn¡¯t invite Charlotte to enter the vortex of curses with him just because he wantedpany. Rather, it was because he had noticed the mental trauma this incident had left her with. There had been some anomalies in Charlotte¡¯s behavior in recent days, such as her reluctance to open the windows or look outside the carriage. Whenever he carried her to the windowsill, she would nestle in his chest and avert her eyes from the vortex of curses. Her fear was understandable, but it was a luxury they couldn¡¯t afford right now. With the Mother Goddess¡¯ awakening, the Six Cmities would only grow more active with time. As the inheritor of the Primordial High Elf Bloodline, Charlotte would likely have to confront the other cmities in the near future, and he wouldn¡¯t always be right by her side. It was one thing if her trauma was directed only toward Flooding Death, but it would prove to be troublesome if her fear spilled over to the rest of the Six Cmities as well. Roel thought that it was best to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. He wasn¡¯t a psychiatrist who could counsel her out of her fears, so the only solution he knew of was to encourage her to confront her trauma head-on. He would stay by her side and protect her, showing her that there was nothing to be afraid of. ¡°You don¡¯t need to do anything. You just have to stay with me. It might take a while though,¡± said Roel. ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°At least a few hours.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel looked at Charlotte and patiently waited for her answer. Charlotte stared at the cursednd before her. Her breathing unknowingly hastened and her body stiffened up. It was a difficult choice for her to make. Time quietly slipped by. The tranquil moon shone upon the couple as their standstill continued. The maids waiting for them from afar looked at one another worriedly, not understanding why they weren¡¯t moving. Amidst this silence, Roel¡¯s determination started to waver. Should I just let it go? It was cruel to force Charlotte to face her fears, especially when it had only been days since she was freed from the curse. Her physical reactions reflected the mental distress she was facing. Roel didn¡¯t have the heart to put her through this. But before he could say anything, Charlotte took two deep breaths and gave her answer. ¡°Alright, darling. I¡¯ll apany you,¡± she said. ¡°Are you¡­ really fine with it?¡± asked Roel. ¡°To be honest, I am terrified¡­¡± Charlotte felt the crystal ring she wore on her finger, and her eyes slowly firmed up. By the time she finally raised her head to look at Roel, there was a smile on her face. ¡°¡­ but we made a promise. A promise to face everything together.¡± ¡°Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°Shall we get going, darling?¡± Charlotte channeled mana into her Golden Soul, and it swiftly swelled up to form a barrier around her. She took the lead to enter the ck vortex of curses. ¡­ Oveing oneself had always been viewed as the hallmark of self-improvement, but it was easier said than done. Doing so required one to challenge their limits and break down their mental barriers. Emotion was a hurdle that mortals struggled with, even talented prodigies. Be it envy, anger, or fear, the multitude of emotions that mortals experienced often stood in the way of their goals. Charlotte¡¯s fear for Flooding Death was not at a superficial level, but she was willing to confront it due to an even stronger emotion¡ªher love for Roel. Amidst the pitch-ck swirling vortex of curses, Roel and Charlotte walked together with interlocked fingers under the light of the Golden Soul. After walking together for some distance, Roel was finally able to put his heart at ease. Charlotte¡¯s hand initially trembled out of extreme nervousness, reminiscent of a terrified child entering water for the first time. But shortly after entering the vortex, her High Elf Bloodline detected the aura of the Six Cmities and retaliated against the surrounding curses. Her body started to emanate a faint glow that warded off the curses, ensuring her safety even if she removed her Golden Soul. The realization that she wasn¡¯t helpless against Flooding Death slowly eased her tension. She continued to observe her condition while venturing deeper into the vortex, and the fact that nothing happened built up her confidence. Before long, she was even able to sh Roel a smile. A whileter, the two of them stopped at the area with the highest concentration of curses. Roel gestured to Charlotte with a nod, and thetter walked a distance away. He then turned to his System and saw a familiar notification popping up. ¡¾The System has detected a mutated Crown¡¯s Stone. Conducting a preliminary assessment of its tier.¡¿ ¡¾System Evaluation: Assimble¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾The user may face potential danger absorbing the mutated Crown¡¯s Stone. Activating Assimtion Support System.¡¿ ¡¾Estimated cost of the Assimtion Support System: 100,000 Gold Coins¡¿ ¡¾Would you like to proceed with the assimtion of the mutated Crown¡¯s Stone?¡¿ ¡¾Yes/No¡¿ Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up when he saw the price charged by the System once more. This is cheaper than I thought. A hundred thousand gold coins was not a small sum, but this was much cheaper than the other Crown¡¯s Stones he had assimted. cier Creator had cost him 300,000 gold coins and Tempest Caller a whopping 400,000 gold coins. However, it did make sense when he thought about it. cier Creator and Tempest Caller had been alive when he assimted them, albeit in egg form. They were bound to struggle against the assimtion process, thus significantly increasing the difficulty level. In contrast, he hadpletely broken down Flooding Death, to the point where it was nothing more than a carcass. What he was doing now was nothing more than recycling its body, so the price was naturally lower. Roel carefully looked through the System notifications once more before tapping on the ¡®Yes¡¯ option. With this, he began assimting Flooding Death into his third Crown¡¯s Stone. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Assimtion Support System activated.¡¿ ¡¾Collecting Flooding Death.¡¿ Following the System notifications, the vortex of curses started furiously converging upon Roel, slowly devouring him whole. It was a familiar sensation to what he had experienced in his previous assimtions, so he wasn¡¯t too worried about it. However, he soon noticed something he had never seen before appearing in his mind. Chapter 510.1: Our Ancestors’ Conclusion (1)

Chapter 510.1: Our Ancestors¡¯ Conclusion (1)

Assimting the Crown¡¯s Stones had never been easy. The process remained torturous even with the System¡¯s help. cier Creator nearly froze him to death. Tempest Caller dted his perception of time to the point where every minute felt like a year to him. The mental strain was so severe that it affected his biological function, causing his hair to grow longer. Those two experiences lowered Roel¡¯s expectations regarding the assimtion of the Crown¡¯s Stones. All he hoped was for nothing to go wrong. To his relief, the assimtion of Flooding Death started out peaceful, possibly due to theck of organized resistance from the deceased cmity. Halfway through, however, foreign memories suddenly flooded his mind. These memories were severely fragmented and disordered, and it swiftly induced an intense migraine in him. His mana pulsations also became erratic. Charlotte noticed the pained frown on his face and grew anxious. ¡°Darling, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°There¡¯s¡­ a bit of a problem. Don¡¯t worry¡­ I can handle it,¡± Roel assured her through gritted teeth. He turned his attention back to the inflow of memories and quickly figured out that they belonged to Flooding Death. He had no idea how an ancient monster made out of curses could have the capacity to store memories, but he instinctively understood their value. The Six Cmities were destroyers who had decimated countless civilizations over the course of history. Innumerable intelligent races had utilized everything at their disposal to investigate those terrifying monsters but to no avail. The only thing they uncovered were legends stating that they had originated from a being transcending the gods¡ªthe Mother Goddess. How did those cmitiese about? How do they mature? What are their unique traits? No one had concrete answers to those questions, but these were information Roel needed to know in order to deal with the Six Cmities. Knowing that Flooding Death¡¯s memories potentially contained information about the Six Cmities¡¯ weaknesses, Roel dived into its memories and began browsing through them. This process was hardly pleasant at all¡ªit felt like things were being stuffed into his brain. Nevertheless, due to Flooding Death¡¯sck of consciousness, he was able to smoothly acquire its memories. Much to Roel¡¯s surprise, Flooding Death¡¯s memories were more boring than he had expected. Flooding Death spent the majority of its time either drifting across the air, gazing upon the earth from above, or lying in wait in an unknown mountain valley. It showed no signs of hunting behavior whatsoever, leaving many doubts about how it grew. Roel was leaning toward the theory that it fed on the mana in the environment, which was also the main viewpoint held by academics. The Six Cmities were intangible beings without a digestive system, which meant that they couldn¡¯t absorb any nutrients even if they did hunt down prey. There also wasn¡¯t anything in the world that could supply them with an endless supply of energy to grow other than mana. Of course, the severe fragmentation of the memories meant that the information Roel received wasn¡¯t fully urate. It was also possible that Flooding Death did hunt prey to grow, just that it wasn¡¯t reflected in the memories. Other than that, Roel noticed that Flooding Death had a peculiar quirk. That fellow likes the moon? Looking at the silvery moon from Flooding Death¡¯s perspective, several theories emerged in Roel¡¯s mind. There was no question that the moon was a special existence to the Six Cmities, given how the Mother Goddess had previously gazed upon him through the moon. Even so, the frequency of which Flooding Death looked at the moon was oddly high. Is it waiting for orders? Or does moonlight be nutrients for these cmities too? Roel tried expanding on that line of thought, only to let out a deep sigh momentster. Putting aside whether his conjecture was right or not, the moonlight was a natural phenomenon that humans didn¡¯t have the power to interfere with. Even if it did provide nutrients to the Six Cmities, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about it. Roel shook his head and continued browsing through Flooding Death¡¯s memories. At some point, the memories began transiting from sceneries of the ground and the moon to silent darkness. What¡¯s going on? Do the Six Cmities get grounded too? Roel frowned. He considered the situation and soon deduced a possibility. While Flooding Death¡¯s memories were highly disordered, they seemed to be mainly yed in a reverse chronological order. This silent darkness could be its memories prior to leaving the ancient remnant. Having figured out a usible reason, Roel patiently waited for the silent darkness to fade away, but to his bewilderment, the darkness continued for far longer than he had expected. The pitch-ck environment reminiscent of an incarceration dungeon was suffocating to him, slowly dousing whatever motivation he had. Stress was umting in him, but he was unable to stop the flow of memories as he was in the midst of assimting the Crown¡¯s Stone. This stifling memories of silent darkness continued for an entire hour. By then, Roel¡¯s attention was already waning, and he even felt a little sleepy. The only information he could deduce from this was that Flooding Death had gone into a long period of hibernation. The location was probably the ancient remnant Bruce and Andrew had explored back when they were still adventurers. It was just that these pieces of information were disappointingly not of much value to Roel. As hemented theck of useful information, there was a sudden change in the memories. The abrupt change in the scenery from darkness piqued Roel¡¯s attention, and he soon found himself faced with an unexpected figure. ¡­ ck curses whirled furiously above a blightednd, stirring up an even stronger vortex. Charlotte¡¯s face paled at that sight. Her instincts were telling her to flee, but when she looked at the ck-haired man standing in the eye of the storm, her erratic heartbeat slowly calmed down. The glow she emanated also intensified in resonation to her feelings. It was torture to her to be standing at the heart of the curses, but it was a different story if her lover was here with her. It wasn¡¯t just because he could distract her from the surroundings, but that she didn¡¯t want him to face this ordeal all alone too. Roel¡¯s observation was on point¡ªshe was indeed frightened of thisnd of death left in the wake of Flooding Death. How could she not be afraid of those curses when she knew better than anyone else what they were capable of? But contrary to what Roel thought, she hadn¡¯t stepped onto thend because she had found the courage to confront her fear. Rather, it had been outshadowed by a greater fear. The memories of her suffering and despair from being constantly in a near-death state sent shivers down her spine, but that was nothingpared to the terror she felt when she thought she was going to lose Roel. In the nights after she had saved Roel, her dreams would always bring her back to the moment she saw him copsed in the darkness, his face pale and his body bleeding out. That horrifying sight was more than enough to jolt her awake, where she would find herself drenched in cold sweat and her heart palpitating in fear. That was why she refused to allow Roel to enter this ursednd that had nearly taken his life all alone, even when just the sight of the curses sent goosebumps up her arms. She hated how Roel was often getting injured while trying to protect others, only tock self-awareness about his health and safety. Yet, that might have been why she fell in love with him in the first ce. This left her increasingly protective of him. It calmed her heart just to see Roel safe and sound. She knew that she had made the right choice apanying him here. But at some point in time, the atmosphere around Roel started to change. He had a nervous expression when he first started absorbing Flooding Death, but excitement soon shone on his face as if he had noticed something. His excitement slowly died out to boredom, and now, he was looking awfully severe. Did something happen? Charlotte¡¯s heart pounded in unease. Something seemed to be happening to Roel, but there weren¡¯t any fluctuations in the mana. She was both confused and worried about the situation, but after a long moment of hesitation, she firmly held herself back from talking or approaching him. Those curses are dangerous, but they weren¡¯t able to curb darling back when they were alive¡ªthey probably stand less of a chance now that they are dead. But what does darling¡¯s reactions mean¡­ Chapter 510.2: Our Ancestors’ Conclusion (2)

Chapter 510.2: Our Ancestors¡¯ Conclusion (2)

While Charlotte was trying to figure out the situation, Roel was standing amidst the curses with a grim look on his face. He was indeed not in danger despite the curses converging on him. The System¡¯s assimtion of the Crown¡¯s Stone was also proceeding smoothly. What had left him with a heavy heart was Flooding Death¡¯s memories. He was shocked by what he had just seen, but he knew that this wasn¡¯t the time for him to stop and process the information yet. He had a feeling that Flooding Death¡¯s memories would dissipate once it was fully converted into a Crown¡¯s Stone, making every second here precious. Knowing that, Roel pushed himself to continue browsing through the memories despite feeling a little overwhelmed. This continued until the System notification popped up. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾User has sessfully assimted the Crown¡¯s Stone.¡¿ ¡¾Shutting down Assimtion Support System¡¿ ¡¾Loading ability information¡­¡¿ The fragmented memories came to an abrupt halt before receding like an ebbing tide. Roel slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that the surrounding mana concentration had drastically fallen. The curses that had been so dense that they were almost tangible had thinned considerably. The sky also became visible, though the night had already given way to the day. Rays of light shone down on Roel, warming his body. A distance away, Charlotte looked much calmer than she was yesterday. Upon realizing that he was done assimting the Crown¡¯s Stone, she began making her way over. ¡°Darling, are you done?¡± ¡°Yes, it took longer than I thought. My apologies, I kept you waiting the entire night.¡± ¡°Really. Aren¡¯t you supposed to be thanking me at a time like this instead?¡± retorted Charlotte. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Roel rubbed his temples and portrayed a light-headed expression, almost as if he was asking for her understanding. ¡°Thank you for protecting me through the night, Charlotte.¡± ¡°Is that all? Don¡¯t you think that a gentleman ought express his gratitude through his actions instead of¡­ Ah? W-wait! Darling!!¡± Before Charlotte could finish her provocation, Roel had already scooped her up with his arms. Startled and embarrassed, she struggled to break free with a reddened face, but Roel paid her no heed and started making his way out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Charlotte? Didn¡¯t you just say that a gentleman ought express his gratitude through his actions?¡± ¡°W-well, I don¡¯t mean for you to do it right away!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in a habit of dragging things out.¡± ¡°¡­ Y-you can¡¯t! There¡¯s a lot of people out there. It¡¯s embarrassing¡­¡± Charlotte tightly clutched onto Roel¡¯s clothes as her reddened ears quivered in embarrassment. Her shy demeanor was so adorable that it made Roel¡¯s heart skip a beat. So cute. Unable to take the overload of adorableness, Roel was forced to avert his gaze. A few secondster, he nted a kiss on her forehead before putting her down. Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief. She shot a sharp re at Roel and mumbled grudgingly. ¡°Darling, you can be really obnoxious at times.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My emotions are unstable from the things I saw earlier.¡± ¡°The things you saw earlier?¡± Charlotte remembered the severe expression she had seen on himst night. Roel hesitantly nodded in response to her probing. ¡°Mmhm,¡± Roel replied with a deep sigh. He suddenly looked so fatigued that Charlotte chose not to press the matter for the time being, instead suggesting for them to head back and take a rest first. Roel shed her a grateful smile. Grabbing her hand, the two of them made their way out of thisnd of death. Under the relieved smiles of the maids, they entered the carriage. ¡­ ¡¾Death Rain Induce a contagious cursed rain of death over a wide area that permeates everything thates into contact with it, slowly guiding them toward death. Side Effect: Decreased life force¡¿ In the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, Roel took a sip of tea while inspecting the information of his newly-assimted Crown¡¯s Stone. He had known that any ability he gained from Flooding Death was bound to be powerful, but he was worried about the side effect it mighte with. He had known from experience that the System¡¯s description could be unreliable, such as in the case of Time Devourer. Fortunately, the side effect this time around seemed straightforward enough. Overall, he was rather pleased with Death Rain, particrly with the fact that it covered a wide area. Unlike cier Creator¡¯s frost aura or Tempest Caller¡¯s pale yellow wind, Flooding Death¡¯s cursescked direct offensive prowess. On top of that, the curses needed time to grow in potency, and powerful transcendents couldst for a long time against it. From that aspect, Flooding Death¡¯s curses weren¡¯t very useful in a fight unless it boiled down to a battle of attrition, but under such circumstances, Time Devourer and its ability to siphon away a target¡¯s time would be much more effective. What Death Rain truly excelled in was its ability to span a huge area, its contagion, and its ability to permeate through everything. That was exactly what Roel wascking at the moment, making it a huge asset to him. Having obtained a powerful ability should have been joyous news, but Roel couldn¡¯t bring himself to smile at all. He was too affected by the memories of Flooding Death he had seen earlier. ¡°Darling, what did you see earlier?¡± Charlotte noticed that there was something on his mind and worriedly asked. Roel frowned in dilemma, but a few momentster, he heaved a deep sigh. He took some time to organize his thoughts before he began exining. ¡°Charlotte, do you remember where Flooding Death came from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the ancient remnant where my father has once explored during his adventuring days, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Flooding Death dide from there, but do you know why it was hibernating there in the first ce?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Roel gave her some time to ponder over the matter before he finally revealed the answer. ¡°Someone imprisoned it there.¡± ¡°What?¡± Before Charlotte¡¯s widening eyes, Roel began to exin what he had seen earlier in Flooding Death¡¯s memories. Last night, after a prolonged drowsiness-inducing dark screen, Flooding Death¡¯s memories suddenly turned blurry, possibly because the memories were from a farther time period away. Amidst the blurred images, Roel could vaguely make out some voices speaking in human speech. Knowing that there could be vital information here, he continued watching the fragmented memories with heightened attention. Much to his astonishment, he soon discovered the reason Flooding Death was hibernating in the ancient remnant, as well as the culprit behind it. ¡®Collector¡¯ Kaldor Arde. ¡®Collector¡¯ was one of the titles used within the Twilight Sages Assembly. It was taken by Kaldor Arde, a highly talented transcendent awakener of the Kingmaker Bloodline who wielded the power to utilize Crown¡¯s Stones. Same as Roel, he had acquired his first Crown¡¯s Stone from fighting against the Six Cmities, and he devoted himself to researching them from then on. That was all of the information Roel knew about Kaldor Arde. He didn¡¯t even know what thetter looked like. He was only able to recognize Kaldor Arde from Flooding Death¡¯s memories due to a certain scene he had witnessed. Under a starless night sky, from the gemstone it was sealed in, Flooding Death saw a beautiful woman with iridescent eyes paying a visit to a golden-eyed man, and the two of them had a private conversation. That woman with iridescent eyes couldn¡¯t be any more familiar to Roel¡ªAstrid Arde. This scene reminded Roel of the words Astrid had told him in the Witness State. ¡°It¡¯s one of your ancestors, Kaldor Arde. Just like you, he was a prodigy with the ability to absorb the Crown¡¯s Stones. He came under the alias of ¡®Collector¡¯ in the Twilight Sages Assembly. I chanced upon him in the waning years of the Second Epoch. Back then, he was the core member of the team dealing with the Six Cmities.¡± Roel¡¯s heart thumped in agitation upon confirming Kaldor¡¯s identity. As someone who had devoted himself to dealing with the Six Cmities, Kaldor was likely to know much more about those ancient monsters than Roel did. He might know of some way to deal with the Six Cmities and even the Mother Goddess. Knowing that their conversation could contain crucial information, Roel pricked up his eyes and listened closely to them. But what he picked up on instead was the uneptable conclusion that Kaldor hade to. ¡°The Mother Goddess is an existence being that can¡¯t be defied.¡± Chapter 511.1: You Pass As a Father! (1)

Chapter 511.1: You Pass As a Father! (1)

Just like how every effect had a cause, every conclusion had its own reasons too. Roel was excited when he saw his distant ancestors from over a thousand years ago through the eyes of Flooding Death, but he couldn¡¯t ept the conclusion that Kaldor Arde hade to, especially when it hade out of nowhere. He figured that Flooding Death was probably sealed in a gemstone back in that segment of its memories, simr to Tempest Caller¡¯s egg. The seal had greatly limited the information it could gather from its surroundings, which, in turn, also limited what he could learn from it. To be fair, he did agree with Kaldor¡¯s conclusion to arge extent. While he didn¡¯t have a clear idea of how powerful the Mother Goddess¡¯ was, the Six Cmities was a glimpse of Her power. The downfall of countless civilizations over the course of history had shown that it was nigh impossible to curb the Six Cmities, let alone the Mother Goddess. In the first ce, mortals weren¡¯t born with the strength to oppose gods, not to mention a being that transcended the gods. Anyone with any semnce ofmon sense wouldn¡¯t have made an enemy out of the Mother Goddess. Unfortunately, that was already a null option for Roel. He had eliminated three of the Six Cmities and assimted them as his Crown¡¯s Stones, making it impossible for them to reconcile anymore. The Mother Goddess had bared Her hostility toward him on multiple asions, suggesting that he was already on Her hit list. Furthermore, ording to the prophecy made by the Tripartite Alliance, the awakening of the Mother Goddess and Savior would destroy the entire world. That was an oue that they had to prevent at all costs. That being said, Roel harbored some doubts regarding what ¡®Collector¡¯ Kaldor Arde said. Kaldor had crossed paths with the Six Cmities on numerous asions just like Roel, but the difference between themy in the fact that Kaldor had the Twilight Sages Assembly behind him. It was worth nothing that the Twilight Sages Assembly was an exceedingly powerful organization back in the Second Epoch, wielding a tremendous amount of resources. It was even able to reinforce the Chaos Dream to seal off the Savior, albeit with Astrid¡¯s sacrifice. This made Roel wonder just what could have led Kaldor toe to the conclusion he did. His intuition told him that the answer to the question would change how he looked at the Mother Goddess and the Six Cmities, but it was a pity he wasn¡¯t granted the relief of a convenient answer. Kaldor didn¡¯t borate on this to the very end¡­ or it might be more exact to say that Flooding Death had no memories of that. This was disappointing to Roel, but nevertheless, he was able toe up with conjectures of his own. Looking at the frowning Charlotte, he wrapped his hands around his warm teacup and shared his thoughts. ¡°The first possibility is that it¡¯s impossible for us to stand up against the Mother Goddess, likely due to the vast gap in our strength. The Mother Goddess was a dominant existence that ruled over everything back in the ancient era, towering above the gods. It¡¯s doubtful if Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns stands a chance against her at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s usible. What about the second possibility?¡± said Charlotte. ¡°The second possibility is that there might be apelling reason why we shouldn¡¯t go against the Mother Goddess.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Charlotte was perplexed to hear Roel¡¯s second conjecture. She spent a brief moment in thought before posing questions of her own. ¡°Darling, didn¡¯t you say so yourself that a conflict with the Mother Goddess is inevitable? If your earlier deductions hold true, the rest of the Six Cmities will be constantly after our lives regardless of our will. It has never been our choice whether to take this fight or not.¡± ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s why I¡¯m also confused by Kaldor¡¯s words¡­ but now that I think about it, not going against the Mother Goddess doesn¡¯t necessarily mean getting on friendly terms with Her,¡± Roel muttered contemtively. ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible for two hostile parties to grudgingly join hands to deal with amon enemy, like say¡­ the Savior.¡± Those words sent Charlotte into deep thought. It was true that Roel and the Six Cmities had deep grudges between them, having fought on several asions, but from a historical perspective, the one whom the Ascarts harbored greater enmity for was instead the Savior. The mastermind behind the Ardes¡¯ downfall back in the Second Epoch was none other than the Savior¡¯s worshipers. Even to this day, the Fallens were still keeping a close eye on the Ascarts, keeping them in check while awaiting for the final key they needed to release the Savior¡¯s seal. Thinking about this put Roel in a forlorn mood. He could still remember how powerful and affluent the Ardes had been, based on what he had seen from Veronica Arde¡¯s memories. Yet, all of it faded away as if sandcastles before the tides of time. All that was left in the once glorious Kingmaker n was just Carter and him. Even from the perspective of humankind as a whole, their greatest empire and most prosperous era had been unraveled by the Savior¡¯s worshipers back in the Second Epoch. The current humankind was a mere shadow of its past self, still struggling to recover to its previous glory. On top of that, based on what Roel had gathered thus far, the invasion of the deviants was deeply linked to the awakening of the Savior. That was a major threat for humankind that had been ongoing for centuries, and it could potentially lead to their extinction. Even if the Six Cmities were destined to unleash an apocalypse, the Savior had most definitely caused greater devastation to humankind up to this point. If Roel had to point out the greater evil here, the Savior was definitely leading in the race. ¡°We know with a high degree of certainty that the Mother Goddess and the Savior are hostile to each other. There are records of that in the archives, and the Ardes probably knew about them much more than we do. ¡°No matter how powerful the Ardes were, there was no way they could deal with the Savior and the Mother Goddess simultaneously . It might be a good strategy for them to seek an implicit alliance with the Mother Goddess and focus their efforts on getting rid on the more dangerous Savior first,¡± Roel analyzed. This was the most persuasive reasoning he could think of other than the first possibility, but Charlotte disagreed with him. ¡°My apologies, darling, but I can¡¯t agree with your second conjecture.¡± ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°I do agree that the Savior poses a greater threat to humankind in the short run, but if we look at the longer term, the Six Cmities are the ones who have been destroying entire civilizations throughout history. They are the greater threat here, and the many destroyed civilizations in history can bear testimony to that. ¡°We also can¡¯t overlook the possibility that the Mother Goddess and the Savior are keeping each other in check here. If you kill the Savior, it might enable the Six Cmities to do as they please. Besides, you said so yourself¡­ those ancient monsters are targeting our child,¡± Charlotte replied firmly. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. Charlotte Sorofya, as the sessor to the Sorofya House and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, was one of the leaders of humankind. She harbored deeply enmity toward both the deviants and the Savior for the suffering that they had brought upon her people. But above that, she was a woman and a future mother. No mother in the world could tolerate harm befalling their child, and it was the same for her too. She wouldn¡¯t take a single step back on this matter. Regardless of whether the Savior and the Mother Goddess were keeping each other in check or not, they were both ticking time bombs that needed to be dealt with as soon as possible before they destroyed humankind. It went without saying that it would be easier to deal with one rather than two, and the Mother Goddess seemed to be the lesser evil at the moment. However, as long as the Six Cmities posed a threat to her child, Charlotte would view the Mother Goddess as a mortal nemesis that had to be eliminated as soon as possible. This divergence in viewpoints meant that Roel would have to make a choice here. Chapter 511.2: You Pass As a Father! (2)

Chapter 511.2: You Pass As a Father! (2)

He looked at Charlotte and saw nervousness on her face. Her hands were ced over her womb, almost as if she was trying to protect her future child. The sight of that left him with a lump at the back of his throat. He quickly nodded his head and expressed his agreement. Charlotte was surprised to see that. ¡°Darling, you aren¡¯t going to follow your ancestor¡¯s n?¡± ¡°I never said that I was going to carry out that n. ns ought to be tailored to the circumstances. Kaldor was probably an incredible person to have been able to seal off Flooding Death, but that doesn¡¯t mean that his n is infallible.¡± Roel ced his teacup down and grabbed Charlotte¡¯s hands before continuing on. ¡°The Kingmaker n is in a vastly different state from before. Its days of glory have long passed, and I am its only awakener in the present era. Humankind is also nowhere on par to the golden age of the Ancient Austine Empire. We don¡¯t have the means to deal with the Mother Goddess or the Savior, be it together or individually. Besides¡­ I can¡¯t allow those ancient monsters to harm you.¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± ¡°From the moment the Six Cmities set their eyes on you, we¡¯re already fated to be enemies. There¡¯s also our child to consider.¡± Roel caressed Charlotte¡¯s cheek before leaning in to kiss her. The kiss calmed her down. Feeling cherished by Roel, a smile returned to her face. ¡°I¡¯ll at least give you a passing grade as a father.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only worth a passing grade? You¡¯re strict.¡± ¡°Of course. Even if it¡¯s you, I¡¯ll still get angry if you don¡¯t look after our child.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ I can already see our child growing up spoilt under your doting.¡± ¡°Who says¡­¡± Charlotte sharply refuted Roel¡¯s remark, but her face reddened a little out of guilty conscience. Roel shed her a helpless smile before pulling her into his embrace. The two of them relished in each other¡¯s warmth and heartbeat for a long time before slowly parting. Roel thought about the earlier conversation they had, and he suddenly became curious about something. He turned to Charlotte and asked. ¡°Just out of curiosity, if I had insisted on having an implicit alliance with the Mother Goddess to fight against the Savior, what would you have done?¡± ¡°I¡¯d ignore you until you change your mind.¡± ¡°You would? Are we going to sleep on different beds too?¡± ¡°Ah? P-probably not¡­ I mean, we have already been together for so long¡­¡± Roel¡¯s sudden question caught her off-guard. Charlotte averted her eyes awkwardly as she exined herself. ¡°While I¡¯d have been angry at you, I wouldn¡¯t break our promise¡­ Your body is not in a stable condition yet. It¡¯d be terrible if you suffer a rpse from any one of your conditions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching as the blushing Charlotte tried to exin herself in a fluster, Roel felt deeply touched. Now that he had finally resolved this issue, the exhaustion he had umted from browsing Flooding Death¡¯s memories overnight finally came settling in. ¡°Darling, are you tired?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head to sleep. Staying up overnight is still too much for our bodies to bear.¡± Charlotte noticed Roel rubbing his eyes and proposed turning in for the night. With their hands locked together, the two of them made their way to the bedroom andid down in each other¡¯s arms. Roel gave her a light kiss on her forehead before fatigue finally got the better of him. It didn¡¯t take long for him to fall deeply asleep. Charlotte listened to his rhythmic breathing and took in his warmth. The worries that had been weighing her down for the entire night seemed to have dissipate into nothingness. With a light heart, she swiftly drifted off to dreand too. ¡­ Ever since Roel assimted the remains of Flooding Death, the concentration of curses in Gsh¡¯s Basin had significantly plummeted. This was joyous news to the Rosaian schrs. The high concentration of curses amassed here and their gradual spreading to nearbynds had deeply worried the Rosaian schrs. They had tried organizing clean-up operations, but those proved to be not very effective. Even when Flooding Death was dead, its curses retained an unbelievably high level of immunity to spells. The only thing that worked was Jewel Magic cast by a transcendent possessing the High Elf Bloodline, but it went without saying that the Sorofyas couldn¡¯t possibly clear this gigantic mass of curses by themselves. Ignoring it was also out of the option due to the treacherous nature of Flooding Death¡¯s curses. Admittedly, Gsh¡¯s Basin wasn¡¯t part of Rosa¡¯s territory, and Rosaians weren¡¯t all that devoted to protecting the natural environment from degradation. What truly made them anxious was the nearby river that flowed down to Rosa¡¯s agricultural fields. Should Flooding Death¡¯s curses seep into the underground water, it could flow straight into Rosa¡¯s fields. That would have caused a huge catastrophe, for even the slightest wisp of the curses would have been fatal to an ordinary mortal. The Sorofyas would never have been able to tolerate something like that happening. It was truly fortunate that the curses had started to dissipate since Roel¡¯s intervention. What happened afterward bewildered the schrs. Just a night after the concentration of the curses started plummeting, they received an order for them to retreat from Gsh¡¯s Basin. Some of the schrs voiced their opposition, insisting that they ought to keep an eye on the situation lest the situation worsened without them noticing. However, Roel was firm about the matter. He ignored the schrs¡¯ protests and ordered the Diamond Rivi¨¨re to return to Rosa right away. He knew that the curses wouldn¡¯t be able to continue spreading after he had assimted Flooding Death¡¯s remains and there was no use cleansing and of death, though what was more important was the safety considerations here. Being gazed upon by the Mother Goddess was no joking matter. Roel had a feeling that the Six Cmities would take action soon though he didn¡¯t have a strong evidence behind why he thought so. He had to remain here previously in order to assimte the Crown¡¯s Stone, but now that he had aplished what he set out to do, he didn¡¯t want to stay here for even a second longer. Other than the threat of the Six Cmities, the Saints Convocation had also shown up during the battle with Flooding Death and fought with the Rosaian soldiers. In view of that, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy had justunched an all-out campaign against the Saints Convocation, and it was said they had already achieved some sess over the past few days. Even rabbits would bite back when forced to a corner. There was no saying what the evil cultists would do when they were cornered. In any case, Roel didn¡¯t have the spare time and attention to deal with them, so it seemed unwise for them to linger in the area. Kurt and the others from Rose of Dawn, who hade as reinforcement in the earlier battle, had already left with a sample of Flooding Death¡¯s curses after they had confirmed that Roel was out of danger. Thanks to that, Roel and Charlotte were able to enjoy their peace for thest few days, and there was no need for troublesome goodbyes. With that, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re finally embarked on its journey back home. Along the way, Roel and Charlotte continued receiving treatment from the medical team. Roel had grown significantly stronger after absorbing the Crown¡¯s Stone, reaching the peak of Origin Level 3. The replenishment of his mana also reinforced his physical body, reducing the frailty he suffered from his severe blood loss. Charlotte was particrly ecstatic about his recovery as it meant the restoration of his window with his ancient gods, most notably, Peytra. She finally understood just how difficult it was for someone of her constitution to bear a child after many attempts, and Peytra¡¯s blessing was the greatest ray of hope to her. Roel was also enthused about the return of his ancient gods, though the one whom he wanted to meet the most was someone else. Roel sat on a chair by his bedroom window and gazed at the night sky outside. In his hands were a beautiful auburn-haired woman with a flushed body, lying asleep against his chest. The room behind them was an utter mess. Looking at the exhausted but satisfied Charlotte, Roel picked up the emptied out ¡®Love¡¯s God Kiss¡¯ and exhaled deeply. He silently thanked the System in his heart. The frequency of their lovemaking had be much higher in recent days, especially because they were already returning to their respective positions. Charlotte had plenty of work to be done after returning to Rosa, so she wouldn¡¯t have as much free time anymore. More importantly, they wouldn¡¯t be able to share the same bed once they were back at Rosa. ¡°There are elders back at home. It¡¯s too embarrassing to share a room¡­¡± Charlotte said with a reddened face. While Roel had already proposed to Charlotte, they hadn¡¯t been through the proper formalities. It would be a breach of etiquette for them to share a bed at this juncture, especially with so many elders around them. It was under the pretext of Roel taking care of her that they shared a bed previously, so it didn¡¯t feel right for them to continue the arrangement now that the reason was no longer valid. Roel understood where Charlotte wasing from and reluctantly conceded on that. The knowledge that they would have to temporarily part ways caused their lovemaking to be even more intense and frequent. In truth, Roel was not in a good condition for that as he hadn¡¯t recovered from his blood loss yet, but he was fortunately able to maintain his dominant position thanks to the help of ¡®Love God¡¯s Kiss¡¯. Of course, he had to pay a hefty sum for ¡®Love¡¯s God Kiss¡¯, but he thought that it was worth it. While stroking Charlotte¡¯s auburn hair, his lips curled into an affectionate smile as he remembered the conversation he had with Charlotte a while back. After assimting the Crown¡¯s Stone, Roel had a talk with Charlotte about his ancestors¡¯ views on the Mother Goddess, and the two of them even had a discussion about that. However, that wasn¡¯t the only thing he had seen in Flooding Death¡¯s memories. Astrid wasn¡¯t the only visitor to Kaldor¡¯s ce. Many other people had visited him before her. Most of them appeared to be the descendants of other races from the Twilight Sages Assembly. Of them, there was one who stood out to Flooding Death. It was a woman with ck hair and golden eyes, traits that suggested that she was from the Ardes¡¯ main lineage. Her clothes, which were even more opulent than Astrid¡¯s, hinted at her high standing in the n. Unfortunately, her conversation with Kaldor was mostly blurred out, preventing Roel from figuring out her identity. Nevertheless, from the bits and pieces that he heard, Roel could tell that they were discussing something rted to the Savior. That was a topic that he was deeply interested in as well, so he paid close attention in hopes of catching some important information from it. Little did he expect to hear a familiar name from their mouths. Grandar. Chapter 512.1: I Killed Him (1)

Chapter 512.1: I Killed Him (1)

The giants were one of the more enigmatic races on the Sia Continent. Unlike the witches, the mystery shrouding the giants didn¡¯t stem from their ndestine way of life. Instead, it could be solely attributed to their early extinction. The giants were known to be a highly powerful race back in the distant ancient era, but they died out much earlier than the dragons and the angels. That led to a huge gap in knowledge about them. Nothing in the world erased glory better than time did. Not even a dominant race once feared by all could withstand the trial of time. With millennia fleeting by, there were no more than a small handful of records left about the giants in the present era, resulting in widespread ignorance and iprehension about them. It was no wonder the giants were often thought to be enigmatic beings. For that reason, Roel was surprised when he heard ¡®Collector¡¯ Kaldor Arde mention Grandar. He was aware that there were records on Grandar out there in the world, but those were highly inessible and unreliable. Even the descendants of the Giant Bloodline, despite their ability to peer into the history of objects, had plenty of misgivings about their distant ancestors. The Ardes would have to devote a huge amount of resources to researching the giants for them to have even heard about Grandar¡¯s name, and the fact that they did so meant something. While the Ardes had plenty of resources at their disposal, the apocalyptic beings they were up against didn¡¯t allow them the luxury of squandering their resources. They wouldn¡¯t put in so much resources into researching the giants for no reason, right? Other than that, Roel also discovered that the woman whom Kaldor was conversing with was likely to be a powerful transcendent. He could vaguely sense Flooding Death¡¯s fear of her. A transcendent that induced fear in Flooding Death couldn¡¯t possibly be a nobody, and two leaders of the Ardes wouldn¡¯t meet up and mention ¡®Grandar¡¯ over mere idle chatter. On top of that, there was a term that kepting up in their conversation that Roel was unable to ignore¡ªthe Savior. Grandar, the Savior, and the ck-haired, golden-eyed woman¡­ Those three figures floated in Roel¡¯s mind as he tried to fit them together like puzzle pieces, but it was to no avail. There was a missing link preventing him from making sense of the situation. He racked his brain to figure out what he was missing, and vo! He stumbled upon another key piece of information that had been lying dormant in the dredges of his memory. A long time ago, during his very first Witness State, back when he had just sealed a contract with Grandar, the Giant Sovereign had told him that he wasn¡¯t the first descendant of the Kingmaker Bloodline he hade by. Awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline could contract ancient gods summoned in their Witness State, but they typically couldn¡¯t determine who the summoned ancient god was. However, that problem could be resolved by having the awakener use the relic of the ancient god they wished to contract with as a summoning medium. However, that was also a gamble in itself. Roel had previously theorized that the summoning of ancient gods in an uncatalyzed Witness State wasn¡¯tpletely random. Rather, it was chosen based on the level of temperamentpatibility with the awakener. This would have greatly increased the chances of establishing a sessful contract. Choosing instead to summon a specific ancient god using a divine relic could greatly increase the risks of a personality sh between the awakener and the ancient god, thus decreasing the chances of establishing a sessful contract. Without the help of an ancient god, the already hellish difficulty of the Witness State would be further increased to an abysmal level. And that was already one of the better oues. If the awakener identally incurred the wrath of the ancient god, thetter might just outright kill them. It was also possible for the awakener to mistake the true origin of the divine relic and end up summoning a malevolent god who sought to sabotage them. In a sense, the randomizedpatibility-based summoning that Roel had been doing all this while might actually be the safest way toe into contact with ancient gods. The only downside to that was that it was highly luck-dependent. Not all ancient gods possessed great fighting prowess, after all. On that aspect, Roel was a three-time lottery winner. Be it Giant Sovereign Grandar, Primordial Earth Goddess Peytra, or Witch Queen Artasia, they were all powerhouses who dominated their respective eras. In particr, Grandar turned out to be unusually powerful. To be honest, Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised that Grandar had met a member of the Ardes. Had he been in their ce, he would have probably tried summoning Grandar too for the slim possibility that thetter might just lend him his overwhelming strength. However, reality had shown that ancient gods preferred someone they were fated with. Roel remembered Grandar telling him that a woman had visited him with one of his relics to request his help for an urgent matter, but he turned her down. Now that he thought about it, the rejection was only inevitable given Grandar¡¯s aversion toward calctive individuals with strong intentions. Putting that together with what he had seen in Flooding Death¡¯s memories, he was able toe up with a few conjectures. First and foremost, by taking into ount ¡®Collector¡¯ Kaldor Arde¡¯s time period and the fear disyed by Flooding Death, Roel already had a good idea as to who that woman was. Carolyn Ascart, the first matriarch of the Ascart House. Astrid had told him that the Twilight Sages Assembly had be fragmented near the end of the Second Epoch, but there were many smaller teams carrying out their missions individually. Of them, there were two teams that wielded the greatest power. One of them was the team seeking to resolve the threat of the Six Cmities. It was led ¡®Collector¡¯ Kaldor Arde. The other one was the alliance between Carolyn Ascart and the Ackermann Imperial Family. Such a background put Kaldor and Carolyn on equal standing with each other. This equal rtionship was reflected in how the two of them interacted with each other, be it their gestures, choices of words, or willingness to exchange ssified information regarding the Savior. It was not to say that the Ardes would put on airs when conversing with fellow n members, but the Ancient Austine Empire was a highly hierarchical society and the Ardes were a high noble house. This environment naturally led to those of lower stature to be conscious of their decorum when interacting with those of a higher stature, even within the n itself. Taking these into ount, Roel couldn¡¯t think of anyone else other than Carolyn Ascart who fit the bill here. Besides, the mention of the Savior in their conversation reminded him of something too. A few years back, during Saint Freya Academy¡¯s ¡®Night of the Demons¡¯, Roel learned from Ro Ascart¡¯s projection that the final emperor of the Ancient Austine Empire, Charles Ackermann, had tried to re-establish rtions with the Ardes¡¯ main lineage in hopes of dealing with the Savior¡¯s awakening and His worshipers. That was aligned with the goal of the woman in Flooding Death¡¯s memories, assuming that this piece of information was credible. While the downfall of the Ancient Austine Empire and the ensuing mass migration westward indicated the tragic defeat of humankind, they did manage to put the Savior back into deep sleep. It was only several years ago that He began showing signs of reawakening once more. With that, Roel had managed to figure out the rtionship between the woman and the Savior, but he still had no clue what kind of role Grandar yed in the grand scale of things. He had been very curious about Grandar¡¯s past for the longest of time, but the Giant Sovereign had lost most of his memories after his death. Asking him about his past was as futile as trying to question a patient suffering from dementia. However, just a year ago, Grandar appeared to have remembered something. Roel didn¡¯t know what Grandar had recalled, but he intuitively understood that it wasn¡¯t anything good, which was why he had refrained from asking about it. The reticent Giant Sovereign wasn¡¯t the type of person to proactively talk about it either. It was as if the two of them had implicitly chosen to sweep the matter under the rug. Unfortunately, humankind¡¯s circumstances only worsened as time went by. The Savior¡¯s worshipers had set their eyes on Roel. The Six Cmities entered their active phase. The Mother Goddess had awakened from her sleep. With all that was happening, Roel couldn¡¯t turn his eyes away from the important clue that was Grandar¡¯s memories anymore. ¡°I¡¯ll have to ask him about it since he wouldn¡¯t talk about it on his own ord,¡± Roel gazed at the starry sky above as he mtutered under his breath. He carried Charlotte to the bed andid down with her. Feeling her warmth in his arms, he closed his eyes and felt for the reinstating window of connection between him and the ancient gods. He clenched his fists and affirmed his determination. Fatigue soon settled in. He gently kissed Charlotte on her forehead before sumbing to his drowsiness. Chapter 512.2: I Killed Him (2)

Chapter 512.2: I Killed Him (2)

¡­ In a quiet room, Roel sat on a chair with his eyes closed as he immersed himself in the mana flowing inside his body. Several days had passed since the Diamond Rivi¨¨re left Gsh¡¯s Basin. The convoy had traveled at the fastest possible speed while maintaining the highest level of vignce, thus allowing them to re-enter Rosa¡¯s borders in just a few days¡¯ time. They quickly got onto one of the main roads and were currently on their way back to Rosa City. This was good news to both Roel and Charlotte. Even with an army of guards apanying them, it was still risky for them to stay in awlessnd. Those were ces where evil cultists and assassins could freely operate in since there was no one to keep them in check here, making it much easier for them toy traps or organize ambushes. In fact, many powerhouses throughout history had died on this chaotd. However, the situation was different now that they had entered Rosa. The presence of patrolling border guards made it much harder for their enemies to organize arge-scale attack, allowing the convoy to travel on the roads with ease of mind. Even if it dide under attack, they could quickly call for reinforcements from nearby military bases. What further ensured their safety was the recovery of Roel¡¯s mana pathways, which allowed him to re-establish his window of connection with his ancient gods. This was something both Roel and Charlotte had waited a long time for. The former wanted an answer to the doubt in his mind, whereas thetter wished to obtain Peytra¡¯s blessing. Roel gave the matter some thought and eventually decided to meet Grandar privately. To be frank, he didn¡¯t think that Grandar would mind even if he brought Charlotte with him, but this was a matter that concerned the Giant Sovereign¡¯s privacy, after all. It was better for him not to arbitrarily let others in on their conversation, including the other ancient gods like Peytra. He thought that this was the minimum level of respect Grandar deserved. The only issue was that he had no idea how he should talk to Charlotte about this matter, but to his surprise, thetter raised the matter of her own ord. ¡°Darling, I gave the matter some thought, and I think it¡¯s best for you to have a personal talk with Lord Grandar instead.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have walk in the gardens and leave the afternoon to the two of you. You can look for me once you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll prepare some desserts.¡± Charlotte leaned in and kissed Roel on the forehead before leaving the room, leaving thetter impressed by her meticulousness. Her sensitive nature and her high emotional intelligence allowed her to grasp the feelings of others, making her afortable person to be around. Touching the ring on his finger, Roel felt blessed to have won Charlotte¡¯s fancy. A momentter, he quickly adjusted his state of mind before channeling his mana to do some final reparations on his window of connection with the ancient gods. While it was possible for him to summon Grandar over, he thought that it was only right for him to pay thetter a visit when he was the one who had a question to ask. Once everything was ready, he slowly closed his eyes. By the time he opened his eyes once more, the elegant study room he was in had already been reced with a vast crimson ins. He found it this scenery deeply nostalgic as he hadn¡¯t been here for at least a year now. Unlike Peytra and Artasia, Grandar rarely called him over. Roel spent a moment reminisicing the familiar surroundings before he began heading down the path he remembered from his memories. Unlike the majesty of Artasia¡¯s city and the tranquility of Peytra¡¯s valley, Grandar¡¯s in carried the deste air of a battlefield. The crimson afterglow from the setting sun seemed to embody the lingering regrets and sorrows from the tragedies that had transpired. With such thoughts in mind, Roel continued marching on. Some timeter, a colossal figure came into his line of sight. A crimson glow reflected off the gargantuan body of the resting Grandar, inducing a peaceful yet mysterious atmosphere. At Roel¡¯s approach, the Giant Sovereign¡¯s empty eye sockets began gleaming as if awakening from his sleep. His massive head slowly tilted downward, and upon seeing Roel, the gleams in his eyes swiftly intensified. He began stretching his colossal body outward. Roel smiled at that sight. ¡°It has been more than a week since ourst meeting. How¡¯s your rest?¡± ¡°Not too bad.¡± ¡°It has been hard on you.¡± ¡°No, it was due to your sacrifice that we were able to defeat that cmity.¡± Grandar didn¡¯t ept the credit Roel was giving him in the battle. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have been able to fight with that monster without your frost aura.¡± ¡°That might be the case, but I couldn¡¯t have possibly won the battle with my frost aura alone. Without your powerful attacks, the battle would have ended as an unwinnable war of attrition.¡± ¡°I guess that makes it our victory then,¡± Grandar conceded. ¡°Hahaha! Indeed, we couldn¡¯t have defeated the Six Cmities without each other. It¡¯s our shared victory,¡± Roel replied with a smile. Grandar nodded at those words, expressing his agreement with them. Roel sensed that the Giant Sovereign was in a good mood, and he could understand why too. Defeating Flooding Death was not just a highlight of Roel¡¯s life; it was one of Grandar¡¯s most noteworthy battle aplishments too. It had always been Grandar¡¯s wish as a warrior to fight with powerful enemies, and defeating an enemy as powerful as Flooding Death even after his death was a glorious aplishment. It was a feat he could be proud of. Looking at the Giant Sovereign, who had be chattier because of his good mood, Roel was reminded of the shared feeling of aplishment whenever he sessfully raided a game boss with his party members back in his previous life. The two of them spent a while chatting about the battle before Roel finally dove into the main topic at hand. ¡°Grandar, I came here today because there are some questions I¡¯d like to ask you. I was able to peer into Flooding Death¡¯s memories while I was absorbing its Crown¡¯s Stone, and in one of them, I overheard my ancestors from over a thousand years ago mentioning your name¡­¡± Roel shared everything he had seen and heard in the memory fragment, and Grandar fell silent after hearing his story. A long whileter, the Giant Sovereign nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Yes, I believe that I have met that woman before. However, I haven¡¯t been able to sense the flow of time outside after my death, so I can¡¯t say for sure when the meeting urred. ¡°Do you remember what the woman told you?¡± ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t remember the details, but she was requesting for my help,¡± replied Grandar. The Giant Sovereign had been reluctant to interfere in the real world as a deceased individual, so he hadn¡¯t paid much heed to most matters prior to his contract with Roel. Roel expressed his understanding regarding that, having known that Grandar would do that given his personality. After setting the tone here, he finally got to the main matter at hand. ¡°Grandar, can you tell me about your life?¡± ¡°My life?¡± ¡°Yes, your life. I¡¯m just making a blind guess here, but you had some kind of rtionship with the Savior prior to your death, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Grandar fell silent at the question. It was such a straightforward question that anyone else might have been offended by it, but having known each other for many years, Roel knew that Grandar wouldn¡¯t take it that way. They had braved through so many dangers together that it had forged unwavering trust between the two of them. Rather, it would have been disingenuous of Roel to beat around the bush here. Not to mention, the forthright giants valued honesty much more than tactfulness. Grandar lowered his head and quietly stared at Roel for a long time. The light in his eyes flickered in uncertainty as he recalled the secrets that had been long buried in the sands of time. A long timeter, he finally began speaking. ¡°Frankly speaking, there isn¡¯t much that I remember about my life. However, if you¡¯re asking about my rtionship with the Savior, I do have the answer to that.¡± Roel looked almost nervous as Grandar took a momentary pause before revealing the answer. ¡°I once helped Him. You could say that I used to be a part of His faction.¡± ¡°!¡± Overwhelmed by the truth, Roel widened his eyes in shock. However, he quickly took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Grandar¡¯s revtion spelled the worst-case scenario for him, but he had considered this possibility beforehand and was mentally prepared for it. With the strength Grandar had disyed thus far in their battles, the Giant Sovereign was bound to be a powerful existence back in the ancient era as well. With the Savior and the Mother Goddess fighting each other for supremacy back then, there was no way the powerful giant race could possibly steer clear of the battle. He was bound to have to choose a faction. This was simr to how Charlotte¡¯s high elf ancestors had been the Mother Goddess¡¯ followers and had served as the administrators of the Six Cmities. Roel didn¡¯t think that it was worth pursuing what had happened in the past, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about the present. Thus, he raised his head and solemnly looked at the towering skeleton giant. ¡°Grandar, I believe that you¡¯re also aware that my n has an irresolvable thousand-year-old grudge with the Savior and His worshipers. I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s any room for reconciliation, and a battle is likely to be inevitable. I understand that this puts you in a difficult position, and if you wish to, I¡¯ll promise not to involve you in any battle against the Savior and his worshipers.¡± Roel calmly chose to entrust the decision into Grandar¡¯s hand, but much to his surprise, the Giant Sovereign shook his head and refuted his words. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. I can fight with the Savior and His worshipers. I¡¯m not on good terms with Him. It¡¯s the opposite, in fact.¡± Grandar¡¯s eyes flickered sharply. ¡°After all, I was the one who killed Him.¡± Chapter 513.1: Start With Ten Draws (1)

Chapter 513.1: Start With Ten Draws (1)

Roel felt like his emotions had just been put through an intense roller coaster ride. He had already mentally prepared himself for whatever responses Grandar could give him before he came here, but instead, he was taught a lesson that it was impossible to be prepared for everything. He was still worrying about Grandar being unable to participate in the uing battles just a second ago when thetter suddenly dropped a bomb on him. Grandar killed the Savior? What¡¯s going on?! Roel stared at the skeleton giant with bulging golden eyes. He had just heard something so unbelievable that he found himself at an utterly loss for words. Many doubts surfaced in his mind. He did have some notion about what kind of existence the Savior was despite having never personally experiencing His might. It was stated in the historical records that the Savior was a being that towered above the gods. His descent into depravity had spread chaos all over the world, and even the powerful angels and dragons were unable to escape from his influence. It was impossible to overestimate just how powerful the Savior was. While Grandar was also strong in his own rights, he didn¡¯t stand a chance against a being of the Savior¡¯s caliber. Not to mention, the Giant Sovereign¡¯s im that he had killed the Savior was imusible. Even now, the Savior was still alive and spreading his depravity around the world, evident in the invasion of the deviants and the Fallens¡¯ terrorism. Many races had to make huge sacrifices in order to quell the cmities induced by the Savior. In fact, the Chaos Dream that Astrid Arde had been protecting was made with the sole purpose of keeping the Savior asleep. Given so, how could the Savior possibly be dead? Roel looked at Grandar with questioning eyes, but he didn¡¯t refute thetter¡¯s words. While he was doubtful of the im, he knew from the prideful skeleton giant¡¯s personality that he wasn¡¯t the type of brag. If he said that he had killed the Savior, it must have happened one way or another. So, what could the cause of the discrepancy here be? With such a question in mind, Roel patiently waited for the Giant Sovereign to continue his story. Seemingly aware of the inconsistencies in his ims, Grandar paused for a brief moment before borating. ¡°I did kill the Savior, but only His body.¡± ¡°His body?¡± ¡°Yes. You can think of His body as a part of Him,¡± replied Grandar. Roel¡¯s eyes turned feverish as he realized that Grandar might know a way to deal with the Savior and the Mother Goddess. So, he anxiously enquired about the details, but thetter shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember the details of the battle anymore, but I am certain that I didn¡¯t remember it wrongly. It was a tough battle, as well as my final one,¡± Grandar remarked with a sigh. He cast a sweeping nce at his surroundings before sharing the memory he had recalled. ¡°I said that I killed the Savior, but I didn¡¯t do so under normal circumstances. He has already fallen into depravity by then.¡± ¡°Did you turn against the Savior because of His descent into depravity?¡± ¡°Yes, but it wasn¡¯t just me. My oldrades participated in the battle too, but they copsed under the powers of the depraved Savior. It was with everyone¡¯s strength that we eventually destroyed the Savior¡¯s body. All I did was to unleash the final strike.¡± Grandar gazed at the distant setting sun as he downyed the role he took in the battle. After hearing the story, Roel finally understood the significance of Grandar¡¯s realm. As a hobbyist historian, Roel had a deep interest in the crimson in that the Giant Sovereign dwelled in. The gigantic corpses partially buried in sand and the damaged swords indicated that it was the ruins of an ancient battlefield of the giants. However, what was perplexing about this was the absence of any enemies in the vicinity. Every single one of the corpses lying around belonged to the giants. This led him into thinking that the giants had staged an uprising against Grandar, the Giant Sovereign, and thetter ended up dying in the rebellion. However, he knew now that his previous spection was off the mark. This crimson in was actually the battlefield between the giants and the depraved Savior. That grim battle had dyed thend crimson with the blood of the giant warriors, and their ruler went into eternal rest. Even so, they still achieved an unprecedented feat that no one had in the history of the Sia Continent. WIth the power of a single race, they actually defeated the unimaginably powerful Savior and destroyed His body. This was a miracle in itself. However, they had to pay an extremely heavy price for that. Roel had never understood why the powerful giants had gone extinct so early on. Admittedly, the environment changes in the Sia Continent over time was hostile to the ancient races, making their eventual downfall inevitable. Even so, the dragons and the angelssted much longer than the giants despite being in the same position. But now, he finally knew the reason behind that¡ªmost of them had fallen on this battlefield. True to their tenacious nature as a race of proud warriors, the giants refused to surrender despite being up against an enemy whom they hardly stood a chance with. Again and again, they fearlessly charged at the supreme being beyond their reach, only to copse in droves under the setting sun. Their sacrifices weren¡¯t futile, however, as they paved the way for their ruler to unleash a decisive strike and clinch victory. But at the same time, it also marked the end of their kind. It was much more difficult for ancient races in the legends to reproduce aspared to humans. Losing so many people in a single battle had doomed them to extinction. There was just onest question in Roel¡¯s mind¡ªwhy did the giants have to single-handedly aplish the nigh impossible mission of defeating the Savior? The other intelligent races such as the dragons and the angels should have realized the dangers of the depraved Savior. It was improbable for them to be so short-sighted as to leave the giants to fight their own devices. After all, it wouldn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that they would be next after the giants fell. Are there reasons why the other races didn¡¯t make a move? Unable to figure out an answer to that question, Roel raised his head and posed the question to Grandar. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the dragons and the angels? Yes, they aren¡¯t able to make a move.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because they can¡¯te close to the Savior¡¯s body. They would sumb to depravity and lose their minds.¡± Grandar took a brief moment to recollect his thoughts before he borated. ¡°The severity of the Savior¡¯s corruption varies across the races. The effects of the Savior¡¯s depraved whispers on us were mildpared to the other races who contracted with the Savior earlier on.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that the giants are least affected by the Savior¡¯s depravity aspared to the other ancient races?¡± ¡°Yes. We were strong. We didn¡¯t have to side with anyone, so the terms of our contract with the Savior were loose. That¡¯s why we retained our rationality in spite of the Savior¡¯s corruption. Even so, if we didn¡¯t destroy the Savior¡¯s body, it¡¯s only a matter of time before we caved in too.¡± Grandar gazed at the distant setting sun and sighed softly. His voice seemed to carry the vicissitudes of life. ¡°That was our final chance. If we failed to defeat the Savior, all of us would have been consumed by his insanity. I¡¯m d we aplished our mission.¡± ¡°So, the Savior who is sleeping inside the Chaos Dream is a soul without a body?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. However, the loss of a body isn¡¯t a problem for the Savior. He¡¯ll have a way to recover it if He ever fully awakens from His slumber.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s face turned grave. He didn¡¯t think that the Savior would be such a troublesome enemy. Thews of the Sia Continent dictated that a living being ceased to exist upon the death of its body, and this held true even for gods like Grandar. Yet, the essence of the Savior¡¯s existence appeared to be His soul instead. Roel had never been able toprehend all the talk about how the Mother Goddess and the Savior were beings that transcended the gods. The notion of it was simply too vague to him. However, he was now wondering if the difference between Them and the other gods was in their souls. Even after losing His body and falling into a deep sleep, the Savior continued to exert tremendous influence on the world, which hinted at how powerful His soul was. This definitely wasn¡¯t good news to Roel since he possessed no means of vanquishing a soul. His forehead scrunched into a frown, but a momentter, he shook his head. He wouldter devote his time to investigating the new information he had just uncovered on the Savior, but he hadn¡¯t forgotten his primary goal foring here. His lips curled upward as he raised his head to look at Grandar. ¡°It looks like our goals coincide, Grandar.¡± ¡°This is fate. If He ever awakens, I¡¯ll make the same decision as I did.¡± ¡°You mean smash him into pieces?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Grandar¡¯s response was so calm that he could have very well been talking about what was on for breakfast instead. Roel sighed softly. ¡°You don¡¯t have yourrades fighting alongside you anymore. Are you still going to challenge Him despite that?¡± ¡°Sealing the Savior is the greatest achievement of us, giants. I must fight for our glory¡­ and I do have myrade with me.¡± Grandar stared straight at Roel with his glowing eyes as he spoke with a confident voice. Roel naturally understood what he was getting at too. ¡°You¡¯re talking about me? I¡¯m happy to hear that, and I do see you as myrade too, but I¡¯m all but one person. I don¡¯t think I can match up to the warriors who have once followed you.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Grandar shook his head. He looked at Roel and earnestly spoke, ¡°With you, I¡¯ll be far stronger than I used to be. You are not the same person that you were when we first contracted. You¡¯re already a powerhouse now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Grandar spoke in a tone filled with a warrior¡¯s respect and acknowledgment. Those were rare words of affirmation from the Giant Sovereign. Stunned, Roel fell silent. He recalled all of the difficulties he had faced in his arduous journey before he quietly nodded, choosing to ept hisrade¡¯spliment. He thought about the terrifying enemy that they were going to up against, and a fearless smile formed on his face. ¡°I see. Let¡¯s remake history together then, this time with just the two of us.¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± The ck-haired man and the towering skeleton giant met eyes and exchanged smiles, sealing a promise between the two of them. A gale blew across the crimson in as the setting sun started to blur out. As the surroundings gradually distorted, Roel bade his farewell. Under Grandar¡¯s watch, he slowly closed his eyes. Chapter 513.2: Start With Ten Draws (2)

Chapter 513.2: Start With Ten Draws (2)

¡­ Roel opened his eyes to an empty room. Looking out of the window, he noticed that the afternoon sun had dimmed considerably. He took a quick nce at the hanging clock and saw that two hours had passed since he fell asleep. Even so, he didn¡¯t rush to get up right away. Instead, he pinched the center of his brows to dispel his grogginess before slowly organizing the information he had gathered from the conversation he had had with Grandar. Without a doubt, he had gathered plenty of explosively shocking information from Grandar this time around. In particr, the knowledge about the cause of Grandar¡¯s death and his stance on the Savior had further deepened the trust between the two of them. It was a fruitful visit. After he was done organizing his thoughts, Roel looked at his hanging clock once more and knew that it was about time for him to head to his next appointment. There was more than one ancient god he had to visit today. Recalling the words Charlotte had said prior to her departure, Roel rose to his feet and headed to the sshouse where Charlotte was fond of having her tea at. Before he could enter the sshouse, a maid stopped him and informed him about the situation inside. ¡°Lord Roel, our young miss is asleep inside.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Roel replied with a nod. He spent a moment in thought before ordering the maid to bring a nket over. Three months had passed since he left Saint Freya Academy to chase after Charlotte¡¯s convoy, and the seasons had moved from autumn to winter. While Rosa had a warmer climate, being located closer to the north, the temperature would still plummet in thete afternoon. Worried that Charlotte might catch a cold, Roel took the nket from the maid and quietly entered the sshouse. He soon spotted Charlotte napping away on a soft reclining chair with Grace standing guard beside her. Grace acknowledged Roel¡¯s presence with a polite nod before she excused herself from the room. Her tactfulness left Roel feeling weirdly sheepish, but he didn¡¯t stop her from leaving. He slowly made his way toward Charlotte and soon fell in a daze staring at her. Even when dozing off, Charlotte¡¯s charms didn¡¯t diminish in the slightest. Her fair skin and exquisite facial features made her look like a delicately sculpted artwork, carrying the ir of a masterpiece. She gave off an air of tranquil beauty different from her usual graceful disposition, and it left Roel spellbound for a while. Fortunately, Roel was able to quickly snap out of his daze and recall his purpose here. He first assessed the temperature in the sshouse, which made him frown a little. It would have been an apt temperature for most transendents, but he thought that the temperature ought to be adjusted a little higher given that Charlotte had only just recovered from her illness. Thus, he opened up the nket and gently ced it on the sleeping auburn-haired woman. Much to his surprise, as soon as the nket touched her, Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes began to flutter open. The moment their eyes met, Roel¡¯s movements stiffened up and he subconsciously tried to apologize to her. However, before he could say a word, Charlotte had already leaned in to kiss him on his cheek. ¡°!¡± The sudden kiss left Roel dazedly blinking his eyes as he struggled toprehend what was going on. On the other hand, Charlotte calmly greeted him as if nothing was out of ce. ¡°Morning, darling.¡± Charlotte leaned back on the reclining chair and shed him a sleepy smile. Roel was both amused and charmed by her little gestures, and affection began pouring out of his heart. ¡°As much as I enjoyed the kiss, I¡¯m afraid that it isn¡¯t morning anymore.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Charlotte tilted her head in confusion at those words. Roel was in a dilemma, uncertain whether he should allow Charlotte return to sleep. To his relief, he didn¡¯t have to make the decision as her emerald eyes swiftly regained their spirit as she looked at Roel and the greenery around her. She quickly remembered something and muttered. ¡°If you¡¯re here¡­ it means that you have finished speaking to Lord Grandar?¡± ¡°Mmhm, we just ended our conversation not too long ago. The maid outside told me you¡¯re asleep, so I got someone to get a nket.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you, darling, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll continue sleeping.¡± Charlotte touched the nket on her as she thanked Roel with a smile. There was an expectant twinkle in her eyes when she heard that Roel was done with his business. ¡°So, we¡¯re going ahead with our original n to meet Peytra?¡± ¡°Yes, I wish to meet Lord Peytra.¡± Charlotte expressed her intention before calling for Grace. A few momentster, a group of maids marched into the sshouse and started tidying up her appearance. While Roel often interacted with Peytra in a casual manner reminiscent of family members, Charlotte believed that she ought to maintain a respectul attitude toward the goddess given that they weren¡¯t as close. Due to that, she was particrly fussy about her appearance. After half an hour of preparations, Roel finally released his mana to summon the Primordial Earth Goddess. ¡­ In Roel¡¯s previous world, it wasn¡¯t umon for couples to pay a visit temples and pray to the Guanyin for a child. There was a simr practice in the Sia Continent too back in the olden days, just that the deity whom they prayed to was the Primordial Earth Goddess instead. Well, I don¡¯t know how effective praying to Guanyin is, but praying to the Primordial Earth Goddess definitely works. For favored customers, she even offers special one-to-one service that guarantees satisfaction! When Peytra finally appeared in the form of a small golden snake, Charlotte¡¯s excitement practically shot through the roof. The two of them spent a while conversing about their issues, and Peytra merrily epted her request. As someone who had witnessed Roel and Charlotte¡¯s rtionship, Peytra had wanted to bestow Charlotte with her blessing for a long time now, but Roel was always too busy to connect them. Now that Charlotte was taking the initiative to make the request, there was no way she would turn her down. With one hoping to have a child and the other eager to help, the two of them were soon excitedly chattering away about child bearing. As for Roel¡­ there waspletely no room for him to join their conversation at all, so whatever opinion he had naturally didn¡¯t matter. He was effectively nothing more than a mana jug to sustain Peytra¡¯s summoning at this point. Peytra even personally inspected Charlotte¡¯s body to determine her exact condition, but rmingly, her expression turned grim afterward. ¡°Things look a little troublesome.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Peytra?¡± ¡°I have underestimated just how extreme the constitution of high elves are. The Primordial Bloodline inside this child¡¯s body is way too pure¡­¡± Peytra sighed softly after inspecting a sample of Charlotte¡¯s blood. To put it inly, it was a situation that was simr to reproductive istion. The High Elf Bloodline was one of the noblest bloodline of the Sia Continent. Simr to other bloodlines, the purer an individual¡¯s bloodline was, the more power they could draw from it. However, this also came with its own cons. A higher level ofpurity of Primordial Bloodline spelled a greater deviation from one¡¯s human self in favor of their lineage. In other words, while Charlotte appeared to be a human on the surface, she was practically a high elf from her bloodline. Needless to say, the chances of a high elf bearing a child with a human were extremely slim. ¡°What can we do?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. My blessing can asionally neutralize the effect of reproductive istion between the two of you.¡± ¡°asionally?¡± ¡°It ultimately boils down to luck. You can think of it as a lottery. What you have to do is very simple¡­¡± The Primordial Earth Goddess looked at the young couple before her and shed them a motherly smile. ¡°Let¡¯s first start with ten draws.¡± Chapter 514.1: This Child Is Probably… (1)

Chapter 514.1: This Child Is Probably¡­ (1)

How different were the humans on the Sia Continent from those in Roel¡¯s previous life? Roel didn¡¯t think he was qualified to answer that question with his limited biology knowledge, and he wasn¡¯t interested in dissecting a human body to uncover the answer either. That being said, looking at just appearances, there didn¡¯t seem to be much of a difference between the two. The additional element of mana in the Sia Continent only seemed to have induced a diverse range of hair colors in the general human popce. While transcendents and inheritors of certain bloodlines experienced physical changes when they deepened their Degree of Assimtion, these changes were usually not too over the top. They still retained their human characteristics to arge extent. This was especially so when it came to newborns. It was impossible to tell apart a newborn in the Sia Continent from a newborn in Roel¡¯s previous world. But today, Roel learned why the sages of the past had always preached not to judge a book by its cover. He would have never imagined that Charlotte, despite looking human in every way, had reached a point where she could no longer be considered to be a human on the inside. This also answered some of the questions he harbored. It exined why Charlotte had such a beautiful appearance and a noble disposition. That had probably been a physical mutation caused by the High Elf Bloodline flowing through her veins. It felt liberating to have found an answer to that question. But as someone who possessed modern medical knowledge, Roel seriously doubted Peytra¡¯s talk about ¡®ten draws¡¯. He knew how fertilization worked, and he thought that the process should be the same on the Sia Continent. After all, their acts of reproduction were the same. Building on that foundation, there was a huge facy in Peytra¡¯s ¡®ten draws¡¯. From a scientific perspective, it was true that doing it ten times would bring about a higher chance of sess than just doing it once, but the increment was only marginal at best. The so-called ¡®ten draws¡¯ was nothing more than a gimmick. Besides, ¡®ten draws¡¯, you say? Do you take me to be a horse or something? Roel didn¡¯t hesitate to express his skepticism toward what Peytra had just said, but thetter had no intention of taking her words back. ¡°You¡¯re right. Doing it once would have suffice for most couples. There isn¡¯t much point in doing it excessively. However, it¡¯s different for the two of you.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Lord Peytra?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking the two of you to do it more not to increase the chances of pregnancy but to trigger my blessing.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was still confused. He couldn¡¯t understand how the blessing came into the picture here. Peytra heaved a helpless sigh before exining the matter. ¡°Your situation is too peculiar that I had to resort to alternative measures. It¡¯s not that ordinary blessings don¡¯t work, but their effects are underwhelming. Let me put it this way. Even if the two of you went at it every single day, it would still take at least ten years for you to have a child.¡± ¡°Ten years?!¡± Unable to ept the oue, Charlotte eximed in astonishment. As if it wasn¡¯t grueling enough for her to wait ten years to have a child, she understood that the ten years estimate was likely to be further lengthened as neither Roel nor her had the luxury to stay together with each other. She was the sessor of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, and the sheer amount of work she had to deal with on a daily basis exceeded even that of Roel, especially now that humankind was at war with the deviants. The only reason she could still spare time for Roel was due to her reduced workload as a patient, but she would have to pull her weight once she recovered. On the other hand, Roel was standing in the eye of the storm unfolding in the Sia Continent. The Mother Goddess asionally checked in on him. The Savior¡¯s worshipers took special care of him. The Saints Convocation visited him every now and then. The Six Cmities were huge fans of him. His life was more happening than anyone else¡¯s. Given their respective circumstances, it was inevitable that they would spend more time apart than together. It would already be a blessing if they could spend three months together in a year, but even so, that meant that it would take forty years for her to get pregnant! Even with her extended lifespan as a transcendent, forty years was simply too long for Charlotte to bear! Other families would have had two generations of offspring by then, but she would still be clutching onto her tummy praying for a miracle. How could she possibly ept that? Roel¡¯s face also turned livid upon hearing the Peytra¡¯s evaluation. He couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine the sheer mental strain Charlotte would be put through as she faced countless cycles of anticipation and disappointment of having a child. There was no greater torture in the world to her than that. Peytra was hardly surprised by their dismay. ¡°That¡¯s why I have prepared a second measure. For that, I¡¯ll bestow you with a temporary but highly potent blessing.¡± ¡°A temporary but highly potent blessing?¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯ll onlyst for several minutes, but its potency will be manyfold. I used to bestow this blessing upon races who are either efficient in their reproductive activity or have a dismally low level of fertility.¡± Peytra went on to list a few examples, but Roel had never heard of those races before. He reckoned that those races had gone extinct shortly after Peytra passed away¡­ though he was more concerned with the duration Peytra had stated more than anything else. Several minutes¡­ Why do I feel like I¡¯m being insulted here? Roel felt a little conflicted about the situation. As a high transcendent, his stamina and endurance far surpassed that of ordinary humans. Several minutes was simply too short for him to do his thing. He thought about how long their previous session was and considered speaking up about it. Unexpectedly, a blushing Charlotte beat him to it. ¡°About that, Lord Peytra, a few minutes might not be enough for darling.¡± Thinking about the numerous asions she had been knocked out, Charlotte subconsciously nced at Roel. As soon as they met gazes, she hurriedly averted her eyes and lowered her head in embarrassment. Peytra expressed her understanding regarding that matter. ¡°I know. You are both high transcendents. It¡¯s only normal for your sessions to be longer. You don¡¯t have to worry about that. All I have to do is to time the blessing with greater precision so as to fit into a smaller window.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the blessing will automatically activate whenever the male has a go. That¡¯s why I mentioned ¡®ten draws¡¯.¡± Peytra turned to Roel as she answered their questions cheerily. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to normal people whether they do it once or ten times, but in your case, you¡¯ll be able to refresh the blessing each time you have a go. Every shot you take will have an equal chance of sess. Thus, the more times you do it, the likelier you¡¯ll have a child.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that it¡¯d be possible to do it this way. How potent is the blessing?¡± asked Roel. ¡°It¡¯ll at least grant you a tenfold chance of having a child. Of course, luck still ys an important role here,¡± the Primordial Earth Goddess replied with a smile. Roel perked up as soon as he heard how effective the blessing was. Simrly, Charlotte also began trembling in excitement. The infertility debuff stemming from her High Elf Bloodline had always been a knot in her heart. She felt a rush of relief upon learning that there was a solution for it. ¡°Lord Peytra, may I know when will the blessing start taking effect?¡± ¡°The blessing is already active. It uses the male as the catalyst and the female as the medium. You can activate the blessing whenever you want as long as the two of you are together,¡± replied Peytra. Roel and Charlotte immediately closed their eyes to feel for the blessing that had already been ced on them. Much to their surprise, that wasn¡¯t the end of Peytra¡¯s gift pack. ¡°I should mention that the high potency of the blessing will affect your offspring too. They¡¯ll receive my blessing at birth. It should manifest in the form of an ability,¡± Peytra added with a smile. ¡°!¡± Roel was bbergasted to hear that. A blessing from the Primordial Earth Goddess would boost one¡¯s affinity with the earth, and Jewel Magic happened to be of the earth attribute too. In other words, their offspring would be born with the potential to be the strongest Jewel Magic user in the world even if he didn¡¯t awaken to any of their bloodlines. And if he awakened to Charlotte¡¯s High Elf Bloodline or my Kingmaker Bloodline on top of that¡­ Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched just at the thought of that. On the other hand, Charlotte began profusely thanking Peytra for everything. She knew that the blessing that benefited even the child was a special favor from the Primordial Earth Goddess, and it wasn¡¯t to be taken for granted. ¡°This is all I can do for you. The rest is up to you.¡± Leaving those words behind, Peytra bade them farewell with a motherly smile before she returned to her tranquil mountain valley, leaving Roel and Charlotte alone in the ss house. There was a moment of silence before Charlotte snapped out of her daze and grabbed the sleeves of Roel¡¯s shirt. Her face was reddened. ¡°Darling, has Lord Peytra left?¡± ¡°It looks like it.¡± ¡°T-then¡­ shall we begin? I-I mean, we have to try out the effects of the blessing¡­¡± Charlotte was blushing to the tips of her ears as she mustered her courage to look at Roel with her glistening eyes. Her breathing had gotten a little rougher. Looking at her, Roel¡¯s face unwittingly turned red as well. He cleared his throat and nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, we ought to try out the blessing.¡± Roel grabbed Charlotte¡¯s hand and guided her toward their bedroom. With hearts bursting with anticipation, their night was just about to begin. Chapter 514.2: This Child Is Probably… (2)

Chapter 514.2: This Child Is Probably¡­ (2)

¡­ Midnight. Roel sat on a chair by the window, gazing at the silver moon while adjusting his breathing. On the bed behind him, Charlotte had already fallen asleep. It had been eight hours since their conversation with Peytra. In order to test out the Primordial Earth Goddess¡¯ blessing, the two of them had even skipped dinner. Roel had always been the aggressive one when it came to their nightly battles, often going at it until Charlotte was forced to beg for mercy. The high elves¡¯ weaker physique ced her at a disadvantage here. However, possibly due to the increased hopes of having a child, Charlotte gritted her teeth and held on for a very long time. Touching the bite marks on his shoulder, Roel thought about how adorable Charlotte was when she tried to endure it with her shuddering body. With her unyielding spirit, Roel sessfully pulled off a ¡®ten draws¡¯, just as Peytra had rmended. This hadn¡¯t been an easy achievement to unlock at all. Even with his enhanced constitution as a high transcendent, Roel felt deeply lethargic after it was all over. He even had to hold onto the wall to stop himself from copsing to the ground. To be honest, he felt like he had been too reckless here. He knew where Charlotte¡¯s limits were. Three hours was already a struggle for her, but she held on for eight whole hours, albeit being mostly out of it by thetter half. This was ridiculous even if it was for the sake of their child. He solemnly warned himself against blindly going along with Charlotte¡¯s whims in the future, even if she insisted on it. Thest thing he wanted in the world was to hurt a woman he loved. Roel shook those thoughts out of his head and took a sip of wine. He then turned his attention toward his future ns. With the Diamond Rivi¨¨re due to arrive in Rosa City in a few days¡¯ time, he knew that it was time for him to consider matters he had been putting off thus far, such as where he ought to head next. All this while, he had thought that the battlefield on the eastern border would be a good ce for him to train while contributing to the war effort against the deviants. However, his confrontation with Flooding Death had spurred other thoughts in his mind. He realized that what he had done at Gsh¡¯s Valley was much more meaningful to humankind than any number of deviants he could kill on the frontlines. He was doing much more here by tying down the ancient monsters and the evil cultists, preventing them from wreaking havoc. This was in line with what Principal Antonio had told him. As a descendant of a military house, he did feel ufortable not participating in the war alongside his father, but after all that had happened, he could no longer leave the back lines with ease of mind. Had he not discovered Charlotte¡¯s anomaly and interfered in her affairs, she might have already died to Flooding Death by now. This was not the first time that a woman around him had been threatened by the ancient monsters and evil cultists, and he wasn¡¯t so naive to think that it would be thest time, either. He couldn¡¯t risk danger befalling those he cared about. That was not something he was willing to bet on. Given so, there was only one thing he could do. ¡°Until I eliminate the evil cultists and the Six Cmities, I shan¡¯t go to the frontlines,¡± Roel muttered with a sigh before taking another sip of wine. To change his mood, he began reminiscing about everything that had happened today. So many things had happened over the course of the day, from learning about Grandar¡¯s past to receiving Peytra¡¯s blessing. The thought of that naturally brought his attention to the remaining one of his three ancient gods. ¡°It has been a long time since Ist met Artasia,¡± Roel murmured under his breath. Since his reunion with Charlotte, he had been so busy taking care of her that he hadn''t had time tomunicate with his ancient gods. Even for his battle with Flooding Death, he hadn''t dared to bring out Peytra and Artasia, knowing that they wouldn¡¯t be able to resist its curses. As a result, they hadn¡¯t met for nearly three months now. After a long period of absence, Roel found himself missing the unfathomable Witch Queen. Thus, he tried to pay a visit to thetter, only to realize that he was unable to ess her realm. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was initially perplexed before his expression slowly turned grim. But after a moment of thought, he felt confused more than anything else. Having mostly recovered from his conditions, Roel shouldn¡¯t have had a problem re-establishing his window of connection with Artasia. The fact that he was unable to do so could only mean that their connection had been severed, and the culprit was likely to be the Witch Queen herself¡­ But why would Artasia do that? Is she angry because I haven¡¯t visited her for too long? Roel pondered hard about the matter but was unable to figure out an answer to the question. For the time being, he decided to leave things be. He was in a stable position anyway, so there was no need to kick up a fuss over everything. It was not as though he could do anything if Artasia refused to open their window of connection anyway. Gazing at the silver moon in the sky, he heaved a deep sigh. ¡­ In the distant Ascart Fiefdom, under the same moon, a silver-haired girl was sitting in Roel¡¯s room, browsing through a newly-arrived letter. It was from the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, a close military ally of the Ascart Fiefdom. The letter detailed Roel¡¯s condition and his resounding victory in Gsh¡¯s Basin. The demise of Flooding Death was a highly galvanizing event for humankind, and it was likely that the upper echelons of humankind would work to propagate the information. Alicia could hardly suppress her excitement when she read the letter. This was indubitably a huge glory to the Ascart House¡­ though there was an even bigger reason behind her tion. ¡°Lord Brother has defeated the enemy, which means that everything hase to an end.¡± Alicia rose to her feet, turned to the maid standing by the side of the room, and decisively issued an order. ¡°Tell the men to prepare themselves. We¡¯ll be heading to Rosa!¡± Chapter 515.1: The Important Thing Is That I Love You (1)

Chapter 515.1: The Important Thing Is That I Love You (1)

Transcendents were known for their strong constitutions in the Sia Continent, possessing strength, speed, burst power, and endurance far superior to those of ordinary humans. With that being said, there were finer ssifications within transcendents, where each transcendent had their own strengths and weaknesses. This was determined by various factors such as the field of specialization and, in particr, bloodline. The differences that could be brought about by one¡¯s bloodline were massive. Kurt¡¯s Giant Bloodline granted him supreme strength that allowed him to ram down droves of enemies. Wilhelmina¡¯s Dragon Bloodline excelled in all physical attributes, and that made her a terrifying foe to face off with in a one-on-one confrontation. Inparison, Stuart and Charlotte were much more pitiful. Stuart was the handyman whom everyone fought to team up with. His eye-rted skills were an asset for field missions, particrly for scouting and detection purposes. However, when it came to physical brawls, he was doomed to get beaten up most of the time. It was the same for Charlotte. Her physical resilience was unfortunately weakened by the debuff from her High Elf Bloodline, which was why her ancestors had researched powerful equipment such as the Golden Soul to make up for their weaknesses. Unfortunately for her, the Golden Soul couldn¡¯t be employed for battles on the bed. At daybreak, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re Convoy awoke to the first snow of winter. Feeling refreshed after a night of rest, they swiftly finished up their preparations before resuming the journey. In the dining room, Roel and Charlotte were having breakfast together. In defiance of dining conventions, the two of them weren¡¯t formally seated face-to-face as they ought to be. Instead, Charlotte was sitting on Roel¡¯sp with her head leaning against his chest while thetter slowly fed her. It was almost as if they had returned to half a month ago when Charlotte was still severely ill. What was different from usual was the absence of their usual cordial conversation brought about by their intimacy. Charlotte¡¯s face was red in embarrassment, and she wasn¡¯t uttering a word at all. Perhaps out of consideration for the embarrasseddy, there was no one other than them in the dining room. Even Grace, who resolutely stuck with Charlotte under most circumstances, had excused herself to stand guard outside. To be clear, it was not that the two of them were making use of the short time frame right before they returned to Rosa City to try out some new y. Rather, the circumstances had coerced them into this¡­ ¡­Charlotte was unable to stand up by herself. As powerful as the High Elf Bloodline was, it wasn¡¯t perfect. One of its key weaknesses was physical frailty. The Golden Soul could offset this to some extent with its ability to fend off external attacks, but it couldn¡¯t protect her from internal attacks, which happened to be the problem here. Earlier in the morning, Charlotte could hardly get up from the bed, as if she hadn¡¯t slept enough. It was quite a struggle for her to sit upright, but momentster, she began clutching her abdomen with a furiously blushing face. ¡°I-it feels really heavy in here¡­¡± Charlotte embarrassedly expressed how she was feeling. This unexpected temptation lit a me in Roel¡¯s mind, and his heart started beating rapidly. Unfortunately, that was barely the start of Charlotte¡¯s problems. There were bound to be consequences after the long hours they had spent entangled togetherst night. In particr, Charlotte¡¯s waist and legs were aching so much that walking was impossible for her. That left Roel with no choice but to resume his full-time caretaker job after half a month¡¯s hiatus. The two of them had a bath together, but seeing that Charlotte¡¯s condition still hadn¡¯t improved yet, he lifted her up into a princess carry and brought her to the dining room. That was also the cause of Charlotte¡¯s embarrassment. It was too obvious what had happened between Roel and her when the two of them had skipped dinner and locked themselves in their room. She might still have been able to maintain a poker face if she had gracefully walked out of the room, but to be unable to even walk¡­ That was simply too embarrassing for her! Roel looked at the auburn-haired woman in his arms, who refused to raise her head even since they settled down in the dining room, and he couldn¡¯t help but find the situation a little amusing. ¡°Grace and the others have already left. You shouldn¡¯t be too bothered by it; it really isn¡¯t anything much. You weren¡¯t shy at allst night.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel lightly pinched Charlotte¡¯s cheek as he smilingly reminded her of her ¡®diligence¡¯st night. That only made Charlotte more embarrassed. She turned her head away, refusing the dessert he was delivering toward her mouth. ¡°I-I was just testing Lord Peytra¡¯s blessing! That¡¯s why I¡­¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± ¡°I am being serious here! Why else would I push myselfst night?¡± Charlotte hammered at Roel¡¯s chest with an unhappy pout. Her words dragged Roel back to a solemn mood. He had noticed from Charlotte¡¯s behavior thus far that she didn¡¯t have a strong desire for physical pleasure. Their activities had always been spurred by either the intensity of their feelings for each other or the desire to have a child. Lust had never been a motivating factor for her. Considering that they were at an age where there was an overload of hormones, Charlotte¡¯s drive was so low that Roel wondered if it was due to hiscking technique. However, he soon realized that the culprit might be her High Elf Bloodline once again. High elves tended to be more self-possessed, possibly because there was a lesser need for them to reproduce due to their longer lifespan. Who knows? Thebination of their infertility and low desire to reproduce might just have been the reason the high elves went extinct in the first ce. ¡°All right, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have teased you. Miss Charlotte, will you be kind enough to open your mouth now?¡± Having thought things through, Roel changed his tone and began gently coaxing her into eating. Charlotte¡¯s face remained red, but she didn¡¯t pursue the matter. Just like that, the two of them peacefully continued their breakfast. The two of them were ustomed to coordinating with each other for this feeding session, having rued a month of experience thus far, but even so, there were times when a slip in their movements resulted in breadcrumbs or butter on Charlotte¡¯s lips. Charlotte didn¡¯t bother brushing them off, choosing to patiently wait for Roel to clear them on her behalf as he usually did. However, Roel quietly stared at the food sticking onto her lips before abruptly leaning in to kiss her. ¡°Darling?¡± ¡°Mm. It¡¯s sweet,¡± Roel murmured to himself. Charlotte¡¯s eyes widened in astonishment, and her lips started trembling. ¡°D-darling, how could you¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not our first time kissing anyway.¡± ¡°B-but those are food I was eating¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± Roel¡¯s curt responses only further stoked Charlotte¡¯s embarrassment, and her head naturally lowered as a result. It took her a while before she finally formted an argument against him. ¡°Y-you can¡¯t do that in front of outsiders! Otherwise, people might think that you¡¯re of a lower position than me¡­¡± ¡°Position? That doesn¡¯t matter to me,¡± Roel casually replied. He did understand where Charlotte wasing from, though. The existence of transcendent abilities on the Sia Continent meant that women weren¡¯t necessarily weaker than men. Thanks to that, the gender imbnce here was much less pronounced than it was in the medieval period in Roel¡¯s previous world. That being said, the mainstream school of thought on the Sia Continent was that men were the heads of their respective families while women took on supporting roles. Considering the cultural backdrop, Roel¡¯s little gestures indicated a high level of respect and fondness for Charlotte, which was why thetter was happy about it. Still, she was worried that he might be mocked for that, especially since she was of higher birth than him. Roel understood those worries, but he found it a chore to conform to societal norms. It was not as if there were many people in the world who dared to mock him anyway. Still, Charlotte was still very concerned about it. ¡°But it¡¯s important,¡± she insisted. ¡°As important as it may be, I don¡¯t want to live my life based on what others expect of me. I want to be close to people I like. I want to be able to walk away when I don¡¯t like a person. I think that having the freedom to choose is more important than observing societal norms.¡± ¡°I understand where you¡¯reing from, but¡­¡± ¡°Or do you dislike it when I act in such a manner? If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t do it anymore.¡± ¡°No, of course not! I¡­ I¡¯m just worried that others will look down on you for that, darling. I¡¯d be very upset if that happens,¡± Charlotte rified her stance with some difficulty. Roel considered her point of view before finally giving a consenting nod. ¡°All right. I¡¯ll hold myself back in front of strangers.¡± ¡°Darling, you¡¯re agreeing to it?¡± ¡°Mmhm. I can¡¯t bear to see you upset.¡± Roel tightened his arms and pulled Charlotte closer to him. The two of them looked at each other, and Charlotte revealed a faint smile. The atmosphere between them slowly sweetened up as their affection for each other overflowed. Chapter 515.2: The Important Thing Is That I Love You (2)

Chapter 515.2: The Important Thing Is That I Love You (2)

Making use of this opportunity, Roel raised an issue that he had been concerned with for a long time now. ¡°Charlotte, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to talk to you about.¡± ¡°What is it, darling?¡± ¡°Shall we not test for your pregnancy this time?¡± The abrupt suggestion confused Charlotte, so Roel slowly exined his rationale to her. It was perfectly normal for an affectionate couple to want the crystallization of their love, but it should be a natural process rather than one filled with stress and anxiety. While Charlotte would be able to obtain the result right away by testing it with magic tools, the disappointment and stress she felt whenever her expectations were let down would weigh on her and affect her mood. In the long term, it might even affect her state of mind. Infertility was a weakness of the high elves¡ªthat was something that couldn¡¯t be helped. Focusing too much on one¡¯s own weaknesses would only cause one to emotionally corner themself. In fact, Roel sensed that Charlotte¡¯s self-esteem had already taken a hit due to that. That was something he would have never imagined happening to her. Charlotte had always carried herself with confidence and grace regardless of the situation, but this issue was clearly weighing her down. He didn¡¯t think that it was right for her to get hurt over having a child, which was why he had chosen to broach the topic. ¡°You¡¯re the one that I love. If we do have a child, you¡¯ll be the reason I love our child. That¡¯s why, I don¡¯t want you to feel burdened by this. Our child should be the product of our mutual feelings rather than the goal.¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± Touched by those words, Charlotte¡¯s eyes slowly reddened. She lowered her head for a long while before finally nodding with a hoarse ¡°Mmhm¡±. Roel¡¯s heart was finally put at ease. It took a while before Charlotte finally regained herposure. She felt like a load had been lifted from her heart and that put her in a much better mood. With this cleared out of the way, the two of them naturally began focusing their attention on each other once more. It was only when a smiling Grace entered the room with a pile of documents in hand that they finally restrained themselves a little. The maids were usually tactful enough to keep their distance so as to not interrupt Roel and Charlotte¡¯s lovey-dovey atmosphere, but sometimes, work had to take precedence. ¡°Young miss, Lord Roel, we have just received some reports from the frontlines and documents that need to be urgently dealt with¡­¡± Grace said with a bow. Roel and Charlotte could only end their flirting there and begin work. ¡­ In a study room suffused with an invigorating fragrance, Roel sat in front of an office desk and began browsing thepiled reports on the frontlines. Not too far away, Charlotte started handling Rosa¡¯s administrative documents with Grace¡¯s help. Half a month had passed since the fight with Flooding Death. The two of them had recovered considerably thanks to the hard work of Sorofyas¡¯ medical team, but this also meant that they couldn¡¯t shirk their responsibility any longer. Charlotte had an entire stack of important documents that she had to clear as soon as possible, whereas Roel received aption of intelligence on the eastern border¡¯s happenings. This sudden onught of work had halted the sweet honeylike atmosphere between them, but the two of them had noints. They took their work extremely seriously as it had been far too long since they hade into contact with the outside world. When they left Rosa City with the intention to lure Flooding Death out, they knew that the fight would be so dangerous that they couldn¡¯t afford to spare their attention anywhere else. Thus, they entrusted their work to others¡¯ hands. After the battle, they were too busy trying to recuperate that they were hardly in the mind for work. Due to that, they had been out of the loop for almost an entire month. Now that they were finally returning to Rosa City, it was time for them to update themselves on recent affairs. It didn¡¯t take long before some details caught Roel¡¯s eyes. The matter that Roel was most concerned with was the eastern border¡¯s defense line. He was highly sensitive to news regarding that as Carter had been appointed as the Theocracy¡¯s Chief Commander to the Eastern Border following Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance. In summary, the eastern border had remained rtively peaceful over the past two months. There were still asional shes with the deivants, but the overall intensity of the battles was much lower aspared to several months ago. Naturally, this wasn¡¯t because the deviants had suddenly attained nirvana and became pacifists but the change in the weather. For civilizations centering around agriculture, it was best for them to fight battles after autumn and before spring so as to not affect their following year¡¯s harvests, or else a famine could break out. Such a rule didn¡¯t apply to the deivants as they weren¡¯t reliant on agriculture for food, and it was questionable whether they could be considered a civilization at all. This beckoned the question: When are the bellicose deviants most eager to fight? The answer was surprisingly simple. They fought whenever they feltfortable to,pletely following their stream of consciousness. Needless to say, wintertime wasn¡¯t a particrlyfortable period to fight in. The plummeting temperature was one thing, but food was a major problem too. The increased difficulty of gathering food made it hard for the deviants to maintain food security. It was also much more difficult to siege humankind¡¯s towering fortress walls amidst winter snow too. In fact, the lowered intensity of battles in winter was amon urrence throughout history. Roel heaved a sigh of relief upon confirming that the eastern border was safe before moving on to the other documents. He soon stumbled upon a report from Rosa regarding their efforts to purge the Saints Convocation. The Saints Convocation had assisted Flooding Death in its assault against Roel and Charlotte. While Roel had managed to bring down Flooding Death, the Saints Convocation still remained atrge. Naturally, Rosa had no intention of letting things slip just like that. The reinforcement army led by Andrew failed to y a crucial role in the battle against Flooding Death as they were simply positioned too far away. To make up for their mistake, they devoted their efforts to pursuing the evil cultists and recently made some progress. ording to the report, Rosa¡¯s soldiers had discovered traces of the Saints Convocation¡¯s evil cultists in a minor country in the south, and they were currently preparing an attack on them. The news piqued Roel¡¯s anticipation. The Saints Convocation was a poisonous tumor that had survived for far too long. Even if it was impossible to thoroughly eliminate them in a single operation, it would still be great if they could deal them a severe blow. This could count as one of the best news Roel had received in the past few years. That thought onlysted for a couple of seconds before it was shattered by another piece of information. Chapter 516.1: Are You Doing Well? (1)

Chapter 516.1: Are You Doing Well? (1)

Roel Ascart had never experienced the joy of being carried by his teammates. As a child, he was abruptly ced in the precarious position of an antagonist, forcing him to win the female capture targets¡¯ trust and revitalize his noble house in order to survive. Barely after solving those problems, he suddenly found himself targeted by evil cultists because of his lineage. It was as if he was jumping from one nightmare to another. Half of the evil cultists on the Sia Continent had their eyes set on him. Most were small fry who couldn¡¯t breach the protection of the Genesis Goddess Church and the Ascart House, but the remaining ones, especially the Savior¡¯s worshipers and the Saints Convocation, posed a huge threat. It was often said that those who survived for a long time became wily old foxes. Having fought toe-to-toe with humankind for over a thousand years now, the two evil cults had pretty much maxed out all of their anti-detection means, making it nigh impossible to find their trails. More importantly, not many people had bothered looking for them. The previous awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline, be it Ro Ascart or Winstor Ascart, were predominantly solo yers unaffiliated with any powers. They had always fought against the enemies of the Ascart House by themselves, but Roel didn¡¯t think that it was a wise measure. Determined to do things differently, he had dragged the Xeclydes and the Sorofyas onto the same boat as him. He had Lilian in the Austine Empire to keep a lookout for him, and the Knight Kingdom was favorable toward him. Even Principal Antonio from the Country of Schrs was on his side. That being said, it was not as if these rtionships had conveniently appeared out of nowhere. He had undergone plenty of dangerous situations in order to forge these alliances, and it was heartening to see that they were paying off well. He was so overjoyed to learn that Rosa¡¯s crusade against the Saints Convocation was bearing fruit that he was ready to pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate the asion. Is this how it feels to have a victory delivered right into myp? Yet, the next piece of information he stumbled upon turned out to be even more explosive, so much that he dared not believe its authenticity. Following the Saints Convocation, the Collector also left his tail exposed. The intelligence came from Principal Antonio, or to be more exact, the special operation team he had founded to hunt down the Savior¡¯s worshipers following the Fallens¡¯ assault on Lilian. After half a year of effort, they had finally made a huge breakthrough. The report mentioned that the special operation team had engaged someone suspected to be the Collector in the northern region of the Austine Empire. They tried to apprehend the suspect, but thetter was much more powerful than they had expected, forcing them to retreat. This was quite an awkward oue, considering how difficult it had been for them to find the Collector in the first ce. Still, the way things turned out in the report sounded convincing to Roel, especially considering the Collector¡¯s means. After their encounter with the Collector, the special operation team continued tailing him while sending reports up the chain ofmand. Upon receiving the news, Principal Antonio quickly pulled together a team and headed to the northern mountainous region of the Austine Empire, where the Collector wasst spotted. Both sides hadn¡¯t engaged each other yet, but just news on the Collector¡¯s whereabouts was enough to spur Roel¡¯s excitement. After all, the Collector was the greatest threat to the Ascart House. The Collector¡¯s strength was to be feared, but what was even more frightening than that was his deep understanding of the Ascart House. He was able to interfere in Roel¡¯s Inner Sanctum, an intangible ce that had even been out of reach to Roel himself. For that reason, Roel was reluctant to get into a direct confrontation with the Collector despite having made significant advancements as a transcendent since then. It was a huge relief to him that Antonio was doing the job in his ce. To be frank, he initially hadn¡¯t borne much hope for the crusades against the Saints Convocation and the Fallens, and the huge breakthroughs that had been made were truly a delightful surprise to him. Even so, his mood soon turned grim when he considered alternate possibilities. Roel wasn¡¯t too worried about the Saints Convocation. He had crossed paths with them on numerous asions, and he could vaguely sense that the cult was currently on the decline. There were multiple reasons behind that. For one, the Mother Goddess utterly ignored the Saints Convocation and refused to grant them any blessings whatsoever, which was a stark contrast to her fervent interest in Roel. The Saints Convocation was aware of that, but there was nothing they could do about it. They could only set their sights onto her envoys, the Six Cmities. From the aspect of organization philosophy, the Saints Convocation was also likely to be at its lowest point ever. Their cult warned about the imminent arrival of the apocalypse and dered that returning to the Mother Goddess¡¯ embrace was the only way to achieve immortality. Such teachings wouldn¡¯t gain much traction during a peaceful era, and the Sia Continent had been rtively stable for centuries now. This resulted in them slowly losing power over time. On top of that, the ones who had been dispatched to deal with the Saints Convocation this time around were Rosa¡¯s elites. The Rosaian soldiers were equipped with Jewel Magic that curbed powers derived from the Six Cmities to some extent, granting them an advantage in this fight. From this perspective, it didn¡¯t seem like there was much to worry about¡­ ¡­ unless the Saints Convocation decided to release an egg of the Six Cmities in pursuit of mutually assured destruction. That was admittedly a terrifying possibility, but Roel didn¡¯t think that it was a realistic move. What was different about the Six Cmities of the current erapared to the preceding ones was that they were currently in their most active phase. Even Kaldor Arde, one of the strongest awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline who had devoted his life to curbing the Six Cmities, had his seal broken by Flooding Death. The chances were unlikely that the Saints Convocation would have stronger means that allowed them to control the Six Cmities. In the first ce, would they dare to continue exerting their control on the Six Cmities? The heightened activity of the Six Cmities could be viewed as the will of the Mother Goddess. As a cult that worshiped the Mother Goddess, was the Saints Convocation really going to continue imprisoning Her envoys? Needless to say, there was no way they would do something that sphemous. Having thought things through, Roel turned his attention toward the Collector. Unlike the Mother Goddess, the Savior hadn¡¯t been idling around. He had plenty of Fallens under his control despite still being in slumber, the most noteworthy one being Magician King Priestley Maxwell, who perpetrated Leinster¡¯s tragedy four hundred years ago. When it was shown that even someone of Priestley¡¯s strength was susceptible to the Savior¡¯s corruption, it became hard to urately gauge just how powerful the Savior¡¯s worshipers were. After all, it was possible that they were lurking amongst the upper echelons of humankind. On top of that, some of the frighteningly powerful old monsters from the Second Epoch were still alive and kicking. The Treant High Priest they had encountered at Marlin Town was a perfect example, having nearly killed Roel with the Savior¡¯s divine artifact. Knowing this, Roel couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the Collector had intentionally given away his whereabouts. Supposing that the Collector had intentionally revealed his location, his intention was likely to lure Principal Antonio into a trap so as to take him down. Should he seed, Roel would lose one of his strongest supporters and the human world could descend into chaos. This put Roel in a dilemma. Chapter 516.2: Are You Doing Well? (2)

Chapter 516.2: Are You Doing Well? (2)

On one hand, if Principal Antonio managed to take down the Collector, humankind¡¯s back line would be in a much more stable position than before. On the other hand, if this was truly a trap and Antonio lost his life to it, humankind would be ced in a disastrous position. Humankind only had so many Origin Level 1 transcendents, and each of them had their own role to y in the current worldview. Holy Eminence John was stationed in the Holy Capital, where he took on the important job of inspiring humankind in its time of difficulty. Emperor Lukas Ackermann of the Austine Empire couldn¡¯t be relied on. King Friedrich Cambonyte of Knight Kingdom Pendor was currently guarding the frontlines together with Wilhelmina. Layton Seze was already officially in retirement, but he also yed an important role as the counterpart to Emperor Lukas in the Austine Empire. In the current scope of things, Antonio yed the role of aw enforcer within humankind itself. He primarily dealt with internal threats, particrly evil cultists who sought to spread dissonance during tumultuous times. He was the only one who could and would fight against the Fallens. Roel thought hard about the matter, but he was unable to make up his mind. It was only once Grace was done helping Charlotte and walked over to enquire if she could be of any help that his expression finally soothed out. ¡°¡­Prepare some paper and ink for me.¡± ¡°Paper and ink?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to write a letter,¡± Roel replied with a nod. He had decided to prioritize his allies¡¯ safety above everything else. He knew that this rare opportunity to deal with the Fallens might nevere again, but he found it too unnerving how the Collector was simply ¡®found¡¯ by coincidence. He could be overthinking things, but the Collector didn¡¯t strike him as a careless person. After all, the Collector was the true mastermind running the Connoisseur Guild right under the Theocracy''s nose for many years. On top of that, Roel felt indebted to Antonio. Thetter had offered him a lot of help during his time in the academy, including concealing his involvement in the fight with the Fallens at Marlin Town¡ªnot to mention that he had been working hard to free Astrid over the years. He couldn¡¯t allow Antonio to step into this minefield for his own safety. That being said, Antonio was a Human Sovereign who had lived for many centuries. He had risen to the top of Brolne and emerged victorious in many wars. The sheer experience he had rued over his lifetime had granted him an astute insight into things. He would have his own rationale for making a certain decision. It would be arrogant of Roel to impose his opinions on Antonio. In view of that, he decided to pen down the Collector¡¯s personality traits and his conjectures regarding the situation and advise Antonio to be additionally careful. To put it bluntly, he was simply supplementing Antonio¡¯s knowledge about the situation so that thetter could make a more informed decision. Having thought things through, he picked up a brush and began writing with neat but sharp strokes. ¡°To the esteemed Principal Antonio¡­¡± ¡­ Located nearer to the south, Rosa had warmer winters and experienced less snowfall. The morning drizzle of snow trailed to a halt by noon, and the sky swiftly cleared up afterward. The radiant afternoon sun was devoid of its usual warmth, but it was uplifting. Sitting by the study room¡¯s window, Roel continued browsing through his documents while enjoying the brilliance of the winter sun. The temperature in the room wasfortable, and a quick nce over indicated to him that Charlotte wasn¡¯t feeling chilly either, so he decided against draping a nket over her. Such a job was usually left to the maids, but he had taken on the responsibility since the two of them were the only ones in the study room at the moment. Roel was done with his work for the time being after finishing up the letter for Antonio, but Charlotte still had plenty of documents to go through, as indicated by the thickness of her pile. Tactful as ever, Grace knew that there was no need for her to continue taking care of Charlotte now that Roel was free, so she subtly took her leave. That naturally led to Roel¡¯s transition to being Charlotte¡¯s assistant. The documents Charlotte was handling contained ssified information from the frontlines, but with Roel¡¯s standing, there was hardly any intelligence in the world that was beyond his ess rights. It was just that there wasn¡¯t much he could help with other than organizing the documents. Most of the documents were urgent requests for resources from the frontlines, which fell into the Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s scope of responsibilities as the key logistics supplier. Under normal circumstances, the requests made by the frontlines would be swiftly approved as there was nothing more dangerous than depriving the frontline soldiers of their necessities. However, the current situation was different. Paths leading to the eastern border were either cloaked with snow or frozen over following the arrival of winter, forcing Rosa to scale down its logistical operations. This meant that they would have to prioritize the urgent requests while postponing the less urgent ones till spring. The problem was that there was no such thing as a ¡®non-urgent request¡¯ in war. All armies were ustomed to tagging all logistical requests as ¡®urgent¡¯, which Roel, as the sessor of a military house, could rte to. To a militarymander, there was nothing more important than the safety and welfare of their own soldiers. The Sorofyas understood that too, which was why they had made preparations for that. They had dispatched scouts to the eastern border to evaluate the conditions of each army. This information waspiled into reports and delivered to the Sorofyas, where Charlotte and the other administrative officers would cote them and decide on logistical priority. Regarding that, Roel could only say that merchants were much shrewder than soldiers. In any case, this was a good thing. The Rosa Merchant Confederacy might be wealthy, but their money didn¡¯t just pop out of nowhere. It was only right for them to properly manage their resources lest they were bankrupted by the war. Roel was able to roughly deduce the condition on the frontlines while organizing Charlotte¡¯s documents, though he didn¡¯t expect to see a familiar name on one of the requests: Lilian Ackermann. It had been half a year since Lilian headed to the frontlines. He hadn¡¯t received any information on her during this period of time, whichpelled him to carefully read through the request she had sent in. It was a formal request for the replenishment of their defensive fortress weapons, and Charlotte had approved the request with the highest priority level. Frankly speaking, Roel was surprised by the approval. The hostile rtionship between the Rosa Merchant Confederacy and the Austine Empire was no secret, and Charlotte and Lilian had never hesitated to express their dislike for each other. Yet, now that they were fighting alongside each other, Charlotte didn¡¯t shortchange Lilian in the least and even approved her request with the highest priority level. He was impressed by how broad-minded Charlotte was. There were many people in the world who preached about righteousness and justice, but few were able to separate private grudges from work as Charlotte did. Roel retracted his admiring gaze from Charlotte and turned his attention back to the document. As he continued browsing through it, his heart swelled with reminiscence and yearning. Is senior¡­ still doing well? Chapter 517: Lilian’s Maternal Love

Chapter 517: Lilian¡¯s Maternal Love

It was only normal for Roel Ascart to be worried about Lilian Ackermann¡¯s plight. As the only two awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline left on the Sia Continent, Lilian was in a simr position as Roel. The Fallens and the Saints Convocation were constantly after her life lest she stood in the way of their goals. Even when disregarding the threat posed by the evil cultists, Lilian was still in her toughest predicament ever. Her soft attitude toward Roel had incurred the suspicion of Emperor Lukas Ackermann. Due to that, she was deprived of the chance to attend the International Crisis Management Symposium and even dispatched straight to the frontline. To add fuel to the fire, the Austine Empire wasn¡¯t well-liked by the other countries. The Rosa Merchant Confederacy had a bone to pick with them. The Saint Mesit Theocracy were at loggerheads with them. The founders of Knight Kingdom Pendor were from the Second Epoch¡¯s Twilight Sages Assembly, and there was no way they would be favorable toward the Ackermanns after thetter backstabbed the Ardes in their time of need. The Country of Schrs was the only one that took a neutral stance toward the Austine Empire, but it hardly mattered since they didn¡¯t have many troops on the frontlines. With Lilian¡¯s ¡®Exiled¡¯ status debuffpromising her authority with her militarymanders and the enmitying from allied armies, she couldn¡¯t have been in afortable position. But while Roel couldn¡¯t help but be worried for Lilian, he didn¡¯t think that she would fare badly. He knew better than anyone else just how powerful she was. Both her summoned troops and Ten Fortresses were menaces that could easily turn the tides of a battle. Not to mention, she was an Origin Level 2 transcendent and a sessor of the Kingmaker Bloodline. There was no one who could match Lilian in terms of prowess other than the few Origin Level 1 transcendents on the frontlines. And there was nothing more efficient than absolute strength when it came to building credibility on the battlefield. With such thoughts in mind, Roel began browsing through the supplementary reportpiled by the Sorofyas¡¯ scouts. From it, he learned that Lilian was stationed in one of the Austine Empire¡¯s key fortresses, which had been through a couple of difficult battles in the past few months. However, just as he had expected, Lilian¡¯s involvement allowed them to clinch decisive victories in the end. However, he couldn¡¯t help but notice that while the other frontline armies hadunched minor counterattacks as the deviants lowered their aggression following the onset of winter, Lilian had refrained from dispatching her troops. Instead, she requested more defensive fortress weapons. It was amon military tactic for those in a defensive position tounch small counterattacks in winter, particrly because it was a low-risk, high-return maneuver. It was a good opportunity to build military merit. Lilian was a princess who had been exiled after falling out of favor with the emperor. If she wished to turn things around, she would have to rue as much military merit as she could. That wouldn¡¯t have been a difficult feat for her. With her abilities, it was even possible for her to pull off a zero-casualty miracle. That would have won her substantial support with the military. Yet, she actually allowed such a precious opportunity to slip past her fingers. Roel truly couldn¡¯t understand the rationale behind that. Is there something else to the situation that we¡¯re unaware of? Or could it be that¡­ Lilian is injured? Roel frowned. He browsed through the document once more, but he was unable to find any clues as to what could have prompted Lilian¡¯s strategic decision. Eventually, he had no choice but to let the matter go. He knew that he mustn¡¯te into contact with Lilian now no matter how worried he was, or else it would worsen her position. All he could do right now was to solemnly pray for her safety. Heaving a deep sigh, he put down the document in his hand and looked at the clear sky outside the window. Little did he know that a ck-haired woman in the distant eastern border was also facing a dilemma as well. ¡­ The Austine Empire¡¯s Noyce Fortress was known as the ¡®Flesh Grinder¡¯ by soldiers stationed at the eastern border, and there was a good reason behind that. The stretch ofnd that the Austine Empire guarded along the eastern border was an ordinary hilly terrain, which was the type of geographical terrain that was generally disadvantageous to the defending side. To make things worse, Noyce Fortress was located in a position that stuck out from humankind¡¯s defense line, which made it highly vulnerable to enemy attacks. There were multiple asions in history where Noyce Fortress had been overrun, and the aftermath of that were mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. That was also where the name, ¡®Flesh Grinder¡¯, came about. Due to that, the soldiers stationed in Noyce Fortress were always the tensest whenever a war broke out with the deviants. How could they not feel heavy-hearted when the shadow of death was constantly looming above them? However, the situation started improving when a newly-appointed chiefmander arrived half a year ago. It would have been perfectly understandable if an individual hadn¡¯t been able to bring about significant improvements within the short span of six months, but that had not been the case for Imperial Princess Lilian Ackermann. On the contrary, her presence had brought about sweeping changes. From early spring, the deviants hadunched a series of furious attacks on Noyce Fortress, resulting in a sharp decline in the troops¡¯ morale. The veteranmanders in the fortress knew from convention that the upper echelons would dispatch a new chiefmander to rekindle confidence, but they didn¡¯t bear much hope for that. How much could a talentedmander do with the odds stacked against them? Yet, under Lilian¡¯s leadership, the casualties had been reduced to a tenth of their predictions, and they had achieved resounding victory in every battle they fought in ever since her takeover. Simr to how merchants were willing to sell their souls for a threefold profit, the sharp reduction in the casualties and the consecutive string of victories were more than enough to send Noyce¡¯s soldiers into a frenzy,pelling them to pledge their loyalty to Lilian. With Lilian fighting alongside them at the frontlines despite her high standing as the imperial princess, as well as the overwhelming prowess she disyed through her summons and Ten Fortresses, even the grumpiest of soldiers would have been won over by her charisma. On top of that, they could see with their own eyes how Lilian was slowly growing thinner as she diligently dealt with all sorts of administrative work. It was rare to encounter a chiefmander as hardworking as she was, especially in a ce as damned as Noyce Fortress. Her devotion to her work touched many of the soldiers. Soldiers could be seen diligently patrolling the city walls in high spirits, a stark contrast to the tense and pessimistic atmosphere that had loomed over the fortress before. It could be said that the troops were more united than ever after thest few battles they had. They were motivated to do whatever they could to reduce Lilian¡¯s burden, even by just a bit. However, what the soldiers didn¡¯t know was that while Lilian had indeed been tiring herself over managing the fortress, that wasn¡¯t the cause behind her gradual thinning. On the highest point of the fortress, in an exquisite room decorated in a vintage style, Lilian sat on her chair and wordlessly stared at the food ced in front of her. It was hard to tell what she was thinking through her pensive amethyst eyes. The head maid, Audrey, nervously stared at her master as she waited for thetter to make a move. Her hands were already clenched up before she knew it. To be clear, there was nothing wrong with the food. It had been personally prepared by Audrey, whose culinary skill was on par with top chefs. This was the vor Lilian had grown ustomed to from a young age. Audrey wouldn¡¯t have been that nervous had it been like the past, but things were different now. What had changed here was not the food but Lilian¡¯s condition. A long timeter, Lilian finally moved. She slowly picked up the cutlery ced in front of her and gracefully sliced the meat in her te. However, she didn¡¯t consume it right away. Instead, she took in a deep breath before she delivered the juicy meat into her mouth. ¡°!¡± Her body shuddered the moment her meat entered her mouth. Her face scrunched into a frown. Her hand shot straight to her mouth, a reflex that indicated that she was about to spit out the meat. rmed, Audrey quickly picked up a nearby te and offered it to her. ¡°Your Highness! You should¡­¡± Lilian raised her other hand to indicate that she was fine. Her body continued to tremble as she forced herself to swallow the meat. Audrey frowned at that sight. Lilian had been growing thinner ever since her arrival at Noyce Fortress. Most people had attributed it to her overworking herself while trying to manage the fortress, but that was hardly the truth at all. The true reason behind her gradual thinning was that she was simply unable to eat. Be it the most perfectly roasted meat, the freshest vegetable, or the finest fruits, Lilian found herself unable to swallow any of those at all. This was a natural reflex that every mother suffered in the early stages of their pregnancy¡ªmorning sickness. Indeed, Lilian was pregnant. Half a year ago, Audrey was in the midst of managing Lilian¡¯s faction in the Austine Empire when she suddenly received an urgent order from her master to head to the frontlines. It had been a baffling order for her as she had been managing her master¡¯s connections. Her absence from the capital could potentially lead to the nobles¡¯ erosion of support for Lilian, and that would have been extremely disadvantageous for thetter, especially now that she had fallen out of favor with Emperor Lukas. What Audrey encountered after rushing to the eastern border at the fastest speed possible changed her mind. Even the support of the nobles didn¡¯t seem muchpared to the severity of this matter. There was nothing more dangerous than the revtion that the unwedded imperial princess of the Austine Empire had gotten pregnant. This came as a huge shock to Audrey. She had always seen Lilian as a lofty and unreachable existence who harbored not the slightest interest in any men. Yet, the perfect imperial princess in her eyes actually skipped the courtship and engagement phase and dove straight into having a child. Audrey felt the world spinning around her when she learned of the matter. Thinking that Lilian had been duped by a bad person due to herck of romantic experience, she began making preparations for a thorough abortion spell. She was well-versed in such magic as it was one of the responsibilities of a personal maid to resolve their master¡¯s scandals¡ªand such incidents weren¡¯t that rare in the circle of nobility. Yet, to Audrey¡¯s astonishment, Lilian requested the fetal stabilization spell instead. The fetal stabilization spell was a convoluted spell was used to pause a fetus¡¯ development during the early stages of pregnancy for up to three years, simr to a temporal spell. Usually, it was cast on female transcendents who were in precarious situations and needed to dy their pregnancy for them and their child¡¯s safety. Frankly speaking, Audrey couldn¡¯tprehend why Lilian was so determined to hold onto the child. She knew that no mother in the world could easily abort their child, but the risks were too huge here! If Lilian obstinately chose to keep her child, it might lead to a massive scandal that spelled not just the end of Lilian¡¯s political career but also her life. On the other hand, while it might pain her to abort her child now, she could always have another child once things settled down. Audrey didn¡¯t think that it was rational for Lilian to be so fixated over an unborn child. She tried to persuade Lilian otherwise, but when she saw the blissful smile on Lilian¡¯s face as she rubbed her womb, she swiftly dropped the idea. It dawned on her that Lilian wouldn¡¯t be persuaded regardless of what she said. The expression that Lilian was showing was none other than maternal love. She truly loved the child she had with that unknown man. There was no way she would abort the child under such circumstances. Having understood the situation, Audrey could only obey Lilian¡¯s order and cast the fetal stabilization spell on Lilian. An unfortunate oue of the spell was the extension of Lilian¡¯s awful morning sickness, which had tortured her for half a year since then. It pained Audrey to see her regal master forcing herself to eat with trembling hands despite her strong urge to retch. She couldn¡¯t help but try to persuade her otherwise. ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t we just go with the usual honeyed water?¡± ¡°No,¡± Lilian firmly rejected the proposal. Looking at her own slender wrists and t stomach, her eyes firmed up with rekindled determination. ¡°¡­ I have to eat. My child will be danger if I grow any thinner,¡± Lilian calmly replied. She slowly sliced the meat into small bite-sized pieces and swallowed them one by one despite the intense nauseapelling her to gag. It took her three whole hours to finish the meal, and she was already exhausted by the end of it. She had to take a brief rest afterward to recover some energy, but her eyes looked much more reassured when she nced at her own womb. She spent a moment in contemtion before posing a question to Audrey. ¡°Is there any news on the Theocracy¡¯s Ascart Marquess?¡± Chapter 518: Half a Year More

Chapter 518: Half a Year More

After finishing her food with much difficulty, Lilian turned her attention toward the affairs that had been worrying her recently. The deviants¡¯ aggression had lowered with the onset of winter, lessening the pressure on humankind¡¯s defense line. Many militarymanders made use of this opportunity to return home and visit their family members. Over the past year, the Theocracy¡¯s newly-rebuilt Tark Stronghold had scaled up considerably. Its current chiefmander was Nora Xeclyde, and she was aided by Vice Chief Commander Carter Ascart. The initial n was for Nora to assume the role of the vice chiefmander and rue war experience beside Carter. However, the Theocracy was in dire need of a spiritual leader after the tragic loss they suffered from Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance. In order to reassure the people, Nora had to step up as the leader of the Theocracy¡¯s army on the eastern border as a symbolic gesture, and Carter became her aide. Neither the soldiers nor the civilians objected to that. It also reflected the Theocracy¡¯s determination to stand at the forefront of the Holy War. The brief respite brought by the winter was an opportunity for Carter to return to the Theocracy. Given the close ties between the Xeclydes and the Ascarts, there was no reason for Nora not to approve his request. If Carter returned to the Theocracy, he would definitely drop by the Ascart House to take a look. The united army of humankind would beunching a decisive offensive against the deviants in the following spring, so this could be his only chance to return home. There, he ought to meet Roel, who was on break from Saint Freya Academy. Havinge to this conclusion, Lilian turned to Audrey and waited for thetter¡¯s report. ¡°Your Highness, the Ascart Marquess will be returning to the Saint Mesit Theocracy in a few days¡¯ time,¡± Audrey respectfully reported the results of her investigation. Despite the head maid¡¯s calm demeanor, a storm was raging in her heart. She was initially oblivious to the identity of the man whom Lilian was willing to bear a child for, but the months they had spent together clued her in on the matter. In her eyes, the most likely suspect was the son of the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Ascart Marquess, Roel Ascart. Lilian got pregnant around half a year ago, shortly before she arrived at the eastern border. During that period of time, she was on an investigation mission together with Brolne¡¯s schrs. There were no official records of Roel Ascart¡¯s involvement in that matter, but there was still a possibility that he had secretly followed the investigation team. This left Audrey even more distressed. Lilian¡¯s child could have been helpful to her political career if her partner were one of Austine¡¯s high nobles, but of all candidates, it turned out to be a noble from the Saint Mesit Theocracy! Should the others ever learn of the matter, the people¡¯s support for Lilian would plummet. They could only take one step at a time and pray that they could keep everything under wraps. With such thoughts in mind, Audrey lowered her head and awaited Lilian¡¯s order. On the other hand, Lilian fell into a dilemma. Of the important things an expecting woman had to do, informing the father about the child definitely ranked near the top. Yet, this natural course of action was extremely difficult for her. The two of them hadpletely severedmunications after parting ways half a year ago. The only way she could think of to reach out to him was through a letter to the academy or the Ascart House, but such a measure was no different frommitting suicide for her, since she hadn¡¯t beenpletely cleared of suspicion yet. She couldn¡¯t risk the slightest chance of her pregnancy getting out, which meant that it would be unwise of her to leave any physical evidence of the matter around. Her only choice was to find someone trustworthy to ry the matter to Roel, and there were only two people she could think of that fitted the bill. One of them was Secret Agent Paul Ackermann. As the illegitimate son of the Austine Empire, it wouldn¡¯t have been too out of ce for Paul Ackermann to visit Lilian on the frontlines. It also wouldn¡¯t have appeared suspicious for him to meet Roel in the academy afterward, considering that he was a member of the Bluerose Faction. It would have been impossible for anyone to fault him for his actions. It was a pity that this route had been cut off. ording to Lilian¡¯s sources in the capital, Emperor Lukas had no intention of allowing Paul to join the frontlines. It was the same for First Prince Lucius and Second Prince Aubrey, who came to a surprising consensus after hearing about Paul¡¯s outstanding performance in the Challenger Cup. The two wastrels were worried that the illegitimate son might rue merit on the frontlines, which would have given him a shot at the throne. In any case, this meant that it was impossible for Lilian toe into contact with Paul. As for the second person, it was none other than Roel¡¯s father, Carter Ascart. The Ascart House was socking in offspring that there were only two people left in their n, putting them on the verge of extinction. To make things worse, there were powerful evil cultists who were out for Roel¡¯s life. Given their dreadful circumstances, Carter was bound to be anxious about expanding the family tree so as to ensure that their lineage wouldn¡¯t die out. For that reason, Lilian wasn¡¯t afraid to divulge her pregnancy to Carter even though her child was illegitimate. She wasn¡¯t worried about Carter not believing her words, either. As the imperial princess of the Austine Empire, it was taboo for her to get into a rtionship with Roel. Lying about having Roel¡¯s child would have brought her nothing but danger. She believed that Carter would find a way to ry the news to Roel once he learned that she was expecting his child. Perhaps he would even offer her protection during critical moments. The only problem here was thating into contact with Carter was risky for her, even if they were meeting under the pretext of an official military discussion. Lilian carefully considered this matter, and her gleaming amethyst eyes finally quietened down. Her final verdict was to prioritize stability and not meet with Carter. That being said, she hadn¡¯t given up on delivering the news of her pregnancy to Roel yet. Instead, she thought of another possible route she could exploit. ¡°Audrey, when is the third wave of reinforcements from Brolneing in?¡± ¡°ording to the report, it should being in another six months¡¯ time.¡± ¡°¡­Another six months?¡± Lilian muttered under her breath with a lowered head. She remembered Roel telling her that their teacher, Chris Wilde, had been a mentee of Roel¡¯s father. It was during that time that she developed a crush on Carter thatsted to the present day. She even traveled all the way to the Ascart Fiefdom in order to catch up with Carter. There was a high chance that Chris would join the third wave of reinforcements from Brolne in order to be together with her beloved one at Tark Stronghold. If so, Chris would definitely pay a visit to the prot¨¦g¨¦ whom she was proud of, Lilian. While most ssrooms had hundreds of students, Chris¡¯ ssroom was so small that Roel had been the only student epted in his batch. This had allowed for much closer ties to be forged between the teacher and the student. Considering that Lilian was the only student from Chris¡¯ ssroom who was currently fighting on the frontlines of the eastern border, Chris was bound to drop by to see how she was faring. That would be the opportunity Lilian was looking for. She would be able to contact Carter via Chris and eventually ry the message to Roel. . Having thought things through, Lilian caressed her womb as her expression slowly turned gentle. She knew right from the start that having a child at this juncture was highly disadvantageous to her, but much to her surprise, she wasn¡¯t averse to it at all. On the contrary, it filled her with a mysterious sensation that seemed to be a mixture of bewilderment, embarrassment, and joy. The thought that a new life created by her and her lover was developing inside of her filled her heart with a profound feeling of satisfaction and bliss. She had already developed feelings for her child even though it was still a fetus. She saw it as a precious gift from Goddess Sia, and she channeled her yearning for Roel toward it. ¡°Just wait a while more, my little treasure. Daddy will know about your existence soon.¡± Lilian looked out of the window and murmured. ¡­ On the road to Rosa City, Roel worriedly waited for news from Antonio. Several days had passed since he had received updates on thetest happenings in the world. He didn¡¯t send out any more letters, knowing that excessive information would only impede a person¡¯s decision-making. On top of that, it took time for his letter to reach its destination, and the Austine Empire¡¯s northern mountainous region was simply too far away. All he could do at this point was to trust in the strength and experience Antonio had rued over the centuries. These days, Roel spent most of his time either at the office desk or in bed. Due to Charlotte¡¯s fervent wish to have a child, he was forced to work harder than ever, unleashing another three more ¡®ten draws¡¯ over thest few days. The high frequency of intense workouts was hard for even him to bear, let alone Charlotte. On the guest room¡¯s sofa, Roel watched as Charlotte slowly nodded off. He nced at the clock and softly sighed. Despite her weak constitution, she had only slept for three hoursst night and two hours the night before. It was no wonder why she was so exhausted. ¡°Charlotte. Charlotte¡­¡± ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°Are you tired? I¡¯ll carry you back to your room.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m fine. I just wanted to close my eyes for a moment¡­¡± Charlotte blinked her eyes drowsily before softly rejecting Roel¡¯s offer. Roel fell into a dilemma seeing how she was putting on a strong front. Had it been half a month ago, Charlotte would have surely listened to Roel¡¯s words without any hesitation. It would have been a good opportunity for them to get closer to each other, after all. However, more and more urgent documents were being delivered to them as they approached Rosa, leaving her with no choice but to devote more time to her work. Feeling worried for her, Roel wanted to persuade her into taking a rest, but before he could say his words out loud, she suddenly slumped on his shoulder. ¡°¡­¡± Roel immediately quietened down. He turned to Grace, who had begun walking over upon realizing that Charlotte had fallen asleep, and whispered his request. ¡°Pillow.¡± ¡°Understood, Lord Roel,¡± Grace replied with a bow. The smiling maid left the room with quiet footsteps. Momentster, she returned with a fluffy pillow in hand. Roel took the pillow and ced it on hisp before carefully moving Charlotte¡¯s head on top of the pillow. With that, he sessfullypleted his own brand ofp pillow. Some hardcore fans might exim that it was heresy, for a normalp pillow ought to have involved nothing but ap. However, as a transcendent, Roel¡¯s thighs were still rather tough due to his muscles, making it hardly afortable choice for a pillow at all. He naturally had to prioritize Charlotte¡¯sfort here. It appeared to have been the right choice. There was relief in his eyes as he listened to her rhythmic breathing, though he felt a little distressed by her dedication. Charlotte had listened to his advice and stopped frequently using magic tools to check if she was pregnant, and that did help her in taking things in her stride. However, as if topensate for that, she started going at it harder than ever. As long as I keep on drawing, there¡¯ll eventuallye a day when I¡¯ll hit the jackpot! That was probably what was going through Charlotte¡¯s mind, at least in Roel¡¯s opinion. That was exactly the kind of mindset that ¡®whales¡¯ took to gacha games. To ensure a ¡®steady supply of funds¡¯ to continue drawing lots, Charlotte had employed all kinds of tactics that Roel could hardly fend off. Roel would have never imagined just how frightening a top-notch fashion designer could be when she truly set her mind to it. All he could say was that he would never be able to see clothes in the same way ever again. Just recalling what Charlotte had worn two nights ago was enough to make blood gush into his head. He was forced to immediately clear his mind and take two deep breaths lest he get too stimted. Knowing that now wasn¡¯t the time to get excited, he looked at the scenery outside the window and allowed himself to zone out. The only sound that could be heard in this quiet room was Charlotte¡¯s calm breathing. Unfortunately, this moment of peace didn¡¯tst for long. Light knocks echoed on the door. It was Grace. Roel gestured for Grace to remain quiet, and thetter nodded in acknowledgment. She walked over and respectfully passed an envelope over with both hands. Roel¡¯splexion turned serious, knowing that the envelope contained the most recent update on the situation. He quickly checked the sender, and it made his heart skip a beat. It was a letter he had been awaiting for a long while now. It was from Wandering Schr Andrew Mara, containing the report of the battle with the Saints Convocation. Chapter 519: Tragic Reality

Chapter 519: Tragic Reality

Roel nervously stared at the envelope in his hand before finally tearing it open. His movements were careful not to awaken the sleeping Charlotte. The report was written by Andrew, though it was divided into two parts for some reason. Perplexed, Roel examined it and saw that one part was additionally packaged with the words ¡®To Charlotte Sorofya and Roel Ascart¡¯ written on it. ¡°Hm?¡± Getting an ominous feeling from it, Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed sharply. After some hesitation, he decided to go with the normal report first. After many days of investigation, the Rosaian elites eventually tracked the evil cultists of the Saints Convocation down to the southern mountain valley of the Tornio Dukedom. They didn¡¯tunch an attack right away, instead opting to proceed carefully and wait for further reinforcements. Newly-arrived troops were strategically positioned around the mountain valley in a calcted formation, slowly choking up all of the escape routes. It was only after forming a tight encirclement that they began closing in on the evil cultists. Rosa had pulled out all the stops in their operation against the Saints Convocation. When they discovered that a defensive barrier had been erected around the mountain valley, they didn¡¯t hesitate to deplete their stockpile of precious metals and gemstones to thoroughly bombard the region. It was a highly exorbitant move, even by the Sorofyas¡¯ standards. This single attack had cost them the equivalent of a mid-sized country¡¯s national treasury. That being said, the price wasn¡¯t paid in vain. The sheer destructive prowess caused by exploding mountains of precious metals and gemstones all over the Saints Convocation¡¯s hideout had instantaneously breached the defensive barrier and inflicted heavy casualties on the evil cultists. This decisive move had allowed Rosa to eradicate half of the Saints Convocation¡¯s members at the very start of the battle. The evil cultists who survived the initial st attempted to escape in a flurry, but they stumbled into the encirclement of the Rosaian army instead. It might have still been possible for them to breach the encirclement if they hadunched an organized counterattack, but most of them were running around like headless flies to muster an effective counterattack. The battlested from sunset till daybreak. The result? It was a wipeout for the Saints Convocation, though some of them managed to slip away using their escape spells. Rosa conquered the mountain valley, but they suffered significant casualties in the battle from the retaliation from the stronger evil cultists. The Saints Convocation had four Origin Level 2 and ten Origin Level 3 transcendents in that battle. In terms of high transcendents, they were on par with Rosa. It was hard to say who would have emerged victorious if not for the initial bombardment. Even so, two of the Origin Level 2 transcendents still managed to make a getaway. It came as a huge shock to Rosa¡¯s upper echelons that the evil cultists wielded such strength. Andrew thought about it after the battle and figured that they might have just stumbled on the Saints Convocation¡¯s headquarters, or at least one of their key bases. The report ended with Andrew stating that they were in the midst of scavenging the battlefield. They were also going to release arrest warrants for the two Origin Level 2 transcendents who had escaped all over the Sia Continent. This was incredibly uplifting news to Roel. He would have counted his blessings if Andrew and the others had apprehended the evil cultists who helped Flooding Death back then, but they went on to take down a muchrger fish on top of that. All along, Roel could only wait for the Saints Convocation toe knocking on his door as he had no idea where they were. There was truly no way to overstate how big of a deal this was. This showed just how amazing Rosa¡¯s intelligencework was, surpassing even that of established evil cultists. While it was a stretch to say that this was the end of the Saints Convocation, this operation had indubitably dealt a heavy blow to them. They would likely have to go underground for a period of time to recover, thus granting a few years of peace to Roel and Charlotte. Overall, Roel was satisfied with what he had seen in the war report. He turned his attention toward the other individually packaged letter from the same envelope, and he couldn¡¯t help but be intrigued by it. The first report has already covered everything there is to cover about the fight with the Saints Convocation. What could be contained inside here, then? Perplexed, he tore open the packaging and began reading the letter. Slowly, hisplexion darkened and his eyes turned cold. By the time he finished reading through the entire letter, his face was already livid. The content of the second letter concerned Roel¡ªor, to be more exact, the Ascart House. ¡­ There had been a doubt floating in Roel¡¯s mind for a long time now. Why is the Saints Convocation so obsessed with me? While Roel¡¯s Crown Origin Attribute did have a suppression effect on the Six Cmities, that wasn¡¯t necessarily the worst thing in the world to the Saints Convocation. Unlike most evil cults where members adopted the same Origin Attribute, the members of the Saints Convocation had a diverse range of powers that weren¡¯t necessarily directly rted to the Mother Goddess or the Six Cmities. An example of that was the Puppetmaster Guild several centuries ago, though it had been purged since then. It would be a stretch to im that Roel was the bane of the Saints Convocation, especially when there were much more powerful and influential individuals out there. It seemed irrational for them to prioritize Roel over other targets when he hadn¡¯t antagonized them to date. Of course, it was possible that the Saints Convocation was going after him for usurping the power of the Six Cmities in order to uphold the Mother Goddess¡¯ dignity¡­ but with how they had exploited the Six Cmities as their own tools, it was hard to believe that they truly held the so-called God¡¯s Envoys in high regard. Another possible argument was that Roel waspeting with them to im possession of the Six Cmities¡¯ powers, but prior to his encounter with Flooding Death, he had only absorbed Crown¡¯s Stones from the Witness State. The hostility he faced from the Saints Convocation went further back than that. No matter how Roel looked at it, other than historical reasons he was unaware of, there was simply nopelling reason behind the Saints Convocation¡¯s obsession to take him down. It was only after Andrew and the Rosaian elitesunched an attack on the Saints Convocation¡¯s base that the mystery finally unraveled itself. Inside the confidential document addressed to Roel and Charlotte was the continuation of the first war report. It contained the findings of the Rosaian elites after scavenging the battlefield. The intentional choice of descriptions and terms used in the first war report had created an impression that the entire mountain valley had been blown to bits over the course of the battle, which discouraged further questions about the matter. However, the actual situation was very different from what was described. In truth, Andrew and the Rosaian elites had managed to capture quite a few injured evil cultists, and they discovered that the Saints Convocation¡¯s base had an underground section. Through grilling the evil cultists, they learned that the base¡¯s underground section was a secret facility known only to the leadership team. There was a self-destruction function to avoid confidential information leaking out if the base were overrun by enemies, but the person in charge of that had died in the initial bombardment. Andrew and the others were overjoyed. They quickly dispatched a team to ransack the secret facility and sessfully secured a huge amount of records and magic tools. The magic tools had restrictions that made them unusable to transcendents outside of the Saints Convocation, but they nevertheless had huge value as research material. The records were a treasure trove of information, especially since the Saints Convocation¡¯s history predated most of the existing human countries. These returns were more than enough to justify the resources Rosa had devoted to the operation, but these weren¡¯t all they had found there. In the innermost depth of the secret facility, the Rosaian elites unexpectedly stumbled upon a human experimentation facility containing oddly well-preserved blood samples and body parts. They carried out an appraisal on them and found that both the blood samples and the body parts had more than a thousand years of history behind them. Andrew initially thought that the blood samples and body parts were from the ancient races, which would have justified the borate care the Saints Convocation took to preserve them. However, after running some analysis on them, he was shocked to learn that they belonged to humans in the Second Epoch. In particr, the blood samples shared a high level of simrity to Roel¡¯s blood. In other words, these blood samples were acquired from awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline. That was also why Andrew had written a second confidential letter to Roel. Roel fell into deep thought after reading the report. By piecing together the bits and pieces of information he had gathered to date, he was able to form a picture that gave him some leads to the Saints Convocation¡¯s antagonism toward him. Blood had been one of the mostmon spell mediums used by human transcendents since the ancient era. Human transcendents often used their own blood to amplify their own spells. There were also certain bloodlines that possessed intrinsic qualities that granted their possessors special traits. An example of this would be Charlotte¡¯s High Elf Bloodline, which was the basis required for her to cast Arbiter of Fate. It was possible to use the blood of others as a medium too. This was usually done with the intention to acquire something or a specific trait from the transcendent¡¯s bloodline. It was obvious what the Saints Convocation wanted from Roel¡¯s Kingmaker Bloodline¡ªits ability to control the Six Cmities. They knew better than anyone else about the humongoustent power harnessed inside the eggs of the Six Cmities, and they wanted to im that power for themselves. As a result, the upper echelons of the Saints Convocation created the Holy Sons. The Holy Sons were a rather peculiar existence within the evil cult, in the sense that they were ced on a pedestal within the organization despite their generally low Origin Levels. However, this special treatment made sense if one simply considered their role. In the Witness State depicting Leinster four hundred years ago, Roel had impersonated a Holy Son who was entrusted with the job to awaken Tempest Caller¡¯s egg. Back then, he still had no idea how the Holy Sons came about, but Andrew¡¯s discovery made the answer apparent. Most likely, the Holy Sons were an artificial imitation of the Kingmaker Bloodline¡¯s awakeners. They were probably produced by injecting the Kingmaker Bloodline into young children through some special means in hopes that their bodies would eventually assimte it and inherit the traits of the bloodline. It went without saying that the process was extremely damaging to the human body. On top of that, the Holy Sons wouldn¡¯t truly gain the powers of the Kingmaker Bloodline even if the procedure was a sess. All they received was an aura simr to the Kingmaker Bloodline¡¯s awakeners, though that was already enough for them to control the eggs of the Six Cmities. It was worth noting that the Saints Convocation¡¯s blood samples were extremely old and had been reused many times now, possibly because there hadn¡¯t been many awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline ever since the Ardes¡¯ downfall in the Second Epoch. That greatly reduced the sess rate of the blood transfusion procedure. However, what Roel was more concerned about was the origin of the blood samples. Only the blood of the Kingmaker Bloodline¡¯s awakeners would have the power to suppress the Six Cmities, which meant that those blood samples were produced at the expense of his bloodline kin¡¯s lives. Roel could hardly calm himself when that thought came into his mind. The Ardes had devoted themselves to protecting humankind, and their efforts were what hadid the foundation required for the prosperity of humankind back in the Second Epoch. Be it the Saints Convocation or the Savior¡¯s worshipers, most of their members were a part of humanity as well, which meant that they had benefited from the blood, sweat, and tears of the Ardes too. Yet, they bit the hands that fed them and repaid graciousness with malice in the worst way possible. It had always been taboo to use one¡¯s brethren as a magic medium, even back in thewless ancient era. This was believed to be an act of gross disrespect to the deceased. However, the Fallens saw their awakeners as fodder to unseal the Savior, whereas the Saints Convocation viewed the Kingmaker Bloodline as a suppressor to control their God¡¯s Envoys. Neither carried the slightest respect toward those who had protected them thus far. His ancestors¡¯ corpses were still being exploited even after a thousand years had passed, not granted the peace they deserved. The thought of that filled Roel with overflowing indignation and anguish. Before Roel could snap out of his rare agitated state, he suddenly heard a voice below him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, darling?¡± Chapter 520: Young Miss’ Psychological Battle

Chapter 520: Young Miss¡¯ Psychological Battle

Subtle bodynguage often betrayed a person¡¯s true emotions. Someone who was feeling happy would naturally rx their muscles, whereas someone who was upset was prone to turning cold. These were natural reflexive responses that were hard for humans to control. The difficulty of controlling these reflexive responses was further heightened for transcendents due to the additional element of mana, which happened to be a strong conductor of emotions. That was also why Charlotte woke up at this precise moment. In her groggy state, she had sensed a mana pulsation that she had never felt from Roel. It was overflowing with extreme anger and rage, but it was also mixed with hints of indignation and destion. If she had to draw an analogy, it felt like an incredibly mncholic sigh. It was as if a warm spring had suddenly turned cold and turbulent. Such a jarring change couldn¡¯t have escaped Charlotte¡¯s notice, even though she had been asleep a moment ago. She opened her eyes and looked at Roel. What she saw on his face was neither burning rage nor tearful sorrow, but confused exhaustion. He seemed to be pondering aplex question that he simply couldn¡¯t find an answer to. He hadn¡¯t noticed her awakening yet, which was why she was able to see his true feelings. He had never liked to worry others. The moment he realized that she was awake, he would immediately put on a smiling face, but that only made her even more anxious and perplexed. What could have made him so distracted that he would reveal such an expression and not even realize that I am awake? After a moment of hesitation, she decided to call him out. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, darling?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel jolted. He immediately put on a smile¡ªjust as she had expected¡ªbefore lowering his gaze to look at her. ¡°You¡¯re awake? It hasn¡¯t been an hour yet. Why don¡¯t you sleep a while more and resume work in the afternoon?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte spent a moment staring at Roel¡¯s uncracking smile before she finally answered. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll postpone today¡¯s work.¡± ¡°Charlotte?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ve already dealt with the urgent documents¡­ and I believe that there¡¯s something more important here that I have to settle.¡± Roel was taken aback. Charlotte raised her hand and gently caressed his cheek. ¡°¡­Darling, what happened?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s smile fizzled out when he realized that he had failed to convince Charlotte with his act. Through their exchange of gazes, he sensed her determination to get to the bottom of the matter. In the end, he heaved a sigh of resignation before handing the two documents to her. ¡°This is¡­¡± Charlotte took the documents with a quizzical look on her face. She sat upright and began solemnly browsing through the two documents. Her face remained mostly stoic, but the subtle movements in her facial expressions hinted that she wasn¡¯t as calm as she appeared to be. When she finally put down the two documents, she turned to look at Roel but found herself at a loss for words. Even she was repulsed when she learned that the Saints Convocation had been hoarding the Ardes¡¯ remains, let alone Roel, who carried deep respect for his ancestors. ¡°Darling, I¡­¡± Charlotte kept raising and lowering her head as she struggled to find the right words. She wanted tofort him, but words seemed to fizzle out at the tip of her tongue. In the end, she straddled his thighs and hugged him tightly. She stroked his hairfortingly and gently whispered into his ears. ¡°Darling, you can cry too if it¡¯s too much for you to bear.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that I will. They might be my ancestors, but I don¡¯t personally know them.¡± ¡°Still, it must have been upsetting to learn about their plights.¡± ¡°¡­Rather than upset, I feel more indignant on their behalf,¡± Roel replied as his exhaustion resurfaced. Those words left Charlotte pondering the circumstances surrounding the Ardes, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel mncholic about everything they had been put through. She lowered her head and sighed deeply. Indeed, it must have felt indignant, she thought to herself. Since the Second Epoch, the Kingmaker Bloodline had been defending the peace of the human civilization from the shadows. While they had risen to a prominent position for their sacrifices, it was hardlyparable to the blood they had shed in the process. It was no exaggeration to say that the rise of human civilization was built on the blood of the Kingmaker n. To protect human civilization, the Kingmaker n maintained a tight grasp on the Mother Goddess and the Savior, but they suffered a terrible bacsh as a result. The Ardes crumbled, and its scattered members had to live in constant fear of the evil cultists after their lives. A thousand years had passed since then, and the once glorious n had shrunk till it was only two people strong. In fact, before Roel awakened his bloodline, most noble houses believed that the Ascarts had already run their course. Yet how did humankind reciprocate the Kingmaker n¡¯s sacrifices? The Saints Convocation exploited their flesh and blood in order to acquire greater power. Powerful transcendents who had descended into depravity directed their des at them. Their once stalwart ally, the Ackermanns, turned their backs on them when they were in dire need of help. The Kingmaker n had been brought down by the very same people they had protected. In Charlotte¡¯s embrace, Roel looked at the scenery outside with eyes flickering with uncertainty, reminiscent of a lost child. ¡°Charlotte, do you think that kindness begets kindness?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte was unable to answer Roel¡¯s question. She could disguise the truth with flowery words, but kindness didn¡¯t always beget kindness. Tragedies always apanied those who walked the path of a protector¡ªthe history of the Ardes had shown as much. But those weren¡¯t the words that she wanted to tell him. Neither did she think that he had posed that question out of cynicism of humankind. She pressed her lips on his forehead and pondered it before finally offering her answer to the question. ¡°I can¡¯t say that good people will be rewarded for their kindness¡­ but it¡¯s my personal belief that evildoers will suffer retribution.¡± ¡°Retribution?¡± ¡°Evildoers ought to be punished for their sins. I¡¯ll take it upon myself to ensure that happens.¡± ¡°Charlotte?¡± Surprised by the forceful deration, Roel turned his head over to look at Charlotte. Sensing his movements, she also turned to look at him, revealing the unwavering conviction in her eyes. ¡°Charlotte, you¡­¡± ¡°Darling, leave the Saints Convocation to us. You shouldn¡¯t get involved in this matter, all right?¡± Charlotte caressed Roel¡¯s cheeks as she gently persuaded him with a smile. Even so, Roel looked hesitant about epting the offer. ¡°This is our Ascarts¡¯ problem. It doesn¡¯t seem right to leave it all to¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to continue using that excuse with me after everything we have been through?¡± Charlotte asked with a dissatisfied frown. ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. There¡¯s no way I would regard you as an outsider, but¡­¡± ¡°You are regarding me as an outsider. I am your fianc¨¦e. Shouldn¡¯t we ovee difficult times together?¡± ¡°¡­¡± While Roel was unable to refute those words, he was still reluctant to concede on this matter. Charlotte let out a sigh before continuing on. ¡°You seem to be mistaken about something. The Saints Convocation is already on Rosa¡¯s ck list after they brazenly bared their fangs at us. I¡¯m going to ensure that every single one of them is weeded out¡­ Besides, it¡¯s about time for Rosa to change its own position in the world.¡± ¡°Position?¡± Roel narrowed his eyes questioningly. Charlotte continued sharing her thoughts. The Rosa Merchant Confederacy had always taken a pacifist stance in international politics, opting to maintain good ties whenever possible to facilitate trade. This allowed Rosaian merchants, especially the Sorofyas¡¯, to expand their business all over the world. However, with the peaceful era slowly receding, Rosa would have to adapt to the changing circumstances in order to remain relevant. Having a say on international matters was of utmost importance in a chaotic era. Rosa couldn¡¯t allow itself to be seen as nothing more than the money bag of humankind. Eradicating the Saints Convocation was not just a matter of vengeance anymore. More than that, it was an opportunity for Rosa to showcase its might. Roel expressed his approval of Charlotte¡¯s thoughts. Rosa¡¯s influence was sorelycking inparison to the Saint Mesit Theocracy and the Austine Empire. If they wanted to be one of the decision-makers of humankind, they would have to prove their strength and build up merit by aplishing something substantial. In that case, Roel ought to fully entrust the Saints Convocation to them. His involvement in the matter would only undermine Rosa¡¯s aplishments. ¡°Other than that, you seem to have forgotten the most important thing here.¡± ¡°I did? What did I forget?¡± ¡°Our child is going to be a member of the Ascart House too.¡± Charlotte pinched Roel¡¯s cheeks as she spoke with a pout. ¡°If our child awakens to the Ascart Bloodline, the Saints Convocation would likely go after him too. I¡¯m not going to sit still when someone endangers my child.¡± Roel widened his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re right. But it¡¯s not just the Saints Convocation that¡¯s dangerous here. The same goes for the Fallens too.¡± Roel finally snapped out of the mncholic mood he was in. His golden eyes regained their usual sharpness. Charlotte quietly exhaled at that sight, relieved at the sess of her strategy. The plight of the Ardes was a tragedy for the descendants of the Kingmaker Bloodline to grieve over. She was indeed an outsider here, in the sense that she couldn¡¯t share Roel¡¯s sorrow andfort him. Anything she said would have been shallow. However, it was a different story when it came to the topic of their children. The tragic fate of the Ardes despite their sacrifices had extinguished Roel¡¯s fighting will, but she believed that he would be able to pull himself together if he turned his focus toward their future child. She was right about that. Another question quickly surfaced in her mind. ¡°Darling, how do you intend to deal with your ancestors¡¯ blood and remains?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to discuss the matter with my father, but I wish to bring them back to the Ascart Fiefdom.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ll have Grandpa Andrew deliver it lest the evil cultists try to steal it.¡± Roel thought that Charlotte¡¯s words made sense. He could see the evil cultists attempting that. Now that he had matured, it was getting increasingly difficult for the Saints Convocation to acquire a fresh sample of the Kingmaker Bloodline from him. The only way for them to retain their control over the Six Cmities was for them to steal back their stockpile. It was also possible that the Saints Convocation had more samples of the Kingmaker Bloodline, but that wasn¡¯t something Roel could do anything about at the moment. So, he epted Charlotte¡¯s goodwill. Charlotte¡¯s lips inched upward triumphantly. She knew from the locations of the Saints Convocation¡¯s base and the Ascart Fiefdom that the shortest delivery route would pass through Rosa City. It wouldn¡¯t be right for her not to do anything at all when her fianc¨¦¡¯s ancestors were passing through her homnd. Thus, she turned to her lover and made a proposal. ¡°Darling, why don¡¯t we pay respects to your ancestors together?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°In Rosa, we hold rituals for the bodies of family members who have died on the battlefield to garner blessings for them. I believe that the Ascart Fiefdom has a simr custom, right?¡± ¡°Indeed, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s settled, then. We¡¯ll hold a grand ritual for your ancestors here in Rosa. You¡¯ll be the one officiating the ritual¡­ and I¡¯ll be right beside you as your wife.¡± Charlotte sped her hand over Roel¡¯s mouth and single-handedly made a call on this matter. Despite her domineering attitude, she was blushing furiously. Chapter 521: This Is What You Call a Surprise

Chapter 521: This Is What You Call a Surprise

Paying respects to one¡¯s ancestors was a solemn affair in Rosa. Wars had been a staple in Rosa¡¯s history. Many families had lost their loved ones to battle. To raise the people¡¯s morale andmemorate deceased heroes, Rosaians were thorough about their customs when it came to weing a deceased family member from the battlefield. In a sense, this was their way of coping with sorrow. On that day, family members weed the deceased outside the city and carried their remains to a divine temple worshiping Genesis Goddess Sia, where a grand ceremony would be held to bless the souls of the dead. Following that, the closest family member to the deceased would carry the remains to the burial ground, where the deceased would lie in eternal rest. This was the most thorough ritual for the deceased on the Sia Continent. The Genesis Goddess Church had also offered its full support for the ritual, ensuring that the ritual was in line with the teachings of the church. This meant that the ritual was appropriate to wee the bodies of the Ascarts¡¯ ancestors too. It wasmon for nobles from nearby countries to visit Sia Temple and hold rituals for their deceased ancestors, though the Sorofyas, despite being the ones who established the temple, rarely engaged in any of its rituals. Charlotte didn¡¯t raise the idea to wee the Ascarts¡¯ ancestors through the ritual in order to garner business for Sia Temple. No, she was so insistent on holding the ritual in Rosa because of one of the ritual¡¯s requisites: thepulsory attendance of family members. Needless to say, Roel had to participate in the ritual given that he was a descendant of the Kingmaker Bloodline, but it would be too difficult for him toplete the ritual by himself. He would definitely require someone to aid him in the process. There were only three people in the Ascart House at the moment. The patriarch, Carter Ascart, was still on the frontline. The foster daughter, Alicia Ascart, was strictly not a member of the Ascart House considering theck of blood ties, not to mention that she was currently in the Ascart Fiefdom. Given theck of other suitable candidates, it was only right for Charlotte, as Roel¡¯s fianc¨¦e, to rise to the asion¡­ and that was exactly what she was after. Paying respects to one¡¯s ancestors was a sacred event that allowed no room for disingenuity. Any falsehoods uttered in the ritual were deemed to be an act of disrespect to the ancestors. This meant that Charlotte¡¯s participation in the ritual as Roel¡¯s wife could be viewed as an official affirmation of their rtionship. Of course, Charlotte wasn¡¯t so insecure as to think that she needed such forceful affirmations to tie Roel down¡ªtheir rtionship was not that fragile. What she was truly after was to make a statement to others who might think differently of their rtionship¡­ such as Roel¡¯s father. No matter what, Carter should see her in a better light if she aided Roel with the Ascarts¡¯ ancestral ritual¡­ and it would also be much harder for the marquess to reject her after the two of them had affirmed their rtionship before the ancestors. Having thought things through, Charlotte¡¯s heart quivered in anticipation as determination gleamed in her emerald eyes. Roel could only smile helplessly at that sight. He could somewhat guess the thoughts running through Charlotte¡¯s mind. Rosa¡¯s rituals for the deceased were famous enough that he, as the sessor of the neighboring territory, had heard about them. But how could he possibly reject her request? In his view, Charlotte had alwayscked a sense of security. Her less-than-ideal family situation had made her more determined to form a happy family, but the Sorofyas¡¯ Loyalty Origin Attribute had condemned her to only one try. How could she not worry when so much was at stake for her? To make things worse, her rtionship had encountered with plenty of obstacles along the way, with Carter¡¯s objection to their rtionship being the biggest thorn in her heart. Charlotte had initially hoped to change Carter¡¯s attitude toward her by bearing Roel¡¯s child, but the limitations of her constitution made it unlikely for her to fulfill this goal in the short term. So, she decided to alter her strategy and work on that from another angle. There was no way Roel could turn her down when he understood her worries. After receiving his approval, Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief before giving him a tight hug. ¡°Darling, are you really fine with it?¡± ¡°Mmhm. It wouldn¡¯t be good to drag this matter out for too long, but I don¡¯t know when my father is returning from the battlefield. I think that it¡¯d be best for us to handle the ritual by ourselves.¡± These words soothed Charlotte¡¯s heart. In a tight embrace, they could feel their hearts beating in resonance. Under the guidance of their feelings, their bodies began intertwining once more. ¡­ After settling their ns regarding the ancestral ritual, Roel and Charlotte resumed their journey toward Rosa City. Their remaining days on the Diamond Rivi¨¨re were rather idyllic. Having found another direction to work toward, Charlotte was no longer as intent on having a child as before, thus allowing the two of them to catch a break from their intense night life. The focus of their attention returned to their work and the ancestral ritual. The tradition of worshiping the ancestors had been on the decline along with the advancement of human civilization. Rosa was the country that had preserved the tradition to the greatest degree due to its unique historical background. Had it been in the Knight Kingdom instead, the highest honor bestowed upon deceased predecessors was nothing more than a bell¡¯s toll and a eulogy from their juniors. It was probably much more worthwhile to die in Rosa in that regard. Of course, there was no way Roel would say those words aloud, but he did have a high opinion of Rosa¡¯s traditions on that aspect. He personally viewed the act of worshiping one¡¯s ancestors as a formality to inherit the will and history of the predecessors. As an amateur historian himself, Roel was painfully aware of the gaps in the knowledge passed down through the generations. Even high nobles like the Ascarts knew next to nothing about their history in the Second Epoch. He had to gather information from all ces and slowly piece them together just to uncover his own ancestry. If the humans of the Sia Continent observed the tradition of annual tomb-sweeping, their family history would be naturally passed down even without any hard records. Roel figured that his deep respect for his own ancestors stemmed from the customs of his past life. To be honest, he was a little d that Charlotte shared the same values on this matter. Other than preparing for the ancestral ritual, Roel spent most of his time helping Charlotte out with her work. Her workload had been steadily growing as they got closer to Rosa City. Sometimes, it took her an entire afternoon just to finish her work, and she would be mentally exhausted by the end of it. Roel had been through this phase too during his stint as a proxy fief lord, when he first initiated his ns for the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s development. There were so many matters to deal with that he was put through the terrifying experience of being chained to his office for consecutive days. Of course, Charlotte, as the princess of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, wouldn¡¯t be asked to ve away as he had, but even so, it wasmon for her to work tillte at night. Many would have been surprised by how hardworking she was despite her graceful and noble exterior. Time slowly passed just like that. A day before they arrived at Rosa, Roel finally received the item that he had been waiting for all this while: Principal Antonio¡¯s reply letter. He heaved a huge sigh of relief upon receiving the letter, knowing that Antonio was still alive. He quickly opened up the envelope to read its contents. In the letter, Antonio first thanked Roel for his information and concern. He agreed that they ought to exercise the utmost caution with this matter before reassuring him that he had taken additional steps to ensure that hisrades were trustworthy. Antonio had personally experienced the terror caused by the betrayal of Magician King Priestley Maxwell four hundred years ago, after all. He knew better than anyone how treacherous the Fallens were, so much that he devoted great effort to developing an appraisal method to identify the Savior¡¯sckeys. Using that appraisal method, he had confirmed that hisrades weren¡¯t affiliated with the Savior before including them in the operation. But even with trustworthyrades, Antonio still opted for prudent maneuvers. The location they had tracked the Collector down to was a meandering mountain range, which allowed them to slowly gather their forces and tighten their encirclement around the Fallens without alerting them. The situation was under their control, but Antonio was apprehensive about how things had yed out. He found it bewildering how easily they had stumbled on a key leader of the Fallens, not to mention that the Collector could have easily disguised himself as anyone due to hisck of known distinctive traits other than his blurred facial features. In addition, there was a high chance that the Collector was highly skilled in spatial magic. That could be seen from the constructed space that he had previously resided in at the Elric Fiefdom¡¯s Connoisseur Guild. From a logical standpoint, the chances of finding the Collector were practically negligible! It was not surprising that most of Brolne¡¯s upper echelons thought that this was nothing more than a decoy to draw their firepower away from the real Collector. Antonio was initially of the same thought as them, but it waster found that the mana traces left on the battlefield matched those on the sculpture retrieved from the Connoisseur Guild. This made it highly likely that the person they had found was the real Collector. Taking a twist in perspectives, the only other possibility was that the Collector had prepared a substitute beforehand and had thettere into contact with his personal possessions, but it didn¡¯t take long for Antonio to overturn the possibility. Captured members of the Connoisseur Guild had divulged that the Collector lived alone in his private space, and there shouldn¡¯t have been any need for him to prepare a decoy. If not for Roel¡¯s intervention back at Tark Prairie, the Elrics would have killed Nora and broken the Xeclydes¡¯ many years of dominance. That would have spelled the perfect opportunity for the Elrics to make aeback and evenpete for the throne. Considering the circumstances, Antonio and the others were forced to conclude that the person they had found was very likely to be the Collector. This was a rare opportunity for them to deal a heavy blow to the Fallens. They would have to take this risk even if it reeked of a trap. Thus, Antonio quickly rallied together an army and made his way down to where Brolne¡¯s scouts had tracked the Collector down to. The first thing he did upon arriving at the scene was to erect an anti-spatial magic barrier to prevent the Collector from secretly making a getaway. Overall, it looked like things were going well on Antonio¡¯s side, but it was too early to tell how things would turn out. Roel felt much more assured after reading the letter. Bringing down an Origin Level 1 transcendent was no easy feat. With Antonio in a heightened alert state, it was unlikely that the Fallens would be able to corner him. The following day, the Diamond Rivi¨¨re finally arrived at Rosa City. As soon as the prosperous city came into sight, the Rosaian guards began cheering in a mixture of delight and relief. Even Charlotte, despite feeling conflicted about the situation, also revealed a faint smile. This had been an arduous journey filled with many frights, from the fight with the Saints Convocation to the showdown with Flooding Death. The sheer danger they had faced waspletely unlike what they had encountered in the past. Even after everything had blown over, their nerves still remained tightly strung up. It was only now that their homnd was right before them that the load on their shoulders was finally released. In particr, Charlotte found herself overwhelmed by emotions. She had believed this journey to be the final moment of her life when she left Rosa City with a heavy heart, but who could have known that it would spell a new start instead? She even had a major breakthrough in her rtionship with Roel as a result. She couldn¡¯t find the words to describe what she was feeling. It was like she had been born anew. The darkness that had been swirling inside her had been purged clean, and she suddenly found herself not alone anymore. Having been independent for so long, it felt weirdly tingly inside to suddenly have someone else to fall back on. She touched the ring on her finger before slowly breaking out into a smile. On the other hand, Roel noticed a huge crowd gathered in front of the city gates. The members of the Sorofya House hade to wee her, with Bruce Sorofya standing at the forefront. This fanfare wasn¡¯t very surprising, considering how Bruce had cast aside his responsibilities to rush back from the eastern borders in order to be with his ailing daughter. He would have heard about Charlotte¡¯s safety by now, but he would probably have to confirm it in person before he was able to rest at ease. Roel nced at Charlotte and saw reminiscence in her eyes. Seeing that, he ordered the convoy to pick up speed. As the two of them approached the city gates, Charlotte noticed that there were actually two distinct groups gathered in front of the city gates. Just as she was perplexed by the division, a person suddenly stepped out from the crowd to take her ce at the forefront too. Charlotte widened her eyes in shock. Chapter 522: Do You Miss Me?

Chapter 522: Do You Miss Me?

Alicia Ascart was the foster daughter of the neighboring Ascart Marquess, as well as the newest Ringbearer of Saint Freya Academy. Charlotte had been at loggerheads with Alicia ever since their first meeting, but she didn¡¯t think that Alicia posed a threat to her. This was thanks to a single piece of paper¡ªthe engagement contract between the ancestors of the Sorofyas and the Ascarts. By assuming the identity of Roel¡¯s fianc¨¦e, she was able to thoroughly suppress Alicia, forcing thetter to back down again and again, even forcing her out of her home. Unfortunately, Nora¡¯s subsequent counterattack had voided her right to enforce the engagement contract, effectively nullifying it. That allowed Alicia to regain some momentum in the battle. However, the engagement contract was far from the only leverage Charlotte had in her hands. As the official representative of the Rosa Merchant Confederacy to the Ascart Fiefdom, the power she wielded in her hands might even be greater than Alicia¡¯s. The Sorofyas were, by a huge margin, the number one investor in the Ascart Fiefdom. Furthermore, she had also been diligently working on her public image by holding events such as distributing candies on the streets over the New Year. These nifty tricks allowed her to build up considerable prestige and respect amongst themon popce as well. With the leverage she had in her hands, Charlotte was confident that Alicia wouldn¡¯t be an obstacle in her way¡­ but she was being too optimistic. Looking at the beautiful woman with silver hair and crimson eyes standing before her, Charlotte¡¯s emerald eyes sharply narrowed. She knew right away that her n of attending the ancestral ritual together with Roel had been foiled. Did the news somehow slip out? No, that¡¯s impossible. We only came to a decision several days ago. I am also certain that darling didn¡¯t send a letter out regarding that matter. On top of that, there have been no reports about Alicia¡¯s arrival¡­ Is it just a coincidence? Charlotte clenched her jaw in frustration as she wondered if she had depleted her luck with Roel in the earlier chain of events. ¡°Alicia? Why is she here?¡± Roel asked in surprise. ¡°¡­Darling, did you contact the Ascart House?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want to worry Alicia, so I didn¡¯t write over.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte quietly heaved a sigh before looking ahead once more with a conflicted expression. As the convoy halted in front of the city gates, it was time for the fated reunion. ¡­ Overall, the situation in front of the city gates was calm. The reunion was made formal by the presence of quite a few Rosaian officials, so the crowd subconsciously reined themselves in. The guards of the Diamond Rivi¨¨re held their positions while Roel and Charlotte alighted from their carriage in a dignified manner and walked toward the weing party. The maids trailed a respectful distance behind them. First was the reunion between Bruce and Charlotte. Bruce cast aside his noble front and revealed tears of joy and relief when he finally confirmed that his daughter was indeed safe and sound. It was rare for him, as the top leader of Rosa, to allow his true emotions to show. Under his influence, Charlotte found herself tearing up. A heartened smile crept onto Roel¡¯s face. He had interacted with Bruce several times before, and thetter had always struck him to be a dignified noble who remained calm and rational regardless of the situation, an impression that was somewhat simr to Carter. Yet, Bruce actually left his position despite all of the opposition he faced from others, choosing to prioritize his responsibilities as a father over those of a ruling noble. That spoke volumes about how much he treasured his daughter. As a matter of fact, Bruce had been constantly on the verge of a mental breakdown while Charlotte wasnguishing from the curses. A careless mistake he had made in his younger years had caused him to be exposed to Flooding Death¡¯s curses, and now his daughter was paying the price for his folly. There was probably no worse nightmare for a father. It was a huge relief that the nightmare hadn¡¯te to be. Naturally, Bruce wouldn¡¯t forget about the benefactor who had obstinately fought against all odds to overturn fate. ¡°Roel, I am deeply grateful to you as a father for bringing my daughter safely back home.¡± ¡°Uncle Bruce, it¡¯s only right for me to do so. Charlotte is my fianc¨¦e,¡± Roel replied with a smile. Bruce¡¯s pupils inconspicuously widened when he heard those words. His eyes casually fell onto his daughter, and thetter¡¯s face slightly reddened under his gaze. He knew that the two of them had always been on intimate terms, but it was only to the extent of lovers. Yet, after the ordeal the two of them had been put through, there was a subtle change in the atmosphere between them. While Bruce wascking in rtionship experience, having only been together with Charlotte¡¯s mother, through his keen eyes and fatherly instincts, he was still able to urately perceive the nature of the change¡­ ¡­ and he was thrilled about it! Even if not for Roel¡¯s current aplishments and future potential, Bruce would have still wanted the engagement to go through. Years of observation had told him that Roel was likely to be the only one whom Charlotte would have eyes for in her entire life. Loyalty was both a virtue and a curse. Those who entrusted their loyalty to the wrong person were condemned to a tragic oue. Should Roel refuse to reciprocate Charlotte¡¯s feelings, she would be damned to live a lonesome life. Just like how Carter was desperate to expand his family tree, the same could be said for Bruce. Charlotte was the only member of the Sorofya House to have inherited the Primordial Bloodline, so many people in the n were hoping for her to further her lineage. Grandpa Ugin was also one of those people. His eyes were practically glowing as he looked at the two youngsters, almost as if he could already see a small child running up to him. It was fortunate that they were in a public ce, so neither Bruce nor Ugin could raise the subject. Roel traded some pleasantries with them before moving on to greet his family members. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± Alicia called out concernedly. The relief on her face was visible when she saw that Roel was in a good condition. She didn¡¯t ask too many questions about the situation, but a simple exchange of gazes was enough for them tomunicate their feelings. This was the depth of the bond they had built over a long period of time. It was neither intense nor passionate, but it was mellow and enduring. The words they exchanged were typical of a simple reunion, reminiscent of an ordinary family. It was clear that Alicia was holding herself back from doing anything overboard to defend the Ascart House¡¯s honor, and Roel understood and chose to cooperate with her. . After undergoing heartfelt reunions, Bruce led the crowd back into the city, where a grand celebration awaited them. ¡­ Both Charlotte¡¯s return and Roel¡¯s triumph over the Six Cmities were major events, which had a high tendency to go viral. They were bound to be the talk of the town, be it the significance of the events themselves or their implications. This was the first known case where a human had defeated a member of the Six Cmities. This feat in itself was more than enough for Roel¡¯s name to go down in history, but the context behind it was equally remarkable. A young man bravely stood up against an ancient monster that humankind had deemed impossible to defeat in order to save his fianc¨¦e. How romantic was that? There was no better material for an epic love story! As a result, Roel and Charlotte¡¯s story swiftly spread through themon popce. Joyous vibes rippled through Rosa City when the two heroes finally returned from their ordeal. Rosa prepared a grand weing banquet coupled with spectacr performances to soothe their taut nerves through songs and dances, and the atmosphere was harmonious. In view of the fact that Charlotte hadn¡¯t fully recovered, the banquet was set to conclude at midnight, but even before then, the auburn-haired woman¡¯s attention was already wandering elsewhere. It¡¯s too peaceful. Charlotte frowned in iprehension as she stared at the silver-haired woman sitting alone by the window with a faint smile on her lips. She couldn¡¯t understand what Alicia was up to, and that was making her feel uneasy. Alicia hadn¡¯t said a single word to her since their meeting at the city gates¡­ and such behavior was extremely atypical for her considering the current circumstances. Both Charlotte and Roel were the stars of today¡¯s weing banquet, and they were attending in the capacity of an engaged couple too. It was not just one or two people who had approached them to offer them their blessings. The usual Alicia would have long protested against such a situation by now, but she was being uncharacteristically cool about it. She hadn¡¯t made a single attempt to confront Charlotte over it. The calm before the storm. Her willingness to remain silent only means that she¡¯s plotting something bigger, Charlotte thought. Simrly, Roel was also perplexed by Alicia¡¯s unusual behavior, which resulted in his attention constantly drifting in her direction for thetter half of the banquet. Later, when the banquet concluded, Charlotte would be returning to the Hundred Birds Gallery, while Roel and Alicia made their way toward the Sorofya hotel reserved for guests. Such an arrangement was dissatisfying to Charlotte, but there was nothing she could do about it. It mattered not how intimate they were or whether they had consummated their rtionship. As long as they were unwedded, they would have to observe the formality of engaged lovers staying apart. Otherwise, anypse in their decorum would be faulted on their upbringing. It went without saying that such a restriction wasn¡¯t imposed on Alicia, given that she was a member of the Ascart House herself. If Charlotte was the one who was on top of things in the day, Alicia was the one who grasped control at night. After reining it all in with a smile for the entire day, Alicia was finally going to unsheathe her dagger. ¡°Darling, will you promise me one thing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Feeling unnerved by the situation, Charlotte approached Roel near the end of the banquet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and softly whispered her request into his ears. Roel blinked his eyes in confusion. Charlotte discreetly gauged his response before sighing in self-reproach. ¡°Alicia has been quiet for an entire day now. It might be because she doesn¡¯t approve of our rtionship. I understand where she¡¯sing from. You received such severe injuries in order to save me¡­¡± ¡°¡­Haven¡¯t I already told you? I am your fianc¨¦. It¡¯s my responsibility to protect you,¡± Roel reiterated his stance with a serious expression. Charlotte felt a tinge of warmth in her heart as she nodded her head. ¡°Thank you, darling, but I¡¯m afraid that Alicia wouldn¡¯t concur with you. She might think that I¡¯m exploiting you. She has always harbored many misgivings about me.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, darling¡­ Could you refrain from meeting her tonight? I wish to pay Alicia a visit tomorrow to exin things.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Roel looked conflicted upon hearing Charlotte¡¯s n. However, his heart wavered when he noticed the unease in her eyes, and he eventually epted her request with a nod. It would be best for Charlotte to exin things to Alicia if there were any misunderstandings between them. Besides, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to fulfill Charlotte¡¯s request¡ªhe could simply feign exhaustion and excuse himself from the banquet in advance. It was with such thoughts in mind that he epted Charlotte¡¯s request. Thetter secretly heaved a sigh of relief. Sess! This should be enough to put off her first wave of attack, right? Charlotte was d that she could set up a defense line before their inevitable parting. It brought a ray of hope to the dark night that seemed beyond her control. Not too far away, a silver-haired woman fiddled with her wine ss as she looked at them with a contemtive gleam in her crimson eyes. When the banquet finally came to an end, Roel boarded the carriage early under the pretext of exhaustion and headed to the hotel alone. Looking at the brilliant streets outside the carriage windows, he thought about how he would have to turn down Alicia¡¯s visitter on and sighed forlornly. He could sense that Alicia was only holding herself in. Beneath her silent exterior, there were actually many things that she wanted to tell him. The truth was that it was the same for him too. After undergoing such a close battle, he yearned for his family members more than ever. Such thoughts evoked a sigh from him as Alicia¡¯s silhouette shed across his mind. Before he could snap out of his reminiscence, a euphonious voice suddenly echoed beside him. ¡°Are you missing me, Lord Brother?¡± Chapter 523: I’m Switching Tracks

Chapter 523: I¡¯m Switching Tracks

Words were often extraneous when it came to gauging intimacy. What was more indicative were the behaviors, attitudes, and even the distance between two individuals when they stood beside each other. That was why women were sensitive about such details. The invaluable information they provided allowed one to assess the rtionship between two individuals, and Alicia Ascart excelled in it. Even from a young age, her eyes had always been on him. From the subtlest details in his expression and gestures, she was able to capture his innermost thoughts that eluded others. That was why she had refrained from making a reckless move when she reunited with Roel outside Rosa City. As a love strategist, Alicia could grasp the strengths and weaknesses of herself and her rivals. From the moment she saw Roel and Charlotte alight from the Diamond Rivi¨¨re, she had already known that Charlotte had the absolute upper hand here. The situation was beyond her expectations. She knew that Roel would be much more protective of Charlotte due to the suffering she had been put through, but it shouldn¡¯t have led to a significant advancement in their rtionship. Yet, the actual situation was worse than she had anticipated. Even from a distance away, she could sense that the gazes they looked at each other with were different from before, carrying concern and adoration for the other party. She knew that Charlotte must have done something, but there was nothing she could do about it. Roel had been slowly sumbing to Alicia¡¯s attacks in recent years, but for some reason, he was extremely bothered about whether she had reached adulthood or not. He had already rejected her several times on that basis just when it looked as if she was about to seed. An age gap of two years had somehow be an insurmountable cliff for Alicia. Her only option was to go on the defensive until she finally reached adulthood, but she made a huge miscalction when she allowed Roel to go to Charlotte¡¯s aid without taking any protective measures in advance. Roel was a conservative person. He refused toy his hands on any woman before marriage, not to mention that Charlotte was severely ill. That was why Alicia was willing to patiently wait in the Ascarts¡¯ manor for Roel¡¯s return after she had scouted out the situation. Unfortunately, she had underestimated just how close Charlotte hade to death. It would be weird for the two of them not to do anything when the days they had together were numbered. As long as Charlotte said that she wanted to experience the bliss of consummating her love in the final days of her life, there was no way Roel would have been able to turn down her request¡­ ¡­ and that was indeed how Charlotte had managed to breach his mental barrier. The disadvantageous turn of events rattled Alicia quite a bit, but she quickly regained herposure and reconsidered the situation. After some thought, she decided to keep her distance from Roel. Simr to how Roel knew that she would miss him, Alicia also believed in his feelings for her. She was certain that there were many things he wanted to tell her after they had been away for so long. She knew that she could make him more conscious of her by keeping her distance from him¡­ And that was the stance she maintained for their entire day. But by the time the banquet wasing to an end, she had already decided to change her strategy. On one hand, she sensed that Charlotte was plotting something to get in her way. On the other hand, she couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. She had traveled all the way to Rosa City because she couldn¡¯t bear waiting for Roel to return, so how could she stand staying away from him when they were so close? Putting her heart into a pot of boiling oil would have been less of a torture than this! Thus, when she saw Roel leaving alone in a carriage, she decided to tag along. Much to her delight, her initial n seemed to have paid off. ¡°Are you missing me, Lord Brother?¡± A smile blossomed on Alicia¡¯s lips. ¡­ In a hotel room, Roel looked at the silver-haired woman reflected in the mirror in front of him with a helpless look on his face. Seated on afortable chair in front of him, Alicia smiled with her eyes curled in bliss. Two hours had passed since the end of the banquet. The silvery moon and twinkling stars hanging in the night sky made the winter Rosa City seem colder than ever, but inside the hotel room, the two individuals illuminated by the crackling firece were overflowing with warmth. The assault of the silver-haired bandit had forced Roel to cancel his initial ns. Roel had intended to avoid any encounters with Alicia and rest for the night, but his n was thrown into disarray when a silver-haired bandit raided his carriage. While the oue was utterly bewildering for him, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the process too. Why do you seem so well versed in this? Even with the augmentation of spells, it shouldn¡¯t have been that easy to urately teleport into a moving carriage without some practice. Roel had an inexplicable feeling that this wasn¡¯t the first time Alicia had done something like this, especially considering how smooth her movements were. However, he chose not to say anything about it since it was normal for a younger sister to visit her older brother¡­ ¡­ and he was delighted by her visit too. Still, it was improper for two individuals of the opposite genders to meet in an enclosed space, even if they were siblings. While he had turned a blind eye to it back when she was younger, he couldn''t it continue condoning it. ¡°Alicia, barging into another person¡¯s carriage is a breach of etiquette,¡± Roel sternly lectured her before softening his tone. ¡°But you¡¯re right. I was missing you.¡± Alicia¡¯s lips subtly curled upward. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t barge into just anyone¡¯s carriage. I did it because it¡¯s your carriage, Lord Brother. Hehehe, you missed me? Is it because we weren¡¯t able to catch up with each other earlier?¡± As she probed deeper into Roel¡¯s feelings, she casually rested her body against his. Her familiar disy of intimacy evoked strong nostalgia from Roel. ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason too, but it¡¯s more because it has been a long while since west met. I¡¯m sorry for having left you by yourself for so long.¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± Alicia found herself at a loss for words after hearing Roel¡¯s apology. She could never ustom herself to his absence, no matter how she distracted herself from it. She found herself consumed by a feeling of emptiness when she had to take the long journey back to the Ascart Fiefdom alone. It was a huge disappointment to her that her first academic year had to end in such a manner, but when he apologized to her, it suddenly didn¡¯t seem like a big deal anymore. The feelings she had repressed from months of yearning transformed into a warm stream that flooded her heart. Even so, Alicia feigned indignation and demandedpensation. In the hotel room, Alicia released her bindings and her silver hair smoothly cascaded downward. Roel picked up theb ced by the side and began tidying up her hair. Hairbing was a duty usually left to the maids in the Ascart House. It was unbefitting for someone of Roel¡¯s stature, being the sessor to a marquess house, tob another person¡¯s hair. On top of that, it also defied the religious conventions of the Saint Mesit Theocracy. It was said in the legends that the Genesis Goddess bestowed Her blessings upon the masses by touching their heads, which led to a widespread belief that the head was sacred and mustn¡¯t be carelessly touched. This belief was further reinforced by the teachings of the church. Even if an individual didn¡¯t subscribe to noble customs and religious beliefs, there was still the matter of safety to heed here. The human skull hardly offered any decent protection against transcendents'' enhanced strength, not to mention that there were spells to influence the mind. Considering how easy it was for an unarmed transcendent to crush the human skull, it seemed hardly wise to carelessly expose one¡¯s head to another person. Allowing a person tob one¡¯s hair was a symbol of absolute trust. Its significance was further deepened when this act was performed between those of opposite genders. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be casually making such a request to a man. Why don¡¯t you ask for something else instead?¡± ¡°No. I want you tob my hair.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Lord Brother.¡± Roel was put in a spot by Alicia¡¯s request, but he eventually relented to her pitiful gaze. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to her and gently puffed up her smooth silver hair. There were many transcendents with unique hair colors in the Sia Continent, but he thought that Alicia¡¯s silvery-white hair was the most beautiful of them all. The stunning color was entuated by her striking looks, from her ruby eyes to her fairplexion. It was thisbination of elements that made others gasp in wonderment at the sight of her. Roel¡¯s hands subconsciously became much gentler handling such hair. Before he could begin his work, his hands were suddenly grabbed by the ravishing woman sitting before him. ¡°¡­It¡¯s all right, Lord Brother. You can hurt me.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way I would do that¡­¡± Through the mirror, Roel could see the demure blush on her face as she said those words, and his heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly refuted those words before lightly knocking her head. ¡°Don¡¯t say stuff that can cause misunderstandings.¡± ¡°Misunderstandings? What kind of misunderstandings are you talking about, Lord Brother?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia blinked her eyes in a daze, looking like an innocent girl oblivious to the other connotation of her words. Unable to respond to her question, Roel focused his attention on her hair instead. He gently brushed theb through her hair, carefully untangling any knots that he encountered along the way. Alicia closed her eyes and exhaled in pleasure at his delicate touch. ¡°Yes, Lord Brother. It feels good there¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s heart began tingling at Alicia¡¯s sensual moans, and the atmosphere started to turn weird. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if he had be far too sensitive after indulging himself over the past few weeks. W-what¡¯s going on? I¡¯m justbing her hair though! Meanwhile, Alicia slyly slipped her glowing hand behind her back. Now that Roel was aware of the side effects of excessive life force, she could no longer directly infuse arge amount of life force into his body. Fortunately, she had gained the ability to indiscernibly suffuse her surroundings with her life force from her recent breakthrough, which was exactly what she had done here. Simr to how the advancement of technology was viewed to be the key to humankind¡¯s progress, Alicia saw the advancement of her transcendent abilities as the greatest insurance to her romance. Under the influence of her life force, Roel¡¯s thoughts couldn¡¯t help but go astray. Alicia has really grown up. Roel thought to himself as he looked at the ravishing woman reflected in the mirror. A sudden bout of self-awareness made it hard for him to look directly at her, resulting in his eyes swimming nervously around. Alicia took in his response as she pondered her next course of action. As transcendents deepened their Degree of Assimtion, they grew not just in terms of their fighting prowess but their constitution too. High transcendents like Roel had a high level of resistance to unnatural conditions, especially if they had strong willpower. And when it came to willpower, Alicia could confidently say that Roel was the most unyielding person she had met thus far. All of these meant that her life force served as nothing more than a spark to stimte Roel¡¯s feelings, and the good thing was that it seemed to be working. However, simr to how there were different ¡®routes¡¯ in a good galge, she had to carefully decide which feelings of his to stimte in order to maximize her chances of sess. So far, she had only used her life force to stimte Roel¡¯s primal lust. The effect was potent, but she swiftly realized that it didn¡¯t contribute anything to their rtionship in the long term. In fact, Roel always saw through her ploy and punished her for it. An alternative option was for her to stimte Roel¡¯s affection for her. Truth be told, the old Alicia wouldn¡¯t have bothered considering this option, as she believed that she had already maxed out her closeness with Roel, but analyzing the case study of Charlotte¡¯s recent sess had changed her mind. Just Charlotte¡¯s affliction in itself wouldn¡¯t have been enough to make Roelpromise on his conservative principles and sumb. It would be much more urate to see their union as a natural result from the elevation of their rtionship¡­ ¡­ and this is the correct answer to take down Lord Brother. The route I chose before was too narrow. Lamentation swamped Alicia uponing to that epiphany, and she knew that she would have to change her path if she wanted to make any progress. Her expression slowly turned serious as she resolved herself to make things work this time around. Roel quickly noticed the anomaly in her expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Alicia? Did I hurt you?¡± asked Roel. Alicia quickly shook her head before gradually lowering it with a forlorn expression. A heavy silence settled between them for a brief moment before she hesitantly spoke up. ¡°Lord Brother, I hope that you can answer my question¡­ Have I been useful to you?¡± Chapter 524: Confession Counterattack

Chapter 524: Confession Counterattack

Years of socializing had led Roel to a conclusion: Interpersonal rtionships areplicated. Most rtionships looked simple enough at first nce, be it the rtionship between lovers, archnemeses, orrades. However, a quick delve into the details of these rtionships would uncover many subtler nuances that might exin the quirkiness of their behaviors. The rtionship between parents and their child was a good example. A child was likely to be a huge mental and financial burden to their parents, but the parents still doted on them because of the blood ties they shared. Simrly, taking care of one¡¯s elderly parents was a burden to a working adult. Still, they might be willing to shoulder the responsibility because of the love that was showered upon them in their younger years. This was an example of how pragmatism might not be the best gauge of the dynamics within a family unit¡­ and such was the case between Roel and Alicia. When Alicia asked whether she had been useful to him, Roel¡¯s body immediately stiffened up. He failed toprehend what Alicia was getting at. Sensing his confusion, Alicia began exining her point. ¡°Lord Brother, you should be able to sense my strength, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Congrattions for reaching Origin Level 3.¡± Roel could see himself smiling in the mirror when he offered his congrattions, but those were not his earnest feelings. It was not that he was envious of her or that his dignity as the older brother had been undermined, but that he simply didn¡¯t think that her swift growth was a good thing. Despite being the face of the golden generation himself, he had only made his breakthrough to Origin Level 3 justst year. It was the same for Nora too, and that was due to the awakening of her Angel Bloodline. Charlotte was half a year slower than the two of them. The exceptionally talented Lilian wasn¡¯t able to ride on the waves of the mana flood, so she only became a high transcendent at sixteen years old. Inparison, Alicia was only fourteen this year, but she had already reached Origin Level 3. This was a miraculous feat that broke the records of humankind. Such swift growth was unthinkable even with the swiftly increasing mana concentration on the Sia Continent. At the very least, it shouldn¡¯t have been possible for a normal human. Roel sighed under his breath, having realized that he could no longer see through Alicia. ording to Eyes of the Chronicler, which he was practically using as prophetic text, her trajectory of growth was anything but normal. In the game, Alicia did stand out as a highly talented individual, but she wasn¡¯t a strong character inparison to the other female capture targets due to her younger age. Yet, the current her was definitely capable of standing her ground against Nora and the others. Roel couldn¡¯t understand what had resulted in this deviation. Is it the favorable environment provided by the Ascart House? The macroenvironmental changes caused by the awakening of the Mother Goddess and the Savior? Or does the reason originate from me, the one who is seeking to change fate? Regardless of the reason, it was certain that the revtion of Alicia¡¯s strength would induce a huge stir in the world. Alicia probably realized this herself too, which exined why she didn¡¯t reveal anything during the earlier banquet. While Roel¡¯s mind was in disarray thinking about her circumstances, Alicia wasn¡¯t feeling happy at all despite having received hispliment. On the contrary, her expression only sank further. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯m starting to wonder if there¡¯s any meaning in my furthering of transcendent powers.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you still remember what my initial motivation for developing my transcendent powers was?¡± Alicia stared at Roel through the mirror as she quietly posed her question. Her prompt gave Roel an inkling into what she was driving at. ¡°I worked so hard because I wanted to protect you, Lord Brother. I thought that I could keep you safe with my power. But now that I have finally be strong, I realized that things weren¡¯t how I expected them to be.¡± ¡°Alicia¡­¡± ¡°Not once have you ever confided in me when you¡¯re in a perilous situation, Lord Brother, be it that time on the eastern border or your recent confrontation with that ancient monster. You knew that it was going to be a tough battle. You knew that you needed all the help you could get. Yet, you still chose to keep me in the dark.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Guilty as charged, Roel couldn¡¯t refute Alicia¡¯sints at all. While Nora¡¯s Seraphication had to be kept under wraps, if he had requested it, there was a good chance that Holy Eminence John would have allowed Alicia to apany him to the eastern border. As much as they were rivals, Alicia and Nora were childhood friends too. As for Charlotte¡¯s case, Roel had intentionally kept it a secret because he didn¡¯t want his family members to know about the incident. He had no confidence in defeating the Six Cmities, so he didn¡¯t want to scare Alicia or involve her in this matter. Alicia had hit the nail on the head. Roel had never intended to allow her to protect him. On the contrary, he saw her as someone he ought to protect instead. This was the gap in expectations between them. ¡°Lord Brother, am I that unreliable in your eyes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean, Alicia.¡± ¡°What do you mean then, Lord Brother? I¡¯ve already heard the details. You suffered severe injuries in the fight against the Six Cmities and nearly lost your life as a result.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°I could have replenished your life force before your fight with the Six Cmities. That would have bettered your odds of victory. You would have also recovered much faster after the battle. There¡¯s no way you wouldn¡¯t have thought of that, but you chose to withhold the truth from me. You didn¡¯t even inform me about the condition you were in after the battle.¡± Unable to refute any of Alicia¡¯s logical arguments, Roel turned meek. He averted his eyes, not daring to meet the crimson eyes reflected in the mirror. Alicia¡¯s voice grew increasingly aggrieved as she spoke. She had been the only one beside Roel at the very start, but when he awakened to the Ascart Bloodline and began entering the Witness State, he slowly grew close to Nora, Charlotte, and the others. There was a period of time she earnestly wanted to share such an experience with Roel to deepen their bond, but no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to activate his bloodline. She found it aggrieving how the others catapulted their rtionship with Roel through their experiences in the Witness State whereas she could only slowly build their bond over time, but there was nothing she could do about it. It was a huge relief to her when Roel¡¯s bloodline finally stabilized in thest two years. Who could have thought that she was still the first one to be excluded in the face of danger? ¡°Lord Brother, do you really see me as a family member? Am I still useless to you despite all of the effort I have put in?¡± ¡°Alicia, you are my family member. Not once have I ever thought that you are useless.¡± ¡°You say that, but why is it that even outsiders know more about your recent situation than me? Sometimes, I wonder if I¡¯m actually the outsider here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia stared intently at him through the mirror, and Roel slowly lowered his gaze. There was a long standstill between the two of them before Roel finally revealed his innermost thought. ¡°¡­That¡¯s because I¡¯d rather be the one getting injured than see harm befall my beloved younger sister.¡± . ¡°!¡± The rebuttal that was sitting on the tip of Alicia¡¯s tongue suddenly vanished as a shudder ran through her body. Her face heated up, and her lips began to quiver. ¡°B-beloved?¡± Alicia was thrown for a loop by the unexpected confession. The words she had prepared beforehand escaped together with the fluttering butterflies in her stomach. ¡°Alicia, I know that you want to help me deal with my enemies, but you¡¯re of the greatest help to me not when you¡¯re on the battlefield, but when you¡¯re at home.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I find courage in the knowledge that you¡¯re somewhere safe. No matter the enemy I am facing, as long as you¡¯re waiting for me, I¡¯ll ovee all adversaries in my path and return to you.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia¡¯s heart was thrown into disarray. I-is this a confession?! As she stared at Roel¡¯s earnest face in the mirror, her crimson pupils dted and her mind went into overdrive. Despite having initiated this conversation herself, she was utterly flustered. In her scenario, Roel should have admitted his mistake and apologized by now¡­ and her prediction would have been on the mark if Roel were in his normal state. However, under the stimtion of the life force suffusing the room and Alicia¡¯s persistent questioning, Roel cast aside his previous inhibitions and revealed his innermost thoughts, resulting in apletely unintended counterattack. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to ept my feelings, but Alicia, I want you to know that you¡¯re irreceable to me.¡± ¡°L-Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°The incident with Charlotte made me realize that no amount of tribtion can make a human¡¯s heart infallible. Everyone has a tender spot, and you are mine.¡± ¡°I-I understand, Lord Brother. You don¡¯t have to say anything more. I understand it now¡­¡± Under Roel¡¯s relentless confessions, Alicia¡¯s face turned scarlet as her heart went bonkers. Unfortunately for her, Roel was like a train that could no longer be stopped under the effects of the life force. Compelled by his own emotions, he put theb down and embraced Alicia from behind. He kissed her cheek before whispering into her ear. ¡°I love you, Alicia.¡± ¡°!¡± Time seemed to have stopped for Alicia in that instant. Her heart skipped a beat. Her breathing came to an abrupt pause. Her eyes widened like they never had. Before she knew it, she had already turned around to return the embrace. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± She had already made up her mind to walk down a different route. She was well aware that it was unwise for her to ept his feelings as they were. She knew that doing so would only cement their ties as siblings. But those were the words she had awaited for many years. No matter how many schemes she had concocted, she was still an adolescent in her first love. How could she possibly sit still after hearing a profession of love from the man she loved? She dived into Roel¡¯s arms and cuddled up to him. Roel smiled at her and patted her head. ¡°All right, all right. Now that you know how important you are to me, I hope that you¡¯ll never say such words in the future.¡± ¡°Mmhm! I¡¯ll never say them ever again. Lord Brother, I love you too!¡± Alicia replied as she gave him a tight hug. She then leaned back a little and stared at Roel¡¯s lips, mentally preparing herself to return the earlier favor. However, before she could make a move, Roel hesitantly spoke up. ¡°Alicia, I¡¯d like to request something of you. Will you hear me out?¡± ¡°Request?¡± ¡°¡­I hope that you can refrain from revealing your Origin Level for the time being.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Alicia was baffled by Roel¡¯s request. There was no doubt that her remarkable feat of reaching Origin Level 3 at such a young age would stir a hugemotion and bring honor to the Ascart House. On top of that, this prestige could expand the influence of the Ascart House, giving it more say in international affairs. The benefits of being the most talented transcendent in history in a tumultuous era couldn¡¯t be overestimated. Knowing what was going through Alicia¡¯s mind, Roel sighed to himself before exining the matter. ¡°Alicia, there¡¯s only one oue awaiting those who garner attention in this era. They will be embroiled in the uing racial war.¡± There were only three people in the present-day Ascart House. Carter was one of themanders leading the Theocracy¡¯s forces at the frontlines. Roel was the face of the golden generation and a hero who had eliminated one of the Six Cmities. If Alicia stood out at a time like this, she would likely be pressured into joining the battlefield too. If so, the Ascart House would be fully embroiled in the war. To be fair, there was no way the Ascarts could steer clear of the war, but it was another matter for all of them to be caught in the center of the storm. Even a fool could tell that it spelled disaster. For the survival of the Ascart House and its people, someone had to stay behind and pull things together, not to mention that Roel was strongly against putting Alicia in a dangerous position. ¡°I know that it¡¯s unfair for you, but Alicia, I really hope that you can stay somewhere safe. Someone has to hold the fort in the Ascart House. Furthermore, the revtion of your strength is likely to bring more trouble than what it¡¯s worth.¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Brother. I¡¯ll listen to you and hide my Origin Level from others. However, I have a condition for that.¡± ¡°A condition? What is it?¡± Roel heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing those words. He smiled at Alicia and asked her what she wanted. She smiled back and revealed her true goal. ¡°Allow me to attend the ancestral ritual.¡± Chapter 525: Praying for the Ancestors

Chapter 525: Praying for the Ancestors

The end of the year approached amidst deepening winter. Rosa City was more bustling than ever, as merchants who couldn¡¯t travel due to the cold weather doubled down on domestic trade. The local popce was also making preparations to wee the new year. Meanwhile, Rosa¡¯s upper echelon had their hands busy preparing for the Ascarts¡¯ ancestral ritual, with Wandering Schr Andrew Mara personally delivering the Ardes¡¯ remains to Rosa City. This idea of an ancestral ritual was initially raised as a means to affirm a young couple¡¯s rtionship, but before anyone realized it, it had transformed into a treacherous battlefield. In a ssy room in the Hundred Birds Gallery, Roel was apologizing profusely with his head lowered. Opposite him, Charlotte sighed with a ¡®Just as I have expected¡¯ look on her face. She had instructed Roel not to meet Alicia right before the banquet concludedst night, saying that she would personally resolve whatever misgivings she had with thetter. Yet, Roel ended up visiting her the following morning, and the first thing that came out of him was an apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Charlotte. I wasn¡¯t able to aplish what you asked of mest night¡­¡± Unsurprised by the oue, Charlotte could only sigh in response. She had known from Alicia¡¯s abnormal behavior that she was up to something, but she couldn¡¯t have stopped the siblings from catching up with each other when they had been separated for so long, especially when they were staying in the same hotel. And she knew far too well what kind of person Alicia was. A shameless knave who drugs even her own brother¡­ She probably barged into Roel¡¯s room yet again. Charlotte gritted her teeth and asked the most important question of all. ¡°Darling, about the ancestral ritual¡­¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t mention it, but Alicia seems to have already heard about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte fell deathly silent at those words. A long whileter, she exhaled softly. Having crossed paths with Alicia over the Ascart Fiefdom, she knew that the other party had the Ascarts¡¯ intelligencework in her grasp. It wouldn¡¯t have been difficult for her to learn that Roel was going to hold a ritual for his ancestors in Rosa. It looks like we¡¯ll be going head to head on this matter. Charlotte narrowed her eyes as she steeled her determination for the uing confrontation. No matter what was thrown her way, she would firmly stand her ground. It was already nearing the end of the year, and Carter would soon return from the frontlines. Roel would surely return to the Ascart Fiefdom for a father-and-son reunion, but she wouldn¡¯t be able to join him as she had many affairs to attend to during the New Year¡¯s Day period. The moment of their separation loomed. That was why Charlotte was determined to affirm her position through the ancestral ritual, and she wouldn¡¯t allow anything to get in her way¡­ even if it led to aplete falling out with Alicia. With such conviction, she immediately dove into action in ordance with her original n. The first thing she did was to request a meeting with Alicia, and Roel resignedly agreed to go along with it. He saw Charlotte as his own wife after everything they had been through, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that Alicia was his irreceable family member. If a confrontation between them was inevitable, he figured that it would be better for them to hash out their differences instead of waging a cold war. Interestingly, both Charlotte and Alicia insisted on having the conversation in Roel¡¯s absence despite him offering to mediate between the two of them. Roel was surprised by their consensus, especially when neither of them was willing to budge on this matter. The two women knew that this meeting would be a bargaining table to decide how they would split the loot, so how could they possibly allow the loot onto the table too? Oblivious to their intent, Roel could only concede on this when the two of them had alreadye to an agreement. Shortly after he left the Hundred Birds Gallery, the meeting between Charlotte and Alicia officiallymenced. ¡­ In a guest room in the Hundred Birds Gallery, Charlotte Sorofya and Alicia Ascart stared at each other amidst silence. This heavy atmosphere extended from seconds into minutes, but neither side was willing to be the first one to cave in. Making the preemptive strike to curb one¡¯s enemy was amon military stratagem, but such tricks were meaningless between the two archrivals who knew each other inside out. Charlotte had been making frequent visits to Ascart City in recent years to forge closer ties between the Ascart Fiefdom and the Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡ªa move that was backed by Roel. She naturally had to deal with the new proxy fief lord, Alicia, which resulted in many conflicts between them, both implicit and explicit. Probing was a waste of time when it came to old rivals. The two of them were simply waiting for the other party to make their move. After a prolonged silence, Charlotte finally initiated the negotiation. ¡°Miss Alicia, let¡¯s spare ourselves the hassle of beating around the bush. What do you say?¡± ¡°How rare it is for us to be on the same page. Yes, let¡¯s cut the unnecessary pleasantries now that Lord Brother isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°All right. I shall get straight to the point then. I¡¯ll be hosting the ancestral ritual together with Roel, and I want you to steer clear of our business.¡± Charlotte revealed her motive with a smile. Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes narrowed. ¡°Miss Charlotte, don¡¯t you think that you have misinterpreted the situation? I might be a foster daughter, but I am an Ascart. It is only right for me to host a ritual honoring my ancestors.¡± Alicia ced her hand on her chest and gracefully smiled. ¡°No matter how I look at it, this ritual ought to be hosted by Lord Brother and me. It¡¯s our responsibility and obligation to do so. Miss Charlotte, pardon me when I say this, but you should have some self-awareness as the outsider here.¡± ¡°Outsider? My dear younger sister Alicia, I¡¯m appalled. Do I have to jog your memory?¡± Charlotte gently ced her teacup down and directed the magnanimous smile of an elder toward Alicia. That made Alicia sharply narrow her eyes. ¡°What did you say?¡± . ¡°Do you need me to spell it out for you? I, Charlotte Sorofya, am the legitimate fianc¨¦e of Roel Ascart. Our engagement was decided upon by both of our families. That makes me your sister-inw. Is there anything wrong with what I have said?¡± ¡°Yes. Everything is wrong with what you have said. The engagement contract you have mentioned is unenforceable, and we, of the Ascart House, don¡¯t recognize it. Lord Father hasn¡¯t epted you; he merely tolerates you.¡± ¡°That might have been the case so far, but who knows about the future?¡± A crack could be seen in Alicia¡¯s expression as a possibility arose in her mind. In response, Charlotte¡¯s smile further widened as she raised her hand to unt her crystal ring. ¡°I received this ring from Roel. It¡¯s a magic tool that binds our lives together, and it¡¯s the token of our love. We have also begun nning for our offspring.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia jolted when she heard Charlotte¡¯s intention to have a child. Panic shed across her eyes. However, she quickly suppressed her fluster in a matter of seconds. She had expected such a situation to some extent, and it would be more urate to call it a desperate show of force. Carter¡¯s influence over Roel was immense. Anyone who truly wished to be happy with Roel would have to receive his blessings. Much to Charlotte¡¯s dismay, Carter had refrained from taking a stance on her rtionship with Roel thus far, which forced her to kick up a fuss about her womb, but¡­ ¡°Offspring, you say? Charlotte, I¡¯m not oblivious to the situation surrounding your n.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You should know better than anyone what I mean. If I¡¯m not mistaken, a major contributing factor to the misfortune of married Sorofya women is their low fertility, no?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte¡¯s smile vanished without a trace. Alicia¡¯s lips slowly curled up at that sight. ¡°The lineage of the high elves has always faced difficulty reproducing. It doesn¡¯t take much to uncover that. It must have been even more so for someone who has inherited the Primordial Bloodline like you. ¡°The ancestral ritual is a custom not just to worship one¡¯s ancestors but to pray for a n¡¯s prosperity as well. No matter how optimistic you are, I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re up to the job. However, it¡¯s a different case for me.¡± Alicia¡¯s voice was growing more powerful with each word she spoke, reflecting the changing tides on the negotiation table. She chuckled softly to herself. ¡°My bloodline fills my body with the essence of life, making it perfect for bearing offspring. I¡¯ll be able to have many healthy offspring with Lord Brother, and together, we¡¯ll usher in a new era of prosperity for the Ascart House.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Charlotte gritted her teeth in frustration, but she couldn¡¯t refute Alicia¡¯s words. Even a single droplet of blood from the inheritor of the Silverash Child Bloodline could sustain a dying person¡¯s life. It was nigh impossible to find anotherpanion in the world who was more suited to reproduce than Alicia. After all, what an infant needed the most in their earliest phase of development was life force. Alicia touched her own womb as she mercilessly crushed Charlotte¡¯s airs. This brutal sh clearlymunicated to both sides what their respective strengths and weaknesses were. Alicia had the overwhelming advantage in terms of family support and constitution, but Charlotte was way ahead in terms of her rtionship and recognition with Roel. At the very least, Alicia still hadn¡¯t been able to shake off the restrictions imposed upon her as Roel¡¯s younger sister. Having dished out everything between them, the two of them appeared to be equally matched, which came as no surprise to both of them. After having exchanged their greetings, it was finally time for the true bloodbath tomence. ¡°Miss Alicia, please mind your position. You¡¯re Roel¡¯s foster sister!¡± ¡°You should be the one minding your position, Miss Charlotte. It''s repulsive to see someone clutching onto an unenforceable engagement contract and acting like a family member.¡± Words of criticism exchanged with smiling faces over the negotiation table filled both parties with anger. The increasing intensity of their emotions led to a crescendo in their mana pulsations, and it looked as if they were going toe to blows at any moment. This rmed the guards in the vicinity, as well as the young man who had been waiting outside for them. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Roel barged into the room and saw two women ring daggers at each other across the table. Heaving a deep sigh, he raised his hand to stop Grace and the guards, who had arrived right after him. ¡°Things are fine here. Return to your posts,¡± Roel ordered with a wave of his hand. He closed the door behind him before proceeding to question the two women in the room about what had happened in his absence. The answer waspletely within his expectations. Even the most incorruptible official would struggle to judge his own household affairs. There was no way Roel could have chosen between Charlotte and Alicia, especially when both of them were justified in their respective stances. In the end, he could only allow both of them to attend the ancestral ritual in order to put an end to this fight. Neither Charlotte nor Alicia was satisfied with this decision, but Roel had the final say on the domestic affairs of the Ascart House in Carter¡¯s absence. Besides, there was no time for them to slowly fight it out and determine a victor. Andrew Mara and his team were already close to Rosa City, and Roel was anxious to settle this matter before New Year¡¯s Day. He had missed his family¡¯s New Year¡¯s celebration because he had headed to the eastern border to help Nora, so he was hoping to make up for it this year. On top of that, this might be thest chance for them to have a family reunion, considering how it had be much harder for Carter to return home after the outbreak of war with the deviants. This made Roel determined to return to the Ascart Fiefdom on time, so he hoped to settle the ancestral ritual as soon as possible. He was willing to turn a blind eye to the technicalities of the ritual for that. Once his intent had been conveyed, the relevant Rosaian departments quickly dove into action. The ancestral ritual was held the following day after Andrew Mara arrived at Rosa City with the Ardes¡¯ remains. On that day, a huge crowd gathered inside Rosa City to witness the ceremony. Armed soldiers were stationed around the Sia Temple to ensure minimal disruptions to the ritual. The three representatives of the Ascart House appeared in solemn but dignified clothes. They stood at attention as they watched the temple¡¯s sacred mes reducing their ancestors¡¯ remains to ashes. The sight of that put Roel¡¯s heart at ease. The deep reverberation of a bell echoed as the sacred mes extinguished, leaving Roel in a wistful mood. After having their bodies desecrated for over a thousand years, his ancestors were finally able to return to the earth and rest in peace. Now that he had settled the past, it was about time for him to focus on the future. He quietly turned his attention toward the window inside him that hadn¡¯t responded for a long time now. Chapter 526: Parting Ways

Chapter 526: Parting Ways

Worshiping one¡¯s ancestors was a solemn affair, though Roel thought that it was a chore. In the divine hall of Rosa¡¯s Sia Temple, Roel quietly watched the cremation of his ancestors¡¯ remains. Standing slightly behind him were Alicia and Charlotte holding identical ck stone urns between their hands. These ck stone urns were specially crafted out of Soulcalming Rocks shipped from the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s northern region. It had always been the Ascarts¡¯ designated coffin material to house the bodies of deceased family members. Any corpses encased in Soulcalming Rocks wouldn¡¯t be reanimated regardless of the changes in the environment. In the circle of nobility, any embarrassment involving their ancestors was extremely damaging to one¡¯s reputation and prestige. No one would want to see their buried ancestors rising from the grave to bathe in the sun. In that regard, Soulcalming Rock was an ideal material for coffins. Of course, there was a slight difference this time around since they had opted for cremation over burial. Roel had inspected the Ardes¡¯ remains retrieved from the Saints Convocation¡¯s base, and he was revulsed to see that they were in the form of blood samples, organs, and body parts¡ªa sign that they were used as experimental material. They were all in poor condition after the passing of a thousand years. Naturally, it would be unwise to ce them in coffins. Roel had also personally touched the remains, but he didn¡¯t find any lingering fragmented souls. As a result, he was unable to ess his ancestors¡¯ memories like the time with the Treant High Priest Orked. This came as a disappointment to him, though it was within expectations. Veronica¡¯s heart was exceptionally well-preserved only because the Treant High Priest had been nourishing it. These remains might have been from the same era, but there was nothing left in them. For the very same reason, Roel didn¡¯t feel particrly mournful when dealing with the remains. After a quick discussion with Charlotte, they decided to cremate the remains. The Saints Convocation wouldn¡¯t stop going after these remains just because they had been buried in the ground. Topletely sever whatever hopes the evil cultists harbored regarding the remains, it would be wise to incinerate them in Sia Temple. Both Alicia and Charlotte had worn white clothes for this ritual to observe the customs of the Genesis Goddess Church. Alicia¡¯s silver hairplemented the white ceremonial dress, making her as eye-catching as the first snow of winter. Charlotte¡¯s auburn hair contrasted against the white ceremonial dress, drawing out a youthful vibe. The sight of the two ravishing beauties standing side by side was a marvel to behold, but Roel was too busy contemting other matters to pay them much heed. The ancestral ritual was an important event for the Ascart House, which was why Charlotte and Alicia had their attention fully focused on it to ensure that nothing went wrong. However, this day happened to have another significance to Roel¡ªit was the day that he made a full recovery. Roel had been in a weakened state all this while after his grueling battle with Flooding Death. He was unable to use his Crown¡¯s Stone in the meantime, and for some reason, his window with Artasia remained closed. He didn¡¯t think much into it at the start, figuring that the closed window would be resolved with time whether it was a problem with him or Artasia. It was not umon for the Witch Queen to throw a tantrum, and she would usually get over it in a few days¡¯ time. Roel¡¯s body was also on track to making a full recovery. Relishing in the harmonious atmosphere from having survived the ordeal, he chose to leave the matter be, in hopes that time would sort it out. However, the problemsted for longer than he had expected. A week had passed since he re-established his windows with Grandar and Peytra, but there was still no news from Artasia whatsoever. On this day of the ancestral ritual, Roel had finally made a full recovery, allowing him to use his Crown¡¯s Stones as usual. Yet, there was still no news from the Witch Queen. This perplexing situation was starting to unnerve him. The contracts forged through the Ascart Bloodline couldn¡¯t be easily circumvented through other means. The ancient gods that Roel had contracted with were actually long dead, and they were only being anchored to the present era through him. The same applied to Artasia too. Just like how an unanchored boat would drift away from the shore and disappear in the vast ocean, if Artasia lost contact with Roel for too long, there was a chance that their contract would be nullified, sending her back to thend of dead in ordance with the rules of the world. It could be possible that the Witch Queen was scheming something, but the dissolution of their contract was fully disadvantageous to her. Based on Roel¡¯s understanding of her, she wouldn¡¯t do something as foolish as that. If the Witch Queen isn¡¯t doing this on her own ord, is she restricted by some force? With his eyes fixated on the raging inferno before him, Roel sieved through the possibilities with a tight frown. A bell chimed and a chorale began singing to the apaniment of an orchestra, but he still had no clue what the cause could have been. ¡°Darling, is anything the matter?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Sensing that something was off about Roel¡¯s mood, Charlotte turned to him and concernedly asked during a breather in the ritual. Not wanting to worry her, Roel shook his head and replied with a smile, feigning that everything was fine. He heaved a sigh in his heart and pulled his attention back to the ritual. He was simply toocking in intelligence to figure out anything concrete. Conjectures had to be built on facts for them to be meaningful. He would have to first gather information on the situation before he could figure out a solution. Besides, there was something much more urgent that he had to deal with at the moment. By the time the chorale came to an end, the Ardes¡¯ remains had been reduced to ashes and their blood vaporized. Alicia and Charlotte stepped forward toy down the stone urns before returning to their respective positions. Roel solemnly walked up and meticulously swept everyst bit of the ashes into stone urns. Once he was done transferring the ashes, Alicia and Charlotte stepped forward once more and fulfilled the wife¡¯s duty of sealing the stone urns. Apuse broke out from the crowd, and the twodies respectfully bowed to the crowd with the stone urns in their arms. Their courtesy won them yet another round of apuse. Roel heaved a sigh of relief as he quietly thanked the ancestors for helping him ovee this ordeal. The fight between Alicia and Charlotte had been so intense that Roel was forced to make an exception and allow the two of them to attend the ancestral ritual. He thought that the problem should be settled with that¡­ Boy was I wrong. The final stage of the ancestral ritual required two individuals to work together, with one transferring the corpse and the other sealing the coffin. This responsibility was usually entrusted to a married couple amongst the deceased¡¯s offspring. With Roel being the one transferring the ashes, the job of sealing the urn naturally became a point of contention for Alicia and Charlotte, with neither willing to budge on the matter. To them, attending the ancestral ritual but not sealing the urn was as good as being publicly cuckolded. They would rather not attend the ancestral ritual if that was the case. Upon realizing the nuances involved here, Roel quickly felt a headache settling in. This matter shouldn¡¯t have been that big of a deal, but now that he was put in a position where he had to choose between the two of them, he felt as if the world was telling him to pick his poison. While he was in a dilemma, Andrew Mara suddenly said something that cleared the dark clouds before his eyes. ¡°Based on what we have gathered, the remains and the blood samples belong to two individuals¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Worried that it would upset Roel, Andrew delivered the news with a careful tone. What he saw instead was Roel¡¯s expression slowly turning weird. Momentster, thetter suddenly sped his hands together and bowed to the sky and the earth, almost as if he was thanking his ancestors for their grace. This miraculous turn of events allowed him to involve both Alicia and Charlotte in the ancestral ritual, thus sparing him from the frightening two-choose-one ordeal. The two stone urns were delivered onto the carriage, and the ancestral ritual finally came to an end. WIth that, Roel had finally aplished all of his tasks in Rosa. ¡­ ¡°Darling, do you really have to leave that quickly? Is Uncle Carter¡­¡± ¡°Mmhm, my father will be returning home very soon. I apologize for not being able to spend New Year¡¯s Day with you, Charlotte. Are you disappointed?¡± ¡°Of course not! Such things aren¡¯t important. It¡¯ll be hard for us to wee the New Year together anyway considering our responsibilities¡­¡± Charlotte waved her hand to express that she wasn¡¯t disappointed by that. Roel nodded his head in agreement with her. Such was the woe of those in a position of power. Even if the two of them got together in the future, it was likely that they would spend more time separated than together. At the thought of that, Charlotte¡¯s smile slowly faded as she fell silent. Taking in her reaction, Roel looked out of the window contemtively ¡°I¡¯ll be spending New Year¡¯s Day in the Ascart Fiefdom, but I might be able to drop by afterward. There¡¯s still some time before spring anyway. Otherwise, you can visit the Ascart Fiefdom too¡­¡± Roel carefully proposed the idea. ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte didn¡¯t respond right away. With a mind as sharp as hers, how could she be oblivious to Roel¡¯s true intent? He was inviting her to the Ascart Fiefdom not just to meet him but his father, Carter, as well. Meaning to say, he wanted to help her win Carter¡¯s acknowledgment. Her initial n was to force Carter to acknowledge her by bearing Roel¡¯s child, but her constitution made it hard to realize that n in the short term. That left them with no choice but to confront this issue face-on. ¡°Charlotte, I know that you feel uneasy about this, but you don¡¯t have to worry about anything. I¡¯ll make sure to properly exin things to my father,¡± Roel said as he looked at her with serious golden eyes. ¡°Darling¡­¡± Touched by his gesture, Charlotte stared at him for a long while before finally nodding with a blush. She had always believed that the worst thing a merchant could do was to step onto the bargaining table without any chips in hand. Even so, she wanted to put her trust in Roel. What existed between them wasn¡¯t cold-hard profits but impassioned love. She promised to find some time after New Year¡¯s Day to visit the Ascart Fiefdom and exin things to Carter. With that, Roel finally reluctantly bade his farewell. Charlotte nodded and escorted him to the city gates, with Bruce and Rosa¡¯s upper echelon apanying them. Roel was indubitably a hero of humankind after his astounding feat of defeating Flooding Death. The poor interconnectivity of this world meant that it would take some time before the news of Roel¡¯s feats went around, but it was already public knowledge within Rosa. It was a basic courtesy for them to escort such a figure when he was leaving their city, not to mention that he was Charlotte¡¯s savior on top of that. Under Charlotte¡¯s watch, the Ascarts¡¯ carriage slowly departed from Rosa City and advanced into the distance under the setting sun. Roel also looked back at the gradually shrinking city behind him, and he found himself overwhelmed with emotions. The time he had spent with Charlotte was fraught with danger and difficulties, but through their strength and mutual trust, they overcame this crisis and eliminated one of their key enemies. His triumph over Flooding Death had built up his reputation and given him an invaluable insight into the Six Cmities. On top of that, he obtained a Crown¡¯s Stone and was now incredibly close to reaching Origin Level 2. However, he thought that his biggest gain in the battle was none other than Charlotte¡¯s survival. Everything else was secondarypared to it. It was just a pity that they had to part ways to fulfill their respective responsibilities afterward, especially in this tumultuous era. It was only after Rosa City faded into the night sky that he finally retracted his gaze. He nced sideward and saw Alicia smiling at him. Ahead of him was a familiarnd awaiting his return. Am I finally going to return home? Thinking about all of the hardships he had been through in recent months, Roel breathed a sigh of relief. Little did he know that a scheme was unfolding in the distant northern region of the Austine Empire. Chapter 527.1: Faint Sensation (1)

Chapter 527.1: Faint Sensation (1)

It had been many months since Roel Ascartst stepped onto the soil of the Ascart Fiefdom. The nearby mountains were cloaked in ayer of frost, and a chilling wind dyed the world silver. In contrast to the lively spring scenery he departed in, the Ascart Fiefdom that he returned to felt serene. Riding on horseback, he immersed himself in the beauty of nature as a feeling of peace and satisfaction welled in his heart. It was never easy to verbalize the emotions evoked by home. Roel didn¡¯t think that the Ascart Fiefdom was prosperous or bustling; the nearby Rosa City was way ahead of it. It was not the safest ce in the world either; that would be Holy Capital Loren where the pope and the church dwelled. It was not even the ce he was the most familiar with as he couldn¡¯t recognize all the major streets. Even so, he found himself missing thisnd whenever he had been away for a while. This was the ce he had grown up in. It was filled with memories of the time he had spent together with his family members. Just returning to this ce could quieten his uneasy heart. As for his feeling of satisfaction, it stemmed from the sight of prosperity arising from the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s recent years of swift development. The Ascart Fiefdom used to feel deste during wintertime. Those who were already having a tough time surviving struggled to keep warm and find food during this cold season. But over the past few years of development, the situation hadpletely changed for the southern region of the Ascart Fiefdom. Tattered huts susceptible to draught had been insted with warmer wood and stone houses. There was ample food and firewood to go around, evident from the trails of ck smoke rising from the viges along the way. Hunters could even be spotted every now and then. Without a doubt, life for themon popce had improved drastically aspared to before. These improvements tranted into reputation and prestige for Roel. He was warmly weed each time their convoy stopped by a vige to stock up, a sharp contrast to the careful attitude civilians usually took to nobles. The people of the Ascart Fiefdom saw Roel¡¯s visit as a huge honor, something that they could brag about to the nearby viges. Many of them hoped that Roel could stay in their vige even if just for a while longer, but he didn¡¯t ept any of their offers. Their convoy would immediately set off after replenishing their stocks at two times of the usual market price. ¡°Lord Brother is truly popr¡­ Are you really not going to stay for a night? It¡¯s likely that Lord Father hasn¡¯t reached home yet,¡± Alicia asked with a proud smile while looking at the vigers waving at them from the roadside behind. ¡°You¡¯d be right, but we¡¯ll have to make a short detour elsewhere first.¡± ¡°Detour? Lord Brother, is there a ce you need to head to?¡± ¡°Mmhm. I¡¯m going to visit a friend.¡± Roel looked out of the window to gaze upon the distant mountain forests. Alicia spent a brief moment in thought before realization showed on her face. All it would have taken was a single word for Roel to summon anyone in the Ascart Fiefdom for an audience with him. There was only one person she could think of who warranted a personal visit from him¡ª¡¯Chronicler¡¯ Kayde. As an ex-member of the Twilight Sages Assembly, what Kayde had done for the world was sufficient reason for Roel to ord it respect. But even when casting aside historical reasons, there was still anotherpelling reason for him to be courteous to the treant. While Roel had invited Kayde to the Ascart Fiefdom in order to help thetter, the treant hadn¡¯t been idling around after moving over. It had been contributing to the Ascart Fiefdom in its way. After Kaydeid down its roots in the southern mountains of the Ascart Fiefdom, it summoned the werewolves of the Karon Forest, who arrived after months of traveling. These werewolves raised a bloodbath in the southern mountains and implemented a new order amongst the demonic beasts, cing them under Kayde¡¯s rule. This effectively resolved the wolf threat that had been guing the fiefdom once and for all. To be fair, the Ascart Fiefdom did hold regr campaigns against the wolves, but those were only sufficient to keep the demonic beasts from posing a major threat to nearby viges. But ever since Kayde stepped in, there wasn¡¯t even a single strand of wolf hair to be found on the road. This yed a huge part in ensuring internal supply routes. It wasn¡¯t rare for visiting merchants to be awed by the high level of security within the Ascart Fiefdom. What surprised Roel even more was the treant using its racial ability and the mana flow in earth veins to construct a sensory web that epassed the entire Ascart Fiefdom. Anyone who channeled manaparable to an Origin Level 3 transcendent or above would immediately catch Kayde¡¯s attention. Large-scale military mobilizations also wouldn¡¯t escape its notice. It was practically a CCTV constantly on the lookout for threats in the fiefdom. Should an enemy invade the Ascart Fiefdom, Kayde could also have the werewolves and demonic beasts under itsmand coordinate with Roel¡¯s troops to pull off different military maneuvers to corner the invaders. In other words, Kayde single-handedly contributed to the internal security, defense, and threat detection capabilities of the territory, not to mention that he doubled as an excellent drinking buddy too. No one could deny that he was an asset to the Ascart Fiefdom. Roel couldn¡¯t have been more proud of himself to have brought the treant over. It was only right for him to pay a visit to this meritorious subject of the Ascart Fiefdom every now and then. Besides, there were matters that he needed to talk to Kayde about. Alicia wholeheartedly supported his decision to visit Kayde with gleaming anticipation in her eyes. Her rtionship with Kayde could be described to be that of a worshiper and an idol due to her boundless life force. The treant always made sure to prepare a gift for her every time they met. Furthermore, she was nning to enter the southern mountains in the first ce. ¡°Lord Brother, I have a surprise prepared for you.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning to show you yet, but you¡¯ll find out about it anyway once you enter the mountains,¡± Alicia spoke with a mysterious smile. ¡°Hm?¡± As confused as Roel was, he didn¡¯t probe any deeper into it. Just like that, the Ascarts¡¯ convoy strayed from its original path and drove into the southern mountains. ¡­ What kind of things should one prepare when visiting a friend? This often posed a dilemma, but the answer was straightforward when it came to the ruler of Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s southern mountains. ¡°Lord Roel, here are all the alcohol we could buy from nearby viges. Would this be sufficient?¡± ¡°This should be enough.¡± Roel nced at the dozens of giant wine vats towering in the heretics¡¯ arms before answering Cynthia¡¯s question affirmatively. With the gifts in ce, he held Alicia¡¯s hand and began making his way into the mountain. He had left the other members of the convoy in the vige, choosing to only bring the heretic army with him for this meeting with Kayde. This was to ensure the highest level of confidentiality. There were many evil cultists after Kayde¡¯s life, which was why it had to migrate to the Ascart Fiefdom in the first ce. It was of utmost importance for them to keep Kayde¡¯s existence under wraps. Even if not for that, Roel wouldn¡¯t want outsiders to know about this hidden ace they had. Who in the Ascart Fiefdom could be absolutely trusted with this secret? The answer was clear: The heretics under Roel¡¯smand. Putting aside the fact that the heretics were absolutely loyal to Roel, it was also worth noting that they already knew about Kayde¡¯s existence. The Strength Sect used to reside in the Land of Chaos, but they came under the attack of evil cultists who coveted a treasure of theirs. Outnumbered, they were forced to seek refuge in the dangerous Karon Forest, where they only barely survived thanks to Kayde¡¯s grace. As for the Unyielding Sect, they happened to be escorting Roel when he visited Karon Forest in search of the ¡®Drunken Treant¡¯, which resulted in them learning about Kayde too. Under the silvery moonlight, Roel¡¯s group quietly ventured into the forest. They noticed that the trees ahead were slowly rearranging themselves to open up a path for them. Treants could control trees as easily as breathing, and theymonly utilized this ability to prevent others from intruding on their territory. Yet, it was now being used for guidance instead. After spending an hour walking through the forest, the group finally arrived at a mountain valley filled with giant trees. At the center of the grove, a treant opened its eyes and gazed upon the young man standing before it. Chapter 527.2: Faint Sensation (2)

Chapter 527.2: Faint Sensation (2)

¡°It has been a while, Lord Roel.¡± ¡°It has indeed been a while, Kayde. It looks like you¡¯re faring well. I was worried that you would have trouble adapting to the new environment.¡± ¡°Of course not. The environment here is much better than where I was previously rooted. I can¡¯t get enough of the intoxicating fragrance of the soil¡­¡± Kayde waved its branches as itvishedpliments on Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s ck soil. Roel smiled at those words. Behind him, Cynthia and the others hurriedly put down the wine vats before backing off. Alicia wasn¡¯t with him at the moment, having requested to head elsewhere right before reaching their destination. This meant that Roel was the only one with Kayde at the moment. After trading some pleasantries, Roel finally got to the main topic at hand. ¡°Kayde, I didn¡¯t juste here to deliver wine. There are some matters I need to talk to you about.¡± ¡°Is it news regarding the Twilight Sages Assembly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. It¡¯s regarding the Fallens, my encounter with a fallen treant¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kayde¡¯s swaying branches abruptly froze in ce. Clearly, it hadn¡¯t expected Roel to broach this topic. As thetter shared about his encounter with the Treant High Priest a few months back, Kayde¡¯s expression turned heavy. ¡°¡­Orked Chade. That¡¯s its name.¡± ¡°You¡¯re acquainted with it?¡± Roel asked in surprise. He didn¡¯t think that the two of them would know each other considering how treants were known to be homebodies who were literally stuck to the ground. However, Kayde hurriedly waved its lush crown to refute that. ¡°No, we aren¡¯t acquaintances. It¡¯d be more apt to say that I¡¯ve heard about it. It used to be the pride of our n, only to be one of our greatest regrets when it fell into depravity alongside the Savior,¡± the towering treant said with a hoarse sigh. It proceeded to share old stories about the treants. In the ancient era, the treants were regarded to be a peace-loving race, but on the inside, they were hardly as harmonious as others thought them out to be. Like most intelligent beings, they had factions that embraced different ideologies. One of the greatest internal conflicts back then was whether the treants should embrace the ¡®man¡¯ over the ¡®tree¡¯ in them. As a race known for its longevity, the treants harnessed tremendous power within them, but their choice to remain in the forest had isted them from the affairs on the Sia Continent, rendering whatever power they had meaningless. Thispelled a group of treants to push their brethren into embracing their human qualities and participating in civilization. One of the leading figures behind this movement was Orked Chade. ¡°When I was still younger, I often heard the n elders talking about it¡ªthe Treant High Priest of Nightless City Portas and its divine artifact¡­ There¡¯s no doubt about it, it has to be Orked¡­¡± Kayde said in a daze. ¡°¡­¡± Sensingplex emotions behind Kayde¡¯s remark, Roel didn¡¯t know how he should respond. Much to his surprise, the treant suddenly turned over and tilted forward as if it was bowing. ¡°Awakener of the ancient bloodline, you have my deepest gratitude for freeing Orked¡¯s soul.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only right for me to do so,¡± Roel replied calmly. He casually grabbed one of the wine vats and tossed it over. Despite its earlier sorrowfulmentation, the treant shot out a vine and stably caught the wine vat before pouring its content down a crack in its trunk. Its mood considerably lifted afterward almost as if it had drowned its sorrows with alcohol. ¡°Ahhh, pine nut wine. A gift from nature¡­ Why don¡¯t you have some too, Lord Roel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Hoh¡­ Looks to me that there¡¯s something else you¡¯d like to talk about.¡± Kayde based this deduction on how the ck-haired man¡¯s expression remained grim even after sharing his encounter with the fallen treant. Roel nodded in affirmation. ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to consult you on, though it¡¯s more of a private matter¡­¡± ¡°A private matter?¡± ¡°A problem has cropped up with my bloodline ability. I lost contact with an ancient god.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel told the ancient treant basking under the moonlight about how he hadn¡¯t been able to re-establish his window with the Witch Queen before asking if there had been precedents of it. He figured that there would be records of the matter if it wasmonce, and ¡®Chronicler¡¯ Kayde might just happen to know about it. The treant had lived through numerous eras, after all. Unfortunately, the treant fell silent at his question. ¡°¡­ It is theoretically possible for a bloodline to lose a portion of its ability, with the mostmon situation being the sealing of the bloodline. However, this sealing can only be carried out if the other party is far stronger than you.¡± Kayde examined Roel from head to toe before shaking his head, refuting this possibility. Roel was already at the peak of Origin Level 3, a mere step away from reaching Origin Level 2. Even an Origin Level 1 transcendent wouldn¡¯t have been able to seal his Kingmaker Bloodline. The Six Cmities couldn¡¯t have done it too either given how their powers were curbed by the Crown Origin Attribute. Seeing how even Kayde was unable to find any usible exnation for his current situation, Roel¡¯splexion turned grim. Counting from the day he regained contact with Grandar and Peytra, Artasia had been missing for half a month now, but he still hadn¡¯t managed to find the reason behind her disappearance. This left him anxious and worried, especially with his instincts sensing a whiff of danger. Artasia might not have the greatest offensive might amongst Roel¡¯s contracted ancient gods, but her wide range of utility spells and diverse fields of knowledge were useful in many situations, particrly since they had saved him from numerous life-and-death situations. The absence of the Witch Queen spelled a decline in Roel¡¯s fighting prowess, but it was the iprehensibility of the situation that was unnerving him. He didn¡¯t know whether the same would happen to Grandar and Peytra. ¡°It looks like I¡¯ll have to resort to something more extreme now¡­¡± Roel murmured under his breath as he opted for his final option. Channeling his Crown Origin Attribute, he forcefully attempted to re-establish his window with the Witch Queen. He tried so many times that he started to lose count, but at some point, he suddenly felt a faint sensation in his heart. Chapter 528.1: Theres Just No Way She Would Want to Have Babies (1)

Chapter 528.1: There''s Just No Way She Would Want to Have Babies (1)

In the forest, Roel chatted with the ancient treant over wine while attempting to re-establish connection with the Witch Queen through his Crown Origin Attribute. Having found no other alternatives, he was determined to brute force his way through. While it was unfortunate that he hadn¡¯t been able to find a way to resolve the situation, he did learn one thing through his conversation with Kayde¡ªhe didn¡¯t have to worry too much about the Witch Queen since it was impossible for her to die. To be clear, the ancient gods were already dead a long time ago. They were only able to interfere in the present world due to their contract with Roel. The worst thing that could happen here was for Artasia to lose her connection to Roel and return to her previous dormant state. Roel heaved a sigh of relief upon learning that. While he had known Artasia for the shortest amount of time among his three ancient gods, the two of them were close to each other. More than the decline in his fighting prowess, what he had been the most worried about was the Witch Queen¡¯s safety. Unlike the reticent Grandar or the motherly Peytra, Artasia¡¯s personality reflected the nature of a witch¡ªfree and unbridled. She often manifested on her own will to chat with Roel, sometimes even pitting her strength and wits against him. Her antics added joy to his life. Furthermore, Artasia was the one who boasted the greatest knowledge amongst his three ancient gods. The witches had once served as Goddess Sia¡¯s enforcers back in the ancient era, and the Witch Queen herself was well-versed about the Kingmaker n. Thus far, she had provided him with plenty of invaluable information that helped him ovee numerous crises. Whether it was for practical or sentimental reasons, Roel wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to the Witch Queen¡¯s plight. As long as Artasia wasn¡¯t in danger, he was confident that he would eventually find her even if she had temporarily lost her way. With his worries ayed, Roel continued chatting with the treant with a lighter heart while attempting to re-establish a connection with Artasia. Much to his surprise, his desperate attempt showed some results. An inexplicable sensation touched his heart, sending a shudder through his body. He widened his eyes in astonishment. Before he could grasp what the familiar sensation was, it had already dissipated without a trace. ¡°That was¡­!¡± It took a few seconds before the agitated Roelprehended what might have just happened, but everything had happened so fast that the only remaining trace of the earlier phenomenon was the echoes of his exmation. He couldn¡¯t be certain if the sensation he had felt earlier was real or a hallucination conjured from his hopes. Kayde noticed Roel¡¯s peculiar reaction and naturally enquired about the situation. However, Roel didn¡¯t answer its question right away. The frown on his forehead indicated that he was deep in thought. He instinctively inspected his Crown Origin Attribute, followed by his body, and his expression soon turned grave. The sensation he had felt earlier was highly reminiscent of the Witch Queen¡¯s mana, which meant that he had located Artasia even if it had been just for a split instant. However, when he inspected his Crown Origin Attribute, he discovered that there were signs of an energy sh. As a contracted entity, Artasia¡¯s own powers couldn¡¯t have triggered the Crown Origin Attribute¡¯s protective mechanism. The only usible reason was that there were other foreign powers in the Witch Queen¡¯s realm. Uponing to this deduction, Roel understood right away that Artasia had encountered trouble over on her side, which was why he hadn¡¯t been able to get in touch with her. He quickly turned to the treant to inform thetter of his new discovery, but the ancient treant, even with its vast knowledge umted over thousands of years, didn¡¯t know much about the witches and couldn¡¯t offer any help. ¡°The witches were a weird bunch. They were the only race that lived inplete istion, even from their own brethren. There¡¯s hardly any information about them at all. I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll be hard for me to deduce the circumstances surrounding your ancient god without context.¡± ¡°I see¡­ If you don¡¯t have a clue as to what¡¯s going on, it¡¯s unlikely that there¡¯ll be anyone on the Sia Continent who can help me on this matter.¡± ¡°Possibly, but if the cause¡ªerp!¡ªis indeed the result of external interference, things might get troublesome.¡± Kayde put the wine vat down on the ground and burped. Roel raised his eyebrows. ¡°Troublesome? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°The realms where your ancient gods dwell aren¡¯t ordinary ces. You could think of it as their domains, ces where they had spent a lot of time over their lifetime. Not dissimr to how nts wouldy im to thend they thrive in and drive out invaders, the powers of your ancient gods are also much stronger in their own respective domains.¡± ¡°Home turf advantage, I get that. But this means that¡­¡± ¡°Indeed. If an enemy is able to externally interfere the Witch Queen in her own domain, you can be certain that they are a force to be reckoned with.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s face clouded over. It wasn¡¯t just the strength of the enemy that he was concerned about here. More than that, he was unnerved by the fact that he didn¡¯t even know who or what he was up against. From the Saints Convocation to the Savior¡¯s worshipers, most of the evil cults that had survived through the ages had a bone to pick with him. Considering their long history and strength, they definitely had the means to pull off something like this. On the bright side, from the brief moment of connection he had with Artasia¡¯s realm, he was certain that thetter was also doing everything she could to re-establish their window, and it looked like there was some progress on that front. Roel¡¯s Crown Origin Attribute was not to be trifled with, and the Witch Queen was strongest in her saintly white pce. Under their two-pronged attack, it should take no more than a week before they overpower the culprit interfering with their connection. By then, he should be able to re-establish his connection with Artasia and get to the bottom of this matter. His mind was put at ease now that he could see a way out of his quandary. He settled down on a nearby boulder before resuming the hearty drinking session with the swaying ancient treant. After he downed half a wine vat, Alicia finally arrived with an apologetic look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Brother. Some problems have cropped up with the surprise I have prepared for you,¡± she said with her head lowered in self-reproach. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Roel was curious to know what the gift was, but he decided to allow her to keep her surprise. Instead, he passed her a bottle of heated honey wine to warm her up. Someone overflowing with life force couldn¡¯t possibly be susceptible to the cold, but Alicia was nevertheless touched by the gesture. She nestled herself in Roel¡¯s arms and sipped on the warm honey wine as a sweet smile blossomed on her face. Meanwhile, Kayde respectfully offered its present to Alicia as usual. Roel had once asked the ancient treant about its reverence for Alicia, and thetter replied that its instincts told it that Alicia was a great existence. That had been the case for Juliana of the Blood Tribe too, just that she had used the term ¡®progenitor¡¯. It was a baffling turn of events as such a development hadn¡¯t happened in Eyes of the Chronicler, but Roel deduced that the Silverash Child Bloodline might have granted Alicia high affinity with certain races. Another thing that was worth mentioning was the subtle change in Alicia¡¯s disposition following her breakthrough to Origin Level 3. She exuded an air of mystery under the silver moon, which seemed topel an even more respectful attitude from the ancient treant. By the time Kayde finished presenting a huge pile of invaluable demonic materials to Alicia, the eastern horizon was already starting to brighten up. With linked hands, Roel and Alicia bade farewell to the ancient treant before leaving the mountain forest under the escort of the heretics. Having reinforced his ties with a key ally of the Ascart Fiefdom, Roel was finally done with his business. With only days leading up to New Year¡¯s Day, he ordered the convoy to advance to Ascart City at full speed. Chapter 528.2: Theres Just No Way She Would Want to Have Babies (2)

Chapter 528.2: There''s Just No Way She Would Want to Have Babies (2)

¡­ A few dayster, Roelid his eyes on the nostalgic sights in the Ascarts¡¯ manor before sitting down on a sofa to soothe his exhaustion. Alicia settled down beside him and slowly sipped on a warm cup of tea. Celebrations broke out in Ascart City following their return. News about Roel defeating one of the Six Cmities had started spreading to the nearby countries. In particr, the rate of propagation was exceptionally fast in the Ascart Fiefdom, to the point where it was already known by every household by now. While the Six Cmities were threats beyond what ordinary civilians could fathom, Shrouding Fog¡¯s devouring of Tark Stronghold had inflicted mental trauma on the Theocracy¡¯s civilians. Over the past year, those ancient monsters had be entities that evoked terror on mention. Yet, during this climate of fear, the people of the Ascart Fiefdom learned that their proxy fief lord had defeated one of those terrifying ancient monsters. This reassuring newsforted their uneasy hearts and greatly galvanized them. As soon as Roel¡¯s convoy entered the city gates, the city streets that had fallen quiet after the onset of winter swiftly filled up with huge crowds, looking almost like sardines packed in a can. The people weed their hero¡¯s return with the loudest apuse they could offer, bringing about a festive atmosphere even before New Year¡¯s Day. Even after they had entered the Ascarts¡¯ manor, the buzz on the street could still be heard. This was incredible considering how the Ascarts¡¯ manor covered a huge swathe ofnd, and the main building was built a fair distance away from the closest street. Not even the bustle of New Year¡¯s Day had been able to reach this ce. The excitement was palpable inside the Ascarts¡¯ manor too, with Anna and the other maids walking around with beaming smiles. They, too, were delighted by their young master¡¯s return. ¡°Young master, shall I turn on the noise filter?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s nice to soak in the bustle every now and then.¡± Infected by the atmosphere, Roel watched themotion on the street from the windowsill while rejecting Anna¡¯s suggestion. Alicia also smiled at the bustle. ¡°Lord Brother is really popr amongst the people. It goes to show that everything you have worked hard for over the past few years hasn¡¯t been in vain.¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t done anything much for the fiefdom ever since enrolling in Saint Freya Academy,¡± Roel said with a bitter smile. He didn¡¯t think that he had done much for his people since the Ascart Fiefdom hadn¡¯t been on his list of priorities in recent years. His hands were full dealing with the changing environment, the invasion of the deviants, and the threat of the evil cultists that he didn¡¯t have spare energy to handle anything else, which resulted in a slowdown in the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s economic growth. He thought that he would lose the support of the people as a result, but the situation was the opposite of what he had expected. To be honest, he was bewildered. ¡°Lord Brother, you might have taken a back seat in the governance of the Ascart Fiefdom, but our territory is still developing in ordance with the blueprint you have constructed. From the construction of roads to the economic partnership with Rosa, you are the mastermind behind the policies that have brought prosperity to our fiefdom. Our people recognize what you have done for them.¡± ¡°But the economic slowdown in the recent two years¡­¡± ¡°We had to conscript many of our abled men and dispatch them to the eastern border in order to deal with the invasion of the deviants. That led to a contraction in our workforce, resulting in a slowdown in our economic development. Nevertheless, we¡¯re still the fastest growing territory in the Theocracy at the moment,¡± replied Alicia. She was reminded of how Roel had cooped himself up in his office for days at end to formte aprehensive long-term economic development n for the Ascart Fiefdom, and it pained her how much work he had to cope with all alone. Anna also nodded in agreement. ¡°Young master, we¡¯re only halfway through the blueprint you have envisioned for the fiefdom, but it has already brought about massive improvements. Our people are leading much better lives than before, and they are earnestly grateful to you for it. ¡°Besides, you have contributed greatly to the fiefdom in other ways over the past two years too. Last year, you won the Challenger Cup and brought glory to not just the Theocracy but our Ascart Fiefdom too. This year, you defeated an ancient monster terrorizing humankind, bringing renewed confidence and hope to the people in this tumultuous time. It¡¯s only normal for our people to respect you,¡± said Anna. ¡°¡­¡± Roel pondered upon Anna¡¯s words before nodding as well. While themon popce hadn¡¯t been directly exposed to the horrors of war yet, they could sense the reverberations of it. Unease had already settled in their minds as they went about their lives as per normal. It was at times like this that they needed a pir of support more than ever. They wanted to find someone strong whom they could trust to protect them. While the Ascart House might not have been the most reliable governor during peacetime, their military prowess was reassurring during wartime. With Carter spending most of his time in the eastern border in recent days, Roel was slowly bing the new faith of the people. That realization brought about an increased weight on Roel¡¯s shoulder, but when he thought about the people whom he wanted to protect, his conviction was strengthened. No matter what happened in the future, he would never bring himself to cast aside the Ascart Fiefdom. Anyone who dared to threaten his homnd would be met with his vicious counterattack. What he was more concerned at the moment was Carter though. The thought of his father reminded him of a matter that left him with a headache. ¡°Anna, when will my father return?¡± ¡°ording to the news from the Holy Capital, our master should arrive tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°I see,¡± Roel murmured with a sigh. A long time ago, before he had awakened to the Ascart Bloodline, Carter didn¡¯t bear much hope for his future and thus assigned him a single mission¡ªbear babies. He was probably thinking ofpensating quality with quantity. However, everything that happened afterward messed up that n. As Roel began proving his capabilities, Carter decided to grant him greater autonomy to do what he needed to. That being said, Carter had already urged him to bear offspring on numerous asion ever since he had reached adulthood, especially after war officially broke out between humankind and the deviants. No matter what happened in the war, a noble house would benefit from having more offspring to continue its lineage. Without a doubt, Carter would attempt to exert pressure on Roel this time too. He might even go a step further to force Roel to it done¡­ and it was clear as day who the bride was going to be. Roel looked at the silver-haired woman beside him with a peculiar expression. Just to be safe, he thought that it was best to first talk things out with her so that they could be on the same page should Carter raise a ridiculous request. After all, it would be ridiculous to ask Alicia to bear a child when it hadn¡¯t been long since she reached adulthood. So, Roel smiled at the woman sitting beside him and spoke. ¡°Alicia, there¡¯s something I need to discuss with you.¡± Chapter 529.1: Backstabbed (1)

Chapter 529.1: Backstabbed (1)

The rtionships amongst countries on the Sia Continent were convoluted. The rtionship between the Austine Empire and the Saint Mesit Theocracy was one good example. The former had an illustrious history thatmanded many territories and a huge poption whereas thetter was an upstart with many devout believers all over the continent. They had been fighting in the open and under the waters for the past thousand years, and their tense rtionship affected each other¡¯s national policies. It was not a coincidence that the Austine Empire and the Saint Mesit Theocracy often took opposite stances in their policies. There were plenty of such cases in history, and these caused rippling effects throughout the Sia Continent. Despite their significant differences, there were times when their policies converged in simrity in order to serve as role models to the others, namely their poption policies during crises. Unlike in Roel¡¯s previous world, where a huge poption only contributed to a bigger workforce and market, humans were an extremely precious resource in the Sia Continent due to the existence of transcendents, which contributed greatly to a country¡¯s national might. A highly talented transcendent could bring about significant rippling changes within decades, but of course, this was ultimately up to luck. Just like the lottery, the more tickets you have, the higher the chances of striking the jackpot. In particr, transcendents were always in short supply during wartime, which was why countries would always promote childbirth during such critical times. In the Saint Mesit Theocracy, there were emergencyws invoked whenever war broke out with the deviants known as ¡®Holy War Commandments¡¯. Of them, there was a strict use directed specifically toward nobles: All nobles are to bear offspring before reaching twenty years of age, or else they will be subjected to a heavy penalty. It wasn¡¯t too bad by the standards of the Sia Continent, given how adulthood was deemed to be fourteen years of age. It was consideredte for a person to marry and have a child at twenty years old. As a matter of fact, many of the upper-grade students of Saint Freya Academy were married. That being said, Roel did think that it was a little extreme to institute it in thew. Had it been his previous world, such a policy would have suffered a severe bacsh, with human rights groups using the government of treating its people like sows. However, in the danger-filled Sia Continent, such a thing was regarded as natural. If you don¡¯t give birth, I don¡¯t give birth, when the deviants finally strike, we¡¯ll have an army of old men marching to the battlefield on walking canes. Unless humans wanted to go extinct as their predecessors did, they would have to work hard to reproduce, especially when it came to nobles who had better odds of bearing transcendents. An individual couldn¡¯t hope to oppose a matter that concerned the survival of an entire race. Other than the Xeclydes, every noble house of the Saint Mesit Theocracy had to obey thisw or risk being stripped of their nobility. That being said, it was not as if the Genesis Goddess Church waspletely inflexible when it came to this matter. Knowing that some individuals might face trouble giving birth due to their constitutions, it provided exemptions on a case-to-case basis, and sometimes, it would even send its clergymen down to treat their infertility. Of course, Roel was a healthy man and didn¡¯t require any treatment. Even so, the Genesis Goddess Church still deemed the Ascart House to be in need of ¡®special attention¡¯ for obvious reasons. If not for Roel¡¯s ties with Nora, the church would have long dispatched some clergymen down to aid him. Nora would have usually capitalized on this opportunity, but she had her hands full handling the ongoing crisis to act on it. It also went without saying that the church was not going to cuckold their future pope, thus sparing Roel from his legal obligations. Unfortunately, there were still family obligations to consider here. Carter had been wanting to expand the family tree for a long time now, and there happened to be an eligible partner in his household that had juste of age. He had been dropping hints to Roel in his letters, only for thetter to ignore them. No doubt, he would definitely be raising the matter over their short reunion. Roel turned to the silver-haired woman seated next to him on the sofa, but he struggled to find a way to cut into the topic. He spent a while construing his words before finally rying Carter¡¯s intention to her in a subtle manner. Thetter immediately stiffened up upon hearing the news. ¡°Lord Father wants us to have a child together?¡± Alicia eximed in astonishment. Roel sighed at her response. Look at how shocked Alicia is. My father is really getting ahead of himself here. No matter how anxious he is to have a grandson, how could Alicia possibly want to have a child when she has only barely be an adult? He would have been shocked to learn that Alicia¡¯s thoughts werepletely opposite to his. To think that an opportunity would be presented right into my hands! Did I save a world in my previous life? Alicia could hardly believe what she had just heard. Just as she was feeling threatened by the advancement in Roel and Charlotte¡¯s rtionship, Carter suddenly stepped in as a wingman to help her even the scores. If this matter worked out, she could very well be the mother to Roel¡¯s child. The thought of that made her clench her fists in excitement. Once things were pushed to that extent, there was no way Roel could continue seeing her as a younger sister, thus resolving the greatest impediment to her romance once and for all. With the affection that he already harbored for her, she might just be the first one to reach the goal. I have to make full use of this opportunity! Roel saw how Alicia was brooding over the matter and felt deeply apologetic. While he and Carter had always viewed Alicia as a family member, there was no denying that she was indeed a foster child. That put her in a difficult position to express her stance on certain matters. If she defied Carter¡¯s will here, it would make her appear like an ungrateful child who turned a blind eye to the crisis of the family that took her in. He didn¡¯t want Alicia to feel emotionally cornered into abiding by Carter¡¯s intention. ¡°Alicia, I don¡¯t want you to feel pressured by this matter. Feel free to speak your thoughts aloud. I believe that our father will take our words into consideration.¡± ¡°I understand, Lord Brother.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes glowed with conviction upon hearing those words of encouragement. Seeing that, Roel breathed a sigh of relief. Even from a young age, Roel had already sensed Carter¡¯s intention to keep Alicia in the Ascart House. Why else would the marquess entrust her with their most sensitive intelligencework, of all things? Truth be told, he wasn¡¯t sure about how he felt about this matter. On one hand, he didn¡¯t want to embroil her in the Ascarts¡¯ conflicts. He knew that things would only get more dangerous with time, and the thought of any harm befalling her haunted him. Yet, he found himself strongly averse to allowing Alicia marry another man. His objection was so vehement that he didn¡¯t bother considering Alicia¡¯s opinion or whether this was truly better for her, which was not something he should be doing as an older brother. Obsession had somehow found its way into Roel¡¯s heart, and in recent years, he slowly became cognizant that this emotion stemmed not from kinship but romance. Even so, he was still a long way off from shaking off the shackles he had personally ced on their rtionship. In any case, he had to ovee Carter¡¯s hurdle first before deciding on the next step. Chapter 529.2: Backstabbed (2)

Chapter 529.2: Backstabbed (2)

¡­ The return of Marquess Carter Ascart stirred yet anothermotion in Ascart City. After many months, the middle-aged man who had governed the Ascart Fiefdom for decades now had finally returned to reunite with his family members. This was an injection of confidence in the people as it symbolized stability and harmony in the ruling house. To themon popce, there was nothing more important than stability during tumultuous times. Carter¡¯s return was most definitely weed by the people, though the fanfare around it paled inparison to Roel¡¯s. To be clear, Carter was well-received by his peoplepared to the other nobles of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, but his decades of kind governance paled inparison to what Roel had aplished as proxy fief lord in the past few years. On top of that, there was a distinct difference in the demographics of their supporters too. The bulk of Roel¡¯s supporters were youths, who were discontented with their current lives and desired more opportunities to prove themselves. In particr, he was ridiculously popr with thedies. In contrast, most of Carter¡¯s supporters were the calmer middle-aged and elderly, who had already gotten used to their current way of life and prioritized stability over all things else. Naturally, there was a huge difference in the atmosphere of their return. Back when Roel entered the city, the streets were filled with deafening cheers that shook the earth. When it came to Carter¡¯s turn, the noise level was toned down, but the sentiments of the people were still conveyed through the respectful gazes directed at his carriage. The different contexts made it hard to determine which was superior to the other, but neither Roel nor Carter thought that this was important. Rather, their thoughts were preupied by another matter. The lounge of Ascarts¡¯ manor looked as resplendent as ever under the warm illumination of the candles. The maids stood dignified in two rows, ready to attend to the needs of their masters at a moment¡¯s notice. Seated at the edge of the dining table was a middle-aged man quietly sipping on red tea as he assessed his two children with his peripheral vision. It was inadvisable for amander to leave the frontlines even if there was a temporary ceasefire, but the thought of there being not a single person in their old residence made his heart shudder so much that he simply couldn¡¯t not return. Carter looked at the ck-haired youth sitting upright in front of him and sighed softly in his heart. He felt that he had really erred in thetter¡¯s upbringing. He could still clearly remember how years ago, on this very same table, several talented women were fighting over his son. Back then, he thought to himself that his son was a born yer, and he wondered if thetter would carry home his grandkids before reaching adulthood. Years had passed since then¡­ but nothing. There was nothing at all. Carter reflected on the situation, and it soon dawned on him what had gone wrong. Why is my son not doing anything at all?! It would be unfair to say that Roel had been idling off when he had umted so many aplishments within such a short period of time, but he was frustratingly conservative when it came to romantic rtionships. At one point, he even worried whether his son had secretly be a monk behind his back! Youth was the age that everyone¡¯s hormones went haywire. It wouldn¡¯t have been surprising if they went a little overboard in a moment of passion. Taking a step back, even if they were principled enough to hold themselves back as children, surely they would have done something now that they were all grown adults? But no, Roel simply had to apply his noble etiquette to his rtionships too. He made sure to keep an appropriate distance from others and adamantly refused to err. If the Ascart House was a huge household with nock of offspring, Carter would have been overjoyed by Roel¡¯s self-restraint. After all, illegitimate children were often a huge source of problems for noble houses. But now that the Ascart House was already down to the final two, Roel¡¯s strict observance of principles was nothing but a huge annoyance to Carter. You twat! If you¡¯re a man, you should just do it! I know that I have warned you about your rtionships before, but I have never told you to be abstinent! There are so many good women around you. Why can¡¯t you just pick one and go ahead with it? Even that child from Rosa will do! All I¡¯m asking of you is to bear me a grandchild. Is that a lot to ask for? Carter was practically screaming at the frustratinglyposed ck-haired youth in his heart, but he didn¡¯t let his thoughts show on his face. It would tarnish his reputation if he said those words out loud. ¡­And honestly speaking, he didn¡¯t have any right to criticize his son either. As a widower who had been single for more than a decade now, Carter was more ascetic than his son was. How could he preach something that he hadn¡¯t been practicing himself? That being said, the knowledge of that didn¡¯t quell his frustration at all. You¡¯re making things hard for me by being so self-disciplined! Carter sharply red at Roel before sighing to himself. He turned his gaze to the silver-haired woman sitting beside his son, and his clenched heart slowly eased up. He had known about Roel¡¯s peculiar capability in getting involved with women of exceptional standing, and that hadplicated things. Be it Nora or Charlotte, their pregnancy would be national affairs with huge repercussions, thus it would have to be carefully nned beforehand. However, there was no such worry for Alicia Ascart. With two members of the Ascart House potentially stepping onto the battlefield, there was no way she would be allowed on the frontlines out of stability concerns. Considering her intimate rtionship with Roel, there was no better candidate than her at this juncture. He nced at Roel and Alicia once more before cing his teacup back onto the table. Then, he started enquiring about how they had been recently faring. ¡°Roel, I heard on my way back that you have defeated one of the Six Cmities. Good job on that. Your aplishment has raised the morale of the frontline soldiers, especially those from our Theocracy. It must have been a tough battle. How is your body faring?¡± ¡°It was indeed a tough battle. I¡­ sustained a bit of injury, but I have mostly recovered now.¡± Roel hesitated for a brief moment before opting to downy the situation, not wanting to add to his father¡¯s worries. Carter was skeptical at the answer, but he decided not to question it since Roel was safe and sound. Instead, he steered the conversation toward Rosa. It was practically an instinct for soldiers fighting at the frontlines to be concerned about logistical operations. The biggest logistical provider for humankind¡¯s united army was the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, which also had close military and economic ties with the Ascart Fiefdom. Carter heaved a huge sigh of relief when he learned that Charlotte had recovered from her affliction and Rosa had returned to normalcy. With a gleam in his eyes, Roel made use of this opportunity to toss out a bait. ¡°Father, Uncle Bruce has entrusted me pass on a letter to you. It¡¯s probably a handwritten letter to thank us for our help and offer somepensation.¡± ¡°Lord Bruce is too kind. We¡¯re close military allies. It¡¯s only right for us to help each other,¡± Carter said with a smile. He took the letter that Roel was offering to him and quickly browsed through it. Momentster, a rare shocked expression could be seen on his face. Thepensation offered by Rosa was simply too generous. Keeping a close eye on the changes in Carter¡¯s expression, Roel was, once again, impressed by Rosa¡¯s financial prowess. Bruce had really gone all out toy the foundation for Charlotte¡¯s visit after New Year¡¯s Day, offering not just money but all sorts of special privileges too. It¡¯s super effective. Carter was still feeling a little stifled about Roel¡¯s injuries, but his indignation dissipated upon seeing what Rosa was offering them. Roel immediately exploited this chance to raise a request. ¡°Father, Charlotte hopes to pay us a visit after New Year¡¯s Day to thank us for our help. Would you have time to meet her?¡± ¡°¡­I should. She has suffered in this ordeal, and there¡¯s still the engagement between you two,¡± Carter replied with a nod. He seemed to be extremely satisfied with Rosa¡¯spensation, considering how he had mentioned the engagement despite having never properly acknowledged it. Roel¡¯s heart was finally put at ease, having aplished what he had promised Charlotte. Unfortunately, there was a third person in the room who wasn¡¯t quite pleased with how things were turning out. When he finally noticed Alicia¡¯s pout, he quickly changed the topic at hand. ¡°Father, Rosa has also managed to track down one of the Saints Convocation¡¯s major bases and destroyed it.¡± Roel proceeded to share Andrew¡¯s findings and the discovery of their ancestors¡¯ remnants. Upon hearing the story, Carter revealed a rare expression of animosity. ¡°So, their target has always been the awakeners of our house? If that¡¯s the case, we can¡¯t just leave things to Rosa. We¡¯ll mobilize our soldiers too.¡± How could Carter tolerate the evil cultists going after his family members when their lineage was already down to two people? With a livid face, he made the call to cooperate with Rosa to eradicate the Saints Convocation. Roel wasn¡¯t surprised by his decision at all. He waited for Carter to calm down before reporting on how he dealt with their ancestors¡¯ remnants. Carter was cated when he heard that that their disrespected ancestors had beenid to rest with the highest formalities, though his expression turned a little weird when he learned that three people had hosted the ancestral ritual. He spent a moment in thought before saying. ¡°You did well. Our ancestors should be able to rest in peace in our family tomb. We ought to express our gratitude toward Rosa for their help on this matter.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make preparations for that,¡± Roel replied with a nod. ¡°But just this much won¡¯t be enough.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel blinked his eyes in confusion, failing to grasp what his father was getting at. Carter quietly stared at him for a few seconds before continuing on with a solemn voice. ¡°Roel, what do you think is the best way to console our ancestors?¡± ¡°The best way to console our ancestors¡­ Is it by exacting vengeance for them by eradicating the Saints Convocation?¡± ¡°It goes without saying that we¡¯ll have to do that, but exacting vengeance is far from enough.¡± Carter shook his head with a sigh. ¡°The best way to console our ancestors is to pass on their will.¡± ¡°Pass on their will?¡± ¡°Our ancestors sacrificed themselves to ensure that a future existed for theter generations, and now, it¡¯s your turn to do the same. We can¡¯t do anything about the departure of our ancestors, but we can inherit their will and pass it down to future generations.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel and Alicia¡¯s cheeks twitched upon hearing those words, but Carter maintained his stoic expression and continued his preaching. ¡°It¡¯s about time for you to fulfill your responsibility.¡± ¡°By responsibility, you¡¯re referring to¡­¡± ¡°The Theocracy¡¯s Holy War Commandments.¡± I knew it. Roel quietly sighed in his mind, unsurprised to hear Carter¡¯s words. Beside him, Alicia raised her head to look at Carter with a faint gleam in her eyes. ¡°In the face of the war against the deviants, we, the Ascarts, as one of the Theocracy¡¯s Four Eminent Noble Houses, have to lead the people by example. I have reminded you about this many times now. Now that Alicia hase of age too, the two of you should start considering having a child.¡± ¡°Father, I am aware of the Holy War Commandments, but this is too sudden. Neither Alicia nor I are ready for this.¡± Ready? What do you need to be ready for? Any ordinary men should be ever-ready to brandish their weapon when ites to that! It¡¯s not as if your noble lessons didn¡¯t cover that at all. Carter retorted in his mind. He was tempted to refute Roel¡¯s words right away, but he hesitated when his eyes fell upon Alicia, who was sitting quietly by the side. As much as he was anxious to expand the family tree, he respected Alicia¡¯s will on this matter. There was no problem with the two youths¡¯ rtionship, but it did seem rushed to ask ady who had just barely reached adulthood to bear a child. ¡°Alicia, what¡¯s your take on this matter?¡± asked Carter. Roel smiled. He was relieved that he had spoken to Alicia on this matter in advance. The burden of bearing a child mostly fell on the woman, which was why Carter turned a deaf ear to Roel¡¯s protest. However, if Alicia expressed reluctance regarding the matter too, Carter would have no choice but to give up on his n. ¡°¡­Lord Father, I don¡¯t think that this is appropriate.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Carter sighed upon hearing those words. But before he could retract his suggestion, Alicia embarrassedly added on. ¡°We should have two children at the very least¡­¡± Chapter 530.1: What I Want (1)

Chapter 530.1: What I Want (1)

Interrogations worked better when the suspects were caught off guard¡ªthis wasmon sense to those who had dabbled in this field before. That was also the reason Carter hadn¡¯t revealed any information to Roel and Alicia before confronting them on this matter. He did have his reservations about not consulting Alicia on this matter beforehand. He had withheld information from her due to her close ties with Roel, which made it likely for her to leak information out to Roel even if it was more beneficial for her not to do so. Considering that Alicia wasn¡¯t his blood daughter, it was only right for him to observe proper etiquette when dealing with this matter. But when he thought about the feelings she harbored for Roel, he felt that it was fine to proceed ahead as it was. As an elder who had seen the two of them grow up from a young age, Carter was confident in the feelings they had for each other, which was why he dared to rush things through. In Roel¡¯s previous life, there was a custom where couples would first cohabit before marriage to see how well they got along with each other in daily life. Often, this process would expose many problems, sometimes even resulting in the couple calling off the marriage. That¡¯s why they always said ¡®You have to try on the shoes to know whether they fit¡¯. Unfortunately, such a custom didn¡¯t exist in the Sia Continent. Couples barely got to meet each other a couple of times before being abruptly ushered onto the wedding hall, making it inevitable for conflicts to arise after marriage. In that regard, Roel and Alicia would never encounter this problem as they had been together from a young age and enjoyed each other¡¯spany. Even when they got into a fight, they would quickly reconcile and be closer than ever afterward. As a believer in free love, Carter wouldn¡¯t have interfered in their rtionship under normal circumstances, but Roel¡¯s inaction and the increasing instability of the world forced his hand. Even so, he wouldn¡¯t have exerted pressure on them if he wasn¡¯t confident in their rtionship. But who could have thought that Alicia would reject his suggestion? Carter thought that he was hearing things for a moment there. He found it as unbelievable as the sun rising from the west. Is Alicia afraid? But childbearing shouldn¡¯t pose any danger to her life given her bloodline¡­ It never urred to Carter that his son had foreseen his move and taken countermeasures in advance. Roel was feeling proud about himself, knowing that Carter wouldn¡¯t be able to coerce him as long as Alicia firmly rejected the matter. Unfortunately, Roel¡¯s smugness didn¡¯tst for too long. The sharp knife of betrayal may bete, but never absent. ¡°We should have two children at the very least¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, father. That¡¯s why¡­ What?¡± Roel turned to look at the silver-haired woman sitting next to him with an utterly bbergasted look. Alicia lowered her blushing face as if she was embarrassed by the two staring men, but her eyes quickly firmed up once more before she added on. ¡°It¡¯s still too dangerous for the Ascart House if we only have a single child. Furthermore, the three of us will get even busier in theing days, and this might lead to our child feeling lonely and neglected. For the sake of preserving the Ascarts¡¯ lineage and the psychological welfare of our child, I think that it¡¯s best for us to have at least two children¡­¡± Alicia earnestly raised her clenched fist as if to say that she would try her very best. The sudden twist delighted Carter but baffled Roel. W-what¡¯s going on? This doesn¡¯t make sense! ¡°A-Alicia, what are you saying? Didn¡¯t we agree that¡­ Ah.¡± Roel was just about to remind Alicia of their agreement when it suddenly struck him. Not once had she expressed her disapproval of Carter¡¯s decision throughout their earlier conversation. He had one-sidedly assumed that she wouldn¡¯t agree to it. ¡®Alicia, I don¡¯t want you to feel pressured by this matter. Feel free to speak your thoughts aloud. I believe that our father will take our words into consideration.¡¯ He dearly regretted not picking his words even more carefully back then. On the other hand, Alicia, who had spoken her mind as she was told to, turned to Roel with her eyes still averted out of embarrassment. ¡°Does Lord Brother like children? We can have more if that¡¯s the case. I am fine with it¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not¡­¡± Roel didn¡¯t know how he should respond, especially when Alicia had a blissful look on her face. On top of that, Alicia¡¯s affirmative response had empowered Carter, who immediately capitalized on the situation to pressure him into making a stance. This put him in a difficult position. If love had a physical form, Roel reckoned that it would be a little seedling. There were many factors contributing to its growth, with one of them being time. The strong feelings he harbored for Alicia as a younger sister had been slowly changing in nature in recent years as she matured into an adult, but this transformation was nowhere close to bearing fruit yet. It didn¡¯t feel right for them to get together just because it was convenient for the situation. To him, it was no different from trying to hasten the growth of the seedling by pulling it outward. This put Roel in a dilemma. He wasn¡¯t sure how he could tactfully exin this matter to Carter and Alicia. While he was having a headache over this matter, he suddenly felt a cool touch on his hand. ¡°Hm?¡± The under-the-table gesture prompted Roel to quietly nce at Alicia, who made use of the brief window when Carter was busy sipping on his tea to wink at him. There was a sly gleam in her crimson eyes. ¡°!¡± Having grown up together, Roel was able to grasp her intention with ease. Meanwhile, Carter put down his teacup and continued heaping pressure on his son. ¡°Roel, you should know why I¡¯m pushing this matter. How many near-death encounters did you have in the two years since you came of age? Far too many people are targeting you over your bloodline. I trust your capability andpetency, but for the sake of our internal stability, I don¡¯t think we should dy this matter any longer. What do you say?¡± Carter grimly reminded his son of the current circumstances in hopes of convincing him. Much to his surprise, Roel broke his silence and even smiled at him. ¡°I understand. You¡¯re right, father.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll seriously consider the matter of having an offspring. I¡¯ll fulfill my responsibility to the Ascart House, so I ask you not to worry about this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sensing that something was amiss with Roel¡¯s sudden change in attitude, Carter narrowed his eyes in skepticism. Before he could voice his doubts, Alicia suddenly swooped in and mediated between the two of them. ¡°Lord Father, it hasn¡¯t been long since I came of age. Lord Brother was only reluctant to ept your proposal out of concern for me. Now that the Holy War Commandments have been invoked, it¡¯s indeed time for us to fulfill our obligation.¡± Alicia embraced Roel¡¯s arm with a blissful smile before turning back to Carter. ¡°Lord Father, we don¡¯t want to distract you from your work at the frontlines. Since Lord Brother has already agreed to go along with it, why don¡¯t you leave this matter for us to handle?¡± she asked. ¡°¡­All right.¡± Seeing the sweet interaction between the two youths, Carter relented on his initial intention of personally seeing things and eded to Alicia¡¯s request. Both Roel and Alicia breathed a sigh of relief in their hearts. With the conclusion of their conversation, the dinner banquet finallymenced. Chapter 530.2: What I Want (2)

Chapter 530.2: What I Want (2)

The dishes for the New Year¡¯s Day¡¯s banquet were slowly served to the apaniment of an orchestra. A harmonious atmosphere enveloped the dinner table. Carter¡¯s appetite was whetted after having eaten a year¡¯s worth of military rations and resolving one of his long-time worries. Simrly, Roel was in a good mood after having ovee a crisis. Everyone¡¯s attention was naturally drawn to the delicacies served. The chef¡¯s cooking was up to its usual high standards. Roel, who hadn¡¯t tasted his hometown cuisine for a long time now, was extremely pleased with the meal. It was almost amazing how he was able to look elegant while gluttonously gobbling food down. Beside him, Alicia gracefully took small nibbles of food. In truth, she didn¡¯t need food anymore after reaching Origin Level 3. All she required was a bit of moonlight every night to replenish her day¡¯s depletion, making her almost like an ascetic monk. She was eating so much now because she was in a good mood. She couldn¡¯t spend the previous New Year¡¯s Day together with Roel because thetter was at the eastern border. It was not to say that she was alone since Carter was there with her, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was missing. Learning from this lesson, she had made sure to camp at Rosa ahead of time to fetch Roel home. Now that she was soaking in this harmonious atmosphere together with her family, she felt that her effort had truly paid off. Roel also found it wondrous how he had sessfully made it home after traversing the Austine Empire¡¯s northern mountains and Rosa¡¯s eastern ins. It had been such a difficult year for him, but the hardships seemed to be washed away by the good food before him. The fragrance of wine suffused the dining table as magic fireworks red outside the windows. Roel enjoyed this moment of rare peace in his life as the year slowly crept to its end. ¡­ Several hourster, Roel changed into a formal robe with the help of the maids and began making preparations for the New Year¡¯s Prayers. There were some practices that the Theocracy¡¯s nobles had to observe whether they were in the Holy Capital or not. One of them was to visit the Genesis Goddess Church on the night of New Year¡¯s Eve and pray for the uing year. The New Year¡¯s Prayers were one of the highlights of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, especially the one hosted in the Holy Capital. Devout believersing from all over the Sia Continent would fill Loren¡¯s streets on New Year¡¯s Eve, making quite a spectacle. Roel had attended the event a couple of times in his younger years. The Theocracy¡¯s civilians had the freedom to choose whether they wanted to participate in the prayers or not, but the nobles were obligated to do so. It was fortunate that the rules were loose, with no restrictions on when or how long the prayers had to be. Those who were truly devout could spend the entire night praying, whereas those who were just seeking to fulfill the obligation could be done with it in a single hour. In that aspect, Roel thought that the Genesis Goddess Church was quite considerate to have not imposed its customs as a moral obligation. But thinking about it, this was a world where the gods existed, which meant that ack of devotion to one¡¯s religion would only disadvantage oneself. If a day came where the gods decided to bestow their blessings upon their believers, it was likely that those who were more devoted would receive preferential treatment. As someone who had received Sia¡¯s blessings and ovee multiple crises with the ability bestowed upon him, Roel wouldn¡¯t dare to disrespect the Mother of All Beings. For that reason, he decided to pray through the night till daybreak. Carter and Alicia, as fairly devout believers of Genesis Goddess Sia, decided to apany him in the church during his prayer. Once Roel was finally done tidying himself up, he left his room and met up with Alicia by the doorway. Over the past hour, Alicia had changed into an alluring ck gown that formed a stark contrast to her silver hair. The maids had applied light makeup to her face to entuate her features, further bringing out her charms. Despite his usual denseness, Roel felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her. When Alicia first enrolled in Saint Freya Academy, there were students who described her beauty as ¡®the icy essence born once in a hundred years in the inessible peak of the La Mountains¡¯. Yet, Roel thought that her current beauty surpassed even that. There was an indescribable quality in her that seemed to directly touch the soul. Wait a moment. Could this be the effect of a spell or ability? It suddenly dawned on Roel that this change might have arisen from Alicia¡¯s breakthrough to Origin Level 3. Sensing his gaze, Alicia stepped forward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Brother? Do I look weird?¡± ¡°No, you look gorgeous. I was stunned for a moment.¡± Roel honestly revealed his thoughts. Alicia was taken aback by the directpliment. A red tinge swiftly dyed her cheeks. ¡°I-is that so? If Lord Brother likes it, I¡¯ll doll myself up more in the future¡­¡± Alicia replied as she shyly fiddled with her fingers. Her demeanor sent Roel¡¯s possessiveness shooting through the roof. This is really getting to me. Roel forced himself to turn away in order to conceal the desires in his eyes. Then, he raised his hand and lightly knocked Alicia¡¯s little head. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to say such words?¡± ¡°But those are my earnest thoughts. Lord Brother, you¡¯re bullying me,¡± Alicia replied indignantly. ¡°¡­¡± Not knowing how to respond, Roel awkwardly coughed to clear the air. He suddenly remembered what happened earlier and changed the topic. ¡°Thank you, Alicia. For what happened in the dining room.¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°Father would have definitely tried to push the matter through if you didn¡¯t back me up.¡± ¡°No, I only said what I ought to. This matter is indeed too hasty for us¡­ and things only turned out that way because I agreed with Lord Father.¡± Alicia lowered her head in guilt when she thought about how she had ¡®backstabbed¡¯ Roel earlier. She nervously fidgeted on the spot. ¡°Lord Brother, aren¡¯t you angry with me?¡± ¡°Why would I be?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t reject Lord Father¡¯s suggestion like you wanted me to.¡± ¡°¡­I only told you to freely speak your mind, which is what you did. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that,¡± Roel replied after a moment of silence. Alicia nodded in agreement, but momentster, she let out a quiet sigh. She raised her head to look at Roel, her hesitant look suggesting that there were words at the tip of her tongue, but she was struggling to voice them aloud. In the end, she bucked up her courage and went for it. ¡°Lord Brother, there¡¯s something I have been wanting to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Can you tell me the reason behind why¡­ you rejected Lord Father¡¯s suggestion earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes quivered in trepidation, unsure of whether she wanted to hear the answer to the question or not. Roel wasn¡¯t surprised to hear that question. In fact, he thought that there was a need to rify the matter lest she misunderstand. He took some time to organize his thoughts before sharing his perspective. ¡°Alicia, I didn¡¯t ept our father¡¯s suggestion because our goals differed.¡± ¡°Your goals differed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Our father wants us to have offspring to ensure the continuation of our Ascarts¡¯ lineage and the stability of our house, but that¡¯s not what I want.¡± ¡°What do you want, Lord Brother?¡± asked Alicia. Roel looked into her eyes before gently answering. ¡°I want you to be happy, Alicia.¡± Chapter 531.1: Premonition (1)

Chapter 531.1: Premonition (1)

Before the gates of the Ascarts¡¯ manor, Roel and Alicia chatted in formal wear. Their impable appearances deemed them worthy of being titled the perfect couple. Anna and the other maids quietly watched their interactions from a distance away. Complimenting ady on her dress-up was apulsory module in the noble etiquette ss. The iconic scene of Roelvishingpliments on Alicia every New Year¡¯s Eve had be the maids¡¯ not-to-be-missed annual dose of idol drama. It was no exception this year. The maids keenly noticed Roel saying something that made Alicia blush, which made their curiosity ze with fervor. Despite that, they upheld their professionalism and refrained from eavesdropping on their masters¡¯ conversation. They found itmentable that they couldn¡¯t get the juicy details, but they were happy for their young miss. By the doorway, Alicia was facing a flood of emotions far greater than what Anna and the others could imagine. Roel¡¯s earlier words told her that he was thinking about a future between the two of them. For the longest of time, Alicia had tried everything she could to win over Roel, from inducing his lust via an injection of life force to having a heart-to-heart talk, but she had never been able to get him to affirm their rtionship before. He had always escaped from the conversation using the excuse that she was still a child. She was definitely d to have Carter¡¯s support for this wave of attack, but she wasn¡¯t optimistic about the oue. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Roel had viewed her as a younger sister who needed protecting for so many years that the notion was imprinted into his mind. Despite Alicia¡¯s best attempts to change that impression, the results had been disappointing thus far. That was why she backtracked to help Roel after clearly expressing her stance. Much to her surprise, Carter¡¯s words seemed to have gotten to Roel. Thetter finally revealed his innermost thoughts, opening room for the advancement of their rtionship. ¡°Alicia, I don''t think that we should rush things before our feelings have matured. I believe that a rtionship should be built on mutual eptance instead of circumstantial coercion. I earnestly wish for your happiness, and that¡¯s far more important to me than the continuation of the Ascart House,¡± Roel earnestly expressed his feelings. He saw Alicia as someone whom he cherished, not a tool for reproduction. That was why he was strongly opposed to Carter¡¯s suggestion of having them get together and bear offspring. Alicia¡¯s mood lifted upon realizing his intention. The truth was that she wasn¡¯t averse to Carter¡¯s suggestion, but knowing that Roel treasured her more than the offspring he needed to have filled her with bliss. Just as what Roel had said, she would much rather have a rtionship built on mutual feelings rather than pragmatism. Her worried heart finally eased up, and her face reddened in embarrassment. ¡°L-lord Brother, I¡¯ll support you if that¡¯s what you think. Let¡¯s put on an act before Lord Father for the time being.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. May I have your hand now, Miss Alicia?¡± Roel presented his hand to Alicia with a gentlemanly smile. Thetter shyly nodded before resting her hand on his palm. Their heartwarming interaction induced heavy breathing from the watching maids as they silently offered their blessings to the couple. Roel heaved a small sigh of relief. I¡¯ve managed to dissuade Alicia from having a child for the time being, but what should I do from now on? He nced at the ravishing silver-haireddy he was escorting. There was not a fault that he could pick with her appearance, but he found it hard to imagine that she would be able to endure his onught with her petite frame, let alone bear a child. Of course, Alicia was definitely much more resilient than how she appeared. She was a high transcendent possessing the Silverash Child Bloodline, after all. Even so, he thought that it was too early for her to bear a child. She might have reached adulthood, but she was still in her development phase. Most important of all, he couldn¡¯t bear to see her in pain. Alicia noticed his conflicted expression and quizzically tilted her head. ¡°Lord Brother?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Roel quickly cleared away those thoughts and continued chatting with her. Carter soon came down the stairs to join them. The three of them got onto the carriages, with Roel and Alicia sharing one together. Traditional social etiquette forbade adults of opposite genders from sharing a carriage, but Roel and Alicia weren¡¯t mindful of it since they had grown used to it from a young age. The maids and servants were aware of the breach in etiquette, but they were rooting for their rtionship. None of them was so tactless as to remind them of it. Carter also noticed his two children getting onto the same carriage as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and he shook his head with a helpless sigh. He found it baffling how they needed to be pressured for progress when they were already this close to each other. Once the convoy was ready, the coaches cracked their whips, and the carriages began making their way to the church. ¡­ Ascart City had be famous in recent years due to its swift development, having overtaken its rivals to be the Theocracy¡¯s secondrgest city. The main cities of the Theocracy¡¯s Five Eminent Noble Houses had always beenrge cities, second only to Holy Capital Loren, but Ascart City was previously seen as the group¡¯sggard due to its poor economic performance. However, the policies that Roel had implemented during his stint as the proxy fief lord had significantly boosted the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s economic activities, ushering in an age of prosperity. A greater volume of trade tranted to an increased demand forbor, which exerted an upward pressure on wages. This should have attracted people to settle down in Ascart City, but much to Roel¡¯s surprise, the growth in its poption had been humble thus far. A quick investigation into the matter uncovered that it was rare for themon popce of the Sia Continent to travel too far away from their hometown, let alone migrate elsewhere. After all, the environment here was very different from the globalized world of Roel¡¯s previous life. However, there was a sudden change in the situation a year ago, after the conclusion of the Theocracy¡¯s internal war. The Elric Fiefdom had fallen from grace, and its territories were split amongst the remaining Four Eminent Noble Houses. While the transition of power was taking ce, there was a steep decline in the Elric Fiefdom¡¯s internal security, leaving bandits free to act as they pleased. Many civilians feared for their lives and decided to migrate elsewhere. Naturally, the booming Ascart City, with its high level of security and multitude of economic opportunities, became their first choice. The influx of people was weed by the Ascart House, for itplemented their greatest weaknessbor shortage. Ascart City enjoyed a rapid growth spurt, and it soon imed its ce as the Theocracy¡¯s second biggest city. Amon problem that arose from an abrupt poption growth was a strain on existing infrastructure, but the Ascart House was able to easily resolve the issue by tapping into Rosa¡¯s connections. An army of builders was swiftly dispatched to construct new houses and facilities required to support the new migrants, thus alleviating the issue. However, there was one particr facility that the Ascart House had to pay extra heed to¡ªthe local church. The Theocracy was a country built around the Genesis Goddess Church, so it shouldn¡¯te as a surprise that the churches in major cities had to be consistently reviewed to ensure that it always met the needs of the people. In view of the huge poption growth, Roelmissioned the construction of a cathedral to ensure that it could hold hundreds of worshipers at once. It became Ascart City¡¯s first majorndmark, greatly elevating its standing and influence. On New Year¡¯s Eve, devout worshipers would crowd the cathedral to pray for fortune and safety in the uing year. At the very forefront of the crowd was Roel Ascart, who sincerely prayed with his eyes closed. Goddess Sia was the creator of all beings, as well as the origin behind one of his strongest abilities. Driven by his gratefulness and respect for Her, he didn¡¯t ck off in his prayers at all. The bishop standing at the very forefront of the cathedral rxed his tense shoulders and heaved a huge sigh in relief when he saw Roel¡¯s earnest attitude. Truth be told, he had been nervous as to how Roel would behave in the prayers. It was not umon for Theocracy¡¯s nobles to behave less than ideal in their prayers, such as scratching their heads or looking around. It went without saying that these were deemed as acts of disrespect toward Goddess Sia. To make things worse, the nobles were positioned at the forefront of the crowd, which made their actions awfully conspicuous. As one of the bishops stationed in the Theocracy¡¯s few major cities, the Ascart City¡¯s bishop was a highly illustrious clergyman in the Genesis Goddess Church. Theoretically speaking, he could be considered an equal to the fief lord, Marquess Carter. As a matter of fact, he wielded the power to evict any nobles who acted indecorously inside the church. But his authority seemed almost non-existent when the other party was Roel Ascart. It was almost ludicrous how Roel possessed such a huge say within the church despite not being a clergyman himself, but it was not without reason. The rumors between him and Her Highness Nora were one thing, but more recently, he had achieved the spectacr feat of defeating one of the mythological Six Cmities. There were whispers within the upper echelons of the church that Holy Eminence John was nning to confer him a saint. Sainthood was a huge deal in the Genesis Goddess Church, representing unparalleled honor and authority. If a hierarchy of the church had to be created, the authority of a saint would be second only to the pope himself. It was a title that was conferred only to the deceased, and even so, there had only been a few conferments over thest thousand years. Chapter 531.2: Premonition (2)

Chapter 531.2: Premonition (2)

Of course, the proposal to confer sainthood upon someone as young as Roel was bound to draw contention. This matter would likely be first put aside for a few years before there was any follow-through. Nevertheless, it was already plenty shocking that the church was even considering it at all. Roel could be considered the future superior of the entire Genesis Goddess Church¡ªwith the exception of the Xeclydes, of course¡ªand this was a lifetime appointment. Even the cardinal in the Holy Capital wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything about him. It was a huge relief that Roel hadn¡¯t becent as a result of his identity. He remained humble and sincere throughout the entire prayer, making him a role model for the people. There were also no faults to be picked with the other members of the Ascart House. Marquess Carter was as dignified as ever, and Alicia Ascart conducted herself properly during the prayers. Their devotion to the prayers moved the bishop. Little did he know that Carter and Alicia had ulterior motives. When you''re just trying to make great content at shorturl.at/mCEOX. As a military man, Carter was trained to maintain an upright posture, thus allowing him to remain dignified in all asions. His sincere attitude would also have been discounted by his desperate plea for descendants in their lineage. It was the same for Alicia too. Beneath her solemn and graceful exterior was a mind brimming with thoughts of Roel. It was naturally much easier for them to focus on their prayers with their clear goals. In contrast, Roel was the only one who was earnestly praying out of gratitude to Goddess Sia for Her bestowment. ¡®Being Toward Death¡¯ was Roel¡¯s greatest ace against his increasingly stronger enemies. It enabled him to disregard the side effects of his abilities and dish out everything he had in times of desperation, thus making aeback possible. He could still remember how he felt when he met Sia¡¯s projection and obtained the ability during his breakthrough to Origin Level 3. He felt as if he was basking under the sun on a grass field, and it filled his soul with serenity despite the threatening situation he was in. Being Toward Death was a self-created ability as much as it was Sia¡¯s blessing. It had formed out of his courage to forge his own path, and it was supported by his bloodline and Crown Origin Attribute. There was no doubt that this ability was uniquely his. That was probably why he was able to adeptly use Being Toward Death without practice. Praying brought the same feeling of serenity to Roel too, which likely contributed toward his favorable impression of it. To his surprise, he didn¡¯t feel the same serenity from praying today in this majestic cathedral. A frown formed on his face, and he couldn¡¯t help wondering about the reason. Is it because there are more people here? Or am I still bothered by what happened earlier? Roel pondered for a long time before slowly shaking his head. He didn¡¯t think that his unease had arisen from external reasons, considering how he had felt Sia¡¯s serenity even in the midst of a chaotic battlefield. After eliminating all other possibilities, the conclusion he arrived at caused his face to slowly turn grim. There were several official reasons behind why a person might feel uneasy while praying. It might be possible that an individual had done something against Sia¡¯s wishes, or that it was a warning about an uing threat. There was no way that Roel would do something against Sia¡¯s wishes, not to mention that he wasn¡¯t in a condition to do anything after the fight with Flooding Death. If this feeling of unease wasn¡¯t a chastisement, it could only be a warning. ¡°¡­¡± Perplexed, Roel opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. Rumors about the Ascart Fiefdom being one of the safest ces in the Sia Continent were no exaggeration. Civilians of Ascart City had no qualms leaving their doors open through the night, and there were hardly any banditirs due to the Ascarts¡¯ generations of strict management. Even the threat of the wolves had been settled in recent years! It was hard to imagine any danger befalling him when he was inside a cathedral located at the heart of Ascart City. ¡°Is anything wrong, Lord Roel?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Thank you for your concern, Lord Bishop.¡± Noticing Roel¡¯s worried look and wandering gaze, the bishop hurriedly enquired about them, fearing that he had done something wrong. Much to his relief, Roel¡¯s inattention had not arisen from dissatisfaction with the cathedral. The bishop was finally able to continue hosting the prayers with ease of mind. On the other hand, Roel couldn¡¯t find any clues to back up his conjecture, forcing him to leave things be. He tried to take a more optimistic attitude regarding this matter. It might just be a coincidence¡­ Maybe I simply didn¡¯t sleep wellst night. After consoling himself with some empty words, Roel turned his attention back to the prayers. As the night deepened, more and more people gathered around the cathedral. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s the fief lord and his family!¡± ¡°Lord Marquess is here too¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that young master Roel?¡± Every now and then, on the bustling street outside the cathedral, someone would point at Roel and the others standing on an elevated tform in the cathedral and exim aloud. There was nock of officials and young noblewomen amongst these people. The two male members of the Ascart House were practically rare animals at this point, having spent the majority of their time outside in recent years. Due to that, the officials and themon popce were rather sensitive to their presence. It was also the first time many of the migrants were seeing their own fief lord. As usual, the exceptional visuals of the Ascarts evoked amazed gasps from the crowd. Countless youths fell hopelessly infatuated with Roel and Alicia, but they were doomed to have their hearts broken. More and more people halted their footsteps outside the cathedral when they saw the Ascarts, and many of them chose to join the prayer, resulting in the expansion of the ritual. The bishop and the clergymen were satisfied with the oue. The peaceful prayers finally concluded when the first crack of sunlight appeared in the eastern horizon. Basking in the warmth of the rising sun, the crowd silently murmured their wishes for the new year while epting Sia¡¯s blessing. A choir inside the cathedral began singing a holy hymn. Roel and the others finally opened their eyes, having aplished their first mission for the new year. ¡­ ¡°Lord Brother, is there something bothering you?¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°You seem¡­ distracted during the prayer.¡± ¡°¡­ You noticed?¡± In the carriage, Roel responded to Alicia¡¯s words of concern with an apologetic smile. He didn¡¯t think that his unease was that apparent. All in all, the New Year¡¯s Prayers didn¡¯t go well for Roel. His diposure didn¡¯t alleviate with time; on the contrary, it only worsened. To make things worse, he hadn¡¯t managed to figure out the reason behind it. It was frustrating, but in the first ce, rationalizing an intuition was no different from trying to catch a fleeting cloud. Alicia listened to Roel¡¯s experience during the New Year¡¯s Prayers and frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem to bode well. Since you aren¡¯t able to uncover the reason, you should keep yourself in tip-top condition so that you respond ordingly should something happen.¡± Alicia squeezed Roel¡¯s hands to reassure him. Roel responded with a slightly bitter smile. He hadn¡¯t thought that he would be consoled by Alicia on the very first day of the new year. Nevertheless, he pulled himself together, sat upright, and began searching for answers from a more esoteric perspective. In his previous world, being gripped by unease while praying to the gods was deemed to be an ominous omen. On the Sia Continent, it was moremonly interpreted to be the result of one¡¯s intuition or sixth sense. There was no question that intuition was a real thing on the Sia Continent. It often served as a warning of danger. Since bing a high transcendent, Roel would always sense something before something huge happened. If that was the reason behind his unease during the prayer, the chances were that something sinister was brewing in the shadows. A storm could very well be headed his way. Roel decided to expand on that line of thought. Awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline had many enemies by virtue of their lineage. The ones leading the charge in the anti-Roel movement was, first and foremost, the Fallens, followed by the Saints Convocation. Those were the two most likely to inflict harm on him. As for the other enemies, they weren¡¯t a huge concern at the moment. a.e21884 Roel exhaled deeply before diving deeper into his analysis. The Saints Convocation was going through a rough patch right now. One of their God¡¯s Envoys had just been killed, and Rosa¡¯s raid on one of their major hideouts had dealt a critical blow on them. Unless anger had really gotten to their heads, they ought to lie low and recuperate for the time being. Even if the Saints Convocation decided to make a move, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, which was located in between the Ascart Fiefdom and the Convocation¡¯s sphere of influence, should be the first one to take the fall. In any case, it was unlikely for an established evil cult with a history dating back at least centuries tounch a suicidal attack. They would have been wiped out long ago if they were really that reckless. Does this mean that the troublemaker is the Fallens? Roel ruminated on that possibility before eventually shaking his head. He found the notion unlikely, considering how Antonio was still keeping a close eye on them. He hadn¡¯t been cking around even though he was on break for thest few days. He had been keeping up with the reportsing in from the Austine Empire¡¯s northern mountain range to remain up to date withtest developments. After Antonio sealed off the use of spatial magic in the mountain range, his team began slowly tightening their encirclement around the Fallens. They were all prepared to confront the enemy. It was hard to imagine that the Collector would put his thoughts here when he was already in a precarious situation himself. Thus, Roel decided to abandon this train of thought to consider other possibilities. ¡­ In a sombre mountain range shrouded in fog, a man with a blurred face sat at the end of a long table. An uncanny bird that looked to be a mix of a crow and a falcon was perched on the table, its blood-red eyes glowing brightly. It looked intently at the man, as if rying information to him. Heavy silence loomed for a long time before the man suddenly chuckled under his breath. ¡°Hoh. Holy Eminence John has finally made his move too? They are really determined to get rid of me on behalf of that child. I wouldn¡¯t want it any other way¡­¡± the man said in a mocking tone. He raised his head and merrily looked at the bird before him. ¡°This is the final party. Do whatever you want. Just don¡¯t forget our goal.¡± Upon hearing the man¡¯s order, the uncanny bird unfurled its wings and soared into the dark sky. The man also rose to his feet and walked away. Momentster, the silent space crumbled into nothingness. Chapter 532.1: Strategic Boasting (1)

Chapter 532.1: Strategic Boasting (1)

Nothing much happened after the New Year¡¯s Prayer. It was already dawn by the time Roel and the others returned to the Ascart House. Exhausted from a night of standing, they headed straight for breakfast to replenish their depleted energy. Even as the first ray of light dubbed as Sia¡¯s gaze fell upon them, Roel was still unable to quell the unease he felt. He had thought hard about the matter on his way back, but he couldn¡¯t find a good reason behind this inexplicable warning his intuition was rying to him. Worried about his condition, Alicia asked Carter over breakfast if he had a solution. ¡°Lord Father, Lord Brother suddenly felt uneasy in the midst of his prayers. Do you know what could be the reason behind it?¡± ¡°You suddenly felt uneasy? Well¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s question brought a frown to Carter¡¯s face. He spent some time listening to Roel¡¯s story before finally expressing his helplessness. Even with his vast experience as a transcendent, it was impossible for him to make a deduction without ample information to work with. That being said, Carter didn¡¯t just leave them hanging. He proposed a couple of possibilities regarding the matter. ¡°Your encounter seems to be a warning, but it¡¯s not necessarily directed at you. It could be pointing toward someone whom you¡¯re close with or a matter that you¡¯re intricately linked to¡­¡± Carter advised. Those words expanded Roel¡¯s scope of thought, but he soon shook his head. Times had changed now. He was not the homebody he used to be. He had traveled widely over thest few years and became close with many people. If the warning was targeted at someone else, his attempt to find that person was no different from searching for a needle in a haystack. It was then that Carter raised another conjecture. ¡°Alternatively, the warning might also be referring to an undiscovered internal issue, simr to how a patient afflicted with a terminal illness asionally suffers bouts of pain.¡± ¡°Internal issue?¡± ¡°Yes. It could be physical traumas arising from severe side effects or an ident in the midst of a breakthrough. These were threats faced a transcendent may face in the absence of external intervention. There were reports of transcendents feeling uneasy before such happenings.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened when he heard Carter¡¯s second suggestion. He was reminded of his recent difficulties in trying to establish contact with Witch Queen Artasia. The contracts binding him and his ancient gods together had ced them on the same boat, creating a situation where they either flourished or drowned as one. This made it unlikely for the Witch Queen to double-cross him. It could be possible that the warning was pointing at this matter. However, that didn¡¯t make sense upon further thought, considering how it had been half a month since he lost contact with Artasia. His intuition ought to be alerting him to something that had yet to happen rather than something that had already happened. In the end, Roel was still unconvinced that the unease he had felt was caused by Artasia¡¯s bizarre disappearance, though he conceded that her absence did diminish his sense of security. Since he was unable to figure out the issue, he turned his thought toward how he could mitigate the risks instead. First and foremost, he would keep a close eye on the enemies¡¯ movements and remain vignt at all times. Other than that, he would work hard to raise his fighting prowess and do everything he could to re-establish his connection with Artasia as soon as possible. He had reached the peak of Origin Level 3 after his battle with Flooding Death. He would be in a better position to deal with any threats heading his way if he could make a breakthrough soon. It was frustrating how everything seemed to boil down to his strength after all was said and done. After breakfast, Alicia and Carter returned to their respective rooms to rest. Roel, however, was in no mood to sleep due to the unease welling in his heart, so he made his way toward the study room by himself. ¡­ While the Saint Mesit Theocracy was enjoying their break after the New Year¡¯s, Roel had plenty of work to deal with as the architect of the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s development blueprint, especially since he had been away for so long. Due to the frequent absence of its fief lord, the Ascart Fiefdom had to learn how to function by itself and had be quitepetent at it, but that was limited to daily operations. A leader was still required to make high-level decisions and set a clear direction for other officials to work toward. It was also important to vet important projects lest they go astray. The growth of the fief led to a corresponding increase in the number of important projects that needed to be vetted. While Roel had pushed out many new policies that were beneficial to the fief, he knew that his policies might not appear as straightforward to the officials implementing them due to the academic divergence between both worlds. Thus, he ordered the officials to immediately report any confusions regarding the implementation to him¡­ ¡­ And that naturally meant overloading himself with work. Looking at the two tables filled with documents evoked a deep sigh from Roel. Not the type to procrastinate, he picked up his quill and began reviewing the documents. Meanwhile, Anna took her position next to him and began organizing the documents. a.e2e1e8d84 Roel would usually have several assistants with him whenever he was reviewing documents, but unfortunately, the Ascart House was tight on manpower as many servants had returned home for the holidays. Anna was the only one who was able to help him. Theck of assistants still greatly reduced his work efficiency. Truth be told, there was actually someone in the Ascart House who was able to aid Roel, and that person was none other than Alicia. Back when they were young, Roel didn¡¯t allow Alicia to help him with his documents because he didn¡¯t think that it was right to burden a child with work. However, as Roel was made the proxy fief lord and started pushing for a revolutionary change in the fiefdom, his workload swelled to a point where there were days he couldn¡¯t return home. That sparked a change in Alicia. She couldn¡¯t ept how her older brother was working his fingers to the bones while she was idling around at home. Furthermore, the two of them wouldn¡¯t be able to meet if Roel couldn¡¯t finish his work in time and had to stay overnight in the office. That was practically the end of the world to her! Thus, Alicia devoted her time and effort to studying fiefdom administration. That was why she could smoothly transition into Roel¡¯s job when he left for Saint Freya Academy. The documents Alicia had reviewed in the past two years definitely didn¡¯t pale inparison to his. When Anna saw Roel sighing at the huge mountain of documents for the umpteenth time, she suggested bringing Alicia in to help, only to be rejected right away. ¡°It¡¯s the first day of the new year. It hasn¡¯t been an easy year for Alicia either. Let her rest a little.¡± Gazing at the busy streets outside his window, Roel could feel a festive atmosphere lingering in the air. He wasn¡¯t in a mood to head down to the streets, but he thought that it would be great if Alicia could take this opportunity to unwind herself. ¡°Even I wouldn¡¯t want to work on New Year¡¯s Day, let alone Alicia. Anna, you should apany Alicia to the streets when she wakes upter.¡± ¡°But young master¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I want some time to myself.¡± ¡°¡­ I understand.¡± Having overheard what Roel said over the dining table, Anna understood how what he was going through and lowered her head in acknowledgment. After the quick conversation, the two of them dived back into their work. Roel¡¯s focus on the huge stack of documents before him alleviated his unease a little. Chapter 532.2: Strategic Boasting (2)

Chapter 532.2: Strategic Boasting (2)

Noon quickly arrived after hours of intensive work. From the maids, Roel learned that both Alicia and Carter were still asleep. That eroded any motivation he had to head to the dining room, especially when he still had a huge pile of work to deal with. Thus, he simply ordered the servants to deliver some food over. Lunch had never been essential to nobles, who typically enjoyed afternoon tea and a hearty dinner, and Roel wasn¡¯t in a mood to enjoy lunch alone either. Thus, he figured that he would just have a couple of snacks while working. ¡°Young master, you have been working for hours now. You ought to take a short break for your own health. Besides, it is improper to dine in the study room,¡± Anna gently suggested Roel to have a proper lunch in the dining room. Roel could only put down his quill and have a proper meal in the dining room. After lunch, he took a short break to look through the letters that were addressed to him. By the rules of the Ascart House, no one but Roel was allowed to look through the letters that were addressed to him, which was why there was always a huge stack of letters waiting for him whenever he returned home. With a quick nce, Roel¡¯s attention was quickly drawn to letters bearing national insignias. They were formal letters sent by the dominant countries of the Sia Continent and the united army¡¯s headquarters. He had also received simr letters a year ago, when he won the Challenger Cup and earned noble titles from the five dominant countries. Noble titles were traditionally conferred during an audience with the country¡¯s ruler, but the winners of the Challenger Cup were exempted from the formality to spare them the hassle of travel. Instead, a handwritten letter from the country¡¯s ruler, a noble insignia, and relevant documents were delivered to their houses. It appeared to be a simr situation this time around, but the significance was very different. Rosa had spared no effort propagating Roel¡¯s valiant feat of vanquishing Flooding Death, such that it didn¡¯t take long for the upper echelons of humankind and the frontline soldiers to learn about the matter. This prompted countries to send in letters offering their highestpliments to Roel for his momentous aplishment. These letters were carefully worded to convey the respective countries¡¯ acknowledgment of Roel as a hero and their desire to form a personal bond with him. Their significance was at a different level from a simple congrattion letter to a champion of the Challenger Cup. What particrly piqued Roel¡¯s interest was the subtle tonal differences in the letters sent by each country. The letter that went absolutely overboard with itspliments was none other than the one sent by his mothend, the Saint Mesit Theocracy. It had vomited an entire string of inted titles ranging from ¡®Hero of Humankind¡¯, ¡®Terminator of Cmities¡¯, to ¡®Protector of Sia¡¯s Teachings¡¯. Roel wouldn¡¯t doubt it if someone told him that the Theocracy¡¯s diplomatic officials had held a meeting to brainstorm ideas just for that. Reading the letter itself was a cringefest for him. It made his fingers and toes curl from sheer embarrassment. Anyone else reading the letter would be convinced that he was the most devout believer of Goddess Sia in the recent century. That being said, he understood where the Saint Mesit Theocracy wasing from. It had only been a year since the disappearance of Tark Stronghold. The frontline soldiers were still struggling toe to terms with the irrationality of the Six Cmities. This was a precious opportunity to lift their soldiers¡¯ morale, and the Theocracy would be a fool not to capitalize on it. Trailing closely behind the Theocracy¡¯s bragging was the close partner of the Ascart Fiefdom, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, though Rosa chose to go at it from a different angle. Rosa had focused on the fact that Roel had bravely fought against the Six Cmities to dispel Charlotte¡¯s curse and save her life, drawing a parallel to the ssic tale of a valiant hero saving a beautiful princess. The content of the letter insinuated that Roel and Charlotte were a perfect couple, with none other being aspatible as they were, before finally concluding with words of blessing for the consummation of their rtionship. After reading the letter, Roel shook his head with a bitter smile. He finally understood why Alicia had personally headed to Rosa to fetch him. How could she possibly remain still after hearing Rosa¡¯s bragging? In third ce of this trumpet-blowing race was the country Roel was studying at, Brolne. The outstanding literary skills of their schrs were utilized tovish praises on him at every step of his journey, from his remarkable performance in the entrance examination to his decisive actions against Flooding Death. He was depicted to be a great man with the qualities of a hero. It was another cringefest for Roel, but he understood where they wereing from. After all, he had made his academy proud this time around. Even though Saint Freya Academy already had many outstanding graduates, there was no harm in cementing its distinguished reputation. All in all, Roel wasn¡¯t surprised by the responses from those three countries since he had alreayd expected it beforehand. What was more important were the remaining two letters from the Austine Empire and Knight Kingdom Pendor. After a moment of thought, Roel¡¯s gaze fell upon the Austine Empire¡¯s solemn but graceful letter. He tore open its envelope, pulled out the letter within, and looked through it. The flow of Austine Empire¡¯s letter was the same as the previous three, heaping high praises on his aplishments. Yet, its tone didn¡¯t have the touch of intimacy, indicating ack of interest in forging a connection with him. It was the textbook example of a formal letter¡ªrespectful, but without the slightest sincerity. Such a perfunctory response was highly unnatural when directed toward a hero who had defeated one of the Six Cmities. While Roel was a noble of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the Austine Empire had always viewed itself as the legitimate ruler of humankind. It should have heaped high praises on the hero who had defeated an enemy of humankind. It was no coincidence that the letter turned out in such a manner. It might not have been handwritten by Emperor Lukas, but his will was behind it. This reminded Roel of how Emperor Lukas had sent Lilian to the eastern border because of her rtionship with him. It doesn¡¯t seem like to beat the extent of animosity yet, more of just hostility. But why would Emperor Lukas harbor such an emotion toward me? Roel stared at the letter with a tight frown. Noticing his expression, Anna worriedly walked over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, young master? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I simply encountered a problem¡­ Anna, under what kind of circumstances do you think a ruler would view a foreign noble in hostility other than a conflict in interest? ¡°Ah?¡± Faced with this abrupt question, Anna blinked her eyes and spent a moment in contemtion, but she eventually shook her head. ¡°My apologies, young master. I don¡¯t have a concrete answer for your question, but based on what you have said, could the reason behind the hostility be rooted in their history instead? ¡± ¡°¡­ Their history?¡± Roel repeated the phrase with an affirmative nod. That was also the likeliest answer he had thought of. The Ascart Fiefdom was located far away from the Austine Empire. It was unlikely for them to cross paths in their lifetimes, let alone havepeting interests. Since there were close to no existing factors that would give rise to a hostile rtionship between them, the reason was likely rooted in past events. And Roel had some clues what the past events were. The ancestors of the Ascart House, the Ardes, used to be the Shadow Eagle supporting the Ackermann from behind. They were the leaders of the Twilight Sages Assembly, who protected humankind from irrational threats. Yet, the Ascarts turned around to serve the Xeclydes, whom the Austine Empire deemed to be their archnemeses. It was possible that the Ackermanns had seen it as an act of betrayal, and that would exin why Emperor Lukas harbored hostility toward him¡­ ¡­ but Roel thought that it was excessive. What a waste of time it is to get caught up over such petty matters. Why don¡¯t you spend more time dealing with your internal affairs instead? For one, you can put more effort into convincing Layton to join your side. Besides, your Ackermanns were the ones who backstabbed us first. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s self-righteous of you to me us for seeking refuge with the Xeclydes? Thinking about the affairs that had happened in the Second Epoch left Roel feeling aggrieved. He tossed aside the Austine Empire¡¯s letter and directed his attention to the one sent by Knight Kingdom Pendor. As he took out the letter, a name appeared right before his eyes¡ªFriedrich Cambonyte. Chapter 533.1: A Fleeting Warning (1)

Chapter 533.1: A Fleeting Warning (1)

Friedrich Cambonyte. That was a name that was half-familiar, half-foreign to Roel. While he recognized ¡®Cambonyte¡¯ to be the family name of Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s royal family, the name ¡®Friedrich¡¯ remained rtively foreign to him. Of course, it was not to say that Roel didn¡¯t know who Friedrich Cambonyte was. Friedrich Cambonyte was the king of Knight Kingdom Pendor, as well as the father of Wilhelmina Cambonyte. However, he was more well-known by his other title¡ªSword Saint King. Knight Kingdom Pendor was an isted country that steered clear from the politics of the Sia Continent. Its ruler had always been dubbed the Knight King as a representation of his position as the Knight Kingdom¡¯s king. Yet, this tradition was broken in the current generation. It couldn¡¯t be helped since Friedrich Cambonyte had an uncanny talent as an equestrian. Whenever his war steed elerated into a charge, there was a hundred percent chance that he would be sent flying from his mount. Top equestrian instructors did everything they could to salvage the situation, but it was like aw that couldn¡¯t be broken. Friedrich¡¯s failure as an equestrian was a bitter pill to swallow for many of his knights. Putting aside the fact that the Knight Kingdom had a culture that valued physicalpetency above all things else, which knight would be willing to charge into the enemy¡¯s ranks together with a liege who would suddenly fly off his mount? If not for Friedrich¡¯s lofty standing, he would have long been kicked out of knight school. This would have been a simpleedic trait for ordinary mortals, but looking at it from the perspective of transcendents, there was definitely something more to it. Most likely, the problem stemmed from the difficulties Friedrich faced controlling his mana. A transcendent¡¯s physical ability would be significantly enhanced, be it their strength, speed, or reflexes, when their Degree of Assimtion deepened. This held true, especially for knights who relied heavily on their physical prowess. Even an Origin Level 5 transcendent wouldn¡¯t easily fall off a horse. If Roel had to find a logical exnation for the phenomenon, it was likely that Friedrich had released an overpowering killing intent during his charge that rmed the horse, prompting it to shake him off. This was probably a deeply-ingrained habit that he was unable to correct, resulting in his dreadful equestrian skills. Faced with such a situation, Friedrich chose the most logical solution¡ªgiving up. Since he was unable to be a mounted knight, he decided to convert into a footsoldier instead and specialize in a single task¡ªhacking down his enemies. The results following his conversion proved that he had made the right choice. In the third war against the deviants, there was a major battle where humankind¡¯s defense line was on the verge of copsing after a long fight, but the deviants continued to charge at them with unabated aggression. At this critical juncture, Friedrich single-handedly protected one of the key choke points. With the prowess of the Cambonytes¡¯ Swordheart School, he ughtered the deviants till he deeply etched the fear of his sword into the minds of the survivors. Having witnessed Friedrich¡¯s splendor, not even the most obstinate spellcaster dared to underestimate the prowess of Knight Kingdom Pendor anymore. Friedrich also forged his name as the Sword Saint King, bing the only one in his lineage to not inherit the title of Knight King. This story had been passed down from generation to generation for centuries now, spreading far and wide. Quite a few people in the Theocracy had heard about the story despite how far the two countries were from each other. This showed just how famous Friedrich was. Most important of all, Sword Saint King Friedrich Cambonyte was a member of the Twilight Sages Assembly. He was likely from the same generation as ¡®Guardian¡¯ Antonio. The two of them had braved through dangers on the battlefield and were on close terms with each other. That was why Wilhelmina and the others were able to transfer into Saint Freya Academy in an attempt to poach Roel over to their side. Anyone else who tried to do the same would have been immediately kicked out by Antonio. Roel had also heard from Antonio that Friedrich had offered significant help toward rescuing Astrid. While Roel had long heard about Friedrich and even received his help on several asions, there had been no directmunication between them. That was also why he was surprised when he saw Friedrich¡¯s name on the letter. A handwritten letter from the king of a powerful kingdom was one of the greatest honor an individual could receive. Such an item would usually be carefully stowed away and passed down through the generations as a family heirloom. Roel carefully unfolded the letter to read its content. Momentster, his shock deepened. This letter was noticeably different from the earlier ones. It had toned down on the ttery, but that didn¡¯t mean that it was perfunctory like the Austine Empire¡¯s letter. On the contrary, it was a very pleasant letter. Despite Friedrich¡¯s lofty position, he had addressed Roel, not in a regal tone but a respectful one. In the letter, he enquired about Roel¡¯s health and reminded him to be careful of the evil cult¡¯s counterattack. It was the only one of the several letters that expressed concern for him. Had that only been all to the letter, Roel would have simply thought that Friedrich was a goodrade from the Twilight Sages Assembly and a caring elder. What shocked Roel was the following content in the letter. Friedrich spent a huge chunk of his letter worrying about Roel¡¯s safety. As the leader of Rose of Dawn, Roel could request assistance from his members in times of need. He had used this power to aid Lilian in Braytown¡¯s investigation mission and the fight against Flooding Death. That was also how Friedrich knew that Roel was in a precarious position. To resolve this issue, the Sword Saint King proposed a perfectly reasonable measure¡ªappointing Wilhelmina as his guard. What? Roel was utterly bbergasted. He couldn¡¯t imagine what was going through Friedrich¡¯s mind when he came up with this solution, and he was filled with a strong desire to retort. While the Cambonytes had served as the guards for the Kingmaker n many years ago, things had changed since then. The Cambonytes were now the rulers of the powerful Knight Kingdom Pendor, not to mention that Wilhelmina was the sessor to the throne. It sounded absolutely ridiculous to have an esteemed crown princess guard a foreign noble. The Knight Kingdom might not be as influential as the Theocracy due to its istionism policies, but in terms of sheerbat power, those muscleheads were a force to be reckoned with. The Knight Kingdom and its sequestered houses had always been a key force of humankind¡¯s united army in every war against the deviants. On top of that, Friedrich himself was an Origin Level 1 Human Sovereign, bearing the title of a Sword Saint. Be it in terms of military prowess or poption, Knight Kingdom Pendor fitted the bill of a powerful nation. Furthermore, the Cambonytes were in a simr position as the Ascarts, with Wilhelmina being the only descendant in the younger generation. There was no doubt that Wilhelmina was strong, but even if she was willing to guard him, how could Roel dare allow her to risk her life for him? Should anything happen to Miss Dragon, the Knight Kingdom would suffer huge repercussions. That could prove dangerous to the entirety of humankind during a critical period like this. Roel shook his head with a bitter smile, thinking that this matter was outright ridiculous. Still, the letter gave him a clear idea of the Knight Kingdom¡¯s attitude toward him. The Knight Kingdom respected him, for his Kingmaker n¡¯s lineage and his aplishments. It was not just lip service but a sentiment from the bottom of their hearts. At the same time, they were worried about him because they understood the position he was in. And it felt good. Roel could hardly believe that the letter was handwritten by King Friedrich. It was a pity that he couldn¡¯t abide by the suggested proposal. I have to reject him, but I should do it in a subtle manner. Roel picked up a nearby intelligence report from Rose of Dawn and carefully browsed through content concerning Wilhelmina. He hadn¡¯t met her ever since her departure from Saint Freya Academy following the Challenger Cup. She had to attend the International Crisis Management Symposium at the start of the semester, and she requested to reinforce the eastern border right after the symposium ended. She didn¡¯t head there alone. She was apanied by her distant cousin, Teresa. On the one hand, the semester would have pretty much ended by the time she arrived at Saint Freya Academy. On the other hand, the Knight Kingdom had a custom where members of the royal family were obliged to join the battlefield. That resulted in the two of them not meeting for an entire year. Chapter 533.2: A Fleeting Warning (2)

Chapter 533.2: A Fleeting Warning (2)

Wilhelmina and Teresa had been consistently writing to Roel through Rose of Dawn¡¯smunication channels by including personal texts in their regr official reports. Wilhelmina remained rigid even in these personal texts, writing in an extremely formal manner, though it did fit her overly earnest personality. In contrast, Teresa was much more casual. She had gotten close to Roel as juice-drinking buddies. Through the letters, Roel got a rough idea of how Wilhelmina was faring. She had been extremely busy at the eastern border. Most of the time, she was either hacking down enemies or on her way to hacking down more enemies. It couldn¡¯t be helped since her scope of responsibilities had expanded due to her advancement in her Swordheart. For more than a decade, Wilhelmina had hidden her identity under a thick suit of armor, awaiting the moment to fulfill the vow to the Kingmaker n. Growing up in a stressful environment like this was beneficial to her growth, but once she grew to a certain point, her heart started to fall into confusion. The heavy responsibility heaped on her shoulders and the huge sacrifices she had to make were so crushing that she needed to find an outlet for her stress. She unwittingly channeled those emotions onto Roel, which led to their confrontation at Saint Freya Academy. Such self-suppression contradicted the conceptualization of Swordheart, dulling Wilhelmina¡¯s de. However, during their battle in the Challenger Cup, Roel shattered the shackles she was wearing, liberating her heart. That sparked swift growth in her. ording to Teresa, Wilhelmina¡¯s Swordheart underwent metamorphosis after her confusion was vanquished. The armor she wore amplified her growth, and the battles she fought in the eastern border reinforced her fighting prowess. With these in mind, it was now much easier for Roel to write a response letter to the Knight Kingdom. He first spent a moment in contemtion before picking up his quill. Using the same sincere and amicable tone that Friedrich took, he first thanked Friedrich for his concern before tactfully declining his offer to have Wilhelmina guard him. He imed that he didn¡¯t want to impose on Wilhelmina when she was undergoing a phase of swift growth. Once he was done writing the letter, Roel heaved a sigh of relief before entrusting the letter to Anna to have it delivered. After settling this issue, he dived back into his work. Anna¡¯s departure caused a slip in Roel¡¯s efficiency, but he didn¡¯t pay it much mind. Not too longter, a silver-haired woman suddenly appeared in front of him. ¡°Lord Brother, you are¡­¡± ¡°Alicia? It¡¯s nothing much. I couldn¡¯t fall asleep, so I figured that it would be good to settle some documents.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. Lord Brother, it¡¯s New Year¡¯s Day.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± Roel replied, looking at the bustling crowds in the distant street. Alicia softly sighed. She had long known that Roel was a workaholic, but she didn¡¯t think that he would continue work right after their prayers. Even if he couldn¡¯t sleep, there were other things he could have done to rx. ¡°Lord Brother, why didn¡¯t you call me? I could have yed the piano for you.¡± ¡°How would you fall asleep then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only one night. It doesn¡¯t matter. Besides, Lord Brother, you also know the effects of my bloodline.¡± Alicia insisted Roel find her the next time he was suffering from insomnia. Roel responded to her plea with a nod. Alicia was a high transcendent with a physical constitution far superior to that of ordinary mortals. It wasn¡¯t an issue for her to stay up for days on end. On top of that, her Silverash Bloodline nourished her with boundless life force and kept her in tip-top condition. Nevertheless, Roel had no intention of calling her over at night. He didn¡¯t think that it was right to disturb other people¡¯s sleep just because he was suffering from insomnia, and to be honest¡­ he didn¡¯t dare to meet her at night. It had be much more difficult for him to detect Alicia¡¯s little tricks now that she had made a breakthrough to Origin Level 3. She was particrly dangerous at night, as that was when she was suffused with life force. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten how she had drugged him a few years back, and he didn¡¯t want tomit an irreversible mistake because of that. ¡°Lord Brother, why don¡¯t we try some spells? I am well versed in quite a few sleeping spells,¡± Alicia suggested. ¡°Those spells are unlikely to work on me due to my immunity. Don¡¯t worry about me. Working calms my mind too,¡± Roel replied as he signed yet another document. Alicia sharply noticed an implied detail in Roel¡¯s words. She concernedly looked at Roel for a few seconds before hesitantly posing her question. ¡°Lord Brother, are you still feeling uneasy?¡± ¡°Mmhm. It might be because I¡¯ve diverted my attention away, but I¡¯m feeling better now.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯ll help you with your work.¡± Unable to think of any solution to Roel¡¯s problem, Alicia could only offer her help with the stack of documents. Roel understood how she felt and didn¡¯t turn her away. Perhaps it was due to their tight bond, or because both of them were on the same page from having settled many administrative issues on the fiefdom, but the work efficiency noticeably shot up with Alicia¡¯s help. Their symphonious coordination continued for nearly an hour before Anna finally returned. Seeing that, Roel proposed for the two of them to have a walk in the streets, as per his initial intention. ¡°It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Day. Our city is more bustling than ever due to the poption inflow. Alicia, you should take a look around on my behalf.¡± ¡°But, Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the documents. I¡¯m only here to pass my time, so it doesn¡¯t matter if these documents get processed more slowly. I¡¯ll probably be heading to sleep very soon anyway.¡± ¡°¡­All right, I understand. I¡¯ll bring a gift back for you.¡± Alicia could only back down under Roel¡¯s persuasion. After dering that she would find a New Year¡¯s gift for Roel, she left for the bustling streets together with Anna. The study room abruptly plunged into silence, which left Roel feeling a little ufortable. He shook his head to clear off those feelings before burying his head in work once more. Time ticked by. The pace at which Roel was clearing work began to slow down as fatigue gnawed at him. ¡°I¡¯ll just rest for a bit¡­¡± Roel murmured under his breath after clearing another stack of documents. Surrendering to his shutting eyelids, heid himself down on the table. His breathing grew long and deep, as his consciousness dissipated into the darkness. Just as he was about to enter dreand, he suddenly heard a familiar voice yelling urgently at him. ¡°Run away!¡± ¡°!¡± Roel jolted upright. His golden eyes widened to the brim, stripped of any traces of exhaustion. There was a simple reason behind his shock. It was Artasia¡¯s voice. Chapter 534.1: I Want It All (1)

Chapter 534.1: I Want It All (1)

Roel had chosen to vent his emotions through work, but that didn¡¯t mean he hadn¡¯t put the n he had previously devised into practice. Knowing that strength was his leverage in oveing the crisis that would soon grip the Sia Continent, Roel didn¡¯t stop channeling his Origin Attribute even while at work. Even though he had reached Origin Level 3, it was a tall hurdle to make a breakthrough to Origin Level 2. It was the power level that was second only to the Race Sovereigns, after all. There was no saying when he could ovee this hurdle. With this consideration in mind, Roel decided to prioritize re-establishing his connection with the Witch Queen, thus expanding the powers he could use from two to three. That was much more practical for his situation, especially when he knew that danger was looming close. Unfortunately, like a stone thrown into the vast ocean, there was nary a response at all. That was when Roel sumbed to his fatigue and began dozing off. Much to his shock, the moment he entered dreand, he suddenly heard Artasia¡¯s voice. ¡°Run away!¡± Roel¡¯s exhaustion vanished. He immediately jolted upright and carefully listened for further messages, but there was nothing else. He heaved a sigh of helplessness. Refusing to give up, he turned toward Artasia¡¯s window and channeled his Crown Origin Attribute, but the window showed no signs of reconnecting. His inability to connect with Artasia meant that he shouldn¡¯t have been able to hear anything from her. It was almost as if what he had just heard was a hallucination arising from his exhaustion. Roel frowned. He had been feeling so palpably uneasy that he couldn¡¯t even fall asleep, resulting in his weakened state of mind. It made perfect sense for him to hallucinate Artasia¡¯s voice out of desperation when identally dozing off, and the evidence was pointing toward that too. But he knew better than to blindly shrug off his concerns. Admittedly, the most usible exnation here was that he had been hallucinating. However, upon careful thought, he shook his head and trashed that exnation. His rationale behind it? The content of the message. Had the words he heard been anything Artasia had said before, he would have convinced himself that it was just a hallucination conjured from his groggy mind. But that wasn¡¯t the case. ¡®Run away!¡¯ Those were the only words he had heard in that instant. He was certain that they hade from the Witch Queen, but what was more important here was that this was the first time he had heard such words from her. Sovereigns had their pride to uphold. The Witch Queen was a much-feared existence in the ancient era. Beneath her yful exteriory a huge ego. Roel had always paid close heed to it whenever he interacted with her. Even in a divergence of opinions, he never took a disrespectful or slighting attitude toward her. Artasia was not someone who wouldpromise before an enemy, not to mention that Roel had been growing stronger with each passing day. Never had they encountered a situation so overwhelmingly desperate that it necessitated her to use such a term. Hallucinations might be illusions, but they were conjured by the subconscious mind. Roel didn¡¯t think that his mind would conjure a Witch Queen that tantly defied his impression of her, not to mention that the words ¡®run away¡¯ were at odds with his drowsy mood. On top of that, he was in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, the ce where he had grown up and felt the safest. It didn¡¯t make sense for his subconscious mind to tell him to run away from here. In the first ce, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen asleep if his subconscious mind had detected danger. Roel was now certain that the voice he had heard came from Artasia. He figured that she didn¡¯t use their usual window of connection but some other means, which wasn¡¯t surprising given that it was the Witch Queen he was talking about here. As for her goal, it was to warn him of an encroaching threat. Roel¡¯s face turned dark. Artasia had been away for so long, only to deliver him an urgent warning just as he was gued by a persistent feeling of unease. He didn¡¯t think that there would be something this coincidental in the world. The chances were high that he was already knee-deep in trouble. Roel stood up and began pacing around with a tight frown, as he analyzed the significance behind Artasia¡¯s words. ¡®Run away¡¯ was a straightforward term urging an individual to head to a safer location, but its usage seemed hardly appropriate for Roel¡¯s situation. He was currently in the heart of the Ascart Fiefdom, surrounded by powerful individuals and forces such as Carter, Alicia, the heretic army, and the fiefdom¡¯s soldiers. It would be a stretch to say that its defenses wereparable to those of Holy Capital Loren, but there was no doubt that he was already well-protected here. There was hardly anywhere safer he could be at. Due to that, he had no idea what to do with the warning the Witch Queen had given him. Head to the Holy Capital alone on New Year¡¯s Day? That seemed to be the only feasible course of action. That was where his most reliable ally, Holy Eminence John Xeclyde, held station. The problem was that the journey would take three to four days, during which he would be vulnerable to attacks from his enemies. If danger was truly pressing close, it might be wiser for him to hold his position and see how things went. Making a rash move out of panic wouldn¡¯t be in his best interest. Besides¡­ Roel heaved a deep sigh as he looked out of the window. Even from a long distance away, he could hear the energetic calls of the vendors lined up along the busy streets, advertising a diverse assortment of products. This scene of prosperity was not something that could have been seen in Ascart City a decade ago. It was the fruits ofbor of Roel and many other people. If the encroaching threat was going to endanger this city too, Roel had to protect it and its people. That was his irrefutable duty as a proxy fief lord. He would never be able to live with himself if he left his people in the lurch. Looking at the prosperous city before him, Roel¡¯s expression slowly hardened in conviction. He spent a moment of thought before making arrangements. Chapter 534.2: I Want It All (2)

Chapter 534.2: I Want It All (2)

¡­ The Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s reserve army was thinner than usual. The Ascarts had fully backed the Xeclydes in the internal war against the Elrics. In particr, Carter and his personal guards had achieved the most spectacr result, swiftly taking down key fortresses and cornering the Elrics. It was just that outstanding military contributions were often apanied by heavy casualties. And less than half a year after the internal war concluded, humankind¡¯s united army was abruptly formed. That was hardly enough time for the Ascarts to recuperate from its losses, but as the de facto second-in-charge in the Theocracy, they still dispatched a sizable number of troops to the frontlines. These two consecutive setbacks had left the Ascart Fiefdom with barely enough soldiers to hold its own against invaders, but Roel wasn¡¯t too bothered by it. He didn¡¯t know what danger Artasia was warning him about, but it was unlikely for it to be an invasion. As long as it wasn¡¯t an invasion, the reserve army was unlikely to be of much use. Roel was leaning toward the possibility of an assault by high transcendents. If his deduction was on the mark, a small group of elites would be much more useful in dealing with the threat instead. Coincidentally, he happened to have the right force for that¡ªthe heretic army. The heretic army might be few in number, but their average strength was impressive and they were absolutely loyal to him. In particr, Cynthia, Rodney, and Woode were able to match Origin Level 2 transcendents with the blessings of the ancient gods. In the study room, Roel ordered his three capable aides to uphold order in Ascart City and apprehend anyone who looked suspicious. His three aides, however, couldn¡¯t understand the rationale behind his orders. ¡°Milord, does this mean that suspicious personnel has slipped into the city?¡± ¡°¡­No, they might not be in the city yet.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel looked out of the window and sighed softly. He was not the same person he used to be. If transcendents of the Sia Continent were divided into tiers by their fighting prowess, he would rank extremely close to the top. At the very least, it would take an Origin Level 1 transcendent or something close to pose a threat to him. Something that the Witch Queen considered a threat would surely be capable of dealing devastating damage to Ascart City from the outside. Roel spent a moment in thought before answering Cynthia and the others¡¯ confusion. ¡°The enemies we¡¯re facing this time around are different from before. This could be the greatest threat we have ever faced. There¡¯s no guarantee the enemies are in the city, but it¡¯s still worth a try. Don¡¯t recklessly engage any suspicious personnel you find. Instead, I want you to report to me right away. Your safety should be prioritized above all things else. Understood?¡± ¡°Understood, milord.¡± Cynthia and the others bowed in acknowledgment. After leaving the room, they quickly arranged for their subordinates to thoroughlyb the city. Alone in the study room once more, Roel turned toward his other two ancient gods for advice. While Grandar and Peytra weren¡¯t as knowledgeable as the Witch Queen, the vast experience they had rued as Race Sovereigns granted them invaluable insights into situations. Silence descended on the room after Roel shared his story. Peytra, morphed into her little golden snake form,y on the study table, deep in contemtion. In a distant sunset in, the crimson eyes of a skeleton giant flickered. There was not a sound to be heard other than Roel¡¯s light breathing. A long timeter, Peytra finally broke the silence. ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t imagine what kind of enemy you¡¯re up against. There aren¡¯t many human transcendents in the present era who can threaten you. But since that annoying woman took the trouble to warn you, it¡¯d be best to take it seriously,¡± the Primordial Earth Goddess said. She didn¡¯t make light of Artasia¡¯s warning despite her dislike for the Witch Queen, but that was all there was to it. After all, she didn¡¯t possess the ability of precognition, and there was only so much she could decipher with limited information. Even so, Peytra¡¯s words unintentionally piqued an epiphany in Roel. If both Grandar and Peytra agreed that it would be difficult for the human transcendents of the present era to threaten him, it was likely that Artasia shared the same view. In other words, the enemy Artasia was warning him about wasn¡¯t a human transcendent from the present era. Roel was reminded of the Treant High Priest. He had to admit that the Fallens made formidable foes, especially since many of them possessed enigmatic means. His several near-death encounters proved the severe threat they posed. ¡°We are forced to go on the defense here since we don¡¯t have any information on the enemy. Peytra, I¡¯ll be counting on you.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll construct a barrier. But Roel, don¡¯t you think that you should prepare other hands?¡± ¡°Prepare other hands?¡± ¡°You can seek reinforcement from your allies.¡± The little golden snake lying on the table straightened its posture as it said those words. In the distant ins, a skeleton giant raised his head, implicitly expressing his agreement with Peytra¡¯s words. Yet, Roel remained hesitant. Seeking reinforcement was a move Roel had considered¡­ but he was disinclined to do so. He had never been fond of troubling others over his own issues, preferring to solve problems on his own. This could be seen in his tendency to share happy moments over difficult ones. It might have been a trait he had inherited from his previous life as a lone adult living in the city. Of course, he was also afraid of endangering his loved ones. His attitude had been a constant frustration for those around him. Charlotte and the others were constantly worried about him, knowing that he tended to keep things to himself, and Alicia even had an outburst because of that not too long ago. Thinking back about how distressed Alicia had been that night when sheshed out at him with quivering words, Roel was forced to reconsider his habits. It was also then that Grandar finally spoke up. ¡°A warrior should have the courage and determination to shoulder everything alone, but you should also know when to entrust your back to yourrades.¡± ¡°Grandar is right. You aren¡¯t alone anymore. With both the Savior and the Mother Goddess on the verge of reawakening, you¡¯re more important to humankind than you can possibly imagine. The humans ought to do everything they can to protect you if they know what¡¯s better for them.¡± Under the persuasion of the Giant Sovereign and the Primordial Earth Goddess, Roel finally relented and epted the proposal to call for reinforcements. From the urgency of Artasia¡¯s warning, there was a high chance that Roel would meet with danger in the short term, though the exact time remained uncertain. In any case, there was no point calling up distant allies for reinforcements. Fortunately, the closest ally to him was the Xeclydes in the Holy Capital. Roel was confident that if he called for reinforcement, Holy Eminence John would dispatch an army of troops over even if he didn¡¯t personally head over. The other nearby ally whom he could seek help from was the Sorofyas in Rosa. Regarding that, he had no doubt that Rosa would do everything it could to help him if he asked for assistance, considering how he had just saved Charlotte¡¯s life. It was only unfortunate that Rosa didn¡¯t have a Origin Level 1 transcendent in its ranks, making it a less ideal choice than the Xeclydes. Who should I seek help from? That was an easy question. It was obvious that he had to request help from both of them! Roel¡¯s very act of asking for reinforcement was a stance in itself. With there being no significant difference in the traveling time for both allies to get to Ascart City, whomever he requested help from would be deemed to be the more ¡®trusted¡¯ one. This alluded to whom he relied on more¡ªNora or Charlotte. In other words, he was choosing between the two of them. If he foolishly treated this as a single-choice question, he would be doomed! Roel hadn¡¯t lost his mind yet. He wasn¡¯t about to step onto andmine of his own volition. Besides, with the enemy being unknown, he would rather err on the safer side of having more reinforcements than otherwise. So, he took out a quill and paper and began writing his letters. In the sky far above the Ascart Fiefdom, a monster that looked like a hybrid between a falcon and a crow dived through the clouds toward an overcast mountain range, bearing news from the man with an indistinct face. Chapter 535，Par1: A Delayed Letter (1)

Chapter 535£¬Par1: A Dyed Letter (1)

Today¡¯s Ascart City was extraordinarily vibrant. Not even the night could disperse the huge crowds flooding the streets. The tight economic partnership formed with Rosa had reduced the cost of many products, including illumination magic tools. That helped the city to remain bright even after sunset. In a dimly-lit study room a distance away from the bustle, Roel gazed upon Ascart City¡¯s lively night scenery with an impassive look on his face. The silence and stillness in the room were a jarring contrast to the teeming energy outside. Those who knew him well would be able to tell that he was feeling distressed. Roel often frowned when he encountered a problem, but his face would turn emotionless if the problem was something he was unable to resolve. It was something he consciously did to force himself to remain calm and rationally think things through. He had to be more vignt than ever because he was up against the unknown. He couldn¡¯t risk being caught by the enemy with his guard down. Unfortunately, his vignce took a toll on him¡ªhe was unable to sleep till night. After his discussion with Peytra and Grandar earlier in the afternoon, he had written a letter each to the Holy Capital and Rosa requesting reinforcement. When he revised the content of his letters, he couldn¡¯t help but think that what he had written was utterly ridiculous. Despite Roel¡¯s persistent feeling of unease and Artasia¡¯s warning, no one, including Peytra and Grandar, had detected any enemies thus far. Anyone who read his letters would have thought that he was being oversensitive. It was illogical to request reinforcement on such grounds. The mobilization of high transcendents was not a matter to be made light of. It directly impacted the region¡¯s safety and stability. Had it been anyone else requesting help with the excuse that ¡®I think that I¡¯m in danger¡¯, the Genesis Goddess Church and Rosa would have surely dismissed them as a nutcase. It was only because of Roel that they would be receptive to the letters. Be it Nora¡¯s Seraphication or Charlotte¡¯s affliction, Roel had yed an important role in saving them from the crisis they were facing. This meant that the Church and Rosa were indebted to him. They couldn¡¯t ignore his call for help. Even so, Roel still hoped that he was just thinking too much here. There was nothing more important to him than keeping Ascart City safe. The thought of his precious homnd full of his dearest memories being plunged into the mes of war weighed down on his heart. That was also one of the reasons keeping him awake. A pair of white hands suddenly shot out and covered Roel¡¯s eyes from behind. ¡°Guess who I am!¡± A soft sensation pressed against Roel¡¯s back, and a familiar fragrance tickled his nose. The clues were more than enough for him to guess the culprit. ¡°My dearest Miss Alicia.¡± ¡°Spot on!¡± Alicia replied with a euphonious chuckle. To reward him for his correct answer, she nted a light kiss on his cheek, causing his body to stiffen up. She then released his eyes before twirling in front of him and leaping into his embrace. She cheerily cuddled up to him, enjoying the intimacy. At the feeling of warmth in his arms, Roel¡¯s lips uncontrobly curled into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re back early?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not early anymore. It¡¯s almost time for the dinner banquet.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°It is! Everyone has been busy preparing for it. It has been a while since we gathered together, so Lord Father is taking it very seriously. Even so, there¡¯ll probably be fewer guests this year,¡± Alicia remarked wryly. Roel nodded in agreement. He hadn¡¯t forgotten their annual tradition. On the night of New Year¡¯s Day, high nobles, especially fief lords, would host a dinner banquet for their aides, important officials, and lower nobles. This dinner banquet served multiple purposes. It was a way to thank key personnel in the fiefdom for working hard the previous year. Any bad blood formed over the year could be thrashed out here. The fief lord would also take this chance to share their n for the uing year and introduce their family members. Roel personally thought that it was no different from apany¡¯s year-end g, and he had organized it as such during his stint as the proxy fief lord. In his eyes, the Ascart Fiefdom was practically a newly-establishedpany. Things were going to be different this year since Carter had taken charge of this year¡¯s dinner banquet. He had been away for so long that he urgently needed to meet key stakeholders in the fiefdom and discuss future ns. That was also why he had gone to sleep earlier. It was just that many key personnel of the Ascart Fiefdom had joined the frontlines to fend off the deviants, and they hadn¡¯t returned to the fiefdom together with Carter. This meant that there would be fewer people attending this year¡¯s dinner banquet. Roel was aware of that, but he didn¡¯t have any attention to spare for it after what had happened. Thinking about how danger might spring up on him at any time left him grim-faced. Sensing his emotions, Alicia¡¯s smile slowly receded. She retreated a step and took a good look at Roel before hesitantly speaking up. ¡°Lord Brother, did something happen while I was away?¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°Lord Brother, you should know better that you can¡¯t hide things from me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia raised her hand and gently caressed Roel¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Lord Brother, this isn¡¯t the first time I have seen this expression on you¡­¡± ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°You must have encountered something bad again. I know. I have always been watching you,¡± Alicia said hoarsely. Heaving a soft sigh, she gently grabbed Roel¡¯s hands and pulled them toward her, cradling themfortingly in her grasp. Her expression was so sad that it looked like she was going to cry. ¡°You unconsciously clench your fists whenever you are faced with a difficult situation or are feeling stressed. That¡¯s how you cheer yourself on.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes. He subconsciously looked down at his own hands, which were in Alicia''s grasp, and btedly realized that they were clenched up. He never thought that Alicia would be aware of a habit that even he himself was oblivious to. He did have many little habits back when he was a child, but he had slowly gotten rid of them over the years, as he advanced as a transcendent. His growing influence and responsibilities made it essential to ensure that others were unable to read his thoughts. Yet, Alicia was still able to read him like a book. ¡°Hehe. Are you surprised? You did this much more often as a child, Lord Brother. I have always known. But I didn¡¯t dare to probe back then. I was weak. I was afraid that I would be a burden to you¡­ But things are different now. ¡°Lord Brother, I have be a high transcendent. I am an adult now. You might think that I¡¯m getting ahead of myself, but I believe that I have the strength to help you. I am strong enough to share your burden now¡­ Won¡¯t you tell me what¡¯s worrying you?¡± Alicia stared directly into Roel¡¯s eyes as she nervously awaited his decision. Roel fell silent. To be frank, he was still reluctant to drag Alicia into his affairs despite knowing that she had already be a powerful high transcendent. However, the current situation was an exception. If a battle really broke out in the Ascart Fiefdom, Alicia would be swept into it regardless of whether he wanted her to get involved in it or not. It would be wiser to alert her so that she could at least prepare for it. ¡°Alicia, I have received a warning from one of my ancient gods¡­¡± Roel shared Artasia¡¯s warning and his own analysis of the situation with Alicia. Alicia widened her eyes in shock. Momentster, her face turned grave. Roel treasured Ascart City as his beloved home, and it was the same for Alicia. This was the ce where she had met Roel and forged many precious memories with him. Anyone who dared toy waste to thisnd was her archenemy. Chapter 535，Part2: A Delayed Letter (2)

Chapter 535£¬Part2: A Dyed Letter (2)

¡°¡­I¡¯ll rip apart those knaves who threaten to hurt Lord Brother and destroy thisnd,¡± Alicia furiously murmured with gritted teeth. However, she quickly snapped out of her trance to look at Roel. ¡°Lord Brother, do you have any countermeasures?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard toe up with any good concrete ns since there isn¡¯t much information to work from. I wrote to the Church and Rosa and requested reinforcement, but that¡¯s about all.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Alicia lowered her head in contemtion. Noticing the anxious look on her face, Roel tried to console her. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be that nervous. It could be a huge misunderstanding. I might have heard Artasia wrongly. And the unease I¡¯m feeling is not necessarily an omen of impending danger.¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°At the very least, nothing has happened yet. You shouldn¡¯t let it get to you. The dinner banquet is about to start. You should adjust your mental state and deal with that first.¡± ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Alicia replied with a nod. Roel stepped forward and embraced Alicia. ¡°Nothing is confirmed yet. If anything happens, I¡¯ll do my best to protect you and everyone else. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t get too worried about it.¡± ¡°Mmhm. I understand, Lord Brother.¡± Alicia rested her head on Roel¡¯s chest and breathed in his scent. Her heartbeat, which had hastened in a fit of rage, slowly calmed down. Momentster, someone knocked on the study room¡¯s door. It was Anna. ¡°Young master, young miss, the dinner banquet is about tomence,¡± she said through the closed door. ¡°Got it.¡± Roel released the silver-haired woman from his arms, and Alicia reluctantly left the room with a maid to get her makeup done. He then tidied up the letters on the table before returning to his room together with Anna. An hourter, the Ascarts¡¯ dinner banquetmenced as nned. ¡­ Roel Ascart was a role model for younger nobles. From the gentle smile that always seemed to linger on his face to his graceful bearing, he always remained graceful and magnanimous regardless of the situation. It also helped that he was born with a dashing face that allowed him to easily score points with others. . Few would dispute that he was the perfect sessor that all noble houses wished for. This was the role that Roel yed in the Ascarts¡¯ dinner banquet too. Despite his clouded heart, he maintained his poise and courteous smile when dealing with the nobles who approached him for a conversation. Having organized this dinner banquet for several years now, it didn¡¯t take him much effort to maneuver around the dinner banquet. In contrast, Alicia was having a bit of trouble. There had never been ack of nobles trying towork with Alicia, as it was a known fact that she had a close rtionship with Roel and Carter. What was different this time around was that the nobles talking to her were treating her much more respectfully. Part of the reason was her bing a Ringbearer of Saint Freya Academy. Those who showed spectacr results in the Sia Continent¡¯s most distinguished academy were guaranteed a bright future. The other reason was the change in the rtionship between Roel and Alicia. Even before Carter¡¯s return from the eastern border, there were already rumors that the Ascart Marquess was intending to betroth his two outstanding children to each other. Needless to say, the future matriarch of the Ascart House was much more highly regarded than a foster daughter. And there would have been even more people swarming around Alicia if it became known that she was an Origin Level 3 transcendent. It would have shocked many to learn that someone as young as her had already be a high transcendent. But¡­ no matter how powerful Alicia became, her personality remained the same. Normal conversations weren¡¯t a problem, but she could never get ustomed to such social asions. Seeing her fumbling around tempted Roel to lend her a helping hand, but barely after he took a step toward her, he shook his head and changed his mind. Alicia was an adult. She could deal with such matters on her own. His intervention would only lead others to think that she was a flower in a greenhouse, causing them to underestimate her. Thus, he decided to just watch the situation for now. Meanwhile, Carter was chatting with a group of simr-aged officials about the fiefdom¡¯s progress over thest few years. Their brightplexions hinted at their satisfaction with the work that had been done. Roel hadn¡¯t told Carter about Artasia¡¯s warning. It wasn¡¯t that he was worried Carter wouldn¡¯t believe him without any concrete evidence, but that he knew that Carter wouldn¡¯t be staying in the fiefdom for long. In the first ce, Carter was only able to return from the eastern border under the pretext of reporting the progress of Tark Stronghold¡¯s reconstruction to Holy Eminence John. Taking into ount the long journey from the eastern border and the days he had spent in the Holy Capital, he couldn¡¯t afford to stay in the Ascart Fiefdom for too long. In fact, the n was for him to set off for the eastern border tomorrow. If Roel suddenly imed that he was in danger at this juncture without concrete evidence, those who were hostile to the Ascarts would make full use of this opportunity to im that the Ascarts were staging a y to shirk their responsibilities to humankind. Things would be even worse if Carter believed him and dyed his journey because of it. That would be a vition of militaryws. Carter could be charged for desertion. His return to the Ascart Fiefdom had already drawn criticism from others, and any further dys to his return wouldn¡¯t be tolerated. The united army was sensitive about such matters. It was a critical time for humankind, after all. Of course, the Xeclydes, the Sorofyas, and the other allies of the Ascart House wouldn¡¯t allow any harm to befall Carter, but the united army wouldn¡¯t allow the Ascart House to get away with it scot-free either. Otherwise, they risked setting a precedent. It was likely that the united army would officially denounce Carter and the Ascart House, leaving them unable to raise their heads before the entire Sia Continent. With these considerations in mind, Roel decided not to share his baseless conjectures with Carter for the time being. He concealed his unease under a smile and focused his attention on hosting the officials in the room. A whileter, Anna suddenly approached him with a polite bow. She walked close to him and whispered a piece of news. ¡°Young master, the letter from the Country of Schrs that you told me to keep an eye out for has arrived¡­¡± Chapter 536，Par1: Prelude of the Conspiracy (1)

Chapter 536£¬Par1: Prelude of the Conspiracy (1)

Roel had known that he would be busy with administrative affairs after returning to the Ascarts¡¯ manor, but an individual had only so much time and energy. Turning his focus onto the Ascart Fiefdom meant that he would have less time to keep an eye on international affairs. Even so, he wasn¡¯t too worried about it, since he had many people supporting him. Anna, the personal maid who had apanied him from a young age, was one of his most trusted aides, and he entrusted the most important tasks to her. Shortly after returning to the Ascarts¡¯ manor, Roel listed out a bunch of important matters for Anna to keep a close eye on, instructing her to inform him right away if there were any updates. One of these important matters was any message from the Country of Schrs, particrly those signed by Principal Antonio. In the banquet hall, Anna carefully maneuvered her way through the crowd while politely bowing to the nobles along the way. Those who noticed her courteously opened up a pathway for her to pass through. While she was employed as a maid, her responsibilities were equivalent to those of Roel¡¯s secretary, which prompted the crowd to treat her with respect. It didn¡¯t take her long to reach Roel and discreetly inform him about the arrival of Antonio¡¯s letter. Roel widened his eyes in surprise upon hearing the news. He excused himself from the crowd and followed her out of the hall. The two of them quickly made their way to the study room, where a letter waited on the table. Roel picked up the letter and saw Principal Antonio¡¯s signature on the cover. He breathed a sigh of relief. He had been worried that Antonio might meet with a mishap during his raid against the Fallens. After all, the Austine Empire had kept an ambivalent attitude thus far, and it was still a mystery to them how the Collector was found. The fact that Antonio was able to personally write to him suggested that nothing bad had happened yet. Roel tore open the envelope and read its content. Momentster, a frown appeared on his face. In the letter, Antonio updated him about the situation in the northern mountain range of the Austine Empire. Brolne¡¯s forces had been steadily tightening their encirclement, and through the use of special detection spells, they had confirmed the presence of other high transcendents. Unlike the martial artists in fiction, the transcendents of the Sia Continent had no interest in devoting themselves to nature like ascetic monks. Instead, the stronger a transcendent was, the more likely they were to gather inrger cities. It was unusual to find high transcendents in the remote mountainous regions of the Austine Empire, which even ordinary mortals rarely visited. A group of transcendents lurking in a remote mountainous region was more likely than not to be evil cultists trying to avoid detection, and the presence of high transcendents among them made it highly usible that the Collector was with them. That was why Antonio¡¯s team was proceeding with the utmost caution, fearful that the huge fish would escape from their. Roel was satisfied with what he had read up to this point. He was the one who had advised Antonio to proceed carefully back then, after all. But what he read next shocked him. ording to Principal Antonio, Holy Eminence John had also personally headed over to deal with the Fallens. The two Origin Level 1 transcendents were going to join hands to ensure the eradication of the vermin who had gued humankind for over a thousand years now. Both Principal Antonio and Holy Eminence John knew that the Fallens posed a fatal threat to Roel, which hardened their determination to eliminate them. Roel knew that they were doing this for him, but his heart turned cold when he learned about the news. The knowledge that Holy Eminence John wasn¡¯t in the Holy Capital was a nightmare to Roel. He was still banking on the possibility of Holy Eminence John secretly traveling to Ascart City and helping him ovee this crisis. Not even the Treant High Priest would have dared to make a reckless move in the presence of a Race Sovereign. This was the strongest card Roel had up his sleeves, but unbeknownst to him, the card had already left the deck. Roel shot to his feet. The feeling of unease grew even more intense, not just because of Holy Eminence John¡¯s absence but also the uncanny timing of it. Holy Eminence John had headed to the Austine Empire to deal with the Collector on Roel¡¯s behalf, but thinking back, the one who had induced the current situation was none other than the Collector himself¡­ Could it be possible that this was what the Collector was after? In the first ce, it was already weird that the Collector even slipped up at all. What were the chances of an elusive individual who had remained unnoticed under the Theocracy¡¯s eyelids for more than a century being suddenly found in the remote mountains? It was this doubt that led Roel to think that this was a conspiracy against Antonio. But if he looked at it from another perspective, the discovery of the Collector had tied down not just Antonio but Holy Eminence John as well¡­ The implications of that chilled Roel¡¯s heart. He unconsciously clenched his fists. Supposing that the Collector¡¯s true goal was to lure Holy Eminence John away, which he had already seeded in doing, it could only mean that his true target was him¡ªRoel Ascart. Without Holy Eminence John in the Theocracy, Roel was no different from a lone boat drifting into an impending storm. Roel stared at the darkened sky outside with a palpitating heart. All of these had been nothing but his spection, but if he was right, the Collector was taking a huge risk here. Both Principal Antonio and Holy Eminence John were powerful Origin Level 1 transcendents, not to mention that Holy Eminence John had inherited the Angel Bloodline. They would have been formidable powerhouses even in the ancient era. The Fallens would suffer severe casualties under theirbined assault. Even the Collector himself risked being cornered. This was at odds with the Collector¡¯s cautious personality. It was perplexing that someone who had the patience to quietly watch the Ascart House from a dark room for many decades would suddenly make such a reckless move. The only usible reason was that the Collector was after something bigger. ¡°Hah. Do you want my life that much?¡± Roel murmured under his breath with narrowed eyes. Anna noticed Roel¡¯s agitation and was worried. ¡°Young master, did you receive bad news from Lord Antonio¡¯s side?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Roel shook his head, choosing not to exin the matter. He looked through the letter once more before settling down on the armchair. He closed his eyes and allowed his thoughts to roam free. His conjectures might appear to be logically sound, but they were nothing but guesses. Most people in his position would have thought that the situation looked optimistic instead. If the Collector had really identally given away his whereabouts, there was a good chance that he would be taken down by Principal Antonio and Holy Eminence John. That would greatly improve Roel¡¯s position while dishing out a severe blow to the evil cultists. That was the ideal scenario, but Roel thought that it was too optimistic to assume that to be the case. He believed in always preparing for the worst so that he wouldn¡¯t be caught off-guard. Watching the night scenery of Ascart City, Roel slowly calmed his breathing. He picked up his quill and began writing a reply letter to Antonio. He knew that it was toote to call Holy Eminence John back, so he didn¡¯t bother asking for reinforcement. Instead, he advised Principal Antonio to go all-out on the attack. What was done was done. Since the Collector had prepared such a huge bait to lure the two Human Sovereigns over, they might as well go with the flow. Even if the worst-case scenario came to be, he would make sure that the Fallens paid a heavy price for it. Roel¡¯splexion improved a little after writing the letter. He instructed Anna to deliver the letter using the Ascart House¡¯s channels before rising to his feet to return to the banquet hall. Chapter 536，Part2: Prelude of the Conspiracy (2)

Chapter 536£¬Part2: Prelude of the Conspiracy (2)

¡­ While today had been difficult for Roel, having received bad news after bad news, it was still a day of celebrations for the people of the Ascart Fiefdom. This was their well-deserved break after a year of hard work. When Roel returned to the banquet hall, the nobles and the officials were still toasting one another. Carter wasn¡¯t in the hall, possibly taking a brief respite. Alicia was still surrounded by noblewomen. It looked like nothing much had happened. Roel took a brief moment to adjust his mood before stepping in. It would have been much easier for him to let his emotions show on his face, but that would have resulted in unnecessary panic. The nobles and officials in the banquet hall wouldn¡¯t be of much help for this matter anyway. There was no point in distressing them. And no one in the banquet hall was able to see through Roel¡¯s pretense, except for one person. Alicia paused for a brief moment when she saw Roel re-entering the banquet hall, then doubt flickered across her crimson eyes. Noticing her actions, the noblewomen around Alicia shot Roel a nce and smiled knowingly. ¡°Lady Alicia, you should head over if you wish to. You don¡¯t need to worry about us.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been able to chat ever since the start of the banquet. It¡¯s no wonder why you miss Lord Roel.¡± At the urging of the noblewomen, Alicia epted their goodwill and headed over to Roel¡¯s side. She had been worried about Roel after learning about Artasia¡¯s warning, and those feelings were exacerbated when she noticed that Roel¡¯s mood had nosedived after he left for a short while. Did something bad happen? Alicia wondered worriedly. Guests who were headed in Roel¡¯s direction halted their footsteps upon noticing Alicia¡¯s arrival. They tactfully excused themselves to free up space for them. Little did they know that the two youths exchanged not sweet nothings between them, but words of concern. ¡°Lord Brother, what happened when you left earlier?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing much. I received a letter from Principal Antonio about the raid against the evil cultists in the northern mountainous region of the Austine Empire.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Alicia¡¯s mind was put at ease. She was concerned that something bad might have happened, but it looked like Roel was simply worried about Antonio. This wasn¡¯t the first time he had expressed his concern about the matter. He had queried the Ascarts¡¯ intelligence department for information on the raid against the Fallens on multiple asions. To be honest, she couldn¡¯t care less about what happened to Antonio. She hadn¡¯t even met Antonio before, despite being a Ringbearer, because of how busy thetter was. It would be hard for her to feel an emotional attachment toward someone she hadn¡¯t even met before. It¡¯s fine as long as it doesn¡¯t concern Lord Brother, Alicia thought. On the other hand, Roel apologized to Alicia in his heart. He couldn¡¯t bear to unload more bad news on her after seeing how anxious she had been. It was enough for him to shoulder the burden of knowledge alone. Bringing her into this wouldn¡¯t change the situation whatsoever. The two of them quickly ended their conversation and continued hosting the dinner banquet in Carter¡¯s absence. Under their teamwork, the New Year¡¯s dinner banquet finally concluded with a joyful atmosphere. ¡­ Roely still in his bed, unable to fall asleep despite having stayed up for a night now. The bombardment of bad news earlier in the day had weighed down his heart, making it hard for him to catch any rest. Even so, he still tried his best to fall asleep so as to ensure that he would be in tip-top condition when the enemies finally arrived. Other than that, he also didn¡¯t want to worry Alicia, who could easily sense his movements now that they were under the same roof. Right before they parted ways earlier on, Alicia had offered to cast a sleeping spell on him so that he could have a good rest, but he turned her down. If she found out that he was having trouble sleeping, she might just barge right into his bedroom and do whatever she wanted. For the first time, Roel tried to cast a sleeping spell on himself, but the effects wereckluster. He ended up spending the night tossing and turning around, feeling more exhausted than ever at sunrise. ¡®Sleeping spell¡¯, my ass. Roel could only admit that hecked talent in this aspect. Despite feeling utterly wrecked, he dragged himself out of bed to spend hisst day together with his father. Carter had to start making his way back to the eastern border now if he hoped to make it in time before the deviantsunched arge-scale invasion in spring. It was a short reunion, but Roel had noints. He was already in a privileged position, considering how most soldiers dispatched to the frontlines hadn¡¯t been allowed to return home. To cherish their final moments together, the Ascart House had closed itself off to outsiders for this day. Yet, much to everyone¡¯s surprise, Carter didn¡¯t spend the day bidding farewell to Roel and Alicia. Instead, he held a military examination. ¡°¡­¡± Both Roel and Alicia were utterly baffled by Carter¡¯s move, but thetter¡¯s mind was set. ¡°The war against the deviants will be taking the center stage in the continent. The united army has uncovered intelligence that suggests the reappearance of Sovereigns amongst the deviants.¡± ¡°Sovereigns?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m referring to Origin Level 1 monsters amongst the deviants. From past experience, we know that their prowess surpasses even that of our Human Sovereigns.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s and Alicia¡¯s faces turned grim. They knew from their encounter with Layton Seze just how powerful Origin Level 1 transcendents were. They hadn¡¯t thought that the deviants would have Sovereigns who were even stronger than their Human Sovereigns. Carter nodded in approval. He was overjoyed that his two talented children didn¡¯t underestimate the enemy. ¡°In the worst-case scenario, the united army headquarters might issue a conscription order for all high transcendents to join the battlefield. If it everes down to that, the military theories you have learned from a young age will be your greatest asset,¡± Carter advised. He paused for a brief moment to look at the increasingly severe expressions of his two children before hesitantly turning to Roel. ¡°Especially you, Roel. You have to be exceptionally careful.¡± Chapter 537，Par1: Jot It Down! Jot It All Down! (1)

Chapter 537£¬Par1: Jot It Down! Jot It All Down! (1)

Roel felt like he was hated by the world. From the death gs of the female capture targets to the evil cultists who had a string of grudges against his lineage, it felt like someone was always out for his life. Through years of effort, he had managed to convert the female capture targets into his allies, but the evil cultists continued to haunt him like maggots suckling his bones. As if that wasn¡¯t distressing enough, there was now another power that was eyeing him. How in the world did I incur the hatred of those half-witted deviants? ¡°Father, you¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Lord Father, are you saying that those monsters are eyeing Lord Brother?¡± Alicia interjected with an anxious frown. Carter looked at his two children before he began sharing a conjecture raised during an internal discussion within the united army. ¡°It was not me but the chief intelligence officer of the united army who raised the possibility that the deviants may bear ill will toward the Ascart Bloodline. This theory is rooted in the mysterious rtionship between the deviants and the Savior¡­¡± ¡®Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.¡¯ Such a phrase didn¡¯t exist in the Sia Continent, but any qualified military strategist should be able to understand its rationale. With the deviants posing a huge threat to humankind¡¯s survival, humans couldn¡¯t ck off on their research of the deviants. The united army headquarters had gathered a bunch of schrs who specialized in the study of the deviants. These schrs conducted experiments on deviants that ranged from benign to downright atrocious. It was not just once or twice that Roel had winced while flipping through their research papers. It reminded him of the mad scientists in his previous life. Of course, no human would sympathize with their archenemies and criticize these schrs for their cruelty (and those who did would be quickly put in their ce). These schrs were proimed to be heroes who had put their lives on the line for humankind¡¯s sake. Many in the united army¡¯s upper echelons respected these schrs too. It was not an easy choice to relinquish thefort of Leinster to stay at the barren eastern border, where idents could easily result in severe injuries and even death. Since the arrival of the first batch of schrs, the research on the deviants had been ongoing for a thousand years now. Humankind had deciphered much crucial information about the deviants over this long period of time, be it their habits or vulnerabilities. The only thing that remained a mystery was the origin of the deviants. In particr, the schrs were intrigued by the corrtion between the Savior¡¯s awakening and the deviants¡¯ activity. Up till the third war against the deviants, the Twilight Sages Assembly had been a dominant force within humankind¡¯s upper echelon, taking up many key positions. Many of the Assembly¡¯s older members had been attacked by the Savior¡¯s worshipers back in the Second Epoch or had suffered greatly during the mass migration following the downfall of the Ancient Austine Empire. There was no way they could forget about the agony they had been put through, especially when many of them had witnessed the demise of their loved ones. Due to that, many of the Assembly members were sensitive about the Savior¡¯s movements, and these happened to be the same people who had been leading humankind¡¯s defense against the deviants. Naturally, it didn¡¯t take them long to notice the corrtion between the two. Many doubts surfaced as a result. ¡°ording to the research you have done thus far, our ancestors have a hostile rtionship with the Savior. If there really is a link between the Savior and the deviants, there¡¯s a chance that the deviants will go after you,¡± Carter solemnly said. Roel frowned. While normal deviants couldn¡¯t pose a threat to him, the same couldn¡¯t be said about the Sovereigns. Against enemies of such caliber, he had to remain prepared for anything that mighte his way. In the worst-case scenario, the deviants might focus their troops on him. Should that happen, his knowledge of military warfare could y a pivotal role. The decisions he made as themanding officer would make the difference between life and death. Knowing that, both Roel and Alicia straightened up their attitude and took the exam seriously. The exam was a simtion of warfare on paper, where both parties took on the role ofmanding officers of their respective armies. They had to mobilize troops and resources to achieve certain key objectives. Overall, Carter was satisfied with their results. ¡°It looks like the war we had a year ago has motivated you. Yourmanding skills are already on par with some of the frontline generals,¡± Carter remarked happily. These words put Roel¡¯s heart at ease. His warfare simtion with Carter was only a fight between ordinary armies, but on a real battlefield, there were many more tricks he could utilize. He possessed the Blessing of the Military God, and he could strategically employ magic tools he had bought from the System to create an unfair advantage against his enemy. After sharing his evaluation, Carter sternly instructed the two of them to continue developing their military knowledge. The trio then headed down to the dining room to have their final dinner together before parting ways. Neither Roel nor Alicia showed any abnormal behavior at the dining table. Alicia didn¡¯t think that the situation was serious, so it was easier for her to be her usual self. Roel, on the other hand, was simply that good of an actor. Even so, Roel¡¯s poker face broke when he heard about Carter¡¯s mission. Technically speaking, the mission Carter was entrusting to Roel and Alicia wasn¡¯t hard to fulfill at all; it just wasn¡¯t something Roel and Alicia would do. He wanted them to jot down the days they shared a room. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s and Alicia¡¯s faces stiffened when they heard Carter¡¯s request. Upon seeing their responses, Carter¡¯s face scrunched in doubt. He hadn¡¯t forgotten the reason he returned to the Ascarts¡¯ manor yet. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m asking too much here.¡± ¡°Father, it¡¯s not to say that we can¡¯t jot it down¡­ but it concerns our privacy, especially Alicia¡¯s. Personally speaking, I don¡¯t see a need to do so either,¡± Roel replied with twitching cheeks. Carter narrowed his eyes. An ambiguous smile crept onto his lips. You don¡¯t see a need to do so? Carter wouldn¡¯t have demanded this if this matter were solely up to Alicia¡¯s discretion, but he could never get too prudent since it was Roel he was dealing with here. This was a man who was content with maintaining the status quo for years! Though Roel had thumped his chest and made a promise to him, there was no guarantee that he would follow through on it. Alicia also tended to respect Roel¡¯s decision and was unlikely to force him to keep his promise. To make things worse, Carter was unlikely to be able to return from the battlefield for the next few years, so he couldn¡¯t personally see the matter through either. It was with these factors in mind that Carter requested this additionalmitment from them. Admittedly, it was a justified stance that Roel could hardly refute. For a moment, it looked like the dust had already settled until Alicia suddenly spoke up. ¡°Lord Father, I¡­ don¡¯t want to stress Lord Brother in such a way, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­I see where you¡¯reing from, but I¡¯m worried about Roel.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we have Lord Brother make an annual report instead?¡± Carter took a while to contemte Alicia¡¯s plea before finally relenting with a nod. Roel and Alicia heaved a huge sigh of relief. Despite the sudden crisis, the dinner still concluded with a joyous atmosphere. As soon as the dinner concluded, Carter stood up and headed for the carriage waiting for him at the entrance with military-esque decisiveness. Unnecessary words should be avoided for a military man marching out for war, lest they kill his determination. Roel and Alicia walked him to the doorsteps and waved him goodbye. They quietly watched the carriage disappear into the distance before retracting their gaze. Now that Carter had left, the responsibility of protecting the Ascart Fiefdom fell on Roel¡¯s shoulders once more. ¡°¡­It¡¯s chilly, Lord Brother. Let¡¯s head in.¡± Alicia grabbed Roel¡¯s hand. ¡°Mmhm.¡± Roel nodded. The two of them stood by the entrance for a little longer before returning to the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Chapter 537，Part2: Jot It Down! Jot It All Down! (2)

Chapter 537£¬Part2: Jot It Down! Jot It All Down! (2)

¡­ The remainder of Roel¡¯s day was jarringly silent after Carter¡¯s departure. As if he had depleted his optimism for the act he had put before his father, his expression was now utterly impassive. Unbeknownst to him, the change in his mood permeated the manor, such that even the maids were more careful in carrying out their duties. In the study room, Roel sat before the office table with his head propped atop his hand. He seemed to be in deep thought. As usual, Anna stood by the corner of the room, waiting for Roel¡¯s instructions. Alicia entered the room with light footsteps, only to fall into a dilemma upon seeing Roel¡¯s state. She didn¡¯t know whether she should disturb him or not. When the fiefdom first started developing, Roel often sat alone in the study room to hatch his ns. During such times, Alicia and Anna had refrained from disturbing him. He would usually figure out something good and put it into practice, and the fiefdom¡¯s growth would hasten. The only other times Roel acted in such a way were when he encountered difficulties. He would figure out a feasible solution most of the time, but on asions he didn¡¯t, he would temporarily put them aside with a sigh. The fact that Roel hadn¡¯t sighed yet meant that he was still in the midst of processing the problem at hand, which was why Alicia was hesitant to make a move. Roel was indeed in deep thought. While Carter¡¯s departure had relieved him of a burden, there were still many problems weighing down his heart, with the heaviest one being none other than theck of intelligence. So far, he still hadn¡¯t managed to gather any information about his situation or his enemies. Heck, he wasn¡¯t even sure that the onesing after him were the Fallens. This was an uneasy situation for him to be in, especially since it was his first time preparing for a battle without any intelligence whatsoever. If his enemy was the Fallens, it was likely that they wouldprise transcendents who were either non-human or possessed special means. In such a situation, ack of intelligence could prove to be fatal, since he was unfamiliar with the capabilities of ancient races and relics. There was only so much he could do to prepare for the unknown. He did consider mobilizing his army tob the vicinity, but he decided against it, figuring that it was likely to be a waste of effort. After much hesitation, he finally turned to the System. Had he any other choices, he wouldn¡¯t have turned to the System at a time like this¡ªthere was no ongoing promotion. While the System did offer quality goods, its prices were frighteningly exorbitant when there was no ongoing promotion. What Roel needed this time around was some kind of detection or prediction tool. These nonbat items were sold in the Attraction Points Exchange Shop, which suffered from hyperinted prices that ranged from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. They were probably expensive because Attraction Points were much easier to earn than gold coins and were thus less valuable. The incident with Charlotte¡¯s curse a while back had earned him quite a bit of Attraction Points, but even when putting aside such major events, he could easily earn a fair amount from making public appearances in Ascart City. The only problem was whether he would dare to do that now. Given the current circumstances, Roel wasn¡¯t in a good position to parade himself in public, meaning that his ie of Attraction Points had been severed. He would have to make full use of whatever Attraction Points he had at the moment to survive this crisis. Roel heaved a deep sigh before he began browsing through the items in the Attraction Points Exchange Shop. This was probably the first time in years he was earnestly looking through the items that were not discounted. Perhaps because the System had sensed his needs, he found quite a few items that appeared to be useful for his circumstances. But when he began reading the description of the items in detail, his expression began to turn bizarre. ¡¾Spiritsense Hatchling An artificial bird lifeform made out of avian carcasses sacrificed to the gods in the ancient era. It has exceptionally high sensitivity toward divine auras and peculiar mana pulsations. Be sure to take good care of it, for it spoils easily. Price: 50,000 Attraction Points¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched. He was conflicted as to whether he should purchase this item. Well-versed in history, Roel had heard about this ¡®Spiritsense Hatchling¡¯. It was a byproduct created from the remains of a divine tribute, and it could be somewhat described as a god¡¯s guard. It would be a gross understatement to say that the rtionships among ancient gods were rife with conflict. Grudges were aplenty amongst them, and some even viewed each other as sworn enemies. It was rare for gods to wage war against each other due to the implications, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about their worshipers. Cults in hostile rtionships often engaged in sabotage and skirmishes, sometimes evenunching all-out wars. It wasn¡¯t umon for cults to have their churches or temples desecrated, and that was where the Spiritsense Hatchling came in. The avian carcasses used for Spiritsense Hatchlings were previously tribute to a god, and the process suffused them with the aura of the worshiped god. This granted Spiritsense Hatchlings high sensitivity toward divine auras and peculiar mana pulsations, which they would warn their owners about with a loud cry. That was also where the term ¡®Spiritsense¡¯ came from. As for ¡®Hatchling¡¯¡­ it could be that it was easier to craft magic tools out of newborn birds, or maybe ancient gods simply preferred hatchlings. Roel decided that it was unwise to probe too deeply into the matter. What he was more concerned with at the moment was the price. 50,000 Attraction Points¡­ Isn¡¯t this daylight robbery? It might be worth spending 50,000 Attraction Points to purchase the Spiritsense Hatchling¡¯s crafting method, which had been lost after the era of the gods, but using the same sum of money to buy a single Spiritsense Hatchling was simply ridiculous. It was not as if Roel was some kind of talented master craftsman who could reverse-engineer the creation process. While Spiritsense Hatchlings boasted excellent detection abilities, they were easy targets to strike down due to how visible and vulnerable they were. They were viewed as a consumable back in the ancient era, released in a flock of hundreds to serve as sonar. But all Roel would be getting here was a single Spiritsense Hatchling. He would have to use the hatchling with great care lest it spoil. Spending such a huge sum on a consumable item was as good as plunging a knife into Roel¡¯s thrifty heart, but after much contemtion, he finally heaved a sigh. While 50,000 Attraction Points was an exorbitant sum, the Spiritsense Hatchling could just be the critical difference maker for Roel, who was severelycking in enemy intelligence. From such a perspective, he definitely had to purchase the Spiritsense Hatchling. Thus, Roel ignored his aching heart and tapped the ¡®Purchase¡¯ option. Meanwhile, darkness had started devouring the evening sun, cloaking the world in shadows. Chapter 538，Par1: Lord Brother, Let’s Get to Sleep (1)

Chapter 538£¬Par1: Lord Brother, Let¡¯s Get to Sleep (1)

Roel wasn¡¯t fond of small animals, be it in his previous life or his current one. It might have seemed like a peculiar trait for someone who enjoyed touching fluffy things, but it was moremon than one would have expected. Even in his previous life, there were plenty of people who enjoyed cat videos but were less than enthused to adopt one. Now that he was in the Sia Continent, it was even more impossible for Roel to adopt a pet due to his status as a transcendent. Transcendents carried a subtle disposition that wasn¡¯t apparent to adult humans but was highly conspicuous to sensitive little animals. This made it impossible for little animals to warm up to transcendents, particrly high transcendents. It didn¡¯t matter how gently a high transcendent treated an animal; thetter would just tremble in fear. It was thus no surprise that artificial lifeform magic tools were popr among transcendents. In the study room, Roel stared at the hatchling tottering on his office desk with a strained look that was simr to that of a ripped-off tourist. Not too far away, Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes glimmered with excitement when she noticed the hatchling. She rushed over to take a closer look. Having been together with Roel for so many years, she could no longer be surprised by him suddenly conjuring a bird in the study room. What interested her more was the little lifeform. ¡°Lord Brother, who is this little fellow?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an artificial lifeform produced using technology from the ancient era. It primarily serves as a scouting tool to detect enemies¡­¡± Roel exined the origin of the Spiritsense Hatchling with a strained smile. Alicia was fond of little animals, and her feelings were reciprocated due to her nature as a walking ¡®fountain of life¡¯. It was an understatement to say that she was loved by animals. Be it the demonic beasts in the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s mountains or ordinary beasts, they would morph into excited puppies and prance around her. Yet, the current situation was proving to be an exception. The Spiritsense Hatchling didn¡¯t express affection toward Alicia as ordinary animals would. Neither did it obediently lower itself as demonic beasts would. Almost as if it was incapable of sensing Alicia¡¯s life force, its attention remained fixated on Roel. The hatchling¡¯sck of response toward Alicia had Roel raising his eyebrows. He could understand why the Spiritsense Hatchling didn¡¯t cozy up to Alicia; it was technically an undead creature despite looking like a living bird, being constructed out of tributed avian carcasses. It was more likely to be attracted to an undead-attribute god like Grandar than Alicia. Alicia¡¯s life force might have been alluring to most animals, but to the Spiritsense Hatchling, it probably felt as harsh as the night of the Winter Solstice. That was how attributes worked. What was truly surprising here was how affectionate the hatchling was toward him. By the nature of its creation, the Spiritsense Hatchling only expressed affection toward the god it guarded and the clergymen managing it. While Roel had be the Spiritsense Hatchling¡¯s owner, strictly speaking, that should have only granted him the authority tomand it. The hatchling itself shouldn¡¯t have been too fond of him. It was a perplexing situation. ¡°Lord Brother, this little fellow seems to be very fond of you.¡± ¡°¡­Mmhm.¡± ¡°It likes you so much that I wonder if the two of you share blood ties,¡± Alicia cheerily remarked. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes slowly widened as a thought surfaced in his mind. Wait a moment, could it be that¡­ He carefully assessed the hatchling with silver-gray feathers and green eyes, and after a moment of thought, he emitted a wisp of mana. Spiritsense Hatchlings were the guardians of gods. By virtue of their birth, they only expressed affection toward those with favorable rtionships with the gods. From that perspective, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Roel, who was contracted with Grandar, Peytra, and Artasia, won its affection. But it shouldn¡¯t have been possible to sense the ancient gods while Roel¡¯s windows with them were closed. That should have been beyond the capability of the Spiritsense Hatchling. Given so, there was only one possibility here. Other than Grandar, Peytra, and Artasia, there was one more god whom Roel had ties with: Genesis Goddess Sia. When he first reached Origin Level 3, he received Sia¡¯s blessing and obtained the ability, ¡®Being Toward Death¡¯. It was possible that Sia¡¯s aura had rubbed off him then. Furthermore, the legendary Kingmaker n were rumored to be Sia¡¯s direct subordinates, just like the witches. To verify his conjecture, Roel chose to release a wisp of mana wrapped with Sia¡¯s blessing. Just as he had guessed, the Spiritsense Hatchling looked visibly excited upon sensing the mana. Jip! The silver-gray hatchling raised its little head and let out a crisp chirp. It unfurled its wings and began flying around the room. Its reaction confirmed Roel¡¯s guess. ¡°To think that this would be the case¡­¡± Roel was impressed with the System¡¯s means. Who could have thought that it would actually find a Spiritsense Hatchling that had served Sia back in the ancient era? Factoring in this detail, it didn¡¯t seem ludicrous anymore that he had to pay 50,000 Attraction Points for this hatchling. In this world, everything rted to Goddess Sia was worth a fortune. Without any exaggeration, if he presented this hatchling to the church, there was a good chance that it would be worshiped as a ¡®Holy Bird¡¯ or something along those lines. The thought of that brought a smile onto Roel¡¯s lips. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to be evaluating the value of the Spiritsense Hatchling. He was expecting something else out of it when he bought it from the Affection Points Exchange Shop. Thus, he turned to the Spiritsense Hatchling and ordered it to keep an eye out for anomalous auras. As if to please the man who had received Sia¡¯s blessing, the silver-gray bird enthusiastically dashed out of the window, unfazed by the darkness of the night. Its silhouette quickly vanished in the shadows, carrying Roel¡¯s hopes with it. ¡­ Roel stared at the open window for a long time, his solemn expression slowly loosening up. On the other hand, Alicia didn¡¯t attempt to approach the hatchling anymore upon realizing that it didn¡¯t harbor any affection for her, but she was still intrigued by it. ¡°Lord Brother, where did that hatchling go?¡± ¡°I had it scout our surroundings. That¡¯s how the magic tool is supposed to function. Hopefully, it uncovers crucial intelligence for me to work with,¡± replied Roel. Roel had said those words to console Alicia in case she was upset by the hatchling¡¯sck of affection for her, but thetter didn¡¯t seem to mind it at all. Instead, she studied Roel with narrowed crimson eyes. ¡°Lord Brother, you seem to be in a better mood now.¡± ¡°Hm? I guess you can say so.¡± Roel blinked his eyes before nodding in acknowledgment. Alicia breathed a sigh of relief. While she was intrigued by the hatchling¡¯s cold behavior toward her, to her, there was nothing more important than Roel. Naturally, she was more focused on the fact that Roel had finally smiled after being in a heavy mood for the past few days, and she was happy for him. It was only then that Roel btedly realized that his brooding mood over thest two days had worried Alicia. ¡°My apologies for making you worry, Alicia.¡± ¡°¡­I was worried, but it¡¯s good that you were honest with me. I was able to mentally prepare myself for it,¡± Alicia replied with a smile. She took a box from Anna and presented it to Roel. ¡°Lord Brother, do you still remember the matter regarding the gift?¡± ¡°Gift?¡± Roel was confused for a moment before realization struck him. Before he received Artasia¡¯s warning, he had told Alicia and Anna to head down to the bustling Ascart City and soak in its newfound prosperity. In response, Alicia said that she would get a gift for him. However, he received the Witch Queen¡¯s warning while they were gone, and he was so affected by it that it slipped his mind. Even so, Alicia kept this matter at the front of her mind. She waited till now, when he was finally in a better mood, to present her gift to him. It was a pair of sses. Chapter 538，Part2: Lord Brother, Let’s Get to Sleep (2)

Chapter 538£¬Part2: Lord Brother, Let¡¯s Get to Sleep (2)

¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. He had no idea what to make of Alicia¡¯s gift. A high transcendent like Roel couldn¡¯t possibly suffer from short-sightedness. If anything, the sharpness of his eyes had broken the limits of what was possible for humans in his previous world. There was no way Alicia would have been unaware of that. Alicia hadn¡¯t bought the sses for Roel to correct his vision or protect his eyes. They were intended as a fashion essory. sses had recently be popr amongst the nobles of the Sia Continent. Unlike earrings and nes, sses possessed the mysterious power to change a person¡¯s disposition. The only problem was that this fashion essory happened to be an essential tool that Roel had no choice but to wear in his previous life, and that eroded whatever interest he had in them. It wasn¡¯t far-fetched to say that he despised wearing them. ¡°Lord Brother, do you like what I have gotten you? It¡¯s a custom-made pair crafted out of mythril and warmwood.¡± ¡°Yes, I am very fond of it. Thank you, Alicia,¡± Roel replied with a smile. Others might have been fooled by his response, but not Alicia. She sharply picked up a tinge of reluctance in his voice. She would have normally backed down here so as to not put him in a difficult position, but she decided against that this time around. Instead, she heaved a sigh. ¡°Lord Brother, you don¡¯t like the gift I have gotten you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I just think that it isn¡¯t suited for me¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true at all. Lord Brother, I¡¯m certain that this pair of sses would suit you. Besides, they aren¡¯t just any ordinary fashion essory.¡± Alicia walked up to Roel and gently put the dark silver sses on him. Then, she beckoned Anna to bring a mirror over. While Roel wasn¡¯t fond of sses, he decided to allow her to do as she pleased aspensation for having forgotten about the gift. To his surprise, the result was not too bad. He jolted upon seeing the bespectacled ck-haired man in the mirror. He noticed that he didn¡¯t look awful with sses on, unlike in his previous life. Sensing Roel¡¯s change in attitude, Alicia smiled proudly. ¡°How is it, Lord Brother? You have a slender physique and gentle features despite being a transcendent, which is suited for wearing sses. Anna, don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just as Miss Alicia has said. Young master, you look good with sses.¡± Anna honestly expressed her thoughts while furiously supporting her young miss¡¯s attack. ¡°¡­¡± Roel had to admit that what the two of them said made sense. He was biased against sses due to the experiences he had in his previous life, but his sense of aesthetics hadn¡¯t been warped. He did look much more schrly after putting on the sses. On top of that, just as Alicia had said, the sses were more than just a decorative ornament. There was a spell embedded in them. ¡°Is this a magic tool?¡± Roel asked. ¡°It is, Lord Brother. You should give it a try,¡± Alicia replied with a chuckle. She grabbed Roel¡¯s hand and brought him to the window. Roel channeled his mana into the dark silver sses, causing them to glow with a faint shimmer. The bustling streets in the distance suddenly magnified before his eyes, and he saw iridescent colors drifting across. ¡°This¡­!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes widened in astonishment. He hadn¡¯t thought that the sses would possess such a function. Magnification was an elementary spell in the Sia Continent, but the iridescent distribution of colors¡ªif he wasn¡¯t mistaken¡ªwas an extremely rare ability that reflected the concentration of mana in the environment. Mana was the fuel of all transcendents¡¯ spells, so it made sense for transcendents to keep a close eye on this critical resource. It wouldn¡¯t make a huge impact for small skirmishes, but forrge-scale battles exceeding a thousand people, the side that imed strategic terrain with a higher concentration of mana would enjoy a significantly higher mana regeneration rate, allowing their spellcasters to bombard with greater frequency. That could mean the difference between victory and defeat. If Roel became a militarymander, this pair of sses would allow him to quickly identify advantageous terrain and exploit it in battle. ¡°Alicia, the price of these sses¡­¡± ¡°It is expensive, but I think you need them,¡± Alicia replied, hugging Roel¡¯s arm. Roel responded with a silent nod. Excessive words of gratitude seemed out of ce considering the bond they shared, so he decided instead to take her goodwill to heart and made a mental note to reciprocate the gesture during her uing birthday. Meanwhile, Alicia made use of this window of opportunity created by her gift to make some headway. ¡°Lord Brother, you look exhausted. Did you have trouble sleepingst night?¡± ¡°¡­Mmhm. A little.¡± Roel hesitantly revealed the truth. Alicia¡¯s eyes lit up upon hearing those words. She puffed up her chest and rmended her own service. ¡°Why don¡¯t I help you, Lord Brother?¡± ¡°Help me? You¡¯re referring to¡­¡± ¡°Lord Brother, you should also know that I¡¯m skilled in sleeping spells. As long as I¡¯m beside you, I¡¯m certain that you¡¯ll be able to get a good sleep.¡± ¡°This¡­ doesn¡¯t sound appropriate. Alicia, you¡¯re already an adult now. We shouldn¡¯t be sharing a bed anymore¡­¡± Roel replied with a look of difficulty. He was nning to dissuade Alicia from whatever she was thinking about, though he wasn¡¯t too hopeful considering her history of misconduct. Much to his bewilderment, not only did she not refute his words, but she even nodded to agree with him. Huh? What¡¯s going on? Roel was taken aback by Alicia¡¯s unexpected obedience. For a moment, he wondered if the sun had risen from the west today. Before he could snap out of his bewilderment, Alicia raised another point with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right, Lord Brother, except that I¡¯m not an adult yet. My birthday is very close, but it hasn¡¯t passed yet. That means that I¡¯m still a minor.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, that¡¯s indeed the case.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that minors ought to be protected?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I do think that minors ought to be protected.¡± ¡°Then, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s only normal for a minor, who is feeling insecure after her father left home to fight in a war, to seek constion and protection from her older brother?¡± ¡°!¡± Those three consecutive questions knocked out Roel. Not about to give Roel any time to formte a rebuttal, Alicia took another step closer and wrapped her arms around Roel¡¯s neck. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte now, Lord Brother. Let¡¯s head to sleep.¡± Chapter 539，Par1: You Don’t Have to Do So! (1)

Chapter 539£¬Par1: You Don¡¯t Have to Do So! (1)

How well did two siblings who had grown up together know each other? That wasn¡¯t an easy question to answer, particrly in the case of Roel and Alicia. The Ascart House was quite different from a usual family, after all. It was rare for nobles to leave their children alone no matter how busy they were. At the very least, the parents would entrust their children to a trusted elder in the family. Leaving two non-blood-rted children of simr ages at home was practically a scandal in the making, especially as they progressed into adolescence. Ironically, Carter would have weed such a scandal with open arms, but it was a pity that his son was far too straitced to allow such a thing to happen. In any case, there was no question that the children of the Ascart House had grown up without the care and concern of their elders. This led to Roel and Alicia bing closer than ever. Alicia did pull some strings along the way too, but those were mostly inconsequential since Roel quickly caught on to them. Roel thought that he had already grasped all of Alicia¡¯s little tricks and thought that he could handle whatever she threw his way, but his confidence backfired on him when she threw a curve ball instead. He was caught off guard, and thatnded him in his current position. Alicia hade so close to him that he could clearly smell her body fragrance. He knew that he should push her away, but he couldn¡¯t do so at all. It was not just because he felt indebted to her due to her precious gift. More than that, he was stumped because he sensed her real feelings behind those seemingly joking words. Although Carter was rarely home, he treated Alicia extremely well, ying a fatherly role in her formative years. He was both her first spellcasting teacher and her most reliable wingman in her pursuit of love. He even took a detour to the Ascarts¡¯ manor this time around to give her a push. Despite Alicia¡¯s independent personality, she had unknowinglye to rely on Carter a little. She knew that it was unlikely for the two of them to meet within the next few years following this separation, so it was only normal for her to be in low spirits. Roel¡¯s heart ached a little thinking about it. Truth be told, he felt mncholic about Carter¡¯s departure too. The feeling had been minor when he waved him goodbye earlier, but it slowly intensified in the lonely silence of the night. Just like water slowly seeping through paper, yearning gradually permeated his being and taught him the bitterness of missing a loved one. This was an inevitable ordeal of life. Alicia would eventually have toe to terms with it by herself, but just for tonight, she should be allowed to throw a tantrum. A minor like her should at least be entitled to this much. ¡°¡­I understand, but you mustn¡¯t mess around,¡± Roel eventually replied with a sigh. ¡°You should trust me, Lord Brother,¡± Alicia promised while nuzzling against Roel¡¯s cheek. Thusmenced their first time sharing a bed since returning to the Ascarts¡¯ manor. ¡­ Practically everyone in the Ascarts¡¯ manor knew that Roel had been suffering from insomnia in recent days. A feeling of unease wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal to ordinary humans and even most transcendents, but to Roel, who had been honing his sensitivity toward danger from a young age, it felt like the deafening chimes of a bell. The situation was only exacerbated after he heard Artasia¡¯s warning. This wasn¡¯t good news at all. More often than not, it was the more well-rested party who had an advantage in battle. Maintaining a strung-up mind was only needlessly expending Roel¡¯s energy, and it might hinder him from reacting quickly if anything really happened. There was no way Roel, who had often been on the frontlines fighting against the evil cultists, wouldn¡¯t have known about that. That was also one of the reasons he had epted Alicia¡¯s request tonight. It was just that the actual situation was slightly different from what he had expected. ¡°¡­Alicia, do we really need to be in this position?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In a moonlit room, Roel sat on a chair next to the window. In front of him, Alicia had stuck a knee in between his thighs, forming a cage that trapped him in the narrow space between her and the chair. Her calcted positioning amplified her presence while asserting her dominance against him at the same time. This is the kind of thing I would expect from Nora, not the obedient Alicia! Roel roared in his mind while maintaining aposed appearance. Meanwhile, Alicia blinked a couple of times while looking at him. She seemed to be deep in thought, but she wasn¡¯t verbalizing anything at all. Is she thinking of a treatment n? It was no easy task to put Roel to sleep. High transcendents like him were resistant to external spells, and that was further amplified by the protection of his ancient gods. For better or for worse, sleeping spells weren¡¯t very effective on him. Even with Alicia¡¯s expertise in sleeping spells and his intentionally lowering his guard, it would take her a great deal of effort to work things out. Naturally, she would have to carefully n how she wanted to go about it. Roel was impressed by how stringently Alicia was regarding this matter. He thought about the spell resistance theories he had learned from Saint Freya Academy, and he wondered how she would approach this matter. Little did he know that Alicia had somethingpletely different in mind. Yes, Alicia was deep in thought, but what was in her mind wasn¡¯t how she could go about hypnotizing him, but whether she should make a move tonight. Laymen thought that hypnosis was nothing more than a cheap trick involving subliminal messaging¡ªthey couldn¡¯t be more wrong. Hypnosis was one of the scariest sses of spells upon reaching the higher levels. In particr, ¡®Forced Commandment¡¯ and ¡®Mutual Infatuation¡¯ had been ssified as forbidden spells. Forced Commandment turned the target into the hypnotist¡¯s puppet, forcing the target to unconditionally carry out the hypnotist¡¯smand, even if it was amand to end their life. In exchange for its overpowered effects, Forced Commandment had an extremely convoluted invocation requirement, and it had a frighteningly low sess rate too. Against individuals with high spell resistance, there was even a chance that the target would self-dispel it. It wasn¡¯t often used by hypnotists due to these reasons. Mutual Infatuation, on the other hand, was much more useful. There was even a famous story about it. It detailed a youngdy falling in love with a dashing king but being unable to win his heart, so after much internal conflict, she decided to hypnotize the king to make him fall in love with her. She seeded. Under her hypnotism, the king fell in love with her and took her as his queen consort. Their love continued to deepen after their marriage, and their rtionship was evenuded as a role model for other nobles. But power always came at a price on the Sia Continent. The youngdy had to pay a price for maintaining the effects of Mutual Infatuation over a long period of time. One of the conditions she had to fulfill was for the two of them to drink from a particr pce well every day. Such a task wouldn¡¯t have posed a problem to the youngdy and the king, who were deeply in love with each other, but fate liked to y pranks at times. One day, an earthquake caused the water in that particr pce well to turn turbid. Out of concern for his queen consort¡¯s health, the king secretly ordered the servants to serve water from another well instead. This resulted in the youngdy¡¯s failure to fulfill her spell¡¯s condition. The bacsh came with a vengeance. The youngdy fell bedridden the following day and departed from the world not longter. The king was finally freed from his hypnotism, but he was hardly happy about the situation at all. He realized that he had fallen in love with his queen consort over their years ofpanionship. He eventually sumbed to his mental anguish and ended his own life. This story taught the people of the Sia Continent that there was no ce for lies and deception between lovers. A rtionship built on falsehood would only hurt oneself and the person one loved. It was also for this reason that Mutual Infatuation was ssified as a forbidden spell. But Alicia wasn¡¯t deterred by the story¡¯s warning; if anything, it encouraged her. Thanks to her bloodline, she was the only transcendent in the world who was unaffected by the side effects of spells. Problems like dropping dead from failing to take a sip of water from a particr well weren¡¯t concerns to her. She could easily hypnotize Roel until the end of their time, constructing a lie that would never be exposed. It was a seductive notion to her. She was confident she could pull off the hypnotism, especially with how unguarded Roel was. Yet, as she looked at him, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to follow through with it. The reason behind her dilemmay in the very same story. At the end of the story, the king, who had fallen in love with his queen consort, chose to end his own life. If the youngdy¡¯s oue served as a warning to normal transcendents, the king¡¯s oue was a warning to people like Alicia, who weren¡¯t concerned about the bacsh of the spell. Even the possibility of harm befalling her loved one was uneptable to Alicia, not to mention that she didn¡¯t think that the gains were worth the risks. In the story, the youngdy had no choice but to take a gamble because she wasn¡¯t even in a position to approach the king and cultivate his feelings for her. Such wasn¡¯t the case for Alicia and Roel. If anything, the two of them had grown up together and knew each other inside and out. Their feelings for each other had also long since transcended those of ordinary lovers. With how inseparable the two of them were, there was no need for Alicia to go so far as to hypnotize Roel. Chapter 539，Part2: You Don’t Have to Do So! (2)

Chapter 539£¬Part2: You Don¡¯t Have to Do So! (2)

¡°Alicia, is it too difficult to hypnotize me? Let¡¯s just forget about it if it¡¯s too much to handle,¡± Roel said, scratching his face. ¡°Ah? No, that¡¯s not it¡­¡± Alicia hurriedly refuted it. She felt a pang of guilt for contemting the notion of deceiving him. With their current bond, there was no need for her to resort to trickery and lies at all. If anything, it would only undermine thepetitive advantage she had built up thus far. Having thought things through, her mind finally eased up, and she turned her focus to trying to get Roel to fall asleep. ¡°Lord Brother, please try to rx as much as possible.¡± ¡°Rx?¡± ¡°Yes. Humans are less susceptible to suggestion when in a state of nervousness. That would significantly reduce the effects of the hypnotism,¡± Alicia exined. ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel replied with a nod. He tried to empty his mind and rx, but it wasn¡¯t working at all. Seeing that, Alicia pondered for a moment before offering another suggestion. ¡°Lord Brother, why don¡¯t we try something else if you aren¡¯t able to clear your mind?¡± ¡°Try something else?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to rx and properly rest up now before any mishap urs. This is the right way to go if you truly wish to protect the Ascart Fiefdom.¡± ¡°I see. I could think of rxation as a means to my goal instead. I¡¯ll try that.¡± Roel closed his eyes and tried again. Soon, his tight expression began to slowly loosen up. Meanwhile, Alicia slowly leaned in and nted a light kiss on his forehead. ¡°¡­¡± As the kissnded, Roel felt a surge of mana flowing in from his forehead. His first instinct was to resist the mana inflow, but he quickly forced himself to rx. While it was an unusual way of casting a spell, he didn¡¯t think much about it. Kisses were amon medium in hypnotism spells since the forehead had the closest ess to the head, thus maximizing the spells¡¯ effectiveness. This was also the reason princes always resorted to kissing whenever they were trying to rescue princesses from the control of dastardly viins. Much to Roel¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t feel anything after the kiss hadnded. He felt no inclination to sleep whatsoever. This perplexed him. ¡°¡­Alicia, did the spell fail?¡± ¡°No, it worked. It just takes time for the effects to set in. Spells that take effect right away tend to induce the greatest resistance from transcendents, so I opted for a gentler method.¡± ¡°How long will it take for the effects to set in?¡± ¡°Around ten minutes. You should find yourself slowly growing drowsier in the meantime. Until then, Lord Brother, you just have to rx. I¡¯ll be watching you from the side.¡± Alicia rose to her feet, held Roel¡¯s hand, and attempted to guide him toward the bed. Roel hesitated for a brief moment before obediently following her onto the bed. ¡­ Roel was a little unustomed to the current situation. Alicia wasn¡¯t acting like her usual self. Even after the two of them settled down on the wide bed, she didn¡¯t try to pull anything like she usually would. Instead, she meticulously took care of him as if he was a patient. This had Roel blinking in surprise. Feeling a little awkward, he racked his brain for a conversation topic as a distraction. It was not as if he had never had a proper conversation with Alicia before, but it was rare for them to converse on the bed. Thinking about it, this was the first time he was searching for something to talk to her about in such a rxed state. Meanwhile, Alicia asked about Roel¡¯s condition. ¡°Lord Brother, do you still feel uneasy?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Roel hesitantly replied as a furrow formed on his forehead. Frankly speaking, his life had been growing increasingly hectic in recent years. All kinds of crises had surfaced with the reawakening of the Savior and the Mother Goddess, putting him in an increasingly dangerous position. Even so, he had never felt such intense danger before. For two nights since New Year¡¯s Day, Roel had been in a constant strung-up state, and that further stoked his nervousness. Based on what he knew, the more persistently his instincts for danger screamed at him, the more severe the crisis was likely to be. Furthermore, he wasn¡¯t in his best condition to deal with any threats. That was also where a major source of his stress wasing from. On the bright side, his link with Artasia had been growing stronger after her previous warning. Most likely, he should be able to re-establish a connection with her in three more days. As long as he couldst that long, the Witch Queen would return with crucial intelligence required for him to turn things around. However, if the crisis broke out before then, he would be in a very dangerous position. Roel¡¯s heart grew heavy thinking about this issue. He turned his gaze toward the sky outside the window. Alicia could guess what was going through Roel¡¯s mind just by looking at his expression. She kneeled down in the middle of the bed and beckoned Roel. ¡°Lord Brother,e here.¡± ¡°Hm? You are¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s ap pillow, Lord Brother. You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it, but¡­ why ap pillow all of a sudden?¡± Alicia didn¡¯t answer the question, but she obstinately continued to beckon him over. Seeing that, Roel could only do as he was told to. Noticing that she was wearing a nightgown, he turned his head away, not daring to nce in that direction. However, Alicia didn¡¯t permit him to do so. She cupped his face and held his head steady, forcing him to meet her eyes. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯ll answer your earlier question. Your eyes are focused on me when you¡¯re lying on myp. That should leave you with no room to think about unhappy stuff.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was taken aback. A smile formed on his lips, and he looked at Alicia with gentle eyes. ¡°I see¡­ Yes, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m happier when I¡¯m with you. It does help me to take my mind off other things.¡± ¡°A-ah? L-lord Brother?¡± Alicia¡¯s heart skipped a beat. However, Roel had no intention of taking back his words. He stretched his hand upward and caressed her cheeks while staring quietly into her ruby eyes. Under his gaze, Alicia¡¯s fluster slowly settled down. A tinge of warmth slowly suffused their surroundings. The night seemed to have quietened down to give them their moment. Roel¡¯s mind gradually rxed under thisfortable atmosphere, and his consciousness started to fuzz out. If my instincts are spot-on and a battle really breaks out, Alicia will be swept into the mess too, right? Even though she has already made up her mind, I still can¡¯t help but worry about her, he thought in this moment of silence. A long timeter, he finally spoke up. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll protect you, Alicia.¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± With the utterance of those words, Roel¡¯s hands began to lose their strength. His eyes closed, and his breathing became deep and long. After two days of turmoil, he had finally fallen asleep. Looking at her vulnerable older brother, Alicia smiled. She gently ced his hands onto the bed and solemnly murmured a vow. ¡°¡­It¡¯s the same for me too. I¡¯ll definitely protect you well, Lord Brother.¡± Chapter 540，Par1: Related to Him (1)

Chapter 540£¬Par1: Rted to Him (1)

As far as Roel could remember, sharing a bed with Alicia often caused plenty of headaches for him. He had to think of all kinds of ways to stop her little antics. Them waking up with their arms around each other was on the milder end of the spectrum; there were even times when their clothes were scattered around the ce! Yet, things were different this time around. The following day after the hypnotism, Roel woke up and found that Alicia wasn¡¯t in his arms. Instead, she was lying next to him, her little chest inting and deting with every breath. For a moment there, Roel wondered if the sun had risen from the west, though his surprise quickly faded when he thought about what Alicia had done yesterday. In truth, he had somewhat sensed that Alicia wasn¡¯t nning to do anything to him yesterday while he was in a vulnerable state. She simply cast a hypnotism spell on him and took care of him until he fell asleep. The gentle care she had showered on him was a divergence from her usual mischievous self, and it stirred a peculiar feeling in Roel¡¯s heart. It looks like Alicia has really grown up. Looking at the sleeping silver-haired woman, Roel felt both moved and grateful. Having finally caught a good sleep after two grueling nights of insomnia, Roel felt invigorated. Compared tost night, his attention span, discerning eye, and analytical ability had recovered to their usual levels. Despite feeling bursting with energy, he quietly slipped out of bed and left the room. ¡°Young master, you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°Mmhm. Don¡¯t go in yet. Alicia is still sleeping.¡± ¡°I understand, young master.¡± After a short conversation with Anna by the doorway, Roel didn¡¯t choose to head straight to the dining room to have his breakfast. Instead, he quickly washed up before taking a stroll around the manor¡¯s garden. He gazed in the distant sky as if he was waiting for something. Last night, before he went to bed, he had purchased a Spiritsense Hatchling from the System, which appeared to have originated from Sia¡¯s divine temple. It wasn¡¯t a hassle at all for him to control it. He had sent it on night patrol, and it was about time for it to return. Roel closed his eyes and quietly circted his mana while waiting for the Spiritsense Hatchling to return. It was only when the sun had fully risen to the sky that a little figure could be spotted swooping across the sky. But instead of gentlynding as a bird would, it crashed into thewn. Roel rushed over to check on it. He found many wounds on its grayish-silver body. ¡°This is¡­¡± Roel frowned in iprehension. While the Spiritsense Hatchling didn¡¯t possess any defense mechanism, hunting it down in an open environment was easier said than done. It traveled at incredible speeds and could remain in the air for a very long time without tiring. Most importantly of all, it carried a hint of Sia¡¯s aura. Roel had spent some time replenishing the Spiritsense Hatchling¡¯s mana while inspecting itst night. His tribute as a ¡®clergyman¡¯ here had imbued the hatchling with a whiff of divine worship¡ªor in clearer terms, Sia¡¯s mana pulsation. Goddess Sia was the supreme existence of the world; the name of the continent should have been an obvious clue. Her mana pulsation was the strongest deterrence to the beasts of the natural world, including demonic beasts. From this perspective, it shouldn¡¯t have been possible for the Spiritsense Hatchling toe under attack. Yet, the returning hatchling¡¯s feathers were in a mess, and there were deepcerations on its body. Had any of thesecerations been any deeper, it might have just been reduced to shreds. Roel narrowed his eyes at this perplexing situation. Beings thatmitted sphemy toward Goddess Sia were likely to be malevolent in nature, which made him take this matter even more seriously. But when he checked the results of the Spiritsense Hatchling¡¯s scouting, he tilted his head in confusion instead. Just to be clear, the Spiritsense Hatchling was not equipped with a visual recording function, so he wasn¡¯t able to uncover the culprit that had harmed it. Nevertheless, he could still formte some deductions on the situation. One: the culprit seems to be an aerial beast. Two: it is likely to be an indiscriminate attack rather than a targeted one. The Spiritsense Hatchling wouldn¡¯t have been able to return alive if someone was really out to take it down. ¡°Could it be a summoned beast of the evil cult? Or else¡­¡± Roel murmured under his breath. The key ability of the Spiritsense Hatchling was to sense fluctuations in mana pulsations, especially with regard to divine aura. That was also what Roel was looking at when he browsed through the Spiritsense Hatchling¡¯s memory records. He didn¡¯t find anything suspicious that called for caution. Be it in Ascart City or the nearby mountains and rivers, the concentrations of mana were normal. If he really had to nitpick, the mana concentration in the sky was slightly higher than usual, but mana tended to clump in the sky during the snowing season. That made it hard to determine whether this spike was simply a natural phenomenon or the result of external intervention. ¡°Now that I think about it, the sky does look darker than usual.¡± Roel looked at the slightly dim sky in the far distance and frowned. An ominous feeling had started welling in his heart. . Aerial battles were one of Roel¡¯s greatest weaknesses. It was obvious just by looking at the attributes of his contracted ancient gods. Grandarcked the ability to fly, whereas Peytra was the Primordial Earth Goddess. The only exception was Witch Queen Artasia, who was capable of levitation and well-versed in all sorts of long-range spells. She made up the bulk of his firepower in aerial battles. It was just that she was out ofmission for the time being, and there were a few more days to go before her return. Roel tried to analyze the situation, but once again, he was impeded by his severeck of crucial intelligence. In the end, he gave up and headed to the study room, where Rodney, Cynthia, and the others were already waiting for him. ¡°Lord Roel, for the time being, we have aplished the mission you entrusted to us,¡± Cynthia reported with a respectful bow. Roel would have expected no less from them. Tasking three Origin Level 3 experts to thoroughlyb their home turf for suspicious personnel within two days was basically overkill. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t able to uncover anything significant. To be fair, they had managed to capture a huge bunch of criminals, fugitives, and even hidden members of minor evil cults, showing howpetent they were, but there was nothing that addressed his current concerns. Roel was a little disappointed after hearing Cynthia¡¯s report, but then again, he hadn¡¯t expected much out of this in the first ce. Ascart City was firmly under the control of the Ascarts. If Roel were the enemy, he wouldn¡¯t have made any reckless move that could have rmed him either. ¡°¡­You did well. Keep up the good work. Make sure to maintain the highest level of vignce. Check every single person entering the city. Don¡¯t let anything suspicious slip past your notice.¡± Roelplimented the two heretical sects for their hard work over thest two days before telling them to rest up. After the others left the study room, he took a moment to reflect on the current situation. Overall, the intelligence he had on hand was stillcking. The Spiritsense Hatchling¡¯s injuries suggested that there might be a malevolent being in the vicinity, but there weren¡¯t any clues as to who and where they were. No enemies had been found inside the city either. It had already been three days since he received Artasia¡¯s warning, but he didn¡¯t even know who he was up against. ¡­ What was absolutely necessary in the initial construction phase of a city? There were varying answers to this question depending on the era. There was a time in the distant past when all that was required were wooden branches, fertilend, and Sia¡¯s blessing, but it had since evolved into ¡®the approval of the ruling family, capital, and the ability to self-defend¡¯ in the present era. The ability to self-defend was closely linked to the presence of a military force. A military force was essential for security reasons so that the popce could go about their daily tasks without fearing for their lives. As a matter of fact, the first few cities to pop up in the early days of the Third Epoch were founded by military forces, serving as fortresses against demonic beasts. The other aspect of it was the fortress barrier. Fortress barriers were defensive magic tools developed in the early years of the Third Epoch, and they had helped humankind survive its darkest period. Ascart City, with nearly a millennium behind it, naturally had fortress barriers too. ¡°Lord Brother, this is the most valuable item of our Ascart City?¡± ¡°Mmhm. At least for individual assets, there¡¯s nothing more valuable than a fortress magic tool.¡± Roel and Alicia stood atop the city wall, gazing down on the experts who were carefully calibrating massive fortress magic tools under the watch of countless soldiers. Anna and the other aides of the Ascart House, who were standing behind the duo, looked a little nervous too. Even Roel had never seen Ascart City¡¯s fortress barrier before, let alone the others. This barrier served as ast resort, only to be deployed when the city was on the verge of copse. Throughout thest thousand years, it had only been deployed a couple of times. On the one hand, the Ascart Fiefdom rarely faced any aggression from surrounding states. Its superior military might did y a deterrence factor, but more than that, no one wanted to risk the Genesis Goddess Church stoking its countless worshipers to act against them. In fact, the vassal fiefs of the Saint Mesit Theocracy had been so peaceful over the years that most of their fortress barriers had grown obsolete. The Ascart Fiefdom was the only one who continued to maintain and enhance its fortress barrier, which was likely due to its military-centric take on governance. There were rumors that its barrier was second only to the Holy Capital¡¯s Angel Wings, capable of withstanding massive army spells that were intended to take out tens of thousands of troops. Of course, deploying something of such potency was bound to be expensive. Just activating the fortress barrier itself already cost a hundred thousand gold coins, and huge amounts of resources would be subsequently depleted every second. Even when left to be, the fortress barrier consumed a small fortune every year just for maintenance. Were it not for the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s swift economic development in recent years, the Ascart House could have really bankrupted itself by just deploying the fortress barrier once. That could have very well been the reason previous patriarchs of the Ascart House, in the few wars they had fought, chose to personally march onto the battlefield to confront the enemy. At least there was still a sliver of hope if they risked their lives on the battlefield. But if they deployed the fortress barrier, they would, without doubt, fall into destitution. Chapter 540，Part2: Related to Him (2)

Chapter 540£¬Part2: Rted to Him (2)

But things were different now. An oddball who actually cared about governance and economic development was born in the Ascart House. By following the economic blueprint Roel had crafted, the Ascart Fiefdom took its first step toward prosperity. Consequently, the Ascart House became wealthier than it had been in the past thousand years. Even so, deploying the exorbitant fortress barrier was still a painful decision to make for someone who had lived his life counting every penny. If not for the disastrous situation he suspected he was in, Roel would have rather personally patrolled the city walls every night. ¡°Lord Roel, we havepleted the primary calibration. Should we deploy the fortress barrier?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After spending an hour on calibration, one of the spellcasters walked up to Roel and respectfully requested hismand. Roel quietly gazed at the massive magic tool below, not saying a word. It was a long time before he raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°How much will it cost to activate that thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that it might cost a little more, since it has been a while since the fortress barrier wasst deployed. Our people estimate it to be around 150,000 gold coins¡­¡± ¡°Lord Brother!¡± Roel¡¯s body shook the moment he heard the number. His response evoked a shocked exmation from Alicia, and Anna rushed forward to support him. 150,000 gold coins? You¡¯re telling me that it costs 150,000 gold coins just to start the barrier? Roel had to take a couple of deep breaths before he finally managed to get his raging emotions under control. Even though he thought that he had already mentally prepared himself for this, he still felt like someone was scraping meat from his heart. This price was too much for him to take, especially since there was a chance that it might go to waste. Roel first looked at the dull sky above, then at the worried folks around him. He spent a moment in dilemma before finally deciding to prioritize safety. Thus, he took a deep breath. ¡°¡­Activate it, but keep the resource depletion at the minimum,¡± he said with gritted teeth. ¡°Yes, Lord Roel.¡± Upon receiving the order, the spellcaster quickly left to prepare for the deployment of the fortress barrier. Roel subconsciously averted his gaze to avoid watching the moment his 150,000 gold coins disappeared with a poof, though deep down, he understood that he had made the right decision. The safety of his loved ones naturally took precedence over material possessions like money. On top of that, he believed that there were ample reasons for him to deploy the fortress barrier. The injuries sustained by the Spiritsense Hatchling had alerted Roel to the possibility of an aerial attack. Since then, he had been thinking about how he could deal with enemies in the sky. While there were plenty of anti-aerial means on the Sia Continent, most of them weren¡¯t optimized to be utilized on the scale of an army. Large-scale aerial battles were pretty rare, after all. Of the limited army anti-aerial means, the one that boasted the greatest effectiveness was none other than the fortress barrier. Roel had to repeatedly remind himself that he had already considered all aspects of the matter and that this was the best decision he could make at hand so as to assuage his bleeding heart. Heaving a deep sigh, he turned his eyes toward the fortress barrier magic tool and prayed that this relic passed down by his ancestors would be enough to tide him through the next few days. ¡°Things should be much better once I regain my connection with Artasia and the reinforcements from the Theocracy and Rosa arrive. Just three days more¡­¡± Roel murmured under his breath. ¡­ While Roel was doing everything he could to assuage the unease he felt, in the distant eastern border where the Knight Kingdom¡¯s Saint Fran Fortress stood, a heavily-armored knight gazed out of the bedroom window, feeling perplexed by her recent bouts of nervousness. It had been half a year since Wilhelmina arrived on the barren eastern border. When she first arrived here, she often felt tense and couldn¡¯t sleep well at night, knowing just how close she was to the battlefield. But after having been through several bloody battles, she had started to adapt to life on the frontlines. The frontlines were a ce where the most primitivew of nature, ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯, thrived in its full gore. The weak were mercilessly gutted while the strong were decorated with medals of glory. As a knight of humankind, Wilhelmina had sworn to protect her race with her life, which was why she always gave her 120% on the battlefield. There was hardly any time for her to stop and ponder things, which made it baffling that she had started feeling nervous all of a sudden. Is it overexertion? Have you been feeling stressed recently? In a strikingly minimalistic room inside the fortress, Teresa patiently listened to Wilhelmina¡¯s problem before scribbling down a few probing questions in her notebook. Her tightly pressed lips indicated her worry for her close friend. Wilhelmina Cambonyte¡¯s reputation was enormous in humankind¡¯s united army. Last autumn, in the very firstrge-scale battle against the deviants, there was a fatal mimunication among the different armies stationed at the frontlines. It created an opening that the deviants wasted no time exploiting. In this critical situation, Wilhelmina stepped forward and covered the opening. She fended off the deviants before swiftly leading the Knight Kingdom¡¯s army on a counterattack. Her strategic cavalry assaults on the enemy¡¯s nks dispersed the enemy¡¯s forces, allowing humankind to turn the tables and achieve a resounding victory. That battle shot Wilhelmina to stardom. Many soldiers on the frontlines came to learn her name and started paying attention to her. As her achievements grew, she came to be known as one of the Three Heroines of the Eastern Border, where she was put on the same pedestal as the Austine Empire¡¯s Imperial Princess Lilian and the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Princess Nora. No matter how unfazed Wilhelmina was toward such matters, it was hard for her not to be weighed down by the expectations that others pinned on her. In the first ce, she had always beenpetitive from a young age, refusing to admit defeat to anyone else. That was also what Teresa suspected to be the cause of her nervousness. Wilhelmina quietly pondered that possibility. Momentster, she shook her head. ¡°Probably not. There were barely any fights in winter. It shouldn¡¯t be exhaustion or stress.¡± Are you certain? ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to lie about this.¡± If that¡¯s the case¡­ the only other reason I can think of is that you¡¯re bothered by his intimate rtionship with the others. ¡°!¡± Those words written on the notebook had Wilhelmina widening her eyes. She subconsciously averted her gaze, and the room plunged into silence. Teresa quietly stowed away her little notebook before heaving a quiet sigh. A year had passed since the Challenger Cup. Within this year, Wilhelmina had changed at a pace faster than she did in the past decade, be it in terms of her personality, appearance, or strength. The reason behind all these changes could be traced back to a single person¡ªRoel Ascart. In that spectacr fight that had captured the world¡¯s attention, Roel had, with his own hands, shattered the shackles binding Wilhelmina. That was also the event that spurred the two of them to resolve their differences and be both friends andrades. That would have been a beautiful tale of blossoming friendship¡­ if not for the fact that Teresa knew that Wilhelmina¡¯s heart hadn¡¯t been calm since then. The Dawnbringer Order might have been an immature organization, but it was still the fruit of Wilhelmina¡¯sbor. Yet, when Roel requested a merger, she didn¡¯t hesitate to ept his offer and even gave up the leadership position. Admittedly, Rose of Dawn was much more inclusive, which enabled it to wield influence and power far beyond what the Dawnbringer Order could have ever hoped to attain. Nevertheless, it was still bewildering how Wilhelmina had entrusted everything to Roel without any reservation. This was at odds with Wilhelmina¡¯s ¡®conservative to the point of being inflexible¡¯ personality. It wasn¡¯t too hard for Teresa, who had been Wilhelmina¡¯s older sister for many years, to fathom her underlying feelings. However, Wilhelmina stubbornly refused to admit to it. ¡°I¡­ am only his friend andrade. His rtionships are none of my concern,¡± Wilhelmina replied with a low voice after a long moment of silence. She shot to her feet to flee, as if she could escape from her feelings that way. Teresa heaved yet another sigh as she grabbed Wilhelmina¡¯s hand to stop her. All of a sudden, another thought surfaced in her mind, and she quickly scribbled on her notebook. Could your nervousness be rted to his circumstances? Chapter 541，Par1: Inseparable Relationship (1)

Chapter 541£¬Par1: Inseparable Rtionship (1)

Wilhelmina¡¯s body stiffened when she saw the words written in Teresa¡¯s notebook. Her orange eyes slowly began to widen. Seeing that her point had gotten through, Teresa put down her notebook and contemted the possibility of what she had just brought up. Even though Roel had made it clear that he wouldn¡¯t take Wilhelmina as his scapegoat during the Challenger Cup, it still didn¡¯t change the fact that she had worn the armor for a long time¡­ not to mention that she was still wearing the armor for reasons she was unwilling to admit. The armor had failed to fulfill its purpose when Roel first awakened the Kingmaker Bloodline, but since their meeting a year ago, Wilhelmina had been able to vaguely sense Roel¡¯s condition through the armor. In fact, it had been affecting her emotions over the past year. Not too long ago, she had fallen into an extreme panic when she suddenly realized that she couldn¡¯t sense Roel¡¯s presence anymore. Her mood severely undermined her performance on the battlefield. It was only when an emergency report from Rose of Dawn arrived and informed her about Roel¡¯s victory over Flooding Death that her heart was finally set at ease. Her current bouts of nervousness were different from what she had previously felt from Roel, but it was definitely possible for the two matters to be linked. The armor she was wearing was an old relic built on unknown technology, and there were still many mysteries surrounding it despite attempts to decipher it. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for it to have unexpected abilities. The two women fell into deep thought. Wilhelmina stood at attention while Teresa fiddled with her quill. ¡°Do you really think that it¡¯s possible? It¡¯s one thing for me to sense his physical condition, but can something as abstract as emotions really be shared? If your vow can bring the two of you together across dimensions, I don¡¯t see why it¡¯s incapable of telepathy. ¡°Theoretically speaking, yes, but¡­¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s voice trailed off halfway through her words. Teresa scribbled on her notebook once more and lifted it up. If it isn¡¯t a problem on his side, could your nervousness really be due to those two princesses? ¡°No, I¡¯m certain that it¡¯s not because of them. The three of us have different responsibilities. There¡¯s not much topare among us.¡± Wilhelmina shook her head, decisively refuting the stress hypothesis. Teresa thought that her reply made sense. The three femalemanders who were currently contributing the most on the frontlines were Noyce Fortress¡¯ Lilian Ackermann, Tark Stronghold¡¯s Nora Xeclyde, and Saint Fran Fortress¡¯ Wilhelmina Cambonyte. All three of them were from Saint Freya Academy, and they were of simr ages and positions. Even in terms of appearance, there was no clear winner among the three of them. It was only normal for the soldiers on the frontlines topare them given the simrities they shared, but in truth, each of them took on vastly different roles on the battlefield. There was no doubt that Lilian Ackermann was the strongest among them, having reached Origin Level 2. But based on her aplishments thus far, her greatest strengthy in defense. Her strategic maneuvering of the armies and fortresses she summoned through her Kingdom Origin Attribute made her the most resilient shield of humankind. Under her leadership, despite Noyce Fortress¡¯ disastrousck of geographical advantages, it still turned into an impregnable stronghold capable of fending off enemy forces that were several timesrger. Nora Xeclyde was thetest among them to reach Origin Level 3, but she wielded the greatest group offense capability. In particr, her strength shone in frontal battles in open spaces. Any enemy who came into contact with the terrifying assimtion power of her Angel King Bloodline was doomed to crumble away. In the battles beforest autumn, she had been able to obliterate the enemy¡¯s defenses with a singlerge-scale offense spell. What was even more frightening was how the Theocracy¡¯s army was unaffected by the Angel King¡¯s power, allowing them to charge fearlessly amidst the rain of golden mana. A one-sided ughter ensued. Last but not least, Wilhelmina Cambonyte was the one with the most bnced stats among the three, but that didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t have any outstanding strengths. She was a terrifying monster when it came to single-point pration breakthroughs. Thebination of her Swordheart and Dragon Bloodline granted her frightening prative prowess that made her an unstoppable force despite only being at Origin Level 3. The ssic example of how her strength came into y was how she and her knights dispersed the enemy forces with their fearless charge, turning around a disadvantageous situation. It was futile topare the achievements of the trio when each of them possessed vastly different capabilities. In fact, most of the soldiers on the frontlines simply rooted only for their own people. After much thought, Wilhelmina was forced to concede that it was likely that her bouts of nervousness stemmed from Roel¡¯s side, but she had no idea what she could do about it. She hesitated to even write a letter to ask about it. Haven¡¯t you written to him before? ¡°I did, but those were work correspondence. We have never exchanged any personal letters.¡± ¡­ Teresa¡¯s eyelids twitched. How was she supposed to respond to something like that? On the other hand, Wilhelmina felt distressed. Nora or Lilian could have directly written a letter straight to Roel to ask about it, but she thought that it was inappropriate for her to do the same. She would have been acting more intimate with him than they were supposed to be. ¡°We are only friends, and it has been a year since west met. To write to him all of a sudden¡­ It¡¯s one thing if my gut feeling is right, but he would be very confused if that¡¯s not the case.¡± You¡¯re not wrong, but Mina, those two wouldn¡¯t even consider that. ¡°¡­It¡¯s different. One is his childhood friend; the other is his bloodline kin. I am only an outsider,¡± Wilhelmina replied with a tinge of bitterness in her voice. Teresa frowned. She angrily picked up her quill and hurriedly scribbled on her notebook. Outsider? What in Sia¡¯s name are you talking about? You¡¯re his guardian. You sacrificed ten years for him! ¡°But I didn¡¯t do anything for him. I should have protected him back when he was still weak, but I failed to find him. Even when we were in the academy, I only caused him more trouble by trying to enforce my selfish philosophy on him.¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s head hung even lower. . Teresa¡¯s quill screeched to a halt. She didn¡¯t know what she could write to console the armored woman with grayish-blue hair before her. To Wilhelmina, Roel was not someone whom she could carelessly approach. The Kingmaker n was a special existence to the sequestered houses of the Knight Kingdom. Their children grew up with stories depicting the Kingmaker n¡¯s heroic exploits and sacrifices, and they were taught that these were the people whom they ought to serve. At its core, the Knight Kingdom was a country founded by and developed for the Kingmaker n. Wilhelmina, despite being the princess of the Knight Kingdom, was raised as a guard and a scapegoat for Roel. It wasn¡¯t just her duty but her raison d''¨ºtre. This inculcated a sense of inferiority in her regarding Roel, forcing their rtionship into that of a liege and a subordinate. Teresa wouldn¡¯t have thought that there was anything wrong about this had it been in the past. She herself also carried a fair amount of respect for Roel, but after bing cognizant about Wilhelmina¡¯s feelings, she knew that their current dynamic wouldn¡¯t work out. The distance that naturally formed between those two as a result of their unequal rtionship would make it impossible for anything to blossom between them. Yet another sigh escaped from Teresa¡¯s lips. Wilhelmina¡¯s heart began filling with worry. If the cause of her nervousness was really Roel, could this mean that he had encountered some kind of trouble? It¡¯s possible, but he should be in his fiefdom right now. ¡°That means that it isn¡¯t the deviants¡¯ doing. Could it be the evil cultists, then?¡± Wilhelmina suggested. Teresa gave it some thought before nodding in agreement. After some discussion, the two of them decided to request an audience with Friedrich Cambonyte, the king of the Knight Kingdom and Wilhelmina¡¯s father, to report the matter. Meanwhile, in the distant Ascart Fiefdom, Roel¡¯s circumstances turned for the worse. Chapter 541.2: Inseparable Relationship (2)

Chapter 541.2: Inseparable Rtionship (2)

¡­ On the Sia Continent, New Year¡¯s Day marked the middle of winter. Nights were the longest at this time of the year. It was normal to wake to a dark sky, and sunset urred much earlier than usual. It was onlyte afternoon, but a candle had already been lit in the study room of the Ascarts¡¯ manor. Thus far, Roel had already done as much as he could to prepare for the uing crisis, so he decided to turn his attention back toward raising his own strength. He had already reached his bottleneck as an Origin Level 3 transcendent during his battle with Flooding Death. If he could make a breakthrough to Origin Level 2, he would be in a much safer position. But the stronger a transcendent was, the more troublesome it was to make a breakthrough. Roel wasn¡¯t so naive as to think that he could advance to Origin Level 2 just by reading books at home. All it could do was reinforce his mana¡ªthough it did have the added effect of calming his mind too. That was something he direly needed right now. It was no longer just the inexplicable unease that was torturing him, but the heartache from having squandered a huge fortune too. He had spent the day walking around Ascart City with Alicia, browsing through all avable defensive mechanisms at his disposal and forking out exorbitant sums to activate them. As one would have expected from an established military powerhouse, the Ascart Fiefdom had a substantial stockpile of defensive equipment. The ancestors of the Ascart House had been exceedingly diligent when it came to the construction of defensive infrastructure, and they were highly meticulous about maintaining and upgrading them too. The Ascart House¡¯s current defensive capability, after activating all of its defensive mechanisms, wasparable to the sturdiest fortress on the eastern border. Employing so many defensive measures when there wasn¡¯t even an enemy in sight was a sheer extravagance. Many officials andmanders couldn¡¯t understand why Roel was doing this. Even so, in view of the spectacr foresight Roel had demonstrated time and time again, there was not a single person who opposed his actions. It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that Roel was the one who earned the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s money, so it seemed only right for him to be able to spend it. Besides, there was no need for them to try to dissuade him when he was the one most conflicted about it. Roel nearly cked out when he saw the consolidated expenditure sheet reflecting an expense exceeding 200,000 gold coins. It was a relief that Alicia quickly stepped forward to support him, or else he might have been out cold now. That huge sum of money could have easily covered a year of expenses for a smaller country, but he had actually spent it all within a single day. While the subsequent cost of maintaining the magic tools would be much lower, it would still pose a significant burden to the Ascart Fiefdom. A question naturally arose in his mind: Will my fiefdom go bankrupt? It wasmonce for fiefdoms to go bankrupt from war. Someone who was as sensitive to money as Roel wouldn¡¯t possibly overlook that issue. ¡°How long can we sustain this rate of resource depletion?¡± ¡°Lord Roel, based on our estimates, we should be able to sustain it for around half a month. Anything exceeding that would be beyond the fiefdom¡¯s financial ability to bear,¡± the finance official replied with a pained look. ¡°¡­I understand,¡± Roel replied with a nod, holding back the urge he had to burst into tears. For the time being, he decided to operate the defensive magic tools for three days. Artasia should have returned by then, and the reinforcements from Rosa and the Holy Capital would arrive shortly after that. With that, he could put an end to this money-burning operation. Roel sighed under his breath,menting how exhausting of a break it had been for him. He felt terribly indignant about how disaster kept hurtling in his direction when he hadn¡¯t done anything at all. All of a sudden, Alicia knocked on the door and walked in. ¡°¡­Lord Brother, are you still browsing through historical records?¡± ¡°Mmhm. Is anything the matter?¡± Roel asked. Alicia¡¯s arrival came as a surprise to him. While she often randomly popped by his study room to work or rest beside him, she was tactful enough to refrain from disturbing him while he was at work or advancing his strength. Her usual beaming smile had been reced by a frown that suggested that she had encountered a tough problem. Roel patiently waited for her to raise her problem, but there was no follow-up. Alicia seemed to be deep in her thoughts. Unable to stand the suspense, he took the initiative to ask. ¡°Alicia, did something happen? You look like you have something on your mind.¡± ¡°¡­Lord Brother, I also feel like something is amiss.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up. He put his book down and looked at Alicia with a serious expression. She was a high transcendent too, not to mention that she possessed the powerful Silverash Child Bloodline. It wouldn¡¯t be out of ce for her to have sensed something too. But if that¡¯s truly the case, why is Alicia¡¯s intuition only sending her a warning now? Could it be due to a gap in our strength? Or is she sensing something different from mine? Roel worriedly beckoned Alicia over, and thetter slowly walked over to the study table. ¡°Alicia, are you feeling uneasy like me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it, Lord Brother¡­ I don¡¯t know how to put it, but I feel like my power is being influenced by something.¡± ¡°Your power is being influenced by something.¡± Roel frowned. He was struggling to grasp what Alicia was trying to express. Alicia has a Bloodline Origin Attribute, so there¡¯s no entity above who can influence her. She also boasts a strong immunity against spells as a high transcendent. Theoretically speaking, it is improbable for her powers to be limited in a safe zone like the Ascart manor¡­ Wait a moment. A possibility suddenly urred to Roel. He shot to his feet and rushed to the window to look at the sky above. Alicia followed him over and did the same, only to widen her eyes in shock. It was moments after the onset of evening, and it should have taken at least an hour more for the dim sky topletely darken. Yet, the sky was alreadypletely ck, as if someone had smeared it with ink. But the most shocking thing about this situation was the disappearance of the moon. That was also the reason Alicia was feeling unwell. ¡°Lord Brother, that is¡­!¡± ¡°Looks like this is the cause of your hindered powers.¡± Roel¡¯s face slowly darkened. He put on the sses Alicia had previously given him and saw that the sky was covered in a purple hue¡ªa sign that indicated that it was concentrated with mana. He had been paying attention to the sky ever since the Spiritsense Hatchling sustained injuries during its scouting. Out of concern, he even overcame his miserliness to activate the fortress magic tool. Who could have thought that the worst-case scenario would be realized so quickly? He didn¡¯t know what the phenomenon in the sky represented, but he knew for sure that it didn¡¯t bode well. He frowned, knowing that they were in a disastrous situation. Typically speaking, there were only two possibilities behind such a severe distortion of nature. The first possibility wasrge-scale army spells. When multiple magician orders simultaneously channeled their spells and bombarded the battlefield with their spells, there was bound to be a spike in the surrounding mana, and the aftermath was widespread devastation. Had that been the case, Roel would have been nervous but not unnerved. It was a pity that it clearly wasn¡¯t the case. The Ascart Fiefdom was so tightly guarded that even its forests had demonic beasts prowling around to rat out enemy soldiers. It was downright impossible for the enemy to sneak an entire magician order inside. That left only the second possibility: it was the doing of an individual. It could have been a bloodline ability, a powerful spell catalyzed by a potent magic tool, or a convoluted ritual that promised disaster when its extreme conditions were met. The effects of the spell werepletely unknown at this point, making it much harder to deal with. Roel glowered at the pitch-ck sky as he considered strategies against the enemy. On the other hand, Alicia clutched her chest as doubt seeped into her eyes. There was no doubt that the phenomenon in the sky was affecting her power, but her instincts told her that there was more to the situation than just that. It was understandable if the disappearance of the moon had weakened her, but in truth, her strength was fluctuating instead. The asional rise in her strength didn¡¯t make sense at all. Alicia was perplexed, but she decided not to burden Roel with this piece of information after seeing the grim look on his face. Her asional rise in power was beneficial to the situation anyway; she would just have to investigate the matter in the future. She looked at the sky and focused her attention on sensing the disappeared moon. Meanwhile, in the sky above the Ascart Fiefdom, a sinister ck silhouette shed across the clouds, bringing boundless darkness with it toward where Roel stood. Chapter 542.1: Commencement of War (1)

Chapter 542.1: Commencement of War (1)

Don¡¯t you think that there¡¯s something weird about the skies above? This was the mostmon topic in Ascart City in recent days. Chatting about the weather was a real pastime on the Sia Continent. It was an easy topic to understand, allowing most people to participate in the conversation, not to mention that it was highly relevant to their daily lives too. Such had been the case in Roel¡¯s previous life too. It was not just news about groundbreaking scientific breakthroughs, but news relevant to the popce that became viral. In Ascart City, the topic was the longer-than-usual nights. Three days ago, while the popce was still enjoying the afterglow from the New Year¡¯s Day festivities, the sky suddenly dimmed. Since then, the days had gotten much shorter. The sun would only appear near noon and swiftly vanish when evening arrived. The popce initially attributed it to the longer nights in winter¡ªit wasn¡¯t umon for there to be afternoons where it looked like the sun hadn¡¯t risen yet in the face of bad weather¡ªbut it soon became apparent that something was off when the sky remained dark despite the absence of snow and rain. Worse still, even the stars and the moon vanished without a trace. It was almost as if someone had cast a veil over the sky. The severely shortened daytime disrupted the work-life cycle of the popce. Streetlights had to remain lit for far longer hours. Many theories began floating around the popce. The locals who had grown up in the Ascart Fiefdom were more optimistic about the situation, choosing not to let the phenomenon bother them too much. Some of them even thought of it as an interesting, whimsical event. While the Ascart House had not always been able to bring them prosperity, it had never faltered in ensuring the safety and livelihood of its people. The Ascarts¡¯ powerful army gave them the confidence to stand upright even in the face of danger. In contrast, those who had just immigrated to the Ascart Fiefdom were much more pessimistic. One didn¡¯t have to be well educated to understand that such a climate didn¡¯t bode well, not to mention that spending a long time in darkness could be incredibly stifling. A long queue had formed in front of the cathedral at the city center, where concerned citizens queried the clergymen about the cause behind the phenomenon in the sky. The clergymen, who had liaised with the Ascarts about this matter, did their best to assuage the people¡¯s worries and maintain order. Unfortunately, there were also believers of the apocalypse who went around preaching about the end of the world, spreading fear and panic. Whispers about ¡®Sia¡¯s Retribution¡¯ and whatnot spread through the alleys and the shadows. Roel knew better than to show mercy to such people. He did support free speech, as someoneing from the modern world, but at the same time, he knew the dangers of allowing falsehoods to take root at a critical time like this. Weighing the pros and cons, it was clear what he ought to prioritize here. It was a good thing that the severe crackdown he had ordered before New Year¡¯s Day hadnded many criminals in jail, so there wasn¡¯t a huge spike in crimes despite the rippling unease. However, it would be too optimistic to expect the situation to remain this stable in the long term. There was a limit to how much a person could take. The persistent darkness felt oppressive even to transcendents, let alone ordinary civilians. Unease would swiftly spread amongst the popce once the initial curiosity died down, and this could culminate in something disastrous. Roel had read about enough precedents to understand the underlying dangers, but he wasn¡¯t too worried about it. He knew that the monster lurking in the sky couldn¡¯t wait that long. In the Ascarts¡¯ manor, Roel stared at the undting darkness with glowing golden eyes, his tightly clenched fists reflecting his extreme vignce. Over the past three days, the Ascart Fiefdom had grown progressively darker as an invisible pressure from above intensified. He could feel it. It was nearing its breaking point. He had been keeping a close eye on the mana concentration through the sses he had received as a gift from Alicia. From its initial purplish tinge, it hade to mirror the pitch-ck environment outside. It was inly obvious that the enemy was up to something, but he chose not to make a move. Through hismunication with Grandar and Peytra, he learned that the enemy was trying to construct their domain. The term ¡®domain¡¯ would have been foreign to the transcendents of the present era, since they could freely cast spells without relying on such rituals. The only time domains were summoned nowadays was during church rites, but even those were only for symbolic purposes. Of course, the domain that was being summoned by the enemy this time around was not just for show. It was a bloodline awakening ritual, and its target wasn¡¯t a human. ¡°They are nning to awaken a being possessing a god¡¯s bloodline¡­ That¡¯ll be a troublesome adversary to deal with.¡± Peytra deduced the enemy¡¯s ploy upon sensing the peculiar aura. The highest existences on the Sia Continent were the gods, but unlike what was foretold in the legends, they weren¡¯t immortal beings with an eternity lying ahead of them. As eras passed and the environment changed, they slowly faded out of existence. But just like how the High Elves, the Angels, and the other ancient races preserved their lineages through humans, some of the powerful malevolent ones prolonged their existence by finding mediums capable of harnessing their powers and endowing them with their bloodline. The only difference was that those who had inherited the bloodline of the malevolent ones weren¡¯t allowed to live their own lives. The malevolent ones treated these inheritors as spare avatars, controlling their bodies as if they were their own. While it was a vile manner of existence, it allowed the malevolent ones to circumvent the inevitable senescence and survive through the ages. These surviving malevolent onester came to be termed ¡®Fallens¡¯. ¡°I can smell the stench of the Fallens even from down here. It¡¯s so repulsive that it makes me want to throw up,¡± Roel murmured with a slight frown. From the moment he confirmed the identity of the enemy, he also found the answers to the questions he had harbored all this while. The discovery of the Collector in the Austine Empire¡¯s northern forest was indeed a ploy. The goal was to draw the attention of the two Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns closest to Roel, thus creating an opening for the Fallens to attack Roel at the ce where he thought that he would be safe. It was a thorough feint meticulously prepared over months, ounting even for Roel and the others¡¯ skepticism. And now, the ploy had reached its final phase. ¡°They must be the ones interfering with Artasia¡¯s passageway,¡± Roel said grimly. The Fallens had prepared this borate scheme with the goal of taking Roel down. Everything would have been for naught if they stumbled at the final step, which was why they had to take steps to ensure that the ritual wouldn¡¯t be disrupted halfway through. For that, it was necessary that they sealed off Artasia even if they had to pay a hefty price for it. The ritual was currently being channeled in the open as if taunting Roel that he couldn¡¯t do anything about it, but in truth, Artasia could have easily unraveled it if she had been present. Spells and rituals fell under the Witch Queen¡¯s jurisdiction, after all. Without Artasia, Roel wouldn¡¯t be able to unravel the enemy¡¯s domain even with Ascendwing. ¡°Forget it; it¡¯s futile to fuss over the details now,¡± Roel muttered with a sigh before turning around to face Cynthia and the others. ¡°Holy Son, we have finished preparing the bunkers inside the city. Should we¡­¡± Cynthia asked with a respectful bow. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s about time. Ring the war rms andmence evacuation,¡± Roel ordered with a nod. With a much darker tone, he added, ¡°War ising.¡± ¡­ On the third day following the darkening of the sky above the Ascart Fiefdom, the Ascarts rang the war rm and ordered a mass evacuation. The popce was baffled. In their view, the darkening sky phenomenon was an annoyance, but they were still able to go about their daily lives. It was not as if a huge army had marched up to their borders to invade them. They couldn¡¯tprehend why the war rms had been rung. This abrupt evacuation piqued the dissatisfaction of the people, especially since it was a huge disruption to their daily lives. However, in view of Roel¡¯s prestige and recent decisive moves, no one dared to openly defy him yet. It was not on a whim that Roel chose to order the people to evacuate today. He was certain that the monster in the sky had already taken shape and was about to emerge from the clouds. The other high transcendents could also tell this from the asional massive silhouette flickering amidst the darkness. All it took was a single spark for a full-blown war tomence. Roel also found the culprit who had injured the Spiritsense Hatchling back then¡ªit was a demonic beast that had been prowling in the dark sky. It had red eyes and a ck body, resembling a hybrid between a hawk and a crow. Neither Roel nor Alicia recognized that ominous-looking demonic beast. Peytra was unfamiliar with it too. Much to everyone¡¯s surprise, it was the reticent Grandar who addressed their doubts. Chapter 542.2: Commencement of War (2)

Chapter 542.2: Commencement of War (2)

¡°It¡¯s a Death Crow, a demonic beast that thrives on the souls of the deceased. I have a rough idea who our enemies are,¡± Grandar said with a deep voice. The Fallens, particrly those whose history traced back to the ancient era, were powerful beings who fell into depravity under the Savior¡¯s influence. Just like the Treant High Priest, most of them remained extremely powerful despite suffering from the senescence of time. The Wingman n, also known as the Eaglets, were known for their flight prowess back in the ancient era. They shared many characteristics with their avian brethren, from their wings and sharp talons to their feathers. While they weren¡¯t as proficient in using mana as the angels, there was no race who could match them in terms of flight speed and aerial maneuverability. They were unquestionably the king of the sky. Following the disappearance of Goddess Sia, the Sia Continent was divided between the leadership of the Savior and the Mother Goddess. As the n closest to the sun, the Wingman n naturally sided with the Savior, who was otherwise known as the Sun God. Unfortunately, their choice led to their sumbing to the Savior¡¯s depravity and descending into madness. That effectively made them the Savior¡¯s cannon fodder, dooming their n to slowly spiral down the abyss of destruction. ¡°Only the wingmen guarding the Savior¡¯s divine temple are able to tame the Death Crows. It looks like our enemies are the remnants of the wingmen,¡± Grandar said grimly. Roel¡¯s expression turned grave too. He detested dealing with the ancient races, particrly since these existences had lived for thousands of years and were bound to possess means beyond the imagination of the current generation of transcendents. Most importantly of all, he knew very little about them. The wingmen had to be powerful adversaries, or else the Collector wouldn¡¯t have dispatched them here to deal with him. But Roel, who had the aid of his ancient gods, still had a chance of emerging victorious from this conflict. What else did the Collector prepare to ensure my downfall? Is it another divine artifact from the ancient era? Or is it some kind of spell I have never seen before? Roel shook his head to clear away the heaviness in his heart. He turned his attention toward the ground and ordered his men to hasten the evacuation. Thanks to his predecessors¡¯ obsession with warfare, Ascart City had many defense measures in case it ever got invaded. There were so many bunkers installed throughout the city that they could house the entire poption even after the recent inflow of people. Roel turned his attention back to the sky and began channeling his mana. It was already toote for him to shatter the divine domain in the sky, but he could at least re-establish his connection with Artasia before the battle began. Slowly, as he channeled mana toward his Origin Attribute, his passageway with the Witch Queen began to recover. At this rate, I should be able to restore our passageway byte night, Roel estimated. . Behind him, an armored Alicia quietly sensed her peculiar condition once more. ¡°Lord Brother, the mana pulsations from the sky are growing stronger. It looks like the enemy will be making a move today,¡± she remarked. ¡°I think so too,¡± Roel replied. ¡°It won¡¯t be an easy fight, but at least I¡¯ll be fighting alongside Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Regarding that, Alicia, I hope to entrust the defense of Ascart City to you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alicia was confused. It took a while before she finally grasped the underlying meaning behind Roel¡¯s words, and she widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Lord Brother, are you nning to head out of the city?¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. It¡¯s too dangerous! We have already invoked Ascart City¡¯s fortress barrier. There¡¯s no need for you to take such a risk¡­¡± ¡°Even the strongest of barriers have their limits. Besides, I won¡¯t be able to let loose fighting inside the city.¡± Roel shook his head, showing no inclinations of changing his mind at all. Alicia fell silent. The fortress barrier, as powerful as it was, had a breaking point, and it was likely that the enemy could ovee this breaking point in the uing battle. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, they were bound to have ways to circumvent it. It was too optimistic to think that the fortress barrier could protect Roel. The Collector wouldn¡¯t have taken such a huge risk by revealing his own whereabouts, only to be foiled by a mere fortress barrier. In the first ce, Roel had only activated the fortress barrier in order to protect his people. It was never his intention to hole himself up inside the barrier, especially since he would have his hands tied fighting inside the city too. Alicia hesitated upon hearing Roel¡¯s request. She understood that this was a logical course of action, but that didn¡¯t make this move any less risky. Roel stepped forward and embraced Alicia. ¡°They have gone this far to bring me down here; the barrier won¡¯t be able to stop them for long. Rather than implicating our people in this fight, I might as well confront them outside. At least I¡¯ll have more room to maneuver that way.¡± ¡°But if something happens¡­¡± ¡°If worsees to worst, I¡¯ll flee. I doubt that the enemy has the strength to stop me,¡± Roel said confidently. Alicia lowered her head to consider Roel¡¯s words. Thus far, Roel had always confronted his enemies head-on, so she had instinctively forgotten about other possibilities. Indeed, he wouldn¡¯t die just because he was outmatched by his enemy. There was much more to a fight than just that. Grandar¡¯s superior strength allowed him to barge through any obstacles. Peytra¡¯s absolute control over the earth granted him the option to maneuver underground if he was cornered. If needed, he could also employ his Crown¡¯s Stones to impede his enemy. His frost aura and dusk-yellow wind worked well as barriers. In contrast, Roel would only be distracted by his own people if he stayed in the city. From such a perspective, it seemed much more rational for Roel to head outside the city and do as he pleased. His chances of survival were much higher that way. Weighing the pros and cons, Alicia eventually gave a consenting nod. Roel breathed a sigh of relief as well, knowing that there was someone to take care of the city. He knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to hold back against the Fallens. The Collector had a good grasp of his abilities; the people he dispatched for this assault were bound to be beyond his current means to deal with. It was fortunate that the Fallens didn¡¯t have much of an interest in anything other than the Kingmaker n, which meant that they were unlikely to go after Ascart City if Roel confronted them outside. That put Roel¡¯s mind at ease. There was no greater encouragement to him than the knowledge that the people he cherished could ovee the uing ordeal. Time passed in a sh amidst the busy preparation. Soon, the battle finallymenced. ¡­ The people of Ascart City usually weed nightfall, knowing that they could finally enjoy a warm meal at home after a busy day at work. After dinner, they would either spend some idle time with their family or head to a nearby tavern for merrymaking. Regardless, it was time for them to unwind and let loose. But today, the people of Ascart City didn¡¯t get to enjoy their precious moment of rxation. They had been evacuated to cramped bunkers reinforced by magic, where they had no choice but to impatiently wait for news outside. Not even the older folks who had spent their life in Ascart City had any recollection of the war rms ever being rung. It had enjoyed peace and stability for so many years that the people had grown ignorant of the terror of war. Yet, even with their dulled sense of danger, they vaguely understood that this was a peculiar situation. Shortly after the ringing of the war rms, they felt an inexplicable weight piling on their hearts. Instinctively, they understood that it was exerted by the pitch-ck sky above them. It started with a thunderous rumble, followed by the roar of a furious tempest, and finally, faint eerie cries. These faint cries could have been the squawks of a crow flock or the screeches of humans in pain. They echoed coldly inside the bunkers like the whispers of a specter, sending chills down spines. It dissipated the courage of anyone who considered checking the situation outside. Panic gripped the hearts of the crowds squeezing inside the bunkers. Meanwhile, in the sky above Ascart City, the pitch-ck sky finally began flowing, revealing the true face of the enemies hiding within. Boom! A blood-colored lightning bolt zapped the dark clouds, signaling thepletion of the ritual. Blinding light enveloped the world, dyeing the surroundings a bloody hue reminiscent of the scenery of sunset. An intense blood stench choked the remaining people standing on the ground. A blood vapor slowly diffused across the city, further dyeing everything blood-red while distorting everything in sight. It was almost as if the world had gone crazy. Before the soldiers could panic, a reassuringlyposed order echoed from the city walls. ¡°Activate the barrier!¡± Intense mana pulsations rippled across Ascart City, shaking the buildings and the streets ever so slightly. With a deafening rumble, a pir of bluish-white light gushed into the sky and curved outward to form a hemispherical barrier around the city. It warded off the blood vapor. The Ascarts¡¯ soldiers heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing the barrier, but before they could recover from the shock, sinister cries suddenly filled the sky. A huge patch of cloud separated from the pitch-ck sky and dived down toward the barrier. On closer examination, the patch of cloud was actually a massive flock of creatures that bore resemnce to crows and hawks. What was eerie about them was that the sounds that escaped from their sharp beaks weren¡¯t bird squawks, but the pitiful screams of all kinds of animals. They were Death Crows, soul-siphoning birds that were widely feared in the ancient era. Backing the assault of countless such ominous creatures, a massive silhouette manifested in the sky. Chapter 543.1: The Fallens (1)

Chapter 543.1: The Fallens (1)

In this era of geographical immobility, it wasmon for people to harbor special feelings for their homnd. Their patriotism drove them to associate positive traits with their homnd that they could be proud of. . In the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s case, its greatest positive trait was its stability. Even during tumultuous times over the past thousand years, it remained steadfast as if an infallible safehouse. But today, this notion was shattered by the enemies descending from the sky. From the city walls, Roel Ascart stared at the sky with a grim expression. He had already guessed that the enemiesmanded an army simr to the Treant High Priest¡¯s me spirits, or else they would struggle to take down a major human city. The wriggling ck cloud above affirmed his guess. Death Crows had no voices of their own; their calls were the pained screams of thest soul they had devoured. Their calls were tinged with a peculiar mana resonance that disturbed the mental state, leaving anyone who heard them prone to an emotional breakdown or even insanity. Collectively, the humongous flock of Death Crows created such a dissonant orchestra that it made the world a living hellscape. Had it not been for the fortress barrier around Ascart City, the soldiers might have already suffered a mental breakdown. Roel clenched his fists, relieved by the thorough preparations he had made over thest few days. Had he not activated the fortress barrier in advance, just the voices of those monsters would have been a catastrophe for Ascart City. The Ascart Fiefdom had imed the upper hand in the first sh, but Roel didn¡¯t relish this short-term victory. He knew that things had barely gotten started. The Death Crows in the sky were more than just their cries. Their meters-long bodies harnessed strengthparable to weaker transcendents, and their sheer number promised devastating damage once they began their assault. Most importantly of all, they were just the supporting cast for tonight¡¯s battle. Shortly after the Death Crows emerged, a gargantuan silhouette emerged amidst the clouds, causing the tension to creep to a new high. It was a gargantuan ck monster whose sheer size veiled the sky. Its head looked to be a hybrid between those of a bird and a dragon, and tumors were protruding from its neck. Its blood-red eyes shone like ominous crimson stars amidst a sea of darkness. Its three sharp talons looked ready to reap the life out of anyone in its presence. The soldiers on the city wall gasped as their faces slowly drained of blood. They instinctively understood that they were faced with a being superior to them in all respects. As if their very being was acknowledging that fact, they couldn¡¯t stop their bodies from trembling at all. Humans often saw birds as docile creatures that could be domesticated, but the moment the gargantuan monster appeared, the humans inside the fortress barrier had a weird feeling that they were the ones who were being caged. This sudden identity swap spawned further terror among the people. ¡°That is a Three-legged Dracocrow, a saint beast who protected the sky back in the ancient era. It was a close ally of the Wingman n,¡± the Primordial Earth Goddess said sorrowfully. Roel widened his eyes in realization. The very first saint beasts existed even before the descent of Goddess Sia. They obeyed thews of natural selection, where the strong dominated avable resources and became stronger. Some of them even became the rulers of the world. When Goddess Sia descended, a portion of the saint beasts bowed down to the order she introduced and adopted an Origin Attribute, thus bing the first generation of saint beasts. The ones who refused to ept the new order became demonic beasts. These demonic beasts unleashed catastrophes upon the world, which prompted Goddess Sia to create the second-generation saint beasts to deal with this threat. While the first generation mainlyprised ordinary animals, the second generation was filled with hybrids created bybining multiple bloodlines together. The Three-legged Dracocrow was a hybrid that had inherited the bloodlines of the dragons and the Death Crows, and it was one of Goddess Sia¡¯s stronger creations. Its prowess was so great that it had dominated the sky even in the era of the gods. It was tasked with the responsibility of protecting the deceased and upholding their dignity. Yet, in the present era, the Three-legged Dracocrow disyed none of the nobility it had in the ancient era. Large tumors protruded from its head. Its feathers were dirty and in a mess. Its body was distorted out of shape. Its eyes were filled with madness and violence. Its fall from grace was sorrowful to watch. The guardian who had once protected the dead had ironically be the leader of the Death Crows, who desecrated the dead. Perhaps this was the kind of miserable plight that awaited all Fallens. From the moment the Three-legged Dracocrow appeared, the skeleton giant and golden-haireddy heightened their wariness. They understood that their true enemy wasn¡¯t the Three-legged Dracocrow but someone else. ¡°Even the Three-legged Dracocrow has appeared. There¡¯s no doubt who our enemy is now,¡± Peytra said. ¡°¡­Is it the Wingman Sovereign?¡± Grandar asked with a deep voice. As if to answer the doubts of the two ancient gods, a being standing at an altitude even higher than the Three-legged Dracocrowid its gaze upon Roel. ¡­ Saint beasts were the first race to rise to prominence in the ancient era. During the era of chaos before Sia descended upon the world with the gift of Origin Attributes, even the powerful angels, the giants, and the other ancient races were no match for the saint beasts. The even weaker races were nothing but food for them. Back in the ancient era, the Three-legged Dracocrow once reigned as the King of the Sky. For a long time, the Wingman n worshiped it as its guardian deity, but as the Wingman n grew stronger, their rtionship eventually changed into one of equal partners. Every generation of Wingman Sovereign would establish an alliance contract with the Three-legged Dracocrow, promising toe to each other¡¯s aid when in need. When the upper echelons of the Wingman n were implicated by the Savior¡¯s downfall, the Three-legged Dracocrow suffered a setback as well. In any case, by the virtue of the contract, the fact that this gargantuan monster had appeared here meant that the Wingman Sovereign was here as well. On the city wall, Roel sensed a piercing stare from the sky and looked back at it. His eyes peered through the clouds to gaze upon the aerial space above the gargantuan Three-legged Dracocrow, where two considerably smaller silhouettes could be seen floating in the sky. One of them was covered in a ck cloak that concealed its appearance, adding an air of mystery around it. It looked to be one of the Savior¡¯s clergymen. The other resembled an old man and had two wings sprouting from its back. Roel had previously envisioned the wingmen to be a race that bore a close resemnce to the angels, but the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s appearance brought a frown to his face. Pushing one¡¯s lifespan beyond the limit came at a cost, and the Wingman Sovereign had clearly paid the price. Its wings had been stripped of their feathers, leaving only bare white bones. Its sunken cheeks and emaciated body made it resemble an undead creature more than a living being. The wooden crown on its head emanated a dim golden light, its once-brilliant glow obscured byyers of dirt settled over countless years. Even so, Roel didn¡¯t dare to underestimate his enemy. Senescence and the changing environment had capped the Fallens¡¯ growth; they could only watch helplessly as they slowly weakened with time. Even so, the Three-legged Dracocrow and the Wingman Sovereign were Origin Level 1 transcendents. To make things worse, unlike the case of the Treant High Priest, their powers weren¡¯t curbed by Roel, thus they were even more frightening adversaries. Roel¡¯s heart sank. While he had known all along that the Fallens were powerful foes, the notion was only sinking in now that he was standing before them. The stress he felt weighed heavily on his shoulders. ¡°So, this is the trap you have prepared for me? You sure put a lot of effort into it,¡± Roel muttered under his breath. Chapter 543.2: The Fallens (2)

Chapter 543.2: The Fallens (2)

As a worrywart whose philosophy was to always prepare for the worst-case scenario, Roel wasn¡¯t caught with his pants down even though the enemy was stronger than expected. He turned his gaze to the worried young woman beside him and shed her a reassuring smile. ¡°It¡¯s about time for me to go now, Alicia.¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The enemy came prepared, but I won¡¯t be beaten down that easily. The fastest reinforcements should arrive by tomorrow. Till then, I¡¯ll be counting on you to protect Ascart City.¡± ¡°¡­Mm. I understand.¡± Alicia bit her lips and solemnly nodded. She knew that she couldn¡¯t act willful here, especially since she knew that Ascart City was not safe yet. Even though the city was under the protection of a fortress barrier, it wouldn¡¯tst long against behemoths like the Three-legged Dracocrow. After confirming their responsibilities, Roel bolted out of the fortress barrier as fast as he could to put some distance between him and Ascart City. Following that, he unleashed Peytra¡¯s dark yellow mana, exerting the authority of the first generation Queen of Saint Beasts. The aura rmed the Three-legged Dracocrow, who released a piercing screech and pped its wings in unease. However, Roel paid it no heed and continued rushing off. With Peytra¡¯s help, he was able to charge full speed ahead without worrying about obstacles. Any terrain that hindered him was swiftly ttened, and boulders were levitated from the earth to obscure his location. Thanks to that, he was able to advance smoothly. At the same time, he began to release a massive gush of frost aura. From the city, Cynthia and the others frowned when they noticed the white fog enveloping Roel¡¯s body. Having witnessed with their own eyes how the frost aura ignored enemies¡¯ defenses to encase them in eternal ice, they were familiar with how powerful cial Touch was. However, they were also aware of the spell¡¯s fatal w¡ªdistance. Existing in the form of a fog, cial Touch¡¯s frost aura struggled to reach faraway targets, especially those who were able to freely maneuver in the sky. It was a bad match for the aerial enemies they were up against. It didn¡¯t seem like a wise move on Roel¡¯s part. On the other hand, Roel stared at the enemies in the sky with glimmering eyes. He was also aware that his frost aura was unlikely to reach his enemy, but he still chose to unleash it in order to attract the attention of his enemies and force them to make a decision. He hadn¡¯t expected the Three-legged Dracocrow to appear here. If the gargantuan monster chose to target Ascart City, the fortress barrier wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it out for long. In order to protect his citizens, he had to draw its aggression and lure it away. The animosity between the Savior and the Mother Goddess cascaded to their subordinates, so the Fallens viewed the Six Cmities with utmost hatred. It was to the extent that the Fallens instinctively bared their teeth upon sensing the Six Cmities¡¯ aura. Provoked by the aura from the Crown¡¯s Stones, the Three-legged Dracocrow let out a deafening screech, and the Wingman Sovereign released a wave of terrifying mana. The dark sky slowly began to twirl, stirring a storm. The real battle was finally beginning. ¡­ The first to make a move after Roel lit the fuse of war was not the gargantuan Three-legged Dracocrow, the decrepit Wingman Sovereign, nor the specter-like clergyman. Rather, it was the crying flock of Death Crows that had been circling around the sky for some time now. Their target was Ascart City, which had souls aplenty. Despite the huge cacophony that these low-tier monsters were making, none of them were bold enough to challenge Roel. Their low intelligence only made them truer to their instincts, which prompted them to prioritize the assault on Ascart City over Roel. Amidst the pained cries of countless lifeforms, a dark cloud consisting of thousands of pitch-ck Death Crows plummeted from the sky and charged straight toward the fortress barrier, stabbing their beaks into it like javelins. In response, Alicia conjured beautiful white birds that circled merrily around her. She raised her hand, and these white birds charged toward the sky. Despite their docile appearances, as soon as they left the fortress barrier, these white birds swelled up and unleashed devastating spells that obliterated everything in their vicinity. Boom! Boom! Boom! The deafening explosions that ensued could be clearly heard from every street and alley. The bluish-white fortress barrier also shuddered under the shockwave. The Death Crows suffered heavy casualties under this bombardment, their blood and flesh dyeing the surroundings red. Yet, the surviving Death Crows disyed no fear despite the deaths of their brethren. Instead, they fought one another over possession of their souls, and the victors walked away with a significant boost in strength. Alicia¡¯splexion turned awful upon seeing that sight. Meanwhile, some of the stronger Death Crows sessfully breached the fortress barrier¡¯s defense to infiltrate the city. This was to be expected, as something on the scale of Ascart City¡¯s fortress barrier was bound to have weaknesses too. Just because the Death Crows infiltrated the fortress barrier didn¡¯t mean that they could act as they pleased, for a mysterious mana pulsation immediatelyyered multiple restriction spells on them. Some plummeted straight to the ground, making them easy targets for the soldiers. The stronger ones were left to Cynthia, Woode, and the others to deal with. But as more Death Crows breached the fortress barrier, the effectiveness of the restriction spells weakened. Before long, the Death Crows began making aeback, causing a spike in human casualties. Meanwhile, Roel began his confrontation with the Wingman Sovereign. Under the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s channeling, what started out as a twirl of wind brewed into a devastating hurricane that descended upon Roel like a divine spear. In response, Roel furiously gathered his mana to form a massive shield of ice in front of him. He then released a gush of crimson mana that swiftly manifested into a skeleton giant. A mere second after the skeleton giant picked up the shield of ice, the devastating hurricane crashed right into it. Boom! An explosion followed, but it was on a different scale from the ones produced by Alicia. A terrifying shockwave swept across the surroundings, obliterating everything in the vicinity. The ground under Roel swiftly disintegrated, but even so, the blush-white shield of ice remained unimpaired. Grandar firmly held against the attack that had an unimaginable amount of mana poured into it, but he wasn¡¯t content with just defending himself from the attack. As the impact from the first attack started to die down, the Giant Sovereign released an enraged howl, and his body started to crackle with crimson lightning. Grandar thrust his crimson fist upward like a rising dragon. With his sheer strength, he pushed back the descending hurricane and dissipated it altogether. The remnant of his might shot straight to the sky, piercing a hole through the dark clouds. Even the Wingman Sovereign had no choice but to evade such overwhelming might, though it angrily screeched against the humiliation. On the other hand, the gargantuan Three-legged Dracocrow saw an opening and rapidly descended from the sky to strike Grandar with its sharp talons. It was a wise move, for Grandar had just used up the momentum of his previous punch and had not recovered yet. This should have been a cause for panic, but Roel remained perfectly calm. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for you to make an appearance?¡± ¡°I should, shouldn¡¯t I?¡± A massive silhouette suddenly shot out from the nearby lush forest and raised its palm to deflect the massive talon. Following that, it released countless vines to tightly bind the enemy. ¡°How long has it been since Ist stretched this old trunk of mine? I should nourish myself with some alcohol once this battle is over,¡± the treant said with a smile on its wrinkled face. Chapter 544.1: The Moment of Sacrifice (1)

Chapter 544.1: The Moment of Sacrifice (1)

Strictly speaking, the Ascart Fiefdom did have an Origin Level 1 transcendent too, just one that wasn¡¯t deemed to be part of its military force¡ªAncient Treant Kayde. Ancient Treant Kayde was the oldest member of the Twilight Sages Assembly, being thousands of years old. It was only normal for its strength to have already reached the highest level, though its old age also meant that its strength had been declining due to senescence. Nevertheless, its condition was not as severe as that of the other Fallens thanks to its naturally long lifespan as a treant. Furthermore, with the help of the Primordial Earth Goddess, it was able to temporarily return to its peak. Kayde nted its roots into the ground and greedily absorbed nourishment from the earth veins. Its dull and aged trunk was swiftly charged with youthful vitality, and golden slivers of light flowed within its body. All of its attributes had been greatly enhanced. Its entrance at this critical time brought hope to Roel¡¯s side. Countless tree vines shot out from the ancient treant to hold down the Three-legged Dracocrow charging at Roel. At the same time, it sank thousands of roots into the ground, which allowed it to exert unbelievable might to pull down the gargantuan monster. The Three-legged Dracocrow hadn¡¯t expected a meddler to pop out of nowhere. It tried to force its attack through, not wanting to give up this precious chance to take down Roel, but it was simply too tightly bound by the ancient treant. Furthermore, the ancient treant was still swiftly growing; its lush branches were spreading out wide into a huge crown that covered the sky. The force of its pull only strengthened with each passing second. It was disadvantageous for Roel and Kayde to go against aerial enemies asndbound creatures. Roel could at least move around at a fast speed and even achieve temporary flight thanks to his abilities, but the bulky ancient treant couldn¡¯t do all of those. The only way out was for them to drag their enemies down and force them into a ground fight. Having realized that, Roel quickly moved to assist Kayde. Dark yellow mana flowed from his body as he channeled a spell. An immense weight suddenly crushed the Three-legged Dracocrow. Under the effects of Peytra¡¯s Gravity Spell, the gargantuan monster found itself slipping from the sky helplessly. Horrified, it let loose a deafening roar that shook the surroundings and frantically pped its wings, raising a cloud of dust into the sky. At this critical moment, the Three-legged Dracocrow suddenly opened its huge mouth and began charging up for a destructive Dragon¡¯s Breath, an ability it had inherited from its Dragon Bloodline. It was seeking to inflict fatal damage on the ancient treant. Kayde was stunned. It hadn¡¯t thought that a creature that had simply inherited a couple of bloodlines would actually be capable of Dragon¡¯s Breath. However, Roel, who was aware of the Three-legged Dracocrow¡¯s background, wasn¡¯t surprised in the least. He even had a countermeasure against this. The Crown Origin Attribute trembled, and a flood of frost aura gushed toward the gargantuan monster in the sky. The overwhelming prowess of the cier Creator easily snuffed out the charging Dragon¡¯s Breath, and the thrashing Three-legged Dracocrow found its body slowly stiffening up. cial Touch was indeed a formidable ability, but this was the limit of what Roel could do on the spur of the moment. While he was busy helping Kayde control the Three-legged Dracocrow, the knocked-back Wingman Sovereign had regained its momentum tounch a fresh wave of attack. This time around, its attack wasn¡¯t as straightforward as the previous one. The Wingman Sovereign extended its wings out wide and drew in the darkness looming in the sky around it. It was bound to have a unique ability of its own, being a powerful existenceparable to the gods, and the darkness enveloping the sky was none other than its bloodline ability. The Wingman n used to be the rulers of the sky. A manifestation of that glory, the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s bloodline had the power to control the sky, though what they controlled back in the ancient era was the clear sky. However, as their bloodline slowly got tainted under the Savior¡¯s influence, any skies they tried to exert their dominance over would turn ominously dark, as if to reflect their corruption. Nevertheless, their ability still remained shockingly powerful. Roel felt as if the entire sky had gained sentience and was starting to bare its fangs at him. Treacherous wind des silently formed in the tempest, and blood-colored lightning bolts shed across the sky like venomous serpents. The surrounding mana rushed toward the Wingman Sovereign and gathered around it, as if submitting to its control. Roel¡¯s expression turned heavy. While he hadn¡¯t harbored much hope in his being able to defeat an Origin Level 1 transcendent like the Wingman Sovereign, that didn¡¯t mean that he waspletely helpless here. After all, he did have many aces up his sleeves. However, he felt like the tides had changed. Just the earlier sh with the Wingman Sovereign had already depleted a huge portion of his mana. To continue the fight, he had to absorb mana from the surroundings, but that source had been sealed away from him. He had never thought that he could be curbed in such a manner. It didn¡¯t matter how many aces he had up his sleeves if he couldn¡¯t utilize them. Through its absolute dominion of the sky, the Wingman Sovereign deprived its enemies of their resources and slowly choked them to death. It was a simple yet highly effective tactic, and there was no way to counter it. Roel frowned. Without any warning, he turned tail and bolted off. In response, the devastating attack that had been charging in the sky all this while was released in a single breath. Boom! It took only a split instant for countless lightning bolts and wind des to ravage the ground. The Wingman Sovereign was hardly surprised by Roel¡¯s escape at all. It tirelessly unleashed attacks as if it was going to flip the ground over. All Roel could really do in response was to protect himself with ayer of frost aura. He knew that he mustn¡¯t fight in the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s domain, or else his circumstances would only worsen with time. That was the reason he chose to flee. As he got further away from the Wingman Sovereign, the mana concentration around him started to recover. Roel immediately absorbed all of the mana he could get from his surroundings to recover from his depletion, but to his shock, this seeming return to normalcy onlysted for a single second. . ¡°¡­It¡¯s futile, human.¡± ¡°!¡± An aged voice suddenly echoed directly above Roel, causing his eyes to widen in shock. In that moment, Roel¡¯s mind wentpletely nk. Even though his thoughts struggled to catch up, his body had already begun moving from sheer instinct. His mana gushed out, manifesting a humongous silhouette that immediately hurled a punch toward the sky. Boom! Grandar¡¯s fist was so powerful that it produced a sonic boom. The Wingman Sovereign was forced to retreat in a fluster. For the first time, emotions showed on its sunken face. ¡°Giants¡­ Scum of the world.¡± The Wingman Sovereign gnashed its teeth in animosity, but Roel was in no mood to delve deeper into the cause. He had noticed something else that caused his body to stiffen up. In just a few short seconds, the surrounding mana had vanished without a trace once again. ¡­ Chapter 544.2: The Moment of Sacrifice (2)

Chapter 544.2: The Moment of Sacrifice (2)

Roel had once stumbled upon ancient records detailing the Wingman n. Back then, he didn¡¯t think that there was anything too dangerous about them. The wingmencked the strong bodies of the dragons and the giants, and their mana affinity was lower than that of the angels and the high elves. In fact, their physical attributes weren¡¯t too much higher than those of the current humans. It was hard to fathom that they were a powerful n in the ancient era. Most historical records about the ancient era were disjointed, with much missing information in between, so there tended to be gaps that required inferences to be made. When Roel tried to organize information about the wingmen, he was surprised when he stumbled upon quotes like ¡®Those targeted by the Wingman Sovereign are doomed to suffer an inevitable death.¡¯ Failing to understand the context behind those words, he simply attributed it to some kind of powerful spell. It was only now that he was facing the subject of those quotes in person that he finally understood what they meant. On the night ins, Roel and the Wingman Sovereign stared at each other from afar with awful looks on their faces. To the Fallens, the servants of the Savior, the Giant Sovereign protecting Roel was a sphemous existence who ought to be condemned to eternal suffering for the atrocious sin he hadmitted. On the other hand, Roel felt terror from the bottom of his heart. It had only taken an instant for the Wingman Sovereign to close the distance between them; it was so fast that he couldn¡¯t even process it. Not even Layton Seze had moved that quickly during their sh. But if that had been all, Roel wouldn¡¯t have been this shaken. After all, the wingmen were known for their speed. What terrified him was the speed at which the Wingman Sovereign could control the surrounding mana. It took only several seconds to empty out the surrounding mana and create yet another mana vacuum. This was an iprehensible feat to Roel. He finally understood why the Wingman n were the rulers of the sky. When Grandar held his own against the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s attack earlier and evenunched a counterattack, Roel got overconfident for a moment and underestimated his enemy, but now, he understood that it was just part of the other party¡¯s strategy. The secret to the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s strength was none other than attrition. It usually wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal to have the surrounding mana sucked dry; all one had to do was to change the battlefield. Yet, no matter Roel ran off to, the Wingman Sovereign could always arrive faster and deplete the surrounding mana in advance with its bloodline ability. The stronger a transcendent was, the more reliant they were on mana. At this rate, Roel would only grow weaker with time till he fell prey to the Wingman Sovereign. ¡°Is this why those who have been targeted by the Wingman Sovereign are doomed to suffer an inevitable death? It¡¯s no wonder the Collector dares to take this risk.¡± Roel¡¯s face was livid. As a spellcaster who drew on the power of the ancient gods, his mana requirement was much higher than that of his counterparts, which made him more vulnerable to such resource restrictions. The gap in their Origin Levels only made things worse. There was no good way for Roel to deal with the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s attrition strategy. What can I do? Roel racked his brain for a countermeasure. The Wingman Sovereign¡¯s earlier words suggested that he still retained his sense of self despite having fallen into depravity. Anyone with the slightest wits wouldn¡¯t easily give up on a sure-win strategy like this. Indeed, the Wingman Sovereign backed off to the sky once more. This was the kind of opponent Roel hated dealing with. His two ancient gods, who had realized the enemy¡¯s ploy, hurriedly minimized the exertion of their powers. Grandar¡¯s massive body became so blurred that it was almost incorporeal, and Peytra¡¯s dark yellow mana dimmed to the point of being extinguished. They were trying their best to help Roel conserve as much mana as possible. When the Wingman Sovereign noticed Roel¡¯s intention, it immediately began its next wave of assault. It was determined to deprive thetter of any opportunity to rest. A furious tempest brewed once more as lightning crackled with great fervor. As the Wingman Sovereign raised its hand, the surrounding darkness converged into its grasp to form the outline of a bow. Wind and lightning werepressed into an arrow that rippled with cataclysmic mana. It slowly ascended higher into the sky till it reached the peak. This is bad! Roel knew right away that the Wingman Sovereign was out to deplete all of his mana in a single strike, but he was powerless to do anything about it. Evasion was impossible, for even though there was only a single arrow, it harnessed the power to flip over the entire ground. The threat in the skypelled the brawling ancient treant and gargantuan monster not too far away to raise their heads. When they saw the catastrophe brewing in the sky, they hurriedly unleashed their mana to protect themselves. Even the fortress barrier in the distant Ascart City reacted to the immense threat too. The barrier weakened for a brief moment before emanating a blinding light like never before. It produced a loud buzz that made it clear that it had gone into overdrive. On the city wall, Alicia gazed beyond the surrounding rain of blood to peer at the distance. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± She was horrified to see Roel standing beneath where the immense energy was building up, but she was too far away to do anything. Meanwhile, the ck-haired man standing at the heart of the cmity narrowed his golden eyes as his brain furiously churned in search of a solution. Having been through many life-and-death battles, he knew that this attack would determine the oue of the battle. Even if he did survive this devastating attack, he would have already expended all of his mana, thus bing powerless to resist further attacks from the Wingman Sovereign. He could almost feel the cold hands of death touching his nape, and it made him shudder. He felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. Yet, his fighting will wasn¡¯t diminished in the least. On the contrary, he became calmer than ever. Countless ns surfaced and dissipated in his mind, and his focus slowly fixated on one. In the sky, the cataclysmic arrow was released with a deafening whiz. It ripped to the ground like divine retribution passed down by the gods, rendering those beneath feeling utterly helpless. On the ground, Roel¡¯s body emanated a holy glow as golden wings unfurled from his back. He pushed against the ground and shot into the sky. A rising gold speck facing off against a falling meteor storm¡ªthe difference between the two was clear as day. Yet there was no fear to be seen on Roel. Crimson mana zed around him and manifested into a humongous skeleton giant. Lightning crackled in the skeleton giant¡¯s fist as it prepared to vent its wrath at the sky. Roel had decided to charge ahead and force a frontal collision so as to settle this battle in a single strike, but this was within the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s calctions too. A malevolent smile formed on the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s face. It raised its hand, and everything quietened down. Be it the wind des, lightning bolts, or the arrow infused with unimaginable mana, they abruptly halted in mid-air before retreating upward. The ancient treant cried in shock. Alicia¡¯s ruby eyes widened in horror. Roel clenched his fists tightly, knowing that this was a trapid by the cunning enemy. However, they realized it toote. The Wingman Sovereign concentrated the entirety of that cataclysmic energy into a single deathbringing beam of light and shot it toward the charging Roel. It was a hyperfocused attack that posed a far greater threat to Roel¡¯s life than before, threatening to obliterate his existence. Roel had no other choice. He unleashed all of his avable means¡ªhis frost aura, dusk-yellow wind, death rain, the Primordial Earth Goddess¡¯ blessing, and Grandar¡¯s fist¡ªand shed with the Wingman Sovereign. Boom! The collision produced a blinding explosion that culminated in a mana storm. The abilities of his Crown¡¯s Stones were unraveled one after another by the sheer destructive force of the light beam, till only the ancient gods were left. Peytra¡¯s silhouette manifested behind Roel as she furiouslyyered her protection on him. Grandar hurled his fist forward, obstinately going head-on against the light beam, refusing to yield. But not even the Giant Sovereign¡¯s supreme strength couldpensate for Roel¡¯scking mana. Being the weaker transcendent here, he was naturally the first one to reach his limit in this sh. Even so, he clenched his teeth and forced himself to hold on. With his eyes fixed on the Wingman Sovereign, he willed himself to advance. 500 meters. I¡¯m not close enough yet. Clenching his jaw, Roel gathered another spurt of strength to charge ahead once more. With the aid of his two ancient gods, he was able to push a little closer to the Wingman Sovereign. 450 meters. 400 meters. 350 meters¡­ He exerted all of his strength, knowing that this was his only chance to approach the enemy that was beyond his reach. Through his sheer willpower, he closed the distance between them to 300 meters. ¡°!¡± Roel channeled his remaining mana into Ascendwing, causing it to glow brilliantly. His body suddenly vanished into thin air as he instantaneously performed three leaps, appearing right in front of the Wingman Sovereign a split momentter. Using Ascendwing¡¯s ability, Roel was able to close the gap between him and his enemy for the first time in the battle. The Wingman Sovereign was taken aback, but it didn¡¯t pay it much heed, knowing that Roel had hardly any mana left. Roel¡¯s three blinks to cover the final 300 meters between them had fully depleted his mana. Grandar¡¯s silhouette had be so dim that it looked as if he would disappear at any moment. The Wingman Sovereign was justified in thinking that Roel didn¡¯t pose a threat to it anymore. And indeed, Roel had run out of mana. Without any way to replenish his mana in this vacuum, he was no different from fish on a chopping board. There was nothing he could do even after closing the distance. . The Wingman Sovereign revealed a mocking smile, only to freeze up when he saw that Roel was smiling too. Its eyes further widened in astonishment as it witnessed Roel plunging Ascendwing into his own chest, causing blood to spurt all over it. What was even more iprehensible to it was how Roel¡¯s mana began surging as he received a severe wound. ¡°I¡­ have finally caught you.¡± It was a calm voice carrying a hint of triumph. Before the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s horrified expression, a humongous skeleton giant manifested in the wake of Roel¡¯s blood. Gathering unstoppable might in his hand, he smashed his fist into the Wingman Sovereign to im victory in this battle. Chapter 545: Double Threat

Chapter 545: Double Threat

At the highest point of the dark sky, the Wingman Sovereign stared in utter disbelief as Grandar¡¯s massive fist flew in its direction. It should have been impossible for anyone to withstand its ability to seal mana. Even those from the legendary races had a cap to their mana capacity, which was evident from the many fights it had won against the giants and the dragons. The stronger the enemy was, the faster they fell. The Wingman Sovereign was certain that Roel had already run out of mana by the time he appeared before it. It knew that thetter¡¯s sudden mana surge must have been the result of his self-harm, but it no longer had the luxury of time to figure out the connection between the two. ¡­ Roel¡¯s face momentarily scrunched from the pain of having stabbed his own chest, but his golden eyes and wings soon glowed brilliantly as his mana red stronger than ever. Being Toward Death. This was the blessing Roel had received from Goddess Sia, and it had be his greatest trump card since then. It allowed him to circumvent the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s domain as the mana was channeled through the blessing rather than his surroundings. ¡°Grandar!¡± In this decisive moment, Roel shouted for hispanion. The Giant Sovereign¡¯s fist surged forth like an unstoppable cmity. To those watching from the ground, his punch resembled a shooting star that appeared only for the briefest instant before it smashed into the Wingman Sovereign. The frightful Wingman Sovereign raised its hand in a fluster to construct a barrier out of wind and lightning, but it didn¡¯t stand a chance against the absolute might of the Giant Sovereign and was instantaneously shattered. The punchnded squarely on its target. Bam! A dull thud reverberated in the sky, followed by crisp cracking sounds. With a brilliant sh of light, the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s head was blown into bits, and its decrepit body started to disintegrate. The huge reserve of mana that was previously contained within its body ran amok, culminating in another huge explosion that generated massive shockwaves that shook the surroundings. These shockwaves jolted Roel back, while propelling the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s disintegrating body even higher up. Roel watched the scattered remains of his enemy while gasping for air. His back had bepletely wet at some point in time. Ascendwing was still deeply lodged inside his chest. To ensure that he had sufficient mana to bring down the Wingman Sovereign, he hadn¡¯t held back when he stabbed himself earlier. It was truly ironic how the only way for him to survive was to push himself to the brink of death. The blood sputtering from his wound colored his face red. To make things worse, he couldn¡¯t count on Grandar¡¯s undead reanimation, as he had used a holy weapon here. It was a relief that his sacrifice wasn¡¯t in vain, given how things had worked out well. Mana started surging back into the surroundings following the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s demise. Roel quickly absorbed the surrounding mana to replenish his severe depletion. Secondster, he gritted his teeth and pulled out the short sword in one swift motion. He quickly clutched his injury with his hand while channeling Peytra¡¯s dark yellow mana to heal it. While he was making his recovery, he slowly descended to the ground. Those on the ground were still struggling to make sense of what was happening. It was only after staring in the sky for a long while that Alicia breathed a huge sigh of relief and fearfully patted her chest. Kayde cheered in delight as it shot out even more vines to hold down the Three-legged Dracocrow. The soldiers joyfully ryed the news about their proxy fief lord¡¯s victory, and that brought about a huge boost in morale. Yet, Roel didn¡¯t look delighted at all. He maintained a vignt expression despite having just defeated a powerful enemy, for he knew that there were three enemies rather than two. He looked at the remaining ck-cloaked figure in the sky with glowing eyes. It didn¡¯t elude his notice that the ck-cloaked figure remained unmoved throughout the earlier battle, opting to quietly watch themotion. He had been too busy running away from the Wingman Sovereign to probe the ck-cloaked figure, but two possibilities came to his mind for why the ck-cloaked figure was able to remain idle when both the Three-legged Dracocrow and the Wingman Sovereign had made their moves. One: the ck-cloaked figure was an even higher existence than the Wingman Sovereign and the Three-legged Dracocrow. Two: the ck-cloaked figure could be support personnel, perhaps a healer. Roel had decimated his opponent in a single strike in case of the second possibility. The Wingman Sovereign¡¯s head had been burned to ashes following its explosion, and its body had scattered all over the ce. It was unthinkable that anyone would be able to revive it anymore. The ck-cloaked figure should have reacted to this situation, whether it was a futile attempt to revive the Wingman Sovereign or to flee in fear. Yet, it did nothing of the sort. Could this mean that it was a higher god than the Wingman Sovereign back in the ancient era? With such a doubt lingering in his mind, Roel focused his attention on the ck-cloaked figure. Under his intense stare, the enemy in the sky finally made a move. It raised its hand to its hood and lowered it. Beneath the hood was a man whose features were obscured by a mysterious dark fog. Sinister blood-red light reminiscent of fogmps shone from where his eyes were. ¡­ Roel¡¯s golden eyes narrowed at the revtion of the enemy¡¯s appearance. An ominous feeling loomed in his heart. Being a history buff, he had extensive knowledge about the races that had once existed on the Sia Continent, but never had he heard of a race who was shrouded in a mysterious ck fog and had such bizarre eyes. It looked like a monster cloaked in human skin. Being unable to identify his enemy¡¯s background further heightened his wariness. He expanded his senses to gather more information about the other party, but momentster, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°What? No mana pulsation?¡± Roel murmured with a perplexed frown. He was confident that the ck-cloaked figure wasn¡¯t just an illusion, but for some reason, his mana sensor was telling him that there was nothing there. This should have been impossible, for transcendents harnessed condensed mana pools within them that felt vastly different to the mana in the surroundings. Only ordinary mortals could bypass mana detection, but it went without saying that an ordinary mortal couldn¡¯t be floating in mid-air. Knowing that there was something off about his opponent, Roel chose to retreat for the time being, though he kept his eyes fixed on the ck-cloaked figure in the sky. Meanwhile, the ck-cloaked figure made his move. He raised his palm and summoned a mysterious light in the aerial space where Roel and the Wingman Sovereign had fought earlier. Roel was rmed. His first thought was that the ck-cloaked figure was casting a recovery spell, so he gathered his mana to disrupt thetter¡¯s spell. Although he had defeated the Wingman Sovereign, he knew that he had only managed to im victory by catching his enemy by surprise. Should the other party receive an opportunity to do it over, there was no way it would grant him any chance at all. That would have pushed him back into the abyss of danger. Roel¡¯s mana billowed as he readied his frost aura to curb the enemy. But what happened next left him confused. The Wingman Sovereign did manifest from the mysterious light, but it wasn¡¯t, in the truest sense, brought back to life. Its body was transparent as if it was just a mere projection, indicating that there was something else at work. Yet, the moment the projection appeared, both Peytra¡¯s and Grandar¡¯s windows shook intensely. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a spiriteer! Run, Roel!!!¡± Peytra anxiously shouted. ¡°What?¡± Before Roel could process the situation, the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s projection had already made its move. Moving at the same unbelievable speed as before, it instantaneously arrived in front of Roel and swiped its w at him. Roel hurriedly formed a barrier out of his frost aura to protect himself. Yet, the oue was beyond his imagination. The w from the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s projection passed through his barrier without any resistance to strike his body squarely. The attack induced an inexplicable feeling of weakness within him, prompting him to narrow his eyes in astonishment. I can¡¯t stop his attack? Realizing that his defense was ineffective, Roel released a burst of mana to bolt away. At the same time, Peytra¡¯s and Grandar¡¯s avatars manifested to further boost his speed. ¡°What the hell is that?!¡± Roel keenly noticed that his two ancient gods werepletely focused on helping him flee instead of attempting any counterattack, which further stoked his vignce. ¡°That is the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul. That ck-cloaked figure is a spiriteer. I never thought that that n is still around.¡± ¡°Leave. Your attacks won¡¯t work on him.¡± Upon hearing those words, Roel was suddenly reminded about the legends he had heard from Ancient Treant Kayde. Thetter had mentioned the spiriteers in one of their conversations, describing them as one of the most mysterious ns in the ancient era. Unlike other races, the spiriteers didn¡¯t possess a physical body, and existed in the form of a soul. Given the nature of their existence, neither Roel nor his two ancient gods possessed the means to harm them. It was for the same reason that the giants had defeated the Savior back in the ancient era but were helpless to do anything against His soul. Roel¡¯s face turned grim. He had been through many predicaments, but this was the first time he waspletely helpless against an enemy. It was only now that he finally understood why the Collector was so confident of taking him down with this line-up. The Wingman Sovereign was indeed a formidable opponent¡ªRoel would have likely lost to it if he hadn¡¯t caught the enemy off-guard through Being Toward Death¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t the Fallens¡¯ trump card against him. Their true trump card was actually the deceased Wingman Sovereign. Through the spiriteer, they were able to temporarily retain the soul of the deceased Wingman Sovereign in the living world. As if it wasn¡¯t enough that this soul retained its physical prowess, there was no way to retaliate or defend against its attacks at all. What other choice did Roel have than to run? Just the earlier w swipe had already left his body with a lingering feeling of frailty. He had no idea how many more such attacks he could suffer, but it instinctively urred to him that his soul might wither if this went on. What can I do here? Roel surged across the vast sky like a shooting star, but this was insufficient for him to shake off the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul. If anything, thetter was swiftly gaining on him. Desperate, he tried tapping into the power of his Crown¡¯s Stones to slow the enemy down, but the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul passed right through the frost aura and the dusk-yellow wind. Just as he was about to give up, the enemy suddenly flew into a ck fog and slowed down right away. ¡°!¡± Roel was initially startled, but realization soon struck him. Flooding Death¡¯s curses were the physical manifestation of death, which allowed it to faze souls. It was just a pity that he hadn¡¯t properly developed its powers yet. While the ck fog had the power to harm the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul, the damage was dealt extremely slowly. The chase in the sky continued. Even with the slowdown effect from the ck clouds of curses, Roel still ended up receiving two swipes from the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul. At the same time, the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul started to turn translucent. This won¡¯t do. At this rate, I¡¯ll be the first one to cave in! After a few exchanges, Roel could feel the frailty extending to his fists. His two ancient gods were also much more panicked than usual. Grandar and Peytra unleashed their powers to destroy everything in the vicinity in hopes of finding a cover for him, but its effectiveness was minuscule. In this desperate situation, Roel turned his gaze toward the depraved spiriteer floating in the sky, as he considered putting his life on the line to bring the enemy down. But before he could make a move, the window inside of him that had been silent all this while suddenly clicked and reverted to normal. A secondter, Artasia manifested beside Roel. ¡°Artasia! You¡¯re finally¡­¡± ¡°Why are you still here? Didn¡¯t I tell you to run? No, it¡¯s already toote now¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel was taken aback by Artasia¡¯s words. He was finally reunited with the Witch Queen after such a long time, but thetter looked terribly anxious. She looked at the eastern horizon with a despairing look on her face. ¡°It is here.¡± Chapter 546: Family Heirloom

Chapter 546: Family Heirloom

While Roel was fighting an enemy whom he was unable to knock down, in the distant Ascart City, Alicia was battling against a seemingly endless horde of enemies under a rain of blood. The demise of the Wingman Sovereign didn¡¯t stop the Death Crows¡¯ assault. On the contrary, the death of their ruler only further emboldened these demonic beasts. To the powerful, the battlefield was a paradise that provided them with the endless stream of nutrition they required to evolve. Several Death Crows had already advanced to Origin Level 3 from devouring the souls of humans and their brethren. In this chaos, casualties started to pile up amongst the soldiers and the civilians. The soldiers fought harder than ever, fueled by the death of theirrades, but the situation only continued to worsen. The only silver lining was that Alicia¡¯s abilities far surpassed everyone¡¯s imagination. Not only was there no limit to her resources, but she could also exert prowessparable to an Origin Level 2 transcendent. It was thanks to her constant bombardments of spells that the demonic beasts rampaging in the city remained manageable. Yet, an inexplicable feeling continued to linger in Alicia¡¯s heart. If anything, it was growing stronger with time. My condition today seems exceptionally good. Such a thought popped up in Alicia¡¯s mind when she sniped down a massive Death Crow ripping away at a corpse with a burst of mana. It had been a while since the battle started, and Alicia had to expend an immense amount in order to deal with the sheer number of Death Crows that had breached the fortress barrier. Yet, she didn¡¯t feel tired in the least. On the contrary, she felt more energetic the more she fought. This shouldn¡¯t have been possible. It was a moonless night. This defied the nature of her bloodline. She didn¡¯t understand the reason behind this phenomenon, but she could somehow feel it. After killing yet another Death Crow, she turned her gaze to the eastern horizon, where she sensed a mysterious power was resonating with her mana. That, she knew, was the reason behind her overflowing mana. ¡­ Roel was excited by the reappearance of the Witch Queen, especially now that he was in a precarious situation. Despite his frantic attempts at evasion, the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul still managed tond numerous attacks on him, filling his heart with immense fatigue and coldness. He had never suffered attacks on his soul before, but he instinctively knew that he was close to death. He couldn¡¯t ept dying just like that, but he had no way out of this situation. None of his means were effective on the enemy. Even Grandar and Peytra could only watch helplessly as death slowly pulled him closer into its embrace. Artasia¡¯s timely return at this moment marked an opportunity for aeback. Roel knew that the highly knowledgeable Witch Queen would be able to do something about this situation, but thetter¡¯s reaction confused him. His bewilderment only intensified when he noticed that her gaze was not directed at the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul but the eastern horizon. Are we¡­ not worrying about the same matter? In this brief moment of distraction, a tingling feeling that Roel had subconsciously ignored in the heat of the fight suddenly intensified. This familiar sensation made his heart lurch. He turned his gaze toward the eastern horizon as well. His golden eyes widened to the brim. What he saw enlightened him to what Artasia had been warning him about all this while. A treacherous fog had obscured the eastern mountain range and was quietly advancing in his direction. It was pressed tightly against the ground, almost like a covert assassin sneaking up on its prey. It hade extremely close before anyone could notice it. Goosebumps rose all over Roel¡¯s body. His body stiffened up from the intense threat he felt. Shrouding Fog was the strongest of the Six Cmities he had encountered, and it had crept close while he was busy fighting the Fallens. The puzzle pieces were finally clicking together. ¡°Artasia, who¡¯s the one blocking you all this time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Mother Goddess! She has been nning this ever since you got into Her line of sight!¡± Artasia replied with a livid face. ¡°She nted a dyed curse that triggers only when that monster is within range of you. As soon as I sensed its presence, the curse severed my connection with you. It was only a moment ago that I¡­¡± She looked visibly shaken, as if she couldn¡¯t believe how powerful the Mother Goddess was to actually be able to seal off her, the Witch Queen, albeit temporarily. The fog abruptly froze up when Roel¡¯s gaze fell upon it, then it began to billow furiously. A blurry face emerged from its midst. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. When the terrifying cmity took off its innocuous disguise, the world shook. Boom! The fog that had been pressed closely against the ground all this while suddenly surged into the sky, revealing its true scale. Mana pulsations of unimaginable prowess hammered everyone¡¯s mind, dering their impending doom. Every single being in the vicinity halted what they were doing. Even the Death Crows stopped their cacophonous cries, but this unnerving peace only felt like a prelude to something worse. The humans guarding the city shivered uncontrobly. The spiriteer in the sky roared as its crimson eyes flickered. The two brawling titans loosened their grip on each other as they lost their will to fight. It felt like the boundaries between the sky and the earth had been blurred. Everything was no more than a foil to Shrouding Fog. As someone who had fought with the Six Cmities on numerous asions, Roel instinctively understood something: This is not a fight we can win. Unlike the newborn Flooding Death, the ancient monster that had presented itself before him was a mature entity after having devoured Tark Stronghold. The terrifying power it harnessed was not something the Origin Level 3 him could deal with. None of the powerhouses on the battlefield was fighting anymore. Even the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul had stopped its pursuit of Roel to gaze at Shrouding Fog with frightened eyes. They instinctively realized what the ancient monster was after. Shrouding Fog was nning to devour everything within its reach toplete its growth. The responses to the sudden appearance of this massive threat varied. The army of Death Crows immediately scattered to the west like a flock of agitated birds. Momentster, the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul and the Three-legged Dracocrow did the same. Meanwhile, Ascart City¡¯s fortress barrier was activated to its greatest extent, emanating an almost blinding light. The spiriteer in the sky didn¡¯t make his retreat right away. The Savior¡¯s will was ordering him to finish off the severely wounded Roel, but every single bit of his existence was screaming at him to get away from Shrouding Fog. This contradiction caused his body to shudder nonstop. In the end, he opted for apromise. Raising his hand, he issued onest order to the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul, which prompted thetter to turn its attention toward Roel once more. Damn it! The gaze from the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s soul drove Roel into a panic. He was left with no choice but to hurriedly back away in order to avoid this immediate threat. The spiriteer nodded in satisfaction before hurriedly making his escape. The Fallens had decided to retreat for the time being in order to avoid the terrifying cmity, but they would have to be naive to think that their enemy would simply let them escape. Fog tendrils ripped across the sky like ghostly hands to snag the escaping Fallens. A mere second was all it took for half of the Death Crows to be devoured whole. The spiriteer found himself encircled by the fog tendrils. The gargantuan Three-legged Dracocrow was caught by one of its legs and was slowly decelerating under the pull. Grar! The Three-legged Dracocrow furiously struggled to free itself, but it was futile. More and more fog tendrils shot forth to hold it down. Out of desperation, the gargantuan monster turned around and released a powerful Dragon¡¯s Breath, only to have it devoured whole by Shrouding Fog. ¡°This¡­¡± When Roel saw how even the Dragon¡¯s Breath was ineffective, his facepletely darkened. Meanwhile, Ancient Treant Kayde calmly stared at the monster pressing in from the east, not making any attempt to flee. Instead, it slowly retracted its branches and soothed the earth¡¯s wounds. Knowing that an immobile treant could never escape from Shrouding Fog, it would rather face its final opponent withposure and die with grace. The people of Ascart City had no choice but to remain where they were. Roel¡¯s face turned severe as he solemnly made up his mind. Unable to ept that his family, his friends, and his people would be devoured by Shrouding Fog, he had already thought of a n to resolve this situation. While it would be risky, he knew that there was no other way out. ¡°Artasia, do you think that we can break out of Shrouding Fog¡¯s encirclement?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Artasiayered multiple speed buffs on Roel, allowing him to temporarily achieve speed that surpassed even the Wingman Sovereign¡¯s. Without any hesitation, he began flitting around the encirclement in search of an opening to escape through. This prompted Shrouding Fog to prioritize Roel and maneuver its body ordingly to block off his path of escape. As much as it wanted to devour everyone present, it knew that its key target was none other than Roel. Little did it know that this was what Roel was capitalizing on. Currently, there were two threats standing in Roel¡¯s path, so he thought that he should start off by getting rid of one. When two pursuers were chasing after the same target, it was almost inevitable that those two would eventually encounter each other. The Wingman Sovereign was horrified when its soul came into contact with a fog tendril, but it was already toote for it to do anything about it. It could only screech in pain as the fog slowly consumed its existence. With that, Roel had finally settled one of his enemies, but he didn¡¯t loosen up at all. He knew that the true battle had just begun. He flew all around Shrouding Fog¡¯s encirclement, forcing the ancient monster to devote more resources topletely entrap him. It didn¡¯t take long for his surroundings to be fully covered in white fog, sealing off his paths of escape. It looked as if the battle was finally over, but to Shrouding Fog¡¯s surprise, Roel suddenly stopped running around and instead charged straight at it. That very instant, the ancient monster finally understood what Roel was after, but it was already toote. It had already spread itself thin trying to fully entrap its target. Roel activated the power of cial Touch, Time Devourer, and Death Rain and tightly wrapped them around him as a protectiveyer before charging straight into Shrouding Fog¡¯s body. Even though Shrouding Fog was caught off guard, it wasn¡¯t going to allow its target to escape just like that. It frenziedly devoured the protectiveyer around Roel in order toy im to him. In response, Roel desperately channeled his Crown¡¯s Stones to maintain the protectiveyer. It was a battle against time. In the end, Roel managed to charge out of Shrouding Fog¡¯s body before his protectiveyer was fully eroded, thus clinching victory in this sh. Whoosh! A furious wind suddenly blew. Shrouding Fog had turned around. It wasn¡¯t going to fail the mission the Mother Goddess had entrusted to it. It immediately chased after Roel, and with the speed the two of them traveled at, it took mere moments for Ascart City to disappear behind them. A life-and-death chasemenced, but the oue had already been determined. Roel was barely holding on with his injured body, wounded soul, and depleted mana. Through sheer willpower, he squeezed out everyst bit of strength within him to continue flying ahead. By sunrise, his consciousness was already fuzzy. He looked beneath him and saw an unfamiliar mountainous terrain. This¡­ should be far enough, right? With such a thought in mind, Roel finally slowed down his pace. A mocking smile seemed to sh across Shrouding Fog¡¯s blurry face as it surged forth to devour its exhausted prey whole. Standing before the ancient monster, Roel calmly reached into his shirt and took out an ancient box containing a crystal. This was the item that Ro Ascart had left for him, the Ascart House¡¯s family heirloom. Chapter 547.1: A Second Chance to Choose Fate (1)

Chapter 547.1: A Second Chance to Choose Fate (1)

Roel Ascart was cornered. He had run out of mana, and his soul was so severely wounded that he was struggling to stay conscious. He didn¡¯t even have the strength to put up a fight against the strongest one of the Six Cmities anymore. However, he had aplished his mission. After a night of flying at his full speed, he had left the geographical boundary of the Saint Mesit Theocracy to arrive in the heart of the eastern mountainous forests. Not even Shrouding Fog would turn back and go after Ascart City anymore aftering this far. Alicia, Kayde, and the people whom he cared about were finally safe. With that knowledge, Roel could finally proceed to the final step of his n without any worries. While he asionally took risky gambles, he would never design a n that concluded with his own death. It was the same this time around too. He calmly inspected the crystal containing a bluish-gold ring in his hand. This was the item Ro Ascart had left behind for him. The other party imed that it was a family heirloom of their Ascart House, as well as a key into the Witness State. Roel didn¡¯t know what kind of Witness State awaited him on the other side¡ªand there was a chance that he couldnd himself in an even worse situation¡ªbut he had no other choice here. The only oue of staying here was to be fodder for Shrouding Fog, whereas this risk at least brought him a glimmer of hope. This was a gamble he had to take. His strong desire hardened his gaze, and he decisively wrapped his hand around the crystal and crushed it. Kak! The bluish-golden ring fell out of the crystal and came into contact with Roel¡¯s skin. In response, his bloodline began resonating intensely with the ring. The ancient monster backed off in fright. Roel was perplexed by Shrouding Fog¡¯s response, but there was no time for him to think further into it. The intense mana pulsations were practically drowning his consciousness. So, this is the Witness State that my ancestors have passed down from generation to generation? What could this power possibly¡­ He had never felt such an overwhelming level of bloodline resonance before, even in thest few times he was transported into the Witness State. With a blinding sh of light, he vanished into thin air. ¡­ Roel woke up to faint sorrowful wails and the familiar stench of blood. As if a switch had been flicked inside him, he immediately opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. This is¡­ a battlefield? It was aplete mess around him. Dead bodies were strewn all over the ground. Roel hurriedly took in the details around him to make sense of the situation. He wasn¡¯t too surprised, as it wasn¡¯t the first time he was teleported into a battlefield in the Witness State, but he was nevertheless stunned to discover that most of the dead bodies around him weren¡¯t humans. Instead, the mountains of carcasses that were scattered all around the ins belonged to beastmen, lycans, elves, and many other races. Roel understood right away that he had jumped further back in time than he had anticipated. Just then, a carcass around the size of a hill copsed onto the ground with a loud thump. Fresh blood trickled out of its gaping wound and flowed down the barrennd like a little stream. This was indubitably the carcass of a giant¡ªa race that should have disappeared thousands of years ago, in the distant ancient era. Roel¡¯s face turned grim. He quickly searched for cover before checking on the System. ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾Warning!¡¿ ¡¾The System has detected the symptoms of bloodline awakening.¡¿ ¡¾Bloodline Awakening Support System activating¡­¡¿ ¡¾Activating the Witness State.¡¿ ¡¾The crossroads of the future and the past, as the sun and the moon vie for the sky. The key to choose has been returned to your hands. Uncover your own path.¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± Roel knew that he had made the right choiceing to this Witness State when he saw the System¡¯s notifications. He was currently in urgent need of a breakthrough. From past experience, he knew that time in the Witness State flowed faster than in the real world, which meant that he would likely still have to confront Shrouding Fog when he returned to the real world. By conquering this Witness State and advancing his bloodline from Silver-tier to Gold-tier, there was a high chance he could make a breakthrough to Origin Level 2. On top of that, he might be able to contract with another ancient god too! Of course, it was not a guarantee that he could defeat Shrouding Fog even if he reached Origin Level 2, but at least he would be able to put up a fight against thetter. It would significantly increase his chances of survival. But soon, Roel began frowning once more as he noticed that the System had failed to provide an extremely important piece of information: Countdown to the end of the Witness State. ¡°Why is there no countdown provided?¡± Roel questioned the System. ¡¾Resonance with a unique bloodline detected.¡¿ ¡¾The user is currently in substitution.¡¿ ¡¾Countdown to the end of the Witness State cannot be confirmed. The System rmends the user first resolve his immediate problems.¡¿ ¡°In substitution? What does this mean?¡± Roel was bewildered by the foreign term used by the System. He did notice that this Witness State was different from the others he had been through, in the sense that he didn¡¯t feel like a log floating aimlessly in the ocean. There was a dreamlike quality to the Witness State that made him feel like he was nothing more than a visitor, drawing a clear boundary between the Witness State and the real world. Yet, it felt like this boundary had blurred. As if to verify his guess, he noticed something inside his pocket. Perplexed, he reached into his pocket and found a letter. It was not made out of paper, but of a glossy material that clearly didn¡¯t belong to his era. This gave him a further hint as to what the System¡¯s description of ¡®in substitution¡¯ meant. Could it be that I have an identity here? Roel spent a moment in thought before opening the letter to browse its contents. Just the very first sentence made him narrow his eyes. ¡¸To the respected Kingmaker, Sire Roel¡­¡¹ ¡°It¡¯s my name¡­ Is this the effect of the substitution? Is there something I need to do in this Witness State that has been passed down by our predecessors?¡± Roel¡¯s expression slowly turned grim. He carefully read the letter before slowly stowing it back into his pocket. He had a rough clue to what time period he was in now. Chapter 547.2: A Second Chance to Choose Fate (2)

Chapter 547.2: A Second Chance to Choose Fate (2)

This was the period right after Goddess Sia disappeared from the world, the era marked by the Mother Goddess and Savior¡¯s fight for supremacy. From the details of the letter, it looked like the war between those two supreme beings had been ongoing for some time now. The letter in Roel¡¯s pocket was a secret tipoff informing him that the third negotiation between the Savior and the Mother Goddess had broken down and that peace was no longer an option. Sitting at the imminent outbreak of war, the Mother Goddess had decided to take the initiative to attack Roel, the representative of the Kingmaker n, for having sat on the fence all this while. To protect Kingmaker Roel, the Angels, another neutral party in the war who were on close terms with the Kingmaker n, had prepared an escape route for him. The author of the letter reminded him to maintain the highest level of vignce before signing off as ¡®Archangel Lamia¡¯. The name ¡®Archangel Lamia¡¯ sounded awfully familiar to Roel, but he couldn¡¯t put his finger on where he had read it. Nothing was more powerful in rying that war had already begun than the blood stench and rotting carcasses around him. In such a setting, securing the support of the Kingmaker was of utmost importance¡ªand if one was unable to do so, the natural follow-up was to destroy him at any cost. That put Roel at a loss. Before he could decide on his next move, a toon equipped with shining armor suddenly marched into his vicinity. They quickly noticed him and rushed over. ¡°Sire Roel, you need toe with us right now. The second wave of assault is about to begin!¡± the toonmander urged as he warily scanned the sky. At the same time, his toon got into a defensive formation around Roel. It was almost as if they were bodyguards escorting a VIP to safety. Roel noted that the members of this toon were shrouded in an angelic light. With this in mind, he quickly churned out appropriate questions to better understand what was happening. ¡°Lamia sent you here? What¡¯s the current situation?¡± he asked. ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, milord. The Mother Goddess¡¯ckeys are hot on our tail, but Lord Lamia¡¯s camp is just up front. As long as we arrive at the camp before nightfall, the Sun God¡¯s army will cover us,¡± the toonmander anxiously replied. Those words gave Roel a good idea of what was going on. He could piece together that the Mother Goddess must have noticed his escape and sent soldiers to pursue him. In response, the Angels temporarily struck an alliance with the Sun God, also known as the Savior, in order to protect him. This temporary alliance made sense, as the Angels weren¡¯t strong enough to deal with the Mother Goddess themselves, and the Savior couldn¡¯t risk the Kingmaker falling under the Mother Goddess¡¯ control. But there was a single detail here that felt out of ce. Lamia had clearly stated that the Angels were a neutral party in this war, but the subtlety of the toonmander¡¯s words suggested otherwise. He had termed the Mother Goddess¡¯ army as ckeys¡¯. It was true that the Mother Goddess was currently antagonistic toward them, but still¡­ Not knowing whether the toonmander or even the Angels were trustworthy, Roel chose not to probe any deeper lest he alert them, though he made a mental note to keep his guard up. He simply nodded in agreement before fleeing the battlefield under the toon¡¯s cover. To be honest, Roel personally saw no difference between the Mother Goddess and the Savior. He had absolutely no interest in getting involved in Their fight, so it hardly mattered to him which side the Angels were on. That being said, he was still more guarded toward the Mother Goddess than the Savior at the moment, for he possessed the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones. He didn¡¯t know what kind of position the Six Cmities had in this era, but things could quickly turn ugly if the Mother Goddess found out that he had stolen the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones, especially during this sensitive period. In contrast, judging by what he had gathered from the memories of the Treant High Priest, Grandar, and the others, the Savior was still considered a sagely ruler before He descended into depravity. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have won the mandate of so many races. After quickly weighing the pros and cons, Roel decided to steer clear of the Mother Goddess¡¯ influence. As if in response to his thoughts, a powerful mana pulsation suddenly rippled from the sky. ¡°Shit! It¡¯s an army spell!¡± ¡°Hold your ground!¡± Faced with the imminent threat of arge-scale aerial bombardment, the toon members raised their shields high around Roel as the group frantically sprinted across the carcass-covered ins. Right after they darted beneath a dragon¡¯s carcass, the aerial bombardment began. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The ground shook intensely as spears of light rained down from the sky, producing dull thuds upon striking the dragon¡¯s carcass. Blood, flesh, and scales sttered above Roel¡¯s group as they continued rushing forward. This situationsted for a long time before the sky finally regained its peace. Roel¡¯s group quietly heaved a sigh of relief. Secondster, war cries echoed from the distant horizon behind them. ¡°It¡¯s reinforcement from the Savior¡¯s army!¡± ¡°This is our chance! Let¡¯s go!¡± The arrival of reinforcement lessened the pressure on Roel¡¯s group. Making use of this precious opportunity, the group picked up their pace and hurriedly fled from the battlefield. It was only half an hourter that they finally slowed down a little. Their hearts lightened a little, knowing that they had pulled through the worst. Their nerves had remained taut all this while, be it due to the enemy¡¯s bombardment or the carcasses they had passed by along the way. The gore omnipresent on the battlefield was an assault on the eyes and the nose. It was impossible not to feel heavy-hearted in the presence of such horror. ¡°How much farther? Don¡¯t we have to reach the base before nightfall?¡± ¡°Yes, milord. We¡¯re reaching it soon,¡± the toonmander answered with a noticeably rxed voice. Roel¡¯s heart was put at ease. But right after their exchange, the sky suddenly turned dark. Hm? Is it going to rain? That was the first thought that urred to Roel. But when he saw the pale faces of the angels around him, it finally struck him. The sky didn¡¯t turn dark because it¡¯s going to rain. It turned dark because something happened to the sun. In just a few short seconds, the setting sun swiftly fell beneath the horizon as if something was pushing it down. Unbeknownst to anyone, a silver moon had already appeared in the sky above. Roel and the others instantaneously stiffened up. Under the cold moonlight, they found themselves unable to move at all, as if they had been turned into statues. A euphonious and ethereal voice followed. ¡°Found you.¡± Chapter 548: Mother Goddess

Chapter 548: Mother Goddess

¡®The world turned dark.¡¯ Roel had always thought that this phrase was an exaggeration, even in this current world he lived in. Not even the strongest army spell had the ability to faze the entire world. But thismon sense was shattered today. The sun descended from the sky like a shooting star, and the world was robbed of its warmth and light. From the moment he was illuminated by the moonlight, his fate had already been sealed. ¡°Found you.¡± Blood drained from the faces of Roel and the angels, but they were powerless to do anything about the situation. The shackles of the gentle moonlight were firmer than anything else in the world. However, the angels had a backup n in case of such a situation. As soon as the group was shackled by the moonlight, the toonmander¡¯s body emanated a brilliant light. The next moment, a pir of golden light suddenly surged out from the ground and rushed toward the sky. Boom! An earth-shattering explosion ensued. Angelic voices rose from the surroundings one after another and harmonized into a beautiful chorale. A mist settled in and billowed with increasing fervor as their choir crescendoed. They were demarcating thisnd to be their holy sanctuary. Thousands of angelic silhouettes manifested inside the mist, intercepting the moonlight that was shackling Roel¡¯s group and returning their freedom to move. The toon members cheered with a mix of relief and excitement. ¡°It¡¯s our Archangel Sanctuary!¡± ¡°We¡¯re saved!¡± The angels zealously brandished their weapons, disying none of their earlier fear. They had unwavering faith that their Archangel Sanctuary could save them from their current crisis. However, Roel noticed that the angelic silhouettes had strained frowns. This was the strongest barrier he had seen to date, but the enemy was also a foe of unprecedented strength. ¡®The Mother Goddess mustn¡¯t be defied.¡¯ These absolute words were the warning that the ancestors of the Ascart House passed down through the generations. The overwhelming power that twisted even the world¡¯s natural cycles showed that the warning was well justified. ¡°This won¡¯t work! We need to flee right now! Something of this extent can¡¯t stop¨C¡± Boom! A loud explosion interrupted Roel¡¯s words. He instinctively looked toward the sky, only for his golden eyes to narrow into slits. The moon in the sky had split into two, one silver and one ck. The former emanated brilliant light, whereas thetter was like a void that devoured everything. This phenomenon was unlike anything Roel had seen before. The toon members¡¯ cheers quietened down. The angels¡¯ chorale fizzled out. The world came to a halt, leaving nothing but a deafening silence. Everyone was overwhelmed by the intriguing sight before their eyes. Blinding light suddenly enveloped the world. It was ring even with one¡¯s eyes tightly closed. The sanctuary that the angels had thought to be impregnable abruptly shattered, and the thousands of angelic silhouettes exploded like squashed bugs. The billowing mist scattered without leaving a single trace. It was hard to believe that a force this powerful was just a mere mana pulsation. The intense physical pressure arising from it left Roel feeling a hundred times heavier. Under the show of such overwhelming might, he found his mind turningpletely nk. Is this¡­ a spell? Is this where the limit of spellcraft lies? The supreme power disyed by the Mother Goddess shook him. It was the first time since he had be a transcendent that he had experienced such prating fear that stripped him of any courage to resist. What was happening transcended hisprehension. While he was startled by the absolute show of might, the Mother Goddess¡¯ attack finallynded not too far away and induced an earth-shattering explosion. Roel snapped out of his daze and desperately released every single bit of his mana to protect himself. In contrast, the toon members escorting him weren¡¯t able to recollect themselves from the shock of witnessing the copse of the Archangel Sanctuary. A st of white light and a devastating shockwave rippled in quick session. Roel crossed his hands before his chest and lowered his posture to withstand the iing impact, but even so, he only managed to stand his ground for a brief moment before he was sted into a pile of shattered stones behind. By then, the toon members were already nowhere to be seen. It took a long time before the blinding light and raging winds died down, and he opened his eyes once more. Under the cold moonlight, he saw an ethereal silhouette quietly floating in the sky. ¡°You are¡­¡± His arms were still crossed and he was gasping for air when he asked that question in a daze, but halfway through his words, his mouth suddenly fell agape. Secondster, his eyes widened to their fullest extent. The silhouette floating in the air had a familiar appearance¡ªsilver hair and ruby eyes. ¡­ Roely inside the shattered wall, his eyes filled with disbelief and his mind frozen to a halt. It was unnecessary to ask who the person floating in the sky was; the two moons in the sky were the best answer. But not even in Roel¡¯s wildest imagination could he have thought that the being whom he had deemed to pose the greatest threat to him would look like that. Long silver hair that gently cascaded down, ruby eyes that glimmered in the dark, fair skin that was as smooth as jade, a tall nose bridge, and cherry-colored lips quietly conveyed a regal beauty. Her powerful presence left no doubt that She was the center of the sky, the ruler of the world. But what Roel was more concerned with was Her familiar appearance. Alicia? No, that¡¯s impossible. The age doesn¡¯t fit either. In other words¡­ an adult Alicia? Standing before him was a woman whose age clearly exceeded both his and Alicia¡¯s, which was why such a ludicrous thought popped into his mind. He shook his head to wake himself up, and that elucidated some differences between the two. Despite the uncanny resemnce between Alicia and the woman before him, there were subtle differences in their facial features. Furthermore, the woman¡¯s features had begun to change; Her hair was darkening, while the crimson gleam in Her eyes slowly extinguished. When the two moons in the sky finally merged into one, the woman had already transformed into a ck-haired, golden-eyed beauty. Yet, this transformation dealt Roel the greatest shock he had suffered to date. ¡°How could this¡­¡± he muttered to himself. ck hair and golden eyes were the distinctive traits of the Kingmaker n. To this day, Roel had never seen anyone outside of the Kingmaker n bearing such traits. But there was no way the woman before him possessed the Kingmaker Bloodline, or else their bloodlines would have resonated with each other, simrly to what had happened between Lilian and him. In a sense, that was a relief, for he would have likely exploded from the resonance with the tremendously powerful Mother Goddess. Could this just be a coincidence? Roel wondered. He was so absorbed in this thought that he failed to notice the changes in the Mother Goddess¡¯ expression. As much as he was assessing Her, She was also observing him. There were subtle changes in Her expression as conflicting emotions shed across Her eyes. Sorrow, anger, disappointment, and many more¡ªthese emotions reflected the dilemma She was facing. Hesitation gripped Her as Her forehead scrunched to form a pained frown. After a long moment of stifling silence, She finally spoke with an uncharacteristically hoarse voice. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll grant you onest chance.¡± ¡°What?¡± Those words jolted Roel out of his thoughts. He reflexively looked at the Mother Goddess with questioning eyes. ¡°You may choose not to acknowledge Me, but I won¡¯t permit you to help Him¡­ Don¡¯t force Me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her final three words sounded both like a warning and a plea. Roel widened his eyes in bewilderment as he quickly churned his mind in an attempt to decipher the situation. It would appear that the Kingmaker whom he had substituted for in this era was very important to the Mother Goddess, to the extent where She would personally set out to capture him, though Her initial intention seemed to be executing him. To be frank, it was a wiser decision for the Mother Goddess to get rid of the dangerous variable known as the Kingmaker once and for all, especially when She suspected that he had defected to the Savior. Yet, there seemed to be some deeper ties between them thatpelled Her to hold Herself back. This left Roel in a confused state. He didn''t know what to make of the situation, let alone how to react. Surprisingly, the Mother Goddess keenly picked up on his emotional state and questioned him. ¡°You can¡¯t understand why I am doing this?¡± ¡°¡­Mmhm.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one child I struggle to sever ties with. That¡¯s why¡­ Please don¡¯t let Me down again.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes sharply narrowed. He stared at the woman who had just proimed Herself to be his mother, but his mind only further descended into chaos. Child? I am the Mother Goddess¡¯ child? No, that can¡¯t be right! While Roel was in substitution, he knew for certain that the Mother Goddess couldn¡¯t have been from the Kingmaker n despite sharing the same traits, for She didn¡¯t possess the Kingmaker Bloodline. It didn¡¯t make sense that his ancestor was the child of the Mother Goddess. Taking a step back, if his ancestor was truly the child of the Mother Goddess, there was no reason for them to be conflicted as to whom they should back in this war; it went without saying that they should choose their own mother! It was such a simple and instinctive decision for the Kingmaker n, who valued their own brethren above everything else. Roel could only think of two possibilities for how things had turned out as they had. The first possibility was that the Mother Goddess was off Her rocker and was randomly acknowledging others to be Her children. After all, there were plenty of senile elders in his previous world who couldn¡¯t recognize their own children, so it was not entirely imusible for it to happen here as well. However, Roel soon shook his head and refuted that possibility. He remembered the incredible spells the Mother Goddess had pulled off earlier¡ªthose would require astounding control and analytical capacity¡ªand it was hard to imagine that a lunatic would be capable of that. Besides, it was too unlikely for someone as powerful as the Mother Goddess to go senile. The second possibility, as well as the one Roel thought to be much more probable, was that the Mother Goddess was rted to Sia. Many questions that had been looming in his head were automatically answered as soon as that thought popped into his head. He had always thought that the term ¡®Mother Goddess¡¯ was very odd for a god, for it could have easily been considered sphemy against Sia. Sia was the Genesis Goddess, as well as the Mother of All Life. ¡®Mother¡¯ was a word that wasmonly used to refer to Sia. The gods in the ancient era would have never allowed one of their own to assume such a title, let alone condoned it. However, this would all make sense if the Mother Goddess had a special bond with Goddess Sia that allowed Her to inherit thetter¡¯s legacy. That would exin why She had called Roel Her child, for every living being in this world was Sia¡¯s child. Despite Roel¡¯s guess, he dared not say too much in this situation, knowing that he was still in a precarious position. While they were in the midst of their conversation, many figures began appearing on the distant horizon. Their varying shapes and sizes suggested that they were an alliance made out of many different races, and indeed, it was a surprisingly diverse army consisting of races like the elusive Blood n, the brawny lycanthropes, and the deformed undead. This alliance quickly advanced in Roel¡¯s direction while making sure to maintain their ranks. In response, a toon of high elves dressed in long robes surrounded Roel and awaited the Mother Goddess¡¯ edict. Roel chose to remain perfectly still, having resigned himself to the fate of a hostage. Little did he know that his actions were reshaping the Mother Goddess¡¯ thoughts. Hisposure had taken the Mother Goddess by surprise. She couldn¡¯t understand how the Kingmaker could tolerate this unprecedented offense. It sparked a sliver of hope in Her heart. Did my words work? The Mother Goddess nervously clenched Her fists. After a moment of thought, She decided against Her initial intent. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to imprison him. Bring him to My chamber.¡± Chapter 549: Kingmaker

Chapter 549: Kingmaker

Roel Ascart had battled for his entire life. He had always fearlessly stood his ground no matter how powerful his foe was, and it was through his strength and wits that he had ovee trial after trial. His battle records would have awed even the proudestbat maniac. But this time, against the adversary known as the Mother Goddess, he unhesitatingly chose to lie t. I mean, what am I supposed to do against an opponent that''s way out of my league? Fighting the Mother Goddess was a one-way ticket to hell. The earth-shattering attack She had inflicted on the Archangel Sanctuary earlier showed that. By no means were the thousands of angelic silhouettes floating inside the Archangel Sanctuary just ornaments on disy. Even the weakest of them was at Origin Level 3, making them a terrifying army of high transcendents. Yet, the Mother Goddess squashed them like bugs. Even now, Roel could still vividly remember the sounds of those angelic silhouettes popping one after another¡­ and that was probably nothing more than a casual attack from Her. She hadn¡¯t even spared a nce at the sky ever since appearing before him! Nope. Definitely nope. No way in hell am I going to fight an opponent like that. That was how Roel came to his decision. Surprisingly, his decision to submit saved him from imprisonment. ¡°¡­There¡¯s no need to imprison him. Bring him to My chamber.¡± The astonishment of the nearby high elves was almost tangible when the Mother Goddess said those words, and Roel understood where they wereing from. Those words signaled a huge change in Roel¡¯s identity. Someone who was imprisoned was a prisoner. Even the respected Kingmaker would have to be subjected to cuffs or restraint spells when being held as a prisoner. It was a different story if he was to be brought to the Mother Goddess¡¯ chamber instead, for that meant that he wasn''t a prisoner but a guest, albeit one with his freedom restricted. Still, it entitled him to much better treatment. Upon hearing the order, the high elves humbly put away their glimmering jewel handcuffs. The Mother Goddess turned to look at Roel. Her golden eyes glowed with increasing luminosity before the light quietly faded off. Roel felt his body growing heavy as the mana flowing in him lost its vitality and fell stagnant. ¡°I have sealed your strength. Don¡¯t attempt to resist. It¡¯ll only hurt you.¡± Once again, those words were conveyed in a manner that sounded like both a warning and a plea. Roel fell into a dilemma. He couldn¡¯t tell how the Mother Goddess felt about him. The Mother Goddess proceeded to ry some orders to the high elves before turning Her attention back to Roel. Words seemed to be lingering at the tip of Her tongue, but She held Herself back again and again. In the end, She went with four short sentences. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They won¡¯t hurt you. Don¡¯t escape anymore¡­ I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± The full moon hanging in the night sky suddenly shone with greater brilliance, and before Roel knew it, the Mother Goddess had already vanished into thin air. The high elves slightly arched their backs to respectfully see Her off. Roel exhaled in relief. He btedly realized that his back was soaked from the short interaction he had with the Mother Goddess. While She had promised to spare him, it was still mentally taxing to be in Her presence. It was like standing before a humongous dragon, only worse. In any case, this event had changed the trajectoryid out before him. ¡°Esteemed Kingmaker, it¡¯s a long journey from here. Allow us to ensure your safety.¡± The high elves stepped forward after the Mother Goddess left. They addressed Roel respectfully, but the underlying intent behind their words was clear. Knowing his ce as a ¡®guest¡¯, he nodded before obediently following the high elves. The nearby armyprising the races that had allied themselves with the Mother Goddess quickly gathered around them while warily eyeing the Savior¡¯s army. Roel looked at the vignt troops around him, followed by the devastated battlefield behind him. He then sighed softly under his breath before striding toward the unknown. ¡­ Roel was treated pretty well after the Mother Goddess left. To get to the Mother Goddess¡¯ chamber, the first thing they had to do was to get out of this carcass-filled battlefield. A prisoner would have been transported out using a prison vehicle or just an ordinary carriage, but he rode on a majestic war chariot instead. This war chariot was a magic tool that rumbled with a hint of thunder. It was pulled by the pegasi, the legendary winged beast often spoken alongside the unicorns. The skies in this era were unlike those in the Third Epoch. Not only was it disrespectful to fly above the powerhouses¡¯ territories, butrge portions of the sky were owned by various powers too. For instance, the Wingman n dominated huge swathes of aerial spaces. Those who wished to fly across these spaces would have to pay tariffs¡­ and that was already a positive oue. The more unreasonable aerial powers would have intruders outright murdered. Riding on the war chariot pulled by the pegasi meant that Roel was the Mother Goddess¡¯ most esteemed guest, thus he could roam freely wherever the moonlight shone. Any acts of aggression directed toward the war chariot would be equivalent to waging war against Her. While the Mother Goddess had initially gotten extremely agitated at his escape, She no longer showed any inclination to take his life once he expressed his intent to submit. She even made thorough preparations to ensure his safety. He was granted the treatment of a VIP, and the guards showed him ample respect. Roel still wasn¡¯t sure what kind of position the Kingmaker had in this era, but he could fathom a guess from others¡¯ attitudes. For instance, most people subconsciously arched their backs upon seeing him, and the spontaneity of how they did so suggested that it wasn¡¯t a result of the Mother Goddess¡¯ influence. Every army was bound to have its fair share of pricks. Even though Roel, in official terms, was the Mother Goddess¡¯ guest, no one was deceived for even the slightest instant that he was not, in fact, a prisoner. Of course, these soldiers wouldn¡¯t foolishly defy the Mother Goddess¡¯ will and hurt him, but they wouldn¡¯t have a high opinion of him either. It was more likely for them to feel aggrieved that a prisoner was receiving such preferential treatment. Without a doubt, he was receiving more respect than what someone in his plight deserved. The only possibility he could think of was that the Kingmakermanded a high level of prestige in this era, to the extent that imprisoning him was considered an offense. This left him wondering just what kind of role the Kingmaker yed in this era. He knew that the Kingmaker n had yed the role of an inspector of some sort and had contracted many ancient gods in this era, but he wasn¡¯t sure about the specific details. Fortunately, it should be easy enough for him to tease out this information from others. A female high elf, who was clearly one of the leaders of her n, had boarded the war chariot together with him. She was a looker, having inherited the superior aesthetics of her race, but it was hardly enough to make Roel bat an eyelid. Nowhere close to Charlotte, he proudly thought. Even when blessed with the Primordial High Elf Bloodline, a human was bound to be inferior to a real high elf, but Charlotte was an exception, and not only in terms of her looks. Even her strength would surpass her ancestors in due time. Roel nodded smugly to himself, but he quickly shook out of his reverie. This was no time to be daydreaming. He should make full use of this chance to gather as much information as possible. ¡°Are you allowed to speak with me?¡± ¡°Yes, milord. However, I may be unable to answer some of your questions.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°I am Ad, milord.¡± Having received a positive answer from his high elf guard, Roel nodded in satisfaction before embarking on a barrage of random questions. ¡°Is the war chariot moving at its fastest speed?¡± ¡°What if a fog settles in?¡± ¡°Will you be the one taking care of me throughout the entire journey?¡± Ad respectfully answered these mundane questions, not disying any hint of impatience. Roel narrowed his eyes. These questions might have appeared meaningless at first nce, but they had been carefully crafted to draw out crucial information. His inquiry about the maximum speed of the war chariot could be considered an insidious attempt to scout military intelligence, but Ad answered him without withholding any information. Are these kinds of questions permitted too? Does this mean I¡¯m allowed to ask anything I want as long as it doesn¡¯t directly concern the Mother Goddess? This gave Roel a good idea as to the rough boundaries of the questions he could pose, but he chose to continue chatting with Ad first to further lower her guard. He turned his eyes toward the silver moon in the sky and softly sighed. ¡°This incident was a misunderstanding. I only came here because I received a tip-off from an old friend, Lamia, to avoid the war.¡± ¡°Well¡­ That would be for the best.¡± Ad was unsure of how she should react to Roel¡¯s exnation; it took her a while to squeeze out a response. Roel responded with a weak smile. ¡°Am I really that important at all?¡± ¡°Of course! Your stance makes all the difference in the world. Your choice represents Sia¡¯s will. Your words have the power to influence how others view our Mother Goddess!¡± Ad answered vehemently as if she couldn¡¯t believe that Roel would ask such an obvious question. ¡°!¡± Roel was stunned. Momentster, he sorrowfully lowered his head and sighed. ¡°The Genesis Goddess has already left us. What weight do my words hold? War is already inevitable. I don¡¯t think that I can reciprocate the Mother Goddess¡¯ expectations.¡± ¡°¡­Even so, you are the Overseer. Your acknowledgment will shake the determination of those fools beguiled by that repugnant sun. It might even change the trajectory of the war. Besides¡­ you are an irreceable existence to our Mother Goddess. All of us understand that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sensing a hint of envy and disappointment in Ad¡¯s words, Roel¡¯s eyes flickered thoughtfully. His silence concluded their conversation. Ad didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She worried that her words had triggered something in him that made him reconsider the option of siding with the Savior, but the truth was that Roel had no intention of siding with anyone. He was simply processing the information acquired from their conversation. The situation was clear now. The Kingmaker served as Sia¡¯s representative, tasked with the responsibility of evaluating the Race Sovereigns and bestowing legitimacy through crowning them. That was probably what Artasia meant when she said that he was the inspector. It was simr to how ancient China¡¯s imperial censors kept tabs on the officials of the imperial court to ensure that they didn¡¯t overstep their boundaries, just that the power orded to the Kingmaker was much greater and more concentrated. His ability to govern the Race Sovereigns meant that he was, in a way, second to only Sia Herself. Back when Sia was still around, the Kingmaker¡¯s position was unshakable due to Her mandate. That was no longer the case, but the Kingmaker remained a special existence by virtue of the contracts he had sealed with many generations of Race Sovereigns. Even the Mother Goddess and Savior would be influenced by him. Whoever the Kingmaker sided with would be granted Sia¡¯s legitimacy. That exined why the Mother Goddess had gone as far as to directly intervene in the situation in order to bring him back. His existence was a political bomb. Any side that recruited him would be able to strip the other party of any rightful ims they had over Sia¡¯s session, thus shaking that faction¡¯s morale. This realization eroded any intent he had of escaping from the Mother Goddess¡¯ clutches. It was a miracle that the Mother Goddess was willing to spare him this time around. It was best not to bank on a miracle happening a second time. Roel fearfully patted his heart. It frightened him to think about how close he had been to dying earlier. On the bright side, this gave him a hint as to what he was supposed to do here. He turned his attention toward the System, only to notice something that made his body stiffen up. ¡¾The crossroads of the future and the past, as the sun and the moon vie for the sky. The key to choose has been returned to your hands. Uncover your own path.¡¿ ¡¾Progress of Bloodline Awakening: 17%¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation: Average (52)¡¿ Chapter 550: Accompaniment and Observation

Chapter 550: Apaniment and Observation

The most direct method to gauge the Witness State¡¯s progress was the System¡¯s evaluation. While this Witness State didn¡¯t have a countdown, Roel could still estimate how far he had advanced based on the System¡¯s evaluation and deduce what he was supposed to do here. Unlike his previous encounters, this Witness State was triggered by a precious family heirloom that was carefully passed down from generation to generation. There must be something his ancestors desperately wanted to achieve through this Witness State, to the point that they had rigged the magic tool to enable a substitution to ur. Roel didn¡¯t even know that it was possible to substitute someone inside the Witness State, and he couldn¡¯t begin to imagine how such a spell was formted. On top of that, this substitution was so potent that it could even deceive the Mother Goddess. The Kingmaker n must have paid a heavy price to make something like this possible. Surely they must have a reason for doing this. What are they after? What do they want me to do? Such questions floated in Roel¡¯s mind, but fortunately, he was able to decipher a clue from the System¡¯s description and evaluation. The crossroads of the future and the past, as the sun and the moon vie for the sky. The key to choose has been returned to your hands. Uncover your own path. Roel slowly read the description in his mind and broke down its meaning word by word. ¡®The crossroads of the future and the past¡¯ indicates that something huge must have happened in this era that shaped the future. ¡®The sun and the moon¡¯ clearly refer to the Savior and the Mother Goddess. Thetter half is basically telling me to make a choice here as the Kingmaker. As the Kingmaker, Roel had the power to shape the war by choosing whether to side with the Savior or the Mother Goddess, and his choice would bring about vastly different oues. The original Kingmaker must have also made a choice back then, and this Witness State provided a second chance to choose another path. In other words, his mission was to make a different choice from his ancestor. As simple as this sounded, a question arose here: What was the decision made by the original Kingmaker? The break in the Kingmaker n¡¯s legacy through the generations meant that Roel had absolutely no idea what his ancestors had done in the past. Thisplicated the situation. I¡¯m supposed to just be making corrections for the test, but I don¡¯t even know what the wrong answer was! How can I ensure that I won¡¯t err on the same part as my ancestors did? Roel¡¯s heart bubbled with anxiety and frustration, but the positive evaluation from the System calmed him down for the time being. ¡¾Evaluation: Average (52)¡¿ Roel could hardly believe his evaluation score, given that he had hardly done anything. In previous Witness States, he had to clear numerous ordeals in order to reach this evaluation score, but somehow, he had already advanced this far here just by lying t. Does this mean to say that I made the right choice by choosing not to fight? Roel suddenly came to a realization. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. The Kingmaker wasn¡¯t just a respected figurehead; he was likely to be a powerhouse too. It wasn¡¯t far-fetched to think so, given how powerful the members of the Kingmaker n were. Unlike Roel, who was truly powerless to fight back, the original Kingmaker could have boldly confronted the Mother Goddess, resulting in the esction of the situation. Thinking back, Roel was confident that it was none other than his decision to submit to the Mother Goddess that changed Her mind. But if my evaluation score only rose to this extent, it means that I have yet to sufficiently differentiate myself from my ancestor¡­ Roel stroked his lower jaw as he tried to deduce what his ancestor might have gone through. A long whileter, he sighed. Well, he¡¯s up against the Mother Goddess, after all. He was probably crushed like an ant. The Mother Goddess was so powerful that Roel couldn¡¯t even imagine the original Kingmaker putting up a fight against Her no matter how powerful he might be. Another thing to consider was that his ancestors left behind a warning: The Mother Goddess mustn¡¯t be defied. Why would my ancestors leave those words behind if they won? They must have been beaten into submission! Roel sighed. Analyzing the divergence between the current situation in the Witness State and what had happened in the actual history, he believed there was a high chance that the original Kingmaker was beaten to a pulp and dragged to the Mother Goddess¡¯ turf too, though he would have been a prisoner instead of a guest. That soothed Roel a little. In any case, he was d that the situation was developing in his favor. As for his transcendent powers being sealed, he would just have to bear with it for the time being. The Mother Goddess had already warned him that he could be injured if he tried to resist the seal, and Ad was keeping a close eye on him. Despite Ad¡¯s respectful attitude, she was quite a powerful individual too, likely having reached Origin Level 2. Furthermore, it looked like she would be a High Elf Sovereign in the near future. To think that someone this powerful is assigned as my bodyguard¡­ Does this show how much the Mother Goddess values the Kingmaker, or are the people of this era simply that powerful? If it¡¯s thetter, I doubt that I¡¯ll be able to roam around freely even if I regain my powers¡­ ¡°Milord, do you have something to ask me?¡± Ad hesitantly spoke up under Roel¡¯s silent gaze. Thetter pondered for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± He decided to put off scouting the Mother Goddess¡¯ military situation for the time being. It would be wiser not to appear too suspicious right after being captured. As powerful as the substitution spell was, he didn¡¯t want to draw unnecessary suspicion by appearing like an ignorant doofus who knew nothing about the world. For now, his n was to ¡®speak less, observe more¡¯. Roel fell silent once more, and Ad decided against saying anything either. The war chariot picked up speed and whizzed across the moonlit night. ¡­ Roel¡¯s previous world had a pretty fervent scene for night racing despite the dangers. Heck, there was even a tofu deliveryman who challenged himself to clear a mountainous path full of many sharp turns in record time! But none of that came anywhere close to being as dangerous as night sky racing in the Sia Continent. Weng! Under the moonlit sky, the war chariot released a powerful mana pulsation that formed a luminescent barrier. It warded off ten ck tendrils that had risen from the shadowy ground to encircle the war chariot. ¡°Back down! This is our Mother Goddess¡¯ esteemed guest!¡± Ad rose to her feet and berated the tendrils coiling outside. The pegasi pulling the war chariot trembled ever so slightly as they neighed in unease and nervousness. Roel¡¯s face turned slightly pale as he thought about everything he had sensed along the way. The war chariot had raced ahead after he concluded his conversation with Ad, but who could have thought that the journey to the Mother Goddess¡¯ chamber would be fraught with dangers? From time to time, Roel sensed an assessing gaze from the shadowy ground that presumably belonged to the lord of the territory. Most of them averted their gaze upon recognizing the war chariot, but it nevertheless felt awful to have others looking at him with such predatory eyes. Roel had no idea what was lurking on the ground below, but he knew that it was a monster that surpassed his imagination. Even its aura was already on par with Peytra¡¯s. Is it a demonic beast? I didn¡¯t think that the monsters in this era would be this powerful. They must have been even more frightening back when Sia was still around¡­ Roel grimly thought. He suddenly felt that Peytra had downyed how harsh the ancient era had been. A world full of such eldritch horrors was no different from a nightmare. Despite Ad¡¯s warnings, the tendrils continued to creep closer, to the point where Roel could clearly see the suckers on them. Ad¡¯splexion turned awful, and the war chariot¡¯s rumbles began to crescendo. Just as a fight was about to break out, the silver moon suddenly glowed more brightly than ever. This phenomenon stirred an indescribable feeling within Roel¡ªone that he was oddly familiar with. It was the Mother Goddess¡¯ gaze. But what was different from before was that this gaze was tinged with salient rage. An invisible pressure crushed down from the sky, suppressing every aura in the vicinity. The pegasi stopped their neighing, and the war chariot¡¯s rumbles halted. As if they had been struck by lightning, the tendrils shuddered in fright before retreating into the shadows in a panic. It took a few moments before the moon slowly reverted to normal. Only then did the kneeling Ad rise back to her feet. She wiped off her cold sweat as she turned to Roel to exin herself. ¡°My apologies, Lord Roel. I shouldn¡¯t have chosen this route. This is the dwelling of the evil gods. They have been in a restless state recently¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Do such incidents happen often?¡± ¡°Erk. No, not at all¡­¡± Ad looked visibly troubled by Roel¡¯s question. She lowered her head before further borating, ¡°Your aura must have reminded them of the war between them and the saint beasts, which led to them being unusually aggressive. There¡¯s no need to worry about that anymore since our Mother Goddess has already warned them.¡± ¡°Warned them? You¡¯re referring to that earlier gaze?¡± ¡°Indeed. The war chariot¡¯s thunder is usually enough to scare them off, but today was an exception¡­¡± Ad looked envious when she said those words. The Mother Goddess had never used Her Moon Gaze even when her brethren were harassed by the evil gods, because this spell was a huge energy drainer. On top of that, the fact that the Mother Goddess made a move before the fight evenmenced hinted that She had been paying attention to them all this while. ¡°Our Mother Goddess cares deeply about you.¡± Ad felt conflicted when she recalled the rage she had sensed from the Mother Goddess. Never had the Mother Goddess behaved in such a way before; it was almost as if She was a mother protecting her own child. Had the evil god¡¯s tendrils really touched the war chariot, the Mother Goddess might have very well torched every being in the vicinity to cinders. It was fortunate that Roel didn¡¯t react much to the situation, disying no displeasure or fear, and that prompted Her to hold back a little. Ad exhaled deeply before looking at Roel in gratitude. However, Roel was too busy thinking about other stuff to notice her gesture. No matter how he looked at the Mother Goddess¡¯ army, be it the Blood n, the Undead, or the Scalemen, they simply didn¡¯t look like the good guys. Add in the demonic beasts and evil gods whom he had stumbled upon earlier to the mix, and that practically screamed ¡®viin¡¯. In contrast, the Savior¡¯s forces looked much more like the good guys here. If this was what he was thinking, his ancestor might have harbored the same thought. In fact, the original Kingmaker was likely to have a much poorer impression of the Mother Goddess after having fought with and been captured by Her. To be frank, Roel had a better impression of the Mother Goddess after She stepped in to intimidate the evil god. She¡¯s earnestly trying to protect me, be it from physical injury or mental trauma, he thought. Thetter half of the journey was smooth sailing. Even the strongest of the evil gods dared not to bare their fangs against Roel under the moonlight after the Mother Goddess¡¯ intimidation. As aggrieved as they might be, they dared not raise their heads and openly express their emotions. Even the mightiest of dragons would do well to lie t under the moonlight. Just like that, Roel finally arrived at the Mother Goddess¡¯ home base. It was a vast city built around a lofty tower that shot up to heaven. Roel was amazed by the spectacr sight before him. He turned to check on the System¡¯s notification, and it was just as he had expected. ¡¾Evaluation: Average (59)¡¿ Chapter 551: Blatant Siding

Chapter 551: tant Siding

It was at twilight that the war chariot Roel was riding on arrived at the heart of the Mother Goddess¡¯ influence and he beheld one of the greatest constructions of this era. It was a lofty skyscraper emanating a gentle glow that mirrored the silver moon¡¯s luminescence. It was such a tall structure that Roel could only see its midsection even though they were in the sky themselves. Surrounding this majestic tower was a vast city that extended to the horizon. ¡°Lord Roel, we¡¯re arriving at our destination soon.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Roel quietly nodded, making sure to conceal his astonishment. Ad took out a magic tool to establishmunication with the tower. Moonsoul Tower¡ªthis was what the followers of the Mother Goddess called the majestic tower. The name originated from how the tower would glow faintly whenever the silver moon rose to the sky, and rumors had it that the tower itself was blessed by the ancestors of all races. There was no basis to the rumors, but it would be foolish to think that the Moonsoul Tower was nothing but a beautiful structure. From the moment Roel entered the city, he experienced a familiar tingling sensation. His Crown¡¯s Stones were pulsating out of joy, as if they had found their ce of belonging. This reaction¡­ Are they nearby too? Roel narrowed his golden eyes as he naturally thought about the Six Cmities. The knowledge that the Six Cmities also existed in this era gave an insight into the current situation between the two warring parties. The Savior had many powerful races pledging loyalty to Him, such as the Giants, the Wingmen, the Dragons, and perhaps even the supposedly neutral Angels too. To be fair, the Mother Goddess had an impressive force under Her too, but there was no doubt that She was the weaker one in terms of overall military prowess. However, it would be a different story if the Six Cmities were factored into the picture too. The Six Cmities individually possessed abilities surpassing those of the gods, and they were likely to be stronger than ever in this era, when the Mother Goddess was still active and at Her peak. Moreover, the Mother Goddess was on closer terms with the demonic beasts and the evil gods. Even the Savior would have to think twice before making a move against such a force. Roel was unable to stay calm, fearing that the Cmities would detect the Crown¡¯s Stones and go after him. Ad noticed his grim expression and was confused for a brief moment before realization struck her. ¡°Milord, you must have noticed the auras of our God¡¯s Envoys. There is no need to be rmed. They won¡¯t act out of ce under our Mother Goddess¡¯ watch,¡± Ad assured him. ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Roel nodded contemtively. The fact that Ad mentioned the God¡¯s Envoys on her own ord suggested that information about the Six Cmities wasn¡¯t confidential, meaning that the Savior and His faction likely knew about them too. If that was the case¡­ ¡°Ad, your n seems to have a special tie with the God¡¯s Envoys. Do they fall under your n¡¯s jurisdiction?¡± Roel asked in a casual tone, resting his head on his arm. ¡°¡­¡± Ad¡¯s body stiffened up. She was hesitant to answer the question. By the rules, she was not supposed to share specific details about the God¡¯s Envoys, especially given how important they were to the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. However, the person posing the question was none other than Kingmaker Roel. Thatplicated the situation. Roel¡¯s importance surpassed even that of the God¡¯s Envoys. Furthermore, she could tell that even though Roel and the Mother Goddess¡¯ rtionship had reached a freezing point, the two of them still cared for each other. The Mother Goddess had been keeping an eye out for him even after they had parted ways, whereas Roel¡¯s decision to not retaliate despite the act of insolencemitted against him reflected his wish to reconcile. Thinking that she had seen through everything, Ad¡¯s guard slowly lowered. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not really so. Our n is responsible for taking care of the God¡¯s Envoys on behalf of our Mother Goddess while She is busy with other matters.¡± ¡°I see. Isn¡¯t that dangerous? What if an ident urs?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely to happen. The Mother Goddess has bestowed Her authority upon us. The God¡¯s Envoys won¡¯t hurt us as long as we don''t direct aggression toward them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I doubt that anyone would be so foolish as to harm the God¡¯s Envoys. Those beings know not of death, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The God¡¯s Envoys will never die as long as the radiance of our Mother Goddess shines upon the world,¡± Ad replied with a confident smile as she looked at the brilliant silver moon in the sky. Roel slowly narrowed his eyes as he confirmed the conditions to vanquish the Six Cmities. As he acquired this crucial piece of information, the pegasi let out a resounding neigh, and the war chariot made its way toward anding tform outside the Moonsoul Tower. Fully armored guards stood in two orderly rows outside the tower as they respectfully awaited the arrival of the Kingmaker. Just like that, Roel¡¯s days of imprisonmentmenced. ¡­ Imprisonment. This word alluded to danger, evoking thoughts of a sealed room guarded by wardens that kept a watchful eye on the prisoner. That wasn¡¯t the case at all for Roel. Instead of being locked inside a stifling room inside the Moonsoul Tower, he was brought to a room that was evenrger than the presidential suites in his previous world, one that took up an entire half of a tower¡¯s floor. It had all sorts of amenities, ranging from afortable bedroom to even a private garden to alleviate his boredom. Furthermore, Roel was granted full authority over the personnel he wanted to serve him. Just to be clear, this wasn¡¯t a superficial authority where he had to choose from a limited list of people to decide whom he wanted to watch him; if he wanted to, he couldpletely do away with the personnel and stay in the room by himself. He couldn¡¯t believe that a prisoner like him could be entitled to such generosity. This showed that the Mother Goddess had softened Her attitude toward him. In the end, he still chose to keep a few servants with him, including Ad. He wanted to receive updates about the situation outside, and this room was indeed too big for him to stay in alone. Roely down on the sofa and leisurely scanned the room. The excessive usage of jewels in every nook and cranny clearly reflected the preference of the high elves. Now that he was finally out of danger and had some time to himself, he breathed a sigh of relief. At the peak of the Moonsoul Tower, a ck-haired, golden-eyed woman seated atop a throne was eyeing the distant scenery with a worried frown. ¡°Pardon my insolence, O great Mother Goddess, but the decision You madest night was at odds with our n. I humbly beseech You to reconsider Your decision,¡± a middle-aged high elf standing behind Her said with a severe expression. Behind him, the upper echelons of the other races silently nodded, expressing their approval of the middle-aged high elf¡¯s words. Micher Sofiat¡ªthis was the name of the middle-aged high elf. He was the chief of the High Elves, who had pledged their undying loyalty to the Mother Goddess. The absolute nature of their Loyal Origin Attribute made them Her most trusted subjects, granting them a high position in her faction. Due to that, he naturally took on the important responsibility of advising Her whenever they had to make important decisions. That being said, the High Elves would usually unconditionally obey the Mother Goddess¡¯ orders. In fact, this was the first time that the devout Micher had voiced such strong opposition to Her decision, and he was justified in doing so too. The Mother Goddess was acting on her feelings. Far from what it seemed, the Mother Goddess¡¯ overwhelming power wasn¡¯t the only reason they were able to sessfully intercept Roelst night. In truth, Micher¡¯s intelligence department was the one who had noticed an anomaly in the Kingmaker¡¯s movements and had swiftly dispatched troops to stall him till nightfall. Prior to the operation, they had already agreed on how they would deal with the Kingmaker, but the Mother Goddess ended up acting on Her own feelings. Micher had always been deeply concerned about the special ce the Kingmaker had in the Mother Goddess¡¯ heart. All of the clues he had uncovered made him more certain than ever that the Kingmaker was going to side with the Savior, but even so, he withheld the information from the Mother Goddess because he knew that it was futile. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t begin to imagine just how forgiving the Mother Goddess was toward the Kingmaker, to the point where Micher knew that he couldn¡¯t carelessly speak up against the Kingmaker. He would need something more absolute to prompt the Mother Goddess to get rid of that threat, and he believed that it wouldn¡¯t be long before that day came. He was right. The previous evening, the Mother Goddess flew into an unprecedented rage when She confirmed that the Kingmaker had betrayed Her. She toughened Her heart and approved of Micher and the others¡¯ proposal to eliminate the unstable variable that could influence the course of the war. Yet, a nightter, Micher received an unbelievable piece of news. Not only had the Mother Goddess not killed the Kingmaker, but She had even brought him back to the Moonsoul Tower to take care of him. What the¡­ Words couldn¡¯t begin to describe just how dumbfounded Micher and the race leaders were. They voiced strong opposition toward the Mother Goddess¡¯ course of action, but for some reason, thetter refused to change Her mind. In the dimly-lit audience room, Micher shared his point of view and even broke down the pros and cons of this matter. Yet, the Mother Goddess continued to quietly look out of the window, making it unclear whether She was paying attention or not. It was a long time before She finally answered. ¡°He didn¡¯t retaliatest night, be it against the imprisonment or My seal. Maybe¡­ it was just a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Micher and the others couldn¡¯t believe what they were hearing. They had been absolutely certain that the Mother Goddess would have shed with the Kingmakerst night, judging by their personalities and their different stances. It was for that very reason they had chosen not to tag along, for they wouldn¡¯t have been able to interfere in a battle of that caliber. It was hard to imagine that the Kingmaker would surrender just like that. However, after careful thought, Micher¡¯s expression turned grim once more. The fishy situation only made him even more vignt. ¡°O great Mother Goddess, I suspect that his surrender might have been a strategic move for survival rather than a symbol of submission. Furthermore, it doesn¡¯t matter whether he retaliated or not when it is already certain that he has turned his back on us! For the sake of this holy war, we can¡¯t allow such an unstable variable to continue existing!¡± Micher¡¯s impassioned words won the approval of the other race leaders. Not even the Mother Goddess was unable to remain unfazed. She had to admit that Micher¡¯s words made sense. As powerful as the Kingmaker was, he didn¡¯t stand a chance against the Mother Goddess at all, whether he decided to fight or to run. It was possible that Roel¡¯s submission was just a strategic maneuver to survive the crisis. The Mother Goddess understood that well, but it didn¡¯t hinder her from harboring a small tinge of hope in her heart. But what if¡­ What if he really repents? What if he truly understands Me now? The Mother Goddess fervently clutched onto that hope in Her heart. It was a mother¡¯s earnest wish for her child to mature, and such hopes were nigh impossible to extinguish. Micher panicked. This was not the first time something like this had happened. The Mother Goddess¡¯ inability to take decisive actions against the Kingmaker had nearly resulted in disastrous consequences for them once, and it looked like history was repeating itself. ¡°O great Mother Goddess, I¡¯ll willingly shoulder the sins on Your behalf if You are unable to harden Your heart.¡± ¡°!¡± The audience room plunged into silence. The race leaders quivered in fear as they saw the Mother Goddess¡¯ expression turn cold right after Micher said those words. The atmosphere became so heavy that everyone naturally fell silent. Yet, Micher refused to take back his words. He quietly awaited the response of his liege, not worrying about the implications of his words at all. Sensing the obstinate loyalty of the man before Her, the Mother Goddess¡¯ expression lightened up, and Her feelings eventually culminated into a soft sigh. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have a talk with him first.¡± With those words, the Mother Goddess rose to Her feet and left the audience room, leaving Her stunned subordinates to wonder just what kind of beguiling potion the Kingmaker had fed Her. Some timeter, the race leaders finally regained their calm and left the audience room too. Meanwhile, Roel had already descended into thend of dreams. Chapter 552.1: Prison (1)

Chapter 552.1: Prison (1)

¡°Lord Roel, do you¡­ have any requests tonight?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel looked at the ufortable Ad with raised eyebrows, failing to understand what she was getting at. The only requests he could think of right now were regaining his freedom and having the seal on him removed. For the former, he had already lost all will to escape after his encounter with the evil god on the war chariot. There were simply too many threats lurking in this world! I might just encounter an evil god who is out for my life while roaming the streets. I¡¯m only an Origin Level 3 substitute, not the powerful Kingmaker. I don¡¯t want to die yet! He could also request that the seal on him be removed, but he would be better off directly talking to the Mother Goddess about it than having the servants ry his words. He had a feeling that they would meet very soon anyway. As a result, Roel had no idea what to say. His hesitation induced Ad¡¯s misunderstanding, and she meekly looked at him before further borating. ¡°They aren¡¯t the only ones. You may choose the other maids on the list too¡­¡± Huh? The maids? Roel¡¯s eyes slowly widened. He nced at the doorway, where the maids stood with their heads lowered in embarrassment. It finally struck him what Ad was driving at. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. You may rest now. I¡¯d like some time to myself.¡± Roel dismissed the maids with a wave of his hand. His words induced varied responses from the maids. Some heaved a sigh of relief. Some shook their heads in disappointment. In any case, they had no choice but to leave the room after he had ordered them to. Roel exhaled deeply. Such temptation was fatal to a man; the high elves were known for their beauty, after all. However, it was hard for him to feel attracted to them when he already had such ravishing partners, not to mention that his conscience didn¡¯t allow him to cheat on them. The willingness of the high elves to have a rtionship with him even though he was a prisoner here showed just how respected the Kingmaker was. Still, he felt mildly insulted that they were only asking him if he had any requests tonight when it was already nearing daybreak. Are you implying that I¡¯ll be done before sunrise? Who are you looking down on?! Roel was affronted by the unintended insult, but he wasn¡¯t so childish as to feel the need to prove himself. Besides, he needed some time alone to think about his next step. He had deduced that he should be making a different choice from the original Kingmaker, and the System¡¯s evaluation showed that he was on the right track. However, things were only going to getplicated from this point onward. The original Kingmaker might not have been entitled to the same preferential treatment as Roel, but the Mother Goddess must have tried to persuade him to join Her ranks, thus beckoning the question: What did the original Kingmaker choose? Roel thought hard about this question, but his predecessors really hadn''t left him much to work with. He could only deduce from circumstantial information. Judging from the movements of the original Kingmaker, there was a good chance that he was more inclined to side with the Savior, though the reason behind that was still unknown. That means that I probably should side with the Mother Goddess? Roely on his soft andfortable bed while pondering upon this question. Before he knew it, drowsiness had already started to get the better of him. Too many things had happened over the span of a single night, and Roel was much more prone to exhaustion now that his mana had been sealed. His eyelids continued to grow heavier, and he eventually fell into a deep sleep. Right before his consciousness fully drifted off, his Crown Origin Attribute quietly trembled, and he was brought into a different world. ¡­ Roel opened his eyes and found himself in the middle of a pitch-ck space, standing atop a blurry path that extended into the unknown. His body walked down the path of its own ord as if he was in a trance. His surroundings morphed into all kinds of sceneries as he marched on. He was walking next to a clock tower a second ago, but he was now trudging through a sinister cavern. Before he knew it, the sinister cavern had already transformed into a sunset in. Mountains, tunnels, cities, and bridges¡ªhis surroundings continued changing into all sorts of things, but the blurry path he walked on remained the same. It was the only constant in this psychedelic world. Roel disyed zero interest in his surroundings. His cid gaze remained firmly focused on the path ahead of him. The perceptions of time and space were confounded in this disorienting environment of ever-changing sceneries. Roel had no idea how long and far he had walked before something that could be hailed as andmark finally appeared in his line of sight. It was a gigantic old door blocking the path he was walking on. He couldn¡¯t tell what the door was made of, but it looked worn out as if it hadn¡¯t been opened for a long time. It was only upon seeing the door that Roel¡¯s consciousness began to rouse. This is¡­ Where am I? Such a thought surfaced in Roel¡¯s head, but his mind remained fuzzy as if something was clogging it. His roused consciousness hadn¡¯t snapped his body out of its autopilot either, as his body continued walking toward the door of its own ord. Each step closer he got to the door cleared up a bit of the mental fog clouding his mind. He tried recalling the sceneries he had seen along the way, but they provided him with no clue where he might be. Be it Grandar, Peytra, or Artasia, their domains were the most familiar ce to them during their lifetime. Yet, this domain was pitch-ck, with random sceneries shing by as if someone was on LSD. Could such a ce really exist in the real world? What kind of ancient god dwells in a ce like this? Furthermore, this gate¡­ Roel couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that the door was a seal, intended to keep whatever was imprisoned inside froming out. It can¡¯t be¡­ an evil god, right? Momentster, he shook his head. He had entered this Witness State through the blue-gold ring his ancestors had left behind, and he could sense that the ring wasn¡¯t an ancient god¡¯s relic. On the contrary, it carried an aura that was quite simr to his own. That led him to deduce that the ring was a relic of the Kingmaker n, which was probably how he was able to substitute the Kingmaker in this Witness State. In other words, the ancient god he was meeting now was not catalyzed by the ring but randomly chosen based on theirpatibility with him. As the youth representative of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, a paragon of moral values, how could I possibly bepatible with an evil god? That¡¯s a ridiculous notion in itself! Roel firmly denied the possibility that he could bepatible with an evil god. He took in a deep breath before making his way toward the gigantic old door. As soon as his fingertip touched the door, his body suddenly jolted. A blurry petite figure appeared in his mind. The petite figure sensed his presence and looked in his direction. Then, this mental image dissipated like the countless other fleeting sceneries he had seen along the way. For a moment, he thought that he had hallucinated, but then a childlike voice echoed. ¡°You¡¯re already here? Come in.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened to their utmost. The childlike voice he had just heard wasn¡¯t processed through his ears; it had appeared straight in his mind. Did someone breach my consciousness? No, I would have noticed it otherwise. Is it just simple telepathicmunication? Roel pondered. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and warily pushed the gigantic old door open. Chapter 552.2: Prison (2)

Chapter 552.2: Prison (2)

¡°This is a library?¡± Roel murmured under his breath. Beyond the door was a dark space full of towering bookshelves, reminiscent of a library at night. A light flickered in the distance as if it was beckoning him over. He took a step into the room, and the door closed itself behind him. He began making his way toward the light source. The bookshelves that rose to tremendous heights made this supposedly vast space seem a little narrow. As someone who often read, Roel paid some attention to the books on the shelves, but he wasn¡¯t able to discover anything, as it was simply too dark. As Roel walked down the path demarcated by the long stretch of bookshelves, his surroundings slowly began brightening. Knowing that he was close to his destination, he took a deep breath and hurried ahead. Soon, a simple round table with amp atop it appeared before his eyes. A petite figure sat on a chair behind the table, but their profile was covered by a huge book. The petite figure was rather short, to the point that they was barely resting their elbows on the table. The only things Roel could see behind the huge book were their orange braided hair, a formal top hat simr to those worn by old English professors, and the small hands holding the book. Is it¡­ a child? Roel wondered. Sensing Roel¡¯s approach, the petite figure hidden behind the huge book spoke up. ¡°You¡¯re here? My apologies; I got too engrossed in my book. How discourteous of me.¡± The childlike voice carried a hint of self-reproach. The huge book was slowly ced down on the table, revealing the petite figure hidden behind. Roel widened his eyes. The person seated at the other end of the table looked to be a girl no more than ten years old. Her tiny profile and slim arms reflected her age. Her big eyes looked exceptionally clear, filled with an innocent twinkle. Her milky and slightly chubby cheeks looked as if they were inviting someone to squeeze them, and her little cherry lips were adorable. Roel was astonished, for this was at odds with the typical image he had of ancient gods. However, his face quickly turned grim once more. Things that look too out of ce are likely to indeed be out of ce. As innocent as the child looked, one would have to be foolish to truly regard her as a child. Furthermore, Roel vaguely sensed that the ancient god before him had a different nature from Grandar and the others. Something was concealed beneath her innocence. ¡°I am Roel Ascart, the inheritor of the Kingmaker Bloodline of the present era. May I know your name?¡± ¡°Hoh! You are polite. I am Edavia. You may spare the formalities,¡± the girl with braided hair replied with a delighted smile, casually waving her little hand. The unusualbination of the childlike voice and the elderly mannerisms had Roel narrowing his eyes. He paid close attention to the girl¡¯s smiling face. Does she prefer speaking as equals? Given her appearance, I should address her younger. ¡°Miss Edavia, pardon my insolence, but you must be the ancient god I am going to contract with. I know that it is presumptuous of me to request a favor on our first meeting, but could you offer me your help right away? I have already fallen into a difficult situation¡­¡± Roel lowered his back as he spoke. While he had managed to appease the Mother Goddess for the time being, his predicament had hardly improved at all. His powers had been sealed, and he had next to no allies on his side. This meant that he had zero flexibility to maneuver if the situation necessitated him to, and this didn¡¯t bode well. Much to his surprise, the girl with braided hair readily epted his presumptuous request. ¡°Sure, I can lend you a helping hand.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ mean it?¡± ¡°Of course. You are in a difficult position, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± What is going on? Are ancient gods supposed to be that easy to speak to? Roel blinked in astonishment. As earnest as his attitude was when making the request, he hadn¡¯t thought that the girl with braided hair would ept his request at all. Even Grandar and Peytra, whom he got along with well now, had posed different requests and questions to him during their first meeting. The ancient gods were too proud to offer their help to someone whom they deemed unworthy. There were only two possibilities for why the girl with braided hair would readily ept his request for help. Either she had a highly favorable first impression of him, whichpelled her to help him even without having tested him, or she was up to something. Roel narrowed his eyes sharply as he heightened his vignce. Having guessed his thoughts, Edavia smiled. ¡°My answer must have surprised you. Mm, it¡¯s good to always stay vignt, but I do not have anything to ask of you. You won¡¯t be able to aplish it even if I do. After all¡­ She¡¯s outside,¡± Edavia said with a tinge of helplessness. ¡°!¡± Roel narrowed his eyes. He immediately understood who she was referring to. The Mother Goddess. She was the adversary the Kingmaker n had never been able to ovee. Even the powerful ancient gods were helpless against an existence like Her. Naturally, it would be hard to carry out a test under such conditions. ¡°She has sealed off your powers, right? It wouldn¡¯t be wise to let Her know that you have a trump card like me, and I don¡¯t want to catch Her attention either. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you for your advice, Miss Edavia.¡± ¡°Just ¡®Edavia¡¯ will do. Spare the thanks; it¡¯s not much of an advice. I have been bored out of my mind staying here by myself anyway¡­ To be honest, I¡¯m curious how you got here in the first ce. It¡¯s not often that someone gets to visit a prisoner of Sia like myself.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel gasped at the shocking revtion, and a tight frown formed on his forehead. Seeing that, Edavia¡¯s lips curled into a teasing smile. ¡°Are you surprised? Of course you are. I am, strictly speaking, what you call ¡®an evil god¡¯. Do I intimidate you?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Roel calmly shook his head after a moment of silence. ¡°The evil gods were once Sia¡¯s people too. The fact that it¡¯s possible for us to establish a contract means that my ancestors have acknowledged you. Since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s nothing for me to fear.¡± Edavia blinked before bursting into heartyughter. ¡°Hahahaha! What a bold child you are! I am surprised that you can ept an evil god like me so easily! Well¡­ I am satisfied with your reply, so I shall introduce myself a little.¡± With a delighted smile persisting on her lips, Edavia pushed away the chair and levitated into the air. ¡°I am Edavia the Spiriteer Sovereign. Sia was terrified of my power to destroy souls, so She had me imprisoned here as an evil god. Descendant of the Kingmaker, you should have felt something familiar about me. Take a look around you.¡± ¡°Around me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you find this ce familiar?¡± ¡°!¡± Perplexed, Roel assessed his surroundings. The library looked the same as it was when he first entered. The room was as dark as ever, with themp on the table being the only source of light. It looked as if there were mysteries waiting to be uncovered in the darkness. Momentster, Roel¡¯s face started to twitch. He subconsciously leaned backward as his eyes widened in absolute shock. ¡°This ce¡­ Inner Sanctum!¡± Roel eximed. Seeing that he had arrived at the answer, Edavia smiled. ¡°You have finally realized it. Yes, this is the Inner Sanctum, the innermost core of your soul. Do you finally understand the rtionship between us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°Our meeting isn¡¯t a coincidence.¡± Edavia looked at Roel with a joyful smile before revealing a truth that no one knew about. ¡°Your Kingmaker n is my prison.¡± Chapter 553.1: Danger (1)

Chapter 553.1: Danger (1)

Shadows flickered across Roel¡¯s face under the fluctuating luminosity of themp. A petite girl with orange braided hair happily observed him with curled lips. To Edavia, Roel was a conversation partner that had finally appeared after countless years. Every bit of his reactions was as exciting to her as stumbling upon newnd was to an adventurer. On the other hand, Roel could no longer remain calm after hearing the evil god¡¯s words. The Inner Sanctum had a special meaning to Roel. It was the mysterious core of his bloodline and his soul, and he had always been trying to uncover the significance of its existence. The first time he came to understand its importance was during his fight with the Collector. Thetter had attempted to stifle the candlelight burning in him, nearly sealing away his powers. Fortunately, he managed to ovee the crisis with his timely breakthrough to Origin Level 3. Nevertheless, that incident shook Roel up. It prompted him to investigate his Inner Sanctum. It was just a pity that the Inner Sanctum was not a ce he could enter whenever he liked, and he hadn¡¯t been able to return there since then. That was why he was dumbstruck by his unintentional re-entry today. ¡°Prison? Wait a moment; that also means that¡­¡± ¡°Fufu. That¡¯s right. I won¡¯t be going anywhere if you contract with me; I¡¯ll be residing in your Inner Sanctum.¡± Edavia looked at the startled Roel as she chuckled joyfully. Her body began to glow with a faint light. Her braids slowly unraveled as she took off her top hat. Her harmless, innocent image vanished with these changes, taking a sinister twist instead. She stepped on the table with her little leather shoes and happily skipped her way up to Roel. She ced her hand on Roel¡¯s chest before looking up at him with a curious smile. ¡°Is it frightening to know that I¡¯ll be inside you? I reckon it¡¯ll be hard not to feel that way. After all, it¡¯s almost like an evil god is possessing your body! Were you wondering what trials you¡¯ll have to ovee to contract with me? That¡¯s how the others do it, right? Well, I don¡¯t need you to do anything at all. It¡¯s just a matter of moving homes for me, from this ce into your body.¡± It was as if Edavia had undergone aplete personality change, transforming from a sweet angel into a scheming devil. Roel was conflicted to hear those words. It was never a wise decision to allow something foreign to reside in one¡¯s body, let alone an evil god. Only a deranged cultist would do something as insane as that! Even so, he didn¡¯t reveal a sliver of fear, for he knew that was Edavia¡¯s goal. This was not the first time he was interacting with an ancient god, and he wasn¡¯t in the hobby of embarrassing himself before others. He knew that he would only be giving Edavia leverage over him if he revealed that he was wary of her. Thus, he met her eyes with aposed smile instead. ¡°Moving homes? What an interesting choice of words. But Edavia, I think the more apt phrase to use here is ¡®borrowing amodations¡¯.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re thinking of putting a leash on me?¡± ¡°Not at all. It¡¯ll be an equal contract. That has been the case between me and the other ancient gods. I¡¯m also afraid to say that I don¡¯t feel frightened at all. Aren¡¯t you telling me these to signal that you don¡¯t intend to harm me?¡± Roel answered with firm eyes. While Edavia might be an evil god, that didn¡¯t necessarily mean that she harbored malevolent intent. For instance, she shouldn¡¯t have mentioned her background if she was up to something. She could have simply contracted with him under the pretext of helping him deal with the Mother Goddess and quietly entered his Inner Sanctum. It would have been much easier for her to do what she wanted to then. Admittedly, she did look much more unnerving after the unraveling of her braids, but Roel personally believed in judging a person by their actions rather than their appearance. While her words were intimidating, he thought that those sounded more like a greeting lest these factors hinder their rtionship in the future. These deductions emboldened Roel, allowing him to keep his back straight. Edavia quietly stared at him for a few moments. Then, she took a step back and reverted to her original expression. ¡°You are a bold one. You don¡¯t appear to be a devout believer despite having received Sia¡¯s blessing. Fufufu. I am relieved to hear those words. It doesn¡¯t sound that bad to borrow your amodations.¡± ¡°I am thankful for the Genesis Goddess¡¯ blessing, but blind faith is not my thing. Still, Edavia, could I ask why Sia imprisoned you here?¡± ¡°Spiriteers are one of the rare races with the ability to directly attack the soul even when it is protected by the body. There are plenty of my kind who exploited that to do as they pleased. Furthermore, I am the only existence with the power to threaten Sia.¡± ¡°¡­Threaten Sia?¡± Roel was taken aback. Edavia smiled once more at his response before further borating on the matter. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than a theoretical possibility. An existence like Sia can¡¯t be defeated through normal means. The only way to threaten Her is to thoroughly destroy Her soul. That¡¯s also the reason Sia is fearful of me. However, we have alreadye to an agreement on that matter. My people and I will fall under the jurisdiction of Her most trusted Overseer and lend our strength to their cause. That¡¯s also how the Inner Sanctum came about.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re saying that it is inevitable that the Kingmaker n will encounter the Spiriteers?¡± ¡°Not at all. To be precise, I¡¯m saying that the meeting between us is inevitable.¡± Edavia turned around and leaped back into her chair. She rested her head on her palm as she looked at Roel with interest. ¡°I mentioned that the Overseer is the person whom Sia trusts the most. Only one person in every generation can bear that title. The fact that you¡¯re able to find me¡ªa feat no other Overseer has been able to achieve¡ªshows that you¡¯re special.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m special at all, though the Overseer you mentioned¡­ Does it refer to the Kingmaker?¡± ¡°Mm, that seems to be what others call the Overseer. You are the Overseer of your generation¡ªSia¡¯s blessing is proof of that. I can tell She¡¯s exceptionally fond of you,¡± Edavia said with narrowed eyes. Roel was startled to hear that. An inexplicable feeling arose from his heart. Even he couldn¡¯t refute that he had a special connection with Sia. So, I am the Kingmaker of my generation! Could that be the reason I was able to substitute the Kingmaker of this era so seamlessly? There was one more thing Roel was curious about. ¡°Edavia, there¡¯s another question I¡¯d like to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The Mother Goddess¡ªhow is she rted to Sia? What¡¯s her stance on the Kingmaker?¡± ¡°Fufu. I thought that you¡¯d ask that. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t answer your question right now. It¡¯s aplicated question. I need more information, and there isn¡¯t enough time for that.¡± Edavia shook her head and sighed. At the same time, Roel¡¯s body began flickering like the image on an old television box. This told him that he was on the verge of waking up. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll have to leave that question for the next meeting, then.¡± ¡°Mmhm. It was a pleasant chat to me. I¡¯ll look forward to our next meeting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. I hope that our future conversations will continue to entertain you.¡± ¡°Fufu. You sure are good with words. All right, let me offer you a tip.¡± ¡°A tip?¡± Roel was confused. Edavia nodded affirmatively. ¡°Our n is highly sensitive toward fluctuations of the soul, and souls do not lie. This grants us the ability to keenly perceive our surroundings.¡± ¡°I see. So, what is the tip?¡± ¡°Tread carefully. I can¡¯t confirm the origin yet, but the killing intent looming around you is almost suffocating,¡± Edavia reminded him with the expectant smile of an audience. Roel¡¯s expression turned solemn. Momentster, there was a brilliant sh of light, and Roel¡¯s body vanished from the room. Just like that, his first meeting with Edavia came to an abrupt end. ¡­ Chapter 553.2: Danger (2)

Chapter 553.2: Danger (2)

¡°!¡± In the Moonsoul Tower, Roel awoke on a spacious bed and immediately shot upright. He was startled by his foreign surroundings, but he slowly recalled what had happened over the past day. It was already afternoon. Brilliant sunlight shone in through the windows, bringing warmth into the room. Scarlet flowers unted their beautiful bloom on the balcony to melodious chirping. The vibrant atmosphere lifted his spirits. His meeting with Edavia was his most sessful first encounter with an ancient god. While Edavia had quite an entric personality, she had expressed her willingness to cooperate with him in order to ovee this trial. Even so, he was still hesitant to trust her right away. This was the first time Roel hade into contact with an evil god, and Grandar and the others weren¡¯t around to offer him any advice. There were far too many precedents of overconfident fools contracting with an evil god, thinking that they could outwit thetter, only to be led around by their noses and eventually suffer a tragic fate. Roel didn¡¯t want to follow in their footsteps, so he was going to thoroughly consider whether he should establish a contract with Edavia or not. He sifted through the information he had gathered from his conversation with Edavia, and he thought that there was some credibility to what she had divulged thus far. For one, she had no reason to lie to him about the Inner Sanctum, especially since it was disadvantageous to her. But the final tip she left me¡­ Roel thought with a frown. He wasn¡¯t so naive as to think that he would be safe in the heart of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction, but he also didn¡¯t think that someone would be so determined to take his life. It also didn¡¯t help that he hadn¡¯t inherited the memories of the original Kingmaker, so he was clueless as to who his enemies might be. Tok tok tok. A series of light and careful knocks snapped Roel out of his thoughts. ¡°Come in,¡± he said. The door opened. It was Ad dressed in a maid uniform. Roel felt both amused and apologetic to see the valiant general roleying as a maid because of him. Ad was clearly unustomed to her new role, evident by her reddened face as she walked into the room. ¡°Lord Roel, you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°I must have slept for quite a while. It doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s morning anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s already nearing noon. We have started preparing your lunch, and it¡¯ll be delivered here very soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be delivered here?¡± Roel mumbled contemtively under his breath. Sensing the dissatisfaction in Roel¡¯s words, Ad apologized in a fluster. ¡°My deepest apologies, Lord Roel, but your activities are currently limited to only this room. I¡¯m afraid that anything beyond that will require¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. I am not blind to the position I am in. Has the Mother Goddess arranged for any meeting with me?¡± ¡°Yes, I was just about to inform you.¡± Ad was pleasantly surprised to hear the question; she had been at a loss as to how she should raise the matter. ¡°The Mother Goddess wishes to have dinner with you after sunset. If you have any requests, feel free to tell me in advance.¡± The Mother Goddess wishes to have dinner with me? Roel raised his eyebrows before nodding in agreement. He had to get close to the Mother Goddess in order to uncover Her true nature and goals, which would help him to deduce the original Kingmaker¡¯s decision. At the same time, if he could win Her trust and regain his freedom, he would have much more space to maneuver. Most importantly of all, he had to verify whether the one who harbored killing intent toward him was the Mother Goddess. The Mother Goddess had spared his life and even treated him generously for his submission, but She could have changed Her mind. For all he knew, Her subordinates could have convinced Her to exterminate the Kingmaker to remove an unknown variable once and for all. I have to meet the Mother Goddess and rify that I have no intention of siding with anyone. That¡¯ll allow me to live long enough to clear this trial, Roel thought. For the time being, he desperately needed his powers to be unsealed, especially after hearing Edavia¡¯s warning. Otherwise, he would be helpless in the event that anyone attempted to harm him. Till then¡­ Roel nced at Ad, who was overjoyed to have received a positive answer, and he breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, he didn¡¯t think that someone who wore her feelings on her face would be dangerous. Regardless, he would make sure to keep his guard up. After lunch, Roel settled down in the sky garden specially prepared for him and admired the vast fields and mountains while quietly deciding on his next move. When the sun finally began to set, Ad and the other high elves entered the room to prepare him for the dinner banquet. ¡°I heard that our Mother Goddess canceled the military inspection to make time for this dinner banquet. She cares a lot about you, Lord Roel.¡± Ad excitedly revealed her intelligence. . ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel nodded. After long hours of trying out different suits and dressing up, the sun finally descended beneath the horizon. The night banquet finallymenced. ¡­ The excitement over the Mother Goddess¡¯ night banquet was palpable in the Moonsoul Tower. This topic dominated the conversations, and expectant smiles could be seen everywhere. It was umon for them to have such a celebration. As a being transcending the gods, the Mother Goddess had no need for sustenance. Her boundless power pulsated across the world as soon as the moon reced the sun in the sky. Food was nothing more than a formality to Her. In essence, this banquet was the Mother Goddess¡¯ reward to her followers. It was an utmost honor for one to be able to share a meal with Her, and this was a momentous event that one could brag about for one¡¯s entire life. However, this banquet wasn¡¯t a private event either. The Mother Goddess¡¯ closest subordinates, consisting of the race leaders who had pledged their loyalty to Her, were usually invited for it. From another perspective, this was essentially an upper echelon meeting carried out in the form of a dinner, though it only happened once in a few years. In the Moonsoul Tower¡¯s kitchen, top chefs were nitpicking their dishes to ensure that everything was perfect before they served them to the leaders of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. At the highest floor of the Moonsoul Tower, Roel quietly stood in front of a painting to admire the artwork while discreetly keeping an eye out on his surroundings. The situation was different from what he had expected. He had thought that it would be a private meal between him and the Mother Goddess, where they would chat under the moonlight, but the banquet turned out to be an official event involving Her subjects too. This put him at a loss. Is she trying to use this banquet to tie me in with her faction? This was the first thought that floated in Roel¡¯s mind, but he quickly realized that something was amiss. None of the race leaders had stepped forward to initiate a conversation with him; on the contrary, they were keeping their distance and gossiping about him. Their disrespectful behavior made it inly clear that they didn¡¯t see him as one of their own, and that their goal for this banquet wasn¡¯t to persuade him to join their side. For the time being, Roel decided to pay them no heed. He kept his eyes on the painting while pondering his next move. Meanwhile, the middle-aged High Elf Chief stared at Roel with sharp eyes. A group of powerful officials were gathered around him. ¡°Micher, you know how the Mother Goddess feels about him. Are you confident about this?¡± the leader of the Blood n asked. Micher ced his hand on his bulging chest pocket, and his eyes steeled with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll reveal his true face today. I believe that the Mother Goddess will turn Her back on that sly traitor! He has to die today!¡± Chapter 554.1: Dangerous Accusations (1)

Chapter 554.1: Dangerous usations (1)

In the resting room outside the banquet hall, Roel impassively stared at the painting before him, looking like a picky art connoisseur with impossible-to-meet standards, but beneath his calm exterior was a furiously beating heart. His senses had dulled after his powers were sealed, but even so, he could immediately sense who was out for his life. The other party had been directing a piercing gaze at him ever since he arrived at the resting room, not concealing his intent at all. However, Roel ignored the other party¡¯s hostility and maintained an impassive attitude, knowing that the other party wouldn¡¯t be able to make a move in public. He was both the lofty Kingmaker and the Mother Goddess¡¯ guest. Harming him here would only bring dishonor to the Mother Goddess. The other race leaders wouldn¡¯t allow that person to carry out such a reckless act. It was also unlikely for the enemy to resort to alternative means like poison. It was nigh impossible to poison a transcendent as powerful as the Kingmaker to death, not to mention that resorting to such tricks under the Mother Goddess¡¯ watch was nothing short of idiocy. Someone who wielded the power to influence the cycles of day and night could probably resuscitate him with a simple spell. I should be safe at least till the banquet¡¯s conclusion, Roel figured. With his safety assured, he turned his attention toward deciphering the reason behind the killing intent directed at him. There had to be a reason the Mother Goddess¡¯ subordinate harbored such strong killing intent toward him. While the Kingmaker must havee into contact with many races over the course of their duties, he didn¡¯t think that there were many races who hated the Kingmaker, especially since the Kingmaker had contracts with most races. Neither Race Sovereigns nor gods were eternal in this world, and the Kingmaker wielded the power to bring them back into this world. There was hardly any greater temptation than that in the world, especially to those who had reached the zenith of power. Besides, while the Kingmaker retained their lofty standing, they should have stopped carrying out their duties since the departure of Goddess Sia. It was hard to imagine that anyone in the current era would still harbor a grudge against them over that. From the letter he had found in his pocket, the original Kingmaker appeared to be a true neutral party who kept a distance from both the Savior and the Mother Goddess. It was hard to imagine why the Mother Goddess¡¯ subordinate harbored such deep enmity toward him. Looking at it from this perspective, doesn¡¯t it also mean that the Mother Goddess¡¯ subordinates only turned hostile after I substituted the original Kingmaker? Roel¡¯s expression turned grim. He quickly nced at the System¡¯s evaluation. ¡¾Evaluation: Average (63)¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± The marginal increase in his evaluation score surprised Roel. Well, I suppose that this increase was from my conversation with Edavia? I guess she has a decent opinion of me. But since there isn¡¯t much of a change in my rtionship with the Mother Goddess, how did I incur such strong animosity from her subordinate? Roel was perplexed. The only thing he had really done since entering this Witness State was to lie t and submit to the Mother Goddess. Little did he know that that was the exact reason Micher was so wary of him. On the other side of the room, Micher was staring intently at Roel, albeit with an impassive look on his face. He, too, was hardly as calm as he let on. The Mother Goddess hadn¡¯t nned on holding this night banquet; Her initial intention was to have a private conversation with Roel. However, Micher had vehemently opposed Her decision, worrying that a private meeting between the two would grant Roel a chance to beguile Her into sparing him. That could lead to disastrous consequences for their faction. The other race leaders shared the same concerns and stood with Micher. Their collective insistence convinced the Mother Goddess into switching the private meal into a dinner banquet, but of course, Herpromise didn¡¯t mean that She would take a hard stance against Roel. With a heart brimming with worry, Micher retracted his gaze and assessed his surroundings. He noticed that none of the race leaders were approaching the Kingmaker to initiate a conversation at all; rather, they were fervently discussing in their little cliques. Clearly, they were awaiting the oue of this banquet. No support, but no hindrances either¡ªthis was what Micher had expected. After the guests had spent some time socializing with one another, the setting sun outside the window finally fell beneath the western horizon. A euphonious bell rang right afterward. ¡°Milords, it is sunset. May we invite you to your seats in the banquet hall?¡± The maids respectfully bowed and spoke with a dignified demeanor. Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up. After a moment of thought, he took the lead and entered the banquet hall ahead of the others. The other guests were startled by Roel¡¯s proactiveness. They nced at one another before stepping through the majestic golden doors themselves. What unfolded before Roel¡¯s eyes was a vast hall following a mysterious silver color theme instead of the usual warm tones. He figured that this was likely due to the Savior. Simr to how the Mother Goddess represented the moon, the Savior was worshiped as the Sun God. Considering the hostile rtionship between the two, there was not a chance that a banquet hosted by the Mother Goddess would use warm tones that emted the sun¡¯s rays. With that being said, the silver color theme had a peculiar beauty to it too. ¡°Lord Kingmaker, allow me to guide you to your seat.¡± A servant ushered Roel to the front of the dining table, where he took the first seat to the host¡¯s right. The other guests were brought to their respective seats too. Much to his surprise, the tense atmosphere didn¡¯t dissipate after everyone settled down; it only further intensified. A middle-aged high elf settled down on the first seat to the host¡¯s left, which positioned him directly opposite Roel. Roel could sense the middle-aged high elf¡¯s formidable strength even with his powers sealed, and the other party¡¯s position on the dining table signaled his high standing in the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. Is he the leader of the High Elves? Roel thought that he should say something to alleviate the atmosphere, but he suddenly felt a surge of difort. He immediately looked at the middle-aged high elf seated opposite him, and his golden eyes sharply narrowed. It¡¯s him! He¡¯s the one who red at me in the waiting room. It was at this moment that Roel was finally able to put a face to his enemy. He hadn¡¯t thought that the one out for his life was actually the leader of the High Elves, and this marked the worst possible situation. Due to the Loyal Origin Attribute, the Mother Goddess trusted the High Elves and viewed them to be Her confidants, evident from how She entrusted them with the responsibility of managing the Six Cmities. The leader of the High Elves was a highly influential figure in the Mother Goddess¡¯ judgment, with his words holding the power to sway the Mother Goddess¡¯ judgment. . Roel clenched his fists as he realized that this banquet wouldn¡¯t be as smooth-sailing as he had imagined it to be. Meanwhile, the final embers of the sun vanished from the horizon, and a silvery moon emerged in the night sky. The chatting guests immediately quietened down and rose to their feet. A blurry silhouette appeared at the forefront of the banquet hall and slowly turned corporeal. The Mother Goddess had descended. ¡­ Chapter 554.2: Dangerous Accusations (2)

Chapter 554.2: Dangerous usations (2)

The crowd found themselves holding their breaths before the powerful presence of the Mother Goddess. It was almost as if it was ingrained within them to be deferential to Her. She slowly made Her way to the center seat of the dining table. It was an unspoken rule for the crowd to rise to their feet and bow to the Mother Goddess¡ªone that needed no reminder. However, Roel was unustomed to the convention, and it was only after a momentary pause to observe the movements of others that he quickly followed suit. This is bad. How am I to know themon sense of this era? Roel¡¯s heart tightened. He discreetly nced at Micher and followed his posture, cing his fist over his heart too. While Ad hadn¡¯t mentioned this formality during their conversations, Roel knew that it wasmon etiquette to rise and greet the host. What baffled him was that as soon as he made these movements, the Mother Goddess suddenly looked at him with a subtle look of surprise. Micher and the others also stared at him with widened eyes. Hm? What¡¯s wrong? Roel was bewildered by the responses he was receiving. Unbeknownst to him, the Mother Goddess quietly clenched Her fists as Her heartbeat hastened in excitement, for She knew that Roel wasn¡¯t obliged to bow to Her at all. Back in the ancient era, the Kingmakers were the Overseers who contracted and bestowed crowns upon the Race Sovereigns. They were Sia¡¯s closest subjects, with their powers directly originating from Her. This legitimacy granted them many special privileges. Even when faced with the most esteemed of individuals, the most a Kingmaker would do was to rise to their feet as a symbol of acknowledgment. No one could force a Kingmaker to lower their posture, for the only one whom they was obliged to lower their posture for was Sia Herself. Does this mean that¡­ he has epted me? Such a thought shed across the Mother Goddess¡¯ mind. Her heart, which had wavered due to the vehement objections from Micher and the others, settled down, and She looked at Roel with increasingly gentle eyes. As I thought, he was only fooled by Him. It¡¯s not toote as long as I have a proper chat with him. Roel¡¯s unintentional gesture greatly encouraged the Mother Goddess, causing the bnce in Her heart to further tilt in his favor. Upon seeing that, Micher panicked. It further stoked his vignce toward Roel. He would have never thought that the lofty Kingmaker would be so sly as to win the Mother Goddess¡¯ goodwill through the use of formalities. The fact that the other party was willing to break conventions and lower himself only meant that he was up to something huge! I absolutely have to get rid of him, or else the consequences will be dire! Micher gritted his teeth in determination. At the Mother Goddess¡¯ nod, the crowd settled back down in their seats. The banquet officiallymenced. The servants stepped forward one after another to serve the guests exquisite delicacies. Roel chose to hold his tongue while waiting for his food to arrive lest he unknowingly breach other conventions in this era. The Mother Goddess sat silently for a long time before She suddenly turned to Roel, as if She had finally bucked up Her courage, and posed a question. ¡°Did you have a good restst night?¡± Roel was surprised by the Mother Goddess¡¯ words of concern. There was a brief pause before he answered with a standard response. ¡°¡­Yes, it wasfortable.¡± The Mother Goddess nodded in acknowledgment while quietly breathing a sigh of relief. Regardless of how well Roel was treated in the Moonsoul Tower, it couldn¡¯t change the fact that he was a prisoner here. Her question was intended to probe how he took this matter, and to Her relief, he didn¡¯t seem to mind it too much. Their conversation ended just like that. This was the first time Roel had attended a banquet involving so many different races, so he couldn¡¯t resist the urge to look around. He noticed that those from the Blood n were served fresh blood ted in the shape of a blood moon, whereas the high elves¡¯ dishes consisted mainly of vegetables. Meanwhile, he was served the same dishes as the Mother Goddess. Roel was understandably surprised to notice this subtle detail. ¡°I had the chefs serve you the same dish, as I didn¡¯t know your preferences. If you don¡¯t like them¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m satisfied with these dishes. Thank you for your warm hospitality.¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± There was a moment of silence before the Mother Goddess nodded in acknowledgement, but She seemed a little happy at his response. At the Mother Goddess¡¯ gesture, the guests finally dug into their food. The served delicacies loosened tense nerves and encouraged conversations. Slowly, the atmosphere grew lively. The exchanges among different races over the dining table weren¡¯t too noisy; the guests had tactfully kept their volume down, knowing that they weren¡¯t the stars of tonight¡¯s banquet. As they chatted, they made sure to keep an eye out for the happenings at the front of the table. The purpose of such banquets was to socialize. Guests should at least engage those near them in a conversation, even if it was just a perfunctory one, lest it reflect badly on them. Of course, no one would dare to fault the social etiquette of someone of the stature of the Mother Goddess and the Kingmaker, but given the context of this banquet, they had to at least say something. And indeed, Roel was preparing to say something. Hisck of understanding of how banquets worked in this era left him unsure of whether he would get a chance to meet the Mother Goddess afterward, so he thought that he had to make use of this opportunity to say whatever he wanted to. After a moment of hesitation, he turned toward the Mother Goddess. ¡°Mother Goddess, there¡¯s something I need to tell You.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Mother Goddess was so preupied with wondering how She should probe Roel that She was startled by these words. Her response had Roel blinking in confusion. ¡°Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. What would you like to say?¡± ¡°I know that what happenedst night was unpleasant, but I need to rify that everything that has happened thus far is a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Misunderstanding?¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ golden eyes lit up. In contrast, Micher revealed a tight frown, but Roel ignored his response and continued on. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. You must have thought that I had defected to the Savior¡¯s faction, but it is a misunderstanding. Not once have I wavered in my neutral stance. What happened yesterday was that I received a tip-off from an angel friend to seek refuge elsewhere so as to avoid the uing war.¡± ¡°Seek refuge¡­ What¡¯s going on, Micher?¡± The divergent stories prompted the Mother Goddess to turn Her eyes to Micher, who had been the one providing Her intelligence. Despite the sudden spotlight on him, Micher didn¡¯t lose his nerves at all. Instead, he turned his hawkish eyes toward Roel and sneered. ¡°O great Mother Goddess, I dare say that there¡¯s nothing wrong with our intelligence. Allow me to pose a question to the Kingmaker since he insists that this is a misunderstanding. Who is the angel friend you speak of?¡± ¡°Archangel Lamia,¡± Roel replied without a sliver of hesitation, indicating that he had nothing to hide. But Micher smiled upon hearing his answer. He slipped his hand into his chest pocket, pulled out a document, and mmed it on the table. Pah! Roel¡¯s expression turned grim as he instinctively knew that things were going awry. ¡°Archangel Lamia¡­ What a familiar name! O great Mother Goddess, we have been collecting information on Archangel Lamia, and we have more than enough evidence to prove that Lamia is the Savior¡¯s pawn among the Angels. She serves as an intermediary to secretly liaise with the Kingmaker so as to notpromise their neutral front!¡± Micher vehemently used Roel. ¡°!¡± The Mother Goddess turned to look at Roel with eyes widened in disbelief. Roel¡¯splexion turned livid. He had noticed that there was something off about the Angels, but he didn¡¯t think that Micher would have dirt on them, especially since the Angels were officially a neutral party. ¡°My apologies, Mother Goddess, but I was unaware of this matter.¡± Roel could only helplessly ¡®feign ignorance¡¯ and deny the matter, but Micher wasn¡¯t just going to let him off that easily. Thetter slipped his hand into his pocket once more. ¡°It looks like the Kingmaker doesn¡¯t have a good memory!¡± Micher sneered as he pulled out yet another document and tore it open. ¡°Allow me to jog your memory, then!¡± Chapter 555.1: Sheltering Him (1)

Chapter 555.1: Sheltering Him (1)

The silver banquet hall had already fallenpletely silent by the time Micher took out his second document. Roel sat in his seat with a heavy expression, whereas the Mother Goddess¡¯ face had already turned incredibly stiff. The Mother Goddess had hosted this banquet in hopes of mending their estranged rtionship, but Micher¡¯s usations and articles made Her heart quiver in fear. There was nothing that frightened Her more than the notion that everything Roel had shown Her was a sham. She could at least survive the sorrow of losing a child, but to be given the hope of reconciliation, only for it to be forcefully wrestled out of Her fingers¡­ She didn¡¯t know if Her heart could bear that. ¡°Mi-Micher¡­¡± The Mother Goddess fearfully called out to Herpetent aide, wanting to tell him to stop his usations, but thetter¡¯s mind was set. The chief of the High Elves knew that he had to overthrow this hypocritical traitor in a single push if he wanted to eliminate him, or else there was a risk that thetter would exploit the Mother Goddess¡¯ soft-heartedness yet again to survive this ordeal. By then, the Kingmaker could very well pose a cmity to their faction. Thus, Micher tantly ignored the Mother Goddess¡¯ will and tore open the document. ¡°Kingmaker, our intelligencework has uncovered more than twenty secret correspondences between you and Archangel Lamia exchanged in the Savior¡¯s territories.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re getting at,¡± Roel replied calmly to Micher¡¯s usation. ¡°The Angels are a neutral party, and it was out of convenience that these letters were exchanged in the Savior¡¯s territories. As for why these correspondences had to be exchanged in secret, I think you have already made that pretty clear.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Micher furiously shot to his feet and towered over Roel. ¡°I thought that my point was already clear enough.¡± Roel stood up as well as he said with a voice simmering with rage, ¡°Some individuals have been spying on me all this while. I know that this isn¡¯t the Mother Goddess¡¯ will, but such actions made me very ufortable. I don¡¯t think that I am unjustified in resorting to special channels for my correspondences.¡± The officials who were aware and had participated in the surveince on the Kingmaker averted their eyes. The Mother Goddess nced at the chief of the High Elves too. While the Mother Goddess had instructed the intelligence department to keep an eye on the Kingmaker¡¯s movement, She hadn¡¯t told them to spy on him, let alone resort to tight measures usually reserved only for criminals. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Micher?¡± ¡°O great Mother Goddess, I¡¯d like to rify that it was not out of my own personal motive that I have chosen to surveil the Kingmaker. Rather, the situation has reached a point where it threatens the safety of our faction, leaving me with no choice but to do so. The evidence is in my hands,¡± Micher replied. He took out a specific document from the pile and raised it up high to show it to the crowd. ¡°Kingmaker, you probably couldn¡¯t have imagined that such an elementary mistake would have given you away,¡± Micher sneered. ¡°Elementary mistake? Lord Micher, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re getting at.¡± Roel replied. ¡°You have ced multipleyers of protection on your correspondence to make them foolproof, but you neglected one simple detail. You have a habit of writing on top of your envelope.¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes sharply narrowed. He had already understood what Micher was getting at while the crowd was struggling to catch up. ¡°It must be convenient to pad your letter with your envelope. You could slip the letter into the envelope and mail it right away. It might astound you to learn that doing this leaves marks on the envelope itself, allowing others to read your writing without opening the envelope,¡± Micher said with a confident smirk. Roel¡¯s heart sank, whereas the Mother Goddess and the others nodded in realization. In this era, where intelligence warfare hadn¡¯t fully matured yet, many transcendents believed that they could secure their correspondence just byyering on the letter a self-destruction spell that triggered when an unauthorized individual attempted to open it. This false sense of security lulled them into overlooking such minor physical details. Clearly, the original Kingmaker had stumbled into this pitfall too. This simple mistake had handed Micher his greatest weapon against Roel. Roel tried his best to maintain a straight face, whereas Micher¡¯s voice grew increasingly domineering as he continued to corner his target. ¡°We managed to partially retrieve the contents of twelve of your letters, including one where you mentioned the ¡®Sun Sovereign¡¯ andvishedpliments on Him. We also have evidence about yesterday¡¯s incident that proves that you and Lamia were plotting to defect to the Savior!¡± . ¡°¡­¡± The banquet hall fell silent. The other race leaders seated at the dining table looked at Roel with increasingly hostile eyes. The Mother Goddess¡¯plexion turned pale as She struggled to process the shock and disappointment She felt from what She had just heard. A long timeter, She turned to Roel and asked, ¡°Is what he said true?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her calm voice sounded as heavy as if Her heart had died; Roel felt a tight squeeze in his chest. He suddenly felt awfully guilt-ridden and flustered. He knew that what the Mother Goddess wanted was for him to refute those words, but what could he say when all of the evidence was in ce? Micher had clearlye prepared. Even if he tried to deny it, Micher would simply refute his ims with solid facts. That would only make him appear to be apulsive liar, thus deepening the Mother Goddess¡¯ disappointment in him. He was cornered. There was no way to turn the tables anymore. Damn it! The original Kingmaker didn¡¯t have to do me dirty like that! What the hell should I¡­ Wait a moment! The flustered Roel suddenly thought of something that slowly loosened his frown. He first took a moment to consider its feasibility before he turned to the Mother Goddess and bowed. ¡°Mother Goddess, I know that you are already disappointed in me, but I still have to insist that I didn¡¯t do any of these. I am unaware of those correspondences.¡± ¡°Lies!¡± Micher sneered. The race leaders also quietly stared at Roel with eyes filled with distrust, almost as if they were looking at an amateur actor trying to put on a show before veterans. Disappointment seeped into the eyes of the Mother Goddess. Needless to say, it was futile to deny those ims without any counterevidence. However, Roel¡¯s following words shocked everyone. ¡°Mother Goddess, I know that my words aren¡¯t enough to win your trust. To prove my innocence, I¡¯d like you to use the Lie Detection Spell on me.¡± ¡°!¡± The banquet hall fell deathly silent. The crowd shot incredulous looks at Roel, for it was highly disrespectful to have the Lie Detection Spell used on oneself. Anyone who had lived in this world long enough was bound to have their own secrets that they didn¡¯t want anyone else to know, but the Lie Detection Spell undermined their privacy. It was a spell reserved for criminals, and it shouldn¡¯t be used on the Kingmaker. Furthermore, the Lie Detection Spell had different levels of potency depending on the prowess of the spellcaster. If it was at the level of the Mother Goddess, it was impossible for any lies to circumvent the Lie Detection Spell. This showed just how confident Roel was. Chapter 555.2: Sheltering Him (2)

Chapter 555.2: Sheltering Him (2)

The Mother Goddess stared at Roel in a daze. Micher frowned in confusion, not knowing what Roel was up to. ¡°Mother Goddess, is there a problem?¡± Roel asked. ¡°No, there isn¡¯t a problem, but¡­ are you certain you want Me to use that spell?¡± the Mother Goddess asked in unease. Roel answered with a determined nod. Seeing that, the Mother Goddess¡¯ eyes slowly became firm. Micher was at a loss. He was confident in his research and didn¡¯t believe that Roel could pass the Lie Detection Spell, but the other party¡¯s confident demeanor unnerved him. In any case, his opinion no longer mattered since Roel and the Mother Goddess had decided to go through with this. Mana began to surge from the Mother Goddess, as Her ck hair turned silver and Her golden eyes glowed crimson. She slowly floated into the air, taking Her ce as the ruler of the moon. A cold silver light shone from Her body as the atmosphere seemed to turn a little chilly. She gazed upon Roel with authoritative eyes. ¡°Answer Me, Roel. Were you the one who wrote the letters Micher spoke of?¡± ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t the one who wrote those letters, and neither was I aware of their content.¡± ¡°!¡± The Mother Goddess was astounded. Her body trembled ever so slightly from sheer agitation. Her mana was telling Her that those words that had just been spoken were the absolute truth. Not only that, Roel¡¯s follow-up statement also eliminated all other possibilities. She had only asked Roel whether he was the one who wrote the letters, but Roel further added that he was oblivious to the content of the letters. This meant that he couldn¡¯t have had others write those letters in his stead, which implied that the correspondence was falsified! ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± the floating Mother Goddess replied with a rare smile. The guests were first taken aback before confusion took over. Who else could have written the letter if it wasn¡¯t from the Kingmaker? Was it falsified? This prompted the crowd to turn their gazes to Micher, the head of the intelligence department. The tables were suddenly turned on him. ¡°Impossible! We havepared the handwriting and confirmed that it belonged to the Kingmaker! Everyone from the intelligence department can vouch for that! I¡¯m willing to swear on my Loyal Origin Attribute!¡± Micher eximed with a reddened face, his arms iling about as he agitatedly insisted on his innocence. His willingness to swear on his Origin Attribute dispelled the doubts of the others present. The crowd was left confused as to who was the liar here. Either Roel and Micher had to be lying here. Upon careful thought, this was theoretically possible, too. For instance, Micher could have steeled his determination to abandon his Loyal Origin Attribute to fulfill his lie, whereas Roel might have uncovered a special means to circumvent the Lie Detection Spell. The crowd held its breath as everyone awaited the Mother Goddess¡¯ judgment. The silver-haired, crimson-eyed woman floating above the center seat fell into a dilemma. Having to choose between Her long-time loyal subordinate and Her most favored child anguished Her. This was a heavy blow to Her regardless of who was lying¡­ ¡­ But from precedents, She had no choice but to admit that it was more likely for Roel to deceive Her. She looked at Roel withplicated emotions rippling in Her crimson eyes, but She eventually chose to say nothing at all. She quietly drifted back into Her seat, as Her hair and eyes reverted to their normal colors. ¡°Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°Settle down. We shan¡¯t talk about this anymore.¡± The Mother Goddess sounded fatigued. Roel and Micher had no choice but to return to their seats under Her orders, but their hearts were still unable to calm down. Micher clenched his fists tightly, feeling indignant at the verdict. Roel didn¡¯t feel any relief at having escaped from his predicament. Instead, he felt a pang of guilt when he saw the heavy expression on the Mother Goddess¡¯ face. He didn¡¯t think that he had done wrong, refuting those usations, but the way the Mother Goddess looked at him before She finally came to a verdict left him feeling a little ufortable. It felt like She had realized something but had chosen not to investigate the matter in order to protect him¡­ and indeed, it was unbelievable how She had concluded a matter as important as this in such a sloppy manner. The Mother Goddess picked up her cutlery and continued dining. The other officials did the same. Conversations sprouted once more amidst the crowd, but no one was really getting into it. It felt like they were trying to cover the stifling silence instead. Neither Roel nor Micher spoke a word in thetter half of the banquet, knowing that attacking each other at this juncture would only incur the Mother Goddess¡¯ displeasure. In the end, the banquet ended under this peaceful fa?ade. The other guests quickly slipped away right after the banquet ended. Micher shot a cold nce at Roel before taking his leave. Roel ignored his gaze and gracefully made his way out too, but a servant suddenly walked up to him and whispered into his ear. ¡°Please hold on for a moment, Lord Roel. The Mother Goddess wishes to speak with you.¡± ¡­ The servant brought Roel into the audience room, where he found the Mother Goddess gazing at the city outside the window. Roel walked over and stopped a few steps behind Her, but She didn¡¯t respond. Still suffering from the inexplicable pang of guilt, he didn¡¯t know how to initiate the conversation, so he could only foolishly stand behind Her and watch the scenery too. It was fortunate that many of the races under the Mother Goddess¡¯mand were nocturnal, so the city remained lively despite it being the middle of the night. That helped to distract Roel¡¯s attention a little, or else the silence would have been too much to handle. Slowly, he found his heart calming down amidst this peacefulness. Some timeter, the Mother Goddess finally spoke up. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving this ce tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was still admiring the scenery when the abrupt announcement startled him. He turned to look at the Mother Goddess. ¡°Mother Goddess, does this mean that¡­¡± ¡°You should have seen it yesterday. War has begun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened as he fell silent. Themencement of war was not good news to him. As the fight between the Savior and the Mother Goddess intensified, the Kingmaker, who possessed the power to tip the scales, would only grow more important. This might have been the reason the Mother Goddess had called him here. Is this a subtle reminder for me to choose a side? Is She going to force me to join Her faction, or¡­ eliminate the random variable known as the Kingmaker once and for all? Roel grimly stared at the Mother Goddess¡¯ back as he waited for Her to continue Her statement. If the situation was truly proceeding in that direction, he would have no choice but to fight back. While it would be difficult for him to resist the Mother Goddess¡¯ seal, it was not impossible if he made full use of Sia¡¯s blessing, Being Toward Death. After a long moment of silence, the Mother Goddess let out a deep sigh before turning around to face him. Her golden eyes showed no signs of disingenuity, just the reluctance of separation. The words She spoke right after that surprised him to no end. ¡°¡­I have made up my mind. You should stay here.¡± Chapter 556.1: Moved (1) On the highest floor of the Moonsoul Tower, basking under the silver moonlight, Roel stared at the Mother Goddess with an incredulous look on his face. Regardless of his true thoughts, as soon as he showed up on the battlefield, everyone would assume that the Kingmaker had decided to side with the faction he was with, thus providing a crucial advantage to that faction. Only a foolish ruler would leave such a convenient tool lying around without exploiting it. Roel suspected that the Mother Goddess had coerced the original Kingmaker to join Her faction, which was why he was concerned about encountering the same situation. Yet, the situation was unfurling in a different direction from what he had expected. He could hardly believe his ears when the Mother Goddess told him to stay in the Moonsoul Tower. While this decision was to his benefit, it also meant that the Mother Goddess was forfeiting a powerful tool in Her grasp. He couldn¡¯t understand why She would make such a decision, to the point that he unconsciously questioned Her. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Why are You allowing me to stay here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Mother Goddess was taken aback by Roel¡¯s question. She was silent for a long while before She finally answered. ¡°The battlefield is too dangerous. Stay here, since you have already decided to maintain your neutral stance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel stared at the woman before him. He suddenly felt like he had never understood Her. The Mother Goddess had threatened his life from the first time She appeared, which was why he viewed Her to be a hostile existence and was guarded toward Her. Given the authority he wielded as the Kingmaker, it was only normal for the Mother Goddess and the Savior to do everything they could to win him over, which led to his taking Her goodwill for granted. He thought that Her generosity was a calcted tool aimed at exploiting his value. That was why the Mother Goddess¡¯ current decision was shocking to him. She had chosen not to coerce nor coax him into joining the battlefield, but instead to keep him off it entirely. He realized that his impression of the Mother Goddess might have been wrong all this while. Now that he was re-evaluating the meaning behind the Mother Goddess¡¯ actions, a new answer naturally surfaced in his mind. A mother. She chose to turn a blind eye to the strategic value he embodied so as to keep him safe in the backlines. At the night banquet, She insisted on protecting him even though it would chill the heart of Her most trusted aide. All these only made sense if Her actions were prompted from Her maternal instincts. The realization of that shook Roel¡¯s heart. If the Mother Goddess truly saw the Kingmaker as Her child instead of a tool, it was hard to imagine how much the actions of the original Kingmaker had wounded Her heart. She chose to protect him despite harboring suspicions that he had colluded with the enemy, even going to the extent of turning a blind eye to Micher¡¯s reports. Roel¡¯s guilt swelled uncontrobly. He pressed his lips tightly together before asking hoarsely, ¡°How confident are you of victory?¡± ¡°¡­I want to give you a definite answer, but the truth is that I don¡¯t know either.¡± The Mother Goddess was so surprised by Roel¡¯s words of concern that it dyed Her response. A brief momentter, She sighed. ¡°Too many races bought His lies and pledged their loyalty to Him. It¡¯ll be disadvantageous for us to engage Him in arge-scale war. I am stronger than Him, but He knows that too and will do everything to avoid a direct confrontation with Me.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Not knowing how to respond to those words, Roel simply nodded before falling silent. He had intended to request the Mother Goddess to release the seal on him so that he could protect himself, but he was unable to voice those words aloud after learning about Her intention. On the other hand, the Mother Goddess¡¯ heart filled with worry as She thought about everything that had happened recently. It hadn¡¯t been easy for Her to decide to keep Roel here, considering the risks involved. She could bravely stand against even the powerful and cunning Savior, but She found Herself helpless against Roel¡¯s unpredictable mind. If this was all an act on his part, it would mean that She had just exposed Her back to an extremely dangerous enemy. The Mother Goddess stared at Roel with many thoughts shing across Her mind. She struggled to suppress Her doubts and convince Herself that this was the right decision to make. Momentster, She looked at Roel with a sorrowful expression. ¡°¡­We shouldn¡¯t be doubting each other. This isn¡¯t how our rtionship is supposed to be.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Taken aback by the words that hade out of nowhere, Roel raised his head in confusion. However, the Mother Goddess was reluctant to borate. After another prolonged silence, She looked at him with eyes that looked stern yet desperate. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t betray me.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes narrowed as he found himself at a loss as to how he should respond to those words. Cold moonlight shone on the two of them as silence loomed yet again. Should I give Her a definite answer? But it doesn¡¯t look like She¡¯s expecting an answer. After some hesitation, Roel decided to say something, but the Mother Goddess beat him to it. ¡°Let¡¯s call it a day¡­ It¡¯s gettingte. Many things have happened today. Have a good rest.¡± The Mother Goddess averted Her eyes as if She was afraid of his response. ¡°¡­Yes, Mother Goddess,¡± Roel hesitantly replied with a nod. There was a knock on the door, and a servant entered the audience room and escorted him out. Meanwhile, the Mother Goddess turned Her gaze out the window once more. Right before stepping out of the audience room, Roel halted his footsteps to nce at the Mother Goddess¡¯ silhouette with a heavy heart, but thetter didn¡¯t meet his gaze or bid him farewell. Her cold attitude left him feeling mncholic, but he turned back and walked out. Silence returned to the audience room. A long timeter, the ck-haired woman bathing under the moonlight wiped the edges of Her reddened eyes and issued an order. ¡°Lower the proportion of high elves guarding him and rece them with your people.¡± ¡°Mother Goddess, are you worried¡­¡± ¡°Micher is unlikely to make a reckless move, but the same can¡¯t be said about the other high elves influenced by his thinking.¡± ¡°I understand,¡± the Blood nswoman answered with a respectful curtsey. However, she was unable to shrug off her concerns about the situation. She took a moment to muster her courage before asking, ¡°Mother Goddess, there¡¯s one more matter I¡¯d like to inquire about.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°¡­What should we do if Lord Micher is right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The atmosphere immediately turned heavy. Cold sweat trickled down the Blood nswoman¡¯s back as she knew that she had struck a sore spot. It took a while before the Mother Goddess finally sighed and answered hoarsely. ¡°¡­You are strictly forbidden from harming him while I am away. I¡¯ll deal with it when I return.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± With a concise reply, the Blood nswoman melded into the shadows and vanished. The Mother Goddess continued quietly staring out of the window. Under the cold moonlight, Her profile looked sorrowful and forlorn. ¡­ Chapter 556.2: Moved (2)

Chapter 556.2: Moved (2)

Roel Ascart returned to his room with tumultuous emotions raging within him. The happenings at the night banquet and the subsequent conversation had changed his impression of the Mother Goddess, unraveling the animosity he felt for Her. He had to admit that he was biased against the Mother Goddess. It couldn¡¯t be helped when his encounters with Her and the Six Cmities in the real world had been less than pleasant. From the very start, She had already taken a hostile attitude toward him, often intimidating him with Her gaze and mobilizing the Six Cmities against him and those whom he cared about. In fact, it was under the pursuit of Shrouding Fog that he even had to enter this Witness State in the first ce! The only reason he hadn¡¯t made a move against the Mother Goddess was the gap in their strength. She¡¯s too powerful. I¡¯m not a match for Her yet. I¡¯ll have to hold it in for now. Those were Roel¡¯s initial thoughts. Even when he deduced that the goal of this Witness State was to proceed down a different path from the original Kingmaker, he had never thought of helping the Mother Goddess deal with the Savior at all. But his train of thought began to change along with his encounters with the Mother Goddess. He could sense that Her care and concern were earnest, like a real mother, and the desperate plea She had made at the very end of their conversation stirred his heart. Don¡¯t betray me. Why would the Mother Goddess even utter those words? A supreme being like Her would at least have thousands of ways to keep a person in line while exploiting their value, but She chose to plead with him instead. She was almost like a desperate mother fervently praying for her child to mature and understand her difficulties. It pained Roel to have to deceive Her. Besides, there was some credence behind the im that the Mother Goddess was his mother. Goddess Sia was the Mother of All Beings, and the Kingmaker was Sia¡¯s most favored child and trusted aide. If the Mother Goddess was rted to Goddess Sia¡ªand there was a possibility that She might even be Sia Herself¡ªthat would make Roel Her child. ¡°How in the world is She rted to Goddess Sia?¡± Roel murmured under his breath in distress. He tried to recall his encounter with Sia back when he was receiving Her blessing, but the results wereckluster. He remembered Genesis Goddess Sia to be a gorgeous individual, the very incarnation of beauty, yet he couldn¡¯t remember Her physical traits at all. This was not Roel¡¯s fault. The nature of the Genesis Goddess prevented others from seeing Her true appearance. Those who had met Her could only remember the wondrous emotions they felt in Her presence. Naturally, this meant that the divine sculptures that the Genesis Goddess Church had made to represent Genesis Goddess Sia were not urate. Roel had no choice but to give up on this trail and instead focus on their auras. Back when the Genesis Goddess bestowed Her blessing upon him, he had momentarily sensed Her aura. It was just the remnants of Her power, but it had left a strong impression on him. The Mother Goddess¡¯ aura did share some simrities with the Genesis Goddess¡¯, but there were some differences too. For instance, the Mother Goddess had a powerful presence that instinctively evoked Roel¡¯s fear, but it was stillckingpared to Sia¡¯s. Roel made his way toward a nearby chair while pondering the possible rtionship between the two with a deep frown. Unexpectedly, he suddenly experienced extreme vertigo. ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was rmed by the sudden bout of dizziness. For a brief moment, he felt as if the world had instantaneously halted and inverted on him, but then everything quickly reverted to normal. His body helplessly copsed toward one side. Bam! A chair fell to the ground. Roel hurriedly grabbed onto the nearby table and barely managed to keep his bnce, but he was left confused as to what hade over him. The ruckus caught Ad¡¯s attention. She immediately rushed into the room, where she saw Roel standing weakly next to the table. ¡°Lord Roel, what¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked worriedly. The other guards also rushed into the room. Blood nsmen rose from the shadows of the wall. The gargoyles along the corridor spread their wings and left their pedestals. Everyone in Roel¡¯s vicinity immediately went into high alert. ¡°Calm down; it¡¯s nothing much. I just felt dizzy for a moment. There¡¯s nothing to panic about,¡± Roel said with a helpless tone, and waved his hand to calm the crowd down. The crowd heaved a sigh of relief, especially Ad. It had only been hours since the conclusion of the night banquet, but whispers about Roel and Micher¡¯s confrontation had been going around the upper echelons. If anything happened to Roel at this juncture, the High Elves would be the first suspect. Naturally, this meant that Ad would be assigned elsewhere. As loyal as Ad was to the Mother Goddess, she would rather stay by the Kingmaker¡¯s side than join the despairing battlefield. She cherished this opportunity greatly, which was why she stayed behind to check on Roel even as the others backed out of the room. ¡°Lord Roel, are you really all right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Should I get a doctor for you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I¡¯m already feeling better now.¡± Roel clutched his forehead as he slowly settled himself down on the chair. He was confused as to what had happened, but he figured that it might have been due to his sealed mana. His body had always been powered by both his stamina and his mana, so the deprivation of one was bound to lead to some problems. But the illusion I saw earlier, the instantaneous halting and inversion of the world¡­ Chapter 557.1: The Truth (1)

Chapter 557.1: The Truth (1)

In the dim room, Roel looked at the orange-haired girl seated in front of him with an earnest but anxious gaze. Edavia blinked in curiosity. Her impression of Roel was that he was aposed and cautious individual. His heart hadn¡¯t even wavered much when she revealed that she was an evil god. That was why she was surprised by his current emotional turmoil. It was unfortunate that the Mother Goddess had hindered her ability to perceive the outside world, so she was oblivious to most of the happenings outside. She gave the situation some thought before beaming a smile at Roel. ¡°You look desperate. Something must have happened. Does She resemble Sia a lot?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m just perplexed by Her attitude, but it¡¯s not just Her. I want to know about the Savior too.¡± Roel dove straight into the point and revealed his request. Edavia blinked herrge eyes. She looked unustomed to how Roel was suddenly relying so much on her. She rested her back against her chair and pondered. ¡°I can fill you in on the details¡ªit¡¯s not that big of a deal¡ªbut I should first put out a disimer. While I am able to ess countless lives here to alleviate my boredom, that doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m an omniscient being. For instance, I don¡¯t know everything about Sia.¡± ess countless lives? Roel keenly picked up on those three words. He instinctively nced at the towering rows of bookshelves behind him. Taking in his reaction, Edavia¡¯s lips curled upward with a hint of mischief. ¡°Omo, did I give myself away? You¡¯re right. Those books are my way of killing time. They are soul records containing memories of the deceased.¡± ¡°Soul records? How could something like that be made? Not to mention the quantity of them¡­¡± Only then did it btedly strike Roel that he had never seen the walls of this room. The two times he hade here, he had instinctively followed the light source and headed straight for Edavia¡¯s table. He had never bothered taking a proper look at this room due to its low visibility. But now that he thought about it, it was possible that the reason he had never seen the walls of this room was not its poor visibility, but that it was simply too big. Roel¡¯s heart began beating faster as he stared into the darkness of the room, wondering how far the darkness stretched. A new question surfaced in his mind: If this is my Inner Sanctum, where did these bookse from? With more questions than ever lingering in his head, Roel turned to Edavia for answers. Thetter had released her braids at some point in time, transforming into her evil god appearance. ¡°Surprised? Fufufu. You must be curious to know what¡¯s going on. Rest assured, these books aren¡¯t your records. They are my private collection.¡± Edavia floated upward andnded on the table. She picked up a book that looked awfully bulkypared to her petite frame and passed it over to Roel. Roel hesitated for a moment before he took the book and examined it. The book had no cover. It had a wondrous texture¡ªnot in the sense of off-putting materials like human skin or whatnot, but it emanated a warmth that felt as if the book was trying tomunicate with the holder. Its content was even more amazing. This book was an autobiography of a dwarf named Holmes Jinn. It contained plenty of pictures that had the remarkable effect of immersing the reader into the situation they depicted, allowing the reader to take on the first-person perspective of the protagonist, which was, in this case, Holmes Jinn. It was simr to the Witness State, just that it was viewing another person¡¯s story. ¡°Holmes Jinn was a Dwarven master craftsman living in Sia¡¯s era, known for having once constructed a pce for Sia. Fufufu. What do you think? Feels not too bad, right?¡± ¡°Yes, it feels not bad, but¡­ I can sense fragments of a soul. How are these books made?¡± Roel asked with a deep voice that sounded almost like a growl. His wariness was swiftly on the rise. If Edavia was truly an evil god who plundered the souls of others to forge books, he wouldn¡¯t contract her no matter how much power she could bring to him. This was not just a matter of principles but the underlying risks as well. Contracting a being whose values differed too much from his posed atent danger to him and those around him as well, not to mention that it would be hard to work together when they couldn¡¯t establish mutual trust. All in all, he would rather not keep such a ticking time bomb by his side. Roel and Edavia looked intently at each other, the flickering candlelight causing shadows to sh across their faces. After a moment of silence, Edavia suddenly revealed an irrepressible grin and startedughing nonstop. ¡°Hahaha! Who could have thought that a day woulde when I would be questioned in such a manner? What an arrogant fellow you are! Rest assured, I am above such crass actions. You can think of these books as a byproduct I receive from assisting Sia.¡± ¡°Byproduct?¡± Roel was surprised by the unexpected answer. Edavia nodded affirmatively before borating. ¡°All things aside, it¡¯s too much trouble to deal with powerhouses of the caliber of Holmes Jinn. Even I wouldn¡¯t kill him over something as minor as this¡­ These books are indeed made out of souls, but to be more exact, it is only the portion that contains their memories.¡± ¡°This means that you¡¯re taking away the memories from the souls?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Granting deceased souls a fresh start in the world was my responsibility back in Sia¡¯s era. These books are thepensation I receive from Sia for my work.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Roel nodded. He thought that there was some credibility to her word, especially since Holmes Jinn, the Dwarven master craftsman depicted in the book, was an Origin Level 1 transcendent. . Edavia would be making an enemy of the Dwarves by attacking someone like that, regardless of whether she won the battle or not. It was unlikely that Sia would condone her actions if she went around wreaking havoc like that. Taking a step back, if each book truly represented a life, the sheer amount of effort required to amass this hulking collection of books was unthinkable. It would have been impossible for even the Spiriteer Sovereign to take the lives of so many individuals. This conclusion took some of the tension away from Roel. He passed the book back to Edavia, who received and hugged it. ¡°Let¡¯s cut the idle talk and get back to the main topic. You anxiously came looking for me here because you want to know the rtionship between Sia and the Mother Goddess. Fufufu. You have asked the right god.¡± ¡°Do you know the reason behind Sia¡¯s departure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. That secret is beyond me. However, I do have some guesses in mind.¡± Edavia¡¯s lips curled into a sinister smile. It looked as if she had thought of something interesting. ¡°Let me dive into the conclusion. I suspect that Sia has split.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel¡¯s solemn face instantaneously plunged into confusion, and a dumb noise escaped from his throat. His moronic response had Edavia clutching her stomach and guffawing. His cheeks twitched at her mockery, but he chose to focus on deciphering the meaning behind her words instead. Edavia had looked and soundedpletely serious when she revealed her conclusion earlier, so it didn¡¯t seem like she was pulling his leg, but¡­ Sia has split? What does that even mean? Does She have a personality split, or what? Chapter 557.2: The Truth (2)

Chapter 557.2: The Truth (2)

Unable to grasp the meaning behind Edavia¡¯s words, Roel stared at her with a skeptical frown. Edavia sensed his gaze and paused herughter. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. I am serious about this, though my interpretation might differ from yours. What I am referring to is a soul split.¡± ¡°Soul split?¡± ¡°To put it in another way, her soul had reached its limit.¡± Having finally calmed down from herughter, Edavia leaped down onto her chair and looked at Roel. ¡°Have you ever wondered why Sia is the Mother of All Life?¡± ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it because She is the creator and root of all Origin Attributes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of the reason, but it isn¡¯t an urate interpretation. Lifees in all forms, and there are plenty of beings who are incapable of harnessing an Origin Attribute. How would you reconcile that?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Roel fell into deep thought. Putting aside the demonic beasts, there were plenty of animals and humans who weren¡¯t able to step into transcendence and harness an Origin Attribute. ¡°The answer is simpler than you think. Sia is, as Her title suggests, the Creator. If I have to draw an analogy, you can think of the world as an existence manifested by Sia¡¯s spell.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Hold on; a spell?¡± ¡°It looks like you have already connected the dots. Fufufu. Your mind churns fast.¡± Edavia pped her hands as apliment. Roel slowly widened his eyes as a thought came to his mind. ¡°The irond rule of the world: all spellse at a price. The price Sia had to pay for the creation of the world was Her soul.¡± ¡°Her soul?¡± ¡°The burden of sustaining the world is borne by Sia¡¯s soul. I know this better than anyone else, being a Spiriteer myself. She might have restricted my freedom, but I have to admit that She is a noble existence worthy of being titled ¡®the Mother of All Life¡¯.¡± As Edavia recalled the past, the sinister smile on her face slowly receded to reveal a more tender expression. On the other hand, Roel¡¯s heart jolted. He couldn¡¯t even imagine just how difficult it was for a single entity to shoulder the burden of an entire world. If Sia wasn¡¯t worthy of being titled ¡®the Mother of All Life¡¯, no one was. However, he suddenly recalled Edavia¡¯s conclusion and frowned. ¡°You mentioned earlier that Sia¡¯s soul has split. That means that¡­¡± ¡°Mmhm. Her foolish love got the better of Her,¡± Edavia said with a deep sigh before unraveling the mystery. Sia¡¯s soul was the foundation of the cosmic spell that created this world. As an almighty being, Sia had no trouble bearing the burden of the world¡¯s creation. However, just like how seedlings blossomed under careful nurturing, the world slowly came to prosper. ¡°The rapid poption growth of the races exponentially increased the burden Sia had to bear. She was forced to descend upon the world and impart the Origin Attributes to the races so as to lessen Her burden in sustaining the world. She also eliminated the monsters that had gotten bloated from disproportionately consuming the world¡¯s resources.¡± ¡°You are referring to the demonic beasts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The war between the saint beasts and the demonic beasts greatly reduced the burden of sustaining the world, while creating the conditions for the ancient races to rise to prominence. Ironically, that was also what eventually destroyed Sia,¡± Edaviamented. ¡°!¡± Roel frowned at those words. The destruction of the greedy demonic beasts and the dissemination of the Origin Attributes were both beneficial to the world¡¯s allocation of resources. Yet, Edavia asserted that this was what resulted in Sia¡¯s downfall. ¡°Perplexed? Fufu. I would be too, because the answer is more foolish than you can imagine¡­ Kingmaker, under what circumstances can a person make the most logical decisions?¡± ¡°I¡¯d say it¡¯s when a person is being rational.¡± ¡°Yes, I agree with that. What a pity that Sia was unable to do the same.¡± Edavia sighed yet again as her smile finally vanished. Under her exnation, Roel finally learned the true reason behind Sia¡¯s departure. Assuming that rationality was the key to making logical decisions, the next question to ask was what could potentially undermine one¡¯s rationality. There were many answers to this question, but most of them could be traced back to one thing: emotions. Before Her descent, Sia had been an outsider watching the world, simr to a gamer engaging in a simtion. She would have been willing to do anything to ensure the smooth operation of Her created world. But everything changed the moment she descended upon the world. All of a sudden, the NPCs in the simtion transformed into vibrant living beings. In the war against the demonic beasts, She had found loyal subordinates, trusted aides, and close friends. Unknowingly, She had borne feelings for Her creations. The problem was that history always repeated itself. While the threat of the demonic beasts had disappeared, the races that had acquired the Origin Attributes swiftly developed and grew in numbers, resulting in an increased burden on Sia¡¯s soul yet again. She began to approach Her limit, but despite being faced with the same problem as before, She couldn¡¯t make the same decision anymore. ¡°War would have been an easy solution to the problem, but She couldn¡¯t do it, not as a mother. She loved all of the races, even Spiriteers who frightened Her. Fufu. What foolishness this is! Yet, that¡¯s also the reason I can never bring myself to hate Her,¡± Edavia muttered as she looked into the darkness. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. It was a long timeter that Edavia finally snapped out of it again. ¡°A mother who slowly withered because of Her maternal love. That¡¯s probably the ending that befell Sia. You should have an inkling of the answers to your other questions now.¡± ¡°Are the Mother Goddess and the Savior the results of Sia¡¯s soul split?¡± ¡°You can think of it that way. An existence like Sia wouldn¡¯t just disappear into thin air. A soul split is the most likely oue I can think of. However, that is all the more reason you need to be exceptionally careful.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Roel was perplexed by Edavia¡¯s remark. Before he could hear an answer, his body started to flicker once more like the garbled image on an old television box. ¡°Looks like we don¡¯t have much time left. Fufu. I shall get straight to the point, then.¡± Looking at the anxious look on Roel¡¯s face, Edavia did away with the suspense and revealed her conjecture with a sinister smile. ¡°Assuming that a soul split did ur, why do you think the Savior and the Mother Goddess are antagonistic toward each other? Two entities split from the same origin don¡¯t necessarily share the same nature. Do you think there is a distinction between good and evil between them?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened in wariness. Edavia smiled at that sight. ¡°Carefully think it through. Your life is at stake here. See you, my Kingmaker.¡± Their meeting finally concluded amidst the evil god¡¯s chuckles. Roel¡¯s body vanished with a flicker, and his consciousness submerged into darkness. ¡­ ¡°!¡± It was already the following morning by the time Roel awoke from his sleep. The sun was as brilliant as ever, and a faint floral fragrance lingered in the room. He stared at the ceiling with dazed eyes for a moment before slowly getting up. Edavia¡¯s parting words were still drifting in his mind. Should a soul be split into two, there was no way for both parts to be simr. If anything, they were likely to have prized tendencies. This realization introduced quite a few thoughts into Roel¡¯s mind. However, he was so upied with his thoughts that he didn¡¯t notice a pair of eyes staring at him from the shadows. Chapter 558: Murderous Intent

Chapter 558: Murderous Intent

Three dayster, Roel feasted on the delicacies the chef had specially prepared for him on the breakfast table while distractedly gazing out of the window. Ad stood behind him as she went through a summary of the key happeningsst night. As the majority of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction were nocturnal, they carried out their activities at night, so there was always an influx of news every morning. However, Roel was much more interested in the food before him than the news, because the information was simply not of much use to him. Shortly after his previous meeting with Edavia, the Mother Goddess left the Moonsoul Tower. There was arge-scale military mobilization afterward, where troops were dispatched to the battlefield. Even when he looked down from the sky garden now, he could still see new armiesprising members from different races marching eastward, together with a steady stream of supplies. Before anyone could notice it, the peaceful night was already weighed down by a heavy atmosphere. Roel had neither the power nor a reason to stop the war, so he decided to immerse himself in food instead. His meals had been nothing short of amazing, to the point where he wouldn¡¯t have minded idling his life away here. When the Mother Goddess reshuffled the manpower guarding Roel, She also went ahead to assign Her personal chefs to him as well, presumably due to his havingplimented the food during the banquet. Honestly speaking, Roel hadn¡¯t thought that the Mother Goddess would pay such attention to his passing words, and it left him feeling even more conflicted. Roel had already been feeling guilt-ridden toward the Mother Goddess, and Her meticulousness in caring for him only further shook his heart. It might have been because he was ¡®in substitution¡¯ in this Witness State, but he felt personally involved in this matter. Before he knew it, his priority had already shifted from just clearing this Witness State to uncovering the truth behind this piece of history. Supposing Edavia¡¯s deduction was true, and the Mother Goddess and the Savior were opposing existences who had inherited different traits from Genesis Goddess Sia, the next thing Roel had to do was to uncover who Sia¡¯s spiritual sessor was. This information was crucial to him in determining whom he should choose in the end. He had been thinking over this matter for three days now, but he hadn¡¯t been able toe to a conclusion. His heart was more inclined toward the Mother Goddess, for Her reluctance to execute him despite his betrayal seemed to mirror Sia¡¯s reluctance to sacrifice Her children, but it was still too early to say since he hadn¡¯t been able to meet this era¡¯s Savior. He didn¡¯t think that it was wise to only listen to one side of the story, not to mention that the Mother Goddess¡¯ maternal instincts didn¡¯t exclude Her from being a tyrant. A viin was equally capable of loving their children. Besides, when he overlooked his personal interactions with the Mother Goddess, there were some things that were dubious about Her. For instance, he had learned during his journey to the Moonsoul Tower that the Mother Goddess had formed an alliance with the demonic beasts and the evil gods. He didn¡¯t look favorably upon this alliance particrly because Sia had been opposed to their existence, but it would be premature to put down the Mother Goddess based solely on this. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for the Mother Goddess to seek an alliance with Her past enemies in order to counteract the Savior¡¯s growing influence. ¡°Eesh. How am I supposed to pick a side?¡± Roel murmured in frustration. For the past three days, he had almost torn out his hair trying to figure out who was Sia¡¯s spiritual sessor and who was the trash that had been taken out, but this was not an easy question to answer. Thus, he decided to change his perspective and analyze this matter from another angle. In the Moonsoul Tower, there was only one person he knew who was unlikely to lie to him. ¡°Ad, have you fought with the Savior¡¯s army before?¡± ¡°Ah? W-well, I have fought with the Savior¡¯s army once.¡± Taken aback by Roel¡¯s abrupt question, Ad grabbed her skirt and replied in embarrassment. Roel¡¯s eyes twinkled, knowing that she was likely to have some information to offer, so he began probing her under the guise of idle chatter. ¡°How was the battle? With your strength, I reckon that you would have made great contributions on the battlefield.¡± ¡°It was still fine, I guess. I was in the back lines, so I didn¡¯t face the bulk of the pressure.¡± ¡°I see, I see. I¡¯d like to ask a question that I hope you can honestly answer. Do you like war?¡± ¡°¡­No, I don¡¯t like war,¡± Ad replied with a deep sigh. ¡°War is brutal. I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m weak, but the enemies are formidable too. Be it the Giants, the Dragons, or the Saint Beasts, those are adversaries that we struggle to deal with.¡± ¡°Is that why the Mother Goddess allied with the demonic beasts and the evil gods?¡± ¡°There was no other choice. There aren¡¯t many giant races out there, and most of them have chosen to side with the enemy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel nodded. Ad¡¯s exnation made him more empathetic toward the Mother Goddess¡¯ decision of allying with the demonic beasts and the evil gods. He was more than familiar with the sheer destructive might the Giants harnessed. The mention of the Giants sparked a thought in Roel¡¯s mind, and he blurted out a question. ¡°Who is the current leader of the Giants?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the Giant Sovereign? His name should be Botrim. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ad asked. Botrim? What the hell is that? Isn¡¯t this Grandar¡¯s era? Reluctant to give up just like that, Roel tried asking Ad if she had heard of ¡®Grandar¡¯, but thetter had no impression of that name at all. He could only sigh in resignation, though he wasn¡¯t too surprised by the situation. He had no idea how long the war between the Savior and the Mother Goddess stretched out for, but from the current look of things, neither of them was anywhere close to being defeated yet. It made sense for Grandar to not have appeared yet. It was disappointing to learn that he couldn¡¯t meet Grandar in the flesh, literally, but then again, it was doubtful that he could sneak out to meet Grandar even if he existed in the current era. I¡¯d have to first resolve the problems on my side. Roel continued questioning Ad about the Savior. Through their interactions, he finally understood why the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction was slightly weaker than the Savior¡¯s. The reasony in Their different ideologies. ¡°The Savior seeks to govern the world by implementing a hierarchical order, in which He is the absolute ruler, the one existence that everyone has to worship. Anyone who tries to undermine His order will be executed without fail. ¡°On the other hand, the Mother Goddess propagates the ideology of equality amongst all races. Regardless of whether it is the almighty Giants or the feeble Scalemen, they are all granted the same rights, and disputes will be resolved through amon council.¡± Roel¡¯s face turned grim as he finally understood the fundamental reason behind the conflict between the two supreme beings. The Savior envisioned a world that operated under a strict social caste system, where all races would be ranked in a hierarchy. Those who were ranked higher in the hierarchy would be granted greater privileges and resources, even if it came at the expense of those beneath them. In contrast, the Mother Goddess sought to form a republic, where She would take on the role of a supervisor and a governor. All races would be guaranteed equal rights under Her rule; there would be no special privileges, simr to how the world operated back in Sia¡¯s era. Roel leaned against the chair as he pondered deeper into the two ideologies. If he had to give his take, he thought that the Savior¡¯s governance model was mature, whereas the Mother Goddess¡¯ ideology bordered on naivety. Peaceful co-existence amongst the races as equals was merely a pipe dream in the face of resource scarcity. While there was peace and prosperity under Sia¡¯s rule, that had only been possible because there were more than enough resources to go around. The races didn¡¯t have topete to fulfill their needs. However, this precondition was undermined by the growing world poption, which strained the avable resources to be shared. Even if Sia hadn¡¯t departed, the peace and prosperity the world had enjoyed under Her rule wouldn¡¯t havested much longer. This was an inevitable change that not even the powerful Mother Goddess could stop, especially when Shecked Sia¡¯s influence and legitimacy. In contrast, the Savior promised to prioritize the more powerful races in His hierarchical order, entitling them to special rights and greater resources. This caste system was so unequivocally beneficial to the Giants, the Dragons, and the other powerful races that it was no wonder they chose to side with Him. Only the Angels, as Sia¡¯s old envoys, had refrained from explicitly choosing a side to avoid going against Sia¡¯s will, but it would be no surprise if they had been secretly siding with the Savior all this while. Even faith crumbled in the face of overwhelming interests. However, the Savior¡¯s hierarchy would deprive the weaker races of the resources they needed to survive. The weaker races would find themselves stuck in an endless cycle of suffering with no way out, with their lineage slowly creeping toward extinction. It was a system that trampled on the weak, though it admittedly followed the winds of change. In contrast, the Mother Goddess¡¯ goal of forming a republic might have appeared fairer on the surface, but at its core, it was siding with the weak over the strong. By imposing equal rights, it deprived the stronger races of their ability topete for resources for their people. One favored the strong, whereas the other favored the weak. No middle ground was possible for this conflict, so war became inevitable. I don¡¯t know what the original Kingmaker chose, but there¡¯s no doubt that the Kingmaker n stands to benefit more from the Savior¡¯s caste system. What would the original Kingmaker have done after being imprisoned here by the Mother Goddess? Supposing that the original Kingmaker was imprisoned from the start to the end, he wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to make a decision. Is it possible that he caved in and joined the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction halfway through? Roel massaged his temples in frustration. He knew that he had to do something to increase his evaluation score in this Witness State, but he didn¡¯t know what he should do. He could only continue gathering more intelligence while figuring out a solution out of the quandary he was in. Soon, it was nighttime. ¡­ Roel had been suffering from frequent dizzy spells over thest few days. Ever since his first bout of vertigo where he toppled over a chair, he had been suffering from dizzy spells every day. The Moonsoul Tower¡¯s doctors had diagnosed him many times and even held a medical conference over it, but they were unable to ascertain the cause of the dizziness. It couldn¡¯t be helped that the doctors were struggling, as Roel¡¯s circumstance was unique. Rarely would a transcendent¡¯s powers be sealed, and that mostly happened only to prisoners. When would a prisoner be so privileged as to receive treatment for dizzy spells? It also didn¡¯t help that Roel was weaker than usual with his powers sealed, which left the doctors hesitant to treat him. News about the Mother Goddess¡¯ favorable attitude toward Roel had already spread throughout the Moonsoul Tower. Should any mishap ur in the midst of their treatment, they risked incurring Her anger. Roel¡¯s description of his affliction was perplexing as well, such as the freezing of time and the inversion of the world. The baffled doctors could only attribute it to hallucinations arising from the dizzy spells. In the end, the doctors simply provided him with a nutrition n and advice to rest more, which was not proving to be very useful in alleviating the dizzy spells. Before the setting sun, Roely down on his bed as he endured the intensifying dizziness with a frown. Beside the bed, Ad worriedly looked at him. ¡°Milord, I have already informed the doctors. Please bear with it a while longer.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Roel replied with a feeble nod as he awaited the doctors¡¯ arrival. His dizziness felt worse than ever. He could already tell what was going to happen as his symptoms intensified. I¡¯ll probably see time stop and the world invert again. He closed his eyes in preparation for what was about toe, but much to his surprise, those two phenomena didn¡¯t happen this time around. While he was feeling perplexed, he suddenly heard words echoing in his ears. ¡°Prepare yourself. He is here.¡± It was the gentle voice of a man. Along with those words came an inexplicable feeling of warmth that made one feel intimate toward the owner of the voice. But before Roel could figure out who was the one who had spoken or the meaning behind those words, he noticed the changes in his surroundings and widened his eyes in astonishment. At some point, the world around him had turned grayish-white. The setting sun was fixed on the horizon, and the clouds were no longer drifting. The female high elf standing next to his bed had vanished into thin air, to be reced with a ck silhouette overflowing with murderous intent. Chapter 559.1: Mother (1)

Chapter 559.1: Mother (1)

This grayish-white, frozen world was a scene Roel had seen numerous times before. The blooming flowers out in the sky garden had their beauty locked in time, and the little bird flying past the window had halted in ce. It was as if the world had transformed into an old monochrome photograph. The only thing that was different this time around was that the world wasn¡¯t inverted. However, what truly shocked Roel was the towering ck silhouette standing next to his bed. He was dressed in a ck robe and shrouded in thick ck miasma. A bizarre white mask obscured his facial features. However, there was something more sinister underlying his looks. With his keen eyes, Roel could tell that the white mask was made out of bones and the ck robeprised deceased spirits, as evidenced by the blood-curdling criesing from it. What the hell is this? Such a question naturally arose in Roel¡¯s mind. There was not a sliver of doubt in his mind that such an existence shouldn¡¯t have appeared before him inside the Moonsoul Tower, especially not with such overwhelming murderous intent that made one¡¯s blood turn cold. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s sharp senses as a high transcendent immediately alerted him to the imminent danger. Before he could fully process what had happened, he had already released a huge amount of frost aura while charging toward the bedroom door. The ck silhouette was caught off guard by the sudden flood of frost aura, clearly not having expected Roel to react that quickly. Roel made use of this opening to flee to the living room. His room was located on the upper floors of the Moonsoul Tower, which was at least a thousand meters away from the ground, so he would only be cornering himself if he escaped to the sky garden. Thus, he could only head into the tower to seek help. While he had managed to escape from his bedroom, he couldn¡¯t shake off the ominous feeling in his heart. The subsequent events proved that his worries weren¡¯t unfounded. His guards, who would have charged in as soon as they noticed any unnatural movements, were nowhere to be seen at all. The living room waspletely silent except for the cracking ice sounds behind him that resulted from the frost aura. ¡°Traitor, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed when he heard those words. He turned around and saw the ck silhouette d in deceased spirits slowly making his way over. This is impossible! I sted his face with my frost aura at near point nk! Not even gods could be unfazed by that! N-no, that¡¯s not right! Looking at the ck silhouette¡¯s blurred outlines and hearing the ghastly wails of the deceased spirits, Roel clenched his fists as he finally understood how the other party was able to shrug off his frost aura. His cial Touch had sessfully inflicted damage on the ck silhouette, but the damage had been transferred away to the wailing deceased spirits. It turned out that they weren¡¯t just for show; they were tools that served both offensive and defensive purposes. Knowing that his opponent was much stronger than he had thought, Roel frantically channeled the limited mana he had at his disposal to break through the Mother Goddess¡¯ seal. ¡°What am I looking for? Nothing. I just wanted to find an open ce to chat. Your stench was too much for me to bear.¡± Roel pulled over a chair and settled snugly into it before assessing the ck silhouette before him with lips curled in interest. His confident demeanor prompted the ck silhouette to halt his footsteps. As I expected. rity slowly returned to Roel¡¯s mind as he gained a better idea of how he should carry himself. He wasn¡¯t just putting on onest show of bravado so that he could pass away with a bang. Rather, it was because he knew he was not just Roel Ascart right now but the Kingmaker too, an existence second only to Sia Herself. Even those who sought to kill him would at least listen to his words due to his immense reputation. And what he needed right now was time. . Although Roel had made no prior attempts to undermine the Mother Goddess¡¯ seal, he had thoroughly studied it in case he ever needed to breach it. The sealprised three levels, with each subsequent level bing increasingly difficult to breach. They capped his strength at Origin Level 5, Origin Level 4, and Origin Level 3 respectively. He had breached the first level of the seal as soon as he discovered the enemy, which allowed him to st thetter with his frost aura, but that was far from enough. The only sliver of hope he had in surviving this ordeal was to stall the enemy till he breached the remaining two seals so that he could struggle with all his might. Admittedly, he was unlikely to be a match for the ck silhouette even if he breached the two remaining seals¡ªsomeone who had the power to stop time couldn¡¯t be a pushover. Even so, he wasn¡¯t willing to give up without fighting back with everything he had. Having made up his mind, he finally calmed down altogether. ¡°Are you afraid of me? You should already know that my powers have been sealed off¡­ or are you still afraid of me despite that?¡± ¡°¡­What a joke.¡± There was a moment of silence before the ck silhouette responded to Roel¡¯s contemptuous remark. He raised his head and scoffed. ¡°What is it that you want to say, traitor?¡± ¡°Traitor? What a repulsivebel you¡¯re putting on me. Did that fellow not teach you manners? Why don¡¯t you tell me who I have betrayed, then?¡± Roel replied with a disdainful frown. As powerful as the ck silhouette was, he wasn¡¯t the mastermind behind this assassination. The true mastermind wouldn¡¯t have done something as risky as personally sneaking into the Moonsoul Tower to assassinate him. Roel had no idea who was behind this assassination, but he figured that he could probe the ck silhouette for more information while riling thetter up to stall for time, thus striking two birds with one stone. Indeed, the ck silhouette fell silent after hearing Roel¡¯s words. Moments passed before he answered with a noticeably deeper voice. ¡°You betrayed my master. You should know better than anyone who He is.¡± ¡°Watch your words. I am a captive here. Do you think that I, the Kingmaker, would turn my back on my allies?¡± Roel growled with a menacing tone. Despite his forceful response, his heart sank as he could only think of one possibility as to who the mastermind behind the assassination was: the Savior. To verify that, he took a short pause before continuing on. ¡°War is looming. The Mother Goddess has led Her army to the eastern frontlines, yet I continue to remain here. Does this not make my intention sufficiently clear?¡± ¡°Your choice to stay here doesn¡¯t prove that you have rejected Her. I feel it. You are wavering.¡± The ck silhouette shook his head. The deceased spirits wrapped around himughed as if they were expressing his emotions on his behalf. ¡°Our great Savior saw through your facade and sent me here. You red your hostility upon sight of me, yet you express not the slightest dissatisfaction toward those high elves watching you. Tell me why that is so.¡± ¡°¡­They don¡¯t seek to kill me. You do.¡± Chapter 559.2: Mother (2)

Chapter 559.2: Mother (2)

Roel¡¯s heart further sank when he learned that the enemy was able to sense his emotions. The ck silhouette quietly assessed him for a brief moment before bursting intoughter. ¡°Of course they don¡¯t! You aren¡¯t a prisoner here but an esteemed guest! Is there any greater proof of your betrayal? You have already chosen to side with Sia¡¯s impostor. Hmph! By taking your life, I¡¯ll rise to be His subordinate god and receive boundless glory!¡± ¡°I see. It doesn¡¯t matter at all since this is nothing but an exchange for you.¡± ¡°Indeed. Your true intention does not matter to me. My mission is only to kill you¡­ but I must say that I am sensing interesting emotions from you.¡± The ck silhouette¡¯s crimson eyes curled in amusement. ¡°Anxiety. Fear. These are my favorite vors. You must be truly unnerved by my Divine Domain. After all, He has contributed to its creation too. I know that you¡¯re stalling for time, but it is futile. Time is infinitely silenced in this dimension. Nothing but a mere instant has passed for the world outside. No one will sense a thing at all. No one will be able to save you.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was surprised to learn that the Savior carried such great hostility toward him, but that wasn¡¯t important now, for he had just acquired the crucial intelligence he wanted to know. So, it is a Divine Domain? A n began to formte in Roel¡¯s mind. Meanwhile, the deceased spirits wrapped around the ck silhouette began to roar with miserable cries. ¡°Kingmaker, you must have never heard about me. I am Death God Pritzer from the Abyss. Remember this name.¡± ¡°Death God? There was no such god back in Sia¡¯s era. I have no intention of dying at the hands of a second-generation god.¡± ¡°That is not up to you. It¡¯ll be my eternal glory to have killed the Kingmaker of the ancient era.¡± With this final exchange of words, their mana finally red to their peaks. Countless deceased spirits shot forth from Death God Pritzer¡¯s ck robe, siphoning life away from those who stood in their path. On the other hand, Roel finally breached the second seal, raising his strength to Origin Level 4. He cloaked his body with a thick death aura reminiscent of storm clouds, which kept the deceased spirits at bay. Flooding Death was the highest conceptualization of death, with authority over the jurisdiction of death surpassing even that of the gods. The deceased spirits could only shatter in the face of such power. Boom! Boom! Boom! ¡°How is this possible?!¡± The explosions of the deceased spirits echoed like hurried drumbeats in the grayish living room. Death God Pritzer was horrified to see his jurisdiction over death being undermined by a higher conceptualization, but he quicklyposed himself. Roel¡¯s death aura was a superior concept to his deceased spirits, perhaps even worthy of being deemed as the very manifestation of Death itself, but such a powerful death attribute couldn¡¯t have belonged to the Kingmaker. Unlike other attributes, the death attribute assimted those who utilized it. The Kingmaker was indubitably a living being, which meant that he must be borrowing this power from one of his contracted ancient gods. Using a power that was at odds with one¡¯s nature came at a heavy price. In fact, Death God Pritzer had noticed that Roel was quickly depleting his life force. His face continued to pale as he released more and more death aura, though it was perplexing how his mana was increasing instead. That made Pritzer¡¯s crimson eyes gleam in wariness. On the other hand, Roel made sure to remain absolutely calm. He knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to take any attacks from the enemy with his current strength as an Origin Level 4 transcendent, so he could only take the initiative to trigger Being Toward Death through Death Rain. In his previous tests, he had already realized that unlike cial Touch and Time Devourer, Death Rain¡¯s side effects showed right away as the spell directly converted his life force into death aura. Capitalizing on this effect, he was able to immediately trigger Being Toward Death and gain an immense amount of mana. The Crown Origin Attribute glowed brilliantly as Roel channeled the immense mana he was receiving from Being Toward Death toward the depths of his body. Death God Pritzer could tell that Roel was up to something, so after quickly probing the effects of the death aura, he decided to personally make his move. ¡°Your death aura is formidable, but it¡¯s a pity that you¡¯re not its owner,¡± he remarked. He manifested a pitch-ck sword and swung it, releasing a powerful mana pulsation. He had realized that the death attribute was ineffective against Roel, so he transformed his mana into another form of energy. In the blink of an eye, Roel saw a gray ripple enveloping the entire world. This was the first time he had witnessed anything like this. This was an attack unique to the enemy¡¯s Divine Domain, and it targeted not one¡¯s physical body but something more fundamental to one¡¯s soul. Weng! Roel experienced a massive jolt to his soul. The death aura that had thoroughly blocked off the deceased spirits werepletely useless against this attack. His Crown Origin Attribute fervently glowed to fix his soul within his body, but even so, the impact he suffered was immense. Everything became blurred and indistinct as if he had plunged into a violent storm, but all of a sudden, colors sprouted inside the monochrome world. The ceiling turned light yellow. The walls turned dark purple. A sinister red fluid reminiscent of blood trickled across the ground. The deceased spirits drifting in the sky morphed into smiling angels, and their miserable cries turned into pleasantughs. Roel felt like he had stepped into paradise. The ck silhouette was no longer anywhere to be seen, and in his ce was a white-cloaked saint. He had a most tranquil smile on his face as he raised his arms, inviting the masses to enter heaven alongside him. Countless angels flew toward him. Roel was tempted too. His head felt heavy as if something had bogged it down, but there was a thought in his mind that told him that the white-cloaked saint was going to lead him to a wondrous and amazing ce, a ce where he belonged. He took his first step toward the world of the dead, only for a displeased childlike voice to echo in his ears right afterward. ¡°A mere second-generation god dares to make you hand over your soul?¡± ¡°!¡± Edavia¡¯s words cleared away the fog in Roel¡¯s mind, bringing rity back to his mind. At the same time, the Crown Origin Attribute exerted a powerful suction force that pulled Roel¡¯s soul back into his body. The world of the dead vanished without a trace, reverting the surroundings to their monochrome colors. The saint¡¯s halo extinguished, and the angels turned back into deceased spirits. Death God Pritzer roared in disbelief. He red at the faint childlike figure floating in the air. ¡°How is this possible? Who are you?!¡± It should have been impossible for another existence to arbitrarily appear in his Divine Domain, yet the impossible had happened. His inability toprehend what had happened terrified him. Not even the almighty first-generation gods had been able to instill such deep fear in him. Without waiting for an answer, he swung his pitch-ck sword a second time. Roel quickly raised a crystalline ice barrier to protect himself, but it was impossible for him to hold his ground when there was such a massive gap between their levels. The ice barrier shattered, and he was sent flying across the living room. Boom! A loud explosion shook the tower as Roel crashed through a wall. Smithereens flew all around as a cloud of dust rose into the air. Eventually, his bloodied body copsed onto the sky garden. Even amidst the mess, Death God Pritzer¡¯s ragged breathing could be heard. He was surprised that the childlike figure behind Roel hadn¡¯t made a move, but this suited his agenda. He didn¡¯t want to waste time anymore. He wanted to kill the Kingmaker right away lest the situation go out of control. ¡°Not even that ancient god was able to save you. You don¡¯t stand a chance against me with your powers sealed,¡± Death God Pritzer said with a quivering voice as he warily approached Roel. It was as if he was trying to put on a brave front to conceal his shaken heart. Despite the disastrous situation he was in, the severely wounded Roel wasn¡¯t frightened in the least. Instead, the edges of his lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have enough time to break through the seal and summon Edavia¡­ but this is enough.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel finally released all of the mana he had been umting thus far. Edavia¡¯s figure glowed resplendently. Sheughed brightly as she raised her hands to establish a soul connection that transcended dimensions. It was a call for help. Mana furiously gushed into Roel¡¯s Crown¡¯s Stones to trigger a powerful resonance with the sentient cmities. Under the resonance of souls, the white-haired woman who ruled over these cmities widened Her crimson eyes as a voice echoed in Her ears. ¡°¡­Save me, Mother.¡± ¡°!¡± The sun and the moon inverted, and the world quietened down. Chapter 560.1: Unquenchable Fury (1)

Chapter 560.1: Unquenchable Fury (1)

Sia¡¯s world was highly resilient. Origin Level 1 transcendents couldn¡¯t hope to inflict too much damage on the world. Not even the Race Sovereigns or beings worshiped as gods were able to influence the natural cycles of the world. Yet, the most important natural cycle of the world had just been disrupted in a split instant. The cause of this disruption was a single word muttered from a youth¡¯s mouth: Mother. When that word was ryed to the silver-haired woman in the far distance together with all of the information Edavia had transmitted, the Mother Goddess suddenly felt an unprecedented flow of emotions that shook the world and the beings living in it. Time and space suddenly seemed to lose all meaning as unimaginable pressure crushed down on every living being. It was the feedback from the Mother Goddess¡¯ overwhelming wrath. Soaring dragons plunged to the ground. Fearless giants dared not to straighten their spines. Demonic beasts fled in terror. Evil gods shivered in the shadows. All beings, no matter how powerful, were forced to lower their heads in this very instant, for none could withstand Her wrath. Even the silver moon had turned blood-red, casting an overpowering brilliance reminiscent of a second sun. The evicted sun tried its best to fight back from the horizon, but no matter how it scattered its warmth, it was unable to faze the incarnation of the Mother Goddess¡¯ boundless rage. A shattering sound could be heard as the setting sun was forced down the horizon, leaving the Blood Moon the sole dictator of the sky. The Mother Goddess¡¯ silhouette disappeared amidst the night sky with a flicker. ¡­ ¡°What did you do?!¡± Inside the monochrome world, Death God Pritzer furiously roared at Roel, but thetter only responded with a disdainful smile. Roel didn¡¯t have to conceal his emotions anymore, for things were going to end very soon. The Mother Goddess had previously warned him not to forcefully breach the seals, and Her warning was not just an empty threat. She had directly linked the third seal to his soul, making it impossible for him to breach. Upon realizing that, Roel knew that the only way he could ovee this crisis was to ask for help, so he staked all of his mana to bet that Edavia wouldn¡¯t want to see him die just like that. Divine Domains symbolized a god¡¯s greatest authority, and this temporally silenced world had been further reinforced by the Savior under the setting sun. It was nigh impossible for Roel to break out of it even if his powers hadn¡¯t been sealed, but there was still a glimmer of hope that he could at least get an SOS message out through Edavia. Frankly speaking, Roel had no way of knowing whether Edavia had delivered his SOS message or not, now that his mana had beenpletely depleted. However, another question had arisen in his mind. Why did I, in that very instant, shout out ¡®Mother¡¯? Blood was still flowing out of the ring wound that nearly severed Roel at the waist, but this question felt more important than the plight he was in. He was confused, yet he seemed to have understood something from it. There was just a single word of difference between ¡®Mother Goddess¡¯ and ¡®Mother¡¯, but they represented two entirely different concepts. Did I make a mistake in my moment of fluster? Or did I instantaneously make a subconscious decision to do that so as to win over the Mother Goddess? Roel seriously pondered this question as his vision began blurring from the excessive loss of blood. It could have been the threat of death that encouraged him to put down his reservations, but he suddenly grasped the answer to that question at this very moment. Maybe, unknowingly, I have already begun thinking of her as my mother. He thought back on the time he had spent with the Mother Goddess, and the silhouette of the Mother Goddess slowly ovepped with the silhouette of his mother in his previous life. Their appearances and personalities were as different as heaven and earth, but the earnest love they carried for their child was identical. This was also what Roel had been deprived of in this life from a young age. His eyelids grew heavier, and his body turned colder. In his blurred vision, he noticed that the Death God was making no attempt to approach him, choosing instead to witness his death from afar. After all, there was no reason for him to rush inside this temporally silenced dimension. All he had to do was to wait for his death. ¡°¡­It looks like I won¡¯t be able tost till Her arrival.¡± More and more blood trickled out of Roel¡¯s body as his life approached its end. Hemented under his breath, feeling a tinge of disappointment that he couldn¡¯t see Her onest time. All of a sudden, his cold body was wrapped in something warm. Someone had embraced him. ¡°!¡± Roel gathered the final remnant of his strength to open his eyes, only to see a Mother Goddess that was very different from usual. Her reservations and dilemma when facing him were nowhere to be seen. She tightly held onto him with trembling hands, Her face stained with tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ I arrivedte¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel wanted to say something in response to Her hoarse cries and self-reproachful words, but he realized that he didn¡¯t even have the strength to move his mouth. Crimson mana enveloped his body, and his injuries began to swiftly heal. It was amidst this light that he passed out. As Roel peacefully drifted off to sleep, the Mother Goddess who was on the verge of losing Her mind from self-reproach turned her gaze toward the fleeing Death God. From the moment the Mother Goddess descended to embrace Roel, all that went through Death God Pritzer¡¯s mind was ¡®Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit¡¯ as he unhesitatingly made the decision to escape. His pride and honor as a god shattered before the supreme being known as the Mother Goddess. He dared not to even maintain his true form out of sheer fear. As the deceased spirits fled in all directions inside the monochrome world, the sorrow in the Mother Goddess¡¯ eyes transformed into zing wrath. ¡°You despicable rats! How dare you¡­¡± With the Mother Goddess¡¯ roar, an intense silver explosion sted forth from Her and dyed the monochrome world white. She had opted for the most violent method to deal with this Divine Domain, and that was to utterly destroy it. A loud creaking sound could be heard as the dimension was pushed to its very limits. The Death God¡¯s Divine Domain was as weak as a house of cards before the Mother Goddess¡¯ might after having lost the Savior¡¯s reinforcement. The shattered dimension scattered into the surroundings as specks of mana. The dissolution of the Divine Domain returned color to the world, but the Mother Goddess¡¯ wrath couldn¡¯t be quelled with just that. Her immense mana pulsation only continued to intensify. Her might spanned overrge swathes ofnd, triggering earthquakes and natural catastrophes of untold magnitude. Even the stars in the sky lost their radiance before Her wrath, as they buried themselves in the darkness of the night. Her rampage triggered even the Moonsoul Tower¡¯s defensive mechanism. The tower that wouldn¡¯t have shaken even under a god¡¯s prowess quickly cloaked itself with a saintly white glow like a frightened child begging for its parent¡¯s forgiveness. ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Mother Goddess¡¯ mana! What¡¯s going on?¡± Exmations could be heard all over the Moonsoul Tower. Horrified crowds paled before the familiar yet foreign mana pulsation. Deafening rms sounded in all of the cities surrounding the Moonsoul Tower, as rmed citizens rushed out onto the streets and prayed fervently toward the Moonsoul Tower and the Blood Moon for the Mother Goddess¡¯ forgiveness. As if answering her worshipers¡¯ frightened pleas, the quaking earth and spiraling sky slowly calmed down, but what took their ce was another phenomenon. The Blood Moon slowly split apart to reveal the ck Moon, which looked reminiscent of the moon¡¯s shadow. Chapter 560.2: Unquenchable Fury (2)

Chapter 560.2: Unquenchable Fury (2)

The ck Moon symbolized divine retribution for the sinners. Wherever the moonlight reached, all souls fell into a daze. The Mother Goddess was assessing them to discern their sins. Nothing could evade the reach of the ck Moon. All of the deceased spirits, be it those that had hidden under the cover of the night or those that had secretly possessed a body, immediately fled in a panic. They knew that the supreme being in the sky had Her eyes locked on them, and divine retribution was about to descend. ¡°Don¡¯t think that it¡¯ll end with just death¡­¡± the white-haired woman murmured with overflowing animosity as She raised Her hand toward the ck Moon. Countless arms made out of a viscous ck fluid surged out of the ck Moon, whizzing across the sky to capture the countless deceased spirits thatprised the Death God. Not a single deceased spirit could evade the ck arms, whether they were hiding in the corner of the forest or amidst the dark clouds. Some deceased spirits had reached the territory of the evil gods, but the evil gods and the demonic beasts simply silently watched as the ck hands intruded on their turf. Even the unruliest evil god had enough sense to not challenge the rampaging Mother Goddess. Simrly, the demonic beasts obeyed their instincts andy low. No one would stand up for the Death God. ¡°Wait! Spare me! No¡­ No!!!¡± Death God Pritzer screamed in terror before the relentless pursuit of the countless ck hands. He desperately pleaded for mercy, but his begging hardly cated the Mother Goddess at all. It took mere seconds for his ten thousand deceased spirits to be captured by the ck hands, upon which they were simultaneously dragged into the ck Moon. . Sizzling sounds echoed as the Death God¡¯s deceased spirits corroded inside the ck Moon. Wretched wails shook the sky. This executionsted for a long while before all of the deceased spirits were finally devoured by the ck Moon. The brutal execution of a god rattled the hearts of the spectators below. The worshipers of the Mother Goddess tightly sped their trembling hands and fervently prayed. In the Moonsoul Tower, the race leaders who had rushed back watched the ruins around them with pale faces, but they dared not utter a word. ¡­ The Moonsoul Tower was reputed to be a miraculous creation that served as one of Sia¡¯s main divine temples in this vast world. Legends had it that the Genesis Goddess had felt lonely while gazing at the night moon, so She created the nocturnal races. The gently glowing tower became a sacred building to the nocturnal races, and many of them decided to settle down in its vicinity. Yet, this sacred building had received unprecedented damage today. The Moonsoul Tower¡¯s barrier that no god could breach was shredded by the Mother Goddess as if it was thinner than a sheet of paper. Even the tower itself, despite having been blessed by countless gods, had cracked under Her rampage. Yet, the Mother Goddess¡¯ wrath did not abate. Under the Blood Moon, the silver-haired woman trembled with Roel in Her arms. Her clothes were stained with his blood, but She didn¡¯t loosen Her embrace in the least. Several guards stood around the perimeter of the ruins in deathly silence. They knew that they deserved death for failing to ensure Roel¡¯s safety, but the situation had already gone beyond just that. At this rate, the Moonsoul Tower and even the cities surrounding it could very well be erased from the face of the world. The price of the Mother Goddess¡¯ rampage was too great for the world to bear. The Mother Goddess was not known to be a benevolent being. She was first and foremost a ruler, and there were responsibilities She had to fulfill. She maintained order amongst the races through reward and punishment, and there were asions when She raged too. But never before had She lost control of Her emotions like this. The more powerful an existence, the more dangerous their anger was. The wrath of a supreme being like the Mother Goddess was a cmity in itself. The frightened popce fell into pandemonium. Amidst the ruins, the Mother Goddess gazed at the youth in Her arms as She tried wiping the blood off his face again and again. She had never thought that She would lose control like this, as She had already be ustomed to the death of Her children. Putting aside wars, there were countless lives that naturally withered from old age every day. The Kingmaker was a special existence to Her. That was the child She had spent the most time with over the long years. Much time flowed by, but the Kingmaker n continued to stay by Her side. No matter how fair She was, it was inevitable that She favored them over the others. But that should have been all there was to it. Deep down, the Mother Goddess knew that the Kingmaker didn¡¯t see Her as his mother, simr to most people in the world. She was painfully aware that Her identity as a mother had eroded away as Her other personas took precedence. The High Elves who had sworn fealty to Her saw Her as their ruler. Her people worshiped Her as an almighty god. The powerful races that had chosen to side with the Savior viewed Her as their greatest enemy. How tragic it was that She continued to view them as Her children, but none of them thought of Her as their mother. Truth be told, the Mother Goddess had already given up hope. She had hardened Her heart to cast away Her identity as a mother. That was the only way She could bring Herself to step onto the battlefield and unleash death upon those who had turned against Her. Yet, the Kingmaker who had pushed Her away time and time again suddenly changed. Something rippled in Her heart when She saw confusion instead of self-entitlement in Roel¡¯s eyes when She decided to spare his life. There was a probing glimmer in his eyes, a sign that he was searching for the connection that used to exist between them. It sparked hope in Her, causing Her to continuously soften Her attitude toward him. That day, in the audience room, when Roel was conscience-stricken from lying, She felt a tinge of maternal love that made Her feel like She ought to do something, but She was afraid that Her proactiveness would scare him off. In the end, She decided to leave him in the safest ce. From the very start, She had never thought that Roel would betray Her. Who could have thought that the enemy would have seen through Her? Her decision, spurred by Her feelings of concern, became a cmity for him. The Mother Goddess couldn¡¯t hold back Her tears as She gazed upon Roel. Her defenses had already crumbled from the moment he called Her ¡®Mother¡¯ after the passing of a thousand years. Words couldn¡¯t begin to describe the self-reproach She felt for allowing harm to befall Her child. ¡°Please calm down, O great Mother Goddess!¡± A familiar voice brought a tinge of rity back to the Mother Goddess¡¯ head. She raised Her head and saw the chief of the High Elves, Micher Sofiat, slowly walking up to Her, but it was a pity that even Her most trusted aide couldn¡¯t hope to distract Her from Her grief. She merely spared him a nce before turning back to the child in Her embrace. The Moonsoul Tower rumbled as if it was on the verge of copsing, but the emotionally unstable Mother Goddess continued to release an overwhelming amount of mana that strained their surroundings. Knowing that it was only a matter of time before everything was destroyed at this rate, Micher panicked. It was at this critical moment that a feeble voice broke the Mother Goddess out of Her grief, thus returning peace to the world. ¡°¡­Please calm down. I¡¯m fine, Mother.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel weakly opened his eyes. Chapter 561: Evaluation

Chapter 561: Evaluation

¡°I never thought that I woulde here under such circumstances.¡± Inside the dark library, Roel Ascart looked at the towering bookshelves around him in surprise and confusion. He was aware that he would asionally be guided toward an ancient god¡¯s domain when he fell asleep in the Witness State, but today¡¯s situation was a little different. He hadn¡¯t even left that monochrome dimension when he suddenly appeared before Edavia. ¡°Does fainting count as falling asleep too? Or are you the one who brought me here?¡± ¡°Fufu. While I¡¯d be delighted to have a conversation with you, I wouldn¡¯t make such a reckless move in Her presence,¡± Edavia happily answered as she rested her head on her arm. ¡°I wasn¡¯t the one who brought you here. You died.¡± ¡°Hm? What?¡± Roel slowly widened his eyes in bewilderment after hearing the little evil god¡¯s reply. If his memories didn¡¯t fail him, the Mother Goddess had arrived in the monochrome dimension right before he passed out. Logically speaking, he should have been fine after that. While the Mother Goddess wasn¡¯t known to be a miraculous healer, it should have been easy for a being as strong as Her to treat his injuries. In fact, he had felt his injuries closing up right before he passed out. Thus, he was baffled by Edavia¡¯s im that he was dead. Edavia giggled a little before revealing the answer. ¡°It¡¯s true that you died¡ªor perhaps I should say that you were dead.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know much about death. Fufu, let me exin. Death can be broadly divided into two categories¡ªsoul and body. Strictly speaking, your physical body had died earlier on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯splexion turned awful upon hearing the promation of his death. Edavia noticed his response and cheerily consoled him. ¡°With that being said, there¡¯s nothing for you to worry about. This isn¡¯t important at all.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t important?¡± ¡°While death is often defined to be the functional failure of a body, that is a misunderstanding. Many assumed that to be the case because of how difficult it was to directly inflict harm on the soul. Only Spiriteers like me and a few other existences are capable of that. Most can only harm the soul via an indirect method, and that is destroying its shell. That is also what I define as ¡®the death of the physical body¡¯,¡± Edavia exined. ¡°It is funny how the soul is both resilient and feeble. It¡¯s difficult to directly inflict damage to the soul, but at the same time, a soul without the protection of a body will swiftly disintegrate. That¡¯s why the functional failure of the physical body is traditionally associated with death.¡± ¡°But if I¡¯m still around, shouldn¡¯t that mean that¡­¡± Roel asked. ¡°Indeed, your soul is still intact. Your soul was dragged into my domain through our connection the moment it lost its protection. Fufu. Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s overboard to treat the home of a little girl like me as a sanctuary?¡± Edavia asked with a mischievous smile. Roel heaved a sigh of relief. This also exined why it was impossible to revive a dead person on the Sia Continent; their soul would have already disintegrated moments after their death. ¡°You have my gratitude, Edavia. I couldn¡¯t have ovee this ordeal if not for your help.¡± . ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me. I¡¯d be put in a spot too if you died. But¡­ how should I put this? You might have unwittingly gotten yourself into a huge load of trouble.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Edavia propped up her head with her arm as she looked at Roel with an amused smile. ¡°¡®Mother¡¯¡ªthat¡¯s what you said. I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re brave or fearless to dare say that to an existence like Her.¡± ¡°¡­It just sounds simr. I was a little out of it then. Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re asking if there¡¯s a problem? It looks like you¡¯re unaware of what you have done.¡± Edavia¡¯s gaze seemed to look past Roel to peer into the real world. ¡°You should return as soon as possible. Before She destroys everything.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel frowned in bewilderment upon hearing those words. Edavia registered his reaction and heaved a helpless sigh. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have some self-awareness as a child after calling Her ¡®Mother¡¯?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°Your severe condition agitated that woman. It also doesn¡¯t help that your soul is hiding here. She probably thinks that you¡¯re really dead. A mother losing her child right after reconciliation¡ªdon¡¯t you think that blow is heavy enough to make one want to destroy everything?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. He hadn¡¯t thought that his single word of ¡®Mother¡¯ could trigger such a strong response from the Mother Goddess, but the realization of the situation outside flustered him. A mother who had just lost her child was capable of doing anything. He had to return right away. ¡°Edavia, can you send me back?¡± ¡°Of course. I am already doing that,¡± Edavia replied with a smile. It was also then that Roel¡¯s body began to glow. The evil god looked at him with expectant eyes as she looked forward to seeing how the situation would develop. ¡°I am truly surprised that you were able to worm your way into Her heart. This is a feat worthy of being deemed a miracle¡­ After what the two of you have been through, you can be certain that She¡¯ll be excessively protective of you.¡± ¡°Wait. What¡¯s the current situation outside?¡± ¡°She¡¯s on the verge of destroying everything. Fufu. You should hurry up and stop Her before the world is destroyed, all right?¡± Amidst theughter of the orange-haired girl in the dim library, Roel finally disappeared with a flicker. ¡°How interesting. Let me see how far you can go,¡± Edavia murmured. ¡­ ¡°¡­Please calm down. I¡¯m fine, Mother.¡± In the center of the ruined sky garden, Roel squeezed out a feeble smile at the white-haired woman before him. The moment those words were spoken, the terrifying aura surrounding thetter quickly receded. The overwhelming mana and the heavy pressure weighing down on the crowd vanished in a heartbeat. The rocks levitating in the air fell to the ground. The Mother Goddess stared at Roel with widened crimson eyes, and tears began flowing once more. ¡°Roel, you¡­¡± The Mother Goddess was so choked up that She couldn¡¯t say anything in the end, so She chose to tightly embrace Roel instead. The crowd was relieved to see this scene, knowing that they were finally saved. ¡°Quickly, clean up the area!¡± Micher ordered. The warriors from different races quickly rushed in and cleared a path through the ruins. Meanwhile, Roel felt the tight squeeze around his body and breathed a sigh of relief. He could hardly believe his eyes when he woke up earlier. He had learned from Ad that the Moonsoul Tower was a nigh-indestructible structure that even gods were unable to faze, but this divine temple was now on the verge of copse. And that was from the Mother Goddess not going all out yet. Flustered, Roel decisively chose to use the magical term ¡®Mother¡¯ once more. Just as Edavia had mentioned, the Mother Goddess reacted strongly to that term and snapped back to reality. When She noticed that Roel¡¯s soul hadn¡¯t dissipated, Her will to destroy the world eroded, thus saving the world from its apocalypse. She¡­ really treats me as Her child, Roel thought to himself as he listened to the silver-haired woman¡¯s relieved cries. A tinge of warmth sprouted in his heart. From the urge to destroy everything from the unbearable sorrow of losing a child to the immense relief upon the realization that the child was still alive, this was indubitably a mother¡¯s nature. Roel found himself moved by the Mother Goddess¡¯ sentiments toward him. There was no doubt that the Mother Goddess had inherited Sia¡¯s maternal instincts. Feelings that Roel had never experienced before suffused his heart, causing his pale face to regain a bit of color. However, his body was so exhausted that it took only a few seconds for his eyelids to feel iparably heavy. Sensing that he would pass out once more, Roel looked at the Mother Goddess and gathered the final bit of his energy to squeeze out hisst words. ¡°Mother¡­ I am feeling tired. I¡¯ll have to rest for a while.¡± ¡°Go to sleep. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. I¡¯ll be with you.¡± The Mother Goddess gently touched his cheek as She made him a promise. Her words brought Roel a feeling of security like never before. He finally closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep. ¡­ Several dayster, Roel slowly opened his eyes. He found himself lying on top of a huge bed surrounded by a drape made out of silvery fabric and white silk. This drape was a magic tool, which was evident from the mild mana pulsations it emanated. A faint floral fragrance lingered in the surroundings, bringing him a wondrous feeling of serenity. The sudden change in environment took Roel by surprise. His memories were still a little fuzzy, as he had really passed out this time around instead of being transported to Edavia¡¯s library, but fortunately, he remembered everything after lying around for a while. He immediately pulled aside the nket to check his waist. When he saw his formerly half-severed lower body perfectly glued together with not the slightest scar to be seen, he heaved a sigh of relief. That single sh from Death God Pritzer had nearly taken his life, and it gave him the chills to think about it even now. It was fortunate that the almighty Mother Goddess was able to perfectly heal his body. Roel quietly put down his shirt before proceeding to assess his surroundings. There was not a single guard to be seen in this resplendent room, but he sensed a gentle, reassuring aura lingering in the air. It felt familiar and somehow intimate. It took a moment of thought before he figured out where it came from. It¡¯s the Mother Goddess¡¯ aura. Am I in the Mother Goddess¡¯ Divine Domain? A Divine Domain was a unique type of spell used by the gods in the ancient era. As impressive as the term sounded, its effects weren¡¯t that amazing. To put it in simple terms, it was an extension of one¡¯s existence to influence one¡¯s immediate surroundings. For instance, the effect of Death God Pritzer¡¯s Divine Domain was to extract a person¡¯s soul from their body and drag it toward its destruction. The temporal silencing was likely to have been the handiwork of the Savior instead. That was probably why the Mother Goddess had arrivedte. On that topic, Genesis Goddess Sia¡¯s Divine Domain was likely to be the Sia Continent itself. It was still uncertain what effects the Mother Goddess¡¯ Divine Domain possessed, but the room Roel was currently in was likely to be a domain She had specially constructed to protect him. Naturally, Roel was grateful to Her for that. He also realized that the seal on his transcendent powers had been released. ¡°¡­¡± In fact, he noticed that not only was his mana flowing more smoothly than ever, but his quantity of mana had greatly increased. To be exact, he had made a breakthrough. It was almost baffling how abruptly he had suddenly reached Origin Level 2, the level directly beneath that of the Race Sovereigns. Such a situation was usually impossible, but the reason behind this phenomenon was obvious. Roel was absolutely certain that this was the Mother Goddess¡¯ doing, though he was unsure how She did it. Nevertheless, She was the only one who could achieve such ludicrous feats. It was almost funny how quickly Roel¡¯s position had changed from a prisoner to the most important person to the Mother Goddess. That greatly decreased his difficulty in making a different decision from his ancestor and clearing this Witness State. With palpable excitement, Roel turned toward the System to check on his progress, only to have a pail of cold water poured over his enthusiasm. His face stiffened up in disbelief. ¡¾Evaluation: 66 (Average)¡¿ Chapter 562: The Hidden Truth

Chapter 562: The Hidden Truth

Inside the resplendent room, Roel looked at the System¡¯s evaluation with eyes widened in disbelief. ¡¾Evaluation: 66 (Average)¡¿ ¡°How could this be?¡± Roel murmured his indignation and disbelief. 66? How could my evaluation score be only 66 when my previous score was already 59?! What does this mean? Roel subconsciously touched his waist as he suddenly felt like he had gotten nearly severed into two for nothing. He was forced to overthrow his earlier deductions. He could hardly believe that his evaluation score had only increased by a measly 7 points when he had encountered and even fought with a god. This could only mean that his encounter with Death God Pritzer had hardly any impact on his true goal in this Witness State. A deep frown etched on Roel¡¯s forehead as he racked his brain to figure out where he had gone wrong. It didn¡¯t take him long to grasp the crux of the problem. His mission in the Witness State was to make a different choice from his ancestor. With this as the premise, he could think of various reasons that the increment in his evaluation score for this incident was lower than he had expected. The first possibility was that the encounter with Death God Pritzer could have been a side quest with minimal rtion to the main storyline. While Roel had suffered a lot in this incident, this encounter didn¡¯t have much impact on the ultimate choice he would have to make in the future. Even theter involvement of the Mother Goddess didn¡¯t do much in terms of shaking up the status quo. The second possibility was that the System had judged this assassination event to be worth only 7 points. Death God Pritzer was indeed powerful, but he wasn¡¯t an absurd opponentpared to what he had to ovee in his previous Witness State, be it Sire Darkness or Magician King Priestley. Besides, Roel had a powerful evil god on his side too. The third possibility, which was the likeliest possibility but also the one that Roel least wanted to be true, was that the original Kingmaker had encountered the Death God¡¯s assassination too. The evaluation score for this Witness State appeared to be based on the difference between Roel¡¯s decisions and those of the original Kingmaker. Supposing the original Kingmaker had encountered Death God Pritzer and defeated him as well, it made sense that Roel¡¯s evaluation score wouldn¡¯t rise much for doing the same. If so, the 7 points he had received were probably just a constion prize for him employing a different way to resolve the situation. Unlike Roel, who had deployed the underhanded ¡®calling the parent¡¯ card, it was more likely for the original Kingmaker to have breached the seal and killed the enemy on his own, especially considering how the original Kingmaker would have been much stronger than him. However, this sparked an important question: Why was the original Kingmaker targeted for assassination? Roel could understand why the Death God hade after him, considering how he had stayed in a presidential suite and received VIP treatment, but the original Kingmaker should have been imprisoned by the Mother Goddess. It should have been more than clear that there was discord between the original Kingmaker and the Mother Goddess, so why did the Savior still attempt to kill him? This didn¡¯t make sense at all. Going by the adage of ¡®the enemy of my enemy is a friend¡¯, it made more sense for the Savior to rescue the original Kingmaker than to assassinate him. By tapping the Kingmaker¡¯s influence, the Savior could have significantly improved his position against the Mother Goddess. Unable to make sense of this question, Roel decided to shove it aside for the time being. Instead, he turned his attention toward the voice he had heard right before he came under Death God Pritzer¡¯s attack. He had heard a gentle voice telling him to prepare himself right before the Death God¡¯s arrival. The owner of the voice obviously knew about the Death God¡¯s assassination and was trying to warn him about it¡­ but who could that person be? Does the Kingmaker have such a teammate? Or is he the kind of supporting character that provides intelligence but does nothing at all? Before Roel could get to the bottom of the matter, he suddenly sensed a mana pulsation above him. A ck-haired woman suddenly appeared before his eyes. She looked at him for a second before abruptly pulling him into a tight embrace. ¡­ Some gestures are universal regardless of the era, the civilization, or thenguage. One such example was hugging. The concept of personal space was exceptionally strong in the Sia Continent, for it wasn¡¯t just an issue offort but safety as well. It was dangerous to allow an enemy to get too close to oneself, as it was much harder to react to a point-nk attack. Due to that, most people only hugged people whom they trusted. Hugging had many different meanings, too. It could symbolize friendship or romance, but the mostmon one of all was kinship. Listening to Her heartbeat and feeling the warmth of Her soft body, Roel could sense that the Mother Goddess waspletely unguarded against him. It left him withplicated feelings. Roel noticed how he didn¡¯t harbor any inappropriate thoughts as a man even though the ravishing Mother Goddess was embracing him. It could have been due to Her taller stature and mature appearance, but more than that, it was the feeling She induced in him. . It was faint, but he sensed his Crown Origin Attribute trilling like a hatchling returning to its nest. He had always kept his guard up in the presence of the Mother Goddess, which was why he had never sensed this faint reaction. But now that he was fully rxed, he couldn¡¯t help but be affected by this feeling as well. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°¡­Mmhm,¡± Roel replied with a nod. The Mother Goddess heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°It was My fault. I got careless. I never thought those lunatics would resort to assassinating you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s not Your fault.¡± Faced with the Mother Goddess¡¯ downhearted apology, Roel hesitated for a long while before vindicating Her. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to me this incident on the Mother Goddess, since the Savior was the true culprit, whereas She was the one who saved him in the end. He couldn¡¯t deny that he was shaken up by the incident. It terrified him to think about what could have happened otherwise. However, that wasn¡¯t a reason to me those who cared about him. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have sustained such severe injuries if I hadn¡¯t sealed your powers,¡± the Mother Goddess muttered in regret. ¡°No one could have known that something like that would happen. Taking a step back, with my Origin Level, I doubt that the oue would have been any different even if I had my powers,¡± Roel replied. ¡°Still¡­¡± The self-reproachful Mother Goddess still wanted to say something about the matter, but Roel pulled out from Her embrace and shook his head. Then, he raised another question that he had been wondering about. ¡°M-Mother, I discovered that I have made a breakthrough to Origin Level 2. Did You help me?¡± ¡°I noticed that you were already close to a breakthrough while inspecting your injuries, so I gave you a little push¡­ Should I have not done so?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m grateful for Your help.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel¡¯s choice to call the Mother Goddess ¡®Mother¡¯, albeit with some hesitation, led to Her looking at him with increasingly gentle and affectionate eyes. An awkward but heartwarming atmosphere settled between the two of them. Roel decided to take this rare opportunity to satiate his curiosity about some matters. ¡°Mother, may I ask You a few questions?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do you¡­ have a real child?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The abrupt question left the Mother Goddess¡¯ eyes wide in astonishment. She didn¡¯t understand why Roel was suddenly asking something like that. On the other hand, Roel patiently waited for Her answer with his ears pricked up. Far too many questions had been making their rounds in his head ever since he entered this Witness State, but the biggest question of all was the rtionship between the Mother Goddess and Alicia. It was not to say that the Mother Goddess and Alicia looked identical to each other, but they shared the same silver hair and crimson eyes, after all. Furthermore, Alicia¡¯s Silverash Child Bloodline harnessed far greater power under moonlight, simrly to the Mother Goddess. In fact, one of the many aliases that the Mother Goddess went by was ¡®the Moon Goddess¡¯. It would be far too much of a coincidence for the two of them to share so manymonalities and yet not be rted to each other. For that reason, Roel had been wondering if Alicia was the Mother Goddess¡¯ descendant. Surprisingly, the Mother Goddess refuted his conjecture. ¡°If you are referring to a child born through reproduction in the sense of ordinary beings, I don¡¯t have such offspring. Neither have I ever had apanion. However, I see you as My true child,¡± the Mother Goddess replied with a serious tone. Thinking that it was unlikely that the Mother Goddess would lie to him about this, Roel began to wonder about what kind of other possible rtionships there could be between Alicia and Her. The Mother Goddess appeared to misunderstand his silence, so She further rified. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel too frustrated about this. As I have said, you¡¯re the child I favor the most. Your n bears the greatest resemnce to Me due to the Crown Origin Attribute.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel hadn¡¯t expected to hear such words and was surprised. The Mother Goddess noticed his confusion and continued Her exnation. ¡°You should be able to tell by now that I¡¯m not the impostor that those vile rumormongers made Me out to be. I might have lost most of My memories, but I still remember everything about My most beloved children.¡± ¡°Mother, do you mean that you really are¡­ Sia?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re finally willing to call Me by that name.¡± The Mother Goddess had a sorrowful expression as She answered with a hoarse voice. Her body trembled in agitation as She leaned in and embraced Roel. ¡°I thought that you would never acknowledge Me.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was all My fault. The n failed. I know that you¡¯d hate Me for not following through with My promise, but I didn¡¯t think that things would turn out like that¡­¡± ¡°Ah?¡± n? What n? Roel¡¯s mindpletely nked out. He had no idea what the Mother Goddess was referring to. Meanwhile, the Mother Goddess continued reproaching Herself. ¡°It was all an ident. I have never thought that there would be such a side to Me. Who could have thought that I would end up destroying Myself? You even got targeted by Him and nearly lost your life. I¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Roel narrowed his eyes. He could roughly deduce what might have happened by breaking down the key phrases mentioned by the Mother Goddess. idents didn¡¯t just happen to a being as powerful as the Mother Goddess. That was even more true if She truly used to be Sia, the creator of the world. There was hardly anything in the world that could havee across as an ident to an almost all-knowing being like Her, though there was one thing that immediately came to Roel¡¯s mind. Her departure from the world. That was the greatest mystery that had been buried in the sands of time, as well as the historical core that could enlighten Roel to the truth of the world. While Edavia had proposed a credible conjecture, there could be more than there seemed. I have to get to the bottom of this matter! Roel recalled his evaluation score and felt anxious. Even though he felt a connection with the Mother Goddess, and his life in the Moonsoul Tower had beenfortable too, he was determined to clear this Witness State as soon as possible. For some reason, he recently sensed his connection with Grandar and the others thinning out. Edavia was a usible suspect, but she had no reason to sabotage Roel right now, especially since she sought to reside in his Inner Sanctum. It was more likely to be a problem on his part. After some thought, he arrived at a conclusion that chilled him to his bones. Simr to how a phone lost connection when moving away from the signal tower, the reason he was losing his connection with Grandar and the others might be that he was drifting away from the real world. While it was just a conjecture at the moment, the consequences were dire should it be true. Thus, he had to grasp onto every clue he stumbled upon, and the Mother Goddess¡¯ deepest secret could just be the crucial intelligence he needed to turn things around. ¡°Mother, what is the n You spoke of?¡± Roel decided to ask the question after much hesitation. The Mother Goddess was silent for a long while before She finally relented. ¡°I know that you must be confused right now. I¡¯ll tell you everything. Be it your Kingmaker n¡¯s Inner Sanctum or short lifespan, these can all be traced to the same reason.¡± ¡°The same reason?¡± ¡°Yes. The truth is that the Crown Origin Attribute has been devouring your souls.¡± The Mother Goddess looked at the dumbfounded Roel with a pained expression. Chapter 563: The Crown

Chapter 563: The Crown

Sitting atop the huge bed, Roel stared at the guilt-ridden Mother Goddess in disbelief. It was not an exaggeration to say that Origin Attributes were the foundation of most lifeforms on the Sia Continent. Without an Origin Attribute to guide one¡¯s evolution, those who absorbed mana faced a high risk of suffering from deformity and even insanity. In fact, that was the fate that had befallen the demonic beasts that refused to adopt an Origin Attribute. While they did be strong, their bodies also grew deformed and most of them lost their rationality. For that reason, Origin Attributes were viewed as the foundation for a transcendent¡¯s growth in the current age. Possessing an Origin Attribute was mostly beneficial to a transcendent, and Roel had always thought that the Crown Origin Attribute was the key behind his great strength and swift growth. Yet, the truth revealed by the Mother Goddess shocked him. ¡°The Crown Origin Attribute is devouring my soul? What do You mean by that?¡± Roel asked with a livid expression. ¡°¡®Every race shall receive an Origin Attribute that bestplements their nature.¡¯ That was the promise I made to all of you. I fulfilled that promise to the other races¡­ with the sole exception of your n.¡± Regret and anguish could be seen reflected in the Mother Goddess¡¯ eyes as She slowly lowered Her head. After a long silence, She shared the promise the Genesis Goddess had made to the races back then. When Sia first descended upon this world and disyed the prowess of the Origin Attributes, She promised to grace each race with an Origin Attribute that bestplemented their nature. This contributed to why the races had swiftly submitted to Her order. Sia did fulfill Her promise to the races. Yet, when it came to the Kingmaker n, She chose not to create a specialized Origin Attribute for them. ¡°The Crown Origin Attribute isn¡¯t a pure Origin Attribute. It contains a part of My soul.¡± ¡°Your soul?¡± ¡°Mmhm. It¡¯s only a small sliver of it, but those who use it as their Origin Attribute have to pay a hefty price¡ªthe depletion of their own soul.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± Confusion surfaced in Roel¡¯s eyes. It took a long time before he bitterly squeezed out his doubt. Even though the time he had spent with the Mother Goddess was limited, he could tell that She was a loving mother who earnestly cared for the Kingmaker. He found it hard to believe that Sia would bestow upon Her closest child such an Origin Attribute. To draw an analogy, the Crown Origin Attribute was like an irreversible, slow-acting poison that would slowly consume him till he fell dead. He couldn¡¯t believe that Sia would do something like that to the Kingmaker n, which was why he was taken aback. Sensing Roel¡¯s sorrow and disappointment, the Mother Goddess¡¯ body jolted as She tightened Her arms around him in a fluster. ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not what you¡¯re thinking. It was never My intention to harm you! I only did that for the Session.¡± ¡°The Session?¡± ¡°¡­Even I have My own selfish motives.¡± The Mother Goddess gently touched Roel¡¯s face with tears glistening in Her eyes. ¡°The Crown Origin Attribute is a part of My soul. Only one person in every generation of your n can inherit it, and that person is the Kingmaker. You asked Me earlier if I had a child. I can answer your question now. To Me, you are My real child. I can never bring myself to hurt you.¡± Roel was taken aback. He finally understood why the Mother Goddess had chosen to tolerate the Kingmaker time and time again despite thetter¡¯s betrayal. However, that brought about another question. ¡°What exactly is the Crown? What¡¯s Your motive?¡± ¡°There are many reasons behind why I bestowed the Crown on you. First and foremost, I wanted to endow you with strength far surpassing that of the other Origin Attribute possessors. Your ability to crown Sovereigns will also build your prestige and influence with the other races. Most importantly of all, I sought to minimize the rejection between our souls.¡± ¡°Minimize the rejection between our souls¡­ Mother, what were You trying to do?¡± ¡°¡­I wanted to make you the world''s new ruler.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel felt as if someone had struck his heart with a sledgehammer. He had known beforehand that the Kingmaker was the person closest to Sia, but it had never crossed his mind that Sia actually saw the Kingmaker as Her sessor. In the first ce, it was not even theoretically possible! Sia was the world¡¯s creator, the Genesis Goddess. No being in the world could ever hope to reach Her height, not even if She nted a part of Her soul into someone else. In the first ce, why would She even need a sessor? Roel voiced his doubts aloud, and the Mother Goddess answered his questions. ¡°The world''s future is not a burden I can continue shouldering alone. I have already known that even as I quelled the demonic beasts,¡± the Mother Goddess said with a sorrowful sigh. ¡°As the war came to an end, the poption of the world underwent rapid growth. I know that I can never support such growth, but I didn¡¯t want to see bloodshed anymore. So, I concocted a n to nurture a new ruler who would inherit a portion of My powers and share My burden in sustaining this world. That¡¯s the Session. The Crown is just the preparatory phase of the Session. The incident happened after that¡­¡± Even the almighty Sia struggled to nurture a sessor to inherit Her authority, which was ironically due to how powerful She was. First and foremost, the sessor had to bepatible with Her powers, which was why She prepared the Kingmaker by nting Her soul into them. However, this caused another problem: the overflowing of the Kingmaker¡¯s soul. Simr to how there is a limit to how much water a container can hold, the human body is also limited in the size of the soul it can house. The Kingmaker¡¯s soul was bound to rapidly grow after fusing with Sia¡¯s soul, but there was only so much their body could withstand. ¡°A container filled beyond its limit inevitably overflows. Such a situation spells death to mortals. To prevent that from happening, I directed the overflowing soul toward the creation of the Inner Sanctum.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes as he finally understood why the Kingmaker n had something as bizarre as the Inner Sanctum within them when no other humans did. That brought his focus toward another matter. ¡°I understand that the Inner Sanctum is forged out of our overflowing soul so that we wouldn¡¯t lose any part of our soul, but what about the Spiriteers? Isn¡¯t the primary purpose of the Inner Sanctum to keep them captive?¡± ¡°That¡¯s indeed what your n has been thinking all along, but it¡¯s the opposite of that. I only sealed Edavia into the Inner Sanctum so that you are able to obtain the aid of the Spiriteers.¡± ¡°¡­You noticed her?¡± ¡°Of course. That child has a unique aura. It¡¯s also no easy feat to form such a long soul chain to ry a message to me,¡± the Mother Goddess said as She stroked Roel¡¯s cheek. ¡°The Spiriteers are byproducts manifesting from the creation of the world, which is why they are the only race that doesn¡¯t conform to the naturalws of the world. In the Session, they y the vital role of protecting your soul and granting you the ability to directly attack souls.¡± ¡°Ability to directly attack souls?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a rare ability that is of a higher order than physical destruction. Very few existences are capable of it. You can¡¯t inherit that ability even after assimting My soul, so I can only pass it on to you in this manner.¡± ¡°I see. What¡¯s the ident you spoke of then?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s the third step, as well as the final step of the Session.¡± The Mother Goddess momentarily stiffened up before letting out a long sigh. ¡°The third step requires Me to split My powers and My soul so that I can bestow them to you. Something unexpected happened in the process. I didn¡¯t expect My partitioned powers and soul to gain their own will. My soul was unable to withstand that, and it eventually resulted in My destruction.¡± Sia hadn¡¯t known that Her split soul and powers would automatically gain their own self-will. Even the nigh omniscient Genesis Goddess didn¡¯t fully understand Herself. Unfortunately, Her misjudgment was fatal to the world. Sia¡¯s abrupt disappearance plunged the world into panic and chaos. The order that had been maintained across the races was broken in an instant. By the time the Mother Goddess awoke again, everything had already changed. Survival of the fittest had, once again, be the main theme of the world. Different races killed each other topete over limited resources, some even establishing irreconcble conflicts in the process. Even so, these didn¡¯t pose a problem to Sia, who had awoken as the Mother Goddess. Even after losing a portion of Her authority, Her powers still far surpassed those of the other races. Whether it was by mediation or coercion, it was definitely possible for Her to re-establish the previous order amongst the races. What She didn¡¯t expect was for someone to beat Her to it. ¡°Your split powers and soul that gained self-will. Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the Savior.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent upon hearing the Mother Goddess¡¯ affirmative answer. Not even in his wildest imagination would he have thought that the Kingmaker n was rted to Sia¡¯s disappearance, and the Savior was supposed to be fodder for the Kingmaker. The Mother Goddess¡¯ expression suddenly turned grim at this point. ¡°I thought that the Savior would have treated you kindly since He was manifested from My soul and My powers. I thought wrong. I suspect that He might have seen you as a threat and wanted to eliminate you, since He was supposed to be absorbed by you.¡± She thought about the wretched state Roel was in not too long ago, and She could hardly curb Her fury. She tightly hugged Roel as She reaffirmed Her determination. ¡°Such a thing will never happen again. I won¡¯t let Him off.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The solemn promise and warm embrace pulled Roel out of his daze from having learned the truth. His expression slowly turned gentle. As a wary person by nature, he chose to maintain a skeptical attitude instead of simply trusting the Mother Goddess¡¯ words. That being said, he had to concede that the Mother Goddess¡¯ feelings toward him were real. He was at least certain that She wouldn¡¯t hurt him. The truth also gave him some thoughts about what he ought to do from this point onward. Some timeter, the Mother Goddess finally calmed down. She first conducted another check to confirm that he was in good health before reinforcing the barrier and assigning a huge army to ensure that such a thing didn¡¯t happen again. She then spent a few more hours with him before reluctantly taking Her leave. With that, Roel finally had some private time to prepare for the future. ¡­ Roel didn¡¯t have many guests while he was recuperating from his injuries. It was only to be expected, since he didn¡¯t know many people in the Moonsoul Tower. However, he didn¡¯t forget about Ad and the others. It went without saying that Ad and the other guards couldn¡¯t possibly hope to foil an assassination attempt nned by the Savior and the Death God, but that didn¡¯t mean that they would be spared punishment. Knowing that, Roel stepped in and pleaded on their behalf, and his plea worked out. Since then, Ad took a much more favorable attitude toward him, and she began actively gathering intelligence ording to his request. At the same time, the High Elves¡¯ hostility toward him also toned down. After how Roel had nearly lost his life here, it was hard to imagine that he would side with the Savior even if he had been doing that before. Still, Micher continued to gather intelligence on him out of vignce. Regarding that, Roel could only me his ancestors for having too much dark history, but he wasn¡¯t too bothered by it, since it was not as if he was doing anything shady at the moment. Besides, what did he have to fear when he had the Mother Goddess¡¯ favor right now? The Mother Goddess had be even more protective since the previous incident, making sure to visit him every day and satisfy every single one of his requests. It was to the extent that Roel suspected that She might even pluck the stars from the sky if he asked for them. Two days passed in this seemingly busy but peaceful state of affairs. On the third morning, Ad visited Roel with a piece of news that broke the peace. ¡°Lord Roel, I have just received thetest news from the frontlines¡­ War has begun.¡± Chapter 564.1: The Calamities’ Scepter (1)

Chapter 564.1: The Cmities¡¯ Scepter (1)

In the silver room located at the highest level of the Moonsoul Tower, Roel looked at the distant horizon as he pondered the news he had just received. Meanwhile, Ad began to te his meal. News regarding themencement of war shook all races within a single day. In particr, they couldn¡¯t believe that the Mother Goddess had gone on the offensive this time. The differences in ideologies led to the most powerful races siding with the Savior, causing the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction to be weaker in quality and quantity. That forced them to adopt a more passive strategy, which was why it was surprising for them to take an aggressive stance. The more well-connected ones quickly pieced together vital clues to figure out why this war had progressed so quickly. The Kingmaker was nearly assassinated by the Savior and is now recuperating inside the Moonsoul Tower. He has chosen to side with the Mother Goddess following that incident. Such whispers had been making their rounds among the races. It shed some light on why the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction had chosen to take an aggressive stance at this juncture. As much as the war between the Mother Goddess and the Savior was a fight between two powerhouses for supremacy, it was also a battle to determine the order of the new era. All races would be affected by the oue of this battle, and that brought about a pressing question. Who should I stand with? It was of the essence to choose a faction here. Staying neutral was not an option. Those who chose the wrong side would at least have some bargaining power when they surrendered to negotiate for more favorable terms, but those who refused to choose would only be left in the dust. There would be no ce for them in the new era. Now that the Mother Goddess had imed the legitimacy upper ground via the Kingmaker¡¯s support, Her next course of action was naturally to make a disy of power. If Her faction could achieve a victory over the Savior at this juncture, it could convince those who were still sitting on the fence to rally under Her g. At least, that was what most deduced by putting themselves in the Mother Goddess¡¯ shoes, including those who were in Her faction. Not a single person could have imagined that it was actually an irrational emotion that was fueling the Mother Goddess¡¯ movements¡ªthe desire for vengeance. She had been so shaken over Roel¡¯s near-death experience that She swore that She would murder the Savior. And this was Her fulfilling Her promise. Roel enjoyed a delicious meal and the beautiful scenery while ncing at the System. ¡¾Progress of Bloodline Awakening: 67%¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation: 76 (Average)¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± His eyebrows shot up. He was d to see that his bloodline awakening was progressing smoothly, having passed the halfway mark. With his current rate of progress, he should be able to awaken to his Gold-tier Bloodline by the time he cleared this Witness State. Not only would that spell a huge increase in his mana capacity, but his rate of growth wouldn¡¯t slow even though he had already reached Origin Level 2. These would be vital for him to ovee the future threats awaiting him back in the current era. But that was assuming he could even clear this Witness State in the first ce. L¨¹ Bu was also dreaming about conquering the world before his fall from grace at Ho Pass. Roel shook his head, choosing not to let blind optimism overtake him and celebrate too early. He turned his attention back to the evaluation score. His intuition had been on the mark. Learning the truth of the world increased his evaluation score by ten points. This was not a small sum, considering how it became progressively harder to raise the evaluation score beyond a certain point. Looking at it from another angle, it also meant that the Mother Goddess hadn¡¯t shared Her story with the original Kingmaker. He could fathom several reasons behind that. He had deduced that the original Kingmaker had most likely faced the same assassination attempt from the Savior, but even if the Mother Goddess had been emotionally shaken upon learning about that, there was little reason for Her to share Her story if the original Kingmaker remained hostile toward Her. That piece of history was the biggest wound in Her heart, the greatest regret She harbored. There was no reason for Her to expose Her greatest vulnerability to the Kingmaker if thetter didn¡¯t reciprocate Her feelings. Using a game analogy, this was simr to a secret event that could only be unlocked after reaching a certain level of intimacy with the Mother Goddess. Supposing that to be the case, what Roel had to do now was very simple: wait. In the first ce, even when he had won the Mother Goddess¡¯ trust and regained his freedom, he still wasn¡¯t strong enough to safely explore this world full of all kinds of gods and powerful beings. His only option here was to wait it out. But the fact that it was his only option didn¡¯t mean that it was a bad option. His mission was to make a different choice from the original Kingmaker, which suggested he would have to make a choice in the near future. If that moment never came, it should mean that he had cleared the condition without making a choice. Having thought things through, Roel¡¯s heart settled down as he turned his attention toward raising his fighting prowess. One of his greatest disadvantages inside the Witness State was the severing of his ties with his ancient gods, but to his surprise, he noticed that the Crown¡¯s Stones were unusually active here, with their prowess even showing hints of being amplified. He figured that it might be due to his proximity to the Six Cmities. The Six Cmities were the most reliable allies of the Mother Goddess in the present era, capable of making the difference between a victory and a defeat. They had always been ced in a secure location that Roel was unable to ess. It would be great if he could turn this into an opportunity to strengthen his Crown¡¯s Stones. Those were the only reliable weapons he could use against the gods and powerful beings in this era. ¡°Ad, are the God¡¯s Envoys in the vicinity?¡± Roel asked. ¡°Are you referring to our Six God¡¯s Envoys?¡± Ad replied. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Only one of them is here right now. Our Mother Goddess has stationed Lord Silver Fog here to protect you. The others are not in the vicinity of the Moonsoul Tower due to secrecy purposes.¡± Ad hesitantly revealed the truth before pointing out where the God¡¯s Envoy was. The existence of the God¡¯s Envoys was no secret, but they had never been on the battlefield before and served as the hidden trump card of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. Most people in this era thought that the God¡¯s Envoys were just one of the Mother Goddess¡¯ spells, reminiscent of a magic tool entrusted under the care of the High Elves. Only the Mother Goddess and the High Elves truly understood what kind of devastating existences they were. Ad would have never divulged such confidential information to anyone, but she thought that Roel should be privy to such information considering his standing. Roel was no longer a prisoner following the assassination attempt. It was hard to make sense of his current standing in the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction since he had no official position, but if one thing was clear, it was that the Mother Goddess doted on him like Her own child. This was evident in how She had chosen not to bring him to the battlefield with Her. The most efficient way for the Mother Goddess to rally others to Her faction was to bring the Kingmaker to the battlefield and parade him around to unt Her legitimacy. However, She turned a blind eye to the most obvious thing to do out of concern for his safety. Micher and the others had raised other options too, but She also shut them down. One could even say that Roel was only second to the Mother Goddess Herself inside the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction, so there was truly no need to conceal intelligence from him. Besides, Shrouding Fog was dispatched here to protect him. Roel¡¯s face sank in disappointment when he learned that he couldn¡¯t witness the grandeur of the Six Cmities appearing in the same ce. As for ¡®Lord Silver Fog¡¯, it wasn¡¯t difficult to figure out that that name referred to Shrouding Fog, though he had conflicted feelings about this Cmity. In the first ce, it was all thanks to his pursuit by ¡®Lord Silver Fog¡¯ that he was forced to enter this Witness State. He was still in the midst of oveing that trauma. That being said, this was a rare opportunity for him to meet one of the Six Cmities in its strongest form. ¡°Ad, can you bring me to meet the God¡¯s Envoy?¡± ¡°The Mother Goddess has said that you are free to go wherever you wish to, but we might have to travel quite a bit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± Roel replied. Soon, he left the Moonsoul Tower together with Ad. ¡­ Chapter 564.2: The Calamities’ Scepter (2)

Chapter 564.2: The Cmities¡¯ Scepter (2)

An underground passageway lit by buzzing mana lights was guarded by two rows of soldiers who were armed to the teeth. They vigntly scanned their surroundings, keeping an eye out for potential enemies. A heavily-protected carriage carrying a elegantly-dressed ck-haired man was currently traveling through this underground passageway. It was out of safety concerns that Roel was not traveling on the surface but through this underground passageway, which was a direct path from the Moonsoul Tower to the distant mountain valley. What particrly stood out was how his entourage was many times bigger than before despite his powers having been restored. As much as he valued his safety, this was over the top! However, he couldn¡¯t speak against it since he knew where they wereing from. Thest time he came close to death, the Mother Goddess went on a rampage and nearly destroyed the Moonsoul Tower, an artifact that had existed since Sia¡¯s era. That incident told everyone just how important Roel was to the Mother Goddess. Should anything happen to him, the consequences would be dire. This realization prompted the races that resided in the Moonsoul Tower to action. Even Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns had swallowed their pride to serve as his guards. This was the first time that Roel had enjoyed such privileged treatment. However, Roel didn¡¯t let it bother him. He was too curious about the Six Cmities, especially thest one, whom he had yet to meet. cier Creator. Sire Darkness. Tempest Caller. Shrouding Fog. Flooding Death. Light Devourer. These were the names that the ancient civilizations hade up with for the Six Cmities, and to this day, he had met five of them. Light Devourer was the only Cmity whom he hadn¡¯t met before, and the one whom he was the most curious about. Thus, he decided to ask Ad about it. ¡°A God¡¯s Envoy that resembles light? Ah! You must be talking about Lord Aurora. It had been outside the Moonsoul Tower just recently.¡± ¡°Outside the Moonsoul Tower?¡± Roel was perplexed upon hearing Ad¡¯s words. He had been so idle that he frequented the sky garden and often spent his time looking at the scenery outside the window, but not once did he spot anything that looked like it could be Light Devourer. A frown formed on his face. ¡°Lord Roel, Lord Aurora has indeed been outside the Moonsoul Tower, but it is not an existence that most people are able to see,¡± Ad patiently exined. Roel spent a moment in thought before finally widening his eyes in realization. ¡°It is invisible? Ah, I see!¡± The name, Light Devourer, suggested that the Cmity¡¯s authority was rted to light, and human sight happened to work through the transmission of light. In light of this, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for Light Devourer to erase itself from the sight of others. He asked Ad about the details of Light Devourer¡¯s ability, but she wasn¡¯t sure about the details. It turned out that only the chief of the High Elves, Micher, and a few others were privy to that information. He wasn¡¯t too disappointed, since he knew that he could directly ask the Mother Goddess about it. After several hours of travel, they finally arrived at the mountain valley where Shrouding Fog resided. The visibility in the mountain valley was low, as night had already fallen. Ad led Roel farther into the mountain range till they arrived before a well-hidden, enormous cavern. They ventured into the dark cavern, and it didn¡¯t take them long to stumble upon a huge fissure with a stone bridge constructed over it. Ad and a few other high elves led Roel onto the stone bridge, where he looked down and saw fog lingering inside the fissure. However, the fog seemed tock activity inparison to the Shrouding Fog he had previously met. ¡°Is the fog unconscious?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Silver Fog is currently still in slumber. In ordance with the Mother Goddess¡¯ order, we have yet to awaken it,¡± one of the high elves answered with a formal bow. Roel responded with a nod. He figured that the Six Cmities were kept in a dormant state in order to prevent the Savior from discovering their location. This could be seen from the decision to hide Shrouding Fog in this dark cavern. The Mother Goddess was likely reserving them for a decisive moment in the war. ¡°How do you awaken the God¡¯s Envoys? Is the process dangerous for you?¡± ¡°The authority to awaken the God¡¯s Envoys lies with the divine scepter in the Moonsoul Tower. The six God¡¯s Envoys are stationed at different ces to avoid enemy detection, and some of these ces are inessible to us. We are reliant on the scepter to awaken them.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded. Roel nced at the boundless abyss beneath him before closing his eyes and focusing on the Crown¡¯s Stones inside of him. Momentster, he heaved a sigh. ¡°I guess that¡¯s only to be expected¡­¡± ¡°Lord Roel?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± It was impossible to obtain the Crown¡¯s Stones without defeating the Six Cmities, but Roel couldn¡¯t resist trying to absorb it when he saw that Shrouding Fog was in a dormant state. Unfortunately, the oue wasn¡¯t positive. It was hard not to feel moved when he knew that there was a potentially powerful spell waiting just under his feet. To quell his selfish desires, he could only propose leaving promptly. Thus, he and his huge entourage set off once more to return to the Moonsoul Tower. ¡­ After witnessing the biggest trump card of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction, Roel decided to take a look at the scepter mentioned by the high elves upon returning to the Moonsoul Tower. The scepter held the power to awaken the dormant Six Cmities at once, thus it was regarded as one of the most confidential artifacts in the Moonsoul Tower. It was located in the High Elves¡¯ quarters and was tightly guarded around the clock. Of course, this didn¡¯t pose an issue to Roel, as he was granted absolute freedom in the Moonsoul Tower. Micher had no choice but to bring Roel to it despite his utmost reluctance. An ethereal scepter that looked as if it was manifested out of moonlight was ced above a beautiful six-colored pedestal. It looked like an exquisite piece of art. Roel was awed. Before he could utter a word ofpliment for the scepter, a familiar yet foreign voice echoed in his ears. ¡°You have done well. We¡¯ll begin two days from now.¡± Chapter 565.1: Choice (1)

Chapter 565.1: Choice (1)

Looking at the multicolored crystal and the glowing scepter, Roel suddenly stiffened up. He released a burst of mana inside the tightly-guarded hall, expanding his senses to determine the voice¡¯s origin. He had suddenly put his guard up, not just because of the familiar voice that had appeared out of nowhere but the content of the message too. Begin? Begin what? Roel clenched his fists as he instinctively sensed that it wasn¡¯t anything good. Meanwhile, Ad tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Milord? You¡­¡± ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Roel shook his head after a moment of silence, choosing not to exin his outburst. Ad and the others didn¡¯t pursue the matter, either. It would have been a grievous crime if it had been anyone else, but it was okay because it was him. This incident caused him to suddenly lose interest in the scepter, and he decided to return to the Mother Goddess¡¯ room. Peace finally returned to the Moonsoul Tower. Roel sat on afortingly warm jade chair with highly strung-up nerves, almost reminiscent of a spear about to be thrust forth or an arrow about to be shot. His mana furiously gushed within his body like a beast that couldn¡¯t be soothed. He had even sent Ad out to get some time to himself. All this while, he had always maintained a skeptical attitude about the mysterious voice he had heard right before the assassination. This was the only mystery he had yet to solve thus far, and he suspected that it might be an important clue for him to break the current status quo. Who could have thought that this clue would be farrger than he had expected? You have done well. We¡¯ll begin two days from now. The fact that those words were spoken at the very moment heid his eyes on the divine scepter that controlled the Six Cmities gave them a lot of weight. Roel settled down in a chair and quietly gazed at the distant horizon for an entire afternoon, till a knock on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Didn¡¯t I say not to disturb me?¡± ¡°Yes, milord, but something happened¡­ The Mother Goddess has returned,¡± Ad reported apologetically. ¡°!¡± A jolt ran through Roel¡¯s body. He spent a few seconds in deep contemtion before he slowly rose to his feet and walked to the door. ¡­ Roel and the Mother Goddess had spent a lot of time together following the assassination attempt, which led to the two of them bing much closer. It had be normal for the two of them to show concern for each other. There were even times when the Mother Goddess hugged him for an afternoon nap when his soul was in an unstable state. Frankly speaking, Roel found it terribly awkward for an adult like him to be treated like a child, but hisints were far too quickly quelled whenever She looked at him with eyes filled with maternal love. There was no winning that. With the sentiments they carried for each other, not to mention that they were soul kin, it would have been hard for them not to grow close. Since he learned the truth of the world, there was a growing determination in Roel to not make the Mother Goddess upset or disappointed anymore. Sia had only gone through so much because She wanted to pass down Her powers to Her most beloved child. Had it not been for that desire, She probably could have found a more reliable solution to shoulder the burden of the world. He felt a pang of guilt whenever he thought about how the Mother Goddess hadnded in Her current plight because of him and his ancestors. In the banquet hall, the silver-haired woman looked at the unusually reticent Roel with a worried frown. She felt like She should say something, but Her lips opened and closed in hesitation as She struggled to find the right words. It was a long moment before She finally spoke up. ¡°I heard that you visited the God¡¯s Envoy today?¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± ¡°You also paid a visit to the High Elves¡¯ quarter to take a look at the scepter?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ attempts to initiate a conversation were cut short by Roel¡¯s cid replies. Their dinner continued in this slightly awkward atmosphere. Almost reminiscent of a mother who had her hands tied when faced with her child¡¯s rebellious phase, the Mother Goddess didn¡¯t know why Roel was in such low spirits and how She could lift his mood. Sensing Her careful nces, Roel finally snapped out of his low spirits. ¡°I saw many things today¡­ The scepter looks mystical.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very different from other weapons. I forged it out of moonlight.¡± ¡°I heard that the only ones who can activate the scepter are You and the chief of the High Elves. Is that a safety precaution?¡± ¡°It is, but you should be able to activate it too,¡± the Mother Goddess replied with a smile that looked as if She was boasting about Her close rtions with Her child. ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s eyes flickered. It was just as he had expected. ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious as to why you are able to activate the scepter too?¡± Perhaps because Roel had remained silent for too long, the Mother Goddess followed up with another question. Roel spent a moment in thought before answering the question. ¡°Is it because of the Crown Origin Attribute?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not wrong, but there is a deeper reason behind that. You have a connection with them.¡± ¡°There is a connection between me and the God¡¯s Envoys?¡± Roel blinked in surprise. Now that he thought about it, he had never asked the Mother Goddess about the Six Cmities. The Mother Goddess nodded. ¡°The God¡¯s Envoys are the powers I have prepared for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°You are unable to fully inherit My powers due to the limitations of what your soul can bear. Topensate for that, I picked out for you a few formidable powers that you can easily influence through the Crown. They are currently the God¡¯s Envoys. It¡¯s just a pity that the n never came to fruition,¡± the Mother Goddess said with a sigh. With that, Roel finally understood why the Crown Origin Attribute could curb the Six Cmities, as well as the reason behind the formation of the Crown¡¯s Stones. However, hisplexion only further darkened upon figuring out the truth. The Mother Goddess noticed the change in Roel¡¯s expression and hurriedly corrected Herself. ¡°Roel, don¡¯t think too much into it. I don¡¯t mean to me you.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t regret havinge up with the Session. I just¡­ regret not having done better. Perhaps that¡¯s the reason I keep talking about the past. I¡¯m already more than satisfied to have you apany me like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel felt something tingle in the innermost depth of his heart. Chapter 565.2: Choice (2)

Chapter 565.2: Choice (2)

The Mother Goddess ced Her hand on his to console him. She btedly realized that Hermentations could be misinterpreted as Her ming him for not having done better. She knew that She shouldn¡¯t linger on this, but She struggled to find another topic to talk about. On the other hand, Roel¡¯s expression slowly hardened with determination. After a moment of thought, he suddenly dropped a question. ¡°Mother, that¡¯s not what I am bothered about. I am worried about the recent war. Is the fight going well?¡± ¡°¡­You could say that.¡± ¡°But You have been on Your guard all this while. Your hair is still silver.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Faced with that remark, the Mother Goddess lowered Her head and sighed. She was unable to refute Roel¡¯s point. She spent a moment in contemtion before answering the question. ¡°The fight is going well, but the tides may turn within the next few days.¡± It looks like something is really going to happen. Roel narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Meanwhile, the Mother Goddess shared the recent developments on the war. While there had been a steady influx of races joining the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction thanks to the Kingmaker¡¯s halo, Her faction was still weaker in terms of military prowess. In view of that, She had expected to struggle on the frontlines. Yet, contrary to what She had expected, Her faction had been achieving decisive victories one after another. Such a situation had prompted even more races to rally under the Mother Goddess¡¯ g. The faction¡¯s morale was at an all-time high. However, the Mother Goddess Herself had an ominous feeling about it. No one in this world understood the Savior and the races more than the Mother Goddess. It was painfully obvious to Her how unnatural this one-sided situation was. ¡°He must be scheming something. He knows that He¡¯s no match for Me in terms of individual prowess. There¡¯s no way He could sit still and watch as the neutral races rally under My g. The battle is as good as over once My military prowess surpasses His.¡± The Mother Goddess revealed Her conjecture. ¡°I know that the Savior has to be up to something, but how can you be certain that He¡¯ll make a move within the next few days?¡± Roel posed a question. ¡°Our next target, Dragon¡¯s Gorge, is the most important fortress for His faction. It¡¯ll be extremely difficult for them to defend against us once we breach Dragon¡¯s Gorge. My intelligence teams have already noticed some movements on the frontlines.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded before falling into deep thought. Heartened to see Her child worrying about Her, the Mother Goddess rose to Her feet and gently embraced Roel. ¡°Rest assured. That impersonator might have His schemes, but I have aces up My sleeves too. You don¡¯t need to be too worried.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the war. Just stay here and don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯ll clean up those pests.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was silent for a moment before slowly nodding. The Mother Goddess revealed a tender smile before pressing Her lips against Roel¡¯s forehead. She proceeded to check Roel¡¯s condition before bidding him farewell to return to the frontlines. Roel watched as the Mother Goddess¡¯ silhouette disappeared under the moonlight. His face slowly turned impassive as he gazed at the starry sky with an unreadable expression. It was only when the silver moon rose to the highest point in the sky that he finally turned around and returned to his room. ¡­ Have you noticed the changes in Lord Roel¡¯s habits ever since the Mother Goddess returned from the frontlines? This was currently the hottest gossip in the Moonsoul Tower. Many people were concerned about it, as his change was simply too huge. Roel had always slept and woken up early to ensure that his body received ample rest, and his activities had mostly been limited to the highest floor of the Moonsoul Tower. However, this hadpletely changed in recent days. For instance, he had expanded his area of movement from the Moonsoul Tower all the way to the distant gorge where the God¡¯s Envoyy dormant. He consistently traveled between the Moonsoul Tower and the gorge, sometimes even four times in a day. Such unnatural behavior was bound to draw attention. Some even theorized that Roel had received a confidential mission from the Mother Goddess, and the basis behind that conjecturey in his movements in the Moonsoul Tower. Roel had changed his usual hangout spot in the Moonsoul Tower from the sky garden to the High Elves¡¯ quarter. He was often spotted staring at the scepter with a severe look on his face. Sometimes, he even stepped forward to touch the scepter. His unusual actions rmed the High Elves, who were tasked with managing the God¡¯s Envoys. Micher, who was still keeping a close eye on Roel, even once raged over this matter. The guards who were responsible for ensuring Roel¡¯s safety were also stressed out from his frequent traveling, but in view of the Kingmaker¡¯s special position and his special ties with the Mother Goddess, none of them dared to raise anyints. The only one who had the courage to ask Roel about his unusual behavior was Ad, but he didn¡¯t give her a clear answer. Slowly, the focus within the Moonsoul Tower shifted away from Roel to the developments on the frontlines. Dragon¡¯s Gorge was a strategic chokepoint leading into the Savior¡¯s territory. It served as an important fortress that greatly expanded the strategic maneuverability of the Savior¡¯s faction, whether they were taking an offensive or defensive stance. Should the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction overrun this fortress, the Savior¡¯s faction would be forced to adopt a passive stance. Needless to say, that didn¡¯t bode well for the Savior¡¯s faction. It was no exaggeration to say that the entire world¡¯s eyes were on Dragon¡¯s Gorge. Scouts were dispatched from all ces to gather thetest updates from the frontlines. This was the crucial battle that would determine the allegiance of the remaining neutral races, after all. Yet, Roel was an outlier in this tense atmosphere. Instead of anxiously awaiting news from the frontlines like the others, he first took a leisurely trip to the gorge before holing himself up in the High Elves¡¯ quarter. He chased all of the guards out, including Ad, leaving him alone in the room with the scepter. There was a calm look on his face, but his eyes were brimming with resolution. He seemed to be waiting for something. Just as the sun was about to set beyond the horizon, a familiar sensation suddenly washed over him. Silence engulfed the world as everything froze in ce. The world didn¡¯t turn monochrome as it did during his encounter with the Death God, instead remaining as vibrant as ever. Rays of sunlight shone down on the surroundings, sprouting warmth from the bottom of one¡¯s heart. Roel¡¯s body began to glow. A bundle of light separated from him and floated into the air. It transformed into many different shapes before finally morphing into a figure that spurred a feeling of closeness. A young man who shared the same ck hair and golden eyes as Roel walked out of the light with a gentle smile. From the moment hended on the ground, it felt like another sun had risen within the room. His overflowing life force revitalized those who stood in His vicinity. Roel wasn¡¯t surprised by the sudden appearance of this young man. He already knew who the other party was, as well as the significance behind His appearance here. The moment of choice had unknowingly arrived. Chapter 566.1: The Savior’s Scheme (1)

Chapter 566.1: The Savior¡¯s Scheme (1)

Glorious golden rays suffused the room. Before the scepter, a young man wrapped in light locked eyes with another ck-haired man. Neither of them looked surprised by the situation at all. The Kingmaker and the Savior. Two of the three people who held the greatest influence in the current era were gathered here today, but the scariest thing of all was that their meeting wasn¡¯t a coincidence but a nned event. What was my ancestor¡¯s choice? This was the one thing Roel had been trying to uncover throughout the Witness State, for it would spell the difference between sess and failure. Two days ago, he coted all of the information he had gathered and came to a conclusion. The original Kingmaker had been the Savior¡¯s ally all along. In other words, he had betrayed the Mother Goddess, leading to Her eventual defeat. It was not just once or twice that Roel had wondered why the Mother Goddess had shown such extreme animosity toward him in the real world even though he was the Kingmaker too. In fact, She was the one who had sent Shrouding Fog after him. The answer was right here. The Mother Goddess hated the Kingmaker because that was the child She had cared dearly for, only to be backstabbed by them at a crucial moment. There was no greater destructive force in this world than love turned into hatred. The deeper the love, the deeper the hatred. Roel had been constantly questioning the original Kingmaker¡¯s stance ever since he entered the Witness State, and his initial deduction was that thetter had a neutral stance that was slightly more favorable toward the Savior. However, his confidence in that deduction had wavered over time. He was certain that the Death God had truly intended to take his life, but the resulting oue showed that everything had been nothing more than an borate ruse. The angels who intended to fetch Roel to safety were pawns. The Death God who had risked his life to assassinate Roel was a pawn. Even the Savior¡¯s soldiers who had recently died on the battlefield were nothing but pawns. It was all a game staged by the Kingmaker and the Savior. Everyone was nothing more than puppets dancing on their strings. The truth was that the Savior and the Kingmaker were already in an alliance even before Roel entered the Witness State. The purpose behind this borate ruse was to curb the Mother Goddess, who might have been too strong for the Savior to handle. Honestly speaking, when Roel first figured out the truth, he felt a strong sense of revulsion for his ancestor. He particrly hated those who hurt those who earnestly cared for them. However, when he thought deeper into it, he realized that there was more to the story than he thought. In the first ce, how had the ring that had brought him into this Witness State evene to be? The only possibility was that the original Kingmaker regretted their decision and wanted to rewrite it, even if it was just in a parallel world. Roel¡¯s job was to fulfill their dying wish. However, that was easier said than done. In the first ce, Roel didn¡¯t think that the Savior would trust the Kingmaker so much as to deliver him to the Mother Goddess¡¯ side without preparing a hand. After all, the Savior must have been aware of the deep ties between the Kingmaker and the Mother Goddess. He quickly ran through what he had deduced over the past two days before calmly assessing the suave young man standing before him. The young man had the height and physique of an average man, but his exceptional disposition made it clear that he was no mortal. His white robes were typical of the gods living in this era, and he carried a glowingntern. His ck hair was slightly long, and his golden eyes gleamed with a brilliant light. His body was like the morning sun, emanating afortable light that felt reminiscent of his gentle smile. Those basking in this light would feel a soothing warmth that incubated a feeling of intimacy toward him. Such an atmosphere naturally disarmed others to the Savior. Even Roel had unwittingly let his guard down for a brief moment, but he was too guarded to allow such a feeling to linger in him. He quickly responded by channeling the Crown Origin Attribute. His body glowed under the flow of mana, and his golden eyes lit up like candlelight. There were subtle changes in the Savior¡¯s expression when He noticed these changes, but a nostalgic smile emerged on His lips as if He had met an old friend. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, my friend. The n is going smoothly, but why do you look tense?¡± The Savior softlynded on the ground and looked at Roel with a concerned look. ¡°You have worked hard. I hope that She hasn¡¯t hurt you. Everyone is awaiting your return. Let¡¯s quickly end this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After saying those words, the Savior turned His sight toward the scepter. In this room bathed in sunlight, the scepter was the only thing obstinately resisting the golden brilliance with its silvery shimmer. A buzz echoed ceaselessly in the room. Even when it was faced with the sun, the scepter forged out of moonlight refused to be extinguished. If anything, it seemed to be growing stronger with time. As the crystallization of the Mother Goddess¡¯ power, the scepter was imbued with a unique ability that allowed it to grow stronger in proportion to the enemy¡¯s power. It wielded the power to unconditionally absorb the power of the Six Cmities through the multicolored crystal pedestal. Not only was it impossible to destroy the scepter through brute force, but an extreme stimulus could risk the awakening of the Six Cmities too. As if that were not bad enough, the Savior¡¯s attribute happened to be the direct opposite of the scepter. That rendered Himpletely helpless against the scepter, so He could only request the Kingmaker¡¯s assistance. To His surprise, Roel didn¡¯t react much to His words. ¡°Lord Savior, please be assured that the Mother Goddess didn¡¯t do anything to me. Before I make a move, I¡¯d like to ask You a question¡­ Are you truly Sia¡¯s sessor?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± There was not a sliver of hesitation in the Savior¡¯s voice when He answered that question. With a warm smile and aposed tone, He continued, ¡°As I have told you, Sia is neither a male nor a female but a supreme being who simultaneously embodies both genders. I am the one who inherited Sia¡¯s paternal instincts.¡± ¡°What about Sia¡¯s maternal instinct, then? Based on what I have observed, the Mother Goddess appears to have inherited Sia¡¯s maternal instinct.¡± ¡°Sia¡¯s maternal instinct was unfortunately destroyed during Sia¡¯s downfall. That woman is an impostor. That¡¯s evident in how She doesn¡¯t possess Sia¡¯s unique powers and even initiated a war.¡± The Savior had a sorrowful look as if bemoaning the ongoing war. ¡°She is a brand new consciousness born in Sia¡¯s remnant, a manifestation of malevolence. She has deceived far too many people, including you. You would have never asked such a question in the past.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. There is no doubt that the Kingmaker n will thrive under Your rule in terms of ideological difference.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± The Savior spread His arms wide open with a tender smile. ¡°My friend, don¡¯t you think that we should be entitled to receive however much we have contributed? Think about the difficulties your n has faced due to your bloodline. Think about how much you have done for the world. Yet, those dull-witted Scalemen and mindless Undead are able to receive the same amount of resources as you. Does this injustice not infuriate you? ¡°You have contributed far more than the other races. It¡¯s only right for you to be granted special privileges. My previous self, the Genesis Goddess, was too attached to Her creations, unable to harden Her heart to enforce fairness. I¡¯ll correct Her mistake. ¡°Trust me. I promise that your n will receive what it deserves under the new order I shall be enforcing upon the world. Under My rule, the Kingmaker n will regain its previous honor and stand dignified before the world once more!¡± The Savior looked at Roel with unwavering eyes as He grandiosely made His vow. His glowing body seemed to symbolize the brighter future awaiting the Kingmaker n. Even Roel couldn¡¯t help but waver under His speech. The Savior¡¯s words had struck the Kingmaker n¡¯s sore spot. He had provided the Kingmaker with both the justification and the motivation to side with Him. It was just a pity that Roel couldn¡¯t be moved that easily. ¡°That is a moving proposition.¡± ¡°Of course. I bear the greatest sincerity toward your n.¡± ¡°But I reject Your offer.¡± Chapter 566.2: The Savior’s Scheme (2)

Chapter 566.2: The Savior¡¯s Scheme (2)

¡°¡­What?¡± The Savior¡¯s expression stiffened up. In response, Roel snorted in disdain. ¡°You are good with words, but it doesn¡¯t work on me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Is what I said not the truth?¡± ¡°It is the truth, but it isn¡¯t theplete truth, is it?¡± Roel calmly replied. ¡°The Kingmaker n has indeed been through a lot of difficulties due to its bloodline, and I do not deny that we have contributed a lot to the stability of the world. However, it isn¡¯t true that we are in the same position as the Scalemen. ¡°The influence and prestige wemand from the races are thepensation for our effort. Isn¡¯t it ironic that You tried to rally me to Your side because of thepensation we received for our effort? I also concede that our bloodlinees with its risks, but we receive great power in exchange for that. That isn¡¯t a reason for us to receive special privileges. ¡°I do admit that our Kingmaker n requires more resources, but that is nothingpared to the honor my ancestors have slowly rued over countless years. I am a descendant of the noble Kingmaker n, the Overseer appointed by Sia. I will not be theckey of a tyrant!¡± Roel roared. The Savior¡¯s face finally darkened. He red at Roel with glowering eyes, but thetter boldly met His gaze, not intimidated in the least. ¡°I suggest you carefully weigh your choices. You won¡¯t find such a chance with Her. Her foolish insistence on equality will inevitably bring about the decline of your Kingmaker n in this increasingly resource-scarce world.¡± ¡°That might be true, but so be it, then.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just like the Genesis Goddess, I am also a foolish person. I¡¯d rather relinquish my privileges to be with someone who cherishes me than be a tyrant¡¯sckey to fulfill my greed.¡± ¡°¡­Does this mean a breakdown in our negotiation?¡± the Savior asked with a clouded face. Thefortably warm light He had been emanating started to turn hot like a beast baring its fangs, reflecting His emotional change. However, Roel still remained perfectly calm. As terrifying as it was to face the Savior in this silenced world, Roel wasn¡¯t intimidated, as he knew the young man before him was just an avatar. The Savior¡¯s strength was limited too, or else He wouldn¡¯t have dispatched the Death God here to die. However, he could tell that the Savior was already on the verge of exploding, so he decided to halt his taunts for now. There were more urgent matters he needed to attend to. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to join You, but I can still destroy the scepter for You. You should already know what my condition is. There is nothing more important to me than my own life,¡± Roel said. ¡°¡­¡± . The Savior fell silent. Roel narrowed his eyes, knowing that he had made the right bet. Chapter 567.1: The Six Calamities (1)

Chapter 567.1: The Six Cmities (1)

As soon as the blood scepter was plunged into the crystal pedestal, six menacing auras surged into the sky. The channeling of the blood scepter roused the consciousness of the Six God¡¯s Envoys like a kindled torch. They were guided out of their seals through the connection of their souls. A furious storm whirred in the room. Six distinctly different but devastating kinds of mana rippled across the room, suppressing the brilliant light that had dominated this space thus far. Roel nced at the Savior and saw His disdain fading into impassiveness. Thetter didn¡¯t look surprised by the current turn of events. ¡°Another scepter? You must be referring to your soul.¡± ¡°Indeed. I took my time testing it in thest two days while you weren¡¯t looking. Consider this my parting gift.¡± ¡°Is this vengeance? I should remind you that just rousing them with your Crown Origin Attribute isn¡¯t enough to awaken them. You¡¯ll have to put your soul on the line. Are you certain that you want to risk your life for those monsters?¡± ¡°I am certain.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Savior stared intently at Roel as if trying to peer into his head. There was a long moment of silence before He suddenly smiled. It was not a smile of disdain or glee, but amusement. His interest was piqued at having met a worthy opponent. ¡°I''m surprised. I misjudged you. I was convinced that you were the same as the others, ravenous wolves whose eyes are blinded by the meat dangling in front of them. In just a few short days, you turned into a lunatic who showed no hesitation to risk everything to bare your ws at Me. I almost thought that your soul had been swapped with someone else¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up at the Savior¡¯s frighteningly urate description. ¡°¡­You are the one who changed. Or should I say that you are finally revealing your true nature? That righteous front of yours has always been a facade.¡± ¡°What the world needs is an excuse. Do you think those people really care about My nature? They choose to see Me through rose-tinted sses because I assure them of their interest. You, of all people, should know that. God dwells not in the mortal world but in the hearts of the mortals,¡± the Savior said with a mockingugh. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s expression turned grim. The Savior took a moment to assess him before heaving a sigh. ¡°Haa. It was a miscalction to have treated you like those wild dogs. I have embarrassed Myself. Still¡­ heh, this doesn¡¯t feel too bad. I am almost tempted to spare your life.¡± ¡°Is there any meaning in saying that?¡± ¡°I am speaking in earnest. You are a dangerous variable, but it¡¯d be worth taking on this risk to win over a Kingmaker who''s willing to risk his life to uphold the bnce of the world. What a pity. I doubt that there¡¯s any room for reconciliation between us anymore.¡± ¡°I have no interest in helping an impostor.¡± ¡°Impostor? You are misunderstanding something. I have never imed to be Sia.¡± The Savior shook His head with a smile. ¡°Darkness engulfed the world when Sia disappeared. All lives despaired in the cold. I was the one who descended upon this world and bestowed its inhabitants with the gift of light and warmth. That is why I am the Savior. I represent progress and the future.¡± ¡°You? Sia¡¯s scum?¡± ¡°Scum? Who can say what Sia¡¯s true nature is? You see Me as the embodiment of Sia¡¯s repressed darker nature, but even if that¡¯s true, that doesn¡¯t make my existence any less. Duality exists in all beings, whether you acknowledge it or not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The surrounding light began to intensify. ¡°Duality exists in all beings, but that¡¯s why we learn to control our nature. All I see in you is a boundless desire for power and the tenacity to do anything for it. I¡¯d consider that scum,¡± Roel replied. ¡°Hah! I suppose you might be right, but doesn¡¯t that make a ruler? Times have changed. That foolish woman¡¯s dream of ying house will nevere to fruition. As for you¡­ I¡¯ll concede. You¡¯re cunning, patient, and decisive. But you have made a fatal mistake by underestimating Me. Do you think that it has taken Me so long because I am afraid of Her?¡± The Savior turned around. His eyes peered through the walls of the room to look at the setting sun. He calmly revealed a simple but shocking fact. ¡°Today¡¯s sun will not set.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes widened in shock, but the Savior wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°You have surpassed My expectations, but I hope you didn''t think you could defeat Me with just this. I''d be disappointed if you naively thought that I am your only enemy. What you are opposing isn¡¯t just Me, but the races that support My ideology too. You are standing against the inevitable tide of change pushing this era forward!¡± the Savior scoffed. He looked at Roel, who was shrouded in the powers of the six God¡¯s Envoys. ¡°Try it, if you think that you can stop Me and the inevitable tides of change.¡± Leaving those words behind, the Savior¡¯s body scattered into specks of light and the silenced world concluded. ¡­ Minutester, the empty High Elves¡¯ quarter was crowded with guards, maids, officials, and all sorts of people. They stared at the ck-haired man standing next to the crystal pedestal with a blood scepter in his hand. Just a moment ago, a terrifying explosion broke out in the High Elves¡¯ quarter, shaking the entire Moonsoul Tower. rmed, the high elves responsible for guarding this room barged in, only to see Roel standing next to where the original scepter should have been. The high elves felt helpless. They stood at a distance away, hesitant to approach. Roel had clearly done something to the scepter, but they couldn¡¯t do anything to him because he was the Kingmaker, the Mother Goddess¡¯ favored child. Moreover, they weren¡¯t certain what had happened here, particrly because there was another scepter in ce of the missing one. The blood scepter appeared to have been forged out of blood, mana, and soul. It didn¡¯t have a tangible body, just like the moonlight scepter, but it gave off the domineering aura of a ruler. No one dared to make light of it. The situation came to a standstill. More people arrived and crowded the High Elves¡¯ quarter, but still, no one dared to confront Roel. This bizarre standstill was only shattered when the chief of the High Elves, Micher, arrived with an edict. Immediately raise the scepter and summon the God¡¯s Envoys to reinforce the frontlines. Not daring to dawdle around, as this was a direct order from the Mother Goddess, Micher rushed to the High Elves¡¯ quarter, only to be startled by the crowd gathered in the vicinity. ¡°What happened?¡± Micher questioned Roel in a surprisinglyposed tone. He had a deeper understanding of the God¡¯s Envoys than the others did, and thus understood what Roel was attempting to do. Thetter was trying to control the God¡¯s Envoys with not just his blood, soul, and mana, but with his entire being. Micher was astounded. He knew what Roel was putting on the line here, and that dispelled the doubts he had expressed about him. ¡°The Savior destroyed the scepter. I couldn¡¯t stop Him.¡± ¡°I see¡­ The Mother Goddess has just issued an order for us to awaken the God¡¯s Envoys.¡± Micher ryed a piece of information that highlighted the urgency on the frontlines before falling silent. He was curious to see how Roel would react. To his surprise, Roel responded with apletely unexpected question. ¡°What will you do if I insist on joining the battlefield?¡± ¡°¡­The Mother Goddess has ordered us to stop you from attempting anything dangerous.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Roel shook his head with a helpless smile. ¡°She really thinks of me as a child, doesn¡¯t She¡­ You know what you should do, right?¡± ¡°¡­Mm. I understand.¡± The two people who had been at loggerheads since their first meeting came to an implicit agreement. Micher took onest look at Roel before issuing an order. ¡°Everyone, follow me out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Under Micher¡¯s orders, the crowd began evacuating the room. Ad looked as if she had words lingering at the tip of her tongue, but she didn¡¯t get a chance to voice them. Soon, Roel was the only one left in the room. He turned his attention to the System. ¡¾Progress of Bloodline Awakening: 86%¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation: 90 (High)¡¿ Roel fell silent looking at the System¡¯s evaluation. It confirmed his current situation. Strictly speaking, he had already seeded in his mission¡ªit just wasn¡¯tpleted in a perfect manner. The original Kingmaker¡¯s foolish decision of entrusting his me of life to the Savior was a fatal mistake that even Roel was unable to ovee. From the very start, the destruction of the scepter was inevitable. Roel had already paved a different path from his ancestor. He hadn¡¯t betrayed the Mother Goddess to the very end, and the System¡¯s evaluation score reflected that. He could feel an increasing connection with the outside world. It told him that his job was done and that there was no need to do anything else. He would be able to return to his original timeline once the war concluded. His trip to this Witness State had been fruitful. He had made a breakthrough to Origin Level 2, and he should be able to awaken his Gold-tier Bloodline by the time he returned. Yet, he couldn¡¯t smile despite his sesses. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to sit idly and do nothing till the end of the war. The Savior had said that the Mother Goddess was opposing the inevitable tides of change. Roel agreed with Him. Competition over scarce resources was the natural order of the world. While the Mother Goddess could dy the transition, She wouldn¡¯t be able to stop the arrival of the new world order. It wasn¡¯t a wise decision to support the Mother Goddess here¡­ but who said that a child supporting their mother had to make a level-headed decision? Even if the Mother Goddess was doomed to drown under the tides of change, Roel could never let Her face it alone. He would never forgive himself if he remained a spectator. The time he had spent with the Mother Goddess shed across his head, and his eyes became firm. Roel winced as the six surges of power he was channeling through the blood scepter furiously tugged at his soul. It was not without reason that the Savior was unfazed when he manifested the blood scepter. That man knew how difficult it was to control Sia¡¯s power. It was impossible to adapt to it within a short period of time. But this knowledge would be the Savior¡¯s undoing. He didn¡¯t know about the Crown¡¯s Stones. He was oblivious to the fact that Roel had spent many years dealing with those monsters. Time was not on his side, but experience was. Roel noticed that the God¡¯s Envoys had gotten agitated, possibly because they noticed that the Mother Goddess was in danger too. He clenched his fists and focused his soul and mana into the crystal pedestal. His intrusion rmed the God¡¯s Envoys, prompting them to re their powers. Bits of the room began to dissipate under the sheer amassment of power. The bacsh delivered a sharp pang of pain to Roel¡¯s nerves. The God¡¯s Envoys were probing him to determine his intention. Despite standing in the presence of six civilization-destroying monsters, Roel showed not the slightest fluster. He thought about the Mother Goddess and ryed his earnest thoughts. ¡°Even if my aid amounts to nothing¡­ Even if this is a futile attempt to satisfy myself in a dream, I still wish to bring Her sce, even if for a brief moment. That¡¯ll bring meaning to everything I do. Come with me. At least at this moment, you are mypanions.¡± The six powers quietened down as if to ponder those words. A brief momentter, a surge of energy suddenly rippled outward. Six overwhelming powers red up and wrapped themselves around Roel. ¡­ Chapter 567.2: The Six Calamities (2)

Chapter 567.2: The Six Cmities (2)

Meanwhile, in Dragon¡¯s Gorge, the most dreadful battle since themencement of the war was currently unfolding. Even typical phrases like ¡®mountains of carcasses¡¯ and ¡®rivers of blood¡¯ proved to be insufficient to describe the horrors on the battlefield. It felt as if someone was tirelessly dumping bodies into a meat grinder, spraying flesh, bones, and all sorts of bodily fluids around. If one thing was clear amidst this chaos, it was that the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction was fighting a desperate battle. First and foremost, the aerial space over Dragon¡¯s Gorge had beenpletely dominated by the dragons and the wingmen, whose sheer number covered the sky. This forced the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction to fight on the ground. On the frontlines, armored giants had just begun their third charge. The agile beastmen followed closely behind to pick off lone enemies scattered from their allies. The wingmen unceasingly bombarded the enemy with spells. From time to time, spiriteers could be spotted flitting across the battlefield. Things had gone awry right from the start. The neutral races that had previously submitted to the Mother Goddess suddenly turned their ws on their allies, causing a great deal of internal disturbance. The bone dragons, gargoyles, and blood nsmen were too shaken by the rebellion and failed to get into their formation in time, resulting in their quickly losing aerial supremacy to the dragons and the wingmen. This led to a vicious cycle on the battlefield. The dragons and the wingmen furiously bombarded the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction, not giving them any breathing space to regroup andunch a counterattack. Casualties quickly piled up. And that was still not the most dispiriting thing of all. What truly chilled the hearts of those from the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction was the situation over at the western horizon. Hours had already passed since sunset, but the evening sun refused to descend beyond the horizon. It obstinately hung by the horizon and even showed hints of slowly rising back up. Without the enhancement of nightfall, the nocturnal races of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction were unable to exert their true prowess. Furthermore, the silver moon in the sky was at its dimmest ever. At the very start of the battle, Dragon¡¯s Gorge had emanated a brilliant golden light that came not from the sun but from the ground itself. Yes, the ground itself was infused with the Savior¡¯s power. There was a simple reason behind this phenomenon. Dragon¡¯s Gorge was the Savior¡¯s birthce. During a time when the sr and lunar cycles fell into disarray, when starvation and death gued the world, when all beings were confused by the abrupt disappearance of their creator, the Savior rose from thisnd and cast His light upon the world. This was thend of His birth, as well as His Divine Domain. The Savior had kept this secret hidden in order to plot this scheme. It was only on such advantageous terrain that He could turn the tables on the Mother Goddess. The Mother Goddess was dragged into an empty world as soon as She stepped onto this field. It was apletely silent Dragon¡¯s Gorge, with the only ones here being Her and a young man who radiated light. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unlike the Savior¡¯s meeting with Roel, the two supreme beings in this empty world simply stared at each other, disying no inclination tomunicate whatsoever. There was no need to when They knew each inside out. Both the Savior and the Mother Goddess descended from Genesis Goddess Sia. Even though They were now divided into two extremes, They did share the same consciousness at one point in time, which allowed Them to fathom each other¡¯s thoughts. Yet, the Savior took the initiative to speak today. ¡°Give up. You have already lost.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You trusted the Kingmaker. It¡¯s a shame, but he¡¯s My ally.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯posure shattered as soon as those words were spoken. Her face darkened as Her crimson eyes gleamed dangerously. Overwhelming mana surged from Her. However, the reason behind Her outburst was different from what the Savior expected. ¡°You wretched impostor. Who permitted you to insult My child?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯d betray Me. Don¡¯t bother resorting to such meaningless tricks.¡± Faced with the infuriated Mother Goddess, the Savior revealed a contemptuous smile. ¡°There¡¯s no way he¡¯d betray you? Are you really saying that? You should have noticed that it¡¯s a trap by now. He has been on My side all along.¡± ¡°That might have been the case in the past, but he¡¯s My child now. I trust him. Of course¡­ I don¡¯t expect someone like you to understand that.¡± ¡°¡­You can¡¯t be reasoned with.¡± The Savior was annoyed to see how much the Mother Goddess trusted the Kingmaker despite being deprived of information here. Knowing that His psychological warfare was not working out, He began His attack. A searing miniature sun appeared in the sky and released a blinding wave of light that sought to incinerate everything. With this, the fight between the two supreme beings finallymenced. Even though this battle only involved two people, its importance outweighed even the battle outside, where thousands were dying by the second. Mana pulsations rippled like tsunamis, tearing down everything in their path. Even the Savior¡¯s Divine Domain struggled to withstand the devastation caused by the sh of the two supreme beings. However, as the battle progressed, the Mother Goddess soon noticed that something was amiss. At some point in time, the Savior had vanished amidst the light, whereas She remained trapped inside the center of this world of light. Is He stalling for time? the Mother Goddess wondered with a frown. Even before stepping onto thisnd, She had already noticed that something was amiss, which was why She had ordered that the God¡¯s Envoys be awakened. Yet, despite having fought for quite some time now, She still didn¡¯t sense any of them closing in. This stoked Her concern. She had spent too much time in this Divine Domain. With the sun refusing to give way to the moon, both the Mother Goddess and Her warriors fighting outside would remain in a disadvantageous situation. Should one side fall, this war would be over. I have to leave this ce to turn the tables, the Mother Goddess thought as She turned to the sky. Outside the Divine Domain, the dimmed moon began to regain its luster, resulting in the sun and the moon concurrently illuminating thend. But unlike the unchanging sun, the moon had split into two: one silver and one ck. The Silver Moon had a dreamlike beauty that drew admiration; the ck Moon symbolized the power of judgment. Not even beings like the Death God could escape its judgment. Invoking the ck Moon came with a heavy price. The Mother Goddess would enter a period of weakness as a result, but She had no other choice here. Even across the Divine Domain, She could sense a sudden proliferation of killing intent on the battlefield. The Angels. A race once known to be Sia¡¯s oracle had defected to the enemy. The Mother Goddess¡¯ heart sank at that realization. Withstanding the pain that prated Her soul, the Mother Goddess raised Her palm to guide the ck Moon to destroy the Divine Domain imprisoning Her. Far away, the Savior¡¯s lips curled up as He patiently waited for the Mother Goddess to enter Her period of weakness. It was then that the tides of the battle suddenly changed. Everyone on the battlefield suddenly felt a tremendous pressure crushing their soul, as if heralding the arrival of beings that wielded immeasurable power. Inside the Divine Domain, the Mother Goddess widened Her eyes. In the sky, the Savior¡¯s expression turned grim. In Dragon¡¯s Gorge, the countless soldiers shing against one another halted their movements to gaze at the distant western horizon. There, they saw a ck cloud, a white fog, a yellow wind, and an aurora. Distant as they were, their sheer expanse engulfed the sky. The world might not be familiar with them right now, but in the near future, their names would invoke boundless despair in all. Civilizations would desperately struggle against their tyranny, pitting their entire strength and wisdom against them, only to have their hope extinguished as they finally realized that these were unstoppable forces of nature. Their name: the Six Cmities. Chapter 568.1: Light Devourer (1)

Chapter 568.1: Light Devourer (1)

The mountain-like pressureing from the distant horizon crushed down on the millions and millions of soldiers standing on the battlefield, causing their bodies to stiffen up. Their survival instincts forced them to turn their attention away from the battlefield to the iing threat. They gazed across the giants¡¯ carcasses, the intense shes, and the blood rain to trace the origin of this menacing pressure. Finally, they found their answer on the distant horizon. They saw faint light silhouettes manifested out of terrors the world had never seen before. These were existences whose very presence stimted one¡¯s survival instincts. A ck-haired man could be vaguely spotted amidst the six light silhouettes. The world itself seemed to crumble before his march. A yellow wind swept away the time of all beings around him. Ominous dark clouds sowed death on those within their reach. An endless stream ofva poured out from the surface, rumbling like a giant¡¯s footsteps. A bundle of light tightly wrapped itself around his body. The arrival of the God¡¯s Envoys induced joyous cheers from the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. In contrast, the Savior¡¯s faction fell into an unnerving silence. Even the most ignorant of them instinctively understood that those cmities were not spells, but an even more terrifying and ancient existence. They possessed overwhelming powers that even gods were unable to rival. Even the hearts of Race Sovereigns quivered in fear before the God¡¯s Envoys. They felt like they were faced with the very wrath of the world. What was even more astonishing was the person whom these cmities were protecting. The Kingmaker. Shock and disbelief rippled like a disease through the battlefield when they recognized the ck-haired man who hade with the Cmities. Even the Savior was unable to retain Hisposure any longer. He stared at the distant silhouettes with an awful look. ¡°How is this possible¡­¡± The God¡¯s Envoys were Sia¡¯s powers, representing the Genesis Goddess¡¯ invible authority. Those who chose to wield this power had to bear a huge risk and an immense price. Even if Roel had staked his entire soul into channeling the blood scepter, the most he could have done was to awaken those monsters. Controlling them should have beenpletely out of the question. Yet, the impossible had happened. ¡°How did you¡­¡± the Savior blurted out, but he didn¡¯t expect an answer. After the initial shock, those from the Savior¡¯s faction beganunching their attacks against the enemy who had appeared out of nowhere. Rather than an organized resistance, it was more apt to describe it as an instinctive response fueled by desperation. Despite knowing how dangerous the enemy was, they couldn¡¯t give up right now, not when victory was right in front of them! The Mother Goddess had disappeared under the Savior¡¯s spells, and Her soldiers had been forcefully scattered and encircled. The only ones barely putting up a fight were the High Elves. The Mother Goddess¡¯ faction was already down to itsst leg. All they had to do was to defeat the reinforcement and the world would usher in a new order! Under such temptation, the wingmen and dragons channeled their mana in preparation to obliterate the enemy from the face of the world. The ground troops menacingly brandished their weapons to threaten the enemy. No one was willing to give up. Roel opened his eyes, revealing a pair of glowing golden pupils that resembled candlelight. Blood trickled down his body and dissipated with the wind. Silver specks of light gleamed in his shoulder-length hair. The most shocking thing of all was that neither his Crown Origin Attribute nor his Being Toward Death blessing was pulsating at all. Sia-fication. This was a miracle brought about by putting one¡¯s everything on the line, including absorbing one¡¯s Origin Attribute into one¡¯s soul. That was the reason the Savior¡¯s face had turned awful. He knew that there was nothing in the world that could stop Roel in his current state. Roel¡¯s mana pulsated to his heartbeat¡¯s rhythm, and the God¡¯s Envoys resonated in response. Faced with an entire world of enemies, the Six Cmities manifested as huge, faint silhouettes that awaited Roel¡¯s orders. ¡°Crush them,¡± Roel ordered cidly. With a fearless roar, the God¡¯s Envoys rushed at the immense Savior¡¯s army that swarmed the ground and sky alike. It looked as if two towering tsunami waves were shing with each other, but the oue was already decided. Tempest Caller was confronted by the dragon army, which had yet to suffer a defeat in this war. The dragons were known to possess the greatest defensive ability among the races. It would take an army of soldiers hours of ceaseless attacks to bring down one, let alone an army of them. Not intimidated in the least, the pale yellow wind howled in contempt as it swept its blurry palm across the sky as if swatting flies. The dragons, confident in their defensive prowess, didn¡¯t bother to try evading the attack. Even the mostpressed wind de couldn¡¯t hope to pierce their armor-like scales, after all. The dragons were right, but they still died anyway. Countless dragons rained to the ground upon being struck by the humongous palm that epassed a huge expanse of the sky. The pale yellow wind failed to breach their defenses, but there was no need for that when its enemies had already been turned into white bones. Beneath Tempest Caller, a colossal beast silhouette swiftly expanded under Roel¡¯smand, raising a treacherous frost tsunami that eternally froze the time of everything within reach. An ashen silhouette channeled the tremendous dormant energy in the earth''s veins to unleash powerfulva spouts that sniped down the wingmen, dragging their swiftly incinerating bodies down to the ground. Giants rushed forth to block thoseva spouts, only to find themselves devoured by a thick, billowing miasma that swiftly extinguished the me of life within them. A blurry face in a silver fog opened its greedy mouth and ravenously devoured everyst spell the Savior¡¯s army tried to hurl at Roel. At the same time, an aurora descended upon the battlefield and constantly supplied him with energy. ¡°W-what are these things?!¡± ¡°These monsters have no real bodies at all!¡± Despair consumed the enemies under the unstoppable onught of the Six Cmities. The very nature of the Six Cmities made it nigh impossible to counter them. The Savior¡¯s army was quickly forced back under their overwhelming might. Even the bravest soldiers found themselves trembling helplessly in their presence. It couldn¡¯t be clearer to them that this was not a force that mortals could ovee. Fear and insanity terrorized the battlefield. . The sight of countless enemies being reduced to carcasses induced cheers from the struggling Mother Goddess¡¯ soldiers. Yet, the ck-haired man standing at the center of the Six Cmities retained his impassive expression. He knew that this was just a means to stall for time. There was only one enemy he absolutely had to bring down in order to win this battle. As a matter of fact, the light-d young man in the sky had been making preparations while the Six Cmities were busy obliterating His soldiers. From the moment Roel appeared on the battlefield, the Savior was forced to concede that He had made a fatal error by underestimating the Kingmaker. He was now more certain than ever that the Kingmaker was a threat that He had to eliminate right away. Intense light began to irradiate the sky. The Savior had descended. The Six Cmities halted their massacre of the defeated Savior¡¯s army and quickly returned to Roel¡¯s side. Hardly anyone was able to move anymore due to the immense pressureing from the sky, so they could only raise their heads and pray that the imminent battle between the Savior and the God¡¯s Envoys would transpire in their favor. ¡­ Chapter 568.2: Light Devourer (2)

Chapter 568.2: Light Devourer (2)

The red sun that sat by the horizon of the vast in suddenly trembled. An overwhelmingly powerful aura gushed into the sky from Dragon¡¯s Gorge, as if something was about to break out of the ground. All living beings on the surface felt deference toward the aura. The immense pressure it exerted forced all to lower their heads, and those who were flying werepelled to lower their altitude. The Savior looked at the God¡¯s Envoys with a determined glint in His eyes. A stupendously powerful mana pulsation rippled across the sky. All beings in the world were blessed with the fortune to witness a miracle in the making. The red setting sun that had stopped by the horizon suddenly emitted a blinding golden light that swiftly spread across the world. As the world lit up under the sun¡¯s renewed splendor, the sr and lunar cycle began to reverse. The sun started to rise back to the top of the sky. At the same time, the nts that had been devastated by the war suddenly experienced a burst of vitality. Countless seeds breached the surface of the soil and grew without restraint. As Roel watched this phenomenon, it suddenly dawned on him what the nature of the Savior¡¯s Divine Domain was. The Genesis. This was what the world had witnessed at the moment of the Savior¡¯s birth. Only on thisnd was His Divine Domain able to unleash such prowess. The rising sun vanquished the darkness, coldness, and starvation from the world that was on the brink of copse. Hope was rekindled in the hearts of all. Races were able to propagate, and life was breathed into the withering civilization. Not even the silver moon couldpete with the light of salvation. The Six Cmities howled in agitation before this phenomenon. In the Savior¡¯s Divine Domain, the Mother Goddess found Herself surrounded by a flood of light. ¡°His target isn¡¯t me?¡± The Mother Goddess frowned. She sensed that something was amiss, but Her ability to intervene was limited when both the Silver Moon and the ck Moon had been overshadowed by the sun. After temporarily vanquishing the two moons from the sky, the Savior turned his attention to Roel. His chances of killing the Mother Goddess had be slim after the disturbance caused by Roel, but His priority had shifted toward obliterating the Kingmaker instead. What concerned Him wasn¡¯t just the Kingmaker¡¯s rallying power, but Roel¡¯s current state. Be it his silver hair color or the allegiance of the God¡¯s Envoys, there were far too many signs that indicated that Roel was no longer just an ordinary mortal. He had be a force that was capable of standing toe-to-toe with the Savior and the Mother Goddess. While trying to exert control on the God¡¯s Envoys, Roel had unwittingly fused the Crown into his soul. This was something that the Savior had to stop at all costs. ¡°You touched something you should have neverid your hands on,¡± the Savior uttered with a cold voice as He grew increasingly brilliant, reminiscent of a rising sun. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you were able to tame them so quickly, but what difference does this make? The tides of change cannot be opposed. You knew that this was a trap; why do you still insist on leaping in?¡± ¡°I came here because I ought to be here.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°My mistake has ced a person who deeply cares about me in a quandary. It¡¯s clear to me what I ought to do. A person like you will never understand it no matter how I exin it.¡± ¡°¡­Utter foolishness.¡± The Savior frowned upon hearing Roel¡¯s answer. He pointed His finger at Roel and announced thetter¡¯s sin. ¡°The world only needs one person to inherit Sia¡¯s position.¡± Light engulfed the Savior¡¯s body as the rising sun finally reached the highest point in the sky. Golden radiance irradiated the world beforeunching an omnipresent attack against its enemy. Roel immediately sensed himself being isted from the rest of the world. A deadly sr wind swept up around him, incinerating everything in its vicinity into cinders. Shocked gasps could be heard from the crowd. Those from the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction worriedly shook their fists, whereas those from the Savior¡¯s faction anxiously retreated from the area. They instinctively understood what the golden radiance represented. That was the First Light of Genesis, the very first ray of light the Savior brought to the world with His birth. It signified the return of a supreme god, and its significancemanded the respect of all lifeforms. Nothing in this world could resist this power. Roel raised his blood scepter in response, and the six God¡¯s Envoysunched their attacks. Devastating mana pulsations ensued. Frost and fog surged forth like dragons;va and wind brought forth deafening explosions. Yet, none of these was useful against the Savior¡¯s light. As if unstoppable divine retribution, nothing could faze the golden radiance as it fell upon the sinner who dared to challenge the Savior. Right as the golden radiance was about to strike Roel, a flood of frost aura and a billowing ck cloud suddenly rushed upward to shield him from the attack. ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes in shock. He hadn¡¯t ordered the God¡¯s Envoys to shield him; they had done it of their own ord. But before he could say anything, an earth-shattering shockwave rippled across the sky. Not even the Six Cmities could fully withstand the Savior¡¯s light. The frost aura that encased everything in permafrost melted. The miasma manifested from the conceptualization of death dissipated. By the time the golden brilliance faded, two of the God¡¯s Envoys had already disappeared without a trace. The magnificent feat of defeating two God¡¯s Envoys in a single move stunned everyone on the battlefield. Dragons howled to the sky, praising the Savior¡¯s almighty prowess. The High Elves and the Blood nsmen nced at one another with worried looks. The tides of the battle had turned. The God¡¯s Envoys had been shown to be powerless against the Savior¡¯s authority. Amidst the dust cloud at the heart of the intense sh, Roel stared at the dissipated God¡¯s Envoys while enduring the excruciating pain assaulting his heart. He tightly clenched onto the blood scepter in his grasp. As the cost of awakening the God¡¯s Envoys, Roel¡¯s soul had fused with the Six Cmities. When two of the God¡¯s Envoys dissipated, he lost a third of his soul as well. Such injury far surpassed the severity of any physical harm. An ordinary mortal would have never been able to withstand such damage. As a matter of fact, Roel¡¯s body was trembling uncontrobly, and his vision had turned blurry. Yet, something resonated strongly in his heart when he looked at the dissipated God¡¯s Envoys. When the dust finally settled, he raised his head and looked at the sky with eyes more resolute than ever. The Savior was an equal existence to the Mother Goddess, representing Sia¡¯s selfishness and malevolence. He was slightly weaker than the Mother Goddess, but there was no question that He was a superior existence to the God¡¯s Envoys, especially on this sacrednd where He first came to be. He was not an opponent Roel could defeat even with the aid of the Six Cmities. It was likely that the Savior had the same thought in mind when He decided to suppress the Mother Goddess and first deal with Roel. When He realized that He had failed to bring down the Kingmaker with His first attack, He raised His hand once more. The Savior emanated tremendous heat and light as His aura intensified till it felt almost tangible. The Dragons descended from the sky. The Beastmen fell to their knees. Even the proud Giants were forced to lower their heads. All on the battlefield lowered their stature as if to pay respects to their one true ruler. All except for one. Even when the Savior¡¯s light dominated the world, Roel didn¡¯t lower his head. He tightly held onto his blood scepter as hemanded the God¡¯s Envoys to direct their attacks at the sky. A tumultuous storm furiously whirred into a hurricane in an attempt to dethrone the supreme being standing at the highest point in the sky. Following close behind it was an all-devouring white fog and a humongousva hand that sought to crush its enemy. Yet, these attacks were extinguished in the face of the second wave of light. The Second Light of Genesis was the Savior¡¯s grace to the world, embodying the blessing of light and hope. Senescence and destruction were vanquished in the face of this blessed light. Even the all-devouring white fog was impaled by this supreme power. Light flooded down from the sky like yet another materialization of divine retribution. The one to step forward this time around was the blurred silhouette in the pale yellow wind. Roel felt a gentle breeze brushing past his cheek as Tempest Caller expanded into a hulking giant that towered beyond the clouds. It stood unwaveringly in front of Roel as the Second Light of Genesis battered down and dissipated its body. But not even Tempest Caller¡¯s sacrifice was enough to expend the Second Light of Genesis. Thus,va rose to inherit the will of the dissipated tempest. A dark silhouette rose from the ground with the apaniment of suffocating smog and zingva. As it surged into the sky, it nced at Roel with glowing eyes as if bidding a silent farewell. Then, it turned around and took in the falling light with its expansive mass. Deafening explosions shook the world as falling ashes dyed the world ck. Another God¡¯s Envoy had fallen. Those from the Savior¡¯s faction roared in delight. The Angels, who had only just arrived on the battlefield after taking a detour, sang hymns of praise for the sun. Support for the Savior reached an all-time high. The Savior gazed at the dissipated God¡¯s Envoys with a mocking smile. His only target had been the Kingmaker, but the God¡¯s Envoys threw their bodies forth one after another to protect him despite knowing it would spell their dissipation. He thought their actions were meaningless, hrious, and incredibly foolish. In the first ce, the God¡¯s Envoys had be intrinsically tied to Roel¡¯s soul, such that the dissipation of four of them meant that he only had a third of his soul left. An injury of this extent was more than enough to incapacitate him, thus rendering the act of saving him meaningless. The Savior shook His head. He was slightly exhausted from havingunched two consecutive attacks, but, determined to end this farce, He raised His hand and unleashed the third burst of intense light. At the same time, Roel finally emerged from the remnants of ashes and wind. His blood scepter was tattered beyond repair, and hisplexion was as pale as a sheet of paper. His soul was so damaged that he was barely clinging to the final bit of his consciousness. He had nearly lost all of his senses. His vision had gonepletely dark. His ears were ringing. Even pain was barely registering to him. Yet, some things continued to linger in his fading consciousness. The gleaming ice crystals from the shattered cier. The final silence before the dispersion of death. The lingering echoes of the dissipated tempest. The splendid firework show before the snuffing of the embers. He witnessed the end of these natural phenomena as they sacrificed themselves to guard his inner peace. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes suddenly shot open. Before him, he saw the all-devouring white fog and the soothing luminescence of an aurora. These were hisst twopanions, as well as the final fragments of his soul. It was about time for the curtains to be drawn for this show. In the sky, the Savior gazed upon the world beneath. ¡°What arrogance it is for you to think that you could stop the inevitable forces of change. I have told you that you won¡¯t be able to change anything at all. All you have managed to aplish is to lead those monsters toward meaningless deaths.¡± ¡°¡­Meaningless? Not at all. They have enabled me to live on and survive till the very end. As long as a breath remains in me, the seeds they have sowed with their sacrifices will blossom,¡± Roel replied as he raised his blood scepter once more. The Savior¡¯s expression turned cold as he looked at Roel with a frown. ¡°Try it, then.¡± With those words came the final attack. It was the Third Light of Genesis, representing the judgment of the darkness and the execution of the sinners. It was a de to sever the past and usher in a brighter future. All beings on the battlefield suddenly froze in ce. Fear could still be seen reflected in their eyes, but their time hade to a halt. The Third Light of Genesis was an authority that transcended temporalws. Not even the inheritors of Sia¡¯s powers could oppose Him in this silenced world. All beings were helplessmbs at a ughterhouse before this light. Roel and the white fog shrouding him were also frozen in ce. Divine light spanning the entirety of the sky descended upon the still white fog, dissipating the expansive body of the all-devouring monster. Finally, the Savior¡¯s lips curled into a smile. It¡¯s over. He was confident that this was His victory. Yet, an inconceivable sight unfolded before His eyes. As the white fog dissipated, Roel¡¯s body suddenly began to squirm. The distorted temporalws tried to hold him down, but they couldn¡¯t suppress his growing aura. Unbelievable power surged forth from him, shattering His frozen time. ¡°Impossible!¡± the Savior eximed in disbelief. The unraveling of the distorted temporalws meant that Roel now possessed the strength to oppose Him. It was inconceivable to Him how such an abrupt change could have urred. I have to kill him right now! The sun red with an intensity like never before, and the Third Light of Genesis engulfed the world with its blinding white light. Unable to withstand such overwhelming power, Shrouding Fog was finally vaporized into thin air. Yet, in its final moments, the blurred face of the all-devouring white fog reflected not pain and despair, but peace and hope. In the hand of the ck-haired man whom Shrouding Fog had been protecting was a blood scepter overflowing with power. At the same time, the aurora that had quietly absorbed the bodies of its fallenrades finally cast away its concealment as it converged around the Kingmaker. The bells of revolution finally chimed. Roel directed his eroding palm toward the sky. As his blood sttered everywhere, he muttered the name of his finalpanion, to whom he had entrusted all hope. ¡°Light Devourer.¡± Chapter 569.1: Edavia (1)

Chapter 569.1: Edavia (1)

A prating beam of light carrying Roel¡¯s blood, flesh, and soul pierced across space, shattering the distorted temporalws and restoring the natural flow of time to the frozen world. The melodious hymns of the Angels returned to the world. The footsteps of the fleeing Beastmen finally fell to the ground. The anxious shouts from the High Elves echoed throughout the battlefield. Little did they know that the world had already changed while they weren¡¯t looking. Beautiful specks of light reminiscent of the starry sky covered the ins and the mountains. These were the lights nurtured by the mana devoured from the battlefield, but they were also the manifestation of the final will of Light Devourer¡¯s fallenrades. Light Devourer had a vastly different nature from Shrouding Fog. Unlike thetter, which consumed physical entities, what Light Devourer consumed was mana. Of the Six Cmities, it was the only one with the power to shatter the cage that had imprisoned the Mother Goddess. Unbreakable barriers and Divine Domains were meaningless concepts before Light Devourer¡¯s authority¡­ and it was now at its strongest ever. The aurora had be omnipresent after having absorbed the mana on the battlefield and the remnants of itsrades¡¯ power. Meanwhile, Roel¡¯s hair had turnedpletely white after lighting the final torch. It was only after seeing his state that it finally dawned on the Savior what he had been up to. Born from Sia Herself, the Savior was an existence iparable to other beings in the world. He had inherited not only the strength but the authority of the Creator too. Neither the oldest gods nor the strongest Race Sovereigns could ever hope to threaten Him, and this included the Kingmaker. The Kingmaker might be Sia¡¯s most favored child, but they was ultimately still Her creation. Even when Roel had put his soul on the line to turn the Six Cmities against the Savior, he still couldn¡¯t hope to pose a threat to thetter. To draw an analogy, it was simr to how a person couldn¡¯t hope to punch themself to death. From the very start, Roel¡¯s challenge was a hopeless one. Yet, Roel had shattered this absolute rule. Sia had bestowed a sliver of Her soul upon Her most beloved child in the form of the Crown Origin Attribute. This power should have only taken up a small portion of the Kingmaker¡¯s soul out of safety reasons, thus granting them limited ess to Sia¡¯s authority, but that had changed when Roel¡¯s own soul was shaved off by the death of the Six Cmities. Refinement. The sacrifices of the Six Cmities had been a calcted move right from the start, albeit a highly risky one with a low chance of sess. With the brilliance of the Genesis, the Savior had unwittingly baptized Sia¡¯s third sessor, forging his soul topletion. From the moment Roel emerged from his metamorphosis, the distorted temporalws couldn¡¯t hold him down any longer. A new supreme being had awakened. A beautiful aurora instantaneously enveloped the earth and began permeating the sky, forcing back the Savior¡¯s Third Light of Genesis. At the same time, His Divine Domain started to shake. The startled Savior raised His hands and channeled the entirety of His powers to suppress this single attack Roel had poured his everything into. ¡°What foolishness! You might have temporarily reached Our level through this method, but how long can your meager remaining soul sustain you for? You¡¯re courting your own doom!¡± the Savior roared angrily as He struggled to fend against the aurora. His words were both a prophecy and a curse. Roel¡¯s body was swiftly disintegrating. While the refinement of Roel¡¯s soul had granted him the Creator¡¯s authority, it had also shaved off so much of his soul that he had be incapable of bearing the cost of the great power he was exerting. Power came at a cost. This was an irond rule that even Sia was unable to circumvent, as well as the reason behind Her eventual demise. In the Savior¡¯s eyes, Roel was repeating the errors of his predecessor. All He had to do was to withstand this attack and thetter would surely crumble to his death. With His authority as the Sun God, He channeled onest burst of power from the sun towering at the peak of the sky. In contrast, Roel was exceptionally silent. Blood was swiftly draining from his body, and his outstretched arm was dissipating bit by bit amidst the aurora. Yet, the white-haired man wasn¡¯t reacting at all. With less than a sixth of his soul left, he had be incapable of perceiving his surroundings. From the moment heunched his final attack, he had already lost most of his senses. Neither the two floods of light that divided the world nor the deafening rumble that ensued from their sh managed to register to his senses. He was still alive, but he was as good as dead. His determined will scattered with the wind, and his unyielding spirit returned to the void. Death stung him like the frigid winter wind. How cold it was that his sacrifice failed to bring him even the slightest warmth in his final moments. Yet, Roel wasn¡¯t flustered at all. Flipping pages of a book echoed in his ears. Candlelight lit up before his eyes. ¡­ Roel had unknowingly returned to a familiar dark room, with countless rows of towering bookshelves neatly lined up behind him. In front of him, an orange-haired girl fiddled with an hourss while gazing into the distant darkness. Edavia ced the hourss on the table before calmly looking at Roel. ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have much time left. Your soul will dissipate once the sand runs out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel quietly nodded as he awaited the evil god¡¯s final decision. Edavia was the final puzzle piece missing in his n. He had managed to catch the Savior off-guard through the refinement of Sia¡¯s soul, which granted him the power needed to fight back via Light Devourer, but these were only enough for him to match the Savior. The key to defeating the Savior had always been sitting right in front of him. The shadow whom even Sia feared; the being who identally came into existence during the creation of the world; the evil god who brought terror and panic to countless. Edavia. Roel needed her powers right now, but to the orange-haired girl, this was not a decision easily made. Allowing Roel to die posed no risk to her, but should she choose to help him, her existence would be endangered. The Kingmaker n¡¯s Inner Sanctum was both her prison and her sanctuary. It allowed her to escape the senescence of time when others had to make huge sacrifices just to remain alive. Should she contract with the Kingmaker, her existence would be anchored to the real world. Her sanctuary would no longer keep her safe. She would be vulnerable to the Savior¡¯s threat. Silence fell between the two of them. Only the flowing sand in the hourss could be heard. Edavia looked at Roel with an unreadable glint in her eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a question I have always wanted to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡®Why are you doing this?¡¯ You should know that this is an illusion. The past can¡¯t be changed. Everything you are sacrificing yourself to achieve is nothing but a bubble that will burst once you return to the real world. Is there any meaning in gambling your everything on this?¡± Edavia looked at Roel with eyes filled with iprehension. In her endless life, she had never seen a person shaving off their soul of their own volition. Such pain should have been unbearable to a mortal. It made her more curious to know what Roel was fighting for. Roel spent a moment in thought before answering her question. ¡°¡­Salvation.¡± ¡°Salvation?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m seeking is salvation. I don¡¯t think my actions are meaningless.¡± ¡°Who are you looking to save?¡± ¡°The Kingmaker. My Mother. Our entire n,¡± Roel replied with a hoarse voice. Edavia slowly widened her eyes. ¡°Salvation¡­ Do you know your current state? You¡¯re about to die. Your body is tattered, and your soul is dissipating. Even a candle me in a storm would have a better chance than you. Not even Sia will be able to revive you once the sand in the hourss runs out. Who can you save like that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to. My salvation is alreadyplete.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°From the moment I appeared here, my salvation was alreadyplete.¡± Roel looked at the confused evil god and calmly exined himself. ¡°From the moment I showed up on the battlefield, it meant that the Kingmaker didn¡¯t betray his mother. The Mother Goddess who saw Her child as Her everything wouldn¡¯t fall into despair. The regrets our n has shouldered for generations can finally be put down. I can raise my head, knowing that I have upheld my conscience. I might die as a result, but my mission has beenpleted. If the Kingmaker n was destined to meet its end here, the least I can do is to sweep off the dust cloaking its tomb.¡± ¡°But¡­ what you have done will only be limited to the Witness State. Is there any meaning in that? I truly can¡¯t understand why you would pay such a heavy price for a transient dream¡­¡± ¡°Edavia, would you intentionally err just because you know that a consequence is transient?¡± ¡°!¡± Edavia fell into deep thought upon hearing Roel¡¯s question. Thetter shook his head. ¡°Nothing is eternal in this world. You are the only one left of the once powerful Spiriteers. Even Genesis Goddess Sia has met Her end. Transience is a concept for the material world, but it won¡¯t change the choice of the soul. Even if everything I have achieved here will unravel itself once it is all over, I will still choose to do what I think is right. Rather, Edavia, I should be asking: what are you waiting for, spending eons alone in this dark chamber?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Not expecting to hear such a question, Edavia stared at Roel in a daze. So much time had passed for her that she seemed to have forgotten the answer. Time ticked by, but she remained stumped by that question. It was only when she raised her head and looked at Roel once more that she was suddenly reminded of something. ¡°I see. I finally know why we met.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I have met someone like you before.¡± Her voice sounded a little sorrowful as her expression slowly mellowed. ¡°I was probably waiting for someone who can overlook an existence who threatens them just because they believe it is the right thing to do. Someone who is an utter fool through and through.¡± ¡°!¡± Looking at Edavia¡¯s sorrowful smile, Roel was taken aback. Edavia finally snapped out of her reminiscence and nced at the hourss on the table. Then, she rose to her feet. As she stood up, shadowy silhouettes could be seen creeping behind her. The countless books stored in this seemingly infinite room trembled. The candlelight on the table flickered despite the absence of wind, as if bidding farewell to its owner. She gently waved her hand, and the hourss abruptly shattered. The sands within seeped into the darkness, filling up the nks in Roel¡¯s soul. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Edavia loosened her braids as a sinister smile emerged on her adorable face. ¡°Let¡¯s show that rascal what I¡¯m capable of.¡± The dark room crumbled as the two of them returned to the world. ¡­ Chapter 569.2: Edavia (2)

Chapter 569.2: Edavia (2)

The sh between the Savior and Light Devourer was still ongoing when Roel finally regained his senses. The shockwaves produced by the sh shook the entire continent. Most races could be seen escaping in a flurry from this crisis. Both the Savior and Roel were using Sia¡¯s powers. A battle of this tier was beyond what others could intervene in. Be it the mighty Giants or the Angels, they could only watch this tug-of-war with uneasy hearts and await the conclusion. In the sky, the Savior¡¯splexion was slowly turning pale. His rapidly depleting energy was shaking the stability of His Divine Domain, but even so, He was confident of achieving victory. As long as he held on for just a while longer, Roel¡¯s soul would disintegrate on its own. Without Roel, Light Devourer would lose the authority to harm Him. The Savior knew that victory was drawing close as Roel¡¯s body slowly turned translucent, and a triumphant smile emerged on His lips. Just as it looked as if Roel¡¯s soul was about to fully dissipate, a sudden mana pulsation rippled from him. His body began to solidify once more as his dried-up soul revitalized. ¡°Impossible!¡± the Savior eximed in horror. Before He could even think of a way to terminate this inconceivable phenomenon, the silver-haired man raised his head to look at him with glowing eyes. ¡°What did you do?!¡± the Savior furiously questioned with a livid face, hoping to uncover the secret behind the enemy¡¯s sudden return to life. However, Roel simply gazed at the sky and calmly made his deration. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Everything is now in ce. You can struggle, but your death is inevitable.¡± ¡°You seek to kill Me? What blind arrogance. Did you think that you could kill Me just because you have barely reached My altitude?¡± the Savior replied with eyes zing with rage. ¡°The most you can hope to do is to harm My physical body, even if you sacrifice all of your God¡¯s Envoys. When ites to souls, that fragile soul of yours won¡¯t be able to faze Me in the least.¡± Watching as Light Devourer tore down His defenses one after another, the Savior was already resolved to abandon His physical body if necessary. Even if He were defeated here, He was confident that He could survive this ordeal and make aeback in due time. It was not without reason that He was deemed to be a supreme being. Or at least, that was what He thought till a childlike voice reached His ears. ¡°His soul is indeed insufficient, but what if I put mine on the line as well?¡± Edavia said with an amused chuckle. ¡°!¡± The Savior widened His eyes in horror. Darkness suddenly emerged out of nowhere, causing the brilliant sky to flicker in uncertainty. A terribly cold and malevolent aura engulfed the world, as if someone had opened Pandora¡¯s box. Other than the two shing floods of light in the sky, the rest of the world had been plunged into cold darkness. Those from the Savior¡¯s faction lost their protection. Those from the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction dared not to cheer aloud. Everyone could subconsciously feel a vague pressure crushing on their souls. This pressure came not from an individual but from their surroundings. Only those from the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction had felt this pressure earlier, and this allowed them to identify the true face behind this phenomenon. It was a Divine Domain. A third Divine Domain had been constructed on Dragon¡¯s Gorge, the sacrednd where the Savior had awakened. This should have been an impossible feat, and the ease with which this miracle had been achieved chilled the soldiers on the battlefield. The Savior, the master of thisnd, revealed unprecedented fear. The instincts He had inherited from Sia were practically screaming at Him about the danger He was in. Feeling the unusual mana and sinister aura that had encroached on His Divine Domain, He was suddenly reminded of a frightening existence. That was a forbidden entity known only through the legends, the oldest Sovereign who ruled over the aberrations that had unintentionally been spawned when Sia first created the world. It was the first andst Spiriteer Sovereign, as well as the first evil god of the world. Its name? Edavia. Upon realizing the identity of His enemy, the Savior frenziedly unleashed a blinding light to block Roel¡¯s attack. He knew that He couldn¡¯t afford to lose His body and bare His soul before an existence like Edavia. He wouldn¡¯t stand a chance at all. His struggle proved to be futile, especially since He had just lost His Divine Domain. Inparison, Roel¡¯s strength had just reached its peak. With a furious roar, hepressed his mana to its very limit and hurled a punch toward the man in the sky. A six-colored aurora surged forth like a spear of heresy to tear down the sky. Infused within this spear were the powers of the Six Cmities¡ªcier Creator, Sire Darkness, Tempest Caller, Shrouding Fog, Flooding Death, and Light Devourer. These six entities resonated with Roel¡¯s soul, unleashing an attack that harnessed theirbined prowess. ¡°No!!¡± the Savior cried angrily. He hurriedly formed multiple light barriers to resist the six-colored aurora, but the defenses He put up were easily breached as if they were flimsy sheets of paper. The spear of heresy swiftly pierced through His chest, sttering golden blood all over the air. The power of the Six Cmities immediately flowed into His body through His injury to unleash their pent-up wrath on Him. A fiery inferno seared His left arm. A deathly miasma vited His right arm. Ice crystals slowly crept up His chest, as a mana-consuming aurora rampaged within His body. It only took mere seconds for the Six Cmities to break down the Savior¡¯s body, forcing His soul to escape. Under the cover of the golden sun, the Savior discreetly fled toward the east, unhesitatingly abandoning all of His soldiers on the battlefield. Roel noticed His escape, but he didn¡¯t order the Six Cmities to pursue Him, for he knew that he had alreadypleted his mission. Edavia¡¯s Divine Domain had already closed off the surrounding area. With the Savior¡¯s escape, the sun in the sky abruptly vanished and boundless darkness settled upon the world. All kinds of eldritch horrors manifested from the darkness, be it inverted towers, whipping vines, bleeding boulders, or shadowy manifestations. The Savior was momentarily startled before it dawned on Him where these eldritch horrors were from. They were Sia¡¯s failed creations during the world¡¯s inception. These monsters could inflict harm just bying into contact with others. Yet, they cheered at the sight of the Savior and rushed over as if to wee their newest member. Furthermore, an ominous aura was swiftly closing in on Him. A little winding path appeared beneath the Savior¡¯s feet, as if a passageway to guide the lost. The monsters stopped in front of this path before raising their hands toward the Savior to usher Him in. This path was clearly a trap, yet it was the Savior¡¯s only path of escape. Not daring to dawdle around, He hurriedly flitted through the winding path. What awaited Him at the end of the path was not light but an orange-haired girl. ¡°!¡± The Savior¡¯s soul jolted. He instinctively understood who the orange-haired girl was. Edavia calmly raised her hand toward the glowing soul rushing in her direction. Darkness began converging toward the center of her palm, morphing into a ck hole. Her huge Divine Domain began to swiftly contract, almost as if she was hauling in her after having captured her prey. Faced with the threat of death, the Savior frenziedly red His soul and emanated a blinding light to expel the darkness copsing on Him. His struggle was in vain. No soul could hope to oppose the ancient Spiriteer Sovereign. ¡°I will be taking your soul. Farewell, rascal.¡± ¡°No!!¡± Leaving those impassive words behind, Edavia¡¯s silhouette faded into the darkness. Her Divine Domain contracted its darkness into a single point. There was a moment of silence before the contracted darkness jolted like a beating heart. Then, a colossal explosion broke out, dragging the Savior¡¯s soul toward its doom. Chapter 570.1: Hero (1)

Chapter 570.1: Hero (1)

Edavia tightlypressed the proliferated darkness into a single point in space, creating a bomb of epic proportions. When she finally released her grip, it released a cataclysmic explosion reminiscent of the one that started the world. As darkness turned into mes, the two Divine Domains copsed with a deafening shatter. Countless soldiers covered their ears in pain. Light and darkness vanished from the sky as devastating shockwaves rippled across the world, quaking the sky and earth alike. The Savior had managed to escape a significant distance away in the brief moment right before the explosion unfolded, but the shockwaves rippled at an even greater speed. What they destroyed wasn¡¯t just physical objects, but souls as well. The angels in the sky plummeted with wretched cries. The Blood nsmen, who should have been immune to all damage after slipping into the shadows, harrumphed in pain. The soldiers in Dragon¡¯s Gorge trembled as the shockwaves threatened to jolt their souls away. Terrified, the soldiers lowered their postures and nervously waited for this unprecedented feeling of difort to fade away. At the center of the explosion, the severely wounded Roel looked at the sky and murmured with a peaceful expression. ¡°¡­It¡¯s over?¡± It sounded like both a question and a derative statement. Staring at the sky, he slowly heaved a soundless sigh. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s over. At least for the time being,¡± Edavia replied. She floated into the sky and looked at the distant shockwaves. ¡°I didn¡¯t get all of Him, but He has sustained severe damage to His soul. He will be incapacitated, at least in the short run.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t get all of Him?¡± ¡°Existences like Him are nigh impossible to kill. It is already a miracle for you to have inflicted such severe damage to His body and soul.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel silently nodded. His body was far too broken down to feel joy and relief, but his heart felt peace like never before. It was like he had finally put down the burden weighing down his heart after aplishing the mission entrusted to him. After destroying the Savior¡¯s body, the six-colored aurora descended from the sky and gathered around Roel in an attempt to preserve his tattered body. That reminded Roel of another issue. ¡°Edavia, how is the Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°That fellow had banished Her to the past using the power of thisnd, but the seal won¡¯t be able to sustain itself now that He has died. Look; the sun is reaching its limit,¡± Edavia said as she pointed her finger at the sun. Roel slowly raised his head. The brilliant sun that had dominated the battlefield with its divine might had started dimming at some point in time. Cracks could be seen forming on its surface as it started plummeting in the direction where the Savior had lost His life. ¡°The seal will be lifted once the sun falls. The Mother Goddess will naturally return to the world.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Her. She¡¯s much stronger than you think. Besides¡­ don¡¯t you think that you aren¡¯t in a position to be worrying about others?¡± Edavia asked with a heavy tone as she slowly descended toward Roel. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to return to that room right after tasting the joy of freedom. You don¡¯t have to live forever, but at least live well for a couple of centuries.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to fulfill your wish¡­¡± Roel smiled at her words. His long white hair quietly fluttered in the air as he heaved a soft sigh of helplessness. ¡°Am I going to die?¡± ¡°I can at least preserve your soul. I am the Spiriteer Sovereign, after all¡­ but this is the first time I have seen such severe injuries. I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll be able to treat you.¡± Edavia grimly looked at the silver-haired man before her. His right arm had dissipated for daring to tap into Sia¡¯s powers. His blood and flesh were sttered everywhere. His soul had be a mere wisp. He was barely holding it together with his remaining strength. But before she could make a move, an unexpected voice suddenly echoed from afar. ¡°Leave it to Me, then.¡± ¡°!¡± The familiar voice had Roel widening his eyes in astonishment. He could feel a slim arm wrapping itself around his waist and tightly pulling him into a warm embrace. The Mother Goddess had descended. ¡­ A peculiar silence had befallen Dragon¡¯s Gorge when the Mother Goddess escaped from the temporal cage and appeared on the battlefield. Two vastly different kinds of emotions rippled across the crowd at the fastest speed possible. . The Savior¡¯s faction was in tatters after experiencing the earlier soul shockwave. Even if they still had the advantage in terms of military prowess, they had already lost all will to fight after witnessing the defeat of the Sun God. The appearance of the Mother Goddess only stoked their panic. Without the Savior to suppress the Mother Goddess, they didn¡¯t stand a chance at all. Many races began to vote with their actions. With terrified screams, the Beastmen frantically fled toward the west. The Giants turned tail and stampeded away. The Angels, Dragons, and Wingmen scattered in all directions. It was apletely different sight for the survivors of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. The Blood nsmen hidden in the shadows revealed themselves. The High Elves were so excited that they began skipping around like children. The Dwarves joyfully brandished their war hammers. The Undead raised their swords and cheered aloud. It was such a miraculous turnaround that it filled them with indescribable emotions. They praised both the Mother Goddess¡¯ grace and the Kingmaker¡¯s astounding feat. However, the Mother Goddess wasn¡¯t in the mood to join in their celebrations. There was only one person reflected in Her eyes at this very moment. ¡°Mother?¡± Roel feebly called out upon sensing the familiar and reassuring aura. ¡°Mm. It¡¯s Me,¡± the Mother Goddess answered with a quivering voice. Looking at Roel¡¯s fragmented soul and tattered body, Her crimson eyes wavered in agitation. Yet, Her movements only became gentler as She forcefully stopped Her body from trembling. She could tell that Roel was in such a feeble state that the slightest tremor could take his life. Feeling the Mother Goddess¡¯ concern, Roel faintly smiled. ¡°Mother¡­ there are some things I have to tell You.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I might have gone astray at times, but I didn¡¯t betray You.¡± ¡°¡­I know, I know. Don¡¯t speak anymore.¡± Unable to hold back Her tears, the Mother Goddess lowered her head and began sobbing. Sensing its master¡¯s grief, the six-colored aurora descended and quietly revolved around the two of them. On the other hand, Roel was relieved to see the Mother Goddess safe and sound. Now that he had ryed the most important words in his heart to Her, thest bit of strength sustaining him finally disappeared. The two of them simultaneously fell silent. Meanwhile, Edavia stared at the Mother Goddess. She seemed to be seeing someone else in Her silver hair and familiar facial features. It took a while before she snapped out of her reverie and shattered the silence. ¡°As much as I don¡¯t want to disturb the two of you, there isn¡¯t much time left. You should make a move as soon as possible.¡± ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°You should be able to recognize me if you retained your past memories.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no way the Mother Goddess, who had inherited Sia¡¯s memories, wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize Edavia, the Spiriteer Sovereign. However, there was aplicated rtionship between the two of them, and Edavia seemed reluctant to talk about it. ¡°His remaining soul won¡¯t dissipate as long as I¡¯m here, but I won¡¯t be able to do anything about the portions he fused together with your powers. You¡¯ll have to find a way yourself. As for his physical body, that should be a walk in the park for you.¡± ¡°I know what to do. Leave the rest to Me.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I wish you the best. Losing him will hurt you much more than me,¡± Edavia said before her floating silhouette slowly faded away. Chapter 570.2: Hero (2)

Chapter 570.2: Hero (2)

With a heavy heart, the Mother Goddess turned Her attention back to Roel. She diverged Her mana into millions of invisible threads that carefully wrapped themselves around Roel¡¯s body, keeping him safe from all harm in the world. At the same time, She also took back his authority over the God¡¯s Envoys. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mother. The gap between the Savior and me was too huge. I had to fuse my soul with the God¡¯s Envoys to grasp the power to oppose him. Only one of them survived the fight¡­¡± ¡°You did well. It¡¯s better than what I could have done.¡± The Mother Goddess wiped away Her tears and shook Her head. ¡°You are the only one who has truly hurt Him in the past thousand years. Even I have never aplished that.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s thanks to Edavia. I would have only been able to temporarily destroy His body otherwise.¡± ¡°That might be so, but isn¡¯t she part of your power too?¡± the Mother Goddess said as She gently tousled Roel¡¯s white hair. ¡°Beneath that child¡¯s friendly exterior is an aloof heart. She¡¯s not the kind to intervene in matters that have nothing to do with her. It¡¯s a miracle that you were able to convince her to make a move. And there¡¯s also them as well.¡± The Mother Goddess raised Her head and looked at the aurora, who appeared to be worriedly pacing around Roel. A hint of incredulity shed across Her eyes. ¡°They hardly interact with mortals at all. The authority I bestowed upon the High Elves only granted them the right to restrict their activities. How did you¡­¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ words slowly trailed off. Roel revealed a bitter smile. He couldn¡¯t exin the Crown¡¯s Stones, as they were a paradox in this timeline, but he did have some ideas about Edavia¡¯s mindset. ¡°I have a feeling that Edavia only helped me because she projected the sentiments she felt for someone else onto me.¡± ¡°!¡± The Mother Goddess widened Her eyes as She grasped the deeper meaning behind those words, but She quickly pulled Her attention back to the present. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this now. Let¡¯s return.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°But before then, you should receive the treatment you deserve,¡± the Mother Goddess said with a faint smile. ¡°Hm?¡± Confusion could be seen on Roel¡¯s face, but the Mother Goddess didn¡¯t bother exining. A silver moon rose into the sky, casting gentle moonlight on the two of them. Their bodies slowly rose from the ground, with a beautiful aurora apanying them. Roel¡¯s viewpoint continued to rise, giving him a bird¡¯s-eye view of the surroundings. The sky that was previously dominated by the Dragons and the Wingmen was nowpletely empty except for the ascending Roel and the Mother Goddess. There was a brief moment of peace before deafening cheers rippled across the entirety of Dragon¡¯s Gorge. The cheers started from the soldiers who were closest to Roel and the Mother Goddess when they started ascending, then swiftly infected the entire battlefield. The Dwarves, who were busy looting precious materials from the battlefield, dropped the weapons in their arms. The Gnomes, who were camping in the trenches, jumped out to join in themotion. Wherever one looked, soldiers could be seen waving their weapons with fevered emotions. The survivors of that tragic battle chanted Roel¡¯s name, offering their blessings to the hero who had bravely stepped forward during the Mother Goddess¡¯ departure to subdue the undefeatable enemy and save all of them. Even in his feeble state, Roel was still moved by this sight. He forced himself to remain awake to imprint this scene into his eyes. The night wind tugged at his white hair as a heartened smile emerged on his lips. It was then that the Mother Goddess finally spoke up. ¡°You are their hero tonight. Even I have to take a back seat here.¡± ¡°I am just doing what I should.¡± ¡°And sometimes, that¡¯s more than enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. He looked at the cheering crowd with all kinds of emotions surging through his heart. He was d that he had stepped forward despite the odds. This was probably what his ancestors would have also wanted to happen. My mission should be finished now, right? Roel¡¯s consciousness began to fade as soon as this thought surfaced in his mind. The Mother Goddess noticed it and quickly stepped forward to gently support him. ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°Just¡­ a little¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go home, then,¡± the Mother Goddess told him gently. The silver moon suddenly radiated an intense light. Under the bright luminescence, their silhouettes gradually grew indistinct before disappearing altogether. ¡­ Today was destined to be an extraordinary day for those working in the Moonsoul Tower. From early morning, they had already caught wind of news that their soldiers were struggling over at Dragon¡¯s Gorge, which brought about a tense atmosphere. The chief strategists of the races convened and held meeting after meeting. The panic only worsened in the afternoon. The Savior had somehow managed to slip into the High Elves¡¯ quarter to destroy the Mother Goddess¡¯ hidden ace¡ªthe divine scepter to awaken the God¡¯s Envoys. Even Micher, the chief of the High Elves, despaired upon hearing that news. Much to everyone¡¯s astonishment, the Kingmaker stepped forward and put his soul on the line to establish a connection with the God¡¯s Envoys. Upon receiving the power of the God¡¯s Envoys, he marched off to Dragon¡¯s Gorge to reinforce the struggling frontline soldiers. Trepidation swiftly spread within the Moonsoul Tower shortly after the Kingmaker left. It dawned upon them that they hadmitted a fatal mistake by defying the Mother Goddess¡¯ order. The Mother Goddess had issued a formal decree for them to prioritize the Kingmaker¡¯s safety above all things else. She had even granted special permission to Micher and the others to resort to restrictive measures should the Kingmaker insist on endangering himself. Yet, they chose to turn a blind eye to Roel¡¯s action. They knew that their reserve army wasn¡¯t strong enough to turn the tides around, and their only hopey in Roel and the God¡¯s Envoys. Not even Ad could bring herself to stand in Roel¡¯s way when the survival of the Mother Goddess¡¯ entire faction was on the line. By this point, Micher and the other Race Sovereigns hade to a realization. He won¡¯t be returning. A normal person would have never fused their soul together with the God¡¯s Envoys. The fusion of the souls was easy enough to pull off, but undoing it was practically impossible. Roel¡¯s choice was an act of desperation. And he made this choice when their faction was clearly in an utterly disadvantageous position, evident from how the sun refused to set even when it should have been nightfall. A deste atmosphere settled upon the Moonsoul Tower. Micher looked more haggard than ever as he watched the setting sun rising back to the center of the sky. He thought about the animosity he had directed at Roel since thetter¡¯s arrival at the Moonsoul Tower, and guilt tortured his soul. It was onlyte at night that the silver moon finally reappeared in the sky. Shortly afterward, the Mother Goddess and the Kingmaker returned to the Moonsoul Tower. When the Mother Goddess returned with news of their victory, everyone in the Moonsoul Tower breathed a huge sigh of relief before roaring in delight. However, the mood quickly dampened when they noticed the hero of the battle lying in a precarious condition in Her arms. In the sky garden located at the peak of the Moonsoul Tower, the Mother Goddess¡¯ body trembled ever so slightly with Roel in Her arms. Her feignedposure had finally shattered after Her child lost consciousness. Tears rained down from Her crimson eyes as Her heart ached over Her piteous child. Powerful mana pulsations rippled from the Mother Goddess as a result of Her intense emotions. The Moonsoul Tower released a faint luminescence once again as it struggled to protect itself from the Mother Goddess¡¯ might. It was a familiar scene, but none of the race leaders uttered a word. They vaguely understood the Mother Goddess¡¯ feelings. How could the Mother Goddess remain calm when Her child¡¯s life was hanging by a thread? A quick diagnosis showed that not even a tenth of Roel¡¯s body and soul remained. In fact, the only reason Roel was still alive was his Crown Origin Attribute. He had partially gained the authority of the Creator by increasing the purity of Sia¡¯s soul within him during the battle with the Savior. This authority spared him from the concept of death. But just because one was unable to die didn¡¯t mean that one was alive. Only one oue awaited those who had fallen into Roel¡¯s plight¡ªeternal rest. The Mother Goddess couldn¡¯t ept such an oue, which was why She returned to the Moonsoul Tower in search of a solution. ¡°Do any of you have ideas on how to treat him?¡± the Mother Goddess asked the trembling crowd before Her. The race leaders rushed forward to inspect Roel¡¯s condition. The conscience-stricken Micher took the lead, and the chief of the Blood n, who specialized in medical treatment, quickly followed suit. They still vividly remembered the aftermath of the Mother Goddess¡¯ previous rampage, and it frightened them to see how She was in an even more unstable mental state than before. Their hearts beat anxiously as they inspected Roel¡¯s condition. Momentster, they nced at one another with despairing looks. The severity of Roel¡¯s condition was beyond what the Race Sovereigns had ever seen. Nevertheless, Micher was still able to find a few aspects where they could tackle this problem, and he was determined to treat the Kingmaker to make it up to thetter. ¡°O great Mother Goddess, I am willing to offer our High Elves¡¯ Philosopher¡¯s Stone to heal the Kingmaker¡¯s body aspensation for my previous insolence.¡± ¡°Micher¡­¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ anxious expression finally lessened a little. The Philosopher¡¯s Stone was a mystical medium capable of bringing forth miracles. While it was not necessarily more effective than the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, it had its own advantages. The other race leaders keenly noticed that the Mother Goddess¡¯ mental state had stabilized a little after Micher made his proposal, so they quickly did the same to avert a possible cmity. From the Progenitor¡¯s Blood and God¡¯s Spine to the Heart of Purgatory, the race leaders anxiously offered their most valuable treasures as if they were handing out flyers. cating the Mother Goddess took precedence here. It was pointless to keep these treasures when the world was going to be destroyed by the Mother Goddess¡¯ rampage, after all. Indeed, the Mother Goddess did calm down considerably after seeing how proactively the race leaders were trying to help Roel. There was no guarantee that these valuable materials would be useful, but they added another sliver of hope for Roel¡¯s recovery. However, the greatest problem also surfaced at this point¡ªRoel¡¯s soul. Not a single one of the treasures offered by the race leaders had the ability to heal the soul, yet that happened to be the greatest hurdle that stood in the way of Roel¡¯s recovery. Micher and the others werepletely helpless on this matter. The Mother Goddess pondered for a long while before sighing softly. ¡°Looks like I can only resort to that.¡± The Mother Goddess looked at the moon with a determined gleam in Her eyes. She lightly pressed Her lips to Roel¡¯s forehead as She murmured, ¡°My child, I won¡¯t allow anything to happen to you. I promise.¡± The Mother Goddess and Roel¡¯s silhouette began to fade under the moonlight before disappearing from the sky garden. Chapter 571.1: Recovery (1)

Chapter 571.1: Recovery (1)

Roel Ascart had a long dream that was nothing like anything he had ever experienced. It felt real yet illusory like a dream. All kinds of scenes shed across his eyes in that dream. He saw many silhouettes emanating powerful auras anxiously pacing around him. They scrutinized his body as if they were determined to uncover his secrets. This continued for a long time before concluding with a warm and moist touch on his forehead. Then, he found himself in a warm ce. The silhouettes that previously surrounded him were nowhere to be seen. In their ce were artifacts that emanated strong mana pulsations. He didn¡¯t know what these artifacts were in his groggy state, but he did know that they were either exerting their effect on him or directly fused into his body. As the artifacts were taken away one after another, he noticed that his consciousness was slowly bing clearer. A coalescence of many conflicting energies guided by a gentle but firm stream of mana filled his body with a surge of warmth. As warmth suffused his body, Roel fell asleep once again. The first thing he saw when he regained consciousness once more was the gentle moonlight. He was in the midst of a ritual, with a pair of warm andforting arms wrapped around him. The ritual looked to be a spell, but the scope transcended all spells he had ever seen. Momentster, he felt something cold, sinister, and even terrifying slowly approach his heart. His soul shuddered intensely in response, but his injuries were so severe that he couldn¡¯t wake up. Vaguely, he felt the warm arms around him tightening. That person was trying to suppress the ufortable sensation, but even so, the waves of coldness still slowly robbed him of his consciousness. Before he knew it, he had already fallen into deep sleep. When he finally opened his eyes once more, the scenery around him was alreadypletely different. ¡­ It was in the middle of the night when Roel¡¯s eyes slowly opened to a familiar room. After what seemed to be a long dream, he had finally awoken. The moment he opened his eyes, a red gleam shed across his golden eyes reminiscent of a shooting star, but he was much too groggy to pay it any heed. He remained in a daze for around a minute before life returned to his eyes. He nkly blinked a couple of times. While assessing his environment, he tried to recall what had happened before he fell asleep. He quickly noticed the warmth pressing against his back, as well as the asional breaths tickling his neck. This is¡­ Roel carefully turned around. Under the gentle moonlight obscured by ayer of silk, a silver-haired woman was sleeping with Her arms wrapped around him. The Mother Goddess was wearing a thin nightgown that exposed Her fair skin tone. She looked exhausted as if She had just been through a difficult fight, not showing any signs of waking despite Roel¡¯s fidgeting, but She continued to hug him as if to protect him. Due to Roel¡¯s earlier movements, her nightgown opened up at the top to reveal a hint of Her voluptuous figure. Her unguarded expression showed a very different side from Her usual self, filling one with a feeling of wonderment. The gentle moonlight outlined Her silhouette, casting a dreamlike quality on this sight. The Mother Goddess¡¯ beauty was iparable to anything else, but there were no disrespectful thoughts in Roel¡¯s mind at all. Rather, he breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Her. He looked at his own body, which was dressed in the same frighteningly translucent nightgown as the Mother Goddess, and he decided to just lie back down and rest. It was a scenario that would have usually culminated in something indecent, but putting aside the fact that Roel harbored no such thought, he also had a feeling that the Mother Goddess had Her own reason for doing this. The two of them had slept together before for afternoon naps, but the Mother Goddess was usually properly dressed. There had to be a reason that the Mother Goddess had dressed Herself and him in such clothes. For the time being, Roel decided to inspect his own body. His condition right before passing out had been utterly dreadful. His left arm had partially dissipated from utilizing spells beyond his means, whereas his right arm had beenpletely reduced to cinders from delivering the final blow to the Savior. While the God¡¯s Envoys had stepped in to protect him from the three divine lights cast by the Savior, their deaths still inflicted severe damage to his soul, which inadvertently affected his body as well. The sheer impact caused a whole lot of internal bleeding and fractures. That was also the reason his blood was nearly dried out by the end of the battle despite not receiving any direct blows from the Savior. But then again, that was the exact reason he had been able to draw out the full potential of Being Toward Death, allowing him to raise his powers to a levelparable to the Savior. That was part of the reason he didn¡¯t bother treating his wounds, and his triumph over the Savior showed that he had made the right choice. Honestly speaking, it was truly a miracle that he had survived despite how broken his body had been. It would have definitely been much easier to build a new him than to treat his injuries. Yet, all of those traumas he sustained had disappeared as if it had been all a dream. Looking at his smooth hands and his ck hair, Roel could see why the Mother Goddess was worshiped as a supreme being. However, it didn¡¯t take him long to notice that something was amiss with his body. His mana had yet to recover, and he still felt an inexplicable feeling of exhaustioning from within, indicating that his soul had yet to fully recover. Yet, his body felt oddly light and energetic. It was utterly irrational how his body could be in a good state when there were so many negative factors weighing it down. To draw an analogy, he felt like a normalputer had suddenly started processing at the speed of a supeputer despite having all kinds of bloatware and viruses installed on it. He inspected his body, and he eventually concluded that his body had be more resilient. Little did he know that his body was more than just resilient. All of his internal organs had been reinforced with the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. His blood had been mixed with the Blood n¡¯s Progenitor Blood. Imnted in his bones was the God¡¯s Spine the Undead had collected after the death of the first generation of gods. Even Tang Sanzang¡¯s flesh couldn¡¯tpare to Roel¡¯s anymore! In no way exaggerating, a slice of Roel¡¯s flesh could very well be worth a city. That being said, no one in the world would barter such a trade. Even if Roel learned about this, he wouldn¡¯t hurt his own body for it, knowing that the Mother Goddess must have gone to great lengths to heal him. Having his kin around meant that his life didn¡¯t just belong to him anymore. Thus, although he noticed some peculiarities with his body, he decided to ignore them out of trust for the Mother Goddess. He breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that his body was in good condition. With that, he finally turned his attention toward the thing he was extremely concerned about but dared not to check¡ªthe System. ¡¾Progress of Bloodline Awakening: 99%¡¿ ¡¾Evaluation: 189 (Apex)¡¿ ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Even in Roel¡¯s lethargic state, the moment he saw the updates on the System, his body quickly clenched up as his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. This was the first time he had seen such a high evaluation score on the System. He even thought that he was seeing things or that the System had malfunctioned for a moment! An evaluation score of 189 waspletely unbelievable to him! No matter how difficult an ordeal he had ovee in his previous state, his evaluation score had only ranged from 110 to 120, which led him to think that the maximum score might be 150, simr to the exams he had in his previous life. Yet, he actually broke the score ceiling this time around. Furthermore, the description next to the evaluation score was not just ¡®High¡¯ but ¡®Apex¡¯, which suggested that the System had determined him to have surpassed his limits to achieve results beyond what was deemed possible. This left him in a contemtive mood. He had faced many dangers in this Witness State, but now that he thought about it, his aplishment here far surpassed what he had achieved before. Even now, he could still vividly remember the deafening cheers of the victorious soldiers under the moonlight right before he passed out. One could even say that he had changed the world! Of course, the difficulty was at an unprecedented infernal mode too. Putting aside the supreme beings, the Savior and the Mother Goddess, there were many other existences who could have squashed Roel, be it the evil gods, the demonic beasts, or the Race Sovereigns of mythological races. Even the God¡¯s Envoys were in prime condition too, making them far stronger than the Six Cmities in the present era. If not for that, Roel would have never been able to amass enough power to rival the Savior. Roel, too, thought that it was a miracle that he was able to pull off what he did despite only being an Origin Level 2 transcendent. His bloodline awakening had also progressed smoothly, with the progress currently stopped at 99%. It seemed that he would awaken to his Gold-tier Bloodline only when he returned to the real world. There was still no countdown reflected on the System yet, but Roel¡¯s thoughts about returning had changed after the events he had been through. On the one hand, he had been in no condition to return to the current timeline. If the System had sent him back to the real world right after he defeated the Savior, he would have already been dead by now. He knew from past experience that the injuries he sustained in the Witness State wouldn¡¯t magically disappear after he left the Witness State. Even if his body pulled through the worst, his sparse soul would have still doomed him to a slow death. The Third Epoch simply wasn¡¯t equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to treat him. The System could have intentionally prolonged his time in the Witness State to protect him, but in any case, he had avoided the worst-case scenario. On the other hand, Roel didn¡¯t want to leave right away, either. Feeling the warmth pressed against his back, he fell into a dilemma. He had never thought that he would grow this close to the Mother Goddess. Her love for him was selfless. She had sided with him time and time again despite Her closest aides advising Her against it. She, too, knew that there was something wrong with him, but She was still reluctant to take his life. She might struggle to express Her concern at times, but She always went to all lengths to protect him. Everything She had done for him was simply overwhelming. It was inevitable that Roel, who had never experienced maternal love in this life, would be infatuated with Her. Some might think that this waspletely meaningless. The Witness State was as much of a reality as it was an illusion. It was like the moon reflected on theke, to be seen from afar and never touched. Edavia had already warned him about it, but he couldn¡¯t sever his feelings. He didn¡¯t want to give up on it even if it was just a transient illusion. He wanted to stay by the side of his loving mother even if it was just for a moment longer. ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s heart grew heavy. He shook his head to evict those negative thoughts from his mind. Shortly after he was done inspecting his body, he suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness arising from his body and soul¡¯s fatigue. The reassuring warmth on his back also felt like a cradle that gently lulled him to sleep. Soon, he sumbed to his exhaustion and drifted off to dreand. ¡­ Chapter 571.2: Recovery (2)

Chapter 571.2: Recovery (2)

Huge changes had urred to Roel¡¯s body by the time he awoke once more. His empty mana pool had been replenished, and his body felt even lighter and more energetic. However, the warm sensation on his back had disappeared. Has Mother left? This thought was quickly overthrown when Roel opened his eyes, for the first thing he saw was a silver-haired woman lying on the bed, looking at him with Her arm propping up Her head. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Sorry; did I disturb you?¡± ¡°¡­No, not at all,¡± Roel replied with a shake of his head. The Mother Goddess smiled. She might have been aware of how thin Her night gown was, as She had donned a robe over it, though Her casual lying posture still exposed much of Her skin. Still, She wasn¡¯t too bothered by it since She was with Her child. She first scanned Roel¡¯s body before cing Her hand on his forehead. ¡°How are you feeling? Anywhere unwell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. If anything, my body feels lighter than ever.¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s good.¡± The Mother Goddess looked relieved. Roel took a look at his surroundings and saw that it was still night. The silver moon was still hanging high in the sky. ¡°Mother, how long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°Fifteen days have passed since that battle.¡± ¡°Fifteen days?¡± Not expecting to have been asleep for this long, Roel was taken aback by the sudden time skip. The Mother Goddess caressed his forehead and nodded. ¡°Mmhm. It¡¯d take at least that much time for your body to recover this well. You woke up a couple of times over the course of your treatment, but your soul was still much too weak then. You probably don¡¯t remember much from those instances.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah, I can¡¯t remember much. I only have a vague impression.¡± Roel recalled the dreams he had while he was unconscious and deduced that those were probably real. However, he still reserved some doubts as to how the Mother Goddess had managed to treat him, especially since he had received quite a few System notifications. ¡¾Your body is evolving under the influence of an artifact¡¿ ¡¾Your body is evolving under the influence of an artifact¡¿ ¡¾Your body is evolving under the influence of an artifact¡¿ ¡­ ¡¾Compiling updates¡¿ ¡¾Comptionplete¡¿ ¡¾You have received the Mother Goddess¡¯ Blessing.¡¿ ¡¾Indestructible Body The Mother Goddess had expended an unimaginable amount of mana and resources to fuse the strongest artifacts in this world together to forge this blessed body. Effects: Significantly enhanced defense and recovery rate.¡¿ What? Roel was dumbfounded. He had wondered why his body was faring better than ever when he had only just recovered from fatal injuries, and it turned out that there was indeed a reason for it. In particr, he was startled by the description¡ª¡®unimaginable amount of mana and resources¡¯. The System¡¯s description would never exaggerate. The Mother Goddess must have paid a hefty price in order to treat him. ¡°Mother, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask You.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My body¡­ How did You treat it?¡± The Mother Goddess was taken aback by Roel¡¯s question. She told him that the race leaders had offered their greatest treasures for his treatment out of gratitude for saving their lives, and She particrly highlighted Micher in that regard. Roel was surprised. He didn¡¯t expect that the chief of the High Elves, who had even confronted him in front of the Mother Goddess, would take the lead to help him by donating the Philosopher¡¯s Stone. It was only a portion of the Philosopher¡¯s Stone, but its value was still beyond measurement. However, the Mother Goddess thought that this was only to be expected. ¡°Your intervention saved the main forces of the High Elves and the other races. It¡¯s only right for them to do this much for you,¡± the Mother Goddess said with a doting smile. She leaned in and kissed Roel¡¯s forehead. It was only normal for Her to think that way, as She didn¡¯t think that there was anything more valuable than Her child¡¯s life. Meanwhile, Roel suddenly recalled the cold and eerie sensation he had felt in one of his ¡®dreams¡¯. That prompted another question: How did the Mother Goddess mend my soul? His body could still be reforged and enhanced using magic tools, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about his soul. He only had less than a tenth of his soul left back then, such that Edavia, despite being the Spiriteer Sovereign, expressed that she was not confident of treating him. The Mother Goddess would have to bring forth power far beyond anyone¡¯s imagination to pull off such a miracle. Curious to know what She had done to save him, Roel posed the question. "I tried gathering your soul fragments, but you expended far too much of your soul in the battle, so I wasn¡¯t able to piece it together.¡± ¡°Mother, could that mean that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, your current soul is different from before. It contains a hint of My power in it.¡± ¡°A hint of Your power? What kind of power?¡± Roel asked. The Mother Goddess looked at the sky before answering, ¡°It¡¯s a part of Me. The ck Moon.¡± Chapter 572.1: Intuition (1)

Chapter 572.1: Intuition (1)

Roel stared at the Mother Goddess with a dazed look on his face. He was struggling toe to terms with what he had just heard. Prior to this, he had thought about many possibilities for how his terribly fragmented soul could have been repaired, but he didn¡¯t think that the Mother Goddess would resort to the method that was the most damaging to Her. Roel didn¡¯t know much about the ck Moon, and those from the Moonsoul Tower wouldn¡¯t have exined to him how the Mother Goddess¡¯ power worked even if they knew. With that being said, he could tell that the ck Moon was an important authority to Her. He had witnessed the ck Moon on two separate asions. One was on their first meeting, and the other was when the Mother Goddess was dealing with Death God Pritzer. There was no doubt that it was one of Her strongest means, so it would have been a huge loss for Her to grant Roel this power, no matter how small of a portion it was. Guilt weighed down Roel¡¯s conscience. He hadn¡¯t thought that the Mother Goddess would end up paying the price for his recklessness. ¡°Mother, what is the ck Moon?¡± ¡°It is a remnant power left behind by My past self, but it isn¡¯t anything good. It is evil in nature.¡± ¡°Evil?¡± ¡°Good and evil simultaneously exist within all beings; it¡¯s the same for the Genesis Goddess as well. Excessive kindness and evil can impair one¡¯s judgment, so Sia gathered these elements and ssified them during the creation of the world.¡± ¡°ssified them?¡± Roel asked in confusion. The Mother Goddess didn¡¯t answer his question. She quietly stared at him with deep eyes till he finally widened his eyes in realization. The creation of the world mainlyprised two things: the creation of its environment and the creation of its inhabitants. Supposing Sia had ssified good and evil at that juncture, there could only be two possibilities. One: this ssification could have manifested in the form of an environment or a naturalw. The ck Moon was an example of an environment manifested from evil. Two: the ssification could have also manifested in the races that were created. This led Roel to think about Sia¡¯s two closest aides. ¡°Mother, could it be that¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I bestowed the powers arising from My duality on the first two children I created, and those two children went on to be the ancestors of their respective races. The one that was more inclined toward good is your Kingmaker n.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was taken aback. He had somewhat guessed it thanks to the Mother Goddess¡¯ earlier prompt, but he was still unable to remain calm upon having his theory confirmed. Now that he thought about it, such a setting made perfect sense. By virtue of their responsibility, the Kingmaker was the most powerful person in the world other than Sia Herself. All Race Sovereigns had to earn their acknowledgment before they were given the mandate to rule. Such authority was bound to be apanied with temptations. Someone without firm principles would easily be corrupted. Thus, the Kingmaker had to be someone inclined toward good, or else the consequences would be dire. This also exined many things. The Kingmaker n had remained a powerhouse for most of history, such as the Ardes in the Second Epoch. It was not without reason, for the Kingmaker n was inherently much stronger than the humans. If they wanted to, they could have easily amassed power and wealth and lived decadently. Yet, it was rare to hear about a patriarch of the Kingmaker n going astray. More often than not, they obstinately chose to walk down the more difficult path that conformed to their justice. For instance, they had established the Twilight Sages Assembly to deal with the Six Cmities and other threats. Even when their house had fallen into a precarious position, they still persisted in their responsibilities and continued to protect others. It was almost foolish how blindly devoted they were to their principles. But if the Kingmaker n was inherently inclined toward good, that would exin the sacrifices they had willingly made across the generations. However, the thought of that left a bitter taste in Roel¡¯s mouth. If the Kingmaker was created to do good, doesn¡¯t that just make them pawns Sia created to uphold Her order? This is¡­ ¡°Mother, does this mean that a person¡¯s nature is fixed at birth? In the first ce, what draws the line between good and evil?¡± Roel couldn¡¯t help but pose this question. The Mother Goddess keenly noticed Roel¡¯s concern and hurriedly exined Herself. ¡°T-that¡¯s not it! This nature is just an inclination and not absolute.¡± ¡°Inclination?¡± ¡°Some people are born with an inclination to do good. Some people are born with an inclination to do evil. My power only nudges the Kingmaker toward the former. However, a person¡¯s nature is mostly decided by their experiences rather than their birth.¡± ¡°In other words, this inclination only means that I am likelier to do good?¡± ¡°You can say that. What a person bes ultimately depends on the choices they make.¡± Roel nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. He was willing to ept that. As much as he respected Sia and the Mother Goddess, he couldn¡¯t bear the thought that his n was nothing but a tool to uphold justice in the world. That would take away meaning from the sacrifices that his ancestors had made for the sake of humankind. ¡°The concept of good is very broad. It can epass traits such as kindness, perseverance, and courage. The extent may differ as well. Some express it in the form of goodwill. Some express it through a fervent hatred of evil,¡± the Mother Goddess exined. ¡°I see.¡± Roel¡¯s heart was put at ease. He still harbored some questions about the ¡®evil¡¯ the Mother Goddess had spoken about. Supposing that the Kingmaker had inherited Her ¡®good¡¯, who was the one to inherit Her ¡®evil¡¯, then? He hesitated for a moment before asking about it. ¡°Mother, who is the other child You first created? Is it the Spiriteers?¡± ¡°No, the Spiriteers are byproducts from the creation of the world. The other child, whom I have entrusted My ¡®evil¡¯ to, is the Witches.¡± ¡°!¡± Chapter 572.2: Intuition (2)

Chapter 572.2: Intuition (2)

It was an unexpected answer to Roel. The Witches were not foreign to him, since he was contracted with Witch Queen Artasia. Thetter had mentioned more than once that the Witches, together with the Kingmaker n, were Sia¡¯s close aides. To be frank, he did harbor some reservations regarding her im, but it would appear that she hadn¡¯t been lying. Unlike the Kingmaker n, the Witches were tasked with the responsibility of punishing those who had stepped out of line. In a sense, it was not wrong to say that they were evil. ¡®entric¡¯ and ¡®unpredictable¡¯ were two wordsmonly used to describe the Witches, but that probably only made them better at their job. It would be much more difficult to bribe a person who didn¡¯t conform tomon sense, after all. ¡°Going by what we previously mentioned, the influence on the Witches isn¡¯t absolute either?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Witches are also more inclined toward ¡®chaos¡¯ than ¡®evil¡¯. On the whole, I¡¯d say that My influence on your nature is not decisive.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Still¡­ it¡¯s the first time I have seen someone as foolish as you.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± The Mother Goddess seemed to have thought of something as Her eyes began to glisten with tears. She gently pulled Roel in and tightly embraced him. . ¡°Never again¡ªyou hear me?¡± She said with a hoarse voice. ¡°Mmhm.¡± ¡°I got careless in My anxiety to take Him down. This will never happen again,¡± She said with a frigid voice dripping with animosity. ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t the tables already turned on Him?¡± Roel asked. ¡°He still has the backing of the Angels, the Dragons, and the other powerful races, but He will be crippled for the time being by the severe injuries He has sustained. Most of the neutral races have also joined our side under your influence. The odds are currently in our favor.¡± The Mother Goddess lowered Her head and kissed Roel¡¯s forehead. Thetter averted his gaze in embarrassment. ¡°I am only doing what I should. Besides¡­ I don¡¯t think that Mother would have really lost in that battle if not for my intervention.¡± ¡°It is impossible for Him to kill Me, but that battle could have be a turning point. That would have spelled a slow death for Me.¡± The Mother Goddess tousled Roel¡¯s hair as She looked back at the situation in question. ¡°I couldn¡¯t easily break free of the temporal Divine Domain He had constructed on Hisnd of birth. I intended to destroy it with the ck Moon, but I¡¯d have to pay a hefty price for it. That would have put Me in a difficult situation afterward.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel quietly nodded as he further developed that train of thought. In the original timeline, the Mother Goddess likely paid a heavy price to break free of the prison. At the same time, Her army also suffered severe losses in that battle. That would have put Her at a major disadvantage in the war. It was hard to say what She had resorted to afterward, but Roel knew what the eventual oue was. The Mother Goddess fell into deep sleep that was practically no different from death, whereas the God¡¯s Envoys became civilization-destroying cmities. The Savior fell into depravity, and the entire world was gripped by chaos and war. Ultimately, no one won. It was a tragic oue, but Roel was curious to know how the situation could have developed to that point. He spent a moment in thought before probing. ¡°Mother, what kind of condition is the Savior currently in? Will He go into hibernation?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely. Whether it is Me or Him, We would only go into hibernation when We are in a near-death state. You might have dealt Him a crippling blow, but it¡¯s not to that extent yet.¡± The Mother Goddess touched Roel¡¯s cheeks as She replied with a grim tone. ¡°He will not die as long as the sun exists, but He¡¯ll be lying low for a period of time to recuperate. In fact, His faction has already taken a full-out defensive stance.¡± ¡°I see. I wasn¡¯t able to kill Him¡­¡± Roel murmured. The Mother Goddess patted Roel¡¯s head in constion. ¡°You have already done more than enough. Leave the rest to Me.¡± ¡°I understand¡­ Mother, just hypothetically speaking, if Your goal was not to kill the Savior but to drive Him insane, how would You go about it?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The Mother Goddess was understandably taken aback by Roel¡¯s abrupt and bizarre question. Nevertheless, She took some time to ponder his question before offering an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t have any intention of driving Him insane, but it might be possible for something like that to happen as a result of My attack¡­¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m referring to the ck Moon. You should have felt it too, right?¡± ¡°The ck Moon? Wait a moment; are you saying that¡­¡± Roel suddenly remembered the cold and sinister sensation he had felt in his dream. ¡°Was what I felt back then the ck Moon?¡± ¡°Yes, the fundamental nature of the ck Moon is chaos, pandemonium, and evil. It is capable of devouring and corrupting everything thates within its reach. It is possible that the Savior could be driven insane by its powers. However, the descent of the ck Moon will take a toll on Me as well.¡± ¡°The descent of the ck Moon¡­ What will happen to You if that happens?¡± ¡°¡­It would be mutually assured destruction. I wouldn¡¯t resort to that unless desperate.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. It was likely that the Mother Goddess had resorted to the descent of the ck Moon to drag the Savior down with Her, resulting in the tragedies that happened afterward. While he didn¡¯t have a good impression of the Savior, he had to concede that thetter wasn¡¯t the kind to suddenly go insane. The Savior could be said to be the embodiment of the perfect feudal ruler. He was a cunning politician who knew how to maneuver around with a bnce of kindness and threats to build up His own persona while aligning others¡¯ interests with His own. It was not without reason that the powerful races were still siding with Him despite their crushing defeat in Dragon¡¯s Gorge. Roel found it hard to imagine that someone as level-headed as that would suddenly lose His marbles, but it would all make sense if the cause was the Mother Goddess¡¯ attack. This brought his attention toward another issue. ording to what the Mother Goddess had said, his soul contained the powers of the ck Moon. This left him feeling a little conflicted. He wasn¡¯t sure how to go about asking about this. The Mother Goddess noticed his hesitation and quickly borated more on the matter. ¡°The ck Moon is only dangerous when used as an attack. The portion I have put inside youes directly from Me. It doesn¡¯t harness the nature of chaos, pandemonium, or evil.¡± ¡°Ites directly from You? What is the ck Moon?¡± ¡°You can think of the ck Moon as an independent entity that contains a portion of My soul. That¡¯s also the reason I have to pay a hefty price for using its powers.¡± ¡°Hm? Mother, are you saying that¡­ the ck Moon is a living being?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t exactly a living being but¡­¡± The Mother Goddess looked troubled as She struggled to exin it in words, but Her face soon lit up as She thought of a good analogy. ¡°You can think of the ck Moon as the initial form of the God¡¯s Envoys. The God¡¯s Envoys are powers I have prepared for you by severing a portion of My soul and powers. Over time, these entities gained sentience and self-will. The ck Moon is simr to that, just that it is an even higher entity.¡± ¡°¡­An even higher entity?¡± Roel repeated the Mother Goddess¡¯ words as connections started forming in his head. ¡®The descent of the ck Moon¡¯. ¡®Independent entity¡¯. ¡®Simr to the God¡¯s Envoys¡¯. These puzzle pieces fitted together to form the image of a familiar face¡ªAlicia. Chapter 573.1: Omen (1)

Chapter 573.1: Omen (1)

Roel fell into deep thought after hearing the Mother Goddess¡¯ words. Even from their first meeting, Roel had already noticed the uncanny resemnce between Alicia and the Mother Goddess. It was just that he couldn¡¯t find any connections between the two of them afterward other than their appearances. The Mother Goddess had clearly stated that She had never given birth in the traditional sense of the word. In the first ce, it was hard to imagine that there was a person in the world worthy of bing Herpanion. After eliminating that possibility, Roel couldn¡¯t think of other possible connections. Well-versed in history, he knew that the Mother Goddess and the Savior would be warring for a long time before Her eventual downfall. It was unlikely that She would consider leaving behind a child in the midst of the war, as it would only be a weakness for the enemy to exploit. Yet, a new possibility emerged today. Since the Savior did fall into depravity, it was likely that the descent of the ck Moon did ur. Given that the ck Moon possessed its own sentience and self-will, could it have developed into an existence of an even higher order than the Six Cmities? Roel didn¡¯t have an answer to that question, but his intuition told him that Alicia had a close connection with the ck Moon. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t have been an uncanny resemnce between the two. That also exined Alicia¡¯s meteoric growth in her transcendent abilities. However, this put Roel in a dilemma. Hold right there! What¡¯s the rtionship between me and Alicia, then? If Alicia has inherited the ck Moon and a portion of the Mother Goddess¡¯ soul, wouldn¡¯t that technically mean that she is the Mother Goddess? Roel felt like his brain was going to burst from thisplicated rtionship tree. No, we can¡¯t think about it that way. Alicia has only inherited part of the Mother Goddess¡¯ soul, not to mention that she possesses her own self-will. At the very most, she can only be considered to be the Mother Goddess¡¯ child. I mean, I also inherited the Mother Goddess¡¯ soul and am considered Her child. This train of thought, unfortunately, brought about its own set of problems. Wait, wait, wait! Doesn¡¯t this mean that we aren¡¯t foster siblings but real siblings?! This was an absolute taboo to Roel, who had inherited the values from his previous world. Foster siblings were already in the red zone, but an incestuous rtionship was absolutely out of the question. But again, blood ties are usually the sole determining factor when considering whether a rtionship is incestuous or not, right? I mean, who the hell will pull out a couple¡¯s soul and condemn them for being soul siblings?! In the first ce, most intelligent creatures are Sia¡¯s descendants, right? If we use soul as a gauge for familial ties, that basically means that everyone is siblings with one another! If it isn¡¯t an issue for other ¡®soul siblings¡¯, why should it be an issue for us? Having finally thought things through, Roel heaved a huge sigh of relief. Meanwhile, the Mother Goddess noticed something and gently loosened Her arms. She leaned back a little to take a look at Roel¡¯s body, only for Her expression to turn heavy. ¡°It still isn¡¯t stable yet?¡± ¡°Hm? What do you¡­¡± Halfway through his words, Roel suddenly experienced intense vertigo, followed by an extreme wave of fatigue. The Mother Goddess before his eyes turned blurry. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! This is soul rejection, a normal phenomenon for such a procedure. Just take a long rest and it¡¯ll all be over. I¡¯ll stay with you and take care of everything.¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Roel nodded in response to the Mother Goddess¡¯ guarantee before slowly closing his eyes. Within seconds, his consciousness had already faded to darkness. ¡­ After Roel fell into a deep sleep, the Mother Goddess¡¯ smile slowly turned into a worried frown. She had tried Her best to portray an optimistic appearance in front of Roel, but Her facade fell off as soon as he lost consciousness. Roel¡¯s condition was nowhere as good as the Mother Goddess imed it to be. This could be seen from the treatment duration. The Mother Goddess had the power to heal fatal wounds within seconds. Roel¡¯s condition had been worse than fatal¡ªthe difficulty to treat him wasparable to resurrection¡ªbut it didn¡¯t pose a problem to Her. As a matter of fact, his physical treatment was alreadypleted on the very first day. The trouble came afterward. The Mother Goddess struggled to treat Roel¡¯s soul because there was something off about it. She had thought that he, as the Kingmaker, should have a high level of soulpatibility with Her. Sia had bestowed the Crown Origin Attribute upon the Kingmaker in preparation for the Session, after all. It was not to say that their souls would be a perfect fit, but She should have been able toplement his deficiency. That was why the Mother Goddess had confidently taken over the job from Edavia. Yet, She was facing trouble trying to get Roel to ept Her soul. It was not entirely impossible to fuse their souls together, but it was more difficult than She had expected. Somehow, Roel¡¯s soul wasn¡¯t reacting well to Hers, almost as if it had spent so much time idle that it had forgotten its functions. This perplexed the Mother Goddess. In the end, She concluded that Roel had simply lost far too much of his soul to function properly. Aside from that, She noticed some differences between Roel¡¯s Origin Attribute and the Crown, but She wasn¡¯t too certain about that. She touched Roel¡¯s chest as She thought about these problems, but a mild headache that abruptly settled in distracted Her from Her thoughts. She spent a while massaging Her temples before the headache finally subsided. Doubt flickered across Her crimson eyes. She had never experienced any physical difort before, but somehow, this headache had already struck Her multiple times in recent days. ¡°¡­Is it the effects of the ck Moon?¡± the Mother Goddess murmured. She shook Her head, choosing to put this matter on hold and first focus on Roel¡¯s treatment. She ced Her hand on Roel, only to sense a probing mana pulsationing from the corner of the room. ¡°Enter,¡± She said. A ck silhouette emerged from the shadows in the corner of the room. The Mother Goddess shot a nce at the messenger, and thetter hurriedly made his report. ¡°O great Mother Goddess, regarding tonight¡¯s meeting¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be attending. Get Micher to chair the meeting in My ce. Haven¡¯t I already said not to report such matters to Me?¡± ¡°Yes, O great Mother Goddess, but¡­ our troops have been idle for too long. Lord Micher wishes to get Your permission to go on the offensive,¡± the messenger hesitantly said. ¡°¡­¡± The Mother Goddess sighed softly. An army that achieved a huge victory in battle would usually go on the offensive right away to widen their lead before their enemy recovered. Given that the Mother Goddess had emerged rtively unharmed in that battle, She should have capitalized on this opportunity to suppress the Savior¡¯s faction. After all, they were fighting for a new world order here! Yet, the Mother Goddess had hardly taken a step away from Roel over the past two weeks. Her inaction was starting to frustrate the race leaders. They understood the Mother Goddess¡¯ feelings, but they saw the suppression of the Savior¡¯s faction as an equally pressing issue, particrly since this hard-earned window of opportunity was slowly closing on them. As a matter of fact, they had already reorganized their armies in preparation for a follow-up attack. But faced with the messenger¡¯s expectant eyes, the Mother Goddess shook Her head. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t attend the meeting. Tell Micher that he can go on the offensive. He has My permission to mobilize the God¡¯s Envoys,¡± the Mother Goddess said before turning Her gaze back onto Roel. ¡°I understand.¡± Catching the Mother Goddess¡¯ implication, the messenger had no choice but to take his leave. Silence returned to the room. The Mother Goddess, too, understood how difficult toe by this opportunity was, but Her priorities were clear. She was first and foremost a mother. She couldn¡¯t leave Her ailing child. This interjection had temporarily distracted Her from the problems concerning Roel¡¯s condition. She nourished Roel¡¯s soul with gentle mana pulsations, then Shey down beside him and drifted off to sleep. ¡­ Chapter 573.2: Omen (2)

Chapter 573.2: Omen (2)

Three dayster, Roel sat in afortable chair in the Moonsoul Tower¡¯s sky garden, admiring the blooming flowers. Ad, whom he hadn¡¯t encountered for a long while, stood next to him. After half a month of treatment, his condition had finally improved a little. He spent half a day yesterday persuading the Mother Goddess with a mixture of soft and hard tactics before She finally gave him permission to freely move around. He felt like a child who had finally achieved a hard-earned victory against his parents. That being said, the scope of ¡®freely move around¡¯ was limited to the highest level of the Moonsoul Tower so that the Mother Goddess could rush to him right away should any ident ur. On top of that, he also had to apany the Mother Goddess for a nap every afternoon. Just as Roel had guessed, the reason the Mother Goddess slept beside him in such thin clothing was to resonate their souls and stabilize Roel¡¯s soul, which was still suffering from rejection symptoms. ording to Ad, She had been doing this every day while he was unconscious. ¡°The Mother Goddess hardly left Her quarters at all in the past half a month. She likely spent the entire time looking after you.¡± ¡°That has been the case over the past half a month?¡± ¡°Yes. Based on what I know, the Mother Goddess hasn¡¯t attended any military or regr meetings during this period of time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± How could Roel not be moved by the meticulous care the Mother Goddess had shown him over the past half a month? The least he could do was to amodate whatever requests She had. Even so, it was a huge relief to him to see the Mother Goddess slowly loosening Her restrictions as his condition improved. She was even holding a banquet for him tonight! Thest time Roel had attended the Mother Goddess¡¯ banquet, he spent the entire time engaging in a war of saliva against Micher. Thinking back on it, their argument had been meaningless, given how the Mother Goddess had already seen through everything. However, that was also the trigger that made him realize how much the Mother Goddess cared about him, pushing him to rethink his prejudice toward Her. In a way, that banquet was the greatest contributor behind the reconciliation between Roel and the Mother Goddess. For that reason, Roel was looking forward to the second banquet. Besides, the purpose of this banquet was very different from thest. The previous banquet was a scheme hatched by the High Elves to drag Roel to his doom, but the uing banquet served to celebrate Roel as the valiant hero who defeated the Savior at Dragon¡¯s Gorge. It was unlikely that anyone would make things difficult for the star of the show. Roel subconsciously nced at the sun with a grim expression, but he didn¡¯t look too nervous. He could sense that the sun was somehow different from before. It was no longer under the Savior¡¯s jurisdiction but a natural phenomenon of the world. Ad¡¯s report further verified that. Following their crushing defeat at Dragon¡¯s Gorge, the Savior¡¯s faction was forced to switch to a full-out defensive stance. The Mother Goddess¡¯ factionunched a major attack on them a few days ago with the assistance of the God¡¯s Envoys, and they achieved a decent result. The God¡¯s Envoys were nearly wiped out in the battle with the Savior, but the Mother Goddess was able to regenerate them with Her supreme powers. However, She entrusted the power to manage them to the High Elves instead. The High Elves had the power to control the God¡¯s Envoys, but they weren¡¯t able to effectivelymunicate with them. Due to this, they couldn¡¯t draw out the powers of the God¡¯s Envoys as effectively as Roel, who possessed the Crown Origin Attribute and the Crown¡¯s Stones. Nevertheless, they were more than enough to deal with the Savior¡¯s faction, who immediately flew into disarray as soon as they saw the God¡¯s Envoys. The overwhelming lethality disyed by the God¡¯s Envoys in Dragon¡¯s Gorge had simply traumatized them too deeply. Roel¡¯s mood improved after hearing Ad share some of the recent affairs. It was a relief to learn that everything was in order, as it meant that he could focus on recuperating from his injuries without worrying about anything. As the sun began to set, the maids invited Roel back into the room to prepare for the banquet. ¡­ As evening came, the race leaders and major officials of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction gathered in the same reception room and patiently waited for nightfall to enter the banquet hall. The moment the sky darkened, the Mother Goddess and Roel emerged together with the moon. This was the first time Roel had appeared in public view in half a month¡¯s time. He had mostly recovered by now. His soul was still ailing, but his physical condition was faring better than ever. Be it the Philosopher¡¯s Stone or the God¡¯s Spine, these precious materials had greatly enhanced his constitution, such that he could easilyst to the end of the banquet. Much to everyone¡¯s surprise, tonight¡¯s banquet was a seated banquet. The Mother Goddess would usually favor standing banquets for such celebrations, but She decided to hold a seated banquet instead out of fear that a mishap would happen to Roel while he was still in a weakened state. She also stationed Roel in the seat to Her right, where She could easily reach out to him. The crowd was not blind to the Mother Goddess¡¯ intention, but there was not a single person who raised an objection. Once again, Roel found himself seated opposite his ¡®old nemesis¡¯, Micher. Micher was visibly more reticent than during the previous banquet. His gaze was no longer filled with animosity whenever he looked at Roel. He even took the initiative to speak to Roel. ¡°Kingmaker, it looks like you have recovered well.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to the Mother Goddess and the precious artifacts Lord Micher and the other race leaders have generously offered that I was able to return from the grave. I¡¯d like to express my earnest gratitude to you.¡± ¡°Not at all. I have only done what I should¡­ I should apologize to you,¡± Micher said with a sigh. ¡°I had vehemently objected to you joining the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction, but I can see now that my mind was stuck in the rut. You have most definitely proven that you hadn¡¯t deceived us. It¡¯s only right that I apologize to you for my prejudice.¡± ¡°¡­I understand, and I ept your apology.¡± Micher hadn¡¯t done anything wrong here. He was justified to have suspected the original Kingmaker, considering the huge load of evidence he had collected that proved their betrayal. Taking a step back, Roel and the Mother Goddess would have also likely drifted apart if not for Micher¡¯s antagonism during the previous banquet. Having thought things through, Roel couldn¡¯t bring himself to hate Micher. Micher was moved to see that Roel didn¡¯t harbor a grudge against him over past affairs. The Mother Goddess was also satisfied with their reconciliation. The atmosphere in the banquet grew even more bustling. It was under such a harmonious atmosphere that the banquet concluded. The race leaders and major officials took their leave one after another, but Roel¡¯s mission wasn¡¯tpleted yet. ¡°Is your body still faring fine?¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯m feeling fine.¡± ¡°Apany me for a walk, all right?¡± ¡°Yes, Mother.¡± Somehow, the Mother Goddess seemed to be in a good mood. Roel epted the offer after a brief moment of thought. With a faint pulsation of moonlight, the two of them vanished from the banquet hall and reappeared in the sky garden, where they were both surrounded by a beautiful sea of flowers. The sky garden boasted the best scenery in the Moonsoul Tower, which was why Roel often strolled in the sky garden in his idle time. That being said, this was the first time he was touring this ce in the middle of the night with the Mother Goddess. ¡°Mother, You seem to be in a good mood today. Were You looking forward to admiring the flowers here?¡± Roel asked. ¡°You can say so, but I don¡¯t have much interest in these flowers. I am too familiar with every nook and cranny of this tower,¡± the Mother Goddess replied with a bitter smile. Chapter 574.1: Return (1)

Chapter 574.1: Return (1)

In the moonlit sky garden, Roel Ascart relished the warmth of a close kin. The flowers around him bloomed vibrantly under the moonlight as if celebrating their long-awaited reunion. From losing Her appearance, memories, and powers to reuniting with Her child, this felt like a miracle to the Mother Goddess. This was happiness She could have never imagined before. Her intense feelings flowed into the surroundings, infecting Roel with a smile too. The truth was that the Kingmaker¡¯s birthday held no significance to Roel, but if this could make the Mother Goddess happy, he didn¡¯t mind having an extra birthday. ¡°Mother, was this the reason You held tonight¡¯s banquet?¡± ¡°Mmhm. I thought that it would be better for you to make an appearance today. Also¡­ the future has been determined from the moment you defeated the Savior. It¡¯s about time for Me to make some preparations.¡± ¡°Hm?¡¯ Roel blinked in confusion, not knowing what the Mother Goddess was getting at. He agreed that the conclusion of the war had already been decided. The Savior didn¡¯t stand a chance against the Mother Goddess anymore after the severe injuries He had sustained in the battle at Dragon¡¯s Gorge, especially since the Mother Goddess was stronger than Him in the first ce. Furthermore, the Kingmaker¡¯s halo would slowly draw more and more races to side with the Mother Goddess. Her victory was already almost assured at this point, which was why Roel was confused as to what kind of preparations She would require for the future. Thus, Roel looked at the Mother Goddess with perplexed eyes, to which thetter responded with a doting smile. ¡°Silly child. You have defeated the Savior and returned the world under My order, but what¡¯s Mine is yours as well.¡± ¡°!¡± Looking at the smiling Mother Goddess, Roel widened his eyes as realization struck him. ¡°Mother, You mean that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll entrust this world to you. I believe that you¡¯ll be able to do it.¡± ¡°No, wait; this is too sudden¡­¡± ¡°Sudden? I don¡¯t think so. I never said that I have given up on the Session. It happens that your soul fused together with the God¡¯s Envoys while trying to defeat Him. I am unsure why you didn¡¯t suffer a severe rejection, but this works to our interest.¡± The Mother Goddess caressed the cheeks of Her most doted child. ¡°You might have gotten off on the wrong foot with Micher, but he¡¯ll support you now if you take the throne. The other race leaders still don¡¯t know you well, which is why I held a banquet at this juncture for you to familiarize yourselves with one another.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°I told you that I solicited artifacts from the other races to reconstruct your body. What do you think My intention was?¡± ¡°Intention? Isn¡¯t it to¡­ Ah! Could it be that¡­¡± A possibility suddenly surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind. He raised his head to look at the Mother Goddess, and thetter revealed a rare cunning smile. ¡°Indeed. I don¡¯t deny that those artifacts are beneficial to your recovery, but I could have figured something out even without their help. My true intention was to forge a connection between you and the others.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel replied with a dazed smile. This was probably his first glimpse into the Mother Goddess¡¯ political acuity. She had intentionally given a chance to the race leaders to invest in Roel. This incentivized the race leaders to forge a close rtionship with him and support his rule so as to ensure that their investment paid off. Even those who might not have a high opinion of Roel would be more epting of him as they would expect him to bear goodwill toward them for the help they had offered him. . ¡°Such ties will motivate them to support you from the bottom of their heart. You also have your aplishments and prestige as a Kingmaker. Your hurdle to seed My position isn¡¯t as high as you think.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ eyes glimmered expectantly as She said those words, but that only put Roel at a loss. He knew that he would never be able to fulfill Her expectations. Walking down this paved path would have brought a happy ending to the Mother Goddess and the Kingmaker after all the ordeals they had been through¡­ but reality just had to be cruel. Roel thought about the situation outside the Witness State, and his heart suddenly grew heavy. The Mother Goddess keenly noticed the change in his emotional state and tensed up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Roel? Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± The Mother Goddess heaved a sigh of relief. She was about to ask about the sudden grim look on his face when Roel hurriedly spoke up first as if to avoid Her follow-up question. ¡°Mother¡­ You must really be looking forward to the future.¡± ¡°Hm? Does it look that way?¡± ¡°Yes. You look overjoyed.¡± ¡°I guess I am. Just the thought that I could continue living like this fills Me with bliss.¡± ¡°!¡± Those words sharply jabbed Roel¡¯s heart. Oblivious to his thoughts, the Mother Goddess began reminiscing about the past with a sorrowful smile. ¡°I had to suppress My feelings and distance Myself from you to uphold My belief that all races are equal. That resulted in a divergence between My will and reality. I pushed My most favored child away till he became the one person who doesn¡¯t understand Me at all. It¡¯s My fault that you chose to side with the Savior at the very start.¡± ¡°No, Mother. This only happened because I was gullible¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a child who can¡¯t find his mother, but I was a mother who refused to acknowledge Her own child.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel felt the Mother Goddess¡¯ deep pain and fell silent. Thetter shook Her head and hugged him tightly once more. ¡°It was all My fault. It¡¯s a miracle that you could return to My side. I can¡¯t change the past, but I¡¯m willing to make up for it in the future.¡± ¡°Make up for it?¡± ¡°I am no longer Sia. It¡¯s time for Me to return what I owe you. I won¡¯t pretend to be oblivious about your birthday anymore. I won¡¯t turn a blind eye when you¡¯re exhausted from your work but instead encourage you. We shall often spend time together like what we¡¯re doing now. ¡°Let¡¯s travel together when the war ends. I¡¯ll bring you to the depths of the ocean, where I stored the very first life of the world. We can visit the Divine Mountain too, which has one of my favorite sceneries¡­¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ eyes slowly lit up as She spoke. In Her descriptions Roel saw a beautiful dreamlike scenery. Swimming with the fishes in the deep seas, soaring freely through the vast blue sky, or watching fluffy white clouds from a lush green field¡ªit was a life without betrayal or sorrow. It was such a wonderful depiction that Roel could imagine himself spending his entire life in such a manner. ¡°If only that could be realized,¡± Roel murmured as he felt a pricking pain in his chest. He suddenly felt like he could understand Edavia a little. It was not that she didn¡¯t want to do something for the Mother Goddess, but that she was afraid. She was afraid of this wondrous bubble. She was afraid of forging ties with the Mother Goddess. For someone destined to leave, every moment spent together was another sharp knife that reminded them of what they had missed out on. The Witness State could never be a reality. He would have to leave this ce and bear the sinsmitted by his ancestors. The woman who was now embracing him would be his mortal nemesis once he left this ce. Unable to bear that thought, Roel closed his eyes and took deep breaths. It felt so suffocating that it was hard to bear. He believed that he had made the right choice by helping the Mother Goddess, but making the right choice didn¡¯t guarantee a happy ending in the world he lived in. Roel pushed his sorrow deep down and tried his best to maintain a smile. Nevertheless, the Mother Goddess still noticed his peculiar state and stopped Her narration halfway through to look at him. Is he not fond of this topic? Oblivious to Roel¡¯s inner conflict, the Mother Goddess decided to temporarily put this matter aside and focus on the matter before Her. Chapter 574.2: Return (2)

Chapter 574.2: Return (2)

¡°Roel, there¡¯s another reason I brought you here other than to celebrate your birthday.¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°You should have noticed that something is missing from your body.¡± ¡°¡­My Origin Attribute?¡± Roel asked. The Mother Goddess nodded. Roel had to fuse his soul with the Crown Origin Attribute in order to reach the same level of existence as the Savior, but he had to pay a hefty price for that, most notably the loss of his Origin Attribute. Fusing two souls was easy, but separating them afterward was nigh impossible, almost like trying to separate two fluids of simr properties that had been mixed together. The loss of his Origin Attribute would greatly reduce Roel¡¯s fighting prowess. Fortunately, it was not impossible to solve this problem when he had the Mother Goddess on his side. ¡°I separated your Crown Origin Attribute out while I was treating you. I should return it to you now that your soul has mostly stabilized, but there is one thing I need to say in advance.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel looked at the Mother Goddess, whose face had suddenly turned severe, and a pair of hands suddenly pulled his cheeks. ¡°M-Mother?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you ever do that again. If I hadn¡¯t been by your side, you would have already¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Hearing the agitation in Her hoarse voice, Roel froze up before earnestly apologizing for it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I have worried you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to apologize. You only did that in order to save Me¡­ Forget it; let¡¯s not talk about that anymore. Give Me your hand.¡± With a helpless shake of Her head, the Mother Goddess concluded the topic. She ced Her hand on Her chest while Roel obediently stretched out both his hands and waited. ¡°I was only able to separate the Crown Origin Attribute from your soul because it used to be part of My soul. It was also for this reason I spent the past half a month sleeping beside you.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded in realization. A hazy speck of light began separating from the Mother Goddess¡¯ body, glowing ever so faintly under the night sky. It was a mysterious creation that was reminiscent of a translucent crystal, emanating an ethereal glow. From the moment it appeared, Roel¡¯s bloodline and soul began to stir in resonation. Under the moonlight, the Mother Goddess bestowed the Crown representing utmost power and authority on its owner, as She had done countless years back. The floating speck of light drifted down onto Roel¡¯s hand before disappearing into his body. The return of the Crown Origin Attribute filled Roel with a strong gush of relief. His bloodline had finally found its crux, and his soul was whole once more. It was then that a familiar sound echoed. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Restoration of Origin Attributepleted. Initiating return.¡¿ ¡°!¡± ¡­ Under the moonlight, Roel was dumbfounded by the notification. He anxiously looked through the System, and there, he found that the information, ¡®Countdown to the end of the Witness State¡¯, had, unbeknownst to him, appeared on the interface at some point in time. With the return of his Origin Attribute, the timer started readjusting. ¡¾30, 29, 28......¡¿ 30 seconds? You must be kidding me! This is too short! I haven¡¯t even gotten to¡­ The abrupt countdown threw Roel for a loop. He anxiously turned to the Mother Goddess to say hisst words, only to see thetter clutching Her forehead with a look of distress. ¡°Mother?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just feel a little dizzy. It¡¯ll soon¡­¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ words trailed off as a frown slowly formed on Her face. She stared intently at Roel before saying three words he would have never expected to hear from Her. ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel stiffened up in shock. He immediately understood what had happened. The effects of the substitution are weakening! That put him at a loss. Without the effects of the substitution at y, the fact that he wasn¡¯t the original Kingmaker would be quickly exposed. There was nothing else he could do. The Mother Goddess had already figured out the truth. I won¡¯t even be able to say my final farewell? This thought filled Roel with inexplicable grief. He clenched his fists in indignation as bitterness flooded his heart. Yet, the Mother Goddess¡¯ following words further shook his psyche. ¡°You are¡­ the descendant of that traitor! What did you do to Me?!¡± ¡°Ah?!¡± Roel raised his head and stared at the Mother Goddess in disbelief. Before he could say a word, a tremendous pressure suddenly crushed down on him. This was the second time that he was faced with the Mother Goddess¡¯ pressure, but unlike their first encounter on the battlefield, She was not holding anything back this time around. This gave Roel a clear glimpse into just how powerful the Mother Goddess was. Under the Mother Goddess¡¯ pressure, the world he perceived around him immediately changed. The sun, the moon, and the stars stopped glowing, and the flow of air came to a standstill. As if his body had been filled with lead, he found himself incapable of moving in the least. The pressure was already impossible to deal with, but this was not all. A reflexive attack ensued, as the Mother Goddess brought Her left hand, which glowed with the brilliance of the moon, down onto him. Her intent to kill was chilling like a winter wind. ¡¾15, 14, 13¡­¡¿ Roel had no choice but to raise his hands and push his Crown Origin Attribute to its very limit. Frost aura flooded out from his hands, forming a shield of ice. ¡°Mother¡­¡± He cried almost soundlessly with a heart filled with despair. ¡°!¡± To his utmost shock, the Mother Goddess suddenly halted Her attack upon his murmur. Emotions rippled in Her crimson eyes. ¡°What¡­ am I doing¡­¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The Mother Goddess muttered with a quivering voice as She stared at Roel with dazed eyes. ¡°No, that¡¯s not right. You are My child. My most beloved child¡­¡± Unable to process the wreck that was going on in Her mind, the Mother Goddess staggered backward with a pained look on Her face. Her emotions were starting to go haywire. Tears flowed from Her eyes, as She stared intently at Roel as if She was looking for something. Seeing Her in utter disarray, Roel couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions anymore. ¡°It¡¯s me, Mother! I didn¡¯t betray You. I didn¡¯t betray You to the very end! So¡­ So¡­¡± With words that sounded like a desperate, hoarse scream, Roel put down all of his defenses and extended his hand toward the Mother Goddess. Miraculously, the Mother Goddess also started to slowly calm down. ¡°¡­You are¡­ Roel¡­¡± After a moment of silence, the Mother Goddess murmured in realization as if She had snapped out of a dream. She carefully took a step forward and reached out toward his hand. The distance between them gradually shortened until they were just inches away from each other. It was then that an ice-cold System notification echoed. ¡¾2, 1, 0.¡¿ ¡¾Countdown ended¡¿ ¡¾Initiating return¡¿ Chapter 575.1: The Light in the Abyss (1)

Chapter 575.1: The Light in the Abyss (1)

Space suddenly distorted the moment the System¡¯s notification sounded. An unimaginable force dragged Roel away from this ephemeral space, but he wasn¡¯t ready to leave yet. ¡°No! Stop!!!¡± Roel tried to stop the return, but there was nothing he could do. Darkness instantaneously devoured him. The Mother Goddess had been right at his fingertip, but She suddenly became far out of reach. The entire world swiftly retreated from him as if he had been ejected. He saw the Mother Goddess desperately shouting his name before darkness fully engulfed him. He began plummeting through space, and intense vertigo struck him. This was what knocked him out thest few times he returned from the Witness State, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to close his eyes at all. ¡°Wait! Go back! Can¡¯t you see that She has remembered me?¡± Roel shouted as he plummeted through the endless void. Despite his desperation to return to the Witness State, the System answered him with naught but silence. His return didn¡¯t slow in the least. ¡°You must be kidding me. How can I leave like this, without even saying a proper farewell¡­¡± Upon realizing that his bloodline and the Crown Origin Attribute weren¡¯t reacting at all, Roel clenched his fist as he shouted hoarsely in indignation, but he couldn¡¯t change anything at all. His consciousness slowly grew heavier, lulling him into a deep sleep. Roel fell through this silent void with a trembling body. The concept of time vanished from his consciousness, and he was too shaken up to process his physical difort. The only things on his mind were the silvery-white silhouette under the moonlight and Her lingering calls. Mother. This foreign term that Roel struggled to mouth out had surreptitiously been imprinted onto his heart. Like most people, it was only when he lost what he had that he realized his true feelings. The Mother Goddess had once told him that his return was a miracle, and there was no greater bliss than that to Her. Roel realized that it was the same for him. She had filled up the void in his heart that he had been unaware of all this while. Her motherly tenderness and care had long since breached his defenses and seeped into his heart. Only when he finally lost it all did he suddenly realize that he was not nearly as resilient and carefree as he thought he was. All kinds of unbearable emotions stabbed his heart like sharp knives and mashed it all up, but it was already toote. As time slowly ticked by, Roel¡¯s consciousness started to fade. Just as he was about to pass out, he suddenly felt a peculiar mana pulsation. ¡°!¡± ¡­ Roel widened his eyes in disbelief as the mana tightly wrapped around his body,pletely sealing off his movements. This abrupt situation sent his vignce soaring through the roof. He was falling through a spatial crevice located between the Witness State and the real world. This was a ce even he didn¡¯t know the location of. It should have been impossible to interfere in this space. So, where did this surge of manae from? A silver-white silhouette first surfaced in his mind, but he quickly shook his head. As powerful as the Mother Goddess was, She didn¡¯t seem to be familiar with the Witness State. More importantly: there was something amiss with the direction. He had been falling ever since leaving the Witness State, but this mana pulsation came not from above but from below. This meant that the mana pulsation couldn¡¯t havee from the Witness State the Mother Goddess was in. After eliminating his most-desired answer, none of the other possibilities he could think of boded well. His face turned severe. A few secondster, he finally found an answer to that question. ¡°Wait a moment; I have felt this mana pulsation¡­ It¡¯s you!¡± The Collector! Without any hesitation, Roel channeled all of his avable mana to protect himself from the mana pulsation, but his ability to resist was limited due to his debilitated state. He soon noticed that the goal of the mana pulsation wasn¡¯t to hurt him but to guide him. He¡¯s trying to change my return location! As the two surges of mana shed, a vague scene shed across Roel¡¯s eyes. In an enigmatic dark space, a man with indistinct facial features was doing everything he could to interfere with Roel¡¯snding point in the real world. Roel jolted awake right away. Under normal circumstances, he should have returned to the exact spot he was at prior to entering the Witness State. At first nce, that didn¡¯t bode well given how Shrouding Fog had been hot on his tail, but several hours should have passed in the real world with the time he had spent in the Witness State. With Shrouding Fog¡¯s limited intelligence andck of knowledge about Roel¡¯s bloodline ability, it was unlikely that it would still be waiting for him at the same location. In other words, there was a good chance that his originalnding point was safe. However, if the Collector sessfully tampered with hisnding point, the situation would bepletely different. Where would he teleport me to? Right into the heart of the enemy¡¯s encampment? Or treacherous environments such as the deep ocean? Roel soon received his answer to that question, but it was the worst possible situation he could think of. In the darkness he fell into, he sensed a familiar aura of insanity and depravity. The aura flowed up like a ravenous monster trying to drag him down into its depths. At the same time, all kinds of eerie phenomena began to appear. Voices reminiscent of the whispers of evil gods echoed in his ears, filling him with inexplicable fear. Bizarre colors began smudging the darkness as if he was in a psychedelic state¡ªa blue as cold as the ocean¡¯s floor, a green that felt unbearably dirty, and a red as vibrant as blood. These unnerving colors abruptly filled Roel¡¯s sight, and they began wriggling and converging into different forms, from deformed humans to indescribable monsters. All kinds of scenes shed across Roel¡¯s eyes, swiftly burdening his mind. The urge to let go and sumb to the madness was slowly growing. It was an instantaneous assault on the eyes and the ears that infected one¡¯s mind with the aura of insanity as if a virus, guiding them toward depravity. These clues made it easy for Roel to figure out where the Collector had set hisnding point to be. It was the ce where the Savior had dwelled for many years after falling into depravity, an abyss that consumed the minds of those who dared to enter its midst. I need to leave right away! Alertness rippled in Roel¡¯s heavy mind, jolting a tinge of rity back to him. He immediately channeled his mana toward the Crown Origin Attribute, but this power that had saved him from danger many times before had fallen into a deep sleep and wasn¡¯t reacting at all. There was too big a disparity between their levels of strength. Roel¡¯s body and soul had sustained deep traumas in the Witness State, to the point that it was not an exaggeration to say that he was now as fragile as ss. The energy he had to expend to leave the Witness State further pushed him to his limit. On the other hand, the Collector had been patiently waiting here to catch Roel. I see. He has been waiting for me to enter the Witness State, Roel thought as his mind grew increasingly groggy. He had no doubt that this was a scheme concocted by his cunning enemy. The Collector¡¯s ns were never just singleyered, but a chain of taut knots. Chapter 575.2: The Light in the Abyss (2)

Chapter 575.2: The Light in the Abyss (2)

¡¾Return sessful¡¿ ¡¾Landing point has been altered due to an unknown interference¡¿ ¡¾Checking user¡¯s condition¡¿ ¡¾Scanning surroundings for danger¡¿ ¡¾Detected Danger Level: High¡¿ ¡¾Activating emergency protocol¡¿ ¡¾Probability of Bloodline Awakening: 100%¡¿ ¡¾Commencing bloodline awakening. Please look for a safe area¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± The first thing Roel heard upon regaining consciousness was the emergency notifications from the System. Following that, he became cognizant of the cold and damp ground he was lying on, as well as the faint light in the surroundings. An irrepressible heat then began engulfing his body. It was unbearable. He was unable to get rid of the heat no matter what he did, as if his blood itself had been transformed intova. In fact, this sudden surge of heat was probably the reason he had suddenly regained consciousness. This was a side effect arising from the System initiating his bloodline awakening. It was abrupt, but he understood the rationale behind it. Roel¡¯s condition was so poor that even movement was arduous. His body had barely recovered and his soul was still in the midst of stabilization. Even though the Mother Goddess had returned him his Origin Attribute, he still hadn¡¯t fully assimted it yet. That meant that his Origin Attribute would not react to his mana as and when he needed it. That was a huge problem for a transcendent. But the final blow came from the danger Roel had encountered in the spatial crevice. While the Collector¡¯s ploy was foiled due to the obstruction of an unknown power, Roel still sustained huge damage when he urgently altered hisnding point at thest moment by exerting his bloodline. The impact caused by the spatial distortion wasn¡¯t as simple as just spraining one¡¯s hips. On top of that, even though he had averted the worst-case scenario, he wasn¡¯t out of danger yet. There was clearly danger lurking in his surroundings, leaving him no room to slowly recover. He had to quickly regain at least sufficient strength to freely move about. He spent a moment lying on the ground before struggling to open his eyes. The first thing he did was to confirm his equipment. His clothes and equipment had been changed when he entered the Witness State due to the effects of the substitution. While the System¡¯s meticulousness in avoiding anachronisms was extremely useful in that context, he direly needed some of his old equipment now that he was in no condition to move. Roel slowly lowered his head. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his items and equipment were those he had before entering the Witness State. He reached for his waist, and he felt reassured to find a dagger there. Following that, he began scanning his surroundings. Weeds and greenery thrived around him. The ground was a little damp, suggesting that it might have rained a few days earlier. The setting red sun brought him a little warmth, but it signaled the imminent onset of the night too. No traces of human activity. Roel¡¯s heart sank at that realization, but he wasn¡¯t too surprised, since human civilization only upied a small portion of the Sia Continent. For the time being, he decided to heed the System¡¯s advice and find a safe ce to tide him through his bloodline awakening. He took another look at his surroundings, and a dead giant tree with a hollow in its center quickly caught his attention. He tightly grasped the dagger on his waist and slowly channeled his mana into it before hoarsely invoking its special ability. . ¡°The Unruly.¡± With a soft murmur, Roel¡¯s body abruptly vanished and reappeared a hundred meters away. After three consecutive leaps, he sessfullynded inside the tree hollow. Cough cough. The cloud of dust that flew into the air when Roelnded on the ground induced a series of coughs from him. Nearby creatures quickly fled upon sensing his aura. He took a moment to catch his breath before sitting upright. He rested himself against the tree¡¯s inner wall before taking out his handy staff. His weakened condition meant that he couldn¡¯t open the windows linked to the ancient gods for the time being, so the Nine-headed Serpent Staff was devoid of the Primordial Earth Goddess¡¯ divine golden glow. However, this wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. It was better to rely on a more intimidating demonic beast given the circumstance he was in. As he slowly channeled his mana into the staff, the Nine-headed Serpent manifested from the bottom of the staff and slithered out of the tree hollow. The malevolent aura emanated by the ancient demonic beast chased away all hostile creatures that were ravenously eyeing him. Roel heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that he was safe for the time being. He took some time to set up some defensive measures before finally sparing time to think about his current situation. First and foremost, he was highly apprehensive of what the Collector had pulled off earlier. There was no doubt that thetter had prepared this for a long time now. He knew that it hadn¡¯t taken him long to travel through the spatial crevice, but somehow, the Collector managed to exploit this short window to drag him toward where the Savior was. A great deal of preparation would have surely been required to pull off something like this. The most pressing problem on Roel¡¯s mind was whether the Collector could find him. Encountering the Collector in his current state spelled certain death. Just the thought of it hastened his heartbeat. But upon calming down and rationally thinking about it, he shook his head. He had altered hisnding point at the veryst moment. The Collector might be able to guess the rough direction he was in, but it would take him time to determine his exact location. This meant that he should be safe from the Collector for the time being. Having figured out the first issue, he turned his attention toward analyzing the speck of light he had encountered inside the abyss that had saved his life. ¡°What in the world is that¡­¡± Roel tightened his grip on his staff as a perplexed frown formed on his forehead. He vaguely remembered having seen something familiar when he went up against the Treant High Priest, but his consciousness was too blurred back then to figure out anything meaningful from it. However, it was different this time around. It was not just his soul but his entire body that was transported to the Savior¡¯s dwelling, and his consciousness wasn¡¯t blurry either. He was certain that some kind of power had helped him, but he didn¡¯t know what it was at all. ¡°Judging from the direction, the light originated from the abyss where the Savior dwelled?¡± Roel murmured contemtively. The more he thought about it, the more clueless he felt. He could only rack his brain and individually analyze every possibility he could think of. It was only when the sun went down and the silver moonlight shone on him through the tree hollow that his thoughts were cut short. ¡°Mother, you¡­ Ah.¡± It was only when Roel raised his head and dazedly looked at the silver moon that it struck him that he was no longer in the room at the peak of the Moonsoul Tower. The silver-haired woman who looked at him with a tender smile and took meticulous care of him was no longer around. ¡°¡­¡± Amidst the silence of the night, Roel stared intently at the silver moon for a long while as if he was trying to find something in it, but it was to no avail. Only his memories flowed along with the moon¡¯s undting brightness, as if silently conveying a story. Roel had always avoided thinking about the events in the Witness State, knowing that everything that transpired there wasn¡¯t real. Thinking too much about them would only bring about unnecessary sorrow, especially if he had unknowingly gotten too involved in the scenario. However, it was different this time around. With a heavy heart, Roel suppressed the bursting feelings in his chest and tried to analyze the events in the Witness State. In particr, he was bewildered by the Mother Goddess¡¯ unusual response right as he was about to leave the Witness State. ¡°¡®Descendant of that traitor¡¯¡ªI remember that those were the exact words She said.¡± Roel recalled the Mother Goddess¡¯ words with narrowed eyes. Those words were an apt description of him, but they should have never been spoken by the Mother Goddess in the Witness State¡ªnot when he had changed its future. The Kingmaker in that world was the hero who had defeated the Savior and a filial child to the Mother Goddess. He had already been cleansed of the taint of a traitor. Only one person could have said those words: the Mother Goddess in the real world. The Mother Goddess¡¯ memories had fallen into disarray at the very end of the Witness State. Now that he thought about it, that could have arisen from the conflicting feelings between the real world¡¯s Mother Goddess, who saw the Kingmaker as Her nemesis, and the Witness State¡¯s Mother Goddess, who cherished the Kingmaker more than anything. That should have been impossible. It vited the absolute rule dictating that the events in the Witness State couldn¡¯t interfere with the real world. Yet, this was the only possibility he could think of based on the Mother Goddess¡¯ reaction. Roel tried analyzing this matter, and he soon stumbled upon a usible exnation for this supposedly impossible phenomenon. He grimly nced at the golden ring with blue weavings he wore on his finger. This was the family heirloom passed down by the ancestors of the Ascart House. He had previously thought that the goal of this Witness State was to correct past mistakes and make up for his ancestors¡¯ regrets¡­ ¡­But was it really worth the effort passing down this ring through so many generations if that was its only purpose? Countless years had passed since the war between the Mother Goddess and the Savior. The Kingmaker n had fallen into shambles, and its lineage was already on the verge of dying out. Yet, his ancestors continued to diligently pass down this family heirloom, taking extra care to ensure that it fell into Roel''s hands. Did his ancestors go through so much trouble just to ay a past regret? Or could there be more at y? Roel subconsciously squeezed the ring in his hand. Before he could think more deeply about it, a ruckus shattered the silence of the night. "Hm?" Roel hurriedly stowed away the ring before warily raising his head. A long trail of mes reminiscent of a fire dragon was making its way through the ins. Chapter 576: Danger

Chapter 576: Danger

The discovery of fire marked the start of human civilization in Roel¡¯s previous world. In the Sia Continent, fire used to be worshiped by all intelligent life forms in the ancient era, even predating Sia¡¯s descent. While most legends rting to fire had been lost in the passage of time, humans continued to grow increasingly proficient in the usage of fire. There were many uses for fire, but the mostmon one of all was illumination. The moment Roel noticed the fire from the tree hollow, he widened his eyes in excitement, knowing that fire symbolized the presence of humans. While there was no guarantee that these humans were friendly, it did signify that he wasn¡¯t too far away from human civilization. The worst-case scenario he had envisioned was for him to havended at a ce far away from human civilization. Survival wouldn¡¯t be an issue for him with the aid of his ancient gods, but he would have to live as a caveman while journeying back. The Sia Continent was so huge that humans hadn¡¯t even fully explored its vast expanse yet. Should he reallynd somewhere far away, he could take from years to decades to return to human civilization. This was a luxury he couldn¡¯t afford. It was fortunate that his worst worries hadn¡¯t be real. Roel instinctively rose to his feet with the intent to leave this narrow space and call for help, but barely after he took his first step, his movements stalled to a halt. A frown formed on his face. ¡°Wait a moment; this isn¡¯t right¡­¡± Roel murmured. He had been paying heed to every single detail of his surroundings, and there was one thing that really surprised him: the climate. It was shortly after New Year¡¯s Day, when the world was still cloaked in snow, that the Fallens attacked Ascart City. Yet, he hadnded at a ce covered by lush greenery. Such an anomaly naturally caught his attention, but he wasn¡¯t too surprised by it since he knew that different parts of the world had different climates. For instance, the Austine Empire had a couple of evergreen forests located just south of Rosa. The difference in climate by itself wasn¡¯t a huge deal, but it became one when it was coupled with such a long trail of mes. Such an army should have never appeared in the evergreen forests of the Austine Empire or the other smaller countries in the vicinity. Roel was brought up in a military house and had experience fighting on the battlefield. He had the insight to estimate an army¡¯s strength just from its use of fire. Judging from the length of the fire trail, this army had to be at least ten thousand soldiers strong. This was unusual, as the countries south of Rosa, with the exception of the Austine Empire, were small in terms of poption andnd mass. None of them boasted abined national military strength of ten thousand soldiers, not to mention that they wouldn¡¯t have carelessly deployed the limited soldiers they had in such a manner. The Austine Empire could have been the culprit behind this army, but the circumstantial details made the nature of this maneuver appear shady. By observing the sun¡¯s movements, Roel deduced that his current location was closer to the south of the continent. As far as he remembered, there was nowhere in the southern region of the Austine Empire that had a in next to a forest, not to mention that thend there mainlyprised a tropical rainforest that had no strategic importance whatsoever. With humankind suffering from a dire shortage of manpower and rations from fighting against the deviants, it was unthinkable for any nation to dispatch ten thousand soldiers to a barrennd at a time like this! Doubts surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind, but he decided to watch the situation first. Little did he know that his prudence would save him from a potential cmity. As the trail of me slowly approached where Roel was, his face began warping in disbelief. What appeared before his eyes was not a human army but a deviant army. ¡°Am I at Tark Prairie?¡± Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat as rm bells rang in his mind. Other than the ce where the Savior dwelled, Tark Stronghold was the most dangerous ce in the world that Roel knew about. The deviants, in particr, were the nemeses of humankind. I have to hide right away. Roel first grabbed the Nine-headed Serpent Staff and channeled his mana into it to order the ancient beast to fully conceal its aura. Then, he pulled over a few nearby vines to block off the tree hollow. Last but not least, he used a couple of concealment spells that were the most effective in the forest. Presence Weakening. Physical Invisibility. Camouge Concealment. Various lights glowed from Roel¡¯s hands as he cast numerous spells to conceal both him and the tree he was hiding in. Secondster, the detectability of him and this deceased ancient tree had be so weak that they felt no different to a weed in the middle of a forest. After this was done, he tightly grasped the dagger slotted on his waist as he nervously looked beyond the thick vines to observe the situation outside. Fortunately, the deviants didn¡¯t seem to have noticed his movements or sensed his mana pulsations. Roel heaved a sigh of relief. Although he had reached Origin Level 2, it would still be impossible for him to go against an entire army of deviants. It was a relief that he had strong detection ability, much to the Mother Goddess¡¯ credit, allowing him to take pre-emptive maneuvers. The physical enhancements he had undergone in the Witness State had done more than just grant him the ability ¡®Indestructible Body¡¯; his senses had been greatly enhanced as well. Even now, when he was in a poor condition, he could still see farther than the deviants¡¯ scouts. The thought of that brought a silver-haired figure to Roel¡¯s mind, but he suppressed his yearning and forced himself to focus on the present. It hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind that the torches could have belonged to the deviants, so it was a relief that he had chosen to first observe the situation instead of investigating it, thus avoiding the worst-case scenario. Even so, he was still curious to know the identity of those deviants and what their goal was. Thus, he keenly observed the situation as the fire trail slowly came closer and closer to him. Soon, they came close enough for him to spot the finer details amongst them. These deviants were dressed in coarse beast-skin-leather armor and a helmet crafted from a beast skull. Their weapons came in different shapes and sizes, but every single one of them was carrying a torch, suggesting that it was standard military equipment for them despite the torches¡¯ varying lengths. What stood out the most among them was a g with aplicated design on it. The g itself was made out of inferior materials, and Roel didn¡¯t understand what the g¡¯s design meant. Yet, his heart pounded and his eyes narrowed when he saw the g, for he knew that not all deviant armies were qualified to bear a g. This is one of their main armies, Roel thought. He spotted more supporting evidence as the army came closer. The army had no elderly or children,prising solely brawny deviants who were well-equipped by their standards. Some of them were carrying ¡®spoils of war¡¯, consisting of human weapons that sharply contrasted the deviants¡¯ shabby weapons, and snatched ¡®rations¡¯. Their ¡®rations¡¯ weren¡¯t grain food, unlike those of normal human soldiers, but bloodied meat slices. Human limbs. Roel saw that one of the deviants was carrying a human arm that continued to tightly grasp onto its weapon even after death, and it sent a wave of anger through him. Coming from a renowned military house, he was aware that the deviants would devour corpses on the battlefield that weren¡¯t collected in time, but seeing it in person was a different story. This scene drove home to him that co-existence with the deviants was impossible. They were an enemy that humankind absolutely had to destroy. After a moment of staring, Roel lowered his gaze. I can¡¯t look anymore, or else my killing intent will be too strong. His revulsion filled him with a strong urge to charge out so as to massacre those monsters, but he knew that it was more likely that he would just be one of their ¡®rations¡¯. He was in a poor condition at the moment, but even if not for that, it was sheer foolishness to charge solo against one of the deviants¡¯ main armies. Each one of the deviants¡¯ g-bearing main armies represented arge tribe, which possessed military powerparable to a human country. There were bound to be Origin Level 2 transcendents within suchrge tribes, not to mention that deviants were far more physically adapted to battle than humans. Even human Race Sovereigns would hesitate to charge into a deviant main army. In the tree hollow, Roel closed his eyes and tried his best to control his emotions while gripping tightly onto his Nine-headed Serpent Staff. Soon, his mild killing intent, the only factor that could potentially give him away, also vanished without a trace. The sounds of deep grunts and heavy footsteps crescendoed to a peak before gradually diminishing. By the time he opened his eyes once more, the moonlit prairie had already regained its quietness. Roel looked at the departing fire trail with severe golden eyes. As the saying went, vengeance is a dish best served cold. He would imprint the anger he felt today in his heart. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to be absorbed by his feelings of hatred, as he noticed a subtle detail that was worth thinking deeply about: the direction in which the deviants were marching. Judging by the equipment and ¡®rations¡¯ carried by the deviants, this army likely shed with a human army not too long ago and emerged victorious. Yet, despite their victory, they had chosen to march neither west, where the forces of humankind were, nor east, where most of their tribes were. Instead, they were heading south. This was intriguing. The southern area of Tark Prairie was a forested mountainous region that had poor conditions for survival, even for a small tribe. Arge tribe with over a thousand people couldn¡¯t possibly survive there. Those monsters must have a deeper purpose for heading there. So, here was the million-gold-coin question: What could have attracted them there? If it was a matter of resources, the western human world was a treasure trove waiting to be plundered. If it was a matter of territory, the eastern in was a hundred times better than here. If I really have to point out something that this ce has that other ces don¡¯t¡­ Roel looked at the silver moon in the sky as he pondered this question. Slowly, his face began to darken. After eliminating the other options, he realized that there was only one answer here. It¡¯s me. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was rendered speechless. The more he thought about it, the higher the likelihood of this possibility seemed. The evidencey in how there were plenty of deviants in the earlier army who were dressed in priest robes. Humankind had yet to investigate the deviants¡¯ faith thus far, but based on their enigmatic connection with the Savior, they were likely to be one of the races who had served Him back in the ancient era. This meant that the earlier army might be a collusion between the Collector and the deviants¡¯ higher-ups to track Roel down. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± Just the thought that tens of thousands of deviants might have already encircled thisnd made Roel¡¯splexion turn awful. He took a moment to think about his next step before sitting back down and closing his eyes. I must recover my strength before they find me! Roel thought. A tinge of mana began to pulsate in the tranquil forest. ¡­ While Roel was trying to recover his strength in Tark Prairie, in the distant unknown darkness, a man with indistinct facial features was seated alone. A few hours ago, the Collector had encountered an unexpected intervention that foiled the chance he had been awaiting for a long time. Due to that, his enemy managed to escape the ordeal and flee to a ce unbeknownst to him. This came as a huge frustration to the Collector, as it meant that the meticulous nning he made beforehand had all gone down the drain¡­ but this didn¡¯t mean that he was helpless yet. Roel might not have fallen into the endless abyss, but he stillnded in the wartorn Tark Prairie. Furthermore, he was in an extremely fragile condition, as the Collector had sensed while he was trying to change hisnding point. What the Collector had to do at this juncture was clear. He began preparing his next step in ordance with what he had previously nned, but as soon as he was exposed to the moonlight, he suddenly felt a tremendous pressure crushing down on him from the sky. It was so great that he couldn¡¯t evoke the thought of fighting back. It suddenly felt as if the moon had be a divine being with endless power, and the night had transformed into an unbreakable cage. Even the Collector had to halt his footsteps under this pressure. A gaze from the silver moon induced goosebumps all over his body, rendering him hesitant to move even the slightest bit. The moon seemed to endlessly erge behind him, as all colors and sounds in the world drifted away from him. He instinctively understood the emotions behind the gaze¡ªanger and hatred. It was no different from a dragon having its reverse scale touched. He thought that divine retribution was going to descend from the sky. Much to his surprise, the sharp gaze lingered for several seconds before abruptly calming down, as if the owner behind the gaze had changed. Shortly thereafter, the heavy gaze vanished as if it had never appeared. The Collector anxiously retreated into the darkness, for he knew what he had just encountered. The Mother Goddess¡¯ gaze. This was a rare phenomenon that hardly anyone had ever experienced, representing both a fortuitous encounter and a harbinger of danger. However, the Collector was in no mood to decide which of the two it was for him. His mind was upied by something else. ¡°What in the world did you do¡­¡± the Collector murmured under his breath with a terrifyingly heavy aura. He instinctively realized that this incident had something to do with Roel, but he had no clue how those two could have been linked. The Ascart Bloodline shouldn¡¯t have been able to interfere with reality. That was the irondw derived from countless observations. Momentster, he shook his head and attributed it to Roel¡¯s Crown¡¯s Stones before proceeding to revise his subsequent ns. The Collector knew that it was no longer possible for him to personally dispose of Roel after what had happened earlier, but that didn¡¯t worry him in the least. That territory belonged not to him but to an ancient and powerful existence. With the resurgence of the Savior, that Sovereign had awoken from his deep sleep too. ¡°You must be desperately hiding right now, but it¡¯s futile¡­ Your fate was already sealed from the moment you stepped onto this soil,¡± the Collector muttered. He took onest look at the mapid out before him before slowly fading into the darkness. Chapter 577: Reward

Chapter 577: Reward

¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Bloodline awakening sessful.¡¿ The setting sun cast its orange glow upon the world, scattering thest tinge of its warmth before its descent. In the tree hollow where a venomous serpent lurked, Roel opened his eyes upon being awakened by the System¡¯s notification. ¡°¡­¡± Through the cracks between the leaves, he dazedly stared at the final embers of the setting sun as he slowly regained his senses. The first thing he noticed was that the unbearable heat that was on the verge of melting him down had been reced with a wave of refreshing coolness. The tree leaves rustled under the night breeze. Roel made use of the lingering daylight to assess the outside world. His extremely sharp vision allowed him to perceive even the veins of the leaves on faraway trees. Momentster, his face darkened. He keenly noticed that the grass in the distance had considerably lessened, as if many people had trampled on the samend and unwittingly paved it into a path. There were bones and armor fragments lying around. Humans wouldn¡¯t have ventured into this ce, so they could have only been the victims who were taken as ¡®rations¡¯ by the deviants. Did another army enter the forest? Roel wondered with a frown. Since the first batch of deviants, he had seen two more waves of armies that numbered beyond ten thousand. Taking into ount the time he had fallen asleep, there had to be at least tens of thousands of deviants in the southern area of Tark Prairie at this very moment. It was a relief that the enemy didn¡¯t know his exact location, or else his head would have rolled off his neck by now. Even so, his heart was still heavy. He knew that it was only a matter of time before the deviants found him. The Collector would never allow a dangerous variable like him to safely return. He had to make his escape soon, or else it was only a matter of time before the Savior¡¯s worshipers found him. To make things worse, the deviants had likely formed an encirclement around the forest, evident from the flying patterns of the eagle-like demonic beasts in the sky. The deviants heavily relied on taming aerial demonic beasts for scouting purposes, be it eagles or wyverns, which was why the human fortresses had to invest heavily in their aerial defense. This eagle that Roel was looking at right now was still in the same position as it was yesterday. Why would a scout keep watch at the same position when it was in the midst of hunting down a target? If the scouts weren¡¯t moving, it could only mean that they were securing the location while the rest of their armies were moving. In other words, the deviants were tightening their encirclement around the area. So, then, Roel had to escape before the encirclement tightened on him. He took a moment to ponder his next step before confirming his gains from the Witness State. Now that his bloodline awakening wasplete, he was finally able to view the rewards he had obtained from the Witness State. It was more than what he could have imagined. ¡¾You have obtained a Crown¡¯s Stone.¡¿ ¡¾Processing the formation of the spell.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained the ability: Magma Core.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained a Crown¡¯s Stone.¡¿ ¡¾Processing the formation of the spell.¡¿ ¡¾You have obtained the ability: Silver Devourer.¡¿ ¡¾Processing spell description.¡¿ ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s cheeks quivered in excitement when he saw the rewards he had received on the System. The Crown¡¯s Stones were the most straightforward method for him to raise his fighting prowess, as their powers were nigh impossible to defend against. In the Witness State, Roel had destroyed the Savior¡¯s body by borrowing the strength of the Six Cmities. Of course, those were the Six Cmities in their strongest state, but nevertheless, it still showed how powerful they were. In the present era, the whereabouts of some of the Six Cmities were unknown, and Shrouding Fog had be too powerful for him to defeat. He had no choice but to give up on gathering all of the Crown¡¯s Stones as a result. He hadn¡¯t expected to receive two more Crown¡¯s Stones from the Witness State, but after some thought, he could roughly fathom why that was the case. Magma Core originated from Sire Darkness, whereas Silver Devourer was from Shrouding Fog. Those two of the Six Cmities had sacrificed themselves in the earlier battle to protect Roel, which was probably the reason he had obtained them. The only one he wascking at the moment was Light Devourer, which had survived till the end and aided him in defeating the Savior. That might have been the reason Roel didn¡¯t obtain it as a Crown¡¯s Stone. It felt like a huge pity, but there was no way he could obtain it. That was the final sliver of his soul, after all. The System¡¯s notifications popped up while he was in the middle of his thoughts. With a heart filled with excitement, he turned to his System to check the descriptions of his two new spells. ¡¾Magma Core The most primordial energy of the world, the manifestation of the Earth and me Emperor. Upon activation, the user can unleash devastatingva together with a huge amount of scorching volcanic ash to instantaneously extinguish life. Side Effect: High heat¡¿ ¡¾Silver Devourer The devourer of all beings, the manifestation of the spatial power to obliterate all existence. Anything that stands in the presence of the silver fog will have its existence stolen away. The potency of the effect depends on the mana and duration. Side Effect: -¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the two descriptions, Roel¡¯s face slowly stiffened up. The two spells were as he had expected¡ªa weakened version of the Six Cmities. Of them, Silver Devourer worked in a manner simr to Time Devourer, where its effects amplified with time, but what concerned him was its side effect. Roel wasn¡¯t so gullible as to think that the dash in Silver Devourer¡¯s ¡®Side Effect¡¯ panel meant that it didn¡¯t have any side effects. He had been done in far too many times by the unreliability of the System to be that foolish. There must be something off about it. Carrying the final sliver of hope in his heart, Roel tried asking about it. ¡°Just to be sure, can I check what Silver Devourer¡¯s side effect is?¡± The System awkwardly paused for a brief moment before abruptly changing the topic. ¡¾As the wise old sages have once said, a gentleman should ceaselessly strive along¡­¡¿ Huh? Are you trying to preach to me now? ¡°Stop! I don¡¯t need your poisonous chicken soup. Just tell me what¡¯s with that side effect!¡± ¡¾¡­¡¿ The System fell silent under Roel¡¯s questioning. Roel stared at the System interface with a constipated look on his face. It took a toilet trip¡¯s time before the System finally answered. ¡¾Ding!¡¿ ¡¾Spell analysis failed.¡¿ ¡¾The System is unable to determine the spell¡¯s side effects. The user is advised to use the spell ¡®Silver Devourer¡¯ with prudence.¡¿ ¡°¡­¡± This unreliable bastard¡­ As the System finally came clean after realizing that it was unable to hoodwink its way out of answering, Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh. He was aware that the System struggled to process information rting to space and time. Admittedly, the System was reliable most of the time even though it was prone to asional failures. It had been a great help to him all this while. For the time being, he decided to seal off Silver Devourer. It was too dangerous to use a spell that he didn¡¯t know the side effects of, especially when he remembered the period of time during which he had regressed into a vulnerable child. He couldn¡¯t afford to take such a risk given his current circumstances. He would have to wait till he was out of danger before testing the spell out. Even so, he was still delighted to receive this Crown¡¯s Stone. It significantly reduced the threat Shrouding Fog posed to him, and it also meant that he was now a step closer to Her. Roel raised his head to look at the silver moon in the sky. It was a long timeter that he turned his attention back to his own condition. To his dismay, he was still in the midst of assimting his Crown Origin Attribute, so he was still unable to reach out to his ancient gods at the moment. ¡°It looks like it¡¯ll require quite some¡­ Hm?¡± Halfway through Roel¡¯s murmur, his body suddenly stiffened up. He hurriedly raised his head to look out of the tree hollow. ¡­ Nights with a clear sky were when the demonic beasts of Tark Prairie were the most active. Hunting, massacre, and bloodshed would be the themes of the night. Yet, it was on such a night, when the demonic beasts should have been the most active, that an abrupt silence suddenly settled upon this vastnd. All sounds were suddenly snuffed out as if the world had suddenly transformed into a realistic painting. The calls of the nightingales suddenly halted, and the pitter-patter of crawling insects vanished without a trace. All of the beasts in the forest stopped moving as if they had turned into statues. Even brawling demonic beasts separated right away and fearfully surveyed their surroundings. The only sound left in the world was the cold wind. Roel widened his eyes as an unbearable pressure weighed on him. He didn¡¯t know where this pressure wasing from, but he felt like this entire area had turned into a room, and its owner was about to make its appearance. An ominous feeling shook his heart as he racked his brain to figure out what was going on. Origin Level 1? No, this is above that. Could it be¡­ Roel suddenly remembered what Carter had previously mentioned. There was an individual on Tark Prairie that humankind viewed to be a terminal threat¡ªthe Deviant Sovereign. This alerted him to the severity of the situation. It would be foolishness to think that the Deviant Sovereign was on the same level as other Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns. It was a much older and stronger entity that had been properly crowned as a Race Sovereign in the past. Simr to how the present humankind only had Race Sovereigns but no Human Sovereigns, there had also never been a Deviant Sovereign in the previous wars. Yet, the situation had changed this time around, and it signaled the imminent arrival of a disaster of epic proportions. Roel tightly grabbed his scepter while urgently checking on his current condition. Meanwhile, a sinister ck sphere made up of countless wisps of ck smoke appeared in the night sky. All of the deviants fell to their knees and cried while kowtowing. Then, a ck aura flowed out from the ck sphere and swiftly enveloped the entire area. This ck aura bypassed all physical barriers to peer into one¡¯s soul. When it seeped through the tree to fall upon Roel, his yet-to-recover soul suddenly felt a pang of intense pain. His face turned ghastly pale, but he couldn¡¯t care about that right now. It saw me! As that thought surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind, the ck aura began converging into a ck sphere in preparation for a devastating attack. The pressure crushing down on him also simultaneously intensified, straining his body to its limits. His body, which had been reconstructed with many precious artifacts, was sufficiently resilient to withstand the pressure, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about thepressed ck aura. The sheer destructive prowess harnessed within that ck sphere was definitely not something Roel could tank with his body. In this critical moment, Roel clenched his teeth and furiously channeled all of his mana into his staff. ¡°Nine-headed Serpent Staff!¡± he roared. Under the huge influx of mana, the Nine-headed Serpent Staff began emanating a blinding light. The blood within the staff flowed vigorously as it invoked the power of Relentless Regeneration to bring back the ancient demonic beast that had once terrorized the world. Boom! The tree exploded as nine humongous serpent heads surged toward the sky with menacing hisses, threatening to devour their enemy whole. It was also at this moment that the ck sphere released a destructive ck beam. Unbelievably intense shockwaves instantaneously rippled across the prairie, toppling over everything in the vicinity. The nervous silence looming in the forest finally ended, as the beasts fled frantically with frightened cries, whereas the kneeling deviants rose up and howled. Roel gritted his teeth to endure the excruciating pain assaulting his soul while doing everything he could to channel his mana into the staff. The intense sh inflicted severe injuries on the Nine-headed Serpent; its resilient scales shattered, its flesh exploded, and its bones were reduced to dust. However, under the effects of Relentless Regeneration, new serpent heads continuously popped out and protected Roel from the ck aura. This tug-o-war sh had Roel swiftly depleting his mana, but the ck sphere in the sky was also quickly contracting in size. A huge explosion ensued, and the area around Roel turnedpletely white. Chapter 578: Summon

Chapter 578: Summon

Thick puffs of smoke and ashes rose from Tark Prairie¡¯s borders as zing mes disrupted the darkness of the night. Countless animals fled deeper into the center of the forest as the crackle of burning wood pursued them. The pressure from the sky had vanished after the intense explosion, and the terrifying aura from the sky was gradually fading away. Even so, none of the forest animals dared to remain for even a second longer. At the heart of the explosion, a ck-haired man opened his eyes. His consciousness felt hazy as if he was inside a dream, and a feeling of weakness in his body was lulling him to sleep. Amidst the billowing smoke, the awoken Roel blinked his eyes. For a brief moment, he was unable to feel anything in his body at all. In the earlier sh, he had channeled his mana into the Nine-headed Serpent Staff to exploit the Nine-headed Serpent¡¯s neverending cycle of regeneration to keep the ck sphere at bay. Eventually, the ck sphere chose to explode itself, releasing all of the umted energy at once. The sudden explosion released an intense shockwave that instantaneously destroyed the five remaining serpent heads and threatened to crush everything in its direct vicinity into meat paste. At this critical moment, the Nine-headed Serpent Staff¡¯s defensive mechanism kicked in. A dark green light burst forth and formed a barrier reminiscent of snake scales. This urgently deployed barrier blocked half of the explosion¡¯s force, but that was all it managed to do. Roel looked at the burning wooden smithereens and scorched earth around him with a grave expression. Even after it had been weakened, the explosion was still able to unleash immense destruction. Had he received the brunt of the impact, he would have surely died even with his enhanced resilience from Indestructible Body. To make things worse, he knew that the terrifying attack was just a portion of the enemy¡¯s true strength. That immense pressure that silenced the world earlier was definitely capable of more than just this explosion. That ck sphere was probably just one of the many it had scattered around the forest to locate him. It was unbelievable how a tracking spell embedded with offensive prowess could unleash such destruction. In a way, this showed just how powerful the enemy was. It was already difficult enough to escape from such an existence, but his enemy was far from just that. Wuuuu! A deep horn reverberated in the forest, and the deviants cried out excitedly. Even though the ck sphere had depleted itself during its face-off with Roel, it had aplished its mission of exposing his whereabouts. The shockwave from their sh had covered such arge area that it was impossible for the deviants to overlook it. . Just like that, the tens of thousands of deviantsbing the forest found him. From the armies that had already reached the heart of the forest to those who had just arrived not too long ago, they picked up their weapons and began marching toward where Roel was. Thunderous footsteps shook the forest floor like loud war drums. Roel¡¯s face turned incredibly livid. The ferocious war cries and the intense thumping of the earth vividly drove home just howrge the forces after his life were. By this point, he had already lost his ability to battle. The enemies might appear weak inparison to the Deviant Sovereign, but they currently posed arger threat to him than the ck spheres. It was often said that an army of ants could kill an elephant. That was an extremely real possibility to Roel, given the awfully feeble condition he was in. As if echoing his worries, a dense cluster of whizzing sounds echoed from the distance. Thousands of arrows were flying across the air in his direction like an ominous cloud of death. Roel endured the excruciating pain he was under and clenched his hand around his staff. ¡°¡­Nine-headed Serpent Staff,¡± he ordered hoarsely. A massive serpent manifested from the ashes. With an intimidating hiss, it surged forth and shielded the weakened Roel with its massive body. Ding ding ding! Arrows ceaselessly rained down on the massive serpent and exploded, but none of them were strong enough to significantly breach its resilient scales. All they managed to do was to provoke the serpent. Ssss! The massive serpent began to slither with incredible speed amidst the ashes. Through its ability, Ruler of Venomous Beasts, it began furiously spraying a deadly ck fume that could kill with the slightest inhtion into the vicinity, forming an absolute defense ring around Roel. The effectiveness of this fatal trap immediately showed as the deviants charged over in droves. At the forefront of the charge were the deviant cavalry. These weren¡¯t an organized army but individual soldiers who were patrolling nearby when they received the signal from the ck sphere. Little did they know that what awaited them wasn¡¯t a dying enemy, but a deadly fume hidden amidst the ashes. Gwah! A mere second after charging into the vicinity, the fifty or so demonic beasts and their riders screamed in agony. The deadly fume instantaneously corroded their bodies, inflicting upon them unbearable pain that pushed their nerves to their limits. In a matter of seconds, they had been reduced to puddles of blood. It looked almost reminiscent of snow melting after being thrown into the incinerator. It had happened so fast that their screams continued to echo in the forest even when they were already dead. Their remains emanated an awful stench. All of the deviants who were charging from all directions immediately halted their footsteps at that blood-curdling sight, but they resumed their charge a mere instantter. To them, the Deviant Sovereign was an invible existence whose orders couldn¡¯t be defied. Commands from a direct higher existence had to be unconditionally obeyed. What they had to do had already been decided from the moment the ck sphere exploded, and nothing in the world could change that. An increasing number of deviants was converging around Roel as time passed. Batch after batch of oblivious toons charged into the deadly fume, only to pass away with wretched cries. After over a thousand soldiers had been sacrificed to the deadly fume, the others finally figured out the fume¡¯s rough perimeter. With that, the battle proceeded into its second stage. To the backdrop of a burning forest, thousands of deviants scoured the outer perimeter of the deadly fume while releasing long-ranged attacks inward. Under their persistent attacks, the Nine-headed Serpent finally lost its patience and charged out from the ashes. Nine massive mouths swept across the battlefield to reap the deviants¡¯ lives. Within minutes, the forest was strewn with carcasses. Half-eaten deviants fell from the sky with their blood spraying in all directions before crashing with a loud thump. Those who were unlucky enough to be touched by those victims¡¯ blood immediately began corroding under the serpent¡¯s venom. Broken limbs and melted flesh could be seen no matter where one looked, and the rain of blood simply wouldn¡¯t stop. The Nine-headed Serpent was practically a walking disaster that terrorized the battlefield! Despite having kept his enemies at bay, Roel remained terribly anxious. I mustn¡¯t get dragged down here. I have to get out of here as fast as I can! He knew that his enemies were rushing over now that his location had been exposed. His only hope at surviving this ordeal was to create as much distance from them as possible before the main force arrived. Every single second was precious to him now. But the reality was harsh. With hordes of deviants piling down on him, he couldn¡¯t move at all due to his mana deficiency. Still, he knew that he had to at least try something. Thus, he endured the pain and struggled to his feet. At the same time, the Nine-headed Serpent dispatched three heads over to protect him. But before he could think of a countermeasure, he suddenly felt an immense mana pulsationing from the prairie behind him. It was an army spell. ¡°This is bad¡­¡± Roel¡¯s face warped in horror. He turned around and peered through the thickyer of ashes with his enhanced eyes. There, at the horizon of the moonlit prairie, the deviants¡¯ main force was closing in on him. Marching at the forefront of the deviants were bulky deviants armed with thick spears and shields forged out of demonic beasts¡¯ scales. It would have been rare to encounter a well-armed deviant anywhere else, but here they were clustered on the prairie. Behind the vanguard were priests cloaked in beast skin. They carried iridescent staves that glimmered with a faint light. Crimson specks reminiscent of fire sparks were flowing from them toward the center of their formation. They were in the midst of channeling an army spell. Roel knew that he had no other choice upon witnessing this sight. The Nine-headed Serpent Staff could still shield him against individual attacks, but it was helpless against army spells that devastated everything in a set area. In the first ce, this magic tool wasn¡¯t intended for defense. A resplendent cloud of me began to form in the night sky under the deviants¡¯ channeling. Inside the forest, war horns echoed ceaselessly as thousands of deviants fearlessly charged at the Nine-headed Serpent to bring it down. Roel was in a precarious situation with threats from all directions, but he didn¡¯t surrender to despair. Instead, he lowered his head and gazed at the short sword that had apanied him for many years. Ascendwing glowed as brilliantly as ever under the moonlight. Roel stared at the holy weapon for a few seconds before abruptly plunging it into his arm. ¡°!¡± The sharp pain brought a frown to Roel¡¯s face, but it didn¡¯t distract him from his goal. He determinedly channeled the mana in his blood toward Ascendwing, inducing the holy weapon to shine even more fervently. Then, he murmured the name of his protector. ¡°Nora¡­¡± ¡°!¡± A very, very long distance away, a golden-haired woman heard the whisper and jolted awake. Momentster, Ascendwing¡¯s second ability, Crown¡¯s Bestowment, was invoked. A ray of light shot out from the ashes and slowly shaped into a feminine silhouette. ¡­ Crown¡¯s Bestowment was the miracle born from the deep ties between Roel and his childhood friend. It was the manifestation of her determination to protect him back when he was still weak. This spell allowed her to project an avatar that possessed powers equivalent to the main body for 24 hours once every 700 natural days. However, this spell came with a huge downside: any damage sustained by the avatar would be transferred to the main body. For that reason, Roel had never used this spell until today. Golden light pierced through the ashes and purified the nearby deadly fumes. Under the cold moonlight, Ascendwing buzzed in anticipation as the silhouette of a golden-haired woman was slowly shaped out. ¡°Nora¡­¡± Roel looked at the radiant angel in the sky as he murmured with the final sliver of his strength. The golden-haired woman trembled upon hearing that voice. She lowered her head and stared at Roel with eyes filled with disbelief. ¡°Am I¡­ in a dream?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel had been nning to exin the situation when he heard those words and was stunned. The golden-haired woman continued to stare at him with incredulous eyes, not daring to make a reckless move as if she was afraid that she would shatter this mirage. ¡°Roel¡­ is it really you?¡± she asked with a quivering voice. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was perplexed by her bizarre reaction. W-what¡¯s going on? Is there something off with my spell? Unfortunately, the surrounding deviants didn¡¯t give them time to talk things out. Nora¡¯s descent had dissipated the surrounding ashes and purified the deadly fumes, thus fully exposing Roel to the enemy. Upon locating the target, the deviants sounded the war horns once more. After a despairingly one-sided battle against the Nine-headed Serpent, the deviants finally saw an opening for them to exploit. At the same time, the army spell also started to take shape. These movements on the battlefield filled Roel with anxiety. ¡°You¡¯re all eyesores¡­¡± a hoarse voice dripping with ire echoed. Nora raised her hand and drew in a flood of mana that irradiated the night sky with golden light. The atmosphere was suddenly suffused with a holy but authoritative aura. She then pulled the golden light down, causing it to rain down like holy spears. The holy spears struck the cloud of me channeled by the deviants, causing it to go off with a resounding explosion. At the same time, the deviants charging at Roel were also pierced by the falling holy spears, causing them to disintegrate entirely. Chapter 579: While You Weren’t Around

Chapter 579: While You Weren¡¯t Around

Golden light inundated the southern area of Tark Prairie as if someone had inverted day and night, but it was extinguished a brief instantter. It was like someone had hurriedly switched off the lights after identally switching them on. This brief sh of light didn¡¯t interest the animals in the forest too much¡ªthey merely nced at it before returning to their business¡ªbut this was a nightmare to the targets of those raining holy spears. Boom! A resounding explosion btedly followed the flood of light. The resplendent cloud of me channeled by the deviants was severed into two by one of the holy spears, resulting in the army spell losing its stability. The mes began to fly in all directions like gorgeous fireworks, but they brought about disasters and screams wherever theynded. The warrior deviants hurriedly raised their shields to protect their priests from the aftereffects of their failed spell. The other holy spears rained down on the deviants in Roel¡¯s vicinity, instantaneously disintegrating them. The war horns finally stopped, and it looked like the battle had concluded for now. Watching all of these from the eye of the storm, Roel widened his eyes in astonishment as a question surfaced in his mind. When did Nora be so strong? While he had activated Crown¡¯s Bestowment to summon Nora, his intention was only to have her take him to safety. He knew that it would take at least an Origin Level 2 transcendent to confront an army spell, so it wouldn¡¯t be wise for her to challenge its might. Yet, Nora crushed the army spell with absolute ease. This baffling situation confused Roel, but of course, it was good news to him. However, his joy swiftly faded as soon as he raised his head. Nora had broken down into tears. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s mind wentpletely nk when he saw tears trickling down from Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes. Only once in his entire life had he seen her cry, and that was when she stabbed his heart while under the control of her bloodline. Be it when she was struggling in the Witness State or under the threat of the Angel Sovereign, Nora had never cried. She had always held herself to strict standards, and to her, tears were a sign of weakness for a ruler. She would never allow herself to cry. Yet, under the moonlit sky, she had broken her own rule. She slowly descended from the sky with her eyes firmly locked on him. ¡°If this is all real¡­¡± Nora murmured hoarsely as if uttering a prayer. She carefully ced her hand on Roel¡¯s chest and activated the angel power lying dormant in him. Golden shackles manifested around their wrists, connecting them together by a long chain. ¡°!¡± The moment she saw the chains, she couldn¡¯t hold back her emotions anymore. Light wings sprouted from her back as she leaped into his arms and sobbed uncontrobly like a child. Roel caught her in a fluster. Looking at the surrounding environment and the crying woman in his arms, his eyes flickered in vague realization. ¡°Yes, Nora. It¡¯s me, Roel Ascart. You don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± ¡°Roel, I¡­¡± His familiar voice only made Nora cry even harder. Roel looked at her with a tender smile as he gently wiped off the tears from her cheeks. ¡°I know that you are confused. It¡¯s the same for me too. I¡¯ve been in the Witness State, so I still have no idea what has happened out here. Can you tell me what happened?¡± he asked. Nora nodded amidst sniffles. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath topose herself. Secondster, she finally held back her tears to properly face him. With a hoarse voice, she revealed a fact that shocked him to the core, though he had also somewhat guessed it as well. ¡°A year has passed. You¡¯re finally back.¡± ¡°!¡± ¡­ Roel¡¯s expression stiffened up. Staring at Nora once more, he finally understood why she had reacted in the way she did earlier. He had somewhat guessed from his surroundings that he had spent more time in the Witness State this time than he had before, but he didn¡¯t think that so much time would have passed. His initial guess was that a few months had passed and the season had just changed to spring, but it was already the second year since the attack on the Ascart Fiefdom. An entire year had slipped by him while he was away in the Witness State! Roel found himself at a loss for words. He didn¡¯t know how he should start exining the situation to Nora. On the other hand, Nora tightly held onto the chain while staring at him with reddened eyes. ¡°We searched everywhere for you for an entire year, but we couldn¡¯t even find the slightest clue. Wilhelmina told us that she sensed your entrance into the Witness State, but there was no news afterward. We thought that you were¡­ wu¡­¡± Unable to finish the sentence, Nora sped her mouth and wept. Her sorrowful expression brought a pang of pain to Roel¡¯s heart. Before he could say anything, a powerful aura suddenly surged from the devastated enemy formations. At the same time, the other deviants were starting to close in, filling in the positions of their fallenrades. ¡°That aura! It¡¯s an Origin Level 2 transcendent!¡± Roel remarked with a frown. He hurriedly turned to Nora to quickly fill her in on the situation he was in, only to see her staring at his body with widened eyes. While he was keeping an eye on the enemies, her attention was focused on his physical condition after ascertaining his identity. She could sense his vital signs through the angel power she had left in his body, but to her horror, he was suffering from a fatal deficiency of mana and life force. ¡°Roel, your body!¡± ¡°¡­Many things have happened. I¡¯ll tell youter.¡± Roel grabbed the hands of the panicking Nora and squeezed them to calm her down, pulling her back with him. He then summarized the situation with a grim expression, ¡°I have enemies after me. I suspect it¡¯s the Deviant Sovereign.¡± ¡°!¡± Nora gasped. Her expression turned severe as she realized the urgency of the situation. Without any hesitation, she unfurled her light wings with an outpour of mana. ¡°To think that it¡¯s the Deviant Sovereign¡­ We have to leave right away!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but we¡¯ll have to go at it from another way,¡± Roel replied with a glint in his eyes. ¡°Hm?¡± Nora turned to look at Roel. The Nine-headed Serpent, who had been fending off the deviants, received Roel¡¯s order and began spewing ck fumes into the surroundings, veiling the two of them. Shortly afterward, a tinge of golden light darted out of the fumes and flew off toward the human world. The deviants flew into an uproar, but there was nothing they could do without the ability to fly. However, a brief momentter, a dark cloud rose into the sky. It was a pursuit team made up of countless aerial demonic beasts. To fulfill their Sovereign¡¯s order, the deviants released almost all of their aerial demonic beasts. Thousands of them, made up of different races, flew toward the west, and the ground army also started giving chase. The war horns sounded once more, but there was a slight difference in their pitches this time. The deviants began to march westward, following the trail of the aerial demonic beasts. Themotionsted for more than an hour before gradually settling down. The animals of the forest began to return shortly after the departure of the deviants, but they subconsciously avoided the devastated area where Roel was previously at. They seemed to have instinctively sensed that a terrifying demonic beast was still lingering in the vicinity. Time slowly ticked by. It was only after a familiar ck sphere whizzed across the forest, heading from the east to the west, that the soil on thatnd began to loosen. Thirty more minutes passed by. After confirming once more there were no enemies in the vicinity, a massive serpent head carefully rose out of the soil and slithered out. Wrapped safely within its coiled body were a ck-haired man and a golden-haired girl. Roel stared in the direction the ck sphere had departed for with a grim expression. There¡¯s indeed more than one of those things, and they are pursuing me. Roel and Nora exchanged gazes before fleeing in the opposite direction. ¡­ The following morning, in the depths of Tark Prairie, Roel awoke from his sleep. The night of fighting had expended his strength and mana so much that he couldn¡¯t move on his own. He had to rely on Nora to carry him out of the deviants¡¯ encirclement, and he even passed out in the midst of their escape. Roel¡¯s golden eyes slowly regained their light as he recalled the events ofst night. He scanned his surroundings and found that he was inside a cavern. Nora was nowhere to be found. Her absence left him feeling anxious, but his heart calmed down when he touched Ascendwing. From Ascendwing¡¯s mana pulsation, he could tell that Nora hadn¡¯t gone too far away. Now that he was taking a closer look, he could see that there was a barrier erected around the cavern to keep intruders out. Most likely, she had gone out to gather some necessities. It was then that he btedly noticed his extremely parched throat and sighed softly. Roel sat upright to examine his injuries while reflecting on the dangerous situationst night. He had sustained considerable damage, and his mana was almost depleted too. The only silver lining was that he had sessfully activated Ascendwing¡¯s second ability to summon Nora, who then rescued him from that despairing situation. His final n had yed an important role in his survival too. As impressive as the deviants¡¯rge-scale encirclement looked, it was actually not too difficult for Roel to shake them off. What truly intimidated him were the ck spheres scattered around the forest¡ªor, to be exact, there was only one individual whom he had to avoid at all costs. The Deviant Sovereign. In fact, his escape route was designed specifically to avoid the Deviant Sovereign. Roel¡¯s current condition was no different from a rickety old cart that couldn¡¯t take any bumps. Heading directly westward was the shortest path back to the human world, but it was bound to be filled with many hindrances too. The slightest carelessness could spell his death. It was wiser for him to first head eastward, where enemies were fewer and weaker, and take his time to recover to his tip-top condition before finding another way back. The deviants should have lost track of my position after my feintst night. I should be safe at least for the next few days. Roel tried to prop himself off the ground with the support of the Nine-headed Serpent Staff, but his movements caused the barrier to shimmer. ¡°She even put up an observation barrier too? Do I look like a child who needs to be tucked into bed?¡± Roel murmured with a helpless smile, knowing that this barrier was usually used to care for the young and the elderly. Before he could stagger out of the cavern to take a look, Nora had already appeared at the entrance with a gust of wind. ¡°Roel, are you fine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Nora?¡± Roel was startled when the golden-haired woman rushed straight toward him and tightly embraced him, but when he thought about how he had vanished for a year, he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. He could understand why she had put up an observation barrier. She must be afraid that I¡¯ll disappear once again. Her unease pained him. ¡°Nora, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m fine now. I won¡¯t disappear again, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Nora continued to hug Roel with trembling arms for a long while before finally answering with a nod. She rested her head on his chest while trying to calm her breathing, as ifing to terms with her emotional turmoil. Roel dared not to disturb her. Time slowly ticked by. A long timeter, Nora finally raised her head, revealing a conflicted expression. She took a deep breath to muster her determination. ¡°Roel, there¡¯s something I have to tell you¡­¡± Chapter 580.1: The Missing Girl (1)

Chapter 580.1: The Missing Girl (1)

Inside the cavern, Nora hesitantly looked at Roel several times before making up her mind. Roel¡¯s expression turned grim upon seeing the look on her face, knowing that something must have happened over the past year. This was also something he had been concerned about when Nora told him a year had passed the previous night. The Ascart Fiefdom had been attacked by the Fallens when he entered the Witness State, and he was concerned about the war with the deviants too. His father, Carter, had returned to the frontlines, and the united army was nning to go on the offensive that spring. He wanted to know how the fight had gone and whether the people he cared for had fared well over the past year. It was just that he didn¡¯t have the time to ask Nora about that as they were in a rush to escapest night. But now, he was starting to get an ominous feeling. ¡°Roel, you don¡¯t have to worry about the Ascart Fiefdom. Our Theocracy has listed the Ascart Fiefdom as one of our protection priorities after that assault, and it has remained safe over the past year. However¡­ the Ascart House is not doing as well. You need to be mentally prepared,¡± Nora said. ¡°Ah?¡± Roel¡¯s expression stiffened up. It was hard to tell whether he hadn¡¯t heard Nora¡¯s words clearly, or he refused toprehend her words. Worry and fear started to breed inside his heart as he struggled to figure out how he should respond to this situation. Nora sensed his emotional fluctuation and gently held his cheeks. ¡°Calm down and listen to me, Roel. In thest battle with one of the enemies¡¯ Race Sovereigns, Uncle Carter sustained severe injuries. He is in the midst of recuperation.¡± ¡°Severe injuries? Why is he even fighting a Race Sovereign in the first ce?!¡± Carter might have been one of the stronger humans in the world, being both an Origin Level 2 transcendent and a war veteran, but he still wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against an Origin Level 1. The area he was stationed at, Tark Stronghold, shouldn¡¯t have required any offensive deployments, either. There shouldn¡¯t have been any circumstance where he had to confront an Origin Level 1 transcendent. Nora could see through the doubts Roel harbored. ¡°In the year you have been away, the deviants grew at an unprecedented level, presumably influenced by the Savior¡¯s awakening. The most direct result of that is the significant increase in the number of deviant priests.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes in realization as he recalled the deviants¡¯ army spellst night. Nora also nodded in affirmation. ¡°The deviant priests you encounteredst night aren¡¯t an exception. They have be amon sight in the deviants¡¯ military lineup. That has made it much harder for us to continue waging a defensive war. Thus, in thetter half of the previous year, the united army changed its military strategy into one thatbined both offense and defense. Uncle Carter participated in the biggest Battle of Stanlos together with my grandfather¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Nora suddenly paused at this point as herposed voice choked up somewhat. Roel was startled. ¡°Nora?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± She lowered her head and closed her eyes as she attempted to push down the emotions rising from her chest. Afterposing herself, she raised her head and continued the report. ¡°Uncle Carter worked with my grandfather to bring down an Origin Level 1 giant deviant, but the two of them sustained severe injuries as a result. The Theocracy suffered heavy losses, and m-many people¡­ Wu!¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was bing increasingly hard for Nora to conceal her sorrow as she recalled the battlefield where many of her kin and close friends died. Roel quietly pulled her into his arms, and she clenched her jaw and silently sobbed. As her childhood friend, Roel had always known that there were two sides to Nora. The Theocracy¡¯s princess had to be strong and dignified before her people and her enemies. Weakness was a cardinal sin. But humans were all made of flesh and blood. How could she be unaffected when faced with the suffering of her loved ones? The psychological pain she kept shoving down and suppressing all this while was finally let loose before Roel¡¯sforting. It was a good thing, as suppressed emotions could manifest as emotional trauma if left to be. Roel would have preferred Nora to vent more of her emotions, but she only sobbed for a short while before lifting her head. There seemed to be more things that she had to tell Roel about. ¡°But that¡¯s not all I want to tell you. Roel, you have to stay calm at what I¡¯m going to say next. Make sure to listen to everything I have to say first,¡± Nora said hoarsely. . ¡°Nora?¡± Roel was startled. Nora¡¯s deeply worried expression conveyed the severity of the situation, and it left him with a lurching sensation in his heart. Nora took a while to muster her courage before revealing the news that he would struggle toe to terms with. ¡°Alicia has gone missing.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel froze up in an instant. His mind suddenly ground to a halt as it struggled to process the significance of what had just been ryed to him. It was only when Nora turned her head away with a pained look that he snapped out of it a little. ¡°Alicia went missing? How can that be?!¡± Roel grabbed Nora¡¯s shoulder in agitation. ¡°She has already reached Origin Level 3! She is even strong enough to defeat Origin Level 2 transcendents under the moonlight! How did she go missing? It was justst year that she reached adulthood; how could you all let her step onto the battlefield?!¡± ¡°You have misunderstood, Roel! We didn¡¯t send her to the battlefield!¡± ¡°It¡­ isn¡¯t that?¡± ¡°Alicia became the only sessor of the Ascart House following your disappearance. There¡¯s no way we would allow her to join the battlefield.¡± ¡°T-then¡­¡± ¡°She went missing on her own.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell speechless. Nora heaved a sigh. She took a brief moment to organize her thoughts before carrying on. ¡°Your disappearance affected us in more ways than you could have imagined, especially for Alicia and Charlotte. We did everything we could to find you, but when Wilhelmina told us that you had entered the Witness State and days flew by, those of us who once entered the Witness State with you began to despair. ¡°However, Alicia refused to give up. She wanted to leave the Ascart Fiefdom to look for you, but Uncle Carter forbade her from doing so. Half a year ago, while visiting the area you vanished at, she suddenly disappeared into thin air, leaving no clues behind. We tried looking for her, but there was no news at all¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel clutched his forehead and retreated two steps. He took deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself, but his mind waspletely nk. Alicia was the younger sister whom he cared for and doted on the most from a young age, and they had spent the longest time with each other too. Their rtionship had already transcended that between kin or lovers. Often, when he suffered grievous injuries from fighting against all kinds of threats the cruel world threw at him, his greatest salvation was seeing her smile when he returned home. What was he supposed to do now that she was no longer at the ce he called home? He couldn¡¯t ept this. How could he ept this? He had to bring her back, but there were no clues for him to work with. One thing he was certain about was that something must have happened to Alicia, or else she would have definitely stepped forward upon learning that Carter had gotten injured. The Battle of Stanlos from half a year ago, in which Carter and Holy Eminence John sustained severe injuries to take down one of the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns, had been widely propagated by the united army as a feat of valor. All humans should have heard about it by now. Alicia would have surely returned home if she heard about it. After all, Carter¡¯s position was only second to Roel¡¯s to her. ¡°Are her movements being restricted? Or is she not in the human world? Or is it possible that¡­¡± ¡­ she¡¯s unable to return anymore? Chapter 580.2: The Missing Girl (2)

Chapter 580.2: The Missing Girl (2)

Thinking about the most frightening possibility induced a shudder from Roel, and he clutched his hair in an attempt to force himself to calm down. Nora rushed forward and grabbed his arm. ¡°Calm down, Roel. Don¡¯t think too much about it. Alicia is probably safe.¡± ¡°What makes you say so?¡± ¡°I have no basis behind my words, but¡­ her powers suddenly underwent tremendous growthst year. If I¡¯m not mistaken, she reached Origin Level 2 prior to her disappearance.¡± ¡°Origin Level 2?¡± Roel blinked as he struggled to take in what he had just heard. Alicia had only just reached Origin Level 3 when he entered the Witness State a year ago, after all. However, he didn¡¯t think that it was unbelievable when he thought about the deduction he had arrived at in the Witness State. Right. Alicia¡¯s rapid growth would make sense if she¡¯s really rted to the ck Moon. But if she¡¯s in a safe position, what could have possibly caused her to¡­ ¡°Hold on. Nora, you mentioned that Alicia was wandering around the area where I entered the Witness State¡­ Could it be Shrouding Fog¡¯s doing, then?¡± ¡°We did think of that possibility too, but we arecking in our knowledge of the Six Cmities. We are also facing a manpower crunch due to the war effort on the eastern border. We couldn¡¯t assign too many people to investigate Shrouding Fog, so we haven¡¯t been keeping track of its recent movements¡­¡± Nora replied with an apologetic expression. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Roel fell silent. Contrary to what Nora was thinking, he would have felt much more assured if it was Shrouding Fog who had taken Alicia away. Shrouding Fog was unlikely to hurt her, given her ties with the Mother Goddess. Rather, it would be much more dangerous for her if the culprit was one of the other powers. Roel was particrly wary of the Fallens, especially the Collector. While they hadn¡¯t shown an interest in Alicia thus far, there was a real possibility that they might seek to eliminate her if they learned about her background, considering the Savior and the Mother Goddess¡¯ hostile ties. His face turned grim, but his head started to spin before he could think of a solution. Luckily, Nora, who had been keeping a close eye on him, rushed forward to support him. ¡°Roel!¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just feeling a little light-headed. I¡¯ll go over there and rest for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora was pained to see Roel in this state. His father was severely injured and his little sister had suddenly gone missing; ordinary humans wouldn¡¯t have been able to take such a blow. Still, she had chosen to tell him the truth because she believed in his mental strength. Roel had never wallowed in despair no matter how difficult the situation was. While the current situation had literally hit home for him, she thought that he would still be able to ovee it and stand stronger than ever. Time slowly passed by. Roel leaned against the wall while staring intently at the ground. A long timeter, he let out a sigh as his eyes hardened in determination. Nora¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Mm. I have calmed down. Sorry about earlier.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it¡­ What are your current thoughts?¡± ¡°There¡¯s too much to summarize. For the time being, let¡¯s escape from here first,¡± Roel said as he grimly looked at the cavern¡¯s entrance. He was worried about Alicia¡¯s disappearance and Carter¡¯s injuries, but the truth was that he was in the most precarious position of all. While he had escaped from the deviants¡¯ encirclement, it had only resulted in his straying further from the human world. The Deviant Sovereign was still after him. That was an enemy he wasn¡¯t confident of defeating even after recovering his strength. Most importantly of all, Nora¡¯s protection was running out. ¡°Nora, how long can you maintain Ascendwing¡¯s projection?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll likely run out by tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re too deep in the deviants¡¯ territory right now. The united army won¡¯t be able to dispatch soldiers to rescue you. Sending in an elite force will also be tough since the Deviant Sovereign isbing the area. You¡¯re in no state to navigate this area by yourself, either. At this rate¡­¡± Nora clenched her fists worriedly. Roel pursed his lips in silence. This was probably the worst situation he had ever been in, but he would continue to persist as long as there was a sliver of hope, especially after learning about Carter¡¯s and Alicia¡¯s situations. I need to return as soon as possible to investigate this matter, Roel thought as he nced at the faint lighting from the cavern¡¯s entrance. ¡­ In the distant Tark Stronghold, Nora¡¯s situation had already caught the church¡¯s attention. In the stronghold¡¯smand center, Nora¡¯s body was shrouded in holy light. Buzzing around her was a bunch of busy clergymen, who were busy invoking their emergencymunication magic tools. Nora was currently Tark Stronghold¡¯s highestmander. Her actions could easily determine the fate of the Theocracy¡¯s soldiers. However, she was unable to move her body right now, as her consciousness had been projected elsewhere. The first thing the clergymen did was to ensure her safety, followed by reaching out to the main headquarters of the Genesis Goddess Church to entrust the decision-making power to them. A white-haired old man projected in themand center quietly assessed Nora, while the others in the room waited for his verdict in absolute silence. Holy Eminence John¡¯s prestige had risen to greater heights after he sessfully defeated an Origin Level 1 giant deviant, but the injuries he sustained in the process made him look older than usual. Even so, his eyes continued to flicker with wisdom. Assessing the unconscious Nora, he keenly noticed that the mana pulsationing from her was the same one he had seen years ago in the royal pce. Its reappearance here had great significance. That child is back, Holy Eminence John thought as he breathed a huge sigh of relief. Far too many things had changed after Roel¡¯s disappearance, especially his precious granddaughter. She continued to maintain a strong front before others, but it was not just once or twice that he had seen her weeping in the silence of the night. Her father had disappeared to Shrouding Fog, and her grandfather was severely injured. Such circumstances forced her to take the helm whether she was ready for it or not. No doubt she was apetent and inspiring leader, but John could almost hear her taut nerves creaking under the pressure, especially since she was not in the best emotional state. It was only a matter of time before she snapped. It was a good thing that Roel had returned at this moment, which provided her with the mental support she direly needed¡­ but the situation didn¡¯t look optimistic on his side, either. ¡°Have you determined the activation location of the holy artifact yet?¡± ¡°Holy Eminence John, there seems to be some powerful force disturbing the holy artifacts¡¯ mana pulsation. We are only able to ascertain the rough direction.¡± ¡°A disturbance? Which direction are they in?¡± ¡°¡­They are in the southeast.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The room fell deathly silent. Holy Eminence John¡¯s already-pale face turned even more severe. Everyone present in this room knew what was further east of the human world¡¯s eastern border. Some of them could also guess what it meant for Ascendwing¡¯s mana pulsation to be disrupted, and that shed light on what they were up against. Sincest year, a powerful aura reminiscent of an ancient god had enveloped the entire Tark Prairie, inducing fear in the hearts of the humans. Since then, more priests had been appearing in the deviants¡¯ military lineup, and the tides had begun to turn against the humans. Even the united army, which had dealt with four invasions thus far, had never encountered such a situation before. The church and the schrs investigated the matter and arrived at a simr conclusion: the highest ruler of the deviants had awoken from his slumber. The clergymen in the room fell silent. They knew that an important question had been presented to Holy Eminence John: Should we save him or not? It was only a matter of time before the holy artifact¡¯s ability ran out and Nora returned, but the person who invoked the spell would still be trapped in the vast prairie. Even if they knew his location, the chances of saving him were extremely slim, and it woulde at a massive price. Most importantly of all, this was likely to be a trap. Holy Eminence John had departed from the frontline not just because the main headquarters could provide better recovery conditions. This was also a strategic decision made by the united army to conceal the whereabouts of their Race Sovereigns lest that terrifying existence target them. For Holy Eminence John to enter Tark Prairie now was no different from amb walking into a tiger¡¯s mouth. He would be presenting an opportunity of a lifetime to his enemies. It would be no different from gambling with his life. Is it worth risking the lives of an Origin Level 1 transcendent and many soldiers to rescue the number one person of the golden generation? None in the room could answer this question. Holy Eminence John quietly stared at his unconscious granddaughter for a long time before sighing softly. ¡°It stilles in the end, but that¡¯s fine. Maybe this is the right time.¡± Leaving those cryptic words behind, he switched off themunication magic tool. He picked up a paper and a quill beside his royal throne and began writing a letter. He had made sure topletely seal off news about this matter due to its implications, but little did he know that someone else had learned about Roel¡¯s return earlier than he had. In a fortress heavily patrolled by knights, an old man stood in front of his throne with a sword in hand. Standing before him was a flustered Teresa, who had abruptly returned from the frontlines without any warning. Friedrich Cambonyte quickly dismissed everyone in the room before quizzically looking at the pink-haired woman. Thetter immediately took out her notebook and furiously scribbled on it. Wilhelmina told mest night that she sensed something. Then, she suddenly left the fortress and entered the prairie all alone! ¡°!¡± Friedrich was momentarily stunned before the air suddenly turned heavy. Chapter 581.1: I’ll Enjoy Every Last Morsel of It (1)

Chapter 581.1: I¡¯ll Enjoy Every Last Morsel of It (1)

¡°It¡¯s a letter from our master to the young miss?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ He ordered for the letter¡­ to be personally delivered¡­ into the young miss¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Understood. Take a rest and drink up. You have worked hard.¡± Grace first thanked the heavily breathing messenger, who had rushed all the way here to deliver an emergency message from the frontlines to the fortress, before leaving under the heated gaze of the soldiers. She let out a quiet sigh as she thought about the events that had transpired over the past six months. The increased pressure from the deviants on humankind¡¯s frontlines had prompted the united army to rally reinforcements. Rosa, as one of therger countries, was obliged to respond to the rally. The Sorofyas¡¯ patriarch, Bruce Sorofya, made a shocking decision. He dispatched Charlotte, who had been managing Rosa¡¯s administration and the united army¡¯s logistical operations, to the frontlines as amander to participate in the battle. This was where it all began. News about the renowned Charlotte Sorofya joining the frontlines greatly inspired the people, motivating countless to join the army. Brolne¡¯s students also rallied together for the cause, which helped the united army¡¯s call for reinforcement to end with a resounding sess. But things weren¡¯t as simple as they seemed. It might have seemed that Bruce had ordered Charlotte to join the frontlines to serve as a role model to the others, but the truth was that he had no choice but to do so. Grace, who had been by Charlotte¡¯s side all this while, knew that better than anyone else. Grace had to walk past a long corridor before reaching the entrance of the fortress¡¯s inner city. The guards on duty respectfully greeted her with lowered heads. ¡°It¡¯s Miss Grace! Open the city gates!¡± the gatemander ordered. ¡°Thank you, Commander Torde.¡± ¡°Not at all. General, we are indebted to you for speaking up for us on the battlefield, or else the first miss would have¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not on the battlefield right now. Call me by my name instead. Also, I should remind you that the matter with the first miss was only an ident,¡± Grace said with a hint of displeasure. ¡°Pardon me; I have misspoken. Please do not mind it,¡± the gatemander apologized. Grace cooled down a little after receiving the swift and sincere apology. Under the guards¡¯ salutes, she entered the inner city. Charlotte and Grace were currently the highestmanders of Chade Fortress and generals of the united army. While they were youngpared to the other military veterans, there was not a person who objected to their appointment, for they were both Origin Level 2 transcendents. Despite their simr positions, the airs that they gave off were vastly different. Grace had a cold attitude, but she was well-loved by the soldiers. As for Charlotte, the soldiers only harbored deference for her. This waspletely unlike what others had expected when they learned that Charlotte was being deployed to Chade Fortress. ¡°The young miss should be awake by now,¡± Grace murmured under her breath as she nced at the afternoon sky. She quickly made her way up the stairs and stopped before the doors of themand center. She nced at the two guards stationed there. ¡°Lord Grace, Miss Charlotte is not here,¡± one of the guards told her. ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Grace nodded grimly before venturing deeper into the inner city. She could already guess her young miss¡¯s condition from how thetter wasn¡¯t in themand center even though it was already in the afternoon. Her face clouded over as she let out a sigh. She hastened her footsteps toward Charlotte¡¯s room. She first dismissed the maids stationed by the doorway before gently pushing the door. A strong alcohol smell wafted out of the room. Several uncorked wine bottles of different colors were lying haphazardly on the ground. ¡°¡­¡± Grace closed the door behind her before ncing at the renowned wines left all over the ground from the doorway. She let out another worried sigh. Too much had changed over the past year. She would have never imagined that her most beloved young miss would end up like this. Bards often sang cautionary tales of how love led to destruction, and Charlotte¡¯s current state reflected that well. The Fallens¡¯ assault on the Ascart Fiefdom a year ago was the turning point in Charlotte¡¯s life. Before then, she was thought to be the personification of a perfectdy¡ªdignified, lofty, gentle, and kind. The beauty of love made her shine brighter than her peers; there was just something about her that drew others in. No one could have known that the girl who grew up because of love would be destroyed by love too. In the attack on the Ascart Fiefdom that led to Roel¡¯s disappearance a year ago, Charlotte had received an urgent request for reinforcement but failed to make it in time. Whileter evidence showed that her arrival wouldn¡¯t have changed much, she was still unable to forgive herself. She reproached herself for being unable to help her lover. Had that been the full extent of her worries, she could have still barely held herself together till Roel¡¯s return. However, she received news from the Knight Kingdom that he had entered the Witness State. Having been to the Witness State herself, she knew that every second that passed without his return spelled a greater chance that something might have happened to him. Theck of news with the passing of time was simultaneously a ray of hope and a ticking bomb of despair. She knew that she had to give up at some point in time, but how could she when the world refused to take away that final sliver of hope? It started off with nightmares, followed by bouts of anxiety, then ack of appetite. Half a year ago, when most parties stopped their search for Roel after dering that his chances of survival were slim, her mental state rapidly declined. She even started disying suicidal tendencies. The worried Bruce immediately ordered Charlotte to undergo treatment, but she was so stuck in the rut that no counseling worked on her. Even Master Andrew was unable to soothe her pain. To stop her from killing herself, the Sorofyas had no choice but to imprison her, but that was not a long-term n. After much discussion, Bruce decided to dispatch her to the frontlines in hopes of using another impetus to jolt her dead heart. Hatred. Roel¡¯s death had not just plunged Charlotte into grief; it had also nted a seed of hatred in her heart. She hated the Savior¡¯s worshipers who attacked the Ascart Fiefdom, and she also hated Shrouding Fog for cornering him. The deviants happened to fall in the former category. Bruce thought that stoking her hatred could at least breathe some life into her, and killing her enemies could be an avenue for her to vent her emotions. It was a gamble since it was hard to say how things would turn out, but it appeared to be the right choice. Charlotte¡¯s ailment had greatly improved upon her arrival at the frontlines. The sight of the culprits who took her lover away from her ignited her wrath, and her hatred became her pir of support. She unleashed her full potential through an endless stream of fights on the battlefield, reaching Origin Level 2 within a single year. She became one of humankind¡¯s rising stars on the eastern border. However, this also brought about its own set of problems. For instance, Charlotte tended to charge right into the middle of the battlefield without paying any heed to her soldiers¡¯ pacing. The only one who could really keep up with her and stop her from diving too deeply into danger was Grace. It was for that reason that the soldiers exceptionally respected Grace. Other than that, she had also be an alcoholic. While Charlotte¡¯s suicidal tendencies faded upon arriving at the frontlines, her desire to avenge her lover ironically reinforced her attachment to the past. Whenever they were off the battlefield, Grace would often spot her staring at her ring with a pained expression. The only way for her to curb her sorrow was to numb herself through alcohol. Grace knew that this wasn¡¯t a good solution and was opposed to it, but there was nothing she could do to help her. How could one help someone whose world had already crumbled? Grace stood quietly by the doorway for a moment before lightly knocking on the door behind her. It was only upon receiving Charlotte¡¯s response that she finally made her way into the room. ¡°Morning, young miss.¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Grace drew the heavy curtains, allowing the bright afternoon sunlight to spill in. The opened windows allowed air to circte in the stuffy room, diffusing the strong alcohol smell lingering inside. Patches of spilled wine on the floor glimmered under the sunlight. Charlotte sat on the bed, not saying a word at all. Herplexion was much palerpared to a year ago, and she was skinnier too. She was still beautiful, but it was a sickly kind of beautypared to her dignified and elegant past self, reminiscent of the frail princesses depicted in stories. It was an appearance that stoked one¡¯s desire to protect. Her emerald eyes were cold and distant, devoid of any warmth at all. Grace felt a jolt of pain in her chest each time she saw these eyes. ¡°Young miss, your breakfast¡­¡± ¡°I have no appetite,¡± Charlotte replied nonchntly. ¡°¡­¡± Grace¡¯s expression darkened. Charlotte had hardly consumed anything for months other than the alcohol that numbed her nerves. If not for her transcendent body nourishing her through absorbing mana, she would have been dead by now. Grace¡¯s responsibility as Charlotte¡¯s personal maid was to attend to her every need, but thetter had already lost all interest in life. All that was left in her was deep sorrow and a desire for vengeance. Chapter 581.2: I’ll Enjoy Every Last Morsel of It (2)

Chapter 581.2: I¡¯ll Enjoy Every Last Morsel of It (2)

¡°I heard amotion earlier. Did something happen?¡± ¡°Yes, your father sent an emergency letter. He sternly instructed for the letter to be delivered straight into your hands¡­¡± ¡°Read it out for me.¡± ¡°¡­Understood.¡± Grace hesitantly received Charlotte¡¯s insignia ring and removed the seal on the envelope before retrieving the letter from within. ¡°Dear Charlotte, I received an emergency report from the church today. It was a handwritten letter from Holy Eminence John, containing an update on Roel Ascart¡¯s whereabouts. They have determined his location to be the southeastern area of Tark Prairie. The church is currently organizing a rescue operation¡­ Y-young miss!!!¡± Pah! Halfway through the letter, Grace raised her head in agitation. She saw the auburn-haired woman before her stiffening up as the cup she held in her hand fell to the ground and shattered. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Young miss, Lord Roel is alive!¡± ¡°!¡± It took Charlotte a moment to process those words before she clumsily charged at Grace to snatch the letter away from thetter¡¯s hands, paying no heed to the ss shards on the floor. She stared intently at the letter¡¯s content. Momentster, her body began to shudder. ¡°¡­It¡¯s him. It definitely is him! He¡¯s the only one who can invoke that spell! He is alive!!! Wu¡­¡± ¡°Young miss!¡± Charlotte dropped to the ground and began weeping uncontrobly. Her hand instinctively covered her mouth as if she couldn¡¯t believe it to be true. Grace was overwhelmed by the situation too, but she quickly snapped out of it. She first dragged a chair over and lifted Charlotte onto it. She squatted down before the auburn-haired woman and gently wiped away her tears. ¡°This is wonderful, young miss. It¡¯s a miracle that Lord Roel is still alive. There¡¯s still a chance to start all over again¡­¡± Grace felt choked up thinking about the year of misery her young miss had been through. Charlotte finally wiped off her tears and forced herself to calm down. She looked through the letter once more, and this time, her expression slowly turned grim. ¡°It¡¯s mentioned in the letter that he¡¯s deep inside Tark Prairie and needs to be rescued¡­¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s the deviants¡¯ territory, right? How did Lord Roel end up there? This isn¡¯t good. Our military prowess has suffered a heavy blow from thest battle,¡± Grace murmured worriedly. An elite force was key to rescuing Roel, but they would also require a decent army to hold back the bulk of the deviants¡¯ forces. Unfortunately, that was what Rosa was currentlycking. It had suffered huge losses from thest few major battles, and now had only enough military power to hold its position. Going on the offensive was out of the question. ¡°Young miss, what should we do?¡± Grace asked worriedly. In contrast, Charlotte remainedposed. She carefully stowed away the letter before raising her head. ¡°Send our men to liaise with the southern kings!¡± ¡°The southern kings? Do you intend to¡­¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯ll buy all of the soldiers that the southern countries have deployed to the eastern border!¡± ¡­ On Tark Prairie, Roel quietly stared at the angel rampaging in the sky. A hundred deviant scouts were escaping on horseback, and hot on their tails was a death god with light wings. Not too long ago, the two of them had been discovered by an aerial demonic beast patrolling in the sky. Without any hesitation, Nora charged into the sky and obliterated the demonic beasts in the vicinity with a single strike. The two of them should have escaped right after that, but after a moment of thought, Nora decided to chase the deviants behind them instead. While these deviants hadn¡¯t noticed anything yet since they were simply too far away, it was only a matter of time before they noticed the death of their demonic beasts and realized that something was amiss. To buy them more time to escape, Nora decided to massacre all of them. After ten minutes of searching around, Nora finally found the deviants. The enemy immediately fled in the direction of the main army, knowing that they were no match for Nora. It was a pity that they were simply too slow. A surge of golden light rushed forth and blocked the deviants¡¯ path. Nora chose not to resort to her stronger spells lest other powerful transcendents in the vicinity picked up on her mana pulsation. Instead, she swooped down to the ground with her sword and personally decapitated them one after another. Cries of despair shook the air. Though these deviants were as weak as little children before the Origin Level 2 transcendent, it still took half an hour for her to deal with them. It was already sunset by the time she returned to Roel¡¯s side. Traveling at night would have been inefficient, as they wouldn¡¯t be able to use Nora¡¯s light wings, which were simply too conspicuous when contrasted against the night sky. It also wasn¡¯t wise for them to travel without rest, out of consideration for Roel¡¯s poor state of health. So, they decided to rest for the night, and the sentry posts their predecessors had left around Tark Prairie were the best option. ¡°Wee back. Did you deal with all of them?¡± ¡°I did. Their carcasses should have disintegrated under the Angel Sovereign¡¯s powers by now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already able to use your bloodline ability to that extent?¡± ¡°I advanced by leaps and bounds over the past year. Who knows? I might even be stronger than you now.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± That really might just be the case, Roel thought sheepishly to himself. Those from the Kingmaker n were usually unmatched within their own power ss, but the chosen ones like Nora and the others were an exception. He still vividly remembered how he had to risk his life to wake up Nora, who had been possessed by the Angel Sovereign, despite the two of them being Origin Level 3 transcendents. ¡°You have worked hard. Our location would have been exposed if not for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing at all. I¡¯m doing it for myself too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true as well. It might just be a projection, but any damage you sustain will be reflected on your main body too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one thing, but I also don¡¯t want to be disturbed while doing other stuff.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was about to return to the house to check on the food he was cooking, but he froze up upon hearing those words. He turned around in astonishment, only to see Nora staring at him with narrowed eyes. There was a devious smile on her lips. Wait a moment! That expression¡­ Roel had fought with her for so long that he instinctively understood the intent behind her smile. He subconsciously backed away, only to be cornered right away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Nora invoked her mana, manifesting the shackles and chain that linked them together. Without any warning, she tugged on the chain. The unguarded Roel was immediately sent flying into her arms. ¡°Your liege just returned triumphant from battle, but you¡¯re trying to sneak off instead of celebrating her victory. Is that how a subordinate should conduct himself, Roel?¡± Nora held the golden chain firmly in her hand, not granting any room for Roel to escape at all. Her smile only widened when she saw his twitching cheeks. Rendered in a helpless position, Roel could only surrender with a strained smile. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s a misunderstanding. I was heading in to check on the pot. It¡¯s only right for me to serve the finest food to repay what Your Highness has done for me.¡± ¡°Is that so? That sounds not too bad.¡± Nora chuckled softly as she nodded. Then, she stared intently at Roel with glowing eyes as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll ept your goodwill and enjoy everything, then.¡± Chapter 582.1: Farewell at Daybreak (1)

Chapter 582.1: Farewell at Daybreak (1)

Roel Ascart was a veteran gourmet. He had traveled all over the world and tried all kinds of delicacies, which made him particr about the ingredients used in his food. He understood how excellent ingredients could draw out the finest tastes in a dish. But he had never thought that a day woulde when he would be treated as an ingredient. Faced with Nora¡¯s zing eyes, Roel bit his lips. For a moment, he wondered if this was how a wild rabbit felt when hunted by a tiger, but when he looked at the golden chain between them, he had a weird feeling that he might be domestic instead. ¡°Ahem! Nora, how does it taste?¡± ¡°How surprising. It¡¯s actually decent.¡± Nora stared in surprise at the pot of stewprising boiled wild vegetables and air-dried demonic beast meat seasoned with a pinch of salt. She thought that it deserved apliment considering the limited resources they had on hand. ¡°I am from a military house, after all. I am at least equipped with basic survival skills. Didn¡¯t I make something simr for you before?¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ Who else have you cooked for?¡± ¡°Ah? T-this¡­¡± Isn¡¯t this a death question? Roel eximed in his mind as his eyes swam around in guilt. After some thought, he decided to push his way through. ¡°I have only made food for you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course. The only two times I have had to personally cook in the wilderness are the times I spent with you on thisnd.¡± ¡°¡­Two times, huh? It looks like we are pretty fated with thisnd.¡± Nora looked at the starry sky above as she fell through the corridor of memories. Two years ago, it was also on this verynd that she lost control of her bloodline and was nearly devoured by the Angel Sovereign. It was a lone man who marched into this dangerousnd and saved her. Neither of them could have imagined back then that they would return to this ce. ¡°But the situation is now the opposite of what it was back then. The rescuer has now be the rescuee, and I¡¯m in a far worse condition than before,¡± Roel remarked with a bitter smile as he poked the campfire while thinking about the past too. Nora was silent for a long while before she said in an uncharacteristically gloomy voice, ¡°Both are rescue operations, but I¡¯m unable to apany you to the very end. It¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What are you saying? It¡¯s the limitation of the spell! There¡¯s no right or wrong!¡± Roel eximed. Looking at the crestfallen golden-haired woman, he found himself regretting having mentioned the past. Before he could change the topic, Nora suddenly raised a surprising question. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I have been wanting to ask you¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°That time when you came to Tark Prairie to look for me, Shrouding Fog was lurking in the vicinity, and there was the threat of the deviants too. Weren¡¯t you afraid?¡± ¡°Well¡±¡ªRoel prodded the campfire with a poker as he tried to recall his feelings back then¡ª¡°I was terrified. I was only an Origin Level 4 transcendent then. I was hardly strong enough to go against those threats¡­ It was probably an impulse that allowed me to act so decisively.¡± ¡°An impulse? Does that mean that you would have made a different decision if you were calm?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a decision I made on the spur of a moment¡­ You can say that it was an impulse based on my feelings. The result would have been the same whether I was calm or not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s because I¡¯m fond of you.¡± ¡°!¡± Before the crackling campfire, Roel lowered his head as he felt a surge of heat overwhelming his mind, but that was also the reason he didn¡¯t notice that Nora¡¯s cheeks were much redder than his. ¡°E-even so, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s much too reckless to act on that? You should have at least formted a n and gathered an army¡­¡± ¡°There was no time. You don¡¯t understand how I felt. Just the thought that you might disappear for good rendered me incapable of sitting down for even a single second to n. It took the limits of my self-control to even issue a request for reinforcement.¡± Roel slowly opened his heart up and shared the feelings he had felt back then. Nora¡¯s expression mellowed as she quietly listened to his words. ¡°You fool. It was still too risky. However, there¡¯s one thing you got wrong. I understand how you felt. That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m feeling right now.¡± ¡°¡­My apologies for worrying you.¡± Roel thought about their current plight and apologized out of guilt. Nora shook her head in response. ¡°Rather than an apology, what I really want to hear is you repenting over your crime.¡± ¡°My crime? What crime?¡± ¡°The crime of abandoning your liege for an entire year, you traitorous subject. Don¡¯t expect me to easily forgive you for that.¡± Nora tightened her grip on the chain, but her expression looked more tender than domineering. Roel chuckled at that sight. ¡°That¡¯s too heavy of a crime. I don¡¯t have the guts to do that.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t find any traces of you at all. You didn¡¯t leave a note, either. I¡¯m already being merciful by calling it ¡®abandonment¡¯. Others would have deemed it desertion.¡± ¡°Desertion? That¡¯s too much of an exaggeration! Still¡­ if we can break out of this encirclement, I¡¯ll earnestly repent over that if you really want me to.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora fell silent as she thought about the n they had formted. They had known from the start that her protection wouldn¡¯tst for long, so it was of utmost importance for them to move strategically before this ability ran out. After talking it through, they decided to take a risk and sneak out. The more time they spent on thisnd, the greater were the chances of something going wrong. Ideally, Roel would want to recuperate to his peak before slowly pushing his way back to the human world, but they dared not to gamble on that, especially not when one of his enemies was an entity greater than his wildest imagination. The momentary sh Roel had with the Deviant Sovereign was more than enough for him to realize just how terrifying thetter was. In a sense, his decision to sneak out was the result of his fear of the Deviant Sovereign. On the bright side, there wasn¡¯t a clear territory between humankind and the deviants. The deviants were nowhere near organized enough to draw boundaries, so neither side bothered to dispatch their forces to remote locations with poor traveling conditions. Thus, it was possible to travel through such locations without impediment. ¡°Hawe Desert¡ªthat should be the name,¡± Nora said. ¡°The ¡®Quicksand Hell¡¯, right? It is marked on military maps as inessible. That¡¯s also the ce deviants exile their people. There should be very few enemies there,¡± Roel analyzed. Hawe Desert spanned from Tark Prairie to the frontlines, which theoretically made it the ideal path for them to take if they wanted to travel discreetly. Yet, for some reason, Nora felt uneasy. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look awfully grim.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯m just a little worried about this¡­¡± ¡°I understand, but this is the safest route for us to take,¡± Roel replied with an understanding nod. He patted the short sword hanging from his waist and said, ¡°You can sense my location as long as I carry this fellow on me, right? That was how I found you back then.¡± ¡°Indeed, but we¡¯re currently too far away from the frontlines. Even if we move from both sides, it¡¯ll at least be days before we reunite.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but it¡¯ll be even more dangerous to stop our footsteps.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora thought about the armies of deviants after Roel¡¯s life and fell silent. A few secondster, she shook her head and walked up to him. ¡°Let¡¯s not think about those now. It¡¯s ourst night together. I don¡¯t want to waste our precious together-time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ Is there anything you¡¯d like to do?¡± Roel continued to prod the campfire whileckadaisically sparing a nce to Nora, who had suddenly stood up to tidy her hair. Amused by hisck of awareness, a smile crept onto Nora¡¯s lips as she ced her hands on his cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s time for dessert.¡± Chapter 582.2: Farewell at Daybreak (2)

Chapter 582.2: Farewell at Daybreak (2)

¡°W-wait a moment! Nora? Wuu¡­¡± The golden chain wrapped itself around Roel¡¯s body and bound him tightly, rendering him incapable of moving. Nora leaned in and sealed his lips before proceeding to push him down. ¡°You aren¡¯t allowed to resist, you traitorous subject. You agreed to repent for your actions.¡± ¡°I-isn¡¯t doing this now a little¡­ I mean, you turned me down thest time!¡± Roel hurriedly asked for a timeout upon seeing Nora¡¯s flushed face of excitement. Thetter did pause for a brief moment, but only to tighten her grip on the chain. ¡°I was worried about getting pregnant, but it¡¯s different this time around. I¡¯m a projection.¡± ¡°But any damage sustained by the projection will be reflected on the main body, right? Your first time, too, will be¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nora fell silent. She also didn¡¯t think that it was ideal for her first time to be through a projection, but her sapphire eyes didn¡¯t waver. Instead, a hint of sorrow crept in as she further hardened her determination. ¡°¡­Countless times during the year you have been away, I have regretted my decision to turn you down back then. I shan¡¯t experience such regret ever again.¡± ¡°Nora¡­¡± Looking into her glimmering eyes, Roel felt a pang of guilt strike his heart. He opened up his arms to embrace his lover. ¡°¡­I understand, Nora.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± With such gentle words of eptance, their shadows gradually ovepped in this dim room until they finally became one. ¡­ At daybreak, as the first crack of sunlight glowed above the horizon, Roel opened his eyes. His mind was still groggy from having just woken up. His surroundings were dark, asst night¡¯s campfire had been extinguished. He stared nkly at the holes in the ceiling before he finally remembered what had happenedst night. Following that, he felt a wave of weakness engulfing his body. Before he could get up, a familiar voice echoed from his side. ¡°You¡¯re already awake? Did I disturb you?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Roel replied with a hoarse voice. Turning to his side, he saw that Nora, who had shared a bed with him, was already awake and was blinking at him. ¡°I thought you would sleep for a long time. I must have subconsciously gone easy on you.¡± ¡°¡­No, you really didn¡¯t.¡± You have wrung every single drop out of me, Roel thought. Noting how her sapphire eyes were starting to glow with lust, Roel hurriedly halted her thoughts as he thought about the situationst night. For the first time, he actually felt a little intimidated. Before consummating their feelings, he had been worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand his attacks. He had only tastedplete victories in his past experiences, after all. Who could have thought that Nora was a different game? Ultimately, this could be boiled down to her Angel Bloodline. The Angels were one of the ruling races back in the ancient era. Unlike the Kingmaker n and the High Elves, the Angels received a much greater physical enhancement from their bloodline, and that was even more so for Nora¡¯s Gold-tier Angel Sovereign Bloodline. It also didn¡¯t help that Roel was bound by the golden chains, which yed to Nora¡¯s interests and further stoked her excitement. If not for his recent bloodline awakening to Gold-tier and his Indestructible Body, he would have never been able to withstand her offense. The first half of the battle concluded with Nora copsing onto the bed with a shudder. Roel exploited her moment of respite to break free of his binding and counterattacked. Through his relentless aggression, he eventually triumphed over her and protected his dignity as a man. But after everything was over, it btedly struck him that this was only her first night. ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched as he looked at the brightly smiling angel lying next to him. He could only console himself that he hadn¡¯t relied on Peytra¡¯s protection this time around. ¡°Hmph. I thought that you would sumb firstst night, but you¡¯re better than I thought.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t recover as quickly as you do for the time being,¡± Roel replied with a bitter smile before sitting up and looking out of the window. Nora looked at him with a smile before cing her head on his shoulder. This was one of the rare asions she didn¡¯t try to assert her dominance. ¡°How much time do we have left?¡± ¡°¡­We have till sunrise.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel relished in his lover¡¯s warmth. He was already starting to miss her even though they were still together. He tried searching for the right words to say in this situation, but nothing came to his mind. The horizon gradually brightened up. Just the thought that the warmth apanying him would soon vanish left him with a heavy feeling in his chest, as well as a tinge of fear. With Nora¡¯s departure, he would be the only anomaly on this piece ofnd. His journey would be both lonesome and arduous. Before he could say a word, he felt a hint of wetness on his shoulder. ¡°Nora?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Roel turned over to take a look, only to be shocked to see that Nora had started tearing up. Thetter hurriedly turned away and wiped her tears, but her shoulders were still trembling slightly. He was stunned for a moment before realization struck him. I am frightened, but I¡¯m not the only one who is frightened. Even someone as strong as Nora is frightened too. She¡¯s frightened that this will be an eternal farewell. She¡¯s frightened that the hell she has lived in over the past year will return. Their unionst night might have appeared abrupt and untimely, but perhaps they were merely holding back their unease and wanted to seek sce from each other. ¡°I was still thinking of giving you a boost of motivation before parting ways¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Roel gently replied as he opened his arms wide and hugged Nora¡¯s back. ¡°I should be the one apologizing. For the heartache and unease I have caused you over the past year, even now, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nora couldn¡¯t hold back her torrent of emotions and started weeping. The two of them sat in silence till the morning sun finally rose into the sky. It was then that the woman in Roel¡¯s arms began scattering as specks of light. ¡°¡­It¡¯s time.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± As her mana pulsation weakened, Roel subconsciously tightened his arms in an attempt to keep her by his side. At the same time, Nora turned around and tightly grabbed the chain in her hand. ¡°Promise me. You absolutely have toe back¡­¡± ¡°I promise you,¡± Roel replied with a determined smile. His response seemed to have slightly alleviated her unease, as her scrunched expression loosened a little. It didn¡¯t take long before her body dissipated into golden specks of light that flowed back into Ascendwing. Roel was the only one left in the room. ¡°¡­¡± He sat alone on the bed for a long while before he finally stood up to pack his items. He took all of the necessities with him and confirmed the directions before embarking on his solo journey to fulfill the promise he had just made to his lover. His silhouette slowly disappeared into the vast prairie. Little did he know that a pair of eyes in the darkness had already breached the spatial impediment to lock upon him. Chapter 583.1: An Encounter (1)

Chapter 583.1: An Encounter (1)

Under the crimson evening sun, Roel supported himself with a dry tree branch as he took in the vast expanse of barren desert before him. The scenery of primitive nature left him with an uncanny feeling as if he was the only person left in the world. It was rare for him to journey alone, but having more people would only be a liability. It would be harder for him to avoid the deviants¡¯ notice if he traveled in arge group. This meant that he could only fall back on himself, so he had been focusing on his recovery in thest few days. The awakening of his Gold-tier Kingmaker Bloodline allowed him to automatically absorb mana from his surroundings to nourish his body. His Crown Origin Attribute had also reached the final phase of its assimtion. He hadn¡¯t regained his connection with his ancient gods, but he could at least tap into his Crown¡¯s Stones now. ¡°cier,¡± Roel murmured. A sliver of frost aura crept from his arm and froze the leaves of a nearby tree. He nodded in satisfaction at the oue. It felt like his drifting heart had finally found an anchor now that he had regained a portion of his powers. His ability to wield the Crown¡¯s Stones was much stronger than before now that he had be an Origin Level 2 transcendent. His fighting prowess indubitably far surpassed that of his peers. In terms of sheer offensive prowess, he might even be on par with some of the ancient gods. Admittedly, this was still insufficient for him to go against the Race Sovereigns, but it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for him to traverse a desert. Furthermore, Nora should have shared his ns with others after returning to the human world. They should be organizing a rescue operation now. As long as he could hold on for a few more days, he should be able to reunite with his allies, thus greatly boosting his chances of getting to safety. Standing by the edge of the forest, Roel hesitantly took one more look at the desert before making up his mind to rest for the night. He figured that it would be better for him to spend the night in the forest than to venture into the treacherous desert. Thus, he climbed up one of the nearby trees and hid amidst its canopy to rest. ¡­ In Tark Stronghold, Nora tightly clutched onto a letter she had just received from the church as she recalled the events that had transpired over the past two days. After Ascendwing¡¯s ability came to an end the previous morning, Nora¡¯s consciousness returned to her body. The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes was multipleyers of thick barrier, as well as a huge congregation of clergymen who had gathered in the area to protect her. The church had already known in advance that she was going to wake up. As soon as she opened her eyes, a magician circle consisting of fifteen high transcendents invoked their spell and basked her possibly wounded body in the light of a recovery spell. At the same time, the emergencymunication magic tool with Holy Eminence John was also activated. ¡°Grandpa! Roel is inside the depth of Tark Prairie! We have to send¡­¡± ¡°I know. Calm down first.¡± Holy Eminence John first calmed his worried granddaughter before enquiring about key details concerning Roel¡¯s status. Following that, he ryed his decision and the church¡¯s n to her. The involvement of an Origin Level 1 transcendent was necessary if they wanted the operation to rescue Roel to be a sess, but stepping onto the battlefield at this juncture was too risky to the Race Sovereigns. The Deviant Sovereign was simply that big of a threat. It was the reason the united army had been suffering setback after setback. Even so, Holy Eminence John decided to go ahead with the rescue operation after weighing the pros and cons. He believed that humankind couldn¡¯t afford to lose the inheritor of the Kingmaker Bloodline at this juncture. As powerful as humankind¡¯s Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns were, none of them was able to rival the Deviant Sovereign in a frontal fight. This disparity in fighting prowess was the reason behind the current stalemate, and it was also humankind¡¯s biggest weakness at the moment. Should the Deviant Sovereign wake from its slumber and join the battlefield, humankind would be at a decisive disadvantage. In the worst-case scenario, it might even spell the end of the human race. The upper echelons of the united army were rightfully worried about the matter, which was why they came up with a series of ns to counter this situation. Of them, the most important one was the ¡®Nurturing n¡¯, which sought to increase humankind¡¯s number of Origin Level 1 transcendents. If quality doesn¡¯t work, then let¡¯spete in terms of quantity! That was the best solution humankind coulde up with. It was under such guiding principles that they focused on nurturing the newer stars of the golden generation, such as the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Nora Xeclyde, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s Charlotte Sorofya, and the Austine Empire¡¯s Lilian Ackermann. The goal was to nurture at least five more Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns within the next three years to ensure humankind¡¯s survival. The deviants were awaiting the awakening of their Sovereign, whereas humankind was in the midst of conserving their energy. It was a rtively peaceful periodpared to a year ago. However, Roel¡¯s reappearance changed Holy Eminence John¡¯s thoughts. If there was anyone who could defeat the Deviant Sovereign in a direct confrontation, it could only be an awakener of the Kingmaker Bloodline. This wasn¡¯t just a guess on Holy Eminence John¡¯s part, but a fact backed by historical data. It was a history that had been long forgotten, but Roel, the only existing awakener of the Kingmaker Bloodline, was a special entity known as the Kingmaker. Back in the ancient era, he was the Overseer of the races, one of the symbols of Sia¡¯s authority and power. They were known to possess powers surpassing those of other races upon reaching Origin Level 1. Rather than going ahead with a n as uncertain as simply nurturing five Origin Level 1s, Holy Eminence John believed that rescuing Roel was the true way of returning hope to humankind¡¯s survival and ending this war¡­ and he was willing to risk his life for this belief. He would have stille to the same decision even when putting aside those lofty ideals. As a Xeclyde, he couldn¡¯t turn his back on the only descendant of a long-time ally that had helped the Theocracy through its ups and downs. As a grandfather, he couldn¡¯t bear to bury his granddaughter¡¯s happiness with his own hands. Whether it was in a personal or official capacity, Holy Eminence John knew that he had to give everything he had to ensure this operation. For that, this operation mustn¡¯t be limited to just the Genesis Goddess Church. He would require the support of the entire united army. The first step was to secure the support of other key stakeholders. Holy Eminence John had already sent a letter to the Country of Schrs¡¯ Antonio, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy¡¯s Bruce, and Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s Friedrich, setting the stage for thergest-ever rescue operation involving multiple countries. However, there was one country that had been conspicuously excluded from the operation: the Austine Empire. ¡°Lukas Ackermann cannot be trusted. He has been maintaining an unusual attitude toward the Ascarts,¡± Holy Eminence John grimly answered when Nora asked about it. Nora, who had been wary of the Austine Empire, was convinced by the response. After all, that was the country that had chosen to side with the Elric House during the Theocracy¡¯s internal war to weaken them. Little did she expect to receive a letter from Charlotte thatplicated matters. ording to Charlotte, the first thing she did upon receiving news about Roel was to divine the rescue operation with her bloodline ability. The result wasn¡¯t optimistic. ¡°The alignment of the stars indicates that the rescue operation will not go smoothly. It feels like we¡¯recking something or someone¡­ I suspect that it might be referring to that woman.¡± Chapter 583.2: An Encounter (2)

Chapter 583.2: An Encounter (2)

Nora took those words seriously, knowing that Charlotte¡¯s bloodline, the Arbiter, had the power to peer through the fabrics of the world just like the Goddess of Fate. She also knew whom ¡®that woman¡¯ Charlotte had mentioned was referring to. Lilian Ackermann, the imperial princess of the Austine Empire. Through ruing merit on the battlefield over the past year, she was now a celebrated general whomanded a third of the Austine Empire¡¯s troops on the frontlines. She used to be Nora and the others¡¯ nemesis, but their tense rtionship had recently eased. There were reasons behind that, such as the camaraderie as fellows fighting for humankind¡¯s united army, their shared pain during the year Roel disappeared, and Lilian¡¯s proactive gestures of goodwill. It was not just once or twice that Lilian had led her troops to save Nora, Wilhelmina, and even Charlotte, whom she had been on terrible terms with. That dissipated some of the prejudice they held toward her, which was why Charlotte wasn¡¯t so averse to mentioning her in the letter. Nora fell into a dilemma. The Genesis Goddess Church believed that the Austine Empire¡¯s emperor wasn¡¯t trustworthy, but it would be foolish to disregard Charlotte¡¯s warning. They would have to decide whether to include Lilian in this operation or not. After some discussion, Holy Eminence John entrusted to Nora the right to decide that. ¡°The political situation inside the Austine Empire is tooplicated. We don¡¯t have enough intel to make a call on this matter. We¡¯ll go with your will.¡± Those words from Holy Eminence John put Nora at a loss. Charlotte¡¯s divination had revealed that their rescue operation wouldn¡¯t go smoothly, but that didn¡¯t mean that it would fail. It was hard to tell whether informing the Austine Empire of their n would improve or worsen the situation. A misstep here could plunge Roel deeper into danger. Nora stared out of the window in a daze, feeling burdened by the responsibility weighing on her shoulders. Before she could make up her mind, emergency military reports from the frontlines suddenly arrived one after another. She was forced to snap out of her daze to check on them. ¡°W-wait a moment, this¡­¡± Nora eximed in horror while reading the reports. As she pored through one report after the other, her eyes widened and her face turned pale. She realized that all of the reports were pointing toward one thing: the deviants were mobilizing their army toward Hawe Desert. ¡°Did they¡­ discover him? Impossible!¡± Nora was stunned. Her body trembled uncontrobly as her unease swiftly magnified into her worst nightmares. Knowing that she mustn¡¯t lose herposure at times like this, she forced herself to calm down and analyze the current situation. ¡°It looks like a frontal confrontation is inevitable. Since that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Nora sharply eyed the map stered on the wall before she sat back down, picked up her quill, and started writing a letter. ¡°Lilian Ackermann¡­¡± ¡­ Something is wrong here. In the middle of a white desert, Roel grimly examined a deviant carcass lying before him. Two days had passed since he entered the desert. He had alreadypleted nearly half of the journey as he had nned with Nora, but just today, an uneasy feeling suddenly swelled in his heart. Being one to trust his instincts, he made sure to stay extra-vignt of his surroundings. It didn¡¯t take long for him to notice some rming signs. The deviant carcass basking under the scorching sun he had stumbled on had yet to dpose. Carcasses weremon in this treacherous desert, be they deviants, or humans; fresh or old. Roel wouldn¡¯t have halted his footsteps for this under any other circumstances. But there was something very unusual about this carcass¡ªit was killed by a demonic beast. There were indeed snakes and scorpions lurking in this desert, but they would have dragged their victims into theirir and devoured them whole. Food was scarce in the desert, after all. It didn¡¯t make sense for them to leave their hunted prey out in the open. Furthermore, the deceased deviant¡¯s wounds appeared to have been inflicted by arge aerial demonic beast, but demonic beasts native to the desert had already adapted their traits to better conserve energy in order to survive the food scarcity. There shouldn¡¯t have been any flying orrge demonic beast in Hawe Desert. There was only one possibility Roel could think of that exined this bizarre urrence. Someone must have brought that aerial demonic beast here. . ¡°Is it the deviant sentries?¡± Roel murmured under his breath. He stared at the road ahead with a grim expression. A single thought arose in his mind after hepiled and analyzed all of the information together. They found me. Roel¡¯s first instinct upon the realization of that was to escape from this desert, but he halted in his tracks as soon as he turned around. It dawned upon him that it was already toote. There was little doubt in his mind that the deviants had prepared a trap for him up ahead, but it was toote to retreat. At least the deviants wouldn¡¯t be able to properly employ their military prowess due to the quicksand in Hawe Desert. It would be a nightmare to confront the deviants on Tark Prairie. Even when the deviants had already discovered his whereabouts, it was still safer for him to navigate the desert. His best bet was to try his luck and push on. So, he decided to hasten his footsteps and hurry ahead. But the world suddenly changed just as he was about to take a step forward. He was crushed by pressure so immense that it felt like an invisible serpent was pouncing to devour him whole. In response, Roel¡¯s golden eyes lit up as he wrapped himself with ayer of frost aura. He turned his gaze toward the source of the pressure, where he found a terrifying beast that stood as tall as a giant. It was covered in bizarre scales that extended all the way into its fanged face, exposing not the slightest bit of skin. However, the most unnerving element about it was the third arm sprouting out from its shoulder. A three-armed giant deviant. As soon as Roelid his eyes on that terrifying monster, he was immediately reminded of the intelligence Nora had provided him about the remaining three Origin Level 1 deviants. One of them was shaped like a bird and could soar freely through the sky. One of them had blood-red eyes and a warped body, and brandished a sword. One of them was a three-armed deviant with imprable defense. Roel knew how powerful his enemy was, but his attention wasn¡¯t focused on it, for he knew that it wasn¡¯t the biggest threat. While he might not be able to defeat the three-armed Origin Level 1 giant deviant, he, as an Origin Level 2 transcendent, wasn¡¯tpletely helpless against it either. As a matter of fact, the immense pressure he felt didn¡¯te from the three-armed giant deviant but from the thing on its shoulder. It was a squirming patch of darkness that felt reminiscent of the ck sphere he had encountered not long ago, but the energy it harnessed was at apletely different level. It kept converging and diverging, releasing an unbelievable amount of mana. As soon as it noticed Roel¡¯s gaze, the patch of darkness suddenly stalled to a halt before it began manifesting into a humanoid form. It first formed a muscr physique, followed by brawny arms. As it came into form, the pressure it exerted on the surroundings noticeably intensified. Just as it was about to form its head, Roel raised his hand and directed it toward the dark monstrosity perched on the three-armed giant deviant¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Magma Core,¡± he coldly uttered. A roaring inferno gushed out and seared the surroundings. Chapter 584.1: Trap (1)

Chapter 584.1: Trap (1)

The sky glowed fiery red as if another sun had descended upon the world. A spear of zingvapressed to the extreme shed across the sky, shooting toward the distant darkness. An intensely ominous feeling welled up in Roel¡¯s heart when he saw the manifestation of the darkness sitting on the three-armed giant deviant¡¯s shoulder. It prompted him to instinctively strike so as to prevent the birth of a potential threat. His plight couldn¡¯t get any worse. He stood alone against the manifesting darkness and an Origin Level 1 transcendent, not to mention that the deviant army was lurking in the vicinity. This was a fight he could never win. Thus, his only option was to make the first move. If he could at least snipe a potential threat before it formed, his slim chances of survival could be improved by a tinge. His attack might have been driven by instincts, but that didn¡¯t mean that it was performed without thought. Magma Core was a spell from Sire Darkness, an entity embodying volcanoes and the earth. It hadn¡¯t been long since Roel obtained it, but he was certain of its prowess. Its burst damage was tremendous, unlike Time Devourer. Its nature wasplemented by the surrounding desert environment, unlike cial Touch. Its prowess was much more concentrated, unlike Death Rain. Its side effects were known, unlike Silver Devourer. The zingva was his best choice in this situation. Most importantly of all, the Six Cmities harnessed a portion of Sia¡¯s powers, making it an invible divine retribution. The zing spear of me furiously roared as it shot out. Even the Origin Level 1 giant deviant wasn¡¯t able to react to it as a red whiz pierced through the ck figure forming on its shoulder. Its unbelievable heat swiftly suffused the ck figure, causing its body to quickly expand before popping with a resounding explosion. Boom! Searingva spilled out from the exploded darkness, and thick ashes cloaked the sky and concealed everything in the vicinity. Even the giant deviant was hidden beneath the ash veil, its huge arms barely visible as it anxiously waved off the ashes. Only its furious and fearful roars could be heard. Roel quickly repositioned himself before warily assessing the situation amidst gasps of air. His attack might not have appeared to be anything much, but it had expended a fourth of his mana in a single breath. His mana wasn¡¯t consumed in vain, however, as the zing spear¡¯s offensive prowess wasparable to even that of Primordial Earth Goddess Peytra. Even so, Roel wasn¡¯t confident that his attack was effective. The Deviant Sovereign was an existence towering above the Race Sovereigns. It was hard to gauge its strength; even the united army knew next to nothing about what it was capable of. That was also precisely the reason Roel knew he had to collect intelligence first. Appearance, special traits, physical prowess, magic resistance¡­ These bits of information were crucial not just for humankind but in determining whether Roel would survive this ordeal or not. The giant deviant continued waving its arm, stirring up furious winds that gradually dissipated the cloud of dust. That allowed Roel to catch a clearer look of the situation. The result was uneptable to him. ¡°How is this possible¡­¡± Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed in disbelief as his heart hastened, almost as if warning him of the threat before him. Amidst the mes was a tall and muscr male deviant who stood on the shoulder of the giant deviant, gazing in his direction. Roel was certain that hisva spear had struck its target, and the explosion of the manifesting darkness was not an illusion. It should have been impossible for it to emerge unfazed from such an attack. Neutralizing the power of the Six Cmities should not have been possible, even if one had a high mana immunity or possessed special means. Even an immaterial body would not have been impervious to Magma Core¡¯s searing heat. The evidencey in how the Origin Level 1 giant deviant was screaming from having its scales melted down despite being known for its unparalleled defensive prowess. What did it do? Roel wondered with an increasingly grave expression as he further channeled the mana in his body, knowing that he ought to make the next move. Whether it was because it had sustained damage from the earlier attack or that it was simply provoking him, the dark figure was not making a move right away despite having manifested its body. Naturally, Roel wouldn¡¯t allow such an opportunity to slip past his fingers. Thus, he dissipated theva in his hands and began releasing a surge of frost aura. ¡°cial Touch,¡± he murmured coldly. The silhouette of a gigantic monster could be vaguely seen behind Roel as the desert¡¯s temperature rapidly plummeted. He opened his arms wide, and the frost swiftly diffused into the surroundings. Then, he closed his arms down toward the enemy, and the diffused frost aura quickly closed down on the dark figure like the jaws of a ferocious beast mping shut. The partially melted body of the giant deviant immediately stiffened up. At the same time, the fearless Deviant Sovereign was encased in the frost aura too. Frost aura should work here¡­ Roel thought nervously as he awaited the results. What happened was so shocking that it transcended hisprehension of what was possible. Within a mere instant, beyond what even a high transcendent of Roel¡¯s caliber could perceive, everything suddenly vanished. Be it the surging flood of frost aura, the slowly hardeningva, or the drifting ashes, everything suddenly vanished in an instant as if someone had erased it with a brushstroke. All that was left was the white desert sand. Roel¡¯s mind went nk. What happened? But there was no time for him to ponder the answer. The Deviant Sovereign standing atop the giant deviant¡¯s shoulder had already raised its hand toward Roel. This is bad! On the spur of the moment, Roel¡¯s survival instinct drove him to put up his strongest barrier. Powerful winds revolved around his body, forming a nigh imprable defense around him. Time Devourer was the most enigmatic spell Roel had grasped from the Crown¡¯s Stones. It was the best choice when dealing with attacks of unknown nature. Nothing in the world could escape from the senescence of time, after all. The absolute defense formed by the multipleyers of revolving pale yellow wind assured Roel, granting him the confidence to deal with the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s uing attack. Even so, he still subconsciously performed an evasive maneuver by reflex. And that was precisely what saved his life. The moment he moved, the world suddenly fell still once more. He inexplicably felt an invisible hand passing through his body and taking away a part of him. ¡°!¡± When the world finally reverted to normal, the surroundings remained unchanged, unlike the first time. He was protected by Time Devourer¡¯s wind barrier. Yet, excruciating pain suddenly gripped his body, and fresh blood spurted from his mouth. He was still in the midst of performing his evasive maneuver when the pain struck, such that he lost his bnce and had to stagger a few steps back. He was startled by the happenings before it btedly registered to him what had just happened. Half his heart had been taken away. ¡­ Chapter 584.2: Trap (2)

Chapter 584.2: Trap (2)

Pale yellow winds rampaged in the middle of a boundless white desert. At the center of the tempest, a ck-haired man shakily raised his hand to tightly clutch his chest as blood continued trickling from the edge of his lips. He stared intently with his blurred vision at the enemy before him. He knew for a fact that the enemy had dug out a portion of his body in that enigmatic still world, but how was he supposed to ept something as ludicrous as that? The Deviant Sovereign had probably been aiming for his entire heart, but its attack fell short due to his evasive maneuver, resulting in it only seeding in taking half of it away. He looked unharmed on the surface, but losing half a heart nearly took away his consciousness. Indestructible Body immediately activated, pushing his body into overdrive as it tried to heal the fatal injury. Cough! Roel¡¯s body awakened with a violent cough. Under the channeling of his mana, the damaged heart first sharply contracted before swiftly establishing new connections with his arteries and veins, thus temporarily stabilizing his condition. At the same time, the resumed flow of blood brought rity back to his muddled mind. He stared at the unbreached wind barrier and the lowered arm of the distant Deviant Sovereign with an inconceivable look on his face. He had just confirmed an unbelievable fact. ¡°That attack isn¡¯t a spell at all¡­¡± Roel murmured. Countless doubts surfaced in his mind, but that didn¡¯t hinder his movements. After a brief pause caused by the excruciating pain, he quickly pulled himself together and retreated with the aid of the pale yellow wind while churning his mind for a solution. All spells driven by mana were susceptible to Tempest Caller¡¯s temporal erosion, especially a terrifying burst attackunched from a distance away. Attacks of such nature should have never reached him across the pale yellow wind barrier. . This was an objective fact of the world that even the Deviant Sovereign couldn¡¯t alter. Going down this route of reasoning, it meant that the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s earlier attack wasn¡¯t a mana spell. This left one possibility as to what the earlier attack was: a bloodline ability. That realization rmed Roel, as he knew that the situation was worse than he had expected. Thus, he decided to make an urgent retreat, only to see the Deviant Sovereign raising its hand as the world began slowing to a halt once more. Shit! Roel narrowed his golden eyes. He seemed to have felt a cold wind blowing past his neck, and the imminent threat of death caused chills to go down his spine. His numerous close shaves with death told him that it was no time to be freezing up, so without any hesitation, heunched a counterattack. ¡°Magma Core!¡± With a roar, Roel¡¯s body zed up as huge puffs of ash and a fiery stream ofva exploded from him, looking almost like a giant flower. Ashes shrouded his silhouette, and a blinding light gushed forth with him at the center. Boom! A reverberation echoed asva spurted into the sky before descending upon the two deviants like a massive fist. This attack was far stronger than the first one, forcing the Deviant Sovereign to change its target. The Deviant Sovereign turned the hand that was previously aimed at Roel toward the sky, generating a massive all-consuming hole that shaved off the bulk of theva fist¡¯s power. Beneath it, the Origin Level 1 giant deviant also released a furious roar as it gathered its mana and hurled its fist toward the sky. Boom! The giant deviant shattered the already weakenedva fist, further breaking it down into a fire storm that scattered into the surroundings and melted the desert¡¯s pristine white sand. Despite having his attack neutralized, Roel heaved a sigh of relief. He had always believed in making every move count in a battle, and that was the case here too. He knew that there had to be a limit to the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s overwhelmingly powerful means. For instance, it was clear from how thetter had only managed to crush half of his heart that its attack had to be locked onto its target beforehand. The giant deviant¡¯s counterattack had caused thick ashes to envelop the surroundings, thus concealing Roel¡¯s silhouette. On top of that, neither the Deviant Sovereign nor the giant deviant could carelessly chase after him lest they charge into his pale yellow wind barrier. This was a good opportunity for Roel to make his escape. He began running away as fast as he could from the Deviant Sovereign and the giant deviant. He tightly clenched his fists in hopes of keeping himself conscious, but his expression didn¡¯t ease in the least. Thoughts of the earlier battle had left with him a feeling of incongruity. For instance, the Origin Level 1 giant deviant would have been a troublesome foe by itself, but it had done nothing in the battle other than clearing away theva and the ashes. This was weird. The deviants aren¡¯t so honorable as to want to fight me 1-on-1. Heck, even I wouldn¡¯t have done the same. What could have stopped the giant deviant from making a move, then? It is trying to protect the Deviant Sovereign? That can¡¯t be. I have already destroyed the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s body once. Besides, there¡¯s no reason for the giant deviant to stay still just because it¡¯s on the defensive. Could there be some other reason behind it standing its position? Wait a moment¡­ Standing its position? Roel widened his eyes as realization suddenly struck him. Before he could think deeper into the matter, he suddenly felt two heavy pressures crushing down on him from two different directions, nking him. Following that, deviant silhouettes could be spotted all around the desert. This is¡­! Roel¡¯s face turned pale as the worst possible scenario urred to him. As if fulfilling his prophecy, the owners of the two heavy pressures appeared one after another. One was a gray-skinned deviant with a neck two times longer than that of other deviants and a pair of giant wings on its back. The other was an extremely well-built deviant wielding a massive de in hand. Its arm was misshapen with numerous protruding tumors. They were both Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns. Roel¡¯s expression stiffened up. It btedly struck him why he had been able to escape from the earlier battle so easily. He had been able to get away so easily not because the Deviant Sovereign had underestimated him, but because he was already trapped. The earlier battle, in a way, was just a trap to buy time for the other two Race Sovereigns and the deviant army to get here. The realization of that had Roel halting his footsteps. Looking at the two powerful foes standing before him while sensing the tremendous mana pulsationing from behind, his heart sank in despair. He had never thought that the powerful Deviant Sovereign would mobilize everything at its disposal to deal with an Origin Level 2 transcendent like him. ¡°Three Race Sovereigns and over ten thousand elites¡­¡± The Deviant Sovereign had practically diverted the bulk of its frontline fighting prowess here to deal with him, and the significance behind this move was clear. Staring at the approaching enemies, Roel¡¯s expression slowly calmed down as his golden eyes glowed with resolution. As if responding to his determination, the winged deviants roared, the soldiers tightened their grip on their weapons, and the priests raised their staves into the sky. The atmosphere felt like a tense string that was ready to snap at any moment. A battle to determine Roel¡¯s life or death was about tomence. Meanwhile, a flickering light could be seen swiftly heading in the direction of the desert. Chapter 585.1: In the Name of the Kingmaker (1)

Chapter 585.1: In the Name of the Kingmaker (1)

Roel clutched his chest as he watched powerful enemies swarming him from all directions to the beat of deafening war drums. Beastskin gs rose one after another in the white desert. Deviant soldiers shouted their war cries while the priests began chanting in unison. Many emotions flickered across his face, from the shock of falling for the deviants¡¯ ploy to anxiety upon realizing that he was encircled, but it all eventually faded to inexplicable calmness. Never before had humankind simultaneously faced three Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns from the deviants. These Race Sovereigns were from different tribes and likely had their misgivings toward one another, which might exin why they had never joined hands in previous wars. That was also why humankind had previously been able to defeat them one after another. Yet, everything changed today. Under the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s orders, they had gathered together today to bare their fangs at amon target. As much as Roel wanted to deny it, he already knew the oue awaiting him. Even saying that he was in a precarious position here was being awfully optimistic. Within the desert winds that felt a little chilly under the influence of frost aura, Roel looked toward the distant west and heaved a quiet sigh. He had promised Nora that he would definitely return to reunite with her, but it now looked like he would never be able to fulfill that promise. Roar! The giant deviant¡¯s roar shook the world. At the same time, the pale yellow wind barrier revolving around Roel swiftly weakened under the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s enigmatic powers. A massive silhouette slowly emerged from the pristine white desert, blocking off Roel¡¯s final escape route. Standing atop the three-armed giant deviant¡¯s shoulder, the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s expression, which had remained stoic thus far, flickered upon seeing that Roel had been encircled. The sword-bearing deviant and the winged deviant halted their advance and slightly lowered their heads as a gesture of respect. The surrounding deviant army also stopped marching and shouting. The deviant priests silenced their chanting. All of them turned to the silhouette standing atop the giant deviant. An unnerving silence settled upon the vast desert. All that could be heard was the rustling sand. Roel stared speechlessly at this inconceivably peaceful scenery that was unheard of when it came to the deviants. It was then that the Deviant Sovereign on top of the giant deviant cast its gaze over. The moment their eyes met, Roel¡¯s body stiffened up. He readied himself to deal with the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s enigmatic attack once more. However, the Deviant Sovereign neither raised its arms nor ordered an attack. Instead, it spoke in a bafflingnguage. ¡°%£¤@£££¤¡­¡­%¡± It was anguage Roel had never heard before, the deviants¡¯ tongue. Yet he could understand it, the corresponding meaning surfacing in his mind as he heard those words. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Kingmaker.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes widened upon hearing that familiar term. His expression slowly turned grim as he stared at the figure standing on the giant deviant¡¯s shoulders. He finally understood why the deviants were willing to devote so many resources to deal with him. The term, ¡®Kingmaker¡¯, had been long forgotten in the annals of history, with the glory of the Kingmaker n having faded to dust. But to those who had lived through the ancient era, none was more troublesome to deal with than the one whom Sia had appointed Her Overseer. They saw the Kingmaker as the number one threat to eliminate. ¡°You know me,¡± Roel remarked. The Deviant Sovereign paused for a brief moment before replying, ¡°You and your people have always been our priority, regardless of the era.¡± ¡°How ironic. The only ones who remember us after so many years are our enemies.¡± Roelughed in self-mockery as he wiped off the blood seeping from his mouth. The Deviant Sovereign stared at him with deep eyes that seemed to be recalling the distant past before finally saying, ¡°Sia¡¯s powers have always been so brilliant.¡± ¡°Sia¡¯s powers? It looks like you know quite a lot¡­ That¡¯s why you came here to kill me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s your fate to die in my hands from the moment my ally sent you here.¡± ¡°Fate?¡± The Deviant Sovereign¡¯s words provoked augh from Roel. ¡°What exactly is the thing you term ¡®fate¡¯? Is it fate that the Savior you worshiped turned into a madness-inducing monster? Is it also fate that your people fell into depravity?¡± The Deviant Sovereign¡¯s face darkened, but that hardly deterred the fearless Roel in the least. ¡°You must have lived for a long time now. It makes me wonder how you live each day. Do you thank the world that you have remained safe from the Savior¡¯s insanity thus far? Or have you cursed yourself for thousands of years as you witness the depravity and insanity that afflicted your brethren? Can your people even understand my words?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a subtle change in the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s expression, but it wasn¡¯t one of regret. ¡°Those are the prices we have to pay. It¡¯ll all change when He returns.¡± The Deviant Sovereign seemed disinclined to say anything more than that. It turned around and let out a deep growl reminiscent of a wild beast. All of the deviants standing on the pristine white desert frenziedly raised their weapons in response. The Deviant Sovereign spared a nce at Roel before making its final deration. ¡°I am the Beastman Sovereign, Banjol. Descendant of the ancient bloodline, perish!¡± A resounding explosion followed. Billowing dark clouds swarmed in and covered the sun. A heavy pressure reminiscent of a mountain crushed down on Roel, as the Race Sovereigns began their movements. The winged deviant let out a bizarre cry as meat tumors sprouted out and tightly wrapped its body, causing its size to continuously swell. It was transformed into a massive bird-like monster. Amid the cheers of the deviants, it rose into the sky. Meanwhile, the sword-bearing deviant furiously roared as a tremendous surge of mana gathered in its body and emanated a blood-red glow. Its eyes glowed with bloodthirst, and the murderous intent it emanated was so heavy that even deviant soldiers dared not to approach it. The Deviant Sovereign leaped off the giant deviant andnded on the white sand. It was disinclined to participate in this dishonorable battle, but that, in turn, freed the three-armed giant deviant, who had been serving as its guard thus far. Now that it was finally free to make its move, the giant deviant cackled coldly as its bulging arms began to glow. Unlike the Deviant Sovereign, who still carried some respect for the ancient bloodline, the new generation of Origin Level 1 monsters knew nothing about distant history. With overflowing bloodthirst, theyunched their attacks. After a long bout of silence, Roel finally made his move too. Whether it was to guard his ancestors¡¯ honor or to vie for the small glimmer of hope of survival, Roel had no choice but to go all out. Thus, he released all of his restraints. Lights of different colors shone from Roel. A biting frost aura, a pale yellow tempest, and searingva converged to form a defensive barrier around him. He looked at the billowing dark clouds in the sky with sharp eyes. It was nigh impossible for him to escape from the encirclement of so many deviants. As long as the other Origin Level 2 or Origin Level 3 deviant soldiers could stall him for the slightest instant, the Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns would surely be able to catch up with him in a heartbeat. The first thing he had to do was to significantly reduce the number of enemies before him. It just so happened that he had the spell for that. ¡°Death Rain,¡± he murmured. The dark clouds in the sky rapidly gathered. Then, with a fierce growl from the ancient cmity, pitch-ck rain began pattering down on the white desert. ¡°Grar!¡± The three Race Sovereigns roared simultaneously in response to the rain of death. The sword-bearing deviant bolted toward Roel with its sword trailing behind it. The winged deviant let out a piercing screech. The three-armed giant deviant, who had witnessed firsthand the prowess of Roel¡¯s spells, raised its gigantic fists to shelter itself from the rain. Deviant soldiers advanced with roused war cries, none of them seeing the anomalous weather as a threat to them. Just like that, the battlemenced. Chapter 585.2: In the Name of the Kingmaker (2)

Chapter 585.2: In the Name of the Kingmaker (2)

No one, with the exception of the giant deviant, paid any heed to the rain at the very start, but as the rain started to build up, its effects began to show. The footsteps of the charging soldiers grew heavier under the massive downpour, as pain seeped into their impassioned war cries. The physically weaker deviant priests copsed as groups. Those who were still holding on tried all sorts of ways to protect themselves from the rain in a panic. But nothing could obstruct the raining death, just like a natural cmity. The deviants who had their life force robbed from them cried pitifully. Upon realizing the situation, the sword-bearing deviant roared in anger. The Origin Level 1 Race Sovereign released a tremendous surge of life force in an attempt to neutralize the effects of the raining death. At the same time, it drew the greatsword it carried on its back and charged toward where Roel was. In the face of this pressing threat, Roel pressed his palms together and released a st of frost aura and pale yellow wind in a single breath, hoping to stop the sword-bearing deviant¡¯s attack. However, the Race Sovereign overcame his attack in an unbelievable manner. Killing intent reminiscent of blood flowed from the sword-bearing deviant, transforming into a tangible surge of energy that influenced the world around it. Its eyes glowed brilliantly crimson before its speed suddenly surged. Like a blood-red arrow, it dashed right through the falling rain, moving at a speed so fast that neither the frost nor the wind could halt its advancement. It took a mere instant for the two-meter-tall Race Sovereign to appear before him. It swung its greatsword down with a berserker¡¯s roar. ¡°Gror!¡± Overwhelming might that could split the sky and earth mixed with rampaging mana generated a force so strong that, for a moment, Roel saw his surroundings turnpletely dark, with only a single blood-red line in sight. Even the Magician King¡¯s attack was nothingpared to this. This showed just how powerful the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns were. Even so, Roel didn¡¯t back down at all. Quietly seething in his right hand were the mes he had been continuously gathering andpressing all this while, and he released them in a single burst. A cross-shaped me red, and the roaringva manifested as an unstoppable zing fist that erupted toward the falling blood-red sh. Boom! The massive explosion arising from the sh covered Roel¡¯s field of vision. The sheer shockwave rebounded the raining death back to the sky, sting a circr hole into the dense congregation of dark clouds in the sky. Roel felt intense pain shooting up his right arm all the way to his shoulder. It was a deep cut that reached into the bone, spanning the length of his arm. Sttered blood dyed his cheek crimson. On the other hand, the sword-bearing deviant was sent flying by the terrifying fist that carried the momentum of an erupting volcano,nding far in the distance. With half of its body torched, the Race Sovereign furiously roared in pain amidst the death rain. As if to take its ce, the three-armed giant deviant charged at Roel next. In the midst of its earth-trembling charge, the giant deviant¡¯s body grew evenrger as its scales further thickened. Its three massive arms twitched as they dimly glowed with mana. Now that it no longer had to protect the Deviant Sovereign, it was finally able to exert its full strength. A suffocating pressure crushed down on the battlefield. After a brief run to build up its momentum, the giant deviant leaped into the air, its humongous body resembling a whale rising from the sea. Its three massive fists smashed downward at the same time, their overwhelming strength and speed producing a sonic boom that sted away everything in the vicinity. The three massive fists were flung from different trajectories, but they shared the same final destination¡ªRoel. It took only an instant for this powerful attack to reach its target. With hardly any time to react, Roel could only confront it face-on and trade injury for injury. A flood of frost aura andva surged out of Roel¡¯s hands with explosive might. With no regard for the deepceration he had sustained on his right arm, he firmly held the two fists that hadnded first at bay. Unfortunately, he was unable to do the same for the third arm, so he could only manifest his pale yellow wind barrier. A scheming smile crept onto the giant deviant¡¯s face, and Roel soon learned the reason behind that. As it turned out, the giant deviant had predicted Roel¡¯s reaction and chosen to concentrate far more mana on its third arm, imbuing it with a force that surpassed thebined force of the first two fists. The first two fists were only feints, whereas the third fist was the true attack! With Roel¡¯s hands tied down, this critical attack wouldnd heavier on its target. That was also what the giant deviant was after. ¡°Grar!¡± The third arm plummeted like a fallinget, with the sheer wind resistance producing intense heat waves. Roel¡¯s pale yellow wind barrier, which was weak at dealing with physical attacks, couldn¡¯t withstand its might and shatteredyer afteryer. Tempest Caller¡¯s winds furiously battered on the giant deviant¡¯s thick scales, siphoning away the force harnessed inside the third fist through the senescence of time. However, that was hardly enough at all. Within an instant, the fist had already arrived right before Roel. At that critical moment, Roel narrowed his eyes. With a roar, he decisively gave up on defending his nks and instead channeled all of his frost aura andva toward the sky, swiftly enveloping the giant deviant. Kaboom! A deafening collision ensued. The powerful impact sent Roel flying backward, his feet dragging out a hundred-meter-long trail across the desert. His body was bleeding profusely from the collision. Simrly, the giant deviant, engulfed in ice and mes, crashed into the sand, and a resounding explosion followed. Thest-moment decision from Roel had allowed him to sessfully block the giant deviant¡¯s third fist, but in the process of doing so, he ended up leaving his nks defenseless against the other party¡¯s first two fists. Although those were only intended as feints, they shattered a good half of his bones. Unimaginable pain instantaneously assaulted him, nearly robbing him of his consciousness. Simrly, the giant deviant also roared in pain. The sharp temperature change between the ice and theva shattered its prided scales, and nearly half of its third arm was reduced to a lump of meat. Cough! That mutually assured destruction of a sh caused Roel to cough out blood, and he found himself hardly able to move at all. However, the enemy wasn¡¯t giving him any time to rest. Before he knew it, a pitch-ck shadow had already covered his body. The winged deviant, which had transformed into a monstrous bird, dove in through the hole in the dark clouds produced by the earlier shes. Intense lightning crackled all over its body as it swooped down on Roel at its fastest possible speed. It was the fastest one among the three Race Sovereigns, as well as the fastest enemy Roel had encountered to date. In a sh of light, the winged deviant¡¯s ws were already right before him. By then, it was already toote for him to deploy his wind barrier. Yet, it was also this precarious situation he was in that triggered his tenacity and rage, and they manifested in the form of billowing killing intent. In that split moment that was almost too short for him to even process, his body released ayer of blood mist that instantaneously transformed into a concentrated surge of mana. This influx of energy ignited his Crown¡¯s Stones like a bomb. The winged deviant paled in fright upon noticing the changes in its target¡¯s condition. This was a gamble. If the winged deviant chose to back off, Roel would be able to halt his attack. But if the winged deviant insisted on going through with its assault, Roel would deplete all of his blood to stimte the Crown¡¯s Stones and bring down the enemy together with him. Boom! In the final instant before the sh, the winged deviant finally sumbed to the intimidation of Roel¡¯s insane, all-out attack and desperately retreated. However, it was already toote for it to escape unscathed. The explosion of me, ice, and wind, further empowered by Roel¡¯s blood tribute, sted off half of the Race Sovereign¡¯s wings, and its ws were encased in permafrost. Within a minute since themencement of the battle, Roel had already sustained grievous injuries that made it hard for him to remain on his feet. His desperate retaliation, however, had also inflicted unprecedented damage on the three Race Sovereigns. None of the three Race Sovereigns dared to confront him anymore. They stood fearfully a distance away, not daring to confront the ck-haired man who stood alone at the center of the desert. Momentster, they came to the same decision. Wuuu! With the sounding of war horns, the Race Sovereigns ordered their thousands of elites who had survived the death rain to charge at Roel. Chapter 586.1: Wilhelmina (1)

Chapter 586.1: Wilhelmina (1)

Dozens of tribal war horns simultaneously resounded in the desert like an ominous symphony heralding destruction. This was a sight one would have expected to see in a massive war between two races, but the enemy here was a single man. Such a situation was unprecedented, but no one could say that it was unwarranted, for he was the descendant of Sia¡¯s most favored n. To the deviants, the Kingmaker was an existence that had to be eliminated even if it took the sacrifice of many of their soldiers. That was how great his strength and potential were, which could be seen from the plights of the three Race Sovereigns. Behind the deviants¡¯ formations, the sword-bearing deviant¡¯s body was an utter mess, the three-armed giant monster had had one of its arms nearly obliterated, and the winged deviant had had its wings and ws frozen and shattered. These three Origin Level 1 deviants stared at the man with fearful looks, not daring to underestimate him anymore. They werepelled to follow the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s orders, but not at the cost of their own lives. Considering that the enemy had sustained far worse injuries than them, they concluded that the best way to minimize their losses was to flood the enemy with their soldiers and wear him out. Thousands of soldiers who had survived Death Rain¡¯s initial onught drew their weapons and charged at Roel. Behind them, the surviving deviant priests raised their staffs to channel an army spell that ordinary transcendents could never dream of opposing. Just like that, Roel plunged further into a disadvantageous position. He was already in poor condition. Despite his ability, Indestructible Body, he was still losing feeling in his body due to his severe injuries, and his consciousness grew faint. Nevertheless, he still pulled himself together to put up a fight. With that, the second wave of battlemenced. Roel had to retract his pale yellow wind barrier due to its high mana cost, and Death Rain was also in cooldown after it was dispersed earlier by the Race Sovereign¡¯s attacks. He could only try his best to conserve energy by brawling with the minimal usage of his frost aura andva. Even so, it was still no easy feat to get to him. His frost aura knocked down any arrows flying in his direction, and charging deviant soldiers were often forced to stop in their tracks by randomva pirs rising from the ground, leaving them unable to build up momentum. ¡°Grar!¡± Beastlike roars shook the battlefield. An Origin Level 2 deviant took the lead and swung its sharp de straight toward Roel¡¯s neck. Roel retaliated with a destructiveva punch that destroyed not only the Origin Level 2 deviant but several enemies directly behind it too. At the same time, the treacherous frost aura lingering in the vicinity significantly slowed the speed of approaching enemies, keeping them from pouncing on him all at once. This bought precious time for Roel to deal with them a group at a time. From the first encounter, it would appear that the deviants were being severely outmatched, but the three Race Sovereigns weren¡¯t fazed at all. This was what weaker transcendents were good for on the battlefield, after all. Their mission was to pile on the enemy and wear them down so that the high transcendents could stand a better fighting chance against the enemy. As time went by, Roel gradually approached his limit. His countless wounds and fractures numbed his senses. A peculiar blood mist drifted from his right arm¡¯s sh wound. He could neither heal his arm nor raise it, and the wound was continuously depleting his energy and mana in the midst of the battle. A real battle was not the same as legends and myths. It was not easy to stand against an army of thousands, especially when there were plenty of Origin Level 2 transcendents in their ranks. Roel was only able to stand his ground because of his abilities¡¯ nature and his mana capacity. On the one hand, the Crown¡¯s Stones were potent abilities that couldn¡¯t be resisted. On the other hand, he was sustained by Sia¡¯s blessing, Being Toward Death, which fueled him with additional mana after his earlier sh with the Race Sovereigns. But there was only so much that the blessing could do. The intense battle depleted his mana at a frightening rate, far beyond how much he was receiving from Being Toward Death. The Race Sovereigns¡¯ ploy was working¡ªhe was being gradually worn down. As Roel¡¯s consciousness became increasingly clouded, his mind devolved to the point where there was only a single thought that kept repeating in his mind, echoing the simplest wish of all living beings¡ªI want to live. It was like he had be a killing machine driven by a simple wish to live on. Silence only returned to the desert nearly an hourter. By then, the scenery had be very different from before. Standing atop a hill made of carcasses, Roel pierced his sword into a deviant¡¯s chest and, by instinct, twisted the sword to send his enemy to theherworld. Then, he instantly shifted his weight onto the sword to support his body, which was already on the verge of copse. A brief respite cleared his mind a little. He raised his head to look at the hills of carcasses scattered across the desert, as well as the surrounding deviant soldiers trembling with fright. The deviants were not an unintelligent race; they possessed basic emotions too. Despite Roel¡¯s faint breath and unsteady footsteps, his figure had remained infallible no matter how many deviants piled up on him. It was as if he was an undying monster or a berserker blessed by the God of War; he continued to stand firm regardless of what they threw at him. Before the deviants knew it, his profile had already be a source of fear for them. Watching him stand atop thousands of their brethren¡¯s carcasses, even the most valiant deviant soldier found itself losing its fighting will. The war horns had stopped at some point, and there were hardly any soldiers charging at Roel anymore. The previously crowded desert looked much emptier. By this point, the Race Sovereigns had significantly recovered from their injuries, but their fear only deepened as they felt greater danger from Roel than before. The hour-long battle had inflicted countless wounds of different sizes on Roel¡¯s body. Three swords were sticking out of his back, and a shortnce was impaled in his left thigh. Fresh blood dyed his entire body red, and his face was blurred by his seeping mana. All that could be seen were his gleaming golden eyes. He was like a demon rising from the depths of hell. Despite his faint breath, the three Race Sovereigns did not doubt that as soon as they approached him, he would tightly clutch onto one of their ankles and pull them down into the abyss with him. An unnerving silence spread across the battlefield. No one was making a move. The Race Sovereigns were hesitant to strike, whereas the deviant soldiers were terrified. It was only upon the urging of the Deviant Sovereign that the three Race Sovereigns finallyunched their attack. Almost as if they had agreed on it, the three Race Sovereigns simultaneously resorted to long-ranged attacks, a field that deviants were known to be particrly bad at. The tall sword-bearing deviant swung his sword diagonally, unleashing a blood arc that divided the world into two. The three-armed giant deviant hurled its fist, releasing an earth-shattering shockwave reminiscent of aet. The winged deviant spewed out menacing lightning bolts from the sky. They were resorting to a war of attrition. This was what the fearful deviants coulde up with to curb Roel, but it was an effective ploy. To defend against the Race Sovereigns¡¯ bombardments, Roel released his spells once more, but both the drifting frost aura and the spurtingva were iparably weaker than before. A humongous explosion rattled the world the moment those three powers converged. Boom! A blinding pir of mana gushed into the sky. In this final sh, the Race Sovereigns finally got to disy their true capabilities after being suppressed in the initial phase of the battle. The explosion sent sand and rock whizzing in all directions, tearing the deviants in the immediate vicinity into shreds. Roel¡¯s figure also vanished amidst the blinding light. Chapter 586.2: Wilhelmina (2)

Chapter 586.2: Wilhelmina (2)

When the sandstorm finally died down, the hills of carcasses were no longer anywhere to be seen; they had been reduced to stters of flesh and blood that marred the pristine white sand. Roel had been dragged down from his pedestal, but he obstinately stood on his feet while clutching his weapon despite requiring the support of a giant boulder. Thebined blessings of Being Toward Death and Indestructible Body allowed him to survive the full prowess of the three Race Sovereigns, but that was already his limit. He couldn¡¯t move his body anymore, and his consciousness was constantly slipping in and out at this point. Indestructible Body¡¯s recovery couldn¡¯t catch up with the rate at which he was sustaining injuries due to the enemies¡¯ persistent assault. Being Toward Death had also been squeezed to its very limits after having been triggered many times. Roel had used up his trump cards. His frailty quelled the three Race Sovereigns¡¯ nervousness and shook the surviving deviant soldiers out of their earlier trauma. Some of the deviant soldiers roared passionately, wanting to y the enemy and rue merit, only for the Race Sovereigns to bellow at them to back off. They chose to stand a distance away, awaiting the moment he breathed hisst. Perhaps they thought that there was no need for any further attack. All they had to do was to quietly watch his end. Deviant Sovereign Banjol also finally walked over from afar as if to send off the final sessor of this ancient bloodline. I wasn¡¯t able to return in the end. Roel had alsoe to realize that his time was ticking down. His vision and consciousness were blurring, and he knew that he would be a goner the moment he passed out. He fell into a daze, which triggered a shback of the events that had transpired in his short life. His family and friends appeared before his eyes as illusions. Carter, Alicia, Nora, Charlotte, Lilian, and many other people appeared before his eyes, only to vanish a secondter. It was almost as if they were going to apany him to his eternal rest. Amidst a feeling of unprecedented fatigue, he was brought down the memoryne of his life. I have tried my very best to live well. Thinking about the original fate that awaited him, Roel could confidently give such an evaluation to himself. The short sixteen years he had lived in this lifetime was far more exciting than what he had been through in his previous life¡­ just that he had far too manymentations. With a blink of his eyes, the illusions he saw suddenly vanished into thin air. He raised his head to look at the Race Sovereigns before him, and the silhouettes of the most important women in his life shed across his head. ¡°¡­will win. If it¡¯s them, we¡¯ll win¡­¡± Roel smiled as he thought about the women who had brought him endless joy in his short life. His life hadn¡¯t been in vain. It might have seemed as if nothing had changed, but the truth was that the world was different because of him. The true stars of the world had disyed potential far surpassing his imagination, reaching greater heights than they did in the game. He had no doubt that the final victory would be humankind¡¯s under their leadership. ¡°¡­You¡¯re the ones who will be destroyed.¡± Roel stared at the quiet Deviant Sovereign as he murmured his prophecy. He slowly closed his eyes as a heartened smile formed. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in hell, Banjol¡­¡± His head slowly lowered as the final flicker of me fueling his body extinguished. Just as he was about to tread over the boundary of death, a shooting star suddenly shot across the sky from afar andnded before Roel, bringing about blinding light and a furious storm. ¡­ Boom! An intense explosion ravaged the desert once more, catching the deviants by surprise. The faces of Deviant Sovereign Banjol and the three Race Sovereigns darkened upon the inexplicable descent of the shooting star, and the surviving deviant soldiers panicked as well. Fear could be seen on their faces. Roel¡¯s terror had been imprinted deep in the deviants¡¯ hearts. His tenacious desire to live, despite having all of the odds stacked against him, had been so frightening that it was hard for them to breathe easy until he finally met his end. Needless to say, such a change was not something the deviants needed now. Before an order could be issued, the three Race Sovereigns, prompted by their fear of Roel, frenziedly exerted their mana at the same time, releasing three devastating spells toward the heart of the sandstorm. The Deviant Sovereign quietly watched the situation with a frown. In contrast to the panicking deviants, Roel wasn¡¯t too affected by the change in the situation. None of the hurtling sand struck his body, and the explosion from the shooting star¡¯s descent didn¡¯t burn him either. If there was anything that changed, it would be the sudden surge of life force swelling inside his previously dying body. At the heart of the sandstorm, Roel¡¯s body jolted as his ailing heart, which had already slowed to a halt, suddenly began beating once more. Within seconds, his body regained its key functions, and his consciousness was dragged back from the abyss. Cough! The swift and abrupt recovery had Roel coughing out a mouthful of coagted blood. Roel felt as if a divine hand had reached deep into hell to drag him back into the mortal world. The first thing he did upon regaining his consciousness was to lift his head and search for the source of the miracle. Such a miraculous recovery spell waspletely unheard of to Roel. Not even an Origin Level 1 transcendent would have been able to pull off such a feat. Much to his surprise, what he saw upon lifting his head wasn¡¯t an old saint but a figure he hadn¡¯t seen for a long time. ¡°Are you awake, Roel?¡± ¡°You are¡­ Mina?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me¡­ Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here to take you home.¡± ¡°!¡± The gentle voice echoing from the armored figure had Roel widening his eyes. An intense gush of emotions from his near-death experience and his unexpected salvation caused his eyes to be a little moist. But when he took a closer look at Wilhelmina¡¯s condition, his face quickly paled. Her body was trembling ever so slightly as both mana and life force surged from her body into Roel¡¯s through the armor¡¯s ability. Even her usually dark armor turned golden-white under the effects of the transfusion. A faint blood mist lingered between them. Wait a moment. This is¡­ Roel widened his eyes in horror as the truth behind his miraculous recovery finally dawned on him. He looked at the swiftly weakening woman, wanting to say something, but it was toote. Three surges of light harnessing mana concentrated to the extremity exploded on them. The simultaneous attacks from the three Race Sovereignsnded at this instant, irradiating half of the sky with blinding light. Roel waspletely caught off guard, and the shadows of death loomed before him once more. The all-out attacks from the desperate Race Sovereigns were so powerful that not even an Origin Level 1 transcendent would have been able to neutralize them, let alone the immobilized Roel. Yet, when the attacksnded, something shocking happened. Faced with an attack beyond measure, the armored Wilhelmina quietly turned around and covered him, determined to keep him from harm. ¡°Ah?¡± Roel¡¯s mind wentpletely nk as he subconsciously voiced his confusion. But before he could do anything, everything had already been obliterated by the ensuing explosion and white light. Boom! The third explosion rattled the desert, producing intense shockwaves that stirred up the fouled sand once more. The surviving deviant soldiers roared triumphantly at the feat achieved by their three leaders. The Race Sovereigns also calmed down a little after releasing the attack. They waited with bated breath to witness Roel¡¯s disintegrated corpse. At this point, there was nothing they looked forward to more than his death. Yet, Roel survived despite being at the heart of the explosion. He couldn¡¯t have died¡ªnot when someone else had taken that terrifying attack in his stead. ¡°Mina!!!¡± As the shockwaves died down, Roel quickly regained consciousness and called out, hoping to find her silhouette. However, his body stiffened at what he found. Within a mere instant, the woman before him was no longer the same as before. Half of her armor had disintegrated into ashes. Bits of her flesh and blood had been blown into the surroundings, some even sttering on him. A crimson puddle of blood had pooled beneath her. Her ash-blue hair swayed in the wind as her body wavered unsteadily, but she firmly stood her ground by anchoring her sword in ce, not allowing the impact of the explosion to get to Roel. Her life force had be so faint that it was almost undetectable, but her sword continued to glow with faint light as if murmuring her faith. It was the Swordheart. Chapter 587.1: Gamble (1)

Chapter 587.1: Gamble (1)

What was the purpose of this battle? This was not a difficult question for those who perpetuated the battle to answer. It was to kill the Kingmaker. This was the number one priority of the Deviant Sovereign, who had existed since the ancient era, and he was determined to make it happen. His priority remained unchanged even when an unbelievably talented woman, who had reached Origin Level 1 as a Sword Saint despite her young age, suddenly joined the battle and disyed iparable strength. The Deviant Sovereign knew that what waspelling the dying woman to ovee her limits and continue swinging her sword was the Kingmaker behind her. That was the source of her power, as well as the foundation of her faith. Should the Kingmaker die, she would wither along with him. Moreover, as powerful as the Sword Saint was, the threat she posed to the deviants was much lower than that of Sia¡¯s Crown¡¯s Stones. This was evident in her fight with the Race Sovereigns. The three-armed giant deviant let out a pained howl when its legs were severed, but that turned into a furious roar when flesh sprouted out of its wounds to regenerate its missing limbs. The winged deviant went into a frenzy as it d itself in lightning. The sword-bearing deviant returned to its feet and grabbed the sword of a nearby deviant. Gleaming in its eyes were bloodthirst and the excitement from the opportunity to challenge the limits of its swordsmanship. While the Sword Saint was a formidable adversary who could rival them, the Race Sovereigns didn¡¯t fear her because they possessedparable strength to hers. In contrast, the Crown¡¯s Stones were manifestations of concepts beyond their existence; even their recovery would be hindered once they were struck by one. They would have topletely sever the damaged parts before they could heal. Even though Wilhelmina didn¡¯t pose as great of a threat to the deviants, her intervention was still an unweed variable in this crucial battle. This left the Deviant Sovereign with no choice but to join this dishonorable battle to end it. Under the concealment of the sandstorm, the Deviant Sovereign raised its hand and directed it toward Roel. An invisible mana pulsation started to extend, as its intangible bloodthirst quietly grew palpable. Roel did notice the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s movements, but it was toote. He was unable to move, and it was toote to scream for help. The enemy¡¯s attack was already right before him. It¡¯s over. Despair welled up in Roel¡¯s heart. He was already on the verge of surrendering when a familiar silhouette with ash-blue hair suddenly appeared before him, standing firm to protect him. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s mouth ckened in horror. He wanted to tell her to escape, but it was toote. Faced with the iing attack of the Deviant Sovereign, she raised her sword and swung it down for a second time. A sh of light sliced the Deviant Sovereign into two. A brief moment of silence followed before it was reduced to a gob of ck fluid. At the same time, Wilhelmina¡¯s body trembled before she fell into Roel¡¯s arms. ¡°Mina!¡± Roel eximed as he rushed forward to catch her body. His voice was immediately silenced when he saw the front of her body. Her body had sustained unimaginable damage from protecting him from the first attack, which was why she had refused to turn around all this while. There were gaping wounds all over her body. Her organs were scorched. Broken bits of her armor were lodged in her body. Her bones were fractured. This was a sharp contrast to her unyielding back view. This was the true state she was in. It was only at this moment that Roel finally understood why the deviants didn¡¯t recklessly make a move after Wilhelmina¡¯s first counterattack. Her injuries were so severe that she was in no condition to swing a sword¡ªshe should have already been dead, if anything. Yet, she continued to fight despite the tattered state she was in. But it was all over now. The Deviant Sovereign¡¯s ability had dug out half of her heart. The sword she had been tightly clutching onto all this while slipped onto the ground, as her lifespan began to tick down. Roel¡¯s mind was aplete nk, as his body trembled uncontrobly. Yet, Wilhelmina didn¡¯t seem to be affected by her condition at all. She looked at him and gently apologized, ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. It looks like I won¡¯t be able to safely bring you out of here.¡± ¡°!¡± Tears trickled from Roel¡¯s eyes when he heard her apology. He profusely shook his head, but no words came to him. All he knew was that this was not an oue he could ept. As a warrior, he could ept dying a heroic death in the enemy¡¯s camp, but he couldn¡¯t stand watching someone important to him dying right before his eyes while trying to rescue him. The pain and misery he felt surpassed even that of death. He absolutely couldn¡¯t allow things to end like that. I have to change this ending. Holding Wilhelmina in his arms, Roel¡¯s golden eyes hardened with resolve like never before. However, the enemy wasn¡¯t nning to give Roel any breathing space at all. None of them had let their guard down just because the two of them were on the verge of death. The lightning-d winged deviant plunged from the sky with a piercing cry. The three-armed giant deviant rose to its feet and began marching forth. The sword-bearing deviant started to elerate toward them with its sword in hand. War was brutal, especially when it came to one between two races. There was no room forpassion or courtesy here. Deviant soldiers who weren¡¯t too severely injured began encircling the duo. On their minds was the unshakable resolve to bury humankind¡¯s two rising stars in their cradle. After having disyed their talent and strength, both Roel and Wilhelmina hadnded their spots in the deviants¡¯ must-kill list. Even without the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s orders, the three Race Sovereigns had already charged forth on their own initiative. They knew that those two mustn¡¯t be allowed to return to their camps, or else the consequences would be dire. Amidst the sandstorm, three powers surged toward the fallen Roel and Wilhelmina at the same time. By the corner of the desert, dark fluid slowly converged back into the Deviant Sovereign, and it, too, raised its hand toward Roel. This would have spelled the end for the two of them. Left with no other choice, Roel used the mana he had received from Wilhelmina as fuel to activate his final Crown¡¯s Stone. An enigmatic fog started to seep out of his body. Silver Devourer was a spell derived from Shrouding Fog, though Roel had never used it thus far because of its unknown side effect. It was a desperate move, but even that fell short. Not even the terrifying white fog could stop the Race Sovereigns¡¯ attacks with the little mana he had left. But Roel didn¡¯t mind it, for he knew that was enough. He first looked at the injured woman in his arms, followed by the surrounding white fog. His face was calm as if he had alreadye to an eptance. He murmured an order that would be the greatest gamble in his life. ¡°Devour.¡± Upon receiving the order, the billowing white fog opened its gigantic mouth and swallowed the embracing duo together. ¡­ Chapter 587.2: Gamble (2)

Chapter 587.2: Gamble (2)

When Wilhelmina fell into Roel¡¯s arms, he received the final sliver of mana she had left through her tattered armor. It was an insignificant portion that wouldn¡¯t have made a difference against the Race Sovereigns they were up against, but he instinctively knew what he had to do with it. No matter how adverse the circumstances were, he mustn¡¯t give up as long as there was the slightest chance of survival. That was the creed he had always lived by, not to mention that he wasn¡¯t alone now. To him, Wilhelmina was someone who absolutely mustn¡¯t die. Just seeing her near-death state filled him with so much pain that he could hardly breathe. At that instant, there was only one way he could think of that might allow them to survive this situation. Shrouding Fog¡¯s Silver Devourer. Shrouding Fog was the most notorious cmity known to humankind in the present era, being the culprit behind Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance. Its capability involved devouring space, though there was still no known conclusion as to whether the living beings it had devoured were still alive or not. Such abilities involving erasing one¡¯s existence had two possibilities¡ªit could be obliteration in the truest sense, or else it could be transference. Roel had no information to deduce which of the two possibilities it was for Shrouding Fog, but he could only gamble on it, since the alternative was to be killed. The Race Sovereigns were far more resilient than humans. Roel wouldn¡¯t be able to pose a threat to them even if he used the sliver of mana he had left on channeling his Crown¡¯s Stones to attack them. However, it was at least enough to deal with two dying humans. As the white fog opened its mouth and devoured them, Roel tightened his embrace around Wilhelmina. At that very moment, the only emotion he felt was sce. He knew that he had already employed all of the means he had avable to survive the ordeal. All he could do now was to entrust whatever was left to fate. Regardless of whether it was life or death, he would brave through it together with her. Upon being consumed by Silver Devourer, the first thing Roel felt was a sudden bout of weightlessness, followed by a drifting sensation reminiscent of a little boat floating aimlessly across the ocean. The disorientation was, in some ways, simr to what he felt when he left the Witness State, though the effects were much milder. Roel¡¯s body tensed up at the familiar experience, as his golden eyes glowed brilliantly. That was when he knew that he had made the right bet. Before long, the fog around them began to dissipate. The embracing duo abruptly plummeted and crashed heavily onto the ground. Cough! Roel tightly held Wilhelmina in his arms to cushion her from the fall. The impact caused him to spew blood, and the excruciating pain from all of the injuries he had sustained nearly knocked him out. Still, it was a relief that Wilhelmina didn¡¯t suffer much from the fall as a result. After a brief moment of giddiness, he gritted his teeth and sat up. He looked around and saw that they were inside a dim room. ¡°Roel¡­¡± Wilhelmina murmured weakly. ¡°I-I¡¯m here!¡± ¡°Did we¡­ escape?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We have escaped from the ordeal. The fog disappeared right after devouring us, so they won¡¯t be able to catch up. You don¡¯t need to worry anymore¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s a relief¡­¡± ¡°Wait, Mina!¡± Upon hearing the good news, Wilhelmina revealed a smile as her life force abruptly receded. Chilled by the sudden deterioration of her condition, Roel anxiously shouted her name as he tried to reverse the flow of the life force through the armor. However, her condition showed no improvement at all. Wilhelmina¡¯s body was extremely resilient due to her Dragon Bloodline, but just like the dragons in the ancient era, she didn¡¯t possess exceptional regeneration. The life force Roel injected into her hardly produced a reaction at all. In particr, her half-missing heart was beating so faintly that it could hardly be heard at all. How can this be? Sensing the body in his arms slowly turning cold, Roel panicked. After everything they had been through, they had finally escaped from their fearsome enemies and got to safety. Yet, Wilhelmina was on the verge of sumbing to her injuries. This was not what he had struggled so hard for. He couldn¡¯t allow that to happen. ¡°Stop it, Roel¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Wilhelmina looked at the desperate Roel, grateful that he was doing everything he could to save her, but she knew that it was only a waste of strength. ¡°¡­You¡¯ll die too at this rate.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel didn¡¯t answer Wilhelmina¡¯s warning. His eyes didn¡¯t waver in the least as his hand firmly remained on her chest, supplying life force to her heart. Seeing that, Wilhelmina¡¯s eyes turned moist. She was too overwhelmed for words. Time slowly ticked in this silent stone chamber. Both of their breathing gradually grew fainter. Roel¡¯s persistence failed to touch the Goddess of Fate. It was as if the world was telling him that he was too arrogant to think that he could get his way every single time. Wilhelmina was counting down to her final breath. She drifted in and out of consciousness, starting with just a few seconds before slowly increasing to minutes. Watching as death slowly encroached on her, Roel grew increasingly anxious. It was then that she woke up from another extended period of unconsciousness. ¡°Roel, I told you earlier that there are words I wanted to say.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was startled by Wilhelmina¡¯s sudden spiritedness as she began to talk. It filled him with such an ominous feeling that he instinctively tried to stop her. ¡°Yes, I remember that, but Mina, we can leave that for¡­¡± ¡°Listen to me¡­ please.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel couldn¡¯t bear to stop her after hearing those words. There was a moment of silence as Wilhelmina mustered her courage. ¡°¡­I love you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°I love you. I always did, but I was too cowardly. I didn¡¯t dare to tell you. Actually, I¡­¡± Cough! ¡°Mina!!!¡± Wilhelmina coughed blood before she could finish her confession, and her breathing became ragged. She tightly clutched onto Roel¡¯s clothes as she looked at him with tearful eyes filled with yearning. There were so many thoughts at the tip of her tongue, but she could only leave one in the end. ¡°Don¡¯t forget me.¡± ¡°!¡± With those hoarse words, her heart stopped beating. The hands clutching Roel¡¯s clothes fell limp, and her eyes closed for good. Time froze for Roel. For the first time, he felt a strong urge to deny reality. He couldn¡¯t acknowledge her death, or else the pain and sorrow he was repressing would burst out like a dam and utterly crush him from within. He had never felt anything like this before. Piak! He suddenly pped his face and knocked himself back to reality. ¡°I mustn¡¯t give up. I mustn¡¯t give up¡­¡± he continuously murmured with gritted teeth like a madman to gather the final semnce of rationality he had left. He didn¡¯t stop infusing life force into her body. Instead, he desperately racked his mind for whatever possible solutions there were to bring her back. In the sixteen years he had spent in this world, he had survived countless dangerous situations through his wits andposure. Powerful enemies had fallen in defeat before him, such as the Magician King and even the Savior. As terrible as his current plight was, he firmly believed that there must be a way to save her. Mina is an Origin Level 1 transcendent. Even with such severe injuries, as long as I can figure something out¡­ Roel forced himself to believe in that possibility as his mind frenziedly churned for solutions. Dozens of possibilities surfaced in his mind, only for him to refute them one after another. In the process of doing so, he identified the key underlying problem¡ªher heart. All of the ns he could think of were undermined by the fact that the Deviant Sovereign had stolen away half of her heart. As long as this issue persisted, she wouldn¡¯t be able to retain her life force, thus making death inevitable. But what can I do? As soon as this question surfaced, he started formting strategies to deal with that specific problem. Time seemed to have stopped for him, as his entire existence came to a standstill except for his furiously churning mind. Tens of secondster, he looked at the shattered armor in his hands, and his golden eyes slowly widened. The armor Wilhelmina wore was known as the Shadow Warrior Armor. It was a relic created by the Ardes, and it served two primary functions¡ªelerating the wearer¡¯s growth and altering the wearer¡¯s constitution to turn them into a scapegoat of a Kingmaker Bloodline¡¯s awakener. That was also what the so-called vow meant. To deceive the rules of the Witness State, the vows had to go both ways, or else the scapegoat wouldn¡¯t work. Upon the realization of that fact, an answer surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry¡­ but please bless me,¡± Roel solemnly prayed as he muttered an apology to the Mother Goddess, who had bestowed this body upon him. With a sh of light in the stone chamber, Roel cut open his chest and severed a portion of the remaining half of a heart inside him. Chapter 588.1: I Did Everything I Could (1)

Chapter 588.1: I Did Everything I Could (1)

Roel Ascart hated taking risks. This fact was known to everyone around him. It was a habit he had cultivated over the years when his sole focus had been to survive his death gs. However, that wasn¡¯t an irondw. When the cost of averting danger was greater than what he could bear, he would turn into a gambler who would stake everything he had even when the chances of sess were slim. Such was the case with Wilhelmina. He had known from the moment she muttered her final farewell that he couldn¡¯t lose her, so he racked his brain and finally found a solution. Even Origin Level 1 transcendents couldn¡¯t survive after losing half their hearts, so that was a key problem Roel had to resolve if he wanted to save Wilhelmina. The only feasible solution he could think of was to transfer a portion of his heart to her through the vow. As long as their constitutions werepatible, there was a chance that his heart, with its tremendous regeneration ability, could fuse with the remaining half of her heart and stimte her recovery. That was the only way to drag Wilhelmina back from the Death God¡¯s arms. There was just one small problem: Roel couldn¡¯t be certain that he would survive the transnt. Half his heart had been stolen by the Deviant Sovereign in the earlier battle, and he hadn¡¯t recovered from that blow yet. Severing a portion of his heart at this juncture was no different from courting death. It was such an insane idea that he was shocked he even thought about it. But he still chose to go through with it after some thought. He was willing to undertake any risk as long as he could save Wilhelmina. Besides, he wanted to trust Her and the Indestructible Body She had forged for him. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m sorry¡­ but please look after me,¡± he murmured. He sliced his chest open and severed his remaining half-heart into two. The excruciating pain that followed nearly swept away his consciousness. Blood sttered over the ground and even on his face. His clear mind quickly turned groggy. His mind began spinning as coldness seeped under his skin. There was a persistent buzz in his ears. His already ailing physical functions swiftly deteriorated, plunging him further into danger. Even so, he determinedly took out his sliced quarter-heart with a trembling hand. ck spots hindered his vision from his excessive blood loss, but those hardly discouraged him. He first wrapped the quarter-heart with his mana before ripping it out. He then slowly delivered it into Wilhelmina¡¯s chest through her ring wound. The two hearts finally touched. Please beat! Roel fervently prayed with his hazy mind. As if answering his prayers, Indestructible Body finally activated a short momentter, and his quarter-heart fused with Wilhelmina¡¯s half-heart. Her heart began to heal. It worked! The nearly indiscernible heartbeat he felt against his palm brought a faint smile onto Roel¡¯s lips. Then, his hands slipped away from her as he cked out. ¡­ Some timeter, Roel woke up amidst darkness. He anxiously scanned his surroundings and found that he was still inside that dimly lit stone chamber. A momentter, he btedly realized that his vision had recovered to normal. Did I make the correct bet? Roel¡¯s heart was finally set at ease upon realizing that he was still alive. He earnestly thanked the Mother Goddess he had met in the Witness State. A mother¡¯s love was truly great. The Mother Goddess had been thorough in reconstructing the body of Her most beloved child. He had no doubt that he had only survived this ordeal thanks to the Indestructible Body She had forged with the treasures gathered from the other races. Had it been his past body, he would have been dead the moment the Deviant Sovereign stole half his heart. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to put up a fight, let alone survive till Wilhelmina¡¯s arrival andst till their eventual escape. I owe Mother half my life and Mina the other half, Roel thought with a smile as he ced his hand on Wilhelmina¡¯s chest and felt her faint heartbeat. It was already the best-case scenario that the transnt worked and he survived the shock of losing another quarter of his heart, but it would be awfully naive of him to assume that things could only get better from this point onward. Roel was still alive, but that was all there was to it. With only a quarter of his heart remaining, it was nigh impossible for him to make a full recovery. As if it wasn¡¯t hard enough for him to maintain his current condition, the side effects of his Crown¡¯s Stones were also starting to settle in. The side effects from Time Devourer and Silver Devourer weren¡¯t severe, as he hadn¡¯t used them much in the earlier battle, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about cial Touch and Magma Core. While he was unconscious, his body had already turned into a battlefield of ice and fire. Biting chill that froze his blood and zing heat that seared his organs vied for supremacy in his body, putting him through torture worse than anything he had ever suffered. To make things worse, he couldn¡¯t allow himself to pass out. He wasn¡¯t the only one facing peril here; Wilhelmina was in the same plight. While he had alleviated Wilhelmina¡¯s greatest issue¡ªher partially missing heart¡ªher other injuries were fatal enough to take her life too, from the ring wound that marred her chest, to her burning organs, to the armor splinters piercing through her body. The enhanced physical resilience bestowed on her by her Dragon Bloodline could only do so much to help her. I have to conduct some emergency treatment to stabilize her condition. Roel pulled himself together and jogged his memory about the n he hade up with before he fell unconscious. He slowly propped himself up while hissing in pain. It was hard to tell how much time had passed in this dark chamber, but the blood pool on the ground hadn¡¯t dried yet. Probably a few hours? he deduced. Turning his attention to Wilhelmina, the first thing he noticed was that the recovery rate of Wilhelmina¡¯s ring chest wound was visibly faster than that of other areas, possibly due to the effects of his transnted quarter-heart. Roel was surprised, but at the same time, he breathed a sigh of relief. Wilhelmina had sustained that ring chest wound while protecting him from the sword-bearing deviant¡¯s attack. The crimson mana imbued in its sword hindered one¡¯s recovery ability, and that was the reason his right arm hadn¡¯t recovered yet. ¡°Is this the prowess of her Sword Intent?¡± Roel murmured under his breath. He wondered if this was a sign that the world was looking after her. If not for her surpassing her limits, there was no way he could have saved her even after transnting his heart over. In any case, it was a relief that Wilhelmina¡¯s supreme mastery of swordsmanship had allowed her to ovee the threat of her greatest wound. With that, he turned his attention toward the second problem¡ªher charred organs. Roel was one of the few all-rounder transcendents, but recovery spells were not in his field of expertise. Weaker recovery spells that were within his means to pull off wouldn¡¯t do a thing to wounds of such severity. Artasia could cast advanced recovery spells, but that option was currently out of the question, since his Crown Origin Attribute was still in an unstable state. But that didn¡¯t mean that he was out of options yet. For instance, he could always emte his previous sess with his heart transnt and do the same with his liver, spleen, and other organs; that should resuscitate Wilhelmina¡¯s ailing organs. The problem was that he would be saying goodbye to this world. The Mother Goddess hadn¡¯t given him ¡®Indestructible Body¡¯ for him to slice up his organs and distribute them to others. As much as Wilhelmina was on the verge of death, he barely had a breath left in him too; he would really pass away at this rate. Heck, even lifting the knife is beyond me right now! Roel shook his head, knowing that he could never perform a precise cut on his organ with the frail condition he was currently in. At the same time, he was also hesitant to transnt more of his organs into her out of fear of transnt rejection. While the world recognized them as the same under the effects of the Shadow Warrior Armor and the vow, Roel and Wilhelmina were ultimately separate individuals. In the first ce, they weren¡¯t even of the same gender! His earlier sess in transnting his quarter-heart was already a huge stroke of luck; he would be pushing his luck to do the same for the other organs. It could be possible that Wilhelmina¡¯s body was far too weakened at the moment to reject the transnted organs, but that might change once she started recovering. Should all her organs suffer transnt rejection all at once, she would simply leap from one danger to another. With these considerations in mind, Roel had no choice but to refute the simplest but also riskiest organ transnt n. Instead, he opted for a more conservative means¡ªblood transfusion. Chapter 588.2: I Did Everything I Could (2)

Chapter 588.2: I Did Everything I Could (2)

Roel¡¯s body, which the Mother Goddess had painstakingly enhanced, was a treasure trove in itself. His heart was not the only part that was special. Flowing through his bloodstream was the Blood n¡¯s Primordial Blood, which boasted exceptional recovery prowess. The Blood n was known for its longevity and high-speed healing; it was little wonder that its Progenitor¡¯s blood essence was one of the most valuable treasures in the world. While it was unable to bring back the dead¡ªat least when it had been diluted by Roel¡¯s blood¡ªit should be able to enhance Wilhelmina¡¯s recovery ability. Blood transfusion was much safer than organ transntation, especially for Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns. Their superior constitution allowed them to safely take in most bloodlines. Roel immediately acted on it after having made up his mind. He raised his wrist above Wilhelmina¡¯s charred flesh and shed it with a dagger. His blood trickled out at a surprisingly slow pace, possibly because he had lost too much blood or because his blood pressure had decreased due to only having a quarter of his heart left. Nevertheless, the effects were magnificent. . As soon as his blood fell on Wilhelmina¡¯s charred body, her Origin Level 1 body absorbed this sudden influx of energy right away, and it stimted her mana. There was an immediate boost in her regenerative ability. ¡°This should do it¡­¡± After allowing the blood to trickle for a few minutes, Roel fell unconscious once more. ¡­ Roel woke up again with his condition worse than before. Even Indestructible Body struggled to heal him from the damage he had umted from his bloodletting and the side effects of the Crown¡¯s Stones. His poor condition inevitably slowed his recovery rate. It was fortunate that the absorption of the Six Cmities into his soul had granted him strong resistance against the side effects of the Crown¡¯s Stones, so all he had to do was to grit his teeth and pull through it. Chapter 589.1: Making a Choice (1)

Chapter 589.1: Making a Choice (1)

No ce in the world was fairer than the world of dreams. It was the one thing in the world that disregarded one¡¯s wealth, gender, and age. Whether one was living inside the royal pce or roaming the streets, resting peacefully at home or fighting an intense war on the battlefield, they could have everything they wanted in their dreams. Dreams had a special significance on the Sia Continent, serving as a basis for divination. Roel Ascart was currently having a dream, but it was not a dream that belonged to him. He was spectating a woman¡¯s life from a third-person perspective. Peering into another person¡¯s life should have been a mystical experience, but what he saw was hardly interesting at all¡ªboring, in fact. It was a dream based on Wilhelmina¡¯s memories. Much of her memories could be summarized with one word: training. There was a fundamental limit to a person¡¯s time and energy, so those who wished to excel in a field had to make trade-offs for it. While Wilhelmina, with her potential expanded by the Shadow Warrior Armor, grew much faster than her peers, she had to make many sacrifices for it. Her childhood had been dull and monotonous. The intense training she went through, at this point, had been out of coercion rather than her volition. Countless times she had dived under her nket to stare at the hero depicted in the storybook with hands worn out with blisters and blood from her swordsmanship practice. It was not just once or twice that she had cast doubt on the so-called vow. That sight filled Roel with guilt. He would have never thought that while he was working hard to live a peaceful life, someone else in the distant Knight Kingdom was undergoing torturous training from a very young age to protect him. Fortunately, this piece of memory didn¡¯tst long, possibly because it was too distant. The girl, who had grown older in the meantime, came to affirm her will. With her maturity, she came to see how important was the mission entrusted to her. She proactively strove to grow stronger so that she could fulfill the vow and protect her n¡¯s honor and all of humankind. She wasn¡¯t in as desperate of a situation as Roel, who was already facing the threat of the evil cultists by this point, but she had huge ambitions that coincided with his. But unlike Roel, who knew how to bnce work and rest, Wilhelmina was heaping far too much stress on herself. This continued until their eventual collision. When Roel shattered Wilhelmina¡¯s Swordheart manifested out of her faith, what she had obstinately persisted on thus far finally came to an end. He had released her from her arduous mission, but at the same time, he brought her a new goal and faith. I have to be stronger to protect this person, Wilhelmina told herself then. Unfortunately, she was oblivious to the seed she had sowed in her heart then. She thought that her changes were prompted by Roel¡¯s acknowledgment and affirmation. It was only when her yearning reached an uncontroble level over their year-long separation that she was forced to confront her feelings. Roel watched as Wilhelmina consulted Teresa about her peculiar condition with fists clenched out of nervousness. He couldn¡¯t help but smile at her innocence, but at the same time, he felt sorry as well. ¡°Is that how you came to realize your feelings? You sure are slow-witted¡­ but it¡¯s my fault for robbing you of your childhood.¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s life had been so overwhelmed by her training and responsibilities that she never had time to focus on herself. Growing up in such conditions made her extremely clumsy when it came to matters of the heart. She had an abysmal level of awareness of her own emotions, and she didn¡¯t know how to express herself either. All she could do was to swing her sword, again and again, until she infused all of her feelings into her Sword Intent. That was the only way she could keep herself sane in the year Roel disappeared. Her self-abasing, secret crush was ironically both her greatest motivation and an impediment in her path to bing stronger, though this changed when she stood forward to defend Roel. The moment she vanquished her low self-esteem and uncertainty, the Courage Origin Attribute finally acknowledged her, and her Swordheart overcame its bottleneck. Her earth-splitting sh was her confession to him. Her intense feelings of affection shook Roel, tugging at his heartstrings. It was also then that the sight of the severely wounded Wilhelmina appeared before him. When he saw tears flowing down her ghastly pale cheeks, he felt like his heart was going to shatter into pieces. It was in this choking atmosphere that she voiced her farewell. ¡°Farewell, Roel¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Roel suddenly jolted awake in the dimly lit stone chamber. A rush of sorrow and pain shook him from his dreams, and he anxiously called for her while patting the nearby area to look for her. ¡°Mina!¡± Only when his fingers touched the woman lying next to him did his rampaging feelings finally calm down a little. Still gasping for air, he anxiously pulled her into his arms and listened to her much more energetic heartbeats. Slowly, his pounding heart slowed down. ¡°Was it a nightmare? N-no, that isn¡¯t it¡­¡± As he regained hisposure, Roel recalled the dream he just had, which prompted him to look at the woman in his arms with an increasingly solemn expression. It was hard to dismiss what he had just seen as a simple dream, for it was simply too lifelike. Putting all things aside, he had never seen the young Wilhelmina before, and the buildings inside the dream were of a style he had never seen before. If it had truly been a simple dream, it was peculiar that his mind had conjured those things out of thin air. ¡°Is it because I transnted my heart into you¡­ Are those your dreams?¡± Roel murmured to the woman in his arms with a hopeful gleam in his eyes. His connection with Wilhelmina was closer than ever after having shared his heart and blood with her. This could have given rise to a mana resonation in the midst of their sleep, resulting in them sharing the same dreams. On the bright side, this meant that Wilhelmina¡¯s mind was still functioning as normal, and it was likely that she would wake up shortly. This brought him to look at her with hopeful eyes. As if answering his prayers, the woman with ash-blue hair actually opened her eyes under his watch. ¡°Roel¡­¡± Wilhelmina murmured as her eyes fluttered open. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s heart pounded hard. Words couldn¡¯t describe his rush of feelings in that instant. It took moments before he found the words to answer her. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. You¡¯re finally awake. Wee back,¡± he replied hoarsely. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ really you.¡± Still in a daze, it took seconds before Wilhelmina¡¯s eyes focused on Roel. Horror slowly seeped into her eyes as she weakly muttered, ¡°Why¡­ are you here?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I should¡­ be dead!¡± As soon as he heard that ominous word slip out, Roel gently pressed his finger against her lips to stop her. He looked into her shocked eyes and assured her, ¡°You¡¯re fine. We¡¯re still alive.¡± ¡°We are?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear such ominous words. You aren¡¯t that weak, so don¡¯t ever say that again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wilhelmina slowly noticed Roel¡¯s trembling body, as well as how cold the finger pressing against her lips was. She quietly stared at him as she began to realize something. Worried that she might try to distance herself from him, Roel hugged her even tighter. Wilhelmina¡¯s death was a huge trauma to him, and it was only exacerbated by the nightmare he just had. He didn¡¯t want to hear about it, even if it was just words. Realizing that, Wilhelmina nodded and said, ¡°Mm¡­ I won¡¯t say such words anymore. Sorry¡­ and thanks.¡± ¡°I should be the one apologizing and thanking you instead. You were the one who swooped in and saved me from the deviants, creating an opportunity for me to escape from their clutches. I¡¯m only doing what I should.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m also only doing what I should,¡± Wilhelmina replied with a faint smile after a moment of thought. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was rendered speechless. He rubbed her cheeks and asked, ¡°How are you feeling? Anywhere aching, or feeling unwell?¡± ¡°It aches a little, but I can take it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°But¡­ my chest feels weird.¡± ¡°!¡± Wilhelmina looked confused by the foreign sensation in her body, and that immediately piqued Roel¡¯s vignce. ¡°Weird? How so?¡± ¡°It feels¡­ out of control as if it is rejecting me. My mana feels weird too¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is it as I expected? Roel¡¯s expression slowly turned grim as he realized that what he had been worrying about all this while had happened. The Kingmaker Bloodline and Dragon Bloodline, after a temporary alliance to save Wilhelmina¡¯s life, had started turning against each other. Chapter 589.2: Making a Choice (2)

Chapter 589.2: Making a Choice (2)

Powerful bloodlines were highly aggressive, and it was extremely difficult to fuse them together. Roel had once epted Charlotte¡¯s blood transfusion, but that was done after confirming that the Kingmaker Bloodline was able to suppress the High Elf Bloodline. It would have been hard for them to do so in the other direction, and such was the case with Wilhelmina. As powerful as the Dragon Bloodline was, it was still a tier beneath the Kingmaker Bloodline. Had it only been a simple blood transfusion, Wilhelmina would have been able to assimte it after a bit of effort and even benefit from it. However, the situation was different now that a heart transnt was involved too. What Wilhelmina was experiencing right now was likely to be the early signs of a rejection. Knowing that he had to tell her the truth for her to make a decision, he turned to her and hesitantly spoke up. ¡°Mina, there¡¯s something I have to tell you. You weren¡¯t in a good condition earlier, so I had to resort to special means in order to treat your heart.¡± ¡°¡­Special means?¡± Wilhelmina could vaguely sense from Roel¡¯s heavy tone how grave the situation was, so she chose not to chase him for an answer. Instead, she patiently waited for him to continue while mentally preparing herself for the worst. Is it a magic model heart that can only sustain me for a short period of time? Or is it some kind of resurrection ritual of some evil cult? Several possibilities arose in her heart, but none surprised her. No one knew better than her the extent of her injuries, after all¡ªshe should have been beyond salvation. But that didn¡¯t matter to her at all. After everything she had been through, she would willingly shoulder any burden as long as she could be with him, even if it meant using a forbidden spell or turning into a monster. Yet, the answer she received transcended her wildest imagination. ¡°I severed half of my heart and transnted it into you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s eyes widened in horror. as she stared dazedly at Roel, unable to believe what she had just heard. Noticing her shock, thetter anxiously borated more on the matter. ¡°Your heart was in a dire condition back then. My body carries strong regenerative ability, so I figured that it¡¯s possible to stimte your heart¡¯s recovery through a partial transnt. I checked beforehand¡ªour bodies have highpatibility due to the effects of the Shadow Warrior Armor and the vow, so¡­ Mina!¡± ¡°You¡­ Wu¡­¡± Wilhelmina suddenly teared up in the midst of Roel¡¯s exnation, shocking thetter. He had to cut his exnation short to console her, but that hardly helped. Her tears gushed with greater fervor; it was impossible to stop them at all. ¡°¡­W-why?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°¡­That was the only solution I could think of.¡± Roel honestly answered her question, but that did nothing to stop her tears. . ¡°It¡¯s your heart! What if you failed?¡± ¡°¡­Then we¡¯ll die together.¡± ¡°What?¡± Unable to believe what she had heard, Wilhelmina stared at Roel with widened eyes. Roel chuckled at her response. He stroked her cheeks and looked at her with tender eyes, saying, ¡°This risk is nothing as long as I can save you. Wasn¡¯t it the same for you when you charged into the deviants¡¯ encirclement to save me? Or did you think that you are the only one who can risk your life for me, but I can¡¯t do the same?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different! You¡¯re the sessor of the Kingmaker n, and I am your protector. It¡¯s only right for¡­¡± ¡°I told you. The Kingmaker n died in the Second Epoch. I am Roel Ascart¡ªnothing more, nothing less. We aren¡¯t liege and subordinate; there¡¯s no hierarchy in our rtionship. Besides¡­ are you sure it is out of sheer responsibility that you risked your life to save me?¡± ¡°!¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s body stiffened at that question, and she reflexively tried to avoid answering. However, she was quickly reminded of her determination and the confession she had made before bidding what she thought would be her final farewell. Seconds passed in silence, as Roel awaited her response. Finally, she raised her head to look at him. ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not just out of responsibility. I-I did it b-because I l-love¡­¡± Seeing how clumsily Wilhelmina was professing her feelings, Roel couldn¡¯t bear to keep her waiting and gave her an answer right away. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s the same for me.¡± ¡°!¡± Wilhelmina was bbergasted. ¡°I love you, Mina, and that¡¯s why I can¡¯t let you die. I had to try everything regardless of the risk.¡± ¡°Roel¡­¡± Wilhelmina began sobbing once more. Roel quietly wiped away her tears as he resisted the urge to tightly embrace her. He waited for her to calm down before diverting the topic back to the pressing issue at hand. ¡°Mina, I made the right bet, but the problem isn¡¯t resolved yet¡­¡± ¡°Is it the rejection effect?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s likely the reason your heart is feeling unwell. The rejection will only worsen as your Dragon Bloodline regains its fervor. Thus, I need you to make a choice.¡± ¡°¡­A choice?¡± Wilhelmina blinked, revealing an expression of absolute trust. Seeing that, Roel finally revealed his thoughts. The rejection effect was inevitable, so it was only a matter of time before they had to confront it. All in all, there were only two solutions to tame the foreign heart beating in her chest. The first solution was to wait for Wilhelmina to recover from her injuries and regain her strength. Once her Dragon Bloodline was at its strongest, she should be able to forcefully curb her heart. This was the conservative method with the highest chances of sess, yet it came with a major downside¡ªthe chances of a rpse urring would be much higher too. Alternatively, she could deal with the rejection while her heart and her body were still weak. Solving this issue at an earlier phase would be safer in the long run, and the likelihood of a rpse urring would be much lower. The downside was that the chances of sess were slimmer due to her weakened condition. With that being said, if things worked out, the threat would be resolved with minimal side effects, and it would greatly hasten her recovery too. After hearing the two options, Wilhelmina spent a brief moment thinking before quickly making up her mind. ¡°I¡¯ll choose the second option.¡± ¡°The second option? Are you certain?¡± ¡°Mm, but I have a request.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Roel asked. Wilhelmina nervously fiddled with her fingers before slowly raising her head to murmur, ¡°I¡­ want some encouragement.¡± Chapter 590.1: Where Are We (1)

Chapter 590.1: Where Are We (1)

Transnt rejection was a dangerous side effect of organ transnts that could endanger a person¡¯s life. Even Origin Level 1 transcendents like Wilhelmina dared not confidently im that they could ovee this ordeal. Yet, she still decisively chose the second option of the two solutions Roel proposed, for she knew that she had to recover as quickly as possible. The second solution had a lower chance of sess, but it was also likelier for her to make a full recovery. It would be less likely for her to suffer a rpse from the organ rejection in the future. With her enhanced constitution as an Origin Level 1 transcendent, she should be able to make a full recovery within a few days. More importantly, she would be able to greatly lessen Roel¡¯s burden that way. Indeed, Wilhelmina wanted to hasten her recovery for Roel¡¯s sake. On the one hand, while the two of them had remained safe thus far, it was clearly unwise for them to continue to remain powerless in a foreign environment. On the other hand, she noticed that Roel had been concealing his condition. The truth was that Roel¡¯s condition hadn¡¯t improved in the least. He had been trying his best to maintain aposed and leisurely front so as to not worry her, but there were still minor details that he was unable to conceal¡ªfor instance, the temperature of his fingers. His hands were cold, even more so than the severely wounded Wilhelmina. His heartbeat was also faint, weaker even than that of ordinary mortals. He was already toeing the boundary of life and death despite looking fine on the surface. In contrast, Wilhelmina was well taken care of. She had to quickly recover so that she could put his mind at ease and take care of him. With that being said, there were some things she didn¡¯t want to change. ¡°Can you continue holding onto me?¡± ¡°Is that the encouragement you want?¡± ¡°Mm. I-I feel more assured that way, s-so¡­¡± Roel couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched the nervous Wilhelmina raise a rather adorable request, though it wasn¡¯t much of a surprise when he thought deeper into it. Wilhelmina had never enjoyed the spring of youth. She had lived her life as a man before her defeat to Roel, and even after then, her life continued to revolve around her responsibilities and her training. She was so dull to the notion of romance that it took her a year before she became cognizant of her feelings for Roel. It was a struggle for her to express her feelings, and acting coy was beyond her. ording to her upbringing, there was no one she could act coy with, and expressing her feelings was seen to be an act of weakness. The thought of that left Roel feeling even more sorry for Wilhelmina. He nodded his head with a smile before hugging her even tighter. ¡°Is this fine? Does it hurt?¡± ¡°Mm, i-it¡¯s fine¡­ My body feels fine, but my clothes¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Well, I took them off while I was treating your injuries¡­¡± ¡°¡­I see,¡± Wilhelmina murmured back as her pale face slowly reddened. Roel found himself at a loss for words. There was no denying that he had seen and even touched her from head to toe. Of course, he had no choice but to do it in order to treat her, but nevertheless, he had no intention of shirking responsibility here. He had already made up his mind from the moment Wilhelmina died for his sake. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for doing it without your permission¡­¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t matter for a body like mine to be seen¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°A muscr body like mine must have been awful to look at. It is nowhere as soft and tender as other women¡­¡± ¡°¡­What in the world are you saying?¡± Roel was honestly confused to hear those words. As one of the few people who had seen Wilhelmina¡¯s bare body, he believed that he had the greatest credibility on the topic of how charming she was. While her physique was more on the muscr side, given the intense physical training she had been through, she wasn¡¯t too brawny due to the effects of her Dragon Bloodline. Honestly speaking, he found it hard to believe that a body as beautiful as hers was capable of exerting such tremendous strength. From her smooth skin and well-developed breasts to her tight waist and perky bottom¡ªthat was a killer body if he¡¯d ever seen one! ¡°I can¡¯t speak on others¡¯ behalf, but in my eyes, you have a beautiful body.¡± ¡°¡­Is that true?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ I am fond of it.¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s good,¡± Wilhelmina nervously replied before diffidently lowering her head. Roel squeezed her cheeks and said, ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself down for no good reason, else I¡¯m going to be angry.¡± ¡°Mm. I won¡¯t do so anymore,¡± Wilhelmina replied as she nuzzled against his hand, almost as if apologizing for her earlier words. Roel smiled as a surge of warmth flowed into his heart. The two of them soaked in the warm atmosphere for a moment longer before making their preparations. Roel took in a deep breath before asking, ¡°Mina, the assimtion process will likely be very excruciating. Are you ready?¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± ¡°All right. Since that¡¯s the case¡­¡± Roel ced his finger on Wilhelmina¡¯s chest before carefully guiding his remaining mana into her body, with the intention of stimting her rejection effect. Thetter¡¯s body immediately jolted in response. A golden glow shone from Wilhelmina¡¯s amber eyes as she tightened her grip on Roel¡¯s clothes. ¡°Mina, you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Wilhelmina replied with gritted teeth. Her eyes remained unwavering. Roel had no choice but to suppress his feelings and fully unleash the rejection effect. ¡­ What is it like to be a male gynecologist? Roel was unfated with this noble profession in his previous life, so his knowledge about it was limited to the bits and pieces he gathered through the media. But today, in a certain sense, one could say that he got firsthand experience of what it would be like to be a male gynecologist. Wilhelmina¡¯s rejection effect was worse than he had expected. The pain she experienced was so intense that it surpassed what she felt from the fatal wounds inflicted by the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns. It had probably already reached the level of childbirth, such that it was nearly unbearable even with her strength. Roel¡¯s nerves werepletely taut. He actively encouraged her from the side, while carefully channeling his mana to alleviate her pain. He had previously used his frost aura to numb her pain while dealing with her injuries, but that had only been for her external injuries. He couldn¡¯t do the same for her internal injuries, or else he would risk freezing her heart and other organs. To make things worse, his frost aura and the mana rampaging in her body shared the same origin. Should he slip his frost aura into her body, it would likely overlook the rampaging mana and instead prioritize attacking her, thus worsening her condition. Roel could only resort to manual methods to alleviate her pain such as giving her something to bite on¡­ but there was nothing suitable to use inside this stone chamber, so he could only offer her his arm. Saying that Wilhelmina¡¯s bite strength was frightening would be a gross understatement¡ªshe was an inheritor of the Dragon Bloodline, after all¡ªbut Roel¡¯s Indestructible Body was not to be made light of, either. As long as he focused his mana, his arm could easily serve as a convenient substitute for a wooden branch. However, Wilhelmina shook her head and rejected his n. She couldn¡¯t bear to bite him. Instead, she buried her head in his chest and stubbornly endured it with her sheer willpower. Time slowly ticked by, and her rejection effect finally began to lessen as Roel gently guided the rampaging mana out of her body. Her Dragon Bloodline slowly took control of her beating heart and forced it to facilitate the other parts of her body. With that, she had finally ovee her dangerous phase. Exhausted from the ordeal, she quickly fell deeply asleep. Chapter 590.2: Where Are We (2)

Chapter 590.2: Where Are We (2)

Roel finally breathed a sigh of relief. The load on his heart was finally lifted. He rested his back against the icy-cold wall while listening to her steady breathing. He felt good despite not being in the best of conditions. He had faced far too many close shaves with death over the past few days, but he had managed to pull through all of it together with Wilhelmina. Now that her safety was finally guaranteed, he could turn his attention to other matters. Where are we? Roel wondered as he examined the surrounding stone chamber. The two of them had been transported out of the desert into this narrow space under the effects of Shrouding Fog¡¯s Silver Devourer, but this knowledge did little to answer the question of where they were. In any case, he wasn¡¯t too optimistic about their plight. Based on what he had felt when they were first transported into this ce, he deduced that it could be an independent space, but that would have to be verified. Since Wilhelmina was out of danger, he thought he should try exploring the area. He had long noticed that, on his left, there was a section of the wall with a slight hint of discoloration, which he deduced to be a door. He had refrained from approaching it thus far out of safety concerns, since it was likelier for them to encounter threats than helping hands. It was still risky for Roel to explore the area in his current state¡ªhe was in a worse condition than when he first entered this space¡ªbut there were reasonspelling him to do so, such as food and water. High transcendents were freed from mortal limitations, capable of surviving even without consuming sustenance as long as there was mana in the environment. However, water was still necessary for them, particrly when they had lost a great deal of blood. Roel had sustained many severe injuries from the earlier battle, and he even severed his own heartter on. Simrly, Wilhelmina had bled so much that she was bound to be running dry by now. It was too torturous for them to continue going without water, and it would significantly slow their speed of recovery too. They would be the joke of the millennium if they survived an encounter with the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns, only to die of thirst in the midst of their treatment. I¡¯ll have to head out and take a risk. At the very least, I should get a grasp on the nearby situation first¡­ Roel looked at Wilhelmina, who had worked so fast to recover that she passed out, and sighed under his breath. Then, he slowly got to his feet. ¡°Water, huh?¡± he murmured. He did onest check on his equipment before heading toward the room on his left. ¡­ As a proxy fief lord, Roel Ascart had cultivated the habit of investigating the local culture and climate whenever he arrived at a new ce. Such information did far more than expand one¡¯s outlook on the world. In this medieval era, where transportation was inconvenient and information was scarce, knowledge was both an asset and proof of status. It was resource-consuming and dangerous for one to go out and explore the world, after all. A vige chief could wow their vigers just by sharing what they had seen and heard in the city. This showed how important knowledge was. To Roel, who possessed his memories from the previous world, the stark differences between the two worlds intrigued him, which was probably what piqued his curiosity in the first ce. With the knowledge he had umted in his journeys, he was confident that he could figure out some clues once he started exploring the area. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize that he might have been too arrogant. Upon pushing the door, he was met with a pitch-ck corridor fashioned the same as the stone chamber he was previously in. One salient feature immediately popped out to him: emptiness. Sculptures, furniture, or adornments¡ªthere was not a feature in the corridor that provided him with contextual clues. Even the walls wereyered using monotonous pitch-ck stones. By this point, it had already dawned on him what kind of ce they might have been in. Is this a fortress? Roel wondered with lifted eyebrows. He assessed his surroundings and found many doors simr to the one he had just walked out of. All of them were tightly shut, and there was no hint of light under any of them. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no one here. Well, I figured as much. I doubt that we would have been able to peacefully stay there for the past two days otherwise,¡± Roel murmured under his breath. He was still able to see despite his dimly-lit surroundings thanks to his enhanced vision as a high transcendent. Knowing that there could be traps along the passageway, he invoked the Nine-headed Serpent and had it scout the way. At the same time, he wrapped his other hand around Ascendwing so that he could make his escape right away. He vigntly headed in the direction he believed led out of the facility while making a mental map of his surroundings. By taking note of the key details, he soon figured out the nature of the facility he was in. Is this an underground military bunker? This was the thought that surfaced in Roel¡¯s mind as he looked at the low ceilings and pitch-ck passageway. Underground military bunkers were usually found only inrge-scale fortresses. The army of a typical noble was small enough to be housed in the fortress itself, so underground facilities were reserved for the incarceration of criminals instead. Only powerful nobles with a huge military force would struggle to find space to house their soldiers and be forced to develop underground facilities for new soldiers. That realization excited Roel. If his deduction was on the mark, he should be able to find a wine cer here. Every fortress would have a wine cer, whether it was to host distinguished guests or to celebrate a victory. While it wasn¡¯t exactly water, it would suffice for high transcendents like Roel and Wilhelmina. Is it deeper underground? Roel quickly ventured ahead and soon found his destination. His eyes widened the moment he detected the scent of oak barrels and faint alcohol. Without any hesitation, he marched forward and pushed the door open. An alcoholic aroma rushed at him. What appeared before his eyes were huge wine barrels ced in neat rows. Breathing a sigh of relief, he quickly grabbed a cup, tapped a bit of fruit wine, and gulped it down. It was so invigorating that it felt like he had been given a second life. With the replenishment of water, his dulled physical functions began churning at their previous efficiency. rity quickly returned to his head. As he was about to get another cup, he noticed words inscribed on the barrel that caused his movements to stall. Chapter 591.1: Lilian’s Scheme (1)

Chapter 591.1: Lilian¡¯s Scheme (1)

In an underground wine cer suffused with the rich scent of alcohol, Roel stared at the wine barrel before him in disbelief. He was stunned for a brief moment before he quickly cast a spell to illuminate the surroundings. Light suddenly filled the room, making him squint in difort for a brief moment. The words inscribed on the wine barrel appeared even more vividly under the light, verifying that what he had seen wasn¡¯t just a product of his imagination. He immediately shot to his feet. After a few moments of thought, his shock was slowly reced with solemnity. He headed deeper into the wine cer to check on the other oak barrels¡ªthey had different vintages, but the ce they were brewed was the same. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. The first wine barrel might have just been a coincidence, but the fact that the other wine barrels were made in the same ce cemented the reality for him. He was left with no choice but to acknowledge a shocking fact. He was in Tark Stronghold, the Theocracy¡¯s fortress housing over a hundred thousand elites and many high transcendents that had suddenly disappeared years ago. Roel¡¯s first reaction at having found the missing fortress was not delight but fright, for he knew the context behind its sudden disappearance. Shrouding Fog was the most powerful member of the Six Cmities that Roel had encountered thus far. It was a monster that he wouldn¡¯t want to confront even now that he had reached Origin Level 2. Yet, it couldn¡¯t be clearer that he was currently inside its domain. Damn, I was transported straight into its belly? Roel was rendered speechless. Even though the Six Cmities werecking in intelligence, it would be foolish optimism to assume that Shrouding Fog wouldn¡¯t notice their presence in its domain. Most likely, they had been able to elude Shrouding Fog¡¯s notice thus far because he had only activated Silver Devourer for a few short seconds, and his and Wilhelmina¡¯s conditions were too poor to catch its notice. The two of them were on the verge of death when they first arrived in this ce, resulting in their mana pulsations being weaker than ever, making them no different from ordinary mortals. Naturally, Shrouding Fog wouldn¡¯t pay too much heed to them. However, this situation was likely to change soon, since they were recovering from their injuries. No matter how dull-witted Shrouding Fog was, it was only a matter of time before it noticed the intrusion of an Origin Level 1 and an Origin Level 2 transcendent inside its domain. Needless to say, it would surely make a move on them. The longer Roel and Wilhelmina stayed in this ce, the greater the danger they would be in. Thus, Roel made up his mind to leave this ce as soon as possible once they recovered. A second question immediately emerged in his mind: where had the people here gone? More than a hundred thousand elites were stationed in Tark Stronghold when it was devoured by Shrouding Fog, but there was not a single person to be seen. On reflection, the state of the wine cer was rather peculiar too. Tark Stronghold was a humongous fortress constructed with the ambitious goal of blockading an entire mountain valley. It had a huge stockpile of rations to ensure that its soldiers wouldn¡¯t go hungry, but there were over a hundred thousand mouths to feed, after all. There was no way their rations could havested for over a year. Yet, there was still plenty of alcohol inside their wine cer even after the passage of two years, not to mention that the wine barrels looked untouched. This was both unusual and unrealistic. Roel would have to leave the underground bunker and head to the surface if he wanted to uncover the truth, but that was not very realistic for him in his current state. Exhaustion was already getting the better of him, telling him that he had reached the limit of his activity. So, he quickly got to action. He grabbed a nearby sack and threw in a dozen fruit wines that he considered decent before leaving the wine cer. Then, he cast an illumination spell and headed back to where he came from. There was no need for him to tread carefully anymore now that he knew where he was, so he didn¡¯t bother silencing his breathing or concealing his footsteps. For better or for worse, not a single person popped out from the nearby doors to confront him. ¡°¡­¡± The heavy silence dampened Roel¡¯s mood. Following the marks he had made along the way, he soon arrived at the stone chamber he had exited from. He gently opened the door and saw that Wilhelmina was still deeply asleep, so he carefully closed the door behind him before settling next to the wall. He positioned the Nine-headed Serpent Staff next to him to serve as a sentry before turning his sights to Wilhelmina. With Wilhelmina¡¯s resilience and recovery prowess as an inheritor of the Dragon Bloodline and an Origin Level 1 transcendent, she should be able to recover to a decent extent in a jiffy. Simrly, even though Roel was currently in a terrible condition, he was making good progress in the assimtion of his Origin Attribute. It shouldn¡¯t take him too long before he re-established the window of connection with his ancient gods. That would put him in a much better position. The only problem was that they had to leave this ce before Shrouding Fog noticed them, and there was a good chance that theirnding point would be the same ce they had disappeared from. The deviants were bound to be camping in the vicinity, knowing how suspicious their abrupt disappearance was. By the time they returned, those tenacious bastards would have made thorough preparations to ensure that the two of them couldn¡¯t pull the same trick twice. It was impossible for the two of them to fight against an entire race on their own, especially when they were up against the Deviant Sovereign too. They were bound to need reinforcement, and it was going to be his agreed meeting time with Nora in two days¡¯ time. Prior to their separation, Nora had promised him to dispatch all of the reinforcement she could. As long as they could draw away a portion of the deviants¡¯ forces, he and Wilhelmina would be able to exploit the opportunity to break out of the deviants¡¯ encirclement. ¡°¡­Two more days, huh? Let¡¯s hope there¡¯ll be as many people as possible,¡± Roel muttered as he prayed that the reinforcementing in would be able to pull its own weight. He took another sip of wine before he closed his eyes and drifted off to dreand. As his body slowly healed in his sleep, a ck-haired woman in a distant fortress stared at an envelope on her office desk with a perplexed frown. ¡­ Chapter 591.2: Lilian’s Scheme (2)

Chapter 591.2: Lilian¡¯s Scheme (2)

In the Austine Empire¡¯s Noyce Fortress, Lilian Ackermann quietly stared at the envelope on her table with a frown. Her maid, Audrey, carefully prepared the dining table while keeping an eye on her liege¡¯s movements. It was alreadyte at night, but the fortress walls remained well-lit. It was another peaceful night for Noyce Fortress. ¡®Peace¡¯ was not a word one would have associated with Noyce Fortress, which was why Audrey felt particrly proud of her liege for having turned things around in this godforsaken ce. However, as a maid, she couldn¡¯t help noticing that her liege was having an awfullyte dinner. It had been hours since sunset, and even the sentries had had their dinner. Yet, the fortress¡¯s highestmander had not taken a bite. Audrey feltpelled to say something about it, but the document Lilian was reading seemed to be very important, havinge from the Theocracy. The Saint Mesit Theocracy had been a rival to the Austine Empire for a thousand years now. Even Audrey herself had once viewed them as her nemesis, but the events over the past year changed her mind. Aroundst year¡¯s New Year, the evil cultistsunched a surprise assault on the Ascart Fiefdom, rming all of humankind. On the one hand, it had been many years since the evil cultists had shown such astounding arrogance as to wage war against a high noble, particrly one from the Theocracy. On the other hand, the incident led to the disappearance of a crucial figure¡ªRoel Ascart. The disappearance of Roel Ascart was a huge cmity to Lilian Ackermann back then, for he was the father of her child. A year ago, Lilian was contemting going through her mentor, Chris, so as to evade the Austine Empire¡¯s surveince to inform Roel that she was bearing his child. Yet, before she could put her n into motion, she received news about his disappearance instead. To make things worse, she had been in the midst of a battle when the news reached her ears. The news was simply too much for her to bear, especially since she hadn¡¯t been in the best of conditions since her pregnancy began, such that she nearly fainted on the spot. Fortunately, she pulled herself together and held on till the end of the battle, but she still suffered a great mental toll, particrly when she learned that Roel had entered the Witness State. She was the only person other than Roel who understood how dangerous the Witness State was, which was why she fell into despair upon learning the news and became bedridden. The subsequent days were a nightmare for Audrey. She found herselfpletely helpless as she watched her liege¡¯s mind and body wither with each passing day. Eventually, a day came when she was forced to ry an inevitable piece of news to her liege after inspecting her body. ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯ll likely suffer a miscarriage at this rate.¡± That came as a huge shock to Lilian, who already saw herself as a mother. Her despairing heart jolted for the first time in a long while. She began proactively cooperating with treatments and even forced herself to chow down meat that very day. ¡°I have to bear this child no matter what it takes¡­ He is the only one I have left,¡± Lilian said with tearful eyes as she forced herself to consume nourishing food that usually nauseated her. At the same time, she was forced to reconsider her strategic stance. She couldn¡¯t be sure how the Ascart House would view her child now that Roel was no longer around, so she decided to conceal the matter from them and raise her child on her own. There was a crucial problem, however¡ªEmperor Lukas¡¯ stance. Emperor Lukas had always been guarded against the Ascarts, even going to the extent of disallowing Lilian from associating herself with Roel. Lilian was certain that Emperor Lukas would never acknowledge her child. Even if he showed mercy and spared her child, her child would still be deemed an illegitimate offspring. And illegitimate offspring were frowned upon in the Austine Empire, as evidenced by how Paul was treated. She couldn¡¯t allow her child, her final gift from Roel, to go through such suffering. Thus, she set her eyes on the highest throne of the Austine Empire, the seat currently upied by Lukas. That was the only way she could ensure her child could grow up healthily. For that, she needed to make preparations. She needed to recover her strength, grow stronger as a transcendent, and build up an army that was unconditionally loyal to her. To achieve these goals, Lilian forced herself to take in nourishment no matter how nauseated she was. She joined the battlefield to temper herself through intense battles with the deviants. As her aplishments piled up, the number of soldiers under hermand grew. After fighting a couple ofrger battles, she sessfully gained control of over a third of the Austine Empire¡¯s soldiers on the eastern border. In particr, her influence in Noyce Fortress was unshakable. Nearly all of the soldiers andmanders stationed here carried absolute loyalty to her after witnessing her valiance in battle. Even Emperor Lukas would struggle to slip his eyes into the fortress. As for her personal development, Lilian had long since reached the bottleneck of Origin Level 2 after undergoing so many battles with the deviants. She had yet to make a breakthrough to Origin Level 1 because she was worried for her child, but as long as she made up her mind to do so, she could immediately be a Race Sovereign capable of standing against Lukas. While building up her own strength and military, Lilian took great care to shift her diplomatic stance too. The greatest change of all was her attempts at reconciliations with the Theocracy¡ªor, more specifically, Nora and the others. As the imperial princess of the Austine Empire, there was no one in the world who knew better than her just how vast Emperor Lukas¡¯ influence was. If she wanted to overthrow him and be the next empress, she would most definitely require external help. Besides, she needed an escape n in case her coup d¡¯¨¦tat failed. She had to ensure the safety of her child at the very least. She was confident that Nora and Charlotte would protect her child, as her child carried Roel¡¯s bloodline. Simrly, the Knight Kingdom would also do everything at its disposal to ensure the survival of the Kingmaker Bloodline. Even if she were defeated in battle, her child would be able to safely grow up elsewhere. It was with such intentions that Lilian extended a helping hand to Nora and Charlotte multiple times when they were struggling against the deviants. Theirradeship against the deviants and empathy for each other¡¯s suffering allowed her to greatly improve their ties. Even Charlotte, despite her hatred toward the Austine Empire, no longer hurled malicious words at her. But amidst their interactions, an unexpected problem suddenly arrived at Lilian¡¯s desk one day, presented in the form of the letter she was holding. The letter had been signed by ¡®United Army General Nora Xeclyde¡¯, signaling that the letter was from the united army and not the Theocracy. The letter was requesting Lilian¡¯s cooperation on a military operation Nora might embark on very soon. Such a request wasn¡¯t out of ce considering the increasing threat the deviants were posing to humankind, but what perplexed her was Nora¡¯s choice of words. ¡°I¡¯d like to request your full forces for this military operation. Trust me when I say that this operation will bring about rewards far greater than you can imagine.¡± A request for an all-out reinforcement was not a joking matter in the united army, for it meant dispatching all avable soldiers, leaving behind only the bare minimum required to operate and protect the fortress. Lilian might have still considered it if it were for arge-scale battle, but such a possibility was off the table otherwise. The military force under her control was so huge that it was not a stretch at all to say that she was one of the most powerful people on the frontline. In the first ce, the Austine Empire boasted the greatest territory and poption among humankind, which tranted into them having the biggest army of all. Lilian¡¯s Noyce Fortress had one of the lowest casualty rates on the frontline ever since she took over the helm, making it one of the few fortresses that were gradually expanding their military force with the influx of new soldiers. Thus far, its manpower count already totaled a third of the Austine Empire¡¯s military force on the frontline. On top of that, the surviving soldiers of Noyce Fortress were steadily ruing experience and bing stronger. In terms of absolute prowess, Lilian¡¯s army was equivalent to half of the Austine Empire¡¯s military presence on the frontline. Unless Emperor Lukas was in grave danger, there was no way such a massive army could be carelessly mobilized in full. It definitely didn¡¯t help that the reason Nora offered was far-fetched. Nora wanted to conduct a military operation in Hawe Desert, a remote region that deviants, humans, and even demonic beasts avoided. Her im that there were huge rewards there was so ridiculous that it would make any veteran soldier roll their eyes in disbelief. Anyone could tell that Nora was being unreasonable, and there was no reason for Lilian to bother replying to the letter. Yet, thetter had been staring at the letter for hours now, even dying her dinner as a result. ¡°Your Highness, they are trampling over our goodwill by making such an insolent request.¡± Audrey finally offered her point of view after a lengthy silence. However, Lilian ignored her remark and continued staring at the letter with narrowed eyes. Chapter 592.1: The Miracle Child (1)

Chapter 592.1: The Miracle Child (1)

No one could refute that Lilian was a prodigy. Her talents went beyond just her transcendent abilities to other fields, such as painting, music, mathematics, literature, and so on. This equipped her with a vast spectrum of knowledge to interpret the world around her, which was why she would always try to switch her perspective whenever she encountered an iprehensible situation. Nora¡¯s letter, from a military perspective, was a farce. It was such an unreasonable request that one would think that she was ridiculing Lilian, which was why Audrey had viewed the request in contempt. However, Lilian thought that there was something amiss about it. Nora Xeclyde, the sessor to the Saint Mesit Theocracy, had never expressed strong aversion toward the Austine Empire. She was the type of person to see the bigger picture and prioritize humankind¡¯s benefits above her personal feelings, not to mention that their rtionship had been improving over the past year. It didn¡¯t make sense for Nora to send such a letter at this juncture to antagonize her. So, Lilian tried casting aside her initial prejudice upon seeing the letter to analyze Nora¡¯s intent, and she swiftly noticed many key details. ¡°Something is off about the letter.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Your Highness? Is this letter not from the Theocracy¡¯s princess?¡± ¡°No, this is indeed a handwritten letter from her. Her request for help should be sincere as well. It¡¯s just that¡­ she seems to be hinting something to me.¡± ¡°Hinting?¡± Audrey blinked in confusion. As straightforward as Nora¡¯s letter was, her tone was vastly different from those she had previously used in her official letters, which was rather jarring to note, as Lilian could tell that this was Nora¡¯s handwritten letter. After some consideration, Lilian could only think of one possibility. Nora must have intentionally altered her tone to tell her that there was more to the letter and that her goal was not just a simple military operation. It was just that she couldn¡¯t pen it down in the letter lest the news get out. Lilian could see where Nora wasing from, knowing that the Austine Empire was surveilling her. Her conflict with Emperor Lukas had only further intensified due to her recent maneuvers, but thetter couldn¡¯t do anything about her yet due to her influential position on the frontline. Her outstanding aplishments on the frontline made her an indispensable asset to the united army. Until the day the deviants were wiped out, Emperor Lukas wouldn¡¯t be able to touch her, at least not in the open. The natural consequence of their deteriorating ties was the Austine Empire¡¯s tightening surveince on her. . All letters delivered to Lilian had to go through the Austine Empire¡¯s channels before reaching Noyce Fortress. It was simply too easy for someone to tamper with the letters, such that Lilian could say with absolute confidence that she wasn¡¯t the first person to see its content. Nora, as the sessor of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, had to be aware of Lilian¡¯s conflict with Lukas, as well as the Austine Empire¡¯s surveince of her. It would make sense for Nora to use this roundabout manner to inform her that there was more to the situation than there seemed. Still, this was hardly enough intelligence for Lilian to act on. ¡°Is there any internal information about this military operation in the united army?¡± ¡°No, Your Highness. There is no information about this military operation at all.¡± ¡°Is this an intelligence mpdown? Is it targeted at the entire Austine Empire, or¡­¡± Lilian murmured with narrowed eyes, as she grew increasingly perplexed about the situation. Audrey also fell into deep thought. With humankind uniting on the same front to counter the deviants, it had be the norm for countries to share intel with one another. A military operation of the scale Nora was proposing would surely require prior reporting to the united army, but Lilian hadn¡¯t received any information beforehand. What is the Saint Mesit Theocracy nning? Lilian wondered. Audrey hesitated for a brief moment before voicing her thought, ¡°Your Highness, the empire has been tightening its surveince on us. We risk giving His Majesty a pretext to act against us if we recklessly dispatch our troops at this juncture. That¡¯ll impede our future ns.¡± ¡°¡­That might be so, but I have a feeling that there is something more to this situation.¡± ¡°Your Highness, do you mean to¡­¡± ¡°¡­Dispatch the 11th to 15th Knight Orders as reinforcement,¡± Lilian ordered. Audrey was stunned. The 11th to 15th Knight Orders were the core military force under Lilian¡¯smand. Each of these orders was made up of 20,000 knights, which added up to a total strength of 100,000 knights. Theyprised solely Noyce Fortress¡¯ veterans, the soldiers that had been with Lilian from the very start. They were her most loyal and strongest bunch of subordinates. While Lilian might not have dispatched her full army, her willingness to send her core military force showed her sincerity. Frankly speaking, Audrey thought that it was overboard to dispatch 100,000 elites for a single letter requesting help, but she held her tongue since her liege had already made up her mind. Besides, there was something more important she needed to attend to. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s about time for dinner.¡± ¡°¡­All right.¡± After having finally dealt with Nora¡¯s letter, Lilian nced at the scenery outside and saw that it was already nighttime. She rose from her office desk and headed over to the dining table, where Audrey had already neatlyid out the dishes. Eating had been a torture to Lilian over the past year due to her morning sickness, but for the safety of her child, she insisted on eating on time every day to nourish herself. While high transcendents could survive without food, the child in Lilian¡¯s stomach was still a mortal incapable of absorbing mana for sustenance, so it needed solid food for nourishment. This left Lilian with no choice but to make adjustments ordingly. Fortunately, Audrey and the chefs had finally found a way to circumvent her morning sickness after months of research. For instance, they began using redstone salt in their cooking, which removed most food stench. They also blended vegetables and fruits into juice and mellowed the taste with honey to make it more ptable. There was not a change in Lilian¡¯s expression as she gracefully consumed the food, though she would asionally nce at her womb with tender eyes. Audrey breathed a sigh of relief before asking Lilian about how she had been feeling recently. It was actually Lilian¡¯s order for her to say something during mealtimes to divert her attention elsewhere. Audrey initially struggled with it, but she gradually grew ustomed to it over time. Before she knew it, idle chatter had already be a staple during mealtimes. ¡°Your Highness, do you feel any difort? Please voice any issues so that I can take precautions.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel any¡­ No, there is something.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Audrey¡¯s eyes narrowed as she quickly gathered her focus to investigate the matter. On the other hand, Lilian looked a little conflicted, not knowing how she should describe the matter. ¡°It feels like I have been missing a part of my mana recently.¡± ¡°Missing a part of your mana? What do you mean?¡± ¡°My rate of mana depletion is higher than before. I¡¯m still figuring out the reason behind that,¡± Lilian replied with a confused expression. Audrey breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that it was not a huge issue. While Lilian was a powerful transcendent, her condition had been unstable in the recent year. An increased rate of mana depletion for her was nothing worthy of note. It could have been due to her deepening Degree of Assimtion, or because she was still healing from past battle wounds. In the Battle of Stanlos, a decisive battle between humankind and the deviantsst year that dictated the future trajectory of the war, Lilian had personally joined the frontline and had a brief sh with a sword-bearing deviant Race Sovereign nicknamed ¡®Swordghost¡¯. Swordghost was a formidable opponent, but faced with Lilian¡¯s endless stream of summoned Ancient Austine Empire soldiers, the Race Sovereign eventually decided to make its retreat. However, Lilian ended up sustaining some injuries on her arm in the battle. These injuries were nothing major, but they were imbued with bizarre mana that greatly slowed their rate of recovery. Audrey believed that was likely the reason behind Lilian¡¯s higher rate of mana depletion, so she wasn¡¯t too worried about it. Still, to be safe, she decided to go through the proper procedures. ¡°I see¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll check on it tomorrow. Please have a good rest tonight.¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯m almost done with today¡¯s work,¡± Lilian replied before putting down her cutlery, thus concluding the dinner. Audrey cleared the crockery and helped Lilian gargle before backing out of the room. Lilian would usually spend some time reading before turning in for the night¡ªthat had always been her bedtime hobby¡ªbut for some reason, she felt a little diposed tonight. Unable to take anything in, she closed her book and looked out of the window. Seeing that tonight¡¯s stars were exceptionally bright, she opened her balcony door to enjoy the night sky. ¡­ Chapter 592.2: The Miracle Child (2)

Chapter 592.2: The Miracle Child (2)

Noyce Fortress was exceptionally quiet at night. The strict military orderpelled the soldiers to practice self-discipline, which was how they became humankind¡¯s elites in the first ce. The soldiers standing on the distant fortress walls, lit by zing torches, had their eyes firmly focused on the vast prairie before them, not cking off in the slightest. The marching sounds of the patrols were unified as one, reminiscent of soldiers in a military parade. Lilian nodded in satisfaction at this sight before turning her attention toward the stars. A feeling of diposure was not something to be shrugged off for a high transcendent. Intuition, from a certain perspective, was a higher force than one¡¯s senses. Often, when a high transcendent felt unnerved, it was a sign that something huge was going to happen. It was not always on the mark, of course, but it rang true at least half of the time. That was why Lilian didn¡¯t shrug off her intuition and instead walked out of her room to investigate her surroundings. With a quick nce, she could tell that the fortress was operating as normal. The distant prairie looked peaceful as well, with no signs of an army invasion. It was highly unlikely that the fortress would face an attack tonight. What else could my diposure be about? Lilian pondered grimly before turning her sights to her own body. For a period of time now, she had felt like her mana would suddenly flow off without any reason. She had raised this matter with Audrey, though she neglected to mention that her mana didn¡¯t just disappear into thin air but was instead consumed by something else. She had never experienced such a situation before, and there were no records of this, either. Even so, she was certain that it wasn¡¯t just her imagination, and she had her guesses as to why this was happening, too. Lilian looked at the vast night sky with eyes brimming with worry. She subconsciously ced her hand on her womb while pondering this question. Her child had been her only reason to live on ever since that man¡¯s disappearance. To protect the crystallization of her love with that man, she was even willing to fight against the powerful Emperor Lukas against all odds. Yet, a problem was now presented before her eyes. The unborn little life in her womb didn¡¯t seem to be a normal being. Her guess was that the one who had been consuming her mana was her child, but such a thing was thought to be impossible by the Sia Continent¡¯smon sense. Fetuses developing in their mother¡¯s womb were incapable of absorbing mana for nourishment; that was the reason Lilian had to force herself to eat despite her terrible morning sickness every day. . All children, no matter how much innate potential they harnessed, were born ordinary mortals. That had always been the case, whether they were of the Xeclydes¡¯ Angel Bloodline or the Sorofyas¡¯ High Elf Bloodline, let alone humans like Lilian and Roel. Lilian had initially wondered if this was an exception caused by the Kingmaker Bloodline, but she quickly refuted that possibility. Past inheritors had to awaken to their Kingmaker Bloodline in order to reap its benefits, including Roel and Lilian. They, too, were born mortals. Of course, if she really wanted to find an exnation for it, she definitely could find a usible theory about it. While it was unheard of for human fetuses to absorb mana, it wasmonce for the ancient races, such as the Giants, the Dragons, and the Angels. Those of these ancient races started absorbing mana as fetuses and were naturally born as transcendents. This was also the reason they were much stronger than humankind. But considering that both Roel and Lilian were full-fledged humans, such a situation shouldn¡¯t be applicable to them. Is my intuition off the mark? Lilian let out a helpless sigh before turning around to return indoors. As she was about to enter her bedroom, she noticed a hint of faint light behind her in her peripheral vision. ¡°Who is it?!¡± She immediately turned around while simultaneously channeling her mana to summon a knight order ahead of her and a magician order in the sky to counter any aerial assaults. It took only a split instant for the wide balcony to be filled with soldiers. Yet, she froze up when she finally caught sight of the figure standing behind her. A glowing silhouette was standing at the edge of the balcony, where Lilian was standing earlier. It was a girl who looked to be around seven to eight years of age. Her eyes were tightly closed, and she had long, ck hair that drifted with the night breeze. Despite her young age, one could already tell that she would grow up into a beauty. Lilian was startled to see the girl, but she decisively made the call to attack a split momentter. She knew that it was especially against enemies who looked out of the norm that she mustn¡¯t let her guard down. It wasmon for assassins to transform into children to disarm their target. A sharp glint shed across Lilian¡¯s eyes as her knights began charging forth. It was also then that the girl standing at the edge of the balcony opened her eyes. Her golden eyes widened upon the sight of Lilian, and she reflexively murmured a single word, ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°!¡± Goosebumps rose all over Lilian¡¯s body, and the raised des of her knights froze in mid-air. The ck-haired, golden-eyed girl paid no heed to the knights¡¯ aggression; her eyes were solely focused on Lilian. Her body trembled in agitation, and tears trickled down her cheeks. ¡°It worked¡­ It really worked! N-no, now isn¡¯t the time to be saying that!¡± Lilian stared at the girl who shared Roel¡¯s eyes and hair color and subconsciously murmured doubtfully, ¡°You¡­¡± Before Lilian could finish her sentence, the girl suddenly eximed aloud, ¡°Mother, you have to save Father right now! You have to go out in full force in order to save Father, or else¡­¡± The girl was clearly trying to ry something to Lilian, but the light shrouding her body suddenly flickered, and her voice was abruptly cut off. Without any warning, her silhouette dissipated into thin air, as if what had just happened was a mere illusion. It was only at this point that Lilian finally snapped out of her daze. ¡°W-wait!¡± She stared at the area where the girl was previously standing before btedly rushing forward, but it was already toote. There was not a speck of light left behind. What was that?! I don¡¯t sense any spatial fluctuation at all, so could it be temporal instead? That means that girl might really be¡­ Lilian recalled how the girl addressed her, and she was engulfed by a profound feeling of loss. Then, she suddenly processed the words that the girl had left her with. She said ¡®save Father right now¡¯? If that child is real, that would mean that her father is¡­ A shudder ran through Lilian¡¯s body, as she quickly understood the implication of those words. Her lover, whom she had thought was dead, might just be alive! However, this brought about another question. She had absolutely no clue regarding Roel right now. What was she supposed to do in order to save him? ¡­Wait. She said that I had to ¡®go out in full force in order to save Father¡¯. ¡®Full force¡¯? Those words sounded so familiar that they left her with a strong feeling of incongruence. Then, something suddenly clicked in her mind. She turned to look at the room behind her before abruptly sprinting back inside. She picked up the letter on the table and stared at the words that had previously confounded her. I¡¯d like to request your full forces for this military operation. ¡°!¡± Slowly, her eyes lit up. Chapter 593.1: Silent Fortress (1)

Chapter 593.1: Silent Fortress (1)

Roel¡¯s Indestructible Body was an invaluable treasure the Mother Goddess had constructed for him in the ancient era. It was the reason he had survived the multiple attempts on his life thus far after returning from the Witness State. As long as he had a single breath left in him, he could slowly crawl out of the pits of death. That was also why he was able to save Wilhelmina even though he was on the verge of death too. Now that his heart was settled down, his body finally got a chance to take its much-needed rest. It was a dreamless sleep, and the enclosed stone chamber provided no temporal clues for his biological clock. When he finally woke up, the first thing he noticed was the soft cushioning under his head. Tark Stronghold¡¯s military bunker was constructed minimally. Its cold and hard stone floor was ufortable to lie on, especially when one was injured. Yet, the sensation pressing against Roel¡¯s head felt soft and warm, even carrying a tinge of fragrance. ¡­Fragrance? It was upon this realization that Roel jolted from his daze. He opened his eyes and was met with a slim waist and two semi-spheres that blocked the bulk of his vision. ¡°¡­¡± Her physique is truly¡­ Roel thought as he awkwardly averted his eyes. It was ap pillow, one provided by a straitced knight. This sharp contrast was an unexpected stimtion that brought a rush of blood into his head, clearing his grogginess. Roel rubbed his temples. His movements caught the resting knight¡¯s attention, as she abruptly opened her eyes and looked downward. She looked visibly relieved upon seeing that he had woken up. She gently stroked his cheeks and asked, ¡°You¡¯re finally awake, Roel. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I feel fine. My body is much lighter than before¡­¡± Roel said as he inspected his own body. His limbs no longer felt like they were pumped with lead. He had mostly recovered from the gashes on his back and left thigh, as well as his less major fractures. His more severe injuries were also healing up well. Of course, he was still in no condition to fight, but simple movements wouldn¡¯t pose any issue to him anymore. After confirming his own condition, he turned his attention to Wilhelmina. ¡°How are you feeling, Mina?¡± ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better thanks to your treatment. Thanks.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me,¡± Roel replied with a smile. He tried to get up so that Wilhelmina could rest better¡ªthe position for acting as ap pillow wasn¡¯t conducive to the recovery of injuries¡ªbut thetter pressed him back down. . ¡°It¡¯s fine. My thighs didn¡¯t sustain much injury. This is my way of expressing my gratitude.¡± ¡°No, what I mean is that¡­¡± You¡¯re hardly wearing anything at all! Aspensation for having ripped her clothes, Roel had given Wilhelmina his coat so that she could at least cover herself, but his clothes were hardly in a better condition than hers after the intense battle he had been through. The coat was barely covering her stomach, and there were even holes in the breast area. That, paired together with the perfect physique she had honed over many years, created an explosion of charm. Even Roel, in his anemic state, could feel his blood pressure rising. It was fortunate that Wilhelmina quickly distracted him with a change of topic. ¡°Roel¡­ did you grab those wine bottles from outside?¡± ¡°Mmhm. I went out looking for water after you fell asleep.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the bottles arebeled ¡®Product of Tark Stronghold¡¯ while I was drinking from them earlier. What does this mean?¡± Wilhelmina carefully asked, worried that it would agitate him. ¡°¡­¡± The disappearance of Tark Stronghold was a tragedy that the people from the Saint Mesit Theocracy were reluctant to talk about. Roel himself was even involved in the matter, having been the first one to witness its aftermath. However, Roel was much stronger than his countrymen, whose faith nearly copsed after the incident. He had been the first one to pull himself together and take action then, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t suddenly lose his nerves now either. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can take it, so you don¡¯t need to look at me like that.¡± ¡°Roel¡­¡± Roel spent a moment in thought before answering, ¡°It¡¯s as you have guessed. We¡¯re in Tark Stronghold, the infallible fortress devoured by Shrouding Fog two years ago.¡± ¡°It really is? But¡­ why?¡± Roel revealed his deduction. ¡°My ability probably shares the same space as Shrouding Fog. My Crown¡¯s Stones originate from the Six Cmities, after all.¡± Wilhelmina processed the influx of information before dropping the crucial question: ¡°I roughly understand what¡¯s going on, but, Roel, did you encounter anyone when you went out earlier?¡± ¡°¡­None at all. I didn¡¯t encounter anyone when I went out to grab the wine.¡± ¡°Just as I thought¡­¡± ¡°Just as you thought? Mina, did you explore the area too?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t, but I have been keeping a watch out for any movements in the vicinity. I couldn¡¯t sense any signs of human activities at all.¡± Wilhelmina didn¡¯t pick up on any footsteps or breathing sounds despite her extraordinarily sharp senses. The only things she heard were Roel¡¯s breathing and heartbeat. It dawned on her that there was something amiss with the ce they were in, and Roel¡¯s words verified her guess. Chapter 593.2: Silent Fortress (2)

Chapter 593.2: Silent Fortress (2)

Tark Stronghold was a mega stronghold the Saint Mesit Theocracy spent centuries constructing. It was a behemoth even on the eastern border, which had nock of huge fortresses. Anyone withmon sense would know that a fortress with over a hundred thousand frontline soldiers would require a huge logistics team to handle the supplies. In the Sia Continent, the usual ratio of frontline soldiers to logistical soldiers numbered 1:1, meaning that Tark Stronghold could actually house two hundred thousand people. A fortress that could house over two hundred thousand soldiers had to be humongous. If Roel had wandered aimlessly in the underground bunkers, it could easily take days before he finally got out. Thus, he made sure to cast an illumination spell and confirm the directions before heading off with Wilhelmina. He didn¡¯t bother invoking the Nine-headed Serpent Staff this time, as he knew there weren¡¯t any traps around, at least in the underground bunker. The better Roel and Wilhelmina¡¯s conditions were, the greater the likelihood of their catching Shrouding Fog¡¯s attention. Knowing that time was not on their side, the two of them made haste and quickly found the path to the surface. The two of them halted their footsteps at the bottom of a flight of stone stairs to take a brief rest. Roel whipped out his Nine-headed Serpent Staff, the ultimate self-regenerating meat shield, whereas Wilhelmina held her sword on standby, ready to deal with any threat in their way. The two of them scaled the stairs and found that the door leading to the surface wasn¡¯t locked. Roel stepped forward and carefully pushed the door open. The two of them stared intently at the expanding door crack with tense hearts, hoping that they might find hints of human activities behind the door. Their expectations fell t. The world behind the door was pitch-ck and silent. Other than the creaking door, there was not a sound to be heard. Roel and Wilhelmina exchanged nces before marching forward. Soon, the two of them arrived at an intersection. As military people themselves, they knew right away that they had arrived at a critical area. The military bunker was too cramped to bring long weapons in, and soldiers wouldn¡¯t wear their armor while resting, either. There had to be an armory and a canteen located near the bunker so that soldiers could quickly settle their needs and gather their equipment when they needed to be mobilized. Roel and Wilhelmina were standing at an intersection leading to those two ces, where they would likely find clues about what had happened to Tark Stronghold¡¯s missing personnel. Regardless of how panicked the personnel of Tark Stronghold were after being devoured by Shrouding Fog, there was one thing they would surely do¡ªsecure their rations and arm up. Food was a basic need for the soldiers, and the abrupt change in the environment would have surely prompted them to draw their arms. It was such military knowledge that guided Roel and Wilhelmina¡¯s search for clues. The former led the way with the Nine-headed Serpent Staff, while thetter vigntly scouted their back. The two of them first headed to the armory, only to find that it was locked. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel frowned. Reading its owner¡¯s thoughts, the Nine-headed Serpent opened its massive mouth and chomped off the locked armory gate, ripping off an entire half of it. ¡°¡­¡± Wilhelmina was startled by the unexpectedly violent lockpicking. Roel coughed twice to conceal his embarrassment. The two of them entered the armory, and much to their surprise, the armory was full to the brim. ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Roel eximed in disbelief as he gazed upon the rows of shelves packed with armor sets. He walked up to one of the shelves and lifted one of the armor sets out. He noticed words inscribed in small print on the breastte: ¡®Carmen Dugeon, 16, 438¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Roel, what do those inscriptions mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the owner¡¯s name, followed by their unit number and identification number.¡± ¡°Ah? Doesn¡¯t that mean that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, these are active armor sets, not spares,¡± Roel replied grimly. Wilhelmina fell silent. Soldiers were allocated their own armor sets tailored to their physique, which they would wear whenever they were mobilized. The fact that the armory was full to the brim with active armor sets meant that Tark Stronghold¡¯s soldiers weren¡¯t mobilized after they were devoured by Shrouding Fog. Roel¡¯s eyes flickered with doubt. He put down the armor and made his way over to the canteen, where he found that everything there had been maintained since the night of the incident. Even the food hadn¡¯t gone bad at all! ¡°Are these rations the type that can be stored for a long time?¡± Wilhelmina was surprisingly ignorant about the aspects of warfare aside from fighting itself. ¡°No, they aren¡¯t,¡± Roel replied, shaking his head. He made his way to the training square, but there was no one there either. The two of them proceeded to explore the other facilities of Tark Stronghold, but they couldn¡¯t find anyone. They were forced to conclude that none of the two hundred thousand personnel previously residing in this fortress was here. Roel and Wilhelmina stood by a window and gazed out at the scenery outside, which was cloaked by a thick white fog that didn¡¯t allow them to see far even with their enhanced sight. Neither of them knew what to say. Roel¡¯s n to find Tark Stronghold¡¯s survivors and rescue them had fallen t, though he dide to realize something. Even though the personnel of Tark Stronghold had gone missing, there was a chance they were alive. Time was somehow frozen in this space, as evidenced by how none of the food in the canteen had gone bad. This gave rise to some thoughts in Roel¡¯s mind. ¡°Let¡¯s head to themunication room. The magic tools should still be functioning.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I want to try establishingmunication with the outside world and have them track Shrouding Fog¡¯s current location in the real world,¡± Roel said as he made his way toward the higher floor of Tark Stronghold. Wilhelmina followed him closely to ensure his safety. After some searching, they finally found the emergencymunication room. Roel looked at the magic tool lying on the table and frowned. He cast a questioning nce at Wilhelmina, who stepped forward to examine the magic tool before nodding. ¡°This is a model used within the united army. I know how to use it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Roel heaved a sigh of relief. He was in the midst of thinking about the content of their message when Wilhelmina, who was fiddling with the magic tool at this point, suddenly froze up and nced at him. ¡°Roel, have you been here before?¡± ¡°Of course not; that¡¯s why I¡¯m exploring the fortress with you. What did you notice?¡± ¡°¡­Thest transmission from thismunication magic tool, if I¡¯m not mistaken, was to your house.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was stunned for a brief moment before his eyes slowly narrowed. Chapter 594.1: Again (1)

Chapter 594.1: Again (1)

Long-distancemunication was extremely expensive and unreliable in the Sia Continent, partly due to mana fluctuations in the surrounding environment. Medium-distancemunication was usible, but anything beyond that was so susceptible to disruptions that it would require an exponential increase in mana quantity and quality to properly function, which, in turn, imposed extremely high requirements on the magic tool. Long-distancemunication magic tools were highly prone to errors, but they still cost an exorbitant price of at least six digits¡¯ worth of gold coins. For that reason, they were used only by the high nobles of each country. Expensive, unstable, and riddled with ws¡ªlong-distancemunication magic tools were a huge hassle to deal with. However, the Ascarts, as a military house, understood the importance of timely intelligence in war. Victory and defeat were often determined by which side first received critical news to im the upper hand. That was why they squeezed out money, despite how poor they were, to generously invest in the research of long-rangemunication magic tools. Eventually, they became the second fiefdom in the Theocracy after the Xeclydes to possess long-rangemunication magic tools. As a matter of fact, Roel had made sure to establish long-rangemunication channels with Rose of Dawn¡¯s members stationed in other countries, though he had never tapped into those channels before due to how expensive they were to operate. Nevertheless, Wilhelmina, who had a secret crush on him, imprinted his contact in her mind. That was why she could immediately recognize the destination of thest transmission signal on the long-distancemunication magic tool. Roel was startled, but he wasn¡¯t too surprised after a moment of thought. At the time Tark Stronghold was devoured by Shrouding Fog, Nora was in the midst of awakening her Golden Bloodline and was wrestling with the Angel Sovereign for control over her body. While Nora had kept the matter from Roel so as not to worry him, Holy Eminence John noticed something was amiss and requested him to head to Tark Stronghold to help her. The Genesis Goddess Church might have tried to get into contact with him then, resulting in the transmission. ¡°Was thest transmission to the Ascart House? That might be a coincidence.¡± ¡°A coincidence?¡± ¡°Mmhm. Uncle Kane¡ªI mean ¡®Nora¡¯s father¡¯¡ªmight have tried to contact me during that period of time, so¡­¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible,¡± Wilhelmina sharply refuted his exnation. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was taken aback. Wilhelmina fell silent for a brief moment before solemnly exining the matter, ¡°Roel, you might be unaware of it since you were in the Witness State in the past year, but a new model of themunication magic tool was distributed by the united army after you disappeared.¡± ¡°After¡­ I disappeared?¡± ¡°Since the Fallens¡¯ assault on Ascart City, the united army¡¯s upper echelons suspected that the evil cultists have been tapping ourmunication magic tools, so they worked with Brolne to develop and distribute newmunication magic tools. This mana pulsation corresponds to Set 001, which Principal Antonio gifted to your house.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the transmission is unlikely to have been sent by one of Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel, and it was done within the past year,¡± Wilhelmina grimly said. Roel¡¯s body stiffened up. A secondter, his eyes suddenly widened as realization struck him. Wilhelmina¡¯s words echoed endlessly in his mind as he stepped forward and stared at thest record on themunication magic tool. Supposing what Wilhelmina said was true, it would mean that someone had entered this dimension shortly after Roel went into the Witness State and attempted to contact the Ascart House. If so, who could that person be? The first possibility that came to Roel¡¯s mind was the Mother Goddess, the creator of the Six Cmities. Right before he returned from the Witness State, the Mother Goddess had a brief moment of confusion where Her memories were mixed with those from the real world. That might have affected the real world¡¯s Mother Goddess, thus giving her the motive to contact him. However, Roel quickly refuted that possibility. In the first ce, there was no need for the Mother Goddess to resort to suchmunication magic tools if She truly wanted to contact him. After eliminating this possibility, there was only one other person whom he could think of. ¡°Alicia¡­¡± Roel¡¯s eyes slowly narrowed as he thought about the missing silver-haired girl, and Wilhelmina also grimly nodded in agreement. Alicia¡¯s disappearance was a mystery to the world, but there were some clues that could be gathered from the circumstances of her disappearance. For instance, she had disappeared in the area where Roel had entered the Witness State, where Shrouding Fog was likely lurking. On top of that, Alicia was likely to be familiar with operatingmunication magic tools, given how she had been managing the Ascarts¡¯ intelligencework. It would have been reasonable for her to attempt to reach out to the outside world if she had been transported here. The only remaining question was how Alicia was able to freely maneuver in this space when the others had vanished. Roel and Wilhelmina were exceptions because they hade in here through Roel¡¯s ability, and they had been too weak to catch Shrouding Fog¡¯s attention thus far. The same couldn¡¯t be said about Alicia. Regarding this matter, Roel had his guess¡ªthe ck Moon. The ck Moon was the Mother Goddess¡¯ authority. If Alicia was the sentient manifestation of the ck Moon, it was not imusible for her to be allowed to wander freely in here. The thought of that drove Roel¡¯s emotions over the edge. He quickly turned around to look for Alicia¡¯s trail, only for Wilhelmina to grab his arm and stop him. ¡°Hold on, Roel! Calm down. We have already looked around. She isn¡¯t here.¡± ¡°There are many ces we haven¡¯t checked yet!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t conceal our aura. Miss Alicia would have noticed us if she was here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Those words doused Roel¡¯s agitation like a pail of cold water. He backed into the wall and took several deep breaths before pondering the matter. Wilhelmina was right. Given Roel¡¯s understanding of Alicia¡¯s capabilities, she would have noticed them as soon as they entered this space. They wouldn¡¯t have struggled with treatment and looking for water at all. Besides, it was just conjecture on his part that she was the one who operated the magic tool; he had no concrete proof of the matter. So, he put down his hand and sighed. ¡°My apologies. I got ahead of myself.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m worried about Miss Alicia too.¡± ¡°In the first ce, we can¡¯t be sure whether Alicia has been here or not.¡± ¡°No, I believe that Alicia has been here,¡± Wilhelmina replied affirmatively. Shocked to hear those words, Roel quickly enquired into the reason behind Wilhelmina¡¯s im. Thetter lowered her head and reached for the magic tool in front of her. ¡°Here¡¯s the reason.¡± Wilhelmina raised her hand, revealing a strand of lustrous, silver hair between her fingers. ¡­ Chapter 594.2: Again (2)

Chapter 594.2: Again (2)

Humans of the Sia Continent had a diverse range of hair colors due to their varied bloodlines and mana mutation arising from transcendence. Even so, it was still rare to spot a person with silver hair in the Theocracy. In themunication room, Roel quietly stared at the strand of silver hair sitting on his hand. Putting together what he had gathered, while he was unable to verify it, he was quite certain that the silver hair belonged to Alicia. Alicia was the only one who could have gotten into this ce over the past year and made an attempt to contact the Ascart Fiefdom. It could be a biased conclusion too, since he was praying hard that this silver hair belonged to Alicia, for it was his only clue on her right now. Investigation into Alicia¡¯s disappearance had been inconclusive thus far. If she had really been here, it would at least mean that she was safe up to this point, though it didn¡¯t change the fact that her whereabouts were still currently unknown. Roel looked at the hair strand in his hand without saying a word. Wilhelmina activated themunication magic tool and sent out an emergency transmission to all powers, including the Austine Empire. Humankind was united as one against the Six Cmities, so there was no need to withhold information from anyone. Besides, the fact that the Ascart House hadn¡¯t received the transmission Alicia sent out from here signified two possibilities. One: they were in an isted space that disallowed the transmission of mana to the real world. Two: Shrouding Fog was located too far away from the Ascart Fiefdom for the transmission to be reliably received. To circumvent this issue, Wilhelmina spread the web out wide in hopes that at least one party was close enough to receive their transmission. ¡°The emergency call channels are out of range, so I sent a long-distance transmission instead. That has a much longer range, though I can¡¯t say for sure whether anyone will receive it.¡± ¡°¡­Mm,¡± Roel replied with a nod before staring at the silver hair strand once more. Seconds ticked by in the silent room. Wilhelmina looked at Roel in a dilemma. She understood how he felt, but she couldn¡¯t find the right words to console him. Communication simply wasn¡¯t her forte, since she had devoted all her time to honing her sword instead of socializing. What should I say in such a situation? Should I give him a hug? Before Wilhelmina could make up her mind, Roel suddenly spoke up. ¡°Mina, do you think that the disappeared personnel are still alive?¡± ¡°Ah? Well¡­¡± Wilhelmina was taken aback. She averted her eyes and pondered for a moment before answering, ¡°I think there¡¯s a chance they might still be alive¡­¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°But Roel, from the looks of it, I don¡¯t think that Miss Alicia will be among them, so¡­¡± Wilhelmina spoke with a concerned expression. Roel was momentarily surprised before he replied with a helpless smile, ¡°I know that, Mina. You seem to be misunderstanding my intention. I am indeed worried about Alicia, but there¡¯s nothing I can do without any other clues. Besides¡­ she might be in a better situation than we expected.¡± ¡°Better situation?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Shrouding Fog would hurt Alicia. She was allowed to freely explore this space, after all. Rather than blindly worrying about her, I should focus on what¡¯s ahead of me and do what I must¡­ For instance, I should ensure that I escape from here together with the buffoon who charged into the deviants¡¯ encirclement for my sake.¡± ¡°!¡± Looking at Roel¡¯s earnest expression, her cheeks slowly reddened. She tried to justify her own actions by saying, ¡°I-I properly considered things through before¡­¡± ¡°All right, all right. I know.¡± ¡°You¡­ Forget it! What¡¯s your current goal if you aren¡¯t nning on looking for Miss Alicia?¡± ¡°¡­If the missing personnel of Tark Stronghold are still alive, I want to save them,¡± Roel replied. Wilhelmina wasn¡¯t surprised to hear his answer. ¡°Silver Devourer is linked to Shrouding Fog¡¯s space, but there¡¯s a chance Shrouding Fog may seal off this ce once it notices our existence here¡­¡± Roel exined with narrowed eyes. Wilhelmina¡¯s expression turned grim. It was only a matter of time before Shrouding Fog noticed Roel and Wilhelmina¡¯s presence here. Once it did, it would prohibit them from entering this space again, or at least transport them elsewhere, far away from Tark Stronghold. ¡°I see. This might be our only chance to ess Tark Stronghold.¡± ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s why I want to resolve this issue right now. Aside from that, we are also in dire need of help.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± Wilhelmina nodded with a heavy heart as she recalled the hordes of enemies awaiting them in the desert. The deviants had gathered a far greater force than she had expected in Hawe Desert, be it the Deviant Sovereign, the three Race Sovereigns, or the thousands of deviant elites. On the bright side, they could expect reinforcements from the united army, led by Roel¡¯s old friends. Over the past year, Nora and Charlotte had gradually grasped authority over their respective countries. Other Rose of Dawn members had also joined the military and were showing their sharp edges through the intense fights. Roel¡¯s right-hand man in the Saint Freya Academy, Geralt, Selina of the Saint Beast Bloodline, Juliana of the Blood n, Kurt of the Giant Bloodline, Brittany the Valkyrie, and the others from the golden generation had already reached Origin Level 3. They were the brightest stars in the united army, rising to take onmander roles within a matter of months. In particr, Stuart had made several huge contributions to the united army through his ability and had been promoted to the frontline chief of intelligence. Teresa had reversed the tides with her Hextongue so many times that she was now one of the most respected figures in Knight Kingdom Pendor, second only to King Friedrich and Wilhelmina. Chapter 595.1: Nora’s Desire (1)

Chapter 595.1: Nora¡¯s Desire (1)

Spatial spells had always been one of the research goals of the Sia Continent¡¯s magicians, but there had been little progress on that front despite generations of effort over many centuries. It was not due to ack of talent, but because the spatialws of the Sia Continent were unshakeable. Those who attempted to challenge them oftennded themselves in pitiful states. That was also why Wilhelmina was horrified when she heard Roel¡¯s words. ¡°Wait a moment, Roel. Are you really going to do that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only thing we can do now.¡± ¡°But¡­ that¡¯s too dangerous! There¡¯s no evidence that¡¯ll work at all!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel didn¡¯t answer Wilhelmina¡¯s concerns, but his determination didn¡¯t waver in the least. He had no evidence to prove his theory, but as someone whose soul had once contained the Six Cmities, as well as an inheritor of the Crown¡¯s Stones, his intuition was telling him that the space here was not one-dimensional butyered, and this world of stopped time was only the firstyer. He could vaguely sense something hidden in a deeper spatial fold, and he suspected that it was Tark Stronghold¡¯s missing personnel. Slowly, he clenched his fists as he hardened his will. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina continued to rack her brain for an alternative solution. ¡°Roel, are you aware that I¡¯m able to morph into a dragon through my bloodline?¡± ¡°Yes; you did that during our final battle in the Challenger Cup.¡± ¡°What if I morph into a dragon as soon as we leave this ce and escape by air? How feasible do you think that strategy is?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll work if we are up against normal deviant soldiers, but one of their Race Sovereigns is capable of flight.¡± ¡°But we will have reinforcementsing in too. As long as our Origin Level 1 transcendents manage to stall it, we should have a decent chance at escaping.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel spent a moment to ponder the feasibility of Wilhelmina¡¯s n before eventually shaking his head, saying, ¡°There¡¯s still the Deviant Sovereign. We can¡¯t turn a blind eye to his existence. He won¡¯t allow us to leave just like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s face turned grim. She vividly remembered how she had instantaneously lost half of her heart and nearly died. To make things worse, even though they had crossed blows several times, they had gathered hardly any information about the Deviant Sovereign. So far, they had only uncovered its ability to bypass its enemy¡¯s defense and destroy their heart, but as a being that had been around for countless years, it was bound to have more means than that. At the very least, Roel didn¡¯t think that it had revealed its trump card yet. In contrast, both Roel and Wilhelmina had already revealed all of their means in the previous battle. This meant that their enemies could prepare countermeasures to deal with them, thus greatly discounting their effectiveness. Given their current circumstances, their odds of besting the Deviant Sovereign were so low that it wasn¡¯t worth the risk. That was why Roel insisted on saving Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel. Besides, Tark Stronghold¡¯s hundred thousand elites were extremely important to humankind too. So far, humankind had been evenly matched with the deviants, resulting in a stalemate, but the appearance of the Deviant Sovereign had tilted the bnce in favor of the deviants. Humankind was currently at a disadvantage, so they needed something to even the scales once more. On top of that, an elder, whom Roel had known from a young age and was the father of his lover, had disappeared together with Tark Stronghold. As long as there was a sliver of hope, he was determined to do everything he could to save him. These factors fueled Roel¡¯s determination to venture deeper into Shrouding Fog¡¯s dimension. Just by looking at his expression, Wilhelmina knew that it was impossible to dissuade him and let out a helpless sigh. Even so, she still gave him a reminder. ¡°I shan¡¯t stop you if you have already made up your mind. It¡¯s meaningless to stop a soldier who¡¯s determined to brave the battlefield. However, you have to know that I won¡¯t be able to return to the real world if something happens to you. The two of us are the stakes in this bet.¡± ¡°Mina¡­¡± Roel¡¯s resolute eyes shook upon hearing Wilhelmina¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯m not saying this to shake your fighting will. Saving Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel is a great act of valor. I believe that it¡¯s the right thing to do regardless of whether you seed or fail.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°What I want you to know is that I¡¯m in this together with you.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes slowly widened. Wilhelmina chuckled at his response. She walked over and gently grabbed his hand. Staring into his eyes, she told him, ¡°We might not be physically together, but our fates are tied together. So that we can survive this ordeal together, please give it your all.¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Roel nodded as he opened his arms wide and embraced her. The two of them closed their eyes and felt each other¡¯s heartbeat. It was a long time before their arms slowly loosened. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°Have a safe journey.¡± After a sentimental farewell, Roel released his arms and took a step back. He channeled his mana into his Crown¡¯s Stone, releasing a brilliant glow. White fog manifested out of nowhere and instantaneously shrouded his body. ¡­ Meanwhile, at the human military encampment constructed along the outer perimeter of Hawe Desert, a briefing about an uing major operation was being held in one of the tents. Two packed rows of seats lined a long table. What was unusual about this briefing was that the majority of the militarymanders gathered here were neither middle-aged veterans nor white-haired generals, but youths. It wasn¡¯t news that the average age of militarymanders had been falling. As a matter of fact, the average age of military personnel in the united army had been steadily reducing as the war continued on. This was an inevitable result of the savagery of war. As a result of the major battlesst year, many of the older generals, especially those on the frontlines, had either lost their lives or been forced to take a back seat to recuperate from their injuries. Even renowned veterans like Holy Eminence John and Carter Ascart were no exception to the rule. The casualties humankind had suffered in the war couldn¡¯t be understated. Such circumstances forced the younger generation to prematurely join the battlefield and shoulder the weight borne by the older generation thus far. Through cruel natural selection on the battlefield, they grew at an astonishing pace. And the ones gathered in this briefing today were the top-notch talents among them. At the frontmost seat of the long table was a man with an extraordinarilyrge body, and seated directly opposite him was a cold-faced, golden-haired woman d in armor. Both of them were Roel¡¯s oldrades¡ªKurt Gustav and Brittany Lunde. They were taking charge of this meeting in ordance with the current rules in the united army. Now that humankind was under the imminent threat of being overrun by deviants, the united army had restructured its chain ofmand, such that decision-makers in military meetings were no longer chosen by seniority, but military aplishments and kill count. In other words, those who slew more deviants and brought humankind further away from danger had a greater say when it came to important decisions. The one boasting the highest kill count in this meeting room was ¡®Giant¡¯ Kurt, whose vanguard battalion had eliminated an astounding 30,000 deviants. In second ce was ¡®Valkyrie¡¯ Brittany, who also led a vanguard battalion and had rued more than 24,000 kills. It wasn¡¯t surprising that this was the case. The Giant Bloodline and the Valkyrie Bloodline were advantaged in warfare, and vanguard battalionsprised elites tasked with the responsibility of breaking the enemy¡¯s formation. Given their prowess and positions, it was not surprising that they imed the two highest ranks. However, neither of them was the same person they used to be. Kurt had be much moreposed and dignified, whereas Brittany was no longer the naive young miss who struck deals with Roel in order to get to Geralt, only toe under hismand in the end. War had forced them to mature from the youthful innocence of their academy years. Kurt had a ring scar racing from his neck to his cheek. Brittany was wearing an eye patch. Both of them had sustained severe wounds over the course of their duties, though there was nothing toin about considering that the vanguard battalions typically suffered more than 60% casualties in each battle. Trailing behind the two of them was ¡®Ferocious Beast¡¯ Selina, a rising star whose mountain battalion had reached a kill count of 20,000. Following that was ¡®Queen of Night¡¯ Juliana, whose night assault battalion strategically struck at crucial phases of the battle to obstruct the deviants and had raked up a total of 18,000 kills. Neither Selina nor Juliana had sustained overly severe external injuries, unlike Kurt and Brittany, but the two of them gave off a cold and solemn aura. The frontmost four seats of the long table had been monopolized by the youths of the golden generation, who had built their name back in their student days. In fact, half of those in the subsequent ten seats were familiar faces from Saint Freya Academy. Some were even from Roel¡¯s Bluerose Faction. ¡°What a lineup. Those who didn¡¯t know better might have thought we were holding a graduation ceremony,¡± Stuart remarked, despite having his eyes wrapped in ck cloth, as he looked at the young militarymanders gathered in this room. ¡°Indeed, but how can we hold a graduation ceremony without our chiefs, be it our past one or our current one?¡± Geralt replied with a nod. Stuart, through his multitude of functional abilities, had so greatly contributed to the war effort that he was appointed the head of the united army¡¯s intelligence department. Geralt, who used to be the vice-chief for the Bluerose Faction, had be an advisor at the united army¡¯s war strategy department. Despite having risen to positions of power in the united army, the two of them didn¡¯t put on airs when they chatted with each other. They appeared to be the same as before. ¡°Our chief is going to be the witness for our marriage. We have to save him by hook or by crook,¡± Geralt said, ncing at Brittany. ¡°Now that I think about it, our chief did try to matchmake the two of you, though I have to say that I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯re already going to get married. You were so resistant to it back then.¡± ¡°How should I put it¡­ Many things happened along the way,¡± Geralt said with a wistful voice as his eyes remained fixated on Brittany. Stuart sensed that it was a heavy story and opted not to probe any further. He turned to the others in the room, who had been speaking to one another in whispers, and asked, ¡°Are these all of the militarymanders participating in the operation?¡± ¡°Yes. Excluding those from the Austine Empire, those who ought to be here are already here.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Our current strength numbers around 200,000, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, but those seated here are indebted to our chief. You can be certain they¡¯ll give it their all for the operation,¡± Geralt replied with a heavy voice as he stared at the ring number written on the intelligence report. 300,000¡ªthis was the strength of the deviants prowling in Hawe Desert, ording to the intelligence provided by Stuart¡¯s department. This was far greater than their strength of 200,000, and Geralt knew that the gap would only continue to widen with time. It had been a week since the deviants scattered across Tark Prairie began marching toward Hawe Desert, and many deviants were joining their forces every single day. ¡°I took a brief look beforeing here. Their strength increases by almost 10,000 every day,¡± Stuart reported thetest development. ¡°¡­I see. It looks like it¡¯d be an extremely difficult fight,¡± Geralt replied with a heavy sigh. None of those in this meeting room could shrug off the fact that they had lost in terms of both existing military strength and reinforcements. Since the outbreak of the war, the united army had always strived to only take battles where they had numerical superiority. Unless cornered, they would never take a disadvantageous fight, as the deviants had the advantage over humans in terms of individual strength. Although the ones seated here were elites of the united army¡ªin particr, the battalions led by Kurt and the others were renowned aces¡ªa gap of 100,000 troops was too big to bridge. This wasn¡¯t enough to shake the fighting will of those in the room, though it did weigh down the atmosphere before the briefing. Severe looks could be seen on the faces around. ¡°Are there any updates from the Austine Empire?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t receive any news, but those two in there should know more.¡± Geralt nced at the tent behind the meeting room. Stuart did the same. The two of them then exchanged nces, as they prayed that the two women leading the operation could bring them some good news. ¡­ Chapter 595.2: Nora’s Desire (2)

Chapter 595.2: Nora¡¯s Desire (2)

Meanwhile, inside the tent, the two renowned women were having a heated argument with each other over their military prowess. Shortly after they reached Origin Level 2, Charlotte Sorofya and Nora Xeclyde inherited the highestmanding right over their respective countries¡¯ armies one after another. Yet, the troops they could deploy in this desperate situation still fell short of what they needed. The Saint Mesit Theocracy had shouldered the bulk of the burden in protecting humankind from a catastrophic invasion led by all four of the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns. The wretched battle had inflicted heavy losses on the Theocracy¡¯s armies, and Holy Eminence John even suffered severe injuries as a result. In return, they did manage to take down one of the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns, so the sacrifices hadn¡¯t been in vain. Rosa, on the other hand, specialized in defensive warfare. Its popce was nowhere close to being on par with major countries like the Theocracy, and it was the one taking charge of the united army¡¯s logistics operations. After having been put through several battles, it was also suffering from ack of military manpower. ¡°I already told you that it doesn¡¯t matter at this point whether the Austine Empire learns about our ns! How do you n to breach an encirclement of 300,000 deviants without their help?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I wrote a letter to request their help¡­¡± ¡°Who, for the love of Sia, would understand that kind of cryptic letter?! That woman would have done everything to help us if you had told her the truth!¡± The infuriated Charlotte grabbed Nora by her shirt and roared at her, as her body trembled ever so slightly. ¡°¡­¡± Nora fell silent after hearing her words. The Arbiter was a powerful ability Charlotte inherited from her Primordial High Elf Bloodline, boasting the power to allow one to see through the intricate weavings of fate. The only caveat was that the uracy of the reading waspromised by a multitude of factors. Due to the increasing number of stakeholders, the imminent arrival of the execution date, as well as her own attempts at interfering with fate, Charlotte¡¯s reading on the operation had be so inurate that it was almost as good as useless. This meant that her most urate reading from the Arbiter was still the one she had made right after receiving news about Roel¡¯s current plight. And that reading had informed her that they would face ack of manpower and would require Lilian¡¯s help. Charlotte couldn¡¯t have imagined that Nora would undermine the divination she had paid a heavy price to uncover, such that they eventually stillnded themselves in a position where they suffered ack of manpower. This greatlypromised their chances of sess. The thought that she could lose her lover a second time over this filled her with so much fear and rage that she could hardly keep her emotions in check. She grabbed Nora¡¯s cors and red at her with zing emerald eyes, but thetter wasn¡¯t reacting at all. ¡°You should know better than anyone else how important this operation is! What are you thinking?! If this operation fails, I-I¡­¡± ¡°¡­Calm down, Charlotte.¡± ¡°How do you expect me to calm down?! Why did you ignore my divination?!¡± Even Nora, despite her best attempt at remainingposed, was shaken up by Charlotte¡¯s tearful eyes and her intense outburst of emotions. She took a moment to properlypose her words before offering an exnation on her side. ¡°The Austine Empire is untrustworthy.¡± ¡°Untrustworthy? Are you joking with me now? The enemy we¡¯re dealing with right now is the deviants! Humankind is already on the brink of destruction; which human country will sabotage us? Is your Theocracy thinking about engaging in internal conflict even at this point?¡± ¡°Of course not! The crisis we¡¯re facing has forced all human countries to stand together and trust one another, and that¡¯s what I thought at the very start too¡­ But don¡¯t you think that there¡¯s something weird about Emperor Lukas¡¯ attitude toward Roel?¡± ¡°Are you talking about Emperor Lukas¡¯ hostility toward the Ascarts? Does that matter now? Regardless of his feelings toward the Ascart House, with humankind¡¯s survival at stake here, he has no choice but to¡­¡± ¡°¡­What if Emperor Lukas is an evil cultist?¡± ¡°!¡± . Charlotte was momentarily dumbstruck by those words, but she quickly snapped out of it and shook her head. ¡°I-impossible! What are you saying? How could Emperor Lukas be an evil cultist? There¡¯s no reason for him to join them!¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t seem to make sense. I¡¯ll concede that we don¡¯t have concrete evidence either¡­ but don¡¯t you think it¡¯s weird?¡± ¡°What¡¯s weird?¡± ¡°In the previous all-out battle, the Austine troops directly under Lukas¡¯mand suffered practically no losses at all. He, despite being an Origin Level 1 Race Sovereign, wasn¡¯t attacked by the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte fell silent. She wanted to refute Nora¡¯s conjecture¡ªthe implications were simply too frightening¡ªbut her logical mind prevented her from doing so. It wasn¡¯t just Nora who harbored doubts about that. There were many sharp-eyed people, including Charlotte, who found the matter weird too. The Battle of Stanlos was a crucial fight where the two races fought desperately to determine their fates. The Race Sovereigns from both sides had joined the battle one after another, but for some reason, Lukas and his troops were hardly attacked by the deviants at all. All of humankind¡¯s Race Sovereigns were priority targets for the deviants, to the point that they were forced to move around discreetly to avoid being ambushed. Yet, Emperor Lukas was able to walk the frontlines with hardly any impediment. Admittedly, humankind had one more Race Sovereign than the deviants, so it was theoretically possible that Lukas was overlooked because the deviants didn¡¯t have the means to deal with him yet. But everyone who joined the battle knew that the deviants couldn¡¯t be so dumb as to leave an Origin Level 1 transcendent to his own devices¡­ unless he wasn¡¯t an enemy at all. ¡°Ever since Roel¡¯s disappearance, both the Genesis Goddess Church and Brolne have been keeping a close eye on Lukas.¡± ¡°What? You have been suspecting him even from back then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s apparent to us now that the Savior¡¯s worshipers were causing a diversion to lure Principal Antonio and the others away, but if you think deeper into it, there¡¯s a necessary condition for that to happen: the Austine Empire would have to turn a blind eye to their activities in their territory,¡± Nora said grimly. ¡°!¡± Charlotte widened her eyes. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right. If the Austine Empire had intervened ahead of time, Principal Antonio and his investigation team wouldn¡¯t have had the chance to step in at all.¡± ¡°Indeed. We already knew that the Collector was a dangerous figure by then. Do you think Emperor Lukas, with his obsessive desire to control everything, would turn a blind eye to the Fallens establishing a base of operations on hisnds? That¡¯s too out of character.¡± Nora solemnly looked at Charlotte before continuing on, ¡°Charlotte, I trust the uracy of your divination, but there are simply too many things that are off about Emperor Lukas. I¡¯m certain that he has ties with the evil cults even if he isn¡¯t an evil cultist himself. That¡¯s also my rationale for not informing the Austine Empire about this operation in advance.¡± ¡°¡­Fine. I understand where you¡¯reing from, but how do you intend to bridge the gap in our military prowess?¡± Charlotte relented with a nod, releasing Nora¡¯s shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll concede that you¡¯re justified in not informing the Austine Empire about our operation, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re facing a critical problem. Your considerations are for naught if our operation fails because of them.¡± Nora nced at the letter sitting on the table behind her, as her sapphire eyes slowly hardened in determination. ¡°The Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s heretic army is on its way. As for the Austine Empire, I¡¯ll have them distract the deviants from the sidelines after the battle starts. All that¡¯s left is to trust her¡­ We just need another 100,000 people from her¡­¡± Nora said with tightly clenched fists. Charlotte fell silent as well. Little did they know that their expectations were going to be wildly shattered, but in a good way. From the west of Hawe Desert, a huge army was swiftly marching through Tark Prairie with their gs held high. Chapter 596.1: Are You Still Around? (1)

Chapter 596.1: Are You Still Around? (1)

Roel Ascart had gained a deeper understanding of the Crown¡¯s Stones, one of his core powers, in the most recent Witness State, when his soul was fused together with the ancient cmities. That was the reason he intuitively sensed the presence of folded space in Tark Stronghold. Tark Stronghold appeared imprable on the surface, but in terms of spatial resilience, it was much frailer now than it was in the real world after being devoured into this space. And the area Roel was intending to head to would be even frailer than this. If there was anything spatial magicians had uncovered over their centuries of research, it was thatyers of space became increasingly unstable when stacked upon each other. This was simr to how the foundation of a building was the strongest, and it slowly became increasingly unstable the higher up one went. Anyone who carelessly stepped into a space too frail to carry their weight would be forever lost in the crevices of the void. There had been cases of spatial schrs dying in that manner in the midst of their research, which was why Wilhelmina was particrly worried about him. In truth, Roel had prepared a hand regarding that. As the white fog enveloped his body, his senses abruptly nked out as if he had passed out, but he could still keenly sense Wilhelmina¡¯s presence, albeit in a different dimension. The two of them were linked by the heart beating energetically in her chest. Wilhelmina might have ovee the rejection effect, but that didn¡¯t mean she hadpletely assimted Roel¡¯s heart yet. Rather, the heart had be his return coordinates. As long as she was around, he would be able to find his way back home. Thisyer of guarantee calmed Roel¡¯s nerves. With the white fog enveloping him, he began to descend. It was a disorientating sensation, but having experienced numerous spatial spells in recent days, he was already starting to be ustomed to it. In fact, he had even made preparations for all kinds of situations. From his past experience, he knew that it would be nigh impossible for him to predict thending point of the spatial transference. He was lucky that he had been transported to Tark Stronghold¡¯s basement the previous time, a rtively safe ce. There was no guarantee that it would be the same this time around. So, he tightly held two magic tools and grimly prepared himself for battle while feeling a distant heartbeat thumping at the same frequency as his own. When the darkness finally receded, he realized that his earlier tension had been unnecessary. He was no longer in Tark Stronghold but in a solemn, graceful pce decorated with all kinds of ornaments. This silver pce full of gleaming gemstones was gorgeous in every sense of the word, but Roel was astonished instead of awestruck. This was a ce filled with memories for him, as he had once resided and fought here. This was one of the three divine temples worshiping Sia, the Moonsoul Tower. ¡­ To Roel Ascart, his time at the Moonsoul Tower felt like a dream. He was always putting his life on the line to save others in the Witness State, though he would also receive rewards from the System in ordance with what he had achieved. In the previous Witness State, he had identified his goal to be correcting his ancestor¡¯s regrets, but in the Moonsoul Tower, the heart of his greatest enemy¡¯s base, he somehow reunited and connected with Her, earning Her affection while filling up the gap in his heart. ¡®Mother¡¯ had been a foreign word to the young Roel Ascart. His mother had passed away shortly after his birth, and Carter was busy with his military duties. Due to that, Roel spent most of his childhood with his servants, deprived of parental love. Parental love might not seem to be of great import to adults, but it was much more pivotal to a child¡¯s healthy development than most people expected. Both paternal and maternal love were important for a child¡¯s mental well-being. Roel had been running down the wrong track before he regained the memories of his previous life. There was no doubt that the early death of his mother had yed an important factor in his bing the antagonist in Eyes of the Chronicler and his eventual tragic death. Roel¡¯s mother, Maria Ascart, was the daughter of a viscount house in the Saint Mesit Theocracy. She had died of an illness when Roel was very young. Her family was far beneath the Ascart House in terms of noble hierarchy, but that was hardly an issue at all. Maria and Carter had fallen in love with each other in the academy prior to their marriage, so they were naturallypatible. The Ascart House¡¯s family tree had been so thin for so long that the elders in the family would have been delighted even if Carter married amoner. Maria was from a single-parent family, and her father passed away shortly after her marriage, so Roel didn¡¯t have any close rtives on his maternal side. That was roughly all Roel knew about Maria, with most of it being hearsay from the servants. There was a portrait of Maria in the Ascarts¡¯ manor, which was drawn for Carter and Maria¡¯s marriage. Carter had specially hired a famous artist in the Holy Capital for it. In the portrait, Maria was a gentle and beautifuldy with an exceptionally charming smile. However, this bit of information was not enough for Roel to build up an impression of his mother. Even Anna, who had been with him from a young age, knew more about Maria than he did. That was why he had never understood what a ¡®mother¡¯ truly meant until he met Her. Just like Maria was Roel¡¯s biological mother, the Mother Goddess was the mother of the Kingmaker and all beings. Her maternal love was pure, devoid of any selfishness or agenda. Roel¡¯s mental barriers came copsing down against Her loving embrace and selfless sacrifices. Looking at the familiar divine temple, Roel¡¯s heartstrings were pulled by the memories of the time they had spent together. He stood dazed for a moment before he finally moved his feet to navigate his way through this familiar temple. The room where he was first attacked by the Death God. The High Elves¡¯ quarter where the scepter of the Six Cmities was sealed. The banquet hall where he met the other race leaders of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. These familiar venues evoked his memories, bringing him on a trip to the past. He eventually halted his footsteps before a garden. ¡°¡­She¡¯s not here?¡± Roel¡¯s heart sank in disappointment. The garden was still decorated in the way he remembered it when he left, but the person who should have been there wasn¡¯t there. Even the picturesque scenery of massive cities to the backdrop of a vast in had been obscured by a white fog. Did Shrouding Fog devour the Moonsoul Tower in the Ancient Era? Roel wondered, though he quickly refuted the possibility. Both the Mother Goddess and the Six Cmities had fallen into a deep sleep following their final battle in the Ancient Era. The real Moonsoul Tower was destroyed during that catastrophic war. This was likely to be an illusion created by Shrouding Fog¡¯s memories. On the bright side, Roel had already found what he was searching for here. The entire Moonsoul Tower was shrouded in thick fog. He would asionally spot armored silhouettes shing across the fog as if shbacks about the past, yet these silhouettes weren¡¯t the ancient races that had once lived here but Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel. Roel had no idea what the rules governing this ce were, but Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel had somehow be a part of the white fog. From time to time, he would hear murmurs of human speech from the armored silhouettes drifting along with the white fog, and it made him feel both ufortable and helpless. Knowing that he had to find a way to save them, he squeezed the middle of his forehead to snap out of it. He intuitively knew that he could open an exit portal linking to where Wilhelmina was, so it was possible for him to bring the trapped Tark Stronghold personnel out from here, but the problem was that he didn¡¯t have the means to control the white fog nor to revert them to their original state. I can¡¯t possibly store them in bottles to bring them out, right? Roel sighed in frustration. He couldn¡¯t leave the trapped Tark Stronghold personnel in the lurch, not when he had finally reached them. He had always wanted to save them. Even as a student, he had put together a research team to trante and verify ancient documents so as to gather as much information about Shrouding Fog as possible. How could he give up when he was already on thest step? Besides, by saving Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel, he was, to some extent, saving himself too. He had no idea how to free the people trapped inside the white fog, but he wasn¡¯t too worried about that since he knew people who might have the answer to that question¡ªfor instance, the ancient gods he had contracted with. ¡°¡­It should be about time, right?¡± Roel murmured. His golden eyes lit up as he carefully channeled his mana to his Origin Attribute to re-establish the windows of connection he had with his contracted ancient gods. His four windows of connection were restored within a single second. In the blood-colored sunset ins, brilliant crimson lights shone from the hollowed eyes of a humongous skeletal giant. In a cold mountain valley, a massive serpent that hadin dormant for a long time began to stir. In a majestic city, the lips of a ck-haired witch curled into an ambiguous smile. In a dimly-lit library, an orange-haired girl slowly put down the book she was reading. Chapter 596.2: Are You Still Around? (2)

Chapter 596.2: Are You Still Around? (2)

¡°You¡¯re finally back? You have kept me waiting for so long.¡± ¡°Roel, are you all right?¡± ¡°My hero, don¡¯t you think you have rested for too long this time around?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As soon as Roel restored his Origin Attribute and re-established his windows with his four ancient gods, the three female ancient gods spoke one after another to express their concern. Grandar was the only one who remained quiet, though Roel understood his feelings. Grandar¡¯s silence wasn¡¯t due to ack of concern. In fact, the first thing he did upon the restoration of the window was to scan Roel¡¯s body with his mana. He was a person of action instead of words. Besides, the others had already asked the questions looming in his mind, so there was no need for him to waste his words. Roel let out a helpless sigh. He first answered some of their questions before sharing his current circumstances. Hisst interaction with Grandar and the others was right before he entered the Witness State. He had survived many dangers and grown a lot since then, and his experiences were exciting too, but the thing that astonished them the most was how the ring that had guided him to the Mother Goddess¡¯ Witness State had the ability to influence reality. ¡°What a shock. How did your ancestors create something like that?¡± ¡°The Kingmaker n has always been known for their powerful means, especially back in the ancient era. It¡¯s not surprising for them to have created something like that. I¡¯m just astounded that you met with that Mother Goddess¡­¡± ¡°My hero, I didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d go through so much while I wasn¡¯t around.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The ancient gods reacted in different ways after hearing Roel¡¯s story. The connotation behind the term ¡®Mother Goddess¡¯ was so immense that even the ancient gods couldn¡¯t take it lightly, especially Artasia and Edavia, who knew just how powerful She was. Their expressions were particrly grim. Grandar maintained his silence as usual, making it difficult for Roel to know his thoughts. Peytra had passed away before the appearance of the Mother Goddess, so she harbored no feelings about thetter. Rather, she was more interested in the Ascarts¡¯ ring. In any case, Roel had at least managed to exin to his four ancient gods the reason behind the long disconnect. After resolving that issue, he proceeded to raise some questions¡ªfor one, how did Edavia get along with his other three ancient gods so easily? He still remembered the discord amongst his ancient gods when he first contracted with Artasia. In particr, Peytra, who was very protective of him, was extremely opposed to it, iming that the Witch Queen couldn¡¯t be trusted. Yet, none of the ancient gods was actually opposed to his contracting with Edavia, who was an evil god. This was rather perplexing to him. He voiced his doubt, and the answers he received were rather surprising. ¡°Well¡­ I have met the Primordial Earth Goddess before,¡± Edavia said with a mischievous smile. ¡°You can say that we¡¯re acquainted. I knew it was only a matter of time before those of your n came into contact with the Spiriteer n, and she¡¯s one of the spiriteers I know, so I have a better impression of her,¡± Peytra replied with a nod. ¡°I see.¡± Roel widened his eyes in realization. Now that he thought about it, the first time Sia had descended upon the world was during the war between the saint beasts and the demonic beasts. Peytra, as the Queen of Saint Beasts, had been on close terms with Sia, so it made sense for her to be acquainted with Edavia too. Given their ties, there was no reason for Peytra to be opposed to Edavia. As for Grandar, Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by hisck of response. Grandar probably just respected his freedom to choose the ancient gods he wanted to contract with. In fact, he hadn¡¯t opposed him contracting with Artasia back then, either. What truly surprised Roel was the Witch Queen¡¯s response. It was unusual for Artasia to have not shown any response upon noticing Edavia¡¯s existence. While Roel was indeed on close terms with Edavia, it didn¡¯t change the fact that thetter was an evil god. The Witches had historically been the ones to punish the evil, so Artasia, as the Witch Queen, should have been particrly averse to Edavia¡¯s presence. As incongruous as that was, Roel knew now wasn¡¯t the time for him to get to the bottom of that. His priority right now was to borrow the powers of his ancient gods to restore Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel to their original state. Thus, he quickly exined the situation to them and nervously waited for their answers. ¡°My apologies; that¡¯s outside my field of specialty,¡± Peytra answered. ¡°I can¡¯t do it either,¡± Grandar replied. Roel had expected as much, so he wasn¡¯t too surprised. He knew that such issues were beyond the scope of what the Giant Sovereign and the Primordial Earth Goddess were capable of, so his hopes were pinned on the other two ancient gods. Upon hearing Roel¡¯s request, Edavia manifested in front of Roel. She looked like an obedient child with her neatly-braided orange hair, looking nothing like an evil god at all. She raised her hand to touch the nearby white fog before nodding. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure how it was done, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with their souls. They are still alive.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Roel breathed a sigh of relief, as the news gave him a huge morale boost. Following that, the white-haired Witch Queen manifested in the Moonsoul Tower as well. Edavia turned around and assessed the Witch Queen with narrowed eyes, and Artasia calmly returned the gaze. Time ticked as the atmosphere between them grew increasingly heavy. Feeling the tension in the air, Roel looked at the two of them in confusion, not knowing what to make of the situation. Fortunately, the two of them finally withdrew their stares after some time. Artasia turned her attention to the fog, whereas Edavia bade Roel farewell. ¡°Nothing¡¯s wrong with their souls, but I don¡¯t know how to restore them to their original state. Leave it to her,¡± Edavia said as her body slowly dissipated. So, Roel turned to the floating Witch Queen and asked, ¡°Artasia, do you have any ideas?¡± ¡°Mm. Leave it to me.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Roel¡¯s heart was finally set at ease, though another question arose in his mind. ¡°What was that between you and Edavia earlier on?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing of concern. It¡¯s our way of knowing each other better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is silently staring at each other your way of knowing each other better? Roel was speechless. He could tell that the situation between them wasn¡¯t as simple as that, just that he didn¡¯t know what the problem was. For the time being, he decided to pull his focus back to the situation at hand. Meanwhile, Artasia¡¯s attention had turned to Roel¡¯s body, as a look of wonderment slowly crept onto her face. ¡°I would have never thought that such a body is possible¡­ How inconceivable.¡± ¡°It was an unexpected gain from the Witness State.¡± ¡°A huge gain, I have to say, but you seem to be injured. Did you undergo a trial?¡± ¡°Not at all. I was waiting for you.¡± ¡°!¡± Artasia¡¯s madder-red eyes momentarily widened in surprise before she abruptly burst intoughter. The tense atmosphere immediately lightened. ¡°You were waiting for me? It looks like you¡¯re really in need of my help.¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯mcking in proficiency with spells, after all,¡± Roel replied with a helpless sigh as he settled down on one of the chairs in the garden. There was no doubt that the Kingmaker Bloodline was one of the strongest bloodlines in the Sia Continent, but the abilities one gained would dictate one¡¯s trajectory of growth. Roel¡¯s greatest strengthy in his burst power, especially after he obtained the Crown¡¯s Stones, which was why he focused on developing his abilities in that aspect instead of learning other functional spells. Recovery spells were outside Roel¡¯s field of specialty too, though he was lucky that Artasiapensated for that weakness. ¡°Settle down. You¡¯ll have to rest for a while due to the severity of your injuries. You need not worry about the people trapped in the fog; leave it to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m counting on you, then,¡± Roel replied as he got himselffortable on a chair before closing his eyes. Artasia smiled as she raised her hand and cast a warm light over Roel. Thetter¡¯s consciousness swiftly faded as his body began to heal. ¡­ Roel opened his eyes to a sunset in. He wasn¡¯t surprised by the change in scenery around him, for he was the one who hade knocking. Marching forth in the sunset in, he soon stumbled upon a humongous skeletal giant. Sensing his presence, the skeletal giant raised his head and looked at him. ¡°It has been a while, Grandar.¡± ¡°Yes, it has been a while¡­ You have grown much stronger.¡± ¡°Haha, I have been through a lot,¡± Roel replied with a smile. ¡°So, what¡¯s the purpose of your visit?¡± Grandar, as candid as ever, dove straight to the point. Roel paused for a moment as his expression slowly turned grim. ¡°I came here to enquire about an individual.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°The Beastman Sovereign, who¡¯s now better known as the Deviant Sovereign, Banjol.¡± ¡°!¡± The crimson mes in Grandar¡¯s eye sockets sharply contracted. He slowly nodded his head as he asked, ¡°¡­Is he your current enemy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯ll be a battle between us soon.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Thatplicates things.¡± Grandar heaved a sigh before slowly rising to his feet, much to Roel¡¯s surprise. Chapter 597.1: The Witch’s Secret (1)

Chapter 597.1: The Witch¡¯s Secret (1)

The least a soldier could do prior to confronting an enemy was to investigate thetter¡¯s background. This was the minimum respect one could show to oneself and one¡¯s enemy. Intelligence was of utmost importance in the Sia Continent, particrly since there was nock of powerful transcendents who had died to all sorts of ridiculous abilities. The grass growing on their graves could easily make up a vast grasnd. Roel, who prided himself on his caution, wouldn¡¯t make such a low-level mistake. His opponent, the Deviant Sovereign, was also quite an enigmatic figure. Even now, he still hadn¡¯t figured out the other party¡¯s fighting style. It was due tock of other options that he tried his luck by asking Grandar, who should have lived in the same era as Banjol. It was just that he hadn¡¯t expected to hear such an answer from Grandar, which brought a frown to his face. On the sunset in, the atmosphere around Grandar slowly grew solemn. He pondered for a moment before replying, ¡°Beastman Sovereign Banjol was a well-known name in our era. I am familiar with it. The Beastmen were one of the races in the Savior¡¯s faction, after all, boasting thergest armies.¡± ¡°I see. So, the Beastmen are one of the Savior¡¯s core forces?¡± ¡°They are one of the few races beneath the Dragons and the Angels that holds a significant say in the Savior¡¯s faction,¡± Grandar said as he gazed into the distance as if recalling the past. Roel nodded. This knowledge provided him with a deeper understanding of the ties between the Savior and the deviants. The Beastmen, as one of the Savior¡¯s core forces, were bound to be on closer terms with the Savior than the other races. Unfortunately, this also meant that they were more affected when the Savior fell into depravity, which was likely how the deviants came about. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you don¡¯t know what happened to the Beastmen afterward,¡± Roel hazarded. ¡°I was already here by then, so I don¡¯t know what happened outside afterward,¡± Grandar replied. ¡°I see. Regardless, his awakening from his slumber has strengthened and will likely continue to strengthen the deviants. This isn¡¯t good for humankind in the long run.¡± ¡°That will likely be the case, but I think the one you should be worried about isn¡¯t the deviant armies but Banjol himself. He is an existence equivalent to the rest of us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s expression turned grave. He knew that Grandar¡¯s ¡®rest of us¡¯ referred to the ancient gods he had contracted thus far, which meant that Banjol wielded strengthparable to the powerful gods in the ancient era. His powers likely surpassed even those of the Death God, who had attempted to assassinate Roel in the Witness State. There was not a single human in the present era who possessed equivalent strength. This was an unprecedentedly powerful enemy for Roel. To make things worse, Banjol was not just any Beastman Sovereign. ¡°Banjol was the most talented spellcaster to have ever been born amongst the Beastmen. He was one of the Savior¡¯s High Priests, as well as the only Beastman Sovereign crowned by virtue of his spellcasting proficiency.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a spellcaster?¡± ¡°Most ancient races, particrly the Giants and the Beastmen, wield transcendental powers strongly inclined toward physical prowess. It¡¯s not worthwhile for us to develop our spellcasting capabilities, since whatever we can achieve with spells is likely to becklusterpared to our physical prowess, which is why there are very few spellcasters around. In fact, it¡¯s nigh impossible for a spellcaster to be a Race Sovereign. Yet, Banjol aplished the feat.¡± It wasmon for muscr meatheads to look down on spellcasters¡ªKnight Kingdom Pendor and their obsession with physical prowess was a good example of that. This culture was even more rampant for the Beastmen, who were naturally blessed with superior physiques. Banjol would have to oppose deep-seated traditions in order to climb to the top of his race and be crowned as the Beastman Sovereign, but he aplished this nigh-impossible feat. ¡°Banjol¡¯s bloodline ability is more than just a simple offensive spell. He hasnded a hit on you; that¡¯d significantly lower your chances of defeating him.¡± ¡°Grandar, you seem to know him quite well?¡± ¡°We were oncerades who fought alongside each other. He was one of the few people I acknowledged in that era. I thought the Beastmen would scale to a greater height under his leadership. None of us could have thought that it was actually a path leading to destruction¡­¡± Grandar remarked wistfully. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed as he came to realize just how powerful his enemy was. Banjol wouldn¡¯t go easy on him just because he used to be Grandar¡¯s friend back in the ancient era. If anything, he was more likely to exploit his knowledge of Grandar¡¯s weaknesses to defeat him. That made Roel even warier of his enemy, which further fueled his desperation to learn more about Banjol. Grandar understood the situation Roel was in, so he slowly exined the spells and abilities Banjol possessed one by one. As the two of them exchanged critical intelligence about the enemy, another intense discussion was taking ce in the garden outside. ¡­ In the Moonsoul Tower, Artasia didn¡¯t immediately get to work even after Roel had fallen asleep. Instead, she quietly stared at Roel, the smile on her lips slowly fading. Roel was so ustomed to injuries that he could function as normal even in an injured state, but beneath the surface, he was suffering from many smaller wounds and internal traumas. Exhaustion came flooding in as soon as he let himself rx a little. While Artasia and Roel had met a number of times now, he had always been awake during their encounters. This was the first time she was seeing him asleep, and that piqued her curiosity. Roel was still as dashing as ever, but asleep, he gave off such a peaceful atmosphere that one felt sorry for him instead. His body was on the slender side for a soldier, and it felt like it was shouldering far more weight than it was supposed to bear. Artasia¡¯s madder-red eyes flickered with unreadable emotions. She first examined Roel before taking another step toward him. Her hand reached out for his sleeping visage so carefully that it looked as if she was dealing with fragile ss. ¡°¡­Has it finally reached this turning point?¡± Artasia murmured after a long silence. Her eyes glimmered with worry as she looked at Roel¡¯s chest while intensifying the healing glow from her hands. Roel¡¯s impaired heart slowly healed under her recovery spell. It was only after a long while that Artasia¡¯s worried expression finally faded. She stood up with the intention to leave, only to pause halfway through. She looked at Roel¡¯s sleeping face once more and fell still. The white fog continuously drifted past the two of them. Many emotions flickered across Artasia¡¯s face, but her expression soon hardened up. Her cheeks flushed red as she slowly lowered her body toward Roel, only to be abruptly interrupted by a childlike voice from behind. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that these are the thoughts you harbor.¡± ¡°!¡± Artasia immediately stood right back up and turned around, her madder-red eyes filled with shock and anger. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Fufu. Did I get in your way? My apologies,¡± Edavia replied with an innocent smile, though her tone didn¡¯t sound apologetic at all. ¡°I did consider taking a back seat to watch the show, but I am contracted with him. I shouldn¡¯t allow someone with a dubious origin to approach him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edavia eyed Artasia with a devilish smile, but to her surprise, thetter didn¡¯t lose her temper. Instead, the Witch Queen fell silent as her anger slowly subsided. ¡°What a surprise. I thought you would at least try to refute my words,¡± Edavia remarked. ¡°And why would I have to do that? Spiriteer Sovereign Edavia, I believe you have gotten your ce wrong. I have been here long before you contracted with him,¡± Artasia replied. ¡°Of course, of course. But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that you¡¯re a suspicious fellow¡­ I don¡¯t remember there being a witch like you.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying. Isn¡¯t it normal that you don¡¯t remember me?¡± Artasia asked with narrowed eyes. ¡°You¡¯re an evil god whom Sia sealed off shortly after the world¡¯s creation. There¡¯s no reason you should know about the Witches, who were born afterward. I don¡¯t see why you should remember me.¡± ¡°Yes, I did retire from the world early, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t know.¡± Edavia¡¯s braided hair slowly unraveled as her presence became much stronger. She looked at the unfamiliar Witch Queen, who was conspicuously absent from her memories, and said, ¡°I was imprisoned, but the conditions were not bad. I had plenty of reading material in the Inner Sanctum to pass my time.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Inner Sanctum contains an infinite library full of books about all beings to have ever existed in this world. Countless years I have passed by immersing myself in those stories. Some lives can be summarized with a few short sentences, whereas others are as thick as a dictionary. I can¡¯t help but wonder¡­ why are you not in it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Artasia fell silent, not answering Edavia¡¯s question at all. In response, thetter fully released her orange hair from their braids, as an air of malevolence thickened around her. ¡°Say something, won¡¯t you? I¡¯d at least like to avoid making a move on you without the Kingmaker¡¯s permission.¡± ¡°I feel the same. I have no intention of turning you into my enemy¡­ You are necessary to him.¡± ¡°You sure do care quite a bit about him. Why don¡¯t we talk things out, then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once again, Artasia fell silent. Seconds slowly passed. Just as Edavia was about to reach the limits of her patience, the Witch Queen suddenly said, ¡°¡­If you are that curious, why don¡¯t you take a look yourself?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have any problem peering into the souls of others, right?¡± Edavia frowned. As the Spiriteer Sovereign, she did wield the power to peer into souls at her whim, but this was hardly the point she was getting at. What she was concerned about was the true identity of the Witch Queen, not the shape of her soul. She raised her eyebrows, but she stopped short of questioning Artasia. She noticed that thetter had aposed expression; it didn¡¯t seem like she was trying to change the subject. She¡¯s serious about this? Edavia wondered. Thus, she began assessing the Witch Queen. Momentster, her eyes dted in shock. ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Edavia murmured in disbelief. Soon, she thought of something and fell into a daze. She stared at the white-haired Witch Queen for a long time before she regained herposure. Her malevolent aura also slowly receded. ¡°¡­I see. I was being too nosy.¡± ¡°You were, but I understand,¡± Artasia calmly replied. Edavia looked a little conflicted. She sighed under her breath before turning around. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything unnecessary. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be returning to my books, then. Till the next time.¡± Edavia¡¯s silhouette faded into thin air, leaving Artasia and Roel by themselves in the garden. The Witch Queen stared at the space where the evil god had vanished with contemtive eyes. A long timeter, she turned her head back to Roel and heaved a sigh. ¡°Tsk. I¡¯ve lost my mood¡­¡± Artasia murmured before turning her focus toward the white fog that contained countless lives. ¡­ Chapter 597.2: The Witch’s Secret (2)

Chapter 597.2: The Witch¡¯s Secret (2)

Battle of Scorched Earth. This was therge-scale military operation nned by the united army just half a year after the devastating Battle of Stanlos. The term, ¡®Scorched Earth¡¯, was derived from the location of the battle, Hawe Desert. Hawe Desert was a barrennd overlooked by both parties for many years, and it only came to the limelight due to this military operation. Many of the Austine Empire¡¯s militarymanders found this military operation abrupt and perplexing. Based on the reports from the united army¡¯s intelligence department, this military operation started out as a small-scale military maneuver organized by the Saint Mesit Theocracy, but their scouts unexpectedly discovered the trails of the Deviant Sovereign, which resulted in it being escted into an assault mission. The Rosa Merchant Confederacy, Knight Kingdom Pendor, and Country of Schrs Brolne had chosen to participate in this battle, thinking that they would stand a better chance in bringing the Deviant Sovereign down byunching an assault before he could gather his forces around him. The Austine Empire received the news muchter, so they could only take the sidelines in the battle. Speed was of utmost importance in warfare. All veteran militarymanders understood that. The united army was massive, andmunication was often interrupted due to the deviants¡¯ interference. It wasmon for allies to fail to inform one another about their respective battles, so the Austine Empire¡¯s militarymanders didn¡¯t think too much about theirte intelligence. The united army¡¯s highestmand center had issued a mobilization order to the Austine Empire¡¯s armies. The highestmand center was amitteeprising humankind¡¯s Origin Level 1 transcendents. They held absolute authority in the eastern border, such that their orders had to be prioritized even over the Austine Empire¡¯s imperial authority. Compelled by the mobilization order and their deep-seated hatred of the deviants, the Austine Empire¡¯s armies were quickly deployed. The more hawkish militarymanders jumped at this opportunity tounch attacks, whereas the more conservative ones let out a sigh before putting all their efforts into making preparations for war. All of them understood what it meant for another major battle to ur between humankind and the deviants at this juncture. The soldiers felt both worried and expectant. They hoped that they could wash away the threat of extinction looming over humankind¡¯s head sincest year. All of the Austine Empire¡¯s frontline personnel, be itmanders or soldiers, busied themselves with preparations for the uing assault. In a dark room, a cold-faced man sat at the end of a long table and quietly browsed through the emergency reportsing from the united army¡¯s headquarters and other countries. Opposite him sat a man with a blurred face. ¡°Seems like they have started suspecting you. What do you intend to do?¡± the Collector said in a gloating tone. For such an important battle, Lukas, despite being the emperor of the Austine Empire, actually caught wind of the news at the same time as his soldiers. Such a situation had never happened before. Naturally, the Collector understood the significance behind that. The Collector picked up his teacup and leisurely awaited Lukas¡¯ answer. He wanted to see the seemingly emotionless emperor losing hisposure, but things didn¡¯t go as he wished. Lukas was unfazed by the Collector¡¯s taunt. In truth, he had known about the united army¡¯s suspicions and their secret investigation into him, but he didn¡¯t pay them any heed. He calmly looked at the Collector and replied, ¡°I am only being suspected because of the mess you caused.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t deny that¡­ but we did get something out of it too. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± ¡°¡­He isn¡¯t dead yet. He has reinforcementsing.¡± Having gathered the information he had received from the reports from the Savior¡¯s worshipers, Lukas could already guess the true motive behind the ¡®Battle of Scorched Earth¡¯. Hearing that, the Collector fell silent. None of the Savior¡¯s worshipers had expected Roel¡¯s encirclement to blow up into the Battle of Scorched Earth. After all, the Ascarts¡¯ awakeners had never been so highly regarded before. Be it Winstor Ascart from seven hundred years ago or Ro Ascart from three hundred years ago, while their disappearances had caused a huge stir, the actual repercussions were still limited in scale. In fact, they were mostly limited to just the Saint Mesit Theocracy. It waspletely different for Roel Ascart this time around. Upon learning that Roel was trapped in the deviants¡¯ territory, half of humankind¡¯s major powers swiftly made the decision to deploy all of the avable forces they had to save him. This was far beyond the scale of what the Savior¡¯s worshipers hidden amidst humankind could deal with. After all, they weren¡¯t in the Second Epoch anymore, when the Ancient Austine Empire was the sole dominant power in the world. On top of that, Roel and Antonio¡¯sbined efforts in suppressing the Fallens had greatly undermined their ability to interfere with the human world. This made their partnership with Emperor Lukas ever more important. Emperor Lukas was neither an evil cultist nor the Collector¡¯s subordinate. The two of them had simply struck an agreement to use each other to achieve their respective goals. Till one of them lost their value to the other, it was necessary for them to maintain this rtionship. Thus, the Collector reined himself in upon sensing Lukas¡¯ dissatisfaction. ¡°He may still be alive, but it¡¯s only a matter of time. No one can single-handedly oppose an entire race, not even that n.¡± ¡°But he isn¡¯t alone,¡± Lukas voiced his doubt. ¡°Are you talking about humankind¡¯s reinforcements? Hah. You wouldn¡¯t be so worried if you knew what Banjol, the Deviant Sovereign, is capable of,¡± the Collector replied with a smile. ¡°The lockdown on your intelligence might have ced us in a disadvantageous position, but it won¡¯t faze that ancient Sovereign at all. The deviants are stronger than ever.¡± ¡°The deviants growing stronger reaps no merit for me. You should step forward and properly resolve the mess you caused.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also my wish to resolve this problem once and for all, but Banjol has fully awakened from his slumber. He isn¡¯t my puppet; I can¡¯t freely enter his territory. Even so, everything is as good as settled.¡± ¡°¡­I hope those aren¡¯t empty words,¡± Lukas replied after a prolonged silence. He stood up and looked at the Collector onest time before leaving the room. Chapter 598.1: What Do You Want to Do? (1)

Chapter 598.1: What Do You Want to Do? (1)

Wars were turning points of human civilization. Ruins left in the wake of devastating wars became the foundation for the next phase of civilization. The continuous cycle of destruction and creation had been the trajectory for humankind¡¯s development for millennia. Even so, humankind had never had to fight so desperately for their survival prior to the Third Epoch. Unlike the wars among countries, the war against the deviants was a fight between races with no room for ceasefire or negotiation¡ªthis battle would only end with the extinction of one side. Humankind had to do everything they could to destroy the deviants if they wanted to survive. All humans, regardless of nationalities or religions, had to stand on the same front. Such was the case for the Battle of Scorched Earth too. At midnight, along the border of Hawe Desert, a humongous army of armored soldiers that stretched on for many kilometers stood at attention as they quietly awaited further instructions. All that could be heard was the sound of breathing and the fluttering of gs in the night gale. A fully-armored Nora and Charlotte stood next to each other amidst arge group of clergymen, as they gazed at the eastern horizon as if waiting for something. So far, the core force of this military operation numbered 250,000 soldiers. Roel¡¯s heretic army and the Ascarts¡¯ personal army, who were in the midst of escorting Carter home, quickly rushed back to the frontlines upon receiving news about Roel¡¯s plight, thus adding three more Origin Level 2 experts¡ªCynthia, Rodney, and Woode¡ªto the team. This was a huge addition to the team, but it was far from sufficient to turn the tides of the battle. Even so, the participation of the 50,000 elites still greatly boosted Nora and the others¡¯ morale. For this rescue operation to seed, the vanguard armies had to build up tremendous momentum to pierce the deviants¡¯ encirclement, so there was a high requirement on the soldiers¡¯ fighting prowess and morale. Roel¡¯s heretic army and the Ascarts¡¯ personal army perfectly met the criteria, so they were stationed at the center of the military formation. Unfortunately, there weren¡¯t any more reinforcements aside from them. Opposite Nora and the others, a humongous army of deviants with a strength of at least 200,000 stood in a neat formation in Hawe Desert. The torches they held formed an imposing sea of light. Deep war horns could be heard echoing ceaselessly from the distance. Countless aerial demonic beasts circled the sky while furiously squawking at the human armies, intimidating the enemies on their masters¡¯ behalf. On the ground, ferocious deviants bared their fangs, awaiting themencement of war. With the Deviant Sovereign by their side, all of the deviants were at the peak of their morale. Fear of death had be a thing of the past for them; the only thing they wished to do was to prove their valiance to their liege by ughtering the enemies. They roared with murderous intent, their brandished weapons gleaming menacingly. However, the armies of humankind weren¡¯t fazed in the least. Be it the towering giant standing at the front or the military strategists at the back, there was not a single person who was intimidated by the deviants. The soldiers gathered here were mostly veterans who had survived the worst battlesst year; they knew that the enemies¡¯ cries were nothing but empty roars. Their morale wouldn¡¯t be shaken by something like this. Besides, humankind was already on the brink of destruction due to the threat of the Deviant Sovereign. If they couldn¡¯t rescue Roel, the one human who carried the greatest potential to defeat him, there would be no future for their race. For the future of their race, as well as their aged parents and young children behind them, they had to fight and win this battle. For unknown reasons, Lilian and her armies hadn¡¯t arrived in the end. To make things worse, the deviants had jammed theirmunication magic tools, making it impossible to liaise with her about it. Even military orders had to be issued through physical means. Even so, the military operation had to continue. ¡°It¡¯s about time,¡± Charlotte reminded. ¡°Mmhm.¡± Nora nodded. Her expression looked tense as she made her way toward an empty stone square. This stone square was small in size. It was inscribed with a beautifully intricate pattern, and a stone sword was lodged in the center of the square. There were four armored angel sculptures stationed at its corners, each wielding a different weapon. The materials of the stone square hinted at its old age, and as a matter of fact, it was an ancient relic passed down from the Second Epoch. This Square of the War Angels was one of the Genesis Goddess Church¡¯s greatest treasures. It was passed down by the Angels of the ancient era, making it an artifact of great historical significance. It was once a strategic-ss weapon of the Ancient Austine Empire back in the Second Epoch, but it was now one of the potent tools protecting humankind in the war against the deviants. As soon as Nora stepped into the square, the four angel sculptures released brilliant glows, and a holy aura suffused the surroundings. Along the perimeter of the square, countless clergymen raised their staffs and channeled their mana toward the four sculptures. Under their infusion of mana, the square was soon cloaked in a thinyer of light. At the same time, the holy aura grew correspondingly denser. Nora wrapped her hand around the stone sword as she gazed at the sky above. Specks of light started to dot the dull sky covered in dark clouds as if fireflies emerging out of thin air. These specks of light emanated no mana pulsation, and they were hardly conspicuous due to the countless aerial demonic beasts upying the sky too. Yet, Nora¡¯s eyes glowed upon seeing those specks of light. Her Angel Sovereign Bloodline was resonating with the stone sword, inducing the eyes of the four angel sculptures to light up as well. Momentster, four pirs of golden light shot into the sky. Boom! An earth-shaking mana pulsation suddenly rattled the silent night together with a deafening explosion. Golden light quickly irradiated the dark sky, changing thendscape of the battlefield. The Angel Sovereign¡¯s avatar manifested behind Nora, as she pulled out the stone sword and used it to gently nick her wrist. Fresh blood flowed from her wrist down the stone sword, and dripped onto the stone square. Upon contact with her blood, the intricate patterns on the ground glowed, and the entire stone square began to buzz. It had been thousands of years since the Angel Sovereign Bloodline hadst been awakened, but now, Nora was drawing forth the true prowess it harnessed through this ancient formation. Amidst the intense tremors, the souls of the four war angels emerged from their respective sculptures and bowed to her. At the same time, the four pirs of light converged together as one. Nora raised her stone sword up high, causing her blood to drip on her own face. At the same time, the inconspicuous specks of light dotting the sky transformed into a brilliant sea of stars. Each of these stars was a holy sword zing with golden mes. They floated in the skies like a guillotine hanging above the deviants. Even the bravest of deviants instinctively felt fear. Thousands of deviant priests raised their staffs to channel army spells, hoping to dispel the menacing threat looming above their heads, but the spells they cast were all swiftly assimted by the golden light in the sky and disintegrated. After many futile attempts, the deviants had no choice but to prematurelyunch their attack. War horns echoed, as tens of thousands of deviants stepped away from their turf to charge at the human armies. It was also then that Nora opened her eyes and solemnly muttered the name of her spell. ¡°Judgment.¡± The golden swords rained down on the deviants, impaling their bodies while spreading holy mes that swiftly burned them to ashes. Their military formation quickly copsed into pandemonium. The human soldiers cheered in delight. It was also then that military orders were quickly passed down through themand chain. Regardless of their nationality or position, every single militarymander finally received an order after a long and tense wait. ¡°Attack.¡± ¡­ Roel Ascart was met with a beautiful face as soon as he awoke from his sleep. It was a fair face with a delicate nose, cherry lips, madder-red eyes, and long eyebrows. She gave off a mischievous yet enigmatic disposition, which made it hard to fathom her thoughts. Roel was enchanted for a brief moment, though he quickly snapped out of it. ¡°¡­You gave me a scare, Artasia.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel had woken up so abruptly that Artasia only snapped out of her daze when he started speaking. She nkly blinked her eyes before awkwardly sitting upright. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Artasia asked with a reddened face. ¡°I thought that you would take longer.¡± ¡°Mmhm. Grandar usually gets straight to the point,¡± Roel replied with a nod. He wasn¡¯t surprised that Artasia knew he had paid a visit to Grandar; the Witch Queen had been his most frequent visitor in his dreams, after all. Furthermore, she knew a great deal about his bloodline as Sia¡¯s enforcer, so it wasn¡¯t very surprising for her to know his whereabouts. However, there was one detail that caught his attention. ¡°Artasia, what were you trying to do?¡± ¡°What could you be referring to?¡± ¡°You were leaning close to me earlier.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Witch Queen¡¯s smile instantaneously froze, and her cheeks seemed to twitch a little too. However, she quickly gave an answer, ¡°¡­Heartbeat.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that you would only have a quarter of your heart left, so I had to do a closer examination.¡± ¡°Ah! I had gotten reckless this time around. Thank Sia you¡¯re here to treat me,¡± Roel replied with a nod of realization as he checked on his newly-recovered heart. Artasia heaved a relieved sigh in her heart as her smile returned. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m only doing my job.¡± ¡°Even so, I am indebted to you. Speaking of which, Artasia, how¡¯s the liberation of the trapped Tark Stronghold personnel going?¡± Roel asked as he curiously scanned his surroundings. ¡°I have sent them back,¡± Artasia replied with a gleeful smirk. ¡°That¡¯s fast! How long have I been asleep for?¡± ¡°It has been around an hour, but the flow of time is unusual here. It¡¯d probably trante to around a day outside.¡± ¡°A day?¡± Roel¡¯s expression tightened. A day was not a long period of time at all, but too many things could change within a single day. He should have regrouped with Nora and the others today if everything had gone to n, but their initial n had gone down the drain when the Deviant Sovereign had found him. There had been so many deviants moving into Hawe Desert to encircle him that there was no way the united army could have overlooked that. Supposing that humankind hadn¡¯t given up on him, they would have initiated a battle against the deviants at Hawe Desert by now. This was his best chance to escape. I need to make a move soon, Roel thought as his eyes grew firm. He proceeded to ask Artasia about the condition of Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel. The Witch Queen spent a moment in thought before answering, ¡°The temporary erasure of their existences is bound to have affected them, but they should be able to quickly recover their fighting prowess with the aid of recovery spells.¡± ¡°Recovery spells?¡± Roel let out a huge sigh of relief, knowing that at least half of Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel were adept at recovery spells. While offensive spells might aid them in ruing merits, recovery spells boosted their and theirrades¡¯ chances of survival on the treacherous battlefield. ¡°Anyway, it should be fine even if those humans fail to regain their fighting prowess. I discovered something else. Think of it as a gift from me.¡± ¡°Artasia?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving first.¡± The Witch Queen vanished with a smile before Roel could enquire deeper. He was momentarily stunned before he shook his head and sighed at the Witch Queen¡¯s entricity. ¡°It¡¯s time to leave this space,¡± Roel murmured under his breath as he left the sky garden. He made his way toward the highest throne room, where he took in the familiar surroundings and reminisced on the times he had spent with Her here. A long timeter, he let out a sigh. He raised his palm and focused on his connection with Wilhelmina as he muttered the name of his spell, ¡°Silver Devourer.¡± White fog surged from Roel¡¯s palms and swiftly obscured his figure. By the time the white fog scattered, he was nowhere to be seen. Shortly after Roel¡¯s departure, the white fog lingering in the Moonsoul Pce suddenly stirred, forming a vague humanoid silhouette. It stared at the spot where Roel had been standing before quietly scattering with the wind. ¡­ Chapter 598.2: What Do You Want to Do? (2)

Chapter 598.2: What Do You Want to Do? (2)

Roel¡¯s return journey was smooth-sailing. When he returned to Tark Stronghold amidst a stream of fog, Wilhelmina was in the emergencymunication room, checking the condition of the two individuals copsed on the floor. There was a brief pause when she noticed Roel before she rushed forth to embrace him. ¡°Mina?¡± Roel was taken aback by Wilhelmina¡¯s rare bout of assertiveness. He couldn¡¯t help but notice that her body was trembling a little. ¡°¡­You¡¯re finally back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel gently stroked Wilhelmina¡¯s hair tofort her. No matter how powerful her transcendent powers were, she was still a youth. Having to wait alone in this huge but empty fortress, not knowing whether the person she was waiting for would return, was a mental trial for her. ¡°Mina, how long was I away for?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure. All of the clocks here have stopped. I¡¯d guess a day or so,¡± Wilhelmina replied. Roel nodded. Through this piece of information, he could deduce that the flow of time in Tark Stronghold was roughly equivalent to that of the real world. As long as the copsed soldiers quickly recovered, there was a chance he could still make it in time. ¡°Those two soldiers are¡­?¡± ¡°They appeared all of a sudden. I haven¡¯t figured out what¡¯s going on yet,¡± Wilhelmina said as she nced at the copsed soldiers with worried eyes. Roel quickly checked on the soldiers¡¯ conditions. To his relief, they seemed to have passed out due to an overexposure of mana, which meant that they should recover soon. He figured that this was the side effect Artasia had mentioned earlier. Following that, Roel and Wilhelmina made their way outside. Unlike the previously empty corridors, Tark Stronghold was currently full of unconscious personnel lying all over the ce, be they clergymen, logistical officers, or frontline soldiers. Roel and Wilhelmina exchanged nces before quickly passing through the corridor and making their way toward the highest floor, where the fortress¡¯smand center was. Now that the fortress¡¯s personnel had returned, the first thing he had to do was to contact itsmanders and exin the situation outside to them so that they could prepare for battle. The earlier they joined the battle, the fewer casualties there would be for humankind. The person Roel was hoping to meet was one of the key reasons he was determined to save the disappeared Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel. That person was his father¡¯s old friend, as well as an elder whom he had always respected. After traversing a long flight of stairs strewn with unconscious personnel, Roel finally arrived at the entrance of themand center. He tried knocking on the door but to no avail, so he pushed the door open and entered. It was a simple but elegant office. There were several figures lying unconscious on the floor, but Roel¡¯s gaze immediately shot to the opposite end of the room, where a golden-haired many next to a wooden table. This man was Kane Xeclyde, Saint Mesit Theocracy ex-prince, Nora Xeclyde¡¯s biological father, and Carter Ascart¡¯s close friend. In the two years since he had been devoured by Shrouding Fog, he had be a symbol to represent soldiers who had valiantly died in war. After so many twists and turns, it turned out that he was still alive. Roel rushed over to Kane¡¯s side to check on his condition, at which he breathed a sigh of relief. He then carried Kane to the nearest chair before casting a recovery spell. It could be that Roel had made advancements in his recovery spells or that Kane had a good foundation, but thetter finally woke up after two minutes. Upon opening his eyes, Kane stared at Roel in confusion for a long while before uncertainly asking, ¡°Y-you are¡­ Roel?¡± He was perplexed as to why Roel was here, as well as why thetter looked so much older than before. Roel nodded affirmatively before replying, ¡°Yes, Your Highness Kane. I am Roel Ascart. Are you feeling all right?¡± ¡°Mm, I feel fine¡­ Wait! I remember now! That white fog¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness Kane. Tark Stronghold, including you, themanders, and the soldiers, was devoured by Shrouding Fog, one of the Six Cmities. It has been two years since then.¡± ¡°Two years?!¡± Kane eximed in astonishment. ¡°Indeed, Your Highness Kane. Many things have happened during your disappearance, so allow me to fill you in on the details¡­¡± Roel nodded before proceeding to update Kane on recent affairs with a voice asposed as possible. ¡­ In war, you win some, you lose some. This was a famous military saying in Roel¡¯s previous world. There were far more factors influencing the course of a war than one could imagine, from the equipment, the intensity of the training, the type of soldiers, and the geographical terrain, all the way down to the constant changes on the battlefield every passing second. All of these could draw the line between victory and defeat. Of these factors, the one with the potential to cause the biggest change was military strategy. Unlike the barbaric deviants, humans had the ability to n, and they also possessed the means required to execute their ns. This allowed them to effectively capitalize on their strengths, which yed a huge part in their ability to fend off the deviants despite being on the weaker side. Such was the case in the Battle of Scorched Earth too. borate ns had been made beforehand so as to draw out humankind¡¯s true potential to deal with the deviants. From the moment the battlemenced, the three million human soldiers stationed on the eastern border simultaneouslyunched furious assaults against the deviants upon receiving orders from the united army through a tightwork ofmunication magic tools. Armored cavalry charged deafeningly across the ins to strike enemy camps, whereas guerri squads prowled treacherously in the mountain forests and quietly reaped lives. Such a scale of coordination was never seen before in the united army. The goal was to do everything they could to stall the enemy forces for the next two days, so as to prevent further reinforcements from reaching the Deviant Sovereign. Their strategy was effective, as nearly all of the deviant tribes spread along the eastern border found themselves tied down. On the main battlefield, the bnce was starting to tilt in the favor of the humans too. This was not the first time the holy artifact of the Genesis Goddess Church, the Square of the War Angels, had been invoked. Thest time it was invoked, Holy Eminence John had activated it with his Seven Archangels Bloodline and sessfully dealt a heavy blow on the deviants, thus achieving victory for humankind. This time around, the one activating it was Nora, who possessed the stronger Angel Sovereign Bloodline. The only fate awaiting those who had crossed the Angel Sovereign was death, which was realized through the holy swords looming above the deviants. These holy swords couldn¡¯t be dodged, and they were imbued with holy mes that seared sinners. Deviants who attempted to escape were decapitated, their sttered blood dyeing the white sand crimson. Those who attempted to block the swords with their shields found their bodies ignited by the holy mes. Even the thickest armor was useless before the holy swords. As for those who attempted to retaliate with spells, their mana was quickly broken down by the golden sky, which was suffused with the Angel Sovereign¡¯s assimtion power. Under this almighty area-of-effect spell, the deviants¡¯ formation was quickly pushed to the brink of copse. The rain of holy swords continued for minutes. By the time the light faded from the Square of the War Angels, the scenery hadpletely changed. Countless golden swords could be seen piercing into mountains of zing corpses and rivers of blood. The deviant army had scattered in all directions, and the priests who attempted to cast army spells were obliterated. And this was only the start. After Nora was done, Charlotte stepped forward and impassively waved her hand, signaling the second wave of attack. Rosaian soldiers brought out thousands of glowing long-range weapons and activated them. Gemstones of all colors gleamed brightly as the gigantic weapons unleashed a devastating bombardment that could be heard even from many kilometers away. With no heed to cost, the Sorofyas carried out the most extravagant and intense long-range bombardment humankind had ever seen. Tens of thousands of gold coins were being spent every single second. It was as if the world had be the Sorofyas¡¯ ything. Projectiles covered the horizon, flooding the Hawe Desert as if a tsunami crashing on shore. Boom! Thousands of projectiles exploded at the same time, and they ovepped with one another to give rise to an earth-shattering explosion. A blinding light obliterated countless deviants within a mere second. Shockwaves rippled across the ground, causing the surroundings to tremor. It was then that Charlotte waved her hand, and deep war horns echoed. This time around, it wasing from the humans. ¡°Wu!¡± A gigantic giant suddenly appeared out of nowhere and led the charge with clenched fists. Flying right behind the gigantified Kurt was the armored ¡®Valkyrie¡¯ Brittany. The twomanders of the vanguard battalions let out deafening roars, as the human armies began their charge. Meanwhile, the Rosaian soldiers continued their bombardment to cover the human soldiers. Such an overwhelming wave of attacks left the deviants with no room to breathe. Less than a tenth of the deviants remained after the rain of holy swords and the mass bombardment, and the survivors had practically lost their strength to counterattack too. Rather than ughtering the deviants, the most difficult part for the human armies was stepping across their enemies¡¯ carcasses and theplicated terrain. All in all, the united army had set two strategic goals to achieve victory in this battle. One was the coordinated assault of all human armies stationed on the eastern border to tie down the deviants, and the other was to break through the deviants¡¯ encirclement around Hawe Desert. Knowing that the human armies lost out in terms of military prowess, Nora used her Angel Sovereign Bloodline to activate the Square of the War Angels so as to first destroy the enemies¡¯ priests, before the Sorofyas followed up with a series of carpet bombings. These built momentum for the human armies, allowing them to quickly breach the deviants¡¯ first line of defense. Unfortunately, their advantage didn¡¯tst for long. Indeed, the deviants¡¯ armies weren¡¯t as well-structured as the human armies, and their minds were far too corrupted by insanity for logical nning, but that didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t have their own edge. This was the first time humankind was confronting the Deviant Sovereign despite having fought many wars against the deviants over the past thousand years. Even so, humankind knew that the Deviant Sovereign was a monster that transcendedmon sense, wielding the power to push humankind to the brink of extinction. The Deviant Sovereign weed the ferocious assault of the human armies and retaliated in his own way. As soon as the Sorofyas¡¯ bombardment concluded, an intense mana pulsation could suddenly be felt from the heart of the desert. A gray light whizzed into the sky before abruptly exploding into mana fragments reminiscent of ash. These mana fragments quietly fused into the bodies of the deviants below. Under the effects of the ashlike mana fragments, the deviants let loose ferocious roars. Their bodies swelled up with tremendous strength as mana surged through them, granting them far greater vigor than before. The tide of the battlefield had started changing. ¡°Impossible! An army buff spell cast on over a hundred thousand soldiers?¡± ¡°That damned monster!¡± The human soldiers eximed in disbelief at the miracle unfolding before their eyes, and their momentum faltered a little. In particr, Nora¡¯s golden eyes narrowed. Chapter 599.1: You’re Flirting With Another Queen (1)

Chapter 599.1: You¡¯re Flirting With Another Queen (1)

¡®Time passed in a sh.¡¯ Such phrases were usually dramatization, but today, the ex-prince of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, Kane Xeclyde, had gotten the chance to personally experience what it felt like for himself. Inside Tark Stronghold¡¯smand center, Kane stared intently at Roel as he tried to match thetter to the boy in his memories. He had to admit that much time had passed, though he was also shocked by how much Roel had grown. Roel Ascart, for several reasons, had been one of the people whom Kane had specially kept an eye on from a young age, and he had to concede that the boy had surpassed his expectations. Just two years ago, Roel was still an Origin Level 4 transcendent, having not yet ovee the hurdle of high transcendence. Yet, the man currently standing before him was an Origin Level 2 transcendent, an equivalent existence to him. Such a rate of growth was astounding, though admittedly, Roel¡¯s strength added credence to his inconceivable story. What caught Kane¡¯s attention more, however, was the woman with ash-gray hair next to him. He didn¡¯t recognize Wilhelmina Cambontyte, though he had received a report that the Knight Kingdom¡¯s prince was a princess in disguise prior to Shrouding Fog¡¯s assault. He figured that the woman with Roel was the old William, but both her strength and attitude were inconceivable to him. He was absolutely certain that Wilhelmina was indeed an Origin Level 1 transcendent, and this realization shook what he had deemed to bemon sense in this world. However, what further perplexed him was Wilhelmina¡¯s attitude toward Roel. Race Sovereigns, as the term implied, were beings transcending nationality and organization. They were individuals whose authority and standing towered above the rest of humankind. Yet, to Kane¡¯s shock, he couldn¡¯t help noticing how well Wilhelmina heeded Roel¡¯s instructions. The way she positioned herself seemed almost as if she was a guard in charge of ensuring his safety. This was utterly unbelievable to Kane. Kane could only think of one possible reason Wilhelmina would behave in such a manner, and that made him look at Roel with narrowed eyes. Did you mess with more women? And an Origin Level 1 transcendent at that? Kane was so bbergasted that he actually doubted that Roel was Carter¡¯s biological son, though it made sense when he considered the Ascarts¡¯ preference for queens. These misceneous thoughts only lingered in his mind for a brief moment before giving way to Roel¡¯s story, especially when he learned that Nora might have coordinated a military operation and be fighting the deviants outside right now. ¡°You¡¯re saying that Nora might be outside?¡± ¡°Yes, I believe that the united army might make a move to save us. ording to our previous n, our forces should be marching into Hawe Desert right now.¡± ¡°I see. Indeed, every Race Sovereign is important to determining humankind¡¯s survival, especially in this crucial period.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken. This operation is actually to save¨C¡± Cough cough! Wilhelmina quickly shook her head and tried to rify Kane¡¯s misunderstanding, but Roel interrupted her with a cough. She looked at Roel with confused eyes, and thetter indicated for her to stop with a shake of his head. So many things had happened over the past two years that it would take a long time to exin everything. He wanted to gloss over the less important details now that they were short on time. Besides, he had a feeling that Kane would look at him weirdly again if he learned that an Origin Level 1 transcendent had put her life on the line to save him. Roel had his reasons for stopping Wilhelmina, but to his surprise, thetter puffed her cheeks and pouted in dissatisfaction. She didn¡¯t like how Kane was undermining him. She didn¡¯t care how others viewed her, but it made her ufortable to see the person she fancied receiving such treatment. In the end, Roel heaved a soft sigh and decided toe clean with Kane, saying, ¡°Uncle Kane, the person they are trying to rescue is me.¡± ¡°You? Then Her Highness Wilhelmina¡­¡± ¡°She got injured while trying to save me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kane nced at Wilhelmina in shock. He was still struggling to make sense of the situation. ¡°There are several reasons behind that, but putting aside personal feelings, the greatest reason is the awakening of the Deviant Sovereign,¡± Roel exined. ¡°The awakening of the Deviant Sovereign? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Kane eximed. ¡°Roel is right. We have already crossed blows with the Deviant Sovereign. The key reason behind the united army¡¯s determination to rescue Roel is their belief that only the awakener of the Kingmaker Bloodline wields the potential to defeat the Deviant Sovereign,¡± Wilhelmina said. Kane slowly recovered from his astonishment. His face slowly turned grim, and the atmosphere around him grew heavy. As one of the frontlinemanders, Kane knew that the awakening of the Deviant Sovereign meant that humankind was in danger like never before. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Roel and asked, ¡°I get the rough situation now. What do you need me to do?¡± ¡°All of Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel will regain consciousness very soon. Prince Kane, I hope that you can organize your forces in a day¡¯s time and leave this ce with me. We¡¯ll fight our way out of the deviants¡¯ encirclement and regroup with Nora and the others.¡± ¡°All right. I understand.¡± Kane epted Roel¡¯s request with a nod. The three of them proceeded to discuss the details of their strategy for the uing battle. Meanwhile, the silent fortress slowly grew rowdy. An hour had passed since Roel¡¯s return. As the high transcendents began to regain their consciousness, the first thing they did was to gather at themand center. Kane swiftly issued a series of decisive orders upon gaining a deeper understanding of the situation outside. Just like that, the massive beast known as Tark Stronghold began to wake from its slumber. All kinds of messages were broadcasted within the fortress, and more and more people were awakened from their sleep. Thanks to Kane¡¯s decisive leadership and the strict discipline among the soldiers, there was no panic even though the awakened soldiers were inevitably confused. Themand center quickly got busy. There was an endless stream of people walking in and out of themand center to report on progress, as well as to receive and ry orders. Roel and Wilhelmina took the roles of military advisors, providing the most up-to-date intelligence to Tark Stronghold¡¯smanders so as to facilitate their discussion. The abrupt participation of two youths in the emergency meeting baffled Tark Stronghold¡¯smanders, but no one doubted their credentials, since one of them was the scion of the Ascart House, whereas the other was a Race Sovereign. Themanders eventually came to a unanimous agreement that they shouldunch a pre-emptive strike on the deviants, and the Genesis Goddess Church¡¯s clergymen expressed that they would listen to their superiors¡¯ directives. Roel heaved a sigh of relief. With that, he and Wilhelmina finally had time to deal with other issues. The first thing he did was to request the clergymen to cast recovery spells on Wilhelmina to thoroughly treat her injuries. At Wilhelmina¡¯s and Kane¡¯s insistence, he received the same treatment. If one really had to point out a w in the past Tark Stronghold, it would be itsck of top-tier fighting power. However, this weakness was bridged now that Roel and Wilhelmina were fully healed from their injuries. The current Tark Stronghold was stronger than ever. This injected great confidence into Kane and the othermanders, who had been worrying about the changes outside since they had been isted from the world for two years now. ¡°Roel, we should be able to finish organizing our forces within a day. If we include the logistics team, we are about 150,000 soldiers strong.¡± ¡°150,000¡­ That¡¯s less than I expected.¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s good news. We usually have more soldiers than this, but Shrouding Fog¡¯s attack came during our winter personnel swap. Tens of thousands of injured soldiers were escorted off by our logistics personnel. Without them, our army will be even more mobile.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Roel replied with a nod. His heart eased a little. He had been worried that the injured soldiers would be sacrifices in the uing battle. As soon as they returned to the real world, they would be facing the borate trap and tight encirclement of the Deviant Sovereign. Even breaking out of the encirclement would already be a Herculean undertaking; there was no way they could take care of the wounded on top of that. Roel¡¯splexion greatly improved now that he was relieved of his greatest worry. Just then, Kane suddenly thought of something which made his expression turn a little weird. He hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Roel, there¡¯s something I want to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Well, I just received a report that there is something in Tark Stronghold. I suspect that you might have brought it over while saving us. Do you want to take a look?¡± ¡°I brought something over while saving you? I don¡¯t think¡­ Ah! I understand.¡± Halfway through his words, Roel suddenly remembered Artasia mentioning something about a gift, so he asked about its location before heading over with Wilhelmina. To the salute from a row of soldiers, the two of them walked down a corridor and a flight of stairs. Upon arriving on the first floor, they headed to the military square. The soldiers in the fortress were too busy making preparations for the uing battle to pay heed to them. The moment the two of them walked outdoors, they felt a surge of invigoration. They had been cooped inside the fortress for so many days that it had started to feel stuffy. While the square was also located inside the fortress, it had an open roof, though the area was currently covered by thick white fog. ¡°Roel, that white fog¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; there isn¡¯t much mana there. We won¡¯t get devoured,¡± Roel exined with a smile. To prove his point, he stepped into the square and made his way toward the white fog. Wilhelmina hesitated for a split instant before quickly following him. ¡°Look; it¡¯s fine,¡± Roel said. ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Wilhelmina agreed. ¡°Are you frightened of the fog?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. I¡¯m just worried that you won¡¯t be able to escape in time if you get devoured again. The united army won¡¯t be able to keep up their offense against the deviants for long.¡± Roel was silent for a moment before asking, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®you¡¯? We are going to survive this ordeal together.¡± ¡°¡­I have made a vow to protect you. Your safety is my priority.¡± ¡°I have already said that you aren¡¯t my guard anymore. Mina, when are you going to change that mindset of yours?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Wilhelmina looked a little flustered. Roel heaved a sigh as he turned to look at Wilhelmina. Thetter looked a little flustered under his gaze. She instinctively thought of apologizing, only to jolt when Roel suddenly grabbed her hand. Her cheeks quickly turned red. ¡°T-this¡­¡± ¡°¡­The fog is too dense. Don¡¯t get lost.¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Wilhelmina could only shyly nod her head at Roel¡¯s justification, though she secretly wished for the fog to envelop a wider area so that this could continue longer. Meanwhile, Roel scanned their surroundings with a contemtive gleam in his eyes. ¡°They said that there¡¯s something here. What could it be?¡± ¡°Could it be a weapon of some sort?¡± ¡°A weapon? I doubt so. Artasia wouldn¡¯t bother keeping the suspense about something as simple as that.¡± Roel ventured deeper into the fog, Wilhelmina quietly following him. It didn¡¯t take long for their silhouettes to bepletely concealed by the fog. All of a sudden, Roel felt something on the ground beneath him. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s with the floor?¡± Roel murmured. ¡°I think there¡¯s something in the vicinity. Wait a moment. That is¡­¡± Wilhelmina eximed. Roel quickly turned his head over to look at what Wilhelmina was pointing at. What he saw made his body stiffen up. Concealed amidst the fog was not any weapon but a ghastly pale mountain. ¡­ Chapter 599.2: You’re Flirting With Another Queen (2)

Chapter 599.2: You¡¯re Flirting With Another Queen (2)

Army buff spells were one of the rarest and most restrictive kinds of spells on the Sia Continent. They were hardly effective at all when cast on an individual, but when utilized on the battlefield, they could induce huge changes reminiscent of a chemical reaction. Army buff spells didn¡¯t just enhance the soldiers¡¯ fighting prowess. What was more important was their effect on their psychological state, and the psychological state of many soldiers was what determined an army¡¯s morale. Morale was one of the intangible factors that had a massive impact on the oue of a battle. An army¡¯s morale was usually built on their training and their experience on the battlefield, and further augmented through offering material rewards. However, those who possessed army buff spells simply needed to cast their spells. This was practically a cheat, which was why those who possessed army buff spells were thought to be natural militarymanders. In the eras without war, there were only two ways to be promoted to a general in most countries. One was to ovee one¡¯s limitations and reach Origin Level 3, and the other was to possess an army buff spell. In truth, there were few chances to cast army buff spells on the battlefield. They were used only when an army was in a desperate position and needed something potent to turn things around. Or at least, this was what the human militarymanders knew about army buff spells, but thismon sense they had taken for granted had been shattered today by the Deviant Sovereign. Army buff spells usually buffed at most thousands to ten thousand, but the ashlike mana fragments descending from the sky enhanced over a hundred thousand deviants at once. Thunderous war cries boomed. The roused deviants leaped out of their cover, tossed aside their shields, and charged at the humans rushing at them. This wasn¡¯t just a partial counterattack but an all-out assault. Such a situation caught the human armies off guard. Themanding team stationed at the back flew into a fluster. Nora and Charlotte, who stood at the center of the military formation, frowned. Despite the abrupt change in the situation, the massive giant and the armored valkyrie charging at the forefront didn¡¯t falter in the least. Kurt¡¯s eyes glowed with savagery, while Brittany¡¯s body crackled with lightning. Instead of slowing down, they actually further elerated like madmen. The two of them had no choice but to push forth, or else their soldiers¡¯ morale would plummet. ¡®When two men cross paths on a narrow road, it¡¯s the braver one who triumphs.¡¯ Such a saying might not be suitable for battle on such terrain, but that was not to discount the importance of courage in war. The morale of the human armies had already beenpromised by the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s army buff spell; their hesitation, at this juncture, could spread fear across all of the armies. Should they halt their footsteps, the soldiers behind them would halt theirs too. The cumtive loss in momentum arising from that would spell defeat for the human armies. Thus, the two of them couldn¡¯t back down, even if it meant dying in the enemies¡¯ formation. The valiance they disyed snapped their apanying vanguard knights out of the shock they received from the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s army buff spell. They quickly gripped their reins tight and charged alongside theirmanders. When themanders led by example, the soldiers reciprocated with their courage. They knew that they couldn¡¯t back down now that they were carrying the fate of their race on their shoulders. They had already resolved themselves to death. The human cavalrymen stormed eastward with raised spears, vowing to tear down any obstacles that stood in their path. In response, the frenzied deviant soldiers charged westward with furious growls, determined to destroy anyone who dared to threaten their Sovereign. Two waves, one the gray of steel and the other of ash, swiftly closed in on each other along the border of Hawe Desert before eventually colliding. Boom! Thousands of metallic reverberations shook the desert as the two armies shed. Kurt, with mana enveloping his mountainlike body, rammed down over a hundred deviants, smashing them into bloodied bits. Brittany unleashed innumerable bolts of lightning and swiftly zapped down hundreds of enemies. At the same time, the first wave of cavalrymen skewered many deviants with their spears before taking their retreat, and the second wave of cavalrymen quickly took their ce. The humans had clinched the initial advantage in the sh, but the deviants weren¡¯t fazed by theirrades¡¯ deaths. With ear-splitting roars, they swung their weapons down on the humans closest to them. The battle quickly intensified, and the number of casualties soared. When the initial momentum of the vanguard battalions died out, the other human armies quickly followed up byunching their attacks too. Racing across the battlefield with her four limbs like a cat, the swift Selina was the first one to charge into the enemies following the vanguard battalions. Her saber sliced right through the defenses of the deviants to stter blood upon the desert. Juliana stood in a blood puddle not too far behind and silently chanted her incantation, summoning countless blood spears that simultaneously shot forth to skewer the deviants. The archers behind tirelessly shot their arrows to stall the deviants¡¯ momentum, as the Rosaian soldiers recharged their weapons¡¯ mana. While Nora was still recovering from her exertion from using the Square of the War Angels, the Genesis Goddess Church¡¯s clergymen raised their staffs to channel an army spell. A cloud of mes slowly formed above their heads. However, the deviants paid no heed to their movements. They had gone berserk under the effects of the army buff spell. They abandoned all strategy to obey their feral instincts to tear their enemies apart. Tens of thousands of deviants were rushing up to the second defense line to charge at the human armies. They anxiously wanted to spill the enemies¡¯ blood to prove their loyalty to their Sovereign, and their intense emotions manifested as unyielding tenacity. Even on their dying breath, they sought tond one more attack on their enemies. Both the humans and the deviants had already employed all of their means at this point, and their intense battle dyed the pristine desert red. Over time, due to the deviants¡¯ army buff spell subsiding and the relentless waves of army spells and Rosaian nket bombings, the humans began to reim their advantage. Just as the odds were about to turn in the humans¡¯ favor, weird ck spheres suddenly appeared in the sky. These ck spheres were around the size of a fist. They were so well-camouged in the darkness of the night that they hardly caught anyone¡¯s attention. Neither the archers nor the magicians in the backline noticed them. Shortly after these ck spheres appeared, an intense mana pulsation shook the sky. All of a sudden, these ck spheres began sucking up all of the mana in their vicinity like little ck holes. The mana they absorbed waspressed into terrifying bundles of energy that could obliterate everything within a given radius once released. The sheer intensity of the mana pulsations prompted the soldiers on the ground to look up. Even Nora narrowed her eyes as well. ¡°That is¡­!¡± Nora was immediately reminded of the ck spheres Roel had previously told her about, and thatpelled her to invoke the Square of the War Angels once more. She slit her wrist and dripped her blood onto the square via the stone sword. A golden light surged into the sky once more. The assimtory power of the Angel Sovereign swiftly suffused all of the ck spheres in the vicinity and forced them to explode prematurely. Unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t able to reach the further ck spheres in time. Boom! Fifteen ck spheres whizzed from the midst of the deviants¡¯ armies toward the back line of the human armies before unleashing devastating explosions. This was the first time since themencement of battle that the humans had suffered an aerial attack. Although Nora had wiped out most of the ck spheres before they could strike, the explosions of the remainder still took many lives. More importantly, this explosion told the human armies that they wouldn¡¯t be able to im the upper hand even when the effects of the army buff spell subsided. The deviants were capable of long-range attacks as well, which meant that their back line was no longer safe. It was at this point that the trajectory of the battle changed. The Deviant Sovereign, despite being much further inside the desert, continued to summon more ck spheres to attack the human armies from afar. After a series of attacks, the deviants¡¯ morale rose higher than ever, whereas the human armies began losing steam. To deal with the ck spheres, Nora had to frequently activate the Square of the War Angels, preventing her from summoning the holy swords to rain upon the deviants once more. Furthermore, Rosa was also on the verge of depleting the ammunition for its long-range artillery weapon. Kurt¡¯s gigantic body had many weapons lodged in it. Brittany¡¯s armor was covered in cracks. Selina had gotten injured fighting one of the deviantmanders, but she refused to retreat from the frontline. Juliana¡¯s power was starting to weaken as the night gave way to the day. As the deviants grew even more aggressive, Roel¡¯s heretic army and the Ascarts¡¯ personal army joined the battle too, but they weren¡¯t enough to fend against the buffed deviants. ¡°If only we had more soldiers¡­¡± murmured Charlotte, who had been using the Arbiter to direct the bombardment so as to maximize the casualties. Her heart slowly turned cold. This was a conclusion she couldn¡¯t ept. An entire night of fighting had thoroughly exhausted the soldiers on both sides, but the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s support seemed to be neverending. If anything, the number of ck spheres flying over seemed to only increase in number. At this point, the human armies should not be trying to make a breakthrough anymore but instead, finding an opportunity to withdraw their forces, or else they would be at risk of facing aplete wipeout. Charlotte understood that, but retreating at this juncture spelled Roel¡¯s death. The Battle of Scorched Earth would have been in vain, and she would lose her lover too. Just the thought of the implications drained her face of blood. Simrly, Nora was also on the verge of falling into despair. Just as the two highestmanders of this military operation were facing a dilemma, a ck-haired, amethyst-eyed woman suddenly emerged from the northern valley on horseback. She calmly scanned the battlefield before turning her sights toward Nora and Charlotte. Nora seemed to have noticed her gaze and instinctively raised her head. Charlotte¡¯s body shuddered, and she looked upward as well. Then, the two of them widened their eyes in shock. ¡°That is¡­¡± Before their eyes, the ck-haired, amethyst-eyed woman drew her sword and pointed it at the sky. Tens of thousands of Austinean soldiers immediately emerged from behind her. Lilian Ackermann then swung her sword down and pointed it forward. Deafening war cries and the thunderous galloping of horse hooves ensued. ck-armored cavalrymen charged down the mountain valley like a sharp ck sword seeking to tear through the deviants¡¯ formation. ¡­ Chapter 599.3: You’re Flirting With Another Queen (3)

Chapter 599.3: You¡¯re Flirting With Another Queen (3)

What lifted soldiers¡¯ morale the most on the battlefield? This was a vague question with many answers, depending on the context, but there was only one answer to the united army right now¡ªthe arrival of reinforcement. When the ck-armored cavalrymen began their thunderous charge, the human soldiers fighting in the desert were momentarily stunned before cheers broke out. In contrast, the deviants howled in indignation. The arrival of reinforcement from the Austine Empire greatly uplifted the human soldiers¡¯ spirits, but what shocked them was that the reinforcement was more than they had expected. The cavalrymen charging down from the northern valley¡¯s narrow path were just the vanguard. The true army was making its way from the wider foothills. Their soldiers were well-equipped, and the gs they carried stretched all the way to the horizon. ¡°How many people is that?!¡± ¡°A hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand?¡± The sight of that ignited the human soldiers¡¯ fighting will. The woundedmanders tightened their grip on their weapons andunched another wave of attack. Hope returned to the eyes of the soldiers who had resolved themselves to death. Without any pep talk whatsoever, the human soldiers pulled themselves together andunched a tenacious counterattack. On the other hand, Lilian gathered a huge bulk of mana that could be felt even from far away and summoned an army of a thousand blue-armored knights. This was one of the strongest knight orders of the Ancient Austine Empire, with a great legacy that hadsted a thousand years. In this decisive war between two races, the proud knights who defended the ancient human empire disyed astounding fighting intent. Their prowess was further enhanced by Lilian¡¯s powers, granting each of them strength equivalent to Origin Level 3 transcendents. They charged ahead of the ck-armored knights, bing the sharpest edge of humankind¡¯s counterattack. It was under this knight order¡¯s leadership that the Austine Empire¡¯s cavalrymen had remained undefeated over the past two years. Under Lilian¡¯smand, the ck-armored knights charged straight toward the deviants¡¯ nks. The deviants desperately put up a defense against this iing attack, but it was no use. The blue-armored knights pierced into the deviants¡¯ armies and furiously brandished their mana-imbued swords to tear as many openings in their formations as possible, inducing utmost confusion. In fact, they even cut right through the deviants¡¯ formation in a single breath. ¡°Look over there! Their nk!¡± ¡°They managed to tear through their formation!¡± The human soldiers cheered excitedly at the sight of the deviants¡¯ copsing army formation. Both Nora and Charlotte also looked relieved. We won. That was the thought the two of them harbored in their minds. A battle between two armies was heavily determined by their respective formations. Once an army had its nk breached, the soldiers in front would be vulnerable to attacks from both the front and the back, which was as good as dooming them. Simrly, the back lines would also be cut off from reinforcements from the frontlines, putting them at risk of being annihted. Of course, it was possible for the deviants to quickly regroup and counterattack, but it was a pity they were up against Lilian Ackermann, who wielded the power to keep summoning legendary armies from the Ancient Austine Empire. It went without saying that she wouldn¡¯t give them any room to catch their breath. The deviants¡¯ formation was mercilessly sliced into two by a force reminiscent of a torrential current, and the footsoldiers behind steadily marched into the opening to encircle the panicking deviants and massacre them. By the time the ck spheres arrived once more, the deviants¡¯ formation had already copsed. There was no salvaging the situation anymore. This battle ended with humankind¡¯s victory. The outermost encirclement of the deviants had sumbed, opening humankind¡¯s path into Hawe Desert. ¡­ Deafening cheers echoed from the united army as soon as the battle concluded. The Austine Empire¡¯s soldiers also raised their weapons up high and roared triumphantly as an expression of respect toward the others. It was an astounding feat for the united army to have stood their ground against the deviants for a night despite suffering a numerical disadvantage, and they saw it as an honor to fight alongside such soldiers. The cheerssted for a long time before slowly dying down. Nora and Charlotte quickly ordered the soldiers to clean the battlefield and save the wounded. Lilian also dispatched her medics down to the battlefield to help out. The other soldiers were ordered to stay put and await further orders. Lilian stared at the remnants of the deviants¡¯ armies fleeing deeper into the desert with narrowed eyes. She did consider giving pursuit and ending them for good, but that was simply too risky. While she hadn¡¯t met its owner yet, she could vaguely sense a terrifying mana pulsation and pressureing from the center of the desert. In the end, she decided not to pursue the deviants but instead gather more intelligence first. While she had deduced the key details through circumstantial evidence, she still wanted the others to personally confirm that he was still alive. Furthermore, she couldn¡¯t devote her full force to this military operation, as that child had told her to, until she had a better understanding of the situation here. What had caused her to change her mind a few days ago was a girl who had appeared out of nowhere. The girl had left no traces behind, which left her wondering if it had just been a dream, but based on how the girl had addressed her, she could fathom a guess as to who the girl was. The child in her womb. Lilian didn¡¯t know how it could have been done, but if that girl was truly the child between her and that man, it was definitely usible that she possessed the means to break temporalws. It was with such thoughts that she listened to the girl¡¯s advice and led all of her soldiers here. The strength of the army she had brought numbered a shocking 400,000, which was why Nora and Charlotte personally weed her when she arrived at the united army¡¯smand center. However, she didn¡¯t bother with pleasantries but instead got straight to the point. ¡°Tell me the current situation and your n!¡± Lilian spoke with a more agitated voice than usual. Nora and Charlotte nced at each other before nodding. They headed into the tent and immediately held an urgent meeting. From that, Lilian gained more concrete news about Roel. ¡°Based on our scouting, the Deviant Sovereign is stationed here. Roel has likely used some means to force the battle to a standstill, and he should still retain considerable fighting prowess. That would exin the Deviant Sovereign camping in that area while continuously deploying more troops there. I should also mention that Wilhelmina is likely to be with him right now.¡± ¡°Wilhelmina would give her all to protecting him. That should increase his chances of survival,¡± Lilian remarked. Nora nodded in agreement. ¡°We¡¯re less than a day away from the agreed meeting time between Nora and Roel. We have already opened the entrance to Hawe Desert through the earlier battle. What we have to do now is to rush to our destination and wait,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°Wait a moment. Are you saying that¡­¡± Lilian asked with narrowed eyes as a possibility came to her mind. ¡°Indeed. My grandfather and the others would be participating in the next wave of attack. They would be moving in to stall the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns and the Deviant Sovereign, while we deal with the other soldiers. We¡¯ll retreat as soon as we secure Roel,¡± Nora replied with a nod. ¡°I see¡­¡± Lilian slowly nodded as she finally understood why there were no Origin Level 1 transcendents involved in the earlier battle. Meanwhile, the Race Sovereigns of humankind began making their moves. Upon receiving an update from the frontlines, three powerful mana pulsations suddenly rippled from three different directions around the area where Roel had disappeared. Instead of hiding as they had for the past year, they were now unting their presence as if provoking the deviants. One was an old man d in holy light. One was a king cleaning his de. One was a schr holding a staff. These three Origin Level 1 transcendents patiently waited for the arrival of their guests. At the center of Hawe Desert, where a huge army of deviants had gathered, the three deviant Race Sovereigns sensed the auras and turned to the Deviant Sovereign for permission. Upon receiving thetter¡¯s approval, the three of them flitted off in three different directions. While the Race Sovereigns rushed toward their respective battlefields, at the center of the area that countless deviants had tightly encircled, the space where Roel had abruptly vanished into thin air warped ever so slightly. Chapter 600.1: Let’s Return Home Together (1)

Chapter 600.1: Let¡¯s Return Home Together (1)

. Roel¡¯s initial n was to coordinate with the reinforcements to perform a two-pronged assault from the inside and the outside to breach the deviants¡¯ encirclement, but he knew it would have been impossible to pull that off without a proper channel ofmunication. Whether it was him trying to break out of the encirclement or the reinforcements trying to tie down the deviants, it would be meaningless if they didn¡¯t strike at the same time. If Roel went out prematurely before the reinforcements arrived, he risked being crushed by the deviants. If the reinforcements arrived but he hadn¡¯te out yet, it would severely dampen the united army¡¯s morale. Grasping the right timing was the key to this battle. Roel and Tark Stronghold¡¯smanders understood that, which was why Roel attempted to sense the mana pulsations at thending point of his Silver Devourer, figuring that there would be intense mana pulsations if the united army had confronted the deviants in a battle. He had never doubted that Nora and the others woulde and rescue him. In fact, the united army had evenunched an all-out attack to save Roel, and they had already achieved a resounding victory at the entrance of Hawe Desert thanks to Lilian¡¯s reinforcement. However, these happened too far away for Roel to sense, though he did sense something else: the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s mana. This told him that the Deviant Sovereign was camping in the area, waiting for his return. At the same time, the fact that he could sense the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s mana meant that thetter had recently cast a spell, and this was likely induced by the arrival of reinforcements. ¡°Are they on their way?¡± Prince Kane asked. ¡°It requires further confirmation, but it¡¯s likely to be the united army judging from the timing,¡± Roel replied. ¡°That¡¯s good news, but it still won¡¯t be easy for us to breach the encirclement of the Deviant Sovereign and the deviants¡¯ three Race Sovereigns with our current forces.¡± ¡°I reckon that we¡¯re the weakest one of the three forces on this battlefield, so we have to patiently bide our time. Nevertheless, it¡¯s almost about time for us to make our move.¡± Prince Kane nodded. The othermanders gathered in themand center fell into a state of tension, knowing that they would soon have to fight a dogged battle. The uing battle would decide not only their own survival but the fate of humankind as well. Its significance was immense, which was why Tark Stronghold had made thorough preparations. Within half a day¡¯s time, the soldiers were already standing at attention in the fortress¡¯s square in neat formations. Be they footsoldier or knight, every single soldier gathered here had a solemn expression. They had learned about their current situation from the fortress¡¯s broadcast, and they understood the difficulties they would face upon returning to the real world. Even so, they remained resolute. They couldn¡¯t change the fact that Shrouding Fog had stolen two years away from them, but the uing battle was a chance for them to prove themselves. After holding onest meeting, the militarymanders rushed off to do their final preparations after receiving their orders. Meanwhile, Roel and Wilhelmina stood at Tark Stronghold¡¯s main entrance, awaiting the arrival of the opportune moment. ¡°It¡¯s our second battle. Mina, are you afraid?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the Deviant Sovereign?¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± ¡°A little¡­¡± Wilhelmina looked at the white scenery in the distance as she replied. Roel wasn¡¯t surprised. He, too, was unable to remainposed when he thought about the monster he would have to face outside. ¡°You admitted to that quite easily. I thought that you would put on a brave front.¡± ¡°My fear won¡¯t disappear just because I turn my eyes away from it. I might as well confront it lest it shake me up on the battlefield.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°However, I¡¯m more worried about you,¡± Wilhelmina suddenly said. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel raised his head to look at Wilhelmina. Wilhelmina ced her hand on her chest and hesitantly said, ¡°His ability to steal hearts is too dangerous. Anyone who falls for it will be incapacitated right away, and the main person he would target is you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but it isn¡¯t a one-on-one fight this time. There will be many restrictions to that spell of his on the battlefield.¡± ¡°I hope so. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll do everything I can to ensure your safety. My sword exists for your sake.¡± ¡°Stop saying that. I am not as weak as you make me out to be,¡± Roel grumbled. ¡°Besides¡­¡± ¡°I know,¡± Wilhelmina interjected with a nod. She grabbed Roel¡¯s hands and earnestly said, ¡°Let¡¯s return home together.¡± Roel was surprised, but a smile slowly formed on his face as he replied with a determined nod, ¡°¡­Definitely.¡± ¡­ ¡®Origin Level 1¡¯¡ªthis term referred to humankind¡¯s strongest transcendents, and it carried tremendous influence and weight. Most of the Origin Level 1 transcendents were survivors of the previous war against the deviants, heroes who had once saved humankind. Now, they shouldered the responsibility of paving the way forward for the younger generation in the new era. Each Race Sovereign carried a heavy burden on their shoulders, but how they dealt with it differed from individual to individual. Some chose to escape from it. Some went down a twisted path. The trio currently in Hawe Desert had chosen to bravely confront it. The greatest difficulty in the operation to rescue Roel was not theck of military prowess but how to deal with the unprecedented concentration of the deviants¡¯ high-tier fighting power. Thebined fighting prowess of the Deviant Sovereign and his three Race Sovereigns was not as simple as ¡®one plus one equals two¡¯. This was a hierarchy, and humankind had no equivalent to the deviants¡¯ top tier. The fact that none of humankind¡¯s Race Sovereigns were strong enough to reach the level of the gods meant that they didn¡¯t have any way of dealing with the Deviant Sovereign at all. Even if there was nothing amiss with the Austine Empire, and Emperor Lukas and Layton Seze participated in the military operation as well, it was doubtful that they could im the upper hand against the deviants. If anything, it was more likely for all five of humankind¡¯s Race Sovereigns to be felled in a single swoop. With a frontal confrontation being suicide, the only option was for them to lure the enemies away. As long as humankind¡¯s Race Sovereigns could stall the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns, there would still be a sliver of hope that they could rescue Roel. However, humankind¡¯s Race Sovereigns were taking on a huge risk here. Human transcendents were generally weaker than the deviants inbat due to the difference in their constitution. While the deviants¡¯ descent into depravity and insanity had stripped them of their intelligence, they had gained great strength and tremendous regeneration ability in return. Human transcendents stood no chance against the deviants in a prolonged battle. In the desert, a white-robed old man d in light looked at the distant horizon with a calm face. Beside him stood an aged schr and a sword saint. They were the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Holy Eminence John, Brolne¡¯s Principal Antonio, and Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s Sword Saint King Friedrich respectively. The three Race Sovereigns of humankind were patiently waiting for the arrival of their opponents with surprisingposure. Chapter 600.2: Let’s Return Home Together (2)

Chapter 600.2: Let¡¯s Return Home Together (2)

¡°I believe it has been centuries since humankind¡¯s Race Sovereignsst cooperated like this,¡± Holy Eminence John remarked as he felt powerful mana pulsations approaching from the distance. Antonio and Friedrich exchanged looks before nodding. ¡°Our research showed that it¡¯s a huge waste of fighting potential for Origin Level 1 transcendents to be gathered together, so the united army never bothered formting a n for us to appear on the same battlefield. This is a special exception,¡± Antonio analyzed. ¡°I have fought alongside Antonio before, but that¡¯s a very long time ago,¡± Friedrich said. Friedrich and Antonio had hardly been on the battlefield since taking on lofty positions, whereas Holy Eminence John had yet to recover from his previous battle. Even so, the three of them still chose to step onto the battlefield. The three of them surprisingly shared the same reason behind their conviction. ¡°It has been my n¡¯s calling to protect the Kingmaker n all this while, but you ended up snatching our jobs.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Roel? You shouldn¡¯t forget that he¡¯s a student at my academy. It¡¯s only right for me to take care of him.¡± ¡°Roel is a citizen of my Saint Mesit Theocracy, as well as my granddaughter¡¯s childhood friend. I¡¯m also obliged to stand up for him as his elder.¡± At the cusp of the decisive battle, the three Race Sovereigns stated their connection with Roel, implicitlymunicating the high expectations they harbored for the next generation. The consensus they hade to only further reinforced their views. It might be possible for one of them to have misjudged Roel, but the chances were too slim for all three of them, who had experienced the vicissitudes of the world, to simultaneously misjudge the same person. The realization that their counterparts shared the same thoughts prompted Holy Eminence John, Antonio, and Friedrich to further raise Roel¡¯s importance in their hearts by a notch. ¡°We¡¯re on the same page here.¡± Holy Eminence John chuckled mirthfully. He felt gleeful about his granddaughter¡¯s ties with Roel, especially since he was the first one to support the two of them. Sword Saint King Friedrich was relieved too, knowing that the vow between Wilhelmina and Roel couldn¡¯t be undone. The two of them were already firmly tied together. Saving Roel didn¡¯t just benefit humankind; it was also in their personal and national interest. Meanwhile, Antonio looked at the two of them with a silent smile. Both Nora and Wilhelmina were Saint Freya Academy¡¯s students; he naturally knew the rtionship they had with Roel. However, the Country of Schrs also had its advantage in the form of ex¨CTwilight Sages Assembly member, ¡®Academic¡¯ Astrid Arde. Fine, I admit that our Country of Schrs doesn¡¯t have any princesses to betroth, but we have his ancestor here! Romantic feelings can change over time, but blood ties are eternal! Besides, you shouldn¡¯t forget that Saint Freya Academy is Roel¡¯s alma mater. Such calctions allowed Antonio to remain calm, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t lose out to the other two. The three Race Sovereigns had a surprisingly pleasant time chatting with one another prior to the decisive battle. However, their joy didn¡¯tst long. The three of them quickly reined in their smiles upon sensing three surges of mana swiftly approaching. While their close rtionship with Roel could benefit them in the future, that would only matter if they sessfully saved Roel and ensured that humankind still had a future. And that was exactly what the three Race Sovereigns were fighting for. In the distant horizon, a gigantic aerial monster first arrived on the field amidst a bolt of lightning. It howled hoarsely, threatening to tear everything apart. In response, Holy Eminence John unfurled his light wings and rose into the air to face it. ¡°Break time¡¯s over.¡± ¡°It was a good idea for us to temporarily regroup so that we can select our opponents.¡± Friedrich and Antonio, who couldn¡¯t engage in a prolonged aerial battle, sighed in relief. Meanwhile, Holy Eminence John, who had gotten into his battle mode, intently assessed his enemy as his mana pulsation grew stronger. ¡®Thunderbird¡¯, ¡®Swordghost¡¯, and ¡®Behemoth¡¯ were the aliases the united army had given to the deviants¡¯ three Race Sovereigns. There were huge differences in their fighting styles, so it was wiser to choose an opponent they had an advantage over than to leave it up to chance. Friedrich wouldn¡¯t be able to properly unleash his attacks against the flying Thunderbird, whereas Swordghost¡¯s power to breach most defenses and render recovery spells ineffective was a bad match for Antonio. Thus, the three of them, after attracting the attention of the deviants¡¯ three Race Sovereigns, chose to gather together to pick their enemies. They would then lure away the enemy they had chosen and battle separately. The sky was inundated with lightning and holy light. The ins trembled under the astounding killing intenting from two shing des. In the desert, a spatial magician confronted a humongous beast as they unleashed their strongest attacks on each other. The battle among the Race Sovereigns had begun. Meanwhile, Lilian, Nora, and Charlotte brought the united army toward the depths of the desert to confront the Deviant Sovereign and his massive armies. ¡­ What did it mean to have military prowess twofold of one¡¯s enemy? In the war against the deviants, it represented an absolute advantage. The deviants had no fortresses, and the defensive structures they built were shabbypared to the humans¡¯. As a result, they usually resorted to brawling on the battlefield. However, due to the differences in individual fighting prowess, humankind generally needed a military force 50% greater than the deviants¡¯ in order to rival them. For the Battle of Scorched Earth, the united army now had twofold of the deviants¡¯ armies, and the bulk of them were humankind¡¯s elites. That should have been more than enough for them to ovee the enemy that stood in their path. Yet, Lilian, Nora, and Charlotte had terribly heavy expressions as they gazed upon the deviants¡¯ formation. They could feel unimaginable pressureing from ahead. This was not the first time Nora, Charlotte, and Lilian had encountered a Race Sovereign. They had even participated in the Battle of Stanlosst year and witnessed the Race Sovereigns¡¯ showdown. Yet,pared to the existence they were going to confront, the showdown among the Race Sovereigns didn¡¯t seem like a big deal anymore. The Deviant Sovereign exerted a pressure reminiscent of heaven¡¯s wrath. He naturally cast a domain around him that hemanded jurisdiction over. Anyone who opposed him would be weighed down as if they were being rejected by the world. It was not just Nora and the others who felt this sensation but the entire united army, which was why their morale felt subdued. What further shocked them was the presence of another powerful aura in the enemy formation, aside from the Deviant Sovereign. In the middle of the deviants¡¯ army, a brawny deviant warrior roared before the Deviant Sovereign as his body pulsated with powerful mana. This was a sign that the brawny deviant warrior was on the verge of a breakthrough to Origin Level 1, yet this was no ordinary breakthrough, but a bestowment from a god. Sinister ck fluid flowed like a stream from the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s hand to the brawny deviant warrior, enveloping his body. Thetter roared in frenzy as his body absorbed the ck fluid and began to mutate. His muscles bulged as the intensity of his mana pulsation rapidly surged. A new head sprouted out of his neck, as his aura grew stronger than ever. This transformation caught the united army¡¯s attention. Nora and the others were dumbstruck, for they could tell that the Deviant Sovereign was artificially creating another Race Sovereign. Most likely, the brawny deviant warrior wouldplete its breakthrough to Origin Level 1 once its second head finished growing. This was a nightmare for humankind. ¡°We can¡¯t let him seed. Attack!¡± Nora and the others decisively issued the order to attack, but that was easier said than done. For instance, they couldn¡¯t activate their long-range attacks at a moment¡¯s notice. While the united army was in despair, furious winds suddenly stirred from the very center of the deviants¡¯ formation. Thick white fog appeared out of nowhere and swiftly expanded to conceal the sky. Slowly, the vague outline of a fortress appeared amidst the white fog. The human soldiers cried out in rm, whereas the deviants roared in apprehension. In particr, Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes narrowed in disbelief. The white fog then abruptly scattered, revealing a towering fortress that shook the hearts of everyone present. Its name was Tark Stronghold. Chapter 601.1: Divine Domain (1)

Chapter 601.1: Divine Domain (1)

Tark Stronghold was a holynd for not just the Theocracy but all of humankind. Its infrastructure was devoid of grace, and there were hardly any ornaments on it worth preserving, but the spirit it embraced was loftier than any grand building, for it represented the unyielding spirit of humankind. This fortress had stood for nearly a thousand years, since the earlier years of the Third Epoch. Its existence was weaved into countless heroic stories. Of the four wars against the deviants that had been fought thus far, three of the conclusive battles were initiated here. Generations of great men had protected humankind from the walls of Tark Stronghold, keeping the torch of humankind alive. It was only a structure, but the spirit and significance it embodied went far beyond that. That was also why Tark Stronghold¡¯s disappearance shook humankind as a whole. No one could have imagined that this great structure would suddenly appear in the middle of Hawe Desert in such a manner. Countless human soldiers raised their heads and stared at the towering fortress, gobsmacked. Meanwhile, the deviants continued to growl in shock and unease. Allies and enemies alike were taken aback by the sudden appearance of this massive structure. Even the Deviant Sovereign warily narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. ¡°Nora, is that¡­?!¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Tark Stronghold!¡± Nora answered with a furiously beating heart, as an optimistic thought surfaced in her mind. ¡°Could it be¡­¡± Lilian and Charlotte widened their eyes. Before anyone coulde to terms with what had just happened, loud rumbles suddenly echoed from the fortress. ¡°That sound!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the fortress defensive magic weapons!¡± ¡°Defend! Defend!¡± The human soldiers immediately identified the sources of those rumbles and shouted in shock. Simrly, the deviants, who had experience in breaching fortresses, roared in rm and unrest. During this pandemonium, the wall above Tark Stronghold¡¯s main entrance opened up to release an intense burst of light. It was so bright that it blinded the eyes of those on the battlefield, obscuring even the sun¡¯s brilliance. Holy Strike¡ªthis was the name of the fortress defensive magic weapon. Over the past thousand years, it had pushed back the deviants¡¯ encirclement time and time again, allowing humankind to clinch the ultimate victory in the war. Right now, it had be the beacon that signaled themencement of war, as well as the moment of retaliation. Boom! The intense light quickly converged into a devastating beam before abruptly sweeping across the deviants¡¯ army, leaving the ashen remains of tens of thousands of deviants in its wake. However, it didn¡¯t stop just there. It continued advancing across the deviants¡¯ army toward the Deviant Sovereign. Only then did ex-Beastman Sovereign Banjol finally raise his hand. ck spheres that floated all around him quickly gathered in front of him to confront the intense beam of light, raising a powerful shockwave that rippled across the desert. Boom! A second deafening explosion echoed, leaving a huge cloud of sand. The intense beam of light that had bombarded the deviants¡¯ formation slowly dissipated. The human army was silent for an instant before letting out resounding cheers. The deviants, on the other hand, were panicking. ¡°Now! Attack!¡± Grasping onto this opportunity, the united army sounded their war horns and charged at the deviants. At the same time, Tark Stronghold¡¯s hulking gates creaked open, and heavy footsteps and majestic roars echoed from within. The soundpelled not just the deviants but also the humans to raise their heads, despite not being able to clearly see anything due to the sandstorm. They instinctively recognized that the roars were from terribly powerful beings. And before the dumbfounded stares of the crowd, two bone dragons flew out of the fortress. ¡­ There was no denying that Tark Stronghold¡¯s Holy Strike was an extremely powerful fortress defensive magic weapon, but it had a huge problem¡ªit was incapable of dealing with close-by enemies. While the intense beam of light had indeed wreaked havoc upon the deviants, those who had been closest to Tark Stronghold were unaffected, though there was nothing they could do to stop Holy Strike¡¯s activation either. But the moment Tark Stronghold¡¯s main entrance opened, the thousands of deviants in the vicinity roared in unison and charged toward it. It was not by chance that these deviants were stationed here; they were elites mobilized to encircle and take down Roel when he eventually reappeared. Their strength was not to be underestimated. Yet, as they were about to besiege Tark Stronghold, two bone dragons suddenly charged out of the entrance like unstoppable carriages and sent everything in their path flying. Pah! The impact squashed the deviants¡¯ flesh and cracked their bones, sttering their remains. However, these victims did nothing to slow the bone dragons¡¯ momentum at all. They continued charging straight ahead, further wreaking havoc in the deviants¡¯ formation. Standing atop the bone dragons were two figures: Roel and Wilhelmina. It was almost as if the two of them had be dragon knights. These two bone dragons were the gift the Witch Queen had previously mentioned, and Roel was extremely thankful to her for them. It provided Tark Stronghold the offensive prowess they desperately needed right now. Roel felt incredibly thankful to Artasia for this gift. It was not difficult for Roel to breach the enemies¡¯ defense line¡ªhis offensive prowess was technically maxed out thanks to Grandar. However, it would be hard for him to carry the entire battle on his own, though things were different with the aid of the bone dragons. Dragons were already tough enemies to deal with, and bone dragons boasted high physical and magic resistance on top of that, making them exceptionally difficult to deal with. On top of that, they were highlypatible with Roel and Wilhelmina in terms of traits. Roel was able to convert the two bone dragons into his loyal soldiers through Grandar¡¯s and Edavia¡¯s help, while Wilhelmina, who possessed the Dragon Bloodline, couldmand them with great effectiveness. Wilhelmina¡¯s bone dragon tanked the countless spells flying in their direction while unleashing a blue dragon me upon the deviants, specifically targeting their priests. Roel breathed a sigh of relief, seeing how well she was coping. With their participation, the war further escted. ¡°WUUUUU!¡± As Roel and Wilhelmina drew the enemies¡¯ attention, war horns echoed, and over ten thousand knights charged out of Tark Stronghold under Kane¡¯s leadership and charged at the surrounding deviants. A huge stream of soldiers steadily marched out behind them. Tark Stronghold¡¯s appearance had caught the enemies off-guard. The sudden onught from the bone dragons and Tark Stronghold¡¯s soldiers severely disrupted the encirclement formed by the deviants to entrap Roel. At the same time, the united army¡¯s soldiers saw the reappearance of Tark Stronghold and its soldiers as Sia¡¯s miracle. It greatly roused their morale. Nora, Charlotte, Lilian, and the others were relieved to see Roel as well, and it filled their hearts with hope. This doubleyered effect brought about tremendous momentum for the united army. It looked like the scales of victory hadpletely fallen toward humankind¡¯s side. ¡°Advance!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll converge together and make a breakthrough!¡± Excitement could be seen on the faces of the human soldiers as they roared their battle cries. The deviants were barely holding their ground thanks to the enhancement of the army buff. Even Prince Kane, who had been cautious all this while, started to be optimistic. Only the duo riding on the bone dragons had increasingly grim expressions. Chapter 601.2: Divine Domain (2)

Chapter 601.2: Divine Domain (2)

Both Roel and Wilhelmina felt jittery, as if a pitfall was waiting ahead of them. The cheers they heard from their allies didn¡¯t sound like assurance of victory but merely the calm before the storm. This was a feeling that only the two of them, who had fought with the Deviant Sovereign, felt. Their intuition told them that things couldn¡¯t be that easy. The two of them exchanged nces before putting up their guards. As if to verify their guesses, a speck of ck light expanded from the heart of the deviants¡¯ formation before abruptly surging into the air. ¡­ ¡°Banjol was the strongest-ever Beastman Sovereign. You can say that he¡¯s the reason the Beastmen were beneath only the Angels, Dragons, and the other overwhelmingly powerful races in the Savior¡¯s faction.¡± ¡°I find it hard to believe how an individual can bridge the gap between the Beastmen and the other powerful races¡­ Grandar, how does his strengthpare to yours?¡± ¡°We have never fought before, as our races are on good terms, but I have seen himpeting with the other races. He is able to unleash his own Divine Domain.¡± ¡°He has a Divine Domain?¡± ¡°An extremely powerful one at that¡ªthe Savior called it a ¡®One Man Army¡¯. It has extremely strict activation conditions that are nigh impossible in the present era, but you should still be careful if you notice anything amiss.¡± ¡­ As the ck light pir rushed into the sky, Roel suddenly thought about the conversation he had with Grandar, and his eyes sharply narrowed. Divine Domain was a unique spell used by the ancient gods, but its means had already long since disappeared from history. Its prowess differed from god to god¡ªit could be auxiliary in nature to some gods, but it could also be a killing blow for others. It should have been impossible to unleash one¡¯s Divine Domain in the present world. The Sia Continent¡¯s environment was very different from how it was tens of thousands of years ago; it should have been impossible to fulfill the conditions required for a Divine Domain¡¯s activation. That was also the reason Grandar didn¡¯t harp too much on the matter. Yet, an anomaly happened. The ck light pir began to expand amidst an intense mana pulsation. Ashen-ck mana enveloped the sky, making the sun look brighter in contrast. At the same time, the earth began to tremor. War steeds cried in fear, as the soldiers on both sides raised their heads to stare at the never-before-seen phenomenon with looks of absolute fright. Sensing danger like never before, Roel quickly came to a realization¡ªI can¡¯t let him activate his Divine Domain. Without any hesitation, he d his body in crimson mana and roared, ¡°Mina, interrupt his spell!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± An explosive surge of mana burst forth from Roel. Thick fog formed and concealed his figure, as a humongous skeleton quickly manifested around him. On the other hand, Wilhelmina tightly grasped her sword¡¯s handle. She nced at Roel as she channeled her desire to protect and burning affection into her de. As soon as she made her move, the tens of thousands of swords on the battlefield resonated with her will like subjects greeting their liege. The warring soldiers eximed in astonishment as they turned their sights toward her. ¡°Origin Level 1, a new Race Sovereign!¡± Kurt and the others, who were at the front of the united army, were surprised by Wilhelmina¡¯s mana, but thetter paid them no heed. She drew her sword from its sheath and executed a powerful sh, releasing an iparably powerful sword arc that sliced through the air to strike the ck light pir. It was as if the world was split into two in this instant. However, a figure suddenly flitted in front of the ck light pir to protect it from Wilhelmina¡¯s sh. It was the two-headed deviant who had received Banjol¡¯s blessing earlier. The sh severed it at the waist, causing blood to gush from its body. However, one of its heads chanted a spell that enveloped its body with healing light, allowing it to swiftly recover from its severe injury. Wilhelmina frowned. She took a moment to examine the situation before abruptly rushing forth to confront the mutated two-headed deviant. She made this decision because she noticed that Roel was charging at the Deviant Sovereign with a fully-manifested skeleton giant around him. Both Roel and Grandar agreed that they had to stop Banjol from activating his Divine Domain at all costs, which was why they held back nothing at all. The elites surrounding the Deviant Sovereign noticed their approach and immediatelyunched a counterattack. Over fifty Origin Level 2 transcendents rushed at Roel from all directions. At the same time, the deviant priests stackedyers of defensive spells on Banjol. Even so, Roel¡¯s expression remained steadfast. He channeled his mana into his Crown¡¯s Stones and first released a flood of frost aura, encasing the enemies right in front of him in eternal ice. Following that was a surge of eruptingva that shot across the air like a fire dragon amidst ayer of gray ashes, tearing through the defensive spells the deviant priests hadyered around Banjol. It was nigh impossible to defend against the Crown¡¯s Stones. Roel¡¯s powers wreaked havoc upon the deviants, opening a path for him to advance further. At the same time, Grandar¡¯s body started to emanate a blood-red glow. Right before the ck light pir, Roel came face-to-face with the Deviant Sovereign once more, but this time, Banjol didn¡¯t have any guards around him. Banjol raised his hand toward Roel as if intending to plunder thetter¡¯s heart as he had done previously, but before he could lock his aim, a cloud of ashes suddenly blew over and blocked his line of sight. ¡°Your spell requires a direct line of sight, right?¡± Roel spoke confidently amidst the ashes. Banjol¡¯s face darkened. Before he could release a spell to dissipate the ashes, a humongous skeleton giant charged out with a roar and hurled a fist crackling with crimson lightning at the Deviant Sovereign. Grandar dared not to hold anything back against history¡¯s strongest beastman magician, especially since thetter used to be his close friend. Faced with the apocalyptic attack, Banjol¡¯s eyes slowly widened as he came to a realization. ¡°I see¡­ But it¡¯s futile,¡± a hoarse voice reverberated in Roel¡¯s head. Grandar¡¯s fist smashed right through the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s body,pletely shattering it. However, a flood of ck sludge flowed out from his destroyed body and fused into the ck light pir, causing it to re with greater fervor. Boom! An earth-shattering explosion broke out, inducing tremors thatsted for a long time. An intense white light assaulted the surroundings, blinding everyone in the area. When Roel finally opened his eyes once more, Banjol and the ck light pir were no longer anywhere to be seen. Instead, he was met with another light source in the sky, apanied by a crushing pressure. ¡°That is¡­¡± Roel bore the tremendous pressure and slowly raised his head, only to be startled by the sight of a chaotic ¡®egg¡¯ wrapped in a sinister light floating in the sky. Chapter 602.1: You’re Worthy? (1)

Chapter 602.1: You¡¯re Worthy? (1)

Gods had be nothing more than a concept to most in the present Sia Continent, but Roel, having experienced the ancient era through the Witness State, knew just what kind of existence the gods were. Putting aside the second and subsequent generations of small-fry gods, who diluted the weight of the term, gods were beings who possessed absolute power in the Sia Continent. They could be Race Sovereigns or transcendents who had uncovered the root of a domain. They were not existences mortals could make light of. Today, without the blessing of the Witness State or the Six Cmities¡¯ help, Roel was forced to confront the terrors of a god with his own strength as a mere Origin Level 2 transcendent. He looked at the gigantic egg floating in the sky, followed by the unharmed Deviant Sovereign standing right next to it. The tables had been turned now. Unlike before, it put a huge strain on him to even just look at Banjol. So much mana was concentrated in the sky that it felt almost solid. Banjol gazed down upon the others as if he was the ruler of the world. Every being, from the central battlefield to the outer perimeter of the desert, felt intimidated by his divine presence. Even the unintelligent demonic beasts instinctively submitted to him. Wilhelmina, despite having reached Origin Level 1, also felt a piercing pain in her eyes when she looked at the figure floating in the sky. Things were worse for Roel, who was shouldering the bulk of the pressure. He felt excruciating pain in both his eyes and his body as if someone was scrapingyers of flesh away from him. Yet, he found himselfpletely helpless to resist. He wasn¡¯t just overpowered here; he was outssed. ¡°¡­So, this is a god?¡± Roel gritted his teeth as he red at Banjol with his golden eyes, obstinately refusing to lower his head. The sounds of shing swords and exploding spells on the battlefield had alsoe to a halt. Both humans and deviants found their movements restricted. The high transcendents were still able to remain on their feet by channeling their mana, but the weaker ones were forced to kneel on a single knee. The entire battlefield abruptly stalled to a halt as if a god had passed down a divine edict. The Deviant Sovereign gazed upon this sight with a cid face. The only one he paid any attention to was a skeleton giant emanating a crimson light, at the sight of which many emotions flickered across his eyes. ¡°Is this the power of the Kingmaker n? I never expected to meet with a familiar face in this era,¡± a hoarse voice directly echoed in Roel¡¯s mind, disrupting his train of thought. Roel raised his head to look at Grandar, only to see thetter¡¯s eyes glowing with a sharp glint. ¡°¡­It has been a long time, Banjol. I would have never thought that we would reunite on a battlefield even after so much time has passed.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ but it looks like we¡¯re serving different masters now,¡± Banjol said as his sight moved from the skeleton giant down to Roel. Roel¡¯s body creaked as the pressure on him further intensified, but even so, he remained unfazed. Instead, his golden eyes further narrowed. At least Grandar¡¯s presence got him talking, Roel thought. His body was still growing ustomed to the pressure, so he figured he needed to stall for time. Thus, he quickly gathered his thoughts and calmly asked, ¡°Beastman Sovereign, is the master you speak of the Savior?¡± ¡°¡­Yes, the Savior is the god I serve,¡± the Deviant Sovereign replied. Roel¡¯s expression turned severe as he said, ¡°I see. You¡¯re one of the Fallens who seeks to bring Him back. I have a question I¡¯d like to ask you¡ªwhat¡¯s your reason for doing this?¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°I met the Savior in the Witness State. Regardless of how He was back then, He has been afflicted by depravity and madness. Bringing Him back would only lead to more tragedies. If so, why do you still choose to tread on this path?¡± Roel asked grimly. As much as this was a strategy to stall for time, this question was also something he had been wondering about ever since he met the Deviant Sovereign. The Savior whom Roel met in the Witness State hadn¡¯t fallen to depravity yet. Despite being antagonistic to each other¡ªRoel had put everything on the line to take down the Savior¡ªfrom the perspective of a ruler, he had a high opinion of the Savior. The Savior was smart, cunning, far-sighted, judicious, and well-respected, but he didn¡¯t deem it beneath him to resort to despicable means either. By no means could the Savior be considered a kind individual, but his personality made him suited to be a ruler. In contrast, the Mother Goddess was naive. Her selfless love only bred indecision, hindering her from making optimal decisions for the betterment of the world. She had never been interested in authority, and She was content with maintaining the status quo, despite its underlying problems. But now that the Savior had descended to depravity, there should be no reason for his subjects to follow him anymore. The Savior¡¯s worshipers sought to bring Him back because they desired power unobtainable through normal means, but that held no meaning to Banjol. As a Race Sovereign who had ascended to godhood, Banjol had already reached the greatest height any being could achieve, just a step short of Sia Herself. Not even the Savior could bring Banjol to a greater height. Furthermore, Banjol should harbor some hostility toward the Savior for having led his people into depravity. Roel had been wondering about this for a long time, which was why he was raising it now. Banjol¡¯s expression turned serious upon learning that Roel had met the Savior in the Witness State, which might have been the reason he didn¡¯t choose to ignore the question. ¡°We are not after the Savior¡¯s revival but His true resurgence.¡± ¡°His true resurgence?¡± ¡°Yes, the Savior fell into depravity under the ck Moon¡¯s influence, but far before the final battle, the Savior had already prophesied His own destruction and rebirth.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes in shock. Grandar also raised his head. ¡°Yes, everything that has happened thus far, including the awakening of the ancient ones in this era, is within the Savior¡¯s calction. The key to crushing the Mother Goddess¡¯ remnants and bringing this world back to its right path starts from me and this ¡®Egg of the Beast God¡¯,¡± Banjol said with a smile as he turned to the humongous egg floating next to him. ¡°¡­Egg of the Beast God?!¡± Grandar eximed as he stared at the egg in agitation. Banjol nodded his head and replied, ¡°Yes, this is the weapon we created to curb the Cmities back in the ancient era, and thisnd is its incubator.¡± ¡°Incubator? Doesn¡¯t that mean that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, thisnd has been under my Divine Domain since tens of thousands of years ago.¡± ¡°!¡± Grandar trembled in disbelief. ¡°How is that possible¡­¡± Roel murmured with widened eyes. The two of them finally understood why they were unable to hinder Banjol from activating his Divine Domain earlier, or why he was able to activate it in the first ce. If what Banjol had said was true, it would mean that Tark Prairie had been under his Divine Domain¡¯s jurisdiction all this while, just that the area had been too wide for anyone to sense it. What he had done earlier was not to activate his Divine Domain but merely to contract its area of effect. Needless to say, a Divine Domain that had been active all this while didn¡¯t have to be activated a second time, so it was impossible to stop its activation in the first ce. And Banjol was able to pull off this feat, Roel deduced, because of the Egg of the Beast God. ¡­ Chapter 602.2: You’re Worthy? (2)

Chapter 602.2: You¡¯re Worthy? (2)

Roel had never heard about the Egg of the Beast God before, but it wasn¡¯t too hard for him to make a deduction based on the contextual clues. ording to Grandar¡¯s intel, Banjol¡¯s Divine Domain granted him the power of ¡®Recreation¡¯, which could be more specifically interpreted as a higher order of ¡®Modification¡¯. The reason he was thought to be Grandar¡¯s equal and dubbed a ¡®One Man Army¡¯ by the Savior was his ability to steal his enemies¡¯ hearts and enhance the strength of his own soldiers. This was how Banjol bestowed strength upon the two-headed deviant, raising him to the ranks of the Race Sovereigns. He likely tributed Roel¡¯s and Wilhelmina¡¯s hearts to achieve that. With sufficient tributes, Banjol could create an army of Origin Level 1 transcendents within a short period of time. Admittedly, the soldiers he modified tended to have short lifespans, but their strength was nevertheless terrifying. However, what reinforced his reputation as Grandar¡¯s equal was his ability to strengthen himself through his Divine Domain. The ability of ¡®Recreation¡¯ was an inconceivable one even in the ancient era, during a time when the gods roamed the world. It was likely the ability that came closest to Sia¡¯s power of ¡®Creation¡¯. Banjol could freely alter his physique, even transforming into a beastman giant wielding cmitous strength if he wished so. Giant Sovereign Grandar and Beastman Sovereign Banjol were the top-tier battle power of the Savior¡¯s faction back in that era. That was also the reason the two of them connected deeply to each other. ¡°There have been many rumors behind Banjol¡¯s disappearance in theter stages of the war, but none of them sounded too convincing¡­¡± Grandar murmured wistfully. This was one of the greatest mysteries back in the ancient era, but the truth was finally out. Banjol had disappeared from the world to fulfill the Savior¡¯s mission¡ªincubating the Egg of the Beast God. The reason he had to do that had also been explicitly stated by Banjol himself. In essence, the Egg of the Beast God was intended to deal with the Mother Goddess¡¯ Six Cmities, with the ultimate goal being to kill the Mother Goddess. The Six Cmities were great powers Sia had reserved for the Kingmaker in her Session. After Sia¡¯s demise, they fell under the Mother Goddess¡¯ control and became Her strongest aces. It was also with the power of the Six Cmities that Roel was able to dominate the battlefield in the Witness State and destroy the Savior¡¯s physical body. The Savior¡¯s faction had beenpletely helpless against the might of the Six Cmities back then, but it would appear that the Savior had prepared a hand for the future. Roel had no idea what the Savior had prophesied, but thetter clearly had staked His hopes on the present era. That would exin why Banjol didn¡¯t fall into depravity. The Savior had ordered Banjol to go underground with the Egg of the Beast God, activate his Divine Domain, and go into hibernation before He descended into madness. Banjol¡¯s awakening was inevitable from the very start. He was a necessary piece in the Savior¡¯s rebirth. And with both the Mother Goddess and the Savior still in slumber, Banjol and his deviants were currently the strongest force in the world. He wouldy the groundwork for the Savior to achieveplete victory over the Mother Goddess once thetter returned. I knew things couldn¡¯t have been that simple. How could beings of the Savior and the Mother Goddess¡¯ level possibly be oblivious about a future apocalypse that the Tripartite Alliance was able to prophesy? Roel realized that a battle against Banjol and the deviants was inevitable, even if it was possible for them tomunicate. The Savior was born from the powers Sia had severed with the intention of conferring them on the Kingmaker, just that She hadn¡¯t expected Her own powers to gain sentience and bite Her. From this perspective, the Savior¡¯s very existence was antithetical to the Kingmaker; there was no way for them to coexist, especially not when Roel had gained control over the Six Cmities. Naturally, the Savior saw the Kingmaker n as a threat that had to be eliminated. Humankind wasn¡¯t in a position to submit to the Savior either. Unlike the Angels and the Dragons, they weren¡¯t legendary races. In the Savior¡¯s ideal world, they would be beneath the deviants on the hierarchy. This was uneptable to humankind, in terms of both their dignity and their living conditions. ¡°I understand now,¡± Roel murmured as he looked at the lofty god in the sky with a disdainful smile. ¡°Let me see if I got it right, Banjol. You already knew that the Savior would descend into depravity and lunacy back when you received His orders tens of thousands of years ago?¡± ¡°Yes, my liege has already informed me of the conclusion,¡± Banjol calmly replied, confused as to what Roel was getting at. Roel burst intoughter. ¡°I thought so too. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have gone into hibernation here together with this egg. Allow me to ask you onest question, Banjol. Did you cast aside your people for the Savior despite knowing the plight that would befall them?¡± ¡°!¡± Banjol¡¯s eyes warped in anger, but Roel continued staring at him with brilliant golden eyes glowering with rage. There was a momentary standstill between them as the sand rustled in the surroundings. ¡°I am the Beastman Sovereign, but above that, I am one of my liege¡¯s High Priests. It is my duty to carry out His orders. The Beastmen¡¯s fate has already been decided and cannot be changed. It¡¯s all ording to my liege¡¯s will.¡± ¡°Cannot be changed? Are you certain about that?¡± Roel asked with a mocking smile. ¡°Sia has only requested one thing from Her creations, and that was to live well. No matter how tight the partnership between the Savior and the Beastmen was, it was ultimately just a loyalty contract. You could have easily torn it apart as long as you rallied your people to fight back.¡± ¡°How foolish it is to think about opposing my liege. That¡¯s nothing more than an act of suicide.¡± ¡°An act of suicide? No, you¡¯re wrong. The Beastmen carry enough weight to not have to worry about extinction. What you¡¯re worried about is your own downfall,¡± Roel said impassively. ¡°¡­¡± The Deviant Sovereign¡¯splexion turned even more awful. ¡°A Race Sovereign is obliged to protect their people. This is the responsibility entrusted to them. It¡¯s the same set of circumstances, but another Sovereign, despite knowing that it might be futile, stepped forward and protected his people and the world to the very end. He reduced the god you worshiped to dust and sealed him off in the abyss. I reckon that you don¡¯t know who I¡¯m talking about, right? Let me enlighten you¡ªit¡¯s Grandar,¡± Roel said. ¡°!¡± The Deviant Sovereign turned to the towering skeleton giant with widened eyes. Grandar looked back at Banjol in silence. ¡°I have to admit I was intimidated when I learned that you were thought to be Grandar¡¯s equal back in the ancient era, but from the looks of it now¡­ you¡¯re nothing more than a coward who sold your n for your own sake. It¡¯s a shame that Grandar waspared to the likes of you.¡± Roel looked at the lofty god in the sky with contemptuous eyes as he uttered word by word, ¡°Beastman Sovereign Banjol? How unworthy.¡± ¡°!¡± The Deviant Sovereign¡¯s face turned livid. Rage zed in his heart like never before, inducing deafening rumbles in the sky. The deviants in the desert were buffed once more under the roars, and they slowly regained their ability to move. The gigantic demonic beasts in the sky let out eerie squawks before spewing out ck sludge all over the battlefield. The scattered sludge slowlybined together to form deformed deviant soldiers. The human soldiers eximed in shock, horrified by the appearance of the sludge soldiers and the deviant soldiers regaining their mobility. They couldn¡¯t even put up a defense because they had lost their ability to move. ¡°You have a sharp mouth, but that doesn¡¯t change anything. You said that I am the sinner of my people, but what about you? Your people entered my Divine Domain for your sake, and they will die here because of that. Their demise will be a huge blow to humankind, bringing them a step closer toward extinction.¡± ¡°The ones going extinct here are you and your people, Banjol!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes lit up. Crimson lightning gathered around his body, and with a howl, it instantaneously surged outward. War cries echoed as the crimson lightning shook the sky, challenging the absolute authority of the Divine Domain. Boom! A loud explosion ensued. The crimson lightning scattered over the battlefield as specks of light and mes, imbuing the human soldiers with a red glow. With furious roars, they tore through the restrictions imposed on their movements. ¡°This is¡­¡± The Deviant Sovereign was taken aback to see the humans breaking his Divine Domain¡¯s oppression to regain their mobility. ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one with an army buff, Deviant Sovereign,¡± Roel sneered from the center of the crimson glow. He raised his head to look at the silent skeleton giant above him as the corner of his lips crept up. ¡°It¡¯s your turn, Grandar.¡± ¡°¡­Mm!¡± Chapter 603.1: The Final Resort (1)

Chapter 603.1: The Final Resort (1)

Howl of Crimson Lightning was the spell Roel had inherited from Prince Wade from the first Witness State after pitting his life against thetter, and it was one of the strongest army buff spells he had ever seen. That being said, Howl of Crimson Lightning¡¯s area of effect shouldn¡¯t have beenrge enough to envelop the entire battlefield, and it shouldn¡¯t have been strong enough to ovee the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s Divine Domain, either. Yet, Roel managed to achieve the impossible thanks to Sia¡¯s blessing. Sia¡¯s blessing, Being Toward Death, bestowed power upon him in ordance with the damage he had sustained. This ¡®power¡¯ wasn¡¯t limited to enhancing just his mana, but his army buff spell as well, and thetter had be the key for him to turn the tides of battle. When the specks of crimson lightning seeped into their bodies, the human soldiers who were waiting to be ughtered like helplessmbs in an abattoir let out furious roars and struggled free of the Divine Domain¡¯s restraints. That changed everything. The hundreds of thousands of elite human soldiers, who were on the verge of dying in vain, were granted a second chance to fight for their lives. The Deviant Sovereign¡¯s face darkened as he red at Roel menacingly. Once again, he realized how important it was to eliminate Roel. It was not just because he was the Kingmaker but also his uncanny ability to change his fate and that of those around him, moving the future toward somewhere impossible. As the Savior has prophesied, this is an ability that should not exist. ¡°You sphemer,¡± Banjol growled hoarsely as his mana zed. At the same time, the massive Egg of the Beast God beside him began making noises before beginning its second eruption of ck sludge. Boom! Baleful beast roars echoed in the sky as another rain of ck sludge sprayed all over the entire desert. All it took was a few seconds for hundreds of thousands more deviants to take shape. ¡°You should understand it by now. All you managed to do was to break the restrictions imposed by my Divine Domain. Your struggles are futile. Opposing the gods will only hasten your death,¡± Banjol said. ¡°Is that your catchphrase as a failed race leader?¡± Roel scoffed. Blood was trickling from his arm due to the injury he had inflicted on himself to further activate Being Toward Death. He looked at Wilhelmina, who was crossing blows with the two-headed deviant, followed by Charlotte, Nora, and Lilian, who were dealing with the encirclement of the deviants. ¡°I¡¯ll leave this ce to you. Wait for my return¡­¡± ¡°Mm!¡± ¡°Darling¡­¡± ¡°Roel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The four women replied in different ways. All of them shared the same worried frown, but not one of them tried to stop him. This rescue operation had already changed in its nature from the moment the Egg of the Beast God emerged and the Deviant Sovereign unleashed his Divine Domain with the intent to destroy humankind¡¯s core force. It was now an all-out war. And this was likely to be their best chance to defeat the Deviant Sovereign before he amassed more power and created an even greater army. The three-million-strongbined army of humankind along the eastern border was working in unison to tie down the deviants, and the three deviant Race Sovereigns were upied too. Lilian¡¯s arrival with an unprecedentedly massive army had also greatly boosted the strength of the army confronting the Deviant Sovereign. Humankind was still able to withstand the deviants and the ck sludge army¡¯s attacks. At the very least, both sides were equally matched for the time being. This felt like a stage built just for Roel¡¯s decisive battle. Sensing the tides of the battlefield, Lilian finally understood why she had been asked to go all out for her reinforcement. ¡°¡­We absolutely have to hold on until darling¡¯s battle ends.¡± ¡°Our military strengths are equally matched at the moment, and we have our own army buff too. We can do it!¡± From Charlotte and the others supporting in the backline, to Kurt and the vanguards holding their ground on the frontlines, most of themanders realized that this was also a chance for them to decide this grueling war. They gathered their fighting spirit and roared tenaciously. Meanwhile, Roel turned to the Egg of the Beast God in the sky and frowned. ¡°I won¡¯t let you spew your trash anymore,¡± he murmured as he readied himself for a charge. ¡°Let the ancient bloodline perish for good!¡± Banjol dered as he raised his hand and released an intense surge of mana. The scene before Roel turned dark as if someone had pulled a dark cloth over his eyes. Even so, he disyed no fear in his eyes. ¡°Is it pressing down on us now? I think that it¡¯s about time to disperse those dark clouds. Peytra!¡± ¡°Understood. Go ahead and do what you must,¡± the Primordial Earth Goddess replied. The ground Roel stood on began to rumble as it glowed with a fiery light. Then, a volcano beneath the desert suddenly erupted, releasing a terrifying deluge ofva that sent Roel, who was wrapped in the power of Magma Core, into the sky. Boom! This massive explosion caught the attention of all soldiers on the battlefield. Banjol widened his eyes. The sheer momentum and heat of the risingva pierced through his mana pulsation and dissipated the dark clouds in the sky. Roel, who was protected by the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones, was unharmed. By then, Roel had sessfully risen to the sky to stand at the same height as Banjol. The Deviant Sovereign quickly raised his hand once more to release a second wave of attack, but this time, he was going to activate his bloodline ability since he had a clearer aim without the hindrances on the ground. This attack of his was met by Grandar¡¯s fist. As powerful as Banjol¡¯s ability to directly steal his enemy¡¯s heart was, it came with a condition: he had to be at a higher level of existence than his enemy. To Roel, who was currently cloaked in Grandar, this ability of his was no longer effective. Grandar hurled his fist forward in a crimson whiz, producing countless sonic booms as it descended straight toward the Deviant Sovereign. At the same time, Roel turned his sight to the massive Egg of the Beast God andpressed his mana to its limits. ¡°cial Touch,¡± he murmured as the silhouette of the ancient cmity shed behind him. A flood of frost aurapressed to the extreme shot out like a beam and squarely struck the Egg of the Beast God, swiftly encasing it in ayer of permanent blue-white frost. The sight of that induced cheers from the united army. Roel also breathed a sigh of relief at having sealed off the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s means of producing endless soldiers. Even with the army buff, Howl of Crimson Lightning, the united army couldn¡¯t possibly cope with the Egg of the Beast God¡¯s endless eruptions of ck sludge. That was also the reason Roel had chosen to deal with it first. He took into ount the liquid nature of the ck sludge and figured that it would be safer to freeze it, which was why he had resorted to cial Touch. As much as Roel felt threatened by Banjol¡¯s presence, for some reason, his gut feeling was telling him that the massive egg was the more important target here. Just as he concluded his attack and was about to turn his attention to the Deviant Sovereign, the frost-encased Egg of the Beast God suddenly shook before releasing a huge wave of mana and light. ¡°Grarr!¡± ¡°How could this¡­¡± A deep bestial roar shook the sky. Following that, theyer of frost cloaking the Egg of the Beast God began to recede, as the lingering frost aura in the vicinity swiftly dissipated. Roel could hardly believe his eyes. His frost aura was a power stemming from the Six Cmities, existences that had driven countless civilizations to extinction. It was almost like aw that couldn¡¯t be circumvented, even when the enemies were the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns who boasted terrifying recovery ability. Yet, thisw had now been broken by the egg before his eyes. What shocked him even further was¡­ ¡°It¡¯s¡­ absorbing it?¡± Upon careful examination, Roel realized that the Egg of the Beast God¡¯s way of dealing with cial Touch was not to break free of it with a stronger surge of mana but to absorb its power through its pitch-ck shell. In the first ce, the Egg of the Beast God was a weapon created by the Savior to deal with the Mother Goddesses¡¯ envoys, the Six Cmities. The chances were high that the other Crown¡¯s Stones would be ineffective against it too. The realization of that made Roel¡¯s expression darken. He immediately switched to an alternative n. Chapter 603.2: The Final Resort (2)

Chapter 603.2: The Final Resort (2)

¡°Peytra.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Stone Gaze! Don¡¯t let it interfere in the battle.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± A golden speck of light fell from Roel to the ground before morphing into a humongous golden serpent that shook the desert. The golden serpent looked toward the massive egg floating in the sky with glowing eyes. Stone Gaze was an authority exclusive to the Primordial Earth Goddess. It was a curse that was extremely difficult to be dispelled, and it was the most powerful restrictive ability Roel could think of aside from the Crown¡¯s Stones. Under the sinister gleam of Stone Gaze, a gray color started to creep across the surface of the massive Egg of the Beast God as it underwent petrification. The egg let out a piercing roar, as it was forced to stop the ck sludge it was preparing to spew and instead focus its strength on fighting against the petrification. This should be fine for the time being, Roel thought before turning to the Deviant Sovereign. He finally understood why his previous attacks against the Deviant Sovereign using the Crown¡¯s Stones had been ineffective. Banjol must have inherited the traits of the Egg of the Beast God in the countless years he had been incubating it, such that the power of the Six Cmities couldn¡¯t hurt him anymore. But now that Roel had Grandar on his side, he wasn¡¯tpletely reliant on the Crown¡¯s Stones anymore. Now that he had dealt with the Egg of the Beast God, Roel unhesitatingly dived toward the Deviant Sovereign. Banjol retaliated by manifesting his pitch-ck mana into countless ck spears and sending them at Roel. Grandar immediately intervened by throwing out another punch reminiscent of a crims. The two devastating attacks gave rise to a cataclysmic explosion in the sky, but much to Roel¡¯s surprise, Banjol¡¯s mana actually pushed through the shockwaves to wreck his body. Puchi! Roel spewed a mouthful of blood as his left arm was twisted out of shape. The excruciating pain that followed brought a frown to his face, but it only served to clear his mind as well. ¡°I see. Is this the power of his ¡®Recreation¡¯?¡± Roel looked at his own body, which had been twisted as if it was no different from a toy, and he murmured grimly. He quickly released a burst of mana outward to dissipate Banjol¡¯s mana in the surroundings so as to stop thetter from causing any further damage. Roel had learned from Grandar that Banjol was the Beastmen¡¯s strongest-ever magician, but he had never been too concerned about that. Instead, he was more worried about Banjol morphing into a giant. It now appeared that he had been severely underestimating him. Banjol¡¯s ability to deal disproportionately severe damage as long as his attacknded meant that it was unwise to trade blows with him. This forced Roel to go on the defensive. But Banjol¡¯s attacks only became more intense. As Banjol raised his hand and pointed his finger forth, the world around him began to rumble. Mana from the surroundings surged in like a hurricane and converged at the tip of his forefinger, forming an intense pulse of energy. So terrifying was the amassed energy that the soldiers beneath subconsciously looked over, and Roel narrowed his eyes too. This isn¡¯t good. Roel felt fatal danger from the converging pulse of energy¡ªit was a feeling simr to what he had experienced back when he faced the Magician King, just that Banjol¡¯s powers were far older and more powerful than what Priestley was capable of. The surroundings seemed to darken in the face of the intense mana pulsation. It was only at this moment that Roel truly felt the gap between a god and a mortal. It wasn¡¯t just about the fact Banjol was stronger; it felt like he was a different being altogether. Roel wouldn¡¯t even have been able to stand before him if not for the Kingmaker¡¯s powers and Sia¡¯s blessing. Banjol channeled his spell for a brief moment before releasing the cataclysmic pulse of energy. Unlike other powerful spells, the pulse of energy surged with surprising calmness¡ªthere was no noise nor shockwave at all. Yet, all of the mana in the surroundings had been concentrated into this single spell. This was the strongest spell Roel had had to face to date. He drove his Crown Origin Attribute to its limit, gathering an unceasing stream of mana into his body. He murmured a name, and the white-haired Witch Queen appeared before him. Artasia¡¯s aura as Sia¡¯s enforcer brought a frown to Banjol¡¯s face. ¡°Cogs of Time.¡± Artasia shouldered all of Roel¡¯s trust and unleashed her spell. A clock made out of golden wheels manifested in the sky. Twelve runes could be seen on its surface, and it shielded the crowd as if an insurmountable obstacle. A split secondter, the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s pulse of energy crashed right into the clock. Boom! A deafening explosion rattled the world. It was such a cataclysmic attack that it dealt damage even to areas outside the battlefield. A blinding burst of light dissipated the clouds and the dust, looking as if a second sun was shining upon the world. The blinding light forced both warring parties to halt their footsteps. Many of the soldiers were forced to their knees by the downward impact of the explosion. Somehow, the ticking of a clock hand could be vividly heard through the deafening explosion. Roel was attempting to neutralize the shockwaves of the explosion as far as possible using the swiftly revolving Cogs of Time. Peytra¡¯s anxiety peaked out, fearing that a mishap might have befallen Roel, but she couldn¡¯t afford to turn away from the Egg of the Beast God. Artasia¡¯s expression was unprecedentedly solemn, as she stood in front of Roel while keenly eyeing the enemy¡¯s movement. To their relief, the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s pulse of energy slowly died down as time passed, but just as the attack was finally about toe to an end, the Witch Queen¡¯s face suddenly darkened. ¡°No!¡± Artasia shouted. It was only then that Roel realized that Banjol¡¯s pitch-ck mana didn¡¯t dissipate into the surroundings after striking the golden clock, instead tightly encircling Roel like a dark cloud. He modified his own mana to grant it physical properties! The moment Roel and Artasia noticed Banjol¡¯s scheme, Artasia instantaneously invoked her Teleportation spell with a flicker of light, but before the spell could take form, Banjol clenched his hands together. ¡°¡­It¡¯s over,¡± Banjol said hoarsely. The pitch-ck mana surrounding Roel abruptly converged inward to squeeze down on him. There was no room for him to escape at all; the pitch-ck mana was omnipresent around him. Grandar had no choice but to step forward and deal with this attack. The skeleton giant raised his arms and formed a barrier of crimson lightning to keep the pitch-ck mana at bay. The crimson lightning neutralized most of the pitch-ck mana, whereas the remainder that breached the first barrier was neutralized by Artasia¡¯s Cogs of Time. They had sessfully fended against Banjol¡¯s attack for the time being, but neither Grandar nor Artasia looked relieved. Both of them knew that the Origin Level 2 Roel couldn¡¯t possibly stand a chance against a god if this turned into a battle of attrition. ¡°Damn it! His mana is interfering with my Teleportation spell!¡± Artasia tried to teleport Roel away from the encirclement of the pitch-ck mana, but it was to no avail. Grandar also found himself unable to do anything but hold his ground. Seeing that they were cornered, Roel let out a sigh, knowing that he had to use his final resort. ¡°Edavia, it¡¯s time to make a move.¡± ¡°Fufu. All right. Let me savor your vor, then,¡± Edavia replied with a light-hearted tone as she manifested before Roel. She stared at Roel for a brief moment before abruptly raising her hand and slicing his soul. Chapter 604.1: Godslaying (1)

Chapter 604.1: Godying (1)

For mortals to challenge the gods was a popr clich¨¦ in Roel¡¯s previous world. This clich¨¦ embodied the sentiment that humans held their fate in their hands. Such belief was the reason humans worked hard to better their environment, no matter how difficult the era they were living in was. Unfortunately, this was a nigh impossible task to aplish in the Sia Continent. In this world of transcendental power, gods were existent beings who had reached the limits of their evolution, making it even more impossible to ovee them. That was the case between Roel and Banjol. While Roel looked down on Banjol for abandoning his race, he had to concede that thetter was an opponent far out of his league. The Deviant Sovereign had had all the time to hone his spells to perfection, and his skills were further backed by his strength as a god. As much as a mortal challenging a god was a romantic concept, how could a mortal actually triumph over a god? This was a question few had stopped to think about, but Roel was going to uncover his own answer to it. A crisp sound reminiscent of cracking ss echoed in the center of the pitch-ck mana cloud. With Roel¡¯s permission, Edavia had happily inflicted severe damage on Roel¡¯s soul. She sampled a sliver of the dissipating soul fragments, only further fanning her excitement. ¡°Fufu, what an intoxicating vor. Tastes like strong liquor¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Artasia eximed as she red at the intoxicated evil god with glowering madder-red eyes. ¡°Are you angry? Just so you know, this wasn¡¯t my idea,¡± Edavia calmly exined as she nced at Roel. ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine, Artasia,¡± Roel said. ¡°Are you joking with me? Why would anyone wound their own soul? Are you out of your mind?!¡± ¡°I should have told you in advance¡ª¡± Cough! ¡°¡ªbut great poweres at a heavy price. That¡¯s thew of the world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Artasia fell silent, whereas Edavia nodded with a smile. ¡°There isn¡¯t much of a choice when you¡¯re up against an enemy like him¡­ but at least it¡¯s only to this extent. This is still better than having your soul mixed together with those cmities,¡± Edavia said as she thought about the past Witness State. ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± Roel nodded in agreement. ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amidst Artasia¡¯s confusion and Grandar¡¯s silence, Roel suddenly unleashed an unimaginable surge of mana. ¡­ This was hardly the first time Roel had sustained damage to his soul. There was even one point his soul had be so tattered back in the Witness State that he nearly lost his life, though his soul properly healed afterward with the help of the Spiriteer Sovereign. Such injuries were at least well within Edavia¡¯s means to deal with. The damage Roel had sustained to his soul enhanced the effects of Sia¡¯s blessing, further augmenting his strength. He overcame the bottleneck between Origin Level 2 and Origin Level 1, as his strength surged toward a level close to the gods. He channeled the newfound rush of mana toward Grandar. Supported by an unprecedented surge of mana, Grandar howled as his body was swiftly enveloped by a crimson aura. At the same time, Artasia¡¯s and Edavia¡¯s silhouettes began to fade, as the Cogs of Time dissipated into golden light specks. Roel¡¯s defenses had dropped to the very minimum, but this was an intentional move. He didn¡¯t need the Witch Queen¡¯s protection or the Spiriteer Sovereign¡¯s aid anymore. With the support of ample mana, Grandar would be able to pry open the encirclement of ck mana. ¡°Grandar, don¡¯t bother paying any heed to defense. Focus everything on offense and eliminate him for good!¡± Roelmanded. ¡°Mm,¡± Grandar replied with a decisive nod. Boundless strength exploded from the skeleton giant¡¯s body. The billowing ck mana cloud momentarily halted before crimson lightning broke free from the encirclement and spilled into the surroundings. Banjol frowned at that sight. He thought about Roel and Grandar, and hisplexion slowly darkened. Both the Kingmaker and the Giant Sovereign were singrities possessing the strength to alter the course of history. The probability of something going awry when the two of them were together was so great that he couldn¡¯t even imagine it. This made him realize that he shouldn¡¯t hold back anything anymore. ¡°¡­I should end it with a single shot.¡± That was what Banjol¡¯s instincts were telling him, as someone who had been through countless battles. He looked at the ck mana cloud, followed by the searing sun in the sky, then his body was suddenly lit aze. ¡°Kingmaker, it¡¯s foolish that you thought you could make a breakthrough here. This might be a remote location, but it¡¯s also the ce I¡¯m the strongest.¡± Banjol¡¯s old and tattered body gradually broke down in the mes, while a newer and more energetic one formed from the mes. The reborn Deviant Sovereign raised his hand, and the sunlight converged into his grasp to form a golden scepter. The appearance of the golden scepter cast a golden light over the battlefield, filling the soldiers with fear and terror. The Sr Scepter was one of the Savior¡¯s divine artifacts in the ancient era, a symbol of authority He bestowed on His High Priests. Rumored to be forged out of the Savior¡¯s arm bone, it harnessed the mystical power to evict the night, and boundless life force flowing through it granted its wielder immunity to death. The rebirth of the Deviant Sovereign and the reappearance of the divine artifact shook the battlefield. Nora, Charlotte, and Lilian were appalled. Even Wilhelmina, despite having be a Race Sovereign, felt terribly helpless in the face of this situation. A god was already an existence beyond reach, let alone now he was imbued with the Savior¡¯s powers on top of that. Who could stop him now? Banjol didn¡¯t slow down his attacks just because of his sudden surge of power. He pointed his scepter at the ck mana cloud in the sky and radiated a stupendouslyrge amount of mana over thend. Boom! Under the brilliant light of the Sr Scepter, the ck mana cloud suddenly burst into mes and began ascending into the sky. The higher the ck mana cloud ascended, the more intense the ze was. It was almost as if a second sun had appeared in the sky, and the unimaginable heat it contained formed mirages. ¡°How could this¡­¡± Lilian widened her eyes in disbelief and worry. ¡°Roel!¡± Wilhelmina shed her sword toward the Deviant Sovereign in the sky, but her attack dissipated in the face of the second sun¡¯s intense heat. This miracle shook the morale of the human soldiers. As they looked at Banjol, the envoy of the supreme god, despair seeped into their faces. Even so, Nora and Charlotte still persisted and attempted to rile the soldiers¡¯ fighting will. They had ovee so many difficulties together that neither Nora nor Charlotte thought that Roel would abandon them at this critical time, and they were right. Roel gritted his teeth to remain conscious even though his burning innards were causing him extreme pain. He raised his head and looked at the skeleton giant above him, waiting for thetter to finish gathering his strength. The Sr Scepter represented the Savior and the sun, making it one of the strongest artifacts in the Sia Continent¡­ but Grandar was the one who had knocked down the sun. ¡°¡­Are you ready?¡± ¡°Mm. I have kept you waiting.¡± ¡°No worries. Let¡¯s begin.¡± Chapter 604.2: Godslaying (2)

Chapter 604.2: Godying (2)

Following their brief conversation in the inferno, Roel suddenly released an immeasurable flood of mana, and the skeleton giant d in crimson lightning regained its ability to move. Under the powers of the Crown Origin Attribute, a glorious crown manifested on Grandar¡¯s head. The skeletal Sovereign let out a furious roar as he stabbed his hands into the exterior of the zing sphere before pulling it apart, ripping the second sun in the sky into two. Boom! A sky-shattering explosion shook the world. Everything was inundated by a blinding white light that enveloped both Roel¡¯s and Grandar¡¯s silhouettes. The intense shockwave shoved aside everything else in the sky. ¡°!¡± The Deviant Sovereign¡¯s face darkened. The human soldiers let out worried exmations, not knowing what the significance behind this explosion was. ¡°That is¡­¡± However, the truth became apparent several secondster, as a skeleton giant swooped from the sky down upon the Deviant Sovereign. Hope rekindled in the eyes of the human soldiers. Banjol impassively raised his scepter as he sneered, ¡°Futile.¡± A blinding light rushed forth from the Deviant Sovereign, but this time around, it came not from the Sr Scepter but a traditional-looking shield. ¡°This is the other divine artifact bestowed on me as the Savior¡¯s High Priest, God¡¯s Protection. This shield was forged from twelveyers of divine barriers when the world was divided into two. It represents the twelve hours of daytime under the Savior¡¯s jurisdiction, the authority over half of the world.¡± Banjol looked at the crowd as he spoke, as if he was spreading god¡¯s miracles. In the ancient past, this shield was hung in the Sun God¡¯s mountainous city. Not even the Demonic Beast Sovereign was able to do anything to the city due to the shield¡¯s protection. Furthermore, it was currently daytime, the time when the shield was at its strongest. This was the very embodiment of the Savior¡¯s powers. Intense pulses of light radiated from Banjol, dyeing his body golden. He looked at the skeleton giant descending upon him as he readied his counterattack. He was nning to block Grandar¡¯s attack with God¡¯s Protection before immediately retaliating with the Sr Scepter. A direct attack from the divine artifact was bound to obliterate anyone, even if thetter was the overwhelmingly powerful Kingmaker. Roel¡¯s heart shook as danger bells rang in his mind. He instinctively understood that Banjol was preparing an attack that was potent enough to end him for good despite his powerful defenses. Even so, he continued channeling his mana toward the skeleton giant, refusing to retreat. He fervently believed that the ancient shield couldn¡¯t withstand Grandar¡¯s attack, thus the attack charging up behind the ancient shield would never reach him. ¡°God¡¯s Protection? A divine artifact representing the Savior¡¯s authority? So what?¡± Roel roared. His body had started blurring from the intense friction arising from the extreme speed he was traveling, and his eyes zed with golden mes. Grandar was the one who had obliterated the Savior¡¯s very body countless years ago, creating a new future for all living beings. How could a mere incarnation of the Savior¡¯s authority possibly stop him? ¡°Crush it, Grandar!¡± Roel ordered. The skeleton giant smashed his fist down with a furious roar. The boundless force concentrated in his fist stirred a revolving tempest that engulfed the entire sky, and just the shockwaves were enough to shatter the fabrics of space and time. Faced with such powerful might, the golden shield shone with increasing fervor as its twelve divine barriers expanded into mini-worlds to contain the punch. When the two forces collided, the descending skeleton giant instantaneously halted his body. Banjol revealed a smile, but his smile onlysted a brief moment before stiffening up. The brilliant light from God¡¯s Protection wavered intensely before the outermost mini-world abruptly shattered. ¡°How could this be?¡± Banjol roared in disbelief. Pah! Pah! Pah! The sound of shattering ss persisted as the other mini-worlds shattered one after another. Banjol finally couldn¡¯t maintain hisposure anymore. Watching as the world-devastating fist drew closer to him, he hurriedly released the spell he had been channeling in his Sr Scepter. An instantaneous beam of light engulfed Roel¡¯s vision. This was an attack that sought to decimate everything within its range, and it had been further enhanced by the Sr Scepter on top of that. Even a god of Banjol¡¯s level would have fallen prey to this attack. Yet, Grandar stood unfazed. He merely responded with another swing of his fist, as his domain of sunset in manifested behind him, upying half of the sky within a split moment. The blinding golden light vanished in an instant, and the raging explosions were drowned out by a flood of cheers. They had been transported from one battlefield into another. Countless giant warriors brandished their swords as they roared their ruler¡¯s name, entrusting their strength and unyielding spirit to him. Before their expectant eyes, Grandar¡¯s punch finallynded. It was a sky-splitting attack harnessing the faith of the Giants, a strike to rebel against the gods. Even the world creaked in fear before the prowess of Grandar¡¯s fist. The golden beam of light was split into two, as the twelve mini-worlds shattered one after another. Banjol¡¯s eyes narrowed. It was different from before, but he could tell that this sunset in was none other than Grandar¡¯s Divine Domain. The realization of that prompted him to shout, ¡°Egg of the Beast God!¡± The massive ck egg charged at Banjol and wrapped thetter¡¯s body within itself. Despite the intense shockwave arising from Grandar¡¯s strike, the Egg of the Beast God and Banjol still sessfully fused together and began to stir. Through its pitch-ck surface, Roel caught a vague glimpse of the humongous creature lying within. Following that, the Egg of the Beast God suddenly shattered. Emerging from within was the beast-headed giant, who wasuded as Grandar¡¯s equal in the ancient era. Banjol had used his ¡®Recreation¡¯ ability to alter his body once more. By then, Grandar¡¯s fist had shattered thest mini-world and was swiftly advancing on him. Banjol let out a deafening beast howl, as he hurled his fist to deal with Grandar¡¯s fist, which had lost much momentum over the course of the attack. The beast-headed giant was a supreme life form Banjol created bybining the superior traits of the Giants¡¯ ¡®Strength¡¯ and the Beastmen¡¯s ¡®Resilience¡¯. It was a being who surpassed even the limits of a god, which was why he was confident that he could withstand Grandar¡¯s attack. However, Banjol had forgotten that his enemy wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Shatter,¡± Roel murmured as he employed his final trump card. The shattered fragments of his soul wrapped around his body and changed his appearance. His ck hair turned silver, and his zing golden eyes quietened down into impassive serenity. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! You are¡­¡± Banjol widened his eyes in disbelief upon seeing Roel¡¯s form. That invible yet familiar aura filled him with fear, but that didn¡¯t stop Roel and Grandar¡¯s attack. ¡°With this attack, I shall create the future,¡± Roel dered as he channeled unprecedented mana toward Grandar. The skeleton giant finally swung his fist down to end everything. Chapter 605.1: Shocking Development (1)

Chapter 605.1: Shocking Development (1)

Sia¡¯s existence was naturally carved in the bones of all life forms. She represented many things¡ªthe first mother, the faith of all beings, as well as the one and only supreme deity. Banjol had been confident of his victory when he withstood the attack that breached the twelve mini-worlds he had created andunched his counterattack, not expecting that the one to receive his attack would not be thebination of the Kingmaker and the Giant Sovereign, but an existence that was imprinted into the deepest recesses of his memories, one that filled him with confusion and nostalgia. It was Sia¡¯s aura. It was not an imitation, and neither was it an artifact blessed with Sia¡¯s powers. It was Sia¡¯s very own powers, and Banjol was absolutely certain of it from how all of the life forms and souls shuddered the moment the mana emerged. Even the beast-headed giant born from the Egg of the Beast God instinctively retreated in fear. Grandar¡¯s crimson aura turned divine white, and his glowing fist delivered a decisive blow that would pave the way for a new future, just as Roel had said. The two attacks collided, and the world turned white. This was not just an exaggeration. Pulses of white light rushed out from the collision and enveloped the world alongside explosions and raging winds. The shockwave ttened the desert, and everyone on the battlefield had to lower their posture and desperately withstand the force. Every living being on the battlefield vaguely heard the sounds of a gigantic being being torn into pieces. These were the death throes of an ancient being, signaling a new beginning. Amidst the blinding light, Grandar¡¯s fist utterly crushed the beast-headed giant¡¯s massive body, from its arms to its torso. The massive beast whose reputation had shaken the ancient era was reduced to tens of thousands of pieces. At the same time, Banjol¡¯s Divine Domain abruptly shattered. The Deviant Sovereign stared at the humongous silhouette obscured by the blinding light as the fear on his face receded. He closed his eyes as his body quietly scattered into the surroundings. Grandar shook a little as he watched the sight before silentlynding back on the ground. ¡°¡­Finally, a conclusion to our rivalry,¡± Banjol¡¯s voice echoed in Grandar¡¯s ears. Roel nced at the fallen ancient god with an impassive expression, showing neither delight nor sorrow. Then, with a sh of white light, the ck silhouette vanished from the face of the world. ¡­ Boom! A loud explosion echoed from behind. The shockwave hastened Roel¡¯s descent to the ground. While the world was still enveloped in white light, Roelnded on the ground before turning his attention back to the sky. Simrly, Grandar looked at the sky as well. Banjol had been defeated¡ªthere was not a sliver of doubt about this. The earlier attack had not only destroyed Banjol¡¯s body but vaporized his soul as well. Even if he could recreate his destroyed body, there was no way to salvage his dissipated soul. The curtains had been drawn on a legend, marking the end of an era. There was finally a conclusion for the rivalry between the Giant Sovereign and the Beastman Sovereign. Grandar¡¯s long-time wish had also been aplished. Roel clenched his fists to endure the intense pain ravaging his body, as he turned to Grandar and asked, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Grandar looked at the sky and nodded. ¡°I see.¡± Roel wistfully turned his gaze toward the sky to see off thest god of the ancient era. Banjol was a traitor who had turned against his race for his faith, an aplice behind the mutation of the Beastmen into the barbaric deviants. His selfishness deserved condemnation by many generations toe, but his abilities, which had been refined and polished over countless years, were the real deal. Roel thought that the least he could do was to see off thetter as a warrior. As for Grandar, he felt mncholic from the death of an old friend, as well as the departure of yet another ancient one. There was no other choice, but he found it a pity. ¡°At least in terms of strength, he lived up to his reputation.¡± ¡°He is a strong adversary¡­ but you, who defeated him, are even stronger.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was taken aback by Grandar¡¯spliment. He looked at the Giant Sovereign in shock, as he found himself momentarily at a loss for words. The two of them had often chatted with each other, and it was not just once or twice that Grandar had praised Roel. However, this was the first time the Giant Sovereign had affirmed his strength as an individual, and it was his highestpliment to date. Roel could hardly conceal his smirk upon receiving those words. ¡°It¡¯s rare to hear such words from you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m stating a fact. You¡¯re far stronger than when we first met. You have proven yourself as a powerful warrior, both in terms of strength and willpower, by triumphing over Banjol.¡± Grandar lowered his head and spoke with a solemn and respectful tone. Roel, whose body and soul had been pushed to their limit, squeezed out a bitter smile and replied, ¡°But I was forced to resort to my final means too.¡± As he said those words, his silver hair reverted to ck, and his voice sounded audibly frailer. At the same time, the divine white light cloaking Grandar receded as well. Siafication was the ability Roel had obtained from the previous Witness State, from the fusion of his soul with the Six Cmities. It was the strongest means he had up his sleeves. In truth, he had harbored doubts as to whether he could still utilize this means. It was one thing when his soul was fused with the Six Cmities, but it was another to undergo Siafication now that he was out of the Witness State. However, his doubts were dispelled when he thought about the origin of his body and his soul. It must have been Mother¡¯s doing. Roel¡¯s body and soul had undergone another evolution in the hands of the Mother Goddess after he staked his everything in his fight against the Savior. His body had been enhanced by many mystical treasures, giving rise to the overpowered Indestructible Body. Given so, it was not unthinkable for his soul to have been tampered with as well¡­ ¡­just that it had been beneficial tampering. Even Roel had to concede that it would have been nigh impossible for him to retain the ability of Siafication. The Mother Goddess must have paid a heavy price to make the impossible happen, and that was probably the reason she chose not to mention it to him. ¡°¡­¡± Roel let out a sigh, only to regret it immediately. This simple movement sent a jolt of excruciating pain through his entire body. Great power came at a great price. Just a few minutes of Siafication was more than enough to leave Roel¡¯s soul in tatters. Anyone else in his position would have to resign themself to their end after resorting to this ability, but fortunately, Roel had the Spiriteer Sovereign on his side. ¡°You won¡¯t die, but that¡¯s all I can say for you,¡± Edavia remarked after examining Roel¡¯s soul. Meanwhile, Artasia and Peytra worked together to sustain Roel¡¯s body until aid arrived. Three different colors flickered alternately around Roel¡¯s body, and he felt a little better. This allowed him to turn his attention toward the distant battlefield. While his fight with Banjol had already concluded, the resulting shockwaves had yet to subside. The united army and the deviants had temporarily halted their fighting and taken cover, but the war was not over yet. Surrender was not an option for the deviants, and the humans had no intention of making peace. This battle would continue until one side waspletely obliterated. By now, the army buffs for both armies had run out, putting them back at the starting point. But with the demise of the Deviant Sovereign, the united army now had the decisive advantage. The battle would be concluded soon enough. Will I finally be able to escape from here? He strained himself to turn his body around so that he could look at the battlefield, but much to his shock, he spotted familiar ck silhouettes amidst the sandstorm. ¡°How¡­ How are they still there?!¡± Roel eximed in disbelief. In the wake of the shockwave, Roel saw the mutated deviants created by the ck sludge rising one after another from the desert. His eyes widened in disbelief, as an ominous feeling welled in his heart. A shocking possibility emerged in his mind. At the same time, an unusual sound reached his ears. Pah, pah pah¡­ That¡¯s¡­ a heartbeat?! Roel¡¯s face warped in shock. Grandar turned toward the source of the heartbeat, where a humongous being could be seen reabsorbing its remnants to reform its body. It was the miracle created by the Savior to destroy the Mother Goddess¡ªthe Egg of the Beast God. ¡­ Chapter 605.2: Shocking Development (2)

Chapter 605.2: Shocking Development (2)

In the desert, Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat as his vignce peaked. . My attack didn¡¯t destroy it? How is that possible? I have destroyed Banjol¡¯s Divine Domain! Watching the Egg of the Beast God repair itself, he suddenly thought of a possibility. Could it be that the true owner of that egg isn¡¯t Banjol but the Savior? Roel thought with a heavy expression. If his deduction was true, it would make sense that thebined force of him and Grandar had failed to destroy the Egg of the Beast God. The Savior¡¯s power originated from Sia as well, and it wasn¡¯t inferior to his in any way. It would have been hard for him topletely destroy the Egg of the Beast God, especially given the defensive and regenerative prowess of thetter. Thisplicates things. Roel gritted his teeth as he tried to figure out a countermeasure to the situation, but it was impossible for him to figure out a solution within such a short period of time. Meanwhile, the mutated deviants slowly regained their mobility with the revival of the Egg of the Beast God. The soldiers on the battlefield also noticed the situation with the Egg of the Beast God and widened their eyes in shock. Nora, Charlotte, and the others were also startled. ¡°Wait. How is Roel¡¯s condition if that thing is still there?¡± Nora anxiously asked. ¡°Darling is fine for now, but I fear that we¡¯re in trouble,¡± Charlotte replied grimly. She could sense Roel¡¯s condition through the Arbiter, so she wasn¡¯t too worried about him. What she was more concerned about was how the ck sludge mutated deviants were slowly regaining their mobility, whereas the human soldiers were starting to show signs of exhaustion after Howl of Crimson Lightning¡¯s effects died out. In contrast to what they had thought, the tides of the battle hadn¡¯t changed even though they had sessfully eradicated the Deviant Sovereign. The deviants had fallen into disarray after losing their Sovereign. Their morale was lower than ever after their army buff spell died out, forcing them to back down. Even the two-headed deviant, whom Wilhelmina was dealing with, lost its fighting will and retreated to the main force. In the first ce, the deviant army was made up of many independent tribes that hade together under the authority of the Deviant Sovereign. Now that the factor uniting them was gone, it was only a matter of time before their alliance crumbled, making them a lesser threat. What was more worrying was the mutated deviants formed out of the Egg of the Beast God¡¯s ck sludge. Roel and the others had thought that these mutated deviants would disappear with Banjol¡¯s death, but the current situation proved that their assumption was off. This was a huge problem because these mutated deviants weren¡¯t true life forms¡ªthey knew not of exhaustion, and the Egg of the Beast God could potentially spawn an unlimited number of them given sufficient time. It was under this air of pessimism that the battle resumed. By now, the human soldiers were in a bad condition after having fought for a long period of time, and it didn¡¯t help that they had been battered by the shockwaves from Roel and Banjol¡¯s shes too. Many struggled to pull themselves out of the sand, but the mutated deviants weren¡¯t going to give them a chance to catch their breath. ¡°Grar!¡± Bestial roars shook the battlefield, signaling the resumption of the fight between the human soldiers and the mutated deviants. Nora and the others panicked at the sight, and they swiftly eliminated the monsters in their vicinity. Unlike the normal deviants, the Egg of the Beast God had indiscriminately scattered the mutated deviants all over the battlefield as ck sludge, so that there was no clear formation dividing the human soldiers from the mutated deviants. This made it difficult for them to cover their own soldiers for a retreat. ¡°We¡¯re going to be trapped here at this rate!¡± ¡°Nora, go and fetch Darling over! Leave themanding to me!¡± ¡°All right!¡± Amidst the pandemonium, a golden-haired angel unfurled her light wings to soar into the sky, but just then, the Egg of the Beast God suddenly roared. ¡°Grar!¡± Immense pressure crushed down on the battlefield. Momentster, the Egg of the Beast God spewed out ck sludge once more, but this time around, it transformed into aerial monsters. ¡°Those are¡­!¡± Nora eximed. Before she knew it, thousands of aerial monsters were charging in her direction. She quickly gathered her mana and emanated a brilliant light to vanquish them. At the same time, a thought surfaced in her mind: They are trying to stop me from getting to Roel? Lilian also noticed the situation and decided to go all out. ¡°We have to deal with the root of the trouble!¡± A tremendous light shone from Lilian, and a huge circle of ten thousand magicians appeared from her summoning. The ten thousand magicians immediately began channeling a powerful army spell. At the same time, several knight orders from the Ancient Austine Empire charged forth to save the human soldiers from their quandary while attempting to clear the path leading to Roel. Once again, the battlefield descended into chaos. Roel looked at the massive ck egg floating in the sky and narrowed his golden eyes, murmuring, ¡°I see. You don¡¯t want me to return alive.¡± His killing intent simmered, and it quickly reached a boiling point. He knew that he had to destroy the Egg of the Beast God, or else the Egg of the Beast God would eventually be a greater threat than the Deviant Sovereign. Without Banjol to keep it in check, the Egg of the Beast God would continuously absorb mana from the ground to create more and more monsters. It wouldn¡¯t be long before it amassed a sufficiently powerful military force to take over Tark Prairie and even threaten humankind. I have to stop the Egg of the Beast God¡­ but my body and my soul won¡¯t be able to take it if I continue fighting in my current state, Roel thought grimly. As he listened to the metallic ngs and wretched cries from the battlefield, his eyes slowly hardened with determination. But before he could make a move, the clouds in the sky suddenly billowed, and a familiar phenomenon appeared before his eyes. Within a matter of seconds, the sun abruptly descended to the western horizon, and a silver moon appeared in the sky. A white fog suddenly surged in from the eastern horizon, carrying a tremendous amount of mana with it. Chapter 606.1: Alicia (1)

Chapter 606.1: Alicia (1)

Divination spells, strictly speaking, could not be ssified as spells. Spells could be broadly defined as phenomena that are triggered in the presence of sufficient mana, though there were usually more conditions to fulfill than that. However, divination spells didn¡¯t fall under this category. Even if there was sufficient mana and the ritual went well, there was no guarantee that a divination spell would work. Conversely, there were times when divination spells triggered without one doing anything at all. In a way, divination spells were simr to the intuition of high transcendents, just that the former could predict events further into the future, and the events did not have to be directly rted to themselves. The stronger and more talented an individual was in the field of divination, the greater their ability to foretell the future. In this regard, there was no one in the world who could outdo the two supreme beings in the ancient era. There were also other factors that could undermine the uracy of the prophecy, such as the time frame, but even so, it should be safe to assume that any prophecies made by the Savior and the Mother Goddess were no less urate than the one made by the Tripartite Alliance. That was also why the Savior had Beastman Sovereign Banjol bury the Egg of the Beast God here in advance. But if the Savior was capable of pulling this off, there was no reason the Mother Goddess couldn¡¯t do the same and counterattack¡­ and that was exactly what was happening right now. Pandemonium ravaged the battlefield. The abrupt shift from day to night defiedmon sense, and itpelled the soldiers on the battlefield to halt what they were doing to observe the situation. Shocked exmations could be heard throughout the desert. Roel could empathize with them; that was how he had reacted when he first witnessed this phenomenon in the Witness State. But if it were just this much, it wouldn¡¯t have sent the elites of humankind into such a fluster. What truly shook their hearts was the battle in the sky. Above the desert, a white fog rapidly charged at the Egg of the Beast God to devour its energy. Faced with Shrouding Fog¡¯s assault, the Egg of the Beast God, which was created specifically to deal with it, furiously roared andunched its counterattack. ¡°Grar!¡± A deluge of ck sludge gushed out from the Egg of the Beast God. It transformed into a flock of ten thousand aerial monsters that unhesitatingly charged at Shrouding Fog. Roel was initially confused by this suicidal maneuver, but what happened next startled him. The aerial monsters conjured by the Egg of the Beast God didn¡¯t vanish right away uponing into contact with Shrouding Fog. Instead, they relentlessly dished out attacks on the white fog to dissipate it. Shrouding Fog¡¯s devouring ability failed to work on the aerial monsters. Roel had known that the Egg of the Beast God boasted some degree of immunity against the Six Cmities, but he didn¡¯t think that even Shrouding Fog, despite having matured the most, would have its ability rendered ineffective just like that. Even so, Shrouding Fog wasn¡¯tpletely helpless. As a sentient cmity that had wreaked havoc throughout the ages, itunched its counterattack in an unexpected manner. The billowing white fog in the sky emanated a brilliant light, which had Roel widening his eyes. He sensed a familiar aura from it¡ªit was an aura simr to that of his Silver Devourer, the aura of a dimension opening up. Before his shocked eyes, countless figures emerged from the billowing white fog. They were simr to the bone dragons Artasia had pulled out from Shrouding Fog¡¯s dimension, just that they were more varied in shape and size. Massive bone dragons, ordinary wingmen, carcasses of demonic beasts, and gigantic statues¡ªthe beings that Shrouding Fog had devoured across the ages had been turned into an undead army that attacked the aerial monsters in the sky. Even the two bone dragons under Artasia¡¯s control broke away and rushed into the sky to protect Shrouding Fog. A chaotic battle broke out between the two factions in the sky. The mutated monsters spawned by the Egg of the Beast God spewed out their ck sludge, corroding the undead carcasses. The undead army retaliated with their unique abilities: the bone dragons spewed devastating breaths; the wingmen sapped mana from the surroundings; the gargoyles tore the mutated monsters apart. ck sludge and melting white bones rained ceaselessly from the sky, but the intensity of the battle remained unabated as the howling Egg of the Beast God and Shrouding Fog continued to churn out new soldiers to continue the fight. This situation baffled the crowd. The appearance of the culprit behind the disappearance of Tark Stronghold, Shrouding Fog, stirred panic among the human soldiers, but, fortunately, the soldiers quickly calmed down when they saw the intense battle between it and the Egg of the Beast God. At the same time, possibly because the Egg of the Beast God was focused on the aerial battle against Shrouding Fog, the movements of the mutated deviants on the ground turned sluggish. The human soldiers capitalized on this opportunity tounch their counterattack. ¡°Quick! We need to make use of this opportunity to get rid of them!¡± the militarymanders shouted. ¡°Close up the formation! Prepare to retreat!¡± Charlotte ordered. The war horns signaling retreat sounded. The human soldiers subdued the mutated deviants lurking in their midst while pulling their formation back. Simrly, the deviant army had also begun to retreat. Both the Egg of the Beast God and Shrouding Fog were threats and enemies to humankind, which was why Lilian ordered her circle of magicians to change the target of their army spell from the sky to the boundary between the human soldiers and the mutated deviants, so as to buy time for the united army to make their retreat. Meanwhile, the knights of the Ancient Austine Empire continued tearing into the enemy¡¯s ranks. In the sky, Nora decimated the aerial monsters with her holy light while trying her best to advance to where Roel was. Simrly, Wilhelmina, who had her hands free after the two-headed deviant made its escape, also began making her way toward Roel. Nora, Lilian, and the others were making a desperate attempt to rescue Roel in their own ways. Meanwhile, Roel watched the battlefield with aplicated look in his eyes. ¡­ Roel stared at the sky above with glimmering golden eyes. Around him was the ck sludge left in the wake of the mutated deviants¡¯ death. The Egg of the Beast God was a frightening creation, so much so that Roel thought that it was an even more troublesome adversary than the Deviant Sovereign. The monsters it created were not too powerful, but Roel was in a terrible state after his battle with Banjol. Just a single attack from the summoned Witch Queen had already exhausted him, but even so, he made no attempt to escape. He looked at the two monsters fighting under the silver moon with a gaze flickering with doubt. Shrouding Fog¡¯s appearance on the battlefield came as a surprise to the human soldiers, but it was well within Roel¡¯s expectations. The Egg of the Beast God was a monster nurtured to deal with the Six Cmities; Shrouding Fog would have never turned a blind eye to its existence. Shrouding Fog¡¯s appearance was inevitable from the very start. What surprised Roel was how grand its arrival was¡ªeven day and night were inverted! What was even more baffling was the precise timing of its arrival. Did it specifically choose this timing to interfere? Or was it just a coincidence? Roel thought with an uneasy heart. Chapter 606.2: Alicia (2)

Chapter 606.2: Alicia (2)

Shrouding Fog had arrived just as he was about to make his move once more, but the truth was that he couldn¡¯t afford to make another move. No matter how great the determination he had mustered, he couldn¡¯t ovee the limitations of his condition. He had to pay a terrible price to defeat Banjol, and that had left him on the verge of death. That was also why he was so agitated when the Egg of the Beast God reappeared, for he didn¡¯t have the strength to fight it anymore. Even so, Roel still chose to confront his enemy. The ones fighting on this battlefield weren¡¯t just soldiers whom he had no ties with, but his close friends and lovers. Nora had practically gathered everyone she could trust, because she knew how difficult the fight was going to be. Despite the great distance between them, he could spot many familiar figures¡ªKurt, Brittany, Juliana, Selina, Geralt, and many others whom he had met in the academy. They were here to save him. To be honest, Roel was touched beyond words. Humans only had one life, and this held true even in the Sia Continent. Marching straight into the enemy¡¯s encampment to confront the Deviant Sovereign and his army was nothing short of suicide, but these people still came in the end. Of course, he also knew that there were many reasons aside from their personal ties that they hade to save him, such as his own value. Nevertheless, they were putting their lives on the line to open up a path for him. If not for their help, he would have never gotten the chance to fight the Deviant Sovereign 1-on-1. Be it for his friends, the hundreds of thousands of human soldiers gathered here who were indispensable to humankind¡¯s survival, or Nora, Charlotte, Lilian, and Wilhelmina, the choice was very clear for Roel. I¡¯ll likely die, but there¡¯s no choice. Roel had hardened his conviction, but before he could make his move, the sun had given way to the moon, and Shrouding Fog had appeared on the battlefield quickly after that. It was almost as if there was some force stopping him from making a second move. This was too much of a coincidence, and it also didn¡¯t make sense. Thest time Shrouding Fog appeared, it had tried to kill him. It had chased him for a long distance over the course of a day to eliminate him. Given such a setting, there was no reason for Shrouding Fog to intervene at this moment, right before he was about to confront the Egg of the Beast God for a second time. The wiser thing to do would have been for Shrouding Fog to wait for one of them to perish before joining the fight, and the sentient Shrouding Fog would have thought of that. Furthermore, does Shrouding Fog really have the ability to induce such a phenomenon? Could it be¡­ Mother? But if so¡­ Roel could hardly calm himself as he stared at the silver moon in the sky. Having been the target of the Mother Goddess¡¯ gaze on multiple asions, he intuitively understood that the moon currently in the sky was not the Mother Goddess¡¯ avatar. But that only further confused him. It may have meant nothing if it was a coincidence, but if it truly was the Mother Goddess¡¯ intent to stop him from further damaging his soul, it would mean that the Mother Goddess had really inherited the memories from the Witness State. But why would the Mother Goddess be unwilling to meet him, then? Many doubts floated in Roel¡¯s mind, but before he could make sense of anything, the situation in the sky suddenly changed. ¡°Grar!¡± After a prolonged stalemate, the Egg of the Beast God suddenly released a copious amount of mana with a furious roar. This immediately caught everyone¡¯s attention. Before everyone¡¯s eyes, the egg suddenly cracked, and a beast-headed giant emerged from within. ¡°!¡± Roel was startled by the sight of a familiar opponent. It would appear that the Egg of the Beast God had inherited some of Banjol¡¯s capability, making it far more dangerous than before. With a burst of mana pulsation, the beast-headed giant charged at the white fog. In response, Shrouding Fog let loose a scream, and countless undead creatures converged to stop the beast-headed giant¡¯s advancement. It was to no avail. Those undead creatures were reduced to white bones and plummeted from the sky. The beast-headed giant¡¯s momentum hardly slowed at all. Boom! The beast-headed giant¡¯s fist pierced into Shrouding Fog¡¯s body, and it ignited the immense mana it was harnessing. A dull explosion ensued, followed by Shrouding Fog¡¯s pained scream. Large swaths of Shrouding Fog¡¯s body dissipated, and the dimension gate it had opened to churn out its undead army abruptly copsed on itself. Shrouding Fog was at too much of a disadvantage against an opponent who could physically injure it when itcked a tangible form. It had no choice but to create some distance between it and the beast-headed giant so as to limit its opponent¡¯s effectiveness. The bnce between Shrouding Fog and the Egg of the Beast God had tipped in the favor of thetter. Roel frowned, as his ominous premonition deepened. He knew that it would be a catastrophe for humankind if the Egg of the Beast God achieved victory here. So far, the Egg of the Beast God had already churned out hundreds of thousands of mutated monsters, and many were capable of flight. These were enemies that the united army would struggle to shake off. Furthermore, Roel would be the next target for the beast-headed giant as soon as Shrouding Fog fell in defeat. This is bad. At this rate¡­ Roel clenched his fist as he considered intervening in the battle. Just then, mystical specks of light suddenly became visible on the battlefield. They drifted around like tiny spirits of light, having diffused all throughout the desert unnoticed. Roel was momentarily stunned before a thought urred to him, and he eximed, ¡°Isn¡¯t this¡­¡± Before he could finish his sentence, the specks of light suddenly surged toward the sky and formed a glorious aurora. ¡°What happened? The mana suddenly vanished.¡± ¡°Is that¡­ an aurora?¡± The retreating human soldiers were baffled, as they raised their heads to look at the aurora in the sky. In the heart of the desert, Roel, who knew the identity of the specks of light, was at a loss for words. Light Devourer. This was the cmity who had fought alongside Roel in the Witness State and helped him turn the tables on the Savior in that dire situation. It possessed the ability to absorb mana limitlessly and expand. Its appearance marked the opportunity to counterattack, and its attack was already brewing. Seeing the light in the sky, Roel knew that there was no need for him to make a move anymore. The Egg of the Beast God sensed danger and desperately tried to escape, but Shrouding Fog persistently tied it down. Eventually, the aurora in the sky became so bright that it banished darkness from the night sky. Just as the aurora was about to reach maximum brightness, Roel suddenly sensed a mana pulsation. This is a¡­ spatial spell! Could it be¡­ Roel hurriedly raised his head, staring fixedly at the area above Light Devourer. There, he saw a silver figure appearing amidst the light, and his eyes widened in shock. Contrary to his expectations, the silver figure was not the Mother Goddess but one of the closest people to him, whom he had been together with from a young age. ¡°Alicia?!¡± Roel was startled, but he quickly released his mana and rushed into the sky while shouting out her name. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t catch her attention. The silver-haired, crimson-eyed girl merely looked at the furiously roaring Egg of the Beast God and coldly raised her hand. This isn¡¯t good! At this distance¡­ The world was suddenly buried in light as soon as this thought emerged. Roel¡¯s consciousness faded amidst this bombardment of light. Chapter 607.1: Rescue Operation (1)

Chapter 607.1: Rescue Operation (1)

Alicia¡¯s disappearance had been the worst news Roel had received since his return from the Witness State, but the terrible situation left him with no spare capacity to mull over it. It was only when he discovered Alicia¡¯s trail in Shrouding Fog¡¯s dimension that he heaved a sigh of relief. To him, the worst thing that could have happened to Alicia was for the Savior¡¯s worshipers to have uncovered her true identity and assassinated her. Even though the Mother Goddess was an enemy too, at the very least, Alicia was unlikely to be harmed there. Or, at least, this was what Roel had thought thus far. It was only when he reunited with her that he realized that his assumption might have been off the mark. ¡°Alicia?!¡± Roel eximed when he saw the aurora appearing above her. Despite his poor condition, he channeled his mana to rush into the sky. His devastated body protested with excruciating pain, and his soul creaked from the burden. A mere instant of this was almost enough to make Roel pass out. ¡°Stop! You¡¯ll die at this rate!¡± Artasia eximed. ¡°I don¡¯t know who that is, but you should calm down. Your soul¡¯s injury is about to exceed the threshold of what I can manage,¡± Edavia advised sternly. Despite the warnings from his ancient gods, Roel couldn¡¯t control himself and continued rushing toward the sky. Little did he expect that he would fail to even catch her attention. Something was very wrong with Alicia. Roel had thought that Alicia was the one controlling the Six Cmities¡ªthat would have exined why Shrouding Fog interfered in the battle before Roel could confront the Egg of the Beast God. She would have wanted to protect him, after all. But now, that conjecture didn¡¯t seem right either. Alicia¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t on him at all. If she was here to save him, there should have been no way for her to conceal the concern in her eyes. Yet, she didn¡¯t even spare him a nce. While the two of them were some distance apart, a transcendent of Alicia¡¯s level should have been able to hear his words. Herck of response suggested two possibilities¡ªeither she was feigning ignorance, or his words were indistinguishable from the noises around. This put Roel at a loss. Supposing that Alicia was ignoring him for a good reason, such as the Mother Goddess¡¯ surveince, he would be putting her in a bad position by rushing over right now. However, his dilemma didn¡¯tst long. When the aurora in the sky became blindingly bright, and Alicia directed her hand toward the Egg of the Beast God, Roel¡¯s brain stopped functioning for a brief instant as the answer leaped out at him. While Light Devourer¡¯s attack was targeted at the beast-headed giant, Roel was likely to be swept into it due to his proximity. Given the frail state he was in, this attack could take his life. Alicia wasn¡¯t just faking it. She really didn¡¯t care about him at all. This realization hit Roel like a truck. He was so shocked that he just froze on the spot, forgetting to even put up his defenses against Light Devourer¡¯s iing attack. To add salt to the wound, Alicia showed no inclination to slow her attack at all for his sake. Under Alicia¡¯smand, a burst of light shot out and devoured everything. ¡­ Roel was familiar with Light Devourer¡¯s ability. He had taken Light Devourer¡¯s ability as his final trump card in the Witness State, and it helped him to turn around what was otherwise an impossible fight. For that reason, Light Devourer was the only Cmity that he felt more intimate with¡­ but it was just his imagination. They were finally reunited, but Light Devourer had no intention to take special care of him. Countless beams of light shot out from the aurora, inundating the surroundings in white light. Only then did it ur to Roel that he should put up his defense, but the situation was worse than he had expected. His body was so worn out that he could hardly squeeze any mana out. Any attempt to channel his Crown Origin Attribute would tug at his tattered soul, triggering extreme pain. Most importantly of all, Roel, whose soul was once fused with Light Devourer, knew its characteristics better than anyone else. Light Devourer was a ravenous cmity that devoured everything made of mana, making its attacks the most dangerous ones of all. In the first ce, its attacks were nigh impossible to evade, as they manifested in the form of light rays. It would be meaningless even if one put up a mana barrier in advance, as the barrier would only be eroded by its mana-devouring trait. The beast-headed giant which had emerged from the Egg of the Beast God raised its humongous arms and transformed them into a ck shield. This would have been enough to ward off Shrouding Fog due to its high immunity against the Six Cmities, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop Light Devourer. White beams of light whizzed down like divine spears and swiftly broke down the beast-headed giant¡¯s shield. The beast-headed giant howled in fury, but it was to no avail. Within a matter of seconds, its defenses had already been eroded by the beams of white light. It was also then that the tightly converged beams of white light suddenly spread outward, expanding the scope of the attack to include Roel as well. Roel¡¯s mana barrier eroded right away. He desperately tried to tap into the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones, but his soul was so tattered that he could only release bits of frost aura. The deluge of white light advanced on Roel, making quick work of the defenses he had put up. He could already feel his mana uncontrobly leaking out before the white light reached him. Just as he was about to be devoured by the white light, a person suddenly stood in front of him. ¡°Roel!¡± Nora surged forth and took her position in front of Roel. She unfurled her light wings and swiftly weaved her holy light together to form a barrier. ¡°It won¡¯t work, Nora! Don¡¯t use your mana¡­¡± Roel anxiously reminded. Boom! Before he could finish his words, the two lights shed with a loud reverberation. Nora¡¯s barrier eroded before the white light too, but the speed of the erosion was much slower than Roel¡¯s. I see. It¡¯s the Angel Sovereign Bloodline. Roel nodded in realization. The Angel Sovereign Bloodline was the strongest Angel Bloodline, and it was equipped with the power to assimte and destroy. Its nature was simr to Light Devourer¡¯s in certain ways, and that was why Nora¡¯s barrier didn¡¯t break down right away. Even so, it only bought Nora some time against Light Devourer. In terms of potency, the power of the Angel Sovereign Bloodline was equal to Light Devourer, but Nora was no match for the cmity in terms of mana quantity, and she was well aware of that. In just a few seconds, she had already depleted a huge amount of mana. It didn¡¯t take her long to reach her limit, especially since she had been fighting for days by now. Her face turned pale, and her arms started to tremble. As the white light slowly overpowered the two of them, they began to descend from the sky with increasing speed, to the point where they looked almost like shooting stars from below. Nora panicked, knowing that the impact would be dire at this rate. After a moment of hesitation, she gave up on protecting herself and instead tightly hugged Roel. ¡°!¡± Her decision caused Roel¡¯s body to stiffen. He lowered his head to look at Nora, and in her sapphire eyes he saw unwavering resolve. Nora also raised her head upon sensing the stiffening of his body. They were in a bad position. Above them was Light Devourer¡¯s deluge of white light, and beneath them was the tremendous physical impact they would receive from crashing into the ground at such a high speed. Even Nora couldn¡¯t guarantee her own safety from this two-fold damage, but she chose to expose herself to danger in order to protect him. The scenery zoomed right past the two of them. Sensing Nora¡¯s unyielding determination to keep him safe, Roel gritted his teeth. He resolved himself to squeeze his already battered soul one more time to acquire the mana he needed to ovee this crisis. Chapter 607.2: Rescue Operation (2)

Chapter 607.2: Rescue Operation (2)

Further reinforcement arrived before Roel could put his n into action. ¡°Swordheart,¡± Wilhelmina murmured solemnly. The cold gleam of a sword shed across Roel¡¯s eyes, and the deluge of white light Nora was guarding against suddenly stalled to a halt. Then, right before their eyes, it was split into two, reduced into countless specks of light that returned to the aurora. The tightly embracing Roel and Nora were taken aback. ¡°Darling!¡± Charlotte cried out. Following that, a golden fluid suddenly appeared and tightly wrapped around the two of them. The Golden Soul rapidly slowed the speed of their descent while adjusting the trajectory of their fall. Meanwhile, Wilhelmina quickly chased after them after neutralizing the deluge of white light. She quickly estimated the spot where they wouldnd and swung her sword, releasing a sword arc. Boom! Sand was sted into the air right where Nora and Roel were going tond. Thebined cushioning from the fluid Golden Soul and the sand had spared the two of them from severe injuries. However, the crisis wasn¡¯t over yet, as another deluge of white light was charging at the two of them. ¡°Ten Fortresses.¡± Standing beside Charlotte, Lilian channeled her mana into her Kingdom Origin Attribute, bringing the Fortress of Miracles from a thousand years ago back onto this world. Torkis Fortress wasuded as the crystallization of humankind¡¯s ingenuity in the Second Epoch. It was rumored to be so firm that even meteors couldn¡¯t tear it down. Today, this legend would be put through its greatest test ever. Right after the ck fortress rose from the ground and sheltered Roel and the others, the deluge of white light rammed into the fortress. The tremendous impact shook the fortress walls, and white light irradiated the sky above. Yet, the legendary fortress stood its ground. A long timeter, the white light finally receded, and darkness returned to the world. With his final sliver of strength, Roel turned to the golden-haired woman next to him. Nora had already returned to her feet. She was saying something while checking on his body. Charlotte leaped right into his arms with tears streaming from her eyes. Behind her was an extremely agitated Lilian¡ªthis was an emotion he had never seen from her before. Last but not least, Wilhelmina was currently rushing over from a distance away. Seeing the four of them safe and sound put his heart at ease. Before he knew it, his consciousness had started to blur. His eyelids felt terribly heavy, and the voices he heard slowly turned into iprehensible white noise. No, I can¡¯t faint now. This familiar sensation told Roel that he had reached his limit, but he couldn¡¯t allow himself to pass out like that. He gathered everyst bit of his rity and forced himself to remain awake. He struggled to look at the sky, and he saw a perfectly clear starry sky, a billowing white fog, and a dimmed aurora. The silver-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. Alicia¡­ Roel¡¯s heart sank when he realized that Alicia was no longer around. Then, he fainted. ¡­ ¡°Roel! Roel!¡± ¡°Darling! Why? His injuries aren¡¯t that severe¡­ Could it be his soul? Lilian, do you know anything about this?¡± ¡°His soul? No, the Kingmaker Bloodline is powerful but it shouldn¡¯t affect his soul.¡± After surviving the ordeal, Nora, Charlotte, and Lilian immediately rushed over to check on Roel¡¯s condition. It was also around then that Wilhelmina arrived to discuss their next course of action. While they had managed to save Roel from Light Devourer¡¯s attack through their impable teamwork, they knew that this was only the start. Before Light Devourer¡¯s attack in the sky died down, the mutated deviants on the ground had already reverted to ck sludge. Thanks to that, they were able to quickly make their way over to where Roel was. The Six Cmities had triumphed over the Egg of the Beast God, but this didn¡¯t necessarily bode well for humankind. The Egg of the Beast God and the Six Cmities were both humankind¡¯s enemies, not to mention that Shrouding Fog had once spirited away Tark Stronghold. The Egg of the Beast God¡¯s defeat was just a silver lining, changing humankind¡¯s disastrous plight to a slightly less disastrous one. Shrouding Fog had expended itself significantly in its fight against the Egg of the Beast God, and there was a huge army of hundreds of thousands of human transcendents in the desert. There was no saying that it wouldn¡¯tunch an attack right away to replenish its undead army. Furthermore, Alicia¡¯s appearance had shaken up not just Roel but Nora and Charlotte as well. While they often argued and fought with one another, they still saw Alicia as a childhood friend. They didn¡¯t know how Alicia had be associated with the Six Cmities and why she hadunched an attack that endangered Roel, but they knew what their next course of action had to be. They had to retreat with Roel right away and inform the Ascart House of the matter. ¡°The ck sludge hasn¡¯tpletely disappeared yet,¡± Lilian said. ¡°There¡¯s probably still a breath left in the Egg of the Beast God. It could make aeback. Furthermore, we still have to remain wary of the deviants too.¡± ¡°My father and the others are likely about to reach their limits too,¡± Wilhelmina said. ¡°The three deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns could be returning at any time. We need to retreat right now!¡± Nora and Charlotte exchanged nces before nodding. Their mission objective had been met now that they had managed to rescue Roel. With the fight that had just broken out between the Egg of the Beast God and the Six Cmities, it was simply too dangerous for them to remain on this plot ofnd. ¡°How¡¯s Roel?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a problem with his soul, but he has no fatal wounds on his body. It should be fine to move him.¡± ¡°His soul? That¡¯s even more reason for us to retreat right now.¡± The four women came to a consensus to retreat right away, and they immediately acted on it. As soon as Ten Fortresses dissipated into specks of light, Nora first dashed out to draw the attention of any enemies in the vicinity. Charlotte and Lilian then swiftly escorted Roel in a beeline toward the united army, with Wilhelmina guarding them along the way. Momentster, a series of war horns sounded. After days of intense battle, the united army finally concluded their operation and retreated from Hawe Desert. Chapter 608.1: The Unsettled Two (1)

Chapter 608.1: The Unsettled Two (1)

Bestial roars filled the battlefield. The desert winds carried a hint of blood-stench. Smoke puffed up from the ground and rose into the sky. Mountains of corpses and carcasses were strewn over the battlefield. It was a scene of carnage. For a moment, the silver-haired girl thought that she had returned to the epic battlefield of the ancient era, where different races fought desperately for their future. Indeed, this sight wasn¡¯t unfamiliar to her at all. Or rather, a significant portion of her memories were about that. Dead bodies, fresh blood, endless war, copsed giants, fallen angels, and roaring gods. Those were the things that immediately popped into her head if she briefly immersed herself in her memories, though it was not because she was emotionally affected by them that they were at the top of her mind, but simply because they were visually striking. Giants had massive physiques that would smash a huge area of soldiers into meat paste whenever they copsed on the battlefield. Angels tended to be cloaked in light due to their high mana capacity, so they were as eye-catching as shooting stars when they fell from the sky. As for the gods, they were the stars of the battlefield in the ancient era, so it was only normal for her to have a strong impression of them. Most people would have thought that she was cold-blooded if they knew about her thoughts, given herck of empathy toward the deceased, but that was hardly the case at all. She was only calm because these memories felt empty to her, as if they were just a gallery of images. She felt no emotional connection toward those memories at all. They weren¡¯t even her memories, after all. The silver-haired girl shook her head. She turned her attention to the battle happening on the surface, as well as the fight between Shrouding Fog and the beast-headed giant, and she was a little surprised. She had witnessed many battles through her memories, but she knew that times were different now. This battle was nowhere close to the scale of those between gods in the ancient era, but she could tell that it was already an all-out battle between the current dominant race of the Sia Continent, the humans, and the deviants. She could say that with certainty because she used to live amongst the humans herself under the name of Alicia Ascart. That being said, her memories of the time she had spent as Alicia Ascart was extremely blurred, such that the only thing she really recalled was her name. She didn¡¯t feel particrly attached to that identity, and she felt no empathy toward the humans fighting in the desert either. It couldn¡¯t be helped. During her awakening as the ck Moon, she inherited the memories of everything that had happened from the ancient era till now. These memories didn¡¯t belong to her¡ªthey were really Genesis Goddess Sia¡¯s and the Mother Goddess¡¯ memories¡ªbut they were simply far greater in proportion. The countless years of memories from Sia and the Mother Goddess squeezed out the decade of memories she had lived as a human, fragmenting them into pieces that she had yet to make sense of. Even so, she didn¡¯t pay it much heed. It didn¡¯t matter how she felt about the humans in the past; they were now her enemies. Humankind saw the Mother Goddess as an evil god, and they would do everything within their means to stop Her return. Before this greater scheme of things, what she had to do remained the same regardless of whether she regained her memories as a human or not. All it would do was to be a nuisance to her. She looked at the beast-headed giant forged out of ck sludge with an impassive expression, but her heart filled with disgust. The Mother Goddess¡¯ powers induced in her a natural aversion to the Savior¡¯s powers and fallen creatures. Thus, she raised her hand to channel Light Devourer¡¯s charged energy and unleashed it, but at the same time, she heard her name being called from the surface. ¡°¡­¡± Someone here knows me? Alicia was intrigued, though she wasn¡¯t surprised. She was a prodigy amongst the humans, after all. Under the influence of the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, her growth trajectory was iparable to that of normal humans, reaching Origin Level 2 before awakening the ck Moon¡¯s powers. While this was nothing much in the ancient era, it was a formidable feat for a human. There was bound to be someone amongst the hundreds of thousands of human soldiers below who recognized her. She had expected someone to recognize her here, and her heart wouldn¡¯t waver because of it. Yet, as if someone had thrown a rock into a stillke, herposed state of mind shook when she heard that voice. What¡¯s going on? Why am I bothered when I expected this¡­ No, what¡¯s affecting me is not the content of the message but the voice. Her eyes widened in astonishment. She had to exert all her self-control to stop herself from turning her head over. However, herpse in attention caused the trajectory of her attack to veer off course. This isn¡¯t good! She quickly took corrective action, but the trajectory of the attack didn¡¯t change right away. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t matter since she had aplished the main mission. The beast-headed giant had been destroyed by the rays of light, and Shrouding Fog and Light Devourer were enough to clean up the rest even without her help. Thus, she put her hand down, but the disturbance in her mental state didn¡¯t end. She couldn¡¯t help but nce in the direction of the voice, only for her line of sight to be covered by Light Devourer¡¯s deluge of white light. I can¡¯t see who it is¡­ ¡°¡­What am I doing?¡± she murmured with a frown. She then turned to the two cmities and instructed, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± In response, the aurora flickered and the white fog moaned. With a wave of her hand, she created a crack in the sky and stepped into the crack, disappearing into the void. ¡­ A sudden flood of mana opened a spatial crack along a dim corridor. Light footsteps echoed from the spatial crack, as a silver-haired, crimson-eyed woman stepped out from within. She stopped and took a look at her surroundings before taking a deep breath. This was the divine temple that used to worship Sia in the ancient era¡ªor rather, it was an imitation based on the Mother Goddess¡¯ memories. The real temple had been long since destroyed by the mes of war, after all. Perhaps due to having inherited the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, the silver-haired girl felt a sense of belonging to this ce, a feeling of home. It was just that her expression was a little peculiarpared to when she first left. A voice she had heard earlier on the battlefield between the humans and the deviants had caused a stir in her cid heart, leaving her confused as to what she was even doing. In truth, she should not have left after dishing out that attack, but ensured the destruction of the Egg of the Beast God. That would have been the safer thing to do rather than leaving it to the Six Cmities, whose intelligence was limited. Yet, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from escaping the scene, as if she was a child who had done something wrong. This inexplicable feeling frustrated her. She sensed that it had resulted from thepse in her memories during her time as a human, but she dared not to verify it. She didn¡¯t think that there was a need to do so, either, especially since there were several things she was certain about. She was aware that her human parents had died a long time ago, and she remembered that she was adopted by another noble house. It was unlikely that the noble house would mistreat her, out of consideration for their own reputation, but they probably wouldn¡¯t be too close either. She knew what her personality was like, after all. While she had a beautiful appearance, she knew that she had a cold nature that made it hard for others to approach her. She didn¡¯t think that she would have opened her heart to the noble house that had adopted her, especially since her father had died protecting that n¡¯s patriarch. Even if she didn¡¯t me that n¡¯s patriarch for her human father¡¯s death, it would still have been hard for her to feel any goodwill toward him. She would have likely just maintained basic civility with him while keeping her distance. Or, at least, that was what she had thought till the voice on the battlefield stirred her heart. Could I have met someone important to me in those few short years? she wondered with a frown as her heart plunged deeper into confusion. Chapter 608.2: The Unsettled Two (2)

Chapter 608.2: The Unsettled Two (2)

Before she could organize her thoughts and make sense of her feelings, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw a wooden doll maid. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two of them quietly stared at each other for a few seconds before the wooden doll maid lifted its skirt and curtsied. It raised its hand to beckon to the silver-haired girl, and thetter responded with a nod before following the wooden doll maid. The Mother Goddess was in hibernation most of the time, so these wooden dolls were the ones responsible for managing the tower, though there was not much to do since the silver-haired girl was the only other resident. She was usually left to her own devices, and the only time these wooden dolls disturbed her was when the Mother Goddess summoned her. Their footsteps echoed loudly in the silent passageway. Upon Alicia¡¯s approach, the wooden dolls along the edges of the corridor bowed before opening the door, revealing a beautiful silver-themed banquet hall. A long table was ced in the middle of the banquet hall, and a silver-haired, crimson-eyed woman sat at its very end. She was respectfully revered as the Mother Goddess in the ancient era, though the humans in the current era feared Her. To the silver-haired girl, the Mother Goddess was, in a way, her biological mother. Her powers and her memories of the ancient era had all been inherited from Her, and the two of them were indeed inseparable from each other. ¡°Good evening, Mother.¡± ¡°Good evening, Alicia. You returned earlier than I expected,¡± the Mother Goddess replied with a calm nod. Alicia was reminded of the events that had transpired on the battlefield, and that flustered her. She tried to conceal it with a smile and said, ¡°¡­Everything went surprisingly well.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± The Mother Goddess spent several seconds assessing Alicia, as if having noticed her unnatural reaction, though She didn¡¯t say anything. Alicia heaved a sigh of relief as she walked over to her seat. While the Mother Goddess spent the bulk of her time in hibernation, She would asionally summon Alicia over during the short periods of time She was awake to share a meal and assign some missions such as managing the Six Cmities. That being said, there was no need for Alicia to spend too much effort on managing the sentient Six Cmities. They had already survived countless years on their own, after all. In truth, there wasn¡¯t any significant meaning behind the Mother Goddess and Alicia¡¯s meetings, and in the first few months, Her contact with Alicia was kept to the minimum too. This only changed after a recent incident. About a month ago, the Mother Goddess¡¯ consciousness suddenly suffered an intense jolt that affected even Alicia as well. She refused to say anything at all when Alicia asked about it, but Her meetings with Alicia became more frequent afterward. On top of that, the ce they lived in changed as well. Initially, the ce manifested from the Mother Goddess¡¯ memories was the City on the Sea located at the edge of the Sia Continent. That was where Alicia first met the Mother Goddess. But after the intense jolt a month ago, the ce suddenly changed into the Moonsoul Tower. Alicia didn¡¯t pay it any heed at the start. She knew that the Mother Goddess had the authority to mold this ce to Her will, and the location manifested was based on what was on Her mind. The City on the Sea was the Mother Goddess¡¯ favorite scenery, but it was also understandable if She wanted a change. However, Alicia soon discovered that the situation wasn¡¯t as simple as she had expected. She didn¡¯t understand why, but the Mother Goddess had some inexplicable obsessions regarding the Moonsoul Tower. Other than Her sleeping chamber located on the highest floor, She would often use the banquet hall to meet Alicia too. In the past, the Mother Goddess would meet her in the audience room, and She wouldn¡¯t do anything unnecessary such as eating. There was something unusual about the seating arrangement at the dining table, too¡ªthe first seat on the right was reserved for some reason. Alicia had once tried to take a seat there, only for the Mother Goddess to stop her and direct her toward the first seat on the left. The Mother Goddess didn¡¯t exin Herself, but Alicia noticed Her eyes asionally falling on that seat for extended periods of time before snapping out of Her daze. Such was the case now. Alicia patiently waited in her seat after a wooden doll ushered her over, but the Mother Goddess was staring at the first chair on the right once more. A whileter, She snapped out of Her daze, but this time around, She turned to look at Alicia. ¡°Was there anything worth noting?¡± the Mother Goddess calmly asked. Startled by the question, Alicia was reminded of the voice she heard on the battlefield. That matter was shaking her up, but for some reason, she didn¡¯t want to voice it aloud. ¡°What rmed me the most is how close the Egg of the Beast God is topletion. While that egg has been nurtured for a long time now, the Savior has indeed created an entityparable to our God¡¯s Envoys,¡± Alicia grimly replied. Much to her surprise, the Mother Goddess didn¡¯t react to her report, choosing to quietly stare at her instead. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± An unbearable silence settled in the banquet hall. Alicia¡¯s heartbeat hastened. She had the feeling that what she had just said weren¡¯t the words the Mother Goddess had wanted to hear. ¡°Mother, You¡­¡± Alicia asked in confusion, unable to bear the atmosphere. ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± The Mother Goddess shook Her head. The wooden doll maids entered the room, and their banquet of twomenced. There was no conversation over the meal. It was only after dinner had concluded that the Mother Goddess looked at Alicia once more with hesitant eyes. ¡°How much of your past memories do you recall?¡± ¡°Not much. Those things are not worth a mentionpared to what I have inherited from You.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± The Mother Goddess fell silent once more before nodding. Her expression remained perfectly calm, not divulging the slightest emotional fluctuation at all, but for some reason, Alicia sensed that She didn¡¯t like her answer. ¡°If that¡¯s all, perhaps there¡¯s no need for you to recall¡­ I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Mother?¡± Alicia eximed in shock. The Mother Goddess didn¡¯t borate on Her cryptic words. She stood up and rose into the air, and momentster, She disappeared from the banquet hall. Chapter 609.1: So, How Should We Settle This? (1)

Chapter 609.1: So, How Should We Settle This? (1)

Throughout history, human civilization advanced alongside a cycle of war and peace. The conclusion of each battle would trigger a series of chain reactions, though their extent depended on the scale of the battle and each country¡¯s circumstances. Dealing with the aftermath of a battle was as important as the battle itself, as even the most minor issue could turn into a ticking time bomb for a future conflict. That had been the case in Roel¡¯s previous world. He would have never imagined that a day woulde when he was one of the ¡®issues¡¯ to be dealt with. ¡°It should be plenty obvious since Roel is my subject.¡± In a tent, Nora stood beside the unconscious Roel as she red at the other three women in the vicinity. Her forceful assertion prompted Charlotte, Lilian, and Wilhelmina to turn severe. The five of them were still on the battlefield. The aurora that had destroyed the Egg of the Beast God continued to linger in the sky, whereas Shrouding Fog, despite having suffered severe damage, had not dissipated yet. The presence of those two monsters in the sky exerted tremendous stress on the humans below. The four women had cooperated and sessfully rescued Roel from the heart of the desert, bringing him to the safety of the united army. Unfortunately, this gave rise to another pressing question¡ªwhat was their next course of action, and who should stay with Roel? While the battle between the humans and the deviants had concluded for now, the situation had only gotten even more dangerous. The four women were aware of the Kingmaker n¡¯s rtionship with the Six Cmities. There were plenty of cases in history where the Six Cmities had killed a member of the Kingmaker n, not to mention that Roel¡¯s disappearance a year ago was caused by Shrouding Fog¡¯s attempt on his life. The four women hated those monsters with a passion, but they had to prioritize Roel¡¯s safety right now. Despite how threatening the Egg of the Beast God was, it had bnced the scales of battle. They were still in a rtively safe position earlier when the Egg of the Beast God and the Six Cmities were curbing each other. As soon as one side was defeated, humankind would be ced in an unfavorable situation. Thus, the four women proposed the idea of splitting up to break out of the encirclement. Roel would most certainly be swept into the conflict if they stayed together, whereas his chances of avoiding the Six Cmities would be higher if they split into four groups. There was nothing wrong with this proposed course of action, but here came the problem. Who would be the one taking Roel with them? . To resolve this issue, the four of them quickly gathered together under the protection of the united army. The first one to make a move was none other than Nora. She strongly demanded Roel be put under her protection, as she was his liege. Needless to say, the other three callously shot her down. ¡°You must be joking. It doesn¡¯t work that way!¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°I object.¡± The three women unanimously shot down Nora¡¯s proposition. Charlotte¡¯s reaction was the most vehement since Roel was currently in her hands. ¡°You might be his liege, but I am his fianc¨¦e! He should be cared for by a family member at a time like this! Besides¡­¡± Charlotte pointed to the Square of the War Angels in the backline. ¡°Does the Genesis Goddess Church n to forsake their treasure? If not, your retreat will be slowed. You¡¯re not in a position to care for Darling!¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Nora clicked her tongue in annoyance. She looked at the church¡¯s holy artifact in frustration. There was no way she could forsake the Square of the War Angels, the church¡¯s strongest area-of-effect offensive means, even if it was for Roel¡¯s sake. Thus, she had no choice but to back out of this race. Charlotte heaved a sigh of relief, but before she could celebrate her victory, Lilian suddenly trotted over on her war steed and looked at Charlotte with an icy expression. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one to care for Roel if you¡¯re talking about family members?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡®Fianc¨¦e¡¯¡ªyour words. You¡¯re an outsider until the matrimony, whereas Roel and I are bloodline kin. Is Rosa¡¯s military strong enough to ensure his safety? The only thing that can stop the Six Cmities is my Ten Fortresses. I¡¯ll take care of him.¡± ¡°You must be out of your mind, Lilian! Have you forgotten Emperor Lukas¡¯ order? You¡¯ll take care of him? Your Austine Empire is the one we have to be wary about!¡± ¡°No one can touch him as long as I¡¯m here.¡± Lilian spoke with a firm and unwavering voice. ¡°¡°¡°¡­¡±¡±¡± The other three women fell silent. None of them could refute her words. Despite being put in charge of one of the most treacherous regions along the eastern border, Lilian¡¯s influence hadn¡¯t diminished in the past two years. If anything, she had be stronger than ever. Not even Emperor Lukas could easily touch her anymore. Nora and Charlotte¡¯s faces turned bitter as they couldn¡¯t find a reason to refute her, whereas Wilhelmina voiced her objection after some contemtion. ¡°I disagree. Lilian, I don¡¯t deny your ability to protect Roel with your Ten Fortresses, but you possess the Kingmaker Bloodline too. Two inheritors of the Kingmaker Bloodline traveling together are bound to draw the aggression of the Six Cmities, no?¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian¡¯s expression stiffened. She had to concede that there was some sense in Wilhelmina¡¯s words. ¡°Entrust Roel to me. I am the only Origin Level 1 in the group. While Knight Kingdom Pendor might not have thergest army, the fighting prowess of its top tier is not to be made light of. He¡¯ll be safe with me.¡± Wilhelmina looked at the three hesitant women and spoke with an objective tone devoid of the slightest selfish motive. ¡°¡°¡°¡­¡±¡±¡± Nora and the others were forced to consider her proposal. None of them could deny that Knight Kingdom Pendor was the optimal choice if they prioritized Roel¡¯s safety, but the trio was hesitant about leaving Roel in Wilhelmina¡¯s hands. Wilhelmina¡¯s identity as Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s princess, as well as the fact that she had just braved danger with Roel, left them feeling threatened. They instinctively sensed that it would be dangerous, in another sense, to leave Roel with her. Furthermore, there was a subtle change in her attitude toward Roel. While she had been unyielding in her stance regarding Roel in the past, she had never participated in their rivalry before. But now¡­ The three women, with their sharp intuition, sensed that something was amiss, but they knew that Roel¡¯s safety had to be prioritized here. After a moment of dilemma, they decided to give in. Charlotte maneuvered the Golden Soul over to carry out Roel¡¯s body, but all of a sudden¡­ ¡°That ck thing isn¡¯t dead yet?¡± ¡°It¡¯s back! Damn it!¡± Much to Nora and the others¡¯ shock, the ck sludge on the ground had started to wriggle again. Sensing the Egg of the Beast God¡¯s movements, Shrouding Fog began to descend from the sky. Shrouding Fog¡¯s approach had the four women narrowing their eyes murderously. They knew that Shrouding Fog was currently weaker than ever, and they stood a good chance against it if they went all out. However, they resisted the urge to attack and instead ordered the united army to retreat. They harbored utmost animosity toward Shrouding Fog for having taken Roel away from them, but they knew that it was not safe for them to remain here when the Egg of the Beast God was still alive and kicking. Furthermore, Light Devourer could still be in the vicinity. So far, Light Devourer hadn¡¯t done anything other than to attack the Egg of the Beast God under the orders of the woman who resembled Alicia, but there was no saying how it would react if the humansunched an attack against Shrouding Fog. In any case, the good news was that Roel was unlikely to be the Six Cmities¡¯ number one target anymore, so there was no need for them to split up anymore. ¡°It¡¯ll be better for us to move together.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still the threat of the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns. It¡¯ll be unwise to dilute our fighting prowess since the Egg of the Beast God is tying down the Six Cmities on our behalf.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± The ¡®divide and retreat¡¯ strategy was abruptly terminated with a couple of words from Nora and the others. Wilhelmina wanted to protest, but she couldn¡¯t find legitimate grounds to do so. In the end, she could only give up on the notion of spending some time alone with Roel. Thus, the united army hurriedly retreated to the backdrop of Shrouding Fog¡¯s deep growls and the Egg of the Beast God¡¯s bestial roars. ¡­ Chapter 609.2: So, How Should We Settle This? (2)

Chapter 609.2: So, How Should We Settle This? (2)

A dayter, in the temporary barrack¡¯s conference room, four women of different hair colors and personalities gathered around a table, staring intently at a report. Thergest coordinated military operation since the inception of the war against the deviants, the Battle of Scorched Earth, was a resounding sess. They had aplished far more than what they had set out to do. On top of rescuing Roel Ascart, they had also saved Tark Stronghold¡¯s elite soldiers, who had been devoured by Shrouding Fog, and dealt a crushing blow to the deviants. With the full force of the united army on the frontlines tying down the deviants¡¯ armies, Roel had an epic showdown with the Deviant Sovereign and decapitated thetter, thus putting an end to one of the greatest threats looming over humankind. Humankind was no longer facing an immediate threat of extinction, but it was too optimistic to say that the worst was over yet. In ordance with the prophecy of the Tripartite Alliance, the Savior and the Mother Goddess had started to wake from their hibernation, and the signs were only bing clearer as time passed. So far, humankind only had to deal with their believers wreaking havoc. Those cultists were a tricky bunch to deal with, but they weren¡¯t so menacing as to threaten the survival of humankind as a whole. The appearance of the Egg of the Beast God was outside humankind¡¯s expectations, and it was definitely an enemy to be wary about. The same applied to the Six Cmities who appeared afterward too. In a way, it was ironic how humankind was left feeling more chilled than ever in spite of the Battle of Scorched Earth being a huge sess. The cataclysmic fight between those monsters opened the human soldiers¡¯ eyes to just what kind of entities they were up against. Of course, the women who had witnessed the Six Cmities together with Roel through the Witness State couldn¡¯t be shaken that easily, but Roel¡¯s condition tugged at their heartstrings. That was also the reason the tent¡¯s atmosphere was so heavy. ¡°His external injuries have healed, but he isn¡¯t waking up. This¡­¡± Charlotte murmured as she held the report from the united army¡¯s clergymen with trembling hands. None of the four women in the tent had a goodplexion. A day had passed since the united army¡¯s retreat from the battlefield. By casting aside their heavier weapons, they were able to hasten their footsteps and reach the outer perimeter of Hawe Desert within a day. However, there had been no improvement in Roel¡¯s condition. He hadn¡¯t woken up even once since falling unconscious the day before. While the four women maintained an impassive front regarding the matter, their hearts were actually filled with anxiety. ¡°Could it be a problem with his soul, as we previously guessed?¡± ¡°It might be due to exhaustion too. We had another battle with the deviants prior to your arrival, and Roel sustained severe injuries back then too¡­¡± Wilhelmina paused at this point to look at the three livid-faced women. She ced her hand on her chest and contemted, but she decided against telling them about how Roel had severed a part of his heart to save her. As a muscle-headed knight who knew nothing other than battle, she wasn¡¯t sure why she had to withhold that piece of information either; it was more like a gut feeling that she had to do so. Nevertheless, the others heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing the information she provided. ¡°Yes, it could be due to fatigue. Even if his body is fine, it might still take some time for him to recover from his mental fatigue.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s keep him under observation for a few more days.¡± Nora and Lilian pulled themselves together and forced themselves to think on the bright side, but Charlotte was unable to curb her worries. ¡°But what if the problem lies in Darling¡¯s soul?¡± ¡°¡­Then we¡¯d be helpless. Even the Country of Schrs has not made much progress in the research of souls.¡± ¡°All we can do now is to trust him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian¡¯s words caused the other three to fall silent, and the atmosphere in the tent turned heavy once more. A momentter, Nora shook her head and pulled herself together. ¡°Let¡¯s put aside this matter for now. There¡¯s something more troublesome we need to deal with.¡± ¡°Are you referring to the two Cmities? It won¡¯t be easy to deal with them,¡± Wilhelmina said. Worry seeped into the eyes of Lilian and the others. The war had not ended yet, and the deviants¡¯ carcasses lying around Hawe Desert served as a reminder of that. What struck greater fear into them, however, was the brilliant aurora that continued to glow in the sky. ording to Stuart, Shrouding Fog was also lurking in the vicinity, even though they couldn¡¯t clearly identify its whereabouts due to its intangible nature. What does this mean? Is the Egg of the Beast God still alive? Or do those wretched cmities have other motives? Such a doubt surfaced in Nora¡¯s and the others¡¯ minds, but there was no way of knowing the answer to that question. All they could do now was to organize their military formation and hope that the full might of their force was enough to deter those Cmities from making a move. ¡°While I don¡¯t have the Crown Origin Attribute, I am an inheritor of the Kingmaker Bloodline too. If the Kingmaker n truly possesses the ability to curb the Six Cmities, I should be able to do it too,¡± Lilian said. ¡°The High Elves were the Six Cmities¡¯ administrators in the ancient era. I should be able to do something about them too,¡± Charlotte added. ¡°From the looks of it, we should at least be able to put up a fight against them. Let¡¯s follow our original n and retreat as fast as possible while preserving our military prowess. As for Roel¡¯s guard, we¡¯ll do a daily rotation. That¡¯s fine with you, right?¡± Nora concluded the matter. ¡°Mmhm.¡± ¡°Who should take the first day, then?¡± Wilhelmina asked. ¡°Well¡­¡± Nora and Charlotte were tempted to volunteer themselves, but before they could make up their minds, Lilian suddenly stood up. She first lowered her head to examine herself before saying with a calm but firm voice, ¡°Leave today¡¯s guard duty to me.¡± ¡­ Lilian easily secured her position as Roel¡¯s guard for the first day. It was difficult for Nora and the others to estimate when Roel would regain consciousness, but it was unlikely for him to recover in a single day regardless of whether the cause behind hisa was his damaged soul or mental fatigue. That was the reason the two of them had hesitated. As much as they wanted to be with Roel, they couldn¡¯t do so due to the responsibilities they shouldered. If they had to prioritize, they would prefer to be with Roel when he was conscious. As Lilian had predicted, they didn¡¯t put up much of a fight for the first guard shift. In truth, she shared the same thought as the others, just that she withheld a crucial piece of information to herself. She only chose to take up the first guard shift because she was confident that she could make Roel wake up. Lilian spent the rest of the day clearing her work. She looked at the silver moon in the sky before dismissing her guards with a wave of her hand. She then made her way toward the carriage located at the innermost area of the temporary barracks. Stationed around Roel¡¯s carriage to ensure his safety was none other than the Ascart Fiefdom¡¯s heretic army. They had grown stronger than ever after having spent a year on the battlefield, but their loyalty remained unchanged. They were the ones who had volunteered to protect Roel. ¡°Your Highness Lilian, is there anything you need of us?¡± Cynthia asked. ¡°Call out the guards inside. I wish to spend some private time with him,¡± Lilian replied. ¡°This¡­¡± Cynthia hesitated. ¡°I understand your worries, but you should know that I am his bloodline kin, right?¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Cynthia eventually chose to back down here. Lin waited for the guards to first evacuate the carriage before she stepped into the carriage and entered Roel¡¯s bedroom. Over the years, thanks to the Sorofyas¡¯ generous technological support, Roel¡¯s carriage had been expanded to resemble the Diamond Rivi¨¨re. It was extremelyfortable, and there was minimal shaking when the carriage moved. That put Lilian¡¯s mind at ease. Looking at Roel lying quietly on the bed sent a rush of emotions through her. She first took a deep breath before cing her hand on his forehead. A faint light shone from her hand and enveloped Roel¡¯s body. Chapter 610.1: Promise (1)

Chapter 610.1: Promise (1)

Roel Ascart had plenty of dreams. Most people only asionally dreamt in their sleep, but Roel spent so much time unconscious that he was probably taking far too many remedial lessons on this subject. On the bright side, the fact that he was dreaming told him that he was still alive. Sometimes, he would try to recall the dreams he had while he was ina, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything at all. Those were the dreams he had when he was in his worst condition, after all. That was why he was surprised by the current situation he was in. Even though it was just a dream, it was far too vivid for him to shrug off. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, daddy?¡± ¡°Ah? No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Roel hesitantly stared at the little girl happily holding his hand before shaking his head. Confusion arose in his mind. He was standing in the middle of a crowded street, under the bright afternoon sun. Busy stores were operating around him. He held the hand of a ck-haired girl next to him, looking like a young father and daughter making an early market run. What¡¯s going on? Who is this child? Utterly clueless about this situation, Roel took a closer look at the girl¡¯s face and was surprised. The beaming girl was around four to five years of age, but her delicate features and smooth ck hair hinted at the beauty she would be in the future. She had a small, distinct nose, cherry-colored lips, huge eyes adorned with long eyebrows, and a pair of slightly pinkish ears. Adorable! Or should I say ¡®pretty¡¯? Roel had to concede that he was awed by the girl¡¯s delicate appearance. Faced with Roel¡¯s gaze, the girl looked back at him with her hands behind her back, the smile on her face slowly turning sweeter. ¡°Is daddy in love with me?¡± ¡°Ah? W-well¡­¡± ¡°Pft! I¡¯m joking. Your expression looks funny, daddy. Hahaha!¡± The girl suddenly clutched her stomach and burst intoughter. W-what¡¯s wrong with this child?! Roel ced his hand on his head, feeling a headache creeping in. He raised his head and saw a familiar holy white wall, which made him freeze in ce. Hm? This wall¡­ ¡°The Holy Capital has beautiful walls! Daddy, have you seen them before?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡­ No, that¡¯s not right. I have never been in this region before,¡± Roel replied in confusion as he looked at the vendors in the vicinity. Holy Capital Loren, as the capital of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, was the city Roel had most often been to aside from Ascart City, but he had never seen this street before. In recent years, he had onlye to the Holy Capital to meet Carter when he was taking a brief break from the eastern border. He spent most of his time in the Labyrinth Vi, which was located at a remote spot in the Holy Capital. Even if he headed out, his destination was either the church or the royal pce. He had never toured Loren¡¯smercial district before. Even if he needed something, all he had to do was to contact the Sorofya Merchant Association, and Branch Manager Arwen would settle everything for him. There was never a reason for him to visit Loren¡¯smercial district. It shouldn¡¯t be possible for me to be somewhere I have never been to in a dream, right? And this child¡­ Roel narrowed his eyes. He would have remembered it if he had met a girl with such a distinct appearance, especially when she had ck hair and golden eyes. Those were the identifying traits of a member of the Kingmaker n. In particr, her eyes were of exactly the same hue as Roel¡¯s, and the way she addressed him¡­ Did I confabte a daughter out of nowhere? Roel was put at a loss. ¡°¡­Daddy, daddy! What are you thinking?¡± ¡°Ah? It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Really! We rarely get to go out together. Let¡¯s go!¡± Forget it; it¡¯s a dream anyway. There¡¯s no point thinking too much into it. Roel heaved a sigh as he allowed the girl to lead him around. Vendors could be heard shouting from all around as they walked down themercial district. Most of these vendors were marketed toward the average civilian, and the items on sale were mainly necessities or food items. It was a different environment from the merchant associations he visited whenever he needed anything. Roel had been to Ascart City¡¯smercial district too, but it was much less lively than the Holy Capital¡¯s. ¡°Miss, why not have an apple? It¡¯s a specialty shipped from the eastern border. It¡¯s very sweet!¡± ¡°Really? Daddy, I want that!¡± ¡°Eastern border? What a braggart¡­¡± Roel raised his eyebrows upon hearing those words. With war ravaging the eastern border, humankind had cleared away all food sources between the eastern border to the human world lest the deviants slip through the defenses and wreak havoc in the human world. It would have been nigh impossible to find food in the wilderness, let alone apples. Roel was unwilling to buy the goods from the merchant due to the outright lie, but there was a pair of glowing, golden eyes staring intently at him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Daddy!¡± ¡°All right, all right. Give me one.¡± It took only two seconds for Roel to fall in defeat. The delighted girl leaped into his arms. ¡°Thank you, daddy!¡± ¡°You can buy whatever you want, but there aren¡¯t any apples on the eastern border, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­Mm, I know. It¡¯s all daddy¡¯s credit that we have apples over there!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel lectured the girl, thinking that it wouldn¡¯t be good for her to get cheated, but thetter suddenly murmured some baffling words halfway through. This prompted him to look at her with doubtful eyes, but she didn¡¯t respond. The girl had lowered her head, seeming deep in thought, but there was something off about the atmosphere around her. He felt an inexplicable air of sadness around her. Before he could ask about it, she raised her head and eximed, ¡°Waaa! Such a huge apple. Daddy, can I eat it?¡± ¡°O-of course.¡± ¡°Thank you! Ooooh, it tastes great!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± Roel took his change from the vendor as he watched the girl stuff her cheeks full with the apple. Unknowingly, a smile emerged on his lips. Despite the doubts lingering in his mind, he decided to put them aside for now and focus on the present. Following that, the two of them proceeded to visit stores of all kinds, ranging from the tailor and the essories store to all of the roadside vendors. The more ces they visited, the heavier the load in Roel¡¯s hands became. This was not a situation Roel was ustomed to. Despite being born into blue blood, Roel had always made sure to live a thrifty life due to the System and the Ascarts¡¯ ailing finances. He was rarely extravagant when it came to clothes and food, and he strictly followed the principle of only buying things that were necessary. Yet, he found himself helplessly sumbing to the girl¡¯s coy pleading. He felt a weird urge to buy even more for her each time she beamed a smile at him. Is this how it feels to raise a daughter? ¡°Daddy, this way!¡± ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± Roel had hardly any time to ponder his new epiphany before the girl dragged him to another vendor stand. The items sold by this vendor were rather odd¡ªthey were secondhand weapons and defensive tools with clear battle marks on them. ¡°These are¡­¡± ¡°These are picked from the eastern border! Don¡¯t look down on them just because they look shabby now; these were once used by nobles! Who knows? One of them might be a precious relic some noble house is searching for right now,¡± the vendor bragged. Roel, who had been on the battlefield, was rendered speechless. If these are really loot from the past Holy War, they would have been buried in dust for at least eighty years now. There¡¯s no way they would look so new as if they have only been used for a couple of years. Even fools wouldn¡¯t fall for such an obvious bluff. As he made this mental retort, he took a closer look at the items avable for sale and suddenly froze in ce. Hold on; isn¡¯t this one of the newer armor model? These aren¡¯t antiques from eighty years ago! They are¡­ ¡°Hey! Where did you get this from?¡± ¡°I already told you that they are from the eastern border. Do you know the owner of that armor? You should quickly buy it before the corpse arrives, then.¡± ¡°Corpse?¡± ¡°Yes, those who have valiantly sacrificed themselves in the Holy War. What¡¯s wrong with you? You don¡¯t even know that?¡± the vendor eximed with a frown. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. It went without saying that the bodies of those who had died in the war against the deviants would be eventually shipped back from the eastern border so that they could be properly buried, but that would only be done upon the war¡¯s conclusion. Judging from the current situation¡­ ¡°Daddy?¡± Just as Roel thought of something, he suddenly felt a tug on his sleeves. ¡°Mm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored. Let¡¯s go.¡± He turned around and saw a bored girl staring at him. He nodded and walked away from the store together with her. ¡­ Chapter 610.2: Promise (2)

Chapter 610.2: Promise (2)

Roel thought about what he had just seen and heard as the two of them walked down the street: the tattered united army armor on sale, the vendor¡¯s words, as well as what he had heard from the owner of the apple store. Now that I think about it, even if this street is pieced together from other fragments of my memories, I don¡¯t think I have had direct interactions with the vendors before. I have also never encountered vendors selling loot from the battlefield. All of these areing out of nowhere. In the first ce, isn¡¯t it weird how conscious I am in a dream? Wait a moment¡ªa dream? Am I¡­ really in a dream? ¡°Daddy!¡± ¡°!¡± As this thought urred to Roel, the girl who had been holding his hand all this while suddenly halted her footsteps and let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s all daddy¡¯s fault for thinking so much. We can¡¯t continue ying anymore.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Yes, this is my dream. I would have used the Ascart Fiefdom since it¡¯s the ce I grew up in, but so many things have changed there that I couldn¡¯t use it. I didn¡¯t think there would be so many inconsistencies in the Holy Capital too. What a failure.¡± ¡°Failure? Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I am not just a figment of your imagination. I am your real daughter. You can tell through my eyes and hair, right?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes in shock. He hurriedly squatted down to take a proper look at the ck-haired, golden-eyed girl before him. My real daughter? How can this be? Even through the use of temporal spells¡­ Ah! Is that why the medium is a dreamscape? Returning to the past was nigh impossible even with the use of temporal spells, but the difficulty would be greatly lowered if presented in the form of a prophetic dream. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the case,¡± the girl replied with a joyful nod, as if having heard Roel¡¯s inner voice. Roel became agitated. Staring at the girl before him, he asked an important question that he had been neglecting all this while: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t do that. I can¡¯t tell my name to daddy even though I really want to do so. It¡¯ll result inplications.¡± ¡°Complications? Are you referring to a paradox?¡± ¡°Yeaps! That¡¯s why I have been holding myself in all this while to keep myself from telling you¡­ Even so, you still apanied me around themercial district.¡± ¡°Somehow, I felt vaguely close to you.¡± Roel hesitantly reached out to touch the girl¡¯s face, but before his hand could reach, thetter took the initiative to nuzzle her cheeks against his hand like a kitten. That surprised him, and his eyes grew even warmer. After a moment of thought, he raised the question that he was the most concerned about. ¡°Then, your mother is¡­¡± Roel instinctively believed that the girl was his daughter, but as she had inherited his hair and eye color, he was unable to figure out her mother¡¯s identity through those traits. As for her appearance¡­ ¡°I don¡¯t look like my mother at all. As much as I wish to tell you, I¡¯ll let mummy do it herself.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Roel replied with a nod. Another question naturally popped into his mind, and he asked with a grim expression, ¡°You resorted to a dangerous temporal spell to visit me in my dream. Is there something important you wish to tell me?¡± He mentally prepared himself for bad news. Temporal spells were powerful spells that humankind was nowhere close to grasping thus far. Such a spell couldn¡¯t havee from such a young girl, even if it was just a dream. There had to be something deeper behind it. ¡°Did youe here to warn me about an impending crisis? Or is someone in danger?¡± ¡°Ah, no. Well¡­ There were other reasons, but I only wanted to be with daddy for a day,¡± the girl said with a strained smile. ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was momentarily confused before a rush of apology surged through his heart. ¡°Did the future me neglect you a lot? I¡¯m sorry. I¡­¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not daddy¡¯s fault! I-it¡¯s due to some matters, s-so¡­¡± Kak! ¡°!¡± The girl became agitated upon hearing Roel¡¯s apology. Before she could finish her words, a shattering sound suddenly echoed in their ears. Cracks appeared in the sky above them, and they swiftly expanded across the entire world. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Just as I expected. Not even the dreamscape can shoulder the burden if there are too many inconsistencies,¡± the girl remarked as she looked at the crumbling dreamscape. ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°Our time hase to an end, daddy,¡± the girl said with a sorrowful smile. ¡°¡­¡± Roel felt an inexplicable dull ache in his heart. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, but he sensed that he had failed to fulfill his responsibilities as a father to the girl before him. This realization left him with a heavy feeling in his chest. Knowing that he couldn¡¯t part ways with his daughter like that, he ced his hands on her shoulders and gently told her, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened in the future, but I want to let you know that whether it¡¯s the current me or the future me, I¡¯ll always love you. You¡¯ll always have an important ce in my heart.¡± ¡°Daddy?!¡± The girl stared at Roel with eyes wide in shock, and Roel smiled lovingly at her. ¡°I know my words mayck credence, but there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t be fond of such an adorable daughter. I apologize in advance for not being able to spend much time with you. I¡¯ll make sure not to make the same mistakes as the future me did.¡± ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not like that. It¡¯s not like that at all! It¡¯s not daddy¡¯s fault¡­ Wu¡­¡± The girl¡¯s expression distorted upon hearing those words, and she started to weep all of a sudden. That sent Roel into a fluster. However, as their surroundings became increasingly distorted, she forced herself to get a grip. ¡°Daddy, there isn¡¯t much time left. Can you promise me something?¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°Please take me out to y again. Not in a dream but the real world.¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a promise.¡± Roel grabbed the girl¡¯s outstretched hand, and thetter revealed a tearful but satisfied smile. There was an abrupt sh of light, and his consciousness was dragged back to the real world. Chapter 611.1: The Second Promise (1)

Chapter 611.1: The Second Promise (1)

Humans rarely remembered their dreams, but today, Roel learned that it was possible for a dream to be vividly imprinted onto a person¡¯s mind, especially when it involved the sudden discovery that one had a daughter. The abrupt parting in the dreamscape filled Roel with an intense feeling of loss, but before he could process it, his eyes suddenly shot open and he found himself met with a face. A woman was tightly embracing him. Her long ck hair flowed down her shoulder, contrasting sharply with her fair skin tone. Her beautiful lips tempted one¡¯s desires, and her amethyst eyes shrouded her in an air of enigma. She carried herself with an air of nobility and loftiness. She was Lilian Ackermann, the Austine Empire¡¯s ice beauty, though her cold edge was nowhere to be seen now. Her eyes brimmed with tenderness as she looked at Roel. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake?¡± ¡°¡­Senior?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me,¡± Lilian replied with a smile. Roel clenched his fists tightly. Even discounting the year he had spent in the Witness State, it had been a long time since he hadst met Lilian. Compelled by the raging feelings in his chest, he sat upright and tightly hugged the woman before him. Lilian was momentarily startled, but she smiled and returned the embrace. So many words had she wanted to tell him when he woke up, but they seemed to fall t now that she was finally facing him. She struggled to find the words to express how she currently felt. Maybe there was no need for words at all. Maybe what they needed was each other¡¯s warmth and the resonance of their bloodlines. As they nuzzled against each other, their Kingmaker Bloodlines began resonating intensely. The irrepressible intimacy they felt toward each other was intoxicating like the sweetest honey, pushing their heartbeats to hasten. It was a long time before Roel finally straightened his body and asked, ¡°Senior, have you been well over the past year? I entered the Witness State, so¡­¡± ¡°I have heard. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Senior¡­¡± ¡°But I was still worried sick. I¡­ I despaired.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel lurched at those strong words. He didn¡¯t know how he should respond to them. He had known Lilian to be a strong woman, even more so than Nora. She had singlehandedly built her own influence in the treacherous Austine Empire despite having hardly anyone to fall back on. Her maturity, her wits, and the unshakable kinship between the two of them made her the person whom Roel trusted and relied the most on in the world. Yet, she said that she had fallen into despair. This was someone who wasn¡¯t fazed when Emperor Lukas ¡®exiled¡¯ her to the eastern border and stationed her in one of the most dangerous fortresses on the frontline. Roel¡¯s disappearance must have dealt a heavy blow to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Senior. I¡¯m truly sorry. I¡­¡± ¡°Enough. I am an inheritor of the Kingmaker Bloodline too, and I have apanied you to the Witness State before. I know that you can¡¯t decide when you wish to leave the Witness State. How can I me you for something you don¡¯t have power over?¡± ¡°Still, you must have suffered greatly over the past year. No excuse can correct that,¡± Roel apologized to Lilian with a lowered head. Lilian hugged Roel¡¯s head and said, ¡°Those were painful days that I don¡¯t even want to look back on, but I¡¯m not an unreasonable person¡­ And you gave me the motivation I needed to continue living.¡± ¡°Ah? Senior, what do you mean?¡± Roel looked at Lilian in confusion. Thetter ced her hand on her womb as a blissful smile formed on her lips. ¡°We have a child.¡± ¡­ It was peaceful in the temporary united army barracks constructed along Hawe Desert¡¯s border, but it was all busy in themunication room. While the Battle of Scorched Earth had concluded as a resounding sess, there was still much work to be done. The four femalemanders in charge of the operation issued a joint order to inform the other stakeholders in the united army about thetest development, while organizing an orderly retreat along the frontline so as to minimize casualties. To stop the deviants from sending further reinforcements to Hawe Desert, the united army had organized a massive campaign, where three million soldiers stationed on the frontline went on the offensive to tie down the deviants. It was no easy feat for a force of such a huge scale to retreat. They would have to make sure that each party was covered while gradually extricating themselves from the battle. However, there were some exceptions, such as the news sent to the trio located deep in Hawe Desert. ¡°Your Eminence, we have sessfully retreated from the battlefield. May I enquire about your rough location so that we can dispatch soldiers over to receive you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the southern in, but you need not dispatch anyone to receive me. We might be bags of old bones, but we¡¯re perfectly capable of walking on our own¡­ I suppose that themanders of the operation are all fine?¡± Holy Eminence John asked the officer projected by themunication magic tool as he casually nced at the two old men standing opposite him. The Sword Saint King, in the midst of treating his bleeding thigh, jolted upon hearing those words. Principal Antonio, who was sitting on the ground with his staff in arm, raised his head. ¡°Yes, Lord Nora, Lord Charlotte, Lord Wilhelmina, and Lord Lilian from the Austine Empire are safe and sound.¡± ¡°Great. You¡¯ve worked hard. As agreed, we¡¯llmunicate again twelve hours from now.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Eminence.¡± With this concise answer, the projection finally dissipated. Holy Eminence John turned to the two old men before him and asked with a smile, ¡°You heard him. The children are fine. Are you able to rest easy now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. It looks like we¡¯ll be having a lively graduation ceremony this year,¡± Antonio said. ¡°It¡¯s a given that they¡¯ll be fine. She has already inherited the title of a Sword Saint; it¡¯d be embarrassing if an ordeal of this level trips her over.¡± Friedrich propped himself up with his sword as he spoke with a stern expression. Antonio shook his head in disapproval of his old friend¡¯s obstinacy. ¡°You¡¯re the reason your daughter suffers so much.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing. Your Eminence John, what¡¯s your take on the earlier phenomenon?¡± Antonio asked with a grim voice. John was silent for a moment before shaking his head. Earlier, while the three of them were fighting with the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns, they witnessed the hastening of the sr cycle and a sudden sh of light in the sky. They deduced that it was one of the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s means and were exceptionally worried about it, but the oue was different from what they had expected. Roel actually single-handedly defeated the Deviant Sovereign. Even theposed Holy Eminence John could hardly hide his shock when he heard the news. Antonio and Friedrich were taken aback as well. Deviant Sovereign Banjol was an ancient Race Sovereign who had long since achieved godhood. Even if his strength had declined due to the senescence of time, he was still not an enemy an ordinary Origin Level 1 transcendent could deal with. This meant that Roel¡¯s peak fighting prowess wasparable to that of the gods. While he couldn¡¯t sustain his peak fighting prowess for too long, it was still a formidable feat. ¡°Does humankind finally have a transcendent on par with the gods?¡± Antonio remarked in awe. Sword Saint King Friedrich heaved a sigh of relief. This news would have stoked his vignce during peacetime, but with the awakening of the Savior and the Mother Goddess, humankind desperately needed someone who could rival the gods. Roel¡¯s breakthrough was unquestionably good news in this moment of crisis. It also helped that this ¡®someone¡¯ was the descendant of a n that had protected humankind since the inception of the Second Epoch, and it was a person the three of them trusted. Holy Eminence John was a neighborly grandfather-figure to Roel. Antonio had been taking care of Roel as Saint Freya Academy¡¯s principal, and the two of them shared themon goal of reviving Astrid Arde. Friedrich was a descendant of the knights who had been saved by the Ardes and had subsequently sworn loyalty to them during the inception of the Third Epoch. He himself was a member of the Twilight Sages Assembly too. Above that, the three of them had been protecting Roel for years now, though they had to concede that the trajectory of his growth surpassed their expectations. He had already reached a level they had previously projected to have taken many years more. In any case, these ties greatly reduced the chances of conflict between them. As much as the three old men celebrated Roel¡¯s growth, they knew that this didn¡¯t mean that humankind had the luxury of catching a breather. If anything, their crisis had deepened. ¡°That earlier phenomenon appears to be the Mother Goddess¡¯ means. It seems like her awakening is progressing smoother than the Savior¡¯s.¡± ¡°If that light originates from the Six Cmities, it would mean that the Mother Goddess is currently a greater threat than the Savior, at least on the surface.¡± ¡°The menace of the deviants isn¡¯t over yet, even when Banjol is now dead. That being said, I¡¯d think that the newly appeared two-headed deviant willpete with Swordghost and the others for power. The burden on our shoulders should lighten, at least for the time being.¡± ¡°We should make a move to bnce the scales,¡± Holy Eminence John proposed as he looked at the distant silver moon in the sky. Antonio and Friedrich nodded in agreement. The culprit behind the impending apocalypse foretold by the Tripartite Alliance was bound to be either the Savior or the Mother Goddess. Humankind, being in the weakest position here, had to y a treacherous game of bncing the powers of the two supreme beings in order to survive. The deviants posed a threat to humankind, but on the greater scale of things, they were also a rival to the Mother Goddess¡¯ influence. Banjol¡¯s demise reduced the threat the deviants posed to humankind, but it also meant that the Six Cmities had lost their bncing force and had greater freedom to wreak havoc. Even though the Six Cmities, with the exception of Shrouding Fog, had never attacked humankind, their danger couldn¡¯t be overstated. They were the culprits behind the extinction of countless civilizations, after all. It was evident from the Six Cmities prioritizing their attack on the Egg of the Beast God over the united army that they harbored greater hatred against the Savior and his faction. Humankind should be safe as long as the two supreme beings kept each other in check. Of course, this was all only in theory. It was only a matter of time before humankind¡¯s arrogant attempt to interfere in the ancient war between the two supreme beings angered one of them. Even so, this was a necessary step to buy time for the younger generation to mature. The changes in the atmosphere had boosted the potential of not just Roel but Nora and other transcendents who possessed powerful bloodlines; there was a chance they could ovee the limits of Origin Level 1 to be Race Sovereigns. The more powerful transcendents humankind nurtured before the arrival of the apocalypse, the greater its chances of survival would be. Holy Eminence John withdrew his gaze to look at the other two old men, saying, ¡°Our next goal is decided, then, but we¡¯ll have to further discuss the details.¡± ¡°They were urging us to return. I¡¯ll use my Teleportation Spell,¡± Antonio said. ¡°That¡¯d be great. I¡¯m struggling to dispel Swordghost¡¯s mana; it¡¯s affecting my movements,¡± Friedrich said. This marked the esction of the conflict between humankind and the Mother Goddess. ¡­ Chapter 611.2: The Second Promise (2)

Chapter 611.2: The Second Promise (2)

A child? In the heart of the united army¡¯s temporary barracks, Roel stared at Lilian with apletely nk mind. He understood what Lilian was getting at, but the news was so abrupt that he was struggling toe to terms with it. Many emotions flickered across his mind, be they joy, shock, or worry. This intense emotional fluctuation left him at a loss for words. In the end, his attention was suddenly brought to the ck-haired, golden-eyed girl he had met in his dreamscape. Wait a moment. Could it be¡­ ¡°Senior, it might be hard for you to believe it, but I dreamt of a child¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s likely to be our child.¡± ¡°Where is she? Is she on the eastern borders? I promised her that I¡¯d bring her out to y, so¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s right in front of you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel looked at Lilian, who was stroking her stomach with a helpless smile, as his eyes slowly widened. Thetter chuckled at his response. ¡°You must be shocked. It was thanks to her that I managed to wake you up,¡± Lilian said as she began to share the happenings ofst night. After retreating from the battlefield and confirming that the Six Cmities weren¡¯t on their tail, Lilian, who hadn¡¯t slept for days now, dozed off for a brief moment. It was then that she dreamt of a little girl with a blurred silhouette. She wasn¡¯t surprised, since it was much less shocking than seeing the girl in the real world. After a short conversation, she learned that the girl had the means to awaken Roel. ¡°She was also the one who urged me to rush over with my soldiers¡­¡± Lilian added, sharing how everything culminated in the current situation. Roel was bbergasted, as this was beyond what he had previously imagined. However, it also left him with a premonition. What is she attempting to change through her temporal spell? No, it would be more apt to say that things have already changed. His face slowly turned grim. Had it not been for the girl¡¯s intervention, Lilian wouldn¡¯t have devoted her troops to reinforcing the united army at the Battle of Scorched Earth. At least half of the human soldiers who fought at Hawe Desert would have lost their lives, and this would have had rippling effects on the future. Without enough soldiers to tie down the deviants¡¯ armies, Roel would have to deplete a portion of his mana to deal with them. This could have changed the oue of his battle with Banjol. Would I have suffered severe injuries? Or maybe¡­ Thinking about the possibilities left him with goosebumps, but he quickly shook his head and tossed those thoughts to the back of his mind. There were more important things he needed to deal with now. ¡°Senior, did you halt the development of our child with your spell over the past two years?¡± ¡°Mmhm. That¡¯s also the reason I have yet to advance to Origin Level 1.¡± Lilian heaved a sigh when she thought about the Origin Level 1 Wilhelmina, but she didn¡¯t regret her decision. Since she possessed astounding talent, the Kingmaker Bloodline, and the Kingdom Origin Attribute, Origin Level 1 had been well within her reach all this while. There was no need for her to rush into it. What was more important to her was the little life she was nurturing in her, especially now that she had met her. The sight of her own child had left maternal love seeping from her. ¡°Senior, you have gotten a lot thinner. Is this a side effect from the spell?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s the result of my morning sickness. I have frozen my condition to remain at the earlier phase of my pregnancy, but I¡¯m on the verge of reaching my limit.¡± ¡°Limit?¡± ¡°The spell is wearing out faster than I thought. I only have a year at most before my pregnancy bes impossible to hide,¡± Lilian said as she stroked her womb with a worried expression. Roel also tensed up upon hearing those words. Neither of them had forgotten about the towering figure who stood in their way¡ªEmperor Lukas. For reasons unknown to them, Emperor Lukas was wary of the Kingmaker n, even having gone to the extent of dispatching Lilian to the eastern border in order to separate her from Roel. It was unlikely that he would permit the birth of their child. ¡°Senior, what do you intend to do?¡± Roel asked grimly. Lilian spent a moment in thought before replying with conviction, ¡°I¡¯ll vie for the crown, whether it¡¯s for my child or the subordinates who have stood with me over the past two years.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Roel replied with a nod, unsurprised by her decision. He didn¡¯t know the extent of Lilian¡¯s influence, but it was evident from her 400,000-soldiers-strong army that she had built up substantial power. While this made her less vulnerable to Emperor Lukas¡¯ influence, it also meant that she could no longer act wilfully. She would have to vie for the crown if her subordinates wished for her to be the emperor, or else she would risk having her subordinates turn against her. On top of that, her ambition of being crowned emperor was not far-fetched; she was the frontrunner in the race, if anything. Her army of 400,000 soldiers was enough to crush the other two princes. The only true obstacle that stood in her way was the incumbent emperor. ¡°Lukas has been showing inclinations of selecting a sessor. It¡¯ll be over if he discovers my pregnancy before I be the official sessor,¡± Lilian analyzed her situation. Roel nodded inprehension. With Lilian¡¯s capability, she would be able to quickly reinforce her position once she gained legitimacy. It would be difficult for Lukas to go back on his decision, even if her pregnancy were discoveredter on. But nothing was absolute in the world. While there was a high chance of victory, it was no guarantee that Lilian would emerge victorious in this fight. ¡°Senior, what do you intend to do if things don¡¯t go well?¡± Roel asked. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll have no choice but to count on my child¡¯s father then.¡± Lilian heaved a sigh before looking at Roel with curled lips. Roel was stunned before he nodded with a smile and said, ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have no choice but to humble yourself to a lifetime at the Ascart Fiefdom with me if thingse to that point.¡± ¡°Humble myself? I hardly think so, and it won¡¯t just be me either.¡± Lilian looked at her womb with eyes overflowing with maternal love. Under the moonlight, her expression looked so tender that Roel found himself at a loss for words. He instinctively stepped forward and gently wrapped his arms around her. ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t just be us. We¡¯re a family now.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you to protect us, my child¡¯s father.¡± ¡°I absolutely will,¡± Roel replied, making his second promise. Chapter 612.1: Monopolization of Human Rights (1)

Chapter 612.1: Monopolization of Human Rights (1)

Roel believed that every fight fought shoulde with its rewards, but the reward he received from the Battle of Scorched Earth was not anything he had expected. ¡°Hu, hu, hu¡­¡± Listening to her light breathing, touching her smooth skin that wasparable to the finest silk, and feeling her body¡¯s warmth, Roel looked at Charlotte¡¯s sleeping visage with gentle eyes as he thought about recent happenings. An intense fight over Roel¡¯s nights hadmenced when Lilian awakened him the other day. Even Wilhelmina had joined thepetition, hiking up the already intense rivalry. Admittedly, Wilhelmina mostly spent the nights chatting with him, not attempting anything, but it still brought him res from the other three women. Of course, this was just a minor matterpared to the recent happenings in the united army. On the united army¡¯s second day at Hawe Desert¡¯s outskirts, Holy Eminence John and the others returned from the battlefield safe and sound, though they didn¡¯t escape unscathed from their fights with the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns. Deviants were blessed with superior physical prowess and regenerative capability, making them difficult opponents for human transcendents of the same Origin Level. It was inevitable that the three renowned Origin Level 1 transcendents suffered significant injuries after a day of battle. Holy Eminence John and Principal Antonio had mostly recovered from their injuries by the time they arrived at the temporary barracks, but Sword Saint King Friedrich was less fortunate. The injuries he had sustained from his battle with Swordghost were infused with a blood-red mana that interrupted his recovery. Much to Friedrich¡¯s relief, Nora was able to assimte and neutralize the blood-red mana with her Angel Sovereign Bloodline, allowing him to recover without a hitch. Following that, Holy Eminence John and the others paid a visit to Roel to check on his condition and update him on the most recent happenings. The Six Cmities continued to linger above Hawe Desert after the united army¡¯s retreat, but they showed no further signs of aggression. The human armies stationed along the eastern border¡¯s frontline had also withdrawn their troops, thus concluding the battles on that front. There was a mix of victories and defeats, but on the whole, humankind had gained much more than it had lost in this battle. Roel¡¯s triumph over the Deviant Sovereign and the return of the disappeared Tark Stronghold¡¯s personnel had greatly roused the morale of the united army. Nora had a touching reunion with her father, Kane Xeclyde, and Holy Eminence John was spared the agony of losing a son. Holy Eminence John had previously expressed his intent to confer sainthood upon Roel after he defeated one of the Six Cmities, but Roel had suddenly gone missing. There had been some contention regarding this matter within the Genesis Goddess Church back then, but all voices of dissension had fizzled out now that he had saved Tark Stronghold¡¯s hundred thousand soldiers. It helped that there were a number of high-ranking clergymen among Tark Stronghold¡¯s hundred thousand elites, and Roel¡¯s victory over the Deviant Sovereign sweetened the deal. ¡°There are very few precedents of living saints in our Genesis Goddess Church. The influence you wield will beparable to mine. However, I promise you that you won¡¯t be forced to take on an official position in the church. You¡¯ll be able to remain an independent and neutral party,¡± Holy Eminence John told Roel inside the tent. ¡°Grandpa?¡± Nora widened her eyes. She had intended to exploit this matter to get Roel to spend more time at the Holy Capital, but she could only drop those thoughts now. She could only direct an annoyed re at Roel. Prince Kane also paid a visit to Roel to ry his gratitude. He asked about Carter, seemingly intending to look for his old friend to recuperate together. Getting devoured by Shrouding Fog had left him and Tark Stronghold¡¯s hundred thousand elites with some side effects. It would take them some time to recover their strength, though no one was too concerned about that. The victory at the Battle of Scorched Earth had tilted the scales between humankind and the deviants. Humankind was no longer facing an immediate risk of extinction, especially since the Six Cmities weren¡¯t making a move. tion rippled in the united army, and the atmosphere finally lightened. Quite a few people were nning to take a break. Much to Roel¡¯s surprise, Holy Eminence John and the others didn¡¯t lighten up despite humankind¡¯s long-awaitedeback. ¡°This event is a turning point. Humankind finally has the power to oppose the gods, but this is only the start. Humankind¡¯s greatest threat is the Tripartite Alliance¡¯s apocalypse prophecy. We can¡¯t drop our guard as long as the war between the Savior and the Mother Goddess persists.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± Roel¡¯s fevered emotions cooled down upon hearing Antonio¡¯s words. He thought about the battles that had unfolded in the ancient era and nodded in agreement. Holy Eminence John and the others proceeded to share their idea with him. ¡°You want humankind to be a third power to bnce the influence of the Mother Goddess and the Savior? That doesn¡¯t sound usible.¡± ¡°It would have been impossible in the past, but you now possess the power to defeat the gods. That¡¯s enough for you to assume the role. For one, your triumph over the Deviant Sovereign had created an opportunity for the Mother Goddess¡¯ Six Cmities to strike.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was rendered speechless. It btedly struck him that he had the power to influence the war between the Mother Goddess and the Savior now that he had grasped Sia-fication. This meant that he was no longer a pawn but one of the yers on the table. Even so, he was still averse to Antonio¡¯s proposal due to the memories of his time spent in the Witness State. He had no idea if the happenings in the Witness State had changed the Mother Goddess, but they had most definitely changed him. He had initially viewed the Mother Goddess as an enemy and vowed to exterminate the Six Cmities, but that was no longer the case. Perhaps he had been averting his eyes from the possibility of confronting the Mother Goddess in battle, but the circumstances were forcing him into it. It didn¡¯t help that he had no leads on Alicia, who had most likely left under the Mother Goddess¡¯ influence. Frustrated, Roel fell silent. Holy Eminence John and the others, who knew about Alicia¡¯s situation, understood his dilemma and decided to change the topic to another matter¡ªRoel¡¯s reproduction n. ¡°Ah? Having children? Me?¡± Roel gaped. ¡°Of course! You¡¯re the only one who possesses the Kingmaker Bloodline. That¡¯s too dangerous! What if something happens to you? For the sake of humankind, you need to expand the Ascart House quickly!¡± Holy Eminence John said. ¡°The usual way is to gather in a hundred suitably-aged women and keep trying, but I suppose there¡¯ll be strong objections to that, right?¡± Antonio asked as he nced at the four women with awfulplexions standing by the side. ¡°Please don¡¯t joke about this, Principal Antonio. I absolutely won¡¯t allow such a thing to happen,¡± Nora dered with a cold, affirmative voice. ¡°Are you asking me to share my fianc¨¦ with a hundred women?¡± Charlotte asked menacingly as if threatening anyone else to affirm those words. The murderous intent seeping from the two women made Antonio heave a helpless sigh. As if this wasn¡¯t frightening enough, the frigid-faced Lilian stepped forward. ¡°Even within the Kingmaker n, the chances of giving birth to a transcendent of Roel¡¯s caliber are extremely slim. This is evident from the Ascart House¡¯s genealogy. Rather than blindly dive in and hope for the best, I believe it¡¯d be wiser to go about it in a more strategic manner.¡± ¡°What do you propose?¡± ¡°We should only select the most outstanding women to nurture the descendants of the Kingmaker n. Unless someone is able to defeat us, I believe that the three of us suffice.¡± ¡°The three of you?¡± Antonio first nced at Lilian, Nora, and Charlotte with narrowed eyes before turning to Wilhelmina, who had turned pale from the direction the conversation was going. ¡°Yes, I see your point, and I agree that¡¯s the wiser move here. However, if you¡¯re talking about someone who can defeat you, Her Highness Wilhelmina fulfills that criterion too, no?¡± Nora and Charlotte widened their eyes, whereas Wilhelmina¡¯s face turned bright red. Wilhelmina was an Origin Level 1 transcendent who possessed the Dragon Bloodline and had mastered Swordheart despite her young age. There was no doubt that she was one of the most outstanding women in the Sia Continent. In fact, Lilian had knowingly avoided mentioning her so as to use her as one of the chips in the negotiation. ¡°Ah? M-me too?¡± ¡°¡­Fine, I¡¯ll permit it. This is the greatest leeway I can allow. Principal Antonio, I hope that you¡¯ll ord us the respect we deserve and not probe our limits any further than this.¡± Lilian paid no heed to the flustered Wilhelmina as she dered her stance. Antonio could sense the threat lying beneath her words. He might have made this proposal with humankind¡¯s survival in mind, but it was clear that the four women weren¡¯t willing to reason it out with him. Even if the world ended tomorrow, they would never allow a hundred women to cuckquean them. Nora, Charlotte, Lilian, and Wilhelmina were future rulers who would inherit the crowns of their respective countries. They might not be able to stop Antonio if he insisted on having his way today, but they would make sure that he dearly regretted this decision in the future. Unless the Country of Schrs found a way to escape from the face of the Sia Continent, there was no way he would be able to escape from their frightening wrath. Chapter 612.2: Monopolization of Human Rights (2)

Chapter 612.2: Monopolization of Human Rights (2)

These children might really murder me if I push any further. I should quickly rein it in now since I have already achieved my goal anyway, Antonio thought with a bitter smile. He first nced at Friedrich, who looked back at him with eyes brimming with gratitude despite not saying a word, followed by Holy Eminence John, who nonchntly looked away as if to say he wanted no part of this. In the end, he sighed and nodded. ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s keep the n to this for now. However, I hope that you can show some results as soon as possible.¡± ¡°R-results?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding. We¡¯ll work hard,¡± Lilian concluded the negotiation as the representative of the four. Antonio and the other two old men left the tent one after another, leaving Roel behind with the four vignt women. Indeed, Roel was in the room all this while, but he failed to get a word in despite being the person at the center of it all. He was too bbergasted to do so. Huh? What¡¯s going on? Are the four of you monopolizing my mating rights?! Are you treating me like a breeding stallion right now?! His mind was filled with retorts after having witnessed the negotiation process in person, though he had no objections to the oue. He had no intention of bing a stallion, but it would be hard for him to turn down Antonio¡¯s n when he had humankind¡¯s welfare at heart. In a sense, Lilian had dealt with the situation much better than he could. But as soon as the matter was sealed, Nora and the others began to feel nervous once more. They understood the importance of the Kingmaker Bloodline to humankind, and they knew that Antonio could change his mind if they failed to bear results. This pressure fanned their anxiety. The moment Antonio was out the door, Charlotte stepped forward and said, ¡°I believe it¡¯s my turn to guard him tonight, right?¡± With determined eyes, she chased everyone out and got to work. ¡­ Roel let out a deep exhtion, thinking about the mess earlier in the day, while looking at the fast asleep Charlotte with tender eyes. He had thought that Charlotte would dive straight intopleting Antonio¡¯s mission after chasing everyone else out, since her High Elf Bloodline was known to be particrly infertile. Yet, the situation unfolded differently from what he had expected. When it was finally the two of them left in the room, Charlotte quietly stared at Roel as her emerald eyes slowly reddened. Without any warning, she pounced forward to hug him before breaking down into tears. Her actions shook him up. Under his probing, she shared with him how she had fared in the year since he had gone missing, from the psychological issues that had arisen from her despair to her dependence on alcoholism to escape from reality. Roel felt a tight squeeze in his heart. Among his partners, Charlotte was the one who was the most emotionally dependent on him. This was caused by the Sorofyas¡¯ Loyalty Origin Attribute, which made it impossible for them to turn their back on someone they had fallen in love with. It also didn¡¯t help that Charlotte strongly desired a fruitful romance and marriage. These traits allowed her to be the most virtuous wife to Roel as long as he was safe and sound, but conversely she would be a wreck should something happen to him. I see. I have be her greatest weakness¡­ Roel¡¯s heart filled with guilt, and his guilt further fueled his feelings of affection for her, resulting in what happened afterward. The long-awaited union exhausted Roel, who wasn¡¯t in a good physical state in the first ce, but even so, he was so enraptured that he couldn¡¯t stop. It was a relief Charlotte was weaker in this aspect and wasn¡¯t a match for him at all. Roel gently wiped away Charlotte¡¯s tears beforeying his gaze on her body. She hadn¡¯t grown out of shape despite having be an alcoholic; on the contrary, she looked better than ever. Roel thought this ought to qualify as one of the Sia Continent¡¯s greatest unsolved mysteries. Is this due to her High Elf Bloodline? Roel wondered. Before he could figure out an answer to that question, a dainty hand suddenly covered his eyes. An embarrassed, feminine voice said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be embarrassed about?¡± Roel asked. Surely there¡¯s no need to act like this when we are already an old couple? There was a moment of hesitation before the hand was lowered. Roel took this chance to embrace the red-faced woman before him, and thetter shylyid her head on his shoulder. ¡°Darling, is your soul really all right?¡± ¡°I am contracted with Spiriteer Sovereign Edavia. She¡¯s taking care of my soul. There¡¯s nothing to be worried about.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like something¡¯s not right with you. Is it my imagination?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Roel asked with raised eyebrows. Charlotte gave the matter some thought before gesturing to the ring sitting on her finger, saying, ¡°It¡¯s because of this. Darling, do you still remember this ring?¡± ¡°Of course. How could I forget our love token?¡± Roel raised his hand to show his matching ring. A blissful smile emerged on Charlotte¡¯s lips. Peytra had created a pair of rings that allowed two individuals to share their life force; they represented the Primordial Earth Goddess¡¯ affirmation of and blessing to Charlotte. Thetter had never taken it off no matter how much despair she was in during the past year. Neither had Roel. Under the effects of the ring, Charlotte was able to sense Roel¡¯s condition when the two of them were in proximity. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the cause, but, darling, there have been numerous asions where I sensed strange fluctuations in your fate. At such times, I would feel a familiar aura from my ring,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°A familiar aura? What is it?¡± Roel asked quizzically. ¡°The aura of the Six Cmities.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was startled. He suddenly thought of something and quickly turned to look at the System. Just as he had expected, there were some updates on the System. The devourer of all beings, the manifestation of the spatial power to obliterate all existence. Anything that stands in the presence of the silver fog will have its existence stolen away. The potency of the effect depends on the mana and duration. Side Effect: The user¡¯s existence will be temporarily devoured depending on the extent of the usage.¡¿ I see¡­ Roel¡¯s golden eyes narrowed in contemtion. Chapter 613.1: A Millennial Dream (1)

Chapter 613.1: A Millennial Dream (1)

Roel had never thought that it could be possible to devour a person¡¯s existence, even when taking into ount the possibilities of mana and transcendent abilities, before his encounter with Shrouding Fog. The overwhelmingly powerful Deviant Sovereign Banjol¡¯s bloodline ability allowed him to pierce through all defenses and remotely plunder an enemy¡¯s heart. It was a terrifyingly powerful ability, but it was nowhere close to devouring a person¡¯s entire existence. It didn¡¯t take long for Roel to grasp the implications of Silver Devourer¡¯s side effects. The term ¡®existence¡¯ likely didn¡¯t just refer to his mana, ability, or body. It was more of a karmic concept, and that was likely the reason that child was able to show herself before him. A doubt had floated into his mind while he was chatting with Lilian that day: Why did our daughter suddenly appear at this juncture? It had been two years since the start of Lilian¡¯s pregnancy. Supposing their daughter truly had the ability to travel back in time, their daughter could have gone even further back and met them at an earlier point in time. Lilian did suggest that their daughter¡¯s interference had helped him avoid a possibly tragic fate, but he couldn¡¯t help but think that her interjection came at a rather peculiar time. For instance, if their daughter had hoped to avoid this series of events, she could have sent a warning through Lilian a year ago, before he went missing, so that he could prepare himself for what was about toe. Even if there was some reason she couldn¡¯t do that, the least she could do was to tell Lilian he was still alive to ease her worries. Yet, their daughter only appeared before Lilian when Roel was already surrounded by the deviants. He had previously thought that this was just a coincidence, but he now wondered whether it had something to do with Silver Devourer¡¯s side effect. Perhaps, the thinning of his existence had created a chance for his daughter to temporarily manifest through some kind of magic tool or the dreamscape. This would mean that the thinning of his existence had brought about some unintended benefits. However, that didn¡¯t mean all was well. As a matter of fact, he had been suffering from some problems that he btedly realized were caused by the thinning of his existence, such as his dwindled mana. He had previously thought it was due to his soul¡¯s impairment, but he now knew the culprit was something else. On the one hand, he was d that it was not an issue with his soul, but on the other hand, it rmed him to the possibility that he might vanish into thin air if he overused Silver Devourer. The greater the power, the greater the price? Roel decided to temporarily seal off Silver Devourer. While he was thinking about how he should deal with this matter, the auburn-haired woman next to him suddenly offered her help. ¡°Darling, why don¡¯t you let me give it a try?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a side effect arising from the Six Cmities, right? As long as it involves the power of the Six Cmities, we, the High Elves, should be able to suppress it to some extent.¡± Remembering how Flooding Death had gone after Charlotte due to their ability to interfere with the Six Cmities, Roel nodded. ¡°I see. How should we go about it?¡± ¡°All we need to do is to touch,¡± Charlotte replied as she leaned in for a light kiss. Her mana began to surge as their bodies pressed together. Much to Roel¡¯s surprise, his mana roused to life and began fusing together with Charlotte¡¯s mana. ¡°Wait a moment; won¡¯t this affect you as well? You have been ailing for a year now,¡± Roel eximed. ¡°Darling, what are you saying? That¡¯s a psychological problem. I¡¯mpletely fine now,¡± Charlotte replied with a smile. ¡°But¡­¡± Roel was still worried, knowing how Charlotte hadnguished in the past year. With a sigh, Charlotte ced her hand on Roel¡¯s cheek and asked, ¡°Darling, who am I to you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Charlotte¡¯s earnest expression, Roel paused for a brief moment before repeating the answer he had once told her: ¡°You¡¯re my wife.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, but I¡¯d prefer your answer to be faster next time.¡± ¡°I was thinking of saying that we¡¯re a family.¡± ¡°!¡± Charlotte widened her emerald eyes, and her face turned a little red. Roel suddenly remembered some matters and began uttering his apology, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Charlotte. I was nning to have a talk with my father when I returned from Rosa, but I was distracted by the Fallens¡¯ invasion of Ascart City¡­¡± He was exining the reason he had hesitated to answer with the term ¡®family¡¯. Taken aback by the exnation, Charlotte hesitantly replied, ¡°About that, darling¡­ I am already a member of the Ascart House, at least in name.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel blinked in confusion. Charlotte quickly exined the matter. In the months following Roel¡¯s disappearance, Charlotte sumbed to her depression and never recovered. It didn¡¯t take her long to disy inclinations of self-harm. Worried sick for his daughter, Bruce Sorofya approached Carter for help. While Carter didn¡¯t approve of Roel and Charlotte¡¯s rtionship, he still respected Charlotte as a business mogul and a key supporter of the united army. He couldn¡¯t bear to see hernguishing like that, and he was also moved by the deep sentiments she harbored for his son. To make up for the harm he had done to Charlotte by obstructing their rtionship, Carter wrote a public letter acknowledging Roel and Charlotte¡¯s engagement, going as far as to dere that the Ascart House would always be open to her as long as she was willing. This meant that Carter was willing to fully acknowledge Charlotte as his daughter-inw. While it was not known whether Roel was alive or dead, as long as Charlotte wanted it, she would be officially recognized as his wife, and she would be recorded in the Ascart House¡¯s genealogy as such. This matter provided some sce to the despairing Charlotte. It was through this that she found the strength to pull herself together and head to the frontline. ¡°I¡¯d only sully your reputation if I continue wallowing in depression after bing your wife. Now that I think about it, that was probably what my father and Uncle Carter intended. I can¡¯t help but feel like I have fallen for their ploy¡­ but I¡¯m grateful to them for that.¡± ¡°I am also grateful to them for that. Charlotte, I want you to promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you mustn¡¯t think of doing anything foolish, all right? ¡°Darling¡­¡± Looking at Roel¡¯s worried eyes, Charlotte nodded. The two of them took their time to enjoy each other¡¯s warmth before their bodies slowly separated. ¡°So, I am now your wife in name and in spirit. A couple ought to tide through difficulties together, right? Darling, stop suppressing your mana and obediently hand it to me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No ¡®but¡¯s. At most, I¡¯d just feel a slight difort reminiscent of a cold. This is a small price to pay to hasten your recovery. Besides, there¡¯s something you need to do, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re referring to¡­¡± ¡°Alicia.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s body abruptly tensed up as he stared at Charlotte in shock. Thetter looked at him with an ambiguous smile. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, darling? It can¡¯t be that you think of me as a vile woman who wishes for Alicia to never return?¡± ¡°Of course not, but the two of you often fight¡­¡± ¡°We do fight often, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we¡¯re childhood friends. Besides¡­ I owe her one.¡± ¡°You owe her one?¡± ¡°Alicia had approved of Uncle Carter¡¯s acknowledgment of our marriage and even convinced him to go through with it. It was through such mutual support that Alicia, Nora, Lilian, and I were able to keep ourselves together while you weren¡¯t around. I¡¯m now officially Alicia¡¯s sister-inw.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Those words hardened Roel¡¯s determination. He took one more look at Charlotte before gradually releasing his mana to her. Slowly, their manas fused together as one. ¡­ Chapter 613.2: A Millennial Dream (2)

Chapter 613.2: A Millennial Dream (2)

¡°You shameless knave. How dare you appear before me once more!¡± ¡°¡­¡± In a gloomy castle, a ck-haired man knelt on one knee, breathing rapidly. Before him was a ck-haired, fair-skinned beauty who exuded mesmerizing charm, but her tone was cially cold. Her golden eyes were dripping with contempt. There seemed to have been a battle between the man and the woman, with the former in a worse state than thetter. His body was covered in injuries, and he looked to be on the verge of copsing. The magic sword he held in his right hand, which was likely a formidable magic sword judging by its design and mana pulsation, was covered in cracks. In contrast, the woman before him showed not a hint of fatigue at all, and there were no injuries on her body either. She was dressed in an ordinary long skirt, and there was not a weapon to be seen in her hands. A fully armored and armed man had fought against a barehanded woman dressed in a long skirt, but the former still fell in defeat. This illustrated the crushing difference in their strengths. Even so, the man refused to give up. He gathered all his strength to get back to his feet. ¡°You still wish to continue? Say, are there worms in your head? What do you think you can do?¡± the woman coldly sneered. ¡°¡­Please help me. I need you,¡± the man pleaded. ¡°Hah. Do you not understand human speech?¡± the woman mocked. Unwilling to yield, the man raised his sword and got into a defensive stance as he replied, ¡°I understand human speech; that¡¯s why I think there¡¯s room for us tomunicate. That¡¯s also the reason I am here.¡± ¡°Communicate? Are you talking about your uninvited visit and all the nonsense you spouted about resolving our grudges and joining hands together? You¡¯re only testing the limits of my patience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my intent to anger you. My wordse from the bottom of my heart. The circumstances outside have only continued to worsen. I wish to change it all, and I need your strength for that.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Tell me what you need; I¡¯ll do everything I can to fulfill your needs. You have lost touch with your nsmen, right? With my help, it won¡¯t be difficult for you to gather them together!¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s return to how it was in the past. There¡¯s still hope if we join hands. You and your nsmen can reim the position that once belonged to you¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to shut up?!¡± ¡°!¡± The man was suddenly sent flying backward as if he had been struck by an invisible palm, causing him to crash into the wall behind him like a cannonball. Boom! The entire castle rattled from the impact. Amidst the cloud of dust, the woman slowly walked forward to stare down at the man lying amidst a pile of rubble. A frown formed on her forehead. Despite the abrupt attack, the man had, at some point, switched to a holy white armor inscribed with divine runes to cushion the impact. This armor was clearly an ancient relic originating from the First Epoch. Under the protection of the armor, the man retained his consciousness despite having suffered some injuries. Cough! Cough cough! The man coughed out blood. With an impassive expression, the woman stomped down on the man¡¯s chest, only to be hindered by the holy white armor¡¯s light barrier. She paid it no heed and quietly stared at him before abruptly saying, ¡°I had a cousin.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°She was from a side family. She had a different hair color and a pair of beautiful eyes. She was extremely talented, though she would only be considered average in our n.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man didn¡¯t know how to respond to these inexplicable words. The woman paid him no heed and continued her story. ¡°She was a lot older than me. When I was younger, I liked to follow her around because of her rare brown hair, and she¡¯d take care of me as my parents were often away. We were very close. ¡°She wasn¡¯t good at fighting, as the ancient god she contracted with didn¡¯t specialize inbat, so she was often left out of major operations. However, she had good luck with her romance and found a good man. I can still remember how happy she was during her wedding ceremony. She excitedly held my hand and pranced around, singing melodious tunes.¡± A faint smile formed on the woman¡¯s lips as she went down the alleyway of memories. The man fell into a daze staring at her gentle visage. However, her smile was fleeting, and her face soon turned frosty once more. ¡°But she died. She was a casualty of the very first incident arising from your n¡¯s betrayal.¡± ¡°!¡± The man jolted in shock, but the woman had no ns of stopping there. ¡°She had just given birth and was in a frail condition, but to protect the other nsmen, she entrusted her child to a servant and marched into battle. By the time I met her once more, she was already a corpse with her heart ripped from her body¡­ Do you get it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Reim our position? Is that what you think I want? If you wish to make it up to us, why don¡¯t you return Sister Veronica, Sister Tracy, Uncle Vant, Rulton, Kasha, and all of my nsmen who have died because of you? Why don¡¯t you return them then?!¡± With the utterance of each name, the woman¡¯s mana grew explosively, straining the man¡¯s light barrier until it started to crack. Yet, the man made no attempt to fight back, only apologizing with a pale face. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need cheap apologies,¡± the woman said as she retracted the foot she ced on his chest. ¡°You and your nsmen are trash, the scum of humankind. You deserve the fate that has befallen you. Did you think that I didn¡¯t want to kill you? No, I just don¡¯t want to stir things up and attract their attention¡­ and you¡¯re too weak. Killing you won¡¯t change a thing. ¡°Scram and never appear before me again.¡± The woman turned around and walked off into the castle¡¯s shadows, but what she heard after her deration was not a sigh of resignation but a roar of provocation. ¡°I get it now. You¡¯ll only acknowledge and help me if I defeat you.¡± ¡°¡­Are you joking with me right now?¡± The woman gritted her teeth as she spoke with a tone dripping with cold killing intent. The man shook his head and said, ¡°No, I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°¡­Hah! Very well, you can give it a try. Next time, I¡¯ll make sure you suffer pain worse than death.¡± Leaving such words behind, the infuriated woman turned around and left. The man, who had held himself together up to this point, copsed to the ground and quietly stared at the castle¡¯s stone ceiling. His body was aching nonstop, and his mana was depleted. His consciousness turned blurry as his brain slowed to a halt. It felt like his surroundings were turning unreal. Just then, a perplexing voice echoed in his ears, ¡°Your Highness¡­ Your Highness¡­¡± What¡¯s that voice? How annoying¡­ Before the man could make sense of what was happening, he suddenly felt someone pinching his nose. The sudden deprivation of oxygen prompted him to open his eyes. ¡°Your Highness, get up!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Paul Ackermann¡¯s eyes shot open. He was met with a familiar ceiling. He sat up from his bed and stared at his surroundings with widened eyes. ¡°How could this be? It was just a dream?¡± ¡°What are you spouting? Your Highness, did you bump your head?¡± Paul¡¯s maid, Liz, let out a helpless sigh before speaking with a softer, more cautious voice. ¡°Wake up, Your Highness. I have news from Her Highness Lilian.¡± Chapter 614: Battle in the Darkness

Chapter 614: Battle in the Darkness

It was morning. Paul Ackermann sat in front of the dining table with his mind all over the ce. His maid, Liz, looked at him speechlessly upon noticing how distracted he was. ¡°Your Highness, are you sure you didn¡¯t bump your head?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t tell the difference between dream and reality and are even feeling distressed over it. There has to be something wrong with your head, right?¡± ¡°I can tell the difference between dream and reality. What¡¯s bothering me is that this isn¡¯t the first time this has happened,¡± Paul said with a perplexed frown. Liz blinked contemtively before pping her hands in realization and saying, ¡°Ah! Yes, something simr did happenst week. You sat on the bed for a long time.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m referring to that.¡± ¡°I get it now. It¡¯s a rpse!¡± ¡°???¡± Paul was baffled by Liz¡¯s response, but he wasn¡¯t angered by her words. Despite being an imperial prince of the Austine Empire, Paul Ackermann had lived most of his life as a normal civilian, so he wasn¡¯t fussy about etiquette, not to mention that Liz had braved tough times with him. While she was his maid, their rtionship was more like that of siblings. He always took her jokes with a light-hearted attitude. Born as an illegitimate child, Paul was ostracized within the Austine Empire¡¯s circle of nobility. While his standard of living had improvedpared to back when he was a civilian, as he received the bare minimum of what an imperial prince was entitled to, he had not been prepared for the snobbery he would receive. No one was willing to serve him, and some even avoided him like the gue. A servant¡¯s standing corresponded to their master¡¯s, so being assigned to an illegitimate child was as good as being exiled for them. The only one who remained by his side was the young Liz. This was also why he didn¡¯t mind her jokes. ¡°Liz, how often do you remember your dreams?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I remember any of my dreams. That¡¯s true for most people, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too, but I remember everything clearly,¡± Paul murmured worriedly. Liz blinked in surprise. Dreams should have been fleeting, but thismon sense had failed twice for Paul now. Be it the dream he had a week ago or the one today, he vividly remembered not just the contents of the dream but the ck-haired woman¡¯s expression, the surrounding temperature, and even the pain suffered by the ck-haired man. It felt more like the recollection of a deeply imprinted memory than a dream. Something was off here. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something that can happen with a bump of your head,¡± Liz analyzed. ¡°I¡¯m telling you I didn¡¯t bump my head!¡± Paul eximed. ¡°What kind of dream was it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ How should I put it? I was beaten up?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Liz narrowed her eyes in confusion, but Paul had no idea where to start exining the matter to her. The dream he hadst week was simr to the one he just had¡ªhe had approached that ck-haired woman for help, only to be pounded into the ground. The only difference was that the ck-haired woman had previously gone easy on him, whereas she was more vicious this time, possibly due to his provocation. The ck-haired woman was overwhelmingly powerful, but she wasn¡¯t the only strong one here. The ck-haired man, whom Paul had taken a first-person perspective of inside the dream, was very strong as well, being at least Origin Level 2. Paul had focused on developing his transcendent abilities since the Challenger Cup. In the past year, he sessfully made a breakthrough to Origin Level 3 and joined the battlefield. Even with the Sia Continent¡¯s increased mana concentration, Origin Level 3 transcendents were still powerhouses not to be made light of. Yet, Paul didn¡¯t think that he could rival the man in the dream, and this was evident from the armor. The man in the dream was also utilizing the Kingdom Origin Attribute and possessed abilities identical to his. However, the armor that man had used inside the dream was beyond what he was capable of. If that man is at Origin Level 2, that woman is likely at Origin Level 1. Paul was taken aback by that realization, especially since the ck-haired woman didn¡¯t look much older than him. This showed just how talented she was. Furthermore, her appearance¡­ ¡°That woman feels a lot like big brother Roel¡­¡± ¡°What?!¡± Liz sped her mouth in shock. ¡°While I did consider this possibility, I never thought that you would be so infatuated with Lord Roel as to dream of him as a woman¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean! I¡¯m referring to her hair color, eye color, and her ability! Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re being too dramatic?¡± Paul retorted. He thought about the conversation between the man and the woman in his dream. He didn¡¯t know the context behind their words, but he could make some deductions from their exchange. However, that was all there was to it. While Paul was indeed concerned about the dream, there was no way he would act on something as inexplicable as that. Besides, it was said that a person¡¯s dream was influenced by their surroundings. By this line of thought, it wasn¡¯t too perplexing for him to have such a dream. ¡°Liz, you mentioned that you had something to report.¡± . ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Lord Roel has been saved. The Battle of Scorched Earth was a sess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Paul excitedly clenched his fist. He could finally put down the boulder weighing down his heart, though, at the same time, he also felt ashamed for not being able to rush straight to Roel¡¯s aid. He had known from the start that the Theocracy was liaising with the other nations to put together a force to rescue Roel from the deviants; his ex-fellow vice chief, Geralt, was the one who informed him about it. The two of them were incredibly excited back when they first learned that Roel was still alive. Paul had even found an excuse to run off and join Geralt¡¯s team. Yet, shortly after he learned about the news, Emperor Lukas suddenly assigned Paul to the back line, strictly forbidding him to head to the battlefield. Paul was perplexed by the order, but he had no choice but to obey. Unlike Lilian, he wasn¡¯t backed by an army of 500,000 soldiers. He wasn¡¯t strong enough to shoulder the consequences of going against Emperor Lukas. It was a relief that everything went well, and Roel was able to return safely. It should only be a matter of time before they reunited. By then, his weird dreams should havee to an end. With such thoughts in mind, Paul delightfully celebrated the return of his good friend. Meanwhile, Emperor Lukas was also browsing a war report from the frontline, but his feelings were very different. ¡­ In a dark room, two men sat at the ends of a long table. It was their second meeting this month, but the atmosphere was vastly different from before. The man seated closer to the door had an impassive expression and icy-cold eyes, whereas the man with a blurred face sat in the midst of the shadows, looking a little anxious. The two of them stared at each other for a long time before Emperor Lukas broke the silence with a voice devoid of warmth. ¡°You didn¡¯t fulfill your promise.¡± The Collector was silent for a long while before replying, ¡°If you¡¯re referring to the Kingmaker, then yes, Banjol has failed. This isn¡¯t what I predicted. This is unusual.¡± He tapped his finger on the table in vexation as he continued, ¡°Banjol is a Race Sovereign from the ancient era, a true god. Not even the Kingmaker, at Origin Level 2, should have the power to oppose him. Something unbeknownst to us must have happened in thest Witness State.¡± ¡°Such as¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Such as the Mother Goddess¡¯ interference. Yes, that must have been the case.¡± The Collector nodded as he recalled the silver moon in the sky when Roel returned to the real world. ¡°While the Kingmaker might have been the one to defeat Banjol, this is actually the Mother Goddess¡¯ counterattack. That would exin the intervention of those ancient cmities.¡± ¡°So what?¡± Emperor Lukas replied without any fluctuation in his voice, unmoved by the Collector¡¯s deduction. ¡°The fact is that the Kingmaker has be stronger. That¡¯s all that matters. And your faction has suffered a crushing blow.¡± ¡°Crushing blow? Not at all. Losing Banjol was outside my expectations, but we have achieved our aim.¡± The Collector slowly settled into his chair as he smiled at Emperor Lukas. ¡°Our true aim is the Egg of the Beast God. Banjol has fulfilled his purpose from the moment of its birth.¡± ¡°Is that so? Based on what I have heard, your ace was quickly defeated by the Six Cmities. Your faction is also losing control over the deviants.¡± ¡°It might appear so, but the Egg of the Beast God is our supreme god¡¯s creation. It can¡¯t be destroyed that easily. As for the deviants, I concede that we¡¯re struggling to control them after having lost Banjol, but their nature has determined that they would stand on our side.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Emperor Lukas nodded in agreement with that sentiment, but before the Collector could continue his words, he suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s end our partnership here.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You failed to kill him. I cooperated with you to clear the path to the Abyss, but with the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s death, there are no longer any threats to me there. I can reach there with my own strength,¡± Emperor Lukas said. ¡°¡­¡± The Collector fell silent. He stared at Lukas for a few seconds before speaking up. ¡°Have you forgotten about the seal? It¡¯ll be futile to head there if you can¡¯t release the seal.¡± ¡°The seal?¡± ¡°We might have failed to kill the Kingmaker, but we are the only ones who can unravel that seal. You need us.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re mistaken. My goal is different from yours.¡± ¡°!¡± The Collector jolted. ¡°I don¡¯t need you anymore,¡± Emperor Lukas said icily. Without any warning, an unimaginable surge of mana burst forth as countless lights surged out from him. In response, the shadows around the Collector darkened. ¡°Lukas, you seem to have forgotten where you are,¡± the Collector coldly uttered. With a light wave of his hand, he raised a spatial quake that swiftly ripped in Lukas¡¯ direction, causing their surroundings to crumble. However, Emperor Lukas remained unfazed despite the danger approaching him. ¡°You are the one who has forgotten where you are.¡± As Emperor Lukas squeezed his hand into a fist, a de suddenly appeared out of nowhere and pierced through the Collector¡¯s chest, puncturing his heart. ¡°This is¡­!¡± The Collector was horrified, but before he could say anything else, dozens more magic des suddenly manifested out of thin air and shredded his body. Pu! Blood and flesh sttered all over this dark room. Emperor Lukas looked at the Collector¡¯s bloodied remains before quietly turning around and walking away. At the same time, the countless weapons he had conjured slowly dissipated. Momentster, this elusive space began to crumble in on itself. A silhouette shed across the bloodied long table and descended into the boundless darkness. Chapter 615: Not to Be Mentioned

Chapter 615: Not to Be Mentioned

The women around Roel were experienced at night watch. His high frequency of sustaining injuries gave them plenty of chances to rue experience in that field. Every time he was bedridden, those women would capitalize on the opportunity to get their way. Both Charlotte and Lilian were veterans in that regard. Surprisingly, it was the aggressive Nora who was more honest in that regard. As the sessor to the throne, Nora Xeclyde¡¯s actions represented not just herself but the Saint Mesit Theocracy and the Genesis Goddess Church too. That meant that she couldn¡¯t act wilfully, unlike Charlotte and the others. In fact, Nora was known as a dignified and graceful princess by most. In the first ce, Nora had gotten close to Roel because it was only with him that she could drop her perfect persona and reveal her true self. This avenue to freely express herself felt like a salvation to her¡­ just that her expressions became increasingly diverse as time passed. In the bedroom, Nora held tightly onto a golden chain while gasping for air. After hours of battle, she finally copsed into Roel¡¯s arms with a flushed face. Roel surprisingly didn¡¯t voice his usualints about her domineering demeanor. Instead, he freed himself from her chains, sat upright, and gently stroked her hair. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Roel asked concernedly as he looked at the red patch on the bedsheet. ¡°A little, but it¡¯s fine.¡± Nora shook her head in emphasis. ¡°I have already been through it once; it¡¯s better this time around.¡± ¡°That was a mana avatar,¡± Roel replied with a helpless smile as he recalled the night they had spent at Tark Prairie. Back then, he had just returned to the real world and found himself in grave danger due to the Collector¡¯s ploy. Cornered, he had no choice but to summon Nora via Ascendwing. Driven by a mix of many emotions, the two of them decided to cherish the present and had their first union. While the summoned Nora was only a mana avatar and not her real body, any injuries suffered by the mana avatar would be transferred to the main body once the spell was over. Roel thought that would spare her from pain this time around, but clearly he was wrong. ¡°The spell might not have registered it because the injury was too light and I recovered too fast.¡± ¡°I see. I apologize for making you suffer.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± Nora¡¯s face reddened, as she subconsciously tightened her grip on the chains. Roel found himself mesmerized by her rare show of embarrassment. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she seemed so anxious today. Unlike her usual dignified andposed demeanor, something appeared to be bothering her, pushing her to be more daring and affectionate. It was rare to catch her in such a state, and it drew out a different charm that made his heart beat fast. After enjoying the moment, Roel eventually decided to voice his doubt. ¡°Nora, is there something wrong? You seem to have something on your mind today.¡± ¡°You can say so,¡± Nora replied with a nod. She paused briefly before revealing her worry. ¡°¡­I am afraid.¡± ¡°Afraid?¡± Roel blinked in confusion before it clicked. He let out a soft chuckle before addressing the issue: ¡°Principal Antonio¡¯s proposal is just a suggestion. He won¡¯t enforce it.¡± Just thinking about the recent fuss over the ¡®Kingmaker Bloodline Expansion n¡¯ gave him a headache. It had been a struggle for him to reason with Brolne¡¯s schrs, who suffered from a direck of political awareness, and Pendor¡¯s obstinate fogeys. To their credit, having intercourse solely to continue one¡¯s lineage was an old tradition in the Sia Continent, and it was thought to be socially eptable. Back in the Witness State, right before Roel¡¯s confrontation with Magician King Priestley Maxwell, his ancestor, Astrid, had demanded him to have intercourse with Lilian in hopes of continuing the lineage of the Kingmaker n. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to force that proposal on me.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯d be for the best.¡± While Roel took ackadaisical attitude toward that proposal, Nora took it seriously. Even though Principal Antonio had raised the matter with a casual attitude, Wilhelmina¡¯s sources had indicated a shockingly high level of support for that ridiculous proposal, especially in the academic-focused Brolne. Rare and important bloodlines had to be passed down; this was almost like a societal obligation, especially during such critical periods. The rights of an individual had to bepromised when the interests of an entire race were at stake. Roel¡¯s triumph over the Deviant Sovereign had enlightened the world to the potential of the Kingmaker Bloodline. The pressure on him to reproduce would only continue to grow with time. Antonio had probably intended his words to be both a reminder and a warning. It waspletely possible for decisive action to be taken if there was no progress within the next few months. After all, no one knew when the Savior and the Mother Goddess would return. In the worst-case situation, the upper echelons of the Genesis Goddess Church, which represented humankind¡¯s interest, might change their stance, forcing Nora to deliver her lover into the arms of other women. Offering one¡¯s lover for the sake of humankind sounded like a joke, but it was both Nora¡¯s reality and her greatest nightmare. ¡­No, that absolutely cannot happen. Nora might just turn against humankind if something like that were to happen. Roel vehemently shook his head. After a long embrace, Nora, who refused to let go of the chains, voiced her truest thought: ¡°¡­You¡¯re my subject. I won¡¯t let anyone else have you.¡± Chapter 616: The Witch Queen’s Promise

Chapter 616: The Witch Queen¡¯s Promise

Artasia stood amidst the blossoming flowers as her question echoed in the empty pce. Roel fell silent. He had met Artasia in his Witness State with Lilian. To defeat an insurmountable enemy, he had little choice but to seek the help of the Witch Queen, but thetter raised a condition, which was to be hosted in Lilian¡¯s body. He eventually managed to prevent Artasia¡¯s invasion of Lilian¡¯s body by temporarily imbuing Lilian with the trait of a dreamwalker via Astrid¡¯s blood, but this matter left a strong impression on him. In particr, the Witch Queen had shared her wish with him. Unlike Grandar and Peytra, Artasia desired to be revived in the real world, and the easiest way for her to achieve her goal was to possess another person¡¯s body. However, it was not as if any body would work for the Witch Queen. By her standards, most prodigies in the world were probably nothing but empty talk. There weren¡¯t many people in the world who could meet her requirements, but Roel and Lilian¡¯s child definitely fit the criteria. Even Roel was shocked to see such a young child using temporal spells. Artasia would have noticed the temporal distortion arising from the temporal spell as well, and that was more than enough motive for her toy her hand on their child. Roel stared at the Witch Queen with narrowed eyes, whereas thetter continued to examine the flower in her hand with an impassive expression. After a long bout of silence, Roel shook his head and replied, ¡°No, I have no such thought.¡± ¡°¡­Lying is a bad habit, my hero.¡± Artasia turned around and looked at him in dissatisfaction. ¡°No, it isn¡¯t a lie,¡± Roel replied. He slowly walked up to her in the flower field and stared into her madder-red eyes. Before he knew it, his hand had already reached out to stroke her head. ¡°Hm?¡± Artasia widened her eyes in shock. Roel immediately snapped out of his daze and hurriedly retracted his hand, only for Artasia to grab it on its path of retreat. ¡°My hero, can you exin what you were doing?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Roel was at a loss for words. He also didn¡¯t know why he had done that. He stared at Artasia, who was waiting for an answer from him, and for some reason, his heart felt inexplicably stifled. For some reason, her earlier self-torturing question had left him exceptionally ufortable. The doubt he harbored regarding her was indeed hurtful. Artasia had ovee many hurdles together with him since their meeting. Such doubt shouldn¡¯t exist between them. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. You looked like you were going to cry, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­What kind of reason is that? My hero, you shouldn¡¯t crack such jokes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± Artasia was taken aback. She flung off Roel¡¯s hand in a huff and turned around. ¡°Me crying? How incredulous. Such a thing would have been a joke in the ancient era.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the ancient era, but it isn¡¯t a joke to me,¡± Roel replied with a sigh, as he bent down and plucked a ck rose to examine it too. ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you doubt me? I told you my goal when we first met,¡± Artasia asked. ¡°You did, but it¡¯s already a thing of the past,¡± Roel replied as he gently smoothed out the thorns on the ck rose with his mana. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are so concerned about her, but I don¡¯t think that you¡¯d hurt her.¡± ¡°Is that all? My hero, you¡¯re too naive. Do you earnestly think I¡¯d resist the temptation of revival for your sake?¡± ¡°I¡­ simply thought you wouldn¡¯t leave my side,¡± Roel replied hesitantly. ¡°!¡± Artasia widened her eyes in astonishment. Having her thoughts urately guessed caused her heartbeat to hasten, and her face turned a little red. Before she could refute him, he suddenly delivered a ck rose to her. ¡°I know it sounds narcissistic, but I believe we are close enough to not have to second guess each other¡¯s intentions. You have helped me through a lot, and I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You are really¡­ That¡¯s the reason you always get into so much trouble!¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± Artasia harrumphed. She reached behind her to take the ck rose Roel was offering her. She brought it forward and dazedly stared at its smoothed thorns before letting out a deep exhtion. She could feel her boiling anger slowly dying down. ¡°My hero, are you a telepath?¡± ¡°Of course not. Don¡¯t you know better than anyone else what spells I¡¯m capable of?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡± Artasia replied with a chuckle. ¡°The world isn¡¯t at peace now. Even if I return to the world right now, it¡¯s unlikely I¡¯d regain my powers anytime soon. I¡¯d just lose my life in vain. So you don¡¯t have to worry about me going anywhere for now.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Roel replied with a smile. Artasia lifted the ck rose to her lips, either to take a whiff of its fragrance or to keep herself from blurting her deepest wish. After a moment of silence, she murmured in conviction as if making a vow, ¡°¡­I¡¯ll apany you to the very end, no matter what happens.¡± ¡°Did you say something, Artasia?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My hero, it¡¯s about time for you to return¡­¡± The Witch Queen waved her hand, and Roel suddenly felt his consciousness blurring. A wave of drowsiness assaulted him. Is she evicting me from her domain? Roel struggled to keep his eyes open as he looked at the white-haired woman, who had turned around to look at him at this final moment. Her face was flushed, yet there was indescribable sorrow in her eyes. ¡°!¡± Artasia hadn¡¯t expected him to still be awake. Astonishment flickered across her madder-red eyes as she hurriedly waved her hand once more, plunging his consciousness into darkness. ¡­ ¡°Mina, how credible is your information?¡± ¡°They are handwritten internal reports by the Second Epoch¡¯s Twilight Sages Assembly. I¡¯d say that it is the most credible information we have thus far.¡± ¡°I see.¡± The following day after his return from the Witch Queen¡¯s pce, Roel stared at the information before him contemtively. Wilhelmina stood beside him, fidgeting a fair bit and looking ufortable. Instead of being equipped in her usual heavy armor and sword, she was wearing a simple dress. She knew that this was necessary as her fight now was not on the battlefield but in the bedroom. A few days ago, Antonio raised a proposal from the Country of Schrs regarding the expansion of the Kingmaker n. To increase their weight in the negotiation, Lilian and the others had dragged Wilhelmina, Knight Kingdom Pendor¡¯s princess, to their side. From then on, Wilhelmina had been tasked with a mission that embarrassed her so much that she wanted to dive into any crevice and hide¡ªbearing Roel¡¯s child. It had only been days since she made sense of her feelings for Roel, and she didn¡¯t even know if they could be considered lovers yet. The sudden expectation to bear his child was too much for her to bear. She had raised this matter with Nora and the others during their meeting, but after hearing about how she spent her time with Roel in private, the others chose to disregard her opposition. To be exact, they already knew how things would go down. ¡°I did hope it wouldn¡¯t be the case, but I think the situation is clear. Unless you directly tell him that you detest him, there¡¯s no way he would disregard you,¡± Nora said in resignation. ¡°Detest him? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Wilhelmina eximed. ¡°And that¡¯s why I said that the oue is already decided. It¡¯s only a matter of time before your rtionship is confirmed. Our priority right now is to stop that proposal, or else things would only be trickier in the future.¡± Nora and the others¡¯ disregard for Wilhelmina¡¯s feelings and rtionship development left thetter flustered. Not knowing how to respond, she awkwardly changed the conversation to the intelligence Roel had recently tasked her to look to. Chapter 617: Abrupt News

Chapter 617: Abrupt News

Roel held Wilhelmina in his arms as he looked at the moonlit night with contemtive eyes. On the other hand, Wilhelmina frowned in confusion. ¡°Roel, what do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s as I have said.¡± Roel lowered his head as he tried to uncover the rationale behind why he felt that way. Supposing hisst Witness State had really influenced the real world, it wouldplicate his rtionship with the Mother Goddess. It was too early to say which of the two memories from the divergent timelines had a greater effect on Her, but it would be wiser of him to not make a reckless move and turn her into an enemy. To avoid agitating the Mother Goddess, he had to rescue Alicia alone. Taking a step back, as someone who had witnessed the Mother Goddess¡¯ power, he knew it wouldn¡¯t make a difference how many people were flung at Her. If She sought to take Roel¡¯s life, Wilhelmina would just be an additional count on the death toll. ¡°Mina¡­ what if I don¡¯t n to make the Mother Goddess the enemy?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Wilhelmina gaped, but she quickly pulled herself together to ponder the matter. ¡°¡­Are you hesitant to confront the Mother Goddess because of Her strength?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny that¡¯s part of the reason, but it¡¯s more than that¡­ In the most recent Witness State, She took care of me like Her own child and even saved my life.¡± ¡°!¡± Wilhelmina widened her eyes in shock. Roel¡¯s trump cards, Indestructible Body and Sia-fication, hade from the Mother Goddess. Were it not for them, he would have died in his battle against Banjol. In the real timeline, the Kingmaker n had hurt the Mother Goddess time and time again, leading to the animosity between them. However, Roel had experienced the Mother Goddess¡¯ boundless love in the Witness State, and it was simply too hard for him to turn against Her. The Tripartite Alliance had prophesied the Mother Goddess¡¯ awakening as one of the factors behind the apocalypse, which made Her an inevitable enemy for humankind. Roel¡¯s current attitude was highly inappropriate, and he was prepared to face Wilhelmina¡¯s disappointment. But to his surprise, Wilhelmina didn¡¯t say anything about the matter. ¡°I see¡­¡± Wilhelmina nodded as the shock on her face slowly faded. ¡­Huh? Is that all? Roel was confused by her response. He thought that Wilhelmina would strongly chastise him for thinking that way. She was the sessor of the Twilight Sages Assembly, as well as a strong supporter of the hawk faction. The Twilight Sages Assembly had always deemed the Mother Goddess to be their greatest enemy, even in the Second Epoch. Be it the Six Cmities or the Saints Convocation, an evil cultprising the Mother Goddess¡¯ worshipers, they had been thorns in humankind¡¯s back. Countless had died trying to stop them over the years. Roel wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if Wilhelmina berated him for his wilful and perhaps even naive thought, but her response was oddly cid. Thus, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking, ¡°¡­Mina, are you really fine with that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m still struggling to ept what you have just said, and I¡¯m still doubtful as to whether the Mother Goddess has memories of the Witness State. However, I don¡¯t think that I have the right to oppose your decision.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Is it happening again? Roel thought with a frown as he recalled Wilhelmina¡¯s old habit. Due to the vow, Wilhelmina saw herself as a tool for Roel¡¯s protection, inculcating a mindset in her that she was second to him. That was why she was so torn when she fell in love with him. She felt unworthy and dared not voice her feelings. It was only when she encountered the threat of death that she overcame those shackles. That was also not the kind of rtionship Roel wanted, so he had many chats with Wilhelmina back then regarding this matter. However, it would appear she hadn¡¯t freed herself from that deeply-rooted mindset of hers. He grabbed Wilhelmina¡¯s shoulders with the intent of emphasizing his point once more, only to be startled when he saw her demeanor. Her head was lowered, and her cheeks carried a tinge of redness. It was unlike the expressions she had shown when she proimed herself a tool. ¡°I¡¯d have objected to it as amander of the united army, but in my individual capacity as your future p-partner, I want to support you in whatever you wish to do, s-so¡­¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s body trembled out of embarrassment as she looked at Roel with glistening orange eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was stunned. The sharp contrast in her images rocketed his heartbeat. He had known how innocent she was, having never experienced romance before, which was why her words packed a ton of power. His heart was put at ease, knowing that she had changed her self-evaluation. ¡°Mina, you are really cute.¡± ¡°Ah? A-are youplimenting me?¡± ¡°Of course I am.¡± Roel hugged Wilhelmina as his worry dissipated into thin air. After a long embrace, he broke the silence and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should sleep.¡± ¡°Now? I-I am not ready yet¡­¡± Wilhelmina immediately tensed up in Roel¡¯s arms, and her heartbeat raced. Roel let out a helpless sigh. He leaned forward and sealed her lips. ¡°!¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s eyes bulged the moment their lips met, and her cheeks flushed with redness. Seeing that, Roel pulled back and ended the kiss. ¡°All right, that¡¯s all for today.¡± ¡°Roel?¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t disrupt our pace just because of Principal Antonio¡¯s words. Things are moving too fast for us, so it¡¯s only normal for you to subconsciously reject it.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± the furiously blushing Wilhelmina apologized. Roel wasn¡¯t disappointed, since this kiss was already a huge step forward for Wilhelmina. It was just a month ago that she first held a man¡¯s hand. He brought her to his bedroom, and the two of them embraced each other to sleep. ¡­ Roel spent his days after the Battle of Scorched Earth under Nora and the others¡¯ protection. His condition had improved significantly after Charlotte dispelled the side effects from using the Crown¡¯s Stones for him, allowing him to meet with his old friends. The first group of people were the members of the golden generation from Pendor, such as Giant Kurt, Valkyrie Brittany, Selina, Juliana, and the others. He was surprised by how much they had grown over the past year, be it in terms of strength or maturity. Their disposition had be more imposing, and he could sense strong camaraderie amongst them. In his idle chatter with Wilhelmina, he learned that there was an incident in the past year where the deviants cornered an army made up of Brolne¡¯s forces in a mountain valley. They were trapped for ten days before reinforcements finally arrived. ¡°One of the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereignsunched a surprise assault, catching the united army by surprise. It was terrible. The army had already suffered a casualty rate of more than 50% by the time reinforcements arrived. Kurt, Selina, and the others were part of that army.¡± Roel¡¯s heart felt heavy when he remembered Wilhelmina¡¯s words. He was exceptionally bothered by Brittany¡¯s eyepatch, which prompted thetter to share the matter. ¡°Chief, I did lose one of my eyes in that battle, but it¡¯s treatable.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you treat it?¡± ¡°She suffered that injury to her eye justst year. She would have to retire from the frontline for a few months if she wanted to seek treatment, but that would mean that she wouldn¡¯t be able to protect Geralt in the meantime,¡± Selina exined on her behalf with a warm smile. Having her thoughts exposed embarrassed Brittany. She quickly changed the subject by exining the circumstances back then. That battle resulted in the death of many whom Roel was familiar with in Saint Freya Academy, but that difficult battle had also given birth to strong feelings within the group, including romance. Roel¡¯s two closest friends during his days in Saint Freya Academy were Geralt and Paul. For the longest time, Geralt and Brittany¡¯s romance had been the biggest problem in the Bluerose Faction. Brittany was a natural yandere due to the Valkyrie Bloodline¡¯s traits, which led to her doing many things that traumatized Geralt back when they were young. As a result, their rtionship never advanced no matter how Brittany courted him. Roel intervened and resolved their misunderstandings afterward, but even so, they were only ordinary childhood friends then. Everyone thought that this situation wouldst for a long time, but the outbreak of war shook things up. With the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns showing up one after another, humankind was forced to mobilize all avable transcendents, forcing Saint Freya Academy¡¯s students to march off to the battlefield. Many were sacrificed in the process. The most dangerous encounter was none other than the battle Wilhelmina mentioned. That was the first time the Origin Level 1 winged deviant made its appearance. The sudden emergence of a powerful aerial enemy plunged the united army into chaos, and each army had to fight for their survival. Themanding officer of Brolne¡¯s army had lost his life in the midst of that battle, so Geralt, the deputymander, tookmand. Stoked by the hatred from the death of hisrades, Geralt was exceptionally aggressive in the battle, which made him a target of an Origin Level 2 deviant. In order to protect her beloved, Brittany, despite only being at Origin Level 3 then, fought a bitter battle with the deviant. With the help of others, she eventually managed to drive it away. However, in the final phase of the battle, the deviants unleashed a rain of arrows upon the united army. Geralt and Brittany were too tired to escape, but Brittany didn¡¯t abandon him. Despite being rejected by him time and time again, she used her body to shield him from the rain of arrows. In the end, she suffered nine arrows and fainted. ¡°You sure are brave,¡± Roelplimented, moved by her sentiments. ¡°I had no choice because I couldn¡¯t think of any other solutions. He is much stronger than me.¡± Brittany shyly shook her head before sharing thetter part of the story. The united army arrived shortly after the rain of arrows, but they couldn¡¯t find Brittany and the others right away. She only survived the ordeal because Geralt dragged her to the emergency rescue point with his fractured legs. No one knew how he found the strength to do it, but this reckless maneuver inflicted nearly irreparable harm to his legs. He wouldn¡¯t be able to fight for the next few years, which was why he retreated from the frontlines and became a military advisor instead. Roel was moved by their story. He agreed to be the witness for their wedding ceremony. To his surprise, after they concluded the conversation, Brittany suddenly took out an envelope and passed it to him. ¡°This is¡­?¡± ¡°This is a letter Geralt sent using our Rose of Dawn¡¯s internal channels. He insisted you see this as soon as possible.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Roel replied grimly as he carefully stowed away the envelope. He only opened the envelope after seeing off the group. His face quickly warped in shock. The letter was short, containing just a few key pieces of information. Something happened in the Austine Empire. We lost contact with Paul, and we don¡¯t know his current condition. Chapter 618: Clues to Her

Chapter 618: Clues to Her

A dayter, the united army held a huge celebration in the new Tark Stronghold to wee the returning armies who fought in the Battle of Scorched Earth. The united army had its fair share of victories since the outbreak of war with the deviants, but this was the first time in humankind¡¯s history that such a huge celebration was held before the conclusion of the war. Humankind had defeated the deviants several times thus far, but each time, the upper echelons of the united army knew that they had only pushed them back for the time being. No one knew for sure how many deviants were lurking in the eastern prairie, so victory was transient. No one knew when another batch of deviants woulde knocking. Fighting the deviants was like dealing with weeds. Unless they uprooted the deviants, this battle was doomed to be never-ending. However, the situation had changed. The awakening of Deviant Sovereign Banjol threatened humankind¡¯s survival, and Roel Ascart¡¯s triumph against it was a momentous milestone. Race Sovereigns determined a race¡¯s prosperity and decline, and the death of their Race Sovereign would shake the race¡¯s standing. The decline of many older civilizations could be linked to the death of their Race Sovereigns, and some of them never recovered from the blow and eventually went extinct. The deviants were beastmen who had lost their sanity and mutated when the Savior fell into depravity. As powerful as they were, they were mindless beings who needed a strong leader to unite them to unleash their full potential. This could be seen from how the awakening of the Deviant Sovereign had united the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns, posing an unprecedented threat to humankind. Roel¡¯s feat of killing the Deviant Sovereign had changed the tides of war, changing the fates of humankind and the deviants for good. All soldiers fighting on the frontlines understood this. Other than that, the return of the hundred thousand elites from the disappeared Tark Stronghold was also something worth celebrating. This was the united army¡¯s first major victory over the Six Cmities after living under their shadow for the past few years. In the joyous atmosphere of these two events, the united army made an exception to hold a celebration at the new Tark Stronghold despite still being at war. The fortress magic tools were modified to release fireworks in the sky, making the night sky as bright as the day. Army magicians banded together to release all kinds of fireworks, putting their capabilities to use somewhere aside from the battlefield for once. The returning soldiers were weed by a bright red carpet with two long rows of soldiers standing at attention. Cheers erupted from the crowd. Holy Eminence John, who had arrived ahead of the procession, stood above Tark Stronghold¡¯s entrance to witness the ceremony. At the forefront of the returning soldiers was Roel Ascart, followed by Nora Xeclyde, Charlotte Sorofya, Lilian Ackermann, and Wilhelmina Cambonyte, the four famous frontmanders. Trailing behind them were Kurt, Brittany, Selina, Juliana, and the other g bearers. The group marched forth under the excited gazes of the crowd. Before them, Tark Stronghold¡¯s humongous gates creaked open. In ordance with the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s tradition, only a victorious army was allowed to return via the main entrance. Theplete opening of Tark Stronghold¡¯s entrance symbolized the highest level of unreserved respect for the returning soldiers. Roel led the soldiers into Tark Stronghold amidst resounding cheers, thusmencing the celebration. ¡­ The celebration held in the new Tark Stronghold was not just a reward for Roel but for all soldiers who had participated in the Battle of Scorched Earth. They were allowed to eat as much as they pleased, be it desserts or meats, though there was a restriction on their alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, this was still special treatment on the frontlines. Loud singing echoed throughout the fortress, and soldiers from different armies mingled and shared their experiences on the battlefield. Just outside the banquet hall, Roel quietly watched the fireworks from the open balcony. Today was a huge celebration for the united army, but he couldn¡¯t lift his mood. Despite the joyous asion, he had a premonition that something was brewing in the shadows, and danger was just lurking in the vicinity. High transcendents asionally had inexplicable intuitions about danger approaching them. This ability was unrted to how strong the transcendent was; it resembled a prophecy more. Even amongst high transcendents, Roel¡¯s intuition was uncannily sharp. His intuition had served him well in oveing the crises he had faced thus far. He had been feeling stifled ever since he received Geralt¡¯s letter and learned about the internal circumstances surrounding Rose of Dawn. Inside the banquet hall, Nora and Prince Kane were chatting with Holy Eminence John. Charlotte was standing alongside her father, Bruce Sorofya. Wilhelmina was chatting with Sword Saint King Friedrich about their swordsmanship insights. It was a celebration involving both the older and newer generation, but one person was conspicuously absent¡ªLilian Ackermann. She had taken her leave, saying that she had matters to attend to, but Roel could figure out a thing or two. ording to thetest information Geralt received from Paul, there had been unusual movements in the Austine Empire in recent days, but contrary to what most people thought, their cause wasn¡¯t the war for the throne. The Austine Empire had been politically unstable for some time now due to the three candidates vying for the throne. It didn¡¯t help that Emperor Lukas had put off selecting his sessor, thus prolonging the unrest. However, all of these should have nothing to do with Paul Ackermann, the illegitimate child of the Ackermann Imperial Family. Illegitimate children weren¡¯t recognized in the Austine Empire, not to mention that there were more attractive candidates in the running for nobles to support. Here came the question: why would Emperor Lukas hide Paul, making itpletely impossible to contact thetter? Roel didn¡¯t know the answer to the question, but he sensed that there was more than met the eye here. He hadn¡¯t forgotten who was the true protagonist of Eyes of the Chronicler. While Paul Ackermann didn¡¯t be the Austine Empire¡¯s emperor in this world due to Roel¡¯s interference, Roel had a feeling that Paul was carrying some kind of secret. For instance, there was something amiss about Paul¡¯s birth. Juliana had also made peculiar remarks about Paul¡¯s blood. It was not just once or twice that Juliana had said that Paul¡¯s blood tasted horrible; she imed that it had a bitter, ancient taste. Roel, as a human, couldn¡¯t understand Juliana¡¯s perception of taste, but he could tell that this evaluation was anything but normal. Other than that, Paul¡¯s growth had been phenomenal, too. ording to the records, Paul had been an orphan in a remote vige before Emperor Lukas found him. He only started studying a year prior to his enrollment in Saint Freya Academy, but thetest intelligence showed that he was already an Origin Level 3 transcendent, and he could make a breakthrough to Origin Level 2 soon. He had be one of the faces of the golden generation, paling only slightly inparison to Kurt and the others, despite having missed the critical years of his transcendent development. This was an unimaginable feat that transcendedmon sense. There was definitely more to Paul than what was on the surface. Emperor Lukas might have caught on to something, but there was nothing Roel and the others could do at this point. Paul was a prince of the Austine Empire; however Emperor Lukas dealt with him was their internal affair. Aside from that, Roel was also extremely worried about Alicia. He wanted to look for her, but how was he supposed to find her without any clues to her whereabouts? His modus operandi during times like this was to turn to Charlotte for help¡ªher divination often proved to be invaluable on such asions. To his surprise, she was unable to provide him with an answer this time around. Roel had already requested Charlotte to divine Alicia¡¯s location a few days ago, but the result was unusually erratic. Charlotte had two conjectures regarding this matter. One: Alicia¡¯s location might have been obscured by a spatial spell. Two: Alicia might have undergone some changes that hindered the divination. As the Mother Goddess awoke from Her slumber, Alicia had started to regain her true powers. To some extent, she was no longer a human but an existence simr to the Witches or the Blood n¡¯s Progenitor, or in essence, a higher being. Her heightened level of existence made it much harder to peer into her fate. Unable to do anything about that, Roel only became more uneasy as time passed. While the Mother Goddess wouldn¡¯t hurt Alicia due to her association with the ck Moon, he was also aware that the Alicia he knew would stray further from him as more time passed. He still vividly remembered how the silver-haired woman waspletely unfazed by his cries; that hade as a huge shock to him, to the point that he forgot to protect himself and nearly lost his life. Since then, he had been wondering what had happened to her. He could think of two reasons behind this matter. The Mother Goddess might have tampered with Alicia¡¯s memories to make her forget her past. Alternatively, Alicia might have also temporarily lost her previous sense of self as a result of her awakening. After careful contemtion, he thought that thetter was more usible. There were spells to tamper with a person¡¯s memories and soul, but it was nigh impossible to pull it off on Alicia, who had inherited a portion of the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, even when she hadn¡¯t fully awakened her powers yet. Besides, he couldn¡¯t imagine the Mother Goddess manipting other people¡¯s memories. If She could bring Herself to resort to such unscrupulous means, Her battle with the Savior would have concluded much earlier back in the ancient era. ¡°Is this the side effect of her awakening? But how can I dispel something like that¡­¡± Roel looked at the night sky beyond the fortress as he murmured under his breath. He quickly shook his head and muttered, ¡°No, this won¡¯t do. I have to first find her, or else¡­¡± ¡°Or else she¡¯ll be humankind¡¯s enemy. Not even the Ascart House will be able to shelter her then.¡± ¡°Principal Antonio?¡± Astonished, Roel turned around and saw a white-robed Principal Antonio walking toward him. His face slowly turned severe as thetter¡¯s words sank in. ¡°Principal Antonio, are those words your opinion, or do they represent the united army¡¯s will?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my personal opinion. It¡¯s too early for the united army to make a stance, since we haven¡¯t seen Alicia in person, but¡­ there are already rumors floating around.¡± ¡°As I have expected.¡± Worry seeped into Roel¡¯s eyes. Principal Antonio sighed as he looked at the silver moon in the night sky. Alicia¡¯s unexpected appearance had huge rippling effects on the final oue in the Battle of Scorched Earth, but in truth, she had only been there for a short period of time. It was less than half a minute between her arrival and her departure, and most of the soldiers were busy dealing with the mutated deviants spawned from the Egg of the Beast God in the meantime. The only ones who noticed her were Roel, Kurt, Brittany, and other high-rankingmanders, who were essentially his subordinates. That made it much easier to contain the news. It helped that Roel, a fellow member of the Ascart House, had defeated Deviant Sovereign Banjol and saved the personnel of the disappeared Tark Stronghold. It was also a good thing that Alicia didn¡¯t attempt to attack the human soldiers through the Six Cmities. These considerations convinced the united army¡¯s upper echelons to withhold their judgment on this matter for the time being. However, it was only a matter of time before Alicia appeared again, and there was no saying what she would do. That was also what Antonio and Roel were worried about. ¡°Should Miss Alicia or the Six Cmities under her attack us, she¡¯ll be deemed to be a traitor to humankind. It¡¯ll be hard to cate the others even with our influence. The Ascart House will be affected as well.¡± ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll bring her back before then.¡± ¡°How do you intend to do it?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m still thinking about it. The biggest problem now is finding her,¡± Roel replied. Antonio nodded as if he had expected such an answer before saying, ¡°I do have a suggestion, just that it poses some risks.¡± ¡°You have an idea?¡± Roel immediately raised his head to look at Antonio. Thetter reached into his pocket and took out a cage. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Have you forgotten? You used it before.¡± ¡°I used it before? Wait a moment; is this¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the spirit guide you used in the entrance examination. This one belongs to Alicia,¡± Antonio replied with a smile. The cage emanated a faint glow as if answering Antonio¡¯s words. Roel widened his eyes as he immediately understood what Antonio was getting at. Saint Freya Academy¡¯s freshmen enrollment tournament, Night of the Demons, was held in a dungeon, which was an application of spatial spells. It was with the help of the spirit guides, whose senses transcended space, that the freshmen were able to navigate the folded spaces. Conversely, this meant that those capable of spatial spells could use this trait of the spirit guides to find their owner. The problem was that the missing person had to be previously bonded with the spirit guide, and the tracker had to be capable of using spatial spells. It was hard to meet these two conditions simultaneously. ¡°We kept Miss Alicia¡¯s spirit guide for a period of time as per convention for Ringbearers. Magaret made a record of her mana due to how unique it was, which allowed us to find it amongst countless other spirit guides.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel¡¯s eyes slowly hardened with determination. He could use Silver Devourer¡¯s ability to sieve through different dimensions to find Alicia, and the spirit guide would tell him whether he was in the right dimension. The only problem was that he didn¡¯t know how long it would take, and overusing Silver Devourer would be dangerous. Nevertheless, he was willing to give it a try as long as he could find Alicia. ¡°Thank you, Principal Antonio,¡± Roel said with clenched fists. ¡°Not at all. Alicia is our academy¡¯s White Ringbearer too. It¡¯s only right for me to help her. I have another piece of news for you.¡± ¡°Another piece of news?¡± Roel looked at Antonio in confusion. ¡°Lord Astrid is about to wake up,¡± Antonio said with a serious but excited expression. Chapter 619: The Final Plan

Chapter 619: The Final n

Roel couldn¡¯t be more familiar with the name ¡®Astrid¡¯. Astrid was the first member of the Ardes he stumbled upon back when he first noticed the peculiarity of the Ascart House and followed the trail of the Kingmaker n and the Twilight Sages Assembly. She had protected him and Lilian in the Witness State, and he was thankful to her for that. Astrid, as the Twilight Sages Assembly¡¯s ¡®Academic¡¯, was in charge of the team dealing with the Savior. For hundreds of years, she hadin undercover in Saint Freya Academy, maintaining the Chaos Dream to ensure that the Savior remained in deep sleep. She practically gave away everything for this mission, not daring to even visit the Ascart House despite being concerned about them. Despite her selfless sacrifice, she was rewarded with neither fame nor fortune. The only thing that drove her was the Ardes¡¯ noble will and ideals. Roel respected her greatly, which was why he was as excited as Antonio to learn that she was about to regain consciousness. Antonio brought Roel to his room. In the middle of his room, a vague human silhouettey inside a floating sphere of iridescent lights, looking as if it was about to break out from within. The Chaos Dream was a treasure the Second Epoch¡¯s Twilight Sages Assembly paid a heavy price to obtain. It was made out of otherworldly materials that could only be maintained inside a dream, which was why it was entrusted to Astrid, who possessed the Dreamwalker Bloodline. ¡°Principal Antonio, this is¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Astrid is about to wake up. The awakening of the Deviant Sovereign had shaken up the Chaos Dream, and your subsequent victory over Banjol created a brief window of downtime. That gave time for Lord Astrid to wake from her slumber.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful!¡± Roel hadn¡¯t expected his actions to have unintentionally helped his ancestor. ¡°How much longer will she be in this state?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it shouldn¡¯t be long before she fully awakens. In fact, she briefly regained consciousness not too long ago.¡± ¡°She did?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the reason I went to look for you.¡± Antonio¡¯s expression suddenly turned severe at this point. He took his time to carefully select his words before saying, ¡°Lord Astrid¡¯s behavior was unusual during that brief period.¡± ¡°Unusual? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Lord Astrid wasn¡¯t fully conscious during that window, but she was desperately trying to tell us something.¡± ¡°Do you know what she¡¯s trying to say?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t fully decipher it, but it¡¯s something rted to the doomsday prophecy. It seems like the Second Epoch¡¯s Ardes had created a final n concerning it. Do you have any clues what it might be referring to?¡± Antonio asked. Roel gave the matter some thought before shaking his head. For reasons unbeknownst to him, there was a gap in the Kingmaker n¡¯s heritage from the Second Epoch to the Third Epoch. Due to that, the awakeners in the Ascart House could only blindly feel their way forward. Winstor Ascart was lucky since he had the Twilight Sages Assembly¡¯s aid, but the Twilight Sages Assembly vanished before Ro¡¯s generation. Ro had to search up relevant information and piece together the puzzle by himself. It was practically an archaeology project by the time it reached Roel¡¯s turn. Thinking about the hardships he had been through evoked a sigh. Antonio, as the Twilight Sages Assembly¡¯s ¡®Guardian¡¯, was aware of the Ascart House¡¯s plight and wasn¡¯t surprised by Roel¡¯s answer. In certain aspects, he might have even more information than the Ascart House. He gripped his staff tightly as he recalled the Twilight Sages Assembly¡¯s internal documents he had seen before saying, ¡°I remember seeing a portion of the final n proposed by the Second Epoch¡¯s Ardes. The gist of it involves suppressing the Savior¡¯s and the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers before they fully awaken.¡± ¡°I see. That sounds quite normal. What¡¯re the execution details?¡± ¡°The original n was for the Ackermanns, with the support of the Ardes and the Twilight Sages Assembly, to gather the entirety of humankind¡¯s forces and work together with the other races to fight against the supreme beings. As this n is a partnership between the Ackermanns and the Ardes, it¡¯s dubbed ¡®the Twin Eagles n¡¯.¡± Roel raised his eyebrows. ¡°Twin Eagles? How ironic,¡± he snorted. He was suddenly reminded of his encounter in Saint Freya Academy¡¯s Night of the Demons with Ro¡¯s soul fragment, who had told him about Emperor Charles¡¯ letter. The Austine Empire¡¯s ¡®Twinheaded Eagle¡¯ insignia used to be two ovepping eagles back in the Second Epoch, symbolizing the tight bonds between the Ackermanns and the Ardes. Yet, the Ackermanns cast aside their vow and betrayed the Ardes, leaving them vulnerable to the Savior¡¯s worshipers. In the end, the Ancient Austine Empire copsed. ¡°What exactly does the Twin Eagles n entail?¡± ¡°The n is huge andplicated; I don¡¯t know the full details. The formation of humankind¡¯s united army was a part of the n too, but it wasn¡¯t the center of it. Nevertheless, that¡¯s the only part we were able to aplish,¡± Antonio replied with a bitter smile. Roel was surprised to learn that there was such a context to the formation of the united army. Before he could snap out of his daze, Antonio went on. ¡°Actually, we suspected that the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital, the tragedy that forced humankind to migrate westward, is rted to the final n.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel eximed with a tight frown. That was the most famous and enigmatic cmity that had happened in humankind¡¯s history. Thus far, the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital had been thought to be a mana phenomenon, as it had sent countless transcendents¡¯ Degree of Assimtion spiraling out of control, causing them to mutate and lose their minds. The wretched screams of tortured souls made it impossible to sleep at night. In a very short period of time, the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s prosperous capital turned into an uninhabitablend. Roel had never considered the possibility that the Ardes were the ones who caused this tragedy, especially since the Kingmaker n was desperately fighting for its survival at that juncture, not to mention that it went against their ideology. Antonio noticed Roel¡¯s confused expression and exined, ¡°You should have noticed how the effects caused by the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital are simr to the Savior¡¯s influence. There¡¯s something known as the ¡®Diffusion n¡¯ proposed inside the final n.¡± ¡°Diffusion n? You mean diffusing the Savior¡¯s powers?¡± ¡°Yes, but the n has been scrapped. It involves having arge popce fall into depravity within a short period of time to temporarily weaken the Savior, so as to create an advantageous condition for a final showdown. In gist, it¡¯s sacrificing a group of people to save the others¡­¡± Roel¡¯s frown slowly loosened as he grasped the gist of the Diffusion n. While the Diffusion n sounded insane, it was a trap created using thews of the Sia Continent. There was one thing that absolutely couldn¡¯t be circumvented in the Sia Continent¡ªthe tradeoff between power and price. Power always came at a price. Ordinary transcendents paid for their strength through physical mutation arising from them epting mana into their body. The Savior¡¯s worshipers suffered from insanity from taking on the Savior¡¯s powers. Thisw wasmon sense in the world. However, very few people stopped to ponder what price the Savior had to pay for expanding His worshipers. Supposing the Savior¡¯s madness was a result of the ck Moon¡¯s influence, He could be passing down the madness to his worshipers to alleviate its effect on Him, so that He could regain His senses. Inpensation, He had to bestow a portion of His powers on His worshipers. By this logic, the Savior would be temporarily weakened if He rapidly expanded His worshipers within a short period of time. On top of that, His reduced madness meant that His attackers were less vulnerable to being afflicted by His madness. If so, there was hope in defeating Him. To carry out this n, humankind would have to tribute many of their own people to be the Savior¡¯s worshipers. This was better than going extinct, but it was hard for anyone with scruples to execute the n. That was also how Roel felt. ¡°But the n was scrapped in the end,¡± Antonio said, much to Roel¡¯s relief. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°While the n temporarily reduces the Savior¡¯s strength, it also frees Him from His madness. A clear-minded enemy will be much harder to deal with than a mad one.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed.¡± Roel nodded as he thought about the young silhouette he hade into contact with in the Witness State. He did think that there were many simrities between him and the Savior, such as their thorough nning before marching off to war. The Savior had lured the Mother Goddess into Hisnd of awakening so as to imprison Her and vanquish Her armies while She was trapped. While Roel, as the Kingmaker, abhorred His n, he had to concede that the Savior was far more strategic than the Mother Goddess. Allowing the Savior to awaken for even just a brief moment could cause irreversible damage. It¡¯s better for him to remain a lunatic, Roel thought. This glimpse into the final n showed how seriously the Ardes regarded the doomsday prophecy; they would have gone to such an extent to stop the Savior. It was no wonder the Savior¡¯s worshipers frenziedly hunted down the Ardes to drive them extinct. If one thing was clear, it was that the final n was useless now. Both the humongous empire that harnessed the full power of humankind and their greatest ace, the overwhelmingly powerful Ardes, had already fallen from grace. The ones to execute the n were no longer around, so everything else was just empty talk. ¡°But why did Astrid mention the final n, then?¡± Roel asked. Antonio shook his head, expressing his confusion. Roel lowered his head in contemtion, trying to piece together the bits of information he had gathered in recent days. All of a sudden, he had a bad feeling. ¡°Roel, did you think of something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the opposite. I feel like I am overlooking something¡­¡± Roel stroked his jaw as he tried to trace the source of this ominous feeling. The fact that Astrid had brought up the final n suggested that it had caused tangible effects on the real world, and she was trying to warn Antonio of this matter. Building on this assumption, what would happen next? The final n was humankind¡¯s desperate struggle for survival, and the goal was clear: reducing the Mother Goddess¡¯ and the Savior¡¯s strength as far as possible. The countermeasure for the Savior was the Diffusion n, but it would be nigh impossible to execute it in the current era, since it required mobilizing a huge number of sacrifices. No existing nation was as powerful as the Ancient Austine Empire, able to pull off something as insane as that. As for the Mother Goddess, the way to weaken Her was to vanquish the Six Cmities and¡­ ¡°¡­Alicia.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Alicia is in danger!¡± Roel said with widened eyes. Antonio was momentarily stunned before realization dawned on him. ¡°No one is in more danger than Alicia if someone were to put the final n in action. Killing her would result in the Mother Goddess permanently losing a vital part of Her powers. The benefits of that far outweigh vanquishing the Six Cmities!¡± Roel eximed. Seeing that Roel was about to dash out and do something reckless, Antonio quickly held him down by his shoulders and consoled him, ¡°Calm down, Roel! You might be right, but there¡¯s nothing to be agitated about. There is no one to execute the n now.¡± Roel shook his head and asked, ¡°Is there really no one to execute the n?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Antonio hesitated to answer that question. Silence lingered between the two of them. Little did they know that during their conversation, in the deep abyss, a pair of golden eyes suddenly lit up in the dark and gazed upward. Chapter 620: The Executor

Chapter 620: The Executor

If there is an executor, who will it be? Roel sat alone before a candle in his room, his figure half-concealed in the shadows. He quietly stared at the documents stacked in front of him with flickering golden eyes. He had been pondering this since his conversation with Principal Antonio at the banquet. Thetter had repeatedly assured him that the Third Epoch¡¯s Twilight Sages Assembly hadn¡¯te up with anything simr to the final n, but he was still unable to remain calm about it. The Second Epoch¡¯s Twilight Sages Assembly founded by the Ardes was extremely powerful. Astrid Arde and Wendy Arde, despite being from the branch families, were able to grow to the height of Origin Level 1. Most likely, the most powerful transcendents in the current era were only at their level. And there was still the main lineage of the Arde House. It was almost a miracle how a single house had be this powerful. It was not without reason that the Ackermanns had seen the Ardes as a threat. With how powerful the Kingmaker n had been in that era, they possessed the means to develop contingency measures to ensure that the final n was executed in the worst-case scenario. They would have likely done so, too, given how seriously they took the threat of the Mother Goddess and the Savior. But even if the Ardes had developed contingency measures, they would surely require an executor to carry out such an borate n. The current Ascarts didn¡¯t have the means to execute the final n, not to mention that Roel, the sole sessor to the Ascart House, had never seen the final n and had no intention to execute it either. Alternatively, the final n might have been entrusted to the descendants of the Ardes¡¯ branch families, and it was possible that they had exceedingly talented individuals of Astrid¡¯s caliber in their ranks too. However, it was still unlikely that they could execute the final n on their own, since they would require ample power to stand against the Mother Goddess and the Savior. ¡°¡­And it¡¯s likely for the branch families to have already died out.¡± Roel let out a sorrowful sigh. In the final years of the Second Epoch, the key mission entrusted to the branch families was to protect the main lineage and cover their escape. If someone from the branch families had made it out alive, they should have sought the Ascart House¡¯s protection in the past thousand years. Roel rubbed his temples as he slowly struck off suspects from his list. In the end, he was only left with a single name¡ªthe Ackermanns. A thousand years had passed since the conceptualization of the Twin Eagles n. While the Ardes were no longer around, the Ackermanns were still alive and kicking, not to mention that there was something amiss with the Ackermanns in recent days. Roel stared at the two documents ced on the table with sharp eyes. They contained information about his two likeliest suspects for the executor of the final n. One was the most important person in the Ackermann Imperial Family, Lukas Ackermann. Roel knew that Emperor Lukas viewed him in hostility, but he could never figure out the reason. Supposing that Emperor Lukas was the executor of the final n, and he was aware of the rtionship between Alicia and the Mother Goddess, that would exin why he didn¡¯t have a good impression of Roel. Alternatively, Emperor Lukas might have also felt frustrated by how the Ascarts, who were supposed to work together with the Ackermanns, had forgotten all about the final n. These could shed light on Emperor Lukas¡¯ inexplicable hostility, but they were only conjectures. Truth be told, Roel didn¡¯t think that these conjectures were likely. For one, Emperor Lukas should have been vehemently opposed to the Savior¡¯s worshipers if he was the executor of the final n, but that wasn¡¯t the case at all. If anything, his movements had been so suspicious that the Genesis Goddess Church suspected him of colluding with them. Also, Roel didn¡¯t think that Emperor Lukas would selflessly work toward humankind¡¯s welfare. Nevertheless, he was wary of Emperor Lukas because thetter had the power to execute the final n, considering the authority he possessed and the fact that he was at Origin Level 1. The second suspect was someone whom Roel didn¡¯t want to suspect¡ªPaul Ackermann. Paul was suspicious on the grounds of the mysterious circumstances behind his birth and the phenomenal growth of his transcendent abilities. It was also unusual how Emperor Lukas was paying the most attention to him despite his status as an illegitimate child. All of these made sense if Paul was the executor of the final n. Paul Ackermann might be the ace left behind by the Ardes and the Ackermanns, which would exin Juliana¡¯s remark about his blood tasting ancient. However, this beckoned the question as to who he was. ¡°Is he a mixed-blood with a long lifespan like the Blood n? No, that shouldn¡¯t be the case. Paul should be an ordinary human, but¡­¡± Roel shook his head. He had had enough interactions with Paul Ackermann to be considered an authority on the subject. He was certain that the young man he had spent time with in Saint Freya Academy was an ordinary human, whether it was in terms of appearance, traits, personality, or physical growth. Roel revised the documents again and again with an increasingly grim expression. If Emperor Lukas was the executor, he could utilize his influence to push forward the final n. It would be difficult for Roel to stop him. In the worst-case scenario, Roel might even be branded a traitor and sidelined by the rest of humankind. Roel¡¯s position as a living saint and his aplishment of ying the Deviant Sovereign was enough to ensure his safety, but his reputation would plummet from that of a hero to a traitor. While that wouldn¡¯t deter him from protecting Alicia, he was worried about the implications on the Ascart House. His heart felt heavy when he thought about his father, who was recuperating at home. Carter would likely support his decision, given how much he cherished his family, but he would have to bear condemnation from the rest of the world as well. Roel didn¡¯t know if he could do this to Carter. He felt vexed just thinking about it. Alternatively, things would be slightly better if Paul Ackermann was the executor, since he paled inparison to Emperor Lukas. The only problem was that Paul was his close friend and a member of Rose of Dawn. To be honest, Roel was hesitant to fight against Paul, and it was unlikely that the other members of Rose of Dawn would assist him if he did. Ultimately, the executor of the final n had the moral high ground. They were fighting for humankind¡¯s survival, whereas Roel was acting on his own feelings. It was clear as day who the popce would support. But so what? From Roel¡¯s point of view, the executor of the final n sought to kill a person whom he dearly loved in order to weaken a person whom he deemed his mother. How could anyone in his ce tolerate that? . Just thinking about it made him shudder with fury. He had to look out the window for a while and take a couple of deep breaths before he finally calmed down. He turned his attention back to the table. He first looked at the spirit guide he had received from Antonio, then at the two documents. He already had a rough idea of what he had to do. ¡°Cynthia.¡± ¡°Yes, milord,¡± a voice echoed from behind the door. A tall woman entered the room and respectfully bowed to Roel. Thetter passed her the two documents on the table. ¡°Inform Rose of Dawn¡¯s and the Ascart House¡¯s intelligence departments to confirm Emperor Lukas¡¯ and Paul Ackermann¡¯s whereabouts in the shortest time possible, no matter what it takes. Report to me right away if you find any anomaly.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Cynthia took the documents and backed out of the room. Roel walked to his table and quietly stared at the caged spirit guide. The situation will swiftly deteriorate as soon as the final n is put into action. The only way to resolve this matter is to bring Alicia back as soon as possible. He had no idea when the spirit guide would move, but he had no choice but to stake his hopes on this. He gently touched the cage with narrowed eyes before settling down back on his chair. ¡­ While Roel was thinking about the implications brought about by the final n, in the distant Noyce Fortress, Lilian Ackermann walked through a tightly-guarded corridor with a grim face. Just a day ago, during the celebration held in the new Tark Stronghold, she suddenly received a report from the Austine Empire that Emperor Lukas had apprehended his illegitimate son, Paul Ackermann, while ordering his armies to be on standby. Lilian, despite her usual impassiveness, widened her eyes in shock when she heard the news. Emperor Lukas¡¯ movements resembled a specific scenario¡ªthe confirmation of the sessor. Only during the confirmation of the sessor would all of the Austine Empire¡¯s armies be put on standby, ready to quell any chaos that might arise. It was alsomon for the emperor, when selecting a weaker prince as his sessor, to put thetter under his protection and conceal his whereabouts. As long as the sessor survived the initial storm, they could quickly gather supporters thanks to the legitimacy conferred by the emperor and reinforce their position. Lilian would have made a move right away if the ones being hidden were her other two brothers, knowing that she would be at a disadvantage if she had to face Emperor Lukas and her brothers at the same time. Yet, for some reason, the one who was hidden was Paul. This was extremely unusual because Paul Ackermann didn¡¯t have the right to session. The Austine Empire was a highly authoritarian nation, where power was concentrated in the hands of the imperial family, but it still wouldn¡¯t be easy for Emperor Lukas to pass down the crown to an illegitimate son. The Austine Empire¡¯s nobles would not embrace an illegitimate son as their liege. Such a move would only push the nobles to Lilian¡¯s side, as she was the only imperial offspring with sufficient power to oppose the emperor. What was weird about this situation was how Emperor Lukas had not made any official announcements since making this move. This suggested that his goal might not be to pass down the crown to Paul, which was why Lilian was holding herself back for the time being. However, this beckoned another question. What is Emperor Lukas plotting? Paul Ackermann, as an illegitimate child, had never been taken seriously in the Austine Empire. He wasn¡¯t treated well, and Emperor Lukas had been turning a blind eye to him too. It was hard toprehend why Emperor Lukas would suddenly apprehend him. There are no father-son ties between them, and Paul doesn¡¯t have the qualifications topete for the crown. What other value does Emperor Lukas see in Paul? Lilian wondered with a frown, as she instinctively thought about Paul¡¯s unknown background. Her maid, Audrey, came to the same conclusion after analyzing the information. ¡°I think His Majesty is trying to stop others from getting close to His Highness Paul instead.¡± ¡°It does appear that way,¡± Lilian replied with a nod. ¡°Your Highness, what should we do?¡± Audrey asked. ¡°We will¡­¡± ¡°¡­Mother.¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian was just about to issue her orders when she suddenly heard a familiar girl¡¯s voice and froze up. ¡°You mustn¡¯t let Paul die, or else Father¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Father? Does this matter concern Roel? Lilian narrowed her eyes, but the girl¡¯s words were abruptly canceled out by static. Chapter 621: Unease

Chapter 621: Unease

rmed, Lilian shot to her feet and pricked up her ears to focus on all sounds in the vicinity. With her keen senses as an Origin Level 2 transcendent, she picked up many sounds: the crackling campfire on the city walls, the metallic nging of the armored patrols, and even the hastened heartbeat of the astonished Audrey. However, the child¡¯s fleeting voice was nowhere to be heard. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Audrey asked worriedly. ¡°¡­¡± Lilian didn¡¯t answer right away. There was a long moment of silence before she replied, ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing.¡± She slowly settled back into her chair, but her previouslyposed expression was reced with a contemtive frown. She hadn¡¯t expected that the events transpiring in the Austine Empire would actually affect Roel. She had even told him that she would handle the issues happening in the Austine Empire by herself. Roel¡¯s standing was different from before, and the Ascart House had considerable influence too, but it would still be unwise for them to interfere in another country¡¯s politics, especially the xenophobic Austine Empire. Bringing a foreigner into their internal affairs, especially one from the Saint Mesit Theocracy, would indubitably damage Lilian¡¯s reputation and incite vehement opposition from the nobles. That was also the reason Roel kept his distance from Lilian on the surface. However, it looked like the Ascart House, or at least Roel himself, was going to be dragged into the Austine Empire¡¯s affairs because of Paul. What¡¯s going on? Lilian gave the matter some thought before raising her head to look at Audrey. ¡°Is there anyone who might harm Paul?¡± ¡°Harm His Highness Paul? This¡­¡± Audrey was perplexed by the question. Paul Ackermann, as an illegitimate child, was a shunned prince in the Austine Empire. No one wanted anything to do with him, and he didn¡¯t pose any threat in the fight for the crown either. There was nothing to be gained from harming him, not to mention that harming a member of the imperial family was no joking matter. Who would be so foolish as to dare make a move against Paul? ¡°Your Highness, based on the intelligence we have collected, the major factions in the Austine Empire have nothing to gain from harming His Highness Paul. It wouldn¡¯t even be considered a major incident. There¡¯s a possibility that someone might have a personal vendetta against him, but we have found no such people in His Highness Paul¡¯s social circle,¡± Audrey replied. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Lilian had to concede that Paul had maintained an extremely low profile despite being a prince of the Austine Empire. Paul¡¯s days in Saint Freya Academy had been his happiest since he became an imperial prince. No one dared to cross him, as Roel had taken him under his wing, and he had made many close friends in the Bluerose Faction. While he had gotten into conflicts with the transfer students from the Knight Kingdom, those had been resolved in due time. In fact, they were now close allies. Following that, the war with the deviants suddenly escted, and Roel went missing not muchter. That had been a dark year for Rose of Dawn. Paul was assigned to one of Lukas¡¯ armies during that period of time, where he rued military aplishments. However, he didn¡¯t make any enemies there; if anything, he ended up saving quite a few people. It was unlikely that someone would harbor a personal vendetta toward him. The other possibility was that Emperor Lukas was the one after Paul¡¯s life, but there was no need for him to go through so much trouble for that. If he intended to take Paul¡¯s life, thetter would have been dead by now, and Lilian wouldn¡¯t have received a warning from her daughter. ¡°¡­That means I have no choice but to bring him over to our side?¡± Lilian murmured. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Audrey¡¯s face warped in shock. Ideally, they should find and eliminate the person after Paul¡¯s life, but with no leads to work with, the next best alternative was for her to use her influence and Rose of Dawn¡¯s connections to protect Paul. So far, Lilian still wasn¡¯t sure about the details of the situation surrounding Paul, so she couldn¡¯t gauge how this matter would affect Roel, but she figured that it had to be something important to warrant her future child anxiously rying a message to her. That had been the case for the Battle of Scorched Earth, so it should be the same here. Besides, Paul had helped ry messages between her and Roel during their academy days, making him their benefactor. On top of that, he was a member of Rose of Dawn too. She couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to his plight if he was truly in danger. ¡°Your Highness, why do you wish to bring His Highness Paul over to our side?¡± ¡°There¡¯s an important reason behind this. Get it done no matter what it takes!¡± Lilian spoke with an unprecedentedly stern voice. Audrey quickly reined in her astonishment and solemnly epted the orders. With this, the gears of fate began turning toward an unknown direction. ¡­ In a quiet pce, Alicia bathed under the moonlight while gazing at the shadowy ins beneath. Her crimson eyes flickered with uncertainty as she thought about recent happenings. It had been some time since she returned from the battlefield between the humans and the deviants, but she had only met the Mother Goddess once since then. Thetter had been in hibernation for the remaining period of time. Clearly, it wasn¡¯t time for the Mother Goddess to fully awaken yet. In the twilight prior to the return of the silver moon, Alicia¡¯s responsibility was to do everything she could to maintain the advantage of the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. That being said, the Mother Goddess hadn¡¯t assigned her any mission. Her decisions were based on the memories she had inherited from the Mother Goddess. She naturally viewed the Savior as her nemesis, a target she had to eliminate at all costs. Things hadn¡¯t been going well in that regard. It might have appeared as if Light Devourer had dealt a fatal blow to the Egg of the Beast God, but the truth was that it hadn¡¯t hurt thetter¡¯s core at all. Alicia could feel the Savior¡¯s power coursing through the ground beneath the prairie. There was far more than one Egg of the Beast God. Those monsters had only remained hidden thus far due to the concealment from Deviant Sovereign Banjol¡¯s Divine Domain, but now that thetter was dead, they would graduallye to life. The Eggs of the Beast God had the power to partially neutralize the Six Cmities¡¯ powers, so Alicia sought to destroy them in a sweep, which was why she had been biding her time. Just as she had expected, those monsters had begun spreading their reach across Tark Prairie. Alicia was bathing under the moon in preparation for the uing battle, but for some reason, she was feeling a little unnerved today. As a high transcendent who had inherited a portion of the ck Moon¡¯s powers, her intuition was extraordinarily sharp. Something that could make her feel uneasy was anything but minor, which was why she was confused. She should be feeling rxed following the Deviant Sovereign¡¯s death, since that would have dealt a huge blow to the Savior¡¯s faction. Yet, the situation was the opposite of that. Did something happen, or¡­ A silhouette shed across Alicia¡¯s mind. Her crimson eyes uncontrobly widened, and her vexation intensified. ¡°It¡¯s happening again,¡± she said with gritted teeth, her bitter face carrying a hint of worry. Since hearing her name on the battlefield, she had been having shbacks about all sorts of weird things and a person¡¯s silhouette. It was a ck-haired man, whose face was blurred due to her iplete memory, but for some reason, it made her heartbeat hasten. She knew that man wasn¡¯t an enemy, since she felt no hostility when thinking about him. It was likely to be someone whom she was close to as a human. Nevertheless, it was unusual for her to have such recollections when her memory hadn¡¯t fully returned yet. It should have been theoretically impossible. ¡°Is it my physical memory, or¡­¡± Alicia murmured while clutching her forehead in distress, not knowing how she should deal with this situation. She knew she ought to let go of her past memories and not let them affect her, but she was held back by a wave of fear each time she thought of doing so. What am I afraid of? Truth be told, she was vaguely aware of the answer. She was afraid that she would ever stand on opposing sides with the silhouette she had been seeing in her memories. That was likely the reason she had been subconsciously ignoring her memories as a human. She thought that those feelings would fade away as long as she turned her eyes away. The memories she had inherited from the Mother Goddess were much greater than what she had as a human. Just like how humans would slowly forget memories useless to them, Alicia thought that the memories she had cast aside would eventually be devoured by the shadows as long as she didn¡¯t rouse them. But the situation was different today. Her unease didn¡¯te from an urge to see someone; it was a premonition. She narrowed her eyes to ponder the meaning behind the premonition, but before she could figure anything out, a silver fog suddenly drifted toward her and billowed. She snapped out of her daze and extended her finger to touch the fog. ¡°You found it?¡± Alicia widened her eyes in realization, attributing her unease to the imminent battle. As if answering her question, the silver fog slowly expanded to form a door. Alicia first checked her own condition before opening the door and stepping into the silver fog. Behind the door was a long corridor obscured by the fog. She advanced amidst the silence, and another door soon appeared in front of her. She opened the second door and walked out. On the other side of the door was a barren night in. A ck sphere was rising from the ground, reminiscent of a hibernating worm emerging from the earth, except that it was tens of meters in diameter. The mana it emanated was also awfully ominous. Alicia¡¯s expression darkened when she saw the new form of the Egg of the Beast God. How many of these things are there? Under the silver moon, her crimson eyes glowed eerily as her aura began to surge. ¡°Regardless, I just have to destroy all of them,¡± Alicia calmly murmured. With a wave of her hand, Light Devourer, who had been awaiting her orders in the distance, stripped away its concealment and gathered itself. Just as Light Devourer was about to release its light, she suddenly shuddered in rm. She quickly turned her head around, but there was no one behind her. The feeling of someone watching her had vanished in an instant. This peculiar situation left her frowning for a long time before she finally turned her attention back to the enemy before her. Is it my imagination? Alicia wondered. As she turned her head back, a speck of light rushed out of a distant abyss and surged forth. Chapter 622: Unexpected Letter

Chapter 622: Unexpected Letter

When will it start moving? In a dark room, Roel Ascart stared at the glowing cage he had received from Antonio in distress. The spirit guide was the only clue Roel had to Alicia¡¯s whereabouts, but it had remained motionless even though several days had passed. It was as if it was a homebody locking itself in its room! Roel wasn¡¯t too surprised by this situation, since Antonio had already alerted him. ¡°ording to Magaret, spirit guides have memories too, and we are banking on that here. However, it has been two years since Alicia bonded with the spirit guide, so there¡¯s no saying when it¡¯ll remember her and return to her side¡­¡± Antonio¡¯s words had trailed off halfway. s, Roel was immersed in his joy from having found a lead and hadn¡¯t considered it much. It turned out to be a major problem, after all. Magaret was a spirit who had governed Saint Freya Academy for centuries now in order to protect ¡®Academic¡¯ Astrid. As a spirit herself, she had a much deeper understanding of spirits than humans. However, her words only left Roel thinking that the spirit guides suffered from senile dementia. Who could have thought that senile dementia could be a racial trait too? It was a frustrating situation, but there was nothing Roel could do. He wasn¡¯t a psychiatrist, and he knew nothing about the spirits¡¯ constitution and habits. Antonio knew that, which was why he gave Roel the cage. While the cage appeared to be an envement tool to imprison the guide spirits, in truth, it was used to spur the spirits¡¯ activities. In a way, it was simr to a recuperation facility. Different mana had different effectiveness when it came to stimting the guide spirits, which was why Roel had different people give it a try. Upon learning the use of the guide spirit, the members of the golden generation, who knew about Alicia, enthusiastically offered their help. An inconceivable sight appeared in the new Tark Stronghold. Young distinguishedmanders stood in a queue, humbly presenting like concubines to serve the guide spirit inside the cage. Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched. He had no idea what extravagance meant to the spirit guides, but Alicia¡¯s spirit guide was most definitely receiving the VIP treatment here. However, he quickly realized that his mana was the best stimulus for the spirit guide, followed by the Blood n¡¯s Juliana. Only when the two of them released their mana would the spirit guide emanate the brightest glows. It did make sense. The Blood n were the descendants of the Mother Goddess¡¯ offspring, so it was normal for Juliana¡¯s mana toplement Alicia¡¯s well, whereas Roel was the Kingmaker who had inherited a fragment of the Mother Goddess¡¯ soul, allowing his mana to resonate with Alicia¡¯s spirit guide. Roel touched the runes inscribed on the cage and gently infused his mana into it. In response, the spirit guide inside the cage emanated afortable glow. He could sense a hint of Alicia¡¯s auraing from the spirit guide, and that calmed him down a little. He pondered for a moment before turning to the thick stack of documents in his hands. Concerned about the final n Antonio had mentioned, Roel had tapped into Rose of Dawn¡¯s and the Ascart House¡¯s intelligencework to gather as much information about the situation over at the Austine Empire¡¯s side as possible. These documents were the result. At a brief nce, there wasn¡¯t anything valuable in the intelligence gathered. However, when Roel carefully read between the lines, he couldn¡¯t help but notice some peculiar details, such as Paul¡¯s and Emperor Lukas¡¯ abilities. Roel was familiar with Paul¡¯s ability, having lived under the same roof as him for a long time. Thetter had the ability to manifest legendary weapons with his mana and equip them. It was easy to underestimate how powerful this ability was, especially with the prevailing mindset that good equipment was secondary to one¡¯s intrinsic strength. However, Paul¡¯s ability included constructing his equipment as well, which greatly expanded its potential. His ability might have appearedckluster when he was weaker, since the equipment he created and manifested was bound to be weak then, but things would change as he grew stronger. If he could construct correspondingly powerful equipment as he advanced his Origin Level, he could be exponentially more powerful. Just imagine an Origin Level 1 transcendent dressed in ancient god equipment! Furthermore, he could bring out different equipment to help him adapt to different environments and enemies, thus granting himself a decisive edge in a battle. For instance, if Paul were up against Magician King Priestley, he could have manifested equipment that raised his immunity to spells, which would have practically guaranteed his victory against thetter. Of course, there were many variables in a battle aside from one¡¯s equipment, but Paul¡¯s ability was definitely not to be made light of. It was not without reason that he was the protagonist of Eyes of the Chronicler, after all. In contrast, Emperor Lukas¡¯ ability had always been a mystery. Emperor Lukas had never revealed his ability in public prior to the war against the deviants, and there hadn¡¯t been any news regarding his ability either. Others could only fathom a guess based on the nature of his Kingdom Origin Attribute. It was only once the war escted that he finally revealed glimpses of his ability. So far, Emperor Lukas had fought on the battlefield twice. Once, he had summoned an army of des to block the deviants¡¯ assault team. The other time, he had cooperated with the united army to rain swords down on the deviants so as to create an opening out of the deviants¡¯ encirclement. These were the only two moves he had made, but they had a decisive impact on the battlefield. ording to the records, his rain of swords hadpletely crushed the deviants¡¯ morale. Summoning des was an extremelymon ability arising from the Kingdom Origin Attribute. It wascklusterpared to Lilian¡¯s ability to summon Ten Fortresses. However, Roel couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was amiss. It was just his conjecture, but he believed that Emperor Lukas¡¯ ability was a special one, simr to Paul¡¯s. Back when he was making his way toward Hawe Desert to meet up with Nora, he had passed by one of the battlefields where Emperor Lukas had intervened. It was a in with countless des stabbed into the ground, and it looked like a forest from afar. It was only during sunset, when the des gleamed under the orange sun, that he noticed that something was amiss. An entire year had passed since Emperor Lukas made his move on this battlefield, which meant that these des had been battered by the four seasons. Yet, they continued to shine under the setting sun. Roel was too busy escaping to think much about it back then, but in retrospect, something was clearly amiss. Swords manifested through the Kingdom Origin Attribute would usually quickly degrade after the attack. Roel could only think of one possibility for why the swords had remained in pristine condition even after a year had passed. The forest of des was actually a single, real sword. What Emperor Lukas had unleashed wasn¡¯t a true sword rain, but a magic sword with the ability to split into countless copies. As long as the main magic sword remained undamaged, its copies would remain pristine throughout the seasons. Supposing this theory was true, Emperor Lukas¡¯ ability would be extremely simr to Paul¡¯s. This, in itself, couldn¡¯t prove anything, but Roel¡¯s gut feeling was telling him that it might have something to do with the recent peculiar movements in the Austine Empire. After spending some time pondering this matter, Roel decided not to dwell further on it, since he didn¡¯t have enough information to make an informed deduction. Just then, he heard a series of knocks on the door. ¡°Come in,¡± Roel said. The door opened, and Cynthia entered. She first bowed to Roel before sharing an unexpected piece of news. ¡°Milord, we just received news from the Ascart House that Lord Carter is about to arrive here.¡± ¡°My father is arriving here?¡± Roel eximed in surprise. ¡°Yes, milord,¡± Cynthia replied. Roel quickly got up and rushed out. ¡­ Carter¡¯s arrival caught Roel off guard. Nora had told him that Carter had suffered significant injuries in the previous battle, when he worked together with Holy Eminence John to y one of the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns, and was currently recuperating at home. Carter had caught wind of the news that Roel was trapped in Tark Prairie. rmed, he immediately rushed over to save his son despite having yet to recover. He traveled with such haste that he actually caught up with the Ascart House¡¯s messenger. Little did he expect the Battle of Scorched Earth to end before his arrival. Carter was dumbstruck when he heard about how Roel had broken out of the deviants¡¯ encirclement with the help of the united army and even destroyed the Deviant Sovereign. It was such a dramatic development that he wondered for a moment if he was dreaming. ¡°Roel defeated the Deviant Sovereign?¡± ¡°Yes, milord.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?!?!¡± Never before had Roel seen such a silly expression on his father¡¯s face. Truth be told, Carter hade with the resignation that he would likely have to hold a funeral for his son, but it had somehow turned into a celebration instead. Were it not for his healthy heart, he might have popped a vein then and died from a stroke. On the other hand, Roel was moved by his father¡¯s gesture. It was rare for an ailing father to rush to the frontline to save his son, especially in noble houses. Roel hadn¡¯t had any expectations of Carter, but his heart felt incredibly assured when his father appeared before his eyes. Regardless of their strength or standing, the appearance of kin during distressing times brought warmth. Roel was no exception to that rule. Roel¡¯s mood lifted after his long-awaited reunion with Carter, and Carter was finally able to set his heart at ease too. However, Roel¡¯s face quickly turned solemn, as there was an arduous task he needed to embark on, and that was to update Carter about Alicia. ¡°Father, there haven¡¯t been any official reports yet, but there¡¯s something I need to tell you¡­¡± Roel told Carter about his encounter with Alicia, and Carter¡¯s smile slowly faded. Carter had been through many ups and downs while managing the Ascart House for decades. He understood what Alicia¡¯s appearance on the battlefield alongside the Six Cmities meant, and he was aware of the implications on the Ascart House too. Nevertheless, he refrained frommenting on the matter. ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. I see,¡± Carter replied with a nod before patting Roel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Father¡­¡± Roel hesitated. ¡°How do you intend to deal with this matter?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to deal with? I don¡¯t n to emunicate a family member before the official reportes out,¡± Carter said, shaking his head. ¡°Our Ascart House is not so weak as to crumble from this. Besides, there¡¯s still a chance that Alicia may return.¡± Carter then reached into his pocket, took out an envelope, and passed it to Roel, saying, ¡°This is for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Roel blinked in surprise. He looked at the envelope, and his eyes immediately narrowed. To my beloved Lord Brother¡ªAlicia Ascart Chapter 623.1: Alicia’s Letter (1)

Chapter 623.1: Alicia¡¯s Letter (1)

Seated in the guest room, Roel Ascart stared at the letter he held in his hands without saying a word. Opposite him, Carter picked up his teacup and took a sip. It warmed Roel¡¯s heart to learn that Carter didn¡¯t turn against Alicia despite knowing the implications it could have on the house. He had chosen to prioritize his responsibilities as a father over those as a patriarch. However, the letter Carter had brought shook Roel up. The letter had been found inside Alicia¡¯s room in the Ascarts¡¯ manor. It was written prior to her journey to the area where Roel had disappeared, wherein she went missing too. Roel didn¡¯t feel too good about this, as it indicated that Alicia already had a premonition about her awakening by then and was likely feeling extremely confused. This was the time that she needed someone by her side, but he wasn¡¯t there for her. Carter was out fighting with the deviants, so he couldn¡¯t have been there for her, either. Roel understood his position and had noints about that, but Carter couldn¡¯t help but feel that he had failed as a father. ¡°I knew Alicia was feeling emotionally unstable. I wanted to write to her to console her, but I realized that the gap caused by your disappearance cannot be filled with mere letters. I should have returned to the Ascart Fiefdom then!¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong, Father. Even now, our utmost priority is to fend against the deviants so as to ensure there¡¯s a future for humankind. It¡¯s all my fault,¡± Roel said as he stared at Alicia¡¯s unopened envelope with unblinking eyes for a long time. Carter sighed softly and said, ¡°Open it. She left it for you. As her older brother, you should hear her out no matter what she says.¡± ¡°¡­All right,¡± Roel replied with a nod. He took a deep breath before opening the envelope. His eyes became even more focused as he unfolded the letter and carefully read the words one by one. Dear Lord Brother, If you are reading my letter now, it would mean that you have safely returned. I¡¯m d that you have survived the ordeal, though I never doubted that you¡¯d return. The others have been worried sick. Anna has been growing skinnier with each passing day, fearing that you wouldn¡¯t return. However, I know better. You have faced untold dangers from a young age, but you never fail to return to my side and continue living a mundane life with me. I don¡¯t think that this time will be an exception. I¡¯m sorry, Lord Brother. If you are seeing this letter now, it¡¯d mean that I have failed to wee you back with a smile despite the tribtions you have been through. I am really, really sorry about that. I have been feeling uneasy recently, but it¡¯s not because of your disappearance. There has been something amiss about my condition. I have been having weird dreams depicting scenes I have never seen before, but they were so vivid as if I had lived through them. My mana also started changing. Most important of all, I can feel something deep inside me transforming. I don¡¯t know what it is, but I can feel my existence slowly thinning, as if it¡¯s being diluted by the dreams I have. Sometimes, I even forget my sense of self while standing under the moonlight. I¡¯m afraid. I have tried consulting our magicians and the Sorofyas¡¯ medical team, but they had no leads about my condition. To avoid my condition from worsening, I¡¯d remain awake in the darkness of the night, but I don¡¯t think I can hold on much longer. I¡¯m sorry. I have grumbled a lot about myself. I didn¡¯t want to write this letter, but I am feeling so frustrated trying to maintain my sense of self while my head is filled with your disappearance and our rtionship. Maybe these worries are the reason a crack appeared in my heart. Lord Brother, do you like me as your younger sister or as a woman? We have been together for so long that I can tell how much you care about me as a family member, but do you harbor any feelings for me as a man? I honestly don¡¯t know. Now that I think about it, Lord Brother, you have been evading me all this while. I have always missed the opportunities to brave danger with you. I tried to verify your feelings time and time again, only to never seed. Before I knew it, I started to fear what that answer may be. We should have been the closest ones, but why does it feel like we¡¯re the farthest instead? Did you push aside my hand to usher in a brighter future for us, or is it your way of expressing rejection? If it¡¯s thetter, what was all of my persistence and hard work for? My heart wavers each time I think about these issues. I couldn¡¯t bear not writing all of these down. I¡¯m sorry, Lord Brother. I think this might really be it. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll turn into, but I know I have to leave the Ascart House. This ce is filled with our memories; I won¡¯t be able to bear bringing destruction here. I wonder what I¡¯ll be the next time we meet. Will I be your enemy? I don¡¯t know what will result from the changes affecting me, but please promise not to look at me if I transform into an ugly monster. I don¡¯t want the person I love to see me in such an ugly state. If I turn into an enemy, please kill me with your hands. I only want to be yours even in death. I sincerely hope these two situations won¡¯t happen. It would be best if I take back this letter and destroy it before it gets its way to you. Till our next meeting. - Alicia Ascart ¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Lord Brother. I should have already ended the letter, but I¡¯m not as strong as I thought. I take back my previous words. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m scared that I¡¯ll suddenly disappear from the face of the world. I¡¯m scared that I¡¯ll be a monster. I didn¡¯t want to be weak and cowardly, but I can¡¯t bear the thought of everything ending like that. I have already made up my mind to be stronger and independent, but just this once, won¡¯t you listen to my wish? I don¡¯t want to forget you. Please save me. ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed when he saw Alicia¡¯sst words. His incredibly concentrated mana manifested into a rampaging dark mist that battered the rock walls around him, shaking the entire fortress. He felt like someone had torched his nerves. Every breath he took brought unbearable pain to his heart. At this moment, he had already forgotten about everything around him. The only thing left in his mind was a silver silhouette. It was truly fortunate that there was someone else important to him by his side. ¡°Roel! Roel!!! Stop!!!¡± Carter shouted. ¡°!¡± His voice brought some rity back to Roel, as thetter finally raised his head to look at his surroundings. The guest room was a mess. The ceiling had been reduced to rock fragments that battered the rest of the room, leaving holes in furniture and walls alike. The guards at the doorway had been ced under such tremendous pressure that they couldn¡¯t even raise their heads; they could only barely remain on their feet by leaning on the wall or their weapons. A crowd had gathered outside the room, looking at him with worried faces. Selina, Juliana, and Kurt were among them, as well as Cynthia, who had been serving as his bodyguard in recent days. Practically all of the nearby Rose of Dawn members were standing outside right now, just that they dared not to approach him. The only one who was inside the room with him was Carter, though he had erected a mana barrier to protect himself. ¡°Are you awake now, Roel?¡± Carter asked gravely. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Roel lowered his head apologetically. The crowd outside heaved a sigh of relief. Carter¡¯s expression also loosened a little. ¡°I was scared out of my wits. I didn¡¯t know what to do, especially since none of Their Highnesses were around.¡± ¡°By the way, who¡¯s that man in there?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Roel¡¯s father.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The members of the golden generation quickly exchanged information. Selina, the daughter of Count Bess, recognized Carter due to the ties between their houses, whereas Kurt and the others stared at Carter in bewilderment. Carter wasn¡¯t too bothered by the attention on him. He nced at the letter in Roel¡¯s hand and sighed once again. With a light wave of his hand, he swept the dust and rubble inside the room out of the window. He had known that Roel would get agitated after reading the letter, but he hadn¡¯t thought that it would be to this extent. It was a relief he was around to stop Roel, or else thetter¡¯s rampage might have caused considerable damage to the fortress. The bustle outside further cleared Roel¡¯s mind. He slowly calmed his breathing before he turned to them and said, ¡°Sorry, my mana went amok for a moment. I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll inform the guards.¡± ¡°All right. It¡¯s gettingte now, so let¡¯s not linger here.¡± The crowd could sense that Roel was not in the ideal state of mind, so they tactfully decided to back off instead of lingering in the area. Cynthia bowed to Roel before taking her leave, making sure to close the door behind her. Carter settled back down on the chair, while Roel quietly stared at the letter in his hand. Time ticked by. Roel didn¡¯t exin anything, and Carter didn¡¯t enquire about anything either. A long timeter, Roel finally made up his mind. He looked at the middle-aged man and said hoarsely, ¡°Father, I¡¯m going to save Alicia.¡± ¡°You should do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to go alone¡­ and it¡¯ll likely be dangerous.¡± Carter fell silent. He didn¡¯t know about the history of the Kingmaker Bloodline, and he didn¡¯t know much about what Roel had been through, since he was rarely at home. Still, as one of the key figures on the eastern border, he knew that the danger Roel spoke about was on a different levelpared to that of ordinary people. Even so, he made no attempt to stop Roel. He lit a cigar and looked out the window. ¡°The road to transcension is fraught with dangers. Every transcendent has their reason for embarking on this dangerous path, but all of them are driven by their faith. Back then, Alicia¡¯s faith was none other than you.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes quivered. Carter¡¯s face warped in self-reproach as he continued, ¡°I was the one who initiated her onto the road to transcension, but I couldn¡¯t help her. I have failed as a father. But it¡¯s different for you. You still have a chance to make it up to her. I can¡¯t stop you from doing that.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± ¡°Go. Bring Alicia back no matter what it takes. You have kept her waiting for too long.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Roel replied solemnly before rising to his feet. He bowed deeply to Carter before walking out of the messy room. ¡­ Chapter 623.2: Alicia’s Letter (2)

Chapter 623.2: Alicia¡¯s Letter (2)

Alicia¡¯s letter had shaken Roel up. It made him cognizant of his mistakes. He had always thought that he would never part ways with Alicia, and since that had remained the case for so long, he had ended up taking her for granted. To him, she was always an innocent and mischievous girl who lived her days without worries. Yet, the letter gave him a peek into the frustrations that had been simmering in her mind. Love was not all sweet; it was often bitter as well, especially for sensitive young girls. The rejections she had faced again and again had left a shadow in Alicia¡¯s heart, and that was the greatest weakness pulling her down when dealing with the influx of memories brought about by her awakening. And Roel, to some extent, was the culprit behind it. He could sense Alicia¡¯s confusion and resignation through the letter, and her will hinted at the despair she felt at her situation. But, at the very end, she still chose to clutch onto hope. Please save me. Those were the words Alicia had written in the letter¡¯s postscript, and they reflected her truest wish. This was a redemption to Roel. It showed that she trusted him to bring her back even at the very end. It brought him courage, and he would aplish it regardless of the price. Roel stood by the window in his dark study room, staring at the vast in beneath. Beside him, the spirit guide remained fast asleep in the cage he had received from Antonio. The spirit guide was his only means to track Alicia, but it had a whimsical nature that would only look for its previous master when it remembered her. However, there was another solution Roel could employ. The spirit guide¡¯s failure to remember Alicia might have been due to insufficient stimuli being provided to it. It should be possible to jolt its memory if he could stimte it with mana simr to Alicia¡¯s, but he would have to pay a corresponding price to achieve that. Roel¡¯s golden eyes slowly narrowed. He had previously nned to bide his time, but that was not a luxury he could afford anymore. Alicia had sent a call for help to him, and he was already half a yearte. ¡°¡­Edavia,¡± Roel¡¯s voice echoed in the dark room. An orange-haired girl manifested in the darkness. It was the Spiriteer Sovereign from the ancient era, one of his most trustedpanions. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning, but I doubt it¡¯s anything good, since you called for me, of all people.¡± Faced with the golden eyes that glowed in the darkness and felt like they could have been from a dormant dragon, Edavia had a premonition and went ahead to state her opinion first. ¡°Your soul has only just recovered; I¡¯d advise you against doing anything recklessly.¡± However, Roel¡¯s mind remained unchanged. He nced at the cage beside him and asked, ¡°Are you able to strengthen the portion of my soul that belongs to Sia without me undergoing Sia-fication?¡± ¡°I can do that, but that¡¯ll ce a great burden on your soul. Besides, once might not be enough if your goal is to stimte this little fellow,¡± Edavia replied as she casually lifted the spirit guide inside the cage. Beneath her casual attitude was a warning undertone. Despite sensing the Spiriteer Sovereign¡¯s disapproval, Roel quietly lifted his hand, gesturing for her to do it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­I shan¡¯t take responsibility for what happens next,¡± Edavia said with a sigh. She raised her little hands to form a bridge between Roel and the spirit guide before unleashing her authority. No one in the world knew Roel¡¯s soul better than Edavia did. She easily tampered with his soul, and it didn¡¯t take long for a white light to glow from his body. This white light wasn¡¯t from mana, but something more profound and even sacred. Under this white light, the spirit guide in the cage suddenly emanated a brilliant light as if it had awoken from its slumber before bumping all around the cage. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Looks like it¡¯s a sess,¡± Edavia replied with a smile as she released Roel¡¯s hand. She opened the cage, and the spirit guide immediately rushed out and circled around Roel. Without Edavia¡¯s channeling, the fragment of Sia¡¯s soul inside Roel quickly quietened down, causing the white light to fade. At the same time, the aura he had emanated earlier that was simr to Alicia also faded. This seemed to confuse the spirit guide, as it scoured the area aimlessly in search of its missing target. Roel eyed the spirit guide sharply. Meanwhile, Edavia examined Roel¡¯s expression, but he showed no hints of difort arising from the changes in his soul. She raised her eyebrows quizzically, but she decided not to say anything about it. The spirit guide suddenly discovered something. It emanated a brilliant sh of light, and the surrounding space started to billow. Upon noticing that, Roel started to release a white fog. The spirit guide began to disappear into thin air. Simrly, the white fog began to move and envelop Roel¡¯s body. ¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be a mutant like you among the Kingdom Origin Attribute¡¯s inheritors. Divine armor from Sia¡¯s era? No wonder your shell is so thick.¡± A ck-haired, golden-eyed woman coldly nced at the armor of the copsed man in front of her. Those words jolted the exhausted man, who gritted his teeth and tried to climb back up to his feet, only to be sent flying immediately. He didn¡¯t even know where the attack hade from, let alone have the ability to guard against it. He crashed right into a wall, and the intense impact made him spew blood. He could have lost consciousness right there, but he refused to admit defeat. ¡°Please consider my¨C¡± ¡°How irksome.¡± The woman coldly cut his words short. Her golden pupils widened, and the man was pushed even deeper into the wall, causing him to groan in pain. ¡°I told you to never appear before me ever again. How many times do I need to do this to get this into your head?¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to do as you have requested, but we don¡¯t have much time left. I need your help¡­¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have much time left? No, it¡¯s just you.¡± The pressure on the man intensified, causing his armor to glow brighter. ¡°The Ardes are gone. You have seeded. There¡¯s nothing you can do that will change that.¡± ¡°¡­That might not be so.¡± ¡°Enough. I have grown weary of your obstinacy. Don¡¯t force me to kill you.¡± The woman spoke with irrepressible anger. However, that failed to silence the man. ¡°I know that you hate me and my n, but at least hear me out¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! Otherwise, I¡¯ll¨C¡± ¡°It¡¯s regarding the final n.¡± ¡°!¡± The woman froze upon hearing those two words. Chapter 624.1: The Truth Behind the System (1)

Chapter 624.1: The Truth Behind the System (1)

Inside the dimly-lit castle, the man with his body lodged inside the wall looked at the beauty before him, and his heartbeat hastened. Under his gaze, the woman¡¯s eyes slowly turned grim. The final n. This was a ssified operation for both the Ardes and the Ackermanns. The Ardes, as the creators of the final n, were more knowledgeable about it, but there should be hardly anyone in the Ackermanns who knew about it, especially after their fallout. After the once-powerful Ardes fell from grace, the final n came to a standstill. That was the reason she felt surprise, heaviness, and resignation upon hearing the name. However, the mention of a n¡¯s name couldn¡¯t possibly change her mind. ¡°The final n? I didn¡¯t expect to hear that from you, but I have grown tired of your prattle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not prattle. I have found the only solution to resolve the current crisis,¡± the man rified indignantly, wiping off blood from his mouth. ¡°The power harnessed by the Savior¡¯s worshipers is beyond what the Ackermanns can deal with alone, but this is a chance for you to exact vengeance on them too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s our business, and I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in a position to be concerned about our n¡¯s vengeance.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The other princes might just snatch the throne while you¡¯re squandering your time here. At this rate, you should be worrying about your own life, let alone whatever solution you have in mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Those words silenced the man, but it wasn¡¯t enough to dissuade him. If anything, it only further emboldened him. ¡°Help me to be the emperor, then.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Those ludicrous words utterly baffled the woman. She began to frown as her eyes turned much sharper. Even so, the man remained unfazed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me im the throne if you don¡¯t think I have the power to back my words? That would settle all of your doubts. We¡¯d have the power to push any n to fruition once I take the crown.¡± ¡°Do you think this is a joke?¡± ¡°If you still don¡¯t trust me, you can bind me in any way you wish. I¡¯ll ept anything you inflict on me, be it a curse or a divine vow. In return, I hope that you¡¯ll do everything you can to help¡­¡± Boom! The man was mmed into the thick rock wall again before he could finish his words, causing a loud explosion. Rock shards flew in all directions, and dust cloaked the area. He spewed another mouthful of fresh blood. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. Your trash pile of a n owes us countless lives. How dare you brazenly stand before me and request help?¡± ¡°¡­I know that we have done you injustice¡±¡ªcough cough¡ª¡°but if we join hands, we can save more people, even all of humankind. That¡¯s your n¡¯s ideal, right?¡± The battered man propped himself up from the ground with great difficulty. Fresh blood flowed down his lower jaw and dripped from his chin, but he paid it no heed. He mustered his courage as he shared his values. . ¡°They use their great power not for domination but to save others. Your ancestors have always quietly looked after the world from the shadows, allowing others to enjoy the peace of a mundane life. They are both heroes and saints. ¡°It¡¯s because of them that I can remain clear-minded in this turbid world. I know what I can do is limited, but even so, I want to carry on their ideals and¡±¡ªcough¡ª¡°continue¡­¡± The man¡¯s consciousness started to fuzz as the world turned around him. As his body crashed to the ground, he raised his head and saw the woman taking a step back with a shocked face. ¡°You¡­¡± For the first time, the woman looked as if she had something to say to him, but he had already lost consciousness. All that was left was a distant shout echoing in his ears. ¡­ Paul Ackermann abruptly opened his eyes in a dark room. Simr to anyone waking from a nightmare, his eyes shot open. Little beads of sweat sat on his forehead as he breathed rapidly. His eyes dazedly stared at the ceiling above him. However, his expression only turned more severe after he caught his breath. He sat upright and rubbed his temples while reflecting on the content of his dream. After a long time, he looked out the window and sighed. It was right before daybreak, a time when most should have been sound asleep. Yet, he could see toons of the Austine Empire¡¯s imperial guards deployed all around the pce. It was an ufortably extreme level of security to him. What he was more concerned with, however, were the events that had happened over the past week. Paul was no longer in the Austine Empire¡¯s imperial pce. A week ago, he had received a rare order from Emperor Lukas to move to a secondary pce located in the capital¡¯s inner city. He initially thought that it was just another normal deployment order, but he quickly noticed that something was amiss. The Austine Empire¡¯s armies were mobilized shortly afterward. A tense atmosphere lingered. It didn¡¯t take Paul long to realize that he was being incarcerated together with Liz, his only maid. What was even weirder was that ever since he had moved into this secondary pce, the frequency of his dreams had increased, and they were getting increasingly vivid. ¡°Are those¡­ really dreams?¡± Paul mumbled under his breath as he clutched his forehead, as if the bleeding wound he had suffered in his earlier dream had been transferred to the real world. In the end, he had no choice but to open his eyes to reality. From the very start, he had known that those couldn¡¯t have been simple dreams. Neither the people nor the events of those dreams were familiar to him, but there was a weird coherence to the conflicts and rtionships. It was hard to fathom that a dream could be so logical as to even have its own coherent plot. He felt that those dreams were more like memories of the past, the memories of the ancestors of his Ackermann lineage. But why would these memories appear in his head? He probably should have visited a doctor to make sense of this issue, but as an illegitimate son, he figured that others might just take him lightly if he summoned an imperial physician over this. Due to that, he had never talked about this to anyone else other than his maid, Liz. However, in more recent days, he suddenly had an inexplicable premonition that he was about to ovee some kind of bottleneck to remember something vital. This feeling initially terrified him, but his fear subsided after he had some time to calm down. He sat dazedly on his bed as the sun slowly rose into the sky. That dispelled his desire to return to sleep. Thus, he got up and walked out, where he found Liz, and some unfamiliar soldiers standing guard. ¡°Good morning, Your Highness. You woke up early today.¡± ¡°I woke up after a dream and couldn¡¯t fall asleep afterward.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Paul nced at the impassive guards before proceeding to chat with Liz. He was surprised by how early Liz was today, given that she would usually wake him up at a muchter time. He was just about to ask about it when he saw Liz blink at him. Catching her drift, he began heading to the dining room with her. Once the door to the dining room closed, Liz turned to look at Paul. Thetter took a moment to survey their surroundings with his mana before shaking his head as his expression loosened. ¡°It¡¯s fine. There¡¯s no one in the vicinity. We¡¯re safe here for the time being.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief, Your Highness. You don¡¯t have to hide your evil desires anymore now that no one else is around.¡± ¡°Evil desires, my head! You¡¯re unusually early today. Did something happen?¡± ¡°The situation is a little peculiar today.¡± Liz¡¯s expression turned serious as she walked over to Paul¡¯s side and said more quietly, ¡°We received news from Her Highness Lilian. She told us to prepare ourselves.¡± ¡°Prepare ourselves? For what?¡± Paul asked in confusion, not knowing what that meant. Liz blinked. Concluding that he was asking an earnest question, she let out a sigh and said, ¡°Your Highness, you can¡¯t be thinking that you¡¯re a guest here, are you?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± Paul replied with a bitter smile, as he thought about how his guards changed every single day. ¡°I have no idea what His Majesty is up to, but without a doubt, Your Highness, you are being used by him. It¡¯s unlikely that anything good will befall you after His Majesty is done squeezing out whatever value he can get from you. We¡¯re in a dangerous position,¡± Liz said. ¡°I know that. In other words, you¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s time for us to make an escape,¡± Liz whispered before walking off to set the table. Paul stood in a daze before settling down on his chair. Instead of spurring his nervousness, those words sounded reassuring to him. He wasn¡¯t close with any of the Ackermanns, but he would asionally receive help from Lilian due to his ties with Roel. He didn¡¯t think that Lilian would seek to harm him, especially now that Roel had returned. Breathing a sigh of relief, he thought about the dream he had hadst night as he patiently waited for his opportunity. ¡­ Chapter 624.2: The Truth Behind the System (2)

Chapter 624.2: The Truth Behind the System (2)

While Paul was preparing for his escape, Roel was making his way through a turbid area of utter chaos. What was it like to go on a journey with a spirit guide? No one had the answer to this question, not even Antonio, who had researched spatial spells. The dangers of spatial spells had been known since the ancient era. It would take sheer ignorance to follow those little things who freely traversed space, as that would have been no different frommitting suicide. Spirit guides could go to ces humans couldn¡¯t survive in, such as through hotva that melted everything or deep ocean that instantaneously crushed human bodies into bits. In order to find Alicia, Roel had wilfully ignored Spiriteer Sovereign Edavia¡¯s opposition and paid a heavy price to awaken Alicia¡¯s spirit guide. Thanks to that, he was now qualified to answer the earlier question. Chaos. The way spirit guides searched for their masters wasn¡¯t as efficient as schrs had theorized. Rather, they resorted to the primitive method of tracing their master¡¯s footsteps. When the white fog enveloping him stopped moving for the first time, Roel found himself standing in the boundary between a forest and a in. There was no anomaly in the sky, and the night forest was ghastly silent. It didn¡¯t seem like there was anyone in the area. Roel followed the spirit guide with a confused frown. It took a while, but he soon figured out where this ce was. It was the ce Alicia wasst seen, as well as the ce where he had entered the Witness State to avoid Shrouding Fog. His face turned solemn. At the same time, Edavia spoke up. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a rest? That little thing will likely stop at many ces if that¡¯s the way it conducts its search. I can support your soul, but you have to pay a heavy price for utilizing that spatial spell of yours, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. He knew how dangerous Silver Devourer¡¯s side effect was. A part of his existence would be devoured based on the frequency and extent of its use, and that was what was happening to him now. A portion of his blood had gone missing, resulting in his face turning slightly pale. To make things worse, this was only the start of his journey. Knowing he would likely have to use Silver Devourer many times more, he would have to make some preparations no matter how anxious he was. Besides, he wasn¡¯t so naive as to think that everything would be magically resolved once he found Alicia. It would only be the start of everything. For instance, Alicia, who had most likely forgotten about him, wouldn¡¯t give up without a fight. She was an Origin Level 1 transcendent now, which meant that she wouldn¡¯t be an easy opponent to deal with. While Roel had also grown considerably stronger after defeating Deviant Sovereign Banjol, putting him extremely close to Origin Level 1, there was bound to still be a gap between him and true Origin Level 1 transcendents, especially when it came to special existences like Alicia. He had never thought about fighting with Alicia before, but now that he was in this situation, he realized that Alicia might just be his greatest nemesis. His burst power was indubitably a bad match for her incredible stamina. I have to at least keep my condition above a certain level before we meet. With such a thought, Roel turned to his System, which he hadn¡¯t checked on for a long time due to how busy he was. He browsed through the so-called ¡®Glorious Return Commemoration Event¡¯ and soon found a trusted brand. A must-have before an ultimate showdown! Greatly boosts one¡¯s stamina, mana, and different aspects, enabling one to bring out one¡¯s full prowess. Side Effects: Weakness after battle Price: 5000 Gold Coins¡¿ Lost too much blood? No worries! As long as you have a breath left in you, Lobor Blood Restoration Serum (Deluxe) will grant you a second life! Just be careful not to drink too much, unless you wish to have one of your brain arteries pop! Side Effects: Physical exhaustion Price: 50,000 Gold Coins¡¿ 50% off items in the event shop Lobor Restoration and Enhancement Serum Type III Price: 5000 2500 Gold Coins Lobor Blood Restoration Serum (Deluxe) Price: 50,000 25,000 Gold Coins¡¿ Yes/No¡¿ Without any hesitation, Roel tapped on the ¡®Yes¡¯ button. There was a sh of light, and two serum bottles from the ancient Loborian civilization appeared in his hands. While he had faced his fair share of problems consuming Loborian serums in the past, he had to admit that there was no denying their medical potency. He uncapped the more viscous, red serum and took a sip, and his pale face quickly turned red. It stimted the speed of his body¡¯s red blood cell regrowth, replenishing the blood he had lost as a result of Silver Devourer¡¯s side effect. His enhanced metabolism rate piled on his exhaustion, as stated in the serum¡¯s side effect, but that was not a problem as long as he had the Lobor Restoration and Enhancement Serum Type III. ¡°Oh? You took out quite the formidable stuff. I didn¡¯t think there would be something simr to my library in this world,¡± Edavia piped up. ¡°Hm? What do you mean?¡± Roel was perplexed. Edavia manifested in front of Roel and blinked her eyes in surprise before asking, ¡°You don¡¯t know the background of that power of yours?¡± ¡°Power? Are you referring to the System?¡± Roel stared at the two serums with a frown as he spoke. ¡°What do you mean when you say that my power is simr to your library?¡± ¡°My library holds the stories of the countless people who had lived from the ancient era till now. Its collection will only continue to grow with the death of more intelligent beings. It¡¯s a gift I have received from Sia to pass my time. I¡¯m guessing that power of yours contains the relics from all civilizations from the ancient era till now.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes. He had to concede that the System was indeed simr to Edavia¡¯s library now that he thought about it, just that the form might be a bit different. ¡°My ability can only be activated through money or the affection I have received from others,¡± Roel pointed out. ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. I have to expend my mana to ess the books. Be it money, affection, or mana, those are the prices we have to pay for our powers.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that my power originates from¡­¡± ¡°Sia.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. He had never bothered thinking deeper into the origin of the System, but the theory that the System was Sia¡¯s power manifesting in a formprehensible to him was usible. ¡°So, this is the Kingmaker? She must have really loved you. I had to exchange my freedom for this power,¡± Edavia said as she pouted in envy. Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up as he refuted, ¡°I received this power before I awakened to my bloodline, so I wasn¡¯t the Kingmaker yet. I also don¡¯t think the Mother Goddess would have bestowed such a power on me then, considering how hostile she was to the Kingmaker n.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Sia, not the Mother Goddess. Sia is the only one capable of weaving this grand spell that transcends space and time.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t Sia already¡­¡± ¡°It could be a fragment of Her soul or a remnant of Her consciousness. I don¡¯t know the exact details, but what¡¯s happened has happened. Even if you weren¡¯t the Kingmaker then, how could Her eyes be obscured by just a few mere years?¡± Edavia let out a helpless sigh before she looked at Roel with a dissatisfied expression. ¡°Something decisive must have happened, leading Her to believe that the future has been decided. That¡¯s why She passed on the power to you in advance. She has always been like that, putting on an impartial front while allowing Her emotions get the better of Her when it came to private matters. That was the case when She chose to spare me, and that¡¯s probably the case when She bestowed that power on you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°She must have really loved you. No wonder her main consciousness, the Mother Goddess, sees you as Her child¡­ You should continue working hard.¡± Edavia awkwardly waved her little hand before disappearing into thin air. Roel looked at the serums in his hand before murmuring with a nod, ¡°Mm, I will.¡± He then turned to the spirit guide. Thetter shimmered before advancing, and he followed it. Chapter 625.1: A Choice That Can’t Be Chosen (1)

Chapter 625.1: A Choice That Can¡¯t Be Chosen (1)

Following the ce where he had disappeared a year ago, the spirit guide led him to Tark Stronghold, though it wasn¡¯t the reconstructed Tark Stronghold but the old one that had been devoured by Shrouding Fog several years back. Walking through the corridors of the now-empty fortress, he was unsurprisingly led to themunication room. At the same time, he took a small sip of the bitter serum, which hastened his red blood cell production once more. This made him feel a little better. He had only teleported into the space governed by Shrouding Fog¡ªfrom a certain perspective, he hadn¡¯t even walked at all¡ªbut even so, he had depleted a sizable amount of his blood. Meanwhile, the spirit guide began moving haphazardly once more. The time the spirit guide stopped at a location seemed to corrte to how long Alicia lingered in the area, just that it was greatly shortened. Roel ended up stopping in this fortress for quite a while. Has it been a few hours? Or half a day? The dark environment blurred Roel¡¯s grasp of time. He continued to diligently follow the spirit guide. After what seemed to be hours of traversing the massive Tark Stronghold, the spirit guide emanated a brilliant glow, and his body was enveloped by the white fog once more. This time around, when the white fog dissipated, Roel was stunned by the barren scenery before him. ¡°This is¡­¡± he murmured with raised eyebrows. He had been brought to an unfamiliarnd with no traces of civilization at all. There was hardly any greenery around him, either. He had always known that the Sia Continent was massive. As a matter of fact, the territories upied by humankind were insignificantpared to the Sia Continent¡¯s totalndmass. It wasn¡¯t surprising that there were ces he didn¡¯t recognize. What baffled him was the fact that Alicia hade to a ce like this. Fortunately, someone seemed to recognize this location. ¡°This was probably the main battlefield back then,¡± Grandar suddenly remarked. ¡°You recognize this ce?¡± Roel asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t participate in that battle, but I know the location. Many things have happened since, but the mana remnant in the ground wouldn¡¯t lie,¡± Grandar said with a sentimental voice. Roel ced his hand on the earth beneath him and slowly infused his mana in. After prating the upperyer of the soil, he finally sensed the earth that had been stained with the blood of countless soldiers in the ancient era. In their powerful mana, he could sense their fighting will, their killing intent, and their regrets. These strong emotions were imprinted in the mana, lingering on even after so many years had passed. Roel sighed with a frown before returning to his feet. He could roughly guess why Alicia hade here. This was the battlefield for the decisive battle between the Mother Goddess and the Savior, meaning that it was likely to be the ce where the ck Moon descended and plunged the Savior into lunacy, as well as the ce where the Mother Goddess went into hibernation. This was the turning point of the world, marking the end of an era and the beginning of another. It wasn¡¯t surprising for Alicia, as the incarnation of the ck Moon, toe here after regaining her memories. However, Roel didn¡¯t feel too good about this ce. ¡°¡­¡± His heart swelled with difort as he gazed upon the vast afternoon ins, knowing that this was the ce where Alicia forgot about him. He had refrained from telling anyone about his emotions from being forgotten by Alicia, as he didn¡¯t think that others would be able to empathize with how he felt. Even so, he felt mncholic standing on thisnd. He patiently stood at the center of the ins while waiting for the spirit guide to set off. Time ticked, and the little rascal, who had been randomly darting around the ce, finally found its path and started shuddering. Without any hesitation, Roel quickly activated Silver Devourer to follow the spirit guide on its journey. This time, what he saw after the dissipation of the white fog had him widening his eyes. He was standing in the middle of a in with a gigantic tower that rose into the sky. It was Sia¡¯s divine temple in the ancient era, as well as a ce that contained many of Roel¡¯s memories. The Moonsoul Tower. ¡­ Roel¡¯s brain momentarily stalled to a halt the moment he saw the Moonsoul Tower. His shock was nearly palpable, though there were traces of nostalgia in his eyes as well. More than once had he dreamed about the Moonsoul Tower after leaving the Witness State, especially when he was fighting to survive the deviants¡¯ encirclement. He had never thought that he would witness this great building in person once more. The Moonsoul Tower no longer existed¡ªthis was a fact recorded in the annals of many races, as well as an inevitability as eras changed. All that could be found were probably just its ruins buried deep in the earth. For that reason, when he saw the unblemished Moonsoul Tower standing before him, he realized that this ce wasn¡¯t the real world. He had inadvertently reached another ce he had been searching for all this while¡ªthe Mother Goddess¡¯nd of hibernation. That had been a mystery to the world for the longest time. Many records theorized that the Mother Goddess¡¯nd of hibernation existed not in the real world, but in another dimension reminiscent of a dungeon, a ce that couldn¡¯t be essed with one¡¯s feet. However, no one, be it Her worshipers or Her enemy, had ever reached there. Yet, Roel had be the first guest to step onto thisnd after Alicia¡­ though that might not be the most urate way to put it. As he stared at the colossal tower, Roel¡¯s calm expression turnedplicated for the first time. It would have been fine to call him a guest the first time he entered the Witness State, but it was hard for him to say that he was strangers with the Mother Goddess after the time he had spent with Her. Regardless of whether they were enemies or kin, there was a bond between the two of them. That was also the reason he was hesitant to act. The in where the Moonsoul Tower was located was silent. Roel closed his eyes to sense his surroundings. He couldn¡¯t sense any gaze, which told him that the Mother Goddess was asleep. Recklessly entering the Moonsoul Tower and disturbing the Mother Goddess¡¯ slumber was dangerous, and he wasn¡¯t inclined to do so. However, his eyes slowly firmed up when he thought about Alicia¡¯s call for help in the letter. He carefully followed the spirit guide toward the imposing gates of the Moonsoul Tower. Standing before the gates, he suddenly remembered how his elven guard in the Witness State, Ad, had introduced the Moonsoul Tower. I remember the guards for the Moonsoul Tower are two powerful demonic beasts. Roel prepared himself forbat as he pushed the gates open, but to his surprise, there were no demonic beasts to be seen. ¡°I see. This Moonsoul Tower is a relic from the Mother Goddess¡¯ memories,¡± Roel murmured as his heart was put at ease. The original Moonsoul Tower had many traps to deal with invaders, but those were constructed by the races who resided there. To the Mother Goddess, the Moonsoul Tower was just a ce to stay in. Unfortunately, She was unable to revive the people who once resided here. Following the spirit guide through the dark and empty building that contrasted the one from his memories, Roel¡¯s heart slowly grew heavy. As he climbed the tower, he encountered magic puppets who dealt with the tower¡¯s cleanliness, but they ignored him as if he didn¡¯t exist. He breathed a sigh of relief, as he wouldn¡¯t want to fight here if possible. A few hourster, under the spirit guide¡¯s lead, Roel arrived at the higher floors of the tower. After spending a while looking around, the spirit guide finally located Alicia¡¯s room. Alicia¡¯s room was located a level below the banquet hall, and it was smaller than the one in which Roel had resided in the Witness State. Even before entering the room, Roel could tell that it had been a while since Alicia wasst here. There were hardly any signs of activity inside the room, but it made sense since neither sleep nor rest was essential to Alicia. This was just a ce for Alicia to idle and watch the moon from. Roel was disappointed that Alicia wasn¡¯t here, but more than that, he felt doubtful and worried. Alicia should have been protecting this ce since it was the Mother Goddess¡¯nd of hibernation, but she clearly wasn¡¯t in the Moonsoul Tower at the moment. Did this mean that something urgent had cropped up? Could it be rted to the final n? Roel pondered for a moment before shaking his head. Even if the final n had been set into motion, he didn¡¯t think that anyone could locate Alicia faster than him and bring her away from this ce. That put his mind at ease, and he took a sip of the red serum to calm himself. He then looked upward, and his expression turned solemn. There was a good chance that the Mother Goddess was resting on the highest floor of the Moonsoul Tower. Knowing that She was so close filled him with hesitation, but he chose to prioritize Alicia. He turned to the spirit guide. Thetter, after circling around the room, seemed to have realized that its master was no longer here, so it began emanating a brilliant light. In response, he began activating Silver Devourer to follow it. This time around, Roel discovered the traces of the person he was looking for before the white fog fully faded. At the same time, a brilliant stream of light blinded his sight. ¡­ Chapter 625.2: A Choice That Can’t Be Chosen (2)

Chapter 625.2: A Choice That Can¡¯t Be Chosen (2)

Light Devourer was a terrifying existence with the power to bypass any defenses to obliterate its target, no matter how powerful the target was. Even the powerful Savior couldn¡¯t fully neutralize Light Devourer¡¯s ability and lost His body to it. These terrifying light rays were now targeted at Roel. His sense of danger screamed from the moment he saw the light rushing toward him, but his expression didn¡¯t change in the least. Instead, his golden eyes hardened with conviction. In the blink of an eye, the powers of five Cmities surged from Roel¡¯s body. A drifting white fog, a chilling frost aura, a cloud of deathly curses, and a pale yellow tempest manifested in front of him. Searingva plunged into the ground and fused with the earth to form a barrier around him. It was futile to attempt to escape from Light Devourer¡¯s attack. The only hope of surviving its aggression was to face it head-on. With four different powers neutralizing its prowess, the light ray that eventually struck the solidified earth barrier was greatly thinned. ¡°Peytra.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The Primordial Earth Goddess cast a blessing on the earth. Thanks to that and Magma Core¡¯s relentless reinforcement of the earth barrier, the light was finally vanquished, allowing Roel to see the scenery before him. It was yet another nighttime in, but he deduced that he was somewhere in Tark Prairie. The screeching ck sphere plummeting from the sky was the best proof of that¡ªan Egg of the Beast God. The ck sphere before him was an immature body; it was much smaller than theplete one that had appeared during his battle with Banjol. Beneath it were a white fog and a shimmering aurora. Standing atop the aurora, bathed in the moonlight, a silver-haired woman looked at Roel with impassive crimson eyes. Her faintly glowing figure looked ethereal, but shemanded a cold and authoritative disposition. Alicia. Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The light in his golden eyes wavered for the first time. He had already mentally prepared himself for this moment, but it was hard for him to maintain hisposure when she looked at him with such foreign and wary eyes. This was the first time he was seeing such a side to her. Not even with her frightened behavior in their first meeting, or her awkward cooldown phase after throwing a tantrum, had Alicia ever given off such a distant and unapproachable aura to him before. Is this how she appears to others? Roel forced himself to calm down as he stowed away the meritorious spirit guide. He then looked to the sky, and he narrowed his eyes upon seeing the full moon behind Alicia. It¡¯s a full moon today? . That gave him an ominous feeling, knowing that the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers were the most active during the full moon. This meant that the ck Moon part of Alicia would be strengthened as well. The current Alicia is the farthest away from how she was in the past. Roel¡¯s heart sank upon the realization, but he knew that he had to give it a try no matter what. Thus, he turned to the silver-haired woman in the sky and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Alicia. Do you still remember me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silver-haired woman continued eyeing him with vignce, not bothering to respond to him. Roel¡¯s heart slowly grew heavy, but he didn¡¯t know that Alicia¡¯s heart was hardly as calm as she appeared to be. ¡­ That man¡­ What¡¯s going on? A bizarre emotion suffused Alicia¡¯s heart, prompting her to put aside her initial intent to continue her bombardment on the intruder. She had pre-emptively sensed Roel¡¯s arrival through Shrouding Fog¡¯s feedback, and this provoked her tounch an attack the moment he appeared. She had been feeling an inexplicable sense of danger in the past few days, as if she had caught the eye of a troublesome existence, and it made her extremely ufortable. For that reason, she had been specially keeping an eye out for external interference while dealing with the Eggs of the Beast God secretly growing around the ce. And the person who eventually appeared before her was the ck-haired, golden-eyed man on the ground. Is it him? The one who has been keeping an eye on me? Alicia wondered. For some reason, she felt no hostility toward the man. Instead, she felt an irrepressible rush ofplicated emotions. Her heart began beating so fast that her chest hurt. It was a struggle to maintain her hostility and vignce, which made her hesitate in her attacks too. Those feelings only crescendoed when she heard his words. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Alicia. Do you still remember me?¡± Those words had Alicia widening her eyes, for the voice left too deep of an impression on her. This was the voice that had been resonating in her mind ever since the time she appeared before the united army and defeated the Egg of the Beast God. That gave her a rough idea as to who the ck-haired, golden-eyed man was. He must have been a close kin in the past. Alicia instinctively thought that was the case, but she didn¡¯t let go of her vignce despite this. Instead, the mana around her only grew more concentrated, for she could tell from Roel¡¯s ability to control the Cmities that he was the Kingmaker. She knew about the Kingmaker from the memories she had inherited from the Mother Goddess. That was the traitor who had turned his de against the Mother Goddess in the ancient era, a target who had to be eliminated at all costs. A battle between them was inevitable from the moment she learned his identity. ¡°Alicia, I am Roel Ascart. I am your foster brother. Do you have any impression of me?¡± Faced with her prolonged silence, Roel tried to stir her memories through reporting his name, but what he received was her increasingly cold stare. ¡°Foster brother? I see¡­ That¡¯s the ploy you¡¯re ying in this generation.¡± ¡°Ploy?¡± Roel was bbergasted. The air around Alicia turned colder as she replied, ¡°You have forged a rtionship with me before my awakening so that you can exploit me. Is that your n¡¯s n for this generation?¡± ¡°Definitely not! Alicia, this is a misunderstanding! We didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Misunderstanding? Foster brother¡ªthat¡¯s what you said, right? I, the incarnation of the ck Moon, became the Kingmaker¡¯s foster sister? Could there be such a coincidence in the world?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s too much of a coincidence, but it¡¯s the truth! I have guessed that there might be secrets to your ability, but neither I nor the Ascart House knew about the Mother Goddess when you were adopted into the family¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Alicia sharply cut Roel¡¯s words short. ¡°What happened in the past is in the past now. There is nothing between you and me now. You traitors must have been the ones holding back my awakening, but it¡¯s over now.¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s just a bit, won¡¯t you try to recall our past? You¡¯ll understand if you could just remember the time we spent together¡­¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s over.¡± Alicia¡¯s face slowly turned cold. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what happened in the past. You, the Kingmaker, are now my enemy. That¡¯s a fact that can¡¯t be changed, so whyplicate it with past memories?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was rendered speechless, and his face slowly paled. Alicia felt weirdly ufortable seeing such an expression on him. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re lying about our past rtionship, so I¡¯ll make a special exception by offering you a choice,¡± she said with narrowed eyes. ¡°You may either leave this ce right now, or remain here forever.¡± Chapter 626.1: The Third Choice (1)

Chapter 626.1: The Third Choice (1)

The pitch-ck Egg of the Beast God plummeted upon the nighttime in with a howl, as its massive body burst into zing mes. The orange mes made Roel¡¯s face look exceptionally pale. The journey in search of Alicia had significantly depleted his blood, such that he felt exhausted despite the aid of a blood-regenerating serum. That was partially why his face was pale, though the greater contributor was the psychological impact he had suffered from her words. Prior to this, he did consider the possibility that Alicia might refuse to reminisce about the past or even turn a deaf ear to his words. He hadn¡¯t expected her to analyze the situation and state rational reasons that he had no way of refuting. He was even starting to think that she was right. Alicia¡¯s rtionship with the Mother Goddess was far closer than the one she had with him, so it was impossible for her to betray Her. While Roel wanted to bring her back, was it really wise for him to ignore her will and act as he pleased? Roel¡¯s mind plunged into confusion, but he quickly remembered the letter she had left before her departure, and his face hardened once more. Please save me. That had been Alicia¡¯s desperate call for help before she awakened the ck Moon¡¯s powers. Even if she had forgotten about it, he couldn¡¯t just turn a blind eye to her call for help. It was not just his wish to bring Alicia back; Alicia herself had wished that too. Thus, he couldn¡¯t give up until he aplished this mission. At the very least, she had to recall the memories of the time they had spent together before he would respect her choice. Only then could he convince himself to let her go. With newfound determination on his face, he answered her question, ¡°I¡¯ll choose to leave, but together with you.¡± ¡°¡­Delusional,¡± Alicia scoffed as she looked at him with narrowed eyes devoid of warmth. ¡°You¡¯re squandering the final sliver of goodwill I harbor for you, big brother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, but as the older brother, it¡¯s my responsibility to take care of you¡­ And I should also say that you usually address me as Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Alicia sneered. Her crimson eyes glowed menacingly as she said, ¡°Then I shall magnanimously use it onest time for your sake. Farewell, Lord Brother.¡± Roel¡¯s sight was suddenly enveloped by a deluge of mana pouring down from the sky. ¡­ Meanwhile, as an intense battle broke out in Tark Prairie, a secret meeting was being held in the new Tark Stronghold¡¯s guest room. On one side of the table was the dignified patriarch of the Ascart House, Carter Ascart. Opposite him was a white-haired old man dressed in a long robe. He doubled as Saint Freya Academy¡¯s principal and Brolne¡¯s chief senator, Antonio. Had Roel been here, he might have mistaken this for a parent-teacher conference, as was the norm for schools in his previous world, though Antonio and Carter were indeed talking about him. ¡°I see. So, Roel is looking for Miss Alicia right now?¡± ¡°Indeed. After he read Alicia¡¯s letter, he passed on his duties here to me and bade me farewell. Sire Antonio, what do you think about this matter?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s for the best.¡± Antonio heaved a sigh of relief as he replied. To ensure that there were no hupster on, Antonio told Carter about matters rting to ¡®Academic¡¯ Astrid Arde. In fact, that was one of the reasons behind Antonio¡¯s sudden visit. Even though a thousand years had passed, Astrid was still the ancestor of the Ascart House. With her impending awakening, Antonio thought that he ought to inform the Ascarts about the matter, especially since he knew Roel was concerned about it. Carter had been busy dealing with the deviants all this while, but Roel had made sure to deliver thetest happenings in the Ascart House to him via their internalmunication channels, so it didn¡¯t take Antonio too much effort to exin the situation to him. ¡°All right, I understand what¡¯s going on,¡± Carter said as he let out a mncholic sigh. With an earnest expression, he replied, ¡°Lord Astrid is our ancestor from a thousand years ago, not to mention that she¡¯s a hero who sacrificed herself so that we can enjoy our current peace. There¡¯s no reason for us not to help her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. Truth be told, Lord Astrid has been very concerned about the Ascart House before she went into hibernation. She¡¯ll be overjoyed to know that you¡¯re willing to wee her with open hands.¡± Antonio was delighted to be able to fulfill his master¡¯s wish. Carter also nodded with a smile. Even with Roel¡¯s recent rise into prominence, Carter still had the higher standing in the Ascart House as its patriarch, so it would appear more sincere on the Ascart House¡¯s part if he were the one weing the awakened Astrid. Antonio felt like a boulder had been lifted from his chest after fulfilling his primary agenda. The conversation moved on to Roel and Alicia, as he was hoping to get a rough estimate as to when Roel could return. To his surprise, Carter¡¯s expression turned grim. ¡°Chief Senator Antonio, there are reports that Alicia has reached Origin Level 1. May I know if the information is true?¡± ¡°Yes, the information is most likely credible. There aren¡¯t many witnesses, as she was too far away, but Roel, Nora, and a few others who sensed her arrived at the same conclusion. It¡¯s unlikely for all of them to have misjudged.¡± ¡°That could pose a problem, then.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± Antonio raised his eyebrows before he realized what Carter was getting at. ¡°Rest assured, Marquess Carter. Roel has defeated the Deviant Sovereign in a direct confrontation. With his strength, he should be able to handle Miss Alicia, even if she has reached Origin Level 1.¡± ¡°I hope so,¡± Carter replied with a bitter smile. Antonio¡¯s assurance failed to alleviate Carter¡¯s worries, though thetter chose not to say anything. He didn¡¯t think that Antonio, who had never witnessed Alicia¡¯s true power, could understand his worries. Although Roel had defeated Banjol, who wasparable to an ancient god, Alicia would never lose to a burst-power-type transcendent. On top of that, she was already able to exert power almostparable to an Origin Level 1 when she was at Origin Level 2. It was hard to imagine how powerful she was now that she had advanced to Origin Level 1. And there is a full moon tonight. Carter nced at the cold moonlight outside the window with a heavy heart. He recalled the determined expression on Roel¡¯s face before he took his leave, and he fervently prayed that everything would go well. ¡­ Chapter 626.2: The Third Choice (2)

Chapter 626.2: The Third Choice (2)

Exactly how strong was Alicia? Roel didn¡¯t have the answer to that question, since he was of the mindset that he would have already lost the war if he allowed Alicia to step onto the battlefield. While Alicia had been keen to contribute to the Ascart House wherever possible, Roel had always stopped her because he didn¡¯t want to put her in danger. His overly protective attitude resulted in him not having the chance to properly examine and analyze her strength and spells. Who could have thought that would backfire on him one day? On the nighttime in, Roel stared at the flood of raging mana rushing at him with bulging eyes. Faced with such a furious onught, he had no choice but to make his retreat. He knew that his greatest weakness against Alicia was his mana quantity, and that would most likely be the reason behind his downfall. Alicia, as an Origin Level 1 transcendent, was bound to have more mana than Roel. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she had inherited a portion of the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers and soul, making her stronger than most Race Sovereigns. On top of that, she could further raise her prowess by paying a heavy price. Roel hurriedly retreated, took out the Lobor Restoration and Enhancement Serum Type III, and gulped it down. As he swallowed the serum, he felt a searing heat spreading from his stomach to the other parts of his body. His heartbeat hastened, his limbs became stronger, and his mind became sharper. His fighting prowess had been raised to another level. What a potent medicine! Roel thought. He figured that the burning sensation he felt was the serum¡¯s effect. The moment it died down, he would enter a period of exhaustion. By then, he wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against an enemy of Alicia¡¯s caliber. He might even lose his life as a result. I need to end things fast, or else things might get dangerous. Roel couldn¡¯t even escape via Silver Devourer, as Alicia could chase him with Shrouding Fog. He would be losing his blood with each teleportation, whereas she wouldn¡¯t have to pay any price at all. His golden eyes lit up as he channeled his mana toward his Crown Origin Attribute, and a pir of crimson light surged into the sky. A humongous skeleton giant manifested out of thin air, and it raised its palm to tank the iing deluge of mana from the sky. The deluge of mana devastated the surroundings, but it was unable to ovee Grandar¡¯s protection at all. Alicia narrowed her eyes as she beckoned the Cmities behind her. She knew about the Kingmaker n¡¯s ability to contract with the ancient gods, which was why she had chosen to engage helpers of her own too. A billowing white fog charged at Roel under hermand, and the flickering aurora converged together before unleashing an inescapable rain of light beams. In retaliation, Roel raised his palm, and the earth shook. Tapping into the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones and the Primordial Earth Goddess, a surge of searingva rushed into the sky as if an explosive firework, shing with the descending light beams. Boooom! An intense explosion ensued. The ground shook as if the earth was groaning. Lava spilled from the sky as light diffused into the surroundings, bringing about yet another wave of cmity. Graaar! The Egg of the Beast God was torched by the scatteredva and light, making it scream frantically, but neither Alicia nor Roel paid any heed to it. Meanwhile, the crimson skeleton giant began its showdown with the white fog. Shrouding Fog was an overwhelmingly powerful enemy; it was the culprit who had cornered him into entering the Witness State back then. In order to bring back a loved one, he had to stand up against this old enemy and ovee it. ¡°Crown,¡± Roel murmured with an unwavering voice. He infused a steady stream of mana into his Crown Origin Attribute, which manifested a shard of the crown¡¯s fragment. With the crown¡¯s fragment, he crowned the noble Sovereign. A mana crown formed on Grandar¡¯s head, and his crimson aura intensified like a rising sun. This was the power the Giant Sovereign had wielded in his peak. Simrly, Shrouding Fog also bared its fangs. The entire mass of white fog swooped downward, with a howling face vaguely appearing in its ever-changing form every now and then. It was so expansive that it covered everything else in Roel¡¯s sight, be it the scene of the other battle or the floating remains of the Egg of the Beast God. Nothing could stop Shrouding Fog¡¯s advancement, just like how countless civilizations before humankind had failed. Roel¡¯s face turned grim. He raised his head to look at Grandar, only to see that thetter was unmoved. The Six Cmities were foes to be reckoned with, feared even back in the days of the legends, but the Giant Sovereign showed no fear whatsoever. What did he have to fear when he had personally crushed the depraved Savior? Compared to that, other enemies were not worth a mention at all. Faced with the billowing white fog, Grandar let loose an earth-shaking howl. With the Crown Origin Attribute¡¯s buff, a crimson aura surged into the sky like aet, charging straight for the iing white ocean. The two forces shed, generating a devastating shockwave that rippled across the in. Grandar¡¯s unstoppable might pierced through Shrouding Fog as if splitting the ocean into two halves, whereas the white fog frenziedly howled as it devoured Grandar¡¯s body. It was such a tremendous impact that theva and aurora tearing at each other in the sky halted and shuddered. The shockwave had Shrouding Fog¡¯s body scattering in all directions, but Grandar¡¯s body began to disappear too. Roel channeled his mana with clenched teeth, repairing the Giant Sovereign¡¯s body again and again. Simrly, Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes glowed as she supplied a ceaseless stream of mana to her twopanions. Shrouding Fog and Light Devourer were conceptual existences that could be healed with the Mother Goddess¡¯ power, making them equivalent to Roel¡¯s contracted ancient gods. That was also the reason she was without fear. Alicia and Roel would inevitably have their mana swiftly depleted over the course of this battle, and this would be beneficial to Alicia, who enjoyed the greater mana quantity and superior mana regeneration. However, Roel thought differently. A battle of attrition was advantageous to Alicia, but Roel and Grandar¡¯s goal, whenever they fought alongside each other, had never been to oust their opponent. Victory was the only thing they had their eyes on. ¡°Grandar!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes lit aze as he channeled the mana he had been charging thus far into his soul, invoking a transformation. The world before him fell silent. The explosions came to a halt, and he suddenly seemed to see an order to the chaos happening around him. It felt like he had been liberated from thews of the world. Under this sudden burst of power, his ck hair lost its color and turned silver. The powers that had been unique to Goddess Sia began to manifest inside him. At the same time, Grandar raised his head to the sky and roared. His body began rising toward the sky with a burst of crimson light, emanating brilliance that outshone the cold silver moon. The scenery of a sunset in appeared behind him like a mirage, as giant warriors roared war cries to praise their indomitable Sovereign. Grandar¡¯s Divine Domain was the glorious battlefield where he and his race had sacrificed themselves to save the world. It was an unstoppable force that brought down even the depraved Savior, the greatest triumph of the Giants. How could Shrouding Fog possibly hope to suppress something like that? ¡°Go!¡± ¡°Mm!¡± The Sia-fied Roel raised his hand to bestow a holy light imbued with the Genesis Goddess¡¯ power upon the Giant Sovereign, pushing thetter¡¯s strength a step further. Grandar was so overflowing with power that shockwaves rippled from his body. Shrouding Fog shrieked in terror before its enemy¡¯s intimidating presence. Behind it, Alicia¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief when she sensed a familiar auraing from Roel and Grandar. ¡°Run away right now!¡± Alicia ordered. She channeled all of her mana, but her effort was futile. The inevitable couldn¡¯t be changed. By the time Grandar raised his fist once more, the aura he emanated was no longer crimson but holy white. It was a pure light that embodied neither the sun nor the moon, but the genesis light from the creation of the world. On this day, the Giant Sovereign was going to light up the world with its grandeur once more. Roel¡¯s and Grandar¡¯s roars converged into one, thetter¡¯s fist rushing forth as a colossal pir of light that separated the world into two. The aurora in the sky quickly retreated, and the remains of the Egg of the Beast God fellpletely silent out of fear. Shrouding Fog, with the support of Alicia¡¯s mana, became so concentrated that it was almost corporeal, but its thick and boundless body proved to be inadequate before the attack that was almost like divine retribution. Boom! A white light inundated the in, turning the night into day. Shrouding Fog¡¯s cries of agony were silenced by the explosion, as its tattered white body was blown into the surroundings. The white ocean was finally split into two. After countless years, the seemingly invincible Cmity had finally tasted defeat. Having lost half of its body, Shrouding Fog anxiously billowed away in a hurry. The white light that had pierced through its body continued to whiz into the distance, looking like aet flying beyond the horizon. Roel watched the enemy who had once brought him despair flee as the whiteness in his hair receded. The sunset in mirage behind Grandar faded, as the Giant Sovereign exchanged gazes with the young man beneath. Then, the two of them looked forward at the same time. A moment of silence lingered on the ins. Alicia, wrapped in Light Devourer¡¯s aurora, red at Roel with a contemtive glint in her eyes, while Roel fearlessly met her gaze. Slowly, Alicia¡¯s eyes turned sharp, and she quietly raised her hand. Under the moonlight, she murmured her next move. ¡°Divine Domain.¡± Chapter 627.1: Forces Combined (1)

Chapter 627.1: Forces Combined (1)

In Noyce Fortress¡¯ highest tower, Lilian looked at the full moon outside her window with contemtive eyes, while her maid, Audrey, browsed through the intelligence reports behind her. Tonight seemed no different from the others, but Audrey found it weirdly hard to concentrate on the intelligence reports in her hands. Her eyes would asionally flicker between her liege and the clock on the table, and there was a look of dilemma on her face. Most people wouldn¡¯t have been able to sense anything different about Lilian, but Audrey knew her liege better than anyone else, which was why she was worried. For the past two years, Lilian had been able to freely move around due to a spell temporarily halting the growth of her child, but in recent days, it hade to Audrey¡¯s notice that the spell might have been slowly wearing off. Her deduction was based on Lilian¡¯s appetite. For the longest time, Lilian had suffered from a horrible morning sickness that made it difficult for her to eat anything, but she overcame it through sheer willpower and maternal love. Even so, her appetite was hardly good at all. Eating had been both a mission and a torture to her. Yet, in recent days, her reluctance to eat suddenly vanished, and her appetite greatly improved. The disappearance of her morning sickness was no miracle; it could only mean that the child in her womb had started developing. That naturally caught Audrey¡¯s attention, and it greatly worried her. It was terrible timing. Lilian had been building up her forces in the past two years, and with the recent political changes in the Austine Empire and their imminent operation to rescue Paul Ackermann, it was finally time for her to mobilize her forces. It was no exaggeration to say that they were on the brink of an internal war, and this was a time when Lilian¡¯s strength was needed more than ever. Having her child develop at this juncture was equivalent to Lilian being shackled down, which didn¡¯t bode well given the circumstances. There were so many things Audrey wanted to say about this matter, but she found herself at a loss for words when she was met with Lilian¡¯s calm expression. Little did she know that Lilian was not asposed as she looked. Lilian knew about her body¡¯s changes better than anyone else. In fact, she had a premonition about the resumption of her child¡¯s development before it even happened. A month ago, a girl who was suspected to be Roel and her daughter appeared before her and advised her to go all-out for the Battle of Scorched Earth. That changed her initial decision, and thanks to that, they sessfully saved Roel in the very end. Since then, she had a feeling that something was about to happen. Temporal spells were one of the few research fields humankind hadn''t made much progress in. All spells had a chance of failure, and this rang especially true for something as elusive as temporal spells. Nevertheless, the situation still proved to be tricky even though Lilian was prepared for it. ¡°Your Highness, are you not going to rest? It¡¯s gettingte.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like resting yet. You may continue organizing the reports. Pay no heed to me.¡± ¡°I am done organizing the reports.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Caught off guard by how much time had passed, Lilian turned to look at Audrey in surprise, only to spot thetter¡¯s hesitant face. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to rest yet. Feel free to speak your mind.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. I discovered issues from the reports I organized earlier, and I¡¯ll state my conclusion first.¡± Audrey¡¯s expression turned serious after she received Lilian¡¯s permission to speak. ¡°It¡¯ll be impossible to save His Highness Paul without stirring a conflict.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian fell silent. Audrey went on to share the reasons leading to her conclusion. Paul Ackermann was currently residing in the inner city¡¯s secondary pce, Emperor Lukas¡¯ private property. This was usually a privilege exclusive to the princes of the main lineage; an illegitimate son like Paul should have never enjoyed such treatment. Yet, for reasons unbeknownst to the others, Emperor Lukas insisted on having Paul Ackermann apany him to his secondary pce. The security of the secondary pce was extremely tight, with personnel mainlyprising imperial guards. It would be almost impossible to slip a spy in. Their only hope of rescuing Paul from the secondary pce was to resort to forceful measures, or in other words,unch an attack on the secondary pce. Attacking the secondary pce while Emperor Lukas was residing there would be a challenge to his authority, so it was bound to have severe repercussions. That was also what Audrey had been worried about. There were plenty of rumors about how strong Emperor Lukas was, but it was certain that he was at least an Origin Level 1 transcendent. In contrast, Lilian was still at Origin Level 2, as she had refrained from making a breakthrough out of worry for her child. Lilian was at a disadvantage in terms of individual strength, and it didn¡¯t help that her child had started growing at this juncture. She was bound to be distracted by the safety of her child if she engaged Emperor Lukas in a battle, especially given how fond she was of her child. In the end, Audrey decided to state her point of view despite knowing she was overstepping her boundaries. She took a moment to deliberate on her words before saying, ¡°Your Highness, the intelligence we have gathered shows that an operation to rescue His Highness Paul is too risky. It could culminate in a full-blown war. ¡°Furthermore, it¡¯s unlikely that any danger will befall His Highness Paul for the time being even though he¡¯s being incarcerated there. In contrast, if we make a move now, we¡¯d turn His Majesty hostile. The chances of us winning against His Majesty are too slim without the backing of an Origin Level 1 transcendent. You might even fall into danger. The cons outweigh the pros!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian didn¡¯t respond to Audrey¡¯s logical analysis. She couldn¡¯t even refute those words, as she agreed with them. It was still too early for her to fracture her ties with Emperor Lukas, especially when she wasn¡¯t in the best condition at the moment. She should have been biding her time and resting up till her delivery, and she would have done so if not for the girl¡¯s words. You mustn¡¯t let Paul die, or else our father¡­ Her daughter had paid a heavy price to invoke a temporal spell to ry that message to her. It wasn¡¯t just once or twice that she had heard weird noises in the past few days. A high transcendent like her wouldn¡¯t suffer from auditory hallucination, so the only exnation was that her future daughter was still trying her best to contact her. Contacting Lilian through a temporal spell was bound to take a heavy toll on the girl, but that didn¡¯t deter her attempts. This showed that this matter must have been of great importance. Lilian had no idea what kind of repercussions Paul¡¯s death had, but she dared not to gamble on it after the precedent at the Battle of Scorched Earth. ¡°This matter isn¡¯t just about Paul. Other factors are at stake too. We¡¯ll carry on with our n,¡± Lilian said after a long bout of silence. Audrey was unable to conceal the skepticism in her eyes, but after some hesitation, she chose not to pursue the matter. Having known Lilian for many years, she knew that thetter wouldn¡¯t easily change her mind. However, the obstacles in their way still needed to be addressed. ¡°Nevertheless, it¡¯s highly improbable that we¡¯ll be able to rescue His Highness Paul right under His Majesty¡¯s nose¡­¡± Audrey raised the biggest question about their operation. ¡°¡­¡± Lilian looked at the dim in outside the window as she stroked her belly. ¡°I¡¯ll make a breakthrough to Origin Level 1.¡± ¡°But, Your Highness¡­ What about your child?¡± ¡°I have refrained from advancing to Origin Level 1 to avoid disturbing the temporal spell I have ced on my child, but now that the temporal spell has lost its effectiveness, there¡¯s no need for me to suppress my growth anymore. Besides¡­ I can sense that she isn¡¯t that weak.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Audrey opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, she could only let out a helpless sigh. Advancing to Origin Level 1 was their only solution at the moment, but no one in their right mind would make this critical breakthrough while they were pregnant. The level of difficulty was much higher, and failure came with severe consequences. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, be it for myself or the rest of you,¡± Lilian reassured her maid with a gentle tone. She looked at the moonlit sky as she mustered her determination. ¡­ Chapter 627.2: Forces Combined (2)

Chapter 627.2: Forces Combined (2)

How many times have I stood before her? The ck-haired man couldn¡¯t remember the answer to this question anymore. Ever since he learned her whereabouts, he had been constantly knocking on her door to request her help, but it always ended with him getting knocked out, other than his first encounter with her. It was no different this time. ¡°Hu¡­ Hu¡­ Hu¡­¡± In a dimly-lit castle, the man gasped for air as he climbed up from a pile of rubble. He nced at the holy white armor he was wearing and saw that its light was starting to dim. This meant that he was reaching his limit. Even so, he refused to give up. Brushing the rock fragments off himself, he struggled back onto his feet to face the lofty figure, who hadn¡¯t moved a single step from the start to the end. ¡°¡­You still wish to continue this farce?¡± the ck-haired, golden-eyed woman asked with a heavy voice. ¡°Mm,¡± the man replied affirmatively. The woman was unsurprised by his answer, but this time around, she didn¡¯tunch her attack right away. As she looked at the man struggling amidst the rubble, her icy-cold expression wavered for the first time. She let out a sigh and said, ¡°I have said this many times. You can¡¯t defeat me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the limit of what you Ackermanns can do. Give up.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m surprised that you¡¯d try to convince me to surrender.¡± ¡°It¡¯s vexing to have to defeat the same opponent again and again,¡± the woman said as she slightly averted her gaze from the tottering man. The man shook his head and said, ¡°Defeat me? I don¡¯t think you have done so yet. The first time we met, you told me not to appear before you again or else you¡¯d make me suffer pain worse than death. You aplished thetter, but not the former.¡± Despite being barely propped up by a sword, the man looked at the woman with resolute eyes as he said with conviction, ¡°I still stand before you. I haven¡¯t lost yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unlike before, the woman didn¡¯t refute his words. While she had spared his life solely because he was an Ackermann, she hadn¡¯t gone easy on him at all. In fact, she had spared no effort in inflicting pain on him. Yet, despite his body being pushed to its limit again and again, his determination only seemed to grow stronger. Looking at it from her initial aim, it would appear that she had lost this war. ¡°Why are you so obsessed with me? You should have no trouble obtaining the crown with your current strength.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that my ambition goes further than that. I aspire to inherit the initial ideals of the Ackermanns and the Ardes.¡± ¡°Ideals¡­¡± The woman clenched her fists tightly, and her body began to tremble. A rare crack appeared on her usual impassive face. ¡°It¡¯s toote to be talking about ideals! My n has been torn apart, and the Twilight Sages Assembly has disbanded. We have long since given up on your so-called ideals. You might be different from your predecessors, but it¡¯s all toote now!¡± ¡°What is toote?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the threats that grow with each passing day? Or are you referring to the gradual weakening of our ns?¡± the man asked as he slowly walked forward. ¡°In the distant past, before the founding of the empire, we humans were scattered in the world, wandering aimlessly on this vast continent. Our ancestors were the ones who lit the torch and rallied our people together. They had been weaker than we are now, and their circumstances had been tougher, but did they stop because it was toote for them to make a move? ¡°No, they didn¡¯t. They weren¡¯tte at all. It¡¯s never toote to oppose evil and pursue a brighter future. A zing torch is ignited by a spark. Every journey starts from a step. Why can¡¯t we be the pioneers to lead the march forward? We might not find sess in our generation, but our hard work will create opportunities for the future, so¡­¡± The man extended his hand toward the woman. The woman trembled, and her golden eyes shook with hesitation. There was an almost resigned look on her face as she said hoarsely, ¡°But it¡¯s different this time around¡­ Our enemies can¡¯t be defeated. Rather than to oppose the inevitable, we might as well¡­¡± ¡°They can be defeated. We still have the final n.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get it. We suffered far too many losses during our search for the Chaos Dream, so we weren¡¯t able to finish our preparations for the final n. It¡¯s impossible to execute it.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m aware of it. I¡¯m here to propose a new possibility.¡± The man raised his hand, and an intense light pulsed from his grasp. An iparably holy aura swiftly suffused the gloomy castle. ¡°I know it might still becking, but I didn¡¯te before you without preparations.¡± . ¡°T-this¡­ How is this possible?!¡± The woman widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ll know whether it¡¯s real or not once you test it,¡± the man said with a smirk as he raised his glowing weapon. ¡°¡­Come at me.¡± The woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening her eyes once more. Her golden eyes glowed with a zing me. The man charged at the woman with a furious howl, swinging his glowing sword with unstoppable momentum. Tremendous energy poured out from the sword and irradiated the surroundings with a blinding light. The woman flitted forth as she drew out her true prowess for the first time to receive the attack. A deafening explosion ensued. The dark castle crumbled. The sh between the blinding light and the ancient gods culminated in a pir of light that surged into the sky. Rock fragments were sent flying in all directions, and a cloud of dust was stirred. It took a long time before everything settled down. Once again, the man copsed onto the ground, his armor darker than ever. He looked at the constetions in the sky and heaved a helpless sigh. ¡°I still lost in the end.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily so,¡± the woman said as she walked out of the rubble. She touched her sleeve, which had been partially nicked, as a faint smile slowly formed on her lips. Somehow, she looked as if she had been relieved of a heavy burden. ¡°132 battles over the span of two years. Charles Ackermann, I admit defeat. You¡¯ve won.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that I have to defeat you in order to¡­¡± ¡°¡­You must have a rock for your brain. How can anyone in this world defeat me?¡± the woman scoffed before sighing. ¡°But I¡¯ll concede to your determination. I¡¯ll help you in ordance with our agreement.¡± ¡°Are you serious about this?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. You have chosen a road filled with thorns, one that you won¡¯t be able to journey to the end of by yourself¡­ You understand what it means to have me apany you, right?¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± the man asked in confusion. The woman shed an ¡®amicable¡¯ smile at him as she warned, ¡°Your n doesn¡¯t have a good track record. Let it be known that I won¡¯t hesitate to take your life if I see any signs of you going down the wrong path. I have enough hatred for you people to do so.¡± ¡°Is that so? Hahaha. What a pity.¡± ¡°Pity?¡± Achieving his long-time goal had loosened the man¡¯s taut nerves by so much that his mind went a bit nk, and his voice also weakened a little. ¡°¡­I am quite fond of you¡­¡± ¡°!¡± His mind seemed toe to a halt after he finished those words, and his consciousness started to fade. Thest thing he saw before closing his eyes was her flustered expression. As if swapping ces with the ck-haired man in the dream, Paul Ackermann opened his eyes to a dimly-lit room inside the resplendent secondary pce. He stared at the ceiling for a long time before slowly sitting upright. He unconsciously murmured the name of the woman imprinted in his mind. ¡°Carolyn Ascart¡­¡± ¡­ Chapter 627.3: Forces Combined (3)

Chapter 627.3: Forces Combined (3)

How strong were the gods in the ancient era? This question had been on Roel¡¯s mind for a long time. In a bid to find the answer, the younger Roel had once consulted Grandar and the others about it, only to receive a surprising answer. Origin Level 1. Reaching Origin Level 1 was a momentous feat that only a very small number of the most talented people could hope to reach, but even so, there was still a huge gap between Origin Level 1 transcendents and ancient gods. For instance, Magician King Priestley was an Origin Level 1 transcendent too, but his strength wasckingpared to Grandar and the others. This begat the question: What gives rise to the power differences among Origin Level 1 transcendents? While there were many answers to this question, the most significant factor that drew a boundary between the strong and the weak was the Divine Domain. Reaching Origin Level 1 provided the foundation required for one to grasp the world¡¯sws, but an individual had to achieve a deep understanding of the world¡¯sws if they wanted to create their Divine Domain. However, most people were unable to grasp the world¡¯sws, so they could only tap into the most rudimentary powers of an Origin Level 1 transcendent. Those whoprehended the Divine Domain could achieve godhood, whereas those who failed to do so were capped at bing a Race Sovereign. Roel hadn¡¯t expected Alicia, who had only reached Origin Level 1 not long ago, to have grasped this ultimate skill. ¡°Divine Domain.¡± As Alicia murmured those words under the moonlight, Roel¡¯s face turned grim at this unexpected trump card. Alicia narrowed her eyes and reaffirmed her judgment. Her previous strategy was simple¡ªshe would channel her colossal mana into Shrouding Fog and Light Devourer to tie down Roel until he expended all his mana. It was a sound n, as prolonging the battle was a good way to deal with burst-type transcendents. However, Roel understood this logic too, which was why he chose to give it his all. He devastated Shrouding Fog¡¯s humongous body through Sia-fication and Grandar¡¯s astounding strength, rendering Shrouding Fog powerless for the time being. On top of that, Alicia had to expend several times as much mana as he had used to save Shrouding Fog from the attack. Alicia ultimately expended more mana than him in the sh, and the result would likely be the same if she sent Light Devourer up next. Thus, her only option was to resort to her Divine Domain. ¡°Grandar!¡± Roel called for hispanion, who immediately charged at Alicia to stop her before her Divine Domain was fully unleashed. However, the aurora swooped in to protect Alicia in ce of the white fog. Its light flickered rhythmically as if it was breathing, and tremendous mana surged in from the surroundings. The crimson lightning from Grandar¡¯s earlier strike, Shrouding Fog¡¯s dissipated body, and the Egg of the Beast God¡¯s dark remnants¡ªLight Devourer was amassing these forces into a bundle of cataclysmic light energy. As soon as the aurora stopped flickering, the cataclysmic light energy rippled outward with the momentum of a tsunami and wrecked the ins. However, Roel was undeterred. Grandar hurled his fist, producing a burst of crimson lightning that protected Roel as he charged straight through the cataclysmic light energy. Deafening explosions shook him, but nothing could draw his attention away from the silver-haired woman in the sky. Slowly, the gap between Roel and Alicia narrowed. All of a sudden, the silver moonlight from the sky intensified. Mana began converging from the ins around Roel, causing the space around him to harden. His charge became increasingly arduous with each step, resulting in a significant slowing of his movements. Meanwhile, iridescent lights manifested around Alicia, heralding her Divine Domain. Feeling intense danger from those iridescent lights, Roel clenched his jaw and absorbed the dense mana around him before channeling it toward his Crown¡¯s Stones. A frost aura, yellow tempest, searing magma, white fog, and ck clouds rushed out and surged toward the sky. Boom! Thebined powers of the ancient Cmities shattered the spatial moonlight seal as if it was fragile ss, and the resulting shockwave shook the sky. Even the lofty silver moon trembled before Roel¡¯s might in this very instant and dimmed. Light Devourer¡¯s all-out attack had temporarily kept Grandar¡¯s punch at bay, but it fell short of holding Roel back. A billowing white fog rushed forward to shield Alicia, but it was as flimsy as a thin veil. It felt like nothing could stop Roel anymore. I can do it! Bolstered by a white fog and a dark cloud, Roel charged with unstoppable momentum toward the silver-haired woman in the sky. The yellow tempest giant was tenaciously blocking Light Devourer¡¯s every move, whereas the frost aura was holding back Shrouding Fog in the sky. Grandar had begun channeling crimson lightning and mes in his fist once more, ready to end this battle. Just as it looked like everything wasing to an end, Shrouding Fog suddenly parted to reveal aposed silver-haired woman and the domain she had just unleashed. This is bad! Roel hurriedly retreated in rm, but it was all toote. Silver moonlight washed over the world. The vast ins vanished, and a moonlit sea took their ce. Alicia stood alone in the sky, with Shrouding Fog and Light Devourer nowhere to be seen. The silver moon looked unchanged at first nce, but upon closer look, there was a shadow silhouette ovepped behind it. Roel widened his eyes as he realized the significance of the silver moon¡¯s shadow silhouette. It was the ck Moon. Chapter 628.1: A Small Window for Victory (1)

Chapter 628.1: A Small Window for Victory (1)

The ocean was a ce where many legends were born, both in Roel¡¯s previous and current life. In the Sia Continent, the ocean was the origin of all lives. It was said in the oldest legend that Sia had creatednd from the ocean, and it was from that that she created all lives. Due to that, the ocean also represented motherhood. It was a vital part of Sia¡¯s powers, and it was inherited by the Mother Goddess after Her soul split into two. Given that Alicia had inherited the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, it was not surprising that her Divine Domain was the ocean. Roel wasn¡¯t too intimidated by the ocean, but the phenomenon in the sky made his heart clench. He recognized it to be the Twin Moons, an ancient phenomenon that had been long forgotten by the humans of the current era. Just the sight of it was enough to chill his heart. The ck Moon represented punishment and enforcement, but it was also the source of all evil and depravity. It had been one of the Mother Goddess¡¯ strongest means in the ancient era. Yet, it was now making a reappearance in the form of Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain. Roel had never felt such stiffness in his body before. The overwhelming death chill he felt from the ck Moon made it difficult for him to take a single step. Alicia extended a hand toward him and murmured, ¡°Commandment.¡± The two moons in the sky shuddered, and the ck Moon¡¯s darkness began to spiral. Roel felt a peculiar sensation as if he had caught the eye of an immensely terrifying being. Warmth drained from his body, and his fighting will was extinguished like candlelight in a cold night. At the same time, he felt the powers of his Crown¡¯s Stones swiftly receding from his body. The howling tempest giant and the ferocious beast manifested from a frost aura dissipated. The searing magma, having lost its source of power, fell back down to the ground as lumps of earth. The white fog and ck cloud quietly dispersed as if they had never existed. Roel¡¯s Crown¡¯s Stones were extinguished one after another, not reacting at all no matter how he tried to stimte them with his mana, as if they had been sealed off by an invisible hand. Having lost the support of the ancient Cmities, he swiftly plummeted under the intense pressure from the sky. This was the moment he realized that he couldn¡¯t win this battle. His earlier feats were already plenty impressive. Not only did he severely wound Shrouding Fog and ward off Light Devourer, but he had also significantly depleted Alicia¡¯s mana, causing her to suffer from a temporary mana shortage. It was a miracle for him to have cornered her this far on a full moon night. However, he had to pay a heavy price for that. His soul had to suffer the toll of Sia-fication, and the side effects of the Crown¡¯s Stones were starting to settle in one by one after he channeled them to their limits. On top of that, he had significantly depleted his stamina just to get here. He was already at his limit. Most importantly of all, the emergence of the ck Moon had sealed his fate. The ck Moon had sealed off his Crown¡¯s Stones, which meant that he could only rely on his ancient gods. Furthermore, Alicia was stillpletely unharmed, and she was swiftly recovering her mana with each passing second under the silver moon. It was total despair for Roel. As if knowing that the battle had already been decided, Alicia didn¡¯t bother curbing Roel right away. Instead, she looked at him with glowing crimson eyes as she asked with a cold voice, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you not going to attack? You can¡¯t take me away like that. Or could it be that you¡¯re aware of the consequences of approaching the ck Moon?¡± She was assessing Roel¡¯s expression, as if curious to know how he would respond. Roel looked at her before replying with a nod, ¡°The ck Moon is one of the Mother Goddess¡¯ most important authorities. It is the terminus for unforgivable criminals, as well as the reason behind the Savior¡¯s depravity and downfall.¡± ¡°As expected of your n. You know a lot. You should understand what¡¯s awaiting you, then?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Roel nodded, but contrary to her expectation, he looked neither terrified nor despondent. Instead, he looked at her imposing and divine figure and smiled hearteningly. ¡°You have grown strong, Alicia.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia narrowed her eyes. She looked confused for a brief moment before she started to frown deeply. ¡°I have grown strong? What are you saying? I don¡¯t want to hear that nonsense. Do you think I¡¯d let you off? That¡¯s impossible.¡± Her mana pulsated with the wavering of the moon, as she looked at the man below and coldly uttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to intervene; Lord Mother should have been the one to judge you and your n, Kingmaker, but the situation has changed. You pose too huge of a threat to us¡­ And your actions have piqued my ire again and again.¡± Rage flickered across Alicia¡¯s eyes as she thought about Roel¡¯s earlier attacks. His earlier smile also left her inexplicably vexed. Unable to suppress her emotions anymore, she roared at him, ¡°Why did you not direct your attacks at me? You know about the ck Moon, so you should also know about my regeneration. Why didn¡¯t you attack me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s expression stiffened up. He didn¡¯t know how he should answer that question. Hisck of response further fanned Alicia¡¯s frustration. Thebined attackunched by Roel and Grandar earlier had sted off half of the colossal Shrouding Fog¡¯s body despite Alicia and Light Devourer¡¯s best attempts to stop it. If that attack had been aimed at Alicia instead, she would have disintegrated into bits by now. This was not to say that Alicia would have died from that, but she would have taken a long time to recover from it. That was a golden chance for Roel, but he let it slip past his fingers. She could tell that it was no oversight on his part; he had done it intentionally. Due to that, she had ample time to release her Divine Domain and force him back. ¡°What do you think war is? ying house? Or are you making light of me? Did you think that I¡¯d forever y second fiddle to you?¡± the infuriated Alicia questioned. Roel shook his head and replied, ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ It wasn¡¯t part of my n.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I told you. My goal is to bring you back home. Alicia, you¡¯d always be family to me no matter who you are. I can never direct such an attack at you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia fell silent. She locked her crimson eyes on the man beneath her, but she couldn¡¯t detect the slightest trace of falsehood in his words. Before she knew it, her vexation turned into a dull heartache, and her body trembled ever so slightly. ¡°¡­Nothing will change no matter what you say.¡± ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t intend to give up. However, I hope you can promise me one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be best if I win, but if I lose and die at your hands, please promise me that you¡¯ll never recall your memories as a human.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia was taken aback. Looking at Roel¡¯s sorrowful smile, she felt her mind heating up, and she blurted out, ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t it your goal to make me remember my time as a human?¡± ¡°Yes, but above that, I wish for you to be happy. You can do without those memories if they only bring you pain. I believe our goals coincide in that regard?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia was left at a loss for words. She could feel irrepressible fear rising up inside her. If the ck-haired man is really someone iparably important to me¡­ If my adoption into the Kingmaker n was really a coincidence¡­ Is what I¡¯m doing right? Can I confidently say that I won¡¯t regret my decision? Why am I even averse to recalling my time as a human? Is it not important to me, or am I trying to turn my eyes away because I¡¯m afraid it¡¯d change me? She was terribly confused. The silver moon in the sky wavered in reflection of her feelings. Roel looked at her and dered, ¡°It¡¯s time. Let¡¯s begin our final battle.¡± He unleashed his remaining mana and rushed at Alicia. Thetter initially took a step back, but she gritted her teeth and directed the prowess of her Divine Domain at him. ¡­ Chapter 628.2: A Small Window for Victory (2)

Chapter 628.2: A Small Window for Victory (2)

The only thing Roel could see right now were towering waves that stretched from one end of the world to the other. He couldn¡¯t say that he had seen many Divine Domains, but he was certain that Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain had to be one of the strongest. The ck Moon in the sky represented absolute might; not even the ancient gods dared to be insolent before its prowess. However, the ocean beneath their feet was treacherous as well. Towering waves crashed down on them one after another, forcing Grandar to hurl his fists again and again to ward them off. Thanks to the Giant Sovereign¡¯s protection, Roel was able to slowly advance toward Alicia. Still, relying on Grandar¡¯s punches to ward off the waves was not the most efficient maneuver. Roel was burning a great deal of mana due to that. However, he had no other choice, since the ocean contained a spell that absorbed one¡¯s life force. Controlling life force had always been Alicia¡¯s forte. In this Divine Domain, she wielded absolute power over all life that fell into the ocean. Should Roel be directly struck by the waves, he would have a huge amount of life force instantaneously siphoned away from him, thus be pushed toward death. No defense couldst long against such relentless waves of cmitous attacks. The only hope of surviving this ordeal was to quickly bring down the enemy, but just attempting to get close to Alicia had already severely drained Roel¡¯s mana. This prolonged battle battered his body and mind, but he refused to give up, for he had onest ace up his sleeve. It was thanks to the Loborian serum that Roel was still holding on, but there was a time limit to its effectiveness. As soon as the serum¡¯s benefits wore off, its side effects would start to settle in, and his physical condition would swiftly deteriorate. This was the moment Roel had been waiting for. Being Toward Death had always been his greatest trump card to turn the tides around in times of adversity. Furthermore, Alicia, after having lost her memories, wouldn¡¯t know about this ability of his, so she would be caught off guard. The odds were stacked against him in this battle; he knew his only hope at victory was to exploit the information asymmetry between them. This was the decisive moment; it was either make or break. Alicia was in an advantageous position here, and not just because she was an Origin Level 1 transcendent or because her astounding stamina and recovery prowess was a bad match for burst-type transcendents. No, her greatest edge in this battle was the ck Moon. Roel had personally witnessed the ck Moon¡¯s power before. Even the ancient gods were powerless before its terrifying prowess. He wouldn¡¯t want to taste its prowess, even if Alicia was unlikely to be able to utilize the ck Moon¡¯s power to the extent of the Mother Goddess. Furthermore, Alicia had the aid of two of the Six Cmities. Even though Shrouding Fog had been severely wounded, Roel knew that it would swiftly recover under the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers. It was not without reason that the Six Cmities had been dubbed as civilization destroyers. Furthermore, Light Devourer and Shrouding Fog would have learned from this encounter and avoid direct confrontations with Roel and Grandar in the future. They would intentionally drag out the battle, and that would be highly disadvantageous to Roel, especially since he was still only at Origin Level 2. Admittedly, it would have been much safer if he had first made a breakthrough to Origin Level 1 before confronting Alicia and the two Cmities. The Kingmaker n was the Overseer of the races in the ancient era, after all. Roel, as the Kingmaker, wouldn¡¯t pale inparison to Alicia once he reached Origin Level 1. That would have greatly increased his chances of curbing Alicia and bringing her back. But he couldn¡¯t bring himself to wait, for he knew that memories weren¡¯t eternal. As time passed, Alicia¡¯s memories of her time as a human would be more fragmented, making it harder for her to recall them. That was also why he was so anxious to make a move. He had to make things work this time around, no matter what it took. These factors pushed him to struggle desperately with everything that he had. Finally, the time hade for the serum¡¯s effects to wear off. The burning sensation in Roel¡¯s body receded, and the side effects from the Crown¡¯s Stones and Sia-fication settled in at the same time. Intense pain and exhaustion assailed him, causing him to nearly pass out, but he quickly whipped out Ascendwing and stabbed his arm. Blood sttered. The sharp pain helped him to barely retain his consciousness in this critical moment. Then, the long-awaited Being Toward Death finally activated, and his dimmed Crown Origin Attribute glowed with renewed fervor. In the blink of an eye, Roel reverted to his peak condition. A ze reignited in his golden eyes, as if signaling a new phase of the battle. He looked at the sky before charging upward. Alicia noticed his transformation and widened her crimson eyes. Knowing that she didn¡¯t have the luxury of indecisiveness anymore, she killed her hesitation, and her eyes turned sharp. Another round of shes broke out between the two. This time around, Alicia didn¡¯t hold back. Looking at the enemy beneath, she subconsciously took another step back as if she was afraid of something. She twirled her finger, and the tall waves of water started spinning into a catastrophic cyclone that rushed at the iing Roel. At the same time, the silver moonlight intensified. Heavy pressure mped down on the world once more, freezing everything in ce. It felt like a reflection of Alicia¡¯s closed heart, as she rejected Roel¡¯s approach. But this time around, Roel had no intention of backing down. ¡°Grandar!¡± Roel roared as a blood-colored aura ignited around him. This was mana fueled by his own blood, and his further weakening condition became fodder to further stimte Being Toward Death. With this massive influx of mana, Grandar let out a howl as he activated his Divine Domain once more. The mirage of a sunset in manifested behind Grandar and extended toward the sky, resulting in an explosive sh of the two Divine Domains. Grandar threw his punch forth, as countless warriors roared deafeningly behind him. Boom! Grandar¡¯s fist tore through the cyclone descending from the sky with a burst of crimson light, sttering the ocean water all over the Divine Domain as torrential rain. In the meantime, Roel further closed the distance with Alicia. In response, Alicia raised her hand, and the silver moon flickered before unleashing its brightest light thus far. The moonlight engulfed Roel¡¯s vision, covering Alicia¡¯s figure, Grandar¡¯s silhouette, and everything else in the surroundings. Even the ck Moon temporarily vanished under the intense brilliance of the silver moon. Then, the silver moonlight converged into a single ray directed at Roel, as if he was the sole target of the moon¡¯s wrath. Yet, it was also at this moment that he revealed a smile, knowing that his shot at victory had arrived. Faced with the devastating ray of moonlight, Grandar¡¯s body suddenly vanished into thin air, causing Alicia to narrow her eyes. Then, Roel called the name of his nextpanion. ¡°Artasia.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± the Witch Queen replied cheerily as her body manifested out of thin air. Roel raised his hand toward Artasia. His blood and mana manifested into a crown fragment, which drifted to the Witch Queen¡¯s head and manifested into a magnificent crown. Artasia¡¯s madder-red eyes glowed with fervor. She looked at the seemingly unsurpassable silver moonlighting from the sky and unleashed her true strength for the first time. ¡°Divine Domain.¡± An invible surge of mana rushed forth from Artasia and violently distorted the space around her, as if it was some kind of bent shield. The silver moonlight descending from the sky sted onto the distorted space¡­ ¡­ but there was no reaction whatsoever. There was no explosion or mes. Even the blinding moonlight simply vanished without a trace, as if it had been swallowed by the distorted space. Alicia was taken aback, whereas the crowned Witch Queen smirked. ¡°Contradiction,¡± Artasia murmured. The Witch Queen¡¯s Divine Domain red, and the night sky suddenly lit up once more. The silver moonlight that had disappeared inside the distorted space suddenly shot out from within, but it was targeted at its previous owner this time around. Startled, Alicia hurriedly channeled her mana, and the ck Moon behind her descended. She was forced to resort to her trump card in order to protect herself. Countless ck arms crawled out from the ck Moon and lunged at the silver moonlight, resulting in a violent sh between the two moons. However, the two powers were equal; neither was superior to the other. ¡°No!¡± Alicia eximed as she felt her Divine Domain rattling under this overwhelming impact. She sensed that things were going awry, but it was toote to salvage the situation. With a gust of wind, Roel suddenly appeared before her with open arms and tightly hugged her in ce. Then, he loudly called for his thirdpanion. ¡°Edavia!¡± Chapter 629: The Executor

Chapter 629: The Executor

Roel had been analyzing one key problem before he embarked on his journey to save Alicia: How can I bring Alicia back? Alicia was a tricky enemy to deal with. Not only was she tremendously powerful, but she also boasted incredible recovery prowess. Even if Roel was able to temporarily overpower and subdue her, she could recover within moments and counterattack. One solution was to keep Alicia in a severely wounded state, but that wasn¡¯t an option for Roel¡­ even if it was possible to pull that off at all. Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain was overwhelmingly powerful. Just the ck Moon itself was enough to render him helpless and keep him at bay, and there were two sides to the moon. Ironically, that was also what gave him a chance at victory. He had intentionally baited out Alicia¡¯s strongest attack with Grandar¡¯s overwhelming might, so that he could utilize the Witch Queen¡¯s Divine Domain to return the attack. This would at least temporarily stall Alicia, thus opening a small window for him to act. While the ck Moon and the silver moonlight were vying for supremacy in the sky, Roel took this opportunity to rush toward Alicia and hold her in his arms. Not having expected such a move, Alicia¡¯s body stiffened up, and her crimson eyes widened in shock. Before she could retaliate, Roel dished out the decisive move. ¡°Edavia!¡± An orange-haired girl appeared behind him. She ced her hand on Alicia¡¯s forehead and dered with a sinister smile, ¡°It¡¯s all over now.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia¡¯s soul violently jolted, causing her to reflexively hug Roel back tightly before passing out. As soon as she passed out, the powers of the silver moonlight and the ck Moon dwindled, and the ocean beneath quivered. Her Divine Domain shattered into fragments, and these fragments dissipated into iridescent lights that flowed back into her body. Roel retracted his mana as well. The long battle had finallye to an end. ¡­ Soul suppression. That was the only way Roel could think of to bring Alicia back safely after lots of contemtion. On the night of a full moon, it would only take mere seconds for Alicia to heal any superficial injuries, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about her soul. Souls were the weakness of all beings, which was why Sia had to impose greater restrictions on the Spiriteers in the ancient era. The body and the soul were so intricately linked that the condition of one could affect the other. Spiriteers were known for their ability to weaken others by disrupting their soul, and Edavia, the Spiriteer Sovereign, was so powerful that she could influence Origin Level 1 transcendents with just her touch. Shaking up Alicia¡¯s soul would significantly weaken her fighting prowess, though that was not Roel¡¯s primary motive. His true goal was to have Edavia shake up Alicia¡¯s memories as a human. He was confident that Alicia would return of her own ord as long as she regained her memories. Conversely, if she didn¡¯t regain her memories, she would remain a ticking time bomb no matter how he tried to cate her. Fortunately, this feat was not too difficult for the Spiriteer Sovereign to pull off. ¡°Memories are a key element to the soul; neither can be separated from the other.¡± ¡°So, are you able to do it?¡± ¡°Of course. It isn¡¯t anything difficult.¡± On the nighttime ins, Roel rested against a cliff face while holding an unconscious Alicia in his arms. Edavia floated over to Alicia¡¯s side and ced her hand on her forehead. Specks of light flowed from her as she channeled her spell. Momentster, a frown formed on Alicia¡¯s forehead. She squirmed around uneasily as if she was having a nightmare. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you stumble upon some difficulties?¡± ¡°How should I put this? I encountered some resistance from her.¡± ¡°Resistance?¡± ¡°This child is averse to remembering her memories as a human,¡± Edavia analyzed as she patted Alicia¡¯s head. Is she afraid? Why? Roel was stunned. He had known from Alicia¡¯s letter that she had her frustrations over the years, but having lived together for so many years, he was confident that those memories shouldn¡¯t be painful to her. This was not to say that she didn¡¯t have bad memories. There was a period of time that she was bullied by her peers, but that matter had been resolved, and she had ovee her weakness too. Besides, the culprits of the incident, the Elrics, were no longer around. What is she afraid of? Roel found himself wondering. ¡°Can you tell the reason behind her fear?¡± ¡°The reason is straightforward, but it¡¯s hard to exin.¡± ¡°Does she have bad memories about the Ascart House? Or¡­ is it because of me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to you, but it isn¡¯t a bad thing. It¡¯s the contrary, actually.¡± Edavia nced at the unconscious Alicia as she struggled to find the words to express herself. ¡°You can say that she¡¯s unable toe to terms with reality. She can¡¯t ept the fact that the two of you are now mortal enemies, and it fills her with fear. That¡¯s why she¡¯s subconsciously rejecting those memories.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was stunned, as he finally understood how Alicia felt. He had been enemies with the Mother Goddess prior to the most recent Witness State, as shown from how he had destroyed one of Her God¡¯s Envoys, Flooding Death, and contributed to Rosa¡¯s operation to vanquish the Saints Convocation in recent years. Yet, Alicia had inherited the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers and became the Six Cmities¡¯mander. This ced her in a position where she had no choice but to be antagonistic to Roel, which was difficult for her to bear. That might have led her to subconsciously forget about her memories as a human in order to cope with her internal turmoil. Roel nodded understandingly as he hugged Alicia even tighter. Some timeter, Edavia finally finished her work. ¡°Is it over now?¡± ¡°It is, but she suffered a heavy blow too. It¡¯ll take time for her to process those memories.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded before abruptly falling onto the ground with Alicia still in his arms. Bit by bit, his consciousness began to fade. While he was the final victor, it had been an arduous fight. He had to push both his body and his soul to their limits, greatly exhausting himself in the process. On top of that, he had to bear the side effects of the serums and the Crown¡¯s Stones, and he had sustained considerable injuries too. He was only d that there was no white fog nor aurora in the sky. Those two Cmities had temporarily left the area to avoid affecting Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain, and that gave him some room to take a breather. Lying on the grass, admiring the starry sky while feeling Alicia¡¯s warmth, Roel¡¯s tense mental state finally loosened a little. It had taken two days, but he had managed to find Alicia and fulfill her wish before the worst could happen. This was no guarantee that she would return to his side, but this was all he could do. It was up to her to decide what she wanted to do after regaining her memories. ¡°I might have been thinking too much about the final n,¡± Roel murmured. This moment of peace after the conclusion of the bitter battle put his mind at ease. It was hard to remain vignt when his mind and his body were at their limit. His eyelids grew increasingly heavy, as his brain gradually stalled to a halt. As soon as a spell was cast on him to temporarily alleviate his pain, he went into deep sleep. ¡­ In a distant fortress, a white-haired old man was feeling awfully nervous. Antonio tightly clutched his staff as he looked at the everchanging bundle of iridescent light inside the barrier before him. Behind him, Carter looked at the light bundle with a respectful demeanor. Inside the light bundle was Astrid Arde, the Twilight Sages Assembly¡¯s ¡®Academic¡¯ and an ancestor of the Ascarts from a thousand years ago. Even though Astrid wasn¡¯t from the main lineage, she was a hero who had yed a vital role in humankind¡¯s peace and stability for centuries by controlling the Chaos Dream, ensuring that the Savior remained in hibernation. It was also for that reason that the Fallens saw her as a thorn in their back. Four hundred years ago, Magician King Priestley Maxwell fell for the Fallens¡¯ temptation of eternal life and confronted Astrid, hoping to steal the Chaos Dream from her. To protect the Chaos Dream, Astrid fused it into her dream world and ended up falling into a deep sleep. It was only recently that Antonio, with Roel¡¯s help, managed to separate the two entities from each other. Since then, Astrid had been showing increasing signs of awakening, slowly building up to this moment. Earlier in the evening, just as Carter finished his dinner, Antonio suddenly dropped by and informed him that Astrid would awaken tonight. As the Ascart House¡¯s patriarch, he regarded this matter with great importance. To express his sincerity, he quickly followed Antonio to this ce and patiently waited. Hourster, the Chaos Dream finally began to react. ¡°Lord Antonio, what¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°Lord Astrid is tearing away from the Chaos Dream! If nothing goes wrong, she should be able to fully awaken by the end of today!¡± Antonio eximed excitedly like a child. ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Carter was taken aback by Antonio¡¯s excitement, but he understood where Antonio wasing from, especially since Roel had previously told him about their rtionship. Time ticked by. The bundle of iridescent light began to expand and contract as if it was breathing, spilling out a huge amount of mana with each breath. This caused the dream barrier to waver unstably. Before anything could happen to the dream barrier, dream spirits resembling specks of light suddenly appeared in huge droves to stabilize the dream barrier. At the same time, a blurred, flickering silhouette pushed through the walls of the dream barrier to enter the real world. The moment the silhouette tore away from the Chaos Dream, a blinding light flooded out of the dream barrier. Under the embrace of the dream spirits, the hero who had protected humankind for many years finally opened her iridescent eyes. Antonio hurriedly changed his appearance into how he looked centuries ago, before Astrid had gone into hibernation, before hesitantly calling out, ¡°Teacher.¡± ¡°You are¡­ Antonio,¡± Astrid muttered as she looked at the familiar face with dazed eyes. ¡°Y-yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Antonio could hardly stop his voice from quivering. Instead of a touching reunion, Astrid suddenly widened her iridescent eyes as if she had remembered something, and she anxiously grabbed her disciple¡¯s shoulder and eximed, ¡°Antonio, you have to bring Roel back right away!¡± ¡°Roel?¡± Antonio and Carter were taken aback. They hadn¡¯t thought that Astrid, who had been in slumber all this while, would know about Roel. Astrid noticed their confusion and hurriedly exined, ¡°I dreamed about his journey in his Witness State, but that¡¯s not important now! You have to bring the kid back right away! The final n has been invoked! The executor isn¡¯t the Ackermanns, but Carolyn Ascart!¡± ¡°!¡± Antonio and Carter were horrified. On the moonlit ins, Roel, despite being fast asleep, suddenly woke up and looked toward the distant darkness. Chapter 630.1: Moonlit Confession (1)

Chapter 630.1: Moonlit Confession (1)

Roel slowly opened his eyes and looked at the remnants of the battlefield before him in a daze, not knowing what had gotten the better of him. He was a deep sleeper, especially after he was severely injured in a battle. It would have been nigh impossible to wake him up, to the point that it wouldn¡¯t have been surprising to think that he was in aa. High transcendents had resilient bodies far beyond the imagination of a mortal. In no way exaggerating, a high transcendent could have enough time to write a will even after having half their body sted off. However, this resilience only applied to their physical bodies. Their souls were still no different from that of an ordinary mortal. Roel had known that it would take a long time for him to recover after undergoing Sia-fication, and the conditions he was afflicted with weren¡¯t helping. Just the side effects from using the five Crown¡¯s Stones would have put him in a world of suffering if not for Indestructible Body, not to mention the side effects from the Loborian serums too. It should have been hard for him to wake up even if he wanted to under such circumstances¡­ but he was actually experiencing insomnia. Something¡¯s wrong. Roel scanned his surroundings as he tried to trace the vague feeling tingling in his heart. He sensed that it wasn¡¯t a warning of imminent danger, but out of wariness, he still plunged the Nine-headed Serpent Staff into the ground and infused his mana into it. A green light suffused the staff, as the cells of the ancient beast quickly multiplied underground amidst light tremors. Just like that, the area of a hundred-meter radius around Roel was transformed into a snake¡¯s nest. Nine massive serpent heads used their keen sensory organs to keep track of everything happening in the surroundings to ensure that no danger befell their owner. Even the slightest movement would trigger a retaliation from the heads. Feeling much more secure with thisyer of protection, Roel turned around to look at the fast-asleep Alicia. She had been ced in the shade, and her limbs had been tightly bound. Knowing it would be unwise to let his guard down around Alicia, who had inherited the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, he had specially prepared several means to curb her. The chains used to bind Alicia might have looked ordinary, but they were the handiwork of Witch Queen Artasia. It would be foolish to underestimate their potency. Furthermore, Edavia had constructed a soul seal in Alicia to suppress her powers. They had even put her in the shade to slow her recovery, knowing her power was bound to surge if she bathed in the moonlight on the night of a full moon. It would be troublesome if she recovered and kicked up a fuss right now. But it should be fine if it¡¯s only for a while, right? Roel thought as he looked at her sleeping visage. With a sigh, he propped up his fatigued body and lifted Alicia up. Just then, the Witch Queen manifested in mid-air and asked, ¡°Hold on for a moment. My hero, may I ask what it is you¡¯re trying to do here?¡± ¡°¡­It should be fine if it¡¯s just a short while.¡± ¡°It should be fine? You do know there¡¯s a limit to how much mana my chain can absorb. What if she unleashes her Divine Domain again?¡± ¡°There¡¯s Edavia¡¯s seal¡­ and Alicia should have recalled a bit of her memories, too.¡± ¡°¡­Do whatever you want,¡± Artasia snorted in displeasure before vanishing into thin air. Roel heaved a sigh of resignation. He understood Artasia¡¯s concerns. If Alicia insisted on activating her Divine Domain after waking up and seeded in pulling it off, the tables would be turned on him right away. If it had been any other enemy, there was no way he would have taken such a risk. But Alicia was different. From the start to the end, he had never seen Alicia as his enemy. He had been thinking about her so much in recent days that it was difficult for him to control his emotions now that she was right in front of him. Holding her small body and looking at her ravishing visage, his expression slowly smoothened as a tinge of warmth and bliss sprouted in his heart. Her sudden disappearance from his life had nearly driven him into despair, especially after he read the letter she had left behind. The feeling that he was about to lose someone important to him was so awful that he had felt a searing pain in his brain. With a deep breath, he took in Alicia¡¯s faint fragrance and supplemented his severe Aliciatonin deficiency. Like a drug addict getting his fix, he was finally able topose himself. What should I do next? Before Roel could decide on his next move, he suddenly heard a murmur. ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡­ A jolt to the soul was a fatal attack, or at least it was so to the woman named Alicia. The memories she had subconsciously turned her eyes away from slowly rose to the top of her mind, and she began feeling intense emotions she had never known she was capable of. The first thing she remembered was their first meeting, where she had timidly hid behind her foster father while eyeing a ck-haired boy. That had been an unforgettable piece of memory she often dreamed of, for that was the turning point of her life. Yet, it felt weirdly foreign to her now. The features of the ck-haired boy looked blurry to her now, or maybe she simply had no impression of it because she dared not raise her head back then. Even so, she felt a tinge of warmth from that memory, and it put her heart at peace. How weird, this feeling¡­ It was a peculiar sensation¡ªitchy, yet warm and sweet. It was unlike anything she had ever felt. She had felt a sense of belonging to the Mother Goddess, whom she shared a soul bond with, but never before such a feeling of peaceful warmth and intoxicating sweetness. Not even the most exquisite dessert couldpete with the sweetness suffusing her heart. It was as if she was bathing in a pool of syrupy affection. Just thinking about him made her mind heat up and her heartbeat hasten, as if he was a drug she was hooked to. She could no longer turn her eyes away now that the memories of him had started surfacing. But that was not to say that it was all sweet. There were also memories that evoked bitterness and frustrations, and those formed a stark contrast to the sweetness. However, the most salient emotion she felt was still yearning. She missed his face. She missed his warmth. She missed his touch. She missed hearing his heartbeat when they shared a bed. These yearnings built into a powerful tsunami of emotions that culminated in two words. ¡°¡­Lord Brother.¡± ¡°!¡± A shudder ran through Roel¡¯s body. Chapter 630.2: Moonlit Confession (2)

Chapter 630.2: Moonlit Confession (2)

As Alicia opened her eyes, she found herself staring at a familiar face that looked more mature than the one in her memories. Her eyes wavered as she took in the details of his facial features. A momentter, she snapped out of her daze and remembered the earlier battle. ¡°Y-you are¡­¡± ¡°Alicia, have you remembered the past?¡± Roel asked. ¡°¡­¡± Alicia fell silent. She shook her head, then frowned. She didn¡¯t know how she should answer that question. The strong emotions she had felt from the bits of memories she recalled made her realize that she harbored strong feelings for Roel, but it had happened so abruptly that it confused her too. She didn¡¯t know whether she could trust those feelings or not. . The memories she had recalled were too limited for her to discern the Ascart House¡¯s true nature. If the Kingmaker n had known about her true identity from the very start, the goodwill they had shown to her could have been just a lie. That would mean that the emotions she felt toward them were just sandcastles built by the sea; they woulde crashing down at the slightest impact. She thought about how the Mother Goddess had been betrayed by the Kingmaker n time and time again, and that further stirred her deepest fears. Thus, when Roel reached out to her, she instinctively avoided him before quickly slipping out of his arms. ¡°Alicia?¡± Roel murmured hesitantly. ¡°D-don¡¯te over!¡± Alicia eximed as she struggled with her bound body to turn her back on him. ¡°¡­¡± Roel found himself at a loss for what to do. He hesitantly stood up and carefully approached her, but her trembling became more and more intense as he drew closer to her. I should have known it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. With a sigh, he sat down behind her and quietly looked at the sky above. Her earlier subconscious murmur indicated that she had recalled something, but what she remembered appeared to be limited. She gave him a feeling reminiscent of her younger days, when her heart was closed off, but unlike then, she was able to clearly express her rejection. It would be harder to deal with her. Roel suppressed his urge to approach her, and the twoy in silence just like that. Slowly, Alicia¡¯s tense body rxed. A light breeze swept across the nighttime ins, pattering fine sand on them. Under the brilliant moonlight, Alicia slowly recovered from her depletion from having unleashed her Divine Domain. The recovery of her body stabilized her jolted soul, and she slowly regained her emotional stability. Her fear slowly receded. She quietly listened to the movements behind her, not knowing what to do. ¡­Why isn¡¯t he speaking? What is he doing? Is he angry? Such a thought sprouted worry in her heart, and she descended into self-reproach. My earlier reaction seems to be over the top. What should I do? Should I apologize? ¡­No! I should be on my guard now! What in the world am I thinking? The conflicting thoughts in her mind vexed Alicia, but before she could make up her mind, she suddenly felt a touch on her back and immediately tensed up. She hurriedly turned around like an rmed animal. ¡°Hm?!¡± What she saw was not a terrifying monster who sought toy his ws on her, but a thoroughly exhausted man who had fallen asleep without her noticing. ¡°¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Being asleep was a person¡¯s most defenseless state. To fall asleep in front of her, even with her movements sealed, was the same as courting death. She could easily pierce his throat if she wished. So why is he doing this? Is it because he trusts me? Or¡­ She found herself remembering how he had refused to attack her in the earlier battle. Meanwhile, Roel¡¯s eyes shot open upon sensing Alicia¡¯s movements. He was momentarily stunned before turning to her and apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for falling asleep. The earlier battle wore me out.¡± ¡°Lo¨C¡± Cough! ¡°I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. No matter how formidable your chains are, I¡¯m under a full moon.¡± ¡°But you didn¡¯t attack me, right?¡± Roel remarked with a smile. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have dared to sleep before you earlier, but you have remembered a bit about our past, right?¡± ¡°¡­So? You don¡¯t even know what I have recalled, yet you blindly believe I wouldn¡¯t attack you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I believe in our ties. There has never been any bad blood between us before.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s unwavering reply caught Alicia by surprise. She averted her gaze and meekly refuted, ¡°That¡¯s one-sided thinking on your part. I might have been your foster sister, but there¡¯s no way we wouldn¡¯t have any conflicts at all¡­¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re bound to have arguments every now and then, but it never esctes beyond a point. I would never have allowed that to happen.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I like you, Alicia.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia was startled. Her crimson eyes slowly widened, and her heartbeat hastened. Her face illuminated by the silver moon swiftly reddened. She might not have remembered everything, but his confession still tugged at her heartstrings. Even she herself was taken aback by the rush of anticipation she felt. After a moment of daze, she hesitantly asked, ¡°When you say that you like me, are you referring to¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not referring to kinship, but romantic affection.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia arched her body from the impact of Roel¡¯s straight ball. Her heart raced so quickly that she felt like her mind was going to be set aze. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of Roel¡¯s words. ¡°I know that you have not remembered everything yet, but you¡¯re extremely important to me. You were my motivation to work harder and strive for a brighter future back when I was weak. Regardless of the danger I find myself in, I¡¯d do everything I can to ovee the obstacles in my way so that I can return to your side. ¡°I had held back my feelings for you due to all kinds of considerations and ended up hurting you, but I won¡¯t do that anymore¡­ Alicia, will you forgive me?¡± Roel said with an apologetic face. Alicia felt light-headed, but the missing gaps in her memories stopped her from answering his confession. In the end, she lowered her head, suppressed the feelings threatening to pour out from her heart, and quietly murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll decide when I recall everything.¡± ¡°All right.¡± ¡°Are you going to bring me to the human world?¡± ¡°That was my initial intention, but I have changed my mind. Let¡¯s rest here first. We¡¯ll decide the next step after you recall everything,¡± Roel said as he looked at Alicia with doting eyes. That further plunged Alicia into confusion, and her face turned even redder. Is he doing this out of consideration for me? Should I thank him, or¡­ All of a sudden, a wave of mana swept across the nighttime ins, catching both Roel and Alicia by surprise. It was an awfully familiar sensation to the two of them. ¡°A Divine Domain?!¡± Alicia eximed. A ray of golden light descended from the sky as if a revtion from the heavens. Chapter 631: Desperate Situation

Chapter 631: Desperate Situation

A ray of golden light descended from the night sky like divine retribution. This destructive beam of light swiftly approached Roel and Alicia without any warning, threatening to obliterate them from the face of the world. Roel eyed the golden light with narrowed eyes as the ferocious beast hiding underground made its move. The Nine-headed Serpent charged out of the ground and spewed its potent venom at the descending light from the sky, but it was to no avail. The golden light tore right through the venom like god¡¯s arrow. Boom! Psh! Right before the golden light struck Roel and Alicia, the Nine-headed Serpent quickly coiled itself around them to shield them. Its body first expanded upon being struck by the golden light before bursting apart, sttering blood and flesh everywhere. Even so, the golden light wasn¡¯t fully neutralized. It tore through the blood and flesh of the Nine-headed Serpent to advance on its targets. Roel quickly channeled his mana to form a barrier to fend against the golden light. A second explosion ensued. The golden light finally dissipated, returning darkness to the world. Amidst a cloud of dust, Roel struggled back onto his feet while gasping for air, his body covered in blood. ¡°You!!¡± Alicia stared at him with quivering eyes as she tightly grabbed his clothes. Roel¡¯s first reaction upon the arrival of the golden light wasn¡¯t to escape but to firmly protect her in his arms. Thanks to that, she was unharmed, but the impact had left his face pale like a sheet of paper. She should have rejoiced upon seeing the enemy who had defeated and bound her injured, but she didn¡¯t feel the slightest hint of joy at all. Instead, her heart was filled with fear and worry. She felt as if someone had plunged a knife into her heart when his blood sttered on her face. It was so painful that she could hardly breathe at all. Before she could say another word, he had already spoken up. ¡°Are you all right, Alicia?¡± ¡°N-no¡­ This isn¡¯t the time to be worrying about me! Blood! Your blood¡­¡± Alicia eximed with a shaky voice, looking as if she was about to cry. However, Roel shook his head and paid no heed to his injuries even though he was bleeding profusely. Instead, he grabbed the chains binding her limbs and called for hispanion, ¡°Artasia! Quickly remove this chain¡­ Artasia?¡± A second passed. Two seconds. The white-haired Witch Queen failed to manifest, and there was no response whatsoever. Roel widened his eyes in shock. His face darkened as a thought urred to him. He reached out to grab Alicia and hugged her tightly. ¡°L-lord Brother?¡± Alicia blurted out in astonishment. However, Roel was in no mood to rejoice over how she addressed him. He anxiously urged her, ¡°We need to leave right now! We cannot stay in this Divine Domain!¡± ¡°All right.¡± Alicia nodded before wrapping her hands around his neck. Being in such proximity made her even more aware of the severity of his injuries, and that left her feeling even more awful. In the end, she was unable to keep it in and began sobbing. Roel didn¡¯t say a word about her sobbing. The two of them darted away and disappeared into the shadows. ¡­ This is the worst-case scenario, Roel thought as he flitted across the ins. It just so happened that the drifting dark clouds covered the moon at this very instant, and he couldn¡¯t help but think that it was an apt reflection of his current mood. He had been through many battles before, but it was rare for him to be in such a bad situation. He forced himself to remain calm, and his eyes turned unprecedentedly sharp. How can I escape from this situation? Roel had asked himself this question many times before, knowing that it was neither hot-blooded recklessness nor sheer willpower but cool-headed analysis that would save him in times of adversity. He had chosen to retreat for the time being to buy time to figure out the current situation and formte a solution. The assault had worked because he had gotten careless. His poor condition had impeded his vignce, but more than that, he had let down his guard because his instincts hadn¡¯t warned him about the approaching danger. It was truly fortunate that he had nted the Nine-headed Serpent Staff down as an additional defensive mechanism. Thinking about it now, the reason his instincts hadn¡¯t alerted him to this assault might be due to the primary target being not him but Alicia. Given the timing, there was no doubt that the assant had to be the executor of the final n, especially since this was the ideal opportunity to make a move. To make things worse, the beam of light was unlikely to be indicative of the enemy¡¯s true strength. Divine Domain was the manifestation of the gods¡¯ powers. While it might have looked omnipotent to those who didn¡¯t know better, each person¡¯s Divine Domain manifested in their own way. Not all Divine Domains were equal. Some were stronger than the others, and they came in all shapes and sizes. For instance, Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain was exceptionally powerful, and it was focused onbat. There was no way to evade her attacks in that battlefield reflecting the ocean of genesis. If not for Artasia¡¯s ¡®Contradiction¡¯, Roel wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance at all. In contrast, Deviant Sovereign Banjol¡¯s Divine Domain was focused on support. He had used it to strengthen himself and his soldiers while tying down his enemies. It had a wide area of effect, but its potency was weaker. Roel deduced that the current Divine Domain that had enveloped him and Alicia hade from quite a distance away, judging by how he could hardly sense its master¡¯s aura. The goal of this long-distance attack was likely to first inflict some damage on them so as to hinder their escape. That was also why he made the call to escape right away despite his injuries, but judging from his current condition, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the enemy caught up with them. The worst thing of all was that his powers were somehow sealed off. He had known that something was off when he called for Artasia but received no response. Upon close introspection, he realized that he had experienced something simr before¡ªit was the suppression of his Inner Sanctum. The Inner Sanctum was the Kingmaker n¡¯s source of power, and ity deep in their souls. Any interference there would affect Roel¡¯s window of connection with his ancient gods, which was why he couldn¡¯t summon them now. This gave him a critical clue as to who the executor was. ¡­Is it one of my ancestors from the Arde House? Roel thought with a heavy heart. He had to concede that his guess had been off from the very start. He had thought that the executor of the final n had to be the Ackermanns, but now that he thought about it, given the unique nature of the Kingmaker n, it was not entirely impossible for experts in their midst to live for more than a thousand years. Furthermore, he suspected that he had once met this member of the Arde House. It was faint, but he sensed a familiar aura from the earlier attack. It wasn¡¯t the Kingmaker n¡¯s Crown Origin Attribute, but the Savior¡¯s depraved aura. This reminded him of two encounters he had in the past. Years ago, the Treant High Priest had used its divine artifact to banish his soul into a boundless abyss, but a surge of power rescued him and sent him back. And not too long ago, when he was returning from the Witness State, the Collector had warped his return point to the abyss where the Savior dwelled. Someone rescued him once more, and this time around, he saw a pair of golden eyes glowing in the darkness. His gut feeling told him that the person he had met then was the executor of the final n, though he had no idea why the executor resided in the Savior¡¯s dwelling. While flitting across the air, Roel¡¯splexion gradually worsened. His condition didn¡¯t deteriorate thanks to the effects of his Indestructible Body, but neither did it show any signs of improving. In fact, he could feel a persistent searing pain ring from his wounds. Does that beam of light have some kind of special effect? Roel thought with a frown, but there was nothing he could do. The sealing of his abilities meant that he couldn¡¯t rely on the Witch Queen, and his own recovery spells werecking in potency. Furthermore, his priority at the moment was to escape with Alicia, so he decided to turn a blind eye to his injuries. To his surprise, he felt a slight dampness on his wounds, and his injuries started to recover. The source of this energy was none other than the sobbing silver-haired woman in his arms. ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°¡­Will the life force in my fluids help you feel better?¡± ¡°They would¡­ but are you crying because of me?¡± ¡°What else would I be crying for?!¡± Alicia angrily rebutted him before tears started flowing from her crimson eyes once more. She looked at him with teary eyes and pleaded, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but my tears wouldn¡¯t stop¡­ Please, don¡¯t let me see you injured ever again.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry to have worried you, Alicia,¡± Roel softly apologized. However, Alicia shook her head and replied, ¡°No, it¡¯s not your fault¡­ That attack was targeted at me, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s body jolted. He nced at her before slowly nodding. ¡°Yes, it was targeted at you. How did you know?¡± ¡°¡­I have had a feeling that someone has been eyeing me since a few days ago. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s the person who attacked us. Is it one of the Savior¡¯s worshipers?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably the opposite, actually.¡± Roel proceeded to share his deduction with Alicia, and thetter fell silent. ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t it better for you to leave me be, then? Why do you still protect me?¡± ¡°I believe I have already told you the answer to that question. Besides, I was anxious to bring you back because I was worried you might fall into danger due to the final n. Now that my worries have proven to be true, of course I should protect you.¡± ¡°But¡­ we can¡¯t get away like that,¡± Alicia pointed out hoarsely. The Divine Domain had sealed the usage of all spatial spells, including Roel¡¯s Silver Devourer, which meant that it was only a matter of time before the executor caught up with them. ¡°It¡¯s the night of a full moon. I might not necessarily die if you leave me behind, so¡­¡± ¡°The final n aims to weaken the Mother Goddess and the Savior as much as possible before Their awakening. The targets for the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction were the Six Cmities, and your appearance is an unexpected variable, but there¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t have prepared a hand for that.¡± Roel firmly turned down Alicia¡¯s suggestion. Thetter wanted to argue against it, but Roel shook his head and remarked with a bitter smile, ¡°Besides, it might be toote to say that.¡± A ck silhouette suddenly shed across the sky, and a violent explosion broke out in the path ahead of them. Roel was forced to screech to a halt. Amidst the dust, a pair of golden eyes first glowed amidst the shadows, before a figure slowly walked out. Chapter 632.1: Trust Me (1)

Chapter 632.1: Trust Me (1)

As a blurred figure emerged from the dust, Roel¡¯s and Alicia¡¯s bodies stiffened up. They could feel an overwhelming pressure crushing down on them as the person approached. The pressure was so great that Roel could hardly straighten his body, and his blood flow nearly came to a halt. Alicia fared better due to her higher Origin Level, but even so, there was a tinge of bitterness on her face, and she leaned closer to Roel. To her surprise, Roel suddenly let go of her. ¡°Hm?¡± Alicia was confused by Roel¡¯s action, but she was more focused on themotion in front of her. She nervously looked at the silhouette approaching them as she prepared herself to react to whatever that was about toe. Finally, the true appearance of the silhouette was revealed under the silver moonlight. Roel had many guesses about who the executor of the final n was, but he was still shocked by who he saw. It was a tall and slender woman, with cascading ck hair and golden eyes that glowed like the stars. She was so gorgeous that even Roel, who had seen many ravishing beauties, was awed. However, she exuded a cold aura that contrasted with her enchanting appearance. There was not the slightest warmth to be seen in her impassive eyes. It was only upon seeing the duo that she finally reacted a little. ¡°I didn¡¯t think there would be such a miracle. Did you absorb a portion of the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers?¡± the woman said with a cold voice as she assessed the trembling Alicia. Her mana began to surge, but before she could make a move, Roel stood forward to face her. Emotions flickered across the woman¡¯s cold face when her attention finally fell on Roel. She narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°¡­Who are you?¡± With a respectful bow, Roel replied, ¡°I am Roel Ascart, the proxy fief lord of the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s Ascart House.¡± ¡°Ascart¡­¡± The woman¡¯s eyebrows shot up. She stared intently at Roel, then suddenly remembered something and said, ¡°Wait a moment. I remember you. You have been to the Abyss.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Ancestor. I was sent to the Abyss twice during my battles with the Savior¡¯s worshipers, and you were the one who saved me. I am deeply grateful for your help. May I know your name?¡± ¡°¡­Carolyn Ascart.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was bbergasted. He would have never expected that the woman would be the first matriarch of the Ascart House. The Arde House was so huge that the blood ties between the main lineage and branch families were extremely thin, but Carolyn Ascart was Roel¡¯s direct ancestor. That would mean that their rtionship was closer than he had thought. This excited him, as this rtionship sparked a ray of hope that he might be able toe to a peaceful settlement with Carolyn. If possible, he didn¡¯t want to have a conflict with his ancestor. Thus, he gestured to Alicia and hurriedly exined, ¡°Lord Ancestor, this child is Alicia Ascart, my foster sister. She is a member of our Ascart House too. It¡¯s by coincidence that she came under the influence of the ck Moon and awakened to the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, so¡­¡± ¡°Stop. What are you saying? She¡¯s a member of our Ascart House? You¡¯re talking about this avatar of the Mother Goddess?¡± Carolyn¡¯s face tensed up once more as she turned to Alicia with a frown. ¡°I see. Is that the reason you¡¯re protecting her?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Ha! Hahaha! Are you blinded by your emotions too? Mmhm, I see. You¡¯re indeed my descendant. Haha! Hahahaha¡­¡± Carolyn said as she ced her hand over her face andughed in self-mockery. ¡°What?¡± Carolyn¡¯s mana began to surge as something reminiscent of ck miasma manifested around her. Seeing her unstable emotional state and the evil-looking ck miasma, Roel narrowed his eyes. His senses wouldn¡¯t lie to him at such close distance; he could tell what the ck miasma was. It wasn¡¯t a type of mana, but the Savior¡¯s aura. Has Carolyn Ascart, the first matriarch of the Ascart House, fallen into depravity? No, that¡¯s not right. Roel quickly refuted his deduction. As the executor of the final n, there was no way Carolyn could be a Savior worshiper. Furthermore, even though she was emanating an intense aura of depravity, he could sense that her own powers were even stronger than that. Did the aura of depravitytch onto her from long years in the Abyss? Roel¡¯s face paled as it btedly dawned upon him the oue of his attempt at negotiation. With a maniacalugh, Carolyn sharply eyed Roel as she said, ¡°You said your name is Roel? I understand where you¡¯reing from, but the final n is absolute. It has to be executed. No reason in the world can justify its termination.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°I have to kill her. The ck Moon is one of the Mother Goddess¡¯ strongest powers. Humankind will only stand a chance with her death.¡± ¡°Alicia is a member of our Ascart House, and she isn¡¯t hostile to humankind!¡± ¡°Is that so? Then why did you fight with her? Why did you bind her?¡± Carolyn nced at the chains on Alicia¡¯s limbs with mocking eyes. ¡°Shemanded the Six Cmities to eradicate the monsters created by the Savior. Isn¡¯t this evidence she¡¯s fighting for the Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because her memories were in disarray from her awakening, but she has started to remember the time she spent as a human. I¡¯m going to bring her back. Lord Ancestor, please trust me on this.¡± ¡°Trust you? My apologies, but I can¡¯t do that. You are the biggest problem of all.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Roel looked at Carolyn with a confused frown. Carolyn¡¯s aura turned even colder as the pressure she emanated intensified. She looked into Roel¡¯s eyes and asked, ¡°Answer me, Roel Ascart. Are you a traitor to humankind?¡± ¡°Traitor? Of course not!¡± ¡°Oh? Can you exin to me why I sense the Mother Goddess¡¯ aura from you, then?¡± ¡°!¡± This isn¡¯t good! Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he locked gazes with Carolyn, realizing his own problem. The Mother Goddess had forged his Indestructible Body with the treasures She collected from different races, and She was the one who mended his soul too. These were not things that an enemy of the Mother Goddess should have. Carolyn Ascart saw these as evidence that he had forsaken humankind to side with the Mother Goddess. ¡°Tell me, Roel. You are the Mother Goddess¡¯ worshiper, aren¡¯t you? That¡¯d exin why you¡¯re protecting this girl.¡± Innread". ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. These auras are from the Six Cmities¡¯ Crown¡¯s Stones¡­¡± ¡°Crown¡¯s Stones? ¡®Collector¡¯ Kaldor Arde had Crown¡¯s Stones too, but his aura was nothing like yours. Enough. Don¡¯t bother trying to deceive me anymore. You¡¯ll only further enrage me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel realized that there was no way he could clear his name. Even so, he still raised his head to face Carolyn, saying, ¡°Yes, I concede that I have ties with the Mother Goddess due to several reasons, but I¡¯m not a traitor. I am willing to swear that on anything, Lord Ancestor.¡± Chapter 632.2: Trust Me (2)

Chapter 632.2: Trust Me (2)

Innread". ¡°¡­¡± Carolyn stared intently at Roel¡¯s earnest face with a conflicted heart. A long timeter, she heaved a sigh and said, ¡°The Mother Goddess and her believers have been the enemies of our n and the Twilight Sages Assembly since the ancient era. Countless brethren of ours have died in this battle. The grudge between us is irreconcble. I should have killed you for your ties with the Mother Goddess, but you¡¯re my descendant. I¡¯ll give you a chance to right your wrong.¡± ¡°Lord Ancestor¡­¡± ¡°Leave now. I¡¯ll settle things here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s body stiffened up, whereas Alicia narrowed her eyes. Alicia knew what would happen to her once Roel left, but for some reason, her nervous heart calmed down a little upon knowing that there was a way out for him, especially considering his current condition. She could clearly sense how powerful Carolyn was, which was how she knew the severely injured Roel would only be giving up his life for naught if he chose to stay with her. The thought of harm befalling him was so unbearable that she would rather he abandon her instead. She looked at the chains binding her limbs as she readied herself for a desperate fight to the death. On the other hand, Roel remained silent. As he looked at the ck miasma around Carolyn, he knew that there was no room for further negotiation. However, there was no way he could leave at this point. ¡­Just a bit more. Roel slowly raised his head, revealing his pale face under the moonlight. He looked at Carolyn with a grim expression as he voiced his final request: ¡°May I have some final words with Alicia?¡± ¡°¡­Go ahead,¡± Carolyn replied. Roel turned around and walked up to Alicia. Alicia looked at Roel with aplicated look in her eyes. She hadn¡¯t fully regained her memories yet, but she was already certain about her feelings. She was just about to bid farewell to him when thetter suddenly raised his hand and covered her mouth. ¡°Alicia, I know that you haven¡¯t fully regained your memories yet, but you should know that there¡¯s no conspiracy behind your adoption into the Ascart House. We have ovee plenty of storms in the past, and it¡¯ll be no different this time around¡­ Trust me, Alicia!¡± ¡°!¡± A blinding light suddenly burst forth from Roel. Amidst the intense mana pulsation, Edavia manifested out of thin air. ¡­ The sudden appearance of the evil god caught Alicia by surprise, as the seal ced on her soul instantaneously unraveled. ¡°Impossible!¡± Carolyn couldn¡¯t believe that Roel had summoned an ancient god despite her bloodline suppression. Her astonishment only deepened when she saw the orange-haired girl floating in the air. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the Spiriteer Sovereign!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Roel replied as he released apressed burst ofva to stall Carolyn. At the same time, the power of the Witch Queen surged from his body and freed Alicia from the chains. The truth was that he had been stalling for time all this while. He had been waiting for Edavia to break out of the Inner Sanctum, and the Spiriteer Sovereign hadn¡¯t disappointed him. ¡°Alicia, Divine Domain!¡± Roel shouted. ¡°Yes!¡± Alicia replied as she released a colossal amount of mana. It was impossible for them to escape due to Carolyn¡¯s Divine Domain sealing off the use of spatial spells. To ovee that restriction, they had to first break out of the Divine Domain. The key to their escapey in whether Alicia could sessfully unleash her Divine Domain. Thus, she went all-out as soon as her restrictions were lifted, but she was swimming against the tides here. She was going against Carolyn¡¯s fully-released Divine Domain, not to mention that thetter was unbelievably powerful as a transcendent. Alicia had to give her all just to keep her Divine Domain from copsing from Carolyn¡¯s suppression. Meanwhile, Roel relentlessly attacked Carolyn in order to buy time for Alicia. Boom! Lava erupted from the ground and sted everything into the sky, but it failed to inflict any injuries on Carolyn. Neither theva nor the ck miasma was able to get to her, as if she was surrounded by a transparent barrier. Faced with Roel¡¯s attack, Carolyn¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I see that you have made your choice,¡± she said coldly. A flood of mana gushed out. The pressure on Alicia, who was unleashing her Divine Domain, and Edavia, who was maintaining the Inner Sanctum, immediately intensified. At the same time, a golden ray of light descended from the sky like heavenly retribution. This is bad! Roel was rmed. Alicia shouted in horror. At this critical moment, Roel gritted his teeth and activated Being Toward Death once more. Through Sia¡¯s blessing, he received an instantaneous surge of mana, which he used to channel the power of the four other Crown¡¯s Stones to collide with the golden ray of light. Boom! A violent explosion ensued, producing a golden ripple that swept across the sky. Roel¡¯s body jolted under the impact of this sh, worsening his injuries. Blood sttered from his wounds. He had managed to stop Carolyn, but he had reached his limit too. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± Alicia eximed. A boundless ocean with towering waves ovepped with the ins. Alicia had sessfully unleashed her Divine Domain while Roel was stalling Carolyn. She quickly rushed down to hug him, while a white fog appeared behind her. ¡°It¡¯s useless. You can¡¯t escape,¡± Carolyn said as her golden eyes further lit up. Her Divine Domainpressed around them, causing its might to be even more concentrated. The white fog behind Alicia swayed weakly under the immense pressure. However, Roel shook his head and said, ¡°That might not necessarily be so.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Lord Ancestor, I haven¡¯t been escaping aimlessly,¡± Roel replied with a smile. A speck of light suddenly appeared in the distant sky. A fatal light beam was shot from far away in their direction. ¡°!¡± A flood of blinding light enveloped everything, temporarily unraveling Carolyn¡¯s interference in the process. Thanks to Light Devourer¡¯s assistance, Shrouding Fog was finally able to tear open space. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Roel grabbed Alicia¡¯s outstretched hand, and the white fog swallowed the embracing duo. Chapter 633.1: Choice (1)

Chapter 633.1: Choice (1)

As the aurora enveloped Carolyn, Alicia took the chance to escape together with Roel using Shrouding Fog¡¯s spatial ability. It took a mere instant for them to vanish into thin air. Roel¡¯s Being Toward Death stopped shortly after he entered the white fog, and his body immediately felt incredibly heavy. His consciousness began to fade, causing him to let go of Alicia¡¯s hand. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± Alicia eximed as she tightly held onto Roel¡¯s body. Sensing her nervousness, Roel mustered his willpower to pull himself together. It was also then that the spatial distortion faded, and the scenery around them changed. This is¡­ a pce? What appeared before Roel¡¯s eyes was a quiet corridor, but he was more focused on whether they were being tracked. When he confirmed that there was no spatial spell following them, his body finally ran out of strength, and he copsed to the ground. ¡°Lord Brother, open your eyes! You mustn¡¯t sleep now!¡± ¡°Alicia, this ce is¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re inside Shrouding Fog. We should be safe for the time being. Lord Brother, you mustn¡¯t fall asleep! I¡¯m begging you¡­¡± At Alicia¡¯s tearful pleading, Roel forced himself to maintain consciousness. He could feel his body growing colder, and he was shivering nonstop. He grimly looked at his injuries, which were emanating a faint light. The problem was that his injuries weren¡¯t healing. This was not the first time he had witnessed such an ability. Swordghost, one of the deviants¡¯ Race Sovereigns, had a simr ability, but it was nothingpared to Carolyn¡¯s. She had only struck him once throughout the battle, but her mana obstinatelytched onto him like some sort of venom and even exploded without warning afterward. When she summoned the second ray of golden light, he had a feeling that it would agitate his existing injuries, so he activated Being Toward Death and squeezed out everyst bit of mana to invoke his Crown¡¯s Stones to block the attack. Yet, although he stopped the ray of golden light, his injuries still worsened. Roel wasn¡¯t sure how the second ray of golden light had injured him, but it had left him in a terrible condition. Hey weakly on the ground, depleted of mana. Alicia anxiously examined his injuries as she racked her brain for a solution. ¡°Right, I can use my life force¡­¡± Suddenly remembering how her tears had suppressed the severity of his wounds earlier, she grabbed his clothes and pulled them open without any hesitation. ¡°Alicia?¡± Roel weakly asked. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Alicia ordered hoarsely. She slit her palm with her finger, and blood spurted out. Some got onto her face, but she wasn¡¯t bothered by it. She ced her palm close to Roel¡¯s injuries and allowed her silvery blood to drip onto it. Pu! The blood droplets falling on Roel¡¯s injuries produced a sizzling sound reminiscent of water falling into zing mes. Roel widened his eyes. ¡°Stop it, Alicia. Your blood can only suppress the mana; you won¡¯t be able to destroy it. Furthermore, you¡¯d require a huge amount of blood to heal the injuries. Your body is also¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± ¡°How can it be fine? You¡¯re wasting your effort¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking, Lord Brother!¡± Alicia suddenly cried out with an unusually forceful tone that echoed loudly in the silent pce. Roel was taken aback. He stared dazedly at her for a long while before he carefully spoke up. ¡°¡­A-Alicia?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to talk?¡± Alicia angrily howled. ¡°¡­¡± Roel quickly quieted down. Alicia red at him as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand before berating him with a quivering voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear that it won¡¯t work and that I¡¯m wasting my effort. I know full well it doesn¡¯t solve the root of the problem! But if it buys you some time, what does this bit of blood count as? ¡°I know that my blood isn¡¯t enough to fully heal you up, and that I am not in a good condition to do this too, but it¡¯s fine as long as it helps you even a little. What I need now isn¡¯t your dissuasion but your encouragement! Wuuu¡­ I-I really¡­ really¡­¡± Looking at the pitifully sobbing woman, it suddenly struck Roel that this was the first time Alicia was seeing him in a near-death state. He had be somewhat ustomed to near-death experiences after facing plenty of powerful enemies in recent years, but never had it happened in front of Alicia. He also made sure to avoid mentioning the dangers he encountered on this battlefield to her lest she worry. Herpleteck of immunity toward seeing him in such a state made it difficult for her to even maintain herposure. She was like a child from a military household fearing dearly for the life of a family member; it was only normal for her to be terrified. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Alicia,¡± Roel softly apologized. Alicia nodded while wiping away her tears. ¡°I can¡¯t squeeze out any mana now, so Artasia and the others won¡¯t be able to help me. I¡¯ll be counting on you,¡± Roel said. ¡°Mm,¡± Alicia replied hoarsely. She first ced her hand on his chest and took a deep breath. Slowly, her agitated emotions began to settle down. Then, she proceeded to examine his injuries. Roel was surprisingly embarrassed by it. It tickled him to have his top half bare and touched by Alicia. Her gentle fingers running over his body made him feel oddly sensitive, and her tearful and worried expression made his brain heat up. It was just that he had lost too much blood and mana to dwell on such extraneous matters, and Alicia¡¯s expression slowly grew serious. As time passed, Alicia¡¯s face started to pale due to the profuse loss of blood, but she managed to stabilize Roel¡¯s condition for the time being through the infusion of life force. That helped him to better stay conscious, and his mind didn¡¯t feel so groggy anymore. Carolyn¡¯s ray of golden light was formidable¡ªmost people would have disintegrated on impact. Who could have thought that there was an additionalyer to it? pa??read ". From the looks of it now, the side effect imbued into the attack was the true killer move, as it was much harder to deal with. ¡°Is it something like a parasite or a virus?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s simr to those but more dangerous. My mana is hardly recovering; I suspect that it¡¯s absorbing my mana to worsen the injury.¡± ¡°I see. That simplifies the issue.¡± Alicia pondered for a long while before her eyes hardened with determination. She gently touched his wound and asked, ¡°You¡¯ll recover as long as I destroy the light imbued in your wounds, right?¡± ¡°Yes, but that¡¯s impossible to pull off.¡± ¡°It can be done,¡± Alicia said as her crimson eyes glowed brightly. She grabbed Roel¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Lord Brother, you told me to trust you earlier?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Do you trust me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was taken aback by the question. He looked at her and saw that her pupils were shaking. She was nervously waiting for his reply. ¡°I have only recovered a portion of my memories, but even so, Lord Brother, are you willing to put yourplete trust into me?¡± ¡°Alicia, you¡¯re thinking of¡­¡± ¡°ck Moon.¡± Chapter 633.2: Choice (2)

Chapter 633.2: Choice (2)

¡°¡­Just as I thought.¡± Roel sighed as he realized the rationale behind Alicia¡¯s question. The ck Moon used to be the Mother Goddess¡¯ trump card. It was a powerful ability that nullified practically all powers and dragged its target into it. Carolyn¡¯s powers were likely to originate from the ancient gods, so they were bound to be high up the hierarchy of powers. However, not even the ancient gods had the power to escape from the absolute might of the ck Moon. Theoretically, it was possible for Alicia to nullify the malevolent energy inside Roel¡¯s wounds using the ck Moon, but it required a leap of faith. For him to bare himself to the ck Moon meant to entrust his life to her. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unbearable silence loomed in the quiet pce. Roel and Alicia looked at each other wordlessly. It wasn¡¯t so long ago that they were still enemies, and Alicia hadn¡¯t fully regained her memories yet. Treating him with the power of the ck Moon was also very risky, as it required precise control, so he would have preferred a safer method instead. But looking at her tearstained cheeks, Roel¡¯s eyes mellowed. He grabbed her hands, which had turned cold from her loss of blood, and smiled at her, saying, ¡°I¡¯ve told you, Alicia. Regardless of how much you remember, our rtionship will never change. Your question is unnecessary.¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°I trust you, and this will never change. Don¡¯t worry about me and do whatever you need to.¡± ¡°¡­Mm!¡± Alicia nodded determinedly upon hearing Roel¡¯s encouragement. Tremendous mana gathered around her as she unleashed her Divine Domain. The next moment, Roel found himself floating above a vast ocean, with the Twin Moons in the sky. Under Alicia¡¯s control, the ck Moon slowly descended and loomed over him. ¡­ While Alicia started her treatment attempt after receiving Roel¡¯s affirmation, in the capital of the Austine Empire, Paul Ackermann found himself at a critical turning point. It was twilight. Paul sat before his table in his bedroom, staring at a letter under the moonlight. Liz stood beside him with a rare solemn expression. This letter was Paul¡¯s only way to break out of the current impasse, but he knew that following the instructions on the letter would result in severe repercussions to the Austine Empire that he couldn¡¯t even imagine. ¡°Your Highness, can you tell me the content of that letter?¡± Liz asked, stepping forward. Paul pondered for a moment before he nodded and said, ¡°My imperial sister ns to draw Emperor Lukas¡¯ attention so as to buy time for us to escape from this ce.¡± ¡°I see. That sounds like a decent n,¡± Liz evaluated with a nod. Emperor Lukas was Paul¡¯s greatest hurdle to freedom. If they could lure him out of the secondary pce, their chances of escaping at least doubled. Liz could see the merit of this n, but Paul¡¯s expression remained heavy. This prompted her to ask, ¡°Your Highness, is something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­My imperial sister has a backup n too, for in case we fail to escape.¡± ¡°A backup n? Yes, even the most well-thought-out n could have loopholes. What is the backup n?¡± ¡°An invasion.¡± ¡°What?¡± Liz was startled. Paul revealed a bitter smile as he further borated, ¡°In the worst-case scenario, if we fail to escape, the armies inside the city that support my imperial sister will raise their arms and support the soldiers from Noyce Fortress to invade the secondary pce so as to secure us to safety.¡± ¡°B-but¡­ that¡¯s no different from raising a rebellion!¡± Liz eximed in horror. . Paul also fell silent. There was a difference between escaping from the secondary pce and starting a rebellion. Escaping from the secondary pce was a crime, but raising a rebellion would warrant capital punishment. Emperor Lukas wouldn¡¯t let him off for that. The vtile political circumstances of the Austine Empire didn¡¯t help, either. As soon as this rescue turned into an invasion, Lilian would be branded a traitor, and the other two imperial princes would make their moves too. They would fan the mes, knowing that this was their greatest chance to get rid of their biggest rival. All of these would culminate in an internal war, and the trigger would be none other than Paul. Thinking about the consequences of escape left Paul with a heavy heart, though he was also perplexed as to why Lilian would go this far for him. He was on good terms with Lilian due to theirmon connection with Roel, but that was all there was to it. It was one thing for her to aid his escape, but it was another thing for her to incite an internal war in order to rescue him. It sounded imusible no matter how he looked at it. He had a feeling that Lilian had other aims, and Liz felt the same way. ¡°Your Highness, I suspect that Her Highness Lilian isn¡¯t just doing this to help us¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I know that.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true that we¡¯ll be saved if everything goes smoothly too,¡± Liz added. Paul was conflicted as to whether he should trust Lilian and ept her helping hand. As an imperial prince, he knew that it went against better judgment to trust someone in the race for the throne, as there was nock of precedents of siblings killing each other to reinforce their position. However, there were also several reasons thatpelled him to trust Lilian. It was just a gut feeling, but he sensed that Emperor Lukas carried malicious intent toward him. He was probably just biding his time for an ideal opportunity to strike. On top of that, he had been wanting to leave the secondary pce too. The persistent dreams he had been having every night had changed him without his knowledge. If the events that had happened in the dreams were real, there was something he had to do right now. After some contemtion, he turned to Liz and said, ¡°I think we can trust my imperial sister.¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to trust Her Highness Lilian?¡± ¡°Yes, she might be a member of the imperial family too, but she''s different from my imperial brothers. Most importantly of all, there¡¯s big brother Roel,¡± Paul said with gleaming eyes as he remembered the time they had spent together in the academy. ¡°It¡¯s thanks to big brother Roel that I was able toe this far. There¡¯s no way he would harm me. I believe that my imperial sister, who likes big brother Roel, wouldn¡¯t do it either.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it too rash toe to this conclusion solely on that?¡± ¡°Not at all. I have no idea what imperial sister Lilian is nning, but I know for certain that she wouldn¡¯t do anything contrary to big brother Roel¡¯s will. I did contribute a lot to their rtionship, after all,¡± Paul replied with a smile. He then turned to Liz and ordered, ¡°Begin making preparations for our escape.¡± Chapter 634.1: What About Now? (1)

Chapter 634.1: What About Now? (1)

This was not the first time Roel was enveloped by the ck Moon, but it still wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience. It made him feel cold, helpless, and frightened. When countless ck hands reached for him, his willpower, which had been tempered time and time again till it was unyielding like steel, felt heavy despair like never before. Even so, he made no attempt to resist it. The ck Moon was a frightening entity that could doom even the gods, but like any weapon, whether it did good or harm depended on the person wielding it. And the person controlling this cataclysmic weapon was Alicia. Roel¡¯s trust in Alicia ran so deep that it was practically imprinted in his bones, and it wouldn¡¯t change regardless of whether her memories were iplete or not. Furthermore, he knew his attitude could affect her. She was already in an emotionally unstable state due to his injuries, and he didn¡¯t want to further hurt her by doing anything that would make her think that he feared or distrusted her. Thus, he chose to close his eyes and go with the flow when the ck Moon enveloped him. Not looking at the ck Moon helped, as the countless tiny ck hands stretching out from within were distressing to look at. He still felt a myriad of negative emotions and his body was tense nevertheless, but that was at least bearable. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to survive the ck Moon. What powered him through was Alicia¡¯s anxious breathing and heartbeat, which told him that she was actually the most nervous person here. Amidst the swooshing of ocean waves, countless tiny ck hands wriggled toward Roel to probe the faint light shining in his injuries. As soon as they came into contact with him, he felt his consciousness and body plunging into utter coldness. I see. Is this the reason even gods are unable to escape from the ck Moon? His body, his mana, and his soul were frozen in an instant, true to the absolute prowess of the ck Moon. Despite the difort, he surprisingly felt a familiar aura within the ck Moon. Is this¡­ the Mother Goddess¡¯ aura? Apanying that thought were the memories of a reassuring profile, and his tense mind slowly rxed. Momentster, he fell asleep. ¡­ Alicia momentarily panicked when Roel lost consciousness. She anxiously checked his pulse to confirm that there was nothing wrong before she finally heaved a sigh of relief. Then, she shook her head as it suddenly urred to her that she cared too much about him for her own good. But her emotions refused to agree. The sh between her rational mind and her emotions evoked a sigh from her. This conflict was likely due to her having yet to fully regain her memories, but her feelings were spilling out like from a burst dam. Each injury she saw on his body felt like a cut on her body. Each pained expression he showed made her heart skip a beat. She couldn¡¯t help it. It was an instinct ingrained in her, and she had no desire to change it at all. She instinctively realized that this was the real her. As she caressed his cheeks, she felt such strong fluctuations of emotions that it induced a sharp pain in her heart, forcing her to take deep breaths to control herself. She closed her eyes and affirmed her determination once more before slowly retracting her hand. The ck Moon then released hundreds of needle-like, ck hands into Roel¡¯s injuries to curb the faint light. The collision between the two forces caused fresh blood to spill once more. Alicia clenched her trembling fists tightly, but she forced herself to push through. Slowly, the light imbued in Roel¡¯s injuries was driven out of his body and dragged into the ck Moon. The process took several hours. By then, Alicia was exhausted, and her Divine Domain was shaking nonstop. Long hours of controlling the ck Moon had taken a toll on Alicia, but she wasn¡¯t done yet. Looking at Roel¡¯s still-injured body, she slit her already-recovered palm and allowed her blood to seep into his wounds as the purest source of life force. Only upon confirming that his injuries were recovering did she finally retract her Divine Domain. The vast ocean and the Twin Moons vanished, and the two of them returned to the pce. Alicia had almost depleted her mana in the earlier operation, and the excessive loss of blood left her so dizzy that it was hard to bnce on her feet. However, these adversities couldn¡¯t hope to bring down the Silverash Child. She mustered all her strength to lug Roel into one of the rooms before copsing onto a bed with him. Bam! ¡°¡­¡± By coincidence, Alicia found herself lying on top of Roel¡¯s bare chest. This unexpected contact made her eyes spin and her breathing hasten. It took a while before sheposed herself, but her face still remained red. She didn¡¯t feel anything earlier, as she was too focused on treating him, but now that his condition had stabilized, she found his warmth intoxicating. Her mind suddenly heated up, and she felt a strong reluctance to tear away from him. The more she looked at the sleeping man, the stronger this feeling became. A question surfaced as a result. How did the old me behave in front of him? I should have been demure since I¡¯m a woman, but why is it that my head is filled with all sorts of dirty stuff?! Alicia felt both embarrassed and flustered, and it didn¡¯t help that her memories were still nk. ¡°H-have I always been like this? Just looking at the bare body of a man is enough to¡­ No! No no no! How can that be? Ha. Haha¡­¡± Alicia forced out augh as she averted her eyes away from the burning heat engulfing her body. She refused to believe that she was a pervert. But just like how all living beings eventually sumbed to their instincts, after some hesitation, Alicia still slowlyy back down on Roel¡¯s chest. ¡°I-I¡¯m just tired¡­ I mean, this room is mine! I¡¯m just checking on his heartbeat to confirm that he¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just for a short while¡­¡± awread . Finding an excuse for herself, the red-faced Alicia murmured under her breath as shey down in Roel¡¯s embrace. As she stared at his sleeping visage, her heartbeat slowly settled down, and a tinge of bliss started spreading in her heart. She suddenly felt like nothing else mattered in the world, be it the war between the Savior and the Mother Goddess, or the terrifying woman from the Ascart House. All that mattered was for them to be together, so that this feeling of bliss couldst for eternity. In fact, Alicia¡¯s subconscious choice of teleporting to this ce instead of the Moonsoul Tower reflected her mental state. That showed that she was worried that the Mother Goddess might harm Roel, which, in a way, showed that she had prioritized him above all things else. She happily nuzzled against Roel¡¯s chest as her heart finally came to peace. Her exhaustion quickly sank in, and just like that, she fell into deep sleep with Roel in her arms. ¡­ Chapter 634.2: What About Now? (2)

Chapter 634.2: What About Now? (2)

Roel felt peculiar when he opened his eyes once more. His body, which had gone numb from having suffered too many injuries, had regained its senses, and the feeling of coldness and fear had vanished. He hadn¡¯t regained much mana yet, but it was gradually replenishing. Most importantly of all, the searing pain from the injuries he sustained from Carolyn was gone. That released the huge boulder weighing down Roel¡¯s chest, though his attention was quickly drawn to an itch on his chest. pa??read ". He looked down and saw Alicia peacefully sleeping on top of him. This surprised him. This was the first time since their reunion that she had taken the initiative to approach him. Furthermore, the fact that she had willingly slept in his arms showed that her trust in him had greatly deepened. This was good news for him, as his goal was to bring Alicia back. His mood lifted, and he caved in to the urge to stroke her smooth hair. It could have been due to his movements or the change in his mana fluctuation, but Alicia¡¯s eyelids fluttered a little before her eyes opened by a slit. ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°My apologies, Alicia. Did I wake you up?¡± ¡°Not at all¡­¡± Alicia shook her head like a kitten that had just awoken from its nap. She looked at Roel¡¯s face and suddenly said, ¡°Lord Brother, kiss me.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was taken aback by Alicia¡¯s request. His eyes widened as her face slowly approached, but he quickly made up his mind. Had it been in the past, he would have found an excuse to not engage in any intimacy with her, but his thoughts had changed after reading the letter. One of the reasons behind Alicia losing herself after awakening to the ck Moon was the gap in her heart. Roel finally understood that his continued rejections over seemingly small stuff had been a great source of frustration to her. He didn¡¯t think that the affection he harbored for Alicia back then was any less than it was now, but something that wasn¡¯t properly expressed was as good as being nonexistent. Even a pair as close as Roel and Alicia couldn¡¯t avoid misunderstandings arising from ack ofmunication. Thus, Roel took a deep breath before looking into Alicia¡¯s dazed eyes to say, ¡°Alicia, I love you.¡± After a clear confession that left no room for misinterpretation, he leaned in and sealed her lips. As their lips ovepped, Alicia quickly snapped out of her daze and regained her rity. Everything that had just happened hit her hard, and she widened her eyes. ¡°L-lord Brother?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Alicia?¡± ¡°W-w-what did you just say?¡± ¡°What did I just say? I said ¡®I love you.¡¯¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes widened yet again. Her breathing came to a halt, as she stared at Roel in utter disbelief. Slowly, her face started to flush. ¡°W-what¡¯s with this all of a sudden, Lord Brother? You never said such words in the past¡­¡± ¡°Nothing much. I just saw your letter.¡± ¡°Letter? What letter? Wait¡­¡± Upon Roel¡¯s prompt, Alicia clutched her forehead as she tried to trace her memories. Momentster, she slowly nodded. ¡°I see. You saw that letter.¡± ¡°You remember it?¡± ¡°Mmhm¡­ It might have been because of the shock you gave me, but I think I regained most of my memories.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Roel was excited to hear that, as this would mean that his operation to rescue Alicia was a sess. He looked at her still-blushing face and tightly hugged her. An inexplicable thought suddenly surfaced in his mind: If my confession helped to jolt her memories, would she recover faster if I say it more? Thus, Roel gently propped up Alicia¡¯s chin until their eyes met before repeating his words again. ¡°Alicia, I love you.¡± ¡°!¡± Alicia was stunned like a deer before headlights. She blushed so furiously that the redness reached her ears. Seeing that, Roel couldn¡¯t resist the urge to give it another go. ¡°Alicia, I love you.¡± ¡°W-wait! Lord Brother, what are you doing? Are you bullying me now?¡± ¡°Alicia, I love you.¡± ¡°Stop, L-lord Brother! Stop saying it! I get it now¡­¡± ¡°Alicia, I love you.¡± ¡°AHHHH!¡± Under Roel¡¯s relentless assault, Alicia finally unleashed an adorable scream before hurriedly covering her ears. Looking at her burning ears, Roel felt light-headed. Alicia is too adorable! He reached out and tightly embraced the woman before him once more, taking a huge dose of Aliciatonin while he was at it. It had been a while since hest felt this energized. On the other hand, Alicia transformed into an ostrich, refusing to raise her head at all. It took a long time before she finally released her hands from her ears, but her face remained as red as an apple. Roel dotingly caressed her cheek as he felt boundless affection pouring out from within. But as his excitement died down, he remembered that there were still a few more matters he had to resolve, and his expression turned serious. ¡°Alicia, allow me to apologize to you.¡± ¡°Apologize?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. After reading the letter, I realized that I have caused you many frustrations over the years. I should apologize for that.¡± ¡°¡­Frustrations?¡± Alicia took a good look at Roel before continuing with a soft sigh, ¡°Yes, it has been frustrating. You¡¯d always back down at the critical moment, leaving me at a loss of what to do.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry; it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ll never make such a mistake again. I hope that you can forgive me.¡± ¡°Forgive you¡­¡± Alicia could feel her dissatisfaction dissipating at Roel¡¯s apology, and she was about to give an affirmative response when her eyes suddenly fell on his bare upper body. Her eyes gleamed as an idea came to her mind. ¡°Lord Brother, may I know the reason you rejected me in the past?¡± ¡°The reason¡­ I¡¯d say the biggest reason is your age,¡± Roel honestly replied. That was indeed his greatest concern back then. While the Sia Continent¡¯s culture was different, he still couldn¡¯t bring himself to have intimate ties with someone underaged. He failed to notice the gleeful smile emerging on Alicia¡¯s lips, though she quickly concealed it. Alicia wrapped her hand around Roel¡¯s neck before she slowly raised her head and looked at him with predatory eyes. She softly breathed out on his neck before asking, ¡°What about now?¡± Chapter 635.1: Alicia’s Call for Help (1)

Chapter 635.1: Alicia¡¯s Call for Help (1)

In the dark room, Roel stared at Alicia as his mindpletely nked out. All along, he had rejected Alicia on the basis of her age. As someone who remembered his previous life, his mental age was much greater than hers, not to mention that he was physically two years older than her too. Their age difference had made him subconsciously think that it would be wrong to harbor such intent toward her, but this problem was not a problem anymore. ¡°¡­¡± The warmth being transmitted across their skin and the itch on his neck sent a jolt straight to Roel¡¯s central nervous system. His heart began to race, and he hooked his arm around Alicia¡¯s slim waist, locking her in ce. Looking into her expectant eyes, Roel¡¯s expression slowly changed. ¡°The problem regarding your age no longer exists.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no reason for Lord Brother to shun me anymore, right?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Roel replied with a nod. Alicia revealed a smile reminiscent of a gleeful little fox. Before proceeding to the next step of her n, she ced her finger on Roel¡¯s chest and circted a tinge of her mana through his body. Momentster, her heart was finally fully put at ease, and her expression rxed. Her inspection revealed that Roel¡¯s condition had greatly improved. The only issue was that his soul was still weak and there was no good solution for it, but it wouldn¡¯t impede what Alicia was going to do next. As Alicia conducted his pre-nuptial screening, Roel suddenly spoke up. ¡°I haven¡¯t thanked you for treating me yet, Alicia. I¡¯d have been in danger if not for your treatment. I am fine now.¡± ¡°Ah? Y-you¡¯re wee.¡± Being so earnestly thanked when she had an ulterior motive in mind left Alicia feeling so conscience-stricken that her flow of mana halted. However, she quickly snapped out of it and replied, ¡°It¡¯s because of me that you got injured, Lord Brother. That attack was directed at me. You could have dodged it and¡­¡± ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? There¡¯s no way I would have dodged that attack,¡± Roel said with a smile as he tightened his arm around Alicia¡¯s waist. ¡°You are important to me. It¡¯d hurt me more to see the injuries being inflicted on you instead.¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± Alicia stared at Roel before burying her head in his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m really happy to hear that, Lord Brother. I¡¯m so happy that my heart is aching a little¡­ but please never do that ever again.¡± ¡°Alicia?¡± ¡°I was so frightened when I saw you copse. My head went faint, and I couldn¡¯t stop my tears at all. I have never felt that way before.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Roel apologized as he stroked Alicia¡¯s hair. However, Alicia didn¡¯t n to forgive him that easily. ¡°You¡¯re always like that. You always apologize whenever I get angry at you, only to repeat the same thing again the next time¡­¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Lies. You told me a long time ago that you¡¯d let me protect you, but those were just empty words to cajole me. You¡¯d never tell me whenever you¡¯re about to do something dangerous.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Roel couldn¡¯t refute those words. Alicia red at him with a pout as she pressed on, ¡°I¡¯ll let whatever happened in the past slide since I was weak then, but now¡­ Lord Brother, do you still think that I¡¯m weak?¡± ¡°Of course not! ¡®Weak¡¯ is thest word I¡¯d use to describe you,¡± Roel replied as he recalled the arduous battle he had with Alicia. ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Alicia revealed a triumphant smile as she made up her mind. ¡°I¡¯m strong enough to stand alongside Lord Brother now, so let¡¯s ovee this crisis together.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Brother? You look like you have something to say. Are you unable to trust me as yourrade, or do you see me as a burden who needs to be protected?¡± ¡°N-not at all! Definitely not!¡± Roel swiftly denied the usations, having sensed a threatening edge in her tone. Alicia red at Roel for a long while before finally letting things rest, but before Roel could heave a sigh of relief, she pressed on with another issue, ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I forgot to ask you about.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­Lord Brother, you said earlier that you harbored romantic feelings for me?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s right,¡± Roel replied with a solemn nod. His affirmation vanquished thest bit of Alicia¡¯s fear, and her mind began churning to action. ¡°Speaking of which, Lord Brother, don¡¯t you think you should reward me?¡± ¡°Reward?¡± ¡°You said that you¡¯re grateful to me for treating you. It¡¯s quite tiring to control the ck Moon.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what do you want?¡± Alicia didn¡¯t answer the question right away. She looked at Roel with sentimental eyes before she lightly rubbed her body against him while cing her finger on his chest. Redness slowly filled her face. Roel widened his eyes in a fluster as he asked, ¡°Alicia? Y-your reward¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Brother. I have already thought things through¡­ I want to have a baby.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was dumbstruck. Alicia sat upright and ced her hand on her tummy as she said, ¡°Lord Brother, I am old enough for that now, right?¡± ¡°W-well, that¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all that matters. It¡¯s time to expand the Ascart House.¡± Alicia leaned closer to Roel and gently nibbled on his ear as she continued, ¡°Lord Brother, you should have known all along, even as a child, that this is the reason I have been by your side. That¡¯s also the reason Lord Father acknowledged us¡­ Won¡¯t you help me fulfill my mission?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Breathing in her fragrance and listening to her plea, Roel felt like a me had been ignited inside him. The final shred of his rationality sumbed. Who could possibly withstand this?! ¡°I love you, Alicia.¡± ¡°I love you too, Lord Brother.¡± After onest confirmation of their feelings, the two of them embraced each other as their shadows slowly fused into one. ¡­ Chapter 635.2: Alicia’s Call for Help (2)

Chapter 635.2: Alicia¡¯s Call for Help (2)

Time could be thought of as a rtive concept perceived by the observer. Happy times always passed in a sh, whereas moments of anguish felt drawn out. A person¡¯s emotional state affected how they perceived time. By this standard, the ck-haired man thought that he must have been happy in thest few years. He figured that it should have been the same for the ck-haired, golden-eyed woman too, evident from her smiling face. On the highest balcony of the majestic pce, the man and the woman, dressed to the nines, stood next to each other as they gazed upon the smiling crowd gathered on the bustling streets beneath. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we had such a lively national day celebration.¡± ¡°Indeed. Shall Ipliment you?¡± ¡°Please do. You must be unaware of how stingy you are withpliments,¡± the man wearing a crown said with a bitter smile. The woman shook her head in indignation and replied, ¡°That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s just that a certain someone¡¯s performance might have been so disappointing that I couldn¡¯t bring myself topliment him¡­ such as his hundred failed challenges.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t fair! You said so yourself¡ªthere¡¯s no way I could defeat you!¡± the young emperor eximed in embarrassment. The woman burst intoughter upon hearing those words, looking more beautiful than the most vibrant of flowers. ¡°It¡¯s true that you didn¡¯t stand a chance against me back then, but I think that a man ought to pick impossible fights.¡± ¡°Hahaha! I can¡¯t agree with those words, but it¡¯s thanks to that that we¡¯re together now.¡± The man felt nostalgic and proud when he thought about that difficult year he had. ¡°To be honest, I looked forward to our fights back then.¡± ¡°That goes without saying. You had the strongest Origin Level 1 transcendent as your sparring partner, and I even promised not to kill you. There¡¯s no better deal than that. Your strength must have grown by leaps and bounds that year, right?¡± ¡°Hahaha! Well, that¡¯s true, but there¡¯s a different reason that I looked forward to our fights.¡± ¡°A different reason?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I could see you.¡± awread. The woman widened her eyes in astonishment, but she quickly averted her eyes and joked, ¡°Oh? You must have enjoyed getting beaten down by me. What a weird fellow. Do you have some kind of weird interest?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it¡­ There¡¯s a question I have been wanting to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­You heard the words I said right before I passed out in ourst battle, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman¡¯s body stiffened up. Fireworks exploded nonstop in the distance, illuminating both their faces. A long timeter, she said, ¡°What did you say back then? I don¡¯t remember.¡± Fireworks exploded nonstop, illuminating their faces. ¡°¡­Shall I say it again?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman¡¯s body shuddered. She subconsciously nced at the majestic pce behind her as her smile slowly faded, and the atmosphere around her turned cold. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say those words to Her Majesty instead? It isn¡¯t apt for you to spend the night with anotherdy.¡± ¡°Fornica and I are in a political marriage. It¡¯s only a means for me to take the throne.¡± ¡°How wonderful. You got both the throne and the beauty.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us, I swear! I can even prove that¡­ Fornica likes women.¡± ¡°???¡± The woman was so baffled that the cold atmosphere around her wavered. ¡°How can such a thing possibly be¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true! You have the means to investigate it if you doubt me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man¡¯s earnest tone and expression shook the woman, leaving her at a loss. The man took this chance to quickly add on, ¡°What I wish to say has no conflict with the position I am in. My feelings for you are real, or else I would have never persevered that year¡­¡± Chapter 636: Relationship Issue

Chapter 636: Rtionship Issue

Loyalty was a tricky affair in the Austine Empire. As the country propagating the infamous Pure Bloodline Theory, the Austine Empire ced high importance on bloodlines. In fact, the Ackermanns¡¯ mandate to rule was based on their bloodline. Years of reinforcing this justification had cast a halo on the imperial family, but ironically, it had also undermined the emperor¡¯s authority. While the emperor had the right to rule as one bearing the noblest bloodline, he was not the only one with the qualification. Other members of the imperial family would fit the criterion too, so they, theoretically, could im their right to the throne. Unless the emperor had a strong base of supporters, the other members of the imperial family could overthrow him at any moment as soon as they amassed sufficient power. On top of that, the Austine Empire, in a bid to avoid religious influences from undermining imperial power, had embraced secrism, which meant that the emperor couldn¡¯t im to have the mandate of higher beings. This contrasted with the Saint Mesit Theocracy, where the Holy Eminence further consolidated their position via religious influence. It was not easy to be an emperor of the Austine Empire. However, the Ackermanns, in their long history, had stumbled upon a convenient way to resolve this issue¡ªfratricide. If I eliminate everyone else with the mandate to rule, all of the nobles would have no one but me to pledge their loyalty to. This logic had motivated countless incidents of bloodshed among the Ackermanns in thest thousand years. Most emperors of the Austine Empire had stained their hands with the blood of their siblings. This damned tradition was the reason Lilian was disgusted with her own n. From a young age, she had already seen through the bootlicking and coaxing of those around her, and she knew that this was her fate as a member of the imperial family. She quickly learned how to maintain her poker face around hypocrisy and vileness. Even so, she couldn¡¯t understand hostility among family members, who should have been one another¡¯s stalwart allies. Every time she looked at other families and subconsciouslypared them to the Ackermanns, she felt extremely ufortable. Are you that intoxicated with power? Do you not feel the slightest kinship to your family members? Every now and then, Lilian would feel an urge to ask them this when her older brothers attacked her in the imperial court, only to swallow the words back down. It was a redundant question; the answer was right in front of her. The endless rivalry she had with her siblings exhausted her. There was even a period of time when she wondered if she was the weird one. It was then that she met her true bloodline kin and lover. Looking back, his appearance might have saved her humanity. Were it not for him, she might have just killed her emotions as a human and resigned herself to a life devoid of familial warmth. Lilian looked at the towering pce walls in front of her as her eyes hardened with conviction. Behind her stood a brawny old man and a huge army. In the darkness before dawn, tens of thousands of soldiers and their steeds breathed white vapor as they stood solemnly in formation. They couldn¡¯t help but asionally nce at the brawny old man with looks of respect, for thetter held an important ce in their hearts. The brawny old man, dubbed as the Military God, was the hero who had led humankind to victory in the fourth war against the deviants. He was the previous Seze Duke, Layton Seze. It was only normal for the soldiers to be awed when a person from the legends suddenly appeared before them. The prestige he had umted over the years was resounding, and it greatly boosted the army¡¯s morale. A whileter, Lilian retracted her gaze from the pce walls and turned around to face her army. The soldiers who had fought with her on many battlefields puffed up their chests and stood at attention. Their eyes reflected neither confusion nor hesitation. They were prepared to put their lives down for this operation. Lilian acknowledged their determination with a nod before turning to Layton Seze. ¡°Duke Layton, I am grateful for your goodwill, but is it fine for you to stand with me?¡± she asked with a calm and earnest tone. ¡°You may have resigned as the Sezes¡¯ patriarch, but your actions are bound to implicate the Sezes. What we are going to do will adversely affect your n.¡± Layton Sezeughed heartily, replying, ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re absolutely right, Your Highness. I¡¯m ttered by your concern, but please rest assured. My actions reflect the Sezes¡¯ will.¡± ¡°The Seze House is siding with me?¡± ¡°You can say so.¡± ¡°I see. I am honored and grateful to receive the Sezes¡¯ help, but may I ask the reason? I know that I am still at a disadvantageous positionpared to His Majesty¡¯s influence.¡± Instead of losing herself to excitement, Lilian enquired about the Sezes¡¯ reason for standing with her. Layton Seze nodded in acknowledgment, knowing that their intervention was indeed abrupt. ¡°My descendants have prepared many answers for me, but I don¡¯t think Your Highness is fond of those fawning words. Let me offer you a more practical answer instead.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°There are two reasons behind this. One is personal. It¡¯s your rtionship with that Ascartd.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about Roel?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s a descendant of a friend. I ought to take care of him a little, but he matured too fast while I was bogged down by other matters. I figured that I could make up for it through you.¡± Lilian blinked her eyes in surprise before her lips curled into a faint smile. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d like to assure you that I¡¯ll be with Roel forever. May I know what the other reason is?¡± ¡°The second reason is what has been bogging me down, preventing me from helping that Ascartd¡­ Your Highness, please have a look at this.¡± Layton Seze¡¯s expression turned grim as he handed a document to Lilian. Lilian took the document and quickly browsed through it. It didn¡¯t take long for her eyes to narrow sharply, and her expression darkened. ¡°That¡¯d exin a lot of things. Lord Layton, I am grateful for your help.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty. It¡¯s the only way I can make it up to Ro,¡± Layton said with a sigh as he reminisced about the past. He then turned to Lilian and said, ¡°Other than this report containing my many years of investigation, the other reason I came here is to advise you to back down and opt for a more peaceful resolution method instead.¡± ¡°¡­I appreciate your advice, but I have my own ns too and I have to push it through.¡± Lilian firmly but courteously turned down Layton¡¯s advice, bringing a conflicted look to thetter¡¯s face. ¡°Your Highness, Emperor Lukas is an Origin Level 1 transcendent, and I haven¡¯t been able to get a good gauge on how strong he is in so many years. It¡¯ll be a dangerous operation. I am on your side too, but I won¡¯t be able to reach you in time from the city walls if anything happens¡­¡± ¡°I understand your concerns, but please put aside your worries,¡± Lilian said. She gently raised her finger, and stifling pressure abruptly fell upon the surroundings. The soldiers in the vicinity moaned in pain. Layton was taken aback. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°I have ovee my bottleneck,¡± Lilian exined as she looked at the pce walls. ¡°Lukas doesn¡¯t have the power to kill me anymore.¡± ¡­ Overexerting before recovering from a severe illness was taboo, but that was what Roel did. His body felt heavy as if pumped with lead, and his soul was stillnguishing. To say that he was in a terrible state was an understatement, but somehow, his mood was better than it had been in recent days. He had always unconsciously drawn a line between him and Alicia, which led to him turning her down time and time again. It was only after seeing her letter that he tried his best to change his attitude, and he finally overcame that mental barrier. Despite having an adorable silver-haired woman lying next to him, Roel couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly when he saw her arm wrapped tightly around his, as if frightened that he would escape. As if to reassure her, he lowered his head and kissed her forehead. As a high transcendent with an Indestructible Body, there was no question about Roel¡¯s stamina. He and Alicia, in a way, were like a match made in heaven. No matter how aggressive he was, Alicia, with her Silverash Child Bloodline, was able to withstand everything. Initially, he had gone easy on her in view that it was her first time, but with her Silverash Child Bloodline, she quickly adapted and even tried to turn the tables on him. If not for his superior stamina, he might have just lost the battle. Thinking about what a close shave it was earlier made Roel pat his chest in relief. It could have been that his movements were too forceful or that she wasn¡¯t deeply asleep, but Alicia suddenly opened her eyes at this juncture. She initially looked a little confused, but shortly after she met Roel¡¯s gaze, her confusion turned into affection. ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Alicia first reached out to touch Roel¡¯s cheek before slowly calming down, saying, ¡°You¡¯re¡­ real. I¡¯m relieved. I thought it was another dream.¡± ¡°Another dream? Did you have such dreams before?¡± ¡°O-asionally, but I always wake up feeling lonelier than ever.¡± ¡°My apologies, Alicia,¡± Roel said as he hugged her. Alicia shyly shook her little head and replied, ¡°It¡¯s good now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Are you still aching?¡± Roel asked concernedly, stroking Alicia¡¯s hair. Alicia was slightly taken aback by that question. She looked at the bloodstain on the bed sheet, and a peculiar expression appeared on her face. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡­ I think I have recovered.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°No, ¡®recovered¡¯ is not an apt term. What I mean is that I have reverted.¡± ¡°Reverted? Wait, do you mean to say¡­¡± Roel was dumbstruck. Alicia shyly nodded with a furious blush, confirming his statement. While transcendents with recovery abilities healed quickly from their injuries, their cells still regenerated through a normal biological process. There were no instances of transcendents reverting to their previous state as Alicia did. This meant that her body recovered in a different way to other humans, and this stoked some worries in her. ¡°Will this hinder me from having a child?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that it¡¯ll be a problem¡­ I guess.¡± Roel tried to console her, but he couldn¡¯t offer a definitive answer since he wasn¡¯t sure how things worked in the Sia Continent. To his relief, Alicia soon calmed down, but her eyes gleamed with determination. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord Brother. I¡¯ll ovee this hurdle for the sake of our child!¡± ¡°Alicia, are you that fond of children?¡± ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t say that I really like children¡­ but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fond of ours!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching Alicia say those words while dotingly stroking her belly, Roel felt a sudden rush of heat into his head, and he dove down to seal her lips. Alicia responded passionately to his kiss. This kisssted for a while before the two reluctantly pulled away from each other. Roel felt another wave of strength, but when he looked at the stained bed sheet and recalled their current situation, he held himself back from going for a second round. Aliciay on his chest as her eyes rolled in contemtion. After some hesitation, she finally spoke up. ¡°Lord Brother, there¡¯s something I have been wanting to ask you.¡± ??wre??d ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Lord Mother?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia looked at Roel with worried eyes, whereas thetter lowered his head and fell silent. Chapter 637: An Audience

Chapter 637: An Audience

Alicia intently stared at Roel with ruby eyes filled with doubt while awaiting his answer. She did notice that he carried the Mother Goddess¡¯ aura while they were fighting, but she had attributed it to the Crown¡¯s Stones then. However, Carolynter refuted that possibility. It was on this ground that she questioned Roel¡¯s loyalty to humankind, which prompted Roel to admit that he had ties with the Mother Goddess, though he didn¡¯t borate on it. She might have been thinking too much into it, but Alicia felt that this was something significant, which was why she had chosen to ask about it after some hesitation. On the other hand, Roel didn¡¯t know where he should start exining from. For starters, he didn¡¯t even know what his current rtionship with the Mother Goddess was. Had it been in the Witness State, he would have immediately answered that they were mother and son. She had showered him with unconditional love, making sacrifices for his sake without asking for anything in return. It was as if She was making up for Her past neglect by giving him the best there was in the world. Her selflessness deeply moved his heart, which was why he came to acknowledge Her. In terms of my soul as the Kingmaker, I am also the Mother Goddess¡¯ child¡­ and that¡¯s probably the case for my body now too, Roel thought as he felt the tremendous power within the Indestructible Body the Mother Goddess had paid a heavy price to forge for him. He suddenly missed Her a lot. The Mother Goddess had said in the Witness State that his existence was Her salvation, but the truth was that Her existence had been his salvation too. It was regrettable that there was no way to turn back time and undo what had happened in history. What the Mother Goddess had suffered couldn¡¯t be so resolved with just a happy dream. ¡°Alicia, have you met the Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°You mean awake?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I met Her a couple of times,¡± Alicia replied with a nod. Roel took a moment to gather his thoughts before he asked, ¡°What¡¯s your perception of the Mother Goddess? Is She a mortal? Is She a god? Or is She an iprehensible existence?¡± ¡°¡­Lord Mother feels different from the cold and impassive gods. She feels like a human to me.¡± ¡°A human?¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t let it show, but my instincts tell me that Lord Mother is rich with emotions,¡± Alicia said as she recalled how forlorn the Mother Goddess looked as She sat alone at the long table under the moonlight. ¡°Lord Mother has never let any emotions show, but sometimes, I can¡¯t help but think that She¡¯s crying beneath Her stoic face.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°What about you, Lord Brother? What¡¯s your impression of Lord Mother?¡± ¡°¡­Naive and clumsy.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Alicia was surprised by Roel¡¯s blunt answer. Roel immersed himself in his memories as he slowly drew out his truest thoughts from within. ¡°You said that She doesn¡¯t let any emotions show? That¡¯s not true. She just doesn¡¯t know how to express Herself. She had many chances, but they slipped past Her fingers because of that.¡± ¡°Lord Brother?¡± Alicia was taken aback by how assertive Roel sounded. However, Roel wasn¡¯t done yet. ¡°Her thoughts are also ridiculously naive. Rather than a ruler, She feels more like a parent with many children. She tries Her best to be a good mother by not showing preference to anyone, but that only led to the estrangement of Her most beloved child.¡± ¡°Lord Brother, where did you meet Lord Mother? How did youe to¡­¡± ¡°I personally experienced it. I was brought to the ancient warring era through the Witness State, and it was there I met the Mother Goddess. The Mother Goddess I met then is different from the Mother Goddess you know now, but Their intrinsic nature should be the same.¡± ¡°I understand. What was your rtionship with Her?¡± Alicia asked. Roel fell silent before replying, ¡°You can say I was a child She recognized.¡± ¡°Lord Brother too? Does that mean that we don¡¯t have to fight anymore?¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes lit up with hope upon hearing that. Her greatest worry was her rtionship with Roel. She could physically stay away from the Mother Goddess, but she couldn¡¯t sever their tight rtionship. Worst of all, that could further drive a wedge between Roel and the Mother Goddess. She wouldn¡¯t do anything disadvantageous to Roel now that she had regained her memories, but the Mother Goddess was an important existence to her too. She would be in turmoil if the Mother Goddess insisted on being hostile to Roel. Thus, it excited her to see that there was hope for peaceful co-existence. However, Roel let out a soft sigh and murmured, ¡°¡­Will things go that smoothly?¡± ¡°Lord Brother?¡± ¡°The betrayal of the Kingmaker n in the ancient era has greatly hurt the Mother Goddess. Countless years have passed since. Many races have gone extinct, and divine towers have been destroyed by the mes of war. Everything She values is no longer around. Would you have forgiven the descendants of the n who caused that if you were in Her ce?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to do it,¡± Roel replied sorrowfully as he shook his head. He understood the Mother Goddess and Her naive ideals, but that was also why he dared not to confirm Her stance. He was afraid of Her answer. ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± Sensing Roel¡¯s pain, Alicia propped herself up and wrapped her hands around Roel¡¯s neck to gentlyfort him. ¡°You have been through a lot. I know what¡¯s going on now, so you don¡¯t have to say anything more.¡± ¡°Alicia¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s focus on surviving the present for now.¡± ¡°Surviving the present?¡± Roel frowned, not knowing what Alicia was getting at. The space they were in was peaceful without anyone else. As powerful as Carolyn was, she couldn¡¯t have entered this space without an intermediary, so they should have been safe here. Thus, Roel probed deeper into the matter, and the answer he received was shocking. ¡°Carolyn is hot on our tail¡ªor, to be more exact, she¡¯s pursuing Shrouding Fog.¡± ¡°Shrouding Fog? Could it be¡­¡± ¡°I suspect she¡¯s trying to evict us by defeating Shrouding Fog,¡± Alicia replied solemnly. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. Shrouding Fog had been greatly weakened by its fight with the Egg of the Beast God and Roel, but it was still a fully matured Cmity. Its prowess was not to be made light of. Roel would have snorted in disdain if it had been anyone else confronting Shrouding Fog, but it was Carolyn they were talking about. While he had consciously run in the direction of where Shrouding Fog and Light Devourer were when fleeing from Carolyn earlier, he didn¡¯t think that the two Cmities would have been able to deal with Carolyn. On the contrary, they risked getting destroyed if they let their guards down. He could say so with certainty because he had personally experienced how terrifyingly powerful Carolyn was. ¡°How long do you reckon we have?¡± Roel asked. ¡°I doubt she¡¯ll catch up anytime soon; even she¡¯ll find it a challenge to catch Shrouding Fog. However, given the nature of her Divine Domain, I¡¯d say it¡¯s only a matter of time before she catches up,¡± Alicia replied. Roel heaved a sigh before falling into deep contemtion. ¡­ After years of war, most human soldiers were familiar with the tension prior to the outbreak of a major battle. On the eastern border, this tension ebbed and flowed along with the arrival and departure of the deviants, and it had be as normal as rainfall. Veteran soldiers who had been through many battles were already numb to it. But things were different today. Rows of armed guards stood on pce walls with worried and nervous eyes. Behind them was the pce they had defended countless times before, but the enemy before them this time was not the unintelligent deviants but fellow soldiers from their Austine Empire. Lilian Ackermann¡¯s soldiers filled the ins all the way to the horizon. Countless gs were hoisted up high, and all kinds of fortress sieging magic tools were in ce. Morale amongst the soldiers was high, since the person at the forefront of the military formation was a revered elder. Layton Seze. This was a name known throughout the Austine Empire. Just his presence was enough to heap stress on the pce guards, which was why they prayed for negotiations to go smoothly. Indeed, a negotiation between the two most powerful people in the Austine Empire over session rights to the throne was going to be held today¡­ or at least that was how it was known to outsiders. Most Austinean soldiers secretly supported Imperial Princess Lilian Ackermann, who had been raking up aplishments protecting humankind on the eastern border, over Paul Ackermann, the illegitimate son who had suddenly won Emperor Lukas¡¯ favor. As such, the pce guards weren¡¯t inclined to fight this battle. Behind the pce walls, Lilian was following an attendant for an audience with Emperor Lukas. She looked at the imperial guards standing at attention on both sides of the path as she thought about the intelligence Layton had provided her. Centuries ago, Layton Seze was a rival and a close friend to Ro Ascart, but once, when the two of them were on a journey together, the Fallens suddenly assaulted Ro to steal his possession. The two of them were forced to part ways to flee, but this parting turned out to be eternal. Shortly after that, Layton had inherited his good friend¡¯s will and waged war on the Fallens as well. Over long years of fighting, he slowly became more and more certain that there were invisible enemies inside the empire too. He couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that a shadow lurking in the Austine Empire was eyeing his every move. Each time he grasped hold of a vital clue, the trail of evidence would be suddenly cut for all kinds of reasons. Such a situationsted for many years. It was only after Layton went into seclusion for many years that the eyes on him loosened their guard, giving him an opportunity to uncover the truth. Chapter 638: It’s Him

Chapter 638: It¡¯s Him

A person¡¯s impression of someone else was usually rooted in the past. Impressions, especially negative ones, rarely changed unless there was an impactful event. Negative emotions such as hatred and disgust remained constant over the years, whereas positive emotions such as intimacy and passion receded over time. It was ironic how humans desired good things, but they also had a tendency to overlook them. Lilian Ackermann, from a young age, had always found Emperor Lukas frightening. A child would usually harbor familial love for their father, even if their father was unapproachable. Yet, it might have been because of her reluctance to acknowledge Emperor Lukas¡¯ deeds or her gut feeling arising from her Kingmaker Bloodline, but she had always felt afraid of him. But this feeling changed today. A part of the reason was her newfound strength. The two shing auras proved that she finally had the strength to withstand Lukas¡¯ might. The man whom she had always feared couldn¡¯t stifle her any longer. The other reason was her change in mindset. The damning evidence from Layton had fully convinced her that the man sitting on the throne was an enemy. Her conviction vanquished her hesitation, and the soldiers she had rallied reflected that. After a prolonged exchange of gazes, Lilian slowly walked up to Emperor Lukas. Unlike before, she didn¡¯t lower her head but confidently met his eyes. ¡°It has been a long time, Your Majesty¡ªno, I should call you Father instead. You look fine as always.¡± ¡°Father? I see.¡± Lukas was unfazed by Lilian¡¯s remark, though his subtle nod indicated he understood what she was implying. Her calling him ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ indicated her acknowledgement for his position, but switching it with ¡®father¡¯, although it sounded more intimate, was in fact refuting his supreme authority. This made her true intention apparent. ¡°I dislike meaningless pleasantries. I see you¡¯re the same, Lilian.¡± ¡°I intended to be more respectful, but an earlier report changed my mind. It helped me toughen my resolve.¡± ¡°It must have been Layton. He has been snooping around while we were distracted.¡± ¡°I understood a lot thanks to that, as well as the reason you¡¯re opposed to the Ascart House.¡± Lilian then looked up at the emperor and got to the point. ¡°Father, have you been working with the Fallens all along?¡± ¡°I have,¡± Lukas calmly replied without missing a beat. ¡°It has been a tradition of our imperial family to work with the Fallens since the inception of the Third Epoch, though the extent differs for each era.¡± ¡°It looks like the filth runs deep.¡± ¡°Filth? Why do you say so?¡± ¡°The Fallens are the culprits behind the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s downfall, but the Ackermanns, despite proiming themselves to be the legitimate rulers of humankind, have been working with humankind¡¯s nemeses. How else should I describe such betrayal if not ¡®filth¡¯?¡± Lilian asked with a frigid tone. ¡°No, Lilian. They are just a substitute,¡± Lukas replied, shaking his head. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the Second Epoch¡¯s Ardes or the Third Epoch¡¯s Fallens, they are tools to us. It¡¯s nothing more than a business transaction to benefit each other.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lilian frowned. ¡°The church¡¯s influence wavers when the Fallens are strong. The wars against the deviants tie down the Theocracy and curb their development. It buys time for our Austine Empire to recover and expand its influence. It¡¯s the same as the Second Epoch, just that our tools have changed from the Ardes to the Fallens and the deviants.¡± ¡°¡­Stop joking with me.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°I said ¡®stop joking with me¡¯, Lukas Ackermann!¡± Lilian roared with an awful look on her face. There was a rare flicker of rage in her amethyst eyes. ¡°The Ackermanns once raised their torches to rally the humans scattered over the world to establish a brilliant civilization. Under their leadership, humankind triumphed over disasters and demonic beasts. Cities rose one after another, ushering in an age of prosperity. Their partnership with the Ardes was to protect what they had created. But what about you? ¡°You cast away your honor and ideals. For your selfish ambitions, you betrayed humankind to be the Savior¡¯sckey, bing a maggot that slowly leeched off your people. Over the past thousand years, the wars against the deviants have brought untold damage upon us. Millions of soldiers lost their lives on the eastern border, their corpses left in the wilderness. ¡°My friends have died on the battlefield. My lover nearly lost his life. Countless widows grieved over the death of their spouses. Countless parents saw their children off to the eastern border, only to have their remains returned. Humankind might even be wiped out as a result of the war. Yet, you darepare your vile alliance to our ancestors¡¯ feats. Don¡¯t make me puke, Lukas!¡± Lilian furiously roared. ¡°¡­¡± Lukas fell silent, but there was no remorse to be seen in his cid eyes. He calmly looked down at her as he posed his question: ¡°So?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Humans are bound to die one day. They can be reced.¡± ¡°¡­My words are extraneous. You¡¯ll never understand it. I only have onest question for you¡ªwhat¡¯s your goal?¡± Lilian looked at Lukas with cial eyes. The Austine Empire would have indeed benefited from their cooperation with the Fallens and the Savior had it been a thousand years ago, but the situation was different now. The Savior, who was on the verge of regaining consciousness, was clearly humankind¡¯s enemy. With humankind slowlying together as one, it would have been in Lukas¡¯ interest to turn against the Fallens and even try to eradicate them. Layton and Lilian weren¡¯t the only ones who sensed that there was something between Lukas and the Fallens. The Genesis Goddess Church had also figured out that something was amiss and hadunched a secret investigation into it. What could havepelled Lukas to continue his partnership with the Fallens even though it would ce him in a disadvantageous position? Lilian stared intently at the man above her. A long timeter, Lukas offered a brusque answer. ¡°Power and eternity.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lilian fell silent. Power and eternity were two of the mostmon pursuits for humans. Humans procreated to continue their existence, and that, in a way, was a pursuit of eternity. As for power, that was the goal of every transcendent. Lukas didn¡¯t borate on his answer, and Lilian knew that he wouldn¡¯t share anything more. Thus, she offered her final warning. ¡°Father, hand the empire to me. Relinquish yourmanding right and terminate allmunications with the Fallens. In return, I¡¯ll promise to spare your life.¡± ¡°Empire? Lilian, you¡¯re my brightest child, but you underestimate me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the empire anymore, and I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s the same for you too. Take what¡¯s happening now for example¡­ What you¡¯re really after is Paul, right?¡± ¡°!¡± Lilian¡¯s heart shook at having her thoughts pointed out. Lukas continued impassively staring at her as he said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have known about Paul¡¯s secret, yet you wish to take him. How intriguing. However, it doesn¡¯t matter. I know everything now. He is of no use to me.¡± ¡°No use to you? What do you intend to do?¡± ¡°Nothing much¡­ I¡¯ll just put the two of you to eternal sleep.¡± A powerful surge of mana gushed out of Lukas¡¯ body, manifesting into countless magic swords that sliced through the fabrics of space as they shot toward Lilian. An explosion followed, and everything was buried in dust. ¡­ Initially, when Paul Ackermann received Lilian¡¯s n, he thought that it was perfect due to how meticulous and thorough it was. It was no easy feat for Paul and his maid, Liz, to escape from the secondary pce, as their positions were, in fact, no different from those of criminals. Should they suddenly disappear, the guards would quickly notice their absence and go after them. Thus, Lilian proposed a swap instead. She would send in two spies to disguise themselves as Paul and Liz using a magic tool, while the real Paul and Liz would escape from the secondary pce through its supply routes. The former half of the n went smoothly. With the aid of the spy¡¯s magic tool, Paul and Liz temporarily altered their appearances and sneaked into one of the supply carriages. It would be too conspicuous if the two of them were gathered together, so they moved independently. After daybreak, after the supplies were unloaded, the carriages finally began making their way out of the secondary pce one after another. Liz¡¯s carriage was the first to leave the secondary pce after receiving clearance, whereas Paul¡¯s carriage was still in the queue. It was then that chaos broke out. Boom! It started out with a loud explosion in the distant pce, followed by overwhelming mana gushing into the sky. Countless soldiers had fearful looks on their faces, and frightened screams resounded from the city. The atmosphere in the city changed. Soldiers who had fought against the deviants knew that those were the auras of Origin Level 1 transcendents. The sharper ones noticed that the explosion came from the audience room, where Emperor Lukas and Imperial Princess Lilian were supposed to meet. Paul was taken aback. Lilian¡¯s mission was not to fight Emperor Lukas but to stall him, for they understood what would happen if a fight broke out. Lilian had deployed all of her elites from Noyce Stronghold, who had been to and back from the gates of hell with her, in preparation for the worst-case scenario. If anything happened to her, they wouldunch their attack. And it looked like that was going to happen. Following the intense explosion, a massive fortress suddenly rose from the ground. It was the spell Lilian was known for, Ten Fortresses. Upon the sight of the fortress, the hundreds of military units stationed outside the pce immediately sounded their war horns, producing a deep reverberation that could be clearly heard even within the pce. Deafening war cries followed. With this, the Austine Empire officially descended into internal war. At the same time, Paul met with trouble. He felt a mysterious mana pulsation that shook his Kingdom Origin Attribute. He looked out and saw hundreds of ck-armored imperial guards rushing in his direction and swiftly encircling his carriage. This is bad! I have been discovered! Paul was caught off guard by this abrupt maneuver, but soon, he noticed something that made him frown. The imperial guards were Emperor Lukas¡¯ direct subordinates, as well as the most mysterious unit in the Austine Empire. Yet, to his shock, he sensed something familiar from them. It was the aura of the Fallens he had sensed in his memories from a thousand years ago. ¡°How is this possible?¡± Paul Ackermann was shocked to learn that the Fallens were amongst the imperial guards, and his shock only deepened when he learned how those guards intended to deal with him. ¡°Paul Ackermann, you¡¯ll be executed on the spot for high treason!¡± the leader of the imperial guards dered despite having yet to confirm that Paul was on the carriage. Hundreds of imperial guards simultaneously charged at Paul. Fortunately, the soldiers who had apanied Lilian into the pce quickly swooped in to confront the imperial guards, saving his life. Paul, who was already at Origin Level 3, quickly joined their fight against the imperial guards. To his astonishment, the Fallens were far more resilient than he had thought. Their strength and recovery rate far surpassed those of ordinary soldiers. Cries of agony echoed on the streets. Faced with such tenacious and hardy enemies, Paul soon found himself in a disadvantageous situation. Pch! After decapitating another enemy and ensuring that there was no chance for him to recover, Paul scanned his surroundings and found that many of his allies had fallen. Yet, they weren¡¯t making any progress in iming the city gate. If anything, the fighting was dying down. This is bad. We¡¯ll be overrun at this rate. Watching his enemies grow while his allies thinned, Paul gritted his teeth in despair. Just as it looked like everything was over, the space in front of him suddenly distorted. From it emerged a white-haired elder and a ck-haired woman with iridescent eyes. ¡°Principal Antonio?!¡± Paul widened his eyes in disbelief. As soon as she caught sight of Paul, the ck-haired woman turned to the white-haired elder and asked, ¡°Antonio, is it this child?¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Astrid. He¡¯s Paul Ackermann.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, then.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Antonio mmed his glowing staff on the floor, releasing a burst of blinding light that shattered the imperial guards who dared charge at them into smithereens. At the same time, Astrid offered her hand to Paul. The iridescent colors in her eyes shone, enveloping the three of them. Just like that, they vanished without a trace. Chapter 639: Edge of the Cliff

Chapter 639: Edge of the Cliff

While internal war broke out in the Austine Empire, everything was still peaceful inside an unknown space in the middle of nowhere. It was early morning. Roel walked down the pce¡¯s passageway to familiarize himself with the environment, while Alicia continued to sleep in the bedroom. Alicia actually didn¡¯t exert herself muchst night. Even if she did, she would have quickly recovered as someone who possessed the Silverash Child Bloodline. She was only asleep due to her psychological state. It was just like a youth sipping on a mocktail; even if there was no alcohol involved, they would still feel slightly tipsy under the effects of the atmosphere. Such was the case for Alicia, just that she wasn¡¯t drunk on alcohol but the bliss of a newlywed. All of this happened because of Roel¡¯s careless remark as he got up. ¡°You must be exhausted fromst night. You should sleep in and rest a little longer,¡± he said as he kissed her cheek. She looked at him with a blissful smile before closing her eyes. She was being so obedient not because she was tired or inconvenienced by the intense action they hadst night. She was just excited at having this renowned scene from romance novels¡ªthe husband indulging the wife in the morning following the consummation of their marriage¡ªreenacted here. This was something she had dreamed about countless times before, and now her dream was finallying true. She was overjoyed, so why would she get in the way of it? Feeling Roel¡¯s lingering warmth in the nket, she excitedly hugged it and rolled around the bed. She wasn¡¯t nning to get off it anytime soon. And Roel made use of this opportunity to take a stroll, though it was also an excuse for him to contemte some matters. He had an inexplicable hunch that something major was happening somewhere in the world. This was a weird feeling that hade out of nowhere, but instead of shutting it down, he tried to trace possible reasons. Unfortunately, he was unable to figure anything out. While his search for Alicia might have appeared to be a reckless move fueled by his personal feelings, he did consider the context and implications of his actions. He wanted to bring Alicia home, but there had to be a home for them to return to. It would be meaningless if everything were destroyed while he was away. When he left the eastern border, humankind was united as one. The Battle of Scorched Earth had ended with Deviant Sovereign Banjol¡¯s death, which divided the deviants once more. Roel had received reports that the other deviant Race Sovereigns were engaged in intense infighting over the right to be the next Deviant Sovereign. It was unlikely that the deviants could muster a significant military force to threaten humankind in the short run, so the frontline was peaceful for the time being. The other threat, the Eggs of the Beast God, was unlikely to endanger humankind too. Alicia had been working with the Six Cmities to hunt down those aberrants created by the Savior. She would have sensed something if the Eggs of the Beast Godunched an attack on humankind. With external threats proving unlikely, Roel could only turn his focus toward internal threats, and the first thing that came to his mind was the Austine Empire¡¯s Emperor Lukas. Did something happen over on Lukas¡¯ side? Roel wondered grimly. The Genesis Goddess Church already had its eyes set on Lukas right before Roel¡¯s departure. Had it not been for the political implications arising from his influential position, the church would have already made a move by now. Lukas had ruled the Austine Empire for more than a hundred years now, and he had proven himself to be a rational and bold leader. He was unlikely to put himself in a precarious position for no good reason. Thinking about the Savior, the Fallens, and the Ackermanns brought a frown to his face. It reminded him of the difficult position he was in, particrly Carolyn Ascart and the final n. While he didn¡¯t know the details, the information he had gathered over the years suggested that Carolyn did work together with the Austine Empire in the final years of the Second Epoch. That was also probably when the final n was first put into action. It made him suspect that Carolyn¡¯s appearance here was part of the Austine Empire¡¯s scheme, and that there was somethingrger at y here. ¡°I don¡¯t have enough intelligence,¡± Roel murmured with a sigh. He had no choice but to cast away this train of thought and instead consider the most pressing question at hand¡ªhow can I defeat Carolyn? After spending a night thinking about it, he was forced to conclude that a battle with Carolyn was inevitable. It was not just because he was carrying the Mother Goddess¡¯ aura. There was something wrong with Carolyn, too. Their previous battle had convinced him that Carolyn had fallen under the influence of the Savior¡¯s depravity. It wasn¡¯t enough to convert her into a Fallen, but it made her more wilful and emotionally unstable. It would be difficult to have a talk with her under such conditions. But before confronting Carolyn, there was a problem he had to resolve first¡ªhis Inner Sanctum. ¡°Edavia,¡± Roel called out. ¡°You¡¯re finally calling me? You¡¯rete.¡± An orange-haired girl manifested out of thin air and looked down at Roel with a dissatisfied expression, displeased by how rxed he was. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Edavia. I was injured. My treatment took a while,¡± Roel sheepishly apologized. ¡°Treatment?¡± Edavia looked at Roel with raised eyebrows. Even the thick-skinned Roel crumbled under her intense stare. He coughed twice before replying, ¡°I have to consider Alicia¡¯s feelings too.¡± ¡°Is that so? Forget it; I don¡¯t want to interfere with your private affairs. You can justify it however you want. So, what do you need from me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you already know?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edavia¡¯s rxed expression was reced with severeness, which brought a frown to Roel¡¯s face too. She was the ancient god residing in Roel¡¯s Inner Sanctum, so she knew best what was happening to his soul and his Inner Sanctum. That was why her silence felt stifling to him. After a brief exchange of gazes, Edavia let out a sigh before revealing the cruel truth. ¡°I¡¯ll start from the conclusion. You don¡¯t stand a chance at all against that monster.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s expression stiffened up as his footsteps unconsciously halted. He dazedly stood in the silent passageway for a few seconds before resuming his walk. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°To put it concisely, your Inner Sanctum can¡¯t circumvent her suppression.¡± ¡°¡­Not even with your help?¡± ¡°Not even with my help. This is an issue of authority, not power.¡± ¡°Authority?¡± Roel stopped once more and turned to Edavia. Edavia looked at him in resignation as she replied, ¡°Have you forgotten what kind of ce the Inner Sanctum is?¡± ¡°What kind of ce the Inner Sanctum is? Ah!¡± Roel widened his eyes in realization. Edavia confirmed his deduction with a nod. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a prison for me. How can a prisoner be allowed to freely change the conditions of their prison?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That woman has inherited a portion of the master authority. A prisoner doesn¡¯t have the power to oppose their warden.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Roel nodded in realization. He made his way toward a tea room, where he was faced with dozens of jars containing unknown leaves. Most of them were fresh, as if their time had been sealed in Shrouding Fog¡¯s dimension. He took a quick look at them before consulting the person who would know better. ¡°Which one is good?¡± ¡°The third from the left is Lore Tea, a popr choice for men due to its health benefits¡­ but I¡¯d rmend you take the sixth from the left.¡± ¡°The sixth from the left¡­ This one?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Floating Stalk Tea. Made from the leaves of a rare ancient tree, it¡¯s known for its light, soul-soothing fragrance after it¡¯s soaked in hot water. It¡¯s Her favorite.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Is she referring to Sia? Roel nced at Edavia and noticed the nostalgic eyes she directed toward the tea leaves. Thus, he took the jar of Floating Stalk Tea and steeped it in ordance with the evil god¡¯s instructions. As he poured the hot water into the teacup, a unique mana pulsation rippled from the tea leaves, and they released a faint fragrance that invigorated Roel. He took the teacup, settled down on a nearby sofa, and watched the fog billow ceaselessly outside the window. It was a long time before he suddenly asked out of nowhere, ¡°¡­Is there no other solution?¡± ¡°So far, no.¡± ¡°What if I make a breakthrough to Origin Level 1?¡± Roel asked. Edavia considered the possibility before replying, ¡°You¡¯d still be at a disadvantage against that woman, but it¡¯d be possible for you to be freed from her suppression.¡± She then proceeded to exin the factors that determined one¡¯s power on the Inner Sanctum. ¡°The greatest influence on your authority over the Inner Sanctum lies in your bloodline. Despite being Carolyn¡¯s direct descendant, you are still able to stand on equal ground with her in terms of bloodline as the Kingmaker. What¡¯s pulling you down is your Origin Level. ¡°Your Origin Level doesn¡¯t increase your authority over the Inner Sanctum, but it¡¯ll affect the resilience of your soul. The more resilient your soul is, the more stable your soul me in the Inner Sanctum is likely to be.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel widened his eyes in realization, as his determination hardened. There was a huge gap between Origin Level 1 and Origin Level 2. Even if not for the issue concerning his Inner Sanctum, he would still have to make a breakthrough in order to deal with Carolyn¡¯s Divine Domain. The problem was that it was risky for him to do so. He had been through many dangerous situations since leaving the Witness State. He nearly died to the deviants¡¯ encirclement in the desert, then there was his desperate fight against Deviant Sovereign Banjol, followed by his life-and-death battle with the amnesiac Alicia. These intense battles had greatly reinforced his strength, and this buildup of momentum would eventually lead him to a breakthrough to Origin Level 1. But he didn¡¯t have time to wait for that. ¡°The burden of Sia-fication is too great. You almost depleted your soul in the battle with that girl. For you to make a breakthrough now is no different from walking on a tightrope between two cliffs. You¡¯ll be in deep trouble if anything goes awry.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m already on the edge of a cliff. I¡¯ll fall into the abyss if I don¡¯t try to walk the tightrope.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edavia fell silent. She had to concede that there wasn¡¯t much room for choice here. ¡°Then you should at least wait till your body fully recovers. I have to remind you that your chances at sess are extremely slim. You have been making good progress, but you¡¯re still a step away from reaching Origin Level 1, so¡­¡± ¡°A step away?¡± Roel narrowed his eyes. He knew that Edavia was trying to say that he wasn¡¯t ready for a breakthrough yet. He had to first bridge the gap, or else his effort would fall t. So, he racked his mind for a solution, but nothing came to mind. Just then, there was a flicker of light. He turned around and saw a silver-haired girl standing behind him. ¡°You need help for a breakthrough? Understood,¡± Alicia said as she hugged Roel from behind. ¡°Leave this to me, Lord Brother.¡± Chapter 640.1: Land of Genesis (1) Roel looked at Alicia in astonishment, not having expected her to appear out of nowhere. He sighed softly before asking, ¡°Alicia, what brings you here?¡± ¡°You are up to something dangerous again. It¡¯s ridiculous for you to make a breakthrough now.¡± ¡°T-this¡­¡± Roel stuttered, feeling conscience-ridden at being caught in the act. He turned to Edavia in hopes that the evil god would speak up for him, only to see thetter looking back at him with a mischievous smile. A secondter, she blinked at him as if catching his drift. ¡°Dangerous? I disagree with that,¡± she said. ¡°Indeed, Alicia.¡± Roel quickly nodded in agreement upon receiving Edavia¡¯s support. ¡°Don¡¯t you know me well? I would never do something I don¡¯t think would work¡­¡± ¡°Strictly speaking, I¡¯d say that it¡¯s impossible for him to sessfully make a breakthrough now. It¡¯s not just a dangerous act but a suicidal one.¡± ¡°???¡± Roel blinked in bewilderment. He quickly turned to look at Edavia, only to see thetter¡¯s smile widening. ¡°Edavia?¡± ¡°Pfft! HAHAHAHA! What a rare expression. Are you so surprised to hear the truth?¡± ¡°You!! Alicia, hear me out¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. Lord Brother, you must have forgotten that I am an Origin Level 1 transcendent too. I can gauge your condition for myself,¡± Alicia said with a dissatisfied tone. ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s expression stiffened. He had always been stronger than Alicia, and he was also in a more authoritative position as the proxy fief lord. Thanks to that, he had always been able to shield Alicia behind him, and she had obediently listened to him too. But now¡­ With the sigh of a retired old man, Roel lowered his head in resignation, took a sip of tea, and said, ¡°Ey, I¡¯m getting old now.¡± ¡°How are you old? Last night, you¡­¡±¡ªCough!¡ª ¡°Y-you¡¯re only two years older than me!¡± Alicia blurted out, only for her face to redden upon realizing what she had just said, and she hurriedly covered it up with a cough. ¡°Pu!¡±¡ªCough! Cough cough cough!¡ª ¡°Y-yes, you¡¯re right! Now that I think about it, I¡¯m the strongest one in my age group aside from Wilhelmina. Ha! Haha!¡± Roel spurted his tea before anxiously ying along. Roel¡¯s eyes drifted toward Edavia, but thetter surprisingly didn¡¯t react at all. She blinked in confusion, looking just like an innocent child. ¡°¡­Right, you don¡¯t have a physical body.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°N-nothing at all!¡± Roel replied with a big smile. Alicia quickly changed the subject and said, ¡°You must be Lord Edavia, Lord Brother¡¯s newly contracted ancient god. It¡¯s our first time¡­ No, we have met a couple of times before.¡± ¡°Yes, though we were enemies then.¡± ¡°Indeed. I should thank you, Lord Edavia, for helping me regain my memories,¡± Alicia said as she lifted her skirt and curtsied. Edavia was taken aback by that gesture, and her eyes looked a little conflicted. ¡°Edavia?¡± Roel called out. ¡°!¡± Edavia snapped out of her daze. ¡°Lord Edavia? My apologies. Was I too abrupt?¡± ¡°Not at all. I suddenly remembered the past, that¡¯s all¡­ I saved you under this fellow¡¯s orders, so you need not thank me,¡± Edavia replied, shaking her head. The one person whom Edavia could never forget was Sia, who insisted she continue living on even though her existence posed a threat to Her. Alicia, as the inheritor of the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, could be said to be Sia¡¯s granddaughter, ranking even higher in the lineage than Roel. Roel had guessed that Edavia would be shaken up when faced with Alicia, though this didn¡¯t seem to be a bad thing. His expression mellowed as he watched the orange-haired girl actively striking up a conversation with Alicia. In fact, it took him a while before he finally found an opportunity to pull the topic back on track. ¡°Alicia, you told me to leave my breakthrough to you earlier. What do you mean by that?¡± Alicia turned to Roel and asked, ¡°Lord Brother, you mentioned earlier that you¡¯re a step away from Origin Level 1, and you require something to bridge the gap.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I have a suggestion.¡± ¡°What would that be?¡± Roel asked with widened eyes. Alicia giggled before giving out the answer. ¡°Lord Brother, there¡¯s onest power you haven¡¯t acquired yet that¡¯s guaranteed to further your strength¡ªLight Devourer.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was taken aback. He stared at Alicia in disbelief for a few seconds before anxiously asking, ¡°Isn¡¯t Light Devourer your direct subordinate? If I absorb it as a Crown¡¯s Stone¡­¡± His words stalled to a halt here as his expression turned grim. Light Devourer might have been an unusual existence, but it possessed sentience, intelligence, and even feelings. Roel was well aware of this, having fought alongside the Six Cmities in the Witness State. Naturally, Alicia, whomanded the Six Cmities, had to know that as well. He couldn¡¯t believe that Alicia would suggest sacrificing Light Devourer despite knowing that. Did something happen during the recovery of her memories, causing her to be cold and heartless? Roel wondered nervously. Alicia shook her head and dispelled Roel¡¯s worry, saying, ¡°Lord Brother, have you forgotten that I have the power to control the Six Cmities, including their rebirth?¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Lord Brother. You don¡¯t have to worry that Light Devourer would dissipate. I¡¯ll be using a special method for you to absorb a portion of its powers. My only worry is that your soul won¡¯t be able to withstand taking on the power of another Crown¡¯s Stone in its current state.¡± ¡°His soul will be fine.¡± The floating Edavia addressed her worry with a smile. ¡°As powerful as the Crown¡¯s Stones are, their foundation lies with the Crown Origin Attribute and not the soul. This won¡¯t pose a problem to his soul. However, this means that you won¡¯t have Light Devourer¡¯s aid in the uing battle.¡± The evil god nced at Roel, and thetter acknowledged those words with a nod. Light Devourer was an extremely powerful entity, and it had surpassed even Shrouding Fog after thest few battles. Its absence would be a blow to their fighting prowess. However, this was a risk they had to take. Making a breakthrough to Origin Level 1 was a huge risk in itself. If they hesitated over every single detail, there was no way they would seed. Thus, Roel made up his mind and nodded at the two people before him. ¡°I understand the risks, but we won¡¯t stand a chance against Carolyn Ascart if we don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Fufufu. That woman is a terrifying one, even to me. I wouldn¡¯t have imagined there to be such a monster after the ancient era,¡± Edavia remarked. ¡°How does shepare to the ancient gods?¡± Roel asked. ¡°¡­Stronger,¡± Edavia said with a hint of fear in her eyes. Roel fell silent. He had always known that Carolyn Ascart was an exceptionally powerful individual, but he didn¡¯t think an existence of Edavia¡¯s level would be fearful of her. That further stoked his wariness, but it also strengthened his determination. He put down his teacup and directed a nod at Alicia. Thetter rose to her feet and said, ¡°Pleasee with me, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°Where are we going? Tark Prairie?¡± ¡°No, not there,¡± Alicia replied with a smile. She pointed at the thick, billowing fog outside the window. ¡°We¡¯re heading out.¡± ¡­ Chapter 640.2: Land of Genesis (2) Since the time he was trapped inside the empty Tark Stronghold, he had always been curious about what was hidden within Shrouding Fog¡¯s white fog. Was it the edge of the world, or an unknown spatial fold? It was neither. Roel and Alicia walked through the fog with linked hands, Alicia leading the way and Roel trailing slightly behind her. The thick fog hindered their sight and mana sensitivity, such that he could only barely see her silhouette. His inability to sense mana induced great difort, to the point where he felt that the path ahead was merely an illusion. He was onlyforted by the warmth transmitted to his palm. ¡°Alicia, why do you have to walk in front? Can¡¯t we walk together?¡± ¡°I also dislike the fact that I¡¯m unable to look at Lord Brother, but the white fog won¡¯t allow us to pass if I don¡¯t take the lead.¡± The two of them weren¡¯t even a meter apart, but Roel somehow felt that Alicia¡¯s voice wasing from far away. Nevertheless, he tried his best to listen to her exnation, and it enlightened him to the current situation. They were traversing Shrouding Fog¡¯s spatial folds, and there was only one person with the ess rights for that¡ªAlicia. ¡°Lord Brother, I¡¯ll have to ask you to be patient, or else we might end up getting lost for good in here.¡± ¡°Oh? What¡¯s our destination?¡± ¡°We should be reaching it soon.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel¡¯s eyebrows shot up. Ten minutester, the thick white fog obscuring his vision finally started to thin. Alicia¡¯s silhouette slowly became clearer, and he started to sense mana around him once more. With the difort fading, his heart was finally put at ease. A majestic structure slowly revealed itself before him, making him widen his eyes. It was an iparably massive structure that felt reminiscent of the pyramids in his previous life, but it was of apletely different scale. It had a length exceeding thousands of meters, and its height was roughly the same. The tallest skyscraper in Roel¡¯s previous life was nearly a thousand meters tall, but this structure was several times that. The space within must have been iparably vast. Before it, Roel and Alicia looked no different from a speck of dust. ¡°Was this ce built by the giants?¡± Or is it their grave? Roel had wanted to ask Grandar about it, only to hold himself back when he realized that would have meant that this ce was the Giants¡¯ grave. I should have brought some flowers¡­ Ah, but given the Giants¡¯ warlike nature, if this was really their grave, they would have at least put a few swords in here. Roel quickly shook his head to put an end to his wandering thoughts. Alicia looked around a bit before remarking, ¡°Lord Brother, you should feel a sense of belonging to this ce.¡± ¡°A sense of belonging?¡± ¡°This is the birthce of the Six Cmities in the ancient era.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel¡¯s lower jaw fell ck. He turned his attention to his Crown Origin Attribute, where he found the Crown¡¯s Stones humming excitedly despite their recent silence due to his injuries. ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t expect there to be a ce like this,¡± he murmured as he faintly figured out what Alicia was thinking about. Alicia then led him to scale the thousands-of-meters-tall structure. That was the height of the highest mountains in Roel¡¯s previous world; even an experienced climber would require months of intense training and limatization to scale it. However, it didn¡¯t pose a challenge to the two high transcendents. They didn¡¯t even have to climb it with their limbs. With Alicia¡¯s help, they were practically flying their way up the mountain. It was then that Alicia suddenly called out, ¡°Lord Brother?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Do you know why it¡¯s impossible to eliminate the Six Cmities?¡± Roel was startled before slowly shaking his head, replying, ¡°Many academics in the past have studied this topic, but there has never been a satisfactory conclusion¡­ Does it have something to do with this ce?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Alicia nced at Roel before borating, ¡°We¡¯re at the altar Sia used to sever Her powers back in the ancient era. Her severed powers gained their own attributes and sense of self, and that marked the birth of the Six Cmities. One of them, Shrouding Fog, inherited the attribute of space. Shortly after its birth, it devoured this ce whole. ¡°This action was motivated by self-preservation. It instinctively understood that as long as this altar wasn¡¯t destroyed, any of the Six Cmities that had been vanquished out there would be reborn here.¡± ¡°Is that the reason the Six Cmities can¡¯t be destroyed?¡± Roel asked. ¡°That¡¯s right. And up here are the tributes used for their birth back then.¡± It only took a few short minutes for Roel and Alicia to reach the top of the structure. There, they found a small tform with six bundles of light in the center. These bundles of light were containers storing magic items such as an ice block that continued to emanate frost to this day, the first piece ofva in the world, and so on. Roel¡¯s Crown Origin Attribute resonated strongly in response to these items. His eyes lit up when he saw the bundle of light containing a faint aurora, but he dared not to make a reckless move. Instead, he turned to the tour guide and asked, ¡°Alicia, I understand the situation now. What should I do next?¡± Much to his surprise, Alicia was staring at him with glistening eyes carrying a hint of slyness. ¡°Next, we¡¯ll have to do this¡­¡± she said as she leaned forward and sealed his lips. Chapter 641.1: Reunion (1) Alicia¡¯s kiss was so abrupt that Roel subconsciously avoided it, but it was to no avail. Alicia was no slower than Roel, being an Origin Level 1 transcendent, not to mention that she was prepared for it. There was no way she would be thrown off by his evasion attempt. By grabbing his cor and holding him in ce, she seeded in her assault on his lips. Roel was startled, but his eyes quickly mellowed as he came to eptance. He gently embraced her, and that gave her a sense of security. It didn¡¯t take him long to realize that this was no simple kiss, as he felt a surge of warmth flowing through their mouths. Is this life force? It was sweet with a slight hint of blood. Alicia had mixed a bit of her blood into the kiss. After a long kiss that left Roel gasping for air, he asked, ¡°Alicia, this is¡­¡± ¡°Sia was the only one who had the power to control the Six Cmities through this altar back in the ancient era. The Mother Goddesster inherited this power. My power isckingpared to Lord Mother, but I should be able to do it if it¡¯s just one of the Six Cmities.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also a good way to nourish Lord Brother¡¯s body¡­¡± Alicia added as she lowered her head to conceal her burning face. Knowing the other meaning behind Alicia¡¯s words, Roel coughed twice in embarrassment before he turned his attention back to the altar and said, ¡°Alicia, you said that this is thend of birth for the Six Cmities. Will they disappear for good if these six magic items are destroyed?¡± ¡°Theoretically, yes, but it¡¯s practically impossible to pull it off. The Six Cmities are entities embodying not just Sia¡¯s powers but the force of nature as well. They also serve as a regtion mechanism for the world.¡± ¡°Regtion mechanism?¡± ¡°That¡¯s another long story, but the gist is that the Six Cmities will likely just be reborn from nature even if you destroy these magic items. I wouldn¡¯t rmend destroying them.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Without the Six Cmities absorbing the mana in the air, many creatures in the world will mutate into demonic beasts. It could result in the birth of lesser forms of the Six Cmities too,¡± Alicia said as she tucked her hair behind her ear. Roel frowned upon hearing those words. ¡°By ¡®lesser forms¡¯, you¡¯re referring to other sentient entities without physical bodies, simr to the Six Cmities?¡± ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a slim chance that something like that might be born when the concentration of mana gets too high. As much as Lord Brother, as a human, might not like it, the Six Cmities are also responsible for regting lifeforms, thus reducing the burden on the hibernating Lord Mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. Countless people, from the ancient era to the present age, had been trying to uncover the mystery behind Sia¡¯s disappearance. Roel had been one of them, till he learned the truth in the Witness State. Sia, as the Creator, had been shouldering the burden for sustaining the Sia Continent, but the burden was getting too much for Her to bear due to the rapid proliferation of life. Not wanting to destroy Her creations, She was forced to find a sessor to share the burden with. Her n to make the Kingmaker Her sessor failed, and She even lost Her life in the process. However, the world didn¡¯t copse after Her disappearance. This meant that someone else had taken on the burden in Her ce¡ªthe Mother Goddess and the Savior. The subsequent war between the Savior and the Mother Goddess ended in mutual destruction, with the former falling into depravity and thetter entering hibernation. That had reduced their strength, thus reducing the burden they could shoulder too. This marked the end of the ancient era, as well as the downfall of legendary races like the Angels, the Dragons, and the High Elves. Many powerful races slowly met their downfall over thousands of years. This newfound knowledge gave Roel a different perspective on the Six Cmities. ¡°Alicia, did the Six Cmities not devour those civilizations with the intent to hasten the Mother Goddess¡¯ awakening?¡± ¡°Hm? Of course not. I can¡¯t deny that it helps, but it doesn¡¯t significantly hasten Lord Mother¡¯s awakening.¡± ¡°Then they are doing this to¡­¡± ¡°They are reducing the price required to sustain the world by destroying civilizations, so that the Mother Goddess can survive despite being in hibernation. In a way, they ensure the stability of the world and keep it from copsing on itself.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded in realization. ¡°If the legendary races are a burning furnace, the price Lord Mother has to pay is the firewood required to sustain the furnace. Their existence requires a huge amount of resources. Without sufficient firewood to support the furnace, there¡¯s no choice but to turn down the heat. The most that could be done was to allow them to pass their bloodlines down.¡± ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s what you meant when you said that the Six Cmities are a regtion mechanism. Honestly, I¡¯m struggling toe to terms with it.¡± ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°Whether it¡¯s the Ardes, the Twilight Sages Assembly, or me, we have always viewed the Six Cmities as our enemy. Our battle against them has continued for many years, and there have been countless sacrifices. If what you said is true, that would mean that everything we stood for has been in vain,¡± Roel said with a stiffened expression. He thought about Isabe Sofya, who had lost her life to Sire Darkness, and Winstor Ascart, who dedicated his life to vengeance, and it was too hard for him to ept the Six Cmities as the good ones here. ¡°No, Lord Brother. Our ancestors were right.¡± ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t you say that the Six Cmities did it to reduce the burden on the world?¡± ¡°That was the case in the ancient era; the extinction of the legendary races was necessary. However, humankind is far weaker inparison. Lord Mother can easily shoulder the burden of their existence.¡± ¡°Why did the Six Cmities attack humankind, then?¡± ¡°¡­You can say that it¡¯s their instinct for survival,¡± Alicia said as she began leading Roel to the magic tool. ¡°Lord Brother, you also know that the Six Cmities possess sentience. Even when they have aplished their mission, they won¡¯t willingly seek death.¡± ¡°You¡¯re saying that they are attacking humankind for their survival?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Six Cmities had already fulfilled their mission from the moment the world reached an equilibrium. Anything they did beyond that point is solely motivated by the survival of the fittest. This is a conflict that would only be resolved by the thorough elimination of one side, so our ancestors weren¡¯t wrong.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel breathed a sigh of relief, ddened that he hadn¡¯t hindered the Six Cmities from fulfilling their responsibility. Meanwhile, Alicia pointed her finger at the aurora. ¡°Lord Brother, that¡¯s the source of Light Devourer. You should be able to form a Crown¡¯s Stone by absorbing its energy, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen during the absorption, since no one has tried it before.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. This is good enough.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Lord Brother. I¡¯ll be right here to help you if any danger surfaces.¡± ¡°Thank you. Let¡¯s get started, then,¡± Roel replied with a smile. He took a step forward and entered the bundle of light. The aurora immediately emanated a blinding light that enveloped his entire body. ¡­ Chapter 641.2: Reunion (2) Roel¡¯s senses were plunged into disarray as soon as the light enveloped him. His physical body remained at the peak of the towering structure, but his soul had traveled through the light to head to the stars and beyond. Is this Light Devourer¡¯s memories? Roel wondered in astonishment. His Crown Origin Attribute began to furiously whir, and the System¡¯s voice echoed in his ears. ¡°Yes!¡± Roel resolutely replied. The debt he was shouldering deepened, but he didn¡¯t mind it at all. As soon as he gave his answer, he felt a familiar sensation within him¡ªit was the formation of a Crown¡¯s Stone. He had a weird feeling that he was surging across the world at an incredibly fast speed, leaving the stars in his wake. He was getting faster and faster, eventually reaching a point where everything was a blur. The stars he could clearly see earlier became increasingly stretched out till they formed a single line. His senses became so numb that only a single thought remained in his mind. I have be the light. Just like that, he began a journey through outer space. As his speed elerated without limit, his Crown¡¯s Stone started to take shape. With the formation of his final Crown¡¯s Stone, Roel¡¯s Crown Origin Attribute started undergoing a qualitative evolution. A blinding light burst forth from the Crown Origin Attribute, and the six Crown¡¯s Stones, looking reminiscent of jewels on a crown, resonated with it. Under this unprecedented mana pulsation, Roel began his breakthrough. Alicia noticed this happening and frowned. Doubt surfaced in her eyes. Is Lord Brother going to make a breakthrough here? A breakthrough to Origin Level 1 was a momentous event to a transcendent, which was why she thought Roel would only forge a Crown¡¯s Stone here and finish the breakthrough elsewhere, after he had made thorough preparations. But things weren''t going the way she envisioned. Roel might not have felt it, but two hours had passed since he stepped into the bundle of light. He probably felt like he was in tiptop condition as he had been absorbing Light Devourer¡¯s energy, but it was too rash to attempt a breakthrough to Origin Level 1 on the spot. Making consecutive breakthroughs was dangerous, as it could introduce random variables. However, Alicia didn¡¯t have the spare attention to be concerned about that now, as what truly worried her was the other magic items in the vicinity. The six ancient magic items that formed the foundation of the Six Cmities were currently releasing unusual mana pulsations that were beginning to resonate with one another. This was very abnormal. Alicia¡¯s previous n was to drag Roel away right after he formed hisst Crown¡¯s Stone, but that wasn¡¯t an option anymore. Should I interrupt Lord Brother¡¯s breakthrough? No, that won¡¯t do. She dared not to disrupt Roel¡¯s breakthrough, but at the same time, she couldn¡¯t bear to leave things as they were. She wouldn¡¯t be able to live with it if something happened to him under her watch. While she was hesitating, there was a change in the situation. Boom! The instant the mana pulsations from the six magic items all resonated together, there was a gigantic explosion apanied by an intense burst of light. A surge of frost aura and a whiff of pale yellow wind rushed into the sky. A dark cloud of death and a stream ofva mixed with suffocating ashes roared. A white fog and an aurora suffused the surroundings. It was such an immense mana pulsation that the entire structure began to shake. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± Alicia shouted out to Roel in shock, but it was to no avail. As the mana pulsations of the Six Cmities resonated as one, Roel was transported into a holy white space. rmed, he quickly scanned his surroundings and found that he was floating in mid-air. Beneath him, a ck-haired, golden-eyed woman floated above a divine altar that appeared to be made of ivory. As if struck by lightning, his eyes widened at the sight of the woman. It was a familiar figure, not just to him but to most people in the world. Her name? Genesis Goddess Sia. ¡­ Roel had wondered what would happen if he collected all six of the Crown¡¯s Stones, but there was no conclusion to his musing. No one in history had ever achieved that feat before, after all. In the first ce, the Six Cmities appeared randomly. It was unlikely for all six of them to appear in the same generation. Besides, even if a person was lucky enough to survive their first encounter with a Cmity, the chances were that they would die in the second encounter. It was almost impossible for anyone to be alive after meeting all of the Six Cmities. Of course, there were also instances of people subduing the Six Cmities, but they didn¡¯t necessarily have the power to absorb them as a Crown¡¯s Stone. No one from the Kingmaker n had ever collected all of the Crown¡¯s Stones, but Roel aplished it and triggered this supposedly impossible meeting. Faced with the Genesis Goddess, Roel¡¯s overwhelmed mind stalled to a halt. He instinctively descended to the ground and approached Her like a moth drawn to a me. Sia was dead. Roel knew that. What was before him was just a remnant of Her existence. Even so, he still wanted to get close to Her. She was the Mother of All Lives, but above that, She was also his benefactor for bestowing on him the ¡®Being Toward Death¡¯ blessing, which saved him from death many times before. He made his way toward Sia with an excited heart, expecting to be weed by Her warm smile. Yet, he was faced with Her look of astonishment and reluctance instead. Sia¡¯s golden eyes quivered as She seemed to take a step back. Roel btedly realized that his actions might have been abrupt. The woman before him clearly didn¡¯t recognize him, so he quickly halted his footsteps, bowed to Her, and introduced himself. ¡°Revered Lord Sia, I am Roel Ascart, the Kingmaker of the current generation¡­¡± ¡°Sia?¡± The woman was momentarily stunned, but She quickly widened Her eyes in realization. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord Sia?¡± Roel asked in confusion. ¡°¡­No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± The woman shook Her head as She looked at Roel with eyes filled with conflicting emotions. Silence lingered for several seconds between them before Roel snapped out of his daze and tried to exin, ¡°Lord Sia, I apologize for my earlier brashness. I didn¡¯t mean to¡­¡± However, the woman stopped him with a shake of Her head before reaching out to touch his cheek. Her touch startled Roel. ¡°Roel¡­¡± She called out. ¡°Yes, Lord Sia,¡± Roel replied. The woman¡¯s eyes flickered in uncertainty, as if She was contemting something. A long timeter, She hoarsely asked, ¡°¡­Tell me: are you my child?¡± Chapter 642: Disappeared Protection In the holy world, Roel stared at the woman touching his cheek, not knowing how he should answer Her question. Many doubts lingered in his mind. All living beings in the Sia Continent were Sia¡¯s children, and Roel was no exception. For Her to have asked a question with such an obvious answer, it felt like She was driving at something else instead. Is She asking if I am Her creation or¡­ Roel pondered as he looked at Sia, who, despite Her invible aura, appeared perplexingly nervous. He decided not to rify the question in the end, since his answer would have been the same. From a broader perspective, Sia was the Mother of All Lives. From a narrower perspective, the Kingmaker had inherited Sia¡¯s soul, so it was not wrong to say that they were mother and son. ¡°Yes, Lord Sia. I am Your child.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Brief silence ensued before Sia nodded, but Her expression still showed no hints of a smile or maternal love. Instead, Her expression became even moreplicated, as if She was facing a dilemma. Roel couldn¡¯t understand Her response. He hesitated for a brief moment before bucking up his courage to ask about it, ¡°Lord Sia, may I ask the rationale behind the earlier question?¡± ¡°I¡­ wanted to confirm it.¡± ¡°Confirm it?¡± ¡°You have finally reached Origin Level 1, right?¡± Sia asked as She stroked Roel¡¯s cheek as if to sense his physical condition. ¡°Ah? Y-yes, I have.¡± Roel was taken aback by the question. She spoke as if She had seen him before, which was incongruous with Her previous response. However, he had met Sia¡¯s avatar back when he advanced to Origin Level 3, so She could have sensed his presence then, just that She had apse in Her memory. Casting away his doubts for the time being, he looked at Sia and raised the question that had been on his mind for a while now: ¡°Lord Sia, where are we? Is this rted to my breakthrough to Origin Level 1?¡± ¡°We¡¯re at the Divine Altar, and of glory back in the ancient era. This is where brave souls are rewarded for oveing the limits of their races.¡± ¡°Oveing the limits of their races¡­¡± ¡°Even in the ancient era where legendary races thrived, very few have been able to reach Origin Level 1. Those are outstanding individuals who overcame their limits, and I am proud of them,¡± Sia said as She looked at the altar with a nostalgic expression. Roel blinked in surprise as he asked, ¡°Has it been a long time since You werest here, Lord Sia? I thought that You have been waiting here for me.¡± ¡°I¡­ haven¡¯t been here for a long time now.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Lord Sia, may I ask something insolent?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Sia retracted Her wandering gaze to look at him. ¡°What is Your current state?¡± Roel chose his words carefully. ¡°¡­I am a remnant of My old Self.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel finally breathed a sigh of relief. The remnants of Sia¡¯s power should have long since faded. When Roel received the ¡®Being Toward Death¡¯ blessing during his breakthrough to Origin Level 3, the Sia he saw was beautiful but incapable of conversing. It was a miracle he could touch and interact with the Sia before him. Even though the Sia before him was different from his expectations, he was still thankful for this meeting. Sia suddenly spoke up again. ¡°You, the Kingmaker, should have been the one to crown those who have surpassed their limits, but I was summoned here. You must have done something.¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Lord Sia, Your appearance here might have been triggered by me gathering the power of the Six Cmities and absorbing them as Crown¡¯s Stones.¡± ¡°Crown¡¯s Stones? That exins it¡­¡± Sia murmured under Her breath before looking at him. ¡°The powers of the Six Cmities are the authorities I have severed from Myself for you. Your gathering of those powers must have induced a powerful resonance that awakened Me. However, this effect is temporary. We¡¯ll have to make haste.¡± ¡°Make haste?¡± ¡°Yes. As I have told you, the Divine Altar is the ce where warriors who overcame their limits are rewarded. You are going to be rewarded too.¡± Sia finally revealed a faint smile. She gently ced Her hand on Roel¡¯s chest and imparted an overwhelming surge of energy into him. For an instant, the energy flooded Roel¡¯s consciousness, bringing about an unprecedented feeling of rxation that he instinctively closed his eyes to immerse himself in. He vaguely sensed that there was something new inside his body, but he was unable to track it down. What¡¯s going on? Is it another blessing? But why didn¡¯t the System react, then? Roel was perplexed. It was a while before the light faded, and the feeling of rxation he felt receded along with it. However, he could still feel the lingering warmth of the energy. Roel slowly opened his eyes and asked, ¡°Lord Sia, that was¡­¡± However, Sia shook Her head and replied, ¡°You¡¯ll know in the future.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°You have received your reward now. It¡¯s time for you to leave,¡± She said. Roel¡¯s body suddenly floated as if he had lost his weight. At the same time, the Divine Altar began to glow. Before he could say a word, his vision was suddenly inundated by a blinding light. Right before he was evicted from the holy world, he hurriedly looked at Sia and saw that She was looking at him with brooding eyes. Somehow, She gave off an air of mncholy. Darkness then consumed Roel, and his consciousness faded. ¡­ ¡°¡­Lord Brother! Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Alicia?¡± Roel slowly opened his eyes and was dazed when he saw the silver-haired woman before him. Alicia breathed a sigh of relief upon confirming that he was safe. ¡°Alicia, I¡­¡± ¡°You scared me, Lord Brother!¡± Alicia wiped off her tears before lurching forward to hug him. Under her warmth, Roel slowly recalled the events that had just transpired. ¡°That¡¯s right! Sia¡­¡± ¡°Lord Brother, what did you say?¡± ¡°I¡­ met Sia.¡± ¡°Sia?¡± Alicia was momentarily stunned before she ced her hand on Roel¡¯s forehead. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was initially confused, only to be rendered speechless when he realized the meaning behind her gesture. He grabbed Alicia by her wrist and asked, ¡°Alicia, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just checking your body, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°More like ¡®checking if I¡¯m delirious¡¯! You¡¯re treating me like a patient just because I said I met Sia!¡± ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s hard to say for certain when ites to matters involving the Genesis Goddess, but what you have just mentioned shouldn¡¯t have been possible. I have been watching you since you entered that bundle of light. There were strong mana pulsations, but nothing more than that.¡± Alicia looked at Roel with worried eyes and spoke with a careful tone as if she was worried about agitating him. However, Roel refused to change his words. ¡°I suspect that my soul or consciousness was transported to another dimension for that meeting. I even received Sia¡¯s protection¡­¡± ¡°Sia¡¯s protection?¡± Alicia tilted her head in confusion. Roel¡¯s words also trailed off halfway through, and his forehead slowly furrowed. He had just conducted a quick inspection of his own body with his mana. On the bright side, his n was a sess. He had made a breakthrough to Origin Level 1, as evident from his strengthened soul and the unimaginable amount of mana suffusing his body. However, he couldn¡¯t sense the slightest trace of Sia¡¯s protection at all. ¡°How is this possible?¡± ¡°Lord Brother, there are transcendents who experience hallucinations during their breakthrough. It¡¯s not that rare¡­¡± Alicia looked at Roel pitifully. She nced at the magic items, wondering if they were the catalyst behind his hallucination. However, Roel didn¡¯t agree with her. Hallucination? Impossible. It may have been usible for him to have visual or auditory hallucinations, but how could he hallucinate Her touch too? Furthermore, that wasn¡¯t a scene he had seen before. It was then that he recalled a critical piece of information and asked, ¡°Alicia, do you know about the Divine Altar?¡± ¡°Divine Altar? Lord Brother, where did you hear that phrase?¡± Alicia was shocked to hear that. ¡°The Divine Altar is the ce where Origin Level 1 Race Sovereigns are granted an audience with Sia after their breakthrough. It¡¯s said that Sia would bestow rewards and honor upon them. However, the Divine Altar was destroyed by war shortly after Sia¡¯s departure. Wait a moment, Lord Brother; are you saying that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I was there. It was a holy altar in the middle of a white space¡­¡± Roel replied with a nod before describing the Divine Altar to her. Alicia slowly widened her eyes in astonishment, unable to believe what she was hearing. ¡°I¡¯d have never thought such a thing was possible. It has been so long since Sia¡¯s departure that Her powers should have already dissipated¡­ Could this be the reason Her protection isn¡¯t taking effect?¡± she said. ¡°Perhaps so¡­ Forget it. Even if the protection doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯m already content to have met the Genesis Goddess who created this world.¡± Roel thought about his audience with Sia, and his disappointment retreated. It would have been great if he could receive Sia¡¯s protection, but he was already satisfied with the ¡®Being Toward Death¡¯ blessing. After all, the ¡®Being Toward Death¡¯ blessing had saved him many times now. His only regret was that the meeting was too short, such that he didn¡¯t even have time to thank Her. Roel let out a sigh as he stood up. He took onest look at the six floating magic items before descending the structure with Alicia. The two of them then stepped into the white fog together, but the situation was a little different this time around. Now that he had gathered the Crown¡¯s Stones and advanced to Origin Level 1, the white fog didn¡¯t dare to be insolent anymore. The two of them walked together, and it didn¡¯t take them long to arrive at their earlier residence. Roel returned to his room and took a moment to rest and reinforce his powers. Even though he had made a breakthrough, he still needed some time to adapt to the massive changes within him. Having power and being able to control it were two vastly different notions. As an Origin Level 1 transcendent herself, Alicia understood this logic, so she didn¡¯t bother him. Instead, she virtuously steeped some tea for him and patiently waited for him by the side. Roel was starting to feel a little anxious. After reaching Origin Level 1, he could vaguely sense the situation outside via the Crown¡¯s Stones. While everything looked peaceful on the surface, he knew that Carolyn would have uncovered Shrouding Fog¡¯s whereabouts now that it had lost Light Devourer¡¯s cover. Without a doubt, she was swiftly closing in on them at this very moment. Thus, he made haste and quickly reinforced his newfound powers. Meanwhile, in the distant ins, Carolyn slowly opened her golden eyes and looked at the dark horizon with irrepressible frenzy. Chapter 643.1: At the Two Ends of History (1) In a dimly-lit room, Roel slowly opened his eyes and saw that Alicia had left her seat, but the teacup on the table remained steaming hot. He wasn¡¯t surprised by Alicia¡¯s absence. He gently raised the teacup, swirled it, and took a sip. As the fragrance suffused his nose and his mouth, the Heat Regtion Spell on the teacup dissipated. Shortly afterward, there was a slight spatial distortion behind him. Alicia emerged from the spatial distortion. Behind her was a dark in and traces of a white fog. ¡°Lord Brother, is the reinforcement of your powers progressing well?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done. Where did you go?¡± ¡°I went out to soak in some moonlight in preparation for the uing battle. There¡¯s no moon in this dimension,¡± Alicia replied with a helpless smile. Roel nodded inprehension. Alicia had significantly depleted herself after the series of battles she had been through, as well as her maintaining her Divine Domain and controlling the ck Moon for an extended period of time to treat Roel. As formidable as the regeneration of her Silverash Child Bloodline was, she needed to bask in moonlight to draw out its fullest potential. It was not the first time Alicia had basked under the moonlight; she often did it back when they were living in the Ascarts¡¯ manor too. Thus, Roel wasn¡¯t too perplexed. What he was concerned about was the situation outside. ¡°How is it going outside?¡± ¡°Shrouding Fog¡¯s whereabouts have been revealed after losing Light Devourer¡¯s cover. We¡¯re currently on the move, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before Carolyn catches up.¡± Alicia walked up to Roel, sat down, and hugged his arm. ¡°A battle is inevitable tonight.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s fine. We have alreadypleted our preparations,¡± Roel replied with a reassuring smile. However, Alicia still reserved her concerns. Even though the conflict between them was irreconcble, Carolyn was still Roel¡¯s ancestor. She wasn¡¯t confident that she could draw a line as to how far she should go during the battle. Alicia knew that she would do everything she could to protect Roel if Carolyn sought to kill him, but her means were fatal. In the first ce, she didn¡¯t have absolute control over those means, and it would be hard for her to hold back in the midst of an intense battle, too. She was unnerved by the thought that she might identally kill Carolyn. ¡°Lord Brother, may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Is it really fine for me, a foster child, to fight with Carolyn?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°¡­¡± Roel was taken aback by the unexpected question. He put down his teacup and turned to Alicia. His perplexed expression slowly mellowed. I see. Is Alicia reluctant to make her move because of Carolyn¡¯s ties with the Ascart House? Roel reproached himself for not noticing this earlier. He reached out to grab Alicia¡¯s little hand and said with a smile, ¡°What are you saying? What do you mean by ¡®foster child¡¯?¡± ¡°I am adopted, after all. You should feel closer to Carolyn, whom you share blood ties with, right?¡± ¡°That might have been so in the past, but it¡¯s different now, right?¡± ¡°Different?¡± Alicia tilted her head in confusion. Roel was rendered speechless. He shook his head and reminded, ¡°You were my foster sister, but that¡¯s in the past. What are we now?¡± ¡°Now? Ah¡­¡± Alicia blinked her eyes as Roel¡¯s words finally sank in, and her cheeks turned red. Their rtionship had changed after having spent that night together. It might have been inappropriate for her, as a foster child, to fight against an ancestor of the Ascart House, but she was definitely justified to do so if she was protecting her lover instead. After all, as Roel¡¯s lover, she was bound to be more important to him than an ancestor from a thousand years ago. ¡°Are there people in this world who abandon their wife to blindly worship their ancestor from a thousand years ago? In any case, I can¡¯t bring myself to do that.¡± ¡°W-wife?!¡± Alicia eximed. She stared at Roel in disbelief. Her lips quivered, and her ears reddened with embarrassment. However, Roel¡¯s expression remained perfectly straight as if he was just stating a fact. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°N-nothing!¡± Alicia fell in defeat after seconds of exchanging gazes. She dived into Roel¡¯s chest and nuzzled against him. Roel chuckled at the sight, as he suddenly discovered that she had a weakness too. All along, Alicia had been the more aggressive one in their rtionship, making her look bold. Yet, her defenses immediately copsed as soon as Roelunched a counterattack. She was the definition of a ss cannon. Looking at the woman buried in his chest, Roel¡¯s yfulness was stoked. He leaned closer to her furiously blushing ear and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Alicia? Do you not like my answer?¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s not it! I¡­ I¡¯m just taken aback. You used to avoid such questions, Lord Brother, so it¡¯s a bit hard for my heart to take your sudden change in attitude¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Alicia¡¯s teary eyes shook Roel¡¯s heart. He tightly hugged Alicia, and thetter returned the embrace. ¡°I love you, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°I love you too.¡± After confessing to each other, the two of them continued holding each other to feel each other¡¯s heartbeat. Only after their emotions had calmed down did they finally separate. Roel then seriously looked at Alicia and said, ¡°Don¡¯t harbor any reservations. Go all out.¡± ¡°B-but what if I identally kill our ancestor¡­¡± ¡°Kill Carolyn? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible,¡± Roel replied with a sigh. ¡°You have heard Edavia¡¯s words. Carolyn will be a difficult adversary for us. I don¡¯t want her to die either, but we¡¯ll likely be the ones to die if we hold back in this battle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia¡¯s body stiffened. She pondered those words before slowly nodding. Carolyn was an enemy unlike any foe Roel had fought before. Edavia, despite having lived for countless years and witnessed many legends, feared her. Even if Roel and Alicia joined hands, there was no guarantee that they could gain the upper hand over her. Furthermore, there was another major issue. ¡°Alicia, you should have sensed Carolyn¡¯s aura, right?¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the Savior¡¯s aura, and it has permeated deep into her. It¡¯s bound to have affected her mental state after so many years; she might even be on the verge of insanity. That could be the reason she was so extreme,¡± Roel said with grim eyes, knowing that the uing battle would be tough. Alicia nodded as her eyes slowly firmed up. She knew how she should move now. As the two of them made their own mental preparations, the building they were residing in suddenly shook a little, producing a small ripple in the teacup. Roel¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he quickly turned to Alicia. ¡°It¡¯s that attack from the sky. Shrouding Fog has been struck.¡± ¡°Has Carolyn caught up with us?¡± ¡°Not yet. There¡¯s still a bit more.¡± Roel spent a moment in thought before making up his mind. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take the initiative to confront her instead, since we won¡¯t be able to avoid her?¡± Alicia nodded. The two of them made their final preparations before heading toward the white fog. ¡°Let¡¯s set off.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Alicia opened a spatial crack with a wave of her arm. The two of them held hands and walked into it. ¡­ Chapter 643.2: At the Two Ends of History (2) It was midnight when the two of them entered Tark Prairie once more. The moon in the sky was exceptionally bright. Roel looked at the distant horizon of the prairie with calm, golden eyes. In the sky, Shrouding Fog was furiously billowing in hopes of suppressing the golden specks of light breaking it down from within. It was unlikely to be able to participate in the uing battle in its current state. ¡°You have worked hard. You may leave now,¡± Alicia said. Shrouding Fog billowed in acknowledgement before swiftly departing in another direction. As soon as Roel and Alicia lost Shrouding Fog¡¯s concealment, they felt a peculiar feeling as if they had been eyed by something. This was the second time Roel had felt something like this. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Another golden streak of light shed across the sky, targeting Roel. There was no warning whatsoever. This attack hade from an unbelievable distance away, but that did nothing to lessen its might. The streak of light was like a divine spear of retribution, aimed at the young man who posed the greatest threat. However, things were going to be different this time around. ¡°Artasia.¡± ¡°Oh? What a rare attack.¡± The manifested Witch Queen looked at the sky with an intrigued expression, as if she had seen something interesting. She then raised her hand and released a surge of glowing water. ¡°Water?¡± Alicia murmured in confusion. She raised her hand to raise a secondyer of defense for Roel, thinking that Artasia¡¯s counterattack wouldn¡¯t be effective in neutralizing an attack like this. However, Roel raised his hand to stop her. Artasia witnessed this sight, and her lips curled into a smile. The golden streak of light and the glowing flood of water collided, stirring an intense shockwave. Boom! Water sshed around, but for some reason, the golden light dissipated as well. Astonishingly, the two unrted elements, light and water, neutralized each other. Unable toprehend the situation, Alicia widened her eyes in shock. ¡°How could this¡­¡± ¡°Are you surprised? It¡¯s actually rather simple. That isn¡¯t light but venom.¡± ¡°Venom?¡± Alicia was taken aback, but she quickly remembered Roel¡¯s symptoms after being struck by the golden streak of light. Roel also narrowed his eyes. ¡°That golden light is a hybrid created by mana and venom. I believe the venom originates from an ancient race known as the Helios Venom Bird, which came into existence by absorbing the sun¡¯s energy. I didn¡¯t think that someone would be able to contract with them.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that water you released?¡± ¡°Venom can be easily dealt with as long as you have the corresponding antidote. That water is from the holy spring located in one of Sia¡¯s divine temples. It is where the notion of purification originated from.¡± ¡°I see. Contradiction?¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Artasia replied as she increased the output of the water with a wave of her hand. The golden light slowly faded, returning darkness to the prairie. The sh between the golden streak of light and the water concluded with Roel¡¯s victory. Roel and Alicia¡¯s expressions slowly calmed down. Just then, Artasia suddenly turned her sight into the distance. ¡°I should have known it wouldn¡¯t be that simple. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you, my hero.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± The familiar aura of a Divine Domain could be felt in the distance. When Roel entered its area of effect, Artasia¡¯s floating silhouette dissipated into thin air, and he suddenly felt much heavier. The Inner Sanctum tied to his bloodline shook, as the candle me began to waver. His mana also began to recede. But just as his windows with his ancient gods were about to close, an orange-haired girl seated in front of a table in a dark library suddenly opened her eyes. Right as the Inner Sanctum was about to close once more, the evil god from the ancient era finally unleashed the counterattack she had prepared for a long time. Her braided hair loosened, as her aura turned sinister. The ck silhouette encroaching on the library was forced to a halt. ¡°He has reached Origin Level 1 too. Did you think your suppression would still work?¡± Edavia said mockingly, as her eyes peered through theyers of mana to see the culprit behind this. ¡°This is the domain Sia has bestowed upon me. Begone, trespasser.¡± The aura of the Spiriteer Sovereign red, as Edavia released a powerful jolt that traversed the trespassing mana, till it arrived at the origin. ¡°!¡± With a soft harrumph, the pressure shaking Roel¡¯s Inner Sanctum vanished. Roel¡¯s golden eyes zed once more as he regained control over his Inner Sanctum and re-established his windows with Grandar and the others. He raised his head to look at the distant horizon, where a figure was now in sight. Carolyn Ascart was finally standing before Roel and Alicia, though her expression was much more severe than before. Both her initial golden light attack and her bloodline suppression had failed. This meant that Roel had grown much stronger even though it had only been a short period of time, and this piqued Carolyn¡¯s wariness. In contrast, Roel was much calmer than their first meeting. ¡°It has been a few days, my ancestor. Are you still faring well?¡± ¡°¡­What did you do?¡± ¡°What are you referring to?¡± ¡°You were able to raise your strength by so much within a short period of time. Should I say ¡®as expected of my descendant¡¯? Or should it be attributed to the Mother Goddess¡¯ favor?¡± Carolyn sneered. Roel shook his head and sighed. ¡°I have said that I¡¯m not the Mother Goddess¡¯ disciple. I have only received the power that Sia has reserved for me¡­ but I doubt you¡¯d believe me.¡± ¡°If you want me to trust you, leave this ce right now and let meplete the final n.¡± ¡°The final n? It looks like you haven¡¯t changed your mind at all.¡± ¡°Change my mind? You don¡¯t know the sacrifices we had to make in order to weaken the Savior and the Mother Goddess, so that we could cope with the doomsday prophecy. The final n is humankind¡¯s hope! How can I give it up?¡± Carolyn said with eyes filled with anger, as her mana grew increasingly turbid. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. The final n and its execution were the crystallization of humankind¡¯s wisdom. Unimaginable blood, sweat, and tears had been put into it. Carolyn had even waited a thousand years for this. It was impossible to change her mind with just a couple of words. It was not just naivety but arrogance. Sensing Carolyn¡¯s determination, Alicia¡¯s face turned pale, and she took a step back. However, Roel grabbed her hand. ¡°Lord Brother¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. It¡¯ll be fine,¡± Roel first reassured Alicia with a warm smile before grimly turning to Carolyn. ¡°I have utmost respect for everything you have done for humankind in the past, but you have been in hibernation in the Abyss for a thousand years. You aren¡¯t up to date with humankind¡¯s current plight, as well as the circumstances surrounding Alicia and the Mother Goddess. ¡°The situation is different from before. The final n was formted a thousand years ago, so it should be modified to suit the current context. As a member of the Ascart House, I should have the power to make modifications to it too, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. I won¡¯t entertain the words of a potential traitor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s face darkened at Carolyn¡¯s obstinacy. He finally understood the greatest barrier between the two of them¡ªack of trust. Carolyn¡¯s judgment had been marred by the Savior¡¯s aura of depravity, and it didn¡¯t help that Roel was practically cloaked in the Mother Goddess¡¯ aura. It was a deadlock. There was no way he could win Carolyn¡¯s trust. ¡°¡­It looks like there¡¯s no room for negotiation.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no choice, then.¡± Roel unleashed his mana. In response, Carolyn also unleashed hers. The two members of the Ascart House who lived in two different turning points of history stared at each other in anticipation of this unprecedented battle. Chapter 644.1: Battle of the Gods (1) Roel had once envisioned how strong he would be once he reached Origin Level 1, and the results were quite optimistic. With his Crown¡¯s Stones and the aid of the ancient gods, he was certain he could easily overpower enemies of the same Origin Level as him. That had always been the case for him from a young age. Granted that there could be a huge gap among Origin Level 1 transcendents, he didn¡¯t think that he would fall into a disadvantageous position. Today, he was proven wrong. Or rather, he encountered an opponent he had never expected to meet. The suffocating and irresistible pressure crushing on him turned his expression grave, as the feeling of invincibility he felt after advancing to Origin Level 1 vanished. On the other hand, Carolyn¡¯s expression remained impassive, but her heart wasn¡¯t calm either. His rate of growth is absurd. While he wasn¡¯t exactly on par with her yet, he possessed the power to oppose her now. This piqued her wariness. The Kingmaker n had always grown faster than the other races due to its unique traits, but they had to shoulder great danger in return. The descendants of the Kingmaker n had a high chance of losing their lives in the dangerous Witness State. Even so, there was not a single person from the main family who had grown faster than the man before her. It had only been a few days ago that shest met him, and he was unable to put any pressure on her then, but he was a different man now. Of course, this wasrgely due to the power of the Crown¡¯s Stones, but the Second Epoch¡¯s Ardes had talents who could absorb the Crown¡¯s Stones too, and none of them had grown as ridiculously as he did. It isn¡¯t just about the Crown¡¯s Stones. There must be a deeper reason to it¡­ Carolyn eyed Roel, and she quickly noticed that the Mother Goddess¡¯ aura around him had grown even stronger. That made her narrow her eyes, and she quickly decided on her strategy. I have to end it fast. She hade to this decision after evaluating the current situation. While she had suppressed Alicia Ascart¡¯s powers, she could tell from thetter¡¯s gaze that she was determined to fight, and her strength was also not to be made light of. This was going to be a two-against-one battle, and she was bound to be disadvantaged in a prolonged fight. Thus, she decided to make the first move to control the momentum of the battle. Carolyn raised her hand, and the twinkling light in the distant sky above quietly released a deluge of golden light toward Roel and Alicia. It was a much wider-range attack this time around, covering an entire half of Roel¡¯s vision. ¡°Artasia.¡± Roel summoned the Witch Queen once more, and thetter conjured a barrier of water around Roel and Alicia to protect them from the venom. ¡°Is there a point resorting to the same tactics twice?¡± Artasia asked with a smile as she prepared to take on the deluge of golden light. But right before the golden light came into contact with the water, Carolyn¡¯s Divine Domain suddenly contracted. The amplification of the pressure made Roel frown, but what happened afterward shocked him more. Just as the deluge of golden light was augmented by Carolyn¡¯s Divine Domain, it suddenly transformed into a zing inferno that culminated in an explosion uponing into contact with the purification water, causing thetter to swiftly evaporate. ¡°A Divine Domain with the power to change the traits of the ancient gods? How annoying,¡± Artasia murmured in irritation. She quickly conjured another stream of light-blue water to neutralize the inferno, and it temporarily freed them from the danger they were in. However, the situation wasn¡¯t optimistic. Carolyn continued to unleash attacks on Roel and the others from the sky. These attacks were so fast that Artasia, having her powers suppressed, had her hands full with reacting quickly enough to neutralize them. Roel frowned, but he didn¡¯t make a move. Instead, he stared at Carolyn with eaglelike eyes. As precarious as the situation looked, Roel was confident that they would be fine as long as Artasia was around. This was how much she trusted the Witch Queen. What he had to focus his attention on was buying time for the woman behind him. Carolyn¡¯s greatest advantage over Roel and Alicia was her Divine Domain, which suppressed their powers and allowed her to control the tempo of the battle. What they urgently needed to do now was to dispel it. Hidden behind Artasia and Roel¡¯s defense was Alicia, whose body glowed with ethereal lights as she channeled her mana to unleash her Divine Domain. The moment she seeded, Roel would be freed from his restraints, allowing him tounch a decisive counterattack. The only problem was that Carolyn knew that as well. She had witnessed Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain. That was how the two of them gave her the slip in the first ce. She didn¡¯t want history to repeat itself, so she knew whom she should prioritize. And as Roel had expected, the intense bombardment was just a feint. Carolyn¡¯s body began to glow amidst all the rattling and shaking. There was a sudden sh of lightning, and a short and stout silhouette appeared on the battlefield. As the lightning faded, the details of the silhouette started to show. It was a dwarven warrior dressed in heavy armor. His face was buried under his helmet, but his beard flowed beyond his chest. Roel narrowed his eyes. He knew that a dwarf¡¯s beard symbolized their strength. A normal dwarf¡¯s beard would stop growing once it reached their neck. Only powerful experts who had lived for many years would have beards that reached their chests. And the dwarven warrior before him had a beard that reached his waist. The voice echoing in Roel¡¯s ear reinforced his suspicion. ¡°That¡¯s Dwarf Sovereign Obezo! Quick, you need to defend!¡± Peytra eximed. ¡°!¡± Roel quickly channeled all of his mana in response. On the other hand, the Dwarf Sovereign looked at Roel and Alicia with a reluctant expression, but nevertheless, he raised his gigantic hammer as he murmured, ¡°A child? My apologies, but please don¡¯t me me for this.¡± Dwarf Sovereign Obezo swung his hammer, and a lightning bolt enveloped Roel¡¯s line of sight. It might have been more urate to call it a lightning pir, for it spanned a diameter exceeding a hundred meters. Even an Origin Level 1 transcendent would have felt helpless to have such a powerful attack directed at them. However, it was a pity that this didn¡¯t include Roel. Roel channeled his mana, and thendscape around him began to move. Before the massive lightning pir could strike him, a mountain had already risen to protect him. Boom! A resounding explosion ensued. The quakes following the sh were so intense that Roel couldn¡¯t keep his bnce. The destructive prowess of the lightning pir was so great that cracks immediately appeared on the mountain blocking its path, but these cracks were swiftly repaired by newyers of earth. Ultimately, the lightning pir was unable to breach the continuously regenerating mountain. In the end, Roel escaped unscathed from the ordeal. After the ruckus died down, the golden serpent, whose humongous body wound across the prairie, looked at the foe before her and said, ¡°I never thought that we¡¯d meet again, Obezo.¡± ¡°!¡± Dwarf Sovereign Obezo widened his eyes, and his voice grew respectful. ¡°Lord Peytra.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. I¡¯d have a nice chat with you, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in a good position to reminisce.¡± ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± Dwarf Sovereign Obezo replied with a conflicted expression. He nced at Carolyn and Roel before remarking, ¡°It can¡¯t be helped since our loyalties differ.¡± ¡°Obezo?¡± Carolyn asked. ¡°Carolyn, I¡¯ll handle the situation here.¡± ¡°An acquaintance? All right.¡± Meanwhile, Roel looked at the lofty World Serpent and heaved a sigh of relief. Dwarves were masters of smithing. Their desire for ores granted them a strong affinity for earth. Given so, Peytra, as the Primordial Earth Goddess, should have a decisive advantage against the Dwarf Sovereign. Roel and Carolyn, as fellow members of the Kingmaker n, fought carefully. In particr, Roel was hesitant to go all in because he didn¡¯t know how many ancient gods Carolyn had contracted with. If Peytra could quickly defeat Obezo, it would greatly tilt the scales of this battle in his favor. This gave Roel a huge morale boost. However, the Primordial Earth Goddess sensed his expectations and broke his bubble with a sigh, saying, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t pin your hopes on me in this battle.¡± ¡°Why is that so?¡± ¡°That fellow over there is Dwarf Sovereign Obezo, one of Sia¡¯s first followers in the ancient era. He existed in the same era as me. He¡­ possesses other authorities.¡± Roel was taken aback by those words. Meanwhile, Carolyn had gathered a huge amount of mana in her Divine Domain, and she channeled all of it toward Obezo. ¡°Grarrrrr!¡± a hoarse roar echoed. A humongous lighting pir zapped into the sky, forcing Artasia to back off. The blinding lightning instantaneously illuminated everyone¡¯s faces, including a mountain-like silhouette standing at its middle. It was Obezo. His appearance was still the same as before¡ªan old dwarf dressed in heavy armor¡ªbut his body had been transformed into lightning. As if to reflect his immense power, his physique grew muchrger as well. The explosive power he harnessed in his body was fearsome. His hammer had grown to the size of a house, and it furiously cackled with lightning. Peytra grimly finished her exnation: ¡°Dwarf Sovereign Obezo was also known as the Lightning God in the ancient era.¡± ¡­ Chapter 644.2: Battle of the Gods (2) There was a generalw in the Sia Continent that the older an existence was, the more powerful they were likely to be. It rang exceptionally true for the first generation of gods serving Sia. Make no mistake¡ªthe spells of the present generation were much more refined than those in the past, since they were built on over time, simr to how technology advanced over the ages. Even so, it was almost impossible for those from theter generations to surpass those from the previous generations in terms of sheer fighting prowess. This was due to the change in the environment and scarcity of resources. The first generation of gods serving Sia had been through the war between the saint beasts and the demonic beasts. That had been a devastating war that affected every corner of the world. Those who survived that cmity were the cream of the crop, the result of natural selection. Simrly, the ancient era boasted the greatest amount of resources, except for the bleak years when the Mother Goddess and the Savior fought to be the ruler of the world. Naturally, an abundance of resources was necessary for a race to progress to great heights. Peytra and Obezo were both beneficiaries of that era, and there was a period of time wherein they fought alongside each other against the demonic beasts. Yet, the two first-generation gods were now re-enacting the ancient war on thisnd. On the prairie, the World Serpent lunged at its enemy with a body cloaked inva. On the other hand, the massive dwarf charged forth with crackling lightning. It was as if the two of them were the manifestations of natural disasters; they devastated their surroundings even before shing with each other. The moment their manas shed, the world shook. Boom! The massive hammer harnessing cataclysmic lightning smashed into the World Serpent, giving rise to an impact so great that it cracked Peytra¡¯s mountain-like body. Rock fragments that were the size of a grown human rained from the sky, forcing Roel to take evasive maneuvers. Meanwhile, the Primordial Earth Goddess sunk its fangs into the giant dwarf. A crimson glow started spreading through Obezo¡¯s body, as the infected bits of him melted intova and dribbled to the ground. The battle between the Primordial Earth Goddess and the Dwarf Sovereign only continued to intensify from this point onward. Obezo continued smashing his hammer into the mountain-like serpent, whereas Peytra was focused on melting the dwarf down. Roel and Carolyn simultaneously retracted their gazes as they understood that the victor between the two ancient gods wouldn¡¯t be decided anytime soon. However, Roel was more anxious than Carolyn. He only had Grandar and Edavia left, as Artasia and Peytra were tied down by the Helios Venom Bird and Dwarf Sovereign Obezo respectively. While Grandar possessed overwhelming strength, and Edavia was a feared evil god, neither of them excelled in defense. Roel didn¡¯t have any powerful defensive means left under Carolyn¡¯s relentless assault. The biggest problem was that he didn¡¯t know what other aces his ancestor had up her sleeves. He only had two options if she continuedunching attacks at the same level¡ªeither confront her head-on or flee from the scene. Both options posed their own problems. Thetter was hardly an option at all, whereas the former was simply too dangerous. The attack from the Helios Venom Bird was the perfect example of that. Alicia had to resort to the ck Moon in order to treat his injuries. That was also why Roel had no choice but to have Artasia ward off the golden light descending from the sky. If Carolyn had more such attacks, Roel would have no choice but to retreat. However, he would lose momentum if he retreated, not to mention that Carolyn could pull off powerful long-ranged attacks. Retreating would only put him at an even greater disadvantage. To ovee this problem, he decided to proactively attack instead. ¡°cial Touch,¡± Roel murmured. His voice was buried by the ongoing explosions in the background, but this move had a critical effect on the flow of the battle. The sudden flood of frost aura had Carolyn narrowing her eyes cautiously. On the other hand, Roel was surprised. It could have been due to his attainment of Origin Level 1, visiting the Six Cmities¡¯ origin, or collecting all of the Crown¡¯s Stones, but he felt very different using cial Touch this time around. It was as if a water pump had been installed on his output, allowing him to draw out 30% more power from the Crown¡¯s Stone with the same amount of mana. This incredible buff boosted his confidence. He transformed his frost aura into spears that shot toward Carolyn from different directions. Wherever the spears passed, everything in their trajectory was encased in eternal frost. Even lightning and mes withered in their wake. The frost spears were silent, but they advanced with unstoppable momentum. Faced with such an attack, Carolyn raised her hand and manifested a massive silhouette out of faint light. It was hard to tell whether this silhouette was corporeal or not, but it was as huge as a mountain. When the frost spears finally mmed into it, they dissipated without freezing anything at all. Carolyn, despite being confronted with so many frost spears, waspletely unharmed. ¡°How is this possible?!¡± Roel narrowed his eyes in disbelief. At the same time, Edavia eximed in a shocked but grim voice, ¡°Wait a moment¡­ That is a Fiend Titan!¡± Chapter 645.1: Sovereign Meets Sovereign (1) Edavia had once told Roel that the inception of order was chaos. The difficulties Sia had encountered when She first created the world were far greater than what was described in any of the legends. Anyone drawing on a nk sheet of paper for the first time was bound to make errors, and Sia was no exception to that rule. During the creation of the world, Sia had created many wed existences, and some of them were a headache for even Her to deal with. One of them was the Spiriteers. Sia couldn¡¯t bear to eliminate the Spiriteers in view that they possessed sentience and feelings, and Her personal ties with Edavia yed a part too. However, there were other dangerous existences that She was forced to seal away. On the ins, Roel listened to Edavia¡¯s exnation with widened eyes. He looked at the ominous shadow in front of him and asked, ¡°Why did she choose to seal them away instead of eliminating them?¡± ¡°She would have eliminated them, but she can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Roel frowned. ¡°Even Sia Herself struggled to deal with some of the mistakes She had made at the very start. One of them was the original model of the Giants¡ªthe Titans.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Grandar¡¯s interest was piqued when he heard Edavia mention his race. In the crimson in, he raised his head to look at the ominous shadow standing before Roel, and his eyes narrowed. Meanwhile, Edavia continued her exnation. ¡°Unlike the Giants, the Titans refuse to adopt Origin Attributes, preferring to grow via devouring other beings instead. They are extremely aggressive, making them a terrifying threat even whenpared to the other monsters. Due to that, they are one of the first few races that Sia exiled.¡± ¡°Is it even possible to exile such an existence?¡± Roel asked. ¡°That depends on where you exile them. Sia exiled them to the cracks of the world, the Abyss¡­ You have been there too.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was taken aback. Back in the Witness State, after the Savior¡¯s body was destroyed, Edavia banished His soul to a bizarre ce that didn¡¯t exist in the world. Roel didn¡¯t question it much, but he had a strong impression of that distorted, ominous ce. The fact that the Titans were imprisoned in the same ce as the Savior hinted at how powerful they were, but this raised another question in Roel¡¯s mind. ¡°If Sia has already banished them, how did Carolyn contract with one?¡± Roel asked as he continued releasing all kinds of attacks. ¡°That¡¯s a Fiend Titan. To escape from the Abyss, they abandoned their bodies to cast their shadows on the world. They are malevolent existences worse than the demonic beasts. Sia had personally destroyed them,¡± Edavia quickly exined. ¡°It¡¯s possible to contract something like that too?¡± ¡°It should be impossible, but the Titans share simr traits with the Giants, in the sense that they respect and obey the strong. It¡¯s the same for the Fiend Titans. That woman is probably too strong, which is why¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s expression turned grim. So many books had been burned over the past few centuries that he knew very little about Carolyn Ascart, the first matriarch of the Ascart House. He had found a few members of the Twilight Sages Assembly along the way, but they, too, knew very little about Carolyn. He did hear Astrid Arde praise Carolyn¡¯s strength highly back in the Witness State, but he didn¡¯t think she was so powerful that even the evil gods from the ancient era submitted to her. Looking at the woman who stood unfazed by the bombardment of frost aura andva, Roel felt immense pressure. He was forced to consider bringing out Grandar, his greatest trump card, to deal with the Fiend Titan, but before he could make up his mind, he suddenly heard a voice. ¡°Lord Brother, have you forgotten about me?¡± Alicia said. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel turned around and saw Alicia smiling at him. She had sessfully amassed a massive amount of mana. Seeing that, he heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°You have done enough, Lord Brother. Leave the rest to me,¡± Alicia said as she turned to face Carolyn. She raised her hand, and the ethereal lights she had been channeling suddenly expanded to form a brand-new world. ¡°Divine Domain.¡± ¡­ Divine Domain was a type of spell used by the gods in the ancient era, but its strength differed from individual to individual. There were even seemingly useless Divine Domains, such as the one belonging to the Death God who attempted to assassinate Roel in the Witness State. Divine Domains didn¡¯t have the power to change reality. Be it Deviant Sovereign Banjol¡¯s Divine Domain or Carolyn¡¯s, they could only weaken enemies within the range of their Divine Domain. They weren¡¯t truly changing anything in the real world. However, Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain went beyond the scope of ordinary Divine Domains, in the sense that she was practically dragging others into the miniature world she had created, turning that into their reality. Roel had witnessed something simr before, namely the fight between the Savior and the Mother Goddess in the ancient era. Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain was extraordinarily powerful because she had inherited it from the Mother Goddess. This was one of the things Roel and Alicia had discussed prior to the battle. Their chances of defeating someone as powerful as Carolyn in a direct confrontation were extremely slim. Thus, their battle n was for Roel to stall her, while Alicia focused on releasing her Divine Domain. It was going to be much tougher on Alicia this time around, as her goal was not just to remove the negative effects of Carolyn¡¯s Divine Domain but to drag her into their home turf. That was the reason Alicia hadn¡¯t participated in the battle thus far. ¡°Divine Domain.¡± A blinding sh of light enveloped the surroundings. Carolyn immediately retaliated by narrowing the area of her Divine Domain. That immensely concentrated the pressure on Alicia, slowing down the activation of her Divine Domain. What she didn¡¯t know was that Alicia hadn¡¯t gone all out yet. The two powers stalled for a few seconds, until Alicia¡¯s crimson eyes suddenly glowed brightly. Then, the moonlight from the sky intensified to the point it looked corporeal, and it converged on Carolyn¡¯s Divine Domain. ¡°!¡± Carolyn was startled by the unexpected assault. Under the concentrated moonlight, Carolyn¡¯s Divine Domain onlysted an instant before it started to copse. Carolyn hurriedly attempted to mend her Divine Domain, but it was toote. This brief opening allowed the ethereal lightsing from Alicia¡¯s body to quickly expand and envelop Carolyn. When the blinding light vanished and Roel opened his eyes again, he was already standing above a vast ocean. Alicia was floating in the sky, her hair fluttering imposingly like a god from the ancient era. Chapter 645.2: Sovereign Meets Sovereign (2) ¡°It¡¯s a sess, Lord Brother!¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Roel could feel the pressure weighing on him vanishing without a trace, and he could circte his mana much more smoothly now. He breathed a sigh of relief. In the sky, Carolyn stood with an awful expression on her face. ¡°I see. You¡¯re intending to defeat me with this Divine Domain.¡± ¡°Indeed. It¡¯s not toote to change your mind.¡± ¡°I already said I have no such intention. Give it a try if you think you can defeat me,¡± Carolyn said as she released a flood of turbid mana in preparation for her next move. Roel exchanged nces with Alicia. As ifing to a tacit agreement, the former raised his hand toward Carolyn, whereas thetter began emanating a brilliant light. Thus far, Carolyn had lost two ancient gods, and her powers had been suppressed, putting her in her weakest-ever state. On the other hand, Alicia was in her strongest-ever state, and she was going to directly participate in the battle from this point onward. The odds were finally in Roel and Alicia¡¯s favor. The silver moonlight in the sky shone brilliantly, and the calm ocean began to undte till terrifying tsunamis violently crashed down one after another. Water represented life in the ancient era, but in Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain, it was a monster that devoured life. Waves that towered over a hundred meters high charged at Carolyn with cataclysmic force, threatening to smash her into bits. Meanwhile, Roel summonedrge swathes of ck clouds above Carolyn. He had chosen Death Rain over cial Touch, Magma Core, and the others as it was the only Crown¡¯s Stone thatplemented the nature of Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain. A ck rain of deadly curses started falling from the sky. Carolyn was cornered, but she didn¡¯t panic. A golden me started to ze around her. A speck of golden light caught in the middle of a cmitous storm, battered by huge waves and cold rain¡ªit was a beautiful yet mncholic sight. It looked as if the golden light would be extinguished at any moment, but Roel felt extremely unnerved instead. ¡°That thing¡­¡± Roel narrowed his golden eyes as he felt a pang of unease. He further channeled his Crown¡¯s Stone, and the ck clouds jolted like a swiftly contracting heart. The curses of the ck rain converged at a single point, creating a sphere of absolute darkness. It was so dark that it further dampened the golden light. It was then that the towering tsunami mmed into the golden light. Boom! Tens of thousands of tonnes of water mmed into Carolyn; the impact had to be devastating. At the same time, the water callously siphoned life force from Carolyn like bloodthirsty sharks. It was also around then that a ck beam of potent curses pierced into the ocean, destroying everything in its path. Thebined assault of Roel and Alicia was catastrophic. The ocean rumbled deafeningly. But then, a small speck of golden light glimmered from the tsunami. It started out small and inconspicuous, but it quickly erged, lighting up the entire ocean within a matter of seconds. An overwhelming pressure rose from the ocean and gushed into the sky. Roel¡¯s expression turned heavy. He understood that Carolyn had yed her ace. The power lurking under the ocean was finally unleashed. Thousands of light pirs gushed into the sky as a behemoth emerged from the water. ¡­ There were three races that couldn¡¯t be ignored when those of the present generation spoke about the ancient era¡ªthe Giants, the Angels, and the Dragons. They were the face of those that had lived in that era, and they represented the strongest powers. For that reason, most of the powerful awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline had ties with them. The Second Epoch¡¯s Ardes had resources at their disposal to collect all kinds of artifacts, which allowed them to choose whichever ancient god they wanted to contract with. Carolyn, as one of the most talented transcendents, was bound to have contracted with one of the three races. Just like how Grandar was Roel¡¯s trump card, Carolyn was bound to have an ace she could rely on during times of difficulty. Right now, she had finally revealed her hidden ace, and the tables were immediately turned. It was a dragon, but not any ordinary one. Looking at the behemoth that had risen from the ocean, Roel¡¯s face turned grim, and Alicia widened her crimson eyes. Edavia was shaken up too, as she murmured the enemy¡¯s name: ¡°Saint Dragon Spansderck!¡± ¡°Saint Dragon?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s the hero dragon mentioned in the legends, the one who defeated Demon Dragon Tabarak¡ªone of the Four Great Demonic Beasts¡ªand overcame the limitations of death to undergo two cycles of life in the same era.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. Legendary races were known for their long lifespans, and their strength only grew with their age. The strength of a dragon who had lived two generations couldn¡¯t be underestimated. Furthermore, the fact that it defeated one of the Four Great Demonic Beasts, the main enemies Sia hadunched a crusade against, showed how powerful it was. And that was indeed the case. Be it the ocean water that siphoned one¡¯s life force or the deadly beam of curses, these attacks unraveled in Saint Dragon Spansderck¡¯s presence. The ocean water failed to reach its fire-d body, and the dark clouds in the sky were dissipated by the thousand light pirs. In just a few seconds, it had already proven itself to be a menace on the battlefield. Just looking at the behemoth in the distance was enough to make Roel¡¯s body stiffen. Even so, he remainedposed, as there was no need for him to fear. Living for a long time? Oveing death and getting a second shot at life? Those were incredible miracles. Those who lived long lives were also bound to have more experiences and be stronger. However, there was more than one way to be stronger. Some people might have been short-lived, but they gave off an iparable brilliance. And it just so happened that Roel knew people like that. They were eternal warriors who stepped forward and protected the world just as the world was descending into darkness. With their hands, they tore apart the terrifying darkness and returned light to the world. Compared to the foe they had defeated, what did the Four Great Demonic Beasts count as? ¡°¡­What do they even count as,¡± Roel mumbled before calling hispanion. ¡°Grandar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± A white fog enveloped the area, and crimson lightning crackled. The ocean water started to rock violently, raising huge waves. Tremendous mana gushed forth and dissipated the clouds. Through the channeling of the Crown Origin Attribute, a humongous skeleton giant emerged amidst the white fog and crimson lightning, almost like a demon god rising from the Abyss to confront the brilliant Saint Dragon. ¡°That is¡­!¡± Beneath the wings of Saint Dragon Spansderck, Carolyn stared at the skeleton giant in shock. She was startled for the first time since themencement of the battle. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would make a contract with him¡­¡± After a brief moment of staring at Grandar, she turned around and ordered, ¡°Spansderck, you don¡¯t have to defeat him. It¡¯ll suffice to stall him!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The light-d Saint Dragon unfurled its massive dragon wings and rose into the sky. Meanwhile, Roel looked at the sky and issued a concise order: ¡°Defeat it, Grandar.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Crimson lightning crackled as the two legendary Sovereigns from the ancient era shed. At the highest area in the sky, Alicia opened her eyes. Her crimson eyes glowed brilliantly as the moon behind her appeared to be split into two, one silver and one ck. Chapter 646.1: Overcoming the Quandary (1) At the highest point in the sky, Alicia Ascart, shrouded in brilliant moonlight, gazed at the ongoing battle beneath. She was gathering her mana with an impassive expression, but her heart was nowhere near as calm as she looked. She knew that this battle had happened because of her. Carolyn¡¯s goal was her and her alone. Despite being affected by the Savior¡¯s power, Carolyn had told Roel to leave before the battle. Had Roel done as he was told, he wouldn¡¯t have had a conflict with this ridiculously powerful woman, let alone gotten into a fight with her. For that reason, Alicia had set a goal for herself. I have to protect Lord Brother. I can¡¯t let him get hurt. From the moment she made this decision, she knew that she would have to settle this battle by herself. The problem was that she needed some time. Looking at the split ocean and sky, as well as Saint Dragon Spansderck, who emitted boundless light and life force, Alicia slowly narrowed her eyes. She hated to admit it, but that ancient god was formidable. As powerful as Divine Domains were, they were still spells. No spell was unbreachable in this world. If not for Roel curbing Saint Dragon Spansderck, Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain would have been shaken by its attack, thus stopping her from activating the ck Moon. But that was exactly the reason she was unnerved. Curbing the aggression of such a powerful ancient god was bound to put Roel under immense pressure. She was oblivious to Grandar¡¯s background, so she didn¡¯t know if the skeleton giant could stand its ground against Spansderck. In terms of auras, the skeleton giant reminiscent of a demonic god was on par with the Saint Dragon representing light and life, which was evident from the clearly split sky and ocean. But from the memories from the Mother Goddess, Alicia knew that Spansderck was revered as the Dragons¡¯ hero, whereas she only knew Grandar as a distant ally of the Savior. It was hard for her to imagine that Grandar would truly be on par with Spansderck. She nervously grabbed her left arm, suppressing her urge to prematurely intervene in the battle before her means were ready. After seconds of standstill, Roel¡¯s and Carolyn¡¯s most trusted ancient gods finally shed. ¡°Graaarr!¡± Spansderck unleashed a deafening dragon roar that raised huge waves in the ocean and shook the sky like a tangible wave, only stopping when it struck the white fog shrouding the giant in the distance. Taken aback by its prowess, Roel narrowed his eyes. Spansderck unfurled its thousand-meter-long wings that emitted a golden luster. The thousands of light pirs gushing up from the sea converged on the Saint Dragon, like it was a sponge soaking up a sea. On the other hand, Grandar raised his hand, and crimson lightning surged from his body to his raised fist. The white fog thinned, revealing the cataclysmic force he had channeled. Both parties had tacitly chosen to channel all of the power they could mobilize. A furious storm stirred above the ocean as an epic showdown unfolded. The aloft Spansderck suddenly folded its wings and released a powerful beam of golden light that sliced through the sea and plunged toward the skeleton giant like a sword from heaven. The brilliant light illuminated Roel¡¯sposed face. Above him, Grandar hurled his fist, unleashing his rage and crimson lightning that had filled half of this Divine Domain. Boom! A blinding light flooded the surroundings, apanied by a rattling explosion that threatened to burst the eardrum. Thanks to Grandar¡¯s protection, neither the shockwave nor the light could get anywhere close to Roel, but the sea and the sky weren¡¯t as fortunate. The intense sh had raised waves over a hundred meters tall, and patches of mana vacuum appeared in the sky. The rumbling lightning and furious waves looked as if the end of the world had arrived. Grandar¡¯s crimson lightning dispersed the golden light, but the white fog shrouding him thinned as well. However, things weren¡¯t over yet. The dispersed golden light suddenly converged once more to form a massive dragon silhouette. ¡°!¡± The dragon silhouette instantaneously turned corporeal, and Spansderck appeared at Grandar¡¯s nk. Spansderck unhesitatingly swiped its glowing sharp ws at the Giant Sovereign, inflicting an immense force capable of even tearing down mountains. A loud explosion followed. The Giant Sovereign¡¯s right shoulder and chest were pressed downward. In this critical situation, Grandar narrowed his eyes. Instead of protecting himself, he gathered his strength in his left fist and hurled it forth with a roar. He had chosen to counterattack. Boom! Crimson lightning shed across the sky. Grandar¡¯s humongous fist smashed into Spansderck like heaven¡¯s hammer, crushing its arm before plowing toward its chest. Spansderck roared in response. Its scales rose, and a golden light gushed forth to block Grandar¡¯s punch. However, Grandar¡¯s fist couldn¡¯t be stopped that easily. The fist pushed through and inflicted a huge tear on Spansderck''s chest, and golden blood sttered like rain. The Saint Dragon was forced to hurriedly retreat. Even so, this wilful counterattack cost Grandar his right shoulder and some of his rib cage. Saint Dragon Spansderck stared at its broken arm and smashed chest, its eyes narrowing in shock. It had been many years since it wasst injured by andbound creature. It looked at the skeleton giant before it and said in human tongue, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be wounded by you. Tell me your name, giant.¡± ¡°Grandar.¡± ¡°Spansderck.¡± The two Sovereigns solemnly offered their names. Grandar¡¯s body emitted huge puffs of steam as his bones reverted to their previous condition. Simrly, Spansderck¡¯s body also regenerated with a golden glow. Both sides had sustained injuries in that quick showdown, but those injuries didn¡¯t diminish the two legendary Sovereigns¡¯ fighting will and desire to win. Above the ocean, overpowered punches with the power to smash mountains and sharp ws that ripped thend into two crossed each other. It would have been a cmity if this battle had not happened in Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain. As Grandar¡¯s and Spansderck¡¯s contractors, Roel and Carolyn channeled their mana into them, hoping that theirpanions could im the upper hand. Immense pressure suddenly exploded from the sky, and those shing on the main battlefield felt a lurch in their hearts. Roel didn¡¯t sustain any actual damage, but Carolyn found herself shrouded in almost tangible moonlight. ¡°This¡­¡± Feeling the swelling mana in the sky, Carolyn raised her head and saw Alicia standing before the silver moon with crimson eyes. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Alicia finally made her move after a long wait. The ck Moon reced the silver moon and descended to the ground. ¡­ Chapter 646.2: Overcoming the Quandary (2) The moon represented beauty and purity in many legends, but many saw it as the symbol of insanity and depravity too. Knights who lost their minds after witnessing the moon, wolves who transformed on a full moon night¡ªthere were many such legends in the world, and the ck Moon was the reason behind them. This was not the first time Roel had witnessed the ck Moon descending from the sky, but it still left him distraught nevertheless. Even Carolyn was taken aback as well. ¡°Is this the legendary Moon Cmity? I never thought I would ever witness it in person.¡± Sensing the danger from the sky, Carolyn¡¯s face turned grim as a humongous humanoid silhouette appeared above her. ¡°Lord Brother, you mustn¡¯t get close to the ck Moon,¡± Alicia warned Roel as she nced at the fighting dragon and giant. She began to channel her mana, and the darkness of the ck Moon further condensed like the bottomless abyss. Hundreds of ck hands shot out from within, whizzing past the sky and the ocean like arrows at Carolyn. Carolyn quickly raised her hand, and the barely visible silhouette moved along with her. Much to Roel¡¯s surprise, the fiend titan¡¯s body began contracting. Specks of its light seeped into Carolyn¡¯s body, as its main body dived into her shadow, fusing as one with her. Is she¡­ fusing with her ancient god? Roel had an ominous premonition. It was around then that the hundreds of ck hands from the sky finally arrived before Carolyn. The ck Moon represented judgment and enforcement. Not even gods could defy its power. Yet, when the ck hands reached for Carolyn, she didn¡¯t lose any of her powers at all. Instead, she even hurled her fist and retaliated. An almost imperceptible silhouette could be seen moving along with Carolyn¡¯s fist, smashing the hundreds of ck hands into bits. Roel was bbergasted. Alicia also frowned as she realized something. ¡°That silhouette is¡­¡± The two of them knew that it was the fiend titan¡¯s doing. The ck Moon was invincible because it represented Sia¡¯s judgment, but the judgment came with a condition. It only worked on beings who had submitted to Sia¡¯s rule. The Titans were a wed race that Sia had exiled in the ancient era. They didn¡¯t submit to Sia¡¯sws, so they were less affected by the ck Moon¡¯s restraints. Nevertheless, there was a limit to how far the Titan could resist the ck Moon. Even if they didn¡¯t submit to Sia, they were still Her creation. Even though the fiend titan could smash the ck hands, its light was gradually dimming, and Carolyn¡¯s own mana turned increasingly turbid, too. Sensing that, Alicia gritted her teeth and held on. It became a battle of attrition. Would Alicia first run out of power to maintain the ck Moon, or would Carolyn¡¯s defenses crumble first? This was the key to victory. As time passed, the tides of the battle looked to be in Alicia¡¯s favor. Carolyn showed signs of exhaustion from having to deal with the relentless attacks from the ck Moon, whereas Alicia was still coping well. This greatly boosted her confidence. However, Roel started to frown. As he looked at the intense battle between Grandar and Spansderck, an ominous feeling welled in his heart. Why didn¡¯t the Saint Dragon help Carolyn? Is it her order? Other than that, there was another issue that was looming in his heart. Thus far, Carolyn had only revealed four ancient gods, the same number as Roel, but this didn¡¯t make sense, considering how she was previously far stronger than him. She should have been able to contract more ancient gods than him. Supposing she does have a fifth ancient god, what reason does she have for not summoning it? Did the ancient god not possess the power to defy the ck Moon, or is she hatching some other scheme? Meanwhile, Alicia could sense her mana swiftly depleting. I don¡¯t have much time left. I need to quickly end the battle. Thus, sheunched her decisive attack. An intense light burst forth from her, and the winds from the Divine Domain abruptly changed. The ck Moon and the silver moon twirled together in a circle, as towering tsunamis and hundreds of ck hands simultaneously charged at Carolyn. The towering tsunami cast a shadow on Carolyn¡¯s face, and the hundreds of ck handsing from all directions were nigh impossible to avoid. The fiend titan steadily weakened from fending off the ck hands. Yet, despite the desperate situation, Carolyn¡¯s golden eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°Are you finally going all out?¡± Carolyn murmured as purple light burst forth from her. Intricate patterns appeared beneath the ocean, then a woman with a human upper body and a fish tail emerged from a whirlpool and gazed at Alicia. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a siren?!¡± ¡°This is bad!¡± Edavia eximed as soon as she saw Carolyn¡¯s fifth ancient god. ¡°Get that girl to stop right now. She mustn¡¯t hear her voice!¡± Before Roel could make a move, the beautiful siren parted her lips. What came out her mouth wasn¡¯t a euphonious melody but a jarring shriek. ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± ¡°!¡± The siren¡¯s ear-piercing shriek violently shook Roel¡¯s soul. His mana ran amok, his consciousness fell into disarray, and even his blood nearly flowed in reverse. Alicia froze up as if she had been struck by lightning, and she howled in agony. The attack on her psyche and soul made her lose control of her powers. The tsunamis continued charging at Carolyn, but the ck hands suddenly flowed in reverse. The ck Moon ran amok and began furiously absorbing all mana from the surroundings, including Alicia¡¯s. Roel bore the sharp pain in his soul and ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me, Edavia! Help Alicia instead!¡± ¡°All right!¡± Edavia rushed to the unconscious Alicia¡¯s side to support her, but her face turned grim when she felt thetter¡¯s shaken soul and consciousness. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. She won¡¯t be able to maintain her Divine Domain.¡± The Twin Moons in the sky darkened, and the Divine Domain started to copse. The boundless ocean slowly faded away, and the hundred-meter-tall tsunamis vanished without a trace. ¡°You¡¯re the first one to force me this far, but it¡¯s a pity that woman is still wet around the ears,¡± Carolyn sneered as she stood before the copsing Divine Domain. ¡°Her instinctive dispelling of her Divine Domain saved her life for the time being, but this also means you have lost your only advantage over me. It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°¡­Over? You¡¯re wrong. I never intended for Alicia to defeat you,¡± Roel replied lividly. He raised his head and revealed his golden eyes, which were zing with fury. As if responding to his emotions, six massive silhouettes manifested behind him. However, Carolyn was not intimidated. ¡°The Crown¡¯s Stones might be powerful, but you forget that I¡¯m from the Kingmaker n too.¡± ¡°Indeed, the Crown¡¯s Stones are the powers Sia reserved for the Kingmaker, so you have some resistance against them¡­ but what if everything is returned to its root?¡± ¡°What?¡± Confusion shed across Carolyn¡¯s face, but her eyes soon widened in shock. Before her eyes, the six powers behind Roel converged to form a holy aura. Chapter 647.1: Sia’s Gift (1) Roel and Alicia had examined many possibilities to figure out how they could curb Carolyn. Alicia believed that she was the cause of the battle, so she insisted on resolving the problem by herself. It was not just because she didn¡¯t want to trouble Roel, but that she thought that it would be too cruel for him to have to kill his own ancestor. To avoid such a traumatic tragedy, she decided to go all out. Unfortunately, Carolyn saw through and exploited that mindset of hers. In the Second Epoch, the awakeners of the Kingmaker n would pay great attention to thebination of ancient gods they had. On top of making sure to pick a bnce of offensive and defensive types of ancient gods, they would pick ancient gods with soul-rted powers too. Shaking someone¡¯s soul was worse than injuring them physically. It was the fastest way to render an opponent powerless, which was why all transcendents needed some means to deal with such attacks. Fortunately, there were very few races with the power to directly interfere with or tackle the soul. Sia understood how dangerous that power was, which was why She sealed the Spiriteers away in the first ce. It had beenmon knowledge back in the Second Epoch that one needed to fend against soul-rted attacks when dealing with awakeners from the Kingmaker n, but thismon knowledge had fallen into obscurity. That was also the reason behind Alicia¡¯s defeat. In truth, Roel didn¡¯t think that Alicia could have dealt with Carolyn. There was no basis behind this intuition; it was really an inexplicable gut feelinging from his instinct, but it was so strong that it felt like fate. That was also why he insisted on making a breakthrough to Origin Level 1. But one thing he didn¡¯t seeing was the change that arose from gathering all of the Crown¡¯s Stones, and that built the foundation required for him to confront Carolyn. When he was brought to the Divine Altar after gathering all six Crown¡¯s Stones and making a breakthrough to Origin Level 1, Genesis Goddess Sia had bestowed on him an unknown gift. He couldn¡¯t tell what the gift was back then, but he now understood what it was. What Sia had given him was the bridge to bring his powers together. His powers had previously existed independent of one another¡ªhis own strength, the Crown¡¯s Stones, and the power of Sia-fication conferred by the Mother Goddess. However, this changed with the bridge he had received from Sia. When all of his powers werebined together, his aura turned a familiar holy white, and his Crown Origin Attribute was buried in a white light. In a distant space, a white-haired, crimson-eyed woman slowly opened her eyes. Carolyn frowned grimly at this sight. On the ins that had reappeared after the ocean receded, all of the battling ancient gods shuddered, and they turned to look at Roel with shocked eyes. Dwarf Sovereign Obezo¡¯s lightning hammer halted in mid-air, as he and Peytra turned their heads over at the same time. The wrestling giant and humongous dragon pulled back their fists and ws, tearing their attention away from the battle for the first time. The witch and the massive sunlike bird in the sky pulled away from each other. Edavia, who was hugging Alicia, narrowed her eyes. Everyone present was drawn to the holy light shrouding Roel, for the aura felt too familiar to most of them. It was the light of genesis, and it suffused their body and soul with warmth. Only one person in the world could evoke such a feeling: Genesis Goddess Sia. ¡°What¡¯s that? No, who¡¯s that?¡± Dwarf Sovereign Obezo was startled. He was one of the first-generation gods who served Sia. The Genesis Goddess had an important ce in his heart, and couldn¡¯t be reced by anyone else. This familiar aura greatly diminished his fighting will. Meanwhile, Saint Dragon Spansderck tore away from Grandar and flew into the sky. It was hard to make out its expression, but its pupils were narrowed. Just the aura had already convinced the ancient gods to stop their battle. Carolyn¡¯s face turned grim. Under the watch of the ancient gods, the holy light finally dispersed, revealing a silver-haired figure dressed in a white cloak. ¡°!¡± The sight of the silver-haired figure left all of the ancient gods momentarily dazed, be it the Dwarf Sovereign, the Saint Dragon, the Primordial Earth Goddess, or Grandar. It was as if the person in their memories had returned to life and was standing before them once more. The battlefield fell so silent that only the wind could be heard. Standing at the center of the ins, Roel felt different from his usual self. The world looked different to him, as his senses keenly perceived every whiff of wind and every ray of light. Little details he had never noticed before suddenly became salient to him. He felt aforting warmth lingering in the depths of his heart, as if someone was apanying him. ¡°I never thought this would be possible.¡± Carolyn spoke impassively, but her eyes were filled with disbelief. The Ardes did have a record describing Sia¡¯s appearance. Her ck hair and golden eyes symbolized peace and serenity, whereas Her white hair and crimson eyes represented war and valiance. The current Roel was a mix of the two. However, Carolyn wouldn¡¯t have been so certain if it had only been the appearance. What convinced her was Roel¡¯s aura. There was no need for verification; all living beings in the Sia Continent instinctively recognized their Creator¡¯s aura. ¡°The Genesis Goddess should have already passed away.¡± ¡°That might be so, but it¡¯s also an indisputable fact that She has left Her powers to me.¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t think you would have such a trump card. What a pity. You haven¡¯t had time to contract with your fifth ancient god yet, right?¡± Carolyn clenched her fists tightly. ¡°¡­¡± Roel didn¡¯t respond. Clenching her fists in determination, Carolyn gathered the turbid mana around her andpressed it until it became pitch-ck armor that covered her body. This armor wasn¡¯t originally ck in color, as evidenced by the hint of white light beneath. It looked as if darkness had choked the life out of the armor, giving off an atmosphere of depravity and terror. Roel¡¯splexion darkened, for he could tell that the armor¡¯s power belonged to the Savior. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use this power, but I have no choice.¡± ¡°Carolyn, this¡­¡± ¡°I require this power toplete my mission. This makes us equal,¡± Carolyn replied with a hoarse voice as her killing intent red. The change in her mana¡¯s nature influenced the ancient gods as well, and they began to frenziedly unleash attacks on their respective enemies. Dwarf Sovereign Obezo swung his hammer with seething rage. Saint Dragon Spansderck spewed a light breath that illuminated the sky. Roel¡¯s ancient gods didn¡¯t just stand still and take the attacks. They knew that the scales of victory were wavering in uncertainty; this was the critical moment that would decide the victor of this battle. The power Roel had received from Sia was formidable, but it was beyond his current limits, which meant that he couldn¡¯t sustain it for long. On top of that, Carolyn was supported by the Savior¡¯s power and the fiend titan. ¡°It¡¯s awfully disrespectful to suddenly yell, siren.¡± The Siren Sovereign had risen into the air following the copse of Alicia¡¯s Divine Domain, hoping to find an opportunity to sneak in another decisive attack. However, she was confronted by Edavia, thusmencing a battle that pitted their mastery over souls against the other¡¯s. Artasia¡¯s eyes alternated between Roel beneath and the rampaging bird above, but, choosing to trust him, she rose into the air to confront the rampaging bird. Roel and Carolyn had a brief stare-down before theymenced their final sh. ¡­ Chapter 647.2: Sia’s Gift (2) Was it possible for humans to tap into the power of the Savior? Roel had considered this question the first time he was transported to the Abyss, but he didn¡¯t think that someone would actually pull it off. He could hardly remainposed as he looked at Carolyn, who was shrouded in darkness. The Savior¡¯s power was formidable, but it was extremely hard to control. The turbidity of Carolyn¡¯s mana reflected how far the Savior¡¯s depravity had affected her, and in her current state, she was already on the verge of losing herself to insanity. Roel couldn¡¯t understand why she was taking on such a huge risk to continue the fight with him. Has she lost her judgment due to the depravity? Or is there something else at y here? Even now, Roel still didn¡¯t know the full picture behind the final n, but it didn¡¯t look like he would have the chance to learn about it from Carolyn anymore. The ck-armored Carolyn ovepped with the fiend titan¡¯s silhouette,bining the power of the ancient god together with the Savior. With all preparations in ce, she began her assault. With a powerful spring that cracked the ground, she propelled herself forward like an arrow and swiftly closed the gap with Roel. In response, Roel raised his palm and inundated the area in front of him with a white light. Unlike the power of the Six Cmities, this white light was not destructive in nature. There was not the slightest damage to the surroundings. Yet, the wriggling darkness around Carolyn was extinguished like fire before water. ¡°!¡± Upon realizing that Roel was taking away her power, Carolyn changed the trajectory of her movements, but the area of the white light expanded to wherever she went. It was impossible for her to avoid the white light. In the end, she decided to charge straight ahead and quickly end things. She drew her arm back. The fiend titan¡¯s silhouette mirrored her action, as she imbued the Savior¡¯s power into her fist. Then, she unleashed the fist overflowing with an aura of depravity on Roel. Roel raised his palm in response. The fiend titan, as a force that used to oppose Sia, had some resistance against the powers of the Six Cmities, but things were different now. Under Sia¡¯s magnanimous holy light, the fiend titan¡¯s strength waned. The almost transparent barrier in front of Roel was like an insurmountable hurdle; all the fiend titan¡¯s fist managed to do was to shake it a little. ¡°That is¡­¡± Carolyn murmured in astonishment. ¡°It¡¯s the barrier Sia used to exile the Titans. It¡¯s a cage they can¡¯t escape with their powers. The Fiend Titans are no exception to the rule,¡± Roel exined. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t apply to the Savior¡¯s powers, right?¡± A stream of darkness surged forth from Carolyn¡¯s body. A portion of the darkness charged straight at Roel, whereas the other portion flowed up like little ck snakes and converged into a ck sphere. The ck sphere felt heavy, and it generated a powerful suction force that pulled everything into it. Under Carolyn¡¯s unimaginable power, dirt and gravel were swept into the sky, and the clouds and the moonlight were devoured by its darkness. The ancient gods were stunned when they sensed the aura, and they cast their gazes over. ¡°That thing doesn¡¯t carry the aura of depravity?¡± Edavia eximed in incredulity. The fiend titan¡¯s attacks became even more frenzied upon seeing hope for victory. It tore itself away from Carolyn and unleashed a barrage of attacks to shake Roel¡¯s defense. Roel¡¯s expression turned grim. Looking at the ck sphere Carolyn had manifested above her, he realized that this was the Savior¡¯s old power, before He fell into depravity under the influence of the ck Moon. He had initially thought that the ck sphere was an ordinary bundle of the Savior¡¯s mana, but he had clearly thought too simply. There was an order to the ck sphere, reminiscent of the Savior¡¯s spells in the Witness State. The Savior¡¯s mana carried the element of insanity and depravity, making it unusable like wastewater. Yet, Carolyn managed to cleanse it of its depravity, allowing her to properly use it. With this power, she would be able to pose a threat to Roel even in his current state. Roel knew that he had to make a move right away. The white light around him began to swell, then without any warning, the barrier protecting him suddenly vanished. The fiend titan immediately made use of this opportunity to hurl its massive fist at Roel, but the ancient monster no longer posed a threat to him in his current state. A holy candle me lit up in Roel¡¯s Inner Sanctum. The holy me flowed through his soul as a medium and rushed out of his body, manifesting as a blinding radiance. He channeled the energy from the holy me into his fist to propel it forth. Boom! The fist smashed into the fiend titan, resulting in a violent explosion. A cry of agony ensued. The sheer impact crushed the fiend titan¡¯s shoulder and jolted its arm into bits, and the holy me further reduced those bits to cinders. The attack¡¯s shockwave surged into the sky as a spiraling me, but before the me could dissipate, it transformed into a glowing ice pir that plummeted onto the fiend titan. The ice pir firmly pinned the ancient god down, preventing it from retreating toward Carolyn. Realizing that it was cornered, the fiend titan desperately absorbed the surrounding mana tounch onest attack, hoping to bring its enemy down with it. Grar! An aura of depravity spewed into the ins, as the field titan temporarily dragged its corporeal body out of its exile and back to the real world. Thanks to that, Roel was able to witness a titan in the flesh for the first time. Unlike the Giants, the titan had a bulkier stature that was reminiscent of a rock. It had no hair, its eyes radiated a fierce glint, and its breathing naturally released ck mes. A malevolent aura could be felt rippling from it, almost like an evil god emerging from the underworld. The younger ancient gods who had never felt such a malevolent aura before quickly backed off, whereas the older ones such as Edavia were horrified. All living beings in the area shuddered in fear. Yet, Roel wasn¡¯t intimidated in the least. On the contrary, his fighting will was stronger than ever. This fighting will was spurred by the desire to protect one¡¯s offspring, manifesting from kindness, justice, and many other emotions. It served to judge the selfish and the violent. When he sensed the titan¡¯s malevolent aura in his current state, he immediately vanquished all hesitation in him. I have to destroy that being! He channeled the Crown¡¯s Stones within him, and the ice pir transformed into a holy light that imprisoned the titan and absorbed its malevolent aura. There was only one exit to the cage, and that was where he was waiting with his fist. A holy radiance gushed from his fist, like light emerging from the darkness. It represented the hope that good would triumph over evil. Faced with the flood of holy light, fear momentarily shed across the titan¡¯s eyes, but it quickly turned into zeal. It swung its only remaining fist forth, as it opened its huge mouth that spanned half of its face to devour the holy light. However, it soon realized that it was the one being devoured, not the light. Due to Light Devourer¡¯s trait, the titan was unable to devour the holy light. Instead, the holy light pierced through the titan¡¯s defense and quickly gobbled up all of its mana. Terror surfaced in the eyes of the all-devouring titan, but it was already toote. Its rocklike body copsed, and the light in its eyes faded. With a wail of agony, the ancient monster died. All living beings in the world were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Bam! The titan¡¯s humongous body was reduced to countless rocks that fell to the ground. Behind its copsed body, Carolyn emerged with a floating sun above her. With the defeat of the fiend titan, Carolyn was finally alone. This ancient sun was thest ace she had up her sleeves, as well as the final obstacle standing in his way. Knowing that, Roel fearlessly took a step forward. Meanwhile, there was a slight spatial ripple not too far away from where the battle was. Chapter 648.1: The Person Who Suddenly Appeared (1) It had been nigh impossible to aplish the final n in the Second Epoch. There were many reasons for this, such as the decline of the Ardes, the dissolution of the Twilight Sages Assembly, and the growing disharmony amongst the humans. However, the most significant reason was still the executor¡¯s strength. The Savior¡¯s worshipers were at their strongest state in that era. Many thought the notion of simultaneously weakening the Mother Goddess and the Savior was so ambitious that it was ridiculous. Then Carolyn Ascart was born. Carolyn Ascart was a hero born amidst adversity. She was blessed with traits that made her a good leader¡ªstrong-willed, candid, pragmatic, decisive, and kind. Above all, she was exceedingly talented. She was so strong that she was a notch above other powerhouses who lived in the same era as her. She collected many relics with her own strength, conquered the Witness State alone, and eventually contracted with five of the strongest ancient gods. Her feats made her a legend, even when looking at the long history of the Kingmaker n. Carolyn¡¯s im of invincibility was not a boast but a fact. That was the reason she dared to choose this difficult road, and the current situation showed that she had seeded. While the fiend titan was buying time, the ck sphere revolved, and from its inner core, it started to burst into mes like the morning sun. This was the authority she had stolen from the Savior in thest thousand years, and it was now her strongest weapon. The rising sun emitted a brilliant radiance as if it was the center of the world. Beneath the sun, Carolyn raised her hand and focused her attention on controlling the power of the ancient Creator God. She possessed neither Sia¡¯s favor nor the rare ability to control the Crown¡¯s Stones, but by pushing her limits, she was able to push herself to a levelparable to the Savior and the Mother Goddess. Her sess showed that it was possible for mortals to fight against the gods. This moved Roel¡¯s heart. ¡°Carolyn, let¡¯s stop here.¡± Seeing the mighty but vtile power, Roel dissuaded Carolyn from continuing the battle, but thetter ignored him. He spent a moment in thought before continuing on, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, but that¡¯s not a power a human can bear.¡± Carolyn was covered in wounds from the violent mana pulsations, and blood was flowing from her jaws. Roel felt pained looking at it. He understood the Savior¡¯s strength more than anyone else in the world, which was why he understood the price that had to be paid for it. The only thing he could do was to make peace now, but Carolyn obstinately refused to give up. She stared at him with pupils that widened, then contracted. She was on the verge of passing out, but her mncholic eyes appeared to be looking at something else. She knew she had to pay a heavy price for this endeavor, but she refused to admit defeat. ¡°¡­You¡¯re right, but isn¡¯t this what our n is like? We seek to do the impossible even though it¡¯ll only bring destruction upon us in the end. Normal humans can¡¯t withstand it, but who else will do this if not us? I won¡¯t admit defeat, whether it¡¯s for myself or him¡­¡± Cough! ¡°¡­¡± Even though she was bleeding and her consciousness was fading, Carolyn looked at Roel with unwavering eyes. She refused to back down. Roel fell silent in the face of her determination. In her tenacity he saw a proud warrior who embodied the hope of a generation. He was confident that he was making the right decision here, and he didn¡¯t agree with her actions at all. But how could he easily dissuade her when the final n was built on the hard work, ingenuity, and sacrifices of many generations? It was unbelievable arrogance to even think that it was possible to do so. Carolyn had grown old. She had lived in an era from a thousand years ago, so her intelligence was bound to be outdated. To those from the current era, she felt like an elder who refused to open her eyes to reality, but that was only because they had never been through what she had. All she had cherished had disappeared over the years. The only thing that powered her through tough times over the past thousand years was her determination to fulfill her mission. That was why she stubbornly refused to give in. She simply couldn¡¯t do so. Roel knew that it was meaningless to say anything else. The only way to resolve this conflict was to defeat her. A flood of holy light surged from his body, as he raised his head and looked at Carolyn with a respectful, solemn gaze. Beneath the sun, Carolyn sensed the emotions in his eyes, and it seemed to resonate with her as her turbid eyes regained a bit of rity. ¡°I understand. Please make your move, Carolyn.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± With a carefree smile, Carolyn waved her arm, and the sun descended upon the flood of holy light, raising an earth-rattling impact. This was a showdown between two ultimate powers from the ancient era, as well as a battle between two heroes from the Kingmaker n who stood at different points in history. Even their ancient gods were overshadowed by their prowess and were forced to back away. The glowing bird in the sky desperately flew as high as it could. The Witch Queen conjured the strongest defensive spell in her arsenal. The Primordial Earth Goddess dived underground. The Dwarf Sovereign raised a massive shield that was around the size of a town square. Grandar and Spansderck were forced to halt their battle and take cover. Edavia grabbed Alicia and flew as far away as possible, anxiously followed by the Siren Sovereign, who was wailing in agony from having her soul rattled, but not daring to slow down. ¡°You must be kidding me! Whether it¡¯s that man or Carolyn, what is wrong with them?!¡± the Siren Sovereign cried pitifully. Meanwhile, the two different kinds of lights pitted for dominance at the center of the battlefield. The sun light and the holy light gushed at each other, spanning an area of over ten thousand meters in the sky. These two immense energies that harnessed the power to destroy anything devoured each other, and it eventually culminated in a devastating explosion. The world instantaneously wentpletely white, as the shockwave devoured everything. The battle between the two generations of Kingmaker nsmen finally came to an end. ¡­ Could old people enjoy romance too? This was a contentious question in Roel¡¯s previous world, but it was considered perfectly normal on the Sia Continent. Most transcendents only entered a rtionship when they were considered middle-aged or elderly by the standards of normal mortals. Transcendents tended to focus on developing their transcendent powers when they were younger, as that was when their powers grew the fastest. In fact, a census showed that the average age of transcendent couples was forty years old. Antonio thought that he was still somewhat a youth, since age was rtive and he wasn¡¯t half the age of his thousand-year-old teacher. Yet, most people would have still thought that he was too old for his teacher for a simple reason¡ªhis appearance. ¡®Cute is justice¡¯ was an adage that could be applied across worlds. No matter how huge the differences between the couple were, whether it was an age gap or even different races, most people could ept it as long as it was visually eptable. Antonio looked so much older than Astrid that those who didn¡¯t know better would have wondered if he was her grandfather. This raised a dilemma in his mind: Should I keep hold of the final shreds of my dignity, or should I revert my appearance to my twenties with a spell? Meanwhile, Astrid solemnly looked at the youth in front of her and asked, ¡°You requested us to bring you over to where Carolyn is¡­ Are you certain about that?¡± ¡°Yes. Can you locate her?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t precisely pinpoint her location, but I have some clues.¡± Astrid gently waved her hand, and several silhouettes manifested from a light bundle near her. One of them showed a ck-haired, golden-eyed woman emerging from a fog. ¡°That¡¯s her!¡± Paul was so excited to see Carolyn that he instinctively walked to her. Astrid raised her palm to stop him before exining, ¡°I don¡¯t know where Carolyn is, but I know what she¡¯s after. My dreams reflect the past, so it¡¯s likely that they have already begun fighting.¡± ¡°Fighting? With who?¡± ¡°With my descendant, Roel Ascart, and the young miss from the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction.¡± ¡°Big brother Roel?!¡± Paul was shocked to hear that. Astrid grimly nodded as she replied, ¡°Indeed. That¡¯s why we rushed over to fetch you. But¡­ are you sure? Your appearance is bound to agitate her. She¡¯s in an abnormal condition. We won¡¯t be able to guarantee your safety if she attacks you.¡± ¡°Yes, I am certain. I wish to be by her side no matter what happens. That¡¯s the promise I made to her, as well as the reason I escaped from the pce.¡± ¡°I see. All right.¡± Astrid looked at Paul with aplicated expression before turning to Antonio. Antonio quickly snapped out of his daze, raised his staff, and gathered his mana. The space around him soon began to ripple. He had been known for his spatial spells since his time in the Twilight Sages Assembly. It was no easy feat to teleport such a great distance, but it was definitely not an impossible feat for him. Most importantly, he had a guide with him. Astrid ced her hand on Antonio¡¯s shoulder, and she began glowing with an iridescent light. Through the guidance of her dream spirits, they were able to figure out the rough direction for the spatial spell. ¡°Antonio, let¡¯s set the destination further away from the battlefield. Our safety should take precedence,¡± Astrid instructed as she nced at Paul. Antonio nodded. He confidently thumped his chest as he said, ¡°Rest assured, teacher. There won¡¯t be any issues.¡± They had only teleported into the middle of the enemy troops earlier because they had been in a rush to rescue Paul, but it was different this time around. Whether it was Carolyn Ascart, the legendary matriarch of the Ascart House from a thousand years ago, or the current Roel Ascart, they were both incredibly powerful transcendents. Antonio had no wish to be caught in their fight, so he set their destination far from the battlefield. There was no better protection against those two monsters than distance. Even if those two monsters tore down the sky, the three of them should still be safe if they were tens of kilometers away. With such thoughts in mind, Antonio waved his staff, and a spatial crack slowly opened. It took several minutes for the crack to expand to a width for a human adult to pass through. The three of them nced at one another before entering the spatial crack in single file, Antonio taking the lead with a rxed expression. What awaited them at the other end of the spatial crack was not a peaceful nighttime in but formidable waves of light rushing in their direction, as well as two silhouettes frantically fleeing from them. ¡°Wake up, Alicia!¡± ¡°You must be kidding me! Whether it¡¯s that man or Carolyn, what is wrong with them?!¡± Edavia and the howling Siren Sovereign frenziedly flitted in their direction as if they were in a race. The two ancient gods widened their eyes in disbelief when they noticed Antonio and the others emerging from a spatial crack, as if the three of them were fools. However, Antonio didn¡¯t have the time to think deeper into their reactions. The waves of light were already upon them by then. Huh? We should be at the outer perimeter of the battlefield, right? Boom! The instant this question surfaced in Antonio¡¯s mind, he was enveloped by the white light. ¡­ Chapter 648.2: The Person Who Suddenly Appeared (2) Sia-fication was the trump card Roel had obtained from the Mother Goddess, and it was the reason he could stand face-to-face with Carolyn. But behind his fa?ade of invincibility, he was nearing his limits. His power from Sia-fication was already fading when he defeated the fiend titan, which was why he made up his mind to end the battle as soon as possible. He instantaneously raised multipleyers of barriers as soon as the light enveloped him. Simrly, Carolyn also protected herself through the Savior¡¯s sun and her tremendous life force. The light was too blinding for anyone to open their eyes, and the deafening rumbles from the explosions continued for a long time. It was only when the mana pulsations calmed down and darkness returned to the horizon that Roel finally dispelled his barriers and opened his eyes. He was in awe of Carolyn¡¯s determination, but he hadn¡¯t held back in the earlier attack at all. His intuition told him that he would surely fall in defeat if he dared to hold back in this sh, and that would spell his death. He had no desire to die, and he was determined to protect Alicia too. However, due to going all out, he didn¡¯t have the spare attention to keep track of what was going on around him, so he had no idea whether Carolyn was dead or alive. While gasping for air, Roel raised his head and saw that everything within a radius of several kilometers of their sh had been reduced to a desert. A bloodied figure was standing right in front of him. ¡°¡­¡± She¡¯s still standing? Carolyn¡¯s armor was awfully tattered, but she resolutely stood her ground, refusing to copse. The exhausted Roel narrowed his eyes, while Carolyn raised her head and wordlessly stared at him. They were less than a hundred meters away from each other, but their silent stares showed that they had no inclination to back down. The only thing holding them back was their physical limits. Carolyn was severely injured, and she had nearly depleted all of her turbid mana. On the other hand, Roel didn¡¯t have any visible injuries on his body, but the heavy burden he had to shoulder from Sia-fication was worse than any external wounds. His silver hair turned ck, and his mana receded from his Inner Sanctum. His breathing slowly weakened. He tottered forward with clenched jaws, intending to determine the victor of this battle while he still had energy left. He was already too tired to think, but he instinctively knew that this battle wasn¡¯t over until one of them fell. Just then, a familiar voice echoed, ¡°Big brother Roel, are you all right?¡± ¡°Paul?¡± Roel turned his head over and was shocked to see an armored, ck-haired man. It was someone he hadn¡¯t expected to see here, to the extent that he wondered whether he was hallucinating. Before he embarked on his journey to find Alicia, he had received a report informing him that Paul Ackermann had been incarcerated by Emperor Lukas. It should have been impossible for him to escape under Lukas¡¯ nose. Even if Paul somehow managed to get away, it was still inconceivable how he was able to locate this ce and travel here, considering the fact that Tark Prairie was an extremely dangerous ce, and Roel had no clue exactly where they were at the moment. Roel blinked his eyes in confusion, as he found himself at a loss for words. ¡°My apologies, big brother Roel. Leave the rest to me,¡± Paul suddenly said out of the blue. ¡°What?¡± The apology further confused Roel, but before he could ask about it, Paul had already begun marching toward Carolyn. This rmed Roel, and he eximed, ¡°W-wait! What are you doing, Paul? Come back here!¡± But Paul neither turned around nor answered him. In fact, he even hastened his footsteps. This further panicked Roel. He had no idea what was going on, but he thought that Paul was going to challenge Carolyn. To him, this was no different from an act of suicide. Even though Carolyn was in her weakest-ever state due to the injuries she had suffered, she was still not an enemy that an Origin Level 3 transcendent like Paul could deal with. Just her pressure itself was enough to bind his movements and render him helpless. He tried to rush forward to stop Paul, but he was unable to keep up with thetter¡¯s footsteps. Just then, iridescent mana appeared before him, and he heard a familiar voice saying, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Leave it to him.¡± ¡°This mana!¡± Roel widened his golden eyes. The iridescent mana whirled, and two figures emerged from within. One of them was an unkempt Antonio, who had a good chunk of his prided beard scorched off. As for the other one¡­ ¡°Ancestor Astrid!¡± Roel eximed in shock. ¡°!¡± Overwhelmed by his emotions, Roel took a step toward Astrid, but thetter was taken aback by his excitement and hesitantly halted her footsteps. Upon seeing that, Roel quickly reined in his emotions and stopped himself before apologizing with a strained smile, ¡°My apologies. You don¡¯t recognize me, right? I forgot that you don¡¯t have memories of the Witness State¡­¡± The realization that he was the only one with the memories of what happened back then left him feeling forlorn, but he received an unexpected reply to his apology. ¡°No, I recognize you.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I have no way of knowing exactly what happened in the Witness State, but I have seen much of what happened through Lilian¡¯s and your dreams¡­ but I have to say that it¡¯s weird to see myself through others¡¯ eyes,¡± Astrid remarked with an awkward smile. Roel was taken aback. He hadn¡¯t expected this. ¡°My apologies, Roel. I was a little nervous. It has been several years since youst met me in the Witness State, so I was worried that you might have forgotten about me. It looks like I was thinking too much.¡± ¡°Ancestor¡­¡± Roel felt much better upon hearing that, but he quickly remembered the current situation and asked, ¡°You were the one who brought Paul here, right? What¡¯s he nning to do?¡± ¡°¡­He¡¯s here to end things,¡± Astrid said with a sigh before turning to the ck-haired woman whom she had not seen for a thousand years. Chapter 649.1: Charles Ackermann (1) Roel stared at Astrid in confusion, not knowing what she meant. He turned to Antonio for an exnation, only to see thetter in an unkempt state. Antonio¡¯s usual round sses were nowhere to be seen, his staff was cracked, and he was cloaked in dust. Above all, half of his eye-catching beard had been burned off. Rather than the illustrious Saint Freya Academy¡¯s principal and Brolne¡¯s chief senator, he looked more like a coolie who had just climbed out of a coal mine. However, Roel didn¡¯t pay his appearance any mind, as he was more concerned about the current situation. Antonio noticed his confusion and exined, ¡°Don¡¯t worry; Paul will be fine. You can tell as much just by looking at Carolyn¡¯s reaction.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel blinked in confusion. He btedly noticed that Carolyn had gone silent since Paul appeared. She didn¡¯t even react to the appearance of Astrid, a rtive of hers from a thousand years ago. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll have to settle it by themselves,¡± Antonio said with a shake of his head. Meanwhile, Paul began charging with all his strength. ¡­ Roel had been certain that there was nothing in this world that could convince Carolyn to stop. Surrendering was too difficult for someone who had been afflicted by the Savior¡¯s madness, not to mention that this was something Carolyn had been working toward for a thousand years now. As an avid reader, Roel was well-versed in well-known figures, from the heroes of the ancient era to the current human rulers, but none of them could match Carolyn¡¯s mental fortitude. It was through her sheer willpower that Carolyn had retained her sense of self despite having been exposed to the Savior¡¯s depravity for a thousand years. The lengths to which she had gone to save humankind made her a hero deserving of respect. The only problem was that she was now an obstinate boulder standing in Roel¡¯s way, refusing to step aside even if it spelled death. But everything changed the moment Paul Ackermann appeared. Carolyn¡¯s golden eyes widened in disbelief upon seeing him. Everything else disappeared from her sight in that very instant. Neither Roel, whom she had been fighting to the death, nor Astrid, who had arrivedter, was in her line of vision. As she gasped for air, she stared in incredulity at the young man slowly walking toward her. ¡°That face¡­ A descendant? No, how could he still be around after a thousand years¡­ Stay away!¡± Carolyn howled as she released her mana, exerting strong pressure on the vicinity. ¡°!¡± Paul¡¯s body tilted to the side under Carolyn¡¯s pressure. Roel frowned. The pressure from an Origin Level 1 transcendent should have been too much for Paul to take; it would have been no different from him shouldering a mountain on his back. Yet, he continued to march forward. He released a surge of mana that caused his white armor to glow brilliantly. His footsteps slightly lightened, and his body straightened once more. ¡°Wait a moment. That armor¡­¡± Roel felt a strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, which prompted him to immediately look at Carolyn. While it was old and had been destroyed in the earlier battle, there was no doubt that Paul¡¯s armor was identical to the one Carolyn had been wearing earlier. Even their auras were the same. ¡°How could this be? Paul¡¯s armor should have been self-created, so how could it have been the same as Carolyn¡¯s?¡± Roel murmured in disbelief. ¡°There¡¯s a simple answer to that question. Paul was the one who made Carolyn¡¯s armor,¡± Astrid replied. ¡°What?¡± Roel was even more confused, but a possibility quickly surfaced in his mind. Astrid previously mentioned in the Witness State that Carolyn didn¡¯t fight alone in the final years of the Second Epoch. She had an alliance with the Ackermanns. Considering Paul¡¯s powers and his mysterious birth, could it be¡­ ¡°Indeed, the person who is currently known as Paul went by a different name in the past¡­¡± Astrid looked at the man marching toward Carolyn and sighed. ¡°He is Charles Ackermann.¡± ¡­ While Charles Ackermann was a foreign name to those in the present era, it was extremely familiar to history buffs like Roel, particrly because of how dramatic his life had been. If one looked at history as a stream that slowly washed away the past, Charles Ackermann would be the gold lying on the riverbed that couldn¡¯t be washed away even after the passing of a thousand years. He was an ambitious emperor who had reached the pinnacle of authority among humankind at a young age, but he was better known as the ¡®Departing Emperor¡¯ who had led humankind on the westward migration following the downfall of the Ancient Austine Empire. Some respected him. Some admired him. Some feared him. Some abhorred him. Under his rule, the Ancient Austine Empire regained its peace after many years of fighting, ushering in yet another era of prosperity. Yet, who could have thought it was just the calm before the storm? An even greater darkness was awaiting them. The Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital and the western migration were two major turning points in the history of humankind, but there were hardly any records about what happened back then. As a result, there were many different evaluations of Charles Ackermann. Some believed that Charles Ackermann was a wise emperor who ruled under tumultuous times. Some saw him as an ominous figure who brought Sia¡¯s anger upon the Ancient Austine Empire. In any case, he had left his mark on history. The death of Charles Ackermann was shrouded in mystery too. The official record stated that Charles Ackermann had died from an illness during the western migration, but anyone with the slightestmon sense would think that the record was untrue. There was no official record detailing Charles Ackermann¡¯s strength, but he had to be a high transcendent at the very least. It was suspicious that a high transcendent would die of illness at such a young age. Considering the circumstances back then, it was likelier that there was a ploy involved. The Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s records theorized that the high nobles of the current Austine Empire might have teamed up to challenge Charles Ackermann¡¯s authority back then and eliminate him. Brolne¡¯s records postted that Charles Ackermann might have been killed by a Savior worshiper hidden amidst the crowd. Regardless of the cause, it was certain that Charles Ackermann was dead. Roel would have burst intoughter if anyone else had said that Paul was Charles Ackermann, but it wasing from Astrid, who had lived in the same era as the Departing Emperor. His smile froze in ce. ¡°Paul is Emperor Charles? How is that possible? He¡¯s my ssmate in the academy¡­¡± Roel shook his head and refuted Astrid¡¯s im. That was a sharp question. It was possible to change one¡¯s appearance through a spell, but reversing one¡¯s physical development was impossible even with temporal spells, not to mention that Paul had matured under Roel¡¯s watch. Putting all things aside, Paul was already a head taller than when theyst met. Portraits of Charles Ackermann depicted him as a tall and well-built individual. How could someone like that feign being a child? Surely he can¡¯t have sawed off his legs, right? While Roel was pondering that question, there was a sudden surge of mana ahead of him. Carolyn, who appeared to have realized something, firmed up her attitude and angrily warned Paul, ¡°I already told you not toe any closer!¡± ¡°My apologies, Carolyn. I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Do I sound like I¡¯m asking for your opinion?¡± Carolyn waved her hand, and Paul was sent flying with an invisible impact. However, Paul didn¡¯t give up from that. He climbed back up to his feet and continued making his way toward Carolyn without saying a word. The same situation repeated again and again. Each time Paul approached her, Carolyn would send him flying with a wave of her hand. It didn¡¯t take long before Paul was covered in dirt and blood, but he still refused to back down. The first time. The second time¡­ The tenth time¡­ It eventually reached a point where Roel had lost count. Paul kept falling to the ground, but he never failed to return to his feet to challenge the impossible opponent. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Roel could tell that Paul¡¯s footsteps were getting heavier as his injuries rued, to the point where he was starting to get worried. Thetter obstinately marched forward even though one of his legs was broken. Roel wanted to intervene, but Astrid stopped him. ¡°Ancestor Astrid? But at this rate, Paul might really¡­¡± ¡°This is what he owes her. We can¡¯t intervene¡­ and it¡¯s also about toe to an end.¡± Astrid looked at Carolyn as she spoke with a sigh. ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was startled. Chapter 649.2: Charles Ackermann (2) Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield, Carolyn¡¯s eyes glistened with tears as she said hoarsely, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say not toe here? What are you doing?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I still can¡¯t match you even though it has been so many years,¡± Paul said with a bitter smile. He had to grab his trembling knees to prop up his injured body, and his asional coughs of blood caused him to wobble unsteadily. His wretched state shook Carolyn up, triggering her deepest memories. It was in a dark castle. A young man challenged her time and time again, hoping to convince her to work with him to fulfill his vision, only to fall in defeat time and time again. ¡°We were also like that back then. I challenged you again and again, only to be easily beaten every single time. It feels like I never stood a chance against you.¡± ¡°¡­Why bother when you know it¡¯s in vain?¡± ¡°I know I can¡¯t defeat you in terms of strength, but it¡¯s not in vain. I¡¯m determined to win this battle today and get to your side, no matter how long it takes. I have never given up in the past, and it¡¯ll be the same this time. I¡¯ll approach you until you allow me to stand by your side,¡± Paul said as he stood up with clenched jaws. Carolyn trembled. She slowly raised her hand as tears glistened in her golden eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t good. Paul can¡¯tst much longer,¡± Roel murmured anxiously. However, Astrid continued calmly staring at Carolyn before suddenly remarking, ¡°This should be thest time.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was confused by the remark. Just then, Carolyn¡¯s hand suddenly trembled, causing the mana she had already gathered to dissipate with the wind. Paul capitalized on this opportunity to charge forward with all his might. Boom! There was an explosion, and smoke gushed into the air. Paul¡¯s white armor shattered, and he sustained many injuries too. But his suffering paid off this time around, as he finally seeded in closing the distance between them. Time stopped as their eyes met, as the two who had sworn to never turn their back on each other reunited after a thousand years. The man wrapped Carolyn in his arms before they copsed to the ground together. ¡­ 132 times. That was the number of times Paul had challenged Carolyn, as well as the reason Astrid was confident that this was thest time. A thousand years ago, in a dark castle, the man named Charles Ackermann fell in love with a woman who hated him to the core. He had initially approached her to seek her aid in attaining the crown, but a single nce was all it took for him to fall for her. It was on a starless night that Carolyn first impassively appeared before him. She wore a ck dress reminiscent of a graceful butterfly under the moonlight, and her golden eyes reflected the only light in the castle. That light sparked a raging me in Charles¡¯ heart, fueling his decades of determination. To get closer to her, he desperately studied and trained to amass strength. But as he gained a deeper understanding of their ns¡¯ histories, as well as humankind¡¯s plight and the Twilight Sages Assembly, he found another dream surfacing in his heart¡ªhe wished to bring back the golden days of humankind. It was such an ambitious dream that many would have scoffed at its impracticality. However, he didn¡¯t give up on it and continued working toward it. In the day, he dragged his body covered in injuries around and studied hard. At night, he rushed to the dark castle to fulfill their ¡®date¡¯. Most people would have thought that he was living his life in agony, but he thought that he was living quite a fulfilling life. Nobles who noticed his potential began gathering around him, to the point where he didn¡¯t need her help to win the throne anymore. Even so, he continued to work hard for his ambitious dream and his love that only deepened with time. It was around then that he learned about the final n formted by the Ardes hundreds of years ago. He further built upon that in hopes of shattering the Sword of Damocles that had been floating above humankind for thousands of years. And this only made him desire her more. But the feud of blood between their ns was an obstacle that couldn¡¯t be ovee. He vividly felt that each time he was beaten to the ground. Nevertheless, he didn¡¯t give up. It only made him more determined. His efforts paid off, as the bottomless hatred she harbored for the Ackermanns was finally quelled after 132 vicious battles, creating hope for a joint future between them. The number Astrid had mentioned reminded Roel about the story between Charles and Carolyn, and he widened his eyes in realization. ¡°I see. Is that the reason you said it¡¯s thest time?¡± He felt sentimental looking at the two people copsed on the ground. Carolyn might be obstinate and pragmatic, but there were people whom she cared about too. She wasn¡¯t truly cold-hearted. Astrid nodded and replied, ¡°Charles might have broken his promise, but the decades of feelings they share wouldn¡¯t fade that easily. Someone as strong-willed as Carolyn doesn¡¯t fall in love easily, but they fall in deep when they do. She would have killed Paul right away if she truly hated Charles.¡± ¡°I see¡­ but do they really have to do it 132 times?¡± Roel asked with twitching cheeks as he looked at Paul¡¯s bloodied body. Much to his surprise, Astrid vehemently nodded and said, ¡°Of course! Charles broke his promise! I wouldn¡¯t have let him off if he doesn¡¯t show that bit of sincerity, let alone Carolyn!¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel was left even more curious about Charles and Carolyn¡¯s rtionship, but before he could enquire deeper into it, Antonio suddenly returned with the unconscious Alicia. He quickly rushed forward to check on her. The two of them had expended so much mana in their final sh that neither of them had the strength to manifest their ancient gods anymore. Grandar and the others disappeared shortly after the sh, and Edavia was no exception. The problem was that Edavia was escaping with Alicia then. Upon learning about the situation, Antonio, who had encountered the two of them earlier and knew the direction they had headed in, volunteered to look for Alicia. After spending some time searching the vicinity, he finally found her and brought her over. Roel quickly inspected Alicia¡¯s condition, and he was relieved to see that her body was fine and her jolted soul had mostly settled down. In contrast, Antonio was much more worried about Roel, as he was in a far worse condition. ¡°Roel, do you want to take a rest?¡± ¡°Not now. I don¡¯t think I can get up anytime soon if I rest now,¡± Roel replied with a bitter smile. He looked at the two elders before him and grimly asked, ¡°Ancestor Astrid, Principal Antonio, may I ask a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the exact details of the Ascarts¡¯ final n a thousand years ago?¡± Chapter 650: Nurturing a God The downfall of the Ancient Austine Empire was an enigma in history, be it the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital or Charles Ackermann¡¯s death. Carolyn¡¯s appearance now and the connection between Charles and Paul only added to the mess, further confusing Roel. There was too little information about the events a thousand years ago, so Roel could only make logical deductions to guess what happened back then. However, a chance to make sense of this mystery finally presented itself before him. Astrid seemed to know about Carolyn and Charles¡¯ history, which was understandable since she had shared the same era as them. So, after confirming that Alicia was not in danger, he turned to Astrid and asked about the past. Astrid and Antonio exchanged nces and nodded. Astrid nced at the copsed Paul and Carolyn and sighed before looking at Roel. ¡°I understand. It¡¯d have been better for Paul to tell you in person, but they are rather busy at the moment. It might be better this way, since it¡¯s not anything good. It¡¯ll probably be tough for them to share it themselves. All right, let me fill in the nks for you.¡± Her eyes glimmered a little as she started with a question. ¡°Before that, I¡¯d like to ask your opinion on a matter.¡± ¡°My opinion?¡± ¡°Yes. How do you intend to deal with the doomsday prophecy?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± It was such an abrupt question that Roel didn¡¯t know where he should start from. Knowing that this was a tough question to answer on the spot, Astrid heaved a sigh and changed her question. ¡°Forget it. I know you better than Carolyn, so I¡¯ll get straight to the point¡­ Roel, what¡¯s your view of the Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°!¡± Roel was taken aback by the candid question. Antonio opened his mouth, looking as if he wanted to say something, but he nced at Astrid and eventually decided to hold his tongue. Silence loomed over the three of them. Roel knew that he had to exin himself. As Carolyn had previously mentioned, the aura of the Mother Goddess around him was too strong. Most people, including top experts like Antonio, couldn¡¯t detect the aura, but the Ardes from the Second Epoch were exceptionally sensitive to it. ¡°First and foremost, I¡¯d like to confirm that I¡¯m not the Mother Goddess¡¯ worshiper.¡± ¡°I believe you, or else I wouldn¡¯t be chatting with you right now. But my question still stands. What¡¯s your view of the Mother Goddess?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Roel pressed his lips together, but he struggled to find a way to express himself. The first word that came to his mind when he thought about the time he had spent with the Mother Goddess was ¡®mother¡¯, but this wasn¡¯t a good term for him to use here. Astrid wouldn¡¯t be able to take it. He took his time to construct his answer before replying, ¡°I personally believe it¡¯s possible for us to reach a settlement with the Mother Goddess and even establish a rtionship of trust¡­ If I may ask, have you seen any of my memories concerning the Mother Goddess in my dreams?¡± ¡°I did, but I can only see bits and pieces, and I struggle to string them into something coherent. There¡¯s a limit to how much I can see from dreams, you see. I only managed to decipher what you experienced in the Witness State four hundred years ago because I was in it.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Roel replied with a nod. He proceeded to share what he had been through in the Witness State he had entered via the guidance of the Ascarts¡¯ hereditary ring. Both Antonio and Astrid were taken aback by what they heard. ¡°I would have never thought that¡¯s the purpose of the ring. Inconceivable.¡± ¡°Ancestor Astrid, you know about the ring?¡± ¡°You can say so. I saw it once when I was young, but it has such a long history that no one knew its purpose by the time it was passed down to my generation. We only know that it¡¯s something our ancestors prepared to deal with the doomsday prophecy,¡± Astrid replied. Roel nodded inprehension. The one who created the ring was indubitably an ancestor of the Kingmaker n, but its use was so shocking that others must never learn about it. Otherwise, the worshipers of the Savior and the Mother Goddess would surely go after it. It was a wise decision to emphasize its importance instead of its use. This decision was the reason the Kingmaker n retained possession of the ring till the current era, giving Roel the opportunity to salvage their rtionship with the Mother Goddess. ¡°That exins your feeling of intimacy toward the Mother Goddess. It¡¯s a pity those from our generation had no such opportunity, which is why we always viewed the Mother Goddess and the Savior as our enemies.¡± ¡°It was the same for me too¡­¡± Roel nodded. He wasn¡¯t surprised by his ancestors¡¯ stance. While it was the Savior who had a blood feud with the Ardes, Roel was still more wary of the Mother Goddess at the start. He was hunted down by the Saints Convocation, Isabe Sofya had died to Sire Darkness in the real timeline, not to mention that the Mother Goddess had expressed Her hostility toward him through Her gaze every now and then. If anyone had told him then that he woulde to see the Mother Goddess as his mother, he would have cracked that person¡¯s skull open under the suspicion that thetter was an evil cultist. The events that transpiredter didn¡¯t help, either. Shrouding Fog devoured Tark Stronghold, shocking all of humankind. This incident shook Nora up, and the ensuing mishap in her bloodline awakening nearly took her life. Following that, Charlotte nearly lost her life to Flooding Death. How could he harbor any goodwill toward the Mother Goddess under such circumstances? But after he learned the truth¡ªthe Mother Goddess and the Six Cmities weren¡¯t one entity, and there was a reason behind Her hatred for the Kingmaker n¡ªhis perspective of Her began to change, especially during the period She took care of him. The more he learned about the Mother Goddess, the more he could feel the true sentiments lying beneath Her cold exterior. He thought that the animosity between them was a tragedy. Humankind shouldn¡¯t have been enemies with Her; coexistence should have been possible. Such thoughts spurred him to take on a different stance from Carolyn and the others, resulting in a divergence. However, it looked like it might be possible to resolve these differences. ¡°Astrid, have your thoughts changed from before?¡± ¡°You can say so, but I don¡¯t think Carolyn will take this well. She has been through tough times.¡± Astrid nced at Carolyn before diving into the details surrounding the final n. ¡­ The final n was first conceptualized a long time ago, around the middle of the Second Epoch. Its goal was extremely straightforward¡ªweakening the Savior and the Mother Goddess through all possible means, so that humankind could survive. What surprised Roel was that there were many versions of the final n. The final n was an extremely important scheme, so each patriarch of the Kingmaker n would make sure to revise it. This meant that the details of the final n were greatly influenced by the stance taken by the incumbent patriarch of that generation. In the era when the Ardes were at the peak of their power, and humankind was more united than ever, the final n was much more aggressive and ambitious, requiring a great mobilization of resources. After the first generation of the Twilight Sages Assembly paid a heavy price while searching for the Chaos Dream, and sorrow and despair inevitably infected the Ardes, the final n was forced to undergo significant revision. Since then, every seeding patriarch of the Arde House would tailor the final n to fit the on-the-ground situation. Near the end of the Second Epoch, the Ardes fell to their weakest ever state, the Twilight Sages Assembly was dissolved, and the Ackermanns descended into internal strife. Whether it was in terms of strength or rallying power, the Ancient Austine Empire didn¡¯t have the means to exercise the final n anymore. It was then that Charles Ackermann proposed a revised version of the final n. ¡°The previous versions of the final n were conceptualized on the notion that the Savior and the Mother Goddess were humankind¡¯s enemies, and that a battle against Them was inevitable. However, Charles had a different take on the matter. He proposed using the strength of One to attack the Other.¡± ¡°You mean to turn the Savior and the Mother Goddess against each other? We don¡¯t need the final n to do that,¡± Roel remarked. Antonio shook his head and rified, ¡°No, Charles¡¯ n was to plunder the Savior¡¯s power to nurture a new god to defeat the Mother Goddess.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel stared at Antonio as a wave of shock washed over his heart. Nurture a new god? Is it even possible to do that? Roel took a deep breath to calm himself before breaking down the n to analyze its feasibility. The first step was for them to plunder the Savior¡¯s power. If they had to choose between plundering the powers of the Savior or the Mother Goddess, the answer was definitely the former. The Kingmaker n was the one who had sealed the Savior in the Abyss, and it was currently under their jurisdiction. In contrast, no one had found the ce where the Mother Goddess was hibernating to date. It was easy to find the Savior, but the same couldn¡¯t be said about absorbing His powers. That was as good as swallowing arsenic! As a matter of fact, Charles wasn¡¯t the first one to consider doing that. There was another group of people several thousand years ago who thought that they could reach greater heights by absorbing the Savior¡¯s powers too¡­ and they were now known as the Fallens. ¡°Putting aside the matter of nurturing a god, just the act of absorbing the Savior¡¯s powers is¡­¡± Roel simply didn¡¯t think that it was a good idea. Unsurprised by Roel¡¯s response, Antonio further exined, ¡°Roel, do you remember the Diffusion n I mentioned?¡± ¡°Diffusion n?¡± Roel paused for a moment before replying with a nod, ¡°Yes, I remember that.¡± The Diffusion n was one of the ways to weaken the Savior¡ªexponentially increase the number of the Savior¡¯s worshipers within an extremely short period of time, so as to drive the Savior into a weakened state. It was an insane n, as the Savior¡¯s worshipers would not only attain greater strength but be inflicted with the Savior¡¯s depravity as well. Furthermore, there was the risk that the Savior might snap out of his madness and regain his sanity, so the n was eventually scrapped. Roel frowned at the mention of the Diffusion n, not knowing what Antonio was driving at. ¡°The idea Charles thought of was fundamentally simr to the Diffusion n, just that the absorption of the Savior¡¯s powers would be done not through humans but magic tools.¡± ¡°Magic tools?¡± ¡°Yes. The Diffusion n was scrapped because it requires a great number of sacrifices, not to mention that we could be self-sabotaging by producing so many new Savior worshipers. However, this problem can be resolved if we use magic tools in ce of humans.¡± Antonio proceeded to exin the details, which enlightened Roel to Charles¡¯ goal. Humans might not necessarily be stronger after attaining the Savior¡¯s powers, but they would be driven insane. This was how the Savior expanded his own following, and there was no way to reverse the process. There was only one known way to deal with the Savior¡¯s worshipers, and that was to kill them. This meant that they would have to kill all of the sacrifices in the Diffusion n. Not only was it inhumane to do so, but this was beneficial to the Savior too. Thus, the Diffusion n was scrapped. A thousand years ago, after browsing past records, Charles Ackermann came up with a bold idea. With his strength, he would create magic tools to substitute for humans in the Diffusion n. Humans weren¡¯t the only things who could absorb mana¡ªsome magic tools could do so too. For instance, Roel¡¯s Ascendwing was a powerful magic tool that manifested new abilities by taking in the mana contained in the wielder¡¯s and an angel¡¯s blood. The Ardes had previously excluded this possibility from their Diffusion n because it wasn¡¯t feasible for them to do so. Normal magic tools could only absorb a small amount of the Savior¡¯s mana, whereas those that could absorb arger amount were invaluable and limited in quantity. However, this wasn¡¯t a problem to Charles at all. ¡°Charles¡¯ ability is a mutation of the Kingdom Origin Attribute. He has the power to replicate legendary swords and armor from past ages, and those equipment can absorb mana equivalent to millions of people. That¡¯s also the foundation of the current final n.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nced at Paul and nodded. He was familiar with Paul¡¯s power. Thetter had created his first legendary armor from the Second Epoch when he was at Origin Level 4. Given his growth trajectory, it was possible for him to replicate hundreds of powerful magic tools by the time he reached Origin Level 1. Still, there was a question that bewildered Roel. He pondered for a moment before asking, ¡°Principal Antonio, while it¡¯s true we can minimize the casualties by recing the humans in the Diffusion n with magic tools, the fact remains unchanged that the Savior will benefit from it. Anyone who wields those magic tools will also be afflicted with His madness and be His worshipers. Furthermore, these worshipers will be able to cause even greater devastation with the concentrated power in each magic tool. They¡¯ll be an even greater menace to humankind.¡± Magic tools in the Sia Continent didn¡¯t possess a sense of self, so they wouldn¡¯t side with the Savior by themselves. However, a human would still be required to channel the magic tools, and the moment someone attempted to do so, they would be afflicted by the Savior¡¯s madness and turn into His worshiper. While this revised n reduced the number of casualties, it failed to resolve the key issue. Those magic tools would harness the concentrated power of the Savior. If things went wrong, they might just end up with the most depraved and dangerous Fallen humankind had ever seen. Imagine the most fanatical Savior worshiper wielding an unimaginably powerful magic sword. This could result in bloodshed and massacre, and it would be a nightmare to deal with them. Just thinking about it sent shudders down Roel¡¯s spine. Antonio understood Roel¡¯s concerns and replied, ¡°Yes, the Savior¡¯s madness would indeed be channeled toward the wielder of the magic tools, but what if we choose someone special to wield them?¡± ¡°Someone special? Wait a moment; do you mean¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Antonio nodded. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the executor, Carolyn Ascart.¡± Chapter 651.1: Romance (1) If Roel had to pen down the Savior¡¯s nemeses, the person at the very top of the list would be none other than the Mother Goddess and Her faction. Those two supreme gods had fought for many years before they went into hibernation one after another. And right beneath Her in that list would be the Kingmaker. The Kingmaker, as Sia¡¯s most favored child, was to inherit a portion of Her powers. However, the n went awry, as the powers Sia had severed for the Kingmaker gained a sense of self and came to be the Savior. Just like how a usurper would desire the death of the one whose ce they took, the Savior fervently wished for the extinction of the Kingmaker n. When the Mother Goddess was a threat, the Savior cooperated with the Kingmaker n with a warm smile reminiscent of the sun, proiming that they were brothers from the same Mother. But as soon as the Savior imed the upper hand over the Mother Goddess, He ripped off His disguise and began massacring the Kingmaker n. He saw the Kingmaker n as a threat, in terms of both legitimacy and potential. The power of the Kingmaker n directly originated from Sia. While it was not at the same caliber as the Mother Goddess and the Savior, it had a high level of resistance against them, and it had the potential to develop a step further. That was why the Savior went after the Kingmaker n. Little did he know that his actions changed the power bnce of the world, creating hope for the Kingmaker n¡¯s survival. The falling out between the Savior and the Kingmaker n ironically created a stable three-sided power struggle. The Savior sought to destroy the Mother Goddess and the Kingmaker n so as to reinforce His position as the ruler of the world. The Mother Goddess opposed the Savior¡¯s rule, but at the same time, She was left with nothing but hatred for the Kingmaker n after thetter¡¯s continued betrayal of Her trust. The Kingmaker n had a blood feud with the Savior, but there was no longer any hope of reconciliation with the Mother Goddess after what they had done. The Kingmaker n looked to be in a dangerous position, having turned the two supreme gods into their enemies, but this ironically saved them too. The three-sided power struggle had resulted in the Savior and the Mother Goddess tying each other down. In the end, the Kingmaker n suffered a heavy blow, but it managed to survive the ordeal. And after the Savior and the Mother Goddess went into hibernation, the Kingmaker n proved to be a thorn in the Savior¡¯s back. Their resistance against the Savior¡¯s madness and depravity allowed them to seal the Savior¡¯s soul in the Abyss. And this became the foundation behind Charles Ackermann¡¯s revised version of the final n. Any humans involved in the Diffusion n were doomed to eventually lose their minds and descend into depravity, but awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline were less susceptible to that. Their powers shared the same origin as the Savior¡¯s and the ck Moon, which allowed them to better resist the madness. ¡°But the resistance isn¡¯t absolute,¡± Roel remarked, as he thought about his previous encounter with the Savior. ¡°It¡¯ll be hard for us to retain our sanity when exposed to arge quantity of it.¡± ¡°Indeed, but Carolyn and Charles thought of that too. That¡¯s why there¡¯s the armor.¡± ¡°Armor?¡± Roel blinked in surprise before suddenly recalling the glowing armor Paul was wearing. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, Carolyn had been wearing something simr. Traveling to the Abyss was practically an act of suicide. Someone as practical as Carolyn wouldn¡¯t be dressed in couple¡¯s attire when heading to such a ce. There had to be another reason for it. ¡°Is there something special about the armor Carolyn wore?¡± ¡°Of course. Charles specially created the armor. It¡¯s an imitation of the holy armor Sia wore in the holy war during the earlier years of creation. It was created via the Kingdom Origin Attribute using a fragment of the real thing as a medium.¡± ¡°What? The real thing?!¡± Roel was taken aback. He looked at the now-tattered armor and felt his blood pressure rising. He suddenly felt so giddy that he nearly fainted. Anything from the era of the world¡¯s creation, even a mere rock, would have been a priceless treasure to historians in the present era, let alone armor Sia had worn before. Not even the Theocracy¡¯s holy artifacts couldpete with it. And Roel actually smashed something this invaluable into pieces. He couldn¡¯te to terms with what he had done. Using an analogy from his previous life, it was as if he had taken a dump and desperately wed for the closest thing to wipe his bottom, only to realize that it was the original Mona Lisa painting. ¡°It¡¯s a real fragment of Sia¡¯s armor. The real thing. From the creation of the world. Why didn¡¯t she say a word? If she had just mentioned it¡­¡± Roel murmured in a trance. ¡°R-Roel?¡± Astrid was taken aback. Antonio heaved a sigh, feeling deeply pained by this grievous loss as a fellow schr. He was awed by how far Charles had gone, as he knew that Sia¡¯s divine armor was a national treasure back in the Ancient Austine Empire, protecting the emperor of every generation. It was of great historical value to the Ackermanns. Yet, Charles used it just like that in order to protect Carolyn. Granted that it was necessary for the final n, but Antonio was confident that there were elements of personal bias involved as well, particrly his feelings for Carolyn. ¡°Calm down, Roel¡­¡± Antonio patted the horrified Roel¡¯s shoulder and spent a while gently consoling him before he finally managed to drag him back to the main topic at hand. Upon learning the truth, Roel finally understood how Carolyn had remained safe throughout the years. It was possible that Carolyn, with her bloodline resistance, her unwavering will, and Sia¡¯s divine armor, could resist the Savior¡¯s depravity and remain sane. At the same time, by absorbing the Savior¡¯s mana, she would gradually grow stronger, hopefully to a point where she could oppose the Mother Goddess and the Savior. ¡°Even if Carolyn retains her sanity with the aid of the divine armor, the Savior¡¯s depravity and madness would still umte, right? That would hasten the wear and tear on the equipment. How did her armorst a thousand years?¡± ¡°Charles took that into consideration too. The solution is simple¡ªreverse infusion.¡± ¡°Reverse infusion?¡± Roel suddenly thought of something. Seeing that, Astrid exined with a smile, ¡°You remember the Diffusion n? The Savior would release a huge amount of mana, resulting in him falling into a state of weakness. His released mana would be taken in by the divine armor, granting Carolyn a significant buff in her strength, so much so that she temporarily gains the upper hand against the Savior. ¡°Carolyn would then exploit this temporary power advantage to reverse the flow of mana back to the Savior, returning the negative elements such as His depravity and madness back to Him. This exchange allows her to offset the negative effects of the Savior¡¯s mana at minimal price.¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s such a system to the armor?¡± Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. He didn¡¯t think that Charles would be so meticulous and skilled as toe up with something like that. The Savior¡¯s goal for distributing his mana was to thin out the madness from the ck Moon, but Carolyn and Charles were returning His madness back to Him, such that He had to give up a lot of His mana just to release a small bit of His madness. What made things worse was that He couldn¡¯t do anything about Carolyn, as she would sever her connection to the divine artifact as soon as He grasped the upper hand. It was a despicable way to fight¡ªshamelessly exploiting the Savior when He was weakened, only to escape as soon as He regained His strength. Only now did Roel fully understand the importance of Charles and Carolyn. Both of them were indispensable to the final n, be it due to the former¡¯s ability to craft powerful magic tools, or thetter¡¯s overwhelming strength. Carolyn was so powerful that she struck fear into the hearts of even ancient gods. Only existences of Grandar¡¯s caliber could stand on equal ground with her. She was the only one who had a shot at suppressing the Savior and reversing the flow of mana for the Diffusion n. All of a sudden, Roel had a peculiar feeling. Two people with a deep-rooted blood feud met each other, and in the midst of fighting for amon goal, they came to understand each other better. Later, theybined their strengths together to formte this shocking n. Before they knew it, they had already fallen in love. It was a miraculous turn of events, almost as if the strings of fate were at y. This was the leanest version of the final n, as it didn¡¯t require any great mobilization of resources or manpower. It was centered solely on Charles and Carolyn, and they were the only two people who were truly needed for it. ¡°Two people working to save the world together? This is truly¡­¡± ¡°Romantic?¡± Astrid suggested. ¡°Mm, it¡¯s romantic,¡± Roel softly replied as he looked at Carolyn. Astrid nodded in agreement. Charles¡¯ revised final n was a miracle brought about by their meeting, the crystallization of their efforts and feelings. It was only with that understanding that he could rte with Carolyn¡¯s obstinacy. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that they couldn¡¯t aplish their final n and stop everything.¡± ¡°My apologies, Lord Ancestor, but I won¡¯t give up on Alicia, so¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding me. I¡¯m not talking about you.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was confused. Antonio heaved a deep sigh. Silence loomed over the three of them before Astrid finally spoke up: ¡°The final n has long since failed. Carolyn is merely making onest struggle. You¡¯re right to have stopped her.¡± ¡°Failed? Why?¡± Roel was taken aback. Antonio was the one to answer his question. ¡°It¡¯s ratherplicated, but you should be familiar with the event that culminated in the eventual failure of the final n.¡± ¡°I am familiar with it? Are you referring to¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital,¡± Antonio replied grimly. He began exining the events that had transpired in thetter half of the final n, unraveling the truth behind what happened a thousand years ago. ¡­ Chapter 651.2: Romance (2) The Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital was the trigger that ended the Second Epoch, forcing humankind to migrate westward and start afresh. Such a momentous event was bound to attract the interest of many schrs, but none had been able toe to a convincing conclusion about what had happened back then. The only thing known about the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital was that it was likely rted to the Savior¡¯s depravity, but it was unknown how these two matters were tied together. The world leaders were reluctant to spread word about the Savior lest it lead to pandemonium, so most books had merely described it as a mana cmity. But today, Roel was privileged to learn what happened in the execution of the final n¡¯s second half. ¡°Roel, do you remember what I said the final n¡¯s goal was?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s to absorb the Savior¡¯s power and create a new god to defeat the Mother Goddess.¡± ¡°The bulk of what we have talked about thus far concerns the first half of the final n, but the second half¡¯s new god is extremely important too.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that person Carolyn?¡± Roel asked with a perplexed frown. However, Antonio shook his head and replied, ¡°That was the initial n, but when they tried to put it into action, they discovered that it can¡¯t be done.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be done? Why? There¡¯s no one more suitable than Carolyn, right?¡± ¡°In terms of absolute strength, yes, but that¡¯s the biggest bottleneck too.¡± As Antonio further borated on the matter, Roel soon understood why Carolyn was not a suitable candidate. Ultimately, this was a problem of ¡®capacity¡¯. Both the Savior¡¯s and the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers originated from Genesis Goddess Sia, which was why awakeners of the Kingmaker Bloodline could, theoretically, absorb their powers. But when Charles and Carolyn tried to pull it off, they realized that the amount they could absorb was severely limited, and it was difficult to control the absorbed powers. That was why Carolyn, despite having absorbed a lot of the Savior¡¯s mana, still had to rely on her own powers during her battle with Roel. Even someone as overwhelmingly talented as her struggled to control the Savior¡¯s powers. Furthermore, while Carolyn gained new means through grasping control of the Savior¡¯s powers, it didn¡¯t fundamentally strengthen her. There was a subtle but significant difference between the two. The goal of the final n was to create a new god capable of standing on equal ground with the Mother Goddess and the Savior so as to change humankind¡¯s plight. Just because Carolyn grasped some of the Savior¡¯s powers didn¡¯t make her an existence on par with them. Upon realizing this issue, Charles and Carolyn quickly investigated the matter, and they arrived at a simple conclusion. ¡°Only someone with the powers of the Ascarts and the Ackermanns can properly absorb the Savior¡¯s power and possibly ascend to godhood.¡± ¡°Someone with the powers of the Ascarts and the Ackermanns? How¡­ does that work?¡± ¡°There are several ways to pull it off, but the easiest one is matrimony between the two ns,¡± Antonio said. ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes. He suddenly recalled the advice he had received from Ro Ascart¡¯s soul fragment back in Saint Freya Academy¡¯s Night of the Demons. Ro Ascart had spent a lot of time researching the disappeared Twilight Sages Assembly to make sense of their lost lineage, and in the process of doing so, he obtained one of Charles¡¯ documents. The document mentioned how the Ascarts and Ackermanns had tobine their bloodlines to find their past glory. It was on that basis that Ro requested Roel to ¡®conquer¡¯ Lilian. While Roel had somehow aplished that mission yearster, the reason Charles had said those words in that document remained a mystery to him. It was only when he heard about the final n now that the reason finally dawned on him. I see! The document Ro found back then was likely a torn page from the final n¡¯s proposal, Roel thought with a nod. But new doubts quickly surfaced in his mind. ¡°It still doesn¡¯t make sense. If the Ackermanns and the Ascarts united in hopes of conceiving a child for the final n, why did the Ascarts flee and seek the Theocracy¡¯s protection in the early years of the Third Epoch?¡± Roel asked with a frown. ¡°Simple. The n wasn¡¯t put into action because the odds weren¡¯t in our favor.¡± ¡°The odds?¡± ¡°The most straightforward way to bring the strengths of both ns together is through childbirth, but the chances of it happening naturally are abysmally low. The Ascarts and the Ackermanns had already fallen into decline, so there weren¡¯t many suitably-aged individuals around. Thus, they opted for another method¡ªartificial reproduction, otherwise known as the Nurturing n.¡± ¡°Artificial reproduction? Is that possible?¡± Roel frowned upon hearing those words. Attempts to artificially reproduce a life was bound to involve human experimentation, and that was a huge taboo. On top of that, the goal of this artificial reproduction was not to nurture an ordinary human being but one who possessed specific powers. There was an immense difference between these two. The former was an attempt to simte a favorable environment for reproduction outside of the womb, whereas thetter was equivalent to ying god. There was only one person in the Sia Continent whom Roel knew possessed such powers¡ªthe Mother of All Lives, Genesis Goddess Sia. Not even Banjol, with his Divine Domain, could pull off something as delicate as this. Roel shook his head as he denied the possibility of the matter. However, Antonio tossed out a surprising answer: ¡°Artificial reproduction has remained out of our reach even to this day, let alone in the Second Epoch. But what if Sia is the one to nurture this child?¡± ¡°Sia?¡± Roel had no idea what Antonio was getting at. Antonio¡¯s words sounded utterly ludicrous to him. Sia is no longer around, and of the Two who have inherited Her strength, the Savior has lost his sanity, whereas the Mother Goddess is in hibernation. It was impossible for Them to be involved in the Nurturing n¡­ Wait a moment! Realization suddenly struck Roel, and he widened his eyes in astonishment. He subconsciously nced at Carolyn. Antonio nodded in affirmation as he said, ¡°Yes, the Nurturing n involves having Carolyn collect and cleanse the Savior¡¯s mana. While the Mother Goddess has inherited Sia¡¯s power to create new life, the Savior has inherited Her power of governance and nurturing.¡± ¡°Governance? I see¡­¡± Roel murmured in a daze. He suddenly remembered his encounter with the Savior in the Witness State, as well as the ideology He embraced. Thinking about it now, the Savior sought to implement a hierarchical governance system, which was in line with the authority he wielded. It might just be possible to pull off the Nurturing n with such power in hand, and Charles had an ace up his sleeve too. Charles had used the remnant of a Life Tree to simte the environment where Sia had first created life during the inception of the world. This greatly boosted the Nurturing n¡¯s chances of sess. With this, all of the problems surrounding the final n had been resolved. ¡°¡­¡± Antonio and Astrid¡¯s exnations came to a halt. Roel fell silent, as his heart quivered in awe for how meticulous Charles¡¯ revised final n was. He had previously thought that the notion of creating a god on par with the Mother Goddess and the Savior was a delusion, but the thoroughness of the final n sparked a ray of hope in him. It was a stretch to say that the final n was foolproof¡ªthere were elements of luck involved too¡ªbut it was theoretically possible to pull off. Should they seed in the endeavor, it would change humankind¡¯s fate for good. Humankind would have an expert of Carolyn¡¯s caliber, as well as a god who had absorbed the Savior¡¯s powers. In terms of fighting prowess, they would be able to stand their ground against the Savior and the Mother Goddess. That should guarantee humankind¡¯s survival, thus liberating them from the doomsday prophecy that had haunted them for thousands of years. Charles¡¯ revised final n was a ray of hope in humankind¡¯s darkest time. Just thinking about it made his heart quiver in excitement. However, he dragged himself back to reality and asked the most crucial question of all. ¡°So, why did the final n fail?¡± Chapter 652.1: The Ten Years Promise (1) The final n was the most ambitious n Roel had heard about, but when he scrutinized its details, he had to concede there was a chance of sess. It could potentially free humankind from the bottleneck it had faced for thousands of years. If the final n had gone smoothly, the Ancient Austine Empire should have remained standing to this date, given the influence and power it had wielded back in that era. Yet, Carolyn ended up disappearing from the world for a thousand years, Charles lost his life, and the Ancient Austine Empire went up in smoke. Roel couldn¡¯t help but wonder what went wrong. There were severalmon reasons that a n failed. The biggest reason was the impracticality of the n, followed by the ipetency of those executing the n, then the influence of external circumstances. Charles and Carolyn had paid meticulous detail to these factors to ensure that the final n seeded. First and foremost, the n was practical, evident from how Carolyn had sessfully absorbed the Savior¡¯s mana while returning His madness and depravity to Him. The key details of the final n had been tested and proven to be usible. In terms of execution, there were only two people carrying out the n¡ªCharles Ackermann and Carolyn Ascart. There could be a third person, the one who had inherited the traits of the two ns and could more efficiently take in the Savior¡¯s mana, but judging from the context, that person was most likely to be Charles and Carolyn¡¯s child. The close rtionships among the three executors of the final n meant they were united bymon interests, and the chances of their partnership falling apart due to a conflict were slim. It would have been hard to find a better team to execute the final n. After great contemtion, Roel eliminated all internal reasons and deduced that the cause behind the failure of the final n was external intervention. Thus, he voiced out the doubt that had been bugging him thus far, and Astrid and Antonio hesitantly answered his question too. However, the answer wasn¡¯t what he had expected. ¡°The final n failed because the Savior regained His sanity,¡± Astrid replied. ¡°What?¡± Roel could hardly conceal his shock. The notion of that was inconceivable to Roel, as nothing of that sort had happened in the past thousands of years. It simply didn¡¯t make sense to him. ¡°But the reverse infusion returns a huge portion of the Savior¡¯s madness and depravity to Him, right? How did He regain His sanity?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know the exact details, but it happened. It culminated in the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital that eventually resulted in the downfall of the Ancient Austine Empire,¡± Astrid said before sharing what happened a thousand years ago in detail. ¡­ A thousand years ago, Emperor Charles Ackermann and Carolyn Ascart had finally decided to put the final n they had slowly refined over many years into motion. The first thing they had to do was to send Carolyn into the Abyss, where the Savior dwelled. This appeared to be the right move, but it was also the wrong one because it neglected one crucial element¡ªthe difficulty in entering the Abyss. Roel had known beforehand that the Kingmaker n had sealed off the Abyss, such that no one other than the Ardes could enter the area. However, the truth was that even the Ardes struggled to bypass the seal and enter the Abyss too. The first obstacle was the location. The Abyss was not a ce that could be freely essed via spatial spells. There was only one entrance, and that was the Capital Cathedral under the Ackermanns¡¯ management. Between the Ardes and the Ackermanns, one had the power to enter the Abyss, whereas the other controlled the entrance into the Abyss. This separation of power was intentional so as to ensure the security of the seal as far as possible. Of course, this wasn¡¯t an issue for Charles and Carolyn, but there were other problems as well. The seal was a potent restricting force that had imprisoned the powerful Savior for many years. Just entering the Abyss would require hundreds of high transcendentsing together to hold a ritual. Hardly any n had the resources to gather that many personnel. Even the existing major countries would struggle to put together such a lineup. Back in the ancient era, the ones sustaining the seal were the legendary races. When it finally reached humankind¡¯s era, the only one wielding the power to hold the ritual was the behemoth known as the Ancient Austine Empire. As the only empire to have united humankind, the Ancient Austine Empire boasted the ability to rally humankind¡¯s greatest talents together. Yet, when Roel learned that hundreds of high transcendents had gathered to hold the ritual, he knew right away that things would go awry. It was definitely not a good thing to have so many people involved in a confidential n, especially in the final years of the Second Epoch, when the Savior¡¯s worshipers were at the peak of their influence. Who could say for sure that a Fallen hadn¡¯t infiltrated the group? Alternatively, the Fallens might have also reached out to a member of the group and tempted them to join their ranks. There were so many variables here that problems were bound to happen. Yet, the situation didn¡¯t unfold in the way Roel had expected. No mishap had happened in this most dangerous phase of the n, for Charles had kept close watch on its execution. As dangerous as the final n was, Charles was determined to minimize Carolyn¡¯s exposure to danger wherever possible, so he personally vetted the hundreds of high transcendents involved in the ritual to ensure that nothing went wrong. He made sure to dig up every little detail about the personal life, ancestry, and affiliations of the high transcendents that were going to be involved in the ritual. He was so thorough that not a single evil cultist managed to slip into their ranks. The hundreds of high transcendents recruited were devoted to their mission, and with their help, Carolyn sessfully cleared the first test, thusmencing the final n. ¡°Ten Years Promise. That was the agreement Charles made with Carolyn back then.¡± ¡°Ten years? That is¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s the time Carolyn was to spend absorbing and cleansing the Savior¡¯s mana, while Charles built up the facilities required for the Nurturing n,¡± Astrid replied. Roel nodded, having expected the two of them to separately work on the final n so as to maximize efficiency. He felt both sympathy and awe for Carolyn. Ten years was not a trifling period of time even for the long-lived transcendents, not to mention that Carolyn was going to spend this period of time in absolute darkness, battling and trying to suppress the Savior. On top of that, she had to try her best to store the Savior¡¯s mana inside the magic tools in preparation for the Nurturing n. It was not a stretch to say that she was undergoing a one-person war. During this period of time, she couldn¡¯t lower her guard even for the briefest of moments, or else she could sumb to the Savior¡¯s madness and depravity. Only fellow Ardes could asionally enter the Abyss and provide her with a bit of assistance. She had to spend ten years like that before she could finally see the light of day again. Charles had promised to officially wed Carolyn afterpleting the facilities for the Nurturing n. The two of them wouldbine their bloodlines together with Sia¡¯s power, which they had retrieved from the Savior, to nurture a child. Hopefully, this would put an end to the responsibility that had burdened the Kingmaker n for thousands of years and the crisis surrounding humankind. Unfortunately, the beautiful dreams they shared were never fulfilled. The day Carolyn had been waiting for never arrived. Chapter 652.2: The Ten Years Promise (2) In the tenth year, the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital struck the Ancient Austine Empire, and the capital copsed. The high transcendents channeling the ritual either became crippled or died. Charles dered a mass migration to the west, and they never returned. ¡°¡­So, what in the world is the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital? Did Charles really leave Carolyn there like that?¡± Roel asked grimly. ¡°The Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital was caused by a leak of the Savior¡¯s mana. We still don¡¯t know how it happened, but the cmity quickly spread across the Ancient Austine Empire, with the capital taking the brunt of the impact. ¡°It wasplete chaos in the capital. Over half of the normal humans and high transcendents were reduced to monsters or sumbed to madness. Overnight, the city that had signified humankind¡¯s prosperity for thousands of years transformed into a living hell, causing the Ancient Austine Empire to fall to a standstill. ¡°Charles tried to open the passage to save Carolyn, but the pandemonium had spread too fast. Half of the high transcendents involved in the ritual fell into depravity, causing him to lose control over the Capital Cathedral. To make things worse, he struggled to mobilize manpower to save Carolyn because most people believed that she was already dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± Roel was taken aback. ¡°Carolyn should have been suppressing the Savior¡¯s mana and preventing it from leaking out if things had gone ording to n. Yet, the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital happened. That led many to think that the final n had failed, and she was dead,¡± Astrid exined. ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. He stared at Carolyn for a long while before finally heaving a sigh. Just as Astrid had said, the outbreak of such a huge cmity could be taken as proof that the final n had failed, and Carolyn was dead. Building on that, the gush of the Savior¡¯s mana from the Abyss during the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital could have been the mana Carolyn had collected thus far. Even Roel would have been inclined to believe that Carolyn was dead when presented with such evidence. Charles only refused to ept it due to his feelings for her. Unfortunately, there was no way for Charles to open the seal anymore. He had lost control over the Capital Cathedral during the pandemonium, and many of the high transcendents channeling the ritual lost their lives in the crisis. Charles had no choice but to make a decision that changed the trajectory of humankind¡¯s fate for good¡ªthe mass migration to the west. He led those who still retained their sanity westward in search of a safe haven, hoping to unite humankind there and rise once more. However, the cmity appeared to be sentient, as it continued expanding and following the footsteps of the migrators. It only subsided following Charles¡¯ death. And this was the tragedy that happened at the end of the Second Epoch, the true story behind the mass migration westward. Roel frowned after hearing the story, as he finally understood why Astrid imed that the Savior had regained his sanity. ¡°Yes, the timing is too much of a coincidence,¡± Roel murmured as doubts filled his mind. First and foremost, it was weird how the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital happened in the tenth year into the final n, the year Carolyn was set to leave the Abyss with the Savior¡¯s powers to nurture a divine child. What were the chances of such a coincidence? The hibernating Savior should have been at His strongest in the first year of the final n, before Carolyn absorbed any mana from Him. As long as she withstood the initial stress, she should gradually grow stronger in the following years and gain the upper hand over the Savior. By this logic, the tenth year of the final n should have been the most peaceful one. Yet, the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital happened. This didn¡¯t make sense at all. However, it would all make sense if the Savior was pulling the strings here, as this would have been His final chance to make aeback. He would be a goner once Carolyn left the Abyss with His powers to nurture a divine child. It was also possible that Carolyn had simply let her guard down, but the chances of that were extremely slim. Furthermore, the madness propagated in a way that looked as if it was chasing after Charles, and this could have only been pulled off by a sentient being. Roel deduced that Charles refused to give up on Carolyn even after the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. He wanted to rally humankind¡¯s forces together and march back to the capital, but the series of events that happened afterward forced him to give up on his n. ¡°With the prestige the Ackermanns had built up from ruling over humankind for thousands of years, Charles still wielded great influence over the empire in spite of the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. However, his influence was undermined by the madness and rumors that spread like wildfire within the empire.¡± ¡°Rumors?¡± ¡°There were rumors that Charles Ackermann was an inauspicious individual cursed by Sia. Even in the Twilight Sages Assembly, some attributed the incident to the final n. They believed that Charles and Carolyn were the ones behind the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. What reinforced the rumors was how the madness stopped spreading once Charles passed away.¡± ¡°¡­They are really trying to ruin his reputation.¡± Roel nodded in agreement. Such defamation wouldn¡¯t have worked without thorough nning. If the madness had spread faster than the rumors, humankind would fall into an utter panic. Without any time to discuss things through, their first instinct would have been to rely on the Ackermanns, who had ruled over them for thousands of years now. This was simr to how the people in Roel¡¯s previous life stood behind their nation¡¯s leaders during wartime. Not only would Charles¡¯ influence not be diminished by the event, but it would have be stronger than ever. If the madness spread too slowly, humankind would have sufficient time to regain their footing. There would be rumors about Charles floating around, but there would be fewer extremists since the effects weren¡¯t as pronounced. With the resources Charles had at his disposal, he should have been able to easily deal with this crisis. It would take careful calction to destroy the prestige Charles had built up over many years, thus burying the final n for good. As soon as Charles Ackermann died, the seeding emperor overthrew all of his policies and ns, while putting out an arrest warrant on the Ascarts. The Ascarts tried their best to hide in the migration army, but they were rooted out numerous times, and that nearly led to their extinction. It was when the Ascarts came under the protection of the Xeclydes during the inception of the Third Epoch, when the Genesis Goddess Church rose to prominence, that their plight finally improved. But by then, the Ascarts had already lost their heritage. Looking at it now, the situation was clear. The Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital and everything that happened after it was premeditated to put a halt to the final n, and the mastermind¡­ ¡°It¡¯s probably the Savior himself, or someone who possesses the power to mobilize the Savior¡¯s influence¡­¡± Roel deduced. Astrid and Antonio nodded in agreement. However, this was just conjecture on their part. Too many years had passed for them to find evidence to prove their theory. Roel suddenly remembered something and raised a question: ¡°What happened to Paul? You say that he¡¯s Charles, but a dead man can¡¯t juste back to life, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s indeed so. But what if his soul is preserved, and the original body is used as a sample to recreate a second physical body?¡± ¡°That might be possible theoretically, but how can¡­¡± ¡°Simple. I kept a sample of myself inside a Life Tree.¡± It was Paul who answered the question. ¡°!¡± Roel quickly turned around and saw Paul and Carolyn staggering over with each other¡¯s support. He stared intently at Paul, as if trying to see through thetter¡¯s existence. Paul¡¯s expression turned grim as he earnestly met Roel¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two men stared at each other for so long that the atmosphere became heavy. In the end, Roel was the one who broke the silence, asking, ¡°So, who are you right now?¡± ¡°I am Charles Ackermann, but I am also Paul Ackermann. Big brother Roel, I know what you¡¯re worried about, but I¡¯d like to assure you that I have not been possessed. I merely remembered my past,¡± Paul replied with a bitter smile. Roel thought about it for a long while before finally nodding. As Paul¡¯s friend, he had to confirm that Paul was in a normal state. If Charles had possessed Paul¡¯s body in hopes of living a second life, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to summon Edavia to kill him, so as to avenge Paul. That might anger Carolyn, and he would lose important information about the Second Epoch, but that was the least he could do for someone he cared about. These were the principles he had sworn to stand by. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t the worst-case situation. Paul had retained his sense of self, just that he had remembered his past memories. In a way, he was simr to Roel, just that the memories Roel had remembered were from his past life. The tense atmosphere finally faded, and the silent trio heaved a sigh of relief. Carolyn took this opportunity to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roel. Charles has exined your circumstances to me. I have misunderstood you as one of the Mother Goddess¡¯ believers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You were under the influence of the Savior¡¯s madness, so I understand that you might have been more obstinate. However, I hope that you won¡¯t try to harm Alicia anymore.¡± ¡°I have already given up. I might not have been defeated, but neither have I won,¡± Carolyn replied with a bitter smile. Her earlier wariness and hostility were nowhere to be seen, and her expression looked much gentler than before. Roel made use of this opportunity. ¡°Lord Ancestor, may I ask a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­Were you the one who triggered the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital a thousand years ago?¡± Chapter 653.1: The Truth From a Thousand Years Ago (1) The Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital had always been an enigma in humankind¡¯s history, but the mystery was lifted for Roel after listening to Astrid¡¯s story. Carolyn had spent ten years wrestling with the Savior for power. It would be for the best if she won in ordance with the final n, but if she failed, it would indeed cause a massive leak of the Savior¡¯s mana. Many insiders believed that to be the cause of the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. However, Carolyn¡¯s reappearance and subsequent fight with Roel disproved that theory, for her condition was simply too good. Supposing the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital was caused by a massive leak of the Savior¡¯s mana from the Abyss, she would have to bear the brunt of the impact. Her chances of survival would have been infinitesimally close to zero, such that it was hard to imagine that she could hop out alive and kicking a thousand yearster. Even if Carolyn had a special ability that helped her survive the ordeal a thousand years ago, she would have still sustained severe injuries. It was hard to imagine that she could survive a thousand years in such a state, especially since she had no support whatsoever. To draw an analogy, it was as ridiculous as someone being caught in the heart of a nuclear explosion and trapped for over fifty years, then suddenly emerging alive and beating up a world-ss fighter. That was also why the first thing Roel did after ensuring Paul¡¯s safety was to ask Carolyn about the truth from a thousand years ago. Thetter¡¯s expression immediately turned grim. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem on my side. I don¡¯t know the cause either, but there was nothing wrong with the Abyss.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Both Roel and Astrid heaved a sigh of relief. There was no one to pursue responsibility over what had happened a thousand years ago, but nevertheless, the Kingmaker n would still have to shoulder responsibility if Carolyn was the cause of the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t the case. That put everyone¡¯s heart at ease. Roel proceeded to direct a few more questions to Carolyn, as she was likely to know more, having resided in the Abyss all this while. Yet, much to Roel¡¯s and Astrid¡¯s surprise, Carolyn¡¯s expression turned weird upon hearing their question. There was a moment of silence before she shockingly remarked, ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t feel a thing at all. Or rather, I don¡¯t know what happened at all.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Roel eximed in shock. The others, who were waiting with bated breath for Carolyn¡¯s answer, widened their eyes in shock. Even Paul was taken aback as well. Carolyn looked at them with a bitter smile before sharing her perspective of events. ¡­ The tenth year of the final n was viewed as humankind¡¯s turning point, but Carolyn felt nothing about that at all, as the concept of time didn¡¯t exist in the Abyss. Whether it was day or night, summer or winter, Carolyn was apanied only by boundless darkness and an enemy who emanated madness and depravity. Each day was as monotonous as the previous in the Abyss. Her perception of time was no longer measured in terms of days and months, but the number of times she had shed with her enemy. ¡°Since entering the Abyss, I have fought the Savior a total of 4132 times. Some battles ended in an instant, whereas otherssted for days. ¡°The Savior¡¯s power is not static; it would fluctuate based on the degree of His awakening. There is a regr pattern to it. The first time I was pushed to a precarious position was during my 52nd fight with Him. I had to persevere for almost ten days before I finally suppressed Him. ¡°The most dangerous battle I had was the 1300th fight. The Savior was already showing mild signs of awakening then, causing the entire Abyss to tremor. I sustained injuries, and my armor was tattered by that battle. That was also when I came under the influence of His madness¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone fell silent after hearing Carolyn¡¯s experience. Carolyn had used mild words to describe what she had gone through, briefly covering each event without getting into the details, but that was already enough to leave the others feeling despair. Trapped amidst boundless darkness, forced to sh thousands of times with a supreme existence who could awaken at any moment to obliterate her, and a single misstep could spell her death¡­ Carolyn¡¯s willpower and guts far exceeded their imagination. Roel couldn¡¯t imagine a person in this world who had greater mental resilience than Carolyn, or, at least, he hadn¡¯t met anyone like that yet. Paul also revealed a pained look. Nevertheless, the group swallowed down their feelings and forced themselves to continue listening, so as to get to the bottom of what happened a thousand years ago. Based on Carolyn¡¯s ount, while the Savior¡¯s powers often fluctuated, His strength gradually waned after reaching His peak on their 1300th fight. Carolyn slowly gained the upper hand over Him, eventually reaching a point where she could easily deal with Him. But while Carolyn had been able to deal with the Savior, it had been a struggle for her to keep herself mentally strong. While the concept of time was blurred in the Abyss, Carolyn could still estimate that it was her final year in the Abyss from the consumption of resources, so she began looking forward to a brighter future with a heart filled with hope. It was with the faith that brighter days awaited her after leaving the Abyss that she persevered. Each time she found herself facing death in the eye or teetering on the brink of despair, she would clutch onto this faith and pull herself together. Once shepleted this undertaking, she could finally wee the love and marriage even she had been looking forward to. But reality gradually shattered her spirit and dreams through the relentless flow of time. Eleven years. Twelve years. Thirteen years¡­ Twenty years eventually passed, but the seal didn¡¯t open. Charles didn¡¯te for her. This shook her willpower, and the seed of unease that had been looming in her heart all this while finally exploded. There had always been a thorn in Carolyn¡¯s heart¡ªCharles¡¯ empress in name. It was only a marriage of convenience¡ªCharles had assured her of it many times before, and she herself had verified it too¡ªbut she still struggled toe to eptance with it. Oblivious to the pandemonium happening on the surface, Carolyn thought that Charles was making use of this opportunity to dispose of her. People changed over time. Ten years was long enough to wear down a person¡¯s affection, not to mention that there were countless beauties in the massive Ancient Austine Empire. Carolyn knew that she wasn¡¯t an easy person to get along with. She had none of the traits a virtuous wife ought to have. Her tremendous power could one day be a threat to Charles¡¯ rule too. There was no reason for Charles to insist on her. And the easiest way to deal with her was to abandon her in the Abyss, where there was no risk of a bacsh from her. What Carolyn didn¡¯t know was that Charles was already dead at that point. Beyond that was a time of darkness for Carolyn. Her loneliness and the futility of her wait had driven her to the brink of mental breakdown. The invincible woman whom even the strongest enemy couldn¡¯t bring down finally met with defeat, at the hands of her own love. It was amon saying that time would dull all scars, but that hadn¡¯t been the case for Carolyn. However, she did find herself calming down as time passed. Her strong willpower kept her from ending things once and for all, and the desire to survive slowly sparked in her. ¡°¡®I want to leave this ce and get to the bottom of things.¡¯ That was the only thing I wanted to do then, and it fueled my perseverance,¡± Carolyn said with a relieved smile. Paul¡¯s paleplexion finally eased upon hearing that. Antonio, Astrid, and Roel looked at one another in silence. Meanwhile, Carolyn continued her story. Having affirmed her desire to survive, Carolyn brainstormed how she could achieve her goal. The first thing that dawned upon her was that there was no way she could unlock the seal by herself. She could only bide her time and wait for the next opening of the Abyss. She had no idea how long it would take, but by historical trends, she knew it would take at least centuries. To ensure that she could live till then, she would have to take precautions. The first thing she did was to rein in her aura and dispel all spells other than those required for her survival. Following that, she stopped provoking the Savior so as to limit their confrontations. High transcendents didn¡¯t require much food, especially after reaching Origin Level 1. They could survive solely on mana. However, the Abyss was an exception, as the mana here had been corrupted by the Savior¡¯s madness and depravity. That wasn¡¯t a problem to Carolyn at the start, as her holy armor had the ability to cleanse the Savior¡¯s madness and depravity, but the situation changed when her armor cracked during her 1300th fight with the Savior. Thatpromised her armor¡¯s cleansing ability, greatly reducing the amount of mana she could absorb each day. Repairing the crack in the armor would have been a piece of cake to Charles, but it became Carolyn¡¯s worst nightmare when she found herself trapped in the Abyss. There was a saying that powerful people had hearty appetites. On the Sia Continent, there was a direct corrtion between one¡¯s strength and one¡¯s appetite. Even if high transcendents remained perfectly still, the energy they consumed every day still far surpassed that of ordinary people. Carolyn nearly became the first Origin Level 1 transcendent to die of starvation. The amount of energy she depleted each day was massive, far surpassing that of ordinary Race Sovereigns. Yet, the amount of mana she could absorb was reducing with each passing day. Under such circumstances, the only solution that came to her mind was to go into a state of faux death. ¡°The crack in the holy armor impaired its ability to cleanse surrounding mana. It eventually reached a point where the amount of cleansed mana wasn¡¯t enough to sustain my daily energy expenditure as an Origin Level 1 transcendent. At the same time, I was also worried about the worst possibility,¡± Carolyn said as she nced at Paul. Thetter lowered his head apologetically, not knowing how he could make it up to her. The worst possibility for Carolyn was that Charles was seeking to kill her, a threat to his rule, after moving on to someone new. Should that be the case, he would keep a close eye on the mana fluctuations inside the Abyss so as to determine whether she was dead or not. Given so, Carolyn could lower Charles¡¯ guard by entering a state of faux death, and that would increase the possibility of thetter opening the seal. The realization of that prompted Roel and the others to look at Paul as if he was a piece of shit. Faced with so many disdainful looks, Paul helplessly emphasized, ¡°I was already dead by then. There was nothing I could do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all because of your political marriage¡­¡± ¡°I had no choice. I needed the nobles¡¯ support!¡± Chapter 653.2: The Truth From a Thousand Years Ago (2) Meanwhile, Roel raised a question that he was more concerned about. ¡°Lord Ancestor, I¡¯d just like to ask onest time, as this is a matter of great importance. Did the Savior really notunch an attack on you a thousand years ago?¡± ¡°Yes, I am certain of that. The Savior couldn¡¯t have been the direct cause of the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. He was still in hibernation then,¡± Carolyn replied affirmatively. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. We know that madness and depravity did spread across the Ancient Austine Empire,¡± Astrid remarked. ¡°Charles, you should know the details better than anyone else. Who else could have caused it if not the Savior?¡± ¡°Yes, but the rumors are not urate. Despite being known as the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital, there are at least sixteen outbreak locations where the madness started spreading from that night. The capital was merely one of the many ces to be struck,¡± Paul replied. ¡°There are sixteen outbreak locations?!¡± ¡°Indeed, and that report waspiled in a rush. The number is likely to be an underestimation, and we¡¯ll likely find even more outbreak locations if we include the remote mountains where few humans reside,¡± Paul replied. This conversation reminded him about that nightmarish night a thousand years ago, and he heaved a sigh before continuing, ¡°The capital wasn¡¯t the source of the crisis. Someone had sowed the seeds of crisis across the Ancient Austine Empire, and my enemies exploited this opportunity to manipte public opinion and discredit me. That¡¯s how it became known as the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital.¡± ¡°Who are the culprits? Richard?¡± ¡°He yed a part, but there are many other nobles too. Many of them have ties with the Savior¡¯s worshipers.¡± ¡°Tsk! I knew I should have killed him¡­¡± Carolyn murmured, as she felt indignant for what Charles went through a thousand years ago. Roel was familiar with the name ¡®Richard Ackermann¡¯. He was crowned as the first emperor of the present-day Austine Empire during the mass migration westward. ¡°He¡¯s your younger brother, right?¡± ¡°We have the same father but different mothers. However, I¡ªor should I say ¡®we¡¯¡ªdefeated him,¡± Paul said as he looked at Carolyn with a smile. Thetter shyly averted her eyes, as a peculiar atmosphere floated between the two of them. Antonio secretly nced at Astrid too. ¡°¡­¡± What in the world are they doing? Roel¡¯s figure looked forlorn when contrasted with the two couples. He instinctively nced at the unconscious Alicia before coughing twice to pull the conversation back on track, asking, ¡°Do you think that the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital is a man-made disaster, then?¡± ¡°Unlikely. While the Savior¡¯s worshipers were arrogant in the final years of the Second Epoch, they aren¡¯t that powerful, or else the Ancient Austine Empire would have been destroyed a long time ago. Moreover, the sixteen outbreak locations were underground,¡± Paul replied confidently. His clear line of thought showed that he had been investigating the truth for a long time in his previous life too. Astrid and the others fell silent as they tried to make sense of the situation. It was baffling how Carolyn, who was at the heart of the danger, was unscathed, while the surface had beenpletely devastated. This didn¡¯t make sense at all. However, Roel sensed something incongruous upon hearing Paul¡¯s words, and he asked, ¡°Paul¡­ Can you repeat what you said again?¡± ¡°What I said? While the Savior¡¯s worshipers were arrogant in the final years of the Second Epoch, they aren¡¯t that powerful¡­¡± ¡°No, after that.¡± ¡°After that? Hmm. The sixteen outbreak locations were underground?¡± Paul repeated his earlier words in confusion. ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. A thought surfaced in his mind, as he finally understood where the incongruity wasing from. ¡°I believe I know the truth behind the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital a thousand years ago.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Big brother Roel, do you mean it?¡± ¡°The Ancient Austine Empire was consumed by madness and depravity, yet Carolyn, despite being closest to the Savior, was unfazed. There¡¯s one possibility.¡± Roel pointed to the ground as he spoke with a calm but confident voice. ¡°The culprits behind the outbreaks were the Eggs of the Beast God.¡± ¡­ Humankind had first encountered the Egg of the Beast God during the Battle of Scorched Earth. It was the only entity known to be capable of releasing huge amounts of the Savior¡¯s mana. They had been ced under Deviant Sovereign Banjol¡¯s care, but the Eggs of the Beast God were actually monsters created by the Savior as a countermeasure against the Six Cmities. ording to Alicia, there were many of them buried all over the Sia Continent, with the exact number being unknown to anyone except for maybe the Savior Himself. Those living in the final years of the Second Epoch were oblivious to the existence of the Eggs of the Beast God, so they didn¡¯t understand why the Savior¡¯s madness would suddenly spread, but it all made sense when looked at in hindsight. If the Savior had really awakened, it would have been the end of humankind. Just a single outbreak location would have been enough; there was no need for sixteen of them. It made more sense if the Eggs of the Beast God were the culprits instead. It would exin how the madness seemed to follow Charles¡¯ footsteps¡ªthe Eggs of the Beast God could have been set off one by one to follow wherever Charles went. ¡°Eggs of the Beast God¡­ It¡¯s a clump of the Savior¡¯s power? I see. That would exin everything.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Savior to set off so many of his hidden pieces to stop the final n.¡± ¡°¡­Wait a moment. Could the Eggs of the Beast God be the cause of the gradual increase in the Savior¡¯s worshipers during the Second Epoch?¡± Roel asked. Everyone widened their eyes. Antonio nodded in agreement as he said, ¡°I see. That exins why there were fewer Savior worshipers after the mass migration westward. Thend we are currently residing on doesn¡¯t have any Eggs of the Beast God.¡± ¡°It makes sense. The Eggs of the Beast God might also be rted to the Savior¡¯s awakening,¡± Carolyn said with widened eyes. ¡°Even after I entered a state of faux death, I could sense the Savior gradually bing weaker even though I made no attempt to suppress Him afterward.¡± A momentter, she added with a sigh, ¡°What we did back then must have threatened Him, or else He wouldn¡¯t have been forced to make such a damaging move¡­ But we paid a heavy price for it.¡± Carolyn looked a little choked up, thinking about what she and Charles had been through. Roel and the others felt heavy-hearted too. The Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital had ended with Charles¡¯ death, and he was condemned for a thousand years afterward. Carolyn had her heart broken, and she was forced to go into a state of faux death. The most prosperous empire ever known to humankind was wiped from the face of the world, and countless humans died during the mass migration. So much had been lost in that battle. ¡°At least we are still here.¡± Roel broke the heavy silence. ¡°¡­Indeed,¡± Carolyn murmured as she looked at Paul and Astrid. Their presence swept away a bit of the gloom in her heart. ¡°And the final n wasn¡¯t meaningless. The Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital was indeed a terrible crisis for humankind, but, looking back, it might have been for the best.¡± ¡°For the best?¡± ¡°At least thosendmines were exploded a thousand years ago, or else humankind would have lost this war.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Carolyn fell silent. Astrid and the others nodded in agreement. There was no question that the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital and the mass migration had caused much pain to humankind¡­ but what plight would have been awaiting humankind if they had continued residing on thend where the Ancient Austine Empire stood? The Savior¡¯s worshipers would have thrived under the influence of the Eggs of the Beast God, bing a persistent scourge to humankind. Furthermore, no matter how advanced human civilization became, the moment the Savior awakened and activated the Eggs of the Beast Gods underground, it would inflict a devastating blow to humankind. Humankind wouldn¡¯t have had the luxury of a thousand years to recuperate. They would have been obliterated in a single move without any chance of making aeback. In other words, humankind would have been doomed if Charles and Carolyn had never initiated the final n. Even though the final n failed, it brought about a ray of hope for humankind¡¯s survival. ¡°Things might not have gone the way you expected, but there¡¯s no doubt that you have saved humankind once,¡± Roel said. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± ¡°No, we should be the ones thanking you instead. Putting that aside, this incident shows that there¡¯s someone inmand of the Savior¡¯s faction, and as for that person¡¯s identity¡­¡± ¡°I might have a lead on that, but there¡¯s something more important at hand,¡± Paul suddenly said, much to Roel¡¯s confusion. ¡°My imperial sister has waged war on Lukas, and Lukas¡¯ target is the Abyss!¡± Chapter 654.1: Good News (1) In the era shadowed by the imminent awakening of the Savior and the Mother Goddess, there was one country that worried Roel and humankind¡¯s upper echelons: the Austine Empire. Humankind was united like never before, but the Austine Empire remained an unstable factor threatening to undermine their efforts. The problemy not with the Austine Empire¡¯s citizens or soldiers but its ruler, Emperor Lukas Ackermann. Lukas Ackermann was suspected to be one of the Savior¡¯s worshipers; this was no secret on the eastern border. It should go without saying that the united army¡¯s upper echelons wouldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to something as major as this. In fact, the Genesis Goddess Church had been secretly investigating and taking countermeasures against him. Had Lukas Ackermann been a king of a minor country, the church would have leaped in and captured him¡­ but that was not an option here. The Austine Empire was a powerful country boasting the greatestnd mass and tremendous military power, after all. To recklessly make a move on its ruler would be truly unwise. To make things worse, the Austine Empire was politically unstable. It was known for its tradition of fratricide, which would happen once every few decades or a century when the throne was up for grabs. It could be mild instability as the sessor tried to consolidate their power, or an all-out internal war where the noble houses picked their sides and fought to ensure their n¡¯s continued prosperity. This internal strife made good drama fodder for other countries. In the Theocracy, which was at loggerheads with the Austine Empire, there were even betting houses that epted bets on it. Some even imed that the Austine Empire was carrying the Theocracy¡¯s gambling industry on its shoulders. In a way, Emperor Lukas had stoked this family tradition of his by allowing his children to form their own factions, resulting in a three-sided rivalry. Without a doubt, chaos would swiftly befall the Austine Empire as soon as something happened to him. That was a situation the united army absolutely wanted to avoid, but there was only so much they could do as an external party. And Paul¡¯s words proved that what they had been worrying about all this while hade to fruition. ¡°My imperial sister has waged war on Lukas, and Lukas¡¯ target is the Abyss!¡± Roel was dumbstruck to hear Paul¡¯s words. He had a talk with Lilian about the Austine Empire prior to his departure from the eastern border, and the conclusion they hade to was for her not to move her troops no matter what happened. It was not to say that Lilian was not interested in the throne, but there was currently something far more important to her that she needed to protect now¡ªthe child she had with Roel. Those oblivious to Lilian¡¯s condition would not have found anything weird about her decision, but Roel, who knew how much she cherished their child, found it inconceivable. This prompted him to get to the bottom of the matter. ¡°You said Lilian waged war against Lukas? That¡¯s impossible! Did Lukas make the first move?¡± ¡°Actually, it was my imperial sister who made the first move.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Lilian was the one whounched the attack. She imed that her reason for doing so was to rescue the incarcerated Paul, but things are definitely not as simple as that,¡± Antonio added on, clearly perplexed by Lilian¡¯s behavior. However, Roel breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that. He was the person who knew Lilian the best after her personal maid, Audrey. Lilian could have been in danger if she were the one being attacked, but if she was the one on the offense, it was unlikely anything bad would happen to her. Lilian isn¡¯t the type to do anything rash¡­ ¡°I would have never expected my imperial sister to have an audience with Lukas all alone. That¡¯s too dangerous!¡± Paul suddenly eximed. ¡­What did he just say? Roel widened his eyes in shock. He lurched forward to grab Paul by his cor and anxiously asked, ¡°Wait a moment, Paul. You said Lilian had an audience with Lukas all alone? What the hell happened?¡± ¡°She mentioned in our correspondence that she was covering my retreat¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Calm down, Roel. Lilian is safe,¡± Astrid said, patting Roel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She did meet Lukas alone and the two of them had a fight, but she had already reached Origin Level 1 by then, so she didn¡¯t incur any injuries.¡± ¡°Lilian had her army stationed right outside the secondary pce, and the Austine Empire¡¯s Military God Layton Seze was there to support her too,¡± Antonio added. ¡°The battle didn¡¯tst too long. Lilian was able to safely retreat.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± Roel heaved a sigh of relief before finally releasing Paul. The group proceeded to share with him the happenings in the Austine Empire during the time he was away. Slowly, a frown formed on Roel¡¯s forehead. ¡­ The Austine Empire was already in civil war. Even though Lilian and Lukas were the triggers behind it, there were four factionspeting for supremacy here. As a matter of fact, Lilian wasn¡¯t acting out of recklessness, as she did have a n in mind. To im that she had attacked Lukas¡¯ secondary pce to save the incarcerated Paul was simply too weak a justification. Paul was an illegitimate son without any support whatsoever. Lukas, as his father in name, had the right to incarcerate Paul as he wished, and the others couldn¡¯t say a thing about it, as it was their internal family affair. It was definitely not a valid reason to justify attacking the emperor¡¯s secondary pce. But the situation was different now, as both Lilian and Layton had produced many documents and reports to use Emperor Lukas of colluding with the evil cultists. While Emperor Lukas had denied all allegations, another power stepped in to support Lilian¡¯s im: the Genesis Goddess Church. It was not just for a day or two that the Genesis Goddess Church had suspected Lukas and categorized him as an unstable element. Thus, it swiftly stepped in when Lilian announced her evidence and offered tremendous support. The church¡¯s mandate ced Lilian in the position of moral superiority, thus bringing public opinion to her side. When news regarding Lilian and Lukas¡¯ armed conflict got back to the country, the two princes, who had been lying low in the empire, jumped out and proimed that they couldn¡¯t allow an immoral emperor to lead the empire down a wrong path, thus joining the civil war too. This resulted in two main battlefields for the civil war¡ªone at the eastern border, and the other one within the empire. ¡°The eastern border was mostly peaceful when we came here. The united army wishes to preserve humankind¡¯s prowess as much as possible, so they have been trying to convince the armies supporting Lukas to surrender. At the same time, Lilian has received support from the other countries too. ¡°Meanwhile, in the Austine Empire, the two princes are deploying their troops toward the capital. Their military prowess is significant, but rivalry between the two of them is tripping them up. The nobles supporting Lilian have been quietly rallying under the Sezes¡¯ g, patiently awaiting their chance to strike.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel nodded in realization. He was a little surprised by the turn of events. He knew that while he was away in the Witness State, much had happened among Nora, Charlotte, Lilian, and Wilhelmina that greatly alleviated their animosity toward one another, but he hadn¡¯t expected them to be so united. There was no doubt that Nora and the others had a hand behind the other countries¡¯ swift support for Lilian. Even the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, which harbored a deep grudge against the Austine Empire, had provided financial help for Lilian¡¯s faction. However, the one that surprised Roel the most was Layton and the Seze House. ¡°I thought Layton was already preparing to retire. Who could have thought that he has been secretly conducting investigations over the years¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t expected Lilian to be able to secure Layton¡¯s support. This was tremendous, as Laytonmanded great prestige in the Austine Empire¡¯s military as the Military God. He was probably the reason the Sezes had chosen to side with Lilian. With such strong support, Lilian was pretty much in a safe position. Chapter 654.2: Good News (2) Roel¡¯s heart was put at ease. With that, he turned his attention toward the second issue he had noticed in Paul¡¯s words. ¡°Paul, you said that you were incarcerated by Lukas. What happened? And you mentioned that he¡¯s after the Abyss?¡± ¡°Yes, Lukas incarcerated and nearly killed me. His goal was to find out the details of the final n.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Roel was perplexed. ¡°Through my dreams,¡± Paul replied with a sigh before sharing his experience. Paul was saved by the sample he had nted inside the Life Tree beforehand, but it took a long time before he regained consciousness. The original purpose of the Life Tree was to nurture the divine child, and this process required a huge amount of mana. For more than a thousand years, this device was barely able to sustain Charles¡¯ life by absorbing the surrounding mana, let alone fully revive him. Over this long period of time, Paul¡¯s memories of his time as Charles Ackermann gradually settled into the recesses of his mind, and he lost his sense of self. That was also why he knew nothing about himself when he finally awakened. Charles had thought that he would only awaken when the doomsday prophecy was on the verge of fulfillment. By then, the world would be suffused with the Mother Goddess¡¯ and the Savior¡¯s mana, thus providing the Life Tree with enough mana to revive him. Little did he know one of the Austine Empire¡¯s emperors would suddenly remember him. While Charles was hibernating in the wilderness, Lukas Ackermann had taken over the throne of the Austine Empire and begun gathering andpiling information regarding Charles¡¯ abilities. His intention for doing so was not to redress Charles¡¯ grievances or inherit his will. It was just that his abilities were simr to Charles¡¯, so he wanted to gather some inspiration as to how he should develop his abilities. Such actions weremon, as it would spare the transcendent from wasting time on a futile pursuit. Were it not for the fact his lineage had been severed, Roel would have likely relied on that as well to develop his abilities. Unexpectedly, while he was investigating Charles, Lukas stumbled upon a fragmented portion of Charles¡¯ final n. It was unsure what thoughts had sparked in him, but he ordered the intelligence department to find the nurturing facility and bring it to the Austine Empire. By piecing together the clues in the fragmented portion of Charles¡¯ final n, they eventually found the nurturing facility. To be safe, Lukas stationed Charles at a remote mountainous region to observe him before finally summoning him to the royal pce. By then, he was already Paul Ackermann. ¡°Is that the reason you don¡¯t remember the past? What made you remember everything, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lukas¡¯ spell. The secondary pce itself is a grand spell. It draws out my deepest memories and presents them in the medium of dreams, where he¡¯ll be able to ess everything.¡± ¡°That exins why you were incarcerated there¡­ But why does Lukas want to know the past? What¡¯s his goal?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact details, but I can fathom a guess.¡± Paul nced at Carolyn. Carolyn nodded with a severe expression before asking the others, ¡°You mentioned earlier that you suspect Lukas has rtions with the Savior?¡± ¡°You can say so. We don¡¯t think that Lukas is a worshiper, but we have found irrefutable evidence that the Austine Empire has been working with the Fallens.¡± ¡°That simplifies matters.¡± Carolyn paused for a brief moment before continuing on, ¡°His goal is the Savior¡¯s power. He wishes to be a god.¡± ¡­ Gods were notmonce in the Sia Continent, but they weren¡¯t elusive existences either, especially in the ancient era. In the era of legendary races, the existence of gods was widely acknowledged¡ªthere were even races with more than one god. However, the ancient gods gradually died out after Sia¡¯s departure. By the time of humankind¡¯s era, there were hardly any gods left in the world. There was a hierarchy among gods too. For instance, the Savior and the Mother Goddess were supreme beings wielding powers far exceeding those of ordinary gods. That was also the level Lukas hoped to reach by attaining the power intended for the divine child via Charles¡¯ final n a thousand years ago. ¡°But the final n failed, didn¡¯t it? How does he intend to be a god?¡± Roel asked. ¡°While the final n has failed, the mana absorbed from the Savior still lingers. In fact, it has only continued to umte over thest thousand years. My guess is Lukas essed Charles¡¯ memory to find out more about the magic tool he constructed back then¡ªSia¡¯s Scepter,¡± Carolyn replied. ¡°Sia¡¯s Scepter?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a magic tool Charles created based on Sia¡¯s real scepter in the ancient era.¡± Carolyn proceeded to share more details about Sia¡¯s real scepter. Roel widened his eyes in shock, as it dawned on him that he had once seen and even used the Sia¡¯s Scepter Carolyn was talking about. It was the divine scepter used to suppress the Six Cmities in the Witness State. Sia¡¯s Scepter was rumored to be one of the strongest divine weapons, harnessing the ability to absorb any power, no matter how strong. Needless to say, it was a necessary tool to aplish the final n. Unlike the holy armor, there were no traces of Sia¡¯s Scepter left behind. It was nigh impossible to recreate something of the likes of Sia¡¯s Scepter from scratch. Even Charles was stumped. He had no choice but to rely on trial and error to slowly improve on his version of Sia¡¯s Scepter. His final product was significantly different from the real Sia¡¯s Scepter, but it was still passable in terms of functionality. ¡°Power has been umting in Sia¡¯s Scepter for a thousand years now, reaching an immense level to date. That¡¯s what Lukas is after. He¡¯d use that as a stepping stone to devour the Savior, as the divine child was nned to do in the final n,¡± Carolyn said. ¡°But¡­ Lukas doesn¡¯t have the Ascarts¡¯ bloodline. Even Carolyn couldn¡¯t absorb the Savior¡¯s powers, so how does he intend to do so?¡± Roel asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what he has in mind, but he has spent many years preparing for it. He must have figured something out,¡± Paul replied. The others nodded in agreement, thinking that they should heighten their vignce. With the doomsday prophecy at hand, it could be deadly if Lukas messed things up at this point. Even so, they weren¡¯t too worried after hearing the secrets surrounding the Second Epoch. In the first ce, Lukas wasn¡¯t in a favorable position at the moment. Time wasn¡¯t on his side; he was swiftly losing influence in the Austine Empire with every passing second. Even if he safely made his way to the Abyss, it was questionable whether he could enter. The seal from the Kingmaker n hadn¡¯t beenpletely released yet. It was a coincidence that Carolyn was able to slip out¡ªor rather, it could be said to be Roel¡¯s credit¡ªbut Lukas was unlikely to enjoy such good luck. Previously, as Roel was returning from the Witness State to the real world, the Collector nearly sent him into the Abyss. It was Carolyn who stepped in at that critical juncture and saved him¡­ but that was not all she did then. She made use of that opportunity to establish spatial coordinates with the outside world too. In the months that followed, she made countless attempts to liaise with the outside world. It helped that she wielded powers far surpassing the ancient gods¡¯, whereas the seal was weaker than ever, with the Savior on the brink of awakening. Finally, she found a gap through which to escape from that hellhole. Otherwise, the Savior would have killed her the moment He regained consciousness. Carolyn hadn¡¯t been resting ever since she made her escape. She was particrly anxious, knowing that they were on the brink of the doomsday prophecy. Thus, she executed the backup n they had formted back then and began eliminating the Mother Goddess¡¯ faction. She figured that if she could weaken the Mother Goddess to the same level as the Savior, with her strength, she could force a three-sided gridlock simr to that in the ancient era. Humankind would at least have some hope that way. Little did she expect to encounter Roel. ¡°Sia-fication¡ªwhat an incredible power. Perhaps it¡¯s Sia¡¯s will for someone like you to appear at this critical juncture,¡± Carolyn remarked with a sigh as she recalled the earlier battle. Her eyelids drooped as her consciousness faltered. She had overexerted herself this time around. Seeing that, Paul requested Astrid and Antonio to bring her back for treatment. Carolyn had been fighting alone for thest thousand years, and that had taken a toll on both her mind and her body. It was through sheer willpower that she hadsted thus far; anyone else in her ce would have long since sumbed. Astrid and the others understood that, which was why they quickly made preparations to return to the eastern border. Not to mention that Alicia was still unconscious, Roel was on the verge of caving in too. Unprecedented exhaustion was consuming his body and soul since he had depleted Sia¡¯s mana. Carolyn was the strongest enemy Roel had encountered to date, as well as the only one he had failed to subdue despite having gone all out. If not for the timely arrival of Paul and the others, it was hard to say who would be thest one standing. Roel looked at Paul and Carolyn and smiled. There was a question that had been bugging him for many years. Why is Paul the protagonist of Eyes of the Chronicler? He had finally found the answer to it, and he was satisfied with the changes he had brought about through his actions. In Eyes of the Chronicler, Paul shook free of Lukas¡¯ control regardless of the route he chose, so he never recovered his memories. Carolyn also never made an appearance, so it was likely that she died when the Savior reawakened. But everything changed as a result of Roel¡¯s interference. The two lovers were able to reunite after a thousand years, and he earnestly hoped that they could find their happiness after the many hardships they had gone through. He smiled at the unconscious Alicia before leaving together with Antonio and the others. Meanwhile, something huge was going on in the distant ins. Chapter 655.1: The Witch’s Prophecy (1) Carolyn was the only opponent Roel hadn¡¯t defeated thus far. The battle had ended in a tie, with both parties still standing at the end of the battle. However, the injuries both of them had sustained were worse than Astrid and the others could imagine. In particr, Carolyn waspletely worn out both in body and in mind from a thousand years of turmoil, and the influence of the Savior¡¯s mana was a huge issue too. Long years in the Abyss had afflicted Carolyn¡¯s mana with the Savior¡¯s depravity and madness, such that no one could have convinced her to stop other than Paul. In fact, the first thing Paul did after pushing down Carolyn was to fix the holy armor, which was why Roel and the others could have a peaceful conversation with her afterward. Even so, the repairs were temporary due to time and resource constraints. Once the effects of the holy armor wore out, Carolyn¡¯s mental state would revert to its earlier unstable state. Fortunately, Paul would be by her side, and Carolyn had strong willpower too. The two of them should be able to ovee this ordeal. On the other hand, Roel looked fine on the surface¡­ but that was only on the surface. While he was following Antonio back to the eastern border, he couldn¡¯t help feeling that a long time had passed. It had only been days since he set out on this journey to rescue Alicia, but a lot had happened within this short period of time. His battle with Alicia, the two shes with Carolyn afterward, meeting the Six Cmities¡¯ origins and Genesis Goddess Sia, his reunion with Astrid and Paul¡­ So many things had happened that he struggled to keep up with the situation. He had even made a breakthrough to Origin Level 1 in the process and acquired greater strength, but now he needed a rest. Roel dragged his heavy feet behind Antonio, and they soon arrived at Brolne¡¯s frontline camp, where he was weed not by cheering warriors but the Ascarts¡¯ and Brolne¡¯s medical teams, as well as Carter Ascart himself. ¡°Father? What is he doing here?¡± Roel asked. ¡°I was the one who contacted Marquess Carter. Lord Astrid was about to awaken, but you weren¡¯t around, so I could only ry the news to Marquess Carter,¡± Antonio replied. ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded. Carter looked at Roel with a conflicted expression. It was joyous news that Roel had safely returned with Alicia in his arms, but at the same time, this posed a conundrum to him. Or rather, this would have been a conundrum to any patriarch. All along, Carter had always been concerned about the Ascart House¡¯s small family tree, which was why, for a period of time, he had been proactively encouraging Roel to get into contact with the opposite gender. Not even in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that his long-awaited expansion of the Ascarts¡¯ family tree would happen not downward but upward. The first thought that came to his mind after learning the full story was: This won¡¯t be easy to deal with. Whether it was in terms of strength or seniority, Astrid and Carolyn were more qualified than him, not to mention that Carolyn, the first matriarch of the Ascart House, had her name printed on the very first row of their genealogy. This beckoned several crucial questions. Who is going to be the leader of the Ascart House from this day onward? And what is going to be our rtionship? By right, Carter should have relinquished his authority as the Ascarts¡¯ patriarch to Carolyn, but he was hesitant to do so as Carolyn hadn¡¯t been freed from the Savior¡¯s influence yet. She had already disyed extreme tendencies, and it was worrying to hand over the reins to someone like that. Determining seniority was going to be a pain in the ass too. Carter didn¡¯t have any gripes with Antonio getting together with Astrid, but it was a different story for Paul and Carolyn. While Paul had Charles¡¯ memories from a thousand years ago, he was still Roel¡¯s ssmate. Should he get together with Carolyn, the seniority would be all messed up. Paul is Roel¡¯s ssmate, so that makes him one generation younger than me. But if we look at it from Carolyn¡¯s side, his seniority would be many generations higher than mine¡­ So, should he be calling me ¡®uncle¡¯ or should I call him ¡®great-great¡­-great grandfather¡¯? Such seemingly trivial formalities were of great importance in the circle of nobility. Carter¡¯s cheeks twitched in distress as he struggled to figure out how he should address them. To his relief, the medical team rushed in then to tend to the bloodied Carolyn. Thus, he turned his attention toward Roel. He first looked at the deeply asleep Alicia in Roel¡¯s arms and heaved a sigh of relief before directing a heartened expression at Roel. Roel also looked at Carter with a heart brimming with sentimentality. Far too many things had happened over the past year. He knew his father hadn¡¯t had it easy. Carter had received a series of heavy blows in quick session, from Roel¡¯s disappearance, then Alicia¡¯s disappearance, to him sustaining severe injuries on the battlefield. It was hard to think what had been on his mind while he was recuperating in the empty Ascart manor. It was a relief everything was resolved. Roel came back from the Witness State, and Alicia regained her memories and returned to their side. The Ascart House was finally reunited in whole after undergoing so many difficulties. For that, Roel was thankful. Carter reined in his emotions and patted Roel¡¯s shoulder, saying, ¡°It has only been a few days, but you had an arduous journey.¡± ¡°It was indeed tough¡­¡± Roel replied with a bitter smile as he recalled the fights he had. ¡°But I¡¯m back now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Carter raised his hand, and the Ascarts¡¯ medical team rushed forward and carefully took Alicia from Roel¡¯s arms. Roel¡¯s taut nerves finally loosened. ¡°¡­Father, I¡¯ll leave Alicia and Lord Ancestor to you.¡± ¡°Leave them to me. You should take a rest too even though you aren¡¯t injured. Why don¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I should rest¡­¡± Roel finally lost control of his body and copsed to the ground. Thest thing he heard were shocked exmations before everything went dark. ¡­ Chapter 655.2: The Witch’s Prophecy (2) Roel opened his eyes once more and found himself bearing witness to a grand sight. Before him was a huge city under a drizzling night sky, full of pristine white buildings. The streets below were wide but deserted. Droplets of rain pelted the city walls. The sky was hazy gray rather than pitch-ck. This sight somehow spurred mncholy in him. He was standing on top of a slope, gazing upon the city that was reminiscent of a massive beast resting under the drizzle. The rain pattering on him swiftly wet his clothes. It took a while before he remembered where he was. This is Artasia¡¯s kingdom. Roel was always transported into the midst of the city, so he never had such a broad view of the city before. The weather was always clear too, regardless of day or night. This was the first time he had seen it drizzle here. He had struggled to recognize this ce right away due to these differences, but he was able to figure it out through the architectural design. That put his mind at ease. At least I¡¯m still alive, given how I still have a sense of consciousness. It also means that I still have the powers of my Kingmaker Bloodline, since I¡¯m able to enter Artasia¡¯s domain. This was the first time Roel had remained Sia-fied for so long. He had known that he would suffer a severe bacsh for that, but at least the price was not death. He probably got off lightly thanks to the gift he received from Sia, and his reaching Origin Level 1 likely helped too. After confirming his own condition, Roel began making his move. He took a moment to ascertain his position first before making his way into the city. This was not the first time he had embarked on this pilgrimage, but the journey seemed longer than before. In this deserted city, he could only hear the pitter-patter of the raindrops. Looking at the gray sky, he felt like something was weighing on his heart. ¡°It looks like ominous dark clouds are crushing the city,¡± Roel remarked as he advanced ahead. Half an hour¡¯s journeyter, he pushed open a heavy gate and entered a castle. His speed was impressive considering how he had just walked half of the city, but a perplexed frown formed on his face as he couldn¡¯t help but notice Artasia¡¯s absence. This was not the first time they were meeting, so there was no need for any formalities. In fact, in recent days, the Witch Queen would just directly transport him to her castle whenever she wanted to meet him. With a mind full of questions, Roel traced the familiar mana pulsation and finally found the Witch Queen. Artasia was standing alone in the courtyard, dazedly staring at the drizzling city. Her spells kept the rain from pelting her, but her forlorn silhouette looked inexplicably mncholic. ¡°¡­¡± After some hesitation, Roel decided to approach her. His footsteps caught the Witch Queen¡¯s attention. ¡°My hero? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who summoned me?¡± ¡°Hm? I didn¡¯t¡­ Ah, I see.¡± The white-haired witch was initially confused, but her eyes soon widened in realization, and she nodded. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I might have been subconsciously thinking about you. You happened to be knocked out, so I ended up summoning you here.¡± ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Roel remarked. ¡°Yes, what a coincidence,¡± Artasia replied with a smile. Roel silently stared at the Witch Queen¡¯s madder-red eyes for a few seconds before asking, ¡°¡­Are you not going to avoid the rain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine; it won¡¯t reach me anyway. It¡¯s rare for it to rain here,¡± Artasia said. ¡°Is that so?¡± Roel leisurely replied. He strolled into the courtyard and made his way over to Artasia¡¯s side, but he didn¡¯t deflect the raindrops with his mana, allowing them to pelt him. The Witch Queen looked at him, but she didn¡¯t say a thing. The two of them stood side by side as they gazed at the drizzling city. Something¡¯s wrong, Roel thought with an impassive face as he nced at the Witch Queen with his peripheral vision. The domains of the ancient gods could be described as snippets of the ancient gods¡¯ most impressionable memory while they were alive. They weren¡¯t real locations, so the concept of changing seasons and weather didn¡¯t apply. For instance, Roel had been to Grandar¡¯s sunset ins many times now, but there had never been a change in it. It was the same for Peytra¡¯s mountain valley. Yet, Artasia¡¯s kingdom felt so oppressive today, and even the drizzle felt icy-cold. What in the world happened? Roel thought about Artasia¡¯s earlier performance during his battle with Carolyn, but there wasn¡¯t anything amiss. Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t get to the bottom of this doing nothing, he spoke up. ¡°Artasia, you said you were thinking about me earlier. What were you thinking of? I¡¯m surprised it brought me in here.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m just worried about your body.¡± ¡°My body?¡± ¡°Your condition is better than I thought. You should be able to recover in half a month with that evil god¡¯s help¡­ No, just a week or so should suffice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel noticed how the Witch Queen had changed the topic. He shook his head and decided not to beat around the bush anymore, asking, ¡°Artasia, what happened?¡± ¡°What could you mean by that, my hero?¡± ¡°I should be asking you that. The rain¡­ feels a bit cold.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Stifled by Roel¡¯s words, Artasia raised her hand and dissipated the mana around her, allowing the rain to fall on her hand. The raindrops felt icy cold, sending chills through her body. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Everything in your domain is a reflection of your heart, from the gloomy weather to the rain,¡± Roel calmly pointed out as he looked at the Witch Queen mildly. ¡°Artasia, what happened? Or should I ask, ¡®What¡¯s about to happen?¡¯¡± ¡°!¡± The Witch Queen shook a little upon hearing thetter half of Roel¡¯s words. There was a subtle change in her expression as she confronted Roel¡¯s peaceful eyes. Did I hit the nail on the head? Roel wondered. In the end, Artasia let out a sigh and remarked, ¡°My hero, why do you always have to get to the bottom of things?¡± ¡°How can I not get to the bottom of things after seeing you in this state? So, what happened?¡± ¡°You can say that I¡¯m getting nervous from remembering the past¡­¡± Artasia softly murmured. She continued to stare at the drizzling city before suddenly turning to Roel and asking, ¡°My hero, can you promise me something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Do everything you can to recover as quickly as possible, and if a battle breaks out soon, you should absolutely avoid fighting alone.¡± ¡°Fighting alone?¡± Roel was confused. He didn¡¯t even know whom he was going to fight with! There was nothing urgent for him to deal with at the moment. The deviants were still fighting amongst themselves after losing their leader. The only battlefield he might step onto was the war in the Austine Empire, but the chances of that were slim. Lukas was the former emperor, after all. Roel, as a noble of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, couldn¡¯t carelessly involve himself in the war, else it could lead to animosity between the two countries. Roel shook his head, thinking that he was unlikely to get into a fight in the near future, but before he could ask Artasia about what she was getting at, he suddenly froze up. Wait a moment. Is it possible that¡­ Roel stared at Artasia with eyes widened in horror as he asked, ¡°Is the Savior on the verge of awakening?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Witch Queen was silent for several seconds before slowly nodding. Roel¡¯s mind immediately whirred into action. The doomsday prophecy¡ªit was not just once or twice Roel had heard about it. It was a disaster that humans of the present generation had to ovee if they didn¡¯t want to go extinct. For thousands of years, humankind had done everything they could to avert it, but evidently, their efforts had been futile. ¡°¡­It¡¯s finally here?¡± Roel murmured while looking at the gloomy city before him. He finally understood why Artasia was so uneasy. A helpless smile formed on his lips as he softly asked, ¡°Are you certain?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, won¡¯t you answer a question of mine?¡± Roel said with a heavy sigh. ¡°Artasia, you have already seen my ending, haven¡¯t you?¡± Chapter 656.1: I’ll Take You Away (1) Everyone had their own secrets; they were inevitable in a bid for privacy. Ironically, secrets were also often the bridge that brought people together, as they invited curiosity. Humans instinctively sought to understand the unknown, which was why they were drawn to those shrouded in mystery. And of Roel¡¯s ancient gods, the most mysterious one of all was Witch Queen Artasia. The Witches used to be known as Sia¡¯s shadow, shouldering the duty to punish and enforce. They wielded immense power and authority that was said to rival the Kingmaker n, but they were an enigmatic race that rarely appeared before others. The Witches were an enigmatic existence even in the ancient era, let alone now, when most information about them had eroded. Witch Queen Artasia was even more so. Thinking about it, Roel knew next to nothing about Artasia. He knew Grandar was the final Giant Sovereign who sacrificed himself to bring down the Savior. He knew Peytra was the first Saint Beast Sovereign who fought beside Sia in the early years of the world. He knew Edavia was born during the world¡¯s creation, and Sia sealed her away due to how dangerous her abilities were. Yet, he knew nothing about Artasia, be it the era she was from, the experiences she had been through, or the eventual cause of her death. Everything about her was a mystery. He couldn¡¯t find any clues about her existence from this rainy city. She had simply too many secrets. He knew that there was a basis behind the Witches¡¯ unfathomability¡ªit made it harder for others to interfere in their jobs as the world¡¯s enforcers. Still, it was unusual how Artasia had remained mysterious despite their having been together for such a long time. He was aware that Artasia was hiding something from him. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but his instincts told him it was something huge. ¡°Artasia, you have already seen my ending, haven¡¯t you?¡± Roel calmly asked. Artasia¡¯s madder-red eyes widened in astonishment. The Witches, as a race that had grasped countless forbidden spells, were definitely capable of predicting the future via divination spells. The courtyard fell silent, as if the pitter-patter of the rain was the only sound in the world. Artasia¡¯s prolonged silence indirectly answered Roel¡¯s question. ¡°Did I hit the nail on the head? I expected something along that line, but I must say that I¡¯m still surprised that you possess such means.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t divine it¡­ but the oue is the same.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Why don¡¯t you tell me what you saw so that I can prepare for it?¡± There was a brief moment of silence as Artasia lowered her head and scrunched up her face in a dilemma before she replied, ¡°¡­I can¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was taken aback. Her voice sounded a little hoarse for a brief moment there, which prompted him to turn to look at her. ¡°Artasia, you¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say it.¡± Artasia repeated her response once more. Her voice had already reverted to normal, but her head remained lowered, as if she didn¡¯t want Roel to see her eyes and her expression. ¡°¡­I see.¡± Seeing that, Roel chose not to probe any deeper. ¡°But you¡¯re certain that the Savior is about to awaken, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I am certain of that.¡± ¡°I should have guessed. If Carolyn was able to leave the Abyss, there¡¯s no reason He can¡¯t do the same,¡± Roel murmured with a nod. Thinking about the terrifying aura he had felt from the Abyss evoked a sigh from him. He had already guessed that the Savior was going to awaken soon¡ªnot when Carolyn emerged from the Abyss, but even further back, when Astrid started showing signs of awakening. While Antonio, through many years of research, had found a way to extract Astrid from the Chaos Dream, he had reported that Astrid had disyed brief bouts of consciousness before then. Roel¡¯s understanding of Astrid was that thetter would willingly remain asleep as long as she could stall the Savior¡¯s awakening. She would have even stopped Antonio from rescuing her. From the moment Astrid chose to go with Antonio¡¯s n, he knew that the Chaos Dream must have lost its effectiveness on the Savior. In other words, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the Savior fully awakened. ¡°Did you subconsciously call me here because of that? My apologies. I showed you some unpleasant things,¡± Roel remarked. ¡°¡­What do you intend to do if things don¡¯t end well?¡± Artasia suddenly raised her head, revealing a glimmer in her madder-red eyes as she awaited an answer. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°What if¡­ I can take you to safety?¡± ¡°Take me to safety?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll take you out of this world. Any crisis you¡¯re facing will cease to exist. You¡¯ll be freed from any fate awaiting you, even a fate of certain death.¡± Artasia¡¯s voice sounded surprisingly agitated, and her eyes quivered ever so slightly. Roel widened his eyes in shock, not knowing how he should answer. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®taking me out of this world¡¯¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly how it sounds. There are actually many ces you can escape to if you wish to circumvent the conflict, whether it¡¯s the spatial cracks or the Great Chaos. Didn¡¯t you meet one of the residents of that ce not too long ago?¡± ¡°Residents?¡± It took a moment before Roel realized that the Witch Queen was referring to the fiend titan he had defeated during his battle with Carolyn. The Fiend Titans were a projection of the ancient era¡¯s Titans, who existed in the Great Chaos. That was a ce Sia had sealed off, where all kinds of peculiar existences were exiled. Neither the Mother Goddess nor the Savior would be interested in that ce. They couldn¡¯t possibly open Pandora¡¯s box just to eliminate him, which meant that he could circumvent future dangers if he could find a way there. ¡°But that¡¯s a space Sia sealed away. How can we enter a ce like that?¡± ¡°Sia was the one who ced the seal there, and the seal is indeed sturdy. However, nothing in this world can escape the senescence of time. You are now an Origin Level 1 transcendent, and you are capable of temporary Sia-fication as well. It might be possible to pull it off if we use your powers together with my Cogs of Time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The Great Chaos might be dangerous, but you won¡¯t find anyone as powerful as the Savior there. It¡¯s a ce free from worldlyws and fate. As long as I¡¯m around, as long as we have this kingdom, you won¡¯t have any trouble living there. So¡­¡± Artasia took a step forward in the drizzle and grabbed Roel¡¯s sleeve. The small puddle on the ground that reflected the two of them rippled under her feet. Time seemed to have momentarily halted in this empty city. Amidst this silence, Roel lowered his head to face Artasia. A long timeter, he let out a sigh and replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Artasia.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a simple answer devoid of any exnation, but it was enough to ry Roel¡¯s decision to the Witch Queen. After seconds of silence, she released her grip and murmured, ¡°Why? Someone of your wits should know what might arise from your decision!¡± ¡°I know. A tough battle awaits me,¡± Roel replied with a strained smile. Artasia clenched her fists as she sneered mockingly, ¡°Tough? My hero, you can¡¯t be so naive as to think that you can subdue the Savior just because you defeated that woman. You¡¯re severely underestimating him. Even the final n from a thousand years ago couldn¡¯t end him for good. What Carolyn had suppressed was only the Savior in hibernation. Believe me when I say that His powers will be immeasurably greater once He awakens from His slumber.¡± She sounded infuriated. ¡°¡­I know,¡± Roel calmly replied with a nod. ¡°I understand what you are saying. I¡¯m aware that I¡¯mckingpared to the Savior even after advancing to Origin Level 1, and there¡¯s still the Mother Goddess even if I seed.¡± ¡°If you know, why do you still¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there many reasons I should fight too?¡± Roel interjected as he wistfully looked at the drizzling city. ¡°As an awakener of the Kingmaker n, I seek to fulfill my ancestors¡¯ will to save humankind from the doomsday prophecy. ¡°As a member of the Ascart House, it is my dearest wish to ensure the safety of my little sister and my father. ¡°As a noble of the Saint Mesit Theocracy, I have sworn to protect my liege and my people. ¡°As someone bound in a hundred-year-old engagement, I want to take care of my fianc¨¦e. ¡°As a father-to-be, I am duty-bound to be a shelter for my child and their mother. ¡°As the beneficiary of a vow, I hope that the knight who pledged her life to protect me can enjoy the happiness of a mundane life. ¡°Other than that, there are my friends who staked their lives to save me from the desert, the elders who believed in me, the soldiers who fought in the Battle of Scorched Earth, and the rest of humankind¡­ There are far too many things I can¡¯t give up on. Last but not least¡­¡± Roel paused at this point to look at the Witch Queen. There was a faint smile on his lips, and his golden eyes were glowing with spirit. ¡°As your contractor, I don¡¯t want to embarrass you.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way the great Witch Queen would contract with a spineless coward, right?¡± Roel said with a smile. ¡°¡­¡± Artasia stared at Roel with quivering eyes. In the end, she hoarsely replied, ¡°Do whatever you want.¡± Throwing those words out, the Witch Queen turned around to hide her expression. The falling raindrops conveniently masked any other sounds. ¡°Is there anything else you want to say?¡± Artasia asked. ¡°Ah? You were the one who called me here, so¡­¡± Roel was taken aback by the question. ¡°Then you should leave.¡± Seemingly dissatisfied with Roel¡¯s answer, the Witch Queen waved her hand. Roel was immediately assaulted by a wave of irrepressible fatigue. ¡°Wait, Artasia¡­¡± Roel tried to say something, but his senses were fading far too fast. Before he could finish his words, his heavy eyelids closed, and his consciousness was devoured by darkness. ¡­ Chapter 656.2: I’ll Take You Away (2) In the drizzling courtyard, Roel¡¯s body copsed after he lost consciousness, but before it could hit the ground, an invisible hand propped it up and held it in mid-air. The Witch Queen finally turned around to look at the sleeping ck-haired man. With a wave of her hand, she moved his body to a nearby bench. Usually, Roel¡¯s manifested body would dissipate from the ancient god¡¯s domain after he lost consciousness, and he would wake up in the real world shortly afterward. But this time around, his body showed no signs of dissipation at all. There was a simple reason behind this anomaly¡ªRoel had really just fallen asleep this time. The Witch Queen had expelled Roel from her domain many times before, but this time, she had only cast a sleeping spell. In her domain, she was capable of pulling that off without catching Roel¡¯s notice. Thetter would wake up without noticing anything amiss. But of course, that would happen only after the Witch Queen decided to send him off. Amidst the drizzle, Artasia looked at Roel with a flickering gleam in her eyes, as if she was fearful or in a dilemma. Silence settled in the courtyard again. Rain fell relentlessly, pelting the nts in the courtyard. It took ten whole minutes before she began to move. ¡°Think of it aspensation for then¡­¡± Walking up to Roel, Artasia raised her hand to touch his cheek, only to stop the moment her fingertips came into contact with his skin. Her hands awkwardly stopped in midair for a few seconds before she slowly parted Roel¡¯s hair. Her cheeks reddened as she looked at Roel¡¯s sleeping visage. Her eyes turned gentle. She took several breaths as her gaze slowly moved down to his lips. ¡°¡­¡± There was another prolonged silence before the Witch Queen made up her mind and bent down. Her white hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her warm cherry lips glistened as if they were coated with honey. The atmosphere heated up despite the cold weather. Not even the pattering raindrops could mask her rapid breathing. The distance between their lips slowly closed, and just as they were about to meet¡­ ¡°I¡¯m surprised. I didn¡¯t expect this from you.¡± ¡°!¡± Artasia¡¯s eyes narrowed in shock. She quickly turned around and saw an orange-haired girl behind her. ¡°It¡¯s you again! Who allowed you in here?!¡± The unexpected arrival of an unwee guest made Artasia¡¯s face turnpletely red. There was a p of lightning as her mana billowed. She red at Edavia with such menacing eyes that it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if she murdered thetter. This was the second time Edavia had interrupted her at a critical moment. How could she not be infuriated? However, Edavia wasn¡¯t bothered at all. ¡°I¡¯m here because you¡¯re hindering his recovery by pulling him in here. I¡¯ve already given you plenty of time to talk things out. There¡¯s no end to this if I continue waiting.¡± ¡°Wait! H-how long have you been here?¡± ¡°I entered shortly after Roel came here, but you were so distracted that you didn¡¯t even notice him, so it¡¯s no wonder you didn¡¯t notice me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Artasia opened and closed her mouth in utter shock. Edavia nced at the sleeping Roel and remarked, ¡°I¡¯m surprised, though. I thought you would talk about yourself. You tried to persuade him to leave with you instead.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong with that?¡± ¡°Is there a point in doing so? You¡¯ll be in agony regardless of his choice. You are the one who needs faith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Artasia at a loss for words, Edavia dropped the topic with a wave of her hand. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯d be even more surprising if you can firmly stand your ground when faced with such an opponent, though I must say that I¡¯m curious to know what you have in mind.¡± ¡°¡­What I have in mind?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Edavia floated over to Roel¡¯s side as she asked, ¡°You imed that it¡¯s a despairing situation, but it¡¯s not as if we don¡¯t stand a chance, right?¡± ¡°¡­What makes you say so?¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have allowed him to choose if there¡¯s no hope at all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before the Spiriteer Sovereign¡¯s intense stare, Artasia fell silent once more. Much to Edavia¡¯s surprise, the Witch Queen affirmatively answered her question, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a sliver of hope, but¡­ it¡¯s just a possibility.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, at least to me.¡± Edavia looked at the sleeping Roel. A smile crept onto her face as she thought about the happenings in the Witness State. She nced at Artasia and asked, ¡°So, are you going to continue?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯ve lost my mood.¡± Artasia took onest look at the sleeping man before vanishing into thin air. Edavia shook her head in resignation before grabbing Roel¡¯s shoulder. She was just about to bring Roel out of the Witch Queen¡¯s domain when she suddenly noticed something and raised her head. ¡°Oh? The sky has cleared up.¡± Edavia watched a crack of sunlight pierce through the dark clouds before leaving with Roel. ¡­ Chapter 656.3: I’ll Take You Away (3) War had gued humankind¡¯s eastern border for at least half of the thousand years since the beginning of the Third Epoch. Countless humans and deviants had ughtered each other here for the future of their races. The eastern border had be the birthce of heroes and origin of legends, but above that, it had also be the symbol of humankind¡¯s unity. Yet, infighting broke out within humankind at the eastern border for the very first time. The powerful Austine Empire had descended into civil war at this critical time, resulting in infighting not just on the eastern border but back in its mothend too. In Noyce Fortress, Lilian stared at a document with a deep furrow on her forehead. A week ago, in order to save Paul Ackermann, Lilian, who had maintained a low profile for several years now for the sake of her child, suddenly mobilized her troops to Emperor Lukas¡¯ secondary pce under the guise of a negotiation, so as to facilitate Paul¡¯s escape. Such an action was tantamount to treason, but this wasmonce in the Austine Empire¡¯s noble tradition of ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯. There was no doubt she would suffer severe bacsh for it, but she was influential enough to bear its brunt. What she hadn¡¯t expected was for Layton to appear at this juncture and present to her a report of his hundred-year-long investigation. The report had overwhelming evidence of Emperor Lukas¡¯ long-term collusion with the Savior¡¯s worshipers. This changed Lilian¡¯s mind. If Lukas were only an ambitious and callous emperor, Lilian wouldn¡¯t have staged a revolt, especially not at this juncture. In fact, there had always been a part of her that had wanted to win Lukas¡¯ acknowledgment and inherit the crown in such a way. But everything changed after she saw the document. Lukas was so powerful that his collusion with the evil cultists could threaten humankind¡¯s safety, but even if not for that, Lilian couldn¡¯t forgive Lukas for working with the Fallens in her personal capacity too. The Fallens were the greatest enemies of the Kingmaker n. She and her lover were descendants of the Kingmaker n, and the child inside her was likely going to be an awakener of the Kingmaker Bloodline too. Back in the Witness State, Astrid had told them that if two individuals who possessed the same bloodline experienced bloodline resonance, there was a high chance that their offspring would awaken to their bloodline too¡­ and Roel and Lilian fulfilled these criteria. The Fallens would always be a threat to the Kingmaker n, evident by how Roel¡¯s life had been fraught with danger from a young age. If she allowed the Fallens to run amok, her child would face constant threats from them too. Needless to say, she wouldn¡¯t allow that to happen. To verify the authenticity of the news, Lilian marched toward Lukas¡¯ pce alone, and their confrontation culminated in a battle. Much to her surprise, Lukas¡¯ ability was extremely simr to Paul¡¯s. Lukas had summoned dozens of magic swords and hurled them toward Lilian. That was one of the most dangerous situations Lilian had ever been in; the slightest carelessness could have cost her life. It was fortunate she had already reached Origin Level 1. As thick fortress walls rose from the ground, the trajectory of the world was slowly being set in stone. ¡­ Ten Fortresses was one of the strongest defensive spells in the world. After reaching Origin Level 1, Lilian could readily summon the fortresses whenever she needed, and that was what rendered Lukas helpless against her. There was nock of divine artifacts and magic swords in history that wielded the power to swiftly tear down fortresses, but Lilian¡¯s Ten Fortresses embodied humankind¡¯s greatest hope. Something like that couldn¡¯t be easily torn down. She fully unleashed Ten Fortresses to signal her army stationed outside the secondary pce to strike, thus marking the Austine Empire¡¯s descent into internal strife. Under Layton¡¯s leadership, and with assistance from the spies they had nted beforehand, Lilian¡¯s army took only two hours to prate into the heart of the secondary pce. To their surprise, Paul had already been saved by Principal Antonio. Thus, Lilian chose to retreat with her soldiers to Noyce Fortress. Her decision hade as a disappointment to some, as they thought that Lilian and Layton could have worked together to take down Lukas. However, Lilian herself knew that it wasn¡¯t that simple. While both Lukas¡¯ and Paul¡¯s abilities involved forging their own equipment to enhance their fighting prowess, Lilian noticed a huge difference in their fighting styles. Unlike Paul, Lukas was well-versed in spatial spells. He could instantaneously summon his divine artifacts and magic swords to swiftly overwhelm and eliminate his enemy. This was very disadvantageous for a close-quarter fighter like Layton. Should something happen to Layton, the morale of Lilian¡¯s army would be greatly shaken. After weighing the pros and cons, Lilian decided to retreat with her soldiers. To her surprise, Lukas didn¡¯t dispatch soldiers after her, as if he wasn¡¯t interested in dealing with her at all. As news spread, a political upheaval ensued in the Austine Empire. The two filial princes, who had always argued over who should serve their father tea, heard the news and announced that they would join the crusade against Lukas, resulting in chaos spreading across the empire. In contrast, the eastern border, where Lilian had retreated to, was extremely peaceful, perhaps even boring. Lilian had chosen to take a defensive stance in this upheaval. With humankind facing external threats of unprecedented proportions, Lukas¡¯ actions were so damaging that no country could turn a blind eye to them anymore. It would be unwise for the united army to directly interfere in the Austine Empire¡¯s internal war, so they had instead focused their efforts on influencing the Austine Empire¡¯s soldiers to renounce their loyalty to Lukas. Lukas¡¯ faction would only grow weaker over time, whereas Lilian¡¯s faction would grow stronger. To win over the enemy¡¯s soldiers without shedding any blood¡ªthis was indubitably the correct move for Lilian to make. However, she couldn¡¯t help but be bothered by Lukas¡¯ actions. Gentle moonlight shrouded Lilian in ayer of ethereality as she browsed through a report with a frown. Her personal maid, Audrey, patiently stood beside her while awaiting her orders, though she couldn¡¯t stop her heart from racing when she nced at her beautiful liege despite being a woman herself. ¡°Are there still no movements from Lukas¡¯ side?¡± Lilian finally asked. ¡°Yes, Your Highness. There have been no movements from Cato Stronghold from evening till now,¡± Audrey replied. ¡°What about the surrendered garrison troops?¡± ¡°They are steadily increasing in number, but they don¡¯t seem to know much either.¡± At this point, Audrey suddenly frowned as she recalled the news they had just received from the united army. ¡°ording to the united army, the garrison troops had been guarding the stronghold as per normal. They didn¡¯t receive any special mobilization order despite the outbreak of internal war. In fact, they didn¡¯t even repair the devastated audience room where you shed with Lukas.¡± ¡°¡­They didn¡¯t even repair the audience room?¡± Lilian murmured doubtfully. Audrey nodded affirmatively as she added, ¡°Indeed. It shouldn¡¯t have been difficult to repair the audience room with the spellcasters stationed in the stronghold, but¡­¡± Her words slowly quietened down as she struggled toprehend what the enemy was up to. Since the outbreak of internal war, Noyce Fortress had thoroughly prepared itself to face an attack from Lukas, but surprisingly, the armies that were loyal to Lukas remained quiet, not making any moves at all. This was at odds with how Lukas usually dealt with revolts. There had been three attempts at revolt since Lukas came to power, and he always moved decisively to quell the rebellion before the situation went out of control. Considering that Lukas was the stronger one now, there was no reason for him to hold still. Yet, Lukas showed no inclination to make a move. He didn¡¯t even repair the audience room, which symbolized the emperor¡¯s dignity. This was highly abnormal. ¡°He seems to be waiting for something¡­¡± Lilian analyzed. As for what he was waiting for, she thought about his expression when theyst met, and a thought surfaced in her mind. Before she could speak it aloud, she suddenly sensed a powerful mana pulsation from afar. It first sparked from the depths of Tark Prairie, and it swiftly grew in terms of intensity and area. Soon, it engulfed the area with a roaring ocean of mana. ¡°This!¡± Lilian shot to her feet and rushed to the window. It was not just her; the entire eastern border was shaken awake by this phenomenon. The unimaginably powerful mana pulsation roused countless soldiers from their sleep. Sentries tightly gripped their weapons in fear. rms red all around. Commotions broke out in all camps almost at the same time. All of the high transcendents looked eastward at the same time. They instinctively sensed that something was happening in that direction, but they couldn¡¯t put their finger on it. The mana around them became slightly turbid. This wasn¡¯t a cause of concern for most, but those who knew the inside details were horrified. In Noyce Fortress, Lilian¡¯s expression turned heavy upon sensing the Fallens¡¯ aura. Over at Brolne¡¯s barracks, Antonio and Astrid stared at the distant east with steely faces. In Cato Stronghold, a cold-faced man opened his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s finally begun,¡± Lukas Ackermann muttered as he stood up and marched toward his final goal. Chapter 657: Silenced on the Spot Quality of sleep was important for humans, whether it was in the Sia Continent or Roel¡¯s previous life. As mortal beings¡¯ wills were driven by their bodies, the quality of their sleep could determine their efficiency. This was even more so for transcendents. No one wanted to lose their life on the battlefield due to ack of sleep, which was why there was great emphasis on ensuring that soldiers received sufficient rest on the eastern border. There were exceptions, though, such as Alicia, who became more energetic the more she stayed upte. Roel¡¯s sleep quality had been decent over the years. Grandar and the others kept an eye out for his safety, so he didn¡¯t have to keep his guard up at all times¡­ though things were a little weird this time around. He opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. He was in a mostly dark room, lit only by specks of flickering light that asionally cast a shadow on his face. He scanned his surroundings, but he didn¡¯t lose hisposure. He knew where he was. Back when he was still attending Saint Freya Academy, as one of the Ringbearers, he was privy to the details of some of the ongoing research. One of them involved a magic tool that monitored one¡¯s vital signs, reminiscent of a modern-day ICU. It looked like it was finally being put to use. The familiar magic tools around him sent a wave of nostalgia through Roel, making him feel as if he had returned to his academy days. However, he couldn¡¯t help but be confused by his current condition. It was not that he was in a terrible state; it was the opposite, actually. He was in an unbelievably good condition. It was a stretch to say that he was invigorated, but he was faring much better than he had expected. Compared to thest time he fainted after undergoing Sia-fication, during which even opening his eyes was a struggle, he was healing ridiculously fast this time. Wait a moment. I can¡¯t have gone back in time or anything, right? Roel wondered. Before he could dwell too much on it, Edavia suddenly appeared out of thin air, smiled at him, and said, ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Not too bad.¡± Roel¡¯s heart was put at ease by Edavia¡¯s smile, and his hastened heartbeat calmed down. Edavia nodded in relief as she remarked, ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you received Sia¡¯s mana, or else things could have gotten troublesome.¡± ¡°Were my injuries severe?¡± ¡°¡®Severe¡¯ is an understatement. Sia-fication is too much of a burden for any soul to bear. Your soul bes tattered each time you resort to it. Even as you recover from it, damage of this extent will leave a trauma on your soul, lengthening your downtime with each use.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I really ought to thank Sia the next time we meet.¡± Roel recalled his encounter with Sia at the Divine Altar and felt a surge of gratitude toward Her. However, Edavia was taken aback by those words. ¡°Thank Sia? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah! I haven¡¯t told you about it yet. Back when I made a breakthrough to Origin Level 1, I was brought to the Divine Altar, where I met Sia. She bestowed Her mana on me, which was why¡­¡± ¡°Hold on! You¡¯re saying you met Sia?¡± Edavia interrupted Roel in agitation halfway through his recount. It was rare for her to show such an expression, but Roel understood where she wasing from and nodded with a smile. Sia held special significance to Edavia, upying an important position in her heart. Roel continued his ount, and he couldn¡¯t help but recall Sia¡¯s motherly warmth. That filled him with fondness for Her. To his surprise, Edavia frowned upon hearing his ount. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. Sia has long since passed away. Putting aside the question of whether it¡¯s possible for Her to leave a remnant of Her power, it should be impossible for Her to converse.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing impossible about it. I saw Her with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Could it be a projection of the past or something?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible. Her presence is unmistakable,¡± Roel replied affirmatively. Even so, Edavia still refused to ept it. ¡°It could be a dream.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way it could have been a dream¡­ Dreams can only reveal what a person already knew, but I have never been to the Divine Altar or heard about it before. I only learned about its existence through Sia¡¯s words.¡± ¡°But this¡­¡± Edavia still found it hard toe to terms with it. ¡°It¡¯s not that far-fetched of an idea for Sia to have left remnants at important ces. My ancestor, Ro Ascart, used that method to leave a message for me. If he¡¯s able to do so, it should be possible for Sia to do the same.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s not that simple. Even the smallest fragment of Sia¡¯s soul harnesses a tremendous amount of power. She¡¯d risk destabilizing the world if She recklessly severed Her soul. It¡¯s unlikely for Her to have done something like that,¡± Artasia murmured in uncertainty, as if considering other possibilities but to no avail. Roel was put at a loss. He had to concede Edavia¡¯s words made sense, but he couldn¡¯t think of any other possibilities regarding this matter. Supposing that the Sia he met was a fake, how did the fake bestow upon him Sia¡¯s mana? It was a baffling situation, but Roel decided not to dwell too much on it. He turned his attention toward another matter and asked, ¡°By the way, Edavia, I felt much more clear-headed when I woke up this time, as if I had slept for a long time. Do you know what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Duh, it¡¯s because you really slept for a long time, not to mention that it was a really deep sleep. You literally fell asleep while you were already asleep! Edavia stared weirdly at Roel for a few seconds before replying, ¡°It might be because you had a good sleep. Your soul got plenty of rest.¡± ¡°Oh? This has never happened before. Is there a secret to it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Edavia¡¯s expression stiffened once more, as she found herself at a loss as to how she should answer the question. Even her eyes started to shift around unnaturally. Secret? The secret is that you fell for the Witch Queen¡¯s sleeping spell! You almost got taken advantage of, and you¡¯re still praising the culprit? Edavia seriously considered whether she should tattle on the Witch Queen here. She had taken up the responsibility of protecting Roel¡¯s soul when they made their contract, but this was only against enemies and not allies. The ancient gods were still free to summon Roel when they needed to, which was why Artasia faced no trouble dragging his soul into her domain. Now that I think about it, the Witch Queen is the one responsible for this situation. I don¡¯t think I can be faulted for anything. In fact, I was the one who brought him back! I don¡¯t have to feel so nervous about this matter! Edavia didn¡¯t truly understand the significance of a kiss, having only read about it in her books. She didn¡¯t think that there was a need for Artasia to hide anything, as her only wrongdoing was casting a sleeping spell on Roel. Given their rtionship, that wasn¡¯t a big deal. Having thought things through, Edavia heaved a sigh of relief. Her eyes focused once more on Roel, as she began revealing the truth with a smile: ¡°Actually, Arta¨C¡± ¡°!¡± A surge of mana suddenly burst forth from Roel¡¯s body and severed Edavia¡¯s window within a split second. ¡°Ah?¡± Roel widened his eyes as he sensed something was amiss, but before he could react, Edavia had already vanished into thin air. Then, the Witch Queen manifested in front of him, short of breath. ¡°Hu, hu, hu¡­¡± ¡°Artasia?¡± Roel asked in bewilderment, not knowing what Artasia was up to. The Witch Queen shuddered upon hearing Roel¡¯s voice. She slowly turned to look at him, revealing the fluster in her madder-red eyes. Roel was perplexed. He could tell that Artasia was the one who had severed Edavia¡¯s window, and that made him wonder if a conflict had broken out between the two of them. Knowing that he was going to ask about it, Artasia blurted out the first thing she could think of. ¡°¡­The Savior.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°T-the Savior has awakened. You should be able to sense it too,¡± Artasia said as she forced herself to calm down. Ironically, the Savior was truly her savior in this instant. Roel¡¯s expression turned grave, as he immediately understood her words. The room he was recuperating in was concentrated with mana, thanks to the magic tools operating around him, but he could sense a heavy and cold aura in this mana that induced vexation¡ªit was the Savior¡¯s aura. ¡°Why would the Savior¡¯s mana appear here? Isn¡¯t the entrance to the Abyss located at the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Capital Cathedral?¡± Roel murmured with a frown. As the entrance to the Abyss was located far away from humankind, he had thought that it would take a while before the threat of the Savior reached them. No matter how powerful the Savior was, His influence was bound to be diminished when He was far away. Yet, as soon as the Savior awakened, thend they dwelled on immediately became a den for evil cultists. This filled Roel with an ominous feeling. He looked at Artasia, and thetter nodded. ¡°He has moved.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel couldn¡¯t believe his ears. Before he could probe deeper into the matter, he heard footsteps outside. ¡°You should ask them for more details,¡± Artasia said before leaving in a hurry. The door opened, and a tired-looking Antonio entered the room. He wasn¡¯t surprised to see Roel awake, though he heaved a sigh of relief before asking, ¡°You¡¯re awake, Roel. How are you feeling? Any difort anywhere?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve recovered pretty well. Principal Antonio, how long was I asleep for?¡± ¡°Not too long¡ªthree days.¡± ¡°Three days?¡± The world has changed so much in just three days? Roel clenched his fist, as he struggled to ept how turbid the surrounding mana had be in just three short days. He was forced to concede yet again that the Savior was a formidable adversary. ¡°What happened over the past three days? How are Alicia and Carolyn? How did the surrounding mana get so turbid?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Antonio looked at the anxious Roel, not knowing where he should start from. He took a moment to gather his thoughts before replying, ¡°You need not be worried about Alicia. Her soul haspletely stabilized. She woke up once not too long ago, and she¡¯ll likely be fully healed the next time she wakes up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. What about Carolyn?¡± ¡°Lord Carolyn¡¯s situation is a bit moreplicated. Her treatment went well, but the recent disaster has polluted all of the mana at the eastern border. That hinders her recovery by a bit,¡± Antonio replied with a frown. ¡°So, what in the world happened? Could it be¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the Savior has awakened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent upon receiving confirmation of the matter. Antonio didn¡¯t continue right away either, as if to give Roel time to take in the shocking news. Heavy silence crushed the room. It was a few momentster that Antonio finally carried on, ¡°The incident happened two nights ago. There was an unbelievable mana pulsation from Tark Prairie, and the Savior¡¯s aura began to leak. It only took a few hours for the mana to turn this turbid.¡± ¡°Did the Savior finally crawl out of the Abyss?¡± ¡°No, he hasn¡¯t fully awakened yet, but the situation may be worse.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± Roel was surprised. Antonio took a moment to consider his words before exining, ¡°What appeared on Tark Prairie isn¡¯t the Abyss but the entire imperial capital.¡± Chapter 658: Final Wish ¡®Imperial capital¡¯. Even Roel had to take a moment before it urred to him what it meant, and his expression turned grim. Antonio had referred to the ce as ¡®imperial capital¡¯ not because it didn¡¯t have a name¡ªit was indeed none other than Siaus¡ªbut this was referring not to the current capital of the Austine Empire but the heart of the colossal empire a thousand years back. Imperial Capital Siaus was a miracle created when human civilization was at its peak. It was farrger than even the biggest human city currently in existence, in terms of bothndmass and poption. It had remained the symbol of human prosperity in the Sia Continent for thousands of years. Yet, this great city that had weathered many storms suddenly copsed a thousand years ago due to the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. But that was not the reason Roel was horrified. As the heart of the Ancient Austine Empire, the imperial capital was far more important than the other cities, which was why the strongest armies were all stationed there. The Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital had not just brought about the downfall of the great empire but the depravity of its people too. Over half of the transcendents residing in the imperial capital were affected when the Savior¡¯s depravity started spreading during the disaster. Some were able to escape by mustering all their resolve, but most sumbed to the madness and became monsters. ording to historical records, war raged ceaselessly in the imperial capital following the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. Soldiers who once fought under the same imperial banner ughtered one another. The Fallens killed without discrimination, forcing those who still retained a sliver of rity to behead them with tears in their eyes. Despite their best efforts, they couldn¡¯t change the oue. Individuals were powerless before the greater waves of change. More and more people sumbed to the Savior¡¯s depravity, and the Fallens from the surrounding cities began to converge on the imperial capital. It was perplexing that the mindless Fallens would gather in one ce, but Roel had a good idea why that happened¡ªthat was where the Capital Cathedral, the entrance to the Abyss, was. They were probably drawn there to secure this critical location. However, the people then didn¡¯t know about that. Corpses were strewn all over the imperial capital within just a few short days. In the end, Charles was forced to announce a mass migration to the west. This battle concluded with humankind¡¯s departure. The Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s brightest gem became the Fallens¡¯ den, as well as the nightmare of countless soldiers. A hundred yearster, the reestablished Austine Empire named their capital ¡®Siaus¡¯, but the world knew that wasn¡¯t where the hearts of the Austineansy. That was why Siaus was only known as Siaus and not as the imperial capital. As interesting as the imperial capital was, Roel never thought that it would leap out of the historical records and appear before him in real life. ¡°The imperial capital appeared in Tark Prairie? That¡¯s impossible!¡± Roel eximed. ¡°It¡¯s a spatial spell, an unbelievably powerful one,¡± Antonio grimly replied. He forced himself to remainposed as he shared the intelligence gathered by the united army over the past day. Two nights ago, an unbelievably powerful mana pulsation swept through the eastern border, rming the united army. All military forces immediately went into full alert, and armed soldiers charged onto the city walls, but they found no traces of enemies. Sensing something amiss, the armymanders all made the decision to dispatch their scouts to investigate the situation. As a result, dozens of scout teams from various armies snuck into the depth of Tark Prairie to investigate the situation. No one imagined that would be thest time anyone saw them. When no scouts returned the following daybreak, the armymanders immediately reported this anomaly, alerting the united army¡¯s headquarters to the severity of the situation. The first thought that came to Antonio and the others¡¯ minds when they learned about the situation was that the scouts might have fallen into depravity after being afflicted with the Savior¡¯s aura, but unexpected situations happened one after another. First and foremost, they received an urgent report from the southern fortress, informing the united army that they had discovered an army of deviants entering the dense southern forests. These deviants were moving in a fast and haphazard way, as if they were avoiding something. Shortly thereafter, some of the fortresses near the frontlines reported suspected sightings of the missing scouts. The united army headquarters immediately ordered reconnaissance, but they were met with not theirrades but shadows of a thousand-year-old nightmare. ¡°They encountered the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Fallens. It was through their rusted armor that we figured out their identity¡ªthey were the imperial capital¡¯s garrison troops.¡± ¡°The imperial capital¡¯s garrison troops¡­¡± Roel¡¯s expression turned dark. ¡®The imperial capital¡¯s garrison troops¡¯ was a broad term referring to all of the military troops stationed around the imperial capital. There were dozens of divisions, and its manpower was in the millions at its peak. It was the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s most elite force. To have such a powerful army fall into depravity was aplete nightmare, be it for the people in that era or the soldiers of the present era. It was no surprise that the soldiers dispatched for the reconnaissance mission suffered heavy losses. Upon confirming their enemy, the united army headquarters quickly deployed observation magic tools to further investigate the situation in Tark Prairie. ¡°I brought the report. Would you like to see it?¡± Antonio asked. ¡°¡­Show me,¡± Roel replied with a nod. He received a small sphere from Antonio and slowly infused his mana into it. A ray of light shot out from the sphere and formed a screen in the air. It was surprisingly high-tech, such that he widened his eyes in surprise, but his attention was quickly drawn to the content of the screen. The screen showed a vast in from an overhead view. It was a blurry recording without any sound, but it was enough to make Roel¡¯s nerves tense up. He immediately understood why the scouts never made it back. In the projection, countless figures, either dressed in tattered armor or wielding rotting staffs, could be roaming the in. Their bodies emanated ck, fog-like mana so concentrated with the aura of depravity and madness that Roel could almost smell it through the projection. These were the soldiers converted into Fallens during the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital a thousand years back, and there were a lot of them. Their numbers only grew denser as the observation magic tool advanced deeper into Tark Prairie, to the point that the ck fog mana became continuous. Roel¡¯s frown deepened. Soon, a corner of a city appeared in the projection. A half-copsed city wall was surrounded by pieces of rubble as huge as houses. The wear and tear of the buildings in the city greatly varied. Some buildings with the function to absorb mana to self-repair retained the ir of the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s architecture, but those without this function had eroded with time. Just before Roel could see the full situation within the city, the footage suddenly went dark. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s all we have. I¡¯m not too sure about the reason, but it could be due to a barrier in the imperial capital.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel slowly took his time to digest what he had just learned. He had to concede that the situation was worse than he had imagined. He realized he had underestimated how great the Ancient Austine Empire had been despite having read about it in the records. Judging from the scale of the city walls, the imperial capital had to be several timesrger than any capital of an existing human nation. Such a massive city was bound to have a huge poption. If half of the poption had been left in the city, as stated in the records, the situation would be cataclysmic. ¡°Do we have an estimation on the number of Fallens in the imperial capital?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have a clear estimate yet¡­ but it¡¯s at least in the millions.¡± ¡°Millions?!¡± ¡°You should know what happened back then,¡± Antonio bitterly replied. ¡°¡­¡± Roel sighed. The imperial capital had been blighted by the Savior¡¯s mana during the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital, and the madness persisted even after a thousand years. Those affected by the Savior¡¯s madness had their sanity eroded, but their lifespans were greatly lengthened too. Due to that, the number of Fallens in the imperial capital didn¡¯t decrease by much over the years. On top of that, the Savior was in the midst of his awakening. Inparison, the united army had abined strength of three million on the eastern border. ¡°On average, how strong are the Fallens?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say, since their strength varies greatly from individual to individual, but I¡¯d say that they are stronger than the deviants. It¡¯s a relief they aren¡¯t on the same side,¡± Antonio replied. ¡°That¡¯s indeed a relief.¡± Roel nodded in agreement. Broadly speaking, the deviants and the imperial capital¡¯s Fallens were both the Savior¡¯s worshipers, but they were from different races and fell under separatemand chains. On top of that, the extent to which they were affected by the Savior¡¯s madness was different. The deviants still had some degree of camaraderie within them, whereas the Fallens who had lost their minds a thousand years ago wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill their own brethren. It was no wonder the deviants fled Tark Prairie to seek shelter in the southern mountains. Roel sighed. On the other hand, Antonio sat still in his chair, seemingly taking a brief respite. He had had his hands full with all sorts of matters recently, from Astrid¡¯s revival and Paul¡¯s rescue to intervening in the battle between Roel and Carolyn. He even sustained significant injuries in the process. He thought that he could rest after dragging Roel, Alicia, and Carolyn to Brolne¡¯s camp to be treated, but all of a sudden, the Savior started to awaken, and the imperial capital suddenly surfaced in the middle of Tark Prairie. As powerful as Antonio was, this was still too much for a single person to bear. He deserved to take a rest. How pitiful. He¡¯s so tired that he can¡¯t even speak a word¡­ ¡°Roel, do you think Astrid prefers the old me or the current me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The unexpected question caused Roel¡¯s face to stiffen up. It was a long time before he was able to respond to it. ¡°Principal Antonio, you¡¯re still thinking about that at this juncture?¡± ¡°I might not get a chance to ponder it if I don¡¯t do so now,¡± Antonio replied with a sigh. Roel was bbergasted, as he hadn¡¯t expected to hear such pessimistic words from Antonio, but then again, it would have been hard for anyone to stay optimistic when their enemy was none other than the Savior. The Savior was a supreme being towering above the gods. To Him, there was not much of a difference between an Origin Level 5 soldier and an Origin Level 1 Race Sovereign. In the worst-case scenario, the world mighte to an end tomorrow. Faced with such a desperate situation, everyone could only focus on the present and tie up whateverst wishes they had. Antonio was no exception to the rule. ¡°You should transform into your younger self. You were quite dashing in your younger years.¡± ¡°Thanks for your advice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Anyone who saw you four hundred years ago would say the same. Anyway, speaking of doing things while you have the chance¡­¡± Roel stood up and headed to the door. ¡°I should visit Alicia.¡± Chapter 659: I’ll Pay You With My Life What will you do if you realize you don¡¯t have long to live? This had been amon question in many psychological tests in Roel¡¯s previous life, but he thought that it was a meaningless exercise. It was impossible to give a meaningful answer to such a question without feeling death encroaching. Humans tended to only realize what they cherished the most when their time was limited. Antonio had his answer to this question¡ªAstrid. He wanted to put on his best look for Astrid while preparing for the uing decisive battle with her. As for Roel, his decision was to spend some time with the unconscious Alicia. So, he stepped out of the room and found himself standing in an illuminated corridor. For a brief moment, he hesitated before heading left or right, but he quickly noticed Alicia¡¯s mana from the left. ¡°I¡¯ll take you there. This ce can get a little confusing,¡± Antonio said. ¡°Thank you.¡± Roel nodded and followed Antonio. As Roel made his way through the barrack, he noticed that all of the soldiers were rushing to and fro, with noises to be heard everywhere. Many injured personnel were being carried into rooms simr to the one Roel was previously resting in to undergo emergency treatment. ¡°Those are¡­¡± Roel eyed the faint ck aura on the injured soldiers¡¯ bodies with narrowed eyes. ¡°Those are the soldiers who were ambushed by the Fallens while trying to rescue the scouts. They were caught unprepared, or else we would have had more survivors¡­¡± ¡°How¡¯s their mental state? Are they severely affected?¡± ¡°Fortunately, these Fallens are different from the monsters who attacked Brolne four hundred years ago. They are powerful, but our soldiers won¡¯t immediately descend into madness uponing into contact with them. Even so, they were still inflicted with traces of the Savior¡¯s mana,¡± Antonio exined. ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded. In a Witness State depicting Brolne¡¯s tragedy four hundred years ago, Roel had encountered ck-robed figures and ck-armored soldiers. Though these monsters were nowhere near as powerful as the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s elites, their ability to spread the Savior¡¯s madness was terrifying. Justing into contact with them was enough to erode one¡¯s sanity. The only way to safely deal with them was to resort to long-ranged attacks. Those were the worst enemies to go up against. Power came at a price, however, as their powerful ability to spread madness came at the expense of their defensive prowess. In contrast, the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Fallens went down another evolutionary pathway. Their power was focused on strengthening their body and raising their fighting prowess, though that severely reduced their ability to spread madness. ¡°I¡¯d say that these Fallens are easier to deal with than the ck-robed figures and ck-armored soldiers,¡± Roel remarked. ¡°Yes, we can at least rally our forces together to fend them off. Had our enemies been the ck-robed figures and the ck-armored soldiers, our morale would have plummeted.¡± Antonio nodded as he remembered the tough time he had been through four hundred years ago. ¡°But we¡¯ll likely suffer far more casualties against such opponents.¡± ¡°We definitely will,¡± Roel replied with a heavy heart as he thought about the tough battle they would have to fight soon. Antonio finally stopped before a door and said, ¡°Alicia is in there. She should wake up soon.¡± Knowing he ought to grant the two youths some privacy, Antonio took his leave. Roel hesitated in front of the doorway before finally entering. ¡­ Roel had been swept away by Alicia¡¯s beauty from their very first meeting, but he probably never expected that he would still be as vulnerable to her ravishing appearance even after so many years. This was how addictive Aliciatonin was. Looking at the silver-haired woman and feeling her mana pulsation, Roel took in a deep breath, and it made him feel much lighter, both physically and spiritually. Alicia¡¯s safety came as a constion to him, no matter how tired he was feeling. At the same time, she had inherited a portion of the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, so her mana was antithetical to the Savior¡¯s. Her presence kept the mana in the room pristine, unlike the turbid mana outside. Roel slowly made his way up to Alicia. She was an adult by now, but her frame remained petite. Her silver hair cascaded smoothly down to her waist,plementing her fair skin. Her cherry lips glistened under the light, tempting one to sneak a taste of them. Her little chest moved rhythmically at a calming tempo. Looking at her, Roel couldn¡¯t help but think that it had been a long time since he paid close attention to her sleeping visage. Other than the night they had spent inside Shrouding Fog¡¯s body, it had been a long time since the two of them shared a bed. The subtle changes to Alicia¡¯s appearance brought a mysterious feeling of curiosity that besotted Roel. He was only able to snap out of his trance when her eyes finally fluttered open. ¡°¡­Lord Brother?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me.¡± Alicia¡¯s eyes were dazed, looking like a half-awake kitten that couldn¡¯t distinguish between its dream and reality. However, as she heard Roel¡¯s response, her eyes slowly widened with rity. ¡°!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Alicia? Did I disturb you?¡± ¡°Not at all, Lord Brother! This is¡­¡± Alicia shot upright and grabbed Roel¡¯s hand, as she scanned her surroundings with worried eyes. Roel btedly remembered the circumstances that Alicia had fainted in, so he consoled her with a smile, saying, ¡°You can put your mind at ease, Alicia. The battle is over.¡± He grabbed Alicia¡¯s hand and patiently told her everything that had happened. Alicia was relieved to learn that Carolyn had given up on the final n. She leaped into Roel¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°Thank you, Lord Brother.¡± ¡°What are you saying? Isn¡¯t it right for me to protect you? You don¡¯t have to thank me.¡± ¡°I shouldpensate Lord Brother in other ways, then.¡± ¡°Other ways?¡± Roel blinked in confusion. Alicia looked at Roel with a mischievous smile and blushing cheeks, as she leaned on his chest and murmured, ¡°You saved my life, Lord Brother, so it¡¯s only right for me to pay you with mine.¡± ¡°Pay me with yours? Ah¡­¡± Roel awkwardly turned his head away and softly knocked Alicia¡¯s head with his knuckle. ¡°What are you thinking? You only just regained consciousness.¡± ¡°Lord Brother should know better than anyone what I¡¯m thinking.¡± ¡°¡­You haven¡¯t recovered yet.¡± ¡°I only passed out due to Ancestor Carolyn¡¯s soul attack. It has no effects on my physical body.¡± ¡°That still won¡¯t do.¡± Roel sighed as he held Alicia¡¯s squirming body down. He looked at her with a grim expression and said, ¡°Alicia, I was only halfway through my words. Even though we have settled the matter with Ancestor Carolyn, there¡¯s still arger problem at hand¡­ You can¡¯t sense it yet due to your mana cleansing this room. Hold your mana back for a moment.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sense it?¡± Alicia was confused. Momentster, her ruby eyes widened, as her mana began fluctuating intensely. ¡°Lord Brother, that aura! Is it the Fallens?!¡± ¡°If only that were the case¡­¡± Roel bitterly replied. ¡°The Savior has awakened. On top of that, someone has transported the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s imperial capital to Tark Prairie, causing widespread corruption of the eastern border¡¯s mana. Furthermore, there are hundreds of thousands of Fallens roaming Tark Prairie at the moment.¡± ¡°How could this be¡­¡± Alicia was dumbstruck. The hundreds of thousands of Fallens were formidable, but humankind would find a way to deal with them given sufficient time. However, the same couldn¡¯t be said about mana corruption. Transcendents were humans whose bodies had mutated from assimting mana. The stronger a transcendent was, the greater their dependency on mana. For instance, Carolyn had needed a huge amount of mana just to sustain herself in the Abyss, and her inability to do so forced her to go into a pseudo-death state so that she could survive. Most soldiers wouldn¡¯t require as much mana as Carolyn, but the more they fought, the more mana they needed to replenish their energy. That would mean taking in the Savior¡¯s madness, until they eventually became Fallens themselves. ¡°I talked to Principal Antonio earlier. Based on the intelligence from the united army, we¡¯ll have to make a decision soon.¡± ¡°What decision?¡± ¡°We could either pull our defense line back from the eastern border, or stand our ground and do our best to cleanse the corrupted mana,¡± Roel said. ¡°¡­¡± Alicia fell silent. Obstinately defending the eastern border was an unwise move. As much as they could try to cleanse the corrupted mana, it was impossible to keep the three million soldiers on the eastern border free from the Savior¡¯s madness. Some were bound to fall into depravity as time passed. But retreating from the eastern border could further plunge humankind into danger. Humankind had spent a thousand years building fortresses on the eastern border. With the recent invasion, it had already fended off the deviants five times now. Giving up on this defense line would put humankind at a critical disadvantage, not to mention that there was no strategic terrain between the human world and the eastern border for them to exploit. There was a risk they might be wiped out if the enemies caught up with them, since there was nowhere else they could form a resilient defense line and regain their footing. Furthermore, the deviants could exploit thispse in defense to slip into the human world and cause destruction like never before. Above all, the Savior¡¯s madness wouldn¡¯t just stop there. The corrupted mana would continue to spread, till the human world fell into the same state as the eastern border. By then, humankind would be powerless to defend itself orunch a counterattack. With a heavy heart, Roel looked at Alicia and asked the most pressing question on his mind. ¡°Alicia, do you know when the Mother Goddess will fully awaken?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the exact timing, but it¡¯s unlikely that Lord Mother will awaken soon,¡± Alicia replied. ¡°I see¡­¡± Roel sighed. He was forced to confront a truth¡ªhe might never be able to meet the Mother Goddess again. Humankind was being cornered. One possibility was for humankind to stall for time till the awakening of the Mother Goddess, but there was no guarantee the Mother Goddess would save humankind, or that humankind would even survive till that day. With the doomsday prophecy at hand, it looked like taking a passive stance would only lead humankind to obliteration. Thus, Roel was more inclined to take the initiative to make onest stand against the enemy. ¡°Alicia, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to trouble you with. Can you bring me to Sia¡¯s altar?¡± ¡°I can do that, but what do you intend to do?¡± Alicia asked. Roel looked at her with calm but determined eyes as he replied, ¡°I¡¯m going to awaken the Six Cmities.¡± Chapter 660: Carolyn’s Final Hand Roel used to view the Six Cmities with animosity. He even feared them for a period of time, back when he wasn¡¯t strong enough to stand up to them yet. Those existences were a terror to humankind, after all. Having lived in the Digital Age, Roel knew that there were all sorts of wonders in the world. Nevertheless, it was still normal to fear supernatural existences beyond one¡¯s understanding. The Six Cmities were enigmatic beings wielding the power to destroy civilizations. It was normal to fear them. For the longest time, he had striven to destroy them lest they be a menace to humankind in the future, but he had chosen to revive them today. Alicia was shocked and confused to hear those words, as there was no one else who understood him more in the world. Roel¡¯s favorability score toward the Six Cmities was in the negatives, and he had even personally hunted some of them down himself. Furthermore, reviving the Six Cmities was a taboo from humankind¡¯s perspective. To this day, the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s soldiers still harbored trauma toward Shrouding Fog. Themon popce also saw the Six Cmities as raging beasts that had to be curbed at all costs. Roel¡¯s decision to revive them could risk alienating him from his allies. Alicia looked at Roel with hesitant eyes as she asked, ¡°Lord Brother, are you certain about this? You have brought back Tark Stronghold and concluded the incident without too many casualties, but humankind¡¯s hostility toward the Six Cmities hasn¡¯t changed in the least.¡± ¡°Indeed. Humankind still fears and abhors the Six Cmities,¡± Roel agreed. ¡°Won¡¯t reviving the Six Cmities bring about¡­ bad influences, then?¡± ¡°¡­I know, Alicia,¡± Roel replied with a resigned sigh, but there was no hesitation in his eyes. ¡°Most in the united army see the Six Cmities in the same light as the Savior¡¯s worshipers, and it¡¯d be impossible to change their viewpoint in the short term, but we don¡¯t have a choice. Many will oppose my decision, but we need power to fight the Savior right now, no matter where it¡¯s from.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Alicia fell silent. Reviving the Six Cmities was a poison pill for humankind. It might give humankind the strength it needed to ovee this crisis, but it would expand the Mother Goddess¡¯ influence too. Alicia had no idea how the Mother Goddess viewed Roel and humankind, and that was why she was worried about this. However, Roel had a different take. The Sia Continent had remained stablergely due to the bnce of power between the Savior and the Mother Goddess. Neither the Fallens nor the Six Cmities had grown too powerful at any point in time, allowing humankind to take the front stage. However, the bnce was being shattered due to the Savior¡¯s awakening. Since humankind was unable to deal with this situation, the natural response was to bolster the Mother Goddess¡¯ forces to force an equilibrium. Roel had no idea whether the Mother Goddess would turn against humankind upon awakening, and he didn¡¯t have the luxury of considering that. The situation was clear to him. There was no future for humankind if it couldn¡¯t hold its ground on the eastern border. What¡¯s the point of considering the long term when we can¡¯t even survive the crisis before us? ¡°What about Carolyn and the others?¡± Alicia asked worriedly. ¡°¡­¡± Roel had no answer to that question. Carolyn had hunted Alicia in order to weaken the Mother Goddess as much as possible, but Roel was going against her will here by reviving the Six Cmities. It was likely she would be opposed to it. Roel figured there was a need to personally exin things to her. ¡°Alicia, will you be able to control the revived Six Cmities?¡± ¡°I have the highest authority over the Six Cmities. They¡¯ll be obedient to me in Lord Mother¡¯s absence. However, I¡¯ll require some time to prepare for the journey to the altar.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Roel replied with a nod. He took his leave to make his way toward Carolyn. ¡­ Carolyn Ascart, the first matriarch of the Ascart House, was not faring well. Thanks to Paul¡¯s intervention, she hade to a peaceful resolution with Roel and even graduated from a thousand years of singlehood, but the damage she had rued over a thousand years in the Abyss proved to be tricky to deal with. She had entered a state of pseudo-death in the Abyss, but that only helped her to preserve her condition as much as possible. The injuries she had sustained from her confrontations with the Savior still remained, and the damage to the holy armor had exposed her to the Savior¡¯s madness. To make things worse, the recent corruption of the surrounding mana hindered her recovery. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Roel turned to Paul, hoping that thetter would get to the point. However, Carolyn, who had all kinds of magic tools hanging from her, suddenly opened her eyes and said, ¡°He means that I¡¯m in no condition to participate in the uing battle.¡± ¡°¡­My apologies for interrupting your rest, Lord Ancestor.¡± ¡°Not at all. I can¡¯t possibly sleep under such circumstances,¡± Carolyn wryly replied. Paul shook his head, and Roel heaved a sigh. Carolyn Ascart was the strongest opponent Roel had fought to date. She would have been a huge asset to humankind in the battle against the Savior. It was a pity that she had escaped the Abyss toote, so the Savior¡¯s influence on her was too severe. She looked sane right now, but that was due to her unbelievably strong willpower suppressing the Savior¡¯s madness. She could still exert self-control under normal circumstances, but there was a high risk of her losing herself if she went into battle. Take her previous battle with Roel for example¡ªshe would have likely fought to her death if Paul had not appeared. Now that the Savior¡¯s mana had corrupted the surroundings, her condition would only worsen if she marched off to battle. She might even turn into a Fallen as a result. In other words, she was an unstable bomb that could explode on humankind if they allowed her onto the battlefield. Just the thought that he might have to face Carolyn as a Fallen was enough to send shudders down his spine. ¡°My condition isn¡¯t as bad as you make it out to be,¡± Carolyn said indignantly. ¡°I can still¨C¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, Lord Ancestor. You should rest,¡± Roel interjected. He carefully constructed his words and ryed the intent behind his visit, but to his surprise, Carolyn didn¡¯t react strongly upon learning that he intended to revive the Six Cmities to deal with the Savior. ¡°Lord Ancestor, are you fine with that?¡± Roel asked. ¡°What other options do we have?¡± Carolyn replied in resignation, obviously unenthusiastic about the idea. While the Mother Goddess and the Savior were nemeses, that didn¡¯t mean that the Mother Goddess was on humankind¡¯s side. Carolyn was willing to ept Roel¡¯s decision because she didn¡¯t think that they were really helping the Mother Goddess here; Roel was simply borrowing her strength to deal with an immediate crisis. Of course, Roel wasn¡¯t foolish enough to also voice his hopes regarding the Mother Goddess. In any case, it was a relief he had secured Carolyn¡¯s approval. He hadn¡¯t expected things to go so smoothly. ¡°Actually, we have some conjectures regarding the recent happenings concerning the Savior,¡± Carolyn suddenly said. ¡°Conjectures?¡± Roel asked. ¡°The Savior and His Fallens are causing a hugemotion, but I don¡¯t think He has fully awakened yet.¡± Roel was taken aback by their conjecture. Carolyn and Paul proceeded to share what they had discussed. Carolyn had already noticed that something was amiss two nights ago, when the Savior¡¯s madness corrupted the eastern border. When she left the Abyss, she made an estimation of when the Savior would likely awaken, and her conclusion was that it would be half a yearter. ¡°I don¡¯t expect my estimate to be on the dot, but I am confident it would only be off the mark by at most a month or so. That was why I rushed to execute the final n right after escaping from the Abyss,¡± Carolyn said. Roel slowly frowned as doubts surfaced in his mind. He had felt a sense of incongruity after hearing Antonio¡¯s words, though he couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it. It was only after hearing Carolyn¡¯s conjecture that he finally understood what it was. Isn¡¯t the Savior¡¯seback a little toockluster? Admittedly, any soldier on the eastern border would have refuted him, as the mana corruption and the million Fallens from the imperial capital were enough to corner the united army. However, both the Fallens and the mana corruption, strictly speaking, did not directlye from the Savior Himself. They were just the remnants of the crisis a thousand years ago. On top of that, Roel had met the real Savior in person and even fought Him, which was why He could confidently say that there was no need for the Savior to resort to such schemes if He had fully awakened. He could have just obliterated humankind with a wave of His hand. Yet, the Savior hadn¡¯t shown His face thus far, and the mana corruption had remained confined to the eastern border. ¡°But why is the Savior making a move when He hasn¡¯t fully awakened?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. It might be His way of stopping that girl from destroying more Eggs of the Beast God, or maybe, He seeks to destroy humankind before the Mother Goddess awakens. Regardless, this is an opportunity for us.¡± ¡°An opportunity for us?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s an opportunity to absorb the power inside Sia¡¯s Scepter andplete the final n. This is our chance to create a new god,¡± Carolyn said. ¡°!¡± Roel was rendered speechless. ¡°Our n was foiled by the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital, but that doesn¡¯t necessarily mean we have failed yet. It was only temporarily halted. After all, I was still around.¡± ¡°Lord Ancestor, did you do something?¡± ¡°Most of my time in the Abyss was spent in a state of pseudo-death, but I would still awaken every hundred years to maintain Sia¡¯s Scepter. I knew it could be an ace for humankind in the future.¡± ¡°Wait a moment; you¡¯re saying that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Sia¡¯s Scepter was still intact when I left the Abyss. It has umted more than enough mana over a thousand years to birth a divine child.¡± Roel¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he heard Carolyn¡¯s words. If Sia¡¯s Scepter was truly still intact, it would mean they could potentially obtain a significant portion of the Savior¡¯s power. ¡°But, Lord Ancestor, you previously mentioned that you were unable to absorb much of the Savior¡¯s mana, which was why you concluded that the divine child needed to have the powers of both the Ackermanns and the Ascarts.¡± ¡°I did say that, but you might stand a chance.¡± ¡°A chance? What makes you say so?¡± Roel asked. ¡°Sia-fication,¡± Carolyn replied. Roel narrowed his eyes, as he immediately understood what Carolyn was driving at. Sia-fication was technically a power ranked above the Savior¡¯s powers, which theoretically meant that he should be able to take in the Savior¡¯s mana and absorb everything inside Sia¡¯s Scepter. ¡°It¡¯s just a conjecture at this point, and I don¡¯t think things will proceed that smoothly either. Still, it¡¯s worth a try,¡± Carolyn said. ¡°I do think your conjecture is usible too,¡± Roel agreed. ¡°But we¡¯ll have to move fast. Another person is after Sia¡¯s Scepter too.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about Emperor Lukas?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Carolyn and Paul exchanged gazes at this point before the former added on, ¡°Lukas Ackermann has been missing for some time now.¡± Chapter 661: The Fallen Brand Roel frowned as a blurred figure surfaced in his mind. Lukas Ackermann¡ªthat was a name Roel had heard far too often. From a long time ago, Emperor Lukas had viewed him as an eyesore and forbade Lilian to interact with him. It was only after Lilian moved to the eastern border and built up her own military force that she was finally freed from his influence. At this critical turning point, which would determine humankind¡¯s fate, Emperor Lukas once again emerged as Roel¡¯s stumbling block, as hepeted with him over Sia¡¯s Scepter. Unlike Roel, Emperor Lukas, despite being the ruler of thergest human country, wasn¡¯t on humankind¡¯s side. He had shown via his partnership with the Fallens that he would stoop however low he needed to go to attain longevity and unparalleled power. Someone as selfish as him would never use his powers for other people¡¯s sake. ¡°Lukas only has one goal, and that¡¯s to be a god. But even if he seeds, he won¡¯t stand up on humankind¡¯s behalf to oppose the Savior. If he obtains the power inside Sia¡¯s Scepter, it¡¯ll spell the end of the final n,¡± Paul exined. ¡°In other words, we have to get rid of him first,¡± Roel concluded. ¡°However, does Lukas have the means to absorb the power inside Sia¡¯s Scepter? That shouldn¡¯t be easy to pull off, since Lukas isn¡¯t a Fallen himself.¡± Lukas must have known about the difficulties involved in absorbing the Savior¡¯s mana, having sieved through Paul¡¯s memories as Charles Ackermann. He would have known that his power as an Ackermann wasn¡¯t enough. He needed an edge, like Roel¡¯s Sia-fication. This edge could have been his close ties with the Savior, but Lukas couldn¡¯t be a Fallen, as he couldn¡¯t possibly have concealed the Fallens¡¯ conspicuous aura when he was often in the limelight. This meant that he couldn¡¯t capitalize on this edge. By this train of thought, Lukas wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb much of the power inside Sia¡¯s Scepter. However, Paul had an unexpected answer to that issue. ¡°Lukas is indeed not a Fallen, but I suspect he has a Fallen Brand.¡± ¡°A Fallen Brand? What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A Fallen Brand is a result of taboo research conducted in the Second Epoch, the era when the Savior¡¯s worshipers ran amok. It involves a ritual that allows an individual to obtain the Savior¡¯s powers without falling into depravity. However, this research ended in failure,¡± Paul exined. Carolyn further borated on the story with a frown. Humankind didn¡¯t fear the Savior much prior to the Second Epoch¡¯s Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital. Some even saw Him as a power to be tapped into, and the Ackermanns were extremely keen about exploring that possibility. While the partnership between the Ackermanns and the Ardes had brought prosperity to the Ancient Austine Empire, over time, the Ackermanns started to fear the Ardes¡¯ power, especially the emperor of each generation. The Ackermanns¡¯ tradition of ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯ tempered the sessors for the future, but it also made them highly skeptical and distrustful. In the first ce, it was normal for a ruler to fear potential threats to their rule, especially when the empire had stopped expanding. That prompted the Ackermanns¡¯ search for power, but the more they desired power, the further they spiraled down the rabbit hole. They even sought to partner with and exploit the Savior. That was the reason they took a back seat when the Savior¡¯s worshipers attacked the Ardes. ¡°Their absurd skepticism cost the lives of many of our brethren, and it eventually culminated in unrest throughout the entire empire. How utterly foolish, don¡¯t you think?¡± Carolyn spat. ¡°¡­It¡¯s foolish indeed,¡± Paul consoled Carolyn while admitting his predecessors¡¯ mistakes. ¡°What¡¯s the use of a Fallen Brand, and why did it fail?¡± Roel dragged the topic back on track. ¡°Fallen Brand was one of the products arising from the Ackermanns¡¯ pursuit of power. Think of it as a pass that grants one the identity of a Fallen and the right to tap into the Savior¡¯s powers. However, it has the downside of affecting one¡¯s mental state, which is why I suspect Lukas has dabbled in that research.¡± ¡°Mental state? How so?¡± ¡°It causes the user to lose their emotions.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel narrowed his eyes, as he immediately understood where Paul wasing from. He had never met Emperor Lukas in person, but he had heard much about him through Lilian and other channels. In particr, the Genesis Goddess Church had aprehensive profile of him. It was often said that the person who knew one the best was one¡¯s enemy, and this saying was true in the field of military intelligence. In Lukas¡¯ record, there was a paragraph describing his traits and relevant deductions that left a strong impression on Roel. Lukas had never disyed strong emotions in public settings, so the church deduced that he had used a spell to keep his emotions in check. From the looks of it now, that wasn¡¯t a spell, but a spell¡¯s side effect. ¡°Losing one¡¯s emotions isn¡¯t as bad as descending into lunacy, but a person who¡¯s overly rational and unempathetic is to be feared as well. It isn¡¯t a good thing for the ruling Ackermann. The downsides outweigh the benefits,¡± Paul said while shaking his head. He had a low opinion of the Fallen Brand, and Roel agreed. Unlike a general, what was more important to an emperor was his ability to govern rather than his martial prowess. An emperor who had lost his emotions would struggle to feel concern for his people, resulting in a rift between him and his people. And that was indeed happening in the Austine Empire at the moment. Roel could never understand why Lukas Ackermann, despite being the emperor, had gone for decades without a child. The Ascarts had been in a simr position, so he understood just how precarious a position that was. Most nobles in that position would do everything they could to bear offspring, be it through marriage or extramarital affairs. Yet, Lukas paid no heed to it despite the huge repercussions if something happened to him. In fact, it was only due to the immense pressure he faced from the nobles that he began to have children. Looking back, Lukas might have avoided having children to ensure there were no threats to his dominant position. Even if nobles were opposed to him, they would hesitate to take any action, since no one could take his ce. His position was cemented by the Pure Bloodline Theory. But there was no way he could have maintained that position for long. The empire had been fragmenting into numerous factions since the appearance of new imperial family members thirty years ago. Lukas was unable to have any close aides due to his inability to feel emotions, so it was hard for him to retain his monopoly on power. That being said, the influence he had amassed over decades of dominance was still a tall hurdle to ovee. With that, Roel finally understood the reason behind the Austine Empire¡¯s chaos. ¡°I don¡¯t know what Lukas¡¯ exact n is, but we should proceed with the notion that he has found a way to absorb the power inside Sia¡¯s Scepter. He has nned this for a long time now, so we need to quickly take action,¡± Paul said. ¡°Interfering in a country¡¯s politics is taboo, but we don¡¯t have any other choice,¡± Roel grimly said. He stood up and slowly said, ¡°Principal Antonio and I will liaise with the united army to mobilize all forces we have on hand to attack Lukas.¡± ¡­ Meanwhile, in the Austine Empire¡¯s frontmostmand center, Lilian Ackermann had alsoe to the decision to attack Lukas. She looked at the fortress on the distant ins with a frown, while her armymanders were waiting for her in a tent not too far away. Half a month had passed since she fell out with Lukas Ackermann. There had been a constant stream of people escaping from that fortress in the meantime, providing her army with new intelligence. The united army had also sent reinforcements in hope of a quick resolution of this internal conflict. Two reinforcement armies were stationed beside Lilian¡¯s camp¡ªone from the Saint Mesit Theocracy, and one from the Rosa Merchant Confederacy. The army from the Saint Mesit Theocracy was led by Nora Xeclyde, the sessor to the Genesis Goddess Church. They had been persuading enemy garrison troops to surrender, while reassuring them that those who had surrendered wouldn¡¯t be persecuted. The army from the Rosa Merchant Confederacy was led by Charlotte Sorofya. She, too, had been persuading the enemy garrison troops to surrender, but her choice of weapon was not faith but money. For instance, she had offered a reward of 100,000 gold coins for anyone who opened the fortress¡¯ city gates. As influential as religion was in the Sia Continent, the power of money was extraordinary too. Shortly after Charlotte started putting up rewards, the number of enemy deserters significantly decreased. Clearly, they had thought things through and decided to band together to strike it rich. Nora was frustrated, as it hindered her efforts to get the enemy garrison troops to surrender, but she couldn¡¯t ask Charlotte to leave, as the Rosaian army was here to aid in the siege too. Rosa had the most advanced long-range siege magic tools in the Sia Continent. They were known for their exceptional fortress defense prowess, having fended against the Austine Empire for a hundred years, but that experience ironically taught them the best ways to circumvent a fortress¡¯s defense as well. On top of that, unlike Lilian¡¯s army, the Rosaians had no psychological barrier against killing Austinean soldiers. If anything, this was a chance for them to exact vengeance on the Austine Empire for the atrocities it had inflicted on them in the past. It would appear that Lilian and the reinforcements had the advantage, in terms of both morale and military prowess. They were nning tounch their attack a few dayster, but everything changed due to the Savior¡¯s awakening. That night, when the Savior¡¯s madness swiftly engulfed the eastern border, Lilian snuck into Tark Prairie to investigate the situation. Unlike other Race Sovereigns, she possessed an overwhelmingly powerful self-defense spell known as Ten Fortresses, so there was no worry about her safety. If worst came to worst, she could summon legendary armies from the Ancient Austine Empire to cover her retreat. This gave her the confidence to venture deep into Tark Prairie alone. She eventually stumbled upon a colossal city on the horizon, and it shook her up. She suddenly remembered Lukas¡¯ nonchnt attitude as he revealed his pursuits¡ªpower and eternity. It was rare to hear such words from Lukas, which was why she had a deep impression of them. She thought that she understood the meaning behind those words, but she realized she might have been mistaken when she stood alone and gazed at the colossal city towering over Tark Prairie. The Savior¡¯s awakening shortly after Lukas¡¯ desertion of the Austine Empire, in her view, was too much to y off as a coincidence. The power and eternity Lukas pursued was unlikely to be anything simple. Thus, Lilian quickly returned to her camp and observed Lukas¡¯ movements. The result was unusual¡ªthere was no reaction from Lukas¡¯ side at all. Be it the suffusion of the Savior¡¯s madness or themotion with the Fallens, these shocking events should have drawn concern. Yet, Lukas didn¡¯t dispatch a single scout to investigate the situation. His choice to iste himself at this juncture was baffling, as it wouldn¡¯t save him from the uing crisis. Not even the thickest walls could keep away the corrupted mana. Furthermore, no one had stepped out of that fortress over the past day, not even a deserter. Lukas, with his close ties with the Savior and the Fallens, could turn a blind eye to this crisis, but his soldiers were unlikely to remain asposed. If so, why weren¡¯t they making a move? Is something stopping them from leaving the fortress? Such a doubt tortured Lilian¡¯s mind. Ominous thoughts surfaced in her mind. After a prolonged dilemma, she understood that it was time for her to make a decision. Looking at the unnaturally silent fortress, Lilian finally ryed her verdict: ¡°We¡¯ll attack.¡± Amotion broke out inside the camp. The armymanders quickly returned tomand their soldiers, who were already prepared and ready to set off at any moment. Her close aides quickly contacted the two reinforcement armies too. After half a month of encirclement, Lilian, Nora, Charlotte, and their respective armies were eager to make a move, especially with the threat of the Fallens lurking now. War horns shook the in at daybreak. Lilian¡¯s summoned siege team took the lead, followed by her elite troops from Noyce Fortress. Behind them were Rosa¡¯s long-ranged offensive divisions. The Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s knights and magicians took the nks and the back respectively. All in all, they had over two hundred thousand soldiers. It was a hybrid army structured in a way that best tapped the strengths of each country. Furthermore, Lilian, Nora, and Charlotte had no trouble cooperating with one another after their prior experience in the Battle of Scorched Earth. Many thought that it would have been an easy battle, but as the army approached the fortress, the soldiers¡¯ expressions started to change. Two thousand meters out, the magicians in the rear channeled their mana into their raised staffs, ready to bombard the fortress walls. Yet, the enemy¡¯s defensive magic tools showed no signs of activation. Nora was perplexed. One thousand meters out, the Rosaian army¡¯s magic tools started to glow brilliantly, as they readied themselves to rain hell upon enemy soldiers. Yet, there were no targets to be seen on the ghastly silent fortress walls. Charlotte frowned in iprehension. Five hundred meters out, the soldiers could now clearly see the weapons stationed on the fortress walls, but there was no one operating them at all. ¡°¡­¡± It was already disadvantageous, by the standards of the Sia Continent¡¯s soldiers, to allow an invading army to get within five hundred meters of their fortress walls, but there was still no enemy to be seen. This inexplicable situation had the soldiers falling silent. A thought arose in Lilian¡¯s mind, and she slowly widened her eyes. Without any hesitation, she ordered the army tounch a full-on attack. The army immediately hastened its footsteps. Siege magic tools roared. Soldiers climbed up the fortress walls. Layton Seze charged forward and sted open the unguarded fortress gates. Boom! Lilian was the first one to enter the fortress, and she witnessed a sight she would never forget. Under the warm rays of the morning sun, soldiers were sprawled all over the ground of the deathly silent fortress, as if they were asleep. Most of them were still holding their weapons, but their bodies had long since turned cold. Their depleted life force and mana were strongly resonating with something inside the fortress, as if a huge ritual had just been held. Lilian and the others quickly barged into the depths of the fortress, and they found themselves standing before the remnants of arge-scale spatial spell, as well as a slowly healing spatial crack. In the spatial crack, they saw towering structures that were once majestic before they were callously battered over time. Silhouettes could be seen wandering the streets. Lilian was no stranger to that ce. That city was once the heart of humankind, a ce that countless had dreamed of for a millennium, but it had now be a ce of nightmares¡ªImperial Capital Siaus. Chapter 662: Rekindling Teleportation spells were one of the moremonly-used kinds of spatial spells, but that only applied to Origin Level 1 transcendents. Simultaneously teleporting multiple people remained a remarkably difficult feat. The difficulty of teleportation spells increased exponentially with each additional person or object included in the spell. In fact, most countries had to dedicate resources to nurturing a specialized team of magicians in order to achieverge-scale teleportations. For instance, the spatial magicians Lilian summoned were a specialized team back in the Ancient Austine Empire that directly served the emperor. Their purpose was to teleport the emperor to safety during times of crisis, so that he could rally the people and stage aeback. It would be difficult to invoke teleportation spells without that kind of talent, unless an exorbitant price were paid. Theoretically speaking, there was a chance to invoke any spell in the world as long as the price was right¡ªit was just a matter of how probable it was. The tragedy in the fortress reflected a failed experiment to forcefully invoke a teleportation spell. Lilian¡¯s soldiers were unable to utter a word. The charging knights pulled their steeds to a halt. Even the Rosaian soldiers couldn¡¯t gloat at this. The Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s clergymen put their palms together and prayed for the dead. Lilian stood silently before the remnants of the teleportation spell. Her eyes remained cold, even after the spatial crack reflecting the imperial capital had vanished. ¡°Your Highness Lilian, we have confirmed the cause of death of the deceased in the fortress. They had their mana and life force depleted in a ritual,¡± one of themanders reported. ¡°What kind of ritual is it?¡± Lilian asked. ¡°It¡¯s an evil cult¡¯s ritual. We found unique inscriptions on the fortress walls that suggested so,¡± themander replied. Lilian¡¯s expression slowly turned colder. The fact there were inscriptions on the fortress walls meant that this ritual wasn¡¯t conducted on a whim. Emperor Lukas had been plotting this for a long time now; his preparations might have already been in ce back when Lilian brought her army over and confronted him. That exined why he was sockadaisical, not even bothering to repair the copsed pce. He was probably idling away the time while waiting for the Savior¡¯s awakening. From the start, Lukas nned to sacrifice his soldiers to teleport himself and his Fallen subordinates to the imperial capital when the Savior awakened. Neither this fortress nor these soldiers would appear before him ever again, so there was no need for him to tidy things up. ¡°¡­Are there any survivors?¡± ¡°None at the moment,¡± one of themanders bitterly replied. ¡°¡­¡± Lilian took a deep breath before pondering the situation. Lukas Ackermann had escaped. On the surface, it looked as if Lilian and the others had won the battle without suffering any losses, but the truth was that this was a terrible defeat for them. Lilian, with the help of the united army, could confidently subdue Lukas¡¯ garrison troops, which was why there were so many deserters on Lukas¡¯ side in the first ce. Had they taken a more decisive stance, there might have been survivors here, and these survivors would have fought for humankind¡¯s survival too. On top of that, Lukas and the Fallens under hismand had to be plotting something. Lilian was certain that Lukas would never be subservient to the Savior, considering his personality and his goals. This meant that he would never be a Savior worshiper. If so, what could he have in mind? ¡°Power and eternity; could it be¡­¡± As Lilian slowly pieced the puzzle together, her conclusion unnerved her. Godhood¡ªthat was the answer that best fulfilled the concept of power and eternity. She wascking vital pieces of the puzzle to see the full picture, but she decided to report her conjecture to the united army¡¯s top brass for the time being. Having made up her mind, she turned around to ry her instruction to one of her aides, but before she could speak a word, she suddenly entered a weird trance. Her surroundings grew brighter, as her body basked inforting warmth. The world around her seemed to have stalled to a halt. At the same time, a ck-haired, golden-eyed girl with a sweet smile appeared before her. Lilian was stunned. ¡°Why are you here? There are a lot of people around us! The burden of the temporal spell¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother. We are the only ones here,¡± the girl replied. Lilian felt a surge of intimacy toward the girl. She looked at the stopped world around her, and her nervous expression slowly loosened. This was not her first time meeting with her child, so she wasn¡¯t too shocked by the situation. However, she couldn¡¯t help but be bothered by the nervous look on the girl¡¯s face. The girl had beenposed thest few times they met, but she looked exceptionally uneasy this time. Lilian wanted to ask what was going on, but the girl shook her head and said, ¡°Mother, this may be myst advice to you.¡± ¡°Last advice?¡± ¡°Please stay by Father¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Lilian was perplexed by the abrupt advice. As easy as the advice sounded, it was not easy for her to do. Both Lilian and Roel had things on their te, as leaders of the united army. On top of that, this advice hinted that Roel might be in danger soon. It was also baffling to her that this was the st advice¡¯. Feeling uneasy, she wanted to rify her doubts, but time began flowing once more before she could say anything. The girl¡¯s silhouette flickered like an illusion before vanishing into thin air. ¡°¡­¡± Looking at her disappeared child, Lilian slowly closed her mouth. Her aide was still waiting for her instruction, and the soldiers around her were unaware of what had just happened. Lilian¡¯s expression slowly hardened. She turned around and headed toward Nora and Charlotte. ¡­ Roel and Alicia walked alongside each other toward the heart of the billowing white fog, but they were walking much faster this time around. There were so many folded spaces inside Shrouding Fog that traveling within it was no easy feat even if one had its permission. The two of them were able to travel with greater ease now that both of them had reached Origin Level 1, but Alicia seemed to be in a heavy mood. Roel took a few nces at Alicia before finally asking, ¡°Is something on your mind?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯m just¡­ a little worried.¡± ¡°Worried?¡± ¡°Lord Brother, you¡¯ll be fighting once more after reviving the Six Cmities, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel didn¡¯t know how to answer that question, so he chose to share what he had discussed with the others. ¡°Our investigation shows more Fallens will awaken in the imperial capital over time. With the Savior¡¯s madness corrupting the surrounding mana, our plight will only worsen. Our best course of action is tounch an attack as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± Alicia replied, quietly sighing. She also knew that now was the best time for humankind to make their move. Humankind currently had their elites gathered on the eastern border, whereas the Savior was still inactive for now, and not all of the Fallens in the imperial capital had awakened yet. A thousand years was a long time, even for those who had sumbed to depravity. Most Fallens had gone into hibernation after such a long lull. Even when the Savior became more active, it would still take time for them to awaken and join the battle. This period was of utmost importance to humankind. This was the best opportunity for Roel to absorb the Savior¡¯s power andplete Carolyn and Charles¡¯ final n, and humankind would have to move fast to capitalize on this opportunity. In the earlier meeting, Holy Eminence John, Chief Senator Antonio, and King Friedrich hade to an agreement tounch an attack three days from now. This was the minimum time it would take for them to coordinate the three million soldiers for an attack. The united army had already begun its deployment, and it wouldn¡¯t be long before news reached all of the fortresses. Three days from now, Roel would march onto the battlefield once more, but this time around, Alicia was afraid for him. As someone who had inherited the Mother Goddess¡¯ powers, she was the person who best understood the Savior¡¯s strength, aside from Roel and Carolyn. If possible, she would rather Roel never revive the Six Cmities, for their revival marked the beginning of the war. ¡°Lord Brother, are you sure you¡¯re all right now?¡± ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯m fine. Has your soul recovered from its jolt?¡± ¡°Ancestor Carolyn re-summoned the ancient god to remove the negative effects on my soul, speeding up my recovery. I¡¯ll be able to join the battle this time around.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel was conflicted to hear Alicia¡¯s reply. Even now, he was still averse to having Alicia on the battlefield, though he knew that she was an irreceable asset to humankind. While it hadn¡¯t been long since she made her breakthrough, there was no doubt she was one of humankind''s strongest Origin Level 1 transcendents. On top of that, she was the only one who could control the Six Cmities, which meant that she had to be on the frontlines. ¡°Lord Brother, are you still hesitating?¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t want you on the battlefield even though I know that you¡¯re very strong now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always like that, Lord Brother. This is called being excessively protective.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°I want to be together with you, even if it¡¯s on the battlefield,¡± Alicia said with a smile. Roel was startled by those words, but he eventually nodded with a smile too. It was the desire to protect each other that drove both of them to be stronger. Now that both of them had reached Origin Level 1, it seemed more apt for them to fight alongside each other instead. Soon, they arrived at the divine temple shaped like a pyramid. Alicia brought Roel to the six floating magic items. ¡°Lord Brother, how do you intend to go about it?¡± ¡°Simple.¡± Roel evoked the power of Sia-fication and released a divine white light that instantaneously enveloped the six magic items. Under the nurturing light, the origins of the Six Cmities slowly regained their fervor. Be it the long-gone Sire Darkness or the surviving Shrouding Fog, they slowly became more active under the call of their Mother. Six light pirs of different colors gushed into the sky, piercing through the white fog to the root of the world. They began absorbing the mana at the root of the world to reforge themselves. Within days, they would be ready to return to the battlefield. While Roel was rekindling the mes of life in the Six Cmities, in a distant divine tower, a silver-haired woman slowly opened her eyes. She gazed intently at the darkness, as if looking at someone, before slowly returning to sleep. Chapter 663.1: Junior and Traitorous Subject (1) Roel thought that the Savior¡¯s awakening was the worst news he could receive, but he was proven wrong. When he returned from Shrouding Fog a dayter, he was weed with a shocking report that made his eyes narrow. All of the soldiers in Lukas¡¯ fortress were dead, and Lukas had escaped via a teleportation spell toward the Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s imperial capital. A descendant of the Ackermanns had finally returned to the imperial capital after a thousand years, and it was definitely for the final n. At this point, Roel had to concede that he wasgging behind, and that spelled ill for humankind. It was ironic that the key of victory didn¡¯t lie with the Savior now but between Roel and Lukas. He had never expected it woulde down to this. Needless to say, this news also piqued Antonio¡¯s, Astrid¡¯s, Paul¡¯s, Carolyn¡¯s, and the others¡¯ anxiety. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t over yet. While Lukas Ackermann had saved some traveling time through a teleportation spell, there were still some obstacles in his way. There were many Fallens roaming in the imperial capital, and the Savior¡¯s seal hadn¡¯t dissipated yet. Charles failed to save Carolyn a thousand years ago because a huge number of magicians were required to unlock the seal to the Abyss at the Capital Cathedral. The amount of resources required was beyond what any single country could afford in the current human world. Even if Lukas had arrived at the imperial capital ahead of them, he would have to fend off countless Fallens while attempting to unravel the seal. Roel might begging behind at the moment, but there was still a chance to turn the situation around. The knowledge of that calmed Roel a little. Another shocking piece of news he received was the arrival of Lilian and the others. Nora Xeclyde, Charlotte Sorofya, and Lilian Ackermann had to leave to attend to other matters shortly after rescuing Roel from Hawe Desert. There were many things for them to chat about now that they were finally reunited, but the three of them were more concerned about Alicia. ¡°You¡¯re back?¡± Nora said. ¡°I thought that it would be an eternal farewell, but you¡¯re more obstinate than I thought,¡± Charlotte remarked. The two of them heaved a sigh of relief despite their seemingly unconcerned words. Alicia revealed a rare smile and began chatting with them. ¡°Of course, I only temporarily left to be stronger so that I can better aid Lord Brother. Given our feelings, it¡¯s a walk in the park for me to regain my memories.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s cheeks twitched at Alicia¡¯s bragging, as he was reminded of the difficulties he had faced. Before he could make any remark, he noticed something amiss with Lilian¡¯s expression. Lilian did look slightly relieved upon seeing Alicia, but she had understandably refrained from saying anything because she wasn¡¯t as close to thetter as Nora and Charlotte. Instead, she looked at Roel, and there was something weird about her gaze. Her eyes seemed to be contemting or worrying about something. It felt like there was something she wanted to say. On the other hand, Alicia quickly eroded Nora¡¯s and Charlotte¡¯s sympathy for her through her bragging, and it didn¡¯t take long for the three of them to begin squabbling once more, though this scene felt unexpectedly heartwarming to Roel. ¡°Little sister Alicia, have you forgotten how you have epted me into the Ascart House? I am your sister-inw now,¡± Charlotte said smugly. ¡°Hm? Perhaps my memories haven¡¯t fully recovered, but I don¡¯t remember such a thing. Are you certain about it?¡± Alicia replied. ¡°What did you say?¡± Charlotte growled. ¡°Are the two of you done? I¡¯ve already said that Roel belongs to the church¡­¡± Roel watched their ssic squabble with a faint smile. They might quarrel at times, but they cared about and helped one another in times of need. While he struggled toprehend their rtionship, it was good to see them getting along, especially in such tumultuous times. It was weird how a quarrel actually gave him ease of mind, and he wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this way. It was a feeling shared by all of them, evident by how Lilian looked more rxed even though she didn¡¯t participate in the quarrel. What Roel didn¡¯t expect, however, was for him to be dragged into the argument. ¡°You said you¡¯ve forgotten about it? Very well, I shall put that aside for now. However, there is something else I ought to inform you, Alicia.¡± Charlotte looked at Alicia with a gentle smile as she continued on, ¡°Darling is mine now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Alicia asked. ¡°The Holy War Bloodline Protection Law. Thatw can be invoked in times of emergency, and it has been decided that we are Darling¡¯s partners,¡± Charlotte exined. ¡°Partners?¡± Alicia was horrified. ¡°Thew has decreed that only the three of us and the Knight Kingdom¡¯s Wilhelmina are Roel¡¯swful partners. You should understand what I¡¯m getting at, Alicia. You¡¯re toote.¡± Nora dealt the finishing blow. ¡°Lord Brother?¡± Unable to believe it, Alicia turned to Roel and eximed, ¡°Lord Brother, what¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°No, this¡­¡± ¡°I should first rify that Darling didn¡¯t oppose it. Speaking of which, Miss Alicia, can you please release my darling¡¯s hand?¡± Charlotte followed through with her attack. Roel was left with a splitting headache. He had no choice but to speak the truth. ¡°It¡¯s true I didn¡¯t oppose it, but there¡¯s a reason for that. I didn¡¯t have the right to oppose it at all¡­¡± The Holy War Bloodline Protection Law was not optional, which meant that Roel theoretically didn¡¯t have the right to decline, especially since his bloodline had been determined to be one of the necessary elements to humankind¡¯s survival. To put it bluntly, it was a matter of whether he would do it willingly or get jumped on. ¡°Of course, that¡¯s all on paper. No one will really enforce such a ridiculousw, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Cough. Looking at Charlotte¡¯s feigned cough, Lilian¡¯s averted eyes, and Nora¡¯s mischievous gaze, Roel was momentarily stunned before his face turned ck. What? So the three of you are really thinking of enforcing it? Alicia immediately kicked up a fuss, saying that she ought to be added to the list too. Roel had no choice but to take Alicia to Antonio to oppose the matter, and Nora and Charlotte followed them. He had a feeling that another battle was brewing, and he was right. ¡°The n can be revised,¡± Antonio said. ¡°Principal Antonio, I believe we have already agreed to limit it to the four of us,¡± Nora sharply pointed out. ¡°It doesn¡¯t count because I wasn¡¯t around!¡± Alicia eximed. With a sigh, Roel found an excuse to take his leave. Shortly after walking out the door, he bumped into someone whom he had expected to be waiting for him. ¡°Senior.¡± ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± Lilian said with a nod. ¡°Roel, there¡¯s a matter I need to talk to you about.¡± ¡­ Roel had expected Lilian to approach him for a conversation, as there was one thing he had with Lilian that he didn¡¯t have with the others¡ªtheir unborn child. Lilian had kept it in stasis for two years with her spell, but there was no doubt that the child was a priority for both of them. Roel was surprised that Lilian had removed the temporal spell altogether and allowed their child to continue developing when the spell started to wear off. The fact that he was going to be a father still felt unreal to him. ¡°Senior, is it here?¡± he asked, touching a spot on her t abdomen. ¡°Yes, it should be there,¡± Lilian replied with an embarrassed blush. She had been pregnant for a while now, but the child inside her had only developed for two months thus far, so she looked no different than usual. Even so, Roel felt conflicted seeing her current state, and he didn¡¯t know whether to let her join the battle or not. By the rules of the Holy War, there were two reasons Lilian could use to be exempted from the battlefield. One of them was her pregnancy. Humankind granted special privileges to pregnant women, as their children represented its future. Moreover, pregnancy could undermine an individual¡¯s fighting prowess, though this point didn¡¯t apply to Lilian because her child was only two months old, and her fighting style didn¡¯t require her to charge on the battlefield. Still, she was entitled to exercise this right. The other reason was the fact that she was now the Austine Empire¡¯s de facto leader. There were two other princes in the Austine Empire who were vying for the throne, of course, but unfortunately, their long years of staying in Siaus and their rtively close ties with Lukas put them under suspicion of working with the Fallens. So, the united army would never recognize them as candidates for the throne. As much as this was the Austine Empire¡¯s internal affair, this matter had far-reaching effects on humankind too. The united army couldn¡¯t stay out of it, especially after what had happened with Lukas, and the united army¡¯s influence could not be understated under the current climate. As for Paul, he was an illegitimate son and had no session rights. He might have been Charles a thousand years ago, but he had neither Lilian¡¯s influence nor her recognition right now, not to mention that he had no ambitions for the throne. Thus, the united army chose to recognize Lilian as the Austine Empire¡¯s leader. Under the rules of the Holy War, if a country¡¯s ruler had no sessor, the ruler was not to join the battlefield, as their death would bring about great instability, perhaps even stirring a civil war and affecting frontline efforts. Lilian could easily use these reasons to step away from the battlefield. So far, Roel and Lilian had kept quiet about her pregnancy out of worry that it could affect her position in the Austine Empire, especially since Lukas was opposed to their rtionship, but that wasn¡¯t an issue now. Should Carter learn that Lilian was carrying Roel¡¯s child, he would immediately swoop in and drag her away from the battlefield. To Grandpa Carter, it didn¡¯t matter whether they were fighting for the future of humankind or whatnot; his grandchild came first. He would make sure that Lilian rested at the back line even if the world ended tomorrow. From another perspective, it might also be a wise decision to leave an inheritor of the Kingmaker Bloodline behind. After thinking things through, Roel looked at Lilian and asked, ¡°Senior, what are your thoughts about the uing battle?¡± ¡°My thoughts?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about having you stay at the back line,¡± Roel said. Lilian was startled before her expression turned gentle. She ced her hand on Roel¡¯s cheek, but her reply caught Roel by surprise: ¡°My apologies, but that¡¯s out of the question.¡± ¡°Senior, I know that you¡¯re strong, but Nora and the others should be able to make an advancement to Origin Level 1 soon. We should be able to stand our ground, so¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of that,¡± Lilian replied with a gentle smile. She took Roel¡¯s hand and ced it on her womb as she said, ¡°It was advice from her.¡± ¡°Advice? What did she say?¡± ¡°She told me to stay with you, so I¡¯ll follow you no matter where you go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s golden eyes flickered in contemtion. He knew that their future child must have paid a heavy price to offer them such advice. Thus far, her advice had been invaluable in turning the tides, so it was likely the same this time. They had no idea what would happen, but the advice suggested that Lilian¡¯s presence would bolster Roel¡¯s chances of survival one way or another. For this reason, Lilian was determined to stay with Roel no matter what happened. ¡°But Senior, your body¡­¡± ¡°Our child hasn¡¯t developed yet, so she won¡¯t hinder me. Besides, this is a battle that determines humankind¡¯s survival. How can I, as one of humankind¡¯s Origin Level 1 transcendents, be absent?¡± Lilian said with a kingly aura. Roel suddenly felt nostalgic. Dignified and strong¡ªthis had been his impression of Lilian before they fell in love. Many in the academy looked up to her. She had also saved him on more than one asion. Perhaps this is the reason I keep calling her ¡®Senior¡¯¡­ Roel thought with a helpless chuckle. His expression hardened, and he replied with a nod, ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s walk the final path together, Senior.¡± ¡°Mmhm.¡± Lilian pressed her lips together as she slowly leaned against Roel¡¯s shoulder. ¡­ Chapter 663.2: Junior and Traitorous Subject (2) After leaving Lilian¡¯s room, Roel walked down the passageway and worriedly thought about his ns in recent days. The uing battle would determine the fate of humankind, making it even more important than their showdown with the deviants. To maximize their chances of victory, the united army¡¯s headquarters had embarked on the same n as before. Nurturing the younger generation into Race Sovereigns to bnce out the odds with the deviants was one of the ns the united army had previouslye up with. The n remained active even after the death of Deviant Sovereign Banjol, and they were finally reaping rewards. Nora and Charlotte were two of the priorities in the n. With the doomsday prophecy right around the corner, it was time for the two of them to push for a breakthrough to Origin Level 1. Roel agreed with this course of action, as making a breakthrough would greatly enhance their fighting prowess while putting them in a better position to protect themselves. However, he was still worried, as his own breakthrough hadn¡¯t been easy. That being said, each Origin Level 1 transcendent had their own conditions for a breakthrough. Alicia had relied on the Mother Goddess¡¯ power. Wilhelmina relied on her armor and conquering her inner demons. Lilian was highly talented and could have made a breakthrough long ago, but she held herself back due to her child. Nora and Charlotte had the church and the Sorofyas respectively backing them¡ªand those were two of thergest organizations in the Sia Continent¡ªso it was safe to say they had ample material support. However, their emotional support was a different matter. Roel noticed that Nora and Charlotte looked nervous when he met them earlier on, and that stoked his concern. He figured that he should look for them to listen to their worries, but Nora came knocking before he could act on it. ¡°I¡¯ve finally found you.¡± ¡°Nora?¡± ¡°Come here. I need to talk to you.¡± Nora raised her hand and invoked the mana chain between them. This rmed Roel, and he quickly scanned their surroundings. ¡°Wait a moment; we¡¯re outside¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; there¡¯s no one around,¡± Nora replied with a smirk as she dragged Roel into a nearby room. Roel thought that he was going to be dominated once more, but to his surprise, Nora suddenly fell silent. That filled his mind with question marks. Hm? What¡¯s going on? Nora spent some time assessing Roel from head to toe before heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°I heard you were injured, but it looks like you¡¯re fine now.¡± ¡°Yes, I have fully recovered. You may put your mind at ease, Your Highness. Did you drag me here for this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not all. Actually, I¡¯m feeling a little nervous.¡± ¡°¡­Is it because you¡¯re about to make a breakthrough to Origin Level 1?¡± Nora nodded in response to Roel¡¯s question. She heaved a sigh before continuing on, ¡°I didn¡¯t think a day woulde where I¡¯dg behind you in terms of Origin Level.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be helped. You are carrying many things on your shoulders.¡± ¡°I have been busy recently, but¡­ these are the days worth cherishing the most.¡± Nora looked at the setting sun outside with contemtive eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Roel quietly listened to her. As the Saint Mesit Theocracy¡¯s princess, the next Holy Eminence, Nora always had her hands full with work, but now that the decisive battle was right around the corner, those mundane days somehow felt unforgettable instead. Roel felt the same. He struggled to get over Nora¡¯s sadistic inclinations, but she was impable in every other way. She was brave,passionate, and loving. She devoted herself to protecting and supporting him back when he was still weak. He would never forget the days he had spent with her. Thinking about the past filled him with many emotions. Nora turned against the setting sun and looked at him. ¡°Roel, I¡¯d like to ask a question.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°If there had been no war or mountains of responsibilities, would you have been willing to elope with me, like Victoria and Sir Ponte did?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was startled by that question, but he soon shook his head. That answer had Nora lowering her head in disappointment. She put on a strained smile as she replied, ¡°I see¡­ I understand. Your circumstances are unlike Ponte¡¯s. The current Ascart House can¡¯t do without you.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not the reason.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want my liege to bury her name.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Nora hadn¡¯t expected such an answer. Roel looked straight into Nora¡¯s eyes as he exined, ¡°Her Majesty Victoria might have left us, but she aplished her mission and left her mark on history. Nora, you haven¡¯t aplished what you wanted to do yet, right? I don¡¯t want to let a great queen be buried in history over my own selfish desires. That¡¯d make me a true sinner.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know whether I¡¯d be a great queen. I might turn out to be a tyrant.¡± ¡°A tyrant? That¡¯s fine with me too. Isn¡¯t that the reason I¡¯m with you?¡± Roel replied with a smile. He grabbed the chain binding the two of them and said, ¡°You said it. I¡¯m a traitorous subject. It¡¯s my responsibility to oppose your tyranny.¡± ¡°Heh, I see. I¡¯ll look forward to it, then.¡± ¡°I suppose you won¡¯t be tyrannical just for the sake of it, right?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Nora replied with a nod. A smile reappeared on her face, as she said, ¡°As much as I¡¯m fond of putting you in predicaments, I don¡¯t want the Theocracy to bear the consequences of my inclinations. I don¡¯t n on soiling both our names too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Do you feel more rxed now?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Nora nodded. She felt like the stress that had umted in her over a long period of time had finally been released. The chain Roel held began glowing from his side, and the light slowly flowed in Nora¡¯s direction. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°Have you forgotten? We¡¯re connected. I¡¯m at Origin Level 1 now. I might not be able to directly help you, but the least I can do is to let you adapt to it.¡± ¡°I see. So this is how Origin Level 1 feels¡­¡± Nora remarked, but much to Roel¡¯s surprise, she didn¡¯t fully ept his mana. ¡°It¡¯s good for me to adapt beforehand, but it might limit me too. Don¡¯t worry; I won¡¯t let history repeat itself.¡± ¡°¡­All right.¡± Roel recalled the events that had transpired thest time Nora awakened to her Gold-tier Bloodline, and it filled him with nostalgia. Before he could say anything, Nora suddenly pushed him again and said, ¡°Besides, it¡¯s a waste of time to be doing that now.¡± ¡°Waste of time? Wait, Nora¡­¡± ¡°Hush.¡± Roel didn¡¯t get a chance to finish his sentence, as Nora lurched forward to take his lips. After an intense sh, their silhouettes finally ovepped. Chapter 664.1: Inseparable (1) Humans were capable of achieving huge things within a short period of time if they really put their minds to it. It was a day before themencement of war. Soldiers could be seen rushing to and fro in fortresses and strongholds, bringing around an endless stream of logistical supplies with them. All military supplies had been made avable to all of the soldiers without any limits, be it weapons, arrows, magic tools, armor, or steeds. Brawny knights excitedly tried out new armor. Staff-wielding magicians organized their new array of magic tools with smiles. The soldiers¡¯ excitement was palpable even though they were about to march off to war soon. Never had they fought a war so wealthily before. Quality of equipment had a great influence on a soldier¡¯s survival rate, but it was difficult to properly equip all three million soldiers stationed on the eastern border, not to mention that military supplies often required maintenance and recements. Even obtaining newer armor would require two rounds of approval, and it would only be distributed to those who needed it the most. Such free distribution of military supplies was unprecedented in the history of the eastern border. It was no wonder the soldiers were excited. Roel watched this scene from the fortress walls with a chuckle. He turned to the person responsible for this, the logistical chief of the united army, and asked, ¡°Are you sure the Sorofya House can bear this burden?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. We established strict controls on the distribution of military supplies to ensure long-term resource sustainability on the battlefield, but there¡¯s no need to do that anymore,¡± Charlotte replied as she watched the soldiers joyfully pick their weapons. ¡°Humankind is over if we lose the uing battle. No amount of resources and money can save us once that happens. It¡¯d be more worthwhile to stake our entire fortune here.¡± ¡°That might be so, but this scale is still ridiculous¡­¡± Roel replied as he recalled the long queues of carriages delivering weapons to the fortresses. ¡°Well, the Sorofyas havepletely squandered our fortune for this.¡± Charlotte dropped a bomb. ¡°Ah?!¡± Roel was taken aback by that news. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean that¡­¡± ¡°Yes, the Sorofyas are on the verge of bankruptcy. Our finance was about to reach the bottom anyway, so we¡¯re staking it all on this.¡± ¡°¡­A gamble, is it?¡± ¡°Indeed. If we win, we¡¯d resolve a major threat to humankind. The Sorofyas will be handsomely rewarded for this investment. Conversely, everything would be reduced to dust if we lose. That¡¯s the kind of bet this is.¡± Charlotte turned to Roel with glowing emerald eyes. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like my way of doing things, right?¡± ¡°I must concede it really doesn¡¯t feel like you¡­ but it¡¯s understandable.¡± ¡°Oh? What makes you say that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a descendant of the Sofyas¡¯ lineage, a house of naval explorers. It might be in your blood to take such huge risks. Perhaps that¡¯s the reason you got along well with Isabe,¡± Roel said as he reminisced about the Golden Fleet from centuries ago. The Sorofyas might have transitioned from naval explorers to the richest house in the Sia Continent over the generations, they still retained the boldness of adventurers in their bones. Charlotte took a trip down memoryne too and muttered, ¡°Isabe? I guess so, but it¡¯s not as if it¡¯d be the end of me once the Sorofyas go bankrupt.¡± ¡°You have a secret hand?¡± ¡°Of course. Shouldn¡¯t my debtor take responsibility for me if I go bankrupt, Mister Roel?¡± ¡°Pfft. Is that your backup n?¡± Roel chuckled. Charlotte took this opportunity to pursue the matter. ¡°3,114,500 gold coins, and that¡¯s not factoring in interest yet¡ªyou¡¯re the Sorofyas¡¯ biggest private debtor. I¡¯d be forced to live on the streets if you refuse to take responsibility.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility, but just to be clear, my debt should be canceled once the Sorofya Merchant Association closes down, right?¡± ¡°Are you going to shirk your debt? Mister Roel, when did you be so despicable?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t n to shirk my debt. I simply prefer to help you in my capacity as your fianc¨¦,¡± Roel said as he reached out to grab Charlotte¡¯s hand. Charlotte pouted in dissatisfaction as she replied, ¡°Darling, you¡¯re sly.¡± ¡°Haha! I¡¯ll take that as apliment. I don¡¯t have the means to pay that much money, after all.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you consider selling yourself to me? I¡¯ll give you a good price.¡± ¡°Why would you buy something that¡¯s already yours?¡± Roel embraced Charlotte and took this opportunity to blow a warm stream of air into her ear, which caused her to squirm in embarrassment. He immediately retreated after the sessful counterattack, and Charlotte turned her blushing face away. ¡°Stop ying around. It¡¯s about time,¡± Charlotte said. ¡°You¡¯re going to make a breakthrough?¡± Roel asked. ¡°Mmhm,¡± Charlotte replied with a nod. Roel lowered his gaze and fell into deep thought. While he was worried about Nora as well, Nora had a strong and resilient character, so he thought that there was a good chance of her oveing this ordeal and sessfully reaching Origin Level 1. However, it was a different story for Charlotte. He hadn¡¯t fought alongside Charlotte often. Thest time they fought together was during their time in the academy. She, as the Sorofyas¡¯ sessor, belonged more to the world of banquets and balls. The battlefield was not where she should be. If his impression of Nora was a warrior devoted to ridding evil and injustice from the world, Charlotte would be an acute business mogul who maneuvered the world¡¯s finances from her posh office. Given so, it was hard for him not to be worried about Charlotte. Of course, he was aware that Charlotte had fought on the frontlines, and her strength had grown by leaps and bounds since then. Still, it was hard for him to put his mind at ease, as it felt like he was sending his virtuous wife to the battlefield. ¡°Are the preparations for your breakthrough in ce?¡± ¡°Yes, Rosa¡¯s preparations are thorough. I have calcted the ideal timing through The Arbiter too. Don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t want you to take this risk.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. I want to stay by my darling¡¯s side, and Rosa needs an Origin Level 1 transcendent too,¡± Charlotte replied earnestly. Roel sighed. He took a step forward and sealed Charlotte¡¯s lips. Charlotte was flustered by his advance, but she didn¡¯t reject him. Their lips intersected, as a stream of hot energy flowed into her body. ¡°Darling, this is?¡± ¡°My blood. It contains Sia¡¯s power. It should aid your breakthrough.¡± ¡°Thank you, darling.¡± ¡°You should thank me when you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°All right,¡± Charlotte replied before reluctantly bidding Roel farewell. Shortly after they parted ways, the fortress sent out a notice for all magic tools to be temporarily deactivated. The two princesses were going to begin their breakthrough. ¡­ Nora¡¯s and Charlotte¡¯s breakthroughs were a huge matter for humankind. The military potential of two Origin Level 1 transcendents could not be made light of, even in the ancient era. Roel was so concerned about it that he couldn¡¯t shrug off his unease. It was just that there was no end to the amount of work on his hands, so much so that he had no time to dwell on anything else. Their greatest priority now was to decide on their war strategy and manpower allocation. This was going to be a battle of epic proportions, involving all three million human soldiers on the eastern border, but their goal was clear: they would deliver Roel into the Abyss, where he would use Sia¡¯s Scepter to absorb the Savior¡¯s mana and defeat the Savior. From the skirmishes between the humans and the Fallens, the united army had concluded that the Fallens¡¯ military prowess far surpassed the deviants¡¯. The million Fallens stationed in the imperial capital were superior to the three million human soldiers stationed on the eastern border. Humankind had no hope of overrunning the imperial capital, so Roel would have to sneak into the imperial capital with a small team of elites while the united army distracted the Fallens with a feint attack. After careful discussion, they decided that the team should have only a thousand personnel. A thousand people was a drop in the ocean given the scale of the imperial capital, butst-minute experiments conducted over thest few days had led specialists to conclude that the risk of being discovered by the Fallens significantly increased if there were more than a thousand people in the team. To ensure Roel reached the Abyss, each member of the team had to be picked with great care. The first candidate on the list was naturally Wilhelmina. Roel grimly looked at the armored woman seated across the table. A brief moment of silence lingered between them before he finally said, ¡°Mina, you should stay with the united army. They need someone to lead them.¡± ¡°Perhaps, but that¡¯s not where I should be. I am your knight. I¡¯ll stay with you.¡± ¡°¡­What if I request you to stay behind?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll first fight on the frontline before chasing after you alone.¡± Wilhelmina obstinately refused to change her mind. Roel knew there was no way to dissuade Wilhelmina, so he decided not to even try anymore. Instead, he changed the topic and asked about another matter. ¡°Mina, is your heart¡­ still doing well?¡± ¡°Mmhm. The Knight Kingdom conducted many physical checks after I returned. The results show that not only am I fine, but my condition is even better than before.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief to hear.¡± Roel heaved a sigh of relief. Indestructible Body was an extremely powerful buff, so much so that even a portion severed from him could greatly strengthen Wilhelmina¡¯s constitution. Roel was delighted with how it had turned out. ¡°Mina, you can join my team, but you have to promise me you wouldn¡¯t do anything dangerous.¡± ¡°I can promise you that.¡± ¡°By ¡®dangerous¡¯, I mean you can¡¯t take attacks on my behalf, too. No harm should fall upon you, even if it¡¯s for my sake.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wilhelmina¡¯s eyes reflected her reluctance to ept Roel¡¯s request. However, Roel wasn¡¯t opening this matter to negotiation. Words couldn¡¯t describe how awful he felt when Wilhelmina suffered severe injuries and nearly died trying to protect him. He suddenly felt like life had lost all meaning. That crash of emptiness and sorrow was something he would never forget. ¡°I don¡¯t want to experience that a second time. Mina, promise me, all right?¡± ¡°¡­All right. I had the same thought in mind too.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to die either. I have only just confessed, and our rtionship has barely started. There¡¯s no way I could let it end just like that.¡± Wilhelmina raised her head to look at Roel with amber eyes filled with inextinguishable warmth. Roel was startled, but his expression soon mellowed down. He answered with a nod as he hardened his determination once more. Be it for Wilhelmina, his friends and family, or the soldiers who would soon march into battle alongside him, he had to defeat the Savior. This was not just his wish but the millennia-old wish of the Ascarts¡¯ lineage. It was beginning to sink in just how much he was carrying on his shoulders. With that, Roel had no choice but to ept her on the team. ¡°We¡¯re both shouldering the hopes and dreams of our predecessors. Let¡¯s pave a future for humankind together.¡± Roel gently held Wilhelmina¡¯s hands while firmly exchanging gazes with her, and the two smiled. ¡­ Chapter 664.2: Inseparable (2) The following morning, Roel woke up to the thunderous rumbling of fortress magic tools. At the first crack of sunlight, tens of fortresses in the eastern border simultaneouslyunched long-ranged attacks on the Fallens, thus lighting the mes of war after three days of silence. Under humankind¡¯s bombardment, the Fallens, who were previously wandering aimlessly on Tark Prairie, began gathering inrge droves tounch their counterattack. This marked the sessful execution of the Battle of the Edges¡¯ Phase 1. A weapon¡¯s edge was its sharpest point, and it marked the difference between life and death in a critical battle. The edge of this battle was none other than Roel¡¯s thousand-man team. In view of that, the united army had decided to name this war ¡®the Battle of the Edges¡¯. The Battle of the Edges could be divided into three phases. Phase 1 involved bombarding the Fallens and guarding against their subsequent offense. Given that the Fallens had the advantage in terms of military prowess, the united army had decided to rely on the sturdy fortresses they had built and reinforced over a thousand years to deal with the Fallens. This was their best way to level the ying field. Thus, the first thing they had to do was to lure the enemy in. With deafening rumbles, the fortress magic tools unleashed blinding streams of light that diverged into countless arrows that rained down in the far distance. This intense mana pulsation immediately caught the attention of the tens of thousands of Fallens on Tark Prairie. At the same time, an armyprising soldiers from Rosa and the Knight Kingdom charged out to draw the Fallens¡¯ aggro. The Savior was a supreme existence embodying the sun in the ancient era. His authority remained even after He had sumbed to madness, which was why the Fallens were stronger in the day than at night. Phase 1 of the Battle of the Edges began at daybreak and concluded at nightfall. The soldiers would devote themselves to guarding their respective fortresses during this period of time and thin the enemies¡¯ fighting prowess as much as possible. Only at nightfall would Phase 2mence. Phase 2 would see the human armies on the eastern border simultaneouslyunch a counterattack on the Fallens. Under the moonlight, they would snipe down their weakened enemies through guerri warfare and slowly advance on the massive imperial capital. It was also around then that they would find an opportunity tounch Phase 3. In Phase 3, Roel and his team would advance with the united army¡¯s blessings, with the hope they would be the sharp edge that plunged into their enemy¡¯s heart, paving a new route for humankind¡¯s future. Boom! Amidst the rumbling of the fortress magic tools, Roel scaled the fortress wall to assess the situation. Soldiers were standing at attention across the stretch of the wall, with all sorts of weapons installed in ce to fend off the enemy. In the distance, Pendorian knights could be seen frantically retreating with Rosaian archers back to the fortress, with arge ck army of Fallens chasing them. The Fallens might have lost their weapons and sanity, but their strength was a sight to behold. Their ck mana converged together to form an ominous cloud above them, making the sky look exceptionally gloomy. The human soldiers fell silent. Even the veteran soldiers who had seen the worst of the deviants were intimidated by the Fallens¡¯ momentum, but that didn¡¯t mean they would give up. They believed in humankind¡¯s power to ovee tribtion. The human soldiers channeled their mana into the fortress magic tools, unleashing brilliant streams of light reminiscent of celestial rivers that obliterated the Fallens. This was quickly followed by army spells and a rain of arrows. Large patches of the Fallens were vanquished, but it wasn¡¯t enough to end the battle. Some of the stronger Fallens beganunching their counterattack. The ancient magicians raised their wooden staffs and chanted their spells. The brawny knights emanated ck-red mana that allowed them to easily ascend the city walls with a couple of jumps. A bitter battle ensued. Humankind used everything they had at their disposal to desperately fend against the Fallens, while an endless stream of Fallens marched out from Tark Prairie. There had not been a single moment of respite since the outbreak of battle this morning. None of the Origin Level 1 transcendents, including Roel, Lilian, and Wilhelmina, participated in the battle. This was an order from the united army¡¯s highest echelons, as they had to preserve their strength as much as possible for the critical battle. However, there were other people to take their ces. Carter Ascart, Kane Xeclyde, Bruce Sorofya, and other veteran Origin Level 2 transcendents joined the battlefield. They were determined to protect humankind¡¯s defense line from being overrun by the Fallens, until it was finally time to mobilize the Origin Level 1 transcendents. ¡°You are humankind¡¯s hope and future. It isn¡¯t time for you to make a move yet. Hold it in until the critical moment, then give it your best strike and make it count,¡± Carter had told Roel before heading to the fortress wall. Roel knew that he was right, so he had no choice but to hold himself in. shing swords and exploding spells echoed ceaselessly throughout the fortress. Roel quietly processed the situation while familiarizing himself with all of his powers. Even now, Roel still didn¡¯t know how many enemies he was up against. Putting aside Lukas, whom he knew was after Sia¡¯s Scepter too, there was also a dangerous enemy amongst the Savior¡¯s worshipers whose state he hadn¡¯t been able to confirm¡ªthe Collector. He had been aware of the abrupt disappearance of his number one enemy, the Collector. Perplexed, he had tried tapping into the church¡¯s and Rosa¡¯s intelligenceworks, but it was as if the Collector had disappeared from the face of the world. This unnerved Roel, especially after he learned the truth behind the Second Epoch. If the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital had been caused by the explosions of the Eggs of the Beast God instead of the Savior, the culprit behind the operation would have to be the Collector, who had been the leader of the Fallens a thousand years ago too. If he was willing to go this far, there was no way he would stay still now that the Savior was on the brink of awakening. This piqued Roel¡¯s vignce. The sun eventually began to set, and night enveloped the sky. It was finally time for the older Origin Level 1 transcendents to make a move. Five Origin Level 1 transcendents¡ªHoly Eminence John, Principal Antonio, Sword Saint King Friedrich, Military God Layton, and the newly awakened Astrid¡ªjoined forces to eradicate the remaining Fallens. Invible holy light, devastating mes, and iridescent lights descended upon the battlefield, vanquishingrge swathes of enemies. Friedrich and Layton rushed into the Fallens¡¯ ranks and destroyed enemies with their unstoppable shes and destructive lightning. At the same time, the human armies quickly got into formation and marched out. Layton didn¡¯t say much when he saw Roel, choosing to just pat Roel¡¯s shoulder and smile. He felt that this was a responsibility that Ro¡¯s descendent ought to shoulder, and it proved that he hadn¡¯t chosen the wrong person back then. ¡°Grandpa Layton, you¡¯ve worked hard,¡± Roel said. ¡°I¡¯m just clearing the obstacles in the way. I¡¯ll entrust everything to you,¡± Layton replied. Friedrich pulled Wilhelmina to one side to give her a pep talk, whereas Astrid and Antonio appeared to be discussing something. The members of the golden generation, such as Paul, Geralt, Selina, and Teresa, as well as a few other militarymanders, walked up to Roel¡¯s thousand-man team and bowed to them, expressing their respect to the brave soldiers who dared to charge right into their enemy¡¯s core. Roel¡¯s team was set and ready to go. The thousand-man teamprising elites from the five countries responded with military salutes, and they offered their blessing to the vanguards who would be paving a path for them. The soldiers felt a mix of trepidation and excitement, as they watched the armies march into the battlefield one after another. After seeing off his close friends, Roel quietly stood at the fortress wall, as if awaiting something. A long timeter, he finally noticed two intense bursts of mana gushing into the sky and heaved a sigh of relief. The most important Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Battle of the Edges could finallymence. ¡­ Nora¡¯s and Charlotte¡¯s sessful breakthroughs were good news to humankind. The addition of two more Origin Level 1 transcendents to their forces greatly roused the soldiers¡¯ morale, and Roel¡¯s worry could finally be set to rest. With that, Phase 2 officiallymenced. Simr to the Battle of Scorched Earth, the three million human soldiers stationed on the eastern border would simultaneously march forth to tie down the Fallens to the best of their ability. After several hours of effort, with the older Origin Level 1 transcendents taking the lead, the main armyprising hundreds of thousands of soldiers had cleared off most of the Fallens lurking on Tark Prairie and sessfully advanced to the point where they could clearly see the imperial capital¡¯s walls. Even the most bloodthirsty of soldiers, upon spotting the imperial capital¡¯s walls, were startled by its sheer scale, and it filled them with deference. Humankind actually once reached such a height. This was the thought that surfaced in everyone¡¯s mind. However, the main army made no further attempt to approach the imperial city, as previous scouting reports had indicated that the number of Fallens significantly increased the closer they got to the heart of the imperial capital. And the sheer number of enemies before them reflected that. Countless ck silhouettes wandered under the moonlight. Unlike the Fallens they had encountered in the day, most of those here had distorted into monstrous shapes. Ancient magicians wandered with decaying skin and rotting flesh, looking like ghouls. Knights had mutated to all forms of monstrosities. There were even some resembling meat mountains in the distance. It looked almost like a painting of hell. The human soldiers were chilled by the nightmare they were witnessing, but even so, they gritted their teeth and stood their ground. They knew that if they fell here, the next would be their friends and family in the distant human world. If they couldn¡¯t advance with the strength they had now, it would eventually brew into a cmity for all of humankind. For thousands of years, humankind had survived thanks to the valiant sacrifices of their predecessors. This would be no exception. As terrified as the human soldiers were, they would muster all their courage and fight. Meanwhile, a thousand spatial magicians were working under Antonio¡¯s guidance to sense the spatial pulsations and carefully weave a powerful teleportation spell to deliver Roel, Alicia, Nora, Charlotte, Lilian, Wilhelmina, and the thousand-man team into the imperial capital. However, things wouldn¡¯t proceed smoothly, just as they had anticipated. As soon as their spatial spell began to pulsate, the mana around the imperial capital spiked. Tark Prairie erupted in several ces as massive ck monsters rose from the ground. Eggs of the Beast God. Sensing potential danger, they rose from the ground to confront their enemies. Each of these Eggs of the Beast God was humongous, looking like a mountain under the moonlight. Sinister, bestial howls shook the prairie, as they exerted tremendous pressure that stopped the soldiers from taking the slightest step forward. The battlefield fell unnervingly silent, as the human soldiers stared at those monsters in horror. Just as they were about to descend into despair, a white fog suddenly emerged from the horizon and morphed into a six-colored cloud. Six colossal monsters¡ªfiery red, frosty blue, deathly ck, aurora orange, fog white, and tempest pale yellow¡ªappeared from the horizon and unleashed unimaginably powerful mana pulsations that shook the surroundings. They used to be the greatest cmities of the world, but this time around, they were humankind¡¯s allies. The Six Cmities charged at the Eggs of the Beast God, silencing the bestial howls. shes of radiant light and explosions ensued. Meanwhile, the teleportation spell channeled by Antonio and the spatial magicians began glowing brilliantly. Chapter 665.1: Beneath the Abyss (1) The Six Cmities had destroyed countless civilizations since their birth in the ancient era, and they were rightfully named as such. No one could have imagined that a day woulde when these ancient monsters protected civilization. A huge battle unfolded on the moonlit prairie. Onnd, tens of thousands of mutated Fallens roared, spewing the aura of madness as they charged at their once-brethren. Behind them were screeching ck lumps, with quite a few having already morphed into human form. On the other side were the neat formations of well-equipped human soldiers. Be they from the Saint Mesit Theocracy, the Austine Empire, the Knight Kingdom, the Country of Schrs, or the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, all of the soldiers stood united under a single chain ofmand. Above them, the Six Cmities roared. Such a face-off was unprecedented even in the long history of the Sia Continent. Sire Darkness was the first one to make a move. Countless blobs of searingva fell from the sky like a meteor storm, incinerating the charging Fallens. cier Creator followed suit by spreading its frost across thend, turning all Fallens that came into contact with it into ice sculptures. Tempest Caller strategically surrounded the battlefield with its winds, slowly segmenting and cornering the Fallens. Shrouding Fog charged at the ck Eggs of the Beast God, tying them down so as to stop them from intervening in the battlefield. Flooding Death unleashed beams of curses reminiscent of sharp swords at the hearts of the giants morphed by the Eggs of the Beast God, destroying them. Light Devourer quietly absorbed all of the surrounding mana. The Six Cmities made huge impacts as soon as they joined the battlefield, so much so that the massive Eggs of the Beast God had to focus their attention on their mortal enemies. Ten of the Eggs of the Beast God absorbed nearby Fallens and swiftly hatched into humanoid figures. These humanoid figures charged at the Six Cmities and shed with them, making an utter mess of the surroundings. The deafening explosions and light shes made it seem as if the end of the world had arrived. With the support of the Six Cmities, the human soldiers below gathered their morale andunched their attack too. The archers unleashed massive barrages of arrows reminiscent of ck clouds, while the mes manifested from the magicians¡¯ army spells zed in the sky. Rosa¡¯s long-ranged attacks fell like rain, and the Saint Mesit Theocracy activated their offensive relics too. It was an all-out attack with no regard for cost, and it crushed the Fallens¡¯ momentum. Hundreds of arrows lodged in the mutated knights, causing them to finally crumble to the ground. Army spells sted the terrifying, mountainous flesh heaps, torching them with crimson-lotus-like mes. The greatest weakness of the Fallens was their inability to cooperate, and they paid a hefty price for it. However, it would be foolish to think that was all there was to the Fallens. From the arrow rains and devastating mes, the true terror of the Fallens finally showed. Mutated knights emitted blood-red steam, and their injuries healed. sted smithereens of mountainous flesh heaps gathered together and reformed themselves. Decaying magicians raised their staffs with guttural roars to block the iing attacks. Origin Level 1 Fallens appeared one after another. In response, the older-generation Origin Level 1 human transcendents joined the battlefield. Holy Eminence Johny his gaze on the reformed flesh mountains. Military God Layton red at the withered magicians. Friedrich and Astrid headed toward the mutated knights. All of them unleashed the full extent of their powers without holding anything back, knowing this might be theirst battle. This time around, Principal Antonio didn¡¯t follow Astrid onto the battlefield, as there was a more important and difficult mission he needed to aplish. Spatial pulsations rippled from him as esoteric runes flowed through his hands like beautiful artworks. He skillfully guided the thousand spatial magicians under hismand to unlock the shackles of space to realize a miracle. The channeling of the thousand spatial magicians slowly opened a spatial crack, as if heaven¡¯s eye judging the masses. Antonio raised his staff up high, and the spatial crack finally fully opened. On the other side of the spatial crack was the inside of the imperial capital. Roel and his thousand-man team tensed up. Roel first directed a nod at the profusely sweating Antonio before turning to face his team. Then, he raised his arm up high before charging toward the spatial crack. ¡°Set off!¡± he ordered. Carrying humankind¡¯s final hope, Roel and his team charged into the imperial capital. ¡­ A thousand years ago, the humans frantically escaped from the imperial capital with the seeds of their civilization. A thousand yearster, under Roel¡¯s leadership, a thousand brave warriors returned to this piece ofnd to fight for humankind¡¯s survival. Everything wasing together in a circle, as if it had all been preordained. Roel and his thousand-man team had heavy hearts as they turned their backs on the devastating battle with the Fallens and marched into the unknown. Everything turned dark as soon as they stepped into the spatial crack. They would have been lost if not for the ancient buildings on the other end of the spatial crack guiding their path, and that was where they were charging toward. The spatial crack grewrger the further they ventured into it. It was only when they passed through the horizon that their surroundings became clear once more, revealing the full grandeur of the millennia-old city. The imperial capital had be tattered under the erosion of time. Most of the wooden civilian houses had long since copsed, leaving behind only stone houses that hinted at the prosperity once enjoyed by this great city. No weed sprouted between shattered stone tiles. No tree flourished in the city. It was as if life itself had eluded this city. Resilient defensive structures imbued with anti-erosion spells towered under the moonlight, looking like giants guarding this dead city. A thousand-man team in the humongous imperial capital was smaller than a droplet of water in a cup, but even so, their arrival still shattered the silence that had loomed for a thousand years. Roel and his team could sense more than a hundred gazes from the darkness of the streets as soon as they emerged from the spatial crack. The Fallens had long since noticed the spatial crack and were lying in wait to ambush them. More than a hundred mutated monsters roared and pounced on them. However, Roel was unfazed by their ambush; he didn¡¯t even spare them his slightest attention. Instead, he scanned his surroundings to search for their destination, the Capital Cathedral. Meanwhile, a hundred elites of their team brandished their weapons to subdue the Fallens. They had opted to not resort to spells lest their mana pulsations draw in more enemies. It was an intense battle, with both Fallens being decapitated and humans shedding blood. Yet, none of the remaining nine hundred elites lent them a helping hand. Their eyes were solely focused on Roel. In Phase 3 of the Battle of the Edges, Roel would advance into the imperial capital with his thousand-man team to aplish his mission. They had established clear protocols for each situation, especially when it came to confronting enemies. The soldiers were strictly forbidden to cast any spells until they arrived at the Capital Cathedral, lest they wake up the hibernating Fallens. Other than that, the thousand-man team was further divided into ten sections of a hundred men, and each time they encountered enemies, a section would be sent out to deal with the situation. Those from the other sections wouldn¡¯t interfere in the battle but instead would advance, so as to ensure that the team could reach the Capital Cathedral in the shortest time possible. Those sections that were left behind would have to somehow figure out a way to defeat their enemies and survive. That was the mission entrusted to them. Roel¡¯s mission was to reach the Abyss and end everything in the shortest time possible. With every second he saved on aplishing his mission, his team would have a higher chance of surviving, and the united army outside the imperial capital would be spared from hundreds more casualties. He had to be decisive for the sake of the greater good. Even though the imperial capital was humongous, Roel didn¡¯t have much trouble finding the huge Capital Cathedral, particrly thanks to Paul¡¯s map and his familiarity with the Abyss. He had been to the Abyss before. He could clearly sense the Savior¡¯s aura of madness and depravity even from thousands of kilometers away, not to mention that the aura had be more conspicuous now that the Savior was on the brink of awakening. Amidst metallic ngs and war cries, Roel¡¯s team began marching toward the depths of the imperial capital. They encountered more enemies along the way, and each time, the team would automatically dispatch a hundred-man squad to deal with them. Through such an escort method, Roel swiftly approached the heart of the imperial capital. Lofty structures shed past them as they flitted across the dpidated city. Dull thuds from the collision between metal des and the Fallens¡¯ flesh echoed behind them. In the distance, blinding lights produced by the intense shes between the Six Cmities and the Eggs of the Beast God irradiated the night sky. Vaguely, the roars of human soldiers could be heard. The battle was crescendoing with time. After leaving behind six squads, Roel and his team finally arrived at their destination. Chapter 665.2: Beneath the Abyss (2) This was a massive, holy-white structure modeled after ancient divine temples to Sia, located at the heart of the city. A thousand years ago, peopleing from all over the Ancient Austine Empire would embark on a pilgrimage to the Capital Cathedral to pray. It was a sacred ce where faith and hope converged. It was the first time in a thousand years that the Capital Cathedral had any guests, but unfortunately, Roel¡¯s team were uninvited ones. Within the cathedral¡¯s tall walls, Roel spotted an old man who was emaciated like a skeleton. The old man was dressed in opulent robes, and he held a magnificent scepter that showed no signs of age even after a thousand years. On his head was a holy crown reserved only for the highest clergymen. Nora¡¯s sapphire eyes widened at the sight of the holy crown. Roel and the others revealed grim expressions too. Those traits made it clear to them who the old man had been before he turned into a Fallen. The old man was the Genesis Goddess Church¡¯s pope in the Second Epoch. Roel and the others heightened their vignce upon this realization, and started to channel their mana. The emaciated pope¡¯s turbid eyes lit up with a crimson glow as if waking from a long slumber. He gazed down at the nave as he did a thousand years ago, expecting to face his followers. Yet, he was only met with the eyes of intruders. His sunken face distorted, and he raised his scepter up high and mmed it on the ground. Tok! As this sound reverberated, a peculiar mana pulsation rippled through the imperial capital. All of the Fallens fighting in the city fell silent. The monsters lurking in the shadows opened their eyes and looked toward the heart of the city, as if having received a divine oracle. After seconds of silence, powerful auras gushed from different parts of the city. At the same time, the emaciated pope¡¯s body began swelling up. It was only then that the crowd saw his true appearance. His top half looked normal, but his bottom half resembled roots anchored to the ground¡­ except those ¡®roots¡¯ were really tendrils of blood and flesh. Hoarse growls echoed from the surroundings, as thousands of Fallens swiftly homed in on the Capital Cathedral. Knowing this was the decisive battle, Roel¡¯s team finally let themselves loose. With a graceful raise of her hand, Lilian summoned an order of blue heavy-armored knights, who charged at the enemies approaching the Capital Cathedral. Nora unfurled her light wings and rose into the sky, taking her ce as the Angel Sovereign. Charlotte transmuted her Golden Soul into a gaseous state and diffused it into the surroundings. Once the Fallens breathed it in, she would ignite the Golden Soul and st them into bits. As for Alicia and Wilhelmina, they led the remaining squads to assault the emaciated pope. Over thirty high transcendents simultaneously unleashed their powers, bombarding the pope with all kinds of spells. Unfortunately, under the effects of the holy crown, their attacks disintegrated in mid-air before they could even reach the pope. In retaliation, the pope¡¯s scepter began glowing with a mysterious light. All mana inside the Capital Cathedral flowed into his body, and his flesh tendrils rapidly grew and filled the sky. Roel¡¯s golden eyes quietly lit aze in the face of this formidable adversary, as the surrounding mana began flowing toward his body as well. Before he could make a move, Alicia raised her hand and said, ¡°Lord Brother, leave him to us.¡± ¡°Yes, Roel. You just need to advance ahead. Leave everything else to us,¡± Wilhelmina said. A cold white light shrouded Alicia, while Wilhelminaid her hand on her sword for the first time since themencement of the battle. Boom! All of the flesh tendrils exposed under the moonlight simultaneously exploded, and a silver inferno engulfed the area around the pope. Not even the pope¡¯s holy crown and scepter couldpletely suppress the mes. At the same time, Wilhelmina drew her sword. For a brief instant, all swords inside the imperial capital lost their sounds. A line severed the world. The monstrous pope violently writhing against the silver inferno immediately stopped moving, then it exploded apart. ¡°Now!¡± ¡°Lord Brother, hurry up and go!¡± Both Alicia and Wilhelmina eximed at the same time. Roel charged forward like a loosed arrow, leaping right across the pope¡¯s yet-to-recover body. ¡°Grar!¡± The pope screeched in anger amidst the silver inferno when it saw that Roel had breached its defense, but Alicia and Wilhelmina immediately swooped in to suppress it, rendering it unable to do anything at all. Leaving the chaos behind him, Roel rushed into the depths of the Capital Cathedral. ¡­ The Ancient Austine Empire¡¯s Capital Cathedral was a holynd to humankind. It was constructed two thousand years ago, and it was subsequently refined and perfected byter generations of emperors. By the final years of the Ancient Austine Empire, it was one of the most extravagant buildings in the world. This was how the Capital Cathedral had been described in records, so it was understandable that many historians were enamored by it despite not having witnessed it in person. As the first human to visit the Capital Cathedral in a thousand years, Roel found this descriptionpletely insufficient in detailing just how majestic and mystical this ce was. All sounds suddenly vanished the moment he stepped into the inner area of the Capital Cathedral, as if he had been transported into another world. He was weed with splendid scenery he could have mistaken for heaven. The fineries in the Capital Cathedral retained their magnificence even after a thousand years. Whether it was the tapestries or the hung paintings, it was as if they existed outside of time, as their colors remained as vibrant as ever. It was only a pity that this ce had been reduced to a demonicir after being exposed to the Savior¡¯s madness for a thousand years. Not even its breathtaking decor could distract one from the suffocating depravity lingering in the air. Those who tried to relish the epic paintings here would descend into lunacy. For a second, Roel wobbled dazedly under the intense aura of madness, but his golden eyes quickly lit up and dispelled its adverse influence. He took a brief moment to sense the mana in the vicinity to confirm his target before flitting down the corridor. He didn¡¯t spare a single nce at the beautiful paintings along the way. Soon, he arrived before a stone gate. This was the only unadorned gate in the Capital Cathedral, looking like an ancient artifact from millennia ago. The gate was open, revealing a room so dark that its shadows felt corporeal. Its ceiling was covered in glowing Sia murals, whereas the area beneath appeared to be an unfathomably deep hole. Two different energies could be sensed at the entrance of the hole. One was tinged with a faint golden light, reminiscent of a barrier. The other was darkness mixed with an aura of depravity and madness. The two energies were intertwined. The faint golden light resonated with the glowing Sia murals on the ceiling, and Roel felt exceptionally intimate to it. This was likely the seal Roel¡¯s ancestor had ced on the Abyss, just that it was on the verge of copse now that the Savior was about to awaken. Roel stared at the entrance to the Abyss in contemtion. Just as Carolyn had deduced, the seal that had previously hindered her from leaving the Abyss had eroded so much that it wasn¡¯t an obstacle anymore. Members of the Kingmaker n and those who possessed the Savior¡¯s powers could freely pass through the seal now. Roel would be alone once he entered the Abyss. None of hispanions would be able to lend him a helping hand. That was also the reason Alicia and the others hadn¡¯t followed here. It was as if he was staring into the face of hell, but he felt no fear or hesitation. He took a deep breath and jumped down. This was not his first time descending into the Abyss, though he didn¡¯t think a day woulde when he would do it of his own volition. It wasn¡¯t a pleasant journey, as his surroundings were suffused with a thick aura of depravity and madness. His Crown Origin Attribute faintly glowed, as he emitted his mana in an attempt to find his goal. His relentless search eventually paid off, as he finally sensed a tinge of Paul¡¯s mana. His speed of descent gradually slowed. Once he passed through anotheryer of ck fog, a structure appeared before his eyes. It was a legendary underground altar many races had worked together to construct in the ancient era. This altar was constructed on a t plot ofnd, and it remained pristine even after many years. It was where the Kingmaker n had sealed the Savior, and Sia¡¯s Scepter was in there. Upon confirming his target, Roel quickly made his way toward the altar. He entered via the skylight instead of the main entrance and ran straight toward the heart of the altar. There, just as he had expected, a person appeared in his sight. It was a middle-aged man with ck hair and an impassive face. He wasn¡¯t tall, but he had an imposing disposition that few in the world could rival. He was dressed in the Austine Empire¡¯s imperial robe. He was Lukas Ackermann, the traitor of humankind. And he was standing before a glowing ancient scepter. Chapter 666.1: The Despairing Truth (1) Lukas Ackermann was humankind¡¯s greatest traitor, as well Roel¡¯s greatest rival in his fight for Sia¡¯s Scepter. This was their first meeting, but the two of them had been mortal enemies for a long time. Even when Roel was an unknown small fry, Lukas had already instructed Lilian not to approach him. He didn¡¯t know the reason behind it then, but he understood it now. Others might have perceived Lukas to be an ordinary human, but through the Crown Origin Attribute, Roel saw something different. He saw a man cloaked in a thinyer of darkness, with something reminiscent of a second heart lodged in his core, constantly gathering mana. Each time his ¡®second heart¡¯ beat, the aura of madness around him would pulsate. ¡°Is this the reason you¡¯re so vignt of me, Lukas Ackermann?¡± Roel asked. ¡°¡­¡± Lukas didn¡¯t answer. His hand continued to grip the scepter in front of him, and his expression showed no hint of fear. However, his ¡®second heart¡¯ began to violently contract, signaling that he had begun. Seeing that, Roel chose not to bother with words anymore. He knew that the ¡®second heart¡¯ was in fact a Fallen Brand, and it was concrete proof that Lukas had been colluding with the Fallens. It was also the reason Lukas was able to get here and covet Sia¡¯s Scepter. The situation was clear; Roel had no need to waste his time onmunicating. Lukas was an enemy he absolutely needed to vanquish, and the soldiers outside were still locked in a terrible battle with the Fallens. He didn¡¯t want to waste even a second on someone undeserving. His body began to glow, as he gathered his mana in preparation to attack. Lukas suddenly spoke up. ¡°Remnant of the Ardes, aren¡¯t you afraid of damaging the divine scepter by fighting here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sturdier than you think. It was constructed by Charles and Carolyn. What a desperate attempt to stall for time. So it must not have been long since you arrived too, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lukas didn¡¯t answer. That clued Roel in on the current situation. Lukas might have arrived at the imperial capital ahead of them, but he had been struggling to absorb the mana inside Sia¡¯s Scepter, possibly because he wasn¡¯t a true Fallen. Even so, Lukas would only continue to grow stronger if given time to do as he pleased. Thus, Roel made up his mind to quickly end this battle. On the other hand, Lukas wasn¡¯t pleased about the situation. While he had grown much stronger from absorbing the mana inside Sia¡¯s Scepter, he still wasn¡¯t confident in going up against a member of the Kingmaker n. Had Roel arrived a few dayster, even if it still wasn¡¯t enough time for him to fully absorb the unimaginable power harnessed inside Sia¡¯s Scepter, it should have at least been enough for him to be the strongest human. Unfortunately, there was no ¡®what if¡¯ in the world. ¡°Grandar!¡± Roel called out, and a humongous skeleton giant manifested in the Abyss. Knowing a battle was inevitable, Lukas narrowed his eyes, as huge swathes of ck fog cloaked his body. Using his Fallen Brand as a medium, he steadily drew out the thousand years of mana umted inside Sia¡¯s Scepter via physical contact, causing his mana to surge. He tore open a void, and over a thousand magic swords whizzed out like shooting stars. These thousand magic swords had appeared so close that even Grandar was unable to properly defend against them. Even so, Roel remained unfazed. He channeled his mana into his Crown¡¯s Stones and unleashed six different types of powers into the surroundings, ranging from a massive outpour of searingva and a frost aura that encased space to a pale yellow wind that disintegrated the swords. The sheer destructive prowess of the Six Cmities devoured all of the shooting stars. ¡°Your ability resembles Charles¡¯, but there¡¯s a stark difference.¡± Roel eyed Lukas after unraveling thetter¡¯s first wave of attack. ¡°Your power is more inclined to spatial maniption. You¡¯re unable to be the true master of those weapons, nor to recreate legendary weapons from history.¡± ¡°Indeed, but that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. I have the strongest weapon in hand now,¡± Lukas replied as he tightened his grip around Sia¡¯s Scepter. An immense amount of mana flurried around him and expanded. He channeled this mana into his Kingdom Origin Attribute, and for the first time, Sia¡¯s Scepter glowed and transformed into a weapon to be used by a human. Roel felt immense pressure. Sia¡¯s Scepter was a symbol of Sia¡¯s authority, and it rested reverently in a divine temple in the ancient era. It would only be raised in times of war, and first-generation gods would immediately rush over from their respective domains to serve as Sia¡¯s fiercely loyal warriors. It should have been a divine tool to suppress evil, but it had now be a tool for the Fallens. Divine avatars of the gods who had served Sia emerged from the light of Sia¡¯s Scepter, but under the distortion of the Savior¡¯s madness, they possessed none of the justice and wisdom they ought to have embodied. They were more like mindless zombies, but there was no doubt they were powerful. These divine avatars were not nearly as powerful as their true selves, but they were still Origin Level 1 transcendents. As more of them appeared, the pressure they exerted stacked up to the point where Roel could hardly withstand it. The ancient gods Roel had contracted with sensed the familiar auras and turned their attention to the outside world. ¡°This is¡­¡± Edavia murmured in astonishment. ¡°This is bad! You need to get out of there right away!¡± Peytra eximed. However, Roel stood his ground. He first looked at the adversaries, followed by the pitch-ck ceiling above him. He knew there was nowhere for him or humankind to retreat to. It was do-or-die. Lukas had gone all out right from the start because he wasn¡¯t making good progress absorbing the Savior¡¯s mana. He desperately needed to either kill or chase Roel away so as to buy more time to reach godhood. If Roel retreated right now, it was likely he would be no match for Lukas the next time they met. Thus, he made up his mind to defeat Lukas right now. Meanwhile, Lukas continued to summon more divine avatars through Sia¡¯s Scepter. The divine avatars resonated together, as they joined their powers to weave a massive spell. ¡°It¡¯s a Divine Forbidden Spell! You mustn¡¯t let themplete the spell!¡± Peytra eximed in horror. Roel¡¯s eyes widened at the words ¡®Divine Forbidden Spell¡¯. He knew he needed to act right away, or else this would be the end. Divine Forbidden Spells were a higher ss of army spells that required the channeling of multiple gods to pull off. Such spells were so potent that they had once destroyed an entire race. Should the divine avatars sessfully channel their spell, not only Roel but even his lovers fighting above would be obliterated from the face of the world. Without any hesitation, he unleashed the full extent of his powers. His Crown Origin Attribute glowed with incredible fervor, as his Crown¡¯s Stones emanated brilliant lights that fused into one. His ck hair grew longer and turned white, whereas his eyes zed with golden mes. The great power of Sia-fication flowed through Roel and permeated Grandar¡¯s body, shrouding the skeleton giant in holy light. ¡°A Divine Forbidden Spell? That¡¯s formidable, but it¡¯d be awfully naive if you think you can shake me off with just this, Lukas. After trampling on so many innocent lives, do you think I¡¯d allow you to escape judgment and get your way?¡± Roel sneered with seething rage. From birth, Lukas Ackermann was already entitled to the greatest privileges humankind had to offer. He had reaped all of the benefits of being human, yet he had no qualms turning his back on his kind. He massacred his loyal subjects just so he could teleport to the imperial capital. Even now, he was trying to rob humankind¡¯s only hope of survival for his own selfish motive. What Lukas had done was unforgivable. Nothing in the world could liberate him from his sins. For that, he absolutely had to die. The power of the Divine Forbidden Spell continued to swell. Lukas remained concealed inside his ck fog, not paying any heed to Roel. The divine avatars guarded him as they mumbled esoteric chants, channeling all of their mana into a single spell. On the other hand, Grandar¡¯s humongous body had turned holy white. A crown fragment drifted from the sky and transformed into a golden crown on his head. A sunset in manifested in the Abyss, as countless giant warriors roared contemptuously at Lukas. Grandar finally raised his head to face the divine avatars before him, and without any hesitation, he hurled his fist forth. At the same time, the Divine Forbidden Spell channeled by the divine avatars finally unleashed a blinding sh of primordial light that instantaneously enveloped everything in the Abyss. This was a spell that harnessed the powers of the twelve first-generation main gods, and its name was ¡®Absolute Judgment¡¯. Absolute Judgment was one of the greatest spells in the ancient era, as well as the origin of army spells. The judgment passed by the twelve main godspelled absolute obedience from the masses. Even a god would have disintegrated before Absolute Judgment. Yet, Roel calmly stared at iing Absolute Judgment, not intimidated by its terrifying prowess. No matter how powerful Absolute Judgment was, this was merely a weakened version cast by a bunch of fake gods. A true god like Grandar would never fear something like that. The burst of primordial light violently gushed at Grandar, as if a rapid stream trying to wash away an obstinate boulder, but someone who had defeated even the supreme Savior in the ancient era would never submit to a bunch of fake gods. With devastating lightning and mes concentrated at the fore of his fist, Grandar finally released his punch, unleashing a catastrophic force that tore through even the primordial light. The divine avatars initially thought little of the Giant Sovereign, who had onlye into existence countless years after their era, but shock and horror filled their faces now that they were faced with his fist of absolute might. Lukas, who stood amidst the divine avatars¡¯ protection, couldn¡¯t believe what was happening, but it was toote for him to do anything. With his almighty strength brought to greater heights through Roel¡¯s enhancements, Grandar tore through the Divine Forbidden Spell and reduced all of the summoned divine avatars to dust. Boom! An explosion broke out in the underground temple. The surroundings shook, and dust fell from the ceiling. With the disintegration of the divine avatars, the light of Sia¡¯s Scepter dimmed. Lukas kneeled on the ground with a pale face, having overexerted himself. ¡°It¡¯s over now,¡± Roel calmly proimed. He raised his hand to y the overambitious emperor once and for all, but just as he was about to make his move, there was a sudden change in the situation. ¡°How disappointing. You hardlysted more than a moment,¡± a voice suddenly echoed in the Abyss. For the first time, Lukas¡¯ impassiveness shattered to reveal a look of disbelief. Through the Crown Origin Attribute, Roel noticed a hint of instability in Lukas¡¯ Fallen Brand. Without any warning, the Savior¡¯s mana suddenly gushed out of Lukas¡¯ body, and along with it, a familiar figure came into view. Roel immediately heightened his vignce. It was his long-time nemesis¡ªthe Collector. ¡­ Chapter 666.2: The Despairing Truth (2) The Collector had driven him into a corner several times in the past; Roel had never forgotten him at any point in time, which was why he was unsurprised by the other party¡¯s appearance. Lukas, however, was utterly shocked, as this was a situation that should have never happened. ¡°How can this be? How are you still alive?¡± Lukas stared at the Collector, unable toprehend how thetter had survived. The Collector was in a soul form, intangible but most definitely alive. The Collector replied with a smile, ¡°Death is not a concept that applies to me. The brand on your body has been my hiding spot since a thousand years ago, though this is the first time I am exploiting it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Perhaps due to the loosening of the brand, there was a hint of shock in Lukas¡¯ voice. ¡°Do you finally get it now? Your so-called Fallen Brand was just a means for me to control you. Humans love to believe what they wish for to be true, such as the possibility of attaining power without having to pay a price for it,¡± the Collector snorted in derision. He shook his head in mockery before continuing on, ¡°You sought to attain the Savior¡¯s power without turning into a Fallen. You Ackermanns always think you are the exception, but you never ponder why that¡¯s the case. Shall I answer your question? There¡¯s no reason for you to be a Fallen, for you are His host.¡± ¡°His host? Wait, you are¡­¡± Lukas widened his eyes in disbelief. ¡°Have you finally guessed it?¡± the Collector sneered. Roel immediately figured out where this conversation was going, and he unleashed all of his powers without holding anything back. The Ackermanns¡¯ so-called Fallen Brand was said to be a special spell developed a thousand years ago, but Roel thought it was weird from the moment he first heard about it, as it vited the core principle of this world. The Savior¡¯s power was a tremendous power second only to Sia¡¯s own, but the Ackermanns were able to control it at the cost of their emotions. This was a small price to pay,pared to how other Fallens risked losing their sanity and descending into depravity. Roel¡¯s hunch proved to be right, for the Fallen Brand was a sham from the start. It was a bait exploiting the Ackermanns¡¯ desire for power. Through nesting inside generations of Ackermanns, the Collector was able to remotely control the human world. On top of that, the Fallen Brand opened the possibility for the Ackermanns to absorb the immense power in Sia¡¯s Scepter, and such was the ambition that drove Lukas here. This scheme was likely hatched during the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital a thousand years ago. And now, the golden question: who could have orchestrated such an borate scheme over the span of a thousand years, from the Spirit Cataclysm of the Capital down to the Fallen Brand? The answer was simple: it was the Collector¡ªor rather, his other identity, the Savior. As this realization sank in, the Collector¡¯s blurred appearance slowly sharpened in rity, revealing a familiar face Roel had once seen in the Witness State. Roel let loose a furious roar. Grandar gathered his strength in his almighty fist and charged at the Savior, but before his fist couldnd, a powerful burst of mana suddenly gushed out from the Abyss. Grar! A deep and resonant howl tinged with madness echoed from beneath. It was the first roar in many years from the monster sealed beneath. At this very moment, time stopped. Grandar¡¯s fist froze in ce, and Roel found himself unable to move either. A deluge of ck mana gushed out and rushed at Roel. Its sheer force shattered the frozen time, and Roel and Grandar quickly employed defensive maneuvers, barely managing to stabilize themselves amidst the rapid tide. Meanwhile, Lukas¡¯ body was enveloped by a ck fog. The Savior looked at Roel and asked with a smile, ¡°It looks like you have finally grasped the situation, but you should have onest doubt. Aren¡¯t you curious to know what my true goal is?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel didn¡¯t answer, but he did have such a question in mind. He figured that the Collector was probably one of the Savior¡¯s powerless soul fragments, and he understood that Lukas¡ªor rather, the Ackermanns¡ªhad been thoroughly deceived by Him. However, he struggled to make sense of the Savior¡¯s rationale for doing this. The doomsday prophecy had already stated that it was only a matter of time before the Savior broke free of His seal and returned to the world. All the Savior had to do was to bide His time and wait. There was no need for Him to go to the trouble of deceiving the Ackermanns. Perplexed, Roel looked at the Savior with a frown. The Savior revealed a gleeful smile as He went on, ¡°I¡¯ll enlighten you. My goal is liberation. As long as My soul exists, I¡¯ll never be free from the ck Moon¡¯s influence. I needed a scapegoat, someone with an identical soul to mine. After a thousand years of hard work and generations of refinement, I have finally achieved it.¡± ¡°!¡± Roel widened his eyes in shock. The Savior was looking for a scapegoat to bear the burden of the ck Moon! The Savior had deceived the Ackermanns for a thousand years in order to gradually reshape their soul via the Fallen Brand, so as to create a soul simr enough to be His scapegoat. ¡°After a thousand years of waiting, my efforts finally bear fruit. Through him, I shall achieve true freedom,¡± the Savior said. Without any hesitation, He plunged His arm into Lukas¡¯ body and ripped out thetter¡¯s dull soul. Under His spell, Lukas¡¯ struggling soul began emanating a peculiar aura that caused the ck Moon¡¯s power of judgment to converge on him. ¡°NO!¡± Lukas cried in agony, as madness and depravity painted his soul ck. At the same time, the Savior¡¯s eyes glowed with iparable vitality. With a wave of His hand, He tossed Lukas¡¯ soul into the Abyss, and the deluge of ck mana followed thetter down. Boom! Lukas¡¯ soul exploded. The destruction of Lukas¡¯ soul deceived the ck Moon into thinking it had aplished its mission, and its power receded from the world. The madness and depravity that had tortured the Savior for countless years finally dissipated. ¡°As I expected! I¡¯ll be taking this body, then.¡± The Saviorughed frenziedly as He dove into Lukas¡¯ body, and the body reshaped into His likeness. At the same time, Sia¡¯s Scepter emanated a brilliant light in His grasp. Roel¡¯s face turned pale. The Savior¡¯s mana began to transform from darkness to light, from coldness to warmth. He was taking back His greatest authority¡ªthe sun. After countless years, the existence who embodied the sun finally returned to the Sia Continent. With that, the seal imposed on the Savior finally lost all effectiveness. zing heat immediately engulfed the surroundings, and unimaginable energy gushed out of the Abyss. The warring humans and Fallens froze in ce. They could sense an rming amount of mana rattling the imperial capital, and it eventually culminated in an unimaginable explosion. Boom! The Capital Cathedral imploded from below and disintegrated into ashes. Tremendous heat waves rose in the wake of its destruction, and it could be seen even from a thousand miles away. The united army gathered on the ins was astounded. The soldiers fighting in the vicinity of the Capital Cathedral quickly retreated under Lilian and the other Origin Level 1 transcendents¡¯ protection. This was already a catastrophe, but it wasn¡¯t the end of it yet. The heat waves didn¡¯t dissipate with time; instead, they intensified into a huge pir of light that pierced through the night sky. A man wielding Sia¡¯s Scepter ascended to the sky along with the pir of light. Along with his appearance, a speck of light appeared on the eastern horizon. The sun was rising even though it was still night time. All of the soldiers in the ins were dumbfounded. Antonio and the others despaired. In the Sia Continent, the only ones with the power to reverse day and night were the Savior and the Mother Goddess. The phenomenon before their eyes could only mean that the Savior had fully awakened from his slumber. Amidst the explosion, a humongous World Serpent charged out from the ground and spat a white-haired man out. Roel raised his head and solemnly stared at the man basking in the warmth of the morning rays. The Savior had awakened, not as an insane and barbaric monster, but as the supreme god who ruled all of the races countless years ago. Even humankind¡¯s hope, Sia¡¯s Scepter, had fallen into His grasp. Thisnd was going to turn into his new Land of Genesis, and no one could stop him. Roel tightly clenched his fists as he felt the overwhelming amount of mana the Savior wielded at his fingertip. It was not a force he could oppose at all. ¡°What beautiful scenery¡­ but I should first deal with more important matters at hand,¡± the Savior murmured as He nced at Roel with a warm smile. ¡°The Kingmaker n, remnants of the past. You have been a hindrance for far too long. It¡¯s over. It¡¯s time for you to disappear.¡± ¡°Is it? I don¡¯t think so,¡± a cool voice suddenly echoed. A surge of mana converged in front of Roel, and the white-haired Witch Queen manifested into the real world. Chapter 667: The True Identity of the Witch Queen The return of the Savior was a nightmare to Roel. It was the one scenario he knew he absolutely had to avoid, and he had thought about how to avoid it at the strategy discussion table and in his own calctions. Yet, it still happened anyway. Everything spiraled out of control from the moment the Savior regained His sanity. Sia¡¯s Scepter falling into the Savior¡¯s hand meant that he couldn¡¯t even put the final n into action. Given so, there was only one thing he could do. I can only put my everything on the line and go all out. If the Savior was still holding onto Sia¡¯s Scepter, it suggested that He had yet to absorb the immense mana contained in it, which meant that He wasn¡¯t in hisplete state at the moment. The chances of victory were appallingly slim, but this was the weakest state the Savior would ever be in, as well as humankind¡¯s only opportunity. If Roel absorbed the Six Cmities as he had done in the Witness State, even though it would likely spell death for him, there might still be a shot at victory here. Just then, the Witch Queen appeared. Roel was startled. The Savior¡¯s expression flickered, as He sensed a peculiar aura that shouldn¡¯t have appeared here. A faint light shone from His body as He narrowed His eyes and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I am Witch Queen Artasia,¡± Artasia replied. ¡°A witch? How interesting. I have never seen you before, and the Witches have never had a Sovereign. A tant lie.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a lie. You just don¡¯t know it yet.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Savior frowned in displeasure as the light around Him intensified. ¡°It¡¯s normal You don¡¯t know me, just like how You are unaware of Your impending defeat.¡± ¡°My impending defeat?¡± The Savior first nced at Artasia, followed by Edavia, Grandar, and Peytra, then He shook His head. ¡°Not a bad hand, but you¡¯re up against the wrong opponent. You don¡¯t stand a chance now that I have regained My sanity and My body.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s expression turned severe. It was possible to defeat the Savior. Roel, Grandar, and Edavia had each defeated Him once before, but those victories were achieved under extremely specific circumstances. When Grandar confronted the Savior countless years ago, he had the support of the Giants, and the Savior had already sumbed to madness by that point. These favorable conditions created an opportunity for Grandar to destroy the Savior¡¯s body. In the Witness State, the Six Cmities were in their strongest ever state, and Light Devourer had been gathering mana across an epic battlefield where countless races shed. Roel attained unbelievable powers after fusing his soul with them, and that was how he had been able to destroy the Savior¡¯s body. And it was only when the Savior lost His body that Edavia was finally able to vanquish Him. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to exert her authority on His soul despite being the Spiriteer Sovereign. Even though the Savior hadn¡¯t regained His full strength, He had been freed from His madness. It would be extremely difficult to find a way to destroy his physical body, not to mention that he would be guarded against that. Roel had no idea where he should start from. While he was racking his brain for ideas, the humans in the imperial capital finally noticed the glowing man in the sky. Alicia, who had inherited the Mother Goddess¡¯ memories, recognized the Savior and was startled. ¡°Lord Brother!¡± Alicia immediately rushed over to Roel¡¯s side. Nora, Charlotte, Wilhelmina, and Lilian rushed over as well. Their approach filled Roel¡¯s heart with worry and anxiety. The Savior raised His eyebrows and remarked, ¡°Meaningless, but brave. Fearless courage is hard toe by, but none of you are worth My attention.¡± The Savior gently tapped Sia¡¯s Scepter, and a blinding light burst out from within and enveloped both the Savior and Roel. At the same time, a fiery heat wave rippled outward, forcing Alicia and the others to put up their defenses. It took only a single move for the Savior to stop five Origin Level 1 transcendents in their tracks. The disparity in their strength was truly intimidating. It was the reason the Savior was fearless. Much to Roel¡¯s surprise, Artasia wasn¡¯t fazed by their adverse situation. Her madder-red eyes still showed no hint of fear; on the contrary, there was a hint of relief as if she had finally reached the ending point after a long wait. ¡°It took a thousand years of preparation for you to be freed from the ck Moon¡¯s judgment. That seems to have inted you with confidence, Incarnation of the Sun,¡± Artasia said. ¡°You know quite a bit. It has taken a thousand years of preparation, but everything is unfolding the way I nned. Now, it¡¯s time for the final act.¡± A thickyer of light shrouded the Savior. Powerful shockwaves rippled from Him, exerting tremendous pressure upon the imperial capital that threatened to snap spines. He was invoking the exclusive authority of His Divine Domain. The moment He unleashed His spell, almost every single being in the imperial capital froze in time. Humans and Fallens alike lost their freedom in this instant. Even Alicia and the others found themselves unable to move. Yet, Roel was impervious to the time freeze. The Savior¡¯s power dissipated in the face of the Witch Queen¡¯s ability. He was unable to breach Artasia¡¯s Cogs of Time to manipte Roel¡¯s time! Roel widened his eyes in astonishment. ¡°Impossible! How are you able to control time?¡± the Savior eximed in disbelief. ¡°It¡¯s my ability too,¡± Artasia calmly replied. Before the Savior¡¯s astounded eyes, Artasia released a blinding burst of light. Sia¡¯s Scepter began shaking in resonance. As if summoned, the immense mana it harnessed broke free of the Savior¡¯s control and flowed toward Artasia and Lilian. ¡°No!¡± the Savior roared in horror. Upon realizing that Artasia was siphoning the powers inside Sia¡¯s Scepter, the Savior anxiously wed onto His power, trying to keep as much of it for Himself as possible, but He was only able to retain a tenth of it. Unable toprehend the situation, He stared at Artasia in utter shock. ¡°Impossible! How are you able to siphon my powers¡­ Who in the world are you?!¡± ¡°Allow me to introduce myself once more, then,¡± the Witch Queen sneered in response. She stood dignified as tremendous power burst from her. ¡°I am Artasia Ascart, the Witch Queen and the ruler of the Unified Human Empire Saint Tanar. I am one of the Twin Child Gods who would siphon your powers in the future. Last but not least, I am the daughter of humankind¡¯s final saint whom you killed, Roel Ascart, and Lilian Ackermann.¡± ¡°!¡± The Savior¡¯s expression turned awful. He finally understood why Artasia was able to earn the recognition of Sia¡¯s Scepter. Carolyn and Charles had determined that a child born from the Ascarts and the Ackermanns would have the greatest priority in inheriting the power of Sia¡¯s Scepter, which was why they deemed them Child Gods in the final n. Not even the Savior in Lukas¡¯ body couldpete against that, not to mention that He was up against two people. The Savior could only stare helplessly at the glowing scepter. On the other hand, Roel stared at the Witch Queen with widened eyes. His mind was swiftly connecting the dots through the doubts he had harbored for the longest time. ¡­ Witch Queen Artasia was the third ancient god Roel had contracted with. Unlike Grandar and Peytra, she had been an enigmatic existence right from the start. In the first ce, Roel had thought that the term ¡®Witch Queen¡¯ was oxymoronic. He had learned about the Witches from the books¡ªthey were an entric bunch who freely roamed the world and preferred to keep to themselves instead of gathering in groups. A Sovereign shouldn¡¯t have risen from such a race. Artasia¡¯s obsession with Lilian had been intriguing too. Aside from that, Artasia¡¯s background was aplete mystery. Grandar was the final Giant Sovereign in the ancient era who defeated the Savior. Peytra was the very first Primordial Earth Goddess, as well as the Saint Beast Sovereign. Edavia¡¯s history could be traced further back to the creation of the world. Only Artasia had remained a mystery. Every time he visited her domain, he would wonder about her majestic pce¡¯s background. Surely a country that had built a city as grand as this would have left its mark in history. Today, it finally made sense to him. The term ¡®Witch Queen¡¯ didn¡¯t refer to the Witch Sovereign. Instead, she was a witch who ruled over the whole of humankind. The majestic pce she lived in hadn¡¯t appeared in any records because it was from the future Unified Human Empire, Saint Tanar. She couldn¡¯t talk about herself because everything she did would affect the future. But most importantly of all, she was the daughter of him and Lilian. That exined many things. She was obsessed with Lilian because Lilian was her mother. Now that he thought about it, Artasia had never called him by his name. She had always opted to call him ¡®my hero¡¯. He thought Artasia had addressed him so out of her quirkiness as a witch, but it was probably a cover for how she would have actually addressed him, as well as a hint about his fate. Artasia had described him as ¡®humankind¡¯s final saint whom the Savior killed¡¯. That was his ending in the future she had lived in. Roel had a feeling that might have been the case from the dream he had where he wandered the streets with a little girl. That little girl didn¡¯t reveal anything in that dream, but her behavior and affection for Roel were unlike those of an ordinary child of her age. Roel could more or less guess his fate from that. It was uncanny that the source of his power stemmed from defying fate. Despite knowing the fight with the Savior would most likely end in his death, he couldn¡¯t cast aside his faith. He would continue to fight as long as there was a glimmer of hope. What he hadn¡¯t expected was for the twins he had with Lilian to havepleted the final n by stealing the power inside Sia¡¯s Scepter and bing the Twin Child Gods. They defeated the Savior and even utilized their temporal powers to interfere with the past. This should have been an impossible feat. It was a temporal paradox for those who should have existed in the future to appear in the past. However, Artasia was able to pull it off because of her ability¡ªContradiction. No contradiction in the world could limit Artasia. Temporal contradiction was the greatest issue when it came to temporal spells. The only way to ovee this contradiction was to pull oneself out of the flow of time. The realization of that made Roel¡¯s golden eyes light up. Meanwhile, Artasia¡¯s mana surged. The sun and the moon suddenly lost their luster, making the stars in the sky look brighter than ever. Cogs of Time manifested behind her and transformed into aw that integrated with the world. The Witch Queen unleashed her countless years of seething resentment and anger. A blinding light engulfed the world once more, and it swiftly overwhelmed the Savior¡¯s spell. Meanwhile, the only other person who could move in this frozen world, Lilian Ackermann, narrowed her eyes. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Mother, thank you for bringing me here. I¡¯ll be heading over to Big Sister¡¯s side.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Upon hearing the familiar voice, Lilian looked down at her bump. A stream of light whizzed out of her body and flew over to Roel¡¯s side. Along the way, the stream of light transformed into the form of a girl. It was the little girl Roel had seen in his dream, but she had taken a more mature form here. Her appearance was strikingly simr to Artasia¡¯s, though she shared some of Roel¡¯s and Lilian¡¯s traits too. As soon as she appeared beside the Witch Queen, Sia¡¯s Scepter shook intensely, and even more mana surged toward the two of them. Roel received the Savior¡¯s power through his window with Artasia, and he swiftly grew stronger. A holy white light shone from him, as he felt an unprecedented mana flowing in him. ¡°You sphemers! How dare you steal My power?¡± the Savior roared. ¡°You¡¯re the thief here. This is the power Sia reserved for the Kingmaker,¡± Roel replied with zing golden eyes. With Artasia and the girl swiftly siphoning away the mana inside Sia¡¯s Scepter, the Savior was forced to take decisive action. ¡°Do you think you can defeat me like that? You fools, that¡¯s just a portion of my power. I still have other means to deal with you.¡± Tremendous mana gushed out of the Savior¡¯s body, and the sun by the horizon started rising once more, bringing light upon the world. The Savior murmured a spell that He had hardly ever used, ¡°Divine Domain.¡± In an instant, the world was engulfed by light. Artasia and the girl revealed grim looks before they were devoured by the light. Roel was swept into it too, and before he knew it, he was already spiraling down a pitch-ck abyss. ¡­ Amidst the darkness, countless scenes shed across Roel¡¯s eyes. The battered human empire, the civilizations devoured by the Six Cmities, the Tripartite Alliance, and many more scenes that even he didn¡¯t recognize¡­ It felt like he was going to be absorbed into one of these scenes. Something tugged at his body, attempting to tear him apart, but through the protection of the Crown Origin Attribute and the holy white light, he survived the ordeal. When he finally opened his eyes once more, everything had changed. The imperial capital had vanished without a trace. Hisrades were nowhere to be seen. He was alone in a pitch-ck space. The darkness around him was revolving toward the unknown, and many scenes flickered before his eyes. Roel immediately understood where he was. This pitch-ck space was the Savior¡¯s Divine Domain, and His jurisdiction was time. Simr to how living beings had used day and night to measure time, the Savior¡¯s Divine Domain allowed him to control the time in the past, and that was what Roel was witnessing now. ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t vanish. I¡¯m surprised. Is it because you absorbed My powers?¡± A familiar voice prompted Roel to raise his head, where he saw a smiling Savior holding onto a darkened Sia¡¯s Scepter. The power inside Sia¡¯s Scepter no longer belonged to the Savior, resulting in His weakening. However, His confidence was unwavering after unleashing His Divine Domain, and He looked at Roel with disdain. ¡°This is my Divine Domain, the Dayless Domain. It¡¯s a temporal spiral leading to the past. Those two future existences who dared to tamper with the past have already vanished, and you¡¯ll be next.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel¡¯s mind started whirring after hearing the Savior¡¯s words, while thetter assessed him in fascination. ¡°Roel Ascart, you are an exception. Even your offspring amazes Me. However, none of you are My match. Your fate was sealed the moment you dared oppose Me¡­ However, I can offer you a chance.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Roel impassively asked. ¡°Perhaps your existence here is a calling. Kneel down and submit to Me,¡± the Savior said with a dignified and intimidating disposition simr to an emperor. ¡°I can kill you easily, but your death would be a waste. It¡¯s the same for those two girls. Be My servants. That¡¯s the only way I¡¯ll spare you.¡± ¡°You want us to be yourpdog?¡± ¡°Indeed. What other choice do you have?¡± The Savior shook his head in disdain. ¡°Humans, Elves, Dragons, and even gods¡ªall races are mypdogs. They are merely tools for me to rule the world. Yet, they rebel against their master as soon as they gain power. Little do they know their efforts are futile. It has already been prophesied. They are opposing the inevitable. They are opposing fate.¡± ¡°Fate?¡± ¡°Yes, fate. The unstoppable flow of fate. Just like how your race ended up with nothing after generations of servitude. But now, you can change things,¡± the Savior said with an expectant smile. He believed that Roel had no other choice here. However, Roel had pondered upon this question before, and his answer was the same as the one he had offered in the Witness State. ¡°My apologies, but I refuse to serve the likes of you.¡± As Roel¡¯s calm and determined voice echoed in the darkness, his body emanated a holy light. His golden eyes zed with the obstinacy of his predecessors who refused to be extinguished by adversity. ¡°Humans aren¡¯t yourpdogs. The races aren¡¯t your tools. They are born in Sia¡¯s embrace, and they know of happiness and sorrow. They desire freedom, just as Sia had envisioned them to. When someone seeks to take away their freedom, they will follow Sia¡¯s teaching and fight back. And we, the Kingmaker n, have never bowed down to fate before!¡± Roel roared. The Savior turned livid. He red at Roel with seething anger before suddenly bursting intoughter. ¡°Oh? You refuse to bow down to fate? What beautiful words. But what can you do? Nothing in the world can escape the jurisdiction of time. You may havested thus far, but you¡¯ll eventually be crushed under the relentless flow of time.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to be crushed, Savior.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Time doesn¡¯t just flow; it¡¯s an umtion too. My ability to exist here is not solely due to your power either.¡± Before the Savior¡¯s shocked gaze, a transforming light shone from Roel¡¯s body. It was mana with the power to corrupt reality. It was the key to changing fate, the light of tomorrow. ¡°Divine Domain!¡± Roel muttered, and the pitch-ck space lit up. Chapter 668: The Crowning of All Races Divine Domain was an ability Origin Level 1 transcendents could grasp by ruing many experiences and achieving self-realization, and it served to manifest one¡¯s being as a worldw. Those who grasped Divine Domain could join the ranks of gods. Having fought many tough battles, Roel had a grasp on his Divine Domain, but he couldn¡¯t conceptualize it as it hadn¡¯t been long since he reached Origin Level 1. However, he overcame this hurdle after witnessing Artasia¡¯s miracle and absorbing a portion of the Savior¡¯s powers. Countless lights shone from Roel¡¯s body, illuminating the dark space. They flowed into the spiraling time, swiftly corrupting the Savior¡¯s worlds. At the same time, countless blurry figures began to appear in the darkness. The world was changing. Time was reversing. The System¡¯s notification revealed the name of Roel¡¯s Divine Domain¡ªPath of Justice. The Savior raised his head in shock as he realized something¡ªRoel¡¯s Divine Domain was rted to time as well. ¡°I see. That¡¯s the reason you can exist here. But so what? All you can do is to protect yourself. You¡¯re unable to shake my Divine Domain at all.¡± ¡°Shake your Divine Domain? No, my Divine Domain doesn¡¯t seek to interfere with time. It seeks to inherit it,¡± Roel said. As more blurry figures appeared, Roel raised his hand, and the flow of time stalled to a halt. These blurry figures immediately turned corporeal; some of them were familiar faces to Roel, whereas others weren¡¯t. He recognized the wild Ro, the stern Winstor, and the obstinate but principled Carolyn. These figures were all ancestors of the Kingmaker n, and they gathered beside Roel. Their bodies seemed to be made of condensed firelight, as ifnterns watching over history. These were the warriors of the Kingmaker n who had fought against tyranny from the ancient era till now. They had been the guardians of humankind through the eras. Their candlelight eyes were passed down through the generations like a torch representing their will. Yet, the Saviorughed at this sight. ¡°This is your Divine Domain? Do you think you can defeat me by gathering your n¡¯s powers? Howughable. What can a group of lowlifes do?¡± ¡°The g of justice rallies all fearless warriors. We¡¯re merely the first to arrive,¡± Roel replied. ¡°What?¡± The Savior frowned. Deafening roars shook the world, as the Dragons flew above them. Fearless war cries echoed, as the Giants from the sunset ins arrived across space-time. The High Elves, the Dwarves, the Angels, the Saint Beasts, and the others arrived one after another, gathering around Roel. Those who harbored justice in their hearts had walked out from the long river of time to gather here as specks of light. There were few of them initially, but they quickly filled the sky with stars, turning into a celestial river amidst the spiraling darkness. It was no longer possible for the Savior to interfere with the flow of time. The Savior gazed at the stars around Him, and His expression slowly changed. A faint figure also began flickering behind Roel. It was the very first ancestor of the Kingmaker n, as well as the Mother of All Life¡ªSia. ¡°No!¡± Horrified by the sight of Sia, the Savior immediately unleashed an intense burst of light. Roel raised his hand, and the hundred Kingmakers offered their me of life as candlelight to illuminate the path ahead. The stars in the darkness, manifested from the heroic spirits across space-time, twinkled with all their might to interfere with the Savior. All these lights converged above Roel¡¯s head in the form of a crown. Behind Roel, Sia opened Her gentle eyes to witness the decision made by Her children. This was the first time in countless years, since the time of Genesis Goddess Sia, that the world had chosen a Sovereign of All Races. He was crowned under the witness of the stars, with the blessings of the heroic spirits. Sia¡¯s inheritor was finally born. The Savior went berserk. Once the crowning wasplete, the power Sia had reserved for Her inheritor would be passed to its rightful owner, and that power was the Savior Himself. Under the threat of death, the Savior abandoned His human form to make onest desperate struggle. Amidst the starlight, Roel opened his eyes to look at the incarnation of the sun, as well as the monster shrouded in light. His eyes were filled with not fear but pity, for he had seen through the very nature of the Savior. The Savior¡¯s true form was a monster born from the overwhelming power of Sia¡¯s soul. Perhaps it was because he was born from power that he sought to rule and segregate the world through power. ¡°How twisted. Is that your true nature?¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± the colossal monster growled. With a blinding sh of light, the Savior charged straight at Roel. Roel watched the iing attack withposed eyes. He raised his hand, and the spiraling time hastened. The Savior¡¯s colossal body froze in ce, just like that. ¡°Far too many sins you carry on your shoulder. Countless lives have ended because of you. It¡¯s time for you to pay the price.¡± The surroundings blurred under the hastened flow of time. At the end of the temporal spiral was the dimmed horizon of the primordial world. A solemn chime reverberated in the space. It was a cleansing sound that marked the Savior¡¯s end. ¡°The moment of judgment is due. We will not meet again, ¡®Savior¡¯.¡± ¡°No!¡± Amidst the Savior¡¯s cry of agony, the spiraling flow of time battered His body, causing it to crack before disintegrating into bits. The bits of His body flowed into the primordial space, returning to chaos. The dimmed horizon dissipated, and the temporal spiral slowed to a halt. The river of starspleted Roel¡¯s Crowning and returned the Savior¡¯s power to its rightful owner. A long war that had spanned countless years had finallye to an end. ¡­ In the dark space, the sunlike brilliance slowly flowed into Roel¡¯s body, as the figures behind him vanished one after another. Roel solemnly saw his ancestors off with a bow, as these previous guardians of the world returned to their eternal rest. The stars in the sky whizzed past him, leaving behind their final blessings before departing. The spiraling darkness quietened down as the Savior¡¯s Divine Domain dissipated, and the distorted worldws slowly reverted to normal. As time started to flow once more, Roel sensed two familiar auras approaching him and opened his eyes. It was bright. He had been brought into an isted space, where two women stood before him. ¡°Father!¡± The woman beside Artasia was relieved to see that Roel was alive. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here,¡± Roel replied with a consoling smile. Meanwhile, Artasia checked Roel¡¯s condition before heaving a sigh of relief. ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t need us to make a move anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s thanks to your help that I was able to defeat the Savior. It has alle to an end,¡± Roel said with a smile. ¡°¡­¡± Both Artasia and the woman fell silent as they thought about the hardships they had been through. It was the same for Roel. For thousands of years, the Savior had been one of the greatest threats to humankind. His death meant that the millions of deviants residing in Tark Prairie would no longer be a threat. Humankind wouldn¡¯t have to live under his shadow anymore. The martyrs from the Kingmaker n, the Tripartite Alliance, and the Twilight Sages Assembly could finally rest in peace. A new era was upon them. Roel took in a deep breath and reined in his emotions. Looking at the two girls, he was forced to ept some facts, such as their identity and that he had been carried by his daughters. Even though he appeared to have vanquished the Savior with his own strength, the awakening of his Divine Domain was sparked by Artasia¡¯s absorption of the Savior¡¯s mana. Had it not been for that, it was uncertain whether he could have turned the tables on the Savior at the very end. But before that, there was one thing he needed to rify. ¡°This space exists beyond the reach of cause and effect, so¡­ can you tell me your name now?¡± Roel gently asked the ck-haired, golden-eyed girl standing next to the Witch Queen. The women nodded. ¡°Father, I am Natasia Ascart.¡± ¡°Natasia? That¡¯s a great name. Did I name you?¡± ¡°No, it was Mother who named me. Actually, we have never met you before.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Roel¡¯s voice trailed off. ¡°I said so earlier.¡± Artasia averted her eyes as she borated, ¡°You died in battle before we were born, so we have never seen you before.¡± ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not Father¡¯s fault. It¡¯s because of the Savior¡­¡± Natasia hurriedly waved her hand before exining what the two of them had been through. Through their stories, Roel came to learn the original future of this world. ording to Natasia, in the future they hadn¡¯t intervened in, Roel had managed to steal Sia¡¯s Scepter from the Savior in this battle, but he was unable to fully absorb its powers. Instead, it was the two babies in Lilian¡¯s body who reacted to it. Upon realizing that, the Savior saw the two babies as His greatest threat and personally went after them. In order to protect Lilian and their unborn children, Roel ended up confronting the Savior in a life-and-death battle. The fight went on for several days. Roel died in the fight, but the Savior sustained severe injuries and was forced to temporarily retreat into the Abyss. In the following years, Lilian and the others led humankind in its fight against the Fallens. However, everything changed with the eventual return of the Savior. Roel¡¯s lovers died one after another on the battlefield. In the end, even Lilian left their side too. However, their efforts hadn¡¯t been in vain. In the years they had stalled, Artasia and Natasia had sessfully absorbed the mana inside Sia¡¯s Scepter. It was not enough for them to defeat the Savior, but they were at least able to stand their ground. With that, humankind¡¯s situation finally stabilized. ¡°So, you returned to the past in order to kill the Savior for good?¡± Roel asked. ¡°Hm? No, we came back to save Father and Mother,¡± Natasia replied. ¡°Ah?¡± Roel was startled, but his eyes soon began to heat up. He felt terribly ashamed of himself. What Natasia had described was a future Roel would never see, but it was reality to the two of them. Them losing their parents was only a story to Roel, but it had been the greatest nightmare to the two of them. Roel felt awful for failing to understand his children¡¯s pain. ¡°We want to exact vengeance, but more than that, we don¡¯t want to let Father and Mother die. Actually, we have some memories about you from Sia¡¯s Scepter. We would also asionally dream about you. In the dream, you¡¯re always telling us to run away and not to return¡­ Those were probably thest words you told Mother.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t be with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, father. You have done your best. It¡¯s thanks to you that we survived and are now here with you. On that note, it¡¯s Big Sister who proposed this n,¡± Natasia said. ¡°Artasia, you were the one who proposed this n?¡± Roel turned to Artasia in surprise. He hadn¡¯t expected that it wasn¡¯t the angelic Natasia but Artasia who hade up with this. Under Roel¡¯s intense stare, the Witch Queen fidgeted in difort. Natasia nodded as she continued her exnation. ¡°Mmhm! Only Big Sister¡¯s ability can thoroughly change the past. She was the one who proposed saving Father. Unlike me, she remembers more about you and likes you the mo¨C¡± ¡°!¡± Artasia cast a Silence spell on Natasia without any warning. Natasia widened her eyes in indignation. Roel was bbergasted. ¡°Natasia, you have said too much,¡± Artasia red at Natasia with a reddened face. ¡°Wu! Mmmm¡­¡± Natasia realized she had misspoken and quickly nodded. Roel hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°About that, Artasia, could it be¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say a word, my hero!¡± ¡°Ah? No, I-I was just¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get things right. I am not your child in this world, and we don¡¯t have any blood ties either.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Roel was taken aback. The Witch Queen sighed before exining, ¡°I was able to return to the past because I severed myself from the world¡¯s cause and effect and descended upon another dimension.¡± ¡°Another dimension?¡± ¡°You can think of it as an independent space simr to the Witness State. I descended upon such a space thousands of years ago, reforged my body through my divine powers, and returned to this world through the ancient god¡¯s contract. That¡¯s the only way to minimize the effect of my presence on this world.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Roel nodded in awe. He had to concede that Artasia¡¯s n was ingenious. It was aplicated maneuver, but it allowed her to circumvent most of the worldws, especially the contradiction of the Kingmaker Bloodline. Artasia made sure to emphasize the main point once more. ¡°You get it right, my hero? I am from another world. I might have been your daughter in the previous world, but that has nothing to do with you. To you, the future I came from doesn¡¯t exist. Thus, there¡¯s nothing between us.¡± ¡°Well, that makes sense but¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t just make sense. It¡¯s the truth. Let me ask you a question. How many children are there inside Lilian now?¡± ¡°How many? It¡¯s¡­ only Natasia, right?¡± Roel remembered how there had only been one ray of light from Sia¡¯s Scepter pointing toward Natasia earlier. Artasia nodded in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s right. In other words, only Natasia is your daughter.¡± ¡°¡­Wait.¡± Roel frowned as he pondered how he should deal with this situation. Due to Artasia severing herself from the world¡¯s cause-and-effect, she no longer existed in this world¡¯s timeline anymore, evident from how she was absent from Lilian¡¯s womb. Even so, there was no denying that Artasia had descended from him. At the very least, she had memories of being his daughter. A daughter who wasn¡¯t a daughter¡ªthis damned contradiction was so annoying that it gave Roel a headache. Meanwhile, Natasia, who was freed from her Silence spell, alternated her gaze between the blushing Artasia and the frustrated Roel, and her expression suddenly turned weird. ¡°Big Sister, you can¡¯t be nning to¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Artasia furiously red at Natasia. Thetter shuddered, not daring to say anything anymore. She could only mutter words like ¡®But Mother will get angry¡¯ under her breath. Artasia looked at the frustrated Roel and reminded him, ¡°Enough; this matter is decided. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time for you to resolve the other matter at hand?¡± ¡°The other matter?¡± ¡°You can sense it, right? She has awakened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel fell silent. He knew who Artasia was referring to. It was the person whom he had been wanting to meet but feared to do so¡ªthe Mother Goddess. In truth, he had already sensed it during his battle with the Savior, and the feeling had only gotten stronger after he obtained the Savior¡¯s powers. He let out a sigh before looking into the distance. His eyes peered throughyers of darkness before falling upon a divine tower. ¡°Battle or peace, it¡¯s up to you to decide. We do have a shot at victory if you choose the former. However, I feel like I ought to tell you something first,¡± Artasia said. ¡°What is it?¡± Roel asked. Artasia revealed a fact that caught Roel by surprise. During their time ruling over humankind as the Twin Child Gods, the Mother Goddess had never attacked them. ¡°The truth is that we have never met Her before. She has never helped us, but at the same time, She has never attacked us either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel stared at the lofty tower for a long time before finally sighing. The Mother Goddess¡¯ behavior had already revealed a lot about Her stance. Roel knew well what he had to do here. ¡°I need to leave for a moment.¡± ¡°Are you going¡­¡± ¡°¡­I need to talk with Her.¡± ¡°¡­Mm.¡± Artasia nodded. Natasia waved Roel goodbye. Before their gazes, Roel turned around. A gate immediately appeared in front of him. He walked up to the gate and pushed it open. The world on the other side of the gate was gray, simr to a dim corridor. At the very end of the corridor was a lofty tower. Roel took a deep breath before going on his final journey. Chapter 669: The Mother Goddess Roel slowly ventured down the dark corridor. A path formed amidst the chaotic space through the use of a spatial spell. Slowly but surely, he was closing in on his destination. It was a familiar sight. The in felt exceptionally peaceful under the night sky. A lofty tower emanating an air of divine authority stood at the center of the in. A ce where humans and gods co-existed¡ªthat was the first impression Roel had of this ce in the Witness State. But this ce had changed vastly from before. The scenery and the tower were the same as ever, but the bustle was no more. The cities that once sprawled on this in were nowhere to be seen. The sky was not full of beingsing to and fro, either. The Moonsoul Tower was no longer brightly lit. Only the multitude of rooms whispered just how vibrant the tower used to be. The guards who usually patrolled the corridors were nowhere to be seen. He had seen these back when he was searching for Alicia, but it still disconcerted him. He walked through the guest waiting room, which was decorated with many artworks, and entered the silver-themed banquet hall. Looking at the empty room, he could somehow see silhouettes that used to be wandering around. This was where he had pitted his wits against the leaders of the High Elves and the other races. It was all thanks to the Mother Goddess¡¯ bias that he survived that ordeal, which prompted him to change his n. Thinking about it now filled him with many emotions. It all felt like a dream. Only the heavy pressureing from afar refuted that conjecture, forcing him to confront reality. He walked up the stairs and arrived at the audience room at the highest level. He made his way through the corridor and reached the inner bedroom. It looked the same as he remembered it. It was only upon reaching the courtyard that he remembered to halt his footsteps. The familiar aura from behind the door made his face turn grim. He felt awfully nervous, as he didn¡¯t know what was awaiting him. For one, the Mother Goddess definitely wouldn¡¯t treat him the same as She used to. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door. ¡­ It was a familiar sight to Roel. Under the dark night illuminated by gentle moonlight, in a delicate courtyard filled with thousands of blooming flowers, a silver-haired figure was resting at the far end. He had seen this many times in the Witness State, but not from this angle. He wouldn¡¯t be staring at her from behind but instead be in her arms. Whenever he couldn¡¯t sleep at night, the Mother Goddess would bring him here and share stories about the cities beneath with him while patiently waiting for his drowsiness to set in. Then, she would embrace the weakened him to sleep to heal his wounded soul. For that reason, the most vivid memory he had about the Moonsoul Tower wasn¡¯t the Moonsoul Tower itself but watching the scenery beneath in the Mother Goddess¡¯ arms. Other than that, it would be the moment of their parting. It was during a moment their emotions had crescendoed that the Witness State had abruptlye to a halt. Since then, he hadn¡¯t met the Mother Goddess. He hadn¡¯t expected that they would meet here once more, though everything had already changed. ¡°You¡¯re finally here, descendant of the traitor.¡± The silver-haired woman turned around and looked at him, unsurprised by his arrival. Roel bowed and greeted her, ¡°A pleasant night to you, Mother.¡± ¡°Mother?¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ crimson eyes flickered in uncertainty. Roel nodded in response. ¡°There have been many misunderstandings between You and our n, but I have always viewed you as my mother.¡± ¡°You have the gall to call that ¡®misunderstandings¡¯? Do you think I¡¯d forget the past?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just stating the truth.¡± Roel was unfazed by the Mother Goddess¡¯ mockery. He looked at the silver-haired woman before him and calmly reminisced about the past. ¡°No matter what, the Kingmaker is the Mother Goddess¡¯ child. You were the one who told me that.¡± ¡°I did say that, but that¡¯s in the past, in the world of lies you people weaved with your powers.¡± The Mother Goddess stared sharply at Roel as Her voice grew heavier. ¡°You used thews of the Witness State to temporarily take away My memories and beguile Me before using the window to the real world to ovey My memories. That¡¯s the n you and your n came up with, right? What an incredible spell that was. Even I was caught off guard. And you¡­ You were the perfect executor of the n.¡± Her voice was hoarse. Disappointment and anger shed across Her crimson eyes. Those words stabbed Roel¡¯s heart. He hurriedly exined, ¡°No, Mother. It¡¯s not like that¡­¡± ¡°Then what is it? You would have seeded if not for My powers being independent of the Witness State,¡± the Mother Goddess scoffed, shaking Her head. ¡°By then, I would have be your n¡¯s greatest protector from the Savior. What would your next step have been? Would you use My power to absorb the power of the Six Cmities? Or would you wait till We were both weakened before catching Us in a single swoop?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Roel was speechless. He didn¡¯t think that he would be dragged down by his ancestors. The Mother Goddess¡¯ impression of the Kingmaker n was simply too poor. If there was a rating from 0 to 10, they would have been in the negatives. After all, they had betrayed the Mother Goddess at a critical juncture during Her battle with the Savior. Through the conversation, Roel saw the crux of the issue. ¡°Mother, I know that it¡¯s hard for You to believe my words, but I want You to know that I have never approached You with any ulterior motive. Our meeting was a coincidence, and there was no directive whatsoever.¡± ¡°Are you telling me that spell was just a coincidence?¡± ¡°No, that wasn¡¯t a coincidence. The ring that served as a bridge to that Witness State has been passed down through the Kingmaker n for many generations. I don¡¯t deny that my ancestors wished to correct their past mistakes. However, I¡¯m unsure if they had intended to ovey Your memories or not.¡± ¡°Unsure? Are you taking Me for a fool?¡± The Mother Goddess¡¯ expression turned livid, and her immense mana began to seethe. ¡°It was a magic tool passed down through the generations, your only chance to deceive Me. How could you, as the executor, not know what it was about?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because my actions were never nned, and I can prove that.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t possibly have approached You on behalf of my people because the Kingmaker n has already ceased to exist.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Mother Goddess stared at Roel with widened eyes. She struggled to understand what he was getting at. Roel exined, ¡°Mother, You are unaware because You have been in hibernation. The Kingmaker n ceased to exist a thousand years ago. We were defeated by the schemes and encirclement of the Savior¡¯s worshipers. There are survivors, but we have lost our heritage. ¡°In the past thousand years, there have only been three awakeners in our n. I am the only awakener in my generation, and the previous one was four hundred years ago. We are no more than mortals without our bloodline powers. The Ascarts aren¡¯t even rulers; we¡¯re just nobles of a country.¡± ¡°How is this¡­¡± The Mother Goddess trembled. She found it hard to believe that Her children had fallen so far. She looked at Roel, but Her throat was so tight that She found it hard to speak. ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know the use of the ring even though I had inherited it, Mother. Our meeting was a coincidence, and I have never sought to deceive You.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Mother Goddess knew that this was likely to be true even though She hadn¡¯t tried to verify Roel¡¯s words. The powers of the Kingmaker n couldn¡¯t be concealed, and the annals of history couldn¡¯t be changed. There was no reason for Roel to make such a tant lie. More than that, She could also sense Roel¡¯s emotions when he said those words. After a long silence, She finally spoke up with much difficulty, Her tone much softer this time around. ¡°I know the situation with the Kingmaker n now, but¡­ this doesn¡¯t change the past. Warriors from different races have died because of them, and I fell into hibernation too.¡± ¡°I know. My ancestor¡¯s mistakes were fatal, and there¡¯s no way to undo the damage done. But¡­ Mother, will You resent and kill me because of that?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°If You¡¯re after the Kingmaker n, I¡¯d be yourst target¡­ No, there¡¯s also my unborn child. Are You going to kill her too?¡± Roel asked hoarsely. ¡°!¡± The Mother Goddess trembled. Her crimson eyes widened. She had no idea what to say at this moment. With the death of the Kingmaker n, Roel was the only target left for the Mother Goddess to exact Her vengeance. But to kill Her beloved child to satiate Her thirst for vengeance sounded ridiculous even to the wrathful Mother Goddess. She shook Her head, conceding that She couldn¡¯t bring Herself to do something like that. Silence lingered between them before Roel asked another critical question: ¡°Mother, let¡¯s put the Kingmaker n aside for the time being. How do You view humans?¡± ¡°Humans?¡± ¡°The ancient war has concluded with the Savior¡¯s death. Humankind has be the dominant race of the world. Will You be their protector or their enemy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The atmosphere turned heavy. A momentter, the Mother Goddess softly asked, ¡°¡­What if I¡¯m their enemy?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have no choice but to stop You, Mother.¡± ¡°Are you going to fight Me? You might have absorbed the Savior¡¯s powers, but that¡¯s only a portion of it. You should know the oue of challenging Me, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware of it. With the return of the ck Moon, it¡¯s nigh impossible to defeat You. But I never thought of doing that.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± The Mother Goddess was perplexed. ¡°If it everes down to that, I¡¯ll use all my power to transform into a seal and hibernate together with You,¡± Roel calmly replied. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have no choice but to do that in order to protect my family members, friends, and all of humankind. However, I think this is a better solution than toe to blows with You. I¡¯ll apany You on a long hibernation, until the hatred You feel slowly fades¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± The Mother Goddess stared at Roel with conflicted eyes before finally sighing. Her domineering air slowly receded. ¡°Mother?¡± ¡°I understand your thoughts. I¡­ don¡¯t want to hibernate anymore.¡± The Mother Goddess shook Her head helplessly. ¡°Much time has passed. The Kingmaker n is no more. It¡¯s time to let go of My hatred.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be your or humankind¡¯s enemy. You can rest at ease.¡± The Mother Goddess suddenly looked exhausted. With the Savior¡¯s death and the disappearance of Her vengeance target, She suddenly found Herself without a purpose in this world. It plunged Her into confusion. She looked at Roel as if bidding him eternal farewell. However, Roel was much more ambitious than this. ¡°I understand, Mother. That means You¡¯re willing to let go of the grudge between us, right? If so, won¡¯t You listen to a personal request of mine?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ No matter what happens, I hope that you¡¯ll stay in this world. This is my plea as a child to my mother.¡± ¡°!¡± The Mother Goddess stared at Roel with shocked eyes. She hadn¡¯t expected him to see through Her thoughts. Looking at his pleading eyes, Her expression slowly mellowed down. A long timeter, She looked at him with reddened eyes and shook Her head. ¡°Roel, you are a smart child. You should know that it¡¯s impossible to maintain a bnce between two forces ofparable power. There can only be one of us here, or else it¡¯s only a matter of time before humankind diverges. This is aw of history.¡± ¡°I know that, but this can all be resolved. Rather, my existence is the solution to this problem.¡± Roel walked up to the Mother Goddess and offered Her a glowing hand. The Mother Goddess was stunned, for She understood what that light meant. It was a unique spell of the Kingmaker n. Roel was offering Her a contract. His action enlightened Her to his intention. As long as they were contracted, they would be inseparable as if one entity. That would make it impossible for them to turn against each other. It was not a difficult solution to think of, but there had never been a Kingmaker who could contract the Mother Goddess, for the disparity in powers was simply too great. However, there was a chance Roel could pull it off after absorbing the Savior¡¯s powers. The Mother Goddess¡¯ crimson eyes slowly lit up, while Roel insistently held his hand up. ¡°My ancestors have made many mistakes, but it doesn¡¯t change the fact that I, the Kingmaker, am Your child, and this world is Your home. Mother, please stay here.¡± ¡°¡­What a wilful child you are.¡± The Mother Goddess gently gazed upon Roel before eventually revealing a smile of resignation. ¡°I can¡¯t turn a blind eye to My child¡¯s plea¡­ I¡¯ll apany you just a bit longer.¡± The Mother Goddess took Roel¡¯s hand, and a brilliant light illuminated the world. The conflict finally came to a conclusion. Chapter 670: Marriage of the Roses Half a yearter, an unprecedented crowd had gathered in the Country of Schrs¡¯ Saint Freya Academy. Once again, it was time for the students who had spent four tough years studying to leave the academy. This marked the conclusion of their youth and the beginning of their true life. Things were different this year, however, as the graduating students from this batch weren¡¯t exactly leaving the academy but returning from the distant eastern border. In the battle for humankind¡¯s survival not too long ago, many of Saint Freya Academy¡¯s teachers and students had joined the army. Having gone through the baptism of war, they were different from the other batches of students. Their movements were sharper and more decisive. They would reflexively queue up when buying food or heading into ces. They also ced their weapons in a way that allowed them to immediately draw them. The habits that had been inculcated in them through war spilled over into their daily life, but gone were the days they had to draw their swords every day, and there weren¡¯t tense expressions on their faces anymore. Since the battle half a year ago, the tides hadpletely turned in humankind¡¯s favor. The Fallens in the Tark Prairie had been greatly weakened after losing the Savior¡¯s protection. They hadn¡¯t gone extinct yet, but their overall strength was now beneath that of humankind. Most of them were currently camped inside the massive imperial capital. The Savior¡¯s death had also affected the deviants. Their fighting prowess had clearly slid, and their numbers had declined. Most of them were hiding in the southern mountain forest, and they would asionally ambush the Fallens in hopes that they could reupy the prairie. That greatly reduced the pressure on humankind, thus resolving their threat of extinction. The days of peace that the soldiers had been looking forward to were finally within sight. There were many things for the students to chat about after their graduation. Never before had they cherished the peace they had right now. The teachers offered their congrattions to the hardened returning students, as they couldn¡¯t help but notice how different they were. It was a peaceful atmosphere filled with smiles, but unlike previous years, most of the students didn¡¯t scatter after the graduation ceremony. Instead, they rushed to the assembly hall to bear witness to the wedding ceremony of the era. ¡®The Marriage of the Roses¡¯ was what the students of the academy had nicknamed this wedding. The groom and the brides in the wedding were all Ringbearers, and all of them were esteemed individuals. The five brides were either sessors of their respective countries or daughters of high nobles, whereas the groom was the only living saint recognized by the church, as well as the hero who saved humankind in the recent Holy War. Attending this wedding would have been something to boast about for the rest of their lives, not to mention that most of them were acquainted with the groom and the brides either as students or from the battlefield. This wedding ceremony should have happened a long time ago, but it was dyed due to intense conflict among the brides over the wedding venue. Under normal circumstances, a princess would usually have her ceremony held in her country. Yet, the brides involved in the marriage were from different countries¡ªthe Saint Mesit Theocracy, the Rosa Merchant Confederacy, the Austine Empire, and Knight Kingdom Pendor. Thisplicated the issue. Of course, Roel could visit the countries one by one, but there was a key problem. Who first? The significance of the first wife was important to all of the brides, so they refused to give way on this matter. There had been intense arguments about this that spanned months. In the end, following Principal Antonio¡¯s suggestion, they finally decided to hold it in the academy. This was the first time a wedding ceremony was held on the same day as the graduation ceremony in Saint Freya Academy, and this joyous atmosphere greatly lifted the mood of this festive asion. A huge crowd was gathered in the assembly hall. An endless stream of people walked in and out of the preparation rooms, ranging from nobles and clergymen to officials and top brass of the united army. Those from the golden generation were all here too, but there was a small conflict about the best man. ¡°As I said, my marriage is next month! There¡¯s no problem with me being his best man now,¡± Paul eximed. ¡°You¡¯re going to be marrying our chief¡¯s ancestor, and you still want to be his best man? Antiques from the previous era should stop messing around!¡± Geralt harrumphed. The towering Kurt and the blindfolded Stuart joined the fray too. ¡°Chief and I are history buffs.¡± ¡°We¡¯re close buddies who have executed a mission together.¡± It was no more peaceful on the women¡¯s side. ¡°Those men truly are¡­ Wait, Selina! You can¡¯t wear leopard stripes today!¡± Juliana remarked. ¡°Why? Doesn¡¯t it look good on me?¡± Selina protested, but it was in vain. She was forced to change to another set of clothes in the end. Meanwhile, Teresa was quietlybing the hair of the nervous Wilhelmina. ¡°A-are you sure I can¡¯t wear the armored skirt? Such fluttery clothes are a bit¡­¡± No way. It¡¯s a wedding ceremony! Teresa sternly rejected Wilhelmina¡¯s proposal. Despite her delicate frame, she began going through the details of the ceremony to her like a strict teacher. Brittany secretly disposed of Wilhelmina¡¯s ¡®crime evidence¡¯ by stuffing the heavy armor into the bottom of the box. On the whole, it was a jolly atmosphere over on the Knight Kingdom¡¯s side. The same could not be said about the neighboring Lilian and Alicia. Their maids were in aplete fluster due to their dressing difficulties. ¡°Young miss, this one should be more fitting now that you¡¯re four months in,¡± Anna suggested. ¡°Your Highness, why don¡¯t we go with this? The fluttery whiteces can conceal your seven-month bump,¡± Audrey said. Both of them were touched by the fruition of their master¡¯s romance. Anna, as the leader of the Roel/Alicia ship, had witnessed the blossoming of their romance, and she was moved to tears by the asion. On the other hand, Audrey was delighted by how things were going for Lilian. Not only was thetter marrying the love of her life now, but she would also be crowned as the next empress of the Austine Empire very soon. Only she knew how much hard work Lilian had put into this. While the maids were getting excited, Lilian and Alicia made rare conversation with each other. ¡°Have you thought of the name yet?¡± Lilian asked. ¡°Not yet; Lord Brother is still thinking about it. Do you intend to change the name of your daughter?¡± Alicia replied. ¡°No, we don¡¯t intend to change Natasia¡¯s name.¡± The atmosphere between the two of them was harmonious. Meanwhile, Charlotte, who had still yet to aplish her goal due to her constitution, was busy with other matters. ¡°Is Darling still not ready? He hasn¡¯t tried the clothes yet.¡± ¡°Young master Roel says nothing can go wrong with your clothes, so he¡¯s skipping the try-on,¡± Grace reported. ¡°Really! Darling is messing around, though he¡¯s right about that.¡± Charlotte¡¯s lips crept up as she murmured sweetly to herself. In the dressing room, Nora held a letter with a look of disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re saying this letter suddenly appeared in the church?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Highness. It¡¯s from Queen Victoria. She has invited you and Lord Roel to visit her in her dwelling,¡± a bishop replied. Nora excitedly opened up the letter like a child having her dreame true. This was the biggest surprise she had received thus far. The five brides were busy with their preparations, but happiness could be felt oozing from them. In contrast, in the assembly hall, the atmosphere was much more bitter with Bruce and Kane¡¯s Father Alliance, as theymented losing their little girl. The ceremony hadn¡¯t even begun, but their eyes were already red. Consoling them by the side was Marquess Carter. Carter Ascart, as Roel¡¯s father, was overwhelmed with happiness from having brought in five daughters-inw and two grandchildren to the family tree in a single shot. Apanying him was Chris, who had fought alongside him and eventually made her way to his heart. Kane and Bruce were particrly jealous of Carter, as both father and son were faring well. There should have been one more person in the Father Alliance¡ªWilhelmina¡¯s father, Sword Saint King Friedrich¡ªbut due to the age difference, he chose to sit with Holy Eminence John. It was worth mentioning that there was a shocking number of very old guests attending this wedding ceremony, be it Sword Saint King Friedrich, Holy Eminence John, or the Kingmaker n¡¯s Carolyn and Astrid. Theirbined age added up to almost three thousand years. If they took Paul and Antonio into consideration too, that would add another thousand years to the tally. It was a pity that Paul was the best man, whereas Antonio took the role of the emcee. Antonio was the only one qualified to take on the role of the emcee here, given the scale and the location of the wedding. Besides, he had his ulterior motive too¡ªhe needed help from Roel. Looking at the young-looking Astrid casually making conversation with Carolyn, he was tempted to change his appearance once more. Meanwhile, Roel was rxing in the garden behind the assembly hall. ¡­ Everyone in the assembly hall was in a rush as the wedding was about to begin, but the atmosphere in the garden just a wall away was rxed. Cynthia was listening to Primordial Earth Goddess Peytra¡¯s teaching with an upright posture. Woode and Rodney were crossing blows with Grandar to temper their willpower. The three of them were guards for the wedding ceremony, but they were unmotivated about their job since the assembly hall was full of Origin Level 1 and 2 transcendents. Thus, Roel pulled them out to spend time with their respective ancient gods to alleviate their boredom. It went without saying that the ancient gods, who had been with Roel for many years, were going to attend the wedding too. While Grandar and Peytra were idling around outside, Artasia and Edavia were busy doing their makeup. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be upset over Roel¡¯s wedding. Aren¡¯t you the product of this matrimony?¡± Edavia asked. ¡°That¡¯s the old me! His only child now is Natasia, and I only happen to be her older sister. I have no ties with Roel at all¡­ I¡¯ll murder you if you dare say what happenedst night.¡± ¡°All right, all right¡­¡± Edavia shrugged helplessly as she remembered how Artasia had secretly snuck a kiss inst night. On the other hand, the Mother Goddess was preparing an event for the first time. Weddings were important affairs, not to mention that it was the wedding of her child. She felt that it was important to make it huge, and it couldn¡¯t be understated how the notion of ¡®huge¡¯ was vastly different when it came to a supreme being. ¡°For the opening sequence, I should start with an eruption of all volcanoes¡­¡± ¡°Stop stop stop!¡± Edavia rushed over and hurriedly cut the Mother Goddess¡¯ train of thought. Upon seeing a familiar face, not only did the Mother Goddess not rein it in, but She even excitedly shared the details of Her full n. She was going to have Sire Darkness erupt the volcanoes and release some ¡®fireworks¡¯, and Tempest Caller would blow whatever ash remained into Shrouding Fog to deal with the mess. cier Creator would be in charge of keeping the temperature down lest the guests overheat, while Light Devourer took charge of the lights and atmosphere. The Mother Goddess believed that there should be at least this much for Her child¡¯s wedding. She was so caught up in her excitement that She didn¡¯t notice Edavia¡¯s twitching cheeks. What the hell is this? The Six Cmities¡¯ concert? Edavia looked at the confused Six Cmities in the sky, and she felt a headache settling in. She heaved a sigh and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t we ask Roel for his opinion on this matter?¡± ¡°That sounds good,¡± the Mother Goddess agreed. Meanwhile, the other star of the wedding was busy with another job. Roel was sitting on a chair under a tree, sharing his journey while enjoying the cooling shade. His audience was none other than the towering treant beside him. ¡°¡­The world made a stride toward peace after the reconciliation with the Mother Goddess. Does it end here?¡± Ancient Treant Kayde asked. ¡°I guess so. It¡¯s a historical record, not a diary. There¡¯s no need to record my daily life, right?¡± Roel replied. ¡°Indeed. As the information provider, you do have some special rights. For instance, is there anything you¡¯d like to tell your readers?¡± ¡°Let me think¡­ I guess I¡¯d say, ¡®Don¡¯t bow down in the face of adversity and bravely march on.¡¯¡± ¡°What should the book name be?¡± Just then, a voice sounded from the assembly hall. ¡°Roel, it¡¯s about time!¡± ¡°Mm, I¡¯ming!¡± Roel replied. As he stood up, he looked at the treant and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s call it Eyes of the Chronicler.¡± ¡°An excellent name. As the Chronicler, I¡¯m honored. Peering into history allows one to wisely tread the future. May this book be useful to the people one day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry; it will be,¡± Roel replied with certainty before making his way toward the assembly hall. The bells of the wedding ceremony rang amidst loud cheers. Fresh red flower petals scattered to the wind contrasted beautifully against the white wedding dresses, and they fell to the ground amidst merryughter. The end. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!